5 reasons why Movoto missed the mark about retiring in Elizabethtown

Maybe you saw the story on the real estate website movoto.com that Elizabethtown is the best place to retire in Pennsylvania. Aside from picking this picture as representative of the community as a whole (I mean, come on, seriously?), I was excited. I'm not sure how Movoto reached its conclusion by assessing that weather, standard of living, amenities, proximity to an airport, crime rate and cost of living all translate into an awesome retirement community because I live here in part because of those things. And truth be told, I am many years away from retirement.

If you want a nice analysis of why Movoto's assessment is off base, I strongly recommend picking up the Feb. 20 edition of the Elizabethtown Advocate. Editor and publisher Dan Robrish does an excellent job of picking apart the website's analysis.

Ordinarily, I'd promote the list and write about it here because it puts Elizabethtown in the spotlight. The problem is that I see the community not just as a retirement destination. It's just a great place to live. Period. Whether you're retired or not.

Why?

1. Geography -- I remember being at an Elizabethtown Chamber of Commerce banquet six or seven years ago, and the president of the chamber got a chuckle from the crowd by saying that Elizabethtown is 20 minutes from everywhere. It's true. I work in Harrisburg, and on a good day with little traffic, you can get to Second Street in downtown Harrisburg and the Capitol in 20 minutes (now, I know that during rush hour that's a whole lot different, but work with me, folks!). We are also 20 t0 25 minutes from downtown Lancaster (where I also used to work). And you can get to the east side of York and to Lebanon in about the same amount of time, not to mention Hershey's being 10 miles away.
   
2. Local institutions -- Movoto used amenities as one of its criteria in developing its list, but there was no real presentation into what those amenities are. So let me do that:
    
• Elizabethtown College (full disclosure: my wife works for the college): higher education, concerts, speakers, events, Division III sports (though no football, which is not a complaint, just an observation) and a campus that is open to the public. I've taken advantage of all of these, and I regularly go to the track to run.
  
• Masonic Villages: I understand that you're a real estate website, and you're interest is in selling houses. So you won't mention the retirement community that 1. is a major employer in the community and 2. is an organization that does great things in the community and the world.
  
• MARS Chocolate: A Fortunte 500 company has a major production facility in the borough, which makes Dove Chocolate Bars. A factory equals jobs. And it smells like chocolate when you're out and about in town. That's reason enough to live here. Plus, it's less expensive to live here than Hershey.
  
3. Borough government -- I've written about this before, but it bears saying again: I was a newspaper reporter and had the privilege of covering other boroughs over the years. Very few of them were able to take a vision and turn it into reality. Prior to my being elected, Elizabethtown Borough Council approved a master plan for the downtown area. In the past eight or nine years, the borough has been following that plan and bringing to fruition much of that, including complete renovations of the Elizabethtown train station (using $9 million in federal stimulus money) and constructing walking/bicycling paths to make the community more walkable. Because previous council members had the vision, the borough has been able to secure grant funding for projects by showing that it has specific plans and not just good ideas.
   
4. A vibrant downtown -- The business atmosphere downtown has gone through cycles since I moved to Elizabethtown. Right now, it's on the positive side. New businesses have opened in recent years, such as Rooster St. Provisions, Folklore Coffee, Center Square Bakery, the Pita Pit and Andrew Douglas Jewelers, among others. The merchants also promote Second Fridays every month, staying open late on the second Friday and offering specials and deals. It's been great to head downtown and see people wandering in and out of businesses and spending money. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Elizabethtown Public Library, which is an anchor for the downtown and has become a community center.
   
5. Ease of travel -- I mentioned the renovations of the train station above. The Amtrak stop is on the Keystone line, which runs between Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Elizabethtown sees tens of thousands of riders every year, and the numbers keep increasing. Hop on a train here, and you can be in Philadelphia in two hours, to catch a train to New York. Or you can commute to work in Harrisburg. Of course, being 10 miles away from Harrisburg International Airport makes air travel easier and more convenient (even if it can be more expensive than flying from Baltimore or Philadelphia).

Stop sign to be installed at College Avenue and Campus Road

View Campus Rd and College Ave in a larger map

Changes and improvements are coming to the intersection of College Avenue and Campus Road. Later this summer, or maybe in early fall, the borough will install a new stop sign at the intersection, along with crosswalks for pedestrians.

This came about after discussions that borough Police Chief Jack Mentzer had with Mount Joy Township officials and representatives from Elizabethtown College (full disclosure: My wife is an employee of Elizabethtown College). He said the intersection has become much busier, especially with the construction of Bear Creek School. I can speak from personal experience as I have been through that intersection dozens of times in the past two years taking my son to and from school and activities via Bear Creek Road.

When I'm returning home, I am looking to turn left onto College Avenue. It can be tricky to figure out if a vehicle is turning right to head out of town on Campus Road, or will continue straight into the residential neighborhood. Mentzer said this has lead to some near accidents.

Headed toward Campus Road. A stop sign will be installed
here with an exception for vehicles turning right from
College Avenue onto Campus Road.

To alleviate this, the borough will install a stop sign except for traffic turning right to head onto Campus Road. This will ensure that vehicles headed into the residential neighborhood will stop, making it safe for motorists to turn left onto College Avenue.

In addition, the project will include crosswalks for pedestrians, and Mentzer said that Elizabethtown College will install a path from its existing path to the intersection. My wife and I have some friends who live in the neighborhood and frequently walk to the college, so I know the addition of crosswalks and the path will be a big improvement. My son also regularly rides his bike there, and my mind will rest easier knowing the instersection is a little safer.

Community honors Betty Long

Over the weekend, about 75 members of the Elizabethtown community gathered at Lynden Gallery downtown for a great event that had a dual purpose: It was a fundraiser for Elizabethtown Area Communities that Care and the Elizabethtown Public Library, and it was an evening to honor Betty Long, wife of Ted Long, the retiring president of Elizabethtown College.

Full disclosure: My wife is employed at the college and recently joined the board of directors for EACTC.

In the 15 years that the Longs have lived in Elizabethtown, Betty has left an indelible mark on the community, said those who have worked with her. Gail Viscome, executive director of EACTC, District Justice Jayne Duncan and Betty collaborated to get that organization up and running. Thanks to Betty's focus on obtaining data, Duncan said, these women became more than "meddlesome do-gooders."

The result: Over the past 15 years EACTC has brought in more than $2 million in grants to help people in need -- and especially young people.

Betty has also been a friend and mentor to students at the college, providing a shoulder to cry on and no-nonsense advice about everything from classes, careers, life in general and even boys.

In remarks to the crowd, Betty said that Elizabethtown has become her hometown and that she believes it is "a gem in south central Pennsylvania."

As for the fundraiser part of the evening, credit goes to Koser Jewelers in Mount Joy for donating four jewels. Everyone who attended had one chance to win, with the opportunity to buy additional chances for $5 each. The sales of additional chances during the evening brought in at least $2,500, which will be split evenly between EACTC and the library.

Businesspeople and college president receive awards at gala

Epic Photopgraphy, Dan Robrish of the Elizabethtown Advocate and Elizabethtown College President Theodore Long received awards last night at the Elizabethtown Chamber of Commerce's annual gala. The dinner was held in the Susquehanna Room at Elizabethtown College.

Epic Photography, owned by Jamie and Andrew Schoenberger, received the 2011 Chamber Appreciation Award for their dedication to the community and their volunteering time and services to a wide range of community events.

In remarks after receiving the award, Andrew Schoenberger, an Elizabethtown native, urged gala attendees to get involved in the community and volunteer. He said he is a big fan of events such as the holiday parade and the town's New Year's celebration Let E-town Ring, but he said "these events don't happen by themselves."

The chamber honored Robrish, owner and publisher of the Elizabethtown Advocate, with the 2011 Rising Star Award. Robrish quit his job with the Associated Press in Philadelphia to start the weekly newspaper from scratch at the beginning of 2009.  A recent article in the journalism trade journal Editor & Publisher reported that Robrish is close to making a profit on the venture.

Elizabethtown Borough Council President Phil Clark presented Long with the Vincent O'Connor Public Service Award. The award, named after a former borough councilman with a lifelong devotion of service to others, is presented annually to an individual who has selflessly devoted tme to the public good of residents in Elizabethtown through community and civic endeavors.

Long, who is retiring from his post this summer after 15 years, "has exemplified the spirit of the late Vincent O'Connor," according to the program for the award. In addition to leading the college and being active in academia and higher education, Long has served the Elizabethtown community as a board member of the former Elizabethtown Economic Development Corp. and helping to integrate the college into the community.

Speaking briefly after receiving the award, Long said that he and his wife, Betty, have come to call Elizabethtown their home. He noted that one of the reasons that students choose to attend college here is because Elizabethtown is a special community.

(Let me offer full disclosure: My wife is employed at Elizabethtown College.)

I'd like to offer my congratulations to all of the recipients. For years, I've said that Elizabethtown is a great town with a tremendous amount potential -- and it's great to see others who don't just recognize it but are living out the potential in real ways.

Delegation from E-town's sister city vists borough

A delegation from Letterkenny, Ireland, visited Elizabethtown this week between St. Patrick's Day parades in Philadelphia and New York City. Letterkenny is Elizabethtown's sister city, and the two towns established ties in the last decade.

In the accompanying photo, from left, are Jimmy Harte, Letterkenny's deputy mayor; Mayor Jim Lynch; and the Town Clerk Paddy Doherty.

Their visit to Elizabethtown was just a few hours on Monday, giving them an opportunity to meet with Mayor Chuck Mummert, Borough Manager Roni Ryan and Assistant Borough Manager Cindy Foster. They also had lunch at Elizabethtown College, where they met with Beth Bergman from the Elizabethtown Chamber of Commerce and some college officials.

Mummert reported at this week's Borough Council meeting that the Irish visitors would like to establish some trade ties with Elizabethtown by having businesses send goods and products to sell. There are some obvious ties, thanks to the M&M/Mars factory here, and E-town College might be able to promote some of its sweatshirts and other clothing.

There are any number of smaller businesses, too. I'm thinking about Spence Candies, which produces delicious handmade candy, or any others that can make a solid connection to Elizabethtown. If you have any other ideas about businesses that might want to export goods to Ireland, let me know, or follow the link to the Chamber of Commerce above and give them a call.

Elizabethtown College president announces retirement

I received the following text in an e-mail, which I've copied and pasted verbatim:

The following letter is being distributed to the campus community at the request of Elizabethtown College President Theodore Long.

January 15, 2010


Dear Friends in the Elizabethtown College Community,

This morning I informed the Board of Trustees of my intention to retire as President of Elizabethtown College, effective July 31, 2011. 

Since my appointment in 1996, I have devoted myself to helping the college realize its greatest possibilities, and it is now time for a new leader to move the institution even further ahead. The college has made notable progress in the past 15 years, and as we conclude some important work over the next year, this is a good time to launch a new stage in the college’s development. In addition, Betty and I are eager to enjoy some new experiences together while we remain vigorous and energetic.

From the very first, I fell in love with Elizabethtown – its mission, its people, the place – and my affection for the college has only grown over the years. I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to lead this wonderful institution and for the generous support all of you have extended to me through the years. My work here has been immensely rewarding, both for what the college has achieved and for the rich personal relationships I have developed over the years. 

I will certainly miss the rhythm of our work together, regular engagement with students, and the joyful life of this community. But I will leave knowing that the transforming work of education for service and leadership is in your good hands. And I will always cherish what we have accomplished together to advance the college’s historic mission in the 21st century, as I will your enduring friendship and colleagueship. 

There is more to be done before the summer of 2011, and I remain committed to achieving as much as possible in those 18 months. During that time, I also hope to see as many of you as possible to thank you personally for your support and for what you have contributed to Elizabethtown’s success. Because of you, I am confident that Elizabethtown will continue to flourish and to achieve new levels of excellence in the years ahead. 

Sincerely,


Theodore E. Long
President