Pequea Valley DECEMBER 11, 2019
IN THIS ISSUE: PIERCING WORD SETS HOLIDAY SHOW page 7
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LVI • NO 2
“COUNTRY CHRISTMAS”
Community United Methodist Church (UMC), 130 Tennyson Drive, Lancaster, will hold a “Country Christmas” Night on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 6:30 p.m. The worship service will feature Deep Holler Revival performing both traditional and more contemporary Christmas hymns and songs, all arranged in a country, bluegrass, and Southern gospel style. Dress is casual, and the public is invited to attend. For details, call the church office at 717-393-9182 or call 717-615-0525.
HOLIDAY BRUNCH
Widow to Widow Lancaster will meet on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 11 a.m. in the Legacy Room at Worship Center, 2384 New Holland Pike, Lancaster, for a Christmas brunch/social time. Attendees are asked to bring a covered dish/food item to share, along with a serving utensil. Then the group will go to nearby Nathan Village for a Christmas party and to sing carols at 1 p.m. All widows are welcome. For more information, readers may contact Elaine Severein at 717-468-5239.
Creating Solutions pg 7
GSV Plans Seasonal Events pg 5
LanChester Chorus Will Perform Concert pg 4
Broadening Horizons - PLC Training Lab Opens At PVHS By Ann Mead Ash
On Nov. 26, a small group of Pequea Valley High School (PVHS) students, Pequea Valley School District (PVSD) administrators, and representatives of CNH Industrial, located in New Holland, gathered in Room 7 at PVHS. The purpose of the gathering was to hold a ribbon-cutting event for the new STEM PLC Lab that had been made possible by a $25,000 grant from CNH, to celebrate the partnership of the two entities, and to signal a change in direction in the school’s STEM program. PLC stands for programmable logic control, and the machines utilize tiny computers that allow PLCs to control a variety of functions, from household appliances to heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems to amusement park rides. The new lab holds 12 PLC units for student education purposes. Jared Erb, virtual learning and career
NEW YEAR’S TRADITION
readiness coordinator with PVSD, welcomed the gathering and described the partnership between PVSD and CNH, noting that PVHS STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) department members determined that PLC technology would provide the best use for the CNH grant. PVSD superintendent Erik Orndorff spoke briefly, thanking CNH representatives for providing 12 internships opportunities. He also thanked Rob Dorsheimer, who is the PVHS STEM department coordinator; Erb for building a relationship with CNH; and PVHS administrators Amy Koberstein, Arlen Mummau, and John Trovato. Rich Eby, assistant to the superintendent, spoke of how the new lab fits into the district’s vision, which is summed up in the line “Each learner counts.” “We want each one to have their first choice (of career),” he said, noting that while more than 30% of See PVHS Training Lab pg 12
CNH Industrial representatives Peter Caddick (far left), Valerie Verity (far right), and Molly Rogers (second from right) present a plaque to Pequea Valley High School retiring principal Arlen Mummau (second from left) and incoming principal John Trovato (center) at the dedication of the school’s new STEM PLC Lab. A grant from CNH helped to create the lab for the school.
3521 Lincoln Highway East, Kinzers, will host its 38th annual pork and sauerkraut dinner on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. The all-you-can-eat dinner will feature family-style seating and homemade sauerkraut. Serving will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Takeout meals will be available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a cost, with children age 12 and under receiving a discount. Local delivery will be available within a 5-mile radius. Call 717-442-4121.
Filling The Grain Bin To Ease The Burden A Few Good Volunteers Community Members Sought To Help Teach ESL
By Ann Mead Ash
Mindy Lapp, Jack Herr, and Sean High, founders of Ease the Burden (ETB), have created a brochure to help county residents understand the mission of the organization. “This is a flowchart we made to make it simple for people,” explained Lapp. “It’s a way to fund needs in the Lancaster community by filling in the gaps that might not necessarily be covered by most organizations,” added Herr. ETB was founded to help county residents who do not need help under normal circumstances, but who have come up against a hardship. “We are here for the working class who maybe by a few hundred dollars a year don’t qualify for help,” said Lapp. Hardships might See Ease The Burden pg 11
By Ann Mead Ash
Founders of Ease the Burden, a new organization to help residents in the county in need, are (from left) Sean High, Mindy Lapp, and Jack Herr. The organization was inspired by Stumptown Mennonite Church members who reached out to help individuals facing serious financial situations.
A year ago, Pequea Valley High School senior Carlos Cordero and some of his fellow Advanced Placement students were asked to help a new student from Guatemala to translate from Spanish to English. Cordero and the student worked on grammar, formal and informal speech, and subject-verb agreement. “Now he is doing great,” said Cordero. This year, when several more new students needed help with English as a See Volunteers pg 14
Daniel McCaughn (left) and Carlos Cordero (right) will teach English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at The Factory Ministries in Paradise beginning at the end of January. The pair are seeking volunteers to help neighbors to learn English.
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