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.

The beginning of school means new things for students, and this year for parents as well.

Spring-Ford has moved its district offices to 857 S. Lewis Road in Royersford, next to the Upper Providence Elementary School, according to its Web site, www.spring-ford.net

This year it also introduced a greener alternative to the usual pile of forms parents must fill out to get their students set for school.

Using its Skyward Family Access system, which has so far been used to allow parents to check their students' grades, the school district is having parents fill out emergency notification forms and the such without the added paperwork. Among the things the school district is hoping parents will do with the new system is update their contact information, including e-mail addresses.

For more on the change, including a way to log in to the system, click here.

Elsewhere on the technological advancement front, Spring-Ford has purchased a new way to check the background of visitors, and ensure the safety of students from child predators.
The school district has purchased the V-soft system from a company called Raptorware.

According to Raptorware's Web site, the V-soft visitor check-in system works with law enforcement and other government databases to find out whether a visitor has violations that might make them a danger to the student body. It does this when staff slide the visiting person's driver's license or other ID through the system.

Of course it will only work if the person's ID is valid and no names have changed.

It also relies on the availability of criminal information in an online database format.

If anyone red flags come up in the scan, the school's staff is alerted by text message, telephone, e-mail or page. If the visitor is OK'd, the system prints out a badge and there is no need to scan their ID again ... as long as they don't forget their badge the next time.

Raptorware says on its Web site that the system can also be used to keep track of faculty and volunteer hours as well as child departure times, but the Spring-Ford announcement did not say if the school district would be following up on those possibilities.

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Sunnybrook Ballroom is looking for a little funding aid from the community. In a letter sent out by Tom Sephakis, chairman and president of the Sunnybrook Foundation, which is working to restore the ballroom and make it the center of community activities, the foundation is hoping to meet its goal of $250,000 by Dec. 31.

According to Sephakis' letter, the foundation is facing a shortfall in its operating and restoration funds because of the recent loss of grant money due to inaction on the part of Lower Pottsgrove and the state budget impasse.

"The Performing Arts and Historic Preservation Grants issued through the state are virtually at a halt and many organizations such as our (sic) must rely solely upon public donations now in order to continue our efforts. In many cases, the government continues it (sic) projects to bailout banks and other firms, while many worthwhile projects receive no further funding. Even in cases where we have been awarded monies, our local leaders have been unwilling to provide those funds to us. The excuses are plenty, but the fact is that the arts, schools, economic development projects, and many historic properties have been left without any further state or local support this year," Sephakis' letter reads.

According to Sephakis, Sunnybrook's restoration is "the largest revitalization project in Montgomery County" and so far only 25 percent of the restoration work on the site has been completed.

Sunnybrook has hosted more than 200 events since its grand reopening, according to Sephakis.

If you would like to donate to Sunnybrook, you can do so by downloading and filling out a pledge form at http://www.sunnybrookfoundation.net/Pledgeform.pdf

According to the Foundation, money collected is currently being put toward improvement of the ballroom, a new sign on High Street, a new pavilion and children's park and a new covered bridge onto the property from Sunnybrook Road.

The foundation is also hoping to build a new two-story performance center on the site, as well as an outdoor stage, promenade and fountain where the old pool once stood.

History Repeats itself! The Glenn Miller Orchestra will return to the world famous Sunnybrook Ballroom on Aug. 1. The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

Located in Lower Pottsgrove, the Sunnybrook Ballroom is a national landmark site and one of the three largest private ballrooms in the country.

Opened in 1931, Sunnybrook has hosted more than 380 original Big Bands from 1931 to 1969 and plays host to a bevy of musical talent each year.

Since its opening, more than 5,000 venues have held events at Sunnybrook.

Reopened in April 2008, the ballroom is operated by a nonprofit historic foundation which is seeking to raise $5 million in order to complete the renovation process. Since the first phase of renovations have been completed, the “new” Sunnybrook has hosted more than 200 events including, proms, tradeshows, concerts, weddings and more.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra is making its first return to Sunnybrook since the 1970s.

In 1942, prior to leaving for the Second World War, Sunnybrook was Miller’s final stop before Europe. The ballroom hosted 7,380 people who attended Miller’s final show. People came from across the nation and from as far as California and Florida to say farewell to their favorite bandleader.

Today, Glenn Miller remains a part of the historic ballroom as the bandleader’s signature and the signatures of many of his members and performers are housed on the Sunnybrook “Wall of Fame” backstage at the facility.

Sunnybrook is happy to welcome the orchestra back for its first regional performance in 25 years.

Thanks to Tom Sephakis for submitting the above information. Submit your information for this blog at fausteileen0.aroundtown@blogger.com

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Pottstown Borough has cancelled the bid opening for the proposed miniature golf course in Memorial Park, according to a legal notice in today's Mercury.

The bid will be readvertised in the future, according to the notice. No reason for the bid cancellation was made.

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Schwenksville Borough is holding a public hearing on changes to its subdivision and land development ordinance Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Also at the public hearing, an ordinance amendment to the zoning in the VC-2 district will be discussed.

According to a legal notice in Wednesday's paper, Section 1101 of the Village Commercial-2 District will be repealed and replaced with wording that will allow second-floor apartments in the zoning district.

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The Lower Perkiomen Valley Regional Sewer Authority is holding a special meeting on Aug. 4 at 8 .m. in the Administration Building at 101 Station Ave., Oaks to award a painting contract and address other issues.

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Boyertown School Board members participated in a video conference at their July 14 meeting with representatives from www.Schooldude.com, a facilities booking software that may change the way the district accepts and tracks applications for facility usage.

Operators of the School Dude Web site plan to streamline the facilities application process that could save the district a significant amount of money in personnel and energy use for events. The board has deferred the scope of this project until final prices are submitted.