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JANUARY 6, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LVII • NO 3
A Safety Net For Mental Health New Holland’s Celebrate Recovery Offers Encouragement And Support BY ANN MEAD ASH
“Isolation is one of the triggers for addictions,� said Karl Stoltzfus, one of the leaders of ELANCO Celebrate Recovery (CR), referencing the stay-at-home recommendations and social distancing associated with COVID-19 restrictions. “One of the keys to coming out of (addiction) is coming out of isolation,�
Cedar Grove Estates in East Earl celebrated Christmas with two nights of lighting luminarias throughout the development.
All Lit Up For Christmas At Cedar Grove Estates BY ANN MEAD ASH
ith COVID-19 restrictions putting a damper on many activities during 2020, business owners, individuals, and organizations put an emphasis on finding creative ways to continue to celebrate the seasons. In East Earl, the residents of Cedar Grove Estates have been lighting up the neighborhood with luminarias each Christmas Eve since 2014, but this year, the lighting was extra special. Cookie Yarosewick, who coordinates the effort with help from her husband, Steve, asked the neighbors if it would be a good idea to light the candles two nights, especially when rain was predicted for Christmas Eve. “This year, with (more people) being home (due to COVID-19 restrictions), I took a vote and they voted to do it (two) nights,� said Cookie. A supply of more than 800 candles was purchased to make the
See A Safety Net pg 5
neighborhood Facebook page to ask the neighbors for their opinions on the subject. When the response was favorable, Cookie and Steve went to work. “The (residents in the) development donate to help fund the candles,� said Cookie, who noted that 450 are needed to light the neighborhood for just one night. Steve and Cookie collect water jugs and cut the tops off while retaining the handles. “Steve and I store the jugs in our basement, and we pull them out every year and clean them,� said Cookie, who uses a hot blow dryer on the jugs before scooping in sand and adding candles. With the aid of neighbors, the jugs are distributed throughout the neighborhood, including the cul de sac and an area at the entrance along Route 897. Cookie said the distribution, which is usually done around 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, takes a little longer because she wants the luminarias to look just right. Steve is an engineer
When 4- and 5-year-olds attending the New Holland Early Learning Center (NHELC) were asked about their experiences tending and harvesting the Sprouts for Peace Garden, which is located on the New Holland Mennonite Church campus along with NHELC, their answers were colorful. Francisco, who is 5, said that he enjoyed both picking
See Cedar Grove Estates pg 2
See NHELC pg 3
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NEW YEAR, NEW FLOOR
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Carol Musser (left) and Karl Stoltzfus, who lead ELANCO Celebrate Recovery at Petra Church, display informational pamphlets about the program.
NHELC Harvests Sprouts For Peace
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast To Be Held Virtually . . . . . . . . . . .2 Business Directory . . . . . .3
BY ANN MEAD ASH
Fairmont Holds First Food Drive . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Author Pens Bible Study During Shutdown . . . . . . .7 House Of Worship . . . . . . .8 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .9
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relighting possible. According to Cookie, the plan was to follow up Christmas Eve with a relighting on Christmas night. In the end, the luminarias were lit on Dec. 25 and Dec. 27. Lighting up a neighborhood with holiday luminarias was a dream of Cookie’s from the time she was young. Born and raised in a rural area of Narvon. She would go with her parents to see luminarias on Christmas Eve when she was a child. “I always loved driving through the developments and seeing (the luminarias),� she recalled. “My parents had to explain that we were not in a development, so we couldn’t do this.� In December of 2010, Cookie and Steve moved to Cedar Grove Estates off Route 897. After getting to know the neighbors, Cookie began discussing the idea of putting out lights or luminarias. “It was something I wanted to make a tradition,� said Cookie, who turned to the
added Stoltzfus. “ We offer an opportunity for people to meet with those who understand. Hopefully, we can encourage one another.� Now in its fourth year, ELANCO CR, a 12-step, Christ-centered discipleship recovery program, meets from 6:30 to 9 p.m. each Thursday at Petra Church, 565 Airport Road, New Holland, in the Student Life Center. Participation is not limited to those struggling with substance abuse, but it is open to a number of issues including codependency, eating disorders, and anger. The group encourages attendees to follow church guidelines in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention