You’re Invited – Free Arts Education Event For The Whole Community!

Three YAA photos

Hello Lehigh Valley Families!

Back by popular demand, the Lehigh Valley Arts Council is proud to present the second annual Young at Art Expo on March 11, 2017. Won’t you join us?

Our goal is to connect families to the arts community in an expo-style event that’s both engaging and educational. Held at Penn State Lehigh Valley from 10:00am to 2:00pm, we invite children of all ages and abilities to enjoy an entertaining and creative day – FREE to Lehigh Valley families!

The day will be jam-packed with hands-on activities and performances from the participating groups, from dance routines and theatre workshops to arts demonstrations and craft projects. Information will be available for classes and camps that are perfect for creative learners.

Come dance, sing, create and play! Enjoy fun with the whole family!

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS AND EXPLORE THE ARTS WITH:

Allegro Dance Studios
The Art Establishment
Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley
Banana Factory Arts Center
The Baum School of Art
Community Music School
Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
The IceHouse Performing Arts Consortium
Let’s Play Books!
Mayura Academy of Dance
Mikayla’s Voice
Nurture Nature Center
Penn State Lehigh Valley
Pennsylvania Youth Ballet
Puertorrican Culture Preservation
Roey’s Paintbox
School of Rock
The Swain School
TLC Charter Arts

Enjoy FREE face painting provided by Funtastic Faces and Body Art!

young-at-art-logo

Great FREE Pottstown Food Program‏

The Borough of Pottstown’s Summer Food Service Program is in full swing serving FREE lunches daily! 
 
Every Monday-Friday from 1-2 PM FREE meals are served at the Memorial Park Pavilion (75 W King Street) for all aged 18 and under! The program is running now until Thursday, August 18th so hurry over! Don’t miss out on this awesome, FREE opportunity!!
 
It is a goal of the program to reach as many children in need of the program’s benefits as possible. They will deliver to numerous sites around Pottstown, and personally oversee the location at the Memorial Park Pavilion.
So far, participation has been great, but they are always looking to gain more youth and offer them a free meal daily.
 
The program is about halfway through but there is still plenty of time for people to benefit!
Share the information with those who need it and those who can help spread the word!
Please contact Kristin Robinson at krobinson@pottstown.org for more information.

10th Annual PEAK Pottstown Celebrates Young Children/YMCA Healthy Kids Day

Date of Event: 4/16/2016
Time of Event: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Description: Join us on Saturday, April 16 from 1-3 pm on the grounds of Pottstown High School for this free event! PEAK, Pottstown’s school readiness initiative is partnering with Pottstown YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day. Fun family activities and resources from more than 40 community organizations are being planned along with music from D.J. Steve, moon bounce, celebrated mascots, and Pipper the Clown to name a few. The YMCA will be providing fitness activities and more. We thank Pottstown Memorial Medical Center http://www.PottstownMemorial.com for once again being the main sponsor for April’s PEAK Month of the Young Child events. For more information contact Jane Bennett – jbennett@pottstownsd.org or 610-256-6370, http://www.peakonline.org.
Location: Pottstown High School
750 N. Washington St
Pottstown, PA 19464

Mosaic Gardens Call For Committee Members & Volunteers!‏

Happy Leap Year 2016!

With a very busy garden season ahead, Mosaic is going all out in its quest to recruit garden committee members and volunteers!  Meetings will be held once per month, beginning mid-March (day and time TBD).

Here’s what we have in store for the 2016 season and as a garden committee member/volunteer, here is what you can be a part of and the great part about it is that there is NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.  Our experienced committee members will provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to help others:

Mosaic is building its newest community garden at Barth Elementary School located on the west side of Pottstown – There will be approximately 20 additional garden beds available for families in the Pottstown area to learn, grow and enjoy more fresh produce at a fraction of the cost in local grocery stores!  There will also be several beds to be used as an educational tool for the students who attend the school!  We need your support in the following areas:

  • Disseminating information about the gardens to the families who live within walking distance of the school located at 467 West Walnut (late-March).  Information to include membership packet, construction timeline and committee contact information.
  • Assistance in recruiting volunteers (families, school students, churches and corporate volunteers) to lay top soil and mulch, assist with building a shed and to create the 20+ garden beds being built (early-April).
  • Speakers and organizers needed for information sessions, workshops and summer activities.  Information sessions will take place in April, workshops and summer activities will be scheduled throughout the entire growing season (May-October).

Mosaic’s two downtown community gardens and its permaculture garden will be up an running, providing more opportunities to educate and support families than ever – Our existing 50+ garden beds will be available to families again this year for planting more, learning more and enjoying more of the produce grown each year!  We are looking to provide families with support and additional education in order to become the great gardeners they dream of being! 

  • Assistance in recruiting volunteers (families, school students, churches and corporate volunteers) to lay top soil and/or mulch throughout the already established garden beds and perimeter beds (early-April).
  • Turn compost in order to sift out and lay the ready-to-use compost and to aerate other compost from last season at each of the three garden locations (late-April).
  • Speakers and organizers needed for information sessions, workshops and summer activities.  Information sessions will take place in April, workshops and summer activities will be scheduled throughout the entire growing season (May-October).
  • Produce Cart – We are in need of a few volunteers to run with our produce cart this summer!  Join  this fun activity happening several days throughout the growing season! The produce cart allows us to sell any garden surplus vegetables donated back to the gardens, to teach youth members how to build a business selling produce on a small scale and gives the garden an opportunity to provide area residents with information regarding their health and wellness.

There are plenty great opportunities available for all skill-sets and areas of interest!  Please consider joining our community garden committee or signing up for one or two of our much needed volunteer days!

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? – you ask?  A special gift pack is given to everyone who turns out to be an awesome facilitator, garden committee member or a volunteer event organizer this season! Check it out:

Each new garden committee member who attends 90% of our meetings during the growing season and signs up to support/organize at least two volunteer opportunities will receive a Mosaic Community Gardens T-shirt of their choice, a Mosaic Community Gardens apron, standard tote bag and a beautiful Mosaic mug along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Each volunteer who organizes and rallies a troop of volunteers that provide support in the gardens for one day or more will receive a Mosaic t-shirt, the jumbo Mosaic Community Gardens Garden Ambassador tote bag and a Mosaic CLT car magnet along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Each volunteer who facilitates one informational session or workshop will receive a Mosaic T-shirt and tote bag along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Each person who assists/supports our summer programming for at least 6 of each 2-hour session during the growing season will receive a t-shirt, gardening apron, a JUMBO tote bag along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Our need for additional committee members and volunteers has never been greater, the benefits and rewards have never been better!

Please sign up to support the “growth” of the Mosaic Community Land Trust Community Gardens today!

It’s EASY!  Simply reply to this email or visit our Facebook or website to sign up or to receive additional information regarding all of the opportunities TODAY!

See Ya’ at the Gardens,

MOSAIC CLT

The Althouse Arboretum Is The Happening Place!‏

Althouse
Arboretum

February, 2016
Awesome First Year!
Trails, programs, conferences, mobile lab and more! Read about all the accomplishment of GreenAllies and the Althouse Arboretum in their first year! Tori Bateman, one of our college interns, put together this entertaining and educational report. As you read it see if your name or picture is in it!

Friends of the Arboretum

Monday, February 22, 7pm
2019 Mimosa Lane, Pottstown
(around the corner from the Arboretum, off Snyder Road)

Join us! All invited! Find out what’s happening, student projects, new opportunities and more! We are a group of interested friends, neighbors, and students who come together once per season to learn, exchange ideas, and discuss possibilities for enriching the Arboretum experience for the community.

We have some new ideas we’d like to share. Hope you can come!
(Here’s more about the Friends)

Programs are Up!

We’ve posted our programs for the coming year. There are children’s programs and adult and family programs. Some details will be added as we go and we’ll keep you posted on the website, on Facebook and in this newsletter.

Native Plant Business

Area high school students are invited to attend a three month class starting February 24th on growing and selling native plants. Here’s more information.

In the News

Ken Hamilton was awarded the prestigious Schuykill Highlands 2015 Trails and best Practices Award at their annual awards meeting. See more here.

More News

Know a high school or college student interested in the environment and sustainability? Send them this link to the Green Allies College Campus Conference. Last year’s conference was highly rated by all and this year’s is looking even better

Sincerely,
Ken Hamilton, Executive Director, Green Allies, Director, Althouse Arboretum
Nancy Baker, Community Coordinator, Althouse Arboretum

The Arboretum

Through cross-easement agreements with Upper Pottsgrove Township, the parcel purchased by the Township will be used as an environmental education center, complete with trails, outdoor classrooms and nature education sites managed and run by GreenAllies with no cost to the Township. All programs, activities, trail work and more is done by Green Allies with input from local students and community members. The Alliance is solely funded by grants and donations. More information is available here 

Join us on Facebook!
Visit us on Pinterest.

Our website!

Find even more events and programs as well as information and history about the Arboretum, and even a wish list. Check it out there!

Upcoming Events

Last chance to vote!


All these projects are worth while and will eventually get done but the project with the most votes gets all! Make your tax-deductible vote NOW for your favorite project!
(Make sure to include the feature you want your $’s to vote for!)

Appliance Recycling Day

Saturday, February 27th   9am to 3pm
Appliances (Air conditioners, dehumidifiers, refrigerators, washers,driers, microwave, etc….)
NO TVs or electronics.
Please drop off only during recycling hours.
Free, Donations appreciated!

Scrap Metal Recycling Day

Saturday, April 2nd   9am to 3pm

Volunteer Days

10am to 3pm – Come any time!

Earth DaySaturday, April 23rd
Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22nd
Sunday, June 26th

Join the fun! We create and maintain the trails, activity areas, and other features of the Arboretum, plant gardens, work on the house and more! Bring the entire family, introduce friends or make new ones at this new community resource.

August Fun, Races And More At The Althouse Arboretum‏

Grand Opening & Community Picnic!
11am to 1pm  Begins with 5k Trail Run at 10am

Come out and join us for a celebration!  We will officially open the Arboretum at 11AM with a very brief ceremony followed by a community picnic.  Come out for food, art exhibits, and other great organizations that will be joining us as we thank all the volunteers that helped create this amazing place called the Althouse Arboretum.  Take the opportunity to enjoy some walks along our trails and find out what the Arboretum is all about.

Sprogel’s Run
5K Race & Walk

Saturday, September 26th, opens at 9am
Cost: $20 for 3 mile run   $10 for Fun Run and Walk

A 5k run along Sprogel’s Run Trail.  Or join other community members in a 1or 2 mile (your choice after the half-way point!) WALK or FUN RUN. Ending at the beautiful Althouse Arboretum where we will be celebrating our GRAND OPENING with a short ceremony and community picnic!
Details, Maps and Registration info here.

Volunteer Days

Saturday & Sunday, August 29th & 30th, 2015,
Come any time in between 10am & 3pm
We’ll be doing a little of everything!
Families welcomed!
No experience necessary!
No preregistration!

Friday Gardening

Every Friday, through September 9am to 11am
We plant, we weed, we plan and more; learning from each other, getting to know one another and enjoying the outdoors, join us!

Also plants are available for purchase.

and lets not forget…

World Honeybee Day

Saturday, August 15th
Bring your favorite snack that requires a little honey. We will have jars of honey for you to enjoy while you walk around and learn about these important friends.

Living History Sundays In August At Pottsgrove Manor‏

Pottstown, PA – Come spend a casual summer Sunday afternoon at historic Pottsgrove Manor and enjoy the 18th century surroundings as volunteers demonstrate colonial trades and pastimes.

On August 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Pottsgrove Manor’s living history volunteers, dressed in colonial period clothing, will be living life the 18th century way. Activities may include needlework, spinning, tape weaving, gunsmithing, hornsmithing, cooking, and more.  Visitors can watch, learn, and even join in!  Activities will vary from week to week, so call ahead or check the site’s webpage at http://www.montcopa.org/PottsgroveManor to find out what will be offered that day.

A donation of $2 per person is suggested for this program. Guests can also tour the manor house, see the museum’s current exhibit, “Pride of Place: The Local Legacy of the Potts Family,” and shop in the museum store on their visit.

The “Pride of Place” exhibit can also be viewed during a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor during regular museum hours now through November 8th. Regular museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tours are given on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3:00 p.m. The site is closed Mondays and major holidays. Groups of then or more should pre-register by calling 610-326-4014.

Pottsgrove Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at  http://www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

Berks Celtic Oyster Fest Saturday, July 18th

The Berks Celtic Oyster fest was established in 2002 as an annual event to raise money so the Berks County Irish-American fraternal association (BCIAFA) can set up an establishment in the community that we can call home. Our event is a celebration of Celtic heritage with food, drink, Irish entertainment and various vendors.

Hours:  11 AM – 9 PM (Rain or shine)

Music from Noon to 9 PM

Admission Price:

$8 + fee (online)

$8 in advance 

$10 at the gate

Children 12 years and younger are free

 Free parking onsite

Willow Glen Park, Sinking Spring

Click here for more information

Pennsylvania Website ‘Fish This’ Is Anglers Best Friend

Website ‘Fish This‘ offers information on the best fishing of Pennsylvania, from fishing guides to hotspots, all in one place.  The site is a great resource for anyone who enjoys fishing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Enjoy your summer and stay safe!

Althouse Arboretum April News‏

Friends of the Arboretum, Hark!

Monday, April 13th 6:30 pm
Under the pavilion at the Arboretum
in case of bad weather, 2019 Mimosa Lane
Will post on the website and Facebook if we move it from the Arboretum.

If you want to know more about what’s going on at the Arboretum (lots!),  if you’d like to participate in the Friends mission to share ideas, develop resources, and plan ways to enrich the Arboretum experience for all, if you want to see how you can become part of the action – come! All invited!

If you can’t attend the meeting, you can still email us your ideas! Your input is valuable!

 

Forest Easter Egg Hunt – A Success!

Over 150 people came out to search for eggs and visit with our very own Easter Bunny. The event was planned, organized and run by Pottsgrove High School’s Spark the Wave Club with healthy snacks donated by Kimberton Whole Foods Douglassville.

Heard someone leaving say, “See, this is what we used to do for Easter at Grandma’s.” – ah, family memories and good times in the making!

Here’s a wonderful article with delightful pictures by the Sanatoga Post where you can read all about it.

 

Pottstown Challenge

Another success! Over $5,000 was raised to meet the Pottstown Challenge. The Greater Pottstown Foundation will now match our $5,000 giving us the funds to provide special summer programs for at-risk and low income children at the Arboretum. The money will pay for transportation, program costs, and provide scholarships for local high school student interns who will run the programs.

Individuals and businesses who contributed will be featured on our soon to be available trail map. You’ll be able to pick one up at the Arboretum or download one from the website. We strongly encourage you to support our sponsors and thank the individuals who support the Arboretum and its programs. There’s still time for individual’s to get on on the map. Just click the Matching Grant Donation button at the website. Put the name you want on the rock in the box and add your $50 donation so we can let everyone know ‘you rock!’ Hurry! Only a little time left!

 

Just for Fun

April is “Garden and Poetry Month!” (No foolin’!)
Message us on Facebook or email us  with your best original short garden or Arboretum Poem. Winners will be announced in May and the winning poem will win a gift card and be posted at the Arboretum!

Wellness Council Of Boyertown Presents The 10th Annual Wellness Fair​

WHEN: SATURDAY MARCH 21, 2015, 10AM – 1PM

WHERE: BOYERTOWN AREA SR. HIGH SCHOOL COMMONS, BEAR AND CUB GYMS

Visit with local wellness vendors for all ages and stages of life.  

Plus receive free water ice by Rita’s of Boyertown, moon bounce, basketball fun, obstacle course and lots of great door prizes.

Click HERE for vendor information

Website and more information: http://www.boyertownwellness.com/wellness-fair.html

Clarks Summit Festival Of Ice Kicks Off This Weekend

Clarks Summit will be a winter wonderland this weekend for the annual Festival of Ice.

“Frozen Fairy Tales” will mark the 11th year of the ice festival, with nearly 60 fairy-tale-themed ice sculptures around the borough’s downtown.

The sculptures, with themes like “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Brothers Grimm” and “Cinderella,” will all be done by Lakeville-based Sculpted Ice Works.

The large number of sculptures and free admission are the main draws for people from all over Northeast Pennsylvania, said Abington Business and Professional Association Executive Director Laura Ancherani. Depending on the weather, the festival averages about 25,000 to 30,000 people over the weekend.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/clarks-summit-festival-of-ice-kicks-off-this-weekend-1.1830500

Plans To Transform Underperforming Burlington Mall

Over the next two to three months, officials in Burlington Township will be getting architectural and civil engineering drawings of what the new Marketplace at Burlington – formerly Burlington Center Mall – will look like, as well as a count of the traffic it is hoped it will generate.

By mid-spring of next year, owner Moonbeam Capital Investments L.L.C. of Las Vegas says, groundbreaking will begin to convert the underperforming mall into a must-see destination off Exit 47A of I-295 for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

If all goes as planned, the $230 million-plus phased conversion will also include manicured green spaces with benches and fountains that seamlessly tie a traditional mall with an open-air town center.

The full build-out is expected to take from two to three years and will be done in stages. The mall will stay open the entire time.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20150124_Plans_to_transform_underperforming_Burlington_mall.html#ryTRJvJqSdssWhue.99

Pittsburgh’s 53rd Light Up Night Continues Grand Traditions

A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its nei...

A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The 53rd-annual Light Up Night on Nov. 22 will offer an additional performance stage in Mellon Square, another new show in Market Square and a three-block area of Smithfield Street where you can enjoy nostalgic dancing in the street. And the Peoples Gas Holiday Market, returning for its sophomore year Nov. 23 to Dec. 23, will be twice the size of last year’s European-style Christmas market.

Mellon Square will host the new Northwest Savings Bank Stage, where Pittsburgh classic-rock bands The Elliotts and Totally 80s will perform on Light Up Night, overlooking Smithfield Street.

Nearby, at the Macy’s Stage on Smithfield Street, Gloria Gaynor will perform to coordinate with the unveiling of the famous Macy’s windows. And on Smithfield Street, visitors can “Dance Through the Decades” as they enjoy live music from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, along with laser effects and bubble machines.

Read more: http://triblive.com/aande/moreaande/4989209-74/market-street-downtown#ixzz2k0I6sLMw 
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