Month: November 2011

Pine Hill Christmas Tree Farm offers $5 discount, Monday-Thursday

Among this year's first taggers, courtesy Pine Hill Tree Farm

Do you have a young family that is starting to create its own holiday traditions? Ever want to get back to basics and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from picking your own Christmas tree and sawing it down in the crisp December air while the kids sip hot chocolate and think you are the best mom or dad in the whole wide world?

You can do all that at the Pine Hill Choose-N-Cut Christmas Tree Farm on Sheep Hill Road in North Coventry. Pine Hill has been run by the Sally and Dick Heylmun family for 45 years! And for the past 20 years, they have  held their prices steady at $25 a tree. Now they are offering a $5 discount if you get your tree on Monday through Thursday; just mention Positively!Pottstown. That is a great price for that special tree that will work for you and your home. (Some of the larger and more perfect specimens are individually priced higher.)

Pine Hill is just 2 miles from downtown Pottstown, yet has that full country atmosphere.  Mrs. Heylmun still mows around the trees, shears them, and generally oversees the care of the farm, keeping the place like a lawn.  Having raised 5 boys on a teacher’s pay, the Heylmuns know what it costs to raise a family, and they have refused to raise prices.

This year, there’s an abundance of Scotch pines. They also have a good supply of white pines and Norway spruce. There’s a limited supply of Colorado Blue spruce.

The Douglas firs and Fraser firs are pre-cut from a local farm and will be delivered this year the day before Thanksgiving, Dec. 1, and Dec. 8. The Pine Hill website provides nice photos and descriptions of the various trees and their needles, so you can decide ahead of time what kind of tree you’re interested in.

Remember: You choose and cut your own tree.  They do offer saws to borrow. No chainsaws, please!

Choose-n-cut your tree on Monday through Thursday, mention Positively!Pottstown and get a $5 discount – no coupons required!

Pine Hill Christmas Tree Farm
1174 Sheep Hill Road
610-323-8045
pinhilsal@aol.com

 

Rally today to Rethink Homelessness

RETHINK HOMELESSNESS

Community Awareness Event

 Today, November 30th

Noon-1pm

Smith Family Plaza

100 East High Street, Pottstown, PA

Special thanks to Mercer’s Collision Center and Ice House Steaks & Pizza for providing sandwiches and

Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation for providing bottled water for today’s event.

Partnering to improve health, social and environmental conditions.

 Sponsored by

TriCounty Community Network

260 High Street, Pottstown, PA  19464

610-705-3301
www.TCNetwork.org

cid:image001.jpg@01CB3A15.3C548F50

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Santa is coming to Pottstown for the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority (PDIDA) Hometown Holiday Celebration!  On behalf of Santa, his elf PDIDA Chairman Sheila Dugan is inviting all to downtown Pottstown on Friday, December 2nd starting at 6:30 p.m. for a night of family fun and shopping bargains.  The night’s activities will kickoff with Santa’s arrival via a fire truck from Washington Street to Smith Plaza, where the Pottstown Roller Derby Girls will be collecting letters for Santa.

DECEMBER 2, 2011 6:30pm to 9:30pm – The night’s activities will include:

  • At the plaza, once Santa arrives, a candy toss will be held in the grass in the back area of Smith Plaza.  Be sure to join in, there will be special candy with vouchers for cash and free items throughout the downtown!
  • We will do the tree lighting after the candy toss and the BarberShop Quartet will be singing Carols. Then children can have their photo taken with Santa for $7 each.
  • The Public Library will be hosting Story time at TANGO (139 High St) every half hour starting at 7:00 p.m.
  • At the Farmer’s Market The Giving Tree for the children at HEAD START
  • Face Painting at Memories N More
  • Coloring at Argento’s Pizza

 Don’t miss out on the other evenings of holiday celebration which include:

DECEMBER 10, 2011 12pm to 4pm

  • Santa house open – be sure to check out the local artist’s (Alan McBain) coloring book which features local merchants. This is a great way to see some of the merchants in town as well enjoy coloring with your children. This is sure to be a collector’s item! Photos for $7.00 each can be bought.
  • Crafters at the Farmer’s Market
  • Face Painting at Memories N More
  • Coloring at Argento’s
  • Story time (every half hour) at Tango (139 High St)
  • Free Trolley Rides – Stops at Christian Science Reading Room, Weitzenkorn’s,

DECEMBER 18, 2011 12pm to 4pm

  • Hometown Holidays Brunch – your choice at the Farmer’s Market, featuring the various foods available at the market – home made and fresh! Also Juan Carlos is adding a Mexican flare to the affair. Call 610-323-5400 for reservations before December 12, 2011. Tickets are necessary and must be pre-purchased.
  • Santa house open – be sure to check out the local artist’s (Alan McBain) coloring book which features local merchants. This is a great way to see some of the merchants in town as well enjoy coloring with your children. This is sure to be a collector’s item! Photos for $7.00 each can be bought.
  • Crafters at the Farmer’s Market
  • Face Painting at Memories N More
  • Coloring at Argento’s
  • Story time (every half hour) at Tango (139 High St)                                                                                                                                                 

Pottstown Shopping & Entertainment Guide: Arts & Entertainment

The arts are thriving in Pottstown! Here are some places to check out not only for show tickets,  but also for unique, hand-crafted pottery and jewelry, musical instruments,  and gift certificates for music, dancing, and acting classes. Please let us know of additional arts-related shops and venues; we’ll add them to the line-up.

Don’t be shy: support the inner artist in your child and yourself!

Tri-CountyPerforming Arts Center (TriPAC) has a full line-up of performing arts programming, hows and classes. A Christmas Story will run Dec. 1-18. A gift certificate will let that special someone choose what they want. TriPAC is putting on a new facade; don’t be deterred by the construction fencing! You will be blown away when it’s unveiled this spring. Their building used to be J. J. Newberry’s Department Store; my mom had her first job there! TriPAC is located at 245 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464. Phone: 610-970-1199

 The Gallery on High is home to local artists – paintings, glassware, pottery, jewelry, scarves handmade soaps. If you want something that’s one-of-a-kind, you must go here! There’s also a custom framing shop inside for that special photo or painting that needs just the right frame. Peace: The Annual Holiday Show is running now through Jan. 7.  They are located at 254 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464. Did you know that a well-known portrait photographer from the late 19th century – Isaac Lachman – once used this building as his Pottstown studio? Hours: Tues.-Fri., 10-4:40 pm; Saturday 10-3. Phone: 610-326-2506.

The Gallery School of Pottstown offers a wide array of classes for all ages and can host your next party. (I can’t wait to teach some creative writing classes there this spring!) Maybe there’s someone in your life who would like to explore a new facet of the arts? Check out their schedule here.  They are located on the second floor of 245 E. High Street, above The Gallery on High.

Know anyone who wants to take their musical development a little further? High Street Music Company offers instruction for brass, woodwinds, strings, guitar, bass, piano and drums. Check out their family discount, holiday specials and the coupons on their website! Know anyone who wants to finally record the EP that will break their career wide open?  High Street Music also has state-of-the-art microphones and digital equipment. They’re at 135 E. High Street (next to Bistro 137 and across from Borough Hall.) Phone: 610-906-3357.

For music instrument sales and rentals, stop in at Ben’s Music within Downtown Records and Tapes at 53 N. Charlotte Street, at the intersection with King Street. They also do instrument repairs. Their hours are: Mon. – Thurs., 10am – 5:30 pm; Fri., 10 am – 8 pm; Sat., 10 am – 4 pm; closed Sunday.

For the dancer in all of us and when you just gotta move, the Ballroom on High is THE place to be! SwingKat Entertainment hosts weekly dances and gives lessons in ballroom , country, salsa, and swing. Their 300-person venue in a historic building at 310 E. High Street is also available for weddings, birthday parties, business meetings, or funeral receptions.  For sure, check it out on Dec. 9th and attend the Come As You Art Ball, hosted by MOSAIC Community Land Trust and PDIDA.

Schuylkill Valley Regional Dance Company is in 40th year, exposing kids age 7 and older to dance. This year once again they will perform The Nutcracker Ballet. The show goes on at The Hill School Center for the Arts on Dec. 3 and 4. Go to their website for more details and tickets.

For free concerts that can become part of your family’s traditions, check out the Coventry Singers in concert on Saturday, Dec. 10 ; Reading Choral Society at Emmanuel Lutheran on Sunday, Dec. 11; and the Hill School’s Lessons and Carols in Alumni Memorial Chapel on Sunday, Dec. 11. Details can be found on the Positively!Pottstown calendar.

Downtown Pottstown ready for shoppers today and Sunday!

Pottstown residents, supporters and the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority (PDIDA) are encouraging shoppers throughout the region to put Pottstown’s retail, dining, and entertainment businesses on their lists this holiday season.

Today From 10 am – 1 pm, a “Holiday Shopping March” has been organized to facilitate visitors coming downtown to get some shopping done while supporting the LOCAL economy. Here’s what the organizers have to say:

Meet up at Bistro 137 – 137 E. High St. at 10:00am
Event facilitator will be available there until 11:15.

Relaxation at The Brick House, 152 E. High St,
will begin after 1:00pm.
Reservations under Shopping MeetUp

In support of your local economy and in coordination with Occupy Pottstown, We cordially invite you to join us for a Holiday Shopping March. Your day will begin at a predetermined location where you will meet the local facilitators of the event. You will be given information on the merchants in the area and details on any other events which may be occurring. You will also be asked to help us promote a positive image of Occupy Pottstown. You may, or may not, oblige by wearing a pin and/or distributing educational materials.

Then you are free to shop, browse, spread the word or simply enjoy the social aspects of the day by strolling the High Street Shopping District, solo or with others. You are invited to end your day by relaxing with the group in a noncommittal environment at a pre-selected restaurant.

It is becoming increasingly harder for small, local businesses and artisans to survive in the corporate climate of this nation. We ask for you to please put aside any bias or preconceived notions you may have and join us in the fight to bring America back to the People.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and cooperation.

Happy Holidays and Blessed Be to you and yours.

PDIDA is hosting another Super Sunday tomorrow, November 27th from noon-4 pm. Here’s the lowdown from PDIDA:

Downtown Pottstown will host “Super Sunday” on Sunday, November 27th.  Sheila Dugan, the Chairman of Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority (PDIDA), is inviting all to help celebrate National Support Small Business Day.  Many downtown merchants will have their doors open to take part in the celebration from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.  The Farmer’s Market will host a number of crafters and special deals will be found at Grumpy’s, Freeland Meats, and J. & H. Produce.  There will be many activities for youngsters including face painting and a visit to the Santa house as it is being decorated for the upcoming holiday season.

            The Farmer’s Market will also be hosting “The Giving Tree” for Head Start.  Donations of food and clothing will be greatly appreciated.

            The Second Brigade Motorcycle Club will be displaying their bikes in the parking lot of Sovereign Bank on the 200 block of High Street.  They will be collecting food and clothing items to be donated to families of members of the military.  They will also accept gift cards to supermarkets and coupons for free turkeys.  The Second Brigade Motorcycle Club supports veterans and members of the military who every day put their life on the line to preserve our freedoms.

            Also featured will be the tree decorating contest which will have the winners’ named on December 18th.  Sponsor of the winning entry will receive $500.00 for their organization.

            Free trolley rides with stops at the  100, 200 and 300 blocks of  High Street will be available during Super Sunday.  Additional shops opened will include Lastick Furniture, Cole’s Tobacco, Tri-PAC, Memories N More, Argento’s Pizza, Laserworx, Juan Carlos, Rich Ranieri, Weitzenkorn’s, Christian Reading Room, Bistro 137, Old World Barber Shop, and the High Street Music Company.

             Super Sunday is the kickoff to events throughout December including:

  • December 2nd is a visit by Santa Claus and the traditional candy toss.
  • December 4th the Parks and Recreation Department will be sponsoring the 5K Santa Run and Bark for Life event.
  • December 9th is Mosaic and PDIDA Holiday Ball.
  • December 11th is Santa Open House.
  • December 18th is the Holiday Brunch with many local restaurants participating.

            For more information contact SheilaDugan@comcast.net.

Positively Pottstown calendar is back up!

The Positively Pottstown calendar of Christmas concerts, performances, historical events, happy hours, craft and bake sales, and much more is here to help you plan your holiday shopping and entertainment!

Fun for the whole family starts with the Twelfth Night tours, which begin today at Pottsgrove Manor and continue until January 8th during regular museum hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 am to 4 pm; Sun. 1 to 4 pm

Get your gift-buying underway with a shopping march set for downtown Pottstown tomorrow (meet at Bistro 137, 137 E. High Street.) And take advantage of Sunday shopping as Pottstown offers another “Super Sunday” this Sunday, with free, fun activities for the kids at the Farmers’ Market.

Over the next 24 hours, I’ll be putting up several posts to let you know, or remind you, of all that Pottstown’s restaurants, retailers, and arts venues have to offer this holiday season. Stay tuned!

A Thanksgiving Poem

A List of Praises
by Anne Porter 
Give praise with psalms that tell the trees to sing,
Give praise with Gospel choirs in storefront churches,
Mad with the joy of the Sabbath,
Give praise with the babble of infants, who wake with the sun,
Give praise with children chanting their skip-rope rhymes,
A poetry not in books, a vagrant mischievous poetry
living wild on the Streets through generations of children.

Give praise with the sound of the milk-train far away
With its mutter of wheels and long-drawn-out sweet whistle
As it speeds through the fields of sleep at three in the morning,
Give praise with the immense and peaceful sigh
Of the wind in the pinewoods,
At night give praise with starry silences. 

Give praise with the skirling of seagulls
And the rattle and flap of sails
And gongs of buoys rocked by the sea-swell
Out in the shipping-lanes beyond the harbor.
Give praise with the humpback whales,
Huge in the ocean they sing to one another.

Give praise with the rasp and sizzle of crickets, katydids and cicadas,
Give praise with hum of bees,
Give praise with the little peepers who live near water.
When they fill the marsh with a shimmer of bell-like cries
We know that the winter is over. 

Give praise with mockingbirds, day's nightingales.
Hour by hour they sing in the crepe myrtle
And glossy tulip trees
On quiet side streets in southern towns.

Give praise with the rippling speech
Of the eider-duck and her ducklings
As they paddle their way downstream
In the red-gold morning
On Restiguche, their cold river,
Salmon river,
Wilderness river. 

Give praise with the whitethroat sparrow.
Far, far from the cities,
Far even from the towns,
With piercing innocence
He sings in the spruce-tree tops,
Always four notes
And four notes only. 

Give praise with water,
With storms of rain and thunder
And the small rains that sparkle as they dry,
And the faint floating ocean roar
That fills the seaside villages,
And the clear brooks that travel down the mountains 

And with this poem, a leaf on the vast flood,
And with the angels in that other country.

Juan Carlos Fine Mexican specials for Friday & Saturday

Take a break from shopping and family and turkey and make a reservation (484-624-4931) for this Friday or Saturday at Juan Carlos Fine Mexican Cuisine, 235 E. High Street in the heart of Pottstown. Pumpkin flan, anyone?! Chef Ron Garza is offering these fab specials:

Friday, 25 November

Soup: Northern bean soup, $3 per cup

Salad: Mediterranean salad, $5

Entrée: Roasted chicken with potatoes in lemon garlic sauce, $12.99

Dessert: Pumpkin flan, $6

Complementary egg nog, available with or without brandy.

 

Saturday, 26 November

Soup: Beef orzo soup, $3 per cup

Salad: Mediterranean salad, $5 

Entrée: Stuffed peppers and tomatoes, featuring a lightly spiced dill and rice mixture, $12.99

Dessert: Pumpkin flan, $6

Complementary egg nog, available with or without brandy.
 

Cantatica presents “An American Thanksgiving” at Emmanuel Lutheran

This Tuesday, November 22nd at 7:30 pm, the professional chamber ensemble and artist-in-residence Cantatica will present music of gratitude, remembrance and rejoicing at Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. Please note that the Coventry Singers will also be guest artists.

The concert will include Let Us Break Bread Together, Simple Gifts, Zion’s Walls, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, How Can I Keep From Singing, Battle Hymn of the Republic, Dixie, and Johnny Has Gone For a Soldier.

Emmanuel Lutheran offers a free Music at Emmanuel series throughout the year. Check out their Facebook page here. Their next concert features the Reading Choral Society in “A Celebration of Light” on Sunday, December 11.

Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church
150 N. Hanover Street
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-323-4312

Trinity Reformed Church shines light on hunger

Trinity Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ in Pottstown recently collected 859 items of food, weighing in at 862 pounds for the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities. Groups within the church held a friendly competition to see who could collect the most food. It was part of the United Church of Christ’s national campaign Mission: 1 which brings attention to hunger locally and globally. Members of the congregation also collected money for national and global food programs and wrote letters to Congress.

For more information about Trinity Reformed United Church of Christ and their programs, contact:
Rev. Lisa Martin
Trinity Reformed United Church of Christ
60 N. Hanover St.
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-326-2243

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