The "The Other Larry" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My boss at Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, Pennsylvania, Keith told me to do a really good job on the "Beatles" poster he had just given me.  When I looked at him with a confused face he laughed and said, "The job is for a former high school friend of yours!"  My friend began talking to Keith when he brought in the poster and Keith told him his former high school teacher worked for him, the customer asked whom that might be.  Keith passed along my name and the customer instantly got a smile on his face.  "Make sure you tell him to do a good job on my poster."  

Larry, framer of the Beatles poster with the other Larry, childhood friends.
We removed our masks just for the photograph.

He then told Keith that we lived a few blocks from each other while growing up and went to school together.  When Keith told me his name was Larry Snyder, I had to tell him about all our time together in school from kindergarten to the end of 9th grade.  Seems that at the end of 9th grade, Larry's mom and dad decided it best if he went to a Military School to help with his.....well.....schooling!  The stories I could tell here, but won't, might have been responsible for his switching to a more formal schooling for the final three years of high school.  When I went home I began to search for photographs of "the other Larry" as my mom and dad used to call him.  Being that they had named me Larry was the reason for my friend's name.  The other Larry lived on Jackson Street near the world famous Armstrong Cork Company.  He lived a few blocks from another friend and now my traveling buddy with his wife Sue, Jere Herr.  The other Larry, Jere and I all began elementary school together in 1950 at Brecht Elementary School.  Jere and the other Larry lived on the West side of the  Lancaster Train Station while I lived on the East side.  

Mrs. Good's 1st grade class.  Jere is front row far right while the
other Larry is front row far left.  I'm top row, far left.
Masks weren't necessary in 1950.

We all walked the mile-and-a-half to elementary school, but Jere and the other Larry walked across the Prince St. Bridge while I walked across the Duke Street Bridge.  All of us had Miss Boché, who became Mrs. Good part way through the year, for 1st grade.  When we began Jr. High School we all met at the local lumber yard, between our homes, to get on the school bus.  After we lost the other Larry due to changing schools, Jere and I both graduated from the same high school where we ended up teaching together after college.  We did miss the other Larry for the final three years of high school.  Then, the Manheim Township High School class of 1962 began to hold class reunions.  The names of a few who didn't graduate with us for one reason or another were suggested as being added to our class list.  The other Larry was one of them so Jere and I once again had the chance to spend some time with the guys from the neighborhood.  Then, a few days ago I had the chance to see the other Larry once again when he came to pick up his matted and framed poster that I worked on for him. It looked great, but getting to see him once again was more eventful than working on his artwork.  

One of the 4 group shots of the MTHS Class of 1962 taken at our 50th Class Reunion in 2012.  Top row, far left is Jere and I am two from him in the light brown jacket.  The other Larry is middle row, second from left.  Jere's sweetheart and now wife, Sue, is in front row, second from the left.  Great time was had by all!

Our 60th Class Reunion will come in 2022 and we will all have a chance to gather once again and relive "the good ole' times."  The stories will fly and be the same ones that we told at the last reunion and the one before that.  But, that's OK, since we probably won't remember what stories we told and may not even remember how we fit into the stories.  We'll all laugh and have a great time anyway.  And, hopefully we won't need masks by then.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Come On Baby...Let's Do The Twist" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The year was 1961-62 and I was a senior at Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, Pennsylvania.   At the end of the school day I would hop in my 1953 Henry J and head home to 929 N. Queen Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Almost always made it home in time to watch one of my favorite shows...American Bandstand!  At 4:00 PM the host of the show, Dick Clark would appear and the next hour would be filled with the best songs of my generation.  All the new dances began on American Bandstand, usually with the artist who made that particular dance popular.  Can't imagine what my mom must have thought of some of the dances as she passed the black and white TV set on her way to make supper for the family.  Dances such as The Twist, The Loco-Motion, The Mashed Potato, The Watusi, The Funky Chicken, The Hitch Hike, The Jerk and The Monkey were all dances that were started in the early 1960s.  As I sit here typing this I can hardly believe it was 60 years ago that these dances made the scene on American Bandstand.  Also hard to believe that the MC of the show, Dick Clark, died eight years ago.  And...even harder to believe that I actually danced to some of that stuff that I watched on YouTube.  I guess I should clarify that last sentence, since what I did most of the time didn't look anything like what I witnessed on the TV screen.  And that, my friends, was why I did it at home by myself!  No way could I do that in front of my friends and not feel like a jerk.  Of course, many thought of me as a jerk anyway, so I guess it wouldn't have mattered.  As far as some of my favorite dances...I'll follow with a bit of information to give you a few hints as to what the dance might have been like.

The Twist:  The song was actually introduced in 1959 as the B-side of the record "Teardrops On Your Letter" by Hank Ballard.  Dick Clark observed teens doing the dance in Florida and before long Cameo Records had Chubby Checker sing it because he had a more wholesome image that appealed to parents.  It swept the country, but waned in the mid-60s when parents started dancing to it, much to the embarrassment of their kids.  I must admit, my mom and dad wouldn't have been caught dead dancing the Twist.

The Watusi:  This dance was inspired by African Dance. The 1950 hit film, King Solomon's Mines, and its sequel, Watusi, were the inspiration for the 1960s dance craze.  Watusi is the traditional name of Africa's Tutsi people, known for their elaborate dances.  In 1962 The Orlons released the single and the dance became an instant hit.  Eventually the Isley Brothers and Annette Funicello also recorded the song.

The Mashed Potato:  The Contours recorded the song "Do You Love Me" in 1962 which is what you danced the Mashed Potato to, but the moves that were used to do the dance were made famous by James Brown a few years earlier.  Then King Coleman sang "Do the Mashed Potatoes", James Brown sang "Mashed Potato Time", Billy Thorpes and the Aztecs released "Mashed Potato", and Dee Dee Sharp released "Gravy For My Mashed Potatoes."

These were the three dances that I enjoyed the most and actually tried to do...but not in front of anyone.  Check out the following YouTube videos and see what these three dances might have looked like 60 years ago.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Memories From What Seems Like Another Lifetime" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in front of the old Manheim Township High School in the town of Neffsville, Pennsylvania.  Neffsville is a bit over 8 miles from downtown Lancaster as the crow flies and was where I attended Junior High School as well as Senior High School.  

What was at one time the Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, PA

At the time, the school was one of the largest school buildings in the country with a price of about $250,000.  The architect for the new high school was Henry Y. Shaub according to an article in the July 25, 1928 Intelligencer Journal Newspaper from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

The original one level school that used to be on the same location.

The new school, which according to Shaub, was to be one of the few modern buildings in Lancaster County and would have 26 rooms with an auditorium-gymnasium combination.  I entered the building as a 7th grader in the Manheim Township School District at the age of 12 and was in awe of my surroundings.  The auditorium was immense and the gym, behind the blue curtain at the front of the auditorium, was really neat.  On either side of the gym were stairwells that led to the basement where the shower rooms were located.  But, by the time I had reached the building, it was becoming obsolete and there were so many students in the building that my music class in my 7th and 8th grade years was held across the street in front of the school in the Neffsville Fire Hall.  By the time I was in 9th grade, a new High School, which held grades 9 thru 12, was opened and I had the chance to be a member of the first class to go through the school for four years.  That high school still remains in the same location, but only the original gymnasium, swimming pool (yep we had a swimming pool in the high school), and auditorium remain today.  The remainder of the school was demolished over many years and enlarged.  

Another, earlier photograph of the High School along Valley Road.

Well, that high school on Valley Road, where I went to Junior High wasn't the original school on that site.  The original school was built in the early 1920s and stood for slightly over 6 years.  Then on the evening of January 2, 1928, the school burst into flames and firemen from six local fire companies fought the raging inferno in zero degree temperatures.  Neighborhood cisterns and wells were emptied as well as a nearby stream which ran dry as water was supplied to fight the fire.  

High School graduation from the school on Valley Road years ago.

By the time the fire was extinguished, the school had burned to the ground.  Students had to go to school in nearby churches and fire company buildings for the next few years until what I am standing in front of today was completed.  Mr. Henry Y. Shaub was also the architect of the first building on the site.  The second building on Valley Road did have a planetarium added to it at one time, but that was eventually removed when the new high school opened in 1957 and had it's own planetarium.  The second rendition of the old high school was designed in the Art Deco style of architecture.  The ornamentation on the exterior of the school features line carvings that were completed by spraying sand with the use of compressed air to form the carvings.  On either side of the main entrance, which faces south on Valley Road, are tall human figures which are gripping iron chains  which are attached to the top of metal lanterns on either side of the entrance.  

The lettering and figures can be seen in this photograph.

On the front corners of the building are figures which appear to be standing guard over the building.  Directly above the front door is an engraved owl, but my favorite feature is the embossed Old English lettering at the very top of the entrance that reads, Manheim Township High School, in two lines.  Recently there was an article in the Lancaster Newspaper, which was written by renowned local architect Gregory Scott, that tells more of the story of the architecture of the building.  If you are a subscriber to the newspaper, you can access it online.  Today the building is still owned by the school district, but is now part of the Intermediate Unit 13 program in Lancaster County.  But to me, it will always be the huge big building that I entered as a young boy, having to travel by school bus for the first time in order to reach my destination.  What's even more memorable is returning to the school about 25 years ago to set up a print shop in the basement for a few years where I printed school documents on the AB Dick press.  Same basement where I received my first, and only, paddling as an 8th grader for shooting a spit ball, during lunch, through my straw at the girl on the other side of the table.  How time flies!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Close-up of the lettering.  Click on images to enlarge.

Figures hold a chain that connects to the top of the light.

An owl can be seen in the center panel above the front door. 

This is another figure that also holds the lights.

On most remaining entrances to the school are embossed panels.

One of two corner figures that are "Standing Guard".

The front door entrance even shows an embossed design above the window panels.

The "The English Language...With Apologies Too Mrs. Eisenhart!" Story

It was an ordinary day. Wondering if Mrs. Eisenhart, my favorite high school English teacher, will be rolling over in her grave after finding out what I am about to share with you.  I had Mrs. Eisenhart as my English teacher in 11th grade and still vividly remember the day I had to stand in front of my class and read something I had written as an exercise in writing and speaking.  I wrote a story about playing football when I was in 9th grade and when I reached the part where one of my friends broke his leg, I was interrupted when Mrs. Eisenhart banged her hand on her desk and said, "That is not a proper word!"  The class got silent except for a few of my friends who I could tell were laughing.  What word did I add to my story that caused the outburst ... the word "busted."  If you "Google" it today, you may find that it is listed as slang for smashed or broken, but back in 1960, it more than likely wasn't a word as of yet ... at least in Mrs. Eisenhart's class.  

This may be a Middle School book, but

it has helped me with basic English.

Out of all the memories I have of being in high school, the memory of that fateful day in English class is probably on the top of my list of memories along with the memory of my homeroom classmates that would pay me to read the Bible verse for them in homeroom before the start of the day, as was the custom, and perhaps law, in mid-20th Century.  Well, much has changed since the 60s and the English language, believe it or not, is one of them.  Today I could use my "busted" and not be yelled for using it.  A few of the many rules that have changed are: (1) Don't end sentences with stranded prepositions.  You can now say things such as, "Where is this bus taking us to?" or "How long will we be going for?"  Boy would I have heard it for doing that years ago, but not anymore.  (2) Don't split infinitives.  When Captain Kirk, of Star Trek fame, said, "to boldly go where no man has gone before", the adverb 'boldly' is said to split the infinitive 'to go.'  And, that was a "NO-NO" in Mrs. Eisenhart's class, but acceptable today.  (3) Never begin a sentence with a conjunction.  Conjunctions such as "and, but, not, yet, so and nor" should not be used to start a sentence.  But, it seems since writing is communication, clarity can only be a virtue. And, didn't the Bible use plenty of them, such as: And God said, 'Let there be light.' and there was light.  But, I still would have been in trouble in my English class. (4) Another rule is never start a sentence with 'hopefully', such as: "Hopefully, the taxi will arrive soon."  

This is one of my favorite books when I
am writing.  Even though it looks as if it
were written by a relative, Geraldine is
not a relative, just a help with my English.

This is one adverb that my English teacher said should not be used to start a sentence.  Not sure why, but it was verboten. (5)  Clichés should be avoided like the plague.  Even thought they can be an easy way to express yourself, they are for the lazy person when writing something.  If you're not sure what a cliché may be, here are a few examples:  Never a dull moment, Sands of time, Long arm of the law, Cool as a cucumber, Writing on the wall and Hook, line and sinker.  I recently read the 5 easy ways to improve your grammar which I found to be easy in themselves.  They were: (1) Learn the parts of speech, (2) Read all the time, (3) Listen to how others speak, (4) Play grammar and word games, and (5) Take a class.  I'm sure Mrs. Eisenhart would be thrilled if I did.  And, if you have been correcting my English grammar while reading this story, just keep it to yourself, since I know darn well there have been plenty of mistakes.  But, (did you catch that mistake?) if Mrs. Eisenhart were still alive today she would be so proud of me for having written this blog for over 10 years now.  Even though it is filled with grammatical as well as spelling mistakes, she would have been proud.  But, I no longer have anyone to correct me when I make a mistake.  And, may God bless your soul, Mrs. Eisenhart and I'm sorry for saying so many nasty things about you!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Yes, I do know my story title is incorrect!

The "Uncharted Lancaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Picked up the morning paper and there on the front page was a collage of nine small photographs in a square format.  Held it up so my wife could see it and she said, "Looks like someone enjoys the same things you do!"  Over half of the photographs displayed were about stories I have written about in the past ten years.  

Start of the story in the newspaper.

Story was titled "Uncharted Territory" and was about a fellow Tech Education teacher who creates scavenger hunts that explore county history.  That's actually a great idea.  Why didn't I think of that?  Teacher's name was Adam Zurn and as of now has about a half-dozen self-guided scavenger hunt-like experiences as well as many articles about local history.  For those that participate in one of his treasure hunts, he rewards them with items such as an ancient Aztec death whistle or maybe an Egyptian artifact or perhaps a gold coin.  And, how does he do that?  He uses a 3D printer, which he teaches about in his classroom, to produce duplicates of these rewards.  I can remember a few years ago when I went back to the school where I taught for almost 35 years and watched the tech ed. teacher show his class how to use the 3D printer that they had just purchased.  Not only where the student's fascinated, I was in awe of what I was seeing.  Since then I have visited and watched them make miniature race cars that they had designed on paper and transferred to a computer program and then made on the 3D printer.  Seems like Adam is using both his tech knowledge as well as his love of local history to create his adventures for anyone whom would like to try them.  He creates links to find the location of the Lancaster County historic spot that he has researched.  Once there, they are rewarded with a small token for their efforts in finding the place.  Adam sometimes makes 3D printed plastic cases to hold clues at some locations to keep his adventurers on the right path.  

The headless horseman

Well, I pulled up his website on my computer and read about the adventures.  At the end of the site was a place for comments.   I sent him a comment and before long we had sent a few emails back and forth.  Fellow much like myself in that we both taught the same subjects in school and we both have a love of Lancaster County history.  If you think you may enjoy a scavenger hunt in Lancaster County, pull up https://unchartedlancaster.com and see what Adam has to offer you.  I know I'm going to give it a try in the near future.  That "Headless Horseman' is intriguing.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The End Of The Road For The Big Brown Box" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Finally heading home from Lindenmyr Paper Company in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania with the big brown box in the back.  No big deal to most of you, but to me it was the end of a long summer of miscues.  All began in mid-June when my friend Mike and I got together to work on the in-house printing needs for the Manheim Township School District.  We print just about everything and anything that they may need for the next school year.  Hall passes, envelopes, excuse cards...you name it and we probably printed it in the high school print shop where I taught Graphic Arts and Photography for 33 years.  I've been retired now for twenty years and Mike, who taught Elementary and Middle School for almost as long, has been working with me in the summer months for close to 35 years now.  We always begin the summer months going to all the schools as well as the District Office to get orders for what they will need for the next school year.  We then make a list of all the paper needs and I place a call to a local paper company, Lindenmyr, with the order.  A few days later the paper arrived late afternoon and I found it the next morning when I arrived.  I placed all the paper around the room on counters and desks with the offset press plate for that particular job on top of it.  It was at that time that I found I had one big brown box of large 9" x 12" Kraft envelopes remaining with no plate for it.  I questioned Mike and we were stumped.  A few days later I found I needed more paper for a few new jobs sent to us so I placed another call to the paper company.  Placed that order and told them I was going to return the big brown box of envelopes they had sent me for a credit.  

The big brown box of 9"x12" Kraft envelopes.

Girl on the other end of the line didn't say anything for a few seconds and then said, "We don't sell any envelopes in big brown boxes!"  I told her they were delivered with the rest of what we ordered.  She told me to bring them back and when I went to get the second smaller order I gave the big brown box to the fellow at the "Will Call" door.  He didn't have a credit slip for me, but I figured I'd be getting one in the mail.  Weeks later and summer was drawing to a close as we began to deliver the jobs that we had printed for all the schools.  I delivered all the high school materials and when the secretary saw everything she asked, "Where's the big brown box of envelopes I sent to the shop at the beginning of the summer?"  Ah, Ha!  Seems that a custodian brought the big brown box to the shop after the delivery had arrived and placed it on the top of all the other paper.  I just assumed it had come from the paper company, but I had assumed wrong.  Now what.  The secretary gave me another big brown box of envelopes which I printed and I then called the paper company to ask what might have happened to the big brown box I had returned two months earlier.  They would be back to me soon, they said.  In the meantime I checked and found that the school had never received a credit for the big brown box I had returned.  So...I called and attempted to explain to the girl at the order desk what had happened.  She told me she was transferring me to Tammy, the Operations Manager.  Shortly I was telling her what you just read.  I also told her we have been buying paper from Lindenmyr for years and years.  She promised me she would find out what happened to the big brown box and get back to me.  The rest of the day passed and I just about gave up hope of hearing from Tammy.  Nest day, just before noon I was sitting in my chair at home watching "The Price Is Right" when the phone rang.  Read Lindenmyr on the screen and I answered.  I answered, "Hello", and I heard, "I found the big brown box and you can pick it up at the "Will Call" door at your convenience.  I thanker Tammy and grabbed the keys to the car.  Tomorrow I will return the big brown box of unprinted envelopes to the high school office and the problem will have been solved.  You know...it might be a good time to retire...permanently!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an oridnary guy.

The "A Really Sick Joke? Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading and re-reading the story about a young man who was expelled from school last year and has now been ordered back to school by a Lancaster County Judge.  The newspaper reporter,  Alex Geli, wrote in a story in LNP Always Lancaster: "In one Snapchat message, Jaden included a picture of another student with text superimposed on the image. 'I'm shooting up the school this week.  I can't take it anymore.  I'm DONE!'"  Another message said many students would "perish in the storm" and mentioned "tying up and eating students" Geli reported.  This all happened in the Manheim Township School District where I taught in the high school for 33 years.  The evening that the message was sent, it was read by another student who showed it to his father who happened to be a teacher at the high school.  He passed the message on to the administration which eventually found its way to the local police department.  Then the school Superintendent sent a message to  parents of all students in the school.  The young man, known in the newspaper as J.S. or Jaden, claimed it was all a joke or misunderstanding.  But, this isn't something to joke about.  And, if that was the case, he certainly is learning a lesson the hard way.  One that he will never forget, hopefully.  Last year there were 94 school gun violence incidents which was a record high since the collection of this data began in 1970.  A record 55 people were killed in school gun violence last year.  Now, that's not a joke to anyone.  And, did it all begin as a joke to someone?  Mannheim Township has a strict policy on social media as well as making terroristic threats and cyberbullying.  J.S. didn't seem to care when he sent the message.  Well, the school did care and expelled him from the school for good.  Yes, it made a difficult situation for the student and his parents.  But...so what!  The school district did exactly what it had to do.  It is their responsibility to protect all students as well as teachers and staff who work in the school environment.  Since I produce the Middle School and Intermediate School yearbooks, I am in the school quite often taking photographs.  I must sign in and wear an ID badge while in the school.  Each school has monitors in the building with a police presence in both the Middle School and High School.  Schools try their best to keep everyone in the school buildings safe and they MUST take every threat seriously, whether it be real or "a joke" as alleged in this case, or they wouldn't be doing their duty to the citizens in the school district.  And, when you have over 1,500 students in the high school, it is a daunting task.  If a student in the Middle School had sent a threatening message to another student, I would hope they would be removed from the school.  If I am going to walk the halls of the school to take photos, I don't want someone "shooting up the school".  I do feel safe knowing that the school district takes my safety seriously.  What I can't believe is that a judge can reverse the expulsion.  He said he didn't feel the school district provided sufficient evidence to back up the expulsion.  There were no bodies, no screaming and crying, no huddling in the classrooms.  Thank God there was none!  Perhaps it's because someone found out before it happened and expelled the culprit.  Other schools in the county are complaining about the judge's reversal saying it could be a chilling precedent.  I recently heard that the student and his family, who would have graduated this year, has decided not to return to the school.  He would have had to wait at least 30 days while the school decided if it would appeal the decision.  By then the school year would almost be over.  It is a sad occurrence that happened at Mannheim Township High School.  But, it could happen at any school.  I am glad how it turned out, but sad for the young man if it was "just a joke."  A really sick joke!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Frampton's Farewell Tour" Story

It was an ordinary day.  At times my days seem to all blend together.  Some days seem to be in slow motion.  Often think - Was it always this way?  Nah...I used to have unlimited energy which was needed when you are raising three children.  But, age seems to have caught up with me!  But, I find I am not the only one who has that problem.  Yesterday I read that a favorite musician of mine, Peter Frampton, announced that his coming tour would most likely will be his last.  Geeze, he's only 68...a youngster to me.  But then I began to read more and read that he plans to issue a double album this summer and then go on tour for about 50 dates across the country.  And...that may be it!  

Peter Frampton

He revealed that he has a medical condition that could slow his fingers and his ability to move around.  It was back in 1977, a year after Peter Frampton released his double-album "Frampton Comes Alive!" that he visited the high school where I taught to hold a practice before heading on another tour.  Seems he was working with the new Clair Bros. Audio who call Lancaster County home, and they contacted the school to see if they could supply him with practice space.  The assistant principal was a friend of the Clair brothers so they were given time in our auditorium.  Just so happened that the high school yearbook, that I was the advisor of, had a theme of music that year.  We naturally had to get a photo of Peter Frampton during practice for the cover of the yearbook.  

The cover of the 1977 school yearbook
which featured Peter Frampton live during
a practice session at Manheim Township
High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
We also added a ticket stub similar to a
real one.  Looked great!  Thanks, Peter!

I notified our professional yearbook photographer and he took some of the neatest photos to chose one from for the cover.  He rushed home, developed the film and made a few prints and was back before the end of practice.  Peter signed one of the photos which we used on the cover of the yearbook.  What was the best part of the experience was that Peter approached me and asked if he could buy a copy of the yearbook for each member of the band!  Unbelievable experience for myself and my yearbook staff.  Peter Frampton now has a degenerative muscle disease called inclusion body myositis, also known as I.B.M.  The disease causes muscles to weaken over time but generally does not affect life expectancy.  The condition doesn't affect his singing voice, but could slow his fingers and his ability to move around.  Frampton told Rolling Stone recently that in a year's time he might not be able to play his guitar anymore.  He also said that he wanted to record as much as he can in the shortest space of time.  It was 52 years ago that Frampton became the lead singer and guitarist for "The Herd."  Two years later he co-founded "Humble Pie."  His release in '76 of "Frampton Comes Alive!" made him a legend.  He said recently that "Maybe a huge door is closing in my life, but then there's lots of other doors that open."  Good attitude which will be needed to accomplish all that he has planned in the near future.  I wish him the best.  I know what life can be like when you can't do what you want to do or what you used to be able to do.  Not much fun!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Another Honor For One Of Lancaster's Best Athletes" Story

New historical plaque to honor Barney Ewell.  Click to enlarge.

It was an ordinary day.  Driving past Lancaster's J.P. McCaskey High School on the north-eastern side of the city.  Beautiful high school that was built back in 1938.  As I rounded the circle in front of the school I noticed something new.  Stopped and grabbed my iPhone to take a photo of it.  The marker that I just photographed was a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission marker honoring one of Lancaster's greatest athletes, Henry Norwood "Barney" Ewell who graduated from the school shortly after it was opened in 1938.  

Barney and some of his many awards from high school.

Barney was born in 1918 in nearby Harrisburg, PA. and moved with his family to Lancaster as a child.  After moving to Lancaster he began to run in the streets to help strengthen a leg that was weakened by polio. As a student at McCaskey High School, he set records in the 100 and 220 yard dashes as well as the long jump and earning seven gold medals in the State meet.  In Lancaster he was known as "Lancaster's Flash".  After high school he entered Penn State University and was a nine-time collegiate All-American while winning 12 gold medals in NCAA competition as well as 11 gold medals during his participation at the Amateur Athletic Union competitions.  

Running for Penn State.

During his time at Penn State he never lost a race.  He was also a member of the boxing team at Penn State.  He was selected a member of the United States Olympic Team, but never had a chance to compete in the 1940 or 1944 Olympics since the Olympics were canceled due to World War II.  During Olympic trials he tied Jesse Owens' world record 100-meter run of 10.2 seconds.  During WWII he served with distinction in the U.S. Army and returned to Lancaster with the intent of getting back in shape so he could compete in the 1948 Olympics.  

The Lancaster Coin Club memorialized Barney with this coin.

He once again made the team at the age of 30.  During the '48 Olympics he won a Gold and two Silver medals.  Lancaster's Flash was given the title of one of America's 10 all-time greatest sprinters by the U.S. Track and Field News.  In his later life he lost both legs due to complications from diabetes, and died in1996 at the age of 78.  The historical marker I took a photograph of was promoted in Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, by the Barney Ewell Legacy Committee which consisted of former Lancaster Mayor Art Morris, a tremendous long-distance runner, Ken Stoudt and Ron Ford who was Barney's nephew.  My dad would often tell me stories of Barney and his exploits in high school.  The plaque is a fitting reminder to the athletic prowess achieved by Lancaster's Olympic Gold Medal Winner.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "All Good Things Must Come To An End!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Read some disturbing news in the paper and just had to call my friend Jere and tell him about it.  This story all started back in 1959 when Jere and I were 10th grade students at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  My parents wanted me to go to college so I took Algebra and Latin; stuff you use for the rest of your life, right!  Jere took the more conventional courses so he got to meet all the good looking girls and eventually married one of them.  Anyway, when we entered 11th grade we had a new shop teacher, Mr. Lemon, who Jere had for metal shop.  

Mr. R. Dean Lemon, Industrial Arts Teacher.
Taken from my 1962 High School Yearbook.

As life went on we both graduated; me going to Millersville State Teachers College (yep, I made it) and Jere entered the Navy.  After three years I began teaching shop in a nearby school district (they needed shop teachers so bad I didn't have to graduate, but I finished in the following summer) and Jere came home and entered Millersville.  The following year I began teaching at Manheim Township H.S. and eventually Jere began teaching with me.  We were both shop teachers (by now known as Industrial Arts teachers) and one of our co-workers was Mr. Lemon.  We were now able to call him Dean, his first name.  Over the next couple decades we had a great time teaching high school students in the Industrial Department.  But, Mr. Dean Lemon also had a second job which he began in 1959 when we were in 10th grade.  He opened a Christmas Tree stand with another shop teacher, Nevin Frantz.  All started when Dean wanted to buy a tree for himself and the line was so long he decided he could sell trees and make a few extra dollars to supplement his meager teacher's salary.  He asked his friend Nevin if he was interested and in 1959 they ordered 100 trees from a wholesaler for $1.50 each and sold them for $6.00 each.  They opened their stand along the Lititz Pike near Neffsville, PA.  Wasn't long before they outgrew the location and moved nearby to Brook Lawn Farm Market which had a large farmer's retail operation along Lititz Pike during the summer.  During the winter months the stand was empty so Dean rented the place and by now was on his own, since Nevin had moved from the area.  He called it Dean's Trees.  

View from Dean's Herndon tree farm
overlooking the Susquehanna River.

He opened the week-end after Thanks- giving and employed close to a dozen people who worked most every evening as well as weekends.  All three of my children worked for Dean while they were in high school at Manheim Township selling trees and loading them into and onto customers vehicles.  Many of the other shop teachers as well as high school students and his own children worked for Dean.  By now Dean was not only selling trees, but growing and wholesaling them.  He would sell 1,000 to 1,500 eery year between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  He also began growing his own trees for sale and to wholesale on his family's farm in Herndon, Northumberland County, PA.   Well, the disturbing news in the newspaper today was that Dean, finally, after 59 years, had to call it quits.  

Retired I.A. teachers at Dean's tree farm.  Front is Jeff,
Jere, Dean and LDub.  Rear is Barry, Buzz and Hal.

His 86 years of age, macular degenera- tion and two artificial hips has slowed him down somewhat.  Dean's Trees was a well-known tree stand in Lancaster County with loyal customers from as far away as Delaware, New York and Maryland.  Though he no longer will be selling trees at his tree stand, he will still wholesale trees from his tree farm.  He still has over 10,000 trees that he will have to sell.  A few years ago Dean hosted the Industrial Arts department retirees at his  tree farm in Herndon.  We had a great time with a gorgeous view of his tree farm overlooking the mighty Susquehanna River.  Memories from times past filled the air up on that tree farm that afternoon.  Memories that will never be forgotten.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "A Visit To Lancaster By Thomas Edison To Make A Film" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at one of the Facebook pages that I frequent, Remember when....in Lancaster,  when I found a rather interesting link to an old movie made by Thomas A. Edison in the early 1900s.  

Filmmaker, Thomas A. Edison

The film is in the Library of Congress' collection of old films.  The film shows boys and girls going out the door of what allegedly is Lancaster High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  It was thought that Edison was visiting a friend in Lancaster and made the film of the students leaving the high school.  The description of what is shown reads like this: Shows boys and girls going out the door and down the steps of a high school building in Lancaster, Pa. The boys come out first, led by a man, probably a teacher, holding a young boy's hand. The boys wear suits, and a few carry books or instrument cases. The girls, wearing long dresses and broad-brimmed hats, follow the boys. The last person to leave the building is a man, probably another teacher, in a top coat and hat. Filmed from a single camera position.  

This may be the school featured in Edison's film, but I'm
not sure.  It was allegedly at the same location, but....

Some discussion on the Facebook page suggests the school is on the southeast corner of Prince and Chestnut Streets in downtown Lancaster.  That building evidently was demolished and Lancaster's Post Office was built on the same location in 1928.  That building is no longer a post office, but still stands in the same location.  Then another writer posted a link to a free online book titled "One Hundred and Fifty Years of School History in Lancaster, Pennsylvania" which was written by Mr. William Riddle in 1905.  The online book is extremely interesting, but is 564 pages long with plenty of text and a few photographs.  You can reach the book if you care at: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=sX8WAAAAIAAJ&rdid=book-sX8WAAAAIAAJ&rdot=1&fbclid=IwAR072BxQowIY4oh2lGfB3ws6t0GqfdBB4DyPtn215GPAyVdOVC0WbykOtE8&pli=1.  You may have to sign in to the Google site as I had to do.

This was Lancaster's Post Office on the same location.

After viewing the Edison film, a few comments were made about male chauvinism having a strong influence in education at the time.  As for me, I found the film very interesting and have watched it quite a few times to see exactly how Edison filmed it as well as how the educational system was administered at the start of the 1900s in the city of Lancaster.  You can reach the Library of Congress website and view the film at: https://www.loc.gov/item/mp73079000/
  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Education In The City Of Lancaster" Story

J.P. McCaskey High School as it was in 1940 and today.

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out my mom's high school yearbook which I happened to come across while sorting through cardboard boxes that I plan to discard.  

I made an altered Polaroid print of J.P. McCaskey High School.

Not sure what to do with the yearbook, but it's tough to downsize if everything I pick up I decide I can't part with.  Anyway, my mom graduated in 1940 from J.P. McCaskey High School in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Her class was only the second to graduate from the high school on the east side of the city.  John Piersol McCaskey High School opened on May, 1938, accepting Lancaster city's first gender-integrated class of students.  

The original Boys' High School in Lancaster.

The school was named for John McCaskey, a local educator, musical composer, and politician.  J.P. McCaskey High School looks the same today as it did back when it opened with the original Art Deco facade, lobby, and auditorium.  For years I heard the story of my dad dating just about every girl in mom's class and she was the only one left to date.  Their marriage lasted a lifetime for both of them.  My dad graduated in mid-1938 from what was known at the time as Boys' High School.  The original Boys' High School was erected in 1874 on Orange Street in the center of Lancaster and for more than 40 years was the center of high school education in Lancaster for both boys and girls with girls being taught on the first floor and the boys on the second floor.  

The school quickly became over- crowded so in 1902 Lancaster's most famous architect, C. Emlen Urban, was hired to design a new school which was supposed to be an all-girls school on nearby Charlotte Street.  

Stevens School on Charlotte Street was built for girls.
This photo is from an old postcard.

By 1905 a new school building, known as Stevens High School was opened just for girls.  It was built using three architec- tural styles: beaux-arts, Italian Renaissance and Greek Classical.  It was built of purple brownstone and golden bricks using elaborate terra cotta ornamentation and green copper cresting with a hand covered chestnut entrance way.  

Photo of Stevens I recently took.  This is now an apartment
building.  Across the top of the building is the name of it.

The third floor had a 600-seat auditorium with chandeliers and was equipped with typewriters and wireless telegraph.  Many residents of Lancaster were appalled with the extrava- gance used in the school.  When it first opened boys began attending classes there as well due to overcrowding at the Boys' High School.  In 1911 it was decided that Urban would design another school to take the place of the original Boys' High School.  

The new Boys' High School on West Orange Street.  Today
it is known as Robert Fulton Elementary School.

That opened in 1918 and all boys were moved into that new school.  That school was built where the old school was located on West Orange Street.  The new boys' high school later became an elementary school when J.P. McCaskey opened.  The Boys' High School is now Fulton Elementary School while the  Stevens High School for girls was later renamed Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School and remained that until 1983 when it became an apartment building.  

Front of Robert Fulton Elementary School in Lancaster, PA.

My dad's graduating class was one of the last classes to graduate from Boys' High School, while my mom was one of the first to graduate from the new J.P. McCaskey High School.  Today the city school district has four Middle Schools that feed students into McCaskey High School.  A few alternative schools also exist to help educate the multi-cutural and racial population in the city school district.  Quite a bit different than when both my mom and dad graduated from high school in the city of Lancaster.  It was another extraordinary in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "A True Friend Comes To My Aid" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Hammering in a nail on the new cedar siding that I purchased a week ago.  Today's story actually began years and years ago after I had been teaching for a few years.  My teaching position was at Manheim Township High School in the Industrial Arts Department.  For those not familiar with Industrial Arts, before that it was called shop and today it is known as Technical Education.  In the state of Pennsylvania it is a required course in the curriculum.  I began as a metal shop, wood shop and drawing teacher, but after a few years I was teaching entirely Graphic Arts and Photography.  A few years after I began at the school another shop teacher by the name of Hal was hired to replace a retiring teacher.  Hal had taught in New Jersey, but made the move to Pennsylvania to teach.  We became friends as well as fellow teachers, but didn't socialize very much.  We each had growing families that took up our time as well as I worked at the school doing all the in-house printing needs for the school district while Hal became part of a group of shop teachers who did home construction during the summer.  

Hal is preparing to cut the next piece of cedar siding.

Hal and I retired from teaching in 1999 and have retained our friendship with department picnics, monthly retired teacher breakfasts, going to shows and concerts with our wives as well as taking photos of his bee-keeping hobby.  Hal is a master craftsman and I featured a story about a grandfather's clock he built for one of his three girls.  I recently had to do some demolition work on the corner of my garage at my home due to carpenter ants and after realizing the rebuild was too much for me to handle by myself and talking to Hal about it, he asked if I needed help, I decided to take him up on his offer.  Having worked more in the printing and photography trade for many years, it was great to have someone so familiar with the building trade to help me with my construction.  

Sliding another piece of tongue and
groove siding into place on the wall.

Hal knew exactly what was needed and helped me obtain the building supplies as well as supply many of the tools needed.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with Hal and getting a chance to talk about the "good old days" as well as learn a few things from him.  I must admit I was totally exhausted at the end of the first day of work and Hal suggested we call it a day when he saw I was struggling to keep up with him.  A few more hours the following day and my rebuild looks great.  I need to wait a few weeks and then I can stain the wood to match the rest of the house.  Hal and his wife Jeanne and Carol and I are marking our calendars for the summer to head to a few music concerts together with a meal before each one.  Had the best time renewing an old friendship with a great guy.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The final result thanks to Hal.

The "The Art Of Printmaking" Story

One of the very first block prints I did during my class in Graphic
Arts.  I worked along with the students to show them how to
use the tools and how to make the prints.  This was from a 5"x7"
piece of wood that had linoleum attached to it.  After printing I
used water colors to add some color.   Below it is a sheet of postal
stamps.  My students weren't expected to mat and frame their work!

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a few of the block prints that I made maybe fifty years ago while teaching Graphic Arts at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, PA.  One of the first projects my classes would do each year was a linoleum block cut which taught what was referred to as relief printing or printing from a raised surface.  

The Lancaster Museum of Art at the Grube Mansion.

To accomplish the project the students would draw a design on a linoleum block what was "type high" or .918" (the height of a piece of lead type used to print the letter.  They would then use cutting tools to cut the background from the block, allowing what remained to be inked and printed in a relief press.  During every class I would work along with them so they could see what I created and follow my lead.  

Pictured here is a wood block and a linoleum block that
can be used for printmaking.  The wood block has already
been cut with a design.  The tool could be used to do the cutting.

What we were accomplishing was what was known as print- making.  The four forms of printmaking are relief (woodcuts - and sometimes done on linoleum), intaglio (also known as etching and done on metal or plastic), screen printing which is printing through the image, and lithography which is printing from a flat surface (which would be printing from a metal offset plate or printing from a stone).  

Another relief print on display at the museum.  It is on
wood and shows the tools used to create it.  

Recently two shows opened in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania on the art of print- making.  One show was at the Demuth Museum in downtown Lancaster titled "Print- making through History: Artist Prints" while the second show, titled "The Art of he Big Print: Master Lancaster Printmakers" opened at the Lancaster Museum of Art in what is known as the Grube Mansion, a few blocks from the Demuth Museum.  

This press was on display in the museum.  It
could be used to print blocks that were type high.

I chose to visit the later since the show featured six local printmakers who were each given a large 30x40 inch piece of Baltic birch wood on which they could make a relief print.  Hand tools, such as metal chisels, were used to cut the design in to the wood.  It was then inked with a roller and printed onto paper.  The areas of the piece of wood that were cut away will not receive ink and therefore not print.  I visited the Lancaster Museum of Art and had the chance to see the six large prints.  Two of the artists work in woodworking with the remainder being involved in education in either administration or teaching.  

A sample from one of the six artists in the show.  This print
was done by the head of the art department at a local high school.

I loved walking from one large "block" to the next, examining each and having the chance to see the final result.  Also on display were some of the tools used by printmakers as well as a small press that could be used for printing the blocks.  My hope is I get a chance to visit the Demuth Museum to have a chance to see a few other historic examples of printmaking.  I never tire of viewing results of what I taught while a high school teacher.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.