Category: People

Happy Hour at Ranieri’s nets support for two worthy causes

More than 60 people attended last Friday’s Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour at Rich Ranieri’s Flooring & Carpeting center at 218 E. High Street. In addition to introducing the fine products and services offered by Rich and his staff for over 30 years in Pottstown, we also wanted to raise awareness of  The Mercury‘s Fill the Media Lab food drive going on now and a fundraising campaign for Lindsey Havyer, a Pottstown High School student headed to Utah for a national DECA competition to showcase her 2011 downtown cleanup project.

Thanks to the generosity of our guests and the generosity of Craig & Sue Bolinger of The Ice House, who donated food to the event, we were able to collect 50 food items, $50 for the Grumpy’s collection/food match, and an anonymous donation for The Pottstown Cluster. We were also able to raise a whopping $400 toward the $1,200 cost for Lindsey’s trip! PDIDA is helping to raise funds for Lindsey and for a scholarship for future students who undertake projects that directly benefit downtown businesses. Contact Sheila Dugan of PDIDA to learn more or to make a donation (610-323-5400).

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate a local business and to support these local causes. It always astounds me the way that people in Pottstown do not hesitate to help out and then dig a little deeper. It’s awesome.

What do today’s Happy Hour, Food Drive & DECA all have in common?

The answer is simple: bringing people together.

Today’s Happy Hour is from 5-7 pm at Rich Ranieri’s Flooring and Carpeting at 218 E. High Street. Check out what this 30-year-old business has to offer in the way of quality flooring and paints! But before you head out the door, or while you’re on the way over, please consider picking up a jar of peanut butter, a can of tuna, a box of cereal, a canned good, or a bottle of laundry detergent for the “Fill the Media Lab” food drive, spearheaded by The Mercury, and being supported by the entire region. There will be a collection box at the Happy Hour for your items. Let’s make a decent showing!

Now, you might be wondering: What does this have to do with DECA? You might also be wondering: What the heck is DECA?? Evan Brandt’s blog post this morning at his awesome blog, Digital Notebook, will give you that answer. Lindsey Havyer, a Pottstown High School student, placed 6th in the 61st Annual State Career Development Conference held recently in Hershey. Her winning project was a community service project, where she organized a group of students to clean up downtown Pottstown on weekends between May and July 2011. Her strong finish earned her a chance to compete at the national competition in Utah this spring. But she needs $1200 to get there. She’s already cutting costs by traveling with a team from Pottsgrove.

Because Lindsey brought her classmates together in service to their town, the Pottstown Downtown District Authority (PDIDA) is taking up a collection from the downtown merchants so they can give back, not only to Lindsey, but to future students who focus their efforts on the downtown. PDIDA would like to establish an annual scholarship that recognizes those students.

What does this have to do with today’s Happy Hour? Because I got an awesome deal on the food for today’s event from Craig and Susan Bolinger of The Ice House, Positively Pottstown will be donating the difference to PDIDA to support Lindsey, who must raise her travel funds by March 28th. Donations can also be sent to the PDIDA Office at 17 N Hanover St. There’s no time to waste!

So… in addition to collecting food items for the food drive, we’ll also take donations for Lindsey Havyer’s travel fund. 

Thanks to everyone in advance for coming together to support each other and what’s best about our community. All of this, by the way, is a perfect example of the spirit of the Buy Local philosophy of our very own local radio station, WBZH, The Buzz, 1370 AM. More on that in an upcoming post… stay tuned!

* From Evan’s Digital Notebook: “If in the midst of this, you’ve been asking yourself, “just what the heck is DECA anyway?” You’re not alone.

It is apparently an acronym for  Distributive Education Clubs of America, although finding that information on the organization’s web site proved nigh impossible (thank you Google).”

Thank you, Evan!

 

Lillian Hellman’s Toys in the Attic now showing at Tri-PAC

Please check out the Tri-PAC‘s press release below regarding their current show, Toys in the Attic, written by Lillian Hellman. (Photos courtesy of Tri-PAC.)

We just observed International Women’s Day on March 8.  On that day, Lillian Hellman’s exquisitely written drama, Toys in the Attic, opened at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center is located at 245 E. High Street in Pottstown.  Many readers perhaps haven’t heard of this award-winner (New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play).  That could be because Toys isn’t performed often (it really challenges actors).  Or maybe it’s because Hellman has been described as “America’s most significant woman playwright of the twentieth century.”  What if, instead, Hellman were described as one of America’s most significant playwrights, period?  Would we be seeing more of her plays more often?

Critics debate whether Hellman should be considered in the same breath as Arthur Miller or Tennessee Williams.  Also debated is the position of Toys in the Attic in the Hellman universe.  Many critics consider it her best.  When it was revived by New York’s Pearl Theater in 2007, its director, Austin Pendleton, who knew Hellman, described Toys to The New York Times as his favorite among her plays, comparing it to Chekhov. “It’s the most personal, very mysterious and very charged. And it has some of the most extraordinary language I’ve ever heard onstage,” Pendleton said.

The Little Foxes, considered Hellman’s most popular play, was performed 410 times in its original Broadway run.  Through 1960-1961, Toys in the Attic, originally starring Jason Robards, Maureen Stapleton, Anne Revere and Irene Worth, played 456 times.  Reviews at the time reflected diversity of opinion.  Two legendary reviewers:

“…not the greatest play in the world, it is head and shoulders above the level of the season, and it provides opportunities for some extraordinary acting.”  Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times

“Toys in the Attic binds us to it, with a cold, serpentine grace that is born of a clear head, a level eye, and a fierce respect for the unchanging color of the precisely used word.”  Walter Kerr, The New York Herald Tribune

The cast for this production includes Andrea Frassoni (Carrie), Leena Devlin (Anna), John Jerbasi (Julian), Elise D’Alleva (Lily), Deborah Snow (Albertine), Jabbar Wright (Gus), Lee Leagiton (Henry), Philip Seader (Taxi Driver and Delivery Man), Carl Durr (Delivery Man).

Performances at the Tri-PAC run Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays 3 PM through March 25th.  Ticket prices range from $13 to $21 depending on showtime and age.  Tickets may be purchased at www.tripac.org, or at the door the night of the show if available.  As always, there are discounts for groups of 10 or more.  Check our website, or call the theater at 610-970-1199 for more information.  PARENTAL GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTED FOR THIS SHOW.

There is plenty of excitement ahead, with “Farragut North”, performances by the Melange Contemporary Dance Company and the Senior Follies, all leading up to our June musical “Hairspray”.  There’s something for everyone at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center!

Village Productions is a dynamic performing arts organization founded in 2001 by a dedicated team of performing artists, arts educators, and area residents who dreamed of creating new and highly accessible performing arts opportunities for the community.  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.  You may contact Village Productions through their website at www.tripac.org, or by telephone at 610-970-1199.

Area food drive picking up speed

The “Fill the Media Lab” food pantry drive being conducted by The Mercury, The Sanatoga Post, other Post newspapers, and area bloggers who are part of The Mercury’s Town Square, is kicking into high gear. New businesses keep coming forward to offer their location as a drop-off point for donations of food and laundry detergent.

Residential and commercial real estate attorney Andrew Monastra has joined the local fight against hunger by offering his office at 740 E. High Street in Pottstown as a drop-off location between the hours of 8:30 am – 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Food collected there, as well as at Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches (in the Farmers’ Market), is going to the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities. During the first week of the food drive, Grumpy’s collected 117 food items and 15 bottles of laundry detergent.* Grumpy’s is also making a matching donation for everything they collect.

Andrew Monastra’s office is down near the post office in Pottstown; it’s that beautiful Grand Review Building. Andrew is always finding a new way to support the efforts of area non-profits. His Heartland Abstract title company makes a donation from each real estate transaction to either MOSAIC Community Land Trust, The Gallery School of Pottstown, or The Carousel. Please consider contacting Andrew Monastra for your next real estate transaction!

In other “Fill the Media Lab” news, The Sanatoga Post reported today that Zuber Realty (2117 E. High Street) has become the latest donation drop-off spot in Lower Pottsgrove Township, joining Pottsgrove High School (1345 Kauffman Rd.) and Chesmont Storage (1500 Industrial Hwy.)

* I’ve got a photo of the food collected, but I’m having “technical difficulties” with my camera. 😦 Will post photos as soon as I can!

Women’s Power Networking Lunch set for March 9th

CALLING ALL MEN AND WOMEN WHO LOVE TO NETWORK!

 Women’s Power Networking – PA Power Lunch

Friday, March 9, 2012 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Featuring

 “HOW TO MAKE 2012 YOUR BEST YEAR YET”

Presented by TONI LAW

 

Join us for a great meal, great networking and an awesome speaker!

Registration closes Midnight, Sunday March 4th

 

The Copperfield Inn at Lakeside

594 West Ridge Pike

Limerick, PA 19468-1440

A little about Toni:

 Toni Law is a Sales Coach & Associate with The Training Center for Sales & Business Development/Sandler Training ® (TTC/Sandler Training ®). She is considered to be the leading expert in sales and sales training for the small business owner and entrepreneur. In 2007 she was introduced to Sandler Training ® and completed several management and sales training courses. Toni recognizes the ‘pain’ her prospects and clients feel and redirects their efforts to increase referrals, sales, and revenue. Most importantly, she teaches them how to build and maintain better business relationships. Toni received her BA degree at West Chester University and enjoys spending time with her family.

Tickets are $25 for this event and include salad, entrée, rolls & butter, beverage, and desert! As we must give the venue a headcount and meal selections we apologize that we can’t accommodate walk-in’s or issue refunds!

REGISTER AT:  http://womenspowernetworkingpa.eventbrite.com

Entrée Choices:

Penne Pasta w/Asparagus or Pecan & Panko Crusted Chicken.  For special dietary needs, contact Pat Hahn, 610-495-0605

 We are also accepting monetary donations for Door Prizes, you and your business will be listed in our event program!  If you are interested in donating please contact Dorothy Ruehle by phone at 484-624-4994 or by email at ruehlebookkeeping@comcast.net

Hill School CFO appointed to Health & Wellness Foundation Board

The Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation recently appointed Donald Silverson, of Pottstown, to its board of directors. Mr. Silverson is the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of The Hill School since 2007.

“Don brings specific talents to our board,” comments David Kraybill, Executive Director of the Foundation. “His financial and investment knowledge, and familiarity with the building and construction process, will benefit the Foundation Board.  His willingness to serve the Foundation and the Pottstown community is to be commended. We value his opinions and expertise, and appreciate his time commitment in assisting us with moving the dial as we continue to improve health and wellness in our community.”  Mr. Silverson will serve on the Foundation’s Finance and Facilities committees.

A graduate of University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, Silverson received his Masters in Community Planning and Public Administration, and his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Brown University, Providence, RI. He serves as Treasurer of the Pottstown Area Industrial Development Corporation (PAID).

The Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation’s mission is to enhance the health and wellness of area residents, providing education, funding and programs that motivate people to adopt healthy lifestyles.

Visit www.pottstownfoundation.org for more information about the Foundation. Discover Pottstown area’s online community at www.missionhealthyliving.org to learn and share great information on how to lead a healthier life. You can also follow Mission Healthy Living on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out Mercury’s profile of Pottstown’s economic development director

Speaking of economic development and PAID, Inc., check out Evan Brandt’s story on Steve Bamford, the executive director of PAID. He’s been on the job for just a few months, but he’s already making things happen, one conversation at a time.

Glad to have you on board, Steve!

Roy’s Rants reviews Ain’t Misbehavin’

Although I saw Ain’t Misbehavin at TriPAC this past Saturday, and Roy saw it on Sunday, he beat me to it and got his review up today. Roy’s review is here. I have to say I agree wholeheartedly with his overwhelmingly positive review.

Every single cast member has a distinctive and beautiful voice. They are: Denia Gibson, Mia Mbuy, Alexa Morefield, Marc Sherfield (who’s got his Golden Ticket to American Idol!) and Isaih Robinson. The talented and totally swinging musicians included Ben Bullock on piano as Fats Waller, Lewis Ben on drums, Louis Rieger (of High Street Music Company fame) on bass, Aaaron Gould on trombone, and Barb Newberry on reeds.

My favorite numbers were all after intermission: “The Viper’s Drag,” “Mean to Me,” and “Your Feet’s Too Big.” “Black and Blue” was heart-wrenching. Wait… I take that back… “Honeysuckle Rose” in the first act was skillful and soulful. All of it was directed and choreographed by Zuhairah McGill, founder of First World Theatre Ensemble.

This show is one more in what is becoming a long line of Tri-PAC hits. They know what they’re all about at 245 E. High Street. I asked at the ticket window if all the shows had sold out for next weekend and was told that there may have been literally only a couple seats left. Give a call to the box office, just in case (610-970-1199). I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!

p.s. Let’s not forget that the Milkman Lunch Company & Cake Shoppe provide intermission treats at Tri-PAC. I had a Cotton Club Cake Pop – it was like a lollipop in size and shape, only it was moist, yellow cake coated in white chocolate icing and drizzled with milk chocolate. Bite-sized perfection!

 

513 Entertainment… a local business offering entertainment for all occasions

Editor’s note: This article was provided by Joann Minner, owner of 513 Entertainment, a local company that provides all kinds of entertainment options for any kind of event.

       Keeping the tradition of Customer Service Excellence alive

513 Entertainment

“If someone had told me that I would start my own business when I turned fifty I would have told them that they were crazy!”  Striking the balance between being a wife and mother and having two full time careers has its challenges, but has proven to be very fulfilling.  I have been in the business of event planning for the past 14 years, so I have gotten accustomed to shifting gears at a moment’s notice to meet the needs of my customers.

The inspiration for professional perfection is driven by the spirit of my parents, who were business owners themselves.  As owners of Frisco Press Printers of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, my parents instilled a strong work ethic in all of their children. I was able to see first-hand how hard work and exemplary service is the key to customer satisfaction and loyalty. I can still see my parents working side by side, seven days a week to meet their production deadlines. Being part of that environment has taught me valuable lessons about the responsibilities of being a business owner.  I named my business 513 Entertainment in their memory.  513 was “their lucky number” and I’m hoping it will bring that same luck to my business.

513 Entertainment provides top notch entertainment for all occasions.  We offer musical talent including live bands, disc jockey services, solo performers, acoustic performers and harpists.    Our entertainers offer a wide variety of genres and performance styles.

513 Entertainment offers a wide variety of performance professionals capable of transforming your social gathering into a delightful experience for guests of any age. My company enlists the talent of artists such as The Magical Illusions of Kyle and Kelly of Pottstown – strolling or stationary magicians, henna and glitter tattoo artists, face painters, caricature artists, costumed stilt walkers, balloon twisters, 14th generation palm and hair readers, baby bump artists and  costumed angel and tarot card readers .  Many of our talented professionals have upwards of thirty years experience at their craft.

As a part of our extensive roster of performers, we also provide equipment rentals such as photo booths, popcorn carts, fully staffed water ice stations and much more.

Packages can be custom designed to fit your entertainment needs and price range.  Allow me assist you in designing a theme for your celebration.  Whether you are planning a Backyard BBQ.  Super Sweet Sixteen Party, Fundraiser, Township/Municipal event or Corporate Function, our performers will add that special touch to any social gathering.

513 Entertainment has had the pleasure of providing musical talent to many local establishments such as the Elk’s Club, the Quiot Club, The Lower Pottsgrove Sportsman’s Club,  Ron’s Crooked Hill Tavern and The Sand Trap just to name a few.  Additionally, in the summer of 2011, I had the pleasure of providing staffing for The Variety Club of Philadelphia/Campisi Financial annual fundraiser.

513 Entertainment of Pottstown, Pennsylvania is a full service entertainment staffing agency eager to provide its customers with only the best performance professionals in the business today.  I look forward to working with you and continuing a family tradition of service excellence.

Joann Minner
513 Entertainment
2228 Welsh Drive
Pottstown, PA  19464
484-624-2835
website:  www.513entertainment.biz
email: jm513entertainment@live.com

MOSAIC Community Land Trust hires Executive Director

Editor’s note:  Umm… awkward moment… this press release is about me. I’m thrilled to working for MOSAIC! Because the position is part-time to start, I’ll still be blogging here at Positively Pottstown, bringing you good news about people, events, businesses, and community groups doing good things here in Pottstown.  Sue Repko

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   David Jackson at 484-949-4235

MOSAIC COMMUNITY LAND TRUST HIRES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Pottstown, PA— The MOSAIC Community Land Trust of Pottstown has hired its first Executive Director. Pottstown native Sue Repko began her duties on February 1st.

“We’re very excited to have Sue leading us during this early phase of the land trust. She brings a wealth of experience in the nonprofit world and in the development of affordable housing,” said David Jackson, president of MOSAIC.

Ms. Repko was a founding member of the Community Land Trust (CLT) in 2010, along with Mr. Jackson, Dave Garner, and Chris Huff. The mission of the CLT is to acquire properties and buildings in Pottstown, rehabilitate them, and sell or lease them at affordable rates using the community land trust model. Under this model, the CLT will retain ownership of the land beneath any properties that it sells, lowering the cost for the homeowners, who are automatically members of the CLT. This ongoing relationship allows the CLT to provide support in the areas of maintenance or financial counseling, if needed, all of which can act as a stabilizing influence in a neighborhood.

The CLT plans to do more than housing, though. Its first project is a community garden to be built at 423 Chestnut Street this spring with a $30,000 grant from the Pottstown 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. The property was donated by the Pottstown School District.

“The support from the community has been amazing,” said Mr. Jackson. “When we received word of the grant for the garden, we knew it was time to hire someone. Through her blog, Positively Pottstown, and other activities over the past two years, Sue has brought people together to make connections and get things done. That’s the spirit of the CLT as well. It’s a good fit.”

Ms. Repko holds a masters’ degree in urban planning from Rutgers University, and she is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. While living in New Jersey, she worked for the Section 8 federal housing program, municipal and state government, and in a private planning firm. She also served on a local planning board and the boards of a Montessori pre-school and an autism non-profit.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with such a great group of people at MOSAIC, who are creative and passionate about making things better,” she said. “Plus, I got my start in affordable housing and community development, and I’m glad to be doing this work in my hometown.”

While the Executive Director position is part-time to start, the organization hopes to expand it to a full-time position within two years. In addition to the community garden, MOSAIC runs an art gallery at its office at 10 S. Hanover Street and is in negotiations for its first residential rehabilitation project in Pottstown.

A series of outreach meetings will be held in February to inform residents about the community garden and the process for becoming a member. For further information about MOSAIC or the community garden, visit their website at www.mosaiccommunitylandtrust.org, or call David Jackson at 484-949-4235, or Sue Repko at 609-658-9043.

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