Pottsgrove Manor To Host Spinning Demonstrations Saturday, January 9, 2016 From 11:00 am To 3:00 pm

Pottstown, PA  – On Saturday, January 9, 2016 from 11:00am to 3:00pm, historic Pottsgrove Manor will host “Distaff Day,” showing the art of spinning fibers into thread.

From medieval times, the day after the Feast of the Epiphany was known to many Europeans as “Distaff Day.” The distaff, a tool used in spinning, was a symbol of female industry, and Distaff Day was traditionally when women resumed their work after the Twelve Days of Christmas. During this program, visitors will see demonstrations of traditional spinning techniques and learn about the natural fibers that were used to make yarn and thread for textiles. This event will also give guests a chance to enjoy a guided tour of the manor house for the holidays, in the final “Twelfth Night Tours” of the season.

There is a suggested donation of $2.00 per person for this program. The museum shop will also be open throughout the event and will be having a special one-day-only sale – 10% off everything in the store!

The seasonal “Twelfth Night Tours” are running now through Sunday, January 10, 2016 during regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Tours are given on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3:00pm. The site is closed Mondays and major holidays. Groups of 10 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.

#ARTS: Mobile Technology For Dummies

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

The Lehigh Valley Arts Council will host,#Arts: Mobile Technology for Dummies on Wednesday April 30th, 2014 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m at the Butz Corporate Center, 840 Hamilton St., Allentown PA 18101

This interactive session focuses on the adaptation and implementation of mobile technology to help tell the story of your brand, expand your marketing efforts, and grow your sales and business. To hit the ground running, bring your laptop, tablet, and smartphone to this hands-on seminar. Refreshments will be provided.

The member fee is $25; nonmembers pay $45. Tickets are available at www.LVArtsBoxOffice.org 

McDonald’s Offers Free Coffee For Breakfasters

Logo of McCafé (McDonald’s). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NEW YORK (AP) – McDonald’s is offering free coffee to its customers for a limited time as competition for the breakfast crowd intensifies.

The world’s biggest hamburger chain announced Friday that participating U.S. locations will offer small cups of McCafe coffee at no charge during breakfast hours from March 31 through April 13.

McDonald’s said that this is the first time it’s ever had a free coffee event nationwide. Its McCafe product line, which also includes iced coffees and other drinks, debuted in the U.S. in 2009.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20140328_ap_1b9a662a7c944ed3b68c30a4a37c9644.html#zKZw22x0Fl9EoVrC.99

Tastykake Looking Fresh At 100

As an independent company, Tasty Baking Co. didn’t quite make it to Tuesday’s 100th anniversary, selling out to Flowers Foods Inc. in 2011 for $141 million to avoid bankruptcy.

But nearly three years after the rescue, the Tastykake brand – which drips nostalgia in the Philadelphia region, but had failed to break through nationally – has renewed strength.

The Flowers bailout has given workers at Tasty’s bakery in South Philadelphia and delivery-route owners throughout the Mid-Atlantic the chance to celebrate the brand’s centennial.

“Couldn’t be better,” is how Dom Rosa, who has owned a Tastykake delivery route in South Jersey since 2000, described life under Flowers Foods.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20140225_Taskykake_looking_fresh_at_100.html#qDDZokmzwt3ebC40.99

Armstrong’s Yearly Profit Climbs

Armstrong World Industries today reported a small drop in net profits for the fourth quarter but a sizable increase for the year.

For the quarter, net profits slid 1.2 percent to $8.4 million (14 cents a share) from $8.5 million (14 cents a share) in the 2011 quarter.

Sales dipped 1.6 percent to $612.8 million.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/816802_Armstrong-s-yearly-profit-climbs.html#ixzz2LOK0sAFf

Discounts Back After Summer Restaurant Slump

Bigmac mcdonald’s japan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Restaurant discounts and special offers have returned after a recent sales cool-down at some of the nation’s hottest chains, a trend that threatens to squeeze industry profits at a time when food costs are set to rise.

U.S. consumers ate fewer Big Macs at McDonald’s Corp., skipped some caffeine runs to Starbucks Corp. and passed on the occasional burrito at Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. — sending a shiver through the investment community that has grown used to those chains posting strong growth in the face of the nation’s lackluster economic recovery.

McDonald’s on Wednesday vowed to focus more on value after reporting flat sales at established restaurants around the world in July — its worst showing in more than nine years.

Starbucks and Chipotle’s industry-leading same-restaurant sales growth decelerated last quarter, forcing both chains to make adjustments to reinforce their positions.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/business/chi-discounts-back-after-summer-restaurant-slump-20120810,0,212577.story

York-Based Bon-Ton Store’s Bonds Being Shunned By Investors

Investors are shunning Bon-Ton Stores Inc.‘s bonds – a bad sign for the York-based department store chain with seven stores in the Lehigh Valley.

In contrast, other retailers have recently gained from rising consumer confidence in the U.S.

Bon-Ton’s $480 million of 10.25 percent notes due in March 2014 lost 2.8 percent last month, the worst performance of any bonds in the Bank of America Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield Super Retail Index, which climbed 1.7 percent overall. Moody’s Investors Service put its Caa1 rating for the securities on “negative outlook” on Dec. 1, citing the company’s “persistent underperformance.”

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-allentown-bontton-20120103,0,3027398.story