Henry’s Cafe still has some open seats for its All–American Feast being held tomorrow, Wednesday, June 13 beginning at 5:30 pm. See details below and make your reservation today!
Henry’s Cafe presents an All-American Feast
FREE Money Management and Homebuying Classes Offered in Pottstown
Are you thinking of buying a new home, renting an apartment, buying a car or applying for a new job? Did you know that lenders, apartment managers, salespeople and even employers look at your credit? Don’t let poor credit hold you back. There has never been a better time to clean-up your credit. Learn how to improve your credit scores. Learn the best ways to reduce your debts. Make good decisions with your money. Learn what they never covered when you were in high school!
Genesis Housing Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development corporation, will hold FREE classes on Tuesday evenings, June 12th, June 19th and June 26th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, at the Mosaic Community Land Trust‘s Office, 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, June 12, 2012).
· 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, June 19, 2012 ).
· Home Buying Basics — Information the home buying process — finding a realtor, home inspections, Agreements of Sale, mortgages and first-time homebuyer grant programs (Tuesday, June 26, 2012).
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 http://www.genesishousing.org.
The Pottstown classes are funded, in part, by Montgomery County. Additional funding was provided by Susquehanna Bank.
Genesis Housing Corporation’s housing counseling programs provide free classes and individual counseling helping over 5,500 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 their web site at www.genesishousing.org.
Visit us on Facebook (www.facebook/GenesisHousing)
Pottstown’s Memorial Day Parade starts at 10 am
The Pottstown Memorial Day parade begins at 10 a.m. today at Goodwill Fire Company at 714 E. High Street. It is being organized by VFW Post 780. All veterans are encouraged to walk in the parade, which will continue down to the Vietnam veterans monument in Memorial Park at the end of King Street. There will be a ceremony there that includes a short speech from Severin Fayerman, a survivor of the Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Sachsenhausen concentration camps and eventual co-founder of Baldwin Hardware in Reading, PA. Mr. Fayerman has recorded his story as part of StoryCorps, an independent nonprofit oral history project. His story will be archived in the Library of Congress along with other stories from around the country.
Goodwill is also serving breakfast today, so grab your lawn chair, head out early, get a bite and then watch the parade begin!
FREE Summer Art Camps: The Gallery School’s FREE program deadline is June 8
The Gallery School of Pottstown is excited to offer three free summer programs for students ages 8-12.
1) Kids Art Academy is a general arts exploration class, where students will explore two- and three-dimensional arts.
2) Students in Clay Academy will delve into all aspects of creating with clay, including using a pottery
wheel.
3) The third class, Asian Arts, will take students on a journey through the art traditions of many Asian countries.
Art Academy and Clay academy begin in June, while Asian Arts starts in July. Applications must be received by June 8, 2012 for all three programs. Applications can be found online at http://www.galleryonhigh.com/programs.html, or in person at the school at 254 E. High St., Pottstown, PA.
All three programs are funded by the Greater Pottstown Foundation and are free for the students, with the exception of a small registration fee. While preference is given to those students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, students who do not qualify are also encouraged to apply. Questions can be emailed to info@galleryonhigh.com, or asked over the phone at 610-326-2506.
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 on High is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-4:30pm and Saturday 10am-3pm. The Gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.
Parents: MCCC’s Green STEM Camp Seeks Pottstown Middle School students for FREE summer program
Students: Do you ever wonder what a scientist sees through the microscope lens in the laboratory? What actually lives in the water and soil around us?
Montgomery County Community College is offering a free one-week opportunity from June 25-29 for Pottstown middle school students to step into a lab and find out.
For the second year, the College is hosting this free G-STEM—Green Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—camp at the West Campus in Pottstown, as the result of a $10,000 grant from TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank.
Students will get to do a variety of hands-on activities, including collecting water samples, gathering specimens and making observations during field explorations. In the laboratory, students can examine the miniscule life and microbial diversity that can only be seen with through the magnification of lenses.
At the conclusion of the week, the students get to their data and discoveries through Power Point presentations.
“What makes this program truly unique is that it is done at a community college with middle school students within five days,” said Program Director Dr. Davi Gonzales. “Usually, these types of programs are done by research universities with much older students.”
To sign up for the program, contact your school counselor immediately, complete and submit the application form. The camp’s hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Lunch is provided.
If you are interested in science and the environment, this program is for you. For additional information, contact Dr. Davi Gonzales at dgonzales@mc3.edu or 610-718-1883.
LointerHOME completes another gorgeous home in Pottstown
New to the market today, 542 Chestnut Street is the latest renovation by LointerHOME, the residential construction team headed by Amanda and Cristian DeSeta. 542 Chestnut is a New American Craftsman that boasts 1,736 square feett, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and features a jacuzzi tub, all granite counters, and stainless steel appliances. The new gas-fired heating system provides long-term savings on heating bills, and the 2-car garage is relatively rare in Pottstown. 542 Chestnut is within a couple blocks of the Hill School, the Chestnut Street playground, MOSAIC Community Garden, and downtown Pottstown. It is listed at $125,000.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the Pottstown real estate market, you’ll have noted that in the past year LointerHOME has successfully renovated and sold homes at 116 King Street, 467 Farmington Avenue, and 426 King Street. All of their homes are brought back to life with major systems overhauls and an attention to historic details like hardwood floors, lighting fixtures, and facades. Clean lines, cool palettes, and stainless steel appliances have brought these properties into the 21st century. (542 Chestnut includes one of my favorite materials of all time: “subway tiles.”)
Please enjoy these photos by Betsy Barron Photography. If you like what you see, check out the listing here and get in touch with realtor Lori Vanderbilt of Coldwell Banker Hearthside in Collegeville today at 610-489-7700.
Thank you to LointerHOME for recognizing the architectural gems here in Pottstown and continuing to invest in the Borough’s future!
FREE Dress for Success event tomorrow
This just in…
FREE Dress for Success Event
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
10am – 1pm
Salvation Army of Greater Pottstown
137 King Street
Pottstown, PA 19464
Registration Required! Call for your appointment NOW!
Call TCN to register for a Free Appointment at 610-705-3301
Choose from our 100s of outfits to find the ensemble that helps you stand above the rest!
Register for our free event and have help picking your best interview outfit, accessories and shoes. (Sizes are limited.)
SPONSORED BY THE TCN Homeless Services Program, Soroptimists Program, The Nottage Project, In Ian’s Boots, The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities, and The Salvation Army.
TriCounty Community Network
Partnering to improve health, social and environmental conditions
“Buy Local” spirit is at heart of PDIDA, WBZH and this month’s Happy Hour
The “Buy Local” movement is sweeping across the country and it has arrived in Pottstown like a force from Mother Nature. So, what does it mean to “buy local?” It’s pretty simple: By shifting even a fraction of your spending to locally-owned businesses in your hometown, you are supporting the employment base, the tax base, the school system, and your neighbors and friends. And, when the word gets out that there is support for local businesses from area residents, Pottstown could become a more attractive place for those considering expanding or opening up a new business.
During the month of May, the Pottstown School District and the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority, otherwise known as PDIDA (puh-dee-duh), have teamed up to help Pottstown flex its economic muscle with a “Buy Local” competition in the school district. All the schools and the administration are competing to see who can spend the most money during the month of May in the PDIDA district. PDIDA encompasses High Street from York to Evans Streets and Hanover and Charlotte Streets from Queen to King Streets. Students, staff and their families are shopping in those areas, getting a receipt, asking the merchant for a “Buy Local” sticker for the receipt and then turning it in at a School District building. In just two weeks, more than $16,000 was spent in the downtown! See Evan Brandt’s article here.
Did you know that there’s another Buy Local wave rolling through the region?
Local radio station WBZH, The Buzz (1370 AM), has been living and breathing the “buy local” philosophy 24/7 since February, when they announced that “buying local” would be the essence behind everything they do.
While their programming has always included local voices and up-to-the-minute local news and coverage, they have come up with advertising packages with customizable options that fit every business budget. They even offer free “buy local” taglines that you can record, along with your business name and location, to get the word out about the importance of supporting the people who are working and making an investment in your community.
We are bringing these two entities together for the next Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour, taking place tomorrow, Friday, May 18 from 5-7 pm at the PDIDA office at 17 N. Hanover Street. WBZH will be broadcasting the “Suki Says!” show live from 4-7 pm. Come out to network and meet local folks who are running businesses and trying to support local business, arts and culture in Pottstown every day. A $5 cover charge will get you food from Giuseppe’s, a new Italian restaurant and pizza place at 864 E. High Street; chocolate-dipped pretzels by Sugar High, a new sweet shoppe at 250 E. High Street; and complimentary beverages.
To rsvp, send an email to positivelypottstown@gmail.com; we also won’t turn anyone away at the door, so just stop by to get your weekend started right, right here at home, keeping it local.
Pottstown Borough clean-up slated for tomorrow morning!
The Borough’s annual clean-up day will take place tomorrow from 8 am-noon. This event is organized by Bill Sharon and Councilman Mark Gibson. If you want to work with fellow residents, bring a pair of gloves, a broom, a rake – whatever tools you think will be helpful – and meet at Borough Hall (100 E. High Street) or at Empire Hook & Ladder (Franklin & Chestnut Streets) at 8 am. The Borough will be going around to pick up trash bags, and there will be dumpsters at Borough Hall and the firehouse. You can also join other volunteers for refreshments at Smith Plaza at noon.
Please note that if you can’t make the downtown clean-up, please take a few moments to clean up in front of your house, out by the curb, and/or in the alleyway. A neat & tidy yard and sidewalk actually can lift your spirits – at least it does for me!
If you want to extend the good feelings, here’s another volunteer clean-up opportunity from The Mercury…
“If you’re still in the cleanup mood on Sunday, you can join the Mercury staff and other local volunteers who will be giving a similar treatment to Ganshahawny Park in Douglass (Berks) Township from 8 to 10 a.m. The cleanup area was found with the help of the 
Schuylkill Action Network and the votes of Mercury readers on Facebook. The Schuylkill Scrub organization is providing trash bags and reflector vests, and several people have volunteered to help.For directions or to learn more, read editor Nancy March’s blog post on pottsmerc.com.”
Positively Pottstown blog 