Speech Communication Students Hone Skills While Helping Others

Pottstown, PA — Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) Speech Communication students at the West Campus have taken their interpersonal team-building skills outside of the classroom as part of a variety of community service projects.

Instructor Meredith Frank began the community service projects in her Speech Communication 110 sections in the spring semester to meet the new civic engagement component of the course. Each class was broken into teams and tasked with creating a proposal for a community service project, outlining the specifics and how their team would work together to complete it.

“They started [by] figuring out how to solve a problem,” Frank said. “Then they gave a speech to persuade. Then they do the service, and then present it again.”

Some speeches were so persuasive – particularly a team leading an MCCC campus beautification project – that other students donated their time or money to help.

Devising a community service project that students are “passionate” about is key.

“Pick something that you’re really passionate about,” Frank said. “From there, find that passion and find an organization that’s either at Montco or close to it.”

Tayla Haulcy-Clark said her group focused on the environment and planted flowers around South Hall at MCCC’s West Campus. Her group also added more colorful flowers to a 9/11 memorial and spruced up plantings in a flowerbed honoring biology professor Marie Richard-Yates, who died in 2009.

“We were trying to figure out – how can we get our hands dirty and really be involved?”

Haulcy-Clark, a MCCC sophomore studying communication, said the assignment allowed her to get to know her peers better.

“It gave our whole entire class a sense of community within the class,” she said. “It kind of made us more of a family. It’s a great idea to take ourselves out of ourselves and view things differently.”

Team leader Taylor DiLanzo and her group took on a candy-selling fundraiser to benefit the Cancer Center at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. The group set up a table outside of the West End Café in South Hall, as well as at Earth Day and Spring Fling activities, raising more than $500.

While candy is admittedly “easy to sell,” said DiLanzo, a general studies student and aspiring nurse, it can be difficult to get the attention of would-be buyers.

“You have to get creative,” she said, adding that the team played music the first day and used colorful bins during other sales. “It kind of draws people’s attention.”

DiLanzo said the project has taught her how to work with different types of people. And, most importantly, “if you want to be successful, you have to put yourself out there.”

MCCC Earns Spot On National Honor Roll For Community Service‏

Blue Bell/Pottstown, Pa.— Montgomery County Community College’s students engaged in 24,172 hours of community service and service learning projects in 2013, earning the institution a spot on the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

A significant portion of MCCC’s service hours resulted from academic service learning, which integrates a service component into an academic course. As part of MCCC’s core curriculum, students are required to complete at least one course that addresses civic responsibility. Last year, 6,456 students engaged in service learning activities while enrolled in 225 courses taught by 73 faculty.

An additional 1,411 students and 306 faculty and staff engaged in other forms of community service last year.

“The College’s commitment to service has helped us establish a stronger presence within the community and has raised our students’ awareness of the importance of giving back to the communities in which they live and work,” said Jenna Klaus, MCCC assistance director of civic and community engagement.”

One of the largest community service initiatives in 2013 was a College-wide Day of Service, held in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Day of Service in January. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, family and friends spent a day volunteering at several locations in Montgomery County, including the Olivet Boys and Girls Club in Pottstown and the Police Athletic League (PAL) and Preschool Intervention Program in Norristown. In total, 147 volunteers completed 937 hours of service.

Several other larger-scale service initiatives took place throughout the year, including College-wide food drives, an administrative staff day of service, and alternative spring break experiences.

In terms of service learning, MCCC’s Health Sciences majors led the way by offering free health screenings and information to the MCCC community and to community residents in collaboration with local health care partners. Last year, more than 400 Health Sciences students performed 1,624 hours of service, offering 786 screenings and health information to approximately 1,500 individuals.

According to CNCS, college students make a significant contribution to their communities through volunteering and service. In 2012, 3.1 million college students dedicated more than 118 million hours of service across the country—a contribution valued at $2.5 billion.

Over the last five years, 5,400 MCCC volunteers have completed 46,000 hours of service and have contributed $117,571 in monetary donations to partner organizations.

To learn more, visit NationalService.gov/HonorRoll or join MCCC’s community service conversation on Twitter using #ThinkBigService.

Former Amity Cop Convicted Of Shoplifting

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

NORRISTOWN, PA — A former Berks County police officer finds himself on the other side of the law now that he is a convicted shoplifter.

Former Amity Township Police Officer Glenn James Oesterling, 36, has been sentenced in Montgomery County Court to two years’ probation after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of retail theft in connection with a June 2013 incident that occurred at the Upland Square Giant store in West Pottsgrove. Judge William R. Carpenter, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Oesterling to complete 36 hours of community service.

Specifically, Oesterling admitted that he stole items valued at $296.35 from the store on June 18. Authorities said Oesterling passed the store checkout area without paying for merchandise he placed into blue, reusable shopping bags in the shopping cart he was pushing.

Oesterling did not offer an explanation for his conduct.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140505/former-amity-cop-convicted-of-shoplifting

Great Harrisburg Cleanup This Saturday

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

It may be wet & cold today but Saturday will be sunny & dry.  Perfect weather to come out and join Friends of Midtown in the Great Harrisburg Cleanup which runs from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  There will be a dumpster located at the Broad Street Market for the bags of trash & debris collected.  Our new incinerator owner, LCSWMA, has agreed to waive the tipping fees and the dumpsters have also been donated by local businesses.  This is truly a community event and city-wide as there will be donated dumpsters located in Uptown and Allison Hill.

We will meet at 8:45 am in front of the Broad Street Market on the Third Street side and set our plans to clean up our neighborhood.  If you prefer to work with your neighbors in your own block and find hauling your collected trash bags to the Broad Street Market dumpster could be difficult, register your group on the Great Harrisburg Cleanup website at http://historicharrisburg.com/index.php/events/volunteer-registration and indicate what street corner your bags will be placed so they can be picked up by Public Works.

Any questions?  Contact us at beautification@friendsofmidtown.org before 8:00 am on Saturday.

Hope to see you there!

Steubenville Principal Pledges Community Service For Dismissal In Rape Case

Map of Ohio (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A school principal charged with failure to report suspected child abuse in the wake of two Steubenville rape investigations won’t be prosecuted if she does community service work.

Ohio prosecutors on Wednesday agreed to drop the misdemeanor charge against Lynnett Gorman, principal of West Elementary School in Steubenville, by June 1 if she complies.

Ms. Gorman, one of five adults indicted in the aftermath of the rape convictions of high school football players Ma’Lik Richmond and Trent Mays, was set to go to trial Wednesday.

The Ohio attorney general’s office said she failed to report suspected child abuse in regard to the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl by a group of baseball players in April 2012, four months before the Richmond and Mays case.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2014/01/08/Steubenville-principal-pledges-community-service-for-dismissal-in-rape-case/stories/2014010801180000000#ixzz2pughCy8X

Support For ‘Secret Valley’ Rail Line From Boyertown To Pottstown Picks Up Steam

Plans for a tourist excursion railroad on the eight-mile Colebrookdale line between Pottstown and Boyertown are moving forward and picking up support, most recently from a team of 40-or-so volunteers to got together to do a clean-up along the route.

Last weekend, the volunteers, led by the Pottstown Roller Derby Rockstars and folks in Montgomery County’s ARD program performing court-ordered community service, picked up trash along the right of way.

Berks County Subway provided lunch for all volunteers, and the Pottstown Health and Wellness Foundation provided water.

J.P. Mascaro & Sons provided two dumpsters.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130617/NEWS01/130619394/support-for-secret-valley-rail-line-from-boyertown-to-pottstown-picks-up-steam#full_story

Pottstown Cleanup Effort Brings Out Volunteers

Editor’s note:  Evan Brandt did a nice job of promoting a positive event that happened in Pottstown recently which demonstrated some civic pride and community spirit.  Both are in short supply.  We enjoyed reading Evan’s article until this statement caught our eye:

During Monday’s council meeting, Flanders agreed and added, “There are a lot of special interest groups in town who come to borough council asking for fees and permits to be waived.  I didn’t see any of those groups represented and I share that with you as food for thought.”

We have a problem with BM Flander’s comment.  As Borough Manager, you should be trying to unite factions, bring people together and be the biggest promoter of Pottstown.  Instead, we get the above “finger-pointing” comment.  A total “us and them” statement with a negative connotation.

So Mark, do you think making snide comments will encourage any of these groups to pitch in next time there is a community event like this?  There could be any number of reasons why people did not attend.  Every organization can’t take part in every borough activity.  Many of the organizations you are throwing out as “food for thought” are already doing something for the community.  

It’s time to put away the “tough guy” shtick and start acting like a leader who brings people together.   Maybe try to smile more.  You look angry all the time.  It’s hard to feel the love.

POTTSTOWN — A group of about 50 dedicated volunteers braved the heat recently to help spruce up the borough for the summer.

Unlike some previous efforts, efforts which once had Councilman Mark Gibson declare he would no longer help organize such efforts, this most recent clean-up was “a great success and I want to thank the community for doing an excellent job,” he told council at the June 5 meeting.

“Even during the heat, they showed up and they picked up,” Gibson said.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130611/NEWS01/130619784#full_story

Braddock Mayor To Be Honored By White House As AmeriCorps Alumni

The White House Friday will honor Braddock Mayor John Fetterman as an outstanding AmeriCorps alumni who is a “Champions of Change.”

Mr. Fetterman is one of a dozen lauded for what the White House said is “leveraging their national service experience to become an influential leader in their communities.”

Mr. Fetterman, a Harvard graduate with a master’s degree in public policy, was placed in AmeriCorps service by the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council. He moved to Braddock in 2001 to do the AmeriCorps work. Four years later he became the town’s mayor — winning the election by a single vote — and has been at the forefront of a massive effort to revitalize the once-prosperous town ever since.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-east/braddock-mayor-to-be-honored-by-white-house-as-americorps-alumni-649273/#ixzz23kIFbGM7

Jersey Shore’s Snooki Fined $500 And Given Community Service For Public Drunkeness

Reality “star” Snooki Polizzi of Jersey Shore fame was chastised by a judge, fined $500 and given two days of community service for creating a scene on the beach.  On July 30th an intoxicated Snooki ventured onto the beach, drew a crowd (shock) and disturbed sunbathers by being loud, obnoxious and tripped over people.

Snooki stated her “performance” was not scripted when asked by the judge if this was part of the show.

Snooki left a credit card behind in her haste to leave the courtroom.  An employee ran after her with it. 

Snooki got in further hot water when she tweeted about Newark traffic and the Mayor of Newark threatened her with a ticket for texting and driving.  Home girl can’t get a break no how.

A day in the life of a girl from Poughkeepsie…sigh

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!