Grace Period

The Tinicum Township Commissioners agreed to extend the grace period for delinquent real-estate taxes as an incentive to businesses and residents unable to pay because of tough economic times. The decision came at Monday night's meeting but awaits formal approval in the form of a resolution next month. Normally, a penalty would be imposed if taxes were not paid by Aug. 31. The extension will move that date to Oct. 1 and will be effective only this year. "This is an incentive particularly to the hotels who owe a lot already," said Councilman Thomas Giancristofaro, referring to the Holiday and Ramada Inns, which have filed for bankruptcy.

Like any player, Mike Grace wanted to get back to the big leagues as quickly as possible. Unlike many players, he acknowledged his personal timetable might not have been in his best interests. When Grace walked into the Phillies' clubhouse last night, it was exactly five months since he strained his right triceps in an exhibition game against the Cardinals in St. Petersburg, Fla. Five months since he pitched for the Phillies. Five long months of lonely rehab and Triple A starts for Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre.

The first grace period for the nation's 2.5 million student loan defaulters begins today, but its incentives are limited, education and government officials say. Under instructions from Congress, the Education Department for the next six months will allow borrowers in default on guaranteed student loans to pay off their debt without penalty costs. The principal and interest on the loan must be paid off in full within the six-month period. The principal and interest due could often be $4,000 or more.

After righthander Bobby Munoz was cuffed around Tuesday in his first big-league start following elbow surgery, Phillies manager Jim Fregosi shrugged. "It's going to be a little struggle, but the only way to get him back is for him to get some innings in," Fregosi said soothingly. Five days later, Munoz took the mound at Coors Field to face the Colorado Rockies on their turf, on their terms. He lasted just four innings and allowed six runs - two earned - on six hits. This time, Fregosi wasn't nearly so sanguine.

Mike Grace thinks he'll locate the command of his pitches that's been missing when the season starts. He thinks his mechanics will fall into place. He thinks he'll stay healthy. He thinks he'll start getting ahead of the hitters. He also thinks he's thinking too much. "Keep it simple, stupid. That has to be my philosophy," he said after giving up two runs on five hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings of yesterday's 7-4 exhibition win over the Rangers at Charlotte County Stadium.

First Pennsylvania yesterday introduced a new Visa credit card charging the lowest interest rate among the city's biggest banks. The variable-rate card will carry an initial rate of 14 percent through Sept. 30. The rate then will change quarterly, based on the bank's prime rate. If the variable rate were in effect today, interest charged for the new card would be 14.3 percent. The bank will waive its $18 annual fee for the card during the rest of the year. The card won't offer a grace period, however, which means that finance charges are imposed immediately from the date of posting for a purchase.

Chester's Democrats have been feuding almost since the day they got into office early this year. A few weeks ago, the battle took a new turn. Call it the "prayer wars. " In began at a City Council meeting in July when City Clerk Shelia Hyland finished reciting the customary prayer that opens council sessions. Mayor Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard, whom Hyland has labeled a "liar," then called the Rev. Tom Torosian to the front of the room. Mr. Torosian then proceeded to lead an alternate prayer - which, while differing little from Hyland's, presumably stood a better chance, in the mayor's judgment, of bringing God into the proceedings.

Two hours before game time, Phillies manager Jim Fregosi put on his rose-colored glasses and gave an upbeat analysis of his club's starting pitching. He pondered Curt Schilling's 1.33 earned run average, Mike Grace's 7-2 record and Terry Mulholland's five wins. He thought about a healthy Bobby Munoz, who is expected back next week, and Sid Fernandez, who he hopes won't be far behind. "If you talk about Schilling throwing well and Grace throwing well and Mulholland, if you talk about Sid coming back healthy and Munoz coming back, you're talking about five pretty good starters," Fregosi said.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority will give $100 refunds to 4,390 motorists ticketed this year, because its red-light cameras were a little too quick on the draw. Seven months after discovering that cameras along Roosevelt Boulevard and elsewhere were suffering from "premature activation" - but failing to determine the depth of the problem - the authority yesterday announced that it would wipe out the tickets at a cost to the agency of $440,000. "All I can do is offer my apologies to those who were affected, and assure them that the system is working properly," said Vincent Fenerty, the authority's executive director.

Until yesterday, the number 856 meant nothing in particular to Bill Harper. Now it means visions of vans, images of storefronts, and dreams of "for sale" signs in front yards. Every one of them with the wrong area code. "I'll be getting the calls," said Harper, owner of National Sign Systems in West Berlin. Faced with the exploding demand for telephone lines and the industry's outdated, inefficient system for distributing numbers, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities voted last month to split the 609 area code.

For about 4,000 Pennsylvians who obtained a concealed-carry permit through the so-called "Florida loophole," time's up. State Attorney General Kathleen Kane on Friday announced a new agreement with Florida that closes the controversial rule that allowed Pennsylvanians to send for a permit through the mail. Under the revised "reciprocity agreement," those holding Florida concealed-carry permits in Pennsylvania must now be legal residents of Florida. About 900 residents hold such permits in Philadelphia.

Three more intersections in Northeast Philadelphia will get red-light cameras Friday, bringing to 24 the number of city intersections with the devices. The new lights will be activated Friday morning at Grant Avenue and Academy Road, Woodhaven and Knights Roads, and Bustleton Avenue and Byberry Road. After a 60-day grace period, during which drivers will get warning notices if they run a red light, motorists will be fined $100 if they are caught on camera running a red light. The grace period will end Dec. 18. - Paul Nussbaum

PHILADELPHIA Ticket grace period City Council's Committee on Law and Government has given preliminary approval to a bill that would require the Philadelphia Parking Authority to offer a grace period before piling on penalties for failure to pay a parking ticket. Drivers now have 15 days to pay a ticket. The measure, sponsored by Councilman Bill Greenlee, would require that a notice be added to the parking ticket to alert the driver that a violation exists and that the driver has 10 days to pay or dispute the ticket.

Verizon Communications Inc., which is rolling out FiOS TV and Internet services in Philadelphia, is poised to double its early-termination fee for new TV and Internet subscribers to $360, according to corporate documents. Verizon has seen Comcast Corp. and other cable companies stealing back FiOS TV and Internet customers with steep discounts and offers to rebate the termination fee. Customers who cancel TV or Internet service in mid-contract pay the fee. The sharply higher fee - the current one is $179 for a two-year contract - would make the rebate payments more painful for competing cable companies.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority will give $100 refunds to 4,390 motorists ticketed this year, because its red-light cameras were a little too quick on the draw. Seven months after discovering that cameras along Roosevelt Boulevard and elsewhere were suffering from "premature activation" - but failing to determine the depth of the problem - the authority yesterday announced that it would wipe out the tickets at a cost to the agency of $440,000. "All I can do is offer my apologies to those who were affected, and assure them that the system is working properly," said Vincent Fenerty, the authority's executive director.

After successfully pushing last month for funding to hire 100 police officers, City Council yesterday pressed forward with two measures that also aim to boost police staffing, as well as that of firefighters. One bill would allow people who live outside Philadelphia to apply for city jobs, provided they move here within six months after they're hired. The other legislation is intended to encourage retirement-age uniformed workers to stay longer on the city payroll by extending a special retirement program for a year.

New Jersey legislation that would allow police to pull over and ticket drivers for talking on a cell phone was approved, 39-0, by the state Senate yesterday. The bill would strengthen a law that allows police to ticket drivers for using a handheld phone only if pulled over for another offense, such as speeding. Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, who would like the bill to become law while he is governor for the next month, said that talking on a cell phone while driving poses "a real threat to both the driver and other passing motorists - a threat that today we are one step closer to eliminating.

Negotiations aimed at producing a new collective-bargaining agreement between the National Hockey League and the NHL Players Association resumed yesterday with a small group in Toronto. Talks will continue today. According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the economic framework of a new deal is in place. It would set the percentage of revenue that will go to the league - believed to be about 54 percent. The two sides also agreed on parameters for a salary cap, a luxury tax, and a 24 percent salary rollback.

It sounds simple: Green means go. Yellow means slow. Red means stop. But since the city began operating the first red-light camera system in the state late last month, hundreds of motorists at the intersection of Grant Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard in the Northeast have apparently continued to have trouble understanding this basic concept. One week after six cameras were turned on at this busy intersection, a total of 1,569 motorists were caught running the red lights from Feb. 23 through March 1, state and Philadelphia Parking Authority officials said yesterday.

Philadelphia's Traffic Court was flooded yesterday by people who wanted to plead out, pay up, or set up payment plans. Despite the day's cold, wet weather, dozens of scofflaws - inspired or terrified after officials began cracking down on them this week - marched into the court's offices at 800 Spring Garden St. and tried to do the right thing, said Robert DeEmilio, deputy court administrator. "The response so far has been a good one," DeEmilio said. "The influx of phone calls has been tremendous, and the lines have been steady all day long.