The Bear Creek School Experience, Year 1

This school year, the Elizabethtown Area School District opened its new Bear Creek School, consolidating all fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders in one building. Now that it almost has a full school year completed, I'd like to share some thoughts from my perspective as a parent of a fifth-grader.

As with any new building, the start of the school year posed some challenges with busing and a strange odor that caused school to be canceled for one day. And, as district Superintendent Michele Balliet, likes to say, that doesn't account for epic flooding that closed school for a day in September and a freak late-October snowstorm.

After sorting through the challenges, I think Bear Creek found its legs and took off running. At least that's been our son's experience. We have found teachers and staff to be friendly and professional. More important, they have progressively provided more challenging opportunities -- in reading, math and trombone lessons and band -- for our son without our urging. He has responded well to the challenges. In my mind, that's what public school is all about.

Now, let me say that this has been one family's experience with one student. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section about your experiences -- good, bad or indifferent. Given that Bear Creek has 900-some students, I'm sure every family has a slightly different take.

During Bear Creek's planning stages, Borough Council went on record as opposing the location of the school. The primary reason was because there was no walking connection and that the vast majority of students would be bussed there. We were concerned about increased traffic from buses and the dozens of parents who would be dropping off and picking up their students each day. The school district did construct a walking path that connects Bear Creek to the E-town Fairgrounds (which the district owns).

Generally, I think everything has worked well. That said, there's one improvement I'd like to see. Mount Joy Township should widen Bear Creek Road road and install sidewalks at least on one side. Until I started dropping off my son early a few mornings a week, I never realized just how many pedestrians use the road. I've encountered dog walkers, runners, exercise walkers and bicyclists. I've run a number of times there myself. Given the sheer volume of traffic and the pedestrians, it would be a boon to safety to make these improvements.

So now I'll pose the question to you: What improvements would you like to see at Bear Creek School now that it's a year old?

21st annual Downtown Summer Lunch Series

For reasons out of my control, I've had the chance to attend the Downtown Summer Lunch Series this year. Having worked in either Harrisburg or Lancaster, I was always bummed that I wasn't in town over lunch to attend.

If the first two weeks of this year's series is any indication, I had good reason to be bummed. On May 24, Elizabethtown College's Birdfeeder food truck served up sandwiches and french fries, and last Thursday the Pita Pit served its sandwiches. Weather has been great, and entertainment -- provided by high school students and a Tim Rinard with his acoustic guitar playing covers of hit songs.

A function of the Elizabethtown Chamber of Commerce, the series is held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday until July 26 on the southeast quadrant of Center Square (right by Game Traders). The lunch series features a local restaurant that sells some of its food. Local groups and artists, including some student groups from local schools, provide entertainment (shameless plug: My son Nat will be playing trombone this Thursday as part of a student group from Bear Creek School).


Admission is free, although if you want to eat you'll have to pony up and buy something. But it won't cost you a cent if you want to sit under the umbrellas on the square and listen to the music. Every week, you'll have a free chance to win a fruit basket donated by the Masonic Village Farm Market. The catch is that you have to be present to win!

If you're in town on Thursdays through the end of July, I strongly encourage you to come out and support the downtown (unfortunately, I have a job interview out of town this Thursday and won't be here). I'd also recommend splurging after lunch and getting some ice cream from J's Sweet Treats Ice Cream Parlor, located just around the corner on East High Street. It was well worth the extra cash and calories!

Here's the schedule for the rest of the 21st annual Downtown Summer Lunch Series:

June 7 -- Lunch: Ella's Place (former E-town Diner). Entertainment: Students from Bear Creek School.

June 14 -- Lunch: Papa John's. Entertainment: M&K Duo.

June 21 -- Lunch: Hoss's Steak & Sea House. Entertainment: Dave Wilson.

June 28 -- Lunch: Pizza Hut. Entertainment: Derek Sandstrom Jazz Sax.

July 5 -- Lunch: Elizabethtown Family Moose Center 596. Entertainment: Voxology.

July 12 -- Lunch: Darrenkamp's. Entertainment: Saxology.

July 19 -- Lunch: Giant. Entertainment: Jay Smar.

July 26 -- Lunch: Three Loaves Cafe. Entertainment: Fire in the Glen.