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Garden Spot townlively.com
JANUARY 19, 2022
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LVIII • NO 4
Look Inside
Friend Of The Fair Hopes To See More Volunteer BY ANN MEAD ASH
hen the New Holland Farmers Day Association Fair held its volunteer appreciation banquet in November 2021, board member Barbara Beears, who works with department chairs and organizes the fair guide, was presented the annual Friend of the Fair award by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture representative Laura England. Beears, who has served on the New Holland Fair board since she was 13, began helping her mother, Lucille Weaver, with exhibits at the New Holland Elementary School, Trinity Lutheran Church, and Rubinson’s Department Store, decades ago. But in all her years of involvement with the fair, Beears said her biggest challenge was finding volunteers during the fall of 2021. “This year was hard because of COVID-19,” said Beears. “We had to scramble to try to get help.” Beears recalled that before the fair organization purchased the building at the corner of Franklin Street and Roberts Avenue, the exhibit display cases were moved from a storage area the Sunday
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Holland Fair said that “no job has ever been too big or too small for Barb, which is why she knows everything related to our fair.” Beears admitted that her years of experience come in handy when new ideas are presented because she knows if they have been tried before. She recalled how the country line dancing started and the addition of entertainment on the truck-bed stage near the corner of Franklin and Railroad. Beears noted that she was very surprised to receive the award. Before her name was announced, she listened to the description of the winner, and believed another woman had won. But then the speaker referred to her brothers, and she knew the other woman had no brothers. When the fair book was mentioned, Beears realized she was the winner. “I’ve met a lot of nice people,” said Beears of her years volunteering with the fair. “There are a lot of nice people in New Holland.” More information about the fair may be found at www.newhollandfair.org or by searching for “New Holland Fair” on Facebook.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
ROFM Introduces New Development Coordinator
STRIVE Towards Better Mental Health . . . . . . . . . .3
BY ANN MEAD ASH
BY ANN MEAD ASH
When Audrey Kanagy became pastor of Ridgeview Mennonite Church, 3723 Ridge Road, Gordonville, a few years ago, she wanted to find ways to share the building, which sits on the ridge between ELANCO and Pequea Valley school districts, with the community. In 2019, Dave Smucker, associate pastor with Branch Community and director of Branch Network, found himself driving by the church. “(Dave) felt that the Lord spoke to him and said, ‘I have something See Branch Community pg 2
Laura England (left) presented the Friend of the Fair 2021 award to Barbara Beears.
Answering A Calling Garden Spot High School Class of 2016 graduate Katlyn Leid, formerly Katlyn Lantz, became the first development coordinator at Revelations of Freedom Ministries (ROFM), 114 Ranck Church Road, New Holland, in early November 2021. ROFM is a faith-based, Christ-centered discipleship program for men who struggle with addictions. Prior to that, Leid was development coordinator with ECHOS Katlyn Leid
(Elizabethtown Community Housing & Outreach Services), where she interned doing social work in the fall of 2019. Leid graduated from Millersville University in December 2019 and then went to work full time at ECHOS in the development position in January of 2020. “(I had) two blissful months before COVID-19 (hit),” recalled Leid, who remained in the position until late summer 2021, creating virtual fundraisers and working to promote the organization under COVID-19 restrictions. See ROFM pg 12
Barnstormers Plan Donation Collection . . . . . .5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 House Of Worship . . . . . . .8 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .8
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prior to the start of the fair and set up at the exhibit locations. “It was a lot of work,” she said, noting that the Sunday after the fair closed, all the displays were dismantled and returned to storage. Beears also served at the banquet when it was held at the New Holland and Blue Ball fire companies, before those organizations merged into Garden Spot Fire Rescue. More than a decade ago, Beears attended an organizational meeting and learned that volunteers were needed to join the board. “My children were done with school, and I was looking for something to do,” said Beears, who approached the fair’s then-president, Warren Peachey. Soon after, Peachey brought her a box and asked her to see if it was something she would enjoy doing. “That’s how I got involved,” said Beears, who noted that the box contained items related to the exhibits and the fair book. Beears specifically works with department chairs for baked goods, handicrafts, models, needlework, canning, jellies, art and photography, fruit and vegetables, and flowers. A press release sent by the New