Elizabethtown townlively.com
OCTOBER 19, 2022
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXIII • NO 36
Investing In Students’ Lives BY CATHY MOLITORIS
“Cornerstone has been built on a legacy of loving kids unconditionally,” said Jim Bush, executive director. “My goal is to follow in the footsteps of my predecessors. I don’t take that legacy lightly.” Jim officially became the new executive director of Cornerstone Youth Center, 95 S. Wilson Ave., Elizabethtown, at the end of
Elizabethtown Toastmasters president Matt Blazi delivers a speech at a meeting.
Club member David Pelna displays a green card, letting a speaker know he’s reached the minimum time length for his speech.
Speaking Up At Toastmasters BY CATHY MOLITORIS
or one hour twice a month, the members of the Elizabethtown Toastmasters promote personal and professional development, share information, learn new things - and have a lot of fun doing it all. The club formed in September of 2019, and it’s open to anyone. “I think we are E-town’s best-kept secret,” said David Pelna, vice president of membership. Elizabethtown Toastmasters is a chapter of Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization that aims to help members improve communication and build leadership skills. Founded in 1924, Toastmasters International includes more than 16,800 clubs in 143 countries. “This is a club for anybody who wants to improve their speaking and communication skills,” explained club president Matt Blazi. “It’s also a great opportunity for networking. We have people in our group of all ages, different experiences, different backgrounds.” Each Toastmasters meeting follows the same format. A club member serves as Toastmaster for the
Jim Bush
“Agnes Of God” Focuses On Faith BY CATHY MOLITORIS
When Maria Enriquez considers a show to direct, she asks herself the same question: Why this show now? The director of “Agnes of God,” which will be performed at Susquehanna Stage later this month, said she found the play to be as relevant today as it was when it was written more than 40 years ago. “This is a show that prompts the audience to ask questions about faith versus reason,” Enriquez stated. See Agnes pg 6
See Investing pg 9
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Horse Rescue Sets Hoedown . . . . . . . . .3 Join The Junior Air Rifle Program . . . . . . .5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Business Directory . . . . .10 House Of Worship . . . . . .11 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . .13
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me a pumpkin.” Blazi explained that evaluating the speakers helps club members hone their public-speaking skills. “It’s a time to learn, get feedback, grow, take notes and work to improve,” he remarked. Club members also vote on the best prepared speech and best impromptu speech of the evening. Pelna said he joined the club to overcome the challenge of speaking in front of groups of people, something he often has to do in his job. “I wanted to improve at work, but I also found it’s a skill I can apply to so many situations outside of work as well,” he said. Blazi encourages anyone with an interest to visit the Toastmasters website or just come to a meeting. “Toastmasters has helped me become a better communicator,” he said, “and I can use that in so many aspects of my life.” The Elizabethtown Toastmasters meets at Community Place on Washington, 61 E. Washington St., Elizabethtown, on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.toastmasters.org or come to a meeting.
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evening and acts as a sort of master of ceremonies. At a recent meeting, club member Kevin Schafer filled this role, introducing the schedule for the evening as well as the two speakers who gave prepared speeches on topics of their choice. Blazi spoke on “The Lighthouses of Cape Cod,” following a curriculum prompt that required him to tackle a speech while managing a difficult audience. Jeff Boyle delivered a prepared speech about 988, a new nationwide mental health hotline. Other roles filled by club members included evaluators, who scored the prepared speeches; an “ah” counter, who checked for filler words or speech stumbles; a grammarian, who checked for proper grammar and introduced a word of the day; and a timer, who made sure speakers stuck to prearranged speech lengths. After the prepared speeches, club members were invited to give an impromptu speech on a variety of Table Topics. The theme for impromptu speeches at a recent meeting was autumn, and topics included prompts such as “What’s the ideal temperature?” and “Sell
September, but he took over the position in an interim role earlier in the summer after the unexpected death of then-director Laurie Shepler. Jim’s wife, Michelle, was the board chair of Cornerstone at the time, and Jim has been a volunteer and teacher at the center. “I’ve always had a heart for reaching students, especially the ones on the fringes,” he said, noting that one of the first things he did was meet with students at Cornerstone to help them process their grief over losing their well-loved director. While Jim thought he’d fill the role temporarily, he soon realized he wanted to stick around. “I felt God was opening a door for me,” he stated. “The longer I was here, the more I saw my skill set could help move the ministry forward.” His wife stepped down from the board, and Jim applied for the permanent position. Although he has a business background that includes working in the real estate industry, Jim also has more than 25 years of experience in youth ministry and serves as an associate pastor of Activ8 Church in Lancaster.
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