Ask Joan: Nunchucks edition
Regular readers might know that I study tae kwon do at Dover Dragons TKD. Well, one of our programs for more advanced students has included lessons this month in using nunchucks (nunchaku). I love it. Thankfully for those in close physical proximity, we practice with foam ones. After a while, though, it still can hurt if you miss too often!
What’s inside
1. Seeking venue for 100 people
2. Sycamore trees along the Trail
3. More details on antique store
1. I belong to a non-profit group that meets in York once a month in the evenings. We are looking for a central venue that can seat about 100 adults and preferably has the facilities for PowerPoint presentations (i.e. screen and projector.) It’s a responsible and mature group and, as a non-profit, finances are always important.
– Sue Taylor
Off the top of my head, the places I could think of for Sue were schools – and I think she might do surprisingly well at elementary schools, which have less demand on their time in the evenings than middle or high schools.
If it wouldn’t be objected to, churches might also be a suggestion, as many in our area can seat that many and have PowerPoint accessibility; the question would be either cost or if it would be a venue that didn’t fit the type of group. I told Sue that if church was an option, I’d suggest she ask her membership, because with any place of worship, if there IS a fee, it is often discounted for members of that faith community.
Throwing it out to everyone else – any suggestions for Sue on a venue to regularly hold a large group?
2. I have lived in New Freedom for forty years and always enjoy the drive to York on the York Road. I am always curious about the Sycamore trees that line the sides of this area and how they got there. I think perhaps there were hundreds everywhere and those along the Trail were the only ones that remain. Forty years is along time to wonder about something. Where would you look to find an answer?
– Elizabeth Everett
I told Elizabeth that she was in luck with this question – I knew right where to find the answer! Looks like our editor, Jim McClure, can put an end to 40 years of wondering. I asked HIM and he sent me two links that may be of help. The first is to his blog, York Town Square, where he has a couple of posts about the sycamores and where they came from (you’re not the first to wonder!) You can see those posts of his here.
The second link from Jim is to June Lloyd’s Universal York blog; she has even more details on the “Road of Remembrance” of which the sycamores are a part. That information is available here.
I hope this helps! Elizabeth, I’m glad you asked – because I hadn’t known the answer either, and now I do!
3. I read the excerpt from your “Only in York County” blog … in the York Sunday News. I am very interested in the Souvenir Half Dollar from Seven Valleys Fire Co. I noticed that you said there was a whole box of these at the store so I thought I would contact you to see if you can give me some additional info. My dad is a fire collector and I am interested in getting one of these for his collection. I looked in the phone book and even googled “New Salem Antique Store” and couldn’t find it… I’m assuming there may be another name. I was hoping to get the name of the actual store from you. Also, can you tell me approx. how much this item cost? Thanks for any help you can give me.
– Geralyn Fuller
Geralyn was writing in response to this series, “Joan goes to the antique store, and specifically to this item.

I told her that I thought this such a fun question, because this is one of those places in which I’m not sure it DOES have a name, at all, and we’ve never been able to find it online. It’s right on the square in York New Salem; if you’re coming from Route 30 and turn onto Route 616, you’ll follow that to the light in New Salem. The store is actually just through the light on your right, but to park, you have to turn right at the light and then an immediate right again into an empty lot that serves as the parking space.
You can’t miss it – it’s got a ton of stuff piled on the front porch, and it’s only open Fridays and Sundays. The guy who runs it never seems to go by the posted prices – I think this item was posted for a dollar, but we got it and about 10 other things for 5 dollars when we went.
I hope he’s still got them – I don’t think anyone looking for them would have a problem, unless some collector stopped in and bought the whole box. There were a bunch!
Got any questions? Ask Joan using the form at right. I’ll attempt to answer them in a future “Ask Joan” column on this blog. I get a large volume, but I will feature three each week and answer as many as possible!