today’s news and information gleanings from here and there!

Quote for today… ” … and Dave Hickernell isn’t using it at all.” – From a page one article in the Sunday News about state legislators using social media to communicate with constituents.

Sunshine Week 2014 is from March 16 through March 22. Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.

• “Sunshine Week is a nationwide discussion about the importance of access to public information and what it means for you and your community. During this week we pay special attention to our collective obligation to bring some ‘sunshine’ to the often shadowy processes of government decision-making.” – The Town Talk

• IN PA: “If the commonwealth were an elementary school student, we’re not sure if its mother would put this grade on the refrigerator. But in national context, Pennsylvania’s legislative transparency is pretty much on the curve. The Sunlight Foundation’s Open States project gave Pennsylvania a ‘C’ for state legislative transparency in a recent report card. The project ranked all 50 states to grade how ‘open’ state’s legislative data was. Pennsylvania is among 20 states to receive a C, while eight states scored a grade ‘A,’ and six scored an ‘F.’ – National Freedom of Information Council

• Bastions of enlightenment … not! “The four biggest taxpayer-funded universities in Pennsylvania continue to push back against proposed legislation that would give taxpayers to the right to know how hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year.” – The Mercury, Pottstown

• Penn State to Paternos: You can’t see our Freeh files – Harrisburg Patriot-News

• Transparency in decline? – The York Dispatch

• Recent York County restaurant inspections – The York Dispatch

• Recent Lancaster County restaurant inspections – LancasterOnLine

• A complete listing of all inspections at food serving facilities in Lancaster, York counties and the entire state, except those in Columbia, are listed at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Website.

• The GOAT: Greatest Of All Time – GameTimePA.com

• York College event about Three Mile Island crisis – The York Dispatch

• Pitt$’ staffer was “argumentative and dismissive” says the letter writer in her letter-to-the-editor in today’s Sunday News. What’s wrong with the letter writer, doesn’t she know that the representative’s staffer knows best? After all, the representative has long-standing tenure, so he has the right to dismiss his constituents as minions. He and his staffers are above criticism and minions are not allowed opinions.

• Property transfers: Several property transactions appear in today’s Sunday News in which a recently registered entity, Associates Properties PA, LP, becomes the owner of some $330,000 worth of Columbia properties. River View Place Associates has this 243 South Front Street property and this 319 South Front Street property listed at the Lancaster County Website. The other transaction involves a sale of a Perry Street property.