Echoes of Upper Merion High School's Past

The now demolished high school building first opened in 1960. It was expanded in a hurry during the 1966-67 school year when Bridgeport schools and Upper Merion schools were forced to join into one school district by the state. It was extensively renovated again in 1995, when a wrestling gym and an expanded library and cafeteria were added. It closed its doors to students for the final time in June 2022.

As the old building was being demolished, there has been an uptick in the rumors and speculation about bodies related to the 1979 “Main Line Murders” being buried in the basement or under the pool, although the timeline of the various construction projects does not lend credence to this theory. For those not familiar: Upper Merion Senior High Principal Jay C. Smith and English teacher William Sydney Bradfield were implicated in a number of crimes, including the murder of English teacher Susan Reinert (whose body was discovered in the open hatchback of her car near Harrisburg), the disappearance of Reinert's two children, Karen and Michael, as well as the disappearance of Smith's daughter and son-in-law, Stephanie and Edward Hunsberger. Although their bodies have never been found, they are all presumed dead. These events made national news, and spawned numerous books and a TV miniseries, "Echoes in the Darkness.”

With the “Main Line Murders” now more than four decades in the past, the King of

Prussia Historical Society has undertaken a three-part series of presentations of the facts relating to the case which we are calling, “Echoes of the Truth.” Part 1 focuses on Smith, part 2 focuses on Bradfield and part 3 focuses on the trials and aftermath. The final product will be a detailed timeline of documented events leading up to the murders. This timeline is the framework upon which any credible theory of the crimes would have to hang.

We welcome the input and recollections of anyone who was a student, teacher or resident during that time period. Email info@kophistory.org to share your stories.

Please consider joining The King of Prussia Historical Society. We are wholly dependent on memberships and donations to continue our mission of keeping our local history alive. Visit our website at KoPHistory.org or find us on Facebook.

AUTO MAINTENANCE & DRIVING

Countdown to Spring — Is your vehicle ready?

Winter can do a number on your car. Slush, salt and cold temperatures take a toll on everything from the tires to the wiper blades. So, as Spring approaches, it's a good idea to give your car a thorough once-over to undo winter's damage.

Modern vehicles are engineered to take some serious abuse, so unless your car was buried under a snowbank all Winter, it shouldn't require too much. Any one of our 17 convenient locations, including 180 W. Church Road, King of Prussia will be able to take care of all your Spring needs. We will check your tires and rotate, if necessary, change your oil and fluids and inspect your vehicle for Winter damage.

Below are a few tips to get your vehicle as ready for Spring as you are:

Wash Your Car

Wintertime driving will coat the bottom of your car with salt, grit and other grime that can cause corrosion. Corrosion can lead to rust problems, which can make your car much harder to resell and more difficult to maintain. If you haven't been faithful enough in adhering to a regular car wash in the chilly months, now is the perfect time to give your car that much-needed bath that it truly needs.

Replace Your Car's Wiper Blades

Winter kills wiper blades and you'll need them to perform when Spring rain arrives. During the Winter, your wiper blades need to work double time to remove the snow and ice that is accumulating on your windshield. Wipers are not designed to do this — they are designed to remove rain. By Spring, your wiper blades may already be squeaking and streaking. This is a sign that replacement is required. Don't wait. Do yourself a favor and replace them now.

Top-Off Your Washer Fluid

We use much more washer fluid in the Winter months than we do in Spring and Summer. This could leave us with an empty reservoir when needed for bug splattering or road debris.

Check Your Tires

Winter may be very harsh on your wiper blades, but it's even more so on your tires. If you have Winter tires, before you have them swapped out, you'll want to check your all-seasons or Summer tires for proper tread depths. Consider replacement if the tread is below 4/32nds. We recommend talking to one of our tire experts about the Falken Ziex 960 A/S. These tires deliver exceptional performance and responsive handling in any condition.

Badly worn tires can be very dangerous on the road and adversely affect your fuel economy. Temperature can play havoc with your psi leaving them under inflated

Gateway Cafe Is Moving

Ron Mahoney worked at a luncheonette in the pharmacy of the Gateway Shopping Center since 1979. He met the love of his life in 1981. They got married in 1985 and had their first baby boy. Their second son was born the following year. The Mahoney's purchased their first home in Swedeland on April 1st, 1987 and had three more sons for a total of Five. October 1st, 1997, Ron went Corporate and took over the luncheonette which he fully renovated and successfully ran as The Gateway Cafe until 2012.

On March 3, 2003, he opened a second location — a few blocks from his home — serving breakfast and lunch, 7 days a week. In 2020 the restaurant was vandalized the 1st week into the pandemic, and we had to close. This led the way for renovations and a much-needed larger kitchen. With the renovations came a covered patio, more parking and the KOP Chicken joined us on Flint Hill Road. That brought us even mor business & exposure helping us host family celebrations, birthdays, and graduations — making the location very successful.

Unfortunately, the real estate market got a hold of the property, and it was sold, so the search was on for a new location!

Through the years other locations were opened, one in Royersford and also one in Collegeville but none of these locations got the love like our Swedeland location. Now the time has come, and Gateway Cafe is closing and moving to a new location in the tight community of Bridgeport, PA.

We are changing the restaurant name to 4th Street Cafe. A new name & location — including a new phone number — is certainly starting all over! We are very honored to be part of the Bridgeport community and look forward to serving everyone that has supported our small business through the years.

or over inflated. Don't forget to check the spare tire, too.

Change Your Cabin Air Filter

This is very easily overlooked, but it's so important! Most people do not know that their vehicle also has a filter that needs to be changed our periodically, just the like HVAC filter at home.

Cabin air filters clean the air you breathe inside your car. The air inside your car can be up to 6x dirtier than the air outside yuck! It should be changed annually, or every 12,000 miles. You can easily protect your family, especially if anyone has allergies, by having this changed at your next service.

With Spring creeping up on us, now is the time rid your vehicle of the slush, salt and Winter blues. Schedule your appointment at CJTIRE.com, the countdown to Spring is ON!

It's what we do, we get up each day and serve the public. Being there for them, serving a tasty array of quality breakfast and lunch platters. We will be open 7 Days a Week with extended hours til 8 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at our Bridgeport location for home style dinner fare.

4th

26 W. 4th Street Bridgeport, PA 19405

610-489-4640

Breakfast Served All Day!

Tues 6:30 am - pm