Christina Aguilera And Cee Lo Green Taking ‘Voice’ Hiatus; Shakira And Usher To Fill Their Chairs

You have to hand it to “The Voice. ” Last week, the show added a third Wednesday episode to ruin “The X Factor‘s” big premiere night.  And now, with the new “American Idol” and “X Factor” judges having had hardly any time to bask in their publicity, already “The Voice” is stealing both shows’ thunder once again–with breaking news that two new singularly named superstar judges, Shakira and Usher, will replace Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green for Season 4.  Both Christina and Cee Lo will be back for Season 5 in fall 2013, according to NBC.

Rumors have swirled for months that NBC’s overkill decision to air “The Voice” twice yearly would at least temporarily drive away some or all of the show’s regular judges, causing the lineup to be revamped for the spring 2013 season.  Apparently such is the downside of hiring judges who, you know, are still relevant hitmakers and have other important things to do with their time, like touring and recording, besides sitting on an NBC soundstage six months out of the year. (And this is why talent shows should consider hiring non-celebrity judges, but I digress.)  In fact, just last week when talking to Ryan Seacrest, Christina admitted that she’d first assumed her “Voice” gig would be “kind of like a side project…then it kind of took off, and there goes my free time!”

With Christina getting ready to release her comeback album, Lotus, in November (her new single, “Your Body,” debuted last week to positive reviews), and the ubiquitous Cee Lo working on a Christmas album and a new sitcom, it’s no surprise that they are the first “Voice” judges to take official leaves of absence.

Read more:  http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/reality-rocks/christina-aguilera-cee-lo-green-voice-hiatus-shaira-231943068.html

Scranton City Council Threatens University Of Scranton With Zoning Roadblocks

Editor’s note:  This is just irresponsible and shortsighted.  The University of Scranton brings jobs, money and prestige to Scranton; as well as a reason to go downtown.  Scranton City Council needs to get their act together instead of retaliating against a good corporate citizen.

Miffed over the University of Scranton’s recent lawsuit against the city over its new parking tax, city council on Thursday threatened to oppose any zoning variance that the college may need from the city for various improvements, such as dorms or parking lots.

Asked by council President Janet Evans to address this issue, council solicitor Boyd Hughes said he was dismayed that the university sued the city over the parking tax, because over the years the city has facilitated the university’s growth.  Rather, the college should be donating millions of dollars to the city, he said.

The university’s growth since the 1960s stemmed from what was known as the “University Plan” approved many years ago by the Scranton Redevelopment Authority, which involved the SRA condemning properties for university expansion, he said.  But the college has since spread beyond its “institutional district” into residential areas, Mr. Hughes claimed.

The university has received variances from the city zoning board for improvements such as a dorm and parking areas in residential areas that “should have never been granted” by the zoning board.

Read more:  http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/scranton-city-council-threatens-university-of-scranton-with-zoning-roadblocks-1.1376796

NEPA Plagued With Poverty, Census Numbers Say

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

Nearly one in every three children in Scranton lived in poverty in 2011, according to a new census report released Thursday.

In Lackawanna County, about one in every five children lived in poverty last year, while in neighboring Luzerne County, about one in three children did, U.S. Census Bureau estimates show.

Overall, on average, about one in every seven residents in both Lackawanna and Luzerne lived in poverty in 2011, the figures show.  In Scranton, nearly one in four city residents lived in poverty.

The poverty numbers underscore what local community leaders already know: More people in Northeast Pennsylvania are struggling to make ends meet.  And, they say, the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Read more:  http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/nepa-plagued-with-poverty-census-numbers-say-1.1376654#

Another One Bites The Dust

This seems particularly appropriate with the sudden departures of the Pottstown Superintendent of Schools, Reed Lindley, Pottstown Borough Manager, Jason Bobst and Pottstown Sixth Ward Councilor, Jody Rhoads. There’s a stampede out the door folks!

Sly Fox Brewery To Host Annual Can Jam Festival In Pottstown

Annual Can Jam Festival – POTTSTOWN, PA

Saturday, 09/22/2012 from 12:oo NOON until 9:00PM

You CAN not miss this!

It’s an incredible, FREE, day-long music festival at the new Pottstown Brewery located at 331 Circle of Progress (next to Pottstown Municipal Airport).

THE MUSIC LINE-UP
Phil Minissale 12:00-1:00
Manatawny Creek Ramblers 1:30
Reverend TJ McGlinchey 3:00-4:00
Vinegar Creek Constituency 4:30-5:30
John Train 6:00-7:00
Mason Porter 7:30-9:00

The first major event at the new Pottstown Brewery will also feature a KanJam competition (click for details and rules) in which the winning team will win its weight in beer.  Also includes Sly Fox pizza and BBQ by Philly Pigs!

NOTE: There will be no Brewery tours available on this date because of the expected crowd size and all of our staff being busy with the event.

Additional information for this event can also be found HERE.

Homeschool Day At Pottsgrove Manor

Pottstown, PA – On Friday, October 5, from 10:00am to 2:00 pm, bring homeschoolers out to historic Pottsgrove Manor for a fun-filled and educational field trip that will let them explore the skills, trades, and pastimes of the 18^th century.

Around the grounds, children will be able to participate in hands-on activities led by Pottsgrove Manor’s staff and volunteers, including candle-dipping, quill pen writing, historic toys and games, laundry, and colonial dress-up.  Guests will get to visit with farm animals like sheep and rabbits and learn how their hair would be spun into yarn.  Participants will also see demonstrations of 18^th-century crafts, open-hearth cooking, and food preservation.  The first floor of the Pottsgrove Manor mansion will be open for self-guided tours, with volunteers stationed in the rooms to share the house’s history and answer questions.  The museum shop will be open for the purchase of books, games, souvenirs, and more.

This program is ideal for elementary-aged students and is open to individual homeschool families, homeschool groups, and small school and church groups.  The cost is $5 per child.  Call 610-326-4014 to pre-register or for more information.  Activities will be ongoing throughout the day; allow at least two hours for the visit.  As most activities will be outdoors, this program will be held weather-permitting.  Limited parking and handicapped spots are available in the Pottsgrove Manor parking lot.  Visitors may also park directly across on King Street in the Quality Inn parking lot.

Pottsgrove Manor, home of John Potts, colonial ironmaster and founder of Pottstown, is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.  Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks and Heritage Services Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department.

Regular museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00 pm and Sunday, 1:00pm to 4:00pm.  Tours are given on the hour.  The last tour of the day begins at 3:00pm.  Groups of 10 or more should pre-register by calling 610-326-4014.  For more information and a full calendar of events, visit the website at http://historicsites.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor.  Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PottsgroveManor.

Superintendent’s Resignation Stuns Pottstown School Board

Editor’s note:  I am unfortunately not surprised by this.  I am guessing this is just another person who is tired of banging his/her head against “the proverbial wall” trying to make things better for Pottstown.  The assembly flap might have been the last straw but there is more to this than just one incident. 

Maybe it’s the constant barrage of criticism being lobbed by the Fishwrap at community leaders that helps push them out of town.  People like Jason Bobst and Reed Lindley always have other options.  After a while, no matter how good someone’s intentions are, people reach a saturation point and “walk away” to save what’s left of their sanity.

It’s a vicious cycle in Pottstown.  My condolences to the new Borough Manager and Superintendent of Schools.

POTTSTOWN, PA — Reed Lindley stunned the school board and the community Thursday night by resigning as superintendent, effective immediately.

Lindley, who was not present for the regular board meeting, submitted his letter of resignation to the board, citing only “personal reasons” for his decision.

Following a 30-minute, closed-door executive session at the opening of the meeting, a somber-faced school board returned to the meeting room and unanimously accepted his resignation.

The resignation comes on the heels of community outrage over a three-hour assembly at Pottstown High School in which a speaker extolling the virtues of entrepreneurship also challenged students to sell coffee to compete for an iPad.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120921/NEWS01/120929898/reed-lindley-resigns-as-pottstown-schools-superintendent&pager=full_story

PPL To Hire Thousands, Spend Billions

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

Allentown energy company PPL Corp. will hire thousands of workers to replace retirees and spend billions of dollars to upgrade aging power grids and reduce emissions from coal-fired plants over the next several years, Chief Executive Officer William Spence said Thursday.

Spence, who became CEO last year and company chairman earlier this year, spoke to members of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce at a lunch at Hotel Bethlehem.  He joined PPL in 2006 as chief operating officer after working for Pepco Holdings for 19 years.

The company expects to hire 300 to 500 workers each year for the foreseeable future to replace retiring engineers, linemen and nuclear power plant operators, Spence said.  About 100 of those positions each year will be in the Lehigh Valley, he said.

“Recruiting and staffing is huge,” Spence said.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-ppl-bill-spence-20120920,0,4297746.story

Catasauqua Mural Offers Views Of Local History

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

To Prakash Thakrar, the wall of one of his buildings isn’t brick and mortar — it’s a canvas.

And now that a new community development project turned his stack of brick into an acrylic tribute to the town where he does business, Thakrar is hopeful other local shop owners will join in with renderings of their own.

Allentown muralist Matt Halm recently put the finishing touches on a Welcome to Catasauqua sign — but one that treats people entering the borough from Pine Street to various views of the town’s history.

It’s part of a $12,000 mural Catasauqua added to a wall at 115-117 Pine Street.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/catasauqua/mc-catasauqua-mural-20120920,0,2641134.story

Less Stink About Stink Bugs This Year

Andrew McElroy remembers getting calls from homeowners about stink bugs and then finding thousands of the tiny critters hiding under house siding or in various cracks or crevices.

“We’d move the siding, and you couldn’t see the brick underneath because it was covered in stink bugs,” he said.

But so far this fall, McElroy, owner of Best Pest Control of Reading, said the shield-shaped bugs with pointy antennae are leaving homeowners alone.

“I don’t think they’re as prevalent as they had been maybe two years ago,” McElroy said. “The jury’s still out. But I can’t recall a situation where I’m seeing a thousand stink bugs like I did a few years ago.”

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=415963