News, Entertainment, Enlightenment
I just got back from the Springfield Fourth of July celebrations. I missed the parade but caught the party at Memorial Park. There was a fire juggler, a jazz band, pony rides and lots of friendly people and friendly dogs.
And it was great to see a lot of flags flying at homes on Springfield Road.
Once things were pink for the Aston Republican Party. Joe Possenti was captain and his first mate was the always entertaining Keith Crego. 
But things change. Joe has now followed in the footsteps of Arlen Specter and become a Democrat, and Crego, well, I really don’t know what he’s been up to.
I’m sure Possenti’s reasoning was solely a matter of principle and sour grapes for his losing the GOP chairmanship had nothing to do with it.
Nor did the end of his tenure as President of the Board of the Aston Commissioners in December.
I’m certain it was principle. He must have seen the light about global warming and came to understand that the infliction of economic suffering on those not connected to the power structure is only way to appease the anger of Gaia.
Possenti, who remains Third Ward commissioner, took Second Ward commissioner Jeffrey Pilla to the Dem side with him.
Meanwhile, in Alaska, Sarah Palin stepped down as governor saying that since she wasn’t running for re-election it was in the best interest of her state that there not be a lame duck in the office.
Some people want to hold office for the power and ego. Others want to serve.
The Washington Post is marketing to institutional executives and lobbyists dinners with congressmen, Obama officials and its own reporters, according to Politico.com.
The “salons” will be held at the home of CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth.
Price for access ranges from $25,000 to $250,000, according to the flier.
So much for the role of watchdog. At least now, there is no excuse for doubting everything you read.
The new service was made known to the general public by a health-care lobbyist offended by the policy. The flier baldly said the dinners would provide access to the paper’s “health care reporting and editorial staff.”
The Post has finally wised up. It was always in bed with those wanting big government. Now they have figured out they could get paid for it.
Well the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New York Times follow suit?
See http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/24441.html
Ray Murphy of Middletown (Delaware County) will be one of the presenters at a gardening seminar at Winterthur this fall. It is sponsored by Horticulture Magazine.
Ray knows his stuff.
The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee, yesterday, gave its stamp of approval, with an 18-6 vote, to a bill letting state and local governments put legal notices on website rather than pay for newspaper advertising.
If the HB1757 becomes law it would save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars and put just about every newspaper in the state out of business — a little sooner than otherwise anyway.
The bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
The bill is sponsored by Tom C. Creighton, a Republican from Lancaster County.
There are several similar bills being pondered by the State House.
For information about HB1757 see: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2009
Also, see How To Find Dollars In Tough Times.
The Agora Cyber Charter School based in Devon is fighting in three different judicial arenas to keep its charter that the Pennsylvania Department of Education is trying to revoke.
It has filed lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, Commonwealth Court in Harrisburg and Chester County Common Pleas Court to stop the state, which is accusing the school of hanky-panky by contracting management services in violation of its charter including $2.8 million to Cynwyd Group LLC which is controlled by the school’s founder, Dorothy June Brown.
The school, which opened in 2005, serves 4,400 students statewide on a $41 million budget.
Even if the hanky-panky turns out to be true that $9,318 per student price will still beat Marple Newtown at $17,142 ($60 million for 3,500 students); Garnet Valley at $17,021 ($80 million for 4,700 students); William Penn at $15,716 ($86 million for 5,472 students) and every other public school in the area.
The folks from Greenbriar Lane and environs pledge to continue the fight to keep a Sun East Credit Union– and I suppose anything else new — from opening at the Springfield Square East Shopping Center at Woodland Avenue and Baltimore Pike in Springfield.
The big issue has become the parking lot, namely the one that Woodland Avenue has become.
The Springfield Planning Commission, June 4, recommended 4-3 (dissenting Melanie Cook, Beth Burkhart, and Jim Base) that the Board of Commissioners reject the plan. Sun East and the owners of the shopping center — the most visible stores of which are Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond — are not giving up, however.
Irv Homer Hall of Famer — Pat Delsi has informed me that Irv Homer is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia. Mr. Homer was informed of the honor at the group’s November banquet so he knew before his passing.
The Broadcast Pioneers has a fantastic website featuring audio clips of John Facenda (and many others) from the ’30s, ’40s, and ’60s; video clips going back to the ’40s — there is even one of Bernie the Bunyip; and many other rare bits of nostalgia.
It can be found at http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/
Joe Sestak was among the 219 congressmen — the vast majority being Democrats — who voted, Friday, to set limits on U.S. energy production, ostensibly to fight global warming. If this legislation passes the Senate it is expected to raise the price of gasoline to $5 per gallon (and the cost of transporting food, clothing, building materials etc.) and double the cost of electricity.
The Dems, btw, killed Republican amendments to suspend the program if gas hit $5 a gallon; if electricity prices rose 10 percent over 2009; or if unemployment rates hit 15 percent.
If these things happen send Joe a thank you note.
And if this crowd thinks global warming is such a crisis why are they fighting tooth and nail to rip down long-standing hydro-electric dams? Why do they push to add snarl-creating toll-booths to freeways? Why do they oppose nuclear power? Why do they insist on applying OSHA regulations to telecommuters?
Their actions belie their words.
The Philadelphia Press Association had its annual awards dinner (it’s 64th?) Friday at the Bala Golf Club. Pat Delsi did his usual fine job as master of ceremonies. Daily Times editor Phil Heron swept all three slots for daily newspaper editorial writing and won and placed in headline writing.
The ever delightful Anne Neborak of the News of Delaware County and Bob Raines of The Ambler Gazette dominated the photography categories. Anne also took a third place in weekly newspaper column writing. The subject? Photography.
The News of Delco, now edited by David Bjorkgren, won the prize for weekly newspaper special section writing.
The Public Service award, and The Grand Award for Public Service went to Danielle Lynch of the Daily Local News for her series regarding families with disabled children. Pat introduced her with a story about his grandson who has Down’s syndrome and how they now teach such children sign language since their vocal development lags.
The always entertaining Stu Bykofsky of the Philadelphia Daily News took first place in daily newspaper column writing for his “human relations complaint”. Stu could not attend but had a superb excuse — his granddaughter’s birthday.