HARRISBURG-LANCASTER-LEBANON-YORK | South Central, PA | Regional Development Thread

[Austinlee]

Isn't there any renderings at all for any of these new condo/residential projects or the university projects?

I don't think I've ever seen any pictures or renderings in this thread and I've read it faithfully for a couple years now...

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by PA Pride

Isn't there any renderings at all for any of these new condo/residential projects or the university projects?

I don't think I've ever seen any pictures or renderings in this thread and I've read it faithfully for a couple years now...

LOL well then apparently you haven't been looking hard enough. All one needs to do is go a mere few pages back, like page 66 post #1640 for example, and you will see a rendering of just one of the many projects. Heck, go back to page 1 and forward, and you may even be blown away, even if you have been "reading this thread faithfully for a couple of years now".



EDIT: a two second search turned up this: http://www.harrisburgu.net/about/new-building/

[Wheelingman04]

I have always enjoyed this thread. I really like to keep up with what is going on all over my favorite state of Pennsylvania. Keep up the good work, EastSideHBG.

[EastSideHBG]

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Thanks a lot, Wheelingman04!

[Evergrey]

Did you know that Harrisburg has a daytime population increase of 72.7%... the 17th largest percentage gain amongst cities 25,000-49,000?

http://www.census.gov/population/soc...2000/tab01.xls

[Wheelingman04]

^ That is a really cool statistic.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07047/762534-28.stm

Hershey kissing jobs goodbye, moving work to Mexico
Friday, February 16, 2007

By Peter Jackson, The Associated Press

HARRISBURG -- The Hershey Co., whose name has been synonymous with U.S. candy making for more than a century, is moving a bigger chunk of its production to Mexico.

A day after Valentine sweethearts across the country enjoyed bags of Hershey Kisses, the company yesterday announced a restructuring plan that will scale back its work force by 1,500 jobs and force some plants to close.

Hershey said the three-year blueprint would reduce the number of production lines by more than one-third while saving the company as much as $190 million a year.

The maker of Hershey's Kisses, Reese's peanut butter cups and Mounds bars employs about 13,000 at 20 plants in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. The planned cuts amount to 11.5 percent of that work force.

The proportion of Hershey's manufacturing done in the United States and Canada will shrink, from 90 percent to 80 percent, and the impact will vary from one plant to another.

"Some will be expanded, some will be downsized and some will close," said Hershey spokesman Kirk Saville. He declined to elaborate.

"We recognize this will involve considerable change over the next three years, and intend to make this transformation of our supply chain as smooth as possible for our employees and customers," said Richard H. Lenny, Hershey's president, chairman and chief executive officer.

A union leader suggested that the planned new plant in Monterrey, Mexico, would make the job cuts in the United States and Canada particularly acute.

Dennis Bomberger, business manager for Chocolate Workers Local 464, which represents 2,500 workers at Hershey plants in Hershey and Reading, speculated that the actual job cuts could have to be deeper to achieve a net work force reduction of 1,500.

"They're going to gain some jobs in Mexico ? so there's going to be a higher number lost" in the U.S. and Canada, Mr. Bomberger said. "Whenever they move something out the country, that's not good news for any company from the workers' standpoint."

Mr. Saville declined to discuss any details about the job cuts or the Mexico plant. Hershey managers began holding meeting with employees yesterday to discuss the changes ahead.

"We will communicate with our employees and (their) union representatives," he said.

Hershey's stock rose 1.6 percent yesterday on the New York Stock Exchange, to close at $52.10, up 80 cents.

Hershey, the nation's largest candy maker, reported a 10 percent drop in fourth-quarter earnings last month on lackluster sales. Results lagged due to weak merchandising, the company said, as well as a recall of products made at a plant in Canada last year after salmonella bacteria was discovered.

Reaction to yesterday's announcement among financial analysts was mixed.

"Bottom-line, this plan should provide (Hershey) with far more marketing firepower, behind which to invest in its core brands ? as well as new platforms," such as premium chocolate and dark chocolate, "while still delivering margin improvement," wrote Andrew Lazar of Lehman Brothers.

Wachovia Securities analyst Jonathan P. Feeney said the plan leaves fundamental problems unaddressed.

"We are skeptical that pulling capacity out of the system while allocating capital away from the core business accomplishes the critical mission, which is to reinvigorate consumer response to its core chocolate products," Mr. Feeney wrote.

The company said it would outsource production of low value-added items and that the new Mexican plant would help meet growing demand for its products in that country.

"The long-term benefits will include a significant, sustainable increase in investment behind Hershey's iconic brands and new product innovation, as well as targeted, profitable international expansion," said Chief Operating Officer David J. West.

Hershey reaffirmed its long-term target for sales growth of 3 percent to 4 percent.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

( Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

[EastSideHBG]

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Bad, bad news for the HBG area. This announcement came on the same day that SuperValu announced that they are going to close the HBG warehouse, and that is 400+ jobs in the city. No word as of yet if these employees will be able to take a job in the Denver (Lancaster), PA plant either.

http://www.pennlive.com/business/pat...040.xml&coll=1

[Wheelingman04]

Damn, that sucks.

[EastSideHBG]

Hershey job losses reflect regional trend

Pressure to cut costs called driving force

Monday, February 19, 2007
BY DAN MILLER
Of The Patriot-News

News that The Hershey Co. might eliminate as many as 3,000 jobs in a realignment of its operations in the next three years resurrects bad memories of big losses of manufacturing jobs in the midstate.

The regional impact of the Hershey restructuring isn't clear. The candy maker isn't saying how many jobs will be trimmed in central Pennsylvania or if any local plants will be closed or downsized.

The Hershey announcement is part of an erosion of manufacturing jobs that has been occurring in the region and nationwide for at least 10 years.

Bombshells such as the one dropped by Hershey last week focus attention on the job losses because the numbers involved are large. In May 1999, when Tyco International Ltd. acquired AMP Inc. in Swatara Twp., 2,000 people eventually were out of work.

A long-term decline:

Most often the bloodletting has been quiet and gradual. Masland Industries, the carpet maker in Carlisle, had 1,200 workers in 1996 when the plant was acquired by Lear Corp., a Michigan-based supplier of interior components for vehicles. Today, the Lear plant employs a little more than 600 people.

From 1995 through 2005, the number of manufacturing jobs throughout south-central Pennsylvania fell from 116,000 to 93,300, a drop of 24 percent, according to the state Department of Labor and Industry.

The decline slowed in recent years, and from 2004 through 2005, the number of manufacturing jobs in the region increased by 100.

But experts say the long-term trend is for more declines. The region is projected to lose nearly 6,000 manufacturing jobs by 2014, based on an estimate in 2004 by the South Central Workforce Investment Board.

On paper, all the displaced workers should find other jobs, since the total number of nonfarm jobs in the region is expected to grow until 2014.

The challenge is whether people who lose manufacturing jobs can become qualified for work in the employment sectors expected to be the region's biggest job generators, such as health care and information technology.

Consumer attitudes hurt:

Pressure to cut costs is making manufacturing jobs go away, said Michael Smeltzer, executive director of the Manufacturers Association of South Central Pennsylvania. In his view, consumers put that pressure on manufacturers.

"We like to buy things as cheaply as we can. For most people, it doesn't matter whether they are made in Harrisburg or Haiti. If it is what we want, if it is the quality we want, then we want the lowest price," Smeltzer said.

"Wal-Mart isn't successful because they have products nobody else has but because they have been able to buy enough volume and pressure suppliers to offer the lowest prices to the consumer," he said. "Manufacturers are caught up in that. We have to continue to lower our costs."

Smeltzer said manufacturers have three basic costs: raw materials, administration and employees.

Companies have little control over the price of raw materials. Manufacturers spend millions of dollars to reduce administrative costs, Smeltzer said. That leaves the employees, over which companies have the most control.

"It's not unusual for a major customer to demand a 5 percent to 10 percent reduction each year. If your raw materials, energy [prices] and taxes are going up, then obviously you have to look somewhere. Can we invest in technology to replace labor, or do we have to move the jobs somewhere else?" Smeltzer said.

Manufacturers have invested plenty to automate factories, to increase quality and productivity and reduce the number of workers, Smeltzer said.

Hershey's plan to build another plant in Mexico is an example of companies going outside the U.S. to find cheaper labor.

Smeltzer contended that in most cases in which Pennsylvania manufacturers go elsewhere for cheaper labor, they don't go to another country but to another state where unions don't have as much power.

Stephen Herzenberg, an economist and executive director of the Keystone Research Center, said automation sheds jobs more quickly in manufacturing.

"By 2020, manufacturing will be less than one in 10 jobs in Pennsylvania," he said. "Manufacturing productivity grows more rapidly than productivity in nursing homes."

Productivity costs jobs:

Rising productivity holds the promise of improving the standard of living for Americans in the long run, Herzenberg said. But in the short run, it leads to job cuts and increases the gap between rich and poor because workers displaced by technology and cost-cutting often end up in low-wage jobs.

"If there are going to be major layoffs, typically workers with high-wage jobs pay a heavy penalty for the loss of that job. Many of them come down an economic rung and stay down," Herzenberg said.

One way to help displaced workers is to give them a wage supplement so they can afford to go back to school. This can "make up the difference" so a worker displaced by The Hershey Co., for instance, can learn skills and get a job in the region's fast-growing health care sector, Herzenberg said.

One program, offered by Harrisburg Area Community College, enables displaced workers to get training and earn up to an associate degree without paying tuition. The state is helping fund the Education Assistance Program, said Jim Fox, dean of work force development at HACC. Workers are trained for a variety of "high-growth" jobs, from radiological technician to law enforcement, he said.

Fox is confident that the region has -- or will have -- resources and programs to help workers displaced by the erosion of manufacturing jobs.

"I'm optimistic that we do have some short-term stopgaps in place, and I think that the leadership in this area does have larger visions as to how the manufacturing transition is going to take place," he said.

[EastSideHBG]

What he f*ck?!? Look at some of the new site ideas!

HARRISBURG

Residents able to discuss court sites

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Last time, the public's voice helped scuttle the U.S. government's preferred site for a new federal courthouse for Harrisburg.

This time, as the U.S. General Services Administration reviews 10 site possibilities, the agency is seeking public feedback earlier in the process.

The first major opportunity for residents to weigh in is at 6:30 tonight in ballrooms A and B of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 23 S. Second St.

"The focus of the meeting is to really hear what people have to say," GSA spokeswoman Gina Blyther Gilliam said.

She added that in the last search, the agency didn't hold public hearings until after identifying its three final sites.

"This time is different," Gilliam said. "People are going to be able to give input early in the process."

GSA last month narrowed its second search for a federal courthouse to 10 sites, including:

The Dauphin County Administration Building on Market Square; the Payne-Shoemaker and other buildings at North Third and Pine street; Penn State Harrisburg's Eastgate building and an M&T Bank branch on North Seventh Street; the Scottish Rite Cathedral near Division Street; and a block along North Second Street that includes a Commerce Bank branch, Dunkin' Donuts and the Sandwich Man.

In a sharp break with the GSA's first search, the agency's new list does not contain residential properties.

The agency has relaxed some of its other criteria, allowing it to consider smaller lots, more expensive sites, locations in the floodplain and sites farther from the city center.

The process is expected to culminate in a site for the $100 million courthouse project sometime in 2008.

All three final sites in the first search would have uprooted scores of residents, at Cumberland Court apartments, the Jackson-Lick public housing towers or in the Capitol-area neighborhood at Third and Forster streets.

A public backlash ultimately forced the agency to scuttle the search. The pivotal moment came at an Aug. 17 public hearing at which residents of Cumberland Court, GSA's preferred site, gave government officials an earful.

The outcry prompted GSA Regional Administrator Barbara L. Shelton to halt the project, reject all three sites and order a new search.

David Zwifka, executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, said while no residential buildings are targets this time, residents have a clear stake in the outcome.

"This courthouse is going to have an impact on surrounding residential neighborhoods and the continued development of Harrisburg," he said.

For example, Zwifka said, the site at Sixth and Reily streets could fuel further development of the city's midtown neighborhood by turning a parking lot into a thriving courthouse.

"Personally, I have a bias toward the development of vacant land," he said. "I think that's really the way to go."

The six- to 14-floor, 262,970-square-foot courthouse would have eight courtrooms and space for expansion. It is to be ready by 2012. The existing courthouse building would still house other federal offices.

*******************

LOWER PAXTON TWP.

Linglestown project approved

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
BY DIANA FISHLOCK
Of The Patriot-News

Lower Paxton Twp. supervisors approved the Village of Linglestown right-of-way plan last night, saying they hope the $5 million project can begin late this year.

The project will include a bypass road through the backyard and side yard of Doris Rowe of Blue Mountain Parkway.

Her children spoke passionately at several village committee meetings about how the loss of any of her land would mean an end to their large, extended family gatherings.

No Rowe family members attended the supervisors meeting last night and Rowe had no comment when called after the meeting.

"I didn't know anything about it," her son Tom Rowe said after the meeting. "I feel absolutely steamrolled. It's absolutely amazing. I would like to know why they're doing this to us."

The project began in 1993 as a proposal for a traffic light in the town's square and has expanded to include two traffic roundabouts and decorative streetlights, benches and pavements.

"It's been a long time coming," chairman William Hawk said after the vote. If the project is approved by the state, the township will begin acquiring land for it.

Supervisor William Seeds said he hopes the project can be finished by fall 2008.

In addition to Rowe's land, the project will require a narrow strip along Linglestown Road from the fire house in the 5800 block to beyond Margaret Drive, said Jeffrey Case of Arora and Associates traffic engineers. The project will require 1.6 acres permanently and another 1.6 acres temporarily during construction, Case said.

Supervisor Bill Hornung expressed concern about the safety of the roundabouts and the back-in parking in the town square, but "I don't see any other answer," he said. "I've talked to PennDOT about it and they say it works. I have to take their word for it."

[EastSideHBG]

Well it looks as if the Southern Gateway is out now, which sucks really bad. And 3rd and Pine? Say bye-bye to a lot of businesses if that happens!

Yep, it seems as if round 2 will be just as silly as round 1.


HARRISBURG

5 possible courthouse sites in floodplain face hurdle

Thursday, February 22, 2007
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Ten sites across Harrisburg are under consideration for a new federal courthouse, but the odds are stacked against half of them.

The U.S. General Services Administration official leading the site search said yesterday that possible locations in the city's 100- to 500-year floodplain have a "high hurdle" to clear to be selected for the $100 million project.

GSA Project Director Abby Low said the agency would have to rule out the five alternative sites outside the floodplain before it could select one of the five locations within the floodplain.

Low pointed out that no floodplain sites made it beyond the initial review stage during the agency's first, unsuccessful search. She said a floodplain site would have to be the only viable alternative remaining in the search to become the courthouse site. The agency expects to make its final selection in 2008.

These sites are within the floodplain:

# The Scottish Rite Cathedral at North Third and Wiconisco streets;

# The southwestern corner of Maclay and Cameron streets near the Farm Show Complex;

# South Front and Sycamore streets near the PennDOT building;

# Two Southern Gateway sites at the opposite corners of Second and Paxton streets.

The following sites, all outside the floodplain, might have a better chance of final selection:

# The southwestern corner of Third and Pine streets;

# The Dauphin County Administration Building at South Second and Market streets;

# The northwest corner of Seventh and Boas streets;

# The northeast corner of North Sixth and Reily streets;

# The southeast corner of North Second and Locust streets.

Last night, about 100 people responded to the GSA's call for input at an open house-style meeting at the Crowne Plaza hotel.

People perused placards listing details of the 10 sites, then traded comments with each other and government officials about their favorites.

City Councilwoman Wanda R.D. Williams touted the benefits of developing the largely vacant tract at Sixth and Reily streets. But Stan Lawson, president of the NAACP of Greater Harrisburg, said he was partial to Seventh and Boas streets.

Both agreed that sites outside downtown would better spread the economic impact.

Attorney Charles O. Beckley took the opposite view, saying he's pulling for one of the three locations within the central business district.

He said it's a matter of convenience for courthouse "consumers" -- lawyers such as himself.

"It's nice to be able to walk to the courthouse if your office is downtown," Beckley said, adding that he sees Third and Pine streets as a "premiere location."

Low said that while GSA remains open to input, it was unlikely the agency would add any sites to its list.

"We feel really good about these 10 sites," she said.

[wrightchr]

^ wow...i totally didn't see this coming. i thought for sure that the GSA would seriously consider sites in the southern gateway. i'm not really happy with the proposed sites in DT...and the ones proposed for Uptown and Midtown just won't cut it. the courthouse should be in the central business district IMHO. the site at 3rd and Pine would definately displace businesses....but more than that, it's only a block or so away from the current structure. so why not just raze the current building and start over??? ultimately, a smaller site location may mean a taller structure for DT...maybe in the range of 12+ floors, similar to Buffalo's new federal courthouse. what i don't understand is, if almost all of DT is in the floodplain...that's nearly 10 million sq. ft of office space and almost 30 highrise structures...than why all of a sudden is it objectionable to the federal government to build there? the whole reasoning for building a new structure was to accommodate more internal space and upgrades for security concerns. now flooding seems to be a major concern??? at this rate, this thing will never get built.

at any rate, here some images of recent federal building construction. any thoughts on what this new building may look like?

Buffalo, NY


Syracuse, NY


Portland, OR

[EastSideHBG]

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Nice pics! Thanks, Chris, and here's to hoping HBG gets something as nice.

RE: the flood zone, the GSA's rules clearly state that they cannot build in a flood plain. But the Southern Gateway was considered because the area was supposed to be built up ABOVE the flood plain. So what's this telling us now? IMO it is saying that either A) the SG is not going to happen B) the plans have changed and the SG will still be in the flood plain C) the SG is delayed BIG TIME, and the feds can't wait around and need to look elsewhere. Any way you slice it it's not good, because the federal courthouse could've been a major tenant in that area.

In other news, the Mayor is suing City Council. How can a town move forward with problems and squabbles as deep as they are now?!? HBG REALLY needs to get its ass back in line...it won't go anywhere until it does...

[wrightchr]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

/\
Nice pics! Thanks, Chris, and here's to hoping HBG gets something as nice.

In other news, the Mayor is suing City Council. How can a town move forward with problems and squabbles as deep as they are now?!? HBG REALLY needs to get its ass back in line...it won't go anywhere until it does...

thanks Dave! i'm interested to see how the recent lawsuit filed against council will pan out. i see why Reed is pushing it though...his appointees basically control the major political machines in the city and he isn't likely to go down without a fight.

[EastSideHBG]

Sounds to me like the doctors are worried about the competition and are using traffic issues as an excuse:

EAST PENNSBORO TWP.
Building plan stirs traffic concerns
Friday, March 02, 2007
BY JERRY L. GLEASON
Of The Patriot-News

A proposed four-story, 80,000-square-foot medical center on Poplar Church Road near Holy Spirit Hospital is drawing criticism from business owners concerned about increased traffic.

Dr. Reza Azizkhan said he and the owners of other private medical offices on Poplar Church Road object to the project based on traffic safety.

"It is very difficult to get in and out of our property at certain times of the day, and this will make a bad situation worse," Azizkhan said. "We don't think the infrastructure will stand up to the increased traffic volume."

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...480.xml&coll=1

****************

HARRISBURG
Bethesda Mission annex plan clears public-meeting hurdles
Friday, March 02, 2007
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

During two days of community meetings, Bethesda Mission encountered no opposition to its plans to renovate and expand its homeless shelter and support services at Sixth and Reily streets.

Bethesda officials said last night that they hope for a similar reception when they return to the Harrisburg Planning Commission next week seeking approval for the $7.6 million project.

"It's been extremely positive," Rich Harper, chairman of Bethesda's board, said of the sparsely attended meetings that concluded last night.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...350.xml&coll=1

***********

My theory is that Reed knows he is on his way out so he is going to put a dent in the city that will be felt for years, and create a hole so deep in that city, the next Mayor will have trouble digging out of.


HARRISBURG

Dispute threatens city's charter, Reed says

Dispute about power, Reed, Council foes say

Friday, March 02, 2007
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Mayor Stephen R. Reed and Harrisburg City Council have been on the opposite sides of plenty of issues of late.

A feud that simmered over Reed's purchase of museum artifacts, then came to a boil over a ballooning city budget deficit, landed in Dauphin County Court over the council's appointments to the Harrisburg Authority, the agency that owns the city's troubled trash incinerator.

"I am saddened and disappointed by Mayor Reed and his private attorneys who have taken part in suing the council," Councilwoman Linda Thompson said.

But when asked about the roots of the rift, Reed and several council members said the real issues have less to do with board appointments and everything to do with power.

Reed charged that the five council members who overrode his veto of legislation asserting council's appointment powers were trying to tamper with Harrisburg's voter-approved charter, which has been sacrosanct since 1969.

Reed said he's had plenty of disputes with past councils, some even landing in court. But this time, he said, the stakes were higher, as the acrimony threatened the city's strong-mayor form of government, in which more power is vested in the executive branch.

"It's not the low point of mayor-council relations," Reed said. "But this is the first time any City Council has attempted to alter the city charter approved by the voters. You just can't stand by and let that occur."

Reed said any change to the charter must be done through voter referendum, not by council action.

Council members point out that they had a valid legal opinion from city Solicitor Steven Dade clearing the way for their legislation and appointments.

By exercising those appointment powers, council members said they were elevating themselves to a more collaborative role in city government, rather than serving as a rubber stamp.

The appointments would have given the council a measure of control over the Harrisburg Authority, the agency that oversees the city incinerator, its water and sewer utilities and a fund that Reed has tapped for millions of dollars for artifact purchases.

"It was time to change the guard over there," Thompson said, referring to Reed's artifact spending and an $80 million renovation of the incinerator that the authority says was botched by the contractor.

Council members said the battle for balance would go on, despite a 30-day court injunction barring council's appointees from taking office.

The larger legal case over the constitutionality of the council's appointment powers will proceed in county court. Reed also has filed for emergency relief from the state Supreme Court.

"We are in no way tired, weary or daunted," Thompson said. "We will continue to fight for a balanced representation and a balanced government. A few setbacks we can handle."

Where council members see balance, Reed said he suspects ulterior motives.

Having rejected Reed's pervious three nominees to the Harrisburg Authority, the council had a chance to install a voting majority on the five-member board. Reed described this as an "ominous" prospect because the authority must decide on complicated plans to rescue the incinerator, which Reed said is losing $1 million a month.

The council's attorney, Ronald Katzman, had a more benign view of council's actions, saying it was good-faith effort to appoint three "well-regarded, well-qualified" people.

Two decades ago, the council and Reed squared off over the mayor's efforts to bring baseball to City Island, suing each other over who had the authority to negotiate terms and execute leases for the city-owned stadium.

"The idea of people in public office getting sued in their capacity -- that happens everyday," said Bruce Foreman, solicitor for the Harrisburg Authority.

[wrightchr]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Sounds to me like the doctors are worried about the competition and are using traffic issues as an excuse:

i agree Dave...another office building for that location won't really make that much of an impact. another 4 story mixed use office building is being constructed nearby on the CH Bypass next the Radison Penn Harris and directly across from a new large townhouse development under construction in CH. this area of the West Shore is booming with development lately. what should and could happen, is the widening of Poplar Church and Erford Roads to accomodate the increased traffic.

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

My theory is that Reed knows he is on his way out so he is going to put a dent in the city that will be felt for years, and create a hole so deep in that city, the next Mayor will have trouble digging out of.

i don't think that's the case at all Dave. we're talking about a man who has been mayor for nearly 3 decades...since 1981. i think he cares a great deal about the city and you can see that in his motives, ie: fixing the city incinirator, museum artifacts, etc. some of his ideas may be controversial, but i don't think it makes sense for council to override the cities voter-approved charter and just nominate whoever they want to whatever office they want. as long as Harrisburg maintains a strong mayor form of government, i don't see council winning on any of it's attempts to take over certain influential positions within the city. and if past court battles between the mayor and city council have any weight, i think Linda Thompson and the rest of council should think twice about wasting more tax payer dollars battling over who gets to say what! if they want more power, then the request should to go before the voters of the city...first.

[wrightchr]

Mayor backs 3 for seats on City Council
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News
Mayor Stephen R. Reed has a remedy for what he described as the "mischief and maliciousness" on Harrisburg City Council.

He said the solution is his slate of three City Council candidates, introduced yesterday -- Calobe Jackson Jr., Brad Koplinski and G. Eugenia Smith.

The three candidates would challenge incumbents Susan Brown Wilson and Gloria Martin-Roberts for the Democratic nomination in the May 15 primary.

In Harrisburg, winners of the Democratic nomination typically go on to victory in the general election.

A third incumbent, Vera Jean White, said she is not running after serving four consecutive four-year terms.

"For too long a select group of council members have ruled over this city's legislative body through fear, intimidation and a steadfast commitment to disrupting and reducing the city's capacity to properly function on a day-to-day basis," Reed said at a news conference yesterday.

"It is time to change this unfortunate circumstance, and with this dynamic new team, citizens can do just that," he said.

Reed identified Wilson and Martin-Roberts as members of a voting block that he said has consistently opposed him for what he called the sake of "divisiveness."

He recited problems, including last year's budget battle that resulted in layoffs and last week's court battle over council appointments to the Harrisburg Authority, as examples of council-caused "disruptions."

Wilson and Martin-Roberts could not be reached for comment yesterday. Messages for each were left at their work, homes and city offices.

Jackson, 76, a retired superintendent with U.S. Postal Service, is president of the Board of Control of the Harrisburg School District.

A city native, he is past president of the city's elected school board, a body he joined in 1993. He is a published author and noted black historian, documenting Harrisburg's Negro League-era baseball team, among other subjects.

"I am concerned about the direction of City Council, so I decided to run," he said. "Our current council is very hostile. Three new members can turn that around."

Koplinski, 37, came to Harrisburg as a regional staff member of Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign. He liked the city and stayed.

An attorney, Koplinski works as a policy analyst with the state auditor general's office. He has work experience with the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service.

He said he would use his knowledge of government and politics to better Harrisburg.

Smith, 46, a lifelong city resident, is a senior administrator with the Harrisburg School District, where she oversees programs to increase parental involvement and to provide health and other services to poor students. She also assists low-income pregnant women.

A former Pennsylvania Blue Shield employee, Smith said she would use her health industry experience to expand services in Harrisburg.

JOHN LUCIEW: 255-8154 or jluciew@patriot-news.com

SCHOOL SLATE

The mayor and his Committee for a Better Harrisburg also are supporting a slate for the nine available seats on the elected school board. Receiving retention nods are incumbents Dan Howard, Jeffrey Moore, Loretta Barbee Dare, Lionel Gonzalez, Esther Edwards and Daniel Wiedemer. They are joined by newcomers Roy Christ, Oscar Douglas and former city spokesman Randy King in receiving the mayor's endorsement.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...930.xml&coll=1

[wrightchr]

More lanes weighed for Route 39 traffic
Congestion worsens in Susquehanna Twp.
Monday, March 05, 2007
BY CARRIE CASSIDY
Of The Patriot-News
More often than not, Lorring Gross is forced to make a right turn from his driveway onto Linglestown Road, even if he'd like to go the other way.

The steady stream of traffic often prevents Gross from turning left out of his driveway, just west of Crooked Hill Road in Susquehanna Twp., onto the heavily traveled corridor.

"Usually I sit for a while, then I have to turn right, go up the block and turn around," Gross said. "If it wouldn't be for some very nice people, I wouldn't be able to get in and out."

More than 20,000 vehicles pass Gross' house every day, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. That's a 22 percent jump from 15 years ago, when PennDOT last widened the stretch just east of Routes 22/322.

Now, with another shopping center planned for Linglestown Road, also known as Route 39, township and state officials are trying to find a solution to the traffic problems along one of Dauphin County's main thoroughfares.

Cedar Shopping Centers Inc. plans to build a 116,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by a Giant Food Store. The Port Washington, N.Y.-based developer agreed to a six-month delay in its planning while PennDOT reviews its traffic study and makes suggestions on road improvements.

In 2003, the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission recommended continuing the widening to Progress Avenue. The option is resurfacing now that another shopping center, which will undoubtedly put pressure on the stressed road, could be built in the next few years.

Township Commissioner Sherri Levin-McConnell agrees that improvements need to be made to the road to accommodate the shopping center's traffic. But improvements need to be made to the entire length of the road to ease congestion and improve safety, she said.

"This is much bigger than Susquehanna Twp.," Levin-McConnell said. "We need a long-term plan. I honestly don't know what the solution is, but something has to be done. There are a lot of accidents, especially in the middle lane."

Levin-McConnell said the center lane added by PennDOT in 1992 is known throughout the township as "the suicide lane."

Like Levin-McConnell, police Chief Rob Martin said many motorists, frustrated by the congestion, drive hundreds of feet in the center lane to make a turn.

The misuse of the center lane creates dangerous situations, Martin said.

Nearly 160 accidents happened along the township's stretch of Linglestown Road in the past three years, he said. He could not say how many of those accidents were caused by motorists misusing the center lane.

"Yes, [the middle lane] can help with congestion, but to drive 500 to 800 feet in the center lane puts oncoming traffic at great risk," Martin said. "Maybe additional lanes of traffic can help. I am interested to see what PennDOT decides to do."

Gross often is one of those motorists at risk when drivers use the center lane to merge into traffic. He's had several close calls while waiting to turn left into his driveway in the 1900 block of Linglestown Road.

Gross, who has lived on Linglestown Road for about 20 years, said he's learned when to plan trips, but sometimes he can't avoid venturing onto the road during busy times.

And when the "nice people" let him into the line of traffic, he said, he keeps something in mind.

"I just think, 'Thank God for courteous drivers,'" he said.

CARRIE CASSIDY: 255-8244 or ccassidy@patriot-news.com

[EastSideHBG]

I'm sorry, Chris, but I got nothing out of that article except for Reed's typical "I want a council of puppets that will go along with whatever I say." I do feel that City Council DESPERATELY needs a shake up, but not in that manner.

Like I always say, I will never, ever downplay what Reed has done for Harrisburg and the area as a whole. But I would like to see him gone...