The Sanatoga Post

The assembled 2011 Pottsgrove High School Marching Band

POTTSTOWN PA – March on, Pottsgrove High School band members; march on. The district Board of School Directors said Tuesday (Feb. 14, 2012) it’s willing to put an additional $21,000 worth of pep into your step.

Directors voted to use a portion of about $60,000 raised in the district’s local merchant marketing campaign to pay in advance for marching band uniforms and percussion equipment. That allows the high school music department to place orders for those items before the end of March, ensuring their delivery for the 2012-2013 fall band season. Otherwise, it might not have gotten them until the season was almost over.

Band members, parents, and department heads applauded after the board decision.

Music education in Pottsgrove is happily suffering from a success problem, teachers Kathy Williams and Victor Holladay told the Board of School Directors last October (2011). Dozens of Pottsgrove Middle School students headed for the high school next year have already indicated they intend to join the band. Dozens more are ready to follow them from the elementary school music program in later years.

“The numbers are drastically improving,” Holladay said with a smile. “The band will more than double its size next year.”

Its fast growth, and its invitations to play later this spring in locations like Washington DC, have caused an immediate demand for percussion instruments valued at about $12,400 and 25 new band uniforms that will cost about $9,050, he explained Tuesday.

The department has already added those items to its 2012-2013 budget request. Problem is, Business Administrator David Nester noted, Holladay can’t spend what the board hasn’t yet approved … and potential acceptance of any budget remains months away. If the order is delayed, band members wouldn’t have their needs met until November or December.

Board President Michael Neiffer, who is a band volunteer and whose children are band members, notably abstained from voting. He announced his conflict of interest at the start of the discussion, but nonetheless advocated board approval of the advance purchase. “We don’t want to nickle-and-dime this,” he said specifically of the uniforms.

The money will be taken from revenue raised under the district’s partnership with the MarketStreet Sports Group of Lancaster PA. MarketStreet make a business of attracting local, regional and national companies to school districts primarily for advertising and promotional purposes. In Pottsgrove, it has signed the TriCounty Area Federal Credit Union, Mishock Physical Therapy and Associates, and Hallman Retirement Neighborhoods as clients.

The $60,000 fund was initially planned to be used for improvements and renovations to the high school girls’ softball field, Nester said. Enough money may be left to do that work too, he said.

Related:

• March On! Pottsgrove OKs Buying Instruments, Uniforms
• Successful Pottsgrove Music Programs On A (Drum) Roll

Related (to the Pottsgrove Board of School Directors’ Feb. 14 meeting):

• March On! Pottsgrove OKs Buying Instruments, Uniforms
• Pottsgrove Multi-Tasks Through MCIU Budget Approval
• State Suspends $3.2M In Ringing Rocks’ Reimbursement

POTTSTOWN PA – Students at Pottsgrove High School, 1345 Kauffman Rd., Pottstown PA, were named Wednesday (Feb. 15, 2012) as having achieved “distinguished honors” on its honor roll for the 2011-2012 school year’s first quarter, and dozens more were named with “honors.”

On the honor roll were:

Grade 12 Distinguished Honors

Samantha Brockway, Matthew Cimino, Amy Defnet, Joseph Di Paolo, Erica Edwards, Kassandra Forster, Ashleigh Kleinschmidt, Benjamin Macluckie, Alysa Adams Murray, Courtney Nealy, Alexandra Schurr, Jessica Stewart, Emily Stump, Michael Vennettilli, Lara Weisbach, Allison Weller.

Grade 12 Honors

Jordan Adkins, Steven Ambs, Ahmed Amer, Lauren Antenucci, Emily Bowen, Ian Brennan, Amy Cherico, Donna Chu, Ceara Coseo, Matthew Dao, Gwendolynne Davis, Emily Delena, Shelby Edelson, Lauren Edmunds, Tyler Gross, Trevor Hallman, Maura Hannum, Tillman Harris, Samantha Hunkel, Ryan Ivins, Wasay Khan,  Achilles Kontostathis, Jennifer Korb, Elliott Koss, Matthew Krieger, Stacie Kuneck, Austin Lastoskie, Megan Lazowicki, Meghan Luna, Caitlin Macfarland, Gabrielle Mack, Storm McLeod, Mallory McMenamin, Rowan Meador, Branden Mercier, Daniel Michaels, Megan Monzo, Allison Neel, Madeline OBrien, Casey Payne, Vincent Pellechio, Kevin Phillips, Edith Pineda, Brian Price, Justin Purdom, Victoria Queen, Brooke Rafalowski, Christopher Rathgeber, Carrie Robinson, Taylor Robinson, Deanna Robles, Jenna Saylor, Nicholas Sotera, Mark Teaford, Anthony Tremble, Cordelia Urquhart, Jared Valentine, Maurice Webster, Jarrod Wentzel, Tylar White, Jessica Williams, Jessica Wrubel, Yinan Xiong, Paige Yerger, Colleen Young, Bao Steven Zheng.

Grade 11 Distinguished Honors

Zachary Birch, Nathan Breidenbach, Nathan Fretz, Nia Gonzalez, Mackenzie Gross, Kiera Howard, Nicholas Hunsberger, Kelsey Lloyd, Adam Maynard, Daniel McNamara, Ashley Monzo, Justin Munro, Tanmay Patel, Kevin Rathgeber, David Brandon Stone, Ian Yanusko.

Grade 11 Honors

Jaclyn Bealer, Amanda Birard, Dominic Bridi, Christie Christ, Nicole Chu, Patrick Collins, Danielle Czekaj, Jessica Diaz, Jessica Evans, Nicole Finn, Jessica Fiore, Chloe Grebe, Ashley Haraczka, Daniel Harp, Brittany John, Julia Kemper, Benjamin Kunrath, Marc Ludwig, Troy Lutcavage, Michael Makoid, Alexander McCarthy, Rachelle Mewshaw, Qwhadir Miller, Tiara Mitchell, Tyler Mitchell, Robert Mohollen,  Aaron Roberts, Shawn Robles, Alexandra Rodriguez, Andrew Rodriguez, Caitlin Smith, Jamira Stephenson, Abbey Sullivan, Anthony Tartaglia, Allysha Towson, Ian Valway, Bridgette Vuotto, Kaitlyn Wagner, Ceirra Walton, Jasmyn West, Cameron Williams.

Grade 10 Distinguished Honors

Jeffrey Adams, Arizona Brennan, Angelica Glaeser, Christopher Haslam, Jacob Hunsberger, Daniel Kaiser, Jaid Mark, Thomas Sephakis, Gabriella Tammaro, Hayley Tomaselli, Jay Young, Kylie Yuchimiuk.

Grade 10 Honors

Ethan Abdalla, Alexis Adair, Marquis Barefield, David Bieleski, Teodoro Calabretta, Kacy Carroll, Joshua Chamberlain, Audrey Eiland, Kylie Fulmer, Thomas Galamba, John Garges, Ferryn Garner, Noel Geniza, Abigail Girafalco, Charles Gulick, Elizabeth Harley, Ashley Hoffman, Gaia Houseal, Abagail Hudock, Taylor Inhof, Tyler Kline, Dana Landes, Kelsey Lee, Mollie Marko, Megan Montey, Natalya Nodolski, Brittany Opokwu, Sene Polamalu, Kayla Polen, Nicole Raimondi, Hannah Robinson, Ashlyn Sassaman, Kaleigh Tillman, Joshua Toth, Christopher Vecchio, James Walmsley, Grant West, Maxton Wickward.

Grade 9 Distinguished Honors

Joseph Buchler, Aubrey Christman, Samantha Goins, Renee Hunsberger, Chloe Klaus, Kyle Reed, Julia Tartaglia.

Grade 9 Honors

Andrew Bayless, Danielle Buchanan, Matthew Bush, Danielle Cook, Olivia Vanessa Cortez, Brianna Costira, Damian Creasy, Patrick Finn, Chad Flannery, Shayna Flint, Macie Frame, Caitlin Gillette, Evan Hillen, Kelsey Hutchinson, Hailey Jacobs, Katherine Likman, Sarah Lindgren, David Macartney, Cole Meitzler, Eric Mitchell, Autumn Mortimer, Meganne Natale, Sean OBrien, Andrew Phillips, Emily Ryan, Cassandra Shields, Kristi Shultz, Bernard Steyaert, Alexandria Thierry, Jacob Trexler, Hailee Tyson, Courtney Weaver, Allison Wentzel, Brianna West, Keely Zaborsky.

Girl Scout Senior Troop 49 met in Lower Pottsgrove in the 1950s

By Beth Scherer
of the Lower Pottsgrove Historical Society,
for The Sanatoga Post

SANATOGA PA – It occurs every year at this time, that gnawing hunger for Thin Mints, Shortbread, Peanut Butter Patties, and Caramel Delites. Those and other Girl Scout cookies are as much a part of the snack-time landscape across Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township as anywhere else.

Lower Pottsgrove Brownies bake holiday cookies for state hospital residents in 1959

Local troops during 2012 are marking the Scouts’ 100th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, a new lemon flavored cookie – Savannah Smiles – was introduced this year to the popular cookie line-up.

Girl Scouting has been active in Lower Pottsgrove since the 1940s. The Sanatoga Grange was among the first Girl Scout troop sponsors in the area. Pottsgrove schools have also sponsored troops throughout the years.

Troops of the Pottstown Council of Girl Scouts helped earn money through cookie sales in 1956 for the purchase of Camp Forest Glen, which was near Huff’s Church. They enjoyed troop and day camping there for a number of years.

Many area women have volunteered their time and energy as Girl Scout leaders.  One of the most influential was the late Sally Moyer, former secretary at Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School, and former township treasurer. Girl Scouting opportunities in the township increased in the early 1970s due to her efforts. Her very active Cadet Troop 470 was sponsored by the Sanatoga Fire Company.

If you’re hungry for cookies this week, they’re still available. The Girl Scouts’ Cookie Finder website reports cookies will be sold by troops at these and many other locations:

• Today (Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012) through Friday (Feb. 17) from noon to 9 p.m. at Coventry Mall, 351 W. Schuylkill Rd., Pottstown PA;
• Saturday (Feb. 18) from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at he Philadelphia Premium Outlets, 18 W. Lightcap Rd., Limerick PA; and
• Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Boscov’s Department Store at Coventry Mall.

Editor’s note: The Lower Pottsgrove Historical Society was formed in 1985 to share the heritage of Lower Pottsgrove Township with its residents. It meets on the second Wednesday of every month from April through December at its museum and offices in the former Sanatoga Chapel, 2341 E. High St., Sanatoga PA. Author and society President Beth Scherer writes about Lower Pottsgrove history monthly for The Post.

Articles in this series:

• In Township, Scouts And Cookies (Yum!) Have A History
• Family Appliance Business Has Long History In Santa-toga
• Love NASCAR Now? You Would Have Adored Sanatoga
• Timeless Treasures Fill Historical Society Chapel Offices
• Hilltop’s Still Making History, 59 Years After Opening
• Historic Answer To Heat: Township Swimmin’ Holes
• Need A Local Hotel? There Once Were Four, Right Here
• What’s Changed Most In ‘Grove Grads? Their Schools
• Shantz’s Mound Presence Made Sanatoga ‘Pheverous’
• Stars Danced In Lower Pottsgrove Long Before TV Show
• Never Heard Of Sanatoga’s Longview Hotel? Here’s Why

POTTSTOWN PA – The performance “window” for members of the Pottsgrove High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble, which enters its second year of competition Saturday (Feb. 11, 2012) at a show in Ambler PA, is only eight weeks long. But as the group (some of whom are pictured above) learned last year, that’s time enough to earn awards from judges, praise from peers, and admiration from parents.

The 12-student ensemble left early Saturday for Wissahickon High School to join its first contest of 2012 against a field of eight other groups, many of them well-seasoned veterans. They’ll perform at 11:40 a.m., and then must wait until awards are presented at 5:30 p.m. to see how they fared. “It’s going to be a long day,” percussion instructor Eric Williamson noted.

It’s worth it, ensemble members contend. The competitions are sponsored by the Cavalcade of Bands Association Inc., the same group that oversees shows in which Pottsgrove’s far larger marching band competes. Doing well there brings honor to the Falcons, the Pottsgrove School District, and themselves, they say.

They’ve spent weeks since November in practice, perfecting their techniques and knowledge of this year’s piece. It’s an original composition called “Dreamcatchers,” written by Pottsgrove grad Kevin Smith (watching the group perform, below) and intended to give sonic definition to a young child’s dreams and nightmares. Parents, teachers and friends who heard it performed during a preview Thursday night (Feb. 9) in the high school gym loved it. “It was very listen-able,” one said.

The ensemble got started last year, and won honors during its first run. “That’s what got us thinking, ‘how can we do even better?’,” Smith said. “We were talking about this year even before last year ended,” he added, grinning.

The group is as different as its surprising initial results. They’re not a bunch of hard-core drummers, Williamson explained; about half its members play string, wind and other instruments with the marching band. Of the 12, five are not yet in high school. That speaks to their versatility, and the ensemble’s ability to continue building successes over several more years.

As it strides into the Wissahickon show, visitors there will see evidence of one more way in which the ensemble defies tradition. Rather than usual uniforms, and in keeping with the theme of Smith’s composition, its members will wear pajamas. They’ll be comfortable, warm and, they hope, winners too.

• See a Post gallery of seven photos, below, taken during the Thursday night preview show. Click on any thumbnail image to enlarge it.

POTTSTOWN PA – Members of Pottsgrove High School’s acclaimed classical auditioned vocal ensemble, the Choraliers, will participate next Monday (Feb. 13, 2012) at 7 p.m. in the annual Tri-County Honors Choir Concert to be held at Spring-Ford Area High School on South Lewis Road in Royersford.

• These events have been added to The Post calendar.

Selected singers from Pottsgrove, Norristown, Spring-Ford and Plymouth-Whitemarsh high schools have been rehearsing together since November (2011) “to produce a concert of gorgeous music,” Pottsgrove Director Of Choral Music Cynthia Foust said Tuesday (Feb. 7), and she expects they’ll be even busier Monday with final preparations and “an entire day of rehearsal … to polish our music.”

Representing Pottsgrove are students Abby Huddock, Andrea Paganelli, Anne Fischer, Danielle Gambino, Jasmyn West, Rhiannon Levengood, Rowan Meador, Stephanie French, Aaron Jaffe, Joe Daye, Justin Hernandez, TJ Galamba, Ashleigh Kleinschmidt, Emily Weaver, Erin Amole, Felicia Nester, Jazmin Reddick, Jennifer Korb, Kelsey Lloyd, Krisina Antonio, Shaina Wood, Tiara Mitchel, Andrew Koss, Jeremy Downey, Vincent Pellechio, Nick Wolfe, and Trevor Noll.

Choral directors involved in addition to Foust are Yvonne O’Dea, Spring-Ford; Amy LaRue, Plymouth-Whitemarsh; Lynn Danoff and Bruce Tonkin, Norristown. Retired Spring-Ford director David Nicol assisted as pianist during rehearsals.

Tickets for the show, available at the door, cost $7 for adults and $5 for seniors; students will be admitted free.

And, as they say in show business, that’s not all!

Pottsgrove’s Choral Department presents its pops concert, “A Night on Broadway,” on Feb. 16 (Thursday) beginning at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Pottsgrove High School, Kauffman Road, Pottstown PA.

The Pottsgrove Show and Concert choirs will open and close the concert with selections from “A Chorus Line” and “Les Miserables.”

Solos from various musicals will be performed by Erin Amole, Brianna Pettiti, Anastasia Koss, Karley Moser, Jennifer Korb, Emily Weaver, Krisinia Antonio, Anne Fisher, Andrea Paganelli, Passione Nettle, Danielle Buchanan, Rebecca Smith, Jazmin Reddick, Sara Onyemaobin, Vincent Pellechio, Shayna Flint, Felecia Nester and TJ Galamba. Robin Ward will be piano accompanist.

Tickets, also available at the door, cost $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors. Maroon and White cards will be honored.

Finaly, Foust notes the choral department will conduct its annual Bingo and Bling Night fund-raiser Feb. 24 (Friday) at the high school beginning at 7 p.m. Filled Longaberger-brand baskets and sterling silver Silpada-brand jewelry are among the prizes offered. Tickets cost $20 and can be bought at the door or in advance from Foust by calling 610-326-5105 Ext. 6501.

LIMERICK PA – Exelon Nuclear, which is credited for its financial support of Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township’s summer concert series, on Tuesday (Feb. 7, 2012) delivered a $150,000 donation to its host municipality, neighboring Limerick Township, to pay for programs and facilities of the Limerick and Linfield Fire companies, its police department, and local parks and recreation.

The check, presented to the Board of Supervisors by Limerick Generating Station (LGS) Site Vice President Bill Maguire, represented the fourth installment of a $600,000 Exelon contribution to the township during the past four years.

“Our goal at (LGS) is to be both a leader in our community and in the nuclear industry,” Maguire said. “Exelon employees have been, and will continue to be, deeply involved in the community, and this contribution demonstrates our ongoing commitment to Limerick … and the region.”

Municipal officials welcomed Exelon’s gift. LGS, supervisors’ chairman Kara Shuler said, “is a valuable member of our community and we look forward to having them here for many years.”

Exelon is currently in the process of renewing its nuclear Units 1 and 2 operating licenses for another 20 years. The station is located at 3146 Sanatoga Rd. in Limerick, just east of the Lower Pottsgrove-Limerick townships’ line.

Exelon spokeswoman Dana Melia noted the company also contributes more than $400,000 each year to regional charities and community organizations.

Photo by Sean Bonner via YFrog

WHITE ON THE GROUND, CANDY CANE IN THE WINDOW – “Mother Nature does some beautiful work,” notes Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township historical researcher Carol Isett, who received a candy cane amaryllis bulb for Christmas from her son and his family. Husband Glenn Isett, membership secretary for the township Historical Society, took this photo just as the bulb “was at the peak of its blooming time,” Carol reports. The arrival of (rare, so far this year) snow Wednesday (Feb. 8, 2012), which lightly covered the ground and trees, seemed like a perfect time to show it off.

Photo by Glenn Isett

WITH LOVE, FROM SIS – Nine-year-old Coral Feldman prepared Sunday (Feb. 5, 2012) to have her hair trimmed by Great Clips salon store manager Beth Maggiotto (above) during a fund-raising conducted on behalf of her younger sister, Victoria, age 5. Victoria was diagnosed last October with a malignant brain tumor, and recently underwent surgery, radiation treatments and several forms of therapy to battle the disease. The staff at Great Clips, which opened a few months ago in the Pottstown Plaza on Shoemaker Road, near Wal-Mart, held a “cut-a-thon” fund-raiser to offset the family’s medical expenses. The store’s stylists donated all their tips, and customers were generous; a huge goblet atop the store’s front counter was filled with bills of all denominations. Outside meanwhile (below), mother Renee Feldman braved chilly weather with friends and family members to hold an accompanying bake sale.

Other coverage:

• Cut-A-Thon For Victoria Today (Pottstown Patch)
• See another photo from the event, here.

POTTSTOWN PA – Pottstown community radio station WBZH 1370-AM, promoting itself as “The Buzz,” plans later this week to announce what it called “the launch of a major campaign … designed to assist revitalization efforts throughout the Tri-County (Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties) area,” it said in an e-mail Sunday (Feb. 5, 2012).

Details of the campaign are to be revealed during a press conference Tuesday (Feb. 7) at 5 p.m. at the station’s broadcasting studios and offices at 224 Maugers Mill Rd. Pottstown PA, according to Programming Director Dave Devlin.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

WBZH is the reincarnation of former long-time radio station WPAZ-AM, which served Pottstown since 1952 but was closed and taken off the air in December 2009 by Great Scott Broadcasting and the remaining members of its founding Scott family. Delaware-based Great Scott sold the station to Four Rivers Broadcasting, and it re-opened in January 2011 with community-oriented programming, much of it created by volunteers.

“We are a partner in the revitalization of Pottstown and the growth of the surrounding area, providing a voice for the citizens and organizations in our area,” the station website said.

The station has expanded upon local interviews and high school sports broadcasts that seemed to make WPAZ such a listening staple, and also added programs with a wide variety of musical styles. last month it also launched a community calendar to collect dates and times of area events and happenings, and most recently issued a call to broadcast local musicians and bands.

Photo from Google Images