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Ursinus Opens New Local Scholarship Program

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Blogger's Note:The following was provided by Ursinus College.

Strengthening its commitment to access and affordability for students, Ursinus College has established the Abele Foundation Scholars Award, which provides financial assistance to students from low- and middle-income families from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.

The first eight scholarships were awarded to seven incoming first-year students and one continuing student.

Funded with generous support from Will Abele, a 1961 Ursinus graduate and member of the Ursinus board of trustees, and the Abele Family Foundation, the Abele Foundation Scholars Award provides high-achieving students with demonstrated financial need $10,000 in financial aid after all other gift aid has been awarded to each student.

The aim of this pilot program is to increase access and affordability of an undergraduate liberal arts education. In addition to the $10,000 in financial aid, the scholars receive funding for “startup” costs such as the purchase of a laptop or required books; academically enriching pursuits such as internships, summer courses, or academic conferences; and assistance with student debt upon graduation.

“My wife, Joan, and I are thrilled to assist these talented students as they pursue an Ursinus College education that prepares them to be leaders of the future who live the values of integrity, persistence and empowerment and who understand the importance of paying it forward to others,” Abele says.

Abele scholars will be expected to maintain consistent academic progress; become an active member of the college community by participating in on-campus experiences and internships; and attend programs sponsored by the Abele Family Foundation.

Consistent with the values of the Abele Family Foundation, the scholars will have expressed interest in the U.S. constitution, the economy, history and government of the United States through coursework in these three disciplines.

“One of Ursinus’s top priorities is to attract and retain the best students for our institution,” President Brock Blomberg says. “It is our goal to not only bring them to our college, but to provide the academic support and guidance that allows them to flourish during their four years here. We cannot achieve that without taking bold steps to increase access and affordability so that we can offer the best and brightest students a clearer pathway to Ursinus. This is yet another innovative way that Ursinus is ensuring that any student who wishes to attend Ursinus not only has a means to do so, but will thrive while here. I extend my sincerest thanks to Will and Joan and the Abele Family Foundation for making this pilot scholarship program possible.”

Named as one of the nation’s “Colleges that Change Lives,” Ursinus College is a highly selective, residential college with 1,500 students that is widely recognized for its Common Intellectual Experience. The tree-lined, 170-acre campus is located 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia in Collegeville, Pa.

Lower Pottsgrove Awards Police Commendations

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At left, Lowers Pottsgrove Police Chief Michael Foltz explains the circumstances of a June 3 strong-arm robbery at the Turkey Hill convenience store solved by, from left, Det. Daniel Kienle, Officer Matt Musselman and Sgt. Robert Greenwood. Next to them are township commissioners Earl Swavely Jr. and Ray Lopez.










A deceptively light agenda for Monday's Township Commissioners meeting gave way to an unannounced ceremony honoring police officers for four major investigations in recent months.

Despite the absence of a previous announcement, there was no shortage of family and well-wishers on hand to laud their achievements.

Here is a breakdown:

May 7, Landis Store Robbery

From left, Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Michael Foltz, Det. Daniel
Kienle, Officer Scott Burnick and township commissioners
Earl Swavely Jr. and Ray Lopez.
About 9:45 a.m., police responded to the Landis Market on High Street in Sanatoga where Officer Scott Burnick found an elderly woman whose purse had been stolen in the parking lot.

After issuing a bulletin for the suspect, Burnick and Det. Seg. Joe Campbell developed a link between their suspect and the vehicle in which he had escaped. When they approached his home, he drove away and after a brief pursuit, they called it off out of concern for public safety.

but the suspect dumped evidence during the pursuit. With the help of Det. David Kienle, the suspect was arrested.

Here is a video of Chief Foltz describing the incident.



June 20, Meth Lab at Rolling Hills

At about 3 in the morning on June 20, Sgt. Scott Weidenhammer and Officer David Slothower responded to a report of a methamphetamine lab at Apt. 135 of the Rolling Hills apartment complex on Buchert Road.

Sgt. Scott Weidenhammer with his commendation.
They undertook a "knock and talk" procedure by which they simply knocked on the door and speak to the people who answer the door.

They saw enough suspicious activity to ask permission to enter and conduct a search.

Once inside, they encountered a haze and distinct odor identified as precursors to a methamphetamine manufacturing facility. They arrested those inside and evacuated the building, calling in the state police to conduct a chemical search.

They seized drugs and six suspects.

Here is video of Chief Foltz describing the incident:



June 3, Turkey Hill Robbery

Police responded to a report of an armed robbery at about 11:20 p.m. on June 3 at the Turkey Hill convenience store at East High Street and Rupert Road.

There, they found a female clerk who had been shoved aside as a thief stole cigarettes and food items before fleeing the store.

Sgt. Robert Greenwood and Officer Matthew Musselman searched for the suspect, but were unsuccessful. They then obtained a photograph of the suspect from the store's security video and Det. Daniel Kienle used facial recognition software the develop a suspect, who later confessed.

Here is a video of Chief Foltz explaining the crime and arrest:



July 3, Turkey Hill Robbery

Chief Foltz, left, Det. Deniele Kienle, Sgt. Timothy Walters
and township commissioners Earl Swavely Jr. and Ray Lopez. 
One month later to the day, the exact same clerk at the exact same Turkey Hill made the exact same call -- she had been robbed.

When police arrived they found she had a severe wound to her hand. She had been slashed by a man who was armed with a large knife and demanded cash from the register. He cut her, took the money and ran off.

Sgt. Timothy Walters arrived and ordered a search, and after viewing the surveillance video, immediately recognized the thief, which quickly led to the man's arrest.

In other less dramatic business, the commissioners approved a 4,950 square-foot storage building at the Limerick nuclear Generating Station and a 2,696 square-foot clubhouse at the Spring Valley Farms project, now under construction.

The board also took time to note, with regret, the passing of David Updegrove, a longtime volunteer wit the Sanatoga Fire Company, as well as the local historical society. They also thanked the police and firefighters who organized and undertook the honor procession down High Street that marked his passing.

And now here are the Tweets from the meeting:

Limerick Supervisors Move Mega Project Forward, Finalize $75 Million Sale of Sewer System

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A site plan for an earlier version of Limerick Town Center. Under the preliminary site plan approved last night, the town homes at the top of the triangle have been re-arranged, but the scale of the project remains the same.

A township supervisors meeting of less than 30 minutes nevertheless saw two votes of great importance.

The first was the approval of the preliminary site plan for the Limerick Town Center project. a large development which will alter one of the township's busiest intersections for many years to come.

And the second vote was the closing on the deal to sell the town's sewer system to Aqua PA, netting the township more than $70 million.

Limerick Town Center


The vote on Limerick Town Center was unanimous, although Supervisor Patrick Morroney was absent, and made without any further public review or comment.

Obviously pleased, developers from Ridge Swamp Associates LLP quickly thanked the supervisors and fled the meeting before anything changed.

This photo shows the more recent arrangement of the town homes.
The vote moves the project into the next phase in the land development process, the development and engineering of a final site plan, which must also be recommended by the township planning commission and win another approval from the township supervisors.

The is a large development project on 30 acres with more than 300 senior living units and 160 townhomes at the intersection of Ridge Pike and Swamp Pike
In addition to the townhomes and the 308 senior units — comprised of a mixture of independent living, assisted living and “memory care” units — the plan also calls for three retail buildings that have 32,000 square feet of space on the first floor, with apartments above.

The project was made possible by changes the supervisors made at the developers’ request to the township zoning code to allow the three uses on the same parcel, said Robert Brant, the attorney representing the developers.

In exchange, the developers agreed to extend Lewis Road through the property to Swamp Pike, thus allowing northbound drivers to avoid having to make a right turn onto Ridge Pike and then the very sharp left onto Swamp Pike, and vice versa.

However, the plan now includes a traffic circle, for the intersection of Swamp Pike, Lewis Road and the proposed new road, Arcadia Drive

The first phase of the project to be built will be the senior living building, followed by townhouses and then finally, the commercial, Brant said previously.

$75 Million Sewer System Sale


As for the sale of the sewer system, it comes about after years and years of discussion.

The township took over operation of the sewer system from the Limerick Sewer Authority in 2008 in what might be described as a hostile take-over and following a protracted fight between the two.

Limerick Township Municipal Authority was created by the Limerick supervisors in 1966 and operated as an independent municipal authority. 

In March, 2008, One month after the supervisors moved to dissolve the authority,  the authority filed a court injunction to prevent the township from taking over the authority.

David Kane
The township argued said such a power transfer would achieve cost savings for Limerick in the long run, while those representing the authority have said pure politics are at play, largely by former Supervisors Chairman David Kane, who was sentenced to four years in federal prison in 2012 after pleading guilty to filing a false income tax return, failure to file income tax returns, tax evasion and mail fraud.

But ultimately, the issue was resolved in the township's favor, after thousands of dollars in legal fees had been accumulated, and the transfer moved ahead in September of that year.

Flash forward to 2016, when the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the $75.1 million sale of the township sewer system to Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater Inc.

The sale was not finalized until July 25 of this year, however, due to delays caused by a lengthy review by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, said Beth DiPrete, the township's assistant manager and treasurer.

The system has two treatment plants, one on Possum Hollow Road and the other on King Road, as well as 18 pump stations and miles of underground pipe.

DiPrete said after deductions were made to the sale price to pay off $3.7 million sewer bond incurred by the sewer authority, and other debts by the township, that the net gain is $70,489,941.

Supervisors Chairwoman Elaine DeWan said the board decided to sell the sewer system because of a number of major capital projects on the horizon and the burgeoning population.

"When I moved here in 2001, there were 9,000 people and now there are 19,000," she said.

One of those capital projects can be seen at 646 Ridge Pike, where a new $10 million township and police building has risen where the former township building once stood.

Plans call for the township to move back into those new offices on Aug. 15, when the township will be closed for business.

DiPrete said the township borrowed $6 million for that project because of the delay caused by the PUC in obtaining the money from the sewer system sale. Another $4 million was borrowed to pay for the new public works garage built behind the new township building.

DeWan said the township built a new Limerick Fire Station on Ridge Pike and intends to undertake a $2.5 million renovation of the Linfield Fire station. Both fire companies are in the process of merging into a single company, but both stations are still needed, she said.

She said the sale will also fund other major capital projects, such as improvements to the intersection of Royersford Road and Linfield-Trappe Road.

"To pay for all that would have required us to double the township's taxes or more," DeWan said. She also said the customers of the sewer system were protected by the fact that the deal includes a proviso that sewer rates cannot be increased for the next three years.

The township stated another reason for selling the sewer system was because of increasing operational costs and future capital investments that would need to be done to the system. Regulations made by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection would begin to place a greater financial and operational burden on the entire department..

Additionally, capital investments to the current $36 million collection and treatment system would have been required.

The sale was made easier, said DiPrete, by a change in Pennsylvania law on how the value of such facilities are calculated.

The current Limerick Township Seal, which hangs in the
temporary 
offices on South Limerick road.

The supervisors also voted Tuesday night to spend $5,000 to explore the possibility of converting 1,400 street lights to LED lights to hep reduce the township's annual street light bill of about $50,000.

And, as the township prepares to move into its new building, the supervisors voted to auction off the few pieces of furniture brought along to the temporary quarters on South Limerick Road, occupied while the new township building was constructed.

Additionally, Supervisor Kenneth Sperring asked about beginning work on designing a new seal for the township. He was told no seal will be erected in the new township building until the design has been approved by the board of supervisors.

And now, after a long report about a short meeting, here are the Tweets.

Pottstown Makes Police Chief and Borough Manager Appointments Permanent With 2-Year Contracts

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Photos by Evan Brandt
Newly hired Police Chief Mick Markovich, left, and Borough Manager Justin Keller, right, pause for a photo with Pottstown Borough Council President Dan Weand.





It may have taken longer than it should have, but borough council finally got its act together enough to agree on contracts for two of the most important posts in borough government last night.

After starting its meeting by going into closed-door executive session to discuss "personnel," council returned and announced it would be adding two items to the end of the agenda.

Not that anyone was surprised.

It was common knowledge that Interim Borough Manager Justin Keller and Interim Police Chief Mick Markovich were both destined to have the "interim" removed from their nameplates at the first meeting in August.

It just took council some time work out the details of two contracts which are, according to Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. almost identical.

Both contracts expire on Dec. 31, 2019.

The salaries for both contracts are retroactive to the first of the year. Keller will be paid $107,000 per year and Markovich will be paid $110,000 per year.

Because Markovich has more years with the borough, he will receive five weeks vacation while Keller only gets three.

Both get 12 sick days, as well as a borough vehicle to drive and the same health benefits and pension that every other borough manager gets, according to Garner.

Hired two years ago this month as assistant borough manager, Keller became interim manager on Jan. 1, with the retirement of the man who hired him, former borough manager Mark Flanders.

Before hiring him permanently, council altered the borough manager ordinance, removing the provision that required Keller to live in the borough. Although he had lived in the borough, Keller now lives in Audubon.

While pleased to have the position made permanent, Keller said he has been doing the job for several months and is now focused on increasing revenues and trying to lower costs for next year's budget.

That will be a tall order given that the mid-year adjustments Keller reported to council last night mostly included cost increases.

Markovich replaces former chief Rick Drumheller, who retired last month, 18 months earlier than he had previously planned.

Markovich's appointment comes only a month after was named interim police chief and by-passed Police Captain Robert Thomas, who, at least according to previous borough practice, many thought would get the job.

Markovich said becoming a chief of police had always been one of his career goals, "I just didn't think it would happen so soon."

"I'm excited to lead this department and to be of service to the borough," Markovich said. He said he hopes to "re-allocate some of the staff to the busier times, and to the downtown business district."

Other plans, he said, he will share when they are ready to be announced.

Congratulations to both and good luck.

Now, if they can just find a fire chief .....

Here are the Tweets from the meeting:






At Pottstown High School, Helping Is In Their Blood

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Photos by John Armato

ABOVE: D'ssandra Garcia, Alexis Anderson-Perez, and Kay'lah Pearson-Moore were among Pottstown High School's Health Occupations students who helped out with the final blood drive of the school year.

AT RIGHT: Myrical Giddens and Jacob Howard sport the blue bandages that marked those who- gave blood.

BELOW: 
Kay'lah Pearson-Moore checks Trojan Man's vitals before taking any blood. As we all know, Trojan Man bleeds blue and white.










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

When it comes to life saving blood there is no substitution for the real thing.

The Pottstown High School students and staff who took part in the end of year blood drive know that every unit of blood donated can be used to help save three lives.

The spring drive, which is done in partnership with the Miller-Keystone Blood Center, resulted in the collection of 44 units,which went to our local hospital where it was used to save lives.

Student Aaliyah Palmer gives her all.
The high school Student Government sponsors the drive three times a year and Health Occupations students gain real life experience by helping in the collection.

Carol Graves, Miller-Keystone's Donor Resource Representative noted that once again this year PHS
was a member of 100 Club.

That's the name used to recognize those who donate  more than 100 units of blood during the year.

She said, "year in and year out Pottstown High School is one the top donors in Southeast Pennsylvania."

Health Occupations teacher, Michaela Johnson said "I am very proud of our students and staff who are enthusiastic and eager to help make a difference in our community." 

She added, "our school mascot, Trojan Man comes out to help encourage and support our donors. Patients, their families, and healthcare workers truly appreciate those who donate blood," Johnson said. 

"We have not yet developed the technology to create a reliable artificial blood supply, so blood is the one thing that we need people to continuously donate," she said.

Johnson added, "knowing that what we are doing is helping people in need gives us one more reason to say Proud to be from Pottstown."

Arraya Graves-Butler, Onjelay Nixon, Destinie Harris, and Rachel Martin are thanked by Trojan Man after they donated blood to help save lives during the spring blood drive at Pottstown High School.

ArtFusion 19464 Fundraiser Goes Taco Loco

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Blogger's Note:The following was provided by ArtFusion19464

ArtFusion 19464’s annual beef and beer fundraiser is Saturday, Aug. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m at the facility at 341  Beech St. 

This year’s event will feature a gourmet taco bar. Guests will enjoy beef, chicken and veggie tacos fillings, soft flour tortillas, crunchy tortilla chips, and fabulous toppings and sides. 

Victory Brewing Company has once again generously donated their amazing beer for this event. There will also be soft drinks, water and delicious homemade desserts.

Each guest will receive one complimentary door prize raffle ticket. 
Lucky attendees can win Iron Pig tickets, a $50 gift card to Cutillo’s restaurant, an incredible fresh artisan bread gift basket, original art, pottery, jewelry and more.

ArtFusion 19464 is also running two special pre-event raffles. 
Supporters can win 4 tickets to Dorney Park, a $236 value, or 4 tickets to a Philadelphia Phillies game, a $290 value.

Tickets are $10 each, and they will sell a maximum of 100 for each prize, giving great odds of winning. The winner will be chosen during the fundraiser on Aug. 18. 

Supporters do not need to be present to win and will be notified if their ticket is chosen. 

Generous donations from UGI/AmeriGas and Dorney Park made this special raffle possible.

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center located in a new facility at the Beech St. Factory 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 and independence through self-expression. ArtFusion 19464 also hosts rotating shows featuring local artists.

Still time to Enter Schuylkill Shots Photo Contest

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Blogger's Note:The following was provided by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Nature photographers, there is still you have until Aug. 31 to enter a photo contest with the Schuylkill River as your subject.

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary works to preserve the health and beauty of all water in the Delaware Estuary, including the Schuylkill River.

PDE is proud to announce its second Schuylkill Shots photography contest to anyone who wants to enter. Go wild! Show off your photography skills and capture the beauty of the Schuylkill.

How to Enter:

  • Digital photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible. 
  • Only entries submitted through the official contest app on Facebook will be considered. 
  • Photographs must be in a Facebook-accepted format. Facebook accepts .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png, and .tif files. 
  • High quality scans of non-digital photographs are acceptable.
Multiple entries by a single photographer must be submitted separately (maximum of six photos per person). Each photo may only be submitted once — no repeats. Resubmissions from previous Schuylkill Shots contests will not be accepted.

To be considered, entries must include the town where the photo was taken and by whom**

Entries will be accepted until Aug. 31.

Categories


Photos should be taken in areas where the Schuylkill River or related streams flow — Berks, Chester, Montgomery and Schuylkill counties, and part of Philadelphia.

Photo submissions will be sorted and judged into the following categories:
  • Wild & Scenic - Highlight the scenic beauty and wildlife thriving in the Schuylkill
  • Splash of Fun– People recreating within, or around, the Schuylkill 
  • Urban Waters Environment– Highlight creeks, streams, and rivers in cities and towns that border the Schuylkill 
  • People’s Choice– People will vote and choose their favorite photos from each of the above categories. 

Who May Enter

Anyone of any age, from anywhere can submit up to six photos.

Prizes

There will be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner for each of the three contest categories, and one “People’s Choice” winner from each category.

1st Place:
  • Wild & Scenic — two behind the scenes tours at PDE’s mussel hatchery and exhibit at Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center
  • Splash of Fun — two tickets to Schuylkill River Greenways’ 2019 Pedal and Paddle event
  • Urban Waters Environment — two tickets to the Franklin Institute
  • People’s Choice — two tickets to the Academy of Natural Sciences
2nd Place — all categories
  • $50 gift card 

3rd Place — all categories
  • $25 gift card 

Judging


Photos will be judged on content, clarity, and creativity. A panel of professional photographers and members the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary staff will select the top three photos from each category. After our judges choose the top placing entries, all remaining photos from each category will go to an online voting system for the public to choose a "People’s Choice" winner.

Releases


All entrants are responsible for obtaining any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of their photograph. This includes any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant, material that is subject to the rights of third parties, and any people who appear in the
photograph. 

By submitting their photo(s), entrants grant the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and partners a royalty-free right to use the photo for any educational purposes with or without attribution. The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary reserves the right to disqualify inappropriate or incomplete entries and/or contestants who are unable to submit, upon request, a high-resolution photograph.

The Schuylkill River is an important source of fresh water to the Delaware Estuary. The river and its related streams flow through Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Schuylkill counties and part of Philadelphia where it serves as a source of drinking water to more than 1.5 million people.

PHS Alum Marks 50th Birthday on Top of the World

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Photos Courtesy of John Armato
Pottstown High School alum Gentry Khile Brownie, Class of 1986, reached the top of Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro to mark his 50th birthday.








Blogger's Note:The following was provided by John Armato.

Pottstown High School graduate Gentry Khile Brownie used some of his Old School Trojan Tough Pottstown Pride to achieve a lifelong goal.

He went to the mountain, that's Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest free standing mountain in the world and he undertook the challenge in the same way he became an outstanding high school wrestler.

His goal was to reach the top on his 50th birthday. 

"Goal accomplished" he said.

"Making it to the top and coming over that snowy peak while the sun was rising on the start of my 50th year was so deep...so exhilarating ...so exhausting..so humbling...so triumphant ...it all hit me at once....whoa...it was an amazing way to start the next chapter of my life," Brownie said.

"Gentry as a student athlete and as adult, you give us reason to say Proud to be from Pottstown," Armato said.

Gentry Khile Brownie, right, on top of Mount Kilimanjaro with his fellow climbers.


A Storm, A Flood and Then a Real Snoozer

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Monday was a strange day.

Like most people, I woke up wondering if I should build an ark.

Unlike most people, I had to get out there and take photos, although I failed to get anything as good as freelance photographer extraordinaire Tom Kelly II, or even some of our readers.

But after hours of running around, taking flood photos in Pottstown and down along route 724 in Chester County, I had to load them all into the computer (not an easy job at The Mercury I'm afraid) then write a story or two, all before getting to the council meeting at 7 p.m.

Long story short, I got to the council meeting late, but frankly, I could have skipped it all together.

Boring!

So as I put together the Twitter round-up from the meeting, I thought, why not treat my faithful readers to some of the Tweets from BEFORE the meeting which were, by their very nature, much more exciting?

Here are the flooding Tweets and, YAWN, the meeting Tweets:

6-2 Vote Puts McIntyre in Pottsgrove Vacancy

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Photo by Evan Brandt
Pottsgrove School Board Vice President Robert Lindgren, right, enjoys himself swearing in the board's newest member, Tina McIntyre, center, while her son Mason, holds The Bible for her. 


Usually, a child follows in his or her parent's footsteps, but sometimes it's the other way around.

Last night was witness to one of those rare occasions when, from among of five very qualified candidates, the Pottsgrove School Board voted to appoint Tina McIntyre to fill the vacancy left by last month's resignation of Matt Alexander.

McIntyre, in addition to being a St. Pius X High School graduate and an accountant, is also the mother of Mason MacIntyre, who for two years served on the Pottsgrove board as a student member.

"She's going to have to learn to eat dinner earlier," he acknowledged with a laugh Tuesday after the board vote.

McIntyre's relationship to a former member was more than coincidence. It may have provided the tipping point to her appointment.

Allow me to explain.

In addition to McIntyre, four other candidates applied for the post. They were Rick Rabinowitz; Jody McMahon; Andrew Korman and Mark Jorgensen.

McIntyre, who lives on Mock Road, is an accounting specialist with United Phosphorus Inc. in King of Prussia.

She is a 1990 graduate of the former St. Pius X Catholic High School in Lower Pottsgrove and received a bachelor’s in business administration from Kutztown University.

Rabinowitz, who lives on Lee Drive, was a board member who ran unsuccessfully for reelection in November.

He is an executive recruiter for Nationwide IT and worked for two other recruiting forms previously.

Rabinowitz holds a degree in political science from State University of New York at Oswego and an MBA in technology and e-commerce from West Chester University.

McMahon, who lives in Anthony Wayne Drive, is a language arts teacher at Owen J. Roberts High School and an adjunct professor at Delaware Valley Community College.

No education or prior work experience was listed for McMahon.

Korman, who lives in Gilbertsville Road, is a project manager with Suburban Water Technology.

He holds a bachelor’s in journalism, specializing in broadcast news, from West Virginia University.

Jorgensen, who lives in Yeager Road, is director of quality and food safety at AIRGA USA LLC in Radnor.

He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and holds an MBA from Lehigh University.

Nearly every board member marveled at the qualifications of those who applied for the board and were interviewed during a public meeting Monday night.

In making a choice Tuesday, Board Vice President Robert Lindgren said he wanted to be as transparent as possible about the process. 

"People who have observed this in the past may well have gotten the impression that the choice had been made before the vote," Lindgren said.

So board members all voiced their preference in a round of quasi-voting. Korman and McMahon were eliminated in the first round.

Rabinowitz was eliminated in the second round.

With the board left to choose between Jorgensen and McIntyre, the benefits of each choice were made clear.

But it was not until board member Jim Lapic talked about being the parent of four children, and the role parents play in how their children turn out, that things seemed to tip in McIntyre's favor.

He observed that in addition to having lived in the community all her life, the board had two years to learn what kind of child she had raised. 

"Mason was an excellent board member and she obviously had something to do with that," said Lapic.

After that, board member Charles Nippert moved for another vote and McIntyre was elected with a 6-2 vote. Board members Bill Parker and Patricia Grimm cast the two no votes.

Afterward Lindgren said the matter of electing a new school board president would be decided at the next meeting. He said the board decided it would be best to choose a board president with a full nine members on board and having a say.

(Sounds like something a future school board president would say ....)

And here are the Tweets you've all been waiting for:


NonProfit Day Info Found Friday at Coventry Mall

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Blogger's Note:The following was provided by the Foundation for Pottstown Education.

A coalition of 26 area non-profit groups will be set up for an event at the Coventry Mall Friday to let people know what they do and how they can help.

The even, from noon to 6 p.m., coincides with national NonProfit Day.
This will also be a kick off for the 2018 TriCounty Community Network’s (TCN) Amazing Raise.

The non-profits will have a table set up displaying their organization’s mission and activities.

The action begins at 12 noon with wrap up at 6 p.m.

The tables will be located at the Mall’s Center Court outside of Kohl’s Department Store.

Each group will also have a drawing for a prize.

Winners will be selected at the end of the event.

National NonProfit Day is a day set aside to recognize the nonprofit sector and the work performed by these capable organizations their staff and volunteers.

This year will be the second Amazing Raise spearheaded by TCN as a way to help local nonprofits raise not only much needed funds but awareness of the goals and missions of these organizations.

During the inaugural 2017 campaign, more than 20 organizations raised $104,766. A matching pool has been established to match the donations raised by the nonprofits on a prorated basis.

Sponsors who would like to donate to this matching pool are encouraged to contact Holly Parker, Executive Director of TCN by calling 610-705-3301 or by visiting TCN’s Amazing Raise website https://tcnetwork.org/the-amazing-raise/


Crowd Questions Phoenixville School District's Planned $4M Land Buy for New Elementary School

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Haphazard Photos by Evan Brandt
It was standing-room-only at Thursday night's public hearing on the Phoenixville School Board's plan to buy 29.5 acres off Hare's Hill Road for $4 million and the possible home for a new elementary school.


Roughly 50 people, many of them from East Pikeland Township, packed into the Phoenixville School District's meeting room Thursday night to hear about the plans for the $4 million purchase of 29.5 acres off Hare's Hill Road -- and to question those plans.

The red line, barely visible in my crappy photo, shows the 
borders of the property the school district wants to purchase.
The district has a "letter of intent" with the property owner for the purchase 29.5 acres bounded by route 724, Route 23 and Hare's Hill Road in East Pikeland, said School Board President Lisa Longo.

It's eventual plans for the property are an additional elementary school.

Ten years ago, a Wal-Mart was proposed for the site and it is currently approved for 79 town homes under a court decision, said Superintendent Alan Fegley.

The land, across from the Kimberton Meadows subdivision, is currently fallow and not used for any purpose.

He said the district looked seriously at nine other properties, all of which were less desirable for a variety of reasons including not having water, sewer or electricity; being on unimproved roads; or even having unacceptably high purchase or renovation prices.

He said East Pikeland officials steered school officials toward this parcel, saying they would prefer it to be developed as a school, rather than more housing. The township planning commission even adopted a letter endorsing the move, said Fegley.

Image of 622 Hare's Hill Road from Google Earth  
Fegley said the district has been dealing with increasing enrollment for several years, and had to plan ahead for the possibility of this trend continuing.

Current forecasts show that beyond the next five years, the district could have 350 to 500 more students to educate in all grades.

"Heaven forbid we wait four years and suddenly find we need to build a new school and prices are higher and there is no land available," said board member Eric Dougherty, chairman of the board's finance committee, which has recommended moving forward with the purchase.

Should the enrollment surge not materialize, the district can always sell the property, said Fegley.

The district hopes to partially offset the purchase price and cost of building a new school by selling some of its other properties, including the old East Pikeland Elementary School, worth between $4 million and $6 million; the kindergarten center, estimate to be worth $4 million and a residential property on Hallowell Avenue, valued at $350,000.

Some arsenic has been identified in the soil on the site, a contaminant Fegley said the district has experience dealing with and is common on former agricultural sites. He said old photographs show an orchard located on the site.

The board is awaiting the results of a more extensive environmental review of the property but anticipates a vote to purchase the property to come next month, said School Board President Lisa Longo.

The audience listens to an explanation for the purchase of 
property in East Pikeland Township. Thursday night.
None of the 10 people who got up to ask questions or make formal comments spoke in favor of the idea. Some, such as Lisa Morrell, questioned if the purchase and new school would mean a tax increase.

Longo said more housing developments means more tax revenues, and economic development incentives that phase in increased tax revenues over 10 years are coming on line, meaning the purchase and construction "would not necessarily mean a tax increase."

The board increased the tax rate for the coming school year by more than 3 percent in May.

Another East Pikeland resident, Dan Sidlo, won applause when he said the school district "must learn to live within your means."

He urged the district to take another look at the 61-acre Technical College High School property on Charlestown Road in Schuylkill Township, but Fegley said that is located on the wrong side of the district from where the growth is occurring; that the asking price was too high and added it is not a good road for school bus traffic.

Several resident, including John Mraz, said traffic on Route 724 is already terrible and questioned the wisdowm of putting a school there and adding more school bus traffic to the road.

Mraz also accused the board of lacking transparency with the public since this is the first the public was made aware of the possible purchase.

Longo said the law allows the board to discuss potential real estate purchases behind closed doors in "executive session" because "if everyone knew we were looking at properties, the prices would rise because they figure the taxpayers will pay for it."

"By being proactive, we are having great negotiations with the current land owner. By getting land early, we're set for down the road," said Fegley.

Longo said all the questions asked, and the answers, at the hearing would be posted on the district web site, and that additional questions and concerns are welcome.

Now, here are the Tweets from the meeting:

French Style 'Party in White' Marks Summer's End

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Blogger's Note:The following was provided by Hobart's Run

Three Pottstown organizations are planning to bring back an event that eases the transition from summer to fall with a stylish, fun flair featuring local food, drink, and live music.

 The Second Annual Fete en Blanc (French for “Party in White”) will be held on Friday, Sept. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the picturesque Smith Family Plaza at Pottstown’s Borough Hall, 100 East Street.

Fete en Blanc, organized by Hobart’s Run, the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority (PDIDA), and Pottstown Area Industrial Development (PAID), is modeled after traditional Fete en Blanc or Diner en Blanc (Dinner in White) events held in communities around the world, including Philadelphia and Lancaster, in late summer or early fall. 

You get the idea, everyone dresses in white.
All-in-white attired attendees traditionally wave white napkins as they dine together and say farewell to summer.

“This event is a celebration for Pottstown,” says Stephanie Trauner, Administrative Director for Hobart’s Run and a member of the Fete en Blanc planning committee. 

“It is not a fundraiser: The goal is simply to bring people together for a light-hearted, fun event and encourage area residents to make new friends and connections with people from Pottstown as well as surrounding areas.”

“Fete en Blanc definitely will allow participants to see Pottstown in the best ‘light!’” says Peggy Lee-Clark, Executive Director of PAID. 

“We were eager to continue this celebration as it showcases the best of Pottstown to people both here and from the larger region– whether it’s our downtown amenities, local restaurants and talent, or our diverse and engaged residents.” 

“PDIDA is thrilled to be joining PAID and Hobart’s Run in bringing Fete en Blanc back for its second year, especially based on the high degree of positive energy we felt during the fun event last year,” notes Sheila Dugan, Pottstown’s Main Street Manager.

Added Twila Fisher, Director of Community and Economic Development for The Hill School and Hobart’s Run: “Fete En Blanc is a natural opportunity to relate over food and music in a beautiful, outdoor setting. Hobart’s Run is excited to be a part of this effort to bring the Pottstown community together in a new way!”
What's a party without a little music?

Eat, drink, and enjoy music – but please wear white!

Guests are asked to dress in white – whether in casual or dressier attire, as anything goes, as long as it’s white – and gather for al fresco dining paired with live entertainment. Although there is not an attendance fee, guests must RSVP and obtain a ticket by going to the Fete en Blanc link under “Events” at www.downtownpottstown.org.

Participants may either bring their own beverages of choice (and white or clear glasses or cups) and their own dinner or snacks, or pre-order food by September 10th by calling the following participating Pottstown “Picnic Partner” vendors: The Avenue, Grumpy’s, iCreate Café, Lily’s, and the PUB (Pottstown United Brewery), as well as boxed desserts by Beverly’s. Pre-ordered meals, priced at about $10, will be available for pick-up at the event. A

 complete menu listing and ordering information is available at the event registration link at www.downtownpottstown.org; this list is likely to grow as well. Manatawny Still Works will offer samplings and bottles for sale (bring your own mixers) and other “adult beverage” vendors likely will participate, for those who do not wish to BYOB.

Live music will be provided by hip area acoustic guitarist Drew Gess, local cabaret vocalists Mickey and Maddy Ramirez, and Maggie Nace, known for her cover performances from the Beatles and other artists. Area businesses will decorate their windows with the Fete en Blanc all-white theme as
they get into the seasonal spirit.

What better way to say goodbye to summer than by gathering with friends, old and new, at this event?

RSVP at www.downtownpottstown.org so that Fete en Blanc planners can be sure to have enough tables, chairs, and white linens on hand, and remember to place food orders by Sept. 10. Fete en Blanc will be held even if there is a bit of light rain, although it will be cancelled if there are storms or heavy rain (check out the website for updates). Also, pre-ordered meals will be available for pick up rain or shine!

Pottstown PAL Dek Hockey Program Expanding

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Blogger's Note:The following was provided by Ian Lawrence, a longtime volunteer with the PAL Dek Hockey program.

Don't be alarmed if you see chipmunks playing hockey this fall.

Pottstown Area Police Athletic League is expanding its Dek Hockey operations to create a new instructional program for 4- and 5-year-olds, nicknamed the "chipmunk" league.

PAL Dek Hockey will be conducting its 30th season this fall, having grown to be the largest Pottstown PAL program and the largest intramural sneaker hockey league in Eastern Pennsylvania since its inception in 1996.

Boys and girls from ages 6 to 18 are divided into co-ed intramural leagues of four to seven teams each. The league is played outdoors at the West Pottsgrove Elementary School Dek. Teams hold practices one night a week, and play regular season games on the weekends, with older divisions in the morning, advancing to the youngest in the afternoon. Campaigns culminate in double-elimination playoffs for all teams, followed by parent-kid games and parties.

Having reached over more than players, PAL Dek Hockey expanded to holding both spring and fall seasons in 2013. Then this summer, the league partnered with the ice hockey Pottstown Penguins for a development camp for ages 4 to 10, held two nights a week.

The newest initiative to focus on students in pre-K and kindergarten arose in part because of the efforts of the New Hanover Parks and Recreation department. The chipmunk league will be held at the New Hanover Community Park dek off of Route 663. (The regular leagues will continue to play at West Pottsgrove.) The fledglings will play two nights a week and result in sixteen sessions. The youngsters will have on-rink instruction from coaches, divided into skills groups, drills, and scrimmages. The goal is to allow for more playing time and better development by playing with others close in age.

PAL is utilizing local expertise in the form of Alvernia University’s men’s ice hockey head coach, Steve Rowe, who is facilitating this new program. Pottstown PAL is also allying with Schuylkill Valley Sports and Mylec Hockey Inc. to provide a free stick for these players, in addition to the team shirt all players usually receive.

Over the past few years, Pottstown PAL Dek Hockey has likewise worked to develop partnerships with other community organizations, in addition to those mentioned above. Hill Hockey Helps has held clinics, organized rink cleanups, donated towards rink expansion, and hosted PAL at the prep school's game. Pottstown Sports Carnival has hosted hockey stations, St. Gabriel's Hall has helped organize fundraising breakfasts for PAL families, Reading Hockey League has hosted PAL teams in inter-community games, and Pottstown Middle School has established a team of players from that school each spring. Pottsgrove School District has also hosted PAL Dek Hockey games at its facility since the league’s move from Memorial Park in 2006.

All registrations are held online at www.pottstownpal.org, with a $55 price for the chipmunk program and $75 for the regular leagues. Pottstown PAL also continues its tradition of having equipment available to rent for all sizes, as players need helmet, gloves, elbow pads, leg pads, and a stick.

For more information, call the PAL office on 146 King St. at 610-327-0527 or email program director Darren Becker at padhapal@gmail.com.

Upper Pottsgrove Twp. Feud With Fire Co. Grinds On

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The Upper Pottsgrove fire Company and the township's administrative staff occupy the same building at 1409 Farmington Ave.




The increasing friction between the Upper Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners and the Fire Company is taking its toll.

The fire chief has been “expelled,” membership is down by 70 percent and Monday night, the board voted 3-2 to remove Commissioner Martin Schreiber from the fire committee.

Schreiber and Commissioner Elwood Taylor voted no, with Commissioners President Trace Slinkerd, Vice President France Krazalkovich and commissioner Renee Spaide voting yes.

The fire committee, which has members of the fire company and the board of commissioners, acts as a communications link between the two.

Slinkerd made the motion to remove Schreiber with no more warning than, as Taylor described it, “four words on the agenda -- “consider fire committee organization.”

“I have no document in front of me. If there is an issue, I'd like to see it flushed out. I would like to see some data in front of me,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the board had not discussed the matter in advance — as is Slinkerd’s stated preference before voting.

But Krazalkovich and Slinkerd both said the matter was discussed at the May 21 meeting.

The minutes of that meeting indicate that Krazalkovich made a motion, seconded by Spaide, “to draft a letter of no confidence in the current operational leadership of the fire company.”

That motion was ultimately withdrawn, but at the same meeting, Slinkerd said Schreiber “has various roles and (Slinkerd) believes he cannot be objective when it comes to making decisions regarding the fire company,” according to the minutes.

The May 21 meeting was also the meeting at which the commissioners voted unanimously to ask the state to undertake a study of the township’s fire services at no cost to the town.

After Slinkerd made his motion, Schreiber asked him why he was “in a rush” to remove him and did not wait for the fire study. He did not get a public answer.

Later, after the meeting, Slinkerd told The Mercury he did not wait for the fire study to weight in because “that study is about operations and equipment. This is about the board of commissioners.”

According to the “letter of intent” filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, which will oversee the study conducted by a consultant, areas examined in the study will include:

• The fire company’s “ability to satisfactorily respond to and extinguish fires as these tasks relate to generally accepted fire-fighting standards.”

• The scope of the assessment will include, “administrative and operational leadership, personnel management, training, facilities and equipment.”

• It will also review “supporting governance documents and organizational structure as well.”

• The study will also assess “future township fire protection needs.”

Monday night, Slinkerd told the audience the board of commissioners gets to appoint two members of the fire committee, one commissioner and one “member of the public at large.”

Until last night, those two members were Krazalkovich and Schreiber.

Township Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. said the memorandum of understanding between the township and the fire company sets no terms for the commissioners’ appointments to the fire company and thus, “the power to appoint is also the power to remove.”

Slinkerd said Schreiber’s replacement will be selected at the September meeting.

Asked by firefighter John DeMichael why he wanted Schreiber removed, Slinkerd said Schreiber has a “conflict of interest.”

Asked why he thought that, Slinkerd replied “because I think it is.”

However, after the meeting, he clarified he does not mean anything involving money, as the phrase can often suggest.

Rather, Slinkerd said, the fact that Schreiber is the vice president of the fire company this year, and was president of the fire company last year, and has been a member of the fire company and the fire committee from the first day he came on as a commissioner, creates a conflict for Schreiber as a commissioner in terms of which set of interests he represents.

“He’s wearing so many different hats, I’m not sure his responsibilities as a commissioner are clear,” Slinkerd said.

For his part, Schrieber told The Mercury he believes the issue is about “personalities.”

Schreiber said at the end of the meeting that he was “extremely disappointed with the vote.”

“This is all related to that notorious meeting in January where buying the new fire truck was voted down,” Schreiber told the commissioners.

At that meeting, the commissioners voted 3-2 against spending $300,000 that was in the budget to buy a new truck that would have replaced a 1983 pumper purchased from the North End Fire Company in Pottstown and now so old that replacement parts are nearly impossible to find.

At the time, Slinkerd said he had not been provided with adequate information in advance of the vote.

Outside, after the meeting Thomas Mattingly confirmed that he has been “expelled” as fire chief by the fire company board “because of the letter.” Mattingly said will appeal the expulsion and said T.J. Wojton is now acting chief.

As The Mercury reported last month, “the letter” to which Mattingly refers was one he wrote in May and sent to all commissioners, Pottstown Borough Manager Justin Keller and former Pottstown fire chief Michael Lessar, who has since resigned for unrelated reasons.

In it, Mattingly complained about Lessar, Krazalkovich, state Sen. Robert Mensch, R-24th Dist., and a captain in the West End Fire Company discussing Upper Pottsgrove Fire Company operations, response times and mutual aid, without getting input from Mattingly or other Upper Pottsgrove firefighters.

In the letter, Mattingly called it “disheartening” that Krazalkovich, who is a member of the township’s fire committee, would seek answers regarding incidents he had already asked Upper Pottsgrove’s firefighters about.

“Those questions have been answered and discussed at length,” Mattingly wrote.

As the conflict has dragged on, there are more losses than Mattingly’s position as chief.

Schreiber told The Mercury that at the beginning of the year, the fire company had between 30 to 35 volunteers.

Since the friction has begun and become more public “we’re down to about 10, said Schreiber. “This could have a real impact on fire safety in the township.”

“The lack of support from some of the commissioners is draining our volunteer base and keeping people from wanting to join our company,” DeMichael said.

The Upper Pottsgrove Township Commissioners table. From left, Commissioner Martin Schreiber, Commissioner Elwood Taylor, Board Vice President France Krazalkovich, Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr., Board President Trace Slinkerd, Township Manager Carol Lewis, Commissioner Renee spaide and Public Works Director Justin Bean.


In other township business last night, a number of residents of Detwiler Road complained about the township's failure to repair the road and that the recent rains had made the situation much worse.

Look for more coverage of that in future issues of The Mercury.

Also, the board voted unanimously to select the Bethlehem company Alloy 5 to undertake a study of all the township's buildings and to make recommendations.

That study will likely not include the township's crumbling salt shed. the commissioners have moved to replace it this year, but paused Monday night when township Manager Carol Lewis told them only one bid had been received and it came in more than $76,000, $21,000 more than the previous bid.

She said the bidder said it was due to the steel in the building costing more because of the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on Canadian steel.

The board held off accepting the bid to investigate a less expensive wooden salt shed.

And now, after that marathon post, here are the Tweets from the meeting.

Pottsgrove Manor Hosts A Program to Dye For

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

Learn how to transform your whites into something bright and new at the Colonial Dyeing Workshop at Pottsgrove Manor.

Reveal the colorful surprises that both local and exotic plants can give textiles, from brilliant blues and rich purples to useful browns and sunny oranges. 

Historic interpreter Deborah Peterson will lead participants through all stages of 18th century dyeing. Learn which plants give wools and linens some unexpected colors. 

Discover what other unusual ingredients give fabric your favorite hues. At the end of the day, all participants will get to dye their own pair of colonial style stockings to take home. 

Bring your wardrobe to life at Pottsgrove Manor.

Class size is limited and pre-registration is required. 

Registration information can be found on the Pottsgrove Manor website, www.montcopa.org/PottsgroveManor

The workshop is $25 per person; payment can be cash/check/money order. This program welcomes participants aged 10 and up. Registration and payment are due by Sept. 8, 2018. All participants are asked to bring a bagged lunch.

Pottsgrove Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422 near the Carousel at Pottsgrove and Manatawny Green Miniature Golf Course. Pottsgrove Manor is operated by the Montgomery County Division of Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites.

For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

Plenty of New Faces for New Pottstown School Year

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Pottstown Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez, left, with new Pottstown administrators from left, Assistant Middle School Principal Danny Perez, Director of Co-curricular Activities Matt Miller, Franklin Elementary School Principal Beth Kramer and Director of Nursing Kimberly Perry-Malloy.



There will be no shortage of new faces on the first day of school this year in the Pottstown School District.

No less than 19 new teachers have been hired over the summer, along with 11 other employees including one new principal, two assistant principals, a new director of career and technical education and new director of co-curricular activities.

Of the 30 new faces, 11 are at Pottstown Middle School, which just welcomed a new principal last year, and another six are at Pottstown high School.

On the administration side of the equation, Stephen Park, the director of career and technical
The only school in Pottstown to have no new staff is Lincoln
Elementary School. Lincoln teachers front, Mandy Wampole 4th grade,
rear, from left, Jennifer Groff 3rd grade, Denise Schleicher 4th grade,
Michael Koman 3rd grade, Diane Hahn 3rd grade.
education is retiring and being replaced by Jeff Delaney, who is moving up from assistant principal at the high school.

His post at the high school is being filled by Dave Livengood.

The new assistant principal at the middle school is Danny Perez, who is fluent in both Spanish and English and previously worked at a school in the Bronx, N.Y.

Matt Miller is the new director of co-curricular activities, He previously worked at two Philadelphia charter schools.

Kimberly Perry-Malloy is the district’s new director of nursing.

At Franklin Elementary School, Kevin Downes has retired as principal and is being replaced by Beth Kramer, a graduate of St. Joseph’s University who was most recently the principal of the Bell Avenue Elementary School in the William Penn School District.

The district has also lost 12 van drivers when it contracted the service to an outside vendor in a budget-cutting move in June. Five classroom assistants have also left the district.

And now, without further ado, here are the Tweets from the meeting:

Hobart's Run Recognizes Community Leaders

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Photos Courtesy of Hobart's Run
Receiving or accepting Hobart’s Run’s Pottstown Community Leaders Awards (among other recipients) are, from left: Amy Francis; Amy Wolf; Stephanie Sundermeir; Jennifer and Chuck Gulati; Rosina and William Ball; Hannah Davis (accepting an award on behalf of Johnny Corson); and Rocky Citrino.








Blogger's Note:The following was provided by Hobart's Run.

Twelve community leaders were recognized by Hobart’s Run and The Hill School on Thursday,  during an afternoon reception on Hill’s campus hosted by Hobart’s Run.

Twila Fisher, director of Hobart’s Run community and economic development, kicked off the event by thanking the “remarkable, hard-working, optimistic” people she has met in Pottstown in her two and a half years of service to Hobart’s Run.

She noted she has lived and worked in numerous locations, from New York and Philadelphia to Miami and Mexico City, and that her Pottstown interactions have been the most inspiring.

Zachary Lehman, headmaster of The Hill School, joined in thanking the more than 60 community representatives in attendance before introducing relatively new Hobart’s Run staff members: Cathy Skitko, director of institutional public relations and Hobart’s Run communications, and Stephanie Trauner, part-time administrative director. Lehman stated that this increase in personnel demonstrates The Hill’s commitment to the Hobart’s Run neighborhood improvement initiative as well as to the Borough of Pottstown, adding that the Hobart’s Run team is notably passionate about serving the community.

Hobart’s Run’s focused neighborhood projects and tangible successes are “meant to also make an
Cathy Skitko, Stephanie Trauner, and Twila Fisher
in front of the Hobart’s Run office at 701 E. High Street
impact throughout Pottstown,” Skitko said, emphasizing that Hobart’s Run’s work involves partnerships with many other organizations such as Pottstown Area Industrial Development, Inc. (PAID) and the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority (PDIDA).

Her role -- a new one that follows 21 years as The Hill School’s Director of Communications and many years as a Pottstown volunteer -- allows her to focus on sharing and amplifying positive stories related to the community’s ongoing revitalization. “By consistently telling these stories,” she said, “we can attract more quality, responsible developers, homeowners, and residents who are excited about participating in Hobart’s Run’s mission and in Pottstown as a whole.”

She shared a list of more recent accomplishments achieved specifically through the Hobart’s Run initiative, including the July contribution of $5,000 toward maintenance of Edgewood Cemetery and ongoing collaborative work for that cause; creation of a Pottstown Area Social Innovation Lab that will involve Pottstown School District and Hill students; and upcoming launches of two separate façade improvement incentive and homeownership incentive programs.

Pottstown community leaders and other friends gathered recently 
on the patio of the Memorial Room of The Hill School library for a 
reception and presentation of awards honoring 
volunteers and organizations.
The event then turned to presentation of a dozen awards for community engagement, based upon nominations shared by area residents with Hobart’s Run organizers.

 Also, recognition was given to the late Bill Sharon, a longtime Borough employee and a volunteer for numerous organizations, in particular EcoFest, the Pottstown Pet Fair, and cat rescue agency CatNAPS.

The Community Leaders Award recipients, most of whom were in attendance, were as follows:
  • The Rev. William and the Rev. Dr. Rosina Ball, for their work in Hobart’s Run through Mount Olive Baptist Church. The pastors serve as quadrant captains for Hobart’s Run, helping with clean-ups and other projects, and the Rev. Dr. Rosina Ball is a member of the Hobart’s Run Board of Directors. 
  • Little Italy’s restaurant owner Rocky Citrino, a business owner within Hobart’s Run who gives generously to events connected to Hobart’s Run, including the 5K Ram Run which raises funds for community programming. 
  • Andrew Monastra, for his tireless work for The Edgewood Historic Cemetery organization and his personal commitment to maintaining the cemetery. 
  • Randy Doaty, also for his role in creating The Edgewood Historic Cemetery organization, as well as his service to the Pottstown Cluster’s UP3 Understanding Poverty program. 
  • Melody and Scott Hartman, dedicated Hobart’s Run volunteers. Melody also is a block captain and Hobart’s Run board member. 
  • Stephanie and Matt Sundermeir of Ninja Properties, LLC, for their work in renovating a 17-unit residential property in Hobart’s Run and their ongoing contributions to responsible, quality property redevelopment in Pottstown. 
  • Johnny Corson, president of the NAACP local chapter, for his community activism. His efforts have helped to mobilize Pottstown citizens in causes ranging from the Rickett’s Center and a vigil to address the violence that shook the nation in Charlottesville in August 2017, to saving the Pottstown YMCA. Johnny also is the father of Hill graduate Johnny Corson ’11. Accepting this award on Corson’s behalf was Hannah Davis, also a NAACP member and an activist through organizations including Triskeles. 
  • Amy Francis, organizer for the Pottstown GoFourth! Festival and president of the Board of Education for the Pottstown School District. 
  • Amy Wolf, organizer for the Pottstown GoFourth! Festival, volunteer at Temple Mercy and Truth, and volunteer for Girls With Guts. Amy also is the mother of Hill student Harrison Wolf ’19. 
  • The Gulati Family, accepted by Chuck and Jennifer Gulati, in thanks for their family business’s decision to purchase and renovate the Pottstown YMCA, an action that saved the Y from being closed and its essential community programs being displaced or lost. The Gulatis are the parents of Hill students Alexandria ’19 and Casey ’21. 
  • Stacey Woodland of the YWCA, in honor of the YWCA’s programs ranging from high school equivalency and other educational programs to its recognition of exceptional women in the Pottstown community. 
  • Alison Scott, a behind-the-scenes volunteer at Franklin Elementary School, for her dedication to Pottstown students through contributions to the yearbook, creation of a “buddy bench” at the school, art projects, and other activities. 
Hobart’s Run and The Hill School again offer their heartfelt gratitude to all of Pottstown’s volunteers and entities that work toward an even stronger community.

Memory of Late Pottstown Resident and Teacher Honored with Little Free Library in Virginia

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Deen Wentz, right, and her family with the Little Free Library dedicated to her the memory of her mother, Ana Ravelo-Ortiz.
Blogger's Note:The following was provided by Dena Wentz

There is a new Little Free Library located in Richmond, Virginia in memory of Pottstown resident Ana Ravelo-Ortiz.

I dreamed about doing something in memory of my mother that would make an impact in the community so my husband and I donated a LFL to Henrico County Parks and Recreation, in Richmond VA and we are so excited about the grand opening on Aug 28th. 
Ana Ravelo-Ortiz did in 2007

We all three have chosen the little free library movement as a way to remember her. My library was just installed last week and we are planning a celebration in Richmond at the county park to where we donated it. So far, I have received a great community response!

What I thought would be cupcakes and balloons has turned into donations from 20 businesses, two local children’s authors and more. This celebration will include cupcakes, storytime by two children's authors from Richmond VA, a book collection and giveaways from a local (Short Pump/Richmond) supporting businesses.

Ana Ravelo-Ortiz was a resident of Pottstown, PA for nearly ten years before she passed away unexpectedly from an acute illness at Pottstown Memorial Hospital in 2007. 

She was only 59 years old, a full-time teacher at Norristown Middle School and beloved mother to three adult children: Jennifer Black of PA, Dena Wentz of VA, and Jamie Swick of FL. 

Our goal is to honor my mother and remember her with this gift to Henrico County Parks and Recreation and to promote literacy, kindness, and community.


Spring-Ford Speaks Out About Teacher Investigated Over 'Blitzkreig' German Wrestling Character

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Photos by Evan Brandt
Upper Providence resident John McGuigan was the first of nearly 30 people to sign up to speak Monday night about Spring-Ford's decision to take no action against sixth grade teacher Kevin Bean, who had worked during his own time as a professional wrestler named Blitzkreig and whose actions giving the Nazi salute and yelling "sieg heil" during matches caused a controversy.



It was a puzzle at first, why so many people were in the audience at a seemingly routing meeting of the Spring-Ford Area School Board last night.

I'm not too bright, but eventually I figured out why they were there to speak at the end of the meeting.

It was about Kevin Bean.

He's the teacher who, until recently, had a side job as a professional wrestler playing a "heel" called "Blitzkreig," who, videos showed, waved a German flag with the iron cross, gave the Nazi salute and shouted "sieg heil!" before matches.

But he is not that person in real life, said the majority of the 29 people who spoke Monday night, several of whom called him a "gentle giant."

And, in fact, he is no longer that character either.

The second speaker Monday night was Zach Laurie, president of the Spring-Ford Education Association, who read a statement from Bean.




In his statement, Bean said he will no longer play the character of Blitzkreig and that, for the moment at least, he will no longer wrestle.

He said during his years wrestling, he had portrayed many characters, most recently as a "bad guy."

"The sensationalized character the media has accused me of being is misleading. I do not believe in or support the philosophies of antisemitism or hatred in any way," Bean wrote in his statement.
Bean, wrestling as Blitzkreig during a match in Quakertown,
is seen in this video screen-grab giving the Nazi salute.

"I am truly remorseful for the pain and discomfort this character has brought people. for that was never my intent."

Bean said in his statement that "this character no longer exists, nor will he re-appear at any point in the future."

Bean's statement said he is currently not wrestling and "wrestling is not something I plan to discuss in the classroom or at any time in a school setting."

Earlier this month, the district announced that its investigation of Bean's activities as a wrestler had violated no district policies and that he would not be disciplined and would remain as a teacher.

It was evident, from those who spoke on his behalf, that Bean has touched many lives in his 14 years with Spring-Ford.
Former  Kevin Bean student Colin Sandberg.

Speaker after speaker lined up to speak about how Bean had helped their child; what an excellent teacher he is, and how much he cares.

Most speakers were parents, although some were former students themselves, including Colin Sandberg, who talked about how Bean had helped him when Sandberg's father died suddenly while he was in sixth grade.

"I made more friends in Mr. Bean's classsroom than in all four years of high school," Sandberg told the board.

Diana Lachenmayer read a letter from her daughter Lindsay who wrote that Bean had helped her when she was being teased about her weight and inspired her to have self-confidence and to pursue a career in education.

Christine Mason said her son was in Bean's class during "a difficult divorce" and Bean helped her son with his depression and mentored him.

Many stressed his inclusiveness, and his ability to ensure that everyone in his classroom participates and is respected. They repeated that he was playing a character, like an actor in a movie and many said "wrestling is not real."

Rachel Slosberg said "all we saw was a German bad guy."
At least two people who identified themselves as being active in the Jewish community defended Bean and said they had been to see him wrestle and had no issue with him.

Rachel Slosberg said her son had experienced antisemitism and it was Bean who mentored her son and helped him through it.

"We went to see his show and all we saw was a German bad guy," she said.

But Jewish opinion was not unanimous Monday night and Andrew Rosabloom said he is "disappointed with the investigation" and the outcome.

Rosabloom said Bean had "failed to set a good example" for students with his character, and "the fact that he found it appropriate to say 'sieg heil' at an event where there were children present is reprehensible."

"He says those are not his beliefs, but he made a conscious choice to play that character," Rosabloom said.

Other speakers agreed and said while they did not want to see Bean fired, they do want to have their concerns addressed more thoroughly by the school district and to use the situation as an opportunity for empathy and dialogue.
Beth Eldridge said the images of Bean her daughter
saw "broke her heart."

They said those who did not have Bean as a teacher might not understand that his character and real life person are separate.

Beth Eldridge of Limerick said her 10th grade daughter did not have and does not know Bean and was disturbed by the images she saw of his character.

"Please understand how these images affect children of color. It broke her heart," Eldrige said.

She added that her daughter has experienced "a huge uptick" in racial epithets being used against her since the issue became public.

One speaker noted that most of those who spoke in Bean's defense were not minorities and may not understand what it's like to go to school in a place where nearly all teachers and nearly 85 percent of the students are white.

She also said that some parents upset by Bean's actions did not come to speak Monday because they feared retaliation against their children who are students in Spring-Ford.
Karisma Gilmore said hopefully a dialogue on diversity
has been prompted by the situation.

Korlu Evaile said her family moved to the area because of the schools, and said they are indeed excellent.

She said she does not know Bean and does not judge him, but that the situation raised issues of race and she has found "whenever race comes up, people retreat to their respective corners."

She said "before this happened, I was feeling safe, but this is very unsettling" and pointed out "where are the teachers who look like my daughters?"

Karisma Gilmore said she is pleased to see so many people defend Bean and say he is a good person, adding "it's because he's such a good teacher that some of us are disappointed."

She added "I'm actually happy something like this happened because now we can have a dialogue. I hope we can all leave here trying to understand the other side."

Schools Superintendent David Goodin said the controversy around Bean's activities were "a trying time, but it has opened up a dialogue about diversity and moved issues of race and diversity t the forefront."

He said his administration has "made every attempt" to diversify the staff and that no parent should fear retaliation against a student by the staff because a parent speaks out.

School Board President Thomas DeBello thanked all the parents for speaking their mind and encouraged more dialogue and suggestions.

And with that, here are the Tweets from the meeting"

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