Photo by Curt Werner

Superintendent Dr. Eric Eshbach acknowledges Michael Brandt's 36 years of service to Northern York County School District at the monthly school board meeting on Nov. 21.

Brandt honored for decades of school board service

Over the years, the Northern York County School Board has observed Superintendent Eric Eshbach present the coveted Northern Star Award to students who have excelled in academics, sports or school activities. However, last Thursday evening, board members cheered as Dr. Eshbach presented the award to a fellow board member, Michael Barndt.

On Thursday, Barndt retired from the board after 36 years of service. After Barndt received the district award, State Representative Dawn Keefer presented him with a citation from the House of Representatives for his years of service to the school district.

“Thank you and best wishes,” Keefer told Barndt. “People are quick to complain, but are reluctant to step up,” she added.

While presenting the district award, Dr. Eshbach shared a picture of Barndt from the 1983 Dover High School Yearbook, which showed the former teacher with a full head of hair. Barndt and Dr. Eshbach both worked at Dover back then.

As a gesture of appreciation, School Board President Ken Sechrist turned over the gavel to Barndt so he could preside over his final board meeting.

Later in the meeting, Northern High School teacher and president of the teachers’ association Charles Griscavage congratulated Barndt on his retirement.

“Speaking on behalf of the association, I appreciate all you did for the district.” Griscavage recalled when he and Barndt coached track against each other for 10 years, he at Northern and Barndt at Camp Hill.

Also during the meeting, Dr. Eshbach said that there is a substitute shortage throughout the district, especially substitute nurses.

“If you know any LPNs or RNs interested in working a few hours, let us know,” he said.

Although some building administrators have been taking over classes when teachers called off sick, Eshbach said the district has options to use certain Messiah College students and guest teachers as substitutes.

The board’s student liaison Zach Brnish that high school students that day treated local senior citizens to an early Thanksgiving dinner. Earlier in the month, they also served a luncheon to veterans.

The high school is busy working on this year’s musical, Bye, Bye Birdie, which will be presented in March, he reported.

He also thanked the board for “that crazy-long Christmas break,” and said that the students are looking forward to that next month.

Photo by Curt Werner

Holly Kelley tosses a red ball to Chad Reed, standing on the scaffold.

Tree lighting this Friday

Mary Lou Bytof

In anticipation of inclement weather, the Dillsburg Kiwanis decorated the Christmas tree on the square, a day early, on Saturday, Nov. 30.   Holly and David Kelley, Chad Reed, Alex Hobson and Toni Robertson worked well past dusk to put the finishing touches on the tree.

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony will be held this Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be waiting for the children at the historic Monaghan Church where refreshments will be served.

Photos by Curt Werner

Marlee Starliper wins the 2019 Footlocker Northeast Cross-Country Championships.

Starliper: Victory and record

Joe Guty

Four weeks after winning the PIAA Class AA State title, Northern’s Marlee Starliper picked up where she left off by capturing the 2019 Foot Locker Northeast Cross-Country Championships in New York last Saturday. The senior ran with the front pack for two miles before pulling away to record a 17:03 – 5k winning time which was the fastest ever for a Pennsylvania girls runner in the meet’s history.

The mark was also the second fastest of all time at the Northeast Regionals. New Hampshire legend Cathy Schiro holds the meet record of 16:46 set in 1984. Starliper qualified for the Foot Locker National meet to be held in San Diego Calf. on Saturday, December 14.

Back in the Bronx last Saturday at the historic Van Cortlandt Park course, the chilly weather proved to be no issue for Starliper whose training has been going well as she heads down the home stretch of her remarkable high school cross country career. She won the Northeast meet as a sophomore in 2017 but then took second to Sydney Masciarelli of Marianapolis Prep, Conn. last year. Masciarelli, now a junior, went on to win 2018 Nationals but at the Northeast last weekend was runner-up by 15 seconds to Starliper.

In the Freshman / Sophomore Girls race of 258 competitors, Northern H.S. Sophmore Allie Engle placed eighth among her class in 20:19. Dixie Ramsey placed 28th among juniors in the Junior / Senior Girls race as she clocked 22:03 in the field of 256 runners.

PIAA Class AAA champion Mia Cochran, of Moon Area High School clocked 18:10 to edge Greencastle-Antrim’s Taryn Parks for 10th place in the championship and earn a trip to San Diego.

Mount Lebanon’s Patrick Anderson—the PIAA Class AAA state champ on November 2 -- won the boys race in 15:17 which was a PA Boys record for the Foot Locker Northeast Regionals.

As of this past weekend, Starliper accepted an at-large bid to compete in the Nike XC Nationals in Portland, Ore. on December 7 which will serve as a tune up for Foot Locker Nationals -- but also provide an opportunity to race two-time defending Nike XC Nationals champion Katelyn Tuohy of North Rockland High School, New York.

Photos by Curt Werner

Turkey Trot Tradition

For a small percentage of the population, the Super Bowl of running is the Boston Marathon. For the rest of us, there's the Turkey Trot.

Countless runners from Dillsburg and Wellsville took part in the Thanksgiving Day tradition in races all across the midstate, including the fourth annual Thundering Pickle Turkey Trot 5K.

We scoured the internet for every local Turkey Trotter we could find, and then continued our search for all of the other races in November.

Below is a look at how area runners performed:

4th Annual Thundering Pickle Turkey Trot 5K

Dillsburg's Shea Fisler, 17, conquered his hometown Turkey Trot, finishing in front of the 203-runner field by nearly 45 seconds. Fisler defeated Chris Kuhl (20:06), as well as father Andrew Fisler, who took third in 20:42.

The top female in the race was Mechanicsburg's Faith Evans, 14, who clocked a 22:12 to top Dillsburg's Abbey Kuhl (24:11) and Reading's Katie Frederick (25:13).

Other Dillsburg runners in the race included Jason Rimmer (21:43), Aidan Troutman (22:41), Billy Lindoerfer (23:11), Jaden Brubaker (23:16), John Gunning (23:29), Francis Burke (23:48), Kenny Burke (23:50), Luke Barricklow (24:04), Luke Lehman (24:40), Cadence Chizmar (25:36), Allison Longenberger (25:37), Kendall Longenberger (25:41), Doug Chizmar (25:41), Kellen Mikesell (25:54), Jacob Yost (25:55), Anika Mladenoff (25:58), Chris Becker (26:01), Michael Gragg (26:07), Hayden Piette (26:22), Ian Longenberger (26:24), Jake Bechtel (26:49), Anna Lehman (26:49), Samuel Gunning (26:54), Jason Berfield (27:05), Rachel Yost (27:12), Elisa Hachey (27:13), Madeline Zarate (27:20), Jacob Seiber (27:29), Trenton Brubaker (27:57), Kathleen Meckley (28:40), Jennifer Fisler (28:41), Georgia Zarate (28:42), Eddie Zarate (28:43), Landon Turner (30:33), Easton Barlup (30:46), Karen Mackay (30:59), Douglas Cope (31:04), Brody Turner (31:08), Taelyn Townsend (31:23), Daniel Small (31:26), Brooklyn Brubaker (31:41), Allison Bechtel (31:41), Landon Piette (31:41), Mia Berfield (31:41), Laura Gurreri (32:02), Craig Bookwalter (32:03), Susan Barricklow (32:04), Josh Barlup (32:09), Luella Barlup (32:09), Jeffrey Turner (33:04), George Williams (33:11), Emily Smutsky (33:36), Rosalie Watts (34:00), Malik Duncan (34:12), Kellan Hendricks (34:30), Stefania Mladenoff (34:54), Charlotte Knudsen (34:56), Jamie Mladenoff (34:58), Cloud Duncan (35:02), Heather Gibb (35:08), Kathryn Lusk (35:12), Seneca Mikesell (35:22), Mike Longenberger (35:27), Harrison Garverick (35:36), Kylie Oyler (37:13), Hayden Garverick (37:19), Neal Garverick (37:27), Andrea Smutsky (37:45), Georgianna Mladenoff (39:13), Jenn Bechtel (39:29), Isabella Bilous (40:57), Sierra Bilous (40:58), Amberlynn Willis (43:06), Peyton Anderson (43:47), Lisa Anderson (43:58), Alana Turner (43:59), Lydia Hendricks (44:51), Laura Dye (49:03), Connor Dye (49:04), Rachel Kass (49:28), Alison Kass (49:28), Lisa Smith (49:29), Theresa Olson (52:20), Richard Ireland (54:32), Jennifer Hendricks (54:35), James Plassio (58:29), Judy Ireland (1:01:43) and April Ireland (1:09:05).

SMT Turkey Trot 5K