The Sanatoga Post

POTTSTOWN PA – Fourteen-year-old Kylie Fulmer has suffered epileptic seizures since birth. Now a student at Pottsgrove Middle School, the daughter of Kevin and Vicki Fulmer of Pottstown PA, personally knows how difficult the nervous system disorder can be to cope with, and how equally difficult its recurrent convulsive seizures can be for someone else to witness.

Kylie Fulmer of Pottstown.

With advances in medicine, Kylie might someday be able to control the former. She’s determined to do something now, however, about the latter.

“I’d like other people to know that epilepsy doesn’t have to be a scary thing,” she says.

Fulmer is among thousands of volunteers nationwide promoting epilepsy awareness this Friday (March 26, 2010) in what will be the third annual “Purple Day,” an educational event sponsored by the non-profit Anita Kaufmann Foundation.

This event has been added to The Post calendar.

Kaufmann, a former attorney who specialized in legal recruitment, suffered from epilepsy later in life and died in 2003. The organization that bears her name is dedicated to eliminating stigmas and public misconceptions that often accompany the illness. Purple Day, started by a Canadian girl in 2008, is named for lavender, the color internationally associated with epilepsy.

Fulmer has officially been designated by the foundation as its Ambassador of Purple in greater Pottstown, and she’s taken to the task with vigor. When Purple Day dawns Friday, Kylie will be dressed in the color from head-to-toe, and spend a portion of her day distributing literature to fellow students and teachers, hanging epilepsy awareness posters, and handing out free purple cupcakes.

Purple cupcakes draw attention to the cause, according to The Anita Kaufmann Foundation.

No, there’s nothing magical about those treats, mom Vicki admits. They will draw attention, though, from the crowd Kylie wants most to reach … her peers and classmates who may someday watch her or someone else endure a seizure over which they have no control.

Epilepsy is usually attributed to abnormally excited electrical signals in the brain, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. It can cause a variety of reactions in affected individuals, ranging from simple staring spells or a loss of consciousness, to violent shaking or thrashing for several minutes. Epilepsy so far cannot be prevented, and only occasionally can be subdued by medication or surgery. It affects 3 million Americans, and 50 million people worldwide.

The severe nature of the illness caused people during centuries past to believe the bodies of epileptics were inhabited by demons or evil spirits. Those who suffered seizures were sometimes banned from clubs, salons or other gathering places; that kind of discrimination is what prompted Kaufmann’s advocacy.

To young people of Kylie’s age, the foundation’s website explains, watching a violent seizure without understanding its underlying cause can be a terrifying experience. Consequently, Fulmer is optimistic about the explanatory opportunities that Purple Day presents.

“I’ve already had people asking me about what Purple Day is, and why it’s being held,” she says. “Now I’m looking to see how many people wear purple to school.”

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They paid how much?

POTTSTOWN PA – The top price paid for real estate within Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township from Nov. 9-Dec. 18, 2009, was $265,000, the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper reports. The property is located at 2976 Shire Dr.

A second property, at 2120 Foxtail Dr., sold for $259,900. A third, at 25 Pebble Beach Ln., sold for $225,000; and a fourth, at 1075 Mitch Rd., sold for $202,000.

This week’s top reported prices were listed Sunday (March 21, 2010) in “The Top 50,” the newspaper’s weekly review of highest prices paid for real estate sold within the city of Philadelphia and townships in its surrounding counties.

By contrast, during the same period, the top real estate sales price in Pottstown PA Borough, immediately to the west was $161,000; Limerick PA Township, east, $172,000; New Hanover PA Township, northeast, $350,000; Upper Pottsgrove PA Township, west, none listed; and in North Coventry PA Township, south, none listed.

Related:

• What They Sold For, Nov. 5-Dec. 9, 2009
• What They Sold For, Oct. 26-Dec. 3, 2009
• What They Sold For, Oct. 20-Nov. 27, 2009
• What They Sold For, Oct. 15-Nov. 24, 2009
• What They Sold For, Oct. 8-Nov. 18, 2009
• What They Sold For, Oct. 7-Nov. 11, 2009
• What They Sold For, Oct. 1-Nov. 4, 2009
• What They Sold For, Oct. 26-28, 2009
• What They Sold For, Sept. 27-Oct. 23, 2009
• What They Sold For, Oct. 12-16, 2009
• What They Sold For, Oct. 5-9, 2009
• What They Sold For, Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2009
• What They Sold For, Sept. 14-18, 2009
• What They Sold For, Sept. 1-11, 2009
• What They Sold For, Aug. 26-31, 2009
• What They Sold For, Aug. 20-25, 2009
• What They Sold For, Aug. 13-19, 2009
• What They Sold For, Aug. 5-12, 2009
• What They Sold For, July 29-Aug. 4, 2009
• What They Sold For, July 24-28, 2009
• What They Sold For, July 20-23, 2009
• What They Sold For, July 13-17, 2009
• What They Sold For, July 6-10, 2009
• What They Sold For, June 29-July 3, 2009
• What They Sold For, June 22-26, 2009
• What They Sold For, June 15-19, 2009
• What They Sold For, June 8-12, 2009
• What They Sold For, June 1-5, 2009
• What They Sold For, May 25-29, 2009
• What They Sold For, May 18-22, 2009
• What They Sold For, May 11-15, 2009
• What They Sold For, May 4-8, 2009
• What They Sold For, April 27-May 1, 2009
• What They Sold For, April 20-24, 2009
• What They Sold For, April 13-17, 2009
• What They Sold For, April 2-12, 2009
• What They Sold For, March 30-April 1, 2009
• What They Sold For, March 19-27, 2009
• What They Sold For, March 18-20, 2009
• What They Sold For, March 5-11, 2009
• What They Sold For, Feb. 26-March 4, 2009
• What They Sold For, Feb. 18-25, 2009
• What They Sold For, Feb. 4-11, 2009
• What They Sold For, Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2009
• What They Sold For, Jan. 19-27, 2009
• What They Sold For, Jan. 10-18, 2009
• What They Sold For, Jan. 1-9, 2009
• What They Sold For, Dec. 22-31, 2008
• What They Sold For, Dec. 15-19, 2008
• What They Sold For, Dec. 8-12, 2008
• What They Sold For, Nov. 26-Dec. 5, 2008
• What They Sold For, Nov. 18-24, 2008
• What They Sold For, Nov. 10-17, 2008
• What They Sold For, Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2008
• What They Sold For, Oct. 20-27, 2008
• What They Sold For, Oct. 13-17, 2008
• What They Sold For, Oct. 6-10, 2008
• What They Sold For, Sept. 29 -Oct. 3, 2008
• What They Sold For, Sept. 22-26, 2008
• What They Sold For, Sept. 15-19, 2008
• What They Sold For, Sept. 8-12, 2008
• What They Sold For, Sept. 1-5, 2008
• What They Sold For, Aug. 25-29, 2008
• What They Sold For, Aug. 18-22, 2008

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POTTSTOWN PA – On the Pottsgrove School District sports schedule for today (Monday, March 22, 2010) through Sunday (March 28):

Today (Monday, March 22)

• Scrimmage Boys Varsity Baseball @ Hatboro-Horsham, 3:45 p.m.
• Scrimmage Boys Junior Varsity Baseball @ Hatboro-Horsham, 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday, March 23

• Boys Varsity Tennis VS. Fleetwood, 3:30 p.m.
• Boys Junior Varsity Tennis VS. Fleetwood, 3:30 p.m.
• Scrimmage Boys Varsity Baseball @ Devon Preparatory School, 3:45 p.m.
• Scrimmage Boys Junior Varsity Baseball @ Devon Preparatory School, 3:45 p.m.

Wednesday, March 24

• Boys Varsity Tennis VS. Boyertown, 3:30 p.m.
• Scrimmage Boys Varsity Track VS. Bishop Shanahan, 3:45 p.m.
• Scrimmage Girls Varsity Track VS. Bishop Shanahan, 3:45 p.m.
• Scrimmage Girls Varsity Track VS. Octorara Area High School, 3:45 p.m.
• Scrimmage Boys Varsity Track VS. Octorara Area High School, 3:45 p.m.
• Scrimmage Girls Varsity Lacrosse VS. Academy Of The New Church, 3:45 p.m.
• Scrimmage Girls Varsity Softball VS. Academy Of The New Church, 3:45 p.m.
• Scrimmage Girls Junior Varsity Softball VS. Academy Of The New Church, 3:45 p.m.
• Scrimmage Girls Junior Varsity Lacrosse VS. Academy Of The New Church, 5 p.m.

Thursday, March 18

• None scheduled

Friday, March 19

• Boys Varsity Tennis @ Norristown, 3:30 p.m.
• Boys Varsity Baseball VS. Kennett, 3:45 p.m.
• Boys Junior Varsity Baseball VS. Kennett, 3:45 p.m.
• Girls Varsity Lacrosse @ Penn Wood Senior High School, 3:45 p.m.
• Girls Junior Varsity Lacrosse @ Penn Wood Senior High School, 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 20, and Sunday, March 21

• None scheduled

Schedules provided by HighSchoolSports.net

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Published as a public service by The Sanatoga Post

Published during the week just ended in The Sanatoga Post:

Saturday, March 20

• Keep Healthy Next Week
  A weekly review of free or low-cost local seminars, support groups, screenings, tests and clinics to help you stay healthy and fit, sponsored or conducted by community health care organizations.
• Also, In The Limerick Post
  • Reiki Seminar Coming To Phoenixville Library
    This Japanese art of healing through touch will be demonstrated in a library program by a certified practitioner.
  • Basket Bingo In Limerick Benefits Mothers Club
    The Valley Forge Mothers of Multiples Club is holding fund-raising games it hopes you’ll enjoy at the Limerick Fire Company.
  • 24 Hours In Limerick For March 19, 2010
    An overview of and links to Limerick- and Royersford-related news carried on other websites.
• Also, In The Pottstown Post
  • Blood Drive Tuesday At Pottstown Church
    Can you spare a pint? If so, it’s desperately needed, and capable personnel will happily collect it next week.
  • 24 Hours In Pottstown For March 19, 2010
    An overview of and links to Pottstown-related news carried on other websites.

Friday, March 19

• Township Hires Consultant To Find Interchange Business
  Lower Pottsgrove will pay $2,500 as its half of a start-up fee to engage the Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. to find new businesses to bring into the township.
• Districts’ Cyber School Costs Under Lawmaker Scrutiny
  What the Pottsgrove School District and others pay to support cyber charter schools, and under what circumtances, is covered by five pieces of legislation now being reviewed by the state House of Representatives.
• Pottsgrove Presents ‘Flowers For Algernon’
  The classic and heart-warming play will be presented tonight and Saturday by student thespians at Pottsgrove High School.
• School Schedules Sanatoga Blood Drive
  Plan to give a pint, if possible, next week at Coventry Christian School.
• Pancake Breakfast Helps Youth Baseball
  Come hungry Saturday morning to Applebee’s in Pottstown, and support a sporting cause.

Thursday, March 18

• Notebook Worthy
  Cheap flicks in Lower Pottsgrove, crabgrass fears allayed, foolish fluids in Collegeville, and why responding to the Census matters.
• Zoning, Subdivision Laws On Township Agenda
  Lower Pottsgrove commissioners conduct their second meeting of the month tonight in the municipal building.
• Teachers’ Union Decides To Say Nothing, For Now
  Remarks by Pottsgrove’s school board president about an employee wage freeze and potential job cuts will not elicit an immediate response from the union representing district teachers.
• Stuff To Do This Weekend
  A round-up of fun ways to keep yourself occupied in western Montgomery County during the next three days. “Work” is not on this agenda.
• A Study In Concentration
  His was a page-turner this Pottsgrove School District student just wouldn’t put down.
• Emergency Dispatches For March 17, 2010
  Local and area emergencies that occurred between Wednesday at 6 a.m. and today (Thursday) at 6 a.m., to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.
• Also, In The Limerick Post
  • Mothers Of Multiples Mark April As Their Month
    A Valley Forge organization has scheduled several events, including its annual children’s clothing sale, to observe national Multiple Births Awareness Month.
• Also, In The Pottstown Post
  • Pottstown’s Ghost Signs Gain National Attention
    Long ago, they were just another form of advertising in Pottstown. Today they’re considered urban art, and several examples in the borough have attracted national notice.
  • Sports Care Seminar Re-Scheduled
    Keeping local high school athletes healthy is the goal of a panel discussion sponsored by PMMC, which had been postponed due to February’s snow storms.

Wednesday, March 17

• These Olympians Jumping Into The Printed Word
  The Pottsgrove School District will again this year field several teams to compete in Montgomery County’s Reading Olympics. A recent demonstration of the program proved many students know their books.
• It’s MontCo’s Turn For ChemSweep Program
  Montgomery County will be one of 21 counties this year to benefit from a pesticide clean-up fund. In part, it will pay for upcoming drop-off days for disposal of home hazardous wastes.
• Emergency Dispatches For March 16, 2010
  Local and area emergencies that occurred between Tuesday at 6 a.m. and today (Wednesday) at 6 a.m., to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.
• Also, In The Limerick Post
  • Sheds Would Be Structures In Royersford Change
    Borough Council will conduct a hearing on proposed revisions to its zoning ordinance.
  • Royersford Proposes Curfew Law For Minors
    It will be the subject of a Borough Council public hearing at month’s end.
• Also, In The Pottstown Post
  • 24 Hours In Pottstown For March 16, 2010
    An overview of and links to Pottstown-related news carried on other websites.

Tuesday, March 16

• Don’t Mess With Mother Nature
  Tuesday’s sunshine and warm temperatures are just what the water-soaked doctor ordered. Much of the rain that fell last week, however, is still hanging around western Montgomery C0unty and is only slowly dissipating.
• State Puts Area Tax Delinquents In Its Doghouse
  Seventeen Montgomery County businesses owe Pennsylvania money for taxes they collected but haven’t paid. They’ve been publicly outed as an incentive to get them to ante up.
• Planners Finish In Just 9 Minutes, But Miss A Record
  Who says government is ponderous and slow? In Lower Pottsgrove on Monday, the planning board got in, got done, and got on its way …  with a chuckle.
• Less Is More In School Project, Planners Learn
  Despite conservation measures that will make a new Ringing Rocks Elementary School more water-efficient, the Pottsgrove School District on Monday asked for increased sewage capacity there. It wasn’t their idea.
• Bids Sought For Ringing Project Asbestos Removal
  A small amount of asbestos must be removed from Ringing Rocks Elementary School as part of its renovations. The Pottsgrove School District is looking for a contractor to do the work.
• Emergency Dispatches For March 15, 2010
  Local and area emergencies that occurred between Monday at 6 a.m. and today (Tuesday) at 6 a.m., to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.
• Also, In The Limerick Post
  • What They Sold For … In Limerick
    A weekly review of top prices paid for real estate in Limerick (PA) Township, Royersford borough and surrounding municipalities.
  • College Singers Present Frostiana, Requiem
  • 24 Hours In Limerick For March 16, 2010
• Also, In The Pottstown Post
  • What They Sold For … In Pottstown
    A weekly review of top prices paid for real estate in the borough of Pottstown and surrounding municipalities.

Monday, March 15

• Teachers’ Union Preparing Response To Budget Threat
  Pottsgrove teachers have been stewing for days over comments made by the school board president about a salary freeze or job cuts. Their union will meet today, and members say a response is on its agenda.
• What They Sold For
  A weekly review of top prices paid for real estate in Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township and surrounding municipalities.
• Zoning, Land Use Laws On Planners Agenda
  When Lower Pottsgrove planners meet tonight, they’ll have rules and regulations on their minds, and they’ll belatedly reorganize, too.
• On The Job Watch This Week
  A Phoenixville speaker will discuss career transitioning in April; a local legislator partners with the state to conduct a job fair later this month; and an employers’ survey says the jobs picture looks bad but is getting better.
• Emergency Dispatches For March 14, 2010
  Local and area emergencies that occurred between Sunday at 6 a.m. and today (Monday) at 6 a.m., to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.
• Pottsgrove Falcons Sports For March 15-21, 2010
  Who they’ll play, when and where during the coming week.
• The Post Week In Review
  For March 7-13, 2010
• Emergency Dispatches For March 13, 2010
• Also, In The Limerick Post
  • Elephant Man Play Presented At Ursinus
  • 24 Hours In Limerick For March 15, 2010
  • The Week In Review In Limerick
• Also, In The Pottstown Post
  • 24 Hours In Pottstown For March 15, 2010
  • The Week In Review In Pottstown

Sunday, March 14

• The Post Week In Review
  For March 7-13, 2010
• Emergency Dispatches For March 13, 2010
  Local and area emergencies that occurred between Saturday at 6 a.m. and Sunday at 6 a.m., to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.

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SANATOGA PA – Health care news for western Montgomery County residents (and anyone else!), for March 21 (2010) and beyond.

• These events have been added to The Post calendar.

Monday, March 22

Free meetings of “Winning Strategies,” the Tobacco-Free Support Group of Phoenixville Hospital, 140 Nutt Rd., Phoenixville PA, are held on the fourth Monday of every month beginning at 7 p.m. For information on its meeting location or to register, call 610-983-1288. The hospital also conducts an eight-session smoking cessation program monthly; it will be held during March on dates to be announced from 6-9 p.m. Call the same phone number for information about these sessions.

Tuesday, March 23

A blood drive conducted by the Miller-Keystone Blood Center is scheduled to be held Tuesday (March 23, 2010) from 4-8 p.m. in First Presbyterian Church, 750 N. Evans St., Pottstown PA. Appointments are required. For more information, call 610-926-6060.

The weekly meeting of the Domestic Violence Support Group sponsored by Pottstown Memorial Medical Center is held every Tuesday evening. For more information on times and locations, call 610-970-7363.

Wednesday, March 24

A free meeting of the Post-Partum Adjustment Group, usually scheduled for the fourth Wednesday of every month, will be held March 24 (2010; Wednesday) from 6:30-8 p.m. in Suite 300 of Medical Office Building II on the campus of Phoenixville Hospital, 140 Nutt Rd., Phoenixville PA. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call 610-983-1288.

Thursday, March 25

Project Prevention, a community service of Phoenixville Hospital that offers blood pressure screenings, diabetes education and health-related referrals through an on-site nurse and case manager, will be held March 25 (2010; Thursday) from 10 a.m. to Noon at The Bard Center, 410 Washington St., Royersford PA.

The latest sports care seminar for athletic directors, trainers, coaches, student athletes and parents, which was postponed from late February due to severe weather, has been re-scheduled by Pottstown Memorial Medical Center for Thursday (March 25, 2010) from 5:30-8 p.m. at PMMC’s CarePlex facility, 81 Robinson St., Pottstown PA. The event is free; dinner will be provided. Space is limited and advance registration is required. Athletic trainers are eligible to receive continuing education unit credit for attending. For more information or to register, call Robin McMonagle at 610-970-1600, Ext. 2.

Friday, March 26

Purple Day 2010, a one-day program intended to heighten awareness of epilepsy, its causes, and its treatments, will be held March 26 (2010; Friday) throughout the day in Pottsgrove Middle School, North Hanover Street, Pottstown PA. PMS student Kylie Fulmer, 14, will put up posters, distribute informational material and ribbons, and even provide free cupcakes in an attempt to reach more than a 1,000 students, teachers and administrators in her school district.

A blood drive conducted by the Miller-Keystone Blood Center is scheduled to be held next Friday (March 26, 2010) from Noon to 7 p.m. in Coventry Christian School, 699 N. Pleasantview Rd., Pottstown PA. Appointments are required. For more information, call 610-926-6060.

Saturday, March 27

A blood drive conducted by the Miller-Keystone Blood Center is scheduled to be held Saturday (March 27, 2010) from 8 a.m. to Noon in Freed’s Market, 2324 Swamp Pike, Gilbertsville PA. Appointments are required. For more information, call 610-926-6060.

Monday, March 29

Certified Reiki master and life coach Eleanor Fineran will be the featured speaker on “Feeling Great Inside and Out,” a hands-on introduction to the healing power of Reiki, Monday (March 29, 2010) from 7-9 p.m. at the Phoenixville Public Library, 183 Second Ave., Phoenixville PA. Reiki is a Japanese healing technique that has been shown to be effective in helping restore a sense of balance, well-being, and relaxation. All participants will be involved in a Reiki mini-session and learn ways to positively affect their mental and physical health.

Tuesday, March 30

The weekly meeting of the Domestic Violence Support Group sponsored by Pottstown Memorial Medical Center is held every Tuesday evening. For more information on times and locations, call 610-970-7363.

Wednesday, March 31

A blood drive conducted by the Miller-Keystone Blood Center is scheduled to be held Wednesday (March 31, 2010) from 3-7 p.m. in Daniel Boone Middle School, 1845 Weavertown Rd., Douglassville PA. Appointments are required. For more information, call 610-926-6060.

Friday, April 9

Blood pressure screenings will be conducted by staff members from Pottstown Memorial Medical Center on March 12 (2010; Friday) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Michael’s Craft Store, Rt. 100, North Coventry PA.

Tuesday, April 13

Blood pressure screenings will be conducted by staff members from Pottstown Memorial Medical Center on April 13 (2010; Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to noon at the Birdsboro IGA Supermarket in Birdsboro PA.

Thursday, April 15

An informational seminar on weight loss surgery, conducted by Phoenixville Hospital, 140 Nutt Rd., Phoenixville PA, will be held April 15 (2010; Thursday) from 6-7:30 p.m. in the third floor conference center of Medical Office Building II on the hospital campus. For more information or to register, call 610-983-1975.

Blood pressure screenings will be conducted by staff members from Pottstown Memorial Medical Center on April 13 (2010; Tuesday) from 1-3 p.m. at Wal-Mart, Route 100, Bechtelsville PA.

Friday, April 16

The fifth annual Healthy Lifestyles Expo, an event that allows visitors to explore Tri-County area community services, participate in scheduled activities, and learn more about living a healthier life, will be held April 16 (2010; Friday) from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Montgomery County Community College, 101 College Dr., Pottstown PA. The event is free and open to the public.

Monday, April 26

Free meetings of “Winning Strategies,” the Tobacco-Free Support Group of Phoenixville Hospital, 140 Nutt Rd., Phoenixville PA, are held on the fourth Monday of every month beginning at 7 p.m. For information on its meeting location or to register, call 610-983-1288. The hospital also conducts an eight-session smoking cessation program monthly; it will be held during April on dates yet to be announced. Call the same phone number for information about these sessions.

Wednesday, April 28

A free meeting of the Post-Partum Adjustment Group, usually scheduled for the fourth Wednesday of every month, will be held April 28 (2010; Wednesday) from 6:30-8 p.m. in Suite 300 of Medical Office Building II on the campus of Phoenixville Hospital, 140 Nutt Rd., Phoenixville PA. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call 610-983-1288.

Photo from Clipart.com

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SANATOGA PA – A well-known area consultant will be jointly hired by Lower Pottsgrove and Limerick (PA) townships to work on attracting new businesses to properties surrounding the Sanatoga interchange of U.S. Route 422, Lower Pottsgrove commissioners announced with certainty Thursday night (March 18, 2010).

The Sanatoga interchange at Route 422, as seen from overhead.

They were less specific, though, on exactly what types of firms they hoped to attract.

The Board of Commissioners, meeting in the municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA, for the second time this month, unanimously agreed to spend $2,500 as its half of a $5,000 fee to be paid to the Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. (MCEDC) as a retainer to begin searching for what Commissioner James Phillips characterized as “the type of businesses that will best fit us.”

The start-up cost is so low, Phillips added, “that I think it’s a no-brainer for us to do it.” The agreement itself will be subject to review by township Solicitor R. Kurtz Holloway before being authorized.

Conversations about retaining MCEDC, headquartered outside Norristown, were said to be an outgrowth of the continuing working arrangement between the townships to determine the future of the interchange divided by their common boundary line. Development within Limerick’s portion has happened much more quickly, as evidenced by the Philadelphia Premium Outlets and the proposed Gateway At Sanatoga shopping center projects.

Lower Pottsgrove 18 months ago had almost finalized plans that detailed what kinds of development would be permissible or sought, and where it could be located, in what is commonly referred to as “the interchange district.” Their adoption has been delayed, however, as the two townships collaborate on what they hope will be a common goal, vision, and regulations for the surrounding acreage.

When pressed after the meeting to expand on that vision and identify what specific businesses he hoped to attract, Phillips first deferred the question to township Manager Rodney Hawthorne; then said, “what we know we don’t want there is more residential stuff;” and finally pointed to the Gateway project and its Costco wholesale store as suitable selections.

The township’s documented vision for the Sanatoga village district won it acclaim and awards in 2002, and set the stage for what past and present commissioners generally agree has become an attractive and well-organized business center lining both sides of East High Street. Residents who live in areas at the edge of the interchange have said they want something similar to guide development there.

Commision President Jonathan Spadt was absent from the meeting and did not vote.

Editor’s note: In the interest of full disclosure it should be noted that Post Managing Editor Joe Zlomek worked for several years during the 1990s as an independent contractor for the Montgomery County Industrial Development Corp., the predecessor to MCEDC.

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HARRISBURG PA – Pennsylvania cyber charter schools, some of whose accounting practices have created headaches for the Pottsgrove School Distinct in the past, could be subject to increasing regulation and scrutiny under a series of five bills that were reviewed Wednesday (March 17, 2010) in a public hearing conducted by the state’s House Education Committee.

A Pennsylvania House committee is studying five different but related cyber charter school bills.

Cyber charter schools are a growing educational alternative favored by parents who believe the traditional school system is unsuitable for, or failing, their children. The number of students enrolled in cyber charter schools statewide grew from 1,852 in 2001 to 19,715 by 2008, according to the state Education Department.

Wednesday’s hearing covered proposed legislation that would target everything from busing policy to truancy enforcement. “But the two most important pieces … might be the pair of bills that would excuse school districts from providing funding for students who wish to attend charter schools,” The Pennsylvania Independent online news service reported.

Just as the popularity of cyber charter schools has skyrocketed, so too has their cost to school districts. Money paid by districts to support cyber charter students is based on fees that somewhat correlate to the cost of educating students within the district itself. For Pottsgrove, during the 2009-2010 budget year alone, that amount so far approaches $300,000, district Business Administrator David Nester said earlier this year.

A major problem for Pottsgrove, Nester explained to the district Board of School Directors during its Jan. 26 (2010) meeting, is that some cyber charter schools either fail to alert the district they have enrolled qualifying students, or they bill it for reimbursement after its fiscal year ends. Both situations have resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in what Nester said were “unanticipated expenses.”

Under one of the proposed bills, The Independent reported, school districts or intermediate units that operate their own cyber charter schools would be exempted from providing funding for students attending a different cyber charter school. A representative of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, of which Pottsgrove is a member, said such a measure would allow districts to control costs by offering more online classes and programs.

Separate, but related, legislation would prohibit districts from paying for classes or programs that students take at a cyber charter school unless the district also offers those same classes in a brick-and-mortar school.

Either bill, critics said, would undermine the intent of cyber charter schools to broaden parents’ educational choices for their children.

Pennsylvania’s Charter School Law “was written to help families like mine choose opportunities that best fit their needs and flourish as students,” Beth Santangelo, a parent of five cyber charter school enrollees, told the House committee, The Independent reported. The proposals would “impermissibly curtail school choice,” added Jon D. Marsh, CEO of 21st Century Cyber Charter School.

The House committee is still conducting research, and did not vote Wednesday on any legislation, according to The Independent. Pottstown area state Rep. Thomas Quigley is a ranking minority member of the committee, and chaiman of its subcommittee on higher education.

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POTTSTOWN PA – Students at Pottsgrove High School will present “Flowers for Algernon,” the play about an enthusiastic but mentally challenged young man who undergoes experimental brain surgery to increase his IQ, tonight (Friday, March 19, 2010) and Saturday (March 20), both at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the high school,  1345 Kauffman Rd., Pottstown PA.

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Dr. Strauss, played by Kayla Speedy, at right, introduces Charlie, portrayed by Taylor Bush, to the mouse Algernon.

Charlie (played by Taylor Bush), under the guidance of physician Dr. Strauss (Kayla Speedy) and Professor Nemur (Tyler Noll), finds his intelligence rapidly rising to the level of a genius. He bonds with Algernon, the laboratory mouse that first underwent the procedure. He also realizes his love for his former teacher, Alice Kinnian, played by  Maura Hannum, and his need to reconcile with his parents, portrayed by Ashlyn Neiffer and Matt Zarley.

Director Todd Kelly has made some small adaptations to update the classic, based on a 1958 short story by Daniel Keyes, for 2010. “While we’ve modernized the technology and setting” – Keyes ‘teaching machine’ is now a ‘computer’ – “we left the majority of the script untouched,” he said. “The play’s message, that intelligence is only one measure of a person, and its belief in the value of human spirit, are timeless.”

Two classic psychology tests, the maze and the Rorschach (inkblot) test, are still very much a part of the play. Both also are key elements Kelly incorporated into the set design.

Also appearing in the production are Mary Burckhardt, Jeremy Downey, Paris Footman, Ian Hendricks, Samantha Keer, Kaitlyn Kennedy, Jen Korb, Sydney Krisiewicz, Vicki Lambert, Nicole Messina, Vinny Pellechio, Sam Pettine, Jamal Reddick, Jordan Shoemaker, and Tim Wehr.  Ashleigh Kleinschmidt serves as student director for the production.

Assisting Kelly are the following faculty members: Kim Sheeler (assistant director), Dave Moyer (stage crew), Cindy Scherer and Gwyn Thomas (art direction), Elizabeth Rodenbaugh and Cindy Wozniak (costumes).

Tickets are $5 for general admission, and $4 for students and senior citizens, and are available at the door. For more information, call 610-326-5105.

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Blood drive coming up.

SANATOGA PA – A blood drive conducted by the Miller-Keystone Blood Center is scheduled to be held next Friday (March 26, 2010) from Noon to 7 p.m. in Coventry Christian School, 699 N. Pleasantview Rd., Pottstown PA. Appointments are required. For more information, call 610-926-6060.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

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