OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! ALL YOU CAN EAT BREAKFAST
This Sunday February 24, 2013 8 AM to 11 AM
The Elks Doe Club presents a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration featuring JERRY BLAVAT
on Friday March 15, 2013 from 7:00 PM to Midnight at the ELKS LODGE, 61 High Street, Pottstown, Pa. This event is being sponsored by the Elks Doe Club and proceeds benefit the Doe Club Nursing Scholarships.
Tickets are limited and priced at $20.00 per person. To purchase your tickets, please call The Elks Lodge at 610-326-3258, Kay at 610-367-5854 or Carol at 610-323-8465. Please come out for a great night of fun, music, dancing and support our nursing scholarship fund. Also, you will need the “Luck of the Irish” to win on 50/50 tickets, baskets and door prizes.
Family Services Offers Free Income Tax Prep to Low-Income Individuals and Families
Thanks to Karen Konnick of Family Services of Montgomery County for passing this along.
Family Services, the Montgomery County Asset Building Coalition and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are offering free income tax preparation to low-to-moderate income individuals and families (who earn less than $51,000) through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
The IRS trains and certifies all VITA volunteers to prepare and electronically file income tax forms. VITA volunteers are trained to assist clients in claiming special credits and refunds, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. The mission of the program is to help working families improve their finances and increase their self-sufficiency.
“We can help put money back in your pocket,” said Kathy Cael, VITA site coordinator. “By filing your taxes through a VITA site, not only will you save money in filing fees, but you’ll also receive your tax refund quickly. In most cases, tax refunds are deposited directly into your bank account within 7-to-10 days.”
Family Services is offering VITA appointments at two locations in Montgomery County:
- Family Services’ Pottstown Office, 1976 East High Street, Pottstown. Appointment times: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5-7:15 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-Noon.
- Family Services’ Eagleville Office, 3125 Ridge Pike, Eagleville. Appointment times: Thursdays, 5-7 p.m.
Appointments are required for all VITA sites. To schedule an appointment at the sites listed above, please call Family Services at 610-326-1610.
Individuals must bring the following documents to their VITA appointment:
- Photo identification (driver’s license or state-issued identification card) for self and spouse
- Social security cards for self, spouse and dependents
- Birth dates for self, spouse and dependents
- Wage and earning statement(s) (Form W-2, 1099, unemployment statements) from all employers for self and spouse
- Interest and dividend statements from banks for self and spouse
- Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit
- Other relevant information about income and expenses
- Total paid for daycare, daycare provider’s address and tax identification number
- Form 8332 or a copy of a divorce decree if you are a non-custodial parent claiming a child
- A copy of last year’s federal and state tax returns (if available)
- If filing jointly, both the filer and spouse must be present to sign the tax return.
For a complete list of VITA tax preparation sites in Montgomery County, please visit www.mcassetbuilding.org.
Would you prefer to file your taxes in the comfort of your own home? Now you can – for free! Individuals or families with a combined income under $57,000 may prepare and file their own federal and state taxes online at www.myfreetaxes.com/fsmontco.org. This website is powered by H&R Block and sponsored by Walmart and the United Way.
Since 1900, Family Services has been caring for children, seniors and families in Montgomery County who face everyday emotional difficulties or physical hardships. The agency’s innovative social service programs make a positive difference in the lives of 16,000 county residents each year. For more information, contact Family Services’ Pottstown Office at 610-326-1610 or visit www.fsmontco.org.
Nominations Sought for MCCC’s Alumni Hall of Fame
This comes to us from the college…
Montgomery County Community College’s Alumni Association Board of Directors is now accepting nominations for distinguished alumni to be inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame.
Each year, several outstanding individuals are nominated and selected for the Hall of Fame from the more than 55,000 College alumni. The Hall of Fame inductees represent the best and the brightest who have made notable, positive differences in their careers and communities.
Nominations for 2013 are being accepted until Feb. 28. Nomination letters must include the name of the candidate, years of attendance, graduation year, reasons for nomination, achievements or awards, volunteer service, as well as any press clippings or third-party recognition. Alumni may nominate themselves.
Nominations may submitted via email to alumni@mc3.edu or mailed to Montgomery County Community College Alumni Office, East House, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422.
Selected nominees will be inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame during a celebratory program on Oct. 11, 2013, and their names will be added to the list of Hall of Fame honorees on display at the Science Center Theater at Central Campus in Blue Bell.
To see a list of past recipients, visit: www.mc3.edu/foundation/alumni/hall-fame/members.aspx.
Montco Commissioners Give-and-Take with Pottstown Residents
This past Monday night Montgomery County Commissioners and the higher-ups in several County agencies were on hand at Montgomery County Community College in Pottstown to talk about what they’ve done since taking office and to answer questions and hear residents’ concerns.
Evan Brandt’s article in yesterday’s Mercury provides a nice summary. Public employee pensions, the state of Route 422, the potential for gerrymandering, the ongoing challenges of revitalization, the concentration of social services and the people they serve, and the effects of the concentration of housing vouchers in Pottstown were all up for discussion. The Commissioners were well-prepared and promised to provide follow-up information to numerous citizens.
One of the brightest moments of the meeting came when Shanae Roberts, the President of the West Campus student body announced the figures for the amount of community service provided by the College over the past four years. It was encouraging to see a young person at the meeting, participating in the give-and-take of democracy! Ms. Roberts reported the following:
Between 2008-2012, MCCC has reached out to the community with 3,695 volunteers putting in more than 33,700 hours with 117 partnering opportunities. This amounted to over $100,529 in monetary donations. In 2012 the College had the highest number of volunteers to date with over 918 volunteers contributing 15,500 hours of service to 28 partner organizations, including the Norristown Police Athletic League, Olivet Boys and Girls Club, Miller Keystone & American Red Cross Blood Drives, and Project Linues. An estimated $38,300 in monetary donations was raised.
Not only is the West Campus proving to be an important revitalization partner as it rehabilitates and re-uses historic buildings in town, but there is also a strong culture of developing and sustaining connections in the community. Thanks to MCCC for hosting this meeting, which had a very strong turnout, perhaps an indication of a new core constituency that believes in a better Pottstown and is impatient for change.
Inspirational Travis Roy to Return to Hill School
I apologize for the short notice here, but if you’d like to hear an inspirational speaker tonight, head over to the Hill School Center for the Arts. This comes from Cathy Skitko, Director of Communications.
Inspirational Travis Roy to Return to Hill School to Continue Four-Year Relationship with Senior Class
On Thursday, February 7, at 7 p.m. in Hill’s Center For The Arts at 860 Beech Street, nationally-recognized motivational speaker Travis Roy will return to campus to address The Hill community for the second time. This event is free and open to the public.
In 1995, Roy was paralyzed in a freak hockey accident, but he has turned personal tragedy into a positive story with the creation of a nationally-recognized foundation created to help victims of spinal cord accidents. Roy first addressed The Hill community on January 26, 2010 as the speaker for that year’s school theme, “A Common Humanity.”
The Hill’s connection to Roy and the Travis Roy Foundation dates back to 2009-10, when the freshman class read his book, 11 Seconds, during that year’s winter break. The class sold Travis Roy Foundation wristbands as a fund raiser that year, with a goal of $800. Thanks to a matching gift from Rich Pentz, a 1999 graduate of The Hill who is friends with Roy’s brother-in-law, a total of $1,500 was raised. During Roy’s visit to campus, the class presented him with a check and announced that they had decided to “adopt” the foundation as an ongoing project during their four years at The Hill.
The class has held a fundraiser for the foundation in each of the three years since Roy’s initial visit to campus. In 2011, a “Photo Fair” in which favorite Hill teachers dressed up in a variety of costumes and posed for photos with students raised more than $2,000. The class decided to establish the Travis Roy Broomball Invitational in 2012. Broomball is a game played on an ice hockey rink with modified paddles serving as the “brooms,” a small rubber ball, and no ice skates. The inaugural tournament was a hit, with more than a dozen teams participating in the round-robin style tournament. This year’s tournament, which was held on Saturday, January 12, was equally successful. In all, the two broomball tournaments raised more than $3,500 for the foundation.
“Our class head in 2009 was very passionate about the foundation, and after reading 11 Seconds, I also became passionate about it,” said senior Molly Hopkins, who has been an active participant in organizing each event. “When he came to campus and spoke and we were able to meet him and put a face to the name and story, it made me and the other members of my grade feel a personal connection. We realized how important the Travis Roy Foundation is in helping people affected by spinal cord injuries, and we wanted to help contribute to the foundation.”
During his first visit to campus, Roy shared his tragic yet compelling story with the Hill community. He began his high school hockey career at North Yarmouth Academy in Maine, where his coach was Hill alumnus Kevin Potter ’85. In 1993, he transferred to Tabor Academy, a New England Division I prep hockey power, for his junior and senior years. After graduating from Tabor, Roy was set to continue his hockey career at Boston University.
The Terriers won the NCAA National Championship in 1995, and Roy was in uniform for his first collegiate game the night the University raised the championship banner. Just 11 seconds into his first shift of the game, a freak accident sent him into the boards head-first and broke his neck, paralyzing him from the neck-down.
Instead of passively accepting his fate, Roy decided to make the most of a difficult situation. Just two years after the accident, he and his family established the Travis Roy Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on finding a cure for spinal cord injuries, and also gives financial grants to those affected by a spinal cord injury that are in need of financial assistance to purchase the equipment needed to live as independently as possible.
Winter musical “Anything Goes” set for Feb. 15-17 at The Hill
This year’s winter musical at The Hill School is Anything Goes.
It will be held in the Center For The Arts (CFTA) Theater at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 16; a matinee showing will be held on Sunday, February 17 at 2 p.m.
With music and lyrics by Cole Porter, Anything Goes is an entertaining story about the “madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London.”
Admission for all three shows is free and open to the public.
For info and the cast list, visit there website here.
MOSAIC looking for part-time Garden Manager
MOSAIC Community Land Trust in Pottstown is looking for a part-time manager for their community garden(s). See details below. This is a GREAT position if you love working outdoors, working with people, and sharing your interest in healthy living with the larger community!
The deadline for applying is February 15, 2013.
Job Title: Community Garden Manager
Reports To: President of MOSAIC Community Land Trust and Garden Committee
Position Summary:
Working under the direction of Mosaic’s Community Garden Committee (Committee), the Manager will work with community members and community groups to organize and coordinate the operation of one and potentially two community gardens. The Manager will be responsible for the following:
Ensure that the gardens are kept clean and pristine, and all garden beds are fully utilized
Ensure that all gardeners are in good standing (rules and regulations from the operating manual are followed)
Collect plot fees and develop policy for assignment of plots
Facilitate new gardener orientations, work projects, and general garden meetings;
Coordinate gardening education programs
Provide mediation within the community garden group(s), if needed;
Act as a liaison between community garden group(s) and the Committee;
Collaborate with the Committee and the community gardeners to update the Community Garden Manual
Manage construction projects and volunteer garden staff at the garden
Provide regular communication to the gardeners, volunteers, community and garden committee;
Take on other project-related duties as they arise.
Qualifications
• Strong commitment to community empowerment, social justice, and community food security
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse communities
• Experience in urban gardening/ farming
• Negotiation and problem solving skills
• Ability and desire to work outside
• Ability to work within a budget creatively
• Valid Pennsylvania driver’s license and insurance; and a reliable vehicle
Hours
10-30 hours/week, flexible schedule with willingness to work evenings and weekends. This is a one year contract position. Contract extension will be partially based on available funding.
Salary and benefits
This is a half time position with no benefits. Salary from $12,000 to $15,000 depending on qualifications.
To Apply:
Interested persons should send a resume, three professional references, and cover letter including qualifications for this position to: David Jackson, Mosaic CLT President, at itsdl2u@yahoo.com or by mail to the address below by
February 15, 2013. For further information please see the Mosaic CLT website: www.pottstownclt.wordpress.com
Weitzenkorn’s “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” Sale runs today through Feb. 2nd
I apologize for being kind of quiet these days. I’m working on a book called “Legendary Locals of Pottstown, PA” for Arcadia Publishing, and my deadline is looming… But I just had to share this news about Weitzenkorn’s “Buy 1 Get 1 Free Sale.”
Weitzenkorn’s is a fine menswear store with a Big & Tall section at 145 E. High Street in downtown Pottstown. It’s been there since 1864. That’s when Abraham Lincoln was president. Run by the same family. They know their stuff. They can help fit you, or help you pick the right fit for whoever you’re shopping for. They are, quite simply, a real class act. And they are most certainly Legendary Locals.
A deal like this can’t be beat: Buy one item and get any other item of equal or lesser value for free. It doesn’t have to be two of the same item. So get over there on your lunch break or take off work early to see what they’ve got and snatch up some really fine duds for you or the special man – or men! – in your life.
Hours
Monday 9:30-7:00
Tue,Wed,Thur 9:30-5:30
Friday 9:30-9:00
Saturday 9:30-5:30
Call
1-855-259-7270
610-323-8810
Free Money Management Classes Offered in Pottstown
Are You Making the Most of Your Money?
Free Classes Offered in Pottstown
When you were in high school, there were classes in History, English, Math and Science but they never covered how to maximize your resources. What are the best ways to budget and to reduce your debts? Learn how to improve your credit scores. Learn about saving for a car, apartment or buying a home. Learn what they never covered and make the most of your money.
Genesis Housing Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development corporation, will hold FREE classes on Tuesday evenings, January 29th, February 5th and March 5th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, at the Mosaic Community Land Trusts Offices, 10 South Hanover Street, Pottstown, PA 19464.
The classes are designed to help to:
· Understand Credit — Information on credit scores, improving your scores, re-establishing credit, dealing with debt. Class participants can obtain a free credit report with scores from the three major credit reporting services (Tuesday, January 29, 2013).
· Money Management – Information on preparing realistic budgets that are more than just monthly bills, prioritizing spending in tough times and understanding how current spending impacts your future financial options (Tuesday, February 5, 2013).
· Home Buying Basics — Information the home buying process — finding a realtor, home inspections, Agreements of Sale, mortgages and first-time homebuyer grant programs (Tuesday, March 5, 2013).
Nikki Holcroft, an award winning and certified housing counselor, will teach the classes. Ms. Holcroft has more than twenty-five years experience working as a housing counselor, mortgage banker and community lender. Ms. Holcroft has worked with Genesis Housing Corporation since 2001 and teaches monthly classes on credit, money management and the home buying process. Ms. Holcroft also provides individual housing counseling sessions to help clients achieve their financial goals. Ms. Holcroft has worked with families to restructure their mortgages, avoid foreclosures and reduce their debts.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling Genesis Housing Corporation at 610-275-4357 or online at www.genesishousing.org.
The Pottstown classes are funded, in part, by Montgomery County. Additional funding was provided by National Penn Bank.
Genesis Housing Corporation’s housing counseling programs provide free classes and individual counseling helping over 5,800 clients. Monthly classes focus on topics not taught in regular school including understanding credit, credit repair, money management, saving plans, grant programs and understanding the home buying process including selecting a realtor and finding the best mortgage.
Since 1994, Genesis Housing Corporation has served Montgomery County as a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development corporation and is dedicated to the development of affordable housing and educating consumers on housing and financial issues. Genesis Housing Corporation has been certified as a FannieMae Counseling Agency and is approved by PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for housing counseling. Genesis Housing Corporation is also an approved agency for many programs including the Montgomery County First-time Home Buyers Program and the Norristown First-time Home Buyers Program.
In addition, Genesis Housing Corporation has developed affordable housing by rehabilitating vacant homes and by building new homes for income eligible homebuyers. Renovated homes are currently available in Norristown and Pottstown. Genesis Housing Corporation also renovates existing owner-occupied homes for eligible families for the Montgomery County Homeowner Rehab Program and the Pottstown Homeowner Rehab Program.
For more information on Genesis Housing Corporation programs, please call 610-275-4357 or visit our web site at http://www.genesishousing.org.
Visit us on Facebook (www.facebook/GenesisHousing)
Emperor’s New Clothes at Steel River this weekend only!
Please scroll all the way down for news of other shows and classes available at Steel River Playhouse, 254 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA.
This Weekend Only – All Matinees!
EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES (musical)
Saturday, January 19th – 11:00 am & 3:00 pm
Sunday, January 20th – 3:00 pm
This season’s Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) production is Emperor’sNew Clothes, the witty, whimsical musical rendition of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, winner of the 2011 National Children’s Theatre Festival Competition. TYA productions are shorter-duration and age-appropriate for elementary school students, but fun for everyone!
Special note for teachers and administrators considering special school-day performances to be scheduled Jan through May: contactwarren@steelriver.org for your complimentary ticket to a public performance Jan 19th or 20th.
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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES |
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Saturday, Jan 19th 11:00 am 3:00 pm |
Sunday, Jan 20th 3:00 pm |
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Tickets ADULT: $17 SENIOR (65+): $15 STUDENT/CHILD: $13 |
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$3 off per ticket for groups of 10 or more! |
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BUY ON-LINE; SAME PRICE AS PHONE OR BOX OFFICE! http://www.steelriver.org/2012/12/show-especially-for-young-audiences/ |
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A Beautiful Play!
INTIMATE APPAREL (award winning play by Lynn Nottage)
Two Weekends Only – February 1st thru 10th
Fridays through Sundays
Directed by Alana Campbell Is there a more apt metaphor for our own dreams and fantasies than intimate apparel? Esther is an illiterate African American seamstress in the early 1900’s New York who enjoys an unusual window into the lives of her clients. While creating exquisite lingerie for socialites and prostitutes alike, she is privy to their most private wishes and disappointments. As Esther observes for one client, “What she got, you want, and what you got, she want.” Esther, however, also must consider her own dreams for love, marriage and a better life. An award-winning period piece which premiered in 2003, the play is full of engaging historical and cultural detail, strong storytelling, and Esther’s inspiring search for love and fulfillment.
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INTIMATE APPAREL (play by Lynn Nottage) |
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Fridays Feb 1 & 8 8:00 pm |
Saturdays Feb 2 & 9 8:00 pm |
Sundays Feb 3 & 10 3:00 pm |
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Tickets ADULT: $19 SENIOR (65+): $17 STUDENT/CHILD: $15 |
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$3 off per ticket for groups of 10 or more! |
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BUY ON-LINE; SAME PRICE AS PHONE OR BOX OFFICE! |
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It’s Not too Late!
CLASSES& PRIVATE LESSONS
Group Classes
Acting, Comedy Improv, Getting Ready to Sing, Character in Song, and more!
Performance Troupes – Intermission Players, Act I Players and more!
Private Lessons
Voice, Piano, Acting, Guitar, Flute, Trumpet
Audition and Monologue Coaching
For more information, email Steve Reazor, Education Director
steve@steelriver.org or call 610.970.1199
Save the Date – Feb 16!
VALENTINE CABARET WITH LYRIC FEST!
Saturday February 16th
Bring your sweetheart to this special cabaret presentation with this premiere Philadelphia-based vocal group, featuring Pottstown’s very own Maggie Moliterno Riker–
Includes yummy refreshments.
Save the date – more info coming soon!
STEEL RIVER PLAYHOUSE
245 E. High Street
Pottstown, PA 19464
Positively Pottstown blog 