VOTING YES FOR A BETTER READING: BALLOT QUESTIONS ON ELECTION DAY

Election Day is just around the corner, and when you walk in to your voting booth to elect strong Democrats like Tom Wolf for Governor, and other Democratic Candidates, you will be asked to vote on several questions that will make a better City government.

Most of these Ballot Questions have been added to change the City Charter to allow more efficient and fiscally responsible operations in City Hall.  Some help to clarify the duties of the Mayor while others allow greater input from leaders in the Community.

Please vote YES on:

Ballot Question 1:  Qualifications of City Auditor

Ballot Question 2:  Review of City Charter

Ballot Question 3:  The Separation of Powers between the Mayor and City Council

Ballot Question 4:  Members of Boards and Commissions

Ballot Question 5:  Duplicate Language for Mayor and Managing Director

Ballot Question 7:  Public Asset Protection

 

Please Vote NO on:

Ballot Question 6:  Position Ordinance

The administration should have full flexibility in the number and positions of personnel managed within the approved budget in order to keep residents safe and more efficiently and effectively run the City of Reading.

 

Please remember that Election Day is November 4^th, and that the right to vote has been fought for by several groups in our community.  Do not waste the opportunity to choose the right candidates that will move Berks County forward and make a better Berks for us all.  Remember to Vote Yes on questions 1 through 5 and #7, and NO on #6, for a better Reading.

A MORE LIVABLE READING AND BERKS COUNTY: 2015 HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The City of Reading and Berks County adopted an action plan that addresses housing and community development needs in the City and County for 2015.  The plan presents budgeted amounts for various Berks County and City of Reading projects.

The City of Reading proposes to adopt the 2015 Action Plan which will be funded by anticipated grants from numerous federal programs and a previously funded homeownership program.  The grants will be used for a variety of programs designed to improve the livability and promote economic development and job creation within the City.  Some of the proposed City activities include demolition of blighted properties, code enforcement, special economic development job creation grant and loan programs, commercial and residential façade improvement programs, historic preservation, homelessness prevention and services for the homeless.

The City estimates 87.5% of the programs will benefit low and moderate-income residents, and expects no displacement of families, individuals, or businesses to occur as a result of the activities.

Citizens can submit comments about the plan to Lenin Agudo, The Director of Community Development for the City of by November 3, 2014 by writing him at the Community Development Department, City Hall – 3rd Floor, 815 Washington Street, Reading, PA 19601.

Citizen Summaries of the City’s Action Plan is available for public review and comment at the Community Development Office (Room 3-06) and the Office of the City Clerk (Room 2-24) in City Hall.

 

HELPING TO KEEP READING CLEAN: MAYOR SPENCER AWARDS 12th and MARION FOR RECYCLING EXCELLENCE

The Mayor Meets the 4th Grade Class at 12th and Marion Elementary School

Mayor Spencer made his last stop of the school year at 12^th and Marion Elementary School to award the 4^th grade class with his “Mayor’s Kids for A Clean City” Recycling Education Program citation for excellence in recycling both at school and at home.

The program is a partnership between the Reading School District and the City of Reading to educate 4^th grade students on the importance of recycling common household goods and school materials.  Education Program Director Mike Schorn, who has led the program since its inception seven years ago, teaches students the proper procedures for recycling with hands-on classroom presentations.  Schorn visits 4^th grade classes in the elementary schools throughout the school year, and returns with the Mayor to recognize those schools that excel at recycling.

“These children are our future, and if we can get to them early enough, and teach them how important it is to recycle, the benefits will last for decades to come,” said the Mayor.  “These students take what they learn from the Recycling Education Program and hopefully convince everyone at home to recycle as well, and that goes a long way towards saving the amount of garbage that we truck to landfills, and saves the City money as well.”

The City Recycling Education Program currently serves all Reading School District 4^th  graders, as well as four additional private schools in the City.  The program has reached 50 classes in 16 schools, and has educated approximately 1,650 children about the importance and value of recycling.  As part of the program, students are taught the essential need for respect and responsibility in their schools and neighborhoods, along with a demonstration of materials that are accepted in the City of Reading’s curbside collection program.  Schorn also talks about industrial landfills, showing pictures of what landfills look like.  Each child is then given a certificate which outlines a pledge to be respectful and responsible at home and at school while acting as advocates for spreading the positive message about recycling.

This school year, the Mayor visited four of the most successful recycling schools during an assembly of all 4^th Grade students where he personally congratulates them on their recycling efforts.  The assemblies allow the students to spend some time with the Mayor, and to ask any questions they might have.

A former teacher, Mayor Spencer looks forwards to his visits to the schools, and enjoys recognizing the students for their recycling achievements.  “They’re helping to keep our City clean and safe, and I always enjoy being back in a school.  What I don’t enjoy is learning that some of these students are the grandchildren of students I taught, and that doesn’t make me feel any younger,” the Mayor joked.

WOW! READING BECOMES “RĒADING”: CITY CELEBRATES THE WORD OF THE WEEK

Mayor Spencer recently attended the annual Celebration of Reading event at Muhlenberg Elementary Center (MEC) in Muhlenberg Township. Part of the school’s ongoing campaign to improve the vocabularies of its students, Celebration of Reading featured a ceremony that honored students’ reading accomplishments and use of the various Words of the Week (WOW). “As a former schoolteacher, I appreciate the efforts to get people thinking about literacy and word usage,” said Spencer.

Dr. Roula Elliker, a reading specialist at MEC, began the WOW four years ago as an initiative that introduces a new robust and rigorous vocabulary word once a week.  The WOW is integrated through all curriculums in grades K-6 at MEC.  Students are encouraged to use the WOW in new and creative ways, and WOW competitions are held throughout the school year.  The WOW is announced every Monday morning on WEEU radio, and Mayor Spencer helped to spread the popularity of the WOW by posting the word every week on the Penn Street Electric LED sign.  The WOW is now prominently displayed around the City and in several local businesses in Reading.

“In this day and age, a lot of us don’t use a strong vocabulary. We get caught up in slang words and stuff like that. I hear from a lot of people that they look forward to reading the Word of the Week on the city’s electronic sign,” the Mayor said.

This year, the Celebration of Reading was taken a step further by the City, with a macron being placed on both the Reading Eagle’s nameplate and on the City’s welcome sign. This macron, a symbol used to make a long vowel, turned Reading into “Reading,” pronounced as in the phrase “reading a book.”

“The vision is that we want to make Reading into the reading capital of the world, and this is just a little symbolic representation of that,” said Dr. Elliker.

Reading Eagle Company President and CEO Peter D. Barbey and the Reading Fightin’ Phils mascots also attended the event.

To learn more about the Word of the Week project, please visit http://www.muhlsdk12.org/Page/2063.

 

THE RIDE FOR WISE: ANNUAL EVENT HONORING THE MEMORY OF A FALLEN OFFICER MARKS ITS TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

In 2004, Reading Police Officer Michael H. Wise II was killed in the line of duty. He left behind a wife and 22 month-old daughter.  Now, ten years later, his legacy continues on through the Ride For Wise, an annual motorcycle ride organized by the Michael H. Wise II Foundation, which celebrates its 10^th Anniversary this year.

“It’s great to see the community come together to honor Officer Wise,” Mayor Vaughn Spencer said, “He was a dedicated husband, father, and Police Officer, and honorably served the City of Reading.  His family’s dedication and perseverance have resulted in so much good for the community through the Foundation, Officer Wise is still giving back to this day, and it is amazing to see his memory live on in such a positive and constructive way.”

The Michael H. Wise II Foundation was formed shortly after Weiss’s death by his family and friends to honor his memory as well as serve as a charitable foundation for the greater Reading area.  The goal of the foundation is to not only celebrate the life of Officer Wise, but to celebrate the lives of all fallen police officers and firefighters.  The foundation organizes and promotes charitable events to further aid law enforcement and firefighters, as well as various individuals and organizations throughout the area.

This year’s ride began at noon at Reading Area Community College and headed out to Lebanon County where Officer Wise was born and raised.  The route passed Grandview Cemetery in Annville where Wise is buried, and ended in Cleona, just outside of Lebanon.

All of the proceeds from the event are used to benefit law enforcement through charitable donations and to support the Weiss Foundation’s scholarship program.  The Wise family receives no money from the Foundation.  Since its official creation in 2006, the Foundation has raised $270,000 and has distributed $8,000 in scholarships each year.  The Foundation also works to distribute Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to schools, and provides funding for K-9 Units.

Denise Brandt, Michael’s widow, remarked about at the sense of community she feels during the annual event.  “I know I’m not alone,” she said, “This whole week I’ve obviously been reliving the events of those days, leading up to it and then afterwards, and to come out and have all these people remember him, it means a lot.”  Wise’s daughter is now 11.

Other events organized by the Foundation include a Golf Outing on June 22^nd at the Fairview Golf Course in Lebanon County and a 5K run in September.

For more information about the Ride for Wise or any upcoming events, you can visit the Michael H. Wise II, Foundation’s website at http://www.wisememorial.com/index.html.

 

A BOOST FOR BOOKS: READING SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVES $10,000 GRANT FOR LITERACY PROGRAM

The Reading School District has received a grant totaling $10,000 from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, to be used to bolster the district’s Family Literacy program.  The grant will be used to upgrade technology used in the program according to Nancy Jackson, Family Literacy Coordinator.

The program aids non-English speaking families with children ranging in age from newborns to eight years old.

“This money will be a great way to help more hard-working families gain the kind of education that’s essential in today’s economy, Spencer said.”

The RSD Family Literacy program provides English classes, parenting classes, and interactive activities for families seeking to better grasp the English language. The program runs during the RSD’s school year, adding additional classes during the summer months. Meetings for the program are primarily held at St. Mark’s United Church of Christ on West Greenwich Street, and St. Thomas United Church of Christ on North 11^th Street, both in Reading.

To be eligible for the program, adults must be the parent or legal guardian of a child younger than eight years old, live in the Reading School District, possess Social Security Cards, and be able to produce immunization records for their child.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation, was more than willing to help out such a worthy cause.  “At Dollar General, we are passionate about our mission of serving others throughout the communities we serve,” said Dollar General’s chairman and CEO, Rick Dreiling, “It’s exciting to see the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s outreach in action as we partner with organizations to further education and literacy and make a real difference in people’s lives.”

For more information on the Reading Family Literacy Program, please visit their website by clicking here:  http://www.readingsd.org/domain/352.  For more information on the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, you can visit their web site by clicking here:  http://www.apts.org/grantcenter/funding-topic/k-12-education/dollar-general-literacy-foundation.

ALWAYS THERE FOR US: READING HEALTH SYSTEM CELEBRATES THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR NURSING PROGRAM

The Reading Health System’s Nursing Program recently celebrated its 125^th anniversary with a dinner hosted at the Inn at Reading, in Wyomissing. The Alumni Association of Reading Hospital’s School of Health Sciences Nursing Program coordinated the event.

The audience of over 250 included past Instructors, Directors, and the Class of 1954, who were honored during the dinner.  The School’s scholarship students were also in attendance.

The Class of 1954 proved to be a special addition to the dinner, providing anecdotes of their experience and how nursing has evolved since the day that they were students.

“Nurses are the backbone of the health care industry,” Mayor Spencer said. “They have a thankless job, and work long hours to insure the health of their patients.  It is great to see their accomplishments, as well as the passion and dedication of their instructors, being recognized.”

Motivational Speaker Rita Miller, RN, BC, BSPA, was the keynote speaker, and gave a moving speech about the storied history of the nursing profession and the 125^th anniversary of the program. State Senator Judy Schwank provided a proclamation to mark the event.

The Reading Health System will also be hosting an event this fall in celebration of their 125^th anniversary. For more information, please visit https://www.readinghealth.org/.