Saturday, August 9, 2014

A Steely Council Meeting

New Pottstown Police officers Matthew Maciejewski, left, and Brett Cortis get sworn in at Wednesday night's borough council meeting.


So for those of you who don't know, I occasionally have a life that does not include municipal meetings.

On Wednesday night, with great reluctance, I gave up my chance to attend the Pottstown Borough Council work session, and instead made a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to Musikfest where I saw one of my favorite bands -- Steely Dan -- perform live.

As my darling bride aptly observed, "really, this is the soundtrack of our youth."

So on a beautiful summer evening, with a warm breeze playing and a Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy in my hand, I forgot about Pottstown municipal affairs for a few hours and surprised myself with how many lyrics I remembered from those songs.

Luckily for you readers who are addicted to the goings on of Pottstown municipal government, Mercury Ace Frank Otto stood ready to stand in.

And so he did, pelting out Tweets with a dizzying frequency and them organizing them into this handy Storify for me to purloin shamelessly and present here as if I did it myself.

So, without further ado, I present to you, Frank Otto's Twitter coverage.


Friday, August 8, 2014

Fancy Footwork At the Library

Photos by Evan Brandt (video too!)


Normally libraries are quiet places.

Not so Wednesday morning on the main floor of the Pottstown Regional Public Library.

In addition to being packed with kids, the main floor was also pulsing to the beat of the dance music of Ill Style and PEACE.

They are an educational dance troupe which travels the country and breaks down (sorry, couldn't resist) the moves and history of "Lockin'" and "Poppin," dance styles associated with break dancing.

And among the things the students learned is that it should be called "breaking" not "break dancing." It was so named because people danced in the "breaks" or scratching sounds made on LP records.

PEACE, which stands for People Everywhere Are Created Equal, taught the children who invented particular styles and where Michael Jackson got so many of his moves.

The students, and even some of the parents and camp counselors, all got a chance to participate, as you will see at the end of the video I've posted here:



Children's Librarian Leslie Stillings arranged the performance as part of the summer series of events for kids and said she keeps inviting them back because the children really respond to the group.

I'm sorry the photos are not better, but iPhones do not specialize in action shots -- at least not iPhones wielded by yours truly.

Nevertheless, I sent a few out via Twitter and you can see them posted below in this Storify.


Thursday, August 7, 2014

Artful Beef and Beer


Blogger's Note: The following was provided by ArtFusion 19464

This Saturday night, help support your local non-profit community art center!

Victory Beer, food from Ice House Steaks & Pizza and Montesano Bros Bucktown Market & Cafe, homemade desserts, raffles, and a silent auction!

Tickets are only $20 and can be purchased at ArtFusion or online here: http://artfusion19464.org/event/2014-beef-and-beer/

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

A Night on the Town

Photo by Evan Brandt

Sometimes, when you want to take back the streets (and sidewalks) of your community, you have to put your message in just the right place....


Tuesday night was National Night Out and I had a little help covering things in Pottstown from Michilea Patterson, our Fit for Life reporter and my co-Tweeter for the evening.

And if you would like to see an awesome 40-photo slide show of the evening by Mercury Photographer John Strickler, click here.

As always, remember to click the blue "Read More" bar to make sure you get it all.


Tuesday, August 5, 2014

In the Zone

Poorly focused photo by Evan Brandt

A small portion of the audience at Monday night's zoning hearing.
Monday's meeting of the Lower Pottsgrove Township Board of Commissioners began early with a public hearing.

The hearing was on a zoning change, that was ultimately adopted, but about which quite a few residents and property owners had reservations.

Although the issue dominated most of the meeting's Tweets, which can be read below, an article about that also appears in today's Mercury.

Later in the evening, another newsworthy event came about when Commissioners Chairman Bruce Foltz announced that after polling the other board members, he had contacted the developers proposing a Family Dollar story in Sanatoga, "thanks, but no thanks."

Look for that Tweet near the bottom of the Storify reproduced here.

We'll be following up on that as well.

In the meantime, don't forget to click on the blue "Read Next Page" bar to make sure you see it all.



Monday, August 4, 2014

Dancing Your Way Through School

Photos by Sandi Yanisko.
Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Montgomery County Community College.

Montgomery County Community College is now accepting registration for its Associate in Arts degree program in Dance to be offered at its West Campus in Pottstown starting Fall 2014.

This 63-credit program provides both a liberal arts background and dance courses comparable to classes offered during the first two years at a four-year institution. 

Classes include modern dance, ballet, jazz, hip hop, dance improvisation, dance composition, dance repertory and performance, dance wellness and fitness and dance history.

“The program is unique in that it offers courses for dancers of all levels, from beginners to experienced dancers,” said Dr. Melinda Copel, Coordinator of Dance, indicating that novices can take fundamentals-level dance courses while simultaneously taking degree courses.

Dance classes are open to all students, regardless of their majors, and will meet core education requirements for Exercise and Health Sciences and Aesthetic Sensibility and the Arts.

The Associate in Arts degree program in dance allows students to transfer into a baccalaureate program in dance at many colleges and universities.

“There are a number of career possibilities in dance including performer, choreographer, teacher, dance or movement therapist, dance historian and writer, dance critic, arts administrator, and dance notator,” Dr. Copel said. 

“There are performance opportunities in a variety of settings including dance concerts, opera, musical theater, musical productions, television, movies, music videos, cruise ships and theme parks, such as Disney World or Sesame Place.”

“Many dancers combine performance with careers in dance education or choreography,” she said. 

“Dance educators teach in higher education, K-12 schools, private dance studios and community centers. Some open their own studios. Students may wish to combine their studies in dance with a related field such as technical theater or physical therapy. The arts are a big industry in the Philadelphia area, and there are plenty of opportunities.”

Beyond courses, students have performance opportunities with the College’s Dance Performance Ensemble, which is open to all students. Both the Dance Ensemble and the Dance Repertory class perform at the end of each semester.

For more information or to register, contact Dr. Melinda Copel at mcopel@mc3.edu or 215-641-6346.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Putting Your Best Foot Forward


Want help with your resume?

For free?

Well it seems that the YMCA is your place then.

Starting Monday, Change Consulting Solutions, LLC will offer:

-- One-on-one on-site resume critiques;
-- Layout suggestions;
-- Professional advice;
-- Best practices;
-- Key word structure;
-- Word-smith recommendations;
-- Job description and resume customization;
-- Do-it-yourself templates;
-- :Literature and more;

All at the YMCA at 724 N. Adams St.

The sessions will be held on several dates throughout August (as seen on the poster) from 2 to 3 p.m.

For more information, call the YMCA at 610-323-7300.