Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
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During my early childhood, my entire family used the word “pookers.” Later, “passing gas” was the preferred terminology for the natural release of methane from one’s intestinal tract. Because of the fear of being murdered by our mom, no one ever thought of using the term “fart” in our home. Today, my apologies go out to her, because I’m sure she would not appreciate that I even typed and used that gross term in this story. Sugar alcohols: Also known as polyols Because my younger sister was a diabetic, the use of artificial sweeteners (whi...
Augusta Stern, newly forced into retirement at age 80, does not know what to do with her life. At the urging of her niece, she moves to Rallentando Springs, an active senior living community in Florida. She knows her life is going to change, moving from her beloved home of Brooklyn to warm and sunny Florida, but the last thing she expected was a blast from the past! One morning, while swimming her regular laps at the pool, she is astounded to find her first love (and only major heartbreak) Irvin...
After a couple month hiatus, I was all set to write my “Blessings” column. I had picked a subject and my fingers were itching to type when something happened! It was not a good something but one of those “life happenings”. Our little gray cat of 15 plus years died very suddenly. She went over the Rainbow Bridge with the finesse which we all hope to have. After a day of zoomies, checking out the basement, and napping on our laps, she simply collapsed. In February 2009, the year of our 50th wedding anniversary, our big orange cat named “Charli...
"I bought the cabin for $7500 from a guy on Craigslist. He was a tugboat captain." So begins the adventures in carpentry for Patrick Hutchinson, a self-avowed dabbler in carpentry. This adventure will completely change how he looks at life and his occupation. The central questions that will confront the reader is why do it and how does this copywriter and author for several outdoor magazines do a renovation of a small cabin with almost zero knowledge or skill in carpentry? The 120 square foot...
Can history become alive? Are there secrets still yet to be uncovered in the historic buildings of the world? Can history as we know it be wrong? All these questions become relevant as we progress through Ben Mezrich's new novel The Mistress and the Key. Get your history books out, bone up on your geographic atlases, and be ready to boomerang around the world in search of clues to solve the mysteries contained in this novel. The central figures involved in this mystery are a trio of unlikely...
After extensive consideration, the owners of the Morrisons Cove Herald, Inc., have decided to eliminate one edition from the 52 editions normally published in a year. The edition to be eliminated will be the one usually published after Christmas and around New Year’s Day. (The exact date of the edition depends upon how the calendar is set each year. The Herald publishes on Thursdays. This decision does not affect any other Herald editions. The Herald therefore will publish 52 editions in 2024 but 51 annual editions into the future. The H...
major loss. Her husband, the great love of her life, was killed in a horrible accident, and she swears she will never love again. She's had her one chance. But that doesn't stop her from trying to help everyone else in their pursuits of love: Her divorced sister Stef, her new-to-town employee Elinor, and her hunky best friend, hardware store owner Mitch. In fact, Frankie likes trying to help everyone. She tries to help her best friend Viola renovate her new house. She tries to help her daughter...
Borrowing a musical passage from John Lennon: "Imagine...it's easy if you try." I will attempt to set the theme for a Christmas Season that you may not have thought about since you were a young child. Imagine a world with no war or the possibility of such, as exemplified by the current conflict in Ukraine. Imagine a planet where all religions manage to set their differences aside and live together in harmony. Try to visualize an America where the citizens are not so divided in ideology, and...
It is 1902, and Daisy Harriman, socialite wife of a successful New York City banker, is planning to travel from her summer home in Newport, Rhode Island, to Manhattan to run a few errands. She is incensed when she finds out that she cannot stay in any of the luxury hotels because she will be an unaccompanied lady. As she opines to her husband about the unfairness of it all, she has an idea. If men can have their own clubs, such as the Princeton Club and the Union Club, why can't ladies have a cl...
On Monday morning, Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old who is a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was arrested and charged with murder after a McDonald employee at the Plank Road located in Altoona recognized him from a surveillance photo and police officers found a gun, mask and writings linking him to the ambush, according to the Associated Press. While this news happened outside of the Cove, this occurred right in my neighborhood, which is Garden Heights in Altoona. I’ve spent almost my whole life living in that quiet are...
In this holiday season, I wanted to write to thank all those who read, subscribe to, advertise in and otherwise support the Morrisons Cove Herald. Earlier this year, we asked the community to support the Herald with subscriptions, the purchase of advertisements or even outright gifts. To those who responded, Thank You. Running a community newspaper has never been an easy job nor a 9-to-5 job. A community newspaper is, at its foundation, a small business, and like most small businesses, it requires an owner who cares about the business and what...
Former president of the United States John Sherman Cutler, known to his friends as Jack, has been accused of murdering his mistress, Amanda Harper. There is only one man he can think of to defend him in the trial of the century, his best friend from childhood Rob Jacobson. Rob, now one of DC's most powerful litigators, wants to help his friend, but he needs to know for sure that Jack did not do it. He tells Jack the only way he will take on the case is if he tells him the whole trust. After a st...
Traditions are comforting, but sometimes you just have to improvise and make the best of things when spending holidays far from home. While serving as civilians at a military base in Bavaria in 1996, my eventual wife and I spent a long November weekend in Budapest with two other American couples. We hadn’t met them before, but mutual friends suggested we all had much in common. We boarded a train late Thanksgiving morning and began to get acquainted over a pre-packed spread of cold turkey, cranberry sauce, candied yams and pumpkin muffins j...
Holidays are special to everyone for different reasons. The Thanksgiving season typically brings about reflection of the things we are grateful for – family, friends, our homes, and good health. I have a neighbor down the road who posts a daily “thankful for…” on social media every day from November first to Thanksgiving, and I always enjoy following along as she lists her blessings. Thanksgiving (and every other holiday) in the Bigelow household starts with morning barn work at the farm. My dad and brother make up the second and third generat...
Bernard Phillip Greer passed away during a nursing home excursion to a river park, yet he is still a patient at Wattle River Nursing Home. How did that happen? Through a comedy of errors involving mistaken identity and disbelief caused by dementia, another gentleman, 82-year-old Frederick Fife, takes his place at the facility. Frederick is faced with a decision: to continue the bluff or come clean and admit he is not Bernard Greer. He chooses to become Bernard. This sets up a series of which...
Pleased to see Eric Shields’ remembrance of the late Don Witherspoon in the Nov. 7 Herald, and happy that Shields included state Rep. Jim Gregory’s mention of Witherspoon’s golf exploits, what was left out was, to me, glaring. Williamsburg’s Don Appleman, a 1950s and ‘60s peer of the former Claysburg Kimmel athlete, can attest to Witherspoon’s comparable skills on the basketball court. When John Bush and I were managers of the Morrison Cove High School basketball teams from 1958-1960, we witnessed the sensational play of both Witherspoon...
Long before football fans became aware of chronic traumatic encephalopathy...oops!! I just broke a cardinal rule of writing - which is trying to grab the reader’s attention with a good opening line. So, if you’re still with me, I will start anew from scratch. Back In The Day Long before football fans became aware of concussions and other brain injuries common to many players, athletes were exposed to a number of medical issues that were handled much differently than today. There were no certified trainers in the fall of any of the years (1964 -...
"Native Nations" dispels misconceptions many non-Native American people have learned over the years, whether in school or while looking at museum displays. It is true that we have come a long way with updating curriculum to be more accurate and museum settings not including Indigenous peoples with the Neanderthal exhibits. Textbooks went from teaching about ruthless savages to more accurate depictions. Depending on a person's age and location, schooling and historical accounts may have differed...
With Christmas comes the difficult task of choosing an appropriate gift for our loved ones. Allow me to suggest to your readers that they buy a subscription to The Morrisons Cove Herald for their friends and family who now live away—for military, college, or work. The gift is under $50 and it is delivered 52 times during the year. A year’s subscription to a weekly newspaper from one’s home town is the PERFECT GIFT! C. Arnold McClure Shirleysburg, PA...
Author Deborah Willis begins her tales in the dark with “The Dark.” Best friends Andrea and Jess do everything together, including sharing a bunk and sneaking out every night at summer camp. They thought they were in love, but they also planned to meet boys to fall in love with that summer. When camp ended, they stayed friends and when summer camp began again, they made new best friends. Life went on. They got boyfriends; they grew up. Life is made of moments. Willis’ stories tend to focus on the moments. They are not all fairytales in the s...
In Eric Shield’s October 17th personality profile of Blair County native and Hollywood celebrity Hedda Hopper, he mentioned that she has a star on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. In 2010 I was visiting relatives in LA and drove into downtown to see some of the tourist attractions. I found a rare parking space along the Walk of Fame boulevard. When I stepped over the curb and looked down I came face-to-face with Hedda’s star, which I proceeded to photograph. It can be seen in the photo section of my website www.jameswentz.com. James Wentz McL...
What would you do if your friend invited you out late at night? They are not acting like themselves and you don't know what to do next. Oh, and you haven't talked to them in years. Find out what Kira does in this situation in "Host." "Surf," finds friends caught up in fun and partying at a beach. They end up surfing after dark while drinking. That sounds like a mistake in itself, but after one friend finds a severed digit floating in the surf, things are about to get much more alarming. Darcy...
It's almost time for Halloween. That means most stores have their Christmas decorations out and ready! We're not sure if we should say "Trick-or-Treat" or "Scary Chr..." I mean "Merry Christmas." Most of us are used to tales of horror at Halloween. In many areas of the world, it is commonplace to celebrate with ghostly tales at Christmastime. Yuletide ghost stories were more common than one might think. In the Victorian era, it was quite common to share ghost stories with eggnog and sugar...
Setting The troll sightings took place along I 99 in Bedford County Pennsylvania in the summer of 1986. A rather portly troll approximately 33 years old and rumored to weigh over 175 lbs at the time was spotted (as expected) waiting patiently under a bridge that carried I 99 over state route 869 near the vicinity of the little hamlet known as St. Clairsville. In spite of the fact that this sighting took place along an interstate highway, very few people actually witnessed the super sprite sitting in the shade of the overpass on that hot and hum...
The Herald will accept Letters to the Editor regarding the Nov. 5 election until 12 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28, for the Oct. 31 edition. Candidates and candidate supporters can send typed letters to [email protected]. Those interested are encouraged to use email to ensure the letters are received at the Herald by the deadline. Those with questions are encouraged to call the Herald or email Cati Keith at the address provided above. Note on Policy Regarding Letters to the Editor and Editorial Content: The Herald does not publish any opinions reg...
Bedford County, it is time to let our voices be heard. We are involved in the most consequential election of our lives. Our Constitutional Republic is at risk. Will we continue to live in freedom or will we turn to socialism? Will we depend on the government to solve our problems? Look at the floods in North Carolina and Georgia. The current establishment has not supported our tax paying citizens who are in desperate need but continue to support foreign entities. We can make a difference. Everyone has a sphere of influence whether it is your...
Members of the Blair County Public Accountability PAC oppose the re-election of Senator Bob Casey Jr. and the election of Vice-President Kamala Harris as President. We do not endorse candidates, but we do hold those in elected office to account. In their current terms of office, Vice-President Harris and Senator Casey have consistently acted against the foundational principles of America. On their watch, our border has been unsecured, our military compromised by woke policies and bad leadership, our civil rights trampled with both state and...
Three Brunstetter authors offer three new stories of love, hope, and faith in Amish Pennsylvania with “Wilma’s Wish,” “Martha’s Miracle,” and “Alma’s Acceptance.” Wilma Hostetler wants nothing more than to start a family with her beloved, Israel Zook. She looks to her friend Deanna for inspiration as her wedding date approaches. Deanna’s positivity throughout the many trials her life has handed her shines through as a beacon of hope to her dear friend. Wanda E. Brunstetter brings us “Wilma’s Wish,” a story about hope, love, and overcoming loss...
Many conservatives say they dislike Donald Trump’s behaviors and his admiration for authoritarians. Yet they plan to vote for him. He was elected president despite his charade as a successful businessman and empty promises. Were his achievements such a success that he deserves to be elected again? Trump disavows connections to Project 2025 but dozens of his administration officials were part of its drafting. His vice presidential pick endorses it. The U.S. Supreme Court has given Trump absolute power. If elected, Trump says, “You won’t have...
By Jennifer R. Hoffman Appalachia. What does one think of when they hear the term, Appalachia? For those who've read J.D. Vance's best-seller, the term "hillbilly" may come to mind. If you know a little about the region, coal-mining might be at the top of your Appalachian facts list. That's something you'd be getting right about Appalachia. Appalachia is a long, diagonal region that stretches across thirteen states from New York clear down to Alabama, spanning 206,000 square miles and...
On November 5, 2024, we have the privilege of voting for leaders in our nation. Are you registered to vote or are you among those who say, “I don’t vote?” Please don’t squander this right and responsibility you have as a citizen of the United States to vote for qualified candidates. You may think you are not voting, but in reality you are voting because you are allowing others who support abortion and gay marriage to have more influence. Since we are blessed to have a government of the people, by the people and for the people, we have the res...
We are 20-year residents of Martinsburg, having moved here from Houston, Texas to join our daughter’s family. From the beginning we were impressed with the well-maintained houses and buildings of Martinsburg, especially the old Methodist Episcopal Church at 202 Market Street built in the mid-1800s. Over the past two decades the abandoned church has been an antique store, a resale shop and recently the Restored Grounds Coffee shop. The coffee shop owner renovated the termite damage, plumbing and HVAC system. She recently closed the shop and h...
Father Caspian feels out of place wherever he is placed. He feels he is not your typical priest and he may be right. When we meet the somewhat less than zealous priest, Father Caspian has just been sent to run the Sister Mary Margaret Mission for Those Experiencing Homelessness. Father Caspian seems to be lacking in every way regarding initiative when it comes to the priesthood. Or life, for that matter. He just can't seem to get it right. He says the wrong thing, upsets the wrong people, none...
In junior high a teacher told us ---- repeatedly- --“If you don’t vote, don’t complain.” Every time we vote, we are expressing our opinion. Sometimes a candidate we prefer wins, sometimes not. Sometimes the person we preferred does something in office with which we don’t agree. It does happen. We might complain, but if you don’t vote, don’t complain! All this is possible only if you register to vote!! Are you registered? If you are a US citizen and you will be 18 on or before election day, you are eligible. Voting is our right but also our resp...
Why natives are important Native plants are plants that have evolved with other species that occur naturally in an environment. In North America, plants are typically considered native if they were established before European settlement. They provide food/nectar for insects, butterflies, birds, and other mammals, as well as being the base of the food chain. Ornamental plants (non-natives bought and planted to look good) don’t feed anything and serve no ecological purpose. They are a food desert for native species looking for a meal. Native p...
Art Barbara has to be one of the least cool guys in high school. He begins his story by telling us Art Barbara is not his name. He then takes us to the late 1980s, telling his tale from where he believes it all started. Where did it start, you may ask? According to Art Barbara, it's where everything changed, and not necessarily for the better, though it seemed like that at first. In Art's opinion he could not count all the ways he was uncool. He wore a bulky back-brace for his scoliosis, he was...
Most of us who were fortunate enough to have both parents present while growing up, probably remember Dad more so than Mom as the chief disciplinarian in the family. Not always so in the Potchak household – If Dad was working second or third shift, Mom was fully capable of handling the family and any mischief her boys may have encountered. And… As we grow older, there are countless times when we all have asked ourselves, “What was I thinking?” or “Why did I do that?” Such was the case again, here. Come to think of it, maybe I shouldn’t m...
Many of us pass recipes through generations with our own family cookbooks. Max Miller has taken recipes from ancient texts and passed them onto us all by modernizing them to fit today's world. The author takes us through not only the history of the recipes and flavors of the world, but his journey into baking as well. After a friend's illness led to an all-day baking show binge instead of vacation sight-seeing, he was hooked. Miller believes food has the power to bring humanity closer together....
One of the most inspiring things we have done this summer is take a course on the Constitution. It is being given through our church and is entitled Biblical Citizenship in Modern America. So, the first question you are going to ask is, “Isn’t there a separation of church and state? Doesn’t it say that in the Constitution?” The answer is “no” that phrase is nowhere in the Constitution. Next question: “How many times do the Annals of Congress record the phrase, separation of church and state during the debates drafting the First Amendment? Th...
Love. There is not much more powerful in this world than love. Feyi Adekola had a love once. It's been five years since the accident. When her husband was killed, a part of her died, too. She's finally learning to be whole again. Well, she's learning to live again, learning to feel human. She may never be whole; there will always be a gap where the loss of her husband cannot be filled. It will not heal any more than the scar on her hand will mend completely from the same accident that took away...
Perly Dunsmore is the best thing to happen to Harlowe's people and their farmhouses since indoor plumbing. Or is he? They've got police deputies now instead of just the one policeman. Of course one was fine for the town for years, but they've got to move with the times. Crime is getting out of hand these days, what with the strangling that happened in the last year. The town of Harlowe is growing and prospering since Perly's auctions have started. A few townspeople see the outsider as trouble....
“If you’re offered food, and you decide to accept it and take a bite, you’d better finish eating the entire offering.” Now, I’m not sure if that preceding line was a commandment in other homes, but it sure was in mine as I was growing up. My mom would add, “It’s rude to taste something that a woman bakes and then not finish eating it.” As I grew older, I deduced that my parents were not only concerned about hurting others’ feelings, but their thoughts on the consumption of food were also a result of them growing up during the Great Depression w...
Clair Matchett was ready for a vacation. She planned a trip with her husband and two other couples. Clair and her husband Noah had grown apart. She literally thought they hated each other. Emma and Aidan, the Matchett children, would stay with Clair’s sister Penny while they were gone. For some reason, Emma was particularly clingy today. Emma had a dream that a monster ate her parents which terrified her. Finally, they were on their way. They would pick up the others with their minivan. The other couples were Jack and his wife Michelle and Lind...
Starling House by Alix E Harrow, is a modern gothic fairy tale, complete with a heroine, a magic house and an evil villain. The heroine: Opal is a street smart twenty-something who has been taking care of her brother, Jasper, since their mother died. She works whatever jobs she can get to save money to get Jasper into a better school. She isn’t likable right away, but throughout the story you learn what melded her into the person she is and respect her tenacity and bravery. The house and caretaker: Arthur Starling is the reclusive caretaker o...
Every Sunday evening from early May through mid-October, cars full of “Barlick” groupies arrive at the Shawnee State Park Historic & Interpretive Center. The folks are there to learn from the lectures of Park Ranger Ron Barlick of Roaring Spring. Ron was a science teacher at Hollidaysburg when he joined Shawnee and has been presenting the programs to the public for many years. Programs begin at 7 but if you want a good seat, be there by 6:30. While it is mostly gray heads in the audience, there are some younger children with families. It is...
I view one of the needs for this newspaper is to write something of interest to the younger citizens of the Morrison Cove. To this end I decided that one thing of great interest to the younger readers may be a review of the rock group the Pines. Many Cove people have seen the Pines this summer. The group consists of three recent Central High School graduates and one member from Bellwood. They have a large number of dates or gigs that they have scheduled in the Cove and outside of it -a very heavy schedule I might add. First disclaimer: I am of...
Ashlyn Greer owns a rare book store called The An Unlikely Story. She receives boxes of books which she goes through and picks the best. She also rebinds and repairs older books. She has a special gift called Psychometry, the ability to discover things by touching inanimate objects. She feels the emotions of the owners of the books she touches. These are the echoes of books. Ashlyn received a box of books from a friend. As she picked up the last book in the box, she noticed that it had a title, Regretting Belle, and an inscription, “How, B...
I fully support Commissioner Laura Burke’s efforts to improve the Blair County Children and Youth Agency. Those folks provide necessary help to family and children in their time of need. Support Commissioner Burke’s efforts 100%. Jim Glunt Martinsburg...
Stafford Lee Penney was a successful criminal attorney. He was defending Daniel Caro in a murder case. Neither District Attorney Henry Gordon-James nor Stafford Lee had ever lost a case. Daniel Caro’s father, Hiram Caro owned a casino and was thought to be connected to the mafia. Joey Roman could frequently be seen with Hiram Caro as he was his bodyguard. The case involved the death of Aurora Gates, a person of color. It was a double murder case as Aurora was pregnant with Daniel Caro’s child. Daniel was a respected Ob-gyn in the com...
Herald of July 24, 2014 The Martinsburg Municipal Authority (MMA) closed out the project to replace and install water lines near Central High School. Two recent delays in Martinsburg’s $600,000 streetscape project have been “frustrating,” but will not delay the overall project, according to the borough manager. The Claysburg Education Foundation Organizing Committee has announced that the organization is now incorporated in the State of Pennsylvania and the application process for 501-C-3 tax exempt status has begun. The Blair County Dog Park...
