Headlines About & Related to the City of Harrisburg April 29th through May 5th

A review of the news of last week….catch up at a glance. 

Harrisburg School District.In the wake of the Chief Recovery Officer’s release of the Plan.

• today’s the day Harrisburg–It’s About the Kids, Right?
• PennLive–Follow live coverage of Harrisburg School District recovery public forum
• WHTM 27–Harrisburg schools recovery officer fields questions
• today’s the day Harrisburg–Harrisburg Cougar Academy

Election 2013.Another week, another mayoral candidate forum.

• PennLive–Linda Thompson says tax increase is permanent, Papenfuse compares himself to Unkovic & other debate highlights
• PennLive–Harrisburg mayoral race: the bottom line on bankruptcy
• Fox 43–Harrisburg earned income tax hike may not be temporary

Public safety & crime.

• PennLive–Harrisburg Neighborhood Safety Zone program nabs 16 guns, cites over 150 code violations
• WHTM 27–After violent week in Harrisburg, police announce aggressive foot patrols
• CBS 21–Harrisburg Police to start nightly patrols to help prevent violent crime
• PennLive–Enforcement of curfew for Harrisburg youth to accompany foot patrols
• CBS 21–Harrisburg police to enforce curfew for teens
• WHTM 27–Stabbing in Harrisburg store over rivalry, police say

The good stuff.

• PennLive–Rotary Club of Harrisburg provides $35,000 to youth-focused organizations
• WHTM 27–Report: Harrisburg’s federal courthouse on priority list
• witf–Redevelopment targeted with $15M in tax credits for midstate
• today’s the day Harrisburg–PA Governor Declares May Dog Fighting Awareness Month
• PCN–May 2: Journalists Roundtable discusses the City of Harrisburg

Points of the City of Harrisburg to ponder.

• wift–PA homeowners to share nearly $612 million in tax reductions
• wift–Homeless advocates say state figures leave out many not seeking assistance
• Lancaster Online–Do Lancaster County hospitals pay their fair share in taxes?
• Harvard Business Review–A Smart Approach to Fixing Cities’ Problems
• Baltimore Magazine–City Living! With Kids!
• Climate Spectator–Let’s settle this: inner city living is more sustainable
• The New York Times–The Bikes and the Fury
• The Atlantic Cities–Why Segregation Is Bad for Everyone

Headlines About & Related To The City Of Harrisburg April 22nd Through April 28th

Got one! Less than 30 days after announcing the formation of the Illegal Task Force, Dauphin County catches one of the bad guys. And he’s really bad. 

• WHTM 27–Man arrested for illegal dumping, Dauphin Co. Commissioners crack down
• CBS 21–Dauphin County fines first violator of illegal dumping ordinance

Another recovery plan for Harrisburg. This one’s for the school district.

• today’s the day Harrisburg–Read the Harrisburg School District Recovery Plan
• today’s the day Harrisburg–It’s About the Kids, Right?
• witf–Harrisburg School District recovery plan calls for tax hike, pay cut
• Central Penn Business Journal–Harrisburg School District has ‘shared risk’ recovery plan
• CBS 21–Chief Recovery Officer reveals plan for Harrisburg School District
• WHTM 27–Public weighs in on Harrisburg District recovery plan
• PennLive–Harrisburg School District financial recovery plan: Raise taxes, sell buildings, restructure schools

Election 2013.

• PennLive–Harrisburg City Council candidates bristle and spar at latest debate
• PennLive–Harrisburg business group waging $100,000 war against Dan Miller’s mayoral bid

Public Safety & Crime.

• WHTM 27–Speed, reason still a mystery after wild Harrisburg crash
• Fox 43–Harrisburg man charged with escape after police pursuit critically injures innocent neighbor
• Fox 43–Harrisburg feud escalates to gunfire
• WHTM 27–Police investigate series of robberies in Harrisburg
• WHTM 27–Shipoke residents: Street lights not restored after flood

The good stuff.

• PennLive–Recycling bin giveaways clears Harrisburg City Council

Points for the City of Harrisburg to ponder.

• myurbanist–a myurbanist rerun: reclaiming the urban memory
• Forbes–Should You Consider Moving Cities For A Job?
• thisbigcity–100 Urban Interventions in 1 Day
• Reuters Legal–Detroit emergency manager eyes end to union bargaining

Headlines About & Related to the City of Harrisburg April 1st Through April 8th

The first one of 2013.  Receiver William Lynch filed a Status Report on the city’s fiscal recovery progress.

• today’s the day Harrisburg–The Harrisburg Receiver’s Status Report to the Court
• PennLive–Harrisburg receiver tells court progress is being made

It begins. The candidates nights began for the 2013 election season, and up first, 10 Harrisburg City Council candidates for 4 seats with 3 incumbents running.

• Fox 43–Harrisburg City Council candidates square off over crime, debt
• WHTM 27–All 10 Harrisburg City Council candidates appear at forum
• CBS 21–First debate in Harrisburg for upcoming election centers on City Council candidates

Trash. It’s becoming a hot topic in the City of Harrisburg. PennLive–Papenfuse makes trash cleanup a signature element of his mayoral campaign

The Thompson campaign. 

• PennLive–Linda Thompson says her campaign is ‘very organized and very strong’
• PennLive–Flying blind? Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson’s re-election campaign loses top advisers

The Harrisburg clause? PennLive–Credit history likely keeps Harrisburg out of county loan program

Crime & Public Safety

• CBS 21–Harrisburg’s Mayor says safe zones are successful, residents disagree
• PennLive–Harrisburg police probe downtown assault
• PennLive–Seneca Street fire in Harrisburg caused by stove malfunction

The good stuff.

• today’s the day Harrisburg–A New City of Harrisburg Project: The Millworks
• Central Penn Business Journal–Susquehanna Art Museum to break ground, throw party in May
• PennLive–Harrisburg youth, leaders to hold anti-violence march in city

• Fox 43–Volunteers build a garden in Harrisburg
• Harrisburg Magazine–A League of Their Own
• Keystoneedge–Harrisburg’s Art Spaces Help Create $54.5M Impact

Points for the City of Harrisburg to ponder.

• Los Angeles Times–Stockton bankruptcy can move forward, judge rules
• Investment News–Stockton ‘cram-down’ would severely test muni market
• Scranton Times-Tribune–No traction for bailout, or for reform
• Bloomberg–Philadelphia Can’t Explain Its Swaps Yet Fights Ban: Muni Credit
• Philly Deals–Public or private? Allentown mulls water deal
• New York Times–Crosswalks in New York Are Not Havens, Study Finds
• City Parks Blog–Innovative Governance 
• The Atlantic Cities–Lessons From Silicon Valley’s ‘Downtown’
• GoLocalProv–Has Vibrancy Failed?

Headlines About & Related to the City of Harrisburg March 25th Through March 31st

First and foremost. Before there was controversy, there was a positive focus on making the City of Harrisburg clean and green.

• WHTM 27–Clean and Green coalition to sweep Harrisburg
  
• CBS 21–Two-minute Tuesday, fines for illegal dumping part of aggressive approach to curb trash
• PennLive–Clean & Green Harrisburg to combat trash crisis with education, outreach – and harsh penalties
• PennLive–Fines, jail time await illegal dumpers in Harrisburg, officials say

Then there was the negative controversy. A couple of days after the collaborative launch of the Clean and Green Harrisburg Coalition, the Mayor of Harrisburg held her own press conference to cover the issues of trash in the city. And here’s what happened….

• WHTM 27–Mayor’s ‘scumbag from Perry County’ comment draws outrage
• PennLive–More than 5,000 join ‘Perry County Scumbags’ Facebook group looking to impeach Mayor Linda Thompson
• Fox 43–People from Perry County pick up trash in Harrisburg
• WHTM 27–Perry County residents seek positive action after negative remark
• CBS21–Harrisburg residents and City Council members help Perry County residents cleaning up Harrisburg
• PennLive–Sen. Jake Corman says Harrisburg mayor’s ‘scumbag’ remarks offensive
• PennLive–Rep. Mark Keller from Perry County says he is unsatisfied with apology from Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson
• PennLive–Will Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson’s ‘scumbag’ comment affect the election?

Election 2013. The debates and forums are getting scheduled and re-scheduled. Here’s the list of City of Harrisburg candidates nights so far. today’s the day Harrisburg–Election 2013: City of Harrisburg Candidates Forums/Debates

Public Safety & Crime

• WHTM 27–Harrisburg ‘Safe Zone’ unveiled, then taken down
• PennLive–Man struck by vehicle in Harrisburg is in critical condition

Points for the City of Harrisburg to ponder.

• Bloomberg–Cincinnati Parking Privatization Must Go to Vote
• Bloomberg–Stockton Creditors Dispute City’s Insolvency at Trial
• The Nature of Cities–Urban Sustainability and Resilience—Why We Need to Focus on Scales
• Stateline–EPA: Most of Nation’s Waters are “Poor”
• Yorkshire Post–City living revival set to bring new boom in building

Headlines About & Related to the City of Harrisburg March 18th Through March 24th

David Unkovic. On March 18th at The Bond Buyer’s Second Annual Symposium on Distressed Municipalities in Rhode Island, the former Receiver of the City of Harrisburg presented his white paper on municipal fiscal stresses and solutions.

• today’s the day Harrisburg–A Year Later, A Look Back at Harrisburg’s First Receiver
• PennLive–Harrisburg debt woes are tied to politics, race, corruption, ex-receiver says
• Bloomberg–Racism Helps Create Fiscal Distress, Ex-Harrisburg Receiver Says
• GOVERNING–Financially Distressed Cities Isolate Poor and Minorities, Former Receiver Says
• PennLive–Harrisburg debt taking center stage at national municipal debt conference

Election 2013. Two candidates are challenged, two candidates drop out, and the ballot positions are set for the May primary.

• today’s the day Harrisburg–Harrisburg Election 2013 Update
• PennLive–Two Harrisburg candidates scrap election plans: Update

Crime & Public Safety

• Fox 43–Harrisburg cracking down on crime
• PennLive–Harrisburg cops recount gun, drug busts during Neighborhood Safety Zone program
  

The good stuff.

• today’s the day Harrisburg–The Night of the First MashUP: Harrisburg’s Food Truck Festival
• Harrisburg Magazine–Midtown Man Personifies Civic Involvement
• abc 27–Harrisburg Environmental Advisory Council meets for first time

Points for the City of Harrisburg to ponder. 

• wift–Radio Smart Talk: York City schools could be in for dramatic change
• The Associated Press–Pa. cities take fight to tax-exempt institutions
• Star Gazette–For cities, there’s little money in raising property taxes
• Reuters–Bankrupt Alabama county eyes debt cuts topping $1 billion
• KQED–Stockton Is Broke – But Is It Bankrupt?
• Thomson Reuters Legal–Jury deadlocks on last counts against former Bell, Calif., officials
• Economist–Manchester united: A good, cheap infrastructure project that should transform a region
• Salon–Can crowdfunding kickstart struggling cities?
• City Journal–Five Principles of Urban Economics
• The Atlantic Cities–The Streetlight of the Future Will Do So Much More Than Light Your Street
• Urban Times–Dammed If You Do, Dammed If You Don’t
• African Urbanism–It’s not a wall, it’s a mural! Youth and artists “Imagine Accra” in Kanda community

Headlines About & Related to the City of Harrisburg March 11th Through March 17th

2013 Election news. Dan Miller formally announced his run for Harrisburg Mayor for the sake of the press, petitions turned in for Democratic and Republican candidates, and the analysis begins.

• witf–Harrisburg Mayor Thompson faces primary challengers
• Penn Live–Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson engaged in fascinating four-way fight to retain her seat
• today’s the day Harrisburg–Dan Miller Formally Announces His Run for Mayor of Harrisburg
• Roxbury News–Dan Miller for Mayor: March 12, 2013
• Penn Live–Harrisburg Controller Dan Miller officially launches mayoral campaign
• Carlisle Sentinel–Harrisburg mayor heads into May primary challenge
• Penn Live–Harrisburg School Board shift likely: 10 candidates for 7 seats, president vies for City Controller’s spot

Update on the City of Harrisburg’s financial situation. During this past week’s Municipal Financial Recovery Advisory Meeting, Fred Reddig of the Receiver’s team announced the City would not pay its March General Obligation bond payment, the third skipped payment in a full year.  He also made a few other significant announcements.

• Reuters–Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to skip more debt service payments
• Central Penn Business–Harrisburg receiver will skip another debt service payment
• Penn Live–State electricity purchase deal involving Harrisburg incinerator a week away

• Penn Live–Harrisburg makes $800K dent in unpaid insurance bills

• Roxbury News–Municipal Financial Recovery Advisory Committee: March 13, 2013

At the Harrisburg School District.

• today’s the day Harrisburg–Harrisburg Chief Recovery Officer Granted Extension to Complete Recovery Plan for School District
• today’s the day Harrisburg–Slideshow Presentation of Harrisburg School District Recovery Process

 Crime & Public Safety

• WHTM 27–2 teens charged in weekend Harrisburg homicide
•  Patriot News–Harrisburg police charge four men with homicide in 2 cases; no links made between fatal shootings
• WHTM 27–Mayor Thompson sets up Harrisburg “safety zones”
• WGAL 8–Residents react to Harrisburg safe zone project

The good stuff.

• Harrisburg Magazine–Leading Ladies
• today’s the day Harrisburg–Pastorante to Open

• witf–Lawmaker’s plan to get rid of school property taxes would raise sales tax
• Street Blog Network–Memphis Marching Forward on Safe Streets
• Street Sense–New Rules for the New Frontier
• abc News–Living Lab: Urban Planning Goes Digital in Spanish ‘Smart City
• Saudi Gazette–Mobility, sustainability, coexistence are inseparable elements in a city
• Salon–Can crowdfunding kickstart struggling cities?
• Reuters–Michigan governor names bankruptcy lawyer to run Detroit finances
• Business Insider–The Man Who Once Saved NYC From Bankruptcy Explains Why Detroit May Go Under