2005 News

August 23, 2005
County Government Puts Best Foot Forward On Grange Fairgrounds

From left: Pomona Grange President Harold Steely, Commissioner James Cawley, Commissioner Charles Martin, Commissioner Sandra Miller and Mike Fornier, director, Penn State Cooperative Extension in Bucks County.

Fun, food and plenty of good information about Bucks County government was the order of the day at last week's Middletown Grange Fair, an annual event that drew about 50,000 people.

Bucks County government was front and center on the fairway under a huge tent filled with booths representing 21 county departments and agencies and the services they provide. The sheriff's department was popular with families, while the county planning commission offered fairgoers an opportunity to vote on planning issues they consider most relevant.

After the planners tallied the vote, preserving open space and farmland was the runaway winner with 929 votes, followed by controlling suburban sprawl, 608 votes, and addressing traffic and road conditions, 599. Managing stormwater, water and flooding, 337; increased park and recreation facilities, 291; and improving economic development and employment opportunities, 166.

People also lined up as sheriff's deputies made identification packets for 1,700 youngsters, recording the height and weight of children, fingerprinting, and taking a Polaroid photo of the little ones. Parents understand that such a record is an important tool if a child is lost.

The Corrections department also created 500 individualized "Wanted" posters for fairgoers.

Among the other departments offering information on available county services were: Parks and Recreation, Health, Human Services, Military Affairs, Consumer Protection, Area Agency on Aging and the Moravian Tile Works. The county commissioners also had a prominent display of commissioner-directed initiatives.