Hopewell Hosts Talk on Springfield Armory May 19

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Friends of Hopewell Furnace.

Armaments scholar and experienced re-enactor Ken Biles will present his program “Technological Developments at the Springfield Armory 1795-1968,” on Sunday, May 19. 

Sponsored by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace, the free program will begin at 2 p.m. in the Hopewell Furnace Conference Room.

Using his private collection of period artifacts, Biles will demonstrate the extraordinary advances in technology that took place at Springfield Armory from its beginnings in 1795 to its final closing in 1968.

Like Hopewell Furnace, Springfield Armory is a unit of the National Park System and a National Historic Site. For nearly two centuries, the US Armed Forces and American industry looked to Springfield Armory for innovative engineering and superior firearms. Springfield Armory National Historic Site commemorates the critical role of the nation’s first armory by preserving and interpreting the world's largest historic US military small arms collection, along with historic archives, buildings, and landscapes. 

The park is open to the public during the winter from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday thru Sunday and during the summer seven days a week. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/spar.

Established in 1994, the Friends of Hopewell Furnace is the official non-profit fundraising arm of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. A 501(c)3 citizen organization, its mission is to support the preservation, maintenance and programs of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Donations to the Friends may be tax deductible according to the rules set by the Internal Revenue Service.

While at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site visitors are encouraged to go into the village, tour the buildings, see Hopewell's water wheel and learn about iron making and why Hopewell Furnace is important to our nation’s history. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday thru Sunday, the park is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off Route 345. For more information visit www.friendsofhopwellfurn.org.

Drop Everything and Read at Rupert Elementary

Aaron Beasley gets ready to read to Rupert Elementary students for DEAR Day, which stands for Drop Everything and Read.

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

The teachers at Rupert celebrated DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) Day recently.

State Sen. Bob Mensch reads at Rupert.

Invited many guests joined the staff to celebrate the joy of reading with students. 

The teachers at Rupert value the importance of connecting with our school community and friends of education. 

"We know how busy all of our guests were, and we are sure the time they spent as a guest reader was well spent," said Principal Matthew Moyer. 

Many brought a favorite children’s book, while others selected one from our library. 

Readers were assigned to a class or two and provided with refreshments including a custom made cookie for the event.

Hats Off to 102-Year-Old William Hurter and More

Photos by Evan Brandt

Pottstown Mayor Stephanie Henrick, right, congratulates resident William C. Hurter who was recognized by borough council Wednesday night on his 102nd birthday

Everyone once in a while you get something a little out of the ordinary when covering a borough council meeting.

Last night was one of those nights.

Stepping outside the increasingly frightful torrent of world and national news; the juggling act of trying to cover more than 90 municipal and school board primary elections; the hailstorm that is  social media, something sometimes comes along that just makes you stop and smile.

That something, or someone, was William C. Hurter.

A packed council room joined council and Mayor Stephanie Henrick in a proclamation celebrating his 102nd birthday Wednesday night.

The entire room sang "Happy Birthday" to him, after which the mayor presented him with some "Pottstown swag" gifts.

"There is a fringe benefits to getting to 102 I guess," he joked.

Here is the video:



During World War II, he served on the U.S.S. Franklin. He and his wife of 79 years, Dorothy, raised four daughters: Gail, Bonnie, Lynne and Karen.

They in turn gave him six grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren.

In 1952, he started his own business, Hurter's Meats and Provisions on Washington Street, which still exists today as Hurter's Food Distributors at 398 Circle of Progress.

Congratulations Mr. Hurter on a life well-lived.

Pottstown Police Officer of the Year

Mayor Stephanie Henrick, right, and
Police Chief Michael Markovich, left, congratulate Andrew Licwinko
for being named Pottstown's Police Officer of the Year.

That was not the only celebration that occurred last night.

May 8 was the date chosen to honor the Pottstown Police Officer of the Year. This year, the officer
chosen was Andrew Licwinko.

Again, Mayor Stephanie Henrick acted as Master of Ceremonies, noting that "he's a team player and always willing to drop what he's doing and assist others."

He is particularly effective in dealing with drug crimes, due to his knowledge of drug suspects in the borough and their associates, she said; adding that he also interacts with residents in a positive way, particularly playing and joking with children.



Afterward, Henirck offered a personal annecdote, that Licwinko was the police officer who responded when she was in a serious car accident several years ago.

"You held my hand while they cut me out of the car and you had the dubious honor of cleaning out my car and you may have thought I was moving" there was so much stuff in there.

Congratulations to Officer Licwinko.

New Bus Routes

Council also heard a report from A.J. Knee, a consultant with Michael Baker International, which

New routes are being proposed for the PART bus system.

was hired to update them on the Transit Development Plan.

He reviewed the procedure the firm went through, riding all the Pottstown Area Rapid Transit bus routes, talking with drivers, riders and seeking input on changes or improvements sought.

The result is a proposed change in routes, including one that will run up to the Boyertown area.

Knee said the changes would not increase the bus system's budget

I'll have more on that once I get my hands on the presentation he gave. It was a little hard to read from my seat.

Keim Street Bridge Meeting

Borough Manager Justin Keller announced that the engineering consultants for the Keim Street bridge replacement project will hold a public workshop on Wednesday, May 22 at 4:30 p.m. for public officials.

From 6 to 8 p.m., there will be an open house for the general public, where you can get your questions answered.

It all happens at the Montgomery County Community College West Campus in Pottstown at 101 College Dr.

That New Parking Scheme

I will be writing a more extensive explanation for the new parking system being implemented in downtown Pottstown.

However, Keller offered a brief overview and video explaining how the new system will work.

In essence, High Street still has a three-hour parking limit, but they have changed how you pay for it. Instead of feeding a meter or paying at a kiosk (which you can still do at the public lots) you pay through your smart phone.

The ap is called ParkMobile and he said it takes a few minutes to download and register.

The first hour of parking on High Street is still free, but must also be registered through ParkMobile.

He also said observations that three hours is not long enough for people to see a show at Steel River Playhouse and have a nice dinner, so the three-hour limit will be lifted after 5 or 6 p.m.

Here's video of his presentation:




And with that, I think I'll call it a night.

Here are the Tweets from the meeting, look for more extensive coverage in future editions of The Mercury.

Aging Gracefully, New Bus Routes and Officer of the Year

Pottstown High Jazz Soloists Bring Home Awards

Outstanding Soloists Chloe Herbert and David Hicks

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

Pottstown High School Jazz Band members David Hicks and Chloe Hebert brought home Outstanding Soloist awards at the 1st Annual Doc Mulligan Get JazzEd Festival held at Reading Area Community College Miller Center Auditorium.

The band competed against seven area schools including: Governor Mifflin, The Hill School, Reading, Tulpehocken, Manheim Township and Wilson West Lawn.

The Pottstown High School Jazz Band is conducted by Michael Vought, who is retiring this year.

Things May Get Very Corny in Douglass Township

Photos by Evan Brandt

Jeff Peiffer holds a flyer from one of his previous corn mazes with an Eagles theme. Peiffer and his family are hoping the township supervisors will support their application to open a new corn maze on the 70-acre Schlegel Farm on Schlegel Road. Supervisors expressed concern about too much traffic on the little used dirt road.

Jeff Peiffer and his daughter Rachel Trettin hoped the Douglass (Mont.) Township Supervisors would lend an ear to their proposal to establish a corn maze on the Schlegel Farm, but instead the supervisors may have detected the kernel of a problem.

The two were before the supervisors making their pitch for township support for their zoning application later this month. Peiffer is under contract to buy 70 acres of the 100-acre farm, which is permanently preserved farmland under a conservation easement.

The easement allows for agriculturally-related business enterprises such as the corn maze and pumpkin patch, but the zoning board permission is required, explained Peiffer's attorney, Ken Picardi.

Peiffer and family have experience, having operated them on Township Line Road outside Royersford and on Spiece Road, near Cedarvill Road, in East Coventry.

Peiffer and his daughter emphasized that the maze is family friendly, that all those under 16 must be

Rachel Trettin shows the flag that gets waved
when corn maze visitors want to be led out.

accompanied by an adult.

Trettin said the point of the family's corn mazes is to find 16 game pieces hidden in the maze.

She said each group carries a flag that is waved if anyone wants to be led out of the maze. They are spotted by a worker on a tower named "Pop," last name Corn.

The "corn cops," led by a Kernel, escort anyone who wants to leave out of the maze.

Resident Karen Lewandowski said she supports such activities as a way to keep farms financially viable, rather than the land going to a developer.

But while Peiffer mollified such likely concerns as keeping lights and sound low, that parking would be adequate and safely arranged, and that the mazes are not scary, there was one item which the supervisors weren't sure they could shuck. (sorry, couldn't resist).

To minimize impact on Schlegel Road, which is dirt and stone and often washes out in the rain, the family proposes bringing traffic in off Oberholtzer Rooad, so they are only on Schlegel Road for about four-tenths of a mile, said Trettin.

Using an Oberholtzer Road address on the website will mean 90 percent of those who come will use a GPS system and come in the right way said Peiffer.

The maze will also not be open in the rain, Peiffer said.

But the supervisors remained unconvinced given, as Chairman Alan Keiser noted, the plans Peiffer outlined could mean a total of 4,000 cars, plus buses, on Schlegel Road in a single season.

They will consider the matter as they have one more meeting before the zoning board meets. They can support the application, oppose it, or remain neutral as the decision is ultimately up to the independent zoning board.

Changes to Age-Restricted Zoning Approved

In other matters, the Board of Supervisors conducted a public hearing on a zoning change for the overlay district that permits age-restricted housing.

As The Mercury reported in print Monday morning, Township Manager Peter Hiryak said 50 acres of the proposed project is in Douglass Township and 20 acres in Colebrookdale Township.

Hiryak said the proposal is at 650 Englesville Road, near the intersection of Mill Street and Sweinhart Road which runs parallel to Route 100 near the Berks County line.

The ordinance requirements are a minimum residential use of 65 percent, non-residential minimum use of 15 percent with 20 percent open space.

One woman from the audience commented that the amenities the change will allow, a clubhouse with gym, a pool and other amenities, "sound like a country club. I see it happening all over, new developments are for wealthy and well-to-do, older residents who have lived here all their lives cannot afford places like this."

After the hearing, the supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the changes.

'Zern Tract' Building Schedule

The other significant matter undertaken Monday night was the adoption of a building schedule for the "Zern tract," the 236-acre townhouse project that has been in the works for years and was approved March 4.

Supervisor Josh Stouch reminded residents that the Zern Tract and Zern's are too very different

things.

The famed-but-now-defunct Zern's Market is not being redeveloped as a townhouse development, they are being built on the 285 acres behind the market.

Under the resolution the supervisors approved, would require phase one of 74 homes to begin by July 1; 80 more homes would have to be started by August of 2021; and the final 82 townhouses must begin construction by April, 2023.

Supervisor Anthony Kuklinski said the resolution is so the project does not drag on too long, and that the resolution contains "enforcement provisions" if the project lags or fails to meet those milestones.

And with that, here are the Tweets from the meeting.

Getting Really Corny Around Here

Pottstown High Student Gets Presidential Honors

Pottstown High School student Amanda Endy received the Prudential Spirit of Community President's Award and received a signed letter from President Donald Trump.

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

Recently Pottstown High School student Amanda Endy was recognized with a Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. 

Based on the number of volunteer hours that she completed, Amanda qualified for the President's Volunteer Service Award. 

This award recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities. She received a certificate and a signed letter from the President of the United States. 

Amanda has volunteered many hours in an effort to support Pottstown's Operation Backpack program, which helps bring nutritious food items to famines in need. 

The award was just the beginning of honors won by Amanda. She was invited to participated in Cedar Crest College's Annual Scholarship Competition where she earned an additional $4,000 in scholarships over four years.