Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
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Professor Theo Cray is a man of science. He thinks in mathematical equations. When he looks at the world he sees numbers – data and statistics. Perhaps that’s why he sees what others don’t when the killings begin. While on a research trip to Montana, Dr. Cray becomes involved in more ways than one in a murder investigation. The victim, his former student, Juniper, was torn apart by what appears to be an animal attack. A killer bear? Animal gone rogue? Initially, the cops pull Theo himself in for questioning, but release him when they decid...
To the Editor: Another of the basketball greats of the Morrisons Cove area, Don Witherspoon, was accorded his due as an important contributor to the Altoona community, as reported in a recent edition of the Herald. In the three seasons, 1958-61, I was basketball manager for the Morrisons Cove High Blue Jays and the inaugural Central High Scarlet Dragons. Our teams had some success, thanks to some good players. But we also had the blessing of playing against and observing some even more amazing talents, both named Don: Appleman of Williamsburg...
For the Sept. 21 edition of the Herald, Linda Williams wrote an excellent overview of the formation of the Northern Bedford County School District. If I may, I’d like to add a few words about the place that the Bloomfield school and the class of 1963 occupied in that process. I have often stated that I grew up in the northern suburbs of Flitch, which, technically, is the southern portion of Bloomfield Township. The Bloomfield school, on a rise just south of Bakers Summit, had three classrooms with the potential for four. There were three t...
Situated in scenic Morrisons Cove, Northern Bedford County High School graduated its first class in 1963. Or so many think! The first NBC class graduated in 1958 and the seniors that year and all ensuing years up to 1963 graduated from the Smith building, which is no more. While I don’t know all of the history of education in the Cove, I do have personal knowledge of as far back as 1924. After my mother’s mother died in Chicago in 1921, my grandfather brought her back to Loysburg to live with her grandmother. She went to grade school in the pre...
If ever you’ve heard the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” this is one time that the adage does not apply. The beautiful photo on the front doesn’t do this book justice, and more photos inside will have you wanting for more, even if you’ve never thought about picking up the new hobby of embroidering. Author Emillie Ferris writes with obvious passion for her art form, sharing her craft with the reader as though speaking to an old friend or a “kindred spirit.” Her goal is to teach embroi...
Dealing with the invasive spotted lanternfly can be frustrating and challenging. Fortunately, Penn State Extension provides valuable resources, such as its Spotted Lanternfly Management Guide, to help people manage the pest effectively. Authored by scientists and extension educators in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the guide features comprehensive information, illustrations, charts and photos on the pest’s biology, behavior, plant damage and management, and an overview of ongoing research. The publication is one of many spo...
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution urges Americans to reflect on the United States Constitution during this month’s annual observance in honor of this foundational document of national governance. The DAR initiated the observance in 1955, when the service organization petitioned the U.S. Congress to dedicate September 17–23 of each year to the commemoration of Constitution Week. Congress adopted the resolution, and on August 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sig...
Brent Spiner’s “Mem-Noir” is essentially a celebrity writing fan-fiction of his own life featuring the same show for which he rose to fame. There’s a strange relationship a star can have with fans. Fans come to know celebrities intimately. A moment alone in public must be sacred, especially in this day and age of technology. A celebrity’s life can become a bigger story than the ones they act out on the screen. This story begins when young Brent Spiner leaves Texas for the first time, throwing himself into the brightly lit and fast-pace...
To the Editor: Congratulations to Byron Smail on the publication of his Cove history about the many area iron furnaces of the 19th century. He deserves credit for tackling a task he didn’t know he could do until — he did it! My longtime Smithfield School mate, Gerald Burket, a former Huston Township supervisor and farmer, longs to assemble stories of generations of Piney Creek characters, mostly true. Several neighbors have scraped together some of the raw materials, but none of us seems eager to compile the saga Burket envisions. He knows wel...
If you’re raising children now, or if you’ve ever raised kids, you know about these Back to School Blues. They usually start to hit about mid-August every single year. The realization of summer break ending causes somewhat of a panic, spurring a race to get as much fun crammed into the last two weeks of freedom before it’s time to once again walk those halls. For some kids this is torture (or at least they make it seem that way). For some kids they can’t wait to go back. For most adults, they’re praying for that day to come. Don’t get me wron...
The next place on our Curryville road memory tour is the Farm Bureau. I think I got to know all the employees, as I kept tabs on all activities there. My aunt worked there. My mother helped grade potatoes and eggs. Freddie helped build chicken cages there. Their gas storage area was behind Clapper’s garden and I could see the trucks fill up from my house. My favorite trucker was Ed Henry who whistled so beautifully. I could hear him from my bedroom window early in the mornings. One of my t...
Rosie lived with her mother, her sister and her brother in Crasna on the border of Hungary and Romania. Her father died when she was five years old. She got her beautiful red hair from her father. Her mother supported them by cooking for the Yeshiva (an orthodox Jewish school). Sometimes Hungary claimed them as part of their country and sometimes Romania claimed them. On May 10, 1944, Hungarian soldiers marched into their Town Square. All the Jews were called to hand over their valuables, pack t...
Nadine and Josie Norris were identical twins. Their mother dropped them off at their grandmother and aunt’s farm along the McKenzie River at the age of 4 years. Gram was quite eccentric. She was always quoting Shakespeare. Their aunt, Libby, was the one who basically raised the girls. The girls were inseparable when they were young. The had a special fort under the covered bridge. Fully grown, Josie is caring for her nephew, Kennedy. Nadine wanted to have an abortion but Josie talked her into c...
It all started last Christmas when an echocardiogram revealed I needed a heart catheterization. The “cath” showed I had a leaky diseased aortic valve and to top it off, an aneurysm. I could get it fixed or die, simple as that. My family convinced me I still had some years left on planet Earth and I pushed onward. Having a cardiac anesthesiologist cousin was mighty handy. He guided me in finding the best place to go. “You want a team,” he said. “A whole team of good doctors, not just one. If something goes wrong, there is backup. He also note...
In Victorian England, Miss Vivienne Mourdant was well known as a concert pianist. Her father was known as an excellent music teacher. He had taught her well. He expected perfection and when she didn’t achieve it, her knuckles were slammed with a ruler or she would be locked up in a dark larder for half a day. When her father died, Vivienne expected to enjoy the freedom of no longer having a controlling father. Yes, she would help other women who needed to be freed from men who abused them. H...
There’s a certain charm and nostalgia related to farmers markets in rural communities. The tradition of farmers, gardeners, artisans, and bakers bringing their wares to town to sell at the market has been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. From Aug. 6 to 12, communities across the country came together to celebrate National Farmers Market Week, highlighting the role these venues play in supporting healthy communities, growing local food systems, and stimulating rural economies. A...
Nicki Mayfield was packing up her office. She was officially closing her business. Nicki was a professional organizer. Lately her business had slowed to a stop. She made calls looking for work but none panned out. She would have to leave her place and move in with her mother. Her mother was a hoarder. She loved her mother but living in such clutter was against her grain. Suddenly she received a call for her help. She decided to take one last job. What was God doing? She had no idea that God was...
To the Editor: Page 4 of the 10 August 2023 Herald carried a stunning contrast in attitudes a century apart of those living in or visiting Morrisons Cove. First, I read Chris Garretson’s opinion piece, “The Label Isn’t Always Accurate.” I don’t know Garretson but I can accept his view that most people of the Cove, labeled or not, respect each other, “are friendly and always willing to lend a helping hand.” How shocking then, in this era of political separation, to read the account under the “100 Years Ago” remembrances down the page. Headlin...
So I’m a big fan of soup. Those of you who know me are probably shocked that I’m writing about food, but hang in there, I’m just setting up the story. One day a few years back, I was driving home and literally daydreaming about a can of wedding soup I had in my cupboard. Wedding soup is in my top four as far as favorite soups. It’s on my Mount Rushmore of soups. You get the point. When I finally got home and cracked open that can of wedding soup I was met with total disappointment. Even though the label on the can said “Italian wedding s...
Sweet corn season is in full swing in Southeastern Pennsylvania, with good supplies predicted to be available through Labor Day. In celebration of the season, the PA Veggies website offers Pennsylvanians an array of ideas for preserving, serving and enjoying sweet corn. Sweet corn harvest began in southeastern Pennsylvania in late June and is now available throughout the state. “We’re proud of our crop here in Pennsylvania and we think it’s the best-tasting sweet corn to be found in Ameri...
Palmer Lewis had just given birth to her son, Gray. She and Ben were so happy. Palmer’s job was creating special events. Since Palmer had the better paying job, Ben was going to stay home with Gray. Palmer was going back to work after just two weeks. It was so hard to leave little Gray but she knew Ben would be a good father to him. Palmer had trust issues. Ben understood that and supported her. Palmer’s ex had cheated on her and she was not about to allow that to happen again. It was when Pal...
Next on the Curryville memory road were the Mocks. Their daughter Joyce and I played in their home and garage a lot. Joyce and I played dress up. I thought she was a very lucky girl to be able to have her own play area in their garage. Next was Mrs. Edith Strasser. She was our Curryville school teacher for grades four through eight. She was an excellent teacher — even saw that we had hot lunches, making Campbell soup for all of us in the one room of that two-room school house. She often sat in h...
Dr. Lauren Westlake worked as an assistant curator at the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art. She had a doctorate in Egyptology which was quite rare for a woman in 1925. It was her dream to go on an expedition with her father, Lawrence Westlake. Her father was often away from home while she was growing up. He wasn’t even home when her mother died. She longed for his approval and love. Joe Caravello was a detective with the New York Police Department. His partner, Connor Boyle. had r...
To the Editor: The Northern Bedford High School Class of 1968 will celebrate 55 years since graduation by renewing old acquaintances at a reunion on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. The location will be the banquet facility of Homewood at Spring House Estates, 150 Victoria Ave., Everett, near the UPMC Bedford Memorial Hospital. Socializing will begin when the doors open at 3 p.m. with a buffet dinner served at 5. Prior to dinner, we will get a class photo and a brief class meeting. There will be ample time to visit and exchange stories both before...
David Crow was the oldest son of Thurston Crow, an ex-convict. Thurston claimed to be a Cherokee and that his family were mistreated by the Anglos. He was physically and verbally abusive to his wife and children. Thurston had a warped sense of justice. He believed that murder could even be justified. David endured beatings when he didn’t live up to his father’s expectations. David’s mother had mental issues and was not able to handle the family. Lonnie, his older sister raised the younger child...
Fredonia emerged as the other western finalist and could boast that they were the defending state champs. They and their supremely confident fans filled the gym to near capacity, looking to scuttle the Blue Pirate crew. No doubt one of the greatest stories in Williamsburg athletic history, which goes back 100 years, truly a legend, originated with this hotly contested battle in faraway Western Pennsylvania. The winner plays in the state championship game; the loser goes home. A very confident...
To the Editor: My name is Philip Leber, former resident of Salemville and graduate of NBC, 1959. Your paper previously published an article by Linda Williams (a representative of our new NBC alumni organization) that lacked some detail that I think alumni members should be aware of. I’ve talked with Linda on many occasions about the issue surrounding Replogle, Woodbury, Smith and NBC schools, and she was reticent about addressing some of the background facts surrounding formation of our alumni organization. Below, I am offering what I e...
This book is dedicated to the self-less, inexhaustible, compassionate emergency room nurses. These energetic and empathetic men and women work day and night to save lives and make their patients as comfortable as possible. Sometimes it hurts, as when they lose a patient. Many times, they never learn how their patients make out when they leave the E.R. or are flown to another hospital. The book is broken up into four parts: Day Shift, Night Shift, Flight Shift, and Thank you. Katie Quick from...
Now, for the District 6 playoffs. Back in the day, there were only three classifications (A,B,C), and as hard as it is to imagine, there was no competition for girls. This was uncharted territory for the Blue Pirates: to enter the District6 playoffs undefeated, with a 23-0 record. The tough loss to Southmont in the previous year’s district final would certainly be extra incentive for the previous season’s underclassmen. First up was Orbisonia. No problem: WHS prevailed 74-59. A bonus for Casper’s offense was the emergence of forward Jack Campb...
In early December of 1955, excitement was building in the halls of Williamsburg High School and in the borough of Williamsburg as the new basketball season was rapidly approaching. There were two primary reasons for all the positive anticipation. First, the football squad of Coach William “Bill” Rhodes had just posted the school’s only undefeated, untied regular season (10-0) in Blue Pirate history. Since football’s beginning in 1926, only one other squad had been undefeated. The Blue Pirate team (then “Little Giants) of 1939 had no losses bu...
Annie Pederson was nine years old when she and her sister Sarah were playing on the dock. They lived on Lake Superior and the loons were out on that dark evening. Sarah was only five and Annie always felt protective of her little sister. So, when Sarah was snatched by two kidnappers, Annie felt responsible. Twenty-four years later, Annie still hoped to find what happened to her little sister. If some remains were found nearby which fit the age of her sister, she submitted her sister’s DNA in hop...
When we continue my memory tour on Curryville Road, across from our house was the Keith house. Mrs. Neut (Hannah) Keith and Jenny Shaffer lived there. That was where I did most of my porching. They had the biggest and best porch and a great swing. One of the first games I remember them teaching me was to clap my hands with them and the birds would fly. They had large trees in their huge yard and we could get a heavenly host of birds to fly. Sometimes we mowed their yard, but it was so big, we...
Melissa Long decided to move in with Brian Michaels. Both teens had rocky relationships with their families. Brian had a small apartment. It was hard. Melissa liked to fish and it was a good thing as it helped provide food for the couple. Melissa soon found out that she was pregnant. They were still in high school so they had some decisions to make. They certainly could not afford to raise a child. They decided that Melissa should have an abortion. Brian sold his radio for $220 so she could...
In the fall of 2020, when Chad Dechow got a call from veterinarians in New York describing a strange condition affecting Holstein calves on two farms under their care, he was unfamiliar with the condition that came to be known as calf recumbency. The animals were weak and couldn’t stand at birth or shortly after, and most did not survive beyond six weeks of age. The vets did not detect any neurologic, infectious or metabolic abnormalities in the very young animals. It was a mystery. “They couldn’t figure it out — they had necropsied calves...
Citizens should know what issues their school boards, borough councils and other government agencies plan to deliberate and/or vote on at public meetings. Call this commonsense requirement what it is: the law in Pennsylvania. Since 2021 the Sunshine Act, or state open-meetings law, requires that a government agency make its meeting agenda available at least 24 hours in advance of a public meeting. The agency must post the agenda on its publicly accessible internet website, if it has one, as well as at the agency office and at the location of...
Lindsey Norris, the librarian at Briar Creek library, enjoyed her “crafternooners.” This is what they called the group that met at noon to craft an item related to a book they are discussing. They were going to discuss Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and follow the discussion with a Victorian craft of a velvet bookmark. Lindsey and the crafternooner were totally supportive of Ms. Cole’s run for mayor of the town. Ms. Cole had worked at the library for forty years and was just the perso...
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) are recognizing National Pollinator Week with updates on pollinator plantings around the state. Roadside pollinator plantings, led by PennDOT, PA Turnpike and other partner organizations are taking place around Pennsylvania. PennDOT has overseen more than 40 acres of pilot pollinator plantings with an additional 25 acres of habitat in progress. Areas targeted for pollinator-specific plantings are continually monitored by maintenance te...
Herald of June 27, 2013 Claysburg-Kimmel’s school board eliminated five positions to cut expenses. The board also voted to raise taxes 2.5 percent, the maximum C-K was allowed under the Act I Index. The board also dipped into the fund balance to help balance the budget. Jeanne Hileman retired after serving seven years as the principal at the Martinsburg Elementary School. After being a substitute teacher for a few years, she taught first grade at the Roaring Spring Elementary School, and then moved on to administration. A Rhode Island man s...
Herald of July 2, 1998 McDonald’s representatives were meeting with Roaring Spring’s Zoning Board to discuss construction of a McDonad’s restaurant at the site of the former Giant Eagle building. A fierce thunderstorm blew into Martinsburg Borough at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday as parade entries and floats were beginning to assemble. The storm was short lived, but created puddles for the parade. Melvin R. “Mel” Bennett, passed away at the age of 86. Mr. Bennett was the former music supervisor in the Roaring Spring School District and later in the Sp...
Herald of June 28, 1973 A fire believed to have been started by a spark from a welder’s torch destroyed the Galen Whetstone garage at the northern end of Woodbury Monday morning. The blaze destroyed the garage and all the shop equipment. It also destroyed a house-car camper parked outside the garage. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Feather of Martinsburg RD 1 will leave Monday for New York City where they will meet 36 Fresh Air Fund children and accompany them on a bus to Altoona. The children will vacation with host families in the area from July 3 to J...
Herald of July 1, 1948 A severe electrical storm with high winds and rain damaged farms in the Piney Creek area. Ground from corn fields near Royer washed onto the roads in such quantity that highway workers were on the job all day Monday scooping the mud off. Two trees were blown down at the home of Cletus Sollenberger, just south of Williamsburg, and a walnut tree in the yard of Perry Deeters, at the foot of Williamsburg ridge, was blown down. The family of Dr. and Mrs. J. W. Hershberger planned a surprise silver anniversary dinner at Oak...
Herald of June 29, 1923 Dr. J. Warren Hershberger, a well known physician of thai place, was united in marriage to Miss Lorma Kerr of McVeytown at 9 o’clock on Wednesday morning at the McVeytown First Presbyterian Church. The Roaring Spring School District was seeking bids for 200 tons of good steam coal, 10 gross pens, 4 gallons black writing fluid, 1 gallon red writing fluid, and 8 gross soft crayons, among other things. The Martinsburg Independents will play a doubleheader with the Keystone A.C. League of Altoona on the Fourth of July. On S...
Herald of June 23, 1898 At a meeting of the Martinsburg school board held Saturday the tax was fixed at 3 percent, the same as the previous year. Teachers’ salaries were set at $33 per month, with a bonus of $2 for teachers with high qualifications. Members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows from Blair and surrounding counties gathered at Williamsburg on Friday evening to attend the 50th celebration of the lodge at that place. The lodge was formed in 1848 with ten members and grew rapidly until the Civil War period when so many members w...
Colby Mills lived on a small family farm in North Carolina with his aunt and sister. He and his sister were raised on the farm. He had some help with a manager but spent his days running the farm, fixing broken equipment and planning future expansions. Colby was musically talented. He was offered a gig in Florida for three weeks. While there, the crowds grew every night that he sang. There he met Morgan Lee. Morgan was there with three college friends. She and her friends posted routines that they performed on Tic Toc. They had quite a...
Happy Dairy Month! Many people recall the slogan “Milk, it does a body good.” But as different health fads have emerged since that slogan was first uttered, including an increased availability of dairy alternatives, dairy has been somewhat pushed aside, leaving many people to question if it is a friend or foe. According to Vasanti Malik, a nutrition research scientist with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, dairy isn’t necessary for maintaining optimal health for humans. However, it is one of the best and easiest ways to get ample...
June 27 is National PTSD Awareness Day, making it a great time to put it in the spotlight, and offer tips for how to help support those who suffer from the condition. The more people know about PTSD and how to help support those with it, the better the outcome will be. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts those who have it and their loved ones. Knowing how to support their loved ones with PTSD can make a big difference. “PTSD is something that we as a nation need to become more familiar with to help support those who need it,” exp...
I attempt to eat healthy, loving fruits, vegetables, soups and seafood, and water is my choice of beverage. I do enjoy desserts and thankfully diabetes doesn’t seem to be in my genes. Recently, I was forced to count my milligrams of salt partaken each day and it was a rude awakening. Salt is hard on the heart and kidneys as it causes fluid retention and can, therefore, lead to high blood pressure and other health problems. This is a fact I sincerely wish more doctors would emphasize. We do n...
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams is a pleasure to read. This wonderful piece of historical fiction pulled me in, and I found myself unable to put it down. The novel compels the reader to understand the trials of bringing the first Oxford English Dictionary to life through the eyes of Esme. She is a motherless child whose father is a lexicographer for the OED and is confined to play under the sorting table where the team disseminate the words. As we grow up with Esme, we see the real...
To the Editor: I would like to congratulate the Morrisons Cove Herald staff and contributors on their recent Keystone Media Awards from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. The nine awards show what readers of the Herald know: our community newspaper is run by a talented and dedicated staff. The Herald has won PNA awards for years, showing the paper’s consistency, despite numerous staff changes and the ups and downs of the print media field. As a resident of Martinsburg, I know I can rely on my Herald every week. I can look at it for u...
So I have to admit that some of what I’m attempting to write here is challenging me. I say that because right outside my window at about 6 a.m. is the sound of happy birds chirping, a light breeze blowing through the trees, and the blaring sound of construction vehicles, doing what construction vehicles do. The birds and the breeze invite serenity. The other noises are making every attempt at waking my children up before they need to be up (and I’ve only had two cups of coffee this morning — I’m just not ready for this yet!). And yet here I...
