Expansion of Phoenixville Library puts community at odds

The Phoenixville Public Library is in a tight spot. Literally, the Carnegie-era library currently crams a collection of 75,000 books, CDs, and other reference materials, as well as nearly 600 programs per year into an 11,000 square foot space. The shelves are cramped and the reading areas and meeting spaces are at a premium. Few would disagree that the library needs to expand — the question facing the Library Board and the Phoenixville community is how.

Beading business in Phoenixville

The Potomac Bead Company, located at 167 Bridge Street, is the jewelry crafter’s dream shop. The walls of the two-story loft are lined with a rainbow of colorful strands of beads—gemstones, freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, and festive lampwork glass. Bins around the store are piled high with beads and the metal pieces, called findings, that go between them in all shapes, sizes, colors and materials, priced sometimes by the bead or often by weight.

Kimberton arts haven’s café reopens

KIMBERTON — Camphill Village Kimberton Hills celebrated the grand reopening of their Camphill Café on Sunday with a live concert by Ensemble Casa de Venezuela.

The original Camphill Café closed about a year ago after the Chester County Board of Health declared that the café’s non-industrial kitchen was too small for the cramped, 30-person capacity cafeteria, according to café manager Erin Graver. Rather than just revamping the kitchen, Camphill directors moved the café to a completely different building.

PAMS pushing to boost PSSAs

PHOENIXVILLE – In less than two weeks, students, teachers and administrators will return to their posts at Phoenixville Area Middle School with a new mission: to get a thumbs-up from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Township OKs $60K for road repaving

The Charlestown Township Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve $60,000 from the budget to repave a segment of Yellow Springs Road at their monthly meeting on Monday night. The routine repair work will cover the length of Yellow Springs Road from Hollow Road to the Turnpike Bridge, according to Township Administrator Linda Csete.

Bearoff named new Kimberton Fair Queen

Sweltering 90 degree heat did not prevent fairgoers from attending the opening ceremonies at the 80th annual Kimberton Community Fair on Monday night. The fair, a volunteer-run celebration of agriculture in Chester County, takes place in the last week of July each year at the Kimberton Fire Company on Route 113. This year, the festival of rides, games, juried competitions and award-winning donuts will run through Saturday, July 26.

‘Rocky Horror’ fans gather, ‘Do the Time Warp again’

Over 500 patrons, dressed as maids, bikers, mad scientists and transvestites, swarmed the Colonial Theatre to get their fix at the 8th annual Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturday night.

Kimberton Fair opens

The glittering carnival lights and fried food aromas have reappeared on the grounds of the Kimberton Fire Company, beckoning locals to celebrate summer as the Kimberton Community Fair returns for its 79th year.

A transforming mission

The Mississippi air was still and humid. Insects swarmed around patches of stagnant water, invading the volunteers’ eyes and noses, getting tangled in their hair as they pulled hurricane-strewn debris out of swamps and woods. They cleared out single-floor houses with masks over their faces, protecting them from moldy air in rooms where water stains measured 10 feet high on the walls. From completely deserted houses, they cleared away bicycles, lawnmowers and other remnants of a lively city. Residual neighbors explained to the volunteers that after Katrina reduced Mississippi shore town Bay St. Louis to rubble, few people wanted to return.

Duck race nets $18,065

At 2:57 p.m. Saturday, a front loader truck stopped traffic on the Gay Street Bridge to shower nearly 4,000 fluorescent plastic ducks into the babbling waters of French Creek. To anyone else, the sight of thousands of rainbow ducks falling into the water, not unlike a Skittles commercial, would look a bit odd. However, to the entrants of annual Kiwanis duck race, it can mean big money.