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POTTSTOWN VS. OJR

»
POTTSTOWN
pottsmerc.com

END OF AN ERA Officials

order
closing
of park
Contaminated
soil prompts
action by
borough officials
By Evan Brandt
[email protected]
@PottstownNews on Twitter

POTTSTOWN >> Borough officials

are warning residents to stay out
of Pollock Park because unsafe
levels of heavy metals have been
discovered in the soil there.
Parks and Recreation Direc-
tor Michael Lenhart said warn-
ing signs have been put up in the
park and temporary fencing will
be erected next week.
“This is a high priority for us,”
he said in a late Wednesday after-
noon call to Digital First Media.
The discovery was made as the
borough was in the process of up-
grading the park. A “phase two”
environmental review of the prop-
erty was conducted as part of the
planning and the contractor, En-
AUSTIN HERTZOG — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA vironmental Standards of Valley
Owen J. Roberts’ Sean Praweckyj (7) carries it upfield after making a reception against Pottstown during the Thanksgiving Day game on Forge, notified the borough of the
Thursday morning. draft results.
The contaminants of concern
Thanksgiving Day rivalry PARK » PAGE 8

about more than just football CHESTER COUNTY

By Thomas Nash
The day, which featured a
dominating 42-0 win for Owen
Remains of
[email protected]
@Thomas_Nash10 on Twitter J. Roberts down on the field,
proved to be only a small part 4 fire victims
POTTSTOWN >> Thanksgiving
Day 2017 felt like the rivalry
of the traditions that lived on
in the bleachers. found in rubble
of old between host Pottstown When the decision came
and Owen J. Roberts Thursday down last month from Pott- By Bill Rettew Jr.
morning. stown High School that the [email protected]
With Pottstown’s Grigg Me- 2017 season would be the
morial Field flirting with a ca- last for the Turkey Day ri- WEST CHESTER >> The remains of
pacity crowd — fans on either valry game, shockwaves rang all four residents who had been
side sitting elbow-to-elbow in through the neighboring com- unaccounted for in the after-
the stands while others lined munities separated by the math of the inferno at the Bar-
the surrounding fences — the Schuylkill River. clay Friends senior living commu-
historic Thanksgiving Day ri- When the news dropped, AUSTIN HERTZOG — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA nity have now been recovered, of-
valry came to an end after 59 faithful fans felt a mix of emo- Pottstown and Owen J. Roberts players shake hands on ficials confirmed.
seasons. GAME » PAGE 4 Thanksgiving morning for the final time Thursday. The remains of two victims
were found Tuesday. Officials
from the federal Bureau of Alco-
hol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explo-
POTTSTOWN sives who have been on the site
sifting through the rubble said
Rivalry’s end latest blow for a town getting used to loss the final two victims’ remains
were found Wednesday inside the
charred shell of the Barclay.
I know you’re not munity. tion they are upholding (or None of the victims have been
supposed to say things Lost was not only are hoping to establish) and identified yet.
like this on Thanks- a football tradition, it everyone is rooting for their ATF investigators located the
giving, but Pottstown was one of the ever- team. remains of the first two victims
is having a hard time dwindling number of The fact that the crowd on Tuesday while excavating the
finding things to be things that can bring heads home afterward, joins south wing. Recovery efforts con-
thankful for these Evan us together these days with family giving thanks tinued Wednesday in the south
Brandt
days. on common ground as over a shared meal only fur- wing, where investigators believe
Columnist
The Pottstown High a community. ther solidifies that the entire the fire started. That’s where the
School Trojans lost Republican or Dem- enterprise as something to be two additional victims, officials
more than just a foot- ocrat, white collar or thankful for and about some- EVAN BRANDT — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA
said.
ball game yesterday to their blue, Trojan or Wildcat, ev- thing more than touchdowns The victims were transported
cross-river rivals, the Owen J. eryone is on equal footing at and yards gained — and, as Pottstown alum Alivia Lopez helped from the scene by the Chester
Roberts Wildcats, and so did the Thanksgiving Day game. a result, a loss not to be dis- auction off the game ball for the last County Coroner and the fami-
the greater Pottstown com- Everyone has a family tradi- LOSS » PAGE 5
Thanksgiving Day Game. VICTIMS » PAGE 7

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INDEX Obituaries........C8 Opinion.............A6 Living................ B1 Business...........C1 Sports................C1 Letters............. A7 Volume 87, issue
Index................ 53
## Index................ ## 8 71534 00671 0