Category: People

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ at the TRI-PAC

They’ll be struttin’ in the aisles at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center, 245 E. High Street, Pottstown!  It’s singing and dancing at the Fats Waller musical show AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’.  There are only two weekends to see this musical, which runs from Friday, February 10th through Sunday, February 19th.  Tickets are selling fast, so get your tickets now while there is still time!

Winner of the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical, the comic and musical soul of 1930s Harlem lives on in this rollicking, swinging, finger-snapping revue that is still considered one of Broadway’s best! The inimitable Thomas “Fats” Waller rose to international fame during the Golden Age of the Cotton Club, honky tonk dives along Lenox Avenue, rent parties, stride piano players and that jumpin’ new beat, Swing. Although not quite a biography, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ evokes the delightful humor and infectious energy of this American original as a versatile cast struts, strums and sings the songs he made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley to Hollywood and concert stages in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Join our five performers as they present an evening of rowdy, raunchy and humorous songs that encapsulate the various moods of the era and reflect Waller’s view of life as a journey meant for pleasure and play.  Parental guidance is suggested for this show.

Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays 3 PM.  Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $13 for children 12 and under.  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.

There is plenty of excitement ahead, with “Toys In The Attic”, “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.

Heartland Abstract makes donations to local nonprofits for every real estate closing

Heartland Abstract, Inc., a local title company, makes a donation to either The Gallery School of Pottstown or MOSAIC Community Land Trust for every real estate closing held. Engaging Heartland Abstract for your next real estate transaction will not only get you peace of mind but also a warm feeling in your heart, knowing that a donation will be made to these Pottstown-based nonprofits.

Andrew Monastra, Esq. is one of the principals of Heartland Abstract. His office is located in the lovely Grand Review Building at 740 E. High Street. Andrew has been very supportive of both these nonprofits in other ways, especially in offering legal counsel to MOSAIC CLT to secure the property at 423 Chestnut Street for Pottstown’s first community garden. You can contact Andrew at 610-326-6300 for details.

Heartland Abstract
740 E. High Street
Pottstown, PA 19464
Phone Number:  (610) 326-6300
Fax Number:      (610) 326-8600
Email Address:    monastrapc@aol.com

website: http://www.monastralaw.com/public/heartland_abstract.asp

If you’re not sure what an abstract/title company does, here’s some info directly from their website:

What we can do for you…

Buying or selling a property is the largest monetary transaction most of us experience in our personal lives.  Buying or selling a property usually involves the transfer of a large sum of money.  As a buyer or seller, you want to make sure that all the conditions of the sale have been met before property and money exchange hands.  Through the years, custom has dictated that money and all related documents be transferred through a neutral third party.  Heartland Abstract, Inc. issues title policies and offers complete escrow closing services including residential, commercial and industrial in the metro Philadelphia area.

Our Services…
•  Title Insurance
•  Escrow Service
•  Title Search and Abstract
•  Ownership and Encumbrance Searches
•  Preparation of Documents:  Subordination, Affidavits, Satisfactions
•  Witness-only Closings
•  Obtaining Hazard and Mortgage Changes
•  Appraisal Referrals
•  Information on Real Estate Taxes and Homestead Exemption
•  Recommendations to Realtors and their Services
•  Assistance with Mortgage Financing and Equity Lines
•  Resolving Legal Title Issues

“Love Letters,” a play and benefit for Pottstown Elks

When the news of this play came through, I pulled my copy off the shelf and re-read it, and it is such a delight and tragic at the same time. There are two characters – Melissa and Andy – and the entire course of their relationship is told in letters that they write to one another over the years, beginning in childhood. The letters are meant to be read from one character to the other, and the set is simple. This is an excellent choice by John and Nancy Dolan for Valentine’s Day! Why not plan to make a date night of it and support the Elks at the same time?
THE BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS
presents
A. R. GURNEY’S
Love Letters
with
John and Nancy Dolan
to benefit
61 High Street
Pottstown
Saturday  –  February 11, 2012  –  8:00 p.m.  –  $22.00
Reservations:  610-326-3258
Complimentary coffee and dessert at Intermission
 Produced by special arrangement with
Dramitists Play Service, Inc. 

SCORE to offer Social Media workshops in March

Pottstown SCORE is currently accepting registrations for its timely workshop series, “Using Social Media to Make Your Business Grow.”  This workshop series will be held at the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce Conference Center, 152 E. High Street, Suite 360, Pottstown from 7-9:30 pm on four consecutive Monday evenings in March. Registration begins at 6:45 pm.

Attendees will learn that Social Media is a lot more than Facebook pages and a few Tweets. It’s about understanding the total marketing conversion strategy; the psychological hot buttons of different demographics; how to take on the challenge of integrating social media into an overall marketing strategy; and how to measure its effectiveness.

The workshop series, presented by SCORE, “Counselors to America’s Business” is not only for those who are currently in business, but also for any interested individual who would like to better understand how to use social media more effectively.

The following experts in the field of social media technology and marketing will be presenting the workshops:  Jeff Kofsky, President of Higher Vision Coaching and Consulting; Brian Dainis, President of Curotec, LLC, a web design, marketing and SEO company; Joy Sorrentino, a prominent social media consultant and blogger; Drew Griffin, Founder of Mojo Digital companies, LLC which delivers value through social media, video and mobile marketing; and David Yunghans, the regional development director for Constant Contact.

The workshop sessions are as follows:

March 5—The Secrets of Effective Internet Marketing

March 12—The Power of Social Media

March 19—MobileMarketing

March 26—eMail and Social Media—Are They Married Yet?

The price of each individual workshop is $40, and there is a special package price of $140 for the entire 4 sessions.  Additionally, there is a 50% discount for another person from the same company attending.  Since this is such a timely topic, it is anticipated that classes will fill up early.  To guarantee a seat, please pre-register online at www.pottstownscore.org or phone the SCORE office at 610-327-2673.

The SCORE workshop instructors welcome your questions and are anxious to help you get started on a successful social media marketing strategy which will grow your business.

 

 

Mosaic Community Land Trust holding Open Mic tomorrow night

Mosaic Community Land Trust is holding an Open Mic Night tomorrow, Saturday, January 21 from 7-11 pm at their office and gallery at 10 South Hanover Street, Pottstown, PA.

I expect to be reading a memoir/essay that involves Funky Lil Kitchen, Princess Di, a dust rag, and the first love of my life. Oh, yes. I will do it. Come watch the magic unfold or, better yet, sign up to pull off your own magic.

If you’re planning to perform music, read, or recite poetry, please arrive at 6:30 pm to register. Each performer will have 20 minutes. Any questions, contact Alan Sellers at 267-244-3195 or e-n3vxy@comcast.net.

 


Pottstown middle school student starts career as sports announcer

Here’s a great story showing how PCTV and Pottstown School District are teaming up to provide career guidance and real-world  experience for Pottstown students.

For Immediate Release

Contact: John J. Armato, CAA, Director of Community Relations, 610-323-6274, cell #484-256-7491 or jarmato@pottstownsd.org

 

Pottstown Middle School Student Starts Career as Sports Announcer

Kyle Hendley, an eighth grade student at Pottstown Middle School, is well on his way to starting a career as a TV sports announcer.  He recently completed a semester internship in the Pottstown Middle School Career Shadowing Program.  He was partnered with PCTV Sports Announcer and Pottstown Middle School teacher Mr. Bernie Gallagher.  Kyle has expressed an interest in perhaps becoming a TV sports broadcaster.  He was able to be in the TV booth for many local football games.  He learned the ins and outs of broadcasting with Mr. Gallagher.  Some of his responsibilities included gathering statistics, assisting with the slow-motioned instant replays, and reverse angle camera shots.

Mr. Gallagher observed that “Kyle did a fabulous job helping with our crew and brought positive energy to our weekly TV shows.  He is a natural, the quintessential sports fan!”

“I think that I learned a great deal through the Career Shadowing Program and it certainly opened my eyes to what goes on behind the scenes of a TV production,” explained Hendley.

Next Positively Pottstown Happy Hour this Friday

You are cordially invited to

come in from the cold and meet old friends and new at The Party ReduX Brand Store, a full-service party and event planning company in downtown Pottstown.

Jeffery Jackson and his team welcome you to their location at 205 E. High Street
from 5-7 pm to sample stellar hors d’oeuvres and get your weekend started!
As usual: $5 cover for appetizers; beverages complimentary.
RSVP 
ASAP
to
positivelypottstown@gmail.com

Triple chocolate souffle absolutely divine at Juan Carlos in Pottstown

This past Tuesday night I found myself briefly transported to heaven. One minute I was sitting at a table in Juan Carlos Fine Mexican Cuisine at 235 E. High Street in downtown Pottstown, the next I was experiencing a form of transcendence. I had finished my chicken fajitas, chef Ron Garza’s mouth-watering combination of seared chicken and smoky, slightly spicy grilled onions and peppers. I’ve been to Juan Carlos many times, but for some reason, this was the first time I’d had the fajitas and they were outstanding.

I was, however, really looking forward to one of the dessert specials – the Triple Chocolate Souffle. I hadn’t indulged in a decadent dessert in quite some time, but when Casey, my friendly and attentive server, described it, I couldn’t resist.  Chef Garza needs about twenty minutes’ notice to make this dessert, and I placed my order for it when I ordered my food.

When the souffle arrived it looked like this: chocolate ice cream on the left, a dollop of whipped cream in the middle, and a small, round chocolate cake on the right. All of it was drizzled with chocolate sauce. After my first small bite of the cake, I thought, “Okay….” and let the flavors blossom. It is best to take one’s time – to live in the present – when one is on the verge of the miraculous.

Then the second bite… when the dark chocolate center started oozing out, I had what I can only describe as a dessert flashback to a very similar-looking chocolate souffle I once had in a hotel restaurant in Montreal more than a decade earlier. That second bite consisted  of the chocolate lava and the cake, and my heart leapt with hope. Could it be? Yes, it was! It was even more wondrous than that distant memory. Time lost all meaning then as I greedily prepared one spoonful after another of different combinations of the lava, the cake, the whipped cream, and the ice cream. It saddens me deeply to report that I left a few bites on my plate; I was so completely stuffed that it would have been unwise to finish. And yet… and yet I am still filled with regret two days later.

If you have any affection for chocolate, I urge you to call ahead to Juan Carlos Fine Mexican at 484-624-4931, find out if the Triple Chocolate Souffle is available, and then hustle over there, settle in and get set for your own trip to heaven, before it’s too late. 

Still need a Christmas tree? Pine Hill Farm offers $5 discount Mon.-Thurs.

Among this year's first taggers, courtesy Pine Hill Tree Farm

Do you have a young family that is starting to create its own holiday traditions? Ever want to get back to basics and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from picking your own Christmas tree and sawing it down in the crisp December air while the kids sip hot chocolate and think you are the best mom or dad in the whole wide world?

You can do all that at the Pine Hill Choose-N-Cut Christmas Tree Farm on Sheep Hill Road in North Coventry. Pine Hill has been run by the Sally and Dick Heylmun family for 45 years! And for the past 20 years, they have  held their prices steady at $25 a tree. Now they are offering a $5 discount if you get your tree on Monday through Thursday; just mention Positively!Pottstown. That is a great price for that special tree that will work for you and your home. (Some of the larger and more perfect specimens are individually priced higher.)

Pine Hill is just 2 miles from downtown Pottstown, yet has that full country atmosphere.  Mrs. Heylmun still mows around the trees, shears them, and generally oversees the care of the farm, keeping the place like a lawn.  Having raised 5 boys on a teacher’s pay, the Heylmuns know what it costs to raise a family, and they have refused to raise prices.

This year, there’s an abundance of Scotch pines. They also have a good supply of white pines and Norway spruce. There’s a limited supply of Colorado Blue spruce.

The Douglas firs and Fraser firs are pre-cut from a local farm and will be delivered this year the day before Thanksgiving, Dec. 1, and Dec. 8. The Pine Hill website provides nice photos and descriptions of the various trees and their needles, so you can decide ahead of time what kind of tree you’re interested in.

Remember: You choose and cut your own tree.  They do offer saws to borrow. No chainsaws, please!

Choose-n-cut your tree on Monday through Thursday, mention Positively!Pottstown and get a $5 discount – no coupons required!

Pine Hill Christmas Tree Farm
1174 Sheep Hill Road
610-323-8045
pinhilsal@aol.com

“Come as You ART Ball” this Friday!

Come As You Art Ball to benefit MOSAIC Community Land Trust and Pottstown Dowtown Improvement Authority (PDIDA)

Friday December 9th 8:00PM – midnight
The Ballroom on High, 310 East High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464

Come in costume as your favorite work of art or your favorite poet, musician, dancer, painter, mime, writer, clown, acrobat or movie star!!

It remains to be seen whether I can pull off my plan to come as a Jackson Pollack painting!

Dance the night away to the local, musical machinations of artists Marc Dryburgh (drums), Chris Coyle (bass), Ben Bullok (keyboard) Jazz, Blues and Funk.

$35-single $60-couple

For more information and to buy tickets: Click Here!

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