Conestoga Valley townlively.com
JANUARY 26, 2022
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LVIII • NO 5
Intergenerational Creativity Grandfather And Granddaughter Collaborate On Story BY ANN MEAD ASH
he tale of Aria and Ducky began on a seashore boardwalk when Aria, who is now 7, was only 18 months old and she received a stuffed duck as an arcade prize. Aria, who lives in Manheim, often told her grandfather, André
T
Servants Inc. Comes To Lancaster
write it down. “I said, ‘I am not a writer, I am a retired health care executive and industrial engineer,’” recalled André, sharing that his wife replied, “Just do it.” “So I did it,” said André, who shared his written version with friends and received praise for it. His sister, who is a teacher, proofread it for him, and with a clean copy, he decided to take the next step and find an illustrator. After researching illustrators online, André’s son, Chris, who is Aria’s father, suggested André reach out to one of his childhood friends, David Leonard. “I coached the kid in soccer,” André recalled of Leonard. “I looked at David’s website and fell in love with his work.” After working with Leonard for some time, André had the illustrated book in hand. He researched the world of publishing and opted to self-publish. “The Adventures of Aria and Ducky: The Surprise Birthday Party,” has been out since June of 2021. It is available at the Lancaster Barnes and Noble and on Amazon. See Creativity pg 4
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
CEF After-School Clubs Return To Lancaster County
Servant Stage Posts 2022 Shows, Programs . .4
BY ANN MEAD ASH
BY ANN MEAD ASH
Around 2000, Trent Davis, founder and CEO of Servants Inc., took a mission trip to Guatemala. The trip changed the direction of his life. “(Trent) felt a call to continue relationships and give others opportunity to have that experience,” said Keith Cotton, director of outreach with Servants. Cotton noted that Davis coordinated mission trips and worked with missionaries in Guatemala under a program See Servants Inc. pg 3
Aria Renna inspired her grandfather André Renna to write a children’s book.
Good News!
Prayer, a Bible lesson, singing, and small group times are all part of Good News Club meetings, which will be held in a number of local school districts this spring.
In the fall of 2021, Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Good News Clubs went live again across Lancaster County and beyond. In the spring of 2022, in-person clubs are planned for elementary-age students in the school districts of Columbia, Conestoga Valley, ELANCO, Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Hempfield, Lampeter-Strasburg, Manheim Township, Penn Manor, Pequea Valley, Lancaster, Warwick, and Octorara. Virtual clubs will be offered in Cocalico, Donegal, See Good News Club pg 2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Digital Artists Recognized At Lancaster Catholic . . . .7 House Of Worship . . . . . . .8 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .9
scan this code for more local news
Big Box - $43 stays in your community
R080272
Consider this - You spend $100: Shop Local - $68 stays in your community
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER JAN. 26, 2022
Postal Patron
CON
“The Adventures of Aria and Ducky: The Surprise Birthday Party” by André Renna
Renna of Leola, of her adventures with her best friend Ducky and of the activities they had planned. One day, when Aria was about 5 1/2, André was pushing her on the swing at his house, and she began to tell him a story about the birthday party she was planning for Ducky. After each push, André had to wait for Aria to come back to hear the next detail about the party. “She would say, ‘Well, Ducky and I …’ and then, whoosh, she was gone away,” recalled André. In her story, Aria included many details, including the names of all her stuffed animals that were invited to the surprise birthday party and information about the cake, the fruit punch, the balloons, and a big banner. “She said, ‘You know what, Papa? Something happened at the party,’” said André, who reported that Aria’s pet cat, Jasmine, had somehow ruined the party. “But Ducky was OK,” Aria assured André, “because he knows we really love him.” Enchanted by the story, André told the tale to his wife, who suggested he
