The great Pennsylvania wine toast

In recent years, the Pennsylvania wine industry has begun to enjoy a huge growth in popularity. Riding on the cusp of our state’s emerging popularity for our wines, the Pennsylvania wine industry is going for another goal. On August 14th, 2010, the state’s wineries will attempt to break the Guinness World Records for the world’s largest wine tasting in an event called, “The Great Pennsylvania Wine Toast.” Set on May 21st, 2008, the current record for the world’s largest wine tasting at multiple venues is held by the United Kingdom.

The Pennsylvania Winery Association has enlisted the help of a famous Pennsylvanian who knows a thing or two about both speed and wine. Racing legend, Mario Andretti a native and resident of Nazareth, PA, as well as, the owner of a winery, will serve as toastmaster for this event. Simultaneously via video, the toast will be delivered to all participating wineries. The PWA is currently holding a contest now through June 20th to seek the ultimate toast. On June 21st, the Pennsylvania Winery Association will choose the five best toasts and a public poll will be used to determine the “Ultimate Pennsylvania Wine Toast.” Each finalist will receive a passport to a wine trail of his or her choice or a free ticket to a winery event if that wine trail doesn’t have a passport program in place. Each finalist will also receive a PWA t-shirt, corkscrew and wine bag. The Grand Prize will be a 2-night stay in a wine region of choice, dinner with a winemaker and private tour of a winery.

Proceeds from the event will support The Fund to Benefit Children & Youth whose mission is to provide abused, neglected and at-risk children with the items and services they cannot receive from traditional sources.

Adams County garden tours

For three Sundays in June, tours of the various gardens in Adams County will take place. The purpose of these tours is to share gardening ideas and answer questions, as each tour will have a Master Gardener present. The gardens to be visited will range in size from a lovely retirement community garden to a 1-½ acre woodland garden.

On Sunday, June 13th the Carroll Valley gardens tour boasts seven private gardens. Highlights of the following Sunday, June 20th at the Agricultural Center will include, a rain garden, native plant garden, and raised bed gardens, which are tended by Master Gardeners. The last Sunday garden tour on June 27th focuses on the Hanover Area, with a tour of the Warehime-Myers Mansion and Arboretum. Each tour is from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Tickets are $5 per Sunday or $10 for all three Sundays. Proceeds from the tours will go to Master Gardener programs, including the Master Gardener Scholarship that is awarded yearly to an Adams County high school student.

For more information, please contact the Ag Center at (717) 334-6271 or Denise Dornbush at (717) 646-9978.

Update! Hoffman homes for youth ~ lucky 13!

Over the past 13 years, Hoffman Homes for Youth has held a golf outing to raise funds for its organization. This particular fundraiser is HHY’s largest. Hoffman Homes for Youth is a non-profit organization and reliant upon donations to continue running this exceptional organization. So what can one do if they do not golf but want to participate in this event? You have to option to become a sponsor. Sponsorship offers you the opportunity to give, advertise your corporation, and is a tax-deductible donation.

In previous years, the funds raised from the golf outing have enable Hoffman Homes for Youth to purchase playground equipment, new flooring for its gymnasium, renovate and furnish the recreation center, continue their therapeutic horsemanship program, construct two facilities for their horticulture and pet therapy programs, and this year’s funds will go to much needed new flooring for the children’s residences.

For more information regarding how to become a sponsor, please contact Mitch Snider at (717) 359-7148 extension 1400.

Corbett withdraws Twitter subpoena

On Friday, after being convicted in what has come to be known as Bonusgate, former legislative aide Brett Cott was led away in handcuffs. Cott was sentenced to 21 to 60 months in prison for conspiring to use state funds for political campaigning. Prosecutors said that they had withdrawn a subpoena sent to Twitter, Inc. on May 6th that sought the identities of two Twitter users, one of whom they suspected was Cott. Attorney General Tom Corbett’s office said that Cott’s sentencing made the subpoena unnecessary.

Controversy looms large over whether Corbett went too far by using the grand jury to acquire the subpoena in the first place. Attorney and legal director of the local ACLU, Vic Walczak, who is representing the two anonymous Twitter users, stated “While we are pleased that the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office has withdrawn the subpoena seeking the identity of our clients, the ACLU maintains grave concerns regarding the PA Attorney General’s handling of this entire affair.” Prosecutors said the subpoena was based on “legal reasons” for which they could not elaborate due to the secretive nature of grand jury proceedings.

The subpoena has brought an onslaught of criticism from First Amendment and Internet privacy advocates, who argue that the subpoena boils down to a blatant attempt to silence and intimidate anyone who disagrees with Corbett. Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, called the subpoena "unbelievable", further stating "using such a tool to find information for a sentencing argument was well outside the sphere of sentencing guidelines." The controversy regarding the subpoena is rather untimely, as Attorney General Tom Corbett has just begun his campaign to run for Pennsylvania governor.

Community night fundraiser

Need a Sunday night activity? Come out and enjoy the delicious delicacies of Isaac’s Restaurant, while supporting your community. On Sunday, May 23rd, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Isaac’s Restaurant and Deli will be holding a “Community Night” to benefit Hoffman Homes for Youth. Twenty-five percent of the cost of each meal will go directly to Hoffman Homes for Youth.

Hoffman Homes for Youth is a residential facility that provides care and therapy for children ages 6-18. This benefit will be held only at the following location, Isaac's Restaurant and Deli, Grandview Shopping Center, 1412 Baltimore Street, Hanover, Pennsylvania, 17331. For more information, please cal (717) 646-0289.

Corbett subpoenas identities of Twitter users

On May 6th, the grand jury subpoenaed the identities of two users from Twitter, Inc. Over the past several years, Corbett's office has been using the grand jury process to look into allegations of the illegal use of government resources to run political campaigns. The subpoena was prompted over criticism made of the Pennsylvania attorney general on Twitter. The subpoena seeks the subscriber information for two Twitter accounts, bfbarbie and CasablancaPA.

Twitter user CasablancaPA links to an anonymous blog, "CasablancaPA: Exposing the hypocrisy of Tom Corbett," which also has criticized Corbett and how his office has handled the investigation of the legislature known as Bonusgate. Signor Ferrari, an alias used by one of three people who post to the CasablancaPA blog, said the group received notice of the subpoena from Twitter on Tuesday night.

ACLU lawyer Vic Walczak is helping the two anonymous Twitter users fight an effort by prosecutors to unmask their identities. Walczak said the subpoena by a statewide investigative grand jury is an unconstitutional retaliation that violates First Amendment free-speech protections. Walczak will ask a judge to throw out a subpoena seeking the identities of the two Twitter users. This situation is quickly evolving into Twittergate.

Peace promoters gear up for Aryan rally

Last week, the Aryan Nation announced their application for a permit to demonstrate at the site of the Old Cyclorama Center on June 19th, during the Gettysburg Festival. According to Katie Lawhon, management assistant for Gettysburg National Military Park, “Denying the permit would be a violation of the first amendment. The park is not organizing the rally, nor do they support the views of the Aryan Nation.” 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and Gettysburg has begun plans for a 5-year commemoration. This year’s festival is certainly a well-calculated time for a demonstration of this sort.

On May 16th, community members met at the YWCA Gettysburg and Adams County to discuss various community alternatives to the rally if the National Park Service approves the permit. In attendance were area residents and several representatives from the NAACP, Pennsylvania Human Relations Committee, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, and Battlefield Harley-Davidson. Issues of concern are security precautions and crowd control, as well as, avenues to divert attention from the rally.

Community members will meet again at the YWCA on Tuesday, May 25th at 5:30 pm. Further discussion of avenues to peacefully handle the rally are planned and anyone interested in promoting peace is encouraged to attend. Those who cannot attend, but wish to be kept informed of the planning process, may contact Andyshak Hayes at (717) 334-9171 ext. 113 or aahayes@ywcagettysburg.org

"We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work, which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced." ~ A. Lincoln, November 19, 1863