When I first broke into the U.S. government consulting business, in 1981, I worked briefly on the continuity of government (COG) program. In particular, I worked on the part of it that was concerned with maintaining the presidential line of succession. I was impressed with the number of statements I signed promising not to breathe …
The question, “what is my purpose?” has been rattling around in my head since my spouse died. This morning, while walking several buckets of weeds and table scraps to my neighbors compost pile, an idea popped into my mind. “What if my purpose in life is simply to do no harm? What if it is …
As I look back over this past year and the final days with my husband, I have a new appreciation for the phrase “Golden Years.” I think I’ve always thought one’s golden years were more about financial security and being free to come and go, relax, travel, read, volunteer, etc. Yet, after this weekend I …
It’s been three months since he died and my friends and family are starting to worry about me. Shouldn’t I be snapping out of this malaise? Why my lack of interest in things I had formerly cared about? In the past, I’ve been able to talk myself out of self pity and resentment when things veered off …
If I hear one more person call for more thoughts and prayers in response to gun violence, I think I’ll scream. Thoughts and prayers are worse than meaningless, especially when they are intended to substitute for corrective action. Nor is God going to step in and save us from ourselves. God, you see, has this …
Step Five is the step where you share your story with someone you trust. In many ways Step Five is the freedom step. This is “swallow your pride and walk into the light of truth and honesty step.” It’s human nature to try to hide things about ourselves. We’ve all done things for which …
Over the past weeks, months, and years, the prospect of change has had residents of the Keystone State sanguine for a foretaste of better days to come. It’s no secret the sudden changes in these last years have been strenuous for everyone and have taken their toll without regard for who you are — gender, …
Blogging eluded me yesterday. I simply didn’t have the energy or will power to develop a coherent theme. At this stage of life, blogging has become an important way of helping me reinforce the tools I need to get through my days. It also makes a good vehicle with which to share my 12 …
By Marcia Wilson, Chair, Adams County Democratic Committee Pennsylvania’s closed Primary Election allows only registered Democrats or registered Republicans to vote for their respective party’s candidates. Republican voters have numerous choices for their US Senate, Pennsylvania Governor and Lt. Governor candidates in the fall. Democratic voters have fewer candidates running for those offices, and it’s …
I’ve been experiencing blogger’s block. For the past few days each time I sit down to write, pray, or meditate all I experience is emptiness, an emotional and spiritual void. So I fiddle with this and mess with that, hoping something will emerge from waiting. It’s not that I’m unhappy. In fact, the days are …
A new concern emerges now that I am alone…I could easily become absorbed in me. My grief. My sadness. My concerns. My feelings. As each day passes I’m becoming more aware of how easily I could slip into self pity. I started attending 12 step meetings many years ago because our teens had gotten caught …
With so many people running for leading offices in our state during the upcoming primary, several of whom are not even Pennsylvanians, I would like to call attention to Austin Davis, a Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor. At least 48 state representatives support his candidacy. And Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is now running for Governor, has …
You are running because you care about your community and believe you can make a difference in Harrisburg. But what you probably don’t know is that, if you are elected, the first two votes you take on January 3, 2023 will determine whether you can truly represent us. Less than 24 hours before that day …
The Green Gettysburg Book Club first met on Valentine’s Day in 2020. When the pandemic hit, we went online and have been riding high on Zoom once a week ever since. Along with attempting to become a little better informed about the practical things we can do to protect the environment, we have also been …
Since he died, I find myself asking the same question each morning when I awake. “What’s the point of getting up? Where do I now find my meaning and purpose in life?” Up until now I was the wind beneath his wings as he was mine. Now that he is gone, I am faced with …
Routines are important. Routines give structure to one’s day, awaken one’s mental juices, help jump start the morning. One of the hardest things about adjusting to my husband’s death is the disruption of long established routines. Most of our meaningful discussions came while getting dressed in the morning and eating breakfast. I recall a …
Well, this is it. My new life. Over the weekend we buried his ashes in a puddle of watery mud and had his memorial service. Family and friends who came for his service have returned to their everyday lives. Everywhere I look I see reminders that reduce me to a tearful ball of gratitude. I …
The focus statement in Sunday’s bulletin read: “As we seek God’s way, we move from an understanding of power that grasps for control over others to an understanding that power comes from working with and for others.” That idea was further developed in the Call to Worship. “Together we seek the way of God, a …
By Sue Cipperly, Gettysburg The Waste Management contract for Gettysburg begins today, April 1. WM trucks are out delivering trash receptacles to those who have had them, or requested them, based on records provided by the borough. If folks don’t get a bin, they can follow the instructions on the borough website – www.gettysburgpa.gov — to …
An oft repeated 12 step saying is “Fake it till you make it.” I find that excellent advice as I set about creating my new life as a widow. No matter what challenge faces any of us – death, addiction, recovery, losing a job, divorce, business failure, debt, an empty nest, starting a business, getting …
The Borough Council was asked to consider a change to the zoning ordinance for the Elm Street Overlay area, which lies between Middle Street and South Street, and between Franklin Street and Court Alley (the Methodist Church) on West High Street. (See map) This area has been dubbed “Olde Getty Place”. The change request is …
It’s been a week. A long short forever week since he died. To paraphrase Edna St Vincent Milay, “Life goes on though good men die. Life goes on. It’s time to discover why.” My aching body and broken heart isn’t ready to move on, but remembering his courage in face of his disabilities and illnesses, …
Attorney Kristin Rice spoke about racism in the legal system at an online “Mission Moment” meeting last week. The presentation was sponsored by the YWCA of Gettysburg and Adams County. Rice said she spoke not in her official capacity, but rather as a “student of criminal justice and race.” Rice has been working in the …
Last evening my companion and lover embarked on life’s greatest adventure …exploring the afterlife. I’m feeling; well I’m not sure what I am feeling. Numb. Abandoned. Relieved. Anxious. Angry. Exhausted. Lonely. Afraid. Once again, I find myself taking a first step; admitting over and over that I am powerless over almost everything that matters. Like …
There is something in us that clings to life. We do a lot of grumbling and complaining, but when push comes to shove, we hang on with every ounce of our being. My spouse of 63 years is finally taking his leave. He’s no longer eating or drinking. At times he’s been agitated. He mumbles …
I haven’t wanted to blog the past few days as I have been running on automatic pilot. Reality is closing in even as it seems very distant and unreal. I am fascinated by the way we create our own reality. Ukraine provoked war with Russia? Russia is so threatened the West it is going on …
Guilt, it’s been said, is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s the 2nd part of the 12 step saying “pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.” We all experience pain and guilt. They are both inevitable with guilt being one of our basic human responses to much in life. Without guilt we’d never learn, …
In the forward to my book, Steps to Hope, I wrote: “To my four wonderful children. You taught me in unforgettable ways that we can either be “bitter” about our trials in life, or “better” because of them. Together we learned that the difference between bitterness and betterment is one letter and one person. I.” My …
My first month as Mayor of Gettysburg has been a busy one. Community safety is a top priority, and I have been working with the police department toward that end. I have spoken with each of the officers and spent a lot of time discussing department operations with Chief Glenny. My goal of listening to the variety …
My name is Jessica Laganosky, and I am the branch director at the Jean Barnett Trone Memorial Library of East Berlin. The Trone Memorial Library has served the East Berlin community for over forty-five years. In 2016, the library building expanded in size to provide more community space for browsing of library materials; space for …
Here we are, amid winter, a tenacious virus and moping about trying to fend off the blues. Well, have you ever thought of looking closely at a snowflake? It’s a unique structure of water and cosmic particles, yielding the most exceptional beauty. Science says that the odds of two snowflakes being exactly alike are about …
When climate scientist and evangelical Christian Katharine Hayhoe was scheduled to give a talk at a West Texas Rotary Club luncheon, she was a little unsure about how to connect with her audience despite being a longtime Texas resident herself. Climate change and its human causes, she figured, might well be a hard sell with …
I learned to love books as a kid. Born before TV and technology came on the scene, a crank telephone hanging from the wall and a big console radio were all that connected us to the distant world. I was in college before my folks got their first television set so my childhood centered around …
A new year brings new goals and Gettysburg Area Recreation Authority has several plans this year to improve and update several areas around the rec park. One of these goals has already been completed this year thanks to Cumberland Township. There were multiple trees around the dog park and path surrounding the dog park that …
This being one of those days where life just keeps disrupting my carefully laid plans, I reached for my 12 step file and flipped through the pages until I found what I needed to detach from my to do list. I am connected to others and the world around me, both the positive and …
There is something about watching an amaryllis bulb grow and unfold during these dark winter days that speaks to me of hope and beauty. I admit that I am easily discouraged with all the negative energy polluting our emotional and social air waves and environment, that our self limiting fears and suspicions are far more …
Letting go is a vitally important 12 step principle, for without our willingness to let go, nothing can change. Step One tells us that we have to let go of what was before so we can enter into what can be; that which will liberate and heal us. Nor is Step One a once and …
It is my privilege to serve as the current president of the Adams County Library System Board of Trustees. Like many residents of Adams County, I got my first library card as a small child and have enjoyed the library’s materials, programs, and services my whole life. Where else can you borrow the current best …
I’ve been captivated by the journey of the James Webb Space Telescope since its launch on Christmas Day. The whole project is astonishing and a bit surreal in the sense that it involves the unfolding and rigging of a football-field sized scientific instrument that was crammed into the nose cone of an Ariane rocket. No …
Pennie.com was established in 2019 to replace Healthcare.gov as the official marketplace to buy Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans. In Pennsylvania it is the only place to qualify for Federal subsidies that make health insurance affordable. The last date to sign up for a plan this year is on January 15th, 2021, so if …
It’s so easy to look back and assume that life was easier, simpler, less complicated in the good old days. Not so. Granted, there was no snap-chat or Facebook, no Twitter or landlines, no 24-7 TV news or cell phones to mess with our minds. One could go for months, even years without seeing friends …
Happy New Year! I want to give a big thanks to Gettysburg Connection publisher Chuck Stangor for giving the Adams County Library System (ACLS) the opportunity to share news from the library! We’ll be contributing an article every Monday throughout 2022. We’ll use these articles to share a weekly “look behind the scenes” at the …
Read about how small independent local online news startups like Gettysburg Connection are using reader support to provide news to local communities. Happy New Year everyone. I’d like to take this opportunity on the first day of 2022 to reflect for a moment on the state of Gettysburg Connection, with the goal of keeping you …
The author Joan Didion died in Manhattan on Thursday at age 87. I was unexpectedly moved by her death and spent the past few days thinking and learning a lot about her. Didion was an inspiration for many writers because she so seemingly naturally excelled at everything related to writing – from novels to journalism …
There is something healing about this sorting and discarding process…this reliving and remembering, this taking stock of the past and present, this recognizing past and present brokenness and growth, this claiming the many small victories that add up to a full and gratitude filled life. I’ve barely started on the many drawers and files of …
I’m watching tiny snowflakes drift lazily to the ground, waiting for my husband to awake. He has a cold. I panicked last night fearing covid19 or one of its variants, but with morning and a cup of coffee the world has righted itself. At hospice’s suggestion we are to isolate ourselves for several days just …
This Thanksgiving “vacation” has been both chaotic and wonderful. Some of our vaccinated family came to help care for and spend time with their father and grandfather. One evening, we dug out old photo albums, laughing and reminiscing. But, what are we to do with old albums that are too precious to throw away, yet …
Instant communication has its pros and cons. It’s good to keep informed. I appreciate being able to call, email, or zoom loved ones. Platforms such as Facebook allow us to share pictures and news with loved ones far away, but they also allow for dangerous misinformation and provocative videos that are blatantly untrue. Cell Phones …
Even with the Hospice nurses and home health aids frequent visits to check on my husband, I’m still denying the reality of his impending death. It’s all I can do to believe that after 62 years of marriage, he is going to be leaving me. My head understands, but my heart refuses to accept his …
Moxie Falls, Somerset County, Maine My wife and I recently returned from a three-week stay at our Maine cabin. It’s the time of the season where we celebrate our grandson’s birthday; spend time with friends and family. So we put away “our stuff” for the deep freeze of winter: drain the water pump, store all …
My houseplants and I have a standing agreement. If they want to stick around, I will feed and water them, taking them outside in the summer where they can snuggle under the shrubbery soaking up the rain and sunshine. In return they agree to fill our home with greenery and flowers once the weather turns …
This week has been a reminder that each and every day is a precious gift. Tuesday evening my husband of 62 years had a heart attack. Since then it’s been daily trips to and from the hospital, waiting, reading, knitting, praying, waiting, touching, helping, waiting…. So far, he’s hanging in there and the prognosis looks …
My husband and I have very different thermostats. He tends to be cold while I tend to be hot. Summers when I am miserable, he is chilly and resists our using fans. In winter, he prefers the thermostat to be set at a minimum of 75, too warm for my comfort. Since his temperature sensitivity is health …
My name is Leon Reed and I live In Cumberland Township. I’d like to start by thanking you for your service. I know you don’t hear that often and I appreciate the work you do. I taught US History in public schools in Virginia for 10 years and I am now a fulltime writer and …
It’s hard to believe our 100% volunteer built and maintained pump track has already been open for a year! During its past year, the track has been enjoyed by many people, both old and young, looking to get outside and unplug from electronics. As GARA celebrates the one-year anniversary of the bicycle pump track, it …
My husband is a member of our local School Board. Anyone who thinks school board meetings are boring obviously hasn’t attended one recently. The pandemic has turned meetings into shouting matches between the maskers and anti maskers, vaccers and anti vaccers. Many, it seems, just wants to get back to normal, whatever that is, and …
If you have been in the “wait and see” category when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, wait no more. With the delta variant of COVID-19 rapidly spreading in our communities, we have the ability to protect our families, friends and neighbors from serious illness and hospitalization by getting vaccinated now. I have seen and heard …
For yet another countervailing activity during Covid, I elected to build a wooden rowboat (remember that I like to build things!). So after a few months of shopping around, I finally decided on the “Chester Yawl” from Chesapeake Light Craft of Annapolis, Maryland. The simple beauty of this rowboat comes from how the hull’s smooth …
Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, “No Sudden Move,” is the movie I needed this summer. Clocking in under two hours, the film is tense, intriguing, and full of twists and turns to keep the viewer engaged for the duration of the runtime. The film is abundantly entertaining. Every scene feels just right for this story of …
Letters to the Connection are welcome and encouraged. Letters from folks who live in the Adams County area will be given preference for publication, but we know there are people all over the world who care about this community, and we’re glad to hear from them, too. Our staff might make edits for grammar and …
When people are faced with stressful situations such as a pandemic, they lose a lot but they also learn something new. The process of adapting to negative events creates positive changes going forward. Over the course of the pandemic, school district and municipal council meetings that were formerly held in person have been moved online, …
One of the most difficult parts of the news business is making it sustainable. In other words, will we still be publishing next year? In the past newspapers were supported primarily by advertising but that money has been snatched away from our communities by Facebook, Google, and the other bigs. Although news sites like ours …
“Tell me what you believe!” a bearded man in jeans and windbreaker laughingly demanded. Standing in the too-cold rain, I wasn’t prepared to tell him what I believed about the issue at hand. One, I wasn’t sure. Two, I wasn’t there to give my opinion. I was there to be omni-partial. April 9th probably doesn’t …
The battle for redistricting reform and an end to gerrymandering in Pennsylvania had been going on for decades without success when in 2016 good-government reform groups decided to coordinate their efforts. They formed a new body of citizen volunteers called Fair Districts PA (www.fairdistrictspa.com) Today, as we prepare to redraw our congressional and legislative district …
I wasn’t born or raised in Gettysburg, but moved here five years ago. I say I was lucky to have moved much of my childhood because I experienced so many different communities. After living in Gettysburg for five years, I am still impressed and in awe of how much Adams County’s community and all of …
I think that to characterize spring as an incorrigible flirt is really not a stretch. At every turn, this jezebel is capable of all manners of seduction, and her wildness constantly diverts my attention toward everything that is not me. The American anthropologist Anna Sting describes this experience as ‘looking around rather than ahead.’ I …
I write books that sell to tourists. Like everyone else, last year was a “survive until next year”year. I plan to sell several thousand copies this year – if it’s recovery year. But to do that, thetourists have to come. And looking around the area and reading all the literature, I believe theonly thing that …
Community policing is a set of carefully thought out strategies that can foster positive relationships among various segments of the community and the police force. At the same time it can reduce crime by preventing it in the first place. According to discoverpolicing.org, community policing involves three key components: • Developing community partnerships• Engaging in …
In 1847, John “Jack” Hopkins was a custodian at the Gettysburg College. He was hired making only $15 a month. This was the normal wage for a free Black man in Pennsylvania. He was held in high esteem by the faculty and students. It is said that he helped freedom seekers during their passage in …
Our State Legislature, one of the largest and best-compensated in the country, has once again failed to deal even ineffectively with gerrymandering reform. There has been a lot of activity over the past several years by thousands of citizens across the Commonwealth in an effort to move meaningful gerrymandering reform forward. It was especially important …
In 1780, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed “An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery.” The Act stated people born into slavery in 1780 and after, would be freed when they turned 28 years old. However, people born into slavery before 1780 were still enslaved for life. For the time, this was a progressive step, but don’t …
“American democracy works because America makes it work at the local level.” The moment I heard Joe Biden utter these words in his Electoral College victory speech on December 12, 2020, they became my rallying cry for the next four years. This statement suggests to me that whatever we can do locally to foster the …
Local communities of color have been almost literally invisible politically. For years, realtors and banks steered black homebuyers away from most neighborhoods and hundreds of black and brown students were taunted and bullied in local schools and young black men were routinely pulled over and hassled for “driving while black,” and black history was ignored …
Each of us has a stake in our criminal justice system, whether we’re a presently or formerly incarcerated person, a family member, a criminal justice employee or administrator, a community member, a business owner, or a tax-payer. Increasingly, people on both sides of the aisle support criminal justice reform, whether it’s to save taxpayer money …
Are you concerned about the state of our democracy today? — that the majority of people are not heard or are ignored by those who are pledged to represent them? The For The People Act (HR 1) would make a major difference for our democracy. It would enact small-donor funded elections, expand early voting, provide for automatic …
Pennsylvania is the only natural gas producing state in the U.S. without a severance tax. This severely limits the state’s ability to cover the necessary costs of infrastructure development that must accompany any new business development. A severance tax is a tax imposed on an energy company for the natural resource that the company extracts, …
When former president Trump demanded that state legislators in Michigan and Pennsylvania – and undoubtedly other states — step in and steal the election in their state, they frequently replied, “We can’t intervene as the President asks because our state laws give us no role in choosing electors.” Republican efforts to disenfranchise millions of voters …
The Green Gettysburg Book Club had its first meeting on Valentine’s Day 2019, and two years later continues to grow with about 20 active participants and 100 email recipients. Now gathering on Zoom rather than in person, the group feels the call to make change in these challenging times. The group meets weekly on Fridays …
“Only connect! That was her whole sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer. Only connect, and the beast and the monk, robbed of the isolation that is life to either, will die.” –E. M. Forster, …
Given all that’s going on in the world, now is probably not the best time to ask you topart with some of your hard-earned money. But I’m going to do that anyway! The Gettysburg Area Recreation Authority (GARA) which operates the GettysburgRecreation Park needs your help. While we receive very generous support from CumberlandTownship and …
It was an honor and privilege to be a candidate for Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District. On election night last November 3, I telephoned Congressman Joyce to congratulate him on winning re-election. In our brief, cordial conversation I urged him to utilize his medical background and experience to focus on prioritizing the federal response regarding the …
During the week of Dec. 14, Adams County locations received 975 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations. During the week of January 4, 2021 an additional 800 doses were received. Assuming there must be 3 weeks between doses (and it could be just 2 weeks), by the end of the week of January 4 there should have …
For healthcare, just about everything is at stake, and, as usual, it’s complicated. Trump is now hell-bent on killing the entire Affordable Care Act, and although many Republicans would like to do the same, they are fearful that this might hurt their re-election chances due to the large number of people (a minimum of 20 …
On November 3rd we will elect candidates who have the power to make us safer. While today’s public health focus centers on Covid-19 for good reason, in the long run gun violence is the greater threat to public health in the US. We have 4.4 percent of the global population in the US, but we …
Frankly, just about everything, and, as usual, it is complicated. In addition to President Trump’s dismissive attitude towards Russian interference in the 2016 election, his ill-advised actions and statements with respect to arms control, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), international cooperation, science, the rule of law, and the norms of democratic governance have raised …
Adapted from a column in the Gettysburg Times, August 27, 2020 During the Covid19 Pandemic, we have learned that some services are essential for the safety, health and well being of the citizens of our state and nation. Hospital workers, from custodial staff to doctors, became appreciated for their essential work. Law enforcement, ambulance drivers, …
In all likelihood, the president elected in 2020 may well be the last president elected from the baby boom (Trump) or earlier (Biden) generation. The question for younger voters is what does the 2020 election have to do with us? The answer is, more than you can imagine. This election will go a long way …
One thing on the ballot in 2020 is the basic concept of checks and balances and with it, the viability of our democracy. The Constitutional Convention was one of the most divided assemblies ever. There wasn’t even agreement that a new constitution was needed. People who wanted a stronger federal government disagreed with those who …
Donald Trump’s usual racist dog whistles have given way to full-throated, shameless racist TRAIN whistles as the election of 2020 approaches. Nowhere is this more evident than in his appeal to “white suburban housewives” (his words) when he speaks of Joe Biden who, Trump alleges, “will destroy your neighborhood and your American dream.” He amplifies …
This article was originally published in the Gettysburg Times, September 21, 2020 Amid the worst pandemic since 1918, President Trump once again stated during his recent Town Hall meeting in Pennsylvania that he will unveil his new health-care plan in the next few weeks. This supposed new plan will replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) …
Every 16 minutes another American man dies from prostate cancer. That’s a little more than 91 deaths per day and 33,330 this year. That’s enough to fill an entire baseball stadium. 1 in 9 men get prostate cancer. One in nine American men will have prostate cancer during his lifetime. Prostate cancer is the leading …
Hello! I am looking for local crafters, aromatherapy, skin care, homemade animal stuff, baby stuff etc. for a new retail store coop style. Made in Gettysburg themed. Please call me at 603-692-8460 text ok, phanniephuggin@gmail.com or pm me on my Facebook page Phannie’s Boozy Jams. Cheers!
As you try to work around your school districts plans for this fall (or you prepare to continue homeschooling) think through these three steps: How can I have my child in the best space for learning? How will they make incremental progressive steps toward mastery in all of their subjects? How can I help them …
[This letter was written to members of the Gettysburg Borough Council and was read aloud at the council meeting on Monday July 13.] To the Council members of Gettysburg Borough: As we all know, on July 4th this year, hundreds of people came to Gettysburg in response to an online and unsubstantiated rumor that Antifa …
I’ve heard it said so many times that wearing a mask is an infringementof our constitutional rights. I’m not sure which one since the framers ofthe Constitution did not include anything so specific as mask wearing.Over and over, I hear that Governor Wolf is a desperate, tyrannicalleader trying to strip away our rights by not …
Finances…never an easy subject! Due to COVID-19, revenue is down across Pennsylvania, and therefore, the Department of Education (PDE) is cutting adult education funding by more than $100,000. The optional tutor grant that we were awarded (over $50,000) is completely gone, and our 064 state grant is only being funded for 2.5 months, and expected …
Dear Neighbor, I wanted to share this article with you. It has some important information about the spread of COVID-19.
My friend Maricella lost her job two months ago. She is helping make ends meet by selling her homemade tortillas. They are delivered warm to me 1-3 times a week and are completely delicious. If you’d like a dozen or perhaps more, please text or call me at 717 752-5475. $8.00 per dozen. Hugh Matthews
The United Way of Adams County (UWAC) is hosting a Facebook livestream featuring local musicians. The “Listen Up for Good” concert event will begin at 6 p.m. on May 22. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, UWAC has had to cancel its largest fundraiser of the year, the “Give It Up for Good” rummage sale held at …
This blog post, penned by local resident and Gettysburg Foundation President Matthew Moen, originally appeared on the Gettysburg Foundation Website. Many thanks to the Foundation for so graciously sharing with us. Ghost tours have long been a cottage industry in Gettysburg, and for once, the supernatural hits the mark. COVID-19 has turned a tourist town …
