• I win!! Little ants invading your kitchen for water as the temperatures heat up outside? Try cinnamon. They won’t cross it. #

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• A 12-foot albino Python strangles and kills 2-year-old Florida girl #

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• Fired Tampa Tribune reporter ended up on the streets http://tinyurl.com/n68×3e #

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• RT: @cnnbrk: Entertainer Michael Jackson was taken to UCLA Medical Center, a Los Angeles Fire Department official said. #

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• Warp-speed raindrops http://bit.ly/BwB5Z #

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• Aw did the Red Sox beat the beloved Phillies? I might live in PA, but Boston blood runs deep. Go Sox. #

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• Now tell me - what exactly will I learn from the Arbys in Stroudsburg being on twitter? #
• NY Times: “Banks Allowed to Repay Bailout Funds” Allowed? Come now… #

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• Back in NH through Monday #fb #

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• rain, rain. That’s all you do, Lehigh Valley. #

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• http://tinyurl.com/qgas3p #
• ‘08 IC graduation speaker Alan C. Page of Minnesota Supreme Court at the center of legal challenge over Franken/Coleman Senate race #
• Brian Williams on Obama’s comments defending Sotomayor. “And what seemed like decades later” they appeared in WaPo the next morning. #obama #
• #NBC takes jab at newspapers in #Obama special #

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• Staying up to welcome #Conan to the Tonight Show. #

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• I’ve just rediscovered the greatness that is a cucumber. #fb #

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• RT: @GlobeMetro: Nieman Foundation suspends narrative journalism conference, announces cutbacks - http://is.gd/Jpb4 #

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• Twitter folk: Anything new/unusual/interesting going on out in the Lehigh Valley suburbs we should know about? #
• More than 10 million cubic yards of slate waste may disappear from Pen Argyl’s landscape http://tinyurl.com/me79vy #mcall #
• Economy got you down? She feels your pain, plus some - http://tinyurl.com/ne3nab - #mcall #

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• Unbelievable - How the NY Times blew a lead on the #Watergate scandal in 1972 http://bit.ly/FcZCA #
• On the media and twitter - with public’s help, journalists can do a better job getting information out faster http://bit.ly/tIw1d #media #
• If you’ve visited the Delaware Water Gap national park, you’ll want to check out some new plans up there http://tinyurl.com/pethr4 #mcall #

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• Amber alert for mother, daughter abducted in Lower Southampton Township near Philly after small car crash http://tinyurl.com/ojo84l #

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• #sands breaks opening records over holiday weekend as people lost more than $5 million in the slots http://tinyurl.com/pc5g55 #mcall #
• Turtle looks for love in Bangor, finds a stone http://tinyurl.com/r725o3 #mcall #
• You don’t want your tweets to end up on this site - although, if they do, you probably do want them there - http://tweetingtoohard.com/ #
• Traffic, little crime, one guy poor to his last penny and thousands of visitors: first weekend for #sands http://tinyurl.com/q9e676 #mcall #

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• I love thunderstorms. I am just in awe when they roll through. They just come from no where with so much power and force. so cool. #
• look out, Lehigh Valley… more storms headed our way. #

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• RT: @MOB514: 1 inch hail in lower Nazareth. My mom’s plants are ruined and her neighbors yard is under water. 191 is a river. #
• RT @MOB514 Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan singing thunder road at the #sands http://twitpic.com/5qnxw #
• #sands traffic extends at least 4 miles from Route 378 down Third Street. It’s real slow and very jammed right up to the parking garage #
• Roads jammed over at the new #sands casino. Traffic’s backed up over the Minsi Trail bridge on Stefko. Anyone down there? #

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• Ithaca College: Park School’s Dean Dianne Lynch signs on - and off - for the last time http://tinyurl.com/qnatq6 #
• RT: @baltimoresun: SHA tries to protect bog turtles near bypass project by using goats to mow grass: http://tr.im/m6TZ #
• Want to add your thoughts about the #sands opening? Send a tweet with the “#sands” tag to join The Morning Call’s conversation #mcall #
• That’s all for our live coverage from the opening of the #sands - Check out mcall.com for continuing coverage #
• Live from #sands : traffic backed up from garage to street and the bridge #
• Live from #sands: I’m on my way out but there is a line of traffic in the garage backed up to the street #
• Live from #sands: New York Times, Star-Ledger, Las Vegas Sun, Atlantic City, Philly among media on site #
• Live from #sands: Mayor Callahan says Sands advertising in NY and NJ for Bethlehem is more than city could ever afford #
• Live from #sands: Mayor Callahan says he saw new Loop shuttle running through the city when he pulled in today #
• Live from #sands: Mayor Callahan said he’s more worried about traffic than gambling addiction - says people get add. to anything #
• Live from #sands: With giddy look, Mayor Callahan said he was amazed how early people showed up - he got here about 7am #
• Live from #sands: People in line this morning already feared gambling too much - with a laugh - Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER #
• Live from #sands: DeSalvio says they’ve ordered more signs for the parking deck - might take two trips to figure out #
• Live from #sands: DeSalvio expects casino crowd to peak in afternoon and evening this weekend #
• Live from #sands: DeSalvio says he wasn’t sure about the two test days but that they went well #
• Live from #sands: Casino Pres. Bob DeSalvio says he used to gamble but gave it up long ago #
• Live from #sands: Handful of people in the high stakes lounge - upto 100 dollars a spin - yikes #
• Live from #sands: Cocktail waitresses in glittery red dresses already serving up drinks - bar closes at 2 am #
• Live from #sands: Smoke really filling the air - the smell really bothers me - no big bells or whistles - just digital sounds #
• Live from #sands: A view from above shows a scattering of older folks, mostly retired, many alone and gambling away #
• Live from #sands: Things have quieted down. Emeril is apparently roaming around - he’s been in town cooking at his new chop house #
• #sands fact: Opening of the casino created 1,000 new jobs for the Lehigh Valley and beyond #
• Live from #sands: Still long waits for those wanting player cards, but otherwise no problems #
• Live from #sands: Mayor Callahan says by the look on people’s faces they are excited #
• #sands fact: Construction took 3,700 people and boosted work for firms across the Lehigh Valley #
• Live from #sands: Standing in Molten lounge - will have live local music here each night - not a bad setup #
• #sands fact: This mayhem could equal as much as a million dollars a day left in machines at end of day #
• Live from #sands: I must be near the smoking section - that smell - 25 percent of floor is smoking #
• Live from #sands: Only lines now are to get players cards - casino floor doesn’t look that busy with so many slots #
• #sands fact: Casino expects to host average of 20,000 people a day #
• Live from #sands: Some of the machines look so complicated I’m not sure I’d understand even if I won #
• Live from #sands: Mayor Callahan tells crowd “Welcome to Bethlehem, welcome to Sands, good luck!” #
• Live from #sands: More than 500 showed up for the casino opening #
• Live from #sands: We’re not allowed on the floor but a few on the edge are pretty excited to share the fun - but the money? #
• Live from #sands: Bernarda Santiaga from Philly claps as she plays monopoly with her family - claps must mean she’s winning #
• Live from #sands: Casino Pres. Bob DeSalvio says no nerves for the big opening #
• Live from #sands: With a big cheer and a cry from Mayor John Callahan, people rush the floor #
• #sands fact: People near the casino face far greater odds of addiction thanks to new casino #
• Live from #sands: Greg Schmidt from Whitehall has been waiting since the first reports of the casino to come and play #
• Live from #sands: People at front of line cheering and holding up 20 dollar bills for the camera - kiss those bills goodbye #
• Live from #sands: Donna Handwerk from East Allen Twp says she already knows she’ll come to the casino too much #
• #sands fact: The floor is totally coinless - machines include monopoly, double down, and wheel of fortune #
• Live from #sands: No reported traffic problems outside, only lots of trouble navigating the parking deck #
• #sands fact: Company spent 743 million to built slots parlor about to be rushed by a mass of people #
• Live from #sands: Randy Schmidt of State College came down last night. Says the casino looks themed but not forced #
• Sands fact: Slots floor has 3,000 glittering machines #sands #
• Live from #sands: Line of more than 300 stacked up waiting area, some waiting since 5 am to get in #
• Live from #sands: Just mety the 4 ‘gambling goddesses -They came from Laurys Station, took off work and hope to win big #
• Live from #sands: Guy at front of the line, Rick, says he got here at 5 am but expected more people #
• Live from #Sands: People. Loined up to get their player cards - parking deck is confusing #
• Never thought I’d be waking up at 7 am to go to a casino - but I’ll be there in a few to bring you all the details of #sands #
• Get up to the minute updates from #sands opening, hear from people coming out for the first day and get all the facts about the new casino #
• How will the opening of the #Sands go this morning? Keep it here and at mcall.com for team coverage from the casino #
• Join me LIVE from #sands casino opening this morning. A team of MCall reporters will bring you the details of the first day starting 8 a.m. #

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• RT: @RedSoxNews: Big Papi ends long homerless drought http://tinyurl.com/qllxjy #

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• Upper Mount Bethel Supervisors: Joe Battillo and Bob Gerwig top Larry Hallett, all precincts reporting #
• Forks Township: David Billings and Michele Rogers take top two slots with all precincts reporting #
• Deadlocked: Race to be Bangor’s mayor ties with 79 votes each for John Rigione and Andrew Szoke, all precincts reporting #
• Forks Township: David Billings and Michele Rogers lead pack for two supervisor seats, 2 of 4 precincts reporting #
• Wilson Area School Board: President Robert Fehnel falls to incumbent Scott Wamsley and newbie Tony Verenna, 3 of 3 precincts reporting #
• Easton Area Schools, Region 3: Newcomers Sarah Bilotti and Jennifer Holzberger headed for victory over incumbent Pam Millen-Eustis -80% rep. #
• Easton Area Schools, Region 2: Pat Vulcano Jr. and Timothy Reilly appear headed for victory over Joseph Evanowski; 75% precincts reporting #
• Easton Area Schools, Region 3: Incumbent Pam Millen-Eustis trails newcomers Sarah Bilotti and Jennifer Holzberger, 5 of 11 precincts #
• Plainfield Township Supervisors: Matt Glennon and Glenn A. Borger lead pack for two spots with 3 of 4 precincts reporting #
• Upper Mount Bethel Supervisors: Joe Battillo and Bob Gerwig look to take the two open spots over Larry Hallett, 4 of 5 precincts reporting #
• Easton Area Schools, Region 2: Pat Vulcano Jr. and Timothy Reilly with strong leads over Joseph Evanowski with 4 of 8 precincts reporting #
• Bangor Mayor: John Rigione leads Andrew Szoke with 3 of 4 precincts reporting #mcall #
• With all precincts reporting, West Easton council incumbents Louis Niko, Karl Hontz and Thomas Nodoline and newcomer Timothy Jones get nod #
• Incumbent Supervisor Matt Glennon trails with 25 percent of precincts reporting in Plainfield Township #mcall #
• Final result: 42 Glendon voters tap Melody McAllister and Thomas Hodge, Sr. for borough council #mcall #
• Wilson School Board President Robert Fehnel trails fellow incumbent Scott Wamsley and newbie Tony Verenna with 2 of 3 precincts reporting #
• Real early primary results starting to show up in The Morning Call’s database - http://tinyurl.com/qtcnl9 #mcall #

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• RT: @GlobeMetro: Suspected swine flu closes Boston Latin School - http://is.gd/Bp4j #
• RT: @GlobeMetro: Man dies after being shot at Harvard - http://is.gd/BncF #
• What’s all the Hubble about? http://bit.ly/OuIRe #nasa #
• What do we get for paying off our credit cards each month? Maybe more fees. http://tinyurl.com/qdwsbq #

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• I’ll be tweeting LIVE from the SANDS opening Friday. What interests you about the first day at the new casino? #mcall #bethpa #casino #
• If you haven’t been to Port Authority in NYC lately, it’s plastered in Sands advertisements. Literally every wall it seems… #mcall #
• Back in Bethlehem #fb #

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• Headin to NYC this weekend. If you’re gunna be there, I wanna see you! #nyc #fb #

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• Meeting tonight 7 p.m. in Plainfield Twp. - Residents upset about noise generated by local wood pellet manufacturer. Solutions? We’ll see. #
• Chicken salad lunch at detzi’s in wind gap #
• Bangor borough hall … Real nice folks … They call bangor a ‘gem’ #
• Just met robin zmoda of pen argyl … Gave me a great overview of the region #
• Heading up to the Slate Belt this morning. Check out LIVE TWEETS beginning around 10 and continuing periodically throughout the day. #mcall #

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• And watch here for LIVE TWEETS on my journey north as I explore the Slate Belt communities #mcall #
• I’ll be heading into the Slate Belt tomorrow to check out the communities I’ll be covering now.Give me your advice on what to check out..! #
• CANCELED: Palmer twp. planning mtg on more than 300-unit housing dev. proposed by Abraham Atiyeh. Back before planners next month #mcall #
• Palmer Twp. planners to again consider 300-unit housing development proposed by Abraham Atiyeh tonight at 7 p.m. #mcall #eastonpa #
• Considering my attempt at a potted pepper plant this year, thought I might share the frost warning http://tinyurl.com/ombeoh #mcall #
• There’s still hope for nice guys! (in homicidal tribes…but I’ll take it…) http://tinyurl.com/pyhgw5 #
• Is it fair to say, “It’s about time, PBS” ?: http://tinyurl.com/orubfl #

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• New Sands Casino in Bethlehem will be a formidable foe for those in the region struggling with gambling http://tinyurl.com/okpw7k #mcall #fb #

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• I just potted my first pepper plant (orange peppers, of course - they are the best). Bets on its survival? #fb #
• Cool interactive Times feature on people’s feelings about the economy - broken down by employed and unemployed http://tinyurl.com/d2f6o2 #
• More trouble finding a dean for UC Berkeley’s Grad School of Journalism - IC’s Lynch not alone in backing out - http://tinyurl.com/ot8g3g #

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• On my first bike ride in the Lehigh Valley, I nearly got beaked to death by geese with their babies in tow…on the tow path. #
• Do I risk my first bike ride in the Lehigh Valley with the threat of rain? #
• Live from EASD: Meeting adjourns - no cuts to music or band but job cuts still on tap for future without teachers’ help #
• Live from EASD: Speakers call the situation sad and outrageous - chide board for not more thoroughly reviewing teach contract #
• Live from EASD: School board says it would like to avoid cuts, despite plan for cuts or new negotiations put forward by super #
• Live from EASD: Student warns the school board that if they cut programs they better be prepared to deal with the consequences #
• Live from EASD: Union President demands apology from super for threat to lay off teachers - standing ovation #

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• Live from EASD: District trimmed about 3 million from prelim budget, but will tap more in reserve funds - also lowered tax increase #
• Live from EASD: Rough count puts final attendence around 300 people - Presentation on professional dev happening now #
• Live from EASD: One student wearing t-shirt reading “Save Easton Music” - Super has not said what courses would be cut #
• Live from EASD: Roughly 200 people present at the start of the meeting - Lots of students #
• Live from EASD: Already more than the normal meeting crowd filtering into the auditorium #eastonpa #
• Teachers Union President Kevin Deely to address board with harsh words about what the district calls a financial crisis #
• Looking for the Easton Area School Board agenda for tonight’s mtg? I’ve got you covered http://tinyurl.com/d8psh4 #eastonpa #mcall #
• Want your voice heard by the Easton Area school district? Mtg in Grade 7/8 Aud. of the middle school campus, 1010 Echo Trail, Forks Twp. #
• Live updates beginning 6:30 p.m. from the Easton Area School Board mtg tonight - How many will protest the district’s teacher layoff threat? #

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• Suburban EMS leases former Forks squad’s headquarters http://tinyurl.com/cw3wuz #eastonpa #mcall #
• RT: @davidgregory: I am online now taking your questions: mtp.msnbc.com LIVE (click on the chat link) http://tinyurl.com/c9g87e #
• Easton Area School Board, public set for showdown over teacher layoff plan http://tinyurl.com/coajq4 #eastonpa #mcall #
• Just filled out the giant census packet that landed in my mailbox… anyone else get one of these “American Community Surveys?” #

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• Sox take new Yankee Stadium in stride, knock two homers in first two innings #redsox #

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• DEP cites Chrin Landfill in Williams Township for more violations http://tinyurl.com/cakk89 #
• Big Easton Area School Board meeting on tap for this week - teacher contract sure to be the focus at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Grade 7/8 Aud. #
• Back in PA #fb #

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• Drinking margarita and playing with puppy #fb #

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• Headin back to nh #fb #

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• RT: @avmartinez: Check out Morning Call’s investigative reporter Tim Darragh on “Animal Planet” tonight at 10 p.m. talking dogs. #
• Back in PA - and it’s just as hot here. #fb #

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• Still in ithaca because i dont want to leave … #fb #

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• Ithaca is hot. #fb #

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• RT: @blamedesign: Dean Dianne Lynch to leave Roy H. Park School for Stephens College presidency: http://tinyurl.com/c93bus #
• Meeting today with Easton school officials about the budget - Got a question you want answered? Let’s hear it. (@mcall) #mcall #eastonpa #

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• Good signs atop Sox lineup today, as well as Masterson’s flexibility as a starter/reliever - http://tinyurl.com/cbkm7l#fb #

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• Umpires used instant replay in Yanks game today on a questionable Posada homer. Not sure I like it, despite the accuracy… Thoughts? #fb #
• NYC police reporters reminisce after getting eviction notice from cop headquarters - http://tinyurl.com/csrtm7 #fb #
• The real Easter bunnies - and they’re out of control. http://tinyurl.com/c5ngg5 #fb #
• Two in a row. Yeahhhh Sox #fb #

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• Indians batter Yankees with 14-run second inning, and I could not be happier. #fb #
• Ready for the Red Sox to get rolling on a winning streak. And still confident Brad Penny has something to offer this season. #

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• Soo the building I live in is for sale? hmm what exactly does this mean for me and neighbor? #
• Hillary Clinton raffles off Bill to help pay down her campaign debt - http://tinyurl.com/c9dfry #
• it’s ridiculously nice out - if only I weren’t feeling sickly. #

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• Back from Sands tour. Welcome new followers! How did you like the live tweet? What can we improve? Hopefully we can get twitpic going next. #
• Live from Sands: Heading back on the bus - thanks for joining me on the tour - keep checking @mcall for the latest on the casino #
• Live from Sands: Walking out of floor through open area where Sands will add 2000 more slots - will be ballroom in meantime #
• Live from Sands: Many slots dusted in sawdust from ongoing work - DeSalvio says work 90 percent complete #
• Live from Sands: Next to Molten the entertainment area where Sands plans live cover bands, jazz, country and local open mic #bethpa #
• Live from Sands: Job fair this weekend to fill remaining culinary positions #
• Live from Sands: Some games look older and low-tech - others real shiny with bright lights and multiple video screens #
• Live from Sands: Building wide open with few walls - red carpet from one end to another - high open gabled ceiling #
• Live from Sands: Building wide open with few walls - red carpet from one end to another - high open gabled ceiling #
• Live from Sands: Wandering slots floor while TV does stand up - games range from one cent and up #bethpa #
• Live from Sands: DeSalvio says guards, state police and security will work hard to keep underage people off casino floor #
• Live from Sands: DeSalvio fields questions from project costs to helping addicts to healthcare on site #bethpa #
• Live from Sands: DeSalvio: “We have plenty of room for table games should they become legal in the state” #
• Live from Sands: No access into security rooms but cameras dot the ceiling every 10 feet or so - total casino about 130,000 sq ft #
• Live from Sands: DeSalvio said he gave previous tour to Billy Joel’s Pressure - “Not at the top of my list” he said #
• Live from Sands: DeSalvio says there’s a science to music selection - company still putting together its playlists #
• Live from Sands: Springsteen’s Born in the USA plays as DeSalvio looks out over his floor of slots - all coinless. #
• Live from Sands: Outside Irish pub - mix of brick work, fireplace and wood walls - real old style look - to be called St. James Gate #
• Live from Sands: Outside Emeril’s Chop House - workers installing the grills soon to simmer with hot steaks #
• Live from Sands: Blue carpet in high end slot area - 1 dollar to 100 per spin - might be the only time I go there … #
• Live from Sands: Machines permanently on for testing - slots link with state system for monitoring #bethpa #
• Live from Sands: Floor slot games include Monopoly, Price is Right Plinko, Roulette, Quick Hit and Tower of Power #bethpa #
• Live from Sands: Drills and saws still roar under under the music on the slots floor - cool thin orange candle lights hang from ceiling #
• Live from Sands: Red maroon carpet squishes underfoot as we walk onto the slots floor - machines are flashing and ready to go #
• Live from Sands: Marker signs taped to wall point to casino floor - hallways smell like fresh paint - see slots flashing in the distance … #
• Live from Sands: standing right next to Sands stalled 10-story hotel and adjacent events center #bethpa #
• Live from Sands: DeSalvio on the bus mic reviews the 124 acres of company land including old blast furnaces which will be lit for opening #
• Live from Sands: Goofy white hard hat and protective glasses for each of us - ok the glasses are kind of stylish #bethpa #
• Live from Sands: We expect to check out the slots floor with roughly 3000 slot machines and some of the new restaurants #bethpa #
• Live from Sands: Here with Sands Bethlehem President Bob DiSalvio and some top PR #
• Live from Sands: Awaiting a bus ride over to the new casino building - a small crush of reporters and Sands leadership #
• LIVETWEET ALERT: Updates beginning at 11 am from inside the new Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem #casino #bethlehem #

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• Just setup Twittermail to tweet live @mcall our first glimpses inside the new Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem #
• Test post via email - sorry everyone #
• RT: @genmarshall: Sam Zell: “I made a mistake” in leveraging to buy Tribune. http://tr.im/iTmT (RT @Phil_Rosenthal) #

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• blogging @2riv_easton - Wilson school district to go to bid on Philip Lauer renovations http://tinyurl.com/cyvda2 #
• Expect a little more work-related stuff, plus some items of personal interest, to appear here more often. And feel free to get in touch! #
• Sending out a welcome to Morning Call readers who are finding my twitter as part of The Call’s new twitter listings. #

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• Going to give Quantum of Solace a chance… we’ll see. #

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• Just listed myself in the http://localtweeps.com local Twitter directory in ZIP 18018 #
• Poll: Pohler’s Parks & Recreation - Keep it or kill it? http://twtpoll.com/3ga0dg #twtpoll #
• Seven minutes into Parks & Recreation - annnd I’m not sold. #

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• Ever seen a groundhog with its head stuck in a peanut butter jar? http://tinyurl.com/c9fu9e - Now you have. #

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• This new video embed into google chat is awesome, BTW #
• NYTimes: Video of N. Korea rocket launch and satellite image showing rocket leaving Earth http://tinyurl.com/dxlo3c #
• I’m still trying to figure out what to make my blog… any thoughts? #
• OK so sorry for all that. I was playing with linking delicious with my blog, but I’m going to pass on that for now. #
• bear with me - I’m playing with my blog #
• Thumbs down to the dentist today; thumbs up to the Red Sox for winning. #

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• Binghamton shooter sends last note to local TV station - how disturbing is this - http://tinyurl.com/d9mbhy #
• annnd thhheeeeee YANKEES LOSE! #

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• Salamander love http://tinyurl.com/cgl9cb #
• baseball season is back… ohhh yeah. the red sox can now reclaim their rightful glory, and the yankees can crash and burn. #

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• such a busy week…can’t wait for NYC this weekend. #

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• Addicted to online scrabble? You’re not alone http://tinyurl.com/dcv3kf #

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• Heading out into the woods, in the rain, at night — all to catch a glimpse of the great salamander migration. #
• Birds are disappearing in Pennsylvania and across the U.S., but researchers say you can help in your own backyard http://tinyurl.com/crume5 #
• i think I just made the best chocolate chip cookies of my life…ohhh man are they good. and I only destroyed one beater in the making #
• http://twitpic.com/2jx96 - Twitter is for the birds…literally! #

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• I think someone should start adult easter egg hunts. Adult like for older people - not as in X rated. im content with candy. #
• Can’t wait until spring training… I feel badly for all of those teams the Red Sox will crush this year… aww. #
• I’m going on a salamander hunt Sunday night… woot! #

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• Blogging @2riv_easton on Two Rivers Daily http://tinyurl.com/dgq4yz #
• My story this Sunday: It’s for the birds. Literally. #
• RIP NCAA bracket. Until next year… #
• There’s nothing worse than no hot water in the morning. I mean, come to think of it, there probably is - but right now I want hot water. #
• I never did trust 8-balls #
• Will Pitt’s sweet 16 curse ruin my bracket? *shakes 8-ball* : All signs point to yes. #

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• Not a big fan of twitter spam followers #

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• It’s so hard to go to the gym when it’s nice out. Buuut it’s also hard to run with a bum knee. So indoor bike it is. #
• See video of Maine rescue crews crossing Moosehead Lake en route to missing Pa. couple http://tinyurl.com/dfodba #
• Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: ##journalist ##media ##news #
• Pa. couple dies in Maine snowmobile accident http://tinyurl.com/d6j2gu #
• Twitter is painfully slow today… #
• Lighted highway sign warns of Zombies Ahead! http://tinyurl.com/c5b5mf #
• Blake Lively’s looking a little disheveled on tonight’s Gossip Girl. Oh well, I forgive her… #

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• Out for a run along the river - we’ll see how far I make it. #
• This just in from New York City: My parking ticket was dismissed! Next time they won’t call my car a bus on the ticket - take that, NYC. #

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• im on a walk…IM ON A WALK…take a good hard look cause I’m goin on A WALK! (never thought I’d go on a walk…) #
• warm weekend #
• Vote here for Wacky Wildberry! http://www.mysteryflavor.com/votepage.aspx #
• i might have gotten free italian ice twice today. maybe. definitely. #

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• mmm italian ice tastes better when it’s free. #
• Bogging on Two Rivers Daily @2riv_easton http://tinyurl.com/d4glzz #
• Friday is the first day of spring! which means… free italian ice at all Rita’s from noon to 10 p.m. I plan to hit a few locations #

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• Memphis almost gave me a heart attack #
• working at home until 2 - annnd catching the start of the tourney #
• In bed trying to figure out how to write my story for sunday #
• picks complete. The Mansion’s going dowwwwwnnnn #
• filling out my tourney bracket…. tricky tricky #

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• Knee deep in PA earned income tax research… yikes. #

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• A swell of friends joining twitter today. Hurrah! #
• Democrats getting creative to recoup millions in AIG bonuses http://tinyurl.com/d4dkl3 #
• http://twitpic.com/267yg - Buzz and Mango - the proud parents of our new lab puppy! #

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• Kinda forgot how good Monterey Jack cheese was… #
• President Obama mentions Lehigh Valley’s Blue Monkey Sports Restaurant in his speech today on saving small businesses #
• OK so for the record I have made homemade mac and cheese ONCE in the past. and I will make that twice tomorrow. #

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• Allentown police scanner: Woman said she had chest pains beginning two weeks ago so she started drinking. They found her drunk. #
• David Gregory’s fitting right into the Meet the Press - he’s hammering a Va. republican this morning - excellent stuff #
• “Never thought I’d be on a boat…flippy floppies!” #

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• I think I hurt my knee running today… And I still need a yummy recipe for homemade mac and cheese. #
• So I need to make a homemade mac and cheese for St. Patty’s day…and have never made one…tasty recipes anyone?? #
• wow I just wasted a day like a pro #

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• installing energy efficient light bulbs in my apartment #
• So how long is appropriate to give Jimmy Fallon the benefit of the doubt before bashing his new show? painful… #

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• School tries to spin state assessments into a “fun filled week of high stakes testing” http://tinyurl.com/dfe4zz (@2riv_easton) #
• Predicting the demise of print is so en vogue - almost a sad, deenergized lament http://tinyurl.com/aqcd3z #
• Ithaca College in the NY Times (OK so it was late February - I’m a little behind) http://tinyurl.com/b5bacy #
• Odor patrol to visit Chrin Landfill http://tinyurl.com/dmthwy (from @mcall) #
• First venture into live tweeting for work was a success - Start following @2riv_easton for work stuff #

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• LIVETWEETING @2riv_easton #
• LIVE TWEETING tonight @2riv_easton from a supervisors meeting in one of the townships I cover… first time livetweeting for me! #
• I’m ready for another sunny day… just throwin that out there. #

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• School board meeting in easton tonight … Will they put their renovation plans on hold? #
• 10 major newspapers that might be the first to disappear http://tinyurl.com/ck7kh6 #
• totally overheating from the gym. It must have been 100 degrees in there. bah. #

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• Overflowing pasta, Strega Nona style…eish #
• Winter is the new farming season http://tinyurl.com/ceuevd (@mcall) #

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Terry Kromer’s breath clouded the cold air as she unzipped the plastic door to her winter garden. She stepped inside, shed her jacket and uncovered her rows of crowning strawberry plants and sprouting snap peas hiding from winter’s deadly chill.

Her young crops have just emerged from the loose dirt, hesitant to show their greens in a season still colored by grays and browns. But inside this greenhouse-like tunnel, they feel a summer-like warmth long before the growing season begins.

”We’ll have strawberries in here by the beginning of May,” said Kromer, whose family owns Clear Spring Farm in northern Forks Township. ”Normally no one has strawberries until the beginning of June.”

The Kromers four years ago became part of a Pennsylvania trend to extend the farming season more than two months by raising crops inside plastic-covered ”high tunnels,” heated by the sun and cooled by the breeze.

Read the full story on mcall.com

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• Goodbye one hour…helllooooo evening sunlight! #
• chillin in the a-p-t #
• I’ve decided food in the Lehigh Valley is really good. #

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• heading out on the bethlehem bar scene #
• mama nina’s - best italian - with MP #

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• soon to welcome Mr. Pascua to the countryland aka PA #
• Battle over a tot lot and basketball court at forks township meeting … Stay tuned. #
• A great story in The Ithacan today - kudos to the author. http://tinyurl.com/bawd7p #

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• Has anyone ever heard the saying, “Crazy as a daisy?” #
• Two Black Holes on a Collision Course http://tinyurl.com/aebcvk #
• Pirate puppy! http://tinyurl.com/ddvwfq #
• Debating new puppy names with my sister… Chloe or Calypso? You decide. #

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A 100-acre tract of farmland in Lower Mount Bethel Township once slated for a major housing development has been bought by Northampton County councilman and local businessman Ron Angle.

”Nobody wanted these new houses, but no one came forward to block them,” said Angle, who owns several parcels in the township and throughout the county.

Angle last month closed the $800,000 deal, which he says killed a 158-home development proposed by LTS Builders of Shawnee-on- Delaware for his property along Gravel Hill Road and two adjoining fields.

Read the full story on mcall.com

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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission last week recommended against portions of the proposed rezoning of Chrin Brothers Sanitary Landfill, saying certain areas were inappropriate for a solid waste designation.

Wooded and steeply sloping portions of the landfill site in Williams Township, as well as a small low-density residential zone, should not be changed, planners said in a Feb. 27 letter to the township.

Planners also said the new zoning district would allow for the development of numerous properties near Morgan Hill Road and Industrial Drive, creating a significant amount of traffic.

Read the full story on mcall.com

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• Greed at Journal Register Co. as newspapers suffer http://tinyurl.com/bgn4zq #
• Can now post to twitter right through my Firefox address bar. Much easier. #
• Blogging @2riv_easton on Two Rivers Daily - “Lehigh Valley planners concerned by Chrin Landfill rezoning” http://blogs.mcall.com/easton/ #
• Do you ever lay in bed at night and say to yourself, ’see i told you you would make it back here?’ so there. #
• Things get rough with Scruff McGruff. http://tinyurl.com/cs6389 #
• Using a lettuce spinner. Does that make me 40 years old? #
• Blogging on Two Rivers Daily http://blogs.mcall.com/easton/ #
• Standing in a 70 degree green greenhouse. They will have spinach and lettuce weeks before anyone else thanks to their hoop house. Story … #

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You can tell by my last post that I’ve fallen a little behind on the blog. Not because I’ve forgotten, but because I’ve been updating the back end.

Good news: Update complete.

I’ve since ventured into Twitter, and will begin using the two to better update everyone on my most recent newspaper articles, adventures and other thoughts. I’ll keep it mostly to journalism and the news, but might perhaps venture into the opinions-phere from time to time.

So sorry for the delay, but expect to see all my work and blog posts, now fully integrated between Facebook, Twitter and the blog. Enjoy!

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A dispute between Forks Township officials and a local business owner over a proposed traffic light at Sullivan Trail and Meco Road may cost taxpayers more than $70,000.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation — responsible for issuing permits for traffic signals — will not green-light the project unless Rob Leiser, owner of Leiser’s Rental Barn, agrees to either waive his right to sue the agency or move his driveway away from the intersection, said PennDOT spokesman Ronald Young.

But Leiser said the township proceeded with more than $70,000 in design and engineering work without involving him in the discussions, and he refuses to sign off on the plan.

”Until they come to me with a proposal that I will accept, as far as I’m concerned, it’s not going to happen,” said Leiser, of Plainfield Township, who opened the store in 1985.

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A wanted fugitive was arrested by Bethlehem Police on Tuesday after barricading himself, his girlfriend and his 3-year-old child inside a Bethlehem home.

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As the day’s first light filtered over the top of Kittattiny Ridge, bargain hunters and transient peddlers began trading offers and exchanging stories.

On the final weekend of the Blue Ridge Flea Market in Saylorsburg — a drive-in theater turned outdoor bazaar — many stalls remained empty, their frames as bare as the rigid, leafless trees.

Still, a few regulars marked the selling season’s end last month, covering folding tables with a range of goods: handcrafted wood carvings, homegrown cauliflower, old tools and an assortment of used clothes.

”On days like this, people are making all the deals they can,” said Jim Fialkowski, bundled in brown coveralls, gloves and a hat. ”I’ve sold here for 14 years. It’s a whole different reality down here.”

The seemingly random array at the flea market is not unlike the natural diversity of neighboring Cherry Valley, home to a few thousand people and abundant wildlife. The market falls on the western edge of the wooded basin, where the headwaters of Cherry Creek combine to flow northeast to the Delaware River.

But the future of the valley’s rural character and threatened species sits with the federal government, which will soon decide whether or not to establish a 20,000-acre national wildlife refuge here.

Longtime residents embrace the idea, just as they do the annual march of the bog turtles out of hibernation. Others question the government’s intentions, or see the Valley as ripe for development and high-end homes, just a couple miles from Interstate 80 and the commute to New York City.

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Northampton County Council approved a $120,000 grant Thursday for Palmer Township to extend its rail-to-trail bike path.

The money will be used to pay for a 1-mile extension south of Northwood Avenue to Hackett Park. The completed, 2-mile portion already stretches from the Tatamy line to Northwood Avenue.

Palmer officials expect to begin work on the final portion of the trail early next year. It will cost about $400,000, which includes the county grant, a $200,000 state grant and $80,000 of nontaxpayer township money, said Thomas Adams, director of public works.

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Fork Township supervisors will donate $17,500 to Suburban Emergency Medical Services, marking the end of a financial mess that followed the collapse of the former Forks Township Emergency Squad.

”This is absolutely a total relief,” said Supervisor Erik Chuss, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, after the board’s bimonthly meeting. ”We can put this whole thing behind us now.”

Supervisors said the donation was a ”good-faith” recognition of Suburban’s services in 2006, when Forks EMS temporarily closed, as well as its continued cooperation this year as the township transitioned its ambulance services.

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Taxes will remain steady in Glendon next year, though officials raised concerns that the borough may not be able to afford much-needed road repairs in the future.

The 2009 preliminary budget — balanced at roughly $184,500 — holds the tax rate at 6 mills. At that amount, the owner of a property assessed at $50,000 will continue to pay $300.

Ronnie Shaffer, borough treasurer, presented the budget at Wednesday’s council meeting. She said the borough will have an estimated $22,500 on hand at the end of December.

”That’s what will get us through this year without needing to raise taxes,” Shaffer said.

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The leadership of the Easton Area School Board will swap positions next year, but the nine-member panel was not unanimous in its decision.

Patricia Fisher of Palmer Township, serving her second term on the board, was elected president by a 6-2 vote Wednesday at the annual reorganization meeting. Fisher served as vice president for the past year.

”I would just like to establish a little more professionalism from the board,” Fisher said after the meeting.

Outgoing president Pat Vulcano Jr. of Easton was chosen next year’s vice president by a 5-3 vote. Vulcano said he decided not to run again for the top position because of health concerns and other commitments.

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Residents of Northampton and Monroe counties who saw their jobs vanish as part of the souring economy will be eligible for free tuition at Northampton Community College beginning next semester.

College officials announced the new program — one of the first in the region to directly address the economic downturn — hours after economists officially declared a national recession on Monday. It marks the third time in two decades that NCC has offered tuition assistance during tough economic times.

”I think we’ve known that [unemployment] has been a serious problem for quite a while now,” NCC President Arthur Scott said at a news conference Monday at the college’s Center for Workforce Development in south Bethlehem. ”But we also know that individuals that are better educated and better trained will be well-positioned to enter into the new world once the recession is over.”

Students who live and worked in the two counties and who lost their job in the past year because of economic reasons will be eligible to take up to 12 credits next semester. Career fields include biotechnology, business and nursing. The college will also offer free community education classes — up to $900 worth — for training in specific programs, and will hold a career transitions exposition Dec. 13.

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Over the past three years, the gas levels at the Chrin Brothers landfill in Williams Township has exceeded Pennsylvania’s legal limits more than 100 times, posing potential health and environmental risks, according to state officials.

Under Pennsylvania law, landfill operators are required to collect gasses — most notably methane, but including more potent types — at an efficiency of at least 70 percent.

But Chrin failed to meet that standard 148 times between Jan. 1, 2005 and June 30, 2008, according to an Oct. 16 violation notice issued by the state. The citation did not specify how far the measurements fell below the state’s benchmark.

”We certainly take it very seriously, we’re concerned and we want to get them back into compliance,” said Gary Greenfield, assistant director of the Northeast Regional Office of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

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Buildings in the Easton Area School District would receive a nearly $84 million face-lift during the next five years if the board approves a long-term plan unveiled this week.

The proposal includes a new $32 million Palmer Elementary School near the current building and a $25 million expansion of the high school, which would become a center for freshmen.

Four other elementary schools would also receive upgrades as part of the plan, and a new roof would be installed on the high school. The district would also renovate the administration building and renovate the high school pool.

The plan was approved by the Facilities Utilization Committee, a group of parents, teachers and administrators that began working earlier this year to address redistricting and capital improvements. The school board is expected to vote on the proposal Dec. 18.

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Residents in Lower Mount Bethel Township will not pay more in property taxes next year under a tentative budget approved Monday.

The $866,225 plan tightens spending in the municipal office, eliminates the salary for the vacant township manager position and reduces vehicle, insurance and emergency management expenses.

If approved, the 2009 budget will keep the tax rate at 4.6 mills. At that rate, the owner of a property assessed at $50,000 would continue to pay $230.

Supervisors trimmed expenses by roughly $120,000 from preliminary projections. The cuts were necessary to offset falling tax and building permit revenues.

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Exasperated by one of the most difficult budget years in recent memory, Palmer Township supervisors tentatively approved a 14 percent property tax increase for 2009.

Poor economic conditions have eroded years of prosperity in the township, which faced a $2.1 million shortfall when the budget process began a few months ago.

”I about died,” said Bob Anckaitis, township manager, during a budget hearing Tuesday. ”I had never dreamt of a year like this. We were doing figures a few months ago and I remember saying, ‘I’m scared.”’

The roughly $14 million budget would increase the tax rate for the second-straight year, from 5.5 mills to 6.25 mills. A homeowner with a property assessed at $50,000 would pay about $312, an increase of $37.

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Randee Fitzgerald moved two years ago to Easton’s South Side because she knew her son would attend Palmer Elementary.

But 8-year-old Conor would be uprooted and moved to Cheston Elementary next year under a proposal by the Easton Area School District to shuffle more than 700 students next fall.

”If I knew my son would have been districted in Cheston…we wouldn’t have bought the house,” Fitzgerald said Monday during a public meeting at Cheston. ”He’s got one year left in Palmer. Why move him at all?”

The reorganization would eliminate overcrowding throughout the district’s six elementary schools and create more neighborhood-centric facilities, said Darren Policella, a spokesman for the redistricting subcommittee. Most significantly, the district would relocate 504 students to a new Forks Township school in the former Paxinosa Elementary building.

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Williams Township’s 2009 budget remains in limbo as township officials try to pin down the final price tag for a contract with the newly merged Easton and Williams Township ambulance squads.

Cost for the ambulance service could run as high as $165,000, said Deborah Patterson, township manager.

That estimate would create a significant shortfall in next year’s roughly $2.5 million budget, and would probably require an emergency services tax.

”I don’t think it’s something that we really want to do, but times are changing,” Patterson said.

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More than two years of hearings to fight a developer who claimed Forks Township discriminated against low-income and affordable housing has cost taxpayers almost $166,000 in legal fees, according to township records.

Legal costs have more than doubled in the past three years because of the entanglement with KMRD LP, said Jim Farley, finance manager. The township budgeted $150,000 for legal expenses in 2008, up from $70,000 in 2005.

The tally includes bills for legal counsel, professional witnesses, research experts and stenographers, Farley said.

”Overwhelmingly, our residents asked for us to fight this, and the board did what residents wanted,” he said.

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Taxes in Forks Township could increase by 10 percent next year despite efforts to reduce expenses and freeze capital projects, according to preliminary projections.

Officials suggested cutting $49,000 in spending at a budget hearing Wednesday, including cuts to athletics and recreation funding, canceling the township Christmas party and rolling back the local newsletter. They also recommended putting $345,000 of capital projects on hold.

Those cost-saving measures, plus the tax increase, would balance the roughly $7.1 million budget.

”I don’t think any of this makes us comfortable,” Richard Schnaedter, township manager, told the board of supervisors. ”But I think the economy makes it a necessity. We’ve identified what’s most feasible and what causes the least amount of disruption.”

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A pledge by now-defunct Forks Township Emergency Squad to repay all residents who purchased a subscription this year creates the possibility that some could receive double reimbursement at taxpayer expense.

Supervisors voted unanimously last week to tap a $20,000 reserve fund to purchase Suburban EMS subscriptions for those residents who subscribed only to Forks EMS, with the understanding that the local squad would not issue refunds.

But Michael Keifer, operations manager for Forks EMS, said Monday the squad intended to return all subscription payments, meaning a small group of residents could receive both the refund and free Suburban coverage courtesy of taxpayers.

”I don’t believe that residents would try to take advantage of the township,” said supervisors Chairman C. David Howell.

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