The "Oh, The Stories We Can Tell...Over & Over!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting on the back porch of Jim's home in Manheim Township waiting for the drunken chicken to finish cooking.  Arrived about an hour ago with my longtime friend Jere for the annual Manheim Township Industrial Arts (IA) retired teacher's picnic.  We have been gathering for quite a few years now and enjoy telling the same stories over and over, year after year.  It was in 1967 that I joined the Industrial Arts staff at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Same school I had graduated from five years before.  At the time I was the new guy on the block, so to speak, with four other IA teachers already part of the department.  Before long I was one of the older guys with quite a few new teachers in the department.  

Former Industrial Art teachers are: front (l-r) Barry Walton,
Dean Lemon, Jere Herr, top: Jim Campbell, Jeff Lefever,
Larry Woods, Hal Hopper.  All members of the old IA Club.
Click to enlarge.

One of the older teachers, Dean, who was my department head for many years, was also at the picnic today and one former student, who eventually became a teacher in the district, Jeff, is also waiting for the meal to begin.  My friend Jere was a classmate of mine at Manheim Township, having started in 1st grade with me and graduating from the school the same year.  He went in the Navy and after serving, returned to college and eventually became a teacher at the high school.  Barry had taught almost as long as I had at the high school and took over Dean's job as department head when Dean retired.  The final two guys sitting around the table at present are Hal who came a few years after I did and Jim who is the youngster of the group who still teaches at the high school.  He plans to retire in another year, but he has said that before.  A great bunch of guys who enjoy meeting every year and telling tales about our time together teaching the students of Manheim Township skills in woodworking, metal working, graphic arts and mechanical drawing.  Many former students have returned to tell us of their success in life due to the knowledge they gained in the Industrial Arts courses they took in school.  We used to be a much larger group, but over the past few years have lost some of our treasured friends.  Tough knowing that maybe next year one of us will no longer be able to enjoy a meal together.  Dean has to travel from Herndon, Pennsylvania to come to our picnics while Jere has to drive down from State College for the reunion.  Neither would miss seeing the guys just one more time.  The food and drink is great, but the friendship is a treasure.  After the meal we began story time with the usual ... remember when so and so cut his finger off on the table saw, or remember when so and so caught this guy in the back room with another teacher, or ... well it goes on and on.  Same stories every year, but they still must be told so we can all laugh and wait for our turn to tell our story.  I swear some of the stories change just a bit each year in order to outdo the person telling his story in front of you.  When the stories wound down we headed to visit Jim's new shop he was building at his new home in Manheim Township.  He and Hal have been setting up all the equipment and getting it ready for Jim's retirement someday.  Great equipment and plenty of space for working.  As the evening wound down we all departed, asking who will have the picnic next time.  You know there will be one ... but will everyone be there?  We are not getting younger, but what time we still have left will have to be spent, at least one day of it, with all the old shop guys.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "See You In September!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading online recently about a song and musical group from my past that brought back many good memories.  It was the end of my freshman year in high school and I was trying to figure out how I could make some  money so I could buy a car when I turned 16.  I already had a profitable business raising guinea pigs and selling them for medical testing, but that was hardly enough to buy a car, insurance and gas.  My bank account had a fair amount of money in it, but I wanted to pad it a bit more.  I had friends that were into buying 45rpm records with hopes of collecting maybe that one big hit that would give them a big payout when they resold it.  So, I took a few dollars of my guinea pig savings and began to buy a record or two whenever I could.  Wasn't long before I turned 16 at the end of the summer and got a job at the neighborhood Grant's Department Store working in the sporting goods and record departments.  Had to keep the shelves stocked as well as help customers looking for items related to either department.  I could buy vinyl records at a great price and even got to know the salesman who would from time to time give me a few records for my growing collection.  One of those records, "Green Stamps" by the T-Birds got me a nice price when I sold it to a local collector a few years later.  But the one record that I remember the most was a song called "See You In September" which was sung by a group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania called the Tempos.  The song peaked at #23 by the end of 1959.  I had two of the records and just hung on to them.  The song was written in June of that year in a day and a few days later was recorded by the Tempos in New York City.  The record was cut a few days later and heard on WNEW out of New York.  It rose quickly and then dropped just as quickly by the end of the year.  But, a funny thing happened with the song when a group by the name of the Happenings redid the song in the spring of 1966.  Their version eventually reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 list.  It eventually got the Happenings a Gold Disc for selling a million records.  The song also became a hit in Brazil where it reached #1 on the chart for Rio de Janeiro in early 1967.  I eventually sold my two records I had that were recorded by the original group, The Tempos, but probably didn't get as much for them as if they had been recorded by the Happenings.  In the early 1970s I sold my entire record collection to a young photographer who happened to be the yearbook photographer for the high school yearbook which I was responsible for doing where I taught at the time.  Funny how one or two songs from the past always bring back memories when their titles pop up from time to time.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

   

The "Trying To Make The Customer Happy" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Working at Grebinger Gallery for a few hours to lend my expertise to a few of the framing jobs I wasn't able to help with as I went through my recent medical procedure.  There are so many unusual projects that come into the gallery that making decisions as to how to mat and frame them are both challenging and fun.  One of the projects today is framing two note cards that feature sheep as well as a sample of wool that came from the owner's sheep.  Keith, the owner of the gallery, gave me his work sheet which tells the basic things such as color and style of mat board, type of glass to use, style and number of the frame and a general idea as to how the customer would like the items framed.  I then made a sketch showing three openings and placed measurements on the sketch.  Opened the program on the mat cutter computer and entered the measurements.  This project will have two mats; the main mat and the accent mat.  Most times the mat colors are chosen to compliment each other as well as what is being matted.  The main, or top, mat for this project is a woven fabric mat that is slightly thicker than most mats.  The computer for the mat cutter allows you to cut different depths for different thicknesses of mats.  I cut the two mats and taped them together.  I then cut a piece of foam board the size of the mats, cut an opening in the center which would be the opening for the wool samples, and then attached the two note cards to the foam so they would show through the top and bottom openings of the mat board.  The next step was to place spacers on the bottom foam board to allow for adequate clearance for the height of the wool samples.  The two mats, which now housed the two cards, was placed on the bottom foam board which had the spacers on it as well as a layer of mat board that matched the top mat.  After taping everything together, I hot-glued sample pieces of wool that the customer had taken from their sheep.  A piece of glass was cut as well at the chosen frame and the unit was place together.  Turned out really neat and I'm sure the customer will be pleased with the final result.  I hope the photos I have taken will help you understand the procedure, since I'm sure my explanation might have been tough to understand.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This photograph shows the sample of wool, two note cards and the top (brown fabric) and bottom mat that I have cut based on the measurements that were given to me on the work sheet that the customer approved.  You may notice the top brown fabric mat is in two pieces.  The customer wanted a "V" groove around the edge to add some interest to the job.  This is done on the computer and then cut into the mat board.

This is the top foam board that I have cut an opening into as well as fastening both note cards with acid free paper clips.

On the right is the mat boards on top of the foam board that holds the note cards.  Notice the center opening will allow for he wool sample to show through it.  The foam board on the left has spacers on all four sides which are about 1/2" high to allow enough depth for the wool sample.  The brown piece in the center is a piece of the top mat board, but only the top layer of the board which I carefully peeled off so it isn't as bulky as the entire piece of mat board.  This piece of mat board is the location where I will glue the wool.

Preparing to glue the wool sample into place.

The final result with the wool and chosen frame in place.

The "Framing A Piece Of History" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a few of the articles in the Illinois Journal newspaper laying in front of me on the framing counter at Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, PA.  Newspaper is dated May 4, 1865, approximately two weeks after President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.  The attack on Lincoln came five days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his massive army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War.  The Illinois Journal is printed in Springfield, Illinois where Lincoln was a lawyer and elected to the Illinois House of Representative and eventually elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846,  and then to the Presidency of the United States on November 6, 1860.  The newspaper was brought in to the Gallery for framing after the owner of the newspaper saw a similar historic newspaper framed and hanging in the gallery as a sample.  On the front page of the paper folio is one brief story printed under "Afternoon Dispatches" which tells of Secretary of State William H. Seward being seriously wounded by Booth's conspirator Lewis Powell during the assassination plot that killed Lincoln.  Newspaper looked as if it had been folded and in storage for years.  Many of the creases were beyond being straightened without the chance of destroying the newspaper. At times I can use a heating press to remove these creases, but this one is beyond total restoration. I was given the job of framing the paper, showing only the front of the newspaper.  Loved reading the articles and advertisements that were placed on the front page of the paper.  Follow along with me as I frame the historic newspaper using all acid-free and conservation materials to help preserve the newspaper forever.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Newspaper laying on board for inspection and preparation for framing.

Date can be seen in this photo.

Short notice about Secretary Seward attempted assassination.

I have cut the mat and cut a piece of conservation backing for framig.

Position the paper on the foam and use acid-free paper adhesive clips to hold it in place.

I used the underpinner to make the frame.

Frame, Museum glass, and matted job ready for assembly.

The driver is used to hold the project in place.

Tape is placed along the edges to hold the dust cover in place.

Stretching the paper dust cover on the rear of the frame.

Trim excess paper from the edges. 

In this case I used Wall-Buddies to allow for hanging.

Final result.  Acid free and conservation materials used for maximum preservation.

  

The "Reunion Of Friends & Fellow I.A. Teachers" Story

View from Dean's house in Herndon, Pennsylvania.

It was an ordinary day.  Overcast with a slight chill in the Autumn air, but other than that, a great day to visit with old friends and fellow shop teachers.  For thirty-three years I taught Industrial Arts at Manheim Township High School (MTHS) in Lancaster County, PA.  Over that time I got to meet and work beside quite a few great guys.    The chairman of the I.A. (Industrial Arts … or "shop" as it was once known) Department when I first began was a towering man known as Mr. Ehemann.  He had a first name, but he was too big and too old for a young new teacher as me to call him anything but by his last name.  

Dean's A-frame home in Herndon, PA.

My brother Steve, five years my junior, was a student at MTHS when I began teaching at a school on the other side of the mighty Susque- hanna River in York County, PA.  His basketball coach was Mr. Ehemann.  During the winter of my first year at York I asked my brother to ask his coach if they needed any shop teachers, since I was getting tired of driving so far to school each day.  The next night, after practice, Steve told me I had a job at MTHS if I wanted it.  Called the high school principal the next day and said I would take the job in the I.A. Department for the next school year.  Simple as that … no interviews, no forms to fill out or resumes to complete.  Shortly I had signed my contract and that was it.  After a few years Mr. Ehemann became a principal in another building and fellow shop teacher, Dean Lemon, took over as Department chairman.  Well, that was back in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  Over the years I worked with a multitude of guys who taught everything from metal shop to architectural drawing.  

Acres of trees Dean will use for his tree stand at Christmas.

And, today many of us have gathered in a small town along the east side of the Susque- hanna, close to two hours from home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, for our second annual shop teacher reunion.  The neat A-frame house on the top of a hill in Herndon is home to Dean Lemon.  I not only taught alongside Dean, but knew him as a shop teacher when I went to MTHS as a student.  He arrived as a new teacher in my sophomore year.  Dean grew up in Herndon and later purchased 32 acres of prime farmland on a hill overlooking the river.  On the land he grew Christmas Trees.  Not just a few trees, but over 30,000 of them.  They furnished his supply that he sold near his home in Manheim Township, Lancaster County, at his "Dean's Trees" holiday stand.  Over time all three of my children worked for Dean at "Dean's Trees".  

The I.A. guys.  Front row: Jeff Lefever (Graphic Arts, wood, drawing and metal), Jere Herr (Metal shop and eventual plant manager for the school district, Dean Lemon (Metal, wood, drawing and shop math teacher as well as department chairman), Larry Woods (LDub - Graphic Arts, wood, metal and photography), Rear: Barry Walton (Wood, metal, graphic arts and department chairman after Dean retired), H. Buzz Messick (Wood shop and graphic arts), Hal Hopper (Mechanical and architectural drawing, wood shop).  I want to thank Jim Campbell who took this photo.  Jim is still teaching at MTHS, but began at MTHS when we were all still teaching and didn't want to miss the good times and stories we had to share.  Jim teaches wood, metal, mechanical and architectural drawing and engineering technology.

As Dean and I stand in front of his home today, overlooking his property and the thousands of trees in front of us, he tells me he is preparing for one more year at the tree stand.  I'm sure it gets tougher year after year, but this mountain man with acres and acres of Christmas trees never seems to age.  Soon another car winds it way up the long drive and pulls into a parking spot and it's time for lunch and story time.  After a few hours of  … "remember when so and so did that," we gathered for a photo of those still with us after over half a century of teaching and friendship.  We lost another one of the crew this year when our good friend and fellow I.A. teacher, Clyde Neal, died.  Oh, the stories we had to tell about Clyde this year!  Even though the weather wasn't conducive to having our picnic outdoors, we still had the warmth of friendship and companionship that comes from years and years of working together.  Plans are already in the making for our trip to Herndon next year for more of the same.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Labor Day Report" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Labor Day 2016 and I am once again reminded of the time when I was a member of a union which helped me obtain wages that were more than double what my friends who were working were making.  For almost four years, during high school and college, I worked part-time at the Acme Supermarket, first running a cash register then "graduating" to stocking shelves and working in the produce section of the store.  That was when running a cash register required math skills that, my guess is, most students in high school today don't possess.  Still remember that when someone bought a can of Campbell's soup, that was 3 for $.49, I rang up $.17.  Didn't have to look it up on my phone.  I knew math inside and out as did all the people who ran cash registers at the store.  Well, throughout those years I had to pay union dues once a month. When I stopped working at the grocery store I was making $2.19 an hour while some of my friends were getting paid $1.00 an hour pumping gas.  I did have to pay $15.00 a month for having my union negotiate that wage for me, but I was making more as a part-time worker than many who were working full-time at other jobs.  Unions are bashed constantly for being corrupt, and I guess that may be true from time to time, but I was able to pay for my college tuition and books, car expenses and insurance and still have some left over to take my girlfriend to the movies because of my union.  Yesterday I wrote a story about Armstrong Cork Company and the fantastic benefits that the employees received which included having a shop committee that would communicate with management for wages.  More than likely that was the start of unions as we know them in Lancaster, PA.  Today we celebrate all workers, both union and non-union and the economic achievements of the American workers.  Labor Day constitutes a yearly nation tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.  

More than 100 years after our first Labor Day celebra- tion, there is still doubt as to who was responsible for the holiday.  Some say it was Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor while others say it was Matthew Maguire, a machinist, who was the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J. who proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.  It was Peter McGuire who joined with his friend Samuel Gompers to found the American Federation of Labor (AFL) which were responsible for the adoption of the eight-hour workday.  But wait, it was Matthew Maguire who led strikes intended to force the plight of manufacturing workers and their long hours into the public eye. He is said to be the father of Labor Day.  It was said that Maguire held some political beliefs that were considered fairly radical for the day as did Gompers so Gompers friend Peter McGuire was assigned the credit for the creation of Labor Day based on Canada's labour festival held in Toronto.  

1st Labor Day Parade in New York City.

The first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in New York City when 10,000 disgruntled workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square, thus holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history. In 1884 the holiday was moved to the first Monday in September.  Soon other areas of the country were also celebrating the holiday.  Then, the Sunday before Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.  The first state to pass a law naming Labor Day a holiday was Oregon in 1887. Others quickly follow and today all states honor our workers on the first Monday in September. Today Canada also celebrates Labour Day on the same date that we do while European Countries have various other days to celebrate. So, today we will celebrate all our workers and their dedication to making the USA the greatest nation on earth.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Blue Vs. Green" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Playing my green #6 on top of Carol's red #6.  Jerry is next and he plays a blue #5.  "You can't do that," I tell him.  He responded with, "It's the same color so why can't I play it?"  I've known Jerry almost all my life.  We went to Brecht Elementary School together and were in the same classes most of our public school life.  Not only that, we lived about two blocks away from each other and played tackle football at the nearby train station together with the team from his block playing the team from my block.  In high school he helped me rebuilt the engine in my very first car, a 1953 Henry J.  But, it took a game of Uno when we were both in our 60's to find out that my childhood and lifetime friend was colorblind.  Luckily he never wanted to be an airplane pilot, electrician, house painter, interior decorator, chef .... etc. .... since he could never have been because you need to distinguish between colors to be successful in those types of occupations.  We both were teachers and as long as the chalk you were using to write on the board was white, you had no problems.  Most people think that being colorblind is a mild inconvenience, but it can impact your life's work or how you dress or even being able to stop at a stop light.  And, did you know that 1 in every 12 men or 1 in every 230 women are colorblind.  Hard to believe that 1 out of every 12 guys playing football on a Sunday afternoon might not be able to distinguish between uniform colors or 1 in 12 male city drivers can't tell if they should stop or go if they might encounter a traffic light that runs horizontal rather than the traditional vertical or 1 in 12 males playing a game of Uno not knowing whether to play a green or blue card.  There may be an awful lot of people who feel like their life is ruined because they don't see color as other do.  The trouble occurs when people are born without one or more of the three types of color-sensing proteins normally present in the cones of the retina.  For the ten million people in the USA who have colorblindness there has never been a treatment, much less a cure, for their problem.   That is until now!  A husband and wife team from the University of Washington have teamed up with a California biotech company to develop a gene-therapy that may cure colorblindness.  Wow!  It's in it's initial stages, but some day soon, through the use of a single shot in the eye, those with colorblindness may be able to see the world in full color for perhaps the first time ever.  Google Jay and Maureen Neitz and read about how they plan to help those who have red-green or yellow-blue colorblindness be able to see in colors of the rainbow.  I have read about it and don't feel qualified to write more than I have about it, but if you Google it you may be able to see exactly how their discoveries will help those like my friend Jerry be able to play a simple game of Uno without being criticized about playing the wrong color card.  I will admit thought that Jerry didn't let it bother him when we play and get a good laugh when he plays some crazy card that makes no sense.  Same for me when I can't understand something we are talking about when I forget to put my hearing aides in my ears.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Near-Perfect Secretary" Story

Marie M. Gehman

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with Just Sue who lives in State College, PA and is one of my traveling friends.  Called to tell her that a friend of ours, Marie Gehman, had just died.  Sue's husband and I taught together at Manheim Township High School and Marie was the secretary for many of those years.  When I started teaching at MTHS in 1967 Marie was one of the high school's front office secretaries.  She eventually was promoted and was the secretary to the principal.  She was extremely efficient and a loyal employee for the high school.  Took pride in never doing anything wrong.  I had quite a bit of contact with her since I taught graphic arts and did all of the in-house printing for the high school.  She and I worked together designing just about everything from stationery to hall passes during the many years we worked together.  But, there is one story that she and I always talked about when we would see each other when the retired high school staff would get together for breakfast.  It was graduation time during one year in the early 1980s.  Marie would always type the graduation program and I would print it.  Had to wait until the last minute to print it to make sure all the names on the program had passed the requirements for graduation.  Some years the ink probably came off on the fingers of the parents who attended graduation, since I had to wait some years until the day of graduation to print the program.  This particular year I was able to print the program the day before graduation in the morning and had the program finished by lunch.  I dropped the programs off in the office and Marie thanked me for the good job.  Shortly she walked into the print shop with a smile on her face.  Somehow I had made a mistake!  Had to print them all over again.  Finished the job by late afternoon and took them to the office where Marie was waiting for them.  Told her how sorry I was for the mistake and left.  Wasn't more than five minutes later she returned to the print shop as I was putting my jacket on to go home.  Her face was white and her head was hanging low.  Seems she had made a mistake on this version and it had to be redone one more time.  I was exhausted and told her it would have to wait until the next day, graduation day.  She gave me the corrected version and early the next morning, about 6:00 AM, I arrived to get started.  Wasn't more than ten minutes later in walks Marie with a plate of pastries and fresh strawberries from her garden.  She was so upset that she had caused me to have to come in and reprint the program because of her mistake that she brought me breakfast.  I stopped working and we sat at the light table to share breakfast with each other.  It was during that time that we both got to know each other a little bit better.  She realized how hard it is to produce something under stress and I got to see another side of her when she apologized once more for making the mistake.  Marie retired in 1985 and was probably one of the most efficient secretaries I have ever worked with during my teaching career.  May she rest in peace!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Uniquely Amish: Part II" Story

Some of the upholstery work that Eli was working on.  The
flashing lights are featured on the front and back.

It was an ordinary day.  Yesterday I began my two-part story about my visit to the Leola Coach Shop in Lancaster County, PA.  I had the best time talking to all the workers and watching them show me how they go about building or repairing Amish buggies.  Today the story starts as I found my way to the second floor of the shop and the upholstery area.  Here I got to meet Eli who was a young man who I guess to be late 20s or early 30s.  

This is the required red taillight and an orange
colored light that is also added for safety.

I introduced myself to him and told him why I was making my visit. He saw that I was carrying a small memo book where I was taking notes and wondered why I didn't bring my iPad with me.  I told him I still enjoy writing notes, but I surmise he thought I was from a different generation that didn't know how to use the current technology.  I also think that he probably possesses an iPad or some other type of tablet that he uses.  Anyway, Eli was very knowledgeable and proficient about his part of the procedure of coach repair and making.  He was placing finishing nails along the edge of the canvas that covered the frame of the coach.  

Upholstery and flooring for the coach.

In the distance were two young girls running industrial sewing machines, making the canvas tops Eli was installing and the seats that would line the inside of the coach.  The work all three were doing was precise and exceptionally well done.  Eli told me about the other parts of the coach which included the electrical system and safety features.  The coach is required by law to have red stop lights on the rear, clear headlights in the front and flashing reflectors across the top, both front and rear.  The triangular plastic reflective piece on the back is no longer required by law, but he said all buggies in this area of the state use them.  

The dash with the clock, speedometer and voltmeter.

The lights that are now used are all LCD lights which are brighter and reflect more.  There is also a wiper on the windshield to clear the rain.  I'm not quite sure how that is powered.  Inside the coach is a dash that had a small clock, meter to keep an eye on the voltage in the battery and a speedometer.  

Interior floorboard with brake and high-beam.

Yep, a speedometer!  A bicycle speedometer.  He told me that it was possible for a horse to reach 20 MPH, but probably only if it was running away from it's owner.  The doors of the buggy are made of wood and covered with fiberglass.  They slide in tracks along the sides of the coach.  On the floor in the front of the buggy is a foot pedal for the brake and a small foot button to change the head lights from low to high beam.  All the buggies he works on also have yellow lights on the front and back for safety, although not required by law.  The seats are not fastened, but only sit on rails along the inside of the coach.  Most coaches are for four adults, but can carry more if necessary.  

The coach is moved to the spot on the floor that
can be opened for lowering the coach onto the frame below.

They have no heat, but I could see that they are fairly well insulated and with four people inside maybe using lap robes, it would be tolerable in the winter.  Sitting nearby were the seats and carpet that were needed to finish the buggy that I was viewing.  After all is complete, the coach is wheeled to a door in the floor at the far end of the room and a hoist will lower it directly onto the undercarriage that will be waiting below.  Pretty neat set up and I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of workmanship that was demonstrated by the workers I met.  Almost made me want to buy a buggy.  Almost!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

As I left I could see buggies lined up waiting for pickup.

The "Uniquely Amish: Part I" Story

Foreword:  All my life I have lived in Lancaster County, PA.  A large majority of the land in the county is filled with farmland and is farmed by quite a few Amish farm families.  Names such as Stoltzfus, Esh, King, Fisher, Lapp, Beiler and Zook grace the sides of mailboxes throughout the county.  And for transportation, they use the horse-drawn buggy.  Often wondered where and by whom they were made, so a few weeks ago I stopped in Witmer Coach Shop which is located along Route 23 to the east of Lancaster.  Gentleman told me that no one shop completes all the parts of a buggy, but if I wanted to see one being put together I should stop at the Leola Coach Shop.  So, today's and tomorrow's stories will take you through an Amish Coach shop and give you an idea how they are made and by whom.  I really didn't know what to expect, but I'll tell you I had a great time talking with most of the employees in their part of the shop.  I was thoroughly welcomed into their shop and we talked about not only what they did, but about the life that they lead.  They too had many questions for me about my English lifestyle.  They were kind enough to allow me the thrill of the visit I took and the photos you will see published here only show the product and not the faces of those who make them.  Their religion does not care to have their photo taken and I followed their wishes.  

Small sign along Creek Hill Road announces that the Leola
Coach Shop.  In the background you can see the field still
covered with this year's corn crop.

It was an ordinary day.  Traveling east along Rt. 23 trying to find my destination for today's story.   Road repairs caused a traffic stop and an older gentleman on a bicycle pulled next to me.  Opened the passenger side window and asked him if he knew how much farther it was to Newport Road.  Pointed ahead of us and said, "Second traffic light."  Thanked him and within a few minutes I was traveling north on Newport Road.  After another right-hand turn onto Creek Hill Road I saw the sign in the front yard of a home that had wash strung on a line from the house to the barn.  

Sitting in front of the shop was this "Courting
Buggy" which is usually used by younger Amish.
It has a leather cover over the seat.

The Leola Coach Shop wasn't what I had expected it to be.  Not quite sure what I thought it may look like, but a series of small two-story barns at the rear of the white house was what I found.  Parked on a patch of stones and headed to the only door that was open.  As I walked into the shop I was greeted by four or five Amish men, all working with hand-sanding machines that were powered by compressed air.  Youngest one asked if he could help me and I told him I was looking for Paul.  He pointed to Paul and I walked over to greet him.  Paul looked to be maybe 10 years younger than me with a beard that was close to a foot in length and starting to gray.  I introduced myself and asked if he remembered that we had spoken a week or so ago.  

This photo will show you the frame that holds
the coach.  It has leaf springs and is made of
much the same materials as the coach.  I believe
that the shop does more repairs to older coaches
than building new buggies.

After some explanation as to what they do in his shop, he told me to look around and talk to any of the workers who would gladly tell me about what part of the coach building they perform.  I saw one young man sanding by himself at the far end of the small building and walked over to watch him.  I introduced myself and he told me his name was Joe. He was working on wheels for a buggy that sat closeby.  He explained that the shop uses a variety of tools, including some electric tools.  The electricity comes from a large generator on the premises which also is used to run the air compressor that powers some of the tools.  Electricity is needed for many of the operations in this shop, but is not obtained by a power line from the street.  They produce all their own power with the generator which is run with diesel fuel.  

This closeup of the right window of a buggy shows two
small holes where the reins go through to the driver.

They also have solar panels on the roof to produce more needed power.  The wheel he was sanding was going to be painted for the buggy.  The wheels are made of either fiberglass, aluminum, steel or wood.  The wooden wheels are usually made from woods such as hickory, ash or mahogany which allow for using steam for bending them.  The spokes are joined to the outer wheel with a mortise and tenon joint for strength.  I noticed that the wheel he was working on had what appeared to be the outer housing of a brake drum.  

This is looking down on to a wheel.  The cream-colored
piece is the brake drum that is metal and will hold the
brake shoes much like on an automobile.

Many buggies do indeed have brakes which can help stop the buggy if needed.  He explained to me that the horse is connected to the buggy with straps with come around the front for pulling and one around the rear of the horse for stopping.  The brakes assist the horse in stopping.  The brakes are controlled with a foot pedal on the right side of the buggy where the driver sits.  

This is another buggy in for repairs.  It is shaped differently
since it comes from another state.

The reins come into the buggy directly under the windshield on the right side.  Joe also showed me around the paint booth where there is a ventilation panel on the floor.  We talked about where I would post my story and he told me that many Amish have access to phones or computers.  I noticed that he never stopped working as we talked and his skill at what he did was evident in the product I was viewing.  Gave him my website address and he gave me directions to the second floor where I could see the upholstery part of the operation.  Tomorrow's story will show you the final steps in the making of an Amish buggy.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Stressful Month" Story

The 2014 Manheim Township High School
 Blue Streak Baseball Yearbook

It was an oridnary day.  Looking at the finished result from my efforts over the past month.  During that time I was busy working on the annual Blue Streak Baseball Yearbook.  Have been doing it since 1988 when my oldest son played for the high school team.  Back in '88 coach Dave decided that the Manheim Township High School team needed a support group, primarily parents, so he started the Dugout Club.  Naturally I had to be a member and since I taught printing at the school I was asked to print a yearbook that we could sell at games to raise money for incidentals that the team might need.  First year I did everything on the book, except sell it.  I did the bios on the players, composed all the pages, sold some ads, designed the cover, ....... I think you can see what was involved.  This year I had help from Dan whose son is a senior catcher on the team.  He saved me a bunch of time and I thank him for that.  He sold almost $3,000 worth of ads as well as gathered all the info from all the players for their bios.  Adam, a junior in college studying computer science and a former student and baseball statistician for the Blue Streaks, composed all the bios as well as updated the team records which appear in the yearbook.  I worked on the coaches bios, schedule page, patrons pages and a variety of other pages.  Then I made a visit to the school to take individual photos of the players and coaches.  Designed the layout using InDesign CS5 and popped the photos into my layouts.  For the past three years a local national printer had volunteered to print the 64-page book for free, so I gladly relinquished that job.  The book looks at great as ever and I'm sure they will sell the majority of the books printed.  I still enjoy my involvement with the school where I graduated as well as taught for many years, but I am finding the yearbook to be a rather large task.  That is until I see the final result and realize I am a part of it.  Not sure what my plans will be for next year, but when the time rolls around I'll probably be ready for another stressful month until the yearbook is once again published.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Grebinger Gallery's Unique Options" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished matting and framing this really neat belt buckle that a customer had brought into Grebinger Gallery where I work part-time for a former student I had in my photography class at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, PA.  The buckle was brought into the gallery by a customer who had worked as an aide at a playground at Charlestown Park in Manor Township.  Some of the children at the playground were wading in the nearby stream when they made a remarkable discovery.  Buried amongst the silt and debris at the bottom of the stream were a belt buckle from the Civil War as well as a revolver.  The children brought their find to our customer and he took the pieces to the local police station.  They tried to find the owners, but with no success, so they gave the buckle back to him, but decided against returning the weapon.  The buckle was lost by a Union soldier sometime between 1860 and 1865, as the information on the matting states.  I used a double-suede matting to complete the job.  This is one of many types of jobs that we do at the Gallery in Neffsville, PA.  With the upcoming graduation season we are now preparing diploma matting for a variety of local, regional and national high school, colleges and universities.  Pictured below are a few of those mats.  If you or someone in your family may be experiencing a graduation soon, check out the website http://DiplomaFramesplus.com or stop by the Gallery located at 2618 Lititz Pike Rear in Neffsville, PA. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.