PHOTO CONTEST WINNER -- Owen Sommers enjoys his first slice of watermelon. More photos appear in the
B-section of this week's Record Express.

Kristi Sommers of Lititz is the winner of our monthly "It’s All About You" photo contest. The image of her son Owen enjoying a slice of watermelon captured the collective eye of the judges. Check out Owen’s photo and all of the great summer pictures submitted by our readers in this week’s B-section.

Our August theme is "vacation photos." Start sending those in now, identified for the August It’s All About You, to Stephen Seeber at sseeber.eph@lnpnews.com. They can also be dropped off at our Ephrata office or mailed to P.O. Box 527, Ephrata, PA 17522.

Deadline for the next round of photos is Aug. 21, for publication in the Aug. 30 edition.

When submitting photos, please include all necessary identifications and your contact information (in case we have any questions). Submitted information should include names of those in the photos, your local connection, where and when the photos were taken, and identity of the photographer. You may submit multiple photos, but the number of photos published will depend on available space.

By: BRUCE MORGAN Record Express Sports Editor, Staff Writer

When Warwick’s $2.5 million artificial turf facility at Joseph Grosh Field sustained a sink hole at the end of June, the Warriors’ fall sports coaches weren’t the only ones who became concerned.

Organizers of the annual Lititz Summer Showcase also had a few sleepless nights.

So when word was released at the July 17 Warwick School Board meeting that the turf field would be fixed early this week — just in time for this year’s big soccer tournament which is slated for July 27-29 — it was welcome news.

"We were real worried about Grosh Field because of the sink hole," tournament director Mike Logan said, "but the school district really did a nice job of getting that ready for fall sports, of course, but also for the tournament."

The seventh edition of the Lititz Summer Showcase will feature 188 teams from eight different states — Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia.

By: ROCHELLE A. SHENK Record Express Correspondent, Staff Writer

Baker Day at Bikini Atoll July 25, 1946. Lititz resident Steve Palkovic was there.

Steve Palkovic’s life today is vastly different from his situation 66 years ago.

The retired teacher, guidance counselor, football, wrestling and golf coach, and former Record Express sports editor, currently resides with his wife Arabel in a pleasant apartment at Luther Acres. In 1946, Palkovic played a role in Operation Crossroads, a military-scientific experiment to determine the impact of atomic bombs on naval vessels. The experiments were conducted after World War II ended in September 1945.

Palkovic, who grew up in Lebanon and was a football player, enlisted in the Navy at the age of 16.

"I enlisted right after football season. This was right at the tail end of the war," he said. "I had three brothers serving in the military, one of whom was in the Navy, and I thought I would enlist, too."

At that time Lebanon had two steel mills. Palkovic explained that in those days many young men didn’t even finish high school; they often completed ninth grade and then had to work to help support their families, often working in the steel mills.

By: STEPHEN SEEBER Record Express Staff, Staff Writer

Graphic by Dan Morris

A manure farm is about to fertilize the local economy, and possibly create 500 new jobs over the next 15 years.

The Rock Lititz plan to create a first-of-its kind stage construction facility for the entertainment industry on a 96-acre farm in Warwick Township is expected to position the three local companies involved — Clair Global, Tait Towers and Atomic Design — for decades of success, but the benefits will be felt throughout the Lititz community.

"It’s going to bring in jobs for everybody," said Troy Clair, president and CEO of Clair Global. "Not just us. There are 500 jobs that we’ll eventually add for our complex, but we will be using the entire community to help fabricate the goods needed for the tours, and also to house and feed the people who come into town to work with us on it."

The proposed Rock Lititz campus at 36 W. Neport Road will create an environment in which everything needed for a concert can be designed, constructed, assembled and tested prior to major rock tours like U2 or Lady Gaga hitting the road. It will not be a location for local concerts, and Clair said he doesn’t expect the actual performing artists to be at the facility.

Ruth Irene Stoner, 87, formerly of Lititz, went home to be with her Lord Saturday, July 21, 2012 at Landis Homes, Lititz.

Born in Lancaster, she was the daughter of the late David B. and Emma Witmer Bauman. She was the loving wife of Roy B. Stoner, and they would have celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary in October of this year.

A homemaker, Ruth was a member of Erb Mennonite Church, Lititz, where she taught Sunday school and was active with Junior Girls activities and sewing circle. She volunteered with the Mennonite and Brethren Marriage Encounter, Lancaster. Her interests included quilting, playing the accordion and she loved to spend time with her family.

Roy and his family would like to thank Landis Homes and Staff for their loving kindness and care of Ruth during her brief illness.

Surviving in addition to her husband are seven children: Janet M. Stoner and Kenneth L. Sr., husband of Ella Faye Hoover Stoner, both of Lititz; J. Marvin, husband of Janice Groff Stoner, of Manheim; and Larry L., husband of Karen Bushong Stoner, Linda J., wife of Leonard Dueck, Nelson R., husband of Jane Forney Stoner, and Darlene R. Stoner, all of Lititz; 19 grandchildren; 36 great- grandchildren; one brother: David Jr., husband of Miriam Landis Bauman, of Lebanon; two sisters: Mary, wife of Hiram Nissley, of Manheim; and Dorothy, wife of Herbert Heller, of Alabama.

Anneliese Spangler, 87, of Lititz, passed away at her residence Tuesday, July 17, 2012.

Born in Springfield, Ill., she was the daughter of the late Paul W. and Martha L. Rieser. She was married to the late Eugene H. Spangler.

Anneliese worked as a dental assistant for various dentists in the Reading and Lititz areas for 30 years. She also worked part-time at Brethren Village from 1997 to 2003. She was a member of the Ephrata Church of The Nazarene since 1949 and she was a member of the Joy Sunday School Class and the Missionary Society. Anneliese volunteered at Lititz Historical Foundation where she was a tour guide from 1990 to 2011.

Anneliese is survived by her children: David E. Spangler, of Lititz; Mary M., wife of John Krieger, of Andover, Mass.; Timothy J., husband of Linda Filoon Spangler, of King of Prussia; six grandchildren: Jill Ferrieu, Amy Labadie, Elizabeth Holt, Alexa Krieger, Stephanie Spangler and Timothy Spangler Jr; and five great-grandchildren.

Anneliese’s life celebration service was held at Ephrata Church of The Nazarene, Ephrata, on July 21. Interment took place in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Ephrata.

Jeffrey W. "Red" Siwiec, 43, died suddenly of natural causes Tuesday, July 10, 2012 of W. Collingswood Hts, N.J.

He was the beloved husband of Kelly Mahoney; the loving son of William Siwiec, of Lititz; and Dona, wife of James Hullihen; and the dear brother of Melissa Siwiec.

Red was an accomplished musician and lyricist. He wrote many songs for and performed in several bands: the Sugar Skulls, Cisco Jeeters, Hell Fire and Brimstone, Snake Handlin Preachers, Red Burns and the Tequila Worms. Red was a self-employed electrician. He was also a gifted cook, the self proclaimed "King of the Barbecue" and loved traveling to New Orleans or "hanging with friends at Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar". Red will be missed immensely by his loving family and all his dear friends.

Red is also survived by his loving grandmother: Helen Siwiec; his dear nephew: Max Mele; and his devoted dog: Devo.

A memorial service was held on July 15 at Bellmawr Fire House, Bellmawr, N.J.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Creran Funeral Home, Oaklyn, N.J. For more information, visit creranfh.com.

Photo by Cathy Chapis
Woodridge's Nick Beard won gold in the boys 15-18 50 breaststroke in 33.48 seconds at the Division One Championships.

The Woodridge swimmers earned a solid second-place finish at the Lancaster Summer League’s Division One Championships last Friday and Saturday, scoring 740.5 points to place behind only Overlook (811.5).

Those who won gold medals for Woodridge included Christopher Cicala in the boys 13-14 50 free (27.00) and 50 breaststroke (35.75), Ryan Hohman in the boys 11-12 50 back (36.57), Lauryn Ober in the girls 11-12 50 breaststroke (39.28), Emma Schouten in the girls 13-14 50 breaststroke (36.37), Nick Beard in the boys 15-18 50 breaststroke (33.48), the boys 11-12 200 free relay (Ryan Hohman, Oliver Lance, Stefan Glavce, Gabe Cicala) in 2:09.19, the boys 13-14 200 free relay (Tim Griest, Jack Lance, Ian Harpel, Christopher Cicala) in 1:50.23, Alayna Thompson in the girls 9-10 25 free (16.27), Theo Lance in the boys 8U 25 back (21.28) and 25 breaststroke (26.28), and the boys 8U 100 free relay (Brenden Stuhltrager, David Woolley, Brady Schwartz, Theo Lance) in 1:19.79.

By: BRUCE MORGAN Record Express Sports Editor bmorgan.eph@lnpnews.com, Staff Writer

Brian Eshleman had some options regarding his baseball future after high school.

But when the nationally-ranked Misericordia University Division-III baseball team made it clear that they were interested, it made sense for the 2012 Warwick grad to listen.

Finding out that the Cougars will be moving into newly-constructed Tambur Field in the spring of 2013, with a new fieldhouse just beyond left field, was a big plus.

In the end, the hard-hitting catcher recently committed to continuing his baseball and academics careers at Misericordia, located in Dallas, Pa. near Wilkes-Barre.

Bridgewater College and Misericordia’s Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) rival Alvernia College were also in the mix, but Cougars’ head coach Pete Egbert and his staff made a favorable impression.

"The coaches are awesome (at Misericordia)," said Eshleman, who is currently undeclared in his major. "At Alvernia, I wasn’t dealing with the head coach as much as I was at Misericordia, and I felt like they wanted me more at Misericordia. They made me feel like they wanted me a little bit more, so that played a factor. The campus and the people are real nice up there, and they’re getting a new field, that’s a plus."