Garden Spot Delivered to you every other week, and NEW online EVERY week!
/townlively
JANUARY 13, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LVII • NO 4
Fairmount Holds First Food Drive BY ANN MEAD ASH
A year ago, friends and co-workers Holly Keim, an LPN serving at Valley View at Fairmount, and Katie Seibert, an RN working in the rehabilitation facility at Fairmount, put their heads together. The pair was
Daniel Vargas (left) and Elisabetta Vaccari, who are from Bolivia and Italy, respectively, are spending their senior high school year in New Holland through SHARE Education Resource Development Trust.
Exchange Students Happy In New Holland lisabetta Vaccari, from the town of Treviso near Venice, Italy, is glad she opted to stay the course and spend her senior year at Garden Spot High School (GSHS) in New Holland. “In March, (the exchange program) asked me if I wanted to change my plans,” recalled Vaccari, who noted that many other students chose to remain at home. “I am so happy to be here,” she said. “There was nothing to lose.” Vaccari and Daniel Vargas, an exchange student from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, are both completing their senior year at GSHS through SHARE Education Resource Development Trust. Their visit was arranged by Shannon Potales of Blue Ball, who has been hosting students in her home for several years. “(SHARE) asked me to help place students,” recalled Potales. “We had such good experiences, I thought it was important to do it.”
“I think people here want to know you. They want to know your culture, and they want to be friends with you,” stated Vaccari Both students said they feel they are experiencing more freedom here. Vaccari noted that in the area of Italy where she lives, some regions were still under lockdowns. Vargas said that Santa Cruz is a small city with a dense population. He recalled six months of lockdown
with designated hours to purchase groceries. “It’s better here (because people are spread out),” he said. While COVID-19 restrictions meant the students have missed out on some cultural experiences, both found positive activities to take part in. Vaccari played a full season of soccer, and Vargas ran cross-country. The students also attended two GSHS football games. Vaccari’s host family members took her to their beach house and planned a visit to their cabin. “They have been creating experiences for her,” shared Potales, who took Vargas to see her daughter, singer Juliana Wardle, perform in Maryland. Vargas noted that the GSHS building is a lot larger than the school he attends in Bolivia. “It’s a completely different culture (but) I love it,” said Vargas, noting that he has enjoyed new experiences, such as the change of seasons. “I don’t live very far from the Equator, so we don’t have such different seasons,” he explained.
Author Kim Kluxen Meredith had only met illustrator Lisa Madenspacher once before they began working together on Meredith’s latest book, “Henri’s Home,” which was published in October. “Henri’s Home” was inspired by summer vacations on the Jersey shore with Meredith’s grandchildren who prefer her made-up stories to
See Exchange Students pg 2
See Local Author pg 2
See Fairmount pg 6
Katie Seibert (left) and Holly Keim organized a food drive at Fairmount that brought in nearly 2,500 pounds of food.
Local Author And Illustrator Bring Seaside Tale To Life
40% OFF
In-Stock Vinyl
Jan 12-23
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Business Directory . . . . . .2 A Safety Net For Mental Health . . . . . . .2
BY ANN MEAD ASH
Up to
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER JAN. 13, 2021
Postal Patron
GDN B
E
The issues surrounding COVID-19 complicated the experience this year for Potales, but she forged ahead, originally placing six students in the area. Several students decided to hold off, and others were grounded because they could not obtain visas while they were quarantined. Vargas was awarded his visa only about five days before his flight left Bolivia.
Save on
MLK, Jr. Breakfast To Be Held Virtually . . . . . . . . . . .3
GSV Half/10K Introduces New Race Director . . . . . .4 House Of Worship . . . . . . .7 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Ask about
$100 OFF Installation
(717) 656-7077 FlorHaus.com
R067160
BY ANN MEAD ASH
considering organizing a food drive that would give employees and residents an opportunity to donate to area food pantries. “We talked about it at the beginning of 2020,” recalled Keim, “but when COVID-19 (restrictions) happened, we put it on hold.” Keim explained that during the lockdown, the pair did not want to encourage anyone to go out unnecessarily. “At the beginning of the shutdown, everyone was freaking out about toilet paper and stores had limits on how much you could buy. We didn’t think that would be a proper time (to hold a drive).” Seibert noted that instead, the friends waited until September and then went to Fairmount president/CEO Jerry Lile for permission to set up the drive. With Lile’s blessing,