The Sanatoga Post

Charlie Dent

WASHINGTON DC – Lower Pottsgrove Congressman Charlie Dent (PA 15th Dist.), was among Republicans in the House who supported legislation Thursday (Sept. 17, 2009) to deny all future public funding for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). The measure, which was attached to a student aid billed, passed 345-75, the Associated Press reported.

ACORN has come under heavy scrutiny for allegations that some of its volunteers and officials falsified voter registration forms, and could not be depended on to conduct a fair and accurate count for next year’s Census. Most recently, ACORN workers in Brooklyn were shown on video tape suggesting that a woman posing as a prostitute should lie about her profession and launder her earnings.

ACORN chief executive officer Bertha Lewis on Wednesday called actions by a handful of the group’s employees “indefensible.” She immediately ordered an independent audit and investigation of ACORN’s internal systems.

“It’s time to shut them down,” Dent said of the group, which was organized to find housing for the disadvantaged.

A bill similar to that of the House was approved 83-7 three days earlier by the Senate. Neither initiative to cut ACORN’s funding can take effect until bills to which they are attached are signed into law by President Obama.

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SANATOGA PA – What Pottstown Memorial Medical Center employees describe as growing frustration between their union representatives and hospital owner Community Health Systems (CHS), over an alleged lack of progress in labor contract talks, resulted Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 16, 2009) in a worker rally staged at historic Sunnybrook Ballroom.

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center.

Differing contract language proposals regarding health insurance contributions and pension benefits are said to be at the heart of the dispute between Tennessee-based CHS and workers at the hospital, 1600 E. High St., Pottstown PA, who are members of Chapter 1199-P of the Pennsylvania health care division of Service Employees International Union.

A two-year labor agreement between the hospital and the union expired Aug. 31. Both parties were scheduled to resume negotiations today.

The union represents about 300 PMMC employees, including some licensed nurses, nursing assistants, technical professionals like radiologists and laboratory specialists, and maintenance and service workers. Across the state, the union said it represents workers at 30 acute care facilities.

Montgomery County (PA) Commissioner Joseph Hoeffel and Pottstown Mayor Sharon Thomas were among featured speakers during the rally at Sunnybrook, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Pottstown PA, which was attended by about 70 people.

Such rallies have become common in the hospital-SEIU relationship. A similar gathering was staged in March 2007, when the union issued a 10-day advance strike notice as negotiations stalled after a February contract expiration. That earlier contract had lasted three years. Similar issues were in contention during the 2007 talks, but no strike was held and an agreement was signed only days later.

CHS, a for-profit company based in Brentwood TN and listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol CYH, purchased the formerly non-profit hospital in July 2003. The company earned $3 billion in net operating revenues in the second quarter of 2009, it reported July 30 (2009).

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SANATOGA PA – Weekend activities for Sanatogans (and anyone else!), Sept. 18-20, 2009:

• These events have been added to The Post calendar.

Friday, Sept. 18

Up for a challenge? The Amity Chess Club meets from 7-10 p.m. at St. Paul’s UCC Church, 1312 Old Swede Rd., Douglassville PA, for chess matches and lessons at all ages and skill levels. For more information, call 610-385-6324.

DJ Bruce Miller will play recorded hits from the 1950s through the ’80s during an adult dance and mixer scheduled from 8 p.m. to midnight in Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Sanatoga PA. A happy hour event will be held from 7:30-8:30 p.m. A $10 admission fee will be charged at the door; a coupon discounting the price by $5 is available from the Sunnybrook website. Proceeds benefit the Sunnybrook restoration fund.

Saturday, Sept. 19

Bargain hunters at an earlier Historical Society yard sale at its Sanatoga Chapel headquarters.

A community yard sale sponsored by the Lower Pottsgrove Historical Society will be open to the public from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the society’s headquarters at Sanatoga Chapel, 2341 E. High St., Pottstown PA. The sale will be held in good weather only; no rain date is scheduled. For more information or to reserve a space, call at 610-239-9473.

Joanna Furnace, a historic remnant of Berks County’s thriving early iron industry, will be open for visitors from 7 to 11 a.m. for its monthly Furnace Operation Day. The furnace, three miles north of Morgantown PA on Route 10, was purposely sited in an area rich with iron ore, abundant woodland for charcoal, limestone, and waterways to provide power. For more information, call 610-286-0388.

A free birding outing to explore the meadows and wetlands of Black Rock Sanctuary, a unique fall migration site along the Atlantic Flyway, will be held from 8-10 a.m. at the sanctuary, 953 Black Rock Road, Phoenixville PA (on Route 113 between Riverwalk Drive and Winding River Boulevard).  Walkers may see migrating warblers, vireos, orioles, and tanagers.  Learn about birds that inhabit the area from instructor and naturalist Vincent Smith.

An outdoor flea market open to the public for both selling and buying will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the grounds of Hope United Methodist Church, Monocacy Creek Road and Route 422, Douglassville PA. Organizations, individuals, small businesses and crafters are needed. Sellers’ tables cost $10. For more information, call Chris at 610-689-8375.

Visitors enjoy nature dring an earlier Perkiomen Watershed botany walk at Green Lane.

Join the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy as it explores the wonders of the Perkiomen Creek Watershed with a botany walk scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. along Swamp Creek at the Girl Scouts’ Camp Laughing Waters, near the intersection of Colonial and Fagleysville Roads, Gilbertsville PA. The free, guided walk will last from 90 minutes to two hours, and is ideal for adults interested in learning more about the natural world. For more information call 610-287-9383.

The Boyertown PA Farmers Market will operate from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 100 S. Walnut St., Boyertown PA. The market is located in the parking lot of The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, two blocks south of the intersection of Routes 562 and 73. Its farmer-vendors offer a selection of produce, beef, poultry, and baked goods.

The annual Upper Providence Township Community Day will be held from 1-9 p.m. in Chester County’s Black Rock Park, Route 113, Phoenixville PA. The event, sponsored by the township Parks and Recreation Department, features three different live bands on its main stage from 1-8 p.m., a local crafts and products marketplace from 1-6 p.m., kids’ games and entertainment throughout the day, and food for sale. A fireworks show will end the day. For more information, call 610-933-9179.

As the length of daylight shortens, colorful and fascinating monarch butterflies begin to migrate south. Many questions remain unanswered about the migration of monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains. Help rangers at Warwick County Park monitor and tag butterflies from 2-3:30 p.m. in the park, 382 County Park Rd, Knauertown PA. For more information, call 610-469-1916.

A musical tribute to Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline is on the agenda by performers who will take the stage beginning at 8 p.m. in Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Sanatoga PA. The event is a fund-raiser for the Phillies Fire Company. Tickets are available for purchase online or by calling the Sunnybrook box office Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon, or from 1-4:30 p.m. at 484-624-5186.

Sunday, Sept. 20

A flea market; car, truck, and motorcycle show; and a country barbecue all are scheduled to be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Spring Valley YMCA, 19 W. Linfield-Trappe Rd., Limerick PA.

A recognition ceremony for servicemen and women across the state who are designated as prisoners of war or missing in action will be conducted by the Pottstown Joint Veterans’ Council at Noon in Memorial Park, King Street, Pottstown PA. Members of the Friends of the Forgotten motorcycle  club will read the names of all of Pennsylvania’s POW and MIA veterans. Members of Pottsgrove’s Elmer S. Friedberg American Legion Post 244 and Pottstown Chapter 565 of the Vietnam Veterans of America will be among the participants.

A lock tender’s open house, a nature hike, and a special reading of the book “More Trees Please,” are featured from 1-4 p.m. at the tender’s house in the Schuylkill River Canal Park, Route 29, Mont Clare PA. The book is written by Rich Wood, regional trails manager for the Montgomery County parks department. The event is sponsored by the Schuylkill Canal Association of Mont Clare.

A walk-and-talk program on Native American history with instructor Ruth King will be held at 2 p.m. in Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, New Mill Road, Oaks PA, by the Montgomery County (PA) Parks and Heritage Services Department. A $2 donation is suggested. For more information, call 215-234-8497.

Photo by the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy

The MCCC women's soccer team won its first game of the season Tuesday.

BLUE BELL PA – Seven former area high school athletes – two from Pottsgrove, two from Pottstown, and one each from Boyertown, Spring-Ford, and Phoenixville – were welcomed last week to Montgomery County Community College during a special reception at the Blue Bell PA campus as its Mustangs teams prepare to compete in their first season of inter-collegiate play.

Among those being honored were:

• Ryan Parrish and John Fordyce, both of whom graduated from Pottsgrove High School, and will play for baseball Coach Lou Lombardo;
• Ronnie Levan and Andre Brown, both of whom graduated from Pottstown High School. Levan also will play baseball; Brown will play basketball for Coach Denny Surovec;
• Katelyn Martin of Boyertown High and Sarah Tucker of Spring-Ford High, both of whom will play for women’s soccer Coach Tim McNally; and
• Phoenixville High graduate Janay Winston, who will play women’s basketball for Coach Kelly Donohue.

President Dr. Karen A. Stout and other MCCC officials attended to demonstrate the college’s commitment to its student athletes, 54 of whom are new for the 2009-2010 season, according to a Sept. 8 (2009) press release. The Mustangs are members on the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference and the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Photo from Montgomery County Community College

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POTTSTOWN PA – Healthy Families Week starts Oct. 11 (2009; Sunday) from 1-4 p.m. with the Fall Fitness Festival kick-off at the Pottstown branch of the Freedom Valley YMCAs, at the corner of Adams and Jackson streets in Pottstown PA.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

Ready for a free week?

The day will feature a chicken barbecue, disc jockey, petting zoo, moon bounce, swim, dodge ball tournament, and games; in short, YMCA Administrative Services Director Jane Alan reports, “fun for all ages.” Best of all, she adds, guests get to try the Y’s services and amenities during the week at no charge.

Barbecue diners are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance, to be entered into a special prize drawing.

For more information on Healthy Families Week, call the Y at 610-323-7300.

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LOWER POTTSGROVE PAVING CONTINUES – The two blocks of King Street, from North Pleasant View Road east past Hause Avenue in Sanatoga PA, were barricaded to traffic Tuesday (Sept. 15, 2009) as Reid Paving of Gilbertsville PA continued to fulfill the street re-paving contract it signed earlier this summer with Lower Pottsgrove Township. Also scheduled to be completed before colder weather sets in are portions of North Adams Street, Tanglewood Court, Sky Top Road, and Briar Lane.

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SANATOGA PA – The final phase of construction at Buchert Ridge Retirement Community, on the north side of Buchert Road across from Walnut Ridge Drive in Pottstown PA, will be unveiled next Tuesday (Sept. 22, 2009) by its builder, Wil Hallman Retirement Development (WHRD) of Sanatoga PA.

The entrance to the Buchert Ridge Community on Buchert Road.

A mailing distributed Monday (Sept. 14, 2009) announced the construction launch, which will be introduced with a presentation at 11:30 a.m. in the dining room of another WHRD project nearby, Sanatoga Ridge Community at 2461 E. High St., Pottstown PA.

The last piece at Buchert Ridge will be a multi-unit facility called the Creekview Apartment Homes and Community Center. The units are being promoted as featuring spacious floor plans and energy efficiency. The community center includes a hair salon, game room, exercise and dressing area, and a library with Internet access, books and videos.

The apartments are named for a nearby creek that feeds into Sprogels Run from the northern center of Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township.

Landscaping crews finished work last week creating a decorative berm fronting Buchert Road, just west of Kepler Road, where an entrance to Buchert Ridge near the apartments will be located.

For information on the community, call 610-323-5190.

Related:

• Buchert Ridge Unveiling Final Phase

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PHILADELPHIA PA – The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), whose proposals for improving local transportation include the prospect of turning U.S. Route 422 into a toll road, last week announced it had created a new entity to promote and discuss community and economic development.

The agency’s Regional Community and Economic Development Forum will meet quarterly, DVRPC said on its website, “to address current issues in land use, housing, economic development, and transportation in the Delaware Valley region.” The forum will be co-chaired by Montgomery County (PA) Commissioner Joseph Hoeffel and Camden County (NJ) Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr.

The new forum actually represents a merger of two older DVRPC committees: one that addressed only land use and housing, and a second that dealt with land use, transportation, and economic development.

Forum members will be put to work quickly. Their first meeting is scheduled for Sept. 30 (2009; Wednesday) from 10 a.m. to noon on the eighth floor of The ACP Building, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia PA. It intends to hear presentations on “Funding and Resources for the Delaware Valley Region,” and a proposal for a “Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Energy Strategy,” among others.

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POTTSTOWN PA – With a tough ground attack in an unrelenting rain, the Pottsgrove Falcons varsity football team won its second game Friday (Sept. 11, 2009) 45-0 at Pottsgrove High School stadium against Wissahickon High. In anticipation of Game 3 this Friday (Sept. 18, 2009) at home against Boyertown, The Post today offers a brief video of game and stadium clips from last week.

• Watch a Post video of 01m:49s, hosted at YouTube, from the Pottsgrove vs. Wissahickon football game Sept. 11, 2009. Press the “play” button, above.

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Looking south on Heritage Drive toward East High Street.

Residents of nearby homes in Sunnybrook Village contend with the parking problems weekly.

SANATOGA PA – With an increasing number of business and medical professionals relocating to office buildings on Heritage Drive in Sanatoga village, parking there has become a problem. Particularly during mornings, from 7:30 a.m. on, people rushing into their doctors’ first appointments of the day are leaving cars at any nearby curb and impeding traffic.

Enough, already, says Bruce Foltz, chairman of the Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Board of Commissioners. “I’ve been taking a lot of heat on that one” from area residents, he said recently.

Foltz last month was among the first to endorse a commissioners’ resolution that calls for prohibiting parking at all times on Heritage Drive’s southbound side for 212 feet from Sunnyside Avenue to Brookview Lane; and on its northbound side from Sunnyside for 112 feet south. Violators would be ticketed.

The resolution requires a public hearing before it can be approved. It’s been scheduled for the board’s Sept. 24 (2009; Thursday) meeting at 7 p.m. in the township municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA, according to an advertisement published Monday (Sept. 14, 2009) in The (Pottstown PA) Mercury, the township’s newspaper of record for legal notices.

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