Those Who Came Before

Matthew D. Harris, RPA, will present his findings of the early native people of the Schuylkill Valley, at Lock 60 of the Schuylkill Canal in Mont Clare from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 20.

Harris will discuss the context of the land during this time; the Middle Woodland Period; people and their forays and settlement in the Schuylkill Valley for seasonal fish migrations; and regional trade in tool making resources evident from lithic materials, biface and ceramic types found in our region. 

Weather permitting, the indoor presentation will be followed by a moderately difficult 1.5 hour hike up the first ravine to the same vistas of the Schuylkill River Valley seen by these early native people.

The event is open to ages 12 and up with an adult, $10 donation. Seating is limited to the first 20 participants.

Pre-registration required by e-mailing: programs@schuylkillcanal.com

Those attending should meet at Locktender’s House at Lock 60, off the Route 23 bridge.  

Who Makes the Best Pizza in Town? You Decide

So who has the best pizza in town?

Register for the Pottstown Regional Public Library's Pizza Tasting Event next week and help to answer that question yourself.

As word of the event -- scheduled for 6:30 p.m., July 23 -- has spread, the event itself has grown, said Leslie Stillings, director of youth services, who helped organize the event.

"This started out as a run of the mill summer program, but has begun to garner some attention from different pizza places," Stillings wrote in an e-mail responding to a Mercury inquiry. 

"The pizzerias have been coming to us. So we decided to move it upstairs, open it up to a larger audience, and have begun to create multiple categories for voting and certificates for the winning pizzerias," Stillings wrote. 

"Some of the categories include: best overall, best crust, best sauce."

The program is intended for teenagers, 10 to 18 years of age, but the library will also welcome children and families.

They ask that participants pre-register, either by calling 610-970-6551, or stopping by the library.

Participants will blindly taste the different pizzas and vote on the best pizza in town.

The following pizzerias have already signed up to have their offerings tested:

• AJ's Pizza
• Big Daddy's Pizza
• Boardwalk Pizza Family Fun Center
• Cutillo's Restaurant
• Giovanni's Pizza and Restaurant
• Guiseppe's Pizzeria
• Icehouse Deli & Steaks
• Little Italy Pizzeria
• Mannino's Pizzeria
• Papa John's Pizza
• Parma Pizza
• Sal's Pizza Box II
• Santina's Kitchen
• Tornetta's Pizzeria
• Valentino Restaurant, Pizzeria & Catering
• Woogies Wood-Fired BBQ

New Hearing for Mini-Mart

Photo by Evan Brandt

This is the location at which the Torres Mini-Mart is being proposed.

An approved mini-mart at the corner of King and Washington streets was unapproved by council Monday, but hopes to get re-approved.

Borough Council voted unanimously to revoke the April 14 approval of a "conditional use" permit for Emmanuel Torres, for opening a mini-mart on the first floor of 454 King St.

The most recent use for the space was as Lotto's Bar.

Council approved the conditional use the same month it approved another convenience store, this one at 451 N. Charlotte St. in the space most recently occupied by the Milkman Lunch Co. before that shop moved to High Street.

That store has since opened.

Torres said he would not be cooking at the store and would only be selling pre-prepared and packaged foods.

But several residents, including Katy Jackson of King Street, Cindy Conard of Wilson Street and Barry Beasley Jr. of Jefferson Avenue all noted at the time that there are already several such stores within several blocks of the King Street site.

“I don’t know how many more mini-markets a town our size needs,” Beasley said.

At Monday's meeting, Borough Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. told council that the conditional approval "was appealed by the owner of a neighboring property."

Attorneys for the borough, the business and the appealing property owner all agreed to have the approval negated by Torres "withdrawing" his request, and then re-submitting it.

That will result in a new conditional use hearing, tentatively scheduled for the council meeting of Monday, Aug. 11, Garner said.

The Foundations of Citizenship

State Rep. Mark Painter, D-146th Dist., congratulates 

Tyisha Reddick, who was recognized by the DAR.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Pottstown School District.

Recently, the Mahanatawny Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recognized students for their excellence in citizenship. 

Tyisha Reddick, Pottstown High School Class of 2014, was chosen by faculty and peers for excelling in honor, patriotism, civic involvement, responsibility, and loyalty to others.

At a luncheon ceremony, she received certificates of recognition from State Representative Mark Painter along with a framed certificate award and pin from the DAR Chapter. 

Marlene Armato, DAR Officer, said Reddick was singled out for those qualities by a guidance counselor at Pottstown High School.

Reddick is an active member of the National Honor Society, lacrosse team, field hockey team, and peer mediation. 

Reddick was the Salutatorian of the class of 2014. 

 She plans to attend Penn State University this coming year.

“The foundation of a strong country is built upon the quality of leadership that guides the actions of our youth," Armato said. 

"We are proud to recognize student leaders like Miss Reddick who have demonstrated their understanding of their civic responsibilities and play an active role in supporting our community,” she said.

A Police Contract, Stormwater Ordinance and More

As I left Monday night's Borough Council meeting, it occurred to me that some of you might like to know about the information posted on the borough's notice board.

And so here it is in photographic form.

Below are the evening's Tweets.

As always, click the blue "to read more" bar to ensure you get it all.

A Summer of Science at the Library

The Flow circus from last year's program.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Pottstown Regional Public Library:

Science is the hot summer topic and several grants, including Soroptimist International of Pottstown is helping afford the girls, boys, and families of our local area free, educational, and fun summer activities at the Pottstown Regional Public Library.

Families can read for prizes including: books, a Fire Truck Tour, T-Shirts, Rita’s Water Ice and more.

They can also participate in Book Talks where they can meet the famous author.

Families can watch performers including; scientists, Hip Hop Dancers, and Artists.

Plus there are multiple hands-on activities where families can learn to garden, make a summer snowball using chemistry, create superhero space ice, learn about the science of bubbles, participate in story times, and more.

From left, Leslie Stillings –Director of Youth Services presented with $5,000 check 

from Emma Turner-Soroptimist Community Service, 

Rosemary Hoffman-Soroptimist President, and Butsy McElroy, 

Soroptimist regional governor.  

Amidst all the reading and science activities, children can feed their bellies as well as their minds with free lunches every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Soroptimist has done much work in creating opportunities for girls and women. Their generosity has helped the library spread the word about literacy and science.

Science is a field that is primarily dominated by men and summer science programs can help encourage and expose girls to the fields of engineering, technology, the arts, and math. The library is the perfect platform to give girls and boys the exposure to such possibilities in their future.
Here are also some high-lighted events:

Pizza Tasting Event: July 23 at 6:30

DJ Dance Party Lua! Aug. 12 at 5:30 

Meditation Mondays

Mondays at 10:30 Children and parents learn about meditation, mindfulness in the beginning story time.

The 'Science Hero' class from last year.

A unique and new story time experience.

Wednesday Morning Performances at 10:30

• July 16 - Marian Gehman Puppets
• July 23- Picirillo Scienceteller
• July 30 - Dinosaurs! Exploding Geoscience
• Aug. 6 - IllStyle and Peace Hip Hop Dance Group

Fun Fridays at 10:30

• July 11 - Bubblemania
• July 18 - Window Art
• July 25 - Fizz, Paint, Read

Contact Leslie Stillings, Director of Youth Services, 610-970-6551 with questions.

Welcoming the Little Engine That Can

The Coilebrookdale Railroad's newest engine arrives at the rail yard in Boyertown.

The delivery truck lines up with the track to discharge
its locomotive cargo.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the folks at the Colebrookdale Railroad.

The historic Colebrookdale Railroad's Secret Valley line has recently welcomed a new arrival:  a pint-sized little locomotive.  

The locomotive, known as the "Plymouth," was built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works of Plymouth, Ohio, in 1964.   

Plymouth was one of the world's most prolific builders of small industrial locomotives, with over 7,500 constructed.

The Plymouth safely nested onto the tracks.

While most Plymouth locomotives were very small by comparison to today's modern diesels--nearly all of them weighed 25 tons or less--the Colebrookdale's new acquisition tips the scale at 30 tons.  

"It's just a little baby engine, but it will pull more than you might expect," said Nathaniel Guest, President of the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust non-profit.  

"We'll use it to shift cars in our yard and to do occasional jaunts down the line," he said.  

Wildlife, like these wild turkeys, is plentiful
along the Secret Valley Line.

The Trust has been leading the effort to restore the Civil War-era Colebrookdale Railroad linking Pottstown and Boyertown and plans to haul both freight and tourist passenger trains starting in the fall.

The locomotive was donated to the Trust by NRG Energy, Inc, of Princeton, New Jersey, operators of the now-decommissioned Titus Generating Station. 

The Plymouth served as Titus's primary shifting locomotive for many years.

"We are very happy the Plymouth will have a good home here," said Guest.  

"We know it will have a great retirement career hauling tourists," he said.  "I suspect little kinds will find it just their size."

Here is a video from the railroad's weekly video show highlighting the Plymouth's arrival.





Support the Trust's efforts to revitalize the Colebrookdale and its communities by joining as a member at www.colebrookdalerailroad.com