Local News

                A Marlborough Township great-grandmother found dead with her son in the mobile home they shared last Tuesday was murdered according to Montgomery County Coroner Walter Hofman.

                An autopsy was performed last Wednesday morning on Lorene Good, 78.

                Hofman said Good, of 920 Lakeview Drive in the Green Hill Mobile Home Park, Marlborough Township, died between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday night.  She reportedly suffered two gunshot wounds to the head from a .22-caliber handgun police recovered at the scene.

                The coroner said she was shot while in bed in her bedroom.

                The death of Michael Good, Lorene’s 45-year-old son, was ruled a suicide.  Hofman said he died approximately 15 minutes after Lorene from a single gunshot wound to the head.  The same gun was reportedly used in both shootings. 

                The two bodies were discovered in Lorene’s bedroom Wednesday morning by one of her daughters, who is not being identified.

                The coroner’s office said a witness inside the mobile home park heard the gun shots and helped corroborate the time of the incidents.  Montgomery County Detectives and Marlborough Police investigated.

                Lorene was described by friends as a woman who loved the outdoors and her family.  She was the mother of six and had 20 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.   

                Michael, who was employed as a diesel mechanic with Haines and Kibbelhouse at the time of his death, is survived by his wife and two daughters of East Greenville.

                Funeral services were held for Lorene and Michael on Tuesday, June 8 at Sadler-Suess Funeral Home in Telford.  Interment was private.

                The family is requesting memorial contributions to the Sara and Shayla Good Trust Fund c/o Univest Bank, 50 Penn Avenue, Telford PA 18969. 

Unsatisfactory conditions at housing developments left behind by bankrupt hometown builder T.H. Properties continue to haunt Lower Salford Township supervisors, who have moved to appeal a U.S. District Court decision that went against the township in one case.

The supervisors have authorized Township Attorney James Garrity to appeal the recent decision that derailed Lower Salford’s efforts to collect on a $149,000 maintenance bond it contends it is owed to pay for work still to be done in the Brownstone Mill Development off Old Morris Road. 

The bond is specifically designed to provide money — rather than spending township funds — for a new contractor to perform work still undone.   During the June 2 supervisors’ meeting, Garrity called the decision “unfair” as he recommended appealing.

He noted the appeal is against THP’s bonding company, International Fidelity Insurance Company, which has balked at offering more than $5,000 for work involving unsatisfactory sidewalks in the development of occupied homes.  The improvements could cost $50,000.

The June 2 meeting opened with a request for help at another THP project, Summerwind II, between Yoder and Ruth roads. John Kennedy, a director of the homeowners association, said between 25 and 30 trees and many more shrubs have died.

Supervisor Chairman Douglas A. Gifford told Kennedy that Township Engineer Robin Youmans will come up with a plan for restoring trees and shrubs in accord with the township’s greenery regulations. This will await the fall planting season.

Meanwhile, in a major historic move to provide for growing community sports in Lower Salford where schedules already are utilizing neighboring Upper Salford Township playing fields, both townships will sign their first-ever inter-municipal agreement assuring development of 20.6 acres of new parkland off Schwenksville Road in Upper Salford.

Lower Salford supervisors voted to proceed with the purchase arrangement anchored by a Montgomery County open space grant of $633,600. There will be no municipal money involved, said Lower Salford Township Manager J. Delton Plank, because a “bargain sale” agreement has been struck with the owners of the Saylor tract, sparing the need for either township to contribute.

This resulted when the owners agreed to a price 12 percent below the price the county considered fair market value for the acreage. A bargain sale occurs when a donor who intends to make a contribution in the public interest sells property for less than the fair market value.

Mary L. West, assistant township manager and park board liaison to the supervisors, said Lower Salford teams have played on Upper Salford parkland.  It was noted during the meeting that Harleysville Thunder, the girls’ fast-pitch team, has played there as have Harleysville soccer teams.

Gifford said Upper Salford will maintain the park and provide any playground equipment.

As the meeting drew to a close, David Bowe, a frequent commentator at the monthly meetings, wondered what protection Lower Salford residents have from official corruption plaguing public and private organizations, and whether the five supervisors are bonded.

Supervisor Vice Chairman Douglas M. Johnson explained supervisors are not bonded, but all checks must be signed by Plank, who, as township treasurer, is bonded, and by one supervisor. Gifford noted recent thefts of public and private organization funds have resulted where checks required only one official signature.

In one other action, the supervisors authorized Harleysville fire police to assist with traffic control June 18 at the first graduation ceremony at the new Souderton Area High School on Lower Road in Franconia Township.