AROUND TOWN

This Clean Delivers Peace-of-Mind

Looking for a cleaning service that disinfects and sanitizes, even against COVID-19, yet remains safe for humans, pets, electronics, furniture and even food? Pure Spaces Berks may be the answer. Explains Brett Rowe with the company, “Pure Spaces utilizes on-site generation of an EPA approved and patented salt-free Hypochlorous Acid that is 100 times stronger than bleach and is 100 percent safe. Also known as electrolyzed water, HOCl is completely non-toxic and kills all known bacteria and superbugs, including Coronavirus, MRSA, Common Flu, Rhinovirus, Staph and HIV, on contact, eliminating the need for dangerous chemicals. We offer custom routine disinfecting as well as 24/7 emergency COVID remediation. Many Berks businesses, including restaurants, gyms, barbershops, factories, industrial warehouses, veterinary offices, and even homeowners, are already utilizing Pure Spaces Berks.” Want to learn more or see a free onsite demonstration? Visit thepurespaces.com/berks, on Facebook @purespacesberks or email brettrowe@ thepurespaces.com. — NIKKI M. MURRY

Greater Governor Mifflin Community Days Celebrates 45th Anniversary

Community Days is on for 2021. Set for July 5 through 10 on the grounds of Governor Mifflin School District in Shillington, things will be a bit different during COVID-19, but visitors will get to enjoy some of the time-tested fun, too. Attendees are asked to wear masks when they are unable to social distance and when visiting food stands, and sanitizing stations will be available. Rides will be by Penn Valley Shows, a new vendor, and the fireworks are planned for closing night at 10pm. Back to those festival eats… expect to enjoy delights, including funnel cake, pizza, deep-fried Oreos, cheesesteaks and so much more. The entertainment line-up is top-notch too and features Go Go Gadjet, The Uptown Band, Rick K and the Allnighters, The Mahoney Brothers and Jeff Krick, Jr., to name a few. The free admission event raises money for the Greater Governor Mifflin League, which, since 1976, has returned more than $500,000 back to nonprofit groups based in the district. For more info visit communitydays.com or on Facebook @mifflincommunitydays. — NIKKI M. MURRY

Experiencing Exhibit for Teens Coming to GoggleWorks

Now through July 30, teens are encouraged to pay a visit to The Rolf & Renate Schmidt Gallery in Reading’s GoggleWorks Center for the Arts as it plays host to the Against the Wind: A New Conversation about Creativity, Addiction and Mental Health exhibit with a concurrent hands-on science exhibit in Studio 240. The exhibit is presented by The Amos Lemon Burkhart Foundation. Explains Ann Lemon, mother of Amos Lemon Burkhart and the Executive Director of the Foundation dedicated to his legacy, “This year has been challenging for teens, who are hard-wired for socializing. We had to postpone this show last year because of the pandemic, but we are so glad that groups will be able to experience it safely this summer. The exhibit is packed with information and offers a lot of new ways to approach the topics of creativity, addiction and mental illness. We hope that every young person in Berks County gets a chance to see the art and interact with the installations.” For more info visit goggleworks.org. — NIKKI M. MURRY

Bandshell Concert Series Celebrates 30 Years

This month Berks Arts sees its free Bandshell Concert Series celebrate its 30th anniversary. Head to City Park to see one of the below acts. Performances start at 7pm.

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July 9 & 16.

The opening performance will be from The Commonheart, based in Pittsburgh, the group plays soul, rock and blues. On July 16, enjoy World Latin Music from Cocomama of New York City.

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July 23 & 30.

The third performance in the series will come from the Timmy Brown Band, a Boston-based act playing country music. Rounding out 2021’s acts will be The Albert Castiglia Band from South Florida, specializing in blues.

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Face masks required.

Face masks should be worn to all performances and attendees are asked to respect social distancing requirements. For more info visit berksarts.org/index.php/ bandshell-concert-series.

Arts, Crafts & Eats.

Find all three at the A.C.E. Summer Festival at the Leesport Farmers Market on July 10. Hundreds of small businesses and local organizations will come together for a family-friendly event. Want to learn more? Visit leesportmarket.com/ ace-festivals.

Safe for all. Precautions should be taken for those with pacemakers or metal in their body. Women will not be treated during pregnancy. No pain, lots of gain. Each 30-minute session of EMSCULPT® is equal to doing roughly 20,000 crunches or squats while remaining comfortable and pain-free.

Achieve a Summer-Ready Body

BY KELLY TANGER | PHOTO BY BIANCA HART

Sit back, relax and enhance your physique all at once. How? With a visit to Advanced Skin Care, Laser & Body Contouring Center in Wyomissing. Board-Certified Dermatologist Dr. Harriet Comite and her team of highly trained technicians offer an array of body sculpting and contouring procedures to help you to look your best, just in time for swimsuit and shorts season. These treatment methods support the sculpting, toning, smoothing and tightening of various body parts and muscle groups including the abdomen, arms and other areas often found to be tricky to tweak. Read on to discover which procedure best fits the location you’d like to improve. Non-Invasive Enhancement

The body-contouring procedures at Advanced Skin Care are for women and men alike and are 100 percent non-invasive and comfortable. Several methods are available to choose from to aid in losing extra inches, to tone up for swimsuit season and to boost your fitness routine. Choosing to live a healthy lifestyle of regular exercise and maintaining a well-balanced diet will help to ensure a longer-lasting outcome, though results are still visible regardless. Dr. Comite explains, “This does not take the place of your fitness program. It enhances it and takes it to a much higher level.” Here’s what’s offered…

EMSCULPT®: A non-invasive treatment that helps build, define and tone muscle, reduce fat permanently, restore your core and reduce low back pain. It also targets biceps, triceps, abdominals, legs and more. VanquishMe™ and Cellutone™: A combined treatment that decreases waist and thigh circumference and breaks down fat cells permanently. Exilis™ Ultra: Tightens, smooths and contours facial skin around the eyes and mouth as well as the neck, abs and those pesky love handles. It also aids in permanently reducing fat in areas including the abs, arms and legs. EMSELLA®:a non-invasive treatment that strengthens bladder and pelvic floor muscles and improves issues relating to urinary incontinence.

Safe and Pain-free

By using technology such as HIFEM (High Intensity Focused ElectroMagnetic) to create extra-powerful muscle contractions, to noninvasive Radio Frequency to eliminate fat cells, all of the equipment is safe and FDA approved. These procedures are the only non-invasive, effective treatments in the world. Dr. Comite says, “These devices are unique. There’s nothing else like it.” Some of the treatments, such as with VanquishMe and Exilis™ Ultra, are performed while lying down, while others like EMSELLA® are done while sitting on a chair. There is no prep involved other than properly hydrating prior to VanquishMe™ and Cellutone™, and all treatments are performed with minimal contact. The setting is comfortable enough that you can read your favorite book while receiving treatment. Procedures are offered as a series of 4-6 treatments. Sessions can last anywhere from 28 to 60 minutes, and afterwards, you can go about your day and resume all normal activities. The only side effect you may experience is muscle soreness, just as you might after a gym workout. Pricing varies for each type of treatment. Schedule a consultation to learn more. 610.374.1400 | comiteskin.com

IN THE LIMELIGHT WITH Hannah Violet

Music Therapist and Recording Artist

BY VERNA FISHER | PHOTO BY ALI HUBBELL PHOTOGRAPHY Hannah Violet has been performing music most of her life, and she knew she wanted to help people with it, but it wasn’t until she witnessed the healing effects of music with her grandfather, unlocking his Alzheimer’s condition, that she realized her calling was to be a music therapist.

Can you explain the role of a Hospice Board-Certified Music Therapist and describe some success stories? Sure. I am a board-certified and hospice-certified music therapist working full-time with Bayada Hospice serving patients in their homes, facilities and hospitals. I built the program for Bayada throughout our Pennsylvania and Delaware offices and created positions for additional music therapists. I play guitar, fiddle, piano, and I sing. Music Therapy is therapy where music is the vehicle for transformation, transition and translation. In therapeutic settings, I’ve seen weakened war veterans who could barely respond lift their head just to salute me and sing along to America, the Beautiful. I’ve held children on my lap while playing guitar and get them to sing along so they feel less scared. I’ve had patients ask if they could fall asleep to music and then suddenly take their last few breathes. I’ve had alert patients say I helped to save their relationships with their kids or show forgiveness and love to a spouse. Music was the key that unlocked the door to my grandfather’s mind and spirit when he had Alzheimer’s. He reverted back to who he was.

Your band, The Hannah Violet Trio, all seasoned musicians, has toured throughout Nashville, TN, PA and surrounding areas. How did it come together? Basically, my guitarist, Phil Pilorz, and I met while playing in a band, and then we decided to start our own trio. Phil comes from a long trail of cross-country performing and received a lifetime achievement award for his guitar playing and has more of a rock background. I am more of the folk, country sound, and then our third member, Dave “Mitch” Miller, my dad, comes from an oldtimey/Irish background and plays fiddle, mandolin and percussion. I play fiddle and guitar along with lead vocals and love to harmonize when either Phil or Mitch take the lead. We have a really happy down-home sound that has carried us for over 11 years.

What does your free time look like? Before COVID, there wasn’t much free time for our farm. I’m married to a wonderful cowboy from South Dakota. Joe is a saddle bronc rider and was in rodeos every weekend. Now, we’ve been forced to slow down, and had the chance to be home, continue with renovations on our log home, spend time in the flower gardens, ride horses, enjoy our animals. Finally, we became parents to a beautiful little boy, Stone Timothy, born in January 2021. Now I make sure we savor our free time.

GET MORE.

Listen in.

Hannah released her debut CD, Violet Sky, and filmed a music video in Las Vegas in 2015. Grab the album at live events, on Amazon or at reverbnation. com. Catch her concert schedule at hannahviolet.com.

More about Bayada.

Visit the Bayada Hospice Facebook page @BAYADAPBH for virtual serenades and holiday celebrations all summer and throughout the year for various events.

Cold cocktails are a perfect way to cool off. The I’m Obsessed With This at winedown café & wine bar is especially delicious. It is house-infused cucumber vodka, St. Germain, lime and mint. Very refreshing. — Robyn L. Jones, publisher STAFF PICKS AROUND TOWN Summer

STAFF PICKS

How is the BCL staff making the most of summer in Berks County? Check out how we soak up the sun and all our surroundings have to offer…

For my kids, the best part of summer is when we go to Schell’s in Temple to play miniature golf. They really enjoy family nights. — Sara Woodward, account executive

I love to take advantage of outdoor dining opportunities during the warm weather months. The bacon-wrapped sea scallops and Grilled Chicken Mediterranean Salad at Meraki Manorin Birdsboro are my favorite menu items. — Heather PendergastBaker, account executive

When I’m in the mood for a pool day, I head to Amity AC Pool. It’s my favorite because it’s close to my house and the kids can play with friends. — Elizabeth Beebe, account executive

Summer is filled with fun events in Berks, but if I could just attend one it would be Taste of Kutztown. I look forward to sampling new stuff while strolling through lovely Kutztown Park. — Vanessa Goffredo, art director

Summer time = vacation time for so many. For me, the perfect getaway is a stay overlooking the savanna at Animal Kingdom Lodgein Walt Disney World. You get Florida, Mickey & an African safari all wrapped into one. — Nikki M. Murry, editor

Taste of Kutztown

Bring on the Events

BY DEVON FIORE, Events Coordinator, GRCA, 606 Court St., Reading

That time of year is upon us – outdoor distanced events and the hope for in-person indoor events are looking bright on the horizon! Event coordinators like myself have been planning for this time since March 2020, and we are all so excited to get back into event venues to see everyone’s faces in person once more!

The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) has been holding events virtually throughout Q1 and Q2 and began to phase in some in-person events in June. Mark your calendars for GRCA’s Annual Picnic coming up next month on Tuesday, Aug. 3 at FirstEnergy Stadium. This evening of networking, food and fun is a member favorite. GRCA staff has been hard at work making sure that all state and CDC guidelines are strictly adhered to and updated as necessary. It’s going to be a great (and safe) event!

Moving into the fall, GRCA hopes to introduce a hybrid model for signature events such as the Annual Dinner and Building Berks Awards, as well as the Manufacturing Summit. Larger events such as these will have an in-person component — likely with an attendance limit to keep in line with any CDC guidelines — for those who are comfortable attending events in-person at that time. The plan is to also incorporate a virtual element to these events (such as Zoom, Remo or another video platform) for those who are not yet comfortable attending events inperson and for those past the in-person cap. Many event dates and venues are listed as TBD right now, but GRCA will be releasing that information as soon as possible. Follow GRCA on social media for the most up-to-date information on upcoming events.

Throughout the past year and a half, I, like many other event planners around the world, have been researching hybrid events and how I can make them an incredible experience for everyone involved, whether they are in-person with us or individuals are tuning in from the comfort of their own home. I cannot wait to show you the cool ideas our team has up our sleeves for the hopeful end of this strange time! 

UPCOMING EVENT GRCA Annual Picnic 4 to 9pm, Tuesday, Aug. 3 at FirstEnergy Stadium, Reading.

Keith Mooney, Attorney

50 N. Fifth Street, 2nd Floor Reading, PA 19601 kmooney@barley.com 610-898-7155

What are you looking forward to in Reading this summer season and beyond in 2021?

A: It is refreshing to see a resurgence of events and activities being scheduled and taking place in Reading and the greater Reading area as the coronavirus pandemic subsides. As a volunteer with both Berks Arts (formerly Berks Arts Council) and the Reading Public Library, I’m looking forward to getting back into the community. Berks Arts will host its Bandshell Summer Concert Series which will take place in City Park in July. It will also be hosting Jazz Fest on August 13-22 and Blues Fest later this year in November. The Reading Public Library is set to host its annual Cocktails & Classics Fundraiser on October 1.

Keith is an attorney at Barley Snyder, concentrating his practice in the areas of real estate, construction, municipal and employment law. He is an active member of the Reading community, currently serving as the president of Berks Arts and vice president and board member of the Reading Public Library.

www.barley.com

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WYOMISSING PUBLIC LIBRARY 2021 KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY 1. Mark Ratcliffe & Stephanie Rawden. 2. Colleen & Scott Stamm. 3. Jeff & Tina Boyd. 4. Deana & Dr. Mark Reuben. 5. Bill & Vicki Jenckes. 6. Victoria & Howard Hafetz. 7. Eric & Lauren Darr. 8. John & Kathy Durante. 9. Q Grabias, Cynthia Lynn & Tracy Schott. 10. Marc Woodland, Wendy Dougherty & David Blum. 11. Adriane Hoke & Carol Fields. 12. Don Kidd & Jane Runyeon. 13. Christina Herrera, Shane & Becky Remp. 14. Joanne Zinger, Michele McCartney & Michele Miksiewicz. 15. John & Melissa Bertolet. 16. Jean & Chris Heinley. 17. Lauren & Josh Oswald. 18. Mark Ratcliffe, Karen & John Arnold. 19. Brian & Sarah Reedy. 20. Bill & Amy Combs. 21. Laura & Mark Waetjen. 22. John Herman, Lisa Tiger, Kate Herman & Kevin Wolfe. 23. James & Amanda Spencer. 24. Grant & Katie Skyllas. PHOTOS BY KRISTA MOYA PHOTOGRAPHY

BE SEEN! Did you attend a fabulous event with friends or co-workers? Share it with us! Send photos of your event for possible publication in the B Scene. Email photos in the form of a jpeg file as well as captions to BCLeditor@BerksCountyLiving.com for consideration. BONUS PHOTOS!

Check out BerksCountyLiving.com/ b-scene-photos for these and more photos.