The Sanatoga Post

Just as they did last year (October 2009), Community Day activities Saturday in Phoenixville's Reeves Park are expected to draw a large crowd.

SANATOGA PA – These activities are among those scheduled for western Montgomery County residents (and anyone else!) for  Oct. 1-3, 2010:

• These events have been added to The Post calendar.

Friday, Oct. 1

Community Music School, 775 West Main Street, Trappe PA, invites area instructors to attend a piano workshop, titled “Guidelines for Interpretation,” given by renowned piano clinician and teacher Marvin Blickenstaff  on Friday from 10 a.m. to noon at the school. The cost of the workshop is $20. Call 610-489-3676 or visit its website for more information.

An opening public reception for “Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Legacies of Baseball from the Alan Novak Collection,” a new exhibit at the Berman Museum, Ursinus College, Main St., Collegeville PA, will be held Friday from 6-8 p.m. in the museum’s upper gallery. The collection will be on view through Dec. 15.

“Yoga for the Cure 2,” the second local fund-raiser to benefit a Pottstown participant in the three-day Breast Cancer Walk For The Cure, is being planned for Friday  from 7-9 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Pottstown, 750 N. Evans St., Pottstown PA. A suggested donation for the event is $20, and advance reservations are requested. For more information or to make a reservation, all Barbara at 484-524-5204.

Democratic Party supporters are being invited to attend the fifth annual wine and cheese tasting sponsored by Area 4 Montgomery County Democratic Committee on Friday from 7-9:30 p.m. in The Barn at Parc Bistro, 4067 Skippack Pike, Skippack PA. Tickets are $65 per person and can be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 610-306-5649.

Saturday, Oct. 2

The Kiwanis Club of Phoenixville is sponsoring its annual chicken barbeque and open-to-the-public flea market Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Reeves Park, Phoenixville PA. Chicken dinners will be distributed between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Net proceeds from this event will benefit area children’s programs.

The Phoenixville Farmers Market, located beneath the Gay Street bridge, Phoenixville PA, now runs weekly on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through November.  The market can be reached from Taylors Alley.

The annual apple festival sponsored by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. rain or shine, inside and on the church grounds at 548 Old Swede Rd., Douglassville PA. Breakfast, lunch, and apple tarts will be available throughout the day. Family activities including a moon bounce, sand art, and entertainment for kids and adults. For more information, call 610-385-6616.

Labyrinth Used Books and Gifts will hold a book sale Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. inside the First United Methodist Church, 414 High St., Pottstown PA. A bag of books sells for $5, plus tax; the shop provides the bag.

A fire safety and prevention workshop and kids’ day, conducted annually by The Home Depot on Armand Hammer Boulevard in Pottstown PA, will be held Saturday from 10 am. to 2 p.m. outside the home improvement products store. The event is part of the local kick-off to National Fire Prevention Week.

Nooks and crannies found within the original Peter Wentz Farmstead will be open to the public for exploration Saturday (Oct. 2, 2010) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., when volunteers and members of the museum’s staff offer a series of behind-the scenes tours at the property, 2100 Shearer Rd., Worcester PA. Space is limited, and advance reservations are requested. For more in formation or to make a reservation, call 610-584-5104.

The Boyertown Farmers Market, located at 100 S. Walnut St., Boyertown PA, runs weekly on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 30. All markets are rain or shine. The market occupies the parking lot of The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, two blocks south of the intersection of Routes 562 and 73.

Horse Power for Life, a non-profit organization in Chester County that provides horsemanship programs to families living with cancer, will host its third annual Cancer Walk on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Warwick County Park, 191 County Park Rd., Pottstown PA. The day will include a provided lunch and beverage, face painting, a “paint a horse shoe” activity, balloon animals and two playgrounds. Dogs and horses are welcome. The cost is $10 per person, and $5 for children ages2-12.

An inaugural Community Day 5K Race and Fitness Walk, the proceeds of which will benefit an alumni fund that provides scholarships to help students realize their educational goals, will be held Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. on the central campus of Montgomery County Community College, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell PA. Registration check-in begins at 8 a.m., and the race and walk starts at 9 a.m.

Sunday, Oct. 3

Sweet Water Golf Course in Pennsburg PA will host a four-person, nine-hole Scramble Tournament for Breast Cancer on Sunday. The women’s format starts at 8 a.m. and the mixed couples and men-only  format starts at 1 p.m. (possible shotgun starts). Entry fee is $35 per person, which includes greens fees for nine holes, food, beverages and prizes for winners.

Come rain or shine, its members say, the Woman’s Club of Birdsboro will host its annual car show Sunday  from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Daniel Boone High School, Chestnut Street (Route 345), Birdsboro PA. The day features food, a disc jockey, door prizes, a 50-50 drawing, a model car contest and a Chinese auction, and a blood drive by the Miller Keystone Blood Center.

The annual Berks County Art Show, featuring antique paintings by Berks County (PA) artists, will open Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. andrun throught next week at various times at Greshville Antiques and Fine Art, 1041 Reading Ave., Boyertown PA.

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The northeast retaining wall at Pottsgrove Middle School is streaked with white efflorescence, an indicator of moisture, in this November 2008 Post file photo.

POTTSTOWN PA – “Significant problems” with poor water drainage behind a retaining wall outside the cafeteria of the 11-year-old Pottsgrove Middle School, perched on a North Hanover Street ridge high above the Pottsgrove School District, will require the wall to be taken apart and rebuilt at a cost that’s “probably going to be painful,” the district Board of School Directors was told Tuesday (Sept. 28, 2010).

That assessment, offered by board treasurer and Facilities Committee Chairman Fred Remelius, follows committee discussions earlier in the night of a 20-page report, illustrated with color photographs, that documents the wall’s several structural failures and recommends fixes.

The white-topped, semi-circular retaining wall in front (right) of the Pottsgrove Middle School is seen in the top center portion of this Google photo. North Hanover Street is far right.

Ultimately, the report by a Lancaster PA engineering firm concludes, the retaining wall and its pilasters (columns) “have undergone significant water intrusion and subsequent deterioration.” There is no “feasible” way to dry the wall out and restore it, engineers noted, and it apparently is so far gone that it cannot be simply repaired and maintained.

District taxpayers likely will end up bearing the rebuilding cost, for which there was no immediately available estimate. “There’s no guarantee on a school building, and unfortunately these problems have surfaced more than 10 years down the road,” Remelius said.

The board took no action on the report. The wall’s structural problems seemingly pose no immediate danger to students occupying the building several feet behind it.

Problems with the retaining wall, which holds back earthen and other fill material in front of the school building, have been obvious for more than a year. The wall is buckling in some places, cracking in others, and is streaked with white efflorescence. The district hired structural engineers Baker, Ingram and Associates to review its condition during December (2009), and the firm returned in June (2010) for a more thorough inspection.

It determined that water over time has penetrated the wall, is even pooling behind it in some places, and has weakened its red-colored masonry veneer. Some of its steel components are rusting and flaking. Mortar joints are cracked, sealants are missing, and there are open joints around embedded railing posts topping the wall, the report said.

“The as-built construction of the retaining wall and pilaster is completely inadequate” to limit or release moisture or control water that gets into its components, according to the report. “There was probably a design defect to begin with,” Remelius acknowledged.

The report urges the district to address the problems soon. “If left unattended, these conditions will worsen and expand, resulting in more rapid deterioration, and the potential for partial collapse” of the veneer, the engineers warned.

Their report “does not address any other portion of the existing building structure,” they added.

Related (to the Pottsgrove Board of School Directors’ Sept. 28 meeting):

• Pottsgrove MS Retaining Wall Needs ‘Significant’ Repair
• Pottsgrove Considers ‘Impairing’ Teen Drivers, For Safety’s Sake
• Ringing Reimbursement On Pottsgrove School Agenda

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POTTSTOWN PA – Licensed drivers who are students in the Pottsgrove School District may have no real idea what it feels like to be behind a steering wheel and impaired by alcohol or drugs. The newest member of the Board of School Directors thinks it’s time they found out … safely, rather than tragically.

The PA-DUI Safety Bug is a modified Volkswagen Beetle.

Acting on a suggestion made to him by a district resident, director David Faulkner asked the board Tuesday (Sept. 28, 2010) to consider bringing “The Safety Bug” to a Pottsgrove school parking lot sometime in the near future. The modified Volkswagen Beetle automobile, developed by the Pennsylvania Driving Under The Influence Association, mimics the perils of impaired driving under controlled conditions.

It’s the car, not the driver, that’s drunk, according to the association. A supervisor who accompanies each driver sets the vehicle to behave unpredictably, creating “an unsettling episode for the teen in the driver’s seat who gains a first-hand glimpse of what it feels like to drive under the influence,” its promotional material said.

Faulkner’s fellow board members liked what they heard. In the district that, during the past 12 months, has openly grieved over the automobile accident-related deaths of several students, such an education could have long-lasting impact, they said.

The program, which includes the vehicle and staff time for set-up and supervision, costs $1,000 per day. Board President Michael Neiffer, for one, was undeterred by the cost. “A couple of thousand to educate our students this way? That’s a no-brainer,” he said.

For proper operation, The Safety Bug program requires a flat, paved parking lot of a specific size without obstructions. District Director of Facilities and Physical Plants Michael Katzenmoyer said the parking lot behind Pottsgrove Middle School, North Hanover Street, Potstown PA, probably best fit that description. The program, if held, could be conducted on a weekend to maximize attendance, directors speculated.

The program needs a prime sponsor too, and director April Kontostathis suggested the Pottsgrove High School’s SNAP Academy could fill that role. The student-run, teacher-mentored organization helps teens combat chemical dependency, tobacco use and a variety of other issues, and might be perfectly suited to promote the program, she said.

Despite their enthusiasm, board members made no decisions on scheduling the program. District Superintendent Dr. Bradley Landis said he would first discuss it with SNAP Academy representatives.

Faulkner joined the board in May (2010) to fill the unexpired term of director Robert Lindgren. Lindgren resigned to serve with U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan.

Related (to the Pottsgrove Board of School Directors’ Sept. 28 meeting):

• Pottsgrove Considers ‘Impairing’ Teen Drivers, For Safety’s Sake
• Ringing Reimbursement On Pottsgrove School Agenda

Photo from padui.org

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HARRISBURG PA – A state law that so far this year has robbed Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township coffers of about $15,000 in unrealized income actually seems to be doing what it’s supposed to: reducing the number of complaints about home improvement contractors working in Pennsylvania.

Complaints to the state regarding unfinished or shoddy projects done by unscrupulous contractors “have dipped considerably” this year, thanks to the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act passed in 2009, the Harrisburg Patriot-News newspaper reported Monday (Sept. 27, 2010).

The law requires all contractors doing $5,000 or more per year in home improvements to register with the state Attorney General’s office at a cost of $50 bi-annually. It also demands that contractors use written contracts and give customers information about their right to cancel a contract, projects’ start-dates and end-dates, total cost, scope of work and materials involved. It limits up-front payments,too.

The law’s results have been dramatic. “In 2009 there were 3,057 complaints about contractors,” Patriot-News reporter Matthew Kemeny wrote — “the highest in three years, state records showed. This year, there have only been 1,402 complaints to date, according to the data.”

With more than 71,000 people registered, Kemeny added, the state also has made about $3.5 million from the legislation.

On the other hand, it’s taken a toll on revenues in municipalities like Lower Pottsgrove, which for years operated a township-wide contractor registration system. Finance Director Michele Christman told the Board of Commissioners in July (2010) that the township, which earned $21,000 from registrations during 2009, by this mid-year had brought in only $5,100.

That’s one of several issues commissioners must resolve as they continue to work on assembling the township’s 2011 budget. The board’s budget committee meetings, which are open to the public, are next scheduled for Oct. 5 and 20, both at 4:30 p.m. in the municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA.

In the Harrisburg area, contractors cited by Kemeny praised the law as an effective tool in weeding out shoddy contractors. Others said they view it as just another tax on small businesses.

“Violations of any of the requirements can trigger a civil lawsuit by the Attorney General’s office, with fines and penalties of up to $1,000 per violation (up to $3,000 for violations involving a senior citizen). The state has filed charges against 27 contractors since the law was put in place,” the newspaper reported.

Related:

• Is Lower Pottsgrove’s Loss The State Consumers’ Gain?
• Details Are In That Pesky Paperwork

Photo from Clipart.com

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They paid how much?

POTTSTOWN PA – The top price paid for real estate within Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township from March 29-June 14, 2010, was $137,900, the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper reports. The property is located at 631 Oaktree Ct.

Also listed were 1306 Walnut Ridge Estates, at $130,000, and 2999 Linfield Rd., at $72,000.

This week’s top reported prices were listed Sunday (Sept. 26, 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 $190,000; Limerick PA Township, east, $183,990; New Hanover PA Township, northeast, $363,243; Upper Pottsgrove PA Township, west, none listed; and in North Coventry PA Township, south, $214,000.

Across all of Montgomery County, the highest-priced property sold during the period went for $1,540,000, at 1205 Meetinghouse Rd., Lower Gwynedd PA.

Related:

• What They Sold For, March 29-June 14, 2010
• What They Sold For, March 22-June 9, 2010
• What They Sold For, March 15-June 4, 2010
• What They Sold For, March 1-May 19, 2010
• What They Sold For, April 8-May 15, 2010
• What They Sold For, April 5-May 12, 2010
• What They Sold For, March 29-May 7, 2010
• What They Sold For, March 22-April 30, 2010
• What They Sold For, March 8-April 16, 2010
• What They Sold For, Feb. 8-March 24, 2010
• What They Sold For, Feb. 1-March 19 2010
• What They Sold For, Dec. 28, 2009-Feb. 5, 2010
• What They Sold For, Dec. 21, 2009-Jan. 29, 2010
• What They Sold For, Dec. 7, 2009-Jan. 15, 2010
• What They Sold For, Nov. 28, 2009-Jan. 8, 2010
• What They Sold For, Nov. 23-Dec. 31, 2009
• What They Sold For, Nov. 16-Dec. 25, 2009
• What They Sold For, Nov. 9-Dec. 18, 2009
• 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, 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

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POTTSTOWN PA – Now that work has begun on the expansion of Ringing Rocks Elementary School, just how much money can the Pottsgrove School District hope to receive in construction reimbursements from the state Department of Education? Tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010) may be a night to find out, during the district Board of School Directors’ meeting that starts at 7:30 p.m. in the administration building, 1301 Kauffman Rd., Pottstown PA.

Earlier estimates for state reimbursement have been projections based on Ringing’s final design approved by school board members, and subsequent bids accepted for the project.

Directors, however, are scheduled on their agenda to formally approve Pottsgrove’s submission to the state of its PlanCon H documents. That paperwork includes “calculation of the temporary reimbursable percent for a project’s financing,” according to the state. Once the Education Department also approves the PlanCon H submission, it added, “reimbursement on a project commences.”

A copy of the board’s agenda is available for download here.

Also tonight, the board is scheduled to hear administrators’ recommendations on several minor district personnel issues; on a proposed contract with Bayada Nurses for nursing coverage at an hourly rate; and on employee attendance at various conferences.

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POTTSTOWN PA – Parents who have a minute or two to spare next Thursday and Friday (Oct. 7 and 8, 2010) might consider spending it in volunteer time for the Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization.

The PTO, in an e-mail distributed Monday afternoon (Sept. 27), said it was in need of help to set up the school store Thursday from 9-11 a.m. at the school, 1329 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA. It also needs help operating the store Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. “Even if you can only help out an hour, it is appreciated,” wrote PTO member Amy Marazas.

Volunteers who can be available should call Marazas at 484-300-4708.

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POTTSTOWN PA – Just chanting “rain, rain, go away” doesn’t change the weather, so for  early this week the sports activity schedule in the Pottsgrove School District was changed slightly instead.

Rain, thundershower and lightning forecasts, district Athletic Director Gary DeRenzo announced Monday (Sept. 27, 2010) at 12:45 p.m. via e-mail, caused these events originally scheduled for Monday afternoon to be postponed and re-scheduled:

• HS Girls Tennis vs Pottstown, re-scheduled for Wednesday (Sept 29) at 3:30 p.m. at Pottsgrove;
• HS Boys Soccer vs OJ Roberts (Senior Recognition Night), re-scheduled for Oct. 12 (2010; Tuesday) at 5:30 p.m. (for the JV start) in the high school stadium;
• HS Field Hockey vs OJ Roberts, re-scheduled for Oct. 11 (Monday) at 3:45 p.m. at Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School; and
• JV Golf, to be re-scheduled at a later date.

Two other events scheduled for Monday were still expected to proceed, DeRenzo added. They were:

• HS Girls Soccer at OJ Roberts, 6 p.m. start; and
• HS JV Football at Perkiomen Valley.

Regarding events scheduled for Tuesday (Sept. 28):

• The PAC-10 Golf Championships were re-scheduled for the following day (Wednesday, Sept. 29) at 8 a.m. at Gilbertsville Golf Course; and
• HS Boys Varsity Soccer, originally scheduled for 6 p.m. at Boyertown stadium, was re-scheduled for earlier in the day, at 4 p.m. on Boyertown’s soccer field.

For more information, call DeRenzo’s office at 610-326-6376.

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SANATOGA PA – “Slow, but steady.” That’s how Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township police officers characterized the turnout as people deposited unwanted and expired prescription drugs into a box designated for the purpose during Saturday’s (Sept. 25, 2010) “National Take-Back Initiative” to keep such medications out of the hands of potential abusers.

Lower Pottsgrove police officers, right, distribute literature as part of Saturday's drug take-back effort outside the township municipal building on Buchert Road.

Lower Pottsgrove’s department and six other area law enforcement agencies were among those participating in the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) campaign to accept drugs for free, safe and legal disposal. They were due to be incinerated once collected.

A tall cardboard container adorned by the collection effort’s red, white and blue poster was the focal point of an awning-shaded area set up outside the police station’s door at the municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA. Although they initially wondered how many, if any, local residents would appear to drop off medications, officers at the site said they were pleasantly surprised by the response.

It was that way, too, across much of the nation. More than 3,400 locations were involved in the take-back initiative. Collectively they accounted for tens of tons of pills, creams, syrups, liquids, lotions and capsules, almost all of them containing pharmaceutical substances.

In Houston TX, the Chronicle newspaper reported Sunday (Sept. 26), that city’s 17 sites accumulated 3,000 pounds of drugs for disposal. Compare those numbers to tiny Anderson IN, where that city’s Herald Bulletin newspaper said only eight people rid themselves of a small pile of meds they had no further use for.

The volume didn’t matter, DEA representatives told the media; getting drugs off the streets did. “Rates of prescription drug abuse … are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show a majority … are obtained from family and friends,” according to agency studies.

Participating departments promised they wouldn’t ask where the drugs came from or who was dropping them off. The ability to remain anonymous seemed to help, according to law enforcement officers.

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We're giving $20 (not the stack, just one bill) to the Lower Pottsgrove Elementary Band, courtesy of Jim Kaiser.

POTTSTOWN PA – If you were an 11th grader taking Pennsylvania standardized tests back in March and April (2010), and you failed to heed the directive to “show your work” in solving a math problem, you would have lost points. You might have even failed the exam. And that kind of oversight proved to be a problem in a high school challenge issued last week by The Post.

We asked readers on Friday (Sept. 24, 2010) to follow the directions and find the solutions to a two-part mathematics question. It was offered by the state as an example of what could appear on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests that Pottsgrove School District students take every year.

“Contest!,” our story proclaimed, and then asked, “Are You As Smart As A Pottsgrove Junior?” We offered to donate $20 to a school organization for a winning submission that correctly and completely answered both parts.

The questions, shown again above, dealt with determining percentages and profits, among other things. To solve them required not only the ability to calculate, but the ability to organize, reason, and think logically.

Providing solutions seemed easy for many readers who participated. Sadly, that’s all they provided: just two numbers, the answers “210″ and “200,” respectively. Far fewer did as the directions requested, and showed how they arrived at those numbers.

Our winning entrant, chosen randomly from among those received that were both correct and complete, is Jim Kaiser of Pottstown PA. The Post is sending $20 at his request to the Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School band. He, and all those who made the attempt, have our thanks for playing along.

Here are Kaiser’s answers to the two-parter:

• “Answer 1.  210 Students
• 60% of the 50 polled students say they will vote for Roy, so 60% of the student body of 350 equals 210 students.
• 350 * 0.6 = 210

• Answer 2.  200 Fruit Drinks
• Roy’s profit for each unit sold is $0.40 or $0.50 – $0.10.
• If he needs $80.00 in earnings, then divided the $80.00 by the profit from 1 sale $0.40 to determine the number of fruit drinks Roy needs to sell.
• $80.00 / $0.40 = 200″

Pottsgrove’s PSSA results, which were released at mid-month, are likely to be a topic of discussion in the near future during meetings of the district Board of School Directors. Its next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday (Sept. 28) in the administration building on Kaufman Road, Pottstown PA.

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