Lewis Katz, ‘The Most Unique Man I Ever Met’

Lewis Katz would tell you he was just a kid from Camden who grew up to walk with presidents.

He was consistent in his passions, blunt in his opinions, a man who adored his family, detested dishonesty, and was as comfortable in $1,100 hand-made Italian shirts as he was in loud green sneakers.

He made his own fortune, owned magnificent homes in New York, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and never lost his affection for the gravelly streets of the city where he was raised.

Mr. Katz, 72, whose enormous wealth never obscured his devotion to the less fortunate or his love of the underdog, was killed on Saturday in a plane crash in Massachusetts.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20140602_Lewis_Katz___The_most_unique_man_I_ever_met_.html#4qfCARKdFtudIIFL.99

Kids’ Well-Being Slipping In Pennsylvania, Nonprofit Says

Map of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The well-being of children in Pennsylvania is 17th best in the nation, but that’s down from 14th a year ago, according to a study released today.

A lack of gains in health care and early learning caused the slip, according to the study by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, a Baltimore nonprofit for helping children.

The best-ranked states: New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. The worst: Nevada, Mississippi and New Mexico.

It’s a warning sign that Pennsylvania was one of only five states to fall three or more spots, said local professionals who deal with children.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=486933

First Niagara Gobbles Up Another Bank

Image via Wikipedia

 

Pottstown newcomer First Niagara Bank is expanding again.  No sooner did the ink dry on the Harleysville sale that brought First Niagara here…they went bought another bank! 

New Alliance Bank of Connecticut was purchased in a $1.5 billion dollar transaction.  The deal will close the second quarter of 2011.  This will give First Niagara Bank 340 offices, $29 billion in assets, $18 billion in deposits and about 5000 employees. 

In comparison, the Harleysville sale price was $300 million.