Backyard news, 02.19.09

Rams gore Cougars ... In case you missed it, the Central Dauphin Rams girls' basketball team played a strong second half to top the Harrisburg Lady Cougars by a count of 54–34 in District 3 Quad-A playoff action Tuesday night.

The win moves the top-seeded Rams into the quarterfinals where they'll meet cross-township rival the Panthers of Central Dauphin East on Friday at Hershey High School, 7:30 pm tip off. Last Friday, the Rams squeaked by the Panthers to win the Mid-Penn Conference championship.

Let's get political ... State Sen. Jeff Piccola is getting statewide attention for proposing a college tuition relief program that, unlike a proposal floated by Gov. Eddie Rendell, doesn't require putting video poker machines in every corner bar and tavern. Coverage includes a video report from WGAL TV-8. ... Sticking with the college theme, Harrisburg Area Community College is holding sessions on paying for college from 6 to 7:30 pm tonight. ... Meanwhile, Rep. Ron Marsico, Lower Paxton's other state lawmaker, has re-introduced proposals to change the way state budgets are adopted, and issued a reminder to residents about the state's Property/Tax Rent Rebate program. ... The Lower Paxton Republican Committee will meet tonight to consider endorsing candidates for school board and tax collector.

Hot off the press ... The front page story of this week's The Paxton Herald screams bloody murder about a shoddy evacuation plan for 11 Central Dauphin elementary schools that would be used in the event of a Three Mile Island radiation release. ... Annette Antoun, the newspaper's editor and publisher, is delighted that left-hand turns are no longer allowed from Ridgeview Drive onto Mountain Road. ... Someone in the area has invested significant time telling the world that The Paxton Herald is not his favorite newspaper. ... You can pick up a FREE copy of the newspaper at Amelia's Grocery Outlet, Karns Food and possibly Hornungs Ace Hardware.

Field of dreams on the way ... Lower Paxton Twp. is seeking bids for backstops and baseline fencing for new baseball diamonds at George Park, a fairly new township park located off of Nyes Road. The bids will be opened March 4.