Pottstown Borough Creates Intermodal Transportation Center Using Federal Stimulus Grant

If you have been downtown lately, you will notice there is construction going on next to Harleysville Bank First Niagara Bank.  The old SEPTA train platform area is being renovated and transformed into an intermodal transportation center.  This is a much-needed improvement for Pottstown.  Currently, PART’s main transfer point is right in front of Argento’s restaurant and in the middle of the very busy High & Hanover Street intersection.  Those big buses take up a lot of room!

Wisely, our borough government has applied for and been awarded a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create the intermodal transportation center.  A transportation center makes SENSE!  If you have ever been to Norristown’s transportation center you will see how organized this makes using mass transit.  Pottstown is unique as we are the only municipality in Montgomery County to have our own mass transit system.  Pottstown also has SEPTA service along with PART. 

As I am constantly posting and hinting around about Pottstown getting grants to pay for improvements, I feel it is only fair that we give public recognition to the borough for obtaining one!  Nice going and let’s get some more :).

Lehigh Valley Cities To Receive Development Grants From The Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania

Communities in the Lehigh Valley have actively pursued and received development grants from the Rendell administration that will convert brownfields, attract industry and provide jobs!

$4.5 millions dollars will be received to convert the former Dixie Cup factory in Wilson (Easton) into an apartment and condominium complex.

$2.5 million dollars will be received to create a waste-to-energy plant (sludge burning) in Allentown.

$10 million dollars will be received to lure a yet to be named Fortune 500 Company to the Lehigh Valley.

$1.5 million dollars will be received toward converting the Farr building in Bethlehem into an Irish pub and apartments.

In other news, Allentown is promoting green energy by placing solar panels on industrial roof space.  420 solar panels were placed on the roof of the Bridgeworks Industrial Center in March.  Since their installation, the panels are generating enough energy to power five homes for a year (112,000 kilowatt hours a year)! 

There are millions of square feet of roof space that solar panels can be placed on in the Lehigh Valley.  This project was funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority.  Can anyone think of another community that has a vast amount of industrial roof space that could benefit from a grant like this? 

Excess energy is sold back to the power company.  The city will make about $15,000.00 a year from selling the excess energy generated by the solar panels.  Solar panels reduce the reliance on power plants and fossil fuels. 

Another hint here… the state has funded 1,500 other projects across the state.  What a neat way to use brownfields.

The Sun Sets On Pottstown’s Century Club

I read, with great sadness, a letter to the Editor from Nancy Dolan the other day.  Nancy is a past president of the Pottstown Century Club.  After 113 years, the club has called it quits.

There are several reasons this is sad: 

1. The club lasted 113 years!
2. In this day and age there aren’t enough interested people to sustain a service organization.
3. At the present time, the need is great for an organization like this. 

Reading the list of accomplishments and the number of organizations the Century Club has contributed to, in and around Pottstown, was impressive to say the least.  These ladies raised a lot of money during the club’s tenure and that money was used for worthy causes.  Money was raised for everything from books to trees, war bonds, property, furniture, musical instruments, scholarships and a host of charities as long as your arm!

The group’s final act of benevolence was to give all their remaining money to the Pottstown Public Library.  This sum was $8,000.00!  I am sure the library can use this money due to the funding cutbacks that libraries are experiencing in this economy.

Sadly, now Pottstown has one less advocate for all things good.

We commend the Century Club for their many years of selfless service to our community!