Recreation and Comprehensive Planning

Justin Keller

So this is why we employ professional photographers at The Mercury.

This photo at right was the best I could do, apparently, with my iPhone.

My apologies to Justin Keller.

Anyway, this fine fellow is the person who will be working to coordinate recreation activities for six of the eight towns who bought in to match the state grant that will fund his activities.

East Coventry and New Hanover pinched their pennies and decided against participating in the program.

(This despite the fact that New Hanover just purchased a huge new building as a recreation center this year, but hey, leaders know best.)

He is housed at the offices of the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation and I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him.

Wednesday night, he was introduced to the Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Committee, through which the grant to pay is salary was obtained.

Here are the Tweets from that meeting.

Timeliness is Next to Newsiness

Photo by a late-arriving Evan Brandt

Vote Early, Vote Often

Candace Benson, on screen, is done with judges. Now it's time for America to judge.

Pottstown High School graduate Candace Benson is poised to become a gospel singing star on national TV, but she needs your help to do it.

Candace, left, and Geoffrey after being named

the two finalists on 'Sunday Best.'

Benson, who graduated from Pottstown in 2010 and is now a student at Montgomery County
Community College, is one of the two finalists on BET's program "Sunday Best."

What started out with thousands of auditions is now down to two finalists, Benson and Georffrey Golden who, it should be pointed out, has NO connection to Pottstown whatsoever, although I'm sure he's very nice and all.

You can vote online by logging on to www.BET.com/SundayBest. Voting is now open and you can vote on-line or with the BET Now mobile app as many times as you would like.

For those of you who like to wait for the last minute, you can vote the night of the final program, Sunday, Aug. 31, by telephone.

To vote for Benson, call 1-888-5-BEST-01 or 888-523-7801, but you are limited to 15 votes via this method.

Candace being coached on 'Sunday Best'

If you want to know more about her, click here to read the story I wrote when she became one of the final four.

You can read about her reaction to being named one of the two finalists here.

So why not start early, and start voting now?

If you want to see Candace on the program, you can watch her on this link, where, I hasten to point out, you can vote for her as well.

Have I mentioned that on-line voting is unlimited? Well it is, so go vote.

If you would like to hear Benson sing, here is a video of her singing in The Mercury's Media Lab:

Now, doesn't she seem like she deserves to win?

Remember, you can vote RIGHT NOW! AND AGAIN....ANd again....and again.....

Salaries, Exams and Construction, Another School Year Begins

Tuesday night, the Pottsgrove School Board dealt with a number of issues related to the start of the school year, including new, presumably higher, salaries for administrators; as well as high school construction issues, Keystone Exam issues, how to fill board vacancies and even school lunches.

Read all about it through the live-Tweeting of Mercury Reporter Evan Brandt, who has a very sore thumb.

A New Vice President

So I'll spare you the suspense.

Last night, the Pottstown School Board elected Andrew Kefer as its new vice president.

He succeeds Dennis Wausnock, who was laid to rest earlier that day.

But it wasn't pretty. Read on.

So here it is, your BONUS VIDEO because you, brave reader, read all the way to the bottom.

If, by any chance, you had wanted a preview of what the Pottstown High School Marching Band show might contain this year, this is YOUR VIDEO!

Over There

Photos Courtesy of Janelle Whitehurst

Janelle with friends in Barcelona, Spain

Blogger's Note: Janelle Whitehurst is a Pottstown igh School graduate attending the University of Richmond. This year she had an opportunity to study abroad. Read what she has to say about the experience. 

Janelle in the Maastricht Caves area of the Netherlands.

I had the opportunity to study abroad in Fall 2013 at the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics in The Netherlands. I have to say that this time has been the best four months of my life, so far.

There are fears amongst the African-American community – fears about the potential of racism, or there being no place to get your hair done, lack of friends going with you, finances – that make us one of the most underrepresented groups in study abroad.

I personally had fears about all of these things, but after doing study abroad myself, I say – go for it!

One of the benefits of the experience is the self-discovery that can occur from having time to yourself.

Janelle in Stockholm

The experience was like an awakening to who I am not only as an American, but as a young African-American woman.

Most countries where Richmond sends students find black people curious but beautiful. People usually
find your nationality more peculiar than your skin tone and I never had any encounters with racism.

Many people I encountered thought that I, of all people, was exotic and beautiful for being American and also being black, which took me aback.

Not that I've ever felt inferior or ugly at home in America, but I've never felt so revered for who I am.

Where I studied, there were several black beauty shops so my hair wasn’t a problem.

A friend who studied in the same city handled the issue by wearing braids for her stay.

As for lack of friends, living amongst a myriad of different international students is actually one of the best parts; you didn't go halfway around the world to hang out with the same people you have already spent two years with at Richmond!

At dinner in Janelle's dorm in The Netherlands.

Making new international friends expands your perspective and deepens insights you would never get with friends back home.

Learning about their backgrounds and lifestyles has been the biggest eye-opening and heart-widening experience.

And about the money, Richmond allows your financial aid package to travel with you to finance your experience abroad.

Janelle. who has played on the college Quidditch

Team, at Harry Potter's Plaform 9 3/4 at

King's Cross Station in London.

There’s a reason why a third of the junior class goes abroad each fall – our school has one of the
country’s best study abroad programs.

The value of study abroad for students of color is that it empowers you and gives you a heightened sense of pride in who you are and where you come from.

In additional to the personal benefits, there are also professional benefits from study abroad, such as it giving you a better competitive advantage for your job search; as businesses become more internationally integrated, employers want workers with international experience and a global perspective


Janelle Whitehurst,
Business Administration major
Maastricht University, School of Business & Economics, The Netherlands

The Digital Notebook invites other Pottstown High School alum to share their experiences after graduation. Send material to ebrandt@pottsmerc.com