Chester County Briefs are concise reports on what’s happening around our county.

Schuylkill River Heritage Center Attempts to Revive the Phoenix Wheel

At a recent Phoenixville borough council meeting, Barbara Cohen, President of the Schuylkill River Heritage Center, asked the council to bring back the world’s oldest Ferris wheel, the Phoenix Wheel.

Built at the Phoenix Iron and Steel Company in 1895, parts of the attraction that gave rides for over 100 years can be found scattered around the borough. The wheel that was previously set up at Palace Amusements in Asbury Park in NJ and an amusement park in Biloxi in Mississippi was bought back by the Schuylkill River Heritage Center eight years ago, to start the restoration of its 16 baskets.

The cost of repair is estimated to be $360,000, with $160,000 of that already raised by the Heritage Center.

“Although the sponsorship of the wheel itself falls on our shoulders,” said Cohen. “This is something that can benefit the Borough of Phoenixville economically, culturally and historically.”

CertainTeed’s Home Exterior Visualization Tool Launches

North America’s leading brand of building products, Malvern’s CertainTeed, has improved its array of home design visualization tools by adding products to its mobile version of the ColorView Exterior Style and Color Selector.

The new ColorView Mobile app was created expressly for the iPad, and it makes it easy for users to experiment with different exterior product style and color combinations. Users start by uploading a picture of their home or choosing a stock photo, they can then mask over the walls and roof with virtual layers of CertainTeed vinyl and polymer siding and roofing shingles, as well as customize nearly any part of the home before saving their design for future use.

“The popularity of smart device apps was a chief factor in our decision to add siding products and paint colors to the mobile version of ColorView,” commented Matt Gibson, marketing director for CertainTeed Siding.

Chester County Intermediate Unit Announces Summer Career Academies

The Summer Career Academies from the Chester County Intermediate Unit are hands-on programs that are intended to captivate students from grades six to nine, giving them a fun and safe environment in which to explore their career ideas in professional learning labs with experienced professionals.

Offered in weeklong sessions from late June through early August, the Summer Career Academies are full day programs starting at 9:00 a.m. through to 3:30 p.m., with lunch included. The cost of a one week session is $55.

The topics of offer range from Animal Science and Health Careers to Electronics & Robotics and Recreational Vehicles & Engine Technology. This summer’s academies will take place at two nearby locations, the Technical College High School Brandywine Campus in Downingtown and TCHS Pennock’s Bridge Campus in West Grove.

For more information or to register visit www.cciu.org/summer.