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Last week, in local journalism

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, Politics, Sports, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on November 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »

This week, y’all.

More specifically, last week. Last week ticked off almost all the boxes, many of the scenarios, for which journalism professors try to prepare their students.

“Last week” began like this: I was asleep for one hour after covering Friday night football when I was called to a 1 a.m. fatal crash involving a bus of high school football players. Eleven hours later, I reported on a local veteran’s homecoming. After my weekend, I returned to: cover a mayoral candidate debate, preview a local Christmas attraction, photograph a highway median for a follow-up of the earlier bus crash, interview an ex-con who’d served 9 years for attempted murder, report on the unveiling of a new public mural, cover a fender-bender involving another school bus, cover a multiple-casualty interstate accident, shoot high school football and livestream/photograph Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to a local plant.

The variety of stories I covered last week is precisely why local journalism matters. People outside our coverage area may not be affected by or care about the three crashes I covered or the new mural or the football games, but York Countians may wonder why they were stuck in traffic for hours or be interested in the city’s public art or want to know if their alma mater won — and local journalists are the ones who work to provide those answers.

Pence’s visit and interactions with local business owners may resonate with business owners in other areas. Every year, the local Christmas attraction brings people from outside the county’s borders, who may want to know what to expect this year. The ex-con’s story about his working to redeem himself in his own way may help shift perceptions for folks in and out of York County.

York County isn’t the center of the universe. No one place is. But for the people who live here, and for many others who don’t, what happens here matters.

Local journalism matters.

Photos from every single assignment and spot news event I covered last week:

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Kennard-Dale and Susquehannock football players warm up before playing a YAIAA football game Friday, Oct. 27, 2017, at Kennard-Dale. Susquehannock defeated Kennard-Dale 49-21.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Denis Moyer Jr., far left, watches as his son Denis Moyer III is greeted by American Legion Rider Wade Melvin of Red Lion and other riders Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, at the Interstate 83 welcome center in Shrewsbury Township. Denis Moyer Jr., a member of the Raised & Square Chapter of the Pennsylvania Widows Sons Masonic Riders Association, organized a bike ride to greet his son Denis Moyer III upon his arrival in Pennsylvania and to escort him back home in the Reading area. Denis Moyer III completed a tour in Iraq with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and will ship out to Fort Carson, Colorado, in a month.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. The remains of a charter bus sit in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 30 just west of the Wrightsville exit early Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. Hellam Fire Company chief Eric Strittmatter said a 1:02 a.m. call reported a westbound Ford Explorer crossed the median and collided with a charter bus transporting the Eastern York varsity football team back to the school after they played against Central High School in Martinsburg, Pa. Strittmatter said the driver of the Ford Explorer was killed, while two coaches and the bus driver were transported to York Hospital and Lancaster General Hospital. No students were transported for medical care.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Eastern York football players wait for their parents to retrieve them from the scene of a crash in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 30 just west of the Wrightsville exit early Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. Hellam Fire Company chief Eric Strittmatter said a 1:02 a.m. call reported a westbound Ford Explorer crossed the median and collided with a charter bus transporting the Eastern York varsity football team back to the school after they played against Central High School in Martinsburg, Pa. Strittmatter said the driver of the Ford Explorer was killed, while two coaches and the bus driver were transported to York Hospital and Lancaster General Hospital. No students were transported for medical care.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Emergency personnel work the scene of a crash in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 30 just west of the Wrightsville exit early Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. Hellam Fire Company chief Eric Strittmatter said a 1:02 a.m. call reported a westbound Ford Explorer crossed the median and collided with a charter bus transporting the Eastern York varsity football team back to the school after they played against Central High School in Martinsburg, Pa. Strittmatter said the driver of the Ford Explorer was killed, while two coaches and the bus driver were transported to York Hospital and Lancaster General Hospital. No students were transported for medical care.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Kim Bracey, Dave Moser and Michael Helfrich are introduced during a York mayoral candidate debate hosted by the Rotary Club of York Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, at the Country Club of York. The three candidates — Democratic incumbent Kim Bracey, Republican candidate Michael Helfrich and Libertarian candidate Dave Moser — are running for mayor of York in the Nov. 7 election.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. About 80 percent of decorations for Christmas Magic: A Festival of Lights are set up, as of Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, at Rocky Ridge County Park in Springettsbury Township. York County Parks’ Christmas Magic: A Festival of Lights will open for its 34th year Nov. 24.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, York County Parks group leader Rick Detter and volunteer Derek Straub install fixtures for Christmas Magic: A Festival of Lights Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, at Rocky Ridge County Park in Springettsbury Township. York County Parks’ Christmas Magic: A Festival of Lights will open for its 34th year Nov. 24.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Budhi Blair relaxes with his dogs Ryder, left, and Layla, right, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, outside Blair’s Windsor Township home. While serving 9 years in state prison, Blair joined a veterans’ program where he learned to train rescue dogs. Blair, who said he endured childhood abuse and has PTSD from his service in Iraq, said working with dogs in the prison program helped him sleep at night and gain a new outlook on life after prison.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Local artist Ophelia Chambliss, left, laughs during the unveiling of the “York Community of Color” mural on the side of the Voni B. Grimes Gym in York Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Chambliss designed the six panels of the mural, which just under 200 members of the York community painted over a period of three months. “It’s rough, but kids painted it,” Chambliss said. “People in the community painted it.”

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. A Red Lion Area School District bus was involved in a crash Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, at Short Street and Freysville Road in Windsor Township. No students were aboard the bus, according to Red Lion Supt. Scott Deisley. One person was transported from the scene with minor injuries.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Emergency responders work the scene of a single-vehicle crash on I-83 South, north of the North George Street exit in Manchester Township, Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. Patients were transported by ambulance and a medical helicopter, while southbound traffic was restricted to a single lane.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Pennsylvania State Police officers comb the field near the scene of a single-vehicle crash on I-83 South, north of the North George Street exit in Manchester Township, Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. Patients were transported by ambulance and a medical helicopter, while southbound traffic was restricted to a single lane.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. I-83’s southbound lanes, left, are congested as vehicles merge to a single lane ahead of the scene of a single-vehicle crash on I-83 South, north of the North George Street exit in Manchester Township, Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. Patients were transported by ambulance and a medical helicopter, while southbound traffic was restricted to a single lane.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Dallastown’s Nyzair Smith leaps over Red Lion’s Zachary Crossland on his way to a touchdown in the second half of a YAIAA football game Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, at Dallastown. Dallastown defeated Red Lion 40-27.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Dallastown’s Raymond Christas kisses the Football for Freedom trophy after the Wildcats won a YAIAA football game Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, at Dallastown. Dallastown defeated Red Lion 40-27.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence takes a tour with Military & Commercial Fasteners Corp. operations manager Jason Siewert Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, at the plant in Manchester Township, York County, Pennsylvania. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited the plant with U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta and U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-York County, to promote President Donald Trump’s tax reform plan.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Maple Donuts owner Charlie Burnside smiles at his wife as other business owners applaud during a round table discussion with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta and U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-York County, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, at Military & Commercial Fasteners Corp. in Manchester Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Pence visited the plant with Acosta and Perry, R-York County, to promote President Donald Trump’s tax reform plan.

© 2017 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence consult each other while U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-York County, greets a small crowd before a round table discussion featuring local business leaders Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, at Military & Commercial Fasteners Corp. in Manchester Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Pence visited the plant with Acosta and Perry, R-York County, to promote President Donald Trump’s tax reform plan.

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Best of 2016

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on June 20, 2017| 1 Comment »

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Barbara Milligan sits for a portrait in her York home Friday, Jan. 8, 2016. Milligan had applied for a temporary protection from abuse (PFA) order against her husband, whom she said abused her, and was ultimately denied a full PFA because her husband failed to appear at court hearings. Milligan now lives in a different York home than the one she shared with her husband, and said she keeps the blinds closed and the doors locked and rarely leaves because she fears for her safety.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Bren Taylor, 14 of Hallam, walks on East Market Street to visit his grandmother, who also lives in Hallam, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. A snow storm affecting much of the East Coast is expected to bring up to 3 feet of snow to York County, Pa., through Saturday evening.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Central York’s Dylan Chatterton is embraced by his father and assistant coach, William Chatterton, before the 145-pound medal ceremony during the PIAA Class AAA wrestling finals Saturday, March 12, 2016, at the Giant Center in Hershey.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Yolequi Tejada holds her son Yaniel Calderon, 3, as she and others pray with the Rev. Jonathan Sawicki before a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York. The street procession followed the first nine of the 14-step Stations of the Cross, from Jesus’s being condemned to death through his falling with the cross for the third time, with the remaining stations taking place inside the church. The procession was performed almost entirely in Spanish, and was followed by a Spanish-language Good Friday service.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. A York City police officer searches for shell casings at the scene of a shooting on the 100 block of Stevens Avenue in York Wednesday, March 30, 2016. One female victim, whose injuries were reportedly not life-threatening, was taken to York Hospital.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York Suburban’s Ian Firestone, center, tips the ball during practice Thursday, April 7, 2016. The York Suburban boys volleyball team is off to a 2-0 start in the season.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Members of Susquehanna Pipes and Drums perform outside Red Lion Fire Department’s social hall during York County’s third annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation shaving fundraiser Saturday, April 23, 2016. The event benefited pediatric cancer research, and featured two local boys who have undergone or are undergoing cancer treatments. Scot Becker, 15 of Jefferson, was diagnosed with medulla blastoma in July 2013 and has been in remission for two years, while Kai Sanborn of Springfield Township was diagnosed with leukemia in Sept. 2012 and will undergo treatment for another 1.5 years.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Kelley Haslam, 20, leads horses Cinder, Gypsy and Lightning back to pasture Sunday, May 15, 2015, in Windsor Township. Karen Greene keeps three therapy horses on the five-acre property she and her family have rented since Dec. 2014. After a neighbor complained, the township notified Greene of an ordinance that limits one animal per two acres of land if that animal weighs more than 125 pounds. Greene, who uses the horses for therapy for her adopted, foster and biological children and for clients at Crosswind Farm Horse Riding Program in Cross Roads, said she would have to get rid of the three horses, who cannot be separated.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Kennard-Dale sophomore Gavin Hill, left, chats with senior Travis McFatridge, center, as other seniors prepare to leave on their tractors Thursday, May 19, 2016, outside the school in Fawn Grove. Seniors got to drive farm tractors to and from school.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Aaron Dalton of Manchester Township carries his daughter Lily, 5, through the finish line at Heritage Hills’ second annual Color Me Free 5k Color Run Saturday, July 2, 2016, in York Township. About 100 participants ran or walked the race, which benefits Habitat for Humanity Veterans Build.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Callyn Lee, 6, center, laughs as brother Aidan, 11, tries to guess his “Hedbanz” card during the Lees’ “family fun night” Friday, July 29, 2016, in their York Township home. Heather and Robert Lee dedicate every Friday evening to family-friendly activities like a backyard bonfire or board games to get electronics-free face time with their three children.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, Hanover running back ReSean Williams, York Suburban lineman Gavin Barclay and Northeastern quarterback Shannon Valenti stand for a portrait at Northeastern High School Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. A duck hitches a ride on the back of a kayak paddled by David Leppo of York Township on Lake Williams near the boat launch in Springfield Township Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. York County Parks ranger Kevin Clouser said the duck, whose species or gender is unknown, has been following and getting rides from kayakers on the lake for at least several weeks.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Gov. Tom Wolf, left, departs Ferguson K-8 accompanied by York City School District superintendent Eric Holmes and other officials Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2016, in York. The governor visited Ferguson K-8 to highlight the funding he’s put toward education.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Penn State’s John Reid catches an interception in the second half of an NCAA Division I college football game Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, at Penn State. Penn State defeated Temple 34-27, and celebrated the 50th anniversary of former head coach Joe Paterno’s first game by honoring members of the 1966 football team and showing video tributes on the scoreboard.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Firefighters work a fire at a gun range in West York Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. Emergency personnel responded to a working fire at West York Sporting Goods, a shooting range, in West York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. A bald eagle carries a branch over the Codorus Creek and the York County Heritage Rail Trail in Manchester Township north of U.S. 30 on Friday, Oct. 7, 2016.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Ace Looks, 9 of Dover Township, watches Dover alumni football players prepare for an alumni football game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, at Dover. The teams of alumni football players featured graduate years ranging from 1977 to 2015. The game, organized by Alumni Football USA, was full-contact and benefited several local charities and organizations.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Sitting on the comforter that’s been her bed for the past month, Morgan Washington-Henry says grace over a take-out container of food a friend bought for her in her York apartment Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. She plans to get a bed and mattress in the next week. Washington-Henry, 19, and her four older siblings lived with their grandmother in Harford County, Maryland, until she died when Washington-Henry was 12. Washington-Henry spent the next five years living with a relative, in foster care and a group home until she aged out of the state’s system. After couch-surfing with friends and working at a York County summer camp, Washington-Henry was referred to Bell Family Shelter in York, where she stayed for 27 days before finally moving into an apartment of her own for the first time.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Penn State cheerleaders greet the crowd for the team’s arrival before an NCAA Division I college football game Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, at Beaver Stadium. Penn State is hosting Ohio State.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Penn State head coach James Franklin, accompanied by daughters Addy and Shola, greets stadium employees before an NCAA Division I college football game Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, at Beaver Stadium. Penn State hosts Iowa.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Standing, from left, Larry and Michelle Walthour of York, Ellen Hockman of Towson, Md., and Jess Hagden of Fairview Township watch election analysis Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, at the Democratic Party of York County’s election watch party at the Roosevelt Tavern in York, Pa.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Northeastern football players embrace each other after losing a PIAA District 3 Class 5A first-round football game Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, at Northeastern. Cocalico defeated Northeastern 25-24 to advance to the next round.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. The Penn State football team enters Beaver Stadium before an NCAA Division I college football game Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. Penn State is hosting Ohio State.

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#onassignment: A home of her own, York, Pennsylvania

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on April 19, 2017| Leave a Comment »

When reporter Brett began working on a story about Bell Family Shelter, he envisioned featuring several clients representing different ways the shelter helped them get back on their feet.

When we learned more about Morgan Washington-Henry — who spent her childhood living with relatives, in foster care and in group homes, who had never had her own place til now, who slept and ate on a thick comforter on the floor of her first apartment, who smiled brightly in spite of it all — the story became hers.

After we ran Morgan’s story at the end of October, donations poured in for her and for the shelter. Even as recently as last week, I received a voicemail from someone wanting to donate furniture to her. From the beginning, we’ve been referring readers to the Bell Family Shelter, in order to protect Morgan’s privacy, but it’s heartening to see the compassion and generosity generated by her story.

You can view the complete photo gallery here, read Brett’s story here and watch my video here.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Morgan Washington-Henry loads up a cart with items to bring to her new apartment from Bell Family Shelter in York Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016. Washington-Henry, 19, and her four older siblings lived with their grandmother in Harford County, Maryland, until she died when Washington-Henry was 12. Washington-Henry spent the next five years living with a relative, in foster care and a group home until she aged out of the state’s system. After couch-surfing with friends and working at a York County summer camp, Washington-Henry was referred to Bell Family Shelter in York, where she stayed for 27 days before finally moving into an apartment of her own for the first time.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Morgan Washington-Henry glances at her reflection on her new apartment's bathroom mirror as she unpacks Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Morgan Washington-Henry removes her shoes after returning home from work Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. A collection of dolls and stuffed animals given to Morgan Washington-Henry over the years is nestled inside a mantel in her York apartment Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Sitting on the comforter that's been her bed for the past month, Morgan Washington-Henry says grace over a take-out container of food a friend bought for her in her York apartment Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. She plans to get a bed and mattress in the next week.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Morgan Washington-Henry reflects on her day at work between bites of dinner in her York apartment Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016.

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#onassignment: Saturday afternoon football, York, Pennsylvania

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, Sports, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on April 6, 2017| Leave a Comment »

After two adult men were shot in the parking lot outside William Penn’s first home football game last season, the school district moved the Bearcats’ remaining home games from Friday nights to noon on Saturdays.

The first Saturday day game, I could only stay until the end of halftime. But I made sure to arrive early to show how the Bearcats prepared for this home game.

You can view the complete photo gallery here.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, Willam Penn football players Marcus Dorsey, Kahliek Savery, Brandon Vargas and Tobee Stokes prepare for a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York. Red Lion defeated William Penn 49-7 in what was the Bearcats’ first Saturday noon home game after two adults were shot outside the stadium during the fourth quarter of a game Sept. 9. York City School District Supt. Eric Holmes made an executive decision to move the rest of the season’s home games to Saturdays out of an abundance of caution.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn staff carry a metal detector gate to the entrance of Small Field before a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn's Tobee Stokes ties a tie on track and field coach Tony Jones before a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Lion football players warm up on the field before a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Lion head football coach Jesse Shay and William Penn head football coach Russ Stoner meet on the field before a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Lion cheerleaders — including, from left, Olivia Riggs, Evelyn Adams and Brooklyn Bogdany — join William Penn cheerleaders, including Darryanna Moore, second from right, in a cheer before a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Lion cheerleader Dawson Kling holds up a phone on a selfie stick to take a selfie with mascot Leo the Lion and the Red Lion and William Penn cheer squads holding hands while performing pyramids before a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn football players leave the locker room before a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn football players enter the field for a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn football players hold hands during the national anthem before a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Lion's Dylan Gurreri carries the ball in the first half of a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn's Nigel Williams carries the ball in the first half of a YAIAA football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Small Field in York.

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#onassignment: Overcoming addiction in recovery houses, York, Pennsylvania

Posted in Investigative Reporting, Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on March 21, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Like many projects, this one began with a simple assignment.

I was working the morning shift last January for another photographer when I headed out to a recovery house with city reporter Mark Walters. We sat down and talked with the man who owned and managed the house, which serves as a temporary home for recovering addicts, for at least an hour. We were introduced to a friendly resident who was instructed by the recovery house owner to talk to us, but “tell [us] the truth.” I never took my camera out of my bag.

When we left, I knew this was not just a one-off assignment and that this story — about how addiction recovery houses, sometimes called “sober homes,” are unregulated and flourishing in the city of York — was much bigger than we could know. I told Mark I wanted to own this project with him.

For a large chunk of the next three months, we pounded the pavement to investigate how and why York, a city of 5.25 square miles, became host to 81 recovery houses where addicts stay sober and gain control over their lives. We knocked on countless doors to talk to managers and residents, got turned away by some and were cautiously welcomed inside by others. Every day of reporting brought a new twist that would either slow us down or help us propel forward in learning more about the stakeholders in this thriving, essentially underground community.

Special thanks to Jeff for his support as the project took over my weekends last winter, to Mark for letting me co-pilot, to my editors and coworkers for allowing me so much time on this and to the nearly 20 recovering addicts who trusted us, shared their stories and permitted us to show their faces.

You can read Mark’s articles here and here, and view a complete photo gallery here.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Dave Dunkel, owner of Sees-the-Day, center, shares a cigarette break with, from left, Zachary Moser, 21, of Montgomery County, Pa.; Nathan Embry, 27, of Lancaster; and Roman Fissel, 22, of Manchester Township, all of whom live in a Sees-the-Day recovery house on Linden Avenue, on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016. Many recovering addicts are smokers, as cigarettes and nicotine replace the addictions from which they are recovering. York is home to a figuratively underground community of about 80 recovery homes that house drug and alcohol addicts. Many recovering addicts are sent to the houses by York County’s probation department as an alternative to jail or homelessness, while other addicts come to York on referral from other treatment facilities or of their own volition. The houses, which are not designed as treatment programs and which can each house 5-12 recovering addicts, are not subject to state or county regulations . While owners of many recovery houses in York refused comment, other owners said their homes are structured to provide a system of support and accountability by requiring residents to attend 12-step meetings and gain employment, with the ultimate goal of graduating sober after a residency of about six months.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Nicole Anderson, 27, of Fairfax, Va., left, gets ready to go to work as Jenna Weaver, 24, of Carlisle, helps prepare dinner in a Pennsylvania Avenue home operated by Choices Recovery House, on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016. The home is one of three female recovery houses operated by Choices, which also runs two male houses.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Kathy Sorandes, center, helps run a “house meeting” at a Pennsylvania Avenue house operated by Choices Recovery House, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016. Sorandes owns Choices, which operates eight recovery houses in York. Each of Choices’ houses, as well as others run by other companies, requires residents to attend a weekly house meeting during which chores are assigned, dinner duty is delegated, grievances are aired and encouragement and support are offered. Residents are also often required to show signed sheets indicating they have been attending daily 12-step meetings.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Anthony McClair, 50, brings groceries to the back porch for Will Howard, 54, to carry into the Linden Avenue recovery house where they live and which is operated by Sees-the-Day, on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Christina Whelan, 27, of New Jersey, makes chicken parmesan with help from Allison Foust, 36, of Havre de Grace, Md., at the Pennsylvania Avenue house where they live and which is operated by Choices Recovery House, on Monday, March 7, 2016. Similarly to many other York recovery houses, residents at Choices are largely responsible for their own meals except for several weekly communal dinners.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Kailyn Brown, 24, of York Township, cleans the downstairs bathroom of a Pennsylvania Avenue home operated by Choices Recovery House on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Fred Way, executive director of the Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences (PARR), ticks off a checklist while inspecting a resident’s bathroom in a West Market Street recovery house operated by Safe Haven Transitional Living on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Way founded PARR in Jan. 2011 as a nonprofit that inspects and certifies qualified recovery houses that seek certification to distinguish themselves from scores of other houses. Each certified house is inspected annually.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Fred Way, executive director of the Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences (PARR), uses his flashlight as he inspects a shared bedroom in a West Market Street recovery house operated by Safe Haven Transitional Living on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Two recovery house companies in York city are certified by PARR, which annually inspects each house as part of the certification process.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Two doses of naloxone, a drug that effectively reverses an opioid overdose, are encased next to the living room thermostat of a Linden Avenue recovery house operated by Sees-the-Day, as seen Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016.

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#onassignment: Good Friday street procession, York, Pennsylvania

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on February 17, 2017| Leave a Comment »

For almost a full year, I’ve shared mostly travel and personal film on this blog. So, you’d be forgiven if you forgot or didn’t know that I’m a full-time newspaper photographer.

In my next few blog posts, starting with this one, I’ll share some of my favorite stories and work from 2016. First up is my first-ever Good Friday street procession:

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Yolequi Tejada holds her son Yaniel Calderon, 3, as she and others pray with the Rev. Jonathan Sawicki before a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York. The street procession followed the first nine of the 14-step Stations of the Cross, from Jesus's being condemned to death through his falling with the cross for the third time, with the remaining stations taking place inside the church. The procession was performed almost entirely in Spanish, and was followed by a Spanish-language Good Friday service.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Jesús Solorio performs as Jesus Christ as he and others performing as Roman guards begin Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Carrying a cross of 2x4 planks, Jesús Solorio performs as Jesus Christ as he and others walk down East South Street during a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Carrying a cross of 2×4 planks, Jesús Solorio performs as Jesus Christ as he and others walk down East South Street during a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Myriam Valencia, performing as Veronica, holds up the cloth she used to wipe Jesus Christ’s face during a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Fabiola García, 2, walks down East College Avenue behind men performing as Jesus Christ and Roman guards during a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Carrying a cross of 2x4 planks, Jesús Solorio performs as Jesus Christ as he and others walk down South Queen Street during a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Carrying a cross of 2×4 planks, Jesús Solorio performs as Jesus Christ as he and others walk down South Queen Street during a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Lidia Monegro holds a tissue to her face as she and others perform as women of Jerusalem meeting Jesus Christ during a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Jesús Solorio, performing as Jesus Christ, falls for the third time at South George Street and College Avenue during a Good Friday street procession held by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

© 2016 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. People enter the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church after a Good Friday street procession Friday, March 25, 2016, in York.

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Sportraits: Two years of GameTimePA high school all-star teams

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, Sports, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on July 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Like many other local newspapers, my newspaper’s prep sports department, GameTimePa.com, has long recognized high-performing student-athletes as “all-stars” at the conclusion of each sports season. For my first three years on staff, the photographers had little to no involvement in the production of the high school all-stars presentation, which consisted mostly of round-ups and submitted headshots of each athlete being honored.

Then, in fall 2014, I saw that our sports editor had placed assignments for all-star team photo shoots in our photo schedule. It took me maybe six seconds to decide to claim ownership of the project — that is, every single photo shoot — because otherwise, three different photographers would end up being assigned and the presentation wouldn’t necessarily have a cohesive look.

After Jeff and I researched and compared lit portraits featuring three or more athletes, I decided on the aesthetic I was most interested in (and that could be feasibly accomplished with a large group of teenagers). With Jeff’s invaluable on-site assistance and support from various GameTime staffers, we managed to produce good-enough work in the 2014-2015 school year that, by the time May rolled around, I knew there was no way we couldn’t do it again for 2015-2016.

For the 2014-2015 school year, we staged all the photo shoots on the fields, courts and mats where the athletes competed. For the 2015-2016 school year — largely for logistical (weather) reasons and to emphasize that they are student-athletes — we staged all the photo shoots inside schools.

I’d like to thank the principals, administrative staffers and athletic directors of Central York High School, Dallastown Area High School, Hanover High School, Northeastern High School, Red Lion Area Senior High School, Spring Grove Area High School, Susquehannock High School, West York Area High School, William Penn Senior High School, York Catholic High School and York Suburban High School for welcoming us into their schools for the past two years of photo shoots. I’m also grateful to Jeff for his assistance at every single shoot, to my photo and GameTime editors for letting me own this project and to the hundreds of our all-star athletes who brought their game face to the photo shoots.

Below is a selection of my favorite team portraits from the past two years. You can view all the 2015-2016 team portraits here, and find a roundup of all the 2015-2016 all-star coverage here.

© 2015 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: Spring Grove’s Emily Jenkins, Red Lion’s Courtney Schaefer, West York’s Maelyn Elder, West York diver Erika Sarver, West York’s Taylor Hoover, York Suburban’s Megan Hunt, York Suburban’s Madie Devaney, York Suburban’s Carson Gross, York Suburban’s Anna Schmittle, York Suburban’s Jenna Hufnagle, Dallastown’s Anna Hess, Dallastown’s Jena Woods, Dallastown’s Erica Wise and New Oxford’s Regan Chalk. GameTimePA’s all-star swimmers. Picture taken Thursday, March 19, 2015, at Red Lion.

© 2015 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: Dallastown’s Patrick Jacobson, Gettysburg’s Dan Filler, York Suburban’s Donovan Mears, Delone Catholic’s Will Greene, York Suburban’s Bryce Ohl and York Suburban’s Jarrett Raudensky. GameTimePA’s all-star boys cross-country athletes. Picture taken Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, at York Catholic.

© 2016 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: York Tech’s Lauren Corbitt, Fairfield’s Morgan Jarrell, Red Lion’s Madisen Kling (seated), Eastern York’s Ashley Kerr, Eastern York’s Maddie McLain, Dallastown’s Lilly Cook, Gettysburg’s Hannah Baddick (seated), South Western’s Sammy Trone, South Western’s Lynne Mooradian, New Oxford’s Ayanna Johnson, New Oxford’s Madi Smith and Spring Grove’s Nathalie Elliott. Not pictured: York Tech’s Kirstyn Evans. GameTimePA’s all-star girls’ track and field athletes. Picture taken Tuesday, May 31, 2016, at Central York.

© 2015 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: York Catholic’s Michael Andrews, York Suburban’s Elliot Diehl, York Suburban’s Michael Peck, Central York’s Chris Maderitz, Dallastown’s John Schmitt, Dallastown’s Tyler Lillie, Red Lion’s Sam Innerst, South Western’s Gavin Kenny and South Western’s Ben Sentz. GameTimePA’s all-star boys tennis players. Picture taken Thursday, May 14, 2015, at Spring Grove.

© 2016 by GameTimePA.com. Seated, from left to right: Delone Catholic’s Cassie Rickrode and Central York’s Rachel Butler. Standing, from left to right: Littlestown’s Kaitlin Yealy, Littlestown’s McKenzie Somers, Susquehannock’s Mallory Lebo, Delone Catholic’s Shelbee Holcomb, Delone Catholic’s Katie Laughman, Dallastown’s Jaelynn Harbold, Central York’s Cheyenne Miller and Dover’s Natalie Cutright. Not pictured: Susquehannock’s Maddy Staub. GameTimePA’s all-star softball players. Picture taken Monday, May 23, 2016, at York Suburban.

© 2015 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: Eastern York’s Conrad Rhein, South Western’s Ben Hollinger, South Western’s Anthony DeVincent, Red Lion’s Sam Emig, Red Lion’s Tanner Reif, Red Lion’s Joe Dashler, West York’s Hunter Betz, West York’s Tanner Hale, Spring Grove’s Tanner Bolton, Susquhannock’s Collin Riley, Susquehannock’s Shane Silk, York Suburban’s Collin Mailman, Dallastown’s Brian Prats and Dallastown’s Frankie Marqet. GameTimePA’s all-star boys lacrosse players. Picture taken Friday, May 15, 2015, at Central York.

© 2015 by GameTimePA.com. Front row, left to right: Spring Grove’s Eli Brooks and Central York’s Sam Saxton. Center row, left to right: Hanover’s Dylan Krieger, William Penn’s Jahaire Wilson and Norhteastern’s Kobi Nwandu. Back row, left t oright: Dover’s Ryan Beck and William Penn’s Montrel Morgan. GameTimePA’s all-star basketball players. Picture taken Sunday, March 15, 2015, at William Penn.

© 2014 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: York Suburban’s Jordan Landis, York Suburban’s Maura Brehl, Eastern York’s Lauren Reichard, Susquehannock’s Abigail Bentz, Delone Catholic’s Maddie Comly, Delone Catholic’s Katie Laughman and Delone Catholic’s Sarah Senft. GameTimePA’s all-star girls volleyball players. Picture taken Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014, at Central York.

© 2015 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: York Suburban’s Matt Spinello, Dallastown’s Grant Wertz, York Suburban’s Aidan Fryar, Dallastown’s Jake Stoner, Dover’s Casey Marshall, Dallastown’s Noah Brockway, Central York’s Alec Peckmann, Dallastown’s Spencer Hill, Central York’s Will Hartzell, Dallastown’s Logan Brockway and Central York’s Erik Peckmann. Not pictured: Red Lion’s Dylan North and Central York’s Jesse Tate. GameTimePA’s all-star swimmers. Picture taken Thursday, March 19, 2015, at Red Lion.

© 2014 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: York Catholic’s Lauren Parrini, York Catholic’s Joe Parrini, York Catholic’s Nick Geiman, Central York’s Gus Minkin, Spring Grove’s Tori Ross and West York’s Alex Hartman. Not pictured: Eastern York’s Kevin Crumbling. GameTimePA’s all-star golf players. Picture taken Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, at Briarwood Golf Club.

© 2016 by GameTimePA.com. Front row, left to right: Dallastown’s Nick Parker, Dallastown’s Bryant Holtzapple, Dallastown’s Riley Hamberger and Gettysburg’s Michael Tempel. Back row, left to right: Susquehannock’s Connor Hood, Northeastern’s Kody Reeser, York Suburban’s Thomas Merkle, York Catholic’s Brenden Kennedy, Eastern York’s Brandon Knarr and Eastern York’s Colby Shimmel. GameTimePA’s all-star baseball players. Picture taken Wednesday, May 25, 2016, at West York.

© 2015 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: Kennard-Dale’s Maddie Ferner, Kennard-Dale’s Caitlin Salomon, Eastern York’s Madison Nalls, Eastern York’s Olivia McLain, Eastern York’s Maddie McLain and West York’s Bethany Weaver. GameTimePA’s all-star girls cross-country athletes. Picture taken Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, at York Catholic.

© 2016 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: Central York’s Jack Schultz, Red Lion’s Dillon Hildebrand, Northeastern’s Dakoda Hoffman, Northeastern’s Reese Devilbiss, Northeastern’s Matt Schaeffer, Northeastern’s Jeff Reynolds and Central York’s Hayden Wagner. GameTimePA’s all-star boys volleyball players. Picture taken Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Northeastern.

© 2016 by GameTimePA.com. From left: Susquehannock’s Ashley Stone, York Catholic’s Kate Bauhof, Northeastern’s Jordyn Koster, Red Lion’s Courtney Dimoff, New Oxford’s Kaelyn Long, William Penn’s Chyna Steel and Central York’s Emma Saxton. GameTimePA’s all-star players. Picture taken Monday, March 14, 2016, at York Suburban.

© 2015 by GameTimePA.com. From left to right: Central York’s Igor Gomes, Central York’s Jared Wagner, West York’s Darian McCauley, Dallastown’s Kyle Hennigan, Dallastown’s Kyle Schimmel, Susquehannock’s Luke Thomas, Susquehannock’s Brady Gallegos, Biglerville’s Connor Griest, Gettysburg’s Adam Yingling, Gettysburg’s Matt Yingling, Gettysburg’s Bobby Weikert, Bermudian Springs’ Samuel Johnson and Bermudian Springs’ Johnny King. GameTimePA’s all-star boys soccer players. Picture taken Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, at Spring Grove.

© 2015 by GameTimePA.com. Front row (seated or kneeling), from left to right: New Oxford’s Brock Hartman, West York’s Logan Loucks, York Catholic’s Dan Yokemick, Bermudian Springs’ Logan Luckenbaugh and Central York’s Rodney Johnson. Middle row (standing), from left to right: Biglerville’s Victor Lopez, Delone Catholic’s Tavian Dorsey, West York’s Terry Cains, York Catholic’s Jakkar Kinard, York Suburban’s Collin Mailman, York Suburban’s Thomas Merkle, York Suburban’s Dustin Knaub, Spring Grove’s Andrew Lawson, Red Lion’s Kendrick Boyd-Gillespie, Red Lion’s Nick Argento, Northeastern’s Shamari Young, Northeastern’s Fred Mulbah and Northeastern’s Fernando Flores. Back row (on ladders): South Western’s Corbin Byers and Spring Grove’s Andrew Luckenbaugh. Not pictured: Dallastown’s Jordan Burns, Jacob Garrity, Jake Jansen and William Reilly. GameTimePA’s all-star football players. Picture taken Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, at Hanover High School.

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Best of 2015

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, Politics, Sports, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on April 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Better late than never, right?

The last time I did a “best of” roundup, it was 2011 — my first full year in York, after working five months at one newspaper and getting hired full-time by the other. I’ve shared a lot of work from the past five or so years, but 2015 brought a lot of changes. Jeff and I got married. My newspaper changed ownership. Jeff’s work introduced a large shift in our weekly/monthly routine. And I didn’t blog as much.

I’ve got some recent work I plan to share here, but first I need to move on past the last year. So, here are my 25 favorites/bests, in chronological order:

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. All About Pets Too co-owner Tammie Arnold greets Salso, an 8-year-old umbrella cockatoo who is one of the three store birds, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, at Arnold’s pet shop in Red Lion. Salso’s cage is close to the front door, where he can greet customers. Arnold, who has operated the store in various locations for 22 years, has provided grooming and nail-trimming services, and now offers same-day delivery service as a way to compete against big-box stores that carry pet food. “It’s been up and down, but we’ve survived,” she said of the store she co-owns with Jennifer Warfel.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York Catholic’s Emily Laslo, center, celebrates with her teammates after winning the PIAA District 3 Class AA basketball championship game on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at the Giant Center. York Catholic defeated Camp Hill 63-57 in overtime to win the Fighting Irish’s 10th consecutive district title.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Twins Gabriel (in blue) and Deirdre (in purple) Casey, 14 of York, dance to John Legend’s “All of Me” as performed by Eli Wear, 13 of York Township, center, and Augustine Mariche, 14 of York, in a back hall of the Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. The four had just performed onstage in the variety show Passages: A Celebration of African-Americans in the Arts. Challenged by his editor to find out what people do in downtown York on a cold Saturday night, YDR reporter Gary Haber headed out to see what he could find.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York Suburban’s Madie Devaney prepares for a successful shot on goal in the first half of a girls lacrosse game on Thursday, April 16, 2015, at Red Lion. Red Lion defeated York Suburban 17-8.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York Revolution designated hitter Johan Limonta and Jacob Yingling, 8 of Spring Grove, pray together on the field before doing warm-ups on Friday, April 24, 2015, at Santander Stadium. The York Revolution opened its season against the Long Island Ducks.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Aeyla Haddaway, 2 of Glen Rock, dances under the eye of her mother Jade Garcia at the drum circle at Spoutwood Farm’s 24th annual Fairie Festival on Saturday, May 2, 2015, in Codorus Township. The three-day festival, held every year around May Day and attended by over 15,000 visitors, celebrates the coming of spring and features a may pole, art, music, vendors and family-friendly activities. The event benefits Spoutwood Farm’s CSA program and the farm itself.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Central York seniors make their way to their seats on the football field during commencement on Friday, June 5, 2015, at Central York. Central York graduated about 380 seniors.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Glenda Romero hugs Ashley Cosby during a vigil for brothers Angel Berrios, 21, and Abdiel Vazquez-Soto, 19, who died in a late-night shooting and car crash Friday, at the site of the car crash on North Newberry Street on Saturday, June 13, 2015. Romero is a cousin to both Berrios and Vazquez-Soto, while Cosby is the mother of Berrios’ 2-year-old child Amir. The York County Coroner’s Office confirmed the brothers were each shot at least once on Jefferson Street, but York City Police could not confirm whether the brothers had been shot in their car. Berrios died at the scene of the crash, while Vazquez-Soto died at York Hospital. A passenger, Francisco River, 20, was taken to York Hospital as well. Dozens of family members and friends attended the vigil, at which Berrios’ father, Angel Berrios Sr., called for justice. “I look for justice for my son and my nephew,” Angel Berrios Sr. said. “Help us bring some peace.”

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Lion rising junior Dylan Gurreri examines the charred ground at the site of a car crash that claimed the lives of two Red Lion Area High School rising seniors, Stone Hill, 17, and Nick Mankin, 16, on Wednesday, June 17, 2015. The York County Coroner’s Office reported Tuesday night that Hill had been driving the vehicle when it struck a utility pole, flipped and caught fire on the 200 block of Slab Road in Lower Chanceford Township.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Lydia Foster, center, grabs at her mother Debbie, left, in the midst of a mild seizure at lunch with her sister Julia, 14, right, on Friday, June 19, 2015, at the Foster family’s Straban Township home. Lydia Foster, 17, was diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age and has tried numerous medications and treatments to cease or prevent her seizures, of which she can have as many as nine in a day. Last year, her parents Debbie and Bob decided to split up the family so Debbie could take Lydia and four of their six daughters to Colorado, where Lydia could take cannabidiol oil (CBD) to reduce her seizures. When the CBD turned out not to be a miracle cure and the Fosters found the separation of their close-knit family to be painful, Debbie brought her daughters back to Straban Township, where she continues to give Lydia legally-obtained CBD.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. With a little help from Elmer’s stick glue, Red Lion sophomore Sarah Cimino, 15, applied red, white and blue stickers to her forehead on July 3, 2015, in Red Lion for the borough’s annual fireworks show.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Inbee Park of South Korea walks up to tee off at Hole 8 on Thursday, July 9, 2015, during the first championship round of the 70th U.S. Women’s Open at the Lancaster Country Club.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York Revolution pitcher Stephen Penney relaxes in the dugout with York City Little League players before managing them in a Wiffle ball game on Friday, Aug. 21, 2015, at Santander Stadium. York mayor Kim Bracey managed a team of community leaders against a York City Little League team for two innings of Wiffle ball before the York Revolution’s game against Somerset.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Land’s Braden Kolmansberger reacts after scoring the winning run on Chayton Krauss’s hit in the sixth inning Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015, during the Little League World Series U.S. championship game featuring Red Land Little League of Pennsylvania and Pearland West Little League of Texas, in South Williamsport. Red Land defeated Pearland 3-2 in a walk-off victory to move on to the world championship game against Tokyo Kitasuna of Japan.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, Red Land Little League’s Dylan Rodenhaber, Jake Cubbler, Braden Kolmansberger and Jarrett Wisman goof around playing hot potato before their hometown parade celebration Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, at the Newberry Baseball Complex in Newberry Township. One week after Red Land won the Little League World Series U.S. championship, local municipalities and businesses teamed up to organize a hometown celebration.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Buffalo Bulls wide receiver Marcus McGill and Penn State Nittany Lions running back Johnathan Thomas compete for a catch in the first half of an NCAA Division I football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Buffalo 27-14 to win its home opener.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Shilvosky Buffaloe, interim director of York’s Department of Economic and Community Development, center, applauds with others as state Rep. Kevin Schreiber, D-York, speaks Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015, during the one-year anniversary celebration of Sonny Simpson Play Zone’s opening on the 500th block of South Duke Street in York. The play zone, which is dedicated to a longtime maintenance foreman at Crispus Attucks who died in 2002, was built in a former vacant lot by Crispus Attucks volunteers and Wells Fargo employees.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Harold Hebel, 48, gets situated in the bathroom next to his new bedroom Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, in a new house built by Penn-Mar Human Services on Hebel’s family’s Shrewsbury Township property. Three other men with intellectual disabilities will move into the house soon, while a woman will move into an adjoining suite.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Devers K-8 third-grade teacher Denise Waughtel walks to school from her nearby home Friday, Oct. 2, 2015. Waughtel grew up in the Devers Area neighborhood, attended Devers when it was K-5 and now lives a two-minute walk from Devers K-8 where she teaches third grade. Waughtel had taught at Jackson K-8 for four years when she and her husband closed on their house in Aug. 2003. One month later, she was transferred to teach at Devers. These photos are a part of the neighborhood series project.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. YWCA York Synchro-ettes enter the basement to relax between routines in a synchronized-swimming production of “The Little Mermaid” on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, at the YWCA York. The water show, which had three showtimes each on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11, was the YWCA York Synchro-ettes’ 33rd annual storyline-based show in the team’s 43-year history. “Instead of inviting people to come see what we do in competition, we thought it’d be fun to do a story,” said Robin Weist, who has coached the team since 1975. “Nobody else that I know of does shows like we do.” Each show means countless hours put in by the team and coaches towards rehearsal and by the parents towards working on sets, costumes, makeup and backstage logistics.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, Tyler Smith, 17 of York; Brandon Smith, 15 of York; and Wes Marshall, 14 of Enola, climb up their spar poles as Austin Clarke, 15 of Cumberland County, far right, rappels down after reaching the top of his pole during New Birth of Freedom Boy Scout Council’s eighth Wizard Safari on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, at Wizard Ranch in Hellam Township. The 300-acre ranch was donated to the council, which covers six counties including York, by local businessman and Haines Shoe Company founder Mahlon Haines in 1960. The safari, held approximately every four years, is a council-wide jamboree with activities ranging from live music to high ropes courses. Organizers estimated total attendance would be 3,000, with 1,100 Scouts.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, Northeastern’s Adam Kipp, Kody Reeser and Fernando Flores attempt to block a pass by Northern Lebanon’s Isaac Wengert in a District 3 Class AAA playoff football game Friday, Nov. 13, 2015, at Northeastern. Northeastern defeated Northern Lebanon, 48-12, to advance to the next round.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Dallastown cheerleaders, including Jeordyn Cassidy, bottom center, work on their hair and makeup before the YAIAA Cheerleading Championships on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, at Dallastown. Dallastown won first place in the large squad division, Spring Grove defeated five other teams to win first place in the small squad division and Red Lion took first place in the co-ed squad division.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Dallastown’s Darin Wise, front, and Dover’s Brandon Rodriguez wrestle in a 113-pound match in a YAIAA wrestling dual meet Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, at Dover. Rodriguez pinned Wise.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. River Aiken, 3 of York, watches the children’s balloon drop from his father John’s arms at Central Market Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, during York City’s New Year’s Eve festivities. A children’s New Year’s Eve party was held in Central Market, with an 8 p.m. balloon drop preceding the city’s White Rose midnight drop in Continental Square.

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Children of summer

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, Sports, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on September 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Between being gone for two weeks, covering the U.S. Women’s Open and working on various other smaller projects, I wasn’t sure how much material I’d have for my third annual “Children of Summer” blog post. Nevertheless, I decided I’d share whatever I had by the time most schools in York County started.

Then I was assigned to cover a local team‘s appearance in the Little League World Series. And they won. And they won again. And then they lost, in the very end. Their incredible run delayed this blog post by a few weeks but also provided even more photos, which appear toward the end.

Now even the Red Land Little League players — U.S. champions and all — are back in school, so it’s time to share “Children of Summer”:

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Camp Cann-Edi-On camper Daniel Taylor, 8, floats with the aid of a pool noodle at the YWCA’s summer program on Thursday, June 11, 2015, in Conewago Township. The camp, which is cradled by a curve in the Conewago Creek, has put a halt to kayaking and swimming and the creek and to using its well water, resulting in campers’ drinking bottled water after nitrates and other contaminants were released into the Conewago Creek in Adams County after a fertilizer business caught fire on June 8. The contamination has killed fish in Adams County. Although nitrates are not toxic to humans, officials have placed restrictions against swimming, boating or fishing downstream from the Hanover area through Adams and York counties.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Briana Hayes, 7 of York, center, plays on a new splash pad at Penn Park on Wednesday, July 15, 2015, before a dedication ceremony. Years-long efforts to update the park, which is the city’s second-largest and oldest green space, have culminated in two new playscapes and a splash pad.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Isla Moran, 2 of Reading, eyes the driver seat of Pennsylvania Posse driver J.J. Grasso of Middletown, Del., on Friday, July 24, 2015, during the first night of Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg. The event, pitting the Pennsylvania Posse against the World of Outlaws, featured 39 drivers.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Da’zya People, 5 of York City, inflates her balloon while waiting in line for a drawstring backpack during National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in the 200 block of East College Street in York City. Various municipalities and police departments in York County teamed up to host National Night Out, an annual, nationwide event designed to strengthen relationships between communities and police. York City, the York City Police Department and other community and religious groups hosted 27 National Night Out block parties throughout the city.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Madison Witman, 7, and her brother Aiden Horn, 4, chase their cousin Caleb Horn, 2, up a hill on July 3, 2015, in Red Lion before the borough’s annual fireworks show.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Hank Maul of Springettsbury Township, right, holds a rainbow flag steady as his grandson Connor Hassa, 4, plays with it in the Bond Building during Equality Fest on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015. The second annual Equality Fest, held in the 100 block of East King Street in York, featured a vow renewal ceremony and a wedding expo in the Bond Building, as well as music, crafts, food and games. The festival, which was inspired last year by the legalization of gay marriage in Pennsylvania, is designed to celebrate the diversity of Pennsylvania and York residents.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Lynn Lemon-Witmer of Dover Township holds her 2-year-old daughter Grace Witmer’s hand as they and others walk down the stairs for the naturalization ceremony at the York County Administrative Center on Thursday, June 25, 2015. Thirty-four people representing 23 countries took oaths to become naturalized citizens. Lemon-Witmer is originally from South Africa.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Jeremiah Markline, right, gives his 3-year-old son J’maani a bite of cupcake during National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in the 200 block of East College Street in York City. Various municipalities and police departments in York County teamed up to host National Night Out, an annual, nationwide event designed to strengthen relationships between communities and police. York City, the York City Police Department and other community and religious groups hosted 27 National Night Out block parties throughout the city.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Ashlynn Simpson, 4 of Newberry Township, wears a Red Land Little League T-shirt as she eats ice cream with her brother Braydon, 6, and Ford Griffith, 7, far right, on Friday, Aug. 28, 2015, at Reeser’s Soft Ice Cream in Newberry Township. Local businesses, including Reeser’s, have been showing their support for the Red Land Little League team’s appearance in the Little League World Series by donating some proceeds from special promotions to the team.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Land centerfielder Dylan Rodenhaber, far left, glances back during the singing of the national anthem Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015, before a Little League World Series game against Pearland, Texas, at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa. Red Land, representing the Mid-Atlantic region, defeated Pearland of the Southwest region 3-0 to advance to the U.S. championship game Saturday.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Land relief pitcher Jaden Henline, center, is greeted by teammates Dylan Rodenhaber, left, and Cole Wagner, right, after defeating Pearland Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015, in a Little League World Series game at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa. Red Land, representing the Mid-Atlantic region, defeated Pearland of the Southwest region 3-0 to advance to the U.S. championship game Saturday.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Japan’s Koki Jo, center, waves to his team’s parent section in the stands after he batted in the winning run Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015, after the Little League World Series international championship game featuring Tokyo Kitasuna Little League of Japan and Seguro Social Little League of Mexico, in South Williamsport. Japan defeated Mexico 1-0 in a walk-off victory in extra innings to move on to the world championship game against Red Land Little League of Pennsylvania.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Land’s Adam Cramer, center, yells in the outfield Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015, after the Little League World Series U.S. championship game featuring Red Land Little League of Pennsylvania and Pearland West Little League of Texas, in South Williamsport. Red Land defeated Pearland 3-2 in a walk-off victory to move on to the world championship game against Tokyo Kitasuna of Japan.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Members of the Tokyo Kitasuna Little League team of Japan and Red Land Little League players, including Bailey Wirt, center, wish each other luck in their games outside Lamade Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015, before the Little League World Series U.S. championship game featuring Red Land, Pa., and Pearland, Texas, in South Williamsport.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, York YMCA Early Learning Center pre-schoolers Asante Gonzalez, Janae Smith-Lemiso, Kevin Armentilla, Samya Crampton, Camila Toban and Julius Little, all 3 years old, participate in breathing exercises Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, at the York YMCA on North Newberry Street. The Pennsylvania Alliance of YMCA is celebrating local branches’ work with an “Advocacy Week,” during which the York branch invited local officials to spend time with the 40 children in the Early Learning Center.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Helen Thackston Charter School sixth-grade math teacher Craig Fish directs Qu’Tez Matai-Weedon, 11, to indicate on the whiteboard how much he loves math Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, during the school’s open house event. After an audit by state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale criticized the school for problems with accountability, transparency and other mismanagement, school officials worked to overhaul staffing and other areas that needed attention.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, Morgan Srebro, 6 of Manchester Township, and sisters Autumn Vanover, 10, and Brook Vanover, 4, of Red Lion, play together at Springettsbury Township Park on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. School for most York County children resumes in mid-August.

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A York City firefighter’s final shift

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on March 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The city of York faced a budget crisis last year that resulted in cuts to the fire department, effective Jan. 1, 2015. This meant reporter Teresa and I spent much of Dec. 31, 2014, shadowing one of the four laid-off firefighters on his final shift. Clifton Frederick IV was gracious to let us follow him right up to the end, and I wish him all the best.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, York City firefighters Don Newcomer, Clifton Frederick and Joe Portner relax in Station 2’s lounge on West Market Street on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014. Frederick is one of four firefighters who was laid off as a result of the York City Council’s budget that calls for eight firefighter positions to be eliminated. His 7 a.m.-5 p.m. shift Wednesday was his final shift. Three of those positions had been vacant, while another firefighter announced his retirement effective Jan. 2, 2015, resulting in four firefighters being laid off effective Dec. 31, 2014. Frederick, hired in July, was the last firefighter hired by the department. He started volunteer-firefighting with the Yorkana company with his father as soon as he was old enough, and left a welding job to join the York City company.

We also caught up with another firefighter on his final shift (the other two who were laid off had already worked their last day):

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Steve Bowman, Jr., stands for a portrait inside Station 5 on East Market Street. The York City Council passed a balanced budget for 2015 that cuts eight firefighter positions. Three of those positions had been vacant, while another firefighter announced his retirement effective Jan. 2, 2015, resulting in four firefighters being laid off effective Dec. 31, 2014. Bowman, Jr., hired in July, was one of the last firefighters hired by the department. His father, also Steve Bowman, has long worked in the York City company.

But we spent most of the day with Frederick, who went out on a medical call, installed smoke detectors and took in his last hours as a York City firefighter.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick, carrying his medical pack, returns to a Manor Street home where he had been installing smoke detectors when he was radioed to a medical call on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick, center, makes light conversation with fellow firefighters, including Don Newcomer, right, as they wait to see whether they need to assist in a medical call in a West Cottage Place home on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick, right, returns some gear to a firetruck as fellow firefighter Don Newcomer, left, stands by at Station 2 on West Market Street on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick’s accountability tag is Velcroed below Don Newcomer’s on the truck they worked out of on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014. The tags work much like a military service member’s dog tags, to help keep track of which firefighters are where.

To view more photos, click here. You can read Teresa’s story here.

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It’s cold out there

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on February 13, 2015| Leave a Comment »

A few years ago, I blogged a series of summer heat pictures. Now that there’s a wind chill of -2 degrees Fahrenheit, I’m almost ready for summer again. Almost.

© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Peyton Tucker, 3 of Coudersport, shields his eyes from the sun as he sits in a snow tube on top of the Avalanche Xpress hill on Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, in York Township. Thanks to mild weather throughout December, Heritage Hills Resort wasn’t able to open its snow-tubing and ice rink attractions til early January. Chris Dunn — Daily Record/Sunday News

Unrelated: I forgot to submit my January entries for the National Press Photographers Association’s monthly clips contest, so over the next few days, I’ll be blogging many of the pictures that I probably would have turned in.

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Summer at Williams Grove Speedway

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, Sports, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on December 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Tomorrow is officially the first day of winter, so naturally my mind is turning towards warmer, summery topics. I’ve also been reviewing the pictures I’ve made in 2014, which reminded me just how many summer nights I spent at William Grove Speedway. (Three — which isn’t that many, but definitely more than any other YDR photographer this year.)

This job has a way of flinging me out of my comfort zone, with the expectation that I’ll make it out not just alive and relatively unscathed, but with some decent pictures as well. Four years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined being able to navigate my way around a dirt track, but now I’m hailed as a familiar face by crew members and push-truck drivers. The more time I spent with these folks, the more I appreciated how the races are just a big family reunion.

Here are pictures from three of those reunions, or races:

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. (Left to right) Crew members Vince Hamberger and David Rohrbaugh change out the rear gears of York driver Cory Haas’ car before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse raced at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, May 16, 2014. The World of Outlaws raced their first night of the season at Williams Grove against the Pennsylvania Posse on Friday, May 16, 2014.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Chad Lloyd and Vince Hamberger, crew members for driver Cory Haas of York, measure the circumference of the right-rear tire while pumping it up Friday, July 18, 2014, before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse met for the first of the two-night Summer Nationals event at Williams Grove Speedway.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Ryan Hand, crew member for driver Greg Hodnett of Spring Grove, works on Hodnett’s car Friday, July 18, 2014, before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse met for the first of the two-night Summer Nationals event at Williams Grove Speedway.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. A tractor grooms the track Friday, July 18, 2014, before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse met for the first of the two-night Summer Nationals event at Williams Grove Speedway.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Pit steward Eric Walls waves drivers onto the track for the motor heat Friday, July 18, 2014, before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse met for the first of the two-night Summer Nationals event at Williams Grove Speedway.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Queen Anne’s Lace grows on the safe side of the rail as drivers run their dirt-track cars for the motor heat Friday, July 18, 2014, before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse met for the first of the two-night Summer Nationals event at Williams Grove Speedway.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Hanover driver Jacob Allen drives a time trial before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse raced Friday, May 16, 2014, at Williams Grove Speedway. The World of Outlaws raced their first night of the season at Williams Grove against the Pennsylvania Posse on Friday, May 16, 2014.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Spectators cross a bridge connecting the infield and a grandstand as a truck grooms the track below before hot laps at Williams Grove Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014. The Pennsylvania Posse faced off the World of Outlaws in the 52nd National Open.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. World of Outlaws driver Daryn Pittman drives a time trial before racing the Pennsylvania Posse at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, May 16, 2014. The World of Outlaws raced their first night of the season at Williams Grove against the Pennsylvania Posse on Friday, May 16, 2014.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Drivers take their hot laps around Williams Grove Speedway Friday, July 18, 2014, before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse met for the first of the two-night Summer Nationals event at Williams Grove Speedway.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Cory Haas of York, second from left, stirs up some dust while driving a heat at Williams Grove Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014. The Pennsylvania Posse faced off the World of Outlaws in the 52nd National Open.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Fan Matt Miller lifts up World of Outlaws driver David Gravel after Gravel won the 40-lap feature race at Williams Grove Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014. The Pennsylvania Posse faced off the World of Outlaws in the 52nd National Open.

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Children of summer

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on August 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »

When I was younger, summer always seemed to drag on. Don’t get me wrong: It’s not as if I was anxious to get back to school. But after we finished swim practice in the summer mornings, my brothers and I were ushered off to the babysitter’s house for the rest of the day, and frankly, I’m not sure how we passed the time besides rereading the same old books and watching the same old TV shows and reliving the same old arguments. (I’m sorry, former babysitters.)

Now, probably because I have a year-round job and no three-month vacation, summers seem to fly right by. But most York County schools are opening up this week, so it’s time to share my second annual “Children of Summer” collection:

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Gabe Sulpizio, 9 of Manchester Township, comes back up for air as Cameron Wright, 9 of Newcastle, Dela., dives into the pool at Summit Grove Camp in New Freedom on Wednesday, July 16, 2014. Camp Superkids, run by Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center at Summit Grove Camp in New Freedom, is now in its 23rd year.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Led by Tiffany Berry of Conewago Township, Carly Knoedler, 4 of Jackson Township, rides Peanut the miniature horse at the 30th annual Olde Tyme Days in Conewago Township on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014. The annual show features historic power equipment, tractor pulls, a petting zoo and more.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. (Left to right) Temple Guard Drum Line members Reuben Beatty, 4; Quasen Hawkins, 5; Conrad Beatty, 5; and Mijiere Hillian, 7, perform at the third annual Codorus Street Reunion at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014. The reunion, a celebration of the values and heritage of one of York’s first African-American neighborhoods, brings together descendants of families who moved from South Carolina to the neighborhood now marked by the park.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Kendell Graham, 3 of Delta, gets ready to ride the Dragon Wagon with her sister Cambria, 5 of Delta, right, and Brooke Shrewsbury, 5 of Fawn Grove, left, at the Mason-Dixon Fair on Thursday, July 10, 2014. The 16th annual Mason-Dixon Fair, located on the Pennsylvania-Maryland line between Delta and Cardiff, runs through Saturday, July 12, 2014.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York Regional Academy Charter School second-grade student Claire Guschel hands a piece of trash to teacher Jennifer Reihm in Lincoln Park on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Second-grade students at York Regional Academy Charter School picked up litter at Lincoln Park along Roosevelt Avenue, as part of both their curriculum and York’s Litter Letter project.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. (Left to right) Brothers Zaire Kittrell, 7; Zayden Kittrell, 5; and Zyon Sweeney, 8, plead with their cousin Naquaj Sweeney, 14, for another push on the tire swing during Parkway Day 2014 at Williams Park in York on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014. Parkway Day first began as a sort of block party for the neighborhood in 1984 and was held every year through 1996, followed by a reunion in 2001. Now the older generations who hosted the previous events hope the younger members of the neighborhood will carry the torch and continue the tradition of Parkway Day.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Red Lion Fire Company volunteers Jarred Miller, second from left, and Andrew Duarte, far right, help Lincoln Porta, 4 of Hellam Township, and Blake Kahler, 5 of York Township, down from the company’s ladder truck on Wednesday, July 30, 2014, at Grace Baptist Church’s Community Night in Windsor Township. Almost 10 firefighter, police or EMT units were represented at Grace Baptist Church’s first-ever Community Night, which was organized by fifth- and sixth-grade students at the church. The event took place in lieu of the regular Wednesday night service.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Ka’Liyah Redman, 6 of York, pulls out a notebook and other supplies that came in her new backpack at Project Big Love 717, a free back-to-school event that was the result of collaboration among Dillsburg-area churches, business and citizens, on Saturday, July 26, 2014, at Northern York High School. The project served about 500 special-needs persons by invitation only on Friday, and opened up to the public Saturday. As of 11 a.m. Saturday, about 1,500 people had come for free backpacks filled with school supplies, haircuts, sneakers, family pictures, groceries and lunch.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. New Hannah Penn students peer into the gymnasium during a back-to-school night at Hannah Penn K-8 School on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014. Hannah Penn was closed as a middle school at the end of the 2011-2012 school year, but is reopening as a K-8 school, to accommodate students who previously attended the now-closed New Hope Academy Charter School and to relieve overcrowding at other schools.

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Strength of a cheerleader

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on August 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

In March 2013, I covered the 2013 YAIAA Cheerleading Championship, where I made this picture:

© 2013 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn’s Q’ajaniyah Miller drops into her teammates’ arms during the Bearcats’ routine in the 2013 YAIAA Cheerleading Championship on Saturday, March 16, 2013, at Dallastown Area Senior High School. William Penn took first place in the “small” division, while Central York won in the “large” division.

Little did I know that Q’ajaniyah — whose name her teammates were unable to spell out for me — and I would cross paths again.

The YAIAA would host yet another 2013 cheerleading championship that took place in the next school year, in December. Sports reporter Matt Goul was covering a William Penn basketball game later that day, and happened to be chatting with their scorekeeper, who was upset that the William Penn cheer squad had lost their division title by a mere half-point. The conversation then revealed that one of the cheerleaders had had a particularly rough year: Q’ajaniyah had been caught in some crossfire in June and struck through the hip, yet recovered in time to rejoin the squad in the fall.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Q’ajaniyah Miller and other Tri Town Extreme cheerleaders run through a routine in the squad’s final practice of the year on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, at William Penn. Miller, 18 of York, has twice been the victim of gun violence: Her father, Ajani Miller, died via a gunshot in the pelvis in Dec. 1999, and she was caught in crossfire outside her house in June 2013. Newly graduated from William Penn Senior High School — where she was a cheerleader, class vice president and homecoming queen — and motivated by her brushes with gun violence, Miller is working to overcome financial and other issues in order to study criminal justice at The Pennsylvania State University this fall.

Matt relayed this information to me in January or February, and mentioned he was interested in pursuing the story. I encouraged him to dig a little deeper and to include me in the coverage.

The longer we worked on the story, the more we learned.

We learned that Q’ajaniyah’s father had been shot and killed two days after Christmas 1999, when she was 3.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. This picture of Ajani Miller, left, his daughter Q’ajaniyah, right, and Q’ajaniyah’s cousin was taken two weeks before Ajani Miller’s Dec. 27, 1999, death. The picture hangs on the refrigerator in Q’ajaniyah Miller’s West Princess Street home, and is the only one she has of her father.

We learned that her mother moved them to Brooklyn two years later and studied to become a police officer, but another tragedy prompted their return to York.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Q’ajaniyah Miller, 18, and her mother Ronielle Kirkland stand on their West Princess Street porch and brace themselves before running in the rain to the minivan to take Q’ajaniyah to school on Wednesday, April 30, 2014. When she hesitated about whether to leave her mother and family for college, Q’ajaniyah said her mother told her: “Get out of here, I’ll be fine.”

We learned that Q’ajaniyah, profoundly affected by her father’s death and perhaps influenced by sitting in on her mother’s law enforcement classes, was determined to go to college and study criminal justice.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Q’ajaniyah Miller, 18, participates in her criminology class at William Penn on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. Teacher Stuart Krise said of Q’ajaniyah, “She’s rare in my 32 years of teaching because she’s so resilient.”

We learned that she is the oldest of her siblings — two brothers, ages 6 and 2, and a now 10-month-old sister — whom she helps care for, and for whom she strives to set a good example.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Q’ajaniyah Miller, 18, helps her brother Julius “Juju” Little, Jr., 2, brush his teeth before school in her family’s West Princess Street home on Wednesday, April 30, 2013. Q’ajaniyah, who is 12 years older than her oldest sibling, helps her mother, Ronielle Kirkland, care for her younger brothers and baby sister.

We also learned that she found strength in cheerleading, where she made friends with other girls who had lost their fathers to gun violence.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Q’ajaniyah Miller looks across the floor as she and other Tri Town Extreme cheerleaders stretch before the squad’s final practice of the year on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, at William Penn Senior High School.

Over the course of several months, we worked with Q’ajaniyah, her mother and her friends, and incrementally learned new tidbits that would shape or completely change the story. The weeks before Q’ajaniyah’s graduation presented a tough time for all involved, as she wasn’t sure whether she could afford to go to Penn State and we weren’t certain how we should end the story.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Q’ajaniyah Miller, 18, reacts after the announcer at William Penn’s commencement ceremony pronounced her full name correctly on Friday, June 6, 2014. She was named after her father, Ajani Miller, who was killed when she was 3.

In the end, I’m grateful to Q’ajaniyah for opening up to us, and glad that we all put so much of ourselves into the story. And I’m excited for her as she starts classes at Penn State in the next few weeks, and I wish her all the best.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Q’ajaniyah Miller, 18, stands with her grandmother Tina Maxfield while waiting for her mother, Ronielle Kirkland, to drive the minivan over after graduating from William Penn on Friday, June 6, 2014. Q’ajaniyah, who is enrolled to attend Penn State in State College in the fall, plans to spend this summer working on her tumbling and staying in shape for cheerleader tryouts.

You can read Matt’s story here, and view many more pictures here.

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Spring Forward fashion, 2014

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on July 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

We’re in the midst of sweaty, humid, buggy summer, so it’s high time I shared my favorite photos from a Spring Forward fashion show I photographed back in April.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Jamie Wolf, a model for The Watchmaker’s Daughter, gets her hair braided into a fishtail by stylist Christina Vicario, before The Parliament’s Spring Forward event on Friday, April 18, 2014, at The Bond Building. The Parliament hosted Spring Forward: Fashion Meets Art, an event featuring collaboration between local artists and fashion boutiques and culminating in a runway presentation at The Bond Building on East King Street in York.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Pairs of shoes line the floor beneath a table of refreshments backstage at The Bond Building as 20 models prepare for The Parliament’s Spring Forward event on Friday, April 18, 2014.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. (Left to right) Karen Staub, owner of The Watchmaker’s Daughter, and Hilary Arthur, owner of Arthur & Daughters, consult on what type of shoes model Annie Mendoza, far right, should wear for The Parliament’s Spring Forward event on Friday, April 18, 2014, at The Bond Building.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Event hair director Glen Oropeza, of Glen Coco for Hair, leans in for a selfie with Allyson Bohnert, a model for KrysLyn’s Bridal Boutique, before The Parliament’s Spring Forward event on Friday, April 18, 2014, at The Bond Building.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. People mix and mingle during The Parliament’s Spring Forward event in The Bond Building, which will become a wedding and events venue, on Friday, April 18, 2014.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Annie Mendoza, a model for The Watchmaker’s Daughter, waits as the other models line up before walking the runway at The Parliament’s Spring Forward event on Friday, April 18, 2014, at The Bond Building.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Tony Jacquiez, a resident artist at King’s Courtyard Artists’ Collective, high-fives Angela Brenneman, a model for Sweet Melissa’s Dream, as she walks the runway at The Parliament’s Spring Forward event on Friday, April 18, 2014, at The Bond Building.

You can view more photos here.

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Dead mall walking

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on June 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

In my 3.5 years in York, I’ve never known the West Manchester Mall to have even half of its storefronts leased out and occupied. Let’s hope that its de-malling brings good results.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Mardell Messersmith, 75 of Dover Township, left, walks with her brother Harold Feeser, 64 of York City, around the interior of West Manchester Mall on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. Messersmith and Feeser have taken to mall-walking a few days a week in the past year, but security will soon ask mall walkers to cease their routines before the mall begins dramatic renovations. With the West Manchester Mall destined to give way to an outdoor town center-style shopping center, stores within the mall are shutting down and moving out.

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Pomp and circumstance: York County graduations, 2014

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on June 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Central York student council members greet graduates after they received their diplomas and sunflowers during commencement at Central York on Friday, May 30, 2014. Central York graduated 445 seniors, 430 of whom participated in the 2014 commencement ceremony.

I didn’t attend my college graduation because I had better things to do. But, having photographed four high school graduations and one college graduation in the past two weeks (including three ceremonies in as many nights, in a row), I’ve probably heard “Pomp and Circumstance” enough times now to atone for not walking in my own commencement.

Without further ado, my favorite pictures from the 2014 graduation season:

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. (Left to right) Stefano Colletti and James Volpe, both candidates for Bachelor of Science degrees, try to figure out their regalia before York College’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 17, 2014. York College of Pennsylvania’s class of 2014 celebrated its spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 17, 2014.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Retiring nursing faculty member Jacquelin Harrington, left, chats with fellow nursing faculty member Susan Scherr as they wait for York College’s spring commencement ceremony to begin on Saturday, May 17, 2014.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York Catholic senior Ralph Maiolino, center, relishes the applause of faculty members as he and other seniors proceeded to commencement at York Catholic on Wednesday, May 28, 2014. York Catholic graduated 107 seniors in its 2014 commencement ceremony.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York Catholic graduate Mary Hale, left, exits the stage after receiving her diploma during commencement at York Catholic on Wednesday, May 28, 2014. York Catholic graduated 107 seniors in its 2014 commencement ceremony.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. A York Catholic graduate winks at a friend in the audience during commencement at York Catholic on Wednesday, May 28, 2014. York Catholic graduated 107 seniors in its 2014 commencement ceremony.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York Suburban senior Allie Patterson looks at photo collages of her classmates in the cafeteria before commencement on Thursday, May 29, 2014, at York Suburban. York Suburban had 213 seniors participating in commencement.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. (Left to right) Central York seniors Teal Kreft, Jaida Klyeman and Zane Knaub wait in queue for the procession before commencement at Central York on Friday, May 30, 2014. Central York graduated 445 seniors, 430 of whom participated in the 2014 commencement ceremony.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Central York senior Pedro Tavarez pauses and acknowledges the crowd at the stadium for commencement at Central York on Friday, May 30, 2014. Central York graduated 445 seniors, 430 of whom participated in the 2014 commencement ceremony.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Central York graduates stand and wave their sunflowers during a choral arrangement of “For Good” from the Broadway musical “Wicked” at the end of commencement at Central York on Friday, May 30, 2014. Central York graduated 445 seniors, 430 of whom participated in the 2014 commencement ceremony.

I didn’t intend for all of my favorite pictures from the next graduation — William Penn Senior High School’s — to feature one particular senior, but it just turned out that way.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn senior Jeshaun Maddox wears sunglasses as he relaxes in the school library before commencement on Friday, June 6, 2014, at William Penn Senior High School.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn senior Jeshaun Maddox, left, looks back on classmate Symia Major-Kinard as she cries into a tissue as they enter the auditorium for commencement on Friday, June 6, 2014, at William Penn Senior High School.

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. William Penn senior Jeshaun Maddox comforts classmate Symia Major-Kinard — and checks her face for tears — as they enter the auditorium for commencement on Friday, June 6, 2014, at William Penn Senior High School.

Congratulations to the Class of 2014, and best of luck to everyone!

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Central York seniors stand to receive their diplomas during commencement at Central York on Friday, May 30, 2014. Central York graduated 445 seniors, 430 of whom participated in the 2014 commencement ceremony.

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Doggy paddle

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on May 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »

We’re currently enjoying spectacular weather here in Pennsylvania, which certainly wasn’t the case even last month when April dared to hurl hot days, cold days and snowy days at our faces, as if the snow-laden winter hadn’t been brutal and long enough.

In January, my editors sent me to a local pet daycare where dogs can indulge in the luxury of two heated swimming pools. It was a fun assignment made better by the caring and energetic dog handlers. My only advice to anyone photographing swimming dogs: Wear rain pants. I’m glad I did.

Morgan’s Paws Pet Care Center dog handlers Roxanne Smeltzer, left, and Rikki Herbst keep an eye on six dogs and the two heated pools during the daily one-hour pet swim session on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. Dogs enrolled in Morgan’s Paws Pet Care Center in Spring Garden Township have access to two heated pools for an hour-long session, while dogs not enrolled can participate in private or open swim sessions. Chris Dunn — Daily Record/Sunday News

Charlie the English Springer Spaniel wades in a 2-foot-deep, heated pool at Morgan’s Paws Pet Care Center in Spring Garden Township on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. Dogs enrolled in Morgan’s Paws Pet Care Center in Spring Garden Township have access to two heated pools for an hour-long session, while dogs not enrolled can participate in private or open swim sessions. Chris Dunn — Daily Record/Sunday News

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A tale of two tracks

Posted in Journalism, Pennsylvania, Photography, Photojournalism, Sports, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on May 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I wouldn’t call myself a sports photographer by any means, but when you photograph as many sports as we at the Daily Record do, you can’t help but consider the immense variety of humanly physical achievements these athletes are attempting via any amount of training or number of techniques.

Take, for instance, javelin. Javelin is but one sport in the all-encompassing term “track and field,” but it’s similar to shot put in that both involve an athlete manipulating his/her physique in order to manipulate physics in order to propel an object as far away from him/her as possible. Yet, if you observe different javelin athletes, you can’t help but notice each one is using completely different techniques to attempt the same basic objective.

And that’s just javelin. Shot put has the same basic objective, but it’s achieved completely differently. And again, each athlete has his/her own techniques to that end.

Maybe I think too much about these things. But these are the types of things I think about when I’m sent to cover two very different track assignments in one day.

Track and field…

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Littlestown’s Lucas Reynolds fails to clear the high jump at 6 feet, 2 inches on the first day of the District 3 track and field championships on Friday, May 16, 2014, at Shippensburg University.

…and sprint car racing:

Hanover driver Logan Schuchart, in his first season in the World of Outlaws, drives a time trial before racing the Pennsylvania Posse at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, May 16, 2014. The World of Outlaws raced their first night of the season at Williams Grove against the Pennsylvania Posse on Friday, May 16, 2014. Chris Dunn — Daily Record/Sunday News

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Hanover driver Logan Schuchart, in his first season in the World of Outlaws, drives a time trial before racing the Pennsylvania Posse at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, May 16, 2014. The World of Outlaws raced their first night of the season at Williams Grove against the Pennsylvania Posse on Friday, May 16, 2014.

Yesterday was the first of two days of PIAA District 3 track and field championships at Shippensburg University. Track and field is a good sport to cover if you want to stay on your toes, because it comprises so many different types of sports (and, in the case of track, different events) that are all photographed differently.

Yesterday was also the World of Outlaws’ season debut at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg. Sprint car racing is a good sport to cover if you don’t mind partial hearing loss.

Anyway, when you cover these different sports in one day, it’s hard not to marvel at what the human body (plus the occasional gears, wheels and oil) is capable of doing.

I’ll stop babbling. Photos:

Drivers warm up their cars on the track as others get their cars pushed onto the track before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse raced at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, May 16, 2014. The World of Outlaws raced their first night of the season at Williams Grove against the Pennsylvania Posse on Friday, May 16, 2014. Chris Dunn — Daily Record/Sunday News

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Drivers warm up their cars on the track as others get their cars pushed onto the track before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse raced at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, May 16, 2014. The World of Outlaws raced their first night of the season at Williams Grove against the Pennsylvania Posse on Friday, May 16, 2014.

Dallastown's Lillian Cook throws the javelin for 117 feet, 9 inches on the first day of the District 3 track and field championships on Friday, May 16, 2014, at Shippensburg University. Chris Dunn — Daily Record/Sunday News

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Dallastown’s Lillian Cook throws the javelin for 117 feet, 9 inches on the first day of the District 3 track and field championships on Friday, May 16, 2014, at Shippensburg University.

(Left to right) Crew members Vince Hamberger and David Rohrbaugh change out the rear gears of York driver Cory Haas' car before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse raced at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, May 16, 2014. The World of Outlaws raced their first night of the season at Williams Grove against the Pennsylvania Posse on Friday, May 16, 2014. Chris Dunn — Daily Record/Sunday News

West York's Abdul Junaid runs the 100-meter dash trial on the first day of the District 3 track and field championships on Friday, May 16, 2014, at Shippensburg University. Chris Dunn — Daily Record/Sunday News

© 2014 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. West York’s Abdul Junaid runs the 100-meter dash trial on the first day of the District 3 track and field championships on Friday, May 16, 2014, at Shippensburg University.

Hanover driver Jacob Allen drives a time trial before the World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse raced Friday, May 16, 2014, at Williams Grove Speedway. The World of Outlaws raced their first night of the season at Williams Grove against the Pennsylvania Posse on Friday, May 16, 2014. Chris Dunn — Daily Record/Sunday News

You can view more track and field photos here, and more sprint car racing photos here.

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Groundhog hunt

Posted in Journalism, Photography, Photojournalism, The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York on May 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Cue the obligatory kick-in-the-pants. Like many other photo-bloggers, I’m guilty of falling way, way behind in posting current — or even old — photos.

It’s my personal rule to share pictures I made for the paper only after they’ve been run in the paper. I actually have a number of photo stories — some dating back to 2012 — that I haven’t yet blogged. I’d like to think I’m a mercilessly efficient and adept photo editor, but the reality is that I still struggle to edit many of those photo stories in a way that I’d be comfortable sharing. That said, I hope sometime this year to finally post a few of those stories.

But for now, a fun photo from an off-the-beaten-path story that reporter Rebecca LeFever (soon-to-be Rebecca Hanlon) and I covered last summer:

James Parsons IV, 13, lowers two dead groundhogs into a tub on top of a scale to be weighed together, as his father and volunteer firefighter James watches and as his twin sister Rebecca, 13, stands by to record weights on Saturday, June 15, 2013. The groundhogs were two of nine brought in by Steve Wilson of Lower Chanceford Township, who registered in Airville Volunteer Fire Company's first-ever groundhog hunt fundraiser. "Now I get the dubious pleasure of getting rid of them," Wilson said as he scooped the carcasses back into the bin in which he'd brought them. Airville Volunteer Fire Company hosted a groundhog hunt fundraiser, registering 38 local hunters who hunted for groundhogs on Friday and Saturday, June 14-15, 2013. Two prizes -- one for the heaviest groundhog and one for the most kills -- were awarded. DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - CHRIS DUNN

© 2013 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. James Parsons IV, 13, lowers two dead groundhogs into a tub on top of a scale to be weighed together, as his father and volunteer firefighter James watches and as his twin sister Rebecca, 13, stands by to record weights on Saturday, June 15, 2013. The groundhogs were two of nine brought in by Steve Wilson of Lower Chanceford Township, who registered in Airville Volunteer Fire Company’s first-ever groundhog hunt fundraiser. “Now I get the dubious pleasure of getting rid of them,” Wilson said as he scooped the carcasses back into the bin in which he’d brought them. Airville Volunteer Fire Company hosted a groundhog hunt fundraiser, registering 38 local hunters who hunted for groundhogs on Friday and Saturday, June 14-15, 2013. Two prizes — one for the heaviest groundhog and one for the most kills — were awarded. DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS – CHRIS DUNN

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