April 2009 Archives

If you're worried about the swine flu, there are some links on the city's Web site to guide you to information. Look for the green box in the upper-right-hand corner. There's information in Spanish, too.

The city sent out a press release today reminding you to wash your hands to prevent the spread of the flu. It seems so simple.

People pick up germs by hand-to-hand contact, foods, contaminated surfaces and animals, among other things, according to the release.

Read on for tips on exactly how to wash your hands.

The York Daily Record/Sunday News voters' guide is online. Candidates in contested races were asked to participate in an online survey, answering three questions and providing biographical information.

All four Democratic mayoral candidates responded to questions. Only one city council candidate appears to have submitted answers.

Check them out here.

It looks like dirt has already started moving for renovations at Lincoln Park.

Bring on Play has been raising money for about the last year or so for new playgrounds at the park. Kids met last summer to "design" the park themselves. (The photo at left shows Jalyne Perry voting on a design.)

Community build days are scheduled for May 9 and 16, but some work appears to have started. There were quite a few pieces of construction equipment out when I drove by last week and it looked like there were some areas cleared for new park fixtures.

If you want to find out how to help, click here.

From a city news release:

The York City Police Department's community service division is holding a book drive through May 15. The books will go on shelves at the community resource centers in the city. 

New or gently used books can be dropped off at City Hall, 50 W. King St., York or Old Navy, 351 Loucks Road. Those who donate at Old Navy will receive 10 percent off their next purchase.

To become a sponsor, contact Jackie Marrero, crime prevention coordinator, at 849-2216 or jmarrero@yorkcity.org.

Since this week is National Week of the Young Child, York Mayor John Brenner is scheduled to read to kids tomorrow at Devers Elementary, and York City Police Lt. Kevin Girling and Jackie Marrero, crime prevention coordinator, will read at Davis Elementary.
 
 

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the possible opening of a new restaurant on North Penn Street and wondered what it is.

Turns out, I should have asked food reporter Wade Malcolm. He had a story last week about two new spots (the one at the former Lovie's Restaurant location and another in Central Market) opening, both hoping to call themselves Sabor Latino. And that's not allowed.

So apparently, the North Penn Street restaurant decided to become El Sabor Latino and the Central Market stand went for Mimi's Latin Flavour.

Read Wade's story here.
 

I spotted the Guardian Angels posted in the middle of the first block of West Market Street Friday night as I made my way home from the First Cap. The Angels were on the opposite side of the street from the Bourbon Street Saloon and Market Street Saloon.

That's the first time I've really seen them out in the downtown area, which could just say something about my lack of nightlife. So I called Mike Smith, the leader of the York chapter, who said they've been spending a little more time downtown lately, in response to recent events. (Two people were shot in that block late one night in mid-March.)

Smith said his group tends to be all over the city. They try to mix it up a little though, because inevitably if they concentrate in one area, they just hear about problems somewhere else.

Smith said he just added three new recruits, which brings the chapter up to 25 members. He's still hoping to get up to 40, but he's happy that everyone has stuck with it so far - he stresses consistency with the group.

On May 17, Angels head Curtis Sliwa will be in York to participate in a meeting regarding the York chapter's partnership with the York County Sheriff's Office. Smith said Sliwa is interested in trying to duplicate the concept with other chapters.

So, has anyone else seen the Angels out and about? Do you think they are doing any good?

(The photo above is from the York Daily Record in October of 2008.)

Last week, Codo sent out its regular newsletter which said that residents will have access to a bike-sharing program.

Here's the description from the newsletter:

"Codo is partnering with Gung Ho Bikes to provide five bikes for Codo residents to  share. As far as we know, this is the only bike share program of its kind in the region.

The brand new Specialized Globe Vienna Two urban cruisers, which come in men's and women's sizes in a variety of signature Codo colors, include clip-on market baskets, heavy gauge combination locks, front and rear lights, and bells.

Codo and Gung Ho Bikes hope to start a trend in downtown York promoting greener forms of transportation, better fitness, and an improved overall well-being for residents. This new bike share program offers Codo tenants free access to bicycles, making it easy for them to embrace greener lifestyles. Residents can use the bikes to get to work, run errands, visit local attractions like Central Market, and hit up the Rail Trail."

I don't own a bike. I can't remember the last time I was on a bike. So do you bikers out there think this will work? Are there people out there who don't own bikes but wish they had one to ride once in a while?

Religion reporter Melissa Nann Burke sends over a Sunday event in the city:
 
Contributors to the literary journal CrossWords will give a public reading 3 p.m. Sunday at Grace Place, located at the rear of York Otterbein United Methodist Church in York at 301 W. Philadelphia St.

The reading celebrates each contributor's published work and the second volume of CrossWords, which will be published in November.

Carol Clark Williams, poet laureate for the City of York, is hosting the event.
     

Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels who came to visit York last year, is now offering tours of New York City's "underbelly," according to an Associated Press story:

The Associated Press

NEW YORK--Forget dinner and a Broadway show. Tourists can now get a look at New York City's criminal underbelly, thanks to Curtis Sliwa (SLEE'-wuh).

The Guardian Angels founder has launched a three-hour "Underbelly Tour" of the South Bronx that talks about the rough-and-tumble 1970s and lingering crime problems. Tour highlights could include drug houses, money-laundering fronts and "chop shops" that break down stolen cars. Guests are transported on the No. 4 train, once known as the Mugger's Express.

Sliwa is now a radio host. He concedes that the area has improved dramatically. But he tells the Daily News that visitors can still "get a flavor of what it was like."

The tour price is negotiable. Proceeds support the Guardian Angels crime-prevention network.

Read more about the tour here.

March ShotSpotter results have been posted on the city's Web site.

Looks like the sensors recorded 186 gunshots during the month of March. That's about the same as the previous few months -- February had 133, January had 177, and December had 145.

The firecracker numbers were up, though - 341. That number hasn't hit 300 since October.

I'm guessing March 27 was a nice day. Gunshots went up to 18, and firecrackers were up to 127.

See the whole report here.

Go to the City Living page to type in a date and see what was recorded.

A friend called me last week to point out how pretty the pear blossom trees downtown are looking.

They are, indeed. (Although it was kind of cloudy the day I took this photo, so it doesn't do them justice.)

I started thinking that there used to be a Pear Blossom Festival, and I had not heard anything about it this year. Apparently there's no such thing this year; there's now a Spring Open House with some vendors having specials and activities.

It's the same day as Go Green in the City, an eco-friendly event being held by the shops on Beaver Street.

Today, I mailed a check for $110 to District Magistrate Number 19-1-02.

About 9 p.m. last Tuesday, I left the York City Council meeting and headed toward our West Manchester Township offices by way of Parkway Boulevard. I made the right turn onto Roosevelt, and when I made it to about Chanceford Avenue, I saw blue and red lights flashing behind me.

I pulled over, and a city police officer informed me that I had "rolled" through a stop sign back at Parkway Boulevard and Pacific Avenue. Really? I didn't think so, but I'm not the one with a badge. So I sat in the car for about 10 or 15 minutes, and the officer returned with a citation.

The fine for rolling through a stop sign is evidently $25, but by the time you tack on fees and taxes, it'll cost you $110.

I was annoyed, and I grew more annoyed when I drove a little further down the road. I slowed to a stop at the yellow traffic light at Roosevelt Avenue and Route 30 and watched as the car behind me switched lanes in order to blow right through the red light.

No flashing lights, no sirens. Sigh.

The officer, by the way, was quite polite and told me to "have a nice day."  Would've been nicer without the citation.

Reporter Brent Burkey over at the biz blog has posted an interesting city vs. suburb question.

Do city residents generate more trash? Read his post here.

My block in the city usually has a ton of trash bags (and boxes, shopping bags, etc.) resting on the curb, but that's because there are probably 10 or more apartments are putting stuff out there. But why people can't put it neatly in a trash bag, I don't know.

We received an e-mail today reminding us that yesterday marked one year since the death of Darisabel Baez, the 2-year-old girl who police said was beaten to death in the city. Darisabel's mother and her mother's boyfriend are still awaiting trial on homicide charges.

The e-mail was from Aaron Anderson, pastor of City Church. He also happens to live next door to Darisabel's grandparents. Darisabel used to play with Anderson's daughter of the same age. He was one of the pastors who conducted Darisabel's funeral services.

Anderson has posted an entry on City Church's blog, reflecting on the anniversary of Darisabel's death and how it connects to his church.

"We intend to make Darisabel's life count by taking the transforming power of the Gospel to people who otherwise might end up with the same fate as Harve Johnson and Neida Baez," he write. "Just maybe, some family that is touched by the Gospel will stop using violence, drugs, and sex to solve their problems, and turn their energy toward loving each other and their own little ones; little ones like Darisabel."

Read the entire entry here.   The rest of the City Church site is worth a look, too.

Last night at a York City Council meeting, Market Street Saloon was up for approval of a sidewalk cafe.

During the discussion, there were many mentions of the Hardware Bar, and questions about where the Hardware Bar is, where the Market Street Saloon is, and so on.

The bars have played musical chairs in the past few years. But entertainment reporter Erin McCracken solved the which-bar-is-which mystery a few months ago, so I'm going to refer you all back to her original blog post. Read it here, or after the jump.

The other day, I noticed a "coming soon" sign for Sabor Latino in the first block of North Penn Street. It appeared to be in the same location that Lovie's Restaurant once was. (I didn't even realize Lovie's was gone ...)

When I ran "Sabor Latino" through our archives, I found some old stories about a restaurant of the same name but located in the 500 block of East Market Street. But the stories were from 2002 or earlier, so I don't know if that restaurant is still around.

I'm not sure if the North Penn sign is a new place or maybe a relocation of another restaurant but having another option can't be bad.

Last evening after work I went for a walk downtown and noticed a three new businesses.

First, on North Queen Street we saw a sign advertising restaurant space. It would be great to have a neighborhood place to grab some grub. Here's to hoping it's open after 6 p.m.




Less than a block after the restaurant space, there's signs all over a vacant warehouse right next to the train tracks. More loft apartments. Sounds like a cool idea. Here's to hoping the rent is less than $1,000.




Finally, we were walking up North George Street and saw a sign saying a new restaurant is coming to the former MB & Company, 19 N. George St. There's a press release taped to the window that says the new place will be called Bistro19. I took a picture of it (I didn't have a notebook with me) but it turned out a little blurry, so here's a staff file photo of MB & Company, which opened in August.




 

On Saturday, a youth group from Door of Salvation church met at 8:30 in the church parking lot. It was cold and windy, but they set out armed with trash bags to pick up garbage from the city streets.

One group walked East Cottage Place from Queen Street to George Street. By the time they hit George, they had two bags filled and several others half-full.

At a Democratic mayoral forum on Thursday, someone in the audience asked the candidates how they'd solve the problem of litter in the city.

Construction on the Market Street garage began a week or so ago. I noticed the other day that the area in the front of the garage, right next to the Department of Economic Development, is fenced off and appears to be full of construction supplies.

Yesterday, I saw that the entrance to the garage from Duke Street has been closed, as planned. I believe it will be closed throughout the renovation. But the main entrance to the garage on Market Street is still open. (That entrance from Duke Street always threw me off anyway.)

So if you're headed to the garage, make sure you take Market.

If you haven't heard what they're doing, the city has an information brochure here.

ShotSpotter detects gunshots. But what else could we be listening for in York?

Graffiti, apparently.

According to a story in the Democrat Chronicle, the city of Rochester, N.Y., (which already has the ShotSpotter system installed) wants to install a system of sensors to detect graffiti.

The story says the graffiti-detection system can detect the "sound signature" of paint being sprayed. From there, it sounds like the system would alert police just like ShotSpotter does.

(Read more...)