THE YEAR IN REVIEW October-December 2018
OCTOBER
Oct. 2 — Seventy years ago on Oct. 1, 1948, Harold M. Zimmerman started Zimmerman Funeral Home on South Carlisle Street in Greencastle.
In 1981, son H. Martin "Marty" Zimmerman Jr. joined his father and the name of the business was changed to Harold M. Zimmerman and Son Funeral Home in 1988.
On July 2 of this year, Harold M. Zimmerman and Son Funeral Home became part of the Geisel family of funeral homes, which also includes sites in Chambersburg, Dry Run, Bedford, Pleasantville, Everett and Schellsburg.
Oct. 4 — The limestone stage area dedicated to veterans at Cedar Hill Cemetery is being repaired as a joint project of the cemetery, Frank L. Carbaugh American Legion Post 373 and Harry D. Zeigler VFW Post 6319.
Masons Curtis Bowers of Marion and his father, Larry Bowers of Greencastle, started work last week and hoped to wrap up this week.
The monument, dedicated in 1932, has been cleaned and power-washed over the years, but there has never been a major repair project, according Larry Pittman, American Legion commander.
The concrete top of the monument completely deteriorated and is being replaced and the stones are being repointed. The old mortar in the joints will be chiseled out and replaced, Curtis Bowers said.
Oct. 9 — The McDonald's on Buchanan Trail East just off Interstate 81 is surrounded by building materials, scaffold and work trucks.
A major renovation of the fast food restaurant started on Oct. 1. The drive-thru is expected to reopen this week and the remainder of the work should be finished the week of Oct. 22.
"If all goes well and the weather is good, we expect to be open by the 26th of October," said Steven Delamater, owner of Delamor Enterprises, a Chambersburg-based McDonald's franchise with stores in Chambersburg, Waynesboro and Breezewood, in addition to the Greencastle restaurant."We're getting a lot done very quickly. It will be really beautiful when it's done.
"The store will have a completely different look from the exterior to the interior," Delamater said. "There will be a new dining room and drive-through, with digital menu boards inside and out, similar to Waynesboro."
Oct. 11 — A company that handles hazardous waste, hazardous materials and recyclables for the federal government and commercial customers like Manitowoc got the go-ahead Tuesday night for a transportation and warehouse facility in Shady Grove.
Two representatives of Tradebe Environmental Services testified at a conditional use hearing before Antrim Township's board of supervisors and the planning commission. After the hearing, the planners recommended approval of the application, which was then OK'd by supervisors without any conditions.
Tradebe has operated on Industrial Drive in Chambersburg for more than five years, but the new site at 1620 Buchanan Trail East offers more space. Justin Gelvin, local technical services operations manager, hopes to move in by the first quarter of 2019.
Tradebe has more than 20 transportation and disposal facilities in the United States, as well as locations throughout Europe and Asia. It "specializes in minimizing the industrial carbon footprint throughout the world."
Oct. 16 — Three people were honored for their service during the Greencastle-Antrim Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet Thursday evening.
H. Marty "Marty" Zimmerman of Harold M. Zimmerman and Son Funeral Home received the chamber's highest honor, the James P. Oliver Award; Garon Gembe of Graphics Universal was recognized as the Chamber Gem; and Gay Buchanan was honored as the Community Gem.
The theme for the banquet was "Trailer Blazers" and the speaker was Blaise Alexander, founder of the car dealerships that bear his name, including the one in Greencastle.
Oct. 18 — Bob Manahan likes "working between the curbs."
The Borough of Greencastle's new public works manager has an extensive background in road maintenance and is looking forward to learning more about water and sewer lines.
He started his new job Sept. 24, filling the post held by Dave Nichols for 27 years prior to his retirement on Aug. 31.
Oct. 23 — The Greencastle-Antrim School District isn't seeing any big increases in the use of drugs, alcohol or tobacco, according to the 2017 Pennsylvania Youth Survey results presented at Thursday evening's school board meeting by Christy Unger, director of community programming for Healthy Communities Partnership of Greater Franklin County.
Unger gave highlights of the 115-page report with G-A and statewide information.
PAYS is given every two years to sixth-, eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders.
Oct. 25 — Dancing through the decades, a paint party, a cornhole tournament and a scavenger hunt for tweens are among the new ideas offered for Old Home Week during a meeting Monday evening in the multi-purpose room of the Rescue Hose Co.
The talk also included what can be done to get in the "Guinness Book of World Records" and thinking about train excursions down the road.
Andy Everetts, president of the 40th triennial celebration Aug. 3 to 10, 2019, called the meeting specifically for new ideas and new volunteers.
Oct. 30 — Greencastle Borough Council approved a preliminary budget for 2019 that maintains the property tax rate and adds two police officers.
At Thursday's special meeting council members also discussed implementing a yearly storm water pollution impact fee of $160, residential; $500, institutional/worship center; and $1,600, commercial.
The fee, akin to a quarterly water or sewer bill, according to Borough Manager Eden Ratliff, is on the table to pay for MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) water cleanup requirements.
NOVEMBER
Nov. 1 — Nearly 50 people turned out Monday night to hear information regarding a possible shift in school start times in the Greencastle-Antrim School District.
"A few years ago, the school district did look into this topic, however no changes were made," explained Dr. Kendra Trail, G-ASD superintendent.
The idea has come around again and determining whether the current schedule is the best approach is No. 1 on her list of four goals Trail presented to the school board in August.
Currently, high school students are dropped off around 7:20 a.m. and classes begin at 7:30 a.m. Elementary and primary students start their day at 8:15 a.m.
Trail said a committee made up of students, teachers, staff and community members meets regularly to study the idea.
"My desire is to have a recommendation for the board by March 2019," Trail said Monday, during a public presentation on sleep and teenagers.
Nov. 6 — Thousands of motorists on Route 16 west of Greencastle are seeing shorter drive-times with last week's opening of both lanes of the bridge over the east branch of the Conococheague Creek.
One 11-foot-wide lane of travel controlled by traffic lights over the span in Antrim Township slowed travel since late March, when work demolish and replace the bridge superstructure started.
Before that, vehicles were diverted to the newer, outside portions of the bridge for more than a year after problems were discovered with the 1941 decking in the center in late 2016 and the decision was made to replace the bridge.
The $2.3 million project, with Cottle’s Asphalt Maintenance Inc. of Everett, Bedford County as the contractor, included removing and replacing the 77-year-old structurally deficient concrete deck and steel I-beam superstructure, drainage improvements, approach slab and pavement reconstruction and new guardrails, signs and pavement markings.
Nov. 8 — The Greencastle Shop 'n Save on North Antrim Way will become a MARTIN's Food Market.
SUPERVALU INC. announced Tuesday it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell five Shop ‘n Save grocery stores to GIANT Food Stores of Carlisle.
GIANT operates 171 GIANT AND MARTIN's grocery stores across the region and will covert the five stores to MARTIN'S.
The transaction is expected to close in late 2018 or early 2019.
Nov. 13 — The Greencastle-Antrim Veterans Memorial was rededicated on its 10th anniversary as local residents gathered on North Washington Street outside borough hall to observe Veterans Day on Sunday.
Bells tolled as the ceremony began on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 100 years after the signing of the armistice ending World War I. The observance of Armistice Day started a year later on Nov. 11, 1919, Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance and Nov. 11 became a national U.S. holiday beginning in 1938, according to history.com.
Sunday's observance was sponsored by Frank L. Carbaugh American Legion Post 373 and Harry D. Zeigler VFW Post 6319.
Nov. 15 — Antrim Township supervisors and members of the planning commission listened to nearly three hours of often impassioned testimony Tuesday night at a conditional use hearing for the site of a proposed residential Christian school for at-risk girls.
Carissa Martin wants to open Monarch's Way in the large brick home at 7465 Angle Road in the Village of Kauffman. The property is zoned agricultural.
More than 60 people packed the township meeting room, filling the chairs, standing along the walls and spilling out into the hallway of the township office.
In addition to Martin's testimony, speakers ranged from Kauffman residents, the majority opposed to the proposed location, to guidance counselors, religious leaders and other community members adamant about the need to help young people.
Nov. 20 — The Rescue Hose Co.'s new ambulance, Ambulance 3-9, will go in service on Wednesday, Nov. 21.
The 2017 Road Rescue F-550 arrived the first week in October and was displayed during Fire Prevention Week, then sent away for the installation of a Stryker power load system, according to Richard Wertman, EMS chief.
The automatic system raises and lowers the cot to help in loading and unloading patients. Wertman said this helps protect the backs of members of the ambulance crew, preventing injuries and worker's compensation claims. Wertman anticipates there will soon be new, stricter state regulations concerning lifting.
The amount of lifting done by the five full-timers, 15 part-timers and scores of EMS volunteers is rising as the call volume escalates.
There were 1,334 ambulance calls in 2016, 1,551 in 2017 and the Rescue Hose Co. is on track for close to 1,700 this year.
Nov. 23 — Greencastle Borough Hall will get significant security and handicapped accessibility upgrades early in 2019.
The project is to "improve accessibility for all citizens while improving the safety of staff," said Eden Ratliff, borough manager.
Borough council approved a $235,620.45 contract with Lobar Gordian and Lobar Associates Construction at its Nov. 5 meeting and the work is expected to be done in January.
During the construction period, the borough staff will work in the meeting room while the office is reconfigured. Borough meetings will be held at locations to be announced.
Nov. 27 — Work to renovate and preserve Greencastle's historic High Line Train Station continues, with help from the community and the county.
The overhang around the building on South Jefferson Street was recently scraped and repainted and historically accurate Greencastle signs now hang along the tracks.
On Nov. 16, Franklin County commissioners awarded a $14,000 Franklin County Tourism and Quality of Life Enhancement Grant to the Greencastle Area Youth Foundation, which oversees the station.
Nov. 29 — The springhouse at Ebbert Spring has been selected for the 2019 Old Home Week badge.
Brad Barkdoll, chair of the badge committee, announced the decision at Monday's meeting of the Old Home Week Association.
The badge will "help draw attention to a local site that is full of history, that maybe a lot of people don't know about," Barkdoll said. "What better way to showcase local history than Old Home Week? Plus, there will be walking trails opened at Ebbert Spring in time for OHW where people can go and enjoy and learn."
The springhouse sits on the future site of the Ebbert Spring Archaeological Preserve and Heritage Park. There is evidence of use of the property dating back 10,000 years and the limestone house was built by William Allison, father of Greencastle founder John Allison, in 1850.
The limestone base of the red brick springhouse might be the original French and Indian War Fort Allison.
The Archaeological Conservancy has acquired the property off U.S. 11 south of Greencastle and the goal of Andy Stout, a Greencastle native and the conservancy's eastern regional director, is the have trails with interpretive kiosks open by Old Home Week.
DECEMBER
Dec. 4 — Ted Martin, deputy director of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, visited the Greencastle-Antrim Chamber of Commerce office Friday afternoon to discuss downtown development.
“Our goal today is to have a conversation on what DCED does and what we would like to do in Greencastle and what other counties have done,” said Georgina Cranston, executive director of the Greencastle-Antrim Chamber of Commerce.
Martin said the central Pennsylvania region is very diverse, having both urban and rural downtown areas.
“I salute small businesses, it’s hard to run a business,” said Martin. “We at DCED remain committed to communities to make sure that they have what is needed to keep communities vibrant and a great place to live.”
Dec. 6 — About 30 people filled the chairs at Monday's Greencastle Borough Council meeting, most of them upset about recent letters telling them they need to install curbs and sidewalks by the end of 2019.
Several areas of the borough are facing the requirement under a plan put in place in 2011, but most of the people at Monday's meeting live in the Baumgardner Drive area.
"The grand plan in 2011 was to connect the entire borough and downtown," said Eden Ratliff, borough manager. "There are a lot of challenges with 2019 implementation."
Dec. 11 — The M&T Bank at 643 E. Baltimore St., Greencastle, was robbed at gunpoint Friday evening and a suspect was arrested less than half an hour later in Hagerstown.
The man entered the bank at 4:54 p.m. and demanded money at gunpoint, according to Greencastle police.
"During the course of a rapidly developing investigation," George Arthur Graves, 50, of Hagerstown was found on Salem Avenue at 5:20 p.m.
Dec. 13 — A plan to open a residential Christian school for at-risk girls off Angle Road in Antrim Township is a go. Antrim Township Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve the conditional use plan for the proposed Monarch's Way.
Carissa Martin submitted a plan earlier this year to open Monarch's Way in the 6,300-square-foot brick home, previously owned by the late Raymond Wishard, in the Village of Kauffman.
The stately home overlooking Interstate 81 has been a subject of curiosity for the past 13 years as it sat vacant.
Martin's plan is to open an at-will, year-round school for girls age 11 to 17 who struggle with issues such as eating disorders, self-harm, sexual abuse, addictions, depression and unplanned pregnancies.
The residential treatment program would provide training in academics, life skills and counseling and coaching.
Dec. 18 — Greencastle-Antrim High School students honored veterans during a Veterans Day assembly and raised almost $500 through the sale of patriotic button to benefit two veterans’ organizations.
The annual Veterans Day assembly was held during school hours on Monday, Nov. 12. Victor Moon, who served in the United States Navy, and as a master sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, was the speaker at the assembly.
As part of the annual Veterans Day project, the high school kicked off a fundraising activity by selling patriotic buttons for $3 during school lunch periods. Students also made the buttons available during the Veterans Day luncheon sponsored by the Greencastle American Legion on Nov. 11. In addition, teacher Ellen Kirkner and a group of students braved the cold the evening of Dec. 7 to sell the buttons during the annual Greencastle Heritage Christmas. Students from classes taught by Kirkner, Meagan Brockway, and Crystal Kump organized the Veterans Day events. The buttons were designed and produced by G-AHS students from classes taught by Tara Clopper and John Bartram.
Money raised will benefit two organizations – the Nine Line Foundation, which is dedicated to helping the most severely wounded combat veterans rebuild their lives, and 22 Until None, which focuses on combatting suicide among the veteran community.
Dec. 20 — About a hundred colorful bras, most in smaller sizes, are now in stock at Grace's Closet, the free clothing bank at Grace United Church of Christ in Greencastle.
Carol MacDougall, who coordinates the annual Bras for a Cause collection and fundraiser with Rhonda McFarland, delivered boxes of bras to Nancy Myers at Grace's Closet, on the second floor of the church at 128 E. Baltimore St., Monday morning.
Myers requested the smaller bras because the clothing bank already has larger ones in stock.
This is the first time bras from the collection have been given to a Greencastle location. Last year, the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month project branched out from Waynesboro to Greencastle with sponsorship and donation drop-off at the dental office of Dr. Kirk Zeger.
Dec. 24 — Christmas in the community photos.
Dec. 27 — A new New Year's Eve celebration in Greencastle bucks the trend of dropping something, whether it is a ball in New York City, a doughnut in Hagerstown or a strawberry in Harrisburg.
"Raising the Bar" reflects the philosophy of the Greencastle-Antrim Education Foundation, which is sponsoring the free, family-friendly event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on the G-A School District's Kaley Field.
“It’s consistent with our mission,” said Garon Gembe, president of the G-AEF Board of Directors. “We are committed to impacting and enhancing Greencastle-Antrim students’ educational experience. We secure and steward funds to enhance education, arts and athletics. We are raising the bar at all levels.”
The raising of the 20-foot, 620-pound steel beam beginning at 7:59 p.m. also will mark the kick-off of G-AEF's $550,000 capital campaign to build restrooms, a concession stand and ticket booth for the field.
Dec. 31 — The year in review, April to June.