Conestoga Valley JUNE 10, 2026
SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 13,770 HOMES
VOL LXII • NO 25
At GSV, Evan’s Tragedy Brought Wisdom Is and Breathtaking Blessings Molded Unfolded
LIFT & LEVEL YOUR EXISTING CONCRETE
BY JEFF FALK
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
DON’T REPLACE. LIFT & SAVE! We Lift Commercial & Residential: • Sidewalks • Pool Decks • Patios • Porches • Garage Floors
See Evan Bunting pg 7
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Ellen Smoll and her son, Evan Bunting
Homestead Day Is a Day on the Farm BY JEFF FALK
There are good days, and there are bad days. There are long days, and there are short days. There are productive days, and there are recreational days. Plain and Fancy Farm’s Homestead Day is a day to celebrate what it means to be a Lancastrian and to be grateful for what all of that means. “Homestead Days is about
connecting Lancaster’s heritage, both past and present,” said Megan Weiss, director of marketing for Plain and Fancy Farm. “History is important because it helps us understand who we are, where we came from and how the places we call home became what they are today. It connects people to the land, the buildings, the food, the traditions, the stories and the values that shaped a community over time. For
Shoeing is one of the demonstrations
See Homestead Days pg 8 that is a part of Homestead Days.
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Wisdom occurs when intelligence is aged by experiences. Garden Spot Village (GS V ) believes that it can also be taught; that wisdom can be learned - or uncovered. “Wisdom is discovery,” said Scott Miller, who’s been the chief marketing officer at GSV for 21 years. “When we discover wisdom, we discover universal truths. They apply to everyone, and they lead to more fulfilling and richer lives. When you release the grudges and hurt you have, it sets you free. It creates a peace beyond understanding. We use our intelligence to reflect on our lives, but wisdom is experiential.” Miller is also an instructor for GSV’s Wisdom Course, a series of classes designed to help seasoned individuals explore their wisdom, develop it and harness its power. The Wisdom Course is taught in a conference room on the campus of Garden Spot Village, 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland. “The purpose of the Wisdom Course is to help older adults review their life stories and harvest their wisdom from within,” said Miller. “We introduce people to wisdom, and we talk elderhood. Elders carry the traditions and the stories of our culture and pass them along to younger people.” The Wisdom Course consists of a series of three-hour sessions presented from 9 a.m. to noon on the third Friday of every month, from May through the end of the calendar year. See Wisdom pg 4
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BY JEFF FALK
mong the greatest gifts of all is the gift of life. Evan Bunting gave the gift of life, multiple times in multiple ways. Now, his spirit lives on in the lives of others. “God had a plan I wasn’t aware of, and I didn’t like it,” said Ellen Smoll, Evan’s mom. “It was God’s plan, not mine. Maybe that was the thing He was planning. Now I always want to help people. But I’ve learned a lot about organ donations. “It’s just so unnatural for your child to leave before you,” she added. It’s been nearly 14 years since that tragic day, June 19, 2012, when Evan, a vibrant 2009 graduate of Conestoga Valley High School, lost his young life in a tragic motorcycle accident. During the process of his passing, a parental decision was made to donate Evan’s organs to individuals in need of transplants and to science. Those donations were made through Gift of Life, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that connects donors to transplant recipients. “I got the call no mom ever wants to get,” said Ellen. “The hospital called and said my son had been rushed to the emergency room. My heart sunk. When I arrived at the hospital, I was told to hold on and