Pequea Valley townlively.com
MAY 15, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 21
On-the-job training PVHS senior making her mark in construction BY ANN MEAD ASH
K
atrina Kilby is an energetic soul. The daughter of Elaine Schulze and Brian Kilby of Gap and soon-to-be Pequea Valley High School (PVHS) graduate is working full-time in construction for Benchmark Construction Co. Inc. as part of the team that is remodeling the interior of the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, located at 45 S. Queen St., Lancaster, for LancasterHistory. She likes the job because it keeps her active. “It’s hands-on, and I’m not sitting behind a desk,” said a smiling Kilby. “I am on my feet all day.” Kilby’s interest in construction, and specifically carpentry, can be traced to her eighth-grade year at Pequea Valley Intermediate School, where a STEM teacher suggested she look into the C.O.R.E. - Career Occupation
Relevancy Education - Academy. C.O.R.E. teaches skill development while also offering integrated academic instruction to PVHS students. The program introduces students to trades they may not have considered. Kilby’s ninth-grade C.O.R.E. class built a shed outside the
“Really all I want to do is get more skilled in construction and learn as much as I can.” classroom that the academy now uses for storage. “We built the shed from the ground up,” said Kilby. “We framed it, and we finished the outside.” In Kilby’s sophomore year, the academy learned about motors, which did not catch her interest the way carpentry had. “I decided
to go to LCCTC (Lancaster County Career & Technology Center) for construction (in my sophomore year),” explained Kilby, who noted the students built mock houses inside the shop, which they then dismantled at the end of the school year. “I liked that, so I went into the carpentry program, which I am in now,” explained Kilby. In the spring of 2023, Bill L astinger, chair of the ABC Keystone A pprenticeship & Craft Training Committee and general superintendent with Benchmark Construction Co. Inc., visited Kilby’s class at LCCTC. “He said he had openings for over the summer,” recalled Kilby. “So I submitted my resume, and he hired me.” During the summer following her junior year, Kilby worked for Benchmark in a number of settings, including in Philadelphia and in Millersville and Washington Boro.
Katrina Kilby takes a break from working at the construction site at
See Senior pg 2 45 S. Queen St., Lancaster.
Moores Memorial Library recently took its story time program on the road by holding the event at WaterGap Stables in Christiana. The story time featured all the traditional elements, including a book reading by library director Trish Vandenbosch, followed by a craft. But this time, instead of sitting in the library children’s room encircled by
books, the youngsters were surrounded by open pastures with roaming horses that reside at the farm. They also met Gambler, a miniature therapy horse that is part of WaterGap Stables’ Hooves 4 Healing program. The nonprofit organization offers animalassisted therapy to people of all ages, including veterans. For the first half-hour of story time, children were able to brush Gambler and spend time with him. Christi Scott has taught Gambler how to
Chazak Rescue provides training for international first responders BY FRANCINE FULTON
“People coming in all have a direct calling to help rescue people and help people in need,” said public relations director Troy Bouffard, when describing those who choose to be a part of Chazak Rescue, a nonprofit international rescue and relief organization. “(We get) a mix of people who are ready for action and really enjoy trying new things and being challenged in body, soul and spirit.”
Chazak, pronounced “khawzawk,” is a Hebrew word that denotes strength and courage. T he goal o f the Gap-bas e d organization, which formed in 2021, is to “develop, train and mobilize specialized teams to bring leadership, humanitarian aid and hope to high-risk crisis areas.” Since its formation, cadet teams have visited Greece, where they worked in a refugee camp, and Uganda, where they spent
See Library pg 3 “shake hands.”
17th Annual
See Chazak Rescue pg 4
Engle Printing & Publishing Co., Inc.
presented by
Friday | JUNE 7 | 2024
benefiting epcgolfouting.com
R106943
BY FRANCINE FULTON
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER MAY 15, 2024
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
Postal Patron
PEQ
Youngsters learn about equine therapy during library story time