The Pottstown Post scanned available news feeds during recent days and found these stories of local interest.

• Each appears with a headline and short description. Click on any headline and its related story will open in a separate browser window at the website where it is located.
• None of the articles below have been written by, nor should be attributed to, The Post. Copyrights to these articles rest with their respective publishers.

Rendell Unveils New Statewide Mortgage Program (WFMZ-TV, Allentown PA)
Governor Rendell has a plan to help people become homeowners. Tuesday, he announced a new statewide mortgage program, with the goal of making financing affordable for thousands of families.

Pennsylvania Receives REAL ID Extension (GVFTMA.com)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has granted Pennsylvania an extension on implementing the federal REAL ID Act. The extension allows Pennsylvania residents to continue using PA driver’s licenses and identification cards as ID for official federal purposes, i.e. boarding a commercial aircraft, entering a nuclear power plant or federal facility that requires identification, beyond Dec. 31, 2009.

Harrington new leader at Boy Scouts’ Cradle of Liberty Council in Phila. area (Philadelphia Business Journal)
The Cradle of Liberty Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which supervises Boy Scouting activities in western Montgomery County, said Monday that Thomas R. Harrington will become its scout executive on Jan. 4.

Road Less Traveled (KYW-AM, Philadelphia PA)
According to AAA, fewer travelers from the greater Philadelphia area will be hitting the roads this Christmas holiday. And it’s not because of gas prices.

Matthews downplays CBIZ link (Norristown PA Times Herald)
Facing increased scrutiny over Montgomery County’s decision to self-insure employees and questions about the county’s dealings with a health benefits consultant, CBIZ, that contributed to his campaign, commissioners’ Chairman James R. Matthews denies he’s done anything wrong.

Code Blue extended through weekend (Norristown PA Times Herald)
Based on a review of forecasts from the National Weather Service, Montgomery County Health Department is extending the Code Blue Cold Weather Emergency for the county.

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The Sanatoga Post | The Limerick Post | The Pottstown Post

Thanks for visiting The Pottstown Post!

After seven months of Monday-through-Sunday online distribution, The Pottstown Post is taking a break and has temporarily suspended publication between Dec. 19 (2009; Saturday) and Dec. 27 (Sunday), Managing Editor Joe Zlomek has announced.

Publication of The Sanatoga Post and The Limerick Post editions also have been suspended for the period.

All three editions will resume publication Dec. 28 (2009; Monday) “as though nothing had happened,” Zlomek said.

During the nine-day period, no new stories or photos will be published on any of The Post websites; the Sanatoga edition’s daily headline e-mail will not be distributed to subscribers; and e-mail sent to The Post’s Yahoo mailbox will be allowed to collect virtual dust.

All three websites remain up and running, however, for reader access to previously published stories.

The Posts wish all readers a safe and joy-filled holiday, and look forward to seeing them again when publishing resumes!

See our galleries for photos that appear in The Post.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

Saturday, Dec. 19
Holiday break; no stories published

Friday, Dec. 18

• BIE Presents 2009 Craftsman, Design Awards
  The Pottstown-based trade group for contractors and builders chose firms and individuals who displayed their best work.
• Family Services Wins Grant For Elderly Help
  The Pottstown agency is awarded money to help senior citizens stay longer in their own homes.
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 17, 2009
  Local and area emergencies that occurred Thursday, to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.
• Fire Company Hosts Board Shoot
• Three Area Blood Drives Ahead
  
• Accident Driver Uninsured, TV Report Claims
  A Philadelphia television station reported Thursday it was told the driver involved in last weekend’s fatal automobile accident “did not have insurance.”

Thursday, Dec. 17

• 24 Hours In Pottstown For Dec. 17, 2009
  An overview of and links to Pottstown area-related news carried on other websites.
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 16, 2009
  Local and area emergencies that occurred Wednesday, to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.
• Services Set For Pottstown Accident Victim
  Calling hours have been announced for Breanne Brothers, one of two victims of a Saturday auto accident in which Pottsgrove High School students also were injured.

Wednesday, Dec. 16

• 24 Hours In Pottstown For Dec. 16, 2009
  An overview of and links to Pottstown area-related news carried on other websites.
• Candles Flicker In Students’ Memorial
  Students, parents, teachers, even folks who didn’t personally know them came out Tuesday night to pay homage to two young accident victims during a candlelight service at Pottstown High School.
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 15, 2009
  Local and area emergencies that occurred Tuesday, to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.

Tuesday, Dec. 15

• Dealing With Grief In Accident Aftermath
  A candlelight vigil for Pottstown High School students killed in Saturday’s car accident will be held tonight at the  school. Two Pottsgrove High students and two others injured in the accident are still recuperating, and an investigation is continuing.
• College Radio Station Wins Top-5 Honor
  The student-run Internet radio station at Montgomery County Community College’s Blue Bell campus is rated among the Top 5 of its type nationwide.

Monday, Dec. 14

• 2 Killed, Others Injured In Route 100 Accident
  Two Pottstown High School girls were killed late Saturday night in a one-car accident, in which Pottsgrove High School students who were passengers also were injured.
• 24 Hours In Pottstown For Dec. 14, 2009
  An overview of and links to Pottstown area-related news carried on other websites.
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 13, 2009
  Local and area emergencies that occurred Sunday, to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.

Sunday, Dec. 13

• The Week In Review In Pottstown
  For Dec. 6-12, 2009
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 12, 2009
  Local and area emergencies that occurred Saturday, to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.

The Sanatoga (PA) Post | The Limerick (PA) Post

Editor’s note: The Post will temporarily suspend publication beginning tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009) for a nine-day winter holiday. Publication will resume Dec. 28. Thanks for your readership; see you after the break!

The Latest …

• BIE Presents 2009 Craftsman, Design Awards
  The Pottstown-based trade group for contractors and builders chose firms and individuals who displayed their best work.
• Family Services Wins Grant For Elderly Help
  The Pottstown agency is awarded money to help senior citizens stay longer in their own homes.
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 17, 2009
  Local and area emergencies that occurred Thursday, to which Montgomery County (PA) dispatchers sent first-responder teams.
• Fire Company Hosts Board Shoot
• Three Area Blood Drives Ahead
  
• Accident Driver Uninsured, TV Report Claims
  A Philadelphia television station reported Thursday it was told the driver involved in last weekend’s fatal automobile accident “did not have insurance.”
• Ahead On The Calendar
  Local events by the day, week or month. Got an event to add? E-mail The Post.
• Tomorrow’s AccuWeather Forecast
  At look at what the next day could be like, provided by AccuWeather.

Published Earlier …

• 24 Hours In Pottstown For Dec. 17, 2009
  An overview of and links to Pottstown area-related news carried on other websites.
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 16, 2009
• Services Set For Pottstown Accident Victim
  Calling hours have been announced for Breanne Brothers, one of two victims of a Saturday auto accident in which Pottsgrove High School students also were injured.
• 24 Hours In Pottstown For Dec. 16, 2009
• Candles Flicker In Students’ Memorial
  Students, parents, teachers, even folks who didn’t personally know them came out Tuesday night to pay homage to two young accident victims during a candlelight service at Pottstown High School.
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 15, 2009
• Dealing With Grief In Accident Aftermath
  A candlelight vigil for Pottstown High School students killed in Saturday’s car accident will be held tonight at the  school. Two Pottsgrove High students and two others injured in the accident are still recuperating, and an investigation is continuing.
• College Radio Station Wins Top-5 Honor
  The student-run Internet radio station at Montgomery County Community College’s Blue Bell campus is rated among the Top 5 of its type nationwide.
• 2 Killed, Others Injured In Route 100 Accident
  Two Pottstown High School girls were killed late Saturday night in a one-car accident, in which Pottsgrove High School students who were passengers also were injured.
• 24 Hours In Pottstown For Dec. 14, 2009
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 13, 2009
• The Week In Review In Pottstown
  For Dec. 6-12, 2009
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 12, 2009
• 24 Hours In Pottstown For Dec. 12, 2009
• Emergency Dispatches For Dec. 11, 2009
• SCORE Workshops Planned For January
  The Pottstown-based volunteer organization that guides entrepreneurs in starting and growing a small business holds another series of helpful seminars next month.

Joe Zlomek, Managing Editor
Your comments are welcomed on any story. Got news for us? E-mail ‘The Post.’

POTTSTOWN PA – The 2009 winners of Craftsmanship Awards presented by the Building Industries Exchange (BIE) of Pottstown and Vicinity, and its first-ever Design Award, recently were announced by the BIE, 801 N. Charlotte St., Pottstown PA, during its annual membership meeting.

BIE offices on North Charlotte Street in Pottstown PA.

The BIE is a 57-year-old trade association that promotes integrity in local building through community service and member benefits.

This year’s BIE Craftsmanship award winners are:

• J.O.B. Design & Construction Co. Inc. of Pottstown PA, for a residential addition/expansion providing their customer with a three-season room that complimented their existing pool;
• Schumaker Construction of Gilbertsville PA, for constructing a new barn that appears to be more than 200 years old;
• Gehman Custom Remodeling of Harleysville PA received four awards. Its winning projects included two different bathroom remodels, one kitchen remodel, and a basement remodel;
• Whitegate Contracting Company of Douglassville PA also received four awards. Its winning projects included a bathroom remodel, a porch remodel, a garage-breezeway addition, and a portico-door project;
• Timothy L. Gibble Inc. Plumbing and Heating of Douglassville PA won two awards. One was for plumbing and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) work on a residential stone bank barn, and the other was for plumbing and gas piping on the Tri-County Performing Arts Center project;
• Woodland Landscapes LLC of Barto PA, for a residential landscape and hardscaping project that provided the homeowner a place to entertain, added seasonal color and privacy;
• Don Mace Signs of Pottstown PA received an award for the installation of eight plaques to the Pottstown World War II Memorial; and
• Kaiser Construction Co. Inc. of Douglassville PA received an award for the Tri-County Performing Arts Center which involved taking a circa-1900s building and renovating it into a performing arts center.

BIE awarded its first Design Award twice to P. Richard Frantz, A.I.A., Registered Architect, for an interior design of a three-story building located in the historic district of Pottstown. His second award was earned for the Creative Health Services Inc. project, which encompassed a complete re-design and renovation of a 44,000-square-foot space.

Photo from the BIE

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Helping them stay in their homes.

POTTSTOWN PA – Project HEARTH, a Family Services of Pottstown program whose acronym stand for “Helping Elderly Adults Remain in Their Homes,” has received a $20,000 grant from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation to provide special support services that help seniors to remain independent.

Services are available to adults age 60 and older who live in the Greater Pottstown area. They include professional in-home counseling; shopping assistance; transportation service; friendly visiting; telephone reassurance; and minor handyman help.

Program Director Shushma Patel reports that Project HEARTH assists seniors who are at significant risk of institutionalization so that they can remain independent in the comfort of their own homes for as long as possible. A professional clinician visits home-bound seniors in their own homes to help them cope with anxiety, depression, illness, isolation, loneliness, and loss.

HEARTH volunteers provide seniors with concrete support services, such as transportation, grocery shopping assistance and minor home repairs. Individual and group volunteer opportunities with Project HEARTH are available during the day, evening and on weekends. For more information, call 610-326-1610.

Foundation grants are intended to enhance the health and wellness of area residents, providing education, funding and programs that motivate people to adopt healthy lifestyles. The foundation was formed in July 2003 with the proceeds from the sale of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center.

Photo from Clipart.com

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POTTSTOWN PA – Three blood drives conducted by the Miller-Keystone Blood Center are scheduled to be held during coming weeks in Gilbertsville, Pottstown and Limerick. Drives are planned for:

• Dec. 21 (2009; Monday), from 1-7:40 p.m. at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 35 Wilson Ave., Gilbertsville PA;
• Dec. 21 (2009; Monday), from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, 1600 E. High St., Pottstown PA; and
• Dec. 28 (2009; Monday), from 2-7 p.m. at St. James United Church of Christ, 321 Limerick Road, Limerick PA.

Appointments are required. For more information, call 610-926-6060.

• These events have been added to The Post calendar.

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MONACACY PA – A flying board shoot will be held by the Monarch Fire Company, 50 Pennsylvania Ave., Monacacy PA, on Dec. 27 (2009; Sunday) starting at noon. For more information, call 610-385-3310.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

See our galleries for photos that appear in The Post.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

The Pottstown Post scanned available news feeds during recent days and found these stories of local interest.

• Each appears with a headline and short description. Click on any headline and its related story will open in a separate browser window at the website where it is located.
• None of the articles below have been written by, nor should be attributed to, The Post. Copyrights to these articles rest with their respective publishers.

Brownies make it a ‘bear-y’ merry Christmas (Community Connection, Boyertown PA)
Brownie Troop 7287 from the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Education Center in Pottstown has only been an “official” troop since September, but their generosity will touch lives for years.

Edgewood students ‘WIN’ with Exelon (Community Connection, Boyertown PA)
Employees of the Exelon Limerick Nuclear Generating Plant conducted a school supplies drive which benefited the Edgewood Elementary students. The event was sponsored by the Limerick chapter of Women In Nuclear (WIN), which is a support group which promotes the development of professional and personal excellence by women in the nuclear energy field.

Rupert Elementary students celebrate reading goals (Community Connection, Boyertown PA)
Students at Rupert Elementary School participated in a monthly reading program that requires them to read a minimum of 15 minutes a day at home every day of the month. Students who accomplish their goal receive a slice of pizza and a drink from Parma Pizza located in Sunnybrook Village. The program is supervised by Mrs. Lisa Kolb, Rupert Elementary School Intervention Specialist.

Table Games Bill Passes State House (WFMZ-TV, Allentown PA)
A bill that would legalize table games in Pennsylvania has cleared its first hurdle in Harrisburg. House members approved it by a 103-to-92 vote just before 8:00 pm Tuesday night. The bill now moves to the state Senate where it will likely change some. A vote could come as early as Thursday. The bill is a key part of the state budget. Table-gaming revenue is expected to help to the state replace lost tax revenue.

Swine Flu Vaccines Made By Sanofi Pasteur Recalled (WFMZ-TV, Allentown PA)
Health officials are recalling hundreds of thousands of doses of the swine flu vaccine after tests show it may not be strong enough. The recall involves about 800- thousand doses made by Sanofi Pasteur. The C-D-C notified doctors about the recall today. The doses are pre-filled syringes intended for young children, ages six-months to almost three-years-old.

Pennsylvania college student debt among highest in nation (Philadelphia Business Journal)
Nearly three-quarters of students attending a college or university in Pennsylvania graduate with debt, while the number for New Jersey is two-thirds, according to The Institute for College Access & Success’ Project on Student Debt report.

Comcast expands, renames service that allows customers to watch cable TV on Internet (Philadelphia Business Journal)
Communications giant Comcast Corp. said Tuesday it has expanded its trial — to include all its customers — of an Internet-based on-demand programming service. (CMCSA)

See our galleries for photos that appear in The Post.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

The Pottstown Post scanned available news feeds during recent days and found these stories of local interest.

• Each appears with a headline and short description. Click on any headline and its related story will open in a separate browser window at the website where it is located.
• None of the articles below have been written by, nor should be attributed to, The Post. Copyrights to these articles rest with their respective publishers.

Crews Developing Plan of Action to Keep Building Safe After Car Accident (WZAR-TV, Boyertown PA)
Crews were called to the scene Tuesday to stabilize the Boyertown Inn and assure that the building is safe, after a vehicle lost control and made its way onto the sidewalk, smashing into the north side of the Inn, at the intersection of Rt. 73 and Rt. 562.

Man Sentenced For Defrauding School Districts (WFMZ-TV, Allentown PA)
A Chester County man will spend a year and one day in federal prison for ripping off the Boyertown School District.. and three other districts in Pennsylvania. Authorities say Robert Bradbury sold the school districts high-risk securities without letting them know just how risky the investments were.

Vehicle Crashes Into Building In Berks County (WFMZ-TV, Allentown PA)
Emergency crews are on the scene of an accident Tuesday involving a car that crashed into a building in Boyertown, Berks County.

A safe haven for abused horses (West Chester Daily Local News)
Olivia, a 26-year-old chestnut thoroughbred, was found in a swamp of mud up to her knees. She has knobby knees and a dent between her eyes from the abuse she endured before animal protection authorities rescued her.

Public Comment Invited on State Passenger Freight Rail Plan (GVFTMA.com)
The public is invited to comment on the Pennsylvania Intercity Passenger and Freight Rail Plan, which provides guidance for investing in future rail needs and potential ways to enhance passenger and freight rail development in the state, supporting economic growth and environmental sustainability

Leaner State Budgets Mean Longer Lines and Waits for the Needy (Poynter Institute)
As financially troubled state governments furlough and lay off workers, the people who need help the most — those waiting for unemployment checks or food stamps — are feeling the effect.

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