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Donegal will present “Once Upon a Mattress” BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Donegal Performing Arts has an opening for a princess. Tryouts for the role will be held on stage when the club presents “Once Upon a Mattress.” The show will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 10, and Saturday, March 11, as well as at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 12. The main contender for the part
isn’t your typical princess, said Erin Kready, a senior who portrays Winifred, a girl who comes to the kingdom to find love. “The show is a rendition of ‘The Princess and the Pea,’ but the princess isn’t really a princess,” she shared. “She has to pass a series of tests set up by the queen in order to find the man she loves.” The queen is holding the test to find a bride for her son, Prince Dauntless. See Mattress pg 7
Leaders of the county’s Chambers of Commerce include (front, from left) Ashley Zell, Heather Valudes, Denise Grove, (back) Jona Green, Kristie Schmid, Kerry Meyers, Rebecca Branle, and (not pictured) Liz Ackerman.
Taking a seat at the table BY CATHY MOLITORIS
argaret Thatcher once said, “If you want something done, ask a woman.” There’s a whole lot getting done in Lancaster County, because for the first time ever, all of the Chambers of Commerce in the county are led by women. Each woman brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to her role, but all of the leaders share a common goal: They want to make their community a great place to live and work. Denise Grove, who started her role as executive director of the Elizabethtown Area Chamber of Commerce in February of 2022, said the job offers her a way to really connect with others. “As a lifetime resident of Elizabethtown, I had a strong desire to work where I could make a difference and be a
position,” Zell said. The women also remarked that holding the job offers a chance to see their communities thrive. “It’s seeing kids dancing at the farmers market,” commented Rebecca Branle, who has been executive director of Venture Lititz since August of 2021. “It’s celebrating big wins with merchants. It’s watching this town become ever more alive with art, culture and community pride.” Her perspective matches that of Kristie Schmid, who has been executive director of the Manheim Area Chamber of Commerce since March of 2021. “I love seeing our community respond to the revitalization in town, the increase in businesses and the new community events,” Schmid said. “It’s fulfilling to put your time into something and then see others have pride in it as well.” See At the table pg 12
Donegal High School will present “Once Upon a Mattress.”
Going for gold with monarch butterflies BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Alessia Archer knew she wanted to earn her Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve, but she was stuck trying to come up with an idea for her project. Inspiration struck when she saw an ad in the Merchandiser for Milkweed 4 Monarchs, an Elizabethtown-based business that grows the essential food for monarch butterflies. “I contacted Cindy Leonard of Milkweed 4 Monarchs, and I went to her farm, helped her with the milkweed she was growing, and she showed me how to make these mini greenhouses out of old milk jugs and
iced tea jugs,” said Alessia, who is a senior at Donegal High School. “She gave me 200 milkweed seeds for free, and I spent the whole summer making these mini greenhouses.” Alessia distributed the greenhouses at Marietta Day last May, as well as to friends and family through the summer and early fall of 2022. “When it got too cold outside, in September and October, I planned a little lesson plan for day cares, and I had a craft for them to do as well,” she stated. “I went to five or six day cares in Elizabethtown, Columbia, Mount Joy and Hershey, and I gave the lesson and did a craft with the kids.” See Butterflies pg 3
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part of strengthening our community,” she remarked, a sentiment shared by Heather Valudes, who has been president and CEO of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce since June of 2022. “I love Lancaster and the work that we are able to advance to make our employer community as strong as possible,” she said, noting that the Lancaster Chamber is countywide and represents nearly 1,500 businesses, almost half of the county’s workforce. For Ashley Zell, who became executive director of the Mount Joy Chamber of Commerce in January, the job brings a chance to get to know her community. “The friends and connections made and the interaction with the Chamber members and community at our numerous different events are definitely the biggest rewards of this