~A bank on the edge of Boyertown is robbed… find out why the search for the suspect didn’t last long.
~Building a Better Boyertown is presented with a prestigious award at the 24th annual Boyertown Area Progress Dinner.
~Just what is the new Studio B all about? Boyertown Live talks to the people who are making it happen.
~Visit a local cafe that has been transformed from a burned out building to a beautiful masterpiece.
A former officer of the Colebrookdale Police Department has been charged with three counts of sexual abuse of children. A search warrant was served on January 16th by the PA State Police to search Charles Staso’s residence in Colebrookdale Township, Berks County. The state police performed an investigation, searching computers in Staso’s possession that allegedly contained child pornography. Police say they found pornographic video and pictures on Staso’s home computer.
Staso officially resigned on February 16th.
In a written statement released by Colebrookdale Police Department Chief Christopher Schott, “Police officers are and have to be held to a higher standard in conducting their everyday affairs. They cannot be doing drugs, stealing, or committing other crimes that we investiage and prosecute people for.”
Chief Schott states that an event like this can put a black mark on law enforcement, but asks that not all police officers be judged by the actions of a few.
“The department has been shocked by these happenings. One never knows what goes on in the privacy of another person’s home. There is a good group of people working in the is department that are doing their jobs in a professional manner. Colebrookdale Township Police Department will continue to serve and protect the citizens of Colebrookdale Township and the Borough of Bechtelsville.”
…you can watch it again to your right! (Lower right button makes it full screen) —>
~A bank on the edge of Boyertown is robbed… find out why the search for the suspect didn’t last long.
~Building a Better Boyertown is presented with a prestigious award at the 24th annual Boyertown Area Progress Dinner.
~Just what is the new Studio B all about? Boyertown Live talks to the people who are making it happen.
~Visit a local cafe that has been transformed from a burned out building to a beautiful masterpiece.
And more, including: A milestone for one of Boyertown’s historic buildings, how our DTV converter box works, what Valentine’s day means to some locals, an upgrade to a well known Disney attraction, and more!
By Phil Haddad
The stage was set for the Lady Bears basketball team, as they entered the 2009 District 1-AAAA playoffs against Council Rock South. The Golden Hawks (14-8) won five games this year, but with a new coach brought a new found success. For Mike Ludwig and the Lady Bears (13-10) this was their third consecutive year in the District 1-AAAA playoffs.
The Golden Hawks got off to a quick start, scoring the first three baskets of the game, and used their one-two-one-one press for a 49-38 victory of the Lady Bears. Council Rock South will now play the number four seed Lower Merion who defeated Unionville 52-27.
Boyertown struggled early and was unable to make a basket but managed to score nine points in the first quarter. “I think it was a 12 day layoff that hurt us,” said head coach Mike Ludwig. “You can simulate all you want in practice but it doesn’t get us in game speed, and it took us a while to get in game speed.”
The Golden Hawks 1-2-1-1 full court press, caused some early turnovers to increase their lead and used their press to force Boyertown into turnovers all the game. “We didn’t take care of the ball particularly well and we talked about their pressure in practice,” said Ludwig. “Their length up front is hard to simulate and we struggled with that for a while. Once we took care of that, we turned it over to our half-court offense and it’s hard when you’re not getting shots.”
Coach Ludwig has seen other teams all year use a 1-2-1-1 press so it was nothing new. He knew that his team didn’t make the plays when they needed to be made. He saw his players’ battle and never give up during the game. They were unable to get the one or two shots to tie the game.
Boyertown tried to come back in the second quarter, but Freshmen Alex Wheatly for the Council Rock South added five points along with the seven from the first quarter to keep the Golden Hawks in the lead. Boyertown fought back getting two big three point shots from Alex Brown to cut the Golden Hawks lead to 25-17 at halftime.
Ludwig and his coaches made some adjustments at halftime hoping to catch Council Rock South off-guard and be able to take the lead. They talked about trying to get the ball down the Alex (Brown) in the corner. They also tried to change some things up defensively and kept one of their players off of the post which Ludwig felt they did a better job of. They also talked about making Council Rock South play defense and to run through their own offense. “We weren’t able to put the ball in the net when we had opportunities,” said Ludwig.
The Lady Bears chipped away at the Golden Eagles lead, getting baskets from Alex Brown and Sarah Bennett. They cut the lead to four points, but had some turnovers to help Council Rock South increase their lead. Golden Eagle senior Chelsea Allen had five of the Golden Eagles 11 points in the third quarter.
Coach Ludwig saw Nicole Slickers come off the bench in the fourth quarter and hit two big three point shots to keep them in the game. “She came off the bench and made some shots to keep us around,” said Ludwig. “We couldn’t finish the job but she came off the bench and did a good job in the second half. Nicole gave us a strong lift and I’m very happy for her and she plays hard.”
Ludwig felt that Alex kept Boyertown in the game and made some shots in the first half. She rebounded very well along with playing very solid defense. He also felt that Sarah Bennett has been a solid player all year for the Lady Bears. He gave credit to Michelle Hartman and is another player that will be missed next year.
Ludwig will lose seven players for next year, which he’ll tell you will be hard to replace. This is their third straight year in the district playoffs. While they didn’t advance to the second round like last year, and even in defeat he is satisfied with the progress that the team has made in his third year of coaching the Lady Bears. “This group of seniors established that as a tradition,” said Ludwig. “That’s the legacy that they are leaving behind. They are starting to understand what it takes to be successful. Sometimes you win the district game and sometimes you don’t. We didn’t execute offensively to get over the hump today.”
Phil Haddad is a free lance writer for WZARTV and all comments can be sent to sports@wzartv.com.
The Optimist Club of Boyertown will once again be running the Tri-star basketball competition this year. With your help, the club can have a successful event with a large turnout from all schools.
Event: Tri-Star basketball competition in passing, shooting, and dribbling
Place: Boyertown Elementary School, Second and Madison Streets, Boyertown, Pa.
Date: Monday February 16 (Presidents Day)
Time: Registration begins at 6:00 p.m.
Open to ALL BOYS AND GIRLS ages 8 through 13 who reside in the Boyertown Area School District.
All questions can be directed to Tri-Star Chairman Phil Haddad: 610-367-1520.
A hearing has been scheduled for the woman who robbed the Sovereign Bank branch on East Philadelphia Avenue in Douglass Township. Around 8p.m. on Monday, Jennie Lee Conrad, 30, of Newville, PA turned herself into Boyertown Police and confessed to committing the bank robbery. Conrad admitted to the robbery after friends encouraged her to turn herself in, after seeing Conrad in the news. The money that was stolen is believed to have been hidden at an outdoor location in a black hand-bag, but it has yet to be recovered. The amount stolen will not be released by the Police Department.
Conrad was arraigned on Tuesday February 3, 2009 by Magisterial District Judge Maurice Saylor and bail was set at $100,000 cash. Conrad’s preliminary Read the rest of this entry »
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