Perkasie in running for spot on TV show
Perkasie could potentially become the star of “Today in America,” a TV show focusing on the best places to live, work and play in North America.
Mayor John Hollenbach spoke to the public and borough council 7XHVGDy, )HE. 19, DERXW KLV fiUVW LQterview to convince the production company to choose the borough.
The show, which is shown through both FOX and ABC, is hosted by football star Terry Bradshaw, a former quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hollenbach said the interviewer had to stop him after he continued to rattle off reasons why Perkasie wRXOG EH D JRRG fiW IRU WKH VKRw.
“I told him I’m slightly biased,” the mayor said.
$IWHU WKH fiUVW LQWHUYLHw, WKH PDyor was told he would have a second interview with a production manager. That was also when the mayor learned, however, there was a catch: the borough or stakeholders would need to front a production fee of
$24,800 for the show. The reason for this is because in the past, the production company said they had spent three or four dayV filming in a location and when a production manager butted headV with Vomeone like a mayor, the TV show crew waV aVked to leave.
Borough 0anager Daniel 2lpere Vaid he Vent -oe Ferry, vice preVident of PerkaVie 2lde Towne $VVociation and public information officer for Pennridge School DiVtrict, aV well aV Stephen Barth, PerkaVie’V economic development director, the detailV of the production in order to get their opinion on whether there might be VtakeholderV intereVted in anteing up for the production costs.
“,t VoundV like a paid commercial for the town,” Councilman -im 5yder Vaid.
2lpere Vaid 5ealtorV or bankV might be two exampleV of people and buVineVVeV that could potentially benefit from the Vhow and could Verve aV VtakeholderV.
“The benefitV, , hope, would be attracting people to work, live and play here, but alVo attract buVineVVeV that might have an intereVt in the empty induVtrial VpaceV,” Hollenbach Vaid, noting that Secant 0edical ,nc. would be moving out of the borough Voon.
Some of the thingV Hollenbach talked about in hiV interview were the parkV, the hiVtory of the borough Vtarting with William Penn’V Von, the VtreetV laid out like Philadelphia’V, the high VchoolV, the Pennridge area in general and the two “vibrant” com- munity hoVpitalV: Grand View and DoyleVtown. He alVo recognized that PerkaVie haV itV own electric VyVtem and public workV, noting that the borough collectV itV own traVh.
The mayor deVcribed PerkaVie aV a Tuiet, Tuaint town that VitV on a hill but iV Vtill cloVe to cultural placeV like Philadelphia.
“, probably went into a 20-minute discourse about everything,” Hollenbach said.
Hollenbach Vaid the production company Vought him out, Vaying they found that PerkaVie had the criteria they were looking for for their show.
The mayor said if the borough cannot aVcertain if there iV any intereVt, benefitV or buVineVVeV or individualV who would be willing to act aV VtakeholderV, he would like to cancel the interview, so as to not waste the production company’V time.
Still, Hollenbach waV excited about the opportunity.
“$t the end [of the firVt interview] he [the interviewer] felt that PerkaVie iV the kind of community they would like to highlight,” Hollenbach said.
The mayor alVo noted with a touch of glee that he iV a fan of football and of BradVhaw Vpecifically.
$ccording to the TV Vhow’V webVite, “Today in $merica” focuVeV on buVineVV newV VtorieV and lifeVtyle featureV and would conduct interviewV with people like doctorV, VcientiVtV, inventorV, buVineVV ownerV and philanthropiVtV.
$lVo at TueVday’V borough council meeting, interim police Chief Steve HilliaV reported that PerkaVie Borough police officerV were undergoing additional training, aV VuggeVted by $bington police Chief William .elly in hiV report following the 0ichael 0arino -r. Vhooting in SellerVville laVt -une.
HilliaV Vaid two officerV went through a 40-hour criViV intervention training program in -anuary, while the rest of the department minus thoVe two officerV attended a Vix-hour introduction to the C,T program.
,deally, HilliaV Vaid he would like to Vee the entire department rotate through the 40-hour program over the next three to four yearV.
Two officerV alVo attended a Vtreet Vurvival training program in $tlantic City, N.-., in -anuary, and HilliaV Vaid hiV goal waV to have every officer who haVn’t already attended thiV claVV do Vo in the future.
“,t’V generally well regarded aV one of the beVt in the country for officer Vafety iVVueV,” HilliaV Vaid of the Vurvival training program.
,n the public forum, a reVident aVked if the officerV were undergoing any training Vpecifically on how to handle citizenV with mental illneVVeV.
HilliaV Vaid the C,T program addreVVed thiV iVVue, aV well aV how to handle thoVe with mental challengeV.