Month: January 2014

Pottstown MLK Day observance at Hill School today at 4 pm

This comes from Rev. Vernon Ross, Jr., Pastor of Bethel AME Community Church.

You are invited to attend and to encourage your congregation, family, friends, and others to attend the Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration on Sunday, January 19, 2014 at 4:00 PM.

The Celebration will take place at The Hill School Center for the Arts, and the Pottstown Community Martin Luther King Choir will be singing.  Our special guest will be Mr. David Carlisle, Director of Music, Ms. Melanie R. Hill, Violinist, and Minister Adrien Gale, Soloist.

The proceeds of a free will offering will be given to the Pottstown School District to support their Math/STEM Programs.  This is a wonderful opportunity to help our youth in the Pottstown Community!   We hope to see you!

The Hill School Center for the Arts is located at 860 Beech Street, Pottstown, PA 19464.

Pottstown area non-profits: Grant opportunity!

It’s not too late to apply to the Hill School Student Philanthropy Council! Deadline is THIS MONDAY, JANUARY 20th. See details at this link and below:

The Hill School now is accepting applications from Pottstown-area nonprofit organizations for its Student Philanthropy Council (SPC) grant program. Interested organizations may download and submit a Request for Proposal. View and print a PDF of the Request for Proposal here. Completed applications must be submitted by Monday, January 20, 2014.The SPC was established in 2009 through a gift to The Hill School courtesy of Charles A. Frank III, Hill ’59, and his wife, Betty. Hill student participants solicit and evaluate local nonprofit requests for funding, and then award a total of $10,000 in grants each year. Last year, through the Franks’ leadership and the generosity of several other donors, The Student Philanthropy Council became an endowed program at the School with the establishment of The Student Philanthropy Council Endowment in honor of Kay and David Dougherty.

Last year, representatives of the SPC presented a total of $10,000, to four local organizations: Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority ($2,110); The Growing Center ($2,690); Montgomery Child Advocacy Project ($2,500); and the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Organizations ($2,700). Read more about the recipients of the 2013 grants.

The SPC is comprised of 12 students –  including co-presidents Sanobar Shaikh ’14 and Omeed Alidadi ’14 – who meet once a week to study the process of philanthropy and visit the sites of various organizations. Mrs. Amy Lehman, Hill’s experiential education coordinator, is the faculty adviser to the group. SPC members are chosen based on the quality of their applications, interviews, and their sincere ability to commit time to the group.

Registration still open for Pottstown PAL spring dek hockey season

Registration for the Pottstown Area Police Athletic League dek hockey’s spring season will be held on Saturdays, January 11, 18, and 25, from 11 am to 2 pm, at the PAL office on 146 King St., Pottstown, PA 19464.

Boys and girls from age 5 to 17 are welcome to play in this sneaker hockey program. Further information is available at www.pottstownpal.org. Any questions should be directed to padhapal@gmail.com.

The Pottstown Area PAL serves over 200 area kids and also provide them with free equipment. They have just resurfaced our rink hand have fall seasons in addition to spring seasons. Check them out!

Local SCORE volunteers support small business

SCORE is a nonprofit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners. Call 610-327-2673 for the Pottstown SCORE chapter, or find a counselor online at http://www.pottstownscore.org.

Opportunities Abound for Sharpening Your Small Business Skills

Very few people begin the process of building a small business with a full knowledge of all the skills required for success. Even those who extensive experience or education in business management still need to bring themselves up to speed on the added responsibilities of entrepreneurship—tax issues, employee management, business development, accounting, etc.

Fortunately, the range of small business-oriented learning opportunities and training programs has never been broader for veteran and novice entrepreneurs alike. Seeking help is simply smart. No business owner can be adept at every aspect of operating successfully. Plus, conditions change, so keeping yourself informed is vital to long-term success.

The single most popular program in America is probably the SBA Small Business Training Network/E-Business Institute, which registers nearly a million users at its Web site each year. The Small Business Training Network is a Web-based conglomerate that can link you to online courses, workshops, publications, learning tools, information resources and access to electronic
counseling and other types of technical help. For details on the Small Business Training Network, go to http://www.sba.gov and click “Training” under the site’s Services section.

Free online courses are offered on about 75 topics in areas such as business startup, growing your business, home-based business and re-engineering your skills. Sample titles include: Growth Strategies; Analyzing Profitability; Building Your Brand; and, Understanding Business Insurance.

The Tools section of http://www.sba.gov gives you access to an extensive library of articles, podcasts, and Web chats on various small business issues.

Local SBA-sponsored training events are offered nationwide. These range from breakfast talks on local economic conditions, to brown-bag networking lunches, loan seminars, startup workshops and free business assessments. Simply go the Local Resources section of http://www.sba.gov and click your state on the Web site map for a calendar listing dates and event details in your area. You can also sign up for free newsletters issued by your state SBA office.

In addition, dozens of top colleges and universities offer business training courses you can take online or in more traditional classroom environments. Most require a fee, and some may have educational prerequisites. Advisors at the individual schools will help you identify one or more courses that are best suited to your needs.

To learn more about training opportunities your small business, contact SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business.” SCORE is a nonprofit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners. Call 610-327-2673 for the Pottstown SCORE chapter, or find a counselor online at http://www.pottstownscore.org.

College Performing Arts Programs: Steel River alumni share their stories TONIGHT

Steel River Playhouse is located at 245 E. High Street in the heart of Pottstown, PA 19464

The Road to College Performing Arts Programs

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

A Chat with Steel River Alumni

Thursday, January 16th

7:00 pm

Join us for a lively discussion and performance demonstrations featuring SRP alumni who have pursued advanced training at the college and conservatory level. Alumni will share their journeys, discuss their career paths, and answer questions of students and parents who are considering a performing arts career or are just curious about the process!

SCHEDULE

7:00 pm –

discussion

8:15 pm – alumni performance demonstrations

9:00 pm – refreshments

PARTICIPATING ALUMNI

Drew Carr – BM Music Education, Ithaca College (2017)

Craig Hacker – BFA Film and Media Arts, Temple University (2015)

Ryan Hagan – BA Theatre, DeSales University (2017)

Matt Kiesling – BFA Theatre, NYU/Tisch, New Studio on Broadway for Music Theatre (2016)

Michael Kiesling – BM Vocal Performance (Opera concentration), Westminster Choir College (2017)

Andrew Pierce – BA Theatre, DeSales University (2017)

Jordan Popky – BM Songwriting (minor in Choral Conducting) (2016)

Kelsey Riker – BFA Musical Theatre, Seton Hill University (2016)

Carrie Thorwarth – BFA Musical Theatre, University of the Arts (2016)

Kevin White – BA Musical Theatre, DeSales University (2015)

Matt Zarley – BA Theater (Acting concentration), Temple University (2015)

RSVP appreciated with the number in your party. Contact kathy@steelriver.org

Pottstown Parks Director Eileen Schlegel Remembered

Eileen Schlegel, the Pottstown Parks and Recreation Director since 2008, passed away suddenly last Saturday. Those wishing to pay respects and honor her life may do so at a viewing from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at Warker-Troutman Funeral Home at  726 E. High St. The funeral will be at the funeral home on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m.

According to Evan Brandt’s Mercury article, Eileen grew up on Queen Street and graduated from St. Pius X High School. She started working for the Parks Department in the early 1990s. I will always remember Eileen for being the go-to person for so many community activities and events. She oversaw a department that was responsible for all of the Borough’s parks, the spray park, Trilogy BMX park, Riverfront Park,  the Bark Park, and year-round recreational programming for all ages. She and her staff could be counted on to provide the chairs, sound equipment, power, games, hot dogs and hot chocolate at parades, 4th of July festivities, the Polar Bear Plunge, the Funky Santa 5K, the Volleyball Rumble and so much more.  Eileen Schlegel had a hand in all this, in the life of the community, and in the seasonal rituals that become traditions and make a town a home. She will be remembered for many years to come

Memorial contributions in her honor may be made to Helping Hands Inc., 415 Hoffmansville Road, Bechtelsville, PA 19505. For more than 30 years Helping Hands has been serving individuals with developmental delays and mental and physical challenges.

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