Bucks
Ken and Julie Biehn, NOVA
Dear Friends,
Good morning. Deadlines prevent me from commenting on the Presidential and Congressional elections until the November 13th edition. I hope you voted. As the Bucks County League of Women’s T-shirt says: “No Vote, No Voice.”
M.B. and I saw that T-shirt at a reception honoring recently retired Judge Kenneth Biehn and his wife, Julie. NOVA, which stands for Network of Victim Assistance, paid a special tribute to the popular couple at a reception at NOVA’s Jamison headquarters, 10 days ago.
“NOVA supports, counsels and empowers victims of sexual assault and other serious crimes and works to eliminate violence in Bucks County through advocacy, community education and prevention programs,” its mission statement reads. The Biehn's were instrumental in NOVA’s creation. “Since NOVA’s founding in 1974, the agency’s professional staff and trained volunteers have served more than 80,000 area residents and conducted more than 16,500 violence prevention and awareness programs in area schools and community centers,” its brochure says.
Mandy Munda, a NOVA staffer, told me that 50,000 Bucks public school students, teachers and parents have had training sessions to prevent violence and harassment. NOVA’s program is designed to keep people safe. Julie Biehn started NOVA’s education program in 1983. As a Bucks District Attorney (1972-1979), Kenneth Biehn was a major advocate for NOVA.
The reception included a Who’s Who in Bucks County. Former Governor, and Bucks Commissioner Mark Schweiker is a Co-Chair (with Kim Gronendahl) for the $1.9 million NOVA headquarters. The campaign is off to a fast start with $100,000 raised.
Bucks Commissioner Charley Martin was on hand as was Judge David Heckler, State Representative Paul Clymer, and former Congressman Jim Greenwood. Greenwood reminded the gathering that Judge Biehn brought a special class to politics in Bucks County. Greenwood put former judge Edward Biester in that category as well.
I talked with Biester. He was Bucks County’s First Assistant District Attorney in 1966, the year I became a county commissioner. Biester was elected to congress that year and served until 1977.
I thought about the District Attorney/ Congressman connection. Biester took the political route from the D.A.’s office to Washington. So had Willard S. Curtin whom Biester succeeded. Biehn served two terms as D.A. and was probably the most popular politician in the county. Besides Biester, Biehn certainly was Bucks County’s most recognized elected official.
I always wondered why Biehn didn’t run for Biester’s seat when Biester announced his retirement from congress? So I asked my old friend. “Ken, you would have been a shoe-in for congress if you’d wanted the job,” I began.
His answer was plain and understandable.
“There were two principle reasons,” he replied. “The first was, Julie and I had three young sons. I didn’t want to move to Washington. And second, I preferred being able to make decisions as a judge rather than being one of 435 congressmen [making law].”
Biester waxed eloquently as he reminded us of Biehn’s passion for the victims of crime. “He [Biehn] was so concerned for victims and their families,” Biester noted. “It [Biehn’s leadership] was a new departure for the court. He really worried about kids in trouble.”
Judge Biehn is well over six feet tall and seems to have grown taller as I’ve shrunk. You can understand why he was a basketball star at Quakertown High School. He’s a member of the Pennridge/ Quakertown Sports Hall of Fame. In his remarks, Ken alluded to those years.
Biester gave me some excellent advice. “Don’t retire, Charlie,” he laughed, “if you do, you’ll be dead in six months.” He emphasized his point with a story about a man who retired and didn’t live very long.
“Was it boredom that did him in,” I asked Biester?
“No, Charlie, it was arsenic!” he replied. (I hope M.B. doesn’t read this column and get ideas.)
Biester had quite an unusual public service career because he served in three branches of the government. He was a congressman, then Pennsylvania Attorney General, and finally a common pleas judge.
Paul Clymer presented a House of Representative proclamation to Judge Biehn, which praised him for his 28 years on the bench. Clymer reminded the assembled that he and Greenwood successfully ran for the Pennsylvania Assembly 28 years ago…although both elections were razor thin.
“The margin of victory for me was just 923 votes,” Clymer said. “For Jim [Greenwood], it was just 636 [votes].”
But the stars of the evening were Julie and Ken Biehn. It was great to see them looking hale and hearty. Their retirement home is in Upper New York State. “Life in the Adirondacks is plain and simple,” Biehn laughed and commented on his suit and tie. “This is the second time I’ve worn it this year.”
Dedicating the NOVA Training Center to Julie and Ken was just right.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith