Memorial Day weekend happenings

* Free swim at Koons Pool on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 1–8 pm.

* Linglestown Legion Memorial Day Parade on Monday at 1 pm. Community get-together follows the parade at Koons Park. The parade route is shown below. (Click the photo to view a larger version.)

Jazz weekend at Roasters

If jazz is your thing, St. Thomas Roasters coffee house in Linglestown is the place to be the next two nights. Stop by for FREE live music Friday and Saturday evenings from 8–10 pm.

Reactions to CD school budget mixed

Like most school districts across Pennsylvania, Central Dauphin School District is facing a tough budget year. CLICK HERE for a Patriot-News article that overviews the situation.
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Related article: CD, other school districts to be hit with rising pension costs, reports The Patriot-News.

4-wheeler up for grabs

Linglestown Fire Company is raffling off one of these bad boys. CLICK HERE for more details and online ticket purchases.

Steps taken to avoid CD school tax hike

Central Dauphin School Board met last night and adopted curriculum changes, a preliminary budget that keeps the property-tax rate at its current level, and picked a new leader.

CLICK HERE for all the details from The Patriot-News.

Rocky start for sandlot team

Three-time defending champs Linglestown Twilight dropped three games to start play in the East Shore Twilight League. The losses were to Steelton (3-1 at Steelton on Thursday), Lawnton (6-2 at home on Friday), and Palmyra (5-4 at home on Sunday).

On Sunday, Twilight came up short in a heartbreaker when they carried a 4-2 lead into the 7th inning, but Palmyra scored two runs off of starting pitcher Pete Hayden on three hits and an error to send the game into extra innings.

Palmyra plated another run in the 8th inning with a two-out rally against reliever Rhys Wolford, and then held Linglestown scoreless in the bottom half of the inning to pick up the win.
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Twilight notes:  The team is headed by manager Ken Connor and assistant coach Chris Stovall. ... In the two home games, second baseman Nick Barbera went 3-for-7 at the plate with a home run, and shortstop Sam Phillips scored three runs.

Upcoming games: June 2 at Middletown, 6 pm … June 4 at Palmyra, 7 pm … June 6 at Penbrook, 6 pm … June 8 at home (Koons Park), 6 pm

CD school board to vote on district's budget

This morning's edition of The Patriot-News previewed tonight's school board meeting that will feature a vote on a preliminary budget for next school year. Unfortunately, PennLive.com does not have a link to the full article.

Tax hikes, curriculum changes and staff layoffs are all on the table, according to The Patriot-News. The maximum tax hike mentioned is 3.3 percent, or $33 more per $100,000 of assessed property value.

The meeting will be held in the Central Dauphin East High School auditorium starting at 7 pm.

Concerned citizens have started to show up in large numbers at meetings over the last year in response to a series of controversial decisions made by the school board, including the infamous vote last summer to outsource bus services.

CLICK HERE for a brief Patriot-News article about tonight's meeting and a link to a story about a recent board meeting.
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Link: Patriot-News website

Batter up

Linglestown Twilight sandlot baseball team will play its home opener Friday, May 21, against Lawnton at Koons Park. First pitch will fly at 6 pm, free admission. The field is located along Balthaser Street.

Another home game will be played Sunday at 2 pm against Palmyra.

Linglestown's team is mostly comprised of current and past college players, and they are shooting for their fourth straight championship.
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Pictured:  Twilight players celebrate after defeating Valley View to win the playoff championship in 2008.

Music at Roasters

The longstanding tradition of live music at St. Thomas Roasters coffee house in Linglestown continues this weekend with something new and something familiar but oh so good.

On Friday, Carlisle trio Three Twelve will perform for the first time at Roasters. You can sample some of their tunes on their website.

Just like clockwork, Just Dave (pictured) will be doing his thing Saturday night. Dave always pours out some good stuff and passes along some interesting tidbits along the way.

Show times run 8–10 pm both nights, no cover charge. And, Jave Geof and his baristas will have plenty of coffee and other tasty treats on the ready.

Lastly, road construction won't be a problem because work has ended for the week.

Bagel anyone?

5 Boroughs Bagels and Deli recently opened in Linglestown at the same location in the plaza at 1001 N. Mountain Road that formerly housed Bagel Time.

The new business is holding a grand opening celebration through this Friday, May 21.

CLICK HERE for a brief look at the new eatery by Sue Gleiter of The Patriot-News.

CD bus drivers prevail in court

Today a state court threw out an appeal filed by the Central Dauphin School Board to break a labor contract with bus drivers to clear the way to privatize transportation services.

The decision forces the district to either negotiate with the bus drivers to bring in a contractor next school year in an effort to save taxpayer dollars, or appeal the case to the state Supreme Court.

The board has spent tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees trying to rewrite state labor law.

CLICK HERE to wade through the court decision.
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Hat tip to Eric Epstein and Melissa Van Eck for passing along information for this post.

Stand up with Stambaugh

Gazette congratulations go out to Blue Meadows Farm resident and Gazette contributor Ken Stambaugh for winning yesterday's Lower Paxton Republican Committeeman race for a precinct that covers part of Linglestown.

He topped incumbent Jeffrey Engle 248-146 in voting that took place at St. Thomas United Church of Christ, which is located just east of the village on Linglestown Road.

The main job of a committeeman is to get out the vote on election day.
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Photo credit: Matt Stambaugh

Related links: Adventures with Ken ... Linglestown weekender ... Airspace is busy over Linglestown

Good eats for good causes

Two community events worth checking out on Saturday, May 15 ...

Epiphany Lutheran Church is sponsoring a CHICKEN B-B-Q, CHICKEN CORN SOUP & BAKE SALE from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. The church is located at 1100 Colonial Road.

Central Dauphin Bus Drivers Association is sponsoring a CAR WASH, HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS, BAKE SALE & RAFFLE from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm at D&M Auto, 310 Prince Street (between Route 22 and Locust Lane). Cost is $7 for cars and $10 for vans, trucks and SUVs.

Linglestown construction update

As most readers probably know, eastbound traffic on Route 39 through the village of Linglestown is now being detoured due to road construction.

One lane of Route 39 east has been dug up in preparation for the installation of storm drains and regrading. The level of the road will be lowered by about two feet so curbing can be added, according to a worker with project contractor Leon E. Wintermeyer, Inc.

All businesses in the village are accessible from Linglestown Road. CLICK HERE for a map with business and public parking lot locations provided by Linglestown Merchants Association.

The map below shows the shortest route for reaching village merchants for traffic going east on Linglestown Road toward the square. (Click the map to view a larger version.)

Twilight baseball schedule announced

Linglestown Twilight, the three-time defending champions of the East Shore sandlot baseball league, will begin its season next week with a Reading-based tournament.

The home opener is scheduled for Friday, May 21 at Koons Park. First pitch will be hurled at 6 pm.

Voices needed

Capitol Opera Harrisburg will be holding auditions in the Linglestown area on Sunday, May 23 for the April 2011 world premiere of Australian composer Walter Robins' oratorio "The Breath of God."

Auditions will be held at 2452 Mercedes Court, the home of Capitol Opera Harrisburg founding director Kathleen Torchia.

CLICK HERE for more details.

Free tunes at Roasters this Friday, May 14

Live music this Friday, May 14 at St. Thomas Roasters coffee house will be provided by Linglestown resident Dave Kaprocki and his band, Timeless. They will be performing some great tunes from 8-10 pm.

Dave, the group's guitarist, will be joined by lead singer Patty Tamayo, Kevin Gibson on bass and George Reichley on drums. Dave and Patty are pictured performing above at Roasters during 2009.

Come early, bring a friend, relax, and enjoy a great time of music and delicious coffee, tea and sweet stuff that's oh-so-good. As always, there's no cover charge.
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Java Geof and the gang at Roasters earlier this month celebrated their 10th anniversary of being in business. Also, Roasters now has a Facebook page.