The $1.04 million raised for the renovations were in part thanks to CJ’s three years of participation in the Philadelphia Eagles’ “Tackling Breast Cancer” campaign. In continued support of breast cancer research, CJ’s has sold more than 2,000 pink bracelets this October, with proceeds going to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s Breast Care Center.

“We’re very proud to be receiving this honorable recognition,” said Paul Levengood, owner of CJ’s Tire. “Along with our continued support of breast cancer research, we raise funds yearly for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Toys for Tots and Trick or Treat for Unicef.”

The Jefferson Breast Care Center provides a comprehensive treatment experience, including surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology risk assessment/genetics, social work and a breast care navigator.

About CJ’s Tire

Headquartered in Birdsboro, Pa., CJ’s Tire & Automotive Services is a family-owned and operated company with 12 retail locations throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2011, CJ’s celebrated its 40th anniversary and continues to combine a high-level of name-brand product lines with an even higher level of customer service and satisfaction.  For more information, visit www.cjtire.com or contact Heather Zabicki at 610-404-0224 ext. 142.

Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011 from noon to 4 p.m.

100 Block of High Street, Pottstown in front of Borough Hall

Expanded wine and beer garden this year! Over 4,000 attended last year.

Featuring 3 live bands, crafters and a clown for children of all ages.

Corporate Sponsorship Form

Forms for Restaurants: Please click on the form and print it out. Completed forms should be mailed to: Carousel at Pottstown, P.O. Box 1097, Pottstown, PA 19464

Food License Application and Instructions

Welcome letter

Menu Request Form

If you have any questions regarding the Carousel of Flavor, please contact the Chairpersons:

Jill Burbank (610) 970-0624 or email CarouselofFlavor@hotmail.com

The proclamation authorizes state agencies to use all available resources and personnel as necessary to cope with this emergency situation.

Corbett issued the disaster proclamation this morning after meeting with Glenn Cannon, director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and other emergency officials at their headquarters in Harrisburg.
“We are urging all Pennsylvanians to take action now to be prepared,’’ Corbett said. “We will continue to monitor this changing situation statewide and plan for all possible emergencies. Should the need arise, we will be able to help as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Citizens can find a full list of helpful suggestions on how to plan for an emergency by visiting the state’s preparedness website, www.ReadyPA.org, or by calling 1-888-9-READY-PA.

The state’s Emergency Operations Center has been monitoring conditions statewide, as well as communicating with other states and federal officials, to assess conditions and coordinate any response necessary to support Pennsylvania’s counties and municipalities in the affected areas.

The latest weather forecasts predict that the eastern portion of the state will bear the brunt of the storm with heavy rains of up to 10 inches, and strong winds gusting to 60 mph or more. The combination of wind and rain could result in downed trees and utility lines, possibly resulting in extensive power outages and flash flooding.

In addition, state emergency officials are in communication with multiple state agencies, including the state departments of Transportation, Health, Public Welfare, General Services, State Police, Pennsylvania National Guard, Turnpike Commission, Public Utility Commission and the American Red Cross, to make sure supplies and personnel are ready if needed.

Individuals needing assistance should call their local municipal emergency management office in the “Blue Pages” section of the phone book or, if they have an emergency, should call 911 immediately. Never call 911 to request or report road conditions. When calling 911 to report an emergency, it is critical for callers to stay on the line, even if for an extended series of rings, until the operator answers.

Motorists can check road conditions on state roads by calling 511 or visiting www.511PA.com. Available 24 hours a day, the number provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, average traffic speeds on urban interstates and access to more than 500 traffic cameras. Regional Twitter alerts are also available on the 511PA website.

Plant equipment continued to function normally at each of the Exelon Nuclear stations. Operators are
currently performing “walk-downs” to identify any potential affects from the seismic activity, but no
damage to equipment or plant operations has been identified at this time. Each plant continued to operate
at normal power level throughout the event and no evacuations or additional safety measures were required.

Nuclear energy plants are designed specifically to withstand the impact of earthquakes and other severe acts of nature. The earthquake, reported to be at a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter Scale, did not challenge the engineered design of the Exelon facilities.

An “Unusual Event” is the lowest level emergency classifications as determined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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Exelon Corporation is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities with approximately $19 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry’s largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and Pennsylvania and natural gas to approximately 480,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.

In the most recent Back-to-School Shopping Forecast survey from PriceGrabber, 95 percent of shoppers will be using money-saving techniques to get school supplies this year. The survey also found that:
* 69 percent will shop online or use comparison shopping websites.
* 52 percent plan to spend as much as they did last year, while 35 percent say they’ll spend less.
* 55 percent will spread the cost of purchases over a longer period of time.

When you’re ready to stock up on backpacks, notebooks and an endless supply of pens, use these tips to help you be a smart back-to-school shopper:

S – Streamline your shopping.
* Instead of driving all over town to get what you need, get as much as you can at one-stop-shops such as Office Depot. Picking up school supplies and classroom supplies – such as tissues, disinfectant wipes, etc. – saves you time and hassle. And it keeps you out of frustrating traffic.
* Check the store’s website before you go – make sure it will have the supplies you need so you don’t waste time looking for something that’s not there. If what you need isn’t in-store, consider ordering online.

M – Make a list.
* Work with your child to craft your shopping list before hitting the stores.
* Many retailers work with local PTAs and school districts to secure back-to-school shopping lists, making it easy to find exactly what your child needs.
* Take an extra pen with you and have your child check off supplies as you get them.

A – Ads and alerts.
* To help you save money, pay attention to the weekly ad inserts in your local newspaper. Combining sale prices with coupons saves you even more. Keep an eye out for super savings, such as Office Depot’s Penny Savers, when you can find many core supplies on sale for just a penny.
* You can also sign up for special deal alerts through retailers’ websites and Facebook pages, giving you the scoop on extra savings.
* If you want to avoid overfilling your email inbox, set up a separate email account just for retail alerts.

R – Rewards and rebates.
* Many retailers have rewards programs that let you in on extra savings.
* Some retailers also have programs that help you earn school supplies for your school. For example, during the back to school season, parents and teachers can give back to communities through Office Depot’s “5% Back to Schools” program, in which 5 percent of purchases goes, in the form of a credit, to a designated school to use towards supplies.
* To take advantage of rebates, check manufacturer websites as well as retailer websites for the latest ways to get money back.

T – Technology tips.
* Keep your computers up to date with the latest virus and malware protection.
* If your child will be doing online research for homework, you can put some parental controls in place to protect your child – check out Google SafeSearch, AOL Parent Controls or ATT Smart Controls, or with your current Internet provider.
* You can see user and professional reviews of parental control software at www.consumersearch.com.

Taking a little time to do your homework now will help you save time and money on school supplies when you’re ready to start shopping. To get the latest in back-to-school savings, visit www.officedepot.com.

“Physicians Care and Independence Blue Cross have been working diligently on this contract to offer the beneficiaries of the plan options in the 422 Corridor,” says David W. Orskey, MSHS, administrator at Physicians Care Surgical Hospital. “We provide the highest quality care in a new hospital where our focus is on our patients and their outcomes. This is a win for the residents of Montgomery, Chester, and Berks Counties that we serve.”

Physicians Care Surgical Hospital, located at 454 Enterprise Drive, is currently booking patients for August appointments. The hospital offers elective and semi-elective procedures for general surgery, gynecology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedic, Ear, Nose and Throat, urology, and pain management specialties.

“Everyone at Physicians Care Surgical Hospital is excited to now have an in-network contractual agreement with Independence Blue Cross,” says Frederic E. Liss, MD, chairman and medical director of Physicians Care Surgical Hospital. “Our sole focus on surgical care has enabled us to provide the safest, most efficient, highest patient satisfaction, lowest cost inpatient and outpatient surgical care available. Physicians Care Surgical Hospital’s formal relationship with Independence Blue Cross reflects these mutual values and makes this type of superior surgical care accessible to many more people in our region.”

Independence Blue Cross has 2.4 million members in the local area and is an independent licensee of the national Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association, which offers 41 member plans and provides coverage to 88 billion members.

About Physicians Care Surgical Hospital

Physicians Care Surgical Hospital was established in October 2010 by local physicians and Nueterra Holdings, a Leawood, Kansas-based healthcare company. The 30,000-sq-ft facility features five fully equipped operating rooms with the latest medical instrumentation and 12 inpatient beds for post-operative care. For more information about Physicians Care Surgical Hospital, please visit the hospital’s website at www.phycarehospital.com More information on Nueterra Healthcare is available at www.nueterra.com or by contacting Jennifer Fox at jfox@nueterra.com or (913) 387-0615.

The building has been renovated and is opening for business this month.  This building will help the PCRC continue to “give a hand up, not a hand out”, and expand many of their services to the community.

Pictured left to right:  Chamber Ambassador Hanna Hartman; Chamber Ambassador Adele Klein; Executive Director Barbara Wilhelmy; Board President George Bell; Chaplain Gary Pace; Board Member Allan Altschull; Chamber Ambassadors Tim Forester, Janet Flack and Betsy Chapman.

Several years of extensive planning and fundraising have paid off for the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities, as the organization recently moved into its newly renovated North Franklin Street location.

Now, they’re ready to show the community what’s been accomplished.

Opening their door to clients Tuesday morning, Cluster officials celebrated the culmination of construction at their larger 57 N. Franklin St. location, moving out of their longtime community support site a few blocks away at 137 Walnut St.

“We are tremendously happy over the accomplishments of this milestone. This facility is large enough that our clients will no longer have to wait outside in the elements and allows us to offer them a less demeaning way to shop for the items they truly need,” Cluster Executive Director Barbara Wilhelmy said. “We are extremely thankful to all in the community that assisted us in making this possible.”

Allan N. Altschull, vice president of the board and chairman of the capital campaign, said the Cluster has been operating out of the Walnut Street location for “many years,” with the board of directors waiting to move into to a new facility approximately 15 years ago to keep up with the community’s needs and desires.

“For 15 years, the board was looking for a building that would better serve the community,” Altschull said.

Altschull explained that the former location was “small and cramped,” only able to accommodate approximately seven clients at a time in less than private conditions.

Besides the interior surroundings, Altschull added that those waiting outside were exposed to the weather elements, whether it was rain, snow or other extreme conditions.

“It was really, really overloaded,” he said. “It just wasn’t functional, it just wasn’t.”

The Cluster explored moving into a larger facility to better serve the community’s needs, and in January 2010, Altschull said the group purchased the former American Legion building, which needed substantial repairs.

“We immediately started to begin renovations,” he said.

Through a $1 million capital campaign, the Cluster was able to open the new larger building, which will better assist clients and provide more privacy, Altschull said.

But all of this would not have been possible without the assistance of the Pottstown area.

“It was because of the generosity of the community,” he said. “People have been very kind.”

The fundraising total currently stands at $930,000 and officials hope to raise the remaining $70,000 by the end of the month.

George Bell, president of the Cluster board of directors, said the opening of the building is important to the Cluster because it allows the organization to concentrate on the next portion of its strategic plan.

“Over the next two to three years, we will research and develop programs, partnerships and referral processes that will enable us to assist interested clines in becoming self-sufficient,” Bell said.

This will provide a direct method by which interested and qualified borough residents can aid in the improvement of the quality of life in Pottstown.

You can find an application for the Citiznes Codes Inspector program here:

Download Citizen Codes Inspector Application

The future of more than 218,000 children hangs in the balance as the largest budget cuts in Head Start’s history are being debated by members of Congress. This week, those same elected officials have left the nation’s capital and returned to Pennsylvania’s 6th district to reconnect with local constituents.

Montgomery County Head Start is organizing a stroll-in at Jim Gerlach’s office to protect the 8,131 Pennsylvania children who will no longer have access to comprehensive Head Start services and the 1,873 Head Start staff who stand to lose their jobs. Head Start families, staff and supporters will gather at Jim Gerlach’s office to inform him of the devastating toll budget cuts will have on communities across Pennsylvania.

WHAT: Head Start Stroll-In

WHERE:

Office of Jim Gerlach

580 Main St. Suite #4
Trappe, PA l9426

WHEN: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 1:45 pm

Residents near the plant may hear a steady three-minute tone during both tests.

This siren activation will help the company test the new system that features battery back-up for the sirens prior to its official implementation in April 2011.

Residents may contact the counties at the following numbers if they have concerns during testing:

Berks County
(610) 374-4800
Chester County
(610) 344-5000
Montgomery County (610) 631-6530

The test is performed on the first Monday of each month as part of Exelon Nuclear’s comprehensive Emergency Preparedness program. The warning sirens are one of several methods used by county emergency management authorities to provide notification of emergencies. Individual counties may activate the sirens to warn the surrounding community of events such as fires, floods, tornados, hazardous material releases, or nuclear energy plant events.

The sirens are not a signal to evacuate. In an actual emergency, residents should tune to one of the county Emergency Alert System radio or television stations for further information. Should a siren fail to activate, local police and firefighters would alert residents using mobile public address systems or door-to-door notifications.

Residents should refer to the “emergency” section of their telephone books for further emergency response information. Additional information on emergency preparedness is also available at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency web site, www.pema.state.pa.us.

Limerick Generating Station is located approximately 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The plant produces approximately 2,200 net megawatts of carbon-free electricity per hour, enough to power approximately two million homes.

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Exelon Corporation is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. The company has one of the industry’s largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and southeastern Pennsylvania and natural gas to approximately 486,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.