FACES & PLACES LOCAL COLOR DECEMBER 2008 Roy Ziegler by Marilyn Bullock  I first met Roy Ziegler after I joined the New Hope Historical Society about seven years ago.  Over the years I have gotten to know Roy mostly from Historical Socitey events. However, Roy has held many positions in various organizations:  he was president of New Hope Partners in Progress from 2002 to 2005;  he was vice chair of the New Hope Borough Park and Recreation Board and has served on that board since 2004;  he is a  member of the New Hope Borough Community Revitalization Committee of the New Hope Garden Club; and he served on the board of the Concordia Chamber Players from 2001 to 2007 and currently handles their publicity on a volunteer basis. You'll also find Roy and his parter, Chuck Tarr, at local events and fund-raisers. All this AND he was president of the New Hope Historical Society from 2006 to 2008 (2008 is the 50th Anniversary of the Society.)  He remains as a Society Director and docent volunteer.    Roy has been a resident of New Hope for nearly nineteen years.  He met Chuck in New Hope about thirty-five years ago.  After retiring in 2001 as Assistant Director of Housing for the State of New Jersey, he turned his talents to the New Hope community. One of Roy’s hobbies is writing, so it is not surprising that his first book, New Hope Pennsylvania - River Town Passages, is about the history of New Hope and was written in conjunction with the New Hope Historical Society.  The publication of the book was made possible by a grant from the Pamela Minford Charitable Foundation.  The book is available through the New Hope Historical Society.  Call 215-862-5652. The New Hope Historical Society will present a book signing event as part of its Victorian Christmas celebration and open house at the Parry Mansion on December 13 and 14 from 1 PM to 5 PM each day. “I have traced the history of New Hope from the original settlers, the Lenni-Lenapes, to the early Quakers, and through the Industrial Revolution to the modern times when artists and playwrights helped to make New Hope the number one tourist destination in Bucks County,” said Ziegler.  “Included with this brief history are sketches of fifty New Hope structures now on the Historic Register and the prominent families who occupied those buildings over the past two and a half centuries,” he added.  The publication includes sixty ph otographs of New Hope structures dating back to the eighteenth century. Roy Ziegler truly represents the Spirit that is New Hope!  By the way, he is currently working on a draft of a new book that he hopes to begin writing next year.  We'll stay tuned….