Miscellaneous

Montgomery County resident Mike Krancer is stepping down as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Departmrent of Environmental Protection.   He's been deeply involved with issues related to gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.   Krancer will reenter the legal profession with the Philadelphia law firm of Blank-Rome.   The 55-year-old Krancer lives in Bryn Mawr.

Lansdale officials have approved a resolution authorizing an application for a $700,000 state grant that would be used for a skate park as well as the borough portion of the Liberty Bell Trail.   Both projects are associated with the redevelopment of the Madison Parking Lot and builder Equus Capital Partners would contribute the dollar-for-dollar local match required by the state.   Lansdale officials say the skate park would attract a wide gamut of users from both inside and outside their municipality.   They also say the grant money would likely make the borough the first community in Montgomery County to finish its portion of the Liberty Bell Trail.

There werer plenty of marching bands in the annual Saint Patrick's Day parade in Conshohocken on Saturday.   The big event also featured the members of several local school groups as well as marching veterans and plenty of fire trucks.   The Ancient Order of Hibernians organizes the parade.   Harleysville resident Tom Coughlin was the Grand Marshall this year.   He's been an active member of the Order for more than 30-years, serving with chapters in both Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chairman Robert Powelson says the state must take the lead in getting more compressed natural gas vehicles on the road.   Speaking in Bucks County on Friday, he said it is cheaper and cleaner than gasoline and the state has an abundant supply in the Marcellus Shale.   Powelson also said Pennsylvania is the Saudi Arabia of natural gas but only about 150,000 compressed natural gas cars are on the road in the United States.