THE VOL. 74 NO. 11 R- De Mount Joy, @ Pa... wor BULLETIN MOUNT JOY'S ONLY NEWSPAPER PETITION THURSDAY NIGHT MOUNT JOY, PENNA. AUGUST 7, 1974 TEN CENTS Ask Manheim Central District For Release Will there be a secession? Whether or not it will happen is a moot point. But, it could happen. At least, that is the feeling of some people who would like to leave the Manheim Central School District and join the Donegal District. There is no rebellion involved, but there are a number of people living in the lower reaches of Rapho township — that area between Little Chiques Creek and Chiques creek — who believe that it would be more logical for their children to attend Donegal schools. In fact, on Thursday night of this week, a petition proposing such a move is to be presented to the Manheim Central school board. Bearing nearly 50 names, the paper points out a number of situations which are believed to be important and relevant to the proposal. For instance, it is stated that there are few church, banking business or shopping connections tying the lower part of the township to Manheim. Natural associations are with Mount Joy, or perhaps Columbia, it is pointed out by the petitioners. The actual area involved in the proposed change, according to Mrs. Donald Miller of Newtown, who has been working on the matter for many , many months, is that territory between the Little and Big Chiques creek and south of Road 230. The area includes about 6.46 square miles. And, the best current estimate is that about 100 school- age children live in the triangle. Mrs. Miller points out that school Lower Rapho Township ‘triangle’ would include 4.46 square miles and involve perhaps 100 pupils who now attend Manheim Central School District. children living in the area have no opportunity to participate in school activities unless they drive their own cars. There is no ‘‘activities” bus, she said. And, she added that opportunities for making lasting friendships among the children are greatly curtailed. Some children are bussed as many as 13 miles north to school, she said this week as she plans to attend the Manheim Central school board meeting and to present the petition. The petition, for the present, is intended to ‘‘show interest’ and is one of the steps which could lead to the change of school district boundaries. Mrs. Miller, mother of four ranging from 16 to 3 years in age, has discovered that there is a 1967 law which provides for the forming of an independent school district for the transfer of pupils. It would not only be necessary for the area to be released by Manheim Central but to be ac- cepted by Donegal. Actually, some of the triangle in question is south of Donegal school As Donegal Superintendent of Schools R.F. Hallgren expressed it, “those people can look north and BUT, IT ISN'T GREEN! see us turn the lights off and on at Donegal high school.” Although there have been con- versations: for six, eight or ten years about the possibility of changing school district lines, recently there have been what can be termed ‘more serious’ at- tempts. Letters and conferences have been held with numerous people of influence and importance in government and in education in an effort to determine how such a change could be made. First, the backers of the plan are told, it would be necessary for the area involved to ‘‘secede’’ from Manheim Central district and then join Donegal. But, the mechanics of such a double play are involved and (Continued on Page 8) Mount Joy Tennis Club Sets Labor Day Meet The Mount Joy Tennis Club will sponsor its first tennis tournament — directed at Labor Day weekend ‘‘stay-at-homes’’ — starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, and ending Monday, Sept. 2. All entrees must be present for the opening. Matches will be played on the Mount Joy borough courts. All finalists will receive trophies. The tournament will cost $4 per team for men’s and women’s doubles. Balls will be supplied by the club and United States Lawn Tennis Association rules will be followed for all matches. Entries may be made by calling Mary Ann Coover or ‘Bonnie Ritravato before August 24. The tennis club is scheduled to hold a meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at the Borough building, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The club will sponsor a junior tournament, during the last two weeks in August. Entries, for boys and for girls 14 and under and 16 and under, close August 10. . ‘Ob This aud That’ by the editor’s wife We felt like Ewell Gib- bons! As we walked through a heavy woods in Tobyhanna State Park this past week end, gathering huckleberries by the handsful, nibbling on delectable wild black raspberries, picking black- berries and wild red rasp- berries, we almost felt as if the noted nature food authority were walking at our side! It was a delightful ex- perience! We gathered enough of the huckleberries for a big pie (in addition to the ones we ate!) But we picked only a few of the raspberries and blackberries. One of the pleasantest parts of our ‘“‘berrying’’ was walking in the beautiful woods where we found them. It was quiet, cool and shaded, with tall trees rising 60-70 feet above us. Underneath our feet were moss and soft, moist loan, out of which grew acres of luxuriant ferns, some of them waist and even shoulder high! Catbirds called ‘“Meow!’’ to us, and we saw a Baltimore oriole. Huckleberries were brand new to us, though we have eaten and enjoyed their tame “cousins,” the blueberries, all of our lives. It was thrilling’ to see the shiny- leaved, stocky little huckleberry bushes, to raise their delicate branches and see the pretty little blue berries in wild profusion! Excitedly we gathered them, sometimes eight or ten at a time! Tiny though they are, our container filled up (Continued on Page 8) Former Resident Of Schock Home At 103rd Birthday Although she is not a Mount Joy resident now, she will be very much in the minds and hearts of many local people on Thursday, Aug. 8! Miss Grace Blanchard, formerly a resident of the Schock Presbyterian home on Main street, will mark her 103rd birthday. Miss Blanchard is now a resident at Lehigh Manor, another of the Presbyterian homes, located in Reading. She formerly was a teacher in the Kingston area. Although she is frail, Miss Blanchard is not completely bedfast but is up for a time each day. In an interview at the time of her 100th birthday she attributed her long life to “plenty of spinach and very little candy.” Coal Black Color Of New Track At Donegal Disturbs Some Directors But, it isn’t green! And, with that comment on an obvious fact, is the possible beginning of dissatisfaction with the new Donegal high school running track. Although drainage, layout, grading and sub structure all are important parts of the building of a track, those thing must finally add up to the finished running surface, which then is ‘the track’. All that has been done and a super surface of special macadam which ‘heals’ the spike wounds left by the spiked shoes worn by athletes participating in Swimmers Set Marks At Divisional Meet On Saturday, August 3, the Mount Joy Swim Team participated in the Divisional Championships held at the Landisville Pool. Although the swimmers were seventh with 97 points, several outstanding in- East Donegal Township Plans Hearing Aug. 13 A public hearing on a proposed comprehensive plan for east Donegal township will be held Tuesday, Aug. 13, at 8 p.m. in Donegal high school building. Copies of the com- prehensive plan, together with 10 questions and an- swers that pertain to the planning program in the township, will be available for public examination and purchase at the American Legion Home on North King Street in Maytown on August 6, August 8, and August 12, from 7 to 8 p.m. Three Township Planning Com- mission members will be available on each date to answer questions about the Comprehensive Plan. Copies of the com- prehensive plan along with the questions and answers and abstract will also be available for public examination at the Maytown office of the Union National Mount Joy bank. dividuals broke teams records and claimed high places. In the 8 years and under age girls, Amy Hess had three firsts and broke three team records. She won the 25m. freestyle in 20.3, the 25m. butterfly in 24.9, and teamed up with Hope Madara, Amy Westerman, and Jodi Nolt in the 100m freestyle relay to win in 1:37.8. Mount Joy’s other two firsts came from a 12 and under girl and a 17 and under boy. In the 12 and under, Sherri Kinsey won the 50m. breast stroke and set a new team record at 44.2 Dean Buchenauer won the 17 and under boys breaststroke with a 33.4. Meet Results to Fourth Place 8 and Under Girls — 25m. Free, — Amy Hess, 1st; 25m. Butter, — Amy Hess, 1st, and 100m. Free, Relay — 1st (Hope (Continued on Page 8) track has been laid. But — it isn’t green. And, Donegal high school had expected it to be green — green for Donegal, you know. But, instead, it is a coal black color, which, in all probability, will turn grey as it weathers. The disappointment centers around pictures presented to those respon- sible for the construction. Those pieces of ‘selling’ literature showed a green surface — not black, schoolmen day! Whether consciously or unconsciously, there is a feeling in the minds of at least some of the school board members that the decision to install the ex- pensive surface was in- fluenced by the fact that the green ‘‘would be very ap- propriate’’ for Donegal’s Indians. But, apparently, the final specifications which stated how the track should be built did not mention a ‘‘green” finished surface. Now, the track is black unless something additional is done. In fact, schoolmen are told, a green coat can be added — at a price of about $5,000. However, td retain the color, the coating will need to be renewed probably about every five years. Life expectancy of the basic black is estimated at 20 years. (Continued on Page 8)
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