The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Exposed
25-35 years old, standing 5-feet, 9-inches tall and weighing approximately 190-200 pounds. She said he was wearing a khaki colored bucket hat, a white tank top, red shorts and a black backpack. The victim said the suspect also had a discolored front tooth.
Police released a sketch of the suspect and are asking that anyone with information regarding this incident contact Trooper Brendan Shearn with the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Investigation Unit at Skippack Station at 610-584-1250 and reference incident number PA2018-494350. include a market cookbook, available at the main market information tent, and boxed water meant to be more environmentally friendly than bottled water. Stop by that info tent and you’ll likely meet volunteer Naina Vij, who said she’ll be ready to handle any questions about which vendors are where, and when.
“I’m a foodie at heart, so I love giving back to my community, staying connected to the Lansdale and North Wales area. A lot of my friends are from this area, so it kind of gives me an excuse to get back,” Vij said.
Some familiar favorites will return this year, like alpacas from Little Lost Creek Alpaca Farm on opening weekend and several others throughout the season, and music by Carl and the Hamiltones; specifically, Carl Hamilton and Jimmy Dolan, jazz musicians who got their start playing while students at Penndale and have stayed together into college.
“This will be our fourth year at the market, and we play for four hours, virtually the whole time,” said Hamilton.
“We never go to this with a set list. We have so many Vendors and volunteers for the Lansdale Farmers Market pose at the entrance to Penndale Middle School in Lansdale, where the market will be held every Saturday from May 19 through Nov. 17. things in our repertoire, we just call them out on the spot. It’s spontaneous, it’s fun,” Dolan said, and Hamilton said the Lansdale market is his favorite of any gig they play.
Vendor Paula Stoltzfus of Lansdale-based soap and candle company Simply Clean, Simply Green said 2018 will be her fifth year at the market, and the Penndale site was her favorite so far.
“It was really nice to have the extra shade, and a little bit more space for both vendors, and for people to just kind of make it a full day event, or a morning event, to come and stay versus come get your things and leave,” Stoltzfus said.
Her soaps and cleaning products use local and sustainably sourced ingredients, and Stoltzfus said while she’s ready to serve regular customers who use her specialty soaps to deal with allergies or other medical conditions, she’s eager to see how McGill’s new business works out.
“I think it’s incredible to mentor young entrepreneurs in this setting. It’s perfect: it’s an incubator for talent, and local talent, and a way we can encourage our young folks to dream big, and experiment,” she said.
Maureen Plover, a community engagement associate with Lansdale-based nonprofit Manna on Main Street, said she is looking forward to “Buy Two, Donate One” days where market purchases can be donated to the nonprofit food pantry, and said she hopes the site draws traffic from Manna’s new home at the North Penn Commons combined offices just a block away.
“It’s really great that it’s this close. Even when it was over at Hillcrest (shopping center in 2016), we had a lot of people going there,” Plover said.
John Barrett of Oreland Wood, a handcrafted furniture maker who has been at the market for all but one of the ten years, said he thinks the Penndale location is “without a doubt, the best spot we’ve ever had,” and said having both driveway entrances to Penndale open this year, instead of just one last year, will be a big help in cutting down confusion.
“It’s a lot more inviting than a big parking lot, or a parking lot behind Main Street. From the parking for people who want to shop, the shade trees, it’s just a great location,” he said.
“We do good, quality stuff, and I think that’s primarily what you can find at this market, no matter what you buy: mushrooms, or apples, or furniture, pastries, soaps, or lemonade,” he said.
Volunteer and market board member Patti Thomas said she found out last year just how visible the new Penndale site was when she talked to a pair of joggers who had come from Valley Forge Road, several miles away, to make their weekly visit to the market.
“They said ‘Well, we were just out for a jog, and needed some stuff, and of course we were coming here.’ I was just so amazed by that,” Thomas said.
All of the vendors and volunteers thanked the North Penn School District for providing the space at Penndale, and borough council President Denton Burnell said he was glad to see the market find a home that vendors and customers both like, and was impressed to see it still going strong after a decade.
“The borough remains fully supportive and committed to the farmers market, I think they’ve found a nice home here at Penndale, and I certainly thank the school district for all of their support in allowing the farmers market to be here. I’m excited to see what 2018 brings,” Burnell said.For more information on the Lansdale Farmers’ Market, visit www.LansdaleFarmersMarket.org, search for “Lansdale Farmers Market” on Facebook or follow @LansdaleFM on Twitter.