Manheim Township
National
Day townlively.com
MARCH 15, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXVIII • NO 42
Look Inside
As manager, Rick Kane makes Township run smoothly make him qualified for the job of manager, it’s his love for Manheim It’s a thankless position, one Township that motivates him to do performed behind the scenes, with it well. “I’ve lived in Manheim Township little or no fanfare. It’s a difficult job that requires organizational for almost my entire life,” said skills and prioritizing, as well as a Kane, who’s held the position of township manager for a year, after certain level of tact. One doesn’t have to be a native being employed as the chief of the to be the manager of Manheim fire company. “I can assure you that I came into this position with a difTownship. But it sure does help. Meet Rick Kane. While it’s his ferent perspective. I know the hisexperience and expertise that may tory. This is my hometown. I’m vested. Now I’m raising my family here.” Kane’s job as township manager is perhaps best characterized as a little bit of everything, all the time. Kane is the guy who can get you anything you want or knows who can. With 44,000 residents in its 24 square miles, Manheim Township is the only township in Lancaster County designated as a first-class township - that is, one that has a population density of 300 or more residents per square mile. Of the nearly 2,400 municipalities in Pennsylvania, there exist only 92 Rick Kane is a native of Manheim Township serving his hometown as first-class townships. BY JEFF FALK
Aaron’s Acres began an Adult Sports League in early February, which taught kickball among other sports.
Adult Sports League takes off BY ANN MEAD ASH
e are always adding programs and creating opportunities,” said Risa Paskoff, executive director of Aaron’s Acres. During the winter, the organization added the Aaron’s Acres Adult Sports League to its offerings for adults with disabilities. The league joined existing sports programs such as the Chuckie Magee Flag Football League, which began in the fall of 2022. Paskoff pointed out that Challenger Little League of Lancaster County is available in the spring. Challenger has given individuals with special needs a chance to play baseball each year for nearly three decades. After the flag football program attracted 20 members who participated in regular games at the Manheim Brethren in Christ Church on Saturdays from August through early November, Aaron’s Acres organizers wanted to offer a winter program, dubbed Aaron’s Acres Adult Sports League. “We started it at the beginning of February,” said Paskoff, who noted the program
parents. The participant was happy to take part in the activity. “He’s very social, and he was so excited to be with other people,” said Paskoff. Because of the success of the flag football league and the winter sports programming, Paskoff said, Aaron’s Acres plans to hold the programs again. “It’s just continuing the mission of providing meaningful programs to people with disabilities and expanding the ages,” she said. “It’s another opportunity for individuals with disabilities to be together for social time and also be physically active, and it gives families times to connect.” Aaron’s Acres holds a six-week summer program to serve about 200 children with disabilities. In the summer of 2022, the camp moved to New Holland, and Paskoff said the organization plans to hold camp in the New Holland Community Memorial Park again in 2023. Paskoff noted the organization continues to look for an existing building to renovate to meet its needs. More information about Aaron’s Acres may be found at www.aaronsacres.org.
See Township manager pg 3
manager.
They still make Wilbur Chocolate in Lititz ... well, sort of BY JEFF FALK
The historic town of Lititz has always been associated with Wilbur Chocolate, or for at least as long as anyone can remember. The reminders are everywhere, the signs are all around, and with a little imagination, visitors can still make out the aroma of chocolate being made there. In 2016, the production of Wilbur Chocolate at its longtime plant on North Broad Street was ceased, ending the site’s celebrated 125-year run of creating the confectionery.
Present owner Cargill Inc. established the Wilbur Chocolate outlet store across the street at 45 N. Broad St. and opened a Wilbur plant on Lincoln Avenue in Lititz, where white chocolate is currently manufactured. In addition to the sale of a variety of retail items, the outlet store creates some in-house delicacies that incorporate the use of Wilbur Chocolate. A lot of that chocolate, which has stayed true to the original Wilbur recipe, is being produced in Mount Joy, in Hazleton and at the Lincoln Avenue facility. See Wilbur Chocolate pg 2
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has been held each Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Lancaster Brethren in Christ Church on Fruitville Pike, with the last installment set for March 18. “We opened it to adults ages 21 to 40 as with the flag football,” explained Paskoff. “We didn’t know if they would like kickball or soccer or floor hockey, so we did two weeks of each.” The rotation began with kickball, which some of the participants had never played before. Next, the program featured soccer and is finishing with floor hockey. Halfway through each session, the group took a break for a snack. More than 20 participants and four volunteers took part. “They loved kickball. It was so much fun,” said Paskoff, who noted that in the future, she hopes to have more volunteers at the sessions. Because of the short duration and number of volunteers, parents of participants are required to remain at the venue. “It gives the parents time to mingle and (network),” said Paskoff, who noted one participant’s mother had moved to the state only recently and was able to learn about resources from other