SANATOGA PA – What happens when communities work together? Businesses prosper, experts say; traffic flows, residential property values go up, schools improve. And what happens when a community’s news media publishers and others work together? Well, in one case in Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township, summer concert audiences grow and some big name performers may return here because they were so welcomed.

The New Jersey-based 78th Army Band, during its July 13 (2011) debut as part of this year’s township Parks and Recreation Board summer concert series, attracted one of the largest audiences (above) of its entire tour, Assistant Manager Alyson Elliott told the Board of Commissioners during its meeting Monday (Aug. 1). Band officials were surprised and impressed, she said, and have asked about a return engagement in 2012.

That’s a notable accomplishment, commissioners agreed, considering the 50-plus-piece band and its ensembles this year played in much bigger venues like Baltimore and Ocean City MD, Gettysburg and Philadelphia PA, and Cape May and Haddonfield NJ.

A memo included with the board’s meeting agenda singled out The Sanatoga Post and Managing Editor Joe Zlomek for assistance in promoting the show. However, the credit must be shared by greater Pottstown publishers and several other people who willingly publicized the event because they were asked to do so, and because their own readers or constituents may have been interested.

The band’s audience of more than 350 people benefited from promotional efforts by:

• Jennifer Corley, township receptionist and Recreation Board secretary;
• Pottsgrove American Legion Post 244 Adjutant Billy Worrell;
• Spring City Armory Facilities Manager CWO Michael Murphy;
• Roy Keeler, author of the Roy’s Rants and Progress Pennsylvania blogs in Pottstown;
• Maureen Gallant, author of Pottstown’s Blog;
• Chris Huff of the Code Blue Pulse and MOSAIC Community Land Trust blogs in Pottstown;
• Jeff Leflar, also of Code Blue Pulse;
• Sue Repko, author of the Positively!Pottstown blog and also a member of MOSAIC;
• Eileen Faust, online editor of The (Pottstown PA) Mercury;
• Stephanie Conlon, publisher of Community Buzz in Douglassville;
• Teresa McMinn of the Pottstown edition of Patch online media;
• Kevin Haslam of the Limerick edition of Patch; and
• David Powell and Tom Murray, Patch regional editors.

As it has in the past, the Recreation Board also thanks Exelon Nuclear’s Limerick Generating Station for the financial support that makes the concert series possible.

The series has one performance remaining. The Pottsgrove Community Band will appear Sunday (Aug. 7) at 6 p.m. at the band shell in Sanatoga Park, South Sanatoga Road. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket, and enjoy its many musical talents for free.

Related:

• Army Band May Return, Thanks To Impressive Crowd
• Perfect Weather, Huge Crowd Greets Rousing 78th Band
• Meet The 78th Army Band, Then Be Wowed Wednesday
• Thinking Big, Musically: Baltimore, Philly. Sanatoga? Yes!

Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ meeting of Aug. 1):

• Army Band May Return, Thanks To Impressive Crowd
• Whack Away At Unsightly Weeds, Township Pleads
• July Tax Payments Trickle In At A Rate Of $528 Per Day
• Tax Settlements: An Awful Lot Of Paperwork To Net $677
• Lower Pottsgrove’s June 2011 Warrants Now Online
• Bridge, Guardrail Study Proposed For Pruss Hill Road
• Township 2009 Sex Offender Law ‘Might Not Stand Up’
• Commissioners OK KenCrest ‘Temporary’ Grenhouse
• Commissioners Gather For First August Meeting

Photo for The Post by Glenn Isett