The Sanatoga Post

WASHINGTON DC – In his first official act since taking the oath of office, President Barack Obama yesterday (Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009) declared a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation and called on Americans to serve one another and the nation’s common purpose “of remaking this Nation for our new century.”

The inauguration scene Tuesday on the steps of The Capitol, and a portrait of the nation's newest, and 44th, president.

“We are in the midst of a season of trial. Our Nation is being tested, and our people know great uncertainty,” the Obama-signed proclamation said. “Yet the story of America is one of renewal in the face of adversity, reconciliation in a time of discord, and we know that there is a purpose for everything under heaven.

“On this Inauguration Day, we are reminded that we are heirs to over two centuries of American democracy, and that this legacy is not simply a birthright – it is a glorious burden. Now it falls to us to come together as a people to carry it forward once more.”

Photos from WhiteHouse.gov

Send this page to a friend.
Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.

LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – The planned mid-term exam schedule at Pottsgrove High School, 1345 Kauffman Rd.,  didn’t quite work out as hoped Tuesday (Jan. 20, 2009). Blame it on the weather.

The high school’s opening was delayed two hours by frigid temperatures and ice that made driving hazardous and consequently held up school buses in making their rounds. As a result, only English mid-terms were administered Tuesday morning, according to the Pottsgrove School District website.

High schoolers’ exams will continue through Thursday (Jan. 22, 2009), but on a modified schedule. Social Studies mid-terms that would have been held Tuesday are being moved to Thursday from 7:40-9:15 a.m. Similarly, World Language mid-terms will be moved to Thursday from 9:34-11:10 a.m., the website announced. Principal Christopher Shaffer’s earlier announced rules still apply.

World Language? Wonder if that includes Pennsylvania Dutch …

Send this page to a friend.
Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.

Part of nature's bounty.

SANATOGA PA – Annual wild game fund-raising suppers prepared by the staff of Berean Bible Church, 2675 E. High St., in its own kitchen, will again be served this year to what is expected to be more than 400 guests Feb. 6 and 7 from 6-9 p.m. at the church. Tickets are available at the church; for more information, call 610-326-8794.

The dinners are a favorite of church Senior Pastor Jace Erb, who is an avid hunter and outdoorsman with hunting experiences from across the country. The dinners – their specific menus have not been announced – will feature short talks by Erb and local field and stream recreation experts. Proceeds benefit church ministry activities.

Photo by Gabriel Currie

Send this page to a friend.
Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.

Something's missing.

LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – Dental exams at the Pottsgrove School District‘s Ringing Rocks Elementary School, 1401 Kauffman Rd., are scheduled to be held next Thursday (Jan. 29, 2009) at the school. Its nursing office reminds parents who received a notice of the event in the mail that the school nurse must be notified if their child will be examined by a private dentist.

Completed dental reports must be provided to the nursing office as soon as possible, school officials said.

Photo by T.S. Heisele

Send this page to a friend.
Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.

• Boys Middle School Wrestling at Pottstown, 3:30 p.m.
• Boys Freshman Basketball at Boyertown East, 3:30 p.m.
• Boys Varsity Wrestling at home vs. Upper Perkiomen, 6:30 p.m.

Provided by HighSchoolSports.net

Send this page to a friend.
Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.

The Lincoln Bible.

LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – As Barack Obama‘s hand rests on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible and the nation’s new president take his oath of office today (Jan. 20, 2009) at noon, students in Pottsgrove High School likely will be breathing a sigh of relief.

Their first of three days of mid-term tests end at just about the time President Obama’s four-year test gets started.

High schoolers’ mid-terms are being held today through Thursday (Jan. 20-22, 2009) from 7:40-11:10 a.m., Principal Christopher Shaffer announced in a letter to parents. His ground rules for exam days:

• No test, no school. Students who do not have exams scheduled on one or more of the three days (lucky them!) can stay home. The exception is vocational technical students attending the Western Center; they’ve got school whether there’s a test or not.
• Leave the tunes home, too. No iPods or other electronic devices are allowed in testing areas inside the school, 1345 Kauffman Rd.
• Parents make the call. If students are sick on exam days (and hey, who wouldn’t be?), a parent must phone the excuse into the school. Test make-up day for students who are ill will be Pottsgrove Color Day (Jan. 23).
• No roaming. Students who have only one exam scheduled on any of the three days must attend a supervised study hall before, and until, dismissal.
• Take a hike. The last test Thursday (Jan. 22, 2009) ends at 9:15 a.m. Student bus transportation will not be available after that time.

The principal’s tip for student exam success? Study in the afternoon, so material is fresh in your head for the next morning.

Photo by Michaela McNichol at Flickr

Send this page to a friend.
Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.

HARRISBURG PA – Here’s the kind of reminder President Barack Obama really doesn’t need.

The phones are back on today at the state capital (Jan. 20, 2009; Tuesday) to accept unemployment compensation claims in Pennsylvania.

Cash-strapped.

From Friday (Jan. 16) through this morning, state Labor and Industry Acting Secretary Sandi Vito notes, the only way Pennsylvania residents could apply for unemployment benefits was online. That’s because state offices were closed during the weekend, and on Monday for the Martin Luther King federal holiday.

Now, however, workers in the unemployment compensation unit are, um, back on the job. Because demand for their services is (sadly) so strong, Vito ordered an expansion of telephone claims hours. The department now takes calls (toll-free at 888-313-7284) Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Be aware, though, that individuals are advised to call on specific days, based on their Social Security number. People with a Social Security number ending in an even number should call on Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday. Those ending with an odd number should call on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Having people call on varying days “will help to alleviate waiting times and allow us to serve claimants more efficiently,” Vito said Friday (Jan. 16). “The best time to call is later in the week and late in the day,” he added.

Photo from Clipart.com

Send this page to a friend.
Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.

PHILADELPHIA PA – Those who have, or took, the day off to observe the presidential inauguration (lucky you!) will find company today (Jan. 20, 2009; Tuesday) in Center City Philadelphia – 37 miles southeast of Sanatoga – where the city’s Visitors and Convention Bureau expects a large crowd on Independence Mall. Two related, and free, events are scheduled there for visitors.

Outside the Independence Visitors Center at 6th and Market Streets, a giant television screen will project the inauguration for all to see from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. … without the strict Washington DC rules regarding strollers, coolers and backpacks. Visitors can enjoy stress-free viewing, the bureau claims. Bundle up, though; it’ll be cold. For those who’d rather not brave winter temperatures, the center will have an indoor screening as well. Best of all, the center offers public restrooms and refreshment stands. For more information, call 800-537-7676.

History buffs can witness the first peaceful transfer of power during a reenactment of John Adams’ presidential inauguration at 10 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. in Congress Hall, 6th and Chestnut Streets, where the second president took the oath on March 4, 1797. Seating is limited. For more information, call 215-965-2305.

Inches-thick ice builds beneath the dam spillway at Pruss Hill and Schaffer Roads in Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township.

Dedication plaque.

LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – From a distance, ice columns building beneath the water of Sanatoga Creek as it cascades down the dam spillway at Pruss Hill and Schaffer Roads glitter like jewelry in the winter sunshine. Up close, the natural structures created by Sunday’s (Jan. 18, 2009) cold look massive and threatening.

The scene is among what some might call the township’s winter wonders, available for all to best see from the Pruss Hill Road bridge erected by Montgomery County in 1926. A cement plaque testifying to the bridge-builders’ expertise, and the funding for it authorized by politicians of the day, appears on the bridge’s southeast corner.

Nearby property at 2595 Pruss Hill Rd. is owned by the township and dedicated as open space.

The width of the spillway, seen from a distance.

Like to buy the above photos?

Send this page to a friend.
Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.

Getting some help.

WASHINGTON DC – A federal program that would provide health insurance coverage to more than 11 million children in low-income families during the next 5 years won approval last Wednesday (Jan. 14, 2009) in the U.S. House of Representatives, thanks in part to support from Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township‘s congressman, Rep. Charlie Dent.

Dent was among the majority in the 289-139 vote to reauthorize the State Childrens’ Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The federal program, created in 1997 and modeled after similar legislation here in Pennsylvania, is predicted to cost $35 billion through 2014. The bill should be considered for passage by the U.S. Senate this week and, if approved, be sent on to the White House for signing.

“At a time when many people have lost their jobs and their healthcare coverage,” Dent said, “this legislation is critical to making sure that all children have access to quality health care.” He estimated that, of 184,000 Pennsylvania children who receive health care coverage under SCHIP, about 10,000 live in the PA 15th Congressional District that includes Lower Pottsgrove.

Participating SCHIP families must meet certain income eligibility requirements to be able to purchase affordable and comprehensive health insurance for their kids. The coverage includes payments for routine check-ups, immunizations and prescription drugs.

Nationwide, nearly 9.4 million children under the age of 19 are uninsured. Of those, according to stete estimates, 138,560 are uninsured Pennsylvanians.

Photo from Clipart.com

Send this page to a friend.
Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.