Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville townlively.com
JUNE 11, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXVI • NO 15
Engines Will Roar at Thunder on the River BY CAT SHANNON
If you plan to be in downtown Columbia at noon on Saturday, June 21, brace yourself. You’re about to discover why an annual event is called Thunder on the River. At the 11th annual show, more than 525 cars, trucks and
motorcycles will line Locust S t re e t a n d , fo l l o w i n g t h e national anthem, fire up their engines at once. The synchronized revving sends a thunderous roar through the town, a tradition that’s become the show’s signature moment. “We started this tradition a few years ago, and it’s become See Thunder pg 4
People enjoy a previous year’s Thunder on the River.
The Farm That Fought for Freedom BY CAT SHANNON
J
ust off Route 30 in Wrightsville, 87 acres of land hold hundreds of years of history. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA), that history will come back to life. Work is underway to transform the Mifflin farm into the multi-million-dollar Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park,
a destination designed to tell the nationally important stories of York and Lancaster counties. Recently, the site at 202 Cool Springs Road was added to the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program. Pete Miele, senior project leader, explained that the first white settlers on the land were Jonathan and Susanna Mifflin, who were Quakers. In the early
part of the 19th century, the couple played an important role in the Underground Railroad. “Pretty quickly after they move here, they begin to shelter freedom seekers who are escaping slavery,” Miele said, noting that the Mifflins helped guide people to freedom up until the early 1840s. “This is really early Underground Railroad activity. The term ‘Underground Railroad’ didn’t really even come into being
Feel the Beat at Music in the Park BY CAT SHANNON
The Columbia Lions Club kicked off its Music in the Park Summer Concert Series in May, and the series will continue on the third Friday of each month through August. Concerts will be held at Locust Street Park, 550 Locust St., Columbia, from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. A bonus concert will also be held on Sunday, July 13, from 6 to 7 p.m. Mama Tried Band will perform on June 20. A Columbia favorite, the band is known for delivering
a mix of funk, dance and rock. Its lively performances, impressive musicianship and ability to engage the audience ensure a fantastic night of music, said Phil Kresge, who co-chairs Music in the Park with Paul Resch. On July 13, the Twin Rose Community Band will entertain. The band originally formed as the Long Level Silver Cornet Band, later becoming the Columbia VFW Band. It was reorganized in 2014 as the Twin Rose Community Band. Though the band started in Lancaster County, its home base
See Farm pg 2
See Music pg 4
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Pete Miele in a barn that will become an interactive visitor’s center. Photo by Cat Shannon
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