Lehigh And Northampton Transportation Authority Breaks Ground For New $13 Million Garage

wm-license-information-description-missing wm-license-information-description-missing-request LANTA logo.png (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Regional political leaders and transportation officials held a groundbreaking Monday for a new maintenance garage for the Lehigh Valley‘s public bus agency, anticipating growing demand for the service as well for newer hybrid-electric buses.

The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority faced public opposition in 2009 when the initial plans for the building on LANTA’s property at 1060 Lehigh St., Allentown, showed it encroaching into the parking lot of adjacent Bicentennial Park. The baseball field once was home to the semi-pro Allentown Ambassadors, and the bus garage would have covered 40 percent of Bicentennial’s parking spaces.

LANTA officials reversed gears, having the project redesigned for a garage expansion to the southwest of the existing building, away from the ball field rather than toward it, pushing the new garage close to the edge of the LANTA property.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-lanta-garage-ceremony-20120416,0,5643129.story

Philadelphia Eagles Schedule Loaded With Prime-Time Features

Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles owner, after the Eagles' training camp, Aug. 3. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  Let’s hope we actually have a reason to watch all this hoopla.  Winning needs to be the focus this season!   No more excuses, Andy!

Two Sunday night games, two Monday night games, a Thursday night telecast and a multitude of stars coming to Philadelphia highlight the Eagles‘ 2012 schedule, which was released Tuesday by the NFL.

They’ll open their season Sept. 9 at Cleveland and close it on Dec. 30 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants.

In between, they’ll host the Giants on a Sunday night (Sept. 30), visit New Orleans on a Monday night (Nov. 5), host Carolina on a Monday night (Nov. 26) and will host the Dallas Cowboys on a Sunday night (Dec. 2).

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/sports/football/eagles/mc-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-schedule-20120417,0,4213630.story

Taking Refuge In The City – Urban Wildlife Refuges

Philadelphia is easily visible from the refuge. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is cool, Philly gets a shout-out!

Denver’s Bluff Lake Nature Center may be situated beside an abandoned airfield, but the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge’s neighbor, Philadelphia International Airport, is very much in use today. Still, Tinicum Marsh, Pennsylvania’s largest remaining freshwater tidal wetland, provides essential habitat for more than 300 bird species, almost one-quarter of which nest here. Established in 1972, the refuge continues to grow and will eventually reach 1,200 acres. Paddlers can tour a 4.5-mile section of Darby Creek, a perfect vantage point for spying elusive least bitterns, the state-endangered red-bellied turtle and the rare coastal leopard frog. Bird and flower walks, family programs and even story times occur every weekend.

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Gannett Posts 25% Decline In Earnings

McLEAN, Va. (AP) — The Gannett Company reported a 25 percent decline in first-quarter profit on Monday, as advertising in its newspapers continued to decline.

The company, which owns 82 newspapers in the United States, including USA Today; 23 broadcast television stations; and several digital media properties, said it earned $68.2 million, or 28 cents a share, in the quarter, down from $90.5 million, or 37 cents a share, a year earlier.

Revenue in the period, which ended March 25, fell 2.6 percent to $1.22 billion from $1.25 billion last year.

Results were helped by strong TV advertising and growth in digital products like the CareerBuilder Web site. Even so, overall revenue came in below analysts’ expectations. Analysts had expected $1.24 billion in revenue, according to a poll by FactSet.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/business/media/gannett-profit-falls-25-on-newspaper-ad-decline.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

Adam Lambert Returning To F.M. Kirby Center, Wilkes-Barre

Adam Lambert, one of the three finalists for American Idol and a San Diego native, sings the national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner" during his visit to at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

American Idol” Season 8 runner-up and future front man for the band Queen Adam Lambert will play an area show, it has just been announced.

Lambert will play at 7:30 p.m. May 25 at F .M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre, the center has just announced.

Tickets, at $35, $45 and $60 will go on sale to Kirby members and a special online sale by Wyoming Valley radio station WKRZ-FM 98.5 at 10 a.m. April 20, and to the public at 10 a.m. April 23 at the Kirby Center box office at 71 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, by phone at 570-826-1100 or online at www.kirbycenter.org. To become a Kirby member, call 570-823-4599, ext. 225.

Read more: http://blogs.mcall.com/lehighvalleymusic/2012/04/american-idol-runner-up-adam-lambert-to-play-area-concert.html

City Of Reading Needs More Cops, Police Chief Warns

Despite needing 174 officers this year and budgeting for 168, the Reading Police Department has fewer than 140 officers able to do their full jobs, Police Chief William M. Heim told City Council on Monday.

And the Reading Fire Department is down seven firefighters from its already pared force – a gap being filled by mandatory overtime because the firefighters are too tired to volunteer for it – acting Fire Chief Jeffrey Squibb said.

Mass retirements have plagued both departments, and council asked the chiefs what their needs were for the city’s safety. The question was partly a reaction to council’s earlier, grudging approval of two new hires for the mayor’s office.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=380219