Letter to Yenta 05/27/02

What is the history/rationale behind the Boro approving the 6 story Waterview condo building, which breaks ground in a few weeks? Do the zoning laws need revisions? Is this going to set a precedence for more high rise buildings being built along the river banks in the future? If the riverfront landscape becomes peppered with high rise structures, what will this do to the scenic River Road drive over a period of years (and it's attraction to the many tourists that our local economies depend on)?

Letter to Yenta 05/24/02

The perfect solution for unruly Dog owners (not dogs) is HEFTY fines.
This would also help curve the littering problem on Rt. 32. It seems
that there are many drivers who like to use Rt. 32 for their own
personal rubbish dump. I have been trying to get Penndot to install
more "No Littering" signs along a 3 mile stretch of Rt. 32 immediately
south of New Hope. Its current condition is deplorable and it reflects
very poorly on an otherwise beautiful area.
If we all make a little noise where it really counts, maybe we can
create some positive change.

PO-V, New Hope, PA.

Letter to Yenta 05/16/02

Ahh,
Dogs on the towpath..., they are a pleasure and a problem. I have a number of friends who walk there canine partners along the quiet canal side lane; they are responsible friends who do make sure their dogs are leashed when others are around and who do clean up after their buddies. BUT, there are all too many who allow their dogs too much latitude, are not considerate about those who may have muddy paws placed on them, or of the wildlife that dogs, by nature, may molest, and all too many who regard the towpath as a large, convenient doggy toilet.
I work on the canal, and have often had to work around piles of poop, and have seen the injured animals and waterfowl left by these "free-spirited" mutts. The Rangers do have a responsibility to address those who do not follow regulations, and must enforce the rules impartially. Unfortunately, this may mean a bit less freedom for some dogs and dog-owners, but they have to pay that price for the irresponsible people, and that's life..
Cap

Letter to Yenta 05/16/02

Dear Yenta,

I do agree with "vw" that irresponsible dog owners spoil it for those who take care to be so attentive. It's too bad that more people can't be as considerate. We participated in April's "Canal Clean-up Day" in our canoe, and one of the biggest hauls we had were the plastic bags full of scooped "poop" that people had tossed into the canal for someone else to pick up! My request of the park is to please provide waste receptacles near those free plastic bags, so there's no excuse for dog owners to use the canal as a dump.....

I will say that, as much as I love to see those well-behaved dogs enjoying a vigorous run and a splash in the water, I have witnessed unleashed dogs killing geese, mauling people's pets, growling at passing bicyclists, terrorizing baby ducks and trampling freshly planted flowers on the canal berm. It's a dilemma for the state park officials, who probably do get a lot of complaints. Sadly, the only solution so far is to tell ALL dog owners to leash their pets. The canal is a state park, meant to be used and enjoyed by everyone, and every animal - so the officials have to set the rules that keep the most peace.

Maybe there are other towns bordering on parks who have had similar situations, and have come up with a different way to handle the leash laws. It would be a good research project...

Thanks - Jan Witte

Letter to Yenta 05/12/02

On Wednesday evening, May 15, at 7:00 PM, the Independent Merchants of New Hope will meet at La Terrazza Restaurant on Mechanic Street in New Hope. The Independent Merchants of New Hope formed to provide the downtown New Hope merchants, service businesses, and commercial property owners an open forum to discuss business concerns and pursue common goals and interests.

The May 15 meeting will feature two speakers.
Elissa G. Marsden, Heritage Development Specialist with the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor will speak about the history and
background of the Main Street Manager and Business Improvement District proposals for New Hope, and will answer questions after her presentation.

W. Keith Toler, Executive Director of the Bucks County Conference and
Visitors Bureau, Inc., will speak about promotional opportunities for New
Hope businesses. Mr Toler will also be available to answer questions.
The agenda also includes discussion of the following Independent Merchants business items:
Creation of Insider's Guide to New Hope
Selection of Block Captains and Upcoming Nominations and Elections
Notification about Upcoming Town Meetings
Working toward Non-Profit Status.

All business owners and commercial property owners in New Hope are welcome to attend. Membership in the Independent Merchants of New Hope is open to business owners and commercial property owners in New Hope, and costs $35 per year for those who agree to receive their newsletters by e-mail, and $50 for those who prefer printed copies. For more information, please contact Christina Georgiou at 215-862-2324, or Caroline Dechert at 215-862-4595.

Letter to Yenta 05/12/02

The Park Rangers for the canal have recently started to more vigorously enforce the leash law. One man apparently got "nipped" several months back on the path in Upper Black Eddy and raised a horrific stink. Everyone with a well-mannered dog must now keep his or her animal tethered at all times. No more throwing and retrieving sticks or taking a quick dip in the water. Most of us who walk our dogs on the canal, leash them when someone is approaching (and when no one is around, let them have a little freedom). Now the rangers are citing people with an unleashed canine - when no other path traffic is in site for a 1/2 mile either way. This is no fault of the rangers. They're just doing their job and have apparently been instructed to divert more of their time to enforcing leashing (at the bequest of several politicians who rec'd the complainers calls).

Certainly, those with aggressive dogs should always have them leashed and be held liable for their animals actions (and not be walking them leashed or unleashed on a 4' wide tow path). People should have their dogs leashed when others are passing. But, making the large majority of gentle animals (who bother no one) pay for the acts of a few mean ones is something out of a banana republic. When a human commits an act of violence, we put them in jail. We don't put the rest of the population on a ball and chain (because one of them might also commit an act of violence). Go after the people or animals who cause the problem, not those that bother no one.

For the man who was nipped and decided to go on a personal crusade to ensure every dog on the planet is always tied up, shame on you! You're the one who should be forced to crap at the end of a short rope. Same goes for the owner of the offending canine. By not keeping a dog you know to be mean on a leash and off the narrow towpath - you not only created a bad incident for the man who was nipped, but you have deprived the majority of gentle path pooches of any small amount of freedom. Likely you're both quite pleased with yourselves. As far as the politician(s), there's more than a few of us who will keep in mind those who favor bureaucracy over common sense, when voting.

I've lived on the river for more than 20 years. Over the past 3 or so, the towpath has become increasingly inundated with cranky bastards & self-righteous yuppies. The types that don't give a reciprocal hello, when you pass them on the path and say hi - but will seize any opportunity to get in your face. Then we have the yuppies who ride their $2500 bicycles in the middle of river road on Saturdays, and wouldn't think (in a million years) of pulling over to let the 20 cars backed up behind them pass. It's legal, dangerous, rude and arrogant. These are the same types who seem to have a propensity for using the existing laws to further their own sense of grandiosity.

Sorry for the vent, but it's disconcerting to see the acts of a few grandiose jerks and thoughtless dog owners turn a park in the country into an urban bureaucracy of intolerance (heavy on law enforcement and short on common sense and civility).
vw

Letter to Yenta 05/02/02

Independent Merchants of New Hope Form New Business League

On Tuesday evening, April 30, approximately 50 business owners and
commercial property owners joined at La Terrazza restaurant for the
organizational meeting of the Independent Merchants of New Hope. This
group formed to provide the downtown New Hope merchants, service
businesses, and commercial property owners an open forum to discuss
business concerns and pursue common goals and interests.

Much of the discussion at Tuesday's meeting revolved around a proposal, presented at Borough Hall during the preceding week, to explore the possibility of creating a Business Improvement District. The Business Improvement District would be funded by a property tax assessed for a period of years on business property owners in the district. The funds raised from this assessment, perhaps as much as $182,500 in the first year, might be used in part to hire a downtown manager in addition to the existing Borough Manager.

Business and commercial property owners at the Independent Merchants of New Hope's organizational meeting heard presentations from local business owners, and from Mr. Frank Sullivan, Esq, of Sullivan and Sullivan in Newtown, Pennsylvania. After these presentations, many present expressed concern that they first learned about the Business Improvement District proposal from a newspaper article. There was general agreement that, with a proposal of this magnitude, the entire business community should be actively included in the process from a very early stage.

"A lot of questions have be raised about the BID and how the process has been handled so far, " says Caroline Dechert, owner of True as Touch
Holistic Massage, and a presenter at the meeting. "It's hard to read in the
paper that the business community is behind a project, when you're a member of that community and you've had no opportunity to hear about any such project. I hope this new organization will improve lines of communication that seem to have been lacking, and ensure that the entire business community has access to information that will enable us to ask the questions we need to ask, and make the right decisions for our businesses."

Christina Georgiou, owner of Enchantments, a shop in downtown New Hope, and chairperson for the organizational meeting, promised that members would have access to good information through the Independent Merchants of New Hope's newsletters and e-mail discussion list. The group is also formulating plans for various projects to promote the interests of its members. Input from the business community was actively sought. Feedback forms were provided to everyone who came to Tuesday's meeting, with a promise that everyone who filled out such a form would be personally contacted with a response.

Membership in the Independent Merchants of New Hope is open to business owners and commercial property owners in New Hope, and costs $35 per year for those who agree to receive their newsletters by e-mail, and $50 for those who prefer hard copy. For more information, please contact Christina Georgiou at 215-862-2324, Bert Johnson at 215-862-5626, Caroline Dechert at 215-862-4595, Robert Gerenser at 215-862-2050, or Mark Holbrow or Lisa Martini at 215-862-6112.

The next meeting of the Independent Merchants of New Hope will be held
Wednesday, May 15, at 7:00 PM at La Terrazza Restaurant.

Caroline Dechert
enilorac@voicenet.com

Letter to Yenta 04/30/02

Wow! A Main Street Manager huh? What is going on in NewHope? I agree with Mr Gerenser. Sounds like a few non business or non business owners want to "manage" the businesses on Main Street. Gee I always thought that the business owner/founder is the best person for this job. And if that person can't do it they usually go out and hire a manager for their particular business. Maybe New Hope is going the way of baseball hats "one size fits all". Thought I would never see the day when New Hope would go for a Main Street Manager. The independent soul and spirit of this town seems to be in trouble.

Letter to Yenta 04/26/02

Hi Yenta,

This is a note for New Hope Business owners.
A small group of businesses have begun to distribute fliers to points from Doylestown to Princteon promoting New Hope stores.
If you are interested in participating, contact Eric Maywar at the New Hope Book Cellar at 2 East Ferry Street or online at book_cellar@mindspring.com
This flier program is free. All that is required is your participation in distribution.

Eric Maywar

Letter to Yenta 04/17/02

Yenta,
I hope that you were able to attend this event.
Wow!!!!. What a great time we all had. Not only did we raise money for the Chamber, we also raised some for local charities.
My applause to Fred Williamson, Louise & Christine. But also to everyone in the show. Let's not forget everyone that helped.
I know we had a blast,

Sincerely,
Lucy & Ricky Riccardo

Letter to Yenta 04/12/01

Dear Yenta,

Let's tell everyone about April 14th.
The New Hope Chamber of Commerce is having it's 2nd Annual Queen for a Day!! Even if you don't have tickets, you can a donation to any of the following......  Eagle fire company, American Cancer society Fisherman's Mark, The boys & girls club of America, Fact
Or any charity of your choice. Please send a donation.

Judy & Roger Butler
Contestants

Letter to Yenta 04/10/02

Dear Yenta,

This letter serves two purposes: to introduce two e-mail lists which I hope will prove helpful to members of the community, and to offer a summary of the interchange between Borough Council and members of the business community during the April 9, 2002 Borough Council meeting.

The E-mail Lists:
The first e-mail list, NewHopePAMeetings, will try to help meet a need addressed at Tuesday’s Borough Council meeting, the need for people to have convenient access to a list of upcoming public meetings in the Borough. I propose to go personally to Borough Hall at least once a week, review the list of public meetings posted there, and send the meeting information to everyone subscribed to the e-mail list. Anyone may subscribe, either by visiting the web page http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewHopePAMeetingsor by
sending e-mail to NewHopePAMeetings-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The second list, NewHopePABusiness, will serve as a discussion list for topics pertinent to New Hope businesses. Anyone may join, and anyone may post a message that will reach everyone subscribed to the list. Since many of us are very busy, and since it is hard to find meeting times that are convenient, this list is designed to ease the flow of information and discussion among those interested in New Hope business. I very much hope that the Chamber of Commerce and its members will use this list heavily. Anyone may subscribe, either by visiting the web page
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewHopePABusiness or by sending e-mail to NewHopePABusiness-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Council Meeting:
There was a spirited dialog Tuesday evening, April 9, 2002, among members of the business community and the Borough Council about the possible Main Street Manager program, and issues surrounding it that were raised by the Intelligencer article mentioned in a previous post to this page. Unfortunately, many interested parties who were unable to attend the council meeting will not have easy access to the information shared there.
The discussion was not part of the formal agenda, and, as I understand it, the council does not presently include items of public participation in the official minutes. In the hope of promoting good communication, I will offer a summary of what was covered.

I invite anyone present at the meeting to respond with corrections and additions as they see fit. A copy of this letter for the Borough Council members will be delivered to Borough Hall, so that they will have the opportunity to see the letter, and offer any corrections they would like.

· The Council believes that the article in the Intelligencer is
highly inaccurate.
· The Council, while it was willing to listen to some concerns raised by the article, said that it would not discuss the “program” because it is hypothetical. There is no “program” or proposal to discuss. There is no program or proposal in place.
· If such a proposal is ever made, it will be subject to public hearings.
· If such a proposal is made, and the business community does not want it, it will not happen.
· The Council asks for our trust and respect.
· The Council advises the business community to communicate among themselves, and express themselves through the Chamber of Commerce.
· Members of the business community ask for the trust and respect of the Council, and for better communication.
· It was suggested that the Council pursue the possibility of asking the Gazette to include a short listing of upcoming meetings of public interest in each issue.
· The meeting reported in the Intelligencer article was the only
closed meeting regarding the potential, possible, but not yet existent program.
· It was more a series of focus groups than a meeting, per se.
· It was closed and limited in size at the request of the state
and/or its consultants (and I’m sorry to be inconclusive on this, but in retrospect I don’t recall anyone addressing the issue of how the focus groups were selected).
· A suggestion was made that focus group members, in future, should be chosen by lot from amongst community members who have expressed an interest in participating, so that all interested parties could have an equal chance of representing their views.
· Some of those who were selected for the focus group were upset (and possibly unable to attend) because the group was given very little notice.
· The Council explains that the short notice was due to the state,
which gave the Borough only 5-6 days notice.
· To address the concerns of the business community over this
meeting, Sharyn Keiser has offered to contact the state to express the following:
· That the business community was upset that the meeting was not open.
· That the community would appreciate more notice of any future
meetings.

I hope this very brief summary is of help to those who were unable to attend the Borough Council meeting. Thanks to those, both Community and Council, who did attend.

Caroline Dechert
True as Touch Holistic Massage - 8 Stockton Ave

Letter to Yenta 04/08/02

Dear Yenta,
I am writing to comment on the article written by Mark Jolly on Wednesday April 3, 2002 appearing on the front page of the "Our Towns" section of the Intelligencer. Mark, as usual, has done an excellent job of reporting the facts. It is the facts that I find chilling.

It would appear from reading the article that there is a general ground swell of support from the business community and the actual business property owners for a Main Street Manager. That appearance is wrong! Let me tell you why.

The opening paragraph states, "for years, community leaders have been talking about the need for a plan to manage the downtown business area, and now they want to see action." In the many years I have participated in Borough Council and the Chamber of Commerce no community leader I know has championed this project. I must assume that the "community leaders" and the "they" that are referred to are the current President and Vice President of New Hope Borough Council who came into power in 2000, so I guess technically it is ( 2 ) years that their idea has been "talked about".

The problem is that this plan to manage the downtown business area has been talked about only by a self selected group of people, has never come from the people who will be most affected by it, the Downtown Business Community and Business Property Owners! There are no business owners on the current Borough Council. This Council has proven its lack of understanding of the
business community and antipathy towards it by the passing of the "Occupational Privilege Tax".

This entire process has not reached, and in many cases has deliberately avoided the people who are most likely to be its most ardent critics. I am both a business owner and a business property owner in the proposed district. My property comprises 10 separate businesses. I was not invited to this past week's meeting as either a property owner or affected business. Why? Who was invited? How were they selected?

The article stemmed from a meeting with "consultants" and the business community. Supporters of the "Main Street Manager Program" were contacted and opponents were not. Why?

There are clear disadvantages involved with any program of this type. First and foremost it undercuts the value of the New Hope Chamber of Commerce. Our Chamber of Commerce should be THE voice of the business community. The Chamber should not be so eager to give up its function to a Main Street Manager.

The central theme from those who are promoting this Main Street Manager Program is that it will provide infrastructure and management. Successful business owners provide their own infrastructure and management. Outside management simply means control and punishment of business owners. After all, if we are installing a manager what is he managing? He is managing us. How can a manager control except by carrots and sticks? I see insufficient quantities of carrots and far too many sticks for this program to be anything that I can be excited about.

Who will pay for this? At the last Chamber of Commerce meeting we were assured that there would be no taxes involved in the funding of a Main Street Manager. When pushed harder various proponents of the project said, "Well not in the first year any way but a special taxation district commencing in the fifth year may be possible". Is this the tax written about in the article? We still don't know.

To calm our fears it was stated at the Chamber meeting that the new tax could only be approved by a majority vote of the affected business property owners. But the article states, "Property owners will then have 45 days to register in writing any opposition they may have to the district." This means, at this time, that there is no positive method of conducting an honest vote.

I would support this project under two conditions. First, ALL affected property owners must be positively contacted and brought into the process. Second, the provisions for the property owners to vote should be as follows:
1. An independent commission of State Judges must be empanelled to conduct the vote. Guidelines for the vote will be agreed upon before any vote is taken.
2. Every affected property owner must be contacted in writing and told to appear at a certified polling place to vote.
3. One property equals one vote. In the case of joint ownership the appropriate denominator will apply (spouses in joint ownership each get ½ vote).
4. Any property with condominium ownership shall use the number of condominiums actually occupied as the denominator for that property
(for example, 15 condos each gets 1/15th of a vote ).
5. Any property owner who does not show up to vote will be counted as a negative.
6. To determine percentages, the total number of properties in the district will be used as the denominator.

The article continues, " If fewer than 40 percent of the property owners object, the district will be OFFICIAL (emphasis mine)". This is a bad arrangement and shows the ill intent of the perpetrators of this plot. Think about it. The self-anointed elite will contact the twenty supporters they have and get them to vote as a block for the project. It would be all too easy then to ignore opponents or make it difficult for them to vote. Unless negative voters appear, the district becomes official. Negative voters must take an active role to be heard.

There must be a positive mechanism to insure that the actual desires of each affected property owner are accounted for.

I would support a plan where the results of the vote will be based on the total number of the affected properties in the district, NOT BY THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF PROPERTY OWNERS WHO VOTED.

Lastly, in the great spirit of The Declaration of Independence, the vote to be self-enslaved to this tax district must be a unanimous one.

Make your voice heard by attending the Borough Council meeting this Tuesday at the New Hope Solebury High School Cafeteria 7:30P.M.

Robert V. Gerenser
22 South Main Street
New Hope, PA 18938
215-862-2050

Letter to Yenta 03/24/02

Dear Yenta:

I throw my shirt tails in for Robert Gerenser for State Rep. Bob and I have had a lot of differences, on a lot of different issues. One thing I know is that Bob loves New Hope.
So Bob, I wish you all the best. Please remember New Hope first.

Judy Butler

Letter to Yenta 03/18/02

Congratulations to Robert Gerenser for fulfilling his pledge
of retrieving the "Major" out of the Delaware River in Solebury Twp. It was quite a news article on television.
He had talked about someone untying his boat and hopefully the investigation will continue to find the culprits who did the dirty deed. Maybe the "local Yocal" will help with the restoration and/or the investigation process.
Mr. Gerenser is a "man of his word" and we wish you good luck with your campaign for the new House seat of the 29th District.

Letter to Yenta 03/14/02

My Dearest Yenta,
Re: Recovering the "Major"
I am ready. Details to follow.
Captain Robert V. Gerenser

Letter to Yenta 03/11/02

Having just visited the Waterview web site for development on the river I was more than surprised to see approved plans for a six story highrise condo that looks like many in south Florida. Why is New Hope allowing a building like this in such a spot? D.C

Letter to Yenta 02/20/02

Recently, there has been a great loss to the Borough that I feel more should know about. That is the passing of one of the best artists in town, Rodney Manklang. Rodney worked at the Lions Den Tattoo Studio for several years and I am very proud to have been one of his friends. Rodney was a truly gifted tattoo artist, who on a regular basis had people coming in from all over the United States to be tattooed by him. Without a doubt Rodney always had a smile on his face and something kind to say about everything and everyone. The Lions Den will still be there and continue to operate with its own charm, but Rodney will always be there in our hearts, and never be forgotten.

Rich Joyner
110 New St

Letter to Yenta 02/19/02

Robert,
Please accept my apology regarding my last letter.
Robert, I feel that you have a lot of very good ideas. I just think that you go about them in a way that concerns the residents of New Hope. I know that you love New Hope, but you have to sit back and think about all the past issues.
Robert, you are not General George Washington. You are Robert Gerenser, owner and operator of the oldest ice cream shop in New Hope. You and your family worked hard to build this business and keep it going.
Robert, you have proved your point by being elected to N.H. borough council. Now it's time for a new beginning, a new Chief ect.
As for your bid for congress, good luck.
But ... please remember we all have skeletons in our closets.

Sorry I must sign,
Local Y.

Letter to Yenta 02/18/02

Although the letter by "Signed Local" is a C.U.L. (Cowardly Unsigned Letter) I sense that it is a different type from the missives that have been penned by the small crowd of suspected usuals. In that it may be a genuine letter, even though it is addressed to "Sir George" I will respond.
I am working on getting my vessel recovered. Thank you for your concern. Should you like to help me please respond. I never mentioned ducks. Thank you.
If the salutation was meant to be pejorative, let me address that. George Washington was never knighted. Yenta, imagine "Local" scratching his head -wondering, " huhhhhhh? I wonder who's shoes are you trying to grow into.
George Washington was properly referred to as General during the war. As a sign of respect, after the war and until he was elected president,close friends continued to refer to him as General. Once he became president he was properly referred to as Mr. President.
While the country was inventing itself during the American Revolution,well meaning soldiers would often refer to their General as, "Your Excellency". That was a title Washington disliked in the extreme. So, for anyone wanting to oh so cleverly attempt to deride me by impugning my association with General Washington, try addressing me as "Your Excellency".  At least then you would be Historically accurate.
In the meantime you may want to think about this. Congressman Jim Greenwood at his wonderful Saint Valentines Day fund Raiser on Friday night proudly introduced me to his audience as someone who has done a fine job in portraying General Washington on Christmas Day. Congressman Greenwood, as you know, has participated in the annual Christmas crossing for 16 years. His audience gave me a resounding round of applause. They appear to like the idea of me portraying General Washington.
Congressman Greenwood has been working with me to get me an audition with the Armed Forces Entertainment Network ( think -U.S.O.) so that I may provide historical and inspirational entertainment to our armed services. This is one way I can give back to those who have given everything for us.
So maybe, "Local", you just might want to lay off of the "Sir George" thing.

Robert V. Gerenser
The only announced candidate for the 29th district that attended Congressman Jim Greenwood's function.

Letter to Yenta 02/17/02

Sir George,
It comes time in a man's life, when it is time to grow. Sir George, it is now time to grow.
Grow into those great big shoes, and please clean up the Delaware. You speak of all the things that are good. The ducks in your yard ect. Please clean up the mess. I do realize that it is not your fault. But it is still your vessel.
I'll sign, local

Letter to Yenta 02/11/02

Thank you for posting my letter in its entirety. Although I alluded to joyous things in the first paragraph, I instead had to deal with other business. One of the wonderful things that has occurred in my life is that I have made the decision to run for the new 29th district house seat. Just for fun I have attached a copy of my first press release. I would welcome discussion on your forum from any one interested in this process or who cares about our new district.
I would like to set out some guidelines for this forum. I will not answer any one who is a CUL (cowardly unsigned letter)(initials don't count either). I will discuss anything provided it is constructive and of broad interest. Lastly, communiqués should be literate, well written and clever. Please don't bore us.
I don't mean to suggest to you rules to govern conversation on your back fence. I am only telling you what I will respond to. Let's focus on issues and improving the quality of life for us all.
Thanks for providing the forum.

Bob

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 26, 2002 Robert V. Gerenser
ANNOUNCES REPUBLICAN CANDIDACY FOR THE NEW 29TH DISTRICT PA STATE HOUSE SEAT
Robert V. Gerenser, the well-known New Hope businessmen and historian, announces that he is seeking the support of the Republican Party in his bid to run for the new house seat for the 29th district.

The new seat became available as a result of the 2000 census. The growing population of the central Bucks area has demanded more representation in Harrisburg. Since it is a new seat there is no incumbent, as a result of this there will be a tremendous amount of interest in this race. It will be critical for Republicans to choose a candidate who can defeat the inevitable Democrat in the fall election.

At this time the main focus will be on the May 21, 2002 primary. A number of Republicans have in one way or another announced they would like the nod from party headquarters. However this election is going to require a special candidate. The candidate must be well versed with the boundaries of the district since it has been gerrymandered so many times. The candidate must achieve, as a goal, the unification of a district with many diverse interests, needs and personalities.

That candidate is Robert V. Gerenser, "Bob" to his friends. Bob first learned the election process as one of New Hope's youngest Judge of Elections. Bob served two four year terms as judge and is best remembered for his endless patience in teaching voters how to use the machine and in explaining the election process. Bob gave back to his community as a volunteer fireman with over 17 years active service. Bob also served as vice president of the New Hope Chamber of Commerce for five years and was voted as the NHCC's Man of the Year in 1995.

Bob takes great pride in being invited to become a member of the Central Bucks Detachment Marine Corps League of Pennsylvania, Inc.

A New Hope businessman, Bob has taken a major part in running one of New Hope's oldest family businesses, "Gerenser's Exotic Ice Cream which was established by his parents in 1947. Bob also operates Coryell's Ferry Historic Boat Rides on the Delaware River and is a licensed United States Coast Guard Passenger Captain.

Bob served successfully for four years as a New Hope Borough Councilman with an excellent attendance record of 97%. Bob's primary accomplishments as Borough Councilman was to undertake a comprehensive study of the New Hope Police Department, the first ever audit of the NHPD, the first ever implementation of a D.A.R.E. program in the local middle school and was one of the driving forces in supporting the New Hope Canine Drug Dog Program. Bob was responsible for putting together the team that helped gain the open space grant for the Randolph Street Park. He also took an active interest in preserving the town's historic architecture by the equal enforcement of the New Hope's zoning and HARB laws. Something of a crusader, Bob was known to be an outspoken critic of those who would abuse the laws of the town for their own benefit.

Yet perhaps his most significant role is in portraying General George Washington in the annual Christmas reenactments at Washington's Crossing Historic Park. Bob was selected in open competition in 1997 and again in 1999 to lead the Continental Troops across the River Delaware. Bob is also the founder of the Coryell's Ferry Militia a living history reenactment group dedicated to presenting the history of Bucks County.

When asked what the most important issues will be facing the New 29th District Bob had this to say, " The New 29th District is gong to have to find its identity. It is a geographically diverse district stretching from Warminster in the Southwest to New Hope and Solebury in the Northeast with Warwick, Jamison Upper Southampton, Doylestown Twp and Buckingham thrown in for good measure. The successful candidate is going to need to find the common ground for a population with diverse and possibly conflicting needs. Having served in the Cosmopolitan environment of New Hope in many capacities I believe I can achieve that balance."

Supporters wishing to work on Mr. Gerenser's Committee may contact the candidate by calling 215-862-2050 between 11A.M. and 6P.M. daily.)

Yenta Column 02/11/02

Well! When the Yenta awoke from the mid-winter siesta and suggested that the good people of the area do the same, the last thing that was expected was for five or so people to start railing about Bob Gerenser's boat. Get a life...

The town has lots of issues and lots of work to do. Let us move on... and as Bob has suggested in his eloquent response...maybe you could offer to help. Wouldn't that be a great start to helping salve the town's wounds in the New Year.

As for the poor gentleman who doesn't know where he lives...let the Yenta attempt to shed light on the situation...dim though that may be.

If you live in New Hope borough...you live in New Hope.
If you live in Solebury village...you live in Solebury.
If you live in Carversville village...you live in Carversville.
Simple.

Here's where it gets tricky... If you live in Solebury, outside the
village, you live in either New Hope, Solebury or Doylestown. There, that should make you feel more secure with where you live...or don't live.

The Yenta

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