Daily Archives: August 8, 2014
Free Resume Help At Pottstown YMCA
Audio-Description Training To Be Held In Allentown
The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is offering affordable audio description training to the theatre community in order to help them increase attendance to their productions by becoming more disability-friendly.
Theatre practitioners from all walks of life—actors, students, volunteers, educators—are encouraged to enroll in the upcoming audio description training sessions and acquire new performance skills.
Fee: $25. Typically, this workshop costs $590. Thanks to the underwriting support of LVCIL and an anonymous donor, the Arts Council is able to offer it at a very reasonable price. Audio description assists patrons who are blind/low-vision to access the visual elements of stage productions through live narration provided by trained describers. Patrons use headsets to hear the audio description.
This two-day audio-description training for the Performing Arts will be held:
- October 3 & 4, 2014 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Lehigh Valley Arts Council
840 Hamilton Street
2nd Floor Conference Room (Suite 200)
Allentown, PA 18101
Includes Audio Described performance of “Harvey” at DeSales University (2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, Pa. 18034) on October 2, 2014 at 8:00 PM
Arts Alive! Creating Your Legacy – September 20th
How will you be remembered by future generations? History comes alive as the 2014 season wraps up on Saturday, September 20, 2014, with “Creating your Legacy,” at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum from 10:30 a.m. to Noon. Chief Curator Jill Youngken will explore rarely seen relics of distinguished Lehigh Valley individuals. Learn how to uncover your family roots and enshrine your life and ultimate legacy. Tickets $10 for members; $15 for nonmembers.
September 20, 2014 
10:30 AM – NOON
Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum
432 W Walnut St. Allentown, PA 18102
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR CREATING YOUR LEGACY! LIMITED AVAILABILITY!
Lehigh Valley Arts Box Office Upcoming Performances
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MCCC Business Students Rank Eighth In National Competition
Nashville, Tenn.— Building on their success at Phi Beta Lambda’s (PBL) Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in the spring, Montgomery County Community College students Lindsey Montague, Wyncote, and Jacob Robertston, Malvern, gave a repeat performance on the national stage this summer.
Montague and Robertson, both members of MCCC’s PBL chapter, were awarded eighth place in the Business Decision Making competition at PBL’s National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tenn. in June. They qualified for the national competition by taking first place at the state level.
“This is a huge accomplishment for Lindsey and Jacob, who competed against students from four-year colleges and universities from across the country, many of whom recently graduated with bachelor’s degrees,” said Eileen Kearney, assistant professor of marketing and PBL advisor at MCCC. “Their success speaks to the quality of education at Montgomery County Community College and the value of organizations like Phi Beta Lambda in preparing students for their careers after college.”
MCCC student Ariel Mookherji, Plymouth Meeting, was also elected to the office of National Eastern Regional Vice President during the conference. Mookherji, who enrolled at MCCC to complete prerequisites toward an MBA in Marketing, previously served as the College’s PBL chapter president and as PA State vice president. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Design from Moore College of Art and Design, and she ultimately hopes to work at a marketing firm or with a non-profit organization.
Each year, thousands of students from across the country attend PBL’s National Leadership Conference. Along with the competitions, students attend workshops and business events during the conference.
Phi Beta Lambda is a student-led, collegiate-level organization of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). For more information, visit fbla-pbl.org.
MCCC Joins ‘Yellow Ribbon Program’ To Benefit Student Veterans
Blue Bell/Pottstown, Pa.— Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) was recently selected to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the 2014-15 academic year. The program enables MCCC to assist up to 10 student veterans with fees associated with out-of-state residency.
“Many students return or relocate to Pennsylvania after their military service only to be charged as ‘out-of-state’ residents, which the VA does not cover under normal Post 9/11 G.I. Bill benefits,” explains former U.S. Marine Justin Machain, coordinator of veterans services at MCCC. “The College applied to, and was accepted by, the Yellow Ribbon Program to assist these students with out-of-state costs starting this fall.”
To qualify for funding, veterans must be eligible for the maximum benefit rate under the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill and cannot be on active duty. Visit benefits.va.gov/gibill/yellow_ribbon.asp for full eligibility requirements.
Montgomery County Community College’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program builds on its commitment to a student veteran population that has grown by close to 130 percent since 2007. Fiscal year 2013-14 saw 705 student veterans enrolled at the College, which is nationally designated as a “Military Friendly School” by Victory Media for five years running.
The College’s support services for student veterans include a dedicated resource center, lounge, new student orientation, study groups, career counseling and yoga, among others, facilitated by a dedicated Veterans Support Team. MCCC also has an active Student Veterans Organization, which is an official chapter of the Student Veterans of America (SVA).
Veteran services are a part of MCCC’s overarching Student Success Initiative—expanding access to higher education and increasing student success through process improvements and support strategies that reduce the barriers for students to complete their education.
To learn more about Veterans Affairs at Montgomery County Community College, visit mc3.edu/student-resources/vrc or contact Justin Machain at 215-619-7307 or veterans@mc3.edu. For information about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, visit http://www.gibill.va.gov.
Coal Mine Closing To Slash 500 Jobs In Greene County
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Greene County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
WAYNESBURG, PA — Among the rolling hills and in the small towns of rural Greene County, where coal long has been king, the news brought shock waves.
Emerald Mine near Waynesburg is closing.
Coal producer Alpha Natural Resources said Wednesday that about 500 workers will lose their jobs. A spokesman cited diminishing reserves, sluggish markets and restrictive federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
At least one businessman in the borough some 50 miles south of Pittsburgh believes he knows where to place the blame.
Oxford Pitches New 20-Story Downtown Office Tower
Downtown Pittsburgh as seen from the fountain at Point State Park
Oxford Development Co. is pitching a revised plan for a new office tower Downtown — 20 stories instead of 33 with a soaring 18-foot-high lobby and a host of eco-friendly features.
Dubbed 350 Fifth, the new high-rise would be built on the west side of Smithfield Street between Forbes and Fifth avenues, replacing an existing Oxford-owned building, which would be demolished.
For two years, the developer has been debating whether to renovate the nearly vacant building at 441 Smithfield at a cost of $40 million or build a new 33-story high-rise at the site. But it was unable to secure the anchor tenant needed to make the latter work.
Wanting to leave its own imprint on Downtown’s resurgence, it has now settled on a third option — a striking 20-story glass and aluminum tower envisioned for multiple tenants.
Moody’s Upgrades Pittsburgh’s Bond Credit Rating
A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Pittsburgh’s bond rating outlook from stable to positive Thursday, which Mayor Bill Peduto called a sign of improved financial health.
“The positive outlook reflects the steps the city has taken to reduce its long-term liabilities,” Moody’s wrote.
Along with the outlook upgrade, Moody’s affirmed its A1 rating on approximately $530 million in outstanding general obligation debt.
Standard & Poor’s ratings agency this week announced it is maintaining the city’s A+ bond rating, city officials said.
Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6582680-74/peduto-plan-rating#ixzz39oyVSUz9
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180 Bands Set To Rock Gettysburg This Weekend
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Adams County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A three-day music festival will kick off Aug. 8 in Adams County, bringing 180 bands to Gettysburg from 14 states and Washington.
Gettysburg Rocks will feature multiple genres of music including rock, country, blues, folk, ska and reggae, according to Rob Simon, the brainchild of the upcoming festival.
Simon, host of “Under The Radar” on 105.7 The X in Harrisburg, said he got the idea for Gettysburg Rocks from his daughter, Ashley, who was planning a fundraiser for Penn State Mont Alto’s THON group.
Read more: http://www.flipsidepa.com/concerts/ci_26215565/180-bands-set-rock-gettysburg
Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Company Town (Lititz, PA)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
LITITZ, PA—This town of 9,400 people in Amish country tells the story of the modern concert industry.
In 1968, when Frankie Valli and his group rolled in for a show, two young brothers who did sound for local dances turned the Four Seasons into one of the first music acts to tour with its own speaker system. The brothers built a reputation on the road, but they never moved out of Lititz. Their company became an anchor for a cluster of businesses that now supply the sound and spectacle for many of the world’s biggest acts.
The effect that lets pop-star Katy Perry soar over her audience while clutching a bunch of balloons. The battalion of speakers blasting Paul McCartney’s voice in stadiums designed for sports, not music. The sliding catwalk that takes a singing, dancing Justin Timberlake from the stage to the rear of an arena. All this gear, currently crisscrossing America in tractor-trailers, was engineered and built in Lititz, along with the apparatus for blockbuster tours of the past by U2, the Rolling Stones, Madonna and Michael Jackson. The place has an air of secrecy: Because entertainers want a surprise when the curtain goes up, much of the work here is done in secret by companies that don’t put their names on their buildings.
Once wired with tinny speakers and harsh lights, the world of live entertainment is now powered by computer systems that control sophisticated video displays on sets worth tens of millions of dollars.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/articles/rock-n-rolls-company-town-1407452570?tesla=y
Results Released On Wilkes-Barre Downtown Survey
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
WILKES-BARRE — Thursday seemed like the best possible day to release a report on a downtown survey.
Public Square was filled with people attending the weekly farmers’ market and Mother Nature cooperated by offering a spectacular day of sunshine.
Patty Kopec and her daughter, Frankie, were enjoying some of the food and sunshine. Even with no entertainment on the band shell stage, the Kopecs raved about the city and the downtown and said they wished more events were planned for Public Square.
“It needs this kind of stuff,” Patty Kopec said. “It needs more events that appeal to families.”
Mormon Apartment Tower, Meetinghouse Complex Passes Design Review
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Philadelphia County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After reviewing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ plans for an apartment tower, townhouses, retail space, and a meetinghouse at 1601 Vine St., the city Planning Commission’s Design Review Committee advised the church to open a garden to the public, work with the Streets Department to improve traffic flow on adjacent Wood Street, and use a higher-grade material than blacktop in a public courtyard.
The committee then closed its review, with little information on the large amount of public art the church is required to provide.
CDR committee members, who met earlier this week, weren’t totally thrilled about that last bit.
“Whatever we decide here becomes the way future developers come before us,” said committee member Cecil Baker. “This is part of the public realm. When jobs get this large, it’s a very important part. This is a major, major opportunity, the likes of which come rarely.”
Pottstown Council Mulls New Ricketts Center Lease
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
POTTSTOWN — Borough council may approve a new lease with the Olivet Boys and Girls Club to use the Ricketts Center that would include borough-funded replacement of the roof and upgrading the heating/air-conditioning system.
Currently, council is considering a five-year lease agreement that would begin in September and extend to Dec. 31, 2019.
“During that time, the borough obligation would be to continue to fund the Ricketts Center at its present level of funding, which is $40,000 a year,” Borough Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. said at Wednesday night’s committee of the whole meeting of council. “That’s obviously a whole lot less than what the borough was spending on the Ricketts Center 10 years ago.”
Garner said the “success of the Olivets has helped significantly in running the programs and relieve the borough of some of that financial obligation” in parks and recreation. Programs have also grown over the five years the Olivet Boys and Girls Club has run the center, according to Garner.
Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140807/pottstown-council-mulls-new-ricketts-center-lease
Popular ‘Starting A Successful Woman-Owned Business’ Series Returns To MCCC
Blue Bell, Pa.—Aspiring entrepreneurs can learn more about Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) popular “Starting a Successful Woman-Owned Business” series during a free open house on Tuesday, Sept. 2, from 7-8 p.m. The open house will be held in Parkhouse Hall room 129 at the College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. RSVP to Marge Philippsen at 215-641-6374 or mphilipp@mc3.edu.
“Staring a Successful Woman-Owned Business” is a 12-week certificate program designed to encourage women to develop their business ideas into a roadmap for success. Taught by a successful woman entrepreneur, the program enables participants to get practical knowledge about what it takes to make it as a business owner while being exposed to subject-matter experts across a wide range of business topics. Participants will also go through a business planning process and will receive course certification upon successful completion of a business plan.
The fall installment of the biannual series begins Sept. 9 and continues on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9:30 p.m. through Nov. 25. The cost, including textbooks, is $495.
To learn more, visit mc3.edu/academics, select Areas of Study, Business and Entrepreneurial Initiatives, then Career Training Programs.
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