Hanover Stories: Recovery, Chili, and Community

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August always feels like a turning point. The kids are back in school, the evenings cool down a touch, and suddenly summer’s pace shifts into something steadier. Around Hanover, that means weekend festivals, fresh tomatoes on front porches, and neighbors finding new ways to show up for each other.

This week’s issue carries a little of everything: personal milestones, community celebrations, and reminders that we’re all connected — whether through chili cookoffs, inflatable bounce houses, or simply lending a hand.

We’re now at 325 subscribers and counting! Every new reader makes this community stronger. Thank you for being here, for sharing the newsletter with friends, and for helping keep Hanover’s heart beating bright.

As always, thank you to today’s sponsors: Pique Life and 1440. Interacting with their links (at the top and bottom of the email) is the easiest way for you to help us keep growing.

On August 26, I’ll celebrate 17 years of recovery from opioids. That’s not just a personal milestone. It’s a story many in Hanover can relate to because almost everyone has been touched by addiction in some way.

For years, Hanover was the town I couldn’t wait to escape. I thought I’d leave for college, move on to some exciting “real life,” and never look back. But the real world chewed me up faster than I was ready for. In less than two years, I was back home.

I was ashamed of “failing” at college, and desperate not to admit it to anyone. So I found a new crowd. Not all of them were trouble, but many of us were troubled. I want to make it very clear, being troubled means you make bad choices. It doesn’t mean you are a bad person.

Hanover was still a place I lived to escape, but the only way I knew how to escape was to get numb. As the opioid epidemic swept through town, I got caught in the tide.

My recovery began on August 26, 2008, when I turned myself into York County Prison. To be honest, it wasn’t some enlightened choice. It was forced on me after my bad decisions landed me behind bars. Prison prevented me from using, but it isn’t the reason I’m not using today. My support system, faith, education, and sheer luck all played a much bigger role in my success.

In Pennsylvania, recidivism rates have stayed consistently high. Of those released the same year as me, 61.4% returned to prison within three years. I’m one of the lucky ones who never went back.

A year after my release, I decided to leave Hanover. Not to run away, but to release myself from the weight of old identities. I thought I knew who I was and what I was capable of here, and none of it was good enough for me.

Moving through four states gave me the freedom to try on new definitions of myself. And I realized something important: people care far less about your past than you think. If you show up consistently as a good person, they’ll know you as one.

Still, Hanover kept pulling me back. Every vacation was spent here. And when it came time to start a family, I couldn’t imagine raising my son without my parents in the picture.

Coming back was terrifying. Not because I feared relapse, but because I feared judgment. I feared what my son might overhear about his parents’ pasts. Most of all, I feared facing the broken pieces of the life I’d abandoned and the friends I’d loved and lost.

Seventeen years in recovery is an honor, but it’s also a heartbreak. Because the longer you live in recovery, the more people you lose. At some point, I lost enough that it cracked me wide open. My heart. My psyche. And I let it. That break was painful, but it’s also where the rebuilding started.

I know I’m not alone in this. Many in Hanover have lost loved ones (or many) to the opioid epidemic. Having lived on both sides, I know the hardest part is often carried by those left behind. Some didn’t choose it at all. They were innocent bystanders to someone else’s bad choices. Others, like me, live with the wreckage of their own choices and the choices of people they loved but couldn’t save. Either way, this is something that touches nearly all of us.

To me, recovery isn’t about rigid standards. It’s about choosing growth. It’s about deciding, over and over, to start again. To try again. To live again. My definition won’t match anyone else’s, and that’s the point. Recovery is personal.

Hanover has changed in these 17 years. We’ve gained resources, awareness, and compassion. But we’ve also lost too many people to name. My hope is that we don’t forget either side of that reality. Celebrate the progress we’ve made. Honor the pain that still lingers. And use both to build a better future for the next generation.

Because the truth is, if you live in Hanover, you don’t need to look far to find someone struggling. Either you’ve been there yourself, or you love someone who has. And even if you think you haven’t, trust me — you know someone who knows someone.

Thank you for letting me share my story.

The 29th Annual Hanover Chili Cookoff is right around the corner, and it takes more than chili, beans, and a little magic to make it happen — it takes you.

Event Day: Sunday, August 31, 2025
Location: 151 Moul Ave, Hanover

Volunteers get free entry to the event, drink tickets, snacks, and the chance to enjoy live music and top-notch chili while helping out. All-day volunteers also score extra perks like a free T-shirt, a pass to Hickory Falls, a swag bag, and even an after-party.

But more than the perks, this is about being part of something bigger. Every hour volunteered helps raise money for local nonprofits and strengthens our community.

👉 Ready to join the Chili Cookoff Crew? Sign up here.

This story isn’t Hanover-specific, but it did happen in York County.

Last week, neighbors pulled together to save a dog named Dallas after she got her head stuck in a cheese ball container and disappeared into a Dillsburg cornfield. Volunteers from Canine Rescue of Central PA and Find Toby searched for days. Exhausted and discouraged, they finally called in a drone pilot at midnight. Hours later, Dallas was found alive and safe.

Her rescue team named her after the pilot, Dallas Fuhrman, though some joked her middle name should be Cheddar (since it was a cheese puff jar that caused the trouble).

After treatment for dehydration, tick bites, and malnourishment, Dallas collapsed happily into the volunteers’ laps. The snack company behind the container, Bickel’s, even stepped in to cover her vet bills and send her a cheese ball gift bag (in a bag this time, not a barrel).

Dallas is expected to make a full recovery. While her medical bills are covered, groups like Canine Rescue of Central PA are always caring for animals who aren’t so lucky. If you’d like to support their work, you can donate at online.

As someone whose own pup just gave me a scare this week (he refused to eat for 48 hours…until finally deciding ham was worth it), I know firsthand how frightening and costly emergency vet care can be. Dallas’ story is a sweet reminder of what can happen when compassion, persistence, and a little bit of technology meet.

Sometimes it takes a village. And sometimes it takes a drone.

📆 Saturday, August 23 | 🕙 10 AM – 1 PM
📍North Hanover YMCA, 500 George Street, Hanover

Most kids will be fresh off their first week of school. That means they’re likely full of big emotions, big energy, and the need for an outlet. What better way to help them self-regulate than by letting them BOUNCE?

The North Hanover YMCA’s EPIC Inflatables Family Fun Day brings more than 15 inflatables for all ages, plus food trucks to keep the grownups happy. And really, while one bounce house is usually enough to thrill a kid, this event promises more.

Free to attend, food for purchase.

Here are this week’s featured events in and around Hanover. If you’d like to have your event spotlighted here, reach out to Megan at [email protected] for details.

✂️ Ribbon Cutting Celebration at Sea Gypsy
📆 Friday, August 22 | 🕛 12 PM – 3 PM
📍 Sea Gypsy, 36 York Street, Hanover

Join the community downtown as Sea Gypsy celebrates a new era. The shop, known for spotlighting local artisans and women-owned businesses, will host an open house and ribbon cutting as ownership passes from Collette Soullaird to Deb Karr. Expect light refreshments, whimsical finds, and plenty of neighborly cheer.

👑 Drag Show Fundraiser for the Black Rose Rollers
📆 Saturday, August 23 | 🕔 5 PM – 7 PM
📍 The Serpent’s Key, 28 Carlisle Street, Hanover

The queens are back at The Serpent’s Key for a roller derby FUN-draiser! Hosted by Sarabesque and featuring Alizeé The Diamond and Justice, this lively evening of drag performances benefits the Black Rose Rollers roller derby team. Plant-based bites will be provided by local biz This Is a Farmhouse.

🎟️ Tickets $20 | Reserve your seat

🦀 Crab Wagon in Hanover
📆 Sunday, August 24 | 🕛 12 PM – 4 PM
📍 Weis Markets, 860 Carlisle Street, Hanover

Seafood lovers, rejoice — the Crab Wagon is rolling into town with fresh crabs by the dozen, half bushel, or full bushel. Have them steamed for free on-site or take them to go. Pre-orders encouraged by calling (717) 632-0237.

👢 Beginner Line Dance Lessons
📆 Monday, August 25 | 🕕 6 PM – 8 PM
📍 Hanover Church of the Brethren, 601 Wilson Avenue, Hanover

Kick up your heels and learn the basics of line dancing in a welcoming, beginner-friendly environment. Arrive at 6 PM for step-by-step instruction on counts and techniques, then stay as the evening builds toward fun beginner and improver-level dances.

💲 $7 per person, pay at the door.

🎬 August Pride Movie Night: Call Me By Your Name
📆 Tuesday, August 26 | 🕖 7 PM – 9:30 PM
📍 Dolphin & Anchor Brew Pub by Aldus Brewing Co., 13 Center Square, Hanover

The Rainbow Rose Center and Dolphin & Anchor Brew Pub team up again for their monthly Pride Movie Night. This month’s feature is the acclaimed 2017 film Call Me By Your Name.

🍿 Free film and popcorn | Beverages available for purchase

🎤 Open Mic & Jam Session with the Walnut Street Band
📆 Wednesday, August 27 | 🕗 8 PM – 11 PM
📍 The Circle, 5 E Walnut Street, Hanover

Step into the spotlight or just enjoy the vibe. Every Wednesday, The Circle hosts a full-band open mic and jam session led by the Walnut Street Band. All players are welcome, from solo acts to join-ins — real music, real people, right here in Hanover.

☕ Cards & Coffee at Little Fox Coffee & Books
📆 Thursday, August 28 | 🕕 6 PM – 8 PM
📍 Little Fox Coffee & Books, 125 Broadway, Hanover

Enjoy an evening of tarot and community with Hanover’s own Beck Ravenswood of The Serpent’s Key Shoppe & Sanctuary. Beck will be offering the Cosmic Check-In spread in a pay-what-you-can format so finances never stand in the way of a reading. First come, first served — grab a coffee, settle in, and see what the cards have to say.

🎤 Karaoke Night at Divino Pizzeria & Grille
📆 Friday, August 29 | 🕗 8 PM – Midnight
📍 Divino Pizzeria & Grille, 612 Frederick Street, Hanover

Whether you’re a shower singer or a stage star, it’s your time to shine! Gather your crew, warm up those vocal cords, and enjoy a night of karaoke, dancing, and plenty of laughs. Fuel your performance with Divino’s pizza, drinks, and late-night bites while you party the night away.

🎃 Fat Bat Pumpkin Festival & Painting Contest
📆 Saturday, August 30 | 🕛 12 PM – 6 PM
📍 Fat Bat Brewing, 10 N Railroad Street, Hanover

Celebrate the release of Fat Bat’s beloved Treat Yoself pumpkin beer (with your choice of pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin spice sugar rim) at their all-things-pumpkin festival. Expect food trucks, vendors, half-price pints, fall treats from Tasha’s Tasty Treats & Eats, and a free glass for the first 45 pumpkin beer orders. Pumpkin Fest tees will also be on sale for $15 while they last.

At 4 PM, join the Pumpkin Painting Contest. Supplies are provided, you bring the creativity. Winners will take home a Fat Bat swag bag.

🍂 Wear your favorite fall-themed outfit to help kick off the season!

🌶️ 29th Annual Hanover Chili Cookoff
📆 Sunday, August 31 | 🕚 11 AM – 2 PM
📍 Good Field, 151 Moul Avenue, Hanover

Hanover’s spiciest tradition is back! Sample award-winning chili, enjoy live music from Six Whiskey Revival, The Wyatt Becker Band, and The Sleaze Weasels, and take part in family-friendly fun including a cornhole tournament, kids’ zone, food vendors, and even a mechanical bull.

💵 $15 cash-only at gate/$12 online | Free for kids 12 & under and active military with ID

🚌 Shuttle service from Hillside Medical Center, 250 Fame Ave

🔗 Buy tickets online

This newsletter highlights just a few picks, but there’s always more happening in and around Hanover. Visit the Heart of Hanover Google Calendar for the full list of local events.

Submitted by Margaret L.

Notes like this remind me why I started Heart of Hanover. Our town is full of people who care deeply but sometimes feel invisible or out of place. Hanover can be a hard place to navigate if you think differently, but it doesn’t have to be.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, and I know I can’t always write without bias. But I believe we share more common ground than we realize. If the newsletter can shine even a little light on that shared humanity, then maybe it helps us all feel less alone.

No matter our views, we all deserve to feel like we belong in the place we call home.

Congratulations, Willie & Kaylee!

Welcome to the world, Baby Helen! Your arrival has filled our community with joy, and we couldn’t be happier for your proud parents. Wishing your new family endless love, laughter, and sweet moments together. And naps…wishing lots of naps, too! 💕

Want to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or special milestone in Heart of Hanover? Send the details (and a photo if you’d like) to Megan at [email protected] for pricing and details.

Thank you for spending a piece of your week here with me. Hanover is at its best when we pause to notice each other — the struggles, the joys, and the everyday gestures that stitch this town together.

Here’s to choosing growth, celebrating community, and remembering that none of us are as alone as we sometimes feel.

See you next week!

XoXo - Megan

P.S. As always, thank you to today’s sponsors, Pique Life and 1440. Clicking their links is a simple way to support the growth of Heart of Hanover.

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