Linglestown in the news

"Super-taster" Geof Smith of St. Thomas Roasters got his mug in today's edition of The Patriot-News. He was featured in a story about pros who use their taste buds to benefit customers. CLICK HERE to read the story. (Scroll down page to "Coffee breaks.")

Photo credit: Christine Baker, The Patriot-News

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Koons Pool gets help from Lower Paxton Township supervisors to fix old pump. CLICK HERE for more details from The Patriot-News.

Linglestown Memorial Day Parade scenes

Traveling wall of fallen Pennsylvania heroes in the war on terror.



Contingent of marchers from Linglestown Fire Company.



The only marching band in this year's parade was from Bishop McDevitt High School.



Jay & The Jingos played patriot music while on the move. The three-piece band had a drummer, keyboardist and trumpeter jammed in the back of a pickup.

Koons Pool update

Koons Park Pool won't open this weekend due to a pump failure. Bummer!

Opening day has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 2.

Music at Roasters

Singer-songwriter Frank Cotolo will grace the stage at St. Thomas Roasters coffee shop tonight starting around 8 pm.

Frank sings his own versions of popular tunes from all eras and ages and keeps the audience guessing what he will do, say or play next. He's likely to throw in a few patriotic songs to kick off the big holiday weekend.

Village briefs

* Linglestown's Memorial Day Parade will be held this Monday, May 28 starting at 1 pm. There are good places to watch the festivities at Koons Park along Balthaser Avenue, along Linglestown Road from Balthaser Avenue to the square, and near the reviewing stand at the square.

* Speaking of the parade, Cub Scouts of Pack 10 will be marching in the parade for the Scouts Supporting Soldiers program. Donations of toiletries, sunscreen, lip balm, small books (Readers Digest, Guideposts, etc.), hard candy and other snacks will be collected from spectators along the parade route.

* It looks like Koons Pool is about ready to open this weekend. The long-range weather forecast calls for warm temperatures with a chance of showers and thunderstorms over the holiday weekend.

* Geo's Family Restaurant apparently has moved to the Country Oven at the Best Western on Mountain Road. Please leave a comment if you have more details.

* New Hope Church, 584 Colonial Club Drive, is sponsoring two concerts in the coming weeks – The Galloways on June 15 at 7:30 pm, and Kirk Talley on July 21 at 7 pm.

* Please send an e-mail to Linglestown Gazette if you have something to share about Linglestown – news, historical tidbits, information about upcoming events are welcomed. Click on "View my complete profile" in the right-hand sidebar to locate the editor's e-mail link.

C.D. school tax hike in the works.

Central Dauphin School Board approved a tentative budget Monday night that calls for a 5.12 percent tax boost. CLICK HERE for details from The Patriot-News.

Bambi visits Linglestown

During an almost-daily walk around Koons Park with my dog early Saturday evening, I spotted a young deer in the park's main parking lot near the salt dome.

It ran and leaped between the tennis courts and softball field and then onto the football field. After encountering the fence that runs along the gridiron, the deer exited the park and ran through the parking lot of the former medical building. I lost sight of it at that point.

This Bambi took some massive leaps!

My dog didn't bark. He seemed to be amazed like me at what we were witnessing.

Fortunately the park was nearly devoid of people at the time.

Village committee meets tonight

The Village of Linglestown Committee is supposed to hold its regular monthly meeting at Linglestown Fire Company at 7 pm tonight. The meeting room is located in the front of the brick building.

On last check back in March, the committee was working on zoning issues.

Guess who's coming to town??

Professional wrestling legend Sgt. Slaughter is scheduled to make an appearance at Susquehanna Valley Harley-Davidson on Allentown Blvd. this Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.

Linglestown election results

In the C.D. school board race, incumbent Ford Thompson and Christian Melesic were top voter getters in Region 3, which includes the Linglestown area. CLICK HERE for a recap from The Patriot-News.

The other item of interest was the ballot question on school taxes, commonly referred to as Act 1. Voters in C.D. School District said a resounding "no" to the proposed local income tax hike to raise money to lower property taxes. (63 percent voted "no"; 37 percent voted "yes")

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported this morning that only four school districts statewide approved the tax shift. No districts located in the Harrisburg region approved the referendum.

CLICK HERE for a recap on the Act 1 vote from The Patriot-News.

Tidbits, things and stuff

* Not about Linglestown but worth mentioning ... Pittsburgh newspaper describes Harrisburg as a happenin' place. Be sure to check out the slideshow.

* I received an e-mail from Jim Griffiths, longtime owner of St. Thomas Barbershop that unexpectedly closed early this year when the shop lost its lease. He hopes to open another shop in Linglestown in the near future. In the meantime, Jim's cutting hair at Progress Barbershop. Call him at 571-5124 for a hair appointment or for his work hours.

* From today's edition of The Patriot-News:

– Details on Dauphin County's recycling event at HACC this Saturday.

– Lower Paxton Township supervisors give preliminary approval for a large housing development at the former Stray Winds Farm.

* Linglestown Legion will holds its annual Memorial Day Parade in the village of Linglestown on Monday, May 28 at 1 pm.

Restaurant fire in Linglestown area

Firefighters responded early this morning to a fire at the Country Oven restaurant on North Mountain Road. CLICK HERE for details from WHP TV-21.

Three vie for two school board seats

Yard and painting chores got in the way of filing election previews over the weekend. So, here's a quickie on the C.D. school board race in the Linglestown area.

OVERVIEW: Ford Thompson, Christian Malesic and George Shultz will appear on both the Republican and Democratic ballots. None of the candidates have Web sites. Voters will be asked to select two candidates. School board members receive no compensation.

Ford Thompson is completing his first term of office and seems to have considerable support for re-election. One of his campaign volunteers distributed door hangers in my neighboorhood over the weekend.

Quick bio: age 65; public administrator for state government; married, two daughters.

Below are random notes about Thompson:

- He has been endorsed by The Paxton Herald.

- Jay Purdy, a former Lower Paxton Townhip supervisor who is running for the office again, urges voters to re-elect Thompson as school director. According to Purdy, Thompson has earned respect as a school director dedicated to quality education for our children while getting the most out of our tax dollars.

- CLICK HERE for a letter about Thompson published by The Patriot-News. (Scroll down to item entitled "Thompson is focused.")

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Christian Malesic has been campaigning via signs and mailings. He caught some flak for using the C.D. School District logo on his mailer. I spotted Malesic in my neighborhood campaigning this past Saturday afternoon.

Quick bio: age 38; president/CEO of two businesses, CM Squared electricians and The Malesic Group property rental; married, two daughters.

CLICK HERE for a couple letters about Malesic published by The Patriot-News. (Scroll down to item entitled "Malesic cares"; go to page 2 for item entitled "Was not endorsed.")

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George Shultz has campaign signs posted in the Linglestown area, and he has been endorsed by The Paxton Herald.

Quick bio: age 56; mental health solicitor for Dauphin County, has private law practice; single.

Legion's cookin' BBQ chicken

News tip from Linglestown Gazette reader Q:

Linglestown American Legion will be serving up BBQ chicken on Saturday. CLICK HERE for more details.

Tax question is key vote in May 15 primary

This is the first in a series of bite-sized posts to help you prepare to vote in the primary election next Tuesday.

In my view, the key issue on the ballot is Act 1, which is a state-mandated question about school taxes.

Act 1 offers a tax shift: pay a higher local income tax to get a property tax cut.

Will you get an overall tax cut? Maybe, and for Linglestown residents who get one, it will be less than a buck a day – not enough to buy a cup of Joe at the new Dunkin Donuts shop.

The problem with a tax shift is that it creates winners and losers. With Act 1, senior citizens who own their homes and homeowners with incomes below a break-even point get a tax cut, while renters and middle- and high-income homeowners get hit with a tax hike.

In Central Dauphin School District, the earned income tax would rise to 1.9 percent, up from 1.5 percent, which would result in a $330 tax cut starting the second year under the revised tax setup; the estimated tax cut the first year is $231. Households with earned income of more than $82, 500 would pay more in taxes than under the current system.

Based on newspaper accounts, few who are fully informed about Act 1 are supporting it. Instead of a tax shift, many citizens and school board members want state lawmakers to lower or eliminate property taxes by revising the way public education is funded.

IMPORTANT NOTE – Voters who are registered independent or with a third party CAN cast a vote on Act 1.

Links to check out:

* Background information posted on Linglestown Gazette

* Reform group PACleanSweep recommends a "no" vote on Act 1.

* The Patriot-News: Will tax-relief promise ring hollow again?

* Act 1 tax calculator for homeowners in C.D. School District

C.D. schools ban bullying

Central Dauphin school directors voted Monday night to adopt a policy that prohibits bullying, including cyber bullying.

Bullying is nothing new, but it's become a huge issue in education circles as violence in schools has escalated. Doing a Google search for "school bullying" results in 1.75 million links.

CLICK HERE for a story from The Patriot-News about Central Dauphin's policy.

LP Historical Society offers daytrip to Gettysburg

Lower Paxton Historical Society is headed to Gettysburg this Saturday, and you're invited. CLICK HERE for more details.

Got electronic junk, old tires?

Dauphin County is sponsoring a Community Reycling Day on Saturday, May 19, 2007. CLICK HERE for details.

Village postcard

Pictured is a barn located along Blue Mountain Parkway about a quarter mile from Linglestown Road.

Notice the mix of old and new -- hovering over the barn, you can see the cell tower at the Linglestown Life United Methodist Church, which is located a block north of the village square.

Linglestown area in The Patriot-News

* Lower Paxton Township supervisors approve scaled-back audit of Capital Tax Collection Bureau. CLICK HERE for background info.

* Fundraising has started for skateboard park in Lower Paxton Township's George Park off Nyes Road.

* Retiring Central Dauphin High School principal noted for forging strong bond with state police.

Koons Pool readying for swim season

Preparations have started to open Koons Memorial Park Pool by Memorial Day weekend (weather permitting, of course).

According the club's newsletter, the pool is able to reopen because some members have taken over for retiring pool board members.

Call 652-5684 for membership information.

Also, life guards are needed. To apply, call 652-3228 and ask for Jennifer Smith.

Koons Park scene

Girl's softball action today in game between Linglestown (at bat) and Paxtonia.

Lower Paxton Township meetings

Board of Supervisors meets tonight at 7:30 pm at the muncipal center, 425 Prince Street. Live TV coverage can be viewed on Comcast cable's Channel 20.

On a related matter, meeting minutes into March 2007 are now available on the township's Web site.

Other meetings this week:

Wed., May 2 - Arts Council, Friendship Center, 4:15 pm
Wed., May 2 - Greenway Committee, Friendship Center, 6 pm
Wed., May 2 - Parks & Recreation Board, Friendship Center, 7:30 pm