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JANUARY 6, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXI • NO 47
Giving Neighbors A Helping Hand BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Exhibit Showcases Susquehanna River BY CATHY MOLITORIS
rowing up in Lancaster County, Lynn Smoker spent a lot of time outdoors, but one subject interested him more than others. “I always wanted to make myself an expert on the Susquehanna River,” said the retired history teacher. Thanks to Smoker’s expertise, anyone can learn about the important role the river has played throughout history in an exhibit at the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, 41 Walnut St., Columbia. “A Look Back at Hunting, Fishing & Trapping on the Susquehanna River” opened in November 2020 and will run through August. It features items collected by Smoker over the years as well as contributions from other community members.
The exhibit also features taxidermy of mammals and fish, unusual items like a turtle probe and many kinds of traps. “You’ll see a little bit of everything here,” Smoker said. Hope Byers, manager for the Susquehanna National Heritage Area at Columbia Crossing, said the exhibit not only introduces visitors to the river, but it also underscores its importance in Pennsylvania history. “This exhibit is a perspective on how the Susquehanna River has been a resource for generation after generation after generation of people,” she stated. “Today, we think of the river as a place for recreation. We don’t really think about it as a resource for the essentials of life, but it was for so many people.” “A Look Back at Hunting, Fishing & Trapping on the Susquehanna River” is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
Hands Across the Street hosts a food truck offering groceries once a month in Columbia. The organization will offer its next food truck on Friday, Jan. 8, at noon.
Soccer Field Undergoes Renovation
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Conservancy Adds To Nature Preserve . . . . . . . .2
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
When a rainstorm destroyed the largest soccer field used by the Eastern York Recreation Authority (EYRA) in August 2018, things looked bleak. Through the work of EYRA director Jessica Cirilo, though, the field now has a bright future. Cirilo has been busy obtaining grants and donations to rebuild the soccer field at Barshinger Field on Accomac Road in Hellam Township.
Blood Drive Scheduled In York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .5 House Of Worship . . . . . . .8
See Soccer pg 3
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“I chose this topic for the exhibit simply because of my interest in the subject,” Smoker noted. “I grew up in Columbia, and my grandfather had a cabin in York County. I spent a lot of time on the river. I’m a river rat, as they say. The river has always been a part of me. I started collecting items related to the river in 1980, and I never stopped.” The exhibit includes displays about fishing, including ice fishing; furs; turtles; ducks and more. “There’s a section on the early American/Native American influence, with some old eel traps and things like that,” Smoker said. He amassed his collection through visits to household sales and antiques malls. “You would be absolutely amazed at what you find and where you find it,” he stated, adding that one of his favorite objects is an old shad net that dates back to the early 1900s. “You just never know what you’ll discover.”
See Helping Hand pg 2
& Long Lane At Marticville Road (Rts. 741 & 324S)
3 Miles S. of Lancaster
R067234
Lynn Smoker invites the public to Columbia Crossing River Trails Center to visit an exhibit he created on hunting, fishing and trapping on the Susquehanna River.
If there’s a need, Hands Across the Street strives to meet it. The ministry, located at Columbia Presbyterian Church, 360 Locust St., has continued to serve the community throughout the pandemic, finding new ways to address everchanging needs. Hands Across the Street began at Columbia Presbyterian in 2009. The church had already housed a clothing bank, provided community meals and operated a homeless ministry when the nonprofit came together, said Dave Powers, director of Hands Across the Street and church pastor. Over the years, the ministry has expanded to serve more people and offer more programs, including providing meals to students in Columbia School District
on non-school days. The need for the ministry is great in Columbia, Powers said, noting that the borough has a poverty rate of just over 20%. “That means one in five people is living in poverty,” he stated. “About 96% of children in the Columbia School District are food insecure.” Hands Across the Street operates a soup kitchen Mondays through Fridays, with meals available for grab-and-go, said Lori Flick, outreach services coordinator. It serves up to 150 people a day.