“A toll is a tax.” We couldn’t agree more with this observation of state Rep. Jeff Wheeland, R-Loyalsock Township, who is among local lawmakers and officials who are against a plan by the state Department of Transportation to toll nine bridges along Interstate 80. Apparently, PennDOT ...
There aren’t many left like him. Don Waltman is hanging up the apron and cleaver and leaving his shop for retirement. At the age of 77 — 78 in June — he’s certainly earned it. The son of a butcher, Don began working for his father when Waltman’s Meats occupied a stand in the ...
State Sen. Gene Yaw of Loyalsock Township is correct. The pandemic-induced economic downturn and resulting $5 billion state budget deficit make it highly unlikely Pennsylvania lawmakers will rally now to make right the state’s shameful failure to meet its obligations to clean up the ...
Next year will open the proverbial window to some semblance of fiscal Sunshine for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. It is on July 1, 2022, that much of the turnpike agency’s annual supplemental funding obligation to the state Department of Transportation for transit services under ...
He was an old-fashioned kind of man, the type our world really needs. Really needs. And so it is with deep sorrow that we are missing Marvin H. Staiman, who passed from this life earlier this year. To say his passing has left a void would be an understatement of the loudest nature. The ...
Long before COVID-19 created chaos for schools, Scranton, Philadelphia and other school districts were immersed in emergencies created by asbestos and lead contamination in school buildings. The problem is especially acute in many urban districts because their buildings often are old, but it ...
It has been well publicized how nursing homes and long-term care facilities were and continue to be among the most vulnerable places to COVID-19 outbreaks. Not only are the residents at these facilities mostly in the highest-risk age groups, many of them also have underlying medical conditions ...
We as a nation hit a grim milestone this week. Half a million people have died in the past year as a result of COVID-19. Grim, yes. Also grim, we recently learned that the National Center for Health Statistics is reporting a significant decline in life expectancy as a result of the ...
It’s never too late to share your talents with the world. That’s our takeaway after reading the story in Monday’s Sun-Gazette of Dorothy Weaver. Now in her 90s, this Loyalsock Township resident has been spending lots of time crocheting. And it’s not just doilies, afghans and hats ...
The COVID-19 pandemic’s myriad effects on society and the economy have accelerated Pennsylvania’s other tragic public health emergency — deadly opioid addiction. State Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Jennifer Smith disclosed recently that 2020 might have eclipsed 2017 ...
City Council has agreed to a settlement over handicap accessibility issues at its historic City Hall building. With the settlement, the city finally is moving ahead with upgrades that will provide greater access to all individuals. Frankly, the upgrades are overdue. For decades, people ...
State and local governments, not only here but across the United States, are facing uncertain financial outlooks as the pandemic continues to reach its multi-pronged devastation. The Wall Street Journal noted in a Jan. 13 article that “for governments that rely on property tax revenues, the ...
Much criticism has been heaped upon Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf for a number of his decisions related to the coronavirus pandemic, and much criticism of the state’s chief executive will be forthcoming in response to ideas he put forth in his 2021-22 budget address. No surprise. Democrat Wolf ...
The struggle continues in the Jersey Shore Area School District. It’s a struggle between the heart and the head. A few years back, the recommendation was made to consolidate and close some of the smaller elementary schools and renovate the remaining schools. But people love their local ...
Community centers for senior citizens around the region and across the state are more than just a place to gather for a meal and some camaraderie. They’re a community within a community, concentric circles that share a common center — that center being a vulnerable population with special ...
“These are the regulations that kill businesses in Pennsylvania.” So said Lycoming County Commissioner Scott Metzger recently when he and fellow commissioners spoke of their frustration over a requirement of which they just learned to move the office of District Judge William ...
A public safety building in the western end of the county makes good sense. Discussions are underway with Jersey Shore borough to build a joint facility to serve Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police and Citizen’s Hose Co. Should all involved come to an agreement, they would join forces in ...
Talk about creativity. Steve Cappelli, South Williamsport borough manager, is showing his these days. Does anyone remember when he was city mayor and suggested annexing Loyalsock Township? That may not have gone anywhere, other than to entertain local pundits, but now that he’s moved ...
This winter has dealt a heavy blow. Frankly, we’re exhausted. Perhaps it’s a combination of factors that have put us in this state. It’s easy to feel the weight of the world with every dig-shove-lift of the snow shovel. But we must not give up. It would be so easy to say, “Oh, I just ...
We have a recommendation, and it sounds like a solid plan after much discussion and study. The recommendation from Joseph Gerardi, city codes administrator, to City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee for City Hall is to stay put. Build a handicap accessible ramp and perform any other upgrades ...