Trilogy Park BMX Memorial Classic Visitors: Where to dine in Pottstown

CASUAL DINING

Argento’s
Pizza, subs & pasta
201 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610.970.9677

The Brick House
Full service restaurant and bar in the heart of downtown.
Sunday & Monday Patriot Special: Hot dog, potato salad, baker’s chips – $7.99! USA Special: Hot dog topped with kraut & potato salad – $7.99!
152 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610.906.3527

Brunish’s Deli
Legendary hot sausage sandwiches! Family-owned since 1949.
577 Lincoln Ave., Pottstown, PA 19464
Hours: Monday-Saturday 7am-8pm; Sunday 7am- 6pm
Read our review here!

Burger King
1515 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464

Company Cakes
26 N. Charlotte Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610.705.9450
Open Saturday, 8 am-4 pm
Read our review here.

Dunkin’ Donuts
1495 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464

Frank’s Flamin’ Grille & Pizzeria
149 High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464, across from Smith Plaza & Borough Hall 610.323.9777

Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches
Homemade soups and sandwiches in the Pottstown Farmers’ Market
300 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
Get a coupon here.
See our review here.

Jack Cassidy’s Irish Pub
990 East High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610.326.5880

McDonald’s
1428 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464

Mike’s Brick Oven Pizza
601 N. Charlotte Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610.327.4042

Positively Pasta
115 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
484.945.1007

Pottstown Diner
99 W. King Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610-327-1630

Pottstown Farmers’ Market
Fresh fruit & vegetable, deli, seafood and Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches
300 E. High Street at Charlotte Street in the heart of the downtown
Free WiFI!

The Pour House, tap room and sports bar
636 East High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610.327.0516

Rita’s: Ice-Custard-Happiness
808 N. Charlotte Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610-970-5152

The Very Best, oldest continually operating restaurant in Pottstown, since 1921. Offering hot dogs, burgers, cheesesteaks, homemade desserts by Company Cakes.
252 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
Take-out orders: 610. 323.5224
Read our review here.

VIP Diner
80 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
484.624.3349

CASUAL ELEGANT DINING

Funky Lil’ Kitchen
BYOB Center City-style dining with a modern American menu.
232 King Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610.326.7400
Read our review here.

Henrys Cafe
BYOB, near the Farmers’ Market
20 South Charlotte Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610.326.0069

Juan Carlos Fine Mexican Cuisine
235 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
484.624.4931
Read our review here.

BMX Family Rides the Nation

The Memorial Classic, Pottstown’s annual BMX race, is scheduled for this weekend, but it started over a month ago for the Warren family of Tampa, FL.  This adventurous threesome, consisting of a 12 year old BMX rider and her parents, have already logged over 1500 miles since leaving their home in late April. 

The Warrens aren’t super star athletes; if anything they are almost the opposite, calling themselves “two fat forty somethings.”  But what they are is determined, and it’s easy to get caught up in their enthusiasm reading the blog they are keeping about the journey, the BMX races, and life in general.  They lovingly refer to their daughter as “the beast,” which seems fitting since this family is logging over 50 miles on their bikes most days. 

Their goals for the trip, which is scheduled to continue through the summer as they ride through the BMX circuit and end at The Grand National Championship in Louisville, KY on Labor Day weekend. 

You can follow the Warren family’s progress yourself on their blog, ride the nation, and you can even follow them in nearly real time on Google. 

They are scheduled to arrive here in Pottstown on Thursday afternoon, sometime between 2 and 3pm at the Pottstown Hospital and they will be here for the Memorial Day Weekend festivities at Trilogy Park.

BMXers: Welcome to Pottstown & check out this special offer!

Welcome to Pottstown! Just print this ad and take it to Grumpy’s, downtown in the Farmers’ Market, for your discount and delicious sandwich!

*Positively!Pottstown has received no payment of any kind for running these ads. *

Pottstown Business Owners: if you’d like to offer a discount to visitors coming to the BMX tournament this weekend, send a .jpg or other image file to positivelypottstown@gmail.com ASAP. We’ll run coupons through Sunday.


Trilogy Park in Pottstown hosts national BMX event Memorial Day weekend

 Did you know that Pottstown is home to Trilogy Park, a BMX, inline, and skateboard park that hosts a national event each Memorial Day weekend?

Trilogy Park is in Memorial Park at the site of the former Gruber Pool. This year the Memorial Classic is expected to bring between 3,000-5,000 visitors, depending on weather, from as far away as Florida and the Midwest. Each year this event has grown because of the tireless efforts of Pottstown residents Cathy and Glen Knapper and other parent volunteers, and it has gained a reputation as one of the premier events on the National Bicycle League (NBL) circuit.

This is an awesome opportunity for Pottstown to showcase its incredible Parks and Recreation Department and the equally amazing Memorial Park.

I had seen the BMX track last year when I was investigating and writing the parks blog series for the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation. Even afterwards, though, I didn’t quite know what it was all about, never having gone to a race.

BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross Racing. It involves biking over a dirt course with jumps and turns. Riders wear a helmet, long pants, long-sleeved shirt and closed-toe shoes. Bikes are inspected before each race for safety. Competitors practice the course as much as they can before the race so they’re familiar with the starting gate, obstacles and the turns. Each track posts moto-sheets on a moto-board; this is where riders can find out their number and gate lane for a race. BMX is open to all ages, from toddlers to the over-55 crowd.

The schedule for the Memorial Classic can be found here.

In general, bike inspections and practices by age group begin at 1:30 pm on Friday. A pre-race for local riders who will not be competing in the national races will take place at 6:30 pm.

On Saturday, inspections and practices begin at 6:30 am; opening ceremonies take place at 10:45 and races begin at 11 am and will run until about 4 pm.

On Sunday, there will be NO bike inspections or registrations. There are a few practices scheduled by age group, beginning at 7:30 am. Then racing gets underway at 8:30 am and will run until about 1:30 pm. 

A really special part of this year’s event will be the arrival of the Warren family from Florida in Pottstown on Thursday, May 26th. Neva“The BMX Diva” and her parents, Tammy and Jay, are biking to all the National BMX events this year and blogging about it at www.ridethenation.org. They started their journey on April 20th inTampa and will keep going until they get to the Grand National Championship inLouisville, Kentucky on Labor Day weekend. We’ll be featuring them in an upcoming post and talking about BMX and the Memorial Classic for the rest of the week, so stay tuned! “Like” Trilogy Park on Facebookto keep up with all the latest news, or call the TRACK HOTLINE at 484.363.0592.

Free Art Program for Cancer Patients Receives Funding from Hill School

The Gallery School of Pottstown is proud to announce their Healing Arts program has received a grant from the Hill School Student Philanthropy Council. The Healing Arts Program offers free art programs to those whose lives have been touched by cancer. Participants can choose any of the School’s scheduled 2011 summer classes in topics from pottery and drawing to glass fusing and painting. Visit www.galleryonhigh.org for complete class details, and to download an application for the program. Applicants may also call 610-326-2506 for more information.

Acceptance in the Healing Arts program is on a first come, first served basis, and there are a limited number of spaces available. Also available through this program is a brand new Fiber Exploration Class. This class is available to support groups as a fun group activity. Participants will try their hand at spinning their own yarn and will work on a cooperative weaving project. Their final woven piece will be framed and presented to the group after their class. No experience in the fiber arts is necessary–just a willingness to try new things. Please call or email the Gallery School for more details and to schedule. A very limited number of classes are available

Healing Arts is sponsored by the Hill School Student Philosophy Council. The Student Philanthropy Council, first launched in October 2008, was created by Charles A. Frank, III, Hill School Class of ’59 and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and his wife, Betty. The program allows Hill students to learn about the value and processes of philanthropy. In addition, the program provides funding to Pottstown nonprofit organizations with strategic initiatives focused on enhancing the health and overall wellness of area families and communities.

The Gallery School of Pottstown is a 501c3 non-profit community art school and gallery. The School offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. The Gallery on High hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The Gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.

The Gallery School of Pottstown
@ Gallery on High
254 E. High St.
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-326-2506
www.galleryonhigh.org

St. Aloysius Church

Pottstown is home to many congregations and faith communities of all denominations. On Sundays, we will periodically feature a Pottstown congregation with a photo and a link to their website, if they have one.

We are out and about, taking photos all the time, but if you’d like us to use a photo of yours, please send it along and we’ll credit you or your congregation.

We’re starting this series with St. Aloysius Parish, the first Catholic church established in Pottstown in 1856.

Saint Aloysius Church
223 Beech Street
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-326-5877
www.saintaloysius.net
Pastor – Fr. Joseph L. Maloney

Hungry?? Head over to MCCC for Taste of the Town on Saturday

Breast cancer gets a lot of press, and deservedly so.  This disease strikes mothers, daughters, sisters, friends.  I can say that it has hit close to home for me this last year as a dear friend is in the fight of her life against breast cancer.

What might not get as much attention are the families of the women engaged in this battle, but Prayers and Poinsettias has their well being in mind.  This local non-profit, founded and headed by Mary Beatty of Barto, PA, provides scholarship funds to students at Montgomery County Community College whose mothers have or have had breast cancer.

This weekend you can help the cause, raise money to help a student at MontCo and sample food from some of the area’s best restaurants.  The Taste of the Town event is scheduled for Saturday, May 21st from  1-4pm at the North Hall Art Gallery of MCCC.

For just a $20 donation, you can sample food from the following restaurants:

Java’s Brewin of Limerick and Pottstown Hospital

www.javasbrewin.homestead.com or find them on facebook at www.facebook.com/javasbrewin

This coffee shop has been around since 2007 in Limerick and more recently in the lobby of the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center.  Their light food, delicious muffins and welcoming atmosphere are the result of team effort at this family owned business.

Ice House Deli

A Pottstown staple both for their food and community involvement, Ice House Deli serves pizza, steaks and more in their downtown location.  Their name is very fitting because the building they occupy actually used to be an ice house!

www.icehousedelivers.com

Rita’s of the Shops at Coventry Square

Be cool-eat a Rita’s!  (okay that song is now stuck in your head, sorry) at the Rita’s of Coventry Square.

Rita’s website

Dave’s Rib Shack

www.davestakoutribshack.com

Located in what looks like an ice cream stand, Dave’s Rib Shack serves up pulled pork, brisket and of course, ribs.  They open at 8 am everyday and have fresh breakfast items!

Raw Can Roll of Douglassville

Beyond the clever pun they use for their name, Raw Can Roll  serves up some amazing vegan, gluten free, raw foods with plenty of flavor.  They have a cute little cafe in Douglassville and also offer smoothies.  Their menu changes with the fresh foods in season and includes salsas, hummus and other fresh choices.

www.rawcanrollcafe.com

Positively Pasta

If you attended last night’s Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour, you got a sampling of the delicious food from Postively Pasta.  This High Street restaurant serves much more than pasta, with great breakfast, lunches and dinner.

Bause Landry Catering

Another hometown Business, Bause Landry offers full service catering for all kinds of occasions.  Their cakes are absolutely heavenly as well.  If you visit their website, you will definitely get hungry, but you can also check out a video of one of their events!

www.bauselandry.com

Also at Taste of the Town, there will be a silent auction to help raise additional funds for scholarships.

Even if you can’t make it to Taste of the Town this Saturday, be on the lookout for Prayers and Poinsettias around Christmas time when they will again be selling poinsettias to benefit the organization’s mission of providing scholarships and support to the children of women with breast cancer.

Additionally, I would encourage everyone to show their support to these businesses and others who consistently give of their time and their profits to help our community.  The next time you are at a local business, thank them for their generosity and their commitment to Pottstown.

School Board votes to transfer property for community garden

Last night, in a unanimous decision, the Pottstown School Board voted to transfer a vacant lot at 423 Chestnut Street to the MOSAIC Community Land Trust (CLT). Read about it here.

Old Chestnut Street Park

A community land trust is a proven model for promoting affordable homeownership, stabilizing neighborhoods and improving local economies. The community garden at 423 Chestnut will be its first project.

Pottstown’s CLT is a project of the Preservation Pottstown organization founded nearly 30 years ago. The group recently adopted the name MOSAIC Community Land Trust because a mosaic is the coming together of many different, colorful pieces – even some that are a bit rough around the edges! – to create a thing of beauty. (Keep an eye out for an upcoming call for artists to create a mosaic logo for the CLT, in conjunction with The Gallery School!)

The new board of trustees now at the helm of Preservation Pottstown/MOSAIC, with the support of a grant from National Penn Bank (thank you, Sharon McMichael!), have been working with a nationally-known CLT expert, Van Temple, to get its by-laws and operations in order so that it can own and manage projects like the community garden and, eventually, rehab and sell homes to low- and moderate-income working folks.

The School District’s decision is a huge milestone for what it represents: a new wave of partnership and collaboration on a progressive, healthy, sustainable community initiative. This effort has been led by the indomitable spirit of Katy Jackson on behalf of MOSAIC and supported and nurtured by many others, including Dr. Reed Lindley, Stephen Kalis, Andrew Monastra, Jason Bobst, Judy Memberg & Genesis Housing and Al Gryga of DePallo Design & Planning.

While it will be too late to get veggies in the ground for this summer, a team of volunteers and professionals are lined up to begin cleaning up and preparing the lot, perhaps for some fall harvesting, but certainly for next spring. I apologize in advance if I miss anyone in the list that follows – let me know and I’ll get additional names in here! Some of those who have committed to making this happen include: Master Gardeners from Penn State; Shawn Conroy & Lowe’s employees, Alan Jensen-Sellers, Master Arborist with Davey Tree Experts; Eric Schmidt of Colonial Gardens, Mary-Beth Lydon, Chris Huff, Teri Jensen-Sellers, McDonald’s and Giant for refreshments for volunteers, and many, many more.

Teaching children & adults…  meeting neighbors… enjoying the outdoors… getting your hands dirty…  the MOSAIC garden committee is always looking to grow its community. For more information, visit MOSAIC Community Land Trust’s website here.

Paint the Town Purple Kick-off and much more this weekend

Get your weekend sizzling at the Third Fridays Starry Ferrari Salsa Social in Pottstown! It gets jumping at the Ballroom on High at 310 E. High Street, beginning at 7:30 pm Friday night, May 20th. Admission is $12. For more info. Go to www.swingkat.com.

To celebrate 75 years as a National Federated Garden Club, the Pottstown Area Garden Club is presenting  “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” a Standard Flower Show held at the Frederick Mennonite Community, 2849 (Route 73) Frederick today, Friday, May 20 from 3:30 – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 21, from 9am till 2 pm.

If you’re doing spring cleaning this weekend, you’ll want to head over to Pottsgrove High School.  The Pottsgrove High School Music League is holding a clothing drive Friday and Saturday. Bring your old clothes to Pottsgrove High School between 3-7 pm Friday or Saturday between 10am and 1 pm. There will be a trailer in the parking lot and volunteers on hand to accept your donations.  Funds raised will support the music programs in the Pottsgrove School District. 

On Saturday morning head over to Smith Plaza in front of Pottstown Borough Hall to take part in the Paint the Town Purple Kick-off event. That’s taking place from 10 am to 1 pm. Pottstown is an epic leader in Relay for Life participation and funds raised. Join Relay for Life teams, local businesses and the mayor as the countdown to relay begins.  For more info. Go to www.pottstownrelayforlife.com

 Also this Saturday, May 21st, Taste of the Towne food festival and silent auction will be held from 1-4 pm at Montgomery County Community College’s North Hall Art Gallery at 16 W. High Street, Pottstown. This community event will raise scholarship money for Montgomery County Community College students whose mothers are battling breast cancer. Prayers and Poinsettias, is a nonprofit organization founded by Mary Beatty of Barto, who is an alumna of Montgomery County Community College. Admission is $20 and you can pay at the door. Participating restaurants include Java’s Brewin’, Ice House Deli, Rita’s at the Shops of Coventry Square, Dave’s Rib Shack, Raw Can Roll, Positively Pasta and Bause-Landry Catering.

If you’re feeling a little more raucous, you can Get Down and Derby with the Pottstown Rockstars Roller Derby. Women’s roller derby is taking off across the nation and Pottstown’s got its very own team, now something like 50-women strong. They are raising funds to find a permanent space in Pottstown. “Get Down and Derby” goes from 8pm to midnight at the Elks Club on High Street. Admission is $40 and includes food and beer, with a cash bar for mixed drinks.

And finally, if you’re ready to take a deep breath, clear your head and chill out on Sunday after an insane weekend, head over to Camp Fernbrook, 1954 St Peters Road in North Coventry for the Coventry Woods Festival. It’s happening on May 22nd from 1- 5 pm and admission is free. We visited Coventry Woods and the Fernbrook area last fall when we were doing the parks and rec series, and it’s one of the most gorgeous outdoor spaces in the area. For more info, go to the township’s website at www.northcoventry.us.

Remember, if you want to see your event here, just let us know and we will include you in the calendar.  Get out this weekend and see what’s going on in town!

Career Fair at Sunnybrook Ballroom

Job seekers should definitely make some time to stop by Sunnybrook Ballroom on Wednesday between 11am and 1pm when employers from around the region will be on hand to take resumes and applications.  The impressive list of employers includes everything from food service to retail and medical opportunities. 

The event is sponsored by the Tri-County Community Network in partnership with Exelon, Sunnybrook Foundation, the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Montgomery County Workforce Investment Board, and the (Pottstown) Mercury newspaper. 

Here is the rundown of companies who will be hiring tomorrow:

TriCounty Community Career Fair

May 18, 2011: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown

Accountants For You/Office Staff For You

Adecco Staffing

Aerotek Staffing

AlliedBarton Security

Assisting Hands of Collegeville

Atria Woodbridge Assisted Living

Berks & Beyond Staffing

Best Buy

Boscov’s

The Brick House

Brooks Brothers

CAS Home Health Care

Chestnut Knoll (Phoenixville)

Chestnut Knoll (Gilbertsville)

Century 21 Alliance

Colonial Electric Supply

Creative Health Services

Developmental Enterprises Corp. (DEC)

Educational Data Systems Inc. (EDSI)

Exelon Nuclear

Family Caregivers Network

FirstJobStop.com

HCR ManorCare

Home Health Mates

Home Instead Senior Care

KenCrest Services

LifeQuest/LifeSpan

Lowe’s

Metro Public Adjustment

Montgomery County Childcare Information Services (CCIS)

National Penn Bank

Nikken Marketing

PA Civil Service Commission (Philadelphia)

PA CareerLink (Montco)

Parkhouse-Providence Pointe

Paychex

PeopleShare Staffing

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center

Pottstown Mercury

Robert Half International/Accountemps

Salvation Army

Sanatoga Court/Genesis HealthCare

Sears

Seniors Helping Seniors

SEPTA

Southeastern Veterans Medical Center

Step By Step

Sunnybrook Ballroom

Susquehanna Bank

TD Bank

TIMET

Tracon Telecom Corp.

Univest Bank

U.S. Air Force

Visiting Angels

Visiting Nurse Association of Pottstown & Vicinity

Wells Fargo Bank

In addition to employers, the following training Providers will be on hand to help job seekers learn more about their services:

Antonelli’s Medical Institute

MCCC University Center

YWCA Adult Literacy Center

The Tri-County Community Network is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to build relationships among organizations, community members and businesses through advocacy, information sharing and education to improve health, social and environmental conditions within the TriCounty area.”  You can get more information about the organization from their website:  Tri-County Community Network. 

Sunnybrook Ballroom is located at 50 Sunnybrook Road in Lower Pottsgrove.

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