The Sanatoga Post

SANATOGA PA – Buy low, sell high. It’s good advice for almost anyone seeking to make a profit, including the developer of property on East High Street near the Sanatoga interchange of U.S. Route 422, where a mound of earthen fill apparently still has room to grow.

About another 11 feet of room, according to Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Manager Rodney Hawthorne.

Earthmoving work earlier this week in Sanatoga.

Developer Charles Tornetta, who owns vacant land near East High Street and Rupert Road, just west of the Turkey Hill convenience store, is piling fill there that ultimately is expected to be leveled across the property. Tornetta can buy the fill inexpensively now, when few other projects need it, so stockpiling it “makes sense,” Hawthorne said Thursday night (Dec. 17, 2009) in a interview following the township Board of Commissioners‘ meeting.

The fill pile, which was started in March and reached a height of 23-1/2 feet Thursday, can actually grow to as high as 35 feet under permits Tornetta holds from the township and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Hawthorne said. More fill likely will be added, the manager acknowledged.

Cleanliness of the fill is being monitored by four different parties, Hawthorne added: the township’s engineering firm, Bursich Associates; the DEP, and two testing laboratories employed by Tornetta. The developer, in a recent conversation with Hawthorne that was requested earlier this month by commissioners, has offered to send the township copies of his labs’ test results.

Those results should arrive within two weeks, Hawthorne said.

Area residents, particularly those in the Woodgate community north of East High Street and west of Rupert Road, have voiced concerns about the potential for contamination of their drinking water wells from unknown elements contained in the fill. The most recent tests by Bursich showed the fill to be clean, engineer Chad Camburn told commissioners.

Related:

• Still Piling It Up At The Interchange
• Sanatoga Soil Mound Concerns Its Neighbors
• Grading Gets Started Near Interchange
• Fill Piles At Sanatoga Exit

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GOODBYES FOR KLOTZ AND DOYLE – In an evening of handshakes, hugs, good feelings and genuine praise, the Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Board of Commissioners said farewell Thursday (Dec. 17, 2009) to departing board members Stephen Klotz, above at right, and Anthony Doyle, below at left, whose seats are being vacated for new commissioners elected during November. The tributes were at times funny and emotional, and the cameraderie shared by board members over a period of four years was on display to an audience of about 15 people. Awards of service, and knitted blankets depicting historic scenes from the township, were presented to both commissioners. Offering the outgoing gifts to Klotz was board Vice President Jonathan Spadt, above at left, and to Doyle was President Bruce Foltz, below at right.

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NORRISTOWN PA – Montgomery County (PA) emergency dispatchers directed police units, firefighters and emergency medical responders within the past 24 hours to a variety of incidents. A selective list of their activity appears below.

The entries are taken from publicly available feeds supplied by the county Department of Public Safety. Feed content has been edited by The Post for relevance to readers in Lower Pottsgrove and Limerick PA townships, the borough of Pottstown, and surrounding municipalities. It consequently is incomplete and is not intended to be comprehensive.

In most cases, the entries can be read as:

1. Type of service (EMS = emergency medical services, Traffic = police, Fire = firefighters);
2. Type of incident (vehicle accident, etc.)
3. Location of incident (usually by closest intersection or landmark, and the name of the municipality)
4. Date and time of the incident (YYYY-MM-DD) @ (“at”) (HH:MM:SS) in military time format.

Dec. 17, 2009

EMS: Respiratory Emergency
Carmen Dr; Collegeville; 2009-12-17 @ 23:37:04;

EMS: Unknown Medical Emergency
Brooke Rd & Bahr Rd; Lower Pottsgrove; 2009-12-17 @ 23:18:52;

EMS: Hemorrhaging
Pebble Beach Dr & Augusta Ave; Limerick; 2009-12-17 @ 23:10:46;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident Rescue
Rt422 & Mingo Rd Underpass; Upper Providence; 2009-12-17 @ 23:05:13;

Fire: Vehicle Accident
Rt422 & Mingo Rd Underpass; Upper Providence; 2009-12-17 @ 23:03:01;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident Injuries
Rt422 & S Trappe Rd Underpass; Upper Providence; 2009-12-17 @ 22:16:03;

EMS: Cardiac Emergency
Old Schuylkill Rd & E Schuylkill Rd; Chester County; 2009-12-17 @ 20:32:12;

EMS: Unknown Medical Emergency
Logan St & Mineral St; Pottstown; 2009-12-17 @ 19:24:09;

Fire: Unknown Type Fire
Boxwood Ct & Mimosa Ln; Upper Pottsgrove; 2009-12-17 @ 19:23:25;

EMS: Fever
Big Rd & Colonial Rd; Upper Frederick; 2009-12-17 @ 18:08:24;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident
Montgomery Ave & E 5th St; Douglass; 2009-12-17 @ 17:38:39;

Fire: Fire Alarm
Scenic View Dr & Creekwood Dr; Skippack; 2009-12-17 @ 17:35:25;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident Injuries
High St & Sunnybrook Rd; Lower Pottsgrove; 2009-12-17 @ 16:50:55;

EMS: Abdominal Pains
Veterans Dr & Brown Dr; Chester County; 2009-12-17 @ 16:34:57;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident Fire Police
Rt422 Byp & S Hanover St Underpass; Chester County; 2009-12-17 @ 15:59:47;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident Unknown Injuries
High St & Moser Rd; Pottstown; 2009-12-17 @ 15:15:12;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident Stand-By
S Trappe Rd & Bechtel Rd; Upper Providence; 2009-12-17 @ 14:59:08;

EMS: Unconscious Subject
From Montco Dispatcherhigh St & Wilson Rd; Pottstown; 2009-12-17 @ 14:42:30;

EMS: Back Pains/Injury
Bunker Way & Putter Ln; Limerick; 2009-12-17 @ 14:23:51;

EMS: Cardiac Emergency
Arcola Rd & Springhouse Dr; Upper Providence; 2009-12-17 @ 13:42:38;

EMS: Subject In Pain
High St & Brown St; Lower Pottsgrove; 2009-12-17 @ 13:39:55;

EMS: Cardiac Emergency
Linfield Trappe Rd & Weaver Ln; Limerick; 2009-12-17 @ 13:14:49;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident Fire Police
Bridge Rd & Skippack Pike; Skippack; 2009-12-17 @ 12:54:41;

Fire: Vehicle Accident
Bridge Rd; Skippack; 2009-12-17 @ 12:54:25;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident
Ridge Pike & Kline Rd; Upper Providence; 2009-12-17 @ 12:24:59;

EMS: Fall Victim
3rd Ave & E Main St; Collegeville; 2009-12-17 @ 11:12:07;

EMS: Cardiac Emergency
Hoffecker Rd & E Hoffecker Rd; Chester County; 2009-12-17 @ 09:07:51;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident
Rt422 EB & Ramp Rt422 EB To Egypt Rd; Upper Providence; 2009-12-17 @ 09:01:22.

EMS: Diabetic Emergency
Macoby St & E 5th St; Pennsburg; 2009-12-17 @ 08:43:33.

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Thursday's story at the website of WPVI-TV.

POTTSTOWN PA -The 18-year-old Pottsgrove High School male who was driving a sports utility vehicle involved in a Route 100 accident Saturday (Dec. 12, 2009), which resulted in the deaths of two Pottstown High School students, was said to be an uninsured motorist, Philadelphia television station WPVI Channel 6 reported today (Thursday, Dec. 17) at mid-day.

“The spokesman for the Pottstown School District tells Action News that the driver in a deadly crash that killed two students did not have insurance,” a WPVI story updated at 12:49 p.m. today claimed. Although the story did not cite the spokesman by name, all comments made on behalf of the school district so far have come from John Armato, its director of community relations.

Because “the driver did not have insurance, the families will have to pay funeral expenses out-of-pocket,” WPVI added. “To help them, memorial funds have been established,” it said. Donations were being sought for the funds, set up separately in the names of victims Breanne Brothers and Andrea Antonio-Harris at the Harleysville National Bank branch at 1500 E. High St., Pottstown PA, just west of Sanatoga village.

The television station, which relies heavily on social media to promote its upcoming stories, simultaneously issued a Twitter.com Tweet on the development.

The office of Montgomery County (PA) District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said Monday (Dec. 14) it was continuing to investigate the one-car accident in which the two girls, the driver, and three other passengers – one of them also a Pottsgrove student – were traveling. A statement, approved by Vetri and released on the DA’s website, makes no reference to the driver’s alleged lack of insurance.

Neither the driver or the other injured passengers have been identified by Vetri’s office by name, only by the schools they attended.

Allentown PA television station WFMZ confirmed the establishment of the separate funds in a story it posted today at 12:52 p.m. It did not mention the driver.

Screen shot from the website of WPVI-TV

Related:

• Services Set For Pottstown Accident Victim
• Candles Flicker In Students’ Memorial
• Dealing With Grief In Accident Aftermath
• Two Killed, Others Injured in Route 100 Accident

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The township municipal building.

SANATOGA PA – The local government calendar year officially ends – for its politicians, at least – following tonight’s (Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009) meeting of the Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Board of Commissioners. It begins at 7 p.m. in the township municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

It’s an evening of fond farewells: two commissioners, Stephen Klotz and Anthony Doyle, will vacate their chairs at the board table. It’s an evening of howdy-dos, too: incoming commissioners Michael McGroarty and James Kaiser will be ready to step up and fill those pre-warmed seats once they are sworn into office.

It’s a night of big money: the township’s 2010 tentative and relatively uncontroversial budget of $5.439 million is likely to be approved, as well as its accompanying property tax rates and other taxes.

None of the rates are scheduled to change from last year’s levels, thanks to what is expected to be an infusion of several hundred thousands of dollars from the township savings account, its fund balance. Commissioners note, however, that due to cost-cutting and other savings the fund balance with which Lower Pottsgrove ends next year should contain as much or more free cash than the current year.

It could be a night of explanation: township officials may publicly respond on their contacts with developer Charles Tornetta regarding property he owns on the north side of East High Street, just west of the Turkey Hill convenience store. Earthen fill has been piling up there during recent months, and commissioners directed Manager Rodney Hawthorne to talk with Tornetta about his plans for it.

And if will be a night of legislative heavy-lifting: the board is expected to approve the adoption of new township building codes.

A copy of the agenda for tonight’s meeting was not available today as of 5:35 a.m. It likely will be accessible later today for download from the township’s website.

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NORRISTOWN PA – Montgomery County (PA) emergency dispatchers directed police units, firefighters and emergency medical responders within the past 24 hours to a variety of incidents. A selective list of their activity appears below.

The entries are taken from publicly available feeds supplied by the county Department of Public Safety. Feed content has been edited by The Post for relevance to readers in Lower Pottsgrove and Limerick PA townships, the borough of Pottstown, and surrounding municipalities. It consequently is incomplete and is not intended to be comprehensive.

In most cases, the entries can be read as:

1. Type of service (EMS = emergency medical services, Traffic = police, Fire = firefighters);
2. Type of incident (vehicle accident, etc.)
3. Location of incident (usually by closest intersection or landmark, and the name of the municipality)
4. Date and time of the incident (YYYY-MM-DD) @ (“at”) (HH:MM:SS) in military time format.

Dec. 16, 2009

Traffic: Disabled Vehicle
Layfield Rd & Hoffmansville Rd; New Hanover; 2009-12-16 @ 18:24:45;

Traffic: Disabled Vehicle
S Collegeville Rd & Perkiomen Blvd; Upper Providence; 2009-12-16 @ 17:33:53;

EMS: Abdominal Pains
High St & N Park Rd; Lower Pottsgrove; 2009-12-16 @ 17:33:39;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident
S Grosstown Rd & Old Reading Pike; West Pottsgrove; 2009-12-16 @ 17:24:14;

Fire: Vehicle Accident
S Lewis Rd; Upper Providence; 2009-12-16 @ 17:23:29;

EMS: Vehicle Accident
S Lewis Rd; Upper Providence; 2009-12-16 @ 17:17:45;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident Stand-By
S Lewis Rd & Bechtel Rd; Upper Providence; 2009-12-16 @ 17:14:26;

Fire: Electrical Fire Outside
Yeager Rd & Willowbrooke Ln; Upper Providence; 2009-12-16 @ 17:06:07;

EMS: Assault Victim
Blaker Dr & Hamilton Rd; East Greenville; 2009-12-16 @ 17:00:35;

EMS: Unconscious Subject
Voit Dr & Skippack Pike; Skippack; 2009-12-16 @ 16:27:32;

EMS: Fall Victim
Walden Ct & Lakeside Dr; Limerick; 2009-12-16 @ 16:04:31;

EMS: Unresponsive Subject
Elio Cir & Harvard Dr; Trappe; 2009-12-16 @ 15:46:11;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident Unknown Injuries
S Grosstown Rd & W High St; West Pottsgrove; 2009-12-16 @ 15:32:59;

EMS: Fall Victim
Skippack Pike & Mensch Rd; Skippack; 2009-12-16 @ 14:32:09;

EMS: Vehicle Accident
W Philadelphia Ave; Berks County; Station Ems; 2009-12-16 @ 14:30:11;

EMS: General Weakness
Merion Dr & Woodcrest Cir; Limerick; 2009-12-16 @ 13:25:05;

Traffic: Disabled Vehicle Blocking
Swamp Pike & Sanatoga Rd; New Hanover; 2009-12-16 @ 13:06:26;

EMS: Nausea/vomiting
Paper Mill Rd & West Branch Rd; Douglass; 2009-12-16 @ 12:24:04;

Fire: Building Fire
High St & N Park Rd; Lower Pottsgrove; 2009-12-16 @ 12:17:07;

EMS: Altered Mental Status
Red Oak Ct & Dogwood Ln; Skippack; 2009-12-16 @ 09:50:17;

EMS: Seizures
9th St & Johnson St; Pottstown; 2009-12-16 @ 09:49:28;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident
Rt422 & S Township Line Rd Overpass; Limerick; 2009-12-16 @ 08:00:10;

EMS: Nausea/Vomiting
Charlotte St & Nightingale St; Pottstown; 2009-12-16 @ 07:55:53;

EMS: Dizziness
High St & N Park Rd; Lower Pottsgrove; 2009-12-16 @ 07:54:38;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident
Skippack Pike & Bridge Rd; Skippack; 2009-12-16 @ 06:59:37;

EMS: Unknown Medical Emergency
York St & High St; Pottstown; 2009-12-16 @ 04:47:26;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident
Swamp Pike & Rosenberry Rd; New Hanover; 2009-12-16 @ 01:48:55;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident
Spring Mount Rd & N Gravel Pike; Lower Frederick; 2009-12-16 @ 01:40:05;

Traffic: Vehicle Accident
Ramp Rt422 WB To Evergreen Rd & Evergreen Rd; Limerick; 2009-12-16 @ 00:28:10.

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SANATOGA PA – Weekend activities for western Montgomery County residents (and anyone else!), Dec. 18-20, 2009:

• These events have been added to The Post calendar.

Have some holiday fun with cheese this weekend. Really. In Pottstown on Friday and Chester Springs on Saturday; see below.

Friday, Dec. 18

Annual Holiday Spectacular activities in downtown Pottstown borough, sponsored by the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority, continue from 6-9 p.m. with visits to Santa House, featuring a chance for children to visit with Santa and give him their wish lists. Pictures with Santa cost $6 this year. There are also horse and carriage rides for $5, free gingerbread cookie decorating for children under age 12, and roasted chestnuts and apple cider will be available.

“Wine After Five, with Art on the Side” is an evening of wine and food beginning at 6 p.m. in the Gallery on High, 254 High St., Pottstown PA. It features wine educators and consultants Dean and Lisa Foster of Vintage Connections, who will discuss pairing wine vintages with cheeses and desserts. There’s sipping and tasting involved, of course. The gallery’s exhibits will be open following the program. Tickets cost $45.

Disc jockey Enchanted Midnight will play recorded hits from the 1960s through the ’80s during an adult dance and mixer scheduled from 7-11 p.m. in Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Sanatoga PA. A happy hour event will be held from 7-8 p.m. A $5 admission fee will be charged at the door.

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. And spread the word: tonight is cookie night! Don’t get crumbs on the chess board.

“Honk,” a holiday musical that retells the Hans Christian Andersen story of “The Ugly Duckling,” will be staged Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and in a Sunday matinée at 3 p.m., at the TriCounty Performing Arts Center 245 High St., Pottstown PA. Tickets are $23 for adults, $21 for seniors age 65 and older or students, and $15 for children age 12 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at the theater’s website, and at the door as available. For more information, call 610-970-1199.

Saturday, Dec. 19

Entrance to Black Rock Sanctuary.

A free morning bird walk to explore the meadows and wetlands of Black Rock Sanctuary, 953 Black Rock Rd., Phoenixville PA (about 1-1/2 miles north of the borough on Route 113), will be held from 8-10 a.m. Instructor Vincent Smith, a naturalist and experienced birder in Valley Forge, will lead the expedition to learn about birds that regularly inhabit Black Rock’s natural areas, as well as those who just stop-by for a winter visit. Participants can expect to see winter sparrows, raptors, and waterfowl. The program is open to beginners. Register by calling 610-469-1916 or download the available form.

“Holiday Celebrations With Cheese,” which promises to be a lip-smacking event featuring both fresh and aged artisanal goat cheeses made using age-old processes borrowed from both French and Italian traditions, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Yellow Springs Farm, 1165 Yellow Springs Road, Chester Springs PA. The farm, owned by Al and Catherine Renzi, breeds and raises Nu­bian goats, with occasional genetic crosses, that are selected for their naturally nutrient rich milk. Their goods will be available for tasting and sale. (This event from AroundPhoenixville.com)

Santa Claus will stroll the shopping corridors of the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, West Lightcap Road, Limerick PA, on from noon to 4 p.m. to greet children and have his picture taken with them.

Join re-enactors portraying Gen. George Washington and continental soldiers for free candlelight lantern tours from 6-7:30 p.m. at Valley Forge National Historical Park, 1400 N. Outer Line Rd., King of Prussia PA. Visitors can march up the lantern-lit path to a mini-encampment at the Muhlenberg’s Brigade, where five soldiers’ huts will be illuminated. The 6th Pennsylvania regiment, members of the Onieda Indian Nation, the 1st Rhode Island regiment, and park rangers and volunteers in period clothing will interpret and demonstrate camp life. For more information, call 610-783-1099.

Sunday, Dec. 20

Victorian holiday carolers will be found in the shopping corridors of the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, West Lightcap Road, Limerick PA on Sunday (Dec. 20) from noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting, to put customers in the holiday spirit.

The best cure for winter.

After all the holiday shopping is done, you’ll need a refreshing break. The Pottstown YMCA, Adams and Jackson streets, Pottstown PA, has scheduled a community swim on Sunday from 3-4:30 p.m. for all ages. A fee is charged. For more information, call 610-323-7300.

The Sammy Kaye Orchestra returns to Pottstown for a swing dance music performance Sunday at 8 p.m. in in Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Sanatoga PA. Tickets are $30 at the door.

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POTTSTOWN PA – Funeral services have been set for one of the two Pottstown High School victims who died Saturday (Dec. 12, 2009) in an automobile accident on Route 100 in Upper Pottsgrove (PA) Township.

• The obituary for Breanne M. Brothers, 15, of Pottstown PA, can be found at the website of the Catagnus Funeral Homes. The public can leave messages of condolence here also.
• The obituary for Andrea Antonio-Harris, 16, was unavailable as of Wednesday at 2:08 p.m.

A funeral service for and burial of Breanne will be held privately and at the convenience of the family. Calling hours will be held Monday (Dec. 21, 2009) from 6-8 p.m. at Catagnus Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 711 N. Franklin St., Pottstown PA.

Related:

• Candles Flicker In Students’ Memorial
• Dealing With Grief In Accident Aftermath
• Two Killed, Others Injured in Route 100 Accident

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Editor’s note: Funeral services have been announced for Breanne Brothers. This story, which was initially published Wednesday at 6:33 a.m., was updated at 2:14 p.m. It was updated again Thursday at 3:52 p.m.

POTTSTOWN PA – A soft glow of candlelight bathed the faces of the grieving Tuesday night (Dec. 15, 2009) at Pottstown High School, as hundreds of students, parents, teachers and community residents assembled to remember Breanne Brothers and Andrea Antonio-Harris, two Pottstown freshmen who lost their lives in an automobile accident last weekend.

The event provided an outlet for shared sorrow, for tears and consolation and, for some, inspiration. “I pray a special prayer of healing and peace over this entire community,” Shaun Olsen, youth pastor of Morning Star Fellowship in Bechtelsville PA, said in remarks to the crowd.

“We went. we cried. We held strangers and cried and prayed with them,” Facebook user Jo Wolfgang wrote this morning (Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009) of the vigil. “Too many children there without the support of their families. Hold your children near, tell your parents you love them. Don’t let one day pass without telling those you love how you feel.”

Vigil-keepers signed over-sized cards addressed to the families of both victims, offering their sympathies and condolences. On popular social media websites like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and Twitter, videos and other tributes to the two were being continually posted.

Social Media

A 02m25s video titled “In Honor Of Breanne Marie Brothers,” hosted at YouTube, was posted Tuesday at the user account of Lolsmileyface141. To view it below, press the “play” button.

A second video of 03m19s, titled “R.I.P Breanne ‘Beatdown’ Brothers” and also hosted at YouTube, was posted this morning at the user account of EMOKITTYCRUNKatVF. To view it at top, press the “play” button.

Three Facebook-related pages have been established since the accident was reported.

• R.I.P Breanne Brothers and Andrea Marie (1,164 members Wednesday as of 6:33 a.m.)
• R.I.P Andrea Antonio-Harris and Breanne Brothers (471 members Wednesday as of 6:33 a.m.)
• A Facebook tribute was posted by the Upper Pottsgrove (PA) Fire Company.

A MySpace tribute page titled “R.I.P BREANNE BROTHERS [dedicated to lost friend]“ was posted Thursday (Dec. 17, 2009) morning. It had 185 friends as of Thursday at 3:52 p.m.

News Resources

In scanning available news feeds for more information regarding the accident, The Post on Wednesday found these stories for reader reference, listed with the most recent first. These are different from, and in addition to, references provided Tuesday and Monday:

• Call For Action In Wake Of Teen Crash (WTXF-TV Channel 29, Philadelphia PA)
• Hundreds Mourn Teens Killed In Crash (WCAU-TV Channel 10, Philadelphia PA)
• Honoring Their Memory (The Mercury, Pottstown PA)
• Vigil For Students Killed In Crash (WFMZ-TV Channel 69, Allentown PA)
• Memorial Held For Pottstown High Students (KYW-TV Channel 3, Philadelphia PA)

Other Resources

• Pottstown School District Experiences Loss, a written statement from Pottstown High School Principal Stephen Rodrigues.
• Grief Support Resources provided at the Pottstown School District website.

Obituaries

Obituary information became available today for Breanne Brothers. It is still unavailable for Andrea Antonio-Harris.

Investigation

The Montgomery County District Attorney‘s office reports it is continuing to investigate the cause of the one-car accident, which occurred late Saturday night (Dec. 12) on Route 100 north of Farmington Avenue in Upper Pottsgrove (PA) Township. It has not released the names of of four other students injured in the accident; two Pottsgrove High School students are among them. The DA has issued two press release on the incident:

• “Investigation Ongoing in Fatal Crash that Claimed the Lives of Two Teenage Girls on Saturday.”
• “One-Vehicle Double Fatal Crash in Upper Pottsgrove Township Under Investigation”

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POTTSTOWN PA – Santa Claus will again join the Sanatoga Ridge Runners aboard a fire truck to cruise through Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township this year, but in a departure from the past his stops are being pre-planned by his hosts.

Escorting red-suited Santa around the township is an ages-old tradition for the Sanatoga Fire Company, the name by which the Ridge Runners are better known. He usually sits atop an engine as it slowly drives through residential areas, and waves to children as his helpers – firefighters and other volunteers – toss out candy canes.

This year’s Santa ride is scheduled for Saturday (Dec. 19, 2009) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. But in an attempt to increase its safety for crew members and residents alike, fire company President Don Woodley said, Santa and the truck will make 18 separate stops this year to allow visitors to come to him.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

“We have found that over the last several years it is becoming increasingly difficult for our members to take Santa up and down all the township roads in our community … due the volume of traffic on our route. We hope that in this manner we will be able to have a safe area for those who come out,” Woodley said.

The schedule of stops, he added, lets parents “take their children (to) see Santa at a time that is convenient to them, instead of waiting to hear the sirens and music outside their residence sometime throughout the day.”

Stops are scheduled at:

• Rosewood & S. Sunnybrook 10 a.m.
• Donna & Noel, 10:30 a.m.
• Maple Glenn & Oaktree, 10:30 a.m.
• Heather & Bradley, 10:50 a.m.
• Creekside & Brookview, 11 a.m.
• Welsh & Oak, 11:10 a.m.
• Pinehurst & Raleigh, 11:20 a.m.
• Sanatoga Village,  11:30 a.m.
• Pebble Beach & Julie, 11:40 a.m.
• Blackberry & Commons, Noon
• Walnut Ridge, Kepler Rd. entrance 12:05 p.m.
• Allison & Shelly 12:20 p.m.
• Walnut Ridge, Buchert Rd. entrance 12:25 p.m.
• Oakdale & Woodmere 12:45 p.m.
• Rolling Hills office area 12:50 p.m.
• Oakdale & Rivendale 1 p.m.
• Windhaven – barn area 1:15 p.m.
• Sanatoga Fire House 1:30 p.m.

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