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Someone Should Do Something...

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We're all busy, I get it.

And I will be the first to admit that were I not being paid to be there, I don't think I would willingly spend so many of my evenings at Pottstown School Board meetings, as nice as the people are there.

But I also don't want to spend my days living in a down that slowly disintegrates, helped along by our collective disinterest in helping.

This evening there are any number of opportunities to get involved in making this community something other than a place you put down on Facebook.

You can check out The Hill School's efforts at revitalization in the neighborhoods immediate adjacent to it by heading over to The Ricketts Center/Olivet Boys and Girls Club at 6 p.m.

There, the plans for making those 600 parcels a better place to live will be laid out, and your input, your ideas, are being sought.

Or, maybe you live a little west of there and need some help fixing up your house.

Then maybe the Rock the Block meeting an hour later at Victory Christian Life
The Walnut Street house being rehabbed by
Habitat for Humanity.
Center at the corner of King and North Washington streets is for you.

There, volunteers from a broad spectrum of community organizations will begin identifying properties in the 300 and 400 blocks of Chestnut, Walnut and Beech streets.

Those properties will be candidates for collective repairs, starting on April 15, as part of a program spear-headed by Habitat for Humanity.

At the same time, the Pottstown School Board will be sitting down in the cafeteria of Pottstown High School hoping to hear ideas from taxpayers about how keep taxes down.

The fact that they set themselves up to be shouted at by raising a $90,000
administrative re-organization plan at the prior meeting may be poor planning on their part, but it does not mean you shouldn't offer up your ideas anyway.

As a U.S. citizen, you of course have the right, some might say obligation, to speak to your elected representatives on any number of subjects in any number of forums. But no matter what you think about how your comments will be received, they will have a harder time ignoring you when they specifically asked you to come.

Yes they have a bit of work to do in the creating-an-environment-that-welcomes-input- department.

Last week Ron Williams complained that the public does not come to meetings to get involved.

It might just have something to do with the fact that visitors are only given three minutes to speak; they are told their questions will not be answered on the spot (they have to come back) and often enough, the information under discussion is not on the agenda in enough detail to make useful input possible.

Williams might as well have bemoaned "why won't anyone cross the lake of fire to be ignored by us."

Still, at least they're asking.

Three days later, the school board is asking again.

This time community input is sought in the search for a new superintendent.

Again at 7 p.;m. and again in the high school cafeteria, the results of the on-line community survey about what is important to you in the leader of the largest taxing entity on your tax bill will be revealed.

Then you will be asked to give your opinion. Don't skip the meeting and then complain about the choice they make

Pottstown has big problems folks and they won't all be solved next week.

So also, please don't make the mistake of thinking you can show up once, drop some wisdom those folks on the other side of the table, and walk away having solved the problem they're too dumb to figure out.

The only thing that will be effective, and remember there is no guarantee it will be effective, is consistent, steady application of new ideas to old problems; ideas which should be abandoned if they are proven not to work, and embraced if they do work, even a little, because its unlikely there is one big change that will solve everything.

Consider just this conundrum: There are currently more property assessment challenges being filed in Pottstown than in any other municipality in Montgomery County.

Each successful challenge raises your tax bill that much more and erodes a little bit more of our collective tax base. The only thing that makes those challenges unsuccessful is rising real estate values.

And in case you missed it, I suggest you click here and check out the list of the borough's top employers that School Board member Tom Hylton recently published in The Mercury.

When your two local governments -- school district and borough -- are on the list of top 25 employers, along with other non-profit organizations and places like Wal-Mart, you have en economic sustainability problem.

When the Golden Gate Bridge was fabricated at Pottstown's Bethlehem Steel plant, that was money into town from outside. People in California were putting food on Pottstown tables.

When your top employers work for public institutions, its your own money going around in circles. And, when those employees live outside the borough, its your own money headed out, not outside money headed in.

Bethlehm Steel is not coming back.

So we're going to have to turn our adoring gaze from a glorious past and squint
ahead into a hazy and uncertain future for the jobs that are to come.

Council President Dan Weand has made 100 new jobs with salaries that can support a family as his goal for 2016. That is an excellent start.

Do you have an idea how to make that happen? Better yet, is there something you can do to make that happen? If so, have you called Dan?

Here is something you can do and stay in your arm chair for a few more moments.

Fill out the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CXGZNY8

This is the one that will help a company that wants to bring high-speed fiber Internet through Pottstown assess how many customers it might find there.

That's outside money in folks.

And, if we can convince them to come here by FILLING OUT THE SURVEY it has the potential to be a selling point to high-tech start-ups that are looking for cheap real estate, a livable community, with super high-speed connections.

Again, outside money in.

Pottstown is not suffering from a shortage of armchair activism.

When I made the point on The Mercury's Facebook page that people should accept their school board's invitation to offer input and go to the meeting rather than Sound Off or post on Facebook, someone responded that public officials should be open to and seeking input from any source.

And while that is most certainly true, to a point, it is also true that if you truly believe your input to be valuable, go to the extra effort to offer it in the forum those officials have specifically set up to receive it to ensure it has the best chance of being adopted.

I was struck Sunday while looking at The Mercury's Facebook page not so much old Gruber Mansion in North Coventry will be town down, that was to be expected, but by the near uniform nature of their response.
by how many people responded to the news that the

"Someone should have ...."

"They should be ashamed ..."

"Why didn't the historical society do something?...."

"That shouldn't be allowed to happen ....."

And I found myself asking, "what did YOU do to stop it? What did YOU do to help?"

Not one commenter that I saw said "hey folks, lets try to get together to see what we can do to save this historic building...."

"What are you prepared to do?"
I have tried to embed in my life a line from an otherwise mediocre movie, "The Untouchables," that Sean Connery's dying character repeats again to Elliott Ness ... "what are you prepared to do?"

The point being that Ness should not despair as the situation begins to escalate and spin out of control, but rather ask himself whether he is willing to do what is necessary to face it, face it and overcome it.

Going to a meeting doesn't sound like too much to ask of us.

Remember what Margaret Mead said:
 “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
No one is going to swoop in and fix Pottstown for us folks.

It's time to start asking ourselves what we're prepared to do.


A Teacher Walk-Out in Pottstown .. Sort Of

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Photos by Evan Brandt

OK. so yes, I'm overusing the panorama function on the iPhone since I discovered it. S sue me. Anyway, here are the Federation of Pottstown Teacher members in their inescapable green shirts before Monday's Pottstown School Board meeting.

So loyal readers of my blog, as I know you all are, you know that last night was kind of a harmonic convergence of community meetings.

Twila Fisher addresses the Hobart's Run meeting
At 6 p.m., The Hill School's Hobart's Run neighborhood revitalization effort had its kick off meeting at The Ricketts Center.

I was there for about 45 minutes of it.

Then I had to pull-up stakes and head over to the school board meeting at 7 p.m.

That means I was not able to cover the "Rock the Block" meeting which occurred at 7 p.m. at the Victory Christian Life Center.

Anemic staff levels that we have at The Mercury, no one else was available to cover that, so I'll have to catch up later.

But you're probably wondering about that headline.

Well, before I explain it to you let me amaze you with the fact that my passionate and marginally sarcastic plea in yesterday's post urging people to get involved had mixed results.

More than 50 people attended the Hobart's Run meeting and it was standing room only. I'm not saying I take credit for it, but there it is.

But at the school board meeting, where the public was invited to offer suggestions for cutting costs, not one person showed up, signed up or offered a single suggestion.

Who did show up, was a boat-load of Pottstown teachers, more than three dozen I would estimate.

But they didn't stay long.

They were there, in all likelihood, to protest the $90,000 administrative re-organization plan revealed to the full school board Thursday and featured in a previous blog post and in Sunday's Mercury.

But when Superintendent Jeff Sparagana said Thursday's discussion had convinced him to pull if off the table and bring it back to the March 2 Personnel Committee meeting (7 p.m. in the district administrative building on Beech Street), there wasn't much to protest.

That is until School Board Member Kurt Heidel began reading from a prepared statement made somewhat moot by the removal of the item in question.

But he pressed on and, it soon became apparent, the teachers didn't much care for what they heard, so they all left.

Together.

All at once.

While Heidel kept talking.

Here's the video:



Afterward, I asked Heidel for a copy of his comments, but he declined to provide them. I only caught some of it.

Then the meeting continued, but not for very much longer as the main event had been pulled from the stage.

So here are the Tweets, and look for a variety of follow-up articles shortly in your hometown newspaper, The Mercury:

Some New Ideas on Tax Breaks

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Photo by Evan Brandt
Pottstown Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana began the joint school board borough council meeting Tuesday with a shameless plug (which we are totally falling for) for The Wiz, Pottstown's first full-district musical in seven years, being staged on March 4, 5 and 6 at Pottstown High School.

Against all odds, the joint meeting of Pottstown Borough Council and Pottstown School Board Tuesday turned out to be fairly interesting and to contain one or two novel ideas.

Yes people, it can happen.

Hat's are off to school board member Polly Weand who, apparently after reading how some other communities have approached the LERTA tax break question, made some interesting suggestions.

For the uninitiated, LERTA stands for Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance.

And the question of whether to enact one in Pottstown has been held up by the school board for months.

That log-jam seemed to break Tuesday when Weand suggested that in addition to giving people a sliding scale tax break on the assessed value of their property improvements over time, that they raise the stakes for those who commit to hiring local people.

She also suggested, and council and the school board ultimately agreed, to forming a joint committee to quickly (emphasis on quickly) come up with other incentives that might move Pottstown in the right direction and which could be written into the LERTA statute.

Ideas include a "threshold investment" to qualify, shortening the length of time the tax abatement is in place and breaks for residential properties that are purchased or occupied by teachers and first-responders.

The committee of four was appointed and hopes to finish its suggestions in as little as two month's time.

Also discussed were the Pottstown In Focus film festival, the tourism and recreation district, Pottstown's sustainability plan and plans to teach school children more walking and biking safety.

Without further ado, here are the Tweets and links:

Expanding New Hanover Project Traffic Study?

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Wednesday night's meeting of the Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Committee was mercifully brief.

The agenda was light and probably the most interesting thing about it was talk of traffic.

As many have read here and in The Mercury, a proposal in New Hanover to build offices, retail and a new supermarket, along with 760 homes on 208 acres up against the Douglass (Mont.) township line has caught the attention of many.

The potential to increase traffic on Swamp Pike, Route 663 and Philadelphia Avenue has caused much concern.

It has generated initial estimates of increases in traffic by more than 5,000 vehicles per day, a 50 percent increase.

Wednesday night, Montgomery County Chief of Community Planning John Cover suggested that a $60,000 traffic study Douglass has plans to undertake for its Act 209 traffic impact fee could be expanded, and thus paid for with grants.

It might also get some road improvement projects outside the legal requirements imposed on the development funded by PennDOT.

Here are the Tweets and relevant links.

With or Without You

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With all the carping on social media and elsewhere, one might think that all those who know best; those who "fight when you're right;" who call in to Sound off as "one who knows," and the legion of other Facebook know-it-alls, would have flocked to a meeting last night held specifically to hear what qualities and skills people think a new schools superintendent should have.

One would be wrong.

The only person in the room for the meeting Thursday night who was not a member of the school board, a member of the teachers union, a member of the administration or a reporter, was the wife of a school board member and a former school board member.
The people who will recommend your new superintendent:
From left, Bradley Landis, Tina Viletto, John George.

I have to give the school board credit.

Criticized (here and in other places) for not being open enough with the public, they not only allowed people to post from their posteriors (with on-line survey), but also set up a special meeting to let the public have their say.

In fact, John George, the Superintendent of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, which is conducting the search, made a point of saying "the board wanted to make sure the public had an opportunity to have a say."

It's not hard for a cynic to guess what happened.

Offered the opportunity to have a meaningful discussion on a position that will oversee a budget responsible for two-thirds of their tax bill and guide the programs which will shape their children's future, Pottstownians punted.

My money is on "It wouldn't make any difference anyway," as the most often used rationalization for taking no part when it matters.

But by all means, lecture us all next week or next year in easily mustered righteous indignation when something happens you don't like.

Just remember, you had the chance to have a say and you blew it off.

Here are the Tweets about how the next schools superintendent will be chosen, with or without you.

Colonial Consumerism at Pottsgrove Manor

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Blogger's Note:The following was provided by Pottsgrove Manor.

Visit historic Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday, March 5 at 1 p.m. for a historical talk to open the site’s new exhibit, “Potts and Family: Colonial Consumers,” which is set to run through Nov. 6.

At 1 p.m., Elizabeth Jones-Minsinger, a PhD candidate at the University of Delaware History Department’s
American Civilization Program, will present “Uncovering Women’s Work: Household Consumption and Production in the Mid Atlantic, 1750-1815.”

This lecture will focus on how women in Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania engaged in economic activity — especially the business of shopping — during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

After the lecture, visitors can take a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor and the new exhibit.

Drawing from an extant 1751-1754 Potts ledger, the “Potts and Family: Colonial Consumers” exhibit explores how the Potts family interacted with their world through commerce.

Far from being a self-sufficient, isolated plantation, the residents of Pottsgrove Manor were extensively connected to the bustling port city of Philadelphia.

The purchases of foodstuffs, clothing and fabric, school tuition, and the services of laborers that are detailed in the ledger provide fascinating insight into the consumer culture of early Pennsylvania.

There is a suggested donation of $2 per person for the lecture and tour.
Visitors can also take a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor and the “Colonial Consumers” exhibit during
regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.
A Potts family ledge from 1751 to 1754


Tours begin on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3 p.m.

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 www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

Experiments in Jazz at Boyertown High School

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So I saw this bear in one of seemingly 100
lobbies at Boyertown Area Senior High School.
He was a little dusty, no doubt due to the
construction project there,
so I named him 'Dusty.'
So it wasn't the music that was experimental last night, it was my video technique.

I recorded the first couple of performances at the Jazz at B-Town affair as I always do, on the iPhone.

And I have always regretted that the phone does not have the capacity to record all the performances.

I try to restrict myself to those in The Mercury coverage area.

Also, since uploading to YouTube takes a ton of time, I would not sleep after a performance even if I could record them all.

But after I got the Boyertown Elementary Jazz Band (yes, both performances) and Pottstown High School, it occurred to me to use the live-video streaming app called Periscope.

So I did one and although I did not save it to my phone, I found that if you click the link on the Storify down below, you can still see a video and audio of the band.
The Boyertown Elementary Jazz Band
entertained us during intermission.

It took me a few turns to get the hang of it and (sorry Mr. Langdon), I failed to save one of the Boyertown performances and one of them is sideways, because I wanted to see if YouTube would fix it. It didn't.

But we're learning, we're learning.

The upside of using Periscope is, people who can't make the show can watch it live and because the video is lower quality, it uploads to YouTube super quick.

The downside is the video is not so hot. But since you go to a Jazz band
Pottstown High School Jazz Band was the only local
band competing Saturday. As hosts, Boyertown played
in exhibition only.
performance mostly to hear the music, that should be OK.

Let me know what you think about the lower quality video, but perfectly adequate audio.

I did not make it to the first half of the event, which featured performances by Pottstown, Spring-ford and Pottsgrove middle school jazz bands. I do not know the results of those. If anyone does, send them along to me and I will update this post.

Now for the high school jazz band results:
Time for the awards!
North Penn received an "Outstanding rating; Easton a "Superior;" Quakertown's HJoe's Jazz Cafe received an "Outstanding;" Pottstown received an "Outstanding;" Quakertown received a "Superior" and North Penn Navy Jazz
Pottstown's Chloe Francis with her
soloist award.
Band also received a "Superior."

Best Trumpet Section: Quakertown;
Best Trombone Section: North Penn;
Best Woodwind Section: North Penn;
Best Rhythm Section: Quakertown.

Unfortunately, the program at Jazz at B-Town does not list the songs or the soloists, or even the songs frankly, so I would only be guessing if I tried to name who won the soloist awards from the other schools.

But I certainly know how to spell the name Chloe Francis, a senior trumpet player who received a soloist award.

The evening wound up with a four-song performance by the Sounds of Sunnybrook Dance Band that was, as always, awesome and featured a solo by Boyertown Band Director Brian Langdon.

Those videos are down below as well.

That's the scoop as I know it at 1 a.m.

Anyway, here are the Tweets and video. Again, like last time, I embedded the performances I loaded up to YouTube in Storify, because it makes it easier.



'The Wiz' Opens Friday at Pottstown High School

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Advance tickets are $7.
$9 at the door.
Blogger's Note:The following was provided by the Pottstown School District: 

The Pottstown School District will present its all-district musical in seven years, 'The Wiz,' at Pottstown High School’s Davenport Auditorium on Friday March 4th, Saturday March 5th at 7 p.m. and Sunday March 6th at 2 p.m.

Nicholas Parson in his full 'Scarecrow'
make-up and costume.
Christopher Sperat, the director of the production and pre-kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, along with a committee of dedicated teachers and administrators, spearheaded the revival of the musical last year with the district's first performance in six years.

"Presenting 'Grease' last year was simply a remarkable experience," said Sperat. "At our end of the year all-district meeting, Dr. Sparagana announced that the musical was back and it was alive and well in Pottstown."

"For me, that was the ultimate validation of the work that the entire production team accomplished with the students," Sperat said.

"Truly, Pottstown's finest were featured on that stage last year. Because of that, we are so excited to see our program grow into an all-district musical this year," said Sperat.

Seth Thomas has his hair turned green 

for his role as The Wiz
" By featuring the elementary and middle school students right next to our high school students, we are witnessing the future of this program live and on stage right before our eyes," he said. "How fantastic is that?"

With the massive success of 'Grease,' the production team decided to return to Pottstown’s tradition and make this year’s musical, The Wiz, an all-district-musical involving students in grades 4-12 as well as teachers and staff. 

Bob Decker, this year’s stage manager is elated. “Last year’s production exceeded our expectations in all areas. We had fantastic talent from dedicated students and staff. The result was a fantastic experience for both the students and the audience." 

"This year, 'The Wiz' will blow the audience away. This production is HUGE," said Decker.

Here is some video I shot for a story The Mercury ran last month on the production:




Superintendent Jeff Sparagana REALLY wants you to see The Wiz.
"We have a cast that is four times larger than last year. The set, scenery, and music are going to be outstanding," Decker said. "Our audiences are going to be in for a fantastic musical adventure with Dorothy and her friends the first weekend of March. Come join us.”

Mardaije Pearson, who will bring life to the lead role of Dorothy in this year’s production can’t wait to take the stage on opening night. “I am very excited to work with all of my wonderful cast mates and to be able to provide fun and entertainment for my community.”

For more information, including purchasing tickets in advance through PayPal, visit our district web page at www.pottstownschools.org/thewiz.aspx . All tickets are general admission and will be sold for $7 in advance and for $9 at the door on the day of the show.

Oz Magic Casts Spell on Foundation Fundraiser

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Photos Courtesy of John Armato

Scarecrow, Tin Man and Dorothy cut the rug during Wednesday night's final dress rehearsal.



Pottstown High School hosted two connected events Wednesday night.

Not only was it the final dress rehearsal for 'The Wiz' -- which opens Friday at 7 p.m., with another show Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. -- but the school also hosted a gala.

The Gala Dinner was put on by the Foundation for Pottstown Education to benefit the Pottstown Promise Early College program.

During the event, the Montgomery County Community College Foundation's commitment too the initiative was recognized.


It has paved the way for 28 students who are currently benefiting from the program, some of whom shared their experiences.


The Foundation for Pottstown Education hopes to raise enough money to have 40 students completed or enrolled in the early college program by the end of the next school year.



Food was provided by Bause Catering. 
The foundation's promise program allows Pottstown High School students to take classes at Montgomery County Community College for college credit.

Students who enroll can have their first year of college under their belt when they graduate from high school if they successfully complete the program.

Those who attended the dinner helped to raise money for widening the program and also got to see the full dress rehearsal for 'The Wiz.'

Here is a video I made Thursday of the performance for the elementary-age students:



Special Yard Waste Collection March 9 in Pottstown

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Pottstown collects yard waste in brown leaf bags, a separate can with the lid off, or bundled with twine.









Due, no doubt, to the wet and windy season we're undergoing, the Borough of Pottstown has announced it will hold a special yard waste collection day on Wednesday, March 9.

The normal collection schedule will resume the first Wednesday of April, and will continue weekly each Wednesday, April 6 through Dec. 21. 

Remember, yard material does not go in a red or blue tote. 

A pile of branches like this will NOT be picked up by the borough.
It must be put in brown paper leaf bags, a separate can with the lid off, or be bundled with twine or rope (no metal) approximately 3-4 feet in length. 

Tree limbs must be no bigger than 5 inches in diameter. 

Yard material put out in plastic bags will not be taken. 

No grass clippings will be picked up. 

Place all yard material at the same location you place your trash and recycle containers for pick-up.

Rotary Club to Host Business-to-Business Mixer At Manatawny Still Works March 16

When is a Smoking House Not on Fire?

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Photo by Shawn Leightcap
Pottstown firefighters practice ladder work and cutting holes in a roof to vent a fire. The former Fecera's Furniture Warehouse across Beech Street, which will benefit from having additional parking now that the building they are standing on has been torn down, is visible in the background.


Reporters, like most other people, have bucket lists.

Photo by Shawn Leightcap
This may look like a common house fire, but its training.
But they are probably different than most other bucket lists in that they invariably begin with "I want to report on ..."

I got to cross one off my list Friday evening when, on a whim (and on my way to Manatawny Still Works) I decided to stop by the buildings in the 100 block of North Evans Street that were scheduled to be torn down to make additional parking for the Fecera's renovation project.

(You can read more about that in this Sunday story in The Mercury.)

I knew that Mercury photo stalwart John Strickler was shooting the gala opening of Gatsby's at the Sunnybrook Ballroom that night and probably would not be able to make it to the fire training I had found out the day before was occurring inside the condemned buildings.
Photo by Shawn Leightcap
Practice for rescuing a downed firefighter.

As I approached the scene, between Walnut and Beech streets, it looked like a live fire scene and so I went into spot news mode, shooting photos from outside the perimeter so as not to get underfoot of the firefighters.

But then Andrew Gilliano, the Fire Training Captain for the North End Fire Company, whom I had interviewed by phone earlier. came out past the fence and invited me inside the fence. After all, it's not like anything was actually on fire.

The advantages of training at the Montgomery County Fire Training Facility in Conshohocken, he said, is exposure to real fire, real smoke and toxic fumes .... if you can call those advantages.
Photo by Shawn Leightcap

But the advantages of training in a real home include the fact that the layout is not familiar.

That helps firefighters deal with unexpected floor plans and other unexpected factors.

Also, they get to bust things up.

So, as can be seen in the below video, shared with me by firefighter Shawn Leightcap, they were able to take a chainsaw to the walls, to practice a particular kind of rescue procedure called "exterior wall breach."



Photo by Shawn Leightcap
They also tore down ceilings, broke windows and even cut holes in the roof.

After all, the building was about to be demolished, so why not do it for real and get a feel for it?

Volunteers from Sanatoga, West End, Empire, the Phillies, Goodwill, Ringing Hill and North End fire companies all got valuable practice.

They climbed ladders, ran hose, and conducted other drills over two nights.

They also conducted drills to search for a downed firefighter:



Now, to the bucket list item; once inside the fence line, I was invited into the building itself, to see what it would be like and take photos and video from there.

So former Mercury reporter Frank Otto, who I was meeting for drinks, would have to wait.

I texted him the selfie at left by way of explanation.

He understood, although he mildly expressed concern that I seemed to be on fire.

Once I got inside, and up the stairs, the thing which struck me the most, after I was assured that the smoke was non toxic and safe to breath (it even comes in fruit flavors if you like, apparently) is how hard it is to see inside a house that's on fire.

Photo by Evan Brandt
A North End firefighters makes his way up a ladder, through a small
window and into a smoky room. Who wouldn't want to do this?
Whenever you see a fire in the movies or on television, you can always see (I now realize miraculously) what's going on.

After all, who wants to watch a movie where you can't see anything?

But  when it comes to real life, or in this case, training for real life, sight is an almost useless sense.

What matters is sound and touch.

Can you hear anyone, or anything?

Is the floor solid?

Where are the walls? The doors?

And in these nearly sightless conditions, the firefighters have to do things like crawl along the floor looking for victims, try to find the door to close it and keep the fire at bay for a few more crucial minutes; and, if they find anyone, get them to the now invisible window, and try to get them out and down a ladder.

This video I made Saturday gives you some idea of what I'm talking about:


I'm grateful to Pottstown firefighters for giving me this insight into what they do, and thus allow me to share it with you dear reader.

Photo by Shawn Leightcap
"I would like to report on fire training from the inside ...." is now crossed off my bucket list.

Now, as to a technical matter.

I've shared a few of firefighter Shawn Leightcap's photos here, but he took nearly 100 during two days of training.

I winnowed that down to about 25 after he shared the link with me and put them into what I now officially declare to be a useless Google program called "Picasa."

What makes it useless is that both Picasa and this Blogger program I use to host The Digital Notebook, are both powered by Google.

But they don't talk to each other so I cannot embed the slide show. In fact, literally dozens of comments and video were found in a search by people just as frustrated as I was.
Photo by Shawn Leightcap

But I'm not bitter.

Much.

Just a bit amazed at how technology companies make a product people like, that works, then "improve" it, so that it no longer does.

Anyway, if you want to see all Shawn's photos, he posted them on Facebook here.

If you would like to see a few fewer, you can check out the slide show I made here.

Photo by Shawn Leightcap
A different kind of class photo.



Traffic, Grants, Bus Depots and Open Space

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Photo by Evan Brandt
Layout of the proposed 40-unit development of the 85-acre Donnelly tract, off Middle Creek Road and Congo Road in Douglass (Mont.) Township.


Traffic, developments that can generate traffic, bus depots that could generate traffic and grants to study and deal with traffic all were the primary topics of discussion at Monday night's Douglass (Mont.) Supervisors meeting.

Montgomery County planner Maggie Dobbs outlined a broad array of grants for which the township could apply, one of which could help improve Route 73, but not in terms of accommodating the increased traffic threatened from a giant, 208-acre, 760-home proposal in neighboring New Hanover.

A grant program administered  by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission could probably not be used to study the broader traffic impact of that proposal, as was being considered by the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee, of which both Douglass and New Hanover are members, she said.

It might possibly be used to fund at least part of the Act 209 traffic impact fee study the township is now undertaking.

And its too soon to know how much traffic a 44-lot development proposal on the 85-acre Donnelly tract off Middle Creek and Congo roads would develop, seeing as its not likely to be built before 2017, according to the developer.

What is known is that about 80 percent of the project will be dedicated open space, adjacent to the 40-acre Libor tract already owned by the township.

And it remains to be seen if any traffic will be generated by the proposed Quigley Bus Company depot off Schlegel and Middle Creek roads.

That's because the supervisors declined to act on a request to reconsider the denial they issued last month.

Read more in subsequent Mercury articles and from the Tweets and links below.

Pottsgrove Confronts Conference Costs

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Slightly Fuzzy Photo by Evan Brandt's iPhone.
Pottsgrove Middle School 8th grader Mya Kruger, named a
Fuel to Play 
60 Student Ambassador, finishes delivering
program "swag" to the 
school board Tuesday after
being recognized.
A couple of new things at last night's Pottsgrove School Board meeting.

First of all, I tried some live streaming video of various announcements.

Few took advantage but it's not like I gave a lot of warning. Look for more on my Twitter feed.

Also new was the first conference attendance denied in at least five years.

What made it all the more surprising is that the person denied taxpayer funding was the much-beloved Pottsgrove High School Principal Bill Ziegler.

The discussion about the manner in which conferences are approved, and the benefit of them, and how that benefit is passed on to staff and students, was a bit muddled.

But don't worry, we'll sort it all out in a Mercury article to be published shortly.

In the meantime, enjoy the Tweets in their raw form as they happened at last night's meeting.

Catching Christmas Burglars & Other Borough News

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Surprisingly Good Photo by Evan Brandt
Two police chiefs, Pottstown Chief Rick Drumheller, left, and Lower Pottsgrove Chief Mike Foltz, right, with Pottstown Police Cpl. Steve Hatfield and Sgt. Ed Kropp Jr. representing the Pottstown force that helped Lower Pottsgrove catch burglars who had stolen gifts from underneath a Christmas Tree on Ivy Lane.


Although the story I will most likely write first out of Wednesday night's Pottstown Borough Council work session is the ongoing debate of the future of the Pottstown Human Relations Commission, I cannot resist here pumping up the tires on a great police story.

Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Mike Foltz, a class act if ever I saw one, came to the council meeting to thank his Pottstown peers for their overwhelming response to a distraction burglary on Ivy Lane on Dec. 22 2015, during which Grinch-like thieves stole gifts from under a homeowner's Christmas tree.

The thieves fled into the borough and, with a call, Pottstown's finest swarmed the location and caught both suspects.

It's a holiday story in March!

Now, like I did at the Pottsgrove School Board meeting Tuesday night, I also shot some live video, this time of the Mayor's Report, which I have previously recorded and then laboriously uploaded on You Tube.

If you missed it, you can still see it on Periscope by clicking the link among the Tweets below.

Speaking of which, here they are:





'Deathtrap' Opens Tonight @ Steel River Playhouse

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"Deathtrap" opens tonight at the Steel River Playhouse on High Street and runs through March 20.



Blogger's Note: The following is provided by Steel River Playhouse.

Steel River Playhouse's production of 'Deathtrap," by Ira Levin, opens tonight at 8 p.m. and runs through March 20.

Cunningly clever and comically twisted, Deathtrap is a murder mystery masterpiece so wickedly good it’s to die for! 

Deathtrap is Broadway’s longest running comic thriller. Directed by Leena Devlin, Managing Artistic Director at Steel River Playhouse, Deathtrap stars actors Philip Seader as Sidney Bruhl and Zachary Clark as Clifford Anderson, along with Lauren Flanagan (Helga), Andrea Frassoni (Myra) and Don Green (Porter).

Tickets are (Adult $29, Senior (65+) $24 Student/Child $17) and available online at www.steelriver.org

Online ticket ordering allows audience members to select their seat. Groups of ten or more are eligible for a discount.

An 'Outstanding' Way to Spend an Evening

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The next stop on our non-stop 2016 Pottstown High School Jazz Band parade occurred Friday at Daniel Boone High School.

Unfortunately, this event begins at 5 p.m. on a Friday which makes it hard for people with jobs to see the whole thing.

Sadly, this meant we missed the performance by Daniel Boone Middle School, Boyertown Area Senior High School and the Daniel Boone elementary jazz bands, arriving only in time to see the last three bands.

Our apologies to Boyertown band director, Brian Langdon, former Pottstown music teacher and friend of this blog.

But apparently he didn't need our support, as the performance by the BASH Big Band earned a "superior" rating from the judges.

Also earning a "superior" rating was the Pennsbury High School Jazz Ensemble, the only other high school jazz band to be rated other than Pottstown, which earned a rating of "Outstanding" for what I believe to have been their best performance this season.

Although Daniel Boone performed, as host, they received no rating.

Boyertown received the best saxophone and best trumpet section awards, while Pennsbury walked away with the best trombone and best rhythm section awards.

As for soloists, Boyertown tenor sax player Adam Helmer was recognized, as were Pennsbury drummer Mike Angelucci and vibes player Wesley Dierolf.

Pottstown trumpet player Chloe Francis received her second consecutive honorable mention soloist award.

Representatives of each of the high school jazz bands accept their awards.


As in the last jazz band blog post, I have embedded the YouTube performances of local bands in the Storify below.

What's different this time is they are the entire performance, without breaks, seeing as I was broadcasting their performances live on Periscope.

If you follow me on Twitter, you will see a notification of the performance and you can click on the link and watch the performances live.

If you don't follow me on Twitter, I can only ask what did I do to make you hate me?

I thought perhaps some of the parents and students who can't come to the performances would like to see them as they occurred.

But the links expire after 24 hours, so I saved those from local schools onto my phone and uploaded them on YouTube so you can enjoy them 24 weeks or 24 months from now.

Here are the Tweets and videos:

Pottstown Students Give Blood, Save 78 Lives

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Photos Courtesy of Pottstown High School

Health Occupations student Zechariah Howard, center, oversees the donations being made by Kameron Penn, left and Tyron Hakim.





Blogger's Note:The following was provided by Pottstown School District.
Recently, students and staff at Pottstown High School took part in the annual Winter Blood Drive as part of the Pottstown CARES Day events.

The 26 units of blood collected by the Miller-Keystone Blood Center is enough to to help save 78 lives. 

The blood drive was organized by the school’s Health Occupations students under the leadership of Michaela Johnson. 

“I am very proud of our students and staff for their willingness to give of themselves and make a donation that truly helps to save the lives of many people,” she said.

Health Occupations students assisting at the drive were Destiny Willis, Breana Bodnar, Devon Clary, Zikia Paschall, Denkera Chestnut and Zechariah Howard. 

Pottstown High School student Tim Grassi gives blood.
The Health Occupations students received real-life educational opportunities by assisting in the collection of the donations. They worked side-by-side with Miller-Keystone phlebotomists as they gained valuable skills.

“This was a great learning experience for us," said Chestnut. "One of the phlebotomists taught us a lot about how to safely collect donations and what to do in case of emergencies.”

“This was exciting. At first I was nervous because there were a lot of people and a great deal of activity going on," said Howard. 

"But I soon became comfortable with the staff and enjoyed being able to help in a project that I knew would save lives,".

“Pottstown High School is consistently one of the strongest participating schools in our donor program. Of all of the schools in the nine county area that we service, Pottstown, in spite of being one of the smallest school enrollments, is consistently one of our top collection centers," said Carol Graves, Donor Resource Representative of the Miller-Keystone Blood Center. 

"They have played a very important role in helping to save hundreds of lives in the Pottstown area.”

Pottstown High School HOSA students are hoping to set a new goal of collecting 35 units at its May 25th spring donation event. 

Donors can register by contacting Michaela Johnson, Health Occupations Instructor, at mjohnson@pottstownsd.org or 610-970-6700 extension 82238.

'Best in Show' At ArtFusion 19464

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"Messenger" by Gwendolyn Lanier-Gardner.
Blogger's Note:The following was provided by ArtFusion 19464

Joe Hoover and Gwendolyn Lanier-Gardner were the winners of the Best in Show competition during ArtFusion’s 2016 Winter Member Show. 

The two artists won their own show in the ArtFusion gallery in the fall of 2016. 

The show promises to be an amazing exhibition of work, showcasing the work of Joe, who has been a Working Artist member for over 10 years and Gwendolyn, who joined the group two years ago.

Visitors to ArtFusion’s gallery during the show were asked to choose their favorite artist and make a donation in support of that artist winning Best in Show. 

"Arboreal" by Joe Hoover.
Each $1 donation counted as one vote. 

All proceeds from this fundraiser help support the non-profit community art center.

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. 

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.

LED Streetlights and Raises at Council Monday

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It was a short Monday night, but a whole lot of things got resolved.

First and foremost was the settling of a contract with the borough's AFSCME workers.

You can read all about that on the front page of The Mercury today.

But there was also a lengthy presentation on how the borough could afford to replace all its streetlights with energy efficient LED lights. We broadcast that presentation on live video via the Periscope app, with a Twitter link.

Did any of you see it?

Well, we saved it and posted it to YouTube (and linked it in below) if you're curious. Videos posted on Periscope, I recently discovered, are automatically  deleted after 24 hours.

Council also approved a half-dozen cultural events over the next few months -- many of them with BEER!

It also seems that Pottstown's perennially unpopular buses are getting more popular after all. Ridership is up on PART buses.

You can read all about in the Tweets, links and videos below.

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