Conestoga Valley JANUARY 7, 2026
SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 13,770 HOMES
In Conestoga Valley, Scouting Is a Noun and a Verb
Winter Sports
Are Heating Up! BY JEFF FALK
A
developmental program, Scouting America - formerly Boys Scouts of America - teaches participants practical lessons and skills that can be applied to life. But perhaps the most impactful lessons are the personal ones learned from others, especially from those who are different. “It’s not just boys and girls; it’s Scouts,” said Erin Blank, an assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 83. “We don’t try to differentiate between genders. It’s about one word, empathy. I have brothers and sisters who fight tooth and nail, but when they’re out in the community and someone picks on one, the other is there. That’s what we’re teaching. It’s very hard to teach empathy.” Troop 83, which meets at its
Catch the latest highlights from your local high school teams Visit our Sports Page today for all the action!
See Troop 83 pg 4 Members of Troop 83 enjoy a canoe trip.
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At ACYS, Singing Lessons Take on Whole Different Meaning BY JEFF FALK
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Amadeus Chorale Youth Singers (ACYS) uses singing as an avenue, a tool, to provide children with opportunities to discover themselves and learn about the worlds around them. “Singing is a natural process,” said Darla Bair, the founder and
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artistic director of ACYS. “Many children sing before they speak. We all sing. It’s a natural human function.” A repur posing of a proven successful program, ACYS will be introduced as an organization to Lancaster County for the first time during informational meetings at 4 p.m. on Sundays, Jan. 11 and 18, ACYS is seeking to duplicate
the successes it experienced in
VOL LXII • NO 3
Thrifty Kitty Thrift Boutique Same Address, New Building BY FRANCINE FULTON
After closing in August due to storm damage, the Thrifty Kitty Thrift Boutique, a thrift shop operated by Humane Pennsylvania (Humane PA), has reopened i n a d i f fe re n t b u i l d i n g a t Humane PA’s Lancaster campus. Additionally, the store, which previously operated on a limited basis, is now open for business seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The store, which is located in the Lewin Adoption Center for Cats & Critters, is run by volunteers. A soft opening was held at the location on Dec. 7. “People who come to look at the cats will be directed to the thrift shop,” noted Karel Minor, president and CEO of Humane PA. “The nice thing is that because the shop is strictly volunteer-run and we were in a separate building, we were only open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Here, is it seven days a week because we are here for adoptions. Our staff can bring people (to the thrift store) if there are no volunteers here.” Minor noted that the former thrift store, which was housed in a purple building on the campus, was damaged during last summer’s storms. “The parking lot flooded out, and it did damage to the foundation. Interestingly, this space had been the original thrift shop many years ago,” said Minor. “It got converted to vet space and was a veterinary hospital for years before the Humane League merged with the Humane Society of Berks County.” Items are still in the process of being moved from the former
See Amadeus Chorale pg 7 Rochester, N.Y.
See Thrifty Kitty pg 3
ONLINE WINTER EVENT CALENDAR townlively.com/events
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