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MOMENTUM

Good things inside this issue

Page 2 Investment Activity Up in Downtown Commercial Real Estate

Page 2 Pottstown SCORE is a free resource for small businesses

Page 3 Annual Pottstown Pet Fair returns to Memorial Park

Page 3 Borrow a Bike in Pottstown

Page 4 Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds

Page 5 Steel River Playhouse’s 2015-2016 season

Page 6 Partners for Success

One Good Thing Leads To Another

Fall is in the air in Pottstown

Pottstown, PA Issue 6 Fall 2015

Momentum is published four times during the year by Partners for Success, a collaborative of area

organizations with a common desire to celebrate the stories that

make us proud of Pottstown as residents, business owners or other

stakeholders who have a vested interest in seeing our community prosper. Each quarter we share

stories about business development, recreation and healthy lifestyles, education, and arts & culture.

Experience the culinary delights Pottstown eateries are offering during the 12th Annual Carousel of Flavor on Sunday, September 13, from 12 to 4 p.m., in the 100 block of High Street. The annual outdoor event brings an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 people to the downtown. In addition, the 1955 Pottstown Borough time capsule will be opened during the event. Proceeds benefit the restoration and operation of the Carousel at Pottstown, a 1905 Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel. For more information, visit www.pottstowncarousel.org.

Business Development

Pottstown SCORE is a free resource for small businesses

SCORE is the nation’s largest volunteer business counseling service. We have a chapter located right here in Pottstown celebrating its 25th anniversary. The nonprofit association is dedicated to helping those in business, about to start one, or just thinking about it.

Pottstown SCORE is located in The New York Plaza Building, 244 East High Street, Suite 102. SCORE provides businesses in the tri-county area with one-on-one mentoring and free or low-cost training workshops. SCORE offers walk-in hours every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

SCORE volunteers have previous experience in construction, retail and wholesale trade, international trade, marketing and advertising, banking and financial services, insurance, manufacturing, legal services and non-profits.

For more information or to request a meeting, visit https://pottstown.score.org.

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Investment activity up in downtown commercial real estate

Recent activity indicates the downtown commercial real estate market is heating up. Six buildings have sold in the 100 and 200 blocks of High Street in just the last 10 months. The transactions involved approximately 156,000 square feet of gross building area and a total investment of $4.295 million in acquisitions.

Scott Bentley is among the investors expressing confidence in the downtown real estate market. Mr. Bentley’s Montco Tech Center LLC acquired the iconic New York Plaza Building at 238 High Street last November and then followed that transaction up with the acquisition of the Ellis Mills Building at 227 High Street this summer.

Win and Sutida Somboonsong also see opportunity in the downtown real estate market. The investors and restaurateurs acquired the five-story Security Trust Building located at High and Hanover streets in April of this year. Then this summer the couple also closed on the purchase of 254 High Street with plans to establish what will be their sixth Win Signature Restaurant.

Across the street, Adamerin Enterprises LLC bought 251 High Street where restaurateur Adam Burke and craft brewer Steve Armstrong are working on plans to partner on a new brew pub.

Most recently, the five-story office building that is home to Susquehanna Bank on the corner of High and Hanover streets was purchased by an affiliate of Redwood Real Estate Group.

That is a lot of real estate changing hands in a relatively short period of time. These investors and others recognize a great opportunity when they see it.

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Recreation and Healthy Lifestyles

If you enjoy outdoor recreation, there is a very good chance you have visited Pottstown’s beautiful Memorial Park. Throughout the year, the municipal park at 75 West King Street hosts large outdoor events that draw thousands to town including BMX races at Trilogy Park, the Pottstown Rumble Volleyball Tournament and Community Days.

The next big event coming to Memorial Park is the 5th Annual Pottstown Pet Fair on Saturday, September 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The largest free pet fair in the state features retail vendors, animal

rescues, workshops, a vaccine clinic and more. Last year about 2,500 people attended including visitors from as far away as New Jersey, New York and Delaware. This year activities include a blessing of the animals, K9 demonstration by the Pottstown Police Department, and a butterfly garden presentation.

For more information, visit the Pottstown Pettstown event page on Facebook or email Bill Sharon, bsharon@pottstown.org.

Annual Pottstown Pet Fair returns to Memorial Park

Want to go on a bike ride, but you don’t own a bike? That’s no problem in Pottstown with the free community bike share program, Bike Pottstown.

Established in 2008, Bike Pottstown provides opportunities for participants to enjoy bike rides on the Schuylkill River Trail, see the sights of the Borough, run an errand or visit friends. Participants can borrow the yellow cruiser bikes year-round from two locations. Bikes are available during business hours at Tri County Bicycles, 256 East High Street, and Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area offices, 140 College Drive.

Participants must be 16 years old. To borrow a bike, simply sign a liability waiver and leave a license or state ID at the office that will be returned when the bike is returned. Helmets and bike locks are also available.

For safety and convenience, streets in downtown Pottstown have designated bike lanes.

For more information, visit http://bikepottstown.com.

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Each year between 1,200 and 1,500 area residents use the Bike Pottstown program.

Attendees can enjoy visiting with 100 retail vendors at the Pottstown Pet Fair on September 19.

Locations & Hours for Bike Pottstown

Tri County Bicycles

256 East High Street, Pottstown

Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

484-941-6000

Schuylkill River Heritage Area Offices

140 College Drive, Pottstown

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

484-945-0200

Borrow a Bike in Pottstown

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Education

Healthy Bodies Healthy MindsPottstown recently hosted educators from the Pottstown School District and 26 other districts for an institute focused on how incorporating exercise in the classroom can have a positive effect on learning.

Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds Institute held annually by the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation hosted 191 educators in August at The Hill School.

“Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds is an initiative to empower area educators to transform their schools into movement-based places of learning,” said Foundation President Dave Kraybill. “We hope the information gained at this year’s Institute, and in years past, will implement change and help to incorporate more physical activity in to the classroom, enhancing students’ ability to learn.”

During the first day of the institute, educators learned about the benefits movement has on the brain, strategies for using movement in the classroom, engaging students in mathematics and many other topics. Presenters also led attendees in group workouts, further demonstrating how exercise can rejuvenate the brain. During the second day, the attendees worked in teams to plan activities for their classrooms.

Throughout the past several years, educators have implemented healthy initiatives in Pottstown School District building on what they learned at the institute. Superintendent Dr. Jeffery Sparagana established a brain energizer team that attends District Cabinet meetings and tracks progress. Teachers use morning brain energizers and brain breaks throughout the day which involve getting students out of their seats.

Students and staff benefit in a variety of ways because of the institute. “Pottstown School District attends the Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds Institute because we believe a healthy student is a better learner and a healthy staff is more productive,” said District Wellness Coordinator David Genova.

Teachers experience first-hand the benefits of exercise during the Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds Institute.

Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds featured a fitness concert to get attendees on their feet and moving.

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Arts & Culture

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well … and Living in Paris

September 25 – October 4

An unforgettable event and longtime favorite of musical theatre devotees. This revue - with its haunting and passionate lyrics - features the songs of one of the most acclaimed composers of the 20th century. Inspiring, romantic, whimsical and heart-breaking,

“Brel Is” has enjoyed recent smash hit revivals on both Broadway and London’s West End.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

October 16 – October 25

This comedy, from the pen of Tony winner Christopher Durang, hilariously contrasts traditional values with the world of cutting edge tech. Set in Bucks County, two well-educated but unemployed siblings live in the family homestead supported by their actress sister. But sis comes back ready to sell with her boy-toy in tow. One of the most popular Broadway comedies in years.

Mrs. Coney: A Tale at Christmas

November 14 & 15

Often described as “the American Christmas Carol,” this play with music blends the warmth of the Waltons with the spiritual message of the holidays. A young boy befriends a mysterious old woman and learns the renewing value of giving. Our Theatre for Youth offering is a touching and joyous singalong experience for the whole family.

White Christmas

December 4 – December 20

Adapted from the classic Bing Crosby-Fred Astaire film “Holiday Inn,” this sparkling tale of show-biz GIs and the gals who win their hearts, centers on the Christmas show they stage as a “thank you” for their retired Commanding Officer. The musical makes fabulous use of an Irving Berlin score that includes “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep),” “Blues Skies,” “Snow,” and the title song,

“White Christmas.”

The Colored Museum

February 5 – February 14

Taking deadly comic aim at stereotypes and sacred cows, this play with music is a satiric look at the African-American experience then-and-now. Played in a series of sketches and songs, each representing a museum portrait come to life, this spoof of black-white relations, social misconceptions and behavioral foibles is spiced with witty songs and outside-the-box humor.

Deathtrap

March 11 – March 20

One of the most successful whodunits of the modern stage and an acclaimed film starring Michael Caine, “Deathtrap” tells the story of a successful playwright who turns to plagiarism and murder to cure his writer’s block. Driven by laughter and what will seem like an endless string of plot twists, this mainstage offering will keep you guessing, gasping and giggling until its startling finish.

The Glass Menagerie

April 8 – April 17

The next offering in our American Classics Series, this sensitive and touching autobiographical drama launched the career of American master dramatist, Tennessee Williams. Williams takes us inside the world of a garrulous divorcee clinging to visions of the old South, her painfully shy daughter, her restless son and a Gentleman Caller whose visit is the catalyst for all of their destinies.

Fiddler on the Roof

May 13 – May 28

One of the most beloved musicals of all time, this paean to “tradition” has held audiences rapt for over 50 years. Based on the tales of Sholem Aleichem, “Fiddler’s” central character Tevye attempts to maintain his religious and cultural values, as outside influences encroach on his family. Winner of 9 Tony Awards, the show boasts a score that includes “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,”

“Sunrise, Sunset” and the irrepressible, “If I Were a Rich Man.”

Steel River Playhouse’s 2015-2016

seasonExperience the excitement of live theater right here in Pottstown. Steel River Playhouse, located at 245 East High Street, is offering something for everyone this season. For more information, visit www.steelriver.org.

Borough of Pottstown 100 East High Street Pottstown, PA 19464 www.pottstown.org • 610-970-6500

Montgomery County Community College West Campus 101 College Drive Pottstown, PA 19464 www.mc3.edu • 610-718-1800

Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation152 East High Street, Suite 500Pottstown, PA 19464www.pottstownfoundation.org • 610-323-2006

Pottstown Area Industrial Development, Inc. 152 East High Street, Suite 360 Pottstown, PA 19464 www.paidinc.org • 610-326-2900

Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority 17 North Hanover Street Pottstown, PA 19464 www.downtownpottstown.org • 610-323-5400

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center 1600 East High Street Pottstown, PA 19464 www.pottstownmemorial.com • 610-327-7000

Pottstown School District 230 Beech Street Pottstown, PA 19464 www.pottstownschools.com • 610-323-8200

The Hill School 717 East High Street Pottstown, PA 19464 www.thehill.org • 610-326-1000

TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce 152 East High Street, Suite 360 Pottstown, PA 19464 www.tricountyareachamber.com • 610-326-2900

Partners for SuccessMomentum is published by Pottstown Area Industrial Development, Inc. (PAID) in collaboration with the Partners for Success. PAID is a non-profit economic development corporation with the mission to promote investment in Pottstown. Questions or comments about Momentum can be directed to info@paidinc.org or call 610-326-2900. To receive future issues of Momentum by email visit http://www.paidinc.org/momentum.php and subscribe to the email list.

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