Norristown

Just before Christmas, Deveta Johnson saw something in the trash in Norristown that looked like an old pile of grocery bags. She looked closer and found a tattered photo album with hundreds of World War II-era snapshots of African Americans, in wartime Europe and going about their daily lives in rowhouse Philadelphia. "Wait a minute," mused Johnson, who had listened to her grandfather's countless war stories. "This shouldn't be in the trash. " Her decision to take the album home and show it to her mother, Valoree Nelson, has preserved for posterity what might have been lost to a landfill.

On the eve his high school's bid for the New York state baseball championship, Elvin Soto took a bus to Norristown in search of a little magic. The 18-year-old from the Bronx thought he might find it in an airy factory on Washington Street whose product is a draw for an increasing number of ballplayers looking for a bit of the lightning that sends blasts off the bats of major-leaguers Shane Victorino and Josh Hamilton. The budding high school star is part of the fast-growing customer list of Rx Sport, launched just 18 months ago with the goal of using the secrets of luxury furniture-making to improve the lumber of the national pastime.

In a crowded sandwich-eating world of hoagies, grinders, subs, heroes, and po'boys, Norristown's own zep flies somewhat beneath the radar. But in certain quarters, the intensely local, seven-decade meat-on-a-roll tradition is so closely associated with its birthplace to qualify as the Montgomery County version of Proust's madeleine. "You take any Norristown kid from the '50s and you give him now, 50 years later, a zep," said Jerry Spinelli, 68, a children's book author and Norristown native, "and he will be transported back to his hometown.

Dominique Devlin, a 16-year-old fashionista who gave herself the runway nickname of Charvae Paris Monroe (after the city and the movie star), was mourned Sunday by her mother as a brutally honest teen who was quick to tell her parents when their wardrobe was all wrong. She selected the outfit her mother was to wear to her middle school graduation (the pink suit). She wouldn't let her stepfather out of the house in the wrong shoes. (He might make her look bad.) Devlin, of Norristown, was shot and killed early Wednesday near Green and Basin Streets in the borough.

Nobody was hurt - not even the family cat - but a roof fire in Norristown caused $75,000 worth of damage yesterday afternoon at a residence on Roberts Circle. Roofers had been working at the site, fire officials said.

When it comes to defense, the Chester boys' basketball team plays by coach Larry Yarbray's one rule: Do not give up more than 10 points in a quarter. In Friday night's PIAA District 1 Class AAAA quarterfinal against No. 9 seed Norristown, the defending-champion and top-seeded Clippers gave up 10 points in the first half . The No. 4 team in the nation, according to ESPN, bulldozed the Eagles, 81-31, to advance to Tuesday night's semifinals. Riding a 51-game winning streak, Chester (25-0)

Federal prosecutors yesterday concluded their investigation into municipal corruption in Norristown with the sentencing of two contractors accused of collusion with a local official. James H. Jones, a landscape contractor, received 10 months in prison for lying to a grand jury about his dealings with Norristown's former Administrator Anthony Biondi. Also sentenced was Lawrence Mazzerle, a paving contractor who cooperated in the investigation and received three months in prison and one year of house arrest.

There may not be a boys' basketball team in Southeastern Pennsylvania more overlooked than Norristown. The Eagles weren't taken seriously for much of last season before advancing to the PIAA Class AAAA state championship game. Although three starters returned to the team this season, critics thought this would be a rebuilding year. It turns out that people had better start paying closer attention to Norristown. The Eagles defeated Plymouth Whitemarsh, 45-41, in last night's Suburban One American first-place showdown at the Colonial Elementary School gym. "This victory means everything, because we are the underdog everywhere we go," Norristown senior Lorenzo Christmas said.

Norristown will have new coaches on the softball and baseball sidelines next spring. One of them will be a very familiar face. Jim McCarthy is returning to coach the Eagles softball team after a 17-year career there that ended when he resigned after the 2008 season. He stepped down to watch his daughter play field hockey and softball at Arcadia. Taking over on the baseball diamond will be Vince Elsier. Elsier is familiar with Norristown, too, having graduated from the school in 1981.

The trial of a "regular, hardworking guy" accused of corrupting Norristown's top administrator began yesterday with a hint of more questionable conduct in the local government. Thomas D. Carbo, a paving contractor from Devon, was indicted as part of a case brought last year against Norristown's former municipal administrator, Anthony Biondi. Biondi has pleaded guilty. Carbo is accused of helping Biondi hide a business relationship he maintained with Carbo and another contractor between 2001 and 2004, when Biondi awarded the businessmen more than $100,000 in paving and snow-plowing jobs.

Waving small plastic shovels, a crowd of 100 well-wishers broke symbolic ground Thursday on a new performing arts center for Norristown that officials hope will help bring cultural revival and economic prosperity back to the beleaguered Montgomery County seat. I'm so thrilled," said Erin Reilly, cofounder of Theatre Horizon, Norristown's professional drama company. "Today is the day when dreams come true. It's an auspicious beginning. " While the renovation to the first floor of the former Bell Telephone Building will provide permanent digs for the drama company for the first time, a lot more is riding on the $1 million project.

The Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown was slammed by the economic downturn last winter, so when it was time to choose a new leader, the board of directors tried something different. Instead of an animal expert, the board picked a businessman. Albert J. Zone, who has been the zoo's business manager and acting director, was named executive director this week. He replaces Bill Konstant, an internationally known conservationist who resigned in November to work for two conservation foundations.

The Rittenhouse Club, a 26-unit condominium project in Norristown, was so shoddily built that it was deemed unsafe for human habitation. The fallout from the project has included criminal charges against the developer and a court order in 2010 requiring Norristown to itself fix up the buildings — at a taxpayer cost of more than $1 million so far. Now comes a lawsuit by Customers Bank of Phoenixville demanding that Norristown, and some...

When the Montgomery County commissioners toured the Human Services Center in Norristown earlier this year, they were stopped by two workers. Would it be possible to take the forlorn-looking rooftop garden just off the third floor and make it come alive again, the pair wondered? Why not, said the commissioners. On Wednesday, in a mist more nurturing to perennials than people, several hundred county workers gathered to dedicate the not-so-secret garden that now features park-style benches scattered among raised beds of green-and-white hostas and lacy, red maples.

When Akbar Hossain tells his story, others sometimes cry, but he doesn't. The 21-year-old Bengali student from Norristown is so polished and cool that he seems always in command. His family came to the United States when he was 10 and was immediately swindled out of $5,000. The family went on to live crammed into a one-bedroom apartment. Eventually, Hossain watched his father die on their front lawn. "When he told me, it was tough for me to keep it together," said Susan Dicklitch, Hossain's teacher and an associate dean at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster.

Norristown produced three runs with two outs in the top of the eighth inning and escaped with an 8-5 nonleague softball win at Pope John Paul II on Tuesday. After giving up a game-tying two-run homer to PJP's Meg Kugler in the bottom of the seventh inning, Norristown regrouped and loaded the bases on a fielder's choice and two singles. Gina Pellechio drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Monica Levins with the winning run, Jackie D'Innocenzo singled in Sammi Kidd, and Sammy Kampmeier scored on an error on Stefanie Dinolfi's ground ball.

Highlights of Monday's contests can be found at: www.philly.com/rally Selected by league coaches. Boys' Bowling First Team Tyler Crews, Hatboro-Horsham Matt Grayauskie, Norristown Codi Delliponti, Norristown John Mill, Norristown Mike Rudock, Hatboro-Horsham Second Team Ryan Pellow, Pennridge; Justin Pellow, Pennridge; Julius Selfinger, Plymouth Whitemarsh; Robby McKeever,...

Special Events Greater Philadelphia Spring Home & Hot Tub Show Products & services for home improvement & jacuzzis. Convention Center, 1101 Arch St.; 215-418-4700. www.acshomeshow.com . Closes 3/25. The Liberty Party DJs, food, drink specials the fourth Saturday of each month. 2204 Liberty Bar, 2204 Market St. Winding Up Winter by Winding Through the Gorge Say goodbye to winter on this hike. Wissahickon Valley Park, 300 E. Northwestern Ave.; squitel@comcast.net . 3/24.

Tony Chapman knew what would almost certainly come along with guiding Holy Ghost Prep to a PIAA District 1 Class AAA championship and two state-playoff victories. That is, a quarterfinal meeting vs. Catholic League juggernaut and two-time defending state titlist Neumann-Goretti. And here the Firebirds are, preparing to face the Saints - and hoping to buck the odds - in an Elite Eight matchup scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Norristown. "We're looking forward to it," said Chapman, in his 34th season in charge.

THIS HAS not been a good week for bus drivers transporting District 12 teams to PIAA second-round playoffs. Tuesday, Carroll's guy earned a ticket for speeding en route to Coatesville. Last night, Bartram's players strolled into Norristown's gym with only 6 minutes showing on the warmup clock . . . oh, and the members of the school's small, yet boisterous student section didn't arrive until 10 minutes had been played. Only in the Cath/Pub. After the start was delayed by 12 minutes, Bartram fell to Coatesville, 61-51.