Lititz Record Express

              THURSDAY, December 20, 2001
L i t i t z R e c o r d E x p r e s s
125TH YEAR Pages - No. LITITZ, PENNSYLVANIA Two sections 30 Cents
MERRY CHRISTMAS
IN BRIEF
Holiday Deadlines
Due to holiday scheduling for
the Dec. 27 and Jan. 3 issues,
significant deadline changes
will be in effect for those is­sues.
Please see page 2 for de­tails.
The Lititz Record Express of­fices
will be closed on Dec. 25
and Jan. 1.
Meeting Change
With Christmas falling on a
Tuesday, the monthly meeting
of Lititz Borough Council will be
held next Thursday, Dec. 27, at
7 p.m.
INSIDE
0 Religion
Christmas Services
Area churches are planning
special services for this special
time of year. A complete listing
of times and places can be
found on Page 12.
I n B r o a d
d a y lig h t
Husband stabs wife
STEPHEN SEEBER_________
Record Express S ta ff
LITITZ — When Jeffrey Ford
stepped outside for a noon ciga­rette
break on Tuesday, a blood-soaked
woman stumbled away
from a running minivan.
Anna Martinez of Lititz had just
been stabbed multiple times in the
neck, arms and hands by her hus­band
Hernando.
Ford, who works at Wilbur
Chocolate, rushed to the woman’s
aid as dozens of midday Christmas
shoppers watched the graphic
scene unfold.
“She was already bloody when
she came out of the van,” he said,
adding that she sat down on the
sidewalk in front of the Long &
Bomberger hardware store on
North Broad Street. “Her whole
throat, inside, was exposed. I
thought she was going to die right
there.”
Ford, along with a man who was
driving behind the Martinez’ van,
which was heading north on Route
501 before stopping abruptly near
in downtown Lititz
Hernando Marti­nez
has been
charged with at­tempted
homicide
and aggravated as­sault.
His bail is set
at $200,000.
the railroad crossing, applied pres­sure
to the Anna’s throat wounds,
desperately hoping to slow the
bleeding.
“She was coherent at first,”
Ford recalled, “then her eyes
started flickering.”
To Ford’s amazement, Hernan­do,
who had been hiding in the van
with a knife, approached his wife,
knelt over her wounded body and
began hugging, kissing and whis­pering
what sounded like frantic
apologies.
Moments later, police were ap­prehending
the man and paramed­Photo
by Stephen Seeber
Paramedics hurry to get Anna Martinez to Lancaster General Hospital. The Lititz woman was
stabbed in the neck and arms by her husband on Tuesday.
ics were trying to save the victim.
It was at that time that Ford no­ticed
a large stab wound in Her­nando’s
stomach area. It was re­ported
Wednesday that Hernando
cut himself several times.
His wounds were not life-threat­ening.
His wife’s were.
“If they save her I’d be sur­prised,”
Ford added as he prepar­ed
to go back to work more than
an hour after his break began. “I
hope she makes it.”
By 10 a.m. Wednesday, nearly
24-hours after the incident oc­curred,
Anna was listed in critical
condition.
“She will recover, that I can tell
you,” said Lititz Police Chief
Douglas Shertzer. “Her husband is
also still in the hospital.”
Hernando Martinez was arrested
in his hospital room, Shertzer
added, and arraigned Tuesday
night. Bail was set at $200,000 and
he is being charged with criming
attempted homicide and aggravate
ed assault.
The couple has two children
who attend Warwick Middle
School. They are reportedly being
taken care of by relatives and the
county’s Children and Youth de­partment.
Meanwhile, the investigation is
continuing with a combined effort
from Lititz Police, Warwick Police
and county detectives.
□ Entertainment
Carol Sing
On Thursday, Dec. 20 at 7
p.m., the Lititz Historical Foun­dation
Carol Sing will be held at
Moravian Square. For details,
see Page 14.
□ Commentary
Christmas wishes
There are plenty of columns
and letters that express feel­ings
of the Christmas season
this week, and they appear on
Pages 4-5.
□ Also Inside
Rec Plans
A comprehensive joint recre­ation
plan involving the three
local municipalities and the
Warwick School District was
reviewed at a public hearing re­cently,
and is nearing its adop­tion.
Page 18.
□ Out of the Past
Gangland Murder
Brunnerville was the shock­ing
scene of an apparent gang­ster-
related murder 70 years
ago this week. This story and
many others from the past can
be found on Pages 16-17.
□ Sports
All-State Prisby
Warrior senior lineman Jed
Prisby achieved a rare distinc­tion
for the Warwick football
program when he was selected
to the Associated Press Big
School All-State Third Team
football squad. Page 23.
Football Contest
The final football contest of
the season appears in this
week’s issue, featuring the col­lege
bowl games and a $100
prize. Deadline for entries is
Wednesday, Dec. 26. See the
sports pages for details.
□ Index
Arts/Entertainment..................14
Births......................................... 10
Business.............................18-19
Classified............................28-31
Commentary/Letters.............4-5
Obituaries............................... 8-9
Out of the Past................... 16-77
Police/Fire Log...................... 2-3
Religion............................... 12-13
School News...........................6-7
Social.................................. 10-11
Sports.................................. 21-24
77490 43000
Photos by Kathy Blankenbiller
Anne Brossman Sweigart salutes the new gymnasium that now
carries her name at Linden Hall as Headmaster Thomas Needham
looks on. A dedication for the new sports and fitness center was
held last Sunday, Dec. 16.
Linden Hall dedicates
new sports complex
The new Anne Brossman Sweigart Sports and Fitness Center at
Linden Hall.
LITITZ — The ribbon has been
cut and the new Anne Brossman
Sweigart Sports and Fitness Center
is ready for its first basketball sea­son
at Linden Hall.
In a special dedication and din­ner
on Dec. 16, Anne Brossman
Sweigart did the honors as friends
of the girls school officially wel­comed
phase one of the campus
expansion into use.
The new building is named in
honor of Brossman Sweigart,
chairman and president of D&E
Communications.
“It’s a great privilege to be asso­ciated
with this wonderful institu­tion
of learning,” she said in her
brief address. “This impressive
building which bears my name, the
only such one in Lancaster County,
is dedicated in the spirit with
which I believe I have embraced
my life and career.”
The building, in the center of the
campus has a bam-like look to it.
This was purposely done to keep
with the rural flavor of the county,
and also to historically remember
the first Linden Hall gymnasium
from the 1800s, which actually was
a bam.
This will be the fourth gymnasi­um
used on the campus. The origi­nal
barn burned in 1900 and was
rebuilt in 1901 only to have a sec­ond
fire destroy the building in
1907. The present gymnasium, lo­cated
on East Main Street, was
constructed in 1907 and has been
used ever since.
The construction of the new gym
was completed in November, and
while it has already been put into
use for classes, the first sporting
events will take place there next
month when Linden Hall opens its
basketball season.
“This is so much more than a
building, even more than a dream,
fulfilled,” Alicia Gorman, student
council president, said. “This
building is a monument to those
More L IN D EN HALL on A -9
Home full of love
Family treasures each moment as parents struggle with illnesses
TERRY LANE______________
Special to the Record
LITITZ — With Christmas just
around the comer, Lititz residents
are busy shopping, wrapping pres­ents
in brightly colored paper, dec­orating
homes and trees with spar­kling
lights and homemade crafts,
and preparing for visits with fami­ly
and friends.
Although this holiday season
will forever be linked to the events
of September 11th, and our
thoughts and hearts will be with
those who have lost loved ones in
recent months, and whose loved
ones are fighting in the war in Af­ghanistan,
there are those in our
own community who are also
fighting their own personal battles,
and just as bravely.
Note: The family has requested
that their identity not be revealed.
Therefore, we have used fictional
names, except when referencing
members of the Becker Caring
Neighbors Group.
When “John” and “Alice” met
at a Christmas party in Boston in
1979, she was 18-years-old and he
was 31. “John,” like his five broth­ers,
was in the military. A hand­some
Marine who fought in the
Vietnam War, “John” was active,
smart, well-liked, and successful.
He enjoyed skiing and had a great
sense of humor.
“Alice” was seated across from
“John” at the party. They were in­stantly
smitten with one another.
She wrote out her name with his
last name on her napkin. “Looks
pretty good,” she thought to her­self.
Although the pretty
18-year-old Bostonian already had
a boyfriend, she spent the evening
dancing with the impressive Ma­rine
from West Chester. Concerns
about age difference quickly disap­peared
as they fell madly in love...
a love that would help carry them
More CO U R AG E on A -1 8
Photo by Stephen Seeber
This group of neighbors has rallied to support friends in need,
and they are now seeking contributions to help a struggling Lititz
family enjoy the Christmas holiday. The Becker Caring Neighbors
Group includes, from left to right, is Pastor Harry Kaufhold, Elea­nor
Nuffort, Pat Cullen, Betty Burkett, Diane Stewart, Betty and
Dr. Charles Ludwig.
677490430008