Latest News

Jenkintown Public Works committee plunges into sewer issue

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Jenkintown Borough rarely sends out emails about its committee meetings. This month’s public works committee meeting was the exception, because of a particular challenge facing our town — where to send what we flush down our toilets. Currently, Jenkintown sends all of its sewage through Cheltenham which then sends most […]

Latest News

A Jenkintown Christmas letter

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Wondering what’s going on in Jenkintown? Glad you asked. Thanks to six seasons of “The Goldbergs”, Bradley Cooper, and a glowing piece on the National Geographic website, Jenkintown often finds itself in the national spotlight. On paper, it sure looks like the type of town fit for a George Bailey […]

Commentary

Escape from Jenkintown

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One now-former resident tells his story and why he waited to get out before telling it. The hype that surrounds Jenkintown often describes it as a “A Big-Hearted, All-American Town“, and if you remove the politics or the insidious machinations of our public officials, and maybe it is. We settled […]

Borough Council / Legal Issues

Jenkintown’s motion to dismiss, strike one

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Jenkintown’s attorney fails with first attempt to dismiss civil rights lawsuit but tries again The Times-Chronicle recently reported that the Borough’s attempt to have the civil rights suit against it dismissed failed — and failed rather quickly. Three days later, the Borough and its co-defendants, Deborra Sines-Pancoe, Rick Bunker, George […]

2019 Election

A simple request for Jenkintown’s next government

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Dear fellow Jenkintown residents: Consider this a modest request. In a town as small and as charming as Jenkintown, you wouldn’t think we’d have to remind ourselves about how its government should treat us. Events of the past three or more years have proven otherwise. We have an election coming […]

Latest News

Jenkintown and its leadership hit with civil rights lawsuit

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Dave and Peggy Downs have served the Borough of Jenkintown and its four de facto leaders with a Federal civil rights lawsuit. The suit filed in Pennsylvania’s Eastern District Court, names the borough along with Council President Deborra Sines-Pancoe, Council Vice-President Rick Bunker, Borough Manager George Locke, and Borough Solicitor […]

Legal Issues

The costs of Jenkintown’s political vendetta

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Even in little Jenkintown, it costs big money to carry out a political vendetta by weaponizing your zoning code, especially if your victim has the nerve to fight back. Jenkintown’s ongoing political drama turned circus turned fiasco has hopefully come to a close. On July 12, the Zoning Hearing Board […]

Borough Council / Legal Issues

Jenkintown Borough leadership considered appeal of Downs ZHB decision

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[Update: The Borough had 30 days to appeal, and the window has closed. Nonetheless, it is our opinion that the Borough should have shut down this this matter well before the first hearing.] Apparently a unanimous vote against them failed to convince the Borough to stand down after all. According […]

Latest News

Jenkintown 2035: Not thinking big enough

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Jenkintown adopts a long-range plan that tip-toes around issues it needs to address head on. Last week, after five years of discussion, Jenkintown Borough Council formally adopted the Jenkintown 2035 plan. After a half a decade of notes, presentations, debates, and fact finding, the fact that no one involved with […]

Latest News

Cedar Street Redux?

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Council President Deborra Sines-Pancoe motion to exercise an option to purchase of the Church of Our Savior almost slipped right under our noses last June 20 at the special Council meeting. If Borough Solicitor Patrick Hitchens hadn’t corrected the wording of her motion, we might never have known of the […]

Council Notes / Policy

George Locke’s Sidewalk Shuffle

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Jenkintown Borough Manager George Locke updated Council this week on the borough’s ongoing paving program and its accompanying sidewalk inspection and rehabilitation efforts. The eleven-page Powerpoint presentation gave council members a somewhat stilted view of what Mr. Locke has so far accomplished, perhaps hoping that council members don’t walk around […]

Livestream

Jenkintown Zoning Hearing Board: The Downses Strike Back

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Jenkintown Borough finally runs out of stupid questions about lawn equipment, bringing its war of attrition to an end. Last night at Borough Hall, the ZHB unanimously voted to toss out the Borough’s citation based on lack of evidence showing any kind of business, impactful or otherwise. At the conclusion […]