IN THIS ISSUE: LIBRARY POSTS PROGRAM SCHEDULE page 10
Manheim Central
GOLF OUTING
Manheim Central Football Booster Club will hold a golf outing on Saturday, July 21, at Fairview Golf Course, 2399 Quentin Road, Lebanon. Registration will occur at 7 a.m., and golf will begin with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. The tournament will have a four-person scramble format and will include contests and prizes. A buffet lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. The event will take place rain or shine. The per-person fee includes the green fee, a cart, and a gift. Proceeds will be used to maintain and operate the weight room, defray the cost of football camp, purchase new equipment for this year’s team, and fund scholarships. To register or for more information, call Kevin Kegarise at 717-847-0754 or Wes Geib at 717-587-0997. The deadline to register is Wednesday, July 11. UPCOMING GATHERING
will meet on Saturday, July 21. The group meets on the third Saturday of each month at 8 a.m. at the Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant, 2760 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird-in-Hand. The club is open to all veterans and their spouses. Since the club’s formation, inspired by the Gettysburg veterans club, the Lancaster club has more than doubled in size. New members are welcome. Call Bill Terry at 717-435-6095. GUEST SPEAKER
The Lancaster Civil War Round Table will host speaker Brian Blake on Thursday, July 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lititz Public Library, 651 Kissel Hill Road. Blake, a speaker at museums and roundtables throughout the MidAtlantic region, will present “George Pickett, Patriot or Criminal.” Blake has been a volunteer at the Gettysburg National Military Park for more than 15 years and is a member of the York Civil War Roundtable. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, readers may call Micky at 717-940-7411.
VOL LIX • NO 26
Unstoppable Determination Spohn Earns Eagle Scout Rank While Adapting To Vision Loss By Chelsea Peifer
During the summer before his freshman year at Manheim Central High School (MCHS), Nicolas Spohn began researching and planning for his Eagle Scout project. That was also when he began to notice changes in his vision, with everything becoming blurrier. His mother, Livia, and younger brother, Stefan, were already
living with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), and soon Nicolas was diagnosed with the inherited form of vision loss as well. “Your central vision is affected, and it gets blurrier over time,” explained Nicolas, who just completed 10th grade at MCHS. “Mine has stabilized over the past year.” Though he cannot drive, Nicolas makes his way through the halls of MCHS completely on his own and only uses a cane when he’s visiting places he is unfamiliar with. The question he most often
hears from peers is simply, “What can you see?” “For people who have a vision disability, it’s hard to explain what they see,” Nicolas said. While he can see the general outline of objects, he cannot discern details. Recognizing faces is difficult, so he has already learned to identify people by voices and perceive their expression by tone and volume. Although the vision loss has meant that Nicolas had to stop playing soccer - a sport he loved and played for eight years - being part of Boy Scout Troop 47 in Manheim has remained a staple See Eagle Scout pg 4
Manheim Central High School junior Nicolas Spohn (right) was recently congratulated by state Rep. Mindy Fee (left) for earning the rank of Eagle Scout. His Eagle project involved installing a concrete floor in an outside building at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Manheim.
Bring On The Chi Cha!
Ride To Support Veteran Service Canines By Chelsea Peifer
By Chelsea Peifer
The eighth annual Chiques C h a l l e n g e , dubbed by regular participants as the “Chi Cha,” will take place on Saturday, Aug. 11. Hosted by the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce (SVCC), the duathlon event includes a run on part of the Northwest River Trail and through the streets of historic Marietta, followed by a kayak journey on the Susquehanna River. Competitors will begin at the Columbia River Park, 41 Walnut St., Columbia. Perry Ligon of Harrisburg is one of several competitors who have participated in the duathlon since it began. “This will be my eighth year, and I guess the real challenge for me comes from the river,” said Ligon. “I’m an ultramarathon runner, so I consider the run the easy part. The river, however, can hold surprises.” See Chiques Challenge pg 2
The Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce will host the eighth annual Chiques Challenge on Aug. 11. Individuals and twoperson teams are welcome to participate in the duathlon event, which will include a run on the Northwest River Trail and through Marietta, followed by a kayak journey on the Susquehanna River.
Mount Joy resident Dave Laughman founded Veteran Service Canines three and a half years ago as a way to connect honorably discharged veterans with service-related disabilities with their own service dog - free of charge. Those disabilities may include anything from postA motorcycle ride on Aug. 11 will benefit traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) the work of Veteran Service Canines, a to traumatic brain injuries (TBI) or veteran-founded, volunteer-run physical needs. “Service animals nonprofit organization that connects vetare amazing tools,” said erans who have service-related disabiliLaughman, who served in the ties with their own service dog. The leadUnited States Marine Corps for 12 ership team includes (from left) Dave years and on four deployments to Chobanoff, founder and president Iraq and Afghanistan. “There are a Dave Laughman, Sandy Reynolds, lot of veterans, including myself,
Chad Reynolds, Mike Bunch, and (not pictured) Maggi Bradley.
See Motorcycle Ride pg 4
PICK YOUR OWN READY PICKED
Flowers! &
CHERRIES
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
www.cherryhillorchards.com POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER BY JULY 4, 2018
Postal Patron
MC1
The Lancaster County Veterans Breakfast Club
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
PYO Mon.-Fri. 7-7, Sat. 7-4 OUTLET Mon.-Sat. 8-6
400 Long Lane @ Marticville Rd.
Great Selection!
ALL ON SPECIAL!
717-872-9311 Outlet Mon.-Sat. 8-6
R012985
JULY 4, 2018