2018 Articles

A quiet life in Pottstown

Today, I’m going to reflect on one of my favorite Pottstonians, a man who led a peaceful, quiet, healthy life. He died in his sleep at 98. He was a tailor.

Our shared home

Fifty years ago on Christmas Eve, thanks to astronauts orbiting the moon 240,000 miles away, humans were able to see our Earth as it truly exists, floating in space.

Pottstown could use George Bailey

In the next week, thousands of families will once again enjoy the beloved 1946 Christmas classic, "It's A Wonderful Life." Ironically, the film evokes a way of life that has been largely abandoned by middle class Americans.

Maurice Meier's 70th anniversary

Seventy years ago today was a significant day for both Maurice Meier and me. I was born in the Reading Hospital, and Maurice Meier arrived at Ellis Island from Europe aboard the Queen Elizabeth. He later moved to Pottstown.

Real towns have holiday feel

This heartwarming Christmas scene promoting the Pennsylvania Lottery, which has been aired every holiday season since 1992, could only be filmed in a real town like Pottstown.

Coming: more sprawl

Developments are breaking out all over in once-rural townships outside Pottstown. More cars, more traffic, more pavement, less green space.

Plenty of information online

Thanks to the internet and enlightened public policies, we can easily access a wealth of public information about our county, school district, and borough.

Parks: More money or more nature?

Parks are wonderful. But with a declining tax base, we can’t afford them all. Some of them should become low-maintenance natural areas.

Pottstown Y saved, restored

Pottstown area entrepreneur Charles Gulati has completed the purchase of the former Pottstown YMCA building on North Adams Street and finished more than $1 million in renovations to the portion of the building he is leasing back to the YMCA.

Y building: fitness mecca?

Pottstown area enterpreneur Charles Gulati is leasing about 40 percent of his 75,000 square foot building to the YMCA. The rest of the building will be leased out to private athletic training providers and for fitness and wellness.

Graham Hill: Living with less

Area residents will join millions of consumers across the country in the next few weeks in maxing out their credit cards to buy lots of stuff that won't be used.

Here are the thoughts of one young millionaire who decided he really didn’t need lots of stuff and wrote about it in the New York Times.

Thanksgiving then and now

Pottstown was an industrial giant a century ago. High Street was the retail hub of the region, and our downtown area was dotted with professional offices and homes of distinction.

It's easy to think Pottstown is worse off now than for previous generations, but this ignores the enormous improvements in daily life we take for granted.

Giving through private foundations

When you consider the scores of Pottstown area residents who have died with substantial assets, it’s surprising there are not more foundations set up to contribute to Pottstown’s welfare.

Do we need a community foundation?

Many communities have umbrella foundations that raise money from multiple local donors to improve a community’s quality of life.

The most important issue

What is the most important issue facing the nation?

Climate change.

What next? Climate change.

What next again? Climate change.

Should the wealthy give back?

There are lots of wealthy people in the Pottstown area. Do they have any special obligation to help improve their community?Adam Smith thought so.

Best source of funding: philanthropy

Beyond government grants and foundations, there’s a source of funding for initiatives Pottstown could not otherwise afford: private philanthropy.

Still giving to the community

Few people in our community have given more of themselves for the betterment of others than the late Dr. Richard Whittaker. Now, two years after his death from cancer, his wife is continuing his legacy of giving.

Millions of dollars for parks

Perhaps the most visible impact of the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation has been the creation and expansion of parks in Pottstown and the surrounding region.

Lifting Pottstown's economic health

The Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation can marry economic development to healthy lifestyles and capitalize on Pottstown’s unique infrastructure.

Where's the most need?

Next to health care providers, highest group of recipients of grants from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation has been public schools — about $7 million, nearly 20 percent of total grant funding.

Building sustainable non-profits

Besides health care and schools, a key mission of the Health and Wellness Foundation is “funding learning opportunities and strategic planning to strengthen non-profits.”

Fifteen years, $37+ million

Since its inception 15 years ago, the Health and Wellness Foundation, with an endowment of about $80 million, has distributed more than $37 million in grants in Pottstown and an area within a 10-mile radius of the borough.

Health Care is top priority

The Health and Wellness Foundation provided seed money to create Community Health and Dental Care in 2008, a federally qualified non-profit health center which provides medical services to thousands of Pottstown area residents based on their ability to pay.

Back-in parking and bike lanes

When Pottstown installed back-in parking on High Street in 2003, it was the first Pennsylvania municipality to do so. Now other Pennsylvania towns have added back-in parking, as well.

Much, much safer

Change always brings complaints. Some are complaining about the new bike lanes, especially the traffic-calmed intersection where Roland and Jackson streets join Beech Street.

Traffic calming makes streets safer

Bike lanes make streets safer for everyone no matter how many bicyclists use them.

Hill School: style over substance

Pottstown has great needs. The Hill School’s public relations campaign has been outstanding. But real substance is sorely lacking.

Bike lanes build on strengths

Rather than clinging to its industrial past, which isn’t coming back, Pottstown needs to emphasize the healthy lifestyles that traditional towns can offer. New bike lanes will attract the people Pottstown needs for a healthy future

Fostering healthy habits

You can’t walk or ride your bike to school in most school districts, but in Pottstown you can. The borough and school district are making the most of Pottstown’s unique infrastructure by procuring grants for bike lanes to promote biking to school.

Seventeen years, $22 million in grants

The borough has become more proficient in obtaining grants — about $22 million over the last 17 years.

Sidewalk repairs paid by federal grant

Thanks to a federal grant, a contractor has replaced deficient sidewalks along High Street and Roland Street at no cost to the property owner.

Cost-effective administration

Pottstown has a bargain with Borough Manager Justin Keller and Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez. They are working with a more economical administration than their predecessors.

Precarious financial situation

Pottstown's tax base continues to deteriorate. If spending is not reined in, Pottstown will continue its downward cycle of lowered assessments, leading to high taxes, leading to more lowered assessments.

School funding reform (part 1)

A few states have dramatically increased their share of school funding, such as Vermont, which boosted funding as a result of a court order in 1997. That's probably the only way it will happen in Pennsylvania.

School funding reform (part 2)

In 2016, the legislature adopted a new school funding formula. BUT it called for the new formula to be phased in very slowly (more than 25 years for full implementation) because a lot more districts would lose funding than gain funding.

The big picture: federal taxes

Americans may not want to believe it, but we pay less in total taxes than citizens of any other industrial country.

Taxes: state and local

State governments collect, on average, about 28 percent of all tax revenues. Local governments collect about 11 percent of all tax revenues.

Pottstown Patriotism

George Orwell, the author of Animal Farm and 1984, defined patriotism as “devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on others.” That's Pottstown!

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Up to our necks in debt

Within ten years, the public debt will almost match the size of the total national economy, the highest point since the end of World War II. Corporate debt has skyrocketed. The state government is also in hock, and its senior citizen population is rising.

Idealism of Wm Penn in Pottstown

Pottstown enjoys a heritage of enlightenment that few other places can match.

Some things won't change

There are many inequities from the past, and we should concentrate on the things we have a reasonable chance to change.

Big subsidy to buy a costly house

The biggest housing subsidy of all goes to help people buy expensive houses: the federal tax deduction for mortgage interest payments.

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Should income tax returns be public?

Government requires money to operate, and every citizen is expected to pay his fair share. So why shouldn’t individual tax payments be made public?

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America's income inequality

There are the mind-boggling disparities in the distribution of wealth among the people of the world and in America.

What do you do with excess wealth?

Surplus money may not make people happier, but they hang on to it all the same.

World Population Day

Last Wednesday, July 11, was World Population Day, which was first established by the United Nations in 1989 to highlight the world’s exploding population.

It's not going to stay this way

There are nearly 8 billion people on the planet, and they all want the same high quality lifestyles people in the developed world enjoy. We have to get over the "win-lose" mentality our president has fostered, or we'll all lose.

Housing market improves

Pottstown continues to offer great housing bargains. Even with sky-high taxes, Pottstown gives you more house for your money than any adjacent suburb.

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Edgewood Cemetery revisited

Last week, Pottstown attorney Andrew Monastra and his wife, Sue, made a presentation to Pottstown Council about their efforts to maintain the historic Edgewood Cemetery at High and Keim streets.

Trees: Modest cost -- big benefits

As people gather for tomorrow's Fourth of July parade, they will find 20 newly planted trees on High Street and nearby thoroughfares.

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Annual benefit of trees: $304,000

On Tuesday, we opined that nothing has done more to enhance Pottstown's environment and quality of life than the street trees planted in recent decades.

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Pottstown pep rally

About 160 Pottstown business and civic leaders attended an economic pep rally last week at Sunny Brook Ballroom sponsored by the Tri- County Area Chamber of Commerce and its partner, Pottstown Area Industrial Development Inc. (PAID).

It's a fact: Children are safer than ever

The rate of death from all causes for children and youth has steadily declined for decades, to about a tenth of what it was in 1935. Just since 1990, child mortality rates have fallen by nearly half.

What, me worry?

Last week, the journal Nature reported the rate at which Antarctica is losing ice has tripled since 2007. The New York Times relegated the story to an inside page, and most news outlets didn’t cover it at all. Likewise, reports of a steep decline in Arctic ice since 1979 have been given scant attention.

Real-world problem solving

Last year, an association of scientists published a report listing 80 specific actions people can take to reduce global warming, ranked in order of impact.

Surprisingly, No. 3 is reducing food waste. Pottstown students won a national competition by doing something about it.

Pottstown pride?

Today is the last day of school for Pottstown students. It is also the last day you will see our students in grades K-8 wearing uniforms — solid color tops and bottoms in white, blue or khaki.

End of an era

The Pottstown Mercury building will be closed at the end of this month. The few employees putting out the newspaper will work out of their homes or at the newspaper’s printing plant in Exton.

Note: This column did not appear in The Pottstown Mercury.

Hill started Pottstown Ys

Surprising but true: Both the Pottstown YMCA and the Pottstown YWCA were founded by John Meigs, second headmaster of The Hill School, and his wife.

Hill School priorities

Work has begun on a $15.1 million renovation of The Hill School’s Dining Hall, to be finished in January 2019.

Gulati and the Pottstown Y

Pottstown owes much to Charles Gulati. Gulati has agreed to purchase the Pottstown YMCA building on North Adams Street and lease part of the building back to the YMCA for at least five years.

Just what is a non-profit?

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, which paid local taxes for years, has become part of Tower Health System, a non-profit, which immediately filed for tax-exempt status with the county.

Fair funding could be long wait

This year, Pennsylvania provides nearly $6 billion in basic funding for Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts.

Pottstown school budget facts

Next month, the Pottstown School Board is expected to increase real estate taxes 3.5 percent.

New challenges for teachers (1)

A veteran teacher lists 10 things teachers did not have to deal with just a decade ago.

New challenges for teachers (2)

A veteran teacher lists 10 things teachers did not have to deal with just a decade ago.

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A walkable YMCA for all

Like many people, my life was influenced by the YMCA. I spent my junior high school years in Reading, where my widowed mother worked for the American Red Cross.

The fragility of life

It’s not surprising that people tend to feel more grateful and content as they age. Life is precious, and the closer we come to the end of it, the more we appreciate what we have.

Hospital can't pay its taxes?

As soon as the non-profit Reading Health System purchased Pottstown Memorial Medical Center last fall, it filed for tax-exempt status with the Montgomery County Board of Assessments.

Edgewood Meadow set to grow

Last year, the Pottstown School Board agreed to convert 3 acres of grassy swale next to the Edgewood School into a meadow, which is better for the environment and less costly to maintain.

Time for the attorney general?

The Pennsylvania Attorney General has vast powers to oversee the YMCA and other Pennsylvania non-profits.

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New investment incentive

Late this year or early next year, downtown Pottstown will become a lot more attractive to investors.

Gateway aesthetics

There are several entrances to Pottstown, but the most important one is South Hanover Street.

New gateway building coming

After more than a decade, it will be great to see the gateway project completed.

Sprawl mentality

The need for elaborate sprawling campuses is more important than the Y’s avowed mission of healthy living and social responsibility.

YMCA one of our top employers

The Pottstown YMCA has been one of the borough’s top employers for years, and closing the local Y will cost Pottstown desperately needed jobs.

YMCA Task Force Statement

The official statement of the Pottstown Branch Transition Committee (YMCA Task Force) is so superb we are publishing it here in its entirety.

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Sensible graduation rules

If we believe local school districts are best qualified to make educational decisions, that should include the flexibility to set graduation requirements.

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We're closing. No input wanted.

The Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA continues to insist there is no hope of keeping the Pottstown YMCA building open beyond June 29. A community task force was instructed not to question the decision.

Restoration planned for 1807 home

It’s been more than five years since an American Federal-style house at 548 Manatawny Street, built in 1807 by farmer Jacob Levengood, was threatened with demolition.

Give us the facts!

Why does the Pottstown YMCA need to close? Conflicting information has been offered by Shaun Elliott, CEO of the Philadelphia- Freedom Valley YMCA.

Middle school woes

We need to put the individual student first and subjects second. Building relationships is more important than anything else. To do that, we must limit the number of students each teacher sees.

Historic factory to housing

Renovations will soon begin to one of Pottstown’s most historic factory buildings. The 19th century Meyerhoff Shirt Factory, Charlotte and Cherry streets, will be converted into 27 condominiums and market rate apartments.

Slowly, a new gateway to Pottstown

The gateway to Pottstown from the Hanover Street bridge boasts townhouses as handsome as those in any upscale city neighborhood. Restoration of the shirt factory is another step forward.

Adding insult to injury

Last month, the YMCA announced it would move its day care service to a Lower Pottsgrove business campus rather than stay in Pottstown and lease a vacant school building.

Creativity, color, and joy

Many occupations — indeed, many life endeavors — require working cooperatively with others, taking and giving direction. Putting together a musical can be far more difficult than running a business.

Pottstown YMCA has proud history

Pottstown’s YMCA goes back to 1880, at first using rented rooms. In 1912, Dwight Meigs, Hill School headmaster and president of the YMCA, oversaw the construction of a capacious facility at King and Evans streets.

Is YMCA selling out its mission?

The Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA has prospered mightily since a 2013 merger which created a four-county, two-state giant with 140,000 members and 15 branches. YMCA officials said there would be no layoffs or closures.

YMCA closure: A done deal?

Last fall, without any prior warning, the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA announced it was closing the Pottstown Y as of June 29, 2018.

Mergers undermine Pottstown

In 2007, the Pottstown YMCA board voted unanimously to merge with the Phoenixville Area YMCA. The merger was supposed to strengthen both organizations.

Champion of the beautiful

Nobel laureate Gunter Blobel died last week in Manhattan. Blobel’s discoveries in cell biology greatly advanced medical researchers’ understanding of numerous diseases, including many forms of cancer. His efforts to restore humanity’s shared architectural heritage can inspire us in Pottstown.

Private money can boost borough

People accumulate wealth as they age, so those 65 and older have the greatest net worth. As the elderly contemplate the end of their lives, their thoughts may turn toward sharing their wealth with their community.

We want it. They don't.

Last month, at a joint meeting of Pottstown Council and the school board, PAID director Peggy Lee-Clark talked about efforts to bring new development to Pottstown. Meanwhile, proposed developments in formerly rural townships surrounding Pottstown bring out residents opposed to more houses and shopping centers.

Preserving Pennsylvania farmland

The only surefire way to conserve farmland outside of Lancaster and York counties, which have a strong agricultural ethic, is by purchasing deed restrictions — easements —from property owners.

Crime fears greatly exaggerated

The number of major crimes in Pottstown in 2017 was lower than it has been in the previous 24 years.

We've come a long way

We all love to complain, but we lead comfortable lives that would amaze our Pottstown ancestors.

Demographics to bring change

Already home to one of the nation’s oldest populations, Pennsylvania will see its elderly population — age 65 and older — grow almost 24 percent in the next ten years while the working age population will actually decrease slightly.

Pottstown good for the elderly

The coming increase in elderly residents is good news for Pottstown, because our borough is a great place for seniors.

Punting on tough decisions

Managers don’t hesitate to reduce staff to keep their companies competitive. Government is different. Our elected leaders find it immensely difficult to downsize, ever.

2018-2019 school taxes can't top 3.5%

Last November, the school board voted it will not raise taxes more than 3.5 percent for the 2018-2019 school year.

Too much salt in our lives

The recent ice and snow is mostly gone now, but the salt we’ve poured on our streets and sidewalks is still around. Just as too much salt in our diet can be unhealthy, too much salt on our roads and sidewalks can be bad for the health of our environment.

Hill School funds police cars

Pottstown’s recently retired borough manager, Mark Flanders, said the borough had reached out to The Hill School to buy police cars. Flanders, who was Pottstown’s police chief before becoming borough manager, would naturally see police cars as the borough’s most pressing need. Is it?

Our unique public schools

Perhaps the most useful of all the arts are buildings. Buildings not only provide us with shelter – keeping us warm in the winter and cool in the summer – they can enrich our lives if they are beautiful and inspiring, just as painting and sculpture and poetry do.

Revitalization tool almost lost

No single law has done more to revitalize older cities and towns like Pottstown as the 1984 historic preservation tax credit passed during the Reagan administration. Our congressman, Ryan Costello, recently voted to abolish it.

Year of sustainability?

After three years of meetings, it looks like Pottstown Council and the Pottstown School Board will adopt a Sustainability Plan at their joint meeting Jan. 22.

Too cold to walk or bike?

Although Denmark and the Netherlands are famous for walking and bicycling, few cities on earth have a higher percentage of walkers and bicyclists than Oulu, Finland.

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