NKOTBSB!

    “There’s been a certain level of ‘the sky is falling’ panic,” Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray observed. “That’s not appropriate at this time. Any future use is going to respect the integrity of the building.”
From today’s article, “City museum out of money,” (click here).
    Perhaps Mayor Dick could tell us the appropriate time to panic?
    And I guess my biggest question is how, in the shadow of the savior, the hotel and convention center, could this museum now be in such dire straits? Are those running it that incompetent or is the hotel and CC not what “they” said it would be? I think the answer to both questions is a resounding YES.
Part of a response to the article posted on the Lancaster Online Trashback forum.
    That would absolutely be a clear and loud YES!
    Today, I actually made the mistake of reading Gil Smart! Horrors! Talk about doom and gloom (click here):
    But let us not think that we can miraculously remedy the situation with the stroke of a pen. In fact, we may never again be as “prosperous” as we were, or pretended to be. Austerity will usher in an era of falling living standards for most of us. It could trigger political and social unrest. Things will get worse, maybe much worse, before they get better.
    Have mercy! Just in time to save the day we have, “The kids are still all right:”
    Saturday’s concert featured a boy band combo known as NKOTBSB — New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys squished together. The boys, now men, danced around the stage, appearing both together and with their respective bands, performing in a mash-up of Backstreet and New Kids music.
    Mash-up, smash-up! That did it. I’m leaving for barryinwinnipeg’s couch. See you all later, suckers!

BRICKS AND MORTAR?

DAMN INTERNET?
     While it would be foolish to rail against the changes brought on by advances in technology, it would be equally foolish not to mark with a certain degree of solemnity the passing of a cherished way of life. Some of the bricks and mortar that the Internet is tearing down have held firm for generations — and they’ve held together more than buildings
From today’s Sunday News editorial, “STAMP OF REALITY.”
    Is Marvelous Marv talking about the post office or 8 West King Street – home of the Lancaster Newspapers? Hmmm…
Please check back later today!

I’M NOT KISSING THAT!

Have Mercy! LNP puts a big frog right in the middle of their front page! Why? Who knows. Apparently it “smiled” for the camera. Could we go back to puppies, guys? Yuck!
Please check back later today!

PATTERNS?

SERIAL KILLER? 
    The below email in today. This could be a complete hoax, this could be someone trying to make me look like a fool for printing it, this could be someone trying to start “trouble,” this could be just about anything. I don’t know if law enforcement boots have a “specific” tread pattern or why the emailer brought this up. But I do know that something is going on in this county. There will be more tomorrow. Have a great Friday.
Hello
    Curious why I’ve never seen *Roxanne V. Myers listed among the unsolved murders in Lanc. area. 1998, found naked and dead at the then new Gen Hosp. site in E. Hemp. I knew her slightly. She was a prostitute. Well known to the police, and friendly with them.
    It occurs to me there are a number of women found dead/naked that haven’t been solved. Woman found along Rt.30 in York, the Hispanic woman found along the river in Wash. Boro. Don’t know the story on most of them, but I know Mirack was seeing at least one cop. As this is an issue you seem to be pushing at your site, I’d like to share an insight I got.
    Imagine you are a cop, coming to the scene of a reported found body. If there is soil around, you’d probably look for footprints, so as not to foul potential evidence. Have you ever seen the tread patterns on law enforcement boots? They are different than civilian shoes. What if the shoe prints you encountered were of the LEO type? Would you cross the thin blue line, or destroy the prints? I think there is a serial killer around, and he is with law enforcement.
    I do not need more trouble than I have, and this is just an impression I got. Thought maybe it would trigger some thinking along these lines to share it. Do whatever you see fit to do with this bit, but please leave me out of it.
* Editor’s Note: Roxanne V. Myers was very briefly mentioned in an Intell/New Era Article on June 10 of this year titled, “Cold cases remain on the books,” (click here).

DOG DAYS?

FUMING?
-   

    Ah ha! So that’s what’s going on there
Posted on Facebook with a link to today’s story, “Roofing glue fumes seep into Lancaster County Courthouse, “ (click here).
    Yes, this may explain a lot!
                                                    
    And, yes, the dog days of summer are almost here and, as predicted by a commenter, LNP does (gasp!) a story on puppies – although I can’t find it online – only in the e-Editions!
    And there is a very strange front page story this morning “’Squirt’ vanished; memories didn’t,” (click here).
Please check back later today.

IF YOU BUILD IT …

THEY WILL COME?
    “It’s time to work to save Pa.’s cities” is the title of Jeff Hawkes column today (click here).
    Once again, Hawkes fails to mention the convention center he pushed for so hard only several years ago. The convention center was supposed to save us! It was supposed to set us apart from other third class cities. The $170 million dollar publicly funded white elephant was supposed to revitalize Lancaster and fill the city’s coffers.
    So what went wrong and why isn’t anyone, especially Hawkes, talking about it? You can try to pretend it doesn’t exist, that it was never built, and that Mayor Rick Gray did not spend two weeks behind closed doors with Dale High, Gib Armstrong and the head of Lancaster Newspapers and emerge to huge headlines of “$20 million dollar gap closed.” But all you have to do is walk to Penn Square to see the monstrosity and know that it really does exist.
    So, why is everyone pretending it does not?
Please check back later today.

HOW DOES LNP COMPARE?

WHAT DO YOU THINK? 
    This comment just in from Artie See under “IT AIN’T ALEXANDER!” below:
    General question for everyone:
    How does LNP compare to other area newspapers, like:
    - Harrisburg Patriot-News?
    – Reading Eagle?
    – Daily Local News (Chester County)?
    – York Daily Record?
    – York Dispatch?
    – Lebanon Daily News?
    I would think that the Patriot-News and Reading Eagle would be the newspapers that are most similar in size and scope to the Lancaster Newspapers. Yet the Patriot-News looks and reads much different than the Intell/New Era (I haven’t seen a copy of the Reading Eagle for quite a while).
    What do you think?
    That’s a really interesting question! Thank you, Artie! So, what does everyone think?

IT AIN’T ALEXANDER!

THE FATHER OF COOL?

     I don’t know who invented air conditioning, but after the weather we’ve been having for the past week or so, I know I speak for millions when I say we love the guy and would be willing to have his children.
The opening sentence from today’s column by Larry Alexander, “Who’s the patron saint of keeping cool?” (click here).
    You get paid for writing this drivel, Larry? He goes on for a full column and ends with this:
     So to whoever invented air conditioning I say, thanks.
    Larry, in this modern age with air conditioning and all, there’s a little something called the internet. And it took me exactly 30 seconds to find out who invented air conditioning (click here):
    The first modern electrical air conditioning unit was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier in Buffalo, NY in 1902.
    How do these newspapers stay in business? How does he get paid for this crap?  An eight-year-old could have figured out who invented air conditioning in less time than I wasted reading this nonsense.  What an embarrassment!
Please check back later today.

A HORSE IS A HORSE…

UNDERESTIMATE THE AMISH?
     Ah, the cool down has finally come. There are really excellent comments in under “MAD AS HATTERS?” immediately below and rather than go through the torture of bringing them forward as a “post” (it’s a word processing thing – thanks again to the person who ruined the appearance of this site), I will send you there to read them.
    Not to pick on a particular poster – but on the Lancaster Online Trashback forum under the same article linked to below – the woman who sent the email to Costco also posted this:
    Agree it’s not Costco’s fault. Think I read last time it was this hot was 1966. Amish don’t watch the news and doubt they were aware what the temp was going to be. We knew from watching the news what to expect. If I saw a horse starting to go down I would stop and talk to the driver and tell him I would get water and help for the animal. They do care but are limited to what they can do. Could be they were just trying to get the animal home to help it.
    Another poster gently offered this reply:
    I think you under estimate the Amish.
    Underestimate the Amish? I think she’s living in another universe! The Amish are probably reading her post and howling with laughter!
    Thank you to the commenters and enjoy this brief respite – the dog – or is it horse – days of August will soon be upon us!

MAD AS HATTERS?

HEAT-STROKE?
   Okay, since no one else will say it.
  Amish SUCK!!!
    Posted on the LancTalk.com forum under the article, “Horses suffered in parking lot,” (click here).
    There’s been another prison suicide, District Judge Kelly Ballentine is apparently still sitting on the bench after fixing her own tickets, Lancaster city is on the brink of financial disaster even though the $170 million dollar publicly funded convention center was built to save us, a commission did a 108 page in-depth report on how to improve the Lancaster Court system which fell off the radar in about two minutes, there are multiple recent murders that have gone unsolved with killers on the loose – and what has grabbed the attention of the good folks of Lancaster?
    Two horses who suffered in the heat. A woman has posted on several forums that she emailed Costco asking them to provide shade and water for the horses the Amish tether in their lot. And on the LancTalk.com forum the conversation now borders on the absurd with talk of air conditioned barns and all kinds of foolishness. And, of course, the determination that the “Amish SUCK!”
    I’m not a big fan of the Amish, but has this heat made everyone quite literally mad?
Please check back later today.

JUDGES GONE BAD!

SHOOT OUT, QUINN & WINEHOUSE

    DONKEYS AND ELEPHANTS? 

    This email in:
      Looks like it is now listed on Lancaster Police website…
1107019379 | 1 W KING ST | 32 | SHOTS FIRED | 07/18/11 | 01:57:09
    Yes, it is listed. Click here and the incidents are in order by date. This is from the emailer who originally sent me the link to the YouTube video, “SHOOT OUT AT LANCASTER MARRIOTT CONVENTION CENTER,” (click here).
    These two comments in about yesterday’s post regarding Justin Quinn’s becoming the Executive Director of the Lancaster County Republican Committee :
    Check out Quinn’s LinkedIn profile. Seems he forgot to mention his stint at LNP. I wonder if he forgot to tell anyone else? Uh oh… 
    And:
    While you make fun of the paper for indicating that Quinn did not return their calls, it really is outrageous that the Republican party would hire someone with Quinn’s integrity issues and who, apparently, doesn’t want to interact with the primary local media. How could that possibly be a good arrangement for the Republican party. It makes you wonder if the people who hired Quinn might actually be Donkeys in Elephant costumes who are now laughing all the way to the voting booth
    I know my write-up on this piece was confusing and you raise a very important point I failed to bring up. I’ll try and more fully explain later today.
   This comment in under “AND WINEHOUSE” below:
    In fairness, Becky, while abuse is the root of some troubled people’s problems, some people from great upbringings fall into the wrong crowd and introduced to addictive substances early on and just can’t get free, whether because of genetics or what.  Do you know something specific about Winehouse’s background that you would like to share?
    A fair point, but I still disagree.
    Please check back later today and read all the comments under “DONUT EATING, A$$ SCRATCHING RENT-A-COPS” below. My beloved grammar couch re-taught me something I had forgotten – there is a dash – and there is a hyphen – and never the two shall be confused or misused!

DONUT EATING, A$$ SCRATCHING RENT-A-COPS!

NINE LIVES?

     Quinn did not return phone calls.
From today’s article, “New county GOP exec,” (click here).
    Of course he didn’t return your calls – you fired him (click here for “QUINN BITES THE DUST – THE MICAH STEWART SAGA“)!  Don’t get me started on Justin Quinn.  Some of these ex-LNP reporters seem to have nine lives.  Why? Who knows.
     In another incredible twist to Quinn, it was an email from Quinn that I received erroneously that led the DA’s County Detectives to confiscate “The cRoW’s” computers (see the link to the right for “Stalker Warning”).
    I ended up printing Quinn’s email on this site, but it was quicker to find it on NewsLanc.com (click here):
    “…I cannot understand why the Intelligencer Journal would now try to excuse unethical behavior by saying that repeatedly accessing a confidential law enforcement website (and ignoring two pages of legal warnings) was simply ‘a routine reportorial tool.’ In my opinion, the essence of the Intell’s editorial is not consistent with its pattern of caution in other areas of news reporting.
    Quinn’s email also related to Micah Stewart and the murder of his girlfriend, Cortney Fry,  mother of his two-week-old baby. You see, former LNP reporter Brett Lovelace was “caught” because he printed the fact that Fry’s body had been burned – something he only learned by illegally accessing the county website. This led to charges against then Coroner Gary Kirchner for giving his password to five Intell reporters.
    What a tangled web we weave – as I have stated - the Micah Stewart case reverberates to this day. I’m not sure Quinn is one to talk about “unethical behavior,“ but, as a Democrat, I think the Republicans have made a grand choice!  

AND WINEHOUSE

IT’S MY JOB?
Daughter Abigail asked the other day:
“Can you stop being annoying?”
“No,” I told the 15-year-old. “That’s what I do for a living.’
Sunday News editor Marvelous Marv Adams in today’s column, “Good deed … indeed.” 
    And Marvelous Marv does it really well. But is that the job of an editor or does Marv (surprise!) have it all wrong? And yes, the print edition has an apostrophe at the end instead of a quotation mark. Some editor!
    One thing struck me about the death of Amy Winehouse yesterday – something went terribly, terribly wrong in her childhood. If her parents are not the “guilty” party, and that is unlikely, they damn well know who is. There’s a reason someone is this troubled.
Please check back later today.

HEATING UP!

SNOW IN JULY?
 
    Are things heating up in Lancaster or what? What a week it has been in this lawless county! To cool things off, this comment in under “PERFECT?” below:
    Maybe Marvelous Marv will turn into Dudley Do-Right and launch an intensive follow-up investigation of the apparent corruption and mismanagement in ALL levels/aspects of the Lancaster County judicial system…….then again, it will probably snow between now and Sunday, and the Sunday News will focus their efforts on what daughter Abigail did with the snowflakes.
    I believe some of that “snow” may find its way up Marv’s nose! 
    This comment in under, “YOU’RE SO BAD!”:
    By his statement, Steadman is encouraging the abuse and neglect to continue. I mean, according to the Dungeons and Dragons master, only the worst of society are in prison. They aren’t entitled to anything but the lowest form of treatment. Too bad about those that are there for minor offenses, or who have been wrongly charged (something that happens in Lancaster County alarmingly often).
    And this comment in under “SHOOT OUT IN DOWNTOWN LANCASTER? – 2”:
    In all seriousness: there has been an IMMENSE effort by the local media to portray the area around the downtown Lancaster taxpayer-financed hotel and convention center as being extremely safe for visitors. If it got out that there have been shootings so close to the city-owned hotel building, it could create a noticable drop in business.
    Perhaps someone from the ownership of the hotel business “requested” that the article be removed???????
    Have you kept track of the number of recent murders with no one being arrested/charged? Is lawbreaker Judge Kelly Ballentine still hearing cases? How did the Lancaster County Prison earn a “perfect” score on its latest state inspection? Who is the inmate who is in grave condition after an apparent jump from the second tier of that prison yesterday?
Stay cool and please check back later today.

“PERFECT?”

SOMETHING STINKS! 
   

    A Lancaster County Prison inmate was in grave condition Thursday after he leaped off a second-tier structure inside the prison, officials said.
The beginning of today’s online preliminary article, “Inmate in grave condition after leaping from 2nd-tier structure at County Prison,” (click here).
    This is simply unbelievable! Please see the two articles on the prison immediately below. I was thinking about this today – and the Lancaster County Prison getting a “perfect” inspection is like me acing a Chinese language test – it just isn’t going to happen. Something smells extremely foul.
    My condolences to the family and friends of this inmate. There will be much more tomorrow.

YOU’RE SO BAD!

MARTIN WILL PAY $75,000 – AGAIN & AGAIN?

NOTHING MORE
THAN A SMEAR?

Scott Martin 

    Flanked by some of his fellow Prison Board members as well as by prison staff, Martin [County Commissioner Scott Martin] announced the perfect score this morning before lashing out at recent media reports that he said accused the prison of fostering a culture of inmate abuse by prison officials.
    “My personal belief is it’s nothing more than a smear of the good men and women that happen to work at that facility in what happens to be one of the most dangerous jobs that people can do,” Martin said. “There seems to be an infatuation with writing…an insinuation that abuse of inmates at the prison is tolerated, when that’s exactly not the case.”
From today’s preliminary LNP article online, “County prison earns perfect score at state inspection,” (click here).
    We’ve asked this question before, most recently in the wake of a Sunday News story in March reporting that in the last 3-1/2 years, the county has settled eight lawsuits charging prison guards or medical personnel with abuse and neglect, at a cost of $1.88 million. The prison’s insurance company also raised the county’s deductible from $25,000 to $100,000 in 2009, apparently making a statement about the number of claims it had to pay out.
From this week’s Sunday News editorial, “Held prisoner,” (click here).
    Mr. Martin, of course you will pay the additional $75,000.00 cost to the public for each and every lawsuit out of your own pocket, won‘t you? We really appreciate it as times are tough! Thank you!
    There is so much news going on – both reported and unreported it is hard to keep pace. I placed a call this afternoon to Joseph Massa, Chief Counsel for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board regarding District Judge Kelly Ballentine (see the stories below). There will be much more tomorrow.

SHOOT OUT IN DOWNTOWN LANCASTER? – 2

SHOTS FIRED?

     The article has been wiped from LNP’s site, with no update or replacement. Must have been a mistake…. yeah, that’s it….
Posted on the LancTalk.com forum under the article, “5 in custody after shots fired in Penn Square,” (click here). 
    Yes, I saw the article go up on Lancaster Online Monday morning and then it disappeared into thin air. The beginning is captured on the LancTalk forum:
    Five people were taken into custody after shots were fired in the city this morning, city police said.The shooting happened in Penn Square at King and Queen streets at 1:56 a.m., police said. No one was injured. Check Lancaster Online later for updates to this story.
    Another poster asked this after the story “disappeared”:
     so what happened..? were there shots fired or not…? they said they had 5 in custody…? so do they have them or not..? or was it just 5 of Grays friends playing Army…?
    There is another strange mention of this incident in an article by Larry Alexander, also on Monday, in the article, “Routine traffic stop leads to weapons, drug charges,” (click here).  Out of the blue, at the end of the article, there is this:
    Police said the five do not appear to have been involved in a “shots fired” call in the first block of South Queen Street “roughly in the same time frame,” according to police Capt. Kent Switzer.
    “At this point, there’s no indication that there is any connection,” Switzer said. “It wasn’t like there were shots fired and then they stopped this car.”
    The shots-fired incident is still under investigation.
    There has not been another word about the “shots-fired” incident. Did it happen or not? Was it really a “routine traffic stop?” What is going on in this town?
    Please check back later today and also see yesterday‘s post immediately below, “SHOOT OUT IN DOWNTOWN LANCASTER?”

SHOOT OUT IN DOWNTOWN LANCASTER?

     There is a tremendous amount going on. I will update you tomorrow. An email just in with a link to a YouTube video:  SHOOT OUT AT LANCASTER MARRIOTT CONVENTION CENTER.

LEGAL CHAIN…

COMPLETELY LAWLESS? – 3

Judge Kelly Ballentine 

    These comments in under “COMPLETELY LAWLESS?” below:
GC
    Hello, Becky. This case is similar to ones that involved Magisterial District Judges Stoltzfus (condoms in acorns) and Musser (punching a cop at a party). The discipline has to come from the state level. Since these are elected positions, it isn’t a matter of a local official removing or disciplining a DJ. The state judicial conduct board has to take the case to court in front of the Court of Judicial Discipline. Contact Joseph Massa, chief counsel, Commonwealth Of Pa. judicial conduct board. 717-234-7911. I think this could answer your questions or point you in the right direction.
*****
FWIW @ GC
    Doesn’t PA have a law against this type of stuff? I’m pretty sure it’s more than just conduct issue, which is a civil proceeding. Think about it this way: If an IRS agent doesn’t pay taxes and then gets fined for not paying his taxes, then turns around and voids the fines – wouldn’t that be illegal? I think so. Here we have a judge who gets a ticket for a violation of the law (like the IRS agent not paying taxes), gets fined (like the IRS agent would), then voids the fines. That’s against the law, right? That’s why local law enforcement and the DA’s Office should be able to charge her with a crime. Now, if the state wants to do that, fine, I’m okay with that – so long as she gets in trouble, the same as you or I would.
    The Judicial Conduct Board should suspend her abilities to be a judge until the investigation is complete. What if a truck driver got arrested for DUI – Do you think they would let him continue to drive?
*****
GC
     Yes, of course, this should be and seems to be illegal. But since local law enforcement won’t talk, I would try the judicial board to find out how the legal chain should work in this case.
*****
    Unbelievable. Local law enforcement won’t act or talk and the Lancaster Newspapers won’t follow the story.
    Please check back later today and thank you very much to the commenters – I‘ve missed you GC!

COMPLETELY LAWLESS?

SHE’S DISQUALIFIED!
RULE 8: Disqualification
A. Magisterial district judges shall disqualify themselves in a proceeding in which their impartiality might reasonably be questioned, including but not limited to instances where:
(1) they have a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party, or personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts concerning the proceeding;
(2) they served as a lawyer in the matter in controversy, or a lawyer with whom they previously practiced law served during such association as a lawyer concerning the matter, or the magisterial district judge or such lawyer has been a material witness concerning it;
(3) they know that they, individually or as a fiduciary, or their spouse or a minor child residing in their household has a financial interest in the subject matter in controversy or is a party to the proceeding or any other interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding;
From the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania – Rules Governing Standards of Conduct of Magisterial District Judges (click here). 
    A call was placed to Judge Kelly S. Ballentine’s office at 1:28 pm today. Asked if they were open for business as usual, a woman who identified herself as “Keisha” said, “We’re open every Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:30.” I left a message for the Judge to return my call. It has not been returned.    A call was also placed early this afternoon to District Court Administrator Mark M. Dalton. The call has not been returned.
    As stated by WGAL-TV, Judge Ballentine has clearly violated the standards of conduct by dismissing her own tickets (click here).
    So who is going to step up and order this “Judge” off the bench?

BUSINESS AS USUAL?

COMPLETELY LAWLESS?

     Agreed……this is why I haven’t purchased a product of the LNP for years. The judge dismissing her own citations is outrageous and worthy of in-depth investigation. I cannot believe a reporter is not all over this.  Maybe it will be covered next Sunday.  Let’s just hope someone’s dog doesn’t have a litter of 10 puppies this week during the predicted heat wave. I can see the headline now “Bitch in Heat,” with a photo of the dog and her puppies, followed by two full pages about the dog and her puppies. A story like this would most certainly bump a real news story ….at least in the Lancaster Newspapers.
This comment in under “$1.75 FOR NOTHING!” below.
    Is someone going to stop Judge Kelly S. Ballentine? Will she be open for business as usual today? Will President Judge Joseph Madenspacher or District Attorney Craig Stedman step up and put a stop to this or is Lancaster County just completely lawless?
Please check back later today.

$1.75 FOR NOTHING!

    WHERE’S THE NEWS?

    There is only one thing of importance in today’s Sunday News: the editorial “Held prisoner.”
    It is shocking to see a paper this awful. The front page story, “A PLACE IN TIME” has the sub-headline: 
   For 20 years after her mother’s death, a woman kept her family home vacant, unchanged, while lovingly looking after it. Why? That’s the question.
    The question is: Why is this overly long, ridiculous article on the front page?
    Then we have Gil Smart with another overly long article, “Manheim Township will tap nonprofits.” No, they won’t – the nonprofits will only be “tapped” if they want to be tapped – that‘s why they’re nonprofits.
    The third, and final local front page story is “Magically growing up with Harry.” Harry may be magical but he doesn’t belong on the front page!
    On page B1, “Lancaster,” there are three – count them – three – articles by summer college intern Brittany Horn. LNP must really be hurting! The article on the Bright Side Festival should be on the front page. Her article on bugs is stupid and creepy and there‘s this from her third article, “Don’t call it Junior Miss …”:
    Hagen said the program had come to be seen as a beauty pageant, rather than a competition rooted in academics and talent.
    “It scares girls off,” she said. Last year yielded only one girl for the county competition.
    Who cares? Why is this an article? Why is it on a “news” page?
    On the left of the page are these two brief entries under, “Catching up on the news“:
SHOOTING DEATH
    City resident Brandon Lamar Seals, 22, died of multiple gunshot wounds after he was found in the 200 block of Stevens Avenue late Wednesday night; police had no one in custody.
    And:
TICKETS DISMISSED
    Court records show Lancaster District Judge Kelly Ballentine dismissed no-parking and expired registration tickets issued to her in the past year, it was reported.
    Both of these should have resulted in front page stories this week. What is wrong with the Sunday News? There is no news in the Sunday News!

$1.75?

There’s no news in today’s Sunday News!