I recently received this press release from Montgomery County Community College. If you’ve been wanting to brush up on or learn a new language for business, travel or just because you have an insatiable curiosity, now’s your chance to do it conveniently at the Pottstown campus!
Aug. 10, 2011, Blue Bell/Pottstown, Pa. — Montgomery County Community College is adding new languages to its Lifelong Learning programs and is expanding offerings to the West Campus in Pottstown.
Designed for adult learners without the pressure of examinations and grades, small classes are taught by native or near-native fluency instructors. The relaxed atmosphere is ideal for individuals interested in preparing for trip, brushing up on a language, or mastering a new language.
In addition to learning vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar, all courses incorporate cultural features in geography, history, politics, the arts and foods. All learning levels are welcome, from beginners in the Discover Language series (e.g., greetings, asking directions, ordering in restaurants) to more advanced learners in the Immersion and Progression classes (e.g., literature, politics).
New languages, including Hungarian, have been added to the course selection to reflect shifts in demographics and increasing local interest.
Fall classes begin in September and October and are offered at the College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, and for the first time at the West Campus, 101 College Drive, Pottstown.
TheSeventh-Day Adventist Church of Pottstown is sponsoring a Summer Food Service Program as part of their community outreach. They are providing lunch for children ages 18 and younger on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays through August 27th.
The lunches are served at the Chestnut Street Park, at the corner of Chestnut and N. Washington Streets from noon until 1:00 pm, each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Any young person who lives in Pottstown Borough is eligible; there’s no need to sign up! Just show up at the park! This program is run through the PA Department of Education and is funded by the USDA.
“I am very grateful to have a couple of area businesses assist our church in keeping within the budget allowed for the program,” said Carolyn D. Hetrick, MSHN. She is the Health and Wellness Coordinator for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which is located at 1134 N. Charlotte Street in the North End.
Specifically, Mickey Barron, manager for the Pizza Hut in the Upland Square Shopping Center, is generously donating pizzas for the Thursday lunches. Also, Christopher Longeway and Sam Rhame of the Milkman Lunch Co. and Cake Shoppe on N. Charlotte Street are graciously discounting the cost of their service to help with the Saturday lunches.
For more information regarding this program, check out the USDA website at: www.summerfood.usda.gov.
Do you love chocolate? Who doesn’t love a summertime treat? Nobody can resist the temptation of WILLIE WONKA JR. at theTri-County Performing Arts Center, 245 E. High Street, Pottstown. Get your tickets now – there are only three performances, Saturday August 13th at 7:00 PM and Sunday, August 14th at 3:00 PM or 7:00 PM. Tickets for these special performances by Summer Camp students are only $8.00!
Bring the whole family to the Tri-PAC Performing Arts Summer Camp’s production of WILLY WONKA, JR. It’s a delightful, updated musical version of Roald Dahl’s timeless children’s novel, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY! Augustus eats and eats. Veruca yells and yells. Violet chews and chews. And Mike Teavee? Well, he learns everything on the … you know what! Then there’s Charlie Bucket who learns to “Think Positive.” These are the five Golden Ticket winners who get a lifetime supply of glorious chocolate from candy creator Willy Wonka AND a tour of his mysterious and fantastic factory. But do all the kids stay until the end of the tour? Come to the Tri-PAC and find out!
The cast includes Aidan Quigley, Aslan Berbaum, Mike Styer, Lindsay Lohr, Brad Heinzinger, Tim Turner, Anna Lavelle, Sebastian Coates, Cassie Wells, Taylor Ruffo, Rikki Etter, Emi Aungst, Kendall Bowden, JT Clark, Olivia Zitkus, Sarah Bauer, Wyeth Casperite, Rachel Julian, Kyraen Bittner, Madison Kershner, Jordan Hicks, Julia Maenza, Cassandra Marks, Hannah Paczkowski, Amanda Murray, Nathan Bunyon, Tiana Gallagher, Lauren Bergen, Madison Wingert, Lauren Dougherty, and Annie Stockmal. The Stage Director for this production is Lisa Uliasz with Music Director, Richard Oberholtzer.
Lyrics and music are by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The show was adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusse and Timothy A. McDonald. It is based on the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl, and presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International.
Tickets are available online atwww.tripac.org. Tickets will be sold at the door if space is available. For full information check www.tripac.org, or call the theater at 610-970-1199. You will also find full information on the website about the upcoming 2011 – 2012 season.
ABOUT VILLAGE PRODUCTIONS
Village Productions (the Tri-County Performing Arts Center) is a dynamic non-profit performing arts organization founded in 2001 to make the arts highly accessible to all in the community. Established and led by dedicated team of performing artists, arts educators, business leaders, and area residents, Village Productions seeks to strengthen community, inspire creative exploration, educate, and entertain, through the presentation of quality performing arts events and educational opportunities geared toward a diverse audience. More information is available at www.tripac.org
The following is a recent press release from Montgomery County Community College about an innovative summer science camp for Pottstown-area middle school students. Note that Pottstown resident, Anna Johnson, of Arkema Inc., a global chemical company with a research center in King of Prussia, also participated. Anna, who is a leader of Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization and on the board of MOSAIC Community Land Trust, spearheaded the first-ever “Science in the Park” this past June at the Chestnut Street Park in Pottstown. Kudos to Anna, MCCC and TD Bank for exposing area young people to the excitement and possibilities in the study of science and technology at a more sophisticated level than they would typically get to experience.
21 middle schoolers participated in MCCC’s Green STEM camp
July 25, 2011, Pottstown, Pa.—Twenty-one middle school students from Pottstown and the surrounding areas immersed themselves in Montgomery County Community College’s laboratory classrooms, as part of a one-week camp, “How Scientists View the Environment,” during June 27-July 1 at the West Campus in Pottstown.
The College created this Green STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—program as the result of a $10,000 grant received earlier this year from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank. The program encourages youth to explore this exciting, growing career field.
“To understand what it is like to be a scientist, you have to emulate the environment in which a scientist works from start to end, which is what we did during this week,” said Dr. Davi Gonzales, Biology Associate Professor at the College.
During the first day, Dr. Gonzales introduced the concepts of scientific method and experimental design. Through simple experiments with dice, students learned to form hypotheses, develop experimental designs to test their hypotheses and analyze their results.
Using Excel spreadsheets, the students learned about normal distribution, mean, standard deviation, 95 percent confidence interval and p-value. The students used these key concepts for various activities throughout the week.
“I thought it was cool that I could understand some of these difficult concepts. I learned about the t-test, p-value, scientific papers, experimental design and how to find a p-value by hand,” said 13-year-old Emily Daubenspeck, who wants to become a doctor. “I found the math aspect interesting because my dad teaches math, and he said his students were not learning this material until tenth grade.”
After learning the basics, students explored various environmental issues and pollution problems. They collected and tested water samples from the local Manatawny Creek and Schuylkill River to investigate the impact of pollution on soil and water microbial diversity and to conduct pH and
water filtration tests. They also studied different species of birds in their natural habitats in the Schuylkill River floodplain in Pottstown’s Riverfront Park and practiced population sampling techniques.
At the conclusion of the program, the students analyzed the data from their experiments and displayed and presented their results using graphs and tables and Power Point programs.
“What makes this program truly unique is that it was done at a community college with middle school students within five days,” Dr. Gonzales said. “Usually, these types of programs are done by research universities with much older students. It proves that you can teach college-level material to younger students. We were able to do this due to the tremendous talent of the faculty and staff involved.”
Dr. Jane Graden showed students how to conduct pH & water filtration tests
The week-long program was a collaborative effort of several MCCC instructors and staff, including Biology Associate Professor Dr. Davi Gonzales, Coordinator Ms. Cheryl Taylor-Mearhoff, Geology Professor Rob Kuhlman, Microbiology Instructor Dr. James Bretz, Assistant Chemistry Professor Dr. Janet Graden, Biology Instructor David Whalen, Math Assistant Professor Mark McFadden, Assistant Math Professor Barbara Lontz and Assistant Mathematics Professor Stephanie Isaac.
Additionally, Dana Swan and Anna Johnson of Arkema Inc., a global chemical company with a research center in King of Prussia, participated by sharing their knowledge and helping students in the lab. MCCC students Timothy Solomon and Barbara Jack also assisted in the classroom and out in the field.
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which operates as TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, is one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation’s mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made over $68.4 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The efforts of the Foundation are coordinated locally through TD Bank’s community relations departments and are focused on the areas of affordable housing, education and financial literacy, and the environment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an online grant application, is available at http://www.TDBank.com.
The Montgomery County Community College Foundation is the designated tax-exempt, charitable arm of the College. The Foundation’s purpose is to raise funds to assist the College in developing programs, facilities, and services to enhance and enrich student life and to maintain a tradition of educational excellence. For more information, visit http://www.mc3.edu/giving/about/default.aspx.
I recently received the following press release from Montgomery County Community College and added the photo so readers would know what building is being renovated.
140 College Drive
June 15, 2011, Pottstown, Pa.—As residents of Pottstown and its surrounding communities head to theSchuylkill River and its trails for recreation this summer, they will see a flurry of activity at 140 College Drive – the future home of the Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center.
Montgomery County Community College is currently in phase II of the renovation that will transform the facility, commonly referred to as “the old PECO building,” into a state-of-the-art educational center. Phase II work includes improvements to the building’s infrastructure and exterior envelope, including the installation of sustainable features that will support LEED certification.
Specifically, phase II will include replacement of the building’s aged, leaking roof with an eco-friendly green roof, along with the installation of energy efficient windows. A new entrance and handicap-accessible ramp will also be created. Phase II work is slated for completion in September.
When funding becomes available, phase III work will focus on the building’s interior, including the development of classrooms, offices and student spaces. A variety of sponsorship and funding opportunities are available to help bring the proposed Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center to fruition. To learn more, visit www.mc3.edu/giving or call the College’s Foundation at 215-641-6535.
The completed Center will provide space for four college classrooms equipped with SMART technology, a state-of-the-art laboratory that will support the College’s Environmental Science degree program, and an interpretive center that will provide educational, historic and tourist information about the Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA).
In May 2010, the College completed phase I of the project by renovating the site’s parking lot. Renovations included removing contaminated soil, installing underground drainage facilities, adding clean fill, installing a blacktop cap to protect the groundwater table, and constructing three bio-retention basins to capture stormwater runoff. Installation of LED lighting and the placement of more than 130 trees, shrubs and bushes make the lot more sustainable.
The building at 140 College Drive served the Pottstown community as an electrical generating station starting in 1911. After sitting vacant for a number of years, the building and three-acre site were purchased by the Borough of Pottstown. The College secured ownership of the site in April 2009, and enjoys a unique partnership with the SRHA, which leases office space in the building.
Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure has opened at Tri-County Peforming Arts Center. I saw the preview performance last night, and it is just spectacular! Children will be enchanted by the flying characters; P.J. Schweizer, who plays Peter Pan, is spot-on and full of mischievous energy througout; and Maddie Aicher, who plays Wendy, has got just the most angelic voice I’ve heard in a long time. The show runs Thursday through Sundays up until June 19. TriPAc is located at 245 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464. This is a new version of Peter Pan and TriPaC is hosting the U. S. Premier. NY critics will be here to check it out. If it moves to Broadway, you’ll be able to say you saw it first… in Pottstown, PA! There’s be an opening night reception tonight, Friday, June 3rd. Go to TrIPAC.org to order tickets online. Prices are always discounted for students and seniors.
Tonight is also the opening of The Pottstown Art Show, presented by the Pottstown Area Artists Guild and The Hill School Center for the Arts. The show will be at the Hill’s Boyer Gallery until June 12. This is PAAG’s first juried show, which will raise funds for scholarships for local students who will pursue the arts in college. The PAAG is in its 51st year. See the Artists Guild website at www. Paag.info for more details.
Get a great deal on used books at the Pottstown Regional Public Library‘s Back Door Book Sale today and tomorrow! The library is at 500 E. High Street; the phone number is (610) 970-6551.
This weekend brings the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life to Pottsgrove High School. Pottstown’s relay for Life teams raise more money than any other area in Pennsylvania and is one of the top performers in the world, last year raising more than $729,000 to fight cancer. The opening ceremony is at 10 am on Saturday, followed by the Survivor and Caregiver Walk. There are other ceremonies in the evening. SeeRosemary Keane’s blog postfrom earlier today for more details.
For the children of Pottstown, a new and exciting event is being held this Saturday from 12-3 in the new Chestnut Street Park at the corner of Chestnut and Washington Streets. It’s called Science in the Park and it promises fun hands-on activities that will get your kids learning new concepts and maybe even wanting to grow up to be a scientist or engineer! There will be demonstrations on Kitchen Chemistry, Slime and polymers, rocks and minerals and chemical reactions. A huge shout-out to Pottstown resident Anna Johnson for bringing this wonderful idea to life! More info can be found at vivapottstown.com.
The professional chamber ensemble CANTATICA will return to Emmanuel Lutheran Church,150 North Hanover Street, Pottstown for the final concert of its 2010-2011 concert season on Sunday, June 5, at 4:00 PM. The program, I Hear America Singing: A Celebration of the American Spirit, will feature solo voices, chamber choir and instruments (clarinet, violin, cello, bass and piano) performing early American hymns, Shaker songs, Afro-American spirituals, Appalachian folk songs and fiddle tunes, contemporary classical settings of Civil War texts, and classic jazz. Admission to I Hear America Singing: A Celebration of the American Spirit is $14 Adults, $12 Seniors, and $6 Students. Tickets may be purchased by email at info@cantatica.org, by telephone at 484-951-5113 and at the door.
Finally, next Thursday, June 9thHabitat for Humanity of Montgomery County is holding a Homeownership Orientation Session from 6:30 PM — 8:30 PM at 450 High Street in the Sidney Pollack Building across the street from the Pottstown Library. For more info, call Jean Ford, Family Services Coordinator at Habitat for Humanity 610-278-7710.
The Gallery School of Pottstown is proud to announce their Healing Arts program has received a grant from the Hill School Student Philanthropy Council. The Healing Arts Program offers free art programs to those whose lives have been touched by cancer. Participants can choose any of the School’s scheduled 2011 summer classes in topics from pottery and drawing to glass fusing and painting. Visit www.galleryonhigh.org for complete class details, and to download an application for the program. Applicants may also call 610-326-2506 for more information.
Acceptance in the Healing Arts program is on a first come, first served basis, and there are a limited number of spaces available. Also available through this program is a brand new Fiber Exploration Class. This class is available to support groups as a fun group activity. Participants will try their hand at spinning their own yarn and will work on a cooperative weaving project. Their final woven piece will be framed and presented to the group after their class. No experience in the fiber arts is necessary–just a willingness to try new things. Please call or email the Gallery School for more details and to schedule. A very limited number of classes are available
Healing Arts is sponsored by the Hill School Student Philosophy Council. The Student Philanthropy Council, first launched in October 2008, was created by Charles A. Frank, III, Hill School Class of ’59 and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and his wife, Betty. The program allows Hill students to learn about the value and processes of philanthropy. In addition, the program provides funding to Pottstown nonprofit organizations with strategic initiatives focused on enhancing the health and overall wellness of area families and communities.
The Gallery School of Pottstown is a 501c3 non-profit community art school and gallery. The School offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. The Gallery on High hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The Gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.
The Gallery School of Pottstown
@ Gallery on High
254 E. High St.
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-326-2506 www.galleryonhigh.org
Last night, in a unanimous decision, the Pottstown School Board voted to transfer a vacant lot at 423 Chestnut Street to the MOSAIC Community Land Trust (CLT). Read about ithere.
Old Chestnut Street Park
A community land trust is a proven model for promoting affordable homeownership, stabilizing neighborhoods and improving local economies. The community garden at 423 Chestnut will be its first project.
Pottstown’s CLT is a project of the Preservation Pottstown organization founded nearly 30 years ago. The group recently adopted the name MOSAIC Community Land Trust because a mosaic is the coming together of many different, colorful pieces – even some that are a bit rough around the edges! – to create a thing of beauty. (Keep an eye out for an upcoming call for artists to create a mosaic logo for the CLT, in conjunction with The Gallery School!)
The new board of trustees now at the helm of Preservation Pottstown/MOSAIC, with the support of a grant from National Penn Bank (thank you, Sharon McMichael!), have been working with a nationally-known CLT expert, Van Temple, to get its by-laws and operations in order so that it can own and manage projects like the community garden and, eventually, rehab and sell homes to low- and moderate-income working folks.
The School District’s decision is a huge milestone for what it represents: a new wave of partnership and collaboration on a progressive, healthy, sustainable community initiative. This effort has been led by the indomitable spirit of Katy Jackson on behalf of MOSAIC and supported and nurtured by many others, including Dr. Reed Lindley, Stephen Kalis, Andrew Monastra, Jason Bobst, Judy Memberg & Genesis Housing and Al Gryga of DePallo Design & Planning.
While it will be too late to get veggies in the ground for this summer, a team of volunteers and professionals are lined up to begin cleaning up and preparing the lot, perhaps for some fall harvesting, but certainly for next spring. I apologize in advance if I miss anyone in the list that follows – let me know and I’ll get additional names in here! Some of those who have committed to making this happen include: Master Gardeners from Penn State; Shawn Conroy & Lowe’s employees, Alan Jensen-Sellers, Master Arborist with Davey Tree Experts; Eric Schmidt of Colonial Gardens, Mary-Beth Lydon, Chris Huff, Teri Jensen-Sellers, McDonald’s and Giant for refreshments for volunteers, and many, many more.
Teaching children & adults… meeting neighbors… enjoying the outdoors… getting your hands dirty… the MOSAIC garden committee is always looking to grow its community. For more information, visit MOSAIC Community Land Trust’s website here.
The application deadline has been extended until this Saturday, May 7th for the Greater Pottstown Foundation Arts Scholarship
Seniors from Pottstown, Pottsgrove, the Hill School and Owen J. Roberts High Schools, who will be furthering their education in the arts, are eligible to apply. For a complete prospectus and application, please go to The Gallery School of Pottstown’s website: www.galleryonhigh.com.
The Greater Pottstown Foundation Scholarship for the Arts is designed to financially assist a qualified applicant in obtaining a degree from accredited academic institutions of higher learning for a study in the arts. The scholarship is awarded based on a scholarship essay and based on merit as measured by artistic performance at the Greater Pottstown Foundation Senior High School Art Exhibit at the Gallery School of Pottstown. The applicant’s intended field of study must include a major in an arts related field.
For application details: go to www.galleryonhigh.com today! This is a unique opportunity offered right here in Pottstown to support young artists. The Greater Pottstown Foundation supports education, the arts, tolerance and the environment in the general Pottstown, Pennsylvania area.
This past Monday, about a dozen members of the Heritage Action Plan working group gathered at the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce to review the results of a recent listing and ranking of Pottstown’s heritage resources.
The map below – created by Tom Carroll – shows the clusters of historical, arts, cultural, dining and recreational resources in and around the downtown. Some highly-ranked resources received “poor” ratings for physical condition. It’s important to keep in mind that highly-valued resources, perceived to be in poor condition, may be excellent candidates for money or attention to draw the most benefit from them in our promotional efforts.
The map also listed major annual or seasonal events hosted in/by Pottstown every year. When these events are shown by the month in which they occur, it becomes apparent that the Borough and various other organizations are holding major events that draw visitors from throughout the region 8 months out of the year. Coordinating & enhancing promotion with downtown merchants and PDIDA could be one of several recommended strategies in the HAP. Creating additional events to fill in the other months would lead to a full year of “hometown celebration” programming.
As the working group moves toward defining Pottstown’s heritage marketing strategy and branding, history and the arts emerged as themes to pursue. Here were several comments/suggestions:
Start giving Historic Walking Tours on First Saturdays, led by MCCC students.
Consider giving Cemetery Tours, esp. for John Potts Cemetery, which is now not open to the public, and for Edgewood Cemetery. Coordinate with Pottsgrove Manor.
Look into creating a Historic Church Tour; several churches were highly-ranked.
Use banners (inexpensive) to designate High St. as an “Avenue of the Arts.”
Use banners to generate excitement & direct visitors to downtown. Addcolor!
Coordinate with PDIDA & downtown merchants.
The group briefly talked about tourism/hospitality amenities that are lacking or need improvement. Safety and cleanliness had been concerns in our first large group meeting back in March.
High school students will be cleaning up the downtown on the April 30 Clean-Up Day, and this should be the beginning of more frequent clean-ups downtown by student volunteers.
Need to do a better job of tapping volunteers in the community.
Involve high school students in creating marketing materials.
Need signage, banners, kiosks to get Trail users into the downtown – still must decide how many, what goes on them, where to place them and prioritize list.
Need more occupied storefronts, esp. creative-related, for critical mass to attract trail users.
Will need lodging for overnight visitors when Trail is complete.
Consider a winter carnival in February.
HAP partners must continue to have conversations & coordinate with County & PennDOT regarding road projects and trail linkages.
As one participant noted: “This is exactly what the ULI report was talking about.”
We expect to have another large group meeting in the next couple weeks as we solicit more input on a vision statement, marketing strategies, and trail town components like signs, kiosks and connecting paths. The public is invited to join in here or by emailing PtownHAP@gmail.com.
Positively Pottstown blog 
