Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville
JULY 5, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXIV • NO 19
Honor a veteran with a wreath
A new place to play BY CATHY MOLITORIS
fter 20 years of wear and tear, the playground at the B a r s h i n g e r Complex on Accomac Road in Hellam needed a makeover. Thanks to grants from the Powder Mill Foundation and York County, Eastern York Recreation Authority (EYRA) has been able to rebuild the playground, which opened in June. “The new playground is ADA accessible, with a transfer station to allow access for all abilities,” said Jessica Cirilo, parks and recreation director. “It’s designed for ages 12 and under, and it’s open the same time as the complex - 8 a.m. to dusk.” The original playground equipment was installed as an Eagle Scout project in 1999. Cirilo noted that the new space was made possible thanks to community donations in addition to the grants, which only covered about half of the cost of the project. “Taking care of existing facilities and improving what we have is a priority,” Cirilo stated. “Seeing the wear and tear of this popular site, updating this play space became a priority.” EYRA began in 2019, established by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The organization coordinates youth sports formerly offered by Hellam Recreation Commission and is a 501(c)(3) municipal authority with Hallam Borough, Hellam Township and Lower Windsor Township contributing to EYRA’s mission. EYRA provides baseball, softball and soccer programs, with youth basketball coming this fall. Most of the programs are open to youths ages 4 to 18. “The idea behind EYRA is to be a one-stop shop for youth sports,” Cirilo shared, noting that the organization relies heavily on volunteers and community donations. “We don’t own any of the properties we use,” she explained. “The property owners let us use them, and we maintain them.” The cost of maintenance is high, with the biggest expenses coming from lawn
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Eastern York Recreation Authority recently opened a new playground.
Baseball is one of several sports offered by the Eastern York Recreation Authority.
mowing and field upkeep. “The cost of dirt to groom a field is thousands of dollars,” Cirilo emphasized. Participation in EYRA programs is up in every sport, she stated, adding, “Our baseball participation has tripled since 2019.” Looking ahead, EYRA is considering adding lacrosse and expanding its adult programming. Although EYRA has only existed for four years, youth recreational sports in the region date back much further. Recently, Cirilo received a
donation from Joel and Aletha Groff of Hellam, who presented a collection of softball items dating back to the mid-1970s. “Aletha was the original president of Hellam Softball and started a league for 13- to 15year-old girls, with three teams in the league, in 1972,” Cirilo remarked. The couple donated more than a dozen trophies as well as newspaper articles about the league. Although the items are currently stored in Cirilo’s office, she has set a goal to have display cases for them
Sweet & tar t
as well as other honors earned from all youth sport achievements over the years. “The location for this is to be determined, but I would love a display case donation,” she stated. EYRA programs are offered to everyone, whether they live locally or not. Residents living in Hallam Borough, Hellam Township and Lower Windsor Township receive a discounted rate on the programs. For more information on EYRA, visit www.easternyorkrec.com or email eyrecauthority@gmail.com.
Last year, Phil Lehman Jr. organized the first Wreaths Across America program in Wrightsville, encouraging community members to purchase a Christmas wreath to place on a veteran’s grave in one of three local cemeteries. The program was well received last year, he noted, adding, “We had an excellent turnout, and many people asked, ‘Are you doing this in 2023?’” The answer is yes. Orders are being taken now for the wreaths, which will be placed on graves on Saturday, Dec. 16. “We’re looking to increase our numbers from 465 in 2022 to 600 or more in 2023,” Lehman stated. “We have more than 780 veterans at Fairview Cemetery, 42 at Mount Pisgah Cemetery and seven at Union Cemetery.” Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit organization. The idea for the tribute began as a seed that was planted when Morrill Worcester, a 12-year-old paperboy for the Bangor Maine Daily News, won a trip to Washington, D.C. Arlington National Cemetery made a lasting impression on Morrill, who later became the owner of Worcester Wreath Company. In 1992, with a surplus of wreaths near the end of the holiday season, he remembered visiting Arlington as a boy and arranged for wreaths to be placed in the cemetery. The idea became a nationwide effort in 2005, when a photo of wreathadorned stones at the cemetery spawned interest from people across the country wanting to participate in similar tributes locally. Today, the tradition continues annually at Arlington as well as more than 2,500 locations throughout the country. See Wreath pg 2
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