Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board touts efforts
County commissioners also honor public defenders
NORRISTOWN » Although “Monty” the fox was not in attendance to offer his unbridled enthusiasm for all things Montco, officials from the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board relayed his message that Montgomery County is the place to be at the county commissioner’s Thursday meeting.
In a comprehensive presentation, VFTCB President Mike Bowman and his staff highlighted the board’s successful track record in helping to bring attractions to the county, and laid out their strategic plan for further enhancing the area’s growing reputation as a tourist destination.
Upcoming events like the LPGA’s Symetra Tour at the Raven’s Claw Golf Club in Pottstown this May, Cirque Du Soleil, coming to Oaks in July and August, and the PGA’s BMW Championship, which will take place in September at Aronimink Golf Club in nearby Newtown Square, are projected to pump close to $30 million into the local economy and account for approximately 7,700 hotel room night bookings.
Bowman and Sales Director Marc Kaminetsky credited the VFTCP event fund — which was facilitated by a 2 percent increase in the county hotel tax, from 2 to 4 percent, and approved by the commissioners in a split vote in December 2016, with Commissioner Joe Gale dissenting — with enabling the board to procure the events that are having a positive economic impact, especially for the county’s 77 hotels, 54 golf courses, and nearly 1,600 restaurants.
The presentation also focussed on various initiatives, projects and strategies designed to enhance ongoing VFTCP promotional efforts, including:
• The arts awareness initiative Arts Montco
• Marketing to international businesses and tourists
• Out of market advertising, which adds the Boston area to existing target audiences in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore and northern New Jersey
• The utilization of hotel data analysis and social media to drive business.
• Contests — like the best Montgomery County Pizza Tournament.
• Cross promotions with hotels, businesses, restaurants and SEPTA.
• Outdoor events like the Valley Forge Revolutionary (Rev) Run at Valley Forge National Historical Park April 22 and Travel Rally Day, an event celebrating tourism and hospitality which coincides with the third annual Montco Golf Classic at Huntington Valley Golf Club, May, 7.
• A partnership with Philadelphia’s premier Independence Day celebration, Welcome America.
• The push to establish a 170,000 square foot, sports facility with a dozen outdoor turf fields.
Professional golfer and Symetra Tour competitor Emily Gimpel of Lafayette Hill said she was thrilled to have a home event in her backyard that would showcase all Montgomery County has to offer and praised the VFTCB for their enthusiastic support of the tour.
Kaminetsky also cited the charitable interest of the Symetra Tour, which benefits the Pottstown Health and Wellness Foundation, as an example of the reciprocal worth of event sponsorship for the county.
Public Defenders Honored
In appreciation of National Public Defense Week, March 12 - 17, celebrating the 55th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Gideon v. Wainwright which guaranteed the universal right to legal representation for those charged with a crime, the commissioner’s acknowledged the Montgomery County Public Defender’s office for the work they do both in and out of the courtroom.
Chief county public defender Dean Beer outlined the office’s “holistic” approach to defending clients, including juvenile and adult intervention services, post trial counseling and expungement clinics. Beer thanked all the attorneys, investigators, social workers and support staff for their efforts.
“This team that we have makes my job wonderful,” he said. “We really provide, not only zealous advocacy, but we treat every client that comes in our office with dignity and respect.”
Following Beers remarks, the commissioners presented Carol Sweeney, Chief of the Public Defender’s Trial Unit, with the first Kate Taxis Public Defense Award.
“Respected by judges and district attorneys alike, and a true friend to all who know her, Carol is selfless in her pursuit of justice and truly embodies the spirit of a servant of the public,” read the award proclamation presented to Sweeny, which was named after the former Chief Montgomery County Public Defender.
The commissioner’s also heard from attorney, homeless advocate and Mrs. Montgomery County Nikki Johnson-Houston about the Donafy app, which she cocreated and is set to launch in Montgomery County March 12 following its successful Philadelphia debut.
Donafy (donate and notify) is a micro-philanthropy and notifications app designed to connect the homeless with the available services.
“It finds nearby resources and tells you how far from a location an organization is.” Johnson-Houston said.
“It looks for services for food, housing, medical care, mental health, job training, drug and alcohol, LGBt services, so, sort of the gamut of the social safety net people need to have access to.”
The app also allows users to donate to connected social service organizations and send alerts to outreach teams to check on and assist the homeless.
Commissioner’s notebook
In other business, Commissioner Ken Lawrence touted the success of the voting machine open house held at Montgomery County Community College Feb. 24.
An RFP on behalf of voter services for the purchase and support of new machines was approved for advertisement at the meeting.
Lawrence said he was “very impressed by citizen interest” as approximately 300 people came out to the open house despite inclimate weather to test out machines from several vendors — one type of which will replace the county’s 1,100 operating voting machines that were purchased back in 1995.
“Any machine that we purchase will have a certifiable paper ballot so we can actually do a recount and not a re-tally,” explained Lawrence, adding that the goal is to purchase the machines this year and embark on “a robust public affairs campaign to educate people about the new machines,” which, if all poll worker training is complete, could be in service in time for the general election in Nov. 6.
Commissioner Val Arkoosh added that the new machines must also meet federal and state certification guidelines.
A look at the machines and a chance to provide feedback can be found at www.montcopa.org/vmfeedback.
Blue Lights Campaign
The county courthouse will be lit up in blue during the second week of March as part of the Blue Lights Campaign to raise awareness for colorectal cancer prevention. The commissioners formally thanked Dr. Marianne Ritchie, a gastroenterologist at Jefferson University Hospital, for her efforts spearheading the campaign which encourages area residents to get recommended colonoscopies.