A Window on Pottstown Halloween

October 14, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Taxes, Dollars and Tax Dollars

≪ Previous: Pottsgrove Hikes Administrators' Pay by $10K, Reveals its Teacher Contract Offer

$

0

0

Members of the Pottstown Roller Derby Rock Stars preparing the decoration for Connections on High Cafe.

Halloween is a lot like Christmas in at least one respect .... OK two, you spend a lot of money for both.

But they are also similar in that they both involve a lot of decorating.

The window in Daniel's Produce is decorated.

In downtown Pottstown, much of that effort has been undertaken by a group of volunteers and artists, most of whom are students.

Canvases painted by students from Pottstown High School and The Hill School  as well as a few guest artists from the Pottstown Roller Derby Rockstars, and the MOMS Club of Pottsgrove/Pottstown, are being hung this week in 22 downtown storefront windows.

They will remain through Halloween, but you will have a chance to help choose the winners during the Haunts on High event on Saturday, Oct. 24. Starting at noon, trick-or-treaters can stop by downtown stores for treats.

There will also be face painting, entertainment, food cookie decorating and crafts at the Pottstown Regional Public Library, ArtFusion 19464 and the Steel River Playhouse, as well as an opportunity to cast votes for your favorite window decoration.

You can also vote on the Facebook page of Pottstown Halloween Extravaganza, where more complete information about all the Halloween events in Pottstown is listed..

But there is another public art project that has been undertaken and you may have noticed already.

One side of the King Street Bridge has been improved with a banner of fabric squares made and sewn together by the MOMS Club, St. Aloysius School, the Wyndcroft School, Brookside Montesori School, Montgomery Early Learning Center and the local Girl Scout Daisy Troop.

This banner has been hung on the King Street Bridge.

Another is to be hung at Manatawny Green mini-golf, which, by the way will host a scarecrow contest and workshop this weekend and is also home to "Spooky Golf" from 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24.

The banner being prepared in a Pottstown back yard.

This series of event's, which also includes Sunday's Monster Dash 5K in Riverfront Park, is brought to Pottstown through a volunteer group made of members from P.O.S.T. (Pottstown Organizations Serving Together), Pottstown MOMS Club, ARTFusion19464 and the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority.

"Our goal is to revitalize the downtown and generate more fun family activities, bigger and better every year. We are actively searching for volunteers RIGHT NOW to plan and organize the 'Pottstown Hometown Holidays' Christmas events. Interested volunteers should contact the PDIDA office" at (610) 323-5400, according to one of those volunteers.

---

Taxes, Dollars and Tax Dollars

October 15, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: In the Pink and Then into the Black

≪ Previous: A Window on Pottstown Halloween

$

0

0

More evidence that the Pottstown Schol Board is not yet set on adopting a town-wide tax break for those who improve commercial property, was made plain during Thursday night's discussion of the proposed LERTA district, which is likely to be tabled Monday.

Board Vice President Andrew Kefer, who followed in the footsteps of the now resigned Judyth Zahora by running the meeting from a speaker phone, said discussion of the matter at a recent finance committee meeting was "divisive."

Board member Thomas Hylton indicated that he has done some research on LERTAs, which stands for Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance, and found there are many varieties.

He said he would like more information, "in writing," from the borough and Steve Bamford, who, as executive director of PAID, is the borough's de-facto economic development director and an advocate for the enactment of the LERTA.

Hylton's call for more detail was echoed by Polly Weand and Mary-Beth Bacallao, the last of whom advocated for goals and a way to measure the effectiveness of the program if enacted.

Bamford said while there is no statewide analysis of the program, a recent conference of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission did address the matter and offered up several case studies, which locally included Quakertown and Caln.

The board also looked favorably on adopting, as it always has in the past, a resolution pledging not to exceed the state tax index when adopting next year's budget.

This year's index is 3.4 percent, the highest Pottstown has ever seen, said Business Manager Linda Adams.

The board members present -- only five if you include Keefer's telephonic presence -- tastefully resisted the temptation to comment on following arcane state-imposed budget procedures at a time when the state is midway through its fourth month of being late with its own budget.

Do as I say, not as I do I suppose.

The board also heard a quick presentation on a plan to re-finance just under $10 million of its $13 million debt in order to collect nearly $400,000 in interest savings.

Here are the Tweets from the meeting, along with a few helpful links to Mercury articles which offer  background on the matters under discussion.

In the Pink and Then into the Black

October 17, 2015, 10:10 pm

≫ Next: Pottstown CARES Clean-Up Set for Friday

≪ Previous: Taxes, Dollars and Tax Dollars

$

0

0

Photos by Evan Brandt Grigg Memorial Field's markings were outlined in pink Saturday for the Trojan's football game against Upper Perkiomen High School, which was also its Breast Cancer Awareness Day and the game honoring seniors and parents.

The Pottstown High School Trojans had a busy day on Saturday.

Pink yard lines for Pink Out Day

First, the football Trojans took to Grigg Memorial Field and scored yet another victory in their remarkable season, defeating the Upper Perkiomen High School Indians by a score of 21-13.

It was also the game at which they observed Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so everything was pink.

But wait, there's still more!

The Trojans' low brass section gets tuned up.

Saturday was also senior recognition and parent recognition day.

All that said and done, the football team may have put their feet up for the day, but no such luck for that Trojan Marching Band.

They climbed onto a bus and headed over to Lancaster County for the Manheim Township High School Marching Band Showcase.

There, they performed, for the second time that day, their show, "Fade to Black," to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd which braved the falling mercury and packed the stands at the Blue Streaks' stadium.

The ladies of the Trojans' percussion section in a quiet moment Saturday.

Then there was an added treat.

Seniors and section leaders, were invited to join the Kutztwn University Marching Band -- which had just performed five numbers -- to perform two songs, "Holiday" and "Hot, Hot, Hot."

First, here is some video of the Trojans taking the field in Manheim:




So here is quick video of highlights of the performance with KU.




As always, full videos of all Pottstown and Kutztown performances can be found below, toward the end of the Storify of Tweets from the day, which, conveniently enough, start right now!

Pottstown CARES Clean-Up Set for Friday

October 18, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: 5,000 More Cars Coming to Route 73

≪ Previous: In the Pink and Then into the Black

$

0

0

Blogger's Note:The following was provided by Hill School Community Relations Professional Cathy Skitko.

Hundreds of volunteers from the Borough of Pottstown, The Hill School, the Pottstown School District, Montgomery County Community College, and other organizations will again combine forces to demonstrate their commitment to our hometown during the third annual CARES clean-up event to be held on Friday, Oct. 23, from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Rain date will be Monday, October 26.

The CARES day volunteers will assemble at 8:30 a.m. under Hill’s former hockey rink roof near the Center For The Arts parking lot at 860 Beech Street, where they will receive instructions and participate in a group photo before stepping off. Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Kevin Steele and Montgomery County Sheriff Russell Bono will be on hand to welcome and thank the massive crew of volunteers.

The clean-up will occur in a targeted area of Pottstown, from High Street north to Beech Street, and Manatawny Street east to Edgewood Street. The CARES project has received the International Coastal Cleanup designation that is granted to endeavors that clean up an area’s watershed; removing litter prevents contaminants from entering waterways via storm drains.

All 502 Hill School students as well as Hill faculty and staff; at least 50 Pottstown High School students and numerous faculty members; volunteers from Montgomery County Community College, and many Borough workers and officials will be dispersed to weed, pick up trash, and complete other “spruce up” tasks in public spaces in the core downtown area. In addition, individuals who have come forward from other community businesses and organizations will join the workers on clean-up teams.

This year the Pottstown area MOMS Club has volunteered to join the CARES effort. CARES planners also are making an extra effort to ask downtown business owners and employees to join in the activities. Interested businesses should contact Kourtney High at khigh@pottstown.org or 610-970-6512.

Also new this year will be a property maintenance merit program in which about 100 owners and residents will be recognized for keeping their properties clean and attractive by receiving a certificate of appreciation and a window “cling” bearing the Pottstown CARES logo.

The CARES organizers ask that Pottstown area residents further show they care about our community by stopping by the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities at 57 North Franklin Street and donating nonperishable food, laundry detergent, toiletries, warm clothing, and other items for distribution to area families in need.

Numerous organizations have contributed funding, tools, supplies, or other support to the CARES endeavor. The planners wish to give special thanks to Lowes for their exceptional generosity in providing tools and other supplies at cost; the United Way and the Fairmount Park Conservancy for loaning tools to the endeavor; Home Depot for providing 600 trash bags and a discount for supplies; and JP Mascaro for supplying dumpsters. In addition, Hill’s food service provider, Sodexo, is donating snacks and the post clean-up buffet picnic lunch for all volunteers.

Organizations that wish to donate time, tools, gloves, trash or recycling bags, or funding toward CARES should contact Katie Scanlan, High Meadows Foundation Sustainability Chair at The Hill School, at kscanlan@thehill.org or 610-705-7277. Donations of work gloves, trash and leaf bags, and tools also will be accepted at Borough Hall at 100 E. High Street. Citizens may email PottstownCARES@pottstown.org with suggestions or questions.

To help identify the unified CARES crew, all volunteers are asked to wear blue – a “school color” shared by The Hill, the Pottstown School District, and the Borough.

The initial, joint CARES (Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Sustainability) endeavor was conceived in the spring of 2013 during conversations between Borough Manager Mark Flanders, Pottstown School Superintendent Dr. Jeff Sparagana, and Hill School Headmaster Zachary Lehman. The three leaders envisioned a collaborative project that would help to “spruce up” a designated area in the core of Pottstown while boosting community pride. The CARES team hopes these annual events will indeed motivate Pottstown residents to engage in ongoing clean-ups of their own in their immediate neighborhoods.

CARES project organizers wish to give special thanks to the Pottstown Police Department and Emergency Services organizations and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department for their support.

5,000 More Cars Coming to Route 73

October 19, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: No Hike in Water of Sewer Rates for 2016

≪ Previous: Pottstown CARES Clean-Up Set for Friday

$

0

0

Photo by Evan Brandt This map shows the sprawling New Hanover Center proposal that stretches from the intersection of North Charlotte Street (Route 663) and Swamp Pike west to Township Line Road and the border with Douglass (Mont.)

A massive development proposed in New Hanover that will take more than a decade to complete will have impacts outside the borders of the township, not the last of which is the addition of as many as 5,000 cars per day through Gilbertsville.

The potential traffic impact from New Hanover Center was the issue of primary concern Monday when the developers -- American Real Estate Development -- outlined the project for the Douglass (Mont.) Township Supervisors.

Supervisor Tony Kuklinski pressed the issue, resulting in the revelation that currently, Swamp Pike, which becomes Philadelphia Avenue in Gilbertsville, currently sees about 10,200 vehicle trips per day.

This project, which has already received preliminary approval from the New Hanover Board of Supervisors, calls for 760 housing units -- 509 of which will be townhomes; 124 of which will be single family homes, and 130 of which will be senior housing.

It also plans for about 200,000 square feet of retail space, including a new grocery store, which is seen as a primary generator of traffic.

"I am going to be able to walk to Spring City faster than I can drive there," said Kuklinski, who is the police chief in Spring City.

There is not much Douglass Supervisors can do given that the project is not in their township.

And there is not much traffic engineers can do given that Gilbertsville was developed with homes up to the sidewalk, so there is no room to widen Philadelphia Avenue.

The plans do call for improvements to the intersections with Gilbertsville Road, Township Line Road and North Charlotte Street.

Another impact, observed Henry Road resident Bernie Sell, is the impact on Boyertown area schools.

After Kuklinski noted to the developers that "Douglass doesn't get anything out of this, other than the traffic," Sell added "oh yes we do. We get to build new schools."

Here are the Tweets from the meeting.

No Hike in Water of Sewer Rates for 2016

October 20, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: No Tax Hike in West Pottsgrove, Sewer Hike Possible

≪ Previous: 5,000 More Cars Coming to Route 73

$

0

0

Probably the biggest news to come out of last night's borough authority meeting got the smallest mention.

In an hour-long meeting that included extensive talk of sludge dryer parts and other such fascinating items, the board quickly adopted a recommended budgets for the coming year.

And although both show a slight increase in spending over the current year for the water and sewer systems, it won't cost users any more than it already does.

The authority unanimously adopted the $6,183,000 water budget and recommended borough council approve the $9,081,000 sewer budget.

The sewer budget represents an increase of $497,000 over the current budget.

The water budget represents an increase of $70,000 over the current budget.

But news about a rate hike -- or lack thereof -- came only as an afterthought from Utilities Administrator Robert Plenderleith.

Borough Authority board members look over plans to allow new construction at the Mrs. Smith's Pies site without moving a major sewer line that runs through that property.

"Oh, and there's no rate hike," he said after outlining the budget basics for both funds.

Finance Director Janice Lee explained that a rate hike is not necessary because some of the increase is covered by surplus, but most of the increase is just money being moved from the capital budget into the general fund to pay for the next year's slate of capital projects.

In other words, the authority is not really spending more money, it is spending money it has set aside for capital expenses.

So the residential water rate will remain at $35 base cost and $2.78 per 100 cubic feet.

And the sewer rate will remain a base cost of $76.25 and a usage rate of $2.63 per 100 cubic feet (based on water consumption).

2016 will be the fourth consecutive year without a water rate hike and, presuming council adopts the sewer budget, the third year without a sewer rate hike.

Other items of interest include an update on the water and sewer line projects which are tearing up parts of several borough streets and news of the Mrs. Smith's commercial project moving forward.

Here are the Tweets.

No Tax Hike in West Pottsgrove, Sewer Hike Possible

October 21, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Would that All Township Meetings Were this Quick

≪ Previous: No Hike in Water of Sewer Rates for 2016

$

0

0

One thing that has become painfully clear about covering West Pottsgrove Commissioner meetings is that my data service does not like the location.

As such, it is often difficult and, Wednesday night, impossible, to live Tweet the meetings.

So, if you can bear it, you will just have to read your way through a much more conventional report on the meeting.
But enough about me and my troubles, let's get to the news, and the news is .... no tax hike to 2016, but there may be a $36 sewer fee hike.

Township Manager Ed Whetstone delivered both the township budget and sewer budget reports Wednesday night, and while the general fund budget elicited little comment from the commissioners, the announcement of a $9 per quarter hike in the fee charged to pay capital costs for work at the Pottstown Wastewater Treatment Plant did draw a reaction from Commissioner Thomas Palladino.

Palladino made a point of noting that the increased sewer fee "is not written in stone," but Whetstone urged the commissioners to adopt it.

"We didn't adopt it last year and if we keep avoiding it, it is just going to put us into a deeper hole," he said.

The general fund budget figures call for spending $2,974,918, which is $81,000 less than the 2015 budget, Whetstone said.

The budget will be balanced by using $1,561,998 of the township's surplus fund, built up over the years of by tipping fees charged during the operation of the Pottstown Landfill.

Whetstone said that fund will stand at about $18 million at the end of 2015.

The sewer fund calls for spending $1,329,885 in 2016, which includes paying $120,000 to the borough for repairs and upgrades at the sewer treatment plant, money that will be funded, in part, by the $36 increase.

It also calls for spending $125,000 to upgrade two township pump stations, about $70,000 of which will be spent at the station on Old Reading Pike.

Another $241,380 is budgeted to pay for sending the township's sewage to the Pottstown plant for treatment.

Old Reading Pike Bridge

The first thing with which the commissioners grappled Wednesday night was the news that there is no intention to replace the Old Reading Pike Bridge over the Norfolk Southern tracks that connections West High Street to Grosstown Road.

Whetstone told the commissioners that the county, the railroad and the Public Utilities had reached this conclusion, in part, because all those road systems can still be accessed from Grosstown Road.

Although the commissioners expressed dismay at the news, none of them wanted to get involved because "the last time we faced this issue, we wound up owning a new bridge," as Palladino put it.

"Most people have adjusted to the change since that bridge closed," Whetstone said in characterizing the reasoning of the officials from the county , the railroad and the PUC.

"I say, let the county, the railroad and the PUC fight over it," Palladino said.

Railroad Stop

Whetstone also informed the commissioners that the township's plans for a bridge over Manatawny Creek to connect Ralph Murgia Park to the proposed stop on the Colebrookdale Railroad will require a change.

The railroad has changed its mind about where the stop will be, he said.

Instead, the railroad plan to consider a stop closer to Pottstown, near to the Sly Fox Brewery on Circle of Progress, and to its maintenance facility near the old Davis Brothers scrapyard.

The township already has a $7,500 grant to pay for a new bridge, but at the old location, said Whetstone.

There is also another $166,000 in grants the township is pursuing.

The commissioners said they may want both bridges, one that crosses the outfall from Dandy Dam, separating two portions of Murgia Park, as well as a bridge across Manatawny Creek to connect with the railroad.

Road Work

Whetstone also reported that School Lane and an adjacent alley, between Rice and Lemon streets, will be paved with the help of a grant of between $75,000 and $90,000.

Smoke Testing

Whetstone reported that the township also performed some smoke testing of the township sewer system, last week to identify places where there may be gaps in the system.

"I don't have the full report yet, but there were some areas of concern," Whetstone said.

"Palladino and Commissioners Chairman Steve Miller both noted that samoke was everywhere around the township.

"We put some in at the top of Roberts Drive and it was coming out on Berks Street," said Palladino.

"You could see it coming out of people chimneys," said Miller. "Some of the sidewalks were even smoking."

Baseball Fields

The commissioners also heard from represenatives of Pottsgrove Little League, who expressed concerns about plans for a travel team using the township field and how it might affect their use of it.

The commissioners said no changes can be made to the field without their permission, and they would prefer to see peaceful co-existence between the two groups.

Would that All Township Meetings Were this Quick

October 22, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: 'MythConceptions' Is ArtFusion's Next Show

≪ Previous: No Tax Hike in West Pottsgrove, Sewer Hike Possible

$

0

0

Probably the most exciting thing about last night's meeting of the Lower Pottsgrove Township Commissioners was trying to get there.

I forgot, to my dismay, that there is intermittent road work happening on Buchert Road, so when I came shooting up Keim Street I came to a dead stop at the intersection.

Traffic at Keim and Buchert last night.

So given that for once, I was going to be on time for the meeting, I instead had to zip back down to High Street and over to Pleasantview to rush in as the meeting was already underway.

Late again.

Anyway, I got there in time to discover not much was going to happen.

It boils down to two things.

1) They voted to borrow $135,934, at no interest, to pay for new emergency radios required by Montgomery County's new radio system. The county set up the no-interest loan program to make it easier on municipalities, but needed an answer by next month.

Ringing Hill Fire Company will borrow $161,898 for the same purpose, but Sanatoga Fire Company backed out ans is looking to fund their radio purchase with a grant, according to Township Manager Ed Wagner.

2) The second thing came out thanks to questioning by my colleague, Joe Zlomek from the Sanatoga Post. A public hearing will be held in December for three new ordinances, but Zlomek started asking questions about the one the township was characterizing as "minor."

It turns out the amendment allows the township to ignore zoning regulations when doing work on its own property. When Zlomek asked how much property the township owns, no one seemed to know right away.

Other than that, I'll let the Tweets tell the story.

---

'MythConceptions' Is ArtFusion's Next Show

October 23, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Supply Side Education

≪ Previous: Would that All Township Meetings Were this Quick

$

0

0

Blogger's Note:The following was provided by ArtFusion 19464.

ArtFusion’s latest show MythConceptions will open on Nov. 7 and run through Nov. 21. 

This show will feature artwork from the winners of the Best in Show contest from ArtFusion’s 2015 Winter Member Show. 

Visitors to the show voted for their favorite artists and the two artists who received the most votes won their own show. 

Artists Dora Siemel and Gwendolyn Lanier-Gardner will present an amazing collection of 3D and 2D artwork. Gwendolyn and Dora invite the community to a meet the artists reception on Friday, Nov. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Dora Siemel was born in Matto Grosso, Brazil. In addition to being a sculptor, she is a poet, a computer consultant, a martial artist and a yoga instructor. 

 Dora has had her own studio in Green Lane, Pennsylvania since 1992. Her sculpture medium is clay. The colors come from any combination of glazes, oxides, paints and waxes. 

Dora says, “When it feels appropriate, I incorporate found objects into my sculptures. These can be metal, fiber, bone or anything else that seems to fit with the rest of the sculpture.”

Her work has been included in various juried shows including the Pottstown Area Artists Guild’s “Art on the Hill” show, the Lansdale Festival of the Arts, the Norristown Art League, the Meadowood Art Show, the Woodmere Art Museum Show, the Phillips Mill Art Show, the New Hope Art League Show, the Bucks Byers Fever Show, the Bucks County Sculpture Show, the FODC Show and the GoggleWorks Annual Show. Her pieces have won numerous local prizes, including three “Best of Show” awards.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Gwendolyn Lanier- Gardner began making art in 2000 at the Essex Art Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts. In 2009 Gwendolyn received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio Arts degree at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston MA. 

Her primary focus as an undergraduate was Ceramics Figurative Sculpture. In 2012 she received her Post Baccalaureate in Graduate Studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia PA, where her exploration of drawing led her to her current body of work.

Gwendolyn’s art has been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Lawrence Eagle Tribune, and at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts during the 2008 NCECA Confluence Conference. 

She has shown her work at the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, Katherine Weems Gallery in Boston, and other galleries across the East Coast. Gwendolyn is currently a Working Artist Member and instructor at ArtFusion.

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center located at 254 E. High St. in downtown Pottstown. The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. 

The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.

The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Supply Side Education

October 24, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Science, Ethics and Religion at The Hill Nov. 8

≪ Previous: 'MythConceptions' Is ArtFusion's Next Show

$

0

0

Photo by John Armato Dr. Niraj Patel and Lincoln Elementary Principal Calista Boyer with some of the supplies provided by Patel.

Blogger's Note:The following was provided by the Pottstown School District.

Dr. Niraj Patel of the Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Pottstown has the prescription to ensure that students at Lincoln Elementary School have a good start to their year. 

Recently, Dr. Patel visited Lincoln Elementary School to drop off a donation of students’ school supplies of notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, backpacks, folders, and other needed materials. 

Just in case you were not sure which school these students attend...

The presentation of supplies was made to Calista Boyer, Lincoln Principal, and several student representatives. The school library was the setting for the presentation with many of the items being put on display covering several tables.

Dr. Patel said, “I am pleased to be able to help provide children in our community with the basic school supplies that they need that will help them on their path to a successful, adult life.”

Dr. Patel is no stranger to community involvement. For over ten years, he has sponsored school supply drives for the students of the Pottstown School District.

Boyer, said, “Dr. Patel and the Chiropractic Wellness Center have shown their commitment to our community and their desire to play a role in helping to prepare our young people to become successful adults. These supplies will be used to help our students build their educational future.”

John Armato, Director of Community Relations, said, “The Pottstown School District is fortunate to have developed a partnership with members of our community such as Dr. Patel who are dedicated to the mission of helping young people succeed.”

Science, Ethics and Religion at The Hill Nov. 8

October 25, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Teachers Give Halloween Treats for Hungry Minds

≪ Previous: Supply Side Education

$

0

0

Jennifer Wiseman

Jennifer J. Wiseman, Ph.D., Director of the American Academy for the Advancment of Science Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion, will give a free public lecture on “Our Amazing, Inspiring Universe” at The Hill School’s Center For The Arts, 860 Beech Street, at 4 p.m on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Dr. Wiseman, who discovered Comet Wiseman-Skiff in 1987, is Senior Project Scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. 

She studies star-forming regions of our galaxy using radio, optical, and infrared telescopes.

Educated at MIT and Harvard, she did further research at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Wiseman also has an interest in public science policy and has served as a Congressional Science
Fellow of the American Physical Society, working with the staff of the Science Committee of the
U.S. House of Representatives. 

Dr. Wiseman is a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, a network of Christians in Science. 

She enjoys giving talks to churches, schools, and campus groups on the excitement of astronomy and scientific discovery. 

Dr. Wiseman will join the Rev. Dr. Carter Lester for the sermon at 10:30 a.m. worship Sunday morning at First Presbyterian Church, 750 N Evans St., and will give a lecture on Monday to The Hill School students and faculty. 

Her visit to Pottstown is co-sponsored by First Presbyterian and the Warner Program Fund of The Hill’s Alumni Chapel.

Teachers Give Halloween Treats for Hungry Minds

October 26, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Getting Ahead of the Curve on Pottsgrove Project?

≪ Previous: Science, Ethics and Religion at The Hill Nov. 8

$

0

0

Members of the Federation of Pottstown Teachers sort books this summer in the Pottstown High School auto shop that were delivered through the First Book organization.

Blogger's Note:The following was provided by Federation of Pottstown Teachers. 

There’s nothing scary about Federation of Pottstown Teachers’ Halloween plan to distribute free books to students at the annual Pottstown Halloween Parade on Oct. 28 and at the Pottstown High School Homecoming Game, which is on Halloween night this year, Oct. 31.

FPT, the union representing 240 teachers in Pottstown public schools, partnered with the First Book organization to give 16,000, brand new, high-quality books to students this fall. Every student in the district already received a free book to take home at back-to-school night.

“We thought it would be a spook-tacular idea to give away books instead of candy this year at the

Federation of Pottstown Teachers President Beth Yoder picking up some of the books that will be distributed this week.

Pottstown Halloween Parade to continue our efforts to expand our students’ access to books in their homes,” said Federation President Beth Yoder, who teaches art at the high school. “We’ve given away almost 5,000 books already, and children and parents are thrilled to have brand-new books to read at home.”

“We know there’s probably not a ghost of a chance that children will just sit down on High Street and read right there on the spot, but after the parade, when parents are trying to settle their kids down, having a great new book to read together will be a real treat,” said Lindi Vollmuth, Vice President of the teachers’ union.

The annual Halloween Parade is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 28 with a rain date of Oct. 29. Federation members will be wearing their bright green union T-shirts and hauling wagons loaded with books to distribute to children at the annual Halloween Parade and costume contest, which crawls its way up High Street to the Borough Hall.

Two days later, teachers will join the festivities at Homecoming at Pottstown High School at 1 p.m. on Halloween with another batch of books to give to students and their families. There will even be books for the parents this time around.

“There are few things as important to us as encouraging our students to become lifelong learners and avid readers,” said Pat DeWald, a special education teacher at the Pottstown middle school.

Yoder added “Pottstown teachers are committed to getting the tools and resources we need to help our students succeed. That is our union’s mission, and this First Book partnership fits it perfectly”.

Getting Ahead of the Curve on Pottsgrove Project?

October 27, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: New New Hanover Traffic on Planners' Minds

≪ Previous: Teachers Give Halloween Treats for Hungry Minds

$

0

0

So yeah, I know this picture of last night's moon has little-to-nothing to do with the Pottsgrove School Board meeting I attended, but it's almost Halloween, and I just couldn't resist leading with it.

Tuesday night's meeting was swift.

Proably the most important thing was the fact that the administration is considering moving forward with some classroom renovations ahead of schedule this winter in the hopes of having more flexibility next summer to avoid the delayed opening the school had this year.

No doubt, the teachers will appreciate packing up their rooms and moving on short notice, but the decision has not yet been made.

Board member Rick Rabinowitz also expressed some concern about how the new 10-point grading scale (and the many other things that came along with it) are causing concern for parents and teachers.

Here are the Tweets from the meeting:

New New Hanover Traffic on Planners' Minds

October 28, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Happy Halloween Parade Pottstown

≪ Previous: Getting Ahead of the Curve on Pottsgrove Project?

$

0

0

No. This is NOT the traffic prediction for Swamp Pike. Yet.

No one likes traffic.

But the recent revelation that a sprawling residential, commercial and office project planned in New Hanover could increase traffic on Swamp Pike by 50 percent has put the subject on the front burner.

Wednesday night, the Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Committee took up the subject.

Crystal Gilchrist, Montgomery County's Principal Multimodal Transportation Planner, was on hand to answer questions and she explained that the project is not as far along in the process as developers made it seem last week when they reviewed the project for supervisors in neighboring Douglass (Mont.) Township.

This drawing shows that the proposed New Hanover Center project stretches along Route 72 from Route 663 to Township Line Road.

As the discussion continued, the planner realized they could provide more information beyond the limited area the developers might be required to study.

For example, although the traffic impacts of Route 73 through Gilbertsville, where homes close to the
street make expanding the road difficult or not impossible, is likely to be extreme, current statutes do not require the traffic study by the developers include an area so far away in another township.

This even though many of those drivers will be trying to get through Gilbertsville to get to Route 100.

"But there's nothing that prevents you from doing one," Montgomery County Planner John Cover pointed out. And so, with the adoption of their budget, they may do just that.

For more, look for our story in The Mercury in the next day or so.

In the meantime, here are the Tweets from the meeting.

Happy Halloween Parade Pottstown

October 29, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Wizards Bring Magic to Pottsgrove Benefit Game Nov. 4, Discount Tickets End Monday

≪ Previous: New New Hanover Traffic on Planners' Minds

$

0

0

Photo by Evan Brandt

The weather was perfect.

The floats were unique.

The bands were in costume.

Candy was flying, but then so were free book -- 5,000 of them to be exact.

New to this year's Pottstown Halloween Parade was a truck loaded down with free books being given out by the Pottstown Federation of Teachers.

Photo by Donna Bernstiel Ecker Pottstown High School Marching Band members, or a gathering of professional assassins? You decide.

In fact they gave away so many, they were empty-handed by the time they reached the intersection of High and Hanover.

If you were hoping to get one, you'll get another chance tomorrow at the Pottstown High School Homecoming game, were books will be handed out by the teachers for both children and adults.

In the meantime, here is a little video from the parade:




And now that you've had your video fun, here are the Tweets from the parade:

---

Wizards Bring Magic to Pottsgrove Benefit Game Nov. 4, Discount Tickets End Monday

October 30, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Technically, It's a Turkey Dinner at Western Center

≪ Previous: Happy Halloween Parade Pottstown

$

0

0

Time is running out to buy your discounted tickets for the BIG GAME at Pottsgrove High School.

The Harlem Wizards, who wowed crowds at Pottstown High School earlier this year, are back.

And like in Pottstown, they are in Pottsgrove to help raise money for the Pottsgrove Education Foundation.

The foundation is a non-profit organization that provides supplemental funding to pay for extras the taxpayers cannot afford.

The game is on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Doors open at 6 p.m.

The Wizards will be playing staff and other notables from Pottsgrove School District, including school board member John Rossi, who will no doubt be a little bleary from staying up late to get election results from the night before.

But if you want to save some money, you have to buy your tickets now.

Advance sales for tickets -- and the $5 savings -- close on Monday.

After that, you will have to pay $15 at the door.

The game will be played in the high school's spanking new gymnasium, so here's your chance to check it out and raise money for the school district at the same time.

Technically, It's a Turkey Dinner at Western Center

October 31, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Five PHS Grads Inducted into Sports Hall of Fame

≪ Previous: Wizards Bring Magic to Pottsgrove Benefit Game Nov. 4, Discount Tickets End Monday

$

0

0

The Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center wants to show off the skills of its culinary students.

And they're doing it with a turkey dinner.

Held Monday evening, from 4:39 to 7 p.m. at the school, 77 Graterford Road in Limerick, the cost is only $12 for adults and $8 for children younger than 12.

As you can see, the menu is the kind that would make a Pilgrim proud.

Call 610-489-7272 Ext. 106 to make reservations.

The students who will be making the food hail from Pottsgrove, Spring-Ford and Upper Perkiomen school districts.

Five PHS Grads Inducted into Sports Hall of Fame

November 1, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Over the Hill and Through the Woods to Gilbertsville

≪ Previous: Technically, It's a Turkey Dinner at Western Center

$

0

0

Photo by John Armato From left, Carroll “Mush” Bechtel III , Howard Brown , Brent Voynar, and Ron Reinhart

Blogger's Note:The following was provided by John Armato, director of community relations for the Pottstown School Ditrict.

On Saturday five Pottstown High School graduates were inducted into the Tri County Sports Hall of Fame.

They are Carroll “Mush” Bechtel III, Howard Brown, Brent Voynar, Ron Reinhart and Claude "Deacon Reinhart.

Decaon Reinhart, Ron's father, has passed away. But this may be the first time in the 38-year history of the hall of fame the father and son have been inducted in the same year.

They have distinguished themselves not only in sports but in their professional lives and give us more reason to say proud to be from Pottstown.

• Ron Reinhart– During his four years of high school, Reinhart earned 10 varsity letters. From 1978-1982 he was a starter in both football and baseball. He also lettered two years in wrestling. He was the Male Athlete of the Year and the Tri County Male Athlete his senior year at Pottstown High School. He was a four year starter as a catcher in baseball and co-captain his senior season. He medaled twice in Sectionals in wrestling. He started on both the offensive and defensive lines in football, where he was named the ChesMont League 2-Way Player of the Year. He made numerous All-League teams from the Pottstown/Philadelphia area. He then started as an offensive guard on the undefeated team at Fork Union Military Academy before attending Shippensburg. He started on the defensive line four years, was the Defensive Player of the Week two times, Defensive Player of the Year, and named All-PSAC two times while at Shippensburg.

• Carroll “Mush” Bechtel III – “Mush” was a well-rounded athlete from Pottstown. He is best known as a hard-hitting football player for the Trojans. He started three years making All-ChesMont two times as a linebacker and fullback. He played on the legendary 1961 team. He also played basketball two years, and baseball three years. He also swam in the winter and summer. He then went to Colgate and played football for four years. He was named ECAC Weekly All-Star three times during his football career. After graduation from Colgate he went into coaching. He coached various sports at various levels. After his coaching days, he turned to officiating for swimming and baseball. He stayed active in the area doing radio and writing sports articles as well.

• Howard Brown– Brown is one of the most honored basketball players ever of the TriCounty area. He scored over 1,700 points and is secnd all-time in Pottstown basketball history. He led his team to four straight PAC-10 championships, three District I championships, two Eastern Conference championships, and the only State championship in Pottstown High School history (1993). He was named the Gatorade PA State Player of the Year, Mercury Player of the Year, and All PAC-10 several times. Brown went to Villanova where he played in the NCAA Tournament three times, and won the Big East championship in 1997. He scored more than 1,100 points in college and was known for his “all round” game. He is still ranked in the top 25 in many categories at Villanova University such as steals, assists, and rebounding. He was named Villanova’s Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1997. He then played professionally for 13 years in Spain and other European countries, where he averaged over 20 points per game three times.

• Claude “Deacon” Reinhart – Reinhart was widely considered one of the best athletes in the Pottstown area in the 1940s. He earned nine varsity letters at Pottstown High School, including three in basketball where he set a scoring record of 25 points in one game. He played first base and captained his senior year in baseball where he earned three varsity letters. He is best known as a football star where he played on the legendary 1946 team with Dave Detar among others that went 8-1. He was the first two time co-captain at PHS, and made numerous All-Star teams, including Philadelphia Area All-Scholastic, and honorable Mention All-State. He accepted a full scholarship to the University of South Carolina, but left early to come home with his family. He then played professional football with the Bethlehem Bulldogs in the American Football League.

• Brent Voynar– Voynar starred in baseball and football while at Pottstown High School. He excelled as a middle infielder making secnd Team All PAC-10. He played in the Carpenter Cup and was an All-Star with the Pottstown Steelers in legion ball. He quarterbacked the Trojans to a Co-PAC-10 championship in football and was named PAC-10 Player of the Year, Mercury Player of the Year, and 1st All PAC-10 QB. He then moved on to East Stroudsburg to play safety. He was named co-captain during his college career, and also made All-PSAC as a safety, ECAC Division II All-East safety two times. He served as a Graduate Assistant at ESU for two years when he picked up both an undergrad degree and a Masters degree.

Over the Hill and Through the Woods to Gilbertsville

November 2, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: How Well Do You Really Know John Potts?

≪ Previous: Five PHS Grads Inducted into Sports Hall of Fame

$

0

0

So Douglass (Mont.) supervisors was not the meeting I meant to cover Monday night, but it is the meeting that I covered.

Because Douglass Township Manager Peter Hiryak has added me to his e-mail list, I received a copy of the agenda for last night's meeting in my in-box Monday.

It looked like pretty routine stuff, so I figured I had better go to Lower Pottsgrove Township Commissioners Monday night because, well, I didn't know what would happen, because the agendas are not posted, or sent out, to my knowledge.

So I went, early for a change, and found out that there was no Lower Pottsgrove meeting.

A friendly notice was posted on the front door for those clueless souls who believed the information posted on the web site about when the next meeting would be.

For those interested, the Lower Pottsgrove Commissioners have re-scheduled their meeting to Thursday night.

So look for my Tweets then if you're not planning on going yourself.

Knowing I had a few minutes, I headed off at completely legal speeds to get to the Douglass (Mont.) Supervisors meeting, arrived five minutes late (which was pretty good time if I do say so myself) and discovered they were already one-third of the way through their meeting.

Here are the Tweets from the Douglass meeting (after my visit to Lower Pottsgrove that is):

How Well Do You Really Know John Potts?

November 3, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Is a Tax Hike Coming to Pottstown in 2016?

≪ Previous: Over the Hill and Through the Woods to Gilbertsville

$

0

0

If you live in Pottstown, or any of the three Pottsgroves, you see or say his name 10 times a day.

But what do you know about the man, and the family, that gave this part of Pennsylvania its name? Chances are, not very much. 

Did you know he was one of America's first tycoons? Did you know he had 13 children, one of whom was a British loyalist?

This Saturday is your chance to change all that and get to know more about the man and is family.

On Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m., Pottsgrove Manor will host a lecture by historian Dan Graham entitled, “The Potts Legacy.”

An expert on the early Pennsylvania iron industry and a genaeoligist of the Potts and Rutter families, Graham has done extensive research into the development of the region. 

In this program, Graham will talk about Pottstown’s founder, John Potts, his descendants, and the impact they had on the shaping of early Pottstown and the surrounding areas.

The talk serves as the closing event for the site’s current exhibit, “Pride of Place: The Local Legacy of the Potts Family,” which runs through Nov. 8. 

The exhibit can be viewed on a guided tour of the manor house during regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.. 

oTurs are given on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3 p.m. 

The site is closed Mondays and major holidays. Groups of ten or more should preregister by calling 610-326-4014.

Pottsgrove Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown. 

Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. 

For more information, call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. 

Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.