Dear
Friends,
Good morning. In a minute, I’ll get
to the history of Sleepy Hollow Ranch in Milford Township. And I have news
about Hosensack’s past where my source claims that a nudist colony once
existed…as well as a bordello. (Hosensack means pants pocket in Pennsylvania
German.)
But first, here’s a comment about Quakertown Borough
and its decision to hire a consultant to assess the workings of the town
generally, and its manager and solicitor in particular.
This is what Free Press writer
Lauren Fitzsimons reported last week: “Quakertown Council voted unanimously to
audit borough operations, including evaluations and subsequent recommendations
regarding the future employment of Borough Manager David Woglom and borough
solicitor Charles Fonzone,” Fitzsimons began.
Personally, I doubt that the study
will find that Woglom was involved in misbehavior. The audit obviously will
examine why strict bidding procedures were occasionally disregarded. As most of
you know, I admire Woglom and think that he does a good job. I’d expect that
the examination will show that Quakertown received excellent value from outside
contractors and at reasonable prices.
Whether Attorney Fonzone has
performed flawlessly is unknown. He’s been Quakertown’s solicitor for years.
Quite frankly, I’ve never understood why the borough doesn’t hire a local
lawyer. I know several Upper Bucks law firms who’ve given excellent advice to
local municipalities. But that’s a story for another day.
In the meantime, a thought crossed
my mind. When the consultants look at the efficiency of Quakertown, Woglom and
Fonzone, I wonder whether they will be permitted to give advice concerning
municipal mergers?
Here’s a related experience.
Several weeks ago, Bristol Rotary invited me to
speak. Alas, their eyes glazed over after five minutes because term limits was
my subject. I listed 13 federal and state problems, which the congress or the
Pennsylvania legislature should have solved within a 12-year period. The fact
that none has should come as no surprise…50 years and no conclusion. What a
disgrace!
I argue that congressmen and legislators realize
that once in office, they become immune. They remain in office until they die
or “graduate” to another post. Because incumbents win reelection by 95 percent,
they do nothing except attack the opposite party.
Term limits is the answer in my opinion.
Presidents and most state governors have a limit of
eight years to get things done. If we mandated a maximum of 12 years…two terms
for U.S. senators; six terms for congressmen and state representatives; and
three terms for state senators…we, neglected citizens, would see positive
results.
One of the 13 topics was the plethora of Pennsylvania
municipalities. There are more than 2,600 of them! 54 in Bucks County. In our
county, there used to be 54 school districts…one in each municipality. In the
mid 1950’s the state legislature consolidated the 2,600 school districts into
501. Today, there are 13 school districts in Bucks County.
Does Bucks need 54 municipalities? Hardly. Should
Quakertown, Richlandtown, and Richland Township have separate, competing
municipalities? Hardly. What prevents consolidation? It’s a combination of
parochial thinking, municipal jealousy, and the expensive professionals who
provide governmental advice.
Does Bucks County need 54 police departments, 54
planning commissions, 54 zoning boards, 54 water and sewer authorities and
their accompanying solicitors, engineers, and advisors? Hardly.
Would it make sense for Quakertown, Richlandtown,
and Richland Township to merge into one? Absolutely. Will it happen? Who knows?
Stay tuned.
But at the end of my 20-minute talk, Bristol
Rotarians rushed for the exit. It was if someone had yelled FIRE! So if your
club or service organization needs a speaker who will put everyone to sleep,
I’m at your service.
And now to Sleepy Hollow.
I get ideas for columns from a variety of sources.
Charlie Brader is my barber and I count on him for interesting topics. He
reminded me that the Milford Township Historical Society would take a trip down
memory lane and “visit” Sleepy Hollow Ranch. In addition, Charlie told me that
Hosensack has an interesting past.
Who would have believed that a nudist colony once
thrived in this sleepy village, just 20 minutes from Quakertown? What’s more
fascinating is that a bordello supposedly conducted business right in the
center of “town.” Charlie claims that local pilots flew their piper cubs at
tree top level hoping to sight female nudists cavorting at the colony.
Mighty Betsy quipped that nudist colonies operate in
the summer when the trees are in full foliage.
“You boys are so stupid,” she laughed. “Pilots couldn’t see anything
titillating. They should have sneaked through the bushes with binoculars.”
MB’s so darn smart!
Charlie Brader also reported that a Quakertown
student recently printed counterfeit ten-dollar bills. He and had his friends
allegedly passed them successfully…until the feds caught up with them. It
sounds like a fascinating story but I haven’t been able to confirm it…yet.
And finally…Sleepy Hollow Ranch.
“All aboard, to Sleepy Hollow…All aboard, we’re
going home…To the place down in the hollow”…Unfortunately, I can’t remember the
rest of the song. About 100 were on hand at the Pfaff Elementary School to
relive the days of the Sleepy Hollow Ranch, just a few miles west of
Spinnerstown. The celebrated ranch operated from 1940 to 1963, when a
devastating fire closed it forever.
Stars like Roy Rogers and Eddie Arnold packed Sleepy
Hollow. Its top attendance was 7,653. For 25 cents, patrons swarmed to Sleepy
Hollow. Rodeos and square dancing filled the weekends. More people attended
Sleepy Hollow than lived in Milford Township.
Next week, we’ll talk about the Sleepy Hollow gang:
Elmer, Julie, Sophy, Pete and Kenny Newman, plus Shorty Long and Pee Wee
Miller. Ah, what wholesome days they were!
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith