Listening to Lancaster

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by Chad Martin, Executive Director of Chestnut Housing, a nonprofit that provides affordable rental housing to people experiencing homelessness. In this conversation we discuss Chestnut Housing’s newest endeavors, including the redevelopment of the former Strawberry Hill Restaurant, housing policy reform, and the “YIGBY” movement (Yes In God’s Backyard). Listen for more!

Learn more about Chestnut Housing at www.chestnuthousing.org or contact Chad Martin at chad@chestnuthousing.org.

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by Will Kiefer, founder and executive director of Bench Mark Program, which provides programming and mentorship for Lancaster’s high-risk youth. In this episode we talk about their new ARPA grant for workforce development, the concerning rise of juvenile gun violence in our community and how we can address it, and how their programs are serving both local students and incarcerated youth.

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by John Gerdy, founder and executive director of Music for Everyone, to discuss his new book “Lights on Lancaster: How One American City Harnesses the Power of the Arts to Transform its Communities.” John discusses how pivotal investments in the arts have transformed Lancaster City, the arts’ role in education, healing, and creativity, and how we can ensure the arts remain vibrant in our community well into the future.

Learn more about John Gerdy, and find a copy of the book at https://johngerdy.com/.

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by Melissa Ressler, Executive Director at Lancaster Downtowners, to learn about Lancaster City’s Age-Friendly initiative. In December 2018, the City of Lancaster was enrolled in the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (aligned with the World Health Organization), joining more than 1,000 communities worldwide committed to improving the quality of life for older people. Age-Friendly Lancaster produced an Action Plan in December 2021 focused on housing, pedestrian safety, intergenerational connection, and access to services for older adults. Listen to this episode to get an update on some of their recent priorities and programming.

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by Cindy McCormick, Deputy Director of Engineering for the City of Lancaster. The City recently received a $12.7 million Safe Streets for All Grant to implement its Vision Zero strategy, which is the City’s goal to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Tune in to learn where crashes are happening in the city, who they are impacting, and what is being done to make our streets safer.

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by Kate Austin, Green Infrastructure Asset Coordinator for the City of Lancaster. Lancaster City created a 25-year Green Infrastructure Plan in 2011 to help reduce pollution from its combined sewer system overflows. Today the city has more than 70 green infrastructure projects that manage 50 million gallons of stormwater annually, with a goal of ultimately managing 80 million gallons. Learn more from Kate about local examples of green infrastructure, how they are helping the city meet a Consent Decree with the EPA, and what the future has in store for Lancaster City’s green infrastructure.