SUSQ
Vol. 78 No. 5 February 1, 1978
TEE
Mr. Groundy Groundhog, prognosticator. He holds
the ceremonial carrot. [Photo courtesy of Gourmet
Groundhog, Ephrata, run by Jessie Nissley, whose
sister is Mrs. Harry Riley of Marietta. ]
Groundhog Day
Numerous festivities are planned
in hopes of an early spring
It seems our article of
last week’s issue entitled
“Groundhogophilia’®> was
well read. We heard that
Jessie Nissley has received
a record number of phone
calls from our township
about her party.
The Times recently got a
press release from Gourmet
Groundhog that contained
more details on the gala
groundhog party on Thurs-
day the 2nd [Groundhog
Day].
Last year 500 people
showed up to celebrate,
and at least as many are
expected tomorrow. Every-
one will get balloons,
candy, wooden nickels, and
a groundhog calendar. If
Groundhog Day is your
birthday, you'll receive a
free Gourmet Groundhog
sweatshirt.
The festivities will climax
at 4 PM when Ephrata
Mayor Lloyd Gerhart cuts
the giant groundhog-shape
cake.
Jessie’s groundhogs eat
650 pounds of carrots and
lettuce per week, and her
wild birds eat 50 pounds of
sunflower seeds and crack-
ed corn in the same time.
This puts a strain on
Jessie’s retirement budget,
but, she says, ‘‘I don’t
mind. The joy I get from
the groundhogs and other
animals and birds is much
more than my husband and
I can get from vacations or
any other form of entertain-
ment.”’
The Times got other
groundhog press releases
this week, from Quarryville
and Ocean City, NJ.
Inspired by Jessie Nissley,
we decided to print both of
them. : -ed.
From
Quarryville
The Slumbering Ground-
hog Lodge of Quarryville,
PA, will conducts its 70th
annual vigil of known
groundhog borrows on
Thursday, Feb. 2nd, in an
effort to determine if six
more weeks of winter lie
ahead or if spring is just
around the corner.
In the 69 previous years
of issuing forecasts the
[continued on page 3]
UEHANN:_
Susquehanna Times & The Mount Joy Bulletin
MARIETTA & MOUNT JOY, PA.
-
‘“‘We’re Number One!’ — The Donegal Girls’
Basketball team shows how they feel about being the
undefeated section leaders since they narrowly beat
Hempfield, the only other previously undefeated team,
last week.
Coach Bill Earhart predicts a successful season for his
girls ““if they keep their noses to the grindstone and
their feet on the ground.” He noted that there are five
games left in the season, the last of which will be
again against the tough Hempfield team, whom the
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Donegal girls beat last time by only three points, 51-48.
If the girls keep up the hard work, they have a good
chance to take the section championship.
Kneeling in the front in the photo above are, left to
right, Tanya Merchant [No. 52], Darla Kelly [54], Alice
Musser [22]; standing are, again left to right, Jeanne
Hopwood [32], Karen Albright [40], Sharon Hershey
[24], Sherri Kinsey [42], Pam Kolp 50], and Beth
Keffer [14].
The snow is all cleaned up — situation normal
The worst is over — for
now, anyway.
Except for a few massive
sheets of ice on back roads
here and there, Donegal
Township seems to be in
good shape. Both Marietta
and Mount Joy managed to
dig out from under the
snow, and Marietta avoided
serious flooding.
According to Bill Breck-
line of the Marietta Civil
Defense, there was some
minor flooding on Front
Street. Sewers backed up
near Shank’s Tavern, and
at one point there were 29
inches on water on the 400
block of East Front. The
Chiques Creek overflowed
its banks.
Marietta experienced 12
flooded cellars. The Civil
Defense, the Pioneer and
Columbia No. 1 Fire
Companies, and the Zone 7
Fire Police all helped out,
and the four private snow
removal companies did a
good job, according to
Breckline. “‘If they hadn’t
moved the snow as soon as
they did, everything on the
south side of Market Street
would have been flooded,”
he said. There was ‘‘plenty
of work,’’ he added.
The Salvation Army also
lent a hand by delivering
food. The Red Cross was
ready to provide shelter in
case of serious flooding,
which fortunately didn’t
happen.
Mr. Breckline had been
working down at Safe
Harbor, which he described
as *‘a mess.” As to
Marietta, he said ‘“We're
not expecting any more
trouble, but you never
know.” A quick thaw could
cause flooding.
In Mount Joy, the
only reminders of last
week's storm are ice sheets
at places on the roads,
according to mayor James
Gingrich. ‘“Everytning’s
under control,’’ he said.
The ice spots are being
cindered, but it’s not
helping a great deal.
Last Tuesday the mayor
went rode along with the
snow removal crews from 2
in the afternoon to 12:30 at
night. ‘‘I went along to
help out and keep them
awake,”’ the mayor said,
noting that hours of staring
at snow can cause great
fatigue. He enjoyed the
work, he said.
Mr. Gingrich considers
the snow removal ‘‘a job
well done.”
In spite of being far from
the river, Mount Joy had
many flooded basements,
~s did Maytown, Bain-
bridge, and the rural areas
of the township. Mount Joy
dispatcher John Lutz said
that there were about 70
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