The "What's In A Name?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story that was published in the Saturday Evening Post titled "What's In A Name."  Have you ever wondered what you would be called if you weren't called what your parents named you... or even what people do call you?  All my life I've been called by my first name, Larry, as well as a few times, "Hey You."   But, what if I was called...say Jim, or maybe Tony or even Josh.  I like all those names...even though I do like Larry.  But, people are changing their names right and left these days...so why not change my name.  And, I don't see why I have to get it registered anywhere, since no one will know that I had a different name to start with.  A lady in my town named Pat vacationed in India and came back a Taylor, which doesn't sound Indian at all.  I also know a Mark who became a Mary, so going from Larry to Josh is no big deal.  Some names have been ruined by history, so one must approach name-changing carefully.  I know a man born in Germany in the early 1940s whose parents named him Adolf, which was apparently a thing back then, but isn't so much today.  In fact it's illegal to name your child Adolf Hitler if you live in Germany.  In France, it's against the law to name your child Nutella, the nectar of gods.  If you live in Malaysia and want to name your child 007, you can't.  If I were the President, a fantasy I had at one time entertained, I would make it illegal to give your kid a stupid name.  I would create a list of acceptable names with approved spellings.  There'd be no more Megyns or Koreans or Leighlas or Nevaehs if I were in charge.  I think we can all agree the United States was better when people had a simple name that was easy to spell.  I knew Nikki Haley wasn't going to win the presidency the moment she declared her candidacy.  She's undoubtedly smart, but her name is working against her.  First, it's misspelled.  It's Nicky, not Nikki.  Second, it doesn't sound presidential.  Our first woman president needs a distinguished name such as Elizabeth or Louise.  My wife would make a great president since her name is Carol Ann...easy to say and with class.  A female name such as Barbie sounds like she might work at Hooters with a girl named Bambi.  And...how a guy by the name of Babe ever was able to hit the baseball as well as he did is still a mystery to me.  I think it would be neat to belong to an outlaw motorcycle group and be called Spike or Mad Dog.  So, how did you get your name?  Do you ever wish you could change it?  And, what would you want to be called.  I've been thinking and I think a good name for the writer of a blog would be Butch.  Hey, don't laugh...after all he was part of a group of raiders in the early cowboy days.  Well, I got to be going so I can check in with my wife and see what she wants to call me from now on!  Something like "Clutch" or maybe "Handsome",  but....then again...maybe I don't want to know.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  (Hey! I found the right name...."Ordinary Guy"!)       

The "A Trip To The Stormer's Baseball Stadium" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Made a trip with my wife Carol and friends Pat and Dale to see the Lancaster Stormer's baseball team play a game at Clipper Magazine Stadium a few miles from my home at Woodcrest Villas.  The mid-week game was played between the Stormers and the Staten Island Ferryhawks who both play in the Atlantic League.  My Grandson Caden works for the Stormers during the summer as a part-time job to help him pay for his tuition at college.  The Barnstormers had a special offer and Caden was able to get me four tickets for the game.  The stands in the stadium were almost half-filled when the game began at 6:30 PM.  Beautiful summer evening with temperatures in the high-70s when the game began. Clipper Magazine Stadium is a fair-sized stadium with seating from the left-field foul pole to the right-field foul pole.  The Stormers have been playing average ball this summer and faced a three-run deficit entering the bottom of the ninth tonight.  Three more outs would've dropped them below .500 for the season.   Well, the crowd got behind them and they began a rally.  Six straight batters reached base.  A single, a triple, a walk, another single, an error and a fielder's choice allowed the Stormers to walk off the field with a 7-6 win over the Staten Island Ferry Hawks.  The bottom of the ninth was thrilling after being behind during the rest of the game.  "You get one on, you get two on, then you can start to feel it," Storers manager Ross Peeples said.  "You got to have some things go your way!"  All seven of the Stormer's runs came after the fourth inning.   Their offense, which struggled to produce with runners in scoring position early in the game --- blowing chances in the second and fourth innings --- came though after falling into a five-run hole.  The most explosive hit in the bottom of the ninth inning was an RBI triple off the right-field wall by Jack Conley.  The game-tying run came on an error on a bunt by Trace Loehr as losing pitcher J.P. Woodward's throw home from the side of the mound sailed wide.  Sharon Dunston Jr. beat the throw to the plate on an infield chopper by Joseph Carpenter for the walk-off fielder's choice in the next at-bat.  Lancaster's scoring began in the fifth on a solo home run by Damon Dues, his second in his 10 games with the Stormers this season.  Even though the offense won the game, their bull-pen paved the way with Nile Ball, Stefan Moore and Jackson Rees combined to allow only one run in five innings.  Wednesday's victory for Lancaster brought their record to 28 wins and 27 losses.  The victory secured a series win, its second straight this season against Staten Island.  The victory also created the Stormer's first winning streak in two weeks.  I enjoyed walking around the stadium, managing to get out to center field, to take some photos of the stadium and the game.  Check them out...  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Rain...What Rain?" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article in my Saturday Evening Post titled "A Sporting Chance" which was posted in "The Vault" which is part of The Rockwell Files by Jeff Nilsson.  Story went like this...Baseball fans who saw this 1949 cover would've figured out that the scene was Brooklyn's Ebbets field, where the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing the Dodgers.  It was the bottom of the sixth inning; the Pirates  had taken the field.  It would take a sharp-eyed viewer to recognize the three Pittsburg players in the background: second baseman Danny Murtaugh, center fielder Johnny Hopp, and right fielder Dixie Walker.  As they wait for the dodgers to come to bat, a few hesitant raindrops fall.  Three umpires study the heavens like Morales in gabardine, pondering whether the gods will let the game continue.  They are modeled on real umpires (from left to right) Larry Goetz, Beans Reardon, and Lou Jorda.  It they call the game on account of rain at tis point, the win will go to Pittsburgh.  Which is shy Pirate' manager Billy Meyer is hunched over, clutching his collar as if braving a downpour.  But Dodger coach Clyde Sukeforth has taken off his cap and is gesturing toward some bright spot in the sky, eager to continue the game.  The Dodgers played the Pirates 22 times in 1949 and won 16 of those games.  Neat painting that actually shows features of the players and umpires as they really looked.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Bottles That Predate 1775 Carry Some Good Stuff! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about George Washington and how he never really cut down a cherry tree.  Seems the story was all made up...but then you already knew that...right!  Well, despite the fact that he never did cut down a cherry tree, he did pack away a few bottles of the fruit at his Mount Vernon home.  Dozens of bottles of cherries and berries - impossibly preserved in storage pits uncovered from the cellar of this mansion on the banks of the Potomac River - were discovered during an archaeological dig connected to a restoration project.  Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon's principal archaeologist, said the discovery of so much perfectly preserved food from more than 250 years ago is essentially unprecedented.  "Finding what is essentially fresh fruit, 250 years later, is pretty spectacular," Boroughs said in an interview. "All the stars sort of have to align in the right manner for that to happen."  Whole pieces of fruit, recognizable as cherries, were found in some of the bottles.  Other bottles held what appear to be gooseberries or currants, though testing is underway to confirm that.  Mt. Vernon is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is conducting DNA testing on the fruit.  They are also examining more than 50 cherry pits recovered from the bottles to see if any of them can be planted.  "It's kind of a long shot," said Benjamin Gutierrez, a USDA plant geneticist, of the chances of using a cherry pit to grow a tree.  Seeds preserve best when they are dry, and most of the samples found at Mount Vernon were waterlogged.  A couple of pits tested initially were not viable as seeds.  Still, he said, the bottles are a remarkable find.  In addition to DNA testing, he said, chemical testing may be able to show if particular spices were used to preserve the fruits.  Records at Mt. Vernon show that George and Martha Washington were fond of cherries, at least when mixed with brandy.  Martha's recipe for a "cherry bounce" cocktail survives, and Washington wrote that he took a canteen of cherry bounce with him on a trip across the Alleghenies in 1784.  These cherries, though, were not likely bottled to be eaten simply as cherries.  The quality of the preservation reflects a high caliber of work.  Enslaved people ran the plantation's kitchen.  The kitchen was overseen by an enslaved woman named Doll, who came to Mount Vernon in 1758 with Martha Washington, according to the estate.  "The enslaved folks who were taking care of the trees, picking the fruit, working in the kitchen, would have been the folks that probably would've overseen and done this process," Boroughs said.  "It's a highly skilled process.  Otherwise, they just wouldn't have survived this way."  The bottles were found only because Mount Misc. rnon is doing a $40 million revitalization project of the mansion that they expect to be completed by the nation's 250th birthday in 2026. "When we do archaeology, it's destructive," Buroroughs said.  "So unless we have a reason to disturb the resources, we tend not to."  "In this case, because of these needed structural repairs to the mansion, the ground was a king to be disturbed.  So we looked there first," he continued.  "We didn't expect to find all this."  They know the bottles predate 1775 because that's when an expansion of the mansion led to the area being covered with a brick floor.  Mount Vernon announced back in April, at the start of its archaeological work, that it had found two bottles.  As the dig continued, the number increased to 35 in six distinct storage pits.  Six of the bottles were broken, with the other 29 intact.  Fantastic story that seems too good to be true.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Martha's Cherry Bounce may still be in these bottles!

  

Spotted Lanternflies Arrived in Pa. 10 Years Ago; Here's What Experts Have Learned

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about an anniversary that is certainly not welcomed.  It is the anniversary of the arrival of the spotted lantern fly which showed up in Pennsylvania 10 years ago, and just won't leave!  This invasive pest spread to Chicago and Nashville, stressing trees and killing grapevines. By this time of year, if you haven’t seen the tiny black pest with white dots, wait a few weeks. They become much easier to spot as they morph into red, black and white dice on the move. Research continues to help understand and control spotted lanternflies.  It's not an anniversary to celebrate.  Agriculture educators, entomologists and others in Pennsylvania’s spotted lanternfly program recently discussed the pest in an online talk for Penn State Extension. Here are a few highlights.  

Lanternfly adult and nymphs as seen in Pennsylvania!

Why are spotted lanternflies a problem?

Spotted lanternflies are native to China. They have spread through much of Pennsylvania (including Lancaster County) and beyond, where there aren’t many natural predators.  Lanternflies feed on more than 70 species of plants and trees and can kill grapevines and small tree saplings. They can stress trees, leaving them vulnerable to more stressors, says Emelie Swackhamer, horticulture extension educator in Montgomery County.

How many spotted lanternflies are in Pennsylvania this year?

Looking at numbers before September only shows part of the story, says Brian Walsh, horticulture educator in Berks County. The population shifts through the season and year to year.  One may spot groups of lanternflies as they hatch. Then they spread out to feed. By late July, lanternflies reach adulthood. As they gather in September to lay eggs, the population explodes.  Populations have fluctuated in the past decade as lanternflies move into new areas.  “Generally, we can say we see an expansion of the populations for three to five years in a new area,” he says. “And it can get to a point where it looks like a biblical plague and then we do see a fall-off. It doesn’t mean that they’re gone. But the population is definitely decreased.”

What do we know about spotted lanternflies and grapes?

While lanternflies eat dozens of species of plants, grapes are a particular concern.  Researchers are studying when it makes sense for grape growers to take extra steps to manage spotted lanternflies. They looked into things like spotted lanternflies’ effect on grape yield and grape juice chemistry.  Preliminary results for a two-year study show vineyards infested with spotted lanternflies have lower yield and lower juice quality, measuring things like sugars and tannins, says Flor Acevedo, assistant professor of entomology and arthropod ecology at the Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center.  What they eat matters in development and the next generation. Lanternflies only eating grapevines can grow and lay eggs but they aren’t as healthy as those with a diverse diet, including tree of heaven. The lanternflies feeding only cab franc grapes or only concord grapes, for example, laid no eggs.  Ways to manage this pest in vineyards include removing plants like tree of heaven. Adding nets around grapevines keeps lanternflies away as well and don’t damage the fruit.

What else have we learned about this pest?

After hearing spotted lanternflies may be attracted to the buzz of electrical wires, researchers set up their own sound studio. In their controlled setting, lanternfly nymphs and adults moved toward the vibration.  Vibration is important because there isn’t a good lure for spotted lanternflies, says Julie Urban, director of the department of entomology at Penn State.  Planthoppers such as lanternflies don’t rely on chemical signals so the search is on to find how to attract them. Tremors also have been used to disrupt the mating of glassy-wing sharpshooter, a pest feeding on California vineyards.  Outside of the lab, traps were added to poles in the PA

How can you kill spotted lanternflies?

“Everybody would like to have a silver bullet that just takes care of this insect but we just don’t have one,” says Amy Korman, horticulture extension educator for Penn State Extension in Northampton and Lehigh counties.  So, in lieu of a magic wand, experts recommend the following:

— Destroy egg masses before nymphs hatch, usually in May.

— Once the nymphs emerge, trap them in circle traps and bug barrier traps.

— Don’t use home remedies like dish soap, vinegar or bleach. These can be unsafe for people, pets and plants.

— For pesticides approved for spotted lanternflies, weigh the risks against how many pests are around and whether your plants or trees are vulnerable.

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

  

"So, How's Life Treating You?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my latest "Millersville University Review."  It was from Millersville University (known as Millersville State Teacher's College when I attended) where I had graduated in 1967, five years after I began attending Millersville.  I actually began teaching a year before I graduated, since teachers were in such great demand, especially in the Industrial Arts area of high schools.  I had all the necessary courses needed in the Industrial Arts Department for graduation, so I was allowed to pick up additional courses after I began teaching.  Seemed a bit unusual going to class to teach and then going back to college the following summer to graduate from the college.  Teachers were in great demand and as long as you had the needed credits in the area in which you would be hired to teach, it was allowed.  I had already spent a semester student-teaching during the final half of my 4th year at Millersville.  That would have been the only way that I could have began teachning without having graduated.  I student-taught in Industrial Arts at a high school in York County, Pennsylvania, returned to Millersville the summer after to get the needed credits, and graduated at the end of the summer session at Millersville.  And, for high schools in the state of Pennsylvania to obtain full financial aide, they were required to have Industrial Arts and Home Ec. in their curriculum.  There are very few State schools in the State of Pennsylvania that have Industrial Arts as a Major.  If you aren't sure what Industrial Arts might be...it is commonly known in high school as SHOP!  You know.... wood shop, metal shop, etc.   I found it impossible to make it through college in 4 years since I had to work throughout my college career at a grocery store in order to pay for my education.  I began saving for college when I turned 16, since it was at that time that I knew I wanted to be an Industrial Arts teacher, just like Mr. Ehemann, who taught Industrial Arts at Manheim Township High School.  He was my "Hero" and helped me understand what was necessary in order to become an Industrial Arts teacher in high school, just like him.  He was the one who talked Manheim Township High School into hiring me before I graduated and made sure I kept up with all my school work until I finally graduated the summer after my first year of teaching.  Mr. Ehemann was the chairman of the IA department at MT and knew just how hard it was to obtain Industrial Arts teachers, so he was looking ahead when I told him, while still in high school, that I wanted to be a shop teacher just like him. I ended up teaching Industrial Arts for 35 years before retiring from Manheim Township.  I did spend a few years after that working in the Graphic Arts shop...doing all of the in-school printing needs.  I still, to this day, was so glad with the path that I chose while I was a young boy.  Loved teaching and working in the shop with my students.  But, I find that retirement, and writing a story each day, is almost as much fun as teaching high school Industrial Arts.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "So Hows Your Gait...Or How You Walk?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article in my local newspaper that may be of help to many of my readers titled "What can your gait tell doctors about your health?  Article began with...How does your gait - or how you walk - relate to your brain health?  Considerably, says Dr. Farwa Ali, a Mayo Clinic neurologist who specializes in movement disorders.  Assessing a person's gait can offer insight into various brain health conditions.  The hope is that early diagnosis of gait and balance problems will lead to better treatment and outcomes for patients with degenerative brain disorders.  Ali explains how testing gait works and what it can tell clinicians.  Put one foot in front of the other.  This simple gait test can tell a clinician a great deal says Ali.  "How someone's body is moving through space, what their balance looks like, what their joints are doing," she explains.  The gait test can measure, for instance, how fast or slow a person walks compared to peers in their age group.  It's then analyzed to access whether a neurological problem is already present.  "For example, someone with Parkinson's disease, may walk slower, or with smaller steps and not move their arms enough," says Ali.  Many neurodegenerative diseases affect gait and balance before diagnosis.  She is hopeful about improving ways to measure and quantify these.  "We need more research, but my hope is to be able to detect gait abnormalities early and reliably, to augment clinical diagnosis and help clinicians detect patients with neurodegenerative disease earlier," Ali says.  She adds that everyone is different, and its important to understand why a person might be having issues with their gait.  Analyzing gait is one step in understanding a person's brain health.  Perhaps this article that I have reproduced here may be of help to you and prevent you from getting any movement disorders.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "Time To Get More Active" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading once again a story in my morning newspaper written by Dr. Mike Roizen that is titled "3 signs that you aren't active enough."  Now...didn't I just type a story about not being active enough?  Seems that trend is been pushed all the time!  Well, when it come to the benefits of physical activity, the list stretches from "A" (for attitude improvement) to "Zzzzz" (for better sleep).  Unfortunately, only 25% of U.S. adults get the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of aerobics and two strength-building sessions weekly.  But, almost 40% of folks say they're getting enough physical activity!  So, to help you accurately determine if you're activity-deprived, here are three signs that show that you need to get moving.  1. You're feeling blue.  Being sedentary increases depression.  According to a 2019 study, if you replace 15 minutes of sitting with 15 minutes of running or an hour of brisk walking, you can decrease your risk of depression by 26%.  2. You can't fall asleep easily.  According to John Hopkins medicine, lack of activity makes it difficult to fall asleep and enjoy good quality sleep.  But 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise can give you better sleep that same day.  3. Your joints are achy.  Knees gotta bend, hips gotta extend.  But many folks are sitting five-plus hours and are sedentary for almost 10 hours every day.  Gentle stretching and activities that move joints through their full range of motion improve flexibility and relieve discomfort.  The initial twinges you might feel when beginning to exercise will fade and you'll become more agile and have fewer aches and pains.  The reward: increased healthy longevity - about nine years' worth for women; eight for men.  For more tips, tune into fitness info in LongevityPlaybook.com's free newsletter and check out iHerb.com's blog, "More Movement May Increase Longevity - Here's Why."  It just might work for you!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Yes, Chef! Former White House Chef Moves To Lancaster

It was an ordinary day.  Reading in my Balance Magazine about a fellow known as Chef John Moeller.  He has had a culinary career that has brought him full circle.  You may already know that he served as Head Chef in the White House, but his journey to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. actually started in his hometown of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he developed a passion for cooking.  After graduating from Johnson and Wales College, he lived in France, where he studied the fundamentals of French cuisine under some of the finest French chefs, including 2-star Michelin Chef Bernard Loiseau.  That experience in France opened unimaginable doors, including those of the White House.  Chef John served President George H.W. Bush, President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush, from 1992 to 2005.  You can read about those years and try some of the same recipes served to the First Families and their guests in Chef John's book, "Dining at the White House."  Or, just like those famous First Families, you can let Chef John cook for you right here in Lancaster County.  After leaving the White House, the Moeller's returned to John's hometown, where he wrote his book, started a catering business and traveled the U.S. serving charity dinners seasoned with anecdotes of his time in Washington, D.C.  In 2018, he began a new culinary journey with the purchase of The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar and a beautifully restored 18th century stone farmhouse in the Greenfield Corporate Center.  Chef John now manages the restaurant alongside his wife, Yeti Moeller, offering an upscale yet relaxed dining experience featuring locally sourced ingredients from a variety of Lancaster County vendors.  The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar has a main dining room that seats 200, as well as bar seating.  Now that summer has finally arrived, the Greenfield's outdoor patio will also be in full swing for al fresco dining.  For private events, the restaurant offers three smaller dining rooms.  The outdoor option and adjoining lounge are also available to rent for larger parties.  For off-site events, Chef John also owns his own catering business: State of Affairs Catering.  Although John is a busy man, you can almost always find him in the kitchen, doing what he loves most.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Chef John Moeller

The History - The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar resides in th former home of the Clymer bfamily, which farmed he land tha eventually became Geenfield Corporation Center.  Our beautiful restaurant sits right off of William Penn Way.  This history creates an unparalleled atmosphere for your dining experience.

Live Music - Stop by each Friday & Saturday and enjoy entertainment from a live pianist while you dine.  We also have a live jazz band every other Wednesday in the Lounge.

Events - Extend your fine-dining experience with our event services!  From off-site catering to in-house events, we would love to help you celebrate -  whatever the occasion.

Private Wine Cellar - One of the most distinguished features of the Greenfield Restaurant & Bar is our historic Wine Cellar.  This space can host up to 12 guests and is frequently requested for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, private parties, etc.  We would lie honored to serve you in our beautiful Wine Cellar!   The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar. 

The "A Great Fit," Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at some old black and white photographs that were recently posted in my local newspaper.  The photographs were of the historic bank at 1 E. Main Street in the little town of Lititz, PA.  When the historic bank at 1 E. Main Street in Lititz came up for sale three years ago, officers of Lititz Improvement jumped at the chance to buy it, despite concerns that its bank tennant might not stick around.  When they learned late last year that the Citizens Bank planned to close its branch in the circa-1924 bank building at Main and Broad Streets, the leaders of the longtime Lititz real estate investment group knew exactly what should replace it.  "The first thing that came to mind was Ephrata National Bank, reported Bill Oehme, President of Lititz Improvement, whose properties are concentrated in the first block of East Main Street.  "We have a lot of our mortgages through them.  They've treated us very well in the 50-plus years that Lititz improvement has been around.  That was our first thought: Ephrata National."  A lease was soon made with Ephrata National Bank, which plans to open a branch by April 2025 in the building that has been empty since Citizens Bank closed its brach there in March .  "I believe over the past several years, we've developed a reputation for going into markets to fill the void left by banks who leave," said Ephrata National Bank spokesperson Craig Rodenberger.  The old bank was designed by famed Lancastrian architect C. Emlen Urban.  The building with a corner entrance and granite columns opened  100 years ago as Lititz Springs National Bank.

Urban, whose Lancaster city designs include the Griest Building and the original Watt & Shand Department Store, also designed Ephraata National Bank's current headquarters at 31 E. Main St. in Ephrata Borough, which opened in 1925.  The Lititz Bank building across from the entrance to Lititz Springs Park became the home of Conestoga National Bank in 1962 following a merger with Lititz Springs National Bank in 1962.  The building subsequently served as the home of several other banks before becoming a Citizen Bank branch.  Organized by a group of Lititz business people who wanted to preserve buildings in the downtown, Lititz Improvement was formed in 1970 when it brought three properties in the first block of East Main Street.  Today, Lititz Improvement owns 18 properties in town, including commercial and residential buildings as well as parking spaces and rental garages.  Oehme said Lititz Improvement was contacted about buying the building by a California-based real estate investment firm that owned some of the buildings used by Citizens Bank.  The sale ws finalized in August 2021 for $950,000.  "When you have a building come on the square in Lititz for sale, of course we're going to jump on it," Oehme said.  After the Citizens Bank branch closed, Oehme said some people suggested other uses for the building, such as a brewpub or event space.  He said he was even contacted by other financial institutions that wanted to locate there.  But, Oehme said Ephrata National Bank is the ideal new tenant for the Lititz landmark.  "We want to stick with a bank or financial institution," Oehme said.  "I think they'll be a great fit for town."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

"Dig Raids Washington's Pantry" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about George Washington and the cherry tree he alledgedly cut down.  Found out he never did that nasty deed, despite the famous story to the contrary, but he did pack away quite a few bottles of the fruit at his Mount Vernon home.  Dozens of bottles of cherries and berries, impossibly preserved in storage pits uncovered from the cellar of his mansion on the banks of the Potomac River -- were discovered during an archaeological dig connected to a restoration project.  Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon's principal archeologist, said the discovery of so much perfectly  preserved food more than 250 years ago is essentially unprecedented.  "Finding what is essentially fresh fruit, 250 years later, is pretty spectacular," Boroughs said in an interview.  "All the stars sort of had to align in the right manner for that to happen."  Whole pieces of fruit, recognizable as cherries, were found in some of the bottles.  Other bottles held what appear to be gooseberries or currants, though testing is underway to confirm that.  Mount Vernon is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is conducting DNA testing on the fruit.  They are also examining more than 50 cherry pits recovered from the bottles to see if any of the can be planted.  "It's kind of a long shot," said Benjamin Gutierrez, a USDA plant geneticist, of the chances of using a cherry pit to grow a tree.  Seeds preserve best when they are dry, and most of the samples found at Mount Vernon were waterlogged.  A couple of pits tested initially were not viable as seeds.  Still, he said the bottles are a remarkable find.  In addition to DNA testing, he said chemical testing may be able to show particular spices were used to preserve the fruits.  Records of Mount Vernon show that George and Martha Washington were fond of cherries, at least when mixed with brandy.  Martha Wahiington's recipe for a "cherry bounce" cocktail survives, and Washington wrote that he took a canteen of cherry bounce with him on a trip across the Alleghenies in 1784.   These cherries, though, were most likely bottled to be eaten simply as cherries, Boroughs said.  The quality of the pervasion reflects a high caliber of work, Enslaved people ran the plantation's kitchen.  The kitchen was overseen by an enslaved woman named Doll, who came to Mount Vernon in 1758 with Martha Washington, according to the estate.  "The enslaved folks who were taking care of the trees, picking the fruit, working in the kitchen, those would have been the folks that probably would have overseen and done this process," Boroughs said.  "It's a highly skilled process.  Otherwise, they just wouldn't have survived this way."  The bottles were found only because Mount Vernon is doing a $40 million revitalization project of the mansion that they expect to be completed by the nations's 250th birthday in 2026.  "When we do archaeology, it's destructive," Boroughs said.  "So unless we have a reason to disturb those resources, we tend not to."  "In this case, because of these needed structural repairs to the mansion, the ground was going to be disturbed.  So we looked there first," he continued.  "We didn't expect to find all this."  They know the bottles predate 1775 because that's when an expansion of the mansion led to the area being covered over with a brick floor.  Mount Vernon announced back in April, at the start of its archaeological work, that it had found two bottles.  As the dig continued, the number increased to 35 in six distinct storage pits.  Six of the bottles were broken, with the other 29 intact.  The heading under the photograph should read:  Archeologist Jason Boroughs on Monday discusses artifacts found underneath George Washington's residence in Mount Vernon, Va.  Earlier this year, a few dozen 18th-century glass bottles containing fruit were unearthed in the mansion cellar of America's first president.  Hard to believe much of what you just read?  Yeah...I'm not sure either!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.        

Willie Mays Was Great In Many Ways as per George Will's Story

It was an ordinary day.  I found out today that The Washington Post's extraordinary columnist, George Will, can write about everything and anybody!  Today he wrote about a fellow by the name of Willie Mays...and he did a fantastic job.  Probably better than any other sport's columnist ever wrote about my all time favorite...The "Say Hey Kid"....Willie Mays. I know I wrote about Willie a few days ago, but I just had to share with you parts of the article that George wrote in the Washington Post.  He began his article with...  In the 1962 Yankees-Giants World Series, the Yankees' Clete Boyer hit a line drive to right-center.  "As the ball left the bat, I said to myself two things.  The first thing I said was 'Hello double!'  The second thing I said was, 'Oh, (bleep), he's out there!"  Willie Howard Mays Jr., who died Tuesday at age 93, was the archetypal "five-tool player" who could run, catch, throw, hit and hit for power.  And, I must add, did all those things better than most anyone else who ever played the game.  Now, that last line was from me, even though I'm sure George would agree with me!  George went on to say...Said his first major league manager, Leo Durocher, "If he could cook, I'd marry him."  Actress Tallulah Bankhead said, "There have only been two authentic geniuses in the world, William Shakespeare and Willie Mays."  Mays didn't seem to have the confidence at the start when he said, "I can't hit the pitching up there."  That was in 1951, while speaking by phone to Mr. Leo Durocher, who would soon be his manager.  Leo assured Willie that any player who was hitting .477 in the minors at Minneapolis could surely hit major league pitching.  He could!  But, a few weeks later, the Giants sent Mays -- who was 0-12 in major-league at-bats -- to the plate to face, 60 feet 6 inches away, Warren Spahn, who was enroute to becoming the winningest left-hander in baseball history.  Mays hit the first of his 660 home runs.  After the game, Spahn said, "For the first 60 feet it was a helluva pitch."  It was years later that Warren said, "We might have gotten rid of Willie forever if I'd only struck him out."  In 1963, in a game of a sort that will ever again be played, Spahn, then 42, and another future Hall of Famer, Juan Marichal, 25, both pitched shutouts into the 16th inning.  Marichal threw 227 pitches, Spahn 201.  The Giants won 1-0 when Spahn gave up a walk-off home run.  Guess who hit it?  Willie played professionally for the Birmingham Black Barons and listened to radio broadcasts of the Birmingham Barons, a white team whose play-by-play announser became, in the 1960s, infamous: Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Conner's use of fire hoses and police dogs on student protestors in 1963 helped propel a horrified nation to embrace the 1964 Civil Rights Act.  "Pretty good announcer," Mays remembered.  In a sense Mays was too good for his own good.  His athleticism and ebullience - e.g. playing stickball with children in Harlem streets - encouraged the perception of him as man-child effortlessly matched against grown men.  

Willie Mays - The "Say Hey Kid"

He was called a "natural."  Oh?  Extraordinary hand-eye coordination is a gift. There is, however, nothing natural about consistently making solid contact with a round bat on a round ball that is moving vertically, and horizontally, a 95mph.  Because Mays made the extraordinary seem routine his craftsmanship and intelligence were underrated.  Even as a rookie, he would reach 2nd base, decode the opposing catcher' pitch signs, and tell the Giants' dugout that, say. the third in each sequence was the actual sign.  His base-running "instincts" actually were a meticulously honed craft.  Although he played centerfield, he would take pregame infield practice, reminding himself where infielders should position themselves to cut off throws from outfielders.  Then, when he got a hit, he would take an extra base if the infielders were out of position. Sometimes, early in a game. Mays would intentionally swing at and miss a pitch he could easily have hit, thereby encouraging  the pitcher to throw the pitch during a crucial late-inning at bat.  Mays and another early 1950s center fielder, who played less than a mile away from the Giants' Polo Grounds, the Yankees' Mickey Mantle (like Mays, born in 1931), electrified baseball in the 1950s, when. it was indisputably the national pastime. (The NFL and NBA ranked behind boxing in the decade in which Americans first sat down to watch TV.  At least a quarter of American men regularly watched "Friday Night Fights" and other matches).  In the 1954 World Series. the Indians' Vic Wertz crushed Don Liddle's pitch into baseball's deepest center field - 483 feet to the wall in the Polo Grounds - where Mays made "The Catch."  Liddle, who was put in the game to pitch only to Wertz, reportedly said laconically, "I got my man."  Yes, by getting him to hit a Ruthian blast to the only player who could have caught it.  Baseball fans are an  argumentative tribe, but none question that Mays was among baseball's half-dozen best position players ever.  Still, after that first home run off Spahn, Mays went 0-for-13, making him 1-for-25.  Even baseball's gods need time to figure things out.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  Amen!

Willie Mays made early stop in Lancaster during his Hall of Fame Baseball career

It was an ordinary day.  The number of fans who sat in the bleachers at Lancaster’s Stumpf Field on July 29, 1950, has been lost to history.  All evidence suggests it was likely just a few hundred who watched the baseball doubleheader between the Lancaster Red Roses and the Trenton Giants that Saturday night in the Class B Inter State League.  Surely, in the intervening years there are plenty who had wished they were at the ballpark on Fruitville Pike. So many missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  See, what hasn’t been lost — just faded by the passage of time — was the presence of a 19-year-old center fielder who was on his way to being arguably the greatest to play the game.  Willie Mays, who died Tuesday at the age of 93, flashed his immense skills — and likely his infectious smile — during that five-game series from July 29-31.  Lancaster New Era sports editor George Kirchner wrote in a column on Aug. 3 on Trenton’s top players: “Local fans are convinced that Mays, by far and wide, is the brightest prospect; the kid who is likely to go all the way and in a few years, at that.”  Mays went 9-for-21 with three doubles, a triple, three runs and three RBIs in the series, though Lancaster won three of the games.  In the finale, a 12-11, 10-inning win for the Giants, Mays made a game-saving catch in the ninth after throwing out a runner at the plate earlier in the game (he also had at least one other outfield assist in the series).  The New Era, in a story headlined “Mays’ Catch Stops Roses for Trenton,” reported: “Mays, the fastest guy in the Inter State League, came chasing in from center field to nab a looping hit by Gale Wade and cut off the run that would have given the Roses the decision in nine innings.”  The catch was again referenced later in the story: “Mays came tearing in like a speed demon and made a great catch to save immediate defeat.  When Trenton’s bus pulled into Lancaster for the start of the series, Mays had only been with the New York Giants organization for about a month. His contract had been purchased by New York from the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League on June 21, and he made his debut with Trenton on June 24.   “Incidentally, Eddie Glennon, former business manager for Wilmington, now acting in a similar capacity for Birmingham, says he believes Mays could be converted into a pitcher because of his powerful right arm. … While with the Barons, Willie had two assists from center field, indicating that he must be able to throw the ball.”  After seeing Mays in person, Kirchner was sold, and not on him being a pitcher.  In his column on Aug. 3, he wrote “Willie was slightly terrific against our Roses, both at the plate and in the field.  “He’s one of the fastest runners ever to come into Stumpf Field, and when it comes to throwing, he has an arm that looks every bit as strong as any we’ve seen in baseball … Major or Minor League.”  Kirchner concluded that Mays was “one kid who seems destined to go places in baseball in a hurry.”  On Aug. 16, Kirchner made his case for Mays being the league’s MVP despite the late start to his season, pointing to his “terrific hitting,” “sensational fielding” and “dazzling speed.”  “Anytime he steps to the plate, he’s dangerous for he not only can place his hits ‘where they ain’t,’ ” Kirchner wrote, “he can also pole that long ball. In the field, he’s a good bet to snag anything that stays inside the park and in several appearances which he has made at Stumpf Field he has come up with catches that positively amazed the customers.”  Mays ended up hitting .353 with four home runs, 55 RBIs, seven stolen bases and a .947 OPS in 81 games for Trenton.  For the record, Danny Schell, an outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies’ Wilmington team, won the MVP voting. He hit .318 with 20 homers and 104 RBIs for the league champion Blue Rocks. He hit .281 in 94 major league games with the Phillies.  Mays did play two more late-season games at Stumpf Field — Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 — going 2-for-8 with a stolen base as the Giants lost both to the Red Roses.  Incidentally, the listed attendance for the last game was 275.  The Red Roses, a Brooklyn farm team managed by the fabulously named Ed Head, a former Dodgers pitcher, averaged 467 fans per game.  In 1951, Mays spent just 35 games with Triple-A Minneapolis, hitting .477, before being called up to New York. For the pennant-winning Giants, he hit .274 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs in 121 games and was named Rookie of the Year.  It was just the beginning of a legendary career that ended with 660 home runs, two National League MVP awards, 12 Gold Gloves, a batting title, 24 All-Star Game selections, a World Series title and election into the Baseball Hall of Famer on the first ballot.  But before any of that, before Mays was the “Say Hey Kid,” he displayed his prodigious talent in Lancaster.  Those of us living here in Lancaster knew he would be great before any one else knew!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "How The Trampoline Bounced Its Way Into American Culture" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a short article written by Ian McMaster in the Atomic-Ranch.com Summer booklet.  The article was titled "One Giant Leap for Mankind" with a sub-title of "How the trampoline bounded its way into America culture." Story began with "The Origins of the Trampoline can be traced to ancient civilizations like China, Iran and Egypt.  The Inuit people in Alaska used walrus skin to launch each other in the air for games, rituals and scouting their surroundings.  Similarly, the Persians are said to have used a type of trampoline made of stretched animal hides for tumbling and acrobatics.  However, the modern trampoline only began to take shape in the early 20th century.  In 1934, two American gymnasts, George Nissen and Larry Griswold, created the first prototype in Nissen's garage in Iowa.  Inspired by trapeze artists falling into safety nets and their desire to improve their own training methods, they developed a piece of equipment composed of a canvas sheet stretched over a steel frame with coiled springs, which provided the continuous bounce necessary for gymnastic training.  This revolutionized the world of gymnastics and acrobatics, offering athletes a safe and effective way to practice complex techniques.  Throughout the mid-20th century, trampolining gained popularity across a surprising range of industries.  After the start of WWII, the U.S. military used the trampoline to teach pilots how to reorient themselves after difficult air maneuvers.  During the space-race era, the trampoline was introduced to NASA for astronauts' training.  In 1964, trampolining made its Olympic debut as a demonstration sport in Tokyo, later becoming an official sport in 2000.  By the 1970s, trampolining made its way into American culture.  Amusement parks filled with trampolines popped up across the country, giving children and adults the opportunity to soar.  Manufactures started making smaller, affordable trampolines marketed to the whole family.  Today, trampolining continues to evolve, with advancements in materials and safety features for the enjoyment of people worldwide.  In an age marked by technological advancements and rapid change, the enduring appeal of the trampoline serves as a reminder of the joy and wonder found in the simple act of bouncing.  But, I for one will not be giving it a try.  I just can't imagine what it might do to my poor back and the pain that it might render.  I believe I will be more apt to do the watching instead of the bouncing!   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Remembering The Say Hey Kid" Story

Willie "The Say Hey Kid" Mays

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the death of one of my all-time favorite baseball players...Willie Mays.  My close friend Bill H., who lived about a block away from my house on North Queen Street in Lancaster, PA , back in the 1950s didn't care much for Willie, since his all-time favorite baseball player was the Yankee's Mickey Mantle.  We went back and forth many a Summer day as to which player was the best.  I couldn't convince him that Willie was better...and he couldn't convince me that Mickey was better.  Well, by now you probably have read that Baseball Hall of Famer, Willie Mays, has died at the age of 93.  Willie Mays was known as the electrifying "Say Hey Kid" whose singular combination of talent, drive and exubrance made him one of baseball's greatest and most beloved players.  Mays' family and the San Francisco Giants jointly announced this past Tuesday night that Willie had died earlier in the afternoon in the Bay Area.  His son Michael said in a statement that.... "My father has passed away peacefully and is now among loved ones.  I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years.  You have been his life's blood."  The center fielder was baseball's oldest living Hall of Famer.  He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News' list of the games top stars.  The Giants retired his uniform number 24, and named their AT&T Park in San Francisco as the Willie Mays Plaza.  Mays died two days before a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.  "All of Major League Baseball is in mourning today as we are gathered at the very ballpark where a career, and a legacy like no other, began," Commissioner Rob Manfred said.  "Willie Mays took his all-around brilliance from the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League to the historic Giants franchise.  From coast to coast in New York and San Francisco, Willie inspired generations of players and fans as the game grew and truly earned its place as our 'National Pastime.'  We will never forget this true Giant on and off the field.  

Younger photo of Willie Mays

Few were so blessed with each of the five essential qualities for a superstar -- hitting for average, hitting for power, speed, fielding and throwing.  Willie so joyously exerted those qualities - whether launching homers, dashing around the bases, loose-fitting cap flying off his head; or chasing down fly balls in center field and finishing the job with his trademark basket- catch.  "When I played ball, I tried to make sure everybody enjoyed what I was doing," Mays told reporters in 2010.  "I made the clubhouse guy fit me a cap that when I ran, the wind gets up in the bottom and it flies right off.  People loved that kind of stuff."  Willie played in over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants, and also including one in the Negro Leagues..... where he batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves.  He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice named the National League Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times.  His lightening sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra-base hit in the 1954 World Series - dubbed "The Catch" - remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history.  Just ask anybody who is as old as me!  Between 1954 and 1966, Mays drove in 100 or more runs 10 times, scored 100 or more 12 times, hit 40 or more homers six times, more than 50 homers twice and led the league in stolen bases four times.  His numbers might have been bigger had he not missed most of 1952 and 1953 because of military service.  Yeah....he was a hero in more than just baseball!  Sports writer Barney Kremenko has been credited with nicknaming him "The Say Hey Kid," referring to Mays' spirited way of greeting his teammates.  Willie was born in Westfield, Alabama, in 1931, the son of a Negro League player who wanted Willie to follow him.  Young Mays was so gifted an athlete that childhood friends swore that basketball, not baseball, was his best sport.  The Giants signed him after he graduated from high school and sent him to its minor league team in Trenton, New Jersey.  He began the 1951 season with Minneapolis, but after 35 games, was batting .477 and was labeled by one scout as "the best prospect in America."  Giants Manager Leo Durocher saw no reason to wait and demanded that Mays, barely 20 at the time, join his team's starting lineup.  Durocher managed Mays from 1951-55 and became a father figure who at times pampered the young phenom.  Willie was asked about career highlights and mentioned "The Catch"; hitting four home runs in a game against the Braves; falling over a canvas fence to make a catch in the minors; and running into a fence in Brooklyn's Ebbets Field while chasing a bases-loaded drive, knocking himself out, but still holding on to the ball!    Most of the time, he was just happy being on the field, especially when the sun went down.  After all...you're out there by yourself in center field...and I just felt like it was such a beautiful game that I just wanted to play it forever.  

One of the latest photographs I could find of Willie

Well Bill H. ...after reading my story today....you're gonna have to come up with a pretty good story of your own about Mickey Mantle to top this one!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Jonathan Groff Wins Tony Award" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article in my morning newspaper titled "Jonathan Groff wins Tony Award.  I knew the name well, since my cousin Susan Reese, was a good friend of his during his high school years.  Story reads...Jonahan Groff is halfway to an EGOT.  The Lancaster County, Ronks native on Sunday night won the Tony Award for best leading actor in a musical, after two previous nominations, for his role of composer-tuned-film producer Franklin Shepard in "Merrily We Roll Along."  Groff shares a Grammy Award with the cast of "Hamilton," leaving an Emmy and an Oscar in the coveted EGOT status.  "I grew up in a house surrounded by cornfields in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania," an emotional Groff said in his acceptance speech.  "I was raised by my parents, Jim and Julie Groff, and my brother David Groff," who were all sitting next to Groff in Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York Sunday night.  "Thank you for letting me dress up as 'Mary Poppins' when I was three, thank you for letting me act out scenes from 'I Love Lucy' on my 10th birthday, thank you for always allowing my freak flag to fly without ever making me feel weird about it," Groff said.  "Even if they didn't always understand me, my family knew the life-saving power of annoying the flame of a young person's passions without judgement.  

Jonahan Groff, good friends with my cousin Sue Reese

"Thank you to all my teachers back in Pennsylvania, especially Sue Fisher, who told me I could do this for a living."  Fisher was Groff's English teacher at Conestoga Valley Middle School and spotted his talent early.  Groff starred in "Merrily," the popular Broadway revival of a Stephen Sondheim musical, at the Hudson Theatre until the production closed July 7.  In reverse chronological order, the musical tells the story of a deterioration 20-year friendship among three creatives.  Earlier in the evening Sunday, Groff's "Merrily" castmate Daniel Radcliffe won his first Tony for his featured role of Charley Kringas in the show.  Their other co-star, Lindsay Mendez, was nominated for featured actress but didn't win.  The three stars performed the song "Old Friends" from "Merrily" on the CBS telecast of the 77th Tony Awards.  Groff was previously nominated for Tonys for his breakout role as Melchior Gabor in the musical "Spring Awakening" and for playing King George III in the original cast of "Hamilton."  Groff shared the 2016 Grammy Award with the other principal soloists in the cast of "Hamilton," for best musical theater album.  He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for playing King George in the filmed version of "Hamilton," on Disney+.  He has won the Obie and other awards for his off-Broadway theater work.  He performed on local stages before moving to New York - and Broadway - after high school.  Groff's role in "Merrily," along with his recent guest appearance on the popular British science fiction show "Doctor Who," have brought the Conestoga Valley High School graduate a new level of attention.  In the past few months, he has been interviewed by a host of major newspapers and magazines and on both day- and nighttime network talk shows.  He is also known for his TV performances in "Glee," "Looking" and Mindhunter," and film roles including those in "Known at the cabin," Disney's animated "Frozen" films and "The Matrix Resurrections."  "Merrily We Roll Along," a quick-closing flop when it debuted on Broadway in 1981, became the must-have theater thicket of this past year, which many theater writers and critics have attributed to the performances of Groff, Radcliffe and Mendez.  The production of "Merrily We Roll Along," which had a total of seven Tony nominations, also won for best revival of a musical and for best orchestrations (for Jonathan Tunick).  Neat having a cousin who is best friends with a star!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The Historical Town Known As Lititz, PA Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a Lancaster Newspaper article about the town of Lititz, Pennsylvania which is to the North of the city of Lancaster.  Seems that a gentleman by the name of Cory Van Brookhoven, who is President of the Lititz Historical Society, has self-published "Mysterious Lititz: Ghosts, True Crime, UFOs, and More."  The following will give you an idea as to what the book covers.  The first involves a rowdy club that caused a "riot."  On October 31, 1908, intoxicated members of Lancaster's Fourth Ward Republican Marching Band traveled to Lititz to attend a Republican rally at the Lititz Springs Hotel.  Following the Halloween Parade that night, a 15-year-old Lititz boy threw some kernels of corn at the Fourth Warders, who proceeded to knock the boy off his feet.  Another resident rushed to the boy's defense and was, in turn, knocked down and badly beaten.  John M. Pfautz, chief burgess of Lititz arrived and asked the fourth Ward gang to leave.  Instead of going home, the visitors broke the nose of one resident, dragged another along the pavement and threatened several observers with lit torches.  Meanwhile, the men turned over a huckster's stand and a kettle of oyster soup.  Someone hurled a rock through the window of a hardware store.  Burgess Pfautz went home and returned with his revolver and several deputies.  The gang of Fourth Warders rushed toward Pfautz, who fired his gun into the air.  Several Lititz citizens then charged the Lancaster contingent, who fled through Lititz Springs Park.  Some of the culprits got away, but Fautz and his deputies pursued others as far as Kissell Hill.  They captured these men and took them to the Lititz lockup.  The 1908 "Lititz riot" was officially over.  The second story represents the "haunted" section of the book.  After Lititz teacher Abraham Reinke Beck retired in 1895, he served as archivist for the Lititz Moravian Church.  One evening, while he and his brother, Julius Augustus Beck, were reading an early diary in the archives room of the Moravian Brothers' house, the quiet suddenly was interrupted by a loud sound.  A French horn, resting securely on a shelf, "flew" into the air and crashed to the floor.  Abraham Beck said he had no scientific explanation for this phenomenon.  "The musical instrument was firmly on the shelf," Van Brookhoven explains, "and there was nobody else in the entire building at the time."  Like any book of this nature, all of the entries do not make as great an impact as Lancaster's riot squad and the flying French horn, but there are more than sufficient unsettling stories here to warrant calling Lititz, if not the most "mysterious" town in the country (as opposed to the "coolest"), certainly a place with it's share of weird stories.  Perhaps you might like to read a bit more of the stories so contact Cory Van Brookhoven for a copy of the book.  Tell him LDub suggested they buy his book!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.      

The "Lititz Resident Takes A Spin On "Wheel Of Fortune"

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my morning Lancaster Newspaper when I came across a photograph of a fellow named JP Welliver who lives in the nearby town of Lititz, Pennsylvania.  Seems that JP appeared on the "Wheel of Fortune" show on Wednesday, June 5.  The newspaper reported that while growing up, JP watched "Wheel of Fortune" with his family every evening.  

JP Welliver

He became obsessed over the show's cohost Vanna White and played the franchise's board games.  He even learned to spell with the help of the show's daily challenges.  After decades of admiration, Welliver finally got his chance to spin the giant wheel himself.  He appeared as a contestant on an episode of "Wheel of Fortune," which aired locally at 7 p.m., June 5.  Welliver taped with host Pat Sajak during the television personality's final week of filming with the show......after over 40 years.  

Saga's last episode aired Friday, June 7.  JP, 36, works primarily as an account manager for the Lititz-based company WebstaurantStore.  He's also involved in the local arts scene; he works as one of the building managers for the Ephrata Performing Arts Center and often appears in local theatrical productions.   Welliver is an ensemble member of EPCA's upcoming production of "Cabaret." Shows begin July 25 and end August 10.  He is also the musical director for St. Paul Lutheran Church in Penryn, Pa.  JP first auditioned for the show about 10 years ago.  Since then, he has sent audition videos with expected silence.  Welliver sent a final application during 2020, then heard noting for three years.  He finally got a callback audition in April 2023.  He competed remotely in a pool of possible contestants in a simulation of the game, solving four sets of 16 challenge puzzles.  Soon after, he was invited to Los Angeles to live our his childhood dream.. The episode was taped earlier this spring.  Welliver aspired to be on the show after spending years rooting for contestants at home.  He was persistent in his pursuit of an audition.  "When you're doing that on your own, it's like...I can be up there.  I want to do it," Welliver said.  To prepare for tapping, he watched old episodes of "Wheel of Fortune" on Pluto TV and stayed sharp with the help of a desk calendar in his office containing daily puzzles.  When the day finally arrived, he was excited.  "It was super fun, super surreal," he said.  "It's the quickest 22 minutes of your life.  You're up there, and it's done so quickly."  While the experience went quickly, it's not one Welliver will soon forget.  "If you have a childhood dream," Welliver said, "regardless of whether it's being on "Wheel of Fortune' - do not give up on that."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "If Dr. Seuss Wrote Tehnical Manuals" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The sun is shining in the window and my large cat, "Snickerdoodle" is sitting next to me, looking out the window, waiting for the trash collector to arrive.  I had just picked up my latest free copy of "The Fish Wrapper" yesterday at the grocery store and found a neat poem in it that I thought I would share with you today.

 It happens to be a Dr. Seuss poem....but, even if you don't like Dr. Seuss, you still may enjoy this poem dealing with your computer.  Give it a try....since what do you have to lose.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,

and the bus is interrupted as a very last resort,

and the address of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,

the socket packet pocket has an error to report.

If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash,

and the double clicking icons put your window in the trash,

and your data is corrupted 'cause the index doesn't hash,

then your situation's hopeless and your system's gonna crash.

If the label on your cable on the gable at your house

says the network is connected to the button on your mouse,

but your packets want to tunnel to another protocol, 

that's repeatedly rejected by the printer down the hall.

And your screen is all distorted by the side effects of gauss,

so your icons in the window are as wavy as a souse,

then you may as well reboot and go out with a bang,

'cause as sure as I'm a poet, the sucker's gonna hang!

When the copy of your floppy's getting sloppy on the disk,

and the microcode instructions cause unnecessary RISC,

then you have to flash your memory and you'll want to RAM your ROM,

quickly turn off your computer and be sure to tell your mom! 

Any help to you?  I had absolutely no idea what the poem was about, but it

seemed to be fun, so I thought I would pass it along!  LDub! 

The "If Only I Could Have Had A Chance To Beat The Wheel! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a fellow named JP Welliver (that has to be a made-up name!") who lives in nearby Lititz, Pennsylvania.  I'm sure you have never heard his name unless you watch "Wheel of Fortune" on your TV.  Seems that when JP had his final audition for "Wheel of Fortune" in April 2023, he wondered why he had to wait an entire year before taping with the show.  Well, the wait was due to producers and casting directors wanting to keep him for one of the shows last tapings with host Pat Sajak as the MC.  Welliver, 36, of Lititz, PA, appeared on "Wheel of Fortune" not long ago, competing against fellow contestants Nonie Lewis and Allison Willis.  The episode aired at 7:00 P.M. on CBS and was one of the last episodes Sajak filmed with the show; Sajak's final episode aired Friday,  June 7.  Welliver finished in second place with a final score of $14,000, falling just $400 short of winning contestant Willis.  

JP Welliver on Wheel of Fortune

Welliver answered every single toss-up puzzle, rapid-fire rounds where contestants buzz in to answer as more letters are shown on the screen.  But, when it came to spinning the wheel, Welliver didn't have as much luck.  He said, "I played a (darn) good game.  I do well under pressure.  If I could have just gotten $400 more dollars."  But, Welliver still felt like a winner on set.  "The puzzle board, the wheel, .... is just as beautiful as it looks on TV," he said.  Welliver, an active member of the local arts community, is one of the building managers at the Ephrata Performing Art Center and the music director for St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Penryn.  He works full-time as an account manager for the Webstaurant store and part-time at the Lititz Apothecary.  To celebrate his performance, Welliver held a watch party at Penn Cinema with his family and friends.  "The thing I appreciated the most about this whole experience is just seeing so much love and support from so many different people, literally, people all across the world," Welliver said.  "I just want to live in this moment forever, because it just feels so special."  As for me...."Wheel of Fortune" is one of my favorite TV quiz shows.  The dual feature of "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy" are always part of my TV watching on week-day evenings.  Wouldn't miss either one of them except if a Phillies game happened to be on at the same time.  Nothing can top Phillies Baseball!  Now...I have been known to record "The Wheel" and "Jeopardy" so I could watch them after the Phillies had won.  But, if the Phillies lost, that was the end of TV watching for that evening!  I often wanted to be on "Wheel of Fortune", but was never able to find where I could go to get a try-out for the show.  And, I know I'm not smart enough to be on Jeopardy. Hey....I'm still hoping that I might still get my chance to play the game on TV.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.