Monday, March 31, 2014

Consign Your Collectibles for Carousel Auction

Photo by Christopher Austerberry
This rare 1953 Mickey Mantle baseball card is just one example
of the type of exclusive memorabilia that will be auctioned on April 23.
It's spring cleaning time and, if your house is anything like mine, there are probably a few things you could do without.

But the decision about what to get rid of is always a hard one. What if that lamp is actually worth something?

Or, your old baseball card collection?

Well, now you can find out out.

The Carousel at Pottstown is conducting a fund-raiser antiques and collectibles auction on April 23.

They are currently accepting items on consignment.

Better yet, the auction is being nationally advertised, so anything you provide for sale is going to have the largest group of potential buyers possible.

The auction will include jewelry, sports and entertainment memorabilia, branded collectibles, furniture, glass, figurines, toys and more.

The auctioneers will be Kathy Maurer Wilson and Curtis Wilson of the Third Street Gallery, and they can be reached at 610-970-7688.

For more information, and to schedule an item review, contact:
  • George Wausnock: 610-327-4062
  • Bill Troutman: 610-207-3385
  • Fred Hoffman: 610-327-2871.
The consignment fee is only 10 percent of the sale price and will benefit the Carousel at Pottstown.

* * *

Photo by Christopher Austerberry
In other Carousel news, The Doe Club of the Elks have sponsored "Bambi," a beautiful addition to the
Carousel At Pottstown.

Pictured are:
Row 1: Jane Hamilton, Kay Bechtel (President), Joanne Reynolds, Marie Stahl, Janet Burkhart.
Row 2: Debbie Arnosky, Sharon Johnson, Jackie Hertzog, Sis Swenk, Roberta Peterman, Wendy Eppehimer, Carol Eckroth, Wendy Schiavo.
Row 3: Ellie Le Veille, Susie Edwards, Penny Searfoss, Carol Cusamano, Cheryl Baro, Edie Shaninger.





Sunday, March 30, 2014

Jazz So Good, You Could Just Eat it Up

Photo by Evan Brandt

It was a full house Saturday night as Goodwill Firehouse was packed to the gills with hungry jazz fans and Pottstown School District music students raised the rafters with some spectacular performances. This was the view from the meatball serving station.

Photo by Evan Brandt
Our first customers.


Photo by Evan Brandt
Our happiest customer

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Head Over Heels About Fitness

Physical education teacher Matt Fabian is head-over-heels about fitness.
Eating right is as important as exercise.

Blogger's Note: If you guessed that the following information was provided by the prolific John Armato, you guessed right ..... sorry, you don't win anything....

At Pottstown’s Rupert Elementary School students understand the value of the Greek philosophy of “Healthy Body and Healthy Mind.”

Students, staff, and parents recently took part in a family night of fitness.

Over 60 parents joined students in a night of activities that included blood pressure screenings, yoga, Pilates, cardio exercises, and an educational session on healthy snack ideas.

The students and parents were joined by a number of teachers and Rupert staff that helped to organize and conduct the activities. They included Stacey Bauman, Treena Ferguson, Shannon Wagner, Jamie Fazekas, Diana Dotterer, Nicole Leh, Lisa Stephenson, Christine Fiorillo, Melissa Scaltrito, Allen Ferster, Marybeth Reinhart, Susan Paravis, Rine Strohecker, Dave Genova, and Matt Fabian.

Most kids think adults
should be more flexible.
Principal Matt Moyer said, “I am so excited to see many of our students and parents coming back
after fter school hours to show their commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Once again our staff proves that they are here to help children succeed. Without their efforts in organizing and conducting these activities, the night would not be possible.”

Moyer expressed a special thanks to members of Fresh Start Fitness, Schuylkill Valley Sporting Goods, and the YMCA for supporting the evening’s events.

This year, the Pottstown School District has made physical fitness and its benefits to academic performance  an area of emphasis.

Each day, students throughout the school district participate in brain energizer activities to help prepare them for academic success.

Friday, March 28, 2014

I Feel Free

Ashon Calhoun
Blogger's Note: The following is happily culled from Pottsgrove Middle School Principal David Ramage's Principal's Update.

Pottsgrove Middle School is excited to celebrate the success of one of our 8th grade students! 

Ashon (Calhoun) found out that one of his original poems, "Free," was selected for publication by the PoetryWITS (Writer In Our Schools) program. 

This group is based in Montgomery County, and runs an annual Poetry Contest.

Ashon’s poem was an assignment for his 8th grade Laguage Arts class with Mr. Royce. A staff member at the school was impressed with Ashon’s work and submitted the poem to PoetryWITS.

Within a week we were notified that Ashon’s work was chosen for publication.

Effective writing is a skill sought after by employers in a broad range of fields. Here at Pottsgrove Middle School we take the craft of writing seriously. 

Students write in a variety of styles in a range of classrooms. Enjoy the power of Ashon’s writing as you read his original poem...

Free

I was made to be free
My past is trying to hold me
I can’t give up I’m a fighter
But the bonds keep getting tighter
Suddenly my life flashes before my eyes
I see all my truths and all my lies
I see all my regret and all my pain
I see all my pride and all my shame
I can’t let my past imprison me I will not be caged
I keep looking on the bad but I should just turn the page

I look on the good and the bonds loosen their grip
I look harder and they start to slip
I stare at the bonds that hold me no more
I scan the room then open the door
I step out and take in the sight
It’s been awhile since I was in the light
I don’t look back I am free
Those bonds no longer hold me

Monday, March 24, 2014

Oh the Books You'll Read

The Lincoln staff getting into the spirit of the day.


Courtland Yost, kindergarten, as the Cat in the Hat
OK, so this one is a little after-the-fact, but I didn't want to let it pass.

As anyone with children knows (and many without), March 2 was Read Across America Day, named in honor of the irrepressible Dr. Seuss.

At Pottstown's own Lincoln Elementary School (my neighborhood school!) the students and staff got into the spirit.

Principal Calista Boyer said "learning to read is one of the most important skills you need for success, enjoying reading will bring a lifetime of pleasure."

Whether it was the Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two, the Sneeches or the Lorax, or even the Grinch for that matter, Dr. Seuss would have felt right at home if he had stopped by Lincoln school on that day.

They say reading can brings things to life, but in this case, the folks at Lincoln brought to life what they had read.

And so, enjoy these photos of Lincoln's read spirit, conveyed by the equally irrepressible John Armato.

Jill Pluscht
Kiernan Welliever, Kindergarten

Kindergartener Michael Matos makes a good Grinch.




Kelly Mooney and Judy Friend as Sneeches


Owen Butler, Kindergarten

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Third Ward Meeting Tuesday

Sheryl Miller
State Rep. Mark Painter and Pottstown Ward 3 Councilwoman Sheryl Miller invite local residents to the first monthly meeting of Ward 3.

The meeting will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the all-purpose room at Lincoln Elementary School in Pottstown.

Ward 3 residents are asked to bring their concerns, issues and ideas to the meeting.
Mark Painter
Volunteers will be sought for neighborhood watch, block captains and neighbors helping neighbors.

In addition to a member of Painter's office staff and Miller, it's possible that the Pottstown borough manager and police chief may attend the meeting.

Ward 3 is located in the northwestern part of Pottstown and votes at First Church of the Brethren at 371 N. York St. in Pottstown.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

They've Got Rhythm

Photo by Evan Brandt
Pottstown High School Jazz Band's rhythm section with their award, from left, are Jake Fetterman, Connor Christman, Maxine Bacon, Eddie Butler, Cole Sellers and Jake Wunderlich.


For its third consecutive jazz competition, the Pottstown High School Jazz Band's rhythm section was
named the best Friday night.

The award was given at the conclusion of the 15th Annual Valley Jazz fest, held at Perkiomen Valley Middle School West.

Pottstown was rated as "Outstanding," along with five other bands, and two of its soloists, trombonist Sherif Mohamed, and saxophonist Marley Bryan, were singled out, each earning an honorable mention award.

I have featured videos of Pottstown's performances at other jazz fests here many times. I will upload all three performances onto my YouTube channel and you can watch them there.

(They are worth watching. The kids played very well.)

But they also changed out one of their numbers and substituted "Buy It and Fry It" in its place, so I've embedded that video here:



The only other local band to participate in the judged portion of the program was Phoenixville High School's jazz band, which also earned an "Outstanding" rating.
The entrance to Perkiomen Valley Middle School West.
(They were on first and I arrived too late to get any video of their performance.)

Phoenixville trumpet player Donnie Jackson was also one of the three to earn a soloist award.

The second soloist award went to trumpet player Josh Weckerly from the North Penn High School Navy Band.

The third soloist award went to Logan Mohr, tenor saxophonist, from the New Hope-Solebury Jazz Ensemble.

Alto saxophonist Natalie Parker from the Quakertown Community High School Jazz Ensemble also earned an honorable mention as a soloist.
Photo by Evan Brandt
The judges at Friday night's Jazz Fest in Perkomen Valley.

Chief Judge for the night was Dick Scott, a retired music educator and the former Jazz Band Administrator for the Cavalcade of Bands, which sponsored the evening.

Glen Brumbach, director of bands at Boyertown Area Senior High School, was the second judge and the third judge was Marc Jacoby, an associate professor of music at West Chester University.

The following bands also participated and received a rating of "Outstanding:"
  • Central Bucks South
  • Methacton
  • Pennridge
  • New Hope-Solebury
North Penn Navy and Quakertown High School's jazz band earned the only two "Superior" ratings of the night and Pennridge Lab Band earned a rating of "Excellent."

Photo by Evan Brandt
The Perkiomen Valley High School and Middle School West
Jazz bands performing "Forget You" together on stage.
Because they were the hosts, Perkiomen Valley High School's Jazz Band performed but was not rated as part of the competition.

Also performing in the pit during stage changes, was the jazz band from Perkiomen Valley Middle School West, directed by Dawn Krown.

In a nice gesture, the two bands played their final number, "Forget You" together on stage as a single band.

Here is that video:




The second piece by the Perk Valley band was "If I Could" by one of my personal favorites, Pat Metheny. The soloist, on alto saxophone, was Sarah Fonda.

Here is the video:


They began their performance with "The Chicken," an odd enough-sounding title.

Soloists in this piece were Will Turner on guitar and Brian Christman on tenor saxophone.



I did shoot video of all three performances by the Perkiomen Middle School West Jazz Band as well, but I am not going to embed them here, mostly because its nearly 1 a.m.

They can be found on my YouTube channel at some point in the next 24 hours.




Thursday, March 20, 2014

Music and a Meal for $8? What Magic is This?



Photo by Evan Brandt
The sign...
Imagine this: It's a lovely spring evening and you want to take your significant other (or better yet, your whole family) out for a tasty dinner and perhaps some music.

Problem is, you've only got a few bucks in your pocket.

Maybe most of your entertainment budget went into your home's often-empty oil tank this year, or a malevolent pothole threw your alignment from here to the moon -- and back.

Quite the dilemma you face oh-seeker-of-mealtime-entertainment.

If only there was some place you could go, a place of "Good Will," where wholesome and delicately boiled carbohydrates, hand-rolled meatballs and the best jarred red sauce could be had for a song ... and with a song even....
Photo by Evan Brandt
The food...

Heed our words, oh seeker of music, mirth and meatballs, for your answer lies within reach.

It is none other than the return of that most marvelous and most melodious of meals; that mellifluous melange of melody and meal time, that provision of pasta perfection; that juggernaut of justifiably jammin' Jazz; that ....
... too much?

OK, sorry.

Ahem, let's start again.

The Pottstown Schools Music Association will present the second annual night of Jazz and Spaghetti on Saturday, March 29, at the Goodwill Fire Company, 714 East High St. in Pottstown.
Photo by Evan Brandt
The musicians....

Pottstown's high school, middle school and elementary school jazz bands will provide the music entertainment while the parents of the Pottstown Schools Music Association provide the pasta.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for children younger than 10 and children under 5 eat for free.

It starts at 4 p.m. and lasts through 7 p.m.

It will be three solid hours of auditory and culinary enjoyment; an one-a-year experience made possible by a small band of fearless volunteers and the equally fearless children of this community; children who have stepped forward, students who will to rise up, instruments in hand, straining mightily against the bonds of beat and baton which bind them to this earth; students who will issue musical notes which soar to the ceiling notes which.....
Photo by Evan Brandt
The well-fed audience....

...what's that? Too much again?

Right.

So advanced tickets can be purchased.

You can get them by calling Debi Schiery at 610-505-3077. Or, you can buy them at the door.

So there is your choice, leave your loved ones at home, wallowing in spaghetti-less, Jazz-less misery, wondering if its even worth breathing in another day's air...

....OR.....

Photo by Evan Brandt
The chefs....
You can fire up the family wagon (or the family bicycle as the case may be), heck, call up grandma and grandpa and crazy Uncle Fester, gather them all together and toddle on down to the Goodwill Fire Company, open up your wallet, enjoy some good food and some good music with your neighbors and help music education in Pottstown.

Just think what a big spender everyone will think you are.

Don't worry, we won't tell them what a bargain it really is....

And, if you still haven't figured out how much fun this is, below is a video I made of last year's event.

If this doesn't convince you to come, perhaps you should consider seeking professional help....


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

With Some Authority

Photo by Evan Brandt

The five members of the Pottstown Borough Authority Board, from left, Jeff Chomnuk, Aram Ecker, Tom Carroll, David Renn and H. Michael Benner, listen to a briefing from Solicitor Vince Pompo during Tuesday night's meeting.


Monday, March 17, 2014

Open House at MC3




Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Montgomery County Community College

Montgomery County Community College will hold three open houses this spring to provide prospective students and the community with information about the College’s credit and non-credit programs and activities.

The open houses are free of charge and are open to the public. For more information and to pre-register, visit mc3.edu/openhouse or call 215-641-6551.

The College’s Central Campus, located at 340 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell, will host an open house on Saturday, March 22 in conjunction with the Montgomery County Wellness Expo. 

The open house runs from 10 a.m.-noon in Parkhouse Hall, with check-in/registration beginning at 9:30 a.m. The Wellness Expo runs from 9 a.m.-noon in the Physical Education Center. 

Presented by Einstein Healthcare Network, the Blue Bell Rotary and Montgomery County Community College, the annual Wellness Expo offers more than 20 free screenings, reduced-cost blood tests, educational information and giveaways throughout the day. In addition,

VNA-Community Services’ Personal Navigator Program will offer free Affordable Care Act information sessions. For more information about the Wellness Expo or to pre-register for the reduced-cost blood tests, visit advance.einstein.edu or call 484-622-0200.

South Hall of MC3's West Campus in Pottstown
The College’s West Campus, located at 101 College Drive in Pottstown, will host an open house on Thursday, April 3, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. in South Hall. Check-in/registration begins at 5:30 p.m.

Both open houses will provide prospective students and their families with information about MCCC’s credit and non-credit programs. 

Admissions representatives will be on hand to answer questions about the admissions process, transfer opportunities, e-learning and financial aid, among other topics. In addition, Faculty representatives will be available to discuss the 100+ associate degree and certificate programs that are part of the College’s comprehensive curriculum.

MCCC will also host an open house at its new Culinary Arts Institute, located at
1400 Forty Foot Road in Lansdale, on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m.-noon, with check in/registration starting at 9:30 a.m. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the new facility while learning about the College’s Culinary Arts and Pastry and Baking Arts associate degree programs, as well as its Culinary Enthusiast classes. Student Success Center advisors will be on hand to answer questions about the admissions process and financial aid, among other topics.

To learn more about all the Montgomery County Community College has to offer, visit mc3.edu online.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Experiments in Journalism

Joe Zlomek
Yesterday, a source of local news closed its doors after a six-year experiment.

Joe Zlomek, a former publisher of The Mercury and an on-line innovator, published his first story in the on-line-only Sanatoga Post in September of 2008.

He announced its closure four days ago.

It was not the failure of his business model that forced the closure so much as the draw of his "other job" as an educational courseware -- work I suspect was more profitable than his oversight of the Post and its related publications -- that brought him to his decision, he wrote.

As I said when he made the announcement, I will miss him, as much for his introspection and thoughtfulness about the calling we share as for his companionship at municipal meetings whose length and monotony could test the tenacity of a 100-year-old Galapagos tortoise.

I am also a fan of his writing style, which has a very light and conversational tone to it, just right, I thought, for the kind of hyper-local neighbor-telling-you-the-news-over-the-fence product he was offering.

Further, he was very generous about his attribution, always making sure to link to a Mercury story when he was citing it and, I hope, we returned the compliment in kind.

I considered The Sanatoga Post to be a better version of the national experiment known as PATCH, which enjoyed a relatively brief tenure here in the Pottstown area and has since been gutted of local editorial staff by the corporate interests which now control it.

(Even the casual observer will notice its headlines these days are chiefly regional weather stories.)

I was always puzzled by the idea that a national chain thought it could be both national and "hyper-local" at the same time; an oxymoron on a level with "jumbo shrimp."

It always seemed more of a fervent wish than a likelihood, but who am I to say? I am not a corporate giant wielding millions of investor dollars.

Although the well-intentioned people who worked at PATCH tried hard to focus on local events, the national boilerplate format within which they were required to work left little room to try to meet the different needs of different communities in anything but the same way as everywhere else.

The Sanatoga Post was different in that it was run by a local professional who already knew the community he was covering inside and out.

But the idea of being hyper-local, of just covering one town and its school district, was had certain similarities to PATCH's model and I was curious to see if it could work.

It certainly seemed to.

Joe was steadfast in his coverage and rarely missed a municipal meeting which, despite their often boring character, nevertheless continue to represent the heart and soul of American journalism, in my humble opinion.

As I have said in this space before, I do not believe the founders preserved the rights of a free press so we could cover car wrecks, as evidently fascinating as they are to readers, but to keep an eye on government -- at all levels.

Of course covering those car wrecks and other crimes and spectacular happenings drives readership -- as much as some might be loathe to admit about themselves -- and readership drives the one thing which makes American journalism the creature it is today -- money.

In a capitalist economy, money is the single best way to be independent.

In other words, it pays the bills so we can also afford the cost of the much-less-sexy job of keeping an eye on our governments.

Obviously, a government watchdog cannot be paid by the government. And a newspaper (or news source) which runs on the goodwill and occasional donations of its readers is soon a former newspaper.

(I continue to believe there is a non-profit model out there somewhere which can work, and which is finding some success with sites such as ProPublica, but the world doesn't seem quite ready for that yet.)

In the meantime, newspapers continue to need money to do their job and they are increasingly struggling to make it.

No longer the "go-to" place for information, they are losing advertising dollars at an alarming rate.

(Those of you who read our two-day "Changing Times" series in The Mercury have heard all of this before.)

Paradoxically, it's the once mighty leviathans of journalism, the larger city metros, with more overhead and more areas and niches to cover, that are suffering the most, although we local dailies are not far behind in the suffering department. (Don't ask me the last time I got a raise.)

Still, we do have one advantage at local papers. Local is our niche and we still do it better than any big city metro.

And fortunately, The Mercury is owned by a company that believes it has to innovate to survive and is aggressively pursuing any strategy that shows promise of being economically sustainable.

So far, not too many of them do but we haven't given up yet.

All of which brings us back to Joe and The Sanatoga Post.

I was deeply interested in whether his experiment could survive and bridge the gap between traditional newspaper readers, who still want to read their news on a piece of paper they hold in their hand but whose numbers dwindle with every passing day, and the next generation of readers who seek out information about everything in their world on an electronic device.

I have been crass enough in the past to hint around to Joe that I would love to know if he was making profit, or, more important, could make a living, doing what he did on his site, but he played his cards close to the vest and I could hardly blame him for that.

Nevertheless, I think he showed it can be done if you do it right.

So I thank him for taking on such a formidable undertaking.

But I will miss him here in the Southeast Pennsylvania media laboratory, we need all the qualified researchers we can get.

And I will miss him at those meetings.

(Have I mentioned that they can be kind of long?)

* * *

P.S. So yesterday I discovered that Joe and I define "discontinue" differently. In point of fact what he is discontinuing is "daily" publication and coverage of government.

In this post, he reported that instead he is going to transform the site.

The site will now offer and expanded calendar, which he said is the site's most popular feature, as well as more people-oriented features.

I welcome this news as anything which keeps people engaged with their community has to be a good thing.

However, he is sticking with his guns about not attending night meetings.

So no reprieve for yours truly.

Really, those meetings can get truly epic....











Saturday, March 15, 2014

$420 Worth of Lasagna



Blogger's Note: This post shamelessly stolen, word for word (photos too!), from Alana Mauger's own post about this on the Think Success blog on Montgomery County Community College web site.

Student leaders at Montgomery County Community College’s West Campus in Pottstown raised $420 during their 13th Annual Lasagna Dinner on Feb. 19.

Proceeds from the dinner benefit the West Campus Student Scholarship Fund through the College’s Foundation. The scholarship is awarded annually to a West Campus student who is engaged in community service and is in good academic standing.

The buffet meal of meat or veggie lasagna, salad, bread, dessert and beverage was served by MCCC student leaders and was available for dine-in or take-out. Between 6-7 p.m., members of MCCC’s West End Student Theatre (WEST) presented an interactive improv dating show that had diners roaring with laughter.

The West Campus Lasagna Dinner is one of MCCC’s “50 Acts of Kindness” as part of the College’s 50th anniversary celebration. Throughout 2014, MCCC students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters are committed organizing 50 acts of community service – one for every year of the College’s existence. To learn more at the College’s 50th anniversary activities, visit mc3.edu/50.

To learn more about scholarship opportunities through MCCC’s Foundation, visitmc3.edu/giving.


Thursday, March 13, 2014

An Olympic Effort



Over 150 elementary students in the Pottstown School District took part in the Olympics but they did not have to travel all the way to Sochi to showcase their skills.

They stayed right here in Pottstown as they participated in the 14th annual Pottstown School District’s Reading Olympics Competition. 

The Reading Olympics requires teams of students to read 45 books in preparation for the event. 

Each round of competition sees two opposing teams attempt to answer 20 questions given in rapid-fire fashion from the moderators. After a question is asked about a book, teams huddle to determine the correct answer. 

One point is awarded for each correct answer and Olympic ribbons are awarded for overall performance. 

District teams qualify to compete in the annual Montgomery County Intermediate Unit competition which annually attracts over 500 teams and 7,000 participants. 

The Pottstown School District program is organized by Reading Specialist Karen Neitz. 

The goals of the Reading Olympics are to increase students' reading for enjoyment and promote reading skills that increase achievement and academic success. 

“I am always so excited to see our youngsters actively engage in reading. This event is an opportunity for students to experience teamwork and the satisfaction that comes from hard work,” explained Neitz.

For the ninth consecutive year the Pottstown School District’s Reading Olympics program has received financial support from the local Diamond Credit Union. 

John Foust, President of Diamond Credit Union, said, “We are proud to partner with the Pottstown School District in their efforts to promote the skill of reading so that students may learn to read so that they can read to learn. 

It is extremely rewarding to see the glow in students’ eyes when they correctly answer one of the questions. As an organization, Diamond Credit Union is committed to being a contributing member of our community.”

Ribbon award winning teams included:
Barth Page Masters – BRONZE
Barth Reading MVP - BRONZE
Franklin Bluebirds - BRONZE
Lincoln Lightning - BRONZE
Early Boyd-Brown
Jenia Brown
Michelle Castillo
Joseph DeLeo
Anthony DiPietro
Mason Long
Christinna Longenecker
Mackenzie Moser
Mylihng Ortiz
Zavion Paschall
Ma'Kea Regis
Kaden Timbers
Xzavier Francis Williams
Ashton Binder
Jaylen Bryant
Justyna Epright
Eddie Higgins
Makenzie Johnson
Debra Laulu
Jesus Linares
Zachary Mitchell
Tryniti Mott-Lewis
Patrick O'Connor
Grant Panfile
Ivionna Reed
Enam Robinson

Askew, Jamilah
Brown, Tyonna
Christman, Olivia
Clyde, Shyeed
Cocci, Joel
Couch, Thomas
Delgado, Janessa
Eames, Liza
Harper, Tyler
Hill, Elias
Mest, Kristen
Ormston, Allison
Pena, Jolyn
Rabert, Austin
Smith, Dakota
Tinson, Braylon

Jonathan Calle
Xochitl Cruz-Hernandez
Madison Dunn
Isabella Floyd
Farid Gass
Jailyn Hampton
Isabella Harmon
Maria Jimenez
Angelina Ludy
Jesseny Redrovan
Abigail Rochlin
Deanna Stefanavage
Kayla Vitabile
Sydney Wilerson
Daniel Williams
Jayniana Williams



Rupert Roaring Readers - BRONZE
Middle School Eagles - BRONZE
Middle School Falcons - BRONZE
Middle School Hawks - BRONZE
John Cranford
Jack Engleman
Emma Gain
Amar Graves
Beatriz Guardado
Breckin Leh
Hannah Monger
Malachi Neely
Kira Nihart
Yasmin Paez
Jaylin Reynolds
Julia Scavello
Amayah Scurry
Scarlet Vallejo
Melodie Velez
Naomi Parson
Jaydin Douglass
Elizabeth Brennan
Eric Thornton
Jacob Eames
Xavier Agosto
Kamrin Gatlin
Julian Paskel
Haile Clayton
Keshana Brown
Harmony Wood
Nancy Deschamps-Ocampo
Destri Roye
Zach Sands
John Toussaint
Kishan Patel
Sebastian Buchanan
Tajime Brown
Beyonce Brown
Kameryn Herpich
Imani Brant
Brian Cowie
Kylee Pimentel
Hannah Wilson
Gabby Reyes
Xavier Cushman
Samantha Deery
Bobby Mitchell
Cristine Martinez
Jaleinda Thompson
Talia Spruill
Nate Lang
Ciera Cwynar
Anthony Russo
Riley Mead
Emily Weber

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Musical Notes and Board Notes

Photo by Evan Brandt

Prior to getting down to the business of holding a school board meeting, the Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School Advance Band taught the board a thing or two about running a band.

Blogger's Note: Don't forget when you get to the bottom, you may need to click the blue "Read Next Page" bar to see everything.






Monday, March 10, 2014

Elementary My Dear Pottsgrove

Sherlock Holmes will be played by Jake Deska and Dr. Watson by MJ Bird.


Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Pottsgrove High School:

The game’s afoot at Pottsgrove High School when the world’s most famous sleuth and his faithful companion Dr. Watson appear on stage. 

 “Sherlock Holmes,” a suspense comedy, will be performed by a cast of 25 on Friday and Saturday, March 21 and 22 at 7:30 pm in the school’s Dr. Richard J. Radel Auditorium.

This more traditional adaptation is based on stories created by Arthur Conan Doyle himself, combining elements from some of the Holmes’ famous cases, including “The Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” 

 In Victorian England, Sherlock Holmes (Jake Deska) and Dr. Watson (MJ Bird) are attempting to recover incriminating letters for an insurance company. What starts out as a simple case of blackmail evolves into a much more complicated scheme that pits Holmes against his arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty (Kristi Shultz).

Alice Faulkner (Danielle Buchanan), who has the letters, is kidnapped by the evil James and Madge Larrabee (Josh Crocetto and Emily Weaver) until Holmes rescues her. 

A budding romance between Alice and Sherlock is threatened by the expected armed thugs, time bombs, and other complications. The play combines both mystery and humor to reach a satisfying resolution.

Other allies and adversaries for Holmes include Andrew Bayless, Brianna Beitler, Emma Burrus, Ashley Cole, Cierra Fekelman, Sydney Hernandez, Kendra Houck, Mollie Marko, Tayler Nofer, Shelby Poston, Nicole Raimondi, Anthony Romano, Rebecca Smith, Michael Thornton, Josh Toth, Hailee Tyson, Dan Weand, Allison Wentzel, Hannah Windrim, and Jake Witty.

The production is directed by faculty member Todd Kelly with assistance from Holli Artim. Student directors are Nofer and Poston. Costuming duties fall to Elizabeth Rodenbaugh and Cindy Wozniak. Cindy Scherer and Gwyneth Thomas are the art advisors. Dave Moyer supervises the stage crew.

Tickets are $7, discounted to $5 for students and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased from cast members or at the door.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

A Matter of Some Debate


The Hill School Debate Team, from left, Shaun Ho, class of 2016; Ali Syed, Class of 2016; 

Gillian Wenhold, class of 2014; Erik Schmidt, class of 2014 and Nguyen Nguyen, class of 2015.

Blogger's Note: The following was posted, with permission, from an item on The Hill School web site.

For the past three years, Collegeville resident Gillian Wenhold, Class of 2014  has been leading The Hill School’s Debate Team as a top competitor in the Lincoln Douglas style debate.

On Feb. 19, she celebrated the end of a successful regular season in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Debate League with a win in the final round of Lincoln Douglas debate for the second year in a row. 

Gillian went undefeated in the regular season and was first seed going into elimination rounds where she defeated five straight opponents to take home the championship!

The following evening (Feb. 20), Gillian qualified for the Pennsylvania State Debate Tournament for the second year in a row at the District 15 State qualifying tournament at Harriton High School. 

Gillian is the only member of Hill’s Debate Team to qualify for the state tournament, which will be held on March 28 and 29 at Susquehanna University.

Earlier this year, Gillian took third place at the Martin Luther King Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament at EL Meyers High School in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 

This was Hill’s first time participating in this event.

“Gillian’s dedication to the activity is unsurpassed,” notes Josh Schmidt, Ph.D., Hill instructor of physics and adviser to the Debate Team. “She is constantly researching and understanding positions she might face on a particular topic and devotes a great deal of time to getting better beyond just practice and tournaments.”

“A particular strength of Gillian’s is understanding her audience and how it changes from debate to debate,” adds Schmidt. “It is not easy to go undefeated in debate as every judge is different and likes to hear different things. Gillian understands that and adapts well to her audience. The team will greatly miss her next year.”

The Hill’s Debate Team has had a successful year all around. Max Holmes '16 (New Hope, Pa.) was the first alternate in Hill’s district during the Feb. 20 District 15 State Qualifying Tournament. At the Feb. 19 Southeastern PA Debate League final, Erik Schmidt '14 (Chester Springs, Pa.) and Nguyen Nguyen '15 (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) placed second in policy debate, and Shaun Ho '16 (Taipa, Macau) and Ali Syed '16 (Wyomissing, Pa.) placed in the top four by making it to the semi-final round.

“This is an extremely strong result for such a young team and sets up high expectations for next year,” notes Schmidt.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

And the Award Goes To.....

Photo by Evan Brandt

Daniel Boone Senior Alyx Blumstock, left, and Junior Megan Jolivette prepare to give out the awards at the end of the 43rd Annual Sound Spectacular Jazz Band Festival at Daniel Boone High School Friday.


If awards were given for best sound system (microphones work when they’re supposed to) and best program (handy fill-in sheet makes keeping track of awards easy) the Daniel Boone High School would win them both.

Both were awaiting those who stopped by for the 43rd Annual Sound Spectacular Jazz Festival, along with some stellar performances by area bands.
Photo by Evan Brandt

THE JUDGES TABLE: The judges for the evening were 
Chuck Dressler, Bill Powers and Bob Wagner.


Two bands, the Pottstown High School Jazz Band and the Boyertown Area Senior High School Big
Band, were both rated as “superior,” the highest rating given by judges.

The Phoenixville Area High School Jazz Band earned a rating of “outstanding” and the Daniel Boone High School Jazz Ensemble was the host, so it was not rated, although it did perform Friday night.

Boyertown earned both the outstanding saxophone section and the outstanding trumpet section awards while Pottstown earned the outstanding rhythm section award.

North Penn High School won the outstanding trombone section award.

Photo by Evan Brandt
There was a pretty good size crowd gather as the night went on.
Two saxophonists, Kelli Hess of Boyertown and Marley Bryan of Pottstown, earned outstanding soloists awards, as did Donnie Jackson of Phoneixville.

Honorable mentions for outstanding soloists included drummer Jake Wunderlich from Pottstown and
Bennett Stump, also a drummer, from Wilson High School.

Because I have posted the three songs performed by both the Pottstown and the Boyertown bands twice before on this blog, I will not embed them here tonight.

I will be uploading them to YouTube (Perhaps tomorrow, it’s very late) and you can view them on my YouTube channel.

Also, I will make a playlist of the area bands from the show.

Photo by Evan Brandt 
The ABC Select Jazz Band from Amity Elementary School also played.
Because I could slip out in between when bands like Upper Merion and Ephrata were playing, I was
able to re-charge the batteries in the mighty iPhone and so was able to capture a today of 12 performances on video.

Instead, I will embed the videos of Phoenixville and Daniel Boone, because many of you will not have heard them before.

But before we get to any of that, I should mention that two of the district's elementary school bands played in exhibition, the Birdsboro/Monocacy Elementary Band and the ABC Select Jazz Band from Amity Elementary.

I was charging my battery when the Birdsboro school played but I did get a video sample of the Amity group. Here they are playing "Salsa Special."



And now on to the high schools.

First up is Phoenixville, which began with a singer with a lovely voice for a piece called "Afternoon in Paris," and although they announced her name, it did not appear in the program, so I cannot share it with you.

The soloist names the program did share were Donnie Jackson on trumpet, Karl Sewick on guitar and Spncer Rakoczy on drums.



Despite what is said in the program, this was followed by a number titled "Lady Bird." The soloists are Nick Kissel on trombone and Jake Gould on alto saxophone.



And finally, a very nice work called "Living in a Dream," with some truly excellent trumpet work by soloist Donnie Jackson. It's easy to see (or, rather, hear) why he won an outstanding soloist award.



And now its on to the hosts, Daniel Boone High School and its Jazz Ensembl.

They began with a number named "Pegasus," by Hank Levy. Soloists are Alyx Blumenstock on baritone saxophone, Nichole Risley on flugel horn and Bethany Hallwell on Flute, as well as Justin Frey on alto saxophone.



This was followed by "Unit 7" by Sam Jones, which features Justin Frey as a soloist in alto saxophone.



And Daniel Boone finished up with "A Time for Love, which features James Kalenda on trombone as the soloist.



Oh yes, as for the schools outside The Mercury coverage area, they were rated as follows: Brandywine Heights High School earned an "outstanding," Reading High School earned an "outstanding," Wilson High School earned a "superior," North Penn High School earned a "superior," Ephrata High School earned an "outstanding," and Upper Merion High School earned an "oustanding."

All right, so its 2:15 a.m.

Here's your damn playlist of all the tunes played by Pottstown, Boyertown, Phoenixville and Daniel Boone: