Latest news with #Betti
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jessup to join Lackawanna County Land Bank to combat blight
The Lackawanna County Land Bank will soon have its newest member. Jessup is joining the county land bank to address abandoned properties and combat blight, Councilman Gregg Betti said Monday. 'The reason we want to join the land bank is in case there's situations where there's abandoned properties that aren't maintained — they're blighted, and they get onto the tax sale, then the borough can take them if it seems appropriate,' Betti said. Jessup joins 15 other municipalities and nine school districts to work with the land bank, according to the county. Established in 2015, the Lackawanna County Land Bank's mission is 'to foster economic and community development by eliminating blight and returning properties to productive use,' according to its website. To achieve that goal, the land bank works with partnering municipalities to get properties back onto the tax rolls by gaining control of tax-delinquent, abandoned land and buildings that don't sell at upset or judicial sales, which are real estate auctions held to pay off unpaid property taxes. It cuts through the red tape, said Ralph Pappas, Lackawanna County's business relationship manager and land bank administrator. 'When they sign that agreement, they allow the land bank to sell repository properties, or tax-delinquent properties, within their municipality,' Pappas said. Normally, a tax-delinquent property would be put up at an upset sale through the Lackawanna County Tax Claim Bureau, and if it doesn't sell, it goes through the judicial sale process, he said. If it still doesn't sell, it goes into a repository of unsold property, where someone could buy it through the tax claim bureau, Pappas said. However, if the municipality and its school district are members of the land bank, the property can be purchased directly through the land bank at a cheaper price, he said. The land bank's power to make preemptive bids at judicial sales is the major advantage, Pappas said, explaining the land bank is able to go into judicial sales with an option agreement in place with the tax claim bureau to purchase properties for the minimum bid price. The land bank has sold about 390 properties since its inception, Pappas said. Jessup was first approached by a land bank official several years ago, but the borough did not join at the time, Betti said. Betti, who previously spearheaded a borough effort to adopt International Property Maintenance Code standards to reduce blight, said he raised the idea of joining the land bank in March, and council subsequently voted to join. He attributed the decision in part to a condemned, vacant house on Lane Street that Jessup had petitioned the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas in October for permission to access and demolish. If Jessup had been a land bank member, they would already have taken the land and torn down the condemned home, Betti said. Instead, it was sold at a tax sale, and now the borough has to restart the process of trying to get the building torn down, he said. 'The land bank is just another tool to deal with blighted properties and properties that haven't paid their taxes,' Betti said. Joining the land bank involves an intergovernmental cooperation agreement involving the land bank, the county, Jessup and the Valley View School District. When the land bank was first established, county commissioners and the land bank passed legislation allowing any municipality to join the land bank in order to avoid having to vote each time a new town joins, Pappas said. Similarly, the Valley View School District previously passed a resolution allowing its three towns — Archbald, Blakely and Jessup — to join the land bank, but with a previous superintendent's signature on the document, it raised the question of whether the district would need to vote on anything new for Jessup to join, Pappas said. Valley View Business Manager Corey Castellani said he spoke with the district solicitor about it, and he expects the school board to approve it during their June meeting. Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan, who is a board member at the land bank, was an early advocate for the land bank while serving on Scranton City Council. 'The idea behind the land bank was, 'Let's get these properties into the hands of neighbors, into the hands of people who want to develop them, and make it easier for people to develop them,'' Gaughan said in a phone interview. 'It really worked well in the city of Scranton and in other communities that had joined the land bank early on, and now we're starting to see boroughs like Jessup come on board, which is really great.' Prior to the land bank, if the city demolished a blighted home, the land would sit unused for years because neighbors weren't going to pay thousands of dollars in back taxes for land that wasn't worth it, Gaughan said. By selling the land to neighbors more cheaply through the land bank's side lot program, the city was able to get the land back on the tax rolls and beautify neighborhoods, he said. 'Let's get these properties back on the tax rolls,' Gaughan said. 'Let's get them into people's hands within the neighborhood, who are going to improve them and help beautify the neighborhoods and bring the neighborhoods back to where they should be.'
Sydney Morning Herald
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
After four decades abroad, Italians hope the papacy is coming home
The buzz in Italy is undeniable. Newspapers, television, and social media have been aflame with speculation about who will don the white cassock. For many locals, the hope of a home-grown pontiff remains strong – an enduring symbol of Italian pride. Among the candidates, several Italian cardinals are prominent, including frontrunner Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. Zuppi, the archbishop of Bologna, and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the patriarch of Jerusalem, are also fancied. Each brings unique qualities, said Dr Claudio Betti, director of the Rome Campus of the Australian Catholic University. Parolin is a seasoned diplomat, Zuppi a pastoral figure with a reputation for mercy, and Pizzaballa a bridge between East and West with years of Middle East experience. Their candidacies reflect Italy's desire to restore its influence in the Vatican and reaffirm its connection to the papacy. However, Betti said the recent internationalisation of the papacy has tempered expectations. He said the reigns of John Paul II and Francis, both beloved in Italy, reshaped the public's outlook. 'The Italians got used to a foreign pope,' he said, even if they continue to cherish the idea of one of their own in the role. That is reflected in public opinion. A recent survey by Italian consultancy firm Izi, conducted between April 29 and 30, found that most Italians wanted a pope who would maintain continuity with Francis' progressive approach. Over 74 per cent of respondents expressed a preference for a pope who would carry on Francis' focus on peace, poverty, and rejecting rearmament. While a pope from Italy remains the top choice for many, 60 per cent declared they were indifferent to nationality. Betti highlighted the growing influence of non-European cardinals. With a record 133 cardinals in the current conclave, the make-up of the electorate is more global. He suggests the time of an Italian pope may be ending. 'This time is the most difficult ever,' he said, noting that a younger, non-Italian candidate could lead the church for 15 to 20 years, reshaping its direction beyond any Italian candidate's tenure. 'He's exceptional' The survey highlights the widespread desire for a leader who reflects the values of Francis, regardless of origin. Zuppi, 69, a popular figure, stands out among the strong Italian contenders. Loading He was a parish priest in the centuries-old Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere – just a stone's throw away from the Vatican – and known simply as 'Don Matteo'. He was often seen pedalling his bicycle through the area's cobbled lanes. Betti said Zuppi's down-to-earth persona and focus on outreach to the faithful have earned him strong support, particularly in Rome. 'The Romans would be 100 per cent for him,' he said. Zuppi's approachable, pastoral style has earned him a reputation as 'Francis 2.0', he added. Alfredo Bonelli, who runs a newspaper kiosk a few hundred yards from the basilica, said: 'He used to pass by here every morning, and people would wait for him so they could say hello. He's an exceptional person.' While the Vatican is now more international, it still holds a unique place in Italian hearts. The language of the church is Italian, and the Vatican remains a distinctly Roman institution.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘It's losing a family member': Canisius University reflects on the passing of Jesuit Pope Francis
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A day of celebration is being followed by a day of mourning for the Catholic Church, as Pope Francis passed away the day after Easter. 'We kind of consider Pope Francis part of our family, so it's losing a family member really,' said Father Fred Betti S.J., a Chaplain at Canisius University. 'In the midst of all the sadness, knowing that he's been sick, we kind of knew this might happen, but I also find it all joyful and wonderful that he was able to spend Easter with the people of God.' Buffalonians reflect on Pope Francis' legacy: 'We should be building bridges, not walls' Daily mass at Canisius University started with a recording of the bells that rang in Rome in honor of the passing of Pope Francis. Parishioners shared light, song and prayer as they remembered the late leader of the Catholic Church. 'It's difficult, it is sad, but in so many ways, he's left us this great legacy to remember him by,' said Steve Stoute, the president of the University. 'As a Jesuit Institution, our commitment to the path that Francis laid will remain strong for generations to come because he led like a Jesuit, and we are incredibly blessed to have had his leadership for the last many years.' Faculty from the school shared how Pope Francis's leadership ran parallel with the school's beliefs. 'Finding God in all things and building a relationship with Christ, he was very big into that, and that's always been apart of what we do,' said Father Betti. 'He very much supported that our commitment to caring for the poor, the needy, those who are disadvantaged and learning how to do that with our gifts, our talents, very important here at Canisius.' Vatican releases cause of death for Pope Francis Father Fred Betti said that Pope Francis was one of many firsts; the first pope from the Americans, the first Argentinian, first pope to take the name of St. Frances Assisi, and the first of Jesuit faith. 'When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, you know, he always said 'a Bishop should smell like a sheep,'' said Father Betti. 'He was a true shepherd, he loved to be with people and I think that was a significant part of who he was as our pope. I think his style of being a leader was very different from the very beginning–he didn't want all the trappings of the roman pope, he lived differently, a simple setting, didn't want elaborate cars or elaborate things–he wanted to be with the people.' Father Betti said that the school is planning more events to honor the life and legacy of Pope Francis. The School's daily mass is open to the public at 12:05 p.m., and at 9:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. on Sunday. Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
GED program returns to Lackawanna County prison
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A second chance at success: Lackawanna County is bringing back a GED program for inmates at the county prison. The goal? Give individuals the tools they need to rebuild their lives and reduce the chance of returning behind bars. The GED program inside the county prison was shut down during the pandemic, but now, it's making a comeback thanks to a new contract with a local nonprofit and funding that doesn't touch a single taxpayer dollar. A long-awaited GED program is returning to the Lackawanna County prison Roughly half of the prison population doesn't have a high school diploma. Officials are aiming to educate, empower, and prevent repeat offenses. 'What we were finding is as people maybe got that confidence, built up that self-esteem and became, for, eligible for more employment, they were getting jobs out there that were keeping them on a straight narrow path and they weren't coming back to see us,' Lackawanna County Prison Warden Tim Betti said. Lawmakers react after arson at Governor's House The nonprofit Outreach Center in Scranton will provide test prep, tutoring, and help the facility become a certified GED testing site so inmates can take the exam as soon as they feel prepared. 'They have classes, they have certified teachers that come in, all the core classes that you need for a GED, besides providing the GED classes to the population here, is getting this facility certified as a testing site,' Betti explained. The program comes with a $200,000 price tag, but it's funded entirely through the inmate canteen account 'We're taking those funds and we're reinvesting them for the benefit of the inmate and really for the benefit of the taxpayers, as I said before, in the hopes that our inmates become successful, they get their GED and then they don't come back through our doors,' Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan said. The goal is to give inmates a foundation for life after incarceration, opening doors to employment, college, and self-sufficiency. 'It's hard to really do anything without a GED these days, so we're trying to give the inmates at the prison the tools to be able to be successful once they leave,' Commissioner Gaughan added. If an inmate is released before taking the test, Outreach will still help them finish the process at their facility in Scranton. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
