2012-04-06 20:22:00
JANE HOLAHAN
Some theater thoughts, all connected in degrees of separation.
• Congratulations to Eliseo Roman, who is on Broadway again. He's playing one of the Angels of Mercy in "Leap of Faith," now in previews. It opens April 26 at the St. James Theatre.
Roman, who was......
2012-02-09 16:31:00
JACK ROBERTS and ALEJANDRO RIOS
Once again it's time to rock and roll with Rios and Roberts, the guys who keep you up to date on the local music scene.
n It's deadline time, so let's get right to it.
n You've got less than three weeks to submit a song entry for consideration in Music For Everyone's annual fundra......
2012-01-12 16:32:00
JANE HOLAHAN
The American Music Theatre will hold local adult auditions for its 2012 season on Sunday, Jan. 22, at the theater, 2425 Lincoln Highway East.
The 2012 season begins in April and runs through December and includes the shows "Country Classics," "American Icons" and the "2012 Christmas Show.......
2012-01-08 15:55:00
Rochelle A. Shenk
Christmas trees can be dropped off in the orange fenced area at the rear of the Penn Township Municipal Building, 97 N. Penryn Road, Manheim until Jan. 15. Trees should be free of all decorations and not in plastic bags.......
2012-01-04 11:13:00
Rochelle A. Shenk
Manheim Borough is offering a Christmas tree pickup on Saturday, Jan. 7. Residents that wish to participate in this free program should place trees curbside Friday evening. Ornaments, garland and tinsel should be removed from trees before placing them curbside.......
2011-12-29 23:23:00
JENNIFER TODD
Lancaster police have charged a city man who they say seriously injured a woman by throwing her down the stairs on Christmas Eve.
Raymond L. Simpson, 33, of 355 E. Ross St., was arrested Wednesday night on a charge of aggravated assault.
He was arraigned by District Judge Janice J......
2011-12-29 23:13:00
JENNIFER TODD
Police have arrested a man accused of robbing a Lancaster Township bank on Christmas Eve.
Derek L. Danz, 33, of South Queen Street, was taken into custody late Thursday morning at a home on West Vine Street, according to Manheim Township police Sgt. Tom Rudzinski.
Danz is charged ......
2011-12-29 22:58:00
DAVID O'CONNOR
Correction Jan. 13, 2012 — The recent donation of a Krugerrand gold coin to the Salvation Army did not necessarily come from the "Secret Saint," the anonymous donor who has contributed to the organization's kettle campaign of recent ......
2011-12-27 22:51:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
Christmas is over and most of us seem to have escaped unscathed, although there were a few holiday casualties, mostly occurring last month on Black Friday.
Eager for early Christmas bargains, a throng of shoppers at a Target store in West Virginia had to face the inconvenience of stepping......
2011-12-26 20:12:00
JIMMY PIANKA
"I got money and I want to spend it," Brianna Schumann, 16, of Lebanon said as she made her way toward Forever 21 and Victoria's Secret.
"I'm with you," laughed her mother, enumerating her various Christmas gifts cards from Kohl's, J.C.Penney and Visa. "Blame it on the 16-year-old."
......
2011-12-26 20:10:00
TIM MEKEEL
Shoppers again filled local stores Monday, the day after Christmas, but with a different motive than they had the prior four weeks.
Instead of clasping lists of gifts to buy Aunt Beth and Uncle Joe, this time most carried gift cards and exchanges for themselves.
"We've got s......
2011-12-26 06:01:00
STAFF REPORT
Federal, state and local government offices are closed today for the Christmas holiday. They will reopen Tuesday.
Red Rose Transit Authority will operate on a Sunday extended schedule on today. Regular service will resume Tuesday.
There will be no mail delivery today.......
2011-12-25 21:18:00
DAVID O'CONNOR
There was a real atmosphere of "fun and celebration" at Manheim Township's Calvary Church on Sunday morning, the Rev. Beau Eckert noted.
That was even before they gave out jingle bells to all of the 1,200 people on hand for the lone Christmas-morning service at his church.
And the......
2011-12-25 20:47:00
JIMMY PIANKA
"Whether you're rich or poor, you should have somewhere to go on Christmas," Judi Summers said on Sunday morning as the parking lot filled up behind her.
She stood outside the West Earl Fire Company in Brownstown where, inside, more than 30 volunteers flurried in the kitchens.
"No......
2011-12-25 20:03:00
JANE HOLAHAN
In this very crowded holiday season, we are moving from Christmas (hope you had a good one) on to New Year's Eve.
I am skipping Boxing Day, which is Monday, because, well, does anyone know what Boxing Day is about?
Apparently, it's some sort of shopping holiday in the British Isle......
2011-12-24 20:18:00
KELLY SMEDLEY
Tossing a football in the backyard. Eating strawberry cupcakes. Telling stupid jokes. Giving your mom a hug. These simple moments of life can easily be taken for granted — until they are no longer there. But those memories are helping one Manor Township family get through the holi......
2011-12-24 16:10:00
STEPHEN KOPFINGER
Downtown Lancaster is a small place compared to New York City, but when I was a kid, it seemed just as big. Especially at Christmas. The tree lighting in Penn Square the night after Thanksgiving got me thinking of that. It was nice to see downtown packed with people and Santa Claus ascend to......
2011-12-24 16:08:00
MARY ELLEN WRIGHT
When my extended family gathers for the holidays, we're never stuck for conversation. If anything, we need something that stops us from all talking at once, or at least reduces the decibel level in the room. But during our recent Thanksgiving dinner in northern Virginia, attended by family m......
2011-12-24 16:06:00
MARTY CRISP
Santa isn't the only one with a list this time of year. There's a long "to do" list stretching out in front of all the moms and dads responsible for putting the jolly in their family's holiday. Like most people, I loved every part of Christmas when I was a kid. I loved the cards, th......
2011-12-24 16:04:00
MARICHELLE ROQUE-LUTZ
It's Dec. 25, and my 19 crèche sets are everywhere around the house. On top of the piano are the classic Italian figurines that I recently inherited from my mother-in-law. The 12-piece olive wood set, carved by a Palestinian artist, is on a side table. My favorite is the ......
2011-12-24 16:02:00
SUZANNE CASSIDY
Ask me anything you want to know about an elf's basic food groups, how angels get their wings, and what you can do with a general, when he stops being a general. I watch a lot of Christmas movies. I love all of the holiday classics: "Miracle on 34th Street," "White Christmas,"......
2011-12-24 07:01:00
STAFF REPORT
Federal, state and local government offices are closed today, Sunday and Monday for the Christmas holiday. They will reopen Tuesday.
Red Rose Transit Authority will have regular bus service today but will not operate on Sunday. The buses will operate on a Sunday extended schedule on Monda......
2011-12-23 22:04:00
CINDY STAUFFER
Anya, Star and Glacier are on standby, ready if they get the big call.
Tundra is just a baby, but Rudolph was pretty young, too, when he got his start.
The four reindeer will be watching the skies on Christmas Eve from their home in southern Lancaster County.
The bunc......
2011-12-23 22:02:00
DAVID O'CONNOR
This will be Kagiso Lekoa's first Christmas in Lancaster County — and his first apart from his parents and family, who are in their home some 8,000 miles away.
But Lekoa is still going to be with family.
He will be in a home where "it's like having all kinds of brothers and ......
2011-12-23 07:01:00
STAFF REPORT
Federal, state and local government offices are closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday for the Christmas holiday. They will reopen Tuesday.
Red Rose Transit Authority will have regular bus service on Saturday but will not operate on Sunday. The buses will operate on a Sunday extended schedule......
2011-12-22 21:17:00
correspondent
All are invited to Christmas Eve Worship Services on Saturday, Dec. 24 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 221 E. Main Street. 6:45 p.m. musical prelude; 7 p.m. Family Candlelight Communion Service; 109:30 p.m. Musical prelude; 11 p.m. Traditional Christmas Eve Service with candlelight and communio......
2011-12-21 22:14:00
JIMMY PIANKA
"Baby, it's cold outside," the old song says, and the hundreds of people who spend their Christmas Eve waiting outside Clipper Stadium for a free dinner know it better than most.
That's why Aimee Ketchum of Lititz and her daughters Marley, 12, and Kayla, 9, arrive each year at 3 a.m. with......
2011-12-21 22:07:00
CINDY STAUFFER
Area churches and the Water Street Mission will serve free Christmas Day meals to local residents.
• Brownstown area churches will serve a meal from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at West Earl Fire Company, 14 School Lane Ave., Brownstown. Home deliveries are available. Call 656-......
2011-12-21 15:54:00
CINDY STAUFFER
Christmas will be chilly with possible snow flurries, good weather for traveling but not so great for those pining for a scene straight out of a holiday card.
"A storm is going by to our south, but it looks like a miss," Millersville University meteorologist Eric Horst said. "I can't rule......
2011-12-20 23:17:00
TOM KNAPP
The customer cried when a store manager called to say Santa came early this year.
The woman had put toys on layaway at the Kmart at 2110 Lincoln Highway East. But she couldn't afford to pay off the balance, and it looked like she wouldn't have them in time for her children on Christmas mo......
2011-12-20 22:03:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
After last week's column about my lack of Christmas spirit, I received an e-mail from the National Christmas Center along Route 30 near Paradise. Signed by Santa Jr., it said my column had saddened him.
Terrific. Not only was I not in the holiday mood, but now I had depressed Santa Claus!......
2011-12-20 15:10:00
Staff
Ephrata Community Church will hold three Christmas Family Candlelight Services this weekend.
The first is on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 6 p.m., followed by services on Sunday, Dec. 25 at 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. Each service will be one-hour long and include special singing, drama, dance and a can......
2011-12-19 15:15:00
Rochelle A. Shenk
Zion Lutheran Church, 2 S. Hazel St., Manheim, will hold two Christmas Eve candlelight worship services on Saturday, Dec. 24. The public is welcome to attend the services.
A 7 p......
2011-12-19 12:52:00
CINDY HUMMEL
The Strasburg Area Women's Club spread a little Christmas cheer in the town square Sunday night with live music, carol singing, warm refreshments and an appearance by Old St. Nick. About 50 people braved freezing temperatures to listen to the Lampeter-Strasburg Community Band perform holiday......
2011-12-18 00:02:00
ERIC STARK, Stark Ravings
I love Christmas TV specials, especially the old animated ones from Rankin/Bass Productions, the guys who did the signature animated versions of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman." But I think television and radio station......
2011-12-17 22:35:00
SUZANNE CASSIDY
Tiffiani Butler is a busy mom whose work as a bartender requires that she keeps a close eye on everything that is happening before her, so that nothing gets past her.
So when she recently took her 6-year-old daughter, Aryana, to see Santa Claus at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, sh......
2011-12-17 21:54:00
STAFF REPORT
For the first time in three years, Willow Street Mennonite Church will host a live Nativity walk, featuring actors and animals.
The event will be held at the farm of Randy and Chris Andrews, across the street from the church.
The nativity will run Sunday night from 5:30 p.m. until......
2011-12-17 19:38:00
JANE HOLAHAN
Hundreds of shoppers at Central Market got a glorious surprise Saturday morning when at least 125 people around them suddenly began singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah."
At 9:30 a.m. a mass of people, many wearing Santa hats and reindeer antlers, found their way to the ......
2011-12-17 14:22:00
Rochelle A. Shenk
The Manheim Community Library invites families from the Manheim area to go Christmas Caroling on Sunday, Dec. 18. Anyone interested in this traditional way of spreading Holiday cheer is invited to meet at 7 p.m. at the library, 15 E. High St., to carol around the borough. Hot cho......
2011-12-16 22:00:00
JENNIFER TODD
For Phil Capp, Christmas is about family — about being together, making memories and sharing in the joy of the season.
It's also about tradition.
Since his children were young, Capp and his family have cut short their own Christmas morning festivities to share the holiday sp......
2011-12-16 21:46:00
JANE HOLAHAN
One more week before Christmas, and I've got a lot of movies and old TV shows to watch.
Is it really the holidays without "It's a Wonderful Life," or "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?"
Can Christmas 2011 pass without seeing Charlie Brown's pathetic tree once more?
Those sho......
2011-12-16 21:14:00
TOM KNAPP
How do geeks find romance?
Whether their passion is Star Trek or superheroes, if their sun sets on Tatooine or rises on Gallifrey, they still must find love and presumably breed to keep the geek population thriving.
But dating can be difficult for people who favor comic-book store......
2011-12-16 17:21:00
ALISON HOUGHTON, 16, Freestyle
From midnight on Thanksgiving until the end of December, much of the population is consumed with one general thought: locating that perfect present for that perfect person.
For families all over the world, and even here in America, just putting food on the table this holiday season is a s......
2011-12-15 16:52:00
Debbie Wygent
A group of crafters in the Octorara region have gathered their talents and goods in one place in Parkesburg for the holidays.
A cooperative holiday gift shop is now temporarily open at 221 Main St., Parkesburg, with a good supply of decorations, candles, jewelry and ecl......
2011-12-15 16:31:00
Rochelle A. Shenk
Staff and residents of Pleasant View Retirement Community invite families, friends and local community members to a Christmas celebration at 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18 at Hoffer Auditorium, Pleasant View Retirement Community, 544 N. Penryn Road, Manheim.
The prelude begins at 6:45 p.m. ......
2011-12-15 15:20:00
JON FERGUSON
When trumpeter Nate Birkey decided to record a holiday album, he chose a reflective approach.
Instead of seeking out the purely celebratory songs of the season, Birkey visited the tunes with more of a bittersweet edge.
"I picked the tunes I liked and the tunes I grew up with," Bir......
2011-12-15 14:59:00
JANE HOLAHAN
Interested in seeing some artwork from Lancaster's talented array of artists, but you've got too much Christmas shopping to do?
Well, head over to Trees Galore at the Lancaster Museum of Art. You can kill two birds with one stone.
No, that's not a good thing to say at this time of......
2011-12-15 14:57:00
LAURA KNOWLES
There's no doubt that the holiday season is a time that recalls childhood memories.
This weekend's "Sounds of the Season" concert by the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra and the 65-member Lancaster Symphony Chorus is meant to do just that, whether the kids are one to 92. Or even older.
...
2011-12-15 14:50:00
TOM KNAPP
Gary Smith thought he knew Charles Dickens.
Then Smith read the Victorian author's most famous tale and realized he didn't know as much as he thought.
"Between Mary (Adams-Smith, his wife and co-founder of the Theater of the Seventh Sister) and I, we had been in multiple productio......
2011-12-15 14:46:00
BY KATHLEEN DAMINGER
Caroling, caroling ... Friday
It's Christmas time in the city! And while soon it will be Christmas day, there's still time to make merry, sing carols and cross some names off your shopping list -- all in downtown Lancaster. Friday at 7:15 p.m., Music for Everyone is hosting a holiday sing......
2011-12-15 14:45:00
TOM KNAPP
Mary Anne Ballard is a pop star.
But the "pop hits" she performs were working their way up the charts a good three, four, half-dozen centuries ago.
"I was once standing in a McDonald's about 25 years ago -- you know, I don't eat at McDonald's any more -- when I heard in the muzak ......
2011-12-14 16:47:00
Rochelle A. Shenk
Manheim Christian Day School (MCDS) invites the community to attend and experience the production of "Dr. Newheart's Christmas Cure", a unique Kathy Hill musical directed by Cheryl Gingrich. MCDS will present the musical on Friday, Dec. 16, at 12:30 and 7 p.m. in the school auditorium locat......
2011-12-13 23:45:00
DAVID O'CONNOR
Most baseball fans in Lancaster already know that the Barnstormers have a pretty good "War of the Roses" rivalry going with the York Revolution.
And most hockey fans know there's a "Winter Classic," an outdoor game featuring a pair of NHL teams, this time of year.
And the Barnstor......
2011-12-13 20:20:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
I'm feeling somewhat Ebenezer Scroogeish this holiday season.
No, I don't wish that all of the poor would be sent to prisons or workhouses, or would die and decrease the surplus population. That's the job of Congress.
I'm just slow at getting into the Christmas spirit. My wife is,......
2011-12-13 14:50:00
STAFF
The holiday season is in full swing in Lancaster County and LancasterOnline is looking for your photos to document it.
Visit the YouShare upload page to send your holiday photos to LancasterOnline. We're looking for anythi......
2011-12-13 13:24:00
Rochelle A. Shenk
This holiday season, set aside the worries and hustle and bustle of today and gather around the yuletide fire of yesterday with friends and family at Mount Hope Estate & Winery's 28th annual production of "Dickens of a Christmas."
Continuing throug......
2011-12-11 19:50:00
TOM MURSE
Perhaps you have seen it: That mysterious auroral phenomenon, that glow, hovering like the northern lights over Clearview, a small neighborhood of ranch-style homes off Oregon Pike in Manheim Township.
That would be the Aument house.
Standing in the front yard, amid 3,500 tw......
2011-12-11 00:06:00
MARY ELLEN WRIGHT
With the gift-giving season upon us, avid home cooks may have visions of culinary gadgetry dancing in their heads. And they can look to local chefs and kitchen-tool purveyors for practical advice on which gadgets to put on their Christmas lists. A good knife is, of course, a cook's best......
2011-12-11 00:05:00
TOM KNAPP
Santa Claus is a temporal trickster. Think about it. He travels the world Christmas Eve, visits innumerable homes, slides down chimneys, stuffs stockings, eats cookies, drinks milk, cleans up after reindeer and keeps those elves in line, all while piling presents beneath countless Christmas ......
2011-12-09 22:08:00
DAN NEPHIN
You can bet there's one gift that siblings Taylor and Gavin Frymyer won't return this Christmas.
At a school assembly Friday, Taylor, a Clay Elementary third-grader, was chosen from among her classmates to unwrap a prize — her reward for participating in a Toys for Tots drive.
......
2011-12-09 20:13:00
RYAN ROBINSON
Reports of a Christmas Scrooge on the loose have turned out to be unfounded.
Two people who picked up bins of donated toys at businesses in Mountville and Manheim on Dec. 2 were legitimately working for Toys for Tots, not trying to steal the toys, said William Perkins, coordinator of the ......
2011-12-09 22:33:00
TOM KNAPP
If it can be wrapped, Marianne Lichty can wrap it.
After all, this veteran of the gift-wrapping booth at Park City Center has faced a few challenges in her day.
Keys.
College tuition.
A 9-foot-long television antenna.
A canoe.
Once, she said, "we wr......
2011-12-09 14:43:00
Rochelle A. Shenk
The Manheim Community Library, 15 E. High St. is hosting a variety of family programs this month.
Special Holiday Storytimes have been scheduled for Wednesdays in December. Programs are designed for children between 3 and 5 years old and a care giver.
The Dec. 14 storytime wi......
2011-12-08 15:29:00
JANE HOLAHAN
"Christmas on Mars," opening Thursday at the Ware Center, " is not a sci-fi play about the holidays.
Its four characters are all very human.
Way too human, actually. And that is where the humor and the heart of this show come from.
"It's a great combination of biting wit a......
2011-12-08 15:26:00
TOM KNAPP
The Rod-Man is just too sexy to let a little rain get him down.
Sure, his alter-ego -- mild-mannered Bob Shank, owner of Shank's Tavern in Marietta -- was less than thrilled when the one-two punch of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee backed up the storm sewers in the riverfront town ......
2011-12-08 15:20:00
KATHLEEN DAMINGER
It's the season of hope.
So the newly merged congregation of United Methodist city churches -- El Redentor and St. Paul's -- is adding to it.
"A Light of Hope (Una Luz de Esperanza)," happening Saturday night, is a Latin-American Christmas concert that celebrates the Christmas sto......
2011-12-08 15:04:00
KATHLEEN DAMINGER
Ice Imagination ... Saturday
"We can fly, we can fly, we can fly" -- across the ice, that is! That will be the theme on Saturday, when the Red Rose Figure Skating Club presents "Peter Pan on Ice" at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. at the Lancaster Ice Rink, 371 Carerra Drive. The production, which sho......
2011-12-07 23:02:00
STAFF REPORT
He made the list, he checked it twice and Wednesday afternoon Santa came early to do something nice in Lancaster city.
He filled the wishes of 13 children, ages 5 to 12, who participate in the Salvation Army's after-school latchkey program.
It happened at a holiday celebration org......
2011-12-05 16:49:00
STAFF REPORT
We asked our readers to share their "failed" Santa pictures and they didn't fail us. Enjoy this comical collection of holiday snapshots that, at the time, may have been disappointing. Now, perhaps, these pictures more likely remain family treasures. (To be sure, they've put quite a few smile......
2011-12-05 17:39:00
DEBBIE WYGENT
Christmas in Christiana is an annual tradition which attracts both local families as well as tourists to the village. "We've done this for many years," said Jim Groff, a spokesman for the Christiana Lions Club. "The town is pretty busy that day." Slated to take place this year on Saturd......
2011-12-05 15:41:00
CINDY HUMMEL
More than 100 people attended a ceremony honoring the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day in the Strasburg Borough Sunday. A new flag was raised at the community memorial in memory of Sgt. Walter J. Hagens, who served in the Army in the Italian campaign. Hagen's grandson Tim Meck reca......
2011-12-04 00:06:00
SUZANNE CASSIDY
As Christmas approached, Drumore residents Linda and Dave Reath wanted to convey to their young daughter a simple and eternal truth: Joy is found in giving to others. Their then-neighbors, Kathy and Bob Schober, just had opened Country View Manor, a retirement home in Quarryville. So the Rea......
2011-12-03 17:51:00
PATTI CORNELIUS
......
2011-12-02 22:46:00
ENELLY BETANCOURT
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around Lancaster County. That means it's time for trains, trains and more model trains.
The charming mini-locomotives chugging around ornately decorated tracks along miniature villages and twinkling lights are popping up everywhere for the enjoy......
2011-12-02 21:24:00
ENELLY BETANCOURT
Cindy Mellinger didn't start out life with oodles of self-confidence.
But a bout with anorexia, a divorce and an uphill battle against cancer called to the surface a woman of incredible strength, intelligence, grace and unshakable faith.
"Throughout these experiences, I felt so di......
2011-12-02 19:57:00
JULIA GOUSSETIS, 16, Freestyle
The Christmas shopping season began on Black Friday, with sales and stores opening at midnight (or earlier) to large crowds, etc. You know what I'm talking about.
If you're one of those people who enjoy following fashion trends, or are trying to find something for the person that already ......
2011-12-02 08:50:00
Rochelle A. Shenk
Manheim's annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony will be held in Market Square at 7 p.m on Saturday, Dec. 3.
The event, which is hosted by the Manheim Downtown Development Group, includes caroling, yummy hot chocolate, and a community jazz band. Other even......
2011-12-01 16:04:00
JANE HOLAHAN
With all the hustle and bustle of the season and the multitude of big holiday concerts at the Ware Center (see other story) and elsewhere, it can be hard to relax and appreciate the quieter, more reflexive aspect of Christmas.
But you can find just that at the very busy Ware Center on Sun......
2011-12-01 15:58:00
JACK ROBERTS and ALEJANDRO RIOS
Once again it's time to rock and roll with Rios and Roberts, the two guys who keep you up to date on the local music scene.
• It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And sound like it, too.
Word just came in that Music for Everyone and the Community Chorus are once again......
2011-12-01 15:19:00
BY KATHLEEN DAMINGER
Fantastic Footwork ... Friday-Sunday
Clara's nutcracker is back. And so is the army of mice, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the entire enchanting story of "The Nutcracker" during Ballet Theater of Lancaster's annual performance, happening Friday through Sunday at Lancaster Mennonite High School......
2011-12-01 15:16:00
JON FERGUSON
Concert promoters helped infuse the members of Cherish the Ladies with the Christmas spirit.
Joanie Madden, a whistle and flute player who founded the Celtic music band, remembers getting a call from a promoter about a dozen years ago.
He asked her if the band had a Christmas show......
2011-11-30 20:50:00
STAFF REPORT
Jesus is always the star of the show when it comes to the Christmas story.
Four babies will be sharing the role when Wesley United Methodist Church, 40 W. Main St., Strasburg, puts on its 57th annual Christmas pageant Friday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunda......
2011-11-29 22:43:00
JANE HOLAHAN
THEATER REVIEW
"Miracle on 34th Street" is a wonderful movie, a holiday classic that holds up beautifully viewing after viewing.
Alas, when Meredith Willson, of "Music Man" fame, turned it into a musical (he wrote the book, mus......
2011-11-27 23:02:00
KELLY SMEDLEY
Elf on the Shelf — warm holiday tradition or clever behavior tool?
Actually, both.
For those unfamiliar with this relatively new phenomenon, Elf on the Shelf consists of a plush toy elf dressed in Santa Claus red accompanied by a book depicting the story of an elf named Budd......
2011-11-27 21:38:00
STAFF
The Salvation Army's Christmas Assistance Program needs 400 more toys for children up to age 12.
The organization said it has seen an increase in applications for assistance. It will soon begin to distribute the donated toys and wants to make sure there is a sufficient supply.
The......
2011-11-27 00:10:00
KELLY SMEDLEY
Ben Utecht is a true Renaissance man. The former NFL standout turned successful singer is indeed a rare breed. He's been working hard at both professions since fourth grade. "My family was rich with music tradition and athletic ambition," Utecht said by phone. "I experien......
2011-11-27 00:03:00
STEPHEN KOPFINGER
Many people think of "A Christmas Carol" as a cinematic experience. The tale, first penned as a novella by Charles Dickens in 1843, remains a timeless message of redemption throughout the centuries: A miser named Ebenezer Scrooge loves money and hates Christmas, yet he has his......
2011-11-25 21:45:00
TIM MEKEEL
Ten years ago, as local merchants jostled for first crack at customer wallets on Black Friday, some opened as early as 5 or 6 a.m.
How shocking, it seemed then.
How quaint, it seems now.
This year, many stores here began their Black Friday hours late Thursday — the e......
2011-11-25 21:44:00
JIMMY PIANKA
This year, two groups of deal-seekers participated in the Black Friday ritual — and the languishing economy drew the line between them.
About half of the approximately 35 shoppers interviewed at Park City Center said that economic constraints played no part in their purchasing decis......
2011-11-25 23:20:00
JOAN KERN
By profession, Rila Hackett is a mortgage loan officer for Fidelis Mortgage Corp. on King Street. But in her heart, she's a musician. And year after year, the mesmerizing pianist performs in the Blue Christmas service at her church, First Presbyterian Church. This year the church, at 14......
2011-11-25 22:28:00
Correspondent
ART SHOW
• "A Thrill of Hope, the Weary World Rejoices," the second annual Advent art exhibit at the Parish Resource Center, 633 Community Way, will open with a reception to meet the artists at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5. The exhibit, which features works by professional and amateur ......
2011-11-25 22:28:00
Correspondent
ART SHOW
• "A Thrill of Hope, the Weary World Rejoices," the second annual Advent art exhibit at the Parish Resource Center, 633 Community Way, will open with a reception to meet the artists at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5. The exhibit, which features works by professional and amateur ......
2011-11-25 22:05:00
STAFF REPORT
Several thousand people turned out Friday night for the Mayor's Tree Lighting and Tuba Christmas on Penn Square.
Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray plugged in the lights of the city tree.
"It's a beautiful tree and a beautiful night," Gray said. "Let's come back tomorrow and spend some mon......
2011-11-25 11:21:00
ROCHELLE A. SHENK
Area residents got a taste of holiday spirit last Thursday when the Manheim Community Library hosted "A Christmas Visit from Der Belsnickle." To Pennsylvania German children of the 19th century, the giver of Christmas gifts was not the Santa of today — a benevolent older gentleman who ......
2011-11-23 14:18:00
TOM KNAPP
Wheatland has a mouse problem.
But the teeming sea of vermin has met its match in the Nutcracker, the eponymous hero of E.T.A. Hoffman's classic story, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," that is coming for the first time to the home of President James Buchanan.
That's why Yuleti......
2011-11-23 14:13:00
JANE HOLAHAN
Hope you are enjoying Thanksgiving. Is the smell of turkey wafting through the house yet? Ahhh ...
But hey, Friday awaits.
You know what Friday is, right?
Black Friday, when shoppers go insane, getting up at 3 in the morning and fighting for bargains.
But in Lancas......
2011-11-23 14:09:00
BY KATHLEEN DAMINGER
Glorious Gardens ... opens Thursday
It's Christmas time. We expect twinkling lights, red bows and glimmering trees. But what a treat it is to indulge in the sweet fragrance of beautiful blooming blossoms even as Old Man Winter tightens his grip. That's the luxury afforded visitors to Long......
2011-11-23 14:21:00
CINDY HUMMEL
Every year, The ChooChoo Barn fields calls from people asking if the business does anything special to celebrate the holidays. So this year, in honor of the barn's 50th anniversary, owner Tom Groff decided to decorate the attraction along Route 741 in Strasburg Township for the Christmas sea......
2011-11-21 21:53:00
JIMMY PIANKA
The Christmas tree in Penn Square is decorated.
Workers were out taking care of that on Monday, a prelude to the kickoff of the holiday season in downtown Lancaster.
That celebration will begin Friday night, with the Mayor's Tree Lighting and Tuba Christmas.
The evening wi......
2011-11-21 10:28:00
CAROLE DECK
Each year Christmas on Main in New Holland puts people in a happy, holiday mood. And this year's event, scheduled for Dec. 3, won't disappoint with its slate of activities for young and old alike. Kicking off the day-long community celebration is the 8 a.m. Breakfast with S......
2011-11-20 00:02:00
MARTY CRISP
Tap-dancing penguins and high-kicking Santas take the stage to celebrate the holidays in "The 2011 Christmas Show: Winter Wonderland" at American Music Theatre. With 10 musicians in a cotton snow drift center stage, six energetic dancers, 10 talented vocalists and a rotating c......
2011-11-17 17:02:00
TOM KNAPP
He made Peter Pan fly.
He made Spider-Man swing, Superman soar and winged monkeys terrorize an audience from above.
So angels, who have a natural tendency toward ascension, should be easy.
Peter Rubin -- aka the Fly Guy, best known for helping Cathy Rigby defy gravity in c......
2011-11-17 16:34:00
JIMMY PIANKA
If the "War on Christmas" were real, Hershey would be the holiday's stronghold.
Each year "The Sweetest Place on Earth" transforms itself into the merriest, decking its shops, streets and namesake amusement park with more holiday accouterments than a Macy's in September.
The townw......
2011-11-17 16:15:00
BY KATHLEEN DAMINGER
Gift of Lights ... opens Friday
Elizabeth Farms, 262 Hopeland Road in Brickerville, has long been a holiday tradition for area families. Each year, visitors flock to the 200-acre Christmas tree farm's horse-drawn wagon rides, train display, Santa's workshop and Christmas cheer. But this y......
2011-11-17 11:13:00
none
Over 30 vendors will be selling items at the Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 26, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Terre Hill Community Center, 131 W. Main St., Terre Hill.
Items for sale include: homemade crafts, candles, kitchen wares, jewelry, scarves, dog blankets, home decorating, plus more......
2011-11-13 00:06:00
MARY ELLEN WRIGHT
Back in Bloomington, 15 years before the popularity of NBC's "The Sing-Off" or The Warblers of TV's "Glee," Walter Chase and his nine college buddies bonded over music, road trips and laughter. None of them ever dreamed what would become of their modest Indiana University a ca......
2011-11-11 20:20:00
STAFF REPORT
The Salvation Army kicked off its Kettle Campaign for the 2011 Christmas season Friday.
The campaign raises funds to enable the Salvation Army to continue its year-round efforts to provide food, clothing and toys to families in need.
The kettles can be found in 20 locations includ......
2011-11-09 17:44:00
ENELLY BETANCOURT
If you are hoping to catch the glowing sights and sounds of a winter wonderland this holiday season, you are in luck.
The Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau announced Wednesday the addition of a new Christmas lights display to its Lancaster County Christmas branding campa......
2011-11-03 23:30:00
TOM KNAPP
Benj Pasek's grandmother used to say the Hershey Theatre "was the best place in the world."
"It's the best theater in the country," she told him. "It's better than Broadway."
Although his grandmother died a year ago, Pasek wonders if she's not pulling a few strings from beyond....
2011-11-03 23:14:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
THEATER REVIEW
Monday may have been Halloween, but at American Music Theatre, Christmas is here.
AMT's 2011 holiday show, "Winter Wonderland," has everything you expect from a Christmas gala — wonderful music, terrific si......
2011-11-01 23:25:00
MARCELLA PEYRE-FERRY
Christiana Borough Council is all ready for 2012, having adopted the budget for the new year and a new tax rate of 5 mills tonight.
The new budget — a total amount of $1,712,193 — is substantially the same as the current year's. "We're at the point of cutting servic......
2011-10-30 00:10:00
MARY ELLEN WRIGHT
The 1983 film "A Christmas Story" was a turning point in Peter Billingsley's life. Not only did the classic holiday film make him a household name and familiar holiday fixture on cable, video and DVD, but it helped set him on a path to his current career as a successful Hollyw......
2011-10-27 16:03:00
KATHLEEN DAMINGER
If she could get away with it, Andrea McCormick would probably already have her Christmas tree up and decorated.
"I say let's do it!" she says.
"Everyone is stressed out and busy, and I think at Christmas time everyone stops a little. It makes everything a little more beautiful."...
2011-10-20 15:07:00
BY JACK ROBERTS and ALEJANDRO RIOS
Once again it's time to rock and roll with Rios and Roberts, the two guys who keep you up to date on the local music scene.
• Ah, there's good news today.
McCleary's Public House in Marietta is back up and running after being flooded last month with something besides beer and......
2011-09-15 15:51:00
Staff
Creative Works of Lancaster will hold auditions for its upcoming dark comedy "Christmas on Mars," Wednesday from 6 to 10 p.m. at Franklin & Marshall College's Philadelphia Alumni Writers House, 633 College Ave.
Callbacks will be scheduled for the next day.
Auditions are by app......
2011-09-12 20:52:00
STAFF REPORT
Thaddeus Stevens College (2-0) continued its hot start in football on Sunday with a 27-24 victory over host Salisbury (Md.) University.
Leading rushers for the Bulldogs were Kellen Brown (4-23), quarterback Frank Gaffney (9-20, 2 TDs) and Carl Christmas (5-13).
Gaffney completed 1......
2011-09-09 21:29:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
It was Nov. 1, 2001, when Jim Morrison saw the elderly couple enter the National Christmas Center in Paradise.
Morrison, the center's curator, noticed how the 80-year-old woman "darted around nervously, not really unfocused," while the man, a year or two younger, stared at a 1950s Christm......
2011-09-05 21:50:00
TOM KANPP
Mary Hand probably would have been delighted to find the teddy bear on page 55 of an upcoming issue of Early American Life waiting for her one Christmas morning.
And one imagines her younger sister, Margaret, would have been captivated by the Old World Santa toting colorful gifts on the f......
2011-09-05 21:50:00
TOM KNAPP
Mary Hand probably would have been delighted to find the teddy bear on page 55 of an upcoming issue of Early American Life waiting for her one Christmas morning.
And one imagines her younger sister, Margaret, would have been captivated by the Old World Santa toting colorful gifts on the f......
2011-08-25 14:44:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
She was country music's female star of the year in 1994 and in 2007, got her own star in the Music City Walk of Fame. In 2012, Wynonna Judd will perform in the American Music Theatre.
"We're thrilled to have her," says Jim Martin, one of the theater's trio of owners. "It will be a great s......
2011-08-15 13:16:00
STAFF
Chet Williamson, the Elizabethtown resident well-known for his children's book "Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas" along with his adult horror novels, will discuss his books at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, in the Hall of Philosophy, Gettysburg and Pennsy......
2011-07-21 14:38:00
JANE HOLAHAN
When Farah Alvin, who is starring as Fanny Brice in Gretna Theatre's "Funny Girl," is asked the obvious question, she responds wryly: "Barbra who?"
Barbra is Barbra Streisand, of course. Her portrayal of Fanny Brice made her a star and the film version earned her an Oscar.
Streisa......
2011-07-18 23:55:00
TOM KNAPP
Christmas came early to Rock Ford this year.
The venerable plantation, home of Revolutionary War General Edward Hand, is mugging for photographers Tuesday for the Christmas edition of Early American Life magazine.
As the mercury rocketed into the mid-90s Monday and Lancaster Count......
2011-04-14 14:23:00
JANE HOLAHAN
Randall Frizado and Daniella Dalli got a great offer.
Would they like to create a series of small concerts, celebrating certain holidays, to be held at MU-Lancaster? And would they like to ask some fellow singers to join them?
"We jumped at the chance," says Frizado. "And we immed......
2010-12-30 14:35:00
LAURA KNOWLES
Where can you find amaryllis, narcissus, begonias, cyclamens, lilies and hydrangeas in full bloom in January?
That's easy, just head east to Longwood Gardens where winter blossoms with flowers, festivities and fireworks.
As Christmas at Longwood Gardens winds down, there are still......
2010-12-29 22:02:00
TOM KNAPP
Christmas for Brian Smyser meant a long bicycle ride in the rain to celebrate the holiday with two friends over a meal of rice, mangos and tomatoes — and maybe a duck, if they could find a spare one in the village.
That's a pretty good day for the 23-year-old Rohrerstown resident an......
2010-12-28 21:48:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
A bell tolled once as a mysterious hooded spirit plucked me away from "The Jerry Springer Show" just as some guy was about to admit to his girlfriend that he was having an affair with a space alien.
Together, the spirit and I whisked forward to the year 2025.
In Washington, D......
2010-12-27 22:09:00
LORI VAN INGEN
A Lancaster Township family with two special-needs adult children believes they were duped by owners of an Illinois ministry that was set to help them. But the ministry says it was just a set of unfortunate circumstances.
Videl Seymour, who owns Keys 2 Heaven Ministry in Belvidere, Ill., ......
2010-12-27 05:00:00
P.J. REILLY
After a topsy-turvy weekend of frequently changing predictions, the big day-after-Christmas blizzard struck only a glancing blow to Lancaster County on Sunday.
At most, eastern parts of the county were expected to see 4 inches of snow on the ground Monday, according to National Weather Se......
2010-12-26 21:21:00
TOM KNAPP
The consumer frenzy leading to that perfect Christmas morning slips into reverse Dec. 26, when many gifts make their merry way back to the stores from which they came.
Whatever the reason — wrong size, wrong color, What were you thinking? — a lot of folks braved the crowds and......
2010-12-26 00:20:00
MICHAEL LONG
It's 1:22 a.m. in the wee hours of Christmas morning. The children are nestled and snug, and by now Santa Claus is cresting the Rocky Mountains headed west. On the deserted streets of Lancaster city, stoplights blink their red-and-green holiday greetings to no one. A......
2010-12-26 00:10:00
MANDY STOLTZFUS
Christmas is about giving. Presents, cards, hugs and cookies. For many people, serving meals Christmas Day has become the gift their families give. Saturday, at St. Anne Catholic Church, Duke and Liberty streets, volunteers gathered for the 20th time to host a Christmas dinner. Bec......
2010-12-25 06:02:00
LORI VAN INGEN
For many families of soldiers, pictures of their loved ones are all they have as Christmas Day draws near.
Alyssa Schriver, a 10-year-old fifth-grader at Eshleman Elementary School, used this idea for her winning entry in the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era's annual holiday card c......
2010-12-25 00:01:00
JANE HOLAHAN
So it's finally Christmas Day.
Hope you're having a wonderful time with the people you love.
It's kind of a funny day, though, isn't it?
After the months of hype, and watching all the TV specials and listening to the holiday music and eating the Christmas candy and going t......
2010-12-24 15:03:00
BERNARD HARRIS
Gary Smith is usually late getting his Christmas tree, but this year was the latest. Smith and his wife, Mary Adams-Smith, are in the process of moving. And the performance schedule of "A Christmas Carol" is very demanding, said the Theater of the Seventh Sister co-founder and......
2010-12-24 13:44:00
JANE HOLAHAN
They were young and old, black and white, large and small, robust and frail. But just about everyone waiting in line Friday morning at the 24th annual Christmas Eve food distribution by the Lancaster County Project for the Needy had the same lament: Money is tight. The free dinner ......
2010-12-24 13:00:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
Christmas memories are special, and each of us has a story to tell of a time or incident that will live in our hearts forever.
This reporter will always recall the magic of helping my grandparents set up our 4-by-6-foot plywood platform and covering it with a blanket of cotton "snow." The......
2010-12-24 12:33:00
SYDNEY MUSSER, 16, Freestyle Staff
The holiday of Christmas is a combination of a lot of things; for some people, it can become quite a ho-ho-ho headache, punctuated by the not-so-jolly jingling of spare change in a coat pocket. Instead of ruddy-cheeked carolers, towns are populated with flushed and frustrated shoppers. Ju......
2010-12-24 00:15:00
STAFF REPORT
Many federal, state and local government offices are closed today and Saturday for the Christmas holiday. Most will reopen Monday.
Red Rose Transit Authority buses will end their services early today and will not operate Saturday. Regular service will resume ......
2010-12-23 22:01:00
ENELLY BETANCOURT
Last-minute shoppers are scrambling, trying to find the perfect gift for that special someone.
And there's a lot of them out there. Crowding the shopping malls on the final days before Christmas is becoming a standard holiday practice.
A survey on last-minute shopping habits by Co......
2010-12-23 21:20:00
STAFF REPORT
Approximately 90 Lancaster city children received an early Christmas present at the second annual Back 2 Basics Foundation Christmas Give-A-Way.
The event was held Wednesday at St. Paul's Cogic Church, 215 S. Queen St.
The foundation provided new toys for children and families in ......
2010-12-23 16:42:00
Staff
There's something about the holidays and trains.
What kid, young, middle-aged or old, doesn't love checking out a miniature railroad, complete with houses, stores, trees and the train chugging through town?
Every holiday season, a number of places bring out their model train displ......
2010-12-23 15:57:00
TOM KNAPP
There are ghosts of Christmas Past haunting Rock Ford this year.
There's no connection to "A Christmas Carol." At Rock Ford Plantation, the late 18th-century home of Revolutionary War General Edward Hand, the ghosts are of Hand and his wife, Katherine.
And they're prepared to shar......
2010-12-23 15:53:00
JANE HOLAHAN and KATHLEEN DAMINGER
While there are lots of them, (just check out the Lifetime Movie Channel) there are only a few standouts in the bunch.
We've been around for quite a few Christmases now and have seen holiday movies come and go. But for us, some have stood the test of time, and we'd like to share them with......
2010-12-23 14:05:00
JANET KELLEY
It looks like it will be clear sailing for folks traveling home at the end of the holiday weekend, with the much-anticipated snowstorm blowing out to sea.
The brunt of the storm system that has been carefully watched by holiday planners, meteorologists and road crews will likely miss us....
2010-12-23 00:01:00
LORI VAN INGEN
When Jim Morrison received an e-mail two years ago asking if he'd like to add another crèche to the burgeoning display at the National Christmas Center in Paradise, he didn't realize what a treasure he was about to get....
2010-12-22 23:01:00
JANE HOLAHAN
For those of you dreaming of a white Christmas, we're sorry to inform you: It's not happening.
But how about a white day-after-Christmas?
That's a possibility, according to Eric Horst, a meteorologist at Millersville University.
"We could get a pretty significant storm or ......
2010-12-22 23:00:00
LORI VAN INGEN
When a Lancaster Township woman with two adult special-needs children tried to find a bit of help for Christmas online, what she didn't count on was being scammed.
Keys 2 Heaven Ministry is suspected of fraud after asking for applications so the organization could help 50 families in a no......
2010-12-21 21:37:00
CINDY STAUFFER
The wrapping paper will be strewn all over the floor, mom and dad will be searching for batteries and teeny-tiny doll shoes, and the turkey will be a pile of bones if and when a Christmas storm hits here.
At this point, Millersville University meteorologist Eric Horst said we have about a......
2010-12-21 19:51:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
These crazy Christmas ghosts are starting to drive me nuts. Just when I got settled in after last week's jaunt back to the Eisenhower era, I was rudely snatched up again by some screwball spirit decked out in holiday gift wrap with ......
2010-12-20 22:29:00
DAVID O'CONNOR
It started 17 years ago as a meal "for the elderly in the community, who maybe were alone at Christmastime, … and it just sort of kept going."
Now, several hundred people are expected for the big Christmas Day meal at the West Earl Fire Hall, with another 200-plus "elves," i.e. hel......
2010-12-20 18:47:00
CINDY STAUFFER
Over the weekend, you pulled out the boxes, wrote the messages, addressed the Christmas cards and put stamps on the envelopes.
And if you're like millions of Americans across the country, you mailed them Monday, which was the busiest mailing day of the year.
The Lancaster postal p......
2010-12-20 18:38:00
ENELLY BETANCOURT
A Manheim Township family got an early Christmas present Monday morning.
Friends and co-workers of Jim Sebest showed up at his Grandview Heights home to build a new handicapped-accessible concrete ramp so he can get into the home more easily.
A self-employed contractor and father ......
2010-12-19 00:06:00
MICHAEL LONG, Entertainment Editor
When it comes to Christmas carols, my tastes run toward the traditional. Give me Nat King Cole singing "The Christmas Song," dig up Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra performing their up-tempo "Sleigh Ride" and drop the needle on the 1958 Harry Simeone Chorale record......
2010-12-19 00:03:00
STAFF
More than 100 children received toys for Christmas Saturday at Crispus Attucks Community Center in Lancaster, thanks to a local motorcycle club and numerous donors. The Infamous Ryders, a motorcycle club with a mission of community involvement, sponsored the event. Pictured, Hajah Bogel, 5, ......
2010-12-17 23:19:00
DAVID O'CONNOR
Before he moved away from Lancaster, David Troup used to enjoy coming every Christmastime to the village here that's almost "like a little Williamsburg" to him.
Troup has now moved back to Lancaster, so he made sure he went back to that village and a favorite holiday tradition of his on F......
2010-12-17 21:19:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
Whether you call him Sinterklaas, San Nicola, Père Noël, Kleeschen, Belsnickle, Papá Noel or Kris Kringle, nobody stirs the imagination of children this time of year quite like Santa Claus.
Computer-savvy kids can even track Santa's flight around the world on Christmas ......
2010-12-17 17:28:00
ERIKA GLASS, 16, Freestyle
It's often said the holiday season brings out the best in everybody.
Well, the "best" part is debatable, but it definitely brings something out, that's for sure. This bustling time between Thanksgiving and New Year's seems to be elevated to a whole different level than the other months of......
2010-12-16 17:14:00
CLAUDIA W. ESBENSHADE
Although there isn't much snow on the ground yet, that's not a reason to not make a jolly snowman.
I love to decorate with snowmen at the holidays, as you can keep them around through the remaining winter months and not tuck them away with the other holiday decorations. They have a place ......
2010-12-16 16:03:00
KATHLEEN DAMINGER
The annual Christmas quandary --what to get that inevitable person on your list who has everything.
Other than a gift certificate.
Well, you are in Lancaster, after all. And with the downtown arts scene snowballing -- even drifting over to other areas of the county -- the answer i......
2010-12-16 15:59:00
JACK ROBERTS
Are you trying your best to get into the holiday spirit but just can't seem to make it? Or do you have so much of it you're afraid you'll burst if you can't find a way to let it out RIGHT NOW?
Well, either way, Music For Everyone's got you covered.
The nonprofit group best known f......
2010-12-16 15:58:00
Staff
4 Voices, 4 Centuries ... Saturday
Anonymous 4, considered by many to be one of the greatest period vocal groups in the world, will be bringing "Noel: Four Centuries of Christmas" to Leffler Chapel & Performance Center at Elizabethtown College Saturday at 7:30 p.m. It's part of the Mu......
2010-12-16 15:57:00
JACK ROBERTS and ALEJANDRO RIOS
Once again it's time to rock and roll with Rios and Roberts, the two guys who keep you up to date on the local music scene.
• This or The Apocalypse (www.myspace.com/thisortheapocalypse) is heading out on a tour to sup......
2010-12-16 15:46:00
JANE HOLAHAN
Remember the movie "Miracle on 34th Street," where the real Santa worked at Macy's?
He had to go to court to prove he was the real Santa and he won his case, didn't he?
It's pretty safe to say the real Santa is not working at the Macy's in "SantaLand Diaries."
In fact, all......
2010-12-16 15:40:00
JANE HOLAHAN
William Wright knows the audiences for "Sounds of the Season" will be eclectic. So his concert will be, too.
"It's like a lot of different hors d'oeuvres, or maybe a box of chocolates," says Wright, the chorusmaster of the 50-voice Lancaster Symphony Chorus. The chorus will be performing ......
2010-12-15 22:09:00
STAFF REPORT
Santa visited with 23 children Wednesday afternoon at Southern Market Center.
The children, ages 5 to 11, participate in the Salvation Army's after-school latchkey program.
The holiday celebration was organized by Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry staff, who have skippe......
2010-12-14 23:18:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
Call me Ebenezer Scrooge if you wish, but Christmas just doesn't jazz me the way it once did.
In fact, some holiday traditions leave me muttering, "Bah, humbug."
For example, there was a time when Christmas season began after Thanksgiving. Today, Christmas decorations compete with......
2010-12-12 00:16:00
MARTY CRISP
It started with Sir Henry Cole, the founder of London's Victoria & Albert Museum. He hired artist/illustrator John Callcott Horsley to make a batch of cheerful holiday greetings in 1843, and people have been sending Christmas cards ever since. Online statistics say ye olde snail-mail car......
2010-12-12 00:07:00
SUZANNE CASSIDY
Lancaster resident Thom Miller said that most people measure the trees in their yards by height, but his wife, Karen, measures their trees by how many strands of Christmas lights they need. "Putting the Griswolds' house to shame, one light at a time," is how the Millers' son, Ryan, described......
2010-12-12 00:06:00
JACK BRUBAKER
What do peppermint candies, glass mugs, refrigerator magnets and multi-colored buttons have in common? They all add to the Christmas crafting cheer at the Perry house. For at least 30 years, Carol Perry and her family and friends have gathered on an early December day to make crafts and......
2010-12-12 00:06:00
STEPHEN KOPFINGER
No matter your faith, or lack thereof, aren't many of us "Carrying Christmas"? That's the name of the newest offering by Lancaster's PRiMA Theatre Company. The show's title pretty much sums up matters. Many make merry at Christmas. Many do not. And many are somewhere in b......
2010-12-09 19:53:00
GREGORY J. SCOTT, AIA
A proofreader will use the inverted "V" symbol to insert an omitted word in a sentence. In architecture, the inverted "V" is reminiscent of the gable end of a roof — peaked at the top and splayed at the bottom.
In medieval days, the raw ends of roof framing rafters were covered and ......
2010-12-09 16:27:00
JANE HOLAHAN
"Trees Galore," the enduring Christmas exhibit at the Lancaster Museum of Art, should really be called "Gifts Galore."
All kinds of gifts are happening there.
The artists who created the works in the show give 100% of the proceeds from sales to the museum -- in effect, giving a gi......
2010-12-09 16:24:00
Staff
2 Taylors ... Tickets on sale Friday
Even if the Carly Simon song wasn't written about him, James Taylor really is a legend in his own time. And the legend, along with his musician son Ben, will be coming to the Hershey Theatre on April 1 for an intimate performance. And ticket sales open......
2010-12-09 16:14:00
JANE HOLAHAN
Kristen Brewer believes Christmas and weddings have a lot in common.
"They both really bring the best and the worst out of people," she says. "They are times filled with pressure when you are supposed to be happy and everything is supposed to be glittery."
The Christmas version?...
2010-12-05 00:06:00
MARTY CRISP
Sixty-eight years ago, "White Christmas" was the Oscar-winning best song from the Irving Berlin score for a movie called "Holiday Inn." In 1954, it got its own eponymous movie, and in 2004, playwrights David Ives and Paul Blake decided to take the already stage-y film, shoehorn in some extra B......
2010-12-05 00:02:00
STAFF
Fresh faces
Local musical wunderkind Adam Taylor has rounded up a crew of talented young performers for a show Monday, Dec. 6, at Ephrata Main Theatre. Joining Taylor onstage will be Like Wild, Granville Automatic and Carsie Blanton. The show starts at 7......
2010-12-03 22:57:00
BRIAN WALLACE
Lewis Bowser Sr. has spent five weeks in the hospital in recent months battling cancer and heart problems.
But he wasn't about to let that keep him from his loyal customers, who rely on Bowser each year to make their Christmas special.
The 79-year-old co-owns Bowser's Christmas Tr......
2010-12-03 22:35:00
CINDY STAUFFER
Oh, the memories.
Silver strands of icicle tinsel that your mom carefully draped, one by one, on the Christmas tree in a process that took hours.
Bubble lights.
Those shiny satin balls decorated with bejeweled pushpins.
Grandpa Cutler's trains.
The pink fea......
2010-12-03 20:51:00
STAFF REPORT
More than 300 Lancaster County school students in kindergarten through 12th grade entered the Intelligencer Journal's 54th annual Holiday Greeting Card Contest.
The students designed and made holiday cards that will be sent to local troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On Thursday, the......
2010-12-02 21:32:00
STAFF REPORT
Meet the little actors who will take turns portraying the Baby Jesus in the 56th annual Christmas pageant at Wesley United Methodist Church in Strasburg.
They are Pierson Bradley Hartman, 5 months, son of Heather Hartman, Lucy Maria Boyce, 3 months, daughter of Ashlee Boyce, and John Arwy......
2010-12-02 17:33:00
STEVEN KOPFINGER
Can Ebenezer Scrooge be a likeable guy?
Or a sympathetic one?
Or even funny?
Well, yes, say two actors who both interpret the season's most famous curmudgeon in local adaptations of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Jon Rider plays the man at Theater of the Seventh Sis......
2010-12-02 17:24:00
JANE HOLAHAN
Tom Reese loves Christmas.
He loves history.
And he loves Lancaster.
Oh yeah, he loves his family too.
All of those loves will be a part of "The Season Through the Ages," being performed by the Susquehanna Trio Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Stahr Center.......
2010-12-02 17:14:00
TOM KNAPP
With a single stroke, Beth Johnson restored the Civil War-era facade of her Strasburg home to its Revolutionary War-era roots.
"Two weeks ago, this house was brown," says Johnson.
She bought the house, at 126 E. Main St., in 1978 and quickly stripped off the modern siding that con......
2010-12-02 17:11:00
TOM KNAPP
As gambling increases in popularity throughout Pennsylvania, gamboling is finding its place in Lancaster.
Anyone familiar with the tavern scene in Historic Williamsburg knows about gambols, the casual dining experience marked by dim lights and strolling entertainments.
Now, that W......
2010-12-02 16:59:00
JACK ROBERTS and ALEJANDRO RIOS
Once again it's time to rock and roll with Rios and Roberts, the two guys who keep you up to date on the local music scene.
• Get out of town!
That seems to be this month's mantra for local bands.
• Vinegar Creek Constituency is headed out to York next week, wher......
2010-12-02 16:56:00
Staff
Music in the air ... Friday-Sunday
Christmas means many things to many people, but for everyone, it includes plenty of wonderful music. Here are a few of the many concerts being held this weekend. Lancaster Bible College is holding a Celtic Christmas Celebration at its Good Shepherd Chape......
2010-12-02 16:44:00
TOM KNAPP
You know the holidays are fast approaching in a Pennsylvania German home when the Christmas tree is hung from the ceiling with care.
Yeah. The ceiling.
"There are many who make the case that the Pennsylvania Germans were the first to have Christmas trees in America," says Tim Essi......
2010-11-30 22:46:00
LORI VAN INGEN
Agape Care, in conjunction with Mums for Moms, packed 91 dozen homemade cookies Tuesday evening to send to troops this Christmas season.
"We were looking for something as a business to do," Karen Shenk, executive director of the in-home care agency, said.
To that end, Agape Care d......
2010-11-28 00:02:00
MICHAEL C. UPTON
Anyone who's really tapped in to the spirit of Christmas knows the holiday isn't about brightly decorated trees, painstakingly prepared meals or a tempting pile of presents; it's about the family of man.
Composer/performer Tom Reese knows a thing or two about family and the holiday season......
2010-11-28 19:18:00
Staff
Schreiber Pediatric Rehab Center is collecting donations to assist in its Operation Christmas Project, an annual program to help some of the most vulnerable families with special needs children who receive services at the center.
This year's project will reach out to nearly 100 families w......
2010-11-26 22:55:00
JANE HOLAHAN
What do you get when Santa arrives on a bright red fire truck, more than a dozen tubas play carols, horses trot through the streets of the city pulling carriages and a 30-foot Christmas tree lights up the dark sky?
Officially, it's the Mayor's Tree Lighting and Tuba Christmas, which went ......
2010-11-26 21:35:00
CINDY STAUFFER
For 23 years, Don Orner and his daughter, Melissa, have risen before dawn on Black Friday and done their Christmas shopping together.
When they started way back in 1988, Melissa was a college freshman with no money. Her dad was a high school art teacher who decided to treat his only child......
2010-11-26 21:12:00
TIM MEKEEL
From pre-dawn to post-dusk, local consumers packed stores on Black Friday, the traditional beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
Some retailers said Friday's turnout was heavier than a year ago, fueling optimism that the season will be stronger.
"It was awesome," Target stor......
2010-11-24 11:31:00
Staff
Santa's on Board ... starts Friday
Children aboard the Strasburg Rail Road this weekend really will be taking "the road to Paradise," since Santa Claus will be riding the train beginning tomorrow. The holidays officially begin at Strasburg on Black Friday, as Santa's Paradise Express pull......
2010-11-24 00:15:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
(Part two of two. Read part one.)
As the American Civil War (1861 to the present) raged, President Abraham "Honest Abe" Lincoln declared Thanksgiving would be observed on the third Thursday in November.
He a......
2010-11-23 22:39:00
TIM MEKEEL
Black Friday is morphing toward Black Thursday.
Retailers here and nationwide, looking for an edge, are steadily pushing the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season earlier.
The result? Midnight openings are more widespread. And now, the occasional Thanksgiving hours ar......
2010-11-23 19:31:00
CAROLE DECK
Folks in New Holland look forward each December to a day of holiday fun at Christmas on Main.
This year's event, sponsored by the New Holland Business Association, will be held on Saturday, Dec. 4. The festivities will begin with an 8 a.m. Breakfast with Santa and end at 8 p.m. with a Chr......
2010-11-22 21:31:00
DAVID O'CONNOR
"We're getting a lot of people in here buying gifts for this effort," the clerk at a Lancaster-area store was recently heard to say.
By "this effort," she meant the annual pre-Christmas effort among individuals — including thousands at Lancaster County churches — to collect sm......
2010-11-22 17:57:00
LARRY ALEXANDER
THEATER REVIEW
Everyone dreams of a "White Christmas," and until Dec. 31 it can be found at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre.
This stage treatment of the classic 1954 movie written around a popular song is a colorful, lively and ......
