Elizabethtown townlively.com
APRIL 19, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Supporting early literacy
Expressing creativity through the arts BY CATHY MOLITORIS
hen Jill Thomasson decided to start her own performing arts company, she took inspiration from Zechariah 4:10: Don’t despise small beginnings. ExHaLTT Performing Arts Academy began in January of 2021 with eight students, but the program has been growing steadily ever since. The organization, based in Elizabethtown, will host a silent auction on Saturday, April 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 222 S. Market St. Proceeds will help Thomasson raise funds as she prepares to expand her
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class offerings and renovate her new home space in the ballroom on the second floor of The Marriage Hub, 18 N. Market St., Elizabethtown. The auction will include baskets, gift cards to local restaurants and weeklong vacation home stays. For almost 15 years, Thomasson was a dance teacher at the Milton Hershey School. She left that job to pursue ExHaLTT, which stands for Expressing Hearts and Lives To Touch. “I truly believe lives can be changed by the arts,” she stated. “My mission is coming from a deep place in me to reach into people’s lives, whether they are a viewer of the arts or a participant, and
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
The Elizabeth Hughes Society has a long history of promoting early literacy in Elizabethtown, and that tradition continued this month when the group presented a check for $100 to Bear Creek Elementary
School librarian Erin Hibshman. The society formed in 1928, but its roots date back to the early 1920s. Although their goals included education and civic awareness, the group members’ main focus was creating the present Elizabethtown Public Library. According to history See Literacy pg 5
Rose Ann Wade (third from left) presents a check to Bear Creek Elementary School librarian Erin Hibshman (far left) while (continuing from left) Olivia Robinson, Kiersten Kwiatkowski, Sauray Acharya and principal Jacques Viau look on.
Getting a hands-on introduction to construction BY CATHY MOLITORIS
For three days in March, more than 200 middle school students got a firsthand look at careers in the construction industry at ABC Keystone’s Construction Wars. The students had the opportunity for hands-on work with industry professionals in the carpentry, masonry, sheet metal fabrication, electrical, plumbing and HVAC trades. Represented schools in Lancaster and York counties included Garden Spot Middle School in Eastern Lancaster County School District;
Gerald G. Huesken Middle School in Conestoga Valley School District; Manor Middle School in the Penn Manor School District; Warwick Middle School; Eastern York Middle School; Elizabethtown Area Middle School; Donegal Junior High School; The Janus School in Mount Joy; and La Academia Partnership Charter School. Construction Wars was held at ABC Keystone’s headquarters, 135 Shellyland Road, Manheim. “We offer this event to provide middle school students with exposure and awareness of our industry and hopefully spark their interest See Construction pg 3 R094346
Jill Thomasson
change their lives with the arts.” Her performing arts academy is a faith-based nonprofit organization that has been offering classes from several locations in Elizabethtown as Thomasson gets ready to open her permanent studio this fall. ExHaLTT operates under the tagline, “Where the arts thrive, the soul comes alive.” Thomasson offers classes in all styles of dance for 4-year-olds through adults. “I believe that the arts lead to the development of confidence,” Thomasson shared. “I want my studio to be a place where kids can grow and engage in a safe space. I want it to be a place for everyone to find a way to create something beautiful and impactful. We all need some way to navigate through the challenges of life, and we all need a place of release. The arts help us intellectually, physically and emotionally.” ExHaLTT students will present a spring performance on Saturday, May 27, at 7 p.m. in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center at Elizabethtown College. Thomasson encourages people to come to the performance to see what the studio is all about. She will also offer a musical theater camp this summer for children in fourth grade through rising seniors. The campers will present “The Little Mermaid Jr.” Auditions will be held on Tuesday, July 11, and the camp will run on weekdays from Monday, July 24, through Thursday, Aug. 3. A performance will be held on Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. at Elizabethtown Area High School, where the camp will take place. As she looks to the future, Thomasson sees only bright things ahead. “I want to offer music, dance, theater and art to serve Elizabethtown and the surrounding communities,” she said. “My vision for the studio is for it to have a feeling of an arts mecca, with something for everyone.” For more information on ExHaLTT Performing Arts Academy, visit www.exhalttdancecompany.org or call 717-702-6633.
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