Lancaster streets to bloom with 300 LEADS’ baskets

Seeks adopters for 150 flower baskets

LANCASTER, Pa. – As LEADS prepares to hang nearly 300 flower baskets from lampposts throughout the business district in Lancaster on May 17, the nonprofit still seeks to adopt 150 “baskets of hope.”

Your $85 gift will adopt a flower basket, providing you an opportunity to celebrate a friend or loved one, or honor Mother’s Day, Dad’s Day or your pup’s birthday. Personalized tags, naming you or your honoree will be hung from each basket. You will receive a note letting you know the location of your basket.

“It’s been difficult to see our streets empty and many well-loved businesses closing,” says Joel Henry, LEADS president. “Our town that we love so much just isn’t the same.”

That is why this year’s Adopt-A-Basket program means so much to the city of 65,000 residents.

“While experiencing this has been difficult, we are also encouraged as we look around and observe people stepping up,” Henry says. “We are witnessing our community members helping one another in so many ways. All of this gives us hope.”

This year the group has extended its reach with 50 additional flower baskets on newly installed lampposts along West King Street from Prince to Mulberry streets. The baskets are adopted by businesses and members of the community for $85, which includes daily watering and care for six months. Anyone interested can adopt-a-basket at www.lancasterleads.org/adopt-a-basket.

The beautification effort, a project of LEADS (Lancaster’s Economic Action for Downtown’s Success) since 1999, advances the group’s mission to make the city a more attractive place to visit, shop and live.

LEADS is an all-volunteer group that also provides all city holiday decorations – including the Penn Square Christmas tree. Then, as now, LEADS is a completely volunteer organizations that operates solely from donations.

“The baskets are special this year, because I believe that they represent hope,” says Henry, a Lancaster resident. “The flowers are always a sign of spring and a community that comes together to provide them. This year, the flowers will also be a sign that life is getting back to normal.”

Hamilton Watch Co. is LEADS’ 11th annual ornament

FUNDRAISER

Proceeds help make Downtown Lancaster streets sparkle during the holidays

LANCASTER, Pa. – Since 1875, the one-time Hamilton Watch Co. factory has stood the test of time along Columbia Avenue. Today the elaborate buildings are home to residents, a school and other businesses. And to commemorate its place in history, the iconic structure has been chosen as the 11th Lancaster Landmark Ornament, an annual fundraiser for LEADS, the all-volunteer group that provides all city holiday decorations – including the Penn Square Christmas tree – and summertime hanging flower baskets in downtown Lancaster.

LEADS (Lancaster’s Economic Action for Downtown’s Success) selected the 143-year-old Hamilton Watch complex as this year’s honored landmark. Previous years included Central Market, Fulton Theatre, Watt & Shand, J.P. McCaskey High School, Lancaster Train Station, among others.

The three-dimensional ornaments are renditions of structures that have played a meaningful role in Lancaster’s historic and cultural life, crafted of solid brass plated in 24-karat gold.

The first phase of the Hamilton Watch complex, located on the west end of Lancaster City, was designed by architect Clarence Luther Stiles and was completed in 1875. It was the Hamilton Watch Co.’s headquarters from the company’s founding in 1892 until 1980. Twin 90-foot clock towers — the second added in 1916 — are the most dominant feature of the building. Each tower is topped with a mansard roof trimmed with copper and a clock with four faces. The four-story complex was built with brick and is shaped roughly like an ”E” with the main portion of building situated east-west, paralleling Columbia Avenue, and three wings extend north. An unconnected, four-story, Art Deco-style office building stands south of the main building located between the two clock towers. The westernmost wing of the complex was designed in a ”restrained” International style. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The main building, designed in Second Empire style, was converted into luxury apartments and condominiums between 1983 and 2000.

”We have been providing every wreath, bow, garland and twinkling light for downtown’s streets since 2006,” said Marty Hulse, board president. ”The landmark ornament has become a popular and successful fundraiser to help make downtown streets festive for the holidays.”

The three-dimensional ornaments are renditions of structures that have played a meaningful role in Lancaster’s historic and cultural life, crafted of solid brass plated in 24-karat gold, he said. The ornament can be used as a tree or window ornament or displayed in the gold foil box it comes in along with a card telling its history.

Since 2012, LEADS has invested more than $40,000 to improve the city’s holiday decorations, Hulse said. Proceeds from the ornament go toward paying for that investment, he said.

Ornaments can be purchased at Lancaster Galleries, 34 N. Water St.; BUiLDiNG CHARACTER, 342 N. Queen St., rear warehouses; Festoon at the Firehouse, 202 N. Duke St.; the Turkey Lady at Central Market; and the city Visitors Center on Penn Square. The ornaments also are available at Lancaster Central Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 1, 8 and 15. Each ornament is $20 and can be ordered online at http://www.LancasterLeads.org or by calling Building Character at 717-394-7201 to purchase with a major credit card. Shipping is $4.95 for the first ornament and $.95 for each additional ornament.

LEADS began in 2000 when a group of volunteers created a grassroots effort to beautify downtown Lancaster. The goal has always been: make the city a more attractive place to visit, shop and live. Then, as now, LEADS is a completely volunteer organizations that operates solely from donations.

 

One for the record books

EVENT

With more events, 25 vendors, a beer garden and world-record attempt, Lancaster Printers Fair hits streets of downtown Sept. 14-15

The Lancaster Printers Fair kicks off Friday night Sept. 14 on Penn Square with demos, live music, a silent auction and a fundraising event at the downtown Isaac’s Deli. On Saturday, Sept. 15 the celebration moves to the 300 Block of North Queen Street with a street fair, beer garden and world-record printing attempt.

The sixth Lancaster Printers Fair will be one for the record books as new events — including a world record attempt — will be added to the Sept. 14 and 15 printing event for all ages in downtown Lancaster.

To launch the fair, “Printing on Penn Square” will feature a number of activities on Penn Square Friday evening from 6 to 8:30 including a demonstration by nationally known Itinerant Printer Chris Fritton, the chance to print a custom coaster with the Heritage Press Museum, print a custom T-shirt with Foxduck, grab a special printmakers’ cocktail at nearby Shot and Bottle and help raise funds for the .918 Club’s education center by participating in a chance auction of prizes donated by local businesses.

Demonstrations and hands-on activities will be available at the sixth annual Lancaster Printers Fair in downtown Lancaster Sept. 14 and 15.

On Saturday, as a part of the “Printers Fair” which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the public will have the opportunity to set a new world record for printing with potatoes provided by Four Seasons Produce, Ephrata. The world record attempt between noon and 3 p.m. will be to print with 500 potatoes and is open to all ages. Participants will design and cut their own potato on site prior to printing.

New this year, a beer garden presented by Wacker Brewing Co., will feature a new brew called “Poor Richard’s Ale” using a recipe by Benjamin Franklin, a pioneering printer in 1700s Philadelphia. A percentage of the sales of the ale and other available craft beers will go to finishing construction at the .918 Club’s Heritage Press Education Center on the campus of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Lancaster.

“The Printers Fair is the largest of its kind on the East Coast,” says Ken Kulakowsky, president of the nonprofit .918 Club, which organizes the annual event. “The fair is a wonderful way to witness history and the future at the same time. Letterpress and other forms of printing are widely popular and examples can be seen everywhere in society.”
Kulakowsky said this annual celebration of the art of printing wouldn’t be possible without the support of sponsors Jet USA Corp., the 300 Block of North Queen Street merchants, and Four Seasons Produce.

Saturday’s street fair will be held on the closed-to-traffic 300 block of North Queen Street, where all nearby merchants will remain open for business. The street will be filled with vendors from across the region, printing demonstrations, food trucks, live music and the record-setting potato printing.

The letterpress event started in 2013 as a nod to Lancaster’s place in printing history and features vendors and suppliers of letterpress equipment, foundry type, cards, posters, broadsides, ephemera, and more. In addition to the fair, there will also be demonstrations nearby in the Heritage Press Museum’s 1920s print shop, 346 N. Queen St., as well as activities for kids.

The event is free to the public and any money raised will benefit the nonprofit .918 Club’s ongoing efforts to the education and preservation of letterpress printing.

2018 Lancaster Printers Fair

Friday, Sept. 14, 2018
WHAT: Printing on Penn Square
WHEN: 6-8:30 p.m.
WHERE: 38 Penn Square, Lancaster, Pa. (outside Visitors Center)
DETAILS: The Itinerant Printer presentation, hands-on printing activities and gallery shows
COST: Free

Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018
WHAT: Street Fair on the 300 Block of North Queen Street, Lancaster
WHEN: 11a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: On the 300 Block of North Queen Street, Lancaster, Pa. (closed to vehicle traffic)
DETAILS: Vendors from across the region will sell printing supplies and handmade products. Local food also will be available for purchase, as well as a beer garden by Lancaster’s Wacker Brewing Co.
PARKING: $5 all day parking passes for the North Queen Street garage
LEARN: Live demonstrations in the Heritage Press Museum’s working 1920s print shop
MORE: www.918club.org/printers-fair/

Create your own design in a potato and then use it to print during the world record attempt Saturday, Sept. 14 from noon to 3 p.m.

World-Record Potato Printing
WHEN: Noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15
WHERE: On the 300 Block of North Queen Street, Lancaster, Pa. (closed to vehicle traffic)
DETAILS: 500 participants will design and cut a potato to be used to collectively print and set a world record for most people printing with a potato

SOLD OUT! LEADS honors Lancaster Train Station with 2017 ornament

FUNDRAISER

UPDATE, 12/19/17: We are SOLD OUT of the 2017 Lancaster Train Station Ornament. Some 2015 Griest Building Ornaments are available at BUiLDiNG CHARACTER. Thank you for your generous support!!

UPDATE, 12/18/17: The 2017 LEADS Lancaster Landmark ornament is no longer available online. Sorry for any inconvenience. A few ornaments remain at retail locations below. Please call to check availability. Thank you for your generous support!

Proceeds help organization to refurbish and purchase Downtown holiday decor

LANCASTER, Pa. – At one time or another locals and visitors have marveled at the Lancaster Train Station. To commemorate this bastion of transportation, the iconic structure has been chosen as the 10th Lancaster Landmark Ornament, an annual fundraiser for LEADS, the all-volunteer group that pays for all city holiday decorations – including the Penn Square Christmas tree – and summertime hanging flower baskets in downtown Lancaster.

Each ornament is $20 and can be ordered online at http://www.LancasterLeads.org or by calling Building Character at 717-394-7201 to purchase with a major credit card. Shipping is $4.95 for the first ornament and $.95 for each additional ornament.

LEADS (Lancaster’s Economic Action for Downtown’s Success) selected the 88-year-old Lancaster Train Station as this year’s honored city landmark. Previous years included Central Market, Fulton Theatre, Watt & Shand, J.P. McCaskey High School, among others.

The Lancaster Train Station on McGovern Avenue at the city’s most-northern boundary was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and opened in 1929. Constructed of red brick, the classical revival building features a center block flanked by recessed wings. On its second level, concrete columns frame th
ree tall, rounded windows, while the parapet above showcases a clock. Currently owned by Amtrak, the station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Lancaster City Historic District.

”We have been providing every wreath, bow, garland and twinkling light for downtown’s streets since 2006,” said Marty Hulse, board president. ”The landmark ornament has become a popular and successful fundraiser to help make downtown streets festive for the holidays.”

The three-dimensional ornaments are renditions of structures that have played a meaningful role in Lancaster’s historic and cultural life, crafted of solid brass plated in 24-karat gold, he said. The ornament can be used as a tree or window ornament or displayed in the gold foil box it comes in along with a card telling its history.

Since 2012, LEADS has invested more than $30,000 to improve the city’s holiday decorations, Hulse said. Proceeds from the ornament go toward paying for that investment, he said.

Ornaments can be purchased at:

• Lancaster Galleries, 34 N. Water St.;
• BUiLDiNG CHARACTER, 342 N. Queen St., rear warehouses;
• Festoon at the Firehouse, 202 N. Duke St.;
• Turkey Lady at Central Market;
• Downtown Visitors Center on Penn Square

The ornaments also are available at Lancaster Central Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 9, 16 and 23. Each ornament is $20 and can be ordered online at www.LancasterLeads.org or by calling Building Character at 717-394-7201 to purchase with a major credit card. Shipping is $4.95 for the first ornament and $.95 for each additional ornament. 

LEADS began in 2000 when a group of volunteers created a grassroots effort to beautify downtown Lancaster. The goal has always been: make the city a more attractive place to visit, shop and live. Then, as now, LEADS is a completely volunteer organizations that operates solely from donations.

 

Coe Camera to close Prince Street shop after 75 years

Building sold in April for $415,000

It’s the end of an era for Lancaster’s last photo shop with an announcement from Coe Camera/Perfect Image today simply revealing: “We’re Moving From Our Downtown Location!”

Not exactly something to be exclaiming. It’s sad to generations of budding photography enthusiasts who bo

Coe Camera/Perfect Image Downtown will close its doors May 31. The Fruitville Pike store and one in Hummelstown currently remain open. (Photo via http://www.facebook.com/PerfectImagedowntown)

ught their first cameras and equipment from Coe.

“To help better serve our customers, on June 1, 2017, we’ll be moving our Downtown Lancaster location and combining it with our nearby Fruitville Pike store … a short distance away,” the email states.

The only reason given in the email about the closure was: “We fully intend to honor that legacy by continuing to operate a strong independent camera and photo printing store for the photographers of Lancaster County in the decades to come.”

Lancaster County property records show Locksmiths LLC sold the building in April to SR Group LLC for $415,000. State records reveal the limited liability company is located at 72 West Fairview Avenue, Marietta.

The last day at 220 North Prince Street will be Wednesday, May 31.

Coe Camera has been part of Downtown Lancaster since 1945. Wes Kauffman, owner of the Perfect Image, which has been in business since 1978, bought out Coe in May 2014, and spent $35,000 on renovations before reopening later that year, according to published reports. Coe Camera was founded by George Coe who served as Lancaster’s mayor from 1962 to 1966.

“We always enjoy hearing customers’ personal stories of connection to the Downtown store. Whether they’re recalling the first camera they bought, or reliving their own history through the prints they’ve made, Coe Camera’s role in generations of local residents’ lives is undeniable,” the notice says.

Literary Festival in Downtown Lancaster To Benefit Church World Services

Harry Potter-Themed Event Planned Saturday, May 6

LANCASTER, PA — Wizards and book-lovers will unite at the second annual Literary Festival during Lancaster Spring ArtWalk. And organizers would like you to get dressed in your best Harry Potter character costumes for this year’s family friendly party that benefits Church World Services.

The free event, which includes light refreshments, Harry Potter-themed games, live music, circus acts, and various activities, will be held in the parking lot courtyard and Warehouse D at the Candy Factory at the rear of 324 N. Queen St., Lancaster from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6. The festival is a collaboration between Building Character and The Candy Factory.

Fair-goers are asked to bring a donation of books for CSW’s refugee resettlement programs.

The Circus School of Lancaster is just one of many acts and activities at the Saturday, May 6 event

Live music will be provided by local bands, Vin Fischer, Talk Alliance and Hilltop Gamblers. Henna tattoos and face painting (of various complexities and pricing) will be provided by Alicia Lyter, as well as Harry Potter-themed caricatures by Cory Lally. Local collage artist, Emily Truman, will have a community collage project for all to partake in. Emma Cate will be doing $6 tarot readings, and The Circus School of Lancaster will be dazzling the crowd with humor and entertainment. Homemade butterbeer will be available for purchase as well.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Harry Potter Literary Festival
WHEN: Saturday, May 6
TIME: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Parking lot courtyard area to rear of 342 N. Queen St., Lancaster
COST: Free; book donations accepted
BENEFITS: Bring a book to donate to Church World Services
DETAILS: https://www.facebook.com/events/179782955862725/

Annual Lancaster ornament honors McCaskey School

LANCASTER, Pa. – In time to commemorate the start of construction 80 years ago of J.P. McCaskey High School, the iconic structure has been chosen as the ninth Lancaster Landmark Ornament, an annual fundraiser for LEADS, the all-volunteer group that pays for all holiday decorations – including the Penn Square Christmas tree – and summertime hanging flower baskets in downtown Lancaster.

LEADS (Lancaster’s Economic Action for Downtown’s Success) selected McCaskey, an architectural wonder that began construction in 1936, as this year’s honored city landmark. Previous years included Central Market, Fulton Theatre, City Hall, among others.

Named for John Piersol McCaskey, a local educator, former city mayor and composer, the original structure opened on May 3, 1938, with the students who had previously been served by separate boys and girls high schools. It was paid for with funds from the Work Progress Administration, a government program designed to help the country out of the Great Depression. While the building has been expanded, it still retains the original facade, lobby and auditorium, which are in the Art Deco style.

LEADS president Marty Hulse (right) presents the 2016 Lancaster Landmark Ornament to Dr. Damaris Rau, superintendent of the School District of Lancaster, where McCaskey High School resides.

”We have been providing every wreath, bow, garland and twinkling light for downtown’s streets since 2006,” said Marty Hulse, board president. ”The landmark ornament has become a popular and successful fundraiser to help make downtown streets festive for the holidays.”

The three-dimensional ornaments are renditions of structures that have played a meaningful role in Lancaster’s historic and cultural life, crafted of solid brass plated in 24-karat gold, he said. The ornament can be used as a tree or window ornament or displayed in the gold foil box it comes in along with a card telling its history.

Since 2012, LEADS has invested more than $30,000 to improve the city’s holiday decorations,” Hulse said. Proceeds from the ornament go toward paying for that investment, he said.

Ornaments can be purchased at Lancaster Galleries, 34 N. Water St.; BUiLDiNG CHARACTER, 342 N. Queen St., rear warehouses; Festoon at the Firehouse, 202 N. Duke St.; the Turkey Lady at Central Market; and the city Visitors Center on Penn Square. The ornaments also are available at Lancaster Central Market from 9 a.m. To 1 p.m. Nov. 12, 19 and 26 and Dec. 3, 10 and 17, as well as from 5-8pm Friday, Nov. 25 during the Mayor’s Tree Lighting, another LEADS/City of Lancaster project. Each ornament is $20 and can be ordered online at www.LancasterLeads.org or by calling Building Character at 717-394-7201 to purchase with a major credit card. Shipping is $4.95 for the first ornament and $.95 for each additional ornament.

LEADS began in 2000 when a group of volunteers created a grassroots effort to beautify downtown Lancaster. The goal has always been: make the city a more attractive place to visit, shop and live. Then, as now, LEADS is a completely volunteer organizations that operates solely from donations.

Madcap & Co. seeks part-time help

Madcap & Co., a marketplace for exceptional handmade and vintage goods at 310 N. Queen St., Downtown Lancaster, PA, seeks a creative and dependable candidate for part-time help. The position would be for Sunday, Monday and first and third Friday evenings, about 15-20 hours weekly.

Our ideal candidate will have an open, friendly demeanor, and a love for our brand and community mission as an independent retailer. They will have an eye for detail and will be able to apply that to the cultivation of a store environment that surprises and delights our customers each time they walk through our doors.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• 2-3 years retail experience; specialty retail preferred
• Warmth, confidence and enthusiasm
• A strong voice and an open mind
• A sense of who we are, and what our customer comes to us to find
• Willingness to go above and beyond when needed
• An entrepreneurial spirit
• Flexibility and positive reaction to change
• Ability to meet and exceed goals
• Ability to balance customer service with tasking
• Ability to think through complex issues and allocate time to execute multiple tasks and changing priorities
• Ability to communicate, organize and lead
• Ability to foster a spirit of teamwork and cooperation

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Availability to work Sunday, Monday and first and third Friday evenings, and be available for additional seasonal hours (November and December)
• Ability to lift and mobilize medium to large items, up to 50 lb., while utilizing appropriate equipment and safety techniques
• Ensure the highest level of customer care
• Build genuine relationships with customers
• Determine the customer’s needs and offer suggestions or alternatives
• Ensure a customer’s positive final impression at the cash wrap by following all company procedures
• Practice proper phone etiquette
• Help to maintain organization, cleanliness, and restock storewide
• Uphold all company policies

COMPANY HISTORY

Founded in 2007, BUiLDiNG CHARACTER LLC has been a leader in cooperative retail providing hundreds of entrepreneurs the chance to fulfill their dream of business ownership while still maintaining a full-time job. Currently there are 60+ individual shops inside BUiLDiNG CHARACTER’s three historic warehouses. Madcap & Co. opened in September 2015 as a companion shop to BUiLDiNG CHARACTER offering the same cooperative retail environment while specializing in exceptional locally made goods. http://www.buildingcharacter.biz http://www.madcapandco.com

BUiLDiNG CHARACTER LLC. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Job Type: Part-time

Job Location: Lancaster, PA 17603

Required education: High school or equivalent

Required experience: Retail: 3 years

Required license or certification: Drivers License

Our online application is here: MADCAP & CO. EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION

Strolling the 300 Block sips by bits

Monthly summer event raising funds for local nonprofits

LANCASTER, Pa. — The 300 Block of North Queen Street for years has been a hub of commerce and community. And now the venerable shopping and dining district can add generosity to that reputation.

The Sips & Bits Stroll, the brainchild of Karin Meacham, owner of Art & Glassworks, is in its second month of a summerlong “300 Block Cares” event to raise funds for local non-profits.  The event pairs up local independent retail shops with local purveyors of all things yummy and tasty.

During the first installment of Sips & Bits Stroll in May, more than $800 was raised through ticket sales, said Ashley Mudge, a co-organizer.

Tickets are $10 per person in advance; $12 per person the day of the event. All proceeds benefit Music for Everyone, which organizes the monthly Music Friday program and raises funds for instruments in schools, and the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman, which has been supporting artisans for more than 70 years and is part of the 300 Block, Mudge said. Tasters can start at any participating shop, and get a map of all the stops when tickets are picked up at Because I Like U, 307 N. Queen St., prior to the start of the stroll. Purchase tickets at participating stops or at http://bit.ly/22nmKJo (Note: All alcoholic beverages served are complimentary and not part of the ticket price.)

Waltz Vineyards will offer complimentary wine at the June 17 event.

Sips & Bits Stroll participants also get exclusive discounts and may enter a raffle at each event stop, Mudge said. “This is our merchants’ way of saying thank you for helping us help two deserving community non-profits,” she said.

 

The monthly event will be held through September on the third Friday of the month. “It’s a great night out in Downtown Lancaster and a great way to give back to the community,” Mudge said.

The 14 stops on the June 17 event include:

• Splits & Giggles at Dwelling, 356 N. Queen St.
• Fat Cow Coffee Roasters and The Baker’s Table at Building Character , 342 N. Queen St.; plus live music by Kiana Corley of Harrisburg
• Waltz Vineyards at Mise en Place, 341 N. Queen St.
• Wacker Brewing Co. at the Guild Store, 335 N. Queen St.
• Stoudt’s Brewing Co. at Art and Glassworks, 319 N. Queen St.; plus live music by Blues on the Loose
• TBA at Space, 336 N. Queen St.
• Green Circle Organics at The Scarlet Willow, 320 N. Queen St.
• Lancaster Brewing Co. and Hammond’s Pretzels at Madcap & Co., 310 N. Queen St.; plus live music by Dillweed
• Nuts about Granola at Hidden Treasures, 227 N. Prince St.
• TBA at Puff ‘N Stuff, 253 N. Queen St.
• Chef Rachael Vieni Reinmiller owner of Commonwealth on Queen, 301 N. Queen St.; plus live music by Alice Ziegler
• Culinary Services by Chef Oliver at Boutique Tana Kaya, 305 N. Queen St.
• Lancaster Cupcake at Because I Like U, 307 N. Queen St.
• TBA at Twice Found, 309-311 N. Queen St.

Additional details can be found at www.facebook.com/300blocknorthqueen.

Annual Lancaster Landmark Ornament honors 90-year-old W.W. Griest skyscraper

Ornaments and cards can be purchased at Lancaster Galleries, 34 N. Water St.; BUiLDiNG CHARACTER, 342 N. Queen St., rear warehouses; Festoon at the Firehouse, 202 N. Duke St.; and the city Visitors Center on Penn Square, as well as Saturdays at Lancaster Central Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

LANCASTER, Pa. – The W.W. Griest Building on Lancaster Penn Square celebrates its 90th birthday and LEADS is making sure it’s a golden one.

“To help underwrite the cost, we initiated a unique fundraiser – Lancaster Landmark Ornaments. Created exclusively for LEADS,” said board president Marty Hulse. The three-dimensional ornaments are renditions of structures that have played a meaningful role in Lancaster’s historic and cultural life, crafted of solid brass plated in 24-karat gold, he said.

Lancaster’s Economic Action for Downtown’s Success (LEADS) has turned the iconic skyscraper into this year’s Lancaster Landmark Ornament, an eight-year tradition for the community organization that has been making downtown streets festive for the holidays since 2006.

“To help underwrite the cost, we initiated a unique fundraiser – Lancaster Landmark Ornaments. Created exclusively for LEADS,” said board president Marty Hulse. The three-dimensional ornaments are renditions of structures that have played a meaningful role in Lancaster’s historic and cultural life, crafted of solid brass plated in 24-karat gold, he said. New this year is a pack of eight cards and envelopes featuring the city’s Christmas tree, which the group and city workers have been cutting, transporting and decorating the past three years.

The 2015 offering was the tallest building in Lancaster until 2009 when the Marriott hotel was completed on the other side of Penn Square. At 14 stories, the building was completed in 1925 and originally held the offices of Pennsylvania Power and Light and was named for its president, William Walton Griest. Its architecture is Italian Renaissance Revival style and faced in granite, limestone and terra cotta and was designed by C. Emlen Urban. The 12th floor originally boasted a 300-seat auditorium with a frescoed ceiling of green and gold.

The ornament can be used as a tree or window ornament or displayed in the beautiful gold foil box it comes in along with a card telling its history.

“The past three years, we’ve spent close to $30,000 to improve the city’s holiday decorations,” Hulse said. Proceeds from the ornament go toward paying for that investment, he said.

The new 8-pack of note greeting cards features the 2014 LEADS / City of Lancaster Christmas Tree on Penn Square in Downtown Lancaster.

Ornaments and cards can be purchased at Lancaster Galleries, 34 N. Water St.; BUiLDiNG CHARACTER, 342 N. Queen St., rear warehouses; Festoon at the Firehouse, 202 N. Duke St.; and the city Visitors Center on Penn Square. The ornaments and cards also are available Saturdays at Lancaster Central Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Each ornament is $20 and can be ordered online at www.LancasterLeads.org or by calling Building Character at 717-394-7201 to purchase with a major credit card. Shipping is $4.95 for the first ornament and $.95 for each additional ornament. The Christmas tree pack of cards are $20 each. Purchase the ornament and card pack for $36.

LEADS began in 2000 when a group of volunteers got together to create a grassroots effort to beautify downtown Lancaster. The goal has always been: make the city a more attractive place to visit, shop and live. Then, as now, LEADS is a completely volunteer organizations that operates solely from donations.