Have bugs been driving you batty lately?

Bats. We usually associate bats with Halloween, vampires, attics and even Batman himself. Unfortunately, Hollywood has misconstrued the real benefit of bats. The little brown bat eats roughly 4,500 bugs a night. With over 1 million bats being effected by White Nose Syndrome, that’s roughly 4,500,000,000 extra bugs you have to worry about crawling into your house, destroying crops, or biting you. So why is everyone scared of these little non-aggressive creatures that help so much?

(more…)

Before they landed on the moon, they came to Bucks County

When you think of historic Bucks County, covered bridges; stately homes; and beautiful farm-lands come to mind.  Little did I know that you can also trace many famous astronauts, the largest human centrifuge, and several modern technologies to our suburban community.  Bucks County actually played an important role in the U.S. space program for decades and later hosted many ambitious projects for the U.S. Navy.

In fact, every Mercury; Gemini; & Apollo NASA mission trained at the Johnsville Centrifuge in Warminster, PA. Yep- Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, and Alan Shepard are just a few of the astronauts to have spent time on the largest human centrifuge ever built, which is capable of simulating a mind-boggling force of 40Gs! (more…)

The Learning Cooperative: A Fresh Perspective on Education

When I heard that one of my favorite high school teachers was part of the team behind a new educational center, I was immediately intrigued.  Joel Hammon had taught my American History class in 11th grade at Villa Joseph Marie High School and was one of those teachers that had the unique ability to make a subject come alive in the classroom.  Before his class, I had no idea that I actually ENJOYED learning about history- a trait that I later was able to carry with me through some fantastic college courses. With his enthusiasm for learning, I knew that whatever Joel was working on would be an amazing educational opportunity for the community.

He started to explain the foundation for the The Learning Cooperative- a more authentic, self-directed educational experience for teens.  Joel and the other board members behind TLC are passionate about creating an environment that better nurtures a love for learning and motivates teens to seek information on their own. Based on a similar program based in Massachusetts called North Star, the The Learning Cooperative will allow students to customize their own learning program without the constraints of grading or a set curriculum. To find out more about the program and ways to get involved, we got a chance to ask the TLC board members a few questions. Check it out: (more…)

What's happening this week?

Fall is off to a roaring start- from a canoe parade to a bluegrass festival to a historic book launch. Besides the list we complied below don’t forget to check out our Fall Guide for events and fun all season long. Since we can’t write about every event happening this week, check out our calendar for all the happenings in Bucks County. 

Though it is difficult to believe that almost a decade has passed, this week also sadly marks the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  Whether you’ll be attending one of the remembrance events or privately marking the anniversary, we wish everyone a safe and peaceful weekend. (more…)

What’s happening this week?

Fall is off to a roaring start- from a canoe parade to a bluegrass festival to a historic book launch. Besides the list we complied below don’t forget to check out our Fall Guide for events and fun all season long. Since we can’t write about every event happening this week, check out our calendar for all the happenings in Bucks County. 

Though it is difficult to believe that almost a decade has passed, this week also sadly marks the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  Whether you’ll be attending one of the remembrance events or privately marking the anniversary, we wish everyone a safe and peaceful weekend. (more…)

Bucks County Centrifuge Makes Startling Discovery

John Glenn called it “dreaded” and “sadistic.”  Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum in Warminster, PA, home to the largest human centrifuge ever build and training grounds for every Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo mission, has played a significant role in the history of the NASA space program.  In fact, every astronaut that walked on the moon first stepped foot in Johnsville.

Well, now Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum can add another remarkable occurrence to their long list of experiments.  Just last week, a routine training session took a remarkable turn and scientists discovered an unknown side-effect from high exposure to G-Force.  Astronaut, Neil Armstraw, bravely volunteered for the experiment.  (more…)

Wash Tyme-Cleaning with Meaning

Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse—for the people of WashTyme soaps, these are words to live by.  In a world that has become so blinded by how efficient we can be, we forget sometimes how important it is to consider the products we are using and what processes were used to make said products.  In many cases, there may be only one possible resource to make a product.  In most, however, recycled materials can be used to create very useful, everyday materials.  Wash Tyme is one of those products.

(more…)

Wake Up & Smell the Fresh Roasting Coffee

House of Coffee, Lahaska, PA

If you follow Bucks Happening, you probably already know how much I love a delicious cup of coffee.  For someone who enjoys a cup or two a day, though, I knew very little about the roasting process.  Surrounded by all of the recent focus on locally made and grown food & beverages, I began to seek a fresh locally-roasted coffee shop. Enter House of Coffee in Lahaska, PA.

Now, I know that many Bucks County residents write off Peddler’s Village as a day trip location or tourist destination.  I used to think the same thing. More & more, though, I’m finding out that I was completely wrong.  Behind the shops of Peddlers Village are passionate local owners who offer tons of incentives for people to frequently stop in; House of Coffee even allows customers to call or text in orders on the way to work for gourmet drinks on the go. (more…)

Take a Stab at Fencing: Part I

Ashley, Tina and Eric at BCAF!

Sure, we’ve all heard of fencing, but do you really know what it all entails? I thought I did, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! This past week the Bucks Happening team visited the Bucks County Academy of Fencing located just over the river in Lambertville, NJ. So why is it called Bucks County Academy of Fencing (BCAF) if it is not in Bucks County? Well, BCAF was originally opened in New Hope in 1981 but moved to a much larger facility in 2003. Since then, BCAF has become the largest privately owned fencing academy on the east coast.

The academy offers a wide variety of levels from beginners to competition training programs. With over 200 students BCAF continues to provide a program of group and individual training, paired exercises, footwork/conditioning sessions and practice bouting.  Fencing classes are open to anyone ages eight through adulthood. BCAF even has students over the age of 70! This is a great sport for all ages and does not take as much as a toll on your body compared to physical contact sports. Fencing not only strengthens your fitness abilities but also your self-discipline and mental agility.

(more…)

Learn to Fly!

The first time I was on a plane I was 7 years old on my way to Jamaica with my family.  I remember looking out the window, nervously anticipating my first flight.  The sound of the engines starting, the acceleration, the landing equipment retracting; it all was so exhilarating.  The seat is sucking you in as the plane begins to lift off—nervous excitement!  My most recent experience was in the spring of 2009.  I was headed to Cancun, Mexico.  Sixteen years later I still have that feeling.

(more…)