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
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
Green Gettysburg Book Club convened last February 14, Valentine’s Day, with about thirty members on our list and has continued since with about fifteen members participating actively each week and others following along on Facebook. We got to meet about five times in person, but now with the pandemic we’ve shifted to Zoom and continue
I just saw on the Adams County Farmers Market Association Facebook page an appeal for “Social Solidarity Volunteers,” people who would help load orders into customers’ cars at the Farmers Market as part of the new safe distancing practices. I applied, partly just because of the irresistible job title!
For the first time this year all Pennsylvanians can vote by mail. With the COVID-19 virus striking us during the primary season it is good to have this option. There is no way of knowing that it will be safe to go to the polls on June 2nd. All you need to do is fill
Dear Neighbors I hope you are all well and staying healthy. I have been working with the Central PA Food Bank and SCCAP to organize a virtual food drive for our town, with donations earmarked for SCCAP’s food pantry. Our friends and co-workers have lost their livelihoods and may already be unable to
Hi Adams County neighbors! If your college students are home because their school closed due to COVID-19, please make sure you know where to count them on the 2020 Census. Since they are home only because their school closed, they should still be counted “where they usually live and sleep most of the time.” This
Dear Friends and Neighbors, Today I participated in a community conference call about food insecurity in the current time. I learned that an army of local Adams County volunteers is helping provide food to hungry families during this health emergency. The volunteers include those working with school districts, backpack programs, food pantries, and many, many
I’m still yearning for more local conversation about what we’re gonna do to take care of ourselves from now on, primarily here at the local level (i.e., within reach of what each of us can do personally), but very much in sync with larger efforts. I just heard a general in the U.S. Army
The attached graphic, created by the Adams County Food Policy Council, an affiliate of Healthy Adams County, summarizes the places, dates, and times of food offerings in the county. The Gettysburg Soup Kitchen at 22 W High St will serve hot take out meals M-F and two bagged meals on Saturday.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help
Hi neighbor! Coping at home is working out quite well, thank you. I was laid off from my last commuting job on Nov. 1, 2006, and have been freelancing–with some ups and downs–ever since. Working at home has been part of my routine for years. Even though I’m mostly retired from medical editing, I’m maintaining
The severe thunderstorms and high winds that came through Gettysburg on Sunday afternoon blew around our sign so badly it bent the pipe supporting it. And it tore down part of our new banner thanking all the coronavirus helpers!
As the need for food in the county increases, Jesus is Lord Ministries International is holding a massive food giveaway to 140 Needy Families on Sunday, April 12th at Jesus Is Lord Ministries, 3425 Chambersburg Road, Biglerville from 12:30 pm. to 2 p.m. The ministries is located seven miles west of Gettysburg on Route 30.
Wellspan Health’s engineering team has tested several models of home-sewn face masks and has provided a pattern for making masks that can be used by their hospitals. Wellspan hospitals will begin accepting donated masks on Monday. Wellspan said a mask with a center pocket in the back for additional filter materials which could catch and
Update on Corona 3/20/20 Hey everyone thought I would give an update on the past weeks events in my ER. I wanted to start it off with if you are feeling flu like symptoms DO NOT GO TO THE ER. The best place for you to be is home unless you are feeling shortness of
Adams county residents came outside between 8:00 and 8:02 p.m. the last few nights to bang pots, ring bells, and holler support for the healthcare workers and all the other people who continue working for us in this time of need. Listen to our Music It was a show of solidarity and a moment to
I’ve found these watercolors by the German artist Gerhard Richter to be both calming and joyful over the past few days. There are 288 of them to page through. I hope you’ll like them too
It’s all so overwhelming. The Big Picture, at least as much of it as I can see, absolutely paralyzes me. What can I do? Well, for starters, what do I have to work with Right Here, Right Now? Well, what I mostly see is (drumroll) unbounded wealth! I live modestly, but have enough money in
Word has it that the community gardens at the Ag Center have been closed by Penn State Extension, for reasons we can easily understand and do not question. This means there may be a few disappointed, displaced wannabe gardeners who will need to get their fingers in the dirt somewhere else this year. Could you,
It’s another new day here in Adams County in a week where things suddenly feel very different. Tuesday was St. Patrick’s day, which is usually a time of joy and celebration as spring approaches. But this week doesn’t feel like that. It’s the middle of the semester but the college students have already gone home
The decennial census has arrived, almost exactly at the same time as the possible impacts of the COVID-19 virus became evident. The near-shutdown is going to make everything about the count more complicated and puts pressure on everyone to complete their census count on their own and as soon as possible. The official “Census Day”
