Hazleton Council Overrides Mayor’s Veto, Passes 2015 Budget

During a special meeting Friday, Hazleton City Council voted to override Mayor Joseph Yannuzzi’s veto of the council’s proposed budget and then adopted that spending plan for 2015.

It means there will be no property tax increase for city residents and it also means that council voted to allocate money for the city to hire part-time police officers.

All this happened — but not without confusion, hand wringing and much discussion.

The confusion started when council had to call Councilman Jeff Cusat in order for him to vote on agenda items. Cusat had a prior engagement and did not attend the meeting in person but did cast his votes via telephone.

Read more: http://standardspeaker.com/news/hazleton-council-overrides-mayor-s-veto-passes-2015-budget-1.1815211

Friends Of The Pottstown Regional Public Library Used Book Sale

POTTSTOWN, PA – A used book sale will be held in the community room of the Pottstown Regional Public Library on Friday, January 30th and Saturday, January 31st.  There are lots of bargains to be had.  Stock up, you cannot beat the prices.

The library is at 500 High Street, Pottstown.  Website: http://ppl.mclinc.org/

MCCC TO HOST TRICOUNTY HIGH SCHOOL ART EXHIBITION

Pottstown, Pa.—High school students from Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties will showcase their artwork at Montgomery County Community College’s second annual TriCounty High School Art Exhibition and Competition at its Fine Arts Gallery, North Hall, 16 High Street, Pottstown.

The exhibition opens Wednesday, Jan. 28, and will continue through Friday, Feb. 27. The artists’ reception will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 5-7 p.m. with the awards presentation at 6 p.m. Both the exhibit and the reception are free and open to the community.

Students will display their best artwork featuring a variety of subject matters and styles created in an array of media. This annual event enables up-and-coming student artists to exhibit their work in a professional art gallery and share their talents with the community. MCCC art faculty members will be reviewing the artwork and will be available to answer any questions about the College’s art programs.

Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Closed weekends. For more information about the exhibition, contact Gallery Director Holly Cairns at 215-619-7349 or hcairns@mc3.edu.

Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/DestinationArts for information about upcoming performances and art exhibitions.

Boyer Gallery To Host First Exhibit Of 2015

POTTSTOWN, PA – The Hill School’s first art exhibit of 2015, Barbara Zucker’s Shadows and Reflections, will open in Boyer Gallery on Friday, January 9 and run through Friday, February 20. The exhibit’s opening reception will take place on January 9 at 7 p.m. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend hours are by appointment only.

Ms. Zucker’s lengthy career spans five decades. After graduating from Ursinus College in 1966, Ms. Zucker studied fine art at Arcadia University and L’Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy before earning her M. Ed. from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in 1971. Ms. Zucker apprenticed with painter Richard Callner from 1972-75, and has had work featured in exhibitions since 1975. The Shadows and Reflections exhibit will be Ms. Zucker’s third appearance at The Hill School; her work also was featured in 1999 and in 2004. Her paintings are in the permanent collections of The Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College, The Reading Public Museum, Woodmere Art Museum, Rosemont College, and numerous other public, corporate, and private collections.

In addition to her studio work, Ms. Zucker has many years of experience in teaching art and gallery management, especially at local venues. She taught painting and drawing at Ursinus College from 1982 to 1999. Later she served as Gallery Director at ViewPoint LLC Arts and Events House in Lederach, Pa. and currently coordinates the Gallery at the Community Music School in Trappe. Ms. Zucker is President emerita of Philadelphia/Tri-State Artists Equity, and is a member of The Philadelphia Water Color Society and The National League of American Pen Women.

Harmony and Unity in Pottstown…

We here at Roy’s Rants wholeheartedly support the Fecera’s project as the needed catalyst for revitalization in Pottstown Borough. One large project that is successfully completed will demonstrate to other developers and investors that the climate has changed. A large, empty building does nothing except breed blight and crime. A restored, well lighted and full building will transform a neighborhood. Council needs to approve this project for the betterment of Pottstown. Failure to do so will contribute to the downward spiral of this once great community.

Laflin Borough, Former Police Chief Settle Lawsuit

A federal lawsuit filed by a former police chief against Laflin Borough was settled this week, courts documents show.

Former borough police Chief Michael Flanagan filed the suit Nov. 25, 2013, against the borough, as well as its council members, that was dismissed Thursday, court documents show, because both parties reached a settlement — which was not disclosed in court documents.

Attorney Cynthia L. Pollick, who represented Flanagan in the suit, did not return messages seeking comment on the settlement. Attorneys representing the borough and its council, Christopher Tinari and Michael Miller of Philadelphia, also did not return messages.

According to the lawsuit, Flanagan felt he was “wrongfully demoted without just cause.” The suit also said Flanagan had been an employee of the borough for more than 14 years and went on to say on or about Oct. 17, 2013 when “the defendants voted at an official borough meeting to demote plaintiff and hired another police chief.”

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/laflin-borough-former-police-chief-settle-lawsuit-1.1815135

Steep Membership Decline Prompts WVIA To Sever Ties With Longtime Exec Bill Kelly

PITTSTON TOWNSHIP, PA — With membership down, Bill Kelly is out at WVIA.

But the longtime public broadcasting executive didn’t depart empty-handed, leaving the station he once headed with a nearly $300,000 buyout package, paid for by donations from board members.

“Not one penny of Kelly’s remaining contract payment of $291,878 came from membership contributions or grant support,” Martin Walzer, chairman of the WVIA Board of Directors, said in a message posted on the station’s website.

Kelly’s four-decade association with WVIA ended on Dec. 31.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/51009022/

Lehigh Valley Arts Council Announces Arts Alive 2015 Series

The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is pleased to announce the new line-up for the Arts Alive 2015 Series. These three events for members and their friends allow participants to rub shoulders with the creative process and engage their minds and spirits.

On Saturday, February 7, 2015, “Curator’s Choice” introduces Elaine Mehalakes, the new vice president of community engagement at the Allentown Art Museum. Ms. Mehalakes will guide an informal discussion from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on works of art she has selected for their relevance to the collection and to the community. Ms. Mehalakes has extensive experience in curating and cataloguing; she previously worked at the Davis Museum and Cultural Center in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

“A Joyous Rehearsal” arrives with spring as guests are invited to attend a rehearsal of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem on Monday evening, April 20, 2015, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., at the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem. Visitors will preview the power and joy of the 108th Bethlehem Bach Festival as Artistic Director Greg Funfgeld welcomes the group prior to rehearsal and speaks about how this century-old community chorus continues to remain relevant.

“Wood & Steel” is a tour of furniture designer and craftsman Bill Kreider’s studio on Saturday, June 20, 2015, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Inspired by unconventional and discarded items, often with historical context, Bill’s designs use contemporary lines to offset traditional materials. He has transformed garage door springs into a dining room table, a ship’s drive wheel into a coffee table, and perhaps most famously, Bethlehem Steel “I” beams into bookcases.

Come join Bill for a personal tour of his studio workspace, which is located in the old Pennsylvania Stage Company scene shop on 127 North Lumber Street in Allentown, and discover the artistry of turning industrial debris into true masterpieces.

Attendance is limited for these behind-the-scenes cultural tours to only twenty-five visitors at each event, so reserve your tickets soon at LVArtsBoxOffice.org. Light refreshments will be served at each event. Fees for each event are $15 for Arts Council members, $20 for nonmembers. Enjoy a special 33% discount if you buy tickets to all three events in the series (three tickets for the price of two).

Randall Forte, Executive Director
Lehigh Valley Arts Council
Phone: 610-437-5915.
Email: info@LVArtsCouncil.org
Web: www.lvartscouncil.org

MCCC Offers Anesthesia Course For Certified Dental Hygienists

Blue Bell, Pa.—This spring, the Dental Hygiene program at Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) will offer a course to train licensed dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia. The course, “Local Anesthesia for Dental Hygienists,” begins Feb. 7 and runs through April 24.

The 32-hour, PA Board of Dentistry-approved course includes six weeks of online modules and three on-campus laboratory sessions in MCCC’s Dental Hygiene Clinic at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. During the clinical sessions, participants will perform safe and effective local anesthesia administration on clinical partners under the supervision of certified faculty.

To enroll in this course, students must have basic computer skills and must provide proof of liability insurance and copies of their dental hygiene license and their current CPR certification.

To learn more, call 215-641-6623.

MCCC’s Dental Hygiene Program is an accredited 70-credit hour Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) educational program that prepares students to perform dental hygiene procedures in a variety of dental hygiene practice settings and/or to pursue an advanced degree. To learn more, visit mc3.edu/academics and select Areas of Study, Health Sciences, then Dental Hygiene.