The Sanatoga Post

Published during the week just ended in The Sanatoga Post:

Saturday, May 30

• Siren Test Next Monday At LGS
  The monthly test of emergency sirens at Limerick Generating Staion will occur Monday afternoon. Don’t be alarmed, Exelon Nuclear officials say.
• Another Relay Runs Next Month
  Pottsgrove High School stadium is where this weekend’s big Relay For Life event will be staged. But a smaller, newer effort also takes place next month, just north of us in Boyertown.
• Keep Healthy Next Week
  Free or low-cost clinics galore within a 20-mile radius of Sanatoga will help you keepfit and feeling fine.
• Coach Discusses Communicaton Gap
  A Women of the Workforce speaker talks about how men and women talk differently on the job.
• Pottsgrove Falcons Sports for May 29, 2009
  Who’s playing what, when, and where in the Pottsgrove School District.

Friday, May 29

• Secretary: Ed Fund Plan ‘Not An Option’
  The state education secretary says the proposed Pennsylvania Senate version of the 2010 budget, which would offer no funding increase to Pottsgrove or other school districts, is a raw deal for taxpayers.
• Fairs Would Suffer From Schools’ Plight
  School districts like Pottsgrove won’t be the only casualties if Republicans in the Pennsylvania Senate successfully pass their version of a state budget. County and community fairs get hit too.
• Village, Town Residents Among Graduates
  Two Sanatogans, and more than 80 identified as being from Pottstown (some of whom live in Lower Pottsgrove) were among last week’s proud graduates of Montgomery County Community College.
• School’s World Showcase A Hit
  The eighth graders’ internationally flavored presentation Wednesday in the Pottsgrove Middle School won good reviews.
• Pottsgrove Falcons Sports for May 29, 2009
  Who’s playing what, when, and where in the Pottsgrove School District.

Thursday, May 28

• Board Blisters State Rep Over Funding
  Pennsylvania House Rep. Thomas Quigley knew in advance he was heading into trouble at Tuesday’s Pottsgrove School Board meeting.
• Anticipation Builds At The Ball Fields
  Sure, there were baseball games Wednesday night in Lower Pottsgrove, and soccer practice too; see a gallery of photos. For Pottsgrove Little Leaguers, though, there also was a growing sense of excitement.
• Stuff To Do This Weekend
  Wanna be with a big, partying crowd? Strut on over to Pottsgrove High School stadium, where hundreds of friends and neighbors will Relay For Life. Also chess matches, art displays, guided hikes, and open air markets.
• Pottsgrove Falcons Sports for May 28, 2009
  Who’s playing what, when, and where in the Pottsgrove School District.

Wednesday, May 27

• School Bus Pulled From Curve Ditch
  A sharp curve and ditch on Sanatoga’s North Pleasant View Road claimed another vehicle Tuesday. The Pottsgrove School District bus appeared empty except for its driver, and no one appeared injured.
• Corner Attracts Commissioners’ Attention
  Safety and appearance concerns at the corner of North Charlotte and Mervine streets trouble Lower Pottsgrove commissioners.
• School Meal Prices Higher Next Year
  The cost of buying cafeteria meals in the Pottsgrove School District will rise slightly in 2009-2010. Also, an overview of other actions during a lengthy school board meeting Tuesday night.
• School Rolls Out Red Carpet Friday
  And the award for best short film about algebraic equations goes to …
• Sorry, No Ice Cream Available Here
  Despite what a sign promises, according to a Lower Pottsgrove commissioner, a popular dessert parlor won’t be “opening soon” on Buchert Road.
• Pottsgrove Falcons Sports for May 27, 2009
  Who’s playing what, when, and where in the Pottsgrove School District.

Tuesday, May 26

• Pottsgrove MS Showcases World
  Take a trip around the globe Wednesday without leaving the confines of Pottsgrove Middle School, as its eighth grade students present their World Showcase of international knowledge.
• Parks Board Discusses Bus Trips
  Lower Pottsgrove will consider working with its neighbors on recreational trips. Then, the parks and rec board goes off for a little trip of its own.
• Landscape Waste Collection June 1
  Leaves, tree trimmings, those bulbs that never bloomed. It’s all organic matter that must be composted, not trashed, in Lower Pottsgrove.
• Class President Reigns As Mr. Pottsgrove
  Last week’s revival of the “manhood” competition at Pottsgrove High School, as a fund-raiser to benefit Pottstown’s July 4 activities, was a big success.
• Pottsgrove Falcons Sports for May 26, 2009
  Who’s playing what, when, and where in the Pottsgrove School District.

Monday, May 25

• Last Day For Carnival Fun
  The Memorial Weekend carnival in the parking lot at Sanatoga’s Sunnybrook Ballroom ends tonight. Get in a last-minute ride, play a game, and scarf down some cotton candy.
• Notebook Worthy
  Perfect timing in a veterans’ announcement, perfect pitch in a Spring City concert, and a new record in Lower Pottsgrove.
• Teen Dancers Walk As Relay Team
  Participants in Lower Pottsgrove’s Club Revive form a team, and work Sunday at a car wash, to join the fight against cancer.
• What They Sold For
  A weekly review of top prices paid for homes in Lower Pottsgrove and surrounding municipalities.
• Pottsgrove Falcons Sports for May 25, 2009
  Who’s playing what, when, and where in the Pottsgrove School District.

Sunday, May 24

• The Post Week In Review
  For May 17-23, 2009.

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail ‘The Post.’

Exelon Nuclear's Limerick Generating Station.

LIMERICK PA – Exelon Nuclear will conduct a routine test  Monday (June 1, 2009) at 2 p.m. of emergency siren systems surrounding the Limerick Generating Station, the company said. Residents near the plant may hear a steady tone for a period of 3 minutes. The test is performed on the first Monday of each month as part of Exelon’s emergency preparedness program.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

The sirens are one of several methods emergency management authorities use to notify the public of emergencies such as fires, floods, tornadoes, hazardous material releases, or nuclear energy plant events.

Additional information on emergency preparedness can be found at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency web site, and just in case …

If an actual emergency occurred:

• Residents should tune to one of the county Emergency Alert System radio or television stations for further information.
• Residents should refer to the “emergency” section of their telephone books for further emergency response information.
• Should a siren fail to activate, local police and firefighters would alert residents using mobile public address systems or door-to-door notifications.

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

POTTSTOWN PA – “How to Bridge the Women-Men Communication Gap in the Workplace,” a presentation by Clara Console, director of training and marketing for MidAtlantic Employers’ Association, was the topic heard Tuesday (May 26, 2009) by members of the TriCounty Area Chamber’s Women of the Workforce (WOW) during their luncheon in Brookside Country Club.

“If we can understand each other a bit better, we can become even better colleagues, bosses, and employees,” Console said, as she coached those in attendance. She noted, too, how women and men communicate differently. Console reported that males communicate to report and compete; females communicate for rapport and to collaborate. Men, on average, use 2,000 words a day, while women use in upwards of 7,000 words a day.

Understanding communication styles can minimize differences in the workplace, according to Console, who highlighted “shared understanding” – sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings – as the best way to communicate successfully. Both sexes, she added, can bridge the gap in the workplace by understanding their differences, valuing those differences, borrowing from each other, avoiding blame, and being diplomatic.

This event was presented by the chamber and sponsored by IKEA Home Furnishings of Conshohocken PA and Soroptimist International of Pottstown. 

The next Women of the Workforce luncheon will feature “Cultivating Productive Workplace Relationships,” presented by Ross DeSimone, managing director of the Corporate Psychological Resource Center, on June 23 (2009; Thursday) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in The Lakeside Inn, Limerick PA.

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

Strawberies and whipped cream make for a tasty fund-raiser.

BOYERTOWN PA – With all eyes on Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township this weekend, as the nationally renowned Pottstown Area Relay For Life gets under way in the stadium at Pottsgrove High School, it’s worth mentioning that a similarly ambitious but newer effort is scheduled for next month.

The Boyertown Relay for Life, a fund-raiser like Pottstown’s to benefit the American Cancer Society, will be held June 26-27 (2009; Friday and Saturday) in Memorial Stadium at Boyertown Area Senior High School, 120 N. Monroe St.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

This will be Boyertown’s second year of operation; Pottstown’s relay is in Year 11. Hopes for raising cash and cancer awareness are just as strong in Boyertown, though, 13 miles north of Sanatoga, as they are locally.

That’s why Linda Nunan (above) of Hickory Park Restaurant, at the intersection of Routes 663 and 73 in Gilbertsville PA, could be found offering home-made strawberry shortcake parfaits May 17 (2009; Sunday) during the New Hanover (PA) Township Community Day outside Freed’s Market. She and members of the “Because We Care” relay team were whipping up cream and dollars with every sale, and obviously were having fun to boot.

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

SANATOGA PA – Health care news for Sanatogans (and anyone else!), May 31-June 6, 2009:

The June date of the Intensive Diabetes Management Program sponsored by Phoenixville Hospital has yet to be announced. For more information, call Marianne McAndrew at Medtronic Diabetes, toll-free 800-999-9859 Ext. 2931

Monday, June 1

A four-week series of birth prep classes for new and expectant parents is scheduled to begin June 1 (2009; Monday) from 7-9 p.m. in Conference Center rooms A and B at Phoenixville Hospital, 140 Nutt Rd., Phoenixville PA. Subsequent dates will be announced to participants. A fee of $85 per couple will be charged. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call 610-983-1288.

Tuesday, June 2

The next program, titled “Monitoring and Managing Your Blood Sugar,” of the diabetes support group at Phoenixville Hospital will be held June 2 (2009; Tuesday) from 7-8:15 p.m. in Conference Center Room A of the hospital medical building, 140 Nutt Rd., Phoenixville PA. New members are asked to arrive by 6:45 p.m. For information, call 610-983-1288.

A breast-feeding class for new and expectant mothers is scheduled to be held June 2 (2009; Tuesday) from 7-9 p.m. at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, 1600 E. High St., Pottstown PA. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call 610-327-7213.

Thursday, June 4

How's your blood pressure?

Blood pressure screenings will be conducted by staff members from Phoenixville Hospital on June 4 (2009; Thursday) from 2-4 p.m. at Genuardi’s Supermarket, 70 Buckwalter Rd., Royersford PA.

Blood pressure screenings will be conducted by staff members from Phoenixville Hospital on June 4 (2009; Thursday) from 4-6 p.m. at Redner’s Warehouse Market, 202 Schuylkill Rd., Phoenixville PA.

A vein clinic conducted by Dr. Edward Pavillard for Pottstown Memorial Medical Center will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room 2 of the Chesmont Office Building, 13 Armand Hammer Blvd., Pottstown PA. For more information and to register, call 610-327-7662.

Bringing order to your home by getting rid of its clutter is the topic of a Pottstown Memorial Medical Center “Healthy Woman” seminar to be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Chesmont Office Building, Classrooms 1 and 2, on Armand Hammer Boulevard across the street from the hospital in Pottstown PA, For more information or to register, call 610-327-7662.

An infant preparation class for new and expectant parents is scheduled to be held June 4 (2009; Thursday) from 7-9 p.m. at Phoenixville Hospital, 140 Nutt Rd., Phoenixville PA. A fee of $10 per couple will be charged. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call 610-983-1288.

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

• None scheduled

Provided by HighSchoolSports.net

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

More and more of our neighbors are going hungry.
We can help them. Click here or on the graphic above and visit FeedingAmerica.org.

Published as a public service by The Sanatoga Post

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail ‘The Post.’

Gerald Zahorchak

HARRISBURG PA – A Pennsylvania Senate proposal that would use federal economic stimulus money earmarked for school districts to instead plug a deficit gap in the state budget was decried Thursday (May 28, 2009) by the state’s education secretary as a move that would “shortchange our children, halt … academic gains and threatens … global competitiveness of our workforce.”

Approval of the Senate plan would force districts “to raise property taxes, or cut effective programs and lay off staff, or both,” Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak argued. Those same fears were echoed Tuesday (May 26, 2009) by members of the Pottsgrove School District Board of School Directors as they grilled state Rep. Thomas Quigley about the Legislature’s intentions in funding education.

Zahorchak said the Senate bill, under consideration but not yet approved, would eliminate a $418 million increase in 2009-2010 school district funding suggested by Gov. Ed Rendell and instead give districts the same amounts of money received from the state last year.

It also would capture $317 million in stimulus funds and divert them to help offset the current budget deficit. “The Senate’s education spending plan violates the spirit and intent of the federal stimulus funding,” Zahorchak charged. Worse still, he added, it would set the state up for larger education funding problems in two years.

The Senate proposal “is not an option for the educational future of Pennsylvania,” Zahorchak claimed.

Photo from PA Department of Education

Related:

• Fairs Would Suffer Schools’ Plight
• Board Blisters State Rep Over Funding
• School Board Approves Tentative Budget
• Stimulus Lowers District Deficit, Not Taxes

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

Say goodbye to apple pie in Mount Nebo.

HARRISBURG PA – School districts would not be the only victims of severe funding changes if a Pennsylvania Senate budget proposal is enacted, the state agriculture secretary reported Wednesday (May 27, 2009). County and community fairs – those bastions of the largest tomatoes grown, best cows milked and tastiest apple pies baked – apparently would suffer too.

In fact, the mere threat of a loss of funds has already forced the Mount Nebo Grange Fair in Allegheny County to cancel its three-day run for the first time in 38 years, according to Secretary Dennis Wolff. He called it “a sign of things to come” if the Legislature ultimately approves the budget promoted by Republicans under Senate Bill 850.

Locally, the bill has been a source of consternation in the Pottsgrove School District. The district Board of School Directors expected an increase in state educational subsidies for 2009-2010, primarily as a result of new federal economic stimulus money. The Senate bill would wipe out those anticipated gains, and capture the extra revenue to offset Pennsylvania’s $3 billion deficit.

As the schools’ money might go, so too would the fairs’, Wolff claimed. “Many fairs rely on state funding to operate,” he said. “Unfortunately, with this funding in jeopardy, some fairs may not be able to function this year at all.”

That’s already happened to the Mount Nebo Grange. Admission to its fair, which features poultry and eggs, vegetables, fruits, baked goods, art, antique farm equipment exhibits and more on an acre of property near Sewickley PA, was free, but entirely dependent on a state subsidy. Facing the possibility its money would dry up, the grange canceled this year’s event.

Photo from Clipart.com

Related:

• Board Blisters State Rep Over Funding
• School Board Approves Tentative Budget
• Stimulus Lowers District Deficit, Not Taxes

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

When in another nation, it helps to look as the natives look.

POTTSTOWN PA – Pottsgrove Middle School students went around the world in just one day during eighth graders’ World Showcase presentations Wednesday (May 27, 2009) in the school’s gym, 1351 N. Hanover St.

“The students used this activity as a final assessment to all they learned throughout the year” in geography, social studies and related courses, school Principal William Ziegler said by e-mail. Students were tasked with selecting a country, and then were required during the showcase “to lead a persuasive presentation, convincing their fellow students to visit that country,” Ziegler said.

The school’s World Showcase is modeled on the original exhibits found in EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow theme park at Disney World in Florida.

No cultural experience is complete without music.

Besides being packed with students and their displays, the gym also received a steady stream of parents and other visitors. The event was free and open to the public.

Photos by William Ziegler

Related:

• Pottsgrove MS Showcases World

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.