Bucks County Herald – October 11, 2007

March of Dimes ‘Salute to BC Women of Achievement’ honors 5 women

Dear Friends,

Good morning. “Don’t die on Tuesdays,” Bridget Wingert laughed as she told the March of Dimes audience about the hectic publication day at the Bucks County Herald. The Eastern Pennsylvania Division of the March of Dimes honored the Herald’s Editor and four other women at the 12^th Annual Salute to Bucks County Women of Achievement last week.

Tuesday at the Herald is the busiest day of the week. It’s when the issue is finally made ready for publication. I’m not sure whether Bridget was telling us that it would put the staff in a bind if she decided to die on Tuesday…or whether competing dailies would get the scoop about her death.

I remember my Grandfather Meredith telling us that he didn’t want to die on a Thursday. In the 1940’s, Thursday was publication day for the Free Press. If he died on a Thursday, he reasoned, the Morning Call and the Intelligencer would carry his obituary before the Free Press could. Fortunately, he got his wish so the Free Press wasn’t scooped…Grandfather Meredith died on a Wednesday!

But I stray.

The five March of Dimes winners are super achievers.

In her acceptance speech, Elizabeth “Liz” Biester reminded the audience that education and nurturing children are the most important things…and she also spoke about compassion.

Liz won the volunteerism award because of her untiring efforts for Bucks County causes. While her husband, Edward “Pete” Biester served in Congress, she volunteered in D.C. public schools. Liz told us that her granddaughter was a premature baby weighing only two pounds. All is well today. Liz even gave a funny line. “Thank you, Pete, for your patience,” she quipped. We all know that the retired judge and former congressman is a very lucky fellow.

Nancy Morrill won the Donor, Activist, and Volunteer Award. She is the founder of the Bucks County Women’s Fund, which supports programs to empower and improve the lives of women and girls. The program listed 27 organizations where she holds influential positions.

Nancy Pericone won the Field of Health Award. She is a part of Doylestown Hospital’s Medical Staff Services Team. She was the Director of Provider Services with the Bucks County Physician Hospital Alliance for 11 years and the executive producer of the “To Your Health” radio show heard on three stations. She spent 25 years with the Doylestown Hospital nursing department.

Christine Taylor won the Field of Business Award. She is the founder of the Christine Taylor Collection found in 16,000 locations nation wide and Hong Kong. This busy woman even finds time for the Central Bucks YMCA as a board member.

Bridget Wingert won the award for Community Education. “Today is the fifth anniversary of the Herald,” she told the crowd. Most of her career has been with newspapers. She began with the Advance of Bucks County in Langhorn where Ralph and Louise Samuel resided. The Samuel’s also owned the New Hope Gazette so it didn’t take long for Ralph Samuel to recognize Bridget as a rising star. That’s how she found her way to the Editor’s chair at the Gazette.

For nearly ten years, Bridget edited the Gazette until the idea of founding her own newspaper became her passion. Her husband, Joe, was in the audience. He’s the Herald’s Publisher. This community newspaper has become a remarkable success story.

Mighty Betsy is a New Hope gal. Years ago, she told Ralph and Louise Samuel that if they wanted to sell the Gazette, to please give her a chance to bid. Unfortunately, time ran out so MB didn’t get her wish. (Maybe in our next life.)

But I stray further.

The March of Dimes event was a great success. The organizers told us that supporters contributed $26,000 for the cause. Huzzah!

Sheri Putnam was the Mistress of Ceremonies. She has great pep and stage presence. She’s also the host of “To Your Health” on three radio stations with a weekly audience of more than 150,000 households. She reminded us that 388,800 is a special number because that’s the number of minutes in a nine-month pregnancy.

MB and I were impressed with the five-minute film about a tiny premature Bucks County baby. Thanks to the March of Dimes and remarkable physicians, “Amy” is a success story. “Amy struggled and suffered day after day but with the help of medicines like Surfactant, developed with research funded by the March of Dimes, she was able to survive,” Amy’s mother added.

It was a great day for the March of Dimes. It was a great day for the five winners.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith