The "'News At It's Best': Part I" Story

Newspaper stories telling of the 225th Anniversary of LNP

It was an ordinary day.  Once again, reading my Sunday newspaper which today is devoted to the 225th Anniversary of the local newspaper.  For most of you, that's hard to get excited about, but for me, who started a neighborhood newsletter from the pup tent my Aunt Doris gave me as a Christmas gift when I was a youngster, it was an amazing story.  The story on page one of the paper was titled "Creating Community" and included a letter from the publisher and president of the newspaper.  Another story about editorial cartoons appeared in the "Perspective" Section while a full 30 page section talked about the workings of the newspaper, the editors of the papers from the past and a few reader's comments.  My story today and tomorrow will tell you a bit about the past 225 years of Lancaster's newspaper's history, but I'd be amiss if I didn't tell you that my favorite story in the paper today was the story about the 100th anniversary of the column known as "The Scribbler."  

"The Scribbler" Jack Brubaker

Lancaster County native Jack Brubaker has been "The Scribbler" for the past 40 years and I don't think I have missed more than a few of his close to 4,000 columns telling of life in Lancaster County, be it good or bad, but definitely hilarious.  I have written about "The Scribbler" a few times in the past and he too has written about me in a few of his 4,000 columns.  Jack grew up on a duck farm that at one time was a stop of the Underground Railroad.  Could be his love of the history of Lancaster was fueled by that fact.  Jack has also penned six books with names such as "Down the Susquehanna to the Chesapeake" and the "Massacre of the Conestogas."  The story featured in today's newspaper tells you a bit more about Jack and his love of Lancaster and history.  

One of Jack's books he has written.

During an interview with another reporter, he was asked to tell about the history of the column.  I have written about this before, but I can tell you that it first appeared on May 24, 1919 in what at the time was Lancaster's newspaper called "The Examiner".  Thus, "The Scribbler" is the second-longest-running column in the world; behind a column known as "The Beachcomber" in the London Daily Express which began in 1918.  The first "Scribbler" had just come back from WWI and wrote a rather serious column that for some time was on the front page of the newspaper.  Then, during WWII there weren't enough reporters available so they dropped "The Scribbler" column.  Eventually Mr. Gerald Lestz became "The Scribbler" and his history and creative writing drew me to his column.  That was when I first became a teenager and my parents couldn't believe I actually enjoyed reading a newspaper column when it appeared twice a week.  Gerald wrote the column for 22 years and then Jack took over.  

"The Scribbler's" anniversary cartoon.

At first Jack wanted to be a playwright until his college roommate told him he should try newspaper writing so he could write every day.  Jack also, just as me, grew up reading "The Scribbler" column in the Lancaster Newspaper.  He says the reason the column has survived for so long is the interest in local goings-on which can't be found anywhere else.  He tells that "The Scribbler" wouldn't be a column if it weren't for the readers who constantly send him ideas for the column just as I have done to the point that I may have become a pest.  He recently published a story telling about a Moravian Church in downtown Lancaster that I asked about.  Told in his column that it is in Church Heaven as of now.  I also wrote to him telling about this blog and how I have hundreds of Russians reading it some days.  Now, that interested him and I had to tell him how I knew exactly how many people from what countries were reading my stories.  Perhaps you read the story I posted a few weeks ago about his column he wrote about it.  He ends his interview telling that his column interacts with the community and people of all ages.  He tells that he read it as a child.  History teachers read it. Lawyers read it.  Janitors read it.  Heavens, LDub reads it, sometimes the same column more than once to make sure I didn't miss anything.  Thanks, Jack for all you have done for the city of Lancaster.  Tomorrow I will tell you a bit more about celebrating the 225th Anniversary of Lancaster's trip through history via it's newspaper.  It was another extraordinary in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - If you care to read more about "The Scribbler", type "The Scribbler" in the white box, top left on this page.

The "Famous People You May Know Who Are From Lancaster, PA" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an online article that lists the 30 most interesting, athletic, musical, historic, patriotic, influential, diplomatic and entertaining people who were either born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania or who lived in Lancaster for some of their life.  As I went through the list I recognized just about everyone and thought of a few myself that weren't on the list or a few that maybe shouldn't have been placed on the list.  Always going to be that way with any "best of" list.  Can you name a few people from your town or city who deserve to be recognized for the contributions that gave to society?  The following is my condensed list based on how I feel about the person mentioned in the online list.  See if you recognize a few of those born or raised in the city of Lancaster, PA.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

#1 - Jonathan Groff.  One of my cousin Sue's best friends is the mother of Jonathan Groff.   Jon grew up in Ronks and graduated from Conestoga Valley High School in 2003.  His list of accomplishments would be "Glee", voice-over role in Frozen as King George III, Broadway show "Hamilton" and lead role in Netflix drama "Mindhunter." 

#2 - Thaddeus Stevens.  Though he was born in Vermont in 1792, he moved to Lancaster in 1842 where he set up his law practice in a place that aligned with his anti-Mason and pro-Whig views.  He was a member of Congress and a fierce abolitionist.  He died in 1868 and is buried in Shreiner's Cemetery in downtown Lancaster.  I have written quite a few stories that are centered on his life.

#3 - John Darrenkamp.  John is a bass opera singer who was a leading artist with the New York Metropolitan Opera company.  He was born in nearby Mount Joy and began his career in 1957.  Today he serves as artistic director for Opera Lancaster and is also a member of St. James Episcopal church choir.  Fun to sing with someone who is so famous.

#4 - Milton Hershey.  Known as the Chocolate King, he was born in Derry Township in 1857 and apprenticed with a confectioner in Lancaster at the age of 14.  He opened his first candy factory in Lancaster known as Lancaster Caramel Company in 1883.  He sold that company in 1890 and began the town which bears his name.

#5 - Matt Nagy.  Matt was named head coach of the Chicago Bears in January 2018.  He was a star quarterback for Manheim Central High School as well as the University of Delaware where he was an All-American.  After college he played six seasons in the Arena Football League before coming to the Philadelphia Eagles as a coach intern.  He spent five seasons under head coach Andy Reid and finally got his chance last year.  And, what a job he is doing in Chicago.

#6 -  Taylor Kinney.  Actor and model who was born in Neffsville, Pa. and graduated from Lancaster Mennonite High School in 2000.  He was in The Vampire Diaries and Chicago Fire but received his most attention for his 2015 engagement to singer Lady Gaga.  The two were spotted several times in the nearby Lititz area.

#7 - Barney Ewell.  Graduated from Lancaster McCaskey High School in 1936.  He is the only Lancastrian to ever win an Olympic gold medal when he was part of he 1949 400 meter relay.  He also won two silver medals for the 100 and 200 meter dash.

#8 - Bruce Sutter.  Bruce went to high school at Donegal H.S.  He was born in 1953 and was known for his split-finger fastball.  Spent most of his professional baseball career with the Chicago Cubs.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

#9 - Jennifer Gareis.  Jennifer was a 1988 graduate of J.P. McCaskey High School and a 1993 graduate of Franklin and Marshall College.  She is best known for her roles on "The Bold and the Beautiful and "Young & the Restless.  She placed in the top 6 in the 1994 Miss USA pageant and appeared in "Miss Congeniality", "Veronica Mars", "Private Parts", and "Comedy Bang! Bang!" 

#10 - James Buchanan.  The 15th President of the United States.  His longtime home, Wheatland, is now part of the Lancaster County Historical Society at 1120 Marietta Ave. in Lancaster, PA

#11 - Tom Herr.  Tom graduated from Hempfield High School and played 13 seasons in the majors, 10 with the St. Louis Cardinals.  He was in three World Series and won the 1982 series agains the Milwaukee Brewers.  In 1985 he was an All-Star and finished fifth in the National League Most Valuable Player.  He more recently was the first manager for the newly formed Lancaster Barnstormers in 2006 where he led the team to the Atlantic League Championship.

#12 - Eveyln Ay Sempier.  Evelyn was crowned Miss America in 1954.  She was born in nearby Ephrata and won the Miss Pennsylvania title in 1953.  

#13 - Kristen Wiig.  Her family moved to Lancaster when she was three and she attended Nitrauer Elementary in Manheim Township where I taught school.  Kristen is an actress, comedian, writer and producer who is best remembered for her time on "Saturday Night Live".  

#14 - Charles Demuth.  Charles was one of five Lancaster artists represented in an exhibit at the State Museum celebrating Pennsylvania artists.  He was born in 1883 on Lime Street in downtown Lancaster.  His work is celebrated at the Demuth Museum in Lancaster.

#15 - Don Wert.  Another professional baseball player from Lancaster County who played  on the World Series championship 1968 Detroit Tigers.  It is said his career ended the same year when he was hit in the head by a pitch and he spent two nights in the hospital.  He wasn't the same player after that time.

#16 - Johnny Weir.  He grew up in nearby Quarryville, PA.  He was an Olympic figure skater who was a three-time national champion in men's figure skating.  He was a skating commentator for NBC at the 2014 Olympics and 2018 Winter Games in South Korea.  

#17 - Richard "Dick"Winters.  Dick rose to worldwide fame as leader of the Band of Brothers during WWII.  His courageous leadership through combat was the focus of a best selling book and an HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers".  He was a born in Lancaster on January 21, 1918.  He eventually moved to nearby Ephrata, PA.

#18 - Dan Kreider.  Dan graduated from Manheim Central High School and went on to play fullback for 10 seasons in the NFL.  He was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers that won Super Bowl XL.

#19 - Doug Dennison.  Doug graduated from Lancaster McCaskey High School and starred for them in football.  He graduated from Kutztown State Teachers College where he played football and then played for the Dallas Cowboys where he went to two Super Bowls, winning one.

#20 - Robert Fulton.  Robert was born in 1765 in nearby Little Britain Township.  He is most famous for developing and marketing the steamboat, but he was also a well-known artist as well as designer of the submarine.  

#21 - Wally Walker.  Wally played basketball for Penn Manor High School and went on to play for the University of Virginia and then the Cleveland Cavaliers.  He led Virginia to their first ACC basketball championship in 1976 and was named the tournament MVP.  

#22 - Gene Garber.  Gene was a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.  He was the Braves all time leader in saves with 141.

#23 - Jim Furyk.  I had Jim when he was a student at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County, PA.  He was a great baseball player who caught for my oldest son, Derek, when they played Little League Baseball.  After graduating from MTHS and college, he began a career in professional golf.  To date he has earned 28 professional victories, 18 of which have been on he PGA Tour.  In 2010 he was the PGA Tour Player of the Year.

The "Have You Ever Had A Krispy Kreme Donut?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Recently found out what I just missed out on this past Saturday.  Seems that Krispy Kreme donut shops were giving out free ring-shaped glazed donuts that are now stuffed with a Chocolate Kreme or Classic Kreme that you normally find in their classic filled doughnuts.  If you have never had a Krispy Kreme donut...how come?  Is it because you don't have a shop in your town?  What other good reason could you possibly have for not every having a Krispy Kreme donut?  I just read about the free donut and about the new stuffed ring donuts.  They look great and I can hardly wait to eat a few.  I'm sure they would be good for dunking in a glass of milk or even coffee or tea if you must.  

The traditional ring donut by Krispy Kreme.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is an American doughnut company and coffee- house chain that was founded by Vernon Rudolph who had bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans chef by the name of Joseph LeBeouf, then rented a building in 1937 in what is now historic Old Salem in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and began selling his donuts to local grocery stores.  In 2000 the company went public which proved unprofitable and 16 years later became a private company once again.  His first store was located in North Carolina in a rented building on South Main Street in what is called historic Old Salem.  The first store located other than in the south was opened in Akron, Ohio in 1939.  

Krispy Kreme donuts stuffed with classic Kreme.

Two years ago the company moved their corporate head- quarters to Charlotte, NC while their World Head- quarters remains in Winston-Salem.  Company advertising was primarily by word-of-mouth, but in 2006 they moved to television and radio advertisements with the "Share the Love" campaign with heart-shaped advertisements.  In 2007 Krispy Kreme began selling the Whole Wheat Glazed donuts in an attempt to appeal to the health conscious.  That donut had 20 calories less than the original.  You can usually find Krispy Kreme donuts at  Walmart and Target stores.  I'm anxious to give the new ring-shaped filled donut a try.  Hope I can find one and I hope you too can find one so you too can give it a try.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "A New Buyer For An Historic Building?" Story

Preface:  A story appeared in the Lancaster Newspaper a few days ago that told of the purchase of the Stehli Silk Mill in Manheim Township.  They purchased the 10.8 acre property, which holds the historic Stehli Silk Mill, for $2.5 million.  They will invest $30 million into apartment units and retail store space within the old silk mill.  They plan to have the renewal of the property complete by 2020.  I wrote the following story before this information was available.

1908 postcard of the Stehil silk mill in Lancaster, PA

It was an ordinary day.  Just read that the Stehil silk mill at the corner of Martha and Marshall Avenues in Mannheim Township may have a new owner.  The once-magnificent  silk mill, listed on the national Register of Historic Places, has sat vacant for ages.  

1931 view of the plant on Martha Ave. 

Many of the windows in the block long building show shards of glass hanging from their cross-pieces and wood rotting in door frames that at one time was the longest building in America at 883 feet in length and second longest in the world.  The silk mill was built in 1897 by Stehli & Company, a Zurich, Switzerland based silk manufacturer.  

Many of the workers at the mill lived in nearby houses
in the Grandview Heights area.  The mill is in the distance.

Lancaster's famed architect, C. Emlen Urban designed the buildings that make up the complex.  The company chose to build their factory in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania, since it was close to both New York City and Philadelphia, PA. and had a railroad line nearby to help with transportation needs.   The silk products, dress goods and other textiles could easily be sent to markets in the northeast from the location in Mannheim Township.  

The mill can be seen along Martha Ave.

When the building was totally finished in 1925, the mill had over 1,600 workers and over 250,000 square feet of floor space.  In its heyday it had 1,100 looms lit by the light from 2,500 windows. Most people living in the surrounding areas had a family member who worked their or knew someone who worked at the silk mill.  The mill closed in 1954 when competition from nylon and other synthetic fabrics overtook silk.  The following year nearby RCA Corporation bought the building for color television tube production.  In the late 1960s Carol and I purchased a house in Grandview Heights, three blocks from the silk mill turned TV tube manufacturer.  Then in 1973 RCA sold the property to a warehousing firm.  

Broken windows and boarded-up doors are the norm on the building.

It eventually became vacant and a neighbor- hood eyesore.  A new owner has been sought for years and recently Union Box Co. has signed a sales agreement to purchase the 11 acre site.  The Baltimore, Maryland company is hoping to construct 120 to 140 market-rate apartments plus a few stores.  

Barbed wire surrounds the building at present.

Market-rate housing is apartments that have no rent restric- tions.  The project would cost 30M and take three years to complete.  The proposed developer also has a building in Rhode Island, which used to be the Fruit of the loom mill, that he currently is converting into apartments.  

The building seems to be endless.

The silk mill has some issues, but the bones of the place are strong.  Manheim Township, where the property is located, is trying support the sale by giving the new owner a 10-year break on property taxes.  Maybe soon, the neighborhood can boast of a new, beautiful building that will be a showplace rather than an eyesore.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

1920 view of the interior silk looms.

Broken windows surround the building on all sides.

Beautiful architecture which is now an eyesore.

The "Wearable Souvenirs" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Putting my t-shirts away after sorting them by island.  I have multiple t-shirts from quite a few islands that Carol and I have visited in the past twenty years, but the majority of them have been purchased on the island known as St. Martin/Sint Maarten.  The St. Martin side of the island is French while the Sint Maarten side is Dutch.  I have half-a-dozen shirts from each side of the island and a few have sayings or themes scene-printed on them.  

The top t-shirt came from "The Last
Mango In Paradise Store." It is slightly
faded since I wear it all the time.

Years ago one of our favorite stores on the Dutch side of the island was on Front Street in Philipsburg.  Place was called "The Last Mango In Paradise" and I bought some of the neatest t-shirts there.  One of my favorite t-shirts had the saying "Live, Love, Laugh, St. Martin" on it.   In front of the store stood a large plastic alligator that my wife posed in front of one time for a photo.  They also had a store at the airport, but then one year they closed their doors.  Another favorite place to buy my t-shirts was at the Marigot market.  Small stand is called Secret Spot and features designs by the owner that were then silk-screened on the island.  

A variety of designs from The Secret Spot t-shirt store.

I have at least half-a-dozen from that stand.  Even posted a story a few years ago about the stand.  Last year during our visit to St. Martin I purchased a t-shirt at a small store in Orient Village that had silk-screened on it: One Love, One Life, One Island, St. Martin FWI (FWI refers to French West Indies).  

Karine's new store at the Hope Estates Shopping Center.

Well, this year we noticed that the store was no longer in Orient Village, having been replaced by a new restaurant.  Then one day while shopping at the Hope Estates Shopping Center we once again found the "One Love" store.  It was much larger, carried more inventory but still had many items with the logo "One Love, One Life, One Island, St. Martin FWI.  As we walked in the store Carol immediately pointed out a pillow case that she just had to have.  It now sits on our sofa in the family room and is drawing many favorable comments.  

My t-shirt and Carol's throw pillow from Karine's store.

The owner of the shop is Karine Doumenjou who came to the island when she was 16 years old and heard the Bob Marley song "One Love" over and over again.  She used that slogan along with "One Life", since we only have one life to live and added "One Island" since she always came back to St. Martin.  Karine had always dreamed of selling clothes and having her own logo is a dream come true.  The new shop allows her to reach out to more tourists since it has a better location that is more visible.  The variety of goods she now has will definitely increase her sales.  Her long term goal is to open a concept store to work with local artists and aim for rather high-quality products.  I'm sure we will visit her store on our next visit and add something new to our collection.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Congratulations Are In Order" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Shaking hands with my son-in-law Dave to congratulate him for being one of the 24 members of the 2019 Inaugural Class of the Quince Orchard Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Coach Dave Mencarini

Quince Orchard High School is located in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, Maryland.   He taught at the high school for many years and was the head football coach for quite a few of those years.  During the years he was head coach he experienced many memorable moments.  In 2004 he became head coach and had 8 wins and 2 losses that year.  After that year, it all got better, if that's possible.  Since that time his teams played for the State Championship three times, winning the 2007 4A State Title, going undefeated at 14-0.  Another year he lost in overtime during the State Championship.  Then, during his 10th year at the helm he won his 100th game with a win in his third game of the season  Many of his players have gone on to play at Division I colleges.  

Decorations adorn his home garage after his 100th win.

In 2011 The Washington Post named him the "Coach of the Year" in the state of Maryland.  Dave and his staff built "QO", as they are known, into one of the state of Maryland's elite programs.  For the many years he spent at QO before moving to Urbana High School in 2014 and eventually to the University of Maryland, he was rewarded by being named to the first ever Quince Orchard Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Dave getting drenched after winning the State Title.

Dave, along with 23 other outstanding coaches and athletes, made up the school's first ever class.  The school only opened in 1988, thus not having an athletic hall of fame until this year.  My daughter Brynn, Dave's wife and mother of their two young girls, posted a message on the school's website where she wrote:  "Proud of you Dave.  I loved being part of the QO family and community.  Excited to see Lisa, Bañi, Travis and Dake on here too."  Bañi Gbadyu went on to play middle-linebacker for Penn State and then help coach Mannheim Township High School where I taught at one time.  The members of the inaugural class will be honored on Friday, October 4th before the home football game that night.  My wife Carol and I wish to congratulate him for this remarkable accomplishment.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "An Adventure To Northeast, Maryland" Story

Sign of the World Famous Nautical-Goose

It was an ordinary day.  Our friends from State College, Pennsyl- vania, Jere and Sue arrived yesterday after visiting with their son Tony who lives in Wildwood, New Jersey.  Jere and Sue were high school classmates of mine and my wife Carol and I have been traveling together with them since 1999 when Jere and I both retired from the same school where we had graduated from as well as returned to teach at the high school.  

The Nauti-Goose can be seen from the air.

Our mission today it to head to the Chesapeake Bay Area for lunch and a bit of conversa- tion about our upcoming trip we had just planned to the island of Antigua in the Caribbean.  We decided to try a restaurant in North East, Maryland named the Nauti Goose which, according to a billboard along Maryland SR272 is World Famous!  

We sat under the blue tarp on the left of this photo.

The day was extremely hot, but we wanted to sit outside on their deck overlooking the water.  We were ushered to a table in the shade and our order was taken.  To the side of the restaurant is the North East Community Park that today is filled with perhaps a hundred or more Chevolet Chevelles, since today is their 32nd Annual Atlantic Chevelle Show & Swap Meet.  

The entertainment for the afternoon meal.

To accompany our meal was a lone guitarist whose microphone was set to loud and made it tough to talk, let alone eat.  The location is always great with boats arriving and departing, but today the music ruined a good meal.  We finished, without dessert, and headed north a few blocks to the town of Northeast where I have sold my altered Polaroids and a few stained glass pieces for years.  

A few of the Chevelles from the car show.

The girls had a shopping agenda which Jere and I weren't part of so he and I wandered to the large multi-floor antique store.  Always fun to see what we might find that our parents may have thrown out and might resurface once again.  The antique store helped us relive our youth from the late 1940s to the late 1960s.  Item after item brought back so many memories for the two of us who lived only a long city block away from each other while growing up.  

The 5 & 10 Antique Market on Main Street.

We walked out of the shop over half an hour later with more memories from the past; certainly not needing to repurchase something that had already been discarded years ago.  Jere and I head back to the car where we found some empty Adirondock chairs to relax in until our better halves arrived with a few of the items they had planned to purchase.  Life is good no matter what your age.  Appreciate it while you can for it will inevitably disappear at some point in your life.  Always does, you know!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.