Linglestown bulletin board

* Saturday, Feb. 2 – Softball Association of Linglestown spring registration from 9 am - noon at Linglestown Fire Hall. For girls age 6 (tee ball) through 12th grade (teeners). First-time players must bring copy of birth certificate. Contact Sandy Neihart at 554-2221.

* Linglestown Life, located just north of the square, invites Gazette readers to get 2008 started in a positive way with a series of worship celebrations that will feature the theme New Year – New You. Services on Sunday morning begin at 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 am.

This week come and benefit from a message entitled What Matters Most: 3 Truths for Every Day.

Upcoming events, miscellaneous stuff ...

* Friday, Feb. 8, 8 – 10 pm … Frank Cotolo provides musical entertainment during his "giveaway night" show at St. Thomas Roasters.

* Saturday, Feb. 23, 10 am – 4 pm … Girls of Grace Nation, hosted by Linglestown Life

Sex, dating, fashion and relationships! Live via satellite - Join the women of Point of Grace, Susie Shellenberger, Barlow Girl, StellarKart, and more as they get real about topics facing girls today like: sex, dating, fashion and what it means to have a TRUE relationship with Christ. And of course there will be music, and lots of it. Plus, a surprise guest appearance by an incredibly popular TV star!

Tickets just $15 include lunch, Girlshop and door prizes; limited seating available; call 545-5200 to purchase tickets; CLICK HERE for more info.

* Friday, March 7, 7 – 8 pm … CyberSafety: Protecting Your Kids and Teens Online, hosted by Linglestown Life

While children physically may be alone in a room using the computer, once someone is logged onto the Internet, he or she is no longer alone. Make attending this event a priority on your calendar. Special Agent Dennis Guzy from the PA State Attorney General's Office will be presenting this program to parents only to help you talk to your child about the potential dangers of the Internet such as exposure to inappropriate material, sexual solicitation, harassment and bullying. FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

* CLICK HERE to learn how recycling magazines and other types of glossy paper can help Ronald McDonald House of Hershey.

* The Linglestown Women's Club has college scholarships available for Central Dauphin High seniors. Applications are available in the school office. For more info, call Cathy Grove at 652-0768.

The Republicans are coming!

The Dauphin County Republicans will host a campaign petition signing party for three candidates this Saturday, Feb. 2, from 10 am to noon at St. Thomas Roasters coffee house located near the Linglestown square:

* State Sen. Jeffrey Piccola and state Rep. Ron Marsico, both longtime officeholders who are seeking re-election.

* First-time candidate Toni Gilhooley who hopes to challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Holden of Schuylkill County. Gilhooley is a 25-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police and a resident of Lower Paxton Township.

One or more of the candidates will be at Roasters to rub elbows with customers.

Flagpole trivia

There's been some talk on the Web about the monument that’s leaning on the flagpole on its teeny, tiny island in the village square. Today, risking life and limb, I weaved my way through traffic to get a photo of the monument to solve the mystery of what is inscribed on it.

Now, you can download a copy of the photo, and take it to your favorite one-hour photo place to get a print. Next, display it in a prominent place in your vehicle so you can refer to it when you are giving out-of-towners a tour of our town.

In other news, Gazette congrats go out to Katie Berkowitz, a senior at Central Dauphin High School, for being named student of the month for January by the Rotary Club of Colonial Park.

Tuesday tidbits

* On the floor of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Rep. Ron Marsico today recognized the Central Dauphin High School girls' soccer team for being crowned state co-champions last spring.


* Today’s The Patriot-News has a disturbing editorial about the culture at the tax collection bureau that serves residents in the Linglestown area and other communities in the Harrisburg region. Kudos to CD school director Justin McShane (pictured) for taking a stand for taxpayers.

Monday menagerie

CD sports 'Ram tough' … CD Rams wrestling makes history with five picks on The Patriot-News Big 14, and eight was great for CD grapplers Saturday at the New Oxford Invitational Wrestling Tournament.

CD Rams girls b-ballers well-balanced attack was unkind Saturday to Altoona. The Lady Rams are one win away from wrapping up a division title.

CD schools due refund from tax bureau ... Central Dauphin and eight other school districts will receive payments for overcharges and interest totaling $241,435 from the Capital Tax Collection Bureau on Friday. CLICK HERE for details from today’s The Patriot-News.

Crime watch ... Police are seeking tips on a fast-working crook that ripped off a Christian bookstore, other businesses.

Lower Paxton Township Police Department asks for help in tracking down two persons who were going door-to-door offering carpet cleaning services. If you have info, call the police at 657-5656 or the department's anonymous tip line at 635-2606

Day tripin’ to DC ... I spent Saturday in the nation’s capital taking in a photo exhibit – my teenage daughter is an aspiring photographer. Travel into the big city was made easy by taking a Metro train from Shady Grove, Md., which is about a two-hour drive from Linglestown. CLICK HERE for map to the transit station.

Tight budget could delay village improvements

Lower Paxton Township officials have said in recent months that the budget for the Linglestown improvement project is tight due to rising construction costs.

The township has about $4 million socked away for construction costs. If the lowest bid comes in significantly higher than $4 million, the project could be temporarily shelved while state and local officials try to line up additional funding.

PennDOT, the state’s transportation agency, is expected to bid the project early this summer.

Planned improvements include two traffic roundabouts, decorative streetlights, benches, stamped concrete sidewalks and trees.
_____________________

Funding sources:

Lower Paxton Township has received the following funding commitments for upgrades to the village: $2.65 million in a federal Transportation Bill earmark, $1.9 million from PennDOT, and $638,445 in grant money from the state's Hometown Street program. In addition, the township was awarded a $700,000 local grant from Dauphin County.

Some of the money has been used for design costs and acquisition of right-of-ways.

TGIF Linglestown

Big Brother riding CD buses …

Central Dauphin School District is installing a $200,000 surveillance system on its school buses. CLICK HERE for the story and a video report from WHP CBS-21.

Something political …

State Senator Jeffrey Piccola, whose district includes the Linglestown area, is seeking re-election. CLICK HERE for the article that appeared in today’s The Patriot-News.

Shameless plug department …

I was interviewed this morning by Rob of Colonial Park and Nate of Perry County on Internet radio show Morning Cup of Joe Show. CLICK HERE to listen.

Linglestown bulletin board

* Saturday, Jan. 26 – Linglestown Fire Co. #1 will holds its annual mid-winter homemade 2-soup dinner at the firehouse. The dinner will begin at 11:00 am and end when the supplies of chicken corn soup and ham and bean soup are sold.

* Saturday, Jan. 26 – Linglestown Baseball Association will hold its final youth baseball sign-up from 9 am to noon at the Linglestown Baseball Clubhouse at Koons Park. Age requirements are girls ages 5 - 7, and boys 5 and older as of 4/30/2008. Proof of age required for first-time players.

CLICK HERE for a listing of Linglestown-area sports sign-ups for basketball, lacrosse and softball.

* Linglestown Life, located just north of the square, invites Gazette readers to get 2008 started in a positive way with a series of worship celebrations that will feature the theme New Year – New You. Services on Sunday morning begin at 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 am.

This week come and benefit from the second of a two-part message entitled A New View on Problems.

* New Hope Church is offering encouragement and tips for creating a new you with a sermon series called Hope and Health for 2008. This week's message is entitled Let’s Get Real.

Service starts at 10 am. Come as you are – no need to wear your Sunday best. CLICK HERE for map.

Upcoming events, miscellaneous stuff ...

* CLICK HERE to learn how recycling magazines and other types of glossy paper can help Ronald McDonald House of Hershey.

* The Linglestown Women's Club has college scholarships available for Central Dauphin High seniors. Applications are available in the school office. For more info, call Cathy Grove at 652-0768.

Village residents have chance to get public water

The only outstanding issue for the design of the Linglestown improvement project is whether public drinking-water will be provided to village residents who live along Route 39.

All properties in the historic section of the village have private wells, and many of them were hand dug decades ago and are only 50-80 feet deep.

According to a resident at last week’s meeting of the Village of Linglestown Committee, old wells in the village will eventually fail, and currently it costs as much as $6,000 to drill a new one. Two wells near the square went dry last summer, he said.

If owners of 70 of the 100 properties in the village agree to hook up to a public water system, United Water Pennsylvania will run a line through the village and charge a tap-in fee of $500 to $1,500 per property. (The final figure will depend on how many properties hook up.) Property owners would also have to pay a plumber to run a line to connect a home or business to the public water line and shutdown the private well.

Village committee member Bill Minsker said owners of about half of the properties have expressed interest in getting public water service.

The village committee needs to make a final decision on the water issue by mid-March. For more information, contact the Lower Paxton Township municipal office.

Other updates ...

* The Linglestown forum on PennLive.com is awfully quiet these days.

* Linglestown Fire Company, along with several other crews, responded Monday night to a fire that heavily damaged the Penn Harris Gun Club in Lower Swatara Township, and helped extract a driver of a minivan on its roof Wednesday evening on Colonial Road at the entrance to Weis Markets.

* After nearly 60 years in business, Joseph A. Rosi Jewelers, 4636 Jonestown Road, is preparing to shut its doors.

Renovations to make motoring a bit tricky

The community renovation project planned to start in Linglestown this summer includes a total rebuild of Route 39 (Linglelstown Road) from one end of the village to the other. In short, the main drag through town will be a mess for a year or so.

Once construction crews get rolling, vehicular traffic most likely will be restricted to one way heading in a westward direction.

Through traffic heading eastbound toward the village will be stopped somewhere before reaching the new fire station. My guess is Country Club Drive and Ranger Road will see significant increases of traffic as locals wind their way through the village on an assortment of side streets.

The bypass or loop road connecting Linglestown Road to Blue Moutain Parkway will be the first thing constructed. Residents who live along Blue Mountain Parkway will be able to use the new connector road after traffic restrictions are put in place.

Flagpole to take a rest

The flagpole that's been located in the square in Linglestown for close to a century is coming down – temporarily.

Plans for a village-wide improvement project call for the pole to be taken down during the early stages of construction tentatively slated to start this summer.

If all goes as planned, the project will be completed sometime in 2009 – and the flagpole will have a new home at the center of the square's roundabout.

In other news, Gazette man-about-town Q reports that St. Thomas Restaurant in the square is now open for business.

Another exclusive update on planned village renovations will be posted tomorrow.

Dirt to fly in Linglestown this summer

The Linglestown makeover project that features two roundabouts and new sidewalks most likely won’t break ground until sometime this summer, according to discussions at last week's meeting of the Village of Linglestown Committee.

Jeff Case, the project’s lead designer with Aurora and Associates, P.C. engineering firm, said ongoing work to secure right-of-way agreements from about 100 property owners along Linglestown Road and Blue Mountain Parkway needs to be completed before construction bids can be requested.

Case and Lower Paxton Township manager George Wolfe are scheduled to meet with state transportation officials this week to discuss right-of-way issues. The next communication property owners will receive from the township is a formal financial offer for giving construction crews access to private property to improve roadways, sidewalks and the village square.

Check back daily this week for updates on the Linglestown square and streetscape project.

L.P supervisors meeting on tap

The Lower Paxton Township supervisors will conduct their final business meeting for January on Tuesday night at 7:30 pm, Township Municipal Center, 425 Prince Street. Comcast cable subscribers can view a live broadcast of the meeting on channel 20.

The meeting agenda was not been posted on the township's Web site when this post was published.

CD High students get political

CLICK HERE for a story from today's The Patriot-News about a mock presidential primary held at the high school Thursday. I have some parenting work to do on citizenship – my daughter didn't vote.

CLICK HERE for a video report from WHTM abc27 News.

Linglestown bulletin board

* Friday, Jan. 18 – Central Dauphin High School students will present a black-and-white photography exhibit entitled Facing the Demons Within, 7 pm, Der Harrisburg Maennerchor, 221 North Street, Harrisburg. CLICK HERE for more info.

* Friday, Jan. 18 – Grantville resident and former Hollywood insider Frank Cotolo will once again grace the stage at St. Thomas Roasters with music, storytelling and jokes, 8-10 pm, no cover. The coffee house is located just west of the village square. Frank is a sure bet to make you smile and dance.

* Linglestown Baseball Association youth baseball sign-ups will be held January 19 and 26, 9 am to noon and January 23, 6 pm to 7 pm. All sign-ups are at the Linglestown Baseball Clubhouse at Koons Park. Age requirements are girls ages 5 - 7, and boys 5 and older as of 4/30/2008. Proof of age required for first-time players.

NEW FEATURE!!! * CLICK HERE for a listing of Linglestown-area sports sign-ups for basketball, lacrosse, roller hockey and softball.

* Linglestown Life, located just north of the square, invites Gazette readers to get 2008 started in a positive way with a series of worship celebrations that will feature the theme New Year – New You. Services on Sunday morning begin at 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 am.

This week come and benefit from the first of a two-part message entitled A New View on Problems.

* New Hope Church is offering encouragement and tips for creating a new you with a sermon series called Hope and Health for 2008. This week's message is entitled Letting Go ...

Service starts at 10 am. Come as you are – no need to wear your Sunday best. CLICK HERE for map.

Upcoming events, miscellaneous stuff ...

* Saturday, Jan. 26 – Linglestown Fire Co. #1 will holds its annual mid-winter homemade 2-soup dinner at the firehouse.

* CLICK HERE to learn how recycling magazines and other types of glossy paper can help Ronald McDonald House of Hershey.

* The Linglestown Women's Club has college scholarships available for Central Dauphin High seniors. Applications are available in the school office. For more info, call Cathy Grove at 652-0768.

Hump day news ‘n notes

The opening of a pool hall/arcade was reported yesterday. Thanks to a loyal Gazette reader, below are details about The Game Room, 5817 Linglestown Rd., ½ mile west of the Square:

Operating hours – Monday through Thursday, 2:30-10; Friday, 2:30-11; Saturday, 12-11; Sunday, 12-10

Pool tables – Air hockey – Dance dance revolution – Over 30 arcade games including basketball – Juke box – Dance floor – Concession stand – Seating area with board games available – Party packages for all occasions

For more info call 649-8583 or e-mail harrisburggameroom@comcast.net.
_________________

Congratulations to Sarah Loser, grade 7, for winning the Linglestown Middle School spelling bee. Danielle Nagle, grade 6, placed second and Noelle Frisco, grade 6, placed third.
_________________

The Village of Linglestown Committee will be discussing the planned square improvement project during their regular monthly meeting tomorrow evening, Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7 pm at Linglestown Fire Company's brick building.
_________________

Flagpole trivia – Lio's Pizza & Sub Shop has a nice collection of historic photos of Linglestown along the ceiling in its dining room, including two of the flagpole. One shows a man painting the pole in 1927 (he's pictured near the top of the pole), and an undated photo gives a look at a much larger flagpole island than exists today.

New housing, new biz updates

Work is progressing on The Townes at Autumn View, an 18-unit luxury condo community located off of Griffin Street between Warren Avenue and Jerome Boulevard. CLICK HERE for a map. (The development is located in the open area of the satellite photo.)

CLICK HERE for an earlier post about the project.
________________

Gazette roving reporter Q has spotted two new businesses: The Mutual Fund Store at Patton Place shopping plaza, and a pool hall/aracade in a building behind St. Thomas Commons plaza located just west of the village.

The pool hall reminds me of this scene from the 1962 musical "The Music Man" ...

Linglestown homes burglarized

Lower Paxton Township police are investigating a string of recent home burglaries in the Clermont area of Linglestown, which is located just west of the shopping plaza with Amelia's and Dollar General. CLICK HERE for details from The Patriot-News.

PennLive.com's Linglestown Forum watch ...

Thread #294 – Sometimes Gazette correspondent Q (aka Qfest) gives his take on the Hong Kong Ruby restaurant that recently opened in the Patton Place shopping plaza; Thread #293 – Gazette reader bakabaka reports on an illegal fireworks display that took place during the 9 pm hour Sunday night in the vicinity of Elaine and Elmer avenues; Thread #292 – ymnot once again touches off flagpole fireworks. CLICK HERE to check out the wild and crazy forum that's populated by anonymous folk.

CD sports roundup ...

Rams boys' basketball team lost to Steel-High in a close one Friday night, 70-66. CD's Desi Washington and Christian Spriggs combined for 39.

Rams highly rated wrestling team suffered their first dual-meet loss of the year Saturday to Cumberland Valley, 34-31. CLICK HERE for details from The Patriot-News.

TGIF Linglestown edition

Linglestown Forum on PennLive.com is jumping today – Flagpole skirmish under way on threads #287, 288 and 291 … Murphy’s Automotive, located in the village square, gets glowing reviews from satisfied customers on #289 … Qfest, known as Q on this blog, announces a restaurant opening at Patton Place shopping plaza on #290.

Central Dauphin School District’s former Fishing Creek Elementary School has been sold to Yellow Breeches Education Center Inc., which operates special education services for school districts in the Harrisburg region. Some readers may remember that parents in the valley pitched a fit a few years ago when the school was closed.

Triple Crown Corp., a Lower Paxton Township developer, has been honored for its property-management services.

It wouldn't be Friday without state Rep. Ron Marsico providing us with his Weekly Roundup.

C.D. makes front-page news

The Patriot-News today ran a front-page story on a photo project by Central Dauphin High School students.

Farm Show scenery

View from behind the milkshake stand.

Thursday grab bag, community calendar

Hey, watch out for that cow poop. Guess where I’m headed? That’s right, to this year’s edition of the PA Farm Show. Hot diggity dog!

The show runs through Saturday. CLICK HERE for event info. Or, if you’re unable to get down to the big barn on Cameron Street, check out the QuickTime streaming video from Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) on your computer.

News briefs ...

Linglestown man waives hearing in hit-and-run fatality; Recycling glossy paper at the McDonald's restaurant across from Colonial Park Mall will help keep the lights on at Ronald McDonald House in Hershey; Central Dauphin Ram wrestling team leads the Mid-Penn Commonwealth division with a 5 win - 0 loss record; Soon-to-open St. Thomas Restaurant located in the village square has posted a help wanted sign – call 540-4306 for info.

Community Calendar ...

* Linglestown Life, located just north of the square, invites Gazette readers to get 2008 started in a positive way with a series of worship celebrations that will feature the theme New Year – New You. Services on Sunday morning begin at 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 am.

This week's message is entitled Trash Your Old Life. The New Year provides us the opportunity to trash our old ways of living. Find out how you can replace your old rags with a new suit.

* New Hope Church is offering encouragement and tips for creating a new you with a sermon series called Hope and Health for 2008. This week's message is entitled The Hope Necessary for Change.

Service starts at 10 am. Come as you are – no need to wear your Sunday best. CLICK HERE for map.

Other events, sign-ups ...

* Friday, Jan. 11 – Central Dauphin High School students will present a black-and-white photography exhibit entitled Facing the Demons Within. There will be a second viewing on Friday, January 18. Both will begin at 7 p.m. CLICK HERE for more info.

* Saturday, Jan. 26 – Linglestown Fire Co. #1 will holds its annual mid-winter homemade 2-soup dinner at the firehouse.

* Linglestown Baseball Association youth baseball sign-ups will be held January 12, 19 and 26, 9 am to noon and January 23, 6 pm to 7 pm. All sign-ups are at the Linglestown Baseball Clubhouse at Koons Park. Age requirements are girls ages 5 - 7, and boys 5 and older as of 4/30/2008. Proof of age required for first-time players.

Hump day news ‘n notes

Linglestown firefighters busy in ‘07 ...

Linglestown Fire Company went out on 542 runs during 2007, and December was the busiest with a whopping 62 runs. CLICK HERE for more stats, and HERE to view the company’s Web page that includes info on recent activities, training and emergency calls.

Sticking with public safety news, does anyone know how I can obtain near real-time info on Linglestown fire calls and Lower Paxton police calls?

High school hoops …

CD East boys’ basketball team overpowered Central Dauphin last night by a count of 66-38. East is the beast of the Mid-Penn Commonwealth division with an overall record of 13 wins and 1 loss. Central Dauphin is having a so-so season at 6 wins and 8 losses.

Take me out to ballpark …

Linglestown’s sandlot baseball team, East Shore twilight league champion in 2007, is looking to build a fan base. Any suggestions on what they can do to make the national pastime a cool thing to watch and support at Koons Park this summer?

Who’s coming for dinner?

Start making plans to invite a neighbor to break bread at your house this Saturday, Jan. 12, which is “Dinner Day” in Pennsylvania.

Lower Paxton Township police are making a priority of keeping their eyes on sex offenders. CLICK HERE for more from WHTM abc27, including video with scenes shot at Brightbill Park.

In our ongoing effort to prepare you for the square improvement project, check out this editorial on roundabouts that appeared in today's Doylestown Intelligencer.

On a related note, I recently received an e-mail from a Gazette reader who passed along a tongue-in-cheek suggestion on what to drop if a New Year's Eve celebration is held at Linglestown square: a traffic light.

Central Dauphin girls’ basketball team has been pummeling their opponents of late; CD East was their latest victim.

Central Dauphin High School Principal Carol Johnson informed parents today via e-mail that a drug search was conducted at the school using canine teams from local law enforcement departments. The building was locked down and students were contained in classrooms during the 47-minute search. The e-mail didn't say if illegal drugs were found.

It was 65 freaking degrees Fahrenheit outside at the time this entry was posted. Sportman's Golf Club located near Linglestown was filled with golfers, according to WHP TV-21. This can't be Farm Show week!

Monday in the village

Lower Paxton leadership shakeup? ...

Tonight the Lower Paxton Township Board of Supervisors will conduct their annual reorganization meeting tonight, and the rumor mill is murmuring that longstanding board chairman Bill Hawk could be replaced.

UPDATE, 7:40 pm – Signs of behind-the-scenes talks about appointing a new board leader did show up during the public meeting. Mr. Hawk was re-elected as board chairman in an uncontested vote.

The festivities are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 pm, Township Municipal Center, 425 Prince Street. Comcast cable subscribers can view a live broadcast of the meeting on channel 20.

The meeting agenda includes a swearing-in ceremony for Supervisor David Blain, who is starting his second term in office.

Another item worthy of note is a vote on proposed zoning tweaks for Sportsman’s Golf Course based on land-use plans adopted by the township.

The owner of one of the affected tracts is tentatively planning to build senior age-restricted housing on the land. Neighboring property owners have expressed concerns about traffic congestion on Linglestown Road and stormwater runoff problems if the property is developed. Township officials will address these concerns if a formal development plan is submitted.

Other municipal meetings this week – all meetings will be held at the municipal center:

Tuesday, 7 pm – Recycling Committee

Wednesday, 7 pm – Planning Commission (advisory board that reviews development plans, land-use regulations)

Thursday, 7 pm – Public Safety Committee

Reputation of roundabouts improving ...

A newspaper report says roundabouts like the one planned for the Linglestown square are beginning to catch on in Bucks County, Pa., and across the nation.

Tracking down bad guys ...

Specially trained Lower Paxton police officers have been assigned to a new patrol program to analyze crime patterns in areas that have high numbers of police calls. CLICK HERE for more from The Patriot-News.

TGIF Linglestown

Start the New Year out in a “green” way by recycling your Christmas tree. You can send your tree to the fishes tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 5, at Bass Pro Shops at the Harrisburg Mall (formerly Harrisburg East Mall) – you’ll even get a gift if you get there before 100 trees are donated. Or, have Lower Paxton Township chop your Yuletide evergreen into mulch by taking it to Koons Park.

State Rep. Ron Marsico has issued his Weekly Roundup that describes what House Republicans are doing for you.



Looks like Patriot-News political reporter Brett Lieberman reads Linglestown Gazette.

Linglestown community calendar

Updated 1/4/07 at 6:15 pm

Weekend happenings ...

* Music at St. Thomas Roasters coffee house ... Friday, Jan. 4 – Henry Koretzky; Saturday, Jan. 5 – John Micek; both nights 8 pm to 10 pm, no cover.

Editor's note: Micek is an interesting character. I've never attended one of his gigs, but I've seen his work as the state Capitol reporter for The (Allentown) Morning Call, and his blog, Capitol Ideas. He also makes frequent appearances on PCN's Journalist Roundtable show. His show at Roasters should be worth checking out if his music is as good as his reporting.

Get uplifted this Sunday ...

* Linglestown Life, located just north of the square, invites Gazette readers to get 2008 started in a positive way beginning this Sunday, Jan. 6, with a series of worship celebrations that will feature the theme New Year – New You. Services on Sunday morning begin at 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 am. This week's message is entitled A Fresh Start.

Don’t just make a resolution that will be meaningless in a few days – see what kind of revolution can happen in your life!

* New Hope Church starts a new sermon series called Hope and Health for 2008. This week's message is entitled The First Step to Health.

Service starts at 10 am. Come as you are – no need to wear your Sunday best. CLICK HERE for map.

Other events, sign-ups ...

* Friday, Jan. 11 – Central Dauphin High School students will present a black-and-white photography exhibit entitled Facing the Demons Within. There will be a second viewing on Friday, January 18. Both will begin at 7 p.m. CLICK HERE for more info.

* Saturday, Jan. 26 – Linglestown Fire Co. #1 will holds its annual mid-winter homemade 2-soup dinner at the firehouse.

* Linglestown Baseball Association youth baseball sign-ups will be held January 12, 19 and 26, 9 am to noon and January 23, 6 pm to 7 pm. All sign-ups are at the Linglestown Baseball Clubhouse at Koons Park. Age requirements are girls ages 5 - 7, and boys 5 and older as of 4/30/2008. Proof of age required for first-time players.

Linglestown Thursday roundup

Where's Waldo, errr Quiznos? …

Linglestown Forum participants at PennLive.com are wondering what happened to Quiznos sub sandwich shop at Sports City – see thread #285.

Bring back that lovin' feelin' …

Another speed dating event is coming to Sasha’s Hideaway on Tuesday, Jan. 8. To prepare, I suggest grooving out to the pop tune You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling by Hall & Oates.

What’s brewin'? …

St. Thomas Roasters coffee house in the village got some ink in today’s Go! section of The Patriot-News – sorry no link is available. According to the article, owner Geof Smith roasts about five to six batches of coffee beans a day so his customers can enjoy nonbitter, smooth finished cups of java. I’ll drink to that!

Blues Meadow Farms digs the Gazette …

According to Gazette correspondent Q, the latest edition of the Blue Meadow Farms newsletter includes a blurb about Linglestown Gazette. Cool beans, and thanks for the plug.

Gazette comment of note

Below is a response to a commenter who was outraged by the square improvement project being in the works for over a decade:

If it wasn't just the flagpole at issue, the problem would have been resolved years ago. But the flagpole became part of a larger issue ... how to preserve the square, the village, and handle all the traffic at three major intersections (Blue Mtn. Parkway, Balthaser, and Mt. Road).

It shouldn't surprise us that it has taken a decade to work out, especially considering it's a state road and the whole process has involved very committed, very hard working residents in the area, not just traffic engineering experts. The process has invited citizen involvement from the get-go.

There were plenty of disagreements about the best way to deal with the problem. The plan wasn't ill-conceived from the start. It was studied and studied from the start ... with lots of citizen input. The work to preserve something of historical value takes time, but it's time well spent.

As new residents move into this area, it's natural for them to be upset with traffic problems and look at the Square preservers standing in the way of progress. But this area does have a history, and it's important to learn about it before criticizing our best efforts to preserve what we have.

Linglestown news updates

Dan Cihonski of Linglestown participated in the Penquin Plunge in the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg. (He's mentioned about half way through the article.)

Robbers that knocked off the K-Mart on Route 22 must have had a very bad case of heartburn.

TJ Maxx at Colonial Commons is closing but there’s still time to grab some deals.

From today’s Patriot-News East section …

The Middle School Sunday School Class at Linglestown Life collected almost 500 gifts for children served by Volunteers of America.

The Linglestown Community Garden Club purchased two flower urns in honor of Ann Deibler, a charter member of the club. The urns were placed at the entrance to the Linglestown Firehall.
__________

Photo from The Carlisle Sentinel

Officials mull streetlights for square redo

The planned square improvement project includes several elements aimed at sprucing up the look of the village. The technical term for these improvements is "streetscape upgrades."

The Village of Linglestown Committee, a township advisory group for the project, has had numerous discussions on the style of streetlights to place along Route 39 and at the two roundabouts.

Based on meeting minutes, the streetlamps most likely will be a Victorian gas lamp design that will be supplied and maintained by PPL. About 70 lights will be installed between Blue Mountain Parkway and Balthaser Street, and they will be set up to avoid excess light filtering into residents’ bedrooms.

The light style that will be used to illuminate the approaches to the two roundabouts has not been determined, but everyone who has a say in the project agrees that PPL's cobra head streetlight would not match the desired historic look of the square.

The township is willing to install and maintain specialty poles and lamps in the roundabouts, said Lower Paxton Township George Wolfe during a village committee meeting held in October.

Construction bids should be solicited in the near future. The project could break ground in March or April if the bids come in near the projected cost of about $4 million.

Editor's note

Attention Gazette news feed subscribers ...

You may see a long string of posts show up in your feed because I added a label to several old posts that focus on the planned square improvement project in the village of Linglestown.

Happy New Year 2008

Christmas cleanup begins ...