Pequea Valley townlively.com
MAY 14, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXI • NO 21
Pickleball tournament planned by the tennis team that could BY ANN MEAD ASH
W
hen one hears the history of the Pequea Valley boys ’ tennis program since 2022, one might wonder how Pequea Valley High School (PVHS) fields a tennis team at all. However, quite the opposite is true. Due to construction at the school, the PVHS tennis team has not had home courts for practice or to host games on since 2022, when the current senior players were freshmen. Instead, the team practices mostly at the Paradise Park courts and at the courts at the park in Gap. “At the beginning of the last season, we had five juniors,” noted coach Lela Fredricks. “(The boys) recruited their friends (to join the team),” added
The Pequea Valley High School boys’ tennis team and coaches are preparing to hold a fundraising pickleball tournament.
Lori Winey, Pequea Valley Boys Tennis Boosters member. With all that working against the 13 team members, the team
finished the 2025 season with a 13-1 record, making it to the semifinals in league playoffs. Both singles and doubles players
advanced to District 3. At print “Having only two courts has time, the team had won its first not stopped them from loving the district match against Berks sport,” Fredricks said. “Tennis is Catholic High School. a mental sport, and only having See Tennis pg 6
Celebrating “the joy of the journey” GiGi’s Playhouse celebrates Down syndrome everyday
BY ANN MEAD ASH
BY JEFF FALK
“ We are all in this journey together,” stated Adam Nagle, executive director of The Factory Ministries, an organization with a mission rooted in the belief that “everyone’s journey matters.” As The Factory looks forward to this year’s gala, the importance of recognizing the contributions of community members is foremost as organizers look to celebrate dignity and accomplishment. The Together We Rise Factory Looking forward to The Factory Ministries’ annual gala at The Expo
World Down Syndrome Day doesn’t celebrate our differences. World Down Syndrome Day celebrates why we’re all special. On March 21, at 2501 Oregon Pike, GiGi’s Playhouse Lancaster added its own special twists to World Down Syndrome Day. “Down syndrome is not a condition,” said Kevin Hewitt, president of GiGi’s Playhouse Lancaster’s seven-person advisory board. “People with Down
Center at Wyndham are (from left) Mike Lewis, Ellie Green, Adam
See The Factory Ministries pg 8 Nagle, Kerri Burns, and Louise Quillen.
sy ndrome aren’t s uffer ing. They ’re just different. They might have challenges that other people don’t have. Sometimes they’re challenged physically. They might be challenged in their cognitive abilities.” “In the past, people with Down syndrome tended to get pushed aside,” continued Hewitt. “General acceptance is what World Down Syndrome Day is all about. (People with Down syndrome) are often misunderstood, and sometimes they’re bullied. Our mission is to See Gigi’s Playhouse pg 4
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Factory sets annual gala