myerstownherald.com

January 8, 2010

JERSEY SHORE: A MUST-WATCH TRAIN WRECK

Filed under: MOLLY DAVIS — Tags: , — Administrator @ 1:53 pm

By MOLLY DAVIS
Oh, “Jersey Shore,” how I love thee.
You absolutely make my Thursday nights.
Thank you, MTV, for spotlighting the over-muscled, over-tanned, over-gelled (over-everything’ed) existence of seven twenty-somethings staying in Seaside
Heights for the summer.
Or, as it’s known to some, “Sleazeside” Heights.
The cast of the show includes Sammi “The Sweetheart,” Pauly D, Ronnie, Mike AKA “The Situation,” Jenni AKA “Jwoww,” Vinnie and last, but certainly not least, Nicole AKA “Snooki” or “Snickers.”
The girls are tan and scantily clad.
But I really don’t have anything negative to say about the girls.
Snooki is a riot, Sammi is cute, and Jwoww is very entertaining.
Snooki is my favorite – she took a punch in the mouth like a champ, loves pickles and says things like “I friggin’ invented the poof” – referring to her high hair.
JWoww has the attitude of a guy, likes eating sliced deli ham after drinking, and says, “I will rip a guy’s head off after having sex with him.”
Sammi is more of an observer, choosing to stay out of most conflicts (re: barfights) and lie low with her roommate/boyfriend Ronnie.
Which brings us to the other denizens of the house.
The boys.
Sweet fancy Moses, they are ridiculous.
What a mess.
Tatted up, Ed Hardy clad, dancing-like-they’re having a seizure, arrogant cavemen.
They look greasy – literally oily.
I don’t know if it’s hair gel runoff that seeps slowly from their head throughout the night or if they slick themselves up with something.
Out of the four guys, Mike “the situation” is by far the worst.
He offends me, and I am not easily offended.
First, he refers to himself as “The Situation.”
That in itself is laughable.
Yes, you have a six pack.
We know.
Please stop lifting your shirt up.
We get it.
My favorite moment was when Sammi shut him down.
Mike thought he was going to bed her – but she switched it up and went for Ronnie, another roommate.
“The Situation” did not like this turn of events one bit.
He whined, sulked, verbally abused Sammi for her choice, and still expects her to come around and see that he’s the better choice.
Hold your breath, have another Jaeger bomb, and do some more reps at the gym.
It is a “Situation,” as you so eloquently put it EVERY 30 SECONDS.
Only the “Situation” is not a good one.
Mike is very aggressive with the girls he’s trying to bed – way past pushy.
If he didn’t disgust me, I’d pity him for trying too hard.
You know when you’re watching something and you feel embarrassed for the person who’s making an idiot of themselves?
It’s like that.
Only multiplied by 100.
He doesn’t seem to understand the word “no.”
In one instance, he’s trying to get the night’s target into the hot tub, and she says “no,” repeatedly, so he hounds her.
“The girl was lame,” he told the camera, like the girl owed it to him to strip down and get in the jacuzzi because she was in the presence of “The Situation.”
And talks to the camera like the girl’s a b**ch – like she owes him something.

You’re not entitled to anything – the way you spin it in your head like the girl has some sort of deficit for turning you down is pathetic.
Not to mention, delusional.
Take a cue from your male housemates – they are gentleman, and although they too are all about hooking up at the end of the night, they have some dignity and class about it – whereas you have less than none..
If a girl turns him down, in his mind, she’s “hatin’.”
Or she can’t handle him.
It couldn’t possibly be that you’re an unattractive idiot.
If “The Situation” were to read this, he would no doubt feel that I wanted him and was just “hatin.”
Yes, I am “hatin.”
“Hatin” all the way to the nunnery, ’cause if it was between “The Situation” and chastity?
Sign me up, sisters, and point me to my habit.

POLICE: MAN, 68, EXPOSED HIMSELF

Filed under: NEWS — Administrator @ 1:50 pm

A 68-year-old Lebanon man was charged with indecent exposure after allegedly exposing his genitals on the 500 block of Lehman Street in Lebanon on Jan. 6, city police said.
Michael Shannon was taken into custody and also was charged with open lewdness and disorderly conduct, police said.
Witnesses told officers that Shannon was in the area of a bus stop, acting disorderly and yelling profanities, city police said.
Shannon’s pants were starting to fall down and one of the witnesses told him to pull up his pants, city police said.
Shannon became louder and pulled his pants completely down, exposing his buttocks and genitalia, city police said.

Police: Man assaulted employee
A 44-year-old Annville man assaulted an employee at an establishment on the 300 block of South Hershey Road in West Hanover Township, Dauphin County, on Jan. 6, state police at Harrisburg said.
David Bosworth was taken into custody for assault and related charges, state police at Harrisburg said.

Police: Man slapped son, 7, in face
A 33-year-old Jonestown man is facing an harassment charge after allegedly slapping his 7-year-old son in the face on West Market Street in Jonestown on Jan. 6, state police at Jonestown said.

Jerks steal comforter, lincoln logs from vehicle
Thugs swiped a Down comforter and Lincoln Logs from a vehicle at Oakglade Plaza in South Hanover Township, Dauphin County, between Dec. 28 and Jan. 4, state police at Harrisburg said.
The comforter was worth $169, and the Lincoln Logs cost $40, state police said.
The victim is Jamie Witcoski, of Rector, state police said.

Accident shuts down I-78 for 3 hours
Interstate 78 east was shut down for about three hours after a Volvo truck hit an embankment and rolled over in Greenwich Township on Jan. 6, state police at Hamburg said.
The driver, Carolos Urena-Valverde, wasn’t injured in the accident at mile marker 39.9, state police said.

Police: 2 snorted drug at casino
Two Harrisburg residents were snorting Oxycodone in the Hollywood Casino at Penn National recently, state police said.
Adelaide Johnson, 24, of Harrisburg, faces a charge with possession, and Benjamin Fields will be charged with possession with the intent to deliver, state police said.

Vehicle hits pole, wall
A vehicle driven by Orion Fichter, 21, of Barto, struck a utility pole and a wooden retaining wall on Old Route 100 in Washington Township on Jan. 6, state police at Reading said.
The vehicle wound up on the rear backyard of a residence, state police said.

Vehicle slides, hits tree, ditch
A vehicle driven by Bronwen Thomason, 29, of Lititz, slid on a snow-covered Hopeland Road and struck a tree and a ditch in Elizabeth Township on Dec. 31, state police at Ephrata said.
Nobody was injured.

Pellet punks shot window
BB bozos shot a hole through the front window of a residence on Reifsnyder Road in Elizabeth Township between Jan. 3 and 5, state police at Ephrata said.
The victim is Daniel Zimmerman, 32, of Lititz, state police said.

Knuckleheads steal mail
Punks pilfered mail from a home on Acorn Lane in Elizabeth Township between Dec. 1 and Jan. 5, state police at Ephrata said.
The victim is Richard Sweater, 57, of Lititz, state police said.

Police: 2 charged after fight
Two suspects got into a fight at the Fivepointville Fire Company in Brecknock Township on Jan. 1, state police at Ephrata said.
A 17-year-old East Earl boy and Howard Martin, 23, of Bowmansville, were charged with disorderly conduct.

Woman’s vehicle goes airborne, hits several trees
A 45-year-old woman had to be extricated from her vehicle after a wild accident in which the vehicle went airborne and hit numerous trees, state police at Schuylkill Haven said.
A vehicle driven by Laura Whitley, of Pottsville, lost control on a curve hand hit a guardrail on Route 61 in North Manheim Township on Jan. 5, state police said.
After impact, Whitley’s vehicle went through the parking lot of Penske before hitting a utility pole, state police said.
After the collision, Whitley’s vehicle went into the air — over an embankment — before hitting the trees, state police said.
Whitley was entrapped and had to be freed by members of the Pottsville Fire Department.
She was taken Schuylkill Medical Center South for treatment of injuries.
The right lane of Route 61 was closed for several hours.

Creeps steal kids’ Christmas gift
Thugs stole numerous items from a residence — including a Christmas gift the victim bought for her kids — on Sunrise Court in Swatara Township, Lebanon County, between Jan. 3 and 4, state police at Jonestown said.
The creeps grabbed two televisions, a PlayStation console, several games and a V-smile that was given to the victim’s children, state police said.

THE BOYS ARE BETTER

Filed under: ERIC FISHER — Administrator @ 1:17 pm

By ERIC FISHER
The Eagles lost to a better football team on Sunday. It’s that simple.
The Dallas Cowboys beat the Eagles twice this season. That’s not a fluke. Especially when the second game was a 24-0 shellacking.
Unlike Cincinnati or Arizona, which can claim that their rematches this weekend with the Jets and Packers, respectively, will be different than Sunday’s lopsided defeats, the Eagles have no such defense. The Bengals and Cardinals had no incentive to play well. The Eagles did.
If the Eagles had defeated the Cowboys, they would have secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC. They would have had a bye this weekend and would have been guaranteed at least one home playoff game. Now, the Birds must win three road games to reach the Super Bowl.
But, as coaches say every week: one game at a time. First, the Eagles have to get past Dallas.
History says the Eagles will win this Saturday (8 p.m., NBC). Since Andy Reid became head coach, the Eagles are 7-0 in their opening playoff game. During this same stretch, the Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game. While the Eagles were going to five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl, the Cowboys were missing the playoffs or going one-and-done.
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips is 0-4 in playoff games. Quarterback Tony Romo is 0-2.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, Saturday’s game won’t be decided by history. It will be decided by this year’s Cowboys and Eagles. And this year’s two head-to-head meetings are evidence that the Cowboys are better.
Additional evidence supporting the Cowboys’ superiority can be found in the teams’ records. The Cowboys went 4-2 against teams that finished the season with a winning record, including a 3-2 mark against playoff teams (beating the Eagles twice and New Orleans once; losing to San Diego and Green Bay).
The Eagles compiled a 1-4 record against teams that finished the season with a winning record, with the only victory coming against Atlanta (9-7), which was missing quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner. Otherwise the Eagles did not defeat a team that finished with a winning record, going winless against playoff teams (losing twice to Dallas and once to the Chargers and Saints).
This isn’t to suggest that the Eagles’ 11-5 record is a house of cards or some sort of mirage. It was real. The Eagles deserve credit for achieving that record despite numerous injuries.
At the same time, however, the Eagles aren’t quite as good as their gaudy record and six-game winning streak made it appear. Their six-game winning streak included narrow victories over the Bears, Redskins and Broncos, as well as a wild 45-38 win over the Giants. Again, the Eagles deserve praise for pulling those games out, but they are a good team capable of producing big plays at crucial moments rather than a terrific team that can dominate opponents.
The problem for the Eagles this Saturday is that they haven’t been able to generate those big plays against the Cowboys. Dallas has allowed just 250 points all season, second only to the Jets, so their ability to bottle up the Eagles isn’t an accident.
Not only has the Cowboys defense stifled the Eagles offense twice this season, but the Cowboys offense moved the ball at will against the Eagles defense on Sunday. The Cowboys ran the ball. The Cowboys threw the ball. The Cowboys controlled the ball.
Unless you believe that Reid brilliantly kept his cards close to his vest, thereby lulling the Cowboys into a false sense of security, the Eagles are in trouble Saturday.
This doesn’t mean the Eagles can’t win. I fully expect them to make a better effort than they did Sunday.
There are several things the Eagles can do in order to prevail. First, they must apply more pressure on Romo. One way to do that is by taking an early lead. An early Eagles lead may force Romo to try to make more big plays, and that should make him more prone to turnovers.
The problem with that scenario is that Romo, whom the Eagles used to be able to rattle, has been largely unflappable this season. One reason for that is the Cowboys’ balanced offense doesn’t put all the weight on his shoulders.
Speaking of balanced offenses, the Eagles should use one to defeat the Cowboys. Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg only called eight running plays Sunday. That’s absurd. A better running game will set up effective play-action fakes that could produce big plays in the passing game. It will also help the Eagles control the clock and keep their defense off the field.
Remember, however, that center Jamaal Jackson’s season-ending knee injury means the Eagles are once again running behind a revamped offensive line. Nick Cole, Max Jean-Gilles and Winston Justice are not a trio anyone envisioned starting for a playoff team.
Does all this mean the Eagles can’t win? Of course not.
The Eagles can win Saturday. But to do so, they must beat a better team.

NHL’S SHOWCASE GAME MORE THAN A CLASSIC

Filed under: ERIC FISHER — Tags: — Administrator @ 1:00 pm

By ERIC FISHER
Standing outside in the cold on January 1 doesn’t sound very appealing, but hundreds of thousands of people entered a drawing to have that opportunity. And they were willing to pay for it.
As the demand for tickets demonstrates, the NHL has found a winner in the Winter Classic.
This year’s game, the third in the series, took place in historic Fenway Park. The game featured the hometown Boston Bruins hosting the Flyers.
To call the Winter Classic a game doesn’t do it justice. It isn’t simply a game. It’s an event. In fact, at times the game appears secondary.
The atmosphere inside Fenway was incredible. The atmosphere outside was amazing as well, with Yawkey Way and Lansdowne St. (behind the Green Monster) closed off to traffic. The other streets surrounding Fenway weren’t closed to traffic, but cars moved slowly and carefully as fans of both teams filled the streets.
The NHL, which frequently is on the receiving end of blunt criticism, deserves nothing except praise for the Winter Classic. The presentation of the event was just about perfect.
I had the privilege of attending this year’s Winter Classic. The following are some observations from Fenway:
CLASSIC DUO: The honorary captains for the game were Boston’s Bobby Orr, considered by many observers to be the greatest defenseman of all-time, and the Flyers’ Bob Clarke, the diabetic kid the Flyers took a chance on, and the move paid off when Clarke developed into the team’s leader, an NHL MVP and the captain of two Stanley Cup championship teams. Having Orr and Clarke take the ceremonial opening face-off was perfect. (No, Clarke didn’t slash or spear Orr.)
COOLEST MOMENT: Aside from seeing Clarke and Orr together on the ice, the coolest moment was when the stealth bomber flew over the field just before the game. The bomber emerged silently from beyond the green monster. You didn’t hear a thing, then, all of a sudden, the plane is upon you, making no sound as it approaches.
CLASSIC FIGHT: There seemed little doubt the Flyers and Bruins would produce the first fight in Winter Classic history. Sure enough, the Flyers’ Dan Carcillo pounded the Bruins’ Shawn Thornton during the first period.
WEATHER REPORT: Despite worries caused by the weather forecasters during the days prior to the game, the weather was perfect. First, there was no rain. Second, the temperature never got warm enough to affect the ice and make playing conditions overly difficult. I didn’t even wear a hat at the game and my gloves stayed in my jacket pocket until in between the second and third periods.
FREQUENT FLYERS: Flyers fans continue to “travel well.” Tons of Flyers fans made the trek to Fenway. Although outnumbered 4:1 or 5:1, Flyers fans more than held their own as the respective fan bases chanted “Let’s Go Flyers!” and “Let’s Go Bruins!” back and forth throughout the game.
COMMON GROUND: Flyers and Bruins fans found something they could agree upon. Alternating “Let’s Go (Flyers/Bruins)!” chants were replaced with derogatory chants about the world champion New York Yankees, disliked by both Flyers and Bruins fans.
COMMON GROUND II: A similar thing happened after the NHL showed commercials on the center field video screen. The commercials featured Penguins center Sidney Crosby, who became the focus of additional negative chants shared by both Bruins and Flyers fans.
FAN FRIENDLY: The Flyers received cheers from Flyers fans every time they entered or exited via the third-base dugout. Most Flyers acknowledged the crowd in one way or another. A few players, most notably Scott Hartnell, even gave out pucks to the crowd.
LORDS OF THE RINGS: Another addition to this year’s festivities was that the United States Olympic Hockey team announced its roster shortly after the game ended.
HARD HITS: Appropriately for a baseball stadium, there was a lot of hitting during the Bruins-Flyers game. With these two blue-collar fan bases, you weren’t expecting the Ice Capades, were you?
HIGH FIVE … OR SIX!: The Flyers were irate after the referees and linesmen missed a fairly obvious too-man-men-on-the-ice penalty on the Bruins during overtime. During overtime, each team is only allowed four players plus a goalie. It appeared the at the Bruins had five – and possibly even six – players on the ice as they moved the puck from their own zone toward the Flyers’ zone and produced the winning goal in the Bruins’ 2-1 triumph.
SAME TIME NEXT YEAR: Rumors are that next season’s Winter Classic will be held in New York, at either Yankees Stadium or the one of the other new stadiums. The likely opponent would be Washington, which features exciting goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin. Other possible sites include Minnesota and Colorado.
The Winter Classic isn’t simply a game. It’s an event. It’s a spectacle.
The atmosphere was incredible. The game was terrific.
Watching the Flyers battle the Bruins outdoors at Fenway Park truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Who ever imagined that sitting out in the cold on New Year’s Day could be so much fun?

OUR VIEW: PROTESTERS MADE MARK

Filed under: OUR VIEW — Tags: — Administrator @ 12:57 pm

The person of the year this year actually is more than one person. This year’s person of the year is a group of people. This year’s person of the year is the Tea Party Protesters.
This group of people from around the country, including some high-profile protesters in Lebanon County, stood up to the government and called attention to out of control spending. Fiscal policy normally is written off as boring, an area that most people would like to leave to someone else to manage. But this group of protesters shined a light on the soaring deficits and seemingly limitless fiscal appetite of President Obama’s administration. As the Obama administration seeks to gobble up the health-care industry like Pac-Man, the protesters at least were able to stop some of the damage.
The protesters came to the fore after the so-called Stimulus Plan that Obama said would revive the economy. Congress passed this giant bill in a hurry to avoid debate. As people began to realize that the bill was nothing more than a bunch of ill-conceived, haphazard pork projects, and not a plan to revive the economy at all, they began fighting back, calling out the liberal politicians who passed this monstrosity.
Their momentum continued as Obama started to roll out his health-care plan, which seemed like a disguised attempt to create a government run health-care bureaucracy. This bureaucracy seemed like another government boondoggle that would make health care worse for most people while driving up the cost.
Thanks to the protesters and their strident confrontation of Congressional supporters of the bill, the most costly public option and expansion of Medicare portions of the bill have been dropped. Unfortunately, a health-care bill did pass the Senate, after the Democrats used pork barrel spending to buy off supposedly moderate members of their party.
Despite the passage of a bill in the Senate, the protesters accomplished quite a bit by defeating the public option. For people who call them hypocrites because they did not attack existing government programs, such as Medicare, this argument is off base. Once these programs are created, they are almost impossible to roll back because people rearrange their lives to depend on whatever the government is providing. The best way to prevent out of control spending is not to pass such programs in the first place.
In short, the protesters have served as the fiscal conscience of the nation. The goal of providing health care to everyone is a noble one, but when the government takes over, it drains money from the economy, hampering job creation, weakening the dollar, and putting the United States in a precarious position of having to borrow money from foreign countries just to pay our bills.
The protesters looked at Washington and saw nothing but irresponsibility. They demanded accountability, and actually were able to slim down portions of President Obama’s agenda, despite the fact that Democrats have large majorities in Congress. For their hard work and their success, the Tea Party Protesters are the Herald Person of the Year.

KATE’S DATING GAME?

Filed under: MOLLY DAVIS — Tags: — Administrator @ 12:53 pm

By MOLLY DAVIS
Do you want to Date Kate?
Not Kate Hudson.
Kate Gosselin.
Yes, you heard me.
The baby factory and original octo-mom is supposedly in talks to star in a new reality show — not about her kids — but about finding a new love.
“Love her or hate her, people are fascinated by Kate,” a TV executive said in the story published on Popeater.com. “She has a lot of mouths to feed and Kate looking for love will certainly put bread on the table.”
I’m hoping this is not a reliable story.
Kate is sporting a longer hairdo and a new outlook, as she rebuilds her life as a single woman.
She jokingly said she is changing her name to “Kate Clean-Slate.”
After not hearing anything about Kate for a few months, I figured she was focusing on what’s important (her kids) and not looking for another sleazy 15 minutes.
But here she is on the cover of People, showing off her makeover.
She may look good — and she does look beautiful — but I don’t know many men that would take on dating a woman with that kind of baggage.
Her emotional baggage, not her eight children.
Kate is an alpha female who will rule her roost, and she will need another laid back doormat like her ex, Jon, to boss around.
And there aren’t many eunichs out there.
I do hope Kate finds happiness — but if she’s looking for it on trashy reality TV, odds are it probably won’t work out.
Hindsight is 20/20, Kate.
You should have some by now after your last TV debacle — where your family imploded for the world to see.
The collateral damage done to your kids is nothing short of traumatic, as is any divorce viewed though the eyes of kids.
So lie low, Kate.
Don’t put yourself out there for the world to dissect – they didn’t like what they found the last time.

January 4, 2010

DOG DISTRACTS DRIVER, CAUSES CRASH

Filed under: NEWS — Administrator @ 8:45 pm

A dog distracted a teenaged driver, triggering an accident in Caernarvon Township on Jan. 1, state police at Ephrata said.
The dog jumped from the passenger’s seat to the driver’s lap moments before the accident, state police said.
The vehicle went off the road, struck a sign, two fences and a utility pole, state police said.
The driver, a 17-year-old Morgantown boy, suffered a moderate injury and was taken to Reading Hospital, state police said.

Creepy losers stole vehicle
Lowlifes stole an unlocked 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 from a side alley on Spring Street in Tremont, state police at Schuylkill Haven said.
The thugs managed to start the vehicle and drove it away, state police said.
The vehicle, which has a Pennsylvania registration GWZ1736, has a cracked windshield below the rear-view mirror and 17-inch tires on the vehicle, state police said.
Anybody with information is asked to contact with state police at (570) 593-2000.

Police: Man assaulted Pine Grove woman
A Pottsville man physically assaulted a Pine Grove woman — causing bodily injury — during an incident on Village Drive in Pine Grove on Dec. 27, state police at Schuylkill Haven said.
The suspect, Clarence Donton, 31, arrested without incident on Jan. 2 was arraigned, state police said.
Donton was unable to post bail and was sent to Schuylkill County Prison.
The victim is Jennifer Donton, 33, state police said.

Unknown vehicle strikes truck, flees
An unknown vehicle struck and damaged a Ford F-150 pickup truck outside the A&M Pizza on West Main Street in Palmyra on Jan. 4, borough police said.
The vehicle fled the scene.
The victim is Salvatore Mannino, 56, of Lebanon, police said.
Anybody with information is asked to contact police at (717) 838-8188.

Police: Man belts boy with plastic toy
A 22-year-old Hummelstown man struck a 4-year-old Granville boy with a plastic toy during an incident on Clifton Heights Road in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, on Jan. 1, state police at Harrisburg said.
The boy suffered bruising and welts, state police said.
State police didn’t release the names of the suspect and victim.

Slugs swipe, GPS, Snuggie from vehicle
Goons grabbed a GPS, phone charger and Snuggie from a vehicle on Quentin Road in North Cornwall on Dec. 31, township police said.
The victim is Diana Carpenter, of Lebanon, police said.
Anybody with information is asked to contact police at (717) 274-0464.

Police: Boy, 16, charged with retail theft
A 16-year-old Lebanon boy was charged with retail theft after failing to pay for merchandise totaling $52.96 at Kohl’s in North Cornwall on Dec. 24, township police said.

Police: Man charged after stop
Edwin Rose-Rivera, of Reading, was arrested and charged with altered, forged or counterfeit documents and plates after a traffic stop on 16th and Walnut streets in North Cornwall on Jan. 3, township police said.
Rosa-Rivera also was charged with driving under suspension and expired registration, police said.

Police: Vehicle hits illegally parked vehicle
A vehicle driven by Rose Glant, 31, of Lebanon, backed into an unattended, illegally parked car on South 17th Street in North Cornwall on Jan. 1, township police said.
Nobody was injured.

Vehicles collide in Kohl’s parking lot
Vehicles driven by Jo-Dee Patton, 36, of Lebanon, and Sebastien Maeder, 30, of Lebanon, were involved in an accident on in the Kohl’s parking lot in North Cornwall on Jan. 2, township police said.
Nobody was injured.

Lowlifes steal boy’s snowboard
Slugs swiped a snowboard from a storage rack at Bear Creek Ski Resort on Doe Mountain Road in Longswamp Township on Dec. 30, state police at Reading said.
The victim is a 14-year-old Downingtown boy.
State police are urging skiers and snowboards to lock their equipment or use the storage services provided by the ski resorts.

Creeps try to deposit bogus checks
Creeps tried to deposit forged checks from a Fleetwood man’s National Penn Bank checking account on Pricetown Road in Ruscombmanor Township between Dec. 8 and 9, state police at Reading said.
The jerks tried deposit bogus checks for the amount of $38,945 and $6,500, state police said.
The victim is Randall Parrish, 53, state police said.

Police: Lancaster man charged with DUI
Joshua Thomas, 21, of Lancaster, was arrested for DUI after a traffic stop on South Esbenshade Road and Route 283 in Rapho Township on Jan. 3, state police at Ephrata said.

Police: Man sent harassing text messages
A 21-year-old Gordonville man sent threatening text messages to a woman’s cellphone after being told to stop on Jan. 2, state police at Ephrata said.
Jeffrey Snyder was charged with harassment, state police said.
The victim is a 36-year-old Narvon woman.

Teen’s vehicle hits house
A teenager’s vehicle hits a guide rail and shrubs before hitting a corner of a house in a accident on East Brubaker Valley Road in Elizabeth Township on Jan. 2, state police at Ephrata said.
The driver, Brandon Roland, 19, of Lititz, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Lancaster General Hospital.

Police: Man strikes, injures boy
A Narvon man is accused of striking and injuring a 13-year-old boy during an incident on Mountain Top Lane in Narvon on Jan. 1, state police at Ephrata said.
Damion Charlton was charged with assault, state police said.

Vehicle slams into utility pole
A vehicle driven by John Reisinger, of Manheim, lost control on an icy North Colebrook Road and struck a utility pole in Rapho Township on Jan. 1, state police at Ephrata said.
Nobody was injured.

Police: Man bailed without paying food
Dayton Cassel, 22, of Lititz, left the Hess Express without paying the full retail price of a $5.29 food item on East 28th Street in Elizabeth Township on Jan. 1, state police at Ephrata said.

Police: Man arrested for DUI
Adam Broomell, 23, of Ephrata, was arrested for DUI after a traffic stop on Newport Road and Oregon Pike in West Earl Township on Jan. 1, state police at Ephrata said.

Vehicle slides, hits tree
A vehicle driven by Lona Wilson, 51, of Pottstown, slide off the snow-covered Churchtown Road and hit a tree in Salisbury Township on Dec. 31, state police at Ephrata said.
Wilson was injured and taken to Lancaster General Hospital.

Jerks swipe UPS packages
Punks pilfered two UPS packages from the front porch of a residence on Garfield Road in Rapho Township on Dec. 30, state police at Ephrata said.
The victim is Kelly Williams, of Mt. Joy.
Anybody with information is asked to contact the state police at (717) 721-7667.

Lunkheads steal mail
Goons grabbed mail out of the victim’s mailbox on Pool Circle in Elizabeth Township between Dec. 23 and 30, state police at Ephrata said.
The victim is a 50-year-old Newmanstown man, state police said.
Anybody with information is asked to contact the state police at (717) 721-7667.

Police: 2 cited after fight
Brian Conlow, 45, of Lebanon, and Michelle Speck, 45, of Lebanon, were cited for harassment after a fight between each other on Fairway Drive in Bethel Township, Lebanon County, on Jan. 1, state police at Jonestown said.

Police: 2 slap Jonestown woman in face
A Lebanon man and woman slapped a 47-year-old Jonestown woman in the face during an incident on East Main Street in Jonestown on Jan. 2, state police at Jonestown said.
Wilbert Torres-Ramos, 34, and Carolyn Maldonado-Ortiz, 38, were cited with harassment, state police said.
The victim is Nancy Patterson, state police said.

Police: Man injures woman during domestic dispute
A 28-year-old Palmyra man assaulted a 20-year-old Cleona woman during a domestic dispute at his residence on East Main Street in Palmyra on Dec. 31, borough police said.
The suspect, Justin Mayfield, was charged with simple assault (domestic violence related), police said.
The victim, Brittanee Mowrer, was injured during the incident, police said.

Vehicles collide in Palmyra
Vehicles driven by Cody Redick, 20, of Coatesville, and Kurt Yordy, 32, of Palmyra, were involved in an accident at Cherry and Railroad streets in Palmyra on Dec. 31, borough police said.

Police: Campbelltown man arrested for DUI
Samuel Wolfe, 47, of Campbelltown, was charged with DUI after a traffic stop on the 900 block of East Main Street in Palmyra on Jan. 1, borough police said.

Vehicles crack up in Palmyra
Vehicles driven by Mary Youtz, 62, of Palmyra, and Jeanmarie Douglas, were involved in an accident at East Main and Harrison streets in Palmyra on Jan. 1, borough police said.
Douglas declined treatment for a minor injury, police said.

Police steal wheel, tire
Thugs stole the left front wheel and tire from a vehicle in the parking lot of Palmview Apartments on West North Avenue in Palmyra on Jan. 2, police said.
The total value of the stolen items is $250, police said.
The victim is Mary Unger, 73.

Blue vehicle hits parked vehicle, flees
A blue SUV-type vehicle hit a legally parked vehicle and fled on the 600 block of East Main Street in Palmyra on Jan. 3, borough police said.
The parked vehicle sustained a moderate amount of damage to its driver’s side.
The victim is Kenneth Fuhrman, 51, of Palmyra, police said.
Anybody with information is asked to contact police at (717) 838-8188.

Police: Man assaulted woman
A 37-year-old Pine Grove man physically assaulted a woman — causing bodily injury — during an incident on Long Run Road in Wayne Township on Dec. 24, state police at Schuylkill Haven said.
The suspect, Matthew Herring, was arraigned and released on unsecured bail, state police said.
The victim is Renee Herring, 45, of Pine Grove, state police said.

January 3, 2010

POLICE: HALF-NAKED MAN CHARGED

Filed under: NEWS — Administrator @ 1:30 pm

A man has been charged after he was found half naked in a yard in Lebanon City on Dec. 27, prompting the homeowner to shoot a gun into the air to scare him off, city police said.
The suspect, Stephen Melnick, 47, of Lebanon, allegedly was in a back yard in a fetal position on Locust Street and walked around the side of the home to the front yard, where the homeowner, Michael Hummer, 30, saw Melnick mumbling incoherently and wearing only a T-shirt, police said.
Hummer had been awakened by loud thumping noises, had grabbed his handgun and had gone downstairs to investigate, police said.
Melnick allegedly walked toward Hummer, prompting Hummer to fire a shot into the air with his handgun to scare Melnick off, police said. Melnick allegedly ran east on Locust Street, but he was identified and located the next day, police said. Police had located clothing and a wallet in the back yard of Hummer’s home.
Melnick was charged with loitering and prowling at night, indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.
Police will not be charging Hummer.

Creeps steal copper wire
Goons stole about 150 pounds of scrap copper wire after entering a locked home on Fidler Court in Pine Grove Township on Dec. 18 or Dec. 19, state police at Schuylkill Haven said.
The victim is Richard Haynes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at 570-593-2000.

Salt truck breaks two telephone poles
The dump bed of a truck spreading salt caught power lines running across the road, causing two telephone poles to break, on Mount Zion Road in Bethel Township, Lebanon County, on Dec. 31, state police at Jonestown said.
The vehicle was driven by Donald McMullen, 45, of Bernville.

Three vehicles involved in accident
Vehicles driven by Wesley Wenger, 17, of Womelsdorf, Austin Kline, 17, of Schaefferstown, and Joann Griffith, 55, of Mohnton, were in an accident at Main Street and Route 419 in Schaefferstown on Jan. 2, state police at Jonestown said.
Griffith suffered a minor injury, and she was transported by ambulance to Good Samaritan Hospital.

Man steals laptop from home
A man allegedly stole a laptop from a home on West Main Street in Newmanstown on Jan. 2, state police at Jonestown said.
The suspect, Clayton Ressler, 24, of Newmanstown, was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft, and receiving stolen property. He was transported to Lebanon County Central Booking.
The computer was returned to the victim, Lacey Bernhard, 22, state police said.

Vehicle strikes embankment, overturns
A vehicle driven by Erin Garcia, 25, of Kingston, went out of control on a downhill curve, struck an embankment and overturned on I-81 in Pine Grove Township on Jan. 2, state police at Jonestown said.

Troopers: Fugitive caught after accident
A man was determined to be a fugitive after he was involved in an accident in Union Township, Lebanon County, on Dec. 22, state police at Jonestown said.
The suspect, Felix Pinero-Baez, 60, of Lebanon, was wanted by the Lebanon County and Atlantic City, N.J., sheriff’s offices, state police said. He was charged as a fugitive from justice and taken to Lebanon County Central Booking.

Goons swipe bass mailbox
Goons swiped a green and white largemouth bass mailbox on North Mill Street in Swatara Township on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1, state police at Jonestown said.
The victim is Jeffrey Boltz, 47.
Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at 717-865-2194.

January 2, 2010

AVOID STRESS EATING

Filed under: SARA HAUFF DORAN — Administrator @ 8:28 pm

By SARA HAUFF DORAN

SARA HAUFF DORAN

SARA HAUFF DORAN

Most of us know what it feels like: you’ve had a long day and for all of your hard work, you deserve a large piece of chocolate cake.
Or your newborn baby would not stop crying today no matter what you tried, so it’s time to dive into a bag of potato chips [or insert your food of choice here].
Perhaps it’s the pressure of getting everything done for the busy holiday season. You’ve been doing things for other people all day long and you want to treat yourself to something good to eat.
Yes most of us have succumbed to stress eating. Everyone has their different triggers, but often the result is the same — you eat something under the not so good for you category and you eat a lot of it.
But there are better ways of dealing with everyday stress. Instead of your usual go-to food when you are under stress, there are actually healthy foods that help you fight stress.
Foods can fight stress in several ways. Comfort foods, like a bowl of warm oatmeal, actually boost levels of serotonin, a calming brain chemical. Other foods can reduce levels of the stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline.
Finally, a nutritious diet can counteract the impact of stress, by shoring up the immune system and lowering blood pressure, according to www.webmd.com. And a large part of a nutritious diet includes complex carbohydrates (carbs), such as whole-grain breakfast cereals, breads and pastas. All carbs prompt the brain to make more of the feel-good chemical serotonin. Complex carbs can also help you feel balanced by stabilizing blood sugar levels, according to www.webmd.com.
There are also vitamins, ideally ingested in food, or taken as a supplement, that can boost your immune system. Studies suggest that Vitamin C, found in oranges and strawberries among other foods, is one of those heavy-hitting vitamins.
Another item to add to your diet is Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon and tuna, that can prevent surges in stress hormones and protect against heart disease, www.webmd.com states. There are other healthy foods to help beat stress including black tea, pistachios, almonds and avocados.
Instead of eating, a better way to let off steam is exercising. Go for a run on a treadmill, go for a walk outside — whatever you can do — it’ll be much more satisfying than overeating and feeling guilty afterwards.
Aerobic exercise is the most effective, because it increases oxygen circulation and produces endorphins — chemicals that make you feel happy. And isn’t that the best defense against stress — being content.

A COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SYSTEM THAT REALLY WORKS

Filed under: ERIC FISHER — Tags: — Administrator @ 8:12 pm

By ERIC FISHER

ERIC FISHER

ERIC FISHER

Here’s the best way to determine an NCAA football champion: a 16-team tournament held over four weeks.
If you want additional time to build toward the championship game, make the tournament five weeks. If you want to cut the field to eight teams, that’s fine, too.
Can’t be done? Logistics too difficult?
Wrong. It’s already been done – by the NCAA.
Two weeks ago, Villanova celebrated its first national championship after defeating Montana, 23-21, in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title game. Aside from the awkward-sounding name, the game was wonderful.
The game was wonderful because it was the culmination of a fantastic season. The championship was the also the culmination of a month-long tournament. That tournament included a 38-28 victory over Holy Cross, a 46-7 stomping of New Hampshire, avenging Villanova’s only loss this season, and a dramatic 14-13 triumph over William & Mary. The road to the title made the championship even sweeter for quarterback Chris Whitney, all-purpose receiver Matt Szczur and the rest of the Villanova Wildcats.
In contrast to Villanova’s month-long journey, Texas and Alabama will have spent a month of doing nothing prior to their national championship game on …
How many of you can complete the previous sentence? What day is the national championship game? Where is the game being played?
The fact that many of you can’t answer those questions demonstrates the problem with the current system in the Bowl Championship Series, or whatever they’re calling Division I football these days. The NCAA might be making a lot of money from the BCS, but this system is damaging overall interest.
Remember when New Year’s Day meant something in college football? There are five bowl games on New Year’s Day this week. There are five more on January 2. Not one of them means a darn thing in terms of the national title picture.
Time for another quiz: Aside from Penn State’s game, how many of the New Year’s Day bowl matchups can you name? How about the five games on Jan. 2?
The reason you can’t name them is, aside from the game involving your local team, the other games are virtually meaningless. Yes, the teams and conferences involved receive money. Yes, there’s pride on the line. Otherwise, nobody cares. The magic of college football on New Year’s Day is gone.
For the record, the New Year’s Day bowls are the Outback (Northwestern vs. Auburn); Capital One (Penn State vs. LSU); Gator (West Virginia vs. Florida State); Rose (Oregon vs. Ohio State); and Sugar (Florida vs. Cincinnati).
There are some intriguing matchups on New Year’s Day. They’re interesting, but meaningless.
The same intrigue isn’t there for the Jan. 2 slate of bowl games: Cotton (Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi); Liberty (East Carolina vs. Arkansas); International (South Florida vs. Northern Illinois); Papajohns.com (Connecticut vs. South Carolina); and Alamo (Michigan State vs. Texas Tech). I know you’re excited about seeing South Florida play Northern Illinois in Toronto!
The most interesting event over the New Year’s holiday weekend, arguably, isn’t even a college football game. It’s the NHL’s Winter Classic, pitting the Flyers against the Boston Bruins in an outdoor game at historic Fenway Park. (Not to mention NFL games with playoff implications.)
The bowl schedule, of course, doesn’t end this weekend. Boise State will face TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday.
How many people are interested in the Fiesta Bowl’s battle of unbeatens? Now, imagine this game was a national semifinal or quarterfinal game. Would you be more interested?
Better yet, imagine TCU or Boise State playing one of the big conference teams in a playoff. The interest level would far exceed the interest in Monday night’s Fiesta Bowl.
The major arguments against a playoff system are the logistics are too difficult and that the student/athletes would miss too much class time.
The second argument is simply laughable. The NCAA holds championship tournaments in every other sport and in every other level of football except its highest level of competition.
Those Villanova student-athletes were able to juggle football and academics. In fact, their tournament took place during the final month of the semester. The end of the BCS tournament would take place during winter vacation. Logistics also aren’t a huge problem in the other playoffs.
The BCS system is all about money. The NCAA and the big conferences that control the BCS make a lot of money from this system.
But the NCAA and big conference schools are short-sighted. They are taking short-term gain (money) over long-term gain (interest).
The national championship game is next Thursday in Pasadena, in case you didn’t know. What if Texas had reached the championship game by edging Ohio State and holding off upstart TCU? What if Alabama got there by surviving a scare from Oregon and thwarting Boise State’s upset bid?
In addition to building interest for the national championship game, a playoff system would crown a true national champion and enhance the champions’ feeling of accomplishment.
Just ask Chris Whitney, Matt Szczur and the rest of the Villanova Wildcats.

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress