Hopewell to Host Schuylkill Heritage Area Talk

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

Did you know that you may live in a National Heritage Area?

On Sunday, Jan. 14, Deputy Director of the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area (NHA) Tim Fenchel will present an overview of The Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area and will be able to answer that question. 

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

Part of the National Park System and designated by federal law, National Heritage Areas are large lived in landscapes that reflect extraordinary aspects of American Heritage. 

The Schuylkill River Greenways NHA celebrates the Schuylkill River watershed as one of America's most significant cultural, historical and industrial regions. The boundaries of the Heritage Area cover the Schuylkill River watershed in Schuylkill, Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties and include five individual units of the National Park System and the Schuylkill River Trail.

This whole region is nationally significant for the role that its people, places, and events played in the American, Industrial, and Environmental Revolutions. 

The Heritage Area is home to over 3.2 million people across five counties. Approximately 1.5 million people draw their drinking water directly from the river.

Tim Fenchel has been with the Heritage Area since 2006 and is known for his great skill in securing the state, local and private funding that allows for the stewardship of the Heritage Area. 

His pride and joy is the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund, a grant program funded by both public and private business that supports water quality projects throughout the Schuylkill River watershed. 

A young visitor at the River of Revolutions Interpretive Center

at the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area HQ in Pottstown.

Tim also serves as project manager for many local and regional community projects which have included the Schuylkill River Academic and Heritage Center, the Pottstown RiverWalk, and the River of Revolutions Interpretive Center. He is currently working on a project to develop a series of recreational hubs throughout river town communities along the Schuylkill.

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.friendsofhopewellfurn.org.

$278,000 in Water Quality Grants Announced

Silas Chamberlin, executive director of the

Schuylkill River heritage Area.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Schuylkill River heritage Area.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area has distributed grants totaling $278,832 to eight projects this year that will improve water quality in the Schuylkill River.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grants were awarded to six projects that will focus on stormwater runoff, abandoned mine drainage and agricultural pollution. 

Also awarded were two land transaction grants that will assist with protection of a priority watershed parcel. 

The projects are:

• Borough of Pottstown, Stormwater Filter Project: $40,000: The Borough will install a new backflow prevention device to mitigate chronic roadway flooding and a new water quality unit to remove pollutants before they can discharge into the Schuylkill River.
• East Coventry, Kulp Property: $4,000: Natural Lands Trust will purchase a conservation easement on a 30-plus acre property to protect important natural resources including the headwaters of Pigeon Creek. This project will also provide public access to a trail system in the East Coventry Township trail network.
• Barto, Meyers Horse Farm: $8,332: Berks County Conservation District project will install best management practices on a horse farm operation in Barto to aid in preventing manure, sediment and other non-point source water pollution from entering the West Branch of the Perkiomen Creek. A roofed manure stacking pad will be constructed as well as a stabilized gravel lot. Stormwater controls will also be installed to aid to manage runoff.
• Berks Nature, Durkin Farm: $95,000: Berks Nature will install a manure storage facility and water transfer system on a 501 acre dairy farm located on Manor Creek, a tributary of Maiden Creek. Additionally, the farm will install stormwater controls throughout the barnyard as well as streambank fencing and improved riparian buffers.
• Berks Nature, Zettlemoyer Farm: $50,000: This project will implement various agricultural Best Management Practices on a 445-acre heifer operation located on Manor Creek. Two dry storage facilities will be installed along with a waste transfer system, stormwater controls and streambank fencing.
• Berks Nature, St. Lawrence Property: $4,000: The St. Lawrence Borough land protection project will permanently protect through a conservation easement a 245-acre high priority landscape of forested property on an unnamed tributary of Antietam Creek. This project will contribute to the preservation and conservation of water quality within the upper Schuylkill River.
• Schuylkill Headwaters Association, Big Creek Limestone Project: $40,000: The Schuylkill Headwaters Association will implement a dosing of high calcium limestone sand into the headwaters of Big Creek in an effort to reduce in-stream acidity. The restoration of Big Creek’s water quality will result in an average of 6,407 gallons per minute of treated water entering the headwaters of the Schuylkill River.
• North Light Community Schoolyard Stormwater Project: $37,500: The North Light Community Center will complete a schoolyard renovation project at their educational facility in Philadelphia. Impervious playground surface will be removed and a stormwater management system will be installed that will include a rain garden and native plants. This project will serve as a learning lab for both the students and the community. 

The grant fund is administered by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. This year, funds were provided by Exelon Generation’s Limerick Generating Station, the Philadelphia Water Department, Aqua PA and MOM’s Organic Market.

About 50 people attended the award announcement, which took place at the scenic Marty Nothstein Property in Port Clinton, PA, a 170-acre property that received funding and a permanent conservation easement through a restoration fund award in 2012. This property has been identified as a high-priority parcel that includes over 1,000 feet of river frontage.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund announcement was held in conjunction with a Schuylkill Action Network Project Tour that visited three watershed project sites.

“Over the past 11 years, the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund has distributed $2.7 million—and leveraged another $4.7 million—for 82 projects that improve water quality in the Schuylkill River watershed,” said Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive Director Silas Chamberlin. “The success of this fund demonstrates how non-profit, government, and private sectors can work together to protect and restore the Schuylkill River, which is a source of drinking water for 1.5 million people.”

Grant recipients were selected by an advisory committee consisting of: Exelon Generation, Delaware River Basin Commission, Philadelphia Water Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Schuylkill River Heritage Area, Aqua PA, and the Schuylkill Action Network.

“The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund clearly shows what can be achieved by partners working together to implement grassroots water quality improvement projects that benefit all who rely on the Schuylkill and its tributaries,” said Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Executive Director Steve Tambini. “On behalf of the DRBC, I am pleased to be here today as we announce the eight projects selected this year to receive grants and to thank the awardees for their efforts.”

This year, fund donations came from Exelon Generation ($183,885), Philadelphia Water Department ($100,000), Aqua PA ($7,500) and MOM’s Organic Market ($1,087). All funds not distributed this year will be rolled over into 2017.

“Protecting and preserving the Schuylkill River is very important to us,” said Rick Libra, Exelon's Limerick site vice president. “We are proud to be part of this unique partnership that recognizes the innovative stewardship efforts of these projects to improve the quality of the Schuylkill River.”

The Land Transaction Assistance Grants program provides matching grants of up to $4,000 per project to pay for costs associated with property purchases and conservation easements on high priority lands for water quality and habitat protection.

Exelon has provided over $2 million to the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund since it was founded in 2005; the Philadelphia Water Department has contributed $700,000 over the past seven years. Aqua PA has donated over $22,000 and MOM’s Organic Market over $2,700.

The Schuylkill Action Network and the Schuylkill River Heritage Area continue to seek additional contributors in an effort to further expand the fund.

The fund was originally created under a Delaware River Basin Commission docket approved in 2004 and Exelon Generation’s desire to support restoration efforts in the Schuylkill River and its tributaries.

The Philadelphia Water Department’s contribution to the fund is leveraged by other watershed partners and is directed towards addressing stormwater management and pollution mitigation projects upstream of the City’s two drinking water intakes on the Schuylkill River.

The Trail Leads to What Ales You

Some proceeds from the sale of SRT Ale will be used

to help maintain the Schuylkill River Trail.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Schuylkill River Hertitage Area and re-printed here with tremendous enthusiasm.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area has announced its collaboration with Sly Fox Brewing Company, on the release of a new canned beer that benefits and celebrates the Schuylkill River Trail.

SRT Ale, due to hit local distributors in cans on Earth Day, is brewed specifically for craft beer fans who also love the outdoors of southeastern PA. 

Sly Fox's SRT Ale is a golden, delicious, hop-forward American Pale Ale, and at 4.7% alcohol by volume, it's designed to be the perfect post-activity beer.

The latest Sly Fox beer is also a tribute to a beloved recreational resource. 

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of SRT Ale will be donated to improve and maintain the 130-mile Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) that meanders near the brewery in Pottstown, as well as Sly Fox's original Brewhouse and Eatery in Phoenixville. 

The beer's launch will take place over several days as it journeys down the southeastern Pennsylvania trail from Pottsville to Philadelphia.

"Brewing a tribute beer to the crown jewel of regional recreation was a natural for us," said Sly Fox Brewmaster, Brian O'Reilly. "The Schuylkill Watershed is vital to the work we do and Sly Fox is committed to supporting it."

HIDDEN RIVER, PUBLIC TRAIL

The Schuylkill River Trail and accompanying Water Trail are well-used recreational resources that follow the length of the beautiful Schuylkill River, whose name means "hidden" in Dutch. 

When complete, the Schuylkill River Trail will wind along the river

from Pottsville to Philadelphia.

The Schuylkill was named 2014 Pennsylvania River of the Year by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers. Recreational usage on and along the river is growing exponentially as the surrounding population does, and consequently, more resources will be required to complete, protect and maintain the trail.

Starting in Pottsville, Schuylkill County and winding through the Schuylkill Highlands to Philadelphia, the river was historically flanked by railroad lines that have since been converted to paved and gravel trails as part of the Greater Philadelphia's Regional Trail Network. 

The Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area, managed by the non-profit Schuylkill River Greenway Association, works to promote and improve the entire Schuylkill River Trail and operates and maintains about 30 trail miles in Berks and Schuylkill Counties.

Not only is Sly Fox Brewing Company's SRT Ale contributing to trail upkeep, but the beer is a tribute to every step, paddle and pedal on the trail.

"The Schuylkill River Heritage Area is pleased to enter into this partnership with the Sly Fox Brewing Company," said Kurt Zwikl, executive director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. 

"The release of SRT Ale highlights the recreational value the trail brings to the communities along the river, he said. "Our thanks go out to the brewery for this recognition."

The Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area also hosts the Schuylkill River Sojourn, an annual 112-mile guided canoe/kayak trip on the Schuylkill River that begins in rural Schuylkill Haven, PA, and ends seven days later in Philadelphia's Boathouse Row. 

The Sojourn is a way to advocate and educate about the river's importance, history and connection to the people who live and work along it. 

Inspired by the Sojourn, the ceremonial release of Sly Fox Brewing Company's SRT Ale will make the journey, north to south, delivering news of the beer along the way.

SRT SPREE

The SRT Spree will follow a Sly Fox launch team over the course of four nights and five days as they trek from Pottsville to Philadelphia with a larger-than-life SRT Ale can, welcoming beer and trail lovers to join in along the way. 

The team will travel by kayaks, road bicycles, trail bikes, horseback, recumbent trikes and on foot to advance the giant can to the final destination. 

Each day the Spree will stop along the trail for an organized trail cleanup and recognition of a local beer purveyor that will introduce SRT Ale to the public. 

The Schuylkill River Trail in Pottstown.

Area businesses and community organizations will be invited to join this movement as it draws awareness to the trail – and the ale.

"We hope this unique event creates a lot of buzz for SRT Ale," adds Corey Reid, Sly Fox Beer Ambassador and member of the SRT Spree launch team, "but, more importantly, it will draw valuable attention to the trail and the river."

On Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, the SRT Spree will conclude at the Schuylkill Banks, Philadelphia's newest riverfront park, for a final cleanup and launch celebration.

"SRT Ale is a special release for Sly Fox," said Todd Palmer, also a member of the launch team and creative director at Virtual Farm Creative, Sly Fox Brewing Company's advertising agency. 

"The brewery is right off the trail, and we all use it and value it as a resource. We all love the outdoors and we all love beer. Every great adventure should end with a great beer!"

Beer lovers anticipating the release of SRT Ale are encouraged to join the journey or track the team's progress online at www.slyfoxbeer.com/SRTSPREE.

Zwikl Stepping Down as Executive Director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area

Kurt Zwikl, shown here speaking at an event earlier this year.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area.

Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive Director Kurt D. Zwikl has announced that he will retire, effective June 30, 2015.

Zwikl has led the Heritage Area since 2003. 

The board of directors for the Schuylkill River Greenway Association, which manages the Heritage Area has formed a search committee and hired Leadership Recruiters, an executive search firm specializing in non-profit searches. 

The goal is to replace the outgoing executive director by May 1st in order to provide for a two-month transition period before Zwikl leaves.

“The board extends its gratitude to Kurt for successfully advancing the Heritage Area’s mission through his vision, passion and strategic leadership,” said board member and Search Committee Chairman Rob Kuhlman.

The Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area, headquartered in Pottstown, is one of only 49 congressionally designated National Heritage Areas in the country, encompassing the Schuylkill River corridor through parts of five counties (Schuylkill, Berks, Montgomery, Chester and Philadelphia). 

The organization uses conservation, education, recreation, historic and cultural preservation and tourism as tools for community revitalization and economic development.

During Zwikl’s tenure the Heritage Area broadened its reach, expanded its financial base, and ushered in a number of projects and programs that have led to region-wide improvements of the Schuylkill River Trail, the river and the communities along it.

Zwikl, of Allentown, is a former state legislator, past president of the Allentown Economic Development Corporation and former chair of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

“It has been my real pleasure to have worked with Kurt,” said Board President Carl Raring. “His qualifications for the job were outstanding but his attention to detail and enthusiasm for the organization once he took the job moved the Heritage Area forward to a position envied and imitated by many other National Heritage Areas.”

Since Zwikl took the helm, the Heritage Area has raised more than $20 million in public and private funds, all of which has been invested in initiatives that benefit the region.

Chief among those initiatives is building and improving the Schuylkill River Trail, which is owned

The Schuylkill River Trail

and maintained by a number of partners and will one day total 130 miles. The Heritage Area took a lead role in unifying the entire trail, managing the creation of a master sign system, instituting a trail website and designing and distributing trail maps, all while Zwikl was executive director.

In addition, the Heritage Area is directly responsible for building and managing the trail in Berks and Schuylkill Counties. 

Of the 30 miles of trail currently in place in those counties, nearly half were built while Zwikl was heading the organization.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund was established through an agreement Zwikl brokered with Exelon Corporation in 2006. 

To date, the fund has collected over $2 million and awarded grants to 62 projects that reduce stormwater runoff, agricultural pollution and abandoned mine drainage throughout the watershed.

He also cultivated a unique partnership between the Heritage Area and Montgomery County Community College. Through that partnership, the River of Revolutions Interpretive Center opened in 2012, fulfilling Zwikl’s vision to develop a visitor center for the entire Schuylkill River region.

(Here's video I shot earlier this year of Zwikl giving a tour of the River of Revolutions Interpretive Center)

The Interpretive Center is a component of the college’s Schuylkill Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center in Pottstown in the college-owned building where the Heritage Area is headquartered.

The Heritage Area is well known for its signature event, the annual Schuylkill River Sojourn, a seven-day, 112-mile guided canoe/kayak trip down the river that celebrated its 16th year in June.

The Sojourn Salute

Its popularity has grown steadily under Zwikl’s leadership, introducing over 3,000 registrants from 22 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and France to paddling the river since 1999.

Shortly after coming on board, Zwikl introduced the annual Scenes of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area Art Show. For the past 11 years that exhibit has provided a platform for artists to showcase works that celebrate the beauty of the Schuylkill River corridor.

The Pedal/Paddle from Pottstown to Morlatton Village and back

was one of the first and the most popular.

Among the many other Heritage Area projects initiated by Zwikl are the popular Pedal and Paddle program, an annual Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour, a Heritage Area lecture series, an exhibit of Revolutionary War engravings, and a PBS documentary entitled Revolutionary River. 

A total of 21 Gateway Centers have been installed throughout the region, and the popular free bike share, Bike Pottstown, which is managed by the Heritage Area, has been expanded into other communities as Bike Schuylkill.

“Although it will not be easy to fill Kurt’s shoes, we are confident that we can find someone of good character, vision and other skills necessary to move the organization even further ahead,” said Raring.

Pedaling Through the Parks

Last Year's bike tour focused on historic cemeteries along the Schuylkill River Trail. This year's ride will feature stops at three National Parks; Hopewell Furnace, Valley Forge and Independence parks.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by my friend Laura Catalano at the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area.

Did you know that there are three national park sites located near the Schuylkill River Trail?

On Sept. 20 and 21, participants in the Schuylkill River Heritage Area’s Pedaling through Our National Parks Ride will visit those sites by bike.

Although bike trailers are prohibited on the ride, 

tandem bikes are not.

The third ride in the Heritage Area’s Schuylkill River Bike Tour Series, it will feature about 30 miles of cycling per day, with visits to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Valley Forge National Historical Park and Independence National Historical Park.

Registrants can choose to ride on either or both days. 

The first day will include guided programs at Hopewell Furnace and Valley Forge, with a stop for lunch at the Schuylkill River Heritage Area headquarters in Pottstown. 

The second day will take cyclists from Valley Forge to Independence and will include a tour of Independence and a lunch program on the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail. Lunch will be along the Schuylkill Banks in Philadelphia.

Each day, a bike/passenger shuttle will take riders back to their cars. 

Lunch, a light breakfast, tours and ride support are included. While most of the ride takes place along the Schuylkill River Trail, there are some on-road pieces. 

On the first day, about half is on road, primarily on back roads.

The Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series is a series of annual rides that was introduced by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area in 2012. 

Last year's ride featured players of historic music.

Each fall, a different section of trail is featured. All the rides are intended to raise awareness of the connections that can be made from the Schuylkill River Trail to regional historic sites.

“Our goal in establishing the Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series is to show people that they can travel along the trail to connect to visitor sites and regional history,” said Kurt Zwikl, executive director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. 

“Cyclists who participate will not only experience an enjoyable ride, but they will discover how to access three national parks by bike,” he said.

Cost for the Pedaling through our National Parks ride is $50 per person per day and $95 for both days. 

After Sept. 5, cost is $55 and $100 for both days. 

Registration closes Sept. 18. There will be no day of registration. 

Riders will be shuttled back to their cars on both days.

Event is rain or shine. Ride limited to 200 riders per day.

Price includes bike/passenger shuttle, light breakfast, catered lunch, well-marked route, guided tours and programs and refreshments. 

Free t-shirts are included for all who register by Sept. 5. 

All proceeds benefit the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

Ride support and complimentary pre-ride bicycle safety checks will be provided by TriCounty Bicycles, of Pottstown. 

Due to the width of the trail, no bicycle trailers will be permitted. To learn more visit www.schuylkillriver.org.

The Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area, managed by the non-profit Schuylkill River Greenway Association, uses conservation, education, recreation, historic preservation and tourism as tools for community revitalization and economic development.

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.

Penn Grant to Benefit Schuylkill River Trail Projects

The Schuylkill River Trail will run from Philadelphia 

to Pottsville when complete.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area: 

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area has received a three-year, $394,238 grant from the Philadelphia-based William Penn Foundation to continue the development of the Schuylkill River Trail in Schuylkill County, and to develop and implement river and trail-related programs.

The money will fund watershed stewardship programs, environmental education and trail expansion.

It will also fund a one-mile loop River Walk Trail in Pottstown’s Riverfront Park, with direct connection to the Schuylkill River Trail. The loop trail, which will be located directly behind the Schuylkill River Heritage Area’s 140 College Drive offices, will incorporate five interpretive stations focused on the river and watershed protection.

The Schuylkill River Sojourn

In addition to trail building, the grant will enable the Heritage Area to provide a mentor-based watershed education program for the I-LEAD Charter School in Reading that incorporates classroom lessons and field trip elements. That program will be a continuation of an existing class introduced this year by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

“This grant will enable us to continue to develop the Schuylkill River Trail,” said SRHA Executive Director Kurt Zwikl. “It will also allow us to provide educational and recreational programs that connect people to the river and inspire them to protect and conserve our natural resources.”

Several river and trail-based recreation programs will also be supported by the grant, including the Schuylkill River Sojourn, an annual weeklong, 112-mile guided canoe/kayak tour that is organized by the Heritage Area.

The Pedal and Paddle

The sojourn, which is entering its 16th year in June, incorporates educational programming about the river’s history, culture and environment that are intended to promote the river as a valuable natural and recreational resource.

Another popular Heritage Area program that will benefit from the grant will be the Pedal and Paddle events held every summer. Pedal and Paddles take participants on a round-trip adventure from Pottstown to Douglassville. 

They include a bike ride along the Schuylkill River Trail, tour of Historic Morlatton Village and return trip via kayak. The program introduces people to the river and the trail, and promotes preservation and conservation.

Pastors and Patriots: The Story of the Muhlenbergs

Frederick Muhlenberg

There is more to the colonial history of this area than Valley Forge and Independence Hall.

As in many places along the east coast, there is a whole secondary level of people, as important in their day as George Washington and John Adams, who helped make this country what it is today.

We talk a lot in this blog about John Potts and the Potts family, and appropriately so.

But there are others and one of those others is the Mulhlenberg family.

And what better way to learn about them than to meet the author who literally wrote the book on them?

And you can do that tonight, starting at 7 p.m., at the headquarters of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area at 140 College Drive here in Pottstown.

In the final event of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area's 2013 lecture series, author Lisa Minardi, will discuss the important role the Muhlenberg's played in the history of America. 

The Speaker's House in Trappe.

After the lecture, she will sign copies of her newly reprinted book, "Pastors and Patriots: The Muhlenberg Family of Pennsylvania."

Light refreshments will be served and the Heritage Area's new River of Revolutions Interpretive Center will be open during this event.

RSVP: There is no charge for this event, but space is limited, so please let them know you are coming by calling 484-945-0200, or emailing Cindy Kott at ckott@schuylkillriver.org

The book sells for $40 and all proceeds benefit the Speaker's House renovation.

Minardi, is president of The Speaker's House, a preservation group overseeing the restoration of Frederick Muhlenberg's home in Trappe. 

Muhlenberg was not only the first Speaker of the House of Representatives but is the first signer of the Bill of Rights.

There's his signature, right above John Adams.

The mission of The Speaker’s House is to not only celebrate and preserve the heritage and home of Frederick Muhlenberg, but also to create programs to inspire leadership and civic engagement in the timeless issues of our nation.

The house also holds events, one of which is coming up on Saturday, Dec. 21.

The Christmas Cantata, a Concert of Christmas directed by Laurie Mueller, featuring the Augustus Lutheran Church Choirs, Marimba Music by Diane Mills, Flutist Patricia Ahmad, Community Music School String Quartet, Handbells, Youth vocalists, percussion enhancements begins at 3 and ends at 5 p.m..

A social reception with light refreshments to follow.

Childcare available by request and resrvation only: call 610-489-9625 for more information.

Minardi's book, includes extensive new information about the Muhlenbergs and more than 100 color
photographs of historic paintings, furniture, silver, and other family heirlooms. 

The talk is part of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area's lecture series .

Other Upcoming Events

Feb. 22, 2014: Bringing The War of Independence to Life, an exhibit of Revolutionary War illustrations collected by Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive Director Kurt Zwikl will open at Valley Forge National Historical Park, in the Visitors Center. 

In June the exhibit will be moved to Morristown National Historical Park.

Vote to Make the Schuylkill the River of the Year

Blogger's Note: The following is (mostly) a press release from the Schuylkill River national and State heritage Area.

It's time to be partisan again -- and once again its the Schuylkill River which is the source of our partisanship; and again, it has to do with voting.

On Sunday The Digital Notebook staff urged you to vote for local photographers in the "Schuylkill Shots" photo contest. (Still time to do that by the way. Follow the link and vote if you haven't already.)

Now we're asking you to vote for the river itself as the River of the Year!

The Schuylkill River is one of five rivers in the running for the 2014 Pennsylvania River of the Year.

Pennsylvania’s River of the Year is an honor designed to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements. 

River of the Year designations have been presented annually since 1983. The Pennsylvania River of the Year program is administered by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers.

The River of the Year is selected by a public, online voting process that began Nov. 25 and ends Dec. 27. To vote, simply go online to the pariveroftheyear.org voting page and click on the “vote” link for Schuylkill River. Only one vote per person is allowed.

The Schuylkill River in Berks County

Last year, the Schuylkill was a finalist for the 2013 River of the Year. 

Although the Monongahela ultimately won by a narrow margin, voters showed strong support for the Schuylkill, which earned 8,010 votes to the Monongahela's 8,156 -- a less than 1 percent difference of only 146 votes.

“We'd like to see the Schuylkill get the awareness and recognition it deserves,” said Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive Director Kurt Zwikl. “We’re asking everyone who lives in or near a river community, or who has spent time along the river, to vote for the Schuylkill.”

If you need a reason to vote for the  Schuylkill, the Heritage center has 10. You can read them all at their blog by clicking here.

The Schuylkill runs 128-miles through a variety of settings, from its rural headwaters in Schuylkill County to its confluence with the Delaware in Philadelphia. 

It played an important role in American history, figuring into Gen. Washington’s strategy during the

The Schuylkill joins the Delaware River in Philadelphia

American Revolution’s 1777 Philadelphia Campaign. It later served as a transportation route during the Industrial Revolution, when coal was carried down the Schuylkill Canal to fuel factories and steel mills across the nation.

But the river’s most inspiring story is perhaps the environmental one. The Schuylkill was on the brink of becoming a wasteland until, in 1945, the state of Pennsylvania agreed to undertake the Schuylkill River Project. It was the first major government-funded environmental cleanup, and it dredged millions of tons of coal silt from the river.

In roughly half a century, the Schuylkill has gone from being one of the nation’s most polluted bodies of water to becoming a popular recreational destination for canoeists, kayakers, trail users and anglers. The Schuylkill is a source of drinking water for 1.5 million people, and waterfront communities all along the river corridor are now using those waterfronts to bolstercommunity revitalization efforts.

The Philadelphia Waterworks was one of the nation's first 

public water systems.

“We like to call the Schuylkill the River of Revolutions, in recognition of the role it played in the American, Industrial and Environmental Revolutions,” said Zwikl. “Now it’s experiencing a fourth revolution, as it sheds its industrial persona and has begun serving a valuable recreation and tourism need.”

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area, whose headquarters are right here in Pottstown, has been named as the lead agency in the 2014 River of the Year nomination for the Schuylkill. The Heritage Area has long championed the river as a valuable natural and recreational resource. It has hosted the annual 112-mile Schuylkill River Sojourn every June since 1999.

If the river is selected as River of the Year it won’t be for the first time. In 1999, the Schuylkill was awarded that title. Now, 16 years later, a great deal changed in the Schuylkill RiverValley, and it is once again up for that honor. 

The Schuylkill River flows right past Pottstown's Riverfront Park

The Schuylkill is up against four other rivers for the 2014 River of the Year honor: Kiskiminetas-
Conemaugh Rivers in the southwest; Ohio in the west; Brodhead Creek Watershed in the northeast; and West Branch of the Susquehanna in the north central section of the state.

Nominations were based on each waterway’s conservation needs and successes, as well as celebration plans should the nominee be voted 2014 River of the Year.

After a waterway is chosen for the annual honor, local groups implement a year-round slate of activities and events to celebrate the river, including a paddling trip, or sojourn. The organization nominating the winning river will receive a $10,000 leadership grant to help fund their River of the Year activities.

The public can vote for their favorite state waterway through 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27. Vote now

Welcome to Pottstown Senator

Photo by John Armato

State Sen. Robert Mensch, left, meets with Steel River Playhouse director Marta Kiesling and PAID director Steve Bamford during his recent tour of Pottstown.

The new 24th State Senatorial District will soon include Pottstown.

When Pennsylvania's long-delayed legislative re-districting finally falls into place in the beginning of

the year, Pottstown will not only have a new, additional representative in the House of Representatives, but a new state senator as well.

The boundaries of the 44th District, currently represented by John Rafferty, will shift south and the 24th senatorial district, will slide south to encompass Pottstown, as well as West Pottsgrove and Upper Pottsgrove.

The 24th district seat is currently held by Republican Robert Mensch.

Photo by John Armato

Mensch tours the Sly Fox Brewery

In an effort to get out in front of the change, Pottstown officials last week invited Mensch for a day-long visit to the borough to help him re-familiarize himself with town and to be sure Pottstown's issues are front and center.

Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana spear-headed the effort and reported on the results to the school board Monday night.

It began with a walking tour of the downtown area.

"To start, we visited VideoRay, ArtFusion, Steel River Playhouse and Weitzenkorn's, which Senator Mensch remembers because his father used to work at OxyChem and that's where he bought his suits," Sparagana said.

The group included Borough Manager Mark Flanders, PAID Executive Director Steve Bamford,

Photo by John Armato

Mensch meets with ArtFusion 19464 director 

Erika Hornburg-Cooper.

TriCounty Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Eileen Dautrich, Hill School Headmaster Zach Lehman, PMMC CEO Sharif Omar, PDIDA Executive Director Sheila Dugan and Myra Forrest, executive director of the Foundation for Pottstown Education.

From downtown, the group boarded a trolley and visited the Pottstown campus of Montgomery County Community College, the Schuylkill River Heritage Area headquarters, The Hill School campus and the community gardens on Chestnut Street.

From there, the group went to Pottstown High School where the culinary arts class prepared lunch

Photo by John Armato

Mensch meets with Weitzenkorn's proprietor Marc Weitzenkorn.

and, in the process, "really went above and beyond," Sparagana said.

Afterwards, Sparagana said the group visited Pottstown Municipal Airport and the Sly Fox Brewery on the Circle of Progress.

"Senator Mensch told us he never expected to have the type of day he had and he was pleased and impressed by all the collaboration he saw taking place in Pottstown," Sparagana said.

"It was a good opportunity to demonstrate what happens here as this community comes together as one," Sparagana said.

Of Cycles and Cemeteries

The Cycles and Cemetery ride will begin at Montgomery Cemetery,
just outside Norristown, where two Civil War generals are buried.

Bicycle riders fond of history (or the supernatural) can take a ride along the Schuylkill River Trail Sept. 21 and go through the gates of two historic cemeteries where they can visit the gravesites of Civil War notables, including Gettysburg Generals Meade and Hancock.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area is hosting the second ride in the Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series. 

The Cycles and Cemeteries Ride will take cyclists along the Schuylkill River Trail from Norristown to East Falls, with visits to Montgomery Cemetery in West Norriton and Laurel Hill Cemetery in East Falls.

The ride along the trail incorporates a unique mix of cycling and history, with guided tours of two historic cemeteries where Civil War notables are buried

Ride options include 14 and 28-mile distances, and all participants can take guided or self-guided tours of the cemeteries on foot.

The cost for the Cycles and Cemeteries Ride is $35 per person before Sept. 5, and $40 after that date. 

To secure a spot on the shuttle for you and your bike you must pre-register and pay an additional $10. 

Non-riding friends and family members of participants can opt to purchase lunch and cemetery tours for $15 prior to the event. Registration closes Sept. 18. 

You cannot join the ride on the day. Event is rain or shine and limited to 250 riders.

Price includes lunch, well-marked route, cemetery tours and refreshments. Free t-shirts are included for all who register by Sept. 5. All proceeds benefit the Schuylkill River Heritage Area, Laurel Hill Cemetery and Montgomery Cemetery.

The Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series is a three-year series of annual rides that was introduced by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area last year. Each fall, a different section of trail is featured. 

All the rides are intended to raise awareness of the connections that can be made from Schuylkill River Trail to regional historic sites.

Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock

The Cycles and Cemeteries Ride is being held in partnership with Laurel Hill Cemetery and Montgomery Cemetery. 

The event will begin at Montgomery Cemetery, where, prior to the ride, participants can visit four interpretive stations with information on Civil War Generals Hancock and Zook, Civil War nurses and the Grand Army of the Republic.

Cyclists will then pedal 14-miles to Laurel Hill Cemetery in East Falls where lunch will be served. 

A Civil War documentary video will be screened marking the 150th anniversary of the events of 1863 leading up to and following the Battle of Gettysburg. 

Guided and self-guided tours will take participants to the gravesites of the many notables featured in the video, including Gettysburg General George Meade.

Maj. General George C. Meade

Participants can choose to ride back to Montgomery Cemetery, take a bike/passenger shuttle back to their cars, or provide their own transportation from the Laurel Hill Cemetery. 

The Cycles and Cemeteries Ride is the second ride in the bike tour series. The first, the Rails and River Towns Ride, was held last fall and took over 100 cyclists along the trail from Pottstown to Birdsboro, with historic walking tours of two villages.

The final ride planned is the 2014 National Parks of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area Ride, a two-day event that will take cyclists to three national parks: Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Valley Forge National Historical Park and Independence National Historical Park.

“Our goal in establishing the Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series is to show people that they can travel along the trail to connect to visitor sites and regional history,” said Kurt Zwikl, executive director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. 

“Cyclists who participate in the Cycles and Cemeteries Ride will not only experience an enjoyable ride along the Schuylkill River Trail, but they will be introduced to some fascinating local history,” Zwikl said.

Ride support and complimentary pre-ride bicycle safety checks will be provided by TriCounty Bicycles, of Pottstown. Due to the width of the trail, no bicycle trailers will be permitted. 

To learn more visit www.schuylkillriver.org. Register online at: http://srhabikeride.eventbrite.com/.

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.