Print Edition Highlights - May 3, 2012

A Trip to
Remember
By Curt Werner

Photos by Curt Werner
More than 150 of the American Legion's Region 7 riders and friends on their motorcycles escort the honor buses filled with World War II and Korean War veterans on Route 15.

John Levine, a U.S Navy veteran, salutes the bus as it departs for Washington, D.C.

____On a cloudless Sunday morning. Mechanicsburg Middle School was open, but not for school. In the parking lot sat three large buses -- normal for a school -- but there was also more than 150 motorcycles, accompanied by riders and friends from American Legion's Region 7, which covers Dillsburg, Harrisburg, Chambersburg, New Cumberland, Mechanicsburg and Dallastown.
____As about 100 seniors boarded the buses, accompanied by volunteer guardians, riders revved their motorcycles in preparation to escort the World War II and Korean War veterans on part of their trip to Washington, D.C. On vehicles dubbed “honor buses,” the veterans were starting a journey to the World War II and Korean War Memorials, as well as the Arlington National Cemetery (83 are veterans of WWII and 17 of the Korean War). The riders were there to escort the honor buses to the Maryland border.
____John Levine, a U.S Navy veteran, rode as an escort in 2011, but illness prevented him from making the trip this year (he was released from the hospital in March). “The Legion Riders from Dillsburg gave me a 15-motorcycle escort to my home from Health South,” said Levine. “I want to do my part and show support for these veterans going to D.C.”
____As Levine knew the motorcycle escort and honor buses would take Route 15 south, his wife parked their vehicle in the parking lot near the Village of Shops and they waited near the highway. As a long stream of motorcycles passed, waving and beeping, Levine waved back. And when the three honor buses approached, Levine stood tall, head held high, turning his wave into a salute.
____The Legion Riders stayed ahead of the three honor buses. Once, within two miles of the Maryland border, the cycles pulled off both sides of the southbound lane.
____“All of a sudden, the buses started to slow down. We dropped down to under 20 miles an hour and cars were pulled off the road,” said Joel Yohn, a guardian. “I looked out the bus window and on both sides of the road were cycles lined up with the riders saluting the buses. You could hear a pin drop in the bus. The only sounds heard were cameras clicking, tissues being pulled and sniffles from the tears, not only from the vets, but also the guardians. It was a very proud moment and humble experience.”

More than 100 veterans and "Guardians" boarded the three honor buses at the Mechanicsburg Middle School to make the trip to the WWII and the Korean War Memorials and Arlington National Cemetery.

See the May 3, 2012 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.

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Unanswered questions plague Dollar General plans
By Carolyn Hoffman

____Action on the proposed Valley Farms–Dollar General subdivision in Wellsville was tabled yet again because the last remaining permit is not yet in hand. Despite a plea from the project’s engineer that he wouldn’t take the plan to Wellsville’s May borough council meeting unless the permit arrives by then, planning commission members voted 3-1 to wait, with Chairman Victor Neubaum dissenting. Neubaum said he didn’t see any reason to hold up local approval because of a permit from an outside agency.
____The outstanding permit is one issued by the Department of Environmental Protection, and as such the local planning commission has no input or control regarding the permit’s approval, disapproval or when it arrives. Although the plan could have been approved conditioned on the eventual appearance of that permit, the commission reiterated the borough council’s wishes that the plan would not be passed on to them until everything needed for it was in hand. Although such conditional approvals are common, as one commissioner noted, “Every time this plan is reviewed by someone, something else ‘pops up’ that needs done for it.”
____More than 20 residents and area citizens attended the April 25 planning commission meeting to voice their continued concerns about the plan and the store. Questions about setback distances and flood plain or floodway definitions make up the bulk of the disagreeing viewpoints between citizens and the developers, with citizens saying the plan doesn’t meet a particular requirement or regulation, and the store contending that it does. Those aren’t the only issues, however.

See the May 3, 2012 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.

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Franklintown Borough to hold carnival May 9-12
By Erica Smithson

____Franklintown Borough will hold its fourth annual carnival May 9-12 at the Franklintown and Community Fire Hall, 107 S. Baltimore St., Franklintown. The event will run from 6-11 p.m. each night and proceeds will benefit the Archie Hess Memorial Park.
____Admission to the carnival is free. Franklintown Mayor Jim Adams said people are welcome to simply come, sit and listen to music free of charge. Wristbands for rides cost $15. Each person may bring one non-perishable food item to benefit the New Hope Ministries Food Pantry and receive $2 off of the price of the wristband (limit one item per wristband per person).
____Each night of the carnival is filled with musical acts from your own backyard. The Cumberland County bluegrass band Cumberland Bound will perform Thursday, and Stephanie Grace, the 15-year-old Nashville recording artist from Douglassville, Pa., will perform Friday at 6 p.m. Grace has had a song at No. 37 on the Nashville charts and has opened for former “American Idol” contestant Bucky Covington. On Wednesday night, carnival-goers can lend their own musical talents to the crowd with Open Mic Night.
____Further entertainment includes a classic car show Friday, which is free to attend. Registration of your own car costs $5 before the show and $7 the day of the show. A tractor show will be held Saturday.

See the May 3, 2012 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.

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Polar Bears win again
By Joe Guty


Photo by Mark Ryder
Winning play of the game. Northern’s pitcher Rusty Simmoneau scrambles to home plate to tag out a Bishop McDevitt player in the final play of the game on Saturday, April 28. Bears won 3-2.

____On Monday, April 30, the Northern High School baseball team edged Northeastern, 2-1, and won its third consecutive one-run game. Anthony Salomone pitched five innings and gave up only one unearned run and two hits. Vince Apicella fired two shutout innings to earn the save. Speaking of pitching, throughout the recent three-game stretch, Northern's varsity pitchers have allowed only three runs in the past 19 innings of play.
____The visiting Polar Bears scored its two runs in the fourth inning on a bases-loaded fielder's choice by Dylan Tamecki that plated Cody McLaughlin. When the ball was thrown away at first base, Mark Stetts hustled home and slid under the tag of the Northeastern catcher.
 ____In JV action, Northern played host to Northeastern and came away with a 10-0 win in five innings. Sophomore Clayton Horvath pitched all five innings, giving up only two hits and striking out eight batters. Horvath improved to 4-0 on the season and helped himself with a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning. Sophomore Colton Baxter had two hits and freshman Jeremy Gilbert was 2-for-2 with a triple, a double and four RBIs.
____On Saturday, April 28, the host Northern varsity received another strong pitching performance from its deep staff, defeating Bishop McDevitt, 3-2. Jordan Miller threw four shutout innings to start. Senior Vince Apicella made his first appearance of the season after foot surgery and threw two innings, striking out three and giving up one run. Rusty Simmoneau closed the game in the seventh inning to earn another save.

See the May 3, 2012 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.

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Bears close in on Mid-Penns
By Joe Guty

Photo by Curt Werner
Katie Mikos signed a letter of intent to the University of Sioux Falls on Wednesday, April 11, in the Northern High School library in the company of her parents, grandparents and teammates. Mikos will be playing softball.
Pictured from left, Danny Mikos (father), Jeannette (mother), Angela (sister), Donna Prowell (grandmother) and Harvey Prowell (grandfather) watch as Katie Mikos signs her letter of intent.

____With the 2012 Mid-Penn Conference Championships less than two weeks away, the Northern High School track and field teams are gearing up for the postseason. The Mid-Penn meet will be held at Chambersburg High School on Friday and Saturday, May 11-12.
____Northern scored dual wins against James Buchanan (on April 25) last week as the girls' team triumphed, 83-67 and the boys' team edged the Rockets, 77-73. Event winners included the Lady Bears in the girls' 3200 relay (11:09.96), Monique Brown in the girls' 100-meter hurdles (18.86) and high jump (4-06), David Cuckovic in the boys' 110-meter hurdles (16.05), Bobby Smutsky in the boys' 100-meter dash (11.30) and javelin throw (170-10), Darby Anderson in the girls' 1600-meter run (5:57.35) and 3200-meter run (13:10.31), Hannah Davis in the girls' 400-meter dash (1:03.86) and 200-meter dash (28.95), Ryan Cummings in the boys' 400-meter dash (54.29), the Bears in the boys' 400 relay (45.12), Kegan Slemp in the boys' 300-meter hurdles (43.5) and Michelle Yeager in the girls' 800-meter run (2:38.83).

See the May 5, 2012 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.

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Three more wins for Northern girls' soccer

Shippensburg

The Northern Lady Polar Bears traveled to Shippensburg on Tuesday, April 24, to take on the Lady Greyhounds in a Mid-Penn Colonial Division contest.
Northern struck first, but it took more than 25 minutes of the first half to generate a score. Sophomore Allison Speese banged home a rebound off a shot by fellow sophomore Taryn Casey, putting Northern ahead, 1-0. That turned out to be the only score of the first half, as the teams entered intermission by the same 1-0 score.
The second half saw Northern continue to out-possess Shippensburg, but got nothing additional on the scoreboard to show for it. The Lady Greyhounds occasionally entered Northern’s defensive end of the field, only to have the Lady Polar Bears regain possession and attack the other end of the field.

Big Springs

On Thursday, April 26, Northern hosted Big Spring in a Mid-Penn Colonial Division contest. Prior to the varsity match, the six graduating seniors were recognized along with their parents for their years of commitment to the Northern soccer program. Lauren Berry, Brandi Hoke, Kirsten Kleckner, Dani Latham, Olivia Snare and Mickenzie Snyder were all recognized by master of ceremonies Brian Wilson.

James Buchanon

The Northern Lady Polar Bears traveled to James Buchanan on Saturday, April 28, to square off against the Lady Rockets in a Mid-Penn Colonial Division contest. Northern entered the match in a tie, with Gettysburg atop the divisional standings, and needed a win against James Buchanan to create a showdown on May 4 in Dillsburg that will ultimately decide the Colonial Division title.
Within the first 21 minutes of the match, Northern built a 6-0 lead that would never be threatened. Freshman Steph Clark and senior Olivia Snare each had two of the first-half goals, while sophomores Taryn Casey and Allison Speese each added one goal to send the match to halftime at the same 6-0 score. Casey, Clark, and Speese each added an assist each, while senior Dani Latham and junior Shea Regan each added an assist, as well.

See the May 3, 2012 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.

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