EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP, DAU.- A CITIZEN'S CONCERN
MY NAMES IS CAROL MATHIAS AND I LIVE IN EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP, DAUPHIN COUNTY, 1ST PRECINCT. MY STREET ADDRESS IS 514 EARLY’S MILL ROAD, AND THE MAILING ADDRESS IS HUMMELSTOWN, PA 17036. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE LIVED AND VOTED HERE FOR 58 YEARS, RAISED TWO CHILDREN AND WE ARE WELL AQUAINTED WITH THE AREA. PURPOSE THE PURPOSE OF THIS LETTER IS TO RECOMMEND THAT EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP DAUPHIN COUNTY BE ATTACHED TO A HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRCT THAT INCLUDES SOUTH HANOVER TOWNSHIP, DERRY TOWNSHIP, HUMMELSTOWN BOROUGH, CONEWAGO TOWNSHIP AND LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP. CURRENT SITUATION FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS OUR TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN PART OF PA HOUSE DISTRICT #104. WE WERE GERRYMANDERED TO THE DAUPHIN COUNTY MUNICIPALITIES OF DAUPHIN, HALIFAX, MILLERSBURG AND PENNBROOK; THE DAUPHIN COUNTY TOWNSHIPS OF HALIFAX, JACKSON, JEFFERSON, MIDDLE PAXTON, REED, RUSH, SUSQUEHANNA, SWATARA PRECINTS 4 AND 7, UPPER PAXTON, AND WAYNE, PLUS LEBANON COUNTY TOWNSHIPS OF EAST HANOVER, AND NORTH ANNVILLE TOWNSHIP. HOWEVER, MOST OF OUR RESIDENTS DO NOT HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE UPPER NORTHERN TOWNSHIPS AND MUNICIPALITIES. A NUMBER OF MOUNTAINS AND FORT INDIANTOWN GAP IMPEDE OUR ACCESS. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOUTH HANOVER TOWNSHIP, DERRY TOWNSHIP, WEST HANOVER TOWNSHIP, AND EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP LEBANON COUNTY AS NEIGHBORS, WILLING TO COOPERATE AND SUPPORT US AS NEEDED. SOME HISTORY TO SHARE IN 1903, MILTONS S. HERSHEY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF THE HERSHEY CHOCOLATE CO. AND HIS PLANNED COMMUNITY. HE REALIZED THIS LOCATION PROVIDED HIM WITH TRANSPORTATION TO MARKETS, ABUNDANT WATER AND BUILDING MATERIALS, AND SURROUNDING FARMS TO SUPPLY THE LARGE AMOUNT OF MILK AND LABOR. HIS SPHERE OF INFLUENCE EXTENDED BEYOND DERRY TOWNSHIPAND INCLUDED: EAST HANOVER, SOUTH HANOVER, THE LONDONDERRY, AND CONEWAGO TOWNSHIPS, ALONG WITH THE NEARBY TOWNS OF HUMMELSTOWN, PALMYRA, AND CAMPBELLTOWN. MR. HERSHEY BROUGHT US TOGETHER, CENTERED IN HERSHEY. HE EVEN ARRANGED TO PROVIDE HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION TO STUDENTS IN OUR OUTLYING TOWNSHIPS. TROLLEYS RAN FROM NEARBY TOWNS TO BRING HIS EMPLOYEES TO AND FROM WORK. HIS HOSPITAL PROVIDED MEDICAL SERVICES TO OUR AREA RESIDENTS. AND... THE MILK KEPT FLOWING INTO HERSHEY FOR MANY YEARS. MR. HERSHEY DIED IN 1945, AND MUCH HAS CHANGED OVER TIME. SCHOOLING IS IMPORTANT EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP IS NOW PART OF THE LOWER DAUPHIN SCHOOL DISTRICT. IN ADDITION TO OUR TOWNSHIP, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT INCLUDES SOUTH HANOVER TOWNSHIP, HUMMELSTOWN BOROUGH, LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP AND CONEWAGO TOWNSHIP. THIS IS A STRONG ALLIANCE, LASTING FOR THE PAST SIXTY YEARS. AT THE CURRENT TIME, LOWER DAUPHIN SCHOOL DISTRICT IS POLITICALLY DIVIDED INTO FOUR PA HOUSE DISTRICTS: PA HS DISTRICT 98 - DAVID HICKERNELL, PA HS DISTRICT 104 – SUE HELM, PA HS DISTRICT 105– ANDREW LEWIS, AND PA HS DISTRICT 106 -TOM MEHAFFIE. ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT SEEKING SUPPORT AND COOPERATION REGARDING BUDGET AND LEGISLATIVE CONCERNS, INTERACTING WITH 4 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN EFFICIENT USE OF TIME FOR ANY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT PUT INTO THAT SITUATION. TRANSPORTATION AND GROWTH EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP, DAUPHIN COUNTY IS GREATLY AFFECTED BY THE DEMAND ON TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INCLUDING INTERSTATE 81 AND PA ROUTE 22. TRACTOR TRAILERS ARE HEADING TOWARD THE WAREHOUSES LOCATED IN DERRY TOWNSHIP. VISITORS TO HERSHEY PARK AND GIANT CENTER EVENTS FLOOD OUR TOWNSHIP AND TIE UP LOCAL TRAFFIC. THE MILTON S HERSHEY SCHOOL HAS ACQUIRED ADDITIONAL PROPERTY IN OUR TOWNSHIP. THE PENN STATE HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER CONTINUES TO EXPAND, SERVING OUR RESIDENTS WITH MEDICAL CARE AS WELL AS PATIENTS ACROSS THE STATE. WE ARE PART OF THEM WE ALREADY SHARE A COMMON LOCAL NEWSPAPER (THE SUN) THAT COVERS HUMMELSTOWN, HERSHEY, AND PALMYRA. IN THE WEEKLY PAPER WE READ THE RESULTS OF OUR STUDENTS CHALLENGING AND COMPETING WHILE OFT-TIMES CELEBRATING AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER. OUR FIRE COMPANIES AND POLICE SERVICES KEEP US WELL INFORMED AND UP TO DATE TO ANY CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THROUGH ‘THE SUN’. THE LOCAL BUSINESSES ADVERTIZE THE NEXT BIG SALE AND LOCAL GROUPS RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS. THERE ARE COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY EVENTS IN ‘THE SUN’. OUR COMMUNITY OF INTERESTS EXTENDS TO THE SOUTH OF EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP. WE DRIVE SOUTH TO WORK, FOR MEDICAL CARE, TO VISIT THE THEATRE AND ATTEND SPORTING EVENTS. THE LIBRARIES ARE LOCATED IN HERSHEY AND HUMMELSTOWN, THE GROCERY STORES ARE TO THE SOUTH OF US. WE ARE A PARTOF WHATEVER OCCURS IN DERRY TOWNSHIP AND THE LOWER DAUPHIN SCHOOL DISTRICT. HOWEVER, THE ONE IMPORTANT ITEM EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP DAUPHIN COUNTY LACKS, IS A SEAT AT THE TABLE, AND WE NEED THAT SEAT. BRING US TOGETHER COMBINING THE AREAS COVERING LOWER DAUPHIN SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH DERRY TOWNSHIP INTO ONE PA HS REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT WOULD CREATE A FAIR, COMPACT, CONTIGUOUS DISTRICT WITH SHARED INTERESTS TO EACH OF US. THATWOULD CREATE A WIN-WIN FOR ALL OF US AS EQUAL PARTNERS WHEN PLANS AND DECISIONS REGUARDING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AFFECT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME RESPECTFULLY YOURS, CAROL MATHIAS