Ringing Rocks: Where nature invites you in

On a hill in Lower Pottsgrove Township, you can practically hear the rocks sing. Well, you’d have to have a hammer with you. Then, if you tap the large boulders in Ringing Rocks Park, they actually will ring.

According to the website of the Ringing Hill Fire Company, which owns the property where the rocks are located, “Over the years the main attraction was the group of rocks, but by the late 1800’s the people saw the area developed into a real park, and in the summer of 1895 the Park was officially opened. Throngs came to the Park walking, by horse and wagon, bicycle, and the trolley car. Picnics were held during the summers, various associations met here, and on some evenings attendance at a lecture was of interest to adults.”

Today, this part of Ringing Hill is home to the fire company, two pavilions that are available for rental, and an indoor roller skating rink. Anyone who’s grown up in the Pottstown area knows the rink, where the Hokey-Pokey is still going strong. On a recent gorgeous Saturday in October, both pavilions were in use – one for a family birthday party, another for a very large crowd. For information on rentals, go to the Ringing Hills Fire Co. website; rental information can be found here. The Fire Company also runs Saturday Night Bingo and Ladies Bingo once a month.

After climbing around on the rocks a bit, something I hadn’t done since I was a kid, I made a quick stop at the roller rink. I’d been there a few years ago for a nephew’s birthday party, and it was fun all over again to see how little it has changed. By then, I was anxious to get to the Nature Park, another place that I had been to many times over the years.

If you’re driving on Keim Street from Pottstown, look for a stone wall on your left. That’s when you’re getting near the park. Then you will see a pond on your right, signs for Ringing Rocks Park on your right, and a lovely carved sign for Shaner’s Grove and some parking for a few cars. The sign was made by Girl Scout Troop # 7354 just this year. I parked there and then walked back on Keim to the entrance to the Lower Nature Park.

With the pond on your right, cross the charming stone bridge and go straight ahead until you see the trailhead sign. Choose your level of difficulty: red for difficult, yellow for moderate and blue for easy, and you’re on your way. For those of you who love to hike, this is a wonderful spot to really feel like you’re getting away from it all. After spending the past few weeks visiting a lot of playgrounds in Pottstown, the contrast is pretty remarkable. When I enter a heavily wooded area, I really feel a kind of hush around me and then I start to hear the sounds of nature: a bird call, the rustle of squirrel in the leaves, or just the wind through the leaves.

In the Penn State study that was commissioned by the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation, and that inspired this series, it says that 78% of the Pottstown residents surveyed said that they visit parks within their own municipality, while just 22% of residents travel to other towns for outdoor activity. This is the reverse of just about every other town (with Amity at 53%). Given the amount of concrete and developed areas in Pottstown, and the predominance of neighborhood mini-parks to serve recreational needs, I’m guessing that adults and children (especially children) don’t get the chance to really be immersed in nature and experience the feeling I got in Ringing Rocks Park.

Growing up in the North End, I remember catching guppies and playing in Sprogels Run, off Buchert Road and across Charlotte Street from the North End shopping center. We used to fish in a pond at Brookside Country Club, too. Those opportunities for kids to interact with nature on their own don’t seem to exist any longer. I also have fond memories of a couple of dads, who lived in the Brookside area, (Bill Brennan and the late Red Braunsberg), piling all of us into their cars and taking us to French Creek or other parks, where we’d hike for a couple hours and then cook hot dogs on a grill. (Yeah, we didn’t use seat belts, and hot dogs aren’t the healthiest snack, but we got our exercise!)

I know there’s always a shortage of money, but it would be so great if we could figure out a way to regularly and safely get the children of Pottstown first to Riverfront Park and then outside of town to be immersed for a few hours in a place where you can’t hear or see anything but the natural world. Dave Kraybill, Executive Director of the Health & Wellness Foundation just recommended Last Child in the Woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder by Richard Louv to me. I’m going to pick it up and see if I can read it before we’re done with this series, so I can check in and let you know what I’ve learned.

RINGING ROCKS UPPER PARK and LOWER NATURE PARK
Location: Enter the Upper Park from Route 663 on the west or from N. Keim Street on the east. Use the Ringing Hill Fire Company’s address to find it with a GPS: 815 White Pine Lane, Pottstown PA 19464. Enter the Lower Nature Park at 1800 N. Keim Street at the intersection with Yerger Road.
Size: 38.4 acres
Suitability: All ages.
Facilities: Unpaved trails, wooded areas, rock outcroppings, pond, stream, pavilions and roller skating rink, plenty of parking.
Activities and Tips: The Ringing Hills Fire Co. owns and manages the Upper Park, which includes the pavilions and skating rink. Lower Pottstgrove Township owns the Lower Nature Park with the hiking trails. Try to remember to bring a hammer and give the ringing rocks a try!
Hours: Dawn until dusk, except for pavilion or skating rink rentals

SHANER’S GROVE
Location: 1900 N. Keim Street at the intersection with Yerger Road, Pottstown, PA 19464
Size: 2.8 acres
Suitability: Children with supervision and adults.
Facilities: Wooded areas, rock outcroppings
Activities and Tips: Site of future parking for Ringing Rocks Nature Park.
Hours: Dawn until dusk.

FOR RENTALS, CONTACT RINGING HILL FIRE COMPANY
815 White Pine Lane
Pottstown, PA 19464
Phone: 610-323-0474
Fax: 610-323-0408
Pavilion Rental: 610-970-0157
http://www.ringinghillfireco.org

Lower Pottsgrove Township has lots of information and photos on their website, which is http://www.lowerpottsgrove.org. Just click on the Parks & Recreation tab on the left side of the home page.

Contact:
Lower Pottsgrove Township
2199 Buchert Road
Pottstown, PA 19464
Ph: (610) 323-0436
Fax: (610) 323-3824
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. M-F

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

PHOTO GALLERY

October 6, 2010

Civilization or Mother Nature: You decide.

Drive down Buchert Road in Lower Pottsgrove Township on a weekday morning and you might not even notice Gerald G. Richards Park, but come Saturday and Sunday mornings, the scene is very different. The Park, which spans over 30 acres, is home to the Pottsgrove Soccer Club and bustles with activity all weekend. Pop-up chairs line the fields; kids line up at the snack bar after their games; and you might have to circle the parking lot a few times before you find a spot.

The park itself is simple, with a nice walking path and stops for strength training. If you find yourself at soccer practice or a game at Gerald Richards, you could certainly get your walking or running time in by using the path that winds around the field. While the park isn’t full of interaction with nature, there are enough trees that you can find some shade when you need to take a break from sitting in the sun on the sidelines of one of the fields.

With six playing fields, several practice fields and even a baseball field tucked away in the back, the park accommodates young soccer players, ranging from the under-4 set just learning the game to the more competitive travel teams that include high school kids. Pottsgrove Soccer Club serves Upper, Lower and West Pottsgrove, as well as the borough of Pottstown, with over 600 kids playing this fall. Their mission is to “promote, foster and perpetuate non-profit, public, developmental soccer on the youth level and to provide competition for its teams to play the game in accordance with the high standards of good sportsmanship and fair play.”

One of the best features of the fields at Gerald Richards is their accessibility. With a paved walkway winding around all the fields, anyone can come and watch the games; something we haven’t found with other parks where our kids have played sports. The landscape is also relatively flat, which is unusual in this area and makes for greater accessibility if you’ve got family members with limited mobility or just want to keep your younger ones in the stroller to watch games.

Another spot you might drive right past is Schuylkill River Park. Marked only by a Township sign, this unpaved, natural landscape runs 12 acres along the Schuylkill River, the train tracks and close to the Limerick Generating Station. If you are feeling adventurous and are interested in a hike that will take you down along the riverbank, put on your hiking boots, grab some friends and check out this park.

You can find this undeveloped hiking area by turning onto Porter Road, which intersects High Street just east of Pottstown Hospital. As you drive along Porter Road you will pass the medical and office buildings and the road changes to Sanatoga Station Road as it rounds a corner. The park entrance is right at that turn, with just enough room to park a few cars. You will see a white concrete barrier that is probably there to keep out cars; hikers will have to climb over it.

GERALD G. RICHARDS PARK
Location: 2130 Buchert Road, Sanatoga, PA 19464, across from the Lower Pottsgrove Township Administration Building and close the the intersection with Pleasantview Rd.
Size: Gerald Richards is a large park, covering just over 30 acres.
Suitability: Soccer-oriented facility for any age.
Facilities: Soccer fields, walking path
Activities and Tips: Don’t discount this park because it’s soccer-oriented. Its convenient location makes it a great spot for a lunchtime walk or a quick game of soccer with the kids when the fields aren’t in use.
Hours: Dawn until dusk

SCHUYLKILL RIVER PARK
Location: 2116 Sanatoga Station Road, Sanatoga, PA 19464
Size: 12.3 acres
Suitability: Adults who like to hike might enjoy exploring this natural area with friends.
Facilities: Unpaved trails
Activities and tips: Get a group together and explore the northern bank of the Schuylkill River as it winds its way through Lower Pottsgrove.

Lower Pottsgrove Township has lots of information and photos on their website, which is http://www.lowerpottsgrove.org. Just click on the Parks & Recreation tab on the left side of the home page.

Contact:
Lower Pottsgrove Township
2199 Buchert Road
Pottstown, PA 19464
Ph: (610) 323-0436
Fax: (610) 323-3824
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. M-F

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

PHOTO GALLERY (Photos by Rosemary Keane)

October 5, 2010

West Pottsgrove offers range of recreational options

Note: This week we’ll be visiting the parks and playgrounds of West Pottsgrove, Lower Pottsgrove and Upper Pottsgrove. Links to all of the articles in the series can be found here. Thanks for stopping by!

While West Pottsgrove Township has a population of 3,815 and encompasses just 2.4 square miles to the west and northwest of Pottstown, they pack quite a punch in their parks and recreation offerings. They’ve got two neighborhood mini-parks, one baseball complex, one natural recreation area, and they are on the verge of acquiring the Colonial Swim Club, giving their residents a variety of options for physical activity.

My first stop was the Vine Street playground, which is near the intersection with Quinter Street. It’s got a wonderfully large open space, just begging for some dodgeball or wiffleball players. There’s a picnic table, benches, play equipment, swings and some shady spots.

The equipment at Howard Street playground was similar, with a notable addition: one of those merry-go-round spinning contraptions that makes me dizzy just thinking about it. Both of these parks are in quiet, residential neighborhoods.

Oldtimers Field, behind the municipal building on Grosstown Road, is primarily a baseball field used by the Pottsgrove Little League Association, but the complex also includes a playground, pavilion, full-court basketball and some grassy space behind the outfield fence. The ballfield itself is in excellent condition with bleachers, covered dugouts, and an announcer’s booth on the third base line. The fence is at 200 feet in right, center and left fields, and they’ve got a nice scoreboard.

In talking with Ed Whetstone, the West Pottsgrove Township Manager, I learned that any Township resident can rent the pavilion at the complex. Just call Joanne Herb, the Township Secretary, who handles all rentals.

“We also recently acquired 6-7 acres along the third base side of the field, running to the airport property,” said Mr. Whetstone. “We may create a walking area there, but it hasn’t been decided yet.”

West Pottsgrove is in the process of forming their own Recreation Commission to advise their Board of Commissioners on local recreation matters. For their recreation programming, West Pottsgrove relies on the Pottsgrove Recreation Board, which organizes activities for residents of all ages in West, Upper and Lower Pottsgrove Townships. The Pottsgrove Recreation Board is funded by the three townships and the Pottsgrove School District.

But because West Pottsgrove’s recreational holdings are expanding, it looks like the time has come for them to form a local commission. The Township is in the process of finalizing a deal to acquire Colonial Swim Club, which has been in the community since 1965, and fell on hard times the past few years. They did not open this summer as the sale has been negotiated. That facility is about two acres and has a large pool, a wading pool, a pool house and a shady picnic grove. The Township hopes to offer the facility for use by day care providers and to offer lessons to the community.

Otherwise, the recreational programming in West Pottsgrove is arranged by Jody Sweinhart, the Director of the Recreation Board, who has been on staff for 23 years, the last three as Director.

“We run programming at all the Pottsgrove schools and in the summer at the playgrounds,” she said. “We offer activities not just for students but also for adults.” A glance at their website shows volleyball, table tennis, women’s exercise, ski club, swimming, summer playground and community band. (Please note that ice skating will not be offered this year.)

For those who want to get back to nature, the West Pottsgrove Township Recreation Area is the place for you. Right now, this 2.9 acre property is ideal for an outdoor get-together with family and friends to enjoy grilling, eating and tossing a Frisbee along the beautiful Manatawny Creek. According to Mr. Whetstone, the Township Manager, they recently acquired 30 acres that will run down Manatawny Street to Pottstown’s border. They’re in the master site plan design phase now, and it looks like this park will eventually include trails, a pavilion, volleyball court, and a boardwalk through wetlands for walking and nature study.

With their acquisition of the Colonial Swim Club and the acreage adjacent to Oldtimers Field and along the Manatawny, West Pottsgrove will soon have a few more impressive holdings in their recreational portfolio.

To learn more about West Pottsgrove’s Open Space Plan, click on their link at the Montgomery County Planning Commission website page for Municipal Open Space Plans.

VINE STREET PLAYGROUND
Location: Vine Street, near intersection with Quinter Street, Stowe, PA 19464
Size: 0.9 acres
Suitability: Active and passive recreation, mainly for 5-12 years old.
Facilities: Playground, swings, small and large multi-purpose open space, benches/sitting areas, picnic table
Activities + tips: Sunny field with some shady spots.
Hours: Dawn until dusk.

HOWARD STREET PLAYGROUND
Location: On Howard Street in Stowe, PA 19464, between School Lane and W. Walnut Street.
Size: 0.3 acres
Suitability: Active and passive recreation, mainly for 5-12 years old.
Facilities: Playground, swings, benches/sitting areas, small multi-purpose space.
Activities + tips: Adults: beware the merry-go-round!
Hours: Dawn until dusk.

OLDTIMERS FIELD/TOWNSHIP BUILDING
Location: 900 Grosstown Road, Stowe, PA 19464, behind the municipal building.
Size: 3.25 acres
Suitability: Active and passive recreation for all ages.
Facilities: Well-equipped ballfield, playground, multi-purpose open space, pavilion, full-court basketball that can also accommodate more picnic tables for special events.
Activities + tips: Younger children may enjoy catching a glimpse of planes taking off and landing at the airport on the other side of the trees beyond the outfield. Keep an eye on the recently-acquired acreage on the third base side of the field; it may become the site of some walking trails.
Hours: Dawn until dusk.

MANATAWNY PARK/WEST POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP RECREATION AREA
Location: Manatawny Street, near the intersection with Sell Road, Stowe, PA 19464
Size: 2.9 acres
Suitability: Active and passive recreation for all ages, access to Manatawny Creek.
Facilities: Natural areas, two picnic areas with total of 12 picnic tables and 4 grills, parking.
Activities + tips: Right now this area is great for quiet reflection or a family gathering. Keep an eye on future development of 30 acres that will extend the park to the border with Pottstown.
Hours: Dawn until dusk.

Contact regarding rentals:
West Pottsgrove Township Municipal Building
900 Grosstown Road
Stowe, PA 19464
610-323-7717 (Ask for Joanne Herb, Township Secretary)
Township website: http://www.westpottsgrove.org/
Photo gallery on their website, which shows parks.

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

PHOTO GALLERY

October 4, 2010

WANTED: Artists!

This just hit my inbox: Realtor Joe Leone is advertising available space in downtown Pottstown that he says would be ideal for an art gallery or artists’ studios. The space is in the former New York Store building at the corner of High and Penn Streets. With its distinctive retro facade, no one will have any trouble tracking down any artists who locate there.

The building has elevators, lots of parking in the rear, along with outdoor patios in the rear on two levels. And it’s in the heart of the downtown, a stone’s throw from The Gallery on High, Tri-County Performing Arts Center and several restaurants. Artists: Pottstown wants you. Get in on its revitalization now and reap the benefits for years to come!

This is Mr. Leone’s website.

238 E. High Street flyer

October 1, 2010

Potts Drive Park and Memorial Park, the crown jewel of Pottstown

We have just one more pocket park to visit, and that is Potts Drive Park in the western part of the Borough. After that, we will finish our whirlwind tour of Pottstown’s parks with Memorial Park.

To get to Potts Drive Park, you would go west on King Street, cross Route 100, turn right at Gable Avenue, left onto W. Chestnut Street and then go right onto Potts Drive. The park is at the very end of Potts Drive. As I drove up, at first glance it appeared that the park was fenced and locked up, but then I saw an opening, which is to the left of the main gate.

Apparently, there had been some trouble recently with “turfing,” the practice of driving a vehicle fast on grass and messing it all up. There is a small parking area at the entrance to Potts Drive Park, but it is no longer accessible in order to keep vehicles out of the park.

Once inside the park, it’s got a decent basketball court, grassy areas for picnics or running around, and nice play equipment. Although this is the last pocket park I’m writing about, it was the first one I visited with my camera, and it’s got a fast slide and a purple dino that is sure to make anyone’s day a little brighter.

Heading east on King Street, back toward downtown, will bring you to Memorial Park, the crown jewel of the Pottstown park system. The Penn State researchers classify it as a regional and “well-rounded large park.”

You’ll recall that well-rounded means that a park provides a full-range of opportunities for:
• physical activity
• social connections
• contact with nature
• connecting with history, culture, sense of place

Memorial Park offers all those in abundance. On two recent visits to the park, on foot as well as on a bike from Bike Pottstown and Tri-County Bicycles, I ended up spending hours re-discovering a park that has changed so much since I last lived in Pottstown in the 1980s.

I also spent most of the day there for the July 4th festivities, when it was filled with activities, such as a classic car show, hot-air balloon lift-offs, rides and games of chance, all being enjoyed by thousands, whose numbers increased in anticipation of the evening’s fireworks. It’s hard to do justice to what this landscape provides for residents and visitors throughout the year. I will just try to highlight some of the many facilities and possibilities for a wide range of age and interest groups.

Very young children will love the Fountain of Youth Spray Park and adjacent playground, which are near the Manatawny Street entrance. Stroller-bound children (and their parents) will enjoy all the paved paths throughout the park, while older children in the Pottstown Little League make use of the ball fields.

Moving deeper into the park, beyond the baseball fields, those old enough to remember Gruber Pool will now find the Trilogy Park BMX in its place. Trilogy supports local riders and competes in and hosts National Bicycle League-sanctioned competitions. For more information about their programs, visit their website.

Dog lovers will want to wander behind Trilogy Park BMX and check out the Bark Park, built with support from Home Depot, Exelon, PECO, National Penn Bank and the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2008. Residents can contact the Parks and Recreation Department regarding membership. The facility is gated and users need a key to enter.

Going back toward the BMX course and then veering left and crossing over a bridge, the path will lead you to some open fields on your right and left. To your right, you will see a bandstand and beyond that the beautifully landscaped Veterans Walk of Honor. My photos did not come out, but I’ll take more and then add them to the photo gallery. In the meantime, there are some beautiful photos posted by the Joint Veterans Council at their website. Going back to the path (after coming over the footbridge), on your left, you can pay your respects at the World War II Memorial.

Nearby, families, sports teams, community groups and church groups may want to consider renting out the pavilion. It’s got electricity and offers plenty of picnic tables, wide open spaces around it, and the playground close by for special events. On one of my visits, I got to talking to a family that rents the pavilion every year for a child’s birthday party, and they were nice enough to invite me. I have to note that whenever I asked if I could take a picture, people were very friendly!

In addition to the July 4th Celebration, which is the area’s largest, Memorial Park plays host to another annual event that attracts thousands of visitors. Serious volleyball players converge on Pottstown on Memorial Day weekend for what is certainly one of the best volleyball tournaments on the east coast. The website for the 19th Annual Rumble bills itself as “The toughest grass tournament in the Nation!!!” Here is The Mercury’s coverage of the 2010 Rumble and some other great photos.

Finally, let’s not forget the Manatawny Creek itself,which defines the edge of the park along Manatawny Street near King Street, and then winds away, offering numerous chances to re-connect with nature. On a warm, sunny September day, I saw families venturing around the water’s edge, kids jumping in, and a group of young teens crowding around a fisherman, who let them all have a chance to catch something.

Memorial Park and the surrounding western gateway area leading into Pottstown have enjoyed the support of the Montgomery County Planning Commission’s Open Space Grant Program. Projects in Pottstown have included the Memorial Park ballfield conversion, the Fountain of Youth Spray Park and the nearby Manatawny Gateway Project, commonly known as The Carousel. The Pottstown area is fortunate indeed to have the continued public and private investment in the planning and evolution of this invaluable resource.

POTTS DRIVE PARK
Location: At the end of Potts Drive, Pottstown, PA 19464. Although it is behind WalMart, it can only be accessed via Potts Drive; there is no through street to Shoemaker Rd.
Size: 0.5 acres
Suitability: Playground will appeal to 5-12 year olds. Basketball court will appeal to older children, teens & adults.
Facilities: Playground, multi-purpose open space, benches, shade trees, full-court basketball.
Activities + tips: There is no access to the parking area. Entrance is accessible for pedestrians, wheelchairs & bicycles.
Hours: Dawn until dusk.

MEMORIAL PARK, also known as MANATAWNY PARK
Location: This 78-acre park can be accessed from Manatawny Street near W. Second Street, as well as on King Street between Manatawny Street and Shoemaker Road.
Parking: From King Street, parking is available in 2 lots near the baseball fields and near the Trilogy Park/BMX course. Some parking is also available near the Manatawny Street entrance (near the spray park.)
Size: 78 acres
Suitability: All ages.
Facilities: Three baseball fields, soccer field, many multi-purpose open space areas, benches, shade trees, full-court basketball, playground, spray park (in season), Trilogy Park/BMX course, Bark Park (for dogs), picnic areas, pavilion (with electric), bandstand, World War II Memorial, gazebo and Veterans Walk of Honor and, of course, Manatawny Creek.
Activities + tips: This park offers active and passive recreation for all ages. Paved paths throughout the park will appeal to bikers, walkers, joggers and the stroller crowd. If fishing, please observe all PA gaming/fishing laws. Keep an eye out for large-scale community & recreational events held in Memorial Park. For something a little out-of-the ordinary, check out the Trilogy Park BMX where Gruber Pool used to be.
Hours: Dawn until dusk, except for some special events.

Contact regarding any park rentals:
Pottstown Parks & Recreation Department
Borough Hall, 100 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610-970-6500
Click on the Department’s “Special Events” tab to learn more about upcoming events.

Follow the parks series at Mission: Healthy Living, Positively!Pottstown, Twitter (PositivelyPtown), Facebook, and The Mercury.

PHOTO GALLERY