[ ]  The Endless Campaign:

       

-         Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) is due back in the Philadelphia region Wednesday. He’ll hold town hall-style meetings at Great Valley High School in Malvern at 10 a.m. and at Harry S. Truman High School in Bristol Twp. between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (Courier Times)

 

The events are open to the public but a free admission ticket is required, according to Obama's campaign. A limited number of tickets will be handed out today at 234 Bridge St. in Phoenixville for the Malvern event, and after 1 p.m. at Obama's campaign office, 7500 Route 13 in Bristol Township, for the Truman meeting.

 

-         Race is, obviously, still an issue for some voters.

 

                 New York Times piece on Levittown’s past racial issues. (Phawker)

               

  From the story:

Levittown is whiter, older and less educated than the rest of the nation — and Pennsylvania is made up of many Levittowns. The Democratic governor, Ed Rendell, said in February that some in his state were “probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate,” a remark that many would accept as self-evident but that nonetheless earned him sharp criticism.

 

                 McClatchy story on Obama Girl’s hometown: Hazleton, Pa.

                

From the story:

 

A couple blocks east, at Jimmy’s Quick Lunch, Clinton’s the favorite of many regulars….Of Obama, retired machinist Ronald Duser said: “I’m not crazy about voting for a colored guy, but that’s not why I don’t support Obama. I’m not prejudiced. I just like Hillary.”

 

 

-         Democrats now outnumber Republicans in both Bucks and Montco. (Intelligencer)

 

 

[ ]   Mailboxes are being terrorized in Central Bucks. (Intelligencer)

 

 

[ ]    Dept. of Extra Music News: Country music star Trisha Yearwood is scheduled to be at Williams-Sonoma in King of Prussia, says Michael Klein. She’s not singing, though. (Inky)

Georgia-born singer Trisha Yearwood will have help from Alsace-born chef Philippe Reininger at her appearance 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Williams-Sonoma store at King of Prussia. Yearwood is signing the cookbook Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen.

 

 

[ ]   SEPTA will beef up patrols during the after-school period. (Inky)

 

 

[ ]   More details on the Pope Chair, which has roots in Buxco. (Intelligencer)

 

From the story:

 

The pope is more than just another customer to (chair maker) Matt Huprich, who emigrated from Austria with his parents just three weeks before his 20th birthday.

 

“He’s sort of a countryman of mine, a German,” said Matt. “I had to make sure he gets the best. We did a chair for a bishop, but this was something really special. I was really excited to do this. We went out of our way to give him the best man can make.”