FSU beats Purdue 97-57

It is hard to tell if FSU is that good or Purdue was that bad. Anyway - a noisy crowd enjoyed the 40 point win. We went to the game with George - Joel- and Terry - our neighbors. Terry has season tickets. Nancy and I worked the crowd and got excellent tickets for $10 each - directly behind Coach Hamilton about five rows back. We saw Keith at the game in the student section. FSU could have easily scored 120 but the coach made sure everybody got to play. I hope the FSU football team is as successful in the ACC championship game this Saturday. We will be there.

Bill and Louisa Leave Tallahassee in Harry's ebay Camper

Just 14 hours ago - Bill was busy bidding on Harry's camper on ebay. Now they are leaving Tallahassee for their home near Ocala more than 200 miles away. The camper sold for $13,600.

Bill is a the son of a coal miner. He left home at 16 in West Virginia to work in Florida and has been here ever since. Louisa grew up in Manhattan NYC. She came to Florida to go to school and stayed.

They own a 50 acre ranch near Ocala. They also own two Greyhound buses converted into campers. They made one big mistake though - they invited the Everharts to visit their ranch :-)

You may recall that we bought the camper on ebay in August of 2003. It had 20,000 miles on it. We had to go to Boston to pick it up on the weekend of Brad Novey's wedding. Since then we have put 21,000 more miles on it - drove it back and forth to Pennsylvania three times - visited Ben in the keys - and hauled Dr. Drew's car and personal stuff home after he graduated from Miami. We hauled three trailer loads of stuff from Pennsylvania to here and visited Indianapolis with it. We spent a night in the parking lot of Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke and woke up with 5 inches of snow on the roof. We spent about 90 nights in it.

From ashes to ashes - dust to dust - ebay to ebay - what's next?

Camper Sells for $13,600 on Ebay - Buyer Lives near Tampa

The camper sold on ebay Sunday night for $13,600. The new buyer lives in Hernando, Florida. It is very near where Marylou and Carl have their winter home in Zephyr Hills. Also - my friend Dave Martin is "wintering" in his camper near there at Dunellon.

Bidding went up $2500 in the last hour.

The gentleman has a very good ebay rating and plans to pick up the camper tomorrow.

I will post more details when the deal is consumated.

Harry Will Never Go To Hawaii Because He Can't Drive There - CAMPER FOR SALE

Click photos to enlarge




World famous philosopher Dale Kline once said, "Harry Everhart will never go to Hawaii because he can't drive there." That was back in the days when Nancy and Harry owned a tour bus and spent their spare time taking people on trips to Florida, Washington, New York City, and Philadelphia. They made 16 trips to Disneyworld in three years.

Boy have times changed. Nancy and Harry are no longer school teachers in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. They have moved to Florida. In August - Nancy completed her seventh summer teaching a course at the University of Hawaii. Nancy's travels as a professor and writer have taken the couple to Scotland, England, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France, Iceland, China, Korea, and Thailand. Nancy's profession now has the couple jet-setting all over the globe.

So I guess Dale Kline was wrong. Unfortunately - their lovely little motor home has been sitting in the driveway more and more - and they have been enjoying it less and less. Rather then leaving it depreciating and collecting dust - they have decided to sell it.

No Joy in Mudville

Florida State 7
FU 34

FSU Womens Soccer Beat Carolina at Chapel Hill to Advance to NCAA Final Four

Look at the scoreboard. UNC has only ever lost three playoff games at home - EVER. And the latest one is an overtime loss to the Lady Seminoles of FSU. It would have been worth the price of the trip to see the Noblise Onblige light blue fans try to keep their noses up as they wimpered out of the stadium with their heads down with their little lunch boxes of uneaten wine and cheese.

Camper Sale on Ebay Ends Sunday Night

I have put the camper for sale on ebay. The sale ends on Sunday night. I already have had people call from Wisconsin, California, Boston, and Texas making offers on the camper. Two of the bidders want me to deliver the camper to Boston and San Jose.

One fellow in Texas, Johnny, is a pilot that patrols along oil pipelines. He would use the camper as a "second home" at the airport.

I will deliver it anywhere in the US for a fee. You could follow my web log across the country with photos of the camper in front of places of interest. Two people from Tallahassee are coming by this weekend to drive the camper. I have never had this much activity on an ebay sale. The sale has already had 1100 hits in two days. With three days to go - the camper has been bid over $10,000. Ebay charges a flat fee of $85 to sell a vehicle. Click on the link below to follow along on the camper sale.

Camper on Ebay

Happy Thanksgiving with Wayne and Shirley

Click on pictures to enlarge.



We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with Wayne and Shirley. You have been watching with great interest the construction of their new home down the street. Now you get a chance to see them face to face. Shirley is a law professor at Marquette University. Wayne doubles as a library science professor and world renowned author in the office next to Nancy. Yes - that means that currently Wayne and Shirley work 1000 miles apart. They presently have two beautiful homes and they take turns on their weekly commute to see each other. That is why they are building the new home down the street from us so that next year - they will live together and Wayne will only be 5 minutes from the office.

Notice in the pie cutting picture that Shirley has a bionic arm. Even with that handicap she cooked a wonderful turkey dinner. The champagne was flowing smoothly making for delightful conversation. Nancy made one of her famous "Wenzel Apple Tarts" from the secret recipe she got from George Wenzel. After dinner we took a walk along the golf course in their back yard - we even found a few golf balls.

Shirley and Wayne are married for 40 years - as you can see by the picture - Wayne must have married Shirley when she was five years old - married maybe even younger than Nancy. Wayne is the guy that put the signs in the shower of the new home so the plumber makes sure the shower head wouldn't hit his head.

Two other professors - Barbara and Dennis - were guests at the dinner. Dennis is on a few committees with Wayne at FSU. We never met the couple before - but after driving the 17 miles to Wayne's house - we found out that Barbara and Dennis live just around the corner from our house on Saratoga Street. The two dinner pictures look similar - only the photographers were different.

Only kidding about the bionic arm - Shirley had a fall a couple of weeks ago.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone.

Duke Beats FSU Girls 3-2

On Wednesday night we had a choice to see either Duke play our girls volleyball or the University of Florida play our girls basketball. We picked the wrong game and the right one. We choose the volleyball game and we witnesses a hard fought back and forth victory by Duke. Our girls were ahead two games to one - but then lost the last two games to a very big and strong Duke team. The right game was at the Civic Center where the Seminole girls were easily handling the Florida Gators. In honor of Robin and Drew - we always like to see the Dukies play here. Many times the Seminoles have sent the Dukies home wimpering but not this time.

The Continuing Saga - The Chipper Arrived!

The day started with a call from AAA Trucking. They called from the warehouse on the west side of town to say there was a package to be picked up. So George and I hopped into the camper with the hitch carrier on the back and off we went to AAA Trucking. When we got there - the guy used a fork lift to load this big factory sealed box onto the carrier.

After we got home - George and I were busily unloading the booty. We opened the box to find the 10HP Troybilt Chipper/Shredder that I bought "off ebay." After careful unpacking to make sure there was no damage - we added oil to the crankcase and gasoline to the fuel tank. After reading the instructions - I flipped on the choke and gave the rope a half-hearted pull. To George's and my surprise - it started right up like it had been running all day. We were so delighted with ourselves. George saw a branch laying on the ground and said, "Let me get a picture of the first one."

You may recall about two weeks ago I saw the chipper on ebay. It was being sold by Greg Germansky of Los Angeles. The retail price with shipping was $1099 plus tax. I made Greg an offer of $600 to take it off ebay and send it to me - shipping included. He said if we can do the deal in the next hour - he would accept. I "paypaled" the money to him - he said he would ship the chipper after he came home from a trip. The chipper was stored in a federal warehouse in Miami. I think Greg buys bulk lots of equipment and then sells them off piecemeal.

I have been very lucky buying things on ebay. But this sale was different. "Off Ebay" is when you make a side offer without the protection of ebay. You send the payment sight unseen and trust the seller to send you the product. Greg was a good seller - he emailed and called me often to make sure I was aware what was going on.

Now I have no excuses left for cleaning up the back yard and lake front. I hope you enjoyed my "off ebay" sale.

Seminoles Win Home Opener, 85-67

Seminoles Win Home Opener, 85-67

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Al Thornton scored 31 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead Florida State past Alcorn State 85-67 in its home opener Monday night.

Alexander Johnson (14 points) and Jason Rich (10) also contributed double-digit outputs for the Seminoles (2-0), who turned 20 turnovers by the Braves (0-2) into 27 points. The teams traded baskets in the game's early stages, but Rich's three-pointer from the left wing gave the Seminoles the lead for good at the 6:23 mark in the first half. The shot incited a 17-5 run for FSU.

Florida State Junior Wins Rhodes Scholarship

Redshirt Junior Garrett Johnson Selected For Rhodes Scholarship
Florida State shot putter Garrett Johnson (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Baptist Academy) was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship on Saturday, November 19, 2005. The 2005 indoor All-American was one of 32 college students from throughout the United States chosen to study at the University of Oxford.

Great Day for FSU Women's Sports

First we drove by the soccer stadium. FSU is in the NCAA playoffs. It was raining but they beat California in the 16 team round - they now advance to the 8 team round this week.

Then we went to the Tully Gym to see the Women's Volleyball team take on North Carolina. North Carolina is the top team in the ACC and they went ahead 2 games to 0. The FSU girls were inspired by all of the Mom's in the crowd. Because FSU has four games at home in a row - many of the Mom's are spending a week in town to see their girls play. Notice the picture of Nancy enjoying a cheer with the Mom's. The girls must have been inspired because they stormed back to win the next 3 games including the final one in overtime to take the match 3-2.

After the volleyball game - we took the car to the Civic Center and caught the last 10 minutes of the Women's basketball game against Washington. You can see the end of the game in the picture with FSU losing at the buzzer.

Note the shirt of the young man holding up the sign in the picture. Everhart is a popular name in Tallahassee. A former mayor and county comissioner are named Everhart - along with the special education "Gretchen Everhart School."

We Visited Wayne and Shirley's House Today

Wayne and Shirley will be our new neighbors in March. They are building this "historically correct" cottage about a block from our house. The downstairs includes a living room with fireplace - the kitchen - and a master bedroom suite. Upstairs are three bedrooms and a bath. The place looks like it belongs in Celebration, Florida.

Walmart Blinks - Tamaqua Wins - Thanks Larry Wittig

You may recall that Walmart has wanted to move into Hometown for the last several years. But they have been dangling a sword over the school board's head. Unless the Tamaqua School Board would give them 10 years of tax forgiveness - they said they would not build. Well guess what - their developers just paid $1,000,000 for the land in question. And thanks to Larry Wittig - Tamaqua Board President - Tamaqua kids will benefit from those 10 years of tax dollars.

Dear Larry Wittig -

Thank you for standing up to Walmart - and winning!

I am so happy your were right. I am tired of businesses in America playing one town against the other - similar to the way NFL owners play one city off against the other.

You were right - these guys planned to built a Walmart there regardless. Thanks to you - the kids of Tamaqua will benefit from the extra tax dollars. After all - tax dollars will be coming out of the money that the locals will be spending in that store anyway.

So Tamaqua will get its Walmart - and Tamaqua schools will get their fair share of real estate taxes.

I hope the borough councilmen and township supervisors remember to thank you for standing your ground - but I kinda doubt it.

Harry

Trophy Crooks are Gators!

Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A staff attorney for the state's utility regulator was arrested Thursday on a felony charge of possessing stolen property for his role in the theft of two Florida State University national football championship trophies.

Jason P. Rojas, 28, was booked Thursday at the Leon County Jail after returning the second crystal football to authorities Wednesday night, school investigators said. He had kept it at his home wrapped in a white plastic garbage bag.

Rojas is the son of former state Rep. Luis Rojas, who served in the House of Representatives during the period Florida State President T.K. Wetherell served as speaker.

Both men are graduates of the University of Florida and neither have any previous criminal record, Florida State police said. Both cooperated fully in case of the crystals swiped from a locked case, investigators said Thursday.

The first recovered trophy was retrieved from a commercial storage facility in Fort Walton Beach where it was in a brown, cardboard box, protected with wadded-up newspaper, assistant Florida State police chief Tom Longo said.

FSU Coach Bowden to Have Surgery Today

Bowden will undergo cataract eye surgery today. He said he expects to do his call-in show tonight.

FSU Championship Trophies Recovered

The bling is back
FSU recovers stolen championship football trophies
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- A pair of $30,000 national football championship trophies stolen last year from a locked case at Florida State University were recovered Wednesday, university officials said Wednesday.

A 25-year-old self-described boat captain from Fort Walton Beach, John Piowaty, was being held at the Leon County Jail on burglary and grand theft charges, university spokeswoman Browning Brooks said.

One of the trophies was recovered in Fort Walton Beach in the western Florida Panhandle, about 150 miles west of Tallahassee and the second was recovered in the capital city.

A second suspect, who is from Tallahassee, surrendered the second trophy Wednesday evening and will turn himself in Thursday, Brooks said.

Neither were students or employees at the university, she said.

The Waterford Crystal trophies, awarded at the time by Sears in recognition of the 1993 and 1999 national championships based on the final coaches poll, were removed from a locked wooden-and-glass case outside coach Bobby Bowden's office on June 23, 2004 during renovation work in the area.

"I always felt like we would (see them back) because what are you going to do with them?" coach Bobby Bowden said Wednesday night.

There were no surveillance cameras in that area and the trophies were not insured.

Florida State President T.K. Wetherell said security has since been beefed up significantly.

"I thought it was just a matter of time," Wetherell said. "You can't have something like that and somebody's not going to say something to somebody."

Assistant Florida State police chief Tom Longo and Wetherell said a $2,500 reward for information leading to recovery of the crystal trophies could be paid.

University's boosters purchased replica trophies that Wetherell insisted Wednesday looked the same to him as the originals.

Wetherell praised the police work and noted the cooperation the school received from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, adding he'd "like to have a third one too."

The Seminoles failed in their bid for a third national title in their 2001 Orange Bowl where they were defeated by Oklahoma.

The 1993 team led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Charlie Ward finished 12-1, beating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl on a last minute field goal by Scott Bentley. The 1999 team went 12-0 behind the school's second Heisman winner, quarterback Chris Weinke, defeating Virginia Tech and star quarterback Michael Vick in the Sugar Bowl.

Ebay Sale is Over

The ebay sale just ended - final price $171.00. The buyer is from British Columbia in Canada.

Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey Went to My School

You may re-call the old Panther Valley Middle School where I taught 33 years. Well - Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey went to school there. Their dad was the band director there in the 1930's - long before I was born. This week the town honors the Dorsey's with a plaque in front of their old home. This above picture was taken on my retirement day - February 6, 2003 - Panther Valley Middle School in background.

LANSFORD — It may not look like much today, but in some ways, the modest half-double at 227 E. Abbott St. in this Carbon County borough is as important to American musical heritage as the gates of Graceland or New Orleans' famous Bourbon Street.

Community leaders gathered Friday morning to unveil a historic marker at the former home of the Dorsey family who lived there through much of the boyhood of the two big band legends.

In 1916, Dorsey relocated his family, including 11-year-old Tommy and 10-year-old Jimmy, to Lansford.

From 1934 until 1939, he would also serve as musical director of Lansford High School, holding band practices in the auditorium of what is now the Panther Valley Middle School on Bertsch Street.

Nesley also recalls the occasional temper and temperamental personality later often associated with Tommy Dorsey Jr. in his musical career.

"He was a little hard of hearing except for a sour note and then he would throw his baton," Nesley recalls.

The historical marker was sponsored by the Lansford Alive revitalization group, and president Bennett Verda Jr. said between 20 and 22 more markers are planned for other historic sites in the community.

Watch Our Ebay Sale of a Satellite TV System

Would you like to follow along on an ebay sale? We are selling a Canadian Satellite HD Television System. Keith used to use this system to watch Canadian HDTV programs - European Soccer games - and HDTV Networks from Boston and Seattle. The auction runs out on Wednesday at 6:30 PM. See the auction at - http://tinyurl.com/a49dl - Wish us good luck.

Micah Gursky Back on Tamaqua Council

You have to love the character of Micah Gursky. Two years ago he was defeated as an incumbent on town council. He was targeted by a "one issue" group that was against filling the local strip mines with ashes from power plants and sludge from the Delaware River.

Gursky is a graduate of Tamaqua High School and a record holding quarterback for the school. Since he also was an excellent student he was offered a scholarship to Princeton University. There he did something strange - he graduated - putting him in an extreme minority of coal region scholarship football players.

After college - he did not forget his roots - he came back to Tamaqua to live and serve. He is an assistant to Representative Dave Argall and yesterday won "re-election" to the Tamaqua Town Council.

You Know You Are From Pennsylvania If:

If you consider it a sport to sit in a treestand all day long
with a bow or a gun just to put food in your freezer.. you might live in
Pennsylvania.

If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96
nights each year because Bradford is the coldest spot in the nation,
you might live in Pennsylvania .

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March,
you might live in Pennsylvania .

If you instinctively walk like a penguin for five months out of
the year, you might live in Pennsylvania .

If someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don't work
there you might live in Pennsylvania.cause you're all so damn friendly.

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle
of his forehead, cause he wears a hardhat you might live in Pennsylvania .

If you have worn shorts, sunglasses and a parka at the same
time, you might live in Pennsylvania .

If your town has an equal number of bars and churches, or if you
are in church and your priest or minister asks you to pray for the
STEELERS , and wants to get you all home for 1 p.m. kickoff, you might
live in Pennsylvania .

If you have had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone
who dialed a wrong number, you might live in Pennsylvania.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TRUE Pennsylvanian WHEN:

1. "Vacation" means going up north past I-80 for the weekend.

2. You measure distance in hours.

3. You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

4. You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again.

5. You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.

6. You see people wearing camouflage at social events (including weddings).

7. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave all the doors unlocked.

8. You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them.

9. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

10. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

11. You know all 4 seasons: almost fall, winter, still winter and road construction.

12. You can identify a southern or eastern accent.

13. Your idea of creative landscaping is a concrete statue of a deer next to your blue spruce.

14. You were unaware that there is a legal drinking age.

15. Down South to you means MORGANTOWN W.V

16. A critter is something you eat.

17. Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his NEW FORD F150

18. You go out to fish fry every Friday.and bingo every Wednesday.

19. YOUR 4TH OF JULY PICNIC WAS MOVED INDOORS DUE TO FROST.

20. You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

21. You find 0 degrees "a little chilly."

22. You actually understand these jokes

- Jeff Foxworthy

Fort Lauderdale has Solar Powered Traffic Lights

Finally a use for solar energy that makes sense.

When power failures and downed traffic lights left the streets of Broward a hazard to travel, Coral Springs turned to nature's best source of energy: the sun.

Since Friday, Coral Springs has put up temporary solar-powered traffic signals at seven of its 72 intersections that have no power. Four more are on their way from the manufacturer.

And as far as city police are concerned, the signals are a genuine lifesaver.

''They work perfectly and look just like regular traffic signals,'' said police spokesman Sgt. Rich Nicorvo. ``They are automatic, have a solar battery that stores enough energy for four days, and even have turning signals.''

Ben Houser in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan, Canada - It would not be a news blog without a picture of Ben Houser either holding a fish or a deer. Ben loves to hunt and fish. After years of being a successful eye surgeon - Ben's loves being outdoors. Ben is also an avid gadget freak - Ben is the guy that everyone talks about when they say, "the guy with the most toys wins." Ben loves Macintosh Computers and visiting with his grandkids.

Pennsylvania Voters Defeat "Intelligent Design"

All eight members up for re-election to the Pennsylvania school board that had been sued for introducing the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in biology class were swept out of office yesterday by a slate of challengers who campaigned against the intelligent design policy.

Among the losing incumbents on the Dover, Pa., board were two members who testified in favor of the intelligent design policy at a recently concluded federal trial on the Dover policy: the chairwoman, Sheila Harkins, and Alan Bonsell.

The election results were a repudiation of the first school district in the nation to order the introduction of intelligent design in a science class curriculum. The policy was the subject of a trial in Federal District Court that ended last Friday. A verdict by Judge John E. Jones III is expected by early January.

"I think voters were tired of the trial, they were tired of intelligent design, they were tired of everything that this school board brought about," said Bernadette Reinking, who was among the winners.

The election will not alter the facts on which the judge must decide the case. But if the intelligent design policy is defeated in court, the new school board could refuse to pursue an appeal. It could also withdraw the policy, a step that many challengers said they intended to take.

Bobbsey Twins Go To The Big City

I just got back from the airport. Nancy and Eliza - partners in crime in "Project LEAD" - left for Washington DC, Princeton NJ, and New York City. They will be gone for five days mostly working on the project but they hope to find time to take in a Broadway show. They left Tallahassee today - will spend two days in Washington - then travel by rental car to Princeton spending one night there at the Nassau Inn. Then they will continue to NYC via the train - spending their last night in a Hotel near the Newark Airport where on Saturday they will return home. Professor Bowie will pick them up at the airport because their plane arrives back in town right in the middle of the FSU at Clemson football game - the famous Bowden Bowl - where Tommy and Bobby coach against each other.

I am home alone for five days.

I am considering driving the camper to Clemson for the game if I can find someone that would like to go along. We would drive to Clemson Friday - stay in the camper Friday night - see the FSU game Saturday at noon - then drive home after the game.

Woodlands Resident Stump Grinder in Action

Click on the Dr. Nancy Everhart taken action photos to enlarge them.

Remember Michael Keaton in the 1983 Thriller - Mr. Mom - where he wants to impress his wife's boss by carrying around a running chain saw? Enter Harry and his stump grinder. A stump grinder might remind one of a chain saw on wheels. Fortunately it is a lot more docile and quieter than it looks. The stump grinder has a Honda 9HP super quiet OHV engine. It is relatively vibration free. One grinds the stump by moving the machine left and right while the wheel chips away making big piles of saw dust.

The stump grinder arrived Monday and was immediately used to take out 10 stumps in the front yard. This morning 10 more stumps were removed from the back yard near the pool.

Nancy captured the stump grinder and the "Woodlands Resident Stump Grinder" in action. Note our mixed forest of palm trees - pine trees and live oaks. We intend to clear all of the brush from the house to the lake - take out a few smaller trees - and then remove all the stumps and exposed roots to make a "park-like" landscaped area. We are considering putting a guest house/workshop/boat house down near the lake.

At roughly $20 a stump - I have already done about $400 worth of work.

Next toy is supposed to arrive Friday - the chipper/shredder. I have mounds of underbrush all cut and ready to shove into the chipper/shredder.

Darrell and His Buick

You all met Professor Darrell on here a few stories back - he is the guy that was voted Outstanding Professor by the students. When Darrell came to visit us last summer in Hawaii - we quickly shared a common bond in admiring old cars and machnery. Well here is Darrell's latest project - a 1956 Buick "Hardtop Convertible." No - the top does not go down - but back in the 50s and 60s - we used to call cars like this "Hardtop Convertibles" because there was no center pillar between the windows - pretty neat. Darrell lives about 6 miles north and west of us - we are looking forward to visiting him soon and seeing the Buick face to face.

Stump Grinder Arrives - I Removed Ten Stumps Today

The stump grinder arrived today from the factory in Illinois. It is made by the Praxis Company. It has a Honda 9HP OHV engine. I had to pick it up at the Roadway Express Terminal just west of Tallahassee. I used the hitch carrier on the back of my camper.

After reading the manual and watching the instructional video - I started removing some of the many stumps on our property. I started in the front of the house and removed ten stumps in three hours. They ranged from six to twelve inches in diameter. I ground them down to about six inches below normal ground level.

Some surprises - the stump grinder is quieter than I expected. I rented one in Tamaqua a few years ago and it was much louder. Also I expected the chips to be flying more. I re-call chips flying up to 50 feet when I rented the one in Tamaqua. Maybe this one is sharper - but the end product was a pile of saw dust - very fine chips. I am a little sore - but I got a lot done in a couple hours - and expected much more vibration. The Honda engine runs very smoothly and starts with one pull.

I wore gloves - and used my full face motorcyle helmet for protection. It was overkill - the machine is much more docile than I expected.

The chipper/shredder hopefully will be here Friday.

Here's What Happens When Harry Retires from His School

100 brawl at game
BY FRANK ANDRUSCAVAGE Staff Writer
fandruscavage@republicanherald.com

LANSFORD — One adult and several juveniles are facing charges stemming from a fight that involved more than 100 people Friday night at the Panther Valley High School stadium in this Carbon County community.

Although police did not release the names of those with charges pending, they said the fight began inside the stadium where the Panther Valley Panthers were playing Minersville Area High School in varsity football.

At one point, police said more than 100 people were fighting both inside the stadium, on Route 209 and onto Spring Garden Street. The incident began about 8 p.m. near the end of the first half of the football game.

According to police, apparent problems at the high school are escalating between different groups. The fight, they said, started between some of the young juveniles inside the stadium.

Unconfirmed reports said one juvenile punched another juvenile and the problems escalated from there.

As officers were trying to separate those involved, other juveniles came over and the fight resumed outside the stadium on the street.

With a limited force on duty, Lansford Police immediately called for assistance, bringing police from other areas of Carbon County, as well as Schuylkill County.

State police at both Frackville and Lehighton responded with troopers, as did police from Coaldale, Tamaqua, Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe.

Firefighters used apparatus to block off Route 209 in front of the stadium and traffic was diverted along Bertsch Street on the west side of the complex.

From the press box, school officials instructed those leaving the game to do so by using the west gate along Bertsch Street. Exiting through the east gate along Spring Garden Street was prohibited as police tried to control the fighting crowd.

Both state police at Frackville and Lehighton had no information on the incident, only saying they were called to assist and are not investigating the fight.

Editor's Note - during the brawl the cheer "we want Harry back" was heard above the sound of punches landing. The stadium is the site of Mr. Everhart's famous "Rocket Days" rocket launchings.

Nancy had a Tailgate Party for Her Students - Florida State Lost - but Won the ACC Atlantic Crown

Click pictures to enlarge

It started out a beautiful day - 70 - sunny - clear sky - low humidity. Nancy and I took the camper over behind the College of information. Nancy invited her students to come to a tailgate party. We had a nice spot - some good food - and good friends - even Nancy's Dean Larry Dennis spent an hour or so swapping takes of his days at "The Big House" when he was a student at Michigan. Keith drove the scooter over and spent some time and had lunch.

After the tailgate party - we walked from the College of Information to the stadium. At the stadium Nancy and I always compete to see who can get the best and cheapest tickets. Some people might compare us to homeless beggars. On this day Harry won - getting a very nice pair of tickets on the 30 yard line from a pretty blonde lady that had a fist full and was taking her kids on a family event. She refused my generous offer of $5.00 each for the $38.00 tickets - so I obliged and took them for free.

The weather was perfect for a game - 70s and sunny - but luckily our tickets were in the shade. NC State shot our to a quick lead - but the score was tied 10-10 at halftime. The NCSU coach used to work at Florida State as an assistant coach for 20 years - and he has been very successful playing us. He has won three games against us now - almost beating us as much as Miami does. His name is Chuck Amato and he is from Easton, PA - near our old hometown of Tamaqua.
FSU lost by a score of 20-15 - but since UNC beat Boston College - FSU won the ACC Atlantic Championship and has earned the "wonderful" honor to play Miami twice in one season in the ACC championship game in Jacksonville in a couple of weeks. Miami won the ACC coastal Championship by beating Virginia Tech last night 27-7 in Blacksburg, VA.

The rest of the season does not look too bright for FSU. Although FSU is 6-2 right now - we have lost 2 out of the last 3 games. And the next for games are going to be even harder. FSU could easily lose the next four games and end the season 6 and 6. Yikes. Here they are - 1. Next week we play Clemson at Clemson featuring Bobby Bowden's son Tommy as coach - 2. Then we must got to Gainesville to play a very good UF Gators team in their Swamp - 3. Then we must play Miami in the ACC Championship game in the swamp - 4. And the last game will be a bowl game. If we somehow get by Miami - it will be a major BCS Bowl (Orange in Miami - Sugar in Atlanta - Fiesta in Phoenix). Everyone knows FSU's luck against Miami - and it is such a pleasure to play them again after beating them once in the home opener. Miami looked fabulous last night pounding the Hokies in Blacksburg.

Drew got his doctorate at Miami - but we are so tired of getting beaten by the Hurricanes. They are indeed the best football team in the country in the last 20 years. They have won 5 national championships - and played in the big game many more years than that. It is about two and a half hours from here to Jacksonville - that can be a long ride home.

After the game Nancy and I watched the Miami/Va Tech game in the camper on campus for a while and headed home after the traffic cleared - it was quiet 2 mile ride home.

Geroge and Joel got Snow in Colorado

George and Joel Dawson are spending two weeks out west in Colorado and New Mexico. They wrote this -

Last night we were out at our friend's and host's, Sam and Mary Spiegle's house, and it was clear. The weatherman last night on the late evening news said sunny today. We got up and here is what we have. Take a look. This may cause us to cancel our trip up the cog railway to the top of Pike's Peak this afternoon.

Many people are in our hotel for the Air Force/Army football game this afternoon.

Hurricane Doris - 57 Pounds Lighter

Click Picture to Enlarge Doris

Hip Hip Hooray for the many electric companies from all over the US! We...living in the boondocks of South Florida near the Everglades, have finally received electric thirteen days after Hurricane Wilma!!! We still do not have phone and we still have not seen an insurance adjuster from State Farm, but the power companies came through! Hot showers were had by all last night and then you notice how filthy your house is once the lights came on! Ha! Tons and tons of laundry will be done tonight and tomorrow!

Attached is a picture of me celebrating with my red hat and my new truck and new saddle shoes! The best thing is, since I lost 57.5 pounds, I did not have any trouble putting my leg up on that bumper! Ha!!!

Now I continue to dream of phone service so I can have internet at home and an insurance adjuster so I can start fixing my roof, air conditioning units, gate opener, refrigerator, screening, etc...etc...etc........

I just had to share my joy!!!

Love ya's.................Sissy (Doris)