Octorara Considers Phasing Out Athletics Funding

Octorara All-star basketball player Lamont Clark takes aim during last Winter's run for the State championship.

Octorara School District is mentioned in an article in Lancaster Online this morning for eliminating funding for middle school level athletics.

What the article doesn't mention is cuts to Octorara's athletic budgets aren't likely to stop at the middle school.  

Superintendent Newcome is on record for suggesting cutting middle school athletic funding is just the beginning; that high school athletic funding is next.  

Cutting funding doesn't mean team sports at Octorara would disappear in Newcome's model.  Rather each team's booster clubs would raise all the money needed to field that team.  

If this model looks familiar, it should.  Its the same the model Octorara High School Band has successfully operated under for the last 15 years.

Read the LancasterOnline article here and express your thoughts on parents and athletes assuming complete responsibility for raising the money required to field a team.

Parkesburg Man Contestant On "America's Got Talent"

 Scott Alexander stacks some of his cache of books on magic. He will be performing on TV in the quarterfinals of "America's Got Talent." (Photo by DLN Staff Amy Dragoo)

Parkesburg resident and amateur magician Scott Alexander, according to The Daily Local News, will be a contestant on this year's "America's Got Talent."

Alexander, who has been doing magic tricks since he was six and practices two hours a day, decided to audition for the show after meeting and talking with Michael Grasso, a contestant among last year's top 10 finalists on the show.

"That was when I decided, after talking to him.  So I sent in an audition."

Read the entire Daily Local News article on Michael and his family here.

Weekly Wrap

Last Tuesday saw a partial vindication of the teen driver involved in the recent deadly car crash as police confirmed that the driver had not been under the influence of any substances when the accident occurred. On a humorous note, Jim Wilde was happy to see confirm that the reports of his demise had been greatly exaggerated following a Facebook rumor that had claimed he had passed. Residents also were given an update on Lancaster County property tax increases for the 2011-12 year, and a breakdown of the area population by age. Atglen residents were updated ongoings-on around them with the publication of the July 1, 2011 newsletter.

Wednesday readers, in the midst of an awful heat wave, were reassured that Atglen’s Summers and Zims would help us stay cool with their air conditioning units. Locals were given a summary of some of the main issues of the last Octorara School Board meeting with an article from the Lancaster Online.

On Thursday, the Octorara Area Red Brick Players announced an exciting fundraiser – a “Storybook Garden Tea” to be held on August 14 that will feature many important guests, such as Alice in Wonderland and Snow White. The Christiana Lions Club was in the news again in the Lancaster Online, featured for the beautiful quilt created by Leslie Reese for Jim Groff to take with him to Joplin Missouri. Readers were updated on the proposed changes to the music program at Octorara, and the community reaction to these drafted changes. Readers were updated on the Road to Employment workshops to be held on July 28 that will include presentations from Casey Jones of Parkesburg – these classes are designed to educate locals about the job search progress and help them to secure employment.

Friday saw a fresh example of idiocy with the regrettable motorcycle crash by Mr. Farra, which injured both Mr. Farra and his passenger, and occurred while Mr. Farra was driving under the influence of alcohol. Readers were reminded of the annual Cochranville Fireman’s Carnival and alerted to a new addition to the September 11 memorial outside the firehouse. The fire company recently received a steel girder from the World Trade center that will be preserved and then incorporated into the existing memorial with a dedication ceremony in the fall.

Saturday’s postings allowed readers to get a look at the memories of “Oldtimers” (though they may not like to be called that!) on the 1969 deadly racial disturbance in Parkesburg. Readers on Saturday were also introduced to Nicole Voglesong, the wife of Octorara alum Ryan Vogelsong – he is known for being a pitcher for the Giants. 

This Sunday, we realized that, perhaps, our politicians aren’t quite as crooked as we give them credit for when we learned that Congressman Joe Pitts had donated illegal political contributions to local, Lancaster charities. We got an update from the Olympics – no, not the ones in London, the Chester County Reading Olympics that Octorara middle school students participated in this spring. The Parkesburg Today got afresh new look, with a brand new logo designed by Brandon Malone and some upcoming changes to the website this August. And, for anyone willing to take them on, readers were alerted to 3 job openings at Octorara for coaching field hockey.