“The Templar Knight of Lititz” Crusade of Fun “The Ultimate Honor” Nine Local Medal of Honor Recipients The Lititz Wall Of Remembrance: Acknowledging our Legacy Abandoned Pennsylvania: Ruins of the Family Dream “Diary of a Mad Man” My Life on Madison Avenue $5.00 More “Tales From Urban Gothic” Helen and Me (Separated) The Curious Adventure of Bean: A Cat’s Odyssey “The Accidental Passion” The ‘Fight’ With Parkinson’s Walking in Your Truth: Exploring Your Being “Did You Know” “From the Kitchen” and more…
8 Nate Boring ‘The ‘Templar Knight of Lititz’ A ʻquestʼ to bring some joy and a few smiles to the streets of Lititz 12 The Ultimate Honor Recognizing nine local Medal of Honor recipients 14 Lititz Wall of Remembrence Acknowledging the rich and historic legacy of past residents 16 Abandoned Pennsylvania: Ruins of the Family Dream Stories, and haunting photos of Pennsylvania houses and structures that time, and society have long forgotten. 22 Diary of a ‘Mad Man’ Tales and tribulations of one manʼs years working on the New Yorkʼs famed ʻMadison Avenue. 28 More Tales from “Urban Gothic” Another installment of short stories from Lititz author Jason Goodman. 32 Helen and Me (Separated) The anxieties of Helenʼs owner as she prepares to take a trip…without Helen. 5 34 The Curious Adventure of Bean One catʼs incredible odyssey. 37 An Accidental Passion A novel method in the ʻfight ʻwith Parkinsonʼs. 41 Walking in Your Truth: Explore your being and question your state of mind 44 Just for ‘Pun’ Real-life funny signage and messaging. 46 Did You Know–– Offbeat, quirky things you thought you knew. 48 From the Kitchen Summer Fare: “A Tale of Two Salads.”
Summer of Fun... Our fourth quarterly offering brings even more interesting and quality reading from a collection of regular contributors as well as some new additions, all guaranteed entertain, inform and perhaps inspire… First up, Warwick H.S. Sophomore Nate Boring “The Templar Knight of Lititz ” and his ʻquestʼ to bring some joy and a few smiles to the streets of post-lockdown Lititz, “The Ultimate Honor” Nine local recipients of our nationʼs highest military decoration. The legacy of Lititz leaders of the past are acknowledged on The Lititz Wall Of Remembrance along with a new book which tells their stories. “Abandoned Pennsylvania: Ruins of the Family Dream” Stories, and haunting photos of Pennsylvania houses and structures that time have long forgotten. The first installment of “Diary of a Mad.Man” a mini-novella which chronicles a local manʼs twenty-two years in advertising on New Yorkʼs infamous ʻMadison Avenue.ʼ Local author author Jason Goodman returns with More “Tales From Urban Gothic” a collection, short stories about his very rich and storied life experiences. “Helen and Me” (Separated) Helenʼs owner plans to takse a trip and her hilarious anxieties as she makes preparations to depart. “The Curious Adventure of Bean: One catʼs odyssey of six months, 100 miles and mysterious return home. A new program in the ʻfightʼ against Parkinsonʼs is shared in the “The Accidental Passion” and how a local fitness instructor helps those to cope. “Walking in Your Truth” Explore your being and question your state of mind to help cope in todayʼs stressful and confusing world. All that and more plus our regular features that include... “Just For Pun” Amusing and actual signage and sayings in these crazy times. “Did You Know” Little-known odd, quirky, things you may, or may not know. “From The Kitchen” Homegrown recipes from the cooks, bakers and ʻfoodiesʼ of Lititz... in this issue, “Summer Fare: A Tale of Two Salads.” Ron Malec Executive Publisher & Editorial Director, Director of Creative Services Tracey Gullaksen Publication Editor Jackie Malec Food Editor Sharon Wilkes Circulation Manager Lauren Krause Marketing & Advertising Director Mary Higgins Historical Editor Contributing Columnists Sherri Daley Jason Goodman Tracey Gullaksen Robyn Hodgson Michael Hodgson Erica Wolgemuth Johnson Davie Kramer Ron Malec Jackie Malec Kellie Obregon Published quarterly by: Keystone Direct Promotions P.O. Box 138, Lititz, PA 17543 Phone: 717-344-0043 e-mail: lititzmagazine@mail.com Lititz Magazine, A Keystone Direct Promotions Publication P. O. Box 138, Lititz PA 17543 Internet: http://www.LititzMagazine.com Magazine Reprints: 717-344-0043 Lititz Magazine is published quarterly by Keystone Direct Promotions, P. O. Box 138, Lititz PA 17543, Ph. 717-344-0043, Internet http://www.LititzMagazine.com. Periodicals postage paid at Lancaster, PA and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Lititz Magazine, P. O. Box 138, Lititz PA 17543. Annual subscriptions in the U.S. $16.00 for one year, single copies $6.00 postage paid. Send remittance in advance to Lititz Magazine, P. O. Box 138, Lititz PA 17543. Printed in the USA copyright ©2021 by Keystone Direct Promotions. On the front cover: Rows of American flags adorn the front lawn of Lititz Moravian Church to celebrate July 4th a Lititz tradition since 1818. (Photo courtesy of Robert J. Polett, Photographer) www.polettphoto.com No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without permission from the publisher. Permission to photocopy for internet use or the internal use of specific clients is granted by Keystone Direct Promotions for libraries and other educational or non-profit organizations. For other commercial use, please contact Lititz Magazine, P. O. Box 138, Lititz ,PA 17543 for more information. 6
Summer, 2021 … It’s Good to be Back Well, it has been one heck of a year. A year filled with an avalanche of climactic events and happenings, trials and tribulations and thankfully a ʻlight at the end of the tunnelʼ that hopefully, and definitively, signals the ʻbeginning of the endʼ to a pandemic which has so affected our collective psyche and wreaked havoc on our economy and way of life. And to that I say, ʻItʼs good to be back.ʼ I am both grateful as well as humbled, to be proudly publishing our fourth quarterly issue, which means we survived, and have even began, to thrive in the midst of the abysmal social and economic environment of the past year. And to that I wish to give my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all of the loyal advertisers and especially our subscribers for their support and who believed and shared in my vision to publish ʻLititz Magazineʼ and taking a giant leap of faith with me in the midst of an economic cataclysm. While we still remain strongly and passionately divided on many issues, I firmly believe that we as a people share the same core beliefs and principles that has made us endure and remain a great and powerful nation. And, like the ʻPhoenix rising from the ashesʼ we will one day emerge united, and stronger and more determined than ever, for THAT is what America truly stands for. Within the pages of this issue are some shining and appropriate examples of just that notion… “The Templar Knight of Lititz” is the ʻfeel-goodʼ story of Nate Boring, a 16 year old Warwick High School sophomore who has captured the collective hearts and imagination of the people of Lititz by donning authentic knight regalia and taking to the streets of Lititz in his many ʻcrusadesʼ to spread some joy, and bring a smile to the faces of the many people he encounters, and in the process becoming a local media sensation. “The Ultimate Honor,” recognizes nine Lancaster County natives and recipients of “The Congressional Medal of Honor,” our nationʼs highest and most prestigious military decoration. Their stories are emblematic of the courage and sacrifice 7 shared by all who valiantly serve our country in the name of freedom. Their names are also each etched on one of more than 300 commemorative bricks which are a part of the Lancaster Veteranʼs Memorial Park, adjacent to the Lititz Public Library, a beautifully and fitting memorial to all those who served. We also shine the spotlight on “The Lititz Wall of Remembrance” a beautiful, touching monument which displays and recognizes 302 names of the most prominent and influential citizens that helped to build, shape and nurture this small, but historically significant town of Lititz. So you see, it is not about personal opinion and agenda, snarky “tweets” or vitriolic and incendiary Facebook posts and ʻmemesʼ which only serve as fuel for division and social discourse. We are, in my opinion, better than all of that…we seem to have lost the ability, or desire, to engage in a calm and rational discussion about those issues on which we disagree, and which permeates through our local legislators all the way up to Congress, and even the White House itself. The battle lines have been so decisively drawn for so long now, decades it seems, that we are hopelessly mired in a politcial and ideological stalemate creating an atmosphere of division and mistrust and plunging our country ever deeper into a state of suspension where no progress can ever hoped to be achieved. I pray that we can somehow figure out a way to collectively dig ourselves out from this hole and free us from this pit of quicksand that threatens to swallow us… Perhaps we should send our own ”Templar Knight of Lititz” to ʻcrusadeʼ in Washington, D.C., and put some smiles on the faces of our very dour legislators… Because we ARE better than this… Sincerely, Ron Malec, Executive Publisher Lititz Magazine
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From the boredom of the Covid lockdown comes riding An article in ‘the Lititz Record,’ A Lititz Podcast’ interview and a Facebook page create an unlikely local ‘celebrity.’ by Ron Malec ost teenagers these days are pre-occupied with such diversions as online gaming, Tik-Tok, Twitter, YouTube and the like to pass the time, but not so the case with Warwick High School sophomore Nate Boring. Nate discovered a love of history and specifically his fascination with the Medieval Templar Knights and most especially their uniform and military attire, and in Nateʼs words, “I thought they just looked so COOL!” But little did he know that the events that followed would capture the hearts, minds and attention of the entire Lititz community and become somewhat of a local folk hero of note. Beyond their original mission to protect pilgrims from danger, the Knights Templar expanded their influence. They staunchly defended the Crusader states in the Holy Land and were known for their bravery, and being fierce, highly skilled warriors, and their prowess and influence remains legend to this day. Long Days’ Journey Into ‘Knight’ Inspired by a YouTube video he saw in August of 2020, Nate became obsessed with the image of himself walking about dressed in full knight regalia. At first he thought it would be fun to dress up in and walk around his neighborhood to show off a bit, but little did he know that he would First, A Little History Around 1118, a French knight named Hugues de Payens created a military order along with eight relatives and friends, calling it the ʻPoor Fellow-Soldiers of Christʼ and the Temple of Solomon— later known simply as the Knights Templar with a pledge to defend and protect Christian visitors to Jerusalem. Despite criticism from some religious leaders the group received the blessing of the Catholic Church and in 1139, Pope Innocent II issued a proclamation granting the Knights Templar a wide range of rights in the performance of their duties and answered to no one, and were beholden to only the Pope. They became well known for their strict code of conduct and distinctive style of uniform, which featured a white habit emblazoned with a simple red cross. Members swore a solemn oath of poverty, chastity and obedience to the pope and church, and daily prayer was an essential part of their everyday regimen. Nate ‘The Templar Knight of Lititz,’ on one of his early ‘crusades’ along Owl Hill Road in Lititz. 9 capture the minds and attention of the entire Lititz community and cause a local media sensation. After some time had passed, Nate became so completely consumed with the Templarʼs legend, mission and appearance that he decided that he just had to have the exact same attire and ʻswagʼ as his heroes, if for no other reason, just to have it. He did a search online and found the many parts to his ʻknightʼs apparelʼ readily available on, (no surprise) Amazon.com. So shortly before Christmas, with some help and support from his parents, (and about $500.00 later) he acquired the iconic cylindrical metal helmet, chain mail hood and the distinctive white tunic emblazoned with the Templarʼs signature red cross symbol, and even an authenticlook replica hilted sword (which he does NOT carry when in public… more on that later.) He completed the collection with black boots, belt, gloves, hoodie and pants, with common items he already had on hand. His ensemble was now complete. and ʼNate, the Templar Knight of Lititzʼ was officially born. The Crusade Begins As the cold, snowy winter slowly began to give way to the promise of warmer weather, Nate finally decided the time was ripe to venture out in full uniform and fulfill his passion… his crusade had begun. He started going out in early April for short walks around his home near Kissel Hill Elementary School, confidently striding around his neighborhood, waving to those who happened to take notice of him. “I just wanted to walk around, say ʻhiʼ to anyone I would meet, and bring a little joy into their life after being cooped up in their house for so long because of the Covid lockdown” said Nate. Apparently he struck a nerve with those he engaged and soon became noticed more frequently, being mentioned and tagged on numerous Facebook posts. I first noticed him one day as I was driving past Kissel Hill Elementary, and frankly didnʼt think much more than it was probably just some kid out ʻdoing his thingʼ and having some fun, and I guess I was pretty accurate with my assessment at the time.
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