Manheim Central
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Spring Sports MARCH 11, 2026
SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 11,320 HOMES
VOL LXVII • NO 7
Trades Early Learning Takes Root Tools, and a
BY CAT SHANNON
Spring T
ransformation is underway at the former Rheems Elementar y School, where construction has begun on a no-cost learning center set to open in summer 2027. When it does, the Catherine He rs he y School will bring change not only to the building, but also to the students and families it serves. The Elizabethtown Catherine Hershey School, located at 130 Alida St., will be the second location to open in Lancaster County, following the opening of a site in New Kim Nixon (left), facilities supervisor, and Luanne Dohner, center director, outside Danville this summer. the Catherine Hershey School in Elizabethtown. Photo by Cat Shannon A third school is set to open in Trust, and all are open to low-income and will provide classes for children age 6 weeks to 5 years. Lancaster city in the fall of 2027. families. “All expenses are covered for our The school will accommodate up Additional Catherine Hershey Schools are open in Hershey, families,” said Luanne Dohner, to 150 children and will initially be center director for the Elizabeth- open to families that live or work in Harrisburg and Middletown. Each is funded by a $350 million town Catherine Hershey School. the Elizabethtown, Manheim Ceninitiative by the Milton Hershey The school will operate year-round tral and Donegal school districts.
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See Learning pg 8
MC1
Making an Impact at Relay For Life
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BY CAT SHANNON
About 25 years ago, Joan Schaum learned about Relay For Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, through her employer, and she joined a team. She didn’t know that the organization would touch her personally in the future. Years later, her mother-in-law, Jackie Immel, moved in with Joan and her husband, Jeffrey, to their home in Columbia. While living with the Schaums, Immel was diagnosed with several types of cancer.
Place to Get Started
BY CAT SHANNON
Like many creative people, Emily Fritz comes from a crafty family. Her grandfather was a woodworker, but he died before she could learn from him. Eager to explore the craft, she wasn’t sure where to begin, and that exper ience inspired her to help others find their starting point. She is the founder and executive director of Lancaster Workshop + Tool Library, opening later this year. “Finding mentorship, tools, space, etc., was a serious lifelong limitation until I shared this story with my friend, mentor and now co-founder, Gene Shaw, a retired cabinetmaker and artist in the city of Lancaster who invited me to learn with him,” she recalled. “By lesson three, I told Gene we must start a community workshop to give our community an opportunity to learn skilled trades in a mentorship, cohort environment, from seasoned experts.” She connected with SCORE, wrote a business plan, created a budget and pitched her idea to the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County. The Trust agreed to serve as fiscal sponsor, supporting the workshop and tool library under the Trust’s 501(c)(3) status. “It’s really thanks to them and their belief in our mission along with the Steinman STEM Alliance for giving us the gift of startup funding to get off the ground,” Fritz said. In August 2025, Shaw began setting up space in a warehouse located at 433 Ice Ave., Lancaster.
See Hope pg 5 Members of The Breakfast Crew at December’s Breakfast with Santa
storewide spring flooring sale
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See Tools pg 9
March 19-21
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