Carlisle Residents Face Home-Rule Question: Primary Focus

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Cumberland County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Carlisle, Tuesday’s ballot won’t be just about filling the borough’s elective offices.

Residents are also being asked whether they want to embark on a study of home rule, the municipal equivalent of a constitutional convention.

Council voted in January to place a question on the May primary ballot asking whether a study commission should be formed to explore whether it makes sense for Carlisle to adopt its own charter for local government, and replace some of the current limitations imposed by the state’s borough code.

The issue got some legs after last year’s arrest of former borough tax collector George Hicks on drug charges, and a resulting examinations that found Hicks had done a shoddy job of record-keeping.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/carlisle_borough_residents_fac.html

Greek Festival Kicks Off In Wormleysburg With Gyros, Baklava And Music

80-ply dough baklava (which is usually 40-ply), speciality of Beypazarı district of Ankara,Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Plenty of people are getting their Greek on this weekend.

Shortly before the 11 a.m. start of the Capital Region Greek Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Wormleysburg this morning, customers were lining up for gryos, baklava and lamb dinners.

It’s a little known secret – you can arrive early at the festival at 1000 Yverdon Drive to beat the rush.

“It’s a beautiful day. It’s perfect for this,” said Donna Angeloff of Willamstown.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/05/greek_festival_wormleysburg_1.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Gas Prices Likely To Continue To Increase Then Calm Down After Memorial Day

Locator map of the Harrisburg metro area in the south central part of the of . Red denotes the Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, and yellow denotes the Lebanon Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon CSA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The lowest price for gas in the area continues to be $3.29 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.

That price is available at Kwik Fill, Sheetz and Giant in the Mechanicsburg area; Hess stations in the Carlisle area; Costco in Lower Paxton Township; B.J.’s in Camp Hill and Sunoco and Kwik Way in the Carlisle area.

The Harrisburg area average price today is $3.40 a gallon, 1 cent higher than yesterday, 7 cents lower than a month ago and 23 cents lower than a year ago.

The state average price is $3.46 and the national average is $3.59.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/gas_prices_likely_to_continue.html#incart_river_default

Interstate 81 Should Reopen In Harrisburg By Tuesday Morning, PennDOT Officials Say

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Under ideal circumstances, transportation officials hope to reopen all lanes of Interstate 81 underneath the ramp damaged by last week’s tanker fire by early Tuesday morning.

“Our goal will be [to reopen I-81] for the Tuesday morning rush,” said Mike Keiser, the area district executive for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation during a news conference Sunday at the scene of the fire on I-81, near Exit 67.

“I-81 should be back to full lanes in all directions by Tuesday,” he said.

Keiser also announced the completion of crossover lanes splitting the two westbound lanes of Route 22 into a single eastbound and a single westbound lane.  Access to Harrisburg via the crossover should be available after 4 p.m. Sunday, Keiser said.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/interstate_81_should_be_open_i.html#incart_river_default

Area Truckers Not Troubled By I-81/Route 322 Shutdown After Tanker Fire

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Just like Harrisburg area commuters, the local trucking industry is being inconvenienced by the shutdown of I-81 and Route 322, but it hasn’t been hamstrung by the subsequent delays.

Trucking executives say they’ve been able to comfortably plot new routes for their fleets of 18-wheelers around the area affected by Thursday’s explosive truck accident, and haven’t experienced anything more than a couple hours delay.

“It somewhat limits our ability to conduct business as usual,” said Jim Germak, president of Jagtrux in Marietta. “The gridlock in Harrisburg is something we have to deal with just like everybody else.  But it’s not a total panic.”

Germak, who oversees a fleet of 40 trucks that transport materials for a range of customers such as Armstrong ceiling tile in Lancaster, said his drivers suffer from the shutdown most during the day, and particularly during the morning and evening rush hours when traffic jams can extend truck trips up to two hours.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/area_truckers_not_troubled_by.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Road Repairs Could Take At Least Two Months After Tanker Fire On Interstate 81

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Damage from a fuel tanker explosion near the interchange of Interstate 81 and Route 22/322 will cost tens of millions and shut down a small section of road for two months or more, state officials said Thursday afternoon.

Earlier Thursday morning, a fuel tanker exploded and rolled over on the highway, causing what Gov. Tom Corbett believes is the worst damage to a Pennsylvania highway since a tire fire off I-95 near Philadelphia in 1996.

Both directions of I-81 from Route 581 in Cumberland County to I-81/83 split in Dauphin County are closed.  Officials said they expect it to reopen in time for the Monday morning commute.

The ramp from northbound I-81 to westbound Route 22/322 remains closed.  Eastbound Route 22 through the interchange toward the City of Harrisburg remains closed.

Read more and see pictures:   http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/harrisburg_bridges_shut_throug.html#incart_m-rpt-1

SEC Case Against Harrisburg Falls Short For Exempting Finance Pros, Some Say

Seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

HARRISBURG, PA – No one answered the phone or the door at former Mayor Steve Reed’s home Tuesday nearly 24 hours after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a settlement with Pennsylvania’s capital city over fraud charges rooted in activity during his administration.

Some public finance and securities experts saw the settlement – dubbed “toothless” by one – as a warning to municipalities that consequences await them if investors are misled by false or incomplete financial statements from local governments.

Others, however, criticized SEC for failing to hold the city’s hired advisers to account.

“Reed ran the city, (current Mayor Linda) Thompson (is running) the city,” said Mark Schwartz, a former bond lawyer who previously represented Harrisburg City Council on its ultimately rejected bankruptcy petition. “There is a ‘buck stops there’ liability for (city leaders), but the people who do the work are bond lawyers.  These are bonds that never should have been issued.  Reed cannot issue bonds on his own.  Professionals were abysmal in terms of fulfilling their responsibilities to investors and they have gotten off scot-free.  They’ve made millions.”

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/fsec_case_against_harrisburg_l.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Violent Crime Wave Continues With 3 More Shootings, Robberies In Harrisburg

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Within hours of Harrisburg police’s first foot patrol to curb the city’s most recent wave of violent crime, police responded to three more shootings and several robberies.

As of Wednesday afternoon, police had arrested two male teenagers, a 17-year-old and a 14-year-old, as well as a 23-year-old man in connection with the crimes, and additional charges are likely as the investigation continues, city police Chief Pierre Ritter said.

Speaking from the site of the latest foot patrol in the Allison Hill neighborhood Wednesday afternoon, Ritter addressed the department’s need to keep up with criminals, who he said are quick to target areas far away from planned police enforcement zones.

“What we’re seeing happen is, when we make foot patrols in one area, these guys go to another area to commit crime,” Ritter said. “Criminals are becoming more and more mobile.”

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/post_562.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Harrisburg Neighborhood Safety Zone Program Nabs 16 Guns, Cites Over 150 Code Violations

HARRISBURG — Police confiscated a gun, wrote nine traffic tickets and issued 100 citations for property code violations during the third phase of the capital city’s Neighborhood Safe Zone initiative.

The eight-day crackdown on crime targeted North Sixth Street between Radnor and Woodbine streets, and along North Fourth Street from Radnor to Jefferson streets, Mayor Linda Thompson said.

Thompson spoke during a news conference Tuesday to provide an update on the NSZ program launched two months ago.

Modeled after initiatives in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the program increases enforcement in specific areas for a brief duration: police crack down on crime, then code enforcement officers survey properties for violations — resulting in everything from littering citations to deeming structures unfit for human habitation — and illegal dumping.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/04/harrisburg_neighborhood_safety.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Will Dauphin County Create The State’s First Land Bank To Fight Blight?

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Dauphin County Commissioners will begin discussing legislation Wednesday to become the first municipality in the state to create a land bank authority to clean up vacant and blighted properties.

A land bank allows a government agency — in this case as part of the Dauphin County Redevelopment Authority – to acquire properties that are abandoned, run down and whose owners are delinquent on property tax payments.  The land bank could then rehabilitate the property and resell it or demolish the building for some kind of green space.

Land banks have been used to revitalize communities in Michigan, the Cleveland area and around Atlanta, among other places.  In year, Gov. Tom Corbett signed the Land Bank Act, hoping that municipalities here would have similar success.  City councils in Reading and Philadelphia have discussed creating land banks, as have several counties, but so far none have.

The county commissioners will discuss the measure at their weekly 10 a.m. meeting, and are expected to hold a vote next week.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/04/will_dauphin_county_create_the.html#incart_river_default

Harrisburg Mayoral Race: The Bottom Line On Bankruptcy

Harrisburg mayoral candidate Eric Papenfuse has suggested entering bankruptcy would hand control of the city over to an unelected federal judge, but that’s just not true.

Even in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy for businesses, the judge does not take over operation of the company, notes Widener law professor Juliet Moringiello. In a Chapter 9 filing for municipalities, the powers of the judge are even more limited.

Separating fact from fiction is not always easy as bankruptcy becomes a talking point in the Harrisburg mayoral election.

The Patriot-News has talked to a number of bankruptcy experts, including people involved with the Harrisburg Receiver’s negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on the record about the process.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/04/harrisburg_mayoral_race_the_bo.html

Latrobe Air Traffic Control Tower To Close

250 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The air traffic control tower at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe will close, along with 148 others at small airports nationwide, as the Federal Aviation Administration cuts $637 million from its budget by November.

The closures will not force airports to shut down, but pilots will now coordinate takeoffs and landings by radio without ground controllers’ help.

“We will work with the airports and the operators to ensure the procedures are in place to maintain the high level of safety at non-towered airports,” FAA administrator Michael Huerta said in a news release.

Spirit Airlines — which flies out of Latrobe to Dallas, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla. — plans to operate a normal schedule, airline spokeswoman Misty Pinson said.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/westmoreland/latrobe-air-traffic-control-tower-to-close-680511/#ixzz2ONMqa1Kx

Voters Saddle Governor Corbett With Dismal Midterm Grade

Standard of the Governor of Pennsylvania http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-pa.html#gov (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since a 1968 constitutional revision allowed Pennsylvania governors to seek a second term, every one of them has, and all five have been successful.

Gov. Tom Corbett has said he intends to keep the two-term tradition alive, but poll numbers released last week underscore the possibility that he could break that winning streak.

A Public Policy Polling survey noted that voters gave him some of the lowest approval numbers of any incumbent the organization has tested across the country.  Although his decision to sue the National Collegiate Athletic Association over the draconian sanctions it imposed on Penn State University has proved popular with the state’s voters (despite widespread condemnation by editorial boards), the support for his legal decision has not translated to a boost in his personal popularity.  According to the archives of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll, his midterm job performance numbers were the lowest approval of any recent Pennsylvania governor.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/voters-saddle-gov-corbett-with-dismal-midterm-grade-670203/#ixzz2Huxy3OZJ

Norristown Makes FBI’s 100 Most Dangerous Cities List

Location of Norristown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our research reveals the 100 most dangerous cities in America with 25,000 or more people, based on the number of violent crimes per 1,000 residents. Violent crimes include murder, forcible rape, armed robbery, and aggravated assault.  Data used for this research are 1) the number of violent crimes reported to the FBI to have occurred in each city, and 2) the population of each city. See our FAQ on how we rank the most dangerous cities

Norristown ranked number 68

Other Pennsylvania cities on list list include:

Philadelphia at number 50

Harrisburg at number 30

Chester at number 19

York at number 18

Nearby New Jersey cities:  Camden was number 2, Atlantic City was number 7, and Trenton was number 29

To see the entire list, click here:   http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/neighborhoods/crime-rates/top100dangerous/

Local Bakers’ Angel Food Cake Judged Heavenly

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The key to a good angel food cake is timing.

That’s what Robert Wenger says.

The eggs must be kept at the right temperature, you can’t over beat them and you have to keep a careful eye over the cake while it’s in the oven, he said.

Those tips helped Wenger of Adamstown take home third place in the Pennsylvania Farm Show’s Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=442720

Pennsylvania Farm Show Celebrates ‘Made In Pa.’ – Starts January 5th

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s not only the largest indoor agricultural event in the nation but it’s probably the only place to see square dancing tractors.

It’s the 97th Pennsylvania Farm Show, all set to run Jan. 5-12 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, where (among other things) two teams of two callers and 16 drivers will maneuver their tractors around the Large Arena in time to music.

It’s just one entertaining attraction during the eight-day event, which will feature some 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits and 300 commercial exhibitors.

This year’s Farm Show theme is “Made in PA.  It makes a difference,” a motto designed to drive home just how big a role agriculture plays in our lives and how it is driving the state’s economy.

Read more:   http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/kids/mc-pennsylvania-farm-show-preview-20130102,0,2643314.story

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Triumphs At Giant Center

I attended the 4:00 pm Trans-Siberian Orchestra show at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA this afternoon.  I have always been a big fan of TSO but have never been to one of their concerts.  Now I am an even bigger fan!

The concert lasted two hours and 35 minutes.  It’s divided into two parts.  Their new Christmas production, The Lost Christmas Eve and then after an introduction of the band and singers, they played a string of their songs from previous albums.  They ended with their Carol of the Bells/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen mash-up (which gets played on the radio a great deal this time of year).

Musically, I think they are superb.  Their level of talent is phenomenal and the music speaks for itself.  What you miss out on by not seeing them live is their incredible stage production.  All is can say is, WOW!  Lasers, strobes, fog, fire, pyrotechnics, elevated platforms and musicians running through the audience playing, is just some of what you can expect.  It is sensory overload, but in a good way.  I just saw Australian Pink Floyd at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA last month.  They have an amazing stage production and laser light show but it was nothing like what we were treated to by TSO!  This was Pink Floyd on steroids!

The crowd was into it and TSO really fed off of our energy.  They were doing a second show at 8:00 pm!  People were waiting to get in as we were leaving.  I bet they get an equally great show.  You can tell this group of musicians loves what they do!  They were having a great time entertaining us.

The tickets were very reasonably priced and my friends and I felt we got great value for our money based on the length of the show, the stage production and quality of the music.

I give two Roy’s Rants thumbs up to TSO and highly recommend you go to one of their concerts if you are a fan.  You won’t be sorry!

To check out TSO tour dates or learn more about the group, you can visit their website here: http://www.trans-siberian.com/

Rewrite Of Pennsylvania Property Tax Sale Laws Is Tool In Blight Fight

Map of Pennsylvania, showing major cities and roads (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  This can’t happen soon enough!

HARRISBURG – Affordable housing advocates are urging a reform of Pennsylvania’s property tax sale laws to help fight blight in both large cities and small towns.

They want to overhaul a system that allows speculators to obtain a lien on property at tax sales by paying delinquent taxes and yet not go the next step and obtain clear title.

Other legislation being sought would give long-standing residents the opportunity to take ownership of homes in cases where the recorded owner has abandoned them and put more restrictions on who can bid at property tax sales.

Rewriting archaic tax sale laws that date to the 1920s and 1940s is seen as a way to help fiscally distressed cities rebuild their tax bases and help get newly authorized land banks off the ground.

Read more:  http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/rewrite-of-property-tax-sale-laws-is-tool-in-blight-fight-1.1414337

Lancaster General Health Compensation: Plenty, But Not Out Of Line

For the guy who just opened a $300 bill from Lancaster General Health for five minutes worth of blood work, the six- and seven-figure compensation for top LGH officials may be enough to get that blood boiling.

But LGH’s compensation appears to be in line with industry standards.  In fact, you might make a case that Lancaster General President and CEO Tom Beeman is underpaid.

To put LGH compensation in context, Lancaster Newspapers compared it with compensation at five regional hospitals or health systems about the same size as Lancaster General: Wellspan Health, in York County; Pinnacle Health, in Dauphin County; Reading Health, in Berks County; Lehigh Valley Health, in Lehigh County; and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, also in Dauphin County.

The figures show that Beeman got less than the top executives at four of the five comparable institutions.

In 2010, Beeman made $1.35 million in total compensation.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/791279_LGH-compensation–Plenty–but-not-out-of-line.html#ixzz2EfKsV6QH

HACC Placed On Accreditation Warning Status

The accrediting organization overseeing Harrisburg Area Community College has placed the system on warning status.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education found HACC was lacking in three of its 14 criteria during the five-year periodic review.

But HACC and Middle States officials emphasized the system, which includes a York campus, is not in any immediate danger of losing its accreditation, which allows a college to grant diplomas.

The periodic review, done halfway after HACC was given its 10-year accreditation, helps make sure a college is fulfilling its obligations, said Middle States spokesman Richard Pokrass.

HACC had issues in the areas of Institutional Assessment, which deals with how well a college can monitor and show it’s doing everything it says its doing; Assessment of Student Learning, which deals with a collegetracking classroom learning and having a system to improve instruction; and General Education.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/787730_HACC-placed-on-accreditation-warning-status-.html#ixzz2DjFwCK3s