Hey, I’ll drink to that!
Alan Miller and Albert de Bock, owner/operators of Linglestown-based microbrewery Millbock Brewing Company, are set to release a new beer Monday evening that they call Ale Killer Dogs IPA. CLICK HERE for detaiis.
If you’re not familiar with Millbock, some of the morning gang that hangs out at St. Thomas Roasters gave one their offerings a try a few months ago. CLICK HERE to read their reviews.
Central Dauphin School District officials late last week postponed Monday’s regular board meeting and rescheduled it for Thursday, May 30 to apparently buy time to put the finishing touches on a proposed budget for next school year.
The state-mandated deadline for adopting a preliminary budget is May 31, and at last word the district had a $2.3 million gap to fill.
Karen McConnell, the district’s top business administrator, has indicated in recent weeks that she and her staff have been fine-tuning various budget line items and weighing whether to increase the projected revenue from earned income taxes.
The board early this year agreed to cap a tax hike at 1.7 percent, which would raise a little over $1 million in new revenue.
The postponement of Monday’s board meeting prompted school board candidates Jay Purdy and Eric Epstein to question reason for the move. The district’s announcement on its website did not give a reason for the postponement. CLICK HERE to read a joint press released issued Saturday by Purdy and Epstein.
In Tuesday’s primary election, Purdy is challenging incumbent Chris Judd in region 3, and Epstein is taking on incumbent Linda Dallago in region 2.
____
Photo by The Patriot-News
St. Thomas United Church of Christ is now holding its annual blueberry sale. These are absolutely the biggest, juiciest and sweetest blueberries around, delivered within 24 hours of picking. They are great for freezing, and freezing instructions are included. Those of you who have ordered in the past will agree that these far surpass the berries found in supermarkets!.
Blueberries come in 10 pound boxes (13.5 pints) at a cost of $30.
Orders will arrive early in July, and should be picked up at the church, 6490 Linglestown Road. just one mile east of the Linglestown square. Your sales representative will call you with an exact delivery date when orders are finalized.
Place your order by calling the church office at 652-7259, and prepare for a real treat!
The Paxton Herald, which describes itself as “Central Pennsylvania’s Largest Weekly Newspaper,” is headquartered in Lower Paxton Twp. not far from Linglestown.
Newspaper? Well, that might be a bit of an overstatement because the publication has no reporters.
But it’s worth plunking down 35 cents to feast your eyes on sometimes laughable opinion pieces, community announcements, advertisements and the incredibly fun to read free classified listings.
I scraped together four items in this week’s edition that pertain to the greater Linglestown area:
#1 … The Paxton Herald trumpets on the front page above the fold that it endorses Eric Epstein and Jay Purdy for Central Dauphin school board and Robin Lindsey for Lower Paxton Twp. supervisor in next Tuesday’s primary election.
#2 … Sticking with local politics, you’ll find ads for school board candidate Eric Epstein and Lower Paxton supervisor hopefuls Lindsey and Joel Jukus.
#3 … Paxton Herald publisher Annette Antoun is a longtime supporter of two men who formerly ran the Manada Hill Inn on Route 39 east of the truckstops that was destroyed by fire in 2002. Up until recently they worked out of the Shellsville VFW.
Antoun reports in a brief item on page 2, section 1 that the guys are now doing their culinary wizardry at Linglestown American Legion located next to Hornung’s Ace Hardware.
By the way, an ad for the Legion says a new menu is being introduced on May 23. You need to be at least a social member to eat there and consume your favorite beverages. Plus, you can rent the activities hall for banquets and wedding receptions.
#4 … Rounding things out (and this is a bit of a stretch), Lower Paxton Twp. has a legal ad to inform the public that a hearing will be held June 4 on the proposed re-enactment of the township’s Storm Water Management Ordinance. If you have an interest in where rainwater goes after it hits the ground, show up at the municipal center at 7:30 pm to weigh in on the issue.
____
Please post a comment if you would like to see reviews of top stories in The Paxton Herald be a regular Gazette feature.
Do you believe it? Another weekend has rolled around, and that means it’s time for a little Backyard News action. So, fasten your seat belt, put on your helmet and let’s get to it.
Civics is cool … You betcha, especially when it comes to educating our kids. That was the focus of the SAVE CD SCHOOLS MEETUP held Tuesday. The event was sponsored by Citizens for CD Schools. If you didn’t attend, CLICK HERE to get in the know.
Training to vote … Tea Party Patriots of Central PA want to help you prep to vote in the May 21 primary election. They’re staging a “Meet the Candidates” event this Monday, May 13 at 7 pm. CLICK HERE for more info.
Fore! … Congrats go out to the Panther Ram Foundation for holding what appeared to be a successful first-ever golf tournament Wednesday at Colonial Golf & Tennis Club. The group is raising funds for academics, arts and athletics in the Central Dauphin School District.
And a special Gazette hat tip goes to Jim Enders for placing B² in a foursome that took home top honors in the hacker division. He was paired with Bill Berkoben and CD East football coaches Nate Mahon and Jim Owens.
Java drinking tunes … The master of impromptu songwriting, Frank Cotolo, is ready to do his thing Friday evening at St. Thomas Roasters coffee house in Linglestown, 8-10 pm, no cover. To get a taste of entertainment Frank style, CLICK HERE for a vintage clip from YouTube.
Island baseball smackdown … CD and CD East baseball squads will be playing two Friday at Metro Bank Park, home of the Harrisburg Senators. The junior varsity game starts at 4 pm and the varsity first pitch is set for 7 pm. Due to possible thunderstorms, the varsity game’s first pitch has been changed to 3:45 pm and the JV game will start soon after the first game ends. Suggested donations for admission are $4 for adults, $2 students. Also, the teams will be saluting all active and retired service members before the varsity game.
Tanker fire impacts Linglestown … Check out the Gazette’s Facebook page for photos of the daylong traffic jam Thursday in the village caused by the tanker fire that closed down a section of I-81.
Fling into spring … The village of Linglestown is the place to be all day this Saturday, that’s May 4, for what is known around these parts as Spring Fling. The village merchants are doing their darn best to pitch a good time. Get all the details HERE.
Live music tripleheader at you know where … Yup, St. Thomas Roasters coffee house in the Linglestown square will be ushering in springtime weather with steel guitar blues guy Sterling Koch on Friday, classic rockers Dave Evans and Diaspora on Saturday, and the weekend wraps up with a Bluegrass Jam on Sunday. Show times are 8-10 pm Friday and Saturday, and 1-4 pm Sunday.
Wine anyone? … Linglestown Gathering Place, the new place beside La Piazza of Linglestown, will host a local wine tasting this Saturday, May 4 starting a 6 pm. Head over HERE for more info.
Get healthy tip … Bodyweight exercises are amazing! Master a perfect squat or push up without any weights. You’ll still get a great workout. This tip courtesy of Core Results in the Linglestown Plaza on N. Mountain Road, the place Gazette publisher B² goes to prep for the fast approaching swimsuit season.
Welcoming a new merchant … Subway in the N. Mountain Road plaza anchored by Amelia’s will be holding a grand opening Saturday, May 11. Stop by for a deal on footlongs.
What’s happening? … Be sure to check out the Gazette’s Community Calendar to stay in the know. And, for breaking news, take a virtual stroll over to the blog’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
You have two options Saturday to kick back, sip some java and feast on live music in the village of Linglestown:
Guitar/folk tunes by Joe Cooney at St. Thomas Roaster, You can sample Joe’s music HERE.
Or, chill out with jazz sounds at recently opened Linglestown Gathering Place located across the street from Roasters.
Both shows are free and start at 8 pm.
For a full listing community events, visit the Gazette’s calendar page.
Golf anyone?
The recently revived Panther Ram Foundation is hard at work raising funds to support art, athletic and a food-for-needy-students programs in Central Dauphin School District, and they’re gearing up for a golf fundraiser early next month.
Gazette publisher B² is looking for 3 readers to play in the Pather Ram Foundation golf tourney at Colonial Ridge on Wednesday, May 8, noon. Cost is $125 per person.
If interested, send email to B² at: linglestowngazette@gmail.com
Gazette update … Things have been over the top busy in and around the Gazette newsroom of late, leaving little energy and time for adding new stuff to this space. But things are cookin’ over at the Gazette’s Facebook and Twitter pages, so head over there for daily updates on things going down in the Linglestown area and Central Dauphin School District.
Linglestown = finger snappin’ tunes … The biggest, baddest secret about the village section of Linglestown is that it’s a mecca – yes, a mecca – for free, live music. This weekend at St. Thomas Roasters check out Betsy Barnacle on Friday and the always popular group Rayzen Kane on Saturday, 8-10 pm both nights. And, if you like jazz, head to the Linglestown Gathering Place on Saturday, April 27 for Trez Jazz Music Allstars starting at 8 pm.
abc27 reporter Megan Healey
Save the date, pretty please … Gazette publisher B² and his comrades with Citizens for CD Schools have been busy prepping for a big shindig on Tuesday, May 7 that will feature CD grad and freshman state Senator Rob Teplitz, some of the Central Dauphin school board candidates competing in the May 21 primary election and WHTM abc27 weekend news anchor Megan Healey. Please save this date to get crash course on what’s happening with your public schools. CLICK HERE for all the dope on the must-attend May 7 civic event.
Get stuff off your chest … You have a chance to share what’s on your mind about Central Dauphin schools this Monday, April 22 when the school board holds an hour-long public comment period starting at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be held in the lecture hall at CD East High.
County officials coming your way … Sticking with the meeting theme, Dauphin County commissioners will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, April 23 from 8 – 10 am to highlight county programs. Plus, breakfast will be available. RSVP today by calling (717) 780-6300 or send email to Jspandler@dauphinc.org.
Celebrate the season … Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 4 to attend the Spring Fling hosted by the Linglestown Merchants’ Association. The daylong event will feature great food, music and shopping specials. This will be a great chance for you to stroll through Linglestown and check out everything the ole village has to offer.
New local eye candy … I double dare you to CLICK HERE to check out Linglestown’s newest website.
Eric Epstein (Photo by The Patriot-News)
Lower Paxton resident and Central Dauphin school board candidate Eric Epstein will appear Thursday evening on TV WITF Smart Talk from about 8:30 – 9:00 pm to discuss government reform. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s a freaking boring topic.
BUT Eric is a trip and he’ll be entertaining despite the topic.
Eric is known far and wide in Pennsylvania for being a state government reform advocate. He’s the founder of Rock The Capital.
Locally, he heads up Lower Paxton watchdog group Stray Winds Area Neighbors and is an active member of the CD High alumni association.
State Sen. Rob Teplitz will be on the show too. He is among those spearheading an attempt to clean up the way the state General Assembly operates.
Changes brewing with the Gazette … Recent happenings have shown a big need for this blog to become the go-to source of local news for the greater Linglestown area. But here’s the deal – B² is going to need help from readers like you to make this happen. Watch this space on your internet for more details.
Bluegrass Jam this Sunday … There’s nothing like a bunch of accomplished hayseeds gathering on the porch at St. Thomas Roasters coffee house in Linglestown to bang out sweet-sounding bluegrass tunes. It’s free, fun and coming your way this Sunday, April 7, 1:00–4:00 pm.
Hat tip to good citizens … A group of Linglestown Area Civic Association members recently picked up trash on Linglestown Road and N. Mountain Road in the village. Also, the newly formed Women in Action group hauled away bags and bags of crap from the stretch of Colonial Club Drive that runs along I-81. Folks, you are fine Americans!
Change of plans … Central Dauphin School Board president Ford Thompson informed the Gazette that the special session for public comments has been moved from April 8 to April 22. Hey, that means you have extra time to get your thoughts together.
Rob Teplitz
Save the dates … Watchdog group Citizens for CD Schools is planning to stage a Central Dauphin school board candidates’ night on Tuesday, May 7 at a location to be announced. There are two contested races that could be decided in the primary election, so please drop everything right now and mark these important dates on your calendar – May 7 candidates’ night and May 21 primary election. And, as an added bonus, our new state senator, Rob Teplitz, will be the keynote speaker at the May 7 meeting. Senator Teplitz is an honors graduate from CD High.
Jay Purdy
Purdy for the People … Sticking with the school theme, CD school board candidate Jay Purdy has launched a Facebook page. Jay is challenging incumbent Chris Judd in the May 21 primary.
Still feelin’ good pain … Hey, that sounds like a great song title. Actually, feelin’ good pain describes what Gazette publisher B² continues to experience thanks to his ongoing fitness-training program at Core Results located on N. Mountain Road. Last checkup on March 19 showed that he is melting away around his waist and hips, and overall strength and posture are massively improved since late October last year. Give Steve a call at (717) 540-0701 if you want to get in shape for the upcoming swimsuit season.
I’ll return next week with more stuff about the Linglestown area. — Llinglestown Gazette publisher Bill Bostic aka B² (The photo was secretly taken by an unidentified photographer at my satellite office in St. Thomas Roasters coffee house. I found it on a Foursquare page.)
A commentary by
Linglestown Gazette publisher Bill Bostic, aka B²
There exists a Grand Canyon-sized difference of opinion between Central Dauphin school board members and the public on whether the board goes about its work in an open and transparent way.
If you took a poll, school board members would give themselves a unanimous thumbs-up and the public probably would say “are you freaking kidding me?”
Does the board deserve this bad rap? Probably not, but elected bodies that have the power to tax are going to be held in low esteem by most people.
More to the point, I believe the board consistently does things that don’t help their cause one iota.
The biggest one, in my opinion, is holding secret, behind-closed-door meetings prior to every public meeting and not giving taxpayers a hint on what their huddling over. This practice has a long history in the district and is not one used by other local governmental bodies that I’ve been associated with.
And it doesn’t help that board members rarely interact in a meaningful way with citizens who are gutsy enough to address the board during the public comment portion of meetings.
If you locked me in a room and interrogated me about the board’s performance, I would confidently say that the jury is still out on whether the board deserves the low grades on openness and integrity, and I want to work to put this issue to bed.
And that work is under way.
I helped start Citizens for CD Schools last fall for starters. And Tuesday evening, that’s March 26, the group is bringing in an expert to educate the public and school officials about state laws that govern the way school boards conduct public meetings. Please consider attending. I promise you it will be painless and worth your while.
The meeting will start at 7 pm at the Lower Paxton Township Municipal Building located at 425 Prince Street in Colonial Park.
I’m not playing a game of gotcha with school officials by raising these issues. The goal simply is to help the board get to a better place with the public so everyone can focus on providing the very best education for our kids.