Sponsors Sought for 4th Annual Latin Festival

A dancer from the 2018 Latin Festival in Riverfront Park.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Centro Cultural Latinos Unidos Inc.

Centro Cultural Latinos Unidos, Inc. (CCLU) will hold its 4th annual Latin Festival on Sept. 21 and is currently accepting sponsors for the multi-cultural event.

Donations will be used to help fund the group's various programs for 2020.

Sponsors can man a table at the festival to distribute literature regarding their services and programs and the company would appear in the festival handout as a major donor.

Games at the 2017 Latin Festival.

CCLU is a 501.c.3 non-profit organization working locally. Its mission is to act as a bilingual bridge-builder committed to enriching the lives of Latinos and others by embracing diversity through cultural, educational and recreational programs as well as providing social services for families in need. 

The organization provides programs for students and their families in cooperation with Schuylkill River Heritage Trails, French Creek State and Hopewell National Parks, Red Cloud Kung Fu, Ursinus College, First Presbyterian Church of Pottstown, Christ Episcopal Church, First Baptist Church of Pottstown, and Pottstown Health and Wellness Foundation.

They offer music training, environmental education and outdoor activities, a healthy living program to combat obesity and diabetes, E-tablets and wifi access, kung fu and soccer, tutoring in English and math, and homework help with student volunteers from Hill School, Pottstown High School, and Ursinus. 

Dancers at the 2018 Latin Festival.

As needed, they provide translation, transportation, emergency supplies, and help accessing medical, educational, and legal services. CCLU students will be participating in a musical theater production about family separations at the border with Barrio Alegria, a Reading theater group.

Support will help families to become fully integrated, contributing members of our diverse society at a time when they don’t always feel welcome.

The festival, CCLU's Fourth, is the largest fundraiser of the year. 

To become a sponsor, print out this page, fill out the form and return it to CCLU.

You are invited to help make our Latin Festival successful in one of these ways:

• Donating money or gift certificates: You will be recognized as a Sponsor in the Festival’s Program of Activities and on the Website: http://www.cclu-pottst.org/ 
• Showcasing your products and/or services to all who attend the festival.
• Advertising your business in the Festival’s Program of Activities which will be distributed at the main park entrances.  

Questions? Email: paezrita@yahoo.com or call (610) 705-0566. 610-310-3451

LATIN FESTIVAL SPONSOR, VENDOR & ADVERTISING APPLICATION FORM

Business Name: __________________________________ Tax ID# _______________________

Contact Name: __________________________________ Phone: ______ - _______ - _______

E-mail address: __________________________________________________

Street or PO Box: _______________________City: ______________ State: _____ Zip: ________

Nature of goods or service: ______________________________________________________

By signing this application, I acknowledge that the Festival is subject to weather conditions and safety regulations. No refund of application fees. Vendors must remain until closing.

Second Trail Mural Design Session is on Wednesday

Volunteers work on design suggestions for the Schuylkill River Trail mural planned for Riverfront Park at the session on March 7. The next session is planned for March 20 at ArtFusion 19464 at 341 Beech St.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area.
The creative juices were flowing when people drew objects found in nature during the first Schuylkill River Trail Mural Public Meeting.

A section of the trail will be transformed into a work of art through a community-involved project.

A trail mural being painted by volunteers.

Attendees of the March 7 meeting held at First Presbyterian Church learned more about the trail mural and participated in a hands-on art activity. People created drawings that may possibly be incorporated into the final mural design. 


The next and last public meeting about the trail mural will be held on Wednesday, March 20, at Art Fusion 19464, 341 Beech St. in Pottstown, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. All materials will be provided. 

The Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area in partnership with Art Fusion 19464 is seeking the community’s help to both contribute to the mural design and paint it on the trail. 

The mural will include varying shapes of nature and wildlife representations found throughout the Schuylkill River Watershed. The watershed is a land area which encompasses about 2,000 square miles and is the largest watershed that feeds into the Delaware River.

The art mural will celebrate the natural beauty of the watershed and help connect people to two significant resources within the region, the Schuylkill River and Schuylkill River Trail. 

After the community creates and submits their drawings to Schuylkill River Greenways, local artist Jody Wenzel will merge some of the publicly created designs with her own to create the final outline.

Volunteer artists with some of their trail mural design
suggestions from the March 7 session.

Wenzel is a retired Pottstown School District art teacher and an ambassador for the Schuylkill River Trail. She has crafted several art designs for Schuylkill River Greenways including all of the interpretive signs seen along the Pottstown RiverWalk, a trail located at Riverfront Park that connects to the Schuylkill River Trail for a 1-mile loop.  

Wenzel said incorporating art along the trail has several benefits. 

“It helps to engage new audiences,” she said. “It’s another approach to convey information in a way that’s visual and relatable.”

A public mural installation will be held on April 27 at Riverfront Park in Pottstown. The estimated 120-foot mural will be painted along the trail section in front of the pollinator garden and near the park’s amphitheater. 

Schuylkill River Greenways invites area residents and community groups to attend the installation and paint a section. Volunteers that want to paint the mural in April can sign up for a time slot on the event page at schuylkillriver.org/events/trail-mural-public-installation.


Community and school groups interested in participating on April 27 are asked to contact Le’Santha Naicker at lnaicker@schuylkillriver.org.

The Schuylkill River Trail mural is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and several generous individuals. For more information about the mural project, visit the Schuylkill River Greenways website at schuylkillriver.org or call 484-945-0200.

The Schuylkill River Greenways NHA is a non-profit organization with the mission of connecting residents, visitors and communities to the Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) by serving as a catalyst for civic engagement and economic development.

Polar Plunge Makes the Start of 2019 'Official'

Photos by Evan Brandt

Some Pottstown Borough Council members started 2019 in Riverfornt Park Tuesday by jumping into the Schuylkill River. From left are Seventh Ward Councilman Joe Kirkland, Council Vice president Carol Kulp, Third Ward Councilman Don Lebedynsky and Mayor Stephanie Henrick. If Kulp looks warm and dry to you, it's because she stayed on the shoreline.

Pottstown School Board
member Raymond Rose.

For the 11th consecutive year, people flush with the holiday spirit plunged into the not-so-chilly waters of the Schuylkill River Tuesday morning to mark the start of another year.

Fueled by coffee, hot dogs and sauerkraut -- and dressed in everything from matching pajamas, to tutus to full scuba body suits -- they took leave of the shoreline, and some might say their sanity, for a quick dip in the fast-moving current.

Swimmers waded into a small roped-off area of the river, due to the high water levels and rapid current, under the watchful eye of the dive rescue team there to safeguard the swimmers.

Among those in full rescue gear was West Pottsgrove Township Manager Craig Lloyd who, it turns out, is a fully certified scuba instructor and has been running with the dive team as a volunteer for a full seven years.

In fact, he volunteers with two dive teams, Lloyd said.

So yes, he knows his New Year's Day will be "cold and wet" every year, "so I take it easy on New Year's Eve," he joked.

West Pottsgrove Township Manager
Craig Lloyd, right, in full dive regalia.

Also among those making the plunge more "official," was Pottstown School Board member Raymond Rose; Pottstown Mayor Stephanie Henrick and fellow borough council members Joe Kirkland and Don Lebedynsky.

Council Vice president Carol Kulp was there too, but stayed dry on the shoreline.

Rose took the plunge with about as many inches of skin covered as is humanly possible, while his fellow board member, John Armato, again the declined the ritual of an actual dunking.

No doubt, should Armato ever decide to take the plunge, he would insist on swimming to the North Coventry shore on the other side.

Pottstown School Board member John Armato, right,
admires Mayor Stephanie Henrick's swimwear.

But given how high and swift the Schuylkill was Tuesday morning, he might not have made the opposite shore until he reached Phoenixille, so perhaps its best he remained a landlubber this year.

In the true appreciation of the absurd nature of Pottstown's river ritual, Henrick and Lebedynsky donned ballet tutus.

No really.

Hey I'm not kidding. I'm a professional journalist. I wouldn't just make something up .....

Look, I've posted pictures OK? Geez.

Others wore hats, crying baby face masks or even swim trunks that left little to the imagination (yeah, we're talking about you Mosaic Community Garden Manager Dan Price.)

Hey, if you're going to jump into a river in the middle of winter,
you might as well do it in style.

My personal favorite this year was the family who took the latest trend of wearing matching pajamas to a whole new level (shown here at left.)

For reasons that escape explanation, the Pottstown Parks and Recreation Personnel -- who deserve our thanks for staging and turning out for this event every year without fail -- settled upon an AC/DC sound track through the loudspeakers prior to the 10:30 dunking, giving the lead up to the affair a distinctive feel that I will decline to describe, other than to say it may not have been welcomes by those of us who were a little hungover.

After a well-delivered rendition of the national anthem, which was accompanied by an unsought partnership with several howling dogs in the crowd, the few, the brave and the unbalanced, left dry land for the Schuylkill's 45-degree embrace.

Parks and Recreation Director Michael Lenhart estimated about 75 went into the water.

Far more kept a good grip on their common sense and watched them do it.

It looked like this:



Afterward, the moistened revelers scuttled to the other side of the park where a bonfire warmed and dried them much more quickly and thoroughly than one might have thought possible.

The heat from the fire was intense and, after several people tossed their hopelessly muddied swim shoes into the blaze, the smell was of more than just burning pallets.

As always, the Phillies Fire Company was on hand, firehoses in hand, to tame the blaze and to ensure it did not get out of hand.

And so we lumber into another year, the turn of the century fading in the rear-view mirror.

Let's hope it's a good one for all of us.

Love Thy Neighbor 5K Set for May 19

2nd Annual Latino Fest, Sept. 23 in Riverfront Park

Last Year's Latino Fest highlighted Latino food, traditional clothing, dancing and more. This year's event will be held on Sept. 23 in Riverfront Park.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Centro Cultural Latinos Unidos.

Latin dancing lessons will once again be a feature of this year's
Latino Fest in Riverfront Park.

Centro Cultural Latinos Unidos will present Pottstown’s Second Latin Festival on Saturday, Sept. 23rd from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Riverfront Park.

The Festival celebrates Latino culture during the National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Some of this year’s highlights include delicious ethnic foods from Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, El Salvador, Puerto Rico and Guatemala.

Pinatas will also be part of the festivities.

Dance performances will include Bachata, Merengue, Cumbia and more.

There will also be live music and a Zumba class for everyone.

Also count on piñatas with prizes, the announcement of the Second Writing Contest winners, a bouncing castle, soccer, a martial arts demonstration, nature experiments and much more.

The event coincides roughly with the Veterans Community Day in nearby Memorial Park.

A free shuttle bus will transport visitors from one event to the other.

 

Pottstown Climate March Planned for April 29

Race Against Racism in Riverfront Park

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by YWCA Tri-County Area

Lace up your sneakers for the inaugural Race Against Racism, a 5K color run and walk to raise awareness and support for racial justice programming and events by the YWCA Tri-County Area, on Saturday, April 22, at Riverfront Park in Pottstown.

Early bird registration for this fun-filled event has been extended through April 21. 

Registration fees are: $15 for students K-12, $30 for adults, and $60 for families (up to five people from the same household).

Discounts for groups of five or more are: $25 per person for adults, and $12 per person for students K-12.

Registration is available online at https://yw3carunagainstracism.eventbrite.com.

All participants will receive a T-shirt, sunglasses, a color packet, and finisher’s

medal.

Registration the morning of the race will be $15 for students, $35 for adults and $70 for families.

Runners begin the paved, mostly flat 5K (3.1 miles) course at 8:30 a.m.; walkers begin at 9 a.m.

Packet pickup begins at 7:30 a.m. at Pottstown’s Riverfront Park Trailhead, adjacent to Schuylkill River Heritage Area offices, 140 College Drive, Pottstown.

Race Against Racism is a family-friendly event with a fun color-powder twist that celebrates health, happiness, and inclusion. 

The event is held as a part of YWCA USA’s national Stand Against Racism, a signature campaign to build community among those who work for racial justice and to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism in our communities.

YWCA Tri-County Area (YW3CA) is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. 

YW3CA is a leader in women and girls’ advocacy, and works to eliminate racism and empower women through quality affordable childcare, adult literacy, youth development, and a host of programs to support the health and vitality of women, girls, and families.

'Tis the Season to be Freezin'

Just in case you haven't marked it down on your calendar yet, or are still drunk enough from your New Year's Eve revelry to think this is a good idea, the Ninth Annual Pottstown Polar Bear Swim will be held tomorrow morning in Riverfront Park.

Registration is from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and is free. (As the borough web site notes, you'll pay in other ways ...)

A waiver must be signed and polar bears aged 16 and 17 may take the plunge only with signed authorization from a parent or guardian.

The few, the brave and the foolhardy will plunge promptly at 10:30 a.m. into the frigid waters of the Schuylkill River.

You can warm up after your plunge.

Not to worry, when you emerge, a blazing bonfire will be burning to help ring in the New Year and return your body temperature to something resembling normal.

Those who have (wisely) chosen discretion over valor are also free to enjoy the fire.

As if jumping into freezing cold water on a winter's day was not enough to entice you, there will also be a few words of encouragement from our mayor, as only our mayor can encourage.

The national anthem will be played, other canned music may be heard at some point from the loudspeakers, and combatants of great strength and reknown will compete in the Christmas Tree toss -- reward for which is sappy fingers and a few pine needles where they don't belong.

Pork hot dogs and sauerkraut will be on hand for those who enjoy that tradition as the first meal of the year.

Come on down and join the fun.

We can all start 2017 with a smile.

(In all likelihood, we're going to need all the smile we can get next year.)

Latin Cultural Festival Set for Riverfront Park

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Centro Cultural Latinos Unidos.

The first festival to celebrate Latin Culture in Pottstown will be held at Riverfront Park on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Pottstown Borough Councilwoman Rita Paez who serves as director of the Centro Cultural Latinos Unidos, said the family oriented program will feature live music, dance performances, games, arts and crafts, ethnic foods and much more. 

Produced by the CCLU, the free program will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.

Learn about and enjoy Latin culture with the Mariachi Band Pedro Villaseñor and Latin band Sabor Gitano from New York City. 

Experience Latin dance lessons with Pottstown’s Stevie J. Dance Productions. 

Children will love to take part in activities such as soccer, piñatas, nature experiments and Spanish story times to name a few.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this wonderful line up during National Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Paez. 

“We have received tremendous support from the Borough of Pottstown, local businesses, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and the Latino community in the greater Pottstown area.” 

This year National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and recognizes the contributions made and the important presence of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and celebrates their heritage and culture. “We welcome all to participate in this Festival,” she added.

Centro Cultural Latinos Unidos. Inc. (CCLU) is a non-profit bilingual, bridge building organization, committed to enrich the lives of Latinos and others by embracing diversity through cultural, educational and recreational programs in the greater Pottstown Area. 

For more information, visit http://www.cclu-pottst.org/

Rotary Names Det. Long 'Person of the Year'

Pottstown Police Det. Heather Long

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Pottstown Rotary Club.

The Rotary Club of Pottstown is pleased to announce Detective Heather Long as its selection as the 2015 Person of the Year. 

A juvenile detective and forensic Interviewer, Detective Long graduated from Mansfield University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Human Development Psychology. 

She has been employed with the Pottstown Police Department since January 2007 and was transferred to the detective division in July 2010, assigned as the juvenile detective.

In this capacity, Detective Long specializes in the investigation of child abuse and sexually based crimes. She is a member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force, Montgomery County Sexual Assault Task Force (SATF) and the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) at Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center. She is also a trained forensic interviewer at Mission Kids CAC.

Detective Long is currently the president of the Pottstown Police Officers’ Association. Over the last five years, she organized the annual PPOA Fishing Derby for children of the community. 

For the last three years, she organized the annual Gregg Boyle Memorial Golf Outing, which allows community members to golf with police officers and pay respect to one of Pottstown’s finest.

This is not the first time Detective Long has been recognized for her outstanding service to the Pottstown community. She was honored as Pottstown Police Officer of the Year for 2014. 

Detective Long was also honored by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office for her work

Long, right, is congratulated by

Montgomery County DA Risa Vetri Ferman

on a child rape case, where the offender (71 years old) pled guilty and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.

The Pottstown Rotary Club annually recognizes a member of the greater Pottstown community for outstanding contributions in areas such as the arts, business, education, health care, non-profit public service, and government service. 

Members of the community are invited to the ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, September 9 at the Rotary Pavilion in Riverfront Park. 

The ceremony followed by dinner will begin at 6 pm. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance. For tickets and additional information, contact Ted Flint at 610-943-4443.

The Pottstown Rotary is a local and international service organization comprised of men and women committed to making a positive contribution in their community and the world. 

The Rotary Club of Pottstown supports a number of programs in Pottstown, including, literacy building, the Pottstown Halloween Parade, student scholarships, Operation Backpack, and Meals on Wheels. 

The club also sponsors the Pottstown High School Interact Club, a service club for high school students. 

To learn more about The Rotary Club of Pottstown, visit www.PottstownRotary.org.

Super Summer Saturday in Pottstown

Saturday is going to be one of those days when its hard to decide what to do around town.

As yesterday's story in Time-Out announced, it is the second of the borough's Bicentennial Community Days, this time in Riverfront Park.

In addition to the musical entertainment by county singer Stephanie Grace and party music from de Tierra Caliente, there will also be food trucks and a Sly Fox biergarten that benefits the Carousel at Pottstown.

Carousel President George Wausnock said the first 50 customers to buy tickets to the biergarten will receive a free gift from the Carousel -- either a Carousel Christmas Tree ordinance or a figure of one of the custom hand-made animals on the carousel.

Country singer Stephanie Grace, right, will perform at
Riverfront Park Saturday from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

The events run from 12:30 to 8 p.m.

While you're there, you can also try your hand at using a kayak on the Schuylkill River.
Take it Outdoors Adventures will host Schuylkill River Excusions on the river departing Riverfront Park at 9:45 a.m.; 12:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.

The cost is $20 per person on a first-come, first-serve basis and includes kayak, paddle and life preserver rental.

Kayakers must be at least 10 years old and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

The one-hour paddle will travel 2.5 miles downriver to Towpath Park in East Coventry.

Round-trip transportation is provided and no experience is necessary as a guide will lead all trips.

Saturday is also Sidewalk Sales days in downtown Pottstown, within walking distance of Riverfront Park.

For the fourth consecutive year, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., downtown businesses will open their doors and take it to the streets with their merchandise.

According to Main Street Manager Sheila Dugan, at least 50 businesses and restaurants are planning to participate in the sidewalk sale, along with about 20 to 25 outside vendors and non-profit organizations, according to The Mercury story by business editor Donna Rovins.

Downtown Pottstown's Sidewalk Sale is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

There are a number of special activities planned, including a juggler and a roving minstrel. 

In addition, Advantage Insurance at 105 E. High St. will host an activity center for kids where they can participate in crafts and a sidewalk chalk contest.

In honor of National Ice Cream Day, which is Sunday, downtown restaurants are planning something special during the sidewalk sale.

“If you come to one of the restaurants and draw a chalk drawing in front on the sidewalk, you will receive a coupon that’s good at all of the participating restaurants,” said Main Street Manager Sheila Dugan.

The participating restaurants include: Beverly’s Pastry Shop, Grumpy’s, The Milkman Cake Shoppe, The Very Best Hot Dogs and Connections on High.

A Wet and Wild Start to 2015

Mercury Photo by John Strickler

A spirited crowd of more than 100 people splashed into the Schuylkill River at Pottstown's Riverfront Park Thursday to celebrate New Year's Day 2015.

So it happened again.

For the seventh year in a row, a crowd of crazies put their gumption and community spirit on display by running half naked into the nearly freezing waters of the Schuylkill River to celebrate New Year's Day.

I've covered quite a few of these and I have to say, it never gets old.

Here is a video I put together from the day's events:




Click here to see John Strickler's most excellent photo gallery of the event.

And here are the less impressive photos and other video I Tweeted out while covering it.

Happy New Year everybody

Pedal and Paddle

First comes the pedal, which leaves Pottstown's
Riverfront park at 9 a.m...

The schedule for the increasingly popular "Pedal and Paddle" bike and kayak trips from Pottstown to Douglassville and back has been announced.

The first will be held Saturday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Now, you can register on-line by clicking here.

Registration can occur up to one-week before the event, but space is limited to 15 people and these trips often fill up quickly. (You must be 16 or older to participate).

If the May 17 date does not work for you, the other dates are June 28, July 26, Aug. 23 and Sept. 13.

The trips include:

• 4.5 mile bike ride using Bike Pottstown's yellow cruisers along the Schuylkill River Trail from Pottstown's Riverfront Park to Historic Morlatton Village in Douglassville.
• Guided tour of Historic Morlatton Village.
• Boxed picnic lunch at Ganshahawny Park in Douglassville
• Brief introduction to kayaking



...then the visit to Morlattan Village....

• Paddle back to Riverfront Park

The cost is only $25 and includes the bikes, the kayaks, the kayaking gear and the lunch.

Each event begins with a 4.5 mile bike ride from Pottstown’s Riverfront Park to Historic Morlatton Village in Douglassville, using yellow cruisers from the Bike Pottstown bike share program. 

Participants are given a guided tour of Morlatton Village, a historic village consisting of four 18th century buildings that have been restored or are in the process of being restored, one of which is the oldest home in Berks County. 

...then lunch and kayak lessons at Ganshahawny
Park 

in Douglassville....

The village is located directly off the trail and is owned by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County, which provides a tour guide during the event. 

The buildings are only open to the public during special events. 

From there, participants take a short bike ride to Douglassville’s Ganshahawny Park where they eat a picnic lunch (provided) and receive a brief introduction to kayaking from outfitter Doug Chapman of Take it Outdoors Adventure Group. 

Then, they paddle back to Pottstown in kayaks along the Schuylkill River.

To begin, the group always meets at the Schuylkill River Heritage Area offices, located beside Riverfront Park, at 140 College Drive in Pottstown.

Registrants are asked to arrive a few minutes early, so they can sign a waiver and spend time in the

...and finally a leisurely paddle back to Pottstown.

River of Revolutions Interpretive Center, which is open during the event.

The tours are held rain or shine, however, if heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast the event may be canceled. If it becomes necessary to cancel, participants will be notified by email by early Saturday morning and a full refund.

All equipment, including bikes, helmets, kayaks, paddles and PFDs are provided. However, it is recommended that you bring the following items: water bottle, sunscreen, insect repellent, hat, water shoes and bike helmet, if you prefer to use your own. 

For more information call the Schuylkill River Heritage Area at 484-945-0200, or email ckott@schuylkillriver.org.

Borough Briefs

A number of small items were approved Monday by borough council, all of them unanimously, although members Mark Gibson and Carol Kulp were both absent.

-- Council authorized the staff to submit an application to the Regional Recreation Mini-Grant program for $25,000 -- the maximum allowed -- for the replacement of the walking bridge in Riverfront Park.

The bridge, over a small stream near the Hanover Street bridge, was knocked out by a falling tree that fell during "Hurricane Irene."

Mark Flanders

(On a similar subject, Borough Manager Mark Flanders informed council that the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency had awarded the borough $64,000 reimbursement for costs associated with dealing with and cleaning up after the storm.)

The mini-grant program has been set up through the Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Committee and is open only to those among the eight municipalities -- Pottstown, West Pottsgrove, Upper Pottsgrove, Lower Possgrove, Douglass (Mont.), New Hanover, East Coventry and North Coventry -- that comprise the committee that have elected to participate.

Funding comes from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

-- Council also approved a motion to send a letter of support for the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area's application to the William Penn Foundation for funding to implement the "River-Walk" concept in Riverfront Park.

During last week's work session, Assistant Borough Manager Erica Weekley told council that $100,000 is being sought to transform 30 acres of woodland in the park into an interpretive nature trail.

That, combined with the new 600 square-foot interpretive center in the Heritage Area's headquarters, which is in Riverfront Park, "is a draw for those using the trail, giving them something else to do."

-- Council also adopted an ordinance which will make a section of Spruce Street one-way south from Airy Street to Jefferson Avenue, as well as prohibiting U-turns on High Street and on Rosedale Drive, from Mulberry Street to Wilson Street, a change to prohibit U-turns now being made by parents picking up and dropping off students at the Wyndcroft School.

Plans for the extension of Keystone Boulevard

-- Council unanimously re-appointed Brian George to the Environmental Advisory Council for a three-year term; re-appointed Gail Palladino to the Codes Board of Appeals for a three-year term and approved Toroney's appoiintment of Kulp and Council Vice President Jeff Chomnuk (as an alternate) to the committee which will oversee the joint efforts with West Pottsgrove to extend Keystone Boulevard to Glasgow Street and further develop properties there.

Also appointed to that committee was Weekley.

-- Not appointed, however, is a new director of the codes department, which Flanders has said will be re-named the licensing and inspection department.

Last month, he informed council interviews were being conducted and subsequently, a candidate was identified. "But we could not come to terms," Flanders said. 

And so, the search will continue.

Masons Lend a Hand to Eagle Scout's Flagpole Project

From left, Stephen M. Loshnowsky  Mark E. Loshnowsky  Dennis F. Shaffer  Nathan Fuerman and James R. Loshnowsky

Eagle Scout candidate Nathan Fuerman is getting closer and closer to his goal of erecting a set of flag poles in Riverfront Park.

Most recently he received help in the form of a $500 check from the local Masons organization, Stichter Lodge 254 F&M on North Franklin Street.

A Life Scout with Troop 129, out of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, young Mr. Fuerman has solicited funding from a variety of organizations, including, last month, Pottstown Borough Council.

Although council declined to devote any tax money toward his request, Council President Stephen Toroney did opine that most council members would likely provide some donations from their personal finances.

The project calls for erecting three flagpoles and a "complimentary stone garden" in Riverfront Park, a borough park which currently lacks an American flag.

Some of you may recall reading about Nathan's efforts in a March 22, article in The Mercury and at the time, he estimated the cost of materials and installation at $12,000 -- not counting the volunteer labor his fellow scouts will provide.

Here is the video we shot at the time:

Fuerman has designed the project to have a 12-foot diameter and to include a “complementary stone bed” around the three poles that is about 18 inches high. 

He has also planned out the project to the point where he has listed materials and supplies needed, outlined the permits that must be obtained and planned eight phases for the project.

Donations can be made in his name to the Pottstown Parks and Recreation Foundation, P.O. Box 1404, Pottstown, PA 19464.

What's the Buzz?

Damned bugs!

They're heeeeerrrreeee:

As The Mercury reported Sunday, this is a banner year for mosquitoes and it has yielded a bumper crop of those testing positive for the West Nile Virus.

If everything went according to plan Monday, the Montgomery County Health Department sprayed in Pottstown's Riverfront Park and at the wastewater treatment plants in both Pottstown and Limerick.

Mosquito samples taken at those locations were found to be carrying the West Nile Virus.

Now came the news yesterday that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will be spraying for mosquitoes in Wyomissing, Mohnton and West Reading boroughs and portions of Reading, Berks County.

According to DEP, Mosquito samples in 41 counties have been identified with the West Nile virus so far this year, although no human cases have been confirmed.

Have you seen this virus? Call the health department immediately

In late May, the Allentown Morning Call reported that the West Nile Mosquitoes had made "their earliest appearance ever in Pennsylvania.

The average date of first detection over the last decade is June 17.

A mild winter followed by an early, wet spring is the likely culprit, say experts.

Native to Africa, West Nile Virus has been present in the United States since 1999 when it was first detected in New York City. Transmitted by a particular family of mosquito, it has gradually spread to most of North America.

The virus causes a mild illness in most people. Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, swollen glands and a skin rash. In some cases, about 1 in 50, it causes an inflammation of the brain called West Nile encephalitis, which can be serious, producing severe headaches, convulsions and even coma.

Last year, Pennsylvania confirmed seven human cases of West Nile infection, a far cry from the 236 cases detected in 2003 when the virus was a relatively new phenomenon. West Nile killed 43 people in the U.S. in 2011. While Pennsylvania reported five serious cases, none was fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

There is some evidence that declining human infection rates are caused at least partly by less frequent testing for the virus by health care providers, said William Reisen, an expert on the disease at the University of California, Davis. There's also less federal funding available for surveillance.

"The requests of physicians for testing can in some ways drive the appearance of whether things are increasing or decreasing," Reisen said.

Hopefully, the cure for disease-laden mosquitoes
won't be worse than the disease.

Warmer temperatures typically lead to faster spread of the virus, Reisen said.
Did you see that? Warmer temperatures? One more thing brought to us all by global warming.

(I shared my thoughts on THAT subject in Sunday's post.)

Anyway, since I don't want any of my readers (both of you) to suffer headaches, fevers, sores, convulsions or comas, the research staff here at The Digital Notebook has put together this handy checklist of things you can do to fend off this threat.

(If it looks somewhat similar, or even identical, to a list from the Montgomery County Health Department offered in a recent Mercury story, I assure you that it is entirely coincidental.)

Don't help mosquitoes by leaving standing water un-emptied

•   Identify and eliminate all sources of standing water that collect on your property. Mosquitoes will breed in any puddle that lasts for more than four days.
•  Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, or similar water holding containers that have collected on your property. Do not overlook containers that have become overgrown by aquatic vegetation.
•  Pay special attention to discarded tires that may have collected water on your property. They can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
•  Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left out of doors. Drainage holes that are located on the container sides collect enough water for mosquitoes to breed in.
•  Have clogged roof gutters cleaned on an annual basis, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to block drains.
•  Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use. A wading pool becomes a place for mosquitoes to breed if it is not used on a regular basis.
•  Turn over wheelbarrows and do not allow water to stagnate in birdbaths.
•  Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens are fashionable but become major mosquito breeding grounds if they are allowed to stagnate.
•  Keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated. A swimming pool that is left untended becomes a source of mosquito breeding. Be aware that mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on swimming pool covers.

 Let's be safe out there people ...OUCH!

Building Bridges Along the River

Blogger's Note: I've said it before and I'll say it again, send me your news and submissions and we'll try to get them posted on this blog. News of this Saturday's event comes via Valerie Jackson, who, until her recent marriage, many of you knew as former Pottstown School Board member Valerie Harris who, by all indications, remains involved in the Pottstown community. 

What she sent is a letter from the Rev. Georgiana Harris, inviting Pottstown to an event at Riverfront Park this Saturday. The letter has been shortened and we wish these folks all the best in their endeavor.

Hello Pottstown!

It’s Harris Family Ministries coming to you once again!

We are in the planning stages of our 4th annual Stop the Drugs/Stop the Violence Crusade which will be held on July 28th from 12 noon until 4 p.m. at Pottstown’s Riverfront Park located on College Drive, thanks to Pottstown Borough Manager Jason Bobst.

Last year’s event was very successful; we had many resources available for everyone. We plan to do that again this year and have even more.

Once again we will be partnering with some Pottstown Area Churches and would love for yours to be one of them.

We are serious about bringing change to Pottstown and as I say every year, we can't do it alone, we need your help.

There are many churches and organizations in Pottstown trying to bring about change in many different ways and methods.

For one, The Friary LLC under the leadership of Michael Kaas brought Jason Crabb back to Pottstown on April 28th at the Pottstown Middle School.

Jason Crabb is a Dove award winning Southern Gospel artist, but is comfortable singing any style of gospel and charged the atmosphere with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.


Our theme this year is “Love Can Build a Bridge” this is the title of a song by the Judd’s and it says; “ Love can build a bridge between your heart and mine, Love can build a bridge between your heart and mine, don’t you think it’s time, don’t you think it’s time”?

Yes, I think it is time! Time for us in the greater Pottstown area to come together and build that bridge of love and pull our brothers and sisters out of the bondage and darkness of addiction and acts of violence and help them, with the help of the Lord to regain control of their lives and become upstanding and productive people again.

Of course, I know all acts of violence are not drug or alcohol related but I do know if we can break those addictions we have won a large portion of the battle.

There is a lot of talk in the borough about revitalization; you can’t revitalize a town without revitalizing its most important resource……its people!

If you would like to join with us for this event please contact us at: gharris@harrisfamilyministries.org e-mail or call 610-323-8718.

If you can’t help physically but you can financially you can go to our website: www.harrisfamilyministries.org and send a donation via Paypal or you may send a check to Harris Family Ministries, Inc P. O. Box 3001, Stowe, PA 19464

All donations are tax deductible.
May God bless you all with His love and shower you with His blessings,

-- Rev. Georgiana C. Harris