The "Ephrata, Pennsylvania Claims The Best Cookie Baker!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving north on Rt. 272 toward the town of Ephrata, Pennsylvania.  My quest today is to buy a few decorated cookies to place in the stockings of my grandchildren for Christmas.  Not just any cookies, but cookies made by the award winning "Cookie Lady" known as Laura Merkel.  This all came about when Carol and I were talking about something different to put in our granddaughter's stockings and I suggested I make a visit to "Laura the Cookie Lady" who has a store at 30 E. Main Street in Ephrata.

Laura's store at 30 East Main Street

Turned right off 272N onto State Street.  Not long before I had to stop at the light where State intersects Main.  Turned right and began looking for Laura's store.  Pulled into a parking space and walked  about 50 feet and then I saw it.  The sign read "Sold Out".  Seems the store opened at 11:00 a.m. that morning and 20 minutes later Laura had emptied her display cases of every cookie she and her helpers had baked for the day.  Laura has gained quite a bit of notoriety in this "neck of the woods" since she was on television's Food Network "Christmas Cookie Challenge".  Not only was she on the show, but she won the $10,000 that goes with being known as the best cookie maker in the United States.  Found out that the show was actually filmed last February in Los Angeles, but didn't air until the end of November.

Laura can be seen in the center of the photo with fellow bakers Megan
Savely to the left and Maisha Cottman on the right.  She won $10,000.

For 10 months Laura had to keep her win a secret from the town of Ephrata as well as the world.  She went up against four other cookie bakers from around the United States.  She baked an espresso-chocolate cookie that got high marks for taste and texture from the judges in the first round.  In the second and final round, she baked an oatmeal-kiwi-white chocolate Christmas tree cookie tart with cream cheese buttercream icing.

Laura holding one of her boxes she fills with cookies.

Carol and I enjoyed the show and were pulling for her the entire time.  When I left to head to Ephrata, Carol told me to get a couple of those cookies for Christmas gifts.  Well, the sign told me I wasn't going to get the treats today, but it didn't stop me from pounding on the door to arouse whomever might have been inside the bakery.  A fellow opened the front door and I asked if I could talk with Laura for a story I wanted to write for my blog.  He told me to follow him and in about 30 seconds I saw Laura behind the counter in her cookie store.  The place was bare of cookies, but not bare of smiles from Laura when I introduced myself and explained why I was there.

Laura's award winning entry.

She apologized about the lack of cookies, but told me the line when she opened was about a block long.  Everything was gone in about 20 minutes!  She told me to get in line tomorrow early if I want any.  She also told me that since her big win on the TV show she can't keep cookies in her cases very long.  Laura is a Long Island native who now lives in the small town known as Ephrata.  The neat little town is an agricultural community with the historical site Ephrata Cloisters and the nearby Green Dragon Farmer's Market.  Many Old Order Amish and Mennonites live in the surrounding villages.  The town now is the home to the best cookie baker in the country.  Congratulations to Laura and I only hope that sometime soon I will get a chance to try one of her award-winning cookies.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Laura's empty counters. 

Wish I could have gotten a few of these cookies. 

Or...maybe one of these. 

Another creative design.

Laura's logo for her business.

The "It Couldn't Have Happened To A More Deserving Guy" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Had just returned from a vacation to Antigua and was reading the almost two weeks of newspapers that I missed during my vacation.  Opened the September 29 edition of the LPN  Sunday News and there on the Sports page was a photograph of Mr. C. Wendell Hower with a headline that read "Hower will get Kirchner."  Mr. Hower was a math teacher when I was a student at Manheim Township High School in 1961.  

Mr. C. Wendell Hower

I never had him as a math teacher, but knew him as a big man who also coached football and basketball.  During his college athletic career he played football for Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster where he was a Little All-American honoree.  I eventually returned to the school as a teacher and by now he was the Athletic Director.  Over his tenure at Manheim Township High School he coached football and basketball, was Athletic Director and officiated at football and basketball games.  He eventually became the Principal of the High School for over 29 years.  It was during that time that I was picked by my colleagues as one of the  top teachers in Pennsylvania and Mr. Hower traveled with me receive my award in Harrisburg.  I have never, to this day, been able to address him as anything other than Mr. Hower.  

Award winner, Mr. C. Wendell Hower

He eventually became a member of the board of directors of the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association), and became the Secretary of the organization.  Since I taught Graphic Arts in the high school, he asked me to print needed materials for the PIAA during the summer months.  Well, for all his dedication to sports as a player, coach and administrator, he is being honored at the Hall of Fame Banquet as this year's winner of the prestigious George W. Kirchner Memorial Award.  It is quite an honor for a very deserving person.  Mr. Hower is still the Secretary of the PIAA and I still print his materials for him, though we are both retired from our respective jobs at Manheim Township High School.  And, I am as proud of him winning his award as he was of me when I won years ago.  Congratulations, Mr. Hower.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Top Scholastic Art Winner 25 Years Ago" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Thursday, March 3, 1994 and there on page 5 of the "Teen Weekend" section was a large photograph of a young man holding a sheet of negatives toward the light while his teacher looks over his shoulder pointing out one particular negative that may be a good one to print.  The reason I know so much about what happened that day was because I was that teacher who was examining the sheet of negatives that his son was holding in front of him.  All my children shared my love of photography with me and every one of them won special awards in the National Scholastic Arts Competition during their high school careers.  I know...it looks fishy that they would all win awards and I'm their dad and teacher, but they really did it all on their own.  If anything, I was a bit tougher on them than on my other students I had in my photography classes.  

Lancaster newspaper photograph of Tad
examining negative with his dad pointing
out a few negs he should print.

The story in Lancaster Newspaper's "Teen Weekend" tells of Paul, whom we call him Tad since he was born in 1976, the Bi-Centennial Year, and we named him after Thaddeus Stevens who was a Lancastrian and member of Congress, deciding to take a photograph of a fish.  He went to the local store and purchased the fish which he took to the school studio where he colored its gills with a rainbow of inks, loaded his SLR camera, set up the lights, and shot a photo without the use of flash.  When he developed the photograph, the fish looked as if it was surrounded with liquid gold.  He liked it and entered in in the Scholastic contest.  The judges evidently liked it also since they gave the photograph a Gold Key, one of five Gold Keys he won in the competition which made him the most honored student in the competition.  His seven piece portfolio of photography was accepted for the national Scholastic Arts Awards show to be exhibited in New York which was another big honor.  Newspaper also said that it didn't hurt to have a darkroom at home as well as having his father as his teacher in Photograph class.  He told the reporter that to him "It's just like having any other teacher, except that I call him 'Dad'."  Tad has had other photographs that have also received  acclaim in the past.  He once took a photo at a football game and used too slow of a shutter speed, but the blurred black and white of the players in motion won a national award.  Another photograph of a cemetery statue of Mary holding Jesus was developed and printed with the print being reshot on litho film which brought out a stark contrast between blacks and whites.  That too won an award.  Tad explains that his mistakes do quite well.  Another Gold Key winner was a photograph he took at St. James Episcopal Churchyard and printed on matte paper and used oil tints to add his own color.  Another winner was taken on Polaroid film and before the emulsion dried within the print's surfaces he altered the image with wooden tools.  Another technique he learned in his photography class.  A final Gold Key winner had him using a slow shutter speed while at the Lancaster train station.  The photo shows people on the platform with streaks of light behind them from the passing train.  

Tad using a large format camera at Antonelli Institute.

Tad had more than his dad to help him with his photo- graphic skills, since both his older brother and sister won awards for their photos in the National Scholastic Arts Competition.  Tad eventually went to Antonelli Institute of Art and Photography in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania to study photography.  He worked for renowned photographer Jerry Driendl for a few years then changed careers and went into the printing trade...which he also took in high school...with his dad as his teacher.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Congratulations Are In Order" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Shaking hands with my son-in-law Dave to congratulate him for being one of the 24 members of the 2019 Inaugural Class of the Quince Orchard Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Coach Dave Mencarini

Quince Orchard High School is located in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, Maryland.   He taught at the high school for many years and was the head football coach for quite a few of those years.  During the years he was head coach he experienced many memorable moments.  In 2004 he became head coach and had 8 wins and 2 losses that year.  After that year, it all got better, if that's possible.  Since that time his teams played for the State Championship three times, winning the 2007 4A State Title, going undefeated at 14-0.  Another year he lost in overtime during the State Championship.  Then, during his 10th year at the helm he won his 100th game with a win in his third game of the season  Many of his players have gone on to play at Division I colleges.  

Decorations adorn his home garage after his 100th win.

In 2011 The Washington Post named him the "Coach of the Year" in the state of Maryland.  Dave and his staff built "QO", as they are known, into one of the state of Maryland's elite programs.  For the many years he spent at QO before moving to Urbana High School in 2014 and eventually to the University of Maryland, he was rewarded by being named to the first ever Quince Orchard Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Dave getting drenched after winning the State Title.

Dave, along with 23 other outstanding coaches and athletes, made up the school's first ever class.  The school only opened in 1988, thus not having an athletic hall of fame until this year.  My daughter Brynn, Dave's wife and mother of their two young girls, posted a message on the school's website where she wrote:  "Proud of you Dave.  I loved being part of the QO family and community.  Excited to see Lisa, Bañi, Travis and Dake on here too."  Bañi Gbadyu went on to play middle-linebacker for Penn State and then help coach Mannheim Township High School where I taught at one time.  The members of the inaugural class will be honored on Friday, October 4th before the home football game that night.  My wife Carol and I wish to congratulate him for this remarkable accomplishment.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "History Coming Back To Life In A Medal" Story

Drawing by Mike Abel showing
what the medallooked like from 1919.

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a drawing of the 1919 Lancaster, Pennsylvania "Welcome Home Medal" that was awarded to everyone who returned home from overseas during World War I.  The medal was made of bronze and attached to a blue and white ribbon.  It weighed 18.15 grams and measured 1.5 inches at its widest point and 3 inches from bottom to top.  The medal hung from a "V" shaped ribbon which was dark blue on the left side and white on the right side.  Two bronze rings connected the ribbon to the medal.  The medal was shaped like a five-armed cross with the arms being equally spaced around the exterior.  Each arm on the medal looked like the cross-section of a mushroom which when folded looked like a rose petal.  In the center of the medal was a crest of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which looks very much like the crest of Lancaster, England.  The English crest had a ship on the top, a plow in the middle and a sheaf of wheat at the bottom.  The Lancaster, Pennsylvania crest had a few changes with a Conestoga Wagon replacing the ship, three round balls from the Penn family coat of arms instead of the plow and three sheaves of wheat on the bottom.  The crest has a "crown" at the tip with a design that also includes the Penn Family arms.  The House of Lancaster in England had a red rose as its symbol and the new medal features a rose with the new crest in the middle of the rose.  Above the crest are the words "WELCOME HOME" while "LANCASTER PA is below the crest.  On either side is the number 19 for the year 1919.  On the rear is the initials of the manufacturer, JFA (J. Francis Apple) which at one time stood at 336 South West End Avenue.  The medal was made by using a steel die and stamped into the medal.  The medal was produced to give to returning service men and women who resided in Lancaster, PA.  I found a story about the medal in a 1995 Lancaster County Historical Society Journal telling about the medal and saying that the medal was awarded by the city of Lancaster and not the United States Army.  The story was written by Carl J. Tishler and featured a piece of artwork showing the medal which was drawn by Mike Abel.  The medal was given out to all who had earned it without charge.  Mr. Tishler tried to locate a copy of the medal by visiting antique dealers in the Lancaster area, but without luck.  Many other states and cities produced medals to give to returning servicemen and servicewomen.  

The seal of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

It was thought that since the crest of the city of Lancaster, PA was only 12 years old at the time, it would be a good way to show off the crest and to honor the troops.  And, the medal was meant to tell the story of civic pride and patriotism in Lancaster.  I did find the seal of the City of Lancaster on a building in downtown Lancaster which resembles the drawing I found in the Historical Society book.  The interior of the seal resembles the drawing made by Mike Abel.  Mementos such as this bring history back to life.  I only wish I could have found one and perhaps matted and framed it for the owner.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "The Hero From Sint Maarten: Part I" Story

Preface: In 2014 my wife, Carol, and I had the privilege of meeting Barbara and Diederick Cannegieter while on vacation on the island of Sint Maarten.  Dee owns and operates a liquor store in the capital city of Philipsburg while Barbara was a homemaker, mother and social activist.  

Carol and Barbara in Dee's island garden.

We were invited to visit with them in their gorgeous home high on the hill above Philipsburg.  The view also happened to capture the scene of what is known as "The Dump" which is the collection point for trash from all over the island.  And...it has been ill-administered for many, many years and has caused life-threatening fumes for the residents of the island.  My story today tells of the success that Barbara has obtained to date for her fellow citizens while tomorrow's story shows Barbara's human interest side.  Read both to see how important she has become to the island since her marriage to Dee and her move to Sint Maarten.  I say this because she at one time lived only about 120 miles from my home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the headline on the website SXM Talks which states:  SXM TALKS 2018 "PERSON" OF THE YEAR: CITIZENS THAT TOOK GOVERNMENT TO COURT OVER DUMP.  The location is Philispburg.  The following story is directly from SXM Talks: 

On August 24th, 2018, “St. Maarten residents Barbara Cannegieter and Camiel Koster and law firm Bergman Zwanikken Snow Essed (BZSE) filed a petition for an injunction against Country St. Maarten, the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI and current management company of the landfill Robelto and Son B.V. in Sucker Garden”.

The "Dump" which burns on a daily basis is shown here.

“Plaintiffs request that the Court order government and the dump operator to take effective measures to prevent the emission of smoke, gases and stench at the landfill within three months following a Court ruling”.  “They also request that the Court order
govern- ment to have an official institution such as the Netherlands Institute for Public Health and the Environment RIVM in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, conduct measurements of the toxic fumes”, according to this article.  The plaintiffs were later joined by the Prosecutor's Office, in an unprecedented move, who already launched a criminal investigation surrounding all “Dump Affairs” in April of 2018.  Since launching the court case, Government had to report to the judge on a structural basis on what it was doing to come to a permanent solution for the Dump, in terms of waste management / processing in general but also how to stop the toxic fires on the short term.  Small wins, although not as fast as plaintiffs would have wanted it, have been recorded and it seems that with the help of the World Bank Trust Fund, an action plan will be financed and implemented to mitigate fires and to make a decision what the best long term solution is with regards to waste management / processing for SXM.  We at SXM Talks have been advocating for a permanent solution to the Dump for a long time and as such salute these brave residents for taking this courageous step in the benefit for SXM, making it a better place to live for all in the end.  We thank you and wish you much strength in seeing this court case through until structural solutions are indeed implemented!

Carol and I want to congratulate Barbara, Camiel and the law firm for their hard work in trying to help their fellow residents of Sint Maarten.  This "Person Of The Year" award is certainly well-deserved.  But, the job isn't finished yet, as they all know.  I'm sure they will see it through to the end and obtain the results that all citizens have a right to expect from their government.  Good job, Barbara and others!  Well done!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Could My Dad Have Gotten It Wrong? Story

Freedom display featuring Henry Norwood "Barney" Ewell.

It was an ordinary day.  My first day visiting The Lancaster County Historical Society as a new member.  My wife bought me the membership as a Christmas gift and I finally decided it was time for a visit.  Wanted to see the "Freedom" display that is in the main lobby for a few more months.  One of the displays was an entire wall filled with photos and memorabilia about Lancaster's own Barney Ewell who attended John Piersol McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and who won a Gold Medal in the 1948 Olympics.  

Sprinter Barney Ewell

As I stood in front of the forty foot long display, reading the many accolades of Mr. Ewell, I wondered if my dad could have gotten it wrong.  Seems my dad went to school with Barney and told me more than once that Barnney borrowed money from him, as well as other classmates, and never repaid the debt.  "Happened more than once, until I figured I wasn't getting my money back and stopped giving him money.  Then he hit the next guy up for money until he also realized he wasn't getting repaid," dad told me.  Heard the story more than once and I began to dislkie the guy who became famous and never repaid his debts.  

Plaque awarded to Barney for McCaskey HS Hall of Fame

I looked at one photograph after another and read the literature on the wall in the Historical Society and wondered if this really was the guy who my dad had told me about.  Couldn't have been ... or could it?  Seems that Henry Norwood Ewell, known to his classmates as "Barney," was born into a poor family on February 25, 1918.  He became Pennsylvania's greatest high school sprinter and jumper in the mid-1930s.  

Another award from the state of Pennsylvania.

He attended high school with my dad and was a track and field star at the school.  In 1988, Barney entered the J.P. McCaskey Athletic Hall of Fame during the school's 50th Anniversary year.  After graduation he entered Pennsylvania State University, but dropped out in order to serve in the United States Army.  

His 1948 Olympic Gold Medal for the 4 x 100 race.

After his time in the Army, he returned to Penn State and received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1947.  While at Penn State, before he entered the service, he was a celebrated sprinter and jumper, running the 100 meter and 200 meter races and winning 12 gold medals between 1940 and 1942.  Since both the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Summer Games were canceled, he lost hope that he would ever be a celebrated Olympian.  

Receiving his Silver Medal for the 100 meter dash.

By the time the '48 Olympics came around, everyone thought Barney was past his prime and had missed his chance at a Gold Medal.  He surprised everyone by making the team, equaling the world record of 10.2 in the 100 meter dash at the 1948 AAU Championships, which served as the Olympic trials.  He ran the 100 meter dash at London and thought he had won the race, but it was awarded to teammate Harrison Dillard with Barney taking the Silver Medal.  In the 200 meter race he also took the Silver to teammate Mel Patton.  He was added to the 4 x 100 relay after teammate Ed Conwell became sick.  The U.S. team easily won the race, but were disqualified due to an "out of the zone" baton exchange between Ewell and Lorenzo Wright.  

This photo shows Jesse Owens (seated) talking with Barney
Ewell.  Both were World Class athletes in track and field.

After reviewing the film of the race the officials reversed the ruling and Barney was awarded the Gold Medal along with his team members.  Barney contributed to his community by encouraging young athletes to strive for excellence in every thing they did in life.  He eventually, in later life, had both his legs amputated due to diabetes.  Not sure what year that might have been, but dad never said a bad word about Barney after that happened.  I guess he figured Barney had paid the price.  Barney died on April 4, 1996 in Lancaster.  He will be remembered forever as one of Lancaster's most prolific athletes.  And, I still wonder if dad could have gotten it wrong!  Nah, dad was always right!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.