Thursday, May 9, 2013
John Hickenlooper has found himself, and his state, leading a leftward lurch on a host of social issues.
Though Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper—who was born and raised in Narberth—campaigned for the office as something of a business-friendly, politically amorphous centrist Democrat, he's found his governorship consumed by what a top aide calls "guns, grass, and gays." In a revealing profile in the most recent issue of The New Yorker (the article is available online here, but is pay-walled), Hickenlooper described how a combination of tragedy—the Auora shooting—his own moral compass, and the will of Coloradoans has pushed him to sign into law legislation on same-sex marriage, gun control, and marijuana legalization that is among the most liberal in the country. Hickenlooper, the article adds, may have presidential aspirations if his high …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
After a 16-month renovation, the library is reopening with a bang.
On May 19, Bala Cynwyd Library is celebrating the completion of its 16-month renovation with a grand reopening. The festivities will begin at 1 p.m. with a flag raising by Cub Scout Pack 581 and, according to the library's Facebook page, musical performances by the Lower Merion High School Saxophone Quartet and the Lower Merion High School Jazz Ensemble. (Other activities are planned as well. While the particulars are still being ironed out, Main Line Media News has more details on the event here.) Guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite literary characters. Of six library local libraries Lower Merion Township plans to renovate, Bala Cynwyd was the second to be completed. According to Phillymag.com, the redesign was an ambitious …
Jody L. Holton will be the first woman executive director in the commission's history.
As Hillary Clinton might say, the glass ceiling just sustained one more crack. Last week, the Montgmery County Commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Narberth's Jody L. Holton as executive director of the county's planning commission, Phillyburbs.com reported. Holton will become the the first female executive director in the commissions history when she takes over on May 13. According to the paper, Holton, who is a SEPTA employee, drew praise from county commissioner Leslie Richards. “She is an incredibly talented planner and problem-solver whom I believe will serve us well,” Richards told the paper. Holton will earn an annual salary of $100,000 and will fill a position that had been vacant since December of 2011. Read the full story …
Monday, May 6, 2013
A proposed law would lower the value needed for a felony charge in retail theft.
A new bill passed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives could crack down on retail theft, or make it easier for someone to become a felon. Under House Bill 1000 any incident of retail theft in which the value of the items stolen exceeds $1,000 can result in a third-degree felony charge. Before this bill the cutoff line for a felony charge of retail theft was $2,000. As the law exists now, there are a number of ways one can be charged for retail theft as explained below: The bill passed 195-0 in the House and now moves on to the Senate. Do you support this bill? Let us know what you think in the comments area below.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
A $301,000 grant is financing most of the project.
A series of streetscape and safety improvements are coming to Bala Avenue, courtesy of a $301,000 grant the City Avenue Special Services District (CASSD) recently received from the Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative (PCTI). The aim is to make the stretch of Bala Avenue between Balwyn Place and City Avenue more pedestrian friendly. According to the CCASSD: The purpose of the project is to improve safety and walkability along Bala Avenue and to enhance accessibility to the town center businesses. The project focuses on safety improvements and pedestrian enhancements while preserving existing investments with a context-sensitive design that creates a better place for people to live and work. It enables both Lower Merion …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
A new bill in the Pennsylvania House aims to crack down on sex crimes.
A new bill approved in the state House of Representatives aims to crack down on human trafficking and sex work. House Bill 663, which was unanimously passed 195-0 in the House, expands what the state considers "commercial sex acts" and raises the crime of buying or selling people for sex work from a third-degree to a possible first-degree felony. Under the new bill, the definition of commercial sex includes being forced to perform "any sexual activity … in which anything of value is given to or received by another person" and includes "prostitution, participation in the production of pornography, performance in strip clubs and sexual activity … regardless of the age of the victim." As the law is currently written, there are no provisions …
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Don't count the county commissioner out just yet.
As Patch previously reported, Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce Castor is still undecided on whether to run or not in the 2014 Pennsylvania governor race. Castor's run against current Republican Gov. Tom Corbett once before, and it is unclear if he'll make a run in the coming year's primary. According to TribLive.com, Castor may want a rematch of the 2004 attorney general primaries. Castor told the Trib "he doesn't want the GOP to repeat the mistake it made in 2006 by backing then-Sen. Rick Santorum for re-election." "Castor, 51, called Corbett a 'ham-handed' politician who has failed to deliver on a conservative agenda," said the Trib. "He said Corbett blew his opportunity to push through conservative priorities, such as a right-to-…
Joseph Passarella had led the county's Voter Services department since 1994. He reportedly was terminated Wednesday.
Montgomery County officials were tight-lipped Thursday about the circumstances surrounding the apparent dismissal Wednesday of Joseph Passarella, who had run the county's Voter Services department since 1994. Passarella's termination was first reported Thursday morning by The Intelligencer, which cited unnamed sources who said Passarella was called into a noon meeting by unspecified county administrators on Wednesday and informed he was being immediately removed from his post. County Commissioner Leslie Richards, who also serves as chair of the county's Board of Elections, cited the county's policy of declining to comment on "personnel issues" when asked Thursday about both Passarella's departure and whether there were issues within the …
Friday, April 19, 2013
Montgomery County urges residents to prepare for the upcoming warm temperatures and avoid mosquitoes.
Montgomery County Health Department sent out a release this week urging county residents to take precautions to avoid West Nile Virus this summer. Last year, 11 mosquito samples tested positive for West Nile Virus in Lower Merion Township, most of them in the Ardmore and Wynnewood area. Montgomery County Department of Health sprayed residential areas of Wynnewood twice last summer to kill the adult mosquito population. Montgomery County's release includes tips for reducing exposure to mosquitoes, and is reprinted below: The West Nile Virus (WNV) season has begun and the Montgomery County Health Department (MCHD) is recommending that residents take precautions to clear away mosquito breeding areas around their homes. WNV, which surfaced in …
It's not too late to register to vote in the Primary Election.
The last day to register to vote in the May 21 Primary Election is Monday, April 22. Individuals applying to register to vote must be: Montgomery County answers some questions about voter registration here. Download a voter registration form in the pdf section of this article.
Jeff
7:42 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
How about as part of the celebration folks who owe $ for overdue...be forgiven... more ›