The "Basement Magician" Story

Lovell performing at my home

It was an ordinary day.  1981 and my youngest son is turning five years old.  Carol and I have been talking about something special for his birthday, but so far haven't been able to come up with anything. Then, one day earlier this week I was walking through the metal shop at Manheim Township High School where I teach graphic arts and photography and saw my friend and fellow teacher Lovell doing a magic trick for his class who were anxiously waiting for the class to end.  Simple trick but he had their attention which is tough to do with 14 and 15 year old students.  The bell rang and I walked over to him to find out where he learned how to do the trick.  Seems he got a Sneaky Pete Magic Set and a book about Houdini for Christmas when he was in grade school and loved it.  He eventually added his pet parakeet and began doing performances.  That was years ago, but he never lost the love for performing and magic. 

My son Tad, 2nd from left,
and daughter Brynn, far right

 "How about I hire you to do a magic show for my son's birthday party," I asked him.  A week later he was in my basement with my kids and about ten other kids from the neighborhood.  And, as Mr. Funfoolery, he put on a show that even I loved watching.  A very accomplished performer and sleight of hand entertainer.  Wouldn't tell me any of his secrets though.  Lovell entered the Navy after high school and served four years in the Navy, eventually becoming a Navy Seal.  He received The Gallantry Cross and the Navy Good Conduct Medal while in the service and used the GI Bill to get his teaching degree.  But, you could see and feel the excitement in his performance and knew he wouldn't be teaching many years.  Finally gave in to his passion and began a lifetime of fun, creativity, being on stage in front of  audiences and a challenge far beyond his imagination.  Copied that last sentence directly from his website.  He and his wife, who was his assistant, did a couple of other shows for me before I lost track of him.  At the time he had landed a job in Atlantic City at one of the casinos.  Since then he has performed twice at Governor Ridge's Inaugurations and performed for President Bush at the Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn.  He has won several awards in the Mummers Parade in the comic division and has his image on a goose egg in The Clown Hall of Fame.  Lovell is an accomplished magician, juggler, clown and puppeteer.  He has performed for many years at Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster.  He has also founded the Chuckles Foundation to help disadvantaged children, created over half a million balloon sculptures and holds the World's Record for most balloon sculptures created, has his puzzles displayed in Ripley's Believe It or Not museum and has been known as Chuckles The Clown at the Eden Resort in Lancaster for over 30 years.  One item I read recently about Lovell came from his trip to the White House.  Seems that George and Barbara gave out autographed Easter eggs to the children who participated in the egg roll.  After the event quite a few came over to him and asked him to sign the eggs on the other side.  "In a child's eye, a clown rated close to the president," said Lovell.  I'm proud to say that I knew and worked with this fine gentleman who at one time said, "It brings me great honor to make people laugh and that I can lighten their daily burdens and for a moment bring joy into their life.  Laughter is a cure-all for everything we do in life.  Without a doubt, he made the right move when he gave up teaching years ago for his childhood love of being an entertainer!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Mr. Funfoolery

Lovell as "Chuckles the Clown"

Lovell's Magic Book

Poster from a trip to the White House.

The "The Infamous Computer Key" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting at my computer deleting names.  With one push of the delete key I eliminate another member of the class of 2013 from graduating.  It's graduation time for high school students and I am busy composing the program for the Manheim Township High School class of 2013. A week ago the class consisted of 402 members.  Just got the updates from the high school office and have eliminated 14 seniors from the graduating class for various reasons.  How can a student make it to their senior year and give up or not care enough to do their best to graduate.  What a sad day it must be when called into the Principal's office and told that you have failed a necessary course and will not graduate with your class.  How must your parents feel?  For some, I'm sure it is not a surprise, but to the marginal student who has tried their best all year, it has to be a tremendous disappointment.  Graduation this year is on a Tuesday evening and it isn't until Monday morning that I know which names have to be deleted from the class.  I was told that one boy had until 8:00 AM Monday morning to turn in a paper that was required for graduation.  Must have made it, since I didn't get the email to delete a male name this morning.  The program is only eight pages in length.  The cover is a pre-printed cover that features a cap and gown with diploma, flower and the copy "Graduation 2013."  Inside cover page gives the date of Commencement along with the school Alma Mater and a note telling the students, family and friends that graduation is a milestone in the life of the senior and not to whistle, cheer, applaud or yell out for any one student.  I have heard many times that most in attendance never read the boxed in information, since a circus atmosphere tends to permeate graduation.  The third page of the program features the "Program" that will take place during the evening.  Then follows the 388 names with the faculty, administration and school board listed on the rear of the program.  Sounds like a pretty simple job to prepare and print the program, but it is extremely stressful to have it done in a timely manner.  A few years ago, while still a teacher at the high school, I had to reprint the program TWO times due to errors in the program or the spelling of the names of the students.  The morning of graduation that year I had to come to school at 5:00 AM to print the 3rd edition of the program.  At 7:00 AM the high school secretary who had made the mistakes walked in the door with breakfast for me.  Nice touch and certainly appreciated, since the mistakes were tough to catch and could have been my mistakes had it not been for the fact that the secretary claimed the mistakes were her mistakes.  Thanks, Marie! Well it's Tuesday noon and I'm making the delivery of 3,000 programs to the graduation site for the evening's commencement.  We used to staple the two sheets of paper together, but since that took four to five hours, the school opted not to staple the program to help save money.  That, and the fact that it may have to be rushed to the site for the 6:00 PM starting time.  But, all is well once again, at least for this year.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Let The Killing Begin" Story

The Battle of Gettysburg, by Thure de Thulstrup

It was an ordinary day.  I'm looking at a copy of a painting that was done years ago of Pickett's Charge in Gettysburg, PA.  This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg which took place July 1-3, 1863.  Special events are planned which include days of reenactments of the battles that occurred in and around Gettysburg.  This year they will spread the carnage over 10 days to make sure that everyone that wants to be killed has an equal chance.  Do you get the feeling that I don't care much for war reenactments.  War is accepted and frequently necessary violence that I believe is best left for the history books.  Why must we reenact all the carnage and slaughter of human life just for the sake of ...... what?  I know there are many people who totally enjoy dressing in hot wool uniforms and carrying heavy antique weapons with bayonets protruding from them.  And they do this in scorching weather carrying probably an extra 30 pounds more than the people who actually fought the battle in the first place.  Oh, well!  I know I'm nuts!  This year they are expecting tens of thousands of visitors for the battle.  A couple of the biggest differences from the actual battle 150 years ago is the placement of portable toilets around the battlefield and expanded cellphone coverage.  Boy, I'm so glad for those improvements from the bloody fields of the original Gettysburg battle.  "I think we're ready," Bob Kirby, superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park, said in a recent interview.  "We're ready for what the world would like to see."  Historical estimates put the original death count at 7,500 soldiers at Gettysburg, considered to be a major turning point of the Civil War after Union forces turned away a Confederate advance.  Gettysburg has done all it can to make the battlefield as authentic as it was 150 years ago.  Every year the Gettysburg National Park attracts 1.2 million visitors who come to view the battlefield and pay their respects to those who gave their life for what they believed was a just cause.  I fully believe that paying homage to the heroes and commoners of our wars is viable and I have done that myself, but to relive the battles by displaying the violence and death is a bit too much for me.  But, it is big business!  200,000 visitors are expected for the war and most of the area's 2,600 hotel rooms have been booked for months.  Rooms as far away as Frederick, MD are full.  If I make a visit at all to nearby Gettysburg it will be in November when the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address delivered by a President Abraham Lincoln reenactor.  President Barack Obama has been invited and that historic moment would be thrilling.  For those who love reenactments and all that goes with them, I hope you have a wonderful time if you travel to Gettysburg during the 150th anniversary.  I know all the wars and battles were fought so we could have the freedom of choice.  And, my choice is not to participate in these dreadful events, but I'll wave to you if you want.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "No Reason to be Late" Story

The new clock outside the station

It was an ordinary day.  Just passed the Lancaster Train Station on my way into the city of Lancaster and caught a glimpse of something new as I passed.  Wasn't sure what it was, but thought I would stop on my return trip to check it out.  I lived for most of my childhood less than a block away from the Lancaster Train Station and have many fond memories of the place.  Whenever I get a chance I take my grandson to visit, sit on the benches of one of the two platforms and watch the trains come and go.  Well, on my way out of the city I passed my old homestead and found a place to park.  Headed over to the station and there, in front of the place, was a brand new clock.  Carries the same design as the station and has a curved "LANCASTER, PA" arched around the top of it.  And to top that off, the station has a brand new clock with golden Roman numerals on the face of it.  Couple months ago in the local paper was an article about a local jeweler who was going to donate a few clocks to the station to upgrade the old clocks that were there.  His name is Ryan Miller and he also had many fond memories of the train station and riding the rails with his father Brent.  His father, founder of the Brent L.Miller Jewelers,  died in 2006.  Ryan remembered when he and his brother and sister would travel on alternating trips with their dad to New York to buy diamonds.  It was always a great time so he is donating the clocks to the train station in memory of his dad.  Plans call for clocks on each of the platforms as well as in the concourse and one on a post in the front of the station.  The one that caught my eye was the one in the front of the station.  Stands on a tall post and is slightly more than three feet in diameter.  Love the face with the large hands and the Roman numerals.  I remember when the photo of what they were going to look like was in the paper and someone wrote a letter to the editor  saying that the #4 shouldn't be IIII as in the photo, but it is made that way instead of IV to balance the clock face.  I walked into station and walked the wide steps to the main lobby and saw two more on either wall of the lobby.  Talked with a Red Cap (station worker who wears a red hat) about the new edition.  He was proud of the clocks, but said they are on Atomic Time determined by a satellite and he can't change the time on them.  I questioned him why he would want to change them and he said, "To make sure the passengers don't miss their train."  Seems he would set the old clocks to run five minutes ahead to make the passengers hustle to the platform so they were not late.  He did say that they are expecting the clocks on the platforms and one in the seating area, but they haven't been installed as of yet.  Waiting for the painting to be finished in the seating area before the installation.  The old station is starting to resemble how I remembered it when I was a child.  Has been in ill-repair for years, but with the new clocks and the paint job it will be as it was in the 50s.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The Lancaster Train Station as it appeared on April 27, 1929 when it was dedicated.  Notice the clock at the top of the station.

The same clock, only refurbished and with new gold numbers.

The new clock next to the snack bar.

The old clock at the same location.

The "My Own Pawn Star" Story

Pawn Star Fred

It was an ordinary day.  Fred has just left with my camera collection.  He was like my own personal pawn star.  For those of you who watch "Pawn Stars" on the History Channel, you will know what I mean.  Fred is a dealer in antique cameras and accessories.  I contacted him about a month ago to find if he was interested in purchasing my camera collection that I began about 15 years ago.  My first purchase was a small camera with box that sold for $1.98 when it was new.  I paid $10 for it.  All plastic and didn't give very good photos.  Over the years I would pick up a stray camera here and a unusual photo there, but never spent much on any of them.  I just enjoyed the search and purchase.  I installed display cabinets in my office where I would place the collection for primarily myself to see.  I enjoyed it, but very few others ever bothered to look at it.  As time passed I got rid of the display cabinets and packed the collection in boxes and put them in storage.  Then started a new collection of Caribbean art.  When I started writing stories for my blog I dug a few of the old cameras and photos out of storage and included them in my stories.  One Daguerrotype I purchased had a love note and a lock of hair in it.  Paid $20 for it.  Pretty neat!  One Kodak Brownie camera was brown with an anniversary seal on it.  And the list goes on and on.  I thouroughly enjoyed buying every item in my collection and enjoyed displaying them .... for primarily myself.  Probably had close to 40 old camera and a slew of accessories and photos.  Then I got to thinking about what will happen with the boxes of old stuff when I pass and thought ...... that's not going to happen.  I'm going to sell everything so that someone else can feel the thrill I did when I bought it years ago.  I visited a pawn shop near my home and met Dave who really wasn't interested in acquiring any cameras or photos, but did give me Fred's name and number.  When Fred showed up I wondered if I made the right move in having him visit to look and buy my collection, but the more I watched him go over every piece and tell me about the history of it I knew someone else needs to own them.  Now you have to realize that I thought I would get a fortune for my collection, but after spending a few evenings online and on eBay, I changed my mind.  Some of my cameras were pictured on eBay for $1 and no one wanted them.  Others were listed for close to $100 and no one bid on them.  Uh Oh!  I made a list of values based on the eBay prices and added it together.  Fred would probably only offer me half that since he was in the business to make money and would have to double what he paid me, so I came up with a final estimate of what I wanted.  If you add in the gas and hours I spent buying the collection I was going to take a licking.  Fred showed me on his phone what the cameras that I had were bringing.  He asked me how much I wanted.  I asked him how much would he give me.  It came down to ..... I asked you first!  I gave him a figure and he offered me half of that.  We each explained our reasons.  Just like on "Pawn Stars", round two followed.  I made an offer and he counter-offered.  Then there was silence as we both though it over.  "OK, I'll take $$$$," I told him.  He thought a short time and said, "I can do that," and we shook hands ...... just like on "Pawn Stars."  The entire time we were packing the collection I kept thinking I should have kept that camera or I should have kept that paper cutter, but after a few hours I am feeling pretty good about it.  The amount I got will not make me rich, far from it, but it is a good start towards my next purchase of Caribbean art which is a piece of marquetry I have been looking at for a few years.  I guess we both came out happy in the end.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Table of cameras

Accessories 

Photos

The "Memories of the Watt & Shand Store" Story

Santa at the top of the ladder at Watt & Shand
Department Store in downtown Lancaster, PA 

It was an ordinary day.  Santa Claus is coming to town and mom, my brother Steve and I are going to go watch him head up the ladder on the fire engine to the top of Watt & Shand Department Store in downtown Lancaster, PA.  After lunch in the basement of the department store, my brother and I are going to visit with Santa and give him our Christmas lists.  One of my favorite days of the year.  I can remember well the arrival of Santa on the Saturday after Thanksgiving  and how excited I was to go and visit with him.  At first I was scared of the jolly old man, but when my brother was old enough to see him also, I had to act brave so he wouldn't be scared.  Previously I wrote about the crowds, the excitement and my wife's involvement as a high school student in Santa's arrival, so today my story is going to deal more with the location that Santa chose for his workshop in downtown Lancaster, PA.  The Watt and Shand Department Store has a great history to it starting back in the late 1890s.  The founders, Scot immigrants Peter Watt, James Shand  and Gilbert Thompson were looking to build a store in a wealthier area where there was very little competition.  The three, in their late 20s and early 30s, announced their intentions on February 22, 1878 and opened their "New York Store" at 20-22 East King Street in Lancaster on March 9, 1878.  The store sold a variety of foreign and domestic dry goods as well as upscale merchandise to the general public and the first item sold was a wool plaid shawl for $5, an expensive item for that time in history.  They were known for their customer service and were said to have a unwritten policy to "stay open until the last shopper had left."  Mr. Thompson died during the first year of business for the "New York Store" and the remaining two partners changed the store's name to Watt, Shand and Company.  In 1880 the store moved closer to the square in Lancaster at 8-10 East King St. and in 1885 the name was once again changed to Watt & Shand and included more space at 6 East King.  In 1896, the property at 2-4 East King was acquired and famed architect C. Emlen Urban was hired to design a new facade for the corner site.  With completion of the new building in 1898, remodeling on the earlier buildings began.  Again, in 1905 the business expanded into three adjoining buildings (Rohrer's Liquor Store, Shenck's Hotel, and Marshall Rengier's Hardware Store) going to the south on South Queen Street.  In the end, the building which was designed in the Beaux Arts style unified all six attached structures with one cohesive facade.  Really neat looking place that featured a large clock that faced the square on the south-east wall and the name Watt & Shand which graced the main entrance over the same entrance.  At the time the retail floor space was 100,000 square feet and employment at the store reached 300 employees.  It was Lancaster's largest retail store and the place to be seen in Lancaster.  Its central location in downtown made it a great place to hang out with trolley cars stopping nearby and bellmen ushering people in and out of the beautiful elevators to the shopping areas and soda fountain.  Many a time I would ride the elevators with my family from floor to floor by means of a doorman as we did our Christmas shopping and I can still visualize what seemed to be hundreds of American Flags flying atop the entire Watt & Shand store.  The store thrived and remained pretty much the same until 1959 when it acquired it's next door neighbor to the east, Appel & Weber jewelry store.  In 1984 the store completed a $1 million, three-year renovation and now consisted of 220,000 Square feet.  With the addition of Lancaster's Park City Mall, a huge shopping complex in the suburbs, Watt & Shand opened as one of the anchors in the mall.  I believe that this mall was the beginning of the demise of Watt & Shand Department Store and downtown Lancaster.  The Bon-Ton Department store eventually purchased Watt & Shand who closed in 1995.  Today the building in downtown Lancaster that was once home to Watt & Shand is now the Lancaster Marriot at Penn Square and is adjacent to the Lancaster County Convention Center.  Luckily, the original facade that was designed by Urban still remains and is the front for the hotel.  I can still remember the great times I had with mom traveling to downtown and all the neat stores.  Watt & Shand still holds a spot in my heart and as Lancaster City begins its latest revival, I am glad that the Watt & Shand storefront will still be a visible part of that revival.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

 "New York" Store, circa 1878.

Watt & Shand at Penn Square, circa 1898.  The two stores on the far right still are not part of the Watt & Shand store.

The facade has been totally completed for the Watt & Shand store, circa after 1905.

Showing some of the ornamentation of the Beaus Style architecture.

Appel & Weber store became part of Watt & Shand in 1959.

Store windows were always decorated.  It was one of my favorite items to look at on my trips to town.

Store window around the 4th of July.

Interior of the store back in the early 1900s.

Photo as the Watt & Shand building now appears.  The facade is still the same in the foreground, with the Lancaster Marriot Hotel and Lancaster County Convention Center in the background.  This is now the tallest building in the city of Lancaster.

The "Hilarious Obit" Story

John E. Holden (Jack)

It was an ordinary day.  Walked out the driveway for the morning paper after feeding our outdoor cat.  Took the orange plastic wrapper off and glanced at the headline under the masthead.  Proclaimed "A one-of-a-kind man -- and obit."  As soon as I read the headline and saw the photo staring back at me I knew what the story was about.  Couple of days ago, as I read the "Local" section of the newspaper I turned to page 3 and the obituaries.  There was this double photo (young and old pixs) of a fellow which accompanied his obit.  Started off with .... John E. Holden, alias Jack, took the Deep Six, Monday, May 27, 2013 at the Willow Valley Retirement Community after a life with endless laughter and debauchery.  Wow!  Would you read on?  I could hardly wait to continue.  His entire obit was filled with humor, stories of his business career, the organizations to which he belonged, the story of his publication he wrote at his retirement home and the history of his career in the Marine Corps where he says he was a fighter pilot during WWII and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his combat activities, the Air Medal for action in Okinawa in 1945 and the Distinguished Fleeing Cross for avoiding numerous women who were seeking child support under unproven circumstances!  Yep, you have to read this to believe it.  My wife was still in bed, but I had to wake her to read this double-column obit.  Couldn't believe they would put it in the paper, but hey, you have to pay for it and I guess you can say anything you want about yourself.  You did read that right ..... because he wrote his own obituary.  Boy, does that sound familiar.  It was back on September 1, 2010, at the end of the first year of my blog, that I also posted a copy of my obit.  Beginning of mine read like this .....

Larry W. Woods

Ordinary Guy

Larry W. Woods died on September 9, 2044 at the age of 100, surrounded by his wife and friend of 77 years, Carol and his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren at his home in Lancaster, PA. He died shortly after watching the “Today” show and seeing his photo on a jar of Smuckers Jam. This was the one item on his “Bucket List” he feared he would never achieve. He had a grin on his face as he fell asleep for the last time.

Could Mr. Holden have read my blog and thought he would do the same for himself?  I thoroughly enjoyed reading his obit and when I saw the article on the front of the paper today I got to relive it again.  Seems that his obituary became an international sensation after being shared on social media and going viral within hours of publication.  The newspaper website has drawn over 115,000 hits and a reprint of the obit appeared in newspapers across the country as well as in London and ran on the Canadian broadcasting Corporation's website under the line, "This guy wrote his own obituary, and it's fantastic."    In today's front page story it tells the story of Jack as seen through the eyes of those who knew him throughout his life as well as those he worked with at Armstrong and Hubley Toys.  Almost 70 inches of copy appeared in today's paper with his photo.  It appears that Jack is as famous in death as he was in life.  A few more items from his obit, and in his own words, that you may find interesting were: ...... (1) For many years prior to his demise, he wrote a tongue in cheek publication at Willow Valley called "The Wrinkle Valley News" where he had close to a thousand readers whom he referred to as "The Inmates of Wrinkle Valley." (2) He was a longstanding member of the Lancaster Country Club, the Hamilton Club and the International Mickey Mouse Club from which he was immediately banned after providing housing for a number of stray cats. (3) Jack was widowed ten years ago after sixty-one years of marriage to Elaine Ewing Holden.  He has had a number of other wives recently, none of which were his. (4) Three daughters, Holly, Wendy and Anne Holden and a son, John E. Holden, Jr. have managed to survive despite being related to their father. (5) and finally - His last words were "I'm really going to miss myself."  .... I guess I'm going to have to tweak my obit a little to outdo this one.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This photo of Jack was on of the two that accompanied his obituary in the Lancaster Newspaper 

The "Indian Massacre in Lancaster" Story

Foreword:  The French and Indian War (1754–63) was a conflict between France and Great Britain that resulted in Britain taking over all French lands in North America.  The people of Lancaster, PA, specifically the Scotch-Irish which allegedly are part of my family heritage, suffered from the raids that Indians made on the people of Paxton, Hanover and Donegal townships during the war.  These people were determined to get revenge on the Indians ...... any Indians.  They happened to pick out the friendly Indians of the Conestoga Tribe who were from Manor township and never were at war with the whites.  So, on December 14th, 1763, the Paxton Boys (approximately 60 men from Paxton, Hanover and Donegal) attacked the small and peaceful village of Conestoga, scalping the 6 Indians, including Chief Shaheas who was friendly towards the whites, and burning their huts to the ground.  Luckily for the other Conestoga Indians, they were visiting a local iron works, selling baskets and brooms.  When the word got to these Indians, they fled to Lancaster to seek protection.  The magistrates promised them protection from the Paxton Boys and placed them in the newly erected jail to ensure they would be safe.  On the morning of December 27th the murderers made their way to Lancaster, after learning the Indians were there, stormed the jail, over-powdered the guards and killed the remaining 14 Conestoga Indians.  With this act of brutality, Indian history essentially came to an end in Lancaster County. 

It was an ordinary day.  I was waiting in the lobby of the Fulton Opera House for Aaron who is the Managing Director.  Every year Aaron has me make altered Polaroid prints of the Fulton Opera House with small plaques to give to the retiring members of the Board of Directors of the Fulton.  I am making the delivery of the prints to him today and hope to take a few photos of the interior of the Fulton, specifically the basement walls that were part of the original jail where the Paxton Boys murdered the Conestoga Indians in 1763.  In 1852 Lancaster civic leader Christopher Hager hired Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan to build what would be known as Fulton Hall where the old jail had been located.  Only the rear wall of the colonial prison was left intact as a tribute to the last of the Conestoga Indians.  I am anxious to visit the site in the lower level of the historic building to see for myself the remnants of the jail (also referred to as the City Gaol).  I'm slightly over six feet tall and Aaron has a good six inches on me so we both must stoop over as we pass through some of the doors leading to the back of the building.  Then there, as we round a final corner, are the walls that were without a doubt the foundation of the jail.  Wow, walls at least eighteen inches thick are on either side of an old wooden door.  Cast-iron pins protrude from the corners and were more than likely the pins that held the exterior prison doors in place.  I touch the walls and can just feel the history of these old walls.  Tell you the truth, I was disappointed that that was all there was that remained, but at least there is something that can be seen to remember the disappointment that the community of Lancaster must have felt that fateful day in 1763.  Aaron then took me to the third floor of the Fulton so I could view the Indian murals that were painted on five wall panels of the building.  These were probably painted directly on the plaster by the Improved Order of Red Men sometime in the mid-1800s.  The Red Men dressed as Indians and celebrated Indian traditions.  The Red Men Society was founded in Baltimore in 1834 and had an order in Lancaster who met on the third floor of the Fulton and called themselves the Rainmakers Association.  I can find no reason why they chose that name.  In 1869, on Christmas Day, four Red Men tribes dedicated a wigwam in the third floor area where the paintings appear.  The local order of Red Men used this wigwam as a special meeting place until the end of the 1800s.  It was reported recently in the Lancaster newspapers that this Indian activity taking place on the same site of the Paxton Boys massacre is disrespectful and the paintings as misguided memorials to the murdered Conestoga Indians.  I guess no one will ever know the real reason for the murals, but my trip to the Fulton and the history it holds for Lancaster, was a very interesting success.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Check out the photos from the Fulton

Large pin that would have held the door 

Some of the crumbling wall of the old jail 

Inside shot of where the old jail wall meets the new wall

Exterior shot of the old jail wall

Image of  Indian on 3rd floor wall 

Second image of Indian on 3rd floor wall 

The "A Salty Spit of Land" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Pinel Day!  Pinel Island is a small French island in Orient Bay which has no electricity, plumbing, etc. except that which two beach bars have placed on the island.  The only access to Pinel is by way of ferry or watercraft.  The beaches at Pinel are fabulous, but do change in size and direction from year to year.  The island gift shop, Paradisio, has a large array of beach items, shirts, souvenirs and beautiful pareos.  They also have quite a few bird feeding stations spread throughout the shop which are filled with sugar and are home and feeding stations for the many Sugar Birds that inhabit the island.  Pinel is often called St. Martin's best kept secret, but from the looks of the ferry crowd today it is no longer a secret.  After you pay your $7 fee, try to find a spot on the boat, and make the 15 minute trip to the island, you have to find beach chairs and an umbrella.  Carol and I have been making the trip to Pinel for over 10 years now and every year make our pilgrimage to the top of the large hill behind the main beach to take a photo of the beach to show the differences from one year to the next.  Some times we also bring our lunch with us and hike to the opposite side of the island to have our lunch and take a dip in the ocean on that side.  I have included a few photos taken from the exact same spot on Pinel.  You will easily be able to see how the island changes from one year to the next.  Some years I have omitted, since there is either little or no change from the year before.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Ferry  captain for as long as we have been going to Pinel

Approaching Pinel by ferry

Arriving on Pinel

2004

2005

2006

2007

2009

2013

The "Crazy Decisions Create Insane Results" Story

Recognize this as a car?

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the "Letters to the Editor" in the Lancaster, PA Intel/New Era and came across a letter that describes my feelings about the State of Pennsylvania getting rid of it's State Stores that sell liquor.   The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board was created in 1933 four days after the repeal of the 18th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  That particular amendment was geared toward prohibition of production of alcoholic beverages, but not against their consumption.  Make any sense to you.  It was the only amendment in U.S. history that was repealed.  Governor of Pennsylvania at the time of it's repeal was Gifford Pinchot who stated that the reason for the PA Liquor Control Board, which was established four days after the repeal, was to discourage the purchase of alcoholic beverages by making it as inconvenient and expensive as possible.  If you wanted to buy spirits and wine you would have to shop at a State Store and if you wanted beer you would have to travel to a distributor.  There was to be no sales of either in grocery stores or convenience stores.  Did it work?  After hearing all the time of DUI arrests and overuse of alcohol as well as all the AA locations that alcoholics can attend, it doesn't look as if his idea worked.  So why not make it legal for the corner store, supermarket, produce stand, fast-food store, road-side lemonade stand and whatever to sell spirits, wine and beer.  Make it competitive so that more people can open an outlet and people will be able to buy it anywhere and at lower prices.  Can anyone besides myself and Gary M Levinson, the author of the "Letter to the Editor," see how crazy and insane this really is?  Why does the public need more alcohol than they already consume?  So the DUI arrests can go down.  So we can create fewer alcoholics?  Governor Tom Corbett, who I did not put in office, evidently believes this will be the case.  Why else would he be pushing for it.  He is hoping to double the number of liquor retailers, expanding the sales of six-packs, 12-packs and 64-oz. containers of beer.  Our state economy is struggling to make ends meet, just as everyone else is, and he plans to take away $500 million that the State Stores contribute to our economy.  How can he cut the education budget even more?  I know by selling the State Stores and getting out of the liquor business the state will gain a one-time $1.7 billion in license sales to new distributors and money from liquor tax revenue and sales, but I'm sure he will find a place to spend that real fast, then what will we do to replace that yearly $500 million?  I guess if he would invest all the money it may work, but do you really believe that would happen.  Why not just tweak the system as it now stands by having the stores sell a bigger variety of products and maybe expanding the stores.  Let the Liquor Control Board continue to educate the public about the excess consumption of alcohol and maybe, just maybe the DUIs and liquor inspired crime and violence may drop.  If not, just wait a few years and see what we'll have to content with.  Good luck to all of you if that happens.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Faces of Strangers # 13" Story

It was an ordinary day.  I had just left the Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, PA after delivering a few of my altered Polaroids and started walking towards Central Market.  Reached West Grant and noticed what looked like a new layer of blacktop had just been laid on the walkway which had been interlocking bricks for ages.  Always liked the brick walk, but it did need some repairs and the city decided to cover it with blacktop instead of spending the money and doing it right.  The town of Lancaster, PA is a historic town which I have documented more than once in my stories and to start covering the cobble-stone streets and brick walkways with blacktop is a disservice to the citizens of Lancaster.  As I started up W. Grant from Prince Street, I passed a young man writing on the blacktop with a piece of chalk.

Noah writing with chalk: "This Was
Once Beautiful BRICK What Happened?"

 Couldn't read what he was writing, but the further I went towards the market I could see some of the notes he was writing.  After the third note I stopped, decided to forget my market visit, and walked back to talk with the street artist.  I introduced myself to him and he told me his name was Noah.  Noah lived south of Lancaster in a small village called Willow Street.  Was a life-long resident of the area except for the couple of years he spent in service to his country.  Young man with a big smile and a love for the city where he was born.  As we talked I could see how upset he was that the city laid blacktop over the beautiful brick walkway.  "You can still smell the blacktop.  Still not totally dry yet," he pointed out to me.  "And, this is my way of expressing myself in a non-violent, non-damaging, but yet visible way."  As I sat on the edge of the sidewalk with him a variety of people stopped to tell him they admired him for what he was doing.  Two older women stopped and wished him well in his quest to stop the city from ruining our beautiful streets and sidewalks.  I asked if I could snap a photo of him and place it with a story.  He was more than willing to have his photo taken.  I told him I also admired him for what he was doing and that maybe someone may read my story and be able to influence the proper people in government before more of Lancaster is covered in blacktop.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Special Note:  Very seldom do my stories make it to my computer before they make it to the local newspaper.  Today's story could have been "news" had I written it as soon as I had gotten home from my trip to downtown Lancaster.  But, I had grass mowing, weeding, etc. that took the place of a quick trip to my computer for a story.  Today I opened the local paper and there was a photo similar to what I had taken two days ago, minus the subject of my story.  Seems that the city of Lancaster has removed the artwork from the sidewalk because of several complaints.  And, they said that they plan to remove the blacktop and replace it with bricks just as my subject was hoping for.  I guess his non-violent method did work even though the city said they always had the intention of replacing the blacktop with bricks.  Yeah right!

The "Missing Mom" Story

Missing Person's Poster

It was an ordinary day.  Watching Dr. Phil and 54 year-old Brenda Heist on television.  It was only about three weeks ago, when Carol and I had just come into the villa after a dip in the pool to take a shower and head to Orient Village for supper, that Carol turned on the CNN evening news and there on the screen was a double photo of a woman named Brenda Heist from Lititz, PA.  "Hey, look there.  Someone from Lititz is in the news," Carol said to me.  As we watched we discovered that the woman had disappeared on February 8th, 2002 and just now surfaced in Florida.  I can remember when she was the big news  eleven years ago back in Lancaster, PA.  Everyone, including myself, thought she was the victim of foul play and that it may have been her husband who was responsible for her death.  Brenda and her husband Lee were going through a divorce and Brenda had applied for housing assistance through the state so she could keep her children, a daughter 8 and a son 12, with her.  She had just learned that she had been denied the assistance and was sitting on a park bench in Lititz Springs Park when she was approached by strangers who asked if they could help her.  Seems they were homeless vagrants and they offered her the chance to travel with them if she cared to.  She was in such a state of despair that she accepted their offer.  Later, her car was found in neighboring York County with all her personal belongings.  For months people searched for her.  Finally the police started looking into her death as a homicide, thinking that maybe her husband had someone kill her.  He cooperated with the police, finally taking a polygraph test, and was eventually cleared.  In 2010 Lee had her declared legally dead and collected her life insurance.  As for Brenda, she traveled with the the homeless hitchhikers towards Florida sleeping under bridges and surviving by scavenging food and panhandling.  Eventually she made it to Florida and ended up living with a handyman by the name of Jim Stewart whom she met at an Outback Steakhouse.  They lived in a camper in Key West, working odd jobs.  Only one time did she try to reach family by calling her brother.  Call didn't go through so she never tried again.  Eventually she changed her name to Kelsei Smith and later gathered the nickname of "Lovie."  Heist eventually left Stewart, cleaning out his bank account and claiming that his drug and alcohol problems were too much for her.  For years she left her family in Lititz believing that something terrible had happened to her.  This past January she was arrested on misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and providing false identification.  She eventually plead guilty, sentenced to time served, and released.  Three days before she turned herself in to the police in Florida, she attempted suicide by swallowing two bottles of pills.

Brenda Heist as she appeared in 2002 on left and now.

 Then, eleven years after she had vanished without a trace, Brenda Heist approached police in Key Largo, Florida and explained that she had abandoned her husband and two children on the spur of the moment in Lititz, Pennsylvania and became a vagrant.  She told them she was on probation and had recently been arrested under a different name.  The Florida police placed a call to Lititz Police Detective John Schofield who traveled to Florida to meet with her. He said in a news release that, "She has a birth certificate and a death certificate, so she's got a long ways to make this right again.  She's got to take it slow with her family, I'm sure, and it's going to be a long process."  Her daughter's twitter outburst after finding that her mother was alive said "You deserve to rot in hell for what you have done to me."  She also wrote, "I don't think anyone could understand my pain for the past 11 years.  But I am strong and nothing like Brenda Heist will tear me down."  Gonna be a long road ahead for everyone.  As I sat there watching Dr. Phil interview Brenda, I couldn't help but think that this woman is mentally ill.  Who could do that to their family?  She said over and over that she felt her family would be better off without her.  She did get to renew her relationship with her mother on the show, but I'm not sure how I would feel if she were my mother.  How can a person do that to their children?  And, how can she resurface and expect those children to take her back into their lives?  To leave her children so all along during their formative years and tormented with not knowing what happened to their her ..... to me that is so cruel and inexcusable.  I know that time cures most everything.  But this?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Old Courthouse" Story

Lancaster's Courthouse on Center Square

It was an ordinary day.  Busy day in downtown so I had to find parking a couple of blocks away from Strawberry & Company which is located on West King and also opens in the rear next to Lancaster's Central Market.  I'm on my way to drop off a few of my photos with Wayne, the owner of Strawberry & Company.  As I go through the square in Lancaster I always marvel at the monument that stands in the center of the square, but that wasn't always standing at that location.  In 1739 a large brick courthouse, one of the first in America, had just been completed.  It was a two-story with a courtroom on the first floor and council chambers and storage rooms on the second floor.  The courthouse had leaded hand-made glass panes in the windows, the kind that when you look at them you can see shimmering wavelike lines going through it, a shingled-roof with a steeple and belfry which held a hand-cast bell atop it.  In the fall of the year Lancastrians would gather at the courthouse to elect local officials.  It was on June 15, 1774 that those citizens came together once again to protest Britain's passage of the Boston Port Bill of that year.  William Atlee had received a letter from Philadelphia about the trouble in Boston and had gathered the people to inform them of the event.  At the meeting in the courthouse they adopted resolutions censuring the British Parliament and expressing sympathy with the Bostonians.  They all agreed to unite with the people of Philadelphia and not buy any imported British goods until they repealed the bill.  Starting to sound familiar?  Nothing was resolved with this issue and a few weeks later, on July 9th, the citizens of Lancaster county were once again called to the Court House. George Ross led the meeting which expressed loyalty to the King of England, but denied their right to tax the colonies.  On January 14, 1775, in answer to a call from Philadelphia to elect delegates to a general convention to be held in Philadelphia, Lancastrians met once again at the courthouse to elect a committee for that purpose and which was chaired by Edward Shippen.  Finally on Tuesday, April 25th of that year, news of the first bloodshed of the Revolutionary War reached Lancaster.  Perhaps the most famous event that was held in Lancaster's Courthouse on Center Square occurred on September 27, 1777 when Lancaster was our Nation's Capital when members of the Continental Congress, fleeing the British advance to Philadelphia, met at the courthouse to discuss the nation's business.  On July 8, 1776, from the steps of the courthouse, news was read of the Declaration Of Independence. Local magistrates rushed to the courthouse where they surrendered their commissions, refused to recognize the King, and ordered the removal of the Royal coat of Arms from the Courtroom.  Bravo!!  That probably was the last big hurrah for Lancaster's Courthouse, since in June of 1784 it burned to the ground.  A tragic loss of one of Lancaster's most historical landmarks.  The spot stood vacant until in 1884 the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument was erected.  Pretty neat thinking I am walking in the same footprints as some of our countries most famous patriots.  And, today I feel like one of them!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.