Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville
townlively.com
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Celebrating The Scary (And Hairy) Albatwitch BY CATHY MOLITORIS
f you’re ever driving down the road in the early hours of the morning and you see a small, manlike creature peeking out of the woods, don’t worry. It’s just the albatwitch. Sightings of “Albie” have been reported for years, and there are newspaper accounts going back more than a century of groups searching for the creature, said Chris Vera. Vera, along with Rick Fisher, will celebrate this unique part of Columbia’s history at the eighth annual Albatwitch Festival. The event will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, 41 Walnut St. Fisher got the idea for the event
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after visiting the Mothman Festival in West Virginia. “I came back and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat to have something like this in Columbia?’” he recalled. Vera and Fisher thought the albatwitch, a sort of “baby Bigfoot,” would make the perfect subject for a festival. Each year, the festival has grown, Vera said. The event will feature live music, more than 40 food and artisan vendors, lectures and author visits. Vera will also lead trolley tours that will take groups through town to learn about the albatwitch and Columbia history. Rumor has it that the albatwitch loves apples (his name comes from the phrase “apple snitch”), so trolley riders will also have the opportunity to line up and throw apples into
Chris Vera (left) and Rick Fisher are organizing the annual Albatwitch Festival celebrating “Albie” (center).
VOL LXII • NO 33
Encouraging Transformation BY CATHY MOLITORIS
the woods to feed the creature. In the evening, Vera will offer haunted trolley tours, and he recalled one particularly scary encounter a few years ago. “The trolley stopped, and everyone on the trolley looked out into the dark, and we saw pairs of red eyes staring at us,” he said. Fisher, who is known for his ghost hunting prowess and had his own encounter with the albatwitch a few years ago, will be a lecturer at the festival. He’ll be joined by other experts in the field of unexplained events and cryptozoology, the term given to the search for and study of animals whose existence is disputed. “There have been 11 sightings of the albatwitch within a 5-mile radius of here,” Fisher noted, adding that people come up to him year after year at the festival to relate their own sightings. Visitors come to the festival from as far away as Oregon, with many repeat attendees. Proceeds of the Albatwitch Festival will benefit the Columbia Historic Preservation Society, of which Vera is the director. The society’s museum is located at 21 N. Second St. Vera has his sights set on a plan for the festival’s 10th anniversary. “My goal is to have banners on poles up around town so that the whole town can cherish this history,” he stated. “This is part of our town’s history, and people should take pride in that.” Fisher described the atmosphere of the Albatwitch Festival as a fun, relaxed day. “There really is something for everyone,” he said. “If you aren’t interested in the lectures, take a trolley ride or check out the vendors or listen to the music or just sit along the river and enjoy the day.” For more information on the Albatwitch Festival, visit https://albatwitchday.com.
Heather Lindsey believes we’re all capable of transforming ourselves into who we truly want to be. She’ll focus on that idea during the annual 4C Conference, to be held Saturday, Oct. 9, at ITLM Faith Community Church, 4696 Breezyview Drive, Columbia. The conference will run from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lindsey, the owner of Creative Inspirationz Gallery in Manheim, created 4C, a women’s ministry that meets in Manheim and Columbia. With a mission to empower women, 4C offers opportunities for community, conversation, creative arts and
Heather Lindsey
worship. The “C’s” stand for conversation, coloring, coffee and Christ. This is the second year Lindsey has held a daylong conference, and this year’s theme, “Transformation,” will focus on healing. Worship music will be performed by local husband-and-wife singersongwriters Dan and Lauren. The ITLM drama team will perform a skit, and a hands-on participatory activity that Lindsey described as an “artistic healing project” will be featured at the conference. Local chef Stephen Loechner will provide a catered meal, and panelists will offer testimonials throughout the day. “One of our keynote speakers has her own ministry, New Life Center for Mothers and Children, in Glen Rock,” Lindsey said. Additional speakers will include Carlene Wolf, pastor of Washington Boro United Methodist Church; Regina Driver, shelter administrator for Hands Across the Street in Columbia; and Lindsey, who will talk about her own spiritual and personal growth. See Transformation pg 5
Welcome Home
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Take A Bite Out Of Fall . . .2
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Among the stacks of furniture and household goods in a warehouse off Route 462 in Columbia, there is hope. Off the Streets Susquehanna is providing a helping hand to homeless people who are transitioning to a home of their own. “We set people up with everything they need to get started in their apartment,” explained Karen Sahd, co-administrator. Recipients are referred to Off the Streets by organizations such as Tenfold and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.
YCSWA Plans Programs, Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Business Directory . . . . . .4 House Of Worship . . . . . . .5 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .5
See Home pg 5
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