Around Phoenixville

Courtesy of Bob Hakun, local Pottstown artist and first place winner of the SRHA’s Schuylkill River Art Show, 2009 The various organizations involved with promoting the industrial history and heritage of the Schuylkill River in the greater Phoenixville area will be once again working together to present the 2nd annual Schuylkill River Shad Festival, scheduled for Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at two locations in Mont Clare and Phoenixville, PA. The Schuylkill Canal Association , the Phoenix Iron Canal & Trails Association , the Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area , the Phoenixville Green Team and Chester County Parks invite the general public to participate in the festival that will include history, education, recreation and overall fun on both sides of the Schuylkill River in the Phoenixville area. The festival will highlight the historic significance of the role the American Shad fishery played in the growth of the river communities up and dow...

Wilmington, Delaware based New Sweden , on tour in support of their first full-length album, The Mountain , will play an intimate performance Saturday, April 14th at Steel City Coffeehouse in Phoenixville, PA. Opening will be The Dave Spencer Trio, house band at Steel City. The all-ages show, which begins at 8pm, is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Reserved Seating is also available for $17 or Reserved Seating w/ Dinner Entrée for $23. Showcased at the 2011 NON-COMMvention alongside artists like Ben Harper, Bright Eyes, and The Head and The Heart, New Sweden's unique flavor of Americana, Folk and Indie Rock had people talking with WXPN's Program Director, Dan Reed, hailing them a "major discovery". The 5-piece outfit recognized for their energetic live performances mold their sound using a blend of traditional folk instruments (viola, banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, pump organ, bass, percussion) with a distinctly modern twist. The lyrics are sincere and powerf...

This Wednesday, blues rock artist Aaron Wood comes to town, headlining a concert at Steel City . From his press release: Aaron Wood Rocks Out with The Ends Blues infused "rock n' roll troubadour, (Dan Reed, WXPN-FM)” Aaron Wood announces a collaborative tour with funk-rock band, The Ends. Wood typically tours as a solo or duo, however teaming up with The Ends allows fans to see Wood’s music performed with a full band and greater depth. They will also play original songs by The Ends. "His voice is not only incredibly solid, forceful and wise, but contains a powerful amount of soul (usually only heard in funk, gospel, R&B and of course, soul) that seems to come effortlessly," comments Bold Life Magazine about Wood. Wood, also known by fans as “Woody”, is an Asheville, NC resident and native of the Piedmont of North Carolina. Aaron Wood grew up steeped in the traditions of blues and folk music of North Carolina. Wood performs at music festivals locally and ...

For March, the Phoenixville Green Team is featuring three gardening presentations during their March forum. The New American Garden Donald Pell - Owner, Donald Pell Gardens The New American Garden, New Perennials Movement, New Wave Planting, the Four‐Season Garden, call it what you will, it's new methodology based on old ideas. These innovative and exciting nature herbaceous plants are coming to our local landscape gardens. Donald will discuss new natural garden designs and the new (and old varieties) that can create needed habitat in your garden for birds, bees and butterflies. Phoenixville Community Gardens Jessica Sanchez and the Seventh Wonder Seventh Wonder is a volunteer group committed to working toward a better world. Their newest project is developing a community garden in the Boro of Phoenixville. Come out and hear about this startup garden’s progress, and see if you are interested in being a part of this first year effort. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seventh‐W...

PHOENIXVILLE TOWN WATCH PARTNERS WITH AREA GROUPS FOR SPRING COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP DAYS Clear skies and warm air mark spring’s arrival in Phoenixville; so too will the perennial act of sprucing up the town. In mythology, April is the month of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, and in keeping with that theme, the Phoenixville Town Watch will be cleaning up, with the public’s help. Phoenixville Town Watch is excited to announce Spring Community Cleanups Days will take place on Wednesday, April 18th and Saturday, April 28th and is encouraging area residents to get involved. Picking up trash, sweeping sidewalks, and raking debris from the curbside areas may require some sweat equity, but it’s well worth the effort. These projects will not only improve the landscape of Phoenixville, they will create a great foundation for working together moving forward. Many local organizations will also be joining together for this worthy event, including the Phoenixville Business Association (PABA),...

On Sunday, April 1st, Grace Valley Fellowship is having their annual "Eggstravaganza" event from 1-2pm. This event includes moonbounces, face painting, crafts, snacks, pictures with the Easter bunny and of course an egg hunt. All activities are free! Grace Valley Fellowship is located at the National Christian Conference Center, 1485 Valley Forge Rd, Valley Forge, PA 19481. For more information, please visit http://www.gvfonline.org/#/eggstravaganza/4549856483 .

Do you have anywhere between 5, 10, 25 or more pounds of fat to lose, but can't seem to find an easy way to do it? Did you notice that it says fat, not weight! Well the answer is here! Jen Brango, owner of Only Results Fitness and Great Valley Adventure Boot Camp , have been studying alongside some of the best minds in fitness to help each client achieve the fat loss results they desire. According to Jen Brango, “Anyone can lose weight through fad diets or supposed miracle pills, however, these methods do not change your body inside and out. The key to improving your health is changing your body composition which can only be achieved by changing your lifestyle with a customized approach for each individual. One size fits all programs do not work to achieve permanent results.” The programs at Only Results were designed to allow you to keep your muscle mass and only lose fat. Are your workouts and diet not leading to a leaner, stronger body? In an effort to bring cutting edge ph...

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills presents Noah and the Flood and Everyman , two musical productions on one stage, from March 24-25, 2012. The musical Noah and the Flood was written by Eugene Schwartz with music by Lawrence Rosenthal. Schwartz wrote the play for his third grade class. When a third grade teacher in California started to work with it, Lawrence Rosenthal, who had a child in that class, was inspired to write music to it.

Looking for something to do on Thursday nights? PJ Ryan's Pub has you covered. Every Thursday, from 8-11pm, PJ's presents Thursday Night Comedy. Generally headlined by nationally known stand up Chris Coccia , these events feature a rotating cast of some of the 'best and brightest comedic talent in the Philadelphia area'. There is a $10 cover charge, for more information follow them on facebook at www.facebook.com/PJRyansComedy .

LuLu Boutique & Gifterie will be celebrating its first anniversary this Saturday: LuLu Boutique & Gifterie is having a 1 year anniversary bash! LuLu is proud to be a part of Phoenixville for a year now and would like to invite everyone to the shop this Saturday, March 10th from 12-5pm for discounts and chit-chat. At 7pm the real party starts with The Thrifty Discount DJs. All are welcome to our dance party, if there's room on the dance floor! Additional information can be found at their Facebook event page .

Received this last week: Good afternoon, library advocates. As we head into busy season for the next state budget, the Pennsylvania Library Association asks that you be in touch with your state legislators and the Governor to urge their support for level funding for library services next year. We recognize that it has been a difficult few years for our nation’s economy and for Pennsylvanians in need of work. No group understands this better than our libraries whose staff and volunteers have done their level best—even in the face of reduced budgets—to meet the increasing need for services, especially for people searching and applying for work or job training. Just consider, between 2006 and 2010, increased demand for library services showed: Library visits, up 4% Number of books and DVDs lent, up 6% Attendance at library programs, up 9% Computer searches in library databases, up 50% Number of items shared among libraries, up 58% Number of digital items opened and examined, up...

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills will celebrate AmeriCorps Week - Saturday, March 10 through Sunday, March 18, 2012 - with a volunteer work day set for Sunday, March 18 from noon to 4 p.m. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Camphill Kimberton and AmeriCorps while giving back to your community. Come experience a day of work on this 432-acre biodynamic farm and help with invasive species removal, estate work and orchard maintenance. AmeriCorps offers opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups. AmeriCorps week recognizes the commitment of AmeriCorps members and alums by highlighting the extraordinary impact they make across our nation every day. Each year, Camphill Kimberton is host to approximately 20-25 young adults who receive a year-long intensive, hands-on experience living and working in this community that includes adults with developmental disabilities. Of this grou...

During the month of March, the Great Valley YMCA is offering a March Madness Promotion in which prospective members are invited to use the Y for free every Friday. The Great Valley Y is a regional branch of the YMCA of the Upper Main Line and is located at 10-20 Liberty Blvd, Malvern, PA. To take advantage of this special promotion, please give them a call at 610-644-6575 and mention the coupon code YGVMM.

"Versus Nurture," the new novella from Phoenixville author Jonathan David Morris, is out now! Chris and Karen Ransom are just a couple of kids when they first meet in college in the days leading up to the war in Iraq. Still together nine years later, they unexpectedly receive the biggest news of their lives -- but before they can so much as sit back and consider it, they find themselves facing what may well be the biggest decision in history. "Versus Nurture" is available for Kindles , Nooks , and Kindle and Nook apps everywhere.