Ah, at long last, golfing weather.
Abundant sunshine, temperatures near 60 and the Easter spirit got Willy Quick in the mood Saturday to practice chipping and putting.
“This is a good golfing day,” declared Quick, 68, toting an 8-iron at Reading’s Third & Spruce Recreation Center.
Not to put a damper on things, but the scent of spring is likely to be short-lived.
Editor’s note: This day has been coming for a while now, but it makes the reality no less sad.
The ax has finally fallen on the Pottstown Fourth of July celebration.
The committee that plans the annual event announced last week that the fireworks have been canceled for this year. The parade will go on, but most events in Memorial Park including the popular evening fireworks display will not be held. The decision was made in December because a $30,000 three-year contract with the fireworks company requires early notification and a sizeable deposit of $23,000.
Marcia Levengood and Chip Smale, co-chairs of the planning committee, said the group is hoping to raise $20,000 to stage the parade. If they can get more, an expanded celebration will be resurrected in 2014.
The news comes after several years of struggle to raise the $60,000 needed for a two-day celebration including a parade and fireworks that has become a tradition in Pottstown since it started 34 years ago. The celebration has always been funded entirely through community donations, with no tax dollars allocated for the event. In recent years, donations have been hard to come by and slow to come in, creating a last-minute plea each year to keep the celebration afloat.
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Northampton County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
New York City may have Carly Rae Jepsen and its huge crystal ball, but Bethlehem has music from the indie rock band for kids Starfish and will drop a 75-pound light-up Peep to ring in the New Year.
“We’re really trying to create a Dick Clark of Bethlehem event,” Matt Pye, vice president of corporate affairs at Just Born, said Sunday, the first day of the city’s annual Peeps Fest.
Now in its fourth year, the annual family-friendly festival is put on by ArtsQuest and candy-maker Just Born. More than 8,000 people attended the festival last year.
This year, Peeps Fest has more interactive activities and the duration of the festival has been condensed from four to two days.
Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-bethlehem-peeps-fest-20121230,0,7670122.story
POTTSTOWN — Despite a light rain that insisted on sticking around throughout the day, small groups of people took to the sidewalks throughout the borough Sunday for Pottstown’s 26th holiday historic building tour.
The Historic Pottstown By Candlelight tour was a hit again, with hundreds turning out to visit 20 century-old homes, churches and businesses that they might otherwise never notice.
“This house tour, if I’m going to say anything, brings out the positive of Pottstown,” said Sue Krause, a chief organizer of the event. “You drive by these places and you’d never know how lovely they are inside.”
By Sunday, more than 200 advance tickets were sold. The record for the event stood at around 313 several years ago — a reachable goal by the end of Sunday.
Christmas in the post-War United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
From the traditional to the contemporary and everything in between, holiday decor was on full display throughout Reading’s Centre Park Historic District on Sunday.
By late afternoon, more than 500 tickets had been sold for the 28th Annual Christmas House Tour and Champagne Brunch, which celebrated the historic district’s 30th anniversary.
“We were a little concerned with the weather,” said Beth Ireland, vice president for the historic district’s board of directors. “But I’ve heard a lot of people who have done these tours say this is the best one they’ve been on yet.”
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Of the 200 volunteers it takes to put together the Christmas celebration taking place Friday through Sunday evenings at Historic Joanna Furnace, Lisa and Marissa Martin have one of the more enviable jobs.
They’re coordinating the kitchen portion of the event’s living-history demonstrations, which means the mother-daughter team spent a good portion of last week testing out 19th century cookie recipes – you know, for authenticity’s sake.
With the cookies available for visitors to sample, the stakes were high – but Lisa Martin said the 19th century recipes she found online should please modern palates.
“My kitchen all approved it,” she said.
With promotions, discounts and doorbusters already well under way on Thanksgiving Day itself, many big-box retailers are making Black Friday stretch longer than ever. The Lede is checking out the mood of American consumers in occasional vignettes Thursday and Friday as the economically critical holiday shopping season kicks off.
Shoppers waiting outside Sam’s Club in Eagan, Minn., for Friday’s 7 a.m. opening clung to free Starbuck’s Holiday Blend coffee as they endured freezing temperatures and biting winds and collected brightly colored vouchers for laptops and big-screen TVs.
The biggest draw: a 96-cent Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. Once inside, they also beelined for tickets for the 63 Samsungs in stock, which sold out shortly after the store opened. Customers could make an appointment for later in the day or another day to purchase the phone, choosing from three carriers, Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint.
“O.K., this is my last blue for Sprint,” an employee called out at 7:08 a.m.
Read more: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/coverage-of-black-friday/?hp
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Some Thanksgiving Days, Paul and Lorraine Martin of Ephrata would cook a turkey at home and, if they felt ambitious, go put up their Christmas lights afterward.
But on Thursday, the Martins and their son Jason took part in a new tradition, going to a Thanksgiving Day dinner in the heart of Ephrata with some long-time friends.
“And it’s a really nice thing,” said one of those friends, Jim Mertz of Manor Township, there with the Martins and his wife Sherri and their son Jesse, 27.
“I think it’s great that the churches here do this for everybody in the community. Everybody’s so friendly, you just feel blessed,” Mertz added.
“It does feel like a big, happy family.”
Wishing all my readers a wonderful day of family, fun and food!
Image courtesy of http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/thanksgiving.shtml
Pottstown, PA– Take a peek into The Secret Life of Trees, ArtFusion 19464’s annual holiday show opened November 10 and will be on display in their main gallery through January 5, 2013. The challenge of this show was to interpret the theme of “the secret life of trees.” 38 local artists responded with an amazing breadth of work, from oils and watercolors to recycled sculpture and ceramics. One piece will be awarded a $100 best in show prize, sponsored by Fulton Bank, Pottstown branch. Other show sponsors are: Window Sponsor Dolan & Mayerson, P.C.; NCG, Inc.; Wolf, Baldwin & Associates; and Keller Williams Realty Group.
Participating artists include: Alita Abruzzese, Denise Bennett, Roselyn Cadoff, Mary Chisak, Arline Christ, Richardson Comly, Phillip Compton, Danielle D’Aries, Peter Ehlinger, Cassie Eshelman, Teresa McWilliams Farina, Lisa Foster, Gail Fronheiser, Bob Hakun, Susan Klinger, Mary Kosar, Virginia Gaudiello, Joe Hoover, Millie Lea, Judy Lupas, Ellen Marcus, Charles McCann, Donna Meyers, Geoffrey Meyers, Cari Myford, Harriette Nadler, Beverly Nuzzo, Carol Ross Noyes, Gwendolyn Parrish, Joni Peters, Jackie Pierson, Sue Ploppert, Barbara Rambo, David Ruser, Jodie Scharadin, Dora Siemel, Connie Worth, and Arleen Yeager.
The community is invited to the official opening reception for this show on Friday, December 7 from 5-8pm. This fun event is ArtFusion’s annual holiday party. Refreshments will be served. That evening is also the perfect chance to start your holiday shopping. Although this event is free, ArtFusion does ask that you RSVP to 610-326-2506
Artist Leigh Ritasse will be creating caricatures during the party as a fundraiser for ArtFusion. A black and white head and shoulders image is only $20. That evening ArtFusion will also be collecting donations of canned goods for a food drive run by the Pottstown Keystone Chapter 565 of Vietnam Veterans. This food will go to local veterans and their families for the holidays. They are asking for non-perishable items like instant potatoes and stuffing, cranberry sauce, cornbread mix, etc.
ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center. The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.
POTTSTOWN, PA — There’s a lot of money to be made, a lot of money to be spent and a lot of money to be won in downtown Pottstown this year as part of the “Hometown Holiday Celebration” planned by the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority.
The money to be made and spent obviously involves shopping in local stores, but you probably want to know more about how the money can be won.
Well, there are two ways. The first is an innovative raffle idea called “Five at $25.”
English: Thanksgiving Dinner, Falmouth, Maine, USA 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Frank and Janet Sands usually celebrate Thanksgiving in the comfort of their Muhlenberg Township home, but this year will be different.
On Friday the couple boarded a plane to Arizona to spend the week relaxing with family and visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time.
“It will be warmer there, which is good for me,” Frank Sands said last week while picking up Arizona road maps from AAA of Reading-Berks, Wyomissing.
The Sandses are among the increasing number of Americans traveling for the holiday this year.
A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Pittsburgh police are hoping Light Up Night revelers will avoid the buzz kill of a parking ticket or trip to the tow pound.
They are recommending extra caution tonight for those who drive to the festivities. Because several parking meters have been removed and replaced with kiosks, the temporary “no parking” signs might not be as in-your-face as when they were attached to each meter. They recommend that visitors park in lots or garages rather than on the streets.
As an added precaution, they are urging visitors not to leave valuables like iPods, laptops or GPS devices within sight in their vehicles.
“The holiday season is upon us and there are predators who seek the opportunity to vandalize vehicles when they observe unsecured valuables left in plain view,” said police spokeswoman Diane Richard.
More Light Up Night info here:
Pottstown, PA– Visit Pottsgrove Manor between Friday, November 23, 2012 and Sunday, January 6, 2013, for a glimpse of colonial life during the holiday season.
With the historic site’s annual “Twelfth Night Tours,” visitors of all ages can enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful 1752 Georgian manor house, decorated with greenery for Yuletide. Along the way, guests will learn about traditional English celebrations of Twelfth Night and how they differed from modern Christmas celebrations.
The tours are offered during regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays, as well as Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Tours are given on the hour; the last tour of the day begins at 3:00 p.m. A donation of $2 per person is suggested for the tour. Groups of 10 or more should pre-register by calling (610) 326-4014.
Visitors will also want to stop into Pottsgrove Manor’s museum shop for unique, historically-oriented gifts like locally-made redware pottery and ornaments, reproduction glassware, handcrafted candles and soaps, books, toys, games, and more. The museum shop is open during regular museum hours.
Pottsgrove Manor, home of John Potts, colonial ironmaster and founder of Pottstown, is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks and Heritage Services Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. For more information and a full calendar of events, visit the website at http://historicsites.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor or follow Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PottsgroveManor.
Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Editor’s note: Three cheers for the Masons!
POTTSTOWN — There was no shortage of generous donations toward paying police overtime costs for the Halloween Parade Friday, and it included another generous $1,000 contribution, this time from the local Masons lodge.
Matching their friends over at The German Club, who also gave $1,000, the members of Stichter Lodge No. 254 F.A.&M., also ponied up $1,000.
Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Editor’s note: The cheers for the German Club!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The first day of fund-raising to pay $2,660 in borough costs for the Oct. 24 Halloween parade netted a whopping $1,125, just short of the halfway mark, on the very first day.
Way to go Pottstown. The biggest contribution came from Pottstown’s German Club, which donated $1,000 to the cause.
Read entire article: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121011/NEWS01/121019814/-1-000-german-club-donation-starts-pottstown-halloween-parade-fund-drive-off-right
Editor’s note: Some of the council’s logic here is frightening. The reason Pottstown is going broke can hardly be attributed to the costs associated with a couple of parades and fireworks. It’s the protuberant budget! $38,000,000.00 for a town with 22,377 people is absurd. Again, these few activities combined account for less than 1% of the budget. The tax base can’t support a budget this size and cuts need to be made, but council is unwilling to do so (as they have demonstrated year after year). Then, out of the blue they want to “tighten the purse strings” over a couple thousand lousy dollars that don’t make a hill of beans difference in the grand scheme of things. I would be far more impressed with more substantive belt-tightening that would actually make a dent.
POTTSTOWN, PA — Borough council Tuesday night voted unanimously to waive half the fees for the annual Halloween parade, allowing the organizers to proclaim that they would raise the remaining $2,660 somehow and that the parade will go on as planned.
It is scheduled for Wed. Oct. 24, 7 p.m. on High Street.
“It’s such a good thing for Pottstown,” said Aram Ecker, speaking for the AMBUCS. “There are a lot of organizations involved and there is a lot of time put in for the costumes and floats. It’s been such a legacy and tradition in Pottstown, I don’t want to see it die.”
“The middle school marching band is so excited, they bought sweatshirts for the event. Their debut this year will be the Halloween parade and they’ve been practicing since the first day of school,” Ecker said.
This year the 4th of July activities span three days starting Monday evening, July 2nd and culminating with the fireworks display on Wednesday, July 4th at 10:00pm!
Click here to see the entire three day schedule of events:http://pottstown4th.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/july-4th-2012-schedule.pdf
