Bit of a niche question, but maybe there are some woodworkers in here.

I’m looking for hardwoods suitable for making cutting boards (maple, walnut, cherry, etc). I’m hoping to find a source locally to bring the cost down vs online suppliers.

Thanks in advance!

Preferably for a young adult demographic, but I'm open to anything social! I've tried to teaching myself how to mend at home but there's so much information out there that expects you to already have some experience... i'm not very good with my hands either, and it would be so much easier to be taught in person. i also live close to lancaster so that's an option for me too

I currently rent in West Reading but looking to buy in a year or so. Need a 3 bed single house in a safe neighborhood as a single woman. I like West Reading but there aren’t a lot of homes for sale here. Also have heard that Wyomissing is good but the property/school taxes are high. I’m not from around here so I don’t know which neighborhood to even look at and any help is appreciated. School district doesn’t matter to me and would like to avoid high taxes if possible. Somewhere within 15-20 min of West Reading would be good.

(Key= 🚗 (obviously a car), 💡🔦💡(car with four way) What is the 🤬 point of 🚗💡🔦💡, 🚗💡🔦💡, 🚗💡🔦💡, 🚗💡🔦💡 on BOTH SIDES OF THIS BLOCK? Yes there is a church however people need to drive on this road and not go through a literal CAR MAZE JUST TO GET TO THE NEXT BLOCK! Funerals don’t happen at night?! Oh and by the way DOWNTOWN READING

Please stop with “my X parks here” (where I am parked)! I am sick and tired of finding a spot and then when I get out someone goes and says: “excuse me are you going to be here overnight? My mom / dad / grandpa / grandma parks here” to that I say for the overnight part……NO 🤬 SHERLOCK I DON’T HAVE MY FOUR WAYS ON! IF I CAN PARK TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM MY HOUSE (high school is 2 blocks) THEN….SO….CAN….MOMMY / DADDY / BROTHER / SISTER / GRANDMA / GRANDPA

I have a shut off notice of my met ed account for Tuesday, I have a big balance due due to a lot of stuff and being irresponsible.. I’m starting a new job haven’t started yet, I don’t qualify for assistance due to the past balances, I contacted PUC and because I failed on keeping up with their installment plan I can’t qualify for anything else. I tried dollar energy fund but I would have to lower my account balance in order to get assistance which I can’t currently do as fast as the shut off notices come. I’m just looking for guidance as I navigate a new job etc.. Any one where or whom I can go to just to stop the shut off while I work on payment. I have been paying what I can monthly but it’s not enough to stop anything.

I want to learn more about the travel soccer clubs around Berks County. I have looked at the websites for Reading Rage Surf and PA Classics, but would like to hear from parents who have children in the programs. Any info around cost, practice, game schedules, coaches, overall impressions, and experiences is appreciated. My son is 7 years old and I would be looking at the upcoming spring tryouts.

Looking to buy a handmade wooden cutting board and would like to buy local if possible. Anyone have any recommendations? Would be willing to drive about 20 mins out if necessary

I have been researching the Reading Parking Authority’s (RPA) parking appeal system through Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law requests, and I want to share several questions that I believe deserve public attention.
I
n 1997, Reading City Council enacted Bill No. 8-97, authorizing the RPA to administer and enforce on-street parking regulations. Section 9 contains a specific requirement for the hearing officer:

“The Reading Parking Authority is hereby authorized to establish the part-time position of an Administrative Hearing Officer, who shall be an attorney admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.”

The same section states that the officer would be paid by the Parking Authority and that the officer’s duty would be:

“…to make an initial determination concerning parking violations when requested to do so by the person allegedly violating any ordinance or state statute.”

This language is significant because it expressly refers to alleged violations of both municipal ordinances and state statutes. The provision did not describe the officer’s responsibility solely in terms of enforcing Reading’s local parking ordinances; it also contemplated determinations involving Pennsylvania state law.

Why did City Council specifically require an attorney?

Council could have authorized a hearing officer without specifying a professional credential. Instead, it used mandatory language—“shall be an attorney admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania”—and placed that qualification in the same section describing the officer’s adjudicative responsibilities.

Was this intended to ensure legal competence in interpreting municipal ordinances and state statutes? Was it intended to protect procedural fairness for people contesting citations? Was there another legal or practical reason for imposing this requirement in 1997?

These are possible explanations, not established statements of Council’s intent. I have not yet located the legislative history that would explain why this language was chosen. I would welcome information from anyone familiar with Reading’s municipal government at the time, including former officials, attorneys, or residents who may know the background.

What changed after 1997?

Years later, Reading added §576-518 to its Codified Ordinances, establishing a parking appeal process that uses the term “independent hearing officer.” That provision describes the hearing process and the officer’s authority to decide appeals, but it does not expressly specify the officer’s professional qualifications.

This raises a question I have been trying to resolve:

Are the Administrative Hearing Officer described in the 1997 ordinance and the independent hearing officer currently conducting parking appeals two separate legal positions, or are they performing the same or substantially related adjudicative functions?

If they are separate positions, what law or authorized action created that distinction and established the current officer’s qualifications? If they are the same position, what legal authority explains how the express attorney qualification in §9 applies today?

What I learned from my Right-to-Know requests

I have submitted multiple Right-to-Know requests seeking records concerning the current hearing officer’s appointment, authorization, qualifications, and related matters.

Based on the responses I received, the RPA produced a résumé identifying the individual as an “Appeals Hearing Officer,” but the records provided to me have not resolved the legal-authority and qualification questions. The RPA has indicated that these requested records “DO NOT EXIST.”

I am not claiming that the individual is legally unqualified or that the RPA has necessarily violated the law. A résumé that does not establish a qualification is not proof that the person lacks it, and the absence of a particular appointment document does not automatically establish that no legal authority exists.

My concern is that, after making repeated requests since May 2026, I still have not obtained records or any explanation that clearly resolves what qualifications govern the current position and the legal basis for the officer’s authority.

A statement from the RPA solicitor and the 2021 agreement

I also contacted the RPA’s solicitor, Mahlon Boyer, to seek clarification about Ordinance 8-97 and the City’s agreement with the RPA.
In response, Boyer wrote:

“I wrote the 2021 Amended Cooperation Agreement and I tell you with all assurance that it did not incorporate any terms from Ordinance 8-97.”

However, Section 1 of Boyers personally drafted 2021 Amended Cooperation Agreement states:

“The authority and grant of power transferred to the Authority pursuant [to] Ordinance 8-97 shall remain in effect for the duration of the Parking Authority Charter unless otherwise agreed by the Parties.”

Paragraph 12 of this agreement also expressly refers to Ordinance 8-97 when describing the prior transfer of the City’s on-street parking administration and enforcement to the RPA.

I believe these provisions deserve to be examined alongside Boyer’s statement. The agreement expressly refers to and preserves authority transferred under Ordinance 8-97, while Boyer stated that it incorporated no terms from that ordinance.

I recognize that referencing or preserving authority under an ordinance may be legally distinct from incorporating every provision of the ordinance into an agreement. The agreement also does not expressly resolve whether §9’s attorney qualification applies to the current independent hearing officer.

When I continued to question the legal basis for the position, Boyer stated that I could “petition the Berks County Court of Common Pleas for a declaratory judgment” if I “disagreed” with his “position”.

I am including these statements because I believe readers should be able to examine the actual wording of the correspondence and the agreement rather than rely solely on my interpretation.

My concern is not that an official must agree with my interpretation. It is that the relationship between the ordinance, the later appeal process, the agreement, and the current hearing officer’s qualifications remains unclear to me.

Questions for the community

I would genuinely like to hear from The Great Citizens of Reading, all people familiar with Pennsylvania municipal law, administrative hearings, legislative history, or the Reading Parking Authority itself:

Why might Reading City Council have expressly required an attorney admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve as the Administrative Hearing Officer in 1997, particularly when the officer’s duties included determinations concerning alleged violations of both ordinances and state statutes?

Does the difference between “Administrative Hearing Officer” in Ordinance 8-97 and “independent hearing officer” in §576-518 establish that these are separate legal positions, or must their actual duties, legislative history, and governing enactments also be considered?

What kind of enactment or authorized action would be needed to establish that the attorney qualification in §9 no longer applies to the relevant position, if it otherwise governs that position?

How should Section 1 of the 2021 agreement—which expressly preserves authority transferred under Ordinance 8-97—be understood alongside the solicitor’s statement that the agreement did not incorporate any terms from that ordinance?

What records should a resident reasonably expect to find documenting the legal authority, appointment, and qualifications of a person who decides parking appeals?

The issue matters because the hearing officer makes determinations affecting parking citations and residents’ money. Residents should be able to understand the legal framework governing the person who decides their appeals.
I
I have not yet established the original legislative intent behind §9, and I am not asking anyone to assume that the current hearing officer is unqualified or that the RPA acted unlawfully. I am asking why the attorney qualification was written into the original ordinance, how the later system relates to it, and what legal authority governs the position today.

I welcome corrections, questions, relevant historical records, and interpretations grounded in the actual ordinances and documents. My goal is to raise awareness and encourage an evidence-based public discussion. Thank you All.😊

Moving from Texas. Im looking at an apartment in downtown reading. Im reserved because people say its not safe. What do you guys think?

Edit: First few comments say not to. I can go upto 20-30 minutes far from Reading. Job is in Reading.

Hey everyone! Just a heads up, our FGC casuals are now on Fridays and Saturdays, giving all of us more opportunities to come out and play together!

Hope to see y’all!

Super Co-op Bros Gaming
14W Lancaster Ave
Shillington, PA 19607

Reading, PA Residents: Does Anyone Have Photos or Old Copies of Reading Parking Authority Tickets?
I’m looking to connect with longtime Reading residents who may have old parking citations issued by the Reading Parking Authority (RPA) dating back to the late 1990s, early 2000s, or any time before 2017.
I’m particularly interested in the information printed on these older citations, including any listed enforcement hours, days of operation, or other details that appeared on the tickets at the time.

You don’t necessarily need to still have the original ticket. You might have an old photograph, a scanned copy, or an image saved somewhere in your computer files, phone backups, or photo archives.

A few questions for Reading residents:
Do you remember receiving an RPA parking ticket in the late 1990s or early 2000s?
Do you still have an old citation from before 2017?
Do you have a photograph or scanned image of an older ticket saved somewhere?
Do you remember what information was printed on those citations?
I’m trying to gather historical examples of actual citations issued to motorists in Reading, rather than blank ticket templates.
If you find anything, please comment below or send me a private message. If you share a photograph, please redact your name, address, license plate, citation number, and any other personal information.
Even a photograph of a ticket taken many years ago could be helpful.
I’d appreciate hearing from longtime residents who might have something tucked away in their old records or photo archives. Thank you!

Why This Historical Research Matters
My interest in this research goes beyond collecting old parking tickets. I believe understanding the history of the Reading Parking Authority’s enforcement practices is a matter of public interest. Historical records can help citizens better understand how the Authority has operated, how its practices may have changed over time, and what information was provided to motorists.
My goal is to help promote transparency, accountability, and a better understanding of an agency whose enforcement activities affect the residents of Reading.
This research may also be relevant to future proceedings undertaken in the public interest, including efforts to defend the rights of citizens and hold the Authority accountable for its enforcement practices and exercise of authority.

Public accountability depends, in part, on preserving historical records and understanding how public agencies have exercised their authority over time.
If you have an old citation, photograph, or scanned copy tucked away in your records or photo archives, your contribution could help preserve a piece of Reading’s parking enforcement history and provide valuable historical documentation for the benefit of the public.

Thank you 🙏 😊

I went to visit a friend and was hit with that awful smell right when I walked in. It smells like some kind of oil. I got nauseated and a bad headache within 10 minutes. I stayed to taste it in my mouth too. I had to leave.

I remember years ago someone told me that oil was seeping in under the epoxy on the floors because they did a shoddy job (no surprise as Metropolitan owns it).

But for anyone who lives there.. are ya’ll okay?!

I am a new resident of the city (Riverside, in particular, off Tulpehocken Street). I have received no less than 10 parking tickets during the time I have lived here (7 months), usually violations for parking where they are street sweeping. The latest round is so high that I have $800 in tickets and had to get on a pay plan. Can anyone offer any suggestions about what to do about this? NOTE: Please don’t insult my intelligence by saying “park somewhere else.” I tried that and my back window was shattered, which cost me almost $2k to fix.

Has anyone tried this place out!

This November 21, 2026, we have decided to serve up a plate of COMFORT!

Tekken 7: Run It Back tournament!

Let’s step into the near-past of this gaming franchise and have a blast!

Dust off your copies and RUN IT BACK one more time!

Details are now live:

https://www.start.gg/tournament/tekken-7-run-it-back-tournament/details

I have a failing retaining wall I need to address, built by previous owners, and looking for structural/geotechnical engineer/firm recommendations in the area.

Thank you.

Anybody have this happen, lately or ever before? Not much point to automatic payments if they can just randomly fail without balance issues.

Want to try some but not wanting to drive hour away

Ok, I’ve lived here my entire life and the scuba diving shop on Penn Ave has been around since at least the mid 2000s. Who in the world is scuba diving around here? What for? How is this shop still in business??? This post is all in good fun, but really, I need to know…..

Duck Hunt is back on the menu! How many rounds can you climb to?

Stop by the shop and and take over the board!

14W Lancaster Ave
Shillington, PA 19607

Hey all, my PCP just informed me they left their practice and now im in need of a new doctor. Wondering if anyone here has any overall positive experiences with any in the area that they'd recommend? Would especially like to get in before cold/flu season gets bleak.

I don't mind driving out of the way a bit if they're worthwhile.

Thanks in advance!

I need an apartment for just one person. 1 bedroom, any recommendations?

Every time I go to the Chipotle at 2733 paper mill road my chips are stale, unseasoned, and inedible. I looked up reviews on other locations nearby and the reviews are bad for them as well. Does anyone know the best location in the area? I haven’t had a good bag of chipotle chips since moving here.