David Hamlin, Emmy Award winning filmmaker and producer for National Geographic TV, will be in Lititz Feb. 23 to talk about his work in Africa. This visual program, sponsored by the Lititz Rotary Club Travelogue, will be held at the Warwick High School Auditorium, 301 W. Orange St., Lititz. A matinee is scheduled for 2 p.m., and an evening show is set for 7:30 p.m. A musical prelude starts at 1:30 and 7 p.m., respectively. Tickets are available at the door; adults are $5 and students are $2.

Brenda Heist, missing for 11 years and declared legally deceased, found in Key Largo

By:  STEPHEN SEEBER, Record Express Staff

She dropped her kids off at school, befriended a group of vagabond hitchhikers, left for Florida and never looked back…until last Friday.

Brenda C. Heist, who on Feb. 8, 2002 traded her life as a Lititz homemaker for that of a dumpster diving scavenger, was immediately reported missing and eventually presumed dead after an extensive investigation went cold. The case was brought back to life, more than 11 years later, with a phone call to Lititz police on April 26.

“I was shocked,” said Det. Sgt. John Schofield, the officer who took the call. “Quite honestly, I presumed her to be deceased as well, and I thought we were going to get the phone call one day that her remains were discovered.”

The call came after Heist, who was reportedly tired of being homeless and on the run, approached a sheriff’s deputy in Key Largo. She said there was an open warrant on her in which she used a false identification. While the officer was checking on the warrant, she handed over her Pennsylvania ID and said her husband reported her missing in 2002. A national database search confirmed that Brenda Heist was missing and declared deceased, and a photo sent to Schofield via text matched the face to the name.

Due to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, the Record Express will be operating under the following early deadlines for the May 30 issue:

Classified and retail display ads

Friday, May 24, 4 p.m.

Classified line ads:

Tuesday, May 28, 11:45 a.m.

Editorial copy

Friday, May 24, at noon.

The Record Express office will be closing at 3 p.m. Friday, May 24 and re-opening Tuesday, May 28.

By:

LUCY RICCOMINI Record Express Staff

, Staff Writer

Tuesdays primary elections proved to be a relatively quiet voting night in Lititz. It may may have been a lack of contested races that kept the polls quiet, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s our civic duty to vote.

"I’m very very disappointed," said Karen Harnly, a committee person for the republican party in Warwick. "People have that "’it doesn’t really matter so why should I bother?’ attitude."

Harnly said she never saw the polls so slow.

"It was a boring day," she added. "People at the ground roots level, it’s a valuable thing for part of their life, we really need to wake up to that."

Despite the low turnout, Lititz residents will see new faces for mayor and council in the November elections, a vote that will most likely prove to be a technicality for the candidates.

Republican Timothy Snyder won the primaries and will vie for Ronald Oettel’s seat as mayor of Lititz, whose four-year term ends in December.

Snyder is a former council president and also served as a member. He is the owner of Julius Strugis Pretzel Bakery.

By:

TIFFANY WOODALL Record Express Staff

, Staff Writer

Summer is quickly approaching, and for 21-year-old Katelyn Martin, of Lititz, that means traveling with dad, Jeff, an eighth grade social studies teacher at Warwick Middle School.

"When I run around on my little adventures, she’s always my sidekick," said Jeff of Katelyn. "We do have a lot of fun together."

Father-daughter trips haven’t always been enjoyable, though. Some summers ago, trips consisted of 8-hour stints or overnight stays at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital for Katelyn’s cancer treatments.

At seven years old, Katelyn developed problems associated with her balance and depth perception. An MRI revealed a tumor attached to Katelyn’s brain stem, and she was immediately referred to a neurosurgeon at Hershey who gave her a 60 percent chance of surviving the surgery to remove the golf ball-sized tumor, called a medulloblastoma.

Doctors were successful in eliminating Katelyn’s tumor, but her recovery was far from over. Jeff and his wife, Susan, watched their daughter undergo six weeks of radiation and a year and a half of chemotherapy.

"My wife deserves much credit as her strength held us all together," said Jeff.

By:

LAURIE KNOWLES CALLANAN Record Express Correspondent

, Staff Writer

Photo by Laurie Knowles Callananâ?©Edgar and Nicolette Herdandez with baby Amaia and two-year-old Maiara, both born on Motherâ??s Day!

What could be nicer than becoming a mom on Mother’s Day?

How about becoming a mom on Mother’s Day … twice?

On Sunday, Nicolette Hernandez welcomed her newborn baby, Amaia, at the Women’s Place at Heart of Lancaster in Lititz. At 7 pounds, 7 ounces, this seasonal bundle of joy seemed familiar. It was the second daughter for Nicolette and her husband Edgar, but not the first to be born on Mother’s Day. By amazing coincidence, the couple’s first child, Maiara, was also born on this revered holiday in 2011. Mother’s Day was May 8 two years ago, and Maiara was just a little bigger than her little sister back then – 7 pounds, 10 ounces.

"When Maiara was born, I realized she might be coming on Mother’s Day," said Nicolette. "It was a lovely surprise to be a mom on Mother’s Day."

By:

STEPHEN SEEBER Record Express Staff

, Staff Writer

Thousands flooded East Main Street to proudly celebrate their hometown’s coolness, and it was soon clear that Lititz would have more than enough heads to break the world record for people wearing sunglasses at night.

The only thing that wasn’t clear was the sky.

Shortly before the designated gathering time for operation shades, the rain made its predicted appearance. By 8:30, when more than 2,000 screaming Lititz fans were expected to surround the town square, the downtown was deserted.

Bummer? A little bit.

Before the rain, the community party to celebrate the borough’s “Coolest Small Town in America” designation for 2013 was bigger and better than any of the organizers expected. And the weather wasn’t going to stop that.

The event committee will meet this week to discuss plans for rescheduling the rained-out portion of last Friday’s festivities. This would include the world record attempt and possibly the theatrical pyrotechnics display. Early word is that they might be incorporated into an upcoming 2nd Friday or another community event, but nothing is firm at this point. Stay tuned to your weekly Record Express for more information.

Mom is the May theme for our monthly "It’s All About You!" photo contest.

Send us your favorite photos of dear Mom, whether its a current picture or a memorial from yesteryear. Deadline for submissions is May 21, and the photos will be published in our May 30 edition.

Send your high-resolution jpegs to Stephen Seeber at sseeber.eph@LNPnews.com. Photos can also be dropped off at our Ephrata office or mailed to P.O. Box 527, Ephrata, PA 17522.

When submitting photos, please include all necessary identifications and your contact information (in case we have any questions). Submitted information should include names of those in the photos, your local connection, where and when the photos were taken, and identity of the photographer.

Please limit the number of submitted photos to three.

Due to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, the Record Express will be operating under the following early deadlines for the May 30 issue:

Classified and retail display ads

Friday, May 24, 4 p.m.

Classified line ads:

Tuesday, May 28, 11:45 a.m.

Editorial copy

Friday, May 24, at noon.

The Record Express office will be closing at 3 p.m. Friday, May 24 and re-opening Tuesday, May 28.

Inside

The Lititz Farmers Market opened for the season on Saturday. Our fresh story is on page A3.

By:

MICHAEL C. UPTON Record Express Correspondent

, Staff Writer

Vinny Forte is one determined young man. Once his mind sets a goal it seems nothing will stop him. At the age of 12 he is a fundraising guru, a successful event organizer, and he has even landed an internship and college scholarship once he reaches the milestone of age 18. The thing about Vinny is it is not all about Vinny. Everything he does has everything to do with his little brother, Tony.

Tony was born on June 19, 2005. It was a joyous Father’s Day for the Forte family. But beyond the beauty of childhood lurked a presence the Forte family had never known in their two previous children, Hirschsprung’s Disease. The debilitating intestinal disease causes the nerves in the abdominal region to malfunction.

After a standard stay in the delivery hospital, Tony went home with his family undiagnosed. The boy had yet to have his first bowl movement. Mom Monica Forte grew increasingly concerned and two days later her infant son started throwing up bile. She knew something was definitely wrong.

By:

LAURIE KNOWLES CALLANAN Record Express Correspondent

, Staff Writer

Lititz was rockin’ on Sunday as some 300 cyclists whooshed through town and live bands played at the square.

It was the second year for the Rock Lititz Tour, sponsored by Clair Global, Tait Towers and Atomic Design, and organized by Rich Ruoff of the Road Cycling League.

"It was absolutely a better event this year, with a great vibe," said Ruoss, adding that he guessed the spectators had more than doubled to 4,000 over last year’s estimated 2,000. "I loved the energy, it just felt right. And the music added a great beat and rhythm to the event."

Ruoss said that there were at least two Olympians among the racers, and several of the pros getting started in the racing circuit have the potential to make it all the way to the Tour de France.

"It’s a starting point for many of the racers," he said regarding Rock Lititz.

In what appeared to be "faster than a speeding bullet," men and women zoomed past the finish line on East Main Street. There were 11 categories, including kids.