Prodigal Son Returns To Panther Valley Middle School

Harry in his old classroom - Room 35

Dancing around on the buckling wooden floors

Wooden floors in waves - 

I was a teacher working at the Panther Valley Middle School from 1970 to 2003. 17 years ago - on my 55th birthday - I walked out of the middle school door never to return again. A couple of years later - Panther Valley build a new middle school - and the old school was put out to pasture.

I won't go through the political stories why the school was not sold - torn down - our turned into something new. They are plenty of stories - facts - rumors - details - and outright lies. I will just say that the school has been gutted and the leaky roof has been doing its job eroding the school.

The school was built in 1916. It was the pride of the booming town of Lansford. It was landscaped and was well equipped with the latest and greatest things. It had a beautiful auditorium on the main floor with skylights and a tile gymnasium in the basement. It had a coal furnace and a state of the art ventilation system. It had an emergency electrical generation system. 

In 1965 - it became the Panther Valley High School - when the four towns joined to form a new school district. In 1973 - when the new high school was built - it became the Panther Valley Middle School from 1973 to 2005 when it closed.

I started teaching there in 1970 when it was the high school. I taught Earth and Space Science and Physics. I was 22 years old - it was my first and only real job. I was teaching kids that were just 4 years younger than me - and some maybe 60 pounds heavier than me. In 1973 - when the high school moved to its present location - I stayed behind and taught Earth and Space Science in the middle school. So I was in the same building but teaching 12 year olds.

For 33 years - I had to be in the school by 8 AM - and went home at 3 PM. I was lucky to teach 5 classes a day - usually all my classes were on the same page.

On this trip home from Florida - I wanted to see my old classroom. Everyone said it was in such bad shape that it was impossible to get permission to go inside. But with the help of several former students - Krys Tiedeman - Ben Turrano - Lisa Hiles - and Rich Willing - they were able to contact the owner Andy - and he wanted to meet me and hear my story.

On Friday at 11 AM - we met at the building in my motor home - Andy - Ben - Lisa - George Taylor - Lulu - and me. We went in the front door. We got to visit every room. I bored them with stories for 3 hours. 

One of the former owners gutted the building - they removed anything of value - radiators - slate blackboards - some plumbing and wiring. That owner also sold a large part of the parking lot to the Lansford Fire Company next door for $14,000. Then he abandoned the project. The present owner bought it at tax sale in its present condition. He plans to renovate it - and I hope he does - but I doubt it will happen. It would require so much work and so much money - I can't imagine any use that would pay for it. In a town where industry it gone - and a tax base that is dwindling - I do not see a need. I hope I am wrong.

There is no longer electrical service in the building and no running water. No heat. The leaking roof has caused so much damage to the wooden floors. Plaster and paint are on the floor like fallen snow - like slush. In some places plants are growing in the muck. It reminds me of the time in 1986 when they visited the Titannic at the bottom of the ocean with a remote submarine - where stuff is littered around like history. Just the task of removing the debris is gigantic. I got tired just thinking about it.

The window shades are still up and many of them are working.

I was able to identify every room and what teachers taught there. My two rooms - 34 and 35 - were in remarkably good shape. The ages had been kind to them. With just a vacuum cleaner and a few chairs - I could have struck up a lesson. The place where we played "hiney basketball" was remarkably clean and ready to go. All we would need was a carpet - two waste cans - and a chalk eraser. 

The hardest place to explore was the audtorium/cafeteria. From 1916 to 1973 - it was an auditorium with a slanting floor downstairs - and upstairs in the balcony. In 1974 - they installed a flat wood floor - so they could have cafeteria tables and a food service line. I ate there every day - good food at bargain prices. Ice cream cones for 30 cents. One inverted on another - chocolate on top of vanilla - made a 60 cent "clown sundae." Those wonderful cafeteria workers served 700 kids in less than two hours.

I was not too startled by the condition - I know what weather can do to a place. 15 years without protection from water and cold can level many places. But this building stands tall and strong - although it could use a makeover. Remarkably - there is very little broken glass. The windows are tinted safety glass to keep out bright sun. they were installed in 1974.

The most sensational thing is seeing all the lockers and blackboards gone. This is followed by the wooden floor being buckled from the rain. Floors are buckled with waves as high as a foot!  Radiators were rolled down the steps causing destruction there.

Deep in the bowels of the basement is the "Panther Pit." This was the most feared basketball floor in the area. People sat on all four sides right up to the side and base lines. Overhead behind the baskets were seats occupied by frantic fans who could almost reach out and block shots from behind the backboard. I remember one time being harassed a whole game for sitting with my future wife on the Tamaqua side of the court. The Panthers won that came big.

The hole was still in floor where the dental chair was once mounted in the middle of the faculty room.   For 25 years - we walked around that dental chair as if it were invisible. I remember sitting on the toilet in that same faculty room - when a 6 foot high parapet came tumbling down from the roof - causing us to close school for a week. Patterson Street was littered with pieces of yellow bricks. 

I remember the huge dances we had in the gym on Friday nights - where we would raise $1000 at $2 a head - for the student council and yearbook club. I remember the famous "Kiss Style" concert we had featuring the group "Serpent Gown" - and the trouble I got in because that band left a litter bottles in the locker room.

But most of all I remember the middle school teachers I taught with in that school. I remember how dedicated they were and how they stuck together. The other teachers in the district called us "The Rat Pack." We were a team. I will mention some names - I will miss many - but here they are - Zubek - Balliet - Dietz - Reinbold - Hoffman - Horvath - Zubey - Ligenza - Chachur - Henninger - Tucker - Pikna - Depuy - Szczecina - Cerimele - Swartz - Lukac - Laird - Reichard - Sharpe - Havel - Mitchell - Collins - Bynon - Taylor - Werntz - Gelatko - Bortnick - Ouly - Rakos - Fertally - Teno - Thear - Watto - Becker - Rader - DeSei - Grevera - Kosciolek - Kashlak - Inama - Fada - Williams - McKee - Mitchell - Brookover - Porembo - Sharbaugh - Keenly - Everhart. If I missed your name - let me know - and I will enter it.

I could not leave without telling one of the neatest stories about the school. Tony "Iggy" Marconi was the janitor of this building. He was there when it was the Lansford High School - PV High School - and PV Middle School. He later served on the Board of Education. Tony knew that school better than anyone. The story is about the coal bin. Deep down in the school - lower than the gym - is the coal bin. When they switched over to oil heat - there was about 40 tons of coal left behind. It sat there for years. The board offered it up for bid - but no one bid on it because it would have to be hauled out by buckets - up several sets of stairs. Tony bid $10 a ton - even though the market price was about $90 a ton. The board would not accept his bid - the coal stayed in the bin. Finally - the board said okay and Tony smiled. The next day Tony borrowed the Lansford Borough vacuum snorkel truck. He sucked that coal out of there in minutes - and deposited in his own basement! He barely got his hands dirty. The school got a new empty room. Tony got $4000 worth of coal for $400. Only the board of education was angry for not thinking of it themselves. Every Christmas the kids would sing "Iggy the bald-headed janitor - had a very shiny dome." I loved those Christmas sing-a-longs. So did Tony. 

I am on my way home now in my camper to Florida. I have a new home now - but it will never replace the good times I had in the Valley and in this building. I was always working class. I thought that if you had to work - this job I had was really good. I am retired now and having a really good time - thanks to my years in this building. I love when I see my former students having great lives and being very successful. Those years were very important - that school provided wonderful experiences. I learned so much from those kids.

Lisa and Nancy became good friends.

Ben Turrano went here

Ben and Taylor

My van - my classroom

Balcony - very dark

How many good shows were here?

The stage and folding cafeteria tables

Steps by the faculty room

Lulu was rewarded with some library hardware

The balcony 

Plaster paste on the floor

Gym north windows

Fans sat up behind those cages

The Pit - south bleachers

Down in the gym

Lisa helped arrange this - she was excited

The principal's office

The auditorium

Looking north

They rolled radiators down the steps

The view is obstructed by the fire company

Urinals

The library - the east side

The front office

Suspension room

Gym facing west

Panther Pit

Abandon hope all ye who enter

The front doors

Some rooms were pretty clean

Faculty room art work

The faculty room bathroom

I think this was Mr Tucker's room

I only have one life to give to my school

In front of the main office

Water did the most damage 

The home economics room

Henninger and Lukac taught here

There is the old coal bin

Down in the boiler room

Main foyer - honor plaques gone

A tree grows near the library

Photos by George - Lisa - Ben - Lulu - Harry 

Spending The Day With - Ben and Mike Turrano - My Former Students - Motörhead's in Common - Owl Creek Dam

Ben Turrano lives across the street from Lulu's old homestead. Ben and his brother Mike were my students in 7th grade. Ben loves old car - planes - boats - trains - and buildings. Ben is a Renaissance Man. He is an admission counselor for the local community college. He also worked as a Realtor and a haberdasher at Ted Block's Clothing Store. But his real love is restoring cars and buildings. He can wield a hammer or a wrench as good as anybody.

OWL CREEK RESERVOIR - A couple years back Ben salvaged an old cabin from his childhood camp. They cut it up into pieces and moved it to the Owl Creek Reservoir. There they assembled it like an erector set. They added a metal roof - a deck - and paint. It looks great.

When I was a kid - Owl Creek reservoir was the water supply for downtown Tamaqua. Later is supplied the Atlas Powder Company. Today the reservoir has been drained and restore. It is now a recreation site for the town. It was being used by the Boy Scouts when I visited. I met Chris and Mike  Conville. They are now adults with kids of their own. It was fun getting the VIP treatment from them. 

MIKE TURRANO'S GARAGE - Next we went to visit Mike Turrano. Mike lives by the White Birch Golf Club. He has a 10 acre farm - but also two big garages full of wonderful relics. The first order of business was to pay Mike a $2 bet I owed him. When Mike was in my classroom - I bet him $2 that he would have a car wreck in the first year of driving. I cheated a little because I knew statistics that 80% of 16 year old drivers get into a fender bender at least once. I had two or three. Mike assured me that he would never wreck. He didn't. I believe him - and I am happy he didn't. I made that bet with many kids - and have seldom paid off. 

Mike was in the middle of a 1938 Packard restoration. Then someone saw it and offered him $8000. The guy was picking it up today. I guess he saw no harm in offering me to drive it - and I was ecstatic. It is a flat head 6 with three speed on the column. I drove her down the road - and Ben was amazed when I did a double clutch to shift it into first gear while moving. He never saw that before - and I was amazed I didn't "grind me a pound." The new owner plans to remove that engine and put a high performance V8 in it. 

Mike also had this beautiful 1955 Chevy - two door wagon - not a nomad but more of a work versions. It is presently a lovely painted body with no engine. 

How about this 1962 Chevy II Nova in excellent shape. 

The 1939 Buick is Ben's. His grandfather gave it to him on the condition that he gives it to his grandson. 

Time flew by. It was time to go home. What pleasure it is meeting my old students as men - with families - jobs - homes - and dreams. It makes me feel that my life was not wasted. Each one of my students could rattle off about 10 quotes from my classroom. We laughed until I nearly cried. 

We flew the drone - took some pictures - but that it for another story. We have 4 days left in coal cracker land. 

Camping In Coal Cracker Land

This is our camper from Lulu's old bedroom
looking south. 

We just spent night number 29 in our camper in Tamaqua PA. It is our 49th anniversary today and also Lulu's Mom's birthday - so today we will celebrate both at the Tamaqua Train Station Restaurant.

This has been 6 straight nights in the camper. We have all the comforts of home here. We plug into the 110 volt outlet in the garage - we have a garden hose to fill the water tank - we get the Internet over our telephones and also from wifi in Betty's home - we even have a drain to dump our sewer tanks. Our TV also works over the Internet so we are set.

Last night we had 2.4 inches of rain! That is major major rain here in Pennsylvania - it causes floods. We are high and dry though.

Yesterday - we woke up to a dead engine battery. The camper has two batteries - one for the engine and one for the camper stuff - they are not connected. I had installed a new battery in January so we went to Costco in Allentown and they swapped out the battery. It appears I had left the key in the ignition on the accessory setting and the battery drain dead-dead. They also said I had the wrong size engine battery - a group 58. The book says I need a group 65 - The group 58 has only 500 CCA - the group 65 has 850 CCA. They upgraded me and the new battery warranty extends me 36 months. All in all - I learned to not leave the key in the ignition overnight.

When we are sitting here - we have the camper plugged into 110 volt AC with a big extension cord. That charges the 2 big camper coach batteries and also allows us to run the 110 volt AC. It has been cool here overnight - so we do not run the AC then - but just keep windows open. Even during the storm - no rain came in the louver windows.

Our friend Ted is not home - but he wanted us to stay in his house and use his pool. We want to stay by Betty - so we declined the house and car - but did visit the pool. It is so nice - that Nancy will take her cousins there tomorrow. Ted remarried so he has two houses.

The camper has so many cabinets and we have stuff stored all over. The worst part is remembering where everything is. I plan to put little tags on each cabinet - with items listed. No use opening up every cabinet to find shampoo - etc. You would think I would learn them all after 6 nights - but then I move things.

I just emptied the camper sewer tank here

I am typing at my office table. I get wifi from the house. 

Costco replaced the battery - even though
I probably left the key on overnight. 

If you are following the camper value tale - $32000 (cost of camper) / 29 nights = $1103 a night. Once we hit night 32 - the price will drop down into triple digits.

Camping in Manning SC - Near Confederate Memorial

Manning - Clarendon County Coutr House
Confederate Memorial 

We drove 400 miles today from Tallahassee to Manning SC. It was bright sunny except for the last hour which was heavy rain. At least it cooled it off a bit - to make camper sleeping a little cooler. We don't like running the air conditioner and generator at night.

Manning is a town of 4000 people - it was mainly the center of a lumber industry and other farming. We walked around downtown and enjoyed seeing the Confederate Memorial. Try reading the pictures of the inscription.

Tomorrow we will drive another 400 miles to Richmond and spend some time there with Drew and Family. It is Jack's birthday Saturday - he will be 12.

Next we will head to Tamaqua - it is only about 300 miles from Richmond to town. We are looking forward to some cooler evenings.

Add caption

Manning Goody's - going out of business

Camper Trip to Tamaqua PA

Traveling North in Our Camper

We left Tallahassee at about 8 AM - this morning. The camper is all loaded for 2 weeks of vagabonding.

We are currently in Savannah about 300 miles up the road. We stopped here to stretch our legs. We will drive 100 more miles today and then find a place to camp.

Tomorrow we will visit Drew and Family in Richmond. then we will proceed to our old hometown.

No hotels - no restaurants - no public bathrooms. We have covid masks and will keep our distance. We take special care at gas stations with disinfectant. We now the plague is not over - it is still rising. We wanted to see the family. We had a covid test on Monday before we came.

I-95 is pretty busy here. We are looking forward to some cooler weather up north.

I understand the president is hoarding diapers.

Florida Hurricane Season and Tri-Fuel Generators

My five year old Honda 2000 Tri-Fuel Generator

June to December is hurricane season in Florida. During that time we are often without power. During Hurricane Michael two years ago - we were without power for 6 straight days. Thanks to my little Honda Generator - we had 2000 watts of power. That is not enough to run a whole house - but it will power your refrigerator - lights - television - microwave - fans - and many small appliances.

We were able to wash our clothes using the washing machine - but we had to hang the laundry out - because a dryer uses too much power.

My Honda 2000 tri-fuel generator is 5 years old now. We have gotten a lot of service out of it. I paid $1300 for it when I bought it new in 2015. Simply - I have a tap on my house for natural gas for our grill - I can plug the generator into that tap - and it runs continuously. There is not need to stop to refill the fuel. There are other benefits of running on natural gas. It is clean burning - no you cannot run it inside - but the exhaust does not have carbon monoxide in it. Natural gas also burns much cleaner than gasoline. You can also run it on propane from the bottle on a gas grill.

My neighbor had a Generac generator installed on his house and it cost $8000. It does not produce enough power to run his air conditioner - but it does turn on automatically during a power failure. His generator feeds right into his main power box on the house.

While shopping at Costco this week - I saw this tri-fuel generator. I do not endorse it - I have no idea how good it is. The name is Firman - and most products that Costco sells are pretty good. It produces 7000 watts and is $800! My Honda generator is very very quiet - I do not know how loud this one is. At 7000 watts that would power a whole home.

Again - I have not tested the Firman Generator. I just found it very interesting at that price - being able to get a trip-fuel generator for $800 - any generator - is a bargain - if it is any good. I figure that with one hurricane - these will sell out quickly. One problem with Costco - they buy products in lots. Once they sell out - you never see the product on their shelves again. It also has battery power starting - no ropes to pull.

As a backup - our camper has a 3000 watt generator - but it is not as quiet as our Honda - and it runs only on gasoline.

We love the service our Honda Tri-Fuel has given us. Five years of quiet continuous 2000 watts of 120 volt AC power. My Honda also has a 12 volt DC outlet that will charge car batteries too.

This is the Costco Tri-Fuel 7000 Watt Generator

I don't know the quality but the price is right.

Check out this video of my Honda generator operating -

See My Honda Running Here -

Oak Tree Nearly Hits The Knott House

Knott House - Tallahassee

We had 4 days of really heavy rain thanks to a Tropical Storm that hit New Orleans. Usually storms do a lot of damage to Tallahassee trees because the soft ground gets soaked and wind pushes the trees over.  Although we had lots of rain - it was mostly straight down rain because of little wind. We can use the rain because we are well behind this year in rainfall amount.

Yesterday a giant oak fell and nearly hit the famous Knott House. What is surprising is the root ball was not ripped out of the ground. The tree was probably rotted and just broke off at ground level from the weight of the water. The ground is virtually undisturbed.

The Knott House is famous because after the Civil War it was the headquarters of the Union Army. On May 20th 1865 - the Emancipation Proclamation was read on the front porch steps. 80% of the people in  Leon Country were black slaves. With this law - they were declared free.

I parked my electric Leaf  near the trunk to show size.

Oak tree broke off at ground level

Historic marker at the Knott House