Print Edition Highlights - July 20, 2023

 

Curt Werner

A fishing pier is one of the major improvements to Children’s Lake, Boiling Springs.

Children's Lake to open soon

Jenna Clark

Intern reporter/Dillsburg Banner

Children’s Lake in Boiling Springs, South Middleton Township, Cumberland County is almost ready to reopen.
The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) hosted a construction-walk-through of Children’s Lake on June 15 at 11 a.m. to update guests on the project status. Invited local residents, PFBC workers, press and representatives attended.

The lake closed for construction on Sept. 12, 2022. The renovations cost approximately $5.2 million, with funding provided by the PFBC, South Middleton Township, private donors, local residents, and the government. A new
dam, boat launch, spillway, retaining wall, and ADA- accessible fishing pier are the major improvements.

The project will soon be finalized. Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director of PFBC, said “thank you for your patience and [the project] is almost done” to the public. Schaeffer, along with many others, believe the lake is a “gem” of Cumberland County.

Local resident John Benoit expressed that “the residents of the village really appreciate the work being done.”
Bruce McLanahan, Chief of Staff at Senator Mike Reagan’s office, commented that “Senator Reagan was proud to support the efforts to restore Children’s Lake and make it one of the prized spots of South Central Pennsylvania.”

For the rest of the story see the July 20, 2023 edition.

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Board views subdivisions and land development

Kristen Stagg

Staff Reporter/Dilsburg Banner

The Carroll Township board of supervisors held a lengthy combined work session and public meeting on July 10. Following a minute of silence in memory of the late Scott McClintock, the three-and- a-half-hour meeting opened with public comment.

Resident Cindy Janasik of Martel Circle led off by playing a cell phone recording of the industrial fans at the R. F. Fager warehouse running “from 6:30 a.m. until after 5:30 p.m.” According to Janasik, the noise makes her morning coffee “unbearable”. She recalls having to wear earplugs in her own home to block the noise “unacceptable”. She wants the supervisors to “do something” to require Fager to reduce the noise.

Frank Setlak said the corner of Gettysburg Pike and Spring Lane Road is “already a mess at high peak traffic times,” and with the retail development proposed there, will only get worse. He voiced concerns about “high speed traffic” in the posted 25 mph zone, recommending speed humps be installed to reduce motorists' speed.

Supervisor Kelly Wall asked if the retail he referenced was the proposed Aldi's that's before the township's Zoning Hearing Board. Until it goes through the process and reaches supervisors, Wall said, there's nothing supervisors can do.

Bruce Janasik, president of the South Mountain Homeowners Association, inquired about the replacement of dwarf crabapple and cherry blossom trees that had been requested of Fager when the business had to remove trees from the adjacent neighbors during the warehouse development. Fager proposed replacing the removed trees with maples, but property owner Troy Burkholder said he wants dwarf trees to provide screening, not maples “that will grow up into the power line.”

Burkholder complained that Fager “has no retail space,” and are making industrial use of a property that's zoned commercial. “Fagers is not a good neighbor,” he said “They have no concern for us [adjacent residents]. We pay a premium to live in Carroll Township. . . I think we should talk about reverse condemnation. Fagers can buy us all out.”

Township manager Brandon Slatt said the last site meeting he attended left it to Mark Yinger of ECI and Burkholder to sort out what trees would be planted and when. He hadn't had any update until now.

For the rest of the story see the July 20, 2023 edition.

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Local singer shares love of country music, unique sound

Jenna Clark

Intern reporter/Dillsburg Banner

Gillian Smith, who performs in the Dillsburg area, is a rising country artist. She released two singles so far, Guess You Couldn’t and Just Me, with more songs coming soon.

“My music is unique because my voice blends classic country and pop,” Smith said.

Although she only has been involved in country music since 2019, she has opened for Blake Shelton, Chris Lane, Lauren Alaina, Florida Georgia Line, and many others. Her ideal tour would be with Carrie Underwood and/or Laine Wilson. She said she would love to open for Chris Stapleton or even duet with him because she believes “their voices would sound amazing together.”

Smith’s first experience with music was when she was six or seven years old singing the National Anthem at her brother’s lacrosse game. Shortly afterward, at the age of eight, Smith began training as a classical/theatre vocalist.

She attended Trinity High School for ninth grade and then transferred to Cumberland Valley High School to complete her high school career.

Currently she is working towards a degree in Salisbury University, Maryland.

Smith decided to pursue country music while she was still in high school after a teacher encouraged her to sing a country song in a talent show. Smith said she sang Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood and realized that country music was her dream.

As a trained classical vocalist, Smith said that one of the most difficult challenges she faced during her switch to country music was reteaching herself to sing. She said that she realized that she needed to develop a “country twang.”

This twang is apparent when she is belting out Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson, which she sings to close her sets.

For the rest of the story see the July 20, 2023 edition.