The "The Demise Of Lancaster County Milk Farms" Story

It was an ordinary day.  About three months ago I wrote a story about the Amish and Mennonite milk producing farmers in Lancaster County having trouble making ends meet.  

At the time they were worried they may have to sell off their herds of milk-producing cows to begin raising a more profitable crop.  They blamed a multi-year downward spiral in milk prices as the reason.  Government control in setting low prices has caused huge losses for the dairy farmers.  Many farmers are planning to use the forage they produced last growing season and then sell their herds of dairy cows.  

Amish farmer feeding his herd.

Being that no other farmers may be interested in buying them due to the low milk prices, they may have to sell them for beef cattle prices which is much lower than milk producing cows.  One of the main problems for Lancaster County farmers is the lack of a milk processing plant in the state.  Farmers must now truck their milk to other states for processing.  That cost is very high, making their profit very low.  And, the younger farmers can't take the loss.  

Amish farmer preparing to milk his cows.

Pennsylvania is one of the largest milk-producing states in the country and losing an entire generation of milk farmers could be catastrop- hic.  Lancaster County farmers will meet soon with the Pennsylvania Agricultural Secretary and the processing plant will be on the top of the list for the farmers.  One of the big reasons the farmers are having problems is the excess amount of milk there is.  More and more people are switching to almond and soy milk than ever before.  But, do they realize that those products are actually juice and don't have the same nutritional value that whole, 2% or non-fat milk does.  

The dairy herd in Lancaster County may disappear.

Low milk prices,  scant profits and less expensive foreign milk production are really hurting the farmers.  When spring arrives will there be a big sell off of their dairy cows?  As I drive the miles and miles of roads in Lancaster County farmland I fear they may no longer look as they do in the near future.  Those farming the land may have to leave farming and enter other trades.  The small individual farmer is losing ground to the large milk cooperatives which act as unions.  Will the Amish and Mennonite farms survive all the problems that face them at present?  I'm hoping so, but it doesn't look good.  The famous saying "Got Milk" may be a thing of the past soon in Lancaster County.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "An Individual Can Make A Difference, But A Team Makes A Miracle-Coach Doug Pederson" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The hoopla is just about over, but the memories of the Eagles winning the LII Super Bowl will be with me forever.  My Philadelphia Eagles have finally won the big one. Watched the parade and celebration yesterday and realize I'm not the only one who loves the Eagles.  Tried to spot my nephew in the crowd, but couldn't find him amongst the two million other people. Its been 58 years since the Philadelphia Eagles last won a football championship.  Back in 1960, before there was a Super Bowl, the Eagles were champions of the National Football League when they beat the Green Bay Packers 17-13.  I was a young boy in 10th grade whose only dream was to turn 16, get his driver's license and have a neat car.  But, early that year my favorite professional football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, won the National Football League.  I was so excited...until I saw the next neat car and my mind changed from football to cars.  The Philadelphia franchise was established in 1933 as a replacement for the Frankford Yellow Jackets which went bankrupt.  

The Eagles early logo.

The early edition of the Eagles won champion- ships in 1948 when the beat the Chicago Cardinals 7-0, again the following year when they beat the Los Angeles Rams 14-0 and then a 17-13 win over the Packers in 1960.  So its been almost 60 years since they are champions once again.  Since that time there have been a number of Eagles who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Chuck Bednarik, Bob Brown, Brian Dawkins, Reggie White, Steve Van Buren, Tommy McDonald, "Greasy" Neale, Pete Pihos, Sonny Jurgensen and Norm Van Brocklin.  Philadelphia has always been a very passionate football hotbed and consistently ranks in the top in attendance.  They have sold out their stadium every game since 1999 and rank as having some of the most intimidating fans in the NFL.  The team first played at Baker Bowl until moving to Philadelphia Municipal Stadium, now called John F. Kennedy Stadium, and then moved to Shibe Park which was later named Connie Mack Stadium.  

Lincoln Financial Field logo.

In 1957 the team moved to Franklin Field at the University of Pennsyl- vania which held 60,000 fans rather than the 39,000 at Connie Mack.  In 1969 Franklin Field became the first NFL stadium to install AstroTurf.  Finally, the team moved to Lincoln Financial Field and played their first game there on September 8, 2003.  The "Linc" can holds 68,532 screaming Philadelphia Eagles fans!  The current owner of the team is Jeffrey Laurie who bought the team from Norman Braman on May 6, 1994 for $184 million.  Today the Eagles are valued at $1.314 billion, the 17th most valuable sports team and according to me, the most spirited and obnoxious at times team.  I have watched the Eagles play under coaches Earle "Greasy" Neale, Buck Shaw, Joe Kuharich and  Jerry Williams.  Then Dick Vermeil took over and led them to the 1981 Super Bowl against the Oakland Raiders which they lost.  Buddy Ryan added a fiery attitude to the mix of coaches and was followed by Rich Kotite.  

The latest Eagle's logo.

One of my favorites was Andy Reid who became head coach in 1999 and took the Eagles to the playoffs the following year.  He eventually took them to the Super Bowl in 2008 where they lost to the Patriots as Carol and I watched while sitting in a sports bar on the island of St. Martin.  Andy became the 5th coach in NFL history to win 100 or more games with a single team in a single decade.  But, he couldn't win the big one.  Chip Kelly took over and he too couldn't win.  Then in 2016 a guy by the name of Doug Pederson was hired.  Not too long ago he was a high school coach.  He became Reid's offensive coordinator at Kansas City.  Took him two years to do what no other coach in Eagles history could do...win the Super Bowl.  The Philadephia Eagles have a storied history with many great players and a few good coaches, but this year's team will stand out in everyone's mind as perhaps the best ever since they won it all!  What's next?  A repeat!  We will see.  One thing for sure, the fans will fill the stands just as they have for years and years.  As for me, I'm thinking Super Bowl again!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of a ordinary guy.   

The "America's Refugee Capital" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Making a visit to one of the schools in the Manheim Township School District in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  My mission today is to take a few more candid photographs for one of the two yearbooks I produce for the school district that borders the city of Lancaster.  Made a visit to one of my favorite classrooms in the Intermediate School, the 5th grade artroom.  Asked the teacher if she would mind if I walked around the room to take a few candid photos.  In no time I was snapping away as they worked of a variety of projects.  I came upon one young boy and asked if he would mind if I took his photo and he looked at me with a puzzled frown.  Another student said he just came to the school from Puerto Rico and didn't speak English very well yet.  Snapped a photo as he wrote his name on a sheet of paper for me and then I thanked him for the photo.  Gave me a big smile as he went back to work on his art project.  Then it struck me.  This young boy has been displaced from his home in Puerto Rico due to the devastation of Hurricane Maria this past fall.  After arriving home from my photo shoot, I pulled out my yearbook from when I graduated from Manheim Township High School in the early 1960s and began leafing through it.  I found TWO faces that weren't Caucasian in the entire high school.  What a difference 50 or so years make.  The names in the school yearbook now reflect the many refugees that now call Lancaster County home.  Two months ago the BBC News Network titled Lancaster, Pennsylvania as "America's Refugee Capital."  Since 2013, Lancaster has resettled 20 times more refugees than the rest of the country.  I had to read and reread the story to take in all the information that I just didn't realize even though I live in the county.  The story that was in Newsweek told the tale of our small, historic city surrounded by fertile farmland that most people think of as home to the Amish, Conestoga wagons, farmer's markets and former President James Buchanan.  Within the city's borders there are now 18,000 U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico that make up 30% of the city population.  For the past 12 years the Mayor of our city has been J. Richard Gray who is a heck of a nice guy and a friend of mine from church.  The city has recently welcomed displaced people from the Caribbean who now call Lancaster home along with 1,300 people from Somalia, Burma, Bhutan, Congo, Iraq, Cuba, Syria and Ukraine.  Most are here as climate-displaced families that are creating economic and social struggles for the city of Lancaster.  The city school district is facing a population crisis. Since Lancaster is close to Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore and Washington D.C., Lancaster has become a receiving zone for those areas.  And, with sea levels rising due to climate threats such as drought, hurricanes and sea level rise, Lancaster will see many more refugees heading to our town.  We are being touched tremendously by our climate. Are we ready for it.  So far Mayor Gray has handled it well.  But his term recently ended and he chose not to run again.  I'm hoping our new city Major will be up to the task that she will certainly inherit.  Things such as lack of clean water, food scarcity, and even crowded hospitals will be with us soon.  And, I guess I should prepare to type many more names in the two yearbooks that I produce that don't end with Smith or Jones.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "The First 5&10 Cent Store In The World" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Clicked on my e-file labeled "Woolworth" which I have been collecting for the past three years.  In 2015 I wrote a very brief story telling about Frank Woolworth and his first successful 5 & 10 cent store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Over the past couple of years I have been able to collect over twenty-five photographs of that building that was located at 19-21 North Queen Street.  Mr. Woolworth began his career in retail sales when he opened a small store in New York.  Wasn't long before it failed.  He then opened a store in Lancaster at 170 North Queen Street.  His idea was to open a store where the customers could pick up his merchandise and examine it before buying it rather than the retail model at the time of handing a clerk a list of items and having them gather the items for you.  His store in the second block of N. Queen was so successful that he decided to build what he called the Lancaster Skyscraper.  He hired C. Emlen Urban who designed it in 1900.  The building was constructed of steel, iron, stone and brick.  It was five stories high with a roof garden and two gold-domed towers that rose 45 feet into the sky.  The store closed in 1949 and was demolished, making room for what was said to be a bulk-standard concrete and glass superstore that stood at 19-21 North Queen Street until the late 1990s when it too was demolished, making room for an extension of a neighboring bank.  Follow the photos and advertisements I have been able to locate and see for yourself the rise and fall of one of the greatest stores in downtown Lancaster.

This store was located at 170 North Queen Street in downtown Lancaster.

An enlargement of the front of the store.

A postcard of the Woolworth Building at 19-21 N. Queen Street .  This building was designed by C. Emlen Urban and has five stories with the roof garden and gold domes on either side of the garden.

Another view of Woolworth's skyscraper with the 1st floor awnings extended.

Red Cross flags fly in front of the store. To the right is the McCrory's Department Store.

Interior of the store with customers shopping.

A dispenser for your choice of cologne.

A black and white of the counters in the department store.

Another view of the interior of the store.  

A postcard sent to a friend telling where their office is located in the building.

The Woolworth building is to the rear of this postcard.  It shows the east side of the first block of North Queen Street as you look south towards Lancaster's square and the Soldiers & Sailor's monument.

This shows the building from the opposite end of North Queen Street looking north.

The rooftop terrace can be seen in this old black and white photograph.

I believe this is a painting rather than a photograph.

This may be an advertisement for the Everts & Overdeer Plumbing and Heating contractors.  They picture the Woolworth Building Roof Garden. 

An advertisement for Woolworth's telling all the locations of the store.

Another ad for F.W. Woolworth

This color ad shows the variety of Hubley Toys they have for sale.  Hubley Toys were cast iron toys made in Lancaster, PA.

A Christmas advertisement showing greeting cards for sale.

This photograph would be from 1949 when the store was demolished to build a concrete and glass superstore.  What a shame someone didn't have the foresight to stop the demolition of one of Lancaster's finest buildings in its history.

This is what was built!  What a shame!!

This photograph and the following one show the demolition of the concrete and glass superstore to make room for an expansion of the bank that stood nearby.

History being destroyed.

A collage of photos telling the history of F.W. Woolworth 5 &10 Store.

Mr. F.W. Woolworth.

The obituary of one of America's premier salesman and entrepreneurs.

The "World Cancer Day" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my wife, Carol, about the fact that the two of us are able to say that we are cancer survivors.  Sounds totally different than it feels!  Having the big "C" is an experience that no one ever wants to experience and when we both found out we had it within a few days of each other it was...well it was a really big whammy.  We were both upset and scared for months on end until we found out our surgeries and following treatments proved to be successful.  This past weekend in our Sunday's "Parade Magazine" we saw an article titled "The People vs. Cancer."  Started with a sentence telling the world that the death rate from the disease in the U.S. has dropped 26% since 1991.  Better still, improved prevention and screening tactics could help bring those numbers down even more.  Very encouraging news to say the least.  For years I have been having PSA tests done at least once a year while Carol has been having mammograms done yearly.  

The screening has been the big reason that we both found out about our cancers at an early stage.  After having a rather abnormal PSA test I had a biopsy done on my prostate which showed cancer in a few of the samples they extracted.  A discussion with my urologist gave me a few choices of treatment until he suggested I have a gene test completed.  That showed I have the mutated BRACA 2 gene and that eliminated a few of my choices.  Cryosurgery was performed and that was successful.  Carol's mammogram showed a small lump and more testing followed.  A lumpectomy was performed followed by radiation treatments and she is now cancer free.  But...it never ends.  Carol will go for another mammogram soon to see if everything is still OK while I was back for another PSA that happened to be .08 higher than the reading half a year ago.  I will now wait a few months and have another test done.  

Then we will see.  For both of us its the waiting and waiting, not knowing what will happen that was the worst.  Why did we ever get cancer in the first place?  Was it hereditary?  Probably, but we're not sure.  Was it due to our environment?  Probably, but we're not sure.  Do we eat the right things?  Probably, but we're not sure.  I eat a lot of white bread while Carol loves red meat.  Can't be good, right.  Could we have developed the disease because we both are in our 70s?  Maybe, but who knows.  Did we have tests done on a regular basis?  You bet we did, and that's what saved us.  The few items that can help the most are: (1) Don't smoke or frequent places where people smoke, (2) Maintain a healthy weight and watch what we eat and (3) Stay active.  We try as hard as we can to stay healthy, but its tough, as everyone knows.  And, we can't seem to stop worrying about what may happen next to us.  We beat it once, but can we continue to do so.  You bet we can, with a little help from our friends!   The power is ours...and yours.  This past Sunday was World Cancer Day and it's everyone's responsibility to make an effort to make sure you are up to date with your cancer screenings, eat healthy if possible and don't smoke!!  Hey, it's your life.  We're pulling for all of you just as many of you did for us this past year.  It really helps.  You got us through it.  Thanks to all of you and God bless you as he has blessed us!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "We Are The World Champs!!!!"Story

It was an ordinary day,  Watching the beginning of the Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and my beloved Philadelphia Eagles.  Eagles lost the toss of the coin and received the opening kickoff.  As Carol and I listened to the announcers I said, "What are they saying?"  She replied, "I don't know, sounds like it's in Spanish!"  I replied, "What?  Did you hit the wrong button on the remote?"  Well, she ran into the living room to turn on the other TV to see if that TV was in Spanish.  English!  "Call one of the kids," I yelled to her.  "I don't want to watch the game on that TV.  It's all blurry," I told her.   Wasn't long before she had our oldest son on the line and he was asking her if we both forgot to take our medicine today!  "Try Brynn," I yelled to her.  Wasn't long before we had her on the line, but she was hard to hear since she was at a neighborhood party that must of had a house full.  "Dad, someone here asked if you have a row of buttons that say A,B,C,D."  Just then I heard shouting on the phone and when I looked at the TV I saw the Eagles had just kicked a field goal.  "Darn, I have no idea what they are saying," I said to her. "Dad, do you have a row of buttons that say A,B,C,D?" she yelled.  "If you do, hit the 'D' button."  

LDub dunking his Wacky cake and wearing
his Philadelphia Eagles Hat

Found it and Voila!  I could understand what they were saying.  Well, if you haven't heard the final score, it was Philadelphia 41, New England 33.  My favorite play, and perhaps the one that won the game was the razzle-dazzle one where the Eagles quarterback, Nick Foles, caught a pass in the endzone.  If you didn't see the play, all I'll tell you is...it was unbelievable.  I know of at least two new records that will go into the Super Bowl record book; first time a quarterback caught a pass in the endzone and the longest field goal by a rookie in the game.  

Gonna have to get one of these for my collection.

As I sit in my lounge chair typing this story, I am watching the presenta- tion of the Vince Lombardi trophy.  As it makes it way to the podium, all of the Eagles players are touching and kissing it.  Roger Goodell, the Commissioner of the league presented the trophy to Jeff Laurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles.  The MVP of the game was the back-up quarterback, Nick Foles.  He had to take the reigns of the team after starting quarterback Carson Wentz torn his ACL a few weeks ago.  Nick led the team to the Super Bowl and his coolness in the face of adversity made him the MVP.  But, my favorite part of this story is that of the 99-year old guy who has been an Eagles fan all his life and was sitting in the front row of the stadium and got a chance to see his team finally win a Super Bowl.  What a thrill it must have been for him.  I can hardly wait until next season!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Let The Battle Begin" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished framing a Philadelphia Eagles jersey for a customer as well as matting and framing two 8"x10" Eagles collages.  If you are not a resident of the United States you may not be aware that today is Super Bowl Sunday when the two best professional football teams in the USA pair off to see who is the best.  

The matted Eagles jersey waiting the frame.

This year is the 52nd Super Bowl and matches the New England Patriots against the Philadelphia Eagles.  Since Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my hometown, is only about 75 miles from Philadelphia, I naturally am a supporter of the Eagles.  Both teams sport the same record of 15 wins and 3 losses during the season, but the Patriots have been picked as the favorite since the Eagles lost their starting quarterback and perhaps the MVP of the league a few weeks ago.  The Eagles were constantly picked as the underdog during their playoff run which saw them win all their games to qualify for the Super Bowl.  They cherish their underdog status with many players as well as fans donning dog masks and costumes.  The local TV station as well as stations from the greater Philadelphia area are filled with Eagles stories.  Our local newspaper has been publishing many human interest stories which features interest in the Eagles such as:  (1) "Quietly Influential" story telling about the team owner and his influence on the players, (2) "Fans Gear Up" story telling about the huge amount of Philadelphia Eagles shirts, hats, mugs, etc. that are flying off the shelves in stores around Lancaster County, (3) "Eagles fans in Florida flock to 'Philly bar'" story telling about a former Lancaster resident who moved to Boynton Beach, Florida where he opened a bar with his son and his son's college classmate and has the walls covered with Philadelphia  sports teams paraphernalia.  

Stories as they appear in my newspaper.

They expect a full house for the Super Bowl game, all supporting the Eagles, (4) "Love of the Eagles" story about a 12-year-old boy and his family who bonded with the football team during the young boys recovery from emergency brain surgery, (5) "Game raises stakes for compulsive bettors" story telling that the lure of the Super Bowl heightens pressures for people with gambling addictions, and (6) "Roommates discover football bond" story sharing Millersville University roommates story of discovering they had more in common then they first realized.  Girls names were Libby McCaskey and Madi Stoutland.  Madi's dad is the present offensive line coach for the Eagles while Libby's great-aunt is Virginia Halas McCaskey, principal owner of the Chicago Bears.  Their love of football had been a factor in their friendship and they are both pulling for the Eagles to win the game.  As for me, well I posted a story a few days ago about the game that Carol and I got to watch on the island of St. Martin where the Eagles lost.  Today I will watch it once again with my wife, but the temperature is about 60 degrees colder that the last Super Bowl we watched which also featured the Eagles and Patriots.  Can the underdog win just one more time?  You can bet that I'll be watching it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "I Thought I Had It Bad Until..." Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my brother Steve about our childhood and some of the things we had to endure while growing up on North Queen Street in Lancaster, PA.  I am five years older than my brother with much more wisdom, but he has the good looks and at least 50 pounds of muscle and a couple inches in height on me.  One thing we did have in common while growing up was a mom and dad who thought we should both have lessons in socialization, manners and etiquette.  When I entered 6th grade mom and dad became part of a group of parents that established a dance club that would their children get together once a month on a Friday evening to dance and socialize.  As I remember there were about eight girls and eight boys in the club.  It was decided that we would begin in September with the first dance which would be held at the child's home based on alphabetical order of our last name, meaning my parents would sponsor the dance last since my last name was Woods.  Lucky for me that one of the other kids in the club was the girl in my class that lived a block away from me whom I walked to school with every day and who was my sweetheart, although she didn't know it!  We danced and socialized every month that school year and if I remember correctly, I hated almost every minute of it.  

The Iris Club on North Duke Street where Steve danced.

But as bad as that might have been for me, my brother had it twice as bad.  Nah, make that three times as bad!  Mom signed him up for a dance club called Junior Cotillion which was held monthly, all year long, at the Iris Club in downtown Lancaster.  The Iris Club is located in an 1895 Victorian home that has a quiet elegance to it.  The second floor has a large ballroom for holding parties and dances.  Steve began his lessons in socializing, manners and etiquette as a 7th grade teenager.  Hated it even more than I did!  He had to wear a black suit with white shirt and black tie.  

Cotillion white gloves such as Steve wore to dance.

Had to make sure his shoes were polished every month before he went to Cotillion. But, the piece de resistance of his outfit was the white gloves he had to wear to greet the girls who sat on one side of the ballroom while the boys sat on the other side.  And, he had to do this every month for a whole year; two hours on a Friday evening.  Now, I was a junior in high school at the time so I made sure I always told him how nice he looked when he left for Junior Cotillion.  I'm sure he hated it and was embarrassed beyond comprehension.  If I remember correctly, he happened to be sick a time or two, or even three during the year when Junior Cotillion was held.  There are many things that Steve and I have forgotten from our childhood, but being sent to dance club and cotillion will stick in our memories until we die.  I can promise you that!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Willie Mays Would Have Sold For More" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story in the newspaper that brought back memories from the very early 1950s.  One of my best friends, Bill, lived about a half-block from me near the Pennsylvania Railroad Station in Lancaster.  Resided in a second floor rental with his mom, twin sister and a younger sister.  We played together all the time.  Only one thing I didn't like about him...he was a Mickey Mantle fan and I was a Willie Mays fan.  We even got a chance to see Willie when he played at Stumpf Field which is about two blocks from our homes.  Today on page 3 of the newspaper was a story with the headline: "Unusual baseball cards sell for $24K".  It was about two months ago that a fellow known as Chuck, who lives in Lancaster county, heard about a 1950s family photo album from a friend of his who deals in antiques.  The antique dealer had picked up the album at an estate sale near Philadelphia.  

Mantle card graded by Beckett Co.

Inside the album was one of the most amazing finds in recent baseball card history: a Mickey Mantle card and a Yogi Berra card from the 1950s that no one in the card industry had ever seen or catalogued.  Chuck bought it on the spot.  He knew it was a risk since he had no idea of the value of the cards and if they may have been reproduction cards.  He eventually took them to the Wheatland Auction Service which is located in Lancaster, PA.  They knew the cards were valuable after two days, since by then the Mantle card had 36 bids that had propelled the price to $5,000.  This was on an item that was up for bid for a month.  Chuck had an inkling that the cards were authentic since after he got them he took them to VSM Sports Card Outlet in Lancaster where the owner said he never expected to ever see a new-to-the-market discovery like this, especially something from the 1950s.  

Rear of the Mantle card.

Mickey Mantle is the baseball card industry's gold standard.  His 1952 Topps card has supplanted the Honus Wagner card as the face of the hobby.  The two cards that Chuck had were Mascot Dog Food cards from a company in Philadelphia.  It was thought that the only card in existence that was produced by Mascot was a Robin Roberts card.  After some research it was determined that Roberts, Berra and five other superstars appeared with certain cans of dog food as early as 1950.  Berra's card shows the same image as his 1950 Bowman card and the Mantle dog food image is the same as his 1951 Wheaties cereal box image.  So, what ever happened to all the other cards produced for the dog food cans?  Perhaps they didn't make too many.  Maybe the dog food company went out of business before they sold the cans with the cards.  No one seems to know.  

Berra card graded by Beckett Co.

Back in the mid-50s baseball cards were used to sell potato chips, root beer and even chewing tobacco.  The players received next to nothing for the use of their photo.  Topps, the baseball bubblegum company, gave players the equivalent of S&H Green Stamps for the use of their image.  Then the Major League Player's Asso. took on Topps and won.  Today it's big business for both the producers of the cards as well as the players whose image is on the cards.  But, the question still was how much these two cards would bring at auction.  The cards were sent to the Dallas-based Beckett Co. for grading and Andy Broome, senior vintage card grader, declared that "discovering a previously unknown card of a super star like Mickey Mantle is one of the hobby's Holy Grails."  Chuck said that he believes he will have to start a college fund for his three girls as well as build a new deck and patio with the money he gets for the two cards.  Well, as far as I could determine by visiting the auction service site, the two cards brought a final price of $23,600.00 after 51 bids.  Not bad, but I bet if it had been a Willie Mays card it would have brought double that!  So there, Bill!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Label for Mascot Dog Food.  Not sure how the baseball card would have been included.  Also never read if the dog food was in bags or cans and if it was dry food or wet food.

This is the Mickey Mantle card placed in a box of Wheaties.  See how it matches the dog food card.

This is the Yogi Berra baseball card that was made by Topps Company.

The "Need A Lift?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Chilly with highs expected to only get into the mid-30s today.  I'm on my way back to my car which is parked near Lancaster's Central Market in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Market day and I thought I should stop and pick up a couple of Long Johns for Carol and me.  The cream-filled Long Johns are one of my favorite treats so what better reason do I need to go to market.  

Bicycles lined up near Lancaster's Central Market.

As I entered the parking lot near the market I realized I must have missed seeing the long line of bikes at the front of the lot when I first parked my car.  Stopped to read the sign by the bikes and realized I had read about these bikes in the newspaper a short time ago.  Seems that Lancaster is partnering with Zagster, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company that provides an inclusive "turnkey" package.  Zagster's rental system is app-based.  You download the app from an app store or go to: bike.zagster.com/lancasaterpa and register as well as provide your credit card information.  

The basket on the bike tells your location.

When you need a lift, use the app to find the closest bike station.  The bikes are numbered so you need to input a bike number into your device to get the code to unlock the bike.  When you're done riding it you put the bike back and lock it once again.  If you don't have a smart phone you can use a flip phone and rent bikes by using a text message and getting details.  All bikes have locks so if you stop somewhere you can secure the bike if needed.  

A map of Lancaster with bike locations.
Click to enlarge.

In Lancaster there are 30 bikes that are distributed amongst six locations.  Each station has a Lancaster Safety Coalition's security camera near it.  The bikes are pretty neat.  They are 7-speed "cruiser" models and have adjustable seats, front and rear lights and a basket on the handlebars.  You can ride to another town and leave the bike if you care.  There are bike shops that are helping with the project and they will make sure bikes are distributed equally to all locations.  Each city in the program obtains sponsors that contributes money to the program.  Zagster's clients include cities, companies and colleges.  They recently opened their 200th ride-share station.  The city of Lancaster has been busy the past few weeks painting bike lanes on the streets of Lancaster.  So, how much does it cost to borrow a bike to get around town or between towns?  Basic rate is $2.50 per hour, up to $25 per ride.  

Another city location at Chestnut and Duke.

If you take the bike home with you they charge you $30 for 24 hours.  There is an annual membership fee of $25 to belong to Zagster if you care to join.  Those with a membership get trips up to 2 hours for free and then pay the $2.50 per hour fee after the two hours.  I checked out the site online and found answers to a few questions that I had.  You may only get one bike for yourself.  If your bike breaks down there is an online number to call.  Same goes if you find you can't lock the bike to something.  And, if someone steals the bike, call Zagster and they will tell you what to do.  Pretty neat idea if you have to travel a short distance and you don't want to take your car.  I will admit that I traveled to four of the bike locations and found very few bikes missing from the racks.  Hope the idea works in Lancaster.  Would be nice to get some of the cars off the city streets.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

At each location the are instructions to guide you.

This station is at the Amtrak Train Station located north of the city.  This station has a place to make sure the tires are properly inflated.