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Your guide to the last hurrahs of summer

Plus, a miniature horse joins the force.

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August 5, 2022
 
Inside this edition: Kindergarten guap, lonely lake, supply side, horse force, Shakespeare state, Stroudsburg bound, and how to end a summer.
 

Which Pennsylvania school district calls its sports teams and students the "Millionaires"? 
 

(Keep scrolling for the answer, but don't miss all the good stuff in between. Like what you read? Forward this email to a friend.)

» One thing worth knowing: Why don't Great Lakes cruise ships stop in Erie? Local officials are looking into it, per Erie Times-News. One hurdle: The city's $6 million cruise ship terminal isn't up to snuff.

» One thing worth sharing: Days after Hershey's CEO warned there may not be enough candy to go around this holiday season, the company says everything's actually fine and we can all relax.

» One more thing worth sharing: Meet Officer McGillicuddy, a 2.5 foot tall, 330-pound miniature horse now sworn in as the Quarryville Police Department's new community relations specialist, per TribLIVE.

» One thing worth seeing: Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is staging August Wilson's Fences at DeSales University through Aug. 7. Horror icon Tony Todd (of Candyman fame) has a starring role.

» One thing worth reading: The New York Times went to Stroudsburg to profile the I-80 gateway that has been "welcoming city dwellers since long before the pandemic" — some of whom decide to stick around.

» COVID-19 UPDATE: Keep up with our coronavirus tracker, or find where to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

» Pennsylvania’s mail voting law can stay in place, state Supreme Court rules

» Critics call water quality bill moving through Pa. legislature a back door to privatization

» Penn State did not prove its legal standing to have public court filing sealed, experts say

» New Pa. budget injects $125M into private school tax credit program that lacks basic accountability

» You’re invited! A free virtual Q&A with Spotlight PA’s new State College bureau
(Jessica Griffin / Philadelphia Inquirer)
LAST HURRAH

Somehow it's already August. Here are a few ideas for spending the final weeks of summer in Pennsylvania. Last hurrah in three, two, one...

Sports

Forget the Philadelphia "hot-streak" Phillies or the Pittsburgh "sell the team" Pirates: August was made for amateur sports.

Music

The summer concert season is rapidly closing, but before it does...

Nature 

PennLive asked Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources staff for their favorite spots in the 2.2 million-acre state forest system, compiling their answers in a subscribers-only article here.

The list includes: Food & DrinkFairs 
  • Per reader Scott G.'s recommendation: The Centre County Grange Fair is billed as the last "tenting fair" in the U.S., meaning you can also camp out there. It runs in Centre Hall Aug. 19-27.
  • There are a boatload of county fairs happening this month all around the state. And when this summer thing is finally over, we all have Pennsylvania's secret state fair to look forward to in January.

Colin Deppen, PA Local editor

"Growing up, he would watch clips of Ronaldinho wearing the same footwear as his love for the sport grew in Pennsylvania, a U.S. state not known for producing footballers."

An excerpt from The Athletic's new article (paywalled) on professional soccer player Auston Trusty, a native of Media in Delaware County; for what it's worth, Chelsea star Christian Pulisic is also from Pennsylvania

A garden visitor in York, via anonymous. Send us your pics by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania

Williamsport Area School District is home of the "Millionaires." 

The district's logo consists of a top hat, white gloves, and a cane, presumably for twirling. 

It's a reference to Williamsport's industrial heyday, when the city claimed the most millionaires per capita of anywhere in the country. It was also the name of a minor league baseball team that played there in the 1900s.

But the best school branding, for our money, belongs to the North East School District in Erie County. It's home to the Grape Pickers (a nod to the region's Grape Coast) and this armored grape mascot.

Thanks for reading PA Local! We'll see you back here next week. But first ... send us your feedback. What did you like? What didn't you like? What do you want to see more of? 
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