PennDOT will hold a meeting on the plans to rehabilitate the Monocacy Creek bridge in Monocacy Station, Amity, in the township building at 7 p.m. Wednesday. PennDOT will present information on the project including addressing traffic issues that might arise while the bridge deck is repaired, according to a public notice in Tuesday's edition of The Mercury.

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The former High Street dinner is set to reopen as the VIP dinner. Currently the building owners are displaying signs in their windows advertising open positions on the dinner's staff.

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The Fourth of July Celebration committee is still seeking contributions to pay for the event, which is planned to start this Friday in Pottstown. The fund for the celebration is severely low this year.

If you want to contribute to the fund, which pays for many things including the favored fireworks, send money to Independence Day Ltd., C/O Mary Ann Peters, Treasurer, P.O. Box 779, Beach & Penn streets, Pottstown, PA 19464.

GILBERTSVILLE — Residents are invited to a demonstration of the effectiveness of amateur “ham” radio operators during a special event this Saturday.
The Pottstown Area Amateur Radio Club will be demonstrating amateur radio at 500 Countyline Road from 2 to 6 p.m. as part of Amateur Radio Week sponsored by the American Radio Relay league.
Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools, back yards throughout the country.
Their slogan: “Ham radio works when other systems don’t,” will be demonstrated as they send messages without phones, the Internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 30,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event.
During Hurricane Katrina, ham radio operators were often the only way people could communicate.
For more information, go to www.emergency-radio.org or e-mail Reginald Leister at N3KAS@ARRL.NET.

Superintendent Marsha Hurda has donated her 4 percent raise back to the school district to assist in these hard economic times, according to Whatsthe422.com

According to the site, Hurda's salary for next year was set at $182,073 at the Tuesday meeting. $7,000 of that will go to the education foundation as the result of Hurda's actions. The money will be used to set up a scholarship honoring Hurda's mother.

The overall school budget for 2009-2010 was approved to the tune of $120,838,710, a 3.15 percent increase.

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The Boyertown Relay for Life will be held this weekend starting Friday, June 26, at Memorial Stadium at Boyertown Senior High School. The event will run from noon Friday until noon Saturday.

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A yard sale and bake sale will be held at the Trinity UCC, 532 E. Main St (across from Ursinus College), in Collegeville Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. The sale is a benefit for the work that Pwof Ansanm does with the teachers of Haiti.

A hip hop dance group will be perfoming this Thursday from 4-5 p.m. at the Pottstown Public Library, according to a notice posted on the door of The Gallery on High. The event is free and open to the public.

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The Llama Dalis, a soulful and energetic talent that has a growing fan base and a reputation for getting people to kick up their feet, will be holding a live concert in the area this weekend.

Formerly known as Neo Pseudo, the band, composed of the Biddison borthers, has been performing since 1975 and has been on stage with acts such as Space Goop, The Shaggy Dogs, and Ticapoo Brain.

They have a taste for poignant and lively original music, peppered with twisted cover tunes, and this has led them to play an interesting array of venues.

The Llama Dalis includes Steve Wheelock and Bob Taylor. Wheelock has played his stylish lead work with the Biddison brothers since 1997, and Taylor, who also tours with David Bromberg and the Angel Band, has been providing a steady and irresistible root in his bass playing since 2006.

The concert will be held June 27 at 7 p.m. at Kimberton Waldorf School’s campus at 410 West Seven Stars Road in Kimberton. Tickets are $10 per person, $35 per family.

This is a concert appropriate for children in sixth grade and above.

To purchase tickets ahead of time, contact Mary Hirsch at 732-232-5159 ext. 106. There is limited seating so reservations are encouraged.

Kimberton Waldorf School was founded in 1941 and is the second oldest Waldorf school in the United States. The school is part of a growing movement of more than 1,000 Waldorf schools worldwide.

The need to improve water pressure in the new Spring-Ford School District office building, among other problems, is costing the district $50,000, according to Whatsthe422.com.

The new offices are part of an improvement project required, according to information on http://www.spring-ford.net/, to meet the increasing enrollment in the future.

According to Whatsthe422, the cost for the administration building was capped at $3.5M, but inaccurate water pressure in the building requires at least a $7,975 water pump to make two toilets able to flush at the same time.

The other unexpected issues are a $32,731.61 fire pump that requires $9,249.45 in electrical work.

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Tonight, from 6-9 p.m., the Pottstown Senior Center invites area singles age 50 and older to come out for fun and games.

Card games, The Wii, Texas Hold 'Em, shuffle board, chess and more will be set up for group play.

Refreshments will be served including pizza.

The free event is sponsored by the YESS Club (Young Energenic Senior Singles). Call PASC at 610-323-5009 for reservations.

The club is located at the Y at 724 N. Adams St. in Pottstown.

Upcoming events include the July Happy Hour at the Brick House and an August Singles Picnic.

Hot air balloons took to the skies at the West Bradford Youth Association Balloon Festival on Friday at the Embreeville State Hospital complex.

One balloon remained tethered for rides on location.

The two-day event was co-sponsored by the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau and Suburban Propane and featured more than a dozen hot air balloons.

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Limerick township paid out at least $170,000 to a former township manager and two former council supervisors, according to Whatsthe422.com.

The local blog site, said the payment was made to settle a legal dispute over a severance package.

Edward Fink, who had served as township manager, was involved in the dispute after his contract with the township was terminated early. He was supposed to work through September 2002 but was replaced in January of that year, according to Whatsthe422.com. Fink was owed $134,406.57 as part of his severance.

Under the recent agreement, former supervisors Tom Neafcy and Glen Holcombe received a portion of the settlement. They had been listed in the suit, along with Greg Richardson, as defendants.

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The Lower Pottsgrove commissioners have approved fees that attorneys can collect after making collections for the township. A new ordinance would require residents and taxpayers to pay $125 to any attorney that collects delinquent taxes, fees, liens, etc. from them. The cost would be tacked on to their overall bill, according to the Sanatoga Post.

According to township solicitor R. Kurtz Holloway, the township is owed thousands of dollars in unpaid fees, taxes and the like, but no definitive amount was given at the recent meeting.

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Home Depot won't be coming to Limerick any time soon. According to Whatsthe422.com, the store planned to build at Ridge Pike and Township Line Road, but the current economic downturn has been stifling growth at the home improvement chain. The 21-acre lot will sit vacant for now, at least until the economy improves.

As it now stands, the township is out $500,000 that they expected to receive from the developer for open space. Luckily the township has not budgeted that money into their future spending plans.

The payment came as part of a settlement after the township tried to restrict what kind of development went on the land after plans had been announced by the developer, according to Whatsthe422.

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Building a Better Boyertown will hold its board meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in Borough Hall and its facade meeting at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at its offices at 12 N. Reading Ave.

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The Spring-Ford School District is planning to vote on its new school budget at tonight's meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of the senior high school. Tonight's meeting agenda, available here, also includes plans to accept the resignation of Royersford Elementary School speech therapist Tracy Peppiatt, effective retroactive to June 15.

Also resigning is Sandra A. Kerchner, an administrative assistant in the district office who is retiring. Her last day will be Aug. 21.

Also on tonight's agenda are several changes in the staff.

The following teachers and staff are requesting leaves of absence or extensions of their leaves of absence:

Laura E. Camp, a teacher at Evans Elementary, effective August 25, 2009 until the end of the second marking period of the 2009/2010 school year.

Stephanie M. Cooper, a teacher at Evans, effective tentatively October 2, 2009 for the remainder of the 1st semester of the 2009/2010 school year.

Doreen Krebs, an instructional assistant with the fifth and sixth grade center, is seeking for her leave of absence to be extended until the end of the current school year.

Kelli Rokita, a teacher at Upper Providence Elementary, and Lydia M. Wisler, the school nurse at the fifth and sixth grade center, are also seeking leaves of absence for the first semester of the upcoming school year.

Karen E. Davis, an Upper Providence Elementary School teacher, effective August 25, 2009 for up to a maximum of twelve weeks.

Carrie A. Kuklinski, Brooke Elementary School speech therapist, effective August 25 for up to 12 weeks.

Carol L. Mays, district office secretary, effective June 24 for up to 12 weeks.

Miranda Paradise, Oaks Elementary School teacher, for the 1st semester of the 2009/2010 school year.

Bernadette R. Pence, Evans Elementary School teacher, for the 1st semester of the 2009/2010 school year.

And, Krista A. Zollers, Evans Elementary School art teacher, for the 1st semester of the 2009/2010 school year.

Also up for approval are several temporary positions for the summer and new hires.

For the summer:

Ronald Logan as a Special Education teacher for Summer ESY Program, to be paid $30 an hour plus benefits. "Funding will be from 2009/2010 IDEA funds," according to the agenda.

Temporary employees:

Andrew Bright as high school biology teacher, to be paid $43,500 a year.

Daniel Butterweck, 7th Grade Center special education teacher, to be paid $43,000 a year.

Jamie Buckwalter as peech Therapist, to be paid $43,500 a year.

Megan McDonald as 7th Grade Center mathematics teacher, to be paid $44,500.

Bradley J. Seltzer as high school social studies teacher, to be paid $46,000.

Support staff:

Alex Cushman as custodian at Evans Elementary School, to be paid $16.57 per hour with benefits.

Cecilia Felice as food service employee. "position has been
increased to a 4.5 hour position, effective for the 2009/2010 school year," according to the agenda.

George Versak as custodian, to be paid $16.57 per hour.

Also at the meeting, 27 teachers will be receiving their tenured status.

Up for consideration is the recommendation of an Employee Assistance
Program at a cost of $1.45 per employee per month. The cost will be offset by savings in the Worker Compensation premiums, according to the agenda.

The board will also approve the salary of Superintendant Marsha Hurda. The salary was not listed on the agenda.

The board will also vote on putting out bids for a sidewalk and crosswalks at Lewis Road, and the replacement of a roof at Royersford Elementary.

The Upper Perkiomen School District is planning to eliminate two positions during its Thursday night school directors meeting, according to its agenda.

According to the meeting minutes, a cafeteria monitor/study hall position and a special education assistant's position are planned for elimination starting June 22. Also, the family consumer science teacher's position, which is part-time, will not be renewed effective June 30 because of a decrease in enrollment, as well as the part-time health and physical education teacher position at the high school.

The school board meeting will be held tonight at 7 p.m. in the multipurpose room at the education center, 2229 E. Buck Road, Pennsburg.

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The buildings at Conrad Weiser Homestead in Womelsdorf have been locked up, according to a story on ReadingEagle.com

The reason: cuts to the operational budget by the state.

According to the Eagle's report, the state will only maintain the grounds, unless a nonprofit or other group comes forward and agrees to operate the buildings at their own expense.

Friends of the Conrad Weiser Homestead are looking to provide funds to keep the site's part-time custodial guide working, which would allow the buildings to be open.

Under the current plan, valuable artifacts on site might have to be removed for security purposes if no one is there to oversee them. Keeping the custodial guide would mean the artifacts pertaining to the site would remain.

According to the report, one of the main reasons for closing the buildings was the 95 percent of the homestead's visitors only came to take advantage of the outside recreational activities and never bothered to step inside.

The changes will take place June 3o. That is when the state budget is due. Whether that occurs is yet to be seen.

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State police at Skippack and Reading barracks in Montgomery and Berks counties will conduct sobriety checkpoints this weekend on unnamed roads. The checkpoints are held to deter driving under the influence and reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes.

Motorists are urged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver before they drink.

The Norco Fire Department fair is coming to the Route 724 headquarters, next to the Wawa and Route 100, starting June 29.

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The fourth annual Dump the Pump day will be held at the Plaza in the King of Prussia Mall. Those who come out can see a hybrid bus that will be put into use by SEPTA and win prizes as well as be treated to free appetizers by two area restaurants. The expo at the mall will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.

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The Conrad Weiser Homestead in Womelsdorf will reportedly be closed this year, though the grounds surrounding it will be open to visitors, according to a report at readingeagle.com.

The decision was made by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Wednesday morning. The homestead was one of six sites considered for closure or change of operations in light of a tightening budget.

The Brandywine Battlefield was on the short list as well.

The Friends of Conrad Weiser Homestead are working with the museum commission to keep the buildings open and programs running. Other sites are undergoing similar talks with their nonprofit support groups to see if funding and management can be maintained with outside help for all six sites.

In the case of Brandywine Battlefield, the museum commission has recommended a management agreement with the Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society for 10 years. The society and commission are currently hammering out the agreement.

According to the commission's executive summaries on the six sites, released Wednesday and made available on their Web site, one full-time commission position will remain at the Brandywine Battlefield, with that employee in charge of security and site maintanance.

Residents in Birdsboro are protesting recent shut offs of their water.

According to a post on readingeagle.com, about 40 residents turned out at the municipal authority meeting Monday to protest dramatic rate increases for their water and sewer bills. The reason: an $11.3 million upgrade to the sewage treatment plant that is required by the state.

The authority is saying that recent shut offs, though, have been because of delinquent payments. According to the Eagle, 2,100 customers had been deemed delinquent, and of them only 11 were still without water for lack of payment.

Sen. Michael O'Pake has been called on by some borough residents to take action on their behalf in the matter. In response, O'Pake has introduced a bill that would place water and sewer authorities under the auspices of the state PUC.

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The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission will be presenting the findings of its U.S. 422 Corridor Master Plan study.

Meetings on the proposals will be held:

June 23 at Pottstown Middle School from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The school is at 600 N. Franklin St.

June 24 at Spring-Ford Area High School, 6:30-9:30 p.m. The school is located at 350 S. Lewis Road.

The public will be able to give their opinions on the recommendations and staff will be on hand to answer questions.

For more information about the Master Plan visit www.422corridor.com

Two Alex's Lemonade stands will be held in the area this weekend to commemorate Lemonade Days, which run June 12-14. The stands are part of the K-12 Operation Lemonade program, which raises money for awareness of pediatric cancer and to encourage students to follow in the lead of Alex Scott, who tried to make a difference in the fight against cancer one lemonade at a time.

On Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. a stand will be set up at East Coast Gas Station on Ridge Pike at Egypt Road in West Norriton.

On Sunday, between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., a stand will be set up at Jake's Flea Market on Route 100 in Barto.

Also helping out Alex's Lemonade this year is Rita's Water Ice, which has stores in Pottstown (North Charlotte Street), North Coventry (West Schuylkill Road/Rt. 724) and Boyertown (East Philadelphia Avenue). All this month, Rita's is selling paper lemonades for $1 with all money going to pediatric cancer research through the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

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Today is the last day to catch the Lewis and Clark Circus at Sunnybrook Ballroom in Lower Pottsgrove, according to the Sanatoga Post.

The troupe offers four 90-minute performances and tickets can be purchased at the door. The circus also has a petting zoo and midway with games.

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Also this weekend, the Hard Bean Cafe in Boyertown is hosting its first public knitting event. Area knitters will show off and share their knitting skills on Saturday and Sunday, 2-4 p.m. They will also be selling their wares.

If you are interested in knitting, check it out!

The Southeastern Veterans Center could get 120 new rooms. According to Whatsthe422.com, the Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking to build 120 new rooms to replace outdated housing.

A four story, 140,000-square-foot building would be added to Coates Hall. The plans can be reviewed by the public at the Spring City Library and the Veterans Center. The development plans would have to be approved by East Vincent.

The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy and Keenan, Ciccitto & Associates law firm recently hosted the Annual Perkiomen Creek Sojourn.

There were experienced canoers and kayakers as well as canoe beginners on the trip, which began in Schwenksville and ended at Hoy Park on Arcola Road at the Skippack Creek confluence.
Conditions along the Perkiomen Creek can vary greatly depending on recent rainfall. A few good rains in the weeks prior to the sojourn helped increase water levels in the Perkiomen Creek for the adventure. The U.S. Geological Survey gauge at Graterford indicated that the water level in the creek was just about normal for this time of year, about 1.5 feet.

Thirty paddlers launched from Red Fox Park, just south of the Route 73 bridge in Schwenksville, after a safety lecture and demonstration. Two small dams were safely portaged at Plank Road and at the Graterford island dam.

Fortunately for the paddlers, the water level was high enough to minimize the need for boat dragging, which can be a standard part of paddling on the often low waters of the Perkiomen Creek.

The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy hosts the sojourn to help provide a new perspective on the Perkiomen Creek. As one sojourner noted, "You get so accustomed to seeing the Perkiomen Creek from a bridge as you fly past, but being on the water for three hours makes you see the creek in a whole new way! It was great!”

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On Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors are invited to Pottsgrove Manor for a unique day of lectures to learn about the realities of daily life for those who lived and worked in early Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Humanities Council Commonwealth Speaker and storyteller Denise Valentine will share tales of African-Americans who lived, breathed and walked the streets of Philadelphia from the 17th century through the 20th in “From Richard Allen to Cecil B. Moore: Stories of Freedom and Hope.”

Food historian Clarissa Dillon will explore the domestic culture of a colonial household with “Many Hands Make Light Work,” detailing cooking, daily life, culture, and the women of the 18th century.

This program is open to the public free of charge, but seating is limited. To preregister, call 610-326-4014. Boxed lunches will be available for a fee and you should inquire about them when making your reservation.

Pottsgrove Manor, home of John Potts, colonial ironmaster and founder of Pottstown, is located at 100 W. King St. near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422.

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Four students from Chester County's Kimberton Waldorf school, who were trekking for months with a group from Kroka Expeditions, are back at base camp after many travails. The four, Hagay Haut, Aidan Gross, Jacob Tucker and Hytham Hanna, had to ski and hike north with several dozen students from around the world, build their own canoe and travel back to base camp in New Hampshire.

To read reports on their progress, check out our Green Pages at http://www.pottsmerc.com/news/green.

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An annual U.S. Flag retirement ceremony will be held June 7 at 1 p.m. in front of the Vietnam Veteran's Gazebo Memorial Park rain or shine.

The Cup, the iconicly shaped restaurant in the 900 block of North Charlotte Street, is going on the auction block. The restaurant was left standing for some time after its last resurgence in 2004.

According to signs posted outside the building, the auction will take place June 29 with two days of open house for those interested.

The Realtor is Tranzzon which says on its Web site that the bidding will start at $350,000. According to the Realty/Auction agency, the restaurant is fully equipped.

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The Huparoon Coffee House has unfortunately seen its last customer some time ago. Temporarily closed for health reasons, the building is now empty and has a "for rent" sign in the window.

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The newly renamed Elmer S. Friedberg American Legion Post is offering bus seats to the internment ceremony for the former general at Arlington Cemetery, according to The Sanatoga Post.

The post's honor guard will be participating in the internment ceremony on July 1.

Tickets for the bus, which are $35, must be reserved by June 15 if you are interested in attending. The bus seats 52. For more information, call post Commander Ed Clark at 610-323-8905.

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The Live the Dream Foundation is hosting its annual Howard Brown Skoolz Classic Charity Basketball Showcase on Saturday at Pottstown High School.

Admission to the event, which raises funds for the Howard Brown athletic scholarship fund, is just $1. The event will be held from noon to 5 p.m. with the following schedule of events.

Noon Skoolz Future Starz (Featuring Olivet Boys & Girls Club)

1 p.m. Delaware High School All-Stars vs Pottstown Warriors AAU

2 p.m. Brunish’s Hot Shot Contest/Applebees Slam Dunk Competitions

3 p.m. Alexa Artis Women’s All-Star Game

4 p.m. Howard Brown & The Legends of the PAC

For more information, call 610-624-3215 or e-mail livethedreamfoundation@gmail.com

The Route 73 bridge replacement over Oysterville Creek in Oley is only in the preliminary stages with construction scheduled to begin in the fall of 2010. Plans for a detour route during construction include three-way stop signs at the intersection of routes 73 and 662, with a temporary blinking traffic light.

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Oley Township was one of two municipalities in the state to receive the 2009 Government Leadership in Land Conservation Award, given away May 8 by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association for Oley's leadership and vision in conservation of special places and landscapes.

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The circus is coming to Boyertown.

The Lewis and Clark Circus, in conjunction with Boyertown Community Park, will visit the borough on June 8 and 9. Area residents can enjoy performances at 5 and 7 p.m. at the community park.

The anticipation of the big show is tantalizingly whetted for every boy and girl as they watch the wild confusion gradually dissolve into a semblance of order, while the purpose of some of the props and miscellaneous equipment remains a mystery until the performance itself reveals their use.

There will be acrobats and clowns, aerialists and trained animals and circus superstars from around the world.

This event is also a fundraiser for the community park which will use the money raised from the circus to help with their various community projects. Be sure to come out and help support the community park recreation board.