Around Town

Something local and unique for your Valentine

2010-01-27T11:28:00.001-08:00

There are a lot of ways to show you love someone this Valentine's Day. Here are a few ways that are locally focused and unique.

Flying Lessons:
You can give your loved one something that lasts long after the chocolates with a $99 flying lesson at any of the 3,500 area flight schools in the U.S., according to Jo Ann Guear of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Find a flight school (locally there is one at the Pottstown-Limerick Airport on Ridge Pike) at http://www.aopa.org/letsgoflying/ready/choose/search.cfm. During the flight, your sweetie can sit in the pilot’s seat and take the controls to taxi, take off and fly a plane for around 30-40 minutes before landing. All under the guidance of an FAA-licensed instructor.

Wine and Chocolate Trail:
Member wineries of the Berks County Wine Trail are participating in a special weekend this Valentine's Day. Feb. 13 and 14, the wineries involved are open from noon to 5 and are serving special desserts paired with their wines. Maps & directions for this self-guided tour are available on the wine trail's Web site, www.berkscountywinetrail.com. Additional directions are available on the individual Web sites for each participating winery. This event will also be a fantastic opportunity to taste medal winning wines from the 2010 PA Farm Show. Berks County Wine Trail wineries collectively brought home over twenty medals this year including four Gold Medals and a Best in Show!

For a Giving Heart:
Why not give your sweetie something to enjoy while helping others. A great gift for someone who loves to volunteer or make a difference in this world is a breakfast at
St. Mary’s Franciscan Shelter for Homeless Families, 209 Emmett Street, Phoenixville. The only annual fundraiser for the shelter, this breakfast features an all-you-can-eat buffet between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Cost is $9 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12. Children under age 5 get in free. The buffet will be prepared by Will Christman of Make It Special in Royersford. Included on the menu will be fresh fruit cup, orange juice, English muffins, pancakes, scrambled eggs, fried country style ham, sausage links, homefries, a selection of cold cereal, assorted desserts, coffee, tea and milk. Advanced reservations are requested; call 610-933-3097 by Feb. 5.

Arts center looking for a few good volunteers

2010-01-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

Do you want to help Pottstown be revitalized? Why not do so by helping out the area's newest arts venue?

On Saturday, Jan. 30, the theater could use help moving risers in the Newberry Loft from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in preparation for its Black History Month concert. The concert is slated for this Sunday.

Anyone interested in helping should contact to Barb Balaguer at volunteer@villageproductions.org or Facilities Manager Phil Richard at phil@villageproductions.org

The theater is also holding Volunteer in Partnership training on Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can tour the theater, meet the staff and attend training sessions. The theater is looking for help with Backstage and Technical (set construction, painting, costumes, props, lighting, sound, stage management, run crew, producers and assistant producers); Front of House (house management, ushers, box office, concessions); Facilities (janitorial, maintenance and repairs); and Administrative (marketing, fundraising, event planning and hosting, and lobby coverage). The volunteer coordinator will match your interests with various options.

Contact Barb Balaguer, volunteer coordinator, at volunteer@villageproductions.org if you plan on attending.

A historical drama comes to Phoenixville

2010-01-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

"From Out The Fiery Furnace," a one-act play written and directed by nationally recognized playwright Christine Emmert and performed by 40-year veteran of the stage and screen Barbara Hannevig, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Schuylkill River Heritage Center, 2 N. Main St., Phoenixville. This program is free.

The play features the stories of life in the 19th century at Hopewell Village. Hannevig brings to life several characters of the period including run away slaves, “fallen” women, indentured servants, orphaned children, and others.

“We are pleased to be able to bring the stories of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site to the community in an exciting new way,” said Hopewell Superintendent Edie Shean-Hammond. “This is an original drama and Hannevig is riveting to young and old alike.”

The play premiered during Hopewell’s Harvest Time event on Sept. 19 to two full house audiences. Emmert and Hannevig volunteered to take the show on the road to new audiences. The NPS chose Phoenixville as an appropriate venue as pig iron from Hopewell Furnace was processed at foundries in Phoenixville for weapons during the Civil War.

Future performances are scheduled at the Phoenixville Library, in Radnor and in Pottstown.

The National Park play showcases how a woman’s life and love could be singularly tracked through her relationship with a Hopewell Stove.

“Hopewell Furnace was famous for not only supporting George Washington in the Revolutionary War, but also for its proliferation of perhaps the most important innovation of the 19th century, the 10-plate cooking stove,” said Shean-Hammond. “We should never take for granted how this important innovation and the industry that created it freed women, both black and white, to pursue their just place in American Society."

At Hopewell Furnace, the National Park Service preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape from natural resource extraction to enlightened conservation. The site is surrounded by the 73,000-acre Hopewell Big Woods, the largest forest in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Rock out at Sunnybrook this weekend

2010-01-27T10:31:00.001-08:00

Sunnybrook Ballroom is holding a Rock and Roll night this Saturday for a cost of $15. The Sunnybrook Rockers will perform and there will be plenty of room to dance.

Oley girls whisked out of Haiti

2010-01-20T11:38:00.001-08:00

Several Oley girls on a mission trip to Haiti for Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church were whisked from a compound last week by members of Global Rescue, who were hired by Brotherhood Mutual, the trip's travel insurance company, according to a report in the Reading Eagle today.

The group said the commandoes showed up at a compound Croix des Bouquets Saturday and took them to the Port-au-Prince airport and back to Pennsylvania. The group had been in Haiti to work at a church and orphanage when the earthquake hit, according to the Eagle. Among the group were Megan Trupp, 21, Sara J. Trupp, 19, and Lauren Williams, 20, all of Oley.

Churchill's offering 2 new wine and dinner events

2010-01-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

Churchill Artisan and Chocolatier, 137 High St. in Pottstown, is offering two new wine and dinner events.

On Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m., Chef David Brennan of Catering to Your Tastes will present "A Night in Tuscany" with Italian dishes and four complimentary wines. Cost for the event is $48 per person including tax and service fees.

On Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m., Brennan will return for a Women's Wine Dinner offering items from grilled pizza and crabe cake to briased duck along with four complimentary wines. Cost is $48 per person.

Tickets must be purchased in advance. Call 610-326-4787 to reserve.

Berks man breaks speed record

2010-01-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

A Berks County man broke the land speed record for motorcycles at the Bonneville Salt Flats recently.

According to a report on readingeagle.com, Chris Carr, 42, of Ruscombmanor broke the 2008 record of 360 mph set by Rocky Robinson. He went 591 kilometers per hour.

Carr races motorcycles for a living and is featured in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. His wife, Pat, is from Oley.

A strange incident gets stranger

2010-01-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

If you've been following the standoff/hostage situation involving a gun shop owner from St. Lawrence, Berks County, things got even stranger as it was revealed on WFMZ today that the wife, Taryn Fisher, has been charged with kidnapping.

Taryn and her 13-year-old son were held hostage in their home for about an hour by Jay Fisher, who co-owns the gun shop on business Route 422 with his wife.

Apparently Taryn and a friend went to a home in Lower Alsace last month and took a man hostage. The forced the man into a car and took him to the Fishers' home on Highland Avenue where Jay Fisher allegedly threatened the man with a gun. The victim calmed Jay Fisher down before fleeing from the home.

Fisher had threatened to shoot his wife and son Sunday afternoon in their home after he came downstairs and found his son asleep on the couch with a melted container of ice cream. An hour after police arrived, Fisher allowed his wife and son to leave the house before surrendering to police himself.

Boyertown students to put on 'West Side Story'

2010-01-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

Are you a shark or jet? Get a taste of '60s New York as you watch a love story unfold in "West Side Story," being put on this year by Boyertown Senior High School students.

Advance tickets are currently on sale. Click here to fill out a form to purchase.

Museum unveils study of rare mummy

2010-01-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Get to know the Reading Museum's only mummy, Nefrina, in a new exhibit that opens Jan. 16.

In 2003, the museum had its mummy CAT scanned at the Reading Hospital under the direction of Egyptologist Dr. Jonathan Elias. Nefrina turned out to be unusual in that she had fake ears! She also had a broken hip, which may have led to her death.

Based on the scan, a sculpture revealing what Nefrini must have looked like in life has been created and will be on display as part of the exhibit, Nefrina's World.

Nefrina came to the Reading Public Museum in 1930, a loan from the University of Pennsylvania. She was purchased by the Reading museum in 1949.

Nefrina's World will run from Jan. 16 through 2011. Entry to the museum costs $8 for adults ages 18-59, $6 for seniors and students with IDs. Members and children under age 4 enter free.

Skaters unite in Amity

2010-01-06T09:35:00.001-08:00

The Amity skatepark is in dire need of help: more participation and better equipment.

To reach that end, a meeting is being held Jan. 12 at the Villa at Morlatton in Douglassville, Route 422 east, for skaters, bikers, parents and other interested citizens to develop ideas to raise funds and improve the park.

"If we don't take care of what we have, we could lose it! If we want more equipment, we need to get participation in planning and organizing fundraisers to get more," reads a press release sent out by the meeting organizers.

The meeting will start at 7 p.m. For more information, visit http://amityskatepark.homestead.com/

Try it at TriPAC this weekend

2010-01-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

The TriCounty Performing Arts Center on High Street in Pottstown is holding a special open house this weekend, Jan. 9 and 10, wherein attendees can try out different aspects of being a theater member.

If you dream about performing in a show or learning how to act or do improv, this weekend is for you. The theater is offering free mini classes so you can try out your talents. The classes are for all ages. Offered are the following: acting and improv, an audition workshop, music, voice lessons, and instrument instruction.

All who attend are eligible to win prizes such as tickets to a theater performance, tickets to the American Music Theatre in Lancaster, golf tickets, artwork, makeup and salon products and more.

The open house will be held from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday. Don't forget to hang around for the N Crowd improv comedy troupe Saturday night.

The mini classes offer a taste of what the theater has to offer, and its current winter class schedule begins Jan. 10. Class descriptions and fees can be found at www.villageproductions.org/Classes.html

Crime prevention for seniors

2010-01-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

The Villa at Morlatton in Douglassville, 1180 Ben Franklin Highway East, will host a free crime prevention seminar on Jan. 14 from 9 to 10 a.m. The seminar will be preceded by breakfast at 8:30 a.m. in the Independent Living Building.

The office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General will conduct the seminar, which will focus on crimes against senior citizens, including scams by con artists such as home improvement rip-offs, foreign lottery schemes, telemarketing frauds and sweepstakes scams.

The seminar will also include tips on how to spot frauds and how to protect yourself from falling victim to them.

Those planning to attend are asked to register on or before Jan. 12 by calling 610-385-5021. Seating is limited.

Lower Providence wins communications award

2010-01-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

Lower Providence has received second place honors for its Annual Report, a publication that provides residents with a recap of the year’s major projects and accomplishments.

The publication was honored in a statewide citizen communication contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. The contest recognizes townships that have successfully communicated programs and activities to its residents.

Judges noted that Lower Providence’s Annual Report communicated a great deal of information to the residents and they made special note of the report’s layout and photo treatment. All entries were judged on the usefulness of information presented and how well the information was communicated to residents. Publications also were judged on their overall attractiveness and readability.

Judges for the contest included members of the association’s Publications-Public Relations Committee, representatives from the Governor’s Center of Local Government Services, and staff members of the Pennsylvania Township News, PSATS’s monthly magazine.

PSATS represents Pennsylvania’s 1,455 townships of the second class and their 5.4 million residents.

Dangerous, red and full of wine

2010-01-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

A modeling show looking for wine models will be part of the Motorsports 2010 expo at the Greater Philadelphia Exposition Center in Oaks.

The Dangerous Red Wine Model Search is being presented by Jamerson Motorsports and sponsored by Valenzano Winery in New Jersey.

Women age 18 and older are invited to be part of the event, which is free to participate in. The Jan. 22 event will start at 8 p.m. where the participants will be judged on poise, appearance and choice of attire. Four winners will be chosen, each receiving $500. The four will be representatives of Dangerous Red Wines and be required to participate in appearances for the wines at the StreetBlaze 100 Race Car & Trade Show on Saturday and Sunday. They will also participate in a calendar photo shoot in 2010 and make one other public appearance in the new year.

Dangerous RED will have their own NASCAR Nationwide Series car on display at the racing expo. Also appearing at the expo will be the owners of Valenzano Winery and Mark Woods, the founder of Operation Troop Aid. A portion of proceeds from sales of Dangerous Red Wines will go toward Operation Troop Aid.

Russ Newberry, the deck boss on the Time Bandit/Wizard on "The Deadliest Catch" will be signing autographs throughout the three-day show that runs Jan. 22-24. Newberry endorses Dangerous Red Wines.

A contestant application for the model search and judging can be found at www.aarn.com.

All contestants must be at the show and registered for the model search by
7 p.m. Jan. 22, and those who register in advance at will receive a free ticket
to the show.

Winners of the model search will also be invited to compete in the BPG Racing Ms. Motorsports Pageant on Saturday, Jan. 23 at the expo. Former winners of the Ms. Motorsports competition may compete in the model search.

Dangerous Red wines are currently only available in New Jersey, but Valenzano Winery is hoping to expand its sales area into Pennsylvania in 2010.

For more on Dangerous Red wines, visit www.dangerousdeckhands.com and click on the wine symbol.

Giving of themselves

2009-12-31T08:35:00.000-08:00

Lower Providence Township provided 15 township families with holiday care packages thanks to the overwhelming community support of its food drive. The township was aided in the effort by local residents, the Lower Providence Fire Company and Superior Tube Company. Preparing the items for delivery are township parks & recreation employees Karen Barron, left, and Angela Johnson.

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A LITTLE MORE LIFE ON HIGH STREET

Driving down High Street in Pottstown, you may have noticed the old Bechtel's Sporting Goods seems to be open again. Well it is, but not as Bechtel's. A new business selling sports team memorabilia, clothing and more has opened in the spot.

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HELP FOR PARENTING YOUR TEEN

It’s no secret that trying to raise teenagers in Montgomery and Chester counties can be a challenge to even the most well-intentioned parents. Help, however, is not too far away.

Identity questions, emotional turmoil and rebellion are just a few of the challenges teenagers face in their world today, and one local church is doing its part to help those who feel like all hope might be lost.

Launched in 1999, Christ’s Church of the Valley is one of the fastest growing churches in the suburban Philadelphia area, growing from a handful of people meeting in Pastor Brian Jones’ living room to more than 1,300 in attendance every weekend. One of the church’s main goals is simply to help people make life work.

Parents of teenagers face many unique struggles. They have to play the roles of counselor, cop and crisis manager all rolled into one. Good parenting means using one’s head, heart and faith. The great news is that starting this January, parents can stop feeling like they are doing it alone. Christ’s Church of the Valley is offering a four-week class designed to help parents of teenagers not just survive the teenage years, but to thrive. The best part is, the class is completely free.

Dates for the "Parenting Your Teenager" class are Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. each night. The class is held on the campus of Christ’s Church of the Valley, 1560 Yeager Road in Royersford.

For additional information and to register for the free "Parenting Your Teenager Class," visit the church’s Web site: www.moviechurch.com.

(Thanks to Dan Reischel, director of Student Ministries at Christ's Church of the Valley, for the above information.)

A new pizza shop

2009-12-23T07:07:00.001-08:00

Though Kicken Chicken has moved to its new location, at the former site of Edie's Dog House next door to the Rita's Water Ice at North Charlotte and Jackson streets, the business's former building at North Washington and East High streets won't remain empty for long. A Nardone's Pizza shop is slated to open there sometime next year, according to signs on the window.

A little helping hand

2009-12-07T07:12:00.000-08:00

If you want to give more than you receive this holiday season, why not extend a helping hand to a helping organization? The United Way of the Boyertown area is looking for donors to its annual campaign. Donations help Boyertown area nonprofits and new donations of $50 or more will be matched dollar for dollar by the Pottstown area Health & Wellness Foundation up to $15,000 total.

Donations can be sent to the United Way of Boyertown Area, P.O. Box 213, Boyertown, PA 19512 or visit them online at www.UnitedWayBoyertown.org.

Emerging from the ashes

2009-12-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Phoenix Village Art Center has finished its Phoenix for this year's Firebird Festival. The last clay bird making workshop is tonight but is likely booked up. But don't be upset! There is always next year.

According to Lisa Muller, who is in charge of instructing the clay bird making classes at the Phoenix Village Art Center on Bridge Street, the Phoenix acts as a fire pit for the birds, which are placed under it in a hole in the ground on shelves. Different items are wrapped around each of the clay birds, including banana peels, horse hair and seaweed, and the birds are then individually wrapped in foil, "like baked potatoes". Once the Phoenix burns itself out, the birds are dug out of the pit and turned over to their makers, or they can be donated by those who made them to the arts center which then sells them.

Traditionally workshop participants made two birds, one for themselves and one for the arts center to sell to raise funds, but they had so many left over from previous years to sell, they decided to have workshop participants only make one bird this year.

If you participated in a workshop this year, you can pick up your clay bird between 3 and 4 p.m. the next day. If it rains the night of the festival, and the bird isn't set on fire as planned, it will be lit up the next night, according to Muller.

Bird makers are also invited to donate their clay birds for display in the Firebird Art Show at the Artisan's Cafe on Bridge Street in February 2010.

The festival is set for Dec. 12 this year and will be proceeded by a parade of drums and handmade lanterns from the Colonial Theater.

Christmas the old-fashioned way

2009-11-30T09:05:00.000-08:00

Wish Christmas was less about presents and more about family and friends, like in the olden days? Well you can get a taste of that old-fashioned Christmas cheer this Saturday when Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site hosts its Iron Plantation, which will celebrate 100 years of Christmas in America.

Dec. 5, the furnace will offer displays of Christmas through the ages that includes actors in period attire explaining the rituals and habits of Christmas from 1795-1875, the years the furnace was in operation.

There will also be carolers belting out holiday favorites at Bethesda Church, which is open especially for this day. There will even be carriage rides from Hendershot Hitch to the church.

The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“This is an opportunity to travel back in time and experience Christmas the American way,” Park Superintendent Edie Shean-Hammond said. “The Belsnickel will be on hand to reward and also scold deserving youngsters. There will be plenty of unique gifts in the Village Store, including pieces of historic charcoal for that perfect stocking gift."

Bethesda Church is located one mile east of the main iron furnace community, on Bethesda Road. Directions on how to reach the church will be available at the park’s visitor center or by contacting the park at 610-582-8773.

Carriages will depart from the visitor center in time for passengers to arrive at the church for caroling at 11:00 a.m., noon, and 1, 2, and 3 p.m. Donations to offset the costs of this transportation will be accepted.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape from natural resource extraction to enlightened conservation. The site is surrounded by the 73,000-acre Hopewell Big Woods, the largest forest in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Local groups benefit from golf outing

2009-11-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

Several charitable organizations hit a hole in one thanks to Matrix Golf and Hospitality's outing Oct. 1.

The company's Commonwealth National Golf Club hosted the outing which raised more than $78,000 for six charities. About 120 golfers participated in the outing which assisted:

Special Equestrians, a therapeutic riding and hippotherapy program offering services to individuals with disabilities in the Greater Philadelphia area.

HealthLink Medical Center, a free clinic serving the working uninsured of Bucks and Montgomery counties, including offering primary care and dental services to qualifying patients.

Gilda's Club Delaware Valley, one of 26 clubs nationwide founded by the late comedian Gilda Radner to offer programs and emotional and social support to people living with cancer.

Crossing the Finish Line, a Blue Bell-based cancer support that helps provide young families facing late-stage cancer treatments and terminal diagnosis with opportunities to spend carefree and cost-free time together in comfortable and secure travel environments.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Montgomery County, part of the national organization to match at-risk youth with mentors to produce a direct and measurable impact on the children's lives.

The Center for Parenting Education, a not-for-profit agency founded in 1997 to help educate and support parents to raise children in an emotionally healthy way.

The Commonwealth National Foundation's mission is to raise money for the support of local charities.

Commonwealth National Golf Club is a private golf club located in Horsham. The club, designed by Arnold Palmer, is owned and operated by Matrix Golf and Hospitality, a division of Matrix Development Group, headquartered in Cranbury, N.J.

It's beginning to look a lot like ...

2009-11-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

So the holidays are here, and as family gathers together to celebrate, why not check out some of the local activities that will take minds off past hurts and gossip?

In Pottstown, the TriCounty Performing Arts Center is hosting Honk, a musical just right for the little ones. The performances begin Dec. 3 and run through Dec. 20. For tickets, times and more information, check out the TriPAC Web site at www.tripac.org

The Pottstown Symphony Orchestra is hosting a sing-in of Handel's "Messiah" Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. in Trinity Reformed UCC Church, Hanover and King streets in Pottstown. Don't worry if you don't have good pipes, you can always just sit back and enjoy the dulcet tones in a grand old church. Cost is $15.

The Center for the Arts at the Hill School is offering several Christmastime productions for the public to enjoy. On Dec. 11 at 7:15 p.m. it will hold a winter instrumental by candlelight. There will be candlelight lessons and carols Dec. 13 at 4:30 and 8 p.m. in the alumni memorial chapel. The Schuylkill Valley Regional Dance Company will perform the Nutcracker in the school's Center for the Arts Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors.

Downtown Pottstown's Holiday House Tour is being held Dec. 13 this year, offering trolley and carriage rides to historic homes that are decorated and open to the public on this day. There will also be cookies! And who doesn't love cookies.

Tickets are $12 and include a Victorian Tea by the Doe Club at the Pottstown Elks Club building on High Street, across from the VIP Diner, free trolley transportation and free refreshments. The tours are held from 1 until 6 p.m. with the tea from noon until 2.

Anyone interested in tickets or opening their house up during the tour should call Sue Krause at 610-323-2229.

In Boyertown, the borough is hosting its holiday house tour Dec. 4 from 3 to 9 p.m.

Boyertown Area Multiservice is holding its Festival of Trees the same day from 4 to 9 p.m. The festival is a fundraising effort for the holidays. Businesses and individuals can sponsor a tree for $150. They are then supplied with a prelit tree they can decorate to their choosing. Theme trees are encouraged but not mandatory. On the day of the festival, visitors can purchase raffle tickets and using them to bid on the tree of their choice. The tree with the most tickets will be named the event favorite, and a winner of each tree will be chosen from the tickets.

According to the Multi-Services Web site, "Last year Multi-Service provided Christmas for 327 children from 143 families." Families are supplied with gifts, wrapping paper and food for a holiday meal.

The event also raises enough money for the Multi-Service to buy fuel for those who cannot afford it during the bitter winter months.

The event is free, and open to the public. There will be live music.

There will also be an open house tour at the state theater from 4 to 9 p.m. the same day. The next day, the theater is offering a free screening of "It's a Wonderful Life" at 2 p.m. thanks to sponsorship by local businesses.

A performance of dances with narration from "The Nutcracker" will be held by the Boyertown Community Dance Company at the theater Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Cost is $5.

The theater will show classic holiday movies throughout the month of December. Check it out on their Web site, www.statetheatreboyertown.com

Santa will arrive in Boyertown Dec. 5 during the Chillin on Main event starting at 10 a.m. and running until 2 p.m. There will be face painting, a Santa’s workshop, interactive activities, entertainment story time at the Boyertown Library (11:30 a.m.), entertainment at the Historic State Theater and more.

Phoenixville will be hosting its Christmas parade Dec. 4. The parade will progress down Bridge Street starting in the 100 block. It begins at 7 p.m. with a tree lighting at 8 p.m.

And don't forget the Firebird Festival, being held this year on Dec. 12.
This event is in honor of Phoenixville's namesake, the Phoenix. The Phoenix myth represents transformation: life, death and rebirth. This community event involves artists who design and
build a 25-foot Phoenix sculpture that will be bonfired at 8 p.m. the night of the event. Inside are over 100 clay birds built by the community which represent rebirth.

The birds will be on display at the Phoenixville Art Center on Jan. 30. The burning in the large bird acts as a kiln on the clay creations.

The night of the event, there will be performances along Bridge Street starting at 4 p.m. There will be a drum procession preceeding the lighting of the Phoenix.

Children can still get in on the fun with a lantern making workshop at the Phoenixville Library Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Making a lantern takes about half an hour and the cost is $5 per lantern. Artists are advised to wear old clothes or bring a smock as this gets messy.

The lanterns are used in a children's Procession of Light that leaves the Colonial Theater at 7:15 p.m. The lanterns are colored papier mache lit with battery operated votives.

With money tight this year, the organizers of the Firebird Festival are asking anyone wishing to sponsor a band or performance call Henrik at 610-933-9199 or e-mail henrik11@verizon.net
Dideridoo players are also sought.

Other towns in the area are also holding holiday tree lightings.
Limerick is holding its holiday celebration at 6 p.m. outside the township building on Dec. 4

Amity, Birdsboro, Robeson, and Union are joining together in hosting "A Christmas to Remember" Dec. 5 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Union Township building. Donations will be collected for Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army, including toys, home goods and used clothing. Santa Claus will make an appearance and there will be cart rides, a dance performance, refreshments and more.

Santa Claus is coming to town

2009-11-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

Pottstown's holiday weekends stsrt off Black Friday with the arrival of Santa.

As part of the PDIDA Holiday Spectacular, starting at 6 p.m. this Friday children can get their pictures taken with Santa Claus in Smith Family Plaza for $6, enjoy roasted chestnuts and apple cider, and families can take carriage rides for $5.

There will also be free live musical entertainment and free gingerbread cookie decorating.

The event ends at 9, but families have the opportunity to see Santa again Dec. 4, 11 and 18.

BASH alumni stars in Penn State play

2009-11-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

A Boyertown H.S. alumni recently starred in a play at Penn State's Berks campus outside of Reading.

Patrick O'Neill is performing as Dracula in a play by the same name.

O'Neill got into theater at Boyertown Senior High School and is continuing in the art at Penn State.

Lowe's helps riding group

2009-11-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

This week Lowe’s in Oaks sent 10 to 12 volunteers each day, headed by Katie Law and Chris Drumheller, to Sebastian Riding Associates for two days of community giving.

Sebastian Riding Associates is a nonprofit, community-based, therapeutic, horseback riding and hippotherapy facility for children and adults with disabilities.

Lowe’s donated the materials for the construction of cabinets in “Lindsey’s Lounge” and for a new outdoor mounting ramp and the employees completed the work.

Sebastian Riding Associates is located in Evansburg State Park at 3589 Water Street, Collegeville.