Collegeville Democrats
Because Collegeville Matters
Meeting Information
COLLEGEVILLE DEMOCRATS
Municipal Chair: Andrea Baptiste
- collegevilledemocrats @gmail.com
- “Like” Us On Facebook
Meeting: Last Wednesday Every Month
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Wismer Hall, Faculty/Staff Dining Room – Ursinus College
- https://www.ursinus.edu/about/our-campus/campus-map/
Parking:
- Main Street Entrance park in lot next to Corson Hall
- 5th Avenue Entrance Lot behind Collegeville Fire Station
Collegeville 1 Committee Women:
- Valerie Beckius – vbeckius@yahoo.com
Collegeville 2 Committee People:
- John Costello – jckc31@msn.com
- Kathy Costello – jckc31@msn.com
Collegeville 3 Committee Women:
- Cathy Kernen – Catherine.kernen@comcast.net
- Penny Balzereit – pkbalzereit@gmail.com
AREA 4 OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
Chair: Ashley Wilkerson, ashleywilkerson@me.com
Web Site: https://area4democrats.com/
AREA 4:
Collegeville / Limerick/ Lower Providence / Royersford / Skippack / Upper Providence / Trappe
Meeting: 2nd Thursday Of Every Month
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: IBEW Building 3455 Germantown Pike Collegeville, PA 19426
Montgomery County Democratic Committee
Chairman: Joe Foster
Executive Director: Eunice Franklin-Becker
Political Director: Joe Graeff
21 East Airy Street
Norristown, PA 19401
610- 272-2000 – Phone
610- 272-2005 – Fax
info@mcdems.org: General E-mail Box and Event Submissions
Meeting: 3rd Thursday Of Every Month
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: AFSCME District Council
88 Robert T. Cooper Labor Center
3031 Walton Road, Bldg. C, Suite 300
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
Collegeville Indivisible: https://actionnetwork.org/events/collegeville-indivisible?source=widget
Borough Council Candidate Kathy Costello
Q&A with Kathy Costello
Why are you running for Borough Council in Collegeville?
I see the wonderful potential in Collegeville where I live with my husband John, where I raised my son and where my son and his family are now residents.
I’ve always hoped that Collegeville would be able to attract and keep businesses on Main Street and in our shopping centers that would appeal to both residents and the college kids.
I realized I could keep hoping or do something about it by running for Committee person, joining the Business Development Committee, the CEDC and now running for Borough Council where I plan to use my skills, energy and enthusiasm to help make Collegeville a better place to live.
What do you love about Collegeville?
- The Perkiomen Trail where I ride my bike and walk my dog
- Ursinus College and all the great things it has to offer the residents of Collegeville
- The Perkiomen Valley School District where my son graduated from and where my grandchildren will be attending school in a few years.
What would you change about Collegeville?
- Continue to work on the revitalization of Collegeville’s business district, by helping to recruit restaurants, coffee shops, entertainment venues and retail stores that will appeal to both students and residents.
- Improve communication between Borough Council and the residents of Collegeville to ensure that the residents are informed about what is happening in the borough and that they have a voice.
- Implement the current Code enforcement that applies to distressed and abandoned buildings like the Perkiomen Bridge Hotel.
What is something most people don’t know about you?
- I repaired navigation equipment on large cargo aircraft while serving in the USAF.
Fun Fact
- I lived in a tent for 7 months in West Virginia while I was building a log cabin.
Kathy has been a resident of Collegeville for the past 24 years. She served our country as a Sergeant in the United States Air Force and studied Environmental Science at East Stroudsburg University. Kathy retired from Quest Diagnostics in 2013 after 24 years, where she was a group lead/subject matter expert and trained employees at various Quest Diagnostics sites across the country.
Currently Kathy and her husband John are Committee People for Collegeville 2. Kathy started an Indivisible group after the 2016 election and is still an active member of that group today. She served as Chairperson for the Katie Muth 2018 Senatorial Campaign.
She is an active member of the Borough Business Development Committee as well as the CEDC. Kathy is dedicated to the revitalization of Collegeville and working with Ursinus College and Collegeville residents to achieve that goal.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
*** July 27, 2019 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
OUTDOOR FLEA MARKET
Engage Art Studio – Schwenksville outdoor flea market featuring antiques, collectibles, local artists & crafters, kids activities, food vendors, tour the studio, meet neighbors & friends!
*** July 27, 2019 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Kimberton Whole Foods Happy Hour
Towne Book Center
*** July 29, 2019 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Monday Movies!
At Perkiomen Valley Library
Feature Presentation – “HOME”
(rated PG, 94 mins Popcorn and drinks will be available)
Borough Council Candidate Valarie Beckius
Q & A with Valarie Beckius
Why are you running for Borough Council?
There is an extensive economic development happening all around our area. I feel this is the perfect time for Collegeville to push forward and make changes in order to compete and thrive, so we will not be left behind. I would like to use my skills to aid in developing the future of the Borough, as well as to enrich the quality of life for all Collegeville residents.
What is your Collegeville indulgence?
Taco pizza from my favorite Collegeville pizza shop.
If not at home, where in Collegeville would we find you?
I cook a lot, so you would find me at a local grocery store.
What is your favorite memory in Collegeville, so far?
When my son was little, we would often go to Waterworks Park to muck around in Donny Brook, the creek that runs through the park. (Although Waterworks Park is not in the Borough’s logistical boundaries, it is jointly owned by Collegeville and Trappe.)
Why did you move to Collegeville?
It was easy for my husband and me to decide to move to Collegeville, as we had lived in Trappe for the previous seven years. We wanted to live in an area that had neighborhoods and sidewalks, as well as a true downtown.
What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I was once awarded Pennsylvania Vocational Special Education Teacher of the Year.
Fun fact
Whenever my dog, Little Bean, hears harmonica or accordion music, she begins to howl along.
Valarie has been a resident of Collegeville for more than 18 years and has served as both a community and school volunteer. She is an Elementary and Special Education teacher with a master’s degree from Penn State University. She has had experience as president of several organizations and served on various committees where she organized events, solved problems, and managed budgets.
COLLEGEVILLE DEMOCRATS
Municipal Chair: Andrea Baptiste
- collegevilledemocrats @gmail.com
- “Like” Us On Facebook
Meeting: Last Wednesday Every Month
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Wismer Hall, Faculty/Staff Dining Room – Ursinus College
- https://www.ursinus.edu/about/our-campus/campus-map/
Parking:
- Main Street Entrance park in lot next to Corson Hall
- 5th Avenue Entrance Lot behind Collegeville Fire Station
Collegeville 1 Committee Women:
- Valerie Beckius – vbeckius@yahoo.com
Collegeville 2 Committee People:
- John Costello – jckc31@msn.com
- Kathy Costello – jckc31@msn.com
Collegeville 3 Committee Women:
- Cathy Kernen – Catherine.kernen@comcast.net
- Penny Balzereit – pkbalzereit@gmail.com
AREA 4 OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
Chair: Ashley Wilkerson, ashleywilkerson@me.com
Web Site: https://area4democrats.com/
AREA 4:
Collegeville / Limerick/ Lower Providence / Royersford / Skippack / Upper Providence / Trappe
Meeting: 2nd Thursday Of Every Month
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: IBEW Building 3455 Germantown Pike Collegeville, PA 19426
Montgomery County Democratic Committee
Chairman: Joe Foster
Executive Director: Eunice Franklin-Becker
Political Director: Joe Graeff
21 East Airy Street
Norristown, PA 19401
610- 272-2000 – Phone
610- 272-2005 – Fax
info@mcdems.org: General E-mail Box and Event Submissions
Meeting: 3rd Thursday Of Every Month
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: AFSCME District Council
88 Robert T. Cooper Labor Center
3031 Walton Road, Bldg. C, Suite 300
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
Collegeville Indivisible: https://actionnetwork.org/events/collegeville-indivisible?source=widget