Current Headlines In The Post

• PassionFest Returns For Its Fourth Year
  The “positive hits” festival of music, faith and community works returns with a growing number of local sponsors to Memorial Park in Pottstown. A crowd of several thousand is expected.
• Stuff To Do This Weekend
  Hip-hop dancing at Club Revive, farmers’ markets in Boyertown and Pottstown, and Flamin’ Dick and the Hot Rods rocks on Sunday in the Sanatoga Park concert series.
• Township Attends Economic Development Launch
  Lower Pottsgrove was represented at the Montgomery County commissioners’ introduction Wednesday of their seven-year economic development initiative.
• PMSI Holds Diabetes Seminar Saturday
  The educational session for patients in its Lower Pottsgrove office starts at 11 a.m. Others are scheduled elsewhere during July.
• Also, In The Pottstown Post …
  • Cluster Benefits From Vanguard Food Drive
• Tomorrow’s AccuWeather Forecast
  At look at what the next day could be like, provided by AccuWeather.
• Today’s Food For Thought
  Kids need a background in the arts. Visit AmericansForTheArts.org.

• Police: Raucous Home Front During June
  Lower Pottsgrove officers last month saw an increase in domestic disturbance calls and motor vehicle accidents compared to the same period in 2008, their chief said.
• Township Restores Funding For Three Agencies
  Lower Pottsgrove’s contributions to the Visiting Nurse Association, township historians, and the Pottstown Seniors Center all now have been funded at previous year levels.
• Academy Sign Subject Of Zoning Hearing
  Coventry Christian on North Pleasant View Road hopes to install an electronic message board to replace its existing sign.
• As School’s Return Approaches, Swine Flu Vaccine Considered
  Neither Montgomery County or the Pottsgrove School District has announced a vaccination program, but one is already being contemplated by federal agencies as the pandemic is poised to worsen.
• Postal Service Greening Its Delivery Fleet
  Local offices may benefit from the purchase of 6,500 new vehicles, including 1,900 that run on alternative fuels.
• Outlets Announce September Concerts
  The outlet shopping center just east of Lower Pottsgrove is already looking ahead to Labor Day.
• Jazzin’ It Up Sunday In Sanatoga
  The Barbone Street Jazz Band brought its popular renditions of Dixieland classics Sunday to the band shell at Sanatoga Park. The audience was comparatively small, but enthusiastic.
• Notebook Worthy
  A special display of patented works, a special survey that doesn’t tell us much, and a college president’s special greeting.
• What They Sold For
  A weekly review of top prices paid for homes in Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township and neighboring municipalities.
• Manufacturer With Local Offices Sold To CT Firm
  Sermatech International, an industrial coatings manufacturer headquartered in Lower Pottsgrove, has been sold for what is estimated at more than $80 million to a Connecticut corporation.
• Folk Festival Aims For A Younger Crowd
  Bands named as the newest headliners at the Philadelphia Folk Festival this coming August in Schwenksville aren’t your traditional folky types. There’s a reason.
• As Liquor Sales Rise, 6 Montco Groups Win Alcohol Grants
  The money will be used to fight under-age drinking. The awards were made on the same day that the state Liquor Control Board announced record annual sales figures.
• PMMC Schedules Free Prostate Screenings
  The hospital sets aside four days in September to detect prostate cancer in men.
• Legal Notices Announce 35 Sheriff’s Sales
  Foreclosure proceedings continue against eight properties in Lower Pottsgrove, and dozens of others across Greater Pottstown. Things look worse ahead, a national tracking firm believes.
• Road Repair Not As Simple As It Seems
  A Lower Pottsgrove legal notice lists what the township needs from interested bidders to fix some highways. It’s 12 items long.

Joe Zlomek, Managing Editor
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PassionFest Returns For Its Fourth Year

Upbeat rock music, family-oriented activities, and food coincide Saturday at Memorial Park.

POTTSTOWN PA – PassionFest, the fourth annual Greater Pottstown community festival of current music, faith-based inspiration, and athletic events programmed with family enjoyment in mind – all sponsored by a growing number of local civic, social and religious groups – returns Saturday (July 18, 2009) from noon to 10 p.m. in Memorial Park, King Street.

The bands and extreme athletes who perform at PassionFest are a huge draw for many, organizers claim, but this year the concurrently operated Kids Zone activity center, Sports Zone athletics center, and community care area for social networks and public services all are back at the festival as well from noon-6 p.m.

Admission is free, and several thousand people are expected to attend.

What was once called religious rock, and is now known as “positive hit” music, is at the heart of PassionFest. Several bands will make hour-long appearances on its stages. Here’s the day’s schedule:

Noon – Doors Open
1 p.m. – Extreme Sports Demo 1
2 p.m. – Band: Coatesville Untouchables (CUT)
3 p.m. – Band: Fireborn
4 p.m. – Extreme Sports Demo 2
5 p.m. – Band: Calling Out Closer
6 p.m. – Band: Failure to Excel
7 p.m. – Band: The Movement
8 p.m. – Band: The Mint
9 p.m. – Band: Everyday Process
10 p.m. – Passion Fest Ends

The Kids Zone hosts games for young children, as well as performances and prize giveaways. The Sports Zone, which targets teens, features a rock-climbing wall and a video trailer complete with X-Box 360 games available to play. Organizers also say they have signed a diverse selection of food vendors.

In cooperation with Harrisburg-based radio station The Word FM and Thunder Outreach of Douglassville PA, organizers will conduct a food drive the day of the festival to benefit local food banks. Those in attendance are asked to bring non-perishable goods for a donation.

Named by the organization as sponsors of this year’s event are Birthright of Pottstown, the Pottstown Police Department, the PA Army National Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, Thunder Outreach, Liberty Ministries, OKOA Inc., E.L. Ministries, Goodwill Fire Company, Rejoicing Spirits, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Alabaster’s Arts & Teas, Eagle Chiropractic of Pottstown, The Women’s Center of Montgomery County, The Biker Church, and Reasons to Believe.

Photo by Clipart.com

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Stuff To Do This Weekend

SANATOGA PA – Weekend activities for Sanatogans (and anyone else!), July 17-19:

• These events have been added to The Post calendar.

Friday, July 17

Up for a challenge? The Amity Chess Club meets from 7-10 p.m. at St. Paul’s UCC Church, 1312 Old Swede Rd., Douglassville PA, for chess matches and lessons at all ages and skill levels. For more information, call 610-385-6324.

Ride all you want for one price.

The remaining two days of the Limerick Fire Company annual carnival open at 6 p.m. tonight and Saturday at the fire company, 390 W. Ridge Pike, Limerick PA. Rides, games, food, and fun all are offered at a price, but admission to the grounds is free. Saturday is a pay-one-price night for those who are amusement-ride inclined. For information, call 610-489-2222.

Club Revive, a teens- only night club featuring mainstream, Baltimore Club, Hip Hop, House, Dance, and Techno music presented by DJ Smoke and Dj Waitaminute, will open from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at Academy Hall, 1700 Industrial Blvd., Pottstown PA. A $10 admission fee is charged.

Saturday, July 18

PassionFest, the faith-based rock music and athletic festival that targets a teens-through-20s crowd, but keeps family entertainment at the top of its agenda, returns from noon to 10 p.m. for its fourth year at Memorial Park, King Street, Pottstown PA. Read a more extensive story on its happenings here.

The Boyertown PA Farmers Market will operate from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 100 S. Walnut St. The market is located in the parking lot of The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, two blocks south of the intersection of Routes 562 and 73. Its farmer-vendors offer a selection of produce, beef, poultry, and baked goods.

Sunday, July 19

The open-air producers’ market sponsored by the Pottstown Downtown Foundation runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the parking lot located at the corner of Charlotte and High Streets, Pottstown PA. Vendors of home-grown fruits and vegetables, as well as crafters and artisans, are expected to be on hand to sell their wares to the public. Free live entertainment will feature local talent. For more information on the weekly event, call the office of Pottstown Main Street Manager Bill Haley at 610-323-5400.

Flamin’ Dick and the Hot Rods, a ’50s and ’60s Rock ‘n Roll party band, are the featured performers during this week’s edition of the free Summer Concert Series of the Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Parks and Recreation Board. It launches at 6 p.m. from the band shell at Sanatoga Park, 200 S. Sanatoga Rd., Sanatoga PA. Township residents and their guests are invited to bring a beach blanket or chair and enjoy a night of family-friendly entertainment. No reservations required. In case of rain, concerts will be re-scheduled for the following Monday at 7 p.m.

Photo by Clipart.com

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Township Attends Economic Development Launch

SANATOGA PA – Representatives of Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township, including township Commissioner James Phillips, were among those who attended a reception Wednesday afternoon (July 15, 2009) to formally launch Montgomery County’s Strategic Economic Development Program and meet its new director of economic development, Ken Klothen.

County commissioners hope the planned seven-year effort, in which they expect to invest $105 million, will revitalize the county’s older communities and attract new private investments.

Phillips announced his plans to attend during the Board of Commissioners‘ July 6 meeting. He and Commissioner Jonathan Spadt are assigned by board President Bruce Foltz to oversee business development in the township.

An overview of the program was presented  at the county Human Services Center.

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PMSI Holds Diabetes Seminar Saturday

LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – An educational seminar designed to help patients of Pottstown Medical Specialists Inc. (PMSI) better manage diabetes is scheduled to be held Saturday (July 18, 2009) at 11 a.m. in Brookside Family Practice, 1555 Medical Dr. PMSI patients interested in attending should call Brookside at 610-326-7820.

Also scheduled are diabetes seminars:

• Friday (July 17, 2009), at 1 p.m. in Spring-Ford Family Practice, 307 S. Lewis Rd., Royersford PA, 610-792-0300;
• Next Wednesday (July 22, 2009) at 3 p.m. in Boyertown Medical Associates, 23 N. Walnut St., Boyertown PA, 610-367-2259;
• Next Thursday (July 23, 2009) at 6 p.m. in Bally Medical Group, 1315 Route 100, Barto PA, 610-367-2575;
• July 30 (2009; Thursday) at 5 p.m. in Collegeville Family Practice, 555 Second Ave., Collegeville PA, 610-454-7750; and
• July 31 (2009; Friday), at 1 p.m. in Spring-Ford Family Practice, 307 S. Lewis Rd., Royersford PA, 610-792-0300.

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Tomorrow’s AccuWeather Forecast

Provided to The Sanatoga Post by AccuWeather.

Check today’s real-time temperature and conditions, and the forecast for coming days too, in Sanatoga and Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township.

Provided by AccuWeather

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Today’s Food For Thought

Kids grow smarter with a background in the arts. Feed it to ‘em.
Visit AmericansForTheArts.org.

Published as a public service by The Sanatoga Post

 

Police: Raucous Home Front During June

Lower Pottsgrove's police station.

SANATOGA PA – Not all life was bliss, it seems, at homes within Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township during June (2009).

Township Police Chief Michael Shade reports there was a “marked increase in calls for service” from his department last month, most notably in responses to domestic disputes and accidents, compared to similar statistics for 2008.

During June officers responded to 16 calls regarding domestic disturbances, 22 for juvenile disturbances, and 30 for disturbances involving other fights or disputes, according to the chief’s monthly call service report. It was submitted last week (July 6, 2009) to the township Board of Commissioners during its first of two monthly meetings in the municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd.

Officers also responded last month to four calls regarding offenses against family and children, and two calls regarding protective orders.

Even compared to department statistics of the three previous months, as the table below shows, June appeared to be a more raucous 30 days.

2009 Disturbances
	Domestic	Juvenile	Other	Total
June	16	22	30	68
May	13	17	25	55
April	19	10	25	54
March	15	26	17	58

In addition, Shade noted, department officers responded during June to 36 motor vehicle accidents. While that figure also was up over June 2008, he said, it compared this year to 34 accidents in May, 29 in April, and 44 in March.

Shade’s monthly reports group department responses by what is known as Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) codes. In addition to being given to commissioners, his reports also are eventually submitted to state and federal governments. UCR data includes responses in more than 80 different types or severity of offenses. Using UCR statistics allows government agencies to track crime trends in a standardized form over time and municipalities.

The chief’s report is available for public inspection at the municipal building.

Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ meeting July 6):

• Details Are In That Pesky Paperwork

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Township Restores Funding For Three Agencies

Done the figuring; cut the checks.

SANATOGA PA – Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township contributions to the Visiting Nurse Association of Pottstown and Vicinity, the Lower Pottsgrove Historical Society, and the Pottstown Area Seniors Center all have now been restored to previous levels, about six months after the budget controversy in which they were initially halved.

Members of the township Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed last month (June 18, 2009) to pay out a remaining $3,000 in charitable donations to the three agencies, in recognition of services they offer to Lower Pottsgrove residents. For the record, each group during 2009 will have received $2,000 from the beneficence of township taxpayers, board minutes state.

Restoring the money has been on commissioners’ minds since May, when President Bruce Foltz announced he’d like to revisit the subject. It had been delayed since then due to personnel absences and the time needed to ensure money was available.

When commissioners introduced their tentative 2009 budget last fall, they cut township contributions to all three agencies and the Pottstown Public Library by about 50 percent from 2008 levels. Public outcry over the cuts caused the board to promptly reinstate the library to full funding of $60,000, which required it to dip into Lower Pottsgrove’s savings, known as its fund balance.

Reinstating money for the remaining groups, however, was purposely deferred by the board until it could be assured that township expenses hadn’t otherwise run amok. Commissioner Jonathan Spadt earlier last month acknowledged finances “are actually in pretty good shape. We’re on or below budget.”

Commissioners’ minutes of the June 18 meeting note that township disbursements like those to the agencies usually are made in September. The board decided not to wait that long, and checks were mailed shortly thereafter, township Manager Rodney Hawthorne said.

Photo by Clipart.com

Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Township 2009 budget):

• Township Reconsiders Charitable Donations
• Ca-ching! Goes Lower Pottsgrove
• Library’s Funding On Its Way
• Township Budget Passed, Library Funding’s Back
• Budget Resolutions In The Spotlight
• Township Expects Givers’ Pinch
• Keep Library Funding, School Board Asks
• Trump Card In The Budget Discussion
• Commissioners: Damned If They Did, And …
• Township Budget Summary Online
• First Glance At Lower Pottsgrove’s Budget
• Make No Mistake, It’s Not Final
• A Difference In Openness
• Tax Rates On Township Agenda
• Board Proclaims No Tax Increase Intent
• 2009 Budget On Board’s Agenda

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Academy Sign Subject Of Zoning Hearing

SANATOGA PA – A request by Coventry Christian Academy, 699 N. Pleasant View Rd., to replace its existing message board sign with a new lighted, electronic version, will be the subject of a Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Zoning Hearing Board hearing next Tuesday (July 21, 2009) at 6 p.m. in the township municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd.

The public may attend the meeting, and will be allowed to comment on the proposal.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

The academy, located in the former Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School, has told the zoning board the sign will be about 8 feet by 4-1/4 feet in size. However, a legal notice published in Tuesday’s (July 14, 2009) edition of The (Pottstown PA) Mercury newspaper erroneously states the sign will measure 51 feet by 96 feet.

Two variances are being sought from the zoning board: the first, to allow an electronic message center sign, which is otherwise prohibited under township ordinances; and the second, to permit a sign that exceeds 20 square feet in size. Coventry’s proposal would equal 34 square feet.

The school is within an R2 residential district.

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