Warwick students and staff are mourning the loss of WHS senior Tiffany Cumberbatch, who died May 11.

High school principal Troy Price alerted parents throughout the school district with an e-mailed letter Monday morning:

A very sad thing has happened in our school community. This past Friday, one of our students, Tiffany Cumberbatch (12th grade), passed away. We are profoundly saddened by her death and our condolences are extended to her family and friends.

No further details were available.

Counseling services are available for students in all grade levels, and parents are encouraged to discuss the subject with their children.

For additional resources, contact the high school counseling office at 626-3700, the Lancaster Help Line at 299-4855, or Crisis Intervention at 394-2631.

Tiffany’s full obituary is published on page A8 in this week’s Record Express.

By: STEPHEN SEEBER Record Express Staff, Staff Writer

Photo by Fine Line Photography
Tony Blair of Lititz meets Tony Blair of England during last week's Chamber of Commerce dinner in Lancaster.

Two Tonys, the former British prime minister and current Lititz pastor, were the toast of the satellite room at the Chamber of Commerce & Industry dinner in Lancaster last week.

The Tony Blair who was the face of the United Kingdom as prime minister from 1997 to 2007 was the celebrated keynote speaker. The Tony Blair who is president of Evangelical Seminary and one of the senior pastors at Hosanna! in Lititz was a quiet observer at the annual event.

This is the "Tale of Two Tonys," an unlikely meeting:

For years, Pastor Tony has been known as "the other Tony Blair."

"I’ve introduced myself that way for 15 years now," he said.

Prior to that, he went by Anthony, but when "the other Tony Blair" became prime minister, people started making the connection.

"Eventually, I had to give in," he said. "I just decided to have fun with it."

Photo by Stan Hall
In front of the mural, from left, are Alicia Jagels, student; Seth Pala, student; Ed Gower, Susquehanna Bank corporate facilities manager; Dave Callis, with Susquehanna Bank; Kelly Geiges, student; and Bob Hochgertel, PCA&D illustration department chair.

Artists from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design have been painting a new mural on Susquehanna Bank’s Mill Building on 7 N. Lane.

The mural’s archway theme depicts local landmarks and prominent historical moments, including: Lititz’s role in the Revolutionary War, a Moravian star, our rich railroad heritage, Lititz Springs Park, edible icons the Wilbur Bud and Sturgis pretzel, our downtown shops, and the old paper mill (now the site of Susquehanna Bank). The space between the arches is decorated with images of local flora and fauna.

The people in the painting are not historical figures from Lititz history, but meant to be anonymously enjoying the scenes (kids at the park, couple in front of the paper mill, family shopping downtown, etc.).

Thirty gallons of paint embellish the roughly 1,500-square-foot surface area.

Illustration department chair Robert Hochgertel supervised majors Seth Pala, Alicia Jagels, Kelly Geiges and Allison Farris.

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

Warwick School District Board of Directors Tuesday adopted a preliminary 2012-13 district budget in the amount of $61,761,232. The preliminary budget calls for a .7 mil increase in property tax, or 3.91 percent, to set the total millage rate at 18.6. According to district calculations, the new rate will propose an increase of $119 on a residence appraised at $170,000.

The district held numerous meetings and an educational forum on the budget process throughout the year. The board made no comment on the budget Tuesday.

Instruction costs make up 55.04 percent of expenditures in the proposed budget, accounting for more than $33 million. Support services come in second at 26 percent of the budgeted expenses.

Revenue for the district comes primarily from local sources. $40,331,051, or 65.3 percent of total revenue, comes from real estate taxes, tuition, wage and real estate transfer taxes, rent, public utility tax, and other forms. Alternative funding accounts for $50,000 and the district projects $143,000 coming into the district in the form of athletic revenue.

Due to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, the Record Express will be operating under the following early deadlines for the May 31 issue:

Classified and

retail display ads

Friday, May 25, 4 p.m.

Classified line ads:

Tuesday, May 29, 11:45 a.m.

Editorial copy

Friday, May 25, at noon.

The Record Express office will be closing at 3 p.m. Friday, May 25 and re-opening Tuesday, May 29.

The Record Express will publish a special section dedicated to local veterans, past and present, in its May 24 issue.

Our news department collected submitted photos from the public through the May 15 deadline. Unfortunately, no additional photos can be taken at this time.

Look for your neighbors in next week’s issue, and remember that your community newspaper is "All About You."

By: NOELLE BARRETT Record Express Correspondent, Staff Writer

The fate of the Ephrata state police barracks remains unknown after a joint state House Judiciary Committee and Senate Law and Justice Committee hearing Monday. State police Commissioner Frank Noonan said a decision to close the law enforcement outpost would be made within a month.

As part of the proposed troop realignment of state police, Noonan suggested eliminating the Ephrata barracks, which patrols Elizabeth, Caernarvon, Brecknock, and the northern part of Salisburg townships. Those areas would be covered by Lancaster station.

"(Ephrata station) has lost over 50 percent of the geographic coverage area that they were responsible for, and that has resulted in a drop in more than 50 percent of the incidence," said Lt. Colonel George Bivens, deputy commissioner of operations for the state police. "The bottom line is we now have a station that is greatly overstaffed," he said.

According to calculations that have been done of the area covered by the Ephrata barracks, the workload can be covered by a minimum of eight to 10 troopers, said Bivens. Currently, there are 26 people working at the station, including 18 troopers, five supervisors and three civilian staff members.

Kids will enjoy the magic, balloon twisting and face painting. Their parents will delight in the talks, demonstrations and gourmet dog treats. All of this is a one-stop shop at the Lititz Farmers Market.

The Lititz Farmers Market opens Saturday, May 19 from 8 a.m.-noon for its fifth season. The market is located on North Water Street, 1/2 block off of East Main Street in Downtown Lititz.

Nineteen stands will offer a wide variety of high quality products. Some favorite stands returning this year include Two Ladies Baking and Kuntryside Orchard. New stands will also line the street.

"I believe the market will really appeal even more so this year, to those who love to cook" said Kelly Withum, Lititz Farmers Market coordinator.

This year, the market is accepting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP.

"It has come to our attention (that) there are many more people who are under-served in our community than we realized," said Withum. "We really want to help to insure these families have the opportunity to have fresh nutritious foods. SNAP and the Lititz Farmers Market are a natural fit.

Due to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, the Record Express will be operating under the following early deadlines for the May 31 issue:

Classified and

retail display ads

Friday, May 25, 4 p.m.

Classified line ads:

Tuesday, May 29, 11:45 a.m.

Editorial copy

Friday, May 25, at noon.

The Record Express office will be closing at 3 p.m. Friday, May 25 and re-opening Tuesday, May 29.

By: MELISSA HUNNEFIELD Record Express Staff, Staff Writer

Photo by Peggy Kammerer
Dixie Robinson (and Gwendolyn) pose with a display Dixie created in the lobby of Moravian Manor when the residents were celebrating Groundhog Day.

Dixie Robinson passed away peacefully at her home in Lititz on April 21. She was 77 years old.

Dixie was a proud, lifelong registered nurse who worked in Bucks County and most recently at Hospice of Lancaster. She loved to travel, watch football, but most of all she loved her extended family. She was also president of the Moravian Manor Residents Association and a member of the Moravian Manor Board of Trustees.

This, like most obituaries, only begins to scratch the surface.

“Dixie served on the Development Committee, the Resident Services Committee and the Infection Control Committee,” Peggy Kammerer, Moravian Manor’s director of community services told us. “She chaired the Community Life Committee that plans social events for our residents as well as serving on the Education Committee (Doors to Learning). She was extremely outgoing and loved to plan fun social events for our apartment and cottage residents.”