August 2023 • Upper Bucks Free Press • 9
American Legion Post 242 Update BY DICK HELM Even though August is usually an in between month in activities; your Post has much to report to you this month. Our Adjutant, Charles Wismer, would like for me to report some statistics on events, fundraisers, and sponsorships. As normal we want to remind you that we have wonderful meals scheduled for Friday nights that are usually open to the public. In the fall our Sons organization will resume the monthly Sunday breakfasts. Don’t forget our Patriot Day services on September 11th at the Post (9/11 services honoring those lost that day and our first responders). Most important mark your calendar for the Veteran’s Day services for the Upper Bucks area. We will have greater details as to date, time, and place this is to be held in future issues as November 11th is on a Saturday and we usually have the services in a local school auditorium. Getting back to Charlie’s statistics. For two years our Post renewal had hit 100%. Although we proudly announce the addition of “28” new members we missed achieving a full goal by 8% (92). Realizing times are tough we are glad that so many of your kept up your membership. We are a very active organization bringing many important public functions to the community honoring our vets and most important keeping our youth occupied with healthy activities as well as helping veterans in their time of need. At this time Charley ask me to remind you to put your renewal in the mail and send it out early so it
is not forgotten or misplaced and we miss our 100% goal for this year (2023-2024). Once again the membership came through and helped us raise around $2600.00 for the Veteran’s drawing. As Mr. Wismer would say, “Great JOB!” Les Walter’s our Service Officer wants to remind those veterans to keep a lookout for new information about Agent Orange and the water contamination at the Camp LeJeune. We hosted one seminar on this that was well attended and hope to have another seminar with persons from the local Federal and State Political regions available to answer any questions. Keep a lookout for such meeting announcements on our NEW roadside bulletin board for more information. When asked, we help sponsor two baseball organizations. Last year we donated funds to two important baseball teams in our area. One is the “Baseball for Special People” and the other is the Legion team. If you have been listening to TV Sports you would be aware that the Legion team is doing great and we wish them the best in their title games. Great Going Gang! Remember that we care! We care about our Veteran’s and their physical and mental health and we care about the future of country-The children. That is why we ask you to care about your legion in sending in that membership and supporting our yearly functions for our two fundraisers. One fundraiser for Veteran’s the other for Youth. ~ FOR GOD & COUNTRY, Dick Helm
Ponderings by Palma BY PALMA MOYER, RN Looking back over my life, at some memorable moments. I remember my Wedding - it was a big deal because I was raised Catholic and was marrying a Mennonite. The whole Italian clan on my side came to see what was going happen and the Mennonites wondered about Italians. Our wedding reception was held at my husband’s farm; chickens were killed and there were lots of homemade goodies from the Pennsylvania Dutch side of my new husband’s family. My family - not to be outdone- invited many to a celebration at my home with lots of Italian food and drink. My side of the family wondered what kind of church doesn't give wedding rings. The explanation is that you’re supposed to show you were married by your actions, not jewelry. I was still working at Temple hospital and was happy to get back to work after being married. The next memorable things were the births of my children. After the first child was born, Ed, my husband, decided he needed to go to college. It was in the midwest, and not being
rich we had a friend who offered to move our furniture in his empty pig truck. He was going out to Indiana with an empty truck to get a load of pigs to bring back to Pennsylvania. We got to our attic apartment in the summertime and it was very very hot with no air conditioning. We moved in with the help of friendly neighbors. I started to work the night shift, sleeping during the day and working at night. This one particular day was blistering hot and I was sleeping in the nude to be cooler. I noticed Ed had shut the bedroom door. I got up yelling at him, “What are you trying to do, cook me?” I threw open the door, still yelling at Ed. There was the Minister and his wife came to welcome us to Goshen. I carefully backed into the bedroom and returned fully clothed as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. This was the first of my adventures while working at the local hospital. The rest will follow as I remember them. Thanks for all the support in reading my adventures. ~As Always, Palma Moyer Palma is a 1957 graduate of Temple University Hospital school of nursing. She shares her experiences and perspectives on nursing and on life.
We Means You
I finally, after all these years, figured out that “we” means “you”. We don’t have company that often, but when we do, Shelli loves to cook the meal, as well as dessert. If it’s in season, she uses vegetables from our garden. She enjoys cooking for large groups, especially family, and loves entertaining. (I on the other hand would be happy sitting on me arse and watching whatever show I happen to be binging, along with a glass of my favorite beverage du jour.) Since I am retired and Shelli is still working and bringing home the bacon, I do most of the cleaning and ancillary things that need to be done around our tiny little farmhouse. I think she feels bad asking me to do things, although I rarely mind doing whatever those things might be. So, instead of asking me, she uses “we”. If she is heading into work, we usually leave each other a note. This weekend we had family over and she baked a chocolate cake, and this morning I saw her morning note which asked, “Can we put the chocolate cake in the freezer?” I read it, and thought to myself, “Why doesn’t she just ask if I would put it
She can be reached at
donthelpmemoyer@aol.com.
in the freezer?” So, I waited, and the cake sat there in a cake dish, covered, on top of the kitchen counter, next to the red wine bottles so I knew she would see it. One day passed. Then a second. Finally, on the third day, Shelli said, “I thought you were going to put the cake away?” To which I replied, “No. you just asked if we could, and I thought sure. Makes sense. But you never asked me to.” She stared at me with the look that by now I know means that while I think I’m being cute and funny, she doesn’t. And she is Judge Judy in this house. So the next day I took the still fresh (good cake tin!) fantastic chocolate cake (Shelli’s a great cook/baker), cut it into a few pieces and then into the freezer. Job done. But now I’m thinking that it might me my turn to ask an important question. “Sweetheart, can we go upstairs and get “reacquainted”?”. (our code word for you know what) Hopefully she doesn’t make me wait three days. John Schaninger is a lifelong resident of Pennsylvania and has lived in Upper Black Eddy for over 13 years. Reach him at m12string@aol.com
Weekend Events
My wife Nina and I and our dog Brandi made the trek up to our Summer Home in between volunteer functions and Doctor’s visits for a few days around the 22’d of July. I am going to share with you as I shared with fellow residents of Milford Township, Roger and Patti Sigmans activities that brought back memories of my younger days. I can remember as a boy wondering what type of community event or social gathering our family might attend on the “Weekend.” There was always some sort of parade, firemen’s carnival, church picnic, or town gathering happening in the towns or townships of Upper Bucks County. Many times my parents had to choose one place to go out of two or three available. These functions were listed in the Daily Free Press, or heard from the speakers of Ahlum’s sound truck criss-crossing the streets of each small town, the then local radio station WBUX, church bulletin boards, or fire house signs. Most social halls were booked for weddings or special dinners every weekend. Granges had their all you can eat meals in the fall of each year. Now it is hard pressed to find something to do as a community. People have to volunteer to make these events happen. If there is a function it is usually put up by an organization that has various vendors selling their goods and food trucks. I wish to thank the various local governments for hosting community days or agriculture days, etc. to get people involved. Last evening we heard a lot of oldies presented by local artists (The Starlight’s) over at Milford Townships new entertainment facility. It just happened that our friends Roger & Patti Sigmans were also there. While listening to the performance I though it would be interesting to step back in time with another event that we spent time with them over 200 miles from home. I will call it a step back in time. When we arrive up for a usual five-day stay upstate we tune in our radio to a local station for the usual calendar of events for the weekend in the surrounding towns and counties. This is a step back in time by about 40 years to our area local news around here. (This publication still gives us an idea of happenings in Upper Bucks if the information is sent to them.) In the case of meeting the Sigmans, we were aware of the special event they were participating in at Coudersport, Pa. It took us about one hour to drive up to the Potter County area county seat. It was “Eliot Ness Fest” weekend. If you can remember back to the time when we had the rabbit ears or outside antenna and received the channels 3, 6, 10 or 12, there was a program call “The Untouchables.” It told of the period of time in Chicago when the mob ruled under the leadership of Al Capone. Crime was rampant and the US Treasury
Prohibition agent credited with cleaning up the syndicate and crimes was Eliot Ness. Eliot’s history is quite interesting and his career extended into Ohio. Eliot Ness settled into a home in Coudersport, Pa. where he passed away in 1935. He is interred in a grave in Ohio. Each week we would all be seated in the living room to watch this Walter Winchell narrated series. Roger and his son finished the restoration of a 1926 Harley Davidson “Pea Shooter” style motorcycle that Roger’s uncle did such a great job before him when he had a motorcycle shop in Pleasant Valley. This style motorcycle is “One cylinder” with 3 ½ horsepower and when it runs the exhaust has a certain putt, putt sound. This motorcycle could reach speeds of nearly 60 mph. Roger states that he would never try those speeds with the light frame and braking system that the stripped down cycle had to achieve this speed. This offering of showing this beautiful restoration was so well received that they displayed his motorcycle directly in front of the local museum. The Fest organizers literally had busy route “6” shut down for 3 days so they could have the town looking like the 1920’s and 1930’s. I stood in the very wide main street of this picturesque town in northern Pennsylvania and there were no modern cars parked. The street looked like a picture from the 1930’s. Many of the participants were dressed in garb of the period. Women were in the Roaring Twenties type flapper dresses and men were in white shirts with suspenders, black garter type ribbons, and appropriate hats of the period. Some of them had reproduction “Tommy Guns” nearby. It was “Stepping Back in Time!” The screen of our Dimmig Electric Philco TV became alive! Can you imagine this “Fest” happening here in Upper Bucks with men walking around with disarmed Tommy Guns? We really enjoyed this and want to thank this fellow Upper Bucks family and friends Roger, Patti, and Ryan Sigmans for putting the finishing touches on this gem of a motorcycle and hauling up to “God’s Country” so all could enjoy. Gone are many of the myriad of public events here in Upper Bucks. The community governments and various organizations are trying to revitalize these very important social gatherings that are truly need to knit a community together. So next time they block Broad Street for a community day, or have a Township Community or Farm Day, push yourself away from the computer or shut the children’s phone down and you all come out to enjoy the event and meet your neighbors! You to will have pleasant memories such as we had in Coudersport at Eliot Ness Fest. We send a big thank you to the Sigmans for their flatlanders contribution to an event in God’s Country! Dick Helm is a long time Quakertown area
resident
and
regular
contributor
here
UBFP. Reach him at rbh9@verizon.net.
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