Office Of The Mayor
Thomas M. McMahon


Mayor’s Report To City Council
June 12th, 2006

McMahon Plan for Reading

This administration will continue to address issues coming to the forefront of my attention in terms of the four major tenets of the McMahon Plan. The major elements of the plan are:

1. Crime and Public Safety issues
2. Economic Development
3. Building neighborhoods
4. City Finances

The PA Triple Crown Reading Classic June 8, 2006

It was phenomenal – a new definition of the word awesome.

Our city came together like I have never seen before. Every one should be proud. In about 6 weeks, we pulled it off, the police, fire service, public works, the public itself.

People cooperated and moved their cars so there were very few that needed to be towed in the entire 7 mile course. Many of the public works guys were up at 3 am and worked through until 8 or 9 pm. Street sweeper were out all day from early morning to late that evening cleaning up after the race.

I can almost guarantee that people who saw this last week will not miss it again next year.

It was so great to see our young people in the city able to see this. Some people may have stayed away thinking the traffic would be too intense. But on a 7 mile course there was room for everyone, and parking could usually be found on the side streets, and the parking authority had a nominal fee for all day parking in the garages.

Thanks to Commerce Bank, the State of Pennsylvania and Governor Rendell, to WEEU, St Joes Hospital, BARTA, DID, the Parking Authority, the Peanut Bar for media central and the Reading Eagle Company for the special edition newspapers and great publicity for the event.

Thanks to the team at city hall that met every week to plan this, and especially to Brian Duncan, one of our City Hall planners, who learned about the opportunity to bring this to Reading, and he, with our managing director, convinced me we could do it, and that it would be good for the city.

The Pennsylvania State Police, the Sheriffs office, volunteer groups from Berks Technical Institute and all over the area, and hundreds of people helped at the intersections to keep the riders and citizens safe. I want to thank them all.

Next year, I would like to suggest that we block out an hour first thing for everyone in Greater Reading, all of the people in Berks County who have bicycles, to come out for a run through the course at their own pace. Next year we will also invite police bicycle officers from all over the county to come in and open the race.

Special thanks to the City Hall committee members who believed that this could happen. Their names are numerous but I would like to single them out for a job well done!

Leon Churchill
Cindy Kauffman
Brian Duncan
Ginny Hand
Dave Klein from WEEU
John Giardello
CPT Kozermel
SGT Stump
Barb Moyer and Mike Jupina from St. Joseph’s Hospital
Bob Fletcher from BARTA
Reading Fire Chief Bill Rehr
Jim Conrad from EMS
Wayne Cockrell for Neighborhoods
Lori Schneider from the County of Berks
Tom McDevitt from the Rose Corporation
Christie Chrisanthon, Tonya Petninak and Crystal Seitz from the Visitors Bureau
Larry Lee from the Parking Authority
Kyle Zeiber

Local Mayors Meeting May 30, 2006

The Mayors and staff of five cities on the 222 Corridor (Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, Reading and Lancaster) met with U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan last Tuesday at the GoggleWorks to discuss the federal grant for the anti-gang initiative. A time frame has been set up for researching and recommendations for programs for this anti-gang effort.

GoggleWorks Picnic Saturday, June 10, 2006

Saturday’s picnic for the surrounding neighborhood in the GoggleWorks area was a success. Children, parents and friends were able to tour and become a partner in the arts works facility. My thanks go out to Berks Packing, QuakerMaid Meats and Maiers Bakery for their generous donation of hot dogs, hamburgers and rolls for the picnic. A grand time was had by all.

Our congratulations go to Albright College for their celebration of their 150th year. Everyone in City Hall appreciated the traveling birthday cake celebration which came to us last week. We are fortunate to have this fine liberal and sciences institution here in the City of Reading.

The Initiative For a Competitive Greater Reading announced its new branding logo last week at a luncheon sponsored by Jay Sidhu of Sovereign Bank. Greater Reading Take A Ride is the new logo which represents the great tradition of the railroad and the tremendous area attractions which we have in our vicinity. It will be featured and shared by all organizations within Greater Reading.