Sure, we have some traffic, mostly during the morning and afternoon rush hours like everywhere else. But compared to the big cities, it's merely an annoyance, not a big deal.There are some times here when traffic is unbelievable here in town. People forget that almost all of the traffic travels on city streets and there are not expressways or arterial roads to take the traffic around town.Last Saturday evening was a perfect example. Hershey Park, Hershey Park Stadium and the Giant Center all effectively share the same parking lot. Saturday at the park is busy by itself. And there was a Nickleback concert at the stadium on Saturday evening. And the evangelist Benny Hinn had booked the Giant Center for a crusade for Saturday evening. It was taking 2 and 1/2 hours to get from the I-83-283 ... 07/18/2007

The Antique Automobile Club of America is located here in Hershey.The business office is located on Governor Road near the Hershey Motor Lodge and Milton Hershey Medical Center. The club was founded in 1931 and now has over 400 local chapters.The club also has built a museum located on Museum Drive just outside of Hershey off Rte 39 in South Hanover Township. At the present time, their featured exhibit is America at Speed and has vintage competition vehicles from 1895 to 1990. My favorites are a sprint car driven by Jan Opperman in the 1970's and 80's and Harry Gant's Skoal Bandit Chevy Monte Carlo. I was fortunate enough to watch both of the cars win races.The Museum is open daily from 9AM to 5PM. Don't miss it when you come to Hershey. 07/11/2007

July 7, 1907 was the introductory date of the famous Hershey Kiss. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of this Hershey Kiss, the Hershey Company had a 12 foot tall Hershey Kiss manufactured and it was unveiled yesterday at Hershey's Chocolate World.This giant candy weighs over 30,000 pounds, is 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide. There was a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records present for the entire manufacturing process.The giant Hershey Kiss will be on display only until this Thursday (July12). The company has a slide show of the making of this product at KissSomeOne.com as well as a complete history of this All American candy treat. 07/08/2007

Many years ago, the words "Welcome To Hershey" were spelled out on the hill in front of Senior Hall at the Milton Hershey School. Over the years, they had become sorely unattended and finally were removed back in the early 1970's.To celebrate 100 years of the Hershey Kiss and Hershey Park, the school decided to redo the letters this year. The school provided the labor to dig out the area and volunteer groups worked in one hour shifts to replicate the original sign. These groups included civic organizations, school groups and interested community residents and business people.The result is displayed in the photo attached. This was taken from the Kissing Tower at Hershey Park.The building behind is the former Senior Hall, to reopen in August 2007 as the middle school campus for the Milton... 05/27/2007

Hershey Park opened yesterday for the summer season. The park opened 100 years ago, set up by Mr. Hershey as a picnic ground with a small lake for canoes and rowboats.The next year (1908) a small merry-go-round was added. Over the next few years, Mr. Hershey added a swimming pool, a miniature railroad and an amphitheatre.The entire history of Hershey Parkis online.For 2007, the park has added the Boardwalk which has five distinct water attractions, including the East Coast Waterworks, billed as the largest water play structure in the world. The Boardwalk section opens for the first time this Saturday, May 26 05/24/2007

  Today is the first day of a ten show six day run for the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus here in Hershey at the Giant Center.The circus is presenting the "Red Show" which is known as Bellobration in honor of Bello the Clown, the featured performer. The link to the circus has all of the details for young and old.We personally are taking our two grandchildren on Friday evening, along with their parents. I haven't been to the circus in years and am really looking forward to the evening. 05/23/2007

I think everyone just takes municipal lighting of our streets for granted.In an effort to make Hershey different and bring attention to the main business here in Chocolatetown, the street lights locally take on a whole new look:     Many years ago the street lights were changed to reflectthe look of the wrapped and unwrapped Hershey Kiss.These extend from the intersection of West Chocolate and US 422to Mansion Road on US 422, the main street in Hershey.Next time your visit Hershey, be sure to look up at the streetlights.   04/30/2007

Well the top management of Hershey Company has spoken, it just took them 2 weeks to speak all of the words.The week of March 25 they announced at the two Hershey plants that they anticipated that they would eliminate about 650 jobs that are union jobs. On Friday, they announced an addition 250 to 300 job cuts at the H.B. Reese plant (Peanut Butter Cups) which is non-union.The company tried to soften this by saying they would offer early retirement and severance packages but the sheer number is probably 40% of the manufacturing positions at the three operations.The "old" plant at 5 East Chocolate Avenue makes the traditional Hershey products - candy bars and kisses. The east plant actually produces the bulk of the chocolate "paste" that is the basis for most candy products. The Reese's p... 04/08/2007

Well, they came up with some numbers the last couple of days. The plan is that there will be about 650 manufacturing job cuts spread between the 3 manufacturing plants here in town. Since two of the plants are unionized, there will be voting on Thursday & Friday by the union membership about accepting the company's offer in regards to wages and benefits in exchange for allowing the company to cut the workforce.The company is putting on the "most losses will be from retirement and normal attrition" spin on the whole process. Most employees are not really confident that it will come to fruition but plan on voting for the plan to save some jobs. The non union plant is the former H.B. Reese plant (peanut butter cups) which was acquired by Hershey back in the 1960's. Almost every decision at... 03/27/2007

There are 3 different school district that serve the Hershey area.If you live in Derry Township, the Derry Township School District which includes Hershey High School is the public school system  serving that area. The districts' website has all kinds of useful information for parents and students.If you live in the Borough of Hummelstown or in South Hanover, Conewago or East Hanover (Dauphin County) your local school district is Lower Dauphin This district has a high school, middle school and 5 elementary schools. I mentioned that East Hanover in Dauphin because there is an east Hanover Township in Lebanon County which is right next to the Dauphin County one even though it's as far west as you can be in Lebanon County (go figure).If you live in Palmyra Borough or in North or South Lond... 02/03/2007

Since the Hershey area has a lot of tourist type attractions, the Hershey Partnership was formed many years ago as a means for local businesses to promote their business to vistors and to cement their relationship within the local economy.The partnership publishes 'Your Guide to Chocolatetown' every spring and publishes a tourist map called 'Chocolate and More". The aim is to make Hershey a year round destination.To promote the businesses that serve local residents, the Partnership sponsors several local events and fundraisers. We are proud members of The Hershey Partnership 01/18/2007

One of the most interesting institutions here in Hershey is the Milton Hershey School.Established in 1909 by Milton and Kitty Hershey as the Hershey Industrial School (for boys), it is unique in scope,  curriculum and admission standards from almost any other school in the country.Since the Hershey's had no children, they used their wealth to establish a Deed of Trust and set up a school for "orphan children" to get a full educational or vocational experience. This was during an era when children often never even completed elementary school because the family needed their income to survive.When Mrs. Hershey died in 1919, Milton Hershey donated the remainder of his personal fortune to the school. Milton Hershey passed away in 1945 at age 88.The school's admissions criteria are very simpl... 01/13/2007