Miscellaneous

A holiday tradition continued in Mont Clare Saturday night.   Volunteers lined the banks of the Schuylkill Canal with about 1,500 luminary bags.   They cast an eerie glow on the water and lit the path that runs almost a mile between Route 29 and the old Locktender's House.   Lining the canal with holiday luminaria is a tradition that started three decades ago as the Schuylkill Canal Association began the restoration of the 185-year-old waterway and the historic structures nearby.

The Skippack Township supervisors have approved a budget for next year without raisng property taxes.   The spending plan totals about $3,000,000 and projects an $80,000 surplus.   The budget includes the purchase of a generator for the township building as well as the construction of new trails at Church Road Park.   There has not been a property tax increase in Skippack Township for 13 years.

West Norriton Township officials have approved a budget for next year.   The spending plan totals about $11,000,000 and does not raise property taxes.   That means a homeowner with property assessed at the West Norriton average of $119,000 will continue to pay the township $415 in real estate taxes.   Township officials held the line by deferring some capital projects and making cuts in health insurance costs.   They also found budget reductions in police overtime and legal expenses.

Bucks County firefighters made quick work of a blaze at a house on Aquetong Road in Solebury Township Friday.   No one was hurt but the two-and-a-half story home sustained smoke and heat damage.   The cause of the fire remains under investigation.   The New Hope Eagle Fire Company, the Midway Fire Company and the Lambertville Rescue Squad responded to the emergency situation.