Miscellaneous

Endorsements made the difference for Lansdale Borough Council candidates.   In Ward 1, incumbent Mary Fuller and and newcomer Jeff Howard won the Democratic primary.   Joseph  Wolf ran third.   Fuller and Howard both had the backing of the Lansdale Democratic Committee.   Howard also had the backing of the political action committee Friends of Lansdale.   Fuller and Howard will run against Republicans Jean Fritz and Michelle Coyle.   Neither Fritz or Coyle faced opposition in the primary.   Fritz was endorsed by the Lansdale Republican Club.   Incumbent Jason Van Dame will run as a Ward 1 independent in the Novemeber election.   In Ward 2, Kathleen Becker ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.   She was endorsed by by both the Friends of Lansdale and the Lansdale Democratic Committee.   On the Republican side, Tom Work beat incumbent Mike Sobel.   Work was endorsed by the Lansdale Republican Club.   In Ward 3, Peter Schmitt and Walter Brown won the Republican primary.   Incumbent Dan Dunigan placed third in the race for two seats.   Both Schmitt and Brown had the endorsement of the Lansdale Republican Club.  On the democratic side, Liz Troy and Leon Angelichio were the top vote getters in a four way race for two open seats.   Richard Strahm and Robert Willi placed third and fourth respectively.   Troy and Angelichio had the endorsements of the Friends of Lansdale and the Lansdale Democratic Committee.      

Lansdale officials are holding two community meetings next week about a major road improvement project.   The Wood-Vine Street Connector will improve traffic flow downtown by giving motorists another way of getting around other than Broad and Main Streets.   The first meeting is scheduled in Borough Hall at 1:30 Monday afternoon.   The second meeting is in the same place starting at 6:30 on Thursday evening.   Ground was broken on the project last month.   The cost of construction will be covered in its entirety by a $3,500,000 state grant.

The Montgomery Township Supervisors have approved an indefinite continuance for a conditional use hearing on a 135-foot cell phone tower proposed near Upper State Road and Bethlehem Pike.   The telecom company that wants to build the structure also needs a variance from the Zoning Hearing Board and the township supervisors have gone on record opposing any relief.   The continuance will give both parties an opportunity to work out their differences.   Township officicials say the zoning hearing board issue revolves around the placement and dimensions of equipment structures on the ground.   The hearing before the zoning board has also been continued indefinitely.

The administrative office at the Towamencin Municipal Complex on Troxell Road is closed Thursday.   Staff will be there though sorting through papers and determining what no longer needs to be kept.   Township officials would rather not close for a document management day but say the job needs to get done before it piles up any further.   They are using their website and telephone system to get the word out about the closing.   They also posted a sign on the door at the municiapl complex earlier this month.