Norristown

Pennsbury coach Mary Ellen Smith knew before the season that the day would come when she would win her 300th game. However, she probably didn't expect it to come so soon. Smith, a 24-year coach, has never been big on individual accomplishments, as the real goal is to win a championship. But after last week, when her Falcons notched her 300th win and continued to show championship form, she said she's hoping for both honors in the same season. As for the personal honor, Smith won the big game when the Falcons (16-3, 10-1)

The musical Barnum, about the life and times of the illustrious showman, will open this evening at the Montgomery County Cultural Center in Norristown. "The hook is Barnum's acts actually performed in this building; the most famous act being Tom Thumb," said director Fran Doyle of Norristown. P.T. Barnum brought his sideshows to Norristown in 1858, where they appeared on the Music Hall Stage in what is now the Montgomery County Cultural Center. Performances of Barnum are scheduled for 8 p.m. today through Saturday, May 7 to 10 and May 14 to 16. Matinee shows will be presented at 2:30 p.m. this Sunday and May 17. Tickets for opening night are $12 for adults and $7 for children 12 and younger.

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.

An effort to revitalize Norristown's waterfront that includes the installation of a Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange has received a $10 million boost from the federal government. Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Joseph M. Hoeffel 3d (D., Pa.) presented to Montgomery County and borough officials a ceremonial check for the plan to rebuild and extend Lafayette Street, which runs along the Schuylkill riverfront, and ease access from the turnpike and Route 202 into the economically distressed county seat.

MONTGOMERY County authorities say that a man was found shot to death in a car in an alley on Christmas Day. Norristown police and prosecutors said that officers responded to a report of gunshots at about 4:40 p.m. Tuesday. Borough police found Paul Brown, 24, in the driver's seat of a sedan in a rear alley. Officials said that he was taken to Mercy Suburban Hospital and later pronounced dead. The Montgomery County coroner's office said that he died of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled the case a homicide.

Norristown wrestling coach Mark Harner is quick to point out that his Eagles, for all their singular stars, are not a great dual-meet team. They lack depth. They're more of a tournament team. Wednesday night reinforced that notion, but also showed why Norristown has the armaments to at least make a run at what would be its first District 1 team title since winning back to back in 1996-97. The Eagles dropped Upper Moreland, 45-31, in their home gym, improving to 3-0 (both overall and league)

A fire that raced through the second floor of a Norristown rowhouse yesterday killed two young children who had been sleeping in a bedroom warmed by a space heater, fire officials said. Norristown Fire Chief Joseph DeDominic identified the victims as Luis Raul Vidal, 2, and Andrew Orlando Malave, 1. The children were pronounced dead at the scene of the blaze, which broke out about 2:15 p.m. in the house in the 900 block of Jackson Street, in the southwest section of the borough.

Bensalem made the drive to Norristown Friday night only to find Roosevelt Field deluged with rain and, consequently, its Suburban One National Conference football game against the Eagles postponed till Saturday. As it turned out, the Owls would have preferred to face standout tailback Daymon Carroll in the quagmire that was Roosevelt Field on Friday. Running on drier land, the quick-footed Carroll exploded for 140 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as Norristown surged to a 26-14 victory.

Norristown would be riding a perfect season except for a couple of long road trips. For the second time in two weeks, the Eagles (11-2) traveled outside Southeastern Pennsylvania to play in an invitational game, blew a big second-half lead, and lost to an undefeated team. Two weeks ago, it was Harrisburg, the defending PIAA Class AAAA champion, in the Sports Fever Shootout in Landisville, Pa. Yesterday, Norristown lost to Newark East Side (10-0), 66-65, in overtime at the Martin Luther King Jr. Classic at Bishop Eustace Prep in Pennsauken.