Wolford Vs Prince In Commonwealth Court Fight

Wolford Vs Prince In Commonwealth Court Fight

By Bob Small

Two Republicans are seeking the slot for Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judge in the May 20 primary.

If you’re ever on a quiz show there are only four commonwealth states. with the others being Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

Pennsylvania, however, is the only commonwealth with a Commonwealth Court. It was created in 1968.

Commonwealth Court deals primarily with cases brought both by and against the State Government. It is also is involved with cases involved with state departments and local governments.

This year’s open seat is to replace Democrat Eileen Ceisler, who retired in January.

Currently, there are five GOP Judges and three Democrats of the nine required judges. Judges have a 10-year term, and then a retention vote. Refreshingly the mandatory retirement age for Pennsylvania judges is 75.

Seeking the Republican nomination for the seat are Matthew Wolford and Josh Prince.

Wolford is a sole practitioner who specializes in environmental law. His resume includes working as assistant counsel and rgional counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and as a prosecutor with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG) He also served as a special Prosecutor for Environmental Crimea for the OAG and the US Attorney for Western Pennsylvania, among other jobs in his career.

He wrote a chapter on oil and gas development in public lands for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s The Law of Oil and Gas in Pennsylvania.

Wolford received his Bachelor’s degree from Penn State and has a Temple Law Degree. He is married to Marian and they have four children.

He says his practice partially focuses on (on “defending clients against government enforcement actions and helping clients work through complex regulatory challenges “ and“fighting for private property rights.”

See also Matt Wolford for Judge: Home.

Joshua Prince is the fourth generation of Princes practicing law.

He has a double major from McGill University in political science and world religions. He has his Law Degree from Widener. His Law firm has a primary focus on firearms law issues.

Wolford is the GOP endorsed candidate. Joshua is a prince of a fellow, especially on Gun rights issues.

Wolford Vs Prince In Commonwealth Court Fight
Josh Prince at a Pennsylvania Supreme Court hearing

Not An Easy Time To Be Jewish-American

Not An Easy Time To Be Jewish-American

By Bob Small

It’s not an easy time to be Jewish-American

The theme of members of their religion being blamed for the actions of “their” nation-state continues.

Let’s simplify. Not one of us Jewish-Americans has a direct line to Benjamin Netanyahu nor do any Russian-Americans speak to Vladimir Putin.

The latest local expression of this was Barstool Philadelphia posting a sign reading “F##k the Jews”.

The two employees were fired and Dave Portnoy, the Jewish owner of Barstool, then pledged to send the two customers who ordered the sign to a tour of Auschwitz

“Rather than ruin a couple 20-year-olds lives maybe this can be used as a teaching moment,” said Portnoy.

The customers were later identified as students at Temple University.

Temple University suspended them.

We should add that we don’t believe antisemitism comes from Temple anymore than it comes from from, say, Swarthmore. Nor any less.

The Daily Mail notes that Portnoy credits New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft with the tour of Auschwitz idea. Kraft, by the way, has his own foundation.

In a further complication, Portnoy accused ABC’s Katie Katro of doing a “bait and switch” interview,

There have been other developments since then, which local news is carrying breathlessly.

See also Temple University student suspended after an antisemitic …

Not An Easy Time To Be Jewish-American

Goodness is the greatest William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 5-17-25

Goodness is the greatest William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 5-17-25

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Answer to yesterday’s puzzle: Of all virtues and dignities of the mind, goodness is the greatest, being the character of the Deity; and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing.
Francis Bacon

goodness is the greatest

Upper Darby Sunshine Act Suit Gets Judge

Upper Darby Sunshine Act Suit Gets Judge — The 2023 lawsuit against four Upper Darby Council members for violating the Sunshine Act has finally been assigned to a judge in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.

Hearing it will be George Pagano.

Being sued by township resident John DeMasi are Hafiz Tunis, Michelle Billups, Sheik Siddique and Andrew Hayman. The quartet sought to remove Brian Burke as council president following the fiasco concerning then Mayor Barbara Keffer and former Administrator Vince Rongione.

The vote to remove Burke had not been on the agenda.

Township legal officer Sean Kilkenny advised the board it was acceptable, DeMasi says. A few months earlier Kilkenny advised just the opposite concerning Rongione’s firing.

Kilkenny is also the Montgomery County Sheriff. He holds solicitor posts and or has contracts with numerous Democrat-controlled school boards and municipalities throughout the region.

After Rongione was finally removed, Rongione was appointed as Delaware County Register of Wills to fill the unexpired term of Rachel Ezzell Better, who won a seat as judge on Common Pleas Court.

Kilkenny then gave Rongione a job at his law firm, despite his county job.

Rongione is now seeking a full term. He will be running against Upper Darby Councilwoman Meaghan Wagner, who often butted heads with Kilkenny at Upper Darby Council.

Hayman resigned his seat after moving to Montgomery County. Tunis is not running for re-election.

Upper Darby Sunshine Act Suit Gets Judge

Who is the Superior Candidate For Superior Court?

Who is the Superior Candidate For Superior Court?

By Bob Small

The Pennsylvania Superior Court began in 1895 Superior Court of Pennsylvania and is one of our two statewide intermediate courts.

The 15-member court handles criminal cases along with civil cases not involving government. A seat has been vacant since Judge Daniel McCaffrey was elected to Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2023.

Currently, the Superior Court has eight Democrats and six Republicans.

Competing in the May 20 Republican primary for the nomination to fill the seat are Marie Battista and Anne Marie Wheatcroft.

Marie Battista served as assistant general counsel for the state Department. departments of health and state under governors Corbett and Wolf. She was also a prosecutor in Franklin and Venango Counties along with being a contract specialist for the Department of Defense.

“For those of you who know me well, you probably know that I never intended to be a lawyer. I wanted to a Radio City Rockettet, ” she has said.

She is a graduate of Keystone High School and Clarion University and obtained her law degree from Ohio Northern University. She also has a Doctorate in Education Leadership from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree from Westminster College. 

Chester County’s Ann Marie Wheatcraft has served on the Chester County’s Court of Common Pleas since 2012. She introduced “comfort dogs” in Chester County Courtrooms. Judge Wheatcraft had been an assistant district attorney in Chester County.

She has earned her undergraduate degree from Penn State University and her J.D. from the University of New Hampshire Law School. She has volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America and the Avon Grove Wildcats Football League

Judge Wheatcraft is endorsed by the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. Marie Battista is endorsed by those skeptical of the state GOP.

Who is the Superior Candidate For Superior Court?

To teach is to William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 5-16-25

To teach is to William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 5-16-25

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Answer to yesterday’s William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit puzzle: To teach is to learn twice
Ed Brophy (OK, it was really Joseph Joubert)

To teach is to learn twice

Make you believe absurdities William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 5-15-25

Make you believe absurdities William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 5-15-25

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Answer to yesterday’s puzzle: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
Voltaire

make you believe absurdities

Happy Red Wave Happy Hour

Happy Red Wave Happy Hour — Frank Agovino told us at last night’s, May 13, Red Wave Happy Hour, that the Republican confidence concerning November is real.

Frank is Delco’s GOP Chairman and the event was at DiFabio’s Market and Tap in Upper Providence, one of his several restaurants.

He said the reason for feeling good is the performance by the Democrats controlling the county.

Really, 23.8 percent tax hikes and the destruction of Delaware County’s once great medical system are pretty good issues.

Frank said that he knew that Prospect Medical Holdings of California — which acquired Taylor, Springfield and Crozer Chester hospitals — were greedy vultures 20 years ago when he sat on the Springfield School Board and kept them at arms length.

That the Dems in county government couldn’t do the same shows they are fools or worse.

Another 20 percent county tax hike is coming Delco’s way next year. Its working class will be destroyed unless it wakes up and throws the clowns out.

The event was hosted by the Media Republican Party whose chairman, Michael Straw, is part of the sanity ticket running for Rose Tree Media School Board.

We can’t call it a Republican ticket as the team includes an actual Democrat, Michael says.

The platform is basically, well, sanity. Sanity means stopping such policies as bussing kids 20 minutes to Middletown and Edgmont when they could easily walk to a school in Media Borough.

Also, there is a full slate of Republicas running for Media Borough Council and mayor.

One issue is stopping a bizarre plan by the present mayor to ban cars.

Call this the sanity ticket too.

The primary is May 20. Except for one notable write-in campaign it is smooth sailing for the endorsed candidates.

Happy Red Wave Happy Hour
Media GOP Chairman Michael Straw and Kelly Smolcynski. They are among the sanity team running for RTM School Board.
Happy Red Wave Happy Hour
Media mayoral candidate Kevin Kellogg promises he will protect the right of residents to keep and bear cars.

HMB Food Fest May 24

HMB Food Fest May 24 — Holy Myrrh-Bearers Ukrainian Catholic Church will have a food festival and flea market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 24, rain or shine.

The food includes homemade Ukrainian delicacies including pyrohy (perogies) halupki, halushky, and kielbasa and sauerkraut.

Take out is available.

The church is at 900 Fairview Road, Swarthmore, Pa. 19081.

Call 610-544-1215.

HMB Food Fest May 24

Courage is found William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 5-14-25

Courage is found William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 5-14-25

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Answer to yesterday’s puzzle: Courage is found in unlikely places.
J. R. R. Tolkien

Courage is found William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 5-14-20