Downtown Lancaster’s Ware Center Alive With Activity

That beehive of activity known as The Ware Center is open for business once again.

After taking a winter break, the Millersville University facility at 42 N. Prince St. will host more than 65 events between late this month and the end of May.

A number of series will be ongoing throughout the school year.  Among the themes are poetry, jazz, opera, theater, dance, art, film, lectures and a Family Fun Fest for children and parents.  “This year is pretty crowded,” notes Harvey Owen, center director.  “There is something here or at the Winter Center (Millersville University’s other major performing arts center, which is on campus) almost every night.”

Local performers and a wide array of national and international acts are on the schedule.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/806238_Downtown-Ware-Center-alive-with-activity.html#ixzz2Ikf76ANM

East Hempfield Sports Complex Will Become Home Of U.S. Women’s Field Hockey

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lancaster County is officially the home of U.S. Women’s Field Hockey.

USA Field Hockey and Spooky Nook Sports announced Tuesday that they’ve formed a partnership that will make Nook Sports, the sprawling indoor sports complex located on Spooky Nook Road in East Hempfield Township, the home of the U.S. Women’s National Team through 2022.

The complex will also host USA Field Hockey sanctioned events starting in 2014.

Nook Sports is scheduled to open its doors on March 1.  A $25 million renovation project transformed the former Armstrong World Industries distribution center into the world’s largest indoor sports complex.

Read more:  http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/806260_East-Hempfield-sports-complex-will-become-home-of-U-S–Women-s-Field-Hockey.html

Amish Farmer Charged With Killing Young Eagle

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An Upper Leacock farmer fed up with birds of prey killing his free-range chickens has been charged with shooting an immature bald eagle.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission charged Paul A. Zook, 28, of the 100 block of Geist Road with two misdemeanors of the state Game and Wildlife Code.

One count is for killing an endangered or threatened species and one count is for unlawful taking and possession of protected birds.

Zook, an Amish farmer, could face up to two years in jail and fines up to $5,000 if found guilty and depending on the feelings of the judge.  In addition, a judge could require Zook to pay up to $5,000 to “replace” the eagle.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/806328_Amish-farmer-charged-with-killing-young-Eagle.html#ixzz2Ika5B9Sh

Lititz Leads In ‘Coolness’ In Online Contest Run By Budget Travel

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  We totally agree!!!

Brian Volpone walks a half-mile to work each day through the streets of Lititz.

He loves inhaling the warm chocolate smell emanating from Wilbur Chocolate.  He also enjoys looking at the town’s historic buildings and soaking in its family-friendly vibe.

Volpone, 46, thinks Lititz is “America’s Coolest Small Town.”  And so do a bunch of other folks, who are voting online in a national contest being hosted by Budget Travel on its website, budgettravel.com.

“It’s such a neat little place,” said the father of four, who works at Luthercare as a network administrator and is married to a Lititz native, Bev.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/806306_Lititz-leads-in–coolness–in-online-contest-run-by-Budget-Travel.html#ixzz2IkY0VcsM

Blockbuster To Close About 300 Stores In U.S.

Blockbuster said it will close about 300 of its U.S. stores in the coming weeks, thinning the once ubiquitous video rental chain’s bricks-and-mortar presence.

The closures will result in the loss of about 3,000 jobs and leave the company with about 500 stores in the nation, said John Hall, a spokesman for parent company Dish Network Corp. in Englewood, Colo.

Last week, Blockbuster’s British unit entered into administration, a version of bankruptcy, and said it would close 160 stores there, according to the administrator, accounting and consulting firm Deloitte.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/business/la-fi-blockbuster-stores-20130122,0,3591989.story

Beyonce Lip-Synced National Anthem At Obama’s Inaugural

Beyoncé Knowles performing “Listen” during “The Beyoncé Experience” in Munich, Germany. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fans who marveled at Beyonce’s prowess when she ripped out her in-ear-monitor during Monday’s national anthem at President Obama’s inauguration might prepare to be a little disappointed.

Suspicions that the anthem performed by Beyonce and the U.S. Marine Corps Band used prerecorded backing tracks — as documented by L.A. Times reporters on hand for the inauguration, among others — were confirmed when Marine Corps band spokeswoman told the Times of London that Beyonce made a last-minute decision to use prerecorded music for her anthem performance.

“We did prerecord it and it was Beyoncé’s decision at the last minute to go with the prerecorded version,” the spokeswoman told British paper.  “We prerecorded all music as a matter of course and have done since time immemorial,” she said.  “This is our 54th inauguration .… There is no question of there not being any music — it’s not because the performer cannot do it.”

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/sns-la-beyonce-lipsync-national-anthem,0,4951413.story

Bottom Dollar To Close Shelbourne Square Shopping Center Site

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Bottom Dollar Food store is closing in Shelbourne Square Shopping Center by mid-February.

Christy Phillips-Brown, spokeswoman for Delhaize America, the American parent company of Bottom Dollar, said the store at 20 Shelbourne Road, Exeter Township, is one of three underperforming stores closing in the Philadelphia area.

Phillips-Brown said employees will have to apply for jobs at other stores; the company is not transferring employees to other stores.

The low-cost grocer has two other stores in Berks County, another one in Exeter, in the Reading Mall, and one on Lancaster Avenue.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=445115