Only in York County

I’m sure many of you are enjoying the three-day weekend and kicking off the start of “summer” with a cookout, some ice cream or a trip to the pool. That’s awesome, and I hope you have a great time!

Please do pause, though, and remember those who gave their lives serving our country. Don’t forget it’s called “Memorial” Day for a reason. I hope you spend yours surrounded by loved ones and thoughts of those who’ve gone before.

What’s inside
1. More on Moley’s
2. Green Frog follow-up
3. Southern York County development disagreement

1. Back on May 9, Jeff Shearer asked about the former Moley’s in Red Lion. He’d especially love to have their recipes!

Carol Lytle would, too! She writes, “I lived in Red Lion most of my life. Moley’s was my favorite place for Spaghetti and Subs. Paul Moley gave you a big oval plate of spaghetti and it was the best I ever ate. I am now 65 years old and sure would like his recipe for his spaghetti. No one has ever come close to his.”

Regarding other restaurants owned by the same people, intrepid researcher Scott C. noted the following: “I did find that Paul and Lois Moley of Red Lion operated Anthony’s Italian Restaurant on Route 30 in York. It became Mr. T’s Intown in 2001. In the mid 2000’s it changed names once again and became Riptides Seafood & Steak. It is now Haller Enterprises.” Wonder if it was the same Paul Moley (seems likely, or at least that it would be in the same family?)

Stevie Beddia had perhaps the best news, saying, “Moley’s has a truck which comes to the York Fair every year. Paul Moley, the original owner of Moley’s in Red Lion (W. Broadway) is still around. He sometimes is at the stand or some of his children and grandchildren are there. I am sure they have the recipes.”

Even if they won’t part with their recipes – and if they’re this good, I can’t blame them – maybe you can still get some good eats!

2. In the April 25 Ask Joan, Iline Glatfelter asked about the Green Frog.

In response to her inquiry, I received a letter from Hazel Hartlaub, now of Springettsbury Township. Hazel says, “This is in answer about the ‘Green Frog,’ possibly the same one you refer to. I am 82 and remember a place by that name located a bit north of Zions View. I would say it is about where the racing parlor is now (not the wagering parlor.) I was a young child but I was fascinated by the stories about the good times my older sister and friends told about the good times they had there. (Of course, I was all ears too and eager to hear.) We lived near there and I remember it to be a white building and seemed it was a restaurant/night club. Hope this helps you!”

Hazel, that was a great help, as part of my problem was I didn’t know what type of business this was, nor what part of the county, and you pointed me in a good direction for both.

Another writer, Larry Good, who had first provided some Green Frog info in our last follow-up edition May 2, seems to confirm that. He wrote in and says, “I asked the oldest guy In town where was The Green Frog? He said, in the ’30s his brother and him played In the Zions View band and It was next to the band hall which Is still there. In the Summer during practice they could hear music and crowd noise coming from there. Their father however, told the boys, stay out of there. It’s not the place for you.”

Sounds like exactly my kind of place – and perhaps reminiscent of a slightly later York County establishment, The Shady Dell?

Regarding the band hall and the “racing parlor,” it looks like we’re really in the right neighborhood; the former band hall in Zion View was most recently home to the York County Racing Club. (Read more here and here on Jim McClure’s York Town Square blog.) My next step will be to talk with Norma Bear Gates, who Jim had told me before is knowledgeable about the Zion View area’s history, and see what she might remember about the Green Frog!

3. In one of the earliest Ask Joans, on April 18, Dave asked about some development taking place in Shrewsbury Township. I received a little more info from township officials via my southern York County writer Barb Krebs, and we talked about that in our May 2 edition.

I had a letter in the past week, however, from a reader in the area who had different information than what Barb and the township officials came up with.

Marilyn Taylor of Shrewsbury Township wrote the following, regarding whether the site in question, which is set to become an auto repair shop if permitting goes through, used to be the site of a now-razed trailer park. Marilyn writes that that is incorrect; she says, “The trailer park was next to where KFC moved into.”

These are both along East Forrest Avenue, but the KFC Marilyn mentions is just a little bit closer to I-83; farther east than the site across from the M&T Bank Dave mentioned.

Of what she describes as the trailer park’s former location, Marilyn writes, “Nothing there but overgrown weeds and signs. This is across from the diner that has been there for over 50 years. Where the bldg. is – used to be a house. The couple that lived there passed away and the house/grounds were put up for sale. This new bldg. is to the west side of Bubb’s Ins. on East Forrest Ave. … The trailer park land was supposed to have been sold – but nothing being done yet.” Marilyn adds that she used to live within a couple of houses of all of this, and still lives in the township, just a little farther out in what is “farm land yet.”

Marilyn also invited me to spend more time in southern York County to see some of this development for myself, and while I’m proud to say my husband and I spend pretty much all our free time exploring ALL the corners of York County, I admit that we tend to visit exactly what Marilyn describes as her ideal – the areas that are still farmland. We don’t tend to spend our time in southern York County in the shadow of stores we can visit nearer to home, so I admit it’s been close to two months since I’ve seen this particular area.

But I will definitely plan to check it out within the next week or two; we have plans at Spring Valley County Park – which I’ll be talking about more in days to come! – and we’ll be near enough for me to follow up on this as Marilyn requested. (I’ll also be checking out something in New Freedom to answer a question from reader Jim Dolan. I think I’m pretty sure on what he asked, but I’ll make extra-sure, just in case!)

Can’t wait to share the results of all my travels with you guys and settle some real, true, Ask Joan controversy! If that’s all the more controversial my life gets, I think I can take it!