The "Movies in Good Ol' Lancaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with Carol about taking in a few movies that we have seen advertised on TV.  About a mile from us is the Penn Cinema which is a 14-screen movie complex which also features an IMAX theater.  An immense complex geared toward entertaining the entire family all in one location.  Got to thinking about my youth and the four movie theaters that were located in the 100 block of North Queen Street in downtown Lancaster, PA.  Made visits to most of the theaters from my early childhood to the mid-60's when all four of them were demolished during an urban renewal project in downtown Lancaster.  

The Hippodrome built in 1910.  The owner of the theater,
George Krupa, is pictured on the right in this photo.

The earliest of the theaters was the Hippodrome Theatre built in 1910 by the Krupa family.  It was located on the west side of the first block of North Queen Street in the middle of the block.  Wasn't long before the theater was destroyed by fire and was replaced in 1916.  The rebuilt theater was to be named the Aldine Theatre when it also was destroyed by fire on December 29, 1924.  

The Capitol Theatre can be seen on the left side of this photo.
If you click on the photo you can see the Hamilton Theatre on
the left, two buildings past the Capitol.  At the end of the block
can be seen the Colonial/Boyd Theatre.  The view is looking north.

The location changed hands and was replaced by The Capitol Theatre, designed by architect William Harold Lee, which had a seating capacity of 1,161 and opened December 21, 1925.  It was one of the theaters that was demolished in the mid-60's.  Part-way to the north, on the west side of the block, stood the Hamilton Theatre.  It was opened in the early 1930's and seated 1,014 patrons.  It was one of three theaters that were operated by Warner Bros.  

The interior of the Capitol Theatre.  The Capitol replaced
the Aldine Theatre which was destroyed by fire on Dec., 29, 1924.

I remember seeing a few horror films in this theater which had large marble pillars and mirrored walls in its lobby.  This theater closed in the early 60's and was demolished along with all the other theaters shortly after.  On the north-west corner of the block stood the Colonial Theatre.  It was open by 1914 and seated 1,250.  

An old photograph of the Colonial Theatre
showing a wagon in front of it that was
titled "Capt. Louis Sorcho's Great Deep Sea
Divers - Now playing the Colonial." It eventually
changed its name to the Boyd Theatre.

It was perhaps the grandest theater on the block and in the early 1940's had magician Harry Blackstone performing on its stage.  The Colonial was home to many vaudeville shows which played to a sold-out theater most evenings.  My wife's grandfather was an usher at the Colonial and had many autographed postcards from entertainers who performed at the theater.  It was said that after the shows the patrons would exit by using the fire escapes as well as the theater's staircases.  Sometime in the late 1950's or early 1960's the theater was remodeled and was purchased by Boyd Theatres and renamed the Boyd.  I remember visiting the theater, but only after it had changed hands and was known as the Boyd.   This theater also was demolished in the mid-1960's.  Across the street, mid-block on the east side of North Queen Street stood the Grand Theater.  It opened in the early 1920's and could seat 900 people, being the smallest of the theaters on the block.  I remember this theater more than the others, since it was where I went with my friends who were in the choir with me at St. James Episcopal Church.  

The Grand Theatre can be seen on the opposite side of
North Queen St.  At the corner stands the majestic
Hotel Brunswick where Mr. McConnell would treat the choir
boys of St. James Church to a lunch of "Chicken in the
Basket" and then a movie at the Grand Theatre.  Oh,
the memories of good ol' Lancaster.  All this was destroyed
to make way for a concrete jungle that still looks bad.  

Our choir director and organist would play organ recitals every Saturday during Lent and would have his choirboys usher.  As a treat he would take all of us to eat at the Brunswick Hotel, around the corner from the theater, and then take all of us to the Grand to see a Western.  Thinking back to the mid-1950's and trips to the Grand with my friends, I find it hard to believe that he would take a group of young boys out to eat and then to a movie.  He really was a Saint!  

One final shot looking south on N. Queen St.  Playing at the
Capital is John Wayne and Stewart Granger in "North to Alaska,"
while across the street at the Grand is Haley Mills in "Tiger Bay."

Well, this theater, as well as the Brunswick were demolished along with the rest of the buildings in a two-city block renewal.  There were a few other movie houses in the city, but the 100 block of North Queen Street was the entertainment capital of Lancaster for many years.  I should note at this time that these city blocks were, and still are, a dismal attempt at urban renewal.  The concrete monstrosity that replaced the historical stores, movie theaters and hotels are a disgrace to the city of Lancaster, PA.  Just my opinion you must realize.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Sweet Honey for a Sweet Honey" Story

The blossoms of the Black Locust tree.

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I decided at the last minute to take a trip to North East, Maryland to visit a few of the really neat shops that are along Main Street in the town which sits at the head of the Chesapeake Bay.  We parked in the city's free parking lot and meandered throughout the shops, buying a few gifts for friends and family at the speciality shops that feature everything from hand-made soaps to altered Polaroid prints made by yours truly.  Eventually we tired and while heading back to our car, we made one more stop at one of the antique shops along Main Street.  5 & 10 Antique Market has always been one of our favorite stores along Main Street with many purchases over the years at the store.  As we walked into the store, there on a swiveling rack were various sizes of plastic bottles which held honey.  Not just your common honey, but Locust or American Acacia honey.  Carol was interested in buying a bottle of honey for her friend Marge for Christmas and when we saw the display, she knew she had found the perfect bottle of honey.  

The bottle of honey.

The bottle was shaped like a little bear, the perfect touch for a bottle of honey.  The honey in the bottles is commonly sold in Europe as Acacia honey while in the United States it is sold as Locust or American Acacia honey.  The honey is obtained from the False Acacia or Black Locust tree.  The tree is found in Eastern North America and Europe.  The tree grows up to 70 feet high and blossoms in May to June with beautiful white blossoms.  It is a very aromatic, sweet smelling tree.  Bees are drawn to the blossoms which are filled with nectar.  The bees return many times during the day for nectar to return to their hive and deposit it.  The honey is a very light colored, lemonish white or yellow-green.  The flavor is very sweet and slightly acidic with hints of vanilla.  It is said to be tasty on yogurt, fruit, ice cream and ideal for cheeses.  The countries that produce the most Acaia honey are Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Canada, China, France, Italy as well as the United States.  Carol is anxious to present her gift to Marge this Christmas and see if she enjoys this sweet treat.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of ordinary guy.

The "Shopping Online Can Be Fun!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My lovely wife, who is sitting in her lounge chair closeby, is reading the latest email that she just received from a company known as 80s Tees which is a company that we ordered a T-shirt from for our youngest son for a Christmas gift.  Tad loves unusual T-shirts and we love picking out the shirts for gifts throughout the years.  This year while Carol was searching websites for shirts, she came across the 80s Tees site and began reading the many different shirts they offered.  We must have laughed at least fifteen minutes at all the slogans and logos that they offer for sale.  We narrowed it down to a shirt from the TV show "The Big Bang Theory" and one from an ad for State Farm Insurance.  We finally decided upon the TV show shirt.  Both shirts were funny, but what followed was even more hilarious.  Carol placed the order online and the next evening, while watching TV, she began laughing.  "Listen to this email I just got," she said.  Then she read it ......

CAROL, babe. What's happening? Remember that incredible order you placed with us earlier? Well, it's on its way. You might be thinking, "Wow! How on Earth did this happen so fast?" And we can't blame you for being impressed. But don't question the magic, just enjoy it.  Your order was shipped via USPS First Class Mail (2 - 8 business days).  Your tracking number is XXXXXXXXXXXX.  You can track your package all the way to your doorstep here. Easy peasy!  We can't wait to hear what you think about your new stuff. Let us know over on Facebook or write a review on our site and give everyone else a heads up.

Until next time,

80sTees

Pretty funny, but today after opening her email, Carol asked me if I picked up the mail from the mailbox.  I told her "No" and asked why she wanted to know.  Then she read me the email she got today from 80s Tees which went like this ......

Hola CAROL,  The waiting is over.  Your 80s Tees order has arrived and there's a little package of radness just waiting for you to rip it open.  Thought we'd let you know just in case you have nosy neighbors snooping around with sticky fingers... or a giant thunderstorm headed your way.  We can't wait to hear what you think about your new stuff.  Let us know over on Facebook or write a review on our site and give everyone else a heads up.

Stay cool,
80sTees

These people really know how to make online Christmas shopping fun.  Hope our son enjoys his t-shirt as much as we did placing and receiving it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Betcha don't have one of these in your newspaper!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the "Ag Week" section of the Lancaster Newspaper Sunday News which arrives naturally each Sunday.  As I leafed through it, looking at all the farming news and stories, I realized that there aren't too many places on earth that receive a weekly newspaper section dealing with agriculture in their neighborhood.  The 20-page section was packed full of stories on our environment, employment, business and crops.  The entire color-section was devoted to Lancaster farming and is a publication from not only the Lancaster Newspapers, but from another publication known as Lancaster Farming.  This week's aerial cover features one of the many local farms in Lancaster County and was taken by staff photographer Keith Schweigert.  Just to give you an idea what types of stories and articles appear in this section of the weekly Sunday News, here are a few of today's entries: 

• The Ag Week Schedule which lists a daily agenda of summits, meetings, events and tours that farmers may care to attend during the week.
• A story about the federal crackdown on pollution caused by farming which affects the nearby Chesapeake Bay area.
• Ads on everything dealing with farm equipment, feed, banking and credit, to harvesting.
• A story about an agricultural study dealing with the myriad of job openings in the future for farm workers.
• A chart showing job demand that lists over 24,000 tractor-trailer drivers needed, almost 15,000 maintenance and repair workers needed, 7,000+ industrial machinery mechanics needed, over 4,000 medical and clinical laboratory technicians needed, …… and the list of job openings goes on and on.  So, who says there aren't jobs available, especially in the agriculture fields.
• A story about a young husband and wife who went from farmers to entrepreneurs by opening their own creamery & cafe.
• A story titled "Getting Our Goats" which tells that Lancaster County is one of the East Coast's largest, but littlest-known hubs, in the goat market.
• A story about following one vegetable, Romanesco cauliflower, from farm to plate.
• and ….. a reflective two-page story titled "Faces of Farming" which tells of a new farmer, a retired farmer, an organic farmer, a female farmer and last but not least, a plain farmer (Amish or Old Order Mennonite).

So, you can see that the 20-page section packs so much into it's weekly booklet dealing with farming in Lancaster County.  I'm sure most people don't realize how they get the food they put on their table on a daily basis or where all the food comes from in their favorite restaurant.  Well, Lancaster Newspapers, along with Lancaster Farming, is doing a fantastic job reporting to our local community what is going on outside the bustling city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania with the supplement that I am reading at present.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "More Memories from My Youth" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Saturday, back in the mid-1950s, and I was making a visit to Antes Pet Store on West King Street to buy supplies for my white mice which were my constant friends in my room on North Queen Street in Lancaster, PA.  My dad would take me with him on Saturday mornings when he went to work at Meiskey's Jewelry Store where he was manager of the wholesale jewelry store.  I walked the block to Antes to spend time looking at all the pets in the window, then enter to pet those that I was allowed to touch. After my stay at the pet store, I would head another block eastward towards the center of Lancaster to visit the peanut store.  

The Peanut Store at 50 West King Street.  The store is slightly
below center on the right side to the left of the second car parked
along the sidewalk.  It sits next to a driveway that ran to a parking
lot behind the store. It is directly behind the Pelican Grill.
Click on photo to enlarge it. 

Neat little store tucked in between two larger buildings.  Place was only about six feet wide and maybe triple that deep.  You knew when you were close to the store due to the smell of the roasting peanuts.  The owner, who I always knew as Mr. Steve, always had a smile while asking me, with some foreign accent, my name.  No matter how many times I would visit I would always get the same treatment every time.  Mr. Steve was a native of Greece.  He and his brother Sam operated various food shops in downtown for years until Sam moved to nearby Ephrata. Then, in 1932, Steve opened the Manhattan Peanut Stand at 50 West King Street.  Wasn't until 20 years later that my dad and I made the two block trip one Saturday morning, after he was done at work, to buy some peanuts to take home.  

This photo shows Sam holding a bag of peanuts.

Steve roasted the peanuts in a coffee roaster that provided a rather unique taste for the peanuts.  After that one Saturday I made many more trips to the Peanut stand by myself to buy roasted peanuts for my family.  After Steve died in 1971 his brother Sam moved back to Lancaster from Ephrata and took over the business that his brother had made so successful.  "Sam the Peanut Man" operated the business until 1980.  The peanut shop still remained, but it was never the same for me.  Sam died in 1999 at the age of 98.  The peanut brothers are famous characters in the downtown lore and the famous coffee roaster now resides with Steve's grandson Tim.  Thing has to be close to a hundred years old by now.  Oh, the things you can remember from your youth when you begin to reminisce.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Spinning The Wheel" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Tuned into one of my favorite TV shows, "Wheel of Fortune."  There on the right side of the contestants row stood Allison.  Knew she was going to be on the show, since last week an article about her competing on the show was in the local newspaper.  It was back in 2013 that Allison's dad Bill was a contestant during "Dad's Week"winning the game and a total of cash and prizes which totaled $47,102.   Allison has been a fan of the show for years and was there to cheer her dad to victory.  Finally, this past June she attended an audition in the "Wheelmobile" and received notice in that she would be on the show.  

This scene, taken from my TV screen, shows Allison talking
with Pat Sajak after winning the first round.  Other contestants
were Bernadette on the left and Prophet in the center.

Her segment was taped in September and she had to keep the results secret until it appeared on the air tonight.  Pretty neat to see a local contestant on a national TV game show.  It's been a few years since a high school student of mine, Brad Rutter, became the biggest money winner of all time on a TV game show when he won game after game on Jeopardy.  Well, tonight Allison led off by winning the first "Toss-Up Round."  

Here Pat congratulates Allison after she won the "Prize
Round" and won not only $700, but a trip to Mexico.

She did well, winning a trip to Mexico in the "Prize Round" and was leading until Pat Sajak spun the wheel in the "Final Round" and another contestant, Prophet, won.  She ended up winning $10,650 in cash and her trip to Mexico.  Allison said in her newspaper interview that she was surprised how small the stage is and how heavy the wheel is.  Pat Sajak wrote all the contestants a letter and Vanna White, who lights up the letters, visited with them before the show began.  Her entire experience was fantastic and she's hoping a third generation of her family can one day be on the show.  They better hurry since the host and hostess aren't getting any younger.  A few years ago the "Wheelmobile" was parked in the K-Mart parking lot near my home and I was tempted to stop in and see what was going on.  Next time I will.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "'Y' Memories" Story

The YMCA at the corner of North Queen and West Orange
Streets in downtown Lancaster, PA. Taken in 1910.

It was an ordinary day.  Driving north on Queen Street past the YMCA in Lancaster, PA.  Used to work at the Acme Super- market about a half block away on the same side of the street.  At the time I was employed at the Acme, the YMCA was in downtown Lancaster, but in the early 1960's the city of Lancaster got the bright idea that they should tear down the 100 block of North Queen Street  because of declining shopping in downtown Lancaster.  Seems that in 1958 the Lancaster Shopping Center opened to the north of town in Manheim Township.  

This photograph was taken on June 14, 1946
when 5,000 USA troops marched down Orange St.

Seven years later, spurred on by a plan initiated by the redevelopment authority of Lancaster, the 100 block of North Queen Street was demolished, obliterated in the quest for a modern urban showplace.  Movie theaters, bank buildings, and historical buildings designed by noted architect C. Emlen Urban, such as the Brunswick Hotel and Lancaster's YMCA, were razed.  Eventually, the decisions made were proven to be the wrong solution for the problem that faced the city of Lancaster.  My story today deals with one of those buildings that was destroyed in the mid-1960's, the Young Men's Christian Association.  The YMCA, or "Y" as it was called, was founded in 1844 by George Williams in London, England.  It was founded to create a place where young men could go so they would not be tempted into sin.  Before long it spread across the world, with the Lancaster YMCA that I knew and visited, being built in 1959.  I have fond memories of walking to the Y on Saturday mornings after choir practice at St. James Episcopal Church where I was a member of the boy's choir.  

Razing the Lancaster YMCA in the mid-1960's.

A few of us would walk a block from the church choir room to the corner of North Queen and West Orange Streets where the Y stood.  The entire south-west corner of the block was the Y which had rooms which my friends told me were dorms where some of their older friends lived.  The Y also had recreation rooms where we would play basketball and a pool where we would go swimming.  Now, the latter is what got me in trouble with my mom, for you see, I wasn't allowed to wear a bathing suit while swimming in their pool.  I later found out it was because the bathing suits allegedly clogged the filtration system in the pool.  Another reason was because dirt and soap from the bathing suits also clogged the filter system.  Hey, didn't matter to me.  Pretty neat that you could dive off the diving board without a suit.  That was until my mom found out I was swimming without a suit.  That ended my trips to the Y.  Found out later that when young women and girls began to use the pool, the guys had to begin wearing suits.  The YMCA that now stands in the 400 block of North Queen Street and welcomes all to be part of their program.  And, I'm sure you must wear a suit while swimming!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Quigs, A Humble Hero" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the headline on the front page of our local daily which said: "Quick action saves coach's life."  The sub-head read: "Manheim Township High School trainer uses defibrillator, CPR to revive patient."  Wow!  Story dealt with a friend of mine who worked at the high school where I taught, Manheim Township High School, and is in his 25th year of being the athletic trainer and teacher.  

Photo of "Hero" Dan Quigley I took for the
1992 Manheim Township High School yearbook.

Dan Quigley, or Quigs as everyone calls him, began his athletic training craft as a high school student.  Seems Quigs wasn't as tall or weighed as much as his high school classmates so when the football coach asked him if he wanted to be a manager, he jumped at the idea.   The following year his coach once again asked him if he wanted to be the trainer and after reading about the responsibilities and learning how to tape ankles, he became involved in yet another facet of football.  By the time he was a junior he knew that athletic training was the profession he wanted to pursue.  Shortly after graduating from Lock Haven University he came to Manheim Township School District as the athletic trainer.  The kids loved Quigs.  All three of my kids were involved in sports and Quigs was always there to nurse them back to health when they sprained an ankle or got hit on the head by a line drive.  Dan eventually became the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society (PATS).  Well, as years pass by, the life of an athletic trainer gets to see just about everything associated with high school sports.  So, this past November 20th, Quigs was working and hanging out in the Trainers Room when he was called on for perhaps the most important task of his life.  Seems the  girls' varsity basketball team's assistant coach had collapsed on the court, falling unconscious on the gym floor.  

Hero Dan as he appears today.

Some of the girls quickly rushed to the Trainers Room to alert Quigs about the stricken coach.  The coach's heart had gone out of rhythm and he was dying.  Quigs immedia- tely began CPR forcing breaths into the coach's lungs and pumping his chest.  He then used an External Defibrillator unit to try and shock his heart.  The second shock from the defibrillator got the coach's heart back in rhythm.  Shortly, the local hospital's medics arrived and took the coach to the hospital.  The Athletic Director at the school, who had watched Quigs do his miracles called his actions "Heroic."  The coach is now back on his job and hugs Quigs every time he sees him.  Naturally Quigs downplays his role in saving the life of the coach, but without Dan's skills and knowledge, and the fact that there was a defibrillator on site at the school, the coach would more than likely have died that day in November. The school district or maybe Manhiem Township Commissioners should present Quigs with some sort of medal or plaque.  I passed along an email to Dan expressing my family's thanks for what he did.  Heavens, he saved a life!  Not everyone could have done that!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Now …… wait a minute!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Turned to page B13 in the Lancaster Sunday News and checked out the photograph that was featured for the week.  Valerie Marschka, on the staff of LNP, publishes photographs every week in an article called "Lancaster That Was."

Photograph submitted by Anne Zell showing her grandfather, second from the right in the white shirt, who worked at Philip Lebzelter & Son Co. in Lancaster, PA.

 The photograph today was of the Philip Lebzelter & Son Co. which was located on the east side of North Queen Street in the city of Lancaster, PA.  Now ...... wait a minute!  That can't be.  On October 5, 2014 I posted a story about Mr. Lebzelter founding the Eagle Wheel and Bending Works in 1854 on the corner of North Queen and West Walnut Streets.  

Photo I posted on October 5, 2014 showing the workers at
Lebzelter's Eagle Wheel and Bending Works in 1854.  I
inadvertently gave the wrong location of the business.

 I hate when I post something that isn't correct, since someone may be reading the story and taking it as fact.  In this case my research didn't yield the correct information and for that I am sorry.  Anyway, I studied the photograph on B13 and began to read the story under the photo.  Story told of the business pictured becoming Lebzelter's Total Car Care which eventually moved to the corner where I said it was founded.  The story goes on to say that the business in the photo was founded in 1854 as a carriage and wagon shop until it bought its first tires from Goodyear in 1900 and began stocking the tires for sale in 1913.  

Book where photo also appeared.

 In the photo are pictured several gentlemen and a few are named, including the second man from the right side of the photo whose name is Melvin Huber, the grandfather of Anne Zell.  Now ...... wait a minute!  Anne Zell!  For the past 40 years I have worked in the print shop at Manheim Township High School performing the in-house printing needs for the school with my friend Mike.  Mike Zell, husband of a woman named Anne Zell!  Seems that Anne submitted the photo to the newspaper for the "Lancaster That Was" column.  The photo previously had been printed in a book titled "A Pictorial History of Lancaster, Pennsylvania In The 20th Century."  Naturally had to give Mike a call and see if his wife had sent the photo to the newspaper and sure enough .... she did.  Stopped by his house to take a look at the book where the photo appeared and got permission from Anne to use it once again.  Her grandfather, Melvin Huber, lived a very rewarding life considering he became handicapped due to a terrible accident while working at Lebzelter's.  While inflating a tire at the shop it exploded, permanently blinding him.  

Anne's baskets that her grandfather had made after
losing his sight.

 He then became the second person in Lancaster County to use a "seeing eye" guide dog.  After his accident he made numerous appear- ances as a vocal soloist and speaker before church groups and service clubs.  He was a member and representative of the Blind Association, located oddly enough across from where the photo in the newspaper was taken.  He also made "market baskets" from willow wood while at the Blind Association.  A remarkable man who made the best of his life even though severely handicapped.  And, as for me, I will be more careful with my research so as not to change the course of history anymore than I already may have.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Saving Sea Life" Story

Artistic Mural by David Dunleavy in Stone Harbor, New Jersey

It was an ordinary day.  Heading toward Stone Harbor, New Jersey on CR-657.  Passed under the Garden State Parkway and know we will soon smell the salty air.  Just before we passed over the final bridge heading toward 96th Street I noticed something new on the wall of a marina to my left.  There, covering the top thirty feet of the hundred foot long cement block wall was one of the neatest murals of sealife I have ever seen.  

Photo taken from the book "Stone Harbor - One Hundred
Years of The Seashore At Its Best" showing David at work.

The two beautiful marlin stretching across the wall, swimming with the greenish dolphin fish is remark- able.  But what is most impressive is the fact that it was painted in such large scale of the side of a giant marina.  A day or two later, while relaxing with my family in a rental unit in Stone Harbor, I was reading a coffee-table book titled "Stone Harbor - One Hundred Years Of The Seashore At Its Best."  As I was leafing through the colorful book, there was a photo of David Dunleavy painting the mural on the wall of the marina.  Seems David is a renowned mural painter who has used his skills to help save the sea life along the New Jersey coast.  David has painted both the marina painting as well as another wall on the side of the Harbor Square Mall.  This painting is  a 22 foot by 175 foot mural which features two humpback whales and a sea turtle.  The book was printed a year ago and as of that date he had painted 62 murals throughout the world.  

Humpback whales as seen on the wall of the Harbor Square Mall.

Exotic places such as the Bahamas, Islamorada and Australia feature paintings from this talented artist.  David began his career in mural painting because of the movie Jaws.  His older brother had taken him to see the movie and instead of being scared to death, he became fascinated with sharks.  He eventually took to scuba diving and realized he could use his artist skills to help save the destruction of our sea life.  Working on murals the size that David tackles doesn't allow for working in grids.  He has to accomplish his work free-hand with the use of a bucket lift.  The photo shown in the coffee-table book has David working on the marlin with the use of a paint gun.  Unbleievable!  David contributes a portion of his fee for his work to Shark Savers which is an organization dedicated to improving the image of the shark.  A real talent is putting his talent to work to help save sea life.  Those who travel to Stone Harbor in the future will get to witness the skills and talent of this great artist.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Lunch & Shopping with Mom!" Story

Frank Winfield Woolworth

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with a friend about eating at the lunch counter in Woolworth's 5 & 10 Cent Store in downtown Lancaster.  I can remember shopping at the store with my mother and having lunch in the store before heading next door to McCrory's 5 & 10 Cent Store to shop some more.  Tough having to follow your mom from store to store, but I usually had a great time eating lunch at Woolworth's.  Recently saw a few old postcards for sale on different websites and noticed one which featured the Woolworth's Store on North Queen Street.  Didn't recognize it, since it didn't look the same as it did when I went shopping with my mom in it.  Frank Winfield Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York in 1852.  

The first successful FW Woolworth store in Lancaster, PA.

He was the oldest son of Fanny and Richard Woolworth who fought for the North in the Civil War.  Frank began working at his dad's farm at the age of fifteen,  but didn't enjoy farming so he got a job working in a shop in nearby Watertown.  He eventually was given the job of setting up a table of fixed price five cent goods which proved to be very successful.  Soon afterward, with the backing of his boss, he opened a store in Utica, New York.  

Demolition of first building so a new "skyscraper" could be built.

It was a failure, but within ten days he opened a store in the Amish country of Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania on June 21, 1879.  He began this store with a total of $410 worth of merchan- dise.  This time he featured items for both five and ten cents.  The small sales floor was filled from floor-to-ceiling in the store that only had 14 feet of street frontage.  

The grand FW Woolworth 5 & 10
Cent Store in downtown Lancaster.

His store displayed a red sign with gold lettering with the words "Woolworth's 5 and 10 Cent Store".  On the day he opened for business he made $127.65, selling about 30% of his stock.  His employees were paid $1.50 a week and he wrapped the purchases in old newsprint to keep costs low.  His best sellers in the store were tinware, toys, wash basins, handkerchieves and ribbons.  One of his assistants that first day was 13 year-old Susan Kane who worked four years at the store and eventually, at the age of 80, was interviewed by the Lancaster New Era, Lancaster's evening paper at the time, in 1963 about her many memories of that first day.  She told how she sat on a stairway at the back of the store, guarding the cash box while watching the clerks.  In 1900 he decided to build a "skyscraper" store with five stories of offices above and a restaurant and theatre in a roof garden at the top.  

The left photo shows the store with the roof-top garden
removed.  The store on the right is how I remember the
store in my youth.  I'm not sure of the dates that both
the alterations took place to the Woolworth store.

Rather than just enlarging his current store, he purchased properties nearby and did it right.  The store was the city's social center.  This store was the precursor to his next project, the tallest building in the world at the time; the Woolworth Building which he built in New York City.  FW Woolworth eventually had stores throughout the United States as well as stores all over the world.  I'm not sure of the date that the Woolworth store in downtown Lancaster was reduced in size or when it was razed, but I do remember the fun times I had shopping with my mom and having lunch at the lunch counter of Woolworth's 5 & 10 Cent Store in downtown Lancaster, PA.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The lunch counter of the FW Woolworth 5 & 10 Cent Store in downtown Lancaster.

This photo taken in the early 1900's shows Penn Square in the center of town in the right-front.  The Woolworth building towers over all the other buildings in the city in the center-rear of the photo.  It stood on North Queen Street.

One more photograph of the FW Woolworth 5 & 10 Cent Store.

The "Clean Up Your Act" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Opened the wrong side of one of our kitchen cabinets and a few containers of pills fell to the floor.  Pain pills that I had a few years ago before I had my first back operation.  And, more pills I had before the second and third operations.  So it's save to say I should have thrown most of them out years ago.  But, I didn't.  Bet you have pills somewhere  in your cabinets or drawers that are no longer any good and should have been thrown out years ago.  Well, I found a website that told me what to do to dispose of them and also listed other items and what to do to dispose of these items.  

As far as the pills, don't flush them down the drain and contaminate the drinking water.  Take them to an official collection site to discard them.  In my area the police department has a drop-off site for medicines that are no longer needed.  Some other items that should be discarding are plastic or glass containers that have a recycle code 3 or 7, since these may contain BPA, a hormone-disrupting chemical that gets into food as the container ages or during heating in a microwave.  Always check to see if containers do not have the codes 3 or 7.  Same goes for expired food cans.  If you have had canned tomatoes or fruit for more than 18 months, pitch them.  Canned meat and vegetables have a five year shelf life.  And remember, if you shouldn't be using them, don't donate them to a food bank somewhere.  Another website I visited told me about discarding old containers of spices.  Most blended spices last from one to two years while whole spices are good for up to four years.  

The spice rack in our pantry probably has many outdated spices which while they won't make you sick, won't add any flavor to your food.  Check your garage for cans of paint that have dried up or no longer match the colors in your house.  Dispose of these at a recycling hazardous material site.  In our town we have a landfill site that will take paint, batteries, antifreeze, aerosol cans, motor oil and even old TVs, computers and phones and dispose of them as hazardous waste.  You must have some of these items sitting around that you should have disposed of years ago.  Two items you will find in your bathroom that should be disposed of properly are makeup and contact lens cases.  Most eye makeup has a shelf life of a couple of months once opened.  Lip gloss can last 6 months and foundation can last up to a year, but get rid of it to prevent infection from bacteria.  A contact lens case should be replaced every one to three months as well as being cleaned and air-dried daily.  Make sure you throw out the soaking solution daily and use new.  Can't imagine what could happen to your eyes if you don't follow these precautions.   Another thing that should be tossed is your pillow you use to sleep.  Can't imagine how much spit and drool is on my pillow.  Doesn't matter if you have a pillow case on it or not.  The stuff will still soak through and give you some kind of disease.  The rule of thumb is if your pillow is older than 18 months, it should go.  Probably has dead skin, fungi and dust mites throughout the pillow.  Now that's one thing I must do soon since my pillow has to be ten years old.  Finally, the germiest item in your house is the kitchen sponge.  Bacteria thrives on it!  You should microwave your sponge DAILY in an inch of water for a minute on high heat.  Every time we run the dishwasher we place the sponge in with the dishes.  If it smells, it should go.  Well, have you seen a few items you have that should be discarded?  We've cleaned up our act after learning what I just posted and here's hoping you might do the same.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary day.

The "Mr. Sticky's" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Stopped at the BBQ stand for a pound of pulled pork, pound of potato salad and a pound of baked beans, then made our next stop about a block away at Mr. Sticky's.  

Mr. Sticky's Homemade Sticky Buns in Lancaster, PA

Any idea what Mr. Sticky's may sell?  Yep, Mr. Sticky's Homemade Sticky Buns ... and are they delicious.  About a half dozen years ago Carol and I made a trip to State College, PA to visit with our friends Jerry and Just Sue.  While there we traveled to nearby Centre Hall for the Grange Fair.  The Grange Fair was established in 1874 to help celebrate the farm life.  Well, while visiting the fair I found a small trailer that was selling the most delicious sticky buns.  The sign on the trailer said Mr. Sticky.  Most every year since that time, when we visit the Grange Fair, I buy a sticky bun with extra icing on it.  Seems that Mr. Sticky's was started as a family business by Phil Poorman and his family who were preparing and serving food in the Boarding House Restaurant at the Grange Fair.  A well known Sugar Valley baker, who was a cook at the restaurant, shared a sticky bun recipe with Phil who reworked the recipe and produced an "Extremely Addictive Sticky Bun" that he placed on the breakfast buffet at the fair.  Wasn't long after that, in May of 2000, that Mr. Sticky's complete bakery on wheels first appeared in nearby Jersey Shore, PA at a fireman's festival.  Sticky buns became an obsession with many who visited Mr. Sticky.  I can attest to that!  And then when I found out that there was a Mr. Sticky's trailer a few miles from my house, I started making stops on a regular basis.  And to top that off, I found an advertisement coupon in Lancaster's daily newspaper that gave you a free sticky bun at Mr. Sticky's for every two you purchased.  So, after picking up my pork, beans and potato salad I bought two and got my free one.  What does all this cost you may ask.  

Extremely addictive sticky bun ... with icing! Had it for breakfast!!

The regular sticky bun sells for $2.50 with 75 cents for a container of  cream cheese icing.  Also on the menu are walnut sticky buns, cinnamon buns either regular or with peanut butter  or cream cheese icing as well as mini sticky buns.  And, the size of the sticky buns is amazing.  They measure about four inches square and over two inches high.  I must admit that I pop my sticky bun from Mr. Sticky's in the microwave for twenty seconds, slather it with the icing and dunk it in a cup of fat-free milk.  Must be fat-free milk so it can still be a healthy treat.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "The Singing Bridge" Story

Looking south as the water begins to cover the "Singing Bridge."

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with Carol about the time we drove her dad's big Harley motorcycle with the saddlebags and wrap-around windshield across the "Singing Bridge" at Engleside.  I guess I need to give you the background as to how we came to have his motorcyle in the first place.  Carol's mom and my dad worked together and set up a blind date for Carol and me.  I made a call and told her I would stop and take her for a ride on my Honda motorcycle.  

This shows the bridge sitting next to the railroad bridge
after it has been knocked from its foundation.

Knocked on the door, not knowing what to expect, the door opened and there stood this beautiful young girl with long dark hair.  I introduced myself and before long we were riding on my cycle.  Ten minutes into the ride the rain came so we headed back to her house for the remainder of the date.  When her dad found out I rode a motorcycle, he offered his Harley to us from time to time.  Well, within a year we were husband and wife and riding her dad's Harley once again across the "Singing Bridge" heading down to southern Lancaster County for a visit with relatives.  

The newer northbound bridge can be seen on the top while
half of the "Singing Bridge" lays against the railroad bridge
at the bottom.  I found this photo on Pinterest and believe
it is from the Lancaster Newspapers.

Now, I should tell you about the "Singing Bridge" since it is the topic of my story today.  The base or bed of the bridge, which was an all metal bridge, has a woven metal bed where you can see the waters of the Conestoga River through it.  The openings are rather large and when you ride a motorcycle across it you must be careful so you don't lose control of the cycle.  The sound created by traffic crossing the bridge reminds one of someone singing, thus the name given to the bridge.  That was back in 1967 and since that time the "Singing Bridge" has been destroyed.  Happened in June of 1972 when Hurricane Agnes blew up the coast into Lancaster County, PA, causing rivers to swell, knocking trees down and wreaking havoc.  Pennsylvania's governor named the storm "Hurricane Agony."  

Photo as the bridge looks today heading southbound.

He had to flee his governor's mansion in nearby Harrisburg when the mighty Susque- hanna River flooded the town.  The storm caused the loss of 68,000 homes and 3,000 businesses as well as displacing 220,000 residents.  The damage in PA was $2.1 billion with 48 deaths.  My Aunt Lillian's home, which was located along the Conestoga River in an area known as Bridgeport, went underwater shortly after we were able to salvage some of her furnishing and keepsakes.  

I took this photo from the east side of both bridges.  The
northbound bridge is in the foreground while the newer
southbound bridge is slightly hidden in the background.
Click on photos to enlarge them.

Downriver in Engleside, the Conestoga River knocked the "Singing Bridge" partially off it's concrete foundation, pushing it into the neighboring railroad bridge that was perhaps 30 feet away.  The amount of damage done to the railroad along the Conestoga caused them to shut down the line permanently.  The railroad bridge still remains today, but the "Singing Bridge" was replaced with a cement bridge.  Luckily the "Singing Bridge" was southbound only, since in 1970 another cement northbound bridge had been built which had to become two-way while another bridge was constructed.  A Bailey bridge was eventually erected next to the destroyed "Singing Bridge" to aid in the construction of the new cement southbound bridge which was finished in 1975.  I miss that old "Singing Bridge" and all the memories Carol and I have of making our crossings on her dad's Harley while watching the Conestoga rush under it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Lancaster's Very Own Miss America" Story

Miss Evelyn Margaret Ay, Miss America 1954.

It was an ordinary day.  Date was sometime in September of 1953 when a resident of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, a small town 24 miles north-east of Lancaster won the title of Miss America.  Yep, Miss America!  How many places in the United States can lay claim to having a Miss America?  Not many.  Woman's name was Evelyn Margaret Ay who was born March 8, 1933 to German immigrants.  She began her rise to the crown of Miss America by first winning Miss Ephrata Fair and Tobacco Queen of Lancaster County in 1950.  Her crown was a circlet that looked like tobacco leaves.  After graduating from Ephrata High School in 1950 she won the titles of Miss Pennsylvania AMVET and the Miss National AMVET in 1952.  

Miss America sits in the Nash Metropolitan at the
Chicago Auto Show in 1954.

Next came the Miss Pennsylvania title in 1953 which qualified her for the Miss America Pageant.  She won the title in the last year before the pageant began to be televised.  During her reign she traveled 270,000 miles and had the chance to visit the 1954 Chicago Auto Show and introduce the Nash Metropolitan automobile which allegedly was the first American car marketed specifically to women.  She did remain active with the pageant for many years afterward helping judge local pageants and the national contest in 1981.  

Mr. and Mrs. Carl G. Sempier

She was asked to help market many products over the next forty years, but American Motors, who produced the Nash, was the most generous with their support of the Miss America pageant.  After her reign as Miss America she married Carl G. Sempier, a Navy veteran and corporate executive.  The couple had two children.  During the time period from the 1960's to the 1990's she made, along with her marketing promotions, frequent appearances as a motivational speaker for woman's groups as well as volunteering at Paoli Hospital, which is near Philadelphia, PA. and close to her home in Malvern.  

A more recent photo of Miss America 1954.

She did make frequent visits to her childhood home of Ephrata and often told how Ephrata had a positive impact on her.  Evvy, as she was called in Ephrata, once said that winning the title of Miss America gave her the chance to be the ultimate role model, like being Doris Day in real life.  Now, if you don't know who Doris Day might be, you'll have to "Google" that.  Evelyn Sempier, the 1954 Miss America, died October 18, 2008.  I'm proud to say Lancaster County, my home, was the childhood home of a Miss America winner, our own "Miss America."  Tells you that we have beautiful woman living in Lancaster County.  Hey, I married one of them.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Death Along The Susquehanna" Story

The Accomac Inn on the west bank of the Susquehanna River.

It was an ordinary day.  Just left the Accomac Inn along the west bank of the Susque- hanna River to search for the grave of the Confederate soldier who died in June of 1863, a few days before the battle of Gettysburg.  Seems his body may have washed ashore about a mile from the Accomac Inn.  He was allegedly part of a Confederate scouting party that was looking for a suitable site to cross the river in case the Union Army would burn the Wrightsville Bridge which connected the York County side of the river with the Lancaster County side.  The Confederate Army wanted to cross the river and head toward Philadelphia.  It was thought that he was caught in a storm on the river, drowned and was washed ashore where his body was found and buried by a friend.  

The memorial stone erected for the Confederate
soldier whose name is not known.

Another theory is he became sick and died near the site of his grave and was buried by neighbors.  It was known that Confed- erate cavalry units were operating in the area and horse soldiers were searching for a suitable crossing.  Two local newspapers reported that a Confederate soldier was shot trying to cross the river near Bainbridge, PA, upstream from where the gravesite is located on the western bank of the river.  No matter which theory is accurate, the site is close to the Accomac Inn.  Carol and I traveled about a mile along the narrow river road and finally came upon the site.  In the past the site was marked by an iron post, an old oil barrel and a previous marble stone.  The memorial that we found stated on the east side of it that it was placed there by the Sons of Union Veterans Camp 33, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1961, Civil War Heritage Foundation and Voices of the Confederacy.  The CSA (Confederate Soldier of America) Memorial was donated by Silbaugh Memorials.  Standing on either side of the stone were flags; one, the United States of America Flag and the other the Confederate States of America Flag.  

The rear side of the stone detailing those who
cared enough to erect and pay for the stone.

Sitting on the west side of the stone, in front of it at the base, was a very small plastic blue flag that might have been a Bonnie Blue Flag that was a sign of the Confed- eracy.  No matter what flags fly at the site, it is the resting place of a human begin who believed at the time was doing what he considered to be just.  I happen to believe that his idea of slavery was wrong, but we all have our own justifications for what we believe.  With the recent surge in removing confederate flags from just about everywhere, I was surprised to see the two small confederate flags and the plastic blue flag.  I didn't disturb the gravesite or touch the flags, but can imagine that at sometime someone passing the site will remove the Confederate flags.  Another death associated with the Accomac Inn occurred in 1882 when owner John Coyle's son, 29 year old Johnny, shot to death a hired girl who was milking cows in the nearby barn.  Johnny had asked the girl, Emily Myers, for her hand in marriage and had been rejected.  His temper led him to pull his pistol and shoot Emily to death.  There was no sympathy for Johnny, even though he was said to have a "weak mind."  He was found after ten days in the hills behind the Inn and given a trial where he was proven guilty of murder.  Later that year he appealed the verdict to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court with the same verdict rendered.  Johnny was hanged in nearby Gettysburg, his body returned to the Accomac Inn and buried about 50 feet south of the Inn in a grave with a stone marker.  Carol and I searched for that gravesite but came up empty-handed.  A sad time period in the history of the Accomac Inn.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.