The Montgomery County Planning Commission will host an open house for the Northwest Montgomery County Strategic Transit Plan on Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Marlborough Elementary School.

The study focuses on the feasibility of expanding transit into Northwestern Montgomery County and devising a long-range plan for service.

With gas prices creeping higher, citizens in Northwestern Montgomery County municipalities have been turning to their elected officials for help, said state Sen. Bob Mensch.

"With family budgets strained, residents are looking for alternatives to driving," Mensch said. "The debut of the Upper Perk coaster last year was a good first step, but now we want to expand service to more residents."

Residents are encouraged to attend the open house to provide feedback about the study’s progress thus far. Brief remarks about transit feasibility will be repeated at 5:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.

The study is sponsored by the Montgomery County Planning Commission and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Board members consist of state and local elected officials, business owners and residents.

Marlborough Elementary School is located on 1450 Gravel Pike (Route 29) in Green Lane.

On his first full day in office, Pennsylvania's newest state senator, Bob Mensch, unveiled his new Web site.

The Web site is: www.senatormensch.com

The site includes information about the 24th Senate District, pending legislation, state laws, agencies and programs, special sections of interest to senior citizens, veterans and kids, as well as links to other governmental and civic organizations.

"There is a wide variety of information available on my Web site," Mensch said in a written statement announcing the launch. "The Internet is a good way to keep constituents informed about what is going on in state government and tell them about programs that are available. The Web provides an excellent way for busy people to keep track of what's going on in state government and how it affects their everyday lives - when it is convenient for them."

Mensch, a Republican who spent three years in the state House, won a special election on Sept. 29 to fill the remainder of former state Sen. Rob Wonderling's term.

Bob Mensch was sworn in today as Pennsylvania's newest state Senator, giving the Republican Party a 30-20 majority in the chamber.

Mensch, who represented the 147th House District over the past three years, is now the state Senator representing the 24th Senate District.

Mensch won a special election on Sept. 29 to complete the term of former state Sen. Rob Wonderling, who resigned to become president/CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

The 24th Senate District covers about 240,000 residents in Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton counties.

Mensch was sworn into office during a 3 p.m. ceremony in the Senate Chamber.

"I look forward to continuing the work I started as a state Representative to develop legislation and policies that improve the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians and promote economic development and create new jobs," Sen. Mensch said in a written statement. "We are in a crucial time in the Commonwealth as we work to restore our economy. We must work to keep young people here. It is essential that we take whatever steps necessary to make Pennsylvania a good place to live, work and raise a family."

As a member of the House of Representatives, Mensch authored legislation amending the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law, along with bills focused on health care quality improvement.

A native of Pennsburg and resident of Marlborough Township since 1975, Mensch is married to his wife of 38 years, JoAnn, who together have raised two children, and now enjoy being grandparents to 14 year old Zackary. He holds a business degree from Valley Forge Military College.

No decision has been made on a date for a special election to fill the remainder of Mensch's House term.