The "Lancaster's Center Square to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking East on King Street from downtown Lancaster,  reminiscing about how the city of Lancaster has changed so much during the last 70 plus years of my lifetime.  I can still remember heading into Watt & Shand Department store to visit with Santa Claus in the basement during the Christmas season.  At the time, East King Street extended from Penn Square in the center of Lancaster, Pennsylvania to the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology on the eastern end of King Street.  East King Street could be explored in a leisurely hour-long stroll from center square to the Eastern boundary with Lancaster.  These city blocks spanned three centuries of Lancaster's history.  It was in 1730 that a plan was developed for property lots along East King Street which at the time was known as High Street referring in the English tradition to a main thoroughfare.  At the time the road was known as the "King's Highway" that connected Lancaster with Philadelphia.  Two centuries later East King Street would become part of the "Lincoln Highway," established in 1913 as one of America's first transcontinental automobile roads reaching from New York to San Francisco.  The architecture along East King Street holds three centuries of history which reflected a wide variety of building types from modest row houses to fashionable one-of-a-kind residences, major commercial buildings, small neighborhood storefronts, hotels and taverns, breweries, a Victorian market house, a prison, firehouses, a church, gas stations, small industries and factories.  East King culminated with a city park that once contained a major reservoir and a trade school founded in 1905 that honored congressman and abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens.  If you travel along King Street today, you will still see most of the original homes, businesses and historical locations that were the city of Lancaster 70 plus years ago.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Maxwell Motor Company and A Call For Women In The Automobile World" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Came across an article about the Maxwell Motor Company.  At one time it was an American motor company that first began manufacturing in 1904 and ceased in 1925.  They began under the name of ‘Maxwell-Briscoe company’ of North Tarrytown, New York and was named after founder Jonathan Dixon Maxwell and his business partner, Benjamin Briscoe.  J. D. Maxwell had previously worked for the Oldsmobile marque, and Briscoe was part owner of the Briscoe Brothers Metalworks.  Following a disastrous fire that destroyed the New York factory in 1907, Maxwell-Briscoe opened a new factory in Indiana.  Both Maxwell and Briscoe shared a similar approach as well known Henry Ford, trying to own the entire process of vehicle manufacturing.  The newspapers reported that the factory “will operate as a whole, like an integral machine, the raw material going in one end of the plant and the finished cars out the other end.”  For a time, Maxwell was considered one of the three top automobile firms in America, along with General Motors and Ford.  In 1913, Maxwell assets were overseen by Walter Flanders, who reorganized the company as the Maxwell Motor Company, Inc.  The Company moved to Highland Park, Michigan.  By 1914, Maxwell had sold over 60,000 cars!  Maxwell eventually ver-extended and wound up deeply in debt, with over half of its production unsold in the post-World War I recession in 1920.  The following year, Walter P. Chrysler arranged to take a controlling interest in Maxwell Motors, subsequently re-incorporating it in West Virginia with himself as the chairman.  Maxwell was one of the first car companies to market specifically to women.  In 1909, it generated a great deal of publicity when it sponsored Alice Huyler Ramsey, an early advocate of women drivers, as the first woman to drive coast-to-coast across the United States.  By 1914, the company had strongly aligned itself with the woman’s rights movement.  That year, it announced its plan to hire as many female sales personnel as male.  At that time, it offered a promotional reception at its Manhattan dealership which featured several prominent suffragettes such as Crystal Eastman, while in a showroom window a woman assembled and disassembled a Maxwell engine in front of onlookers.  During the early years of Maxwell Motors, women were an essential part of the company and helped to move it forward.  During World War I, the Maxwell Motor Car Company offered many new positions for women in the work place.  From factory workers to clerical assistants, and sales women to handling machinery, when were beginning to make their mark on automotive history.  Approximately 1,600,000 women joined the workforce between 1914-1918 making this an historical mark in woman’s history.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Learning About Love From Her Father & A Tiny Bird" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article that was published in the "Living" section of my Lancaster Sunday Newspaper that was titled "She learned about love from her father and a tiny bird." Story was written by Nella Seward and was recently published in the Lancaster Newspaper.  Nella had just turned 17 when she arrived in the United States and began senior year classes in the United States.  This particular evening she had just returned home from school on the school bus.  As she approached her house, she noticed a small bird sitting on the steps of her house.  The bird was very small and struggling to stand.  She thought it might be a sparrow.  She carefully picked it up and held it in her hand.  Naturally, the bird was scared and trying to get away from Nella, but he was scared and couldn't stand or fly.  He was very small and may have fallen from his nest in a nearby tree.  Shortly after, her father arrived home as she was consoling the little bird.  He saw Nella holding the bird and came to inspect what was going on.  He immediately took the little sparrow, caressed his head and called him "Bello."   Her father examined the bird and told Nella that one of his legs seemed to be broken.  He took a wooden toothpick, cut it to a smaller size and carefully applied it to the broken leg of the bird and wrapped it with soft thread.  He then fed the bird with bread crumbs that he placed in his mouth as the bird's mother would have done.  Bello stayed in a man-made nest on an enclosed porch.  Every day Nella's father would talk to Bello and place the bird on his shoulder and take him for a walk.  Nella became jealous of the affection that her father gave to Bello.  Eventualy the bird's leg healed and it's wings were full grown.  So, one day Nella's father put Bello on his index finger, went outside the porch and said to the bird in Italian "Va bene Bello.  E'ora che tu torni alla tua Natura.  Stai bene, poi tornare a casa." (You are OK, Bello, to return to nature, to go home).  He caressed him, kissed him on his head and with a quick shift of his arm he said "Go."  The bird didn't move, but kissed Nella's father's cheek.  With another nudge from Nella's father, the bird flew to a nearby branch and then back to Nella's father.  This went on for weeks with the bird flying to Nella's father and giving him a peck kiss to his cheek.  Nella later in life heard that if you love somebody, let him go.  If that love belongs to you, it will return to you.  At age 17, I did not know this, but in old age, I know now one thing that in my life I must have loved much, because I feel love all over me.  I remember at the age of 10, I was confirmed to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  I asked Jesus, if He wanted to give me a gift, let it be love.  On the day that I met Bello years ago, Jesus answered my prayer with my love for Bello. Something that Nella will never forget!    Nella now lives in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Nella came to America more than 60 years ago.  And she has finally shared her story with all the readers of the Lancaster newspaper!  And now, with all of you!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The Scrouge Of The Mormon Cricket Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a town in Nevada known as Elko that has become overrun with what are known as Mormon crickets.  Seems that millions of Mormon crickets have blanketed parts of the city and created a real mess for the residents of the town.  The crickets have been moving through the area which is about 300 miles northeast of Reno, Nevada.  Hotel workers throughout the town have been pouring a hot water mix of vinegar, bleach and dish soap on the crickets, but to no avail.  It hasn't seemed to stop the arrival of the pesky crickets.  They claim they can't win the battle, but they can hold them off in the city of roughly 20,000 residents.  The cricket infestation began a few weeks ago.  As vehicles drive over the cricket's bodies they crack like potato chips and their guts spill out.  The more crickets, the thicker the layers accumulate on the roads, leaving a mixture that can create slick driving conditions.  Plows are used to clear the slimy brown remains.  Mormon crickets are actually shielded-backed katydids which are grown-dwelling insects native to the Western United States.  They feed on grasses, shrubs and crops, which contribute to soil erosion and nutrient-depleted soil.  The name Mormon crickets is derived from how the insects would invade Mormon settlers' crops in Utah's Great Salt Lake area in the mid-1800s.  The Mormon cricket population has been growing since the 1990s and has infested about 10 million acres of Nevada in recent years.  The crickets are about 2 inches in length with plump bodies.  In 2006 it was estimated that they infested 10 million acres in the state.   The crickets have plump bodies and have been turning brick homes, front lawns and beige sidewalks a darker shade of russet.  Luckily they do not bite, but they do induce squeamishness among the residents, especially those that are new to the areas where they are more prominent.  Spraying seems to be   the only way to keep them in check.   Eventually they will disappear, but will more than likely return about the same time next year.  If only they could find a way to stop them from visiting their area or a way to use them for perhaps fertilizer or food for livestock.  Some how they will be conquered, just wait and see!  But, in the time being, the town of Elko will have to put up with the Mormon crickets.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "And...The Word "WOKE" One More Time, If I Dare!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my morning newspaper's "Letters to the Editor" column when I came across a letter written by one of Lancaster's all-time greatest football coaches, Mike Williams.  The title of his "Letter to the Editor" read "Trying to learn what 'woke' means." Ah Ha!  So I'm not the only one that has a tough time figuring out what "Woke" really  means.  Well, Mike's letter to the editor began with...I "woke" up on Sunday morning, June 11, and read a letter to the editor in LNP/LancasterOnline titled "Some thoughts on woke and anti-woke."  He continued with, "After reading it, I thought to myself that I had no clue what the writer was talking about.  Then I thought that, as an old football coach, maybe I'm not smart enough to understand what he was trying to say.  So, still being curious about the meaning of woke, I looked into it further by reading woke expert Ron DeSantis' definition of woke.  Here is what the governor of Florida said: "Look, we know what woke is, it's a form of cultural Marxism.  It's about putting merit and achievement behind identity politics, and it's basically a war on the truth.  And, that has infected institutions and it has corrupted institutions.  So, you've got to be willing to fight the woke.  We've done that in Florida, and we proudly consider ourselves the state where woke goes to die."  Say what?  So now I'm still confused, and my mind turns to the words "mumbo jumbo."  Mumbo jumbo is defined as "a term that refers to confusing or meaningless words or activity, often used to obscure or deceive a listener."  Aha!  With that I understand what woke is, and I feel much better!   So now...readers... you now have your answer to what the word "Woke" really means.  I, for one certainly agree with Mike..whatever he said!.  What else could it mean?  Certainly not asleep?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "You Read The Craziest Things In The Newspaper!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a column in my Lancaster LNP newspaper when I came across something very unusual...very touching...kind of scary...something very hard to believe.  My story today will be a very short story just as it was in the newspaper....

A story that came from Ecuador, South America, told of a Woman who had been declared dead and placed in a coffin, ready for burial.  She surprised everyone when she began knocking on her coffin during her wake.  The woman's son said that doctors at the state hospital where she was rushed, said that she had died the day before.  Bella Montoya reportedly woke up and started knocking on the inside of her coffin after spending five hours inside that coffin at the funeral home.  Could she possibly had just fallen asleep, and was a very sound sleeper?  I know that people have a hard time waking me up sometimes.  I hate to think what these people in Ecuador might have done to me.  Well, all the commotion and hassle must have done her in the second time around and she was once again declared dead at the same funeral home.  I don't think I would want to be the person who had to shovel the dirt over the coffin after the second time around for fear I would hear the knocking once again.  That would be enough to give me a heart attack and put me in a coffin!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

   

The "A World Class Athlete Graduated From Lancaster JP McCaskey High School" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading in my local Sunday News about a fellow I have written about a few other times in the past.  Guy by the name of Barney Ewell who happened to be a world-class sprinter who graduated from Penn State University in 1946.  Barney was a classmate of my dad's when they were both students at JP McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  During Barney's lifetime he set American and world records and won numerous medals as one of the fastest men alive.  A fellow by the name of John Fulton graduated from State College High School the same year that Barney set a few of his records.  John was also a top sprinter at State College High School where he was the front leg of his high school relay team.  Only problem was that the high school did not have a standard quarter-mile track, so John and his relay team members had to practice on the nearby Penn State University's regulation track.  One day John had just arrived at the Penn State University's track to begin practice when a fellow said to him, "Do you want to race?"  The fellow was in street clothes and wasn't wearing running shoes.  Plus...he was a good ten years older than John.  Well...the two men---one an 18-year-old in track clothes and the other a 28-year-old who wasn't wearing running shoes---raced 100 yards.  John said, "He beat me by about a yard and he was pretty good!"  John said, "We laughed together after the race, and I never saw him again.  Then I found out he was Barney Ewell.!"  Fulton's relay team went on to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia several weeks after their race.  A member of an opposing team fell in front of Fulton and ended his team's hopes.  Fulton now lives with his wife in Dauphin County and recently turned 95 years old.  Barney lost an opportunity to win multiple gold medals when the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled due to World War II. He did compete in the 1948 Olympics at the age of 30.  He won a gold as the front leg of the USA 400-meter relay team.  He also won two Silver medals even though he was 30 years old at the time.  Barney died in Lancaster in 1996 at the age of 78.  My dad did top Barney in one thing since he lived to be 89 years old.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "I Know A Story That You May Enjoy!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Reading a column in my daily newspaper called "I Know A Story."  Today's story was titled "She learned about love from father and tiny bird."  Story began with...Dear friends and family.  What is love?  And how can one count the ways?  Here is a true story that will make you think and perhaps give us answers.  I had just turned 17 when I arrived in the United States.  I was attending my senior year and returning home on the school bus.  As I approached my house, I noticed on the steps leading to the enclosed porch a very small bird, maybe a sparrow, struggling to stand up as its wings fluttered frantically.  This immediately caught my attention.  Carefully I picked it up, held him in my hand, caressed him.   He was scared, trying to get away from me, but he was unable to stand or fly.  He was just too small and probably fell from his nest from a nearby tree.  As I was consoling the little thing, my father arrived from his work.  He saw me and quickly came to inspect the event.  Very gently, he took the little sparrow, caressed his head, and immediately called him "Bello."  As soon as he checked Bello, he told me that one of his legs was broken and he was still to young to fly. "I will fix his leg," he said.  In the kitchen, my father took a wooden toothpick, cut it to a small size and gently, carefully, applied it on the broken leg of the bird wrapping it with a soft thread to keep it steady.  Next, he got some wet bread crumbs, put them on the edge of his lips and guided the bird to feed himself from his mouth, as the bird's mother would have done.  This process went on over and over that day and every day.  Bello would stay in a man made nest in the enclosed porch, a little water near him, and was visited and loved by everyone.  Every day my father would talk to him, call him Bello, perch him on his index finger, place him on his shoulder and walk with him, as little by little, Bello was getting stronger.  I felt jealous of this affection.  After all I was the one who found the little creature!   But, my father and Bello formed a personal, close relationship.  They were anxious to see each other and perform those little rituals that united them in this affectionate relationship.  Sometime Bello came into the house, perching on a table lamp or other, waiting, just waiting.  Finally, the day came that Bello's leg healed.  The wings were grown full and strong.  It was time to let go.  So, one day, my father put him on his index finger, went outside the house and said to him in Italian: 'Va bene Bello.  E'ora che tu torni alla tua Natura.  Stai bene, puoi tornare a casa." (You are OK, Bello to return to nature, to go home).  He caressed him, kissed him on his head and with a quick shift of his arm he said, "Go."  Bello did not move -- one, two, three times.  he kept kissing my father's cheek.  Then, on the next push, he flew to a close-by branch, but he immediately returned to my father's shoulder.  It took several times before Bello got the message.  It was very moving for me watching this departing exchange.  After this, day after day, for many other weeks, Bello waited for my father returning from work, and always would fly to his shoulder to greet him with a peck kiss to his cheek.  Later in life, I heard that if you love somebody, let him go.  If that love belongs to you, it will return to you.  At 17, I did not know this, but, in my old age, I know now one thing, that in my life I must have loved much, because I feel love all over me.  I remember at the age of 10, I was confirmed to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  I asked Jesus, if He wanted to give me a gift, let it be love.  On the day that I met Bello, Jesus answered my prayer.  Gratefully, Nella.  

The author of this story, Nella Seward,  lives in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, and is president of the Lancaster Italian Cultural Society.  She came to America more than 60 years ago.  Her story was a very touching story that I felt you may care to read and enjoy.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Stay Off The Fence" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with my brother.  We were going back and forth with each other, trying to remember some of the things our mom or dad would say to us when we were younger.  Things like: "You need to finish your peas before you can have dessert."  As we grew older it was: "no dessert until you finish your homework."  Then there was: "You make a better door than a window," if I happen to be in front of the TV.  Then there was the one that my dad would say when we were laughing at the TV and he would say: "Stop laughing so hard or you'll pee yourself.   Another good one was: "If you need the car tonight, you better get out there and wash it first!"  Then there was the usual..."you make a better door than a window," if I was standing in front of the TV.  Oh yeah,  there was always the "no TV until your homework is finished."  But my all time favorite was, "stay off the fence or you'll break your arm!"  The background for that remark goes back a few years before when my mom and dad had plans to visit friends.  I had just removed the wooden stick and cloth strip from the wing of one of my pet pigeons I kept in a wooden cage in the back yard.  He had a broken wing when I bought him and I was nursing him so he could fly once again.  I really didn't want him to take off, but he did and I found him on the roof of a neighbor's garage.  I climbed up on the swinging fence of their garage with a rope in hopes of lassoing him.  The fence swung open and I fell off and broke my arm.  Dad had to take me to the hospital.  It was the same evening that he and mom were going out with friends.  They didn't make it and they weren't so happy about it.  So, the saying, "stay off the fence," was used over and over for just about anything they didn't want me to do.  My friends would look at me when they heard him say, "stay off the fence."  I heard that quote until I had children and I began to use the same quote to my children.  That was one saying that I will never forget and I'm sure that those who heard  me use it must have thought I was nuts.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Holocaust Survivor's Story Moved A Group Of Teens" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished reading a story that was in my local newspaper that was titled "Holocaust survivor's story moved a group of teens."  It was written by Rich Christensen for Lancaster's Sunday newspaper.  I have condensed it somewhat to give you an idea as to what was in Rich's story in the "I Know A Story" column. 

In 2010, as a professor of religion at Lakeland College in Wisconsin, I helped organize a presentation by a Holocaust survivor for a group of almost 100 13- and 14-year-old youth from churches of the local area.  The speaker, an 83-year-old Polish Jewish man named Robert Matzner, told the extraordinary story of his arrest in 1942 with his extended family.  He saw his mother and his grandmother put to death by Nazi soldiers because they could not walk fast enough when being forced to march to a labor camp in Germany.  In that camp, as a 15-year-old, Matzner's life was saved when the camp commandant discovered he could speak German, and chose him to be an assistant in the camp office.  A kind secretary would bring him sandwiches to eat which enabled him to stay nourished. He was then asked to tell a story.  He paused a moment, then began his story bu telling his listeners that we should remember there is often good present even in the worst of circumstances. He began his story with:  In late April of 1945, with the war coming to an end,  the SS guards took all their prisoners on a forced march west in an attempt to escape the oncoming Russian army. Guards shot people in the back of the head if they were moving too slowly, leaving the bodies on the ground.  Many prisoners were too weak and sick to travel, so each morning they were roughly awakened and the SS shot anyone who was either too sick or too tired to move.  One night when they stopped to sleep in an old barn, young Martzner stayed awake until he though everyone else had fallen asleep.  He climbed a ladder to a hayloft, burrowed into the hay, and stayed there quietly all night.  The next morning the SS wakened all the prisoners and moved them out to continue their flight westward, not realizing they were missing one prisoner.  After the soldiers and the other prisoners had departed, Matzner stayed quietly in the loft for a full day and another night to be sure no one returned for him.  He then left and began walking until in a small town he saw a crowd of ordinary Germans.  He walked along with them, mingling easily with his fluent German, thus completing his escape from his captors.  Martzner spoke for two hours to the youth, who remained completely silent the entire time as they listened to his story with awe.  Fascinated and deeply moved by his story, many expressed amazement they were hearing this from a man who had actually lived through that time period.  Hearing their reactions and feeling in himself the power of his story, a sudden realization struck him:  Martzner had taken his first breath of freedom and began a new life in the very same week he had taken his first breath as a newborn baby_ the fourth week in April, 1945.  His escape seems that it was meant to be!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Thousands And Thousands Of Pennies And No Takers" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Checking out my morning LNP LncasterOnline newspaper when I came upon a story titled "A million pennies and no takers," with a sub-head that read "California family stumbles upon a $10,000 treasure."  Story told of Mr. John Reyes, the head of the  California family who happened upon the $10,000 -- but it wasn't so simple to collect the treasure.   It came in the form of an estimated 1 million pennies stored in dozens of bags and boxes.  That was nine months ago and the family is still trying to find a way to cash-in the coins.   Sounds funny, but it really happened and trying to get to all those crates of pennies is almost next to impossible!  The initial plan was to haul the pennies to Coinstar, but the coin machine service charges a percentage of the total amount as a processing fee.  So, you can't take hundreds of pounds of pennies to a local bank.  One branch manager told them they didn't even have room for all those bags of pennies in his bank.  Another bank official told them not to bring them to a bank, since they may have a million-dollar penny with one of the pennies being a rare coin.  The U.S. Mint initially made pennies of just copper.  But, because copper was essential to the war effort during WWII, the coins became zinc-covered steel in 1943 with the pennies eventually being made primarily from zinc with some copper.  The U.S. Mint struck a  limited number of copper pennies and some have turned out to be valuable.  According to the Mint, very few 1943 copper-alloy pennies, made in error, are known to remain in existence, and one sold for $82,500 in 1996.  Another sold in 2022 for nearly $300,000.   Reyes an his family have decided to sell the entire lot, which takes two or three trucks to move it in it's entirety, and listed the pennies on Offer-Up, an online sales marketplace, for $25,000.  Mr. Reyes and his family are not interested in sifting through the pennies for rare finds.  On a recent past Thursday, the discovery of the coins was covered by a local television station, and Reyes was inundated with queries from potential buyers and, so far, around 300 offers.   What has happened to the coins as of today I do not know.  I'm sure you can't miss a big truckload of bagged coins if they pass your house one day soon. I'll be anxious to see what happened to the coins and how much they brought.  I read in my local newspaper that the discovery of the coins was covered by a TV station, but didn't say what TV station or the location of that station.  Should be a big truck with a bunch of bags full of pennies.  Keep an eye out for them!  Might see a line of pennies behind a truck along the road if one or more of those bags has broken open by mistake.  Love to have it happen in my neighborhood.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.         

Hempfield Athlete Adds To The Record Book Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about one of my grandson's friends who has just graduated with him from Hempfield High School in Landisville, Pennsylvania.  Aiden Hodge was a name I have heard many times in the past, since he and my grandson Caden played Little League Baseball together for many years.  Aiden had given up baseball a few years back in order to join the Hempfield Track and Field team.  Seems he just broke a record that was on the books for over three decades.  He had finished the 1,600-meter run in 4:10.77 at the District III track and field championships at Shippensburg State College a little over three weeks ago.  He eclipsed another Hempfield runner's, Kevin Schadt, record who had set the record which stood since 1991.  Seems the record stood for 32 years.  In high school track and field, that is remarkable to have a record last that long.  The record lasting that long told you just how good a runner Kevin was and how good a runner Aiden has become.  And...breaking the record couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.  A photograph in the Lancaster newspaper showed Aiden presenting a bouquet of flowers to Angie Schadt who was the widow of Hempfield track legend Kevin Schadt.  Angie had wanted to meet the young man who recently broke her husband's record.  Aiden became aware of the school record in the 1,600-meter his freshman year when he looked at the lobby wall outside the school's gym.  He wondered what it would be like to have his name on the wall.  Last season he finished 5th in the State meet when he hit 4:13.15.  Shaving off those 2 seconds was his pursuit this past year.  The scoreboard clock at Seth Grove High School Stadium delivered the exciting news not long ago.  He had finally done it.  Angie at first didn't want her husband's record to be broken.  Kevin Schadt had died of leukemia in 2019 at the age of 47, and when Angie found out about Aiden breaking the record, she had mixed feelings, but when she learned how nice a young man Aiden was, she was happy for him.  Hodge first met Angie at Hempfield's track after the meet when he gave Angie flowers and she gave him his favorite snack: Doritos and a Turkey Hill iced tea.  Aiden rewrote Hempfield's record book the past four years.  He owns the school mark in the 800 and 3,200 as well. I still remember him from his days of playing baseball with my grandson Caden.  I wish him the best of luck in his pursuits in college in both his academic and athletic careers.  I'll keep a lookout in the daily paper to see how he does on the track!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Nicky The Turtle" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my latest Reader's Digest when I came across a story about "Nicky the Turtle."  As I began to read the story I realized that it was a story submitted to the magazine by someone who lived in my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The story was part of the "Best Pet Pals" and was submitted by the owner of "Nicky the Turtle." They grew up together and today Nicky weighs about 5 pounds and her owner is 80 years old.  Seems they have been friends forever.  Nicky lives in the back yard where you can usually find her craning her head out of her shell to get a good look at her fans.  She loves munching on the tomatoes and pretzels that her family and neighborhood kids feed her.  She is a yellow-bellied, 5 pound, 50 year old turtle.   She is a good pet and a better friend.  She keeps all her friends secrets.  Nicky was in her friend's lap the day after her friends wedding and as they moved from home to home.  I'm sure she will be there till the very end.  But whose very end will come first?  Nicky or Nicky's owner.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Do We Really Need Rain?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Going through my morning newspaper and checking out what Code color my home town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania may be in today.  I recently read about air quality codes and what colors go with each type of air quality.  At the time, Pennsylvania was under a cloud of unhealthy air caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.  The State Department of Environmental Protection had declared a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for the entire state of Pennsylvania.  In some places, actual air quality reached more dangerous Code Purple and Code Maroon levels.  I must admit I didn't know they had those two ratings. The federal Environmental Protection Agency measures and rates air pollution on a scale from 0 to 500 called the Air Quality Index.  The lower the number, the cleaner the air.  The AQI is also broken into colors.  Green (0-50) is healthy. Yellow (51-100) is seen as acceptable.  Orange (101-150) means the air is likely to affect certain groups, such as the very young, old, and people with asthma.  An AQI in the red zone (151-200) means even people without sensitivities could feel health effects from breathing the dirty air.  The EPS recommends people limit outdoor activity in this zone.  Purple (201-300) is very unhealthy as is maroon (301-500).  When the AQI is above 300, it ranks as a health emergency and all people in the area should avoid spending time outside.  The Department of Environmental Protection air quality action alerts are based on forecasts and are generally not updated frequently during the day, which is why actual air quality can be more severe than what is warned in alerts.  Usually the alerts are for specific geographic locations because of weather patterns and nearby industry.  Pollution caused by Canadian wildfire smoke is uncharted territory for the agency.  During periods of high pollution, people can check area-specific AQIs, updated hourly, at airnow. gov.  The website shows two AQI scores: one for particle pollution and one for ozone.  Particule pollution is made up of very small pieces of soot, metals or other toxins that can get embedded in the lungs.  Ozone is a gas that's harmful when breathed in.  It forms from a combination of heat and different pollutants known as volatile organic compounds.  EPA was forecasting an AQI in the orange range for Sunday into Monday.  How accurate these forecasts might be haven't been proven yet.  The north-east United States really needs a good soaking.  Hopefully that will happen in the near future.  Only time will tell.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "It's The Month Of June...But The Weather Is Awful" Story

It was an overcast day.  June 8th and the weather outside my rear sunroom at Woodcrest Villa is looks threatening.  The past day or two have been a bit overcast being we have been going through a historical pall that has covered Lancaster County and most neighboring counties.  A haze has been with us since this past Thursday, as smoke from Canadian wildfires have choke skies along the East Coast of the United States.  Visibility is poor and a distinct smell akin to a Boy Scout campfire has settled in.  A few Major League Baseball games were postponed and many of the residents in Woodcrest Villa have confined themselves to the indoors.  Almost all nearby local communities have registered high pollution levels spurring adjustment to outdoor plans and trying to stay indoors as best they can.  Local air was rated "hazardous" this past Thursday and I have rated the air around my home awful.  According to local Millersville University Weather Information Center, the concentration of smoke particles in the air was so thick this past Thursday morning the its meteorological instruments registered the air as mist.  Air pollution measured 457 on the 500-point PM2.5 scale, leading federal climate official to issue their most severe code maroon warning, for air they categorize as "hazardous" to human health.  On a typical day, the rating would be in the zero to 50 range.  I ventured out yesterday to pick up my mail at the Villa's main office and made the mistake of walking to the center instead of driving to it.  By the time I got to the main center it was a bit harder to breathe.  By the time I got back to my villa I had to sit down and relax for over an hour before my breathing was back to normal.  The newspaper reported that the local pools had been closed for the day and day care centers moved all children indoors.  That was two days ago as of today and I can tell the biggest difference today.  The atmosphere still seems to be overcast, but I can breathe much easier than I could the past day or so.  If you live along the northern East coast, I'm sure you could tell a difference in air quality.  The smoke from the Canadian wildfires has begun to dissipate and the hazardous air quality has begun to disappear.  I never witnessed air quality as bad as what Lancaster County experienced, as well as the United States' entire East Coast.  Our local State College, Millersville State University, reported the concentration of smoke particles in the air was so thick that its meteorological instruments registered the air as mist.  Air pollution measured 457 on the 500-pint PM2.5 scale, leading federal climate officials to issue there most severe code warning for air they categorize as "hazardous" to human health.  On a typical day, the rating wold be in the 0 to 50 range.  My wife and I tried to remain inside our villa, but we did have to run a few errands which we did quickly so we could return inside.  I'm sure many people weren't as lucky as my wife and myself and had to be outside in the hazardous weather.  I must admit that I never experienced weather as poor as what we had for a few days.  Hope it never happens again.  It certainly wasn't another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy!  

The "How Could Anyone Do That To Two Defenseless Cats?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  I had just opened my morning LNP newspaper and saw the photograph of those two sorrowful looking tiger cats.  They both looked just like my cat Snickerdoodle whom my wife, Carol, and I rescued from our back deck on Harrington Drive a few years ago.  Snickerdoodle had it easy in comparison to the two cats that were featured in the newspaper.  Snickerdoodle was a stray cat who showed up at our back door while the two cats in the newspaper were found in an old heavy wooden box that had no air holes.  Laurie Horst was visiting Pet Pantry in Manor Township to buy cat food for her brood of cats when she saw an old wooden box sitting on the front counter of the store.  The box had a picture of a machine gun on one end of it with the letters DAD etched along one side of the wooden box.  Laurie asked one of the people at Pet Pantry what the box was doing on the front counter.  She was told that a Good Samaritan found the box and when the wooden, air-tight box was opened they found two rather large tiger cats stuffed in the airtight box that was strapped together with zip ties.  Now, who could have, or would have, placed two large cats in an airtight wooden box and left them to die?  Someone was watching over the cats that day, since the Good Samaritan that found them was led to the wooden box that was at the Kensington Club Apartments on Misty Drive in Lancaster, PA.  The cats were stuffed in the airtight box so tight that they could hardly move.  Somehow, the Good Samaritan saw the wooden box and heard their cries and opened the box to find the two in the box.  They couldn't have been in the box too long or they would have been dead by the time the box had been found and opened.  Now, someone must help Pet Pantry and take the two strays since Pet Pantry is filled to the brim with cats and kittens since this is currently "kitten season" and they are over stocked with cats and kittens.  Neither of the male cats that were in the wooden box was neutered.  The owner of Pet Pantry called a neighbor who agreed to take the pair of cats that was rescued.  The neighbor, Dee Henry, is a volunteer who traps, fixes, and finds homes for the homeless cats that roam the neighborhoods of Lancaster County.   The cats that were left for dead are both docile and loving.  A friend of Dee's named them Lucien and Callum, Latin for light and peace.  Now Henry is trying too find a good home for the two cats.  It could be they are brothers and are good with each other.  As of now, the cats are up for adoption at Pet Pantry which can be reached at 717-983-8878.  My wife and I would love to have the two lovely cats, but the retirement community where we have recently moved, only allows us to have 2 cats and The Gray Lady and Snickerdoodle have filled those two spots!  If the two cats that were found are as nice as they look in the picture, you would certainly be in for a treat by adopting them.  Please call the number listed above and make a visit to see if you could give them a home!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.      

The "So What Do You Do With Your Time? Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got out of bed about 7:00 a.m. and headed to the front door of our new retirement home at Woodcrest Villas to grab my morning newspaper.  I have been reading the Lancaster, Pennsylvania morning newspaper, now known as LNP/LancasterOnline, for perhaps 50 years now and don't expect to stop any time soon.  First began reading it when I began teaching Industrial Arts right after I graduated from Millersville State Teacher's College back in 1967.  Continued reading it after retiring from teaching and began working part-time for one of my former students, Keith Grebinger, owner of Grebinger Gallery in nearby Neffsville, PA.  Even though I am now retired permanently, I still read the Lancaster Newspaper every day.  Just love to see what is happening in my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  When I go on vacation I still have someone save my newspapers for me so I can read them when I return home. Well, today, Wednesday, June 7, after picking up my LNP newspaper, I began reading page 1 which had the main headline which read "FEELING THE ART."  Told about a Lancaster artist that went 'above and beyond' on a large tattoo for a blind client.'  As I sat in my recliner I began to search the entire front page and began reading all the story headlines just on page 1.  Thought it would be interesting to make my story today the headlines that appear in a few of my 24-page front section of my morning newspaper.  Check out the following and see if you too have stories much like I get every day in my Lancaster newspaper.  Here goes starting with PAGE 1....*FEELING THE ART, Artist goes 'above and beyond' on large tattoo for blind client.  *Fewer fire volunteers means paperwork often slips.  *Cutler: ID rule would hit Amish.  *Judge: Suit can go ahead.  *Leacock farmer plans to appeal.  PAGE 2.... *Red Hot Chili Peppers coming to Hershey.  *PA Lottery #s.  *Today In History.  *Birthdays.  *Top-Read Stories.  *Today In History.  PAGE 3... Class of 2023 - Speakers: Be open to risks.  *County to soon set plans for its final $40M.  *Grads let light guide paths.  *Drug force arrests man after raid.  * 'Use our girts to help others'.  PAGE 4...*Cats rescued from box looking for homes/Many Local animal shelters struggling amid 'kitten season',  *Conestoga Valley: 'Time to Shine' (graduation story),  *Donegal: 'Hold our own ground' (graduation story), *Solanco: "Extend and accept help' (graduation story),  Bill requires  electronic reports. (Campaign finance story").  PAGE 5...*Whopping Catfish caught in county sets Pa. record - Franklin County man angled a 66-pound fish back in May. *Half Page Ad on estate planning.  PAGE 6... *'Global Wheat prices on rise',  *White House site highlights projects', *NJ companies float solar panels, *1/3 page local stocks, PAGE 7 Nation & World,  *PALL SETTLES OVER REGION, *Hundreds of wildfires still burn, 200 are 'out of control', *Blown dam floods war zone; resident flee, *Judge blocks ban on transgender minor care, *Man executed for killing 2 jailers, *Belarus fails to get Security Council seal, *Christie kicks off bid with swipes at Trump, *Blinken set to travel to Beijing for talks, PAGE 8, *Ukraine: War, floods, story continued from page 7, *Protesters cal for white woman's arrest. * Conservatives steamed, derail House action, *1/2 page ads on vein and laser center, Vacuum cleaners, Optical Ad, Jewelry Ad, PAGE 9 *Automakers want to ditch AM radios, ask Congress, *2 dead in shooting after graduation ceremony, *advertisements on power washing, Elvis East Coast musical revolution,  PAGE 10 * Report: Disparities in areas near bay, *MU student named to new state post.  And...the stories continue to flow throughout the newspaper for the balance of the newspaper's 24 pages.   I'm sure that most newspapers look somewhat the same and carry the same type of news such as local, regional and international news.  Perhaps the advertisements may differ, but news is news no matter where you live and one of the main differences might be the amount of... and size of... the photographs and the headlines that fill each page of the newspaper.  I must admit that the first thing I do when I arise in the morning is open the front door and pick up my morning newspaper which is wrapped with a rubber band and standing against my front do so I can't miss it.  I truly would be lost if I didn't have a newspaper to read each and every morning.  Doesn't matter how big or small it may be...I just want to know what is going on in my neighborhood, city, state and nation on a daily basis...from local news to international news to sports and weather.  Oh yeah... our Sunday News has about 8-10 sections which make it about five times the size and takes me close to half a day to read.  But, what else do I have to do, being that I'm retired...except to read my morning newspaper, enjoy life an eat my wife's great meals.  Oh yeah...I do have to watch my Fighting' Phillies.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Picture Postcard" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished reading an article in my local newspaper that dealt with sending picture postcards.  You do know what a picture postcard is, don't you?  The reason I ask is because I know quite a few people whom have no idea what a picture postcard might be.  Seems that picture postcards are more of an "old-timers" way to send a greeting to a friend or relative.  Us old and ancient guys and gals still appreciate the way things used to be done when we were young and a postage stamp cost a few cents. If I ever received a picture post card in the mail I just loved looking at it, reading the note written to me and placing it on the shelf above the fireplace so others who might visit with me could also see it.  Sending picture postcards to friends and family is a dying art which to many is a waste of your hard earned money and the time it takes to write you a note and place a stamp on the corner of the card.  To me it is a great way to show my family and friends that I think enough about them that I took the time to write a small note and sent a beautiful card to them so they know I am thinking about them.  Yeah...it might cost me a dollar or so for the card and another 50 cents to mail it, but at least they know that I enjoy sharing my vacation with them and want to let them view what I might be seeing during my time away from home.  At times I receive an envelope in the mail that tells me what one of my family members might be doing while on vacation.  I always enjoy opening an envelope to see what they are doing, but a picture postcard would do the same thing plus let me see exactly what they might be missing.  The article that I just finished reading in my newspaper told me that sending picture postcards is a dying art.  Years ago tens of millions were sold and mailed yearly, while today a quarter of that amount are sent.  I'm sure the cost of a card and stamp won't break the bank for anyone, so why don't more people send them?  Could it be they are just lazy or perhaps they don't realize that you can buy a card, write a few words on it and place it in the mailbox.  Next time you go on vacation for any length of time, buy a picture postcard, write a few sentences on it about your vacation, slap a postage stamp on it and put it in the mail.  In no time your friend or relative will be enjoying your vacation with you.  Give it a try sometime soon and see if you don't enjoy sending the postcard to your friend or relative.  Almost like having them with you!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "I Could Have Been A Minister!" Story

The headline in the morning paper read..."School district bans Good Book."  Seems that the Bible is being treated like a bad book in Utah after a parent frustrated by efforts to ban materials from schools convinced a suburban district that some Bible verses were to vulgar or violent for younger children.  And, the Book of Mormon could be next.  The 72,000 student Davis School District north of Salt Lake City recently removed the Bible from some of its schools.  The decision comes as conservative parent activists descend upon school boards in many parts of the United States.  How many of you remember being in high school and having  to read the Bible before you started classes in the morning.  I can remember!  When I was a senior my beautiful female homeroom teacher assigned every student in her homeroom a specific day on which they would read the Bible during homeroom and before classes began.  If you could get someone else to read it for you, that was OK with her.  Well, I didn't mind reading the Bible during homeroom, but I did so with a few conditions.  I would get to pick which Bible verses I would read and I would name my price.  Surprisingly, I read the Bible a few times every week throughout the year.  I charged a specific price for every word that was in the verse and I had a minimum amount of words I would read.  I can tell you that by the end of the year I had quite a few verses memorized after reading them so many times a week and I had quite a few lunches paid for by the end of the year.  Our school year was 180 days in length and I'll bet I read the Bible at least 80 days that year.   I read parts of the 23rd Psalm many times that year.  At first it was like a joke, but by the end of the year, most everyone in my homeroom had the 23rd Psalm memorized.  I think that those who read the Bible themselves at the start of the day did so since they got tired of the same verse being read everyday.  Plus, they didn't want to pay for my lunch every day.  A special note to my homeroom teacher, Miss Nolan...Thanks for helping me pay for my lunch on many days during my Senior year at good ole Manheim Township High School.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "New Wildcat Roller Coaster At Hersheypark" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished reading a story in my local daily newspaper about Hesheypark and its revamped Wildcat's Revenge roller coaster.  The Wildcat roller coaster was, and still is, my favorite ride at Hersheypark in nearby Hershey, Pennsylvania.  I can still remember my very first ride on the rollercoaster known as The Wildcat.  It was sometime in the early 1950s.  How could anyone forget their very first ride on The Wildcat!  If I remember correctly, it cost about 75 cents for each time you rode the coaster.  After the ride, you had to depart the coaster and if you wanted to take another ride, you got back in line with everyone else for your next ride.  Well, today a day-long ticket for someone my age costs $42.95 for the entire day.  That cost will allow me to ride all the rides in the park that are meant for someone my age.  I could ride the coaster all day long if I could stand it!  This year "The Wildcat" is all new.  The wooden skeleton of what was once "The Wildcat" is still there, but a hulky mass of red-and-black metal now adores more than 3,000 feet of its track.  An immediate joy about the new Wildcat is from the moment the ride takes off, it almost instantly jolts off instead of giving you a few seconds to ponder the next minute and a half of your life.  The ride is remarkably smooth and there is only one part of the ride that makes you hold your breath and that is the 140-foot drop.  For as loud as the climb is, the descent is almost terrifyingly silent.  It feels like a big fall, almost untethered from the track itself.  It's all part of the experience, but each ride provokes  similar sense giddy dread.  The Wildcat is said to have the world's largest underlap, but I must admit, I haven't been on the new ride as of yet.  Time will tell if the new-and-improved Wildcat will be received as warmly as its wooden forebears. I guess I will give it a try if and when I arrive at Hersheypark.  It has to be pretty good to top the old wooden coaster that shook you all over by the time you reached the end of the ride.  The photos of the coaster that were in my local paper make it look like a neat ride, but I'll have to give it a try before I can believe someone else.  And, I'll have to take a trip in a front seat and one in the back before I can really give my opinion of the new coaster.  I'll let you know if and when I take a ride on the new coaster at Hersheypark.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Design Elements According To The Architect's Alphabet" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the second letter of the Architects' Alphabet which is being written by local architect Gregory Scott for the Lancaster Newspaper.  If you can remember, I included a few stories in the past about the architect's alphabet when Greg published his first alphabet based on design elements in Lancaster County architecture.  Seems that it was so popular that he decided to go back through the alphabet one more time and give Lancaster residents a chance to view more architectural words.  Lancaster County is rich in architecture and can handle just about any letter of the alphabet many times over.  I too enjoy reading about architectural alphabet letters and will add a few of my own additions for you to read in the near future.  Greg has added his first architectural letter this time with the letter "A" for Acanthus.  The word  has been associated with architecture for ages.  It refers to a hardy plant which is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and capable of enduring severe weather and harsh climates.  The leaf of the plant is used as a design motif in Ancient Greek temples and dates back to 450 B.C.  The leaf has a thick serrated edge and is symbolic of long life.  

The acanthus leaves surround the bottom of the column

In today's architecture, acanthus leaves are used to decorate columns.  The Greeks had three separate designs that they used on columns which were Corinthian, Doric and Iconic.  The Corinthian columns employ acanthus leaves to decorate the column and is the most elaborate of the three styles.  Mr. Scott wrote that Lancaster's well known architect, C. Emlem Urban was a "classicist architect" and used this style quite a bit.  Acanthus leaves are also used as rooftop ornamentation as seen in Lancaster's Hager building and City Hall.  As architectural styles evolved, the Greek and Italian architectural designs gave way to styles that were less ornate.  Check out some of the designs in downtown Lancaster to see if you can fine acanthus leaves on Lancaster's buildings.  Walk around town and you might also be able to see the same type of architecture on homes in and around the city.  The leaf is usually associated with civic, religious and public buildings, but can be found at times on private residences.  Walk around downtown Lancaster and look up at the designs on the buildings and see if you can find some samples of acanthus architecture.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Memories Of The Caribbean Brought Back To Life" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Wednesday, April 4 and I was walking around the pond at nearby Longs Park in Lancaster, Pennsylvania taking photographs of the fish and other wildlife.  It was a beautiful Spring day and the birds and fish were enjoying the huge lake as well as the bread and fish food that a few of the local residents were throwing to them.  The water was a deep blue, but you could still see the fish about 20 yards from shore and about a foot deep feeding on the bread that a few of the visitors to the park had brought with them.  I had my camera with me and was able to get a few good shots of the fish about ten yards from the shore line.  I had a great time that morning and decided to return a few days ago to see if the fish were still as hungry as before.  Parked my car and headed back to the same location where I had visited previously.  Wasn't long before I realized that the water was a different shade of blue, and that I had a hard time trying to find the fish in the green-colored water.  

Caribbean colors in Lancaster, Pennsylvania?

Even the brightest colored koi were hard to see below the surface of the water.  I loved the color of the water, making me realize it looked the same shade as the water I was accustomed to during trips to the Caribbean.  But, you couldn't see more than a few inches below the surface of the water.  I later read in my daily newspaper that the water in the 3-acre spring fed lake has warmed considerably and made it harder to see below the surface of the lake.  The algae growth has made it harder to see as deep as before and therefore the water has become more greenish-blue than when I visited a few weeks ago.  I do miss seeing the fish as I had during my earlier visit, but the water does remind me more of when I make my visits to the Caribbean during the year.  I must admit, since I will probably not be  making a trip to the Caribbean anytime soon, that it brings back the memories that I enjoyed while floating on an inter-tube in the Caribbean.  I guess that can't be all that bad!  Maybe I should head home and grab my inter-tube!  NOT!   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Spring Is In The Air!" Part II Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished downloading the remainder of the flower photographs I had taken at Stauffer's Of Kissel Hill which is located to the North of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I posted quite a few flowers for you to view, but I found quite a few new flowers that I had placed in another file and had forgotten to post.  Hope you don't mind looking at a few more flower photographs.  Most people enjoy flowers and I enjoy taking photographs of those flowers.  So...here are the remainder of the flowers I have taken for this Spring season.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Chihuly

Superbells Grape Punch

Rainbow Sorbet

Tea Rose Pink

Gormet White Popcorn

Vermillionaire

Strawberry Foxglove