Category: Neighborhoods

LointerHOME completes another gorgeous home in Pottstown

New to the market today, 542 Chestnut Street is the latest renovation by LointerHOME, the residential construction team headed by Amanda and Cristian DeSeta. 542 Chestnut is a New American Craftsman that boasts 1,736 square  feett, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and features a jacuzzi tub, all granite counters, and stainless steel appliances.  The new gas-fired heating system provides long-term savings on heating bills, and the 2-car garage is relatively rare in Pottstown. 542 Chestnut is within a couple blocks of the Hill School, the Chestnut Street playground, MOSAIC Community Garden, and downtown Pottstown. It is listed at $125,000.

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the Pottstown real estate market, you’ll have noted that in the past year LointerHOME has successfully renovated and sold homes at 116 King Street, 467 Farmington Avenue, and 426 King Street. All of their homes are brought back to life with major systems overhauls and an attention to historic details like hardwood floors, lighting fixtures, and facades. Clean lines, cool palettes, and stainless steel appliances have brought these properties into the 21st century. (542 Chestnut includes one of my favorite materials of all time: “subway tiles.”)

Please enjoy these photos by Betsy Barron Photography. If you like what you see, check out the listing here and get in touch with realtor Lori Vanderbilt of Coldwell Banker Hearthside in Collegeville today at 610-489-7700.

Thank you to LointerHOME for recognizing the architectural gems here in Pottstown and continuing to invest in the Borough’s future!

Pottstown Borough clean-up slated for tomorrow morning!

 The Borough’s annual clean-up day will take place tomorrow from 8 am-noon. This event is organized by Bill Sharon and Councilman Mark Gibson. If you want to work with fellow residents, bring a pair of gloves, a broom, a rake – whatever tools you think will be helpful – and meet at Borough Hall (100 E. High Street) or at Empire Hook & Ladder (Franklin & Chestnut Streets) at 8 am. The Borough will be going around to pick up trash bags, and there will be dumpsters at Borough Hall and the firehouse. You can also join other volunteers for refreshments at Smith Plaza at noon.

Please note that if you can’t make the downtown clean-up, please take a few moments to clean up in front of your house, out by the curb, and/or in the alleyway. A neat & tidy yard and sidewalk actually can lift your spirits – at least it does for me!

If you want to extend the good feelings, here’s another volunteer clean-up opportunity from The Mercury…

“If you’re still in the cleanup mood on Sunday, you can join the Mercury staff and other local volunteers who will be giving a similar treatment to Ganshahawny Park in Douglass (Berks) Township from 8 to 10 a.m. The cleanup area was found with the help of the   Schuylkill Action Network    and the votes of Mercury readers on Facebook.  The Schuylkill Scrub    organization is providing trash bags and reflector vests, and several people have volunteered to help.For directions or to learn more, read editor   Nancy March’s blog post    on pottsmerc.com.”

MOSAIC to hold information sessions about Community Garden

Have you ever wanted to have your own garden, but didn’t have enough room in your yard? Would you like your children to learn how to grow their own fresh vegetables, but don’t know where to begin?

This spring MOSAIC Community Land Trust is building Pottstown’s first community garden at 423 Chestnut Street. They will be holding three information sessions during the month of February to explain what community gardens are all about and to take applications for approximately 40 raised bed garden plots for the 2012 season.

In addition to the garden plots, there will be compost bins, rain barrels, pavers, fencing, trellis, perennial gardens, a storage shed, and water service for irrigation.

The MOSAIC Community Garden is being built with a $30,000 grant from the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation. The property at 423 Chestnut Street was donated by thePottstown School District last spring, and other major donors and volunteers includePottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation. Other donations have already been received from Genesis Housing/Susquehanna Bank, Lowes, Davey Tree Experts, Andrew Monastra, Esq., the Borough of Pottstown, and many other individuals and volunteers.

According to the American Community Gardening Association, a community garden is “any piece of land gardened by a group of people.”

Typically, community gardens transform vacant lots into beautiful and positive community gathering places. While fresh, organic food is typically more expensive and out of financial reach for many people, the cost to grow and harvest one’s own food is significantly less. Residents pay a small annual fee to lease their plot and actively cultivate it throughout the entire growing season. MOSAIC plans to provide educational workshops for new and experienced gardeners. Individuals, families, community organizations, youth groups, and local restaurants are all welcome to apply for a plot.

The information sessions will be held at the following times and locations in Pottstown:

Tuesday, February 14 from 7-8 pm at the Ricketts Community Center, 640 Beech Street

Tuesday, February 21 from 7-8 pm at MOSAIC’s office, 10 S. Hanover Street

Saturday, February 25 from 2-3 pm at Victory Christian Life Center, 28-30 N. Washington Street

Applications will be available at the meetings and can be dropped off at any of the above locations or mailed to MOSAIC Community Land Trust by March 1. In the event that there are more applications than garden plots, a public lottery will be held at MOSAIC’s offices on Sunday, March 11 at 2 pm. For more information, contact Sue Repko, MOSAIC Executive Director, at 609-658-9043 or srepko@mosaiccommunitylandtrust.org.

Wellness Foundation Helps Community Garden Grow

The Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation recently awarded a grant in the amount of $30,000 to the Preservation Pottstown/Mosaic Community Land Trust to build Pottstown’s first community garden at 423 Chestnut Street. The Foundation’s grant will allow for the construction of up to 42 raised beds for planting and the installation of fencing, paths, a trellis, rain barrels, compost bins, benches, and a play area for children.

“We are honored and grateful to receive this grant from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, which will allow us to complete Pottstown’s first community garden this spring,” said David Jackson, President of Mosaic Community Land Trust. “The garden will greatly increase access to healthy foods and already has many supporters in Pottstown and surrounding communities.”

Community gardens are a growing trend particularly in vacant lots in urban areas. They are viewed not only as a way for people who have limited access to full-service supermarkets for fresh produce to improve their nutrition, but also as a way for neighborhood residents to reconnect. Residents pay a small annual membership fee and are given a small plot in which to grow vegetables and flowers. Educational workshops will teach members how to garden and what tasks need to be completed throughout the entire growing season. Jackson noted, “Some of the additional benefits of a community garden include: improving the quality of life for neighborhood residents, stimulating social interaction, beautification of the neighborhood, and improving opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education.”

A key to the success of a community garden is the development of partnerships. Jackson includes as Mosaic’s partners for this project: Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, Borough of Pottstown, Pottstown School District, Genesis Housing Corporation, Susquehanna Bank, Lowes, Davey Tree Experts, Lointerhome, and many individual donors and volunteers.

The Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation enhances the health and wellness of area residents, providing education, funding and programs that motivate people to adopt healthy lifestyles. The Foundation was formed in July 2003 with the proceeds obtained from the sale of the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. Non-profits interested in learning more about the Foundation’s grants program and application process should visit their website at www.pottstownfoundation.org. For great ideas on how to create a healthy lifestyle for you and your family, check out their online community, Mission Healthy Living, at www.missionhealthyliving.org

National Night Out this Tuesday

Below are details for National Night Out, America’s night out against crime. Events are taking place in different locations around Pottstown. I’ll be at Washington/Chestnut Street Park with my sister, Michele Dunleavy, the girls’ varsity basketball coach at Phoenixville. We’ll be running some passing and dribbling games with the younger kids. There are lots of activities planned to bring the community together around crime prevention.

See you there! 

Monthly volunteer day at Edgewood Cemetery tomorrow

Historic Edgewood Cemetery, established in 1868, will be holding its monthly volunteer day tomorrow, Saturday, July 9th from 10am-2:30 pm. The cemetery is at 106 Edgewood Street, Pottstown, PA.

The purpose of the volunteer days is to restore the cemetery. Projects include but are not limited to: Filling in collapsed graves, pruning, re-setting toppled monuments, minor landscaping, painting etc.

Bring hand tools shovels, pruners, loppers, rakes, & gloves. A minium amount of tools are available to use as well.

Refreshments will be served throughout the event and there will be prizes, too!

For further information please contact Allan Pollard at EdgewoodCemetery@aol.com or 717-756-0158. You can also keep up with announcements at the Edgewood Cemetery Facebook page.

J.O.B. Design & Construction hosts Positively!Pottstown happy hour this Thursday

In the case of J.O.B. Design & Construction headquarters at 64 N. Hanover Street, you’d do well to “judge a book by its cover.” Their historical renovation of the former Dr. Frederick Van Buskirk home is testament to the quality craftsmanship that is standard for J.O.B, which is owned and operated by John and Pam O’Boyle.

The building was on the “Historic Pottstown by Candlelight” house tour last December, but I missed it. I finally got a chance to stop by a couple weeks ago and get a tour from Pam. I was just blown away by the beauty of the original hardwood floors, moldings, trim, stair rails and shutters. For other examples of the extraordinary work of J.O.B, click on the “Portfolio” button on their website. They also own a green subsidiary – Halo Energy – that can help you harness solar power and make your home or business more energy efficient.

Johnny O’Boyle has been working in construction and remodeling since 1977. For nearly 24 years, he had his business on East 7th Street in Pottstown before re-locating to N. Hanover Street about a year ago, further cementing his commitment to Pottstown. John currently serves as President of the Building Industries Exchange of Pottstown and Vicinity and has donated J.O.B.’s services for construction of the World War II Memorial in Memorial Park.

We’re really pleased that John and Pam have opened up their business to host the next happy hour, which is this Thursday, May 19 from 5-7:30 pm. Food will be provided by Positively Pasta of 115 E. High Street. You can expect mouth-watering savory-filled puff pastries, potato skins, mini-meatballs and pizza bites. As always, there’s a $5 cover charge for appetizers; beverages are complimentary. If you haven’t done so already, please RSVP to positivelypottstown@gmail.com.

And please check out J.O.B. Design & Construction Co. Inc.for your next construction or re-modeling project!

Two important community meetings tonight

Two meetings tonight will provide key information on various aspects of revitalization and serve as proof of the new collaborative spirit taking hold in Pottstown.

#1  For anyone interested in the status of the Pottstown Area Industrial Development corporation (PAID), the entity responsible for economic development in the Borough, there will be a meeting to announce their new board members this evening at 6 pm at the library on the The Hill School campus. The reconstituted PAID board is an outgrowth of a recommendation by the Urban Land Institute in a 2009 report for the Borough to create a single entity for redevelopment and revitalization. See The Mercury’s article here.

#2 If you want to know more about what’s happening in the Washington Street corridor and how you can get involved, Genesis Housing is holding a meeting called “Let’s Talk” at 7 pm tonight at the Ricketts Center, where you can learn about new projects and help design a community mural. The Ricketts Center is at  640 Beech Street, Pottstown, PA 19464. Community members will be asked for their ideas for a new mural at the Chestnut Street Park and to help to set priorities and develop future projects. An update on Washington Street neighborhood projects,  including the new community garden and the Science in the Park event, will be discussed.  Community concerns about this area and other sections of the Pottstown will be explored with the hope of setting priorities for future projects.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the proposed mural in the Washington St. neighborhood will speak volumes on the tenacity and determination driving the revitalization of Pottstown.  Genesis Housing Corporation, The Gallery on High and Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization are in collaboration to develop a mural at the park located at Washington and Chestnut Streets.  The artistic coordinators, Cathy Paretti and Erika Hornburg-Cooper of the Gallery on High have selected Robert Louis Williams, an accomplished local artist to design and create the proposed park mural.  Let’s talk about the different types of murals and what this mural should look like – this is the chance for your input!

Judith Memberg, Executive Director of Genesis Housing Corporation, will provide an update on their Washington Street neighborhood housing developments including the rehabilitation of vacant properties for new home buyers and the homeowner rehab programs.  Information about the Pottstown Homeowner Rehab Program will be provided.

Genesis Housing Corporation serves Montgomery County as a non-profit community development organization and is dedicated to the development of affordable housing and to the education of consumers on housing and financial issues.  For more information, visit their website at www.genesishousing.org or call 610-275-4357.

Wyndcroft classmates return for 50th Reunion this weekend

Please welcome guest blogger Susan Storb to Positively!Pottstown.  Susan grew up in Pottstown and went to The Wyndcroft School back in the 1950s.  Her father was born and raised in Pottstown and ran Storb Travel Service for many years, and her grandfather represented Pottstown in the State Legislature.  Susan is married to retired architect Michael Horn, lives in Philadelphia, and is committed to the revitalization of Pottstown.  As a current Board Member at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center, she hopes to spend two days a week in Pottstown, working on behalf of the theater and town.

Wyndcroft Classmates Return for 50th Reunion This Weekend

By Susan Storb

A few people, who had the good fortune to grow up in Pottstown in the 1950s and attend The Wyndcroft School, recently decided to organize a reunion. It will be held at Brookside Country Club this Saturday, April 16.   We have about 40 people coming.  Most of those attending still live in the vicinity of Pottstown but some are coming from as far away as California, Arizona and Georgia.

“There was a whole group of us who grew up around Rosedale Drive who wanted to see everyone again,” said Lisa Longaker Brandin.  “Not everyone went to Wyndcroft but everyone is tied to our childhood in some manner.”

“Pottstown was a great place to grow up,” added Holmes Raker.  “There weren’t many organized activities for kids back then so we had to invent our own games.  We played in everyone’s backyard, wandered through every creek bed and knoll and just had to show up for dinner.  It was great!”

On Saturday there will be a bicycle tour of Pottstown starting at Tri County Bicycles, home of Bike Pottstown, at 256 E. High Street.  It will conclude with hoagies at the Ice House (of course) and a tour of the Tri-County Performing Arts Center.   There will be time during the day for people to drive through their old neighborhoods and maybe even tour their old houses.  Then those who attended Wyndcroft will get a special tour of the school conducted by the headmistress, Dr. Kathleen Wunner.

“We are just thrilled that this group of alumni is coming back to see Pottstown and see how the school has changed” said Damaris South, Director of Development. “We had lost touch with some of these graduates so it will be fun to meet them for the first time.  And, it is inspiring to see that everyone who attended Wyndcroft has such fond memories of their childhoods.  Even Latin class taught by Mr. Snively!”

Any proceeds above and beyond the cost of the function will go towards Wyndcroft’s fund raising efforts.

Calendar Updated!

It’s that time of year… spring seems to bring with it lots of arts, cultural and community activities as we all come out of our winter hibernation. Please check out the updated calendar here and start making plans to come downtown, plant a community garden, get involved in a neighborhood watch and participate in the life of your community!

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