Ladybug Love
Popular in York for its delicious baked goods, the Ladybug Baking Company has fluttered to a new location in New Cumberland that opened in June. Owner Jess Brooks, also known as “Mama Bug” by customers in York, enthusiastically describes the benefits of the new location, including free parking and a theater across the street. It is well known for offering a whopping 60 flavors of cake as well as gluten-free and vegan options, and people go wild for the unique flavors that the bakery offers, like strawberry maple pancake cupcakes with bacon crumbles. The bakery also offers “caketails,” which let you have a taste of your favorite cocktail in cake form, such as a margarita, mudslide or strawberry daiquiri. The café, open for lunch, takes traditional dishes you’ve grown up loving and gives them a creative twist, like their much-loved pot roast panini. Come and see for yourself what the Ladybug Baking Company is all about.
Ladybug Baking Company | 312 Bridge St., New Cumberland www.ladybugbakingcompany.com | 717-774-1613
Small Town Treasure
If you’re looking for a place to take a lovely day trip this summer, you’ll be delighted to hear that the local town of Columbia has been voted by Smithsonian Magazine as one of America’s Top 20 Small Towns to Visit. The quaint town is home to many different and exciting attractions and recreational areas that draw visitors to its streets, such as the Turkey Hill Experience and Wright’s Ferry Mansion. Originally called Wright’s Ferry, the town was renamed Columbia in 1788 and was active during many parts of our nation’s history; it may even have been the birthplace of the term “Underground Railroad” during the Civil War. Those interested in art and antiques can visit the National Watch and Clock Collectors Museum and the various antique shops and art studios located throughout the town, all housed by buildings of a wide variety of architectural styles. Not only does the charming town have a plethora of shopping opportunities, but outdoor enthusiasts can delight in Columbia’s access to the North West County Trail and its revitalized River Park. The town extends its arms in welcome to any who wish to explore all that it has to offer.
Columbia | America's Top 20 Small Towns | www.columbiapa.net
Close Knit
formerly a concert violist and violinist, Sadie deWall decided to settle down from her worldwide travels and move back to her roots in Harrisburg three years ago. Years of planning led to the opening of her dream business, Little Owls Knit Shop, this past January. DeWall compares her store to a coffee shop, but for knitters; those who love to knit can work on their pieces with others who enjoy the craft. The symbol of transformation and wisdom, the owls on the store’s sign oversee the creativity housed within, a safe haven for both beginners and those advanced in the craft. Little Owls offers a personal touch that cannot be found at big box craft stores and also hosts many fun events such as “yarn tasting,” when customers can try knitting with different types of yarn to see what best suits their tastes, and “knit-a-longs,” where people sign up to knit with each other. The shop also seeks to serve its community in various ways, such as through its knitting and crocheting for charity event every second and fourth Sunday of the month. For more information on upcoming events, visit the shop’s website, or stop in to discover the peace and creativity of knitting.
Little Owls Knit Shop | 2138 Market St., Camp Hill www.littleowlsknitshop.com | 717-737-6700
Reader’s Lens:
Susquehanna Valley Snapshots
Janice Henry, of Manheim Township, sent us these photos of the beautiful Central Pennsylvania scenery. Here, she’s enjoying a hike overlooking the Susquehanna River with her daughter, Kim.
Community Corner
The product of a collaborative effort between the Harrisburg School District and Pressley Ridge, the Karen F. Snider Student and Family Health Center was recently opened this past February to provide mental health services and support for the districts students and their families. The center is open two days a week and offers counseling services including individual, group and family therapy for children, adolescents and adults. Karen F. Snider, the center’s namesake, is known throughout the state of Pennsylvania for her heart for the human services industry. For those who wish to help the center in its goals of increasing the amount of services it provides as well as the amount of days it is open, donations can be made through the Pressley Ridge website. The school district, and our community, is proud of this fledgling resource for helping families and children and is excited to see it grow in the future.
Karen F. Snider Student and Family Health Center | Camp Curtin School, 2900 N. Sixth St., Harrisburg
www.pressleyridge.com | 717-703-1522
We asked our Facebook fans:
What are your family’s Labor Day traditions?
“A couple of close friends, good beer and a bushel of crabs always works for us to say goodbye to the summer.”
— Allison Schlegelmilch
