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JANUARY 15, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXV • NO 45
wellness
No one’s ever lonely at Lititz Senior Center BY JEFF FALK
Senior Center is supported by the Lancaster County Office of t’s been said that getting older Aging and staffed by Ephrata is a privilege and an honor; Area Rehab Services (EARS). The that it sure does beat the alter- Lititz Senior Center is open Monnative. At the Lititz Senior Center, days, Wednesdays and Thursdays regular and semi-regular visitors from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and seek to age gracefully, proactively, the program is designed for indihealthily - and together. viduals 60 and older from Lititz “Our mission is and surrounding to create family,” communities. said Lucy Weaver, “There’s so much “It’s a stress-free w h o ’s b e e n t h e love he re ,” s a id place when you Lititz Senior Weaver. “I can tell walk through the you how great this Center’s manager for 13 years. “My doors. It’s a place place is, but you’ve goal is for people got to hear it from where you come to come here and the people who feel like family. I to enjoy yourself.” come here. It’s a think isolation is a community when disease. Just being you walk with able to shine is important. I’m people all the time. This is a social not sure what it would look like center. This is where you come if these people were home alone to make new friends and learn without human contact. We all something new. It’s a stress-free need each other.” place when you walk through the Located in the Lititz United doors. It’s a place where you come Methodist Church’s social hall to enjoy yourself.” at 201 E. Market St., the Lititz In addition to a continental
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Visitors to the Lititz Senior Center dance on a recent Thursday.
breakfast and a balanced lunch, the Lititz Senior Center offers crafts; speakers; dancing; bingo; nutrition and mental health programs; exercise classes, including tai chi and yoga; card games; health screenings; haircuts; and trivia. “The (lunch) we give is a full meal, and when some of our seniors go home, they just have a snack,” said Weaver. “ They are the ones who used to call their loved ones, but they’re not getting it back like they used to
give it. Their energy levels have gone down. They may not be able to drive. The economy has hit them really hard. There are a lot of changes happening, but I think they’re more mental than physical.” While more than 200 older residents visit the Lititz Senior Center on a semi-regular basis, there are usually no more than 70 present at one time. The seniors reside in Lititz, Manheim Township, Ephrata, Akron, Leola, Denver and New Holland.
Some live in their own homes, while others reside in retirement communities. Red Rose Transit offers seniors free transportation to and from the Lititz Senior Center. “You have to be independent to get here,” said Weaver. “They’re parents and grandparents and great-grandparents. They’re wonderful people. They’re more than just a name. They are somebody’s somebody. We are spending time with them. Seniors are carrying more than you think they are. See Lititz Senior Center pg 5
The story of Stan The influence 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 Spot Performing Arts (GSPA), the Garden Spot High School (GSHS) auditorium is named for him, and, according to Mike Ressler, chair of the New Holland Area Historical Society (NHAHS) board of 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 has been set for the exhibit. Nate and Loewen were both at a movie at Penn Cinema in early 2024. Their short conversation in the lobby led to lunch and to Nate visiting a car show Loewen See The story of Stan pg 2
BY JEFF FALK
It’s always been Hayden Rucci’s dream to play in the NFL. In some ways, he’s already realized that boyhood dream. But in some other very real ways, he hasn’t. A 2019 graduate of Warwick High School, Rucci was a member of the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad for the majority of the 2024 season. He was as close to playing in the NFL as any player can get, without actually See Hayden Rucci pg 3 Hayden Rucci runs after a catch during an NFL preseason game in August.
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BY ANN MEAD ASH
The closer he gets to his dream, the more Hayden Rucci wants it