MOSAIC Gallery Art Show Opens July 4th In Pottstown

Primary Colors_by_Sharon_Merkel

Pottstown, Pa – Are you an art enthusiast who is interested in supporting local artists?  Do you want to take part in Pottstown’s growing arts scene while helping to boost the local economy?  Then come and check out Pottstown’s very own MOSAIC Gallery.

Opening this 4^th of July, MOSAIC presents Nurturing Hope, a show featuring area artists Sharon Merkel and Sharon McGinley.  You may know MOSAIC Community Land  Trust for bringing Pottstown its first community garden at 423 Chestnut Street, but MOSAIC also utilizes its office space at 10 S. Hanover Street as an art gallery.  This show highlights the beauty in nature and in urban spaces, much like a community garden.

Like a garden nestled into a congested city block, the spiritual paintings of Sharon McGinley contrast with the graphic urban photos of Sharon Merkel to embody the hope and vitality of an urban garden.

In her artist’s statement, photographer Sharon Merkel says of her work, “The images explore the place where man and nature meet.  I am fascinated with this intersection, the place where each affects the other.”  Her photos of urban buildings and barns often feature intersections with a brilliant sky or a lone tree.

Sharon McGinley’s paintings include bright colors, whimsy, and nature on a biblical or essential level.  “I explore the inner-connectedness of all things, the impermanence of earthly life and the joys and sorrows we experience on our journeys,” she says.

MOSAIC receives a standard 30% commission on all art sales, so a purchase not only supports these local artists, but also the community garden, arts, and affordable housing mission of MOSAIC Community Land Trust.

This show is being curated by MOSAIC summer interns Amanda Hoffman and Blake Wrigley, who spent their early years in Pottstown and graduated from Boyertown High School.  Blake is a recent graduate of Messiah College and Amanda is a senior art major there.

Nurturing Hope will run from July 4 – July 28.  All are welcome to an opening reception on Friday, July 6 from 7-9pm; food and drinks are sponsored by Lointer HOME.  The MOSAIC gallery, located at 10 S. Hanover Street in Pottstown, will be open from 10am -1 pm on July 4^th during the Pottstown Homecoming Parade.  (Rain date is July 5^th.) Regular gallery hours are Thursday – Saturday from 4 – 7 pm.

Chaos_by_Sharon_Merkel

McGinley_1

Sharon McGinley – 2

Pa. Senate Approves $27.7 Billion Spending Plan And Sends It To Gov. Tom Corbett

With one day left in the fiscal year, the state Senate passed by a 32-17 vote the nearly $27.7 billion state spending plan that the House passed on Thursday.

It now goes to Gov. Tom Corbett for enactment.

Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/06/pa_senate_approves_277_billion.html

Scranton Mayor’s Lawsuit Hearing Not Set Until August 3rd

SCRANTON, PA – The Lackawanna County Court set a hearing date more than a month away on Mayor Chris Doherty’s lawsuit to get his financial recovery plan implemented, effectively increasing pressure on the mayor and city council to resolve the issue through negotiations.

The Aug. 3 court date allows council solicitor Boyd Hughes the legally required time to respond to the city’s lawsuit, a court official said. The suit asks the court to order the mayor’s recovery plan implemented or to order a council vote on it.

But with the city running out of money, facing increasingly impatient creditors and the mayor unilaterally slashing 398 employees’ pay to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour to save money, the far-off court hearing date at least temporarily dashed hopes for a quick resolution.

“It can’t wait until August,” city Councilman Bob McGoff said by telephone after the hearing. “I think what it means is that the mayor and the council president need to get together before Aug. 3.”

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/doherty-lawsuit-hearing-not-set-until-aug-3-1.1336275

Allentown School Taxes To Rise 2.6 Percent

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lehigh County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Questions. Motions. Votes.

Then silence swallowed the room as the audience counted and realized the Allentown School Board had rejected Russ Mayo’s first budget as superintendent in a stunning 5-4 vote Thursday.

“OK,” board President Robert E. Smith Jr. said. “Now what do we do? We need a budget. We need to do something.”

When another idea failed, the directors voted again on Mayo’s spending plan, which raises taxes 2.6 percent, or 1.3 mills, to 49.3 mills for the next school year. This time they passed it.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-allentown-schools-budget-627-20120628,0,4984180.story

Pottstown Borough Council Picks Political Newcomer For 6th Ward Seat

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:   We wish Travis Gery good luck!  You have some big shoes to fill!  We are hoping for some leadership!

POTTSTOWN, PA — Council chose new blood over previous experience Thursday night, unanimously selecting High Street resident Travis Gery to fill the sixth ward seat vacated by Jody Rhoads, who resigned just six months after running unopposed for a new four-year term.

Gery, a lawyer who has lived in town since 2003, and former council president James Smale were the only two applicants to apply for the post.

“I’m kind of disappointed that in a ward of 4,000 people, only two came forward willing to help us,” said Councilman Dan Weand, who made the motion to appoint Gery.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120629/NEWS01/120629338/pottstown-borough-council-picks-political-newcomer-for-6th-ward-seat

Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes To Divorce

Editor’s note:  Because nobody saw this coming…  Hey Katie, I think Dawson is still available!

It seems like only yesterday that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were enjoying Pittsburgh in autumn with daughter Suri, the very picture of a happy family unit while Cruise was here to film “Jack Reacher” last year.

Times have changed, and today it was announced by People magazine and other media outlets that Cruise and Holmes are getting a divorce.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/celebrities/people-tom-cruise-and-katie-holmes-to-divorce-savannah-guthrie-in-at-today-642558/#ixzz1zDD5rvQJ

Activist Invites Pottstown Council To See Poor Living Conditions In Permitted Rental

 

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  We can not stress enough the importance of Mr. Toroney and his fellow Councilors taking an hour out of their day to see this in person.  This is the tip of the iceberg and we think it is HIGH TIME that Pottstown Borough Council starts walking the talk and demonstrating in a tangible way that they have some inkling of interest in the citizens they respresent!  You all could use some street cred!

Thank you to Katy Jackson for continuing to stand vigilant and taking on a job that nobody else is willing to tackle!

POTTSTOWN — It’s supposed to be a warm Saturday afternoon, how about taking in a nice open house?

Well you might find it interesting, but it seems unlikely anyone would use the word “nice” to describe it.

From 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, activist Katy Jackson is inviting anyone interested — and the members of borough council specifically — to come and see the conditions in which a resident of Pottstown has been living at 501 King St.

“Monday I was invited to see the living conditions that a couple have endured for several months,” Jackson wrote in her invitation to council members, which was copied to The Mercury.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120629/NEWS01/120629312/activist-invites-pottstown-council-to-see-poor-living-conditions-in-permitted-rental