Lititz Record Express

              THURSDAY, July 5, 2001
L i t i t z R e c o r d E x p r e s s
^ g r d - W h m ^
^ b l i c a t i o t v
125TH YEAR 28 Pages - No. 11 LITITZ, PENNSYLVANIA One section 3 0 Cents
INSIDE
□ Business
Booming Business
The last few days before July
4 add up to big business for
fireworks vendors. See what
the kids are saving their allow­ances
for on Page 18.
□ Religion
Marian’s Musings
Columnist Marian L. Shatto
talks about the often over­looked
blessings that can be
observed during a short walk to
work. Page 17.
□ Social
Festive Fourth
In her “In Sites” column,
Kathy Blankenbiller presents a
potpourri of special Fourth of
July features, including a trivia
quiz and more. Page 14.
□ Entertainment
S u tte r’s Patio
This summer, three guitarists
will be featured on the patio of
the Gen. Sutter Inn. Find out
more about Greg Grassa, Dave
Holt and Damian Wolfe on
Page 23.
□ Commentary
For Allisha
In mid-June, editor Richard
Reitz and his wife went to the
Phillies ALS Autograph Party in
Philadelphia with a plan to
honor the memory of Allisha
Kissinger, the local teenager
who lost her battle with the ail­ment
known as Lou Gehrig’s
Disease. That story is featured
in his “For the Record” column
on Page 4-
War Hospital
The Revolutionary War Hos­pital
re-enactment on Monday
evening took place after the
Record Express early holiday
deadline, but a reporter still got
a sneak peak at the characters
who will re-create that impor­tant
moment in Lititz histo-ry.
Page 20.
Community Project
The Lititz Jaycees hope hot
dog sales can be turned into
some new playground equip­ment
for Lititz Springs Park.
Find out more about this serv­ice
club’s goal on Page 13.
□ Sports
Lilac Champs
Lancaster Evangelical Free
Church repeated as champions
of the annual Lititz Lilacs soft-ball
tournament on Sunday,
thwarting a challenge from Cor­nerstone
Baptist by a 16-2
score, thanks to a strong offen­sive
start and solid defense
throughout the game.Page 8.
Playoffs
The Lititz VFW and Warwick
White Sox advanced to their re­spective
baseball playoff
championship games in the
Susquehanna Junior-Midget
League last week. Pages 8-9.
□ Index
Arts/Entertainment..................23
Births......................................... 15
Business.............................18-19
Classified............................24-27
Commentary/Letters................ 4
Obituaries............................... 12
Out of the Past.................. 21 -22
Police/Fire Log.......................... 2
Religion............................... 16-17
School News...........................6-7
Social.................................. 14-15
Sports.....................................8-11
7 7 4 9 0 4300
Old-fashioned day of fun
RICHARD REITZ
Photo by Stephen Seeber
Jesse Taylor, 13, was the fastest pie eater in the half-blueberry
pie competition. Though he enjoyed chowing down on a blueberry
pie, he admitted that peach is his favorite.
Record Express Editor
LITITZ — A balmy summer
Sunday afternoon could have en­ticed
local families to opt for the
air-conditioned comfort of then-living
room over a day in the park.
Instead, hundreds of Moms,
Dads, and kids sought the thrill of
some outdoor fun, spending the
afternoon at Lititz Springs Park,
where the second annual Family
Day festivities kicked off the
park’s 184th consecutive Indepen­dence
Day celebration.
“Even when it’s hot, this is a
great, shady park,” said Susie
Cromer of Lititz, who brought her
husband, Dave, and daughter
Shannyn, 7, to Family Day.
A cool breeze kept the tempera­ture
reasonable in the park
throughout the afternoon, though
it forced the cancellation of one of
the planned activities — tethered
hot air balloon rides. The threat of
bad weather also kept the “Model
A” and “Model T” vehicle exhibit
from appearing at the event.
The Quack Quack Race down
Lititz Run was slow-going at first,
but soon youngsters discovered
that a little push in the water was
all it took to speed things up... not
to mention a great way to cool off!
Bingo players filled the Bortz
Pavilion to play some free games
for prizes. Shannyn, who agreed
with her mother that Bingo was
the best part of the day, won a
blueberry pie during the game.
Families and friends then paired
More FAMILY DAY on A-20
Another jewel in Lititz’ crown
STEPHEN SEEBER________
Record Express S ta ff
LITITZ — Sunday’s theme was
volunteerism, community spirit
and heritage preservation... an
equation that sums up the new
caboose in Lititz Springs Park.
The refurbished 1942 Reading
Company Caboose 92984 was offi­cially
dedicated before the commu­nity
during Family Day in the
park this past Sunday. On hand
for the event was the honorable
Senator Noah W. Wenger.
“Lititz has yet another reason to
be proud,” the senator remarked
from a podium near the caboose
entrance. “Even in this age of
growth, there remains a strong
sense of community. This dedicat­ion
is proof of that.
“This is another jewel in this
community’s crown. And all of the
credit has to go to your local offi­cials
and citizens,” he said. “This
didn’t just happen, it happened be­cause
the people of Lititz made it
happen.”
With the help of a $12,800 grant
from the Pennsylvania Depart­ment
of Community and Econom­ic
Development, and Senator
More CABOOSE on A-20
Photo by Stephen Seeber
With the acceptance of a ceremonial golden spike, the refur­bished
Reading Company caboose was dedicated Sunday in the
name of community spirit. Dignitaries on hand for the end car’s
program include, from left to right, Lititz Mayor Russell Pettyjohn,
Senator Noah Wenger, Caboose Committee Chairman Robert
Herzer, Lititz Springs Park Board President David Croll, Reading
Technical & Historical Society President Thomas. Jacobs, Lititz
Moravian Congregation Reverend Gary Straughan, and Master of
Ceremonies C. William Dussinger.
Photo by Stephen Seeber
Tylor Heagy, 14, plans to spend most of his summer at the
new Lititz skate park, where he can safely (and legally) devel­op
a largely unappreciated talent.
F in a lly !
The waiting is over of local skaters
STEPHEN SEEBER
Record Express S ta ff
LITITZ — The signs that
now block off the parking lot
behind the Lititz Water Works
on Maple Street read “No Vehi­cles,
Skaters Only.”
It’s a newfound and unfamil­iar
respect for local skateboard
enthusiasts who are used to
being chased away from school
playgrounds and church park­ing
lots.
Equipment for the police-sponsored
skate park arrived
last Monday and the facility
went into use on June 27. Since
then, it has become the hot spot
for local teens this summer.
Here’s what the kids are saying:
Do you think this new park
will dispel the common percep­tion
that skateboarders are ju­venile
delinquents?
“Yes. Because skaters have
been out on the street, causing
trouble,” Peter Maksym,
12-year-old local skateboarder,
said. “So when they built this, it
reduced the problem.”
The park just opened. Any
bruises yet?
“Two here on my elbow,” An­drew
Hilt, 13, proudly re­marked.
“I’ve got one, two,
three... six cuts and two bruises.
And that’s just today. I’ve been
in-line skating from 9 this
morning'to 4 o’clock this after­noon.”
Any negatives so far?
“I think it’s a little too
crowded,” said Brian Dorsey,
12. “Big kids come and they
don’t give the younger kids who
want to learn a chance. I barely
got any time out there. Like a
minute.”
Do you think there is
enough room for everyone
here?
“You’ve just got to be aggres­sive
and keep your eyes open,”
said 23-year-old skateboarder
Brian Kurtz. “Just go for it
when you get the chance, but be
aware of what’s going on
around you.”
Kurtz said that prior to the
opening of this new public skate
park, he used to grind at the
high school, Lititz Elementary
School, and in various church
parking lots - all places where
skateboarding is illegal.
“This was overdue,” he said.
$35m bond OK’d
School plans July 11 hearing for h.s. plan
RICHARD REITZ___________
Record Express Editor
LITITZ — Warwick School Dis­trict
will issue over $35 million
worth of bonds to finance proposed
construction projects over the next
three years.
At the June 19 school board
meeting, the board approved the
issuance of $35,250,000 worth of
bonds, beginning July 15, through
the firm of Tucker Anthony Inc.,
2101 Oregon Pike, Manheim
Township. The paying agent will
be Fulton Financial, according to
Dan Burton of Tucker Anthony.
He told the board that the
money will be issued at a rate
below five percent interest, calling
it one of the best rates that has
been seen in the last 30 years.
“This is a great, great fate to
borrow money,” Burton said. “We
think this is the right thing to do.
The market is being very coopera­tive.
We are thrilled that it is below
five percent.”
Board member Larry Gemmell,
a member of the Finance and
Legal Committee, agreed with
Burton’s assessment, adding that
the committee has been evaluating
the market over the past five
months and discussing the matter
thoroughly during that time. “We
thought the timing would be good,
and we are fortunate that it is,” he
said. “We feel this is the right way
to go.”
Gemmell said they are borrow­ing
with “white knuckles,” adding
that they never borrow money
lightly, “but we have identified
projects that need to be ad­dressed.”
Money from the bond will be
used to finance improvement proj­ects
at John Beck Elementary
School, Kissel Hill Elementary
School, and Warwick High School,
according to David Zerbe, business
manager.
The first and largest project will
involve extensive improvements to
Warwick High School, and a pub­lic
hearing will be held on Wednes­day,
July 11 at 7 p.m. to review
matters relating to the planning,'
designing, constructing, acquiring,
equipping, and furnishing of the
high school. The hearing will be
held in the auditorium of the high
More BOND on A-20
Photo by Kathy Blankenbiller
Artist Andy Smith paints as guests Michelle Clark and her hus­band
Bruce, from New Holland, check out Andy’s works.
Lititz
embraces
Artwalk
KATHY BLANKENBILLER
Record Express S ta ff
LITITZ — Despite temperatures
that soared into the mid-90’s, the
streets of Lititz filled with art
lovers, young and old on Saturday.
Partnering business with art, the
Lititz Retailers Association and
Caryn Griffiths, owner of Gypsy
Hill Gallery, presented the first an­nual
free, self-guided Lititz Art-walk,
featuring over 20 local art­ists.
“The response was even better
than we had hoped for,” Griffths
said. “I think that Lititz has a won­derful
group of local artists who
produce some absolutely brilliant
work. It’s very important that we,
as a community, continue to recog­nize
just what a treasure these art­ists
really are. An annual Artwalk
can become an important part of
introducing that world to as many
people as possible.”
The Artwalk was also a hit with
visitors, who came to town to enjoy
the local art community.
More Artwalk on A-20
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