Joint Investigation Being Conducted On Pottstown Homicide

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Pottstown Borough Police Chief F. Richard Drumheller announce the joint investigation into a homicide, which occurred outside of residences near Washington and Beech Streets, Pottstown Borough.

On Friday, March 20, 2015 at 11:27 AM, the Pottstown Borough Police Department responded to Washington and Beech Streets for an unresponsive person. The victim, Artie Bradley, age 38 of Pottstown was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Saturday, March 21, 2015 an autopsy was performed on the body of Artie Bradley at the Montgomery County Morgue. The autopsy revealed that Bradley died as a result of multiple gunshots. The manner of death was ruled homicide.

The Pottstown Borough Police Department and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau are investigating this homicide. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pottstown Police Department at 610 970-6570 or Montgomery County Detective Bureau 610 278-3368

Projects Sought For Pottstown Neighborhood Cleanup

POTTSTOWN — As planning for the Pottstown CARES cleanup event moves ahead, those hoping to help spruce up Pottstown’s core neighborhood and generate some activism there are soliciting residents for projects they might undertake.

The CARES project, standing for Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Sustainability, has the three entities working on a community cleanup day scheduled for Oct. 25.

“We are trying to build a list of “doable” spruce- up projects, and the best way for us to do this is to generate a list of residents and their specific concerns/requests,” according to Cathy Skitko, communications director at The Hill School which is partnering with Pottstown borough and school district on the project.

Requests can be emailed to PottstownCARES@pottstown.org, or you can follow the link on the borough’s web page to make requests or register concerns.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130730/NEWS01/130739995/projects-sought-for-pottstown-neighborhood-cleanup#full_story

Activist Invites Pottstown Council To See Poor Living Conditions In Permitted Rental

 

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  We can not stress enough the importance of Mr. Toroney and his fellow Councilors taking an hour out of their day to see this in person.  This is the tip of the iceberg and we think it is HIGH TIME that Pottstown Borough Council starts walking the talk and demonstrating in a tangible way that they have some inkling of interest in the citizens they respresent!  You all could use some street cred!

Thank you to Katy Jackson for continuing to stand vigilant and taking on a job that nobody else is willing to tackle!

POTTSTOWN — It’s supposed to be a warm Saturday afternoon, how about taking in a nice open house?

Well you might find it interesting, but it seems unlikely anyone would use the word “nice” to describe it.

From 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, activist Katy Jackson is inviting anyone interested — and the members of borough council specifically — to come and see the conditions in which a resident of Pottstown has been living at 501 King St.

“Monday I was invited to see the living conditions that a couple have endured for several months,” Jackson wrote in her invitation to council members, which was copied to The Mercury.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120629/NEWS01/120629312/activist-invites-pottstown-council-to-see-poor-living-conditions-in-permitted-rental

Garden Party at Washington/Chestnut Sts Park, Pottstown

Saturday -May 19, 2012 – Garden Party at the Park- From 10-11:30am

Help plant a garden in the park. We’ll be sprucing up the park with annuals and mulch. Last week a small herb garden (donated by Genesis Housing) was planted next to the Police Sub Station building.  A tour of the new Mosaic Community garden at 443 Chestnut St. will be offered for those that are interested.  Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP by Friday, May 18th you will be attending to vivapottstown@hotmail.com

Shots Fired In Pottstown’s Core Neighborhood

Hopefully this is an isolated incident.

http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/10/14/news/doc4e9874474871e880474455.txt

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

The Weather Is Getting Warmer And Problems Are On The Rise In Pottstown’s Core Neighborhood

Now that the weather is warmer and people are involved in more outdoor activities, we are noticing that problems are starting to escalate in the Washington Street Corridor.  The Mercury reported two shootings, in the last week, in that general area as well as a self-inflicted gunshot wound to a third person. 

It appears that noise and loitering are on the rise.  Large groups of people hanging around with nothing in particular to do which is a recipe for disaster.  Idle hands….

It has come to my attention that there is a particular hot spot of activity which needs to be addressed.  If we are serious about cleaning up and stabilizing the core neighborhood through homeownership, we better start putting our money where our mouth is.  The few homeowners in that area are sick of this behavior and are prisoners in their homes.  You will never attract new homeowners with this sort of lawlessness being allowed to go on.  Confronting these people is dangerous and should be handled by law enforcement professionals.

This activity is a black eye for Pottstown and continues to reinforce the stereotype that our community is a ghetto and unsafe.  This is of course not true, but perception is hard to change.  This problem area of town needs immediate and swift attention. 

If we expect PAID to do their job, crime MUST be brought under control.  How is PAID supposed to attract business and industry to Pottstown if this Wild West behavior is tolerated??  Who the hell will invest in Pottstown if we cannot get a handle on criminal activity??  The answer is Section 8 slumlords!

We need to start enforcing the laws we have on the books and being a little more clever.  Again, I suggest cameras for problem areas and beefed up patrols.  If we cannot get the criminal element in this town under control PAID is DOA!

Let’s Talk – Pottstown Community Meeting On April 28th

Genesis Housing Corporation, a 501(c)3  non-profit corporation, will hold a Community Meeting on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 7:00 P.M. at the Ricketts Center, 640 Beech Street, Pottstown, PA 19464.  Community members will be asked for their ideas for a new mural at the Chestnut Street Park and to help to set priorities and develop future projects.  An update on Washington Street neighborhood projects including the new community garden will be discussed.  Information on the Science in the Park event and other upcoming events will be provided.  Community concerns about this area and other sections of the Pottstown will be explored with the hope of setting priorities for future projects.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the proposed mural in the Washington St. neighborhood will speak volumes on the tenacity and determination driving the revitalization of Pottstown.  Genesis Housing Corporation, The Gallery on High and Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization are in collaboration to develop a mural at the park located at Washington and Chestnut Streets.  The artistic coordinators, Cathy Paretti and Erika Hornburg-Cooper of the Gallery on High have selected Robert Louis Williams, an accomplished local artist to design and create the proposed park mural.  Let’s talk about the different types of murals and what this mural should look like – this is the chance for your input.

Judith Memberg, Executive Director of Genesis Housing Corporation, will provide an update on their Washington Street neighborhood housing developments including the rehabilitation of vacant properties for new home buyers and the homeowner rehab programs.  Information about the Pottstown Homeowner Rehab Program will be provided.

Genesis Housing Corporation serves Montgomery County as a non-profit community development organization and is dedicated to the development of affordable housing and to the education of consumers on housing and financial issues.  Genesis Housing Corporation has worked with government agencies, other non-profit agencies and private housing developers to create affordable housing.  Genesis Housing Corporation is certified for counseling for FannieMae, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) and many banks and local government programs.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.genesishousing.org or call 610-275-4357.