Pequea Valley townlively.com
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JANUARY 15, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
The new retaining wall at the playground area at the Welsh Mountain Community Center Park
VOL LXI • NO 4
wellness
Ayden Valotta, member of New Holland Scouting America Troop 48, stands with the wall he built at Welsh Mountain Community Center park to complete his Eagle Scout requirements.
A worthwhile project Scout helps refurbish wall at WMCC BY ANN MEAD ASH
G
arden Spot High School ( G S H S ) s e n i o r Ayd e n Valotta has fond memories of spending time at the Welsh Mountain Community Center ( WMCC) Park when he was younger. Not only did he play and sled there, but later, when he was
a Den Chief in the New Holland Scouting America Troop 48, he participated in camping activities and Scouting ceremonies held at the facility. So, in the summer of 2024, when Ayden was looking for an Eagle Scout project, he contacted WMCC board member Joe Flaim. “Originally, when I was looking
for projects, I was interested in (the WMCC) playset,” recalled Ayden, who ended up focusing on the wall that surrounds a section of the playset. “(The wall) was 40 years old,” noted WMCC board member Sherry Bonham of the semicircular retaining wall that Ayden eventually removed and replaced.
Ayden, who lives in East Earl with his father, Robert; mother, Tyffany; and brother, Castiel, who is a Scouting America Tenderfoot, went to work securing materials to replace the wall, which is located at the foot of a long stairwell in the park. Funds were donated by local individuals and businesses and the
park itself, and work began in October 2024. Removing the old retaining wall required demolition with an auger, provided by J.B. Zimmerman Ace Hardware in New Holland, and a jack hammer. “Digging was hard,” stated Ayden. “It was mostly concrete, and there was extra fill.” Materials to replace the approximately 70 feet of wall See WMCC pg 5
“Inventor ” and “problem solver” were some of the words used by Gwendolyn Dickinson when describing her grandfather William Chester Ruth of Gap during a program held recently at Sadsbury Friends Meeting as part of its speaker series. Ruth, the son of a slave, became a renowned agricultural inventor who earned patents for various farm implements that he invented. “(His story) is one that I have been wanting to share for
The story of Stan BY ANN MEAD ASH
a long time,” said Dickinson. “My brother and I discussed it at length - how can we make sure that his contributions are not forgotten?” Since her brother passed away, Dickinson said it became her responsibility to share her grandfather’s story as she is his only surviving grandchild. “We formed the William Chester Ruth Legacy Project (in 2022) in order to help us further spread this story,” she noted. “Fortunately, we made a lot of progress in terms of getting the word out. One of the first things See Local inventor pg 2
The inf luence that the late Stan Deen had on New Holland - as a teacher, a director, and a member of the community - is well known. Stan, who passed away in July of 2016, founded Garden S p o t Per for ming A r ts (GSPA), the Garden Spot High School (GSHS) auditorium is named for him, and, according to Mike Ressler, chair of the New Holland Area Historical Steve Loewen (left) and Nate Deen have partnered Society (NHAHS) board of to bring an exhibit about Stan Deen to the New Holland Area Historical Society Museum.
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trustees, “Everybody (who knew him) has a Stan Deen story.” However, it was a chance meeting between NHAHS founder Steve Loewen and Nate Deen, who was taken in by Stan as a GSHS student and on whose life with Stan the soon-to-bereleased film “Brave the Dark” is based, that has resulted in an exhibit called “The Remarkable Mr. Deen.” The display will take up the main room of the NHAHS Museum, 207 E. Main St., New Holland. No end date See Stan Deen pg 8
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Program details the life of local inventor