Lancaster City Wants To Be A Haven For Bicyclists

Bicyclists are being welcomed onto Red Rose Transit buses, businesses are opening their doors to bikes or designating parking areas for them, and city officials are considering ways to improve bicycle transportation.

During May, national bike month, efforts are being made around Lancaster city to enhance cycling safety and promote cycling as a form of transportation.

For example, during National Bike to Work Week, May 13-17, RRTA is offering free rides to bicyclists.  They can mount their bikes on the racks on the front of the buses and ride in and out of the city without charge during the work week.

Each rack holds two bikes, RRTA marketing manager Jennifer Boley said.  Additional bikes may be carried in the aisle.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/847168_Lancaster-city-wants-to-be-a-haven-for-bicyclists.html#ixzz2Sl7ekt41

Pittsburgh Marathon: Let The Running Begin

A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Runners, lace up your shoes, pin on your race number and make your way Downtown to the starting line. Pittsburgh is ready for you.

The course is set, winding 26.2 miles through 13 city neighborhoods.  The bands, musical accompaniment to aching muscles, are booked.  Medical teams will be out in force, traffic will be diverted and security measures, fine-tuned after the Boston Marathon attacks, will be in place.

A race that was on hiatus for the five years before 2009 is now a rite of spring, and this weekend, the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon marks its fifth year back in Pittsburgh with a record registration.  A year’s work, planning that started after the final runner crossed the finish line last year, will be showcased as the first runner steps over the starting line this weekend.

Race director Patrice Matamoros, speaking Friday at a news conference, said the city is ready.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/let-the-running-begin-686207/#ixzz2SL13YOOH

Allentown Hockey Arena Zone Businesses Putting Up Money For Downtown Improvements, Facades

The PPL Building (seen here in the distance) is the tallest building in Allentown, Pennsylvania. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Conscious that the borders of Allentown’s new arena district could become a visible dividing line between the haves and have nots, two downtown businesses are pumping $300,000 into the neighborhood just outside the arena zone.

City Center Investment Corp. will donate $200,000 and PPL will kick in $100,000 to help as many as 30 businesses along Hamilton Street remake their storefronts.

The deal comes as city and community leaders have spent months considering how to help the massive tax incentives undergirding the $272 million arena, hotel and office complex spill into the struggling communities just outside the Neighborhood Improvement Zone.

Under the program, businesses along Hamilton Street, between 10^th and 12^th streets — the first two blocks outside the NIZ — can get grants of roughly $15,000 to reface their shops.  By the time city officials finished their 20-minute news conference Monday to announce the program, six eligible businesses had already expressed interest in the free money.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-allentown-hockey-arena-facades-20130429-55,0,6163711.story

Allentown Arena Construction On Schedule, Mayor Is Pleased

English: City of Allentown from east side (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Six years ago Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, his city still smarting from losing the Sands casino to Bethlehem, first suggested that an arena might make a fine consolation prize.

Pawlowski on Wednesday, standing at the city’s $272 million arena complex, surrounded by dust and gravel, hard hats and heavy machines, looked downright satisfied.

With construction in full swing, steel and concrete rising from what was once a block of low-end stores and for a time just a muddy hole at Seventh and Hamilton streets, Pawlowski, media in tow, got his first tour of a project that he has been trying to make a reality for most of his time in office.

“It really is amazing when you think about going from the conceptual stage to something that is physically under construction,” Pawlowski said afterward.  ”I wanted to show the amount of planning that has really gone into this construction process.”

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-allentown-hockey-arena-site-tour-20130424,0,2991685.story

Jim Thorpe Faces Losing Its Namesake

English: Postcard picture from 1915 of a “bird’s eye view” of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, then known as “Mauch Chunk”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

JIM THORPE, PA – Stewart Counterman stopped by Jim Thorpe’s tomb Monday afternoon after hearing the legendary athlete’s body might soon be moved.

Despite never having set foot in the town that now bears his name, the pro football pioneer and double-Olympic gold medalist provided the community a sense of purpose when it seemed to have none.

“It’s something that is really important,” said Counterman, of Lehighton, standing in the shadow of Thorpe’s red granite mausoleum.  “It’s something that we’re going to miss if it’s not here.”

In 1954, the struggling mining towns of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk were looking for a way to put themselves back on the map.  They made a deal with Thorpe’s widow Patricia, united under Thorpe’s name, and gave him the fitting tribute and final resting place his native Oklahoma would not.

Read more:   http://www.timesleader.com/news/news/456773/Jim-Thorpe-faces-losing-its-namesake

NEPA Lagging In Bicyclist-Friendly Roadways

WILKES-BARRE — The desire for more bicycle-friendly paths in Luzerne County — from lanes on roads to other areas designated specifically for cyclists — is strong, according to enthusiasts.

The ability to implement them, many advocates have found, is not as robust.  Cycling enthusiasts say Northeastern Pennsylvania is behind the times in welcoming

Counties constituting Northeastern Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

to share the road, even though they have a legal right in the commonwealth.

“We’re way behind the rest of the world as far as having the facilities to be able to ride, especially on the road,” said Louie Colarusso, a bike technician at Sickler’s Bike and Sport Shop in Exeter.  “The majority of cities in America have bike lanes, and in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton you’re taking your life in your hands every time.”

Phil Cable, store manager of Sickler’s, said he lives in the borough and bikes to work when possible.  Drivers are generally friendly, but sharing the road is a two-way street.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/444128/NEPA-lagging-in-bicyclist-friendly-roadways

Olympic Gold Medalist Misty May-Treanor Coming To Pottstown Rumble

President George W. Bush hits a volleyball back to U.S. Women’s Beach Volleyball team member Misty May-Treanor, left, during his visit to the Chaoyang Park practice courts Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008, before the U.S. team began their matches at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  Very exciting news.

POTTSTOWN — Take a deep breath, Pottstown Rumble fans.

Misty May-Treanor, who with her partner Kerri Walsh Jennings has won three Olympic gold medals in beach volleyball, is coming to Pottstown for the 22nd Pottstown Rumble, June 21-23.

When it comes to the best players in beach volleyball, they don’t come any better or more famous and admired worldwide than May-Treanor and Jennings.

May-Treanor retired after the 2012 Summer Games in London after the pair won gold in 2004, 2008, and 2012.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130419/NEWS01/130419063/olympic-gold-medalist-misty-may-treanor-coming-to-pottstown-rumble#full_story

Hysterical Interview Of Ryan Lochte On Good Day Philadelphia

The interview is funny but after Ryan is done watch Sheinelle Jones laugh so hard she cries, snorts and they go to break.  Ryan has a new reality show on E! which he is promoting, hence the interview.

Click here:  http://www.myfoxphilly.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8787217

Reading Fightin Phils Set To Make Home Debut

The Reading Fightin Phils are off and running – maybe not quite as fast as last season, when they matched the best start in club history by winning their first five games and seven of their first eight, but they’ve gotten off to a positive start.

The Phillies won four times on a season-opening seven-game road trip to New Hampshire and Portland.  Not bad, considering how young the club is and how badly things started, with a 9-0 loss Opening Night.

Reading manager Dusty Wathan, whose roster includes 10 players making their Double-A debuts and 12 who are 23 or younger, said he likes what he’s seen the first week of the season.

“I think we’ve done a great job of being aggressive on the bases, of putting pressure on the defense,” said Wathan. “We, as an organization, want to emphasize that aggressiveness (this year).  We’ve been taking extra bases, our steal attempts are up.  I like the way we’ve been aggressive on the base paths.”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=468571

With No Sellout For Opener, Commissioners Pump Up RailRiders Debut

Locator map of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area in the northeastern part of the of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With Opening Day for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders fast approaching, the Lackawanna County commissioners raved about the new PNC Field and plans for the baseball season at their meeting Wednesday.

They said fans will love the new $43.3 million stadium and its amenities, though plenty of tickets remain for the return of minor league baseball to the region on April 4.

Commissioner Jim Wan-sacz said club- and suite-level seats are sold out for the next three years, but conventional seating is still available.

“There’s probably about another 2,000 tickets available for opening day,” Mr. Wansacz said. The stadium seats 10,000.

Read more:  http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/with-no-sellout-for-opener-commissioners-pump-up-railriders-debut-1.1464686

Pittsburgh Lands U.S. Gymnastics Championships

English: Consol Energy Center (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, catered to a Pittsburgh audience by wearing a Penguins No. 14 jersey — not for Chris Kunitz, who wears that number, but to help root the Penguins to a 14th win in a row tonight.

And he called the 2014 U.S. gymnastics championships, which will be held at Consol Energy Center, “the annual Super Bowl of our sport.”

But Penny, in formally announcing the national event at a news conference Wednesday at the arena, is convinced that America’s version of his sport, particularly women’s gymnastics, is every bit as dominant as the Penguins and Steelers have been.

“I’m beginning to talk about our women’s program as having established a dynasty in our sport,” Penny said.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/more-sports/pittsburgh-consol-land-us-championships-681183/#ixzz2OqUd0aIi

Two Teenage Girls Face Charges For Threats After Steubenville Rape Trial

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Two teens accused of sending threatening messages on social media following the Steubenville rape trial will appear in court on the charges later this month.

Steubenville police were notified about the posts, both on Twitter, and on Monday arrested the 16-year-old girl, a relative of Ma’lik Richmond. The 15-year-old turned herself in the same day, Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said.

Ma’lik and another Steubenville High School football player, Trent Mays, were found guilty Sunday of raping a 16-year-old girl after a drunken party in August.

The girls appeared at a detention preceding this morning in Jefferson County Juvenile Court. They are charged with intimidation of a victim, a felony, aggravated menacing and telecommunications harassment, both misdemeanors.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/breaking/two-teenage-girls-face-charges-for-threats-after-steubenville-rape-trial-679963/#ixzz2O18PJ1dA

2 Ohio HS Football Players Convicted Of Raping Drunken Girl; Charges Against Others Possible

Map of Ohio (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Two members of Steubenville’s celebrated high school football team were found guilty Sunday of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl, and Ohio’s attorney general warned the case isn’t over, saying he is investigating whether coaches, parents and other students broke the law, too.

Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’Lik Richmond, 16, were sentenced to at least a year in juvenile prison in a case that has rocked this Rust Belt city of 18,000 and led to allegations of a cover-up to protect the Steubenville High team, which has won nine state championships. Mays was ordered to serve an additional year for photographing the underage girl naked.

They can be held until they turn 21.

The two broke down in tears after a Juvenile Court judge delivered his verdict. They later apologized to the victim and the community, Richmond struggling to speak through his sobs.

Read more:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/rape-trial-of-2-ohio-high-school-football-players-ends-judge-to-announce-verdict-sunday/2013/03/16/1b282264-8e9b-11e2-adca-74ab31da3399_story.html

Bethlehen Mayor John Callahan Apologizes To Wrestling Ref Who Ejected Him

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

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan apologized Monday to the referee who ejected him from a high school wrestling match over the weekend, a story that media sites across the country picked up.

In an email, Callahan said he should have handled “the incident better no matter how I felt about the calls made during the match” and said he respects that the referee, Dennis Buchman, has “the right to call the match the way he sees it.”

“That said, both Mr. Buchman and I agree that this was a minor incident that has become overblown and unfortunately took away from the great effort and dedication shown by the young men who participated in the tournament,” Callahan said. “I hope that this will no longer distract from the real issues facing Bethlehem and Northampton County.”

Callahan did not return a telephone call seeking a comment.

Read more:

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-bethlehem-mayor-apologizes-over-wrestling-eject-20130225,0,1969119.story

Go For It: Pittsburgh Should Explore A Summer Olympics Bid

Dream big, Pittsburgh.

Duquesne University’s view of the Pittsburgh skyline. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As in Olympic gold.

The invitation from the U.S. Olympic Committee for this city to be among 35 in the country to bid for the 2024 Summer Games is a privilege.  More than that, it’s an opportunity and Pittsburgh should go for it.

Sure, the odds look long. But who, 11 years prior to 2009, could have conceived of Pittsburgh hosting the G-20 Summit?  Not possible, people would have said.  Not here, would have been the reaction.  Get aht.

Likewise, who, 11 years prior to 1996, could have conceived of Atlanta hosting the Summer Olympics?  No doubt not many Atlantans, yet now that city is the capital of the New South and everything has changed.  So it could be with Pittsburgh.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/editorials/go-for-it-pittsburgh-should-explore-a-summer-olympics-bid-676446/#ixzz2LdoHfvud

Sovereign Center Concert Ticket Sales Rise

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

Among the world’s top 200 arenas, the Sovereign Center ranked 160th for concert ticket sales in 2012, beating larger arenas such as the Giant Center in Hershey and the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, according to Pollstar, the concert tour industry’s leading trade publication.

The Sovereign Center also beat itself, moving up 30 places from its 190th ranking in 2011, general manager Zane Collings told the Berks County Convention Center Authority on Thursday.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=454240

Reading To Take Proposals To Run Egelman Park; Current Operator Objects

Egelman Park is one of the city’s most valuable parks, so it’s time to end the current lease and take proposals from new groups to run it this summer, City Council and Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer’s administration agreed Monday.

That didn’t sit well with Randy Gaston, who has a 25-year lease that runs through 2018.

He and his East Reading Athletic Association have run the Egelman concessions and baseball fields for 20 years.

Contacted after the meeting, Gaston said he can’t run the youth baseball program if he doesn’t have a field.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=452211

Baseball: Piazza Coming To Collegeville In Support Of Autobiography ‘Long Shot’

English: baseball legend Mike Piazza (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

COLLEGEVILLE — The book is appropriately named.

This week, when “Long Shot” is officially released, a lot of the questions baseball fans have had about Mike Piazza and, of course, all the questions the media has asked Mike Piazza as well as the controversial stories they’ve written about the former Major League star, will be addressed in it.

And the Phoenixville High School graduate — a 62nd round draft choice of the Los Angeles Dodgers who became the greatest hitting catcher in the game before retiring just over five years ago — will be putting his signature on the autobiography during a book signing 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Towne Book Center and Café just off Route 29.

It will be Piazza’s only appearance in Pennsylvania during the publisher’s media tour.

Read more:  http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130210/SPORTS03/130219996/baseball-piazza-coming-to-collegeville-in-support-of-autobiography-long-shot-#full_story

A Super Bowl Victory That Was Baltimore To The Bone

English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With a parade on Tuesday, the city will celebrate a world championship that was Baltimore to the bone — perfectly imperfect, an overachievement by an underdog and a surprise to sneering outsiders.

“I tell you what, we don’t make it easy,” said an uncharacteristically eloquent Joe Flacco as the Ravans quarterback held the Lombardi trophy, savored his selection as the Super Bowl’s most valuable player and, in this town, elevation to Johnny Unitas status.  ”But that’s the way the city of Baltimore is, that’s the way we are.  We did this for them back home.

Though it started out that way, there was nothing easy about the Ravens’ win in the Big Easy.  Even the lights went out in the Superdome.

Read more:   http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-rodricks-0205-20130204,0,1206003.column

Tuned In: Super Bowl Ads Largely Disappoint

With no team to cheer for in the Super Bowl, sometimes it really can be the commercials that are the draw. But the spots during this year’s big game didn’t leave viewers with much to discuss.  Fortunately, the third-quarter blackout — and the game itself — should fill the void around workplace water coolers this morning.

This year’s ads cost about $3.8 million per 30-second spot, and even with all that money it’s unlikely a commercial from last night’s Super Bowl XLVII will emerge to stand the test of time.

The usual trends — animals, children, ads for big-budget movies — continued and were joined by spots that encouraged viewers to: Vote for a sequel ad online (Coke), sign up online to get a free soft drink (Pepsi Next) and visit online promo sites (many, many ads).  Viewers who don’t watch TV while on the computer simultaneously surely felt left out.

Although viewers may disagree on the best ad during the Super Bowl, it seems likely Americans will come together to declare the Bud Black Crown ads the worst.  The ads, set in a club with supposedly hip people — “the loud, the savvy, the famous” — made it look like anyone who consumes this beer will instantly be transformed into one of these pompous, poser jerks.  Who wants that?

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv-radio/tuned-in-super-bowl-ads-largely-disappoint-673351/#ixzz2Jy5AFqpm