Dr. Niraj Patel of the Chiropractic & Wellness Center is offering complimentary (no-obligation) services to new patients in exchange for a donation of $20, which will be given to a local school district for school supplies for needy children.

The drive is ongoing until Sept. 16 and the offer includes a complete consultation, an examination, a computerized nerve scan/wellness scan and a review of the findings.
Dr. Patel's office evaluated the cost of such an exam at $175, but through Sept. 16 it will only cost you the $20 donation.

For more, visit www.spinemassageandrehab.com

A grand reopening celebration will take place at the Hard Bean Café this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., bringing live music, a book signing and more to the downtown location.

After being closed for two weeks following a heavy storm that separated the roof from the building at the Hard Bean in downtown Boyertown, the hotspot will reopen, this time with new owners.

The family team of Hank and Steve Frecon, along with long time friend Chris Adukaitis, current owners of Boyertown’s favorite farm fresh market Frecon Farms, have assumed control of the establishment.

Since the storm, the business was blown up the street to the Frecon Farms location to ensure the continued supply of coffee and tea to Hard Bean enthusiasts.

“Thanks to the hard work of the building owners, the utility companies, and the dedicated employees of the Hard Bean Café, we’re excited to reopen the business and kick off what is sure to be a great start to downtown activities at the Hard Bean,” said Hank Frecon.

There will be a book signing by local writer Bruce Sarte at 4:30 p.m. featuring his book "Sands of Time." In addition, singer songwriter Jeff Rinehart will play favorites from 6-8 p.m. and finally from 8-10 p.m. Hard Bean will be feature Ryan Bradley singing the “Obscure & Bizzare.”

Since the temporary home appeared to be a big hit with Frecon Farms customers, Hard Bean coffee will now be brewed fresh daily at Frecon Farms, soon to be followed by Frecon's fruit in fresh smoothies at the Hard Bean in Boyertown.

One local art lover is hoping to show area residents that there is beauty all about them.

Erica Hornburg-Cooper, director of The Gallery School of Pottstown Inc., worked with several local organizations to design a self-guided Art Walk tour of art and architecture in Pottstown.

Banners will be placed around the borough to draw attention to stops on the tour. Brochures and maps area available at the Downtown Improvement District Authority office at 139 E. High St., the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce offices at 152 High St., and at the Gallery on High.

Sites on the tour are encouraging ArtWalk participants to take the tour on the first Saturdya of the month, to tie in with Pottstown's new First Saturday's event, which features crafts, performances and more in the Smith Family Plaza.

The ArtWalk is supported by The Greater Pottstown Foundation, the Gallery School of Pottstown, The Hill School, and PDIDA.

All aspects of the arts are covered throughout the ArtWalk. Stops on the walk feature art and architecture, while others feature dance and cuisine. Bicycles are welcome on the ArtWalk as well as bike lanes and bike racks are located along the sites.

The businesses and stops along the ArtWalk include JP Design Studio; the Smith Plaza and Fountain; High Street Music Company; Company Cakes; Borough Hall; Positively Pasta; The Brickhouse; Dada Gallery; Village Productions’ Tri-County Performing Arts Center; The Very Best; Churchill’s; 16 High Street Gallery; The Farmers Market; SwingKat Dance; Henry’s; Virtuair Studios; Pottstown Library Veteran Sculpture; Angelina’s; Potts Family Cemetery; The Hill School; Funky Lil’ Kitchen; Bill Mason Photography; Schuylkill River Heritage Association; Riverfront Park Trials; Pottsgrove Manor; and Manatawny Park.

The Hill School’s portion of the ArtWalk offers an outdoor tour of its architecture on First Saturdays. All of The Hill buildings’ descriptions, as well as instructions for the tour, are in The Hill School’s ArtWalk brochure, placed right outside the Center For The Arts at the parking lot level entrance.

If it is not a First Saturday, participants are asked to register for The Hill campus tour inside the CFTA at the Boyer Gallery, where guests will receive a Hill ArtWalk tour badge. Please note that the Boyer Gallery itself will not be open for the ArtWalk on Saturdays.

The volunteers of Stray Cat Blues Inc. will hold a Bidding for the Blues Silent Auction from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 16 at Pinecrest Country Club, Route 202, Montgomery Township.

It will benefit the nonprofit cat rescue's community outreach Trap, Neuter, Return program.

So far, the top donation for the auction is a one-week stay next summer in a beach home. The group is seeking financial donations of any amount and vendors willing to donate a gift basket or restaurant certificate. Tickets for the event are $20.

Auction proceeds will replenish the group's Trap, Neuter, Return fund, which helps to subsidize its TNR activities in the community.

For more information, visit www.straycatblues.petfinder.org or e-mail savingstrays@yahoo.com.

****

A movie is being filmed in the Pottstown area. Just recently filming took place at the former Reed's gas station on West High Street in West Pottsgrove.

The film is a vampire flick and stars Nick Damici, who stared in the TV series "The Black Donnellys."

****

The film crew is also currently making use of the former AJ Beverages building across the street from Reed's gas station, which closed down several months ago after the business no longer remained profitable for the owner.

Nostalgia Nights will be held for the last time this summer on Sept. 5. Classic Cars will line High Street that Friday night as a neon light contest show is held.

All cars that participate in the show must be at least 10 years old, and drivers must be licensed and the cars insured. There is a $5 entrance fee to show your car.

The event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. and there will be food vendors.

****

Trappe Borough is holding its Community Day Sept. 12 at Water Works Park on West First Avenue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Don't miss out on the fun as there will be a petting zoo, rock climbing, giant slides and even a magic show.

There will also be a musical acts Rip Chords and Sixty Sense.

A local man is still in the competition to become Taiwan's travel blogger. Neil Wade, whose story appeared in the Aug. 17 edition of the Mercury, is competing with three friends in the Best Trip in the World contest.

To vote for Neil and his friends, or to watch their four contest videos, click here.

****

A legal notice in Tuesday's Mercury announced a conditional-use hearing ib Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. for the 200 block of North Hanover Street, near the Pottstown cemetery.

According to the notice, 276, 278, 280 and 284 North Hanover, located on the righthand side when driving north, are being considered for conversion into an apartment development. The first floor of the buildings would be converted to commercial space, according to the notice.

The site is currently occupied by a former industrial building with a gravel lot coming off North Penn Street. A blue house next to the industrial building once served as a stained-glass shop.

The developer is listed Pottstown Progress Group LP.

The conditional-use hearing will be held in the Borough Council meeting room at 6:30 p.m., Sept. 9.

****

Upper Hanover might be getting more land in its agricultural district.

According to a notice in Tuesday's Mercury, a public hearing on Sept. 8 at the municipal building will consider a proposal to add almost 16 acres of property belonging to James Landis at 3106 Township Woods Road to the Agricultural Security District.

****

East Pikeland will be taking a closer look at amendments to the Phoenixville Regional Comprehensive Plan on Sept. 1.

The township wants the public to come out and comment on the consistency review report which proposes the amendments.

The township council plans to take action on the amendments after the public comment period, according to a notice published in Tuesday's Mercury. The meeting and public comment session will be held at 7 p.m. in the East Pikeland Municipal Building.

The plan and report are available for perusal in the township building during regular business hours.

****

Limerick Township has rescheduled its Concert in the Park to this Thursday. Catch the Red Hill Concert Band at Limerick Community Park on the 27th starting at 6:30 p.m.

Also going on in Limerick parks, the Manderach Playground is being shut down for renovations starting Sept. 28, according to the township Web site, http://www.limerickpa.org/

The playground will be closed until next spring as new playground equipment and a clubhouse are installed. A rededication is scheduled for April 2010.

The new equipment will have a castle theme.

The township is still seeking donations to pay for the new equipment, hoping to raise $75,000 in all.

One of the most American of foods, the Hamburger, gets its own festival in the northern Berks County town of Hamburg for the sixth year.

Hamburg, Pa., (see map below) is holding it's sixth annual "Taste of Hamburg-er Festival" on Sept. 5. There will be crafters, contests, musical entertainment and more. And if you really love hamburger, you might want to enter the burger eating contest. There will also be a competition between regional restaurants for the right to be the People's Choice hamburger maker.

Admission is free and the festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more info, check out http://www.hamburgpa.org/hamburgerfestival.htm

****

What better garnish for the hamburg than the tomato? Pa. is known for its most famous condiment -- ketchup. But the fruit itself is celebrated today and Saturday in Boyertown.

At the YMCA's annual Tomato Blast, participants can watch weiner dog races, enjoy some free music and then watch the launch of some rotten fruit, and possibly win prizes.

Starting tonight at 5 p.m., there will be carnival games and a catered lasagna dinner, courtesy Sweet Beginnings restaurant. But the real fun begins Saturday with the Ketchup 5K. Yep, you read that right.

There will also be a visit for the kids with Tommy Tomato. There will also be a weiner dog race with real Dachshunds, a salsa and tomato cake competition, a largest tomato contest, and if you aren't seeing enough read by 2 p.m., the tomato launch.

The launch is when they take a ripened tomato and fling it over the William S. Hollenbach Center to see where it lands on a numbered grid. You can purchase tickets for each number on the grid, and if the tomato lands on your number, you could walk away with a flat screen TV.

You can purchase tickets at the blast. They are $2 each or three for $5.

And if you really love the ruby red fruit, you can enter to be named the best dressed compeition. Real tomato outfits not required.

For more info, check out http://www.boyertownymca.org/programs/index.aspx?CategoryID=11

****

Don't want to see food wasted? Then bring some for the hungry at the East Coast Thunder car show planned for Sunnybrook Ballroom Saturday.

We'd tell you more, but Mark Malizzi says it better on his monthly show Compassion in Action.

Phoenixville is holding its first official "Bike Day" for motorcycle lovers of all ages. The event is scheduled Aug. 29 from noon until 6 p.m.

"I love Phoenixville so much, and because it has so much to offer in terms of nightlife and restaurants, I thought it was the perfect place for its own bike day. I figured someone had to be the person to step up and suggest it," said Scott Haslip, a class of 1976 Phoenixville alumnus, in an interview with the Phoenix newspaper.

Featured during the Bike Day portion of events will be the bands National Bird, Red Croz Bluz, Inverse, and Rocket 88. There will also be vendors of motorcycle goods and T-shirts. Haslip hopes to fill the block between Main and Gay Streets with 500 to 1,000 motorcycles of different types.

The streets will switch over to a special music festival stage starting at 7:30 p.m. that night when the Revel Music Group will move into town.

Headed by CEO Joe Nicolo, the founder, owner and producer of RoughHouse Records and the man who discovered such acts as Lauryn Hill, NAS, DMX, Kriss Kross, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Will Smith, the indie label is looking to develop fresh talent in the Phoenixville area, according to The Phoenix.

Three emerging artists will be featured during the concert, including Audubon native and rapper JJ Demon. Also performing are acoustic guitarist Trevor Gordon Hall from Reading and The Wallpapers from France -- yes, that country across the ocean.

The Wallpapers sound like "The Beatles mixed with The Strokes mixed with a whole bunch of freshness," according to Revel CFO Cole Thomas.

The show is free to the public, who are encouraged to come ready to dance in the streets.

****

The West campus of Montgomery County Community College, 101 College Drive, Pottstown, is holding an open house this Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. in its community room.

Information about available courses will be given out, faculty members will be available to answer questions and prospective students will be able to register for courses.

To register for the open house, visit http://www3.mc3.edu/asps/openhouse/oh-reg.htm

****

The Pottstown Rotary Club is presenting its Citizen of the Year Award to Marta Kiesling in a ticketed gathering at the home of Rotary Club members Peggy and Dick Whittaker on Sept. 2.

Tickets to the event, which will include a clambake, cocktail hour and presentation, cost $30 each. The event will start at 6 p.m. Contact Dick Whittaker at 610-327-2004 for tickets.

Kiesling is the founder and executive director of Village Productions, which is responsible for the creation of the Tri-County Performing Arts Center on High Street in Pottstown.

COLLEGEVILLE — Show your support for Collegeville and the Perkiomen Bridge Hotel by being part of a community photo at the hotel at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Coordinated by the Collegeville Main Street Program, the photo will be part of its entry in a national contest sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation entitled “This Place Matters.” The goal is to have several hundred supporters in the snapshot. Participants will be given a flier to be held up stating “This Place Matters.”

Currently vacant and up for sale, The Perkiomen Bridge Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was used by passers-by for food and lodging beginning in 1706.

Contact Flederbach at 610-454-1050 or e-mail manager@collegevilledevelopment.org if you plan on being part of the photo. A rain date has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 19 at 6 p.m.

Cynthia Lewis, a former house principal at Perkiomen Valley High School, has been named lead principal, replacing retiring principal Romanoski, according to a press release on the school district's Web site date Tuesday. Lewis has worked as a house principal at Perk Valley since 2005.

****

In a surprise move first noted by the Sanatoga Post, the Pottsgrove School District has switched the positions of two administrators. Middle School Assistant Principal Terri Koehler was officially named the supervisor of secondary education for the school district and the former holder of that position, David Ramage, is replacing Koehler as assistant principal. The switch was approved at Tuesday night's school directors meeting, but has not been officially announced on the district's Web site, outside of the name switches on the individual school Web pages.

The Montgomery County SPCA is holding a golf outing to support its work. The outing, planned for Sept. 21, will be held at Talamore Country Club, 723 Talamore Drive, Ambler. The outing will be a four-person scramble starting with check-in at 10 a.m. until noon. Tee time is 12:30 p.m.
The cost per person is $150 and includes a box lunch, golf cart and dinner.
Contact Jaclyn Macchionnne or Becky Pellini at golf4pets@yahoo.com
Sponsorships are still available.

The Montco SPCA is also holding a dinner and auction the same day starting at 6 p.m. at a cost of $45 per person. Entry forms and ticket forms are available at the SPCA's three shelters in Conshohocken, Perkiomenville and Abington. Checks should be made payable to the Montgomery County SPCA and mailed to Golf For Pets, P.O. Box 41032, Philadelphia, PA 19127.

Both events are a celebration of the SPCA's 100th anniversary.

The Goschenhoppen Folk Festival will be held this weekend, Aug. 7 & 8 at the Henry Antes Plantation in Upper Frederick, off Route 73.

There will be demonstration of woodworking, smithing, iron working and more as well as fair food.

For more information, visit http://www.goschenhoppen.org/festival.htm

How much food can you put in a '57 Chevy? That's the question Mark Malizzi is posing to the community.

This year's Thunder Outreach food drive is holding a classics car club, with the help of Pottstown Classics Car Club, at Sunnybrook Ballroom Aug. 22.

Learn more on Malizzi's show "Compassion in Action" on Tangle.com

****

The Reading Motorcycle Club is holding its Bike and Rod Cruise-In this Saturday, Aug. 8, on Jefferson Street in Oley. This year's fundraiser will benefit Erica Ebner, 14, of Blandon who is battling brain cancer.

The entry fee for this year's event is $7 for adults and free for children age 16 and under. The event will run from 3-6 p.m. Club members and the general public are welcome to show off their motorcycles and custom and classic cars. The first 250 entrants to this year's Cruise-In will receive dash plaques.

The oldies band Headliners will perform. There will also be food stands, vendors, a beer garden and games along with drag racing on the club's strip from 6-9 p.m.

For more on the event, visit the Reading Motorcycle Club's Web site at www.readingmc.com. You can also send donations to help Erica to Reading Motorcycle Club to 208 Jefferson Street, Oley, PA 19547.