What’s the 422?

Staff Sergeant Marc J. Small, 29, of Collegeville, was killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan last Wednesday. The Inquirer has additional details here. This morning, the Mercury published a letter issued by Sgt. Small’s family.

Royersford resident Bob Yarnall, Jr. is president of the American Canine Association. They have filed a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in which they allege that recent legislation intended to regulate “puppy mills” in the state are unconstitutional and unfairly impact legitimate kennels and dog breeders.

Michael Hays of the Mercury has a couple of stories about possible local implementations of “transferable development rights,” or TDRs. TDRs are intended to limit “suburban sprawl” and facilitate the preservation of open space by giving open space landowners the ability to sell their land’s development rights to builders, who could then use those rights to develop property in municipally designated “high density” areas. Limerick is considering TDRs, and East Vincent is holding a workshop about them on Wednesday. East Vincent resident Jane Peronteau hosts a blog that opposes their implementation in that township. An excellent overview of how TDR works is available from this Cornell University page.

The Mercury has some additional information on the Perkiomen Valley School District budget situation. Our earlier coverage is available here and here. Budget discussions will also figure prominently in tonight’s work session of the Spring-Ford school district.

Over at the Limerick Post, Joe Zlomek has assembled a nice summary of how the federal stimulus bill could impact our immediate area.

Werner Koller, 63, of Upper Providence, is in a little bit of trouble for allegedly leasing a building that wasn’t his to lease.

Jeff Madden, controversially dismissed last year as principal of Perkiomen Valley Middle School East, has gone back to his wrestling roots and resurfaced as coach of Pottsgrove High’s wrestling program.

Tonight, Oaks Elementary School hosts the first of two town hall meetings being held by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission regarding future plans to improve the Route 422 corridor. Tomorrow night’s meeting is at the Pottstown campus of Montgomery County Community College. We’ll have reports from both meetings; in the meantime, check out Joe Zlomek’s digest of the issues.