Travel/Tourism Links Added

Image via Wikipedia

Being that the summer travel months are upon us and because I support all things Pennsylvania, I have added a generous number of links to Convention/Visitor websites across the state.  It is a representative sampling of travel destinations across our 67 counties and is not meant to be a complete list.

With the state of the economy and gas prices being higher than we would all like, I invite you to consider vacationing in Pennsylvania.  The diversity of our state is truly amazing.

The new links are found on the right side of the home page (you will need to scroll down as the links are in alphabetical order, by category).

Have a safe trip!

Urban Farm Proposed In Lancaster

The School District of Lancaster maintains a 21-acre vacant lot across from Wheatland Middle School.  A Lancaster City resident, Ben Weiss, would like to turn 10 of these vacant acres into farms and a garden.  Weiss runs two organic farms in Mount Joy and Millersville.

Weiss would actually farm five acres, four acres will be available as “incubator plots” for other farmers and the last acre would be devoted to a community farm and garden.

To read the entire article, click below:

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/408596_Farmer-wants-land-near-school-for-crops.html

Pottstown Community Land Trust And Gallery On High Sponsoring Juried Logo Contest And Exhibition

Image via Wikipedia

MOSAIC  Community Land Trust

And

GALLERY on HIGH

Take part in piecing together our community in visual harmony

Exhibit dates: September 2 – 10 at The Gallery on High

Reception: Wednesday, September 7 from 7-9 PM

Drop off: Monday, August 29 from 11 AM-1 PM and from 6-8 PM

Pick-up: Monday, September 12 from 6-7:30 PM or Tuesday September 13 from 11 AM-1 PM

Winner will be announced on September 7 at the Reception

The Gallery on High and MOSAIC are proud to announce an open call to artists for a juried logo design competition and exhibit.

Winning design will be selected as the logo for The Pottstown Community Land Trust, and $500 will be awarded to the artist.  Submissions may be in 2D or 3D in any media; all submissions must include a mosaic styled image.

All submissions must be original to the artist submitting.

Pottstown is in the midst of revitalization.  Its history is tied to the river, the steel industry, Mrs. Smith’s Pies and manufacturing.  Charming 18th & 19th century architecture lines its streets.  The ARTS and INNOVATION are key to the sustainability of our renaissance.  Designs should bring out the many meanings of “mosaic” for Pottstown:  bringing together a multi-faceted, multi-hued community; putting broken shards together to create a thing of beauty; and recognizing the rough-around-the-edges nature of its past.

To download registration and inventory list please click on the following links:

http://www.galleryonhigh.com/MOSAIC_reg_form_rev.pdf

http://www.galleryonhigh.com/MOSAICS_inventory_rev.pdf

PNC Buys Royal Bank’s Retail Branches For $3.45 Billion

Image via Wikipedia

Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank is gobbling up all of Royal Bank of Canada’s U.S.branches – 424 locations in all.  The acquisition will make PNC the fifth largest U.S. bank with 2,870 branches.

RBC USA locations are in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

The acquisition is expected to close in March of 2012.

Reading Based Carpenter Technology Poised To Buy Second Company This Year

Berks County’s fifth-largest employer (2009), Carpenter Technology Corp., announced their $558 million agreement to buy Latrobe Specialty Steel Company.  Latrobe Specialty Steel Company manufactures and distributes high-performance materials for aerospace, defense, energy, and other significant applications with manufacturing operations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, the United Kingdom and seven distribution centers throughout the United States.  In January, Carpenter purchased Amega West Services, LLC, a Houston-based directional drilling component manufacturer and service provider for $54 million.

Latrobe Specialty Steel is headquartered in Latrobe, PA.  Latrobe is 47 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh in Westmoreland County.  The company has been in business since 1913 (Latrobe Electric Steel Company) and employs about 800 people at its various locations.  Latrobe was formerly home to the Latrobe Brewing Company (Rolling Rock beer), golf legend Arnold Palmer and Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fame (Won’t You Be My Neighbor).  Latrobe’s airport is named after Arnold Palmer, who was a pilot.

Carpenter Technology produces and distributes conventional and powder metal specialty alloys, including stainless steels, titanium alloys, tool steels and superalloys.  The company is strengthening its place in the specialty steel market and expanding their services into other compatible manufacturing areas.  Carpenter Technology, headquartered in Spring Township just outside Reading, PA, is an important player in the economy of Berks County.

Carpenter Technology Corp. is traded on the NYSE as CRS and the company website is http://www.cartech.com/