LIP News
Lancaster Independent Press
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UTTERLY SICKENING!
Posted on May 3rd, 2013 No commentsHORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE! – 2
Anneliese & Maurice Barr
Anneliese Bachman tried to throw her boyfriend, Maurice Barr, under the bus for the horrific injuries to their seven-week-old baby, D’ante. In an LNP story tiltled “Bail raised tenfold on man accused of beating infant,” there is this (click here):In an interview with Fox 43 WPMT, Bachman discussed the allegations and denied abusing the boy.Bachman said Barr, last month, woke her in the middle of a night and said the baby wouldn’t go to sleep, according to the Fox 43 report.She denied ever harming the boy herself and said she wasn’t aware of any abuse whatsoever.“I didn’t know about it,” she told a Fox 43 reporter. “I don’t understand how anybody could hurt my son.”Bachman said she intends to fight for custody of the boy.I don’t think there’s a person who believes that. From the initial story (click here):Police allege the couple are responsible for more than a dozen bone fractures discovered on the 7-week-old by doctors at Hershey Medical Center.In one instance, the infant was thrown approximately five feet, police allege. Another time, the boy was squeezed while being pulled out of a swing, according to police.In a very sweet plea-bargain deal, both Bachman and Barr plead guilty to drastically reduced charges (click here):Meanwhile, D’ante is in foster care, Miller [Assistant District Attorney Randall Miller] said this week. The parents, by court order, are to have no contact with the boy. They have the option of petitioning a local judge to have that order lifted.Barr, 24, is at Lancaster County Prison on $100,000 bail. Bachman, a 22-year-old Penn Manor High School graduate, is free on unsecured bail.Since this article last August, Barr is out of jail and Bachman never did any time in jail at all. But what is even more disturbing is that the two are obviously together and she is posting current pictures of D’ante on her Facebook page.His Facebook page lists them as married on March 20, 2011 but also states elsewhere that they got engaged in February of this year.Anneliese Bachman has inactivated her Facebook page in that name and now her Facebook page is under “Anneliese Barr.”So how is she obtaining current pictures of D’ante? She has no right to pictures or any information about this child whatsoever.This is a blatant breech of the judge’s order to have no contact with the boy and this needs to be investigated immediately!I find this whole thing utterly sickening, District Attrorney Craig Stedman – please see “SHE NEEDS HELP!” below and there will be more tomorrow. -
PARENTAL ADVISORY?
Posted on May 3rd, 2013 No commentsHORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE!
Why does Anneliese (Bachman) Barr have current pictures of the baby she abused on her Facebook page?
Please check back later today. -
SHE NEEDS HELP!
Posted on May 2nd, 2013 No commentsDA STEDMAN:
UTTERLY SICKENING!
Wednesday night, he [Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman] called the case “utterly sickening,” and said that by making no effort to get medical help for her child, LaFleur “guaranteed his fate.”
From the LNP article, “Police: McCaskey student, 19, gave birth in school bathroom and discarded baby in trash can,” (click here).Is this the way you try to show that Lancaster County is tough on crime, DA Stedman? By putting a 19-year-old girl in jail on a million dollar bond for what is currently a misdemeanor?You find this “utterly sickening,” DA Stedman?Do you find the brutal slashing death of 83-year-old Erma Kaylor in her home “utterly sickening,” DA Stedman? Do you find it “utterly sickening” that almost a year after her murder no one has been charged and her killer is still on the street?Do you find the horrific arson death of Olga Sanchez-Reyes, “utterly sickening,” DA Stedman? Do you find it “utterly sickening” that well over two years after her murder no one has been charged and her killer is still on the street?As the chief law enforcement officer in Lancaster County, DA Stedman, do you find it “utterly sickening” that there are sixteen unsolved murders in the city of Lancaster in six-and-one-half years? Do you find it “utterly sickening” that there are sixteen killers loose on the street?This comment was posted on Lancaster Online under the story:A baby is dead. A young girl in prison – with $1 million bail. She needs help in ways we cannot understand. Instead of bashing her – as a believer – I will pray for her.Thank you!Tomorrow - the horrific case of child abuse of a new-born baby and what District Attorney Craig Stedman did about that. -
* UPDATED – AND A NEW BEGINNING…
Posted on May 1st, 2013 3 comments* A friend has questioned whether DNA testing has been done – noting some marked physical differences between the various photos.
AN AMAZING ENDING!
Oh, my lord! Like all of you, I am riveted by every detail emerging about Brenda Heist who disappeared eleven years ago from Lititz. This story will most likely go national and rightly so. I hope she finds the help she needs and her family and children can adapt and adjust!
Coverage is everywhere – click here for WGAL-TV. -
UNCONSCIONABLE LNP!
Posted on May 1st, 2013 No commentsCHICKEN SH*T!
From today’s paper on page B-1.
The reward for the killers of the dead chicken is almost the same as the reward for the killer of 83-year-old Erma Kaylor in her West Vine Street home a year ago. And at this point, the dead chicken has gotten more press by the Lancaster Newspapers than many of the sixteen unsolved murders in the city under Mayor J. Richard Gray.
Please check back later today. -
RACISM BEGINS AT LNP! – 3
Posted on April 30th, 2013 No commentsI HAVE A DREAM?
On May 13th of last year, I printed the below story with the pictures in the morning and the obvious answer in the afternoon (click here). For almost ten years I have talked about the racism in hiring at the Lancaster Newspapers. On September 3 of 2008, a day before then Presidential candidate Barack Obama came to Lancaster, I ran a “Find a Minority at LNP” contest. I said as part of the contest:
We will find out how well the Lancaster Newspapers have followed and obeyed the 1964 Federal Civil Rights Act. We will find out, 44 years later, to what extent they have integrated their newsrooms, followed the law, followed human decency and the need for their employees to reflect the community they report on.
Needless to say it was a trick – there were none and are none now.
Their racism is evident in the Lancaster Police Department, the Courts, the DA’s Office and even the juries in Lancaster County remaining lily white just like their staff.
Please see this morning’s post and their unbelievable editorial. I’ll be in front of the Lancaster Newspaper office at 8 West King Street on May 18th. Join me if you can!
***************************************WHAT‘S GOING ON?
I’ll keep this simple today and come back another day with far more detail.
The below are Lancaster Newspaper “correspondents” for their 17 community sites based on School Districts. There are 28 total correspondents, not counting duplications from one site to another or any already on the LNP staff. They are all white.
There are four different people named to call for advertising on the sites – they are the three at the far right of the second row – Carla Good, Aaron Sullivan and Sean O’Donnell, and the bottom row far left – Jeff Alboum. Needless to say, they are all white as well.
Add these to the editorial staffs of the Intell/New Era (54) and the Sunday News (27), and you have a total of 113 on staff. One of these is a minority. After all, they need someone who speaks and writes Spanish to edit LaVoz, now don’t they?
Have you seen the U.S. census figures for Lancaster County and the City of Lancaster? By golly, something just ain’t right here! What do you think is going on?WHO ARE THEY?
Do you know who they are? Have a great Mother’s Day and check back later.
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RACISM BEGINS AT LNP! – 2
Posted on April 30th, 2013 17 commentsA LONG WAY TO GO?
Sad to say, such attempts are still necessary today — 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation and 50 years after passage of the Civil Rights Act and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
And did we say we have an African-American president?
We’ve come a long way, but clearly incidents such as this suggest we have a long way to go.
The end of today’s New Era editorial not yet on line, “Racist, anti-gay acts on campus.”How dare you, Lancaster Newspapers? How dare you?The above photo of the truck was taken yesterday in the parking lot of the Columbia Turkey Hill and is courtesy of the “Must See Pics an Vids” Facebook page. What message is this person trying to send and why?I’ll call the garage and try to find out!Please check back later today. -
IS IT FAIR, ERNIE?
Posted on April 29th, 2013 1 commentA BUSY MAY!
My initial response to Lancaster Newspaper’s Executive Editor Ernie Schreiber (see below) is simply to tell you my plans for May:
– On Thursday, May 16th – A protest in front of the Lancaster Police Station on the one year anniversary of the unsolved, brutal murder of 83-year-old Erma Kaylor in her West Vine Street home. I will also have a petition you can sign requesting the State Attorney General Office’s assistance in solving the sixteen unsolved murders in the last six and one-half years.
– On Friday, May 17th – A protest in front of City Hall for the sixteen unsolved murders and numerous unsolved major crimes under Mayor J. Richard Gray. I will have the same petition as above at this event that you can sign.
– On Saturday, May 18th – A protest in front of the Lancaster Newspaper Office for their blatant discrimination in hiring and a petition you can sign requesting the State Human Relations Commission investigate them. I will also be working on a petition regarding the convention center/hotel.
More details will follow.
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LNP & SCHREIBER: DESTROYING JOURNALISM!
Posted on April 29th, 2013 1 commentSCHREIBER: FLAT-OUT LIAR!
My conclusion: We have a way to go in convincing the community that we are striving to be fair.
That said, I am eager to hear your assessment of our efforts to improve local reporting and fairness.
Lancaster Newspaper’s Executive Editor Ernie Schreiber in yesterday’s Sunday News column, “The quest for balance,” (click here).Is this a joke? Really, is this some kind of sick joke?Please check back later today. -
CAN THEY SUE?
Posted on April 25th, 2013 No commentsBRETT SAYS “NO!”
Carl Dixon, Jr. John Freeman
Marlon Lambert Jose Solis
Since 2011, Dixon and at least three other defendants have been acquitted of charges after serving lengthy prison terms here, court records show.
None have filed civil lawsuits or sought compensation because, according to veteran attorneys here, none have a case.From the front-page, lead article two days ago by Brett Hambright, “They did the time, but were acquitted of the crime. Now can they sue?” (click here).
I was going to comment on this ridiculous article filled with lies this afternoon, but then I decided to look further. Any ideas? -
SWIFT APPREHENSION OF CRIMINALS?
Posted on April 25th, 2013 No commentsWHERE’S THE IMAGE?
In most cases, photographs of people fleeing from an accident or thugs involved in a crime should be immediately available to the public. Their prompt release helps, as the Boston case showed, in the swift apprehension of criminals.Yesterday’s New Era editorial, “Video cameras in public places.” (click here).When is the last time you’ve seen a photograph from the Lancaster cameras? When? There were two employees shot at the Image Clothing store on April 6th (click here). We haven’t seen an image – we haven’t even gotten a description!The week before, the owner of Karved Creations Barber Shop was shot. We haven’t seen an image – we haven’t even gotten a description of his shooter!Needless to say, no one has been arrested in either shooting! How much longer can this go on? What do these police do? Where are the images, Lancaster New Era?In fact, during Carl Dixon’s recent trial where he was acquitted, he testified that he wanted surveillance camera video to back up his story but there was none available.The editors of the Lancaster Newspapers have an absolute responsibility to tell us if these cameras work and why the public is not seeing these images! Why don’t the Lancaster Newspapers tell us? They have the nerve to write an editorial like this knowing that there have been no images released to the public from the Lancaster cameras in years!Please check back later today. -
* UPDATED – A MADE-UP STUDY! – 5
Posted on April 24th, 2013 1 comment* I was so excited today – I heard an email come in – it was a comment to this site – I came here and approved it and it showed up right away! Maybe there’s a website fairy out there or maybe my host is checking their error logs or maybe it was a fluke.
I haven’t mentioned the comments or this site for several days now because nobody wants to read that it’s not working. I’ve been publishing with my fingers crossed for the last week and had given up on the comments.
All of that will hopefully be corrected shortly and then I have some major announcements to make.
Now, I’m going to cross my fingers and hit publish and I will be back tomorrow.I am re-running the below story from March 28, 2012:
LIAR, LIAR!
Local judges found not
guilty of racial biasContrary to conventional thinking, county court sentences follow state guidelines and don’t discriminate against minorities, a new study shows.
By Jack Brubaker
Originally Published Feb 14, 2005 13:42Many people think Pennsylvania judges, including those here, sock minority defendants with terms far longer than the ones whites receive.
But contrary to those perceptions, Lancaster County judges sentence most criminals within state guidelines and show no bias against minorities.
If anything, local judges may be slightly tougher on white defendants.
These are some of the conclusions of a careful examination of criminal sentencing in Lancaster County conducted by the Lancaster New Era and Millersville University.(Click here to read the entire article.)
I was so astounded when I read this article in February of 2005 that I picked up the phone and called Jack Brubaker. And I found out the whole premise of this article is a lie – a huge lie told by Jack and the editors and owners of the Lancaster Newspapers.
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MINORITIES NEED NOT APPLY! – 2
Posted on April 23rd, 2013 No commentsTHE NUMBERS
TELL THE STORY!
THE LANCASTER POLICE HONOR GUARD
Does discrimination remain in Lancaster County (please see this morning’s post immediately below)? Almost a year ago today, sparked by a visit to the courthouse where no minorities were visible and several visits to the Police Station, I decided to find out:
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
In response to a Right-To-Know request to the City of Lancaster for the gender and racial breakdown of the Lancaster City Police Department, the following figures were received from Patrick Hopkins, the city Business Administrator:
(Click here for the results.)
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE,
THE CLERK OF COURTS, PROTHONOTARY
& SHERIFF’S OFFICES
In response to a Right-To-Request for the District Attorney’s Office regarding race and gender the following figures were received this past Friday:
…Combine this with the other three offices already accounted for (click here), and there are a total of 242 Courthouse employees, of which there is not a single black male, there are two black females and 14 Hispanics. This is unconscionable.
(Click here for the DA’s office and here for the other three.)
A year ago, I also put in a Right-To-Know request for the breakdown for the Adult Probation and Parole and Children & Youth Offices. I’ll publish those new figures tomorrow. -
DISCRIMINATION BEGINS AT LNP!
Posted on April 23rd, 2013 No comments“Mildred Dixon said discrimination is inevitable when police officers don’t look like the community they serve.”
The front-page headline from today’s Intell/ New Era.Click here to read the story titled online, “Human Relations Commission gone, but minorities believe discrimination remains.”Do you think discrimination remains, Lancaster Newspapers? Have you looked at the racial and ethnic make-up of your own editorial staff, Lancaster Newspapers?Discrimination in Lancaster County begins with the Lancaster Newspapers!Please check back later today. -
RACE AGAINST RACISM!
Posted on April 22nd, 2013 No commentsREGISTER ONLINE!
I would like to register me and my son for the Race Against Racism run this Sat, April 27th- can you direct me to the correct site? Thank you.
This email in today.
Thank you! I needed that! Click here to register online on the YWCA site.
“Martin Riggs,” the Klan member from this morning, is 69 posts short of 20,000 posts on one forum in less than three years and over 5,000 on a second forum in less than two years. Every post is filled with hate. Virulent hate.
He has one purpose and one purpose only – to spread his hate. So when do you draw the line and say enough is enough? When does a “legitimate” forum put a stop to the hate?
I’ll have more tomorrow. -
BAN HIM! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?
Posted on April 22nd, 2013 No commentsWHAT ARE THE ODDS?
What are the odds the shooter/shooters are black?
This question posted on a local forum by “Martin Riggs” under the article, “Gunfire erupts at Colo. pot event, 2 wounded.”
This person has taken over the two remaining “local” forums posting non-stop hate all day long. All day long.
He claims to be Jewish and a former Law Enforcement Officer. What are the odds he’s really Jewish and a former LEO? Zero percent. What are the odds he’s a Klan member? One hundred percent.
Please check back later today. -
LUCKY HE’S WHITE! – 2
Posted on April 21st, 2013 No commentsRACE FOR JUSTICE? – 2
He was in jail almost two years prior to his trial?
Meanwhile, IIRC, there was a guy in Manheim (or maybe Mt. Joy) a few years ago who was shooting downtown. I believe they gave him a ticket and sent him on his way. Wish I could remember more about that incident.
This comment came in yesterday under “HOW DID HE PLEAD?” below.
Did you mean the one below from July of 2008? Reading it all over again, I’m even more shocked! One of his shots shattered a window and a five-month-old baby was cut by the glass!
My coverage of this began with the below article and there is more on this unbelievable event in this archive.
Who is James M. Swarr and who does he know? He got another DUI in September of 2012 and it looks like it’s still in the court system!
There will be more tomorrow and also a look at Tom Murse’s “Editorially Speaking” column in today’s Sunday News. Tom tells us there’s a lot more online than in print these days! Oh, really, Tom? Some things are strangely missing…*********************************
~ And No One is Dead! ~
LUCKY HE’S WHITE!
“He was careless in judgment,” said Sgt. Thomas Rudzinski, public information officer for Manheim Township police. “He didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
Today’s front page Sunday News article, “Infant is hurt by potshot,” (click here).
Your understanding is really sweet, Sgt. Rudzinski! It was just a careless moment? He didn’t mean to hurt anyone? That’s nice, because the article says this:
James M. Swarr, 40, of the 6300 block of Carpenter Street, East Petersburg, was arrested after police determined he had been firing a .22 caliber rifle and a shotgun toward and across Graystone Road, including at a junction box on a utility pole. One of the bullets shattered the car window, police said.
Can you imagine if Swarr was black or Hispanic? Can you even begin to imagine? Apparently Swarr will be getting a summons in the mail. Unbelievable. -
A WHOLE BUNCH OF FREELOADING GOING ON!
Posted on April 20th, 2013 2 commentsLNP LIKES MIKE!
For more than a decade, Sturla [long-time House of Representatives Member Mike Sturla] has contended that municipalities that rely solely on state police coverage should pay their fair share.
…Sturla’s bill is one of several in the Legislature aimed at equalizing police coverage costs. It does not shortchange municipalities; it merely says the money these freeloading municipalities pay into the liquid fuels tax should be used to cover the cost of state police protection.
From today’s LNP editorial, “End the freeloading,” (click here).The Lancaster Newspapers like Mike Sturla! He has been one of the biggest boosters of their own freeloading project – the convention center/hotel!And I’ve read this piece several times and still don’t understand a word of it but more than ten years is a long time to try to push a piece of legislation! And, of course, it’s so ironic that it involves the police because Mike has been utilizing their resources and that of the courts to deal with his own son, Peter Sturla (click here for “TROUBLE IN THE HOUSE! – 4″)!But the Lancaster Newspapers have purposely ignored the criminal charges filed by Mike and Nicole Sturla against their son. Remember when then New Era editor Ernie Schreiber was running front page headlines about former Coroner Gary Kirchner and his alleged abuse of guinea pigs (click here for “Vets: Guinea pigs too crowded”)? But they won’t cover criminal charges against a long-time politician’s son!And they won’t cover Mike Sturla gathering wood in his red socks! What is known about this situation is as follows:—- On April 14th of this year a tractor-trailer knocked down a huge tree limb in the 200 block of West Chestnut Street at approximately four o’clock in the afternoon.—- Mke Sturla owns the properties at 202 and 204 West Chestnut Street and uses them as rental properties.—- Mike got wind of the downed limb somehow and showed up at the scene at about nine o’clock in his truck.—- Mike was not wearing shoes. He was wearing a pair of red socks and walked through piles of wood chips to move huge logs from the sidewalk to his truck.—- He made multiple long trips when he could have pulled his truck up next to the pile of logs.—- An observer of this situation states that Mike “seemed out of it.”—- There is no possible explanation for this behavior except drinking, drugs or early stage dementia or any combination of the three.—- This bizarre scene was caught on video and LNP actually has the video of Mike under its story with no explanation of who is carrying the wood in his red socks (click here and page down to see the video below the brief story).—- It is unknown at this time if Mike had a legal right to take the wood and, therefore, he may have been freeloading!—- The Lancaster Newspapers have chosen to purposely ignore this exceedingly strange episode by an elected member of the House of Representatives.—- The next candidate to run against Mike should use this video non-stop in their campaign!—- Peter Sturla may be able to use the video as part of his defense strategy!TO BE CONTINUED… -
HOW DID HE PLEAD?
Posted on April 19th, 2013 2 comments*** BREAKING NEWS ***
Carl M. Dixon, Jr., who was acquitted early this month by a jury of attempting to kill Lancaster Police Officer Michael Hagen, was arrested this morning on a warrant issued by District Judge Bruce Roth (click here for, “Jury acquits Dixon of firing gun at city police officer”).
According to his mother, Mildred Dixon, this stemmed from a summary harassment charge prior to his almost two year incarceration for the attempted homicide charge. Ms. Dixon states her son was never advised of the hearing, was in jail when the hearing occurred and never plead guilty.
Ms. Doxon said that she got him released this morning by making a payment. There will be much more on this story as the details develop. -
* UPDATED – FOUR AND A HALF YEARS?
Posted on April 17th, 2013 1 comment* This has been another frustrating day of trying to restore workability to this site for both my posting and receiving your comments. The comments seem to be working and getting through although the sender is not receiving verification of that. Publishing remains an issue for me and I continue to work on it
Thank you for your patience!RACE FOR JUSTICE?
It was last Friday that this story appeared in the Lancaster Newspapers, “Lancaster teen gets 4 1/2 to 9 years for killing his neighbor,” (click here).
How does Stephen Bedford’s sentence compare to others who have been sentenced for murder in the last several years?
I’ll take a look later today. -
A MARATHON OF VIOLENCE
Posted on April 15th, 2013 1 commentHOW DO WE STOP THIS?
Another tragedy – at the Boston Marathon. This is too awful for words. I used to wait anxiously for the first picture of the perpetrator to hit the web in the recent mass killings – to see if the face offered any kind of clue. There have now been far too many. I dread seeing the first picture.
Our thoughts are with those in Boston today. -
AND LNP EDITORS TALK & TALK & TALK!
Posted on April 15th, 2013 6 comments* Click here for the video of Sturla carrying two logs in his socks!
DEAD WOOD?
Mike Sturla last night in Lancaster!Freedom of the press, guaranteed under the First Amendment, is central to our democracy. Without it, democracy is greatly imperiled.
From Friday’s New Era editorial, “An assault on press freedom,” (click here).Would someone tell this to “investigative reporter” Gil Smart? He thinks his only job is to make the Steinmans more money!You expect information that can be trusted. You demand accountability.
We editors, reporters, online journalists, photographers and artists are here to shine a light on that which is significant to you and ultimately connects us all. We strive to make a great place to live an even better place to live.
Barbara Hough Roda in the Sunday News column, “Community connections,” (click here).Talk, talk, talk. That’s all these editors at LNP do! How is purposely avoiding a broken police department and sixteen unsolved murders under Mayor Gray holding anyone accountable and making this an even better place to live?Barbara goes on to say:We encourage your feedback and, to that end, provide contact information in a newsroom directory on LancasterOnline.com and, today, on Page B7 of this newspaper.The trouble with your impressive list on Page B7, Barbara, is that everyone in your newsroom directory is white! One of the most common standards in journalism, as in everything, Barbara, is that your newsroom should reflect the make-up of the community.You are clearly descriminating in your hiring, and thus, you are not only breaking the law but you also fail to write about the lack of diversity in the police department, the courthouse and the District Attorney’s Office. Those departments, Barbara, are central to our democracy and the quality of life of all of your readers!Finally this morning, why was long-time House of Representatives member Mike Sturla gathering wood in red socks last night in Lancaster? The picture is courtesy of “Must See Pics an Vids” Facebook page and I’ll try to get some answers by this afternoon!Please check back later today. -
SECOND TEST!
Posted on April 14th, 2013 No commentsBRUTE FORCE ATTACK?
This is my second test to see if everything is “working” with this site - whatever that means! As you can imagine, I have quite a list of things to say since I have been silenced for (gasp!) two-and-one-half days! I believe I have ten new gray hairs! It’s late in the day but hopefully, hopefully I will be back bright and early tomorrow morning and LNP’s Gil Smart and Barb Hough Roda, among many, better watch out!
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WEBHOST HAVING DIFFICULTIES!
Posted on April 11th, 2013 12 commentsMy webhost has the following message on their “Help Center:”
We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our network, causing sporadic access to all websites. We have been in contact with our uplink provider, and we have been working since last night to resolve the issue. We will post more info once the issue has been corrected. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
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RACISM BEGINS AT LNP!
Posted on April 11th, 2013 2 commentsSATURDAY, APRIL 27TH!
A reminder that the YWCA’s 15th Annual Race Against Racism is on April 27th this year and you can register online (click here).
Please note the sponsors of this event. Who’s missing? The Lancaster Newspapers, of course!
Please check back later today.
