The "Memories of Christmas' Past: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just entered the National Christmas Center in Paradise, Pennsyl- vania.  Yep, the place is located in a small town known as Paradise and today that's just were I felt I was.  Memories of the 1950's were on display with every turn we made in the family museum.  Carol and I entered the front door of the museum and were treated to one of the best experiences we have ever had.  "Look at that bike!" I said to my wife.  "Looks just like the one my Aunt Doris gave to me in 1950.  And that hook and ladder truck.  I used to put the ladder the whole way to the top and have my pet white mice climb up the ladder!!"  We spent the better part of the next ninety minutes roaming along the self-guided tour on what seemed like a path that would never end.  The building is all things Christmas and the memories that Christmas offers to both children and adults alike.  The displays not only bring back fond memories, but educate you about Christmas traditions, customs and celebrations from around the world.  Life-sized exhibits depict the magic of Christmas through the years.  There were fifteen main galleries with names such as: 1950's Christmas Morning, Images of Santa, 1950's Woolworth's 5 & 10, Antiques Emporium, Santa's North Pole Workshop, Tudor Town, Vintage Christmas Memories, 1950's Night before Christmas, Toy and Train Mountain, The Art of the Nativity, O' Holy Night and The First Christmas (A Journey to Bethlehem).  The sights were amazing as you can imagine and I believe the best way to share all the memories is to show you.  So, here goes ……. (Click on images to enlarge)

Christmas Memories of the 1950's.  My bike I got can be seen in the foreground with the red fire engine behind it that my mice used to climb.  The old TV plays on the left while the holiday lights can be seen through the window.  We stood and looked at this one display for almost ten minutes and still didn't see everything.

This is the entrance to the F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 Store in downtown Lancaster.   Novelty items of all types can be seen in the store.  Again, we spent about ten minutes looking over the many items from our childhood.

I have written a few times about these wax choirboys that are seen here.  When I sang in the boy's choir at St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster, our choirmaster would always give each choirboy a wax choirboy as a Christmas gift.  I still have a few, but the heat in our storage area of our house damaged a few of them.

Electric lighting for Christmas lights became available in the early 1900's.  It was in 1880 that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and it was in 1895 that the White House in Washington, D.C. was lighted with Christmas lights.  1901 saw the first commercial lights sold for the public

The North Pole is the title of this display.  Every child has dreamed of what it might look like and this gives you an idea as to how it looked.  The toys on display, the movable reindeer, the elves and Santa with his list are all part of this display.

This is an elaborate Christmas Garden that would have been displayed in the 1890's to the early 1900's.  Simple landscaped scenes featured houses, people and animals.  Sometimes an entire room of the house would be transformed into a Christmas scene.

 Children awaited the arrival of Belschnickel, Lancaster County's Santa, on St. Nicholas Day.  Good children could expect candy and nuts, but naughty children were chastised by Belschnickel.  I do not remember this Christmas custom from Lancaster County.  Thank goodness!!

This is Grandfather Frost of Russia.  Russia's kindly gift-giver, like many of the world's Christmas figures has a direct connection to the Roman festival of "Saturnalia".   This pre-christian holiday celebrated the end of the winter solstice and the arrival of the new year.

This is the Hummel Village.  Berta Hummel entered the Franciscan abbey at Siessen, Germany, in 1934.  As a watercolorist, she produced enchanting paintings of children for over 20 years.  Her designs were translated into porcelain by the Goebel Company.  Hummels have been produced for nearly 70 years.  This village represents Coburg, Germany, home of the Hummel factory.

My final photograph today is a simple wooden Santa that was hand-carved.  The detail is remarkable and the manger scene painted on the coat of Santa is beautiful.  This Santa was less than a foot tall.

Well, you have seen part one of my trip to the National Christmas Center in Paradise, PA, a few miles to the east of Lancaster.  My photos may appear out-of-focus at times because the lighting was very low to gain the atmosphere that was needed for the displays.  Many of the items in the center have been donated over the years and tags show who may have donated an item or an entire display.  Fantastic is all I can say about the museum and the experience Carol and I had today.  I'm sure I will return in the future, since I'm sure I missed half of what is on display.  Check in tomorrow for the final part of the story.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Admiring all the decorations that my wife has placed around the house, both inside and outside, to make this Christmas season a most festive and memorable affair.  Everything from the special wreaths that are placed on the old sleds that stand outside our entry doors, to the display of dough-made figurines that call our 49 year old creche home, to the living room table filled with Carol's collection of deer, to the green ceramic tree with lighted branches that graces our second floor hallway table we purchased in 1968 during a trip to Florida.  

Carol's ceramic tree made years ago.

The house looks amazing, but I must tell you a bit more about the final item I have listed in my description above.  It was two weeks ago, during a spur-of-the-moment trip to Northeast, Maryland, that we encountered a few other ceramic trees much like the one on the table outside our bedroom door.  All were on display inside Main Street Antiques and were part of the vendor's special items they had for sale for the Christmas season.  The store looked amazing with stand after stand featuring antique Christmas items, may of them illuminated to give the store a festive aura.  We came upon one tree that looked exactly like our tree and I asked Carol, "When did you make the tree that we have?"  

It glows at night wishing Merry Christmas to all.

She made the tree in the late 1970s or maybe the early 1980s while part of a ceramic class at a corner store near our house in Grandview Heights, a development in Manheim Township, Lancaster County, PA.  The ceramic tree is really neat with green branches featuring a glaze that looks aglow.   Along the branches are small holes that open to the hollow tree.  Carol glazed the pre-poured tree and made it for our home years ago.  The tree sits upon a stand that has an small electric light inside that brightens the colored pegs that fit into the holes on the branches.  Year after year the tree had a special spot in our house on Janet Ave. and after moving to our Beach House has found another spot to call home.  I'm sure that most families who celebrate Christmas have decorations that have a special place in their home and a special meaning to their family.  Our illuminated little green ceramic Christmas tree is ours.  And it wishes all those who celebrate Christmas a Merry Christmas.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "The Little Chapel On Buch Avenue" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Heading to work at Grebinger Gallery in nearby Neffsville.  This time of year the roads are more crowded and I usually try and find the easiest route, be it slightly longer, to get to work.  I travel north on the Fruitville Pike till I reach Buch Avenue where I wind my way through neighborhoods until I reach the gallery.  Along this route stands a rather nondescript brick building that has no visible door.  

The front of the Christadelphian Chapel on Delp Road.

Standing in front of the building is a white sign that reads "Christa- delphian Chapel."  Lancaster County is a melting pot of religious groups which include everything from the Mormons to the Moravians to the Catholics to the Amish to the ..... well, I guess the Christadelphians. One day I took my camera with me on my way to work and stopped for a few photos.  The windows in the Chapel were all covered with either shutters, blinds or paper, not allowing a view of the inside of the Chapel.  On the rear of the building were two windowless doors that I assume allowed entrance into the Chapel.  To the rear of the property was a cemetery, but a sign said it wasn't the property of this religion, but of another close-by church.  Wondering exactly what religious group occupied this building, I "Googled" Christadelphians.  

Entrance door? into the Chapel.  This is the rear of the building.

Seems the Christa- delphians are a millenarian (Latin for "containing a thousand") Christian group who hold a view of Biblical Unitar- ianism which is a belief that the Bible teaches God is a singular person -the Father- and that Jesus is a distinct being, his son.  The movement developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century based on the teachings of John Thomas who coined the name Christadelphians from the Greek for "Brethren in Christ".  

Sign in front of the chapel giving times for Worship,
Sunday School and Bible Class. 

Seems there is no central organiza- tion that tells followers what to do and believe, but the group is tied together everywhere by their zeal for reading God's Holy scriptures and their understanding of His plan and purpose as He had revealed to everyone therein.  They believe that salvation is attained through faith in Christ and the hope of resurrection to eternal life.  As I read about the religious denomination, I wondered what they thought of Christmas.  Seems that in the brotherhood there is a wide variety of view about Christmas.  Some avoid the holiday by not giving presents or sending cards, while others embrace it by displaying trees and singing carols, while others see Christmas merely as a chance for families to get together.  So now, after reading numerous articles and stories, I'm stumped as to how I feel about the brotherhood who meet weekly in the little brick house without a front door along Buch Avenue.  I guess I will wish them a Merry Christmas and hope I don't insult any of them.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Talk About Being Painful: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  And then ….. they moved.  The pain was intense, driving me from my deep dreams onto the bedroom floor, trying to find a comfortable position to relieve the pain deep inside my left abdomen.  Scared?  You betcha!  Carol awoke to find me on the floor and alarmingly asked, "What's wrong?"  I told her, "I thought I had gas, but it's more than that.  It really hurts!"  A few minutes later she helped me into my Phillies lounging pants and a Quince Orchard sweatshirt and helped me into the backseat of the car.  I told her not to head to Lancaster General, since the ER will be packed and I need to lay down as soon as I get there.  As she speedily drove the few miles to the Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center, I followed the street signs and telephone poles as they whizzed by the window above me.  For years I took the same route to visit my mom at a nursing home close to the hospital, so I knew most all the landmarks and turns along the way.  As we made the final turn into the hospital, she asked if I could walk in or should she park by the door and have them help me out of the car.  I told her I could walk.  Directly inside the empty ER (I know that doesn't sound good, does it) we found chairs next to check-in.  After about a minute I climbed off the seat and rested on the floor on my hands and knees.  The lady at the desk asked my wife what I was doing on the floor and Carol told her it probably was the only way to relieve the pain.  The lady quickly called for help!  Within minutes I was in a bed, laying with my knees drawn up against me.  

Chart showing the internal organs of the
stomach and lower abdomen.  

Nothing relieved the pain, but at least I wasn't flailing around the bed.  After an immediate exami- nation a nurse placed an IV port in my arm and I was given morphine.  By now I was shaking all over and I knew it was my nerves more than anything so I tried my best to settle myself and relax.  I was given two bottles of water that had something in them that would show on a scan they had planned for me.  I tried my best to drink them, but only got about two-thirds of them down.  By now the pain had subsided and I was able to lay with my legs extended.  After a scan of my abdomen I was told that they could see two kidney stones that were at the lower end of the ureter which is the tubes that connects from the kidneys to the bladder.  They were close together and about 2mm in size.  I was told the two stones would probably pass in about a week or two.  I was given instructions to drink plenty of fluids and take pain medicine as needed as well as a Flow Max pill to keep my tubes open wide.  Well, my story has probably taken you maybe two or three minutes to read, but my excursion of the ER lasted almost four hours.  My son had a 5mm kidney stone two years ago which had to be removed by a doctor.  My sister-in-law had a kidney stone that caused so much pain that she passed out.  She told me it was much more painful than childbirth.  After those two stories I stopped asking about kidney stones.  Four days later I had another episode and I took the pain meds and drank an extra glass of water and the pain finally subsided.  I have just returned from a visit to my urologist and he reiterated what the ER doctor had told me.  He said the passing of the stones should not be as painful as my first experience. Yeah, right!  Scheduled me for a visit in three weeks.  I must get an X-ray of my abdomen before I go back to visit with him and if the stones are still in place, he may remove them instead of waiting longer for them to pass.  Not looking forward to any of this, but I will survive.  Part 2 will appear in a few weeks.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Sports Legend Dies" Story

Eugene "Gene" C. Kruis

It was an ordinary day.  Opened the local newspaper and turned to the obituary section to see if any of my friends from the past had died.  There, on the far right of the first of four pages of death notices, was a photo I recognized immediately.  Heading read "Eugene 'Gene' C. Kruis."  I had known Gene since the late 1950's when he came to Manheim Township to teach and coach football.  At the time I was a a high school sophomore and no longer played football, having dropped out after my freshman year after realizing I was too skinny and not tough enough.  Mr. Kruis immediately took over the football team and by my senior year the team was undefeated and won the county championship.  

Gene in his Air Force uniform.

During the many years that Mr. Kruis coached football at Manheim Township High School he won 8 championships with four of them undefeated teams. He also had 19 consecutive winning seasons.  After graduating in 1962 I went to college and returned to the school in 1967 to teach alongside Mr. Kruis.  Took quite a few years before I felt comfortable enough to call Mr. Kruis by his first name.  Being 19 years my senior and a sports icon, Mr. Kruis was the only way I ever addressed him, but he told me one day to knock off the Mr. Kruis.  "My name is Gene!" he said one day to me, so that was that.  Gene was born in Altonna, PA and graduated from Altonna High School in 1943.  

Gene as a lineman for St. Francis College.

He served in the U.S. Airforce during WWII then entered St. Francis University near Pittsburgh, PA where he played football and baseball; being named "Most Outstanding Athlete" in 1948-49.  He later got his Masters Degree from Temple University.  He taught at Lancaster Catholic High School in Lancaster, PA for seven years before going to Manheim Township where he taught and coached until 1992.  When I began teaching at Manheim Township I also coached football for a year under Gene.  Other commitments made me give up that job, but later Gene, during his years as Athletic Director for the school, asked me to be Equipment Manager which I did for a few years.  

Gene as football coach at Manheim Twp.

I also helped Gene by helping announce the home football games for many years.  I also printed the football programs for Gene and while getting the stats for every player he would tell me to knock off 10 or 15 pounds from the players weight and an inch or two from their height so the opposing team would think his team was small in stature.  His players loved him even though he was a demanding coach Gene and his wife Stella had two sons who were both fantastic football players and during their high school playing years, Gene gave up coaching so someone else could coach them and make it less stressful for his sons.  He was a great family man and often talked with me about my family and their athletic achievements.  In the last 15 years I had a chance to see and talk with Gene during the retirees monthly breakfasts.  

Gene addressing the school at a Pep Rally.

Gene earned many honors during his teaching and athletic careers.  He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Lancaster Catholic High School, Manheim Township High School and St. Francis College as well as the Pennsylvania High School Football Coaches Association and the Susquehanna Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.  He was also honored with the George Kirchner Award in 1984 by the Lancaster Sports Writers & Broadcasters.  I will always remember Gene for his love of coaching and his interaction he had with all his players.  He influenced so many young men in his life, and they are better for it.  Life goes on and Gene will be missed, but certainly never forgotten.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

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.