PSoTD

We'll be watching this eventually, I suspect.

But not THAT surprising, from Pennsylvania State Bank...

In early April 2008, we officially joined PNC. Later this summer, the Sterling Financial family of banks will join the PNC Bank network.

We couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities of what we will accomplish together.

We have a well-deserved reputation for exceptional financial services professionals who provide outstanding customer service. And it is our highest priority that this tradition continues.

Still... We have a business checking account AND a line of credit at Pennsylvania State Bank, and the first I heard of this was when I saw a new flyer at the bank counter on Thursday. Kinda wish they told me before I ordered 400 more checks.

On the upside, the closest branch is a much closer drive.

For those of us that travel west, this is sad but was a clearly impending development:

Harrisburg International Airport will lose daily nonstop flights to Pittsburgh at the beginning of September, airport spokesman Scott Miller said today.

US Airways has decided to eliminate its two daily nonstop flights from HIA to Pittsburgh, Miller said. US Airways did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

For the first 10 years that we lived in Central Pennsylvania, we probably flew US Airways 80% of the time. There were two main reasons for this:

The price out of Harrisburg on US Airways was very competitive with any other airport, as we were almost always flying to San Francisco.

We hate O'Hare as a transfer spot, and the Pittsburgh airport is great, and particularly easy when you have small kids.

So, cost and convenience, plus the flexibility of all the flights out of Harrisburg to Pittsburgh and then connecting directly to the West Coast, was cake.

Of course, US Airways' troubles ended that. First, their prices out of Harrisburg increased ridiculously, especially since we could find considerably lower priced flights out of Baltimore or Philly to the West Coast. Second, the cut back in flights out of Harrisburg to Pittsburgh made it a lot less convenient. It was a slow, but seemingly certain, demise in Harrisburg.

Harrisburg really needs a quality low-cost carrier to get flyers to a major hub to go elsewhere. Southwest would be great for Harrisburg. And could be great for Pittsburgh as well.

Celebrate them on Saturday, July 19, 2008.

Why does the city of Harrisburg believe that the cost of a parking ticket should be $14 if paid in the first 96 hours, and then $15 for 5-10 days after the violation? Why doesn't some intrepid Patriot reporter try to find out the believable reasoning for this price structure?

You may want to contribute to your community's Wikipedia entry, particularly the history. It jumps from 1765 to 1950.

June 30, 1863.

Prices are pretty good. My meal was pretty good, and my dumpling soup was delicious. The menu, and pricing, makes it look like it's a pretty darn good lunch deal as well. This is a reasonable review based on our experience.

Gotta remember to not try to drive through Mechanicsburg tomorrow afternoon after camp pick up. We've been to Jubilee Day before, and it's fine, but I'm not really hankering for funnel cake right now.

It really does - a group that will promote that location as a hub for quality businesses. Not necessarily retail, but quality.

I'm talking primarily of the part of the Pike from the Naval center to the intersection of the Pike (aka Market Street) and the Camp Hill Bypass. Anyone that drives that section of the Pike realizes that there is a large and growing population of empty buildings for lease on that stretch of road.

As business grows along the Carlisle Pike to the West, it is clearcutting the strip malls and other buildings on the Eastern section of the Pike of their occupants. There are several reasons why certain retail businesses would find the western section of the Pike more attractive - land for construction, more parking space areas, 4 lanes of traffic rather than 2 - but one good reason is because the developers of the malls and other businesses on the Western side are trumpeting the location to any business who can hear.

Eastern Carlisle Pike has no such voice. And there are benefits to this area for business locations as well. I suspect that more people actually live within walking distance of the Eastern Carlisle Pike than the Western Carlisle Pike, as defined above. Some of it offers views of the Conodoguinet Creek. It has a more local building flavor than the Western CP, which basically looks like buildings you can see on any main road in the country. I'm sure there are more - but nobody thinks about it, and nobody promotes them.

The last thing that residents near the Eastern Carlisle Pike should want to see are continuing and structural vacancies on this main artery. That can be the first step in a slow decline of the whole area, particularly if economics pressure property owners to lease properties to less reputable businesses. The Eastern Carlisle Pike needs a citizen group to work towards improving the visibility and reputation of that stretch in a way compatible with the area.

I had NO idea.

"Out of the polluted waters of the Susquehanna, rises the fiendish yet sexy collective of mutant mama's. Get ready for some radioactive action in the skating rink!"

Big ones are coming.

36% rate increase

22% increase

16% increase

15% increase

Central Pennsylvania: Seen your PP&L bill yet? An increase is proposed.

At the Hampden Township Pool. And the water wasn't so cold that people didnt' go in, but one or two swim times in the pool was enough for our family.

The pool has always been nice in our experience, but they've made some improvements in the offseason to the toddler pool and the dressing rooms, and it's even better. It's by far one of the best entertainment values on the West Shore, so a tip of the hat to the Hampden Township Commissioners and staff that make it work every year.