Hempfield
townlively.com
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXIX • NO 34
Rotary Club completes project at Amos Herr Park
Hempfield resident wins first place at state horse show
BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
he Rotary Club of Lancaster recently completed a project to place multiple new benches at Amos Herr Park, 1700 Nissley Road, Landisville. The benches sit on the newly developed wetlands trail in the park, and the club partnered with East Hempfield Township to purchase, assemble and install each new seat. Members of the Rotary Club first proposed the project last January, as it aligns with one of the organization’s goals to support environmental protection and awareness. Club members approached East Hempfield Township to ask how they could help with the new wetlands trail project, and the two parties decided that installing new benches would greatly improve local residents’ experience. The Rotary Club was able to raise more than $5,000 through various fundraisers such as chicken barbecues and holiday wreath sales, which it used to purchase the parts for four benches and corresponding plaques, as well as a picnic table. Members of the club volunteered to assemble the pieces of each bench, which were installed along the paved trail at the park. The pieces of the picnic table will remain in storage until the remainder of the trail has been completed. The Rotary Club members worked with the township to find vendors for the project parts to ensure the new benches would match the existing ones. The township provided the volunteers with the tools required to assemble the seats and transport them to the trail. The wetlands trail has been developed over the last year and a half in an area of the park that was formerly a field of grass, and it is estimated to be finished in the
BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
Rotary Club members (from left) Darrell Gerke, Rodney Yoder and Herb Noll helped assemble the benches for the wetlands trail at Amos Herr Park.
spring. The trail itself is a loop that is about a mile and a half, providing a handicapped-accessible route for people to take photos and enjoy nature before making their way back to the main park area. Another goal of installing the trail is to provide the public with more information regarding wetlands preservation. In addition to its mission to support environmental protection, the Rotary Club ’s other goals include promoting global peace, researching a cure for
polio, providing clean water for communities and supporting public education. Last year, the Rotary Club of Lancaster donated 5,000 books to Landisville Primary Center and Landisville Intermediate Center after the schools identified early reading support as a critical need. Club members were invited to visit the schools to see how their donation was benefitting the kids’ education. Tony DeVito, president of the Rotary Club of Lancaster, first became involved with the
international organization as a member of its Carlisle chapter three years ago. DeVito worked together with other members of the Lancaster club to complete both the park bench and book donation projects. “I enjoy the ability to give back locally, as well as to support the club’s bigger projects,” DeVito said. The Rotary Club Foundation funds various initiatives to support the organization’s goals internationally. For more information, visit www.lancasterrotary.org.
At the end of October, Éilis DiIorio of West Hempfield competed in the 2023 4-H State Horse Show in Harrisburg. DiIorio and her pony, Leap of Faith, acquired first-place victories in the categories of Open Trail Ponies and Working Hunter Ponies. For the Open Trail Ponies challenge, DiIorio was tasked with riding Leap of Faith through a type of obstacle course. The course is designed to test the pony’s versatility and agility, as well as the rider’s level of control. DiIorio rode her pony around poles and through cones at various speeds during the challenge, and she credited her success to her determination when practicing. “I don’t stop practicing something until I get it right,” DiIorio said. “The challenge tests how well your horse would do in a setting where you need control, so we did a lot of work for (Leap of Faith’s) muscular fitness and attentiveness to commands.” The Working Hunter Ponies course featured eight separate jumps, which the rider must complete in a specific order. The challenge can prove tricky for some riders, as it requires fine control over the pony’s canter as the pair approaches the jumps. The rider must also pay close attention to the distance of the jump, as well as the speed of the pony as it lands before the next jump. See Horse show pg 2
Picture Perfect
400 Long Lane at Marticville Road (Rt. 741 & 324)
717-872-9311 www.cherryhillorchards.com
• Trees • Wreaths • Garland • Greens more ffor your d decorating! PLUS lots Mon.-Sat. 8-6
R102101
FRASER RASER F FIR IR PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER NOV. 29, 2023
Postal Patron
HEM
T