From the Los Angeles Times

Lancaster, Pa., keeps a close eye on itself

A vast and growing web of security cameras monitors the city of 55,000, operated by a private group of self-appointed gatekeepers. There’s been surprisingly little outcry.

By Bob Drogin

June 21, 2009

Reporting from Lancaster, Pa. — This historic town, where America’s founding fathers plotted during the Revolution and Milton Hershey later crafted his first chocolates, now boasts another distinction.

It may become the nation’s most closely watched small city.

Some 165 closed-circuit TV cameras soon will provide live, round-the-clock scrutiny of nearly every street, park and other public space used by the 55,000 residents and the town’s many tourists. That’s more outdoor cameras than are used by many major cities, including San Francisco and Boston.

Unlike anywhere else, cash-strapped Lancaster outsourced its surveillance to a private nonprofit group that hires civilians to tilt, pan and zoom the cameras—and to call police if they spot suspicious activity. No government agency is directly involved.

On midday Saturday, a Lancastrian suddenly experienced extreme fatigue and a significant fever. He attributed it to the return from a demanding trip but did feel it important to see a doctor. He sought care but did not feel it merited going to the emergency room at a hospital and running up a big bill for his insurer.

Calls to his doctor at the large medical practice during non-office hours provided nothing but lack of competence and a two hour run around that was accomplishing nothing.

Then he recalled an article in NewsLanc about Urgent Care of Lancaster, and his wife drove him there.

He received prompt treatment, arrangements were made for two immediate lab tests at Heart of Lancaster Hospital, and medicine was prescribed.

Furthermore, the physician who happened to be covering at Urgent Care was one of the area’s foremost cardiologists and, since the patients was running a significant fever, detected important health information.

The cost? For someone with health insurance, no different than going to the regular doctor.

It is a shame that apparent financial constraints do not permit this useful service to be advertised so that more people would benefit. Minimally, medical practices who don’t want to be disturbed over the weekend should refer their patients.

Urgent Care of Lancaster (717-581-0538)
1821 Oregon Pike, Lancaster, PA

The Editorial on Saturday’s Lancaster New Era “Jewel in crown of downtown” goes on to gush: “The convention center/hotel is billed as a top-notch, one-of-a-kind facility, and it does not disappoint.”

Time will tell whether or not it will “disappoint.” The same things were reported upon the opening of the Hilton Hotel in Lancaster Square some decades ago. But because of a paucity of hotel demand in downtown Lancaster (which still exists), it soon had to be taken over by its lender who could not find a buyer for decades and then sold at a tiny percent of the original cost. The Hilton, later called Ramada, and now The Brunswick, never has come close to meeting its expectations.

As for retired Fulton Bank former CEO Rufus Fulton possessing the “vision,” let’s just say that Fulton Bank was content to be a 10% part of Penn Square Partners when they were planning a $40 million improvement. As the project changed and grew towards $180 million, the bank appeared a hostage and ceased to invest further. It allowed its share in the limited partnership to shrink. Finally they were able to sell out to High and the Newspapers.

Furthermore, we suspect that the newspapers also got taken for a ride. However, their executives just weren’t smart enough to take notice. Moreover, they ‘whored’ their news departments which have not recovered the public’s confidence

Meanwhile Dale High’s firm raked in lavish development fees and got quasi-competitive construction and construction management contracts, first dibs on naming rights, along with eventual half ownership of a hotel underwritten by grants, real estate tax exemptions (despite PSP’s promises to the contrary), and city tax payers guarantees. Despite representations by PSP of having made a major investment, most of the so called investment is simply future payments out of anticipated revenue for debt service on the bonds.

Only time will tell whether the Marriott will be Lancaster’s “jewel” or a few years down the road a “thorn.”

Nevertheless, we wish the Marriott and the Convention Center well. After all, it is we taxpayers who have most of the skin in the game.

Saturday morning we and others received a separate message with the combined Intelligencer Journal/New Era Saturday edition: “Due to changes at Lancaster Newspaper I will no longer be your carrier beginning June 29…I have enjoyed being your carrier.”

The Intell arrives punctually every morning at our front door. We don’t have to walk a step to pick it up. We could reach out and grab it while in our pajamas or night gown!

Of course the consolidation is essential so that Lancastrians can continue to enjoy a single daily newspaper, what most other cities have and, sadly, more than some these days. With the cost of newsprint and labor going up and withering competition from the Internet, we cannot count indefinitely on the pleasure of sharing news and features with our morning coffee. Moreover, for what will we use our scissors any longer?

So which of the reporters and columnists will also have to go? NewsLanc hasn’t received notes from any of them. Perhaps we soon will.

“If public libraries are important to you and your community, join us in making your voice heard by the people who make decisions about funding!

Who should attend: Anyone who understands the vital role libraries play in their communities and the difference they make in peoples lives, especially during tough economic times.  We need at least 250 library advocates, rain or shine!

Why you should attend: Because the services that are eliminated if budgets are cut may be the ones you rely on and value most!

Program:  Speakers including

• Elected officials
• Library customers
• Trustees
• Community leaders

Date: Saturday, June 27, 2009

Time: 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Location: Lancaster Public Library (front steps)

125 N. Duke Street

Lancaster, PA

What to bring: A positive attitude, loud voice, and a sign!

Want to create your own advocacy sign?  Write your own message or follow this link for ideas: http://tinyurl.com/nr8yl2 Don’t have time to make a sign?  We’ll have some on-hand.

After the Rally: There’s lots to do in downtown Lancaster!  Make a day of it!” 

At the Thursday, June 18 ribbon cutting ceremony for the Lancaster County Convention Center, LCCC Authority Executive Director Kevin Molloy gave a speech to commemorate the opening. Molloy concluded by invoking the history of the site, which was once a commercial center for Lancaster City and County but has sat unused for the last decade. The following video showcases a sample of that speech, along with a first look at the Center’s interior design.

At the Urban League’s 2009 “Champions of Diversity Awards” (in partnership with the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry) the League announced the entrance of its new CEO, Josh Dixon. Dixon describes himself as a Lancaster City native through and through—a graduate of both McCaskey and Franklin & Marshall College. His interest in this position at the Urban League was born purely out his commitment to the values of the organization.

One reason that Dixon was selected to fill this role was his savvy in financial matters. The bulk of his professional career has been spent working in the insurance industry, as he helped a local company thrive from one small Lancaster location to several nationwide. In his speech before guests of the event, Dixon discussed funding as the primary challenge facing the League and emphasized the importance of growing partnerships with other local organizations on a similar mission.

As reported by NewsLanc, the Urban League has recently experienced a painful decrease in funding that has forced the organization to shrink its office staff to a mere five employees. Furthermore, until now, the League has been operating for several months without a CEO.

Also at the event, awards were granted to three regional “Champions of Diversity” for their efforts to break down barriers of discrimination and promote values of diversity in their respective communities.

Those recognized included the Lancaster YWCA, for “working with the community at large to use our collective power to eliminate racism…through a variety of activities”; David Smith, for his work with Good Schools PA, “a statewide network of citizens who are informed and mobilized in support of public education”; and Monica Dixon, for creating an employee diversity program for Hershey Entertainment Resorts “that represents a blueprint for like organizations.”

By Cliff Lewis

With the official opening of the Lancaster County Convention Center this week, the general tone in Lancaster seems to be one of cautious optimism. After all, it has taken a long time to finish this project, and now, whether one likes it or not, the Center is here to stay. The strongest critics of the project—NewsLanc included—have always based their position on a sincere concern for the well-being of Lancaster City and County; and now that the ribbon is cut, these voices can only hope for results better than predicted.

Indeed, the feasibility of the Convention Center project has been challenged on a variety of grounds—from funding sources, to market viability, to its impact upon Downtown traffic patterns. Will the Center offer sufficient loading space for major events? Will traffic problems result from the tight portico space at Penn Square? And, most importantly, will the publicly-financed Center draw enough income to keep up with its own financial obligations?

Many of these questions, accrued over the span of several years, may be answered in the next several months. Other answers may take longer to come into focus. NewsLanc wishes success for the newly opened Center, hoping that previous concerns are worked out in the due course of time.

At the Tuesday, June 16, School District of Lancaster (SDoL) Board Meeting, several members of the community addressed the Board regarding the District’s recently announced plan to transfer management of Buehrle Alternative School to a Philadelphia-based firm. Buehrle, with its facility on E Clay St, provides specialized education to students with continued disciplinary problems.

Although no lay-offs will occur as a result of the shift, many Buehrle teachers are likely to be reassigned to positions outside of the school. This issue of re-staffing took center stage during the Tuesday meeting’s public comment session.

A disheartened student from Buehrle explained his concern for the teachers that had worked with him during his time at the school: “Ms. Brown and Mr. Rodriguez were the best teachers I’ve ever had. Back [when I was] at Wheatland, I didn’t really feel comfortable. Not every teacher was as interesting as them. They make the work interesting…I’d consider them like my big brother and my big sister. Our relationship over this year has been fantastic.”

A woman from the community who has worked extensively with the District, visiting all but two of its schools, petitioned the Board to find a way to continue working with these personally qualified teachers: “It seems to me that even if we do hire another organization to help us with alternative education, I see no reason why we cannot look along those who have been working with these kids. Why are they all to be transferred out?….There is knowledge that can only be gained that way….Sometimes we need to respect our home-grown.”

Kelly Ballentine, a Magisterial District Judge from Lancaster City, explained how she fears the change could effect Buehrle students: “I’m coming a perspective of dealing with kids who are challenged every day….I’m begging you to reconsider working with an organization that would choose to transfer our people out of their program….One of the problems that our children suffer from is this fear that people are going to continue to walk away from them….”

In response, Superintendent Pedro Rivera assured all those concerned about the change that the school administration did not take this decision lightly: “It’s not an easy decision to make. But, at the end of the day, it’s a decision that in the best interest of all kids, and we can provide a sustainable, long-lasting program that’s going to support kids from the beginning of their educational program to the time they graduate.”

Rivera clarified that the District has “not taken any position to displace staff at that school. Should they wish to apply to continue serving the children, and are certified to do so, they can.” Finally, Rivera asserted that, if some existing Buehrle teachers are not rehired for lack of certification, this would simply be in the line State compliance.

The final decision to transfer the management of Buehrle Alternative will be held to a School Board vote on June 30.

With discussions in mind of whether to build a new prison or possibly an auxiliary facility in Lancaster, Robert Field visited the San Pedro Prison in La Paz on June 16th. It was part of a three day tour of the Save The Children projects in Bolivia.

The prison is more like a community, with areas set aside for prisoners and their families. The children attend a nearby school and spouses are permitted to come and go at will.

Approximately 200 children reside at the prison. The inmate population is about 1200.

Most prisoners are allowed free access to the extensive common areas. There are small stores operated by inmates. There are lounges where inmates watch movies on television.

Prisoners wear casual clothing rather than uniforms.

Very little violence is reported and this is attributed, in part, to conjugal visits and live-in families. Also, the level of recidivism is far lower than in the USA.

Save The Children conducts a program for youth to restore self esteem and assist them in envisioning a productive future.