Officials thank Community Day helpers

More help needed for annual event

NORTH WALES » Borough residents are lauding the turnout for this past weekend’s Community Day and say they’d like to see turnout be even bigger next year.

Residents Liz Ann Iacovetti and Mike Fellmeth thanked members of council and borough staff Tuesday for their help organizing the annual borough festivities, which took place Saturday.

“It was a wonderful day, the businesses that participated were very thankful for the help, and Christine and Alan were awesome,” said Iacovetti, thanking Borough Manager Christine Hart and Assistant Manager Alan Guzzardo by name.

“The borough did a phenomenal job. We couldn’t have done it without them, as well as police and Public Works” staff, she said.

All day Saturday, local businesses opened their doors and offered specials, while vendors and performers took over several areas of town. The only problem Iacovetti said she saw was there were too few volunteers, among council members in particular.

“I’d like to see, next year, as we grow this event, that more people participate and help out. It’s your community, you guys all live here,” she said.

Fellmeth said on behalf of the North Wales Borough Business Alliance, of which he is currently treasurer and has previously been president, that the support from community members who help make the event the BBA plans a reality was appreciated.

“I’d like to thank all of the volunteers that work at Community Day. It takes a lot of time and effort and they should be recognized,”

he said. “The great people of this community who want to keep it a quaint community, really need to step up, and one of the ways will be to keep Community Day going, so it’s a local community event.”.

Council member Paula Scott said she was out of town for a family commitment over the weekend, but has had success with recruiting volunteers in the past by telling them where a need was, instead of asking if they were available.

“I used to go right up to them and say ‘What task would you like to do, at 11 a.m. or at noon?’ They were a little afraid of me, but they got the point, and they would sign up,” she said.

In addition to the volunteers, council also thanked a local business owner who has, once again, done her part to make North Wales a better place. Jane Keyes, owner of the Tex Mex Connection restaurant, has made two recent donations to the borough: $2,500 for the borough Police Department’s DARE program, raised by an annual Tex Mex 5K in June, and an additional $485 from a fundraiser at the restaurant in September.

“Reach out and extend our gratitude for her commitment to the community, and her generosity,” said council President Mike McDonald.

Several action items were approved by borough council Tuesday night, including a change to an annual apartment registration fee to align it with the calendar year. The $50 fee had previously covered Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 of each year, according to Hart, which had caused confusion for those who did not pay the fee until the next year had begun, then received a second bill from the borough.

“When the letter would go out in September, they’d say they had already paid, because they had written a check in the calendar year,” Hart said.

Other items approved by council Tuesday included an updated stormwater management ordinance meant to clarify and update language already on the books, and an ordinance repealing a real estate registry that had been maintained locally but is now covered by information sent from Montgomery County.

One borough resident shared her thoughts on an issue discussed last month: Laura Reichner of Washington Avenue said she opposed a proposal that the borough limit street parking on that street as a longdiscussed sidewalk project is finalized and built.

“I think, with the parking all on one side, we’re going to end up parking across from somebody’s driveways, no matter what side of the street you’re parking on. It’s just making it more difficult for people,” she said.

North Wales Borough Council next meets at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the borough municipal building, 300 School St.

For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.NorthWalesBorough.org.