York Town Square

The York (Pa.) Alumnae Chapter of the Alpha Iota, serving as U.S.O. workers during the second World War, accept a service award from Judge Walter Anderson. The U.S.O. women made a home away from home for those in the military. Pictured, from left, Mary Ellen Peacock, Mary Bowman, Hannah Dempwolf, Anderson, Dorothy Koch, unknown, Winona Leiphart, Charlotte Klingaman and Margaret Gibbs. They stand on what appears to be an outdoor wooden dance floor behind the old York County Academy on North Beaver Street, York-area USO headquarters. This photo appeared in “York: Then and Now,” a picture book published as part of York County’s 250th anniversary in 1999. The book is out of print, although occasionally it can be found in area used book stores and at the York County Heritage Trust Library and Archives. Also of interest: Old gym bears signs of USO past and USO column attracts WW II-era memories and Just try to resist this memory-tugging photograph of northwest York, Pa. and All World War II posts from the start..

Neat stuff from all over … .
An artist will be honored for 45 years of teaching at the Art Institute of York and its predecessors, according to an institute release
Out of high school, future artist Mike Klinedinst studied engineering because his father thought it would be a good profession. “I hated it,” he said.
According to the release:
He met up with Bill Falkler, who founded the York Academy of Arts, which at that time was located just west of the Martin Library on East Market Street in York. It was a fledgling school for commercial artists who believed that students should be exposed to experts in the field… .

A local lawyer taught a public speaking course to commercial artists to round out their liberal arts education. Klinedinst himself created a graphic design course.
He mentions names still known to many in York: Falkler, Othmar Carli, A.I. Watts, and Gretchen Goughnour. They were the experts who created courses, “very free form,” noted Klinedinst, based on the principles of the Bauhaus. Bauhaus was a design school that emerged in Germany in 1919. Bauhaus designers and their students broke from tradition and developed a very modernist style. Their primary intention was to integrate art, technology and craftsmanship by ignoring precedent and generating a new design philosophy.
“It was the Bauhaus of York,” he notes with pride, “They were the most invigorating, exciting years of my life.”
From Aug. 16 through the end of September, The Art Institute of York Pennsylvania is hosting an exhibit of Mike Klinedinst’s photography in the Community Gallery. Klinedinst will present a Gallery Talk on Monday, September 13 at 3 p.m.
A reception honoring the artist will take place in the Gallery on Wednesday, September 22, from 4 – 7 p.m.
All events are free and open to the public.
For more information contact Angela Anderson.
Classes offered: On Sept. 14, Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society will offer two ten-week courses in Pennsylvania German dialect, taught by local instructor Butch Reigart,
“Pennsylvania German, commonly known as ‘Pennsylvania Dutch,’ is often associated with Old Order Amish and Mennonite communities in Pennsylvania,” a LMHS news release states. “However, it also was spoken widely by Lutheran, Reformed and other groups, and it is currently used in Old Order communities as far west as Wisconsin and Missouri.”
“The variety of people interested in these classes “continues to grow each year,” Reigart said. Past students have included doctors, PennDOT engineers, teachers, newspaper reporters, neighbors and drivers of the Amish, and people whose parents “told secrets” in the dialect.
Reigart will also offer a free one-hour presentation on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m., giving historical background on Pennsylvania German and additional information on the courses.
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society is located at 2215 Millstream Road, Lancaster.
For more information and to register for classes, call (717) 393-9745.
Recommended blog post of the week: Only York’s Joan Concilio indexed her posts on memories of stores and restaurants of the past.
Recommended forum, The Exchange: For your Labor Day weekend picnics, enjoy this thread about: Bury’s burger secret recipe revealed.
Also of interest:

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