A Fire in the Neighborhood

Photo by  Dylan Brandt

Because he arrived in time to get photos of flames 

(not shown here), Dylan is now 

an honorary 

member
of the brotherhood of

Mercury photographers.

So I'm a little worried my son may go into the family business.

When we heard the first report there was a fire on East Second Street between York and Johnson streets, Friday, my 16-year-old son Dylan went into action.

We live in the numbered streets, so he was pretty close.

He got there, saw firefighters dash down the alley between Second and Third streets, followed them and, when he saw the fire, asked permission of neighbors watching the fire if he could go up on their porch to shoot the fire from above.

I've got to make him understand that there is no money in journalism any more and he should stick to his plans to be a scientist.

Anyhow, fathers are like that.

While at the scene of the fire afterward, I was reminded how incredibly effective the Pottstown fire fighters are.

Photo by Dylan Brandt

He even had the presence of mind to shoot the scene.

Fire Chief Richard Lengel said the fire was essentially knocked down in about 15 minutes.

Looking at the charred remains of 39 E. Second St. and 37 E. Second St., both of which were destroyed by the fire, it occurred to me how much worse it could have been if the fire had been allowed to spread along the rest of the row homes on that block.

There may be turmoil among the fire companies right now because of the merger proposal, but its re-assuring to know that when it comes time to fight fires, these volunteers put those differences aside and do what they do best.

And they are very good at it.

If you get a chance, tell them so next time you see one of them.

Here are the Tweets from the fire scene.

May Fair at Pottsgrove Manor Saturday

Tapestry Historic Dance Ensemble will perform Saturday at the Pottsgrove Manor May Fair

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Pottsgrove Manor.

Celebrate spring at the Annual Colonial May Fair held at historic Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This yearly event is a fun-filled day with activities for all ages including games, music, dancing, and crafts. 

Tucker's Tales Puppet Theatre will present interactive puppet shows and will also provide festive historic music around the grounds during the event. 

Signora Bella will delight audiences with her acrobatic feats.

Signora Bella at work

Colonial conjurer Levram the Great will perform historically-themed magic shows and entertain visitors with pocket magic tricks throughout the day. 

Members of the Tapestry Historic Dance Ensemble will demonstrate authentic English country dances, this year with a focus on those of the early nineteenth century to honor the bicentennial of Pottstown Borough, incorporated in 1815. 

As always, visitors will be invited to join in and dance around the maypole to help open and close the fair!

In addition to the entertainment, a variety of early American crafters and demonstrators will be on hand to display historic skills and trades and sell their wares. 

Young visitors will have the chance to meet colonial farm animals, watch a blacksmith at work, compete in hoop races, play with colonial toys, try an 18th-century bat-and-ball game, dance around a kid-size maypole, and more. 

The first floor of colonial ironmaster John Potts’ 1752 manor house and the current exhibit, “Pride of Place: The Local Legacy of the Potts Family,” will be open for self-guided tours during the fair. 

Open-hearth cooking will be demonstrated in the Pottsgrove Manor kitchen by historic cook Deborah Peterson.

While visitors can’t try the food cooked in the colonial kitchen, they will be able to purchase food during the event. MMG Concessions will offer burgers, cheesesteaks, hot dogs, sausages, sandwiches, fries, hand-rolled pretzels, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and more. 

Visitors will also be able to shop at the manor’s museum shop for colonial games, books, and unique gifts.

The fair coincides with the second annual "Pow-Wow on Manatawny Creek," celebrating the culture and traditions of the Lenni-Lenape Native Americans. 

The pow-wow will be taking place during the hours of May Fair and will be held at Memorial Park,

A blacksmith will demonstrate his craft.

less than a block from Pottsgrove Manor. 

The public is encouraged to visit both events for an experience that spans time periods and cultures.

For a schedule of the day’s activities and a list of vendors and craftspeople who will be at the fair, click here. 

A donation of $2 per person is suggested for this event. 

Visitors are asked to park at the Carousel at Pottstown building, 30 West King St. 

There is no charge for parking, and Pottstown’s trolley will be giving free rides during the fair between the carousel parking lot, the pow-wow at Memorial Park, downtown Pottstown, and Pottsgrove Manor. 

Handicapped parking is available in the museum’s parking lot.

Pottsgrove Manor is located at 100 West King St. near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. 

Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. 

For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at  www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. 

Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

The Western Center is Having a Car Show

Budget Advocacy, Recriminations in Pottsgrove

Tuesday's four-hour meeting meeting of the Pottsgrove School Board was an exercise in endurance
and concentration.

Topics of discussion included nine people who spoke out about potential budget cuts to the music and art programs at Pottsgrove High School, even as taxpayers are spending millions to improve the music and art facilities there; two speakers who addressed the turmoil among candidates and sitting school board members; budget talks; high school renovation updates and graduation and school ranking policy.

It's almost too much to put all in one place.

Except we have, at least here amid the hurried and often-spelling challenged Tweets from last night's meeting.

A Uniform Success

A banner that hangs in the Pottstown High School cafeteria.

As almost any Pottstown High School student can tell you this morning, the big story out of last night's school board meeting had to do with school uniforms.

Or rather, a lack of school uniforms.

In a split vote, the board approved a trial period from May 4 until June 18 when enforcement of the school uniform policy will be suspended.

Engineered by the board's two student members, Emmanuel Wilkerson and Katrina Belmontes, the effort is an attempt to prove to the board that the high school students can handle the responsibility of dressing appropriately without requiring uniforms.

"I hope you guys do it right, school board member Amy Francis, who voted against the trial period, told Wilkerson after the vote.

Here is what Wilkerson and Belmontes had to say to their fellow students:



You can read more about that in depth in today's Mercury.

But  school uniforms wasn't all that happened at the meeting.

Photo by Evan Brandt

Superintendent Jeff Sparagana, left, Greg Cavallo, Center

and School Board Vice President Andrew Kefer.

Wellness Coordinator David Genova gave a review of the year's wellness activities that included an impressive list of projects, grants and collaborative efforts, which, he said, is putting Pottstown on the map.

Also, the board took the time to thank Greg Cavallo, owner of Office Technologies for his donation of eight color printers to the district.

Most went to the middle school and one to the administration building.

Superintendent Jeff Sparagana provided some interesting information about how color improves learning.

Who knew? Well, he did I suppose. Still, I thought it was interesting.

Here is video of the presentation:




The board also voted unanimously to limit renovation, roof and repair work to the budgeted $625,000, and not to include the additional $270,000 being sought to replace the flat roof on the administration building.

The administration can choose to do that project with the money budgeted.

And without further ado, here are the Tweets from the meeting:

Sojourning on the Schuylkill

The Schuylkill River Sojourn is coming

As the weather warms and the Schuylkill begins to sparkle, its time to start thinking about paddling its currents and pedaling along its shores.

Registration is now open for two of the more popular recreational activities centered around the hidden river — the 17th annual Schuylkill River Sojourn and the “Pedal and Paddle” combination kayak and bicycle day-trips along the trail.

This year’s sojourn will be held from June 6 to June 12 and this year’s theme is the legacy of the

The Sojourn reaches Philadelphia

Schuylkill Canal and Navigation.

Paddlers can register for everything from just one day’s paddling or for the final four days of 112-mile odyssey which runs from the river’s headwaters in Schuylkill Haven to Boathouse Row in Philadelphia.

The first three days are already full, according to the registration site.

In addition to kayaking (or canoeing) down the river, the sojourn also features lunch and dinner, and entertainment and educational presentations at every stop, one of which will be in Riverfront Park in Pottstown on Tuesday, June 9, which will feature a “battle of the bands.”

Cost is $85 per day and $55 for children 8 to 15.

The Sojourn was recently named as “One of Five Fantastically Fun Paddles” by Canoe and Kayak magazine.

You can register by calling 484-945-0200, or sending an email to lcatalano@schuylkillriver.org.

If you’d prefer so spend some of your time along the Schuylkill on solid ground, the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area, which sponsors the Sojourn, has an alternative.

Increasing popular, the area’s “Pedal and Paddle” trips involve a half-day pedaling upstream on the Schuylkill River Trail, and the second half kayaking back.

Pedal and Paddles include a 4.5 mile guided bike ride on the Schuylkill River Trail, a tour of Morlatton Village in Amity; and a return trip to Pottstown via kayak on the Schuylkill River.

The cost is $35 per person, according to the registration site. Lunch, bikes, kayaks and all gear are provided. All dates are limited to 15 participants.

This year’s dates are Saturday, May 16 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Thursday, June 25 (3:30 to 8:30 p.m.); Saturday, July 25 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Saturday, Aug. 29 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Saturday, Sept. 12 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.);

There will also be a Hike and Paddle on Saturday, Aug. 8 (9 a.m.-2 p.m.).

Also, a “Birding Hike and Paddle” also will be held on Sat., Aug. 8 at Schuylkill Canal Park, in Mont Clare.

You can get more information on both activities on the heritage area web site at www.schuylkillriver.org

And if you really want to spend time in the water, there is always the Delaware Sojourn, one of the oldest river sojourns in the nation, from June 20 to June 27.

“The Delaware River is one of our nation’s most important waterways, and this year’s theme, ‘Birthplace of America,’ will celebrate the river and region’s rich history,” said Ian Kindle, Environmental Educator with Delaware Canal State Park, co-chair of the 2015 Sojourn steering committee.

The cost for sojourners who register by June 13 is $80 per day for adults and $60 per day for children (ages 15 and under).

You can get more information and register at www.delawareriversojourn.org

A Busy Spring Saturday in Pottstown

Photo by John Armato. Who else?
Franklin Elementary School Principal Kevin Downes, left,
consults with his school's namesake about Saturday's re-dedication.

So, as our readers like to remind us with alarming regularity, neither The Mercury nor the Digital Notebook team, can be everywhere all the time.

And this Saturday was just one of those spring days when everyone was out and everything was going on all the time.

Luckily for Pottstown, John Armato often IS everywhere all the time.

So although, we couldn't cover the re-dedication of Franklin Elementary School Saturday because we were covering the youth anti-violence summit at the Ricketts Center, John could.

Photo by Evan Brandt (Yeah, I do some of my own work sometimes)

Mosaic Community Garden Manager Laura Washington Saturday.

And although we couldn't make it to the track meet at Pottstown High School, because fit for life reporter Michelea Patterson was covering the YMCA Healthy Kids Day in Boyertown, John could.

And although I had a mountain of laundry to do, and was up until 3 a.m. putting together the blog post from the Jazz Band Championships, I did manage to stop by the Moasiac Community Land Trust community garden.

There, I spoke with manager Laura Washington about a program Saturday teaching gardeners how to plan for the frost when planting, and about their efforts to use all organic, non-GMO seeds in their gardens.

Here is some video of what that was all about.



In the meantime, here are some Tweets and video stolen from lots of other correspondents, about a very busy Saturday in Pottstown.