I found the following purely by accident: http://www.padutchcountryblog.com/ At first glance, this site looks like nothing more than a blog about Lancaster County. But look at the “About” page: it is actually a function of the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau… What’s more, the PDCVB is intentionally using social networks like Flickr, Twitter, FaceBook, […]

No incentives for promoters and organizers = no conventions. I have questioned for years who is going to fund these incentives that will be required, in a buyer’s market, to lure business to our Convention Center. It is certainly not coming from Penn Square Partners. Does the PDCVB [tourist bureau] plan on funding this as […]

A letter currently running on the NewsLanc editorial page says that there was no coverage in the Intelligencer Journal of the Manheim Township Commissioners meeting on Feb. 9 even though an Intell reporter, Mike Yoder, attended the meeting. At the meeting, Manheim Township residents spoke about their environmental concerns regarding the excavation of a municipal […]

I sent a copy of the letter headed “$13 million rail yard relocation now $46 million” to an out-of-state friend who lives in a city more than twice the size of Lancaster. I asked him if he thought something like this could happen in his city. This was his response: “The process is so bizarre, […]

I’ve gotten the impression that the Manheim Twp. commissioners are trying to distance themselves from the [TRRAAC controversy], which puzzles me, because my understanding is that the rail yard will not bring in any tax money to the township, and if the home values fall (how they not do that?) as a result of the […]

The $44,655 that F&M College says it spends annually on Buchanan Park is misleading. It is not money out-of-pocket and it does not cover all maintenance. This figure represents scholarship money that F&M gives to one or two students whose responsibilities are limited to mowing the grass. In addition, F&M’s Maintenance Department empties the trash […]

I’ve been reading some of the stories about Michael Phelps, the amazing young athlete who won a record setting number of gold medals swimming for the United States at most recent summer Olympic games. The recent brouhaha over him smoking from a bong strikes me as a bit over the top. Apparently he’s been banned […]

I found that the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau has a Web page which includes reports to their members: www.padutchcountry.com This PowerPoint presentation includes some interesting trivia: Lancaster County Lodging Occupancy Rates 2004: 54.3% 2005: 56.7% 2006: 54.3% 2007: 56.4% 2008: 53.4% (as of December 2008) Actual occupancy rates were down by 5% over […]

TELL MANHEIM TOWNSHIP COMMISSIONERS TO SAY “NO” TO RISKS FROM AN UNNECESSARY RAIL YARD 1000 FEET FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! Your Neighborhood’s Attendance is Crucial at the Next Manheim Township Commissioners’ Meeting MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9th at 7:30pm Did you know that last spring – a mere 10 months ago, Norfolk Southern engineers, Gannet Fleming, submitted storm-water […]

Perhaps one of the key points missed in this discussion, particularly when it comes to the questions being posed about Tom Armstrong’s judgement in wanting to help these men (convicted sex offenders who have done their time), is this. I recall that Armstrong’s original desire was to house these guys together in a transitional housing […]

I am always shocked at Newslanc’s lack of understanding of the crime of rape (Mr. Owen was convicted and served I believe 20 years for rape). And I am amazed at the repeated “boys will be boys” naivete of your editorial response to letters concerning sex offenses. Rape is not about sex. It is not […]

From the Feb. 5th Seattle Times “Despite drop in out-of-state visitors, the push is on for $766 million expansion of state convention center”: “Convention centers across the country have had trouble filling their space. A report for the Brookings Institution in 2005 argued there is an oversupply of convention space that is only getting worse […]

“This is one of the things too that makes it so difficult to want to go to bat for these guys. I mean, here’s Armstrong, out fighting to fix the system for these guys, and this idiot, one of the guys Armstrong went to bat for, can’t even keep it in his pants (so to […]

Franklin and Marshall College and Lancaster General Hospital recently applied to the Federal Railroad Administration for a $5 million grant to relocate the Dillerville Norfolk Southern Rail Yard. With projected costs totaling $64 million, F&M and LGH have applied for additional millions of dollars from other state and federal agencies. This is in addition to […]