It’s 2011 and time to re-connect, catch up, and throw ourselves anew into this crazy endeavor known as the revitalization of Pottstown. 🙂
The next Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour is this Friday, Jan. 28th at The Gallery on High at 254 E. High Street. The fun starts at 5:01 pm and goes until 7:30 pm. We’ve extended the event by a half-hour for those who are fighting Friday night traffic to attend. Thank you to Erika Hornburg-Cooper and Cathy Paretti for welcoming us into their space!
We’re about 50-strong at this point, and it’s not too late to send an email to positivelypottstown@gmail.com and say you plan on stopping by. Just bring yourself, a friend or two, a smile, and $5/person to cover food; any profits will go to The Gallery. We’ll be featuring cornbread muffins and wings fromMartha’s Famous at 259 E. High Street.
This Friday night, warm up with cool art and cool people at The Gallery — see you then!
Before I tell you all about WPAZ and their really cool vision for what community radio is going to be in Pottstown, I have to make a confession: I am a total radio geek. I love radio. Don’t ever ask me who is on Dancing with the Stars or American Idol because I actually have no idea when or where to find those shows. But, if you want to know what’s on NPR at 2pm weekdays or who the guests are this week on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, well, you’ve come to the right person.
Ross Landy, Station Manager of WPAZ
So, when I got the chance to visit the WPAZ studios last week and see what’s going on, I was pretty excited. Actually, everyone in Pottstown should be pretty excited about what the new WPAZ radio (1370 on you AM radio dial) is doing here in town.
Station Manager, Ross Landy, who worked hard and long with General Manager, Rick Rodgers, to get WPAZ back on the air as a local station, is absolutely passionate about what radio can do for Pottstown. “We are Pottstown people,” he says. And the station is going to be about local issues, organizations, businesses, musicians. It has the power to raise awareness and cover topics with a local focus and be entertaining at the same time.
Station Manager Ross Landy and morning DJ Brian James
While I am not old enough to have sat around the radio at night instead of the television, I do have a real appreciation for radio shows. I remember fondly listening to Rock and Roll Roots, an old WMMR show that was hosted by Earle Bailey. It kept me company for many Saturday mornings when I had to be at work.
For me, good radio is conversation. It’s not about someone pushing the shuffle button on an enormous playlist and then jumping in every now and then with a commercial break. It’s the idea that the person playing the music has something to share with the audience. WPAZ gets it.
WPAZ is offering plenty of good radio and tons of conversation. I took some time during this, their inaugural week, to listen to the station and you should, too. It’s not like a regular broadcast station where you know exactly what you are in for when you choose country music or Top 40 or even Oldies. Instead, you will be part of a conversation which might include music or talk or a little bit of both.
Here’s a look at some of what’s lined up at WPAZ so far:
6-9 AM The morning show with Randi Ellis and Betsy Chapman
9-Noon Brian James –an eclectic mix of music with a little extra
1-3 PM Ken’s Koffee Shop-music and call in conversation
You can also tune in Wednesday nights for Notes from Home with Mike Holliday, a live music show featuring local musicians. And, look for much more in the future. The Hip Places to be Scene in Pottstown girls, Janet Flack and Gina Stango will have a show soon.
Landy and his crew of radio aficionados have big plans to make WPAZ both a voice for the community and part of its ongoing revitalization. You can look forward to live appearances in the spring at events and a real presence on the local music scene. The station is broadcasting 24/7 right now and will offer live internet streaming in the near future.
So, even if you aren’t a self-professed radio geek like me, it’s worth tuning in to see what’s happening over at WPAZ.
Okay, I’m here amid the snow-covered Green Mountains, hanging with my writing buddies at the end of a long day of readings and workshop, and I get to spinning out part of my dream scenario for Pottstown’s revitalization. This particular version includes a writing center in Pottstown, where my buddies and other writers – maybe they’ve published books, maybe not yet – can stay in a gorgeously renovated Victorian bed/breakfast writers’ retreat for 1-4 weeks, for a modest weekly fee. Writers are always on the lookout for a reasonably-priced retreat, where they can get some work done. (Maybe we’d entice them with a tour of The Hill School, where Tobias Wolff spent some time, or maybe a trip to Shillington, home of John Updike.) We might even be able to get some writers to visit a class in the schools, do a program at the library, or give a reading at night. Some of my people here like the sound of all this. And, you never know — if we built a solid network of authors who had already been to Pottstown, the next step might be to invite them all back, along with others, and begin hosting an annual literary arts festival. Wouldn’t that just turn the world’s perception of Pottstown on its head? Would make a really good story, too…
I took the plunge this morning, along with about 120 other more daring Polar Bears at Pottstown’s 4th Annual Polar Bear Plunge sponsored by the Parks & Rec Department and organized by Bill & Sue Krause. Hundreds watched from the banks of the Schuylkill in Riverfront Park. Here’s a link to The Mercury’s early coverage.
I only went about thigh-deep. My feet went numb within about 10 seconds. Yes, I wore a wetsuit. With the practically balmy air temp – in the 40s – the suit was more useful as a barrier against the Schuylkill River slop that got stirred up and squished between my toes. The smell coming out of the river rivaled that of a failing septic field. Yes, it was a uniquely charming outdoor experience.
In a surprise appearance by my younger sister and her sons, I was accompanied in the river by my brave 13-year-old nephew, Patrick, who went in a lot deeper. Thanks, you guys!! The bonfire steamed everyone dry, people continued with the tree toss, hot dogs & sauerkraut and hot chocolate warmed people up, and there were some lucky winners of a community card game. This was one more community event that drew hundreds from all around the region – an awesome start to 2011!
(If I ever figure out how to upload the video shot by my other nephew, I’ll let you know :-))
Pottstown’s got its radio station back. After going silent more than a year ago, WPAZ at 1370 AM returned to the airwaves yesterday afternoon. Check out The Mercury’s coverage here.
After months of hard work and negotiations, the nonprofit WPAZ Preservation Association changed its name to Community Broadcasting Group and recently purchased the station from Four Rivers Broadcasting.
General Manager Rick Rodgers and Station Manager Ross Landy have planned a line-up of old and new shows and increased local sports coverage within a 24/7 interactive format. The tentative official “opening” will be January 8th; keep an ear out then for new and returning personalities and shows. In the meantime, they’ll be running music and promos.
The station’s website is wpazradio.com. And you can find them on Facebook here.
Congratulations to Rick, Ross and everyone involved – looking forward to the programming!
This Monday, Dec. 20th, there will be a joint School Board & Borough Council Meeting at 7:30pm at the Pottstown Middle School in the 2nd floor LGI room.
The agenda will include an update to the community on the PAID partnership, a presentation about a Community Land Trust for Pottstown, and tax assessments. I will be part of the group that is doing the Community Land Trust presentation.
A community land trust (CLT) is a nonprofit model that offers flexibility for engaging in housing, neighborhood stabilization and economic development activities that are appropriate for a particular area. A few notable features of CLTs are:
setting & implementing goals with community input
having CLT homeowners & other community reps. on its board
undertaking an active acquisition program
selling buildings at affordable prices while the CLT retains ownership of the land beneath the buildings
being stewards of the land and neighborhoods
increasing homeownership
preventing foreclosures
While most CLTs have as their main goal the creation of permanently affordable, owner-occupied housing in places where housing prices are high or escalating, a CLT for Pottstown would undertake a broader range of activities such as community gardens and economic development initiatives to help bring back market-rate activity.
With input from the community, a CLT for Pottstown would undertake activities in a targeted way to slow the negative fiscal spiral and coax the market back. Many aspects of this approach have been recommended in study after study.
I’m certainly looking forward to carrying on this conversation & to hear questions and observations from the larger community about how this could work. Hope you can make it Monday night!
I’m hitting the road now to head to Pottstown, where I will do some window-gazing and actual shopping. 🙂
Thanks for all the replies regarding the Happy Hour. We’ve got at least 28 revelers, who will be hanging at The Brickhouse tonight from 5-7 pm. If you’re inclined to get out of the cold before heading home, no need to RSVP at this point, just show up!
For the many folks who can’t make it, I look forward to seeing you at the next event: Friday, January 28th, location TBD. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays, be safe, and I hope 2011 is good to you and your loved ones!
I’ve now added a tab at the top of the blog for folks to easily find the info and application for two SCORE scholarships – each valued at $100 – for the January Small Business Workshop Series. The scholarships are for anyone running a Pottstown-based business who would like to learn, or brush up on, solid skills needed to succeed.
I have also been contacted by a donor who has offered $100 toward another scholarship. Depending on how many applications we get, we may use it now or use it for the next workshop series in April/May. It would be great if we can get a couple different donors for each series and keep this going to support local business.
The December Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour is taking place this WEDNESDAY, Dec. 15 from 5-7 at The Brickhouse. We received a donation of a Happy Hour from Katy Jackson (thanks, Katy!) AND we didn’t want to interfere with the Friday night Hometown Holiday Celebrations happening downtown this month.
The fun at The Brickhouse means there are discounted appetizers and drinks in the bar area. So… there’s no $5 cover charge (you’re on your own!), but Positively!Pottstown will buy appetizers until the petty cash from the last event runs out. Get there early to take advantage 🙂 Look forward to seeing you there!
If your life is particularly nuts this time of year and you can’t make it, mark your calendar for the next Happy Hour, which will be held Friday, Jan. 28th from 5-8 pm. Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches will provide the food. I’m still trying to nail down the location, but hoping it will be the Farmers’ Market.
Seriously. I hope no one still thinks there’s nothing to do in Pottstown on Friday or Saturday night. I’m going to give a quick overview, but you can also check the calendar for details.
Everyone is talking about Pottstown’s HIT MUSICAL – “A CHRISTMAS CAROL,” now at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center. There’s a show tonight at 8pm, 2 shows on Saturday (matinee & evening) and a Sunday matinee. Tickets are going fast; you won’t want to miss it. STAGE Magazine gave it a nice review here. For tickets, go here.
And the madness continues now – this very minute – with the Hometown Holiday Celebration: chestnuts roasting, Santa, carriage rides, a beautifully lit downtown. There’s still time – turn off your computer and go out now!
We’re about 50-strong at this point, and it’s not too late to send an email to positivelypottstown@gmail.com and say you plan on stopping by. Just bring yourself, a friend or two, a smile, and $5/person to cover food; any profits will go to The Gallery. We’ll be featuring cornbread muffins and wings from Martha’s Famous at 259 E. High Street. 
Positively Pottstown blog 