WITNESSED   ( Seen and Heard )

 

        With Donegal Spring and Donegal Creek a vital part of our church property, we are fortunate to have the expertise of Kurt Enck, who is president of the Donegal Fish and Conservation Association.  The group recently held its 44th annual Spring Outdoors Show with proceeds going toward Donegal Creek restoration and the forthcoming annual Kids’ Fishing Derby, an exciting event for many children right here at our Donegal Spring.

           Annie Ritsch has been very busy with school music events as she and several orchestra students were participants in the Biava Quartet Concert recently at Elizabethtown Area High School. The quartet, formed in 1998 at the Cleveland Institute of Music, includes violinist Austin Hartman, an Elizabethtown native who has over past years been highly acclaimed for his talent, as also has been his sister Johanna Hartman who is the local school’s orchestra director.

           More student honors include Jonathan Dwyer, an Elizabethtown College senior biology/allied health major on the fall semester Dean’s list.  Also Corey Landis, who was a newspaper teen of the week earlier in the year, was now named February student of the month by the Elizabethtown Rotary Club. He has been a member of the track and field team for three years, a member of the National Honor Society, the Model UN, and chorus and school musicals, and other activities. 

Numerous members and youth from Donegal have been involved in local musicals and plays.  Susquehanna Stage Company of Marietta performed Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (by Roald Dahl) on February 26-28.  James Landis had the lead role of Charlie Bucket and Phil Landis portrayed the dual roles of Grandpa Joe and Mr. Salt. 

Elizabethtown High School put on Oklahoma on March 4-6 with Corey Landis in a lead role.  Kira Labagh (Dance Captain), Annie Ritsch (Orchestra) and Brianna Landis (Company) were also in the show.  Josh Glatfelter and Tommy Ness from Troop 53 were also part of the Company.

            Meanwhile also on March 5-6, Donegal Middle School presented James and the Giant Peach  (also by Roald Dahl).  John Landis had a lead role of "The Old Green Grasshopper." 

 

Our congratulations to all of these students

and also to their proud parents.

 

What good things have you seen or heard recently?

            Steve, Brianna, and I have been fascinated watching Corey’s progress into the Air Force Academy unfold this past year.  Attending the Academy is something Corey has talked about since 9^th grade.  From the time we met with his 9^th grade school guidance counselor, he never seemed to waver from that goal. Despite a busy schedule, he kept good grades, involved himself in community service, attended leadership camps over the summers, wrote numerous essays, secured recommendations, went to interviews, and filled out reams of paperwork.  All was done with very little direction from either Steve or myself, and all with no guarantee that these efforts would get him anywhere near the AFA.  This past summer I had to talk Corey into a backup plan…”Please, at least pick out a college incase this all goes nowhere.” I told him.  In his easy-going way, Corey picked out one school (Penn State), wrote another essay, visited, interviewed and applied.  Then, he hardly ever mentioned it again. 

            The true excitement began this past fall when (through more essays, recommendations and applications) Corey was selected by Joe Pitts, Bob Casey, and Arlen Spector to be interviewed for a congressional AFA appointment.  From October through December, these congressmen interviewed 300 students; yet only 30 to 40 could receive their recommendation for an appointment to the academy.  The day after Christmas, in one extremely happy moment, Corey opened two letters. One was his acceptance by the U.S. Air Force Academy pending a congressional recommendation, the other a recommendation from Senator Joe Pitts!

            Several weeks ago, Corey and Steve flew out to Colorado Springs to tour the AFA.  Corey met several freshman cadets, sat in on some classes, and got a sense of academy life. Having decided this is his place, Corey will leave for Basic Training at the end of June.  He will receive 4 years of academics and emerge a second lieutenant with both a bachelor’s and an engineering degree.  His commitment to the Air Force will then be a minimum 5 years of service.

            All Steve and I can say is that it is incredibly satisfying to see Corey’s life plan fall in to place so well.  We are proud that he has done so much of this completely on his own, and because he has, we know he will fly farther for it.  And now, after all the years of work and waiting, we know these next few months will sail past much too quickly!  We thank our Donegal church family for supporting our son in his endeavors both large and small.  It takes a village to raise such a child into such a confident, hardworking and caring young man.

                                                   Mary Karnes