Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
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Never have four retirement community residents been so sneaky, clever, and intimidating. These septuagenarians have a few tricks up their sleeves and aren’t afraid to use them. They’ll use their age to their advantage, even if it means making a young officer think one of them is forgetful and unable to do much for themselves. As it turns out, these pensioners are the exact opposite of that stereotype. They’ve solved many a cold case with their detective skills, with each bringing their own unique set of skills to the investigative table. They...
To the Editor: In our thirty-four years of paying taxes since moving to Martinsburg, my wife and I have always paid both the school tax and the per capita tax without question. This year I found out that I no longer have to pay the per capita tax. When I received the tax bills in August, I noticed that the per capita tax slip for me was not included. When I paid my tax bill, I wrote a note to our tax collector saying I might have misplaced the slip for myself, so I included the amount with my payment. After a few weeks, we received a call...
Remember when you were in school and your teacher told you Mr. Smith in the classroom next door didn’t think you were smart enough to pass that big test, and it got you fired up to prove him wrong and you aced the exam? Of course you don’t, because it never happened. It’d be absurd. No teacher or school administrator would do that. Explain to me, then, the reason we still accept it from coaches. After all, at their heart, they, too, are educators. Still, we largely are OK with our young people being “taught” in a manner that can be so harmfu...
We usually think of Thanksgiving as a big family time with grandparents, kids, cousins, uncles, aunts and all the assorted relatives. While that may be true when you are young, life constantly changes traditions. Most of us know the first Thanksgiving was in 1621. It was a bountiful dinner between the Wampanoag natives and the pilgrims. Two cultures came together peacefully and gave thanks for a bountiful harvest. The event was recorded by William Bradford, governor of Plymouth, Mass. It was Sarah Josepha Hale, in the 1800s, who read...
Death is a hard topic for many, but for Clover it’s just a regular part of life. She’s seen so many people take their last breath, it’s second nature. Though she hadn’t intended to keep track, she’s almost at one hundred. As a death doula in New York City, she spends much of her time with the dying. Her first experience with death was at age five. She didn’t panic like the rest of her classmates when the teacher dropped dead in front of the whole class. Instead, she held his hand while they yelled and cried and ran around the room. It seemed e...
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on and promote what we value most. Forestland produces a bounty that can be enjoyed by all. Let’s explore in varying measures, including dollars, why Pennsylvania’s nearly 17 million acres of forest deserve thanks. Wood products production creates powerful visuals from start to finish, from the freshly harvested stand that is ready to start a new forest and support plants and wildlife that thrive in that environment, to the busy machines and people pro...
Cassandra doesn’t react well to change. Cassandra is autistic. Change is a big deal. Yet, as we begin to follow Cassandra’s story, every aspect of her life is changing. Her job is ending; her relationship is ending; she’s even looking for a new place to live. She knows the problem must be her, since people don’t seem to stick around. She was always the last picked in school; no one wanted her on their team then either. Sometimes she feels like a broken building block that no other pieces can connect to. Cassandra doesn’t understand why other...
My family moved to Martinsburg in August of 1950. My dad, who was a pharmacist, purchased the local drugstore from the family of Dr. C. N. Johnson, who had recently passed away. Martinsburg has changed in many ways since that time. Perhaps the biggest difference is that Martinsburg, like many small towns all across America, was at that time a complete and thriving economic unit; meaning that you could obtain most of what you needed for daily life right there if you lived in town or nearby. For...
Winter is coming. To survive the low winter temperatures, wildlife seeks food and shelter in various ways. Making sure you have structures and food for wildlife through the winter months will make your woods more appealing for overwintering animals. Many birds and small mammals will stay warm in tree cavities. Some cavities form in trees due to injury to the tree and subsequent decay of wood near the injury. Other cavities are primarily excavated by several species of non-migratory birds such...
Produced by AH Comics Inc., “Moonshot” contains work from creators and stories from tribes all across North America. The graphic novel, edited by Hope Nicholson, showcases the beauty and depth of indigenous storytelling. Indigenous stories are highly protected. The narratives retold here are printed with permission from elders of the communities the stories originated from. They are full of rich traditional content, many tales passed on for generations. Magical and mystifying images provoke profound emotion and deep thought. The traditional sto...
Susie Crawford sent in this question last week: I have lived in Altoona for 12 years now. I’m 68 years old. I’ve made many friends my age and they were born and raised here, and they can’t answer this question, so maybe you can, please. Why does Blair county celebrate Halloween the last Thursday of October?? No one seems to know the answer. Do you?? Unfortunately, we did not know. We posted this to the Morrisons Cove Herald Facebook page: We had a question today asking why Blair County always holds trick or treat on a Thursday. We did a reall...
To the Editor: It is time to vote! Have you taken time to see who is a candidate for each office? Are YOU ready to exercise your right to vote AND EXPRESS YOUR OPINION? It is our right, but also our responsibility. When you go to the polling site, please remember that the poll workers are responsible to see that PA laws governing elections are followed. *Is this person registered to vote here? *Has this person already cast a mail-in ballot? Remember that you are not allowed into the polling site if you are wearing ANY clothing that supports a p...
Many times, good governing and fiscal responsibility require balancing a multitude of interests and priorities. When the Senate voted on House Bill 1300, our proposal for this current budget’s Fiscal Code, I believed that bill did that prudently and responsibly. As the debate continues on how to best allocate all of the state’s resources, I will continue to prioritize programs to ensure the solvency of the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and the success of outdoor recreation and sportsmen activities. Like all budgets and the cor...
When author Tory Anderson was obtaining degrees in liberal arts or working in the high tech industry, he never dreamed he’d one day pilot a yellow school bus, taking kids from home life to school life and back again. The aspiring writer looked on this opportunity as an adventure. Have you ever thought about the behind-the-scenes aspects of driving a school bus? It must take high levels of concentration, watching traffic, kids, and listening through the commotion. The bus driver holds the safety of our children in their hands for a few m...
Most parents are familiar with bullying and have seen the harmful role it can play in the lives of children. While we know what it is, we may not always know the signs to look for to identify it. We are also not usually sure what to do about it if we spot the warning signs. One organization, Stand for the Silent, is on a mission to change that and help end the bullying problem in our schools nationwide. “We know firsthand how devastating bullying can be and the damage it can lead to,” says Kirk Smalley, co-founder of Stand for the Silent. “We...
As the third annual NBC School District Alumni reunion got underway, it became apparent that this is no longer just a social group to meet old friends at an annual gathering. The program listed the mission statement which read: Alumni organizations are often formed to facilitate periodic gatherings of individuals who previously attended a common school. In addition to providing a platform for the continuation of school friendships, the association may engage in fund raising to support organizations sponsored activities and community and...
Each character in Katherine Heiny’s latest short story collection comes with their own unique games and rituals. They may have a personal ritual that sets them apart from others. Edgar, the elderly man who swallowed his hearing aid when he mistook it for a cashew fires his maid every few days at this point. His daughter makes a habit of remembering embarrassing or empowering teenage antics and sometimes argues with her dad like she’s still in those years. Though, she did drive six hours to help him through the hearing aid problem and he rea...
There’s an old adage that says, “opposites attract.” When it comes to how my wife and I were raised in different types of households, this expression hits the proverbial nail on the head. The verbal variations in each of our families was most apparent when each family attempted to retell an occurrence or event. The following exemplifies my point. The real story About 30 years ago we owned a yellow lab named Taffy. She wandered too far away from our yard one day and ended up on Route 869 just west of the town of New Enterprise. When she returned...
Note: These unedited letters regarding the election are printed in order of receipt. This is the final edition for political Letters to the Editor. Letters on the Nov. 7 election will not be printed in next weeks edition. Contact Editor Anna Baughman Miller at (814) 793-2144 or [email protected] with any questions. To the Editor: I am so grateful for the men and women in law enforcement these days. They work in difficult times to keep our community safe. But their work gets undermined and our safety threatened whenever a judge goes...
To the Editor: My name is Brian K. Gahagan and I am the School Board President that Mrs. Smith was referring to in her recent Letter to the Editor. I have been the president for seven of the nine years that I have been honored to serve the Spring Cove School District on the Board of School Directors. First, I would like to than Mrs. Smith for her concern about my mental health, but I can assure you that I have had no “meltdowns” and I was only trying to point out some misinformation and untruths that had been spread via Facebook. Second, it...
‘Reckless Risks’ Associated with Doyle To the Editor: With 9 grandchildren and a son who is a police officer working in Blair County, I have been distressed with the rulings and performance of Judge Elizabeth Doyle. In one particular case, over the objections of the District Attorney she released a defendant with felony drug offenses forbidden to possess a firearm. After his release, he was arrested again for aggravated assault and attempted homicide for an alleged shooting during a robbery in Logan Township not far from my home. Our com...
To the Editor: It has been 20 years since my last letter to the editor in support of Elizabeth Doyle for Blair County Judge. I knew her then as an even tempered, kind and intelligent Magisterial District Justice and I valued her wisdom. Through the years, she has remained the same person I knew back then and I appreciate her integrity in the face of adversity. Much has changed since then. Our culture has exploded with issues unimaginable, including the fentanyl crisis, child abuse, murder, and corruption. Her record proves that she has been...
How do you stand up for yourself, and just as importantly, others when no one will listen? Sixteen-year-old Tom Cavanagh, who has survived his fair share of trauma, has made a new friend at school. Her name is Amy and she just happens to be the former occupant of the home he and his family recently moved into. Tom and family are making a new start. They certainly deserve it after what they’ve been through. Until now, his mother’s relationships have been horrific. Nothing anyone should have to endure. Yet they did. They endured, persevered, surv...
To the Editor: With a professional interest in the success and advancement of all schools within my legislative district, I am proud to enthusiastically support Andrea Greenleaf Moses for school director of the Spring Cove School District. As the mother of two children who are enrolled in Spring Cove schools, Andrea is motivated to serve on the school board by a heartfelt desire to provide leadership that prioritizes the educational development of students and advocates for a vital parental role in that development. Andrea was born and raised...
So the weather outside last week, for the most part, was not very frightful. In fact temperatures in the Cove got pretty close to 80 degrees! For the first week of October, I’ll take it! But now there can be no doubt – fall has arrived! And with it comes the changing of the colors of the leaves on the trees (which can be pretty beautiful if I do say so). As we are steadily diving headfirst into this season, one can’t help but think about things like pumpkin patches, hoodie weather, Halloween, and pumpkin spice lattes. Actually, it’s pretty...
National School Bus Safety Week is Oct. 16-20, 2023. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Safe Kids Pennsylvania (SKPA), and many other organizations nationwide are urging drivers to slow down and be aware of school buses in their communities. Although school buses are one of the safest modes of transportation, injuries and fatalities do occur outside of or near the buses. Statistically, the most dangerous times for children who ride school buses are when they are getting on or o...
On Oct. 17, 2023, join national nonprofit One Warm Coat as they kick off coat drive season. One Warm Coat Day brings awareness to the need for warmth and inspires people across the country to make a difference in their local communities. One Warm Coat’s mission is to provide free coats to children and adults in need while promoting volunteerism and environmental sustainability. Since 1992, they have facilitated 49,000 coat drives across the country, collecting 8 million coats that have been distributed through more than 1,500 nonprofit p...
We meet Claire in book one of the series, “Odd Bird.” Eleven-year-old Claire Belle lives in a dense forest in North-central Pennsylvania and she loves birds. Not only that; they love her. In fact, they appear to find her irresistible. Hawks and hummingbirds, robins and wrens; they seem to flock to her and what’s even more interesting is that wearing a shirt with a bird’s image seems to guarantee a sighting of that bird. Is she really summoning them? Can she do it without wearing their images? What is this strange relationship she has with th...
This year marks the 83rd National Newspaper week. Since 1940, the first week in October has been set aside to shine a spotlight on community newspapers and remind readers why they play an important role in their lives. This year’s theme of “In Print and Digital. For You,” acknowledges the evolution of how we consume our news and where we can turn to for reliable local coverage. The rise of social media has made it easy for anyone with a computer and an opinion to create digital platforms and pass them off as news, often overshadowing reput...
Mrs. Jordan, an 80-year-old, longtime newspaper subscriber, recently called me to ask what channel the Little League Baseball World Series U.S. championship game would be on. I called her and told her. Not long after, Mr. Benson – a 20-year-old local resident – sent the paper a Facebook message asking when the community’s Grand Slam Parade in celebration of the LL World Series would step off. We messaged him back the answer. Our newspaper staff offers this kind of information every day – in the many ways people seek our service. Why? We are...
If you’re ever vacationing near Mays Landing, New Jersey, be sure to stop by the Funny Farm. Say hi to Papa, Bo, and Luke, the Three Little Pigs. Meet unlikely best-friend duo Yogi and Cooper who run in separate enclosures to avoid another emergency situation because one is a steer and the other is an alpaca. Take your time getting to know some of over six hundred other rescue animals that have a home thanks to Laurie Zaleski and her caring heart and capacity for hard work. Laurie continues c...
To the Editor: On April 6, 2006, the Herald printed an article (on page A3) entitled “1880 Silk Sunday School Map of Cove on Display at Library” about a map that had been donated to the Williamsburg Public Library. Because my Stayer ancestors and related families lived in the Cove in the nineteenth century, I clipped the piece for my files, thinking that I would visit the library to study the map on one of my research trips to Bedford or Blair County. I was hoping that it might reference individual farms or residences. For years, I never fol...
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...
