Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville
townlively.com
NOVEMBER 8, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXIV • NO 37
Connecting neighbors and promoting positivity BY CATHY MOLITORIS
When Alicia Ferrari moved to Wrightsville from Lancaster in 2020, she felt isolated. “It was mid-pandemic, I was a new mom, a stay-at-home mom, and I didn’t know anyone in town,” she recalled. “So, like many people do, I turned to Facebook, hoping to find some moms’ groups.” She discovered a need for positive
community connections. “I took it upon myself to create a page for people who live in Wrightsville and are committed to volunteering and helping each other and just providing service to their neighbors in any way they can,” she said. She named the page “Wrightsville for All,” and it took off. To date, more than 740 people have joined, with that number rising almost daily, said Sara Barrett, who See Neighbors pg 3
The cast and crew of “The Right Now”
Columbia will present “The Right Now” BY CATHY MOLITORIS
arlier this year, Columbia High School drama director Janet Wood gave her students several plays to check out as a possible selection for the school’s fall play. One stood out - “The Right Now,” written by Andrew Geha. “We really clicked with this one,” said senior Carly VanBuren, who portrays Saicha in the play. “That was the first time I ever read this play, and I was like, ‘Ooh! I like this.’ I like the storyline, and also, I really love romance.” “The Right Now” will be performed at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, and at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Columbia High School, 901 Ironville Pike. The show features a cast of 19 and centers around a group of high school students. “It’s a love story, but I’m an angsty teen,” ex plained Nyck Price, a senior who plays Asher. “I’m a troublemaker in school, and I have a girlfriend named
“We’re taking us and who we are and just throwing it onto the stage.” twist. “ We can’t give too much away, but I will say that time is very weird in this play,” he shared. Nyck agreed, adding, “Think ‘Back to the Future.’” Carly noted that the characters run the gamut of emotions in the play. “In the beginning, it’s mostly about romance, and as the play goes on, it gets chaotic, tense and serious,” she said. “The overall ending, though, is happy.”
The students said they have enjoyed getting to portray people their own age on stage, and they feel the writing reflects a teen’s reality. “Most scenes, we’re just being ourselves on stage as high school students,” Nyck remarked. “We’re taking us and who we are and just throwing it onto the stage.” Like real life, what the teens go through in the play has its ups and downs, said Alexymahr. “Teens are a conglomerate of emotions, so you’ll see characters flip-flop in how they feel about a situation,” he said. “It can get confusing, but in a good way.” Carly cautions that audiences should be prepared to see a show that’s perhaps different from what they are used to. “If people want to go on a rollercoaster of emotions, definitely come see this,” she commented. “It will be confusing at first, but then they’ll leave, and they’ll be like, ‘Wow! What did I just watch? That was amazing.’”
Volunteers work on restoring and updating holiday decorations with Wrightsville for All.
Making a difference BY CATHY MOLITORIS
At a breakfast honoring distinguished alumni of Columbia High School, Vickie Anspach relayed a quote by basketball coach and player Steve Nash: “I believe that the measure of a person’s life is the effect they have on others.” Those words truly sum up the influence of this year’s honorees, noted Anspach, the secretary of the Columbia Education Foundation. The foundation recognized Keith Lutz and Ronald Mable at the breakfast, presenting them each with a plaque to take home and one that will be displayed in
the lobby at the high school. A 1991 graduate of Columbia High School, Lutz was a member of the basketball team. He earned a bachelor’s degree from York College and served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1992 to 1998. Since 1993, he has been employed by Kleen-Rite Corp., where he currently serves as owner and vice president. During his time with the company, he has helped it grow from 15 to more than 150 employees and from one location in Columbia to four distribution centers across the country. In his community, Lutz serves as president of the See Alumni pg 2
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Saicha, and I’m obsessed with her. I created a problem, and I stayed in that problem for a really long time, and that’s what the show is about.” Alexymahr W hitley, a junior who plays Lt. Kinnerman, said the show features both serious and humorous parts, and it has a sci-fi
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