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Philly Flower Show Lost $1.2 Million, And Leader Blames TV

Roy — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:47:37 +0000

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society usually makes about $1 million in profits from the Philadelphia Flower Show.

But not this year.

The 2013 show actually fell short about $1.2 million, not an unprecedented event in its 184-year history but a short-term disaster for the many urban “greening” programs it supports. PHS president Drew Becher is now scrambling to cut costs – and to raise $1 million for programs and $200,000 for Flower Show expenses from PHS members and an insurance policy.

For all this, he blames local TV and radio stations.

With unusual bluntness, Becher accuses them of “hyping up” a major snowstorm during Flower Show week that never materialized – but led to scores of canceled tour buses and visitors, and the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in ticket and merchandise sales.

Stokesay Castle Savior Recounts Memorable Career

Roy — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:38:12 +0000

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

The bolt of lightning that lit up Stokesay Castle just before Christmas in 1991 was invisible to everyone except the first-time visitor who experienced it.

It was a brilliant, internal flash of recognition that took place in the mind of Jack D. Gulati.

A veteran buyer and seller of businesses who had immigrated to the U.S. from India as a teenager, Gulati had learned to profit from such moments. He had experienced many. Like all the other times, as he absorbed the hulking medieval-style grandeur of Stokesay, he saw two simple things.

Value and possibility.

Report: NEPA Economy Is Turning Around

Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:04:36 +0000

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

The 2013 annual report by The Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development indicates Northeastern Pennsylvania is showing signs of an economic turnaround.

The eighth annual Indicators Report, to be released and discussed at a forum Thursday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, tracks the region’s performance on an array of categories, including demographics, public safety, jobs and the economy.

“The annual Indicators Report serves as a yardstick for measuring growth and trends in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Patrick Leahy, Wilkes University president and chairman of the institute, which is a partnership among Keystone College, King’s College, Luzerne County Community College, Marywood University, Misericordia University, Penn State Wilkes-Barre, The University of Scranton, and is owned and managed by Wilkes.

Reports covering more than 120 indicators for Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, as well as statewide data, will be discussed next week. And reports from the institute’s five task forces also will be provided to show data on health and health care, jobs and the local economy, education, housing, transportation and land use.

Lititz Pike Detours Set To Begin May 29

Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:56:27 +0000

750 mm by 600 mm (30 in by 24 in) Pennsylvania shield, made to the specifications of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 2003 Edition (sign M1-5). Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lititz Pike motorists will soon be forced to learn some new tricks.

On Wednesday, May 29, PennDOT is implementing the first set of road closings and altered traffic patterns necessitated by construction of a new Route 501 bridge over the Amtrak and Norfolk Southern train tracks.

That means drivers who have been using Route 222/501 for years to enter and exit the city will encounter some major changes in their routine.

McGovern Avenue will be closed from the Lititz Pike to Queen Street. Consequently, southbound drivers unable to make the right turn onto McGovern Avenue will continue straight, to a new intersection at Liberty Street.

Carlisle Residents Face Home-Rule Question: Primary Focus

Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:47:36 +0000

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.

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

Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:33:21 +0000

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.

Sunflower Truck Stop In The Running For National Title

Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:56:24 +0000

POTTSTOWN, PA – Earlier this week, one of his customers told Shorty’s Sunflower Cafe’ owner George Bieber about a contest that was being run by ABC’s “Live with Kelly and Michael” – the Truckin’ Amazing Cookoff.

Bieber entered his Sunflower Truck Stop just before the deadline.

“Someone from the show contacted me and asked for a recipe and then I was contacted again and told I had made it to the second round,” Bieber said. ”Then they asked for a 30-second video.”

View video: http://livekellyandmichael.dadt.com (scroll down page and you will see Latest Features, then LIVE’s Truckin’ Amazing Cook-Off Voting. Click on VOTE and you can see the video.

Birdsboro Mayor Takes Grocery Store Effort To The Streets

Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:44:23 +0000

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

BIRDSBORO – Mayor Robert M. Myers is very serious about getting a grocery store back in this community of 5,200 residents.

And while there is still a long way to go, Myers has gotten some results – with the help of more than 1,300 residents who have signed a petition.

So far, representatives from what Myers called a “full service, regional chain” have made three separate site visits to the borough to look at the property on Chestnut Street, the site of the former Birdsboro Market, which closed in 2011. The most recent visit was just this week.

And while the name of the chain is not being shared at this point, Myers said he remains optimistic about the project.

1 Pottstown Murder Suspect To Stand Trial, 1 Has Hearing Continued

Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:35:38 +0000

LOWER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP — The two suspects in a late-night shooting outside a North Charlotte Street bar on March 22 were in court again on Friday morning and each of their cases moved closer to trial.

Maurice Andrews Jr., 19, of Pottstown, and Michael Hinton, 26, of Norristown, are charged with murder in the first-, second- and third-degree for the death of Victor Enrique Bonilla Baez, also known as Vincent Taylor.

Andrews appeared in District Judge Edward C. Kropp Sr.’s courtroom for the second time at 10 a.m. for his preliminary hearing, after it had been continued once. The hearing was continued again and rescheduled for May 31 at 10 a.m. in the same courtroom.

At least 15 members of Andrews’ family and friends turned out for the hearing and were visibly frustrated when the hearing had been continued.

Pottstown Primary In 7th Ward Pits Conard vs. Kirkland

Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:26:31 +0000

Editor’s note: We here at Roy’s Rants are endorsing Cindy Conard. We had the opportunity to meet Cindy a few weeks ago when we toured 716 Adams street (a disgusting rental property in 7th Ward) along with Cindy, her husband and some other civic minded folks. Mr. Kirkland was not in attendance. He was contacted, responded after four days and was more concerned about who the tenant told her story to rather than helping solve her problem.

Mr. Kirkland has had four years to do something to distinguish himself from the pack. I am still waiting to see some actual leadership. As for his being a strictly door-to-door person…why was Dan Weand going door-to-door for you, Joe? Seems like that should be something you would do for yourself. You won’t be losing 40 pounds again that way. I must say many of Mr. Kirkland’s quotes in the article made me chuckle.

We think Pottstown could indeed benefit from some leadership before it turns into Camden or Chester.

Having attended several council meetings, Conard said she feels Pottstown needs to find a way to engage in a more constructive way with borough council.

“People interact with Pottstown when they have an issue,” she said. But council needs to find the leadership to bring the town together in a “shared vision, you know, what we want to be when we grow up.”

Conard is a senior manager of quality assurance with Altria.

“I’m not a politician, but I do believe that Pottstown could benefit from some leadership,” she said.

Full article: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130517/NEWS01/130519285/pottstown-primary-in-7th-ward-pits-conard-vs-kirkland#full_story

UGI Seeks To Increase Rates 13.5% By Year’s End

Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:01:43 +0000

After dropping steadily for the past five years, natural gas prices have finally reached the point where it is no longer profitable for companies to produce the abundant clean-burning fuel.

Natural gas prices for about 90,000 Berks County users started tumbling Dec. 1, 2008, when UGI requested a 16 percent decrease.

But now the low prices, an unusually cold winter and an improving economy have prompted UGI Utilities Gas Division to request a 13.5 percent rate hike. The requested hike comes in two parts: increases of about 7.2 percent June 1 and about 5.9 percent Dec. 1.

Fiber Optics Headquarters To Occupy New 10-Story Building In Allentown

Roy — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:26:02 +0000

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

York-based United Fiber & Data will occupy a new 10-story building behind the Butz Corporate Center in the 800 block of Hamilton Street in Allentown.

The building will rise behind the existing Butz structures, and have three floors of parking garage and four stories of office space topped by three stories of apartments and condominiums. It’s a long-planned third phase of the Butz headquarters, located across 9th Street from the PPL tower.

Details are being announced this morning.

From its new Allentown headquarters, United Fiber & Data will run a new 300-mile fiber optics network serving clients from New York to Virginia. The company will occupy a just-completed Butz building on Hamilton until Butz completes the new structure in spring 2015.

Pittsburgh Native Zachary Quinto Revels In Spock Role

Roy — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:29:40 +0000

English: Zachary Quinto greets a soldier’s daughter on the phone following a screening of Star Trek at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At one point during “Star Trek Into Darkness,” Kirk fumes, “Sometimes, I just want to rip the bangs off his head.”

But Kirk doesn’t do that, which is a good thing considering the amount of time consumed by the workday ritual of transforming Pittsburgh native Zachary Quinto into Spock, the half-Vulcan, half-human with a high-maintenance look.

By the time the movie finished shooting, the makeup artists had shaved a whopping 30 minutes from their application of the signature swooping ears, angled eyebrows and other facial flourishes.

Not a big deal? It started as 3 hours and 15 minutes — plus another 30 minutes in hair — so even an extra half-hour can be a luxury when you have to report to the set 2 1/2 to three hours ahead of everyone else who may be arriving at 6 a.m.

Philadelphia ‘Slumlord Millionaire’ Gets 6 Years In Prison

Roy — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:11:22 +0000

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

Robert N. Coyle Sr., a notorious Philadelphia slumlord, stood before the judge yesterday in tears, minutes before he was to be sentenced for defrauding banks of more than $10 million.

Coyle, 68, told U.S. District Court Judge Stewart Dalzell about his struggles growing up poor in Kensington, the same neighborhood where he later acquired wealth. As a child, he lived in rickety houses and his mother worked in sweatshops and he slogged away in a paper factory as a teen, he said.

He became a real-estate mogul and admitted to the court he made mistakes when the economy soured. In making his plea, Coyle, who wore a gray suit over his hefty frame, took several breaks to compose himself.

“I am not a slumlord,” he said, his voice quivering

C’mon Down, The Jersey Shore’s Just Fine

Roy — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:01:53 +0000

Atlantic Ocean shore at Atlantic City, New Jersey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Before we do anything, let’s address the giant elephant in the room – and we’re not talking about Lucy of Margate.

Nearly seven months ago, Sandy wrought devastation on the Jersey Shore like never before: The largest Atlantic storm on record created more than $30 billion in damage up and down the state’s 127-mile coastline. More than 346,000 structures were damaged or destroyed when Sandy whipped across the state on Oct. 29.

Some of the places that held memories so dear for many of us – beaches, homes, boardwalks, piers, shops, amusements, and restaurants – got washed away. We wondered whether we’d have the chance to enjoy our beloved Shore again.

Well, just as surely as the air and sand and sea will be delightfully warm again, there will be plenty to celebrate this summer. There are still dozens of great destinations and plenty of fun at the Shore this year.

Club Operator Who Fleeced John Bolaris Is Sentenced

Roy — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:54:39 +0000

The South Beach club operator who orchestrated the “bar girls” scheme that fleeced former Philadelphia weatherman John Bolaris out of $43,000 and eventually cost him his job was sentenced to 12 years in prison today.

According the Miami Herald, operator Albert Takhalov cried as he was sentenced.

Also sentenced today were Isaac Feldman, an investor in two of the clubs implicated in the “bar girls” ring, who received eight years, and Stanislav Pavlenko, will be sentenced later this month

Wiretap Yields Major Berks County Drug Bust

Roy — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:42:12 +0000

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

For four months, members of Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams’ drug task force eavesdropped on the cellphone conversations of a Pennside resident and others suspected of selling large quantities of cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the county.

The state Superior Court approved Adams’ application for a nonconsensual wiretap in February to listen to the conversations of Robert Sanfiel, 47.

By that time, Adams said Thursday, the detectives had been investigating Sanfiel for six months, but early on didn’t know the size of the operation.

The investigation culminated early Thursday when investigators began a roundup of 25 people accused of being involved in the organization.

New ArtFusion Show Explores The Use Of Color

Roy — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:11:37 +0000

“White Sphere” by Robert Koch

Pottstown, PA – Lumière Blanc: A study of white by Robert Koch opens on June 7 at ArtFusion 19464. The show will run until June 29 and there will be a meet the artist reception June 7 from 6-8pm. Light refreshments will be served. All receptions are free and open to the public. Robert Koch, a Boyertown native currently living in New Jersey, produced all new work for this innovative show.

Robert talks about the inspiration behind this work: My approach as an artist has always been to make work that is as much about the materials themselves as the application of the materials. With my ceramics I have always kept my forms simple and functional and allowed the glazes to be the main focus. My welded steel sculptures are more about the welds than the steel. With my paintings I use the fluidity of the paint to dictate what happens on the surface.

Building up layer after layer of paint it became apparent to me that color was no longer important. In fact the less color there was applied to the surface the more the paint itself because the primary focus. After stripping away most or all of the other colors the interaction light combined with the layering of paint revealed very subtle complexities.

For this show the artist was also inspired by the way water moves in a river. “With my paintings each layer is like the surface of the water. After each layer dries and more layers are added the light has more texture to interact with. As the light changes throughout the day the surface of my paintings changes as well,” Robert said.

While working on this show, Robert was also faced with some serious health challenges, undergoing heart bypass surgery. “I was forced to take a break from art and life to allow my body to heal from coronary bypass surgery,” Robert explains. “Life’s unexpected events have made it even more exciting to have the opportunity to share this work.”

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center located at 254 E. High St. in downtown Pottstown. The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Candice Glover Wins Season 12 Of American Idol

Roy — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:33:28 +0000

Logo of the Fox Broadcasting Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“I can’t even … Oh, my God … Three years.”

For three years, Candice Glover traveled from her South Carolina home to try out for American Idol. Thursday night, her efforts paid off. She became the 12th winner of the Fox singing competition, beating out Kree Harrison to become the show’s first female winner in six years.

Glover, 23, not only had the night’s final big moment, she was involved in some of the other highlights of the two-hour-plus finale, singingInseparable with Jennifer Hudson, then getting a shout-out from Aretha Franklin, who told her, “Candice, you’re a winner — win or lose, you’re a winner.”

Former Pennsylvania Governor George Leader Honored At Funeral Service

Roy — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:20:48 +0000

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

HERSHEY, PA – Douglas Yeboah first met George Leader about eight years ago while working as a chaplain at the state prison in Chester.

Leader had sponsored a program at the prison to provide guidance and mentors to inmates, giving them a second chance. He believed in second chances and he believed in helping people in prison, people others had discarded or forgotten.

Not long after that, Yeboah retired from the prison system and moved back to his native Ghana. He kept in touch with Leader and the former governor would often ask about Yeboah’s work. The work, he always told him, was hard. There was so much need in Ghana, so much pain and suffering. Yeboah told him that children lacked medical care and that many of their maladies were preventable, if only they had access to clean drinking water.

Leader asked what he could do and in a short time, a drilling rig to dig wells for clean water was on its way to Ghana. Yeboah mentioned to Leader that he hoped one day to build a children’s hospital, but it was out of his reach. Leader told him he could do it, he could make it happen.