The hot, humid air in Father Doyne Hall tried to smother the 45-50 former players who showed up for the last game ever, but it didn’t stop old-timers and youngsters alike from running up and down the court for about three hours last Friday night. Those guys from this year’s graduating class of 2010 sure can shoot the 3! There was also an impressive showing from the – ahem – older grads, some of whom are still playing regularly. Former coaches on hand included Joe Donahue, Pete Sovia, Michele Repko Dunleavy, and Randy Reber, who will take over the helm for Phoenixville’s boys’ program next season. Thanks for the memories, St. Pius X! St. Pius X Basketball Alumni
While we’re on the topic of basketball, I’ve changed the photo in the sidebar to my beloved neighborhood hoop at Franklin Elementary School in the North End. I’ve stopped by to visit this hoop several times over the years, which looks to be the exact same iron pole, backboard and rim where I spent so many hours playing, practicing and shedding tears of frustration while growing up. I won’t go on here about the kind of love a person could feel for a simple thing like that, for that place. The blacktop is crumbling now, which makes me just plain sad, but also reminds me of why I’ve been coming back to Pottstown these days. There are a lot of complicated, interconnected and entrenched reasons why a playground blacktop would be crumbling. I’m just trying to do my part to move things in the direction of smoothing that out for the kids coming along now who deserve to have their ball come predictably back up to their fingertips when they make their next move. Game on!
The three candidates for Superintendent of the Pottstown School District will appear in a public forum tonight at 7 pm at Invictus Mininistries, 79 N. Hanover St. (at the corner of Beech.) They will all respond to the same questions, which can be found in this Mercury article. You can even post your own questions there, and the Mercury will pass them on.
Whether or not you agree with how this forum came to be scheduled, the bottom line is that it’s a chance for all residents to see the candidates speak and interact with the public, knowing they are one step from leading the district.
The candidates are Edgewood Elementary Principal Angela Tuck, Director of Education Jeff Sparagana, and Assistant Superintendent Reed Lindley. Each one has a wealth of experience in the district and a broad array of loyal supporters. The community is fortunate to have three candidates qualified to step up to lead.
This Thursday evening, May 20th, Village Productions/Tri-County Performing Arts Center will be leading a Community Outreach Program to provide education and encourage discussion about the social and historical themes in the musical production, RAGTIME. It will take place from 7-8 pm at Christ Episcopal Church at 316 E. High Street, Pottstown.
The discussion will be led by the Director of RAGTIME, Neal Newman, and the Music Director, Deborah Stimson-Snow (who is also the Artistic Director for the Tri-PAC).
RAGTIME is based on the award-winning E.L. Doctorow novel of the same name, and is being performed at the Tri-PAC on Thursdays through Sundays, June 3rd through 20th.
The public is also welcome to access a complimentary STUDY GUIDE about the work, which can be used by individuals or groups before or after the program to provide information about the plot and social and historical issues in RAGTIME, which revolve around immigration, culture clashes, and the hopes and dreams of the featured characters. The STUDY GUIDE can be downloaded directly from the Tri-PAC website here.
Last Friday’s “State of the Organization” event at the Tri-PAC began with a tasty array of food from area restaurants and caterers. Thank goodness Dean Foster, wine genius and fellow blogger, was there to steer me in the right direction at the wine table. (Definitely look for the guy with the full, white beard at similar events around town & don’t be shy about asking for help!) It was also a pleasure to meet Tom Abbott, publisher of The Mercury, who slyly suggested that someone write about the event. Positively!Pottstown was already on the case! So, here you go… Photo courtesy of Village Productions
I knew the program would be informative in nature, updating the community on how far the organization had come and where they’re headed, but I had no idea how entertaining it would be. Musical selections from the upcoming production of Ragtime, The Musical alternated with information about the importance of the arts and the actual achievements of Tri-PAC, and the format was just right. In fact, it was downright fun. And inspiring, especially the voices rising in song, filling the main stage up to the rafters. Photo courtesy of Village Productions
Speakers included Bill Kiesling, singer & Spouse Extraordinaire; Deborah Stimson-Snow, Artistic Director; Martha McGeary Snider, PA Policy Advisor for Arts and Culture; Marta Rubin Kiesling, Executive Director; Jordan Shoemaker, student, singer, actress; and Tri-PAC board member and actress Lisa Waltz, a Spring Ford and Carnegie Mellon grad, now living and working in L.A.
What grabbed my attention at the start was Deborah Stimson-Snow saying, “There’s a kind of truth happening here… There’s an opportunity every day to do something true.” Yes – that’s what live performance is all about – an artist or group of artists sharing a search for some kind of truth with an audience. This is a noble thing.
The social impact of the arts is now a well-documented phenomenon, and Martha McGeary Snider, Policy Advisor Arts and Culture for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, hit the high points. A strong arts presence can be a stabilizing force in neighborhoods, providing a common destination, a shared language and a place for diversity to flourish, which is exactly what’s taking place at the Tri-PAC.
Marta Rubin Kiesling, Executive Director, provided key statistics from the fall of 2008 to the spring of 2010. These numbers are essential to understanding exactly what Village Productions has achieved, and it’s pretty astounding:
– Over 14,000 audience members
– Over 150 performances
– Over 800 students
– 64 classes
– 11 staff
– Participation of hundreds of volunteers
– Educational outreach to more than 1,000 students
Educational offerings run the gamut, from children’s classes to voice, guitar, comedy improvisation, piano, dancing, directing, script analysis and group singing. There’s something for every one in every age group.
In looking toward the future, Tri-PAC will soon be offering subscriptions. They’re continually finding ways to increase student and community outreach, and they hope to add a retail and concession stand in the lobby area. Perhaps the most important project will be the façade improvement, giving them greater visibility and creating a landmark location on High Street. Representatives from the state are coming to town today to meet and consider a funding request for the façade improvement project. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. (Feel free to post your support for that project right here!)
The success of the Tri-PAC is a KEY ingredient in the revitalization of Pottstown’s downtown. As McGeary-Snider pointed out early in the program: The arts mean business. And she added, “There is a distinct relationship between engagement in art and engagement in civic life.”
In the end, it all comes down to personal responsibility. Strengthening the arts in your hometown is your civic duty. It also happens to be fun and uplifting. Sign up for a class. Volunteer. Get a group of friends together and see a show. A lively downtown will be the result of the artist, or audience member in each of us, coming out from behind the curtain, or taking our seat in the darkened theater, joining other human beings on a journey for some kind of truth.
Positively Pottstown blog 