Penn Manor townlively.com
JUNE 5, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXI • NO 6
Acorn Acres announces expansion campaign BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
A
corn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation, located in Millersville, is about to make history. In May, Acorn Acres’ founder and executive director, Betsy Shank, announced a new campaign to secure funding for a major expansion. In addition to enhancing Acorn Acres’ level of care and capacity for animals, the project will make the organization Lancaster County’s first commercial wildlife facility. Acorn Acres’ expansion will include an additional facility that will be equipped with advanced diagnostic tools such as fluoroscopy and X-ray machines, as well as an on-site laborator y. The new facility, which is approximately 2,000 square feet, was formerly used as a veterinary office building, and it will allow Acorn Acres to bring in more volunteers, more animals and members of the public who wish to take a look at the many ways it serves the community.
Shank said she initially spoke with Ryan and Ashley Tuma, the owners of the new facility, roughly one year ago about using the space for Acorn Acres. After discussing the potential expansion while Shank was teaching in North Carolina, Ashley suggested the two women meet in person on Feb. 28, unaware that it was the one-year anniversary of the passing of Acorn Acres’ late mascot, Poppy the groundhog. “I said, ‘I hear you, Poppy. I’ ll go,” added Shank . Once the details were squared away, Shank officially partnered with Ryan and Ashley to rent the new space and launch the Capacity Campaign. “I’ve had to turn away animals from Acorn Acres every year because we literally run out of room,” Shank said. “This new facility will allow us to take a higher number of animals, welcome additional volunteers and bring in additional species.” Currently, Acorn Acres specializes in rehabilitating squirrels, rabbits and woodchucks; the expansion
Acorn Acres’ founder, Betsy Shank (left), has partnered with Ashley Tuma (right) and Ryan Tuma (not pictured) to acquire a new facility for wildlife rehabilitation.
will enable the organization to extend its care to bats and Pennsylvania’s only native marsupial, the Virginia opossum. Once the new facility is officially up and running, Shank plans to offer tours to members of the public. Due to regulations, wildlife centers are not able to
Family fun day planned in Conestoga Live With Purpose Church will hold the eighth annual Conestoga Fun Day on Sunday, June 9, at Safe Harbor Park, 5365 River Road, Conestoga. The rain-orshine event will begin with an outdoor worship service from 10 to 11 a.m. After the service, attendees may enjoy free food and live entertainment and participate in various prize drawings and family-friendly activities until the event wraps up at 3 p.m. Free meals will be offered to guests while supplies last, and meal options will include a Children participate in a face painting station during last year’s
now to secure funding for the move into the facility and its continued operation. To make a donation online, visit https:// tinyurl.com/AcornAcresExpan sion. For more information or to view other donations options, visit www.acornacreswr.com/ capacity_campaign.
Memorial ride will return to the Southern End for final time BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
According to the National Institute of Mental Health’s website, suicide was the 11th-leading cause of death in the United States in 2021. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported nearly 50,000 victims, and it determined suicide to be the second-leading cause of death among Americans from ages 10 to 14 and 25 to 34. Like many discussions related to
mental health, the discourse surrounding suicide is often complicated by stigmas. Many nonprofit organizations and individuals, including Bill and Julia Trout of New Providence, seek to raise awareness of suicide and its causes by spreading a message of hope. In June 2021, Bill and Julia held a motorcycle ride in memory of their late son, Daulton, an avid motorcyclist who lost his life to suicide earlier that year. The
See Family fun day pg 3 Conestoga Fun Day.
See Memorial ride pg 4
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exhibit animals in rehabilitation to prevent them from growing accustomed to human contact. The examination rooms in the new building are equipped with one-sided windows, which will allow guests to see the animals while avoiding direct contact. Acorn Acres’ primary goal is
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