Two Elizabethtown Journal reporters, carrying a copy of Stalking the Wild Asparagus and munching on wild hickory nuts, were foraging for food near the Conewago Trail last weekend when they encountered an odd-looking character outfitted in cycling regalia and riding an Italian racing bicycle. He appeared to be four score and seven, but we suspect that he is considerably younger than that. Because the EJ reporters’ have an insatiable appetite for vapid stories, they engaged in a conversation with the man and recorded the interview presented below. The man preferred to remain anonymous, citing that his identification could be a[Read more...]

January 2, 2012 – Office closed for the holiday. January 4 – 6, 2012 – Trash collection will run as normal. January 7, 2012 – Curbside Christmas Tree Collection. January 9, 2012 – Zoning Hearing Board 7 PM. January 10, 2012 – Planning Commission 6:30PM. January 16, 2012 – Office closed for the holiday.

The original stimulus package, or the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), provided $840 billion in tax cuts, infrastructure spending, and payments to state and local governments for health and education. As of Dec 16, 2011, $736 billion, or 88 percent, has been paid out. Tax Benefits accounted for $300.1 billion; contracts, grants, and loans $219.5 billion; and entitlements $216.3 billion. Has the ARRA proven to be effective? By most estimates, the stimulus, along with a strong dose of monetary measures by the Federal Reserve, prevented a bad economic recession from getting worse. In 2008-09, the private sector had ceased[Read more...]

An often-heard platitude during the seemingly endless media coverage of the seemingly endless Republican presidential nomination process is, “He’s a successful businessman, so he knows what the country needs.” One hears this from a candidate’s supporters, from the candidate himself, and from reporters and analysts of all political persuasions. It is also uttered without reflection, as if its veracity was self-evident–Its truth is simply taken-for-granted. Mitt Romney and Herbert Cain were usually the referents, but that is unimportant here. The focus here is on what the presuppositions of such a claim are and, when all is said and done, is[Read more...]

LITITZ, Pa., December 19, 2011 (submitted by Susquehanna Bank)– At age 16, aspiring filmmaker Lamar Brubaker has launched his own company and gained experience filming music videos, as well as testimonials and highlight videos for his church. Now, he’s been honored as 1st runner-up in a video contest for teens sponsored by Susquehanna Bank. Lamar’s film “Saving Is Worth It!” was honored as part of the Lights, Camera, Save! video contest organized by the American Bankers Association Education Foundation. It is featured on Susquehanna Bank’s YouTube channel at this location. In the contest, students age 13 to 18 submitted 90-second[Read more...]

World Famous Canadian Brass Conduct Master Class for Local High School Students December 15, 2011— Elizabethtown Area High School concert band students recently took part in a once-in-a-lifetime special master class conducted by the internationally-renowned Canadian Brass. As one of the top entertaining groups in the world, members of the world-famous brass quintet helped the students prepare to perform some of the music literature they were learning in class. As part of the special session, the students learned specialized breathing techniques, proper posture, timing of different instruments taking into account air flow, and how to interpret music in a not[Read more...]

On October 2, 2006 a local dairy truck driver entered the West Nickel Mines School, an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. By the time the incident ended, he had shot ten girls, killing five, and eventually turning the gun on himself. The incident received considerably national attention. On the fifth anniversary of the Nickel Mines shootings, Elizabethtown College sponsored a conference in commemoration of the event. The conference, “The Power of Forgiveness: Lessons from Nickel Mines”, explored the moral dilemmas arising from violence and the potential power of forgiveness for personal healing and the restoration of relationships.[Read more...]

December 5, 2011— Elizabethtown Area Middle School’s holiday band concert is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. Performances by the school’s concert band, jazz band, and color guard will be featured. The public concert will be held in the high school auditorium and is free of charge. The Jazz Band will perform Little Saint Nick, The First Noel (featuring Autumn Warner on tenor sax and Levi Greenly on flugelhorn), and Santa Baby (featuring Autumn Warner on tenor sax and Kurt Schlegel on trombone). The Concert Band will perform All is Calm, The Glory of Christmas, Deck the Halls[Read more...]

Elizabethtown Agriculture Teacher Selected for Educator Award December 1, 2011— Elizabethtown Area High School agriculture teacher Mark Anderson is one of only seven individuals nationwide to receive the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Ideas Unlimited Award at the NAAE annual convention in St. Louis. In a response to the Pennsylvania Department of Education deeming the Agricultural Mechanics career pathway a high priority occupation, Anderson developed the Horseshoe Nail Cowboy. He started out researching for practical brazing projects but none fit his criteria of being small, simple, inexpensive, easily adaptable and fun. Anderson quickly decided to create one of his[Read more...]