Judge Tosses Mindlin, Curtis Candidacies
A Dauphin County judge last month upheld challenges to the independent candidacies of Nevin Mindlin and Nate Curtis, throwing both men off the Nov. 5 general election ballot for Harrisburg mayor.
Judge Bernard Coates Jr. ruled Mindlin’s candidacy invalid because he failed to fill out a mandatory section of his nominating petition. He rejected Curtis’ petition for failing to meet the city’s residency requirement.
The decision came after both Mindlin and Curtis defended their candidacies in court before Coates.
Mindlin said that he did not fill out a section of the petition because it seemed to pertain only to political parties, and he was running as an independent. He said that advice he received from the Dauphin County Bureau of Elections backed up his belief.
Nonetheless, Coates, citing legal precedent, rejected that argument, asserting that filling out that section was a requirement under law. Curtis also failed to fill out that section, but Coates rejected his petition first for not complying with the mandatory one-year residency requirement for candidates.
Mindlin said that he would appeal the ruling, which was not decided at press time.
Miller Back in Race
City Controller Dan Miller last month re-entered the race for Harrisburg mayor, days after saying he would not run again.
Miller lost the Democratic primary in May, but gained a slot on the November ballot by earning 196 write-in votes as a Republican.
Since his primary loss to Eric Papenfuse, Miller had not publicly stated if he’d run on the GOP side. At a press conference, he finally publicly declined the opportunity, only to change his mind four days later following petition challenges to independent candidates Nevin Mindlin and Nate Curtis.
Mindlin and Curtis eventually lost their challenges and were thrown off the ballot.
Miller, who is a Democratic state committeeman, will now run as the Republican against Democrat Papenfuse during the Nov. 5 general election.
Carter Named Police Chief
Twenty-five-year force veteran Thomas Carter was named acting chief of police last month following the retirement of former Chief Pierre Ritter.
Carter, who was promoted to captain just three months ago, was selected from among the department’s three captains, who all were interviewed for the post, said Mayor Linda Thompson. Most recently, he had headed up the department’s criminal investigation division.
Thompson said she has no plans to nominate Carter for full chief, so he will remain “acting” chief until the end of her mayoral term. The next mayor, she said, should be granted the opportunity to appoint his own police chief.
“I’m here to do a job here and now,” said an emotional Carter as he was introduced as the new acting chief. “The only thing I care about is serving the people of this city.”
Ritter, another long-time Harrisburg police officer, retired from the force unexpectedly after three-and-a-half years as chief.
Recovery Plan Set to Hit Court
The Commonwealth Court this month is expected to begin consideration of elements of Harrisburg’s financial recovery plan.
Receiver William Lynch said last month he expected to bring some—or all—of the plan to the court for approval.
The court must OK all changes to the original proposal approved last year. These include the details of deals involving the incinerator, the parking system and the water/sewer system. Other key elements of the plan include renegotiation of contracts with the city’s three labor unions and possible concessions from the city’s numerous creditors.
City Council also must pass enabling legislation to enact many elements of the recovery plan. It had planned to start that process at a special legislative session in mid-August, but that meeting was cancelled.
July Property Sales
Bellevue Rd., 2101: First National Bank of Pa. to J. & E. Lewis, $100,000
Benton St., 509: C. Morrow to J. Washington & J. Barksdale, $89,900
Brookwood St., 2108: Trusted Source Capital LLC to Herlason LLC, $39,000
Chestnut St., 2223: T. & B. Johnson to T. Jeffers & C. & M. Bauer, $32,700
Edward St., 501: E. Marino to A. Telford, $123,000
Fulton St., 1732: LT65 Sunrise LP & C. Michael to PA Deals LLC, $46,500
Fulton St., 1732: PA Deals LLC to B. & M. Weaver, $62,500
Green St., 1328: D. Wong to D. Misner, $69,900
Hamilton St., 312: A. Clionsky to M. & E. Gillespie, $45,000
Hanna St., 103: T. Craig to S. Brown, $64,000
Holly St., 1940: D. Williams to H. Terry, $54,910
Hudson St., 1148: Bank of New York Mellon to PA Deals LLC, $38,600
Hummel St., 219: Bank of Landisburg to Brethren Housing Assoc., $90,000
Kelker St., 245: J. Stumpf to A. Peragine, $36,000
Logan St., 2331: T. Cunningham to M. Daniel, $39,713
Market St., 1604: J. Carchidi Jr. to James Goodfellow LLC, $38,000
N. 2nd St., 1530: Clark Resources Inc. to MGRP Holdings Ltd., $225,000
N. 2nd St., 2525: F. Vicknair to S. Barry, $193,500
N. 3rd St., 1401, 1405, 1407, 1409, 1411; 300 & 302A Calder St.; 1405, 1410 & 1412 James St.: Third Street Development to Susquehanna Art Museum, $808,455
N. 4th St., 2320A: Trusted Source Capital LLC to K. Lee & Y. Su, $36,000
N. 4th St., 3310: E. Powden to B. Yonkin, $125,000
Parkside Lane, 2910: P. & C. DiMartile to W. & B. Hoover, $233,153
Penn St., 1314: Fannie Mae to E. Jones, $75,000
Pennwood Rd., 3135: PNMAC Mortgage Opportunity Fund LLC to PA Deals LLC, $58,000
Race St., 608: D. & C. Smith to Shipoke LLC, $140,000
Rumson Dr., 2983: S. Carbaugh & M. Dutton to PI Capital LLC, $31,855
Sayford St., 121: M. & R. Plaut to G. Nebinger, $80,000
Showers St., 609: A. Beam to R. Leiphart, $137,500
S. 26th St., 655: L. Kramer & T. Starr to Twenty Ninth Street United Methodist Church, $120,000
S. 27th St., 655: G. & A. Havrilla to S. Sullivan, $59,900
S. Front St., 557: D. Yarkin & C. Carlson to K. Stennett, $125,000
Swatara St., 1323: E. Molina to J. Ortiz to D. Millar, $35,800
Waldo St., 2616: Gary Neff Inc. & City Limits Realty to J. Palmer, $32,900
Source: Dauphin County, for sales exceeding $30,000. Data is assumed to be accurate.
