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  #261  
Old Posted Sep 22, 2004, 1:52 AM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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yo...i'm free wed and thurs nights. shippensburg's homecoming is this weekend so i'll be attending the bars and crawling my way back to a friends apt
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  #262  
Old Posted Sep 23, 2004, 12:55 AM
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LOL. Chris, when exactly do you leave? How's Thursday night look for you guys? Friday? If not, next week...???

We have money for a war yet we have no $ to make our federal buildings on our home turf better.


Federal courthouse project postponed

Wednesday, September 22, 2004
From staff and wire reports

Federal judges voted yesterday to delay construction of a federal courthouse in Harrisburg and projects in 41 other cities to save $225 million and avoid laying off up to 3,500 employees.

The Judicial Conference of the United States postponed work on a proposed $45 million to $48 million courthouse downtown to house courts and possibly the U.S. attorney's office, among other offices.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee had approved $26 million in 2003 to buy land and draw plans for the project. Federal officials have looked at several sites within walking distance of downtown, according to Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed.

The project, discussed for years, moved forward because of heightened security concerns after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to federal and local officials.

The current building, erected in the 1960s, is close to surrounding streets and two parking garages, and inmates must be escorted along the same halls used by the public and court staff, federal officials said.

U.S. Middle District Chief Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie could not be reached for comment last night.

Domestic security and the war in Iraq are making less money available, said U.S. Appeals Court Judge Carolyn Dineen King, chief judge of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Last year, 1,000 court jobs were cut because of money shortages.

Judges met privately with congressional leaders to seek help, but they received no promises, King said.

Even with savings on construction, up to 4,800 people could lose their jobs in the next year, King warned.

She said the earlier layoffs left fewer probation officers to monitor released inmates and fewer clerks to handle paperwork, and caused backups of federal inmates in local jails because of delays in processing transfers.

About 21,000 people who work for federal courts as clerks and other support staff could face layoffs. Federal judges and employees of their chambers are not in jeopardy.

The Judicial Conference, which sets policy for federal courts, approved a two-year moratorium on 42 courthouse construction projects that were in the planning stages. That is expected to save $225 million a year.

Besides the Harrisburg project, other postponed projects include Philadelphia; Baltimore; Wilmington, Del.; and Greenbelt, Md.

Yesterday's decision does not affect projects in Buffalo, N.Y.; Savannah, Ga.; Mobile, Ala.; Norfolk, Va.; Austin, Texas; Jackson, Miss.; Nashville, Tenn.; Rockford, Ill.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Salt Lake City; and Fort Pierce, Fla.
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  #263  
Old Posted Sep 23, 2004, 12:58 AM
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Uhhh... I don't totally disagree with everything he said, but...

Wilson scoffs at rail test proposal

Carlisle's mayor suggests change, offers alternative

Wednesday, September 22, 2004
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - Mayor Kirk Wilson is lambasting Cumberland County commissioners over their stance on the proposed Corridor One commuter rail project.

The commission's demand that rail service first be tested on Amtrak's Lancaster-to-Harrisburg line is a pointless "apples to oranges" proposition, Wilson said in a letter to the county board.

Yet, he also is proposing his own radical change to the $76 million Corridor One plan -- a suggestion that the initial commuter line run from Carlisle to Harrisburg, rather than from Lancaster to Harrisburg to Mechanicsburg as now proposed.

In addition, Wilson is calling for consideration of a "bus rapid transit" option that the county transportation authority is expected to begin evaluating this morning at the commissioners' urging.

That idea would involve creating a bus-only thru-way along existing rail lines to rush West Shore commuters to Harrisburg.


Wilson is the latest official to weigh in on the Corridor One debate, which has become increasingly contentious since Cumberland commissioners demanded the Amtrak test earlier this year. Commissioners want a three-year trial run estimated to cost $25 million.

In his letter, a copy of which was provided to The Patriot-News, Wilson said such a test "is not possible to undertake."

"Amtrak is an intercity passenger rail provider, not a commuter rail service," the mayor wrote.

It doesn't have the personnel, equipment or policies to perform such a test, he said. Besides, Wilson added, a commuter rail test would go against a congressional order that Amtrak improve its city-to-city rail service.

He echoed claims by Modern Transit Partnership, Corridor One's main proponent, that a Lancaster-to-Harrisburg test would be useless in gauging potential Cumberland ridership because it "would not mirror rider levels on the West Shore.

"I have commuted between Harrisburg and Carlisle for 29 years," Wilson said. "My level of understanding of traffic patterns of both shores tells me that traffic gridlock is not far off in some communities.

"Commuter rail alone is not the answer, but neither is demanding an unrealistic [commuter rail] demonstration project," the mayor said.

Commissioner Rick Rovegno said commissioners got the letter yesterday, but had not read it. "We appreciate all the input on the critical issue of transportation in Cumberland County," he said.

*****************

Then you see articles like this on the same day:

Will Cumberland County go for the Green?

Can't have it both ways, guys...
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  #264  
Old Posted Sep 23, 2004, 3:39 AM
harrisburger harrisburger is offline
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hmm...thurday (i take it tomorrow?) i work right after school....friday i'm going to the downtown neato, probably around 6-7, but the meeting would be rushed as i think i'm also seeing a movie...i don't get my schedule for next week til saturday or sunday, but i should have at least 2-3 weeknights free....back onto harrisburg topics...i can see wilson's points, but what people fail to realize is that trains have a better image in the public's eye. no officials ever think about it, but if you ask the average joe, he'll without a doubt say he would rather ride a train than a bus. we talked about it in one of my classes, and it's probably because we tend to view a bus as a grungy public transport and trains have always (at least in my eyes) had a romantic image associated with them.
re: the courthouse
that's a bunch of shit. they should have seen a lack of money coming, so why get hopes up? this is just another time the gov. delivers empty promises. don't they realize this will save money and resources rather than having scattered offices....
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  #265  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2004, 1:50 AM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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^ i agree about the courthouse harrisburger. it will save more money in the long run, but the priority should be the saftey and security of the complex and people inside. i think we'll still see the new courthouse, but some snags need to be worked out for funding. the one ace in the hole here is our representation in washington.

Dave, i agree with your comments on the corridorone article. i think the carlisle mayor is right about the carlisle-harrisburg route, but BRT doesn't work nearly as effectively as rail. harrisburger's comments on the image of rail vs. BRT are right. i just don't think buses just don't have the capability of getting people out of their cars.

as for when we're gonna meet up...i'm free weeknights next week. just take your pick.
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  #266  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2004, 1:54 AM
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City's losses top $7 million

Thursday, September 23, 2004
BY DAVID WENNER
Of The Patriot-News

Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed said yesterday that city-owned property sustained an estimated $7.4 million in damage, and he expects that amount to rise.

That figure does not include damage to private homes and businesses, which Reed said he expects will push the damage total "well into the eight figures."

The city also incurred extra costs for overtime and materials and supplies.

Reed reported that at least six row homes in historic Shipoke have damaged basement walls that put the houses in danger of collapse. He said the city has been working with insurers to evaluate and repair the homes, which were built in the mid-1800s.

On Tuesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency began setting up temporary offices in Harrisburg. But Reed instructed residents not to go to the offices before calling a FEMA field registry at (800) 621-3367 to find out if they qualify for aid.

Reed said he expected City Island parking lots and the Walnut Street Bridge to re-open by this morning. Vendors can return, but the island sustained heavy damage and "it will take weeks and weeks and weeks to get City Island back to any semblance of normal operation," Reed said.

Reed also warned that scam artists have knocked on doors of city homes and asked to come inside to apply disinfectant. No one fell for the scam, and the crooks were gone before police arrived.

Reed stressed that all city and government workers must carry identification, and he urged residents to ask for ID if they have any doubts. Residents should call police at 255-3131 if anyone suspicious comes to their home.

Reed noted that all flood areas except Shipoke have re-opened to regular traffic. Shipoke is too narrow to accommodate the vehicles of sightseers, Reed said, and only those who live there or who are involved in flood cleanup will be allowed to drive into the area.
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  #267  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2004, 2:01 AM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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here's another article...i would like to point out that BRT has it's benefits, but i think in a long range cost effective outlook, rail would be a better alternative. especially since the rail infrastructure in already in place in this region. to build BRT from scratch, even using the rail corridor right-of-way, would cost significantly more IMO. i'm glad the commissioners are looking at all the angles here, i can't figure out why they dislike the rail option so much. maybe because it wasn't their idea to begin with...lol. what can you say, it's cumberland county

Cumberland to explore bus express service
County wants to see if cost would be less than rail system

Thursday, September 23, 2004
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau
CARLISLE - Cumberland County commissioners aren't too keen on the train, but they might take the bus.

Commissioner Rick Rovegno said yesterday that county officials are exploring the feasibility of a "bus rapid transit" line to rush commuters between Harrisburg and the West Shore.

That express bus pathway would follow Norfolk Southern's railroad line from Mechanicsburg to the city, following the same route as proposed for the much-debated Corridor One commuter rail system, Rovegno said.

He said commissioners want to determine if the bus path would be less costly -- one estimate pegged construction at $50 million -- and draw more riders than Corridor One.

"On the surface, it appears we have an option that would have less capital and operational cost for higher ridership," Rovegno told the county transportation authority.

That may not be the case, however, said James Hoffer, executive director of Capital Area Transit, the midstate's main bus provider.

Bus rapid transit has been weighed by CAT and other transit experts, Hoffer said, but Corridor One was picked as the superior long-term option.

That choice is based, in part, on feedback from public surveys, he said.

"The locally preferred alternative is a regional commuter rail system," Hoffer said.

Still, he said, his agency will welcome any further studies of bus rapid transit, provided those who want to study it commit resources to the venture.

Rovegno said commissioners plan to do their own in-house exam. "We are going to rely on our own people to do the preparation of the data," he said.

The bus investigation is an offshoot of the skepticism the Cumberland commissioners have voiced as to whether Corridor One will draw enough riders to be cost-effective.

They have called for a $25 million three-year test of commuter rail on Amtrak's Lancaster-to-Harrisburg line before the $76 million Corridor One route is built from Lancaster to Harrisburg to Mechanicsburg.

According to estimates, it would cost $200 million more to extend the rail line to Carlisle due to work on numerous rail crossings.

Bus rapid transit would involve construction of bus-only roads beside the rail lines. Buses serving routes in the Carlisle area and West Shore would make their pickups, then enter the busway for unimpeded access to Harrisburg and vice versa.

The bus rapid transit option was broached in a transportation investment study done for CAT in 2000 as part of the Corridor One evaluation. Busways have proven to be effective in cities including Pittsburgh, the study said.

Hoffer cautioned that there are factors that could push up the cost of the bus plan. Over time, bus rapid transit could require more personnel and more cost to operate than commuter rail, he said.

Also, Hoffer said, there are choke points that could limit busway construction along the West Shore route, which would be subject to federal regulations that might require expensive barriers to protect bus riders from derailments or other train accidents.

MATT MILLER: 249-2006 or mmiller@patriot-news.com
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  #268  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2004, 2:09 AM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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i've been watching the construction of this complex along 81 for quite some time. i have a friend who graduated from ship that works in the military history institute at carlisle barracks. he said their offices will be housed in the new institute. i've also been told that a new interchange with I-81/Army Heritage Drive is being planned as part of the overall master plan. my uncle who is a union electrician also worked on the project. pretty cool

Military history to come alive
Paratroopers, re-enactors to help dedicate Carlisle archives, museum

Thursday, September 23, 2004
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - To retired Brig. Gen. Joseph McCarthy, the Army's new Military History Institute is more than just an edifice of brick, concrete and glass.

It is a "milestone."

The institute, which sits beside Carlisle Barracks in what once was a Middlesex Twp. cornfield, is the first tangible piece of what eventually is to be a $100 million Army Heritage and Education Center museum complex.

State, federal, Army and local notables, including acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee and Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, will dedicate the building during a 10 a.m. public ceremony tomorrow.

The rites will be filled with paratroopers, military music, historical re-enactors and even a little something for Elvis Presley fans.

"It's really very gratifying to see this come to realization," said McCarthy, a Middlesex resident and a prime mover behind the museum. "It's been a long haul, and it's going to be years before we complete the work."

The institute moved from a building at the main barracks.

It is being dedicated as Ridgway Hall to honor the late Gen. Matthew Ridgway, who led the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II and commanded U.S. and United Nations forces during the Korean War.

Tomorrow's rites will open with a demonstration by the 82nd Airborne's parachute team, whose members will land on the institute grounds along Army Heritage Drive and Interstate 81.

The institute is an inside-outside proposition.

Inside are a museum and a research center boasting millions of documents, books and photographs that trace the Army's history from Colonial times and include letters from buck privates as well as combat reports from such warriors as Gen. George S. Patton.

Most of that material -- which has been used by historians and filmmakers -- is accessible to the public.

"They just have to come in and register at the desk," said Col. Robert Dalessandro, Army Heritage and Education Center director.

Outside, workers are developing a historical trail complex that is to be laced with such exhibits as a World War II Sherman tank, a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter, Gatling guns, a slice of a Civil War battlefield, Revolutionary War redoubts and a World War I fighting trench.

"We'll also be saving some buildings from Fort Indiantown Gap to create a World War II company area, the kind of thing you'd have seen in the draft Army of the 1940s," Dalessandro said.

Those areas will host veterans' gatherings and living-history demonstrations starting next spring, he said.

MATT MILLER: 249-2006 or mmiller@patriot-news.com
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  #269  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2004, 2:31 AM
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looks like the new terminal is starting to have an effect...or maybe it's too early to tell. at any rate, passenger traffic is up, more flights are being added, and a larger market share is being attained from PHL and BWI. i think HIA is doing fairly well these days. SARAA also purchased and renamed the Franklin County Regional Airport near Chambersburg. i'm interested in seeing what will take place there in the form of development.

More airline passengers take flights from HIA
Thursday, September 23, 2004
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

Airline passenger traffic at Harrisburg International Airport rose nearly 5 percent in August from the same month in 2003, airport officials reported yesterday.

The numbers for August continued a trend. The first eight months of this year saw 939,211 travelers pass through HIA -- almost 7 percent more than in the same period last year.

Nationally, airline passenger traffic was up 3.3 percent in August and 4.6 percent so far this year.

Despite travel disruptions caused by hurricanes, every airline at HIA, except for the dominant but financially troubled US Airways, had reported increases last month over last August, according to airport Aviation Director Fred Testa.

"Continental, United, Delta and American continue to gain overall market share at HIA as they are adding larger aircraft to their fleet mix," Testa said.

At yesterday's monthly meeting of the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, which owns and operates HIA and Capital City Airport, the board unanimously approved two contracts with Urban Engineers Inc. of Mechanicsburg.

One contact, for $163,414, is for preliminary and final engineering design, construction documents and bidding services for replacement of the approach lighting system at Capital City Airport.

The other contract, for $74,735, is for a taxiway rehabilitation project at the general aviation airport in Fairview Twp.

Airport officials said the top deck of the new four-deck parking garage at HIA has not opened because a Lower Swatara Twp. building-codes official has safety concerns about the beams and screens around the edge of the structure.

HIA will bring in an independent engineer to assess the safety issue, Testa said.

Closure of the top deck "has not caused hardship at all" because plenty of parking is available on lower levels, board Chairman Eric Clancy said.

US Airways has added a fourth daily flight to Charlotte, N.C., from HIA and started replacing its Dash-8 turboprop planes with regional jets on some flights to Philadelphia.

Later this year, Delta is scheduled to add a fifth daily flight to Atlanta.

From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, emergency personnel will conduct a full-scale training exercise, simulating the crash of a large plane, at HIA. The 193rd Special Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, the Red Cross, the Dauphin County coroner's office and several government agencies will participate.

Testa said local residents should not be alarmed if they see emergency vehicles at the airport during the drill.

ELLEN LYON: 255-8153 or elyon@patriot-news.com
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  #270  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2004, 2:33 AM
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harrisburger, what's next week look like for you? Let us know and we'll schedule a meet. It looks like most of next week will be nice (depending on what hurricane Jeanne does that is) so any day would be fine with me .

Quote:
what can you say, it's cumberland county
Exactly LOL

Thanks for the articles, Chris!!! I like how Cumberland County, who doesn't even contribute all that much to bus ridership when you really think about it, is suddenly all about buses. I don't know what their deal is, but they need to get on the ball. At least now they are considering some sort of public transportation. A few more years and we will get rail out of them LOL

Yeah, Cumberland Co. needs to get on the ball, especially with all the building they keep allowing over there. Oh wait, that's not happening, it's still a small community. Oh wait, I didn't sit in 45 min. worth of traffic to get 3 miles when I worked on the Pike.
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  #271  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2004, 2:45 AM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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^ exactly...and as you said, at least they are discussing alternatives. even if the BRT one is a sub-par alternative to rail IMO. my girlfriend works for the county. i won't say where..lol. i hear all the crap and i know first hand how screwed up it is. you and her would get along quite fine i think...lol. anyway, here's a opinion published by the patriot news about the new judicial center.

COURT CAMPUS
Thursday, September 23, 2004

It's been a long time coming, but construction of a state judi cial center in the heart of Harrisburg's state government campus now appears on track to begin in the spring of 2006.

And this would be no better time than to finally bring Pennsylvania's vagabond Supreme Court home to the capital city, where in most states the highest court maintains per manent resi dence.

But that is not to be the case. The state's high est judicial body plans to continue to hold court on a regular basis in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and occasionally in Harrisburg. In addition, each justice will continue to have an office in his or her home region.

This dispersed bench may make sense for the lower, and larger, Superior Court, but the interests of the state would be best served if all of the justices of the highest court were in one location -- the state capital. Not only would a permanent central location for the court be more cost effective, saving the expense of travel, meals and hotel rooms for these roving jurists, it also should serve to enhance the collegiality of its members and improve relations between the court and the other branches of government.

Some may object to the state spending $145 million on a new government office building. But this won't be just any other state office building, or at least it wouldn't be if the Supreme Court called it home. As one of the three co-equal branches of state government, the judiciary deserves a dignified building reflective of the indispensable role it plays in the life of Pennsylvania.

This is a building that will house the administrative offices of the court system and at least Commonwealth Court and do it, one expects, for a very long time, saving annual rental fees that today amount to $2 million.

Moving the court offices, currently in the Harrisburg suburbs, also serves to bring more people into the heart of the city, which can only add to its growing prosperity and vibrancy. There are tradeoffs, to be sure. More parking garages, more traffic, though not necessarily more tax-exempt property if the two parking garages associated with the project that are to be built are owned by private tax-paying concerns.

We commend Gov. Rendell for moving forward with this long-sought project. But at the same time we would urge him, legislative leaders and Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph Cappy to consider seriously the advantages of having the state's top court take up permanent residence in Harrisburg, where it belongs.
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  #272  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2004, 4:16 AM
harrisburger harrisburger is offline
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would it actually be a campus-type set up for the courts, or just one building?

re: meetup...i'm getting my schedule on saturday, so i let you know sat. nigh/sunday
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  #273  
Old Posted Sep 25, 2004, 5:12 PM
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Sounds good, harrisburger.

Moving the court offices, currently in the Harrisburg suburbs, also serves to bring more people into the heart of the city, which can only add to its growing prosperity and vibrancy.

Exactly!!!

More good news for the area.

Grant targets Allison Hill and Steelton

Saturday, September 25, 2004
From staff reports

The Community Action Commission of Harrisburg has received a $325,000 state grant for revitalization efforts in the South Allison Hill area, Pennsylvania Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky announced yesterday.

The money comes from the New Communities-Elm Street Program.

Steelton has received a $25,000 grant through the Elm Street program for neighborhood redevelopment planning efforts.

Gov. Ed Rendell developed the program to help areas that are the gateways to commercial corridors.

In South Allison Hill, projects will include a residential facade improvement program for 40 housing units and new sidewalks along 13th and Mulberry streets.

In Steelton, work will focus on the older residential neighborhoods throughout the borough, primarily the Second Street neighborhood between Pine and Swatara streets. Plans include new sidewalks, lighting and housing.
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  #274  
Old Posted Sep 26, 2004, 3:04 PM
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AT CROSSROADS

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Carlisle Mayor Kirk Wilson has it exactly right. The Cumberland County commissioners' call for a Lancaster-to-Harrisburg test of the Corridor- One commuter rail proposal is not only pointless, it is unobtainable.

Amtrak doesn't have the equipment, the funds or the inclination to run such a test even if it could prove something, which it can't.

The fact is that the commissioners' intransigence toward regional rail is putting the pos sibility of ob taining federal funds for the project in jeop ardy. There are plenty of other communities that want commuter rail as part of their future approach to local transportation. A community that can't get its act together and pull together to make the project possible is almost certainly doomed to fail.

Wilson, who has commuted between Carlisle and Harrisburg for 29 years, understands the growing level of traffic congestion. Arguably, the commissioners, who have not had the same experience, do not. Wilson also understands that a "test project" from Harrisburg to Lancaster isn't realistic and he is dismayed that members of local chambers of commerce in Cumberland County bought into that piece of misinformation and came out in opposition to the CorridorOne project.

Wilson also is asserting, as he has many times previously, that the initial focus of a regional rail system should be to provide service between Carlisle and Harrisburg. Currently, the plan is to build the system in three stages: from Lancaster to Harrisburg (with service to begin in 2006); Harrisburg to East Mechanicsburg (2007); and East Mechanicsburg to Carlisle (2010). The initial two stages are estimated to cost $76 million.

One area where Wilson and the commissioners agree is in taking a look at creating a dedicated express bus lane along the rail line from Carlisle to Harrisburg proposed for regional rail. This option was previously reviewed by Capital Area Transit and rejected in preference to rail.

Building a one-lane stretch of highway next to an active railroad track may not be as cheap, easy or attractive as it may sound. A rail system has long-term advantages in terms of endurance, all-weather service and in the influence it exerts in attracting growth to the areas that are served.

Cumberland County would have a much stronger voice in the future of mass transit in the midstate if key officials were working together instead of in opposite directions. They need to find common ground and make a positive contribution toward shaping this project.

If they fail to do so, one of two things is likely to happen: The focus will shift to construction of another rail corridor, such as Lebanon to Harrisburg, where there is firm support. Or worse, the commissioners' opposition could scuttle a midstate commuter rail system entirely.

Think about that the next time you're sitting in traffic in the Harrisburg area.
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  #275  
Old Posted Sep 26, 2004, 3:35 PM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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^ great article Dave...i hope the commissioners are reading the paper. i not voting for those baboons ever again.

by the way, homecomming at Ship was great! i spent the last two days crawling around the town there were also about 10,000 police officers all over the place. i've never seen so many horse mounted police in my life. i think they really thought there were going to be riots or something....but it a pretty low key weekend.
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  #276  
Old Posted Sep 26, 2004, 4:23 PM
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Riots?!? I mean come on, where did they think they were, State College or something?!?



I'm glad you had fun, Chris. I know a few people that were probably there too.

Oh and I forgot to comment on this statement earlier:

Quote:
my girlfriend works for the county. i won't say where..lol. i hear all the crap and i know first hand how screwed up it is. you and her would get along quite fine i think...lol.
I'm sure we would LOL Being that I spent 4+ years involved in local gov't over there in the PD, I bet we could spend hours talking about this subject...H O U R S LOL
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  #277  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2004, 10:40 PM
harrisburger harrisburger is offline
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hmm...i just got my schedule and it doesn't look good for a meetup; i work every day of the week except wed, and i have volleyball practice/college stuff to do...
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  #278  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2004, 10:40 PM
harrisburger harrisburger is offline
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hmm...i just got my schedule and it doesn't look good for a meetup; i work every day of the week except wed, and i have volleyball practice/college stuff to do...
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  #279  
Old Posted Sep 28, 2004, 2:29 PM
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Location: Harrisburg, PA
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yikes...not good. we'll figure something out i guess.
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Old Posted Sep 28, 2004, 2:39 PM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
joining the rail club
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Posts: 2,496
here's a synopsis of homecoming weekend...freakin crazy.

Troopers arrest 94 in sweep for alcohol
Shippensburg students warned of enforcement during homecoming

Tuesday, September 28, 2004
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau
SHIPPENSBURG - State troopers on foot, in cars and on horseback -- and some with dogs -- arrested 94 Shippensburg University students accused of underage drinking and rowdiness during homecoming weekend.

The Thursday-through-Sunday "enforcement blitz" around the Shippensburg Twp. campus netted the most arrests yet made in a single sweep by troopers from the Carlisle barracks.

Those arrests came even after police and university officials repeatedly warned students that illegal drinking and out-of-control partying would be targeted. Troopers have been nabbing drunken and disorderly students nearly every weekend since classes began in August.

"With the steps we took in the past few weeks, I thought the kids would have gotten a little smarter," Sgt. Steven Junkin, who led the blitz, said yesterday.

"Some of them argued with us. They thought, because it was homecoming, we were being unfair in arresting them," he said. "I'd tell them, 'What does homecoming have to do with you acting like an animal?'"

He said he began planning the blitz months ago because troopers working near campus cited persistent drinking-related problems. Troopers from other barracks, the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement and drug-sniffing dogs were called in for the sweep.

"The emphasis ... was on alcohol-related offenses, as well as those criminal acts which degrade the quality of the Shippensburg community, such as obscene language, loud noise, littering, public urination and fighting," Junkin said. "This gesture was made so that students would have a realistic sense of the community's standards."

Junkin said he hoped that message would have come through in letters police sent to students and by troopers who went door-to-door in the last few weeks warning they would target alcohol offenders.

University officials, including President Anthony Ceddia, told students repeatedly not to commit such offenses, school spokesman Pete Gigliotti said.

Fifty-one arrests were for underage drinking, which can lead to a driver's license suspension. There were 19 disorderly conduct arrests, 14 for public drunkenness, three for drunken driving, three for scattering rubbish and three for fleeing officers.

School officials are notified of arrests and take disciplinary action, including expulsion, Junkin said.

At least one student, Curtis L. Montague, 21, of Shippensburg, was placed in Cumberland County Prison. Police said a trooper saw Montague urinating in a yard on Richard Avenue. He gave the trooper a false name and fled, they said.

Montague was caught with help from mounted troopers and was charged with escape, giving false identification, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, police said. He was released on $5,000 bail.

"This is a serious issue," Gigliotti said. "One of the things we tell students is, 'This is your home. We expect you to treat it that way.'

"But this is a societal problem," he said. "We're battling a multibillion-dollar [alcohol] industry" whose advertising, he said, targets young adults.

He stressed that the "vast majority" of the school's 6,500 undergraduate students aren't causing problems.

Shippensburg Twp. Supervisor Steve Oldt, who has two sons attending the university, applauded the blitz.

"I have a son who's a freshman. He's been warned," Oldt said. "If the students would just listen, we wouldn't have these problems."

Junkin said the sweeps will continue.

Gigliotti said he expects a long battle.

"We're chipping away at the problem," he said. "We're making headway."

MATT MILLER: 249-2006 or mmiller@patriot-news.com
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