Tooned In

This blog has moved

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:43:00 +0000

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Growing a neighborhood one block at a time

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:50:00 +0000

The Genesis Housing Corp. is slowly improving an area of Washington Street once known for drugs and violence. The nonprofit group has upgraded 60 properties and sold them to first-time homebuyers. It has future plans for how to improve the Washington Street corridor drastically that many hope will bear fruit. Among those plans, a community garden.

For more on Genesis' efforts, click here.

Making Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:36:00 +0000

This cartoon was drawn to complement the Mercury's 2010 Progress report but due to a technical glitch didn't appear in the paper as planned. But you get to enjoy it here!
You can find more stories on progress in tricounty area towns by clicking here.

Fooling around on teen driving bill

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:29:00 +0000

This cartoon was drawn as a complement to The Mercury's teen driving series that examined the problems that lead to the high numbers of accidents and deaths involving teens in cars.
More on the series can be found at www.pottsmerc.com/#teendriving

Saving a sinking ship

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:26:00 +0000

This cartoon was drawn to symbolize the challenges Pottstown's new borough council faces in trying to pull the sinking ship from the waters.

Bringing a Merry Christmas to all

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:38:00 +0000

Despite the frigid cold economy that is holding many back from giving, Mercury readers dug deep into their pockets to help those less fortunate through Operation Holiday. The Mercury this year helped a record number of area residents have a Merry Christmas.

Abandoning ship

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:33:00 +0000

The revolving door through administrators’ offices at the Phoenixville Area School District keeps spinning, leaving more questions than answers. At the end of 2009, two more principals were leaving the district, and it's still not clear why this is happening.

For more on this story, read "Turnover at the top marks 2009 in Phoenixville."

Pottstown's finances are an adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:24:00 +0000

Pottstown's borough finances have experienced more ups and downs than an adventure film as borough officials have discovered missing funds, then realized impending deficits, then learned they'd lost money or forgotten to send out proper bills to area townships for water. In the latest news, the borough realized it would have a large deficit for 2010, which might be made worse by declining property values and reassessments boroughwide.

A lesson in fiscal irresponsibility

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:21:00 +0000

This cartoon was in response to the fiasco involving Owen J. Roberts superintendent decisions. The school board let Myra Forrest go and bought out her contract in the spring, saying it was a financially motivated move, but the decisions they have made since proved more costly than retaining Forrest would have been.

Uncle Sam slammed

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:46:00 +0000

Complaining is easy, but standing up and changing government is hard, something The Mercury finds its readers feel when they call Sound Off instead of their elected officials whenever they have an issue. Exhibited in this Halloween-themed cartoon is that attitude in terms of what children choose to where and say at a resident's door while trick-or-treating.

One positive of the state budget

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:42:00 +0000

While the state budget impasse caused a great many problems for state workers and state programs, as well as those who depended upon them, one good thing came out of the negotiations: more funding for disadvantaged school districts, including Pottstown and Daniel Boone.

The Mercury gets a new look

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:41:00 +0000

I created this cartoon to celebrate the Mercury's new look, which premiered Sept. 30, 2009.

Rollar coaster ride

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:12:00 +0000

The state of Pottstown's borough finances may be more a fright than a thrill for the borough's newest finance director who has found unused accounts full of money and past due bills in dire need of it.

For more on this story, check out Sorting out Pottstown's lost and found and Bungled billing could cost Pottstown Authority $2M.

This was an alternative cartoon I developed on this subject.

The Final Product

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:18:00 +0000

Tracktime

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:14:00 +0000

Jumping on onboard with regional rail

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Area politicians are using the regional rail proposal that has stalled for some time in their campaign platforms.

For more, see "Area politicians hopping on board regional rail."

Let's scram!

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:15:00 +0000

The infighting at Pottstown borough hall makes even the Three Stooges look civil these days.

Nothing Ever Changes - final

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:24:00 +0000

This is the finished version of the published cartoon jabbing at Rendell's poor focus on important aspects of state government.

Nothing ever changes

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:19:00 +0000

As the budget impasse heads into another month, many are asking why nothing ever changes in Harrisburg.

State legislators appear to be misguided on what really deserves their time, often not seeing the full forest.

So goes Pottstown

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:56:00 +0000

While some hail the new Upland Square shopping center as a boom for West Pottsgrove, Pottstown is seeing a migration of need businesses.

Roberts' Believe It or Not

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:23:00 +0000

A cartoon in response to the stonewalling Owen J. Roberts residents received when they went before the School Board to question the firing of Superintendent Myra Forrest in June.
For more on the OJR controversy, click here.

Honor to the flag

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:57:00 +0000

Celebrating 232 years of honoring the U.S. Flag on Flag Day.

Spend and run

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:54:00 +0000

The Pennsylvania Legislature is showing little restraint in its current budget development. It will once again leave the taxpayers holding the reins as it tries to push through a budget with an inordinately large deficit.

All the bells and whistles

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Taxpayers will have to cut further as the state keeps up its level of spending in its latest budget proposal.
Pennsylvania is looking at a budget deficit of about $3.2 billion. The state Senate, where Republicans still hold the majority, has proposed a budget of $27.3 billion. Democrats in the state House and Rendell are looking to spend $28.9 billion, according to a recent Mercury editorial.

Choice presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Alan MacBain) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:02:00 +0000

Residents of New Hanover have been fighting for several years against a quarry in their town. Among the concerns are increased asthma among school children due to quarry dust, and sound issues from the blasting. Recently the township came up with a settlement with Gibraltar Rock that would've gotten the township a one-time payment of $3.5 million over 20 years and 1,000 tons of crushed stone, but residents weren't biting, saying the terms were just what had to be met under current law.
For more on this story, click here.