LOCAL FOOD BANK AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY RESIDENTS

LOCAL FOOD BANK AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY RESIDENTS
Greater Berks Food Bank
Where: Grounds of Wernersville State Hospital – Building 5 – Berks Encore Center (610) 670-1372
When: 3rd Thursday of each month (3rd Fri in October)
Line forms at 8:00 – Food bank open at 10:30 – 12:30 or later
First Come – First Served
Anyone in need in the local area / Berks County – and falls within income guidelines is eligible. If you think you won’t qualify – but you need help – please call Rachel. In today’s world where some are greedy – it’s no time to be proud. Help is available. It’s not only for the lazy people – it’s for those of us who work and are still struggling to make ends meet.  Senior Citizens take advantage of this program.

Penn Avenue Project

After researching and working on small town economics for 7 years I have learned a good deal of information that would benefit Robesonia. I have implemented a lot of them through this newsletter. I would have liked to be on the Main Street committee and part of the revitalization plan but I don’t associate with any of those that would have offered that opportunity. It is unfortunate that certain people cannot put aside personal issues and allow others to share in decisions being made in our town. I feel I have a lot to offer on the topic but because I have different views on many subjects, my input was not asked for. I have personally visited many small towns and have spoken to the chairpersons in charge of many Main Street projects. Every town had a drawn and written plan for a 5-10 year project with an outline of the phases. The plan could be picked up at their boro hall and was published on their boro website. I have not seen any published plan for Robesonia. After years of research my course of action would have first been to establish the business district here (which I have). I would hold many meetings with these business owners for their input (which I do) on what would bring them more traffic. What type of décor would be most inviting? What they would be willing to contribute? I would look into selling Shop Robesonia First dollars (yes it is legal) to residents at half price to promote visiting our businesses. I would establish a yearly membership fund for businesses that would include them in a distributed newsletter which consists of our business directory, our public service directory, a calendar of our events and attractions, ads for our events, a website business page, business of the month & eatery of the month. That newsletter would be available at public places and their businesses. Each member would receive a special Shop Robesonia First store plaque. Blue ribbon cuttings would be held for all new businesses. All these things help support the reason for having a “Main Street” and are what the project is intended for. It isn’t just about decoration. We do not need bus stops here at this time. We do not need more benches where nobody sits. We need to keep the businesses we have and offer incentives to invite new ones. We all want our town to look clean (nice trash receptacles would be good) have charm and display our pride with tasteful beautification. With change comes some risk but we have to start at the core and work on a goal that includes growth. I have been doing that. You can trim Robesonia with all kinds of things but if you don’t have the basics of businesses what is the appeal and how will you afford to maintain it? It is in ALL of our best interest to support these small town tradesmen. They are the core of America and our small towns. Every time you ignore them and invest elsewhere when you could spend here we risk losing them. Imagine Robesonia with no business. It can happen and it does when people don’t work together to maintain and rally to support them. If the boro is unwilling to appoint the right people to master that task, maybe I will take it on and add to what I already do.

Teacher GREED

Are you willing to hand over your house and quality of life because of teacher greed and a school board who is not willing to start firing those demanding more more more?  By now everyone is probably aware that the Weiser teachers are not agreeing to contract offers.  Do you think it's time for the school board to start handing out the pink slips?  Let this group who feel they are so underpaid stand in the unemployment line.  Maybe they can get lucky and find a $10,000 a year job with no health insurance and that $50-80,000 job with $39 per month family health benefits will start looking pretty good. As for your pension, your problem not ours!  As bad as things are for most of Americans the greedy people in our school districts just don't GET IT!  Somehow, sometime soon, this attitude of we are better and worth more than all of you because we went to college and got a degree and we are the future of your children blah blah blah needs to be silenced.  Get over it.  Enough is enough.  Be happy (for once) with what you have and let us taxpayers alone.  I don't feel I should owe for life because I had 2 children go through the school system.  Foolish spending and extremely high salaries need to come to an end.  If it takes replacing every single teacher, board member, superintendent, nurse, librarian........then we need to demand the hatchet starts swinging.  I am not willing to give up my home and my quality of life because of teacher GREED!  Are you?????

Council STOPS spending of $147,000 grant (tax payer $)

Monday nights boro council meeting brought up concerns regarding possible illegal actions of the Beautification committee headed by Joyce Phillips. With no experience in grant procedures councilwomen Phillips carelessly spent thousands of taxpayer dollars without advertising for bids from local business owners. This money may now have to be paid back which should come directly from Phillips checkbook not the taxpayers. Warned by councilman Dave Rohrbach about the right way things are to be done, Phillips opted to forgo expert advice and proceed on her own with a few uneducated residents on the committee. Rohrbach quit the committee and he and Randy Gartner showed disappointment in how Phillips handled most everything but mostly the town clock that she has a $13,000 deposit on.  Placement of a clock had been decided when the HP Memorial Park was built but Phillips is trying to change that plan. This behavior is the norm for Phillips who has a long history of personal vendettas with town people in which she has used her council position to threaten individuals and cause unecessary problems. The issues she has with Dave Randler seem to have started with a Christmas contest she held and expected Randler to supply FREE prizes for.  He refused. In the past the Christmas and landscaping contests were run by Randler and the Our Robesonia.  We worked together. Phillips assumed Randler would just give her all the prizes. With that and feeling she was eliminated from the Christmas Trail celebration she has been accused of spreading vicious rumors about Randler and has told people not to shop at businesses in the Randler complex.  Here are some of the numbers and items:  20 flower pots, flowers ($8,400), 46 Gateway, Holiday, & or Patriotic Banners, 2 streetline wreaths (21,408 + shipping), 1152 small flags ($438) 3 sided post and signs trash receptacles ($8769), 8 benches abd bases ($8171) 2 bus shelters and bases ($16,241), Christmas LED lights & decor ($7762), base for clock ($1668), electric and conduit for clock ($1750) Randy Gartner already placed this behind the wall, and the clock (25,639).  All were purchased by the committee from businesses or given to contractors from everywhere but here in our own town. Nothing was put out for bids and most items could have been purchased right here keeping our tax dollars in Robesonia, avoiding shipping costs ($544 to date). Phillips who claims to care so much about this town has little to no respect for the other businesses that are here. All of the complaints could have easily been avoided if the opportunity would have been offered to Quality Signs, DP Randler (could have saved boro $2600 on the pots).  Grosiflex may have even donated all 20 flower pots but due to the mission of the committee to avoid Robesonia businesses not one member of the committee bothered to ask or include their own towns people. There is also a witness to Phillips using her council seat to threaten a man with arrest who parks in front of her daughters store. He is to attend the next council meeting. I personally spoke to several businesses the day they received pots and not one was told they were to maintain it (water, mow and or trim around it, keeping it neat).  They all assumed the boro was doing maintenance. Phillips claims all those who got pots were aware of the taking care of them.  Not one person I talked to heard from any council or committee person.  Phillips told Randler he could have called her and asked to bid on the flower pots.  Sorry Joyce, the bidding process doesn't work like that. How council left Phillips run this train so far off track I cannot figure out. I asked at the meeting and got no response from any council member. Randler asked that council remove Phillips from her council seat due to unethical behavior and the potential for once again causing the boro unnecessary legal issues. A local contractor put 22 hours into bidding and preparing proposals for the cement work for the benches and bus stops. Phillips does not have him listed on the budget to do the work. Oh yeah, he is from Robesonia and was an easy target for FREE advice. All $147,000 was outsourced. Robesonia residents should be outraged that someone with so little education was appointed and given control of this project. If Robesonia is going to keep our businesess and bring in new ones we ALL need to support them!

Wernersville Correction Center UPDATE

It’s been almost 2 months since the initial public meeting was held at a local church to discuss the Wernersville Community Corrections Center. On Thursday May 20 a follow-up meeting was held at the WCCC to follow-up on the progress of items brought to the attention of the Director and Staff at CCC during the initial meeting.


The first meeting brought out over 100 local residents, many of whom came with anger, concern, fear and frustration. This second meeting, there were barely 30 local residents in attendance. Honestly, I was kind of embarrassed that so many came out to demand actions and answers, and now after much progress has been made, not near as many attended. I will say that at least 10 or more residents spoke up and thanked CCC for the noticeable changes and response to local community requests and suggestions.

Many things that were asked for were addressed; curfew is now 7:00 PM unless a resident has a job which keeps him out later; residents no longer can walk along 422 and into Wernersville and the surrounding areas; residents are to stay on the grounds of the center; CBFC offers bus runs to various locals – grocery store, job searches; there are now only 2 sign outs per day rather than 3, and these sign outs must be planned and approved the prior week.; wires have been installed for a facility computer lab – waiting on equipment; CCC is in the process of getting quotes for food vendors – but based on a suggestion by the community, a lunch truck now visits; increased vending is being implemented i.e. cigarettes; a running route and rec area has been outlined on campus. Census numbers were posted for all to see the numbers of residents and the crimes committed leading to incarceration.

CCC has established a community roundtable and encourages participation. This roundtable is held at CCC at 9:00 AM on the first Tuesday of each month. If you would like to participate, contact Michelle Zvorsky at mzvorsky@state.pa.us, or by calling the Center at 610-621-5360. Michelle is also working on, and with many volunteer opportunities such as Adopt a Highway; residents have already helped with projects in Robesonia borough and Encore located on State Hospital Grounds. The residents have buffed floors, gardened and painted – some for the required 8 hours of community service, but most for nothing more than the good feeling of having contributed. There is always room to grow, per Tracy Jacobson, and if anyone from the local community has a skill or trade to share, to help these men fit into communities better (i.e. cooking, budgeting, parenting), Michelle would like to hear from you. There is currently an opening for a Family Alliance teacher, which is per diem. Any interested parties, again – contact Michelle. Since the initial meeting, there are at least 55 community volunteers, some of whom attended that meeting, serving both inside and outside of the facility.

Questions were still raised regarding how drug and/or alcohol issues are handled. There are random canine drug searches, weekly property searches, and weekly urine tests. Breathalyzer tests are also done upon return from sign outs. A recent incident where a resident tried to bring alcohol into the Center, got him a free pass back to state prison within 2 hours.

A monthly newsletter is now published and available currently at local borough halls, post offices and libraries. In the near future, a website will be available with information regarding staff, programs, volunteer opportunities and frequently asked questions about the CCC.

It was noted that this is the first opening of such a center in more than 16 years, and none of the panel members were involved in such a startup. It’s a new experience where not much time was given before the Center was to be up and running. Now, other state Centers are looking to Wernersville CCC for examples in managing and running their Centers.

Ms. Jacobson offered tours to anyone in the Community, who wants to take a tour and learn more about the CCC. Please contact Tracy at the Center number 610 621-5360.

Personally, I’d like to again thank Representative Jim Cox, Senator Mike Folmer, Tracey Jacobson and all the staff and residents of the Wernersville CCC for doing their best to fit into our Community. I appreciate the diligence of WCCC for trying to maintain, in one gentleman’s words, a ‘good neighbor policy’.

From your Our Robesonia Reporter at Large….Beth Sattizahn

Correction Center Meeting

Another meeting scheduled at the Wernersville Correction Center at 6pm on May 20th.  They claim to have made changes to policies and security.  There has been less walking traffic and not the usual loitering at Redners from what I have observed.  Please make an effort to attend this meeting and voice your concerns about the daily operation at the prison and what the future plans are for the whole complex.  How many inmates?  What would happen if the state hospital closes, will this be a huge prison?  What are the new rules to protect the public?  Beth Sattizahn will write an update in the June Our Robesonia.

Correction Center Meeting Update

A meeting was held on Thursday 3/25 at a local church where local residents could come ask questions to the Director of the Community Corrections Center, located off Sportsman Road in Wernersville. Representative Jim Fox and Senator Mike Folmer arranged this meeting, as their offices received many calls from concerned residents.  I attended this meeting from an impartial position so that I could report the story that way, but I admit I am pretty partial as I too am a concerned resident of the Community and having a Correctional Facility dumped in our small town makes me nervous.  The meeting was a forum to ask questions, present concerns and get answers to them.  A panel of folks representing CCC including the Director, Dept Secretary for Corrections, several employees of CCC and a Probation and Parole representative.  The church was filled with well over 100 people in attendance who expressed their fears and concerns. I will do my best to report my understanding of them, and the answers given.
Q: Why was Wernersville selected for this facility?
A: The State Dept. of General Services contacted Dept of Corrections when Fire Tree left and made them aware of the facility.
Q: How many residents are currently housed?
241 – 90 are pre-releases, meaning they are within a year of serving their minimum sentence and have been without behavioral incidents in the prison facility. 150 of the residents are parolees – and these individuals could easily be living in your town or be your neighbor and you may not even know it.
Q: What is the nature of crimes committed?
A: Although the numbers presented were sketchy, I recall 3 murderers; 49 robberies, and 1 kidnap. The majority are drug related offenses.

Q: Why are these people saturating our communities, libraries, eateries, grocery stores, etc.?
A: The residents are allowed to sign out and have time parameters for their return. The CCC has provided 8 computers so far, and are trying to get more to alleviate tying up all local library computers. They travel by walking or public transportation to the local grocery stores as they must buy their own food and prepare their own meals. DOC will address the issues of groups filling up local eateries where parents used to feel it was safe to allow older children to patronize.

Q: Why are these residents allowed out late at night?
A: There are 3 curfew times – 7 PM, 9 PM and 10 PM. Residents must earn the later curfews, and most are related to jobs. Currently 31 residents have jobs. DOC will address the issue of curfews and setting more structured access to community for its residents. Public safety is their number one concern.

Q: Why are the residents of CCC depleting the local food bank? (Yes folks there is a local food bank on the grounds of Wernersville State Hospital for anyone in the community who needs it)
A: Residents of CCC volunteer time to help stock the food bank. Between 5 and 8 residents a month, only after volunteering, can take from the food bank.
The Deputy Secretary for DOC promised to address issues and concerns raised at Thursday’s meeting within 30 days. The panel was responsive and is willing to regularly interact with the local community to resolve issues and to help make the program of integrating into communities for these residents a success. CCC will contact local boroughs to submit updates in order to keep the community aware of happenings and progress on these concerns. A CCC employee also asked the community to embrace the facility and welcomes volunteers to be role models, coaches and mentors to these men who all they know is big city crime and survival skills. Several residents and churches including CBFC who hosted the meeting have successful volunteer and mentoring relationships and in some cases are teaching the CCC residents life skills so they can integrate into the community.
I don’t believe anyone who sat in the meeting on Thursday night at CBFC denies that people deserve second chances. As humans, we mess up – and those of us who do mess up are grateful for grace and mercy shown to us by our family, friends and neighbors.
We are grateful for the second chance and with an attitude of repentance and humbleness we move forward in life trying not to make the same mistakes again.
Residents presented some very real concerns and some, rightly so – were visibly upset. For the most part, I observed fear expressed respectfully but there were community residents who demand respect and cultural awareness speak out in manners that did not project an example of the respect they spoke of.
Plans are being made for future community meetings with CCC. Please contact Rep. Jim Cox or Senator Mike Folmer for this information.
Thank you to Calvary Bible Fellowship Church for providing a meeting place, and staff to operate sound equipment for this meeting.
Make a note of this number – put it in your cell phone or car – and if you observe any inappropriate behavior call CCC and it will be addressed immediately – per the Director. (610) 621-5360.
Your Our Robesonia correspondent at large…..Beth Sattizahn
More info at: http://wernersvillepa.blogspot.com
Thank you Beth for your impartial view. I have a feeling that some of the second chance
people will change their tune when there home is broken into, there child is kidnapped, their mother is raped, or their car is stolen. Here are some pix of the prison buildings. They are located on Main St. at the end, last 2 buildings on the right. Wfmz has created a blog on this subject in Topix http://www.topix.net/forum/source/wfmz/TNLNAFATG699UK65E

Local Salaries

As promised here are some of the earnings of local people. 
Carol Kennedy-$22,000 Retail Sales, 4 yr. Business Degree
Barry Meade-$33,000 Account Manager Tech Solutions, 4 yr technical engineer Degree
Mary Allger-$8,200 Waitress, High School
Sharon Miller-$12,000 Waitress, 4 yr. Business Degree
Gary Degler-Robesonia Streets Department $31,200
Lisa Heilman-$30,000 Robesonia Borough Secretary
Vickie Correll-$8,551.00 Tax Collector, High School Diploma
Grace Ketner-$21,000 Sales support, GED
Brad Pagerly-$38,000 Truck driver
Mitch Rogers-$35,360 Order picker, High school diploma
Paul Lantz-$42,000 CPA 4 yr degree
Gov. Rendell-$174.435 Govenor of PA (just as a comparrison to a Weiser superintendent)
These jobs are mostly year round positions.  Most have limited health benefits.
I'll post more as I get them.

Meeting with Senator Cox on the Wernersville Correction Facility

http://repjimcox.com/wccc.aspx


If you can attend this meeting do so.  The more people to ask questions and demand answer on this prison the better.  These prisoners are roaming our streets and loitering at businesses.  They are repeat and violent offenders.  That means rape, murder, assault, burglary etc.  Many of them are not from Berks County.  They are not fenced in and are barely monitored as they tour our communities.  There have been break ins and harrasement incidences directly related to these prisoners.  Attend this meeting and be heard!!!

Important information on the Wernersville Corrections Center

Important information on the Wernersville County Corrections Center

Please read the following blog for factual information on the WCCC.  If you want a copy of the list of inmates you can request it from the Department of Corrections.
Blog http://wernersvillepa.blogspot.com/
Please help pass this information around so everyone knows exactly what is going on at this facility.