Bucks County News in Brief

Newportville Fire Company

recognized for service

The Newportville Fire Company in Levittown is one of 10 finalists in the Firedog Across America competition, which recognizes fire companies for community service "above and beyond the call of duty."

The company was recognized for its efforts to assist 4-year-old Matthew Rosales and his family during the boy's fight with brain cancer.

The firefighters frequently took Matthew for rides on their fire truck, picked him up for visits to the firehouse, and raised money for the family when it faced financial difficulties and later lost its house. Matthew died in 2003, and received an official fireman's funeral.

As a finalist, Newportville will receive $20,000 for equipment. Dawn Rosales, Matthew's mother, will get $10,000 in electronics equipment for her essay nominating Newportville. If the fire company wins, it will earn a $100,000 grand prize. The competition is sponsored by Circuit City.

The winner will be decided by Internet vote. Each finalist has a video presentation on www.firedog.com outlining its achievement. Visitors to the site may vote for their favorite firehouse through 11:59 p.m. today.

Each company also will receive a percentage of a shared prize pool, determined by the number of votes it receives. The winner is to be announced this week.

Call 215-788-5220 or 215-788-3316, or visit www.newportvillefireco.tripod.com for more information.

YWCA of Bucks County

honors Bensalem volunteer

Yadira Carmona of Bensalem has won the Grace M. Heil Volunteer Award given annually by the YWCA of Bucks County. The award recognizes Bucks residents for their volunteer service with the YWCA.

Carmona immigrated from Mexico in 1992, and settled in the Bucks Meadow Apartments. She became active in the organization's Family Center at the complex and began serving as a translator, making crafts, assisting in the food pantry, and helping provide social services to families.

Oscar Hammerstein home

set to reopen as a B&B

Highland Farm in Doylestown, the onetime home of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, is scheduled to reopen as a bed-and-breakfast Tuesday after an extensive renovation.

The farm was built in the 1740s and included more than 40 acres and several buildings. Two of the original buildings, the smokehouse and wine cellar, still stand.

The manor house and barn were completed by 1840. Hammerstein lived in the house for 20 years and died in 1960. The house was purchased and sold several times before it became a bed-and-breakfast in the 1980s.

Each of the inn's five rooms is decorated in a theme reminiscent of a musical Hammerstein wrote with Richard Rodgers. The inn is at 70 East Rd. For more information, visit www.highlandfarmbb.com.

- Kristin E. Holmes