Reading Eagle (Reading, PA) articles from July 2007

Reading Eagle (Reading, PA) archives from July 2007

Oakmont title 'special' for Sutherland: Nathan Sutherland, a Holy Name grad, birdies the final hole to claim the club championship at storied Oakmont Country Club.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Darryl Grumling Jul. 26--Less than a month after Angel Cabrera won the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, Nathan Sutherland also walked off the storied course a champion. Four weeks to the day that Tiger Woods couldn't muster...

Fair board honors retiring member, outstanding teens.
July 26, 2007... Byline: George G. Landis Jul. 26--A retiring board member was honored Wednesday night during the 52nd annual Reading Fair awards banquet in the Berks County Agricultural Center in Bern Township. A. Wayne Readinger of Rockland...

Corrections and clarifications.(Correction notice)
July 26, 2007... Jul. 26--The federal government was the source of information that it would take 16,000 doctors to fill the current shortage in the United States. The source was incorrect in Saturday's Reading Eagle. Setting it straight: We want to...

Recreation center wanted in Amity: Township residents who believe an indoor facility would benefit the community say the time is now to begin planning for one.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vandermeulen Jul. 26--Some Amity Township residents hope to fill a longtime void in the growing community. The township has parks, playgrounds and recreation areas, but there's no indoor facility where families can go...

Pollock helped put FirstEnergy, R-Phils on map: The late Jimmy Pollock, who will be enshrined in the Reading Baseball Hall of Fame tonight, was instrumental in turning the stadium into a showplace.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Mike Drago Jul. 26--Long before there was a pool pavilion or a picnic area, before there was a food court or a boardwalk or a deck -- or even a roof over the grandstand at what was once known as Municipal Memorial Stadium --...

Reading Country Club's history makes it perfect fit for Casper: Billy Casper says the "prestige" of the golf course will add a "great deal" to the management company that bears his name and runs the Exeter Township-owned club.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Julie Pelchar Cohen Jul. 26--Billy Casper had visited here before. He vividly recalled the tree-lined driveway that becomes a roundabout in front of the clubhouse. He remembered the course, too, having played Reading...

A career unappreciated: Casper's accomplishments deserve more acclaim.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Julie Pelchar Cohen Jul. 26--A young boy handed his treasure to the burly old gentleman hobnobbing on the first tee. The treasure was a baseball cap covered with illegible autographs from last month's U.S. Open at Oakmont Country...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Legion Notes column: Wenrich comes through for Owls.(Column)
July 26, 2007... Byline: Don Stewart Jul. 26--West Lawn's Isaac Wenrich was at a loss for words after his team's Berks Legion League title game victory against Boyertown. The 17-year-old third baseman started the season not knowing where, when and...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Community Bulletin Board Area Highlights column: Workshop slated for home buyers.(Column)
July 25, 2007... Jul. 25--Neighborhood Housing Services of Reading will hold a four-week workshop for first-time home buyers. The program, "Find Your Way Home," provides a stepby-step overview of the homebuying process. Classes will meet from 6:30 to...

Wertz's widow speaks in gun case: Tricia L. Wertz tells a federal judge her husband died trying to keep firearms off city streets. The man who sold the weapon that killed the police officer is sentenced.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Holly Herman Jul. 25--PHILADELPHIA -- The widow of slain Reading Police Officer Scott A. Wertz wept Tuesday as she told a federal judge here that her husband was killed trying to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. "He...

Eppihimer to run for mayor as an independent: The ex-mayor joins four other candidates seeking the city's top post in the November elections.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Mary E. Young Jul. 25--The field of candidates for Reading mayor now stands at five, with former Mayor Joseph D. Eppihimer confirming Tuesday that he has filed as an independent. Eppihimer joins Mayor Tom McMahon, a Democrat;...

So sweeee-t!: Exciting but nerve-racking, a timed cake decorating competition highlights those with the talent to adorn desserts beautifully -- with buckets of icing.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Christopher Woytko Jul. 25--At Sam's Club in Temple, icing was brought in by the gallon, and it seemed like there was a never-ending supply of cakes to tantalize the sweet tooths of onlookers. Eleven Sam's Club cake...

Gerlach target of anti-war movement: Opposition activists say they have the Chester County Republican's attention and plan to keep the pressure on.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Mary E. Young Jul. 25--The anti-war movement is targeting some Republican lawmakers, and U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach is at dead center. Peace activists figure they would score a bull'seye if they could turn around his stance on the war...

ADDING UP: City school leaders get salary bump to stay competitive.
July 25, 2007... Byline: David Mekeel Jul. 25--Most Reading School District administrators recently received a 10 percent salary boost, a move that teachers are likely to use as ammunition during upcoming contract talks. School officials justified...

Rotten food cleanup pledged by company in Muhlenberg: Rancid produce outside Wholesale Discount Market Inc. draws odor complaints from a neighboring business.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Darrin Youker Jul. 25--Foul odors from rotting produce piled outside a Muhlenberg Township wholesale food company finally got the best of neighbors on Tuesday. Workers at a nearby company complained to the township about the...

Bill seeks more property tax rebates: The proposal, sponsored by state Rep. Tim Seip, would help low-income senior citizens.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Erin Negley Jul. 25--Low-income senior citizens could qualify for additional property tax and rent rebates under a bill proposed by state Rep. Tim Seip, a Schuylkill County Democrat. Pennsylvania already has a program that...

There's concern and calm after Boyertown's loss.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Jerry Reimenschneider Jul. 25--Steve Bealer, its leadoff man and its leader, tried shaking Boyertown to life in the middle of the sixth inning. West Lawn had just pushed its lead over the listless Bears to two runs, but with...

Pit bull bites teen: The attack on a girl as she gets out of her car on Windsor Street is the breed's third in the city in two days.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Sarah Tompkins Jul. 23--A pit bull terrier bit a city girl in the leg Sunday afternoon in northeast Reading, the third pit bull attack in the city in two days, authorities said. The 17-year-old girl was taken by ambulance to...

An up-close look at history: The 400 or so who attend Sunday's event at the Berks County Heritage Center, Bern Township, get a view of a Civil War encampment. Some also learn about the era's modest dress or life on a Union Canal barge.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vandermeulen Jul. 23--Civil War-era tents stood in two lines in front of the Gruber Wagon Works, near a field where about 10 soldiers drilled. "Attention!" cried Darin Troutman of Reading, the sergeant. "Shoulder...

It's Owls, Tigers & Bears: Fleetwood's six-run rally stuns Boyertown.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Don Stewart Jul. 23--They were collecting their gear out of the dugout, as they would after any game. But this time there was an odd air of calm that might have been a blend of shock and surrealism. "Am I dreaming," one of...

Council to discuss canine law tonight: Sunday's attack by a pit bull is just one more reason to act quickly, Mayor Tom McMahon says.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Ron Devlin Jul. 23--An attack Sunday by a pit bull terrier on a 17-year-old Reading girl -- the third by a pit bull in the city in two days -- left officials threatening to put more teeth into the city's aggressive-dog ordinance....

Corrections and clarifications.(Correction notice)
July 23, 2007... Jul. 23--A photo of James E. Tice, 4, of Wyomissing dressed as Harry Potter was taken in Borders Books Music Movies & Cafe, Wyomissing. The location was incorrect in a photo caption in the Sunday Reading Eagle. Setting it straight: We...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Jim Kerr column: Another revelation needed for vacant Penn View site.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jim Kerr Jul. 23--SITTING AT BREAKFAST and reading the latest news on the vacant Penn View Motel site in West Reading, I was hit with a revelation. Like a large blue pyramid falling on my head, it struck between a mouthful...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Bill Uhrich column: Schwank's, Scott's preservation roles deserve a salute.(Column)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Bill Uhrich Jul. 23--Iimagine most of us area tree-huggers were stunned by Berks County Commissioner Judy Schwank's announcement that she was dropping out of the race for a third term to take a job with a nonprofit advocacy...

Suddenly, surely, a bond: A kinship develops when two patients receive organs: the same donor, same day, same hospital, same floor.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Adam Wilson Jul. 23--by just six miles. Melissa and the boy, Gabriel Almodovar, received life-saving transplanted organs on the same day in the same hospital from the same 17-year-old donor, a McCaskey High School student...

Wernersville revival is a fairly good idea: Lacking enough volunteers, the annual fireman's fair folded a decade ago. A civic group hopes to re-create the good old days.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vandermeulen Jul. 23--For many years, there was no larger event in Wernersville than the annual fireman's fair. Tightrope walkers and bigname entertainers such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra delighted crowds on the...

Tilden biosolids law progresses: Synagro Technologies Inc., which would supply the treated sewage sludge, says an ordinance that would impose several fees basically is a ban.
July 23, 2007... Jul. 23--Tilden Township supervisors have voted 3-0 to move forward with an ordinance to regulate using treated sewage sludge -- also known as biosolids -- as fertilizer on farm fields. The company that would supply the sludge, Synagro...

Latona, Owls outlast Muhls: Mike Latona has the winning hit and is the winning pitcher as West Lawn survives a scare from Muhlenberg.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Don Stewart Jul. 23--Mike Latona wasn't ready to hand over the ball. When his coach came to the mound in the eighth inning, the West Lawn pitcher looked as eager to let go as Gollum in "Lord of the Rings." "He was really...

Garden profile: Carol Eck.
July 23, 2007... Jul. 23--Name: Carol Eck. Gardens at: Her home in Reading. Profession: Registered nurse working at St. Joseph Medical Center. When did you start gardening? I started when I moved into my previous home in 1993. It had a huge yard...

Collins looking to make most of chance: Reading's Keenan Collins will take on Jose Angel Rodriguez tonight in a junior middleweight bout on the Bernard Hopkins-Winky Wright undercard.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Don Stewart Jul. 21--Like college football, where high-powered programs entice weaker out-of-conference teams to come to their stadium and get whipped, boxing has its paid victims. Matchmakers bring in opponents with nice...

County tire drop-off is approved by state: The solid waste authority plans to charge $2 per tire without a rim and $3 with a rim at the Cumru Township collection site Nov. 10.
July 21, 2007... Jul. 21--The Berks County Solid Waste Authority's first tire collection site has been approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Jane C. Meeks, authority executive director, said the former Western Berks Composting...

City police kill pit bull that bit 2.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Jason A. Kahl Jul. 21--Reading police shot and killed a pit bull terrier Friday after it got loose and bit a man mowing his mother's lawn and a police officer, officials said. The incident happened about 2 p.m. in the 100...

Ex-gang member a spiritual warrior: Decades after a legendary missionary saved him from New York's mean streets, Nicky Cruz brings his Christian outreach program to Reading.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Kevin Horan Jul. 21--The 68-year-old Nicky Cruz looks back on the early years of his life, telling a tale of abuse from his mother and an inability to feel loved that led him to become part of a violent gang in Brooklyn. But...

Tape of killing shows victim got no warning: Police show reporters surveillance footage of Shawnee M. Koch's final moments to illustrate the apparent random and senseless nature of her slaying.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Steven Henshaw Jul. 21--Shawnee M. Koch stands over a workstation and leans slightly forward as she speaks into a headset, talking to Mc-Donald's drive-through customers and writing down orders. It's just before 3:30 a.m....

Reading Eagle, Pa., John W. Smith column: Delegates react to Obama speech.(Column)
July 21, 2007... Byline: John W. Smith Jul. 21--BARACK OBAMA impressed -- but did not convert -- local delegates to the recent General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Hartford, Conn. Obama, who if elected in 2008 would be the first president...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Local Religion Digest column: Local woman to star in Bernville church show.
July 21, 2007... Jul. 21--A local woman who has undergone numerous surgeries since being injured in a motorcycle crash last year and is using a wheelchair will direct and star in the Act One Production of "Esther" today at 7 p.m. in the newly opened community...

Work to commence on corrections center: The facility, in a former Berks Heim building, will train inmates to get back into society and will relieve prison crowding.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Holly Herman Jul. 21--For 20 years, Berks County Prison Warden George A. Wagner has been advocating a corrections center to help criminal offenders become productive members of society. The warden's vision meets reality...

Cumru denies fee waiver to nonprofit museum group: The American Museum of Veterinary Medicine is preparing to ask the township for a zoning change to open its building along Route 724 to the public.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Adam Sichko Special To The Jul. 21--Organizers of a Cumru Township veterinary museum have suffered a setback ahead of a key zoning hearing in August. Township commissioners recently rejected the American Museum of Veterinary...

Introducing ... Susan Smith-Rife: Introducing ... Susan Smith-Rife.
July 21, 2007... Jul. 21--Name: Susan R. Smith-Rife. Age: 61. Address: Lower Alsace Township. Occupation: Attorney based at home. When and why you began to exercise: I've been exercising since I was a kid -- tap dancing, hiking, horseback riding, roller...

A look that lasts: Permanent cosmetics are a range of tattooing procedures used to mimic the look of traditional, temporary makeup.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth Giorgi Jul. 21--NANCY L. WILLITS of South Heidelberg Township was tired of losing half an eyebrow. Like many women, the 63-yearold Willits found her eyebrows growing sparser as she aged, until they became virtually...

Harry's spell holds: The young wizard's appeal to readers of all ages shows no signs of weakening in the hours leading up to the tightly scripted release of the seventh and final book in the wildly popular Potter series.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Kevin Horan Jul. 21--It wasn't the Christmas shopping season at the Barnes & Noble in Spring Township on Friday afternoon. But to employees scrambling to get the store ready for the release of the seventh and final Harry...

Owls, Bears ready to tangle: West Lawn wins big vs. sloppy Fleetwood.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Rich Scarcella Jul. 21--The top four hitters in West Lawn's batting order are as dangerous as any four in the Berks Legion League. Facing Josh Smith, Jeff Smith, John Schultz and Ryan Ebner is difficult enough for any...

Bears' Crable makes quick work of Red Sox.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Don Stewart Jul. 21--It's pretty rare at this point in a season for a pitcher's ERA to actually go up after a onerun complete game. But Garret Crable saw his ERA creep from 0.18 to 0.30 Friday night after he led Boyertown to...

Benson's free kick gives Rage thrilling win: Mark Benson scores his first goal of the season off a free kick with two minutes left to complete Reading's rally past Ocean City.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Todd Krise Jul. 21--Mark Benson waited for the perfect moment to notch his first goal of the season. With the score tied and two minutes remaining, the Kutztown University defender rifled a 25-yard free kick to the upper...

KU tuition to rise average 2.75 percent.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vandermeulen Jul. 20--Students at Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities, including Kutztown University, will pay an average tuition increase of 2.75 percent under rates approved Thursday. Full-time undergraduate...

Families on board: SimplyFun is a company on a mission to get people back in the habit of playing games together. Representatives set up demo parties in the homes of their clients, and if they enjoy the games, they can buy them.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Christopher Woytko Jul. 20--LOOK AT THE PICTURE on the back of most board games, and you'll see a happy family playing together. But with all of today's modern conveniences and distractions, who really has any time to do...

Red Sox end drought, turn back the Cougars: Chris Stoudt and Joe Pietrobone help Shillington pick up its first playoff win in three years.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Darryl Grumling Jul. 20--Shillington's fall from the Berks Legion League elite has been a somewhat precipitous one. After making eight title-game appearances from 1993-2003, the Red Sox hadn't won a playoff game since 2004....

Gutsy (Justin) Garcia gets Fleetwood a win: The Tigers pitcher wiggles his way out of several jams and has a big night at the plate to pace a first-round Legion playoff win over Muhlenberg.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Don Stewart Jul. 20--Justin Garcia had nothing left. He'd already thrown more than 120 pitches, already rounded the bases three times. Muhlenberg's Jordan Kipp wore Garcia down further with several pick-off attempts after the...

Seized money on hold again: The city mayor threatens to sue the district attorney if he tries to distribute more than $1 million in illegal-drug proceeds found in Reading.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Dan Kelly Jul. 20--A $1.1 million anti-drug fund was frozen Thursday after Reading Mayor Tom McMahon threatened to sue District Attorney Mark C. Baldwin over distribution of the funds. Berks County Community Foundation...

Stolen car may be link to murder: Someone tried to set the vehicle on fire after Shawnee M. Koch was shot and killed as she worked at McDonald's, police say.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Steven Henshaw Jul. 20--Reading police searched a stolen car Thursday that they recovered shortly after the fatal shooting of a McDonald's restaurant employee while she was working at the drive-through window. Police said...

Fox bites girl in Reiffton; trap set: Exeter Township police advise residents to be on the lookout and to keep pets and children indoors until the animal is caught.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Adam Wilson Jul. 20--Jennifer Burke thought a cat was running toward her as an animal sprang out from under the backyard trampoline about 10 yards away. It wasn't until it sank its teeth into the 17-year-old's ankles that...

Adjusting mindset and staying in control can help people cope.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Kevin Horan Jul. 20--Ian R. Burley is preparing himself for what might be a stressful career. The 27-year-old Kutztown University graduate student is studying to be a science teacher -- a job, he says, that can include phone...

Corrections and clarifications.(Correction notice)
July 20, 2007... Jul. 20--Tickets for the David Phelps concert Sunday in the Scottish Rite Cathedral are $25 for Artist Circle and $15 for general admission in advance, and $30 for Artist Circle and $20 for general admission the day of the show. One of the...

Neighbors make a plea for peace: Agitated by what they say is incessant noise coming from the District Township property owned by retired prison guard George C. Grampp, residents turn to the zoning ordinance for relief.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Ron Devlin Jul. 20--The way George C. Grampp sees it, he has the right to uproot 150-ton blue ironstone boulders on Windmill Farm, a picturesque property where he lives in District Township. The way 18 of Grampp's neighbors...

Power plant plan worries neighbors: People along Buena Vista Road in Maidencreek Township question whether a generating station burning bio-fuels would dry up wells and contaminate the air.
July 20, 2007... Byline: David Mekeel Jul. 20--A Maidencreek Township recycler's plans to build a biofuelpowered power plant on his property elicited lots of questions from local residents during an informational meeting Thursday night. David Zwicky,...

New program hopes to stop youth brain drain: Educators, business people and elected officials are told of plans to try to connect the talents of the local work force to available jobs in the community.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Mary E. Young Jul. 20--A new program will be set up in Berks County to connect local students to jobs and to sell them on the community so they will stay here and not move away. The program would address one of the...

Wild night in District prompts supervisors to weigh firearms ban: A resident with a 9 mm Glock handgun sticking out of his pocket addresses officials at a township meeting.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Ron Devlin Jul. 20--It was like a scene out of a Wild West movie. Roland Van Tongel, a handgun protruding from his hip, took the floor and launched a verbal attack on District Township supervisor Ed Overberger at a recent...

PNC to acquire Sterling Financial: The purchase of the Lancaster bank holding company comes about two months after the firm revealed a loan scheme involving one of its subsidiaries.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Tony Lucia Jul. 20--Sterling Financial Corp., the Lancaster bank holding company left reeling by a subsidiary's multimillion-dollar loan scheme earlier this year, said Thursday it has agreed to be acquired by PNC Financial...

Quick response saves family pet: Steve Schaeffer of Exeter Township, a paramedic, calls upon his training to remove food from the throat of his choking dog.
July 20, 2007... Byline: Christopher Woytko Jul. 20--On July 3, paramedic Steve Schaeffer was called upon to use some training he never thought he'd have to use at home. After returning from a shopping trip with his family that evening, Schaeffer...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Berks Legion Roundup column: Boyertown rolls past Gregg Post.(Column)
July 20, 2007... Jul. 20--Shayne Houck hit a pair of home runs and drove in three runs as regular-season champion Boyertown rolled to a 12-5 win over Gregg Post Thursday night in a Berks Legion League playoff opener at Bear Stadium. Houck hit a solo...

For Boyertown, Berks playoffs are not critical: Although the Bears would like to win the county Legion title, their coach says their focus is on the Region 2 Tournament.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Don Stewart Jul. 19--They won Region 2 and Pennsylvania State Legion championships during a memorable season. But the Boyertown Bears fell just shy of winning the Berks League title. So will last summer's loss to West Lawn...

Woman, 40, dies after she's shot in city restaurant: Someone pulled up to the McDonald's and fired through the drive-through window as Shawnee M. Koch of Reading was working behind it.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Steven Henshaw and Jason A. Kahl Jul. 19--An assistant manager of the McDonald's restaurant at Ninth and Spring streets was fatally shot early Wednesday by someone who pulled up to the drivethrough window and fired at her, Reading...

Schwank not seeking re-election: The Democratic chairwoman of the county commissioners will serve out her term before taking a job leading a statewide advocacy organization.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Mary E. Young Jul. 19--Berks County Commissioner Judith L. Schwank is dropping her bid for election to a third term to join a statewide organization she believes will affect the quality of life in the state in many ways. ...

Schwank's move to leave her post stuns colleagues: Fellow Democratic Commissioner Thomas W. Gajewski Sr. is at a loss for words. Republican Commissioner Mark C. Scott wishes her well.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Mary E. Young Jul. 19--Word that Berks County Commissioner Judith L. Schwank would not seek election to a third term and would leave office at the end of the year shocked her closest colleagues. Commissioner Thomas W....

Some workers decry failed effort to retain jobs: Several ICI Paints employees express disappointment that the governor's office and city officials could not convince the firm to remain in the city. Others say it was a valiant effort.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Tony Lucia Jul. 19--A dark cloud passed over the ICI Paints plant in Reading Wednesday as first-shift workers walked to their cars and drove away. Those workers and others on the second and third shifts remain under a cloud,...

Heritage Center relives history in Step Back in Time Day.
July 19, 2007... Jul. 19--The Berks County Parks & Recreation Department's Step Back in Time Day is scheduled for Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Berks County Heritage Center, Red Bridge Road, Bern Township. The day is dedicated to reliving the...

7 suspects in gun-trafficking ring charged: Authorities say the group stole more than 50 weapons in 40 burglaries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Steven Henshaw Jul. 19--Authorities on Wednesday announced the breakup of an illegal gun-trafficking network whose members sold firearms stolen in daytime residential burglaries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties. ...

McMahon, other mayors to back gun-control bill: A Reading lawmaker will introduce legislation to improve laws, but says he lacks votes to get it adopted; NRA says enforce existing laws.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Mary E. Young Jul. 19--Efforts to build support for better state gun-control laws will pick up between now and September when legislation will be introduced, mayors of several cities said Wednesday after meeting in City Hall. ...

Street: Support strong for gun laws: The Philadelphia mayor says loose gun control laws are part of the cause of many urban homicides.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Jason Brudereck Jul. 19--Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street believes most people want state and local governments to enact more laws to regulate handguns. A statewide poll found that 96 percent of Pennsylvania residents think...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Dan Kelly column: For Paul Brown, bad fortunes take miraculous turn.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Dan Kelly Jul. 19--YOU COULD SEE PAUL E. Brown Jr.'s smile from across Washington Street. He greeted passers-by with a wave and a handshake. He seemed right at home. "I was going to be evicted on Friday the 13th and...

Boyertown is seeking Act 1 reimbursement: The school board wants to recover $16,000 spent developing a state-mandated tax-shift plan that was rejected by voters.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Ron Devlin Jul. 19--The Boyertown School Board has voted to send state legislators a letter notifying them that the district wants to be reimbursed for the cost of complying with Act 1, the state's ill-fated tax shift...

ICI Paints to close in September: Approximately 100 jobs are to be lost when the plant shuts down. Production is to be transferred to newer facilities in Georgia, Ohio and Texas.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Christopher Hinz Jul. 19--ICI Paints announced Wednesday it was closing its Reading manufacturing plant by the end of September and eliminating about 100 jobs. An adjacent distribution facility that employs about 50 will remain...

Cucci caps Rage's comeback: Seldom-used reserve Pat Cucci scores a late goal to lift Reading over Richmond.
July 19, 2007... Byline: Brian Rippey Jul. 19--Despite standing 6-3, Pat Cucci hasn't had many chances to make a big impact for the Reading Rage this season. If the Lehigh University junior plays at all, it's usually as a late substitution. ...

Corrections and clarifications.(Correction notice)
July 18, 2007... Jul. 18--Carl Ramich, president of the Dana Parish Retirees Group, testified on behalf of former and current Dana employees at the company's bankruptcy hearing in New York. An article in Sunday's Reading Eagle incorrectly reported where...

Decision delayed on plans for hotel at Penn View site: Some West Reading residents fear the business would deteriorate like its predecessor.
July 18, 2007... Byline: Darrin Youker Jul. 18--West Reading officials postponed making a decision Tuesday on whether a developer can build an extended-stay hotel on the former Penn View Motel site. Most of the nearly 75 people at the council...

Fresh Air visitors join Berks families for summer stays: A Leesport couple with five boys adds a 10-year-old from the Bronx to their family for the week.
July 18, 2007... Byline: Kevin Horan Jul. 18--The Horst family already has five boys, but for the next week, the Leesport residents will make room to welcome one more to their home. Hasan D. Green, a 10-yearold from the Bronx, N.Y., arrived Tuesday...

3 stores named for Exeter center.
July 18, 2007... Byline: Erin Negley Jul. 18--Lowe's, Target and a new Giant supermarket will anchor the proposed Exeter Commons shopping center in Exeter Township, according to the property's listing agent. The developer and two of the stores won't...

Notification system gives status of criminal cases: The district attorney says a $1.25 million federal grant would pay for Berks County to participate.
July 18, 2007... Byline: Mary E. Young Jul. 18--Crime victims and witnesses soon might be notified automatically by phone or e-mail when the defendants whose cases they had a role in are to be released from prison. District Attorney Mark C. Baldwin...

Reading Eagle, Pa., Concert Review column: The rock quartet's pounding live show is like no other.(Concert review)(Column)
July 18, 2007... Byline: Jon Fassnacht Jul. 18--After leaving one of its shows, it becomes painfully obvious how perfectly named the band Tool is: The pounding of its live show makes your head feel like it went a few rounds with a jackhammer. But the...

Wind effect common in Berks, expert says: Straight-line winds, like the ones that caused damage in parts of Kutztown, are caused by downdrafts from thunderclouds, meteorologists say.
July 18, 2007... Byline: Adam Sichko Special To The Jul. 18--The usual windy culprit in Berks County was up to its old destructive tricks again. Straight-line winds toppled trees, knocked down power lines and ripped the roof from a building during a...

Berks schools get no surprises in state budget: School districts across the county will receive roughly what they expected in funding from Pennsylvania.
July 18, 2007... Byline: Felix Alfonso Pena Jul. 18--Berks County school districts receive varying funding increases but no especially unpleasant surprises in the budget the state House has sent to Gov. Ed Rendell for his signature, according to a random...

Man, 33, gets life in fatal stabbing, sexual mutilation: The mandatory sentence for first-degree murder is given for the scissors slaying of a city resident during an argument over sex and cocaine.
July 18, 2007... Byline: Holly Herman Jul. 18--A Berks County judge on Tuesday sentenced a Reading man to life in prison for fatally stabbing and sexually mutilating a man during an argument. Tommy White, 33, of the 800 block of Franklin Street was...

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 18, 2007... Jul. 18--Due to an editing error, Muhlenberg Township Commissioner Roger Voit's name appeared incorrectly in a letter in the July 15 Reading Eagle. To see more of the Reading Eagle, or to subscribe, go to http://www.readingeagle.com. ...

Boone project includes yard work: Seven Amity Township homeowners are losing sections of their properties due to road improvements needed for the district's new elementary school.
July 18, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vandermeulen Jul. 18--Road improvements for a new elementary school in Amity Township mean seven homeowners along Monocacy Creek Road are losing portions of their yards. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation...