Conestoga Valley townlively.com
JANUARY 17, 2024
&
health
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 4
wellness
Bearing fruit Local author releases book on patience BY ANN MEAD ASH
In her quest to bring lessons from the Fruits of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23, to both children and adults, local author Shelleen Weaver has produced four books. The most recent is “Grizz Bear and Skippy Cricket,” the tale of a ferocious and impatient bear whose winter hibernation is interrupted by an annoying cricket. A s w i t h a l l Author Shelleen Weaver displays the four “Fruit Weaver ’s “Fruit Fables” books she has written. Fables,” the books, which employ “He tries to control it with Weaver’s rhymes alongside Cody smashing (the cricket), but he Wood’s illustrations, contain can’t because (the bug) is out of nuggets of truth for all family reach. His next form of control is members. “It’s about a control intimidation, which doesn’t work freak who has a situation he because Skippy is oblivious.” can’t control,” explained Weaver. Weaver explained that the bear
Members of the Lancaster County Beekeepers Society check hives.
Become a friend to bees
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Gathering Place, 6 Pine St., Mount Joy. oney bees pollinate The event will cover everything a third of everything people need to start the hobby we eat,” said Master B e e ke e p e r De n ny G o r m a n . “ Without them, we wouldn’t “You’ll get a good, have most of the fruit we eat. basic understanding of Honey bees also pollinate 100% of the almonds grown in this how important bees country.” are to our environment Gorman, who is vice president of and our food chain.” the Lancaster County Beekeepers Society, is passionate about the insects. He invites other people who are interested in learning of beekeeping. more to attend the 2024 New “ We provide a continental Beekeeper Workshop. It will be breakfast and a very nice lunch,” held on Saturday, Jan. 27, from Gorman said. “I personally teach
“H
a class in honey bee biology and hive biology. We teach classes in how to extract honey, where to place your hives, a little bit on diseases. We try to prepare a new beekeeper with the basic info they need to start beekeeping.” Gorman has been a beekeeper for seven years. He started the hobby after he retired from a career in business. “I wanted something to keep my mind shar p and something that I knew nothing about,” he said. He attended his first beekeeper workshop and now is vice president of the organization that got him hooked on the hobby. “Bees are amazingly intelligent,”
Hands-on learning BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Wearing hardhats and safety goggles, a group of students is hard at work on the grounds of Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC) in Mount Joy. They’re building a home as part of the school’s House Project, and they’re also honing the skills they need for their future careers. Since 1989, students have constructed homes through the program. Initially, the construction sites were located throughout Lancaster County,
See Beekeeping pg 5
but getting students to the sites was a challenge. In 2005, the school streamlined the process by subdividing sections of the Mount Joy campus into lots for future house projects. Building the homes takes p l ace o ve r t wo ye a r s a n d involves students in multiple areas of study, said Rick Martin, construction manager. Students in the carpentry program in Mount Joy are joined by LCCTC students in other fields of construction, including electrical work and plumbing, who come from the Brownstown campus. See LCCTC pg 6
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BY CATHY MOLITORIS
See Shelleen Weaver pg 3