Snow Shows off Sculptures

Sunday's snowstorm led to messy driving and walking conditions, but also created gorgeous scenes for photographers, amateur and pro alike.

Snow-dusted pine and cedar wreaths, evergreen trees laden with the white stuff and stone barns nestled in frosty fields are a few reminders of the first snow of the winter season.

The snow also left behind a striking backdrop for a public outdoor art installation.

The series of sculptures between the Doylestown library and the Michener Art Museum stood out against the white backdrop, and made several passers by stop and take notice, as if seeing them for the first time.

Called "Mother and Child" the sculptures are the work of Arizona artist John Waddell.

Local Food Drives Bring Results

Everyone loves a good food drive at the holidays (though lets keep in mind that the food pantries in and around Doylestown need donations all year round.), and many businesses and organizations sponsored a drive in recent weeks.

First Friday Doylestown partnered with Class-Harlan Real Estate for a public food drive that lasted about three weeks. The groups were able to donate 40 bags of groceries to the New Britain Food Larder on Dec. 23.

The Hepatitis B Foundation also ran a food drive, and leave it to the scientists at the PA Biotechnology Center to find a science-geeky way to make it fun.

They divided into three teams, named for constellations - Ursa Major, or "great bear," Orion, the hunter, and Cassiopeia, a woman from Greek mythology.

The teams turned the food drive into a friendly competition, and the results were impressive - more than 1,185 pounds of food and dry goods and $628 cash were collected for the Bucks County Housing Group.

This was the fourth year the staff and scientists at the biotech center on Old Easton Road organized a holiday food drive.

After-Christmas Sales in Full Swing

Good deals abound throughout Doylestown, as stores have put their Christmas and holiday merchandise on clearance.

Let us know if you find some great bargains!

Intel Christmas Fund Tops $130,000

The Intelligencer's Give-A-Christmas fund has collected $132,589 so far this year, the paper reported today.

The newspaper solicits cash donations from readers and gives the money to the Bucks County Opportunity Council and the Souderton-based Keystone Opportunity Center.

It's nice to see that local residents still dig deep into their pockets to donate, even though they might not have a lot of extra money themselves, this time of year.

Sticker Project Designed to Shock

Several volunteers slapped stickers on cases of beer at a Doylestown beer distributor to raise awareness about the dangers of adults aiding and abetting underage drinking.

Though the event was a couple weeks ago, it's worth revisiting this week, with New Year's Eve coming up.

"Sending the message to parents that it is against the law to serve or provide alcohol to minors is a good reminder, especially over the holidays because it's viewed as a party season," Doylestown Mayor Libby White said in a statement. "It's especially good to see teenagers in our community help with getting the message out."

The stickers read, "Don't Be a Party to Underage Drinking. It's Against the Law," and also carried the warning: "Parents Who Host Lose the Most," reminding parents that it is illegal to give alcohol even to their own children.

"Project Sticker Shock" brought together representatives from several groups, including students from Central Bucks East High School. The volunteers slapped more than 500 stickers on cases of beer and other drinks at Sunny Beverages on Veterans Lane.

The distributor cooperated with the campaign to show its support for requiring valid ID before selling alcohol, said Melanie Swanson, of the Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Groups involved included the Central Bucks Drug Free Project, a collaborative project of The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania and CB Cares, as well as Sunny Beverages, Doylestown Borough Council and the Doylestown Borough Police Department.