Phil Gianficaro
General Assignment ReporterA native of northeastern Pennsylvania, I've been a journalist for more than four decades. I've reported on events like the pope's visit and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, local appearances by Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, covered the Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals, and the Eagles in the playoffs. However, the stories that have touched me most involve ordinary folks in our community. A 12-year-old boy getting the better of cancer; Holocaust survivors sharing horror stories they know the world needs to hear again and again; a little girl from Bucks County who grew up to become Miss America. These are the stories I'm committed to finding and sharing with our readers. About me: Married with a son and a daughter in college. Golf when I can. Morning coffee's a must; Favorite quote from my late mother: "There are givers and takers in this world, which do you want to be?" Contact me at PhilG@lehighvalleynews.com or 267-222-0540.
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Plans for the River Pointe Logistics Industrial Park Development Project in Upper Mount Bethel Township are inconsistent with those of FutureLV, according to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. -
Citing the financial concerns of taxpayers, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission member Richard D. Molchany suggests slowing down the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail project.
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The proposed River Point industrial park project for Upper Mount Bethel Township has residents questioning unanswered questions by Bethlehem developer Lou Pektor.
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Eighty volunteers helped lay 30,000 square feet of sod at the home of retired Marine Corps veteran Daniel Lasko, who lost his left leg in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2004.
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An appreciative community packed Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena in Allentown to bid farewell to Bishop Edward P. Cullen, 90, who died May 9. Cullen was the third Bishop of Allentown, having served from 1998 until his retirement in 2009 at age 76.
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The first stage of the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Analysis project will be completed by October, it was revealed on Wednesday during a Lehigh Valley Transportation Study committee virtual public meeting.
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First-time candidate Cindy O'Brien won the Republican primary in the race for Bethlehem Area School Board.
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Pedestrian safety continues to be the primary concern for residents regarding the Riverside Drive Multimodal Revitalization Corridor Project planned along the Lehigh River in Allentown and Whitehall.
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The Parkland School District budget that was voted on and approved Tuesday night includes a 2.5% property tax increase. The tax hike is district's highest in the past seven years, but is still the lowest millage rate in Lehigh County.
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Mattel has marketed a Barbie doll that represents those with Down syndrome.
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Emergency crews were called to Sharp Packaging Solutions, a pharmaceutical packaging company in Upper Macungie, after some employees became ill Friday afternoon.
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Players league wide are complaining about Major League Baseball's new uniforms, particularly the see-through pants. The uniforms were manufactured by Fanatics' facilities in Easton.
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Katarah A. Jordan has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown. She succeeds Deb Fries Jackson, who is retiring after 40 years of service with Girls Club of Allentown and the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown.
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Ten farms in the Greater Lehigh Valley have joined the Lehigh Valley Food System Coalition to develop a sustainable food infrastructure for organizations in the region. The mission: Combat food insecurity throughout the Lehigh Valley. According to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, 1 in 10 people locally are food insecure.
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Northampton County Elections Office is seeking 10 additional county registered voters to serve as poll workers for the primary election on April 23 and general election on Nov. 5.
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Nancy A. Walker, Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor & Industry, was in Allentown on Thursday to announce $4.2 million in Industry Partnership grants for projects statewide that will prepare state workers and high school seniors for family-sustaining jobs.
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A change.org petition opposing the new mascot chosen by the Whitehall-Coplay School District has attracted more than 1,200 signatures. The mascot, named Big Z, is so named in honor of the school name Zephyr, which was also a train that once ran through Whitehall Township.
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A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at a Wawa DriveThru in Lower Macungie Township on Thursday morning. The drive-thru is the second such Wawa store in the nation, the other located in Lower Bucks County.
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Marci Lesko will become the next chief executive officer of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, it was announced on Monday. Currently serving as the organization’s chief operating officer, Lesko will succeed President David Lewis, effective June 3. Lewis is retiring after 36 years with United Way.
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With its workspace drastically reduced at the proposed Bethlehem Cultural Arts Center at the current site of the Banana Factory, the Pennsylvania Youth Theatre's search for a new venue continues
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The life of the late and longtime Easton supervisor and civic leader John L. Sproat Jr. was celebrated in Centre Square on Wednesday.
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An outdated police manual from 1981, gross approval of overtime and a general lack of leadership by Chief Douglas Kish necessitate change in the Catasauqua Borough Police Department, a study showed.
