Reading Eagle (Reading, PA) articles from August 2003

Reading Eagle (Reading, PA) archives from August 2003

Reading, Pa., Board to Spend $7,500 for Billboard Listing U.S.-Bombed Cities.
August 22, 2003... Byline: Jason Brudereck Aug. 22--Whether or not it's funded by the city fine arts board, a billboard will be installed on the Bingaman Street Bridge in Reading to list cities the United States military bombarded and the dates. The...

Proposed 37-Home Development in South Heidelberg, Pa., Is Questioned.
August 22, 2003... Byline: Mike Urban Aug. 22--A South Heidelberg Township citizens group and a local sportsmen's organization fear that a proposed 37-home development could drain water from nearby wells and damage a local fish hatchery. Greth...

Students Flock to Reading, Pa., English Class.
August 22, 2003... Byline: Merav Bushlin Aug. 22--The line of people waiting for English-placement tests stretched down a hallway and spilled into the lobby at Reading Area Community College. The crowd was Elaine Moyer's answer to people who criticize...

Fleetwood, Pa., Enforces Backyard Pool Rules.
August 22, 2003... Aug. 22--Earlier this year, Fleetwood resident Stan W. Swinehart set up an inflatable pool that covered much of his back yard. His 12-year-old daughter, Alyshia R., and 2-year-old son, Dylan W., love a cooling swim in the hot weather, he...

Win or Lose, Inmate Lawsuits Cost Berks County, Pa.
August 22, 2003... Aug. 22--The $1.8 million in taxpayer money spent on Berks County's outside legal fees since 1999 certainly sounds like a big number. Although the money could be put to much better uses -- such as shaving a few dollars off property taxes...

Reading, Pa., Solar-Panel Removal Project Finally Completed.
August 22, 2003... Byline: Kori Walter Aug. 22--James E. Crater compared his work removing solar panels from the roof at Riverside Elementary School to an adoption. The system of glass tubes and metal supports had been orphaned years ago by the Reading...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Business Briefs Column.
August 21, 2003... Aug. 21--WESTLAND GRAPHIC WINS CONTRACT WITH PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Westlawn Graphic, Sinking Spring, will design and print the Philadelphia Eagles GameDay programs for the 2003 season. This is the second season Westlawn Graphic received the...

Weeds at Corporate Lot Raise Reading, Pa., Councilwoman's Concerns.
August 21, 2003... Byline: Steven Henshaw Aug. 21--Councilwoman Donna Reed and some of her constituents in northwest Reading are concerned that weeds protruding through the surface of the vacant parking lot at the Dana Corp. property could be an early sign...

Reading, Pa., Council Tables Proposal on Appeals Process.
August 20, 2003... Byline: Jason Brudereck Aug. 20--A proposal to expand the city planning commission was tabled and a proposal to allow some commission decisions to be appealed to City Council was withdrawn at a council meeting Monday. Council members...

Prisoners Source of Many Berks County, Pa., Costs.
August 20, 2003... Byline: Mary E. Young Aug. 20--The image of a man in prison garb grilling his jailers might be comical were the costs of such situations not contributing to the more than $1.8 million Berks County has spent on legal fees since 1999. ...

Kutztown, Pa., Telecommunications Firm Completes First Year.
August 20, 2003... Byline: Merav Bushlin Aug. 20--After a rough start, Kutztown's 1-year-old venture into the communications business is gaining strength and the town's allegiance. "I feel we're in a lot better position now than we've ever been," said...

Arrow International CEO Gives $6.8 Million to Expand College in Reading, Pa.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Bryan Behrenshausen Aug. 19--Marlin J. Miller Jr. surveys the blacktop expanse north of the Penn Street Bridge and sees Berks County's new informational crossroads -- the place where technical, educational and artistic ideas will...

Berks County, Pa., Planners Endorse Plan for Riverfront Revitalization.
August 19, 2003... Byline: David A. Kostival Aug. 19--The Berks County Planning Commission has voted to notify The Wyomissing Foundation Riverfront Advisory Group of its endorsement of the draft action plan to develop Reading's riverfront. The...

Bus to Offer Service to Cabela's Store near Reading, Pa.
August 18, 2003... Byline: Don Spatz Aug. 18--The Berks and Schuylkill County bus agencies soon will begin daily service along the Route 61 corridor to the huge Cabela's store in Tilden Township, thanks to more than $1 million in state and federal...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Government Action Column.
August 18, 2003... Byline: Valdis I. Lacis Aug. 18--CONRAD WEISER BOARD DISPUTES FINDINGS OF STATE REPORT ACTION: The Conrad Weiser School Board has disputed the accuracy and fairness of a recent state report that identifies the high school as falling...

Robeson Township, Pa., Faces Key Decision on Land Use.
August 18, 2003... Byline: Adam Wilson Aug. 18--Many people see southern Berks County as a rural haven away from the pressures and congestion of urban life. It is that draw -- the lure of serenity -- that has resulted in people by the droves arriving...

New Morgan, Pa., Company Produces Trailers for Mounted Speed-Display Units.
August 18, 2003... Byline: David A. Kostival Aug. 18--All motorists are forced to drive slowly through construction sites. There is always the temptation to pick up the pace a little bit regardless of what the men and women with orange vests and flags...

Thieves Can Be Thwarted by High-Tech Car System.
August 17, 2003... Byline: Christopher Hinz Aug. 17--Many new vehicles, in addition to having remote keyless entry systems that lock or unlock the doors from a distance, come equipped with electronic transponder keys to combat vehicle theft. The...

Electronic Security Replacing Traditional Home Locks.
August 17, 2003... Byline: Christopher Hinz Aug. 17--Not so long ago, before the electronics revolution infiltrated the traditional realm of mechanical locks and keys, getting locked out of your house mandated a relatively simple solution. Assuming you...

Most Reading, Pa.-Area Grocery Stores Don't Offer Home Delivery.
August 17, 2003... Byline: Tony Lucia Aug. 17--De Carlo's Meat Market, 228 Penn St., has everything you'd expect to find in a grocery store -- bread, milk, cereal and so forth -- and also something else that's become extremely rare: home delivery. ...

Reading, Pa., Planners Approve Compromise to Allow Conveyor-Belt Factory.
August 14, 2003... Byline: Jason Brudereck Aug. 14--The city planning commission unanimously agreed to a compromise Tuesday that will allow KVP Inc. to build its plastic conveyor-belt factory along Morgantown Road. Mayor Joseph D. Eppihimer said the $6...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Government Action Column.
August 14, 2003... Aug. 14--OLEY TWP. ACTION: The Oley Township supervisors voted 3-0 Monday to amend the zoning ordinance to permit no-impact, home-based businesses. BACKGROUND: State law requires municipalities to allow those businesses in all...

Non-Profit's Bernville, Pa., Chief Makes Sure Medical Donations Reach Needy.
August 14, 2003... Byline: Shawn Anderson Aug. 14--After the Bosnian civil war ended, Bernville resident James B. Russo visited the country with a team of doctors. They drove past homes gutted by bombings, the fire-resistant red tile roofs all that...

OPINION: Two Areas Offer Reading, Pa., Models for Riverfront Redevelopment.
August 14, 2003... Aug. 14--A couple of months ago I mentioned some of the 1,001 sources that other communities have tapped for funds to gussie up their riverfronts, making them relaxing and fun places to be. Reading won't have trouble finding construction...

Citizens Bank Sells Downtown Complex in Reading, Pa.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Christopher Hinz Aug. 13--Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania has sold its downtown Reading complex at the northwest corner of Fifth and Penn streets, but will lease back and keep open the first-floor bank. The sale, to Preferred...

Reading, Pa., Officials Work on Compromise over Plastic Conveyor-Belt Factory.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Jason Brudereck Aug. 13--A compromise may be reached today that would allow a plastic conveyor-belt factory to be built in Reading, city officials said Monday. "Not a great compromise, but a compromise," said Michael E....

Reading Eagle, Pa., Newsmakers Column.
August 10, 2003... Aug. 10--Dr. Fredericka S. Heller has been named chairwoman of obstetrics at Reading Hospital. In her new position, Heller will lead and support a staff of 21 physicians in the obstetrics and gynecology department. A resident of...

Lancaster, Pa.-Based Firm Partners with DuPont to Insulate Beverage Containers.
August 10, 2003... Byline: Jon Fassnacht Aug. 10--It's a hot summer day and you return for some refreshment to your bottle of peach tea that you put down 15 minutes ago. You're greeted with a mouthful of tangy, lukewarm beverage that you have to force...

Denver, Pa.-Based Potato Chip Company Emphasizes Flavor.
August 10, 2003... Byline: David A. Kostival Aug. 10--Major manufacturers of potato chips are painstakingly vigilant in making sure each of their chips has uniformity in shape and color. Brian K. Nissly, owner of Zerbe's Home Style Potato Chips in...

Berks County, Pa., Independent Coffee Shops Don't Fear Starbucks.
August 10, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Aug. 10--It's the taste and smell that defines a generation. Even the sound of a cappuccino machine has been ingrained in modern American culture. Coffee shops are where the 20-somethings, artists,...

Berks County, Pa., College Officials Crack Down on Internet File Sharing.
August 8, 2003... Byline: Merav Bushlin Aug. 8--College students in Berks County might lose their Internet connections this fall if they get caught illegally sharing music files. But that could be the least of their worries. "If they're sharing...

Reading, Pa.-Area Planning Commissions Make Numerous Decisions.
August 8, 2003... Aug. 8--WEST READING PLANNERS Action: The West Reading Planning Commission has voted to recommend that borough council approve proposed updates to the zoning ordinance. Background: Among the changes would be a new billboard ordinance...

Some Stores, Eateries List Roads as Reason for Not Coming to Berks County, Pa.
August 8, 2003... Aug. 8--Along with Starbucks, many other symbols of American commerce are missing from Berks County. The company representatives contacted by the Reading Eagle said the businesses look for central locations often in shopping malls. The...

Reading, Pa.-Area Community College Scuttles Plan for Hamburg Center Campus.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Merav Bushlin Aug. 7--A plan for Reading Area Community College to offer classes this fall in the Hamburg Center has collapsed after state officials increased the price of the building lease. "It's a dead deal," Dr. Richard...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Government Action Column.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Valdis I. Lacis Aug. 7--ACTION: The Perry Township supervisors have voted 3-0 to award a $112,245 contract to Wexcon Inc. of Mohrsville to install 1,300 feet of storm sewers along Main Street. BACKGROUND: Engineer Joseph H....

Pennsylvania Debates Accuracy of Slots Projections.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Kori Walter Aug. 7--Folks hoping to play slot machines in Pennsylvania better start saving their quarters. Gamblers would have to lose at least $3 billion -- or more than the value of every property in Reading and Lancaster...

New, Old Combine to Save Treasured Berks County, Pa., Area's Barns.
August 6, 2003... Byline: Robin Huiras Aug. 6--With unblemished wooden siding, new windows and a modern roof, a large Pennsylvania German barn along Route 662 in Amity Township looks like a new addition to the landscape. But look closer. Beneath...

Yuengling Lager Returns to Lineup at Reading, Pa., Baseball Stadium.
August 6, 2003... Byline: Jon Fassnacht Aug. 6--Fan favorite Yuengling Traditional Lager will return to FirstEnergy Stadium next Wednesday, the Reading Phillies organization announced. The Pottsville brewer's flagship product has been absent since...

Pennsylvania Charges Developer, Two Others with Running Illegal Waste Site.
August 6, 2003... Byline: Shaun Lockhart Aug. 6--A Bern Township developer and two others were charged Tuesday with illegally operating a hazardous-waste facility on property straddling the Reading-Muhlenberg Township line. The state attorney...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Government Action Column.
August 6, 2003... Aug. 6--ACTION: The Boyertown Borough Council has voted 4-0 to accept a $4.732 million, 20-year financing proposal from National Penn Bank of Boyertown. Councilmen Randall W. Dittman, Joseph Noviello, Jr. and Barry Christman were absent....

Council in Reading, Pa., Moves to Overrule Rejection of Factory Proposal.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Shaun Lockhart Aug. 5--City Council took the first step Monday night in an effort to overrule the Reading Planning Commission's rejection of a proposal for a plastic-belting factory along Morgantown Road. In a special...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Government Action Column.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Valdis I. Lacis Aug. 5--$7.1 MILLION IN CONTRACTS AWARDED FOR TYSON-SCHOENER: The Reading School Board on Monday night voted 6-0 to award contracts totaling $7.1 million for renovating and expanding Tyson-Schoener Elementary...

Berks County, Pa., Suffering from Light Pollution.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Bryan Behrenshausen Aug. 5--Michael D. Aulenbach of Windsor Township has an astronomical problem. On Aug. 27, the planet Mars will put on a spectacular show when it will be closer to Earth than it has been in 60,000 years....

Exeter Township, Pa., Rejects Church's Building Plan.
August 4, 2003... Byline: David A. Kostival Aug. 4--St. Catharine of Siena Roman Catholic Church took an unexpected hit from Exeter Township Thursday night when the zoning hearing board denied a request from the church to build a religious-education...

Web-Site Polls to Help in Reading, Pa., Budget-Planning Process.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Jason Brudereck Aug. 4--Most of the 35 residents who responded to a survey on the city's Web site said they favored an increase in the earned income tax rather than an increase in property taxes, city officials said. Those...

Reading, Pa., Faces $5 Million Budget Gap in 2004, According to Early figures.
August 4, 2003... Aug. 4--Although some city officials have said the numbers are unreliable, preliminary figures have placed the city's 2004 budget gap at $5 million and estimated a 2003 year-end deficit of $221,000 to $671,000. While not good news, some...

Berks County, Pa., Farm to Use Grant Money to Offer Consumer Workshops.
August 4, 2003... Byline: George G. Landis Aug. 4--A Berks County farm was one of 52 in the Northeast that have shared in grants of $268,744 under the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Farmer/Grower program. Brian Moyer of Green...

Former Pottsville, Pa., NFL Team Awaits Decision on 1925 Championship.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Mike Urban Aug. 4--National Football League officials may announce in September whether the Pottsville Maroons will gain a share of the 1925 championship. For decades Maroons supporters have said the team deserved that...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Government Action Column.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Valdis I. Lacis Aug. 4--ACTION: The Kutztown Community Partnership, formerly Northeast Berks Main Street Foundation, has announced preliminary results of a survey, "Your Vision for Downtown Kutztown," distributed to about 2,000...

Owner of Reading, Pa., Building Seeks Club's Liquor License.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Keith Mayer Aug. 4--The owner of a building where a violence-plagued city nightclub had operated is seeking to get the liquor license from the club's operator. Fleetwood Management Corp. has applied for the license held by...

Former Easton, Pa., Prison Society Chief Gets 51-Month Sentence.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Dan Kelly Aug. 4--EASTON, Pa.--Former Berks County Prison Society Executive Director John A. Fidler Jr. was sentenced Friday to 51 months in federal prison. The sentence, handed down here in U.S. District Court, was the...

Berks County, Pa., Quarry Blasts Leave Neighboring Residents Rattled.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Adam Wilson Aug. 4--There's little resemblance between Berks County and glitzy Los Angeles, but East meets West when the ground trembles and china cabinets shake. Although not on a deadly scale like some Californian...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Newsmakers Column.
August 3, 2003... Aug. 3--Art Moore has been named vice president of programming for WABC-TV, New York City. He is also executive in charge of production for "Live With Regis and Kelly." A resident of Bergen County, N.J., Moore, formerly served as...

Reading, Pa., Company Uses Silly Putty to Advance Glass-Making Technology.
August 3, 2003... Byline: David A. Kostival Aug. 3--Paragon Optical, a world-renowned custom finisher and grinder of all types of glass, has a secret ingredient in the production of glass for some of the world's largest corporations. Under the...

West Reading, Pa., Man Runs Guitar-Making Business.
August 3, 2003... Byline: Jon Fassnacht Aug. 3--Keith Amos was in shock, stunned at what he had just heard. An offbeat suggestion from his wife was nothing short of music to his ears. "My wife, Sue, told me, 'You always have a guitar in your...

Berks County, Pa., Banks Try to Gain Customers from Immigrant Population.
August 3, 2003... Byline: Tony Lucia Aug. 3--Just how many undocumented immigrants reside or work in Berks County is difficult to ascertain. But, whether for cultural reasons or due to personal experience, many such workers have an ingrained mistrust of...

Games, Bingo Major Issues at Reading, Pa., Meeting.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Mary Young Aug. 1--The annual slugfest between the enforcers and the rest of the world turned out to be a pretty calm event this year. There was no sniping or cheap shots. No bingo operators pointed fingers, accusing each...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Government Action Column.
August 1, 2003... Aug. 1--ACTION: The Marion Township supervisors on Thursday voted 2-0 to approve a 90-day extension to review plans for Stonecroft Village, a proposed age-restricted community of 214 single-family homes on a 93-acre former farm off Main...

Berks County, Pa., Commissioners Pay Out $1.4 Million in Preservation Effort.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Mary E. Young Aug. 1--The Berks County commissioners Thursday accepted 922 acres into the county agricultural-preservation program, paying the owners of 10 farms $1.4 million in exchange for promising not to sell their land for...

Seniors May Find New Life in Birdsboro, Pa., Church.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Robin Huiras Aug. 1--A historic Birdsboro church renowned for its architecture could soon become a facility for senior citizens. Deborah and David Homan of Leesport have presented a proposal to convert the 152-year-old St....

Tilden Twp., Pa., Official Marvels at Area Changes as Retirement Awaits.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Mike Urban Aug. 1--Tilden Township was mostly farmland when Anna M. Shollenberger bought her first typewriter and desk and began working as township secretary 39 years ago. Now, as she prepares to step down as Tilden manager...