Panto to Easton Residents: Get Involved

As he started in office Tuesday evening, Easton Mayor Sal Panto called on residents to get more involved in planning the city's future.

"We have to raise the self-esteem of the city and galvanize the people to become better involved in the city and help raise the city to the next level," Panto said in his inaugural address. 

To do that, Panto said the city try to make residents more plugged into city meetings and events, and to upgrade its "Bugler" publication to become more of a "city wide newsletter."

He spent much of the address mentioning past accomplishments and future projects -- , the -- but also announced a new one: a couple has agreed to buy the former Lenny's store in Centre Square.

Panto said very little about the project, other than that the people behind it would turn the first floor into commercial space, and live on the second and third floors. The mayor said the building -- in the same quadrant of the circle as -- has been vacant since at least 2007. 

Panto said he wants to see more of that growth beyond just Downtown, in the city's other neighborhoods. 

"The decisions we make in the next two or three years will determine what Easton looks like in the next 20 or 30," he said.

Panto noted other successes, such as the drop in the , the increase in , and the numerous infrastructure improvements.

Also Tuesday, Councilman Ken Brown became council's new vice mayor, taking over for Councilwoman Elinor Warner, who voted in favor of Brown's nomination.

Brown said it's not a role he takes lightly. "I don't see it as a title," he said.

Brown and Warner were both sworn in for new terms Tuesday, along with fellow Councilman Jeff Warren.