New County Officials.

On New Year's Eve, I attended the swearing-in of the county officials at the Old Courthouse. The room was packed. Four out of the five county Judges were there and newly elected Judge Al Masland was there. Judge Masland gave a short but moving speech about his new responsibilities and duties. Check out the Sentinel article on the event at the following link:

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2010/01/01/news/local/doc4b3e0f0a50a83594552614.txt

Fee Increases

Governor Rendell signed a law, Act 49 of 2009 on October 9, 2009, which increases the initial Judicial Computer System filing fee from $10 to $25 in the Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Orphan's Courts office. The law is effective in 90 days, so if you are filing something after December 9, 2009, its recommended you check the filing fee with the respective office before writing your check!!!

A Poem

A Day at the Courthouse

A poem in Honor of Judge Bayley's Retirement

by Jane Adams, Esq.

In the center of town there is

a majestic cathedral‑shaped room

carefully painted Jefferson blue and white

the tall windows reveal a spacious roof‑top view of the town

a large clock keeps the minutes

anxious crowds line up the steps outside

waiting waiting, bustle in

up up up the elevator

up, shuffling, lost, crowded, confused

a bang! brings order

the crowds listen,.....quiet!

counselors strut adorned in battle costume

armed with careful stories as their shield

the play begins

stories told, sold, unfold, show

greed, fear, lust, love, life

revealing truth....leading to judgment

judgment dispensed, granted, decided, relief given

the tired crowds disperse out into the cold air

as the afternoon light fades

swift strikes of a fountain pen

the finest tempered iron sword

gently carves orders

into feather white paper

across the darkened square

a tavern dimly lit

a cold crisp twist comforts

thin rows of desperate homes

on streets now laden bare

lonely streetlights their only beacon

stories told, sold, unfold, begin, again

District Justice Shugars retiring.

District Justice Shugars, who is district judge for Susquehanna Township and Pennbrook, is retiring after 22 years on the bench. The District Justice took the bench in January 1988. He is Dauphin County's third longest-serving district Judge. Pennsylvania requires judges to retire at 70, but luckily DJ Shugars can continue to occasionally serve in the capacity of senior judge. He will continue acting as a substitute for other judges and will cover night court. DJ Shugars often implemented alternate sentencing plans for juveniles for minor infractions, rather than impose harsh sentences which might jeopardize their future. We wish the District Justice the best as he retires.

Restart

Well, it's been about a year since I've worked on my website and Blog. Since that time, alot of things have happened. Most of the links were outdated. I've taken a ton of pictures and had to get a new computer. The plus side is that I got a beautiful screen with it, and it's ALOT easier to see and work on the new system. I finally loaded the Website editor and was reviewing my site and realized how outdated everything was! Once I got going again, I remembered how much fun I had with editing it - therefore, I pledge not to neglect my Blog or Site anymore! More pictures and news coming soon!

History on High

I had to do some errands around town on Friday. It was cold and snowy. Winter is here!

One bright spot on my trip was the new shop, History on High, which has been opened up by the Cumberland County Historical Society. It's located at 33 W. High Street. The shop features all products made in Cumberland County, and has books on history and local authors. The interior is beautiful, and many of the original features from the building, including the tin ceiling and front door have been restored. Stop by to find some Christmas Gifts! You will be amazed at nice job they have done on the interior and there are many unique finds for the hard-to-shop-for relative.





http://www.historicalsociety.com/

Cumberland County Adopts New Divorce Decree Format

Cumberland County recently adopted a new rule regarding Divorce Decrees. Previously, Cumberland County required all Decrees to be submitted on their own scarlet colored pre-printed forms, which required either an old fashioned typewriter, or a very savvy computer techie capable of getting the forms to align correctly and print from Word. This rule was recently recinded, and Cumberland County now allows attorneys to prepare and submit divorce Decrees generated from their wordprocessor. This practice is common with other Central Pennsylvania counties. Most attorneys I have spoken to are in favor of the change due to ease of preparation plus the move will most likely save the County unecessary printing costs. Kudos to the County for this sensible cost-saving and timely change!