The Daily Overload

No forward motion

2008-05-15T09:38:00.003-04:00

Ten years ago, I returned to Pottstown as editor of The Mercury after working at another newspaper and a business newsletter company for seven years. I had previously worked here for 16 years.

At the time I returned, The Mercury had just published the award-winning reporting series by Evan Brandt, "Do or Die," a comprehensive look at the crossroads the borough of Pottstown faced in its efforts to become a revitalized town center. At the time I returned, there was hope and a lot of buzz about the borough's future and its potential.

Some in town blamed a perceived negative attitude at the paper for dragging down progress, but the change in management here was seen as a positive step. I wrote a number of encouraging editorials in the first few years I was back to herald any sign of progress.

But here we are 10 years later, and the state of the downtown is worse, if there is any change at all. Now, the editorials I write often focus on the lack of cooperation, the infighting, the waste of time over individual agendas instead of a community coming together to pull itself up.

I wrote another one of those yesterday, Mrs. Smith's vote showed no forward motion, and it has reminded me of how long it has been since an exciting idea actually came to fruition.

Back in the mix

2008-05-13T12:30:00.003-04:00

It's been a while.
I call this being a "bad blogger" -- the gap of being too busy with life to write about how busy life has become. But, this time the break between writing was because of a vacation, the longest vacation I have ever taken, 10 glorious days on a remote island to celebrate an upcoming landmark wedding anniversary (25).
Now, I'm back, and as I inevitably do after being out of town, I catch up on my reading with a fresh outlook. In today's information overload, I have been catching up on the blogs at www.pottsmerc.com as well as the print edition of The Mercury.
The variety and quality of our writers online is not news to me, but returning to The Mommy Diaries, Garden Gal, Tony Phyrillas, The Thin Green Line, Scene and Heard, and the rest after some time away offers a reminder of the personality and lively discourse that our blogs represent.
I'm not sure my meanderings are on point as much as some of my co-workers, but that's okay. The mix we offer is a good one.
With that thought, I'm back in the mix.

A question of endorsement

2008-04-21T12:28:00.003-04:00

As a small local newspaper, The Mercury rarely endorses candidates in national races. But, the past few weeks have made the national race for the Democratic nomination for President a local story, and so we published an endorsement on Sunday of Sen. Barack Obama as our choice for the nomination.
The publication of the piece came just days after city editor and political columnist Tony Phyrillas wrote a column blasting Obama for the "bitter ... clinging" remarks, enforcing the standard that our Opinion page reflects diverse opinions.
Tony's columns are signed and even photo-ed, so it is crystal clear that his words are his own opinions. Editorials are unsigned, leaving people to ask whose opinions are reflected there.
Although "Our View" does not have a byline, it is actually "signed" by the names in the newspaper masthead which appears directly below it in print. As editor, I write most of the editorials in the paper, some with input from other editors or reporters, some not.
We do not have an editorial board. On an issue of the magnitude of election endorsement, it can not be just my personal choice. I discuss it first with the publisher and second with other people in the newsroom. The opinion does not necessarily reflect the exact view of any of us as individuals, but we try to craft a stand that reflects the newspaper and its role in this community.
In the case of the Obama endorsement, I proposed it, agree or disagree, because I thought it was important that the paper acknowledge the significance of this race by taking a stand. I thought it was important to demonstrate to our readers that we care about the outcome and that we want to be a part of the process that leads up to the election of the President of the United States.
We encourage our readers to get involved by voting, so as a community voice, we believe we owe our readers the same responsibility of taking a stand and choosing one candidate or the other.
To vote is to risk making a bad choice. But to fail to vote is to take the easy way out of commitment. As a newspaper, we felt the same commitment to the process.
We had our say. We endorsed Sen. Obama for the Democratic nomination. Now, it's your turn.

And the winners are ...

2008-04-18T09:39:00.002-04:00

The winners of The Mercury pie-in-the-face contest to benefit the American Cancer Society are:

1. Hattie Eckman, retail ad manager, with $254.33
2. Tom Abbott, publisher, with $139.53
3. MaryAnn Matalavage, classified ad manager, with $108.67.

Come to Riverfront Park at 9 a.m. on Saturday to see them get pied in the face for a good cause.

Coming in at number four was Nancy March, editor, with $97.58,
followed by:
Don Seeley, sports editor, $84.09
Chuck Pitchford, Sunday editor, $42.43
Steve Batten, advertising director, $34.94
Cindy Eisenhauer, Penny Pincher manager, $14.27
Rich Miller, circulation director, $6.58
Bob Morris, facilities manger, $2.85
Pat McKelvey, controller, 43 cents

The total raised for the Pottstown Relay for Life Dreams for Donna team was $785.90!!

Thanks to all Mercury employees for your support in the fight against cancer

Top dogs vie to get a pie in the face

2008-04-16T16:50:00.002-04:00

Here at The Mercury we have embarked on a bit of craziness, and we're mixing our metaphors and stumbling over catch phrases.

We have signed on (figuratively, not literally) as community partners with the Canine Relay for Life, being held this Saturday at Riverfront Park. We have a company competition going on to see three managers get pied in the face at the event. We have changed the color of The Mercury masthead for this week to purple as part of the American Cancer Society Paint the State Purple campaign that culminates with the Canine Relay.

And, we are co-sponsoring with Relay a Top Dog contest, in which readers vote on a ballot of 40 dogs that appeared in our TimeOut section. Votes are tabulated by the amount of money donated to the American Cancer Society.

The pie in the face event, inspired by similar fund-raisers in elementary schools that end with principals getting pied, dyed or shaved, was the brainchild of police reporter Brandie Kessler, the most competitive and energetic reporter I have ever met. The goal is to raise money for the Dreams for Donna Relay team, founded by the family of Chuck Pitchford, our Sunday editor who lost his wife Donna to cancer a year ago.

Chuck has announced his retirement from the news business, effective next week, so many of us believe an appropriate sendoff would be a faceful of lemon meringue on Saturday. And others, of course, have plenty of reasons for wanting to see the editor or the publisher or the ad director blinking through gobs of whipped topping.

At any rate, we are coming together for a good cause. Which is better than falling apart for a bad one. But, that's a topic for another day.

From youth at play to Final Four

2008-04-07T11:30:00.004-04:00

Like every sports mom, I have sat through chilly spring evenings watching T-ball, on hard bleachers cheering through basketball, bundled against the fall winds during football, and idled away the time against a wall during gymnastics and ballet classes.
My sons both dreamed of being NBA stars until they stopped growing several inches shy of 6 feet. They have long since moved on to pursue other dreams.
While that is the case with most sports moms and future sports stars, there are some right here in our own backyard that keep growing and keep honing their skills until they're on the way to superstardom.
One of the starters in the Saturday night Final Four showdown between North Carolina and Kansas is one of those young men, an NCAA star who once ran up and down the court at Amity Elementary School, then just another player on a youth sports team, albeit the tallest kid on his team and the highest scorer.
Wayne Ellington is introduced when he takes the floor as number 22 for the North Carolina Tar Heels from Wynnewood, Pa., a graduate of Episcopal Academy and one of the most promising prep players in the national class of 2006.
But long before moving to the Main Line, he lived in Amity Gardens, went to Amity Elementary, and then started showing his basketball potential in Daniel Boone Middle School and as a freshman starter for Daniel Boone High School before transferring to Episcopal.
Elllington was in fifth grade and my son Scott in fourth, playing on the same team. He was already a class act, playing with grace and talent, and their team under Coach Ferris was undefeated that year.
But, sports moms have seen lots of class acts give up the game or discover other pasttimes or move on to other things in life. It is still rare to know someone who played with your own kids to reach the elite group of Final Four teams or the NBA.
When Ellington is introduced at the start of a game, when he scores 18 points in a valiant effort to come back against Kansas, I have a proud flashback moment. He was the tall 10-year-old playing forward when my scrappy 9-year-old brought the ball down the court and passed it to him. Inevitably, Ellington would pass it back and give the little kid a chance to score.
Like I said, a class act.

Paint the town purple

2008-04-04T16:30:00.000-04:00

Between painting the town purple and letting the dogs out, the Pottstown Relay for Life organizers are getting people and pets involved in this year’s fund-raising efforts for the American Cancer Society.
This year’s goal is to raise $1.1 million for cancer research, prevention and care.The theme of Hometown U.S.A.: Color the Town Purple will be literally painted on Pottstown beginning Saturday.The week of April 12 through 19 has been designated as Paint the State Purple by the American Cancer Society Pennsylvania Division.
The goal is to have as many representations of the community’s fight against cancer and involvement in the Relay for Life depicted in purple, such as purple ribbons, purple street lights or just individuals wearing purple.
“It’s a grassroots program they’re rolling out,” said Kathy Brennan, chairperson of the 2008 Relay in Pottstown. “What it’s designed to do is increase awareness of the fight against cancer, awareness of the Relay for Life and awareness for survivorship.”Brennan said hundreds of area residents, and dozens of businesses and organizations are on board to do their share to paint Pottstown purple.
Some of the things to look for during the Paint the State Purple event include:Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, which has recently come to the plate with a $15,000 corporate sponsorship for the Relay for Life of Pottstown (matching Diamond Credit Union’s highest sponsorship contribution to Relay so far this year) will change all the lights in their parking lot to purple from April 12 until the Relay for Life event May 31-June 1.The Coventry Mall will have purple bows on the columns inside the mall, and advertise the event on their marquee and on their Web site.Relay for Life banners will be hung from the light posts throughout Pottstown.The Pourhouse in Pottstown and Crazy Carl’s in Schwenksville will be serving purple beer.The week of purple will culminate with the Canine Relay event in Pottstown, “We Let the Dogs Out: Bark for Life.”
The canine event will include a blessing of the dogs, a dog walk in Riverfront Park, and fund-raising events that support Relay.Last year, Pottstown had its first canine team of online fund-raising dogs, and the program has become a pilot for other Relays throughout the country.The local Relay is a record-breaker and a trend-setter, and their track record is not going to end.Look for the purple and listen for the barks of life: Relay events are heating up in Pottstown.
To view videos of the Voice of Relay, visit www.pottsmerc.com For more information on the Relay for Life of Pottstown visit www.pottstownrelayforlife.com.

Relaying the message

2008-04-03T12:41:00.002-04:00

If you haven't yet seen the Voices of Relay page at http://www.pottsmerc.com/, please check it out. The videotaped voices of local people involved with Relay offer poignant and inspiring words to champion this important fund-raising cause.

One of the points I found most interesting was the fact offered by Dot Freeman, clinical research coordinator at the Pottstown Memorial Regional Cancer Center and one of the founders of the Pottstown Relay, that the federal government has cut in half research funding to the National Cancer Institute. That fact, significant in this election year, underscores the value of the local Relay for Life, the signature fundraiser of the American Cancer Society.

I have written many words about Relay. I have been honored with awards; I was a speaker at last year's event. But, my words are empty when compared with the courage and the emotion of the cancer survivors, caregivers and fundraisers on our Voices of Relay page. These are the people who live this battle. Our staff at The Mercury chronicles their efforts. We're just the cheering section to those who are on the field.

I am told our humble efforts were applauded last night at the Relay team captains meeting, and we appreciate the compliment. But, this story is not about us, it is about this town and its continuing valiant effort to go beyond that funding shortfall of our government and find a cure for cancer.

Watch the videos. Their stories are remarkable.

Driving in circles

2008-04-02T11:00:00.005-04:00

I've been sending email messages nearly daily to the ObamaPA campaign with the same drumbeat: "Why not Pottstown?"

Today, the campaign visits Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, Delaware County, and West Chester University in Chester County. On Monday, the Obama bus made an unannounced stop on Penn Street in Reading.

What is the significance of these campaign events? Well, they are all within a few miles or a few blocks or in one case a few buildings away from other newspapers. Newspapers that are not the one I edit. Those who know me know that bugs me - a lot.

You might say, well you had a visit from Bill Clinton last week in your town. That should have given you your presidential campaign news fix for a while. But those who know me know also that what happened last week or even yesterday is irrelevant. This is a daily newspaper; I need a daily news fix, and the Obama campaign is not cooperating.

There were rumors, which may still prove true, that the Obama bus may stop in Phoenixville today, which is close enough for me to dispatch a reporter and photographer for local coverage. Judging by their timetable, however, I believe it unlikely that the bus will stop between Strath Haven, where my friend, editor Phil Heron will be coordinating coverage for the Delaware County Daily Times, and West Chester, where my friend, editor Andy Hachadorian has already set in motion a half-dozen stories and photos for tomorrow's Daily Local News.

As sister papers, these stories are available to The Mercury. But, that's not the point.

We love to be the center of the universe here in Pottstown when it comes to news. And, Obama's bus has been driving in circles around us. It's making me crazy.

Speech of substance

2008-03-27T15:35:00.003-04:00

When Bill Clinton was making his bid for the presidency, I was not enthralled. I failed to see the charisma or to identify with him, as many of my generation, particularly women, did.

I have felt the same about Hillary for the most part. While I agree with many of her positions, I just don't feel inspired or awed by the Clinton mystique.

One of my reasons for wanting to see the former president in person in Pottstown today was to see if the live speaker had a different effect than the televised version. And, he did, but not because of charisma or dynamics. President Clinton's speech at Pottstown High School this morning was impressive, more because of content than delivery and m0re because of substance than sparkle.

That says more for Bill Clinton and the future of the Democratic party, I believe, than the beckoning call to go back to the peace and prosperity of the '90s.

Clinton spoke for 50 minutes -- that in itself says something about the tone of this campaign. Many expected 15 minutes of glitz and hand-shaking glamour, inviting Pottstown residents to join him in giving Hillary Clinton a chance to change the world. Campaign speeches, especially on road trips as ambitious as Clinton undertook today with five stops from Pottstown to State College, are cheerleading expeditions more than they are insightful looks at a candidate's positions.

But he offered the students and local residents jammed into the school gym specifics on health care, economic stimulus plans, alternative energy and affordable education. What's more, he did so in an intelligent manner that engaged the audience. Of the 900-some high school students crammed in the gym, I saw only a handful of yawns. Most were listening intently as Clinton went from a means to provide affordable health care for all citizens to how an energy-saving program could reduce pollution while creating "green-collar jobs."

He didn't patronize the students with strong-armed attempts to identify with their woes, but he offered enough references to flat incomes and rising costs and the danger of dropping out of college when loan costs get too high to let the kids know he understands their pain.

His message resonated with the audience, which included 90-year-old and nine-month-olds, who answered him with affirming nods more often than rousing cheers.

Bill Clinton was impressive in the scope of specifics he told, referring always to his wife's plans and proposals, not to the shortcomings of others. He spoke with the air of a statesman, not a politician, and reminded listeners that the lofty office of U.S. President is a heady place to be, demonstrating with that acknowledgement the humility people hunger for in an age of arrogant officeholders.

I left the Bill Clinton speech no more convinced that he is the ultimate charismatic leader of our times. But I left impressed. Perhaps, that is what his charisma is after all.

Texting from heaven

2008-03-26T12:13:00.002-04:00

If someone told me 10 years ago that young people would embrace as their favored method of communication typing out messages on their cell phones, I would not have believed it -- or even been able to imagine how this could work. I'm a pretty fast typist, but on a cell phone keypad? I don't think so.
Yet here we are, everyone texting non-stop with their BFFs. I am continually amazed by it all. My two 18-year-old children conduct entire friendships and relationships in text, barely talking to the people involved for days at a time.
Last week, our police reporter Brandie Kessler related a message on the Facebook (another phenomenon that I never saw coming) of a young car-crash victim. One of her friends wrote, "I wish you could take your cell to heaven, so you could text me and tell me what it's like."
I think that says it all.

Back-blogging

2008-03-26T11:32:00.002-04:00

So here's the thing about writing a blog ... it's like keeping a journal. The days and weeks when life is full to the brim, you have a lot to write about and no time to do it. Last week was one of those times.
The staff at The Mercury was busy putting together "Intros," a 64-page section on businesses in the area, including some stories about our news-gathering business. We are also working on a contest to pick the "Top Dog" in the upcoming canine Relay for Life. Here at The Mercury, we are putting together a pie-in-the-face contest to raise money for Dreams for Donna, the Relay for Life team in memory of Donna Pitchford, who died of cancer a year ago. Donna was the wife of our Sunday editor Chuck Pitchford, and a friend of many of us here, so we are participating on the Pitchford family team to raise money for cancer research.
Our pie-in-the-face fundraiser invites employees to vote with contributions to Relay for their "favorite" manager to get pied. The top three vote-getters will be treated to a faceful of whipped pie at the Canine Relay on April 19. (I'm hoping not to win, just for the record.)
Last week was also Holy Week with Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday to observe. And now, a former U.S. president is coming to town.
So, I'm backlog-blogging to catch up.

A good cause to support

2008-03-11T13:27:00.002-04:00

Gabe Fieni’s mission to honor World War II veterans is becoming a reality.

Fieni has secured pledges of more than $60,000 in labor and materials to construct the memorial in Pottstown Memorial Park.

Now, he’s spearheading the effort to raise the remaining $52,000 needed and to organize volunteer labor for the finishing touches.

The memorial will honor area men and women who served in World War II. Universal Concrete Products of Stowe will supply the bulk of the needed materials to build walls nearly 9-feet tall with two 9-foot piers.Other businesses making substantial donations of materials and labor are Rinox Pavers, J.O.B. Design & Construction Inc., and Paul L. Buckwalter & Sons Excavating Inc.Two other companies that work with Universal — Raser Industries Inc. of Reading and Hawk Construction Products of Downingtown and Pottstown — will help with the installation.John O’Boyle, president of Pottstown-based J.O.B. Design & Construction Inc., will be donating time and services as general contractor for the World War II Memorial.

Additionally, Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Co., Lodge 507, Bechtelsville, will donate a 25-foot flag pole and a 5- by- 8-foot American flag.Another $50,000 in donations is needed to complete the project, according to Fieni. Individuals may contribute to the World War II Memorial at Memorial Park by sponsoring one of 3,900 bronze plaques for $25 per line. Businesses may sponsor plaques for $50 per line.

“By contributing with a name/message, you’re supporting 3,900 men and women from the Pottstown area that sacrificed and served our country with honor so we can enjoy our freedom,” Fieni said in a letter seeking support. “We’ve come a long way … but we need another $50,000 to finalize the dream.”Fieni said placement of the memorial’s stone flooring may happen as soon as April. “We need volunteers to lay pavers,” Fieni said.Fieni, who served in Europe during World War II and participated in D-Day, explained some of the memorial’s detail. It will contain “a history of war in the Pacific, and on the other side, the story of people who worked on the home front.”

Pictures of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and Gen. Douglas MacArthur will adorn the structure as well.Fieni’s persistence has convinced businesses and individuals to get on board with this project.His vision to create a permanent memorial during his lifetime to the men and women who served in World War II is close to becoming a reality.
To learn more about the memorial or to make a donation, visit http://www.ww2potts.com/

Relaying the story

2008-03-11T12:15:00.004-04:00

This headline is "borrowed" from the title page of the annual report of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, but it is the most accurate description for the new initiative on our Web page, "Voices of Relay: Leaving their Mark."

This Web page, designed by online editor Eileen Faust, is a special feature highlighting the reasons Pottstown area people participate in the local Relay. On the site you will hear the voices and view video of the known and unknown heroes of this little town's million-dollar miracle, the Pottstown Relay for Life.

Mary Kochel, who is a 90-year-old cancer survivor and charter member of the local American Cancer Society chapter, describes on video how she pooh-poohed the idea 12 years ago to start a local Relay. JoAnn McKiernan tells about the start of the canine Relay last year, as her dog Sassy sits on her lap making faces at the camera and stealing the show.

There are poignant stories that will make you cry, and others that will make you smile.

Courtney Glass is a cancer survivor who is only 25 years old and tells of her hard-fought battle to live. Kathy Brennan, this year's Relay chairman, recounts how she made a vow to give back whatever she could if she survived her bout with cancer. Our own Sunday editor Chuck Pitchford tells how he has worked on the Sunday paper every spring that chronicles the success of the local Relay, but he never knew how much it would affect his life until his wife Donna died a year ago, just a week after being diagnosed with cancer. Chuck's family has started a Relay team this year, Dreams for Donna, to honor the life of Donna Pitchford.

Voices of Relay is an example of how the Web is expanding our ability as a newspaper to tell stories, and there is no more poignant or moving example.

We will continue to update the site with more video and more voices as we approach the May 31-June 1 Relay for Life at Pottsgrove High School.

The goal is $1.1 million. The dream is a world free of cancer. The means is right there in the local voices of people leaving their mark.

What hyper-local means to me

2008-03-04T17:48:00.003-05:00

"Pool panel says cost of temporary facility would be $179,000"

"Taxpayers already helping to pay for plan to borrow $2 million"

"Township seeks public input into revitalization plan"

In case you missed your Tuesday Mercury, these were three of the headlines on the front page.

The photos on the page featured Joe, the therapy dog, wearing a cat-in-the-hat hat for Read Across America Day at Barth Elementary School in Pottstown, and a family enjoying the near-record warm temperatures at an East Coventry Township park.

Local, local, local.

Of course, The Mercury also had the election preview for today's presidential primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, and a Business page feature with tax-filing tips, but the news that readers can not get anywhere else is the Local stuff.

The Sports section Tuesday had four previews of state playoff games involving girls' and boys' basketball teams -- Daniel Boone boys, and St. Pius X, Methacton and Spring-Ford girls -- as well as a column by Sports Editor Don Seeley on local wrestlers headed to the state tournament this weekend.

Only a Phillies first-base coach diagnosed with prostate cancer warranted front-page news in the Sports section from outside the immediate Pottstown area.

The point of all this is not to pat ourselves on the back for doing our job; the point is to question what would happen without us.

Newsapers are in trouble these days, experiencing a downturn in revenue that is unprecedented in this business. Employment advertising, automotive advertising and department store advertising have dropped dramatically, and as newspapers become more expensive to produce and ad revenues drop -- well, the recession that is moving across the country is firmly entrenched in newsrooms and publishers' offices.

We worry about the future -- our future -- as we prioritize our story assignments based on the resources we have, many of which are not what they once were. But we also worry about the future of communities without the independent voice that we offer.

People can turn to the Internet for opinion and entertainment; they can find out who wins the primary tonight on TV news; they can get a traffic report and the weather on the radio, but the news of how your local officials are spending your money and what is happening in your schools and who your kids are rooting for on the courts is not available anywhere else.

You can find it on our Web site, or you can read it in our paper, but either way, a local newspaper is necessary to find and write these stories. If your local newspaper does not exist, the voices that speak for the community will be lost.

This is not a doomsday prediction, but it is a reminder to appreciate once in a while the local news that we bring to your doorstep or computer every day. Without us, well, you might not know what folks are up to.

A thousand words

2008-02-26T10:19:00.003-05:00

Newspaper photographers and their editors do not hide things in photos.
We do not have ulterior motives and conspiracies in choosing what to photograph or print. And, we are not trying to incite tension among groups of people or risky behavior by teens.
That said, we are aware that some readers pick up the daily newspaper each day looking for hidden Waldos and Rorschach tests in photos. I continue to be amazed by the things they find.
Three examples from the past seven days:
A number of readers have called The Mercury's Sound-Off line to complain about a photo of Spring-Ford High School students cheering their team at a recent District basketball playoff game. The students, members of the Ram Nation cheering section at Spring-Ford, wore clothing and face paint in the school colors of blue and white. Callers say the photo depicts racism.
(These comments -- and there have been quite a few -- have not appeared in Sound-Off under the guideline that we do not print comments that are inappropriate -- or just plain ridiculous.)
On the same front page was a photo of a group of children enjoying a program at Pottstown Public Library. A parent who attended the Family Place Libraries workshop with her child complained to us that the photographer intentionally left her and her child out of the picture.
To the contrary, our photographers are diligent and determined to include as many children as possible at these types of events because they know from experience that kids want to see their pictures in print. But, even a wide-angle lens and the best lighting can leave out the folks in the corners or the back of the room.
Not intentional, no conspiracy, just a fact of taking photos of a group event. Not everybody gets in the picture.
The third example in recent days was the feature photo on page one last Saturday of two Birdsboro teens snowboarding off the roof of their house. A reader emailed us to complain that we were being irresponsible to glorify their behavior.
Well, they were not breaking any laws; we doubt that our pictures would inspire anyone to try snowboarding off a roof any more than not publishing them would deter someone. They were kids having fun, probably with no more risk of injury than some of the stunts they try at terrain parks in ski areas.
Do I personally want to see my own children take off the roof? No, but I am not going to blame anyone for chronicling their ingenuity if they try it behind my back.
Newspaper photos can be worth a thousand words, but trust me, we're not hiding secret messages inside them.

Beacons of hope

2008-02-21T18:25:00.002-05:00

The Pottstown Relay for Life has become well-established in recent years as a fund-raising machine for the American Cancer Society.
The local effort raised more $1 million in 2007 and was fourth in the world in the amount of money raised.
Of the thousands who participate in Relay each year, many are connected to the fight against cancer through the loss or the survival of loved ones.
But, it is the survivors themselves whose presence epitomizes the “HOPE” spelled out in luminaria in the Pottsgrove High School stadium.
Hazel LeVan and Mae Mogul are two of those survivors profiled recently in The Mercury. Mogel, whose husband Pete is also a cancer survivor, is the grand marshal for this year’s Relay, leading the survivor lap at the track on May 31.
“I’ll be a 24-year-survivor April the second,” said Mae Mogul of Limerick. A breast cancer survivor, she was only 48 at the time of diagnosis. Even though her body is cancer-free, she says that her life revolves around the disease -- helping others to cope and volunteering for Relay to work toward a cure. .
She is a volunteer at Pottstown Memorial Regional Cancer Center and has helped raise nearly $100,000 through her church’s Relay team.
Hazel LeVan has a similar story. Diagnosed with cancer in 1984 at the age of 51, this Boyertown woman didn’t talk about it even while undergoing surgery and treatment.
“Cancer just was not talked about,” she said. To help correct that situation for future generations, LeVan got involved with starting a breast cancer support group through the Pottstown cancer center.
For LeVan, Relay is an opportunity to take action and produce something tangible in the fight against cancer, something she desperately wanted to influence given that she didn’t want her children and grandchildren to face a diagnosis like she did.
“I had four daughters,” Hazel said. “That’s four daughters I don’t want to go through this.”
LeVan also volunteers with Reach to Recovery, a program that pairs volunteers with people who are battling cancer, and helps give them practical information, such as helping a woman who has undergone a mastectomy the best places to get a bathing suit, and other things that will enable them to move on with their lives.
The stories of these survivors demonstrate the commitment and compassion of the corps of survivors that inspire everyone involved with the Pottstown Relay.
The Relay in Pottstown is about a community that takes up the fight, and these survivors are the ultimate fighters -- for themselves, those around them and for the future.
They keep the candles of HOPE burning bright.

Churches are stepping up

2008-02-20T14:35:00.006-05:00

About a year ago, former Mercury reporter Sarah Fleener wrote a three-part series on the homeless of the area. Fleener delved into the issue locally, interviewing social service workers and others who provide programs for the homeless, and spent time in shelters to hear and recount the stories of the homeless themselves.
The series, "Without a Roof," was poignant and moving, and Fleener received many positive comments on its comprehensive local look at a subject that more often garners attention in big cities. The series has already won one reporting award and is in the running for several others.
At the time the series was written, Pottstown's homeless were being helped by Ministries at Main Street, a project started and sustained through the efforts of the Rev. Kork Moyer, pastor of a small church that meets in South Pottstown. Moyer was singlehandedly coordinating transport of the homeless from Pottstown and the surrounding area to what he hoped would be a corps of host churches offering their facilities one month at a time. Only two churches, St. John's United Church of Christ in Pottstown and St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Coventry, participated.
We hoped our series would change that, and more congregations would become involved.
That didn't happen.
Fast-forward six months. Ministries at Main Street refurbished with the help of volunteers the basement of a parish building at St. John's Lutheran in South Pottstown to serve as nightly quarters for the homeless.
But when the word "shelter" appeared in photo captions and an Opinion piece in The Mercury, neighbors became concerned.
They petitioned North Coventry Township supervisors to deny zoning for the space. To make matters worse, the same township board told Shenkel United Church of Christ that they would need sprinklers and other upgrades to provide a nightly shelter for the homeless in their church buildings.
Ministries at Main Street was back to a roving one-month-at-a-time shelter system. St. John's UCC was again the only church offering help.
Then, an interesting thing happened. Two congregations -- St. Paul's United Church of Christ and Zion's United Church of Christ, both in Pottstown -- volunteered to offer space for shelter, one for the month of February and the other in March. The churches are collecting food and money to buy toiletries and food items from parishioners, who are also staying overnight with the homeless to help Moyer and his Ministries volunteers.
The offers were at least in part inspired by the refusals in North Coventry to accommodate "the least among us." The news reports a year ago of a compelling need for shelter did not elicit the response that a township denial of shelter did.
It is easy for all of us to believe a problem is being taken care of, and to turn aside, but it is more difficult to ignore a blatant act of forbidding a church from helping its neighbors.
In letters to the editor and in a press release, the members of St. Paul's and Zion's express their pride at following Christ's example in welcoming those less fortunate into their halls of fellowship.
These are small congregations that struggle with their own issues of declining church membership within mainstream congregations. Yet, these are the ones that recognize the need to support the poor and honor the weak.
Moyer has been tireless in his endeavors to help, and he has borne much of the burden alone.
The help from these two congregations stepping forward is a positive demonstration of caring. There's an example here that our neighbors across the river could learn from.

Exciting times

2008-02-20T11:19:00.003-05:00

I prefer to leave the politics to my co-worker and much-more-prolific blogger Tony Phyrillas, but the view of the presidential primaries this year is too exciting to keep me on the sidelines.
Last night's primary victory for Barack Obama in Wisconsin was his ninth win in a row in what was supposed to be the Year of Hillary. Obama and Hillary Clinton are in a horse race toward the finish line of the Democratic primary. On the Republican side, even though John McCain has pretty much wrapped up the race, he's not boring.
Who would have thought as recently as a year or so ago that the nation would have real choices in 2008 -- a woman who is a political veteran, an Hawaiian-born African-American newcomer, and a wizened Vietnam POW with a reputation for flippant one-liners.
Take the nation's polarization four years ago, split severely into two camps along party lines, and put it on high speed in a blender and you'll get a taste of what the coming months will bring. People are not just looking at Democrats and Republicans this year; they are looking at real choices in style, experience, gender, race and ideology.
Which brings me to the year of my inbox.
Although it hasn't begun in earnest yet, I know that I will be inundated with email from throughout the country with form letters supporting one candidate or another. The onslaught will come after the conventions because the mailing lists to editors come out of central party headquarters. No point in wasting Republican or Democratic time and money until they have one person to support.
As November comes closer, I will get as many as 150-200 emails a day, the majority of them the same letter, sent from people throughout the country.
Occasionally, one of them is from a local person, and I have to be careful not to let it slip in as a letter to the editor. (Form letters are forbidden, according to our policy.)
The email proliferation in support of John Kerry or George Bush four years ago was annoying. At least this year, the discourse may prove interesting.
These are exciting times for our country, in my opinion, because the field of candidates we're looking at represent a new direction. The direction will be different depending on the candidate, but all currently in the running bring newness to the race for the White House.
I like it.

My brave new kitchen

2008-02-13T11:23:00.004-05:00

Last year, we remodeled our kitchen, replacing cabinets and appliances that were 30 years old.
Nearly a year later, I still have moments of amazement that I can see the backyard through the window over the sink (previously the sink faced a wall); I can load and unload the dishwasher directly from the sink and into the cabinets (previously the dishwasher was a portable version housed in the laundry room); I have seasonings at my fingertips when cooking as the spice cabinet is installed by the cooktop; I can see into the dining room instead of staring at yet another wall; I have enough counter space to actually prepare two food items at once; and I can store the cookware and bakeware I own in cabinets without relying on basement space and laundry room shelves.
But one of the greatest sources of amazement is the brains of appliances bought in 2007 compared to 1976. My microwave/convection oven is smarter than I am, and the cooktop is no slouch either.
The microwave knows the difference between a canned and frozen vegetable, and the convection oven can keep track of time left to bake even while a separate timer is counting down minutes for a boiling pot of pasta.
I am particularly fond of the "editor" that apparently lives inside the cooktop. It flashes a capital H to signal that the burner remains really hot, then changes it to lowercase h when it starts to cool down.
According to a recent press release I received, appliances with brains are the wave of the future.
"In Italy your dishwasher may call you at work to let you know that it has sprang a leak…but not to worry, it has already informed the service company and they will be out between 9 and 12 on Tuesday.
"In Norway you are caught behind a slow moving elk herd and will be 30 minutes late…so you call your oven to recalibrate the cooking time on your roast to be done at 8:30.
"In Korea…the refrigerator has taken inventory and has placed an order for all pre-programmed items to be replenished automatically with an online grocery service. It has also ordered a few additional items that will be needed for tonight’s dinner party.
"In Germany…the fully automated coffee machine can make your favorite cappuccino to your specific taste as well as all the other members of the family.
"And in the US…cooking is as simple as 1..2..3 with your pre-programmed oven…you simply choose from the menu, fish, beef or fowl…punch in the weight, as well as the time you would like to serve and then just press “OK”…you are now a gourmet chef all with the single touch of your finger."
This release titled "15 Minutes into the Future" by Kevin Henry reminded me that in just a few years, high-tech appliances will put my current kitchen to shame.
Henry went on to say that the next wave of microwaves will have a scanner to read the package of chili or popcorn and then preset itself for operation. "The family calendar on the refrigerator will update everyone’s calendar, from Mom's computer at work to sis’s cell phone to Dad’s PDA with all of today’s events, including soccer practice and dental appointments…It will remind Grandma to take her pills and Grandpa that he has a 6:30 Tee-Time.
"Shortly your kitchen will read your personal electro-magnetic field when you enter the kitchen and begin to brew your favorite beverage and update your portfolio, all while you wait for your bagel to be toasted.
"Whether this kitchen comes to pass, the modern kitchen will continue to be the heart, if not the hub, of the modern home, an essential element in our daily lives that touches and affects us both physically and emotionally, a place where we seek communion, rejuvenation, and sanctuary."
Some things will not change. In this high-tech future, the best part of the kitchen will still be the window with a view and the counter stools for conversation.
Even the smartest appliances can't take the place of friends and family.

Watch for Progress

2008-02-13T10:40:00.003-05:00

Coming soon to your driveway, doorstep, honor box or convenience store will be an edition of The Mercury that does something we are often accused of ignoring: Celebrate the local economy with success stories.
Our staff, in an effort coordinated by Business Editor Michelle Karas, is currently working on stories and photographs for the 2008 Progress edition on local business and industry.
Each year, this section features industries that may have been around a while but rarely are in the news. We also do features on retail changes, new projects coming to the area, and businesses that offer leisure or recreational activities. Last year, for example, the construction of the Philadelphia Premium Outlets in Limerick was a cover story for Progress.
We have featured longstanding businesses like Longacre's Ice Cream in Bally and new ventures like the Tri-County Performing Arts Center. We have written about factories, high-tech service firms and auto dealerships. We strive for variety geographically throughout the region as well as types of businesses profiled.
As business editor, Karas does an outstanding job every week in coming up with local business features for the daily and Sunday Business sections. But, Progress gives us a chance to profile businesses about which we are curious.
The process becomes a discovery of hidden gems in our area's economy.
This year's Progress features a firm that installed foam insulation into 89,000 cement blocks in the construction of Lincoln Financial Field; a business headquarters modeled after a ski lodge; a recreation site where the top of the rock is the goal; and a plant that makes remedies for ailing horses.
Progress is coming. Don't miss it.

Borough doesn't have a prayer

2008-02-11T11:53:00.000-05:00

I am a person of Christian faith.
I am a churchgoer, member of my church consistory, serve on a committee or two, bake cakes when I'm asked to, and give regularly to both church and charity.
I pray a lot. I start the day with a prayer asking to make good decisions and do the right things at home and work; I pray at night to offer thanks for the blessings of the day.
When I'm driving, if I'm stopped at the third red light in a row on High Street, I pray for patience. When the phone rings late at night, I pray that nothing bad has happened to one of the kids. When I see a headline or an error in the paper that I know will set the phones ringing, I pray for fortitude.
I pray for wisdom when facing a difficult decision; I pray for guidance when challenged.
But, I do not believe Pottstown Borough Council meetings should open with a prayer.
Prayer, to me, is a conversation with God. Sometimes, like in church, at a family dinner, or in informal gatherings, the "conversation" involves a group. But when prayer is used as part of a public proceeding, it takes on a different quality.
The offering of the prayer -- a statement that "we are religious" -- becomes the focus. The conversation becomes a speech.
The move to open council meetings with a prayer may seek to illustrate that the borough is a place of values.
A better illustration would be strengthening leadership and demonstrating values through deeds, not words.
I think that will be my prayer.

A likable candidate

2008-02-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

I made a New Year's resolution in January to become better informed about national politics in this presidential election year. I haven't done much about it though.
I have a tendency, as I believe is the case with many voters, to form political opinions based on who I like or don't like. And those preferences have more to do with the sound of a person's voice or body language than with his or her track record.
Hillary Clinton is the ultimate example. One of the reporters in the newsroom was saying last night during Super Tuesday hype that no one he knows "likes" Clinton, yet she remains ahead in the polls and in the race for delegates.
Barack Obama has a higher "likable" factor, but the Internet-rumor crowd is fond of saying he is hiding something.
Here's where I feel guilty about the limited knowledge I have of the candidates' backgrounds and positions. I find myself favoring Obama because I don't like the sound of Clinton's voice. Or, if it's Obama and John McCain, I think McCain gets points for not looking emaciated.
All of which I believe makes me a bad citizen.
But take a step back ... if the person this nation elects as president is to represent us in the world and to accomplish results in Washington, don't we want that person to project confidence and to be well, "likable?"
In the wake of Super Tuesday, it appears that the Democrats are still in a race to determine their candidate, and the Republicans have a front-runner, but he's not yet a certain nominee.
It's an interesting year. I resolve, again, to become better informed and make wise choices.
I just hope that come November, I like the winner.

Regular customers

2008-02-05T16:37:00.000-05:00

When I was scanning the obituaries published in Monday's Mercury, I recognized a familiar name, and I felt a pang of surprise and sadness. The woman, who died in her mid 70s, was not a friend or relative. In fact, I never met her. But I felt as if I knew her.
She was one of my "regulars" -- the readers who call or visit or email on a regular basis to tell me their theories, their opinions and their news tips. I am certain if any of my regulars are reading this, you know who you are.
One sends me postcards or letters on motorcycle notepad. He often disagrees with my opinions, but we became instant friends the day I called him on the phone to tell him I valued his thoughts.
Two of them are retired local businesspeople of some prominence who cheer on my efforts to lead community-minded news coverage. One of those is a shameless flirt.
Another is an elderly woman who headed a newsworthy organization for many years and knew me as a reporter before I was an editor.
The woman who died last weekend was a reader who liked to let us know, sometimes with an exaggerated reality, what was going on in her municipality. I knew several years ago that she had moved, because the place in need of "investigating" shifted from one town to another.
Sometimes, I don't hear from someone, a regular letter writer for example who likes to hand-deliver his letters to the newsroom, for a few months and then I learn there was an illness or a hospitalization.
And then I recognize a name in the obituary columns and know I won't be hearing from that person again.
We hear from a lot of people in the course of our days in the newsroom -- some less pleasant than others -- but I find a certain comfort in the predictability of my regulars. This week, they are one less.

How we report on a fire

2008-01-29T13:09:00.000-05:00

John Strickler was working Saturday morning as the photographer on duty for the weekend when he heard a police dispatch for fire in a storeroom at the rear of 261 High St. Grabbing his camera and his video recording equipment, he ran down the steps and into the alley behind The Mercury. When he saw the black smoke rising near Lastick Furniture, he picked up the pace.
Strickler ran down the alley behind the burning building at the same time as the first police getting to the scene and seconds before the first fire truck rounded the corner. As firemen worked to get to the flames, Strickler was at work taking photos for the print edition with one camera, then video for the web site with another.
Racing to the front of the building, he shot the flames as they burst through the Dollar Beauty store.
***
Business editor Michelle Karas spent Saturday morning at Midas Muffler getting the exhaust system in her car repaired after hitting a deer carcass the night before on Route 422.
As she left to return home, fire trucks came racing past her. "I looked up, saw the smoke over High Street, and pulled over," she said. Karas grabbed a notebook and went to the scene, writing down details for a story she knew another reporter would write later that day.
***
Borough hall reporter Evan Brandt was washing dishes in the kitchen of his home across town when his wife spotted the smoke spiraling into the sky. "I think St. Al's is on fire," she said, referring to St. Aloysius Church several blocks from their home. Brandt thought it might be coming from the Pottstown School District administration building at Penn and Walnut streets.
A phone call to a neighbor confirmed that the fire was downtown.
"You're going in to work, aren't you?" said Brandt's wife with a sigh.
He spent the rest of the day on High Street talking to firemen and onlookers for a front-page story.
***
Police reporter Brandie Kessler was at a family luncheon celebrating her sister's college graduation in Bethlehem when she got a call from Karas to alert her to the fire. Although not due in to work until 2 p.m., Kessler hustled her family through their meal so she could get on the road.
Upset that she had missed the start of the action, she made up for lost time interviewing people evacuated from their apartments, fire officials and business owners.
After writing her story for the next day's editions, she went back to the smoky scene at night looking for more detail to report.
Kessler was headed out of town the next day for a cruise to the Caribbean with friends, but was she gloating? No, she was lamenting the "follow stories" that she would miss the chance to write.
***
Sunday editor Chuck Pitchford was at home when I called him around 12:30 to alert him about the news of the day. He knew the page configuration for Sunday's paper by memory, so we could determine if there was enough space for color photos.
Pitchford came into the office a little later to discover the power was out and computers down because of the fire. His plans to get off to an early start were waylaid. But by 5 p.m., he was placing photos on pages, writing headlines and packaging the four pages of coverage.
About 7 p.m., a computer glitch caused another delay in page layout, and the atmosphere in the newsroom got a bit testy. But pulling together and helping each other through a crisis is what we do best.
By 9 p.m., Pitchford was down to the fine-tuning of the presentation our readers saw the next day: "FIRE DESTROYS HALF A BLOCK."
***
Bob Morris learned about the fire in a phone call from his son and hustled into town to "protect" the building. Morris is The Mercury facilities manager, and through rain, sleet or smoke, he takes care of this corner. Morris quickly shut down the heating system so that the smoke filtering up the alley and into the building through a freight elevator opening would not permeate through the vents. It was smoky in here, but it would have been much worse.
***
Publisher Tom Abbott made the drive from Delaware County to make sure we were okay. Circulation director Rich Miller was on the phones, raising the press run numbers for Sunday. We remembered to post a story and photo to the Web, then updated with video. Circulation crews hit the streets Sunday morning, replacing papers in boxes as quickly as they sold out. A record number of people visited our Web site to view the video.
***
This was how we report on a fire in Pottstown. Morning, afternoon, and evening, seven days a week, the news doesn't stop.
Neither do the fine people who bring you The Mercury and pottsmerc.com