Hempfield
townlively.com
DECEMBER 15, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXVII • NO 37
Rooting For The Seeds To Grow BY COURTNEY MENGEL
s part of the congregation’s efforts to improve water quality, expand pollinator and wildlife habitat, and address climate change, members of Landisville Mennonite Church invited volunteers to join them as they converted 3.65 acres from farmland into forest and meadow. On Nov. 6, over 80 volunteers planted meadow seed on 1.25 acres, and the following Saturday, Nov. 13, over 100 volunteers planted 640 tree seedlings on 2.4 acres. “We wanted to do this as part of our commitment to caring for God’s creation, both now and for future generations,” said Brenda Horst, a member of Landisville Mennonite Church who helped organize the project, “but we couldn’t have done it alone. We really relied on the expertise of Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and volunteers from the community to get this done.” Ryan Davis, Pennsylvania forest projects manager at Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, worked closely
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with the church by advising the congregation on what native species both meadow plants and trees were best for the property as well as how and when to plant them. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will continue to advise the church on maintenance for the next five years. “The seeding and tree planting days were just the very beginning of the process,” explained Davis. “We can expect the meadow to begin benefiting pollinators and other wildlife next spring as the vegetative diversity there skyrockets relative to when it was a crop field. Rain infiltration will improve by the second year, and we will begin to sequester carbon in the soil within just a few years.” Christopher Fretz, a member of Landisville Mennonite Church who helped organize the project, mentioned that after everything has grown, the church would like to build a circular path around the meadow and install a bench or two where people can meditate and pray.
Run, Dennis, Run! BY COURTNEY MENGEL
At the age of 82, Dennis Lackey completed his first half marathon, the Philadelphia Half Marathon, in November. “(Running is) good exercise,” said Dennis. “All I need is shorts and a pair of shoes. I appreciate that I’ve been able to do it all these years. It gives me a good feeling to know I can still do it.” Dennis’ passion for running didn’t start until he was 40 years old, See Dennis Lackey pg 2
Volunteers from Landisville Mennonite Church and the community gather after planting 640 trees on the church’s property.
One’s Past Does Not Determine One’s Future East Hempfield Resident Publishes Faith-Based Recovery Book BY COURTNEY MENGEL Greg lives in East Hempfield Township with his wife, Brenda. He “The message that I wanted to get received his master’s degree in theout is that the God of the Bible is a ological studies from Liberty loving, caring, and compassionate University and has spent the past God who wants to help us and 15 years working in recovery minwants to forgive us regardless of istry. To gain some additional trainwhat our past has been,” said Greg ing in the field, Greg returned to Schmalhofer, author of the new school and is currently on track to book “The Hope Recovery Devotional: earn a second master’s degree in Christian ministry. In an interview There Is Always Hope With God.” It took about a year and a half for with the Merchandiser, Greg said Greg to write and self-publish the that he feels as if the Lord is using book. “It was a long process,” com- him to help and connect with peomented Greg. “But it was a really ple; he views “The Hope Recovery good time, and I was very pleased Devotional” as yet another way to minister to people. with how it turned out.” See New Book pg 6
Greg Schmalhofer
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Business Directory . . . . . .4 Christmas Bird Count Planned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 LIHEAP Grants Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .9 House Of Worship . . . . . .12
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See Meadow Project pg 4