Manheim Central townlively.com
JUNE 18, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXVI • NO 21
Musical Will Commemorate Memorable Concert BY CAT SHANNON
In June of 2000, members of the Hempfield United Methodist Church Youth Choir took a trip to Naked Creek Overlook on Skyline Drive in Virginia. Now, 25 years later, one of the participants has created a musical production inspired by a true story from the trip, and she’s enlisted one of the youngest travelers from the group to play her character in the show. “Audience of One” will be Hannah Brubaker
Kyria Martin
performed at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28, a nd at 3 p. m . o n S u nd ay, June 29, at The Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim. With the book, music and lyrics by Alisa Bair, the show reflects a pivotal moment in the group’s journey. “A church youth choir opts out of its summer choir tour in favor of a concert, just for God, on a mountaintop,” Bair said, describing the musical’s plot. “While convinced that their trip See Musical pg 3
Reagan Wiese
Class of 2025 Encouraged to Embrace Change BY CAT SHANNON
alumna Aimee Tucci Ketchum, Class of 1990, addressed the students. Reagan Wiese also spoke at the ceremony. “Being a teenager in 2025 is not easy,” she told her classmates. “We have so much pressure from … everything. We’re expected to be so much, to know so much, but inevitably, we can only do so much. We all have limits to what we can do, and we need to learn that it’s OK.” She encouraged her classmates to allow themselves some grace. “We need to realize that our worth is not based on our intelligence or a single concept,” she said. “Our worth is based on our drive and eagerness for exploration and connection. Life is so much more than our predisposed competitive drive where we always compare ourselves to others. … Remember, everyone is worthy of something. We all contribute to the world in some way or another; it all matters.”
Cast members of “Audience of One” in rehearsal
A New Chapter for the Library BY CAT SHANNON
LaTrobe Barnitz may have only been the executive director of the Manheim Community Library for a little over a month, but he knows one thing for sure: He will never get tired of looking out the windows of the library’s new location at 547 N. Penryn Road, Manheim. “My favorite part of the library is the view back here,” he said, referring to the windows that run the length of the children’s area
in the back of the library space and overlook acres of farmland. “It looks like a postcard.” Manheim Community Library moved into its new space, which is part of the Kreider Farms Cultural Center on the Pleasant View Communities campus, in late April. The library had outgrown its space in downtown Manheim, Barnitz said, and the building that houses the borough offices was also not ideal for a community space. See Library pg 2
Sweet Cherries
Flowe rs ALL o n are ripe! Picking Hours: 400 Long Lane At Marticville Road Mon.-Sat. 8am-6pm S ale!! (Rts. 741 & 324S) Closed Sun. * Pick Your Own Mon.-Fri. 8am-6:30pm 717-872-9311 3 Miles S. of Lancaster Sat. 8am-3:30pm * Ready Picked Closed Sun.
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER JUN. 18, 2025
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
Postal Patron
MC1
I
n her address to her classmates, Manheim Central Class of 2025 valedictorian Hannah Brubaker acknowledged the challenges she and her peers have faced in the past and encouraged her fellow students to embrace the changes the future will bring. “Many of us would admit that this year in particular has been both hard and deeply joyful for many reasons,” she told the audience at the ceremony, held on May 30 at LCBC Church in Manheim. “It’s been a year of letting go of the people who we’ve loved so dearly for our entire lives, while also beginning to embrace what is to come.” While graduating high school is an emotional experience, she said, it’s also an opportunity to experience new things. “I think there is beauty in the
idea that what looks like the end of an era in our lives is often the beginning of something even more wonderful,” she said. “Let us focus not on what we regret or what we’ll mourn leaving behind, but instead on the wonderful things that God has planned for our futures. As we reflect back on what we’ll miss dearly and look forward to what we’re excited for in the future, I hope we can embrace the beauty of change.” Hannah will attend Liberty University, where she plans to major in accounting and data analysis, with a minor in German. Class president Tristan Wood welcomed the Class of 2025 to the ceremony. Kyria Martin was named salutatorian. She will attend Millersville University and plans to pursue a career in botany. Principal Joshua Weitzel presented scholarships and academic awards to the Class of 2025, and Manheim Central
Follow us on
www.cherryhillorchards.com
R118926