Free Press –
Jay Williams Obituary, Quakertown School Board & Sunshine Act, King & King, Coyotes Strip Club
Dear Friends,
Good morning. I thought of Jay Williams as I read two national stories last week. After 89 years, Jay left this world for the next. He and his wife of 63 years were Quakertown residents and active community volunteers. Their involvement made this region a better place to live.
The two articles were about the joy of living longer….both mentally and physically. Jay sure fit that bill. The first report was from Reuters (Jan. 4), which observed that lighthearted folks are healthier. The University College London found that those who reported upbeat moods had lower levels of a stress hormone that contributes to high blood pressure, abdominal obesity and other problems.
The second was from the Associated Press. “To get an extra 14 years of life, don’t smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in moderation,” the AP noted (Jan. 9).
Jay Williams was a perfect example of both news items. So is his wife, Dorothy.
His obituary stated that Jay had been a guidance counselor in the Quakertown school district and a World War II veteran. Before he became an educator, Jay had an active business career at the Best Maid textile plant on Fifth Street in Quakertown. He must have been in his 40’s when he returned to Lehigh University to complete a Masters Degree. Jay may have served the Quakertown school district for nearly 30 years.
The obit mentioned that he was an avid golfer. Jay’s golf scores seldom exceeded 90, a remarkable feat. Ninety percent (I think) of amateur golfers can’t break 100 shots in a round of 18…that is, if they count every shot.
Jay mastered the art of hitting a straight ball…right down the middle. Plus, he could putt very well. I don’t recall Jay three-putting a green.
He was an excellent tennis player, too. I played in a foursome with Jay and his partner, Richard “Dick” Davis, a former Quakertown accountant. Those two used to run my tennis partner and me ragged. Both of them possessed every shot in the book and could place the ball where we were not.
Even in his 80’s, Jay was trim and strong. He fit the 14 extra years story perfectly. I did a Google search on the Internet and found that the average lifespan for American males is 75.2. Adding 14 years to 75.2 was exactly Jay’s age when he crossed the bar.
Healthy living and laughter paid off for him. We’ll miss him.
Item.
I was amused by the Morning Call story (Jan. 12) about the Quakertown school board violating the Sunshine Act. “The nine-person board got together before its regularly scheduled meeting for a conference on the state Sunshine Act, the law that sets ground rules for meetings held by public agencies,” the story began.
“But the board wanted to close the conference to the public, and had not advertised it in a local newspaper.”
Tisk, Tisk!
Richard Waldow attended the school board meeting and objected to the closed public session. Waldow is a columnist for the Free Press. The school board promptly canceled the meeting.
The board should have known better. So should have Superintendent Lisa Andrejko, the school board attorney, and most of all, Michael Levine, a Pennsylvania School Boards Association attorney. It was Levine who was to give a presentation about the Sunshine Act to the Quakertown school board.
I doubt that the board acted maliciously. Still, it was a good lesson. The Quakertown school board wanted training in the Sunshine arena. They definitely got trained.
Item.
“A controversial gay-themed children’s book which just weeks ago was unavailable at most local [Lehigh Valley] public libraries is now more widely accessible after a couple’s attempt to have the book removed from the Lower Macungie Library backfired,” Kevin Amerman wrote for the Morning Call (Jan. 6).
The book, “King & King,” a tale about a prince who is urged by his aging mother to marry a princess but instead falls in love with and marries a princess’s brother, has caused controversy nation-wide.”
I’d bet!
In September, Jeff and Eileen Issa urged the Lower Macungie Library to take the book out of the children’s section of the library, saying the topic of homosexuality is too heavy for small children. The Issa’s petitioned the township supervisors who voted 2 to 1 to uphold the library’s decision to carry the book.
I called the Michener Library in Quakertown to see if it had “King & King.” It doesn’t but can obtain a copy. “King & King” is at the County Free Library headquarters in Doylestown. I requested a copy and when I receive it, I’ll let you know what I think…for whatever that’s worth (probably nothing).
In the
meantime, the Lower Macungie Library brouhaha reminds me of “Banned in
Final item.
The
Adult entertainment is a permitted use near Milford’s turnpike entrance. I understand that lap dancing and bottomless dancing are not. But the strip club can’t operate if it’s within 1,000 feet of a residential area, school, church, or recreational facility. There is a park bench near the “Coyotes” entrance. Will that qualify as a legal restriction? Or will residents have to erect a circus tent and start a church?
Stay tuned.
The other night as I returned from Philadelphia, I passed “Coyotes.” (Note, I passed "Coyotes"…that’s different from stopping in.) The parking lot was full which I reported to Mighty Betsy. “If I ever catch you in “Coyotes,” I’ll send you off to Cincinnati,” she barked. In our family, sending a family member off to Cincinnati means, it’s curtains…definitely, not a desirable thing.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith