A Reminder

Crowd Balks at Swamp Creek Trail/Greenway Plan

Photos by Evan Brandt

One of many speakers at last night's public meeting on the possibility of creating a Swamp Creek Greenway and trail from Schwenksville to New Hanover Square Road suggests Sunrise Mill should be restored before any thought is given to building a trail.

The meeting room of the Lower Frederick Township building was a tough place to be Thursday night if you were facing the crowd.

A presentation on the kick-off of a feasibility study looking at the creation of a Greenway and Trail in the Swamp Creek Valley, stretching across 5,000 acres from Schwenksville to New Hanover, drew a capacity crowd to the Lower Frederick Township building Thursday night.

Michael Stokes, assistant director of the Montgomery County

Planning Commission outlines the plans so far.

Not too many of them were there to support the idea of a trail, if the comments were any indication.

Michael Stokes, assistant director of the Montgomery County Planning Commission, doggedly tried to field questions and comments as residents spoke over him, and each other, in their effort to express their skepticism about and outright opposition to the project.

Many said the stream, which empties into Perkiomen Creek less than a half-mile from the township building, the surrounding woods and the wildlife that lives there would be best preserved by leaving it alone.

"There's a conflict between conservation and preservation when you say you want to bust a trail through it all," said Jim Rupert, a 15-year resident of the stream bank and one of the few speakers who took the time to give his name.

He said he has seen quite a bit of wildlife along the creek and those animals are "very sensitive to human activity. It's 100 percent untrue to say putting a trail through there would not be affected."

A resident of Delphi Road says it would be dangerous to put a 

trail along the curved street where there are many accidents.

Others said Montgomery County has enough trails, while many others questioned what their property rights are and whether the county would be taking any of it.

"I won't lie to you, government has the right to take your property for a public purpose, but that is not our intent," Stokes said.

The intent of the meeting was to get input from the community and to outline some very early concepts for what the county is considering. He added that the county already owns about 60 percent of the property that would comprise the greenway and host the trail.

Since 1971, Montgomery County has owned the Sunrise Mill property and it is a key element in the greenway and trail plan.

A photo of Sunrise Mill was used as the first slide in the presentation.

Not currently open to the public, it was built in 1767 and is structurally sound, but it has not been restored inside, said Stokes.

Several speakers suggested public money would be better spent restoring the mill and opening it to the public, rather than conceiving of a trail that is designed to bring people to a historic building they cannot tour.

"You're doing it backwards," said one speaker.

There were a few who spoke favorably about the idea.

One Limerick resident said she uses the Perkiomen Trail regularly and that 77 percent of Montgomery County residents polled view trails favorably, although it seemed evident not too many of those poll-takers were in the room Thursday.

Geoff Creary, from the landscape architecture firm
Simone Collins, 

listens to input from a resident about
the map showing the 

proposed Swamp Creek Greenway
prior to the start of Thursday night's meeting.

Dulcie Flaharty, a member of the Montgomery Planning Commission Board, employee of Natural Lands Trust and longtime open space advocate in the county, said fears about eminent domain are common when a trail is first-proposed.

"Look at where we've done trails already," she said, noting that all but a few of the 200 private property purchases necessary to create the Perkiomen Trail were negotiated sales, and only one lawsuit.

But that did little to convince the crowds and at one point, a voice int he crowd said "it's theft of private property."

Finally, one resident asked Stokes pointedly, if the majority of residents speak out against it, "what are the chances really, that it won't happen?"

"That's why we're here," Stokes replied.

Subsequent public meetings are planned for March and June.

Here are the Tweets as they happened during the meeting.

Student Artist, Tax Loss, Relay for Life Questions

Photo by Evan Brandt

Lower Pottsgrove Elementary Fifth Grader Avery Huber received this certificate as a result of her artwork being selected for a state-wide anti-drug poster published by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. she was recognized Tuesday by the Pottsgrove School Board.

As is so often the case, the item most likely to generate headlines from last night's Pottsgrove School Board meeting was no where on the agenda.

It was essentially a re-hash of a discussion the school board had last year when asked by the Relay for Life of Pottstown for permission to once again use the stadium at Pottsgrove High School.

That permission was granted, and that has not changed, but questions were raised about using a public facility to raise money for an organization, the American Cancer Society, which some feel is less about research and more about paying salaries to its executives.

This is no small question given that the Pottstown Relay is among the five largest in the world and regularly raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for the charity.

Perhaps the only new rhetorical point raised was offered by Patricia Grimm, a long-time and enthusiastic supporter of the Relay for Life. She argued that if the board is going to start questioning the effectiveness and finances of organizations which rent its facilities, it will have to do so evenly.

That means asking the wrestling tournament how much money it raises and how its spent. "If we do it for one, we have to do it for all of them," she said.

A loop-hole however, was identified by solicitor Marc Davis who pointed out that the district policy is not to rent its football stadium, so the Relay's use of it puts it in a different category.

The whole emotional subject was raised by Business Manager Dave Nester, also a supporter, who said that the Relay organizers "are nervous" and, looking ahead to future years, wanted to know if they should start looking elsewhere to hold the Relay.

Ultimately, the board decided to invite a representative from the American Cancer Society to address the board at a future meeting, although a date was not set.

In other news that affects your pocket book, the board approved settlements on three assessment appeals for three year's worth of taxes that will require refunds of more than $200,000.

Two of the properties making appeals include the former Thriftway in Sanatoga, now home to Landis Market, as well as the strip center perpendicular to that building which runs along High Street.

The third property is on Laura Lane in Upper Pottsgrove.

The board also heard, and endorsed, a presentation on reaching out earlier to families of incoming kindergarten students to help reduce the achievement gap often experienced by those raised in low-income households.

That's the wrap for now, here are the Tweets:

Land Bank, Farm Market Approved by Council

Monday's council meeting was sure speedy.

Not that I'm complaining.

But they took care of business right quick.

That business included making 14 appointments to various boards, including having to choose from among two applicants for an open seat on the powerful Pottstown Borough Authority -- but at least one of those contestants was NOT the one you read about in Saturday's Mercury.

In making those appointments, council shrugged off a suggestion by Vice President Sheryl Miller that council wait another 30 days to give more residents time to apply.

Council President Dan Weand said that is a great idea -- for next year.

Council also voted unanimously to have solicitor Chuck Garner begin working on an ordinance to create a land bank in Pottstown.

He said it will take some time as most of the 14 other land banks in Pennsylvania are either county-wide, multiple municipalities or at least cities larger than Pottstown.

Council also approved changes sought by PDIDA to move the Pottstown FARM, downtown market to the south side of High Street and to changes its hours and the months it will be staged.

Here are the Tweets that say it all:

Ringing Rocks Kids Wear Pajamas for a Cause

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Ringing Rocks Elementary School.

Before they headed home to wait for Santa in their cozy PJs, students (and now a

few teachers) at Ringing Rocks Elementary School came to school in their PJs for a good cause.

As a holiday service project, Ringing Rocks hosted a Pajama Day in support of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 

Students and staff raised over $800 in donations to further the research and care that leads to life-saving treatment for children at CHOP.

Lisa Rabbitt, associate director of school and youth programs at CHOP, told the school "you that by supporting Pajama Day you are helping the kids at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia! Each day at CHOP physicians are providing lifesaving care and cures for children with rare and complex diseases, scientist are making discoveries that lead to new cures and treatments and none of it would be possible without the support from people like you."

"So from everyone here at CHOP, THANK YOU for saying YAY to Pajama Day," Rabbit wrote.

New Members Welcomed to PHS Honor Society

The newest members of the Pottstown High School chapter of the National Honor Society       

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

Recently, in a special candle-lighting service, Pottstown High School National Honor Society inducted 23 new members into the society. 

Sponsor Robert Decker said, “This was another successful induction of some of the most talented and dedicated students Pottstown has to offer. I look forward to working with them in the coming years to positively impact our students, district, and community.”

During the ceremony, the four pillars of National Honor Society were described

From left, Ashley Adams, Yuliza Cruz, Robert Decker,

Heather Swanson and MaSofia Sosa.

by students: Heather Swanson – Scholarship; Yuliza Cruz – Service; Ma Sofia Sosa – Leadership; and Ashley Adams – Character.

In order to be considered for membership, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 93 percent or above and fill out a personal data sheet that describes how they demonstrate their participation in the four pillars of National Honor Society. 

A faculty panel then reviews each student’s information and makes recommendations for those who should be invited to become members. Membership requires a continued demonstration of living up to the four pillars of honor society.

High School Principal Danielle McCoy addressed the students and parents, “The honor bestowed on National Honor Society recipients is not easily earned. It isn’t enough to have excellent grades. Excellent grades only earn them the right to apply for membership. The students inducted also demonstrated stellar accomplishments in the areas of leadership, character, and service. It is not an accolade to be easily dismissed. It is a positive reflection on the students, their families, our school, and our community. These students represent the academic and well-rounded elite of the Pottstown School District.”

Brother and sister members Mary and Josh Gery.

School Board President Amy Francis provided closing remarks by saying, “These students give us another reason to say – Proud to be from Pottstown. I encourage them to continue making the positive decisions which have led to their success and I am sure that they will continue to achieve success in their adult lives."

New members are:

Asgar Bin Ali, Subrina Ali, London Aquino, Mitchell Aquino, Jakhaya Beckham, Jacob Bosko, Elsie Cannell, Gabriel Francis, Mary Gery, Jennifer Hainsey, Emily Jerdon, Rachel Lees, Alivia Lopez, Martin Metzger, Aubrey Miller, Manuel Paez, Courteney Parry, Julianna Roseo, Hannah Shankle, Taylor Sundstrom, Emmanuel Toussaint, Abigail Welder, Br’Anna Williams