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Jan. 2—A lot happened in 2022.

The world continued its slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia invaded Ukraine, inflation pushed the cost of just about everything sky high, U.S. elections saw a battle between Democrats and Republicans for control of the House and Senate, and a bomb cyclone created a frigid Christmas holiday.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

But while it's always fun to look backward, this story isn't about the past. This is about the future.

This is about 2023.

While predicting the future with complete accuracy is, of course, impossible, the Reading Eagle has put together some topics that will likely be in the news in the new year.

Inflation

Many experts didn't think inflation would be a big story in 2022, at least not heading into the year.

While COVID had caused all sorts of economic problems — interrupting supply chains, creating increased demands, slowing production — the widely held view was that as the pandemic eased, economies across the world would begin to recover.

That didn't happen.

Inflation quickly became the most pressing issue for many people around the world, including in Berks. Prices of just about everything skyrocketed as demand for goods continued to outpace the struggling supply.

Prices surged to their highest point since the late 1970s and early 1980s, peaking in June when the Consumer Price Index topped 9%.

Things began to improve as the year closed, with the CPI still elevated but lower in November at 7.1%. And experts think that trend will continue as 2023 rolls along.

The local experts who spoke to the Reading Eagle in November all expressed optimism about inflation in 2023.

Dr. Andy Economopoulos, a professor of business and economics at Ursinus College in Montgomery County said he believes supply chain issues are easing and month-to-month inflation rates are improving. That likely means consumers should see prices level out soon.

James Wilkinson, an assistant professor of finance at Neumann University in Delaware County, said the projections he has seen show inflation rates will be better in 2023 than they were in 2022.

And Sudip Ghosh, an associate professor of business at Penn State Berks, said he believes the U.S. has turned the corner when it comes to inflation.

But even if inflation does improve, that doesn't necessarily mean the economy will be in great shape in 2023. That will depend on whether the economy has a "hard" or "soft" landing.

A soft landing would see the economy return to normal. But a hard landing would mean the economy sinks into a recession, which would create a slew of new, different problems.

Either way, how things play out will be of keen interest to people across the U.S. and Berks.

— David Mekeel

Gas prices

Inflation took a heavy financial toll on consumers last year, and that was especially true at the gas pumps, but oil industry analysts say that barring something unforeseen we should avoid record-setting gas prices again in 2023.

Gas prices peaked nationally in June at slightly more than $5 for a gallon of regular unleaded, the highest average in American history.

They have since come down closer to $3 per gallon both nationally and in the Berks area after falling for much of November and December, and should remain between $3 and $4 throughout 2023, the federal Energy Information Administration predicts.

Gas prices will rise to $3.41 in March, $3.68 in June and back to $3.49 in December, the EIA said in its latest forecast in early December.

The main reasons for the recent drop are a decrease in driving and demand for gas as winter approached; a switch at the pumps from summer to winter blend gas, which is cheaper because it has fewer environmental restrictions; an increase in domestic oil production as several U.S. refineries recently restarted after being down for maintenance; and a subsequent increase in American gas inventory, according to federal Energy Information Administration spokesman Chris Higginbotham.

But there is uncertainty in the forecast, he said, with recent European Union sanctions of Russian crude oil imports having the potential to raise petroleum product prices globally.

GasBuddy also said the trend of sinking gas prices could soon end, as oil prices are likely to rise from their end-of-2022 levels.

"Challenges remain that could drive prices up again next spring, so motorists might want to keep their expectations in check and enjoy the sub-$3 gasoline while they can," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

Heating costs also rose drastically for homes using oil, natural gas and electric in 2022, but are expected to be more stable through the rest of the winter, according to the EIA's latest projections.

Again, though, industry analysts said it's possible oil costs could rise in the coming weeks and drive up home heating prices.

— Mike Urban

Local election in spotlight

When Berks County voters head to the polls this year they won't be picking the next president or who will represent them in Congress.

But the 2023 election is still important.

People will choose leaders who will have a direct impact on their daily lives by casting a ballot in local contests for positions such as township supervisor, borough council member, school director and county commissioner.

At the county level, all three Berks commissioner slots will be on the ballot. Two Democrats and two Republicans will be chosen by voters in the primary to move onto the general election in the fall, where the three candidates who get the most votes will win seats.

There will also be six county row offices on the ballot. Voters will make a choice about who should be district attorney, sheriff, controller, clerk of courts, register of wills and recorder of deeds.

In the city, the position of mayor will be voted on, along with three City Council seats and the post for council president.

And voters throughout Berks will pick municipal leaders and school board members.

How each of the county and municipal races plays out will go a long way in determining things like property tax rates, which roads get repaired and what services people have available to them.

— Karen Shuey

New leaders in Harrisburg

There will be many new faces leading Pennsylvania government in 2023.

Josh Shapiro will take over as governor in just a few weeks, having easily defeated Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano.

Shapiro, a Democrat who has served as the top law enforcement official in the state for the past six years, campaigned on an ambitious and lengthy policy platform. He has pledged to do many things during the next four years, such as supporting economic equity, championing criminal justice reforms, providing more funding to schools, strengthening public safety and creating more union jobs with infrastructure investments.

But how much he gets done will depend on which party controls the Legislature.

Key to Shapiro's success will be whether Democrats will control the House of Representatives for the first time in more than a decade. And because of three vacant seats in the chamber, that is a question that now sits with the courts.

Two of the vacancies were created when Democratic representatives resigned after being elected to higher office in the same election — incoming Congresswoman Summer Lee and Lt. Gov.-elect Austin Davis.

The third is due to the death of Rep. Anthony DeLuca.

All three of those seats were held by Democrats, and if it remains that way the party would reach the 102 representatives it needs to hold control of the House. Each will be the subject of a special election this year — with Democrats favored to win the races.

Until those elections are held, however, control of the House remains up in the air. Republicans, who hold 101 seats, claim the Democrats only have 99 seats because of the vacancies. They say that means Republicans are in charge of the chamber.

Democrats, of course, see things differently. They claim they are the party in control because the vacant posts were held by Democrats.

How the situation shakes out will be a major storyline in 2023.

— Karen Shuey

Local road projects

If you're looking for landscape-altering road construction in the coming year in Berks, you'll probably be disappointed.

While the newly approved four-year 2023 transportation improvement project developed by the Reading Area Transportation Study in coordination with PennDOT has dozens of projects listed, most of the bigger ones fall into one of two categories: those for which construction began in last year or previous years, and those for which preliminary engineering will begin.

County Transportation Planner Alan D. Piper said the long-delayed River Road extension project in northwest Reading is scheduled for completion this year, while another long-delayed project, construction of a roundabout at Route 222 and Long Lane Road in Maxatawny Township, could begin in the second half of the year.

The River Road extension project name is a misnomer in that it doesn't actually extend River Road from the Buttonwood Street Bridge as originally conceived. Instead, it modifies the traffic flow to provide better connections to the former Dana Corp. vacant site bounded by West Windsor, Ritter and West Spring streets on the east side of Schuylkill Avenue. The site has long been proposed for redevelopment since the truck body manufacturer closed the plant more than two decades ago.

Motorists driving on Route 183 (Schuylkill Avenue) in northwest Reading may have already noticed changes at the crooked intersections with West Windsor and Eckert Street (next to the Northwest Branch Reading Public Library).

As far as visible projects, expect to see resurfacing this year on a section of Route 61 in Leesport and just south of the borough in Ontelaunee Township, Piper said.

Elsewhere, Route 562 resurfacing is slated in St. Lawrence. Not too far away from that borough, PennDOT is slated to replace the Gibraltar Road bridge over Antietam Creek in Exeter Township this year. Additionally, the state plans to replace four-way stop signs at Shelbourne and Gibraltar roads with traffic signals.

In the spring, a PennDOT contractor will resume improvements along Route 12 in the Glenside area, putting in much-needed acceleration lanes from the on-ramps in the area of Lackawanna Street on the westbound side and Lehigh and Butler streets on the eastbound side.

PennDOT will continue to advance plans to widen the section of Route 222 to four and five lanes between the Kutztown Bypass and the Lehigh County line. Except for the roundabout portion in Maxatawny, however, construction for the larger project is still at least a year away, Piper said.

In the meantime, PennDOT continues with improvements to the heavily traveled section of Route 222 in the area of Schantz Road in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County.

The multiyear project to widen and improve a deadly stretch of Interstate 78 from Lenhartsville to the Lehigh line is expected to be completed in 2023, but that won't be the end of construction on the interstate in Berks. Work will continue in the Hamburg area for another year or so.

Also on I-78, PennDOT will award bids early in the year for repaving the western section of Interstate 78 in the area of Shartlesville, Piper said.

— Steven Henshaw

Reading celebrates its 275th birthday

This year marks Reading's 275th anniversary, or bicenterquasquigenary, and there are plenty of festivities lined up.

The observance, themed "Our Home, Our Heart," will kick off in March and continue with celebrations of the city's history and diversity throughout the year.

Events will get underway March 15 with a gala at the Reading Public Museum.

The event promises a unique opportunity to visit the museum at night and a chance to view pieces from the permanent collection, specially chosen and displayed for the occasion.

The gala will provide attendees with an opportunity to meet delegations from Reading's sister cities, Reading, England, and Reutlingen, Germany, who will join celebrations throughout the week.

Proceeds from the gala ticket sales will go toward neighborhood block parties to be held in the summer.

The official anniversary date, March 16, will be marked by a live-streamed ceremony at City Hall and community birthday parties at locations across the city.

The celebrations will include a parade in May, neighborhood block parties, history lectures, the publication of a commemorative book and the installation of art exhibits, including a temporary mural of pieces made by Reading residents.

Now the fourth largest city in the state, Reading was incorporated as a municipality on March 16, 1748.

The site — bounded on the west by the Schuylkill River, on the east by Mount Penn and on the south by the Neversink Mountain — was home to the native Lenape people prior to European settlement.

The 115-year-old Pagoda on Mount Penn serves as the area's signature landmark.

An industrial powerhouse in the mid-19th century, Reading was renowned for its namesake railroad, once the largest corporation in the world, and remains home to Carpenter Technology Corp., a Fortune 500 company.

The city also has been home to a number of literary and cultural figures, as well as minor league sports franchises and the 109-year-old Reading Symphony Orchestra.

The population of 95,112, as of the 2020 U.S. census, is made up of immigrants and generations of immigrants' descendants, representing more than 45 nationalities.

Visit https://www.readingpa.gov/visitors/275 to learn more, donate and stay up to date with coming events.

— Michelle Lynch

Warehouses in demand

The conversion of rural land to warehouses is an ongoing trend in Berks, and development is unlikely to slow in 2023 as developers seek to answer an increased demand for warehouse space driven substantially by a boom in online shopping.

Developers aim to take advantage of vacant rural plots offering easy access to state highways such as Routes 222, 61 and 422, and plans are in the works for large fulfillment centers along those and other major roads in the county.

As their plans progress through the approval process, developers building on land near residential areas can expect to continue facing pushback from residents who oppose warehouse proposals.

Several local groups have formed, with members regularly attending municipal meetings and petitioning officials against granting zoning concessions and approvals to warehouse plans.

They claim warehouses would devalue their properties, harm the local environment and add hazardous traffic to already unsafe roads.

One group in Cumru Township is waging a legal battle against the township's decision to implement warehouse-friendly zoning on a plot at Route 10 and Freemansville Road — a decision that enabled plans from developer Northpoint of Kansas City for a 739,000-square-foot warehouse on the site.

Those plans remain on hold until the legal challenge is resolved.

A group in Maxatawny Township has taken legal action against the township's approval of plans from Duke Realty, Indianapolis, Ind., to build four warehouses totaling 2.8 million square feet on 300 acres at Route 222 and Hottenstein Road.

An appeal of that decision is underway in Commonwealth Court, and a ruling is expected within the next few months, according to the group that filed the appeal.

Maidencreek Township is considering a proposal for a 930,000-square-foot warehouse along Route 222 at Schaeffer Road. Those plans are embroiled in a conditional use hearing that will likely continue into February, according to township officials.

Residents who have opposed the plans will testify during the hearing. Obtaining conditional use approval is the first of several steps toward final plan approval for developer and property owner Maiden Creek Associates.

Local boards have shown a willingness to deny plans they feel clash with zoning standards. The Cumru Township Zoning Hearing Board in November denied a variance for plans for a warehouse at Route 222 and Grings Hill Road, and Upper Tulpehocken Township officials in August decided not to expand the commercial district to allow for a distribution center along Route 183.

In the future, developers seeking relief from zoning rules may continue to face resistance from municipal boards that have legal grounds to oppose their plans.

Several warehouse plans remain under review by township officials with decisions likely to be rendered in 2023, including plans to build 5.5 million square feet of warehouse space on land between Route 10 and Interstate 176 in New Morgan.

If approved, those plans would take up nearly half of the borough, which is the county's least populated municipality with a population of 54.

Also awaiting action are plans from Northpoint for a pair of warehouses — 708,000 and 207,000 square feet — on a plot at Route 422, Township Line Road and Tollgate Road in Amity Township.

— Keith Dmochowski