Pottstown Neighborhood Schools Committee Meeting

I was unable to attend the meeting tonight but my sources tell me Mr. Hylton is getting slammed by angry parents concerning his plan to put 5th graders in the middle school.

Looking forward to hearing from anyone who was able to attend.

North Carolina Couple Set Record Of Longest Marriage For A Living Couple

This is a cool story to report on.  Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher, of New Bern, NC have been married 85 years!  Herbert is 104 and Zelmyra is 101!  They have 5 children, all of which they put through college, 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren!

The Fisher’s credit their marital success to faith in God, a loving family and few big fusses over their long marriage.  On May 13th, they will be married 86 years.

Gas Prices Predicted To Hit $3.00 A Gallon By Summer

The benefit of economic recovery is increased gasoline prices.  We should expect to see gas hit $3.00 a gallon or higher by the summer.  Pennsylvania has a .31 cents a gallon gas tax.  We could actually see prices top $3.00 a gallon. 

Any complicating factors like oil production being disrupted by hurricanes or unrest in the Middle East could cause prices to increase further.

This information is according to the US Energy Information Administration.  The EIA was created by the Congress in 1977 and is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Energy.  The EIA is the nation’s premier source of unbiased energy data, analysis and forecasting.

FYI… AccuWeather is predicting an above average hurricane season for 2010 with 2-3 major strikes to the US coastline.  Hurricane season begins June 1st and lasts through November 30th.

Wilkes-Barre Urban Renewal Project Shows What Can Be Accomplished

I think this is a great example of urban renewal, blight eradication, working together, finding available money and utilizing elected officials to facilitate change.

The City of Wilkes-Barre has worked with Senator Bob Casey and Congressman Paul Kanjorski to obtain $950,000 in federal funding that will be put toward the $13.7 million dollar renovation of Coal Street Park into the future home of the Wilkes-Barre Penguins Hockey Team.  This ice skating rink has been an abandoned and blighted property in the city of Wilkes-Barre for the last seven years.  No city general fund revenue has been allocated toward this endeavor but instead the project is being funded by state and federal grants.

Coal Street Park is in a high traffic area and a gateway to downtown Wilkes-Barre.  The property spans 31 acres and will receive an extensive renovation.  Moving the Penguins into the city will bring 20 full-time and 40 part-time jobs, bring more consumers/money into downtown Wilkes-Barre and add to the quality of life for city residents.  Currently the W/B Penguins are located in suburban Plains Township.

There is money out there.  This is why a cohesive and unified vision is needed for Pottstown.

Pottstown School District Superintendent Search

With David Krem announcing his departure as Superintendent of Schools, the top job is open again.

I have noticed a number of people have called into Sound Off and mentioned Myra Forrest as a possible contender for this position.  Certainly she should be seriously considered.

Food for thought….any comments?

Washington Street Corridor Updated Action Plan

Over the past 10 years, the Washington Street Corridor in Pottstown has undergone a drastic transformation, mainly due to the Genesis Housing Corporation. Genesis has rehabilitated more than 60 properties in Pottstown. If you drive through this area, you can see the dramatic results.

Rather than rest on their laurels and call it a day, the Washington Street Neighborhood Action Plan has been expanded to include a 10 block area, which covers 54 acres and includes 984 residential units.

Most recently, 424 Walnut Street has been acquired by this group for redevelopment. The building was severely damaged by fire and never torn down or rehabilitated due to difficulty in locating the owners. This is certainly an example of blight being addressed! Blight in Pottstown has been a ongoing problem for years. It does appear that slowly but surely this is being eradicated which is a huge quality of life issue for current residents and attracting new people to move into Pottstown.

The group is also looking at the recently vacated Dames Chevrolet property, the park at 423 Chestnut Street and the former Levengood Dairy building for redevelopment.

The eight member steering committee includes: Newstell Marable, Alison Hunter, David Garner, Michelle Borzick, Bill Sharon, Ellen Crain, Katrina Belcher and Thomas Hylton.

Keep up the good work! This is exactly the kind of action Pottstown needs as we move forward. Blight eradication is crucial to attracting new residents, business and industry aka the revitalization of Pottstown.

Should Washington Street In Pottstown Be Renamed MLK Jr. Boulevard?

This change is being proposed by Newstell Marable, President, Pottstown Chapter of the NAACP and Borough Council Vice-President Mark Gibson. Previous attempts to rename Armand Hammer Boulevard have proven unsuccessful. Lower Pottsgrove Twp. owns half of Armand Hammer Boulevard and refuses to give permission for a name change. Washington Street would be changed within the borough of Pottstown.