Life Under The Willow Tree

Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Richard Masayoshi Ikeda Description: On 2/21/1934, it was Richard’s 8th birthday when his father was taken away by the FBI. In the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor, 12/7/1941, the emotional hysteria that followed led the government to label all citizens of Japanese ancestry “enemy aliens.” Most lived on the West Coast and were American citizens. With no due process...

Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Carolyn Mellinger, former WV staff, now Resident Description: Carolyn Mellinger was a former staff member and is now a current resident of Willow Valley. The conversation centers on Mellinger's foundational role in establishing numerous programs and services at Willow Valley from its inception. She recounts her journey from a waitress to the first activities director...

Host: Candee O'Donnell Guest: Linda Morley Description: This podcast episode from "Life Under the Willow Tree" features an interview with Linda Morley, a Willow Valley resident. Morley discusses her extensive career in education, highlighting how her organizational skills and experience presenting to large groups are now applied to her current volunteer work. The main focus of the interview is her...

Host: Don Helin Guest: Bill Bastian Description: This episode features an interview with Bill Bastian, a veteran who shares his experiences as a jet engine mechanic and plane captain in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, specifically working on F-8 Crusaders. He recounts details of training, serving on aircraft carriers like the USS Kittyhawk and USS Midway, and the dangers and losses faced by...

Host: Candee O'Donnell Guest: Francisco Rivera Description: This podcast episode from "Life Under the Willow Tree" features an interview with Francisco Rivera, an employee at Willow Valley for nearly 24 years. The discussion highlights his career progression from a 16-year-old busboy to a healthcare administrator, emphasizing Willow Valley's support for employee growth and education, including on-...

Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Dale Johnson Description: This episode features an interview with Dale Johnson, a resident known for his volunteerism and adventurous spirit. Dale discusses his unconventional childhood, which he credits with shaping his perspective and resilience. He shares how a misunderstanding led to his college education, making him the first in his family to attend. The convers...

Host: Ray Loewe Guest: Margaret (Muggs) Frentz Description: For this latest episode in Life Under the Willow Tree, Ray Loewe interviews Willow Valley resident Margaret "Mugs" Frenz,, discussing her discovery of a black swallowtail caterpillar she named Fatty McFatty. This encounter inspired Mugs to learn about butterflies and their host plants, leading to the formation of the Parsley Project. This...

Sneakers, Scholastic Aid, and Santa: Supporting Lancaster’s Kids Host: Dale Johnson Guest: Cori Steiner Description: The focus of the podcast is the Willow Valley Community Outreach Program, which was established in 1998 to assist children in need in the greater Lancaster community. They discuss three main annual initiatives: a cornhole tournament supporting high school seniors' post-graduation pl...

Host: Ray Loewe Guests: Elaine Gross, Betty Ann Sweet, and Holly Bachman Description: This year, Nurses Day falls on May 8th. We interviewed ten amazing nurses, trying to capture a piece of their lives, careers, and unique experiences. This is the story of three of them: Elaine Gross, Betty Ann Sweet, and Holly Bachman. The others will be released on future podcasts. Stay tuned.

Host: Don Helin Guest: Esther Jacoby Description: In this podcast, we showcase Esther Jacoby’s background and experiences, which include her musical and her scholastic education. She discusses her family, as well as what she refers to as her role as an “Accidental Accompanist." A highly talented musician, Esther is now the accompanist for the Willow Valley Chorale and the musical group Bridget and...

Email: wvbikeclub@gmail.com Website: https://wvbikeclub.wordpress.com/ Bike Club Video: https://youtu.be/NplGjkyURu0

Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Dick Coyne Description: Dick Coyne and his wife moved to Willow Valley in 2019 after a substantive career in the US Department of Health and Human Services. He spearheaded the program that ensures children enter public school with the key vaccines that prevent highly contagious, devastating childhood diseases. Then he created a system within the Department that put e...

Host: Candy O’Donnell Guest: Ray Loewe Description: In this podcast, Ray Loewe describes the Conference Event that he is planning for June 12th, 2025, at the Willow Valley Conference Center. The purpose of this conference, The Magic Continues, is to learn about tools and techniques to live life to the fullest. This conference, similar to Mr. Loewe’s Conference Event held last year in 2024, is part...

Ray Loewe interviewed Morgan Poillon and Lauren Renehan about the Willow Valley Marlin and Doris Thomas Memory Center. The Center's web page is foundation.willowvalleycommunities.org You can find the live camera at the construction site on the web page.

Host: Ray Loewe Guest: WV Pastor Garrick Fleming Description: What happens when a life event gets in the way of living your life? And, more importantly, how do you get back on track? Host Ray Loewe & guest The Reverend Garritt Fleming discuss four valuable concepts that work: The Rope of Hope, The Power of Faith, The Power of Community, and The Importance of having Accountability to someone.

Host: Carol MacAllister, Clinical Social Worker, retired Guest: Erika Snitzer, Licensed Associate Professional Counselor Description: Erika is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor at the Samaritan Counseling Center in Lancaster. Willow Valley is contracted with her through Samaritan, to provide counseling services to WV residents in need of professional support as they navigate the many tra...

Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Barbara (Bobbie) Walsh Description: Today, we all take vaccines for granted, and some even ignore them, but most seniors remember the diseases that plagued our childhoods and for which vaccines were miracle cures. Bobbie Walsh was one of those unsung heroes who worked tirelessly for 32 years creating vaccines for many diseases, but notably smallpox, which killed 300...

Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Jane Armstong Description: We welcome Jane Armstrong, a SouthPointe resident, who has mastered the art of ventriloquism to enhance her teaching skills and connect with others in a fun and engaging way. Don't miss this lively and fun presentation as Ms. Armstrong shares the stage with her firefighting Dalmatian dog, Tops.

Host: Ray Loewe Guest: Brittany Hemperley, Mgr. of ...... Description: Brittany Hemperly manages Pursuits, the new Willow Valley shop that opened in North last October, in the space previously occupied by the Pharmacy/Drugstore. Rose Bahurka helps her during weekday shop hours from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Brittany describes the wide array of products available at Pursuits. Interviewer Ray Loewe could...

Host: Carol MacAllister, Lakes Resident Guest: Glennda Hart, Willow Valley’s VP of Resident Services Description: Today, Glennda Hart tells host Carol MacAllister of her long career at Willow Valley, beginning at the Willow Street Restaurant and Smorgasbord owned by our WV founders, John and Florence Thomas, who also had an adjoining motel. Folks came from all around to enjoy the delicious food an...

Host: Dale Johnson & Ellen Haas Guests: Mystery Description: Our podcast team recently experimented with a new AI tool called Notebook LM by Google. We fed it five of our previous episodes where residents discussed life at Willow Valley Communities. The software then generated a new 10-minute podcast based on these insights. Join Dale & Ellen as they delve into the details of this experiment, high...

Guest: Marian Yoder, WV resident Host: Dale Johnson Description: Spring Run resident Marian Yoder has spent her life forging her own path, redefining expectations to create the life she truly wanted. Raised in a conservative Mennonite community on a dairy farm in Lancaster County, she remained deeply committed to her faith while grappling with the cultural constraints of her upbringing. Her choice...

Host: Dale Johnson Guests: Ed Mitchell & Peter Keller, WV Spring Run Residents Description: This podcast features an interview with two Willow Valley residents, Ed Mitchell and Peter Keller, about their newly formed Environmental Interest Group. The group's goals include environmental stewardship, engaging residents in environmental initiatives, and leaving a positive legacy. Their activities invo...

Host: Don Helin Guest: WV resident Phil Fretz Description: In this podcast, WV resident Phil Fretz shared his journey through prostate cancer, from his discovery of its presence to the final treatment, a period covering ten months. A WV resident for less than two years, Phil found out at a routine visit to his urologist. The diagnosis followed a PSA count that jumped from 3 to 8. His treatment opt...

Host: Don Helin Guests: Phil Fretz and Stone Stafford Description: Art in the Morning: A Renaissance Program is designed to bring new meaning to displays of art in many art forms — paintings, drawings, quilts, photographs, or sculptures, as well as writings inspired by those pieces of art and readings by individual writers. The artist will have an opportunity to explain the motivation for the art....