Happy Birthday! William Bancosky was surprised on his 90th Birthday by Hilary Mameniskis and her children, Christian and Karis who delivered him a birthday cake along with his regular Meals on Wheels meal. Mameniskis volunteers with Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels. Bancosky, a Lafayette Hill resident, ran a successful pretzel company for many years.

Krieger earns LEED status
Chestnut Hill firm Krieger + Associates Architects Inc. announced that its president Jeff Krieger has earned LEED AP designation.  He joins accredited staff architect Deborah Woodward in this accomplishment. 
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professionals have demonstrated the knowledge and proficiency required to produce buildings that meet the US Green Building Council’s rigorous certification system for sustainable building practices. The LEED professional accreditation is awarded by the Green Building Certification Institute.
“We are pleased to be able to offer additional expertise in green building practices to our clients, whether or not they seek LEED certification for their projects,” Krieger said. 

Local YMCA helps break fundraising record
On May 4 at the Carousel House in Fairmount Park, the YMCA of Philadelphia and Vicinity celebrated the unprecedented success of its 2009 Strong Kids Campaign.  The YMCA of Philadelphia and Vicinity set the ambitious goal of raising $2 million, which was not only met but surpassed by $45,000.
This remarkable accomplishment represents a nearly $300,000 increase over last year’s pledges and exceeds all prior years of annual support campaigns. The Strong Kids Campaign is at the heart of the YMCA’s financial assistance program. The Y is committed to ensuring that every child, teen and adult has the opportunity to benefit from its programs and services regardless of their ability to pay.
Through the Strong Kids Campaign the Y raises funds that are used exclusively for financial assistance. Last year the YMCA of Philadelphia and Vicinity distributed more than $2.5 million dollars in assistance to approximately 12,000 children and families The Roxborough YMCA contributed to the success of the campaign by raising $55,891 in pledges and grants.  The Roxborough YMCA profited from the hard work and enthusiasm of the many volunteers who went above and beyond to reach out to the community for support. One volunteer in particular, Michelle Mactavish, brought particular motivation to the campaign and was honored as Roxborough’s “Most Valuable Campaigner” at the May 4th event.
“The Roxborough YMCA’s 2009 Strong Kids Campaign is inspiring,” said Executive Director Debbie Saunders. “I congratulate and thank everyone who helped us towards this accomplishment. We’ve certainly raised the bar and we’re looking forward to doing even better in next year’s campaign.”

Penn Charter marks Earth Day by recycling 3.3 tons
Penn Charter faculty and staff recycled 3.3 tons of electronic waste on Earth Day, April 22. As part of its first Earth Day recycling drive, the Environmental Stewardship Committee collected computers, monitors, keyboards, printers, hard drives, TVs, VCRs, stereo equipment and more. Many of the items were school-related, but for a small fee, by the pound, faculty and staff were invited to contribute personal items for recycling.
“The grand total of recycled electro-junk was 6,639 lbs., or 3.3 tons!” reported Upper School science teacher Jonathan Howe in an e-mail to faculty and staff. “For those of you who appreciate obscure units, that’s the equivalent of 474 stones, 830 cloves, or 36,950 chipmunks (based upon the average weight of a central Pennsylvania adult chipmunk).”