Backyard news and links, 02.05.09

Mountainside homes approved ... The Lower Paxton Board of Supervisors gave the green light Tuesday evening for the first phase of the Estates of Autumn Oaks, a McNaughton Homes community located on Blue Mountain above Centennial Acres. The approval is for 35 of the 91 luxury homes that will eventually be constructed. McNaughton still has some administrative matters to attend to prior to breaking ground.

Before the board voted, Centennial Acres resident Ken Parmer commented that the long list of exemptions from township development regulations that McNaughton received was a sign that the mountain land should be left in its natural state and added to the Big Boyds Tree Conservation Area.

Parmer and several of his neighbors successfully lobbied township officials and McNaughton last summer to make design changes to the large stormwater detention ponds that will be constructed on the mountainside at a higher elevation than their homes. They were concerned that clearing trees and vegetation from the mountain and water draining from the ponds after big storms would worsen flooding problems in Centennial Acres.

CLICK HERE for background info on the Estates of Autumn Oaks.

Church move OK'd ... Penbrook Catholic church gets OK for move into Lower Paxton Twp.

Candidates needed ... The May primary election will be here before you know it, and that means you need to get cracking if you want to run for an office. Here are the Lower Paxton posts that are up for grabs this year: township supervisor (two seats available); tax collector; auditor (two seats available); and constable.

I've been told that Lower Paxton Twp. Supervisors Bill Hawk and Gary Crissman are running for re-election.

CLICK HERE for info on how to get on the ballot, and, if you run, please consider telling the world about your decision on Linglestown Gazette. (B² isn't running – journalistic ethics forbid reporters from holding public office.)

Piccola watch ... Gov. Eddie Rendell gave his annual state budget address yesterday, and his education priorities got little support from state Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, chairman of the Senate Education Committee. Also, Piccola plans to continue pushing for legislation to prevent the governor from furloughing state workers as a ploy to get state lawmakers to pass a state budget.

B² update ... I've been invited by The Patriot-News to give them feedback Monday night on design changes that will be made to the newspaper in the near future. They're apparently making a push to put more emphasis on local news. The changes include deploying a mojo (mobile journalist) or two who will travel around in search of stories and field suggestions from readers on what issues and events to cover.