About two months ago, my 97-year-old great grandfather, Leonard Giknis, passed away. Going through his belongings, I found a few books in his collection that surprised me: Moby Dick, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, and my personal favorite – Goethe to Ibsen, in which he scratched out the title to read
Sometimes, our past includes challenging events, people, and ideas. However, that doesn’t mean public historians should exclude them from our discussions. Instead, the full history, even the tough stuff, should be included. For example, Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, where “history never gets old,” faced a difficult task positioning the brutal
Barb Titanish sits at a table within H.O.P.E.’s new cancer retreat haven. Behind pink-tinted glasses, she recalls a story from 1978 about her sister, Diane Walburn. On a cold night, Diane suffered from the pain of cancer. At that time, few medications were permitted for home-use to help cope with
Living in Seven Valleys, my commute to Hershey eats up a large chunk of time. It takes me an hour to drive to work, one-way. Luckily for me, Bluetooth technology and Audible speed up my commute by narrating my favorite books. Right now I’m enjoying Jane Jacobs’ The Death and
Ghost stories aren’t just for Halloween. Here in York, they are told year-round. They surround such things as the exhumation of bodies in an old burial ground. And these stories connect with suspicions of ghosts in a well-known downtown York bookstore. First though, what meaning can we draw from ghost
It’s called Mr. Hollywood’s Bow Tie Collection, and it’s owned by Timmon Smith. After designing unique bow ties, this York-based small businessman heads to his sewing machine to craft his own clothing accessory for men. He’s working toward a successful future by helping people find confidence through their stylish attire. But Smith’s
This past Sunday, a raccoon attacked one of my chickens. I heard one of my hens squawk loudly on my back porch so I got up from my computer to check it out. I found a large, gray raccoon grabbing at her feathers right outside my door. I screamed! I
During a faculty meeting at Milton Hershey School, Mike DeAcosta, a graphic arts teacher, noticed my earrings. DeAcosta asked me while pointing to my ears, “Do you know what they are?” He was surprised to see an antique and dead art form decorating my outfit. Dangling from both ears were
West of the Codorus in York, Pa., Doll Building apartments are open for business
Red Lion’s Wanda Tyson has spent a lifetime collecting antique salt and pepper shakers. But sometimes it’s hard to find shakers filled with salt and pepper at enjoyable meals in her home.