The "Pass Along The COVID-19 With A Kiss and A Handshake" Story

It ws an ordinary day.  I had just walked back into the house after meeting with a fellow who is going to trim some of the bushes around the house when my wife asked me, "You didn't shake hands with that guy, did you?"  I replied, "No, I stuck my hand out and he just stuck his elbow in my direction."  Seems that is going to be the norm for quite some time in order to avoid contact with one another and chance passing the Coronavirus from one person to another.  What has been a greeting since the 14th century, when knights and soldiers would extend their unclenched right hands toward each other in greeting to show that they were carrying no weapons, might be a thing of the past.  Could be that the weapon of today may be the unclenched right hand thrust toward you in greeting.  If that may be the case, how do you greet the person with the outstretched hand?  As stated before, I was that person today when I greeted the fellow who had just closed his truck door.  Luckily I realized what he was doing and changed my handshake into an elbow-bump.  I recently received an envelope from my friend Sue who lives in State College.  When I opened the envelope, inside was a folded piece of newsprint.  It was a page from The Centre County Gazette newspaper which she receives at her house.  The page she sent to me was the "Opinion" or Editorial page.  A small note that accompanied her submission to me said: Maybe some ideas for your blog!  Funny how what happened to me today was exactly what was one of the stories she had placed a star next to.  It was an editorial from The Los Angeles Times.  I had placed the paper on my desk and after coming back in from my talk with the fellow who will do my tree trimming, walked into my office and saw the folded paper.  Opened it and saw the star next to the headline which read "Will the coronavirus kill the handshake?"  But, would we really miss the handshake had it not been taught to us years ago as the proper way to greet one another.  The story told that the ritual was often fraught with judgment and calculation.  Too firm? To limp? How about a hug or a nod?  On March 2nd U.S. Surgeon Gen. Jerome Adams demonstrated the elbow bump to the world for the first time as a less viral way to pass along friendly greetings.  But, the handshake is not the only greeting that may contribute to the spread of disease.  The French cheek-kiss certainly can't be good in today's climate either.  So, what else should we do to greet one another?  How about the peace sign that I grew up with in the 1960s.  Don't like that?  Then, how about jazz hands, up and wiggling?  Don't like that either.  How about blowing a kiss as a greeting?  Nah, someone will misread that as something more than perhaps you may want it to be.  How about a friendly smile or nod?  I think people will get the idea that you mean well with just a smile, and it will keep us all safe from what is going on the the world right now.  But, I just know that when I see my next friend, my hand will go out in front of me as it has all my life.  Bad habits are tough to break...as they say!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Thanks, Sue.  

The "Gene Carpenter: Soldier, Family Man & Coach" Story

Gene Carpenter, Head coach of the Millersville
University team as of March 28, 1970.

It was an ordinary day.  March 28, 1970 and Millersville State College had just held a press conference to introduce their new head football coach Dr. Gene Carpenter.  At the time Gene was 30 years old and finishing up his obligation to the University of Utah as assistant coach.  While at Millersville that day, he told the members of the press that, "If I can't cut the cookie here, I don't want the job.  All I want is enough time to produce.  I want a fair chance."  Well, Gene got that chance and built the Millersville Marauders into a powerhouse football program in NCAA Division II.  His team record during his 31 years as head coach was 212 wins, 89 losses and 6 ties with 10 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division titles and winning records in 28 of his 31 seasons at the helm.  

The logo for the Millersville Marauders

The Marauders made the NCAA Division III playoffs in 1979 and the Division II playoffs in 1988, 1995 and 1999.  His 1988 team captured the ECAC Lambert-Meadow- lands Cup Champion- ship and 49 of his players were named All-American.  Gene was inducted into the Millersville University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, just months after his death on December 10, 2009.  He was posthumously inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana in 2012.  He was named the PSAC Coach of the Year two times.  But, Gene was more than just a football coach.  He was a proud Veteran who had served in the United States Marine Corps  in Okinawa, Japan before earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Huron University in South Dakota and a Masters of Administration from Adams State College and a Doctoral Degree from the University of Utah.  He retired in 2001 after 31 years of teaching, advising, coaching and serving as the Director of Men's Athletics and Head Football Coach.  As Director of Men's Athletics, Coach Carpenter administered a strong, nine-sport intercollegiate program that made its mark on regional and national scenes.  Team and individual post-season qualifiers were a yearly norm, as was the selection of All-Americans in several sports.  His efforts to improve the facilities and scholarship support was significant as well as his involvement in the NCAA, the Maxwell Football Club and the American Football Coaches Council.  

The Gene that I had a chance to know!

He garnered many awards with his being PSAC Coach of the Year in 1977 and 1981 and the Lancaster County prestigous George W. Kirchner Award.  I got to know Gene in a somewhat different light since he had twin sons, Scott and Steve, who were in my daughter's class at Manheim Township High School.  Both his sons, as well as my daughter Brynn, were active in athletics at MT and I often got to talk to him about his teams at Millersville.  Gene died December 10, 2009 at the age of 70.  Many spoke of his accomplishments at his funeral but the one comment that fit him best, at least to me, was..."When he was in the room, he had your attention," said Lancaster County Commissioner Scott Martin who was a defensive tackle for Carpenter from 1990-93 at Millersville University.  "He was that kind of person!"  Scott also said, "Even if he was coming down on you, in the end, you felt like he still loved you.  There's a way of doing that and that's why so many of the guys feel the same way about him.  He had such a commitment of service to his country, his family and to young men and Millersville University.  He gave his heart to Millersville, its tradition and the young men he was trying to mold."  Gene's sons followed in his footsteps with son Scott becoming a Captain in the Marines and son Steve becoming a Major.  His success on the football field was a direct result of his success in life.  I'm proud to say I knew him!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Dear God! Please Help Us!! Story

Preface - Dear readers...I have begun to publish more than one story a day.  I am doing that to help me cope with what is going on in all our lives.  I need something to do, since being confined to our home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and since my laptop is sitting in front of me...well, you get the idea.  My typing skills are getting better and the memories of my life seem to be flowing more freely in my mind.  If you care not to read the stories, just don't tell me.  I will understand.  I wish you the best and hope you can stay virus free!  Heaven only knows why this has happened to the world.  We must have really been bad!  My guess is that it will eventually end (I don't mean the World!) and we will return to a new normal...whatever that might be.  So, please...read on...

It was an ordinary day.  The cat is "growling" as a neighbor begins her walk up the street at the foot of our driveway.  The local TV station is running a moving line of information across the bottom of the TV screen telling of the fate of many of my friends.  And...the morning paper had only 22 pages due to nothing happening in the world that is worth reporting.  And, what is in print is mostly about our world's fight with COVID-19.  Carol and I snuck out last evening to a fast food place to buy a few burgers, just for something to do that didn't require we stay in our home with our two cats and watch hour after hour of news briefs and reruns on the flat screen on the wall.  We drove through a take-out line that consisted of just one car...ours!  And...when we returned home we contemplated whether we should eat the burgers, since maybe...just maybe...those who had just made them may have been infected with the virus.  Dear God...what is happening???  Over half of the morning paper talked about death and dying.  My God...in the past 24 hours 838 people have died in Spain.  Just in Spain!!  And...I thought having 2 people die in my hometown of Lancaster in just a few days was hard to fathom.  A local farm equipment company put their Christmas display back up to try and cheer everyone up who may pass their store.  But...who will pass the place since we are supposed to be staying at home.  I'm sure you can imagine how guilty Carol and I felt when we backed the car from the garage and headed the mile to the burger place to buy our burgers.  We counted the amount of cars on the road on our fingers.  The morning paper posted photo after photo of homeless on the streets of downtown Lancaster who are searching for a meal and a place to sleep since most shelters and food locations have closed due to COVID-19.  I sneeze and I think I may have it!!  But, the only thing I suffer from right now is boredom and sorryow.  What would my parents think if they were alive?  Will this ever end?  We have just about given up on our planned vacation in a few months.  All flights to the island have been canceled and those living on the island are confined to their homes just as we are in Lancaster.  Their sunny days are being wasted, since their beaches are closed as well as their restaurants.  Sound familiar?  Workers in the United States have been promised a stipend of $1,200 to help them get through this awful time in their lives.  Little do they realize that taxes will have to be increased after this virus passes to pay for that amount.  As for now...I long for the warm weather of the Caribbean, good health and a healthy life for all of you.  Oh yeah, also for a more lengthy newspaper that will publish just the good news of the day and maybe with a few pages of sports.  Oh, how I miss those baseball games!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "If Only I Had Studied Harder In School!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got my monthly statement from The Pennsylvania School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) telling me about all the medical services they paid for me during the past month.  I have been part of PSERS since I began teaching in 1966 and have found the organization to be fantastic.  Since retirement in 1999 I do pay a monthly premium, which is deducted from my teacher's pension, but the amount I pay would in no way come close to what PSERS has paid for my medical bills since I retired.  After four back surgeries, prostate cancer, a few colon screenings and multiple skin cancer surgeries, I would be living in the poor house had it not been for my friends at PSERS.  I also pay an addition charge for drugs, but luckily haven't had to use that feature as much as the medical feature.  Today when I got the monthly statement I actually read just about every word in the 10 page summary.  The reason I didn't read everything is because I couldn't read it.  At the top of the last page it read:   ATTENTION: Free Language Assistance.  What followed was a chart that displayed, in various languages, the phone number to call for free language assistance services for individuals with limited English proficiency.  And...it wasn't just a few languages as you can see by the following chart.  It featured 19 languages and that list didn't even include English. So, I decided to "Google" How many languages are there in the world.  I was shocked!  Do you know that there are 7,111 languages which are spoken today.  That number is constantly in flux, because we're learning more about the world's languages every day.  And, beyond that, the languages themselves are in flux. They're living and dynamic, spoken by communities whose lives are shaped by our rapidly changing world.  Makes me only realize how much of a bubble I must be living in, since I can only speak and read one language.  Yeah, I took two years of Latin and two years of French, but since I never used either one, I have forgotten most of what I learned.  Same goes for everything.  I took typing in high school and up until about 10 years ago, I had to "hunt & peck" when I typed.  Today I'll bet I could type close to 70 words a minute being that I have been writing a story each day for the past 10 or so years for my blog.  And, that's without having to look at the keys when typing.  Anyway, check out the chart below and you can see the page that I get every month as part of my mailing from PSERS.  How many languages do you recognize?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Click on chart to enlarge it.

  

The "A True Athlete, Coach and Friend" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Got up about 8:00 AM, dressed and headed out the drive to pick up the morning newspaper.  Wasn't long before I was staring at a familiar face in the Obituaries section of the paper.  That is beginning to happen way too many times now that I am in my mid-70s.  Everyone I know is getting older and in the case of the gentleman today, he was 10 years older than me.  

Mr. Kenneth R. Whisler, colleague and friend.

Mr. Kenneth R. Whisler was a colleague of mine at Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, Pennsyl- vania.  I graduated from the school in 1962 and he wasn't a teacher at the school at that time.  I returned in 1967 to teach at my alma mater and Ken was one of the physical education teachers by that time.  Ken graduated from Hershey High School in 1952 and was a District and Regional wrestling champion.  He also was a semi-finalist in the Pennsylvania State tournament.  After high school he served in the U.S. Navy, then got his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at West Chester University.  He taught at Newport High School for a year or so before he came to Manheim Township.  I got to know Ken one day when we were eating lunch together and began talking sports.  I knew he was the wrestling coach and he asked if I was interested in scoring the wrestling meets for him.  I was married with one child at the time and could use the extra money so I accepted his invitation.  I stuck with him for many years before I gave up the job.  I got to know both Ken and his family in those early years.  Ken was a very accomplished wrestler as well as demanding coach.  But, his teams respected him for his knowledge of the sport and his teaching techniques.  His record of 331 wins and 115 losses is an indication of his success.  He was inducted into the PA Wrestling Coach's Hall of Fame, District III Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Manheim Township Hall of Fame.  In 2018, he was inducted into the Hershey High School Sports Hall of Fame.  I had the chance to know his family by having his two sons in my classes I taught in Graphic Arts.  They were as outstanding in class as they were in athletics.    Tim and Kyle were both fine young men and loved the sport of baseball.  For a few years our school had a program called "Quest" where you were supposed to spend a week of the school year learning something other than the usual classroom work.  Some teachers took students overseas to learn different cultures, but I didn't have the money to do that with three young children by that time.  I offered a week of the board game known as APBA.  It was a realistic baseball game that taught you coaching and managing techniques.  Both boys signed up to spend the week with me.  I got to really know them by the end of the week.  The following summer they joined the adult summer league that I ran.  They had a sister, Kendra, that I knew, but didn't have her in class.  Ken was a member of the Humane Society and loved animals.  I learned so much from Ken while being his scorekeeper for wrestling meets.  His life's lessons he taught to his wrestlers overflowed to me.  He retired a few years before I did and eventually moved away from the area.  I missed his daily talks after he retired, but I will never forget what I did learn from him.  His family will certainly miss him and his outlook on life.  He was a true gentleman and a fantastic coach and mentor.  Rest in Peace, Ken.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Help Is On The Way In Our Fight Against COVID-19: Part II - Lancaster's Amish Step Up To The Plate" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Wrote yesterday about how Major League Baseball is helping in the fight against COVID-19, and today I will give you an idea as to how Lancaster County's Amish population is pitching in to also help.  The Amish Population in Lancaster County is close to 35,000 which is about one-quarter of all Amish residents in the United States.  They are great neighbors and have now pitched in to help our community fight the Coronavirus.  They realize that they are not exempt from getting the virus and want to be a big part of how to solve the situation that our country is now grappling with.  One of the biggest shortages our medical providers face right now is gowns and masks that are needed to try and keep our doctors and nurses safe from COVID-19.  So, the Amish community is firing up their sewing machines and doing their part to help their community.  Mr. Sylvan Stoltzfus and his wife own Bird-in-Hand Fabric have begun to make about 13,000 fabric masks to donate to Lancaster Health Center.  Mr. Stoltzfus is hoping to find neighbors to make the masks using the fabric that his company is willing to make available.  But, he does realize that masks that are designed for health care provide the best breathing protection for working directly with COVID-19 patients.  

Some of the masks made for use to fight
COVID-19 by the Amish Community.

Cloth masks are not quite the same since they are more porous and not super effective, but I'm sure they are better than nothing.  Recently the Center for Disease Control (CDC) said that using homemade masks may become necessary "as a last resort" if medical masks are not available.  The CDC also said that using respirators intended for non-health care use may also be better than nothing.  A few years ago I traveled to an Amish business that made Amish buggies.  Part of the procedure was sewing the cover for the buggy.  They had several industrial sewing machines and those operating them were masters at their trade.  I'm sure they can produce quite a few masks in a short time.  Cloth masks could still help contain droplets and serve as a reminder not to touch your face while seeking care.  I applaud the Amish community for pithing in to keep Lancaster County as safe as possible.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Help Is On The Way In Our Fight Against COVID-19: Part 1 - MLB Steps To The Plate" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Opened my email and headed to the link telling me about what's happening in Major League Baseball.  The lead story for today was: MLB jerseys to be used to make masks and gowns.  All began about a week ago when Fanatics Executive Chairman Michael Rubin woke up in the middle of the night with the idea of converting their factory in Pennsylvania, that makes official Major League Baseball jerseys, into a facility that makes much needed masks and gowns and then donating them to help fight this horrendous COVID-19 virus.  The story told me that baseball jersey fabric is going to the front lines in the fight against coronavirus.  Since there seems to be a glaring shortage of masks and gowns for those heroes that man the front lines in fighting the worst catastrophe in our history, Mr. Rubin's plan seems like a great way to alleviate that shortage.  

Phillies uniforms were used to make
this set of gown and mask.

Fanatics, the company that manufactures the official uniforms for Major League Baseball, is taking the raw materials typically used in the creation of the jerseys to create masks and gowns and will absorb all costs for their manufacture.  The 360,000 square-foot manufacturing plant in Easton, PA. has begun to produce these items and will continue to do so as long as the need exists.  The distribution of the equipment  has already begun throughout the state of Pennsylvania and will extend across New Jersey and New York.  

The Yankee uniform is made into a gown and mask.

The initial batch of masks and gowns is being made from jerseys of the Phillies and Yankees complete with each club's recognizable pinstripes.  As production continues, other teams jerseys will be used.  Mr. Rubin said, "As the demand for masks and gowns has surged, we're fortunate to have teamed up with Major League Baseball to find a unique way to support our frontline workers in this fight to stem the virus, who are in dire need of essential resources."  It is estimated that up to 3.5 billion face masks will be needed in the United States.  The shortage has become a dire situation with some workers re-using masks as needed.  Mr. Rubin worked with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro to hatch out a plan.  The plan suggested by Rubin was announced on what was at one time to be opening day for this year's major league baseball season.  Now, those baseball jerseys that might have been sold on opening day are now being turned into masks and gowns.  One more reason why the sport of baseball has always been my favorite sport.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "You Had To See It To Believe It!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking through a few magazines, reading about one of the most unlikely sporting events that has ever happened.  All started in February of 1980 when a rag-tag group of mostly college kids went to the XIII Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York and came away with the Gold Medal in Ice Hockey.  I can still remember sitting in front of the TV with my wife in our house on Janet Ave. in Lancaster, PA, cheering the USA team on to victory against the Soviet team.  That game was known as "The Miracle On Ice" and rightly so.  Against all odds a group of 20 college ice hockey players stunned the Russian team which was allegedly unbeatable.  The story sounded like stuff that movies are made of and that's exactly what happened.  The Soviet team that came to the Olympics that year had won the gold medal in five of the last six Olympics.  Since 1954 they had won 22 International Ice Hockey Federation gold medals.  The Soviet players were technically professionals, but their league arrangement was such that they were still called amateurs.  The U.S. coach was a guy by the name of Herb Brooks who had won a state hockey championship as a high school student.  He went on to play college hockey and tried out for the 1960 Olympic team.  Didn't make the team, but went on to play for eight U.S. National and Olympic teams before becoming a coach.  He went back to the University of Minnesota where he had played his college hockey to coach that team and took them to three NCAA titles.  Because of that he was asked to coach the American team in the Olympics.  Brooks selected several of his players as well as players from rival schools.  

The 1980 U.S.A. Ice Hockey Team

The team was considered an underdog when they entered the 1980 Olympics.  In the first round they tied Sweden and then went on to beat Czechoslovakia, Norway, Romania and West Germany.  They then had to face the U.S.S.R. team.  Much to the surprise of everyone, they hung in with the superior Soviet team.  But, being superior on paper isn't the same thing as on ice, and the U.S. team wasn't awe struck with their opponent.  

USA celebrating their win over the. U.S.S.R. Team in 1980.

U.S. goalie Jim Craig put on a heroic performance stopping 36 of 39 shots.  With 10 minutes left in the final period, the U.S. team took a 4-3 lead.  I can still remember the TV broadcaster, Al Michaels, making the final call in the last 10 seconds.  "Do you believe in miracles?  YES!"   Carol and I were jumping up and down in the living room, cheering the team and celebrating with them.  I'm sure just about every household in the United States was doing the same.  It truly was "The Miracle On Ice."  

Goalkeeper Jim Craig after the game.

But, they had one more game left to win the gold medal.  On February 24th, 1980, they faced Finland.  They had to come from behind in the third period, but did so and won 4-2.  The game was what our country needed at the time with a down economy and the Iran Hostage Crisis.  Thirteen of the 20 players on that team ended up playing in the National Hockey League.  Brooks coached the team again in 2002 when they won Silver, and sadly died in a car accident the following year.  "The Miracle On Ice" game was named by Sports Illustrated as the "Greatest Sport Moment of the 20th Century."  Today the U.S. hockey team is comprised of professional players as is the basketball team.  Has the Olympics ruined sports by allowing professional to play in them?  One way or another, there will never be another game when a team of rag-tag amateurs can go up against a team of professionals and win.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

A statue of Herb Brooks celebrating after the victory.  The statue was erected
at the entrance to the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2003.

The "Artwork To Enjoy" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting at my computer reading and reading just about anything that is emailed to me.  I get my local newspaper as well as the New York Times on a daily basis.  I found a rather interesting article this morning that was in the NYTimes and thought you may also enjoy it.  Nothing big, but it may fill in a few minutes of your time to keep you from being bored also.  Enjoy.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Page from a coloring book.  Print it and color with crayons, pencils or markers.

The "It's Happened Before...And, It Will Happen Again!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Still trying to stay inside the house, although it's driving me nuts!  Needing something new to do, I began to design and cut some of my stained glass I have in my basement workshop in hopes of making a panel to sell at Kathy's Corner in Northeast, Maryland.  After a few hours of cuts and bleeding, I stopped and sat in my office chair and began to search the archives of Lancaster Newspaper Online.  Since I found this site about a year ago, I have enjoyed searching different topics as far back as 1796 when Lancaster's first newspaper was printed.  My search today was something known as the Spanish Influenza.  I found one of the earliest listings in The News Journal, July 16, 1918 which had a headline that read "WELL NOURISHED NEED NOT FEAR SPANISH GRIPPE".  Story told of the flu making heavy inroads upon the German troops, but will not affect American Army troops abroad.  The reason listed for this revelation was that they have an immunity to it since they are well fed!  A professor at the University of Paris told a representative in the United States that this flu is noting like the 1889 epidemic, though the symptoms are much the same.  The attack comes suddenly.  The temperature rises to 40 degrees Centigrade (104 degrees Fahrenheit) or more.  The face reddens and there is great exhaustion and violent headache.  Recovery comes within three or four days, the final stage being one of abundant perspiration.  The patient feels rundown afterward for several days, perhaps even two or three weeks.  I followed the newspapers until I reached the headline; "FLU" PEAK AT LAST REACHED; DEATH RATE DECLINES SOME."  This story was found in the Monday, October 21, 1918 Intelligencer Journal.  Interesting stories and sounds much like was is published in the newspaper of today.  I have posted a few of the stories if you care to read what it was like when the Spanish Flu hit in 1918.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This is from Tues., July 16, 1918
Click on image to enlarge it.

This is from Thursday, September 12, 1918

This is from Tuesday, September 17, 1918

This is from Monday, September 23, 1918

This is from Thursday, September 26, 1918
Sorry for the extremely small type! 

This is from Friday, October 4, 1918.

Thjis is from Monday, October 7, 1918

This is from Monday, October 21, 1918.  My final newspaper article.  This article  I
deleted the bottom portion so you can only read those who died in the first half
of the alphabet.  If I had copied the entire story, it would have been too small to read.

The "A Shot In The Arm Prevented Polio; Why Not COVID-19 Also?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with my friend Jere who lives in State College, Pennsylvania.  Called to ask him if he remembers when we got our Polio shots in school.  It was in July of 1951 that the U.S. Public Health Service created the Epidemic Intelligence Service to identify, track and squash infectious disease outbreaks.  The service was supposed to  find and stamp out communicable diseases such as polio, influenza and typhoid before they became epidemics.  The EIS is still working, currently to track and understand COVID-19.  Since 1951 more than 3,000 officers of the EIS have been involved in domestic and international response efforts, including the anthrax, hantavirus and West Nile virus in the United States and the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic in West Africa.  EIS officers begin their assignment with a one-month training program at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.  Their term will last two years with 95% of their term consisting of experiential rather than classroom training.  For the remainder of their service they are assigned to operational branches within the CDC or at state and local health departments around the country. Some of the eradication cases they have been involved with and in are:

     1950s: Polio, lead poisoning and Asian influenza.
     1960s: Cancer clusters and smallpox.
     1970s: Legionnaires' disease, Ebola, and Reye syndrome.
     1980s: Toxic shock syndrome, birth defects, and HIV/AIDS.
     1990s: Tobacco, West Nile virus, and contaminated water.
     2000s: E. coli O157:H7, SARS, H1N1, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
     2010s: The aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, obesity, fungal, meningitis, and Ebola.
     2020s: The solution to the COVID-19.

Jere and I talked a bit and he couldn't remember the same scenerio as I did in reference to getting the new polio injections that were developed by Dr. Jonas Salk.  Polio wasn't as devastating as the plague or influenza, but poliomyelitis was a highly contagious disease that emerged in terrifying outbreaks and seemed impossible to stop.  Polio caused muscle deterioration, paralysis and even death.  

Newspaper story from Saturday,
December 12,1953.  Click to enlarge.

The most famous victim of the 1921 polio outbreak in America was future President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  His disease spread quickly, leaving his legs permanently paralyzed.  Then in the 1940s, The March of Dimes was founded with President Roosevelt's help to find a way to defend against polio.  Dr. Jonas Salk, head of the Virus Research Lab at the University of Pittsburg, was asked to help find a cure for polio.  Dr. Salk found that polio had as many as 125 strains of three basic types, and that an effective vaccine was needed to combat all three.  By growing samples of the polio virus and then deactivating, or killing them by adding a chemical called formalin, he developed his vaccine which was able to immunize without infecting the patient.  Mass inoculations began in 1954 and it was found to be a hugh success.  By August of 1955 some 4 million shots had been administered, some of those going to my class at Brecht Elementary School.  And, that is what I remember when we were in 3rd grade.  I remember lining up in the first-floor hallway, next to the Principal Dr. Bucher's office and across from Miss Hoover's room.  The school nurse went down the line giving a shot to everyone in the 3rd grade.  I'm not sure about other grades in the school, but I do remember all 3rd graders got a shot in the arm.  I really don't remember anyone screaming or crying, since it went so fast that kids didn't have time to think too much.  In High School we did have a student in the class ahead of us who had suffered from polio and was confined to a wheel chair.  Dr. Salk was a hero!  A later version of the vaccine was developed by Albert Sabin which used a weakened form of the live virus and was swallowed instead of being injected.  It was licensed in 1962 and became very popular.   My oldest son was born in 1972 and never needed the polio vaccine, since by they it had been eradicated.  Today in Pennsylvania, children in ALL grades (K-12) need doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis; doses of polio vaccine, doses for measles, mumps and rubella; and doses of hepatitis B; doses of varicella (chickenpox).  Students must have these doses to enter public school.  Exemptions can be given for medical reasons, religious beliefs and philosophical/strong moral or ethical conviction.  The exemptions were changed somewhat this year since too many parents were opting out of the vaccines and school officials feared the schools could have a problem if one or more of the diseases broke out.  I am hoping that a vaccine can be found quickly to combat the COVID-19.  Maybe mass vaccination stations can be set up all over the world and we can eradicate this disease as quickly as it has surfaced.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Just A Bunch Of Stuff To Entertain Both You And Me!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I are bored out of our minds watching the President try to justify his recent decisions on NBC, watching woman parade around in the latest designer clothes on QVC, watching reruns of "Leave It To Beaver" on ME TV and watching reruns of sporting events from the 1980s.  We knew that we just had to do something to pass the time with the TV turned off.  Decided to search different sites on my MacBook Air and found a few things more interesting than what I just listed.  On the "Trivia Genius" website I found a question asking if I knew the "Musicians with the most number-one hits."  Carol guessed her favorite band, The Beatles, and I...had no idea.  In case you were wondering...#5 was Madonna with 12 Number-one hits; #4 was Michael Jackson with 13 Number-one hits; #3 was Rihanna (Who? I'm giving away my age here I guess!) with 14 Number-one hits; #2 was Mariah Carey (I heard of her) with 18 Number-one hits; and #1 was The Beatles with 20 Number one hits.  Way to go Dear!  "So what's next!" she yelled to me.  "How about trying to guess five truths or lies you've been told about eating healthy?" I said.   Well, these are a bit tougher than you may think.  #1 - Is being vegetarian or vegan instantly healthier.  It's a lie!  Opting not to eat meat may seem to be more healthy, but in return you must remember to take certain vitamins that are needed in a healthy diet which can be found in animal products.  #2 - Does weight loss require a diet you hate.  Another lie!  You can still eat the things you love and lose weight.  The trick is to practice moderation and eat smaller portions.  #3 - Eggs are bad for your heart!  Lie!  For a long time people thought eggs were considered a no-no because it was thought that they were very high in cholesterol which is bad for you.  But, now we know that even though eggs do contain more cholesterol than foods of similar size, they're incredibly powerful at helping the body naturally reduce bad cholesterol levels and improving good cholesterol levels. #4 - Margarine is more healthy than butter.  Another lie!  Once again, butter was supposed to increase your cholesterol and make your blood pressure higher which would cause heart disease.  We now know that we shouldn't over-indulge in butter, but margarine might actually be worse, since margarine might actually be higher in trans and saturated fats.  Take your pick!  And, #5 -  All carbonated drinks are bad for you.  OMG...I never knew that!  And, I love sodas.  Well, it's not a lie!  It was thought that drinking a sugary soda all the time is a great way to get diabetes and raise your dentist bill.  Well, carbonated doesn't always mean "sugary."  They suggest you drink sparkling water or naturally fruit-flavored seltzers that don't contain added sugars.  Hey, wait...does that still mean that sodas are bad for you?  Well, at that point I stopped reading and headed to the fridge for a Coke.  The final part of my story today deals with a trip my wife and I took to the local grocery store.  A few days ago we heard on TV that our local GIANT grocery store would open at 6:00 AM for people who are over 60 years old.  They reasoned that we would want to arrive early before the place got dirty and all the virus bugs came to eat the scraps on the floor.  We were standing at the door at 6:00 AM when they opened...in the dark...with about 50 other people!  Do you know how long a line that is when you are supposed to be 6 feet apart?  We didn't even get into the store until 6:20 AM with all the walkers and little old ladies carrying shopping bags.   The guard at the door was checking for gray hair I think.  When I went past him he wasn't so sure about me since I shave my head.  Carol looked at him and said, "He's with me!"  And she has the gray hair!  About 80% of the people were wearing plastic gloves.  What a sight; blue ones, green ones, and of course clear ones.  Guess what...no toilet paper!  While checking out I asked the teenage clerk if he volunteered to come in this early.  "Yeah, right!" he said. After shopping and heading back to the car, we placed our groceries in the back and took off our gloves and threw them on the floor of the car.  At that point I had this very rational observation.  "We just went through the store and put items in our shopping cart with gloved hands.  So, what if the person in front of us had the coronavirus and touched some of the items we put in our cart.  The gloves probably saved us...right!  But now when we go home and take out all the groceries with our bare hands, we will touch the same items that may have the virus on them.  Shouldn't we leave our gloves on all day long?  We decided the gloves don't make a bit of difference.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Today we needed not only an afternoon nap, but a mid-morning nap.

The "Being Buried In My Red Corvette!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Thinking back to a recent trip to Orient Beach on the island of St. Martin.  

The rugged beach on Orient Beach in St. Martin.

At the far southern end of the beach lies an area that juts off to the left and is covered with pieces of coral as well as broken pieces of shells.  Rather tough to walk upon unless you have flip-flops or sandals on your feet.  It was that particular beach that I pictured this morning when reading a story in the newspaper titled "Ashes, ashes: We all filter down."  The story told about walking along a beach on a bed of bleached and broken shells which resemble what human remains look like as they exit a crematory furnace.  Not a pleasant vision, but I can visualize it well when I remember how hard it was to walk upon that beach.  After a body is cremated the results are a collection of bone fragments which are then pulverized into a fine powder that constitutes what we commonly refer to as ashes or cremains.  

The churchyard of St. James Episcopal Church.

Both my mother and father were cremated and buried in the churchyard of the historical St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania.  There, on the north-east corner of the churchyard stands a monument that bears the names of those whose ashes have been buried in the churchyard.  Years ago the church decided that it needed to provide a burial place for those church members who would like to be buried in the historic churchyard.  The only option was a special garden where just ashes could be buried that would eventually decompose allowing more to be buried with them.  Both my mother and father decided it was their wish to be buried in their churchyard.  

One of the Memorial Plaques in the
St. James Memorial Garden.

My wife, Carol, and I also decided the same and years ago purchased a spot in the churchyard and our name on the memorial plaque.  As far as cremation is concerned, a crematory furnace yields about 1 cubic inch of ash per pound of flesh, so a petite, 100 pound person when cremated would generate 100 cubic inches of ash which is about the size of an ostrich egg.  A 200 pound adult would generate about a gallon of ashes.  When my father died his biodegradable container was about the size of a large shoe box while my mother's ashes were in a box about half that size.   Carol and I have had several cats cremated over the years and still have their remains in small wooden or metal containers that are about 6 inches in length and three inches square.   I can still visualize my 235 pound, 6 foot 4 inch brother carrying our mother's ashes in that small box to the churchyard behind St. James for the burial of her ashes in the Memorial Garden.  Within the past five years, cremation has just about overcome a traditional burial in a coffin.  Eventually space in graveyards will be a concern and the obvious choice in that case would be cremation.  

Four or out pet's ashes are in these containers.

The cost for burial in a cremation is consider- ably less than a traditional burial.  The article I was reading also told of being able to divide the aches between a few favorite locations rather than burying them all in the same location.  I would love to have some of my ashes buried on my favorite Caribbean island of St. Martin with the remaining ashes buried at St. James Churchyard.  Probably not going to happen since it would require Carol to make a trip to the island without me which would be real tough for her.  Same holds true for me if I should outlive my wife.  And, I just can't see my wife having my ashes on the coffee table that I made which sits in the living room filled with shells from our many vacations.  She would need a special vessel to hold my ashes, but with the advent of 3D printed burial urns, who knows what I might be buried in.  A replica of my 1987 red Corvette would really be neat.  Now, I might have to talk to her about that.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Lancaster County's Contribution To Solving The Coronavirus Emergency" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Watching one of my favorite daytime TV shows, "The Price Is Right", when the show is interrupted for a White House News Update.  Some days the update begins at noon while other days it begins in the middle of my show.  And, it seems that most of those that speak are trying to tell the audience, you and me, what they think we want to hear instead of exactly what is happening.  The two health officials, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health of the United States spokesman and Coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx try to give those listening to the news update the most up-to-date medical knowledge of the event that is affecting the entire United States as well as the world.  Drs. Fauci and Birx try to explain the situation so that the average layperson can begin to understand the severity of what is taking place in our world.  Without Drs. Fauci and Birx, I'm afraid most people would think that we have everything under control and all will be well very soon.  As I was listening to today's update, I noticed a familiar face in the newspaper sitting next to me on the arm of my chair.  

Dr. Deborah Birx

There was Dr. Deborah Birx talking to the residents of the United States while our President stood in the background listening to a professional speak.  I grabbed the newspaper and began reading the half-page article.  Seems that Dr. Birx, Vice-President Pence's "right arm", served as the United States global AID coordinator under President Barack Obama and served in the military at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Department of Defense.  Now she is someone whom I can trust to tell me the truth instead of half-truths as the TV viewers are receiving from time to time.  Plus, she at one time was a resident of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania when she attended Lampeter-Strasburg High School.  Seems that science and medicine were always part of Birx and her family.  Her father was an engineer while her mother was a nursing instructor.  In 1971, as a ninth-grader at Lampeter-Strasburg Junior High school, she won an honorable mention award in the Lancaster City-County Science Fair with a project titled "Record in the Rocks" which focused on paleobotany and won her the award in the general science division as well as a U.S. Army Certificate.  The following year, as a sophomore in high school, she took third place in the competition with a more in-depth version of the same project.  The following year she and her family moved out of Lancaster County, but she still continued with her science projects.  In 1973, as a 17-year-old, she won two special awards at the Interantional Science and Engineering Fair in San Diego, California.  After high school she entered Houghton College in New York, majoring in chemistry.  She earned her medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine in nearby Hershey, Pennsylvania.  From there she went into the Army where she was a physician and rose to the rank of colonel before retiring from service and beginning a career in immunology and vaccine research that eventually took her to the high-ranking position in globally focused health organizations and ultimately to the White House.  A professional that is worth listening to when they talk on TV.  I decided to visit our local newspaper's archives and found an article from May 11, 1973 that tells of her winning her award in the local science fair.  Seems that Lancaster once again is part of the history of the United States.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - click on image to enlarge it.

  

The "With A Bit Of Sugar...All Is Made Well: Part II - Y&S Twizzler Licorice Company" Story

Y&S Candies in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in front of the Y&S Candies, Inc. factory on the west side of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  I had my camera in hand and was taking a few photographs when a gentleman came out the front door asking why I was taking photographs of the building.  Told him I wanted to write a story about the factory for the blog I write.  I also asked if he could take me inside and show me how the candy was made.  "Wish I could, but they don't allow photographs inside," he told me.  He did answer a few questions for me before I thanked him and headed back to my car.  Y&S Candies is a subsidiary of The Hershey Company and is one of the oldest confectionery firms in the United States.  

Y&S is part of The Hershey Company

The company was established in 1845 and was first known as Young and Smylie.  Twenty five years later it adopted Y&S as its trademark.  Then in 1902 Y&S became one of three small firms that together were known as National Licorice Company.  In 1908 a plant was opened in Montreal, Canada and in 1929 the Twizzler brand was established.  In 1968 National Licorice Company was renamed Y&S Candies Inc. and was acquired by Hershey Foods in 1977.  Since 1999, Twizzlers have been manufactured in Lancaster as well as Memphis Tennessee.  The Lancaster location also makes chewing gum and other candies.  The Memphis plant originally was in Farmington, New Mexico, but moved to Memphis due to transportation costs.  The plant in Lancaster employs about 550 workers and is located at 400 Running Pump Road.  

A package of Twizzlers licorice sticks

If you have no idea what Twizzlers may be, it is a licorice in tube form about the diameter of a large drinking straw that has swirled ridges on the outside of the hollowed licorice.  It is made of corn syrup, wheat flour, sugar cornstarch and in smaller amounts: palm oil, salt, artificial flavor, glycerin, citric acid, potassium sorbate, Red 40 and soy lecithin.  Yep...has all those ingredients...and we actually eat the stuff...and it tastes good!  Originally, the product that was introduced in 1845 was licorice, but in the late 1970s the company began to expand its flavors to include strawberry, grape, chocolate, cherry and watermelon flavors.  In addition to their Twists, Bites and Nibs of various sizes, Y&S introduced Pull 'n' Peel in 1994. Twerpz and Strawz came along in 2004.  A limited edition of cherry cola and "rainbow" flavors were introduced in 2006.  The Twizzler brand is sold today in stores and movie theaters.  Y&S also manufactures a special 2-foot-long variety with the regular length of Twizzlers being 8 inches long.  In 2006, Hershey's introduced the Sweet and Sour Filled Twist.  

Rainbow Twizzlers

They come in red and yellow and both have a fruity filling inside.  In 2011, Super Long Nibs were introduced, combining the flavor and texture of the classic Nib with the length of a standard Twizzler twist.  Over the past few years, Y&S has added a few other Pull 'n' Peel flavors.  According to the Guinness book of Records, the longest licorice twist ever made measured 1,200 feet long and was 100 pounds.  It was made at the Y&S Candy Plant in Lancaster.  The record breaking twist became a world record on July 19, 1998.  I was hoping I would have been allowed inside to take a few photographs to share as well as have he chance to sample a few of the products, but that didn't happen.  I finally walked away from the gentleman at the door empty-handed, but with a wealth of knowledge about the factory.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "With A Bit Of Sugar...All Is Made Well: Part I - The Hostess Twinkie" Story

Preface: Many years ago I developed a taste for items made with sugar; donuts, long johns, wacky cake, banana split dessert, chocolate chip cookies, donuts, candy bars, Twinkies, sugar cookies, licorice, caramels, donuts, Necco wafers, Swedish fish, Tastycakes, double-bubble gum, Chuckles, Mary Janes, Twizzlers, donuts, etc., etc...and the list goes on and on.  My story today is about one of those favorites, Twinkies, since they have been around for 90 years.  Tomorrow I will treat you to a story about one of Lancaster's sweetest products, Twizzlers.  Enjoy!

It was an ordinary day.  Searching for a few packs of Hostess Twinkies to dunk in a glass of milk.  Most of the shelves in the local grocery store have been emptied by food and dessert hoarders due to the ever present threat of the Coronavirus.  And...today is no different...since there are NO Twinkies on the shelf.  What can I do about my sugarvirus?  My taste for the old-time Twinkie was recently rekindled when "Reminisce" magazine featured a story about the sweet treat.  They had a headline that read: GOLDEN OLDIE STILL FRESH AT 90 - Fit for a wedding or a murder trial, Twinkie delights!  Years and years ago you could always find a single pack or a value party pack somewhere in a kitchen cabinet, but with the advent of a variety of other new and interesting treats, Twinkies were only purchased about once a month.  

The Twinkie was developed as a budget snack cake due to its inexpensive price.  The Twinkie achieved a status high enough that it was placed in the Millennium Time Capsule.  That was until a few staff members who were packing the time capsule decided that the sugary treat might eventually draw rodents, grabbed them from the capsule and devoured all of them.  

How can you NOT like one of these?

Then, somehow in 2012, Hostess Brands fired most of its workers and went out of business.  NO MORE TWINKIES!!  Luckily, the new owner of the business relaunched the making of the Twinkie.  The success of the original product 90 years ago had to do with the fact that it was a feather-like sponge cake filled with sweet cream.  Who would have guessed that something as simple as that could have been such a success.  

The inventor of the Twinkie. James Dewar.

The Great Depression did have something to do with that, since the treat was so simple and inexpensive that it was actually affordable to the masses even during a time of fiscal hardship.  The guy who "invented" the Twinkie, James Dewar, used his bakery's shortcake pans which sat idle during most of the year, since strawberries were only in season for about one month of the year.  The original Twinkies, which I do not remember, were made with a banana filling, but when WWI came along, bananas were replaced with a vanilla cream, thank goodness.  

Buffalo Bob Smith, Howdy Doody and
Clarabell Clown pushed Twinkies on TV.

I can still remember watching Buffalo Bob Smith on the Howdy Doody Show telling me to ask my mom to get Twinkies at the store and put one in my lunch pail.  When the Twinkie was first made it was stuffed by workers who at times added too much filling and caused the treat to explode.  What a job...having to eat all that excess stuffing so it wouldn't go to waste!  And, when people began to make fallout shelters in there basements in the late 1940s, Twinkies were the perfect item to stock in them since they had a shelf-life of close to two months.  Originally the Twinkie was said to be bad for you due to all the sugar in it, but that recipe was changed and today has 39 ingredients, eight of them being corn-based.  Now it is much better for you.  That is probably the reason why I couldn't find any at the grocery store today.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.