I have just a few minutes before I dash off to the Central Dauphin School Board meeting. Inasmuch as I am no longer a Central Dauphin taxpayer (I live in the East Pennsboro School District), I will not be speaking about the dreaded middle school curriculum changes and CD’s projected $8 million budget deficit.
However, my daughter Noelle is a member of Linglestown Middle School Student Council (the historian) and as such is a part of the Student Council mob that will tie bandanas around their faces and hurl Molotov cocktails at the capitalist swine gathered in the Central Dauphin East auditorium, demanding real chocolate chips in their cafeteria cookies.
Oh, wait. It’s not like that? My daughters – Abbey is going as well – inform me that their classmate, Linglestown Student Council president Josh Salak, will make a prepared statement and they will be in attendance to support Josh. So, just when I was anticipating some serious anarchy, it looks like civility wins. Drat the luck.
Speaking of anarchy, thank God April is well behind us now and the spring sports championships will begin soon (tennis has already begun). I fully admit to being a playoff snob in the spring; covering a track and field dual meet was right up there with shrub trimming on my list of favorite things to do. (I carped about this is a previous rant here on April 26.)
This is in direct contrast to my approach to football in the fall and wrestling in the winter; I enjoyed the regular season in both sports as much as the post-season. But spring … ah, let’s just say I had a more relaxed attitude in the spring.
I’m especially excited about the advent of spring sports championships this year because I’m not hemmed in by my track and field coverage at the Patriot-News. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve always enjoyed covering the Mid-Penn Conference, District 3 and PIAA Track and Field Championships. In fact, I’ll be at the latter two for certain and possibly make an appearance at the Mid-Penns on Saturday.
But I’m also planning on attending the WPIAL Championships at Baldwin on May 20 (schedule permitting); I’ve never been to the District 7 meet before.
And I would absolutely love to watch Central Bucks South half-miler Tom Mallon run the 800 and Methacton jumper Carlton Lavong perform on May 22 at the District 1 Track and Field Championships at Coatesville. Mallon just ran the nation’s best time in the 800 last Friday with a 1:49.61 at the Henderson Invitational (with help from a pair of Henderson rabbits). Lavong just recently hit 51 feet even in the triple jump (best Pa. TJ ever?) after jumping 24-5 in the long jump earlier this year.
But I made a business decision to go to District 3 again (hint: it’s closer to my house). We will post frequent updates from Shippensburg University for both the District 3 and PIAA meets.
That’s where my coverage usually ended for the spring at the P-N, save for an odd baseball or girls soccer game. But this year, I’ll keep rolling on after track to boys volleyball, lacrosse, girls soccer and baseball. Volleyball, eh? That will be an education.
The point is that May is here, and thank goodness it is. I’ve always found April to be the most annoying month of the year, and now that rat has been chased away.
Bring on the rest of May.
