Only Irish coffee...

 

"Only Irish coffee provides all main essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat."

Rae Dispaldo judges an Irish coffee from one of the several competing eateries during the Irish Coffee Contest at the AOH Hall in Swedesburg Thursday night, March 8, 2012. This years winner was Screwballs Sports Bar and Grille in King of Prusssia. Photo by Christine Reckner/Times Herald Staff

Against the Grain

Rick Ford, left, and Adyl Cunamio pull weeds from a Swiss chard in a hop house at Longview Center for Agriculture in Collegeville.

This week is Future Farmers of America Week. When I was told this my first thought was; what kid dreams becoming a farmer? My mind wandered to overalls, pitchforks, and tractors. Going to Longview Center for Agriculture changed my perspective on what it really means to grow your own food, as well as all the different career paths one can take in horticulture. 

"There's a new generation of farmers that is much more vigorous racially and smaller in scale, and we're finding it's possible to make a living off of less traditional farming than the Iowa corn farmer," said Fonda, production manager of Longview.

"I think people are getting very creative about tweaking the system to their advantage."

Ice Sculpting Competition

 

Last Thursday I opened up our Divisions section like I normally do looking for something to catch my eye either to shoot for work, for myself, or just to go and enjoy. This time I got lucky and stumbled upon an ice sculpting competition. 

Located off of Manayunk's Main Street, just out of our coverage area, I couldn't quite convince my editor to let me cover it so instead I went and enjoyed it on my off time.  

On Sunday, master carvers from around the world (the furthest carver was from Thailand) worked off a single word for inspiration "obsession." I was half surprised none of them carved an ice replica of themselves after watching their reddened and concentrated faces work on their pieces of artwork for hours in the freezing cold.

Chinese New Year rings in 2012, Year of the Dragon

 

 According to the Chinese, the Year of the Water Dragon is said to bring abundance, and good fortune.

(This is my boyfriend and I's attempt at being more multi-cultural)

It's About Time; Snow Hits Norristown

 

It finally snows here, for the first time since Halloween weekend! Something tells me not to expect much...and I'm not complaining, our first snowfall and I was hit from behind by a car that lost control...

Vacant Norristown home destroyed by fire

 

 

http://www.timesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120105/NEWS01/120109798

Occupy Norristown

Walter Ebmeyer, of Bryn Mawr, holds up an Occupy Norristown sign outside the Montgomery Court House on Saturday, December 10, 2011. Occupy Norristown is collecting toys for the Children of Montgomery Head Start, a preschool program for low-income families with young children. Photo by Christine Reckner/Times Herald Staff

Ron Friemel, of Jeffersonville, holds up an Occupy Norristown sign with a holiday twist outside the Montgomery Court House on Saturday, December 10, 2011. Occupy Norristown collected toys for the Children of Montgomery Head Start, a preschool program for low-income families with young children. Photo by Christine Reckner/Times Herald Staff

Owen Powell, of Media, waves to a car honking in support of the Occupy Lockheed Martin and LOCKHEED-VILLE Demonstration on Saturday, November 26, 2011, at the Lockheed Martin Valley Forge complex in Valley Forge. Photo by Christine Reckner/Times Herald Staff

Tents and signs sit on display at the Occupy Lockheed Martin and LOCKHEED-VILLE Demonstration on Saturday, November 26, 2011, at the Lockheed Martin Valley Forge complex in Valley Forge. Photo by Christine Reckner/Times Herald Staff

Beth Centz, of Philadelphia, adjusts a sign at the Occupy Lockheed Martin and LOCKHEED-VILLE Demonstration on Saturday, November 26, 2011, at the Lockheed Martin Valley Forge complex in Valley Forge. Photo by Christine Reckner/Times Herald Staff

By Christine Reckner

Occupy Norristown members convened with representatives of Brandywine Peace Community, a self-described faith-based, peace activist, war resistance group, outside the Lockheed Martin Valley Forge, to demonstrate against the weapons contractor and protest Lockheed Martin’s alleged profiteering amid unmet human and community needs.

  The motto of the demonstration was revealed on a large banner which read: “LOCKHEED-VILLE: where the businesses of war matters, and human needs don’t.”

  “The reason we have been with and are connecting with the occupy movement is to make the connection to the fact that Lockheed Martin is actually the top gun of the super-rich, of that one percent super-rich that the occupy movement speaks to,” said Robert M. Smith, staff coordinator of the Brandywine Peace Community.

While some motorists rolled down their windows to wave and honk in encouragement, others yelled obscenities at the protesters, telling them they were wasting their time and to get real jobs.

  “We’ve been seeing a lot of young, angry white males,” said Owen Powell, of Media. “I think that’s partly due to racism; a lot of young white males don’t like Obama.”

  An on-site ‘Shanty Town’ sat surrounded by cardboard signs, representing, the group claimed, the shanty towns or, Hoovervilles, built by homeless people during the Great Depression.

Throughout the protest, “LOCKHEED-VILLE Shanty Town” demonstrators chanted “We are the 99 percent” and held banners reading “You Pay; Lockheed Martin Profit$,” and “Jobs Not Wars.”