The impact of a pandemic on local government

In the past 5 weeks, the United States has seen a booming economy come to a screeching halt thanks to COVID-19. Just this morning, LNP-LancasterOnline reported that Lancaster County's unemployment rate is 17.9%, twice the rate of the Great Depression nearly a century ago.

More than 51,000 people in the county are out of work.

This raises a question. What impact does that have on borough government?

A requirement to hold public meetings: COVID-19 version

UPDATED 10 a.m. April 17 to change the photo.

As I was writing this post, I discovered a PA Post article from today about the state Senate's having passed legislation to allow for municipalities to hold remote meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the legislation removes the requirement that a quorum of members have to be physically present for other members to participate via phone or videoconference.

This is good news, especially after last week when we on Borough Council held our April 2 work session with a quorum of four members physically present and two members and the mayor Zooming in, as it were. For the record, the Elizabethtown Area School Board and the Elizabethtown Area Water Authority board (of which I am a member) held remote meetings last week, but they are governed by different state laws than municipalities.

I wore a mask to the grocery store

Last week, Gov. Tom Wolf strongly recommended that people should wear face masks when they are out and about. This is supposed to be prevent droplets of moisture that might carry the COVID-19 virus from infecting us.

So I donned this one before heading out to the local Giant Food Store this morning.

I bought two masks years ago at J.B. Hostetter & Sons hardware store to wear when I mulch leaves in the fall. This is the spare that I had on hand. It works just fine, with one complaint: I can't wear my glasses over top of it, so my breathing fogs up my glasses.

Strange times in E-town: 3 weeks of COVID-19 observations

I experienced more than a little foreshadowing three weeks ago.

As the Elizabethtown Area Middle School track coach, I happened to be in the athletic office at the high school on Friday, March 13, at about 2:20 p.m. when Principal Maura Hobson interrupted with an announcement.

Students, she said, should take all of their books, Chromebooks and any other academic materials home with them "in case of a prolonged school closure."

Documenting parking in downtown Elizabethtown

Everyone always talks about how there’s no parking in downtown Elizabethtown, or that parking is problematic.

Frankly, I’m tired of hearing about it.

So I’m here to dispel the myth. Because it is a myth. And we don’t need to tear down the Moose Building and construct a parking garage.

Local church holds third annual Arm of Hope 5K to support mission

Hope Community Church on Harrisburg Pike in Rheems will hold its third annual Arm of Hope 5K at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 28. The race supports a week at summer camp for children for more than 300 children from the slums of Accra, Ghana.

How Elizabethtown can be extraordinary

If you're familiar with the Lancaster County Community Foundation and its Extraordinary Give, you know that people rally around nonprofits in the county for 24 hours in November and donate millions of dollars.

E-town's second craft brewpub set to open

If all goes well, Elizabethtown's second craft beer taproom could be open -- and smack in the middle of downtown -- by the beginning of November.

That's the word from Jon "Norm" Norman, an Elizabethtown resident and one of the two partners in the Lehigh Valley-based Funk Brewing Co.

Why you might be late for work Friday

An oversize load from Greiner Industries will make its way through Elizabethtown Friday morning, potentially tying up traffic on East High and Market streets for two hours.

The 17-foot-by-70-foot steel tank will be delivered to the Glatfelter paper mill in Spring Grove, York County. But first, it will come into the borough on East High Street at approximately 8:50 a.m. and by 9:45, if all goes well, will reach the square.

Bicycle and pedestrian pathway opens: 3 reasons why this is good for Elizabethtown

The view of the new path looking east toward the community center.

A bicycle and pedestrian pathway that connects the Elizabethtown Amtrak station with downtown opened on Friday. The stairs to the bridge are still closed pending the installation of a handrail and a gate at the top, but the ramp is open for pedestrians bicyclists.

This path is the second phase of a larger project to create a pathway network from the Amtrak station to the Elizabethtown Area School District. The first phase was previously built a couple of years ago.

Summertime racing along the Susquehanna

Photo courtesy of Lancaster County Solid Waste Authority

This summer, you'll have a chance to test your 5K and 10K fitness in the inaugural Run with the Donegal Indians. The race will held July 18 and start at Riverfront Park in Marietta.

Both distances will run out and back on the Northwest Lancaster River Trail. If you haven't spent any time on the trail, it's one of the gems of this region. While I haven't run on it, my family and I spent part of Christmas Day in December walking a portion of it.

If that was any indication, the course for the races will be flat and fast. And of course, you'll have some nice views of the Susquehanna River.

The race benefits the Donegal Boys Soccer Booster Club. More information is here.

Thank an EMT at Northwest EMS's open house

Every month at Borough Council's business meeting, we have a report from Northwest EMS about the number of calls its ambulances have responded to in the area. Just by 7 p.m. today, May 1, they responded to 21 calls throughout the area, from Elizabethtown and the surrounding townships to Columbia and Manheim.

Living just two blocks from Market Street, I hear an ambulance siren more often than I'd like.

Man allegedly tries to lure girl into vehicle

A man tried to lure a 17-year-old girl into his SUV on Cherry Alley this week, Elizabethtown police reported.

The girl was walking on South Cherry Alley between Vine Alley and Park Street when the man, driving a red SUV, stopped and asked if he could take a picture of the girl and showed her pictures of females on his camera. He then asked if she wanted to go for a ride to a park and grabbed the girl's hand. She was able to get away and run from the scene.

Lace up your running shoes and test your endurance!

Runners in greater Elizabethtown area and beyond have several chances to test their distance skills in the coming month.

• 10th annual Run for Childen, 8 a.m., May 9 -- This event features a 10K, a 5K and a 1-mile fun run that starts and finishes at the Paramount Sports Complex in Annville. PennLive reports that "the race benefits the Maggie Leach Scholarship Fund, which provides financial grounds for economically disadvantaged children to attend summer camp. Last year's race provided enough funding for each of the 16 children who requested to attend the ability to go." You can register for the race here.
  
• Second annual ROTARY Mother's Day 5K, 3 p.m., May 10 -- Held at Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, the event benefits the Elizabethtown Rotary Club and its local community projects. Registration is available here.

• Second annual Arm of Hope 5K, 9 a.m., May 23 -- This event is held at Hope Community Church, in Rheems. I can attest that it is a great race, having run the inaugual event last year. The course has some flat sections and some small hills to make it interesting, and the race organizers do a good job making it a fun event. This was the first race that my son, who was then 13, beat me, and there's been no catching him since. I have come to terms with that! Register here.
  
• Third annual Rock-N-Glow 5K, 9 p.m., May 30 -- Supporting the downtown in Manheim, this race attracted more than 2,000 runners last year. While I didn't run it, I've heard good things about it from those who did. Festivities get started at 6 p.m., and there's an after party with live music, food and dancing. It sounds like a good time! Registration is here.  

E-town police seize marijuana, arrest borough man

Elizabethtown police arrested a borough man today for allegedly dealing marijuana and other drugs from his home in the 300 block of North Market Street.

Police charged Samual J. Schlenbaker with three counts of felony possession to deliver, one count of criminal use of a communication facility and 59 counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Mars Inc. named a leading employer for third year in a row

Photo courtesy of The Adventures 

of a Supermom (check out her great Dove 

Chocolate Center of Excellence photos).

FORTUNE recently released its annual list of 100 Best Companies to Work For, and for the third year in a row Mars Inc. was recognized as a leading employer in the United States. 

In an email, the corporate communications office said, "Mars is pleased to be recognized for its extensive learning and development training, community engagement and health & wellness programs. Other benefits of working at Mars cited by the list include open offices that are highly collaborative and perks of free candy, coffee/tea and being able to bring one’s pet to work."

Discounted rain barrels available through E-town Area Water Authority

The Elizabethtown Area Water Authority is offering rain barrels to customers at a discounted price -- at $80 each -- if you order by April 20. And then from 9 to 11 a.m. on May 2, you can attend a seminar to learn how to use the rain barrel and pick it up at EAWA's offices, 211 Hummelstown St.

To order a rain barrel, visit EAWA's dedicated page. You must pay for the rain barrels in advance.

Dinner this Sunday to raise money to help E-town's homeless

Over the past few weeks, I've seen some signs around town promoting a dinner this Sunday at 5 p.m. at Trellis Place on East High Street that will raise money to help homeless people in Elizabethtown. Now, you might think, "We don't have people sleeping on the street, so we don't have a problem with homeless people in Elizabethtown."

But did you read this story?

E-town recognized for partnership with Commuter Services

Holly Anderson of Commuter Services of Pennsylvania

presents a certificate to Borough Council President J. Neil

Ketchum

Last month, Commuter Services of Pennsylvania presented Elizabethtown with a certificate recognizing the borough's partnership with the organization.

Commuter Services is a program of the non-profit Susquehanna Regional Transportation Partnership. Its mission is to reduce congestion on the highways with the goal of reducing air pollution. It serves Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties.

Warrant issued for suspect in assault

Elizabethtown police have filed charges against a former Elizabethtown man allegedly involved in an assault on a man behind MoviE-town in 2013.

An arrest warrant has also been issued for Zachary T. Moore, 22, now of Rehrersburg, who remains at large. He faces charges of robbery, criminal conspiracy to commit robbery and aggravated assault, all first-degree felonies. He faces a first-degree misdemeanor charge of theft from a motor vehicle.