Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville FEBRUARY 4, 2026
SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 6,480 HOMES
Good Vibes for a Great Cause
VOL LXVI • NO 47
Where Food and Community Take Root
BY CAT SHANNON
W
hen Evolve Life Group hosts its annual Sweethear t Dance, people can e x p e c t m o re t h a n those two words imply, said Joe Bachman, director of the group. It will be held on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, Feb. 14, but it’s open to anyone, whether they have a date or not. “This is a community dance,” Bachman shared. “We use the word ‘dance’ loosely. There’s a lot of people The Modern Age will perform at Evolve Life Group’s Sweetheart Dance. be available in a lot at the rear of that just come and see people they music and tap your feet!” The event will be held at the the building. haven’t seen for a long time. It’s a “ We will have non-alcoholic great night of community fellow- Hellam Fire Hall, 163 E. Market ship. You can certainly dance, but St., Hallam, from 7 to 9 p.m. Doors drinks and snacks for a freewill you also can just sit and listen to will open at 6:30 p.m. Parking will offering, along with a live band,”
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JUNE 11, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
“I will never get tired of painting the river,” said artist Diana Thomas, describing the view from the banks of the Susquehanna. “It’s always fascinated me how often the color of the river changes.” Thomas will share her love of the river and how it’s influenced her art at “The River Speaks Color,” a 30-minute illustrated talk to be held Saturday, Feb. 7, at 11 a.m. at the Zimmerman Center for Heritage, 1706 Long Level Road, Wrightsville. The talk will be followed by open painting time, allowing participants to create
On a stretch of preser ved farmland in Elizabethtown, transformation happens every day at a space that offers reconnection - with the land, with one another and with the essential act of growing food. This is Wittel Farm, a nonprofit on 85 acres of land with a long history of care, now being reimagined as a place where food, community and environmental stewardship meet. Records date the property to the mid-1700s, and long before that it was cared for by the Susquehannock people. In the 1980s, Chuck and Katie Wittel placed the property into a land trust, gifting it to the Lutheran Camping Corporation. While not much was produced at the farm for many years, that changed in 2016, when the farm’s current manager, the Rev. Matt Lenahan, began the Growing Project, a partnership between the Lutheran Camping Corp., the Lower Susquehanna Synod and Hunger-Free Lancaster County. L enahan, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Akron, grew up on a large commercial farm in New York and once thought he would never farm again after entering ministry. His thinking shifted as he became more aware of food insecurity and the fragility of modern food systems. “I really star ted to think about the food system and how food-dependent we are because so few of us are actually participating in the food production,” he said. “We’ve really stepped
See River pg 4
See Root pg 5
See Vibes pg 3
VOL LXVI • NO 18
Shine Bright at Hope Within 5K BY CAT SHANNON
Saturday, July 19, beginning at 8 a.m. at Stone Gables Estate, Support a local nonprofit, 1 Hollinger Lane, Elizabethtown. enjoy beautiful surroundings “The idea came about as a and get some exercise all at the means to represent what Hope same time by participating in Within Ministries is - a health the Hope Within Ministries’ care, dental and counseling Let Your Light Shine 5K Walk/ center,” said Laurie Reichert, Run. The event will be held on director of development for the See 5K pg 2
2024 MS FitEffect participants and trainers with program director Mark Mueller (far right)
MS FitEffect Puts Strength Into Motion explained. “We have sessions there are no two people who available Monday through Sat- share the same set of symptoms urday in the morning, afternoon at the same intensities with the and some evenings. It is based same presentation of symptoms.” While specifics vary for each on the participant’s and trainer’s participant, the program focuses availability.” on strength, stamina and stability for all sessions. “ We use a combination of “We meet each stretching, relaxation techniques, participant where they weight training, cardiovascular training, balance and gait training are at and move them and functional training,” Mark forward from there.” said. “We meet each participant where they are at and move them forward from there. We focus on As Mark shared, MS FitEffect is helping them achieve a better qualpersonalized. ity of life by working with them on “The program is different for activities of daily living that have everyone, as the trainer cus- become difficult for them.” tom-designs the program for the MS FitEffect is open to anyone particular participant,” he stated. with MS or any demyelinating “MS is different for everyone; disease.
The historic Star Barn will be one of the sights to see along the route of Hope Within Ministries’ Let Your Light Shine 5K.
In your mailbox & online ETN
M
ark Mueller and his wife, Jackie, took a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and turned it into an opportunity to help others. Jackie was diagnosed with MS in 1998, and the couple sought to treat the disease as naturally as possible, without medication. They experimented with nutrition and exercise to see what worked and what didn’t, and their research led to MS FitEffect, a free, 10-week program for people with MS. The next session will run from Saturday, Sept. 6, through Saturday, Nov. 15, at Elizabethtown Fitness Club, 626 S. Market St. “Each participant selects a time with their trainer for their private one-hour weekly session,” Mark
A World of Wonder Awaits Inside the Bookmobile
BY JEFF FALK
It’s more than books on wheels. The Library System of Lancaster County’s (LSLC) bookmobile delivers knowledge, creativity, inspiration and joy. The bookmobile is kind of like a food truck serving up nourishment for the mind and soul. “Reading in general is very important,” said Audrey Lilley, the bookmobile’s driver, curator and full-time coordinator. “It’s important for kids to be reading. It’s important for them to
See MS FitEffect pg 5
Painting the Ever-Changing River
be able to pick up a book and see characters who look like them. Reading can be inspirational, and with retirees, it kind of comes full circle. I think retirees can find comfort in reading. For all people in between, it’s a way to relax and unwind.” W h e n n o t o n t h e g o to multiple locations all across Lancaster County, Lilley parks the bookmobile at LSLC’s main office at 1866 Colonial Village Lane, Suite 107, Lancaster. The bookmobile is a 22-foot-long box truck with a single entrance
BY CAT SHANNON
See Bookmobile pg 3
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Diana Thomas at the Susquehanna River with some of her river-inspired art
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BY CAT SHANNON
BY CAT SHANNON