Suppose you wish to transfer a liquor license from Harrisburg to Hummelstown. First there has to be a Borough Council meeting on your proposal. The public could come forward to oppose it. But let’s say you get through that. Then you have to apply for the transfer from the Liquor Control Board (LCB). You will probably get the approval, but you have to wait 45-60 days. You have to wait for TWO MONTHS to hear from the LCB that you can sell a glass of beer with your dinner! Why does the government make it so difficult for small businesses?[Read more...]

This feature is another installment in the Journal’s series of pictorial essays featuring Elizabethtown neighborhoods.

The South Poplar Street Neighborhood is a highly defined neighborhood to the west of Market Street and to the south of High Street. The neighborhood is mixed use, consisting of residential, commercial, and public space. It is bordered by Market Street to the east, High Street to the North, largely undeveloped land to the west, and West Bainbridge Street to the east. Peace Alley runs parallel to South Poplar on the west side and Peach Alley runs parallel to South Poplar on the east side. Residential buildings are a mixture of apartment buildings, semi-detached, and single family homes. Peace Alley hosts athletic fields, a roller court, the Elizabethtown Area Senior Center, Gears (Greater Elizabethtown Area Recreation & Community Services), and a few residences. On the Peach Alley side one can find the Elizabethtown Historical Society, the rear entrance to the community library, other rear entrances to Market Street businesses, and a few residences.

November 15, 2010— Second graders in Jen Gerber’s class at East High Street Elementary School are taking part in a reading challenge, that when finished, will not only improve their reading skills but also benefit students less fortunate. The challenge is part of Scholastic’s Classrooms Care Program. This literacy challenge is titled The United States of Reading. It is geared to encourage children to read regularly. Each student was challenged to read 10 books by December 17. In return, Scholastic will donate the same number of books (around 260) to disadvantaged children in Pennsylvania. Classrooms Care is a philanthropy-based campaign[Read more...]

November 15, 2010— Twenty-five local veterans were saluted by the Elizabethtown Area School District as part of its annual Veterans Day recognition ceremony.

On Thursday, Elizabethtown Borough Council — and only a small handful of the public, two of whom were reporters — got its first look at the proposed 2011 budget. And it doesn’t look pretty.

As Elizabethtown Borough Council considers and debates the borough’s 2011 budget, here are some costs that many of us incur in Elizabethtown — and they are things to think about and consider, especially when compared to your property taxes:

* GEARS before and after school daycare (one child for 9 months): $3,120
* Average annual electric bill for a customer with central air conditioning: $2,200
* Price for filling up a 10-gallon gas tank once every other week: $1,144
* Basic digital cable from Comcast: $720

November 8, 2010— Students and staff at Elizabethtown Area Middle School observed Red Ribbon Week, held annually during the last week of October. As part of the national commemoration, a week-long series of events was held to promote the students’ awareness of healthy lifestyle choices. The week began with students and staff wearing red to promote the weeklong festivities. During lunch, students traced their hands on large poster board and signed their names inside, signifying that they will be drug-free. Participating students received a lollipop with the annual Red Ribbon slogan of “I AM DRUG FREE.” Tuesday’s theme was Put[Read more...]

November 8, 2010— Courtney Orban and Cassidy Cheddar, both members of Elizabethtown Area High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter, earned gold medals at the National FFA Career Development Event in Indianapolis, IN.

November 5, 2010— Fifteen current or past students at Elizabethtown Area High School recently earned AP Scholar Awards. The awards recognize outstanding performance on the 2010 AP exams, which the award-recipients took in May 2010 after completing challenging college-level courses. Current students earning awards were Meredith Bush, Richard Cunningham, and Alaina Herkelman. 2010 graduates earning awards were Tyler Brown, Charelle Bryant, Rachel Dern, Alicia Grundhoffer, Kelsey Hayden, Carey Heisey, Yoonjung Jung, Corey Landis, Melinda Martrano, Zachary Myers, Katya Rebman, and James Yarnell. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP) provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take[Read more...]

From Chronicling Elizabethtown http://chroniclingelizabethtown.blogspot.com/ Elizabethtown Borough Council raised sewer rates by 16 percent earlier this month. The increase means the price per quarter for residents will rise from $63 to $73. Council took action after a presentation earlier this fall that showed expenses outpacing revenues at the borough’s sewage treatment plant. The borough last raised sewer rates in 2004, when they increased from $48 to $63 per quarter.