Good morning, Lancaster County. Mostly cloudy and 83 today with storms likely to roll through between late morning and about 5 p.m., so plan the outdoor part early. Today's story is about water, which is fitting.
In today's Lancaster Local:
Ten clean-water grants went out across the county, and the smallest one is the best one
A free bluegrass jam on Labor Day weekend Sunday — bring an instrument
The W Donuts truck parks at the Mount Joy library tomorrow morning
A $5 puzzle sale in Manheim and a fill-a-bag book sale in New Holland
COMMUNITY NEWS
Nine of the ten grants went to substantial projects. The tenth is $1,536 to plant natives on an abandoned railroad bed, and it's the one you can picture.
The Lancaster Clean Water Fund announced its 2026 grants this week: $94,078 split among ten nonprofits and municipalities, all of it aimed at the same long-range target — clean and clear water in Lancaster County by 2040.
The big ones do what you'd expect. Lititz Run Watershed Association got $18,500 to run Warwick Watershed Day, which puts fifth graders' hands into their own local creek. Little Conestoga Creek Foundation got $18,500 toward a Sensory Trail Walk on the Blue Green Connector — the 3.5-mile ADA-accessible trail being built along the restored Little Conestoga. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay got $10,000 to widen the Lancaster Water Week cleanup. The City of Lancaster got $8,000 for green-infrastructure outreach, including QR-code signs at rain gardens so you can find out what you're standing next to. Stroud Water Research Center got $7,500 to train volunteers to monitor road salt.
Then there's Marietta.
The Borough of Marietta received $1,536 — the smallest grant on the list by a wide margin — to do something very specific. In the borough's own project description, the money will "restore a barren railroad bed near the Gay Street crossing in Marietta with native plantings to reduce stormwater runoff and improve ecosystem health," along with new signs telling trail users what they're looking at and where else to go in town.
Fifteen hundred dollars and change, to turn a dead strip of ballast along the Northwest River Trail into something with roots in it.
The ten grants add up to exactly $94,078 — I checked. Every dollar accounted for, right down to the $1,536.
EVENTS
Labor Day weekend is behind us, and the calendar gets its music back.
🃏 Pinochle Party — Ephrata Public Library, 550 South Reading Rd., Ephrata. Today, Wednesday, September 2, 12:30–3:00 p.m. The library's pitch is better than mine: "Meld, bid, marriage, trump? You're speaking our language!" Register by 12:15.
🍩 Food Truck — W Donuts — Milanof-Schock Library, 1184 Anderson Ferry Road, Mount Joy. Tomorrow, Thursday, September 3, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. The Akron donut shop's truck parks at the library for two hours. That's the whole listing and honestly that's enough. No registration.
🚶 Walking Group — Step Into The Weekend! — meet outside Manheim Community Library, 547 N Penryn Rd, Manheim. Friday, September 4, 10:30–11:30 a.m. An hour on what the library calls "the gorgeous footpath right here around our library complex." No registration, everyone welcome, bring water.
🪕 Bluegrass Jam Session with Jordan Rast — Tellus 360, downtown Lancaster. Sunday, September 6, 2:00–5:00 p.m. Free, 21+. Three hours of open bluegrass, and the invitation is literal: "Bring your instrument and join in the fun!" Under 21 can come with a parent, guardian, or chaperone over 25.
🍲 Read It and Eat: A Cookbook Club — Lancaster Public Library, 151 North Queen Street, Lancaster. Wednesday, September 9, 6:00–7:30 p.m. One cookbook, one potluck. Sign up in person at the Lancaster City circulation desk where the month's book is on display — they'll photocopy your chosen recipe free. Then cook it and bring it. Label your allergens.
🌿 Invasive Plants Discussion — Manheim Community Library, 547 N Penryn Rd, Manheim. Thursday, September 10, 6:00–7:00 p.m. "An interactive session where we uncover the silent invaders hiding in plain sight." A useful companion to today's story if you're now thinking about what's growing along your own creek. Register by 5:45.
📜 W. Miller Barbour & His Prospect for Freedom — Lancaster Public Library, 151 North Queen Street, Lancaster. Thursday, September 10, 6:00–7:30 p.m. Public historian Eric Schubert on a Pennsylvania human rights leader whose work came well before the modern Civil Rights Movement. Register by 5:45.
🎸 Ben Musser Album Release Show — Tellus 360, downtown Lancaster. Friday, September 11, 8:00 p.m. Free, 21+. Two decades of songwriting and this is his solo debut. As frontman of Benyaro he played SXSW and Sundance; this one is his own record, in his own town, for nothing at the door.
🧩 Puzzle Sale! — Manheim Community Library, 547 N Penryn Rd, Manheim. Saturday, September 12, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Most puzzles are $5. They're also running a Family Puzzle Day alongside it — take a table, bring people, and spend the day building jigsaws in the library. Register by 9:45.
📚 "Fill a Bag" Fundraiser — Eastern Lancaster County Library, 11 Chestnut Drive, New Holland. Saturday, September 12, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Hundreds of unsorted books, bags handed out at the door while they last, suggested donation $5 a bag. It all goes to the ELANCO Library.
Wednesday, September 2 — Mostly cloudy, high near 83, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms mainly between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and a few that could turn severe. East wind 3 to 6 mph. More storms possible tonight, low around 70. Thursday climbs back to 88 and partly sunny, with rain chances holding at 30%.
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