November 2008 Archives

I just noticed this update, from county reporter Eugene Paik, on our Web site.

The right lane in the first block of East Market Street should be reopened Monday. Yay! I know it's only half a block, but I forget about it every time I drive by and end up stuck in the lane with my blinker on. And I miss those parking spaces, too.

The city recently put the monthly ShotSpotter reports for September and October online, so I updated the gadget we have on the York City Living page that lets you search the data.

You can plug in a date, and it will show you how many shots, firecrackers and other noises were recorded that day.

If you want to try it, visit the York City Living page.

For some reason, fire has always been something I've been extra cautious about or extra wary of. I'm not sure why. I've always been one to check and make sure there's nothing lying against the heat register (that one, I think, came from my mom), to double check that the stove is turned off and to triple check that I unplugged the toaster oven before I leave the house.

That tendency has kind of been on overdrive since I moved to the city. The close proximity of the buildings scares me. The Monday fire that damaged seven rowhouses and left 36 adults and 15 children in need of shelter is a good example of why. My current apartment building bothers me less than my old apartment, which was in a rowhouse, did.

If the unforseeable happens, I have renters insurance. At least two of the other residents in my building (one of whom I've reminded several times to buy it) do not. I'm guessing the other three don't either. I don't have a terribly large number of valuables in my apartment, so my policy covers more than I need and costs me a little more than $100 a year. I think it's worth it to know that if something happens, I'll be covered.

Last week, fire Chief John Senft reminded me that it's been nearly a year since the huge Kings Mill Road fire that claimed four lives and left three girls without parents. There are free smoke detectors available to city residents, and the fire department installs them, too. Call 854-3921 for information.

The Red Cross is helping victims of Monday's fire.

As I wandered around downtown York today, I noticed that the music playing through the loudspeakers was holiday-themed.

And I watched city workers putting up some of the red, light-covered poles that stretch over Market Street. I noticed that tinsel already stretched over Market Street at Beaver Street.

I suppose it's time, and it does kind of put me in the holiday spirit. But it also just reminds me that I have to start shopping.

Don't forget: Light Up Night is Dec. 5.

I'm spending part of this week combing through a list the Daily Record published in 1997-1998 of 21 strategic sites in the city. That's only 10-ish years ago, but I'm learning how much things can change in that time period.

Example:

I've lived here for a little more than two years, and I've always ordered my pizza from Marcello's on South George Street. But one of the "strategic sites" the paper identified in 1997 was the building at 25 W. Market St., left empty when Marcello's moved out. And at some point before that, it was a nightclub named Zakie's. So I guess it kind of returned to its roots when Ron Kamionka bought the place and started putting in his clubs and bars in the first block of Market Street.

The 30 SOHO project (developers turning 30 S. Howard St. into condos) is practically in my backyard. I drive past it every morning as I make my way down Mason Avenue to Duke Street. I usually can't see what's going on, since most of the work is happening inside the building.

But today, when I made my way onto Mason Avenue, I found my normal route to work blocked off. A small section of the road, just by the 30 SOHO building, was blocked by barriers. I kind of assumed that would happen at some point. I couldn't really tell what kind of work was happening, though. But maybe I should start planning an alternate route.

On my trip home from work this evening, the right lane in the first block of East Market Street was closed. It was closed because there was a big crane sitting there.

Again, part of the parapet-repair work I mentioned here.

Driving into the city for lunch today, I noticed several signs on Market Street telling me that the right lane would be closed ahead.

I made it to my destination, and the right lane never closed. But, there were a number of big orange traffic markers blocking off the parking spots in front of the York County Administrative Center.

County reporter Eugene Paik tells me it's the beginning of work to fix cracked brick parapets on the front of the old courthouse. Apparently, it's supposed to be done by the end of the year.

Here's Eugene's story from October:

Remember when I wrote about the residents of East Philadelphia Street decorating like crazy for Halloween?

Well, don't look now, but at least three or four houses on the same street are all kinds of decked out for Christmas. They must have taken down the Halloween decorations and put the Christmas ones right up. I love Christmas and decorating for the holidays, so I say go for it, even if it does seem a little early. My tree probably won't go up until after Thanksgiving.

I don't have to go to the post office often, but most of my experiences at the York city post office at George and Princess streets have been fine. The people who work there are nice, and I usually don't have to wait long.

Granted, I work at night and can go at good times, avoiding the lunch rush and the after-work rush.

But today I tried to pick up a package that I wasn't home to sign for when it was delivered, and the line was long. There was only one window open. It was 2:30, which usually isn't a bad time to go. I guess that's what everybody else thought.

Since I had to be at work in a half-hour and the line wasn't moving, I bailed. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

What have been your experiences at the busy post office? Do you tend to go elsewhere?

OK, I'm writing this at the suggestion of my colleague, Angie Mason.

I was actually a bit reluctant to post it. As a downtown York resident, I find it annoying when I hear suburban residents talk as though they would be risking their lives to set foot in the city.

So let me say first of all that I love living in downtown York, which I'd done for ten years without once being threatened or accosted.

That changed last night, when I was attacked outside my home. And as you'll read in a moment, it wasn't exactly a brush with death.

I went to the YWCA in York to vote at same polling place as Angie at 8 this morning.

Unlike her, I had to wait about 15 minutes, which really wasn't a problem for me. But I did wonder what will happen later tonight if voter turnout picks up.

The room that houses the polling place is small and it began to feel crowded with 10 people waiting to use the two machines. Statewide, experts say they are expecting large numbers of voters to show up after they leave work, between now and 8 p.m. when the polls close.

If that happens in York's First Ward, I wonder where those in line will go, since the hallway empties into the equally cramped lobby.

I walked up the street to the YWCA to vote around 1:30 p.m. today.

I've never ever had to stand in line there. Today was no different. I walked right up to the L-Z table, then right to the machine. There were a few people stacked up waiting on the A-K side, though. And people kept trickling in.

An election judge told me that they had seen about 339 voters so far that day. Typically, they get 80, he said. In 2004, our Web site said earlier today, 240 people voted at that polling place. So even by early afternoon, turnout for this election has surpassed the last presidential election.

There were still only two voting machines there, but they seemed to be handling the crowd fairly well. Guess we'll see how it goes the rest of the day.