Manheim Township townlively.com
FEBRUARY 22, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
At Hands-on House Museum, kids play, have fun - and learn BY JEFF FALK
hey’ve got a lot of cool things going on at the Hands-on House Children’s Museum of Lancaster, both inside and out, both individually and in group settings. Touching is fun, fun is learning, and learning is a key element in
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healthy development. Located at 721 Landis Valley Road, the Hands-on House Children’s Museum of Lancaster is an energetic space for kids to be kids. It’s an engaging place where children from ages 2 through 10, and even younger, are encouraged to explore, be creative and be curious.
Estelle Simmons of Lititz checks out one of the interactive displays during a recent visit to the Hands-on House Children’s Museum of Lancaster.
“We want kids to develop a love for learning,” said Jim Bland, executive director of the Hands-on House Children’s Museum. “Everyone learns best by doing. Some are more auditory; some are more visual. The number one way to learn and retain is by teaching. In a freeform environment, kids are taking control. Then kids give instruction to grown-ups.” The 8,000-square-foot Hands-on House Children’s Museum is broken down into about seven or eight different interactive play/learning areas. There, kids are mentally stimulated and presented with items that may be new or may be familiar. Out of doors, young explorers are treated to a recently enlarged learning playground called “Mason’s Active Adventure Garden,” where the use of “outside voices” signals a different sort of appreciation for learning. But Hands-on House is so much more. It also offers art classes, story times, STEM programs, reading instruction, camps and outreach programs. “Early learning gives kids a better shot when they get into school,” said Bland. “They get a little more familiar with the structure, with the attention span needed. Kind of like when they get into school they can say, ‘I’ve been learning.’” Approximately 63,000 visitors are hosted by the Hands-on House Museum of Lancaster each year, and about half of them are children. Bland estimated that 75% of those guests originate from Lancaster County.
VOL XXXVIII • NO 39
An artist’s view of Lancaster Denlinger’s Seasonal Murals Rest At New Holland Shop BY ANN MEAD ASH
In early 2019, Linda Dibartolo and Bill Heagy Sr., owners of Tannery Antiques, 148 E. Main St., New Holland, were contacted by members of the board of the Upper Leacock Township War Memorial Association (ULTWMA) building, 54 W. Main St., Leola. The board wanted to move three
paintings by local artist Milton E. Denlinger located in the basement of the building. After several months of negotiations, the 12.5-by-4.5-foot paintings had found a new home near the front of the couple’s shop. “They are painted on Masonite, so they are heavy,” said Dibartolo, who added that it takes six people to move each painting. See An artist’s view pg 3
Linda Dibartolo stands between two of the three Milton E. Denlinger paintings of Lancaster County that she has in her shop on Main Street in New Holland.
Behold the beauty of Lititz, presented by Tom Roe BY JEFF FALK
Because it’s all around and everywhere you look, anyone can appreciate the beauty of Lititz. But Tom Roe perceives it in a much different way - through the lens of a camera. Roe, a local professional photographer, is a self-professed visual storyteller. And of all the subjects he captures, one of his favorites to portray is his adopted hometown of Lititz. “Essentially, Lititz is very photogenic,” said Roe. “But what separates the work I do from taking pictures with a cellphone is planning and execution. I want to show off
See Hands-on House pg 4
the beauty of Lititz in the best possible way. Yes, Lititz is a beautiful town, but that makes it even more important to capture it in the right way. You’ve got to give it the respect it deserves.” Through his photography, Roe has engrained himself in the Lititz community. Roe works closely with the tourism-oriented organization Venture Lititz and helps promote local businesses and people through his commercial photography. He estimated that 80% of his paid work originates from the Warwick and Ephrata areas. See Beauty of Lititz pg 2
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