Penn Manor townlively.com
JUNE 4, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXII • NO 6
A Dog’s Life at Eshleman Elementary BY GEORGE DEIBEL
A good little boy who has spent seven years at the elementary level will not be moving on to middle school. Sawyer, an 8-year-old Labradoodle, was recently recertified and will be back at Eshleman Elementary for the next school year. As Eshleman’s facility dog, Sawyer spends his weekdays in
the school building and nights at the home of his primary handler, principal Melissa Mealy. “He’s our pet at home in the evenings,” she said. S aw yer is rel at ively low maintenance, and the immense responsibility is worth it, according to Mealy. “He’s a good dog,” she said. “He’s very well trained. Very relaxed. He is with people all day, so when he gets home, he’s pretty tired.” See Sawyer pg 4
Blue Rock Heritage Center president Charlie Douts shows one of the decoys displayed at the museum. Photo by George Deibel
BY GEORGE DEIBEL
Don’t be fooled. While decoys are scheduled to be the featured attraction, the Blue Rock Heritage Center will really hold its annual open house on Sunday, June 8. The event will be held at the center, 2251 River Road, Washington Boro. Admission is free; donations will be accepted. Waterfowl mounts donated six months ago by Marvin “Butch” Espenshade will be on display, featuring species that can be
found in the area, Blue Rock Heritage Center president Charlie Douts said. Local collectors from York and Lancaster counties will show their duck decoys and explain how they were made and painted, as well as how the decoys were used to lure waterfowl to get close to hunters. Visitors will also be able to view a sneak boat circa 1950, which was donated by Alen Dinkel of Columbia. A sneak boat is used to hunt in open water, and it can be anchored near small islands, Douts said.
He noted that the exhibits will appeal to “people who are interested in the river and the heritage of the river,” adding that “duck hunting continues to occur here, and it’s related to the migratory flights of the waterfowl, both ducks and geese.” Debbie Saylor, the curator of the Blue Rock Heritage Center, stated that the decoys and waterfowl mounts will be used to take people back to what life was like in the early 1800s. “The Native Americans said the sky was blackened with waterfowl; it was so
Sawyer spends some time with Wendy Terry’s first-grade class. Photo by George Deibel
Watershed Planner Returns to His Neck of the Woods BY GEORGE DEIBEL
Brian Gish takes great pride in each plan he writes to heal sick waterways, but his latest project hits home. Gish, who is the Pennsylvania senior watershed planner for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), is in the early stages of devising a proposal to improve the condition of 13 streams that impact portions of Columbia Borough, Mountville Borough,
West Hempfield Township, and Manor Township. “This one is special for me,” he said. Gish, whose grandfather worked in Columbia, grew up outside of Marietta, dining on mouthwatering shifter sandwiches, the local delicacy made up of ham, sweet pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo. “It’s wonderful,” he said with a chuckle. As a Boy Scout, Gish searched for the albatwitch, the miniature, See Watershed pg 3
See Open House pg 2
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Blue Rock Heritage Center Will Hold Open House
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