Winter Storm Harper

1/16/2019 (Permalink)

The Winter Storm Harper is predicted to drop quite a bit of snow this weekend from the Plains all the way up through the Northeast region of the U.S.. Artic cold air is one of the ingredients in this winter storm that will factor in to how much snow is actually dropped. The storms path and inches of accumulation is still being determined as it looks like it will be pivoting through the Midwest and Northeast. The area from the Great Lakes to the New England area. If you have plans to travel this weekend you may want to cancel or change them as many flight delays and rough road conditions are expected. Be sure to keep checking on the status of this storm and prepare accordingly.

Content by: https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/2019-01-15-winter-storm-harper-snow-forecast-plains-midwest-northeast

SERVPRO of Upper Bucks/National Night Out

8/5/2018 (Permalink)

Quakertown NNO

SERVPRO of Upper Bucks is once again sponsoring the Quakertown National Night Out and Fire Carnival.  Look for the big green tent. 

National Night Out (NNO) is a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), which is scheduled on the first Tuesday in August each year.

Last year's National Night Out campaign involved citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from over 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide. In all, over 37 million people participated in National Night Out annually.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT is designed to:

• Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness
• Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships
• Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back  

The Borough is unique in that we have numerous neighborhood block parties with free food and entertainment.

The History of The Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce

7/16/2018 (Permalink)

Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce

SERVPRO of Upper Bucks is a long time active member and supporter of the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce.

History

"The mission of the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce is to build strong partnerships within its business community in order to advance the principals of free enterprise and to enhance the quality of life in Upper Bucks County." 

We are guided in this mission by the values of: 
Integrity, Courage, Grace, Leadership, Diligence, Respect and Openness....

The Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce was originally founded by a small group of businessmen headed by Woodrow Wehrung in November of 1954 as the Quakertown Chamber of Commerce. It was eventually renamed to include all of Upper Bucks County and was incorporated as a non-profit (501c6) corporation with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 25, 1976, having established a membership of 750 businesses with the purpose to promote the Upper Bucks area commercially, industrially and professionally; to advance the welfare of the communities served; to create a closer cooperation among the members for the benefit of all concerned.

?The UBCC had been housed by Col. William Holt in his business located on Route 309 in Quakertown for many years and then moved to Broad Street, Quakertown in a bank building located in the downtown shopping center. The Chamber office was then adopted by the Quakertown National Bank and housed at their town centre facility at 320 W. Broad Street. In September of 2001, the UBCC officially moved into their own rented space at 2170 Portzer Road in Milford Township. During the summer of 2012 the Chamber, in partnership with the Borough of Quakertown and the Quakertown Historical Society, renovated the old Marketplace Barn located at 21 N. Main Street in Historic Uptown Quakertown. A full-service Visitor Center, housing the Chamber's offices and a small museum, was established and opened to the public in September of 2012.

The UBCC established a 501c3 non-profit foundation in June of 2002, known as the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Led by a Board of Directors appointed each year by the Chamber Board, the Foundation is organized exclusively for the purpose of carrying out and supporting the charitable and educational purposes of the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce.

The Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce currently enjoys a collaborative and friendly relationship with our neighboring chambers; Upper Perkiomen Valley, Indian Valley, Central and Lower Bucks and the Greater Lehigh Valley and Greater Philadelphia Chambers of Commerce. 

History provided by www.ubcc.org

National Ice Cream Day

7/15/2018 (Permalink)

Bucks County Ice Cream

Enjoy National ice Cream Day                              So many great options in Bucks County PA

Great Ice Cream in Bucks County brought to you by

www.buckscountytaste.com

Everyone has their favorite ice cream place. Usually it’s local, and maybe because it’s associated with sweetness and warm summer evenings, people tend to be fiercely loyal.

That’s why we are not going to rate ice cream purveyors in Bucks County (ha!). But for those of you interested in wandering the county, comparing vanillas, chocolates and peanut butter-chocolate-graham-whatever swirls, here’s a pretty comprehensive list, starting in Upper Bucks and moving south. We did, however, skip franchise places, like Rita’s and Dairy Queen, as good as they might sometimes be.

Thanks to our guest blogger, Rich Baringer, for his research in Upper Bucks, and to Sarah Wingert for updating this list.

We hope to update this list as we get a chance to visit them, and add more information, so please let us know your favorite place, and why you love it. Send us an email, or drop a comment below.

Upper Bucks (and maybe a little over the border)

The Inside Scoop (Coopersburg), 301 N. Third Street – Route 309, 610.282.1955

Rosemarie’s Italian Ice (Quakertown), 304 W. Broad Street, 215.536.3220 “A million flavors” of ice cream, plus water ice and gelato.

Grida’s (Richlandtown), 36 N. Main St, 215.536.2691 Good old-fashioned walk-up food stand. Great place to hang with friends or pick up to take home. Locally owned for over forty years, with a big menu in addition to ice cream. Soft-serve dipped in chocolate is a favorite.

Sundae School (Hilltown), 401 W. Schoolhouse Rd., 215.723-4123 ‎Housed in the old Pennville Schoolhouse – they even have the names and pictures of those who attended school there. Lots of Hershey’s ice cream flavors as well as smoothies, sundaes, Italian ice, candy, ice cream cakes, and chocolate covered bananas. Very friendly staff with an old-fashioned feel inside and outside seating for hanging out. See our Tidbits post on the Sundae School here.

Owowcow Creamery (Ottsville), at the intersection of Routes 563 & 412, near Rt. 611, 610.847.7070 All natural, organic, small batch, handcrafted ice cream, “Italian” style (think rich and dense) made on-site sourcing ingredients from local farms. Outside seating. Just imagine – you can eat healthy, great ice cream and support local farmers. (see below for their Wrightstown location)

Chubby’s Dairy Barn (Plumsteadville), right behind the Plumsteadville Inn, near the intersection of Route 611 and Stump Road, 215.766.7554 Very family- and community-oriented, serving Nelson’s ice cream (from Royersford). Extremely friendly staff—even have treats for dogs who visit.

The Canalside Cup (Easton), 1610 S Delaware Drive, just outside of downtown Easton, 610.253.1234. Walk-up, family-owned food stand, sells ice cream in addition to grilled and fried foods.

Central Bucks

Del Val Creamery @ The Market at Del Val (Doylestown), 2100 Lower State Road Locally made by Uncle Dave’s ice cream in Yardley (who also sells at Shady Brook Farm Market). Made from 100 percent super premium Jersey cow milk, from independently owned Pennsylvania dairy farms and using Shady Brook produce – like raspberries, strawberries and peaches – in the ice cream whenever possible. See our story on the Del Val Market.

Nat’s Pizzeria (Doylestown), 138 W. State St, 215.345.8822. Why have we listed a pizza place amidst all these ice cream parlors? Because I think they have the best Philly water ice that I’ve found in Central Bucks. And I grew up in NE Philadelphia. A big cup for a good price plus the ambience of a Philly summer evening. Sitting outside on the picnic benches, in the humid summer air, watching folks and cars go by — brings back memories of my childhood.

Nina’s Waffles (Doylestown), 30 East State Street, Doylestown, 267.454.7294 Nina’s Waffles started their first store in New Hope and recently opened their second shop in Doylestown.  They’ve branched out from their well-known waffles to create their own brand of ice cream. See below to find out more information about their flagship store.

Nonno’s Italian Coffee Parlor (Doylestown), 6 East State Street, Doylestown, 215.348.1111Nonno’s stocks Uncle Dave’s Ice Cream and Palazzolo’s Gelato.

Sweet Pea Homemade Ice Cream (Doylestown), 18 West State Street, Doylestown, 215.340.1575 Own-make ice cream in 30 flavors, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream cakes and pies, and homemade candies.

Sweet Pea Farms (Doylestown), 925 Sandy Ridge Road, Doylestown, PA , 267.404.2534Homemade ice cream in a unique farm market. Fresh produce, flowers, kitchenwares, local honey and jams, and cheeses also.

yogurtree (frozen dessert) (Doylestown), Barn Plaza, 1745 S Easton Road, 215.343.8733 yogurtree is a custom designed and built self-serve frozen dessert cafe in Doylestown and Quakertown, PA with 12 flavors of premium frozen yogurt, ice cream, water ice and dozens of toppings to create your own custom dessert.

Pigadilly’s (Lahaska) Peddler’s Village, Shop #53, 215.794.2122 Sixteen hard and nine soft-serve flavors, gelato, baked goods and other light food. Great Peanut Butter Swirl.

Nina’s Waffles (New Hope), 31 West Mechanic Street, New Hope, 215.862.1660 Nina’s recently expanded from their well-known waffles to create their own brand of ice cream. They serve traditional flavors like chocolate and cookie dough, and more specialty flavors such as sea salt caramel and key lime raspberry.

Moo Hope (New Hope), 22 South Main St, New Hope, 215.421.1588 Located in the heart of New Hope with their own homemade ice cream.

Dilly’s Corner (Centre Bridge), on River Road (Route 32), north of New Hope, right at the Centre Bridge-Stockton bridge, 215.862.5333 Another local favorite that has been there for years. Ice cream, milkshakes and a grill menu. See our review.

Lower Bucks

Birchwood Farms (Upper Makefield/ Newtown), 428 Brownsburg Road, 215.598.8633 Super premium organic ice cream available in fourteen “Patriotic Flavors” made from 100% whole, nutritious, raw Jersey milk, sold in quarts from their store.

Owowcow Creamery (Wrightstown) in Carousel Village, 591 Durham Rd. (Route 413), 215.598.3248 All natural, organic, small batch, handcrafted ice cream, “Italian” style (think rich and dense) made on-site sourcing ingredients from local farms. (Also in Ottsville and Lambertville, NJ)

Goodnoe Farm Dairy Bar (Newtown) 4 South Sycamore Street, 215.968.3544 The tradition continues. Goodnoe’s was the place to go for ice cream for 40 years, back when Newtown was surrounded by farms. Now the next generation is making ice cream again, using the family recipes. The store sells their homemade hand-dipped ice cream in 12 flavors, offers 15 kinds of sundaes, and milkshakes.

Zebra Striped Whale (Newtown), 12 S. State St., 215.860.4122 This local favorite on State Street in Newtown Boro opened in December 2004. It is family-owned and operated, dedicated to providing customers with premium quality ice cream, coffee, and desserts.

Tanner Brothers Dairy (Ivyland/Richboro), 1070 Hatboro Road, 215-357-1716 Tanner’s had been in business for over 100 years as a working dairy farm so you know the ice cream is fresh. Their produce selection and prices are great too, year-round.

Uncle Dave’s (Yardley) at Shady Brook Farm,  931 Stony Hill Road, 215-968-1670 Locally made from 100 percent super premium Jersey cow milk, from independently owned Pennsylvania dairy farms and using Shady Brook produce – like raspberries, strawberries and peaches – in the ice cream whenever possible.

Yardley Ice House (Yardley boro), 77 S. Main St., 215.321.9788 Family-owned and run. Gourmet Italian Water Ice (in 22 flavors), gelati, soft serve custard, milk shakes and malts, ice cream sundaes, blend-ins and ice cream floats.

Mom’s Homemade Water Ice & Ice Cream(Langhorne) Pine Watson Center, N. Pine St. Not much online about them but a very popular neighborhood place.

Dairy Delite (Levittown), 972 Woodbourne Rd, 215.547.1636‎ This hugely popular ice cream place has several locations in Lower Bucks. From what we’ve heard, portions are big and the lines are long.

Gibby’s Ice Cream Store (Levittown), 4010 Veterans Hwy, 215.945.1700 Small, family-owned Levittown landmark serving ice cream and frozen yogurt. The kind of place you grew up with.

Let’s Go to The Hop (Bristol), 2 Pond St, 215.688.3892 Classic “50’s” style Ice Cream shop offering more than just ice cream. Funnel cakes, “Philly Style” sandwiches, fresh cut fries, burgers and more.

And on the other side of the river…

Cravings (Stockton), 10 Risler St, 609.397.2911

Bucks Ice Cream and Espresso Bar (Lambertville), 25 Bridge St, 609.773.0888

Caffe Galleria (Lambertville), 23 North Union St, 609.397.2400

Owowcow Creamery (Lambertville) 237 North Union St, 609.397-2234. All natural, organic, small batch, handcrafted ice cream, “Italian” style (think rich and dense) made on-site sourcing ingredients from local farms. (Also in Ottsville and Wrightstown; see above)

It’s Nutts (Titusville), 1381 River Road, 609.737.0505 Convenient for Bucks County folks in Upper Makefield and Washington Crossing area. Good ice cream, interesting flavors, outside seating right off of River Road/Route 29.

Updated on June 14, 2017

Please let us know of any other ice  cream places you feel MUST be included! Email us at: info@BucksCountyTaste.com.

Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

1/9/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Supports our Law Enforcement!

Law Enforcement Appreciation Day-January 9th, 2018

What is that? We'll tell you!

This is a day to appreciate and support our law enforcement. They sacrifice so much to protect the community, so we give back to them and show them we appreciate what they do. 

Today, our office went to several police departments in the area and dropped off coffee and donuts (I know, cliche). We want them to know we support them. What are some nice things you can do for your local police? 

There's endless possibilities of what you can do to show them you care! It can be as little as a "thank you" or as big as a celebration party for them! 

Law Enforcement Appreciation Day may be almost over, but why restrict it to one day of appreciation? Let's make a week out of it! A month! All the time! 

Are you stumped on what to do for them? Here are some ideas:

1. Shake their hand and thank them 
2. Bring coffee and donuts 
3. Bake them cookies (or do what I do and buy them and put them on a plate)
4. Throw a party, why not?!
5. Make them a card
   1. Thank you card--have your office sign it, family, friends, what ever you want to do.
6. If you have kids or work with kids, make a fun arts and crafts project to make for the police officers--or have adults do it too :).
7. Put together a little gift basket
8. If you can't do these things, wear blue! Represent our law enforcement and support them.
9. Make a poster and hang it up. Be proud of your creation!
10. They work long hours, put together a fun basket to help them through the long nights (ex. little comics, snacks, etc.)

There are so many great things you can do to show a police officer you appreciate them. One little act of kindness can go a long way. Maybe an officer had a tough day, and by supporting them, it could make their whole week. These ideas could go on forever, but we will restrict it these 10 for now. If you decide to do something for your local law enforcement, take a picture and send it to us! We want to see what great things our community is doing!!

Send your pictures to marketingstaff@SERVPROupperbucks.com. SERVPRO of Upper Bucks is here for our law enforcement and for our community. We hope that delivering our coffee and donuts made someone smile today.  

In a Matter of Minutes...

10/24/2017 (Permalink)

Have You Checked Your Smoke Detectors Lately?

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

In a matter of minutes, a home emergency can become a catastrophic loss. An emergency such as a small kitchen fire can quickly turn into a blaze spreading rapidly throughout your home or business. Will you know? Will you be alerted of such a problem before it is too late?

It is these types of scenarios that many individuals hope to never have to experience and therefore, typically do not spend time thinking about, “what if?”

That is why during the month of October, Firefighters and their associated departments host open-houses and fire-safety events with the goal of educating the public about preparedness and what to do in case of an emergency. These open-houses are filled with fire-safety activities and take-homes for kids to constantly remind them of how important preparedness and safety are. Many of the fire companies will even help you to make sure your smoke detectors are in good working condition and if they are not, they will help you to replace them.

In October 2017, SERVPRO of Upper Bucks proudly participated in three of their local fire companies’ open-house events. We were there to help educate about fire-safety and focus on the aftermath in the event of a fire. We spent time with members of our community as well as with many members of our local, volunteer fire departments. Each open-house was unique but the goal for all three was simple: be prepared!

Emergency Ready Bags

9/1/2017 (Permalink)

A simple grease fire can turn into devastation

Attention Residents in the Quakertown Area: We Need Your Help!

In an effort to support first responders and our neighbors, we are starting an "Emergency Ready Bag" program in our area.

So far, we have asked one local fire department to partner with us on the first round of bags and we hope to see it grow from there.

We will be filling SERVPRO draw-string bags with some of the basic necessities often forgotten about during an emergency. We will then donate these bags to the fire department for them to hand out to any victim(s) of a fire, flood, evacuation or other emergency that may prevent them from staying in their home.

To help make this venture a success, SERVPRO of Upper Bucks is humbly asking local businesses to donate any of the items (singular or in bulk) from the list below:

• Wet wipes
• Band-aids 
• Cotton Swabs
• Chapstick
• Kleenex
• Razor
• Shaving cream
• Deodorant 
• Coloring Books/Crayons
• Diapers (sizes 2/4)
• Journal
• Pen
• towel
• blanket
• dog food/toy

***If you have any questions, or are interested in making a donation please contact Sara Langdon at (215)-536-7989***

Chambers of Commerce

3/7/2017 (Permalink)

Check out UBCC's website! http://www.ubcc.org/

What exactly are they?

What is their primary goal?

A chamber of commerce has one, unified goal-to further the interests of those local businesses which are members and advocate for both the local and business community.

Local chambers provide endless opportunities for networking, business development and active involvement through committees, chamber & community events.

SERVPRO of Upper Bucks takes great pride in being involved with our local community. We have found that over the years, being actively involved with several of our local Chambers of Commerce has helped us to increase our involvement and meet many other members and neighbors!

The Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce, whose mission is to, “build strong partnerships within its business community in order to advance the principals of free enterprise and to enhance the quality of life in Upper Bucks County”, has been a particularly strong organization to be a part of. SERVPRO of Upper Bucks has been a proud member since 2006 and supports the chamber through continued membership and support of/at UBCC events such as their annual golf outing, business expo and Upper Bucks Foodie.

The Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce is a conduit for success in our local community. Their dedicated team has, time and again, gone above their expected duties to ensure our business as well as others, is promoted and supported effectively.

Associated Builders and Contractors

2/17/2017 (Permalink)

ABC Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter

ABC

Founded in 1950, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association which represents almost 21,000 chapter members. The goal of ABC is to help its chapter members develop, win work and deliver said work in a safe and ethical manner that creates profit for all parties involved. ABC works hard to better the communities in which they and their members live and work. ABC’s primary activities include but are not limited to; government representation, legal advocacy, education, workforce development, communications, technology, and business development. ABC offers endless opportunities for its members to develop professionally, network and get involved through various committees and events.

SERVPRO of Upper Bucks saw the benefit in joining such a prestigious association and garnered excitement among a few other SERVPRO affiliates and collectively joined as a group. We have representatives from SERVPRO who are apart of the workforce development committee as well as the young professionals committee. We take advantage of utilizing ABC East’s beautiful facilities to host our meetings and in the future, continuing education classes.

The ABC Easter PA Chapter, of which we are a part of, represents more than 14,000 construction employees who work for more than 450 member companies. SERVPRO saw this as an excellent opportunity to partner with ABC East and offer our Emergency Ready Profiles, free-of-charge, to the many members and businesses. Follow the link to check out our special offer on ABC’s website!

Fire Departments

10/25/2016 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Upper Bucks' booth at their local fire department's open house!

How You Can Get Involved

Many of your local, volunteer fire departments may be seemingly hard to connect with. After all, many of them are 100% volunteer-run and are generally only on-site if there is a fire or emergency.

So how can you change this dilemma? 

If you're in marketing, spend time each week perusing the websites of your local fire departments. Many, if not all of them, will have some sort of an events page or calendar. Keep your eyes peeled for their open houses, fire-prevention week events, breakfasts or dinners. While these events may seem arbitrary, members of various fire departments greatly appreciate any support they can receive.

Community Relations

Getting involved with your local fire departments means you have the chance to meet many members of your local communities.

Don't underestimate the power of branding. It may be hard to recognize support of local community events as being vital to your marketing efforts but trust me, the more your neighbors see the SERVPRO logo, the more likely they are to start recognizing you as trust-worthy members of their community.

Support

So what are you waiting for!? Get out there and provide support in any way you can. Being an involved member of your community, especially through support of your local fire departments, is a great way to grow your business!

Falling for Winter: Preparing Your Home

9/19/2016 (Permalink)

Severe Winter Weather

With the cold-weather months approaching, there are some things you can do to protect your home from the threat of winter-related damage.

Living in a climate that progresses through all four seasons puts your home at risk for seasonal damages that may be prevented with proper preparation.

Below is a list of things you can do to help get your home ready to survive the enduring winter weather;

1. During the cold winter months, homeowners fret the dreaded heating bill and pile on layers of warm clothes before even thinking about adjusting their thermostat. An easier way? Seal all doors, windows and openings to the home. Weather stripping is a relatively simple technique to use around door and window frames to prevent any drafts from coming in and keep the heat from going out. In addition, if you have any gaps on the exterior of your home, be sure to fix those with some caulk, another relatively simple and inexpensive method to reduce that heating bill.
2. During the lovely Fall season, be sure to inspect the exterior of your home for any potential problem areas. For example, examine your roof for any missing or damaged shingles or check your windows for cracks and gaps.
3. Clean your gutters! During the Fall, the multi-colored leaves make a habit of landing in your gutters causing your gutters to lose their efficient draining abilities. There are generally no visible signs of standing water in your gutter until it is too late, so be proactive and get them cleaned ahead of time!
4. Before the frigid air makes a semi-permanent residence, have your heating system checked by a professional. Whether it is central or furnace heat, a system that is running well is almost always more efficient and will save you time and money in the end!

Now is the time to start protecting your home and embracing for the winter months. If you need help, give us a call at 215.536.7989. Our friendly office staff will be able to set you up with an appointment for our free Emergency Ready Profile.

September is National Preparedness Month!

9/6/2016 (Permalink)

National Preparedness Month 2016

During an emergency, the last thing you should worry about is having a plan of action. Every minute matters during an unexpected, emergency situation which is why this year’s National Preparedness Month theme is, “Don’t Wait, Communicate!”

Along with our national sponsors, The Red Cross, SERVPRO of Upper Bucks would like to encourage our neighbors to develop a game plan! Each and every household should master a particular set of steps to perform during an emergency and answer important questions ahead of time such as; Who will be in charge of contacting 911? Who will gather everyone in the household? What is the best escape method in an emergency? Etc. These questions are imperative to the safety and well being of our neighbors and families.

We encourage everyone’s focus this month to be towards developing some type of disaster/emergency ready plan. In line with the “Don’t Wait, Communicate!” theme of this year’s National Preparedness Month, SERVPRO of Upper Bucks would like to suggest developing an Emergency Communication Plan. Several steps, listed below, can help get you started on this plan;

1. Collect all of your important contact information such as; family doctor, medical facilities, local family members, schools and service providers. Compile all of this information into one, hard-copy, easily accessible sheet.
2. Share copies of this sheet with everyone within the household/business. Copies of this sheet can be kept in backpacks, purses, wallets, vehicles, etc.
3. Develop a fire/emergency escape plan that includes the safest escape routes, layout of home or business, safe meeting place and what to do if contact is lost.
4. Monthly review/practice of all important contact information, location of contact information and emergency escape plan.

As always, SERVPRO is here to help in any emergency or disaster situation. We encourage everyone to take preparedness seriously BEFORE an emergency occurs in your home or business.

Call us today to learn more about National Preparedness Month or about our free Emergency Ready Profiles!