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DECEMBER 8, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXII • NO 43
om www.lititzrec.c
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96 • 717.626.50
Preserving Speedwell BY ANN MEAD ASH
hen he speaks to local organizations, Phil Wenger, president of the Lancaster Conservancy, is clear about the efforts of the organization. “We are a land trust,” explained Wenger. “ We are giving God’s beautiful natural world a place to expand and thrive in spite of mankind’s development, (which leads to) habitat destruction.” With that concept in mind, the conservancy acquired a 90-acre parcel of land adjacent to Speedwell County Park, 480 Speedwell Forge Road, Lititz, in October. According to Wenger, the tract of land is unique in a number of ways. “One way is that there is a stream (on the land) that comes into the lake,” said Wenger, who called the Hammer Creek, which flows into Speedwell Forge Lake, “pristine.” He added that because Lancaster County has so few lakes, Speedwell is a top priority for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The land
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is also unusual in the county because it is forested. “Most 100-acre tracts have a farm associated with them and structures that need to be acquired,” said Wenger, who noted that because the land had no building on it, it could be purchased as is. The land’s proximity to a county park and other protected land also made the acreage attractive. Although preserving the water quality of Speedwell Forge Lake is a priority, it is not the only reason for the land purchase. Preserving habitat is an important goal. “Water quality is one of our major motivations, but this land provides ecosystem services,” Wenger pointed out. “We want to create places with intact forests because we know the biodiversity that is being lost by our community.” Wenger explained that in addition to storing carbon, trees provide homes for insects that birds feed on. “We protect land so we can create healthy, intact systems. Our board is motivated to protect land for its biodiversity and its natural restoration qualities.” See Speedwell pg 6
Phil Wenger, president of the Lancaster Conservancy, visiting the parcel of land the organization purchased in October
Preparing Come To A German Holiday Market Students For “We want to offer opportuniReal Work ties to share our cultural heritage BY ANN MEAD ASH
“We’re trying to unite kids deeply to meaningful work so that (when they come to school), they know what they will work on will align to the kinds of people they want to be in the future,” said Mike Simpson, who co-founded the Stone Independent School with Abby Kirchner in 2017. Simpson traces the origins of the school to an experience he and Kirchner had while leading a group See Stone Independant School pg 3
Santa will visit children at the Christkindlmarkt at Lancaster Liederkranz.
with the community,” said Elise Bullington, event chairperson for Lancaster Liederkranz’s Christkindlmarkt. “ We do that through our fests. A big thing in Germany are these Christmas markets. They are an opportunity to bring people together, for local artisans to showcase their talents and for wonderful family fun.” Christkindlmarkt will be held on the Liederkranz grounds, 722 S. Chiques Road, Manheim, on Sunday, Dec. 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. See Christkindlmarkt pg 2
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