Friday, May 31, 2024

The "Lancaster's Casey Kaufhold Is Olympian For Second Time" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading once again about Lancaster's Conestoga Valley High School graduate, Casey Kaufold.  Seems she is headed back to the Olympics!  The 2022 Conestoga Valley graduate has earned a spot on the United States archery team and will compete in the Paris Games this summer.  USA Archery announced the team earlier this week following the final stage of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials in Newberry, Florida.  This will be Casey's second trip to the Olympics.  She finished 17th in the individual archery competition at the Tokyo Games in 2021.  The 20-year-old is being joined on the U.S. team by Catalina GNorieg and Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez for the competition that begins July 25 and ends August 3.  "We are all genuinely excited," Kaufhold said in a story posted on USA Archery's website, usaarchery.org. "The three of us girls have been talking about this since we've been shooting so well in team rounds the last few years, so we're super excited to have this opportunity."  "This women's team has been on fire the last couple of years," U.S. assistant head coach Chris Webster said in the USA Archery story.  "They've been able to work with each other at high profile events and I couldn't be happier to have them."  Kaufhold is the top-ranked woman in the world in recurve.  The left-handed archer already has won a gold medal in Paris.  She won the recurve women's event at the World Cup Stage No. 4 last August.  Kaufhold finished atop the standings following the six-stage Olympic Trials process, which began in August.  She led after each stage.  "The dream of winning gold is no longer just a dream," Kaufhold said in the USA Archery story, "It's now the goal."  Best of luck to the USA team!  Bring home a bunch of Gold Medals for our country.  We know you can do it!  It was another exraoridnry day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Casey Kaufhold - Lancaster's World Recurve Champion 

Thursday, May 30, 2024

The "So, What Do You Think About Your Daughter Or Grand-daughter Playing Flag Football?

It was another ordinary day.  Turned the page in my Sports Section of my morning newspaper and there was the headline.."Girls flag football next PIAA sport?"  The sub-headline followed with: Sport is on track to be sanctioned by the governing body in July, could kick off in 2025.  Well, this was all news to me!  Seems that girls flag football has moved closer to becoming a PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) sponsored sport in the near future.  The PIAA board of directors approved the first reading of a document that would sanction girls flag football by a 30-0 vote at its monthly meeting this past Wednesday.  There will be two more readings, with the final one scheduled for July.  If girls flag football becomes a sport, there could be 25 schools hosting teams in the near future.  There are now 103 schools in the state that are allowing the sport to be considered for official status.  The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, with support from the NFL, have sponsored local leagues the past three years to help get the initiative off the ground.  Representatives from the Eagles and Steelers were in attendance at Wednesday's meeting.  There are presently 65 teams in the eastern part of the state.  The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Eagles launched a girls flag football league in 2022, which featured 16 schools from the Philadelphia Public and Philadelphia Catholic leagues.  It expanded to 38 teams in 2023 and to 65 this year, including some schools in Montgomery and Chester counties.   Currently the league has more than 1,000 girls playing.  According to the PIAA website, the only school in District Three, where my school is located, that has flag football is nearby York.  "We are very appreciative of the board of directors' support and taking this first step to sanctioning girls flag football."  PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) president Frank Majikes wrote in a press release, "We have a lot of work to do, but with the support of the Eagles, Steelers, and the NFL, we're hopeful of creating a solid foundation for girls flag football that will develop the sport for years to come."  This spring 36 teams from western Pennsylvania competed in five divisions, playing six regular season games according to the Tribune Review.  A championship tournament will be held Sunday at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.  According to the National Federation of High School Associations, nine states have sanctioned girls flag football.  In 2023, about 500,000 girls aged 6-17 played flag football, a 63% increase since 2019, according to NFHS president Karissa Niehoff.  The sport also was approved by the International Olympic Committee in October, and athletes will compete at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.  So...how do you feel about your daughter playing football.  Yeah...I know it says flag football....but you know how rough that sport can become.  I'm assuming they will wear pads and a helmet, but......there will still be broken bones and concussions.  Would I want my daughter playing football?  Well...I'm just so glad I don't have to decide that since she is past high school age.  How will you react when your daughter or grand-daughter asks to play flag football.  Are you ready for the broken bones and perhaps some serious injuries?  And...don't say it will never happen, because you know it will!!  I thought that's why they came up with field hockey as a fall sport!  I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Max The Cat" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the newspaper, as usual, when I came across a rather unique article titled "Cat now a 'doctor of literature'".  Pretty neat name for a story about cats.  The article was posted in a Castleton, Vt. newspaper.  Seems that Vermont State University has bestowed the honorary degree of "doctor of literature" on Max the cat, a beloved member of its community, ahead of students' graduation in the middle of May.  Vermont State University's Castleton campus is now honoring the feline not for his mousing or napping abilities, but for his friendliness.  "Max the Cat" has been an affectionate member of the Castleton family for years, the school said in a Facebook posting.  The popular tabby lives in a house with his human family on a nearby street that leads to the main entrance to campus.  "So, he decided he would go up on campus, and he just started hanging out with the college students, and they love him," owner Ashley Dow said recently.  Hey...who wouldn't love a cat who loves to be petted and held.  Well, he's been socializing on campus for about four years now, and students get excited when they see him.  "They pick him up and take selfies with him, and he even goes on tours with prospective students that meet at a building across from the family's house," she said.  "I don't even know how he knows where to go, but he does," Dow said.  "And then he'll follow them on their tour.  I'd love to see a photograph of Max so I can compare him with my two cats, "The Gray Lady" and "Snickerdoodle."  Both of my cats also love to be petted and given attention.  "The Gray Lady" is the smaller of our two cats while Snickerdoodle is about twice the size of "The Gray Lady", but, is the boss of her larger playmate.  Both our cats love to sit in the front windows of our villa and watch for birds to land in the couple of low growing trees that we have in the front yard.  In the rear of the villa we have a porch that runs from one side of the villa to the other, thus they get a chance to wander back and forth across the windows of the porch, trying to find a bird or other animal that they can watch and attempt to scare off the property.  Neither my wife or myself can remember a time in our lives when we didn't have either a dog or a cat.  Pets can be a large part of a family and share with them their life's moments.  Just one more loving family member to help add to the richness of the family.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.     

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

The "Long Live The Fulton Theatre" Story!


It was an ordinary day.  Driving past the Fulton Theatre in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  For years I had made plaques that were given to members on their board of directors when they retired.  When I no longer had the facilities to make the plaques, they searched elsewhere for someone else who could make the plaques for them.  I enjoyed so much making the plaques, since it gave me a chance to drop off the plaques which in turn gave me a chance to walk through their theatre on N. Prince St. in downtown Lancaster.  Today I opened my daily newspaper and read a column titled "I Know A Story" which runs in the newspaper every week.  Today's headline read, "Before Fulton Theatre saved, he went there for movies."  Article was written by Robert A. Martin.  Began with....In the 1950s, the Fulton Theatre was on its last legs.  Some people were ready to tear it down.  I went there as a boy to see old B-movie reissues.  For a quarter, I watched Westerns with second-stringer heroes who didn't sing.  I saw 10-cent Saturday matinees with single episodes from old serials, and I occasionally watched imported "art cinema," with subtitled dialog and titillating flashes of female flesh.  There was a no-name soda machine in the lobby, which might have sold you a drink if you had the skill to hold the cup upright.  There was also a loud machine that dispensed the oldest popcorn in Lancaster, and a concession stand that sold petrified candy, if you could find the attendant.  I certainly remember that!  Even as run-down as the place was, I thought it was a cool place that just needed a good cleaning and touch-up.  Boy, was I  naive about how much that would take.  Eventually the theatre became run-down, but even as a run-down place, I thought that with a good cleaning the theatre just might survive.  Thank heaven the right people with enough money and influence were able to save this great, historic gem of a theatre.  It came very close to becoming just another patch of black asphalt on the landscape, another victim of "urban renewal," which wouldn't have stopped downtown's slide anyway.  Its unique history would have been lost forever.  Today it has made a grand turn-around and is a great place to take in a show or a film.  I'm so sorry that I no longer can provide them with the plaques that I once did, but that's life!  I'm so happy to drive past the theatre now and say that I went to see this or that movie at the Fulton.  Long Live The Fulton!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Obituary For Mr. Common Sense

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the obituary for a fellow known as Common Sense.  Went like this.....

Today, we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense.  Common Sense lived a long life, but on the brink of the new millennium, died in the United States from heart failure.  No one really knows how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.  He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, homes, and factories, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness. For decades, petty rule, silly laws, and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense.  He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, and That life is not always fair.  Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn); reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the children); and that it is acceptable to come in second.  A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived many cultural and educational trends.  But, his health declined when he became infected with the if-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it virus.  In recent decades, his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of well-intentioned but overbearing regulations.  He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers.  His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero-tolerance policies.  Report about a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student only worsened his condition.  Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live when the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from the Boy Scouts to professional sports.  When a woman who failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, and was awarded a huge settlement, Common Sense threw in the towel.   At the end, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic, but was kept informed of developments regarding questionable regulations such as those for low-flow toilets, rocking chairs, and stepladders.  Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife Discretion; his daughter Responsibility; and his son Reason.  He is survived by two stepbrothers, My Rights and Ima Whiner.  Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

The "Backpackers Find Strength In Faith" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story in my local newspaper titled "Backpackers find strength in faith."  Glossbrenner Church of Mount Joy, Lancaster County, hosted a GEAR-UP/DEEP backpacking trip a few weeks ago in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.  The trip's acronym stands for "Glossbrenner Eperimental, Adventure, Responsible - Unique Pursuits/Department of Experiential Educational Programming."  This year's participants were David Eichler, Eric Boyer, Andrew Miller and Jordan York.  York, 18, was the first Glossbrenner Church Youth member to participate in the backpacking trip.  Eichler shared highlights from the experience in a release about the trip.  The trip offered education on backpacking basics, including packing and fitting a backpack, reading a topographic map, filtering and chemically treating water, leave-no-trace practices and more.  The group used the Black Forest Trail system.  Faith was an important element of the trip, as well, and "The Upper Room" devotional and Bible scripture readings were shared each day.  On the second day of the tip, when the group faced significant uphill travel, the day's theme was "Source of Strength."  That included a reading from Joshua 1:1-9; "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, not dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  York, the group's  youngest member, felt accomplished in learning how to read a map and using an orienteering compasss.  He was also proud of his ability to conquer difficult parts of the trip.  "I feel that I want to get outdoors more, even experience solo hikes to listen to the sound of wind through the trees and of birds," York said in a release about the trip, shared by Eichler.   "I may even want to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia!"  York also shared how he felt God's presence during this trip.  "I felt the Lord was present, especially the first night, when I chose and read a reading at dinner time," York said.  That night, York read from the North Carolina Outward Bound School "Book of Readings."  His selection was by Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote, "Adopt the pace of nature: Its secret is patience."  Think you could do what these young men have done?  I'm not so sure I could have accomplished what they did.  Especially at my age.  Perhaps when I was a teen I might have been able to complete a trip such as this, but not now that I am in my waneing years.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Fascinating Scientific Facts About Blue Eyes.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about those who have blue eyes.  Like most human traits, blue eyes are determined by genes, and no two people have exactly the same hue.  It works a lot like individual fingerprints, making our eyes two of the most distinctive parts of us.  The color of your eyes is really the color of your iris, the ring that surrounds the black pupil in the middle of your eye. Unlike some other inherited traits (like the color of your hair), eye color typically doesn’t change naturally throughout your life. Sure, it can appear to vary depending on the external light source, but the pigment shouldn’t fluctuate (if your eyes do seem to change color.)

But, your eyes aren’t just a pretty feature of your face. They can provide surprising insight into your personality, health status and where you came from in the big story of human history.  So...what determines eye color?  The color of your eye is determined largely by the interaction of several genes, chief among them the OCA2 gene. The HERC2 gene is another that plays a big role in determining eye color.  Together, all these genes regulate the pigment called melanin. “It’s that pigment that defines the color of the eyes,” says Jay Chablani, MD, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh. “Higher melanin levels lead to darker pupils. Lower melanin levels lead to light or blue eyes.”  Of course, not all blue eyes are the same. The gradations in blue are due to variations in melanin levels as well. Melanin also helps determine the color of your hair and your skin. The more melanin you have in your skin or hair, the darker they appear. And if your genes have given you both blue eyes and red hair?  Well, you’re rocking the rarest hair color and eye color combination in humans.  Are all blue-eyed people related?  Yes, all blue-eyed people have a common ancestor.  Through a genetic analysis of blue-eyed people in Jordan, Denmark and Turkey, among other areas, researchers managed to trace this trait to a single genetic mutation in one individual that occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. According to the researchers, who published their findings in the journal Human Genetics, the mutation is on the OCA2 gene, which regulates melanin production. Specifically, the mutation decreases the amount of melanin.  Before the appearance of the mutation, the authors state, all humans shared brown eyes, which is the natural color of melanin.  Having a common ancestor is just one quirky fact about blue eyes.  In fact, it’s the second most common in the United States after brown eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, about 27% of Americans have blue eyes, while 45% have brown eyes. Across the world, 8% to 10% of people have blue eyes, which is still second place to brown eyes, which 70% to 80% of all individuals have.  The rarest eye colors are green and gray. An even smaller proportion of people have different-colored eyes, which is called heterochromia. Blue-eyed people have a higher risk of melanoma.  Having fair skin and light hair increases your risk for melanoma, but so does having blue eyes. In fact, light eyes are a risk factor even if you don’t have red hair and/or fair skin, says Gregory Papadeas, DO, a Denver-based dermatologist and the past president of the Colorado Dermatologic Society. That’s because blue-eyed people have less melanin, which protects against ultraviolet light, he explains.  Blue-eyed people also have a higher risk of uveal (eye) melanoma, a rare cancer that affects about five in every million individuals.  The color of your iris doesn’t reflect the color of the pigment. Instead, it’s an interplay between the amount of melanin and how it reflects light. Blue eyes (and other lighter colors that indicate less melanin) absorb less light. Whatever light does get in through your pupil is scattered by collagen fibers, which make the eyes look blue. (Collagen fibers help maintain the structure of the eye.). By contrast, people with more melanin and darker eyes absorb more light.  Here’s one upside to those baby-blue eyes: Research has indicated that people with light-colored eyes (like blue or green) have a higher tolerance for pain than darker-eyed people. In a pilot study published in the Journal of Pain, women undergoing labor were categorized according to eye color. Those with brown or hazel eyes had more anxiety, greater trouble sleeping and more pain than their light-eyed counterparts. Of course, how we perceive pain is also related to other traits, such as age, gender and hair color.  Looking for someone to challenge you in your latest athletic or academic endeavor? Compete against a buddy with blue eyes.  Researchers who looked at whether eye color and certain personality features were linked found that people of North European descent with lighter eyes were less agreeable, which is just another way of saying “competitive.” The authors of the study, which was published in Current Psychology, pointed to light-eyed individuals, including those with blue eyes, as being more egocentric and skeptical. People with darker eyes, by contrast, are viewed as more sympathetic and altruistic.  Research has shown that baby blues seem to be linked with features typically associated with a female face, such as smaller and sharper chins, narrower mouths, smaller noses and wide-set eyes, says Peter Frost, PhD, an anthropologist who studies the role of sexual selection in shaping visible human traits. Brown eyes were associated with more masculine facial features, such as broader chins and mouths, larger noses and eyebrows, and closer-set eyes.  Some of this may be explained by the fact that non-brown eye colors seem to develop more easily if body tissues have a higher level of estrogen during fetal development, says Frost. “If a male fetus has more estrogen than average, it will more likely develop blue eyes and a more feminine face,” he explains. “This association is absent in women because a female fetus normally has enough estrogen in its body tissues to feminize the face.”  Strange as it may seem, your eye color can raise your risk of certain ocular diseases. Several studies have pointed to an association between macular degeneration and blue eyes. The macula is the central part of the eye’s retina, which converts images into electrical signals that are then passed on to the brain. When the cells in the macula are damaged, you start to lose your central vision.  “A relationship between macular degeneration and blue eyes is pretty well established,” says Dr. Chhablani. That’s probably because blue eyes allow more light to enter the eye, and that light, in turn, can damage the eye, he explains.  On the plus side, blue-eyed people may have a lower risk of cataracts, which is when the lens of your eye (right behind the iris) becomes cloudy and compromises vision, says Dr. Chhablani. An American Journal of Ophthalmology study of 3,654 Australians with dark- and light-colored eyes found a much higher risk of cataracts in participants with dark eyes.  The greatest risk factor for cataracts, though, is age. The National Eye Institute reports that more than half of Americans ages 80 and above have or have had cataracts. Another positive? Having blue eyes may also mean that you have a lower risk of vitiligo, which is when patches of skin become lighter. Researchers speculate that the genes for blue eyes and for vitiligo may be connected.  The technical term is “photophobia,” and yes, people with blue, green or gray eyes, do seem to be more sensitive to both sunlight and even fluorescent lights. Again, it boils down to the amount of pigmentation in your eyes. Less pigmentation means less defense against bright light.  That said, it’s a good idea for all of us, regardless of skin, hair or eye color, to stay out of the sun and to protect our eyes when we’re outside, especially during the middle of the day.  Research suggests that blue-eyed people not only drink more alcohol but may be more likely to be alcohol dependent too. In a study published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, participants with blue eyes had an 83% higher risk of being alcohol dependent compared with brown-eyed folks. Subsequent genetic analysis showed a number of interactions between genes governing eye color and those governing alcohol dependence.  Well...are you tired of reading about your eye color?  I hated to remove any of the information that I had dug up about eye color.  Thought that if I deleted a few lines, I more than likely would have deleted some of the best parts....so you have it all!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - I have two different colored eyes which is known as heterochromia.  One eye is green while the other is half-green and half-brown.  I have never heard what that might be called...except very unusual....or as my wife says "strange."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

  

 

Monday, May 27, 2024

The "Tournament Logo Centered Around A Lancaster Icon" Story

It was an ordinary day.  In the 18th century, prominent citizen John Wright named an aspiring city in Pennsylvania after his former home of Lancaster, England.  Lancaster's identity as the Red Rose City is a nod to that heritage, as the red rose was the heraldic badge of the House of Lancaster.  That tradition continues today, with events like the Red Rose Run and the Red Rose Drop.  And so, today, yet another rose logo will be added with the red rose being the symbol on the flag of the 79th U.S. Women's Open Golf Tournament.  The tournament will run from May 28 to June 2, in which the fiercest women golfers will compete.  The process to create the logo started in 2021.  Rory Connaughton said that one thing was clear early in the design process:  the logo needed to reflect the community of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  The club felt that in addition to shining the spotlight on the golf course, one of the keys to success of the open was to shine the light on Lancaster County and to engage the entire community.  Connaughton said, "We wanted a logo that represented that."  In 2015, the first time Lancaster County hosted the U.S. Women's Open, the championship logo featured a hex design.  That logo was nearly reused for this year's tournament until Bryan Magee, a championship director with the United States Golf Association, entered discussions in 2024.  After conversations between Lancaster Country Club and USGA, the two settled on high-lighting the red heraldic rose.  The rose used on Lancaster's seal and flag is inspired by the Red Rose of Lancashire in England, the rosa Gallic.  It was the heraldic badge of the House of Lancaster in the 14th century.  After the British civil wars of the 15th century, the red rose became the symbol of the English monarchy.  In addition to being seen frequently in Manchester and Liverpool, the red heraldic rose can be spotted in Lancaster County on various city-owned vehicles and Lancaster County media.  While the red heraldic rose was not decided upon until this year, the rose used for the 2024 USWO had been designed before discussion of this year's event logo began.  Graphic designer Orin Duffy, who is Connaughton's sister, had created an original design of the red heraldic rose that had been used previously within the Lancaster Country Club.  As the 2024 U.S. Women's Open drew near, Duffy worked with the USGA design team to adapt her design for the official logo.  What resulted was a "collaborative effort."  "We took her version of the logo and the various colors that go with that, and the USGA in-house design team got involved with it.  They made it a three-color logo version and refined a couple of things on the outer edges of the rose."  Thus, the design for the 79th U.S. Women's Open in Lancaster came to life.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Sorry I couldn't find a logo that had the entire bottom of the design on it!  

The "Galena the Cat" Uses Amazon for Transportation" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about Carrie Clark receiving a telephone call this past April 17 from a veterinarian in California informing her that her cat which had vanished from her Utah home a week earlier, had been found some 500 miles away.  Her first reaction was disbelief.  Carrie said that she could not believe that it was true.  She at first thought it was a prank.  But, before long she found out it wasn't a prank.  Her 6-year-old American short hair named "Galena" had sneaked inside a 3-by-3-foot cardboard Amazon returns package alongside five pairs of steel-toed boots and was transported two states away to one of the company's warehouses, where it was discovered by Amazon employees.  Galena survived the unexpected journey without any food or water, Carrie said.  Despite her ordeal, Galena was in relatively good health with no issues except mild dehydration.  Two factors had helped:  One seam of the box had been unglued, allowing oxygen to circulate, and mild weather kept Galena from overheating or freezing.  "It's really a miracle that she was able to survive," Clark said.  Carrie said she thought Galena got into the box while her husband was packing it, by jumping inside when he left to fetch some tape to seal it.  "She doesn't meow a lot and she loves boxes, so for her, she was really happy in that moment, although I'm sure that wasn't the case later on."  Since the box already weighed more than 30 pounds, Clark and her husband, who live in the city of Lehi, near Salt Lake City, did not notice the added weight of a stowaway when they mailed it April 10.  But, they did quickly notice that their shy indoor cat was missing that same day.  After days of searching the house and neighborhood turned up nothing, worst-case scenarios started running through her mind.  Had Galena darted outside without anyone noticing?  Had she been snapped up by a predator?  Or ended up in the river behind the house?  "We had absolutely no idea what had happened," Clark said.  "It was really challenging; I was definitely in a lot of grief."  Then she received a call  from a veterinarian in Riverside, California.  An Amazon employee had brought Galena in, and the vet identified her through her microchip and contacted Clark.  Carrie, who could not immediately be reached for comment, said on Facebook that she received a call from co-workers who had opened a returns box and found a cat inside.  "We have gotten some pretty crazy things in my time, but never anything like that she wrote.  She said she had driven to the warehouse to catch and look after the cat, which she said had spent days in the box "in the back of a trailer full of items being returned to Amazon."  Luckily the story had a happy ending.  Well, my wife and I have two indoor cats, "The Gray Lady" and "Snickeredoodle" and we would be lost without one of them.  I can understand the pain and anguish that the Clarks must have experienced during the time that their cat was missing.  Just so lucky that their cat was able to survive for so long without food and water.  I'll bet then don't leave that cat out of their sight anymore!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Galena the Cat

Sunday, May 26, 2024

The "Teaching In A One-Room School" Story

It was a ordinary day.  Reading my LNP Sunday Newspaper and came across a section of the newspaper that features short stories by readers of the newspaper titled "I KNOW A STORY".  Today's story was titled "Memories of Teaching in 1-Room School" and was written for the newspaper by Mr. Clyde McMillan-Gamber.  I'm sure you will enjoy Clyde's story dated in the early 1960s.  

I taught grades one through four, for three school years, in a one-room school from September of 1961 to June of 1964.  It was called Pleasant Valley, and it was a public school in the Conestoga Valley School District.  Today, it is a private school in farmland along Pleasant Valley Road, southeast of Ephrata.  I had 23 students, in four grades, my first year in that school.  They knew Pennsylvania Deutsch, and English, thankfully.  And, thankfully, they were disciplined and respectful.  I taught reading, spelling, writing and arithmetic, mostly.  I taught one subject at a time, starting with the first grade and continuing to the fourth, before starting the next subject.  Each grade had homework to do between classes.  But, it's the interesting side events that I remember most about my first year of teaching in the one-room school.  During autumn, I enjoyed driving through farmland to the school and seeing farmers harvesting corn and on occasional horse and buggies on the roads.  All was peaceful.  But, one morning, late in October, I drove up to the school and saw a couple of broken windows.  There was glass on a couple of desks and the floor, and a few apples.  Prankster had come to Pleasant Valley School.  That evening, I hid my car behind the school and waited, in the dark, down the steps to the basement.  Sure enough, here came the only car while I waited.  It stopped at the school, engine running, and I heard breaking glass.  I ran across the front porch and jumped onto the road.  Two pranksters jumped into the car and peeled away.  I ran after them, memorizing their license number and reported that incident to the state police in Ephrata.  A couple of days later, we had new windows.  Those farm children were hardy.  Some came to school in bare feet until early November.  And I had to wear long underwear under by coat and tie to be comfortable.  In winter, I tended a coal furnace in the basement each morning and afternoon.  In the morning, I put coal on the fire, shut the top door and opened the bottom door, which created draft and a hot fire.  In mid-afternoon, I put more coal on the fire, kept the top door open, but closed the bottom door to kill the draft.  The fire simmered all night, until morning.  At recess in winter, when the fire died down, I took our lunches of foil-wrapped raw potatoes and hot dogs to the furnace and placed them on a rim inside.  At lunchtime, I retrieved those items for all of us to enjoy.  I learned a little Deutsch, but I didn't let the student know.  It was interesting what I learned, including what they thought of me at times!  I received several presents from my students the day before Christmas vacation each year.  Steak, a dozen eggs, homemade cookies and pies, and sausage were some to the wonderful gifts from my scholars.  I remember seeing birds around Pleasant Valley School my first year there.  During a winter recess, I heard buzzy chickadee calls from a tree.  Looking up, I saw a boreal chickadee, the only one I ever saw.  During another recess in April, I heard the lovely singing of a vesper sparrow perched on a roadside wire.  I would see flocks of horned larks low in flight over fields, or a rough-legged hawk perched handsomely in a lone tree in a field.  The last day of school my first year, we had a picnic in a tree-lined meadow, by a covered bridge along the Conestoga River, a half-mile from school.  Along the way, barn swallows swept across the sunny sky after flying insects.  The pupils and I played games in the pasture, and ate picnic lunches.  I heard a male Baltimore oriole singing, and saw a striking re-headed woodpecker chipping at a dead tree.  These are some of my many memories of my first year teaching in a rustic one-room school.  They are pleasant to me, and, I hope, enjoyable to readers.  The author, Mr. Clyde McMillan-Gamber lives in New Holland.  

Thanks Clyde for the great story that was published in the Lancaster newspaper.  Enjoyed it as much as I'm sure my readers have just enjoyed it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.



Saturday, May 25, 2024

The "Reincarnation On Display" Story


It was an ordinary day.  Leafing through my local newspaper when I came upon an article titled "Garden Spot Senior's Work On Display In DC."
 The Garden Spot's Senior High School's senior's name was Anastasiia Yakovets who had recently completed a piece she titled "Reincarnation" which won the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for high school students in Pennsylvania's 11th C
ongressional District.  Anastasia was honored with a gold award for the drawing in the annual Lancaster County Young Artists Awards hosted by the Demuth Foundation earlier this year.  The Congressional Art Competition showcases artistic talents of students in each Congressional District.  Since the Congressional Art Competetion began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.  U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker announced the news in a May news release.  "I want to extend my congratulations to the winner of this year's Congressional Art Competition and thank all students who participated in this year's contest.  I am always eager to see our community from the perspective of our young constituents," Smuckeer said in a news release.  "These entries demonstrated an impressive array of skill and creativity from our student artists, making it a fiercely competitive event."  Yakovets' "Reincarnation" will be on display for one year in the Cannon Tunnel, the most highly traveled access point between the office buildings of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol.  "I am incredibly impressed by all students across PA, especially the eleven who submitted their art, and I am very proud to showcase such talented artwork in our nations's capital," Smucker said.  "I wish Anastasia continued success in all her pursuits, her artwork is truly exceptional, and it is clear she is extremely talented."  I taught high school Industrial Arts for over 30 years and also find the work that is created by high school students in all the arts is unbelievable.  I only wish I had been that creative when I was a high school student. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.      

"Reincarnation" by Anastasiia Yakovets  

The "I'll Be The Guy In The Red Phillies Hat" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania is preparing for the 79th United States Women's Golf Open which will arrive this coming weekend.  Nearly 1,900 players entered qualifiers to become one of the 156 participants in this year's event from May 30 to June 4.   Golfers will tee off at the Lancaster Country Club's golf course in the highest paying event in the history of women's golf.  This year the purse will carry a $12 million dollar label, but the winner's share of that amount has yet to be determined.  Directly across from the main entrance to the Lancaster Country Club lives one of my former high school students who also eventually became my part-time boss when I worked for him at his place of business known as Grebinger Gallery.  Keith Grebinger was one of my best students in my photography class who enjoyed taking photographs so much that he continued in the field of photography after graduating from high school and photography school.  I worked part-time for a few years at his gallery after retiring from teaching until I finally called it quits and left his gallery to he and his wife, Cindy.  Well, the US Women's Open golfing event was last held at the Lancaster Country Club in 2015 and drew a record 135,000 attendees.  That's a lot of golfing spectators for a little town the size of Lancaster.  This year Lancaster Newspaper/Lancaster Online/and perhaps the local television network will bring you live action from the golf course which is directly in front of Keith's home on the New Holland Pike to the East of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The TV coverage will also carry an updated daily weather forecast as well as a leaderboard that will be updated hourly.  Coverage will include photos, videos, features, TV coverage and much more.  LancasterOnline's daily live coverage should keep golf fanatics on top of scores and leaderboard changes.  Perhaps if you are watching your TV set, check out the audience and maybe you might see me waving to the cameras.  I'll be the guy wearing a red Phillies hat and watching the female golfers.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.      

Friday, May 24, 2024

The "Spongy Moth A Danger To Forests" Story

It was an ordinary day.  reading an article in my local newspaper titled "Spongy Moth a danger to Pennsylvania Forests."  So what is a spongy moth?  Well, have you ever noticed a skinny, black caterpillar crawling around?  It is commonly known as a spongy moth and can be a very destructive, invasive pest.  It seems it has recently made its presence known across Pennsylvania forests.  The spongy moth, formerly known as the gypsy moth, is generally not harmful to humans, but can still be irritating to anybody and everybody.  These critters don't seek humans to bite, but have an irritating protein exuded onto their hairs, which are tiny and prickly.  You may get a small bit of the protein or toxin on your skin and it can be extremely irritating and produce a rash.  About the only thing you can do is wash the site immediately with soap and water.  You could then try a topical lotion to calm the rash.  The buggers are not particularly dangerous to humans, but seem to be wreaking havoc!  The best defense against the caterpillars is to cover your skin.  You can best cover your skin by wearing long sleeves, gloves, long pants, closed-toe shoes and a hat.  Our Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced a week or two ago that it will begin spraying of state woodlands to combat the spongy moth.  One way they will try and control the pests is by aerial spraying.  Keeping our forests healthy is of paramount importance; especially to protect all of the values our forests provide, including recreation, habitat, timber, clean air and clean water.  The bureau will be using insecticides such as tebufenozide or Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies, and kurstaki, which must be ingested by young caterpillars as they fed on the foliage.  These insecticides have been reviewed by both state and federal agencies and have been deemed safe.  They are commonly used in agriculture.  So far this year the pests have defoliated 441,819 acres in Pennsylvania alone.  The Bureau of Forestry will oversee the spraying of 185 sites for a total of 227,820 acres including portions of 12 state forests and 18 state parks in 20 counties across the commonwealth.  Oaks are especially vulnerable to infestations and begin to suffer when 30% or more of their leaf surface is lost.  The Bureau can only spray the public lands it manages, while 70% of the forests in Pennsylvania are owned by private residents.  The biggest thing the general public should understand is if you want to treat your private forest for spongy moths, you cannot do it effectively when you are noticing the problem.  It must be planed well in advance.  There are licensed aerial applicators across the state who carry out these operations, but they usually can't do it on the spur of the moment.  Those looking into getting a competent spraying program might consider banding together with neighbors so a large area can be sprayed.  The insects go through cycles, and outbreaks generally occur every five to 10 years.  We are now entering our fourth year of the outbreak cycle, and egg mass surveys from last year determined the need for suppression efforts again this year.  The good news is that we have finally observed a decline in spongy moth populations and the importance of these suppression activities to help continue to reduce spongy moth populations.  Now is the time for people to get serious about suppressing the pests.  People need to mobilize and get serious about controlling measures and start planning for it.  You can have foresters come survey for spongy moths and see if you need a treatment.  The bureau has a tremendous amount of information available on its website at Lancaster.news/spongy-moth.  "If people really learn the best way to take care of this pest, our forests would be a lot better for it."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

They're everywhere!!

 

Thursday, May 23, 2024

The Lititz Moravian Church Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking down E. Main Street in the small town of Lititz, PA when I came upon one of the most beautiful churches in the town.  Church was the Lititz Moravian Church which was founded by a small group of Moravians in Warwick Township who wanted to start their own Moravian congregation with their own Gemeinhaus', or community house.  It was on February 9, 1749 that the building was consecrated to worship on the appeal Sunday.  The Gemeinhaus' served as a parsonage, school and meeting house and was built on a 3 3/4 quarter acre portion of farmland that had been donated by John George Klein, who settled in the township around 1740.  The history of the church is intertwined with the history of the town of Lititz.  For many years, they were one in the same; the town was a closed Moravian community that eventually opened to others.  The church recently celebrated its anniversary, including a family-friendly Spring Fest on May 11.  It's just one of several special events planned to mark the event yearly.  The origins of the Lititz Moravian Church and the Lititz community date back to 1742, with a visit by Count Nicholas Louis von Zinzendorf, patron of the renewed Moravian Church.  Through the years, the Lititz Moravian Church has had several homes.  In 1787, the present-day Lititz Moravian Church was built on East Main Street, with a cluster of buildings that surrounded the graceful church.  Seems it was the fifth place of worship for the Moravians of Lititz and stood just east of downtown Lititz for 170 years. In 1957, much of the sanctuary was destroyed in a fire.  It was restored the following year.  The sanctuary of the church is in what is called the "Prophetic style," with a high pulpit.  High above the pulpit is a stained-glass window showing the Moravian Seal and motto.  The Seal is the image of a lamb representing Jesus Christ or Agnus Dei - the Lamb of God - carrying a flag with a cross.  The latin words of "Vicit Agnus Noster Eum Sequamur" translate to "Our Lamb has Conquered; Let Us Follow Him," and encircle the image of the lamb.  The church has a communicant membership of 760 and a total membership of 906.  Children become communicant members after having completed confirmation classes, which usually occurs when they are about 14 or 15 years old.  They are the second-largest congregation in the Northern Province, exceeded only by Bethelehm Central.  The church owns the Lititz Springs Park, where events like the Lititz Fourth of July, Lititz Outdoor Fine Art Show and Lancaster Symphony in the Park are held each year.  The Moravian Church has long been known for its music.  Morvians are credited with bringing Bach's music to America, and were known to adapt Mozart's works, as well.  The Lititz congregation keeps that music tradition alive with several vocal choirs, a brass ensemble called the Trombone Choir and a hand-bell choir.  Lititz was also the home of the famous Colonial pipe-organ builder, David Tannenberg.  As Wetzel noted, the church has restored two of his instruments for the chapel and the fellowship hall in the Brothers' House.  Manual musical instruments from the Colonial era are also on display at the church's museum.  On Easter morning, starting before the sun even rises, the Moravian Trombone Choir greets the holy day with the music of Easter throughout town.  Much has changed in the Moravian Church, yet the church still holds to its early Moravian motto: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, freedom; and in all things, love." Amen.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The Lititz Moravian Church in Lititz, PA

The "Is OCD Taking Over Your Life?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my lounge chair reading about OCD AND ME!  OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which can take over your life!  Yesterday my wife and I had to go to the grocery story.  Hopped in the car, backed it out of the garage, closed the garage door and drove to the end of the street.  Turned left and in a few seconds my wife said to me..."You did close the garage door, didn't you!"  A few seconds later I was turning around to head back to make sure the garage door was closed.  Does this sound like something you would do from time to time.  You know what I just described is a form of OCD.  Seems that my wife and I are both the same.  We do something and wonder a few minutes later... or an hour later if we did it or not.  So...you have to go and check to make sure you did it.  And, the bad part is that a few minutes after that you may question yourself once again...and go check it out one more time.   I never realized that what we were doing had a name for it.  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...which some people call being a worrywart!  Are you like that.  Do you head back to bed, get in the bed and all of a sudden get out of bed to check if you had turned off the lights in the living room?  You're just not sure about the lights and you know you won't be able to go to sleep unless you check.  As I read the story in my latest Saturday Evening Post, I just knew that I fit into the category of having OCD.  But, the more I thought, the more I realized that I must be just like many, many other people....just can't remember simple things!  For many years I could remember anything about everything.  I never seemed to have any trouble with my memory.  Then, I began to age, like into my 60s and 70s and then late 70s....and I began to question myself about minor things.  Things such as.... did I remember all the items I was supposed to get at the grocery store or did I pick up my pills at the pharmacy?  Wasn't long before I was trying to remember if I had washed my hands before sitting down to eat.  So I would go wash my hands and sit down....and wonder once again...did I wash my hands.  You have to be like that somewhat...don't you?  Don't you forget to  brush your teeth some days?  How about flushing the toilet?  How about forgetting to turn off the TV when you are halfway to your final location in another town.  It's not that you didn't do these things as you should have done them....it's not being able to remember if you did do them.....and that makes you have to go back to check and see if you did do them.  I can't imagine that there aren't many other people like me who tend to forget to do something.  But....do I really have OCD I wonder!  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is treatable according to a few places I read about it.  And, if you are like I am, I probably wouldn't mind taking a pill to help correct the problem...if it would work.  The story about OCD in Saturday Evening Post reported that one person described how they had to take meds to help with OCD, but after a year of medication reported that they still check the front door or check the stove before going to bed.  So, my friends....why spend money on pills if they do no good!  I might as well just prepare myself.   I'm just going to have to put a louder alarm on the front door just in case I forgot to check to see if I had locked the door before I went to bed, and hope that the alarm will get me awake as well as scare off anyone trying to enter my home.  Getting older isn't as easy as I thought it would be!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

The "Read All About It..."BEER PIPE IS FOUND IN SEWER" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished reading a story titled "Beer Pipe Found In Sewer!"  Story both true as well as humorous.  You may want to take a look at it if you have some time.  And...if you feel you might enjoy the story...show up on June 4th at Zoetropolis, 112 N. Water Street, Lancaster, PA.  You may have a good time.  It does cost $30 per person if you go!
"BEER PIPE IS FOUND IN SEWER"
 
...read the unassuming headline in the Lancaster New Era on March 17, 1932. 

The next day, splashed across the front page in big, bold letters were the words “12 Arrests Near in Beer Line Probe.” On March 21, the paper’s front page revealed more, reading: “250 Ft. of Beer Hose Taken from Sewers.” And on the 22nd, the Intelligencer had still more of the story, led by the headline: “Beer Runners Used Several Breweries to Escape Raiders.”

The story went on for months, but the gist of it was this: Max Hassel, a bootlegger from Reading, PA, had run an 18-inch hose 3,000 feet (a half mile!) from the Rieker Star Brewery at 554 West King Street to an empty warehouse at 112 North Water Street where he and his men packaged and distributed the beer illegally for consumption around the region in violation of the 18th Amendment of the US Constitution.

Today, 112 Water Street is home to Zoetropolis, a local social hotspot with a movie theater, restaurant, and stillhouse. It’s only fitting that on Tuesday, June 4, LancasterHistory brings the popular History Happy Hour series to this lively, historical location. Over drinks and light bites, we’ll give attendees “the scoop” on Lancaster during Prohibition, from the infamous hose to the police commissioner bent on bringing down a bootlegger and a corrupt judge.

Join Us for History Happy Hour
Tuesday, June 4, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm
Zoetropolis, 112 N. Water Street, Lancaster, PA

Tickets are $30/person. Advance tickets are strongly encouraged. Sell-out likely.

Ticket includes admission to the program, light refreshments, and one complimentary beverage. Please note that additional drinks and merchandise are not included in the purchase of a ticket. Zoetropolis’ kitchen will be closed on Tuesday, so attendees may wish to make dinner reservations at one of many fabulous restaurants downtown after the event.

It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Michael J. Fox....A Hero To Many!

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a magazine article about Michael J. Fox.  You know....the guy we used to love to watch on TV!  Well, it's been a long time since there was good news about Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative condition that affects more than 8 million people worldwide.  But that changed this year, thanks in part to Michael J. Fox's perseverance in raising awareness and pushing scientific boundaries in search of a treatment.  More than two decades after he created the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, the charity-funded organization is seeing its throughfully chosen research efforts pay off.  Last year, data from the foundation's Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) helped scientists discover a biomarker for the disease that led to the first Parkinson's test, with detects abnormal forms of a protein called alpha synuclein- even before symptoms appear. It is also funding ongoing studies of multiple promising treatments that will hopefully address the disease's root causes.  Chances are, none of this would be happening at this speed had the actor not decided to share his diagnosis and raise awareness of the dire need for basic research into Parkinison's.  He was diagnosed in 1991 at age 29, but kept it secret until 1998, unsure of what impact his disclosure would have, both on his personal life and on the Parkinson's community. But, he realized that "with me as a touchpoint, it provided the opportunity to raise the profile of the disease and open the door to get some questions answered," he says, and started the foundation in 2000.  "We've systematically kicked doors open one by one."  With the new test, it will now be easier for researchers to identify Parkinson's patients at earlier stages and test potential therapies to see if they have an effect on the disease-causing alpha synuclein protein. Fox says he feels that momentum building, and along with it, a responsibility to other patients. "The more I feel it, the more humbled I am, and the more daunting it is," he says about the work yet to be done.  "The dream is to say to someone, 'You have Parkinson's.  Take this.

Michael J. Fox
'And we have the dream in our sights now."  Story originally written by Alice Park.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

The "Friends Are Forever...Even 4-Legged Ones" Story

It was an ordinary day.  6:30 AM and one of my two cats is standing on top of me, trying to get me to turn over and get out of bed so they can eat.  The one who is usually on top of me is Snickerdoodle who is about double the size of The Gray Lady.  Both of our feline friends came to our back door a few years ago when we lived at our previous home on Harrington Drive in Manheim Township.  They were both stray outdoor cats who were looking for a home and a handout.  Both of the cats were about the same size at the time, but today.....well, Snickerdoodle is more than twice the size of The Gray Lady, actually the size of a small dog, but...the boss of the two is...Yep! The Gray Lady.  Both cats enjoy the freedom of our villa at Woodcrest Villas, and will usually find a place in our bedroom to sleep at night, but if The Gray Lady decides she doesn't want her male friend to be in the bedroom, she can chase him out without too much trouble.  But, in the morning they both try to rouse us when they feel it is time for them to eat.  In his case, he will sit on top of me until I awaken and get out of bed to feed both of them.  He is a very large cat and can make it uncomfortable for me to breathe if he lays on my chest...so I almost alway get out of bed and head to the kitchen to feed both of them. Only problem is that it can be 6:30 AM when he feels it is time to eat.   I place her food on a table that sits next to the rear door while I place his food in a dish on the floor in the middle of the kitchen.  Yes...he could eat both meals if he wanted to, but she, for some reason. seems to control him.  We are happy it has worked out that way, or we might have trouble feeding them.  After feeding them, I go back to bed to try and get another hour or two of sleep before arising for the day.  Our two cats are best of friends and do cuddle together from time to time...or until she tires of it and bites one of his paws or one of his ears.  If I choose not to get up when Snickerdoodle wants me too, he will sit on me!  And...he's a big cat who can cut off your airflow if he wants to do so.  Yeah....we could close our bedroom door when we go to bed, but they are our constant companions and we strive to all love one another!  He does enjoy spending time with me throughout the day, by sitting in the window in our den while I am typing stories on my computer, or sitting on my lap while I read the newspaper and watch TV.  My wife and I believe that both cats searched our old neighborhood until they found the perfect couple who could be their "parents" or could supply them with the love they so much desired.   Carol and I have had pets, both dogs and cats, since we were married in 1967, and would miss their friendship if we lost them.  We chose to keep our two cats at Woodcrest Villas since you may have either two indoor cats or one dog.  Life is more fun with pets to fill the day.  Wouldn't want to live without them!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Hey....10 Cents For A Cup Of Lemonade!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Trying to remember back to the early 1950s when I was a young boy trying to make a few nickels or dimes selling lemonade in front of my house in the 900 block of North Queen Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  At the end of the block, to the north, sat the Lancaster Train Station.  Many a summer day I would sell a couple of pitchers of lemonade  to passengers who had just exited the train and began walking south on North Queen Street....right past my house and lemonade stand towards the city of Lancaster.  I used paper cups in which I would put an ice cube and fill with lemonade.  

Back then, many more people would walk toward the city of Lancaster rather than today when most people hop in their car parked in the parking lot or take a taxi ride into Lancaster.  I used my mom and dad's card table and placed a hand-made sign on three sides of it so customers from all directions could see what I was selling.  My lemonade stand was fairly popular during the 6 years that I had it open while I was in elementary school.  I remember keeping it open on certain days of the week, depending upon the train schedule.  My mom would make me keep a record of how much I sold so the two of us could figure out how much I made after paying her for the lemonade and the paper cups.  I learned quite a bit of information during those years.  Learned how to prepare my lemonade as well as how to attract people to my stand along North Queen Street.  Also learned about a variety of people.  Some were very nice and told me to keep the change from their quarter while others stood and counted the change I would give them to make sure I didn't cheat them.  Some were talkative while others just wanted something to drink and off they would go.  It's been over 70 years since I had my lemonade stand on the last block of North Queen Street.  Still can see that stand in my mind every time I drive north on Queen Street.  Did I learn much from having the lemonade stand?  Well, I learned about every type of person there is.  The kind, talkable, friendly and even nasty people who all wanted a cup of lemonade as they walked away from my stand.  And, every time I drink a glass or cup of lemonade today, I think back to those days when I was somewhat afraid to talk to people, but learned so much from selling my lemonade to them.  I still believe that having that stand helped me make my decision to be a teacher after graduating from college.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.              

Monday, May 20, 2024

The "Love Along The Pequea" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just discovered a special piece of writing accomplished by Lancastrian John Earl Hambright.  John has a special knack for writing and he recently published a story that I found amazing.  Just had to share it with you.  I'm sure that you will find his writing as interesting and remarkable as I do.  Thank you so much for sharing your work with me, John.  I hope you do't mind that I am sharing it with people all over the world.  LDub   

 LOVE ALONG THE PEQUEA: HOW LANCASTER COUNTY BEGAN

If you’re a Pequea lover now – or ever have been – here’s a story you should know. It’s about the spot where Lancaster County history took off.  Call it a rom com.  Once upon a midnight, a decade or so after William Penn sketched out the city plan for Philadelphia, another Englishman snuck out to the banks of the Susquehanna. He was on the lam.  A fugitive. Condemned in London to be hanged – perhaps for no more than stealing an apple for an ailing relative – young William Sherrill was not long for this world. He escaped the gallows, but received a death sentence nonetheless – working tobacco in the killing heat of the Caribbean.  Then the fun began. The larky lad managed to escape again.  We don’t know where. How. We’ll leave that action scene to Hollywood stunt men.  What we can authenticate is that William Sherrill made it to the Chesapeake Bay. And soon put Pequea, Pennsylvania on the map.  The earliest map of Lancaster County shows the settlers at the mouth of the Pequea in 1717. Look closely and you’ll find William Sherrill there.   The red arrow points to the garden spot where his wife planted their corn, beans and squash. Did the apple thief also plant an apple tree?   Does Pequea mean apple? It’s a Shawnee Indian word.   Remember the Shawnee? Tecumseh?  Tippecanoe? Whether we think of those folks as a band, a tribe or a nation, the Shaawanas, Sanawanooks or Shawanees wandered far and pretty much constantly. They left their names all over the eastern United States.  There are towns called Shawnee in Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. A variant of Shawnee remains today as Savannah in Georgia; and perhaps you’ve heard of the Swanee River.  Or Swanee College, the University of the South. That fits well; in the Algonquin tongue, the word Shawnee means “southerner.”  As for Pequea, did you know our little river resort has at least two sister cities out west? One is Piqua in Ohio. Another, in Illinois, is called Pickaway.   Why the different spellings? Because no Shawnee ever wrote their place names down. Nor their own given names.   Native Americans had no written language. European arrivals spelled out words as they heard them – the French with Latin ears, the English with Anglo-Saxon. Even the geographical name most beloved to Lancastrians may be mis-spelled.   Conestoga is what William Penn heard his Indian friends say. But French fur traders wrote the name down as Gandastogue. Or Gandaste.   Says Wikipedia today: “Gandastogue is possibly the closest to what the Susquehannock called themselves.” The white man’s name Conestoga may never have been known to them.   Even frontiersmen like William Sherrill of Pequea might have called Lancaster County’s largest river the Gandaste. Most of those trappers and traders lived with indigenous women. Had children with them.   Their descendants are among us today. How many Lancastrians know they carry in their veins the blood of the Gandastogue? Or the Shawnee? Or the Lenni Lenape, whom white folk called the Delaware.   Only in this age of DNA testing are we beginning to learn how widely and weirdly our ancestries range. Yet for centuries Pennsylvanians have spoken of certain neighbors and in-laws as “Black Dutch.”   Do you have cousins with good tans year-round? Straight black hair.   Aquiline noses. Did they like playing bows and arrows?   BROKEN ARROW is the name of a movie I saw at Lancaster’s Colonial Theatre on North Queen Street at the age of 9. James Stewart plays Tom Jeffords, an American scout in a bloody war with the Apache that has gone on for more than decade with no end in sight.   Jeffords decides on a bold move. Alone, he rides to the enemy seeking peace and forms a special bond with the Apache leader Cochise.   He falls in love with Cochise’s sister. In a ceremony set to sweet music, the white man and Indian maid marry. For a moment there’s peace in the valley.   Did such history happen along the Pequea? We’d like to think so.  Romantic love was a rare commodity in the valleys of early Pennsylvania. Back in the late 1690s and early 1700s, most marriages in totally white communities were arranged without the partners’ knowledge or consent.   No film crew will ever make a rom com about our region’s first white settlers. A hearthrob Hans Herr will never be portrayed by George Clooney. Or Ryan Gosling.   As a matter of convenience, Martin Kendig of Zurich was married to the sister of Hans Herr of Bern only days before the young people – barely out of their teens – set sail for the destination they call the Pequea Tract. Today’s Lancastrians know the area where the newlyweds settled as Willow Street.    Wherever Mennonite descendants of Swiss-German traditionalists settled – on the Pequea Tract, in the Groffdale or out in Weaverland – it’s likely most marriages did not originate in flirtations and courtships. Rather, parents got together with grandparents, bishops, neighbors and – maybe even a community matchmaker – just as they did back in Bern, Zurich, or the Rhineland Palatinate.   Among the plain folk – with land and livestock at stake – love was too important to be left to the kids. Only after lengthy – and probably heated – diplomacy between competing farmers and ambitious neighbors, did boy meet girl.   Lacks romance, you say? Ah, there was an app for that – almost as good as the Wildcat at Rocky Springs.   You’ve heard of bundling? Consider it fact-checking for feelings.   But if there was one spot in our fertile acres where true love may have bonded two people as surely and securely as it does at the end of a Hollywood romance, the mouth of the Pequea was that place. One of the oldest records LancasterHistory.com possesses shows tax assessments of folks living on the lower Pequea Creek.   William Sherrill’s on the list. Along with Catholic French fur trappers, wealthy Quaker merchants and a sprinkling of Dutch farmers.   But where are the Shawnee? Mrs. Sherrill’s parents? No record gives us the name of William Sherrill’s in-laws.   Nor do we have a clue about the family Conrad Rutter married into. My ancestor is remembered as the first settler on the upper Pequea.   He was given a fine monument in my father’s youth by rich Main Line cousins. It says Conrad Rutter was born in Germany in 1650 and calls him a pioneer of the Pequea Valley.   But read the plaque today not far from where the Pequea Creek bubbles up in a cow pasture out back of Intercourse, and you’ll find no mention of the bride Conrad Rutter took home to his cabin. Her name was Jane, some family records suggest.    Or was it Margaret, as others say? As for her maiden surname, forget about it. Like William Sherrill’s wife, she may well have been a woman of color.   We’re just beginning to learn about the Lancaster County wives and mothers whose names and identities have long been forgotten. A woman known only as Indian Hannah has recently been celebrated in Chester County. Perhaps you’ve seen her monument near Longwood Gardens.   Hannah’s name in the Lenni Lenape language means “River.” Susquehanna, as you may have learned at Pequea Tavern trivia nights, means “Muddy River.”  I Indian Hannah was born before George Washington and lived to within a few years of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. But the lady never married because – like her father who ran off to Shamokin when too many white settlers came to the banks of the Brandywine – marriageable Indian males had fled west in great numbers to fight and die another day.   Left behind with her mother and sisters, Indian Hannah grew up without a proper English surname. She became known as a Pow Wow practitioner. She survived by healing.   Mrs. William Sherrill of Pequea fared better. From her, cousins of mine today in North Carolina can proudly claim descent because she married that white Londoner who escaped certain death when he fled to the Susquehanna in the 1690s.   Let me tell you finally about my Sherrill cousins in North Carolina. They’re descended from fugitive William Sherrill’s firstborn son Adam Sherrill, the first pioneer to cross the Catawba River and settle on its western shore.   Described by researchers today as a “half-breed,” Adam Sherrill – half Brit, half Shawnee – once owned much of the land between Asheville NC and Hendersonville NC. Before the United States had yet become one country, he was cheated out of his extensive property by a member of the Continental Congress.   Tench Coxe was the fancy man’s name. Philadelphia-born to wealthy, aristocratic parents, Penn grad Tench Coxe was one of our nation’s earliest real estate tycoons. If you’re suspicious of developers – as well as Congressmen and women – let’s just say both breeds have been at it for a long time.   Rich and powerful conquerors, plunderers, their European names still litter American history books. Our indigenous ancestors remain obscure.   Gone is the Gandastogues’ language, their religion. The Shawnee dances, Conoy and Nanticoke songs.   Who can speak to the love those people had for our county’s land? Though they gardened within Lancaster’s current city limits for three thousand years – on Cabbage Hill, on College Hill – the streams they drew water from – along Water Street, Ross Street – run through sewer pipes now.   But not all was lost. The Gandastogue’s trail from the Susquhanna to the jasper hills where they mined for arrowhead flints is still there. Southwest to northeast, it still follows the Milky Way – as Manor Avenue and the New Holland Pike.    Peter’s Road, too, remains. Named for a neighbor of William Sherrill’s – the French Indian trader Peter Bezaillion – it runs southeast to northwest as the border between West Earl and Earl Township, crossing the New Holland Pike at Groffdale.   The Bezaillions knew my Rutter ancestors as well. When Peter died, his widow Martha presented a gift in his memory to the Indian mission high atop the Welsh Mountains. Where my people once sang “God Save the King”, today the silver communion set still serves St John’s Episcopal Church at Compass.   Today, my North Carolina cousins, descendants of William Sherrill, are sweet, loving, and lively people with careers that range from forest ranger to airplane pilot to working for the Society of Colonial Dames in Washington. They love horses, dogs, cats; and in recent years, they’ve been a great support to me through emails, Facebook messages, cards and flowers as I cared for an invalid wife and suffered the grief of losing her.    Caring. Is that an Indian thing?   No more than it’s a German thing – or a Scots-Irish, Greek, Polish, or African thing.   Let’s say it’s an American thing. A human thing!  Amen!  
 And so the story ends.  What a wonderful piece of writing.  I only wish I could write as well as Mr. Hambright can write.  Hope you enjoyed his story.  I most certainly did.  And, I hope he doesn't mind that I shared it with you, for a piece of writing such as this just has to be shared.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.