Around Phoenixville

The Kiwanis Club of Phoenixville will holds its annual “Cereal with Santa” this Saturday morning (December 3rd) at the Phoenix Hook & Ladder No. 1 Firehouse on Church Street in Phoenixville. From 8am to noon, children and their parents can join Santa Claus for a breakfast featuring a variety of cereals and toppings. In addition to Santa Claus, several other “special guests” will be there. Face-painting and other children’s activities will also be part of the morning. Admission is $5 payable at the door.

Phoenixville Public Library offers you the opportunity to support local writers and pick up some perfect last-minute gifts for the readers on your list. The Library will present a panel discussion and book signing by the authors of the new story anthology, Chester County Fiction , on Monday, December 19 at 7:00 PM. Jason Hafer, owner of Phoenixville’s former Wolfgang Books, will moderate the discussion. Chester County Fiction is a collection of 16 stories from 13 authors who live and work in Chester County. The stories explore our common history and shared bonds. They are stories about people in transition, struggling to find their place and peace in their communities -- tales of love, loss, violence and heartbreak. Chester County Fiction has received rave reviews since its release. Radio show host Steve Brodsky of WCHE called Chester County Fiction a “really important, interesting, and enjoyable collection” and referred to "Baptism", the short story by Phoenixvil

On Monday, December 12th, Innovations Hair Salon is inviting ladies to a BEAUTY (Arbonne), BAGS (31) & BEADS (Stella & Dot) party! What more could a girl want?! This festive holiday event is from 6:30-8pm and will feature light refreshments, drawings for hair care products gift basket, a free haircut and more. Innovations Hair Salon is located at 538 Nutt Road. For more information, please call 610-935-3595.

Heather Pasko, owner of LEO (Lovely Events & Occasions), is opening her 2nd boutique style event planning/design firm in Phoenixville, and are pleased to announce their Grand Opening on Friday, December 2nd, 2011. Her 1st gallery was such a success in Berks County, that with-in a two year span she has now opening her second. Whether you are looking for a special cake, caterers, party venues, spa services, special lighting, photographers, or invitations, the talented and experienced team can address all facets of your event planning and help you create an unforgettable event in a stress-free and organized manner. “I wanted to put a face to event planning” said Heather, “where anyone could walk in to my shop and find what they were looking for. Our goal is to make the planning process and design process of any event easy and enjoyable experience”. Heather has been planning events for over 10 years and has been empowering couples to make educated choices. Although she specializes

Come into Lush Consignment Boutique, 164 Bridge St., to take advantage of the Small Business Saturday event. Enjoy 25% off your entire purchase on Saturday, November 26th.

Meadow Brook Golf Club , 1416 State Road, has a Small Business Saturday special tomorrow. For every $100 gift certificate purchased receive two free rounds of golf. For more information, visit them at meadowbrookgc.com .

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society honored Camphill Village Kimberton Hills as a community greening champion at a recent award ceremony in Philadelphia. The Community Greening Award recognizes individuals, garden clubs, civic associations, businesses and community groups who have created and maintained public green spaces that enhance their communities. Judges evaluated the sites in July and August based on plant variety, design, use of space, and horticultural practices. Sixty winners were chosen from entries throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Camphill Village Kimberton Hills was honored for their sustainable gardening and land use practices.

The Columbia Bar & Grille has a number of events planned between now and the end of the year: Thanksgiving Eve: Wednesday the 23rd, join them upstairs with the cool jazz sounds of Hidden Treasure, from 7pm to 11pm. Enjoy meeting friends and family at the Columbia for a kick off of the holiday season. Thanksgiving Day: Reservations are still being accepted for their Buffet Brunch served from 11 am to 3pm, featuring all of your Holiday favorites. $26.95 per adult, children 12 and under $12.95. Or join them for a Special Ala Carte Dinner served from 5pm to 9pm. November 26th: join them for Piano Bar Upstairs from 7pm to 11pm featuring Dale McCauley. Drink & Dinner specials all night long. Brunch with Santa, Saturday, December 10th: From 11 am to 2pm featuring a child friendly buffet. Each child will visit Mrs. Claus’s Gift Shoppe to select a Christmas Present for their parents. At 1 pm the Guest of Honor, Santa arrives to share the Holidays with their guests. Reserv

The Greater Philly Expo Center will be hosting the Family Fun and Dinosaur Fest from November 25-27th. The festival, which features the Burning Tree Mastodon & dozens of other Dinosaurs, will be held from 12-8pm on Friday the 25th, 10am-8pm on Saturday the 26th and 10am-6pm on Sunday the 27th. They're Back!!!! ......65 million years ago the Dinosaur roamed the land, now they are back in a city near you! Come out and see the Burning Tree Mastodon and dozens of other life like replica dinosaurs. Touch them and there are even a few you can get your picture taken with while you sit on them, There is no other Festival around that will get you this close to the Dinosaurs! There will be other fun activities to do at each show. The Cold River Mining Experience is a hit at all the festivals. Kids can pan for gems and dig for fossils! Children can also experience the Moon bounces, Petting Zoo's, Ride the Ponies, play the carnival games...all kinds of fun for kids, parents

El Burrito, the Mexican restaurant located at 180 Bridge St (formerly Irish Joe's), opened this past weekend. Good luck to the new owners!

The Phoenixville Green Team will be cleaning the French Creek Stream tomorrow morning and is looking for volunteers to help them with their effort. If interested, you are asked to meet at either the Foundry building or the Farmer's Market at 10am. The clean up will last until approximately 2pm at which point refreshments will be served for a job well done. For more information, please contact Carrie Makoid at cmthirteen@yahoo.com /484-356-6036 or Jessica Sanchez Jessica.sanchez@7thwonder.org /610-574-0786.

Thanks to all of those who have served our great country, happy Veterans Day!

OneNineFourSixZero.com , a local news and review website, has re-launched as a "deal" site designed for people and merchants who live and work in the Phoenixville area. The goal of the site is to serve the local community and those interested in experiencing the great variety of restaurants, shops and services that Phoenixville has to offer. For their very first campaign, OneNineFourSixZero.com is partnering with Eleanor's Kitchen (6 South Main Street - Phoenixville, PA 19460 - 610.935.3663) to offer "$10 of Take-Out Comfort Food for $5". According to their campaign copy, Eleanor's is "THE place in Phoenixville for take-out specialty burgers, sandwiches, and other awesome creations." As a local company founded by Phoenixville residents, OneNineFourSixZero.com aims to keep money in the Phoenixville community while helping local businesses bring more customers through their doors. OneNineFourSixZero.com promotes community business development by

The first ever Valley Forge Beer Festival will be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center on Saturday, December 10th. Featuring 50 brewers and over 100 beers, the festival will also feature special demonstrations and entertaining talks led by industry leaders. There are two sessions to choose from: Afternoon (Session One): 12:30pm - 4:00pm (doors open at 12:00 pm) $40 online in advance ($60 at the door on event day if still available) Designated Driver: $10 Evening (Session Two): 5:30pm - 9:00pm (doors open at 5:00 pm) $40 online in advance ($60 at the door on event day if still available) Designated Driver: $10 For more information, visit valleyforgebeerfest.com .

Results of yesterday's election are in and Democrats have claimed four of the five open Borough Council Seats. Unofficial results from Phoenixville Patch : North Ward Republican Christopher Bauers 303 votes, 54.4 percent Democrat Carol Stinson 254 votes, 45.6 percent Middle Ward Democrat Jennifer Mayo 280 votes, 62.5 percent Republican Marc Reber 167 votes, 37.28 percent Write-in 1 vote, 0.22 percent East Ward Democrat Michael Speck 251 votes, 53.86 percent Republican Brady Appleman 215 votes, 46.14 percent West Ward Democrat James Kovaleski 215 votes, 53.22 percent Republican Kendrick Buckwalter 188 votes, 46.53 percent Middle Ward, 2-year Unexpired Term Democrat Kyle Guie 259 votes, 59.95 percent Republican Marc Reber 171 votes, 39.58 percent Write-in 2 votes, 0.46 percent For complete coverage of yesterday election visit Phoenixville Patch .

On Saturday, November 19th, Christy Baxter will be at the Phoenixville Farmers Market collecting socks for the homeless. Do you have a sock drawer at home? The homeless don’t! Think about it. When your clothes wear out you probably donate them to a good cause. What about your socks? They are probably so worn that they get trashed. Homeless rarely get donations of new socks. How often do you change your socks? Imagine having to wear them 24/7 until then are completely threadbare? What would that be like? You probably would have blisters, open sores, infections or worse. Gangrene may develop; that can lead to amputation. Not good. Many put plastic bags over their sock to keep out moisture and cold, but they also keep the foot damp, causing minor to major health complications. How many homeless? According to HUD (2009): New York 47,434. Philly 5,798. DC 5,907. They are in a city near you. Moose, homeless in San Antonio, says he gets jackets and shirts at a distrib

With elections being held on Tuesday, several sites are providing information on local candidates. Occupy Phoenixville has a good breakdown of the candidates in each ward along with those running for the School Board. It also has links to the candidate profiles that Phoenixville Patch did. The Phoenixville Republican Committee has a more in depth look at the various Republican candidates running for office.

Alash Ensemble , masters of Tuvan throat singing, will present a concert at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills on Tuesday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. Be there as this captivating musical ensemble brings the ancient art of throat signing to the Rose Hall stage. This is a rare opportunity to see musicians of this caliber in the intimate setting of the acoustically-ideal Rose Hall. Alash are masters of Tuvan throat singing, a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Tuvan throat singers can produce two or three, sometimes even four pitches simultaneously. The effect has been compared to that of a bagpipe. The singer starts with a low drone. Then, by subtle manipulations of his vocal tract and keen listening, he breaks up the sound, amplifying one or more overtones enough so that they can be heard as additional pitches while the drone continues at a lower volume. Despite what the term might suggest, throat singing does not strain the singer's throat. Mast

The Phoenixville Public Library will be hosting several events over the next month. November Movie Night Thursday, November 10 @ 7pm Seen any good movies lately? You will at the next Movie Night at Phoenixville Public Library. On Thursday, November 10 at 7:00 PM, we will screen “A Night at the Opera” (1935, not rated, running time 91 min.), next in our countdown of the American Film Institute’s “100 Greatest Movies”. The Marx Brothers get mixed up with grand opera and reach epic anarchic heights in one of their best films. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Underground Railroad in the Phoenixville Area Lecture Monday, November 21 @ 7pm Learn about the Underground Railroad in the Phoenixville area during the years preceding the Civil War in a free lecture to be given Monday, November 21 at 7:00 PM at Phoenixville Public Library. Jack Ertell, Board President of the Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area, will be the speaker.

All Things Primitive , located at 25 S Main St (across the street from Brown's Cow), is having their Annual Open House Sat, Nov 5th and 6th. They will have many handcrafted items, gift drawings and refreshments. The open house will be held from 10-5 on Saturday and from 12-5 on Sunday.

The Colonial Theatre has a great schedule on tap this November and December. The Bacon Brothers return for their annual Bringing Back the Bacons concert; Craig Shoemaker brings his world renowned standup routine; movies for the entire family and a December full of holiday cheer including a visit from Santa; there is truly something for everyone.

Phoenixville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1564 (Ettinger - Powers - Campbell Post) is hosting two events this month. On Sunday, November 6th in celebration of Veterans Day. There will be a church service from 10:45-11:45am at St. John’s UCC, 315 Gay Street. After the service, a special ceremony honoring our Veterans will be held from 12-12:30 at Reeves Park. The VFW will then be hosting a luncheon beginning at 1pm at their banquet hall, located at 200 Starr Street. On Saturday, November 19th, Post 1564 will be presenting a Veteran’s Benefits Seminar beginning at 9am. V.F.W. Service Officers , Veteran’s Affairs Representatives and Disabled American Veterans will conduct presentations and will be available to answer questions and assist in filing of claims. All area veterans are encouraged to attend this free seminar which will be held at 200 Starr Street.

Received a tip that Irish Joe's old location, 180 Bridge Street, is set to become a Mexican restaurant. It is unrelated to the restaurant going in at 101 Bridge. More info as I get it. Thanks to Douglas for the heads up.