The Sanatoga Post

POTTSTOWN PA – On the Pottsgrove School District sports schedule for today (Monday, Dec. 27, 2010) through next Monday (Jan. 3, 2011):

Today, Dec. 27
None scheduled.

Tuesday, Dec. 28
Boys Varsity Wrestling @ Christmas City Tournament, 9 a.m.
Coed Varsity Indoor Track @ Christmas City Relays, 10 a.m.
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Radnor Tournament, to be announced
Girls Varsity Basketball @ Southern Lehigh Tournament, to be announced
Boys Junior Varsity Basketball @ Radnor Tournament, to be announced
Girls Junior Varsity Basketball @ Southern Lehigh Tournament, to be announced

Wednesday, Dec. 29
Boys Varsity Wrestling @ Christmas City Tournament, 9 a.m.
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Radnor Tournament, to be announced
Girls Varsity Basketball @ Southern Lehigh Tournament, to be announced
Boys Junior Varsity Basketball @ Radnor Tournament, to be announced
Girls Junior Varsity Basketball @ Southern Lehigh Tournament, to be announced

Thursday, Dec. 30
Boys Varsity Wrestling @ Christmas City Tournament, 9 a.m.

Friday through Monday, Dec. 31-Jan. 3 (2011)
None scheduled.

Schedules from HighSchoolSports.net; photo from Clipart.com

Adam Canigiani.

GILBERTSVILLE PA – It’s not your average light display, according to internet television station WZAR-TV in Boyertown.

A Gilbertsville family has taken the spirit of Christmas to a whole new level. The display consists of thousands of lights, tons of wiring, and is even software-controlled to the rhythm of music. It’s anything but an “out-of-the-box” system, and has all been custom designed and built by village resident and home owner Adam Canigiani, WZAR News reported Sunday (Dec. 26, 2010).

• Watch the video, above, or see it at the YouTube account of user wzartv.

Janet and Gina at the library.

POTTSTOWN PA – The public library usually is a palace of serenity, a haven of quiet activity, and a place to satisfy mankind’s thirst for knowledge. That is, of course, unless the creators of the “Hip Places To Be Scene In Pottstown” website invade the building.

Janet Flack and Gina Stango, sometimes known as Pottstown’s Scenic Girls, took their video camera to the Pottstown Regional Public Library, on High Street in Pottstown PA, to explore programs and amenities it offers. They roam the stacks and shelves of the library’s two-story public area; play Wii games in its Teen Cave; and join in the children’s story time, accompanied by guitar-strumming library Executive Director Mike Packard.

• Watch the video (above) that was posted Friday (Christmas Eve, Dec. 2, 2010), or see it at the YouTube account of user PottstownScenicGirls.

Outside Sam's.

On Thursday (Dec. 23, 2010), well before the heavy snowfall that’s been predicted for early this week, employees at Sam’s Auto Fitness Center on Sunset Drive in Pottstown PA were enduring numbing cold and tired muscles as they chopped through ice to get their car wash running.

Some car owners wanted to spruce up their rides before Christmas. The folks at Sam’s were happy to oblige. But first, they had to free nozzles and hoses of huge chunks of ice … the combination of residual water from work the previous day, and temperatures that fell to 15 degrees on Wednesday night (Dec. 22).

• Watch the video, above, or see it at The Post’s YouTube account.

Up to 6 inches of snow is predicted to fall tonight (Sunday, Dec. 26) and Monday (Dec. 27) in the first major winter storm to hit Limerick, Lower Pottsgrove, and Pottstown.

WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF THE SEASON – And to do that, The Post turns to the cover of a postcard (above), dated Dec. 22, 1916, and mailed at the time “from Eva” in Philadelphia PA to “Lizzie” on North Fairhill Street in the city’s Olney section. The cost to send it? One cent.

All four Post Publications will take today (Friday, Dec. 24, 2010) through Sunday (Dec. 26) off to enjoy the Christmas holiday, and will next publish on Monday (Dec. 27). As always, thanks for reading The Post. Managing Editor Joe Zlomek sincerely wishes you and yours a bright and blessed season, filled with joy, wonder, and peace.

SANATOGA PA – One way to save money on electricity, Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township officials think, is to stop using it; and one way to do that, they also think, is to douse some street lights. Some of them, Manager Rodney Hawthorne contends, just shouldn’t be burning.

A committee consisting of Hawthorne and members of the township Highway and Police departments are currently culling through two different lists – one each for lights powered by electricity purchased from Metropolitan Edison and PECo – to determine which of the hundred-or-so lamps can be turned off.

The township has no intention to eliminate lights in critical areas, such as where they are needed for public safety or traffic purposes, Hawthorne assured the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners when it met last week (Dec. 16, 2010). The committee has already completed its review of the MetEd list, and police and highway representatives have been advocates for some lights on it, he said.

The longer PECo list covers about 75 lamps, and will take more time to review.

In many cases, lights deemed by the committee to be expendable were erected years ago for specific purposes, such as illuminating a business or household driveway. With changes in the township’s population patterns and real estate developments, however, those purposes either are outdated or no longer exist.

Street light power and maintenance are covered under Lower Pottsgrove’s separate street lighting budget, some of the revenues for which come from taxes levied on owners of property where the lamps have been placed. A few property owners have asked to have lights removed, too, because they either no longer want them or want to pay for them.

Hawthorne said he would present suggestions for lighting changes to commissioners once the committee’s work is completed.

Related: (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ meeting of Dec. 16):

• Lower Pottsgrove Figures To Douse Lights, Save Cash
• Hearing Helps Lower Pottsgrove Skip Nasty Paperwork
• Lower Pottsgrove Budget Approved, After Some Scolding
• Final OK Expected Tonight on Lower Pottsgrove Budget

Photo from Google Images

POTTSGROVE TRAINERS CERTIFIED – Seven Pottsgrove School District employees earlier this month (Dec. 3, 2010) earned 3-year certifications as the district’s trainers in data-driven decision-making and the development of school-based data teams. Those certified, clockwise from left, were Terri Koehler, supervisor of secondary curriculum and assessment; Chris Shaffer, high school principal; Steve Ventura, instructor from the Leadership and Learning Center; Todd Davies, supervisor of elementary curriculum and assessment; Dr. William Ziegler, middle school principal; Doriann Parker, reading specialist; Shellie Feola, assistant superintendent; and Christie Kirsch, teacher on special assignment. They will train other district employees on using student performance information to help identify educational needs and standards, and create programs to meet them.

Photo from the Pottsgrove School District

North Hall at MCCC Pottstown.

POTTSTOWN PA – Ninety college students from across The Post Publications’ coverage areas – including Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township, Pottstown borough, and Limerick Township – are among 203 inducted last week (Dec. 16, 2010) by Montgomery County Community College into its Alpha Kappa Zeta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges, for the Fall 2010 semester.

To be eligible for membership, students must maintain a grade point average of 3.5 and must have completed at least 12 education credits.

Among local residents inducted were:

• From Pottstown, Bryan Banks, Stacy Bluhm, Seth Conbeer, Jennifer Freese, Jessica Gebhard, Chrisann Golden, Chelsea Hartzman, Michele Hess, Joseph Hickey, Rebecca Himes, Megan Johnston, Corey Klaus, Dianne Krumm, Erica Leibensperger, Michele Loftus, Andrew Lyngarhos, Rebecca Martz, Cheryl Mayberry, Susan McAllister, Amber Reifsneider, Cynthia Steed, Gregory Vey, Kim Weber, and Tia Marie Wenek;

• Limerick, Amanda Lozinak;

• Royersford, Michael Anderson, Elizabeth Beckermeyer, Aaron Dewiler, April Ferguson, BethAnn Fisher, Adrianna Nicoline, Caitlin Norris, and Hannah Thompson;

• Spring City, Bryan Banks; and

• Stowe, Denise Ruser.

POTTSTOWN PA – The Keystone Exams, state tests that Pottsgrove School District 8th-grade students must pass to graduate from its middle school, will be the subject of the Jan. 4 (2010, Tuesday) meeting of the Pottsgrove Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization.

The district’s director of secondary education, Terri Koehler, will offer a presentation on the exams and explain their importance. The first exam this year will be given for 8th-grade Algebra. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the school, 1351 N. Hanover St., Pottstown PA.

Middle school parents are urged to attend, Principal Bill Ziegler said, to ensure they understand how Keystone testing will influence their child’s graduation eligibility.

Photo from Clipart.com

Out with the old.

SANATOGA PA – “O, Christmas tree; O Christmas tree! What’ll we do with thee, O’ Christmas tree?”

OK, so maybe that’s not a favorite holiday tune of yours. But if, like those substituted lyrics, you’re wondering what to do with your tree once the holidays are over, Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township offers a solution. January is tree collection month in the township.

Discarded trees will be collected on Mondays only between Jan. 3 and Jan. 31. The township asks that trees to be picked up be placed at curbside by Sunday night for collection next morning.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

Photo from Google Images