Washington/Chestnut St. Park Garden Party‏ In Pottstown

Hi All, 

Hope this note finds each of you in good health and spirits!  Spring is officially here, I’d I like to invite you to the  5th Annual Garden Party held at the Washington/Chestnut Sts. Park this Sunday, May 18. 
 
It will be a morning of beautifying the park with annuals and mulch donated by Colonial Gardens and light refreshments courtesy of Genesis Housing Corp.  Details are below and don’t forget your gardening tools! SHOVELS, RAKES and GLOVES!
 
WHAT: 5TH ANNUAL GARDEN PARTY
WHERE: WASHINGTON/CHESTNUT STS. PARK
DATE: Sunday MAY 18,2014
TIME: 10:00am – 12:00pm
 
Hope to See you there! 
Anna, Citizens for Pottstown CPR

Mosaic Community Garden Announces Beautification Contest Winners

How it all began:  In the summer of 2012, Dick Heylmun, the owner of Pine Tree Hill Farm, contacted Mosaic Community Land Trust, after learning about their work in the Community garden on Chestnut Street.

Mr Heylmun, an avid gardener himself, conceived of the idea to offer prize money to people living in the Beech to High Street, Adams to Charlotte Street area for creating beautiful street-side gardens and plantings. He knows how pretty a block can be when the residents take pride in their homes and gardens and he revels in the joy and sense of pride that gardens bring to the gardener and all who pass by.

Mosaic partnered with the Pottstown Garden club to develop, advertise and judge the contest. Flyers were distributed to all the homes in the area while the Mercury helped promote the contest in an article about both the garden contest.

With only nine entries for this competition, the first of its kind in the core neighborhood, we hope to inspire confidence in others to enter next year.  The gardeners chose one of three categories and most of the entries were in the “front garden and planters combined” category.

Two members from the Pottstown Garden Club, Nancy Toothacher and Karin Albera, accompanied board member, Gretchen Lea, (who is also a Penn State Master Gardner), and Laura Washington, the MOSAIC garden manager, as they set out one very hot afternoon to walk the blocks and judge the gardens.  It was hard, yet fun and rewarding.

The contestants showed a sense of pride and enthusiasm about their creations, and had a variety of reasons why they chose one plant or another and why they chose to place them where they did.

Some plants have personal meaning, like beautiful memories and experiences of the gardens and gardeners we have known and loved -they are place makers in our lives. Gardens are often creative expressions of their creators.  Knowing this, while judging makes the job difficult, but all the more fun.

Asking a gardener about their gardens is like possessing the key to a box, open it up and you’ll find out something about what’s inside.

The judges passed several pretty and interesting gardens along the way and wished that those gardens had been entered in the contest too.  When asked why they didn’t enter, a few folks proclaimed… “Mine is not quite good enough”.  Some gardeners can be too hard on themselves. Working with nature is not easy. Nature cannot be controlled.  That makes gardening all the more challenging and rewarding.  I beg all who dig in the soil to keep up the confidence to keep planting. Every garden is a unique expression of the gardener.

I have entered my garden in shows and contests, even though they weren’t perfect, because others get joy in seeing them.  It is rewarding to watch people blossom when they see what you have accomplished.  It too is a great way to connect with one another. For me, gardening is a great reason to be outside and to work with Mother Nature as I try to express myself.

The Winners Are:

For Planters and window boxes:

Athena Singer 1st prize 352 Walnut Street $150

Anna Johnson 2nd prize 515 Chestnut Street $ 75

The Garden awards and prize money were presented Sunday July 14th at 5 o’clock at the MOSAIC Community Garden, followed by a get together with refreshments, conversation and friendship.

We hope you will take the time to walk through the neighborhood and check out the winner’s gardens as well as all the other gardens that capture the imagination.

Garden by garden the Mosaic Community Land Trust’s designated areas will blossom, as the first garden has done, with people sharing stories, recipes, making new friends, learning about their gardens, trading plants and ideas while enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Thank you Dick Helymun for your great idea and generosity!

Mosaic would like to make the Beautification Contest an annual tradition.  If you would like to make a donation or take part we’d love to hear from you.

mosaicclt@gmail.com for more info

Green Thumbs Up and Thanks to Everyone Involved!

Gretchen Lea

4th Annual Citizens For Pottstown Revitalization Garden Party

Hi All,

Spring is officially here, I’d I like to invite you to the 4th Annual Garden Party held at the Washington/Chestnut Street Park this Saturday, May 18.

It will be a morning of beautifying the park with annuals and mulch donated by Colonial Gardens and light refreshments courtesy of Genesis Housing Corp.  Details are below and don’t forget you gardening tools! SHOVELS, RAKES and GLOVES!

WHAT:  4TH ANNUAL GARDEN PARTY
WHERE:  WASHINGTON/CHESTNUT STS. PARK
DATE:  SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013
TIME:  9AM – 11AM

Hope to See you there!

Anna

Pottstown’s Chestnut Street Park Getting Mural

The Chestnut Street Park and adjoining police substation will soon be beautified by a mural project.  Genesis Housing is funding the mural to be painted on the side of the substation facing the park.  Anna Johnson, co-founder of Citizens for Pottstown Revitalization, appeared before Council urging them to approve this project (which they did unanimously).

The Gallery on High found an artist for the project who will design the mural and work with high school students to complete it.

Two Roy’s Rants thumbs up to Genesis Housing, Citizens for Pottstown Revitalization and the Gallery on High for partnering on this project to help transform a neighborhood!

The National Night Out – Pottstown

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IN POTTSTOWN, TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2011

“America’s Night Out Against Crime”

Pottstown, PA July 15, 2011

Pottstown residents will participate again this year in National Night Out on Tuesday, August 2, 2011.  Activities will be at Chestnut Street Park at the corner of Washington and Chestnut Streets in Pottstown, starting at 6:30 pm. The celebration is being coordinated by Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization, the  MOSAIC Community Land Trust, Pottstown, PA, and Genesis Housing.

Residents old and young are invited to be at the Park at 6:30 pm for the start of the activities. There will be hot dogs and refreshments, public safety demonstrations, and a story time for kids with book reading on internet safety awareness. The official activities for National Night Out, or NNO for short, will last until 8:30 pm.

New this year for Pottstown will be a four-block walk through the streets near the Park.  The traditional display of support for NNO is to keep an outside light on during the evening, and to sit outside on a porch or step. The organizers are excited that the short march will add even more spirit and fun to this year’s celebration. Residents who cannot make it to the park are still asked to leave their lights on, and sit outside as their part of the vigil! Rain or shine, the event will go on.

Questions, suggestions and offers to volunteer or contribute can be directed to VivaPottstown@hotmail.com or flyeredup8831@gmail.com.

NNO is an easy way, on a single day, to invest in community spirit and to show that the neighborhoods are being taken back by the people from the criminals. Residents are asked to come out to show solidarity against drugs and crime, and to help develop a partnership between the community and local police, fire and emergency services.

Any organization wishing to set up a table is encouraged to join the activities; please bring your own table and any information or handouts you would like to give away. The organizers will not be able to provide tables. (To help the organizers with planning, please send a note in advance to VivaPottstown@hotmail.com to let them know you’ll be there with your table!)

Thousands of communities and millions of citizens will be participating across the U.S.A. In Pennsylvania alone, as many as 150 municipalities will be taking part. NNO is sponsored by the National association of Town Watch.

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ABOUT National Night Out and National Association of Town Watch: 

The National Association of Town Watch (NATW) is a non-profit, crime prevention organization which works in cooperation with thousands of crime watch groups and local law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

National Night Out, “America’s Night Out Against Crime”, was introduced by the Association in 1984. The event has grown from 400 towns in 23 states the first year, to over 15,000 communities in all 50 states with 37 million people last year in August 2010. The 2011 event is expected to be even bigger. More information on NATW and NNO can be found at www.NationalTownWatch.org.

ABOUT Genesis Housing Corporation :

Genesis Housing Corporation is dedicated to the development of affordable housing and to the education of consumers on housing and financial issues.

Since 1994, Genesis Housing Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has served Montgomery County as a community housing development organization (CHDO). Our general activities include the rehabilitation and new construction of homes to improve and stabilize neighborhoods and to provide opportunities for lower income homebuyers to purchase homes at affordable prices. Genesis Housing Corporation also provides housing counseling and money management services for potential homebuyers and homeowners. More information on Genesis is available at www.genesishousing.org.

ABOUT Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization:

Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization (“CPR”) is working to unify all of Pottstown’s pockets of activism. In keeping with CPR’s mission to breathe new life into our community through positive actions, community involvement, courage and respect, we invite you to submit news and comments promoting the betterment of Pottstown.  Viva Pottstown! More information is available at www.VivaPottstown.com

ABOUT MOSAIC Community Land Trust, Pottstown PA:

MOSAIC Community Land Trust, Pottstown, PA is a local non-profit corporation dedicated to increasing affordable homeownership opportunities in Pottstown, developing a community garden at 423 Chestnut Street, and empowering residents to participate in the improvement of their own neighborhoods. Collaboration is the key to their efforts to create long-lasting change, and they are already partnering with local businesses, volunteers, Pottstown School District, Pottstown Borough and other community organizations, such as The Gallery and Genesis Housing Corporation. MOSAIC has been working with a nationally-recognized expert in community land trusts, thanks to a grant from National Penn Bank. More information available at  www.PottstownCLT.wordpress.com

Upcoming Pottstown Events Sponsored By CPR

Image via Wikipedia

Sat. – May 21, 2011 – Garden Party at the Park – From 10am – 1pm
Help plant a garden in the park.  We will be putting a small vegetable garden beside the Police Sub Station building.  Plants, mulch and soil donated by Colonial Gardens, Phoenixville and the raised vegetable garden courtesy of Genesis Housing Corp.  We will also discuss the mural that is planned for the park.  Light refreshments will be served.

 

Sat. – June 4, 2011 (Rain Date – June 11) – Science in the Park – From 12pm – 3pm
Several local scientists will demonstrate interactive and fascinating science experiments geared to amaze elementary and middle school age children.  Event sponsored by Genesis Housing Corp. and Arkema Inc.  Food will be served to event participants.

 

Looking for Volunteers for both events:
Setup
Food Prep and Service (Light food Donations for Garden Party)
Clean-up
General Help

Please Respond if interested in helping.

Best Regards,
Anna Johnson

vivapottstown@hotmail.com