Conestoga Valley OCTOBER 29, 2025
SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 13,770 HOMES
College Night Can Be Portal to Brighter Futures BY JEFF FALK
townlively.com
JUNE 11, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Interested individuals interact with representatives of higher-education
See College Night pg 5 institutions at a past College Night at Conestoga Valley High School.
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“Swing!” Will Connect Audiences With Their Mojo BY JEFF FALK
Swing music. And the performers of Servant Stage. What possesses the power to “Swing originated in the 1920s bring a tap to your toes, to put and was popular in the 1930s and a bounce in your step, to bring a ’40s,” said Johnathan Bauer, who snap to your fingers? founded Servant Stage in 2013. See “Swing!” pg 8
Local residents watch birds during a recent East Lampeter Township recreation department activity.
Local Recreation Promotes Healthy Work-Life Balance
ast Lampeter Township is 12 months into its grand recreation exper iment. Time for an update. While results have been mostly mixed, some positive and quantifiable progress has been realized. But much work remains in the new recreation department’s mission to get the word out and provide activities that appeal to a majority of East Lampeter Township residents. “I always feel like we can be doing more and reaching more people,” said Lisa Cleveland, who as recreation director makes up East Lampeter Township’s one-person recreation department. “Growth
is not resting. Am I happy where we are in the time we got here? Yes. Do we have more work to do? Yes. The opportunities are endless, so there are always things that are going to be new.” Since officials made the commitment to provide recreational opportunities to the township’s citizens on May 28, 2024, by hiring Cleveland as recreation director, the newly formed East Lampeter Township Recreation Department has instituted a number of programs and activities, some of which have been well received. The department has provided community events like movie nights, a fall festival and an Easter egg hunt; youth events like Hero Hang-Out, Touch-a-Truck
and a summer playground program; fitness and yoga programs; and educational programs like a bird walk and Exploring the Night Sky. This spring, the department introduced a community gardens program that allows individuals and families to rent plots of land at Community Park for growing vegetables, plants and flowers. Twelve of the 16 available plots are currently being utilized. The recreation department has also placed a strong emphasis on promoting and utilizing township facilities like Community Park, Flory Park, Lafayette-Tower Park and Gibbons Park at Nolt’s Mill, as well as fostering relationships with like-minded community partners.
LCWG Is Made Up of a Bunch of Do-Gooders
BY JEFF FALK
Good is universal, timeless and objective. Because it mirrors God, good is good. The Lancaster County Women for Good (LCWG) group knows some things about the concept of doing good. It’s part of the all-volunteer organization’s mission, purpose and reason for existing. “We use that word a lot, ‘good,’” said Anna Horst, the chairperson of the five-member board that oversees LCWG’s operations. “It’s
in our name. I think it’s safe to say our connections and providing nonprofits with resources is part of the good we aim to do. I think there are a number of nonprofits in Lancaster County who have amazing missions. They’re real people trying to help real people. They are problems that a majority of us would agree need to be solved. Maybe we need to be more clear by what we mean by ‘good.’” LCWG, which does not operate from a physical office or building, conducts more than 15 membership events each year, including
See Recreation Department pg 4
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Crafters Bazaar Will Serve Higher Purpose BY JEFF FALK
See LCWG pg 9
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Special Event Hours: 4 – 8 pm
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Fundraisers are the lifelines of nonprofits. But this one feels different, this one feels critical, this one feels urgent. This one feels crucial to the future of Bird-in-Hand United Methodist Church. “It’s a fundraiser to support our church itself,” said Audrey Miller, who’s been the president of Bird-in-Hand United Methodist Church’s United Women of Faith for 15 years. “We have a 250-year-old church, and there are so many expenses. Our group works throughout the year to keep our church functioning. We’re just trying to support our
Organizers Jo Miller (left) and Audrey Miller display just some of
Technically, films combine elements of images, motion, dialogue, ideas and music. It’s a combination of sensory stimuli that can evoke strong emotions and transport viewers to different places and times. Ryan Shank, the founder of the Red Rose Film Festival, has been theatrically transported on many different occasions. “(Films are) an escape,” said Shank. “I’ve always loved stories. I grew up on Ninja Turtles, and I also grew up on ‘Jaws.’ I love to laugh. It’s almost like therapy in a way. I’d rather listen to a story and relate to it than talk about myself.” This year’s edition of Shank’s annual Red Rose Film Festival will be staged on four days, from Thursday, Nov. 6, to Sunday, Nov. 9. The festival will include screenings of 60 films - featurelength movies, documentaries and shorts - from 20 countries, as well as a pair of formal gatherings. On Nov. 6, the event will kick off with a welcome party from 5 to 9 p.m. at Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse, 112 N. Water St., Lancaster. Then, on Saturday, Nov. 8, the local film festival will present special awards at a gala from 6 to 10 p.m. at Penn Cinema IMAX, 541 Airport Road, Lititz. “The welcome party is just that,” said Shank, a 2004 graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School. “It’s a happy hour for filmmakers. You’re enjoying food, and you’re talking about your projects and your passion. The gala is held after all the films have been screened at least twice over the weekend. Do I call it a
See Crafters Bazaar pg 5 the items that will be available at the Crafters Bazaar.
See Film Festival pg 3
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Cast members perform a musical number from Servant Stage’s production of “Swing!”
In your mailbox & online BY JEFF FALK
Love of Film Will Unite Buffs at Red Rose Festival BY JEFF FALK
I
t seems a lot to ask 17- and 18-year-olds to make highereducation decisions that will affect the rest of their lives, that will shape the directions of their existences. But College Night can help by providing options, clearing up misconceptions and sparking new possibilities. An informed decision is a smart decision. “It helps kids from all over Lancaster County and beyond to be able to have direct interaction with colleges, trade schools and the military,” said Barbara McDaniel, a counseling office administrative assistant at Conestoga Valley High School (CVHS) who’s been coordinating College Night for 27 years. “It gives them a little bit of the atmosphere of what college is like. It helps students decide which path is best for them.” Located at 2110 Horseshoe Road,
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