Steve Buzalko used to be a postman and also served in the Army. But all of his life he loved woodworking, and finally realized that creating custom works of art -- furniture, built-ins, etc -- was his true calling. I am thrilled that he switched careers to follow a different path, as Buzalko Woodworking (Makers of fine furniture, cabinetry, and millwork) is a now a major name in Pottsville.
Steve has run Buzalko Woodworking since the mid-1980s and is he is the go-to guy for both residential and commercial custom-built furniture and cabinetry.
I asked Steve to create built-ins at my house a few years ago. I sketched an idea of what I had in mind, and Steve refined the sketch and made it come to life. The result is fantastic. My entry way used to be a dead area of wasted space. Now I have 2 large oak closets that bracket a seating bench, to take your shoes off. I love it. It's one of my favorite features of my house.
Steve has installed cabinetry at Murphy Jewelers in Hamburg, PA, and has worked on churches and large commercial sites, as well as small residential projects. If you go to the Murphy Jewelers site, you'll see a slide show of interior shots, and all that cabinetry is Steve's work. In fact, he is so busy right now, even in this economy, that he has a waiting list of projects. Most of his business comes from satisfied customers and word of mouth.
He usually takes measurements at the site, then creates the pieces in his home / shop just outside Pottsville, on the Gordon Nagle Trail, and returns to install them. It's not a quick process, as everything is made by hand, but when you see his work, you won't complain if it isn't done in a weekend. Quality is worth waiting for, and Steve's work is no exception.
Whenever one of my Schuylkill County real estate clients needs custom woodwork, I highly recommend Steve.
Erica Ramus is Broker/Owner of Realty Executives in Pottsville, PA
If you're looking for a PROFESSIONAL to represent you in all your real estate needs, call Realty Executives! We can meet all your buying / selling needs ... and will exceed your expectations. That's what being an EXECUTIVE is all about Serving all of Schuylkill County ... Pottsville, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Auburn, Pine Grove, Frackville, Minersville, Ashland, Shenandoah, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, St. Clair, Barnesville real estate
One of my favorite bars/restaurants in Pottsville, PA is Maroons Sports Bar.
Owned by Bob and Karen Dittmar, Maroons celebrates Pottsville's professional sports team -- NFL World Champions -- from the 1920s. To understand the amazing story of this team, click here and scroll down to read the history of the Maroons, and their stolen World Championship... and the real reason that the Cardinals will NEVER win a world championship (hint--until they return our trophy, they are "cursed"!)
But the city of Pottsville never gave up. While the story was sort of buried for years, just a few years ago an ESPN writer read of the "stolen championship" and he could not believe the story. David Fleming wrote a book that came out to wild accplaim here in Schuylkill County. Click here to read about Fleming's passion for this relatively unknown team, and his book BREAKER BOYS: The NFL's Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship.
A few years ago, thanks to the city's popular Elm Street Project Renovation Program and the hard work and investment by the Dittmars, Maroons opened downtown. A prior owner had bought the Pottsville real estate and opened a bar of the same name, that quickly closed. After a while being vacant, Bob and Karen purchased the place and totally renovated it from top to bottom. Today, it's more than just a corner bar.
It's a family friendly place, and I regularly take my family there for dinner on the we
ekends. My one son loves their wings, and their burgers are fantasic. The entire menu has a coal-cracker theme, with local attractions and towns given their own menu items. To read their menu, click here.
They have special themes on certain nights (Thursday is Seafood Night) and, as you can expect, the place is packed during sporting events, especially for big football games.
Several local service clubs, such as Pottsville Lions and Rotary Club of Pottsville also have meetings at Maroons, as they have a 2nd floor meeting area that can be rented for catering events or private parties. Maroons memorabilia--and sporting relics from other local teams--line the walls. To understand the history of the team, just read the walls.
This quote is from David Fleming's blog on ESPN, and he wrote this in 1997: "For 82 years the town of Pottsville has been fighting a David and Goliath battle with the NFL to get its title back. "It's one thing not to give the team the title it won and deserves," says Pottsville Area High School football coach Kevin Keating, the son and grandson of coal miners. "But there's no excuse for the way the NFL has treated this town. It wasn't necessary. It's beneath a league that prides itself on class and professionalism. The NFL should have more respect for the men who played the game, the men who paved the way and for the fans who helped make it what it is today."
Bob and Karen Dittmar's MAROONS SPORTS BAR & GRILL is a fine tribute to the memory of these great players, and a fine place to visit if you're ever in Pottsville, PA. They're right on Centre Street, on one of be best corner's in Pottsville real estate. You cannot miss them. Just find Centre Street and head north. And tell you Erica Ramus said the burgers are the best!
Erica Ramus is Broker/Owner of Realty Executives in Pottsville, PA
If you're looking for a PROFESSIONAL to represent you in all your real estate needs, call Realty Executives! We can meet all your buying / selling needs ... and will exceed your expectations. That's what being an EXECUTIVE is all about Serving all of Schuylkill County ... Pottsville, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Auburn, Pine Grove, Frackville, Minersville, Ashland, Shenandoah, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, St. Clair, Barnesville real estate
(background info used about Maroon's with permission of the owners--who are friends of mine!)
Last fall my oldest son turned 16, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd have to look for a vehicle for him. He wanted a tiny ragtop Jeep, but a truck is more practical for his lifestyle. He hunts, scuba dives, and does yardwork for friends and neighbors. So I called my buddy Jerry Enders, who owns Jerry's Northeast Auto Sales on Route 61, between Pottsville, PA and Schuylkill Haven.
Jerry had a number of good trucks on the lot, but Dakota immediately liked a maroon Ford F-150 with a bed cover. I told him if he passed his test, I'd buy him the truck, but if he failed I'd buy him the $800 clunker that was next to the truck. Needless to say, he passed.
Jerry and his wife Janet Enders have been a mainstay of the Pottsville business community for years. Jerry is Chairman of the city's annual Cruise (coming up this weekend in Pottsville, August 5-10, 2009). He is extremely active in the Pottsville Business Association, Pottsville Lions Club and the Schuylkill Visitor's Center. If there's something going on in town, chances are Jerry is involved in it to some extent.
I bought my vehicle from Jerry without checking other dealerships--because I know and trust Jerry. I knew he'd find the right vehicle for me, and give me a fair price. And he did. It was a local owned truck, and it turns out we even know the owner.
Jerry sells a complete line of quality front line pre-owned cars, trucks, vans and 4x4's. He says he has the area's largest selection of minivans (sorry, Jerry, but my minivan days are over!). All vehicles are fully serviced, inspected, and guaranteed and he provides the carfax report as well. He accepts trades and can hook you up with financing.
While some dealers have a limited stock right now, I see Jerry's lot is always filled with cars, and they rotate quickly. When we bought the truck, right after I called to tell him to set it aside for me, another buyer came in with cash and wanted the same vehicle, and offered Jerry more money to sell it immediately. With me he had to wait a week and he was getting less money, but he honored the deal we had made verbally. Thanks Jerry!
Erica Ramus is Broker/Owner of Realty Executives in Pottsville, PA
If you're looking for a PROFESSIONAL to represent you in all your real estate needs, call Realty Executives! We can meet all your buying / selling needs ... and will exceed your expectations. That's what being an EXECUTIVE is all about
Serving all of Schuylkill County ... Pottsville, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Auburn, Pine Grove, Frackville, Minersville, Ashland, Shenandoah, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, St. Clair, Barnesville real estate
When you're from Schuylkill County, you take for granted Yuengling beer. It's everywhere! All the local bars stock it, and it's one of the cheapest beers you can buy locally. But when you leave the area, and see Yuengling promoted as a premium beer, or Yuengling signs hanging in a bar in Florida, that's when you realize we have something special here.
Yuengling beer, proudly brewed in Pottsville, Pennsylvania since 1829, is America's Oldest Brewery, and still family owned.
Dick Yuengling made the news the other day (and the front page of our local paper in fact!) becuase he was interviewed by Neil Cavuto, who asked his thoughts on the fact that President Obama did not serve American-made beer at the "beer summit" he held this week at the White House. Yuengling was quoted in the paper: "I find it kind of strange" that Obama did not serve any beers produced by American-owned companies, Yuengling, owner of D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc., Pottsville, America's Oldest Brewery, said during a telephone interview with Neil Cavuto, host of "Your Views" on Fox News Channel.
On the website, the company states, "Through five generations we have remained unique among breweries, distinguished by its culture, heritage, traditions, and portfolio of brands. Now the sixth generation is actively learning the business from the ground floor up."
This is truly a local success story. On their website they publicize a timeline of the history of the beer, starting with founder David G. Yuengling's beginnings as "Eagle Brewery" in 1829.
One of the more interesting tidbits in the history of the beer is how they survived Prohibition. In 1919 when the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified, Yuengling switched production to near beer products to survive. In 1920 Yuengling then built a dairy directly opposite the brewery, and until a few years ago they produced ice cream products. In 1929 the firm celebrated the 100th anniversary of the brewery, with near beer the only product being produced. Finally, in 1933 Prohibition ended and thee brewery celebrated with the production of Winner Beer and shipped a truckload to President Franklin D. Roosevelt to show their thanks.
In my opinion, Yuengling should ship a truckload of various varieties of Yuengling beer to President Obama, and tell him to serve it at his next "beer summit."
Yuengling has several plants now, where it produces its beer. But the site they started brewing at in the 1800s, on Mahantongo Street in Pottsville, still operates. There are caves built into the mountain where the beer used to be stored, and if you take a tour of the plant, the caves are now open to be viewed. It's a great tour that ends with a complimentary tasting in the "Rathskellar."Tours are also given at the brewery in Tampa, Florida. For tour times, click here.
The Yuengling logo has been produced on many items, which can be purchased at the gift shop in person, or online.
One of the most intersting stories, however, is that a local National Guard troop was permitted to somehow blend the Yuengling logo/colors on their patch. Click here to read the whole story. How many beers can you say are represented on a National Guard patch?
There also is a 2009 commerative Martin Guitar that was specially produced this year, and is being promoted for Yuengling's 180th anniversary year.
The ironic thing is that many locals have never visited the famous brewery that put Pottsville on the map. But tourists come from far and wide all week long to tour America's Oldest Brewery. The brewery and gift shop are only a few blocks from my Pottsville real estate office, and when I drive up the street around tour times, you see cars parked all over the block with out of state license plates. When we have guests come to town, I try to make sure they experience the tour.
The Yuengling dairy / ice cream plant sits vacant now, across the street. It is a shame that the huge brick shell of a building is no longer being used. Perhaps some day an investor will find a use for it, as it would be a shame to see this piece of history disappear. Yuengling ice cream is no longer made, but I remember eating it at a local ice cream shop that had a sundae bar where you could make your own sundaes.
If you come to visit Pottsville, make sure to stop in and time your visit around the tours. It's well worth the trip!
Erica Ramus is Broker/Owner of Realty Executives in Pottsville, PA
If you're looking for a PROFESSIONAL to represent you in all your real estate needs, call Realty Executives!
We can meet all your buying / selling needs ... and will exceed your expectations. That's what being an EXECUTIVE is all about Serving all of Schuylkill County ... Pottsville, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Auburn, Pine Grove, Frackville, Minersville, Ashland, Shenandoah, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, St. Clair, Barnesville real estate
One of my favorite retail shops in the area is Buddy and Susie Touchinsky's Healthy Habits Natural Market, located on Route 61 near Orwigsburg, PA.
Buddy is also the owner and chiropractor of Blue Mountain Family Chiropractic (and his office is conveniently located right next to the store). Susie is an occupational therapist at Seton Manor in Orwigsburg. So they both have health-related backgrounds and the store is a natural extension of their professions.
Buddy says, "we are embarking on a mission to make it easier to be healthy. Healthy Habits Natural Market is a health food store, but it is also much more than that. We will take active involvement in community health and wellness promotion, having regular educational health lectures for the public. Not only will we offer health conscious products, but we will also offer the knowledge that will allow people to incorporate these products and others as part of a healthy lifestyle."
I stop in the store a few times a month, and love their Yogi Teas, fresh produce, and nuts. He recently started stocking fish as well, and I intend to try some of the fish he's having flown in from Alaska.
Here's a list of some of the items you'll find at Healthy Habits:
Natural Meats – Free range chicken (including eggs), pork, and beef products. Our main supplier is a family owned farm located near Hamburg, PA. Fresh Organic Produce – When possible, we will obtain our produce from two farms located just outside of Orwigsburg. Otherwise, we will work with our regional organic produce supplier, Paradise Organics. Frozen Organic Produce Dairy Products – Raw and organic cow and goat’s milk, cheese, butter, etc. (within PA Dept of Agriculture’s regulations) Dairy Substitutes – These include soy, almond, hazelnut, hemp, and oat milk. Tofu and Tempeh Hummus Wild Alaskan Salmon (and other fish) Nuts and Seeds – Raw and organic when possible. Whole Grains, Rice, Quinoa, etc. Flour and other baking products Oils – These include fish, flax, olive, coconut, borage, and others. Vinegar Teas and Coffee – A favorite section of ours with many great flavors and varieties to choose from. Spices, Seasonings, and Herbs Natural Sweeteners and Alternative to Sugar – These include agave nectar, local raw honey, xylitol, stevia, etc. Chocolate – Organic and high cocoa content (rich in antioxidants) Natural and Organic Beverages – 100% fruit juices, “green drinks”, sparkling water, etc. Pastas – Includes whole wheat, gluten free, rice pastas, and quinoa pasta. Cereals – Includes organic and healthy options to conventional cereals. Beans, Chili, Salsa, and Pasta Sauce Soups and Broths Condiments, Marinades, and Salad Dressings Healthy Snack Options – Includes trail mixes, nuts, crackers, chips, etc. Meal Replacement and Protein Bars – Healthy and good tasting brands such as Clif Bar, Macro Life Naturals and Bumble Bars. Sea Vegetables and Seasonings – Includes a variety of sea kelp and sea salt/seasonings. Frozen Meals – Convenient, Organic, and Healthy! Alternative Ingredients – Many people are allergic to wheat gluten, dairy, eggs, and other common food ingredients. We will offer a variety of substitutes that can be used in place of these ingredients. Breads – Whole grain, gluten free, etc. Pet Products – We are all huge animal lovers, so we have a variety of healthy and natural dog and cat foods and treats. Personal Care Products – These include facial creams, soaps, toothpaste, and much much more! We offer the entire line of Burt’s Bees products. Home Cleaning Products – Natural and less harsh than conventional cleaning products. Great for people that are sensitive to a variety of chemicals, detergents, and additives. Baby Foods and Products – Including Seventh Generation diapers and G Diapers! Homeopathic Products, Herbs, and Nutritional Supplements Educational Books, CDs, and DVDs
Buddy also hosts a number of special events and classes throughout the month. Here's what's going on at the store in August:
Tuesday, August 4 at 1pm Fatigue Support Group Join us for our second Fatigue Support Group meeting. The meeting begins at 1 pm, and admission is free. However, space is limited, and anyone interested in attending should call Healthy Habits at 366-2620. The group will discuss topics such as fatigue disorders, proper nutrition to combat fatigue and beneficial supplements. “Conditions such as chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia are often misunderstood by traditional medicine,” said Dr. Touchinsky. “This group will give people a chance to find real solutions to their problems.”
Saturday, August 8 at 11am Weight Loss Surgery Support Group Join others who have had Weight Loss Surgery or are considering surgery. We supply the supportive atmosphere for you to share the journey with others on a similar path. Tuesday, August 11 from 9am - Noon Recycled Art Day Bring the kids to the store to make their own artistic creations from recycled materials!
Thursday, August 20 at 11am Diakon Living & Learning After 50 Program Preview Daikon will present a program overview for the upcoming months. There is always something to do in Schuylkill County, find out more about the many opportunities for those 50 and over.
Monday, August 24 at 6:30pm Gluten Free Support Group Join others who are gluten free, share your experiences, recipes, product suggestions and tips to make the gluten free life easier!
Space is limited so let them know if you plan to attend programs by calling 570-366-2620 or emailing Beth at bethfligge@yahoo.com
Erica Ramus is Broker/Owner of Realty Executives in Pottsville, PA
If you're looking for a PROFESSIONAL to represent you in all your real estate needs, call Realty Executives! We can meet all your buying / selling needs ... and will exceed your expectations. That's what being an EXECUTIVE is all about
Serving all of Schuylkill County ... Pottsville, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Auburn, Pine Grove, Frackville, Minersville, Ashland, Shenandoah, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, St. Clair, Barnesville real estate
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