Pottstown’s very own Polar Bear Plunge will take place tomorrow morning at 10:30 am on the banks of the Schuylkill River in Riverfront Park. Participating polar bears – humans in varying states of undress – must sign a waiver ahead of time.
All of the New Year festivities, which are sponsored by the Borough Parks & Recreation Department, begin at 9 a.m. with registration for the Polar Bear swimmers. At the same time, all visitors can participate in a card game that involves swapping cards with other visitors and getting to meet new people.
At 10 a.m., the National Anthem will be sung and the crowd will hear a few words from Mayor Bonnie Heath. The Christmas Tree Toss will begin and the bonfire will be lit by the Philadelphia Steam Fire Company. There may be a new event added, such as a fruit cake toss. Then, at 10:30 a.m., the swimmers will descend into the Schuylkill’s waters. Afterwards, they can dry off and warm up by the bonfire and purchase hot dogs and sauerkraut, which is supposed to bring good fortune in the coming year.
Weather.com is calling for partly cloudy skies and a high of 53 degrees. The river waters will definitely be colder than that. If you’re up for a bracing way to start off 2012 and want to be part of a community event that keeps getting bigger and better, get out to Riverfront Park tomorrow morning!
Ballroom on High in Pottstown, 310 E. High Street, 2nd Floor.
*Limited to 25 students. Must have or purchase ZUMBA brand toning sticks $20 (1 pound), $25 (2.5 pounds). To REGISTER and buy sticks for this class, contact STAR @ 215-920-4511 or purchase at our regular classes. Cash or check only.
It is an absolutely gorgeous day! If you’re reading this, you’re missing an incredible opportunity to enjoy one of the area’s many fabulous parks, playgrounds and trails before the next hurricane or snowstorm hits!
Please visit our Parks & Rec page to see where all the parks are in Pottstown and the surrounding area.
Last fall, Rosemary Keane and I visited all of them and blogged about them for the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation. We found so many gems, and trust that you and your family have, too. These pages have gotten lots of hits over the past year, and we encourage you to keep checking them out and discovering the great outdoor resources that our section of southeastern Pennsylvania has to offer.
Come to the Park for a day filled with music, art, food, and educational experiences.
Join us for Free, Family Experience
5th Annual Schuylkill River Festival
Riverfront Park and College Drive Montgomery County Community College
Pottstown, PA 19464
All levels are welcome, even those who have never tried yoga before. This yoga session will give participants a chance to gather together and share the experience of balance, exercise and quiet restfulness. “Yoga in the Park,” is an opportunity to connect with others and with the land under our feet.
See the “Yoga in the Park” Facebook page here. Count me in!
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.
I’m just going to send y’all over to Roy’s Rants since he’s just posted about lots of the fun stuff going on downtown and in Memorial Park this holiday weekend.
I recently received the following press release from Montgomery County Community College and added the photo so readers would know what building is being renovated.
140 College Drive
June 15, 2011, Pottstown, Pa.—As residents of Pottstown and its surrounding communities head to theSchuylkill River and its trails for recreation this summer, they will see a flurry of activity at 140 College Drive – the future home of the Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center.
Montgomery County Community College is currently in phase II of the renovation that will transform the facility, commonly referred to as “the old PECO building,” into a state-of-the-art educational center. Phase II work includes improvements to the building’s infrastructure and exterior envelope, including the installation of sustainable features that will support LEED certification.
Specifically, phase II will include replacement of the building’s aged, leaking roof with an eco-friendly green roof, along with the installation of energy efficient windows. A new entrance and handicap-accessible ramp will also be created. Phase II work is slated for completion in September.
When funding becomes available, phase III work will focus on the building’s interior, including the development of classrooms, offices and student spaces. A variety of sponsorship and funding opportunities are available to help bring the proposed Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center to fruition. To learn more, visit www.mc3.edu/giving or call the College’s Foundation at 215-641-6535.
The completed Center will provide space for four college classrooms equipped with SMART technology, a state-of-the-art laboratory that will support the College’s Environmental Science degree program, and an interpretive center that will provide educational, historic and tourist information about the Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA).
In May 2010, the College completed phase I of the project by renovating the site’s parking lot. Renovations included removing contaminated soil, installing underground drainage facilities, adding clean fill, installing a blacktop cap to protect the groundwater table, and constructing three bio-retention basins to capture stormwater runoff. Installation of LED lighting and the placement of more than 130 trees, shrubs and bushes make the lot more sustainable.
The building at 140 College Drive served the Pottstown community as an electrical generating station starting in 1911. After sitting vacant for a number of years, the building and three-acre site were purchased by the Borough of Pottstown. The College secured ownership of the site in April 2009, and enjoys a unique partnership with the SRHA, which leases office space in the building.
Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure is in its final days at the Tri-County Peforming Arts Center! It runs through this Sunday, June 19. TriPAc is located at 245 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464. This is the U.S. premier of a new version of Peter Pan, and, yes, it’s happening right here in Pottstown. Go to TrIPAC.org to order our tickets online now. You won’t want to miss it!
Get out of the gate early on Saturday, June 18 and check out the Pottstown Soap Box Derby race, sponsored by the Ambucs. It will take place on the Wilson Street hill off Farmington Avenue. Area kids will compete for the chance to run in the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.
A Summer Solstice Celebration is happening at Smith Plaza tomorrow, June 18. It includes The Gallery School’s community yard sale and lots of live music. WPAZ will be broadcasting live from 10-noon. The Celebration also includes the 2nd Annual PottsMUTTster Dog Show from 9:00am to 2:00pm at Smith Family Plaza, right in front of Borough Hall in Pottstown, PA. Bring your pooch and compete for such honors as Best Singing Mutt and Best Mystery Mutt. REGISTRATION is from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. EVENTS take place from 11:00am to 2:00 pm. It all benefits the Montgomery County SPCA.
Also taking place tomorrow at Pottstown’s Riverfront Park is the 2nd Annual 5K/1M Race to Shelter the Homeless sponsored by Wings of Victory Outreach Corp. Riverfront Park is located at 140 College Drive.
Registration starts at 7:30am – Race starts at 8:30am. There’s a $30 registration fee – Moms & Dads with strollers are welcome!
Wings of Victory Outreach Corp. was formed to provide housing and life skills training for homeless or near homeless individuals. They offer a holistic approach and give a hand up by offering programs that develop self sufficiency through housing, employment, education, and character building. Participants gain the skills needed to function responsibly and effectively in daily life.
And when you’re ready to unwind on Saturday night, head on over to Sunnybrook Ballroom for their weekly “Hot Summer Nights” at The Tiki Hut. There are drink specials, music and dancing for the 21 and over crowd. Sunnybrook is located at50 N. Sunnybrook Rd,Pottstown. Check out all their upcoming music and entertainment at http://www.sunnybrookballroom.net.
Tuesday night, June 14… This time last week I was collapsing in a recliner in my parents’ living room, recovering from a 13.7 mile paddle down the Schuylkill River from Gibralter to Pottstown’s Riverfront Park. And I was happy as a clam. (What makes clams so happy, anyway?)
I’d gotten up at the ungodly hour of 4:30am and was on the road by 5am from New Jersey to the launch in Birdsboro. I’d only ever done some recreational paddling a few times when visiting friends in Canada the past few summers, and just figured I’d tough it out for one day. How bad could it be?
After fortifying myself with a few pancakes provided by the Cumru Township Lions Club, catching up with Tom Carroll, my consulting partner on Pottstown’s Heritage Action Plan, and his brother Mike, and meeting Carol DeWolf, Director of the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape Intitiative, and Dennis DeMara from PA’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, it was time to get into a kayak and literally test the waters.
I immediately drifted out into a part of the river where the current was pulling me downstream. I saw all the other paddlers patiently waiting for everyone to get into their boats, while I spun in circles and paddled furiously to keep from getting too far from the group. After 10 minutes, I was ready to call it quits for the day.
But, as would happen throughout the morning, until I got a little more instinctive with my paddle and kayak, someone knowledgeable would float over to me and offer me pointers and they had an immediate impact. By mid-morning, I was moving steadily down river with Mike from Spring City, and later joined by his brother-in-law, Mark. They were doing the entire Sojourn; it was their first time. Turns out Mike just started paddling last fall, and he’s hooked. He talked about living near the river all his life and really just discovering it recently. He’s gone so far as to buy his own camping gear, kayak and paddle – I rented mine from HRO Outfitters – and he’s been known to put in at the Spring City boat launch on the spur of the moment for a cruise on the river.
It was like this all day long – meeting friendly people, many of whom were also first-timers like me. The “experts” who floated past always had a new piece of advice for ne, and I appreciated all of it. There are plenty of paddling and certified safety professionals on the Sojourn, so you’re always in very safe company. Next year I definitely want to add at least a few days. The Schuylkill River Sojourn runs for 7 days and 6 nights; participants can do one day or the whole week. They can camp by the river or find other accommodations. The food is outstanding. We had an amazing candlelit lunch of fried chicken, pasta salad, freshly cut apples and Rita’s water ice at Morlatton Village, along with a short talk about planting native species in your Pennsylvania garden. And dinner by Bause-Landry Catering in Riverfront Park was out of this world: cornbread, fresh salads, Portabella mushroom chili (as well as the meat variety), and a massive chocolate chip cookie. I think I also wolfed down a few other things that are escaping me now…
My first time in the Schuylkill River, ever, was this past January 1st for Pottstown’s Parks & RecPolar Bear Plunge. Now that I’ve had this kayak experience – where my whole perspective on what the river has meant to this region, since way, way back has been totally awakened – I’m looking forward to getting out there more often. It is peaceful and other-worldly and right in your own backyard. But boy was I glad to come around the bend, arms acquiver,see the Hanover Street Bridge and know that I was home. Tom Carroll and I meet up in Riverfront Park
For $1/minute, I had a brief massage under the pavilion by Angela Wagner of the Academy of Massage Therapy and Bodyworks, located at 141 High Street in Pottstown. That definitely set the right tone for my recovery over the next couple of days.
If you want to experience the Schuylkill River Trail and River in a“peddle and paddle” event, check out the program that’s taking place on June 25th, sponsored by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. It’s filling up fast, so sign up today!
Positively Pottstown blog 