By: JACQUELINE WATSON Record Express Correspondent, Staff Writer

Photo by Stan Hall
The Weavers of Warwick Township are one of many local Fresh Air families. Here they are welcoming their New York City friend, Kayla Bryan (second from left). The Weavers include (left to right) Kayla, Zachary, Matt and Krista.

Surveying the rows of corn and freshly-mowed fields that almost reach Mark and Rosalee Massie’s doorstep in Lititz, it is easy to see how this place could be a refreshing experience for children from New York City.

Rev. Willard Parsons of Pennsylvania implemented his plan for the Fresh Air Fund in 1877. Over the years, it has grown into the organization it is today with over 9,000 students annually participating in their numerous programs throughout 13 states and two countries. These programs include Fresh Air Fund camps, educational programs, and visits to volunteer families who open their homes to the children.

By: JANET SCOUTEN Record Express Correspondent, Staff Writer

Photo by Janet Scouten
Lititz Elementary third grader, Fiona Holland, age 7, reads to little brother Patrick, age 4.

It’s that time of year when the thrill of summer break can begin to wear a little thin for families of school-aged children. As kids with time on their hands complain, "I’m bored," their parents start gazing longingly at the calendar for the first day of school.

To help beat those mid-summer blahs, the Lititz Public Library reminds readers of all ages that it’s not too late to explore the "Dream Big — READ!" summer reading program. Open to children and teens of all ages, the program includes three reading levels: Read Aloud (birth through five years), Elementary (ages six through 12), and Teen (ages 13 through 18).

While numerous educational studies have shown that summer reading programs help prevent academic "summer slide," kids of all ages just view them as fun.

As seven-year-old Fiona Holland said, "I like the summer reading program because you get to pick lots of books and read all you want."

The Village Art Association's free annual outdoor art show will be held in Lititz Springs Park on July 28.

Lititz Springs Park will play host to over 150 amateur and professional artists at the Village Art Association’s 46th annual Lititz Outdoor Art Show.

The event will be held, rain or shine, on July 28 from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. in Lititz Springs Park.

There is no admission charge. Artisans will be displaying their work and competing for $1,700 in cash awards. Patrons will get to interact by voting for their favorite artist for the People’s Choice Award.

Art will be for show/sale in the following categories: Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor, Pastel, Drawing/Graphics, Woodcarving, Pottery (wheel thrown or hand built) and Metal Sculpture.

Registration for this year is closed, however applications for next year’s event are available online at lititzart.com.

For further information, call 371-4768.

By: MICHAEL C. UPTON Record Express Correspondent, Staff Writer

A group of more than 20 parents addressed the Warwick School Board Tuesday, calling for the reinstatement of lacrosse coach Chris Schmehl and assistant coach Gary Minnich. Led by Mark Sell, president of the Warwick Boys’ Lacrosse Parents Association, the group assembled to show support for the coaches whose contracts were not extended into the 2012-13 season.

"The purpose for our presentation … (is to) indicate our displeasure with the unjust and poorly documented decision by the athletic director (John Kosydar) of the Warwick School District," said Sell. "Those that know me know that I wouldn’t be bringing this issue to your attention if I didn’t feel strongly that it is something that needs to be addressed."

Sell stated that despite a "down season" in 2010-11, improvements in play and behavior appeared in 2011-12. Positive results for the lacrosse team included a winning record, a playoff berth, and a top five ranking in sportsmanship with league officials. Six players from Warwick were selected to the Lancaster-Lebanon League all-star team, with one player named as an All-American by the Central PA Coaches Board, said Sell.

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

Arthur Z. WolfArthur Z. Wolf

The site of the 2016 Olympic Trials is still to be determined.

One thing is known, however.

Emily Cameron will know what to expect.

The soon-to-be Warwick senior swimmer recently returned from this year’s Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., where she competed in the 400 I.M., 200 I.M., 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke from June 25 to July 2.

Although Cameron, 17, acknowledged that she didn’t have the meet that she had hoped for, it was an invaluable learning experience for the five-time PIAA State gold-medalist.

"Definitely how to control my emotions and keep my nerves intact (were the biggest things)," said Cameron, who was representing the Lancaster Aquatic Club. "Obviously, I’m still young and stuff, so I have to learn how to just enjoy myself and have fun with it, but still be focused. And I think that’s something that takes time to learn and deal with."

In the 400 long-course meter I.M., Cameron had to finish in the top eight in the preliminaries to advance to the semi-finals. In the 100 and 200 long-course meter events, she had to place top 16 in prelims to move on.

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

Lititz Record file photo
Brandon Perezous takes his cuts for the Warwick Phillies in the New Era Tournament.

Six games into the season, many might have figured that the Warwick Phillies were headed for a down year.

Starting out with a 1-5 record will do that.

Few would have expected the Phillies still to be playing in mid-July.

Yet, thanks to a second-half surge, they were indeed battling the Mountville Indians in the finals of the New Era Tournament’s Midget-Midget championship last Friday.

Unfortunately, for the Phils, they weren’t able to pull off the Cinderella finish, as Mountville jumped to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning and rode the arm of Logan Givler to a 7-3 victory at Mt. Joy’s Kunkle Field, repeating as the New Era M-M champs with a 32-9 record. The Phillies finished the season with an 18-16 record.

"I don’t think anybody going into this tournament would have picked Warwick to finish two," Phillies’ skipper Dana Clark said. "I told those guys, ‘Hey, there’s 12 other teams that wish they were you’ … We had a tremendous winning percentage the second half of the season."

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

Photo by Preston Whitcraft
Some of the many local fans who made the trip to PPL Park Saturday whoop it up for the camera.

Word started to circulate two or three week ago.

Former Warwick star soccer player Andrew Wenger, who is now a rookie forward playing for Montreal in MLS (Major League Soccer), had suffered an injury and might not be available to play when the Impact headed to Philadelphia in July.

Despite the hopes of numerous Lititz soccer fans who were looking forward to seeing Wenger and his Impact teammates play last Saturday night against the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park, that indeed turned out to be the case.

As much as Wenger must have been disappointed not to make the trip due to a left hamstring strain, the Impact were sharing those emotions after dropping a 2-1 loss to the Union in a game in which they had opportunities to win. For another Montreal player with local ties, Manheim Township grad Zarek Valentin, that loss made him 0-for-2 in games he has played in Philadelphia in his MLS career.

By: TODD RUTH Record Staff truth.eph@lnpnews.com, Staff Writer

Photo by Stan Hall
Lititz catcher Ian Hart (left) lays the tag on the CV runner during the District 10 Tournament this past weekend at Ephrata.

Sometimes through the course of a long baseball tournament, teams can simply tire from logging so many innings over such a short period of time.

When that happens, bats get slower, pitching gets thin and mistakes begin to happen. That appeared to be the case with the Lititz Post 56 legion team Monday night in the District 10 League Tournament at Ephrata’s War Memorial Field.

Down to the final three teams remaining in the tournament, Lititz needed a win against unbeaten Ephrata to keep its season alive. Unfortunately, the Post 56′ers simply ran out of gas.

Lititz collected just three hits offensively against Ephrata pitcher Scott Liebl. And defensively, the usually sound Lititz gloves committed six errors which led to six unearned runs.

In the end, Ephrata moved on to Tuesday’s championship opposite SWS with an 8-1 victory.

"We just didn’t hit," Lititz Coach Steve Chretien said. "Also, if we would have made the (defensive) plays it would have been a better game. Six errors…You simply can’t win games when that happens."

The Lititz Record Express has learned that Travis Steedle, a 2006 Warwick High School grad, has been recommended for approval as the Warriors’ new soccer coach.

Steedle, who has previously coached with Warwick’s L-L Section One rival Cedar Crest as an assistant, will replace Dale Stoltzfus at the helm of the program.

Stoltzfus stepped down from the position in April after compiling a 176-84-18 record in 13 years with the Warriors.

Steedle was a senior member of the Warwick team that won Lancaster County’s first-ever PIAA soccer championship under Stoltzfus during the 2005 season.

Look to an upcoming issue of the Lititz Record for more details.