Linglestown Gazette

Memorial Day parade route returns to Linglestown Road

2012-05-23T18:25:00.001-04:00

It's official. The Memorial Day parade in the village on Monday, May 28, starting at 1 pm will return to its traditional route that includes the stretch of Linglestown Road between Balthaser Street and the square. (An alternate route was used in 2010 and 2011 due to road construction in the village.)

There will be a reviewing stand in the parking lot at Koons Park where select units participating in the parade will perform.

Units scheduled to march in the parade include the Central Dauphin High School band, Bishop McDevitt High School band, Capital City Cruisers, The American Legion Riders, Linglestown Civic Association and various fire departments.

Adjutant Allan Gallagher of American Legion Post 272, the parade's sponsor, credited state Rep. Ron Marsico, Lower Paxton Township Supervisor Bill Seeds and township manager George Wolfe for helping to get state approval to temporarily close Linglestown Road.

The parade route is shown below (click on the map to view a larger version):

Testy times at CD School Board meeting

2012-05-22T12:51:00.000-04:00

Updated at 1:30 pm ...

Last night's Central Dauphin board meeting was civil but sprinkled with pointed comments between teachers, Superintendent-to-be Carol Johnson,School Board President Ford Thompson and board Vice President Jay Wenger over the planned 74 teacher furloughs.

Prior to the board approving a preliminary final budget for the 2012-13 school year, Thompson said teachers could have avoided furloughs by agreeing to not take a pay hike.

Wenger and Thompson mentioned multiple times that 18 public meetings had been held on the budget since last September. In my opinion, they don't understand that they did not overtly reach out to the community with information about this year's budget crisis.

By the time The Patriot-News caught up with the story, it was too late for the public to have an impact on next school year's budget.

The most interesting comment was made by Wenger about the public not showing up for 7 a.m. finance meetings. I guess he was trying to offer evidence that he and other board members and administrators went beyond the call of duty to work on the budget.

Wenger made it clear that the district's financial crisis isn't over and the issues that resulted in massive layoffs this year will be revisited next year.

"In the prior four years we have cut approximately $20 million of expenses from the operating budget in an attempt to not get to this point," he said. "We are here and it's not going away."

It's clear to me that the solution to the school funding crisis is going to involve state lawmakers taking action. What's happening in CD is taking place across the state.

On a related issue, the board appears to do most of its heavy lifting during their mysterious, behind-closed-doors executive sessions held before each public meeting.

I attended the last three board meetings and none of them had a vigorous debate among members on an agenda item. The only board members that speak on issues are Thompson and occasionally Wenger.

Moving forward, a group of citizens needs to come together with the goal of forcing the board to let the sun shine on their activities and to engage the public on important issues. That will require school officials going beyond posting information on the district's website and merely meeting state requirements for public notice.
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Related links:

WHTM abc27 — CD approves teacher cuts, pink slips sent to wrong employees

The Patriot-News — CD School Board approves proposed budget with furloughs, tax hike

CD website — Budget information

How to keep tabs on Lower Paxton officials in less than 10 minutes per month

2012-05-21T11:10:00.000-04:00

You've probably heard of the saying "all politics are local" that was uttered by the late U.S. House Speaker Tip O'Neill. Well, in our part of world you can't get any more local than actions taken by Lower Paxton Township officials.

But how can you keep track of what our township elected officials are doing?

I know few Gazette readers take the time to attend township meetings or watch them on TV. Truth be told, most of the meetings are over-the-top boring unless you're a freak like me who digs the minutiae of the inner workings of government.

Heck, downsizing at The Patriot-News has resulted in limited coverage of township affairs. For the most part, they only publish press releases submitted by our police department.

And, you're not going to get township news from The Paxton Herald, which specializes in editorials and sensational news tidbits.

Fortunately, there is a way to keep an eye on Lower Paxton affairs on the Internet courtesy of the watchdogs affiliated with Stray Winds Area Neighbors, better know as SWAN.

Two SWAN members — Watson Fisher and Ted Robertson — attend most township meetings and file reports that give a brief description of the goings-on. CLICK HERE to read the latest SWAN newsletter.

Undoubtedly, the presence of Watson and Ted at meetings has helped to keep township officials on the straight and narrow. Thanks for your service!

Weekend Backyard News, 05.18.12

2012-05-18T08:31:00.001-04:00

* Linglestown Village Market opens for the season this Saturday, May 19. It's located one mile east of the Linglestown square, across from the Blue Moose Bar & Grille.

* Linglestown Women's Club and several groups, businesses and residents worked together to plant 101 plants in barrels and pots in the square's roundabout.

* Sterling Koch will be playing the best of the steel guitar blues this Saturday night at St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown from 8-10 pm.

* Chicken BBQs will be held this Saturday, May 19, at New Hope Church and Epiphany Lutheran Church.

Colonial Crest news debuts on the Gazette

2012-05-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

My source tells me that big happenings are in the works in Colonial Crest, which is roughly located on Colonial Road between Linglestown Road and the I-81 bridge.

* Colonial Crest Association (CCA) is hosting a Fundraiser at Stauffers of Kissel Hill (SKH) on Linglestown Road, Saturday, May 19, starting at 9 am until 3 pm. CCA be selling hotdogs, sausages, beverages and baked goods.

* Epiphany Lutheran Church (ELC), 1100 Colonial Road, is hosting a plant sale and chicken barbeque/bake Sale on Saturday, May 19, from 10 am until 2 pm. The chicken barbecue and bake sale supports ELC youth group's upcoming trip. The plant sale supports Camp Hebron, which is not affiliated with the Lutheran Church, but which is a ministry supported by some of our members and which provides valuable resources and services to many in our area.

CD continues to generate bad press

2012-05-14T21:20:00.000-04:00

This post was updated Tuesday, 5/15/12, at 7:28 am ...

I'm starting to get the impression that Central Dauphin School District officials have been contracted to produce a course on how to generate a steady flow of bad press.

While teachers and parents are still reeling from layoff notices going out to 74 teachers and 10 other staff members, Central Dauphin High School administrators and the school board took a zero-tolerance approach to an alcohol-related incident that happened at the prom.

CLICK HERE for the story from The Patriot-News, and HERE to read the back story as told by a parent of one the punished students.

In a follow-up story Tuesday, The Patriot-News reported that one student was cited for underage drinking, and then the district opted to punish everyone who was in the company of the offending student.

If you liked this post, please subscribe to the Linglestown Gazette to receive FREE email updates. CLICK HERE to join the growing number of Gazette subscribers.

Backyard News, 05.11.12

2012-05-11T16:54:00.000-04:00

* Lower Paxton might get a third roundabout at the sharp "X" intersection at Nyes and Devonshire Heights roads, reports The Patriot-News. The design would be similar to the two in Linglestown and is estimated to cost $2.5 million. The next step is a meeting with area transportation officials.

* There is interest in getting the Lower Paxton Historical Society active again. Contact Jay Purdy for more info at thepurd@comcast.net.

* New Hope Church of Linglestown will hold its annual chicken BBQ on Saturday, May 19, 10 am – 1 pm. Convenient drive-thru is again available. Menu includes half chicken, baked potato, roll, drink and dessert for $8.

* CD High School Alumni Association will dedicate the new Veterans Memorial at the high school on Wednesday, May 30, at 7 pm. Please RSVP by May 16 by email to CDHSalumni@verizon.net or call 541-0220.

Get down and boogie Friday evening at Roasters

2012-05-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

Once again you have a chance to boogie to the sound and fury of Frank Cotolo when he returns Friday evening to the stage at St. Thomas Roasters, a mecca of java and live music located in the heart of the Linglestown square, 8–10 pm, no cover.

Be there or B².

Did you catch the big event last weekend in Linglestown?

2012-05-09T22:28:00.000-04:00

Santa Maria steak expertly grilled by the folks at Linglestown Village Market was one of the attractions at the Spring Fling hosted by the Linglestown Merchants' Association last Saturday.

When I made my way into the village during the afternoon, the sounds of Linglestown-based band Timeless (pictured) were coming from the porch at St. Thomas Roasters.

Tina Robenolt, president of the merchants group and co-owner of First Impressions Boutique, Gifts & Day Spa, said the event attracted a good flow of visitors to the village.

CLICK HERE to view other photos from the Spring Fling.
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Photo of the steak was submitted by George Gallion.

No surprises at CD board meeting

2012-05-07T23:06:00.002-04:00

NO SURPRISE #1 ... Carol Johnson, the district's assistant superintendent, was hired to be the head honcho for a four-year term starting July 13, 2012, with a compensation package to be determined later.

CLICK HERE to see an acceptance speech that she delivered following the board's hiring vote.

NO SURPRISE #2 ... School board president Ford Thompson attempted to explain why the public was excluded from participating in the search for a new superintendent.

CLICK HERE to see Thompson's explanation of the hiring process.

NO SURPRISE #3 ... The board made decisions on tax settlements, a mystery settlement and furloughs of teachers and other staffers without providing details on the issues under consideration.

Georgia Smee, a teacher and co-president of the Central Dauphin teacher union was unaware that a vote would take place on furloughs and learned during the meeting that Johnson plans to meet with union officials to discuss furloughs on Tuesday.

Please take three minutes to check out community activist Eric Epstein's take on tonight's meeting.

Related links: Central Dauphin School District ... Patriot-News article ... WPMT Fox 43 video ... School employee furloughs (No administrative positions are being eliminated.) ... CD teachers dealing with planned furloughs

5 Reasons CD Residents Should Be Having Sleepless Nights

2012-05-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hello. Does anyone give a rip about this stuff?

#1 REASON: Tonight's school board meeting agenda indicates that a superintendent will be hired without first seeking input from the public. (The meeting starts at 7 pm in the Central Dauphin East High School auditorium.)

This out-of-the-blue agenda item is disturbing when the current superintendent is still on the payroll even though he's not working as the superintendent. (He's been assigned a special project and works in a rental office.)

CLICK HERE for breaking news on this issue from The Patriot-News. (Hat tip to community activist Eric Epstein for taking time to stir up some dust on the likely hiring of Carol Johnson to succeed Dr. Gonzalez as superintendent.)

#2 REASON: The school board and top school administrators plan to cut 74 teachers and 10 other employees and up the property-tax rate by 3.3 percent to balance next school year's budget.

#3 REASON: If current trends continue, another significant tax hike and more teacher cuts will be needed to balance the district's 2013-14 budget.

#4 REASON: The district relies too much on The Patriot-News to get word out about important issues.

The newspaper only sends a reporter to cover meetings, which means many important issues that happen behind the scenes never show up in print or on PennLive. For instance, the board's infamous "meetings before the real meetings" should be investigated by a journalist.

#5 REASON: There's been limited public outcry over the proposed teacher cuts. Heck, parents in a Somerset County district went wacky over talk of 11 teachers getting the ax!

Yard sale this Saturday

2012-05-03T15:30:00.001-04:00

Head to Blue Meadows Farm development Saturday morning for their annual community yard sale.

Hat tip to Q.

Save the Date -- Spring Fling this Saturday in Linglestown

2012-04-30T04:36:00.000-04:00

The merchants of Linglestown are celebrating the new season this Saturday, May 5, by hosting a Spring Fling.

Everyone is invited and the various happenings and events will be held rain or shine.

You'll be able to enjoy great food, wine and chocolate tastings, music, promotions and demonstrations. This is your chance to take a walk through the newly renovated Linglestown and check out everything the village has to offer.

CLICK HERE for all the details.

Get Kids' Stuff and Pancakes in Linglestown

2012-04-27T04:21:00.000-04:00

Attention parents and parents-to-be: The popular sale of highest quality kids consigment clothes, furniture, toys and much more operated by PA Kids Market will once again be held today and Saturday at Linglestown Life. The church is located about 100 yards north of the Linglestown square at 1430 N. Mountain Road.

And, on Saturday, you can start your day by treating yourself to a pancake breakfast at the church that will benefit Boy Scout Troop 68 of Linglestown, 7-9 am, $5 person ($2 ages 10 and under).

Why I'm peeved at election results

2012-04-26T00:22:00.000-04:00

My focus for Tuesday's primary election was on the Republican 15th Senate District race that was thrown wide open a few months ago when longtime officeholder Jeff Piccola decided not to seek re-election.

I put my money on Linglestown's own Bill Seeds, who has served as a Lower Paxton Township supervisor for 19 years. In my opinion, Bill is a true public servant and he – along with a small group of volunteers – worked his butt off knocking on doors in neighborhoods throughout the area.

I hoped for a large turnout of Lower Paxton voters that would propel Bill to an upset victory. (He was a decided underdog in the race for reasons that will be explained below.)

But it wasn't to be.

Per usual, the candidate backed by the Dauphin County Republican Party, John McNally, won the election by a large margin over Bill and Harrisburg resident Josh First. The vote count was: McNally (11,188 votes, 48.4 percent), First (6,027 votes, 26.1 percent) and Bill (5,900, 25.5 percent).

McNally, who headed the county GOP party for several years, called in his chips with local political power brokers, raised a boatload of money and carpet-bombed Republican households with giant-sized postcards.

In a press release, First said McNally outspent him by a whopping 25 to one. And that, my friends, makes my blood pressure go sky high.

Let me be clear about one thing: I have no ax to grind with McNally. What gets me is the political bigwigs that handpick a candidate and then take steps to financially squash the little guys.

I know, that's how the political game is played these days, but it sucks.

For once, I'd like to see a local political party level the playing field by holding an open primary and giving each candidate an equal amount of money. No endorsements, no fundraisers, no nothing.

I'd like to see the party hold voter forums and do other things to give all candidates a chance to communicate their views to voters. Instead of using resources to virtually guarantee victory for one candidate, money could be spent to encourage people to do their civic duty of taking a few minutes to go to a polling place to vote.

Is anyone with me?

In closing, I want to thank Bill and Josh for expending time, money and energy to campaign for public office.

McNally will face Democratic nominee Rob Teplitz in the general election. No matter who wins the seat, it's our job as citizens to make sure the new state senator is held accountable to the people, not to political insiders and power brokers.
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Other races of interest in the November election:

11th Congressional District — Republican incumbent Lou Barletta vs. Democrat Gene Stilp

105th Legislative District — Republican incumbent Ron Marsico vs. Democrat Kelly Jean McEntee

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How You Can Make a Difference Today With 1 Finger

2012-04-24T05:16:00.000-04:00

You can put an index finger to good use today by strolling – or driving if you must – to your polling place and voting in today's primary election. And, today, your vote will have more importance than usual because the majority of Pennsylvanians are expected to skip this one.

Please note: If you're a Republican, you most likely will be deciding today who your next state senator will be. (Jeff Piccola is not running for re-election in the 15th District.) The Republican candidates are longtime Lower Paxton Township Supervisor Bill Seeds and two other guys.

For more info on today's primary election, CLICK HERE to link over the a voters guide published by The Patriot-News. Republicans and Democrats in the Linglestown area will vote to nominate candidates for the following offices:

President of the U.S.A.

U.S. Senate

U.S. House, 11th District

State Attorney General

State Auditor General

State Senate, 15th District

State House, 105th District

Backyard News, 04.23.12

2012-04-23T13:00:00.000-04:00

Below is a sampling of key actions taken this month by Lower Paxton Township boards and committees. All information was submitted by community watchdog group SWAN.

* The township Planning Commission recommended approval of a Sheetz store on Union Deposit Road where the Your Place restaurant is located. The plan will be reviewed by the supervisors for final approval. And, yes, Your Place will be demolished if the plan gets a thumbs-up.

* The township Greenway Committee has published a brochure of 13 walking opportunities in the township. The longest is the 1.76-mile Darlington Trail at Hocker Park located at the top of Blue Mountain on Blue Mountain Parkway. CLICK HERE to view the brochure.

* The township Parks and Recreation Board reports that the sewer connection required by the state to open Koons Pool this season has been completed.

* Two women were appointed to township boards — Angela Sedun to the Greenway Committee and Patricia Crawford to the Arts Council.

WARNING: World's Most Dangerous Man to Appear Tonight at Roasters

2012-04-20T08:14:00.010-04:00

You'll be in danger of dying from being over-entertained if you stop by St. Thomas Roasters coffee house tonight between 8-10 pm.

That's because Frank Cotolo, will be on stage doing another edition of his locally famous live music and comedy show.

Only stop by if your heart can handle the danger, intrigue, quips, tunes and caffeine buzz that Frank will be serving up tonight at Roasters. You've been warned — he's dangerous!

Of course, there's no cover charge. Yes, it's a free night of spine-tingling fun and frivolity.

Plus, the baristas at Roasters will be on hand preparing Java Geof's world-class craft coffees for your palate's pleasure.

8 Ways to Spring Into Spring With Style in Linglestown

2012-04-19T22:39:00.003-04:00

The historic village of Linglestown will be abuzz with fun and frolicking on Saturday, May 5. You don't want to miss it!

Click on the banner below for details.

How to make Linglestown your hometown

2012-04-17T22:13:00.006-04:00

It's simple. First, turn off your computer, TV and smartphone about 6:30 pm today, and then make your way to the Linglestown Fire Hall to attend the Linglestown Area Civic Association meeting at 7 pm.

Some great community events are in the works, and your help is needed to make them become a reality.

CLICK HERE to view the meeting agenda.
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Backyard News, 04.15.12

2012-04-15T12:04:00.013-04:00

Updated on Monday, 4/16/12, at 5:45 am with link to Patriot-News article about Monday's CD school board meeting.

B² update … I’m still kicking despite the look of Linglestown Gazette over the last week or so. My time earmarked for this blog has decreased due to a new project and the looming tax due date. (FYI, updating the Gazette is a hobby that currently produces no revenue.)

Many people rely on the Gazette to publish local news and community event info that aren't available elsewhere on the Internet. For now, I intend to continue doing this as time permits.

Please consider doing a couple things if you enjoy reading the Gazette:

1. Sign up for a FREE email subscription to Linglestown Gazette so you are automatically notified when new stuff is posted on the blog. Again, it’s FREE! CLICK HERE to subscribe.

2. Sign up for the Gazette’s Twitter page to get notifications when new stuff is posted on the blog –AND- for breaking news about Linglestown, Lower Paxton Township and CD schools from The Patriot-News and local TV stations. And, yes, this is another FREE service. CLICK HERE to sign up.

Big meeting on tap … CD school board is scheduled to meet Monday evening, April 16, at 7 pm in the Lecture Hall of CD East High School. (If a large crowd shows up, the meeting might be moved to the middle school next door, according to The Patriot-News.)

Next year’s school budget that calls for massive teacher cuts is one of the items on the agenda. CLICK HERE to review the agenda. (Click on the link for the meeting in the upper, left-hand corner of the page.)

I submitted a request to speak about the budget during the public-comment portion of the meeting.

CLICK HERE for a preview of the meeting published Monday morning by The Patriot-News.

Village shopping updates … The Linglestown merchants are gearing up to host a special event called Linglestown Spring Fling on Saturday, May 5. To find out about how to spring into springtime with style, CLICK HERE.

Speaking of merchants, Gazette correspondent Q sent me a note about a nail place that opened in the space in the square that formerly was Shalyn’s Hair Studio and a craft place that located across the street. Please leave a comment if you know anything about these newbie businesses.

LP watchdog … There’s a backlog of reports in my inbox about Lower Paxton Township meetings from community group SWAN.

Fire damages Linglestown apartment building

2012-04-04T20:17:00.010-04:00

Linglestown, Colonial Park and Progress fire companies responded to an attic fire at a small apartment building on Blue Grass Avenue located near the Turkey Hill convenience store.

My wife and I spotted the fire trucks while on a walk to Amelia's Grocery Outlet to get a free copy of The Paxton Herald.

The arrow in the photo below points to one of the holes opened in the roof by firefighters. Click on the photo and map to view larger versions.

According to The Patriot-News, a construction worker was injured in the fire. CLICK HERE for more details from Linglestown Fire Company.

Is it necessary for CD to ax 74 teachers?

2012-04-01T18:28:00.010-04:00

Like many school districts in Pennsylvania, Central Dauphin is scrambling to find a way to keep the district solvent.

School administrators last week called for up to 84 employees, including 74 teachers, to lose their jobs and a 3.3 percent property tax increase to address a budget deficit and possible bankruptcy by 2015.

Based on a letter received by this blog from community activist Eric Epstein (pictured below), the justification for axing so many teachers is unclear, especially when there's no recommendation to reduce the number of district administrators.

Epstein wants district administrators to detail where over $1.5 million in recommendations for savings and revenue generation identified by Central Dauphin Task Force committees will be implemented or realized in the 2012-13 school budget.

The task force was modeled after one in West Chester, Pa., that found $3 million in either cost savings or revenue generation in the district's 2010-11 budget without furloughing dozens and dozens of teachers, according to Epstein.

With all this said, it's important to note that cutting teachers is a big-ticket item for reducing costs because the state pension system has started to jack up contributions from CD and other districts statewide. CLICK HERE for a recent story by The Patriot-News that mentions retirement costs near the end of the piece.

CLICK HERE to read Epstein's letter.
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Related links:

Update on CD's budget struggles published Monday, 4/2/12, by The Patriot-News.

Patriot-News columnist Nancy Eshelman says public schools crisis makes her blood boil.
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SAVE THE DATE — The next school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 16, 7 pm, the Lecture Hall of CD East High School.

Check out Linglestown weekend events

2012-03-29T20:13:00.007-04:00

SATURDAY

* Central Dauphin Band Boosters Spring Craft Show at the high school on Piketown Road from 9 am to 3 pm, free parking and admission.

* Drive-through Chicken BBQ at St. Thomas United Church of Christ located about a mile east of the village square, starts at 10 am, $7 donation — look for signs throughout the area about the BBQ.

* Safe Kids PA Workshop at 10 am at New Hope Church.

SUNDAY

Video: Bears love LP

2012-03-27T10:01:00.001-04:00