Linglestown fireworks show Tuesday, July 3

The popular fireworks show at Koons Park sponsored by Linglestown Fire Company and Lower Paxton Township will light up the sky Tuesday night starting at about 9:30 pm.

The show attracts a huge crowd, so arrive at 8:30 pm or earlier to get parking close to the park.

Rain date is Thursday, July 5.
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Twilight records solid win over Hummelstown

After giving up two runs to start the game, Linglestown Twilight bounced right back to tie the game in their first at bat and then played good baseball to defeat Hummelstown 6-3 Thursday at Koons Park.

Twilight starting pitcher Chris Nolan picked up his first win of the season with a six-inning outing. Andrew Roman relieved Nolan in what turned out to be seventh and final inning.

Roman's one-inning stint on the mound was anything but easy as Hummelstown loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. Hummelstown center fielder Chauck Faust, who packs plenty of power, sacrificed one runner home with a deep shot to center field. After Roman then walked the next batter, setting up a 4-6-3 double play started by second baseman and player/coach Ken Connor that ended the game.

Sam Nott, Sean Frailey and Adam Chernicoff had two-hit games for Linglestown. Nott had the game's only home run, a two-run shot in the fourth inning.

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Twilight notes — Linglestown's record is 5-5-1, tied for fourth place with Lawnton in the East Shore Twilight League ... The team's next game is tomorrow (Saturday, June 30) at 2 pm against Palmyra at the Central Dauphin High School field. ... Next home game is Monday, July 2 at Koons Park against Lawnton, 6 pm start.

Friday Music at Roaster

I've been told that St. Thomas Roasters coffee house in Linglestown has a musical treat in store for those who stop by tonight.

Henry Koretzky, a Harrisburg native and professional guitarist, will do a FREE performance from 8-10 pm.

CLICK HERE for Henry's bio.

Linglestown Twilight nipped by Lawnton in sandlot play

After a pitchers' duel early on, Lawnton scratched out a win Tuesday over Linglestown by scoring a run in the bottom half of the last inning to break a 4-4 tie.

Twilight pitcher Pete Hayden (3-2), who relieved starter Evan Phillips, was credited with the loss.

Linglestown (4-5-1) will try to snap a two-game losing streak at Koons Park this evening against Hummelstown. First pitch is at 6 pm.

CD Roundtable attracts a crowd

Gazette publisher, Bill Bostic (standing), leads the discussion Monday evening at St. Thomas Roasters.

Eighteen citizens and four Central Dauphin School Board members packed into tiny St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown on Tuesday evening for the CD Roundtable sponsored by Linglestown Gazette.

To say the least, the number of people who showed up blew me away! The number in attendance doubled the citizen count at the board meeting Monday.

The meet-up was held in response to the severe budgets cuts enacted by the school board Monday.

The discussion was respectful and peppered with suggestions for cutting school expenses and questions posed to the elected officials.

Tentative plans were made for the group to meet later this summer to prepare to begin working with the school board and lobbying state officials for assistance.

Thanks go out to school board members Chris Judd, Linda Dallago, Steve Smith and Ford Thompson for attending and answering questions.

Also, I want to give a special thank you to my wife for serving as the Gazette photographer during the roundtable.

Send email to the Gazette if you'd like to receive info about the activities of this fledgling citizens' group.

CD Roundtable starts at 7 pm at Roasters

Come out this evening to have a cup of coffee courtesy of Gazette publisher Bill Bostic and join in the discussion at the Central Dauphin citizens' roundtable at St. Thomas Roasters coffee house in Linglestown from 7 pm to 8 pm.

Bostic will lead the discussion during the informal gathering of concerned citizens.

For more info, click on the links below to listen two brief radio news reports courtesy of WHP 580 AM radio's Bill Mead and Lynne Richarde.

CLICK HERE and HERE.

Diamond news: Palmyra tops Linglestown Twilight

Linglestown Twilight, our hometown sandlot baseball team, dropped an away game Monday to Palmyra, last season's champion, by a count of 8-2.

Palmyra broke the game open in the fourth inning when Brett Harmony hit a solo homer to contribute to a four-run inning, chasing Twilight starting pitcher Adam Chernicoff out of the game.

With the loss, Twilight's record goes to 4-4-1 and they remain in fourth place of the East Shore Twilight League.

Twilight plays tonight at Lawnton at 6 pm and returns to friendly confines of Koons Park on Thursday for a 6 pm game against Hummelstown.
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Twilight notes — Player/coach Ken Connor put himself in a relief pitcher in the sixth inning of last night's game. He usually plays third base or in the outfield ... Scott Montgomery hit his first round-tripper of the season in the sixth inning with no one on base.

Correction: CD board member packets

I incorrectly said in a blog post entitled 5 Things You May Not Know About CD Schools that Central Dauphin school board members do not receive an information packet prior to meetings, giving the impression that members may not be prepared to cast votes on agenda items.

Although members don't get a pile of papers to review, the agenda posted on the district's website includes documents that can be reviewed by board members and the public.

I regret the error and thank board member Chris Judd for taking time to bring me up to speed on this issue.

Host families needed for French students

LEC, a French organization, will send two groups of students to spend three weeks in south central Pennsylvania this summer, July 5-25 and August 2-22. A host family is still needed for one female student in July, and more than a dozen families are needed to host in August.

Host families provide a room, meals, and friendship for the students and are reimbursed $80 per week to assist with expenses.

The students are coming to practice their English and to immerse themselves in American culture and family life. Families without children may provide opportunities for students to interact with others of their age, such as neighbors, church youth groups, and sports teams or clubs.

Students have studied English for at least two years, are fully insured, and have their own spending money. They are anxious to join in family activities. You can see student photos and read letters they have written to their host families on LEC’s blog.

Host families will have the opportunity to show the students around our region. In turn, the families learn much about the students’ home regions in France. Lifelong friendships have grown out of the LEC experience.

LEC, with American coordinators, has planned visits to the United States since 1972. Over the past five years, LEC students have visited families in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties.

For complete information on the LEC homestay program, contact John Robinson of Linglestown, LEC Capital Region coordinator, at (717) 545-2979 or email. Time is short, so call now!

WHP TV-21: CD adopts budget; roundtable set for tonight

LP gearing up to plan for new, updated parks

By SWAN
for Linglestown Gazette

Recently the Lower Paxton Township supervisors approved the acceptance of a matching state grant for planning the development of Wolfersberger Park, a large undeveloped parcel along Wenrich Street, and improvements at Koons Park in Linglestown.

Time is of the essence to meet the grant requirements to get the planning done. The first step in the process will be for the township Parks and Recreation Board to select a design firm to produce the plans.

The township will solicit proposals and the parks board will interview firms and make their choice. The interviews will begin on August 8.

The board will then select members of a Master Plan Study Committee to work with the design firm. The suggestion is for the committee to consist of the seven parks board members and five others selected by the supervisors.

Seen in Linglestown ...

It may look like someone hung their wash out to dry, but it's not. Emma's Center for Body & Soul on N. Mountain Rd. was peddling clothing from India and Thailand over the weekend.

I'll have to check out Emma's to find out what that's all about.

5 Things You May Not Know About CD Schools

My phone rang the morning after the June 11 school board meeting and an unfamiliar voice said she was calling from the Central Dauphin administrative office.

The caller was the Shannon Leib, the district's public relations point person. She was on a mission to get me together with school board president, Ford Thompson, and the district's business director, Karen McConnell. They wanted to meet with me to answer questions that I asked during the June 11 meeting.

My powwow with them was very cordial, a lot of information was shared and the stage was set for ongoing dialogue with Thompson and McConnell. I also met Assistant Superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson, who will officially become the superintendent in a few days.

I came away from the meeting with five tidbits that may help you better understand the district's leaders and operations:

CLICK HERE to continue reading ...
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NOTE: The school board will meet Monday at 7 pm in the Central Dauphin East High School auditorium to approve the 2012-13 budget and conduct other business. The public is welcome to attend.
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If you liked this post, please subscribe to Linglestown Gazette to receive FREE email updates. CLICK HERE to join the growing number of Gazette subscribers.

Sandlot baseball: Twilight wins third straight

Linglestown Twilight, your hometown team, traveled to Penbrook and topped the Steelton squad Thursday evening 10-5. (Penbrook and Steelton combined teams this season.)

Pitching ace Pete Hayden (pictured) notched his third win this season with relief help in the seventh and final inning from Chris Nolan, who recorded his first save of the season.

Hayden uses a big-bending curve ball and expertly changes speed and location of pitches to keep batters off balance.

Sam Nott smacked a homer, a two-run shot in the sixth inning, to pad Linglestown's lead enough to easily withstand a grand slam by Steelton's Kyle Otstot in the bottom half of the inning.

The win puts Linglestown (4-3-1) over the .500 mark for the first time this season. As of today, the team is in fourth place, seven points behind league leading Dauphin, which has played three more games than our team.

Twilight returns to action Monday with a 6 pm away game at Palmyra, and plays home games at Koons Park Thursday against Hummelstown and Saturday against Palmyra, 6 pm and 2 pm starting times respectively.

Notice issued to media about Tuesday's roundtable

Dear Gazette readers,

I'm trying to stir up some dust to encourage residents of Central Dauphin School District to get involved in shaping the future of the district.

As you know, school districts across our state are approving never-before-seen teacher and program cuts, and Central Dauphin is among the hardest hit districts. (I know because I'm forced to read about this kind of stuff on my paid job.}

If you have connections with anyone in the local print and electronic media, please link them to the press release about Tuesday evening's CD roundtable at St. Thomas Roasters.

CLICK HERE to view the press release.

Regards,

B²

5 things I'm working on ...

Below Here's a rundown on what will show up on Linglestown Gazette over the next few days:

1. Why 18-wheelers don't avoid Linglestown's roundabouts.

2. Long vacant commercial property finally gets a tenant.

3. Charter members will be inducted into the Gazette's Hall of Fame

4. Gazette publisher B² reports on his meeting with Central Dauphin top officials.

5. And, B² pulls out good stuff from his mountain of email.

Important message from B² – Please view ASAP!

Twilight powers to win over Dauphin

Linglestown Twilight, the area's sandlot baseball team, used the long ball to overcome some shoddy infield play Sunday at Koons Park to defeat first-place Dauphin 8-5. The win ups the team's record to three wins, three losses and a tie (3-3-1).

Evan Phillips (pictured), a Susquehanna Township grad and current college player at Indiana University of Pa., had to deal with seven errors but went the distance on the mound to even his record at one win, one loss (1-1).

Kyle Hollingsworth, another Susquehanna Township grad who is playing college ball at Shippensburg University, went two-for-three and recorded three RBIs with one swing in the second inning when he went yard to give Twilight an early lead.

Veteran Twilight first baseman Sean Frailey, a Penn State Harrisburg grad who lives in Middletown, continued his hot play at the plate with a sixth-inning homer with one on that sealed the game for the home team.

Twilight returns to action later this week with an away game Thursday against Steelton at the Penbrook field, 6 pm start.

Linglestown community calendar

* IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED – CD boys' basketball youth camp will be held June 25 - 28. The camp is from 9 am to noon for players entering grades 2-6 this fall (CLICK HERE for registration form), and from 1 to 4 pm for players entering grades 7-9 this fall (CLICK HERE for registration form).

Deadline for registration is Thursday, June 14. (Sorry, I have a hard time posting community events on a timely basis. –B²)

* STARTING THIS MONDAY - Bethany Church of the Nazarene invites children ages 4-years-old through the fifth grade to Kid’s Week: SonRise National Park. Participate in fun-filled activities, such as singing songs, watching skits, creating crafts and playing games. Through these activities, the children will be pointed directly to Jesus and discover that Jesus provides what they truly need in every challenge of life.

Classes for children begin Monday, June 18, and continue through Friday, June 22, from 6:30 pm to 8:45 pm at the Bethany Church of the Nazarene located behind Stauffers of Kissel Hill in Linglestown. Parents are invited to celebrate with us Sunday, June 24, for the Closing Program.

Plan now to join us for a great time at Kid’s Week: SonRise National Park. For information and to register, call 717-545-1633.

* Zumba Thon Charity Event will be held Saturday, June 23, from 1 - 3 pm at the Linglestown Firehall. Ticket prices are $5 for kids 12 and under, $10 for reserved tickets and $15 at the door. All donations go to the expenses to care for Collin, such as medical, travel and supplies. Any left over money will be donated to the Four Diamonds Fund. CLICK HERE for additional info.

* Green Hills Swim Club located just over Blue Mountain in the Fishing Creek Valley invites Gazette readers to come to their Pool Party and Carnival on July 4. CLICK HERE for more details about this FREE event.

B² commentary: The silent CD school board

Updated Tuesday, 6/12/12, at 7:16 pm with information about the revival of The Foundation for Central Dauphin Schools. (Scroll down to bottom of post.)

I gotta tell you, trying to get a grip on the dealings of the Central Dauphin School Board is baffling me.

As you probably know, the board is dealing with some difficult situations. At the top of the list is the financial crisis caused by reduced tax revenues and increased pension costs.

I feel for Dr. Carol Johnson, the new superintendent, and the school board as they work through the horrendous process of furloughing over 70 teachers.

Heck, last night a passionate ex-teacher was in tears during the board meeting as she tried to understand why she got the axe when other teachers with less time with the district kept their jobs, at least so far.

Awful.

But the current hard times and how they're being handled aren't causing my brain to work overtime.

The thing that gets me is the lack of involvement by most board members who meeting after meeting say nothing other than utter some sounds to approve motions put on the table.

No questions, no counter views, no debate, no nothing.

I hope they are not speaking their piece during the board's infamous meeting before the public meeting, which are behind-closed-doors sessions referred to as "executive sessions," because that most likely would be in violation of the state's Sunshine Law.

Most of the talking at board meetings is done by Ford Thompson, the board president.

It's obvious that Jay Wenger, the board's vice-president, is involved with development of the budget and he asks good questions from time to time.

Last night Brian Faleshock explained an agenda item after it was approved.

And, Chris Judd spoke within the last month about tweaks that were implemented in the district's policies on Internet use.

Folks, that's about it.

Not a single statement or question has been rendered over the last four meetings by the following board members:  Linda Dallago, Erin Grady, Kristine Leber, Janis Macut and Stephen Smith.

You had a chance last night to respond to my questions about transportation staffing and the effectiveness to date of the bus outsourcing, but again silence reigned.

I don't get it, but I'm determined to get to the bottom of this situation.

To the silent majority on the board, it's time to come out of the closet.
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In other school-related news, Central Dauphin school member Linda Dallago may be silent during most board meetings, but she's doing some good stuff behind the scenes by helping to revive The Foundation for Central Dauphin Schools.

CLICK HERE for a must-read article published by The Patriot-News and please consider joining me in supporting this worthwhile cause to help our community's greatest asset, our youth.

How to become a 'rock star' and a 'hall of famer' with Linglestown Gazette

A note from Gazette publisher/editor Bill Bostic, a.k.a. B² ...

Here's a two-step process to make sure you're on top of all the hot and juicy local news published by Linglestown Gazette:

1.  To eliminate the need to surf to the blog's website, subscribe to Linglestown Gazette to receive FREE email updates. CLICK HERE to join the growing number of Gazette subscribers.

2.  Head on over to Linglestown Gazette's Facebook page and click the "Like" button to receive updates on your Facebook news feed. You'll find info not published on the blog.

And, do you wanna be a Gazette Rock Star??

If you want to rock all things local, subscribe to the Linglestown Gazette's Twitter page for a steady stream of news published by The Patriot-News and Harrisburg TV stations that pertains to the greater Linglestown area. Also, you'll get reminders about community events.

Finally, become a charter member of the Gazette Hall of Fame

It's easy to become a Hall of Famer with Linglestown Gazette and it's totally FREE. Here's what you have to do:

Become a Gazette email subscriber (see #1 above), "Like" the Gazette's Facebook page (see #2 above) and become a Rock Star by following the Gazette on Twitter.

Finally, notify the Gazette by email that you've qualified for the Hall of Fame.

After your subscriptions have been verified, the world will be officially notified of your accomplishment. Your name (and a photo, if you're into that) will be enshrined on the Hall of Fame page because, let's face it, you'll be a freaking Gazette groupie.

So, who's going to be the first Hall of Famer?

Baseball: Linglestown Twilight turns things around

In sandlot baseball action, Linglestown Twilight had a good weekend with a 6-6 tie Friday at Lawnton and a big 7-2 win Saturday at Koons Park against defending league champion Palmyra. The team's record is 2 wins, 3 losses and a tie.

Twilight first baseman Sean Frailey (pictured) was the player of the weekend with a clutch home run at Lawton and two hits, two runs scored and a RBI against Palmyra.

Veteran Twilight pitcher Pete Hayden went the distance (seven innings) against Palmyra, allowing four hits and issuing only two free passes. Hayden, the ace of the staff, sports a 2 win, 1 loss record and has appeared in four of Twilight's six games this season.

This week Twilight hosts Steelton on Tuesday, 6 pm start, and Dauphin on Sunday, 5 pm start.
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Thanks to those of you who helped with the first two games and to a Gazette reader who graciously volunteered to work a few games later this season.

Some volunteers are needed to operate the electronic scoreboard at Twilight games. Please email Bill Bostic for details.

Learn cool stuff about Linglestown that few know about

Here's another edition of Backyard News ...

* Community group SWAN will hold a fundraiser at Stauffer's of Kissel Hill on Linglestown Road tomorrow, Saturday, June 9, between 10 am til 3 pm.

* Let's give three cheers for Linglestown Area Civic Association for participating in the state's "Adopt a Highway" program. The group will pick up trash on N. Mountain Road from the square to the American Legion, and along a section of Linglestown Road that includes the village.

* Linglestown Life is offering you the opportunity to worship during the week beginning Thursday, July 12.

The church's leaders know that many people like to travel or visit family and friends on the weekend, so they invite Gazette readers to join them on Thursday nights in July and August beginning at 7:30 pm. They'll offer a family friendly and relaxed time of worship that will end at 8:15 pm.

* The opera is coming to Linglestown on Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24.

Two performances of "Not a Tenor" and "Famous Opera Choruses" will take place at Linglestown Life at 7:30 pm Saturday and 2 pm Sunday.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Capital Opera Harrisburg.

* Richcreek Vacation Center in Linglestown was recently spotlighted on a radio show hosted by Michael Parks of WHP 580 AM. Marge and Barry Richcreek have helped me with vacation planning in the past and I was very satisfied with their service. CLICK HERE to listen to the show.

Linglestown Twilight drops home opener

In sandlot baseball action Wednesday at Koons Park, Hummelstown jumped out to a 4–0 lead in the top of the first inning and coasted to a 6–3 victory to spoil Linglestown Twilight's first home game of the young season.

Linglestown settled down after the first inning but failed to muster a rally against winning pitcher Jim Miller, who went the distance for Hummelstown.

Top performers at the plate for Linglestown were right fielder Tom Healy with a home run and center fielder Sam Nott with two hits and a RBI.

Linglestown Twilight (1–3) has a chance to turn things around this weekend with an away game at Lawnton on Friday (6 pm start) and a home game at Koons Park on Saturday against defending league champion Palmyra (2 pm first pitch).

Attention Linglestowners: 12 dates to mark on your calendar

The new and exciting Linglestown Twilight baseball team will play Hummelstown in the first of 12 homes game at Koons Park this Wednesday, June 6. The first pitch will be hurled at 6 pm.

Beyond sporting new uniforms, the team features several new players from the college baseball ranks.

In early season action, the team has played three away games, winning one and losing two.

The games are a great way to enjoy the outdoors, get to know neighbors and root for your home team. And, unlike other ballparks in the East Shore Twilight League, games at Koons Park include game announcements and toe-tapping music between innings.

CLICK HERE for the 2012 regular season game schedule.