The April 23rd article was headed “3 chain stores to anchor Rt. 30 East center,  Work on $40M complex to begin this summer.” It goes on to report “Joint developers High Real Estate Group and Faison Enterprises Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., aim to build a 285,000-square-foot shopping center for up to six anchor stores and as many as 20 or more tenants in all.”

WATCHDOG:  Our concern for the continued viability of Park city Mall  rises with the announcement of each new shopping center and mall.  We may reach a tipping point whereby Park City  begins to lose patronage and tenants.   Within a relatively short time, perhaps three years, the corridors could be largely boarded up and the Mall face the same dire consequences that plagued downtown Lancaster forty years ago  when shoppers turned to the new suburban centers.

If Park City deteriorates, it will be a crushing financial blow to the City and School District of Lancaster since they heavily depend on its tax revenues.  The City’s problems will spill over onto the entire county.

Ground already zoned commercial is subject to shopping centers.  But it is folly for municipalities to rezone large tracts for commercial development.

The first in a series by Cliff Lewis

NewsLanc recently interviewed Rick Kastner, Executive Director of the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission (LCDAC). The LCDAC exists to “provide high quality prevention/education programs and treatment services for uninsured and low income citizens.” Our discussion with Kastner revealed the many challenges facing both Lancaster’s drug and alcohol addicted residents and the systems that seek to help them.

On December 8, 2008, the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission (LCDAC) had to cease accepting new placements into rehab and halfway house (HH) programs. There will be no new admissions until the beginning of the next fiscal year, on July 1. Of course, the LCDAC, which has historically received scanty funding from its State and Federal sources, has had to block admission to these programs before—but only for about two months, not seven.

Detox treatments (often dealing with life-or-death situations) and outpatient treatment (often less expensive) have remained open for new admissions. But rehab and HH are generally considered the “bread and butter” of addiction treatment, and their temporary closing marks a severe reduction in LCDAC’s treatment services.

On July 1, when the LCDAC receives its new budget, the rehab and HH admissions will be reopened. But not for long. This next budget will likely be cut by at least 2%, but probably more. In the words of Kastner, “It’ll be a real victory if we only have that 2% cut.”

The actual rehab and HH facilities are still up and running, because people are also admitted through personal health insurance or public medical assistance: “The welfare card in Lancaster provides over $6 million in [drug and alcohol] treatment….So our office is not the only referral source in town to keep those beds filled.”

Unfortunately, there is one class of people that will not be offered many of those beds in the coming months: The “working poor.” This group includes those workers who do not qualify for public medical assistance, yet cannot afford the cost of health care. Those who can barely afford health care can rarely obtain a plan that would cover drug and alcohol treatment. The LCDAC would typically provide rehab or HH services to people in such circumstances, were it not for the current budget limitations.

When asked by NewsLanc whether a lengthy waiting list has been accrued for rehab and HH since December, Kastner replied candidly, “We don’t keep waiting lists because an addict doesn’t stay put long enough to really make a waiting list worthwhile…. Let’s say you want to buy a brand new car, and there’s a waiting list, like early on with some of the hybrids. When they call you at home, you’re probably going to answer the phone and say ‘Yeah, I still want the car’—at least most people would. With a heroin addict, or any addict,…they don’t sit put very long.”

On Thursday night, a few hundred Lancaster City residents were wowed by a vibrant evening of poetry, art, and dance, all of it capped off by a dazzling performance from a world renowned jazz violinist. This wasn’t at the Fulton Theater; this was at the Fulton Elementary School.

Fulton Elementary’s 10th Annual Poetry and Arts Night was hosted in the school’s beautifully historic auditorium, and presented a caliber of artistic expression rarely exhibited in the typical school recital. It was certainly “cute,” but it wasn’t just “cute”—it was good art.

With the lights down low, poetry was read aloud by the students who wrote it, while a projection screen displayed the words next to matching student artwork. The poems themselves were mostly written in a free verse style, allowing the young poets to express their thoughts vividly without chasing the “deadlines” of meter and rhyme. The result was simple and often breathtaking; little works capturing big emotions, like this poem by 3rd grader Alijah Rosario:

The air

is something

growing

inside of me,

like a story

about a flower

That particular poem was one of two works by Fulton Elementary students to receive national recognition in this year’s annual River of Words Watershed Art and Poetry Contest. The other recognized poet is Yalonda Lockett, who will travel to the Library of Congress in May to accept the Grand Prize for her poem, “It’s a Letter.”

Also among the evening’s performances were two choreographed dances. The first was called “the Waters of March,” and was set to a song inspired by the rainy season in Brazil. The other performance was a colorful blend of dance and theater, as the students reenacted out an old Amazon trickster tale to the rhythm of tribal drums.

A special treat for the evening was the participation of jazz violinist John Blake Jr. Early in the evening, Blake Jr. accompanied a reading by Fulton literary coach Barbara Strasko called “In a Silent Way.” (Strasko also happens to be the Poet Laureate of Lancaster County.) To cap off the evening, Blake Jr. took the stage alongside local guitarist Tom Witmer and a surprise musical guest—Principal Matthew Stem. Stem joined on saxophone for two intricate jazz numbers, which concluded with a standing ovation.

In the 2009-2010 school year, the School District of Lancaster (SDoL) will begin its first ever dual-language immersion program (DLIP). The 25-child kindergarten class will roughly consist of half English-speaking and half Spanish-speaking students, and will be taught in both languages (70% Spanish; 30% English). Similar programs have already been implemented throughout the United States and have proven that young children can rapidly gain fluency and confidence in a foreign language within less than 3 years.

In the 2010-2011 school year, these students will continue a similar program for first grade, and the SDoL will introduce yet another DLIP kindergarten class. The program will span into the fifth grade.

The kindergarten class will be taught by a teacher and a “para-educator,” both bilingual. Language arts (grammar), science, and social studies will be taught in Spanish while math and specials will be taught in English. The ratio of English and Spanish teaching will gradually flip, and by fifth grade 70% of classes will be taught in English.

Kim Marucci, SDoL’s Coordinator for Social Studies and World Language, explained that the program is driven by a belief that bilingual thinkers can be more advanced problem solvers, more globally aware, and more culturally sensitive. An article from the Center for Applied Linguistics states that “over three decades of studies consistently show that immersion students achieve as well as or better than non-immersion peers on standardized measures of verbal and mathematics skills administered in English.”

Parents can apply for their children to attend the DLIP until May 29th. Since 50 applications have already been submitted, and more yet are expected, the 25 students will be selected via lottery for enrollment in the program. The DLIP’s kindergarten class will be held in Wharton Elementary on N Mary St.  Parents will be required to provide transportation.

Click here to view the official flier.

There were good alternatives proposed [to the Convention Center] earlier, but certain folks had to have the convention center. Maybe someday we will know the real reasons.

We are now, as a community, challenged to try to make it work.

If further investigation into any wrongdoing continues, it should not be done at the cost of making Lancaster or the Convention Center less attractive or desirable to visitors.

“Showboating” will not help.

I am a proud McCaskey graduate from the Class of 90 and it has been sad to watch the decline of the athletic program over the years. I must agree with this article that the burden does lie on the coaching staff, and their ability to motivate and teach the kids on the teams. It is hard to go to games and watch the kids show little or no respect toward their coaches. It appears most have favorites and those are the only ones they even remotely help, even when they have better talent sitting on the bench. It is also sad to see coaches put into positions which have zero experience with the sport they have been given control of. Playing a sport – does not make you a coach of just any sport. You have got to know the game, you have got to know your team, and you have to nuture all of the players you have and make it fun – win or lose!

I am proud to say I played for coach Ernst! He was a great motivator, both on the court and in the classroom. He got what kids wanted, to be recognized – pushed – challenged – and to be successful. I didn’t always like all of my coaches – but every year I played my talent improved because they were committed to making us better – as athletes, as students and as people!

NewsLanc conducted an hour long interview with Jon Mitchell, former wrestling coach and now Director of Athletics for the School District of Lancaster (SDoL). The discussion was frank, spirited and free ranging and, for all practical purposes, on the record.  We were impressed.

At one point Mitchell challenged NewsLanc’s contentions that coaching skills was pivotal by asking “If two programs have the same coaching staff and one is experiencing success and the other is not, then there must be more at play than purely coaching.”

At another point NewsLanc urged Mitchell to stop blaming team failure on the kids. Mitchell said he had pointed out multiple factors but they were not mentioned in published articles. (A short lesson on dealing with reporters followed.)

Taking on the huge task of turning around what NewsLanc has described as a dysfunctional program, Mitchell says that, among other things, he has made coaching development a priority. He has a three phase plan that admittedly may take three to five years to fully implement:

1. Six full days will be provided this summer, devoted to the training of all SDoL coaches in CPR and First Aid (Each coach must attend one day to receive certification). Mitchell indicated that safety is his highest priority.
2. Mitchell has also set the goal for all SDoL coaches to become nationally certified.  This will be done either under the auspice of the National Federation of High Schools or American Sports Education Program. As with other professional trainings, these programs require coaches to attend classes and complete assignments. These classes will be offered within the SDoL to cohorts of coaches. The coaches will learn “broad coaching concepts applicable to all sports.”According to Mitchell, “By having received the same training in coaching principles, it enables our entire staff to share a similar understanding of their role and for me to fairly and adequately evaluate coaching performances.”
3. Mitchell has also submitted for approval a 2009-2010 budget that includes funding for sport-specific training. Head coaches will be able to use funds to determine appropriate trainings for their staff. Through professional development provided by other successful coaches and trainers in their sport, SDoL coaches will grow in the areas of sport-specific skills and tactics.

“I am going to expect each coach to participate in sport-specific training. This should be led by the head coach. I expect head coaches to be able to sit down with me and evaluate their program….To say these are the areas where we are struggling and this is what I have planned to address these areas.”

The first scheduled training session will be provided by Todd Hoffard, of One On One Soccer, on May 16th . (Todd Hoffard, National Director of Lancaster based One On One, had earlier told NewsLanc that having coaches participate in anticipated drills for their athletes is the best approach to coaches’ development rather than having coaches standing around and watching players put through drills.)

Mitchell said that most coaches are acceptant of sports specific training. He knows that McCaskey coaches are competitors and want to be successful. He also noted that coaches work on one year contracts and receive extra compensation above their faculty salaries.

Mitchell indicated that coaches must foster passion in kids so that students independently seek to pursue their skills off season. “If we are unable to provide out of season opportunities coached by our district staff [to play on teams], then we must at last provide information to athletes about other avenues and facilitate off season opportunities for them.”

He cited as an example the Tornado Wrestling club which he established for kids during off seasons. McCaskey would host Monday’s practice and Conestoga Valley hosted Mat Town USA on Wednesday nights. Both clubs were open to anyone.

With Mitchell’s new responsibilities, he is unable to run a club at McCaskey and has now partnered with the newly formed Marauder Wrestling Club, coached by Millersville Assistant Steve Borja (a former PIAA state champion for Garden Spot High School). He explained that such clubs are common in various sports and operate as separate entities from the school district, often in accordance with a national governing body.

“Our handbook says every coach is responsible to promote out of season activities for the youngsters. We also need to take a look at how we are going to strengthen our youth programs.” Mitchell reiterated that there are club opportunities in various sports, for all ages.

According to Mitchell, “Coaches need to understand that they are not just head coach for the high school but they set the tone for the entire school district and they need to have their hands involved in each of the program levels, from elementary on up. If there isn’t a feeder program at the elementary and middle school levels, then coaches need to evaluate with whom they can work and what they can do to help create something.”

Mitchell said when he started as McCaskey wrestling coach: “There was no wrestling program for kids in elementary schools.  We worked with the LRC to help start our elementary program, which has most recently operated under the USA Wrestling Charter of the Tornado Wrestling Club.” (Previous to accepting his current assignment, Mitchell was Dean at the Lafayette Elementary School.)

Mitchell said that low turnout has been a problem in many sports.  He said that the varsity swimming coach has had to teach student athletes enrolled in swimming who have not yet learned to swim! While this is good for the student learning to swim, it does make it difficult to compete with teams whose athletes often train with a club from early ages.

NewsLanc had the good fortune of encountering one of the region’s most respected coaches a couple of days after the Mitchell interview.

The coach, speaking not for attribution, indicated that the number of youngsters turning out is important but this is part of a loop effect, because if teams are not successful, youngsters aren’t interested in joining.

He went on to say that the SDoL should only use qualified head coaches who are thoroughly knowledgeable about the sport and qualified to teach it.

Lastly, he questioned that one person is sufficient to turn around the SDoL athletic program. He indicated that there was a need for a full time assistant to work with the elementary and middle schools.  He added that he knew of one outstanding candidate that had declined the position because he was not assured of having a full time assistant.

SDoL owes it to the youngsters and to the community to provide support to Mitchell to enable him to resurrect the physical education and athletic programs that were so neglected over recent years.

Cape Air, based in our own Lancaster Airport, is offering a $50 one-way trip from Lancaster to the Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), with free parking to boot. The trip, which would take about two hours by car, can last as little as 20 minutes, according to Scott Smith, Station Manager for Cape Air’s Lancaster location. Of course, you’ll need to be comfortable flying in a small, 9-seat aircraft; but the size can have its advantages.

The pilots are approachable and interactive, even personally helping passengers load their luggage. As Smith describes it, the Cape Air experience is interactive and easy-going, centered on the company’s “MOCHA HAGoTDI” philosophy (Make Our Customers Happy and Have a Good Time Doing It).

From the Lancaster Airport, Cape Air sends four flights each day, filled to around 70% capacity. Most of the passengers are business travelers, connecting from BWI to another major city. Others have used the service to visit local events, such as a recent snowmobile convention and the Manheim Auto Auction. And some nearby senior citizens even ride Cape Air for the sheer fun of the flight.

Unfortunately, due to the Airline’s limited capacity, Smith does not anticipate that Cape Air’s commercial service will be significantly utilized by visitors to the Convention Center. (Some market studies have cited the lack of nearby air-access as a limitation upon the CC’s success.)

Nevertheless, Cape Air provides a valuable service for Lancaster travelers who may want to skip the traffic and take to the skies.

At Tuesday’s County Commissioners’ Work Session, a NewsLanc reporter posed the Commissioners with the following question: “If the Convention Center doesn’t meet its financial obligations, would you support the introduction of slots in place of increasing the hotel room sales tax.” Chair Dennis Stuckey and Commissioner Craig Lehman both said they opposed introduction of gambling in any form. Commissioner Scott Martin was absent.

Today, at the public County Commissioners’ Meeting, NewsLanc followed up by asking, “If left with those two options, would you then feel compelled to choose the raising of the hotel room sales tax?”

The Commissioners responded with the following statements:

Martin: “…I can say that I am not a supporter of slots, because of the social service costs that are associated them. I believe it’s actually more expensive than the revenues that are brought in for us to provide services to deal with the repercussions of slot machines. So that would not even be an option.”

Lehman: “I’m happy to reiterate my opposition to slots and table games. I just don’t think they’re problem-solvers. On the other part of your question, I don’t believe that there are just two options. I don’t believe that we’d ever be in a situation where we’re left with two bad options. I always look for that third option. Whatever that option might be, I don’t accept that those are the only two options.”

Martin: “I know that it’s kind of a hypothetical situation. I know what you’re getting at. I believe that, in our due diligence, that we would have to look at every single alternative that is presented to us, given that scenario. That scenario hasn’t been brought before us, so we haven’t really looked at or researched any other means in order to address that issue.”

Stuckey: “I don’t accept the premise of your question. They are not either-or. Sorry, they’re not….In this case, I’ll reiterate what I said yesterday: I’m not a supporter of slots or table games in Lancaster County—or anyplace.”

Manor Township resident Bonnie Miller then inquired of the Commissioners, “…If the hotel tax isn’t enough to compensate it, and there’s no part of the tax left for the tourist bureau, then we’re going to have to come up with the money somewhere else. Am I correct on that?”

Lehman: “Well, I actually came out and said that I didn’t think that…there should be any more money for construction of that project. That was the position that I took in the campaign, and I was actually pretty strident about that…. My position is that taxes should always be the last resort. And that’s why I didn’t agree with the question earlier, because I just believe that there are always other options.”

Lehman: “I don’t ever believe that it’s a fait accompli that you have to raise taxes. I don’t buy that premise.”

Martin: “The one thing that we collectively want the community to do, and what those individuals working on that project have to do, is make it a success and see where it goes. Let it live and die on its own accord. But I think everyone in this room hopes that it is a success, so that we don’t have to get to a point where we have to look at all these different options. And I hope that when it opens, they will do everything in their power to ensure it is a success.”

Lehman: “And I agree with that because a lot of these hypotheticals look way down the road, and there are a whole lot of variables that we don’t know about. And I think if we focus our energy on trying to make it successful…[then] we aren’t left with choices that might not be popular…. I think that’s the responsible approach.”

(Editors note:  The following is in response to a prior letter from a McCaskey girls soccer team member  (whom we assume wasn’t our grand daughter.))

“Seriously next time you want to write an article that you have no business writing and that your just taking the coaches side because you want to play more often, you should tone it down because then people wouldn’t know that it was you writing it.

If the team was a winning team it wouldn’t be such a big deal but they are not and, because of that, the girls should be having fun not dread going to the games and dread going to practice….. its not the players fault. A lot of girls have quit and a lot of people have read this article.”