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Hatred Surrounds Us All, Not Just Allentown...
2008-06-09 07:47:00
When complaints about hatred and racism arise regarding The Morning Call, it?s often linked to Allentown. This post is to make everyone aware that the haters don?t just despise people in Allentown, but people that are different everywhere.An argument broke out in this forum pertaining to an article about a homicide in Bethlehem Township. The following anonymous user, "american tired of imports," wrote the following: "let them kill there own.whowants or needs them?"Following a couple people that were outraged by this douche bag, the anonymous bigot wrote this: "sorry I seem so cold I give to a church I dont belong to hundreds if not a thousand dollers a year to help 3rd world countries]I'm just tired of seeing a spanish /latino name every day in the paper,killin rapeing abuseing there woman or anyone if you have no respect for your kind you can`t have respect for my country so go home AMERICA is full."Then, out of nowhere, someone posted a racist comment regarding the possibility of...
More About: Hatred

More Recaps On Wednesday's "No Hate" Event
2008-06-06 20:10:00
Two days later, The Morning Call finally published an article on Wednesday's "No Place For Hate " event where a large group of concerned Lehigh Valley citizens gathered at the new Palace Banquet and Conference Center to discuss their concerns of hate in the Lehigh Valley.As I previously mentioned, the event was originally aimed to focus around Allentown but took on the Lehigh Valley as a whole. Even Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski took a shot at neighboring Bethlehem and TMC, though they won't report that.However, TMC did report the concerns that those in attendance have with their online forums and the hatred that originates there. Russell Valentini of the Allentown School District told a reporter that he's "always stunned at the comments on the blogs and stuff." Well Mr. Valentini, TMC's forums might as well be ground zero for what you speak of, hence the reason I'm not surprised that hatred and stupidity is present in TMC's forum pertaining to the article about the event.Heck, ...
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Lehigh Valley "No Place For Hate" Event Recap
2008-06-04 18:04:00
I drove into a parking lot full of cars only to enter a building full of empty chairs. The chairs were very comfortable so I wasn't disappointed, and within minutes the people started showing up one at a time. Before I knew it, the place was packed! I was met by Nicholas Butterfield who later sat across from me and participated in the discussion.I was also greeted by Northampton Deputy Sheriff Walter Felton, whom I thought was there to whack me for writing this, but actually turned out to be one of the most polite officers I've ever met. Thankfully, he didn't whack me - just gave me a business card.Also sitting at the table with me was Lehigh Valley blogging bastard Bernie O'Hare and a couple members of the Children's Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, among a couple other well-spoken individuals.The table discussion was broken into three separate questions: 1) How have the recent events in the Lehigh Valley affected me? Give your personal opinion on your feelings when you heard w...
More About: Event , Hate , Recap , Place

The Comments That Make The Morning Call Money
2008-06-03 06:31:00
The excessive hatred continues at The Morning Call 's forums despite over a years' worth of complaints from various Lehigh Valley outlets, including casual discussion. How much longer will it be tolerated?I don't usually quote the hateful comments that I read in TMC's forums because I frankly don't like to encourage it in the same way that TMC has. However, many people believe that hateful comments should remain posted to show the true colors of the Lehigh Valley and some people even believe that by allowing the hate to continue that it will eventually eliminate itself.In my opinion, leaving hateful comments visible to the public will not contribute to the ultimate demise of hate, it will promote it. However, hate does need to be pointed out and that's what I plan to do right now.Below is a list of random hateful comments from random TMC forums linked from various articles and reports:Anonymous user "LCC Grad" wrote the following after this article: "Trillbe El hmm the name sou...
More About: Money , Comments , Make

The Morning Call Needs To Recognize Their Faults
2008-05-31 06:19:00
The Morning Call has had a serious problem with hatred in their online forums. They have an even bigger problem monitoring it.John Micek, who writes the Capitol Ideas blog for TMC, recently commented on Lehigh Valley Ramblings. Aside from contradicting himself, he said that "The Call is doing what it can to keep the forums clean. Any suggestion that the newspaper knowingly or actively promotes intolerance is incorrect and personally insulting."Of course, his comment is complete malarkey! Yes, I said malarkey! For those that like to challenge me on my age, I can also talk like an old prick...TMC has been aware of the different types of threats, hatreds, etc., that continue to flood their online forums but are yet to fix any of it. Many hateful posts are never removed, even after being flagged. Micek blames this on TMC only employing four people to their online staff.Blogging bastard Bernie O'Hare offers three excellent solutions for cleaning up the forums. If just one of these sugge...
More About: Recognize

More Evidence of Poor Journalism At The Morning Call
2008-05-29 21:18:00
The caption of a photograph (pictured left) featured on MCall .com that was released by the Whitehall Township Police Department reads, "Surveillance camera image of suspect allegedly using a stolen credit card on May 15 at Best Buy on MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township." The reporting was done by Tracy Jordan of The Morning Call.Sorry TMC, but that picture is not from Best Buy, it's from The Sports Authority.The pitiful efforts continued in the report with the misspelling of Whitehall, which was spelled "Whitewall."I am by no means a master of grammar or spelling, but I'm not a dominating news source either. This is just another example of poor journalism from the crew at The Morning Call. Don't be surprised if the errors are corrected without being noted.UPDATE: At 11:25 PM, the report is still erroneous. I doubt it will be changed.
More About: Journalism , Evidence , Poor

A Look At America's Stupid...
2008-05-29 08:39:00
All conspiracy theories aside, shortly after America was attacked in 2001 we learned (courtesy of the MSM) that many of the people living in Middle East, especially children, didn't know the world was round nor could they point out where they live on a globe.They weren't the only clueless ones...For the record, the people in the video don't speak for all Americans, they just live here! It's embarrassing, but hey, it's the land of the free!
More About: Stupid

Lehigh Valley Police Departments Waste Fuel
2008-05-27 07:41:00
The picture to the left is a frequent site in Bethlehem Township. Officers are often seen chatting it up in parking lots when they should be out patrolling the neighborhoods.The picture comes from this article where the caption claims that there was an increase in "vigilance" at Freedom High School on Feb. 29th, the day that mass violence was expected to erupt. However, those officers are not patrolling, they are chatting. If they were patrolling they wouldn't be parked in opposite directions so far away from the school.That photograph shows an example of how officers in Bethlehem Township and all around the Lehigh Valley (including the State Police ) waste time and fuel. An article in Saturday's Morning Call by Michael Duck and Veronica Torrejón (and contributions by Kirk Beldon Jackson) caught my attention. It was about how the area police departments are trying to save on their fuel costs without eliminating public safety.It's very sad that the police are just now realizing tha...
More About: Fuel , Departments , Waste

Help Save The Olive Ridley Turtles
2008-05-23 15:17:00
The Olive Ridley sea turtles, one of which is pictured left, are in danger of being extinct. They are a common creature in Orissa, a state in India. However, that could all change real fast. I received an e-mail last week urging me to help save the endangered Olive Ridley turtles in India. Ratan Tata wants to put a port in Dhamra, Orissa that will contribute to the extinction of this species and possibly put others in danger. Construction has already begun despite the obvious ecological and environmental concerns. Greenpeace has the following posted on their site:"The port Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive Ridley turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range from 15 million to 35 million."When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised concerned citizens that it would abandon the port ?if evidence of turtle presence and the ecological significance of the area were eve...
More About: Turtles , Save

If You're Not A Racist, You're A Sexist
2008-05-22 06:04:00
Racism is more than alive in our society, despite what Tony Snow and the rest of the past and present White House douche bags think. The asshole pictured left is proof of it.Ignorance is not bliss, it's rude. In the Lehigh Valley alone, racism is more than obvious, however, racism is everywhere. Hillary Clinton was recently asked whether or not her campaign was racist and she said no. Throughout the entire interview with Lois Romano of The Washington Post, Clinton kept playing the sexism card, probably as a last resort to gain votes before Barack Obama clinches the Democratic nomination. I suppose that sexism is present in the primaries considering that 68% of white Pennsylvanian women voted for Clinton and not Obama. Also, the majority of her votes came from white rural neighborhoods.But to claim that racism hasn't been part of her campaign is ridiculous. Aside from attacking Obama for being a member of a black church in Chicago, one of her biggest supporters, Pennsylvania Govern...
More About: Racist

Lehigh Valley Bloggers Top The Ranks
2008-05-21 20:28:00
This post is a bit hypocritical considering that I've challenged BNN's ranking system in the past, but I thought it would be fun to point out a couple of the blogs topping the Influence Index.Blogging Dottie, who has pointed out in the past that she never makes the ranks, made her debut at #18. Dottie is holding her ground just one spot ahead of Molovinsky. Bernie is keeping his hold on jackass Tony Phyrillas who is still unethically and probably unfairly holding rank in the top 10, but I'm closing in on them both!The bloggers who hate me from the Lehigh Valley Political Blog were at #9 last week but have since been knocked from the ranks. They've been updating so I'm not sure how BNN figured their rank, but here's the disclaimer:"BlogNetNews' Blogosphere Influence Rating combines a variety of data sets to determine which blogs are most powerfully influencing the direction of the Pennsylvania political blogosphere. The exact method BNN uses to calculate influence scores must ...
More About: Bloggers , Ranks

The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread
2008-05-21 06:06:00
On Monday, a fat guy's worst enemy made its debut in the Lehigh Valley. A new buffet opened its doors for the first time and quickly began its attack on my diet. CiCi's Pizza Buffet opened in Whitehall on Monday in the shopping center where I work. They were kind enough to grace us over the weekend with some free pizza and even some free buffet coupons. The guy that introduced himself and the business to us (at work) was very nice and very easy to talk to. He even gave me an extra coupon so my girlfriend could eat free, too. I don't thing I ever saw anyone so excited and passionate to promote their business, an excellent sign that it will be a success.The grand opening was Monday and the first so-many customers were to be given a pass to eat free for a year! Me and a couple of co-workers decided Sunday night that we would be among the masses to eat free and get fat, or in my case, fatter. We figured we should get there early because there would be a lot of people and boy were we ...
More About: Bread , Thing , Greatest

The Philadelphia Police Beating
2008-05-20 13:40:00
The Philadelphia Police will "unjustly" be firing four of their officers. According to the police union, the department isn't following proper procedures for firing an officer. All law stuff put aside, I think it's crap that only four of the officers are being terminated. Any of the officers involved and/or possibly just present should not have the privilege of wearing a badge, from the officers that held down the men being beaten to those conducting the assault, and furthermore should be arrested for their attacks. And seriously, was the dog on the scene really necessary? If any of the officers on the scene were properly doing their jobs, this incident would not have been so severe. Here's a short clip of the beating:Click here for a recent article on the terminations. There is also a video available there regarding the terminations.
More About: Beating

The Morning Call Continues With Poor Journalism
2008-05-20 06:02:00
After a week full of crime and murder, Allentwon Mayor Ed Pawlowski gave a ridiculous presentation to some members of the Kiwanis Club (not all of whom are Allentown residents) at a Denny's Restaurant. I hope he at least left a tip this time... The Mayor claims that the city is headed in the right direction, but that's not what this blog is about. I'm writing to further point out the piece of shit article by Paul Muschick of The Morning Call . The Morning Call teamed up with Muhlenberg College and conducted a poll of just 405 people, which is about the minimum needed for it to be deemed "credible." It's no secret that The Morning Call wrote an article favoring Pawlowski and once again failed to report the complete truth. The poll was poorly conducted and shouldn't be held "credible" by any means whatsoever. Pawlowski is in a world of his own and The Morning Call loves to make it appear as reality.Dottie, Michael, and Bernie have all already voiced their opinions and now I'm goi...
More About: Journalism , Poor

Gas Prices Then and Now
2008-05-17 18:39:00
On April 15th, just slightly over a month ago, I provided a list of the five cheapest gas stations I could find in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and Phillipsburg.If you thought the prices were bad then, wait till you see exactly how much they've increased in just one month at those same stations...The following stations (Bethlehem, PA only) were searched using a 18017 zip code:Giant - 2918 Easton Ave. - $3.69 (Was $3.27)Hess - 3283 Easton Ave. - N/A (Was $3.29)Hess - 201 Broadway - $3.71 (Was $3.29)Gulf - 2900 Easton Ave. - $3.69 (Was $3.29)Gulf - 1118 Pembroke Rd. - $3.69 (Was $3.29)The following stations (Allentown, PA only) were searched using a 18101 zip code:Hess - 1043 Lehigh St. - $3.71 (Was $3.25)Hess - 2245 Lehigh St. - $3.71 (Was $3.27)WaWa - 2209 Lehigh St. - $3.73 (Was $3.27)N/A (Airport Rd. Truckstop) - 1227 Airport Rd. - N/A (Was $3.29)7-Eleven - 1801 S. 4th St. - $3.75 (Was $3.31)The following stations (Easton, PA only) were searched using a 18042 zip code:Getty - 2 ...
More About: Gas Prices , Prices

California Takes A Big Step For Gay Rights
2008-05-16 06:04:00
This post is dedicated to Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, Tony Phyrillas, Tim Hardaway, The Westboro Baptist Church, and the rest of the anti-gay douche bags!Lisa Leff of the Associated Press reported the following: "SAN FRANCISCO - California 's Supreme Court declared that gay couples in the nation's biggest state can marry ? a monumental but perhaps short-lived victory for the gay rights movement Thursday that was greeted with tears, hugs, kisses and at least one instant proposal of matrimony."It's time for the world to realize that equal rights means equal rights. I still consider being against gay rights to be a hate crime, but my other opinions have changed.I can understand more why people don't want to legalize same-sex marriages because of "religious beliefs" or whatever, and I can respect that to a certain extent, but there's absolutely no reason why there can't be benefits provided for those in domestic partnerships and civil unions.While Pennsylvania is still full of hat...
More About: Rights , Gay Rights , Step

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetle...
2008-05-15 01:18:00
We all know how it ends so I'm not going to finish it. Actually, according to this article, it looks like somebody already did!Daniel Patrick Sheehan of The Morning Call reported that postal workers in Mohnton, PA noticed a suspicious package that they later found to be "26 vials containing enormous live beetles from Asia, pests that could, if unleashed in the wild, wreak devastation on crops and trees.Sheehan wrote the following: "The aptly named Hercules, Rhinoceros and Goliath beetles -- all part of the scarab family and some the size of a child's hand -- arrived in Mohnton last week from Taiwan."Berks County was spared of these beetles thanks to some alert postal workers and customs agents.To get an idea of what these beetles actually look like and what they're capable of, check out the following links:Hercules Beetle | Rhinoceros Beetle | Goliath BeetleThere is some very interesting information provided in those links, including pictures, and I suggest you all give them at l...
More About: Beetlejuice

A Look At The Real Sam Bennett
2008-05-12 18:13:00
I think that picture best sums up the way Sam Bennett felt during her interview with Bernie. Can you blame her? It was three hours long and after all, she's only human. Bernie even referred to it as "root canal."It's no secret that I'm not a fan of political wannabe Sam Bennett. It's not just me; many Lehigh Valley residents are reluctant to support her. She can't find enough support locally, so why would anyone elect her to a national stage?Actions often speak louder than words. Last week, Bernie O'Hare gave Bennett the chance to explain her actions in an interview that lasted three hours in which the people chose the questions.To my surprise, I did like some of her answers. Her views on education are admirable. When asked if schools in districts such as Allentown can succeed under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), her response was this: "The goals of NCLB are admirable. Every child has the right to a quality education. Our global competitiveness depends on this. The feder...
More About: Real

Response To Bennett Interview Coming Monday
2008-05-10 19:58:00
The self-proclaimed "embodiment of the change people want" also known as Sam Bennett was interviewed by blogging bastard Bernie O'Hare last week. Bernie let the people post the questions that we wanted answers to.Bernie picked about 30 questions to ask her; she responded to all of them, however, she only answered some of them. Some questions she answered really well, others she avoided, and others she altered (added to) through e-mail.Bernie didn't do much follow-up after asking the questions, and I'm happy he didn't. Bennett was asked questions and given a fair chance to respond without any interviewer influence. There wasn't any added pressure put on her, nor was there an opportunity to sugarcoat her responses. Although she didn't allow a tape recorder, Bernie quoted her every response. Bernie did give Bennett the chance to e-mail him to add to and/or correct her responses, which is visible here.I'm going to have a responsive and opinionated blog on Monday regarding the int...
More About: Interview , Response

The Dangers of Shopping Online - It Pays To Ask Questions and Do Research!
2008-05-08 02:34:00
When shopping online, all buyers need to beware! There are a lot of con artists and frauds out there. Some "sellers" will take your money and run while others will falsely describe the item you think your purchasing.Online shopping is a dangerous world and one needs to be cautious at every push of that "add to cart" button.I really like shopping online. I buy books, games, cloths, bowling equipment, etc., and usually at prices much cheaper than in the stores. The world of online shopping is like an endless spree, and the best part is that nobody is there to push you into a sale.However, online "sellers" will sometimes say anything to make a quick dollar.Lately, I have been searching for a first edition Amelia Bedelia book. A couple of days ago I found someone that appeared to be selling what I wanted through a Web site called AbeBooks.com. The site is credible, but it's like eBay where the merchants agree to take full responsibility for what they sell.I e-mailed the seller a few qu...
More About: Shopping , Research , Questions , Pays

Blogs That Deserve Attention
2008-05-01 06:43:00
I've recently added three more blogs to my links section (to the right.) They are all very respectable and credible blogs and deserve to be noticed.Most of you might know of them already, but for those who are new to the blogosphere and want to see a more realistic side to things, here ya go:Pamela Varkony's Perspectives - Since going solo, her writing and content has improved greatly! I'm always anxious to see what she's going to write about next!Northern Lehigh Valley Logic - Very well written and frequently updated. David Najarian does an excellent job maintaining a very credible blog!Molovinsky On Allentown - A known voice in the Valley and the city of Allentown. Molovinsky takes to the blogging world with a realistic attitude and isn't afraid to voice his opinion. I recommend (at this time) all of these blogs and suggest that everyone check them out on a regular basis! (I was not paid to write that, I swear!)
More About: Blogs , Attention

The Key To A Safer Neighborhood Is A Hose
2008-04-30 20:32:00
The key to a safer Allentown is not the hiring of more police officers, nor is it a community watch program. It's a $10,000 hose.According to The Morning Call, Allentown officials introduced their "new weapon to fight graffiti." Manuel Gamiz, Jr. of TMC writes in his report:"The machine, a hot-water pressure washer with a 27-horsepower engine, is more powerful and durable than past machines. Plus, with the application of a solution onto the affected wall, the removal of graffiti can be completed in a few minutes, if not sooner."Don't get me wrong, I think that cleaning up graffiti is a good idea. However, cleaning up graffiti is not the key to stopping crime.Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski tells the press, "It is important to remove graffiti quickly thereby maintaining safer and cleaner neighborhoods."This topic is up for grabs. Anyone care to explain how cleaning up street art is going to make the neighborhood safer? How will a $10,000 hose stop the spread of gangs in the Valley? Is...
More About: Hose , Neighborhood

Caption Contest - Show How Classless You Can Be!
2008-04-24 06:02:00
I couldn't help it... I laughed when I saw this photo! It you look closely, it looks like Philadelphia Mayor Mayor Michael Nutter is mad about something. Perhaps it's because Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell is standing on his foot? You be the judge!I think it's time for a caption contest! The winner will forever be portrayed as a classless hater, or something along those lines...
More About: Contest , Show , Caption

The Irony of BK Advertised During Fit Club
2008-04-23 07:00:00
A television show I enjoy watching is Celebrity Fit Club on VH1. The show is entertaining, educational, and even inspiring at times. I was inspired (to say the least) when Phil Margera expressed his feelings for wanting to live a longer life and proceeded to lose 41 lbs. Needless to say that after looking in the mirror I could use some of that inspiration once again.But this post isn't about me being fat, it's about the irony of the advertisements during the show.During a commercial break, a Burger King commercial played for their sandwiches, although I don't recall exactly which one.Let's take a quick second to remind ourselves that Celebrity Fit Club is a show about losing weight and eating healthy to improve one's life....Moving on, I want to share with you some nutrition facts for items you can purchase at Burger King, provided by bk.com:A Whopper w/Cheese, Medium Onion Rings, and Medium Coca-Cola: 1,280 calories142 carbs63 total fat37 proteinTendergrill Chicken Sandwich w/...
More About: Irony

The Morning Call - Poor Journalism and Bias
2008-04-18 07:22:00
The Morning Call published an article about presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama supporter Rep. Patrick Murphy appearing on "The Colbert Report" with Stephen Colbert at 10:08 p.m. EST, over an hour before the show even aired. The article questions whether or not Hillary's appearance will influence the young voters.Scott Kraus of The Morning Call writes:"By appearing on a show like 'The Colbert Report,' an influential if satiric source of information for younger voters, Clinton could send a message that she's human, said Chris Harper, associate professor of journalism at Temple University"So is this article bias or just incomplete? I say both!Also appearing on the show was former presidential hopeful John Edwards. He took over the "Word" sequence, changing it to "EdWords" and humored the crowd for a couple of minutes. But the biggest error in the article comes in this paragraph: "U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-8th District, a Barack Obama supporter, closed the show ...
More About: Journalism , Bias , Poor

The Search For Cheap Gas - Best Gas Prices In Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton,
2008-04-15 06:01:00
Gas has been putting a strain on my wallet more than usual lately, as it likely has everyone else.I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm always trying to find the cheapest fill stations without driving out of my way to get there.I've put together a list of the Lehigh Valley's cheaper gas stations, and I use the term "cheap" very, very loosely.All prices listed below are for regular unleaded fuel.The following stations (Bethlehem , PA only) were searched using a 18017 zip code:Giant - 2918 Easton Ave. - $3.27Hess - 3283 Easton Ave. - $3.29Hess - 201 Broadway - $$3.29Gulf - 2900 Easton Ave. - $3.29Gulf - 1118 Pembroke Rd. - $3.29The following stations (Allentown, PA only) were searched using a 18101 zip code:Hess - 1043 Lehigh St. - $3.25Hess - 2245 Lehigh St. - $3.27WaWa - 2209 Lehigh St. - $3.27N/A (Airport Rd. Truckstop) - 1227 Airport Rd. - $3.297-Eleven - 1801 S. 4th St. - $3.31The following stations (Easton, PA only) were searched using a 18042 zip code:Getty - 2 S. 13th...
More About: Search , Gas Prices , Cheap , Prices

Nic Zawarski & Sons Win Battle Over A-Town Parking Lots - Plan To Add Town
2008-04-11 18:55:00
The Allentown Parking Authority will now sell two parking lots to Nic Zawarski & Sons for the amount of $490,000, an amount that is obviously more important that citizen safety.Employees of Verizon Corp. and some area residents will now lose their parking spaces to 47 new town houses and possibly more retail. Members of the Parking Authority have "listened" to protests by workers and residents, but have chosen to ignore them once again.Michael Molovinsky has been advocating for the Verizon employees and area residents, but as usual, they've ignored him, too. On his blog, he's been keeping everyone up-to-date with this situation.On April 8th, Molovinsky created a blog titled "Parking Authority Mugs Woman." He writes, "Sometime in the not too distant future, a woman Verizon worker will be mugged on Linden Street. She will be the victim of Mayor Pawlowski and The Allentown Parking Authority."Don't expect safety to improve anytime soon. There won't be any new officers to patrol the ...
More About: Town , Battle , Plan

School Buses Need Seat Belts
2008-04-07 01:53:00
I wrote a blog back in February discussing how school buses need seat belts to ensure student safety.Many people flock to the idea that a strobe light on the roof is a wonderful solution to passenger safety, yet mock the simple idea of seat belts - a common safety requirement in other vehicles. The Morning Call published a report by Tim Darragh on Sunday that begins with the following heading:"Morning Call survey finds more than 200 students might have avoided harm by wearing safety belts."In my original blog, I included a video that showed students being thrown from one side of the bus to the other when it rolled onto it's side. This could have easily been prevented had the students been wearing simple lap/shoulder seat belts.The report is worth a read. There are even quotes from a Kutztown Area Middle School school bus crash victim whose lasting injuries could have been avoided if seat belts were available on that dreadful day in 2004.Click here to read the report!
More About: Seat , Buses , Belts

Bethlehem Township School Zone A Disaster Zone
2008-04-03 19:59:00
I've been debating whether or not to blog about this, but after what I saw today I feel I have to. I didn't want to start stepping on other people's toes here, but now I think I need to. There is a school zone on Hecktown Road in Bethlehem Township that students from East Hills Middle School , Freedom High School and the Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School use daily. The speed limit, during the zone hours, is 15 mph.People rarely go the speed limit during the zone hours, but can you blame them? The zone lacks an authoratative presence and has lately been monitored by one of those pesky crosswalk cones. I've also noticed that this cone is not there every day, despite what people say.But this is only the beginning of my complaint.This particular crosswalk does have an authority figure - a crossing guard - who's job, I assume, is to halt and alert traffic so children can safely cross this busy road. Trust me, in the morning and afternoon zone hours, this is a decently busy r...
More About: Disaster , Zone

PPL Rate Hike Hearing Review
2008-04-03 19:48:00
The Morning Call has a review of yesterdays PUC hearing regarding PPL's proposed rate hikes, despite the fact that the rates shouldn't be allowed to be raised.One of the points brought up at the meeting revolved around the fact that PPL's profit margin is higher than Exxon Mobile's. There's something to think about; I wonder if they're working together...Thanks to Sen. Lisa Boscola for leading this fight. Hey, someone has to!To read the review, click here.
More About: Review , Hike , Hearing , Rate