October 25 at the Stadium

Hello all, wondering if anyone has suggestions for veterinarians in the area that would see a friendly feral cat? He’s an older male that has been outdoors his whole life, but allows pets, and is generally good with humans. He has been having trouble lately with sore eyes and has a bit of a limp in his back leg. I’d like to get him checked out, but worry that because he’s feral that normal vets would be hesitant to see him. I’m located right between Berks and Lancaster.

Hello, does anyone know of a local craftsman that makes walking sticks? I picked one up years ago at Arts on the Avenue, but I haven’t run across anyone since. Would love to pick one or two up for gifts for my aging friends. TIA!

Here's an article from the Reading Eagle from seven years ago when this was first proposed. I couldn't find a newer one, but I know the meeting is this Thursday, October 15th.

https://northheidelbergtwp.org/calendar/?mc_id=79

There is a developer looking to put in 160 apartments on the site of the former Blue Marsh Ski Slope. "The Reserve at Blue Marsh" I think is the name. That in and of itself isn't the end of the world, however it's been made clear that the developer has no responsibility to improve the existing road infrastructure to accommodate what would be a MASSIVE increase in daily traffic.

The intersection of N. Heidelberg and 183 is already a pain -it's just a stop sign- but add hundreds of extra cars every day and it will be a nightmare. Imagine Christmas Village traffic all year round. At the same time, putting a traffic light at that intersection would add to traffic in the same way the light at Bern Church has: constantly backed up traffic in all directions. A roundabout might help, but I honestly think the best way to go about it is to not have those apartments built in the first place.

The intersection itself is in Jefferson Township. So far the developer has only dealt with North Heidelberg Township, as the ski slope is in NHT. That says they either don't care or are expecting someone else to step in and solve it for them. I wonder where they're expecting that money to come from...

The North Heidelberg Township supervisors are considering the rezoning to get more tax money coming into NHT. But tax money going to NHT is not going to go towards a major roadway project in Jefferson Township.

This will affect everyone in this area and everyone just passing through Bernville, I think to the detriment of us all. There was a pretty vocal meeting about this a few years ago that made the developers go home and redo their proposal, so don't take for granted that your voice matters.

Hello everyone!

I'm looking for fun Halloween events to do with my husband and me. He hates horror-based things so I was wondering if there are any spooky or fall-themed weekend events we can go to instead. We have some disposable income but anything that's free or low-priced is preferred.

Family is interested in getting quotes and ideas from contractors on putting a bathroom on a third floor in Wyo that does not currently have plumbing. Anyone out there have someone they swear by?

I moved back home to my elderly parents for several weeks to help them with various household chores, and errands. I should be here until November. I'm looking for work in the county ideally or anywhere between Reading and KOP? Craigslist and Indeed don't have much. Thanks!

Hello Everyone, I’m looking for informed opinions from people familiar with Pennsylvania law, municipal authority, and the powers of parking enforcement officers in third-class cities.

Can the Reading Parking Authority (RPA), through its parking enforcement officers (PEOs), legally issue citations to vehicles parked on Reading’s streets for having an expired inspection or a suspended registration?

Or are these violations that must be enforced by police officers under the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code?

I have been reviewing records from a case involving Albert Dunn, who challenged the RPA’s authority to issue expired-inspection citations. The records raise questions that I believe deserve further examination.

1. The first case: Commonwealth v. Albert E. Dunn (2015)

On December 16, 2015, Albert Dunn appeared before Senior Judge Linda K. M. Ludgate in the Berks County Court of Common Pleas. He was represented by attorney Eric Winter.

Dunn had been cited under Reading City Ordinance § 576-408(B) for parking on a public street with an expired inspection sticker.

Winter challenged the ordinance on several grounds, including:

The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code: 75 Pa. C.S. § 4703 addresses vehicle inspection requirements and penalties.

Conflicting local authority: The defense argued that the City could not use a local ordinance to regulate conduct already covered by the Vehicle Code without statutory authorization.

The RPA’s enforcement authority: The defense argued that parking authority agents were not police officers and lacked authority to enforce vehicle-inspection requirements.

The penalty structure: The defense challenged the RPA’s $60 initial penalty and its automatic increase to $115, compared with the statutory inspection penalty discussed in court.

During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Thren stated:

“I can’t cite someone under the Vehicle Code with a traffic citation. That’s the issue that would have had to have been dealt with by a police officer.”

Thren then agreed with the proposed dismissal, and the court dismissed the citation.

The transcript also records the judge expressing concern about the RPA’s penalty structure and the authority to impose a higher fine than the Vehicle Code provided.

An important distinction: This transcript documents the arguments, the prosecutor’s agreement, and the dismissal. I am not claiming that it establishes a binding appellate precedent or a definitive statewide ruling on every inspection citation issued by a Third Class City parking authority such as the Reading Parking Authority (RPA).

2. The second case: Dunn’s 2017 challenge

According to the subsequent court filings, Dunn received another expired-inspection citation, this time dated July 19, 2017.

Winter again represented Dunn and filed a petition challenging the RPA’s authority and the legality of its civil parking-enforcement system.

The petition raised broader issues, including whether a third-class-city parking authority could administer civil parking enforcement without the necessary statutory authorization and whether the procedures and penalties afforded drivers adequate due-process protections.
Mahlon Boyer, representing the RPA, subsequently filed an answer stating that the Authority had withdrawn the citation and would refund the money Dunn had paid. Boyer asked the court to dismiss the appeal as moot because the underlying citation had been withdrawn.
That is what the filing requested. It is important to distinguish that procedural outcome from a court ruling on the merits of the legal arguments.

Nevertheless, the sequence raises a legitimate question:

Why was the citation withdrawn and the appeal rendered moot instead of the underlying dispute being litigated to a decision?

The records I have reviewed do not establish Boyer’s subjective reasons for withdrawing the citation, so I am not asserting that the withdrawal proves wrongdoing or an admission of illegality.

3. What about suspended registrations?

My question extends beyond expired inspections.
I would like to know whether the RPA has legal authority to issue citations for vehicles parked on public streets with suspended registrations, and, if so, what statutory or ordinance provisions authorize that enforcement.
I am particularly interested in the distinction between:

A vehicle’s parking status or the location where it is parked.

A vehicle’s compliance with state inspection requirements.

A vehicle’s registration status under the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.

The authority granted to parking enforcement officers versus police officers.

These may involve different legal questions, and I do not want to assume that the answer to one automatically resolves the others.

4. What I am trying to establish

This is one part of a broader investigation into the Reading Parking Authority’s legal authority, enforcement practices, hearing procedures, and public accountability.
I have been examining ordinances, resolutions, court filings, hearing-officer records, and the Authority’s responses to Right-to-Know Law requests. I am trying to establish what authority the RPA actually possesses, what records support its practices, and whether its procedures comply with applicable law.

I am not suggesting that every citation issued by the RPA is unlawful. I am asking whether the Authority has a sufficient legal basis for enforcing these particular types of violations.

My questions for anyone familiar with Pennsylvania law or those who have experience in this matter are:

Can a third-class-city parking authority legally issue an expired-inspection citation under a local parking ordinance when the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code separately regulates inspections?

Does the answer change if the vehicle is parked on a public street rather than being operated on the highway?

Can a parking enforcement officer issue a citation for a suspended registration, or does that depend on the specific statute and the officer’s delegated authority?

Does anyone know of a subsequent Pennsylvania appellate decision or statutory amendment that resolves these questions?

Has anyone encountered similar cases involving the Reading Parking Authority or another Pennsylvania third-class-city parking authority?

I can provide the relevant court transcript and filings for anyone interested in examining the primary-source documents.

I welcome informed disagreement. My goal is to understand the law and establish the facts from the available records, not to substitute assumptions for evidence.

I also want to bring public attention to the RPAs activities, schemes, and enforcement practices so that the public may discuss, learn, and understand their public agency’s actions.

Thank you for your contribution to the discussion. 😊

I've been looking at homes around Berks County and was surprised by how much value there seems to be in the Bechtelsville/Boyertown area.

One community I recently toured was Spring Garden Meadows by D.R. Horton in Bechtelsville. It's located in the Boyertown Area School District and sits right on the Montgomery County border, which seems appealing for anyone commuting toward Pottstown, Collegeville, King of Prussia, or other parts of Montco.

What stood out to me was that it's new construction, close to Route 100, and offers low-maintenance townhome living with 3 bedrooms and 2-car garages.

I'm curious what locals think about the area. Is Bechtelsville still one of the better values in Berks County for buyers who want access to both Berks and Montgomery Counties?

For anyone interested, here's the community: Spring Garden Meadows Community

Would love to hear perspectives from current residents, commuters, or anyone familiar with the Boyertown area.

So many people at my work are confident they are opening a Costco on papermill road near Reading. Can anyone confirm?

I have been researching the Reading Parking Authority’s (RPA) parking appeal system through Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law requests, and I want to share several questions that I believe deserve public attention.

In 1997, Reading City Council enacted Bill No. 8:97, authorizing the RPA to administer and enforce on-street parking regulations. Section 9 contains a specific requirement for the hearing officer:

“The Reading Parking Authority is hereby authorized to establish the part-time position of an Administrative Hearing Officer, who shall be an attorney admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.”

The same section states that the officer would be paid by the Parking Authority and that the officer’s duty would be:
“…to make an initial determination concerning parking violations when requested to do so by the person allegedly violating any ordinance or state statute.”

This language is significant because it expressly refers to alleged violations of both municipal ordinances and state statutes. The provision did not describe the officer’s responsibility solely in terms of enforcing Reading’s local parking ordinances; it also contemplated determinations involving Pennsylvania state law.

**Why did City Council specifically require an attorney?**

Council could have authorized a hearing officer without specifying a professional credential. Instead, it used mandatory language—“shall be an attorney admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania”—and placed that qualification in the same section describing the officer’s adjudicative responsibilities.

Was this intended to ensure legal competence in interpreting municipal ordinances and state statutes? Was it intended to protect procedural fairness for people contesting citations? Was there another legal or practical reason for imposing this requirement in 1997?

These are possible explanations, not established statements of Council’s intent. I have not yet located the legislative history that would explain why this language was chosen. I would welcome information from anyone familiar with Reading’s municipal government at the time, including former officials, attorneys, or residents who may know the background.

**What changed after 1997?**

Years later, Reading added §576-518 to its Codified Ordinances, establishing a parking appeal process that uses the term “independent hearing officer.” That provision describes the hearing process and the officer’s authority to decide appeals, but it does not expressly specify the officer’s professional qualifications.

This raises a question I have been trying to resolve:
Are the Administrative Hearing Officer described in the 1997 ordinance and the independent hearing officer currently conducting parking appeals two separate legal positions, or are they performing the same or substantially related adjudicative functions?
If they are separate positions, what law or authorized action created that distinction and established the current officer’s qualifications? If they are the same position, what legal authority explains how the express attorney qualification in §9 applies today?

**What I learned from my Right-to-Know requests**

I have submitted multiple Right-to-Know requests seeking records concerning the current hearing officer’s appointment, authorization, qualifications, and related matters.

Based on the responses I received, the RPA produced a résumé identifying the individual as an “Appeals Hearing Officer,” but the records provided to me have not resolved the legal-authority and qualification questions. The RPA has indicated that certain requested records do not exist.
I am not claiming that the individual is legally unqualified or that the RPA has necessarily violated the law. A résumé that does not establish a qualification is not proof that the person lacks it, and the absence of a particular appointment document does not automatically establish that no legal authority exists.

My concern is that, after making repeated requests since May 2026, I still have not obtained records or an explanation that clearly resolves what qualifications govern the current position and the legal basis for the officer’s authority.

**A statement from the RPA solicitor and the 2021 agreement**

I also contacted the RPA’s solicitor, Mahlon Boyer, to seek clarification about Ordinance 8-97 and the City’s agreement with the RPA.
In response, Boyer wrote:
“I wrote the 2021 Amended Cooperation Agreement and I tell you with all assurance that it did not incorporate any terms from Ordinance 8-97.”
However, Section 1 of the 2021 Amended Cooperation Agreement states:
“The authority and grant of power transferred to the Authority pursuant \[to\] Ordinance 8-97 shall remain in effect for the duration of the Parking Authority Charter unless otherwise agreed by the Parties.”

Paragraph 12 also expressly refers to Ordinance 8-97 when describing the prior transfer of the City’s on-street parking administration and enforcement to the RPA.
I believe these provisions deserve to be examined alongside Boyer’s statement. The agreement expressly refers to and preserves authority transferred under Ordinance 8-97, while Boyer stated that it incorporated no terms from that ordinance.

I recognize that referencing or preserving authority under an ordinance may be legally distinct from incorporating every provision of the ordinance into an agreement. The agreement also does not expressly resolve whether §9’s attorney qualification applies to the current independent hearing officer.

When I continued to question the legal basis for the position, Boyer stated that I could petition the Berks County Court of Common Pleas for a declaratory judgment if I disagreed with his position.
I am including these statements because I believe readers should be able to examine the actual wording of the correspondence and the agreement rather than rely solely on my interpretation.

My concern is not that an official must agree with my interpretation. It is that the relationship between the ordinance, the later appeal process, the agreement, and the current hearing officer’s qualifications remains unclear to me.

**Questions for the community**

I would genuinely like to hear from people familiar with Pennsylvania municipal law, administrative hearings, legislative history, or the Reading Parking Authority:
Why might Reading City Council have expressly required an attorney admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve as the Administrative Hearing Officer in 1997, particularly when the officer’s duties included determinations concerning alleged violations of both ordinances and state statutes?

Does the difference between “Administrative Hearing Officer” in Ordinance 8-97 and “independent hearing officer” in §576-518 establish that these are separate legal positions, or must their actual duties, legislative history, and governing enactments also be considered?
What kind of enactment or authorized action would be needed to establish that the attorney qualification in §9 no longer applies to the relevant position, if it otherwise governs that position?

How should Section 1 of the 2021 agreement—which expressly preserves authority transferred under Ordinance 8-97—be understood alongside the solicitor’s statement that the agreement did not incorporate any terms from that ordinance?

What records should a resident reasonably expect to find documenting the legal authority, appointment, and qualifications of a person who decides parking appeals?
The issue matters because the hearing officer makes determinations affecting parking citations and residents’ money. Residents should be able to understand the legal framework governing the person who decides their appeals.

I have not established the original legislative intent behind §9, and I am not asking anyone to assume that the current hearing officer is unqualified or that the RPA acted unlawfully. I am asking why the attorney qualification was written into the original ordinance, how the later system relates to it, and what legal authority governs the position today.
I
I welcome corrections, relevant historical records, and interpretations grounded in the actual ordinances and documents. My goal is to raise awareness and encourage an evidence-based public discussion.

Thank you 😊

Join me and our trivia family for Weaver Orchards Fall festival for the Holiday weekend!

Location: 40 Fruit Lane Morgantown, PA

It's peak apple picking season! Test your knowledge with fall-themed trivia with Happy Chad (10am-12pm) and relax to the Vinyl Ventures Band (1pm-5pm).

This week, we're joined by Blue Kraken BBQ, Castaneda's Mexican Restaurant, Sammy's Fries, and Gourmet PB&J!

Check out all fall festivities - hayrides, apple picking, face painting, our apple cannon, apple slingshot, pumpkin bowling, small hay bale maze, and so much more! Visit us online to get tickets and learn more!

I’m looking to connect with longtime Reading residents who may have old parking citations issued by the Reading Parking Authority (RPA) dating back to the late 1990s, early 2000s, or any time before 2017.
I’m particularly interested in the information printed on these older citations, including any listed enforcement hours, days of operation, or other details that appeared on the tickets at the time.

You don’t necessarily need to still have the original ticket. You might have an old photograph, a scanned copy, or an image saved somewhere in your computer files, phone backups, or photo archives.

A few questions for Reading residents:
Do you remember receiving an RPA parking ticket in the late 1990s or early 2000s?
Do you still have an old citation from before 2017?
Do you have a photograph or scanned image of an older ticket saved somewhere?
Do you remember what information was printed on those citations?
I’m trying to gather historical examples of actual citations issued to motorists in Reading, rather than blank ticket templates.
If you find anything, please comment below or send me a private message. If you share a photograph, please redact your name, address, license plate, citation number, and any other personal information.
Even a photograph of a ticket taken many years ago could be helpful.
I’d appreciate hearing from longtime residents who might have something tucked away in their old records or photo archives. Thank you!

Why This Historical Research Matters
My interest in this research goes beyond collecting old parking tickets. I believe understanding the history of the Reading Parking Authority’s enforcement practices is a matter of public interest. Historical records can help citizens better understand how the Authority has operated, how its practices may have changed over time, and what information was provided to motorists.
My goal is to help promote transparency, accountability, and a better understanding of an agency whose enforcement activities affect the residents of Reading.
This research may also be relevant to future proceedings undertaken in the public interest, including efforts to defend the rights of citizens and hold the Authority accountable for its enforcement practices and exercise of authority.

Public accountability depends, in part, on preserving historical records and understanding how public agencies have exercised their authority over time.
If you have an old citation, photograph, or scanned copy tucked away in your records or photo archives, your contribution could help preserve a piece of Reading’s parking enforcement history and provide valuable historical documentation for the benefit of the public.

For those who may not remember the controversy surrounding Souderton School Board member Bill Formica, here’s a little background.

Formica faced public criticism over posts he made about teachers, women, Spanish speakers and community members. Residents called for his resignation, and he responded with the video we're sharing here.

Rather than resigning, he spoke about his faith and offered to pray for his critics. Many residents viewed that response as dismissive rather than an acknowledgment of their concerns.

**So where does PA 147 Representative Donna Scheuren fit into this story?**

Donna supported Formica and campaigned for him. He served as treasurer of Friends of Donna Scheuren, her political committee.

Donna was sworn into the Pennsylvania House in January 2023 but remained on the Souderton School Board for nearly five more months. She resigned just nine days after the May primary election. In June, Formica was appointed to her vacant seat.

And the connections extend beyond politics. I've personally seen Donna's husband and Formica having breakfast together, and others have told me their Sunday-morning breakfasts are a regular occurrence. I've also received accounts from people who say they experienced verbal harassment during those visits.

Quite the Sunday-morning bromance.

**And we all know what happened next.** Formica became a member of the Souderton School Board, and his subsequent comments and response sparked the controversy captured in this video.

These political and personal connections are worth understanding when examining the history of local leadership in PA 147.

**For anyone who missed the original controversy, here's the video. Watch and draw your own conclusions.** 👇

Are there any shops in the Hamburg/Kutztown area that don’t mind working on Volvo?

Once warranty runs out on my vehicle I’m looking for an independent shop. If anyone has good recs please let me know!

Are there any workout groups in the area? I’d love to join.
In fact I need to join.

I need to get in shape and am struggling