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2 days ago | 
lancasteronline.com | Olivia Schlinkman
This month, a volunteer-made mountain bike park is scheduled to open on the Enola Low Grade Trail in Eden and Providence townshipsWhile trail builder Sean Smith couldn’t confirm a specific date for the opening, the park will be the fifth of its kind in Lancaster County – a sign that the local mountain biking scene is gaining momentumMountain biking has become an increasingly popular sport nationwide.
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2 months ago | 
lancasteronline.com | Olivia Schlinkman
Narrow escapes from deathly booby traps, the search for treasure and no parents to be found — who didn’t want to be in an ’80s adventure movie growing up? A local scavenger hunt kicking off this month offers the chance to uncover mysteries, histories and treasures just like their favorite Hollywood adventurers — and possibly win a cash prize.
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2 months ago | 
lancasteronline.com | Olivia Schlinkman
In 2013, Colby Ashton moved from Lancaster to Las Vegas to make it big in bartending. Twelve years later, Ashton will be one of three Las Vegas bartenders starring in “Shaken and Stirred,” a feature-length documentary showcasing competitive flair bartending. Available for online purchase Wednesday, the film follows Ashton and fellow bartenders Lorenzo Garcia and Lindsay Palumbo.
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Mar 2, 2025 | 
lancasteronline.com | Olivia Schlinkman
In 2015, the United Way of Lancaster County set four high-aiming, collaboration-driven goals: to support local nonprofits in improving kindergarten readiness, higher-education attainment, health care access and poverty reduction throughout Lancaster County. With a fresh funding framework to distribute United Way grants to nonprofits, they hoped their “four bold goals” would see fruition by 2025.
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Dec 23, 2024 | 
lancasteronline.com | Olivia Schlinkman
Local honor rolls, Lions Club meetings and food bank fundraisers in southern Lancaster County may not get much attention from the wider community. But the Solanco Chronicle, a hyperlocal weekly publication, has made sure these moments get noticed and shared. “In the southern end, there’s always that ‘nobody cares about us’ attitude,” Scott Peiffer, Quarryville borough manager, said.
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Nov 18, 2024 | 
wcuquad.com | Olivia Schlinkman
In the 2023 election, Democrats in the rural, conservative Pennsylvania towns of Akron and Ephrata lost. Yet they experienced the best electoral performances of Democrats in the town’s history. A candidate for Ephrata Borough Council became the first Democrat to win over 40% of the vote. Another running for Akron Borough Council came within just 100 votes of winning. Both candidates — Chandler Eby and Gavin Grove — were also the youngest to ever run for their local councils.
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Nov 18, 2024 | 
wcuquad.com | Olivia Schlinkman
Image: “I’m fighting for their futures” Donna Smith, via Donna SmithDonna Smith of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, grew up in a time before civil rights were enshrined in federal law. Before reproductive rights were nationally protected by the U.S. Supreme Court. Far before gay marriage was legalized in 2015. She wants to ensure her grandchildren won’t lose those rights decades later. “I never ever would’ve pictured myself as an activist,” Smith said.
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Oct 28, 2024 | 
wcuquad.com | Olivia Schlinkman
Hours earlier, Ben Shapiro had officially finished his sophomore year at Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pa. It was summer. Shapiro entered the movie theater eager to see one of 2022’s summer blockbusters and send off the school year with his friend, Shreya Vaidhyanathan. He hadn’t been in a movie theater since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Shapiro left the movie theater to find numerous missed calls and emails on his phone.
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Oct 28, 2024 | 
wcuquad.com | Olivia Schlinkman
Image: Women’s and Gender Studies Collection Taken by Olivia Schlinkman“Pride and Resilience in the Queer Community.”“How My Period Ruined My Girlhood and Empowered My Womanhood.”“The ‘Partner’ of it All: Validating Platonic Love.”These stories are the intersectional fabric of West Chester University (WCU). They surface the stories of queer, femme and BIPOC individuals at WCU and beyond. They validate the existence of intersectional intellect.
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Oct 21, 2024 | 
wcuquad.com | Olivia Schlinkman
You peer through the blinds. You don’t recognize the person swaying side to side atop your welcome mat, admiring your hanging begonias. Bundled up in a jacket, they have a stack of small papers at their side and a circular pin atop their coat. It’s mid-October — answering the door would mean letting the cold wind into your warm, snug home. The dog would surely go crazy upon seeing someone new at the front door.
