Signs of spring at Koons Park

The Easter Bunny showed up this morning at Koons Park for an egg hunt sponsored by New Hope Church.

Pictured are children waiting for the signal to begin the mad dash for eggs. About 15,000 eggs were placed in several areas on the football and softball fields.

Volunteer groundskeepers prep the teener/sandlot baseball field.

Big egg hunt at Koons Park on Saturday

CLICK HERE for more details.

Linglestown in the news

In today's The Patriot-News ...

* Caperoon's Plant Farm located near Linglestown to close its retail story. CLICK HERE for the story.

* The tax collection bureau that serves Lower Paxton Township and Central Dauphin School District continues to make not-so-good news. CLICK HERE for the story. CLICK HERE for background info.

More on upcoming tax ballot question

Voters in the Linglestown area have a chance on May 15 to weigh in on a proposed hike in the local income tax in exchange for lower school taxes for some property owners. CLICK HERE for a Q&A on the state's tax-relief plan widely known as Act 1.

Post a comment if you have questions about the referendum question that will appear on the spring primary ballot.
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Related posts:

* Tax scam?
* C.D. school board balks at tax-shift plan

More taxing news

The tax collection bureau that collects local income taxes for Lower Paxton Township and Central Dauphin School District is in a bit of hot water. CLICK HERE for details from The Patriot News.

Lower Paxton Township Supervisor David Blain is quoted near the end of the article.

Village committee gets new job

Now that the Route 39 improvement project is headed for final design, the Village of Linglestown Committee is ready to tackle a new task – zoning.

Simply put, zoning determines what kind of land uses are allowed in a specific area.

The committee’s goal is to make recommendations for special zoning regulations to help maintain the look and atmosphere of the historic section of the village. All zoning regulations developed by the committee would need to be approved by the Lower Paxton Township supervisors.

At the committee’s March 15 meeting, members responded to a request from Lower Paxton Township for feedback on two zoning issues:

* Recommended against allowing bring-your-own-bottle membership clubs in the village. Instead, members would like to discuss allowing BYOB at restaurants and other eateries.

* Strongly recommended against allowing drive-thru businesses – like bank branches and fast-food restaurants – in the village.

The committee's next meeting will be held on April 19 at 7 pm at Linglestown Fire Company's old firehouse.

Egg hunt at Koons Park

New Hope Church is sponsoring a Community Egg Hunt this Saturday, March 31, at Koons Park.

CLICK HERE for more details.

High times in Linglestown

Singer, storyteller and comedian extraordinaire Frank Cotolo makes an encore appearance tonight at St. Thomas Roasters coffeehouse near the village square, 8-10 pm.

Lower Paxton history meetup tonight

Lower Paxton Historical Society will hold a "Show and Tell" meeting at St. Thomas Roasters in the village of Linglestown on at Thursday, March 22 at 6 pm. Pictures and artifacts relating to the township's history will be shared.

Square project naysayers show up in force

The Patriot-News ran a letter today under the headline "Wasteful road project" about the planned Route 39 improvement project in village of Linglestown. The letter's author, Matt Raback of Lower Paxton Township, argues for the use of traffic lights instead of roundabouts at the square and Blue Mountain Parkway.

Subsequently, a post by Qfest on PennLive's Linglestown forum that linked to the letter touched off a wave of negative comments about the project. (See post #85.)

Most of the naysayers seem to be unaware of the full scope of the project – the $5 million will be used for much more than a roundabout at the square.

As for using traffic lights, if they were an easy fix for slowing down traffic and preventing long lines of cars at intersections, the township would have installed them years ago.

Check this blog's archives for more information about the highway and village improvement project. I'll endeavor to provide detailed information about all aspects of the project over the next few months.

Police nab park bullies

Two hoodlums who allegedly assaulted a youth at Koons Park are behind bars thanks to quick work by Lower Paxton Township police, according to a post on PennLive's Linglestown forum.

For more details, CLICK HERE and check out the "Update" post under item #83.

Government meetings of note

* Lower Paxton Township supervisors will conduct a business meeting Tuesday, March 20, at 7:30 pm at the municipal center, 425 Prince Street.

The meeting will be broadcast on channel 20 on Comcast cable.

* C.D. School Board will meet on Monday, March 26, at 7 pm in the Lecture Hall of C.D. East High School.

The school district's Web site provides detailed information on the board's activities, including meeting minutes.

Start pushed back for Rt. 39, square project

Construction on the Route 39 and village square improvements won't start until this fall, according to a representative with Arora and Associates, the engineering firm designing the project for Lower Paxton Township. Tentative plans announced late last year called for work to begin this spring.

The delay was caused by problems encountered nailing down the route of the planned Blue Mountain Parkway bypass.

Currently, the township is awaiting an approval from the state. Once the approval is in hand, township representatives will begin contacting property owners who will be directly impacted by the project.

Work on the final project design and construction bidding will take place this summer.

The project, which includes new sidewalks and other aesthetic features along Route 39 in the village, should be completed no later than the spring 2009.

Onion snow?

Gosh, I hope so. Weather prognosticators are calling for 6-10 inches, with the heaviest snow ending around 9 pm tonight.

Tax scam?

I've devoted a couple recent posts to the referendum on the May 15 primary ballot about a proposed tax-shift plan that would reduce property taxes for some property owners in the Central Dauphin School District.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the ballot question approved by the school board, and then CLICK HERE for an editorial from a paper in Norristown, Pa., that deems the plan to be a "scam at best."

IMPORTANT NOTE: You have to be registered to vote to have a say about this tax issue. The voter registration deadline is April 16. For information on how to register, call Dauphin County at (717) 780-6360.

Village briefs

* I've confirmed that Jimmy Griffiths, the barber who operated St. Thomas Barber Shop on the square, has relocated his shop to Progress Barber Shop.

* St. Thomas Roasters has installed a flat-screen TV near the front door that will display advertisements from local businesses. The same system is in use across the street at The Linglestown Chocolate Cafe.

* Speaking of the Chocolate Cafe, the restaurant's owners have decided not to install business signs on the church at this time. They apparently received an unsatisfactory ruling from the Lower Paxton Township Zoning Hearing Board last month.

* There was an assault earlier this week at Koons Park, according to a post on the Linglestown forum at PennLive.com. (See post #83.)

* Become a news spotter for Linglestown Gazette. Leave a comment or send email if you learn about interesting stuff happening in the village or nearby neighborhoods.

Things and stuff

* Has spring sprung? I doubt it, but today sure was a nice change of pace. High temp outside the Linglestown Gazette newsroom was a sunny 68 degrees. Nice!

* Now for a couple taxing matters ...

#1 - Capital Tax Collection Tax Bureau, a local agency that collects the 2-percent local tax from paychecks, seems to be underpaying Central Dauphin School District, Lower Paxton Township and several other nearby municipalities. According to The Patriot-News, the bureau has agreed to meet with local officials to discuss the problem. CLICK HERE to read the story.

By the way, Lower Paxton Township Supervisor David Blain has been spearheading the township's effort to make sure our tax dollars get to the right place.

#2 - Central Dauphin school board has finalized the tax-shift question that will appear on the May 15 primary election ballot. The issue is important to all renters and property owners. CLICK HERE for more details from The Patriot-News.

* Other notable tidbits ...

The Central Dauphn High School Alumni Association will be awarding $1,000 college scholarships to two members of the class of 2007. Applications are due by April 11, and are available at the association's Web site.

The Linglestown Garden Club is sponoring a trip on Wednesday, May 9 to Bucks County. Contact Heather Drothler at 234-8979 for the trip itinerary and other details.

Lower Paxton Historical Society will hold a "Show and Tell" meeting at St. Thomas Roasters in the village of Linglestown on Thursday, March 22 at 6 pm. Pictures and artifacts relating to the township's history will be shared.

This week's key public meetings

* Tonight, 7 pm -- C.D. School Board to meet in the Lecture Hall of C.D. East High School.

* Tuesday, 7:30 pm -- Lower Paxton Township supervisors will meet in a workshop session at the Muncipal Center on Prince Street; meeting will not be televised.

* Wednesday, 7 pm -- Lower Paxton Township Planning Commission will meet at the Muncipal Center on Prince Street; development plans will be discussed.

* Thursday, 7 pm -- Village of Linglestown Committee members are scheduled to hold their monthly meeting at Linglestown Fire Company (brick building).

Really big show at Roasters

Today is Friday, and you know what that means -- music at Roasters of course. That's St. Thomas Roasters located just off the square in the village of Linglestown.

Starting at around 8 pm, Frank Cotolo will amaze you with his guitar playing, singing, storytelling and off-the-cuff comedy.

Frank performed a song that I wrote during my political blogging days called "Knee Jerking Kind." It's about the state government pay-raise scandal that made big news during the summer of 2005. CLICK HERE to sample Frank's music.

Dunkin' Donuts opens near Linglestown

The Dunkin' Donuts franchise on Linglestown Road is open for business, according to a post by Qfest on PennLive's Linglestown forum.

Plan proceeds for condo community

Lower Paxton Township supervisors Tuesday night approved a sewerage plan for The Townes at Autumn View, an 18-unit condo community that will be constructed near Koons Park. The township will forward the plan to state environmental regulators for their review.

The development will be constructed off of Griffin Street between Warren Avenue and Jerome Boulevard. CLICK HERE for a map.
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In other news, the supervisors honored police and civilians at their Feb. 12 meeting. CLICK HERE for the story from The Patriot-News.

Finally, sorry to report that a Lower Paxton Township police officer was recently charged with indecent assault. CLICK HERE to read the story that ran in The Patriot-News on Feb. 28.

Spring primary election nears

Today is the last day for candidates for local government and school board posts to file nomination petitions with the state for the May 15 primary election.

Be sure to regularly check Linglestown Gazette for updates on the races that will appear on the ballot at village polling locations.

The ballot will also include an important question related to school taxes. CLICK HERE for a recent post related to this issue.

For those of you not registered to vote, you need to sign up by April 16 to vote on May 15. For voter registration information, call Dauphin County at (717) 780-6360.

LP supervisors meet Tuesday night

Lower Paxton Township supervisors will conduct a business meeting Tuesday, March 6, at 7:30 pm at the municipal center, 425 Prince Street.

The meeting will be broadcast on channel 20 on Comcast cable.

Rt. 39 congestion worsens

The Patriot-News reports today that a road widening project is being considered for Route 39 in Susquehanna Township. CLICK HERE to read the story.

Related post: Shopping center proposed along Route 39

New shop coming to Linglestown

A listing of real estate transactions reveals that First Impressions Boutique, Gifts & Design will soon open in the village of Linglestown in the new building located next to Linglestown Flowers & Gifts.

With recent retail business openings and the soon-to-be-started square improvement project, the village seems to have the potential to become a regional destination for boutique shops and eateries.

One example of a village that has made a name in regional tourism is Volant, Pa., located north of Pittsburgh just off of I-80. The village has a wide array of shops and restaurants.

I visited the Volant a few years ago. My wife and I stayed in a nice bed and breakfast in New Wilmington, home of Westminster College. It's only a short drive from New Wilmington to Volant.
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Hat tip to Q for the news tip.

Music at Roasters

Marie Smith is the featured artist at St. Thomas Roasters coffeehouse in Linglestown on Friday night starting around 8 pm. Please leave a comment if you are familiar with Marie's musical act.