Rewrite Of Pennsylvania Property Tax Sale Laws Is Tool In Blight Fight

Map of Pennsylvania, showing major cities and roads (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  This can’t happen soon enough!

HARRISBURG – Affordable housing advocates are urging a reform of Pennsylvania’s property tax sale laws to help fight blight in both large cities and small towns.

They want to overhaul a system that allows speculators to obtain a lien on property at tax sales by paying delinquent taxes and yet not go the next step and obtain clear title.

Other legislation being sought would give long-standing residents the opportunity to take ownership of homes in cases where the recorded owner has abandoned them and put more restrictions on who can bid at property tax sales.

Rewriting archaic tax sale laws that date to the 1920s and 1940s is seen as a way to help fiscally distressed cities rebuild their tax bases and help get newly authorized land banks off the ground.

Read more:  http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/rewrite-of-property-tax-sale-laws-is-tool-in-blight-fight-1.1414337

Holiday Tour Highlights Pottstown’s Finest Historic Buildings

POTTSTOWN — Despite a light rain that insisted on sticking around throughout the day, small groups of people took to the sidewalks throughout the borough Sunday for Pottstown’s 26th holiday historic building tour.

The Historic Pottstown By Candlelight tour was a hit again, with hundreds turning out to visit 20 century-old homes, churches and businesses that they might otherwise never notice.

“This house tour, if I’m going to say anything, brings out the positive of Pottstown,” said Sue Krause, a chief organizer of the event. “You drive by these places and you’d never know how lovely they are inside.”

By Sunday, more than 200 advance tickets were sold. The record for the event stood at around 313 several years ago — a reachable goal by the end of Sunday.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121210/NEWS01/121209424/holiday-tour-highlights-pottstown-s-finest-historic-buildings#full_story

Pottstown Council, School Board Want To Work Closer

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  Two Roy’s Rants thumbs up to Acting Superintendent Jeff Sparagana for being proactive!

POTTSTOWN — When it comes to getting along, it could be said that the borough and school district governments in Pottstown sometimes get along like siblings on a long car trip.

Acting Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana is among the first to admit that and did so Wednesday when he told borough council that “it is important to acknowledge and recognize there have been breakdowns in the relationship between the borough and the school district in the past.”

But he was also the first to offer an olive branch in pursuit of a new era of cooperation.

Appearing before council during the Wednesday work session, Sparagana prefaced a presentation of the district’s land development plans for Rupert, Franklin and Lincoln elementary schools with a statement — and an apology.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121209/NEWS01/121209423/pottstown-council-school-board-want-to-work-closer#full_story

Lancaster General Health Compensation: Plenty, But Not Out Of Line

For the guy who just opened a $300 bill from Lancaster General Health for five minutes worth of blood work, the six- and seven-figure compensation for top LGH officials may be enough to get that blood boiling.

But LGH’s compensation appears to be in line with industry standards.  In fact, you might make a case that Lancaster General President and CEO Tom Beeman is underpaid.

To put LGH compensation in context, Lancaster Newspapers compared it with compensation at five regional hospitals or health systems about the same size as Lancaster General: Wellspan Health, in York County; Pinnacle Health, in Dauphin County; Reading Health, in Berks County; Lehigh Valley Health, in Lehigh County; and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, also in Dauphin County.

The figures show that Beeman got less than the top executives at four of the five comparable institutions.

In 2010, Beeman made $1.35 million in total compensation.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/791279_LGH-compensation–Plenty–but-not-out-of-line.html#ixzz2EfKsV6QH

Eagles Stun Bucs In Thrilling Finish

Editor’s note:  It’s about time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TAMPA, Fla.— The most puzzling Philadelphia Eagles game of the season was a tale of two comebacks, with some old-fashioned, fourth-quarter desperation providing the fuel for a 23-21 victory over the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Rookie quarterback Nick Foles hit Jeremy Maclin with a 1-yard scoring pass on the game’s final play from scrimmage as the Eagles (4-9) broke an eight-game losing streak and came away with perhaps their most improbable win in decades, considering what happened immediately after Damaris Johnson fumbled away a punt return early in the third quarter.

Leading 10-0 and dominating on defense, the Eagles temporarily lost their fighting spirit after that play, and the Bucs (6-7) responded with three touchdowns for a 21-10 lead.

But Foles and an offense that was stifled on the ground all day pulled it back together and pulled one out with two late touchdowns sandwiched around a crucial defensive stop.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/sports/football/eagles/mc-eagles-bucs-1209-20121209,0,1262341.story

More Than 500 Attend Reading Historic District Christmas Tour

Christmas in the post-War United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From the traditional to the contemporary and everything in between, holiday decor was on full display throughout Reading’s Centre Park Historic District on Sunday.

By late afternoon, more than 500 tickets had been sold for the 28th Annual Christmas House Tour and Champagne Brunch, which celebrated the historic district’s 30th anniversary.

“We were a little concerned with the weather,” said Beth Ireland, vice president for the historic district’s board of directors. “But I’ve heard a lot of people who have done these tours say this is the best one they’ve been on yet.”

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=434201

SavePottstown! Has “Reactivated” Due To The Deteriorating State Of Pottstown

Editor’s note:  They’re back and looking for hard facts about the increasing corruption of local government, in an effort to expose the seamy underbelly of Pottstown politics.  Looks like that den of “vipers” in Pottstown Borough Hall is about to meet their mongoose!  Bwahahahahaha!

What Stinks?

POTTSTOWN, PA – Hello folks…is this thing working?

After receiving countless correspondence from our loyal readers and shedding many tears over the injustices that have become far too commonplace in our fair town over the past year, we have decided to rev up the SavePottstown!! engines in order to be the change we want to see in Pottstown.

Read more:  http://savepottstown.com/lang/es/2012/12/what-stinks/