Honors at the Address

Members of the Pottstown Middle School Junior National Honor Society had lunch in Gettysburg's Dobbin House after hearing director Stephen Spielberg speak about Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on its 149th anniversary.

Blogger's Note: This one is a little old, but no less relevant as the film "Lincoln" continues in some movie theaters.

Members of the Pottstown Middle School Junior National Honor Society recently paid a visit to an address in Gettysburg Pennsylvania to take part in the 149th Anniversary of Dedication Day commemorating the historic address given by President Abraham Lincoln.

Noted filmmaker Steven Spielberg gave an electrifying keynote speech about President Lincoln and the significance of the Gettysburg Address.

Junior National Honor Society sponsor Lois Sanders said, “knowing that we were in the same spot where Abraham Lincoln shared his short but powerful Gettysburg Address was an incredible experience for our students. Adding to the significance of the day, students were able to observe a Naturalization Oath Ceremony where a dozen individuals became United States citizens.”

The trip also included visiting a portion of the Underground Railroad and learning firsthand about history. 

Students capped their day off by dining at the historical Dobbin House for lunch.

Students attending included: Ashley Adams, Dylan Brandt, Chris Brown, Victoria Eckerd, Emily Greiss, Brandon Heller, Jacob Howard, Emily Iezzi, Khaleah Jeter, Khalif Jeter, Sara Levengood, Megan Mace, Alexis Martin, Katie McCoySwinehart, Kyli McKee, Casey Mest, Autumn Motto, Coral O'Brien, Angelique Olvera, Dereck Paskings, Kenil Patel, Tyler Paul, Tatyana Reed-Elliott, Austin Scavello, Cole Sellers, Giavanna Smith, MaSofia Sosa, Alysha Soto, Chris Stone, Heather Swanson, Hunter Taylor-Williams, Seth Vogt, Lauren Yednock.

The Winter Garden

The holidays are past, the ground is frozen and spring now looks a long way away.

If you're one of those who longs to dig your fingers into moist earth, turn the soil and plant for the fall harvest, then stop by the Mosiac Community Garden at 423 Chestnut St. on Saturday at noon.

That's when the folks there will hold a celebration of the winter garden with an installation of a pergola, designed and built by Pottstown craftsman Ryan Proscal.

The pergola, a kind of trellis, will support the wisteria vine that has been planted beside the walkway to the garden beds there.

"We’re excited to feature Ryan’s creative talent and skills in the community gardens and we’re honored to call him 'neighbor,'" the garden's organizers wrote in their Dec. 21 post about the upcoming event.

Here is a link to Ryan’s website: http://www.madebyprox.com/

The ceremonial celebration of the winter gardens, led by Jodi McCarty and Lorraine Kat Morris of the
Enlightened Path Holistic Center, 1494 N. Charlotte St. Ste#11.

This is their web site: http://www.enlightenedpath-hc.com/

The ceremony will include warm spiced cider and hot chocolate on tap.

A Different Kind of 'Cheer' for the Holidays

Pottstown High School Cheerleaders at the 'Pink-Out" game.

Blogger's Note: Once again we find ourselves depending on the efforts of the sleepless John Armato to fill our blog. But we don't mind. It's good news.

The Pottstown School District’s cheerleading squads at the high school and 

middle school are counted on to create enthusiasm and spirit for the sports teams but they have proven that there is much more to them than cheers and pom-poms.

The high school cheerleaders visit Lincoln Elementary
School's "Fall Night" celebration.

Under the direction of coaches Christina Weiss and Tracy Oister, the girls have developed a tradition of community service. During the first few months of school, both squads participated in a “Pink Out” game during Breast Cancer Awareness Week. Their efforts raised over $550.00 which was donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Their fundraising efforts also included a “Red Out” game to support the American Heart Association. Wearing their “Red Out” tee-shirts at a high school football game the girls collected over $450.00 which was donated to the American Heart Association.

Coach Weiss expressed her pride in the girls’ activities, “Our squad recognizes how fortunate they are and understand the importance of giving back to our community and those who are in need. I am extremely proud of the self-motivation and drive that these young ladies exhibit.”

The high school cheerleaders visit the Pottstown Pet Fair.

In addition to fundraising activities, both squads have volunteered their services at community events. The annual Pottstown Pet Fair saw squad members work throughout the day helping vendors prepare their stands and ensuring orderly parking. All day long, the cheerleaders checked on the various animals at the stands and provided them with water and food.

At the Lincoln Elementary School Fall Family Night, the cheerleaders turned in their uniforms for Halloween costumes and volunteered throughout the night taking part in various activities that helped to make an enjoyable evening for elementary students. They led a children’s march throughout the gym and cheered on the youngsters during activities and face painting.

Both squads at the "Red Out" game.

Middle school coach Tracy Oister said, “Being able to partner the middle school and high school cheerleaders together has helped build a strong bond that will lead to better school atmosphere and solid community citizens.”

During the winter months, the cheerleaders have partnered with the Pottstown Cluster Outreach Center to conduct a winter clothes and coat drive for those in need.

High school cheerleader Joann Auman expressed her feelings about the community service, “I feel excited to do these events. I had a great time raising money with our coin drives and tee-shirt sales. Helping to paint faces at the Halloween event was a blast. Seeing everyone come together at the Pet Fair made me feel like a part of our community. The community service that the cheerleaders are doing is fun and I have enjoyed every minute helping to make our community a better place to live.”

Members of squads include:

High School Squad:

Joann Auman, Alyssa Wanish, Sierra Lee, Aaliyah Ford, Jessica Yednock, Alexis Irizarry, Katrina Braunsberg, Jasmin Gonzalez, Hannah Irvin, Davajia Williams, Brianna Torres, Tatum Burmester, Troi Daniels, Ashli Sinclair

Middle School Squad:

Kyli McKee, Alexandra Hickey, Lauren Yednock, Gianna Epps, Tamera Bennett, Tiana Bennett, Andraya Guy, Tyra Robinson, Ceola Smith, Emily Jerdon, Sara Dudley, Rasheeda Williams, Rashell Williams, Aniya Jackson Thorpe, Djali Irizarry, Jazmin Brooks

Forgotten Freedom

The original Emancipation Proclamation, five pages long,
is in the National Archives.

One would think that in a country that is always sounding off about being the home of liberty and freedom, that the front pages of yesterday's newspapers would have rung with the marking of the 150th anniversary of one of the most significant documents of freedom in our history.

I found five.

They are posted below.

To the credit of one of the nation's three commonwealths, three of them were in Virginia.

None were in the other two commonwealths, Massachusetts or Pennsylvania. (Yes, that includes The Mercury.)

Certainly, these are not all the newspapers in the country, and so I'm sure there are others that remembered.

But as a sample, it's a poor showing.

The Daily Press of 

Hampton Roads, VA

remembered.

Having missed it myself, I suppose I can understand how it could happen.

But really, no I can't understand how that could happen.

Unless of course we accept that history is no longer valued in this country; this at the same time that "heritage tourism" is being touted as one path to revitalization for older towns.

We ignore history constantly in debating the issues of the day and half our children know more about "gangham-style" then the Bill of Rights.

One might think that with "Lincoln" now roaring through the movie theaters that some of us might have remembered....

Lynchburg, Va.

Any way, courtesy of the National Archives, here is your brief refresher on the Emancipation Proclamation ... one day late:

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."

Despite this expansive wording, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal border states. It also expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised depended upon Union military victory.

Richmond, Va.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the nation, it captured the hearts and imagination of millions of Americans and fundamentally transformed the character of the war. After January 1, 1863, every advance of federal troops expanded the domain of freedom. Moreover, the Proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union Army and Navy, enabling the liberated to become liberators. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.

Greensboro, N.C.

From the first days of the Civil War, slaves had acted to secure their own liberty. The Emancipation Proclamation confirmed their insistence that the war for the Union must become a war for freedom. It added moral force to the Union cause and strengthened the Union both militarily and politically. As a milestone along the road to slavery's final destruction, the Emancipation Proclamation has assumed a place among the great documents of human freedom.

Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

In reading Lincoln biographies, I have always been amazed at the carefulness of his positions. Some change was the evolution of his positions, while others seem to have been calculated to ensure he did not proceed ahead of the mood or willingness of the nation.

When campaigning in Illinois, he would talk about abolition in the north of the state, where is was supported, but nary a whisper while campaigning in the south.

Although he was a great leader, he was also a great politician, a reminder that that label need not always be pejorative, or that both words are not always  mutually exclusive.

In Praise of Friends

There is a line, in an otherwise forgettable movie, which has always stuck with me.

If I have used it here before, forgive me.

The movie is called "Tequila Sunrise" and it was a star vehicle for Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell.

It's a classic love triangle and Mel Gibson's life as a former drug dealer trying to go straight is complicated by his friend, Russell, the county sheriff in L.A. and his other friend, the late, great Raul Julia, as his primary drug dealing source and, for plot, a high-ranking member of the Mexican police.

Things proceed apace as you would expect in a Hollywood ho-hum and finally, Gibson must choose between Julia's character and Pfeiffer's. I think we all know how that ends up.

Anyway, Julia begins ranting and within that rant says something which struck me as profound.

Raul and Mel

He said, and a paraphrase: "Friends are the only thing you get to choose in life."

Your family? You're born into them.

Your job, well yes to some extent you choose that, but in terms of the people that fill your life, he's right.

And while Christmas has become a holiday we mostly spend with family (although Feziwig's ball strikes me as a way I would like to spend Christmas). more often New Year's is a holiday we tend to spend with friends.

Whether drunken revelries or more sedate New Year's Day pork-fests (yes, I've learned a thing or two here in PA), it seems to be the holiday in which friends are more likely to figure largely.

Brandie and I on her moving day.

I have been blessed, over the years, with many friends and I covet them all rather dearly.

I won't try to name you all, lest a name be left off and bad feelings ensue.

But in the past few months, I have been faced with the departure of two -- both co-workers at The Mercury.

One, Brandie Kessler, is already gone on to the York Daily Record although, with the frequency of her return visits to Pottstown, it's sometimes hard to tell.

(:) just kidding Brandie.)

The other will be departing soon.

I have lost track of the number of years I have known our business editor, Michelle Karas.

Michelle got me a gig helping Craft Ale House pour Sly Fox 

beer at the Pottstown Volleyball Rumble, our only payment

being free samples. If that doesn't say "friend," I don't know

what does.

When she first came to our newsroom, she was the rookie reporter and, as is often the case, I was assigned to show her how we do things at The Mercury.

She was a quick study and, I soon learned, a gentle but adventurous soul.

In the coming days, she will leave us and move another step up her career ladder, becoming the editor of The Bennington Banner, in Vermont -- still within the JRC/DFM family, but far from Pottstown.

I wish her well and I know she will do well.

Michelle is smart, talented and ready to take on this challenge and responsibility

Plus, she loves to ski, which is one of our Mercury newsroom nicknames for her, so this move works out all the way around -- except for those of us who, selfishly, will miss her.

Friends are, after all, one of the few things we get to choose in this life.

But being friends also means wanting what's best for them, and this one is a no-brainer.

So on this first day of 2013, I lift my glass to all my friends, to Michelle in particular, and advise you to do the same to those friends closest to you.

I've lost a few this year and their value becomes ever-clearer with the loss.

Don't let the year go by without letting your friends know how much they mean to you.

If you fulfill no other New Year's Resolution in 2013, you will have done better than most of us.

Happy New Year to all of you reading this blog post; to all my friends; and to all those friends I have not yet met.

Of Gridirons and Color Guards

The Pottstown High School Junior Air Force ROTC Unit was one of only four invited to participate in opening ceremonies of the PIAA AAA Football Champion ship held in Hershey.

Blogger's Note: Let's close out the year we have filled so much of it, with news of the Pottstown School District provided by the untiring John Armato.

The Pottstown High School Junior Air Force ROTC Unit Color Guard, under the direction of Sgt. Alexander Bolar, Jr., took part in the opening ceremonies of the PIAA AAA Football Championship held in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The color guard unit was one of only four ROTC units across the state that received the invitation from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association to take part in the opening ceremonies.

In front of thousands of fans, the unit presented the colors of our country and state as the National Anthem was played. 

“Being invited to present the colors at what is considered to be the “superbowl” for high school football teams was an honor. These young men and women have spent over 250 hours perfecting precision moves and mastering their presentation skills in preparation for opportunities such as this. Our unit has been repeatedly invited to perform for many organizations. The unit is more involved this year than in past and the cadets have met their challenge with professionalism and decorum; both of which epitomize the Air Force Corp Value of ‘Excellence’,” said Sgt. Bolar.

Cadet Christopher Kopack summed up the day’s activities in saying, “This was a great thrill for the color guard and it was an honor to represent our unit, school, and community in front of thousands of people and knowing that the event was broadcast on television throughout the state of Pennsylvania added to our excitement.” 

Members of the unit included: Christopher Greene, Christopher Kopack, Joshua Stasik, Samantha Stotsenburgh, Angelina Schaff, Brian Wood, Devon Bechtel, Tyler Pace.

In Pursuit of Revitalization: Where Has it Worked?

Many of the things present in revitalized area across the 

country are present right here in  Pottstown. We just 

need them running on all cylinders.

Downtown "revitalization" has long been a largely unrealized watchword in coverage of Pottstown.

There have been some successes however. Things like the Steel River Playhouse, the 100 block of High Street, VideoRay in the old Levitz building are all accomplishments to be proud of and to be built upon.

A recent web article in Forbes magazine also got me thinking.

Some places have used

restaurants and art centers.

Like we have.

It is a list of 10 revitalized neighborhoods in major U.S. cities and a somewhat abbreviated explanation of how they got that way.

They didn't just do it on their own. Forbes had input from the American Planning Association and their choices are as interesting as the ways in which the revitalization occurred.

As I've been telling people lately, I've begun to be less interested in political doctrine and more interested in what works.

Others have expanded college campuses into

their downtowns. Like we have.

I may have to move to Missouri, because about the only thing I want to say to anyone who comes to me with a great idea is "Show Me."

Where has it worked? How did it work? Show me how it could work here? Who is ready to take this up and run with it?

So, the new year being just around the corner, this seemed like a good opportunity to look at something we want -- downtown and neighborhood revitalization -- and how it has been achieved.

Others have worked to capitalize on their 

Victorian housing stock. 

Like we have.

What struck me most about the explanations is how often the thing that brought about success took years and years of steady dedication to a course of action.

In few cases did I see one explosive project that turned everything around.

Rather, it was more like turning the Queen Mary, it took time and many, many small adjustments in course to get where you want to go, all the while staying true to the course.

Still others have tried to bring upscale,

market-rate housing to the 

downtown area. Like we have.

Of course that's always been the problem here in Pottstown, agreeing on a course. Everyone wants to be the captain of their own little part of the ship.

We've got some new leaders in town this year, let's hope we can all put our fiefdoms aside and agree on a course.

Because, judging by the examples of success outlined below, that is the only thing that has ever been shown to work.

Here is a look at the Forbes sampling:


Montrose In Houston, Texas

The neighborhood lying west of downtown Houston, Montrose has reaped the rewards of a $2.6 billion revitalization project installed in the late 1990s, with home values well above Houston’s other neighborhoods.

Downtown Salem In Salem, Mass.

Once a locale that drew more tourists than residents, the storied site of witch trials has welcomed dozens of retail stores and restaurants and more than 400 newly built residences in the past decade.


Downtown Greenville In Greenville, S.C.

Three decades went into the business district’s revitalization, much of which centers around Main Street. Luxury residences have popped up in the past decade and business has been helped by the relocation of a baseball stadium in 2006.

Borough Of Collingswood, N.J.

This “dry” Philadelphia-area community has reaped the rewards of a new light rail station along Haddon Avenue. Development initiatives kicked off in 1996 when the Borough began buying and cleaning up properties for residential use.

Browne's Addition In Spokane, Wash.

After a half century of decline, Spokane’s oldest neighborhood underwent a long planning process during which Victorian-style street fixtures were installed to play up the historic neighborhood’s buildings, parks were cleaned up and an increasing number of residents resulted in a mini-building boom in the past six years.

The Paseo In Oklahoma City, Okla.

Non-profits and the local community led the cleanup efforts for this revived artists’colony just north of downtown, where more than 15 art galleries have opened and real estate prices climb despite the nation’s housing market woes.

Downtown Fargo In Fargo, N.D.

Since 1999 more than $100 million in investments have poured into the so-called “Renaissance Zone.” Building values rose 100% from 2000 to 2009 and North Dakota State University’s expansion in the area has led to a growing young adult demographic.

Charles Village In Baltimore, M.D.

An enclave plagued by high crime rates, local alliances and residents got a benefits district passed through the Maryland State Assembly to up security and sanitation measures. Crime has been cut in half and cleanup competitions to beautify homes have revamped the aesthetic.

LoDo In Denver, Colo.

Formerly a rundown warehouse district, Denver’s lower downtown area welcomed a restoration renaissance after $240 million in public funds were designated to cleaning up the streets and more than 100 Victorian warehouses and buildings were restored.

I've left off the last, which is Lower Manhattan, because New York City is, in so many ways, a world of its own when it comes to real estate.

But for the rest, look at what worked folks:

1) Public/private funding partnerships;

2) Recognizing and spending money to restore historic buildings;

3) State partnerships and funding to fight crime and blight;

4) "Renaissance Zones," sound familiar don't they. Can anyone say "Keystone Opportunity Zone?"

5) Local colleges expanding into downtowns;

6) Measures to attract artists and young people;

7) Local government taking over dilapidated and abandoned properties and fixing them up for re-sale;

8) More market-rate homes downtown.

So what worked? Yes.

It all did, in some way or another and its all things we either have going now, or have identified as something that will help downtown Pottstown.

The economy is slowly turning around, let's set the course, stick to it, and capitalize on it for the good of us all.