I received this via email this morning:

Dear Citizen:

Please excuse cross postings.

This letter is to advise you that a comprehensive regional drill is being conducted throughout Eastern Montgomery County on the morning of Sunday, October 18, 2009. As part of this regional drill, two simulated incidences will be in Upper Dublin Township. One is a simulated hazardous material incident located in the office park and the second is a simulated problem with the Loch Alsh Reservoir Dam. We emphasize that the purpose of this drill is to familiarize responders of how to communicate and operate together and to provide logistical challenges to our "First Responders" and "Township Staff'. We do not expect to be closing any roadways or entering onto private property, but you will see emergency vehicles and people in response gear moving about the Township. This is only a drill and, again, an opportunity for our teams to work together.

If you have any questions regarding the drill or if your neighbors are not aware of this notice and express concern, they can contact the Fire Services Administrator, Greg Breyer at (215) 643-1600 x3272 or at gbreyer@upperdublin.net for information.

Very truly yours,

Paul A. Leonard
Township Manager
Emergency Management Coordinator

Labels: emergency management, montgomery county, upper dublin

Just a quick video preview to the MUFON convention. Tomorrow's convention beings at 11 a.m and runs through to the evening.

Labels: alien, andy stettler, montgomery newspapers, mufon, ufo, uso

"Dear Reader,

I'd like to inform you about important changes at Economist.com.

Beginning October 13th, we will be limiting access to certain sections of our site to subscribers only. Over the past few years, Economist.com has become a hub for intelligent discussion, with news commentary, blogs and an award-winning debate series. We will continue to encourage both subscribers and non-subscribers to participate in those conversations. We will also enhance the experience we offer our most loyal readers by expanding our subscribers-only features.

Currently, all content published within the last year is free of charge. Soon, this access will be limited to articles published within the last 90 days. The print edition contents page, which offers a convenient way to browse articles and features from the latest issue of The Economist, will also be limited to subscribers only.

Through these complementary aspects of Economist.com, we will continue to foster intelligent discussion and debate, while enhancing the value we bring to our community of subscribers.

I hope you'll continue to visit the site and enjoy all it has to offer.

Sincerely,
Ben Edwards

Labels: Economist.com, limited access, The Economist

I think it was George Bruno of Perkasie who told me, maybe even while walking through the Perkasie train tunnel, that once a person hears a house is haunted, they are much more likely to feel as though they have experienced some sort of supernatural occurrence within that home.

That's what keeps me from wanting to believe that whatever happened to my camera this afternoon at the Grey Towers Castle on Arcadia University's campus was the result of some supernatural experience.

I was walking through Grey Towers Castle, at around 1 p.m. today, with Media Communications Manager at Arcadia University, Donna Whitlock, who was showing me several areas in the 19th century Castle which had been mentioned in Arcadia's ghost story folklore. She had shown me the steps where a little girl, as the story goes, accidentally hung herself when her scarf got caught on the banister. Donna also showed me the "Red Room" where Mrs. Harrison, the former owner's wife, had conceivably murdered one of her husband's mistresses.

But there was one room we entered, which Donna said was once the admissions office of the University, where upon entering the room, my camera's battery suddenly died. At first I thought nothing of it. Then I replaced the batteries in the camera with four I had recharged the night before.

Those were dead too? "That's strange," I thought.

Let me tell you something about myself. I always keep fresh batteries in my camera bag and I am absolutely obsessed with keeping rechargeable batteries charged. It's like my dad and his obsession with keeping the family cars clean, it's just this little tick I have.

So when I pulled out the third set of batteries and the camera remained, well, dead, I began to wonder whether or not something in that room had wanted to let me know that they were there.
While researching for the "Haunted?" feature, I read "Do Dead People Watch You Shower," by Concetta Bertoldi, a medium who consults regularly with the English Royal Family. This woman claims to have spoken with the dead her entire life and I must admit, it is one heck of a page-turner. But what she says is that some spirits just want you to know that they are there and both Concetta and Carol S., of last week's "Resident's Report Podcast" say that when you speak to spirits they do respond.

With this in mind, before entering the castle I did say "whoever lives here, do not harm me but show yourself through this camera." This was merely a thought, like when you're at your child's sports game and you say to yourself, let my child play well today. It was so subtle and yet I don't want to push away the idea that my dead camera was a message from, as I said, someone who lives in the Grey Towers Castle.

I'll be heading back to Arcadia tomorrow with another set of freshly charged batteries and hopefully, this time, I'll be able to get the footage I need for Wednesday's edition to the Haunted? multimedia section. In the meantime, I'll be tweeting more of my experiences and blogging here.

Labels: andy stettler, Arcadia University, George Bruno, ghosts of perkasie, Grey Towers Castle, Haunted?

Labels: andy stettler, mongomery newspapers, national parks, photos, slide show, Valley Green, wissahickon valley park