Gettysburg Times

ROUTE 116 CLOSED Hanover Road (Pa. Route 116) was closed Friday between Honda and Storms Store roads after a huge concrete structure fell from a truck and blocked the highway about 12:45 p.m. Officials expected the closure to last many hours. Other vehicles were involved. Injured persons were transported by ambulance. Photo by Darryl Wheeler/Gettysburg Times. https://www.gettysburgtimes.com//image_d584772e-87a9-50ae-

In a partnership between the Gettysburg Foundation and Redding Auction Service, a once-in-a-lifetime sale of Civil War items is slated for this weekend at the Table Rock Road auction house. This is one of those special auction events that Civil War collectors and auctioneers wait all of their life to be a part of, said Pat Redding, owner of Redding Auction Service. Items up for auction this weekend are from the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia. The museum was founded in 1888 by veteran officers of the Union Army, Navy and Marines. The museum was closed permanently in 2008 during a state budget stalemate. A portion of the items from the museum have been brought to Gettysburg to be sold over a two-day period.

Rev. Dr. Darold Beekmann, 11th president of Gettysburg (now United) Lutheran Seminary, died on Jan. 13, in Minnesota. Beekmann served as the school’s head from 1990 to 2000. During his tenure, the seminary underwent significant changes, becoming the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA’s) center for diaconal ministry, and expanding community service, particularly through a growing Music Gettysburg! concert program. Under Beekmann’s leadership, the Seminary Ridge Historic Preservation Foundation was formed to preserve the iconic Civil War structures on Seminary Ridge. Today’s Seminary Ridge Museum traces its roots to the initiatives taken in the Beekmann era.

Once a month through 2021, the Gettysburg Community Collective will hold a special event for what it’s calling The Year of Change. The first is the Gettysburg Honors Black Cavalcade on Jan. 18, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Beginning at 2 p.m., residents will meet in cars at the Eternal Light Peace Memorial on Mummasburg Road and travel through neighborhoods with many black residents and past sites of historic importance to the black community, Shahid said. The motor tour will end at the YWCA Gettysburg and Adams County parking lot, Shahid said.

It started with a pile of donated hats and scarves left on the United Way Adams County porch to be taken by those in need, no questions asked. Now The United We Share table, located at 123 Buford Ave., Gettysburg, is growing, said Chris Bunty, organization resource development and marketing director. When Chris pitched the idea, I thought it was a great way to provide much needed items to our community, said United Way Adams County Executive Director Laura McMahon.

As authorities gear up for potential political disruptions in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., local officials said they are maintaining vigilance but have detected no warning signs in Adams County. We’re watching intently, but we do not see anything at this point, Gettysburg Police Chief Robert Glenny said Wednesday. We’re keeping an eye on the situation, and local departments are communicating informally, but there is no intelligence suggesting local disturbances are being planned, he said.

Those anticipating the start of the high school winter sports season on Dec. 18 will have to do some more waiting. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced during a press conference on Thursday afternoon that the start of the winter sports season will be delayed until at least Jan. 4 under new mitigation efforts designed to curb the spread of coronavirus cases in the state. Among new restrictions were the cancellation of all youth and high school sports games and practices for the next three weeks, starting at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Rev. Jay E. Zimmerman, 68, of Gettysburg, died Wednesday afternoon at Gettysburg Hospital. Before retirement, Pastor Jay led the Gettysburg United Methodist Church. He was also heavily involved in community affairs, including Olde Getty Place. His church hosted monthly community dinners so neighbors could connect. If you have memories of Pastor Jay, post them here or email [email protected]. All comments may be used in a Gettysburg Times story. (Gettysburg Times File Photo by Vanessa Pellechio)

A looming three-week indoor dining ban could be the last nail in the coffin for a lot of businesses, Gettysburg restaurateur Yianni Barakos warned Thursday. He and fellow Gettysburg eatery owner Wade Leedy said their own businesses can likely struggle through the state’s latest round of pandemic precautions, but both expressed strong concern about their employees and other small business owners. It’s really a kick in the gut for some of my employees, said Leedy, who provides jobs for 35 at Tommy’s Pizza and Four Score Beer Co.

Some Cumberland Township Police Department officers are in coronavirus quarantine, but calls will be covered as usual, according to Chief Don Boehs. The community’s safety remains our primary concern. Emergency and non-emergency calls will continue to be responded to as normal, Boehs wrote Wednesday in a text message. The department has officers who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are quarantined. Due to privacy concerns, no further information will be released, he wrote.

It had been 15 years since the Majestic Theater last went dark to the public. Its luminescence will be the talk of the town when it returns from an eight-month, pandemic-related closure. A massive, brightly-lit birthday cake marquee display will be installed over the weekend to celebrate the 95th year of the theater’s existence.

Ted Nugent plays the National Anthem and introduces Donald Trump Jr. at Wolfe Auctions in York Springs on Friday.

Gettysburg Area School District administrators hope the school board takes advantage of cost-savings by adding other projects onto a $16.5 million heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) overhaul at the high school. At their meeting Monday, the board reviewed the administration’s proposal, which totals $17.9 million. In addition to HVAC, administrators are recommending the district fix or replace toilet partitions at a cost of $99,900; renovate the auxiliary gym for ...$914,487; conduct a nitrogen purge in the sprinkler system for $63,000; repair flooring in the lobby and cafeteria for $286,700; and repair flooring in the library and stairs for $48,300. Last summer, the board approved a $21.5 million bond for the project which totaled slightly more than $25 million after associated costs. The district settled on the bond Sept. 16 with an average interest rate of 1.36 percent.

For six decades, Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church (CELC) in downtown Gettysburg has offered preschool education to more than 1,500 children. But this is the program’s first go-round as a cyber school. As the COVID-19 pandemic shut down in-person education at all levels last spring, CELC’s leaders began to look for new ways to stay connected and to provide some instruction, said Kristen Nelson, a member of the parish’s preschool committee. Nelson and other parish leaders worked with the head teacher, Lori Weaver, in designing a series of daily videos and accompanying study guides that are made available free of charge to any household with youngsters from 3 to 5 years old.

Seventy-four residential units are likely to be constructed next year in Cumberland Township, according to Zoning and Code Enforcement Officer Michele Long. She outlined the progress of numerous residential developments Tuesday during the township supervisors’ meeting. Long’s projection for 2021 included 26 single-family homes, 29 townhouse units, 19 condominium units, and no new commercial construction.

Voters who requested a mail-in ballot and do not receive it by Tuesday should vote at their polling place, Adams County Commissioner Chairman Randy Phiel said Thursday. Mail-in ballots have been an extremely popular option in Adams County this election, and thousands have already been cast by voters, Phiel said. Though we have been working with our local post offices, unfortunately, the county has no control over the timeliness of mail delivery. Any voter who has received a mail-in ballot can drop it off at the county courthouse during business hours, Phiel said. Ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday and received at the courthouse by 5 p.m. on Friday.

Main Street Gettysburg’s president and chief executive officer, Deb Adamik, will retire next year, according to a press release from the organization’s board of directors. Adamik recently notified the board of directors of her plans for retirement, ensuring sufficient time for a smooth transition to a new leader for this role.

Celebration of the last few military holidays has been muted as a result of COVID-19 precautions. Though the scope of a Veterans Day celebration held by the Allied Veterans Council of Adams County will be reduced, the organization did not want to let another holiday pass without commemoration. At 11 a.m. on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, a half-hour long ceremony in the parking lot of Gettysburg American Legion Post 202, 528 Middle St., will honor veterans from Adams County who died in the past year.

Donald J. Trump for President Inc. announced Wednesday Donald Trump Jr., along with rock star Ted Nugent and sportsman Cam Hanes, will host two ‘Make America Great Again!’ events on Friday, Oct. 30, one in York Springs, at 12 p.m., and another in Altoona, Pa., at 3 p.m. At these events, Donald Trump Jr. will share President Donald J. Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda with Pennsylvanians. The event is slated to take place at Wolfe Industrial Auctions, 400 Old US Route 15, York Springs. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.

A Gettysburg police officer was informed Tuesday his position may be eliminated Jan. 1, but borough officials said the decision is not final. Surrounding the action are efforts to lessen a property tax increase, the end of another officer’s voluntary furlough, and the presence of a third officer who was fired but rehired by court order though he lacks qualifications to work on the street, officials said. Some aspects of the latter situation remain unsettled. The officer whose position may end was informed as a precaution so he would not learn of the situation through the media or grapevine, borough council President Jake Schindel said.

The Gettysburg Borough Council’s decision to inform a police officer his position may be eliminated raises Sunshine Act concerns, according to Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Media Law Counsel Melissa Melewsky. The decision came on the basis of a consensus reached in a non-public executive session of the council on personnel matters, council President Jake Schindel said. However, the Sunshine Act mandates official action can only occur at a public meeting, and only after there’s been an opportunity for public comment, Melewsky wrote in an email Wednesday.

The Fairfield Area School Board voted 6-2 Monday night to maintain a hybrid schedule for the remainder of the fall semester. Voting against the motion were board members Rhonda Myers and Lashay Kalathas. Both expressed their anguish at making what Myers called an extremely difficult decision. Interest in the board’s decision about continuing the hybrid model was high among members of the community. At its peak, the meeting held by Zoom videoconferencing had a total participation of 147 people.

Some travelers feel unsafe jumping aboard a bus. Others have a destination in mind but aren’t allowed across state borders. College athletic teams aren’t competing, and academic trips are no longer on the calendar. Even the military isn’t transporting soldiers in most cases. For the last seven months, a normally perpetually moving fleet of buses and transport vehicles at Wolf’s Bus Lines has sat mostly dormant. More than 70 full- and part-time employees have been almost entirely laid off since March 17. What’s worse, there seems to be no end in sight and the government hasn’t stepped in to help, said Tracy Wolf-Stroyny, the company’s vice president. We’ve spent all this money to retrofit our buses, but we have no money coming in, said Wolf-Stroyny.

The Totem Pole Playhouse Board of Directors and Rowan Joseph, artistic and producing director since 2013, have parted ways. Joseph told the Gettysburg Times he submitted his resignation in August with an effective date of Dec. 31. Totem Pole Playhouse is located in Fayetteville on the border of Adams and Franklin counties. Sadly, beginning in October 2019 under then Chair Rose Tripi’s leadership, I came to feel more abused than appreciated for my management of the playhouse, Joseph said. In late July of 2020, based largely on my more than 40 years of experience in managing professional theaters, I felt personally so strongly that Totem Pole‘s board and I had completely opposite views on the best course forward for the playhouse that I made the heart-wrenching decision to submit my resignation.