The "Quarantine's From The Past: Part II - 1948" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished reading a column in the newspaper that is know as "I Know A Story."  Every week the column is written by someone who usually lives close to Lancaster, Pennsylvania or someone whom may have lived nearby and has since moved out of the area.  Today's story was written by Anne Rhodes Brockley and is titled "Remembering a quarantine in 1948."  I suppose that many reading this story today weren't born in 1948 or if they had been, may not remember much about their childhood.  Anne tells about the year that she and her sister were quarantined due to scarlet fever.  She was almost 6 years old and her sister was 7.  When school had ended their mother took both girls, as well as their 8 year old brother, to the circus.  While at the circus, Anne felt ill and after returning home her mother called the doctor.  He made a home visit and diagnosed scarlet fever.  The doctor contacted the authorities as Anne was confined to the house.  Two weeks later her sister also had the dreaded disease.  Their brother was also told to stay in the house for the next six weeks, even though he had not been diagnosed with the disease.  

The photograph their father took
of their front door at 1192 Maple St.
Notice the Scarlet Fever sign.
Click to enlarge.

The quarantine was tough on the three siblings, but was even worse on their mother.  The whining got to be too much so their mother told Anne's brother to get on his bike and ride up and down the alley behind their house.  A neighbor saw him and called the authorities.  A Police officer came and warned their mother, with a wink, to keep him inside.  I assume the patrolman might have had children and knew that six weeks in quarantine is unbearable.  Anne said that her father was an amateur photographer and took a photograph of the sign on the front of their house at 1192 Maple Ave.  Soon after the quarantine, they sold their house and moved into a bigger home.  Probably in case it ever happened again, a larger home would give them more space during a quarantine.  I suspect that scarlet fever wasn't as deadly as COVID-19.  It originally resulted in death to 15-20% of those infected, but since the advent of antibiotic therapy, it is only deadly in about 1% of those infected.  The signs and symptoms included a sore throat, fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes and a red rash  on the tongue that feels like sandpaper.  I can remember having friends who had scarlet fever and who got to stay home from school for a couple of weeks.  We all envied them, not knowing how serious a disease it could be.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Quarantine's From The Past: Part I - 1941" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The Sunday LNP newspaper had quite a few stories on the continuing pandemic we are still experiencing and probably will continue to experience for perhaps another year or more.  One of the stories was about a retiree from nearby Lititz, Pennsylvania by the name of Joe Weaver who was among the many children who were required to stay indoors during the polio outbreak in 1941.  For most of you, including myself, 1941 means nothing, since you and I weren't born at the time.  Accompanied the story was a photograph that appeared in the newspaper showing Joe using a jigsaw at the Lancaster Recreation and Playground association.  Joe was glad to be able to use it since it meant the end of his quarantine in 1941. (A note here would be the fact that Joe is not using goggles which would be required today).

Joe Weaver, polio quarantine survivor.

Joe loved to work with his hands and still remembers when they closed the shop and made everyone go home due to the polio quarantine.  Joe's dad was a supervisor at Armstrong Linoleum and they lived on Shippen Street at the time.  He had to walk to school and walk downtown to go to the movies.  When he was in 7th grade he wanted to join the track team, but his tuberculosis test came back positive.  A later chest X-ray showed it had cleared up, but he was discouraged from doing any strenuous physical activity.  At the time the only form of entertainment was the radio, since the television, video games and computer hadn't been invented.  He did remember making necklaces from macaroni.  Joe's sister, Annie, remembered that the polio scare began in August of 1941.  She said that schools didn't open until a month or so into the usual school year.  To make up the time they missed, their holiday vacations throughout the year were recalled.  Children were not allowed to go to church, the movies, the library, the park, swimming pools or anywhere in public.  Annie didn't remember anyone wearing masks back then.  Joe attended St. Anthony's Catholic School, East Junior High and Lancaster McCaskey High School where he loved making things of metal and wood.  

Photograph from the Lancaster Sunday News
on September 7, 1941 showing Joe working at
the Lancaster Recreation and Playground Asso.

Joe spent two years in the U.S. Navy and then began working at Armstrong Cork Company.  In the newspaper story, Joe reported that he didn't actually know anyone who had polio, but still remembers being kept indoors to avoid the disease.  Dennis Weaver, the son of Joe, tells that his dad was a real do-it-yourselfer.  He told the newspaper reporter that he worries about how his father will fare during the new coronavirus quarantine.  His dad is accustomed to going out for breakfast and lunch often, but will have to curtail that for now.  Joe is now 92 and still loves working with machinery.  During his current quarantine, he is watching a bit more television than he had in the past.  He does try and take care of the flowerbeds and bird feeders.  He actually made his own mask out of cloth.  This veteran of quarantines advised everyone to greet each day with a purpose.  He advises everyone to start a hobby if you doh't have one.  Do anything where you are creating something.  He reports that when he goes to bed at night, he thinks about what he as accomplished during the day.  And, being that he has been through two quarantines during his lifetime, he should know.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Countdown To Disaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sometime in the last week of June, 1989.  All started when a fellow by the name of Daniel P. Krushinski purchased two rocket engines from Vulcan Systems of Colorado Springs, Colorado with the intent to set them off from the parking lot of Larry Murphy Chevrolet on the outskirts of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The entire event was to be a promotional gimmick for the Chevrolet dealership.  Next to the Chevrolet dealership stands Franklin & Marshall college as well as an upscale neighborhood of stately homes.  Nearby is the beautiful home known as Wheatland which was the former home of President James Buchanan.  Also closeby is St. Joseph Hospital, one of two hospitals in the city of Lancaster.  So, who is this guy Krushinski?  He claimed to be Daniel P.  Kirchner, a rocket launch specialist with a long record for crimes involving fraud and deception.  Kirchner purchased two rocket engines from Vulcan Systems and had them sent to 2268 William Penn Way in Lancaster, the address where a guy by the name of...yep, Daniel P. Krushinski lived.  Something fishy here!  Well, Lancaster County District Attorney Henry S. Kenderdiine Jr. got involved in the whole mess and pointed out that they must now teach rocketry at the New Values program at the jail where Krushinski had recently been released.  But, it was determined that Krushinski did apply to the nearby Dauphin County Court to have his name changed to Daniel P. Kirchner and he was now living with his parents at 315 N. Charlotte Street in the city.  The Lancaster newspaper asked Krushinski/Kirchner for an interview and when they knocked on the door at 315, no one answered.  No kidding!  

The rocket is checked
out by Bob Cooke.

The newspaper did find out that Krushinski was released from state prison late last year after serving more than two years of a two-and-a-half to seven year sentence.  He was serving time for impersonating a police officer, six counts of forgery and five counts of theft by deception.  I did some checking and found that Krushinski/Kirchner did apply and receive a "Certificate of Waiver or Authorization" from the U.S. Department of Transportation that allowed: Shooting rocket off from the abandoned Landisville Airport, which is located in Lancaster, Pa. 17603 (Approx. 220 1/2 - 5 1/2 miles from LRP-VCR) surface to 30,000 feet.  Rocket will return via parachute).  The certificate was effective from 7-4, 1300 hours to 7-4 1430 hours and subject to cancellation at any time upon notice by the Administrator or his authorized representative.  Evidently Mr. Krushinski/Kirchner gave the Certificate of Authorization  to the Lancaster Airport and in turn the airport must have notified the Manheim Township Police Department, since Manheim Township police seized two rocket engines from Larry Murphy Chevrolet, after learning that a promotional consultant may have misled the engines' manufacturer as to how the engines were to be used.  

The authorization to set off the rocket.

The general manager, Bob Cooke, of the Chevrolet dealership, voluntarily relin- quished the rocket engines after he was told they repre- sented a serious safety hazard, and canceled the promotional rocket launch that had scheduled for July 4. Mr. Cooke had planned to launch the 30-foot high rocket from the Larry Murphy car lot.  When Vulcan owners found out what their rockets were to be used for they said they had been misinformed about the use of them.  So, I guess Mr. Krushinski/Kirchner must have been in for more jail time.  I checked, but couldn't find out what ever happened to him.  I'm assuming he is in another state by now.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Lt. Jack Nunumacher of the Manheim Township Police
carrying one of the rocket engines that was confiscated.

  

The "Learning In The Amish Community" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Heading back from a trip to the grocery store in nearby Lititz, Pennsylvania.  Traffic is light, but thought I would head back through the back roads to see how the planting is progressing on the many Amish farms in the area.  

One-room Amish School on Fairview Road sets idle.

Passed an Amish one-room school and began to wonder how they handled the recent COVID crisis.  There are about 250-or-so Amish and Old Order Mennonite one-room schools in Pennsylvania and wasn't sure if they closed or stayed open after Pennsylvania's Governor Wolf ordered all Pennsylvania schools to close.  As it turned out, most all Amish schools closed their doors to there classes.  But, as in other public and private schools, learning never stopped.  Now, they didn't go online as quite a few other schools in the state did, since Amish do not have electricity in their homes or have access to the Internet.  The Amish schools switched to remote assignments with paper and pencil.  In most cases, the teachers, who are mostly young women who haven't been married yet, sent home worksheets and textbooks, giving instructions as to how to finish their lessons for the remainder of the school year.  Many of the teachers live closeby their school assignment and were able to visit with the students if it was necessary.  Some teachers even gave individualized instruction at their home or the home of the student.  Being that most Amish schools have only about 30 students, with many being siblings, it wouldn't be hard to visit a home to give instructions.  

Another school on Snake Hill Road also sets idle.

The teacher could walk, ride a horse, take a scooter, ride in their buggy or use an "Amish Taxi" which is driven by a non-Amish person.  Since Amish schools only go to the eighth grade, most students don't have a tremendous amount of homework in the first place.  Especially since the virus arrived close to the beginning of the growing season and most families would expect their children to help in the Spring planting, therefore hoping that their teacher hadn't given homework.  I did find one website that told of Amish teachers handing out schoolwork two times a week to at least try to stay on schedule.  The Amish don't normally listen to "English" (non-Amish) rules and guidelines and the decision to close schools was one of those rules handed down by the "English" State.  The decision to close schools was guided by the local Amish Steering Committees which are groups of laymen that serve as a liaison to various levels of government.  But, they did follow their "English" neighbors as far as closing the school door.  The Amish took the COVID crisis very seriously and respected the public health aspect of it and the guidelines handed down by the Governor.  Being that they don't stop school for holidays and other breaks, they finished school a few weeks ago anyway.  Again, the planting season usually signals the end of the school year in the Amish school.  Will they return in the fall as others will probably do?  My guess is they will more than likely stick to the same starting schedule as their "English" neighbors do.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Celestial Question...Will There Ever Be A 'Normal' Again?" Story

Preface:  One of the many pages I enjoy visiting in my daily newspaper is the page that carries the Horoscopes.  I find it interesting and sometimes comical what is written.  But, I must admit that at times what is written is exactly what happened during my daily routines.  For those that might not know what a horoscope is, here is a general definition for you:  a forecast of a person's future, typically including a delineation of character and circumstances, based on the relative positions of the stars and planets at the time of that person's birth.  Check below to see what my horoscope was yesterday (Virgo).

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about prominent astrologer Susan Miller and her reasoning about the coronavirus.  Seems she is placing the blame for the virus on the tiny planet known as Pluto.  Previously she had predicted a "great" 2020.  What happened Susan?  Has the fact that astrologers didn't see the virus coming make their practice "fake news."  Susan predicted in January that 2020 would be a great year...a prosperous year...the best year ever.  From whom did she get that information?  She also predicted that Capricorn would be the year's celestial favorite and that Cancer would be the most likely time to wed.  Libra was set to score in real estate, Taurus was the time to travel internationally and Sagittarius was a time of profit.  Then, it seems that the stars got out of whack and all hell broke loose.  Susan was asked why she hadn't predicted this. She must have seen something this large in the heavens.  But, astrologers write their horoscopes in such a broad, general way that anyone could find something that applied to them.  But, when the global pandemic arrived with the magnitude and universality that it did, astrology seemed to take a dive.  But, horoscopes seem to be more popular than ever.  How long will this last?  Will things ever get back to normal?  Can we trust the people in charge?  How quickly those who trusted the astrologers forgot about the fact that none of this was predicted by the stars.  They just want answers now based on the stars and planets.  Since the virus entered our world, astrology sites have shown major following.  Astrology and horoscopes bear more recognition in times such as this than do religion and spirituality.    Those that in the past relied on their horoscope to predict travel, pay raises and future lovers are now counting on it to predict global economy, inequality and the impact on their own fate.  One female astrologer said he knew that 2020 would be a tough year, but being an election year, it's always tough to read the stars.  So maybe we shouldn't be looking to the planets as much as we did before this all struck.  A former journalist who now has a site that offers personalized daily horoscopes, agrees that astrology can help provide tools to cope with uncertainty and daily frustrations that arise from the pandemic.  It helps take you beyond what is happening.  A special report written by an astrologer blamed the coronavirus on Pluto.  Seems that the small planet is huge in predictions about financial matters, masses of people and viruses.  Also seems that Gemini rules the lungs, thus the virus attacks the lungs.  According to Susan, the virus will be raging until the end of May and then become weak in the summer only to pop back up in the fall and last until December.  Seems that many of our health professionals are now predicting the same forecast.  Or, could it be that Susan was watching the evening news and based her prediction on what the health professions are saying.  I guess it's all whom you trust the most as to what you believe.  And, if you put your trust in astrologers more than in health professionals...well, good luck with that!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Touching Obituary For A Victim Of COVID-19" Story

Sam and Mary Ellen, sweethearts in love!

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an obituary which appeared on the front page of the Lancaster Sunday LNP newspaper a few days ago.  A very touching obituary, or should I say story, about a former Amish boy who as an adult became a hero to many who got to know him throughout his life.  At the top of the far right column on the front page was a photograph of Sam Stoltzfus and Mary Ellen Brendle draped on either side of the hood of what appears to be a 1950 Pontiac.  

Announcement for the engagement
of Mary Ellen and Samuel.

You can just "feel" the love that eminates from their faces in the old sepia photograph.  He eventually married his sweetheart on April 7, 1951.  Sam was born in Morgantown, Pennsylvania on January 7, 1930, son of Emanuel and Fannie Stoltzfus.  He was the youngest in his family and predeceased by his five brothers.  Sam left his Amish upbringing at the end of eight grade and eventually enlisted in the Army to serve in Korea.  He was a jeep driver in the Army which led to his 30 year career as a truck driver for New Holland Machine Co. with over four million miles of driving. But, he also had a love for auctioneering which led to 34 years as a local estate auctioneer.  

Sam in his service uniform.

During his retirement he became involved with the Garden Spot Lions and Leo Clubs.  He was a member the Conestoga Church of the Brethren for most of his life, but recently joined St. John's Center UCC Church in Union Grove, Pennsylvania.  Sam was also an avid member of the ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out) breakfast club which gave him a chance to do one of the things he loved best...talk!  Seems everybody knew him no matter what restaurant he might walk into on any given day.  But, what he enjoyed the most in life was his family which in addition to his wife Mary Ellen, includes five children; Shirley, Robert, Stanley, Kenneth and James and their spouses; ten grandchildren (one predeceased him) and five great-grandchildren.  

Sam and Mary Ellen

Sam recently died peacefully at the age of 90 due to complications related to COVID-19 on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.  And, after reading his obituary in the morning newspaper, it is obvious that he will be missed by not only family but all those he touched in his church community as well as all that he befriended thru his ROMEO breakfast club.  If you care to celebrate Sam's life, you may do so with a contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS, 66675-8515 or www.woundedwarriorproject.org.  Sam's life was filled with the love of many friends and relatives and will be dearly missed. RIP!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Recent photograph of Samuel Stoltzfus.

 

The "Changing Bobbins For A Catastrophe" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just talked with my boss at Grebinger Gallery.  Keith called to ask how I was doing since he hasn't seen or talked to me for a few weeks, since his business had been shuttered by the State of Pennsylvania due to the gallery not being an essential business in this time of medical emergency.  We talked for some time about how he and his wife Cindy were doing.  

Cindy getting ready for action!

He then asked if I heard that she just began sewing masks to protect you from spreading or catching the corona- virus.  Cindy has been making weighted blankets at the gallery for some time now, but recently changed directions to accommodate the need for more face masks.  Cindy and Keith have been owners of Grebinger Gallery/Lancaster Picture Framing for the past 27 years, specializing in framed artwork as well as 3D items and sports memorabilia.  

Working on one of her face masks.

They were recently forced to close due to the Covid 19 crisis.  A week or so ago the Governor of Pennsyl- vania, Tom Wolf, recommen- ded that all PA residents wear a face mask when going outside.  Since that time the gallery phone has been ringing off the hook with people asking if Cindy could supply them with masks.  Sure enough, she has switched from her custom sewn weighted blankets to custom face masks.  She has been working non-stop making the masks with a few hundred ordered already.  

Happy customers!

Some of the masks have been ordered from as far away as South Dakota, Louisiana, Florida, New York, California and New Mexico.  If you are in need of a mask or multiple masks, text Cindy at (717) 475-5280.  As you can see, she can make you a mask in just about any color or design of fabric.  She is working as quickly as she can to fill the orders, but you do need to place an order as soon as you can due to the large amount already ordered.  So, if you have to wear a mask, and you know that requirement is going to last for quite a few weeks, you might as well wear one you like and look good in.  Send her a text and find out about her schedule and prices.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - you can arrange for porch pickup at their home so you don't have to get close to anyone to pick up your masks. Samples of just a few of the fabrics follow:

 

The "Your Personality Is Very Personal" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at my fingers and trying to decide what my personality may be based on the length of each finger.  Now, for me that can be a bit different than for most of you, since the fingers on my right hand are different than the fingers on my left hand.  All goes back to one day years ago when I was teaching a lesson on how to run the offset press to my Graphic Arts seniors.  As I was giving my demonstration and they stood next to me watching, I made a wrong move and in no time my right hand was caught in the press.  And boy...did that hurt!  I'm not sure who displayed the most white on their face, myself or the half-dozen guys standing around the press that had stopped automatically when my hand became lodged in it.  I grabbed the wheel in front of me with my left hand and turned it until my right hand became dislodged.  Looked at it and after telling my class to sit down in their chairs, headed to the school nurse.  She knew there was nothing she could do with the tip of my pointer finger, which hung to the side of the rest of the finger, so she grabbed her coat and we sped to the hospital as quickly as she could drive.  About an hour later I had a hand that had an index finger that was about the same length as my little finger, since after twisting and pulling it back in place, at a slight angle, it had shrank close to half an inch.  Thus, the fingers on my right hand are a different length while on my left hand my ring finger is longer than my index finger.  

But, for those of you with normal fingers, there is a way to tell your personality by the length of those fingers.  If your ring finger is longer than the index finger, and you are a male, you are more than likely handsome and charming, make lots of money and can get along with just about everyone.  If your ring finger is shorter than the index finger, you are the confident type and perhaps narcissistic.  At times you hate to be disturbed and are not very romantic.  If the ring fingers and index fingers are the same length, well you are a good mediator as well as very loyal and loving.  You're calm, organized and never get rattled.  As for me, it all depends on which hand I decide to look at to determine what I may be that particular day.  Another personality trait can be decided by where you fall in your family line.  If you are the youngest child you more than likely are the most spoiled while the eldest is the most responsible.  You are also the most "powerless" since your siblings were allowed to do more by your parents.  But, the youngest is usually more spoiled which can cause problems with independence later in life.  The youngest is also the most relaxed and easygoing without a worry in the world.  They are also the most charming, but manipulative.  If you are a middle child you get quite a bit of attention and are very competitive.  You can adapt quickly and usually try to avoid conflict.  You are very social and independent.  The eldest child of the family can at times feel inferior which will affect their confidence.  But, the eldest are usually trusted more which leads to greater responsibility.  Makes you a good leader, responsible, trustworthy and ambitious.  See yourself yet?  Well, you have one more shot at your personality if you can look at the way you sit.  

Body language tells quite a bit about a person's personality.  If you sit with your knees together and feet apart (position A) you are very creative and charismatic and view life as an adventure.  if you sit with your legs crossed (position B) you are a dreamer.  You have a rich imagination and are a good listener, but in touch with your own feelings.  If you sit with your knees apart (position C) you are more than likely a chaotic person who can't sit still.  Your mind is always moving and you have a short attention span.  Also helps to have clean underwear.  If you sit with your legs touching from knees to feet (position D) you are very smart and a good thinker.  You are honest, calm and can't stand to gossip.  Finally if you sit with both legs together, but off to the side (position E), you are very goal-oriented and value a career.   You are ambitious and set high goals and standards for yourself.  But, you can lose sight of what you already have since you always aspire for more.  Well, after examining your fingers, legs and where you fall in the family tree, you should know a bit more about yourself.  But, it's all hypothetical depending on what you think of yourself.  And that...can be be totally different than what someone else thinks of you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Dear God! Please Help Us!! Story

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

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

The "We Will Survive - Won't We?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just opened the front door to accept a package from the Postal Service.  Ordered a box of exterior light bulbs a day ago for the outdoor lights we have on our back deck.  Opened the box to make sure they were what I really wanted and across the interior box read: "Made In China".  Carefully opened it, examined the bulbs, placed one in the string of lights outside our rear door and washed my hands.  The final step I just listed was my wife's idea, since we had no idea if someone may have touched the bulbs or box and then came down with the Coronavirus.  

Are we being too careful?  Are we paranoid?  I DON'T KNOW!!  Every day we hear more and more about how many people in each state of the United States has contracted the disease which at times can kill you; especially those older citizens which would include both my wife and I.  We're still struggling with going on or canceling our upcoming vacation to St. Martin, since we aren't sure how reliable hospital care might be on the island if we would need it.  But...haven't we gone through this a few other times in our life?  We have lived through the AIDs epidemic, the EBOLA epidemic, the Influenza scare and a variety of other medical problems in our life.  We've been lucky so far, so why worry now?  Don't we have some resistance to the current virus after all these years of living?  We've lived through quite a few quarantines in our lifetime as have many others have.  If a quarantine is issued by the airline or by the island of St. Martin, that is something we have no control over and would naturally have to stay put in Lancaster.  But, exactly what is a quarantine and for how long does it usually last?  There are two listings under the word in the dictionary.  One is the enforced isolation of patients suffering from a contagious disease in order to prevent the spread of disease while the other is isolation to prevent the spread of infectious disease.  The word is primarily a verb, but can be called a noun in rare circumstances.  The noun usage is what Carol and I have to worry about in reference to our trip.  As I press the keys on my MacBook Air, a quarantine (noun) has just been announced for all of Northern Italy due to the Coronavirus.  President Trump doesn't believe the Coronavirus is anything we who live in the United States have to worry about, just as President Wilson did when the Spanish Flu arrived in 1918 and infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide - about one-third of the planet's population, and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims, including some 675,000 Americans.  Yesterday morning's newspaper highlighted books about pandemics of the past such as (1) MALARIA - "The Fever": How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years" by Sonia Shah, (2) SMALLPOX - "Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82" by Elizabeth A. Fenn, (3) THE PLAGUE - "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century" by Barbara Tuchman, (4) INFLUENZA - "Flu - The Story Of The Great Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It" by Gina Kolata, (5) EBOLA - "The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of The Origins of the Ebola Virus" by Richard Preston, (6) CHOLERA - "The Ghost Map: The Story Of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and The Modern World" by Steven Johnson, (7) AIDS - "And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic" by Randy Shilts.  All these book about previous pandemics offer context, history and scientific information about the spread of disease.  Our country needs someone who has perhaps read all, or most of, these books and can use the knowledge they have gained from their reading to help lead our country out of any crisis, but I believe that's not going to happen anytime soon!  Im afraid I will miss my vacation this time around and hope that at least I can survive to give it another try in the future.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Life With Technology: Part II - A Teenager Living Without It!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Fooling around with my iPhone, trying to take a few photos of my passport and driver's license for an upcoming vacation.  My phone seems to stay in my pocket more than out of my pocket, but then again...I'm not a teen anymore!  Visits from our granddaughters is always interesting and fun, but they tend to have their iPhone in their hand every minute they are are awake.  I know, they aren't the only teenagers who are like that, but they seem to miss so much of what goes on around them when they have their eyes glued to their phones.  An article in the Lancaster newspaper's  Education section a few weeks ago featured a story by a young girl named Deanna who was a high school senior at Garden Spot High School in Lancaster County.  She titled her story "On life as a teenager without social media." My guess is she is about 18 years old and writes about how she managed to survive her public school career without social media.  She makes the statement that she not only survived, but thrived without social media.  I find it hard to imagine anyone 18 years old sitting down to eat, watch TV or even go out with their friends without a phone glued to their head.  How she got through four years of high school without using social media is truly amazing.  In the article she writes that she has to explain many times to friends why she can't message them on Snapchat.  They often seem puzzled when she tells them her value as a person isn't dependent on how many followers she might have on social media.   Oh, how she would have loved living in the era when I was in high school.  Social media wasn't more than television, radio or the local paper.  And being social was more about what movie everyone was going to see or who could we ask to go bowling with us rather than how many apps we had on our phone or how many followers we had accumulated.  Do you realize that it was only about 20 years ago that mobile phones came into being.  That seems like ages ago to someone in high school, but it is only a small part of my life.  The teenagers of today never lived in a time when there weren't mobile phones.  They never experienced a birthday or holiday when their most requested present had to be the latest version of some mobile phone.  Today, more than 2 billion people use some sort of social media every single day.  That number is roughly one third of the world's population.  I'm one of them.  Are you one, also?  I look at, read and contribute to about a half-dozen sites daily.  You're reading one of those sites right now!  Now you see why Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony and hundreds more phone manufacturers are so wealthy.  Deanna, in her story, writes that the US Department of Health and Human Services reports that use among teenagers is staggeringly high: more than 70% of teens use more than one social media site each day.  I find that number low.  But, social media is also one of the leading causes of mental health issues and identity crises in young people today.  Pressure from peers to create social media accounts and have an online social presence is a big thing to teenagers.  And, while the teens are trying their hardest to be "cool" online, many health professionals and even the teens parents are discussing the dangers and pitfalls of social media.  Deanna tells about how hard it is to discover and develop you own unique voice and where you may stand among your peers.  Social media doesn't make it any easier to discover your identity.  She explains that she was late getting her first smartphone and as a result, was content with her life's direction by that time.  She decided that Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat weren't for her.  She does use her phone to text and call friends and classmates, but that's about it.  Luckily, my two sons and daughter didn't have the extra pressure of social media as they were going through their teenage years.  Drugs and alcohol were enough to try and conquer.  But, two of my children now have teenagers and are experiencing what my wife and I had to do when they were teenagers, but only two-fold with social media added to the list.  Deanna says she is likely to join the social media landscape some day, but wanted young people to understand that there is no stipulation that forces them to establish and maintain an online presence.  She advises teenagers to be their own person, follow their own path and join only if you want to, when they want to.  She is a strong individual and I commend her for her courage in fighting the urge to join social media.  It seems she is one of the few who have chosen the path she has, but she will be stronger for it and will look back in years to come and realize what she accomplished in her life that she probably wouldn't have, had she been tied to social media for a lifetime.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "An Alarming Loss Of Wildlife On Our Rear Deck!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Cleaning out our bird houses after another season of listening to and watching a few houses of baby birds again this year.  This year we did notice a drop in the birds that built nests and raised their young ones on our back deck.  It seems that each year we have a slight decline in how many houses are filled on our deck.  

A few of the many birdhouses we have on our rear deck.

This year we did not see any chickadees, gold finches, tufted titmice or dark-eyed juncos at all, but still had a few houses of wrens.  Also had the usual bluejays, cardinals, finches and sparrows, but seems that they are visiting our bird feeder in fewer quantities.  My wife and I have been traveling to the island of St. Martin for many years and just about every year we have fed the island's sugar birds, aka Banaquit.  

Sugar birds feeding on sugar in St. Martin.

At times they would come in large numbers, but the past two years we have seen only a few.  Could be that many were killed or left the island due to Hurricane Irma which devastated the island in September of 2017.  But, we felt we should have seen a few during the past year.  

The House Wren

So, what's going on?  Naturally, I went online to see if I could find the answer to the decline in the birds around the world and found there is a shocking decline in the numbers of birds world wide.  The decrease has been staggering with a decline of about 3 billion just in North America.  And, that's not just in rare species, but in the backyard species such as the chickadees, wrens and even the tufted titmice.  So why is there such a big drop in backyard birds.  Seems it is due to the Earth's ecosystems and their ability to support life.  

The dark-eyed Junco

The main culprit is habitat and loss of degrada- tion.  Can also be an increase in feral cats, and pet cats that are allowed to be outside.  We do have a few feral cats in our neighborhood, but now have two less since we have made them into indoor cats almost two years ago. And one more reason might be the insects the birds rely on for food.  Other reports say wind turbines and building strikes take their toll.  Not sure I believe the wind turbines do that much damage, but I can see that large buildings that are lit at night lead birds to fly into their windows.  

The Chickadee

We have a large glass door on our back deck and have had a few birds fly into it.  Our neighbor- hood has had a recent large shopping center open as well as a few large new buildings.  So, what can Carol and I, as well as you, do to bring back the birds?  First, put out a birdbath that you can heat in the winter.  Plant native trees, shrubs and flowers that provide seeds and berries favored by birds.  A few examples would be the Dogwood, crabapple, winterberry, holly and hawthorn plants.  Put out numerous bird feeders including hummingbird feeders.  Also call your Congressperson and ask them to support The Recovering America's Wildlife Act which will help with declines in fish and bird life.  It is rather depressing not to see the wildlife that we used to see on our back deck.  What will happen if the loss becomes greater?  I'm not sure, but I hope the decline can be stopped before that happens.  Do all you can to help, please!  It wasn't another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Jersey Shore: One Last Look...Could It Really Happen?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Picked up a copy of the "Seven Mile Times" during a recent visit to Stone Harbor, New Jersey to eat at our favorite Italian restaurant, Marabella's Family Restaurant.  Leafing through the newspaper when I saw the headline on page 64 that read, "One Last Look - Behind the Walls of Villa Maria by-the-Sea."  

Nun's Beach located in front of Villa Marie on Seven Mile Beach.

It was five years ago that I wrote a story about the Nun's Beach Surfing Compe- tition and our visit to Villa Maria.  As I read the article it told the story of the coming  destruction of the 80-plus year old landmark in Stone Harbor.  This house on the waterfront is so beautiful and I image it must be heartbreaking for the nuns to even think about tearing down a piece of Stone Harbor history.  

Villa Marie by-the-Sea

This place has been a "home" for many nuns in the past, but after reading the fiscal hardships that face the order, I can see why they might have to come to the conclusion of demolition and building a much smaller building.  The tradition of the sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary spending the summer months at the shore began seven miles north of Villa Maria in 1913 in Sea Isle City.  

View of the Villa Marie in the 1930s.

The family of Sister Kathleen Rowan offered the use of their spacious summer home in Sea Isle to be used by the order.  The spiritual invigoration provided by the summer escape to the shore by the order made them realize they should look for a larger place along the shore.  

Another view of Villa Marie in 1955.

They eventually purchased the Hotel Carlton in Cape May Point and that was home for the sisters for almost 20 years.  But, storms caused problems with that site and in 1936 they began to look at Stone Harbor.  They found a site adjacent to 111th and 112th Streets for $2,000.  Can you imagine buying a property on the beach for that price today!  But, it was a time of instability and during the Great Depression.  

Picture Postcard of Villa Marie by the Sea in Stone Harbor, N.J.

Groundbreaking took place February 2, 1937 with the nearest home being on 96th Street.  Villa Marie, with a construc- tion price of $125,000, became the second largest structure in Cape May County, behind the Flanders Hotel in Ocean City, NJ.  

Groundbreaking for Villa Maria on February 2, 1937.

When ground was broken it impacted many people who obtained a much needed job.  

Garden with Stations-of-the-Cross.

During the winter of 1937 as many as 300 workers worked on the project.  It was a "godsend" to the community.  Initially the house had only small rooms and a chapel with offices, dining room, kitchen, laundry and assembly hall.  Hey, you're at the beach!  That's all that's needed!  Today there are 185 rooms.  It was considered a miracle that the construction took only 118 days.  The funding to maintain Villa Maria comes from each convent in the order.  The sisters were given the chore of maintaining the building.  

Lancaster Catholic High School art teacher
designed this T-Shirt for Nun's Beach competition.

They did every chore from painting to cooking to maintenance and cooking.  Villa Marie houses about 130 sisters who  typically attend ten-day retreats.  Six days are devoted to liturgy, meditation and prayer while the other four days are free to socialize with family and friends.  The final decision hasn't been finalized as far as destruction of the Villa Marie.  Perhaps they have plans to rebuild another retreat that is less costly to maintain, but will still allow them to enjoy the rejuvenation they experience while visiting the shore every year.  I'm sure many await their coming decision.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Has The Fight Just Begun?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the results of a Manheim Township Commissioners meeting that approved a controversial 76-ace Oregon Village mixed use development of 554 housing units, restaurants, stores and a 120-room hotel.  

Proposed as Oregon Village

It was this past Monday that I posted a story telling about what was proposed and the fact that the commiss- ioners were going to vote on it that evening.  The vote was 3-2 in favor of the new development.  The Hurst brothers, who currently own the Oregon Dairy supermarket and family restaurant evidently proved to the commissioners that the two-site complex  they want to build along Route 272 in Manheim Township's northeast corner complies with land-use regulations that allow for a village-style development.  

Plan for Oregon Village

Developer Victor Hurst congratulated the commiss- ioners for the tremendous job they did to hear both sides of the arguments and rule the way they did.  I wonder if the three who voted for the huge development considered the impact it will have on our school district.  A new Middle School has just been started in Manheim Township.  Will this vote make that new school obsolete before it is even finished?  And, how about all the Amish farmers who live near the properties that will be turned into housing units and create mass congestion on all the nearby roads.  Will they vacate their farms in favor of property in other counties or states.  Lancaster is known as the Garden Spot of America due to its rich soil and those that farm that soil.  Will that all change?  

This is what will be lost

A local authority on the Amish and an Elizabeth- town professor, testified in front of the commiss- ioners telling them the Amish may sell their farms and move since they will fear for their lives as they will have to drive their horse-drawn buggies on roads not meant for the amount of traffic that will come from all the housing units that are proposed.  Mr. Amos Beiler, a member of the Old Order Amish church, attended the vote and told the local newspaper he was disappointed, expressing his concern about travel on the roads around the area.  One local attorney addressed the commissioners after the vote asking two of the three who voted for approval of the complex why they did not acknowledge before the vote that their campaign committees this past September received $960 in political contributions from the Hursts.  By not acknowledging the donation, it now creates a perception problem.  The two commissioners had been asked by some to recuse themselves from the vote due to the contributions.  They refused to do so.  One commissioner who voted against the new complex said it is not smart growth "to build this at the expense of our Amish neighbors who will face negative impacts on their income and difficulties attending school and religious services."  Those who object to the vote have the right to appeal to Lancaster County Court.  That may be the next move according to many in attendance.  It looks like the battle has just begun!  Those who have grown up in the nearby area  that is affected by the decision will more than likely fight to keep the land as farmland as it has been all their lives.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Courage Makes Them Heroes" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at one of my favorite websites, Travel Talk Online.  The travel website offers readers a chance to read and contribute to forums associated with Africa, Cayman Islands, Cancun, Isla Mujeres, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, St. Martin/Sint Maarten and even a Charter Boat forum to name a few of the travel options.  

Minivan submerged in the Marigot Bay near the outdoor market.

I opened the St. Martin forum and began reading about three local boys who became instant heroes for helping save the lives of those who were riding in a minivan that, for some unknown reason, crashed into the ocean in Marigot Bay, which is located on the French side of the island.  The minivan was loaded with passengers from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Freedom of the Seas.  They were evidently headed to visit the outdoor market in Marigot, the capital of the French side of the island, when for some reason the minivan veered into the nearby bay.  

The three young heroes who saved many
a life when they dove into the water to
bring the passengers to shore.

Half the van went underwater and when the three boys saw what had happened, jumped into action and dove into the water with disregard for their own lives, opened the rear door of the van and helped usher passenger after passenger from the van onto the rocks above.  They managed to get all from the minivan with just a few injuries.  If it hadn't been for these three heroes, some may have drowned in the half submerged minivan.  When medical personnel arrived, they too commented on the three boys being responsible for their being no deaths.  At times, many visitors complain about the local youth having no ambition or always causing trouble, but when you see the courage that these three displayed, you have a different opinion of the youth.  St. Martin official Daniel Gibbs saluted the courage of the young people who helped the passengers escape.  He said, "this heroic act saved lives, they showed 'sang-froid' and great courage.  They can be proud of their actions."  The website was filled with many comments about what these three young men did to save those that were in the minivan.  A few of the comments were:

*Nice jobs guys, God bless you. *The 3 young boys need to be rewarded.  *Thank God that they were there to help with the rescue efforts!   *This news came all the way to Denmark...Good job guys.   *Courage makes them heroes...bless them.   *Well done young men.  Too often we read or hear negative about our young people.  Quite some positive here that needs praise.   *These HEROES  may very well be the 'chirred' you ignored or chased from your business place yesterday, and tomorrow, you will not recognize them and will ignore them again.  Let that sink in.....so when you see 'lil black chirred' you may remember 'a life that was a saved'.  *At least they weren't cowards standing above ground with cellphones recording!!!!   *That's the SXM we know and love.  Good people.   *And one final comment that reflects my opinion as well...They should receive medals for their brave and courageous act.  They put their own lives on the line to save others; something a lot of adults wouldn't do.  

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

The "My Opinion On The Topic: Will The Amish Survive In Lancaster County" Story

Preface:  Tonight the Mannheim Township commissioners will vote on a 76-acre piece of land in Manheim Township, Lancaster County Pennsylvania.  In play are 554 housing units, a large supermarket, a 120-room hotel, restaurant, bank and retail stores.  Will the land be given over to large scale develpment or will it remain farmland that is farmed mostly by the Amish?  The following tells story of the land and those involved in the life changing decision.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading another story about the proposed development in Manheim Township called Oregon Village.  

Will scenes like this cease to be in Lancaster County?

It is a 75-acre housing and commercial project that has been proposed in the middle of a thriving, centuries-old Amish community.  Many people who live outside of Lancaster County believe that the county is primarily an Amish community.  The latest census count shows that the Amish population in Lancaster County has now exceeded the 33,000 mark.  Most of those Amish ride in horse-drawn buggies and farm equipment on the county roads.  

Will roads like these be filled with cars and trucks
instead of Amish buggies?

And, many of those 33,000 live in Manheim Township.  Recently, an authority on Amish culture, Mr. Donald Kraybill, testified in front of the Manheim Township commiss- ioners telling them that many Amish in the township oppose the new project, but chose not to speak up out of a faith-based reluctance to participate in government.  Mr. Kraybill estimated that 1,200 Amish adults and children live within a 2-mile radius of Oregon.  They consist of 246 households and belong to eight church districts in an area that stretches from the Lancaster Airport, east of Route 501, to Leola, north of Route 23.  

Scene's such as this will no longer be seen in Manheim
Township if Oregon Village is approved.

Mr. Kraybill's estimate was based on a church district directory and a map prepared by the Geographic information System division of the Lancaster County Information Technology Depart- ment.  There are 44 parcels farmed by, but not all owned by Amish and Old Order Mennonite farmers and their families.  If Oregon Village were to be built it would tremendously increase vehicle traffic on the narrow county roads which are frequented by the slower-moving, horse-drawn traffic.  

It will no longer be safe for The Amish to walk on the
side of the road or drive their buggies on the roads.

Mr. Kraybill said the road traffic issues could, over time, cause many of the Amish to leave Manheim Township and its agricult- urally rich soil.  How sad it would be to lose those who farm the land to supply the county, state and country with food.  A few years ago something similar happened and more than a dozen Lancaster County Amish families moved across the Susquehanna River to York County as well as to Farmville, Virginia.  When people talk of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, they right away associate the county with the Amish population and rich farmland.  Can we afford to lose that farmland to houses and apartments?  

Let's keep the land looking like this!

Are there no other places to build the houseing units that will not take much needed farmland?  Is it all about money?  You bet!  We have all this empty land and developers can see the dollar signs in front of their eyes.  They have no concern for the many Amish who have made the county so rich in agricultural history.  I for one hope the commissioners will turn down the building and keep it as agricultural land.  I know that some person's pockets will not be padded due to that decision, but it is the correct one to make for the good of mankind.  I fear my children and grandchildren will never get to see those iconic buggies traveling the county roads of Lancaster.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.