Tag: 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.

Pottstown Roller Derby Rockstars Get Down and Derby

You might remember that the last time we checked in with the Pottstown Roller Derby Rockstars, the league had about 19 members, but these days over 50 skaters can officially call themselves “rockstars!”   The women of Pottstown Roller Derby have big plans for their league, but big plans don’t come cheap. As they outgrow their current space, league co-founders Lida Addison, Tonda Woodling and Patty Fetterman are actively searching for warehouse space in the borough to house their league, and raising funds towards that end. 

This Saturday night, you can come out and support the fledging league and party just like a rock star at the Elks Club from 8pm to midnight.  Your $40 entrance fee gets you food and beer (you’ll need cash if you want mixed drinks) and seventies themed party, named Get Down and Derby with the Pottstown Rockstars,  that just might become legendary. 

Roller derby itself might seem like something of a novelty, but it could be pure gold to Pottstown’s struggling economy.  Bringing a spectator sport like roller derby to the borough would have positive economic ramifications and add to the burgeoning arts and culture vibe that is starting to take root downtown. 

Depending on their eventual home turf, Pottstown’s bouts could attract upwards of 300 people.  The neighboring Lehigh Valley Roller Girls’ League regularly sees attendance between 300 and 500 fans per bout.  And, after watching roller derby, those 300+ people might just hang around for dinner or drinks. 

Skeptical?  It’s understandable that you might be, but consider some of these statistics from the recent poll conducted by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA)

Who plays roller derby?

According to responses to the WFTDA’s 2010 demographic survey:

63 percent of skaters are 25 to 34 years old

Most have some post-secondary education; 20% have graduate degrees

31% of responding skaters have children under 18

36% of skaters are married

 

Who watches roller derby?

According to fan responses to the 2010 demographic survey:

Most roller derby fans (60%) are also active fans of other sports

 59% of fans are female

 41% of fans are ages 25-34; another 41% are 35-54

 34% of fans have undergraduate degrees; 21% have a graduate level degree

 (statistics from WFTDA survey, 2010)

That sounds like exactly the kind of demographic that could help this town over the tipping point toward revitalization and the derby league needs some financial help to do it.  Warehouse space (about 20,000 square feet of it) is expensive, as is the actual track they need to furnish it. 

The Rockstars have more in mind that just roller derby bouts, they’ve got great ideas for youth leagues and roller derby boot camp fitness classes.  And, believe me, if you’ve ever seen one of their practices, derby boot camp would be one tough class! 

So, come on out and support the home-grown derby team this weekend at the Elks.  Here is all the info:

Get Down and Derby with the Pottstown Roller Derby Rockstars

Pottstown Elks Club, 61 High Street

Saturday, May 21st

8pm to midnight

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR

$40 tickets includes ALL THE BEER YOU CAN DRINK and food!!!
All the appetizers you can eat!!!
We will have Miller Lite, Yuengling Lager and Labatt’s Blue on tap!
Beer and food included with ticket purchase!
Cash bar for liquor
50/50 RAFFLE
DJ REACT will be spinning the funky beats!!!
70’s Disco Attire is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED

Information about practices can be found on their facebook page and new members are encouraged to come out to the “fresh meat” practices to try out some derby skating.

J.O.B. Design & Construction hosts Positively!Pottstown happy hour this Thursday

In the case of J.O.B. Design & Construction headquarters at 64 N. Hanover Street, you’d do well to “judge a book by its cover.” Their historical renovation of the former Dr. Frederick Van Buskirk home is testament to the quality craftsmanship that is standard for J.O.B, which is owned and operated by John and Pam O’Boyle.

The building was on the “Historic Pottstown by Candlelight” house tour last December, but I missed it. I finally got a chance to stop by a couple weeks ago and get a tour from Pam. I was just blown away by the beauty of the original hardwood floors, moldings, trim, stair rails and shutters. For other examples of the extraordinary work of J.O.B, click on the “Portfolio” button on their website. They also own a green subsidiary – Halo Energy – that can help you harness solar power and make your home or business more energy efficient.

Johnny O’Boyle has been working in construction and remodeling since 1977. For nearly 24 years, he had his business on East 7th Street in Pottstown before re-locating to N. Hanover Street about a year ago, further cementing his commitment to Pottstown. John currently serves as President of the Building Industries Exchange of Pottstown and Vicinity and has donated J.O.B.’s services for construction of the World War II Memorial in Memorial Park.

We’re really pleased that John and Pam have opened up their business to host the next happy hour, which is this Thursday, May 19 from 5-7:30 pm. Food will be provided by Positively Pasta of 115 E. High Street. You can expect mouth-watering savory-filled puff pastries, potato skins, mini-meatballs and pizza bites. As always, there’s a $5 cover charge for appetizers; beverages are complimentary. If you haven’t done so already, please RSVP to positivelypottstown@gmail.com.

And please check out J.O.B. Design & Construction Co. Inc.for your next construction or re-modeling project!

Brunish’s gets great review in Inquirer!

On April 25, I wrote about my first visit ever to Brunish’s Deli at 577 Lincoln Avenue in Pottstown in “Brunish’s: There’s no place like home for hot dogs and sausages.”

577 Lincoln Avenue

Today, The Inquirer did an awesome story about this classic piece of Pottstown history, their funky space and their mouth-watering sandwiches. Check it out here.

And be sure to check them out in person! No doubt, someone from the Brunish family will be behind the counter ready to welcome you.

Brunish’s is on the web at www.brunishgroceryinc.com. And check them out on Facebook: they’ve got 1,811 “likes” at I Love Brunish’s!!!!!!!

Brunish’s Deli is located at 577 Lincoln Avenue, Pottstown, PA, across from the former Jefferson Elementary School. They’re open 7 am-8 pm, Monday-Saturday and 7am-6pm on Sundays. The phone number is 326-1900.

Tri-County for A Cure Video Project

The weekend is finally almost here for Yoga on the Steps, which benefits the amazing organization: Living Beyond Breast Cancer.  In case you weren’t able to attend our last Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour and you haven’t seen this video circulating around the internet (especially on facebook), here’s the culmination of some fun ideas, a lot of great participation by local business owners and leaders, and the talent of a certain photographer, Melia Rios-Lazo of Priceless Moments

Owner of High Street Yoga and the creative force behind the video, Barbara Kosciewicz offered her thoughts today about the video.  She writes of the project:

Throughout the long winter, during each class someone would comment or giggle about a certain pose we could do in a location in Pottstown.  We dreamed for spring to come and decided it would be our spring project.   Before long, the idea began to grow and evolve into raising awareness and funds for our Yoga team Tri-County for a Cure that is attending Yoga on the Steps on Sunday May 15th. Suddenly the project became much  greater than ourselves and became something both fun and meaningful

You can read the rest of her thoughts on her blog, Yoga Wisdom for Everyday, which is also a Mercury Town Square Blog. 

There is still time to get involved with Yoga on the Steps:  you can donate to the Tri-County for a Cure team or even sign up to participate on Sunday.  Just visit www.yogaonthesteps.org to get the details.

How would you spend $25K to attract River Trail users to Pottstown?

For those who have been following the development of Pottstown’s Heritage Action Plan or HAP, it’s time to rank the various projects and strategies that have surfaced.

The purpose of a HAP is to inventory and assess our heritage resources – arts, culture, history and recreation – and then come up with a vision and marketing strategy to entice hikers and bikers off the Schuylkill River Trail and into the downtown. We have already identified our resources and are now at the point of prioritizing projects and strategies for the $25,000 we hope to receive in implementation funding from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area in the coming months.

Anyone can participate! We welcome input from all organizations and individuals who care about the revitalization of Pottstown’s downtown. Here’s what to do:

Attached is a TRAIL TOWN COMPONENT RANKING  spreadsheet. If you have a few minutes over the next 24 hours, please follow the instructions below and return your rankings by tomorrow, May 11th to ptownHAP@gmail.com.

1.       Click on the link above to open the file.
2.       Rename file, adding your name, e.g. “REPKOtrailtowncomponentranking.xlsx”
3.       Rank each component on a scale of 1 to 10; 1 being extremely important to 10, not important.
4.       In the suggested location column, add a suggested location or a comment, if you want.
5.       Return the completed ranking form as an attachment in .xlsx or .xls (EXCEL) format by tomorrow, May 11th to ptownHAP@gmail.com.

Thank you in advance for your input and ideas!

If you want to learn more, you can find previous blog posts and discussions here:
https://positivelypottstown.wordpress.com/category/trail-towns-tours/ or check out Pottstown Heritage Action Plan on Facebook.

Keller Williams Realty Group in Limerick Ready for 3rd Annual “RED Day”

Associates from Keller Williams Realty Group in Limerick will “Give Where They Live” as part of RED Day, one of the biggest events in the real estate industry. Short for “Renew, Energize and Donate,” RED Day was created to unite Keller Williams Realty offices and associates in an international day of service. The kick-off for the local Keller Williams efforts will be held this Thursday, May 12, 2011.

  Keller Williams Realty Group in Limerick will be supporting Operation Backpack – an organization that provides local hungry students with much needed food for the weekend. In Pottstown alone there are more than 10% of families living below the poverty level and more than 60% of students qualified for free and reduced lunches. Operation backpack works with individuals and organizations to gather donated food and supplies.

The Food Drive begins at 9am on May 12, 2011 with Special Festivities beginning at 11a.m. at the Limerick location at 542 North Lewis Road in Limerick. They will continue to collect food through May 20, 2011 then the drive will continue and culminate with the 5k Run/Fun walk at RiverFront Park in Pottstown PA.

Keller Williams Realty Group will also be holding a Blood Drive conducted by Miller-Keystone Blood Center on Thursday, May 12th from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at their Limerick location. Because there is a desperate need at this time for blood, they encourage you to stop by to show your support to this much needed cause.

For more information about RED Day and how you can participate by donating to Operation Backpack or the Blood Drive, please log on to www.kwrealtygroup.com

During RED Day 2010, over 35,000 Keller Williams associates participated in activities ranging from food and blood drives to cleaning up trash in public parks, doing yard work for neighbors in need or revamping gardens at nursing homes totaling more than 150,000 hours of service, making RED Day one of the biggest events in the real estate industry.

Keller Williams Realty Group is located at 542 North Lewis Road in Limerick, PA. Their mission is to Build Careers Worth Having, Businesses Worth Owning, and Lives Worth Living. For more information on a career in real estate, or to find out how to be a part of their growing team in Limerick, please visit their website at www.kwrealtygroup.com

Ranking projects for Pottstown’s Heritage Action Plan

For those who have been following the development of Pottstown’s Heritage Action Plan or HAP, it’s time to rank the various projects and strategies that have surfaced. These rankings will determine the initial priorities for funding and completion.

To bring everyone up to speed… With funding from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area, Tom Carroll and I have been leading a cross-section of the community through a Heritage Action planning process on behalf of the Borough. The purpose is to produce a plan with a vision and marketing strategy around our heritage resources – arts, culture, history and recreation – so that we can entice hikers and bikers off the Schuylkill River Trail and into the downtown. We have identified our resources and ranked them, and are now at the point of prioritizing projects and strategies for the $25,000 we hope to receive in implementation funding from the SRHA in the coming months.

Anyone can be a participating partner! We welcome input from all organizations and individuals who care about the revitalization of Pottstown’s downtown. Here’s how to participate in the ranking:

Attached is a TRAIL TOWN COMPONENT RANKING  spreadsheet. If you have a few minutes over the next few days, please follow the instructions below and return your rankings by next Wednesday, May 11th to ptownHAP@gmail.com.

1.       Click on the link above to open the file.
2.       Rename file, adding your name, e.g. “Repkotrailtowncomponentranking.xlsx”
3.       Rank each component on a scale of 1 to 10; 1 being extremely important to 10, not important.
4.       In the suggested location column, add a suggested location if you are so inclined; i.e. “Bike Lane Striping” Suggestion: “Add bike lanes to Evans and Franklin Streets; connecting the North End to the Downtown”
5.       Return the completed ranking form as an attachment in .xlsx or .xls (EXCEL) format by Wednesday, May 11th to ptownHAP@gmail.com.

Thank you in advance for your input and ideas!

If you want to learn more, you can find previous blog posts and discussions here:
https://positivelypottstown.wordpress.com/category/trail-towns-tours/ or check out Pottstown Heritage Action Plan on Facebook.

The musical NUNSENSE at Tri-PAC in Pottstown!

NUNSENSE, the hilarious international hit musical, opened last night at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center in downtown Pottstown, and it runs this weekend and next weekend only.

The show focuses on the five surviving sisters at the Little Sisters of Hoboken nunnery. The nuns are organizing a talent show as a fundraiser after their order is reduced by the tainted vichyssoise soup prepared by Sister Julia, Child of God. With humor, song and dance, and audience interaction, NUNSENSE is a huge crowd-pleaser. No two shows are alike due to audience participation and improvisation by the actors. The original production received four Outer Critics Circle Awards, including best musical and became the second-longest running Off-Broadway show, bested only by THE FANTASTICKS.

NUNSENSE is showing tonight and tomorrow at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm. It will run next weekend too, from Thursday through Sunday. See show times below. Ticket prices are reduced for Thursday shows and always discounted for students and seniors. Tri-PAC is located in the heart of Pottstownat 245 E. High Street. If you haven’t seen a show there, you’re missing out on one of Pottstown’s arts and cultural gems. For more info and tickets, check them out on the web at www.tripac.org.

Thursdays
May 5 (preview) & 12
7:30 pm

Fridays
May 6 & 13
8:00 pm

Saturdays
May 7 & 14
8:00 pm

Sundays
May 8 & 15
3:00 pm

Special Events
Talkback with the Director/Cast: Thursday, 5/5 & Sunday, 5/8

Tickets

ADULT:  Thurs $15; Fri, Sat & Sun $17
STUDENT/SENIOR(65+): Thurs $13; Fri, Sat, Sun $15
CHILD (12 & under): Thurs $11; Fri, Sat & Sun $13

Application deadline for $10K Arts Scholarship this Saturday!

The application deadline has been extended until this Saturday, May 7th for the Greater Pottstown Foundation Arts Scholarship

Seniors from Pottstown, Pottsgrove, the Hill School and Owen J. Roberts High Schools, who will be furthering their education in the arts, are eligible to apply. For a complete prospectus and application, please go to The Gallery School of Pottstown’s website: www.galleryonhigh.com.

The Greater Pottstown Foundation Scholarship for the Arts is designed to financially assist a qualified applicant in obtaining a degree from accredited academic institutions of higher learning for a study in the arts. The scholarship is awarded based on a scholarship essay and based on merit as measured by artistic performance at the Greater Pottstown Foundation Senior High School Art Exhibit at the Gallery School of Pottstown. The applicant’s intended field of study must include a major in an arts related field.

For application details: go to www.galleryonhigh.com today! This is a unique opportunity offered right here in Pottstown to support young artists. The Greater Pottstown Foundation supports education, the arts, tolerance and the environment in the general Pottstown, Pennsylvania area.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑