The Palmerton Press Volume 39

Founded December 17,1912 Ceased Publication Thursday February 1, 1951

fred

Our Butternut

Book 1 Volume 39

Original Volume 39 republished using KompoZer

The masthead appearing above is not an accident nor is it meant to be a gimmick. My dad, George R. Elliston was the owner, founder, editor, and publisher of the Palmerton Press. I am trying in my own way to keep that banner visible to the world.

Below is the actual lead slug that was the masthead of the Palmerton Press in it’s days of operation. It now resides with son George R. Elliston 2nd.

At this time I want to acknowledge the deep debt of gratitude to all those who have supported me in this endeavor. My wife, Queen is my inspiration and greatly augments my efforts. I realize that I sometimes must drive her nuts with my ravings and antics. However, her support has been an indispensable lifesaver.

My son George, grandsons; Andy, and Jason, have been instrumental in making these things appear at all. They supply the technical expertise to put and keep it on line.
I am particularly interested in reaching former Palmerton residents who my still find the old town a source of comfort and the remembrances of happy days.
Don’t expect much in the way of earth shattering events to appear here. This is how WE live. Oh and occasional “Bobby’s” opinions will appear, but there is always the delete button. Ha!!

Thank God, my mentors all suffer an old 77-year-old fool well. My thanks to them all. I also deeply appreciate the responses from my readers who seem to enjoy our view of life, dull as it may be, as well as the pictures of our town and home.. I regret that some still have problems opening the pictures. At least, these pages don’t have to stand on their literary merits alone.
Thank God!!

Saturday, August 14, 2004 7:08 AM 63 deg at LVIA and 61.5 in the bus stop

I got last week’s web page on line with no problem last evening. Apparently, I don’t have to worry too much about web space until near the end of the month. Then I must pare back drastically on the volume of stuff on line. This morning the blood glucose is 130 and the weight 195.

I very much regret to report the death of Johnny Banko. Here is his obituary from the Times News.

John J. Banko
John J. "Johnny" Banko, 68, of Lower Towamensing Township, died Wednesday in his home. He was the husband of Alberta A. (Lichtenwalter) Banko. They observed their 46th wedding anniversary last May.
He owned and operated Johnny Banko Excavating, Palmerton, for 42 years before retiring in 2000.
Born in Palmerton, he was a son of the late John and Mary (Klutzaritz) Banko.
He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Palmerton.
A Navy veteran of the Korean Conflict, he was a member of Mader-Gaydos American Legion Post 269, Palmerton.
Banko was a former Palmerton Borough councilman for two years.
He was 4th degree member of the Knight of Columbus, Council No. 2522, Palmerton.
Surviving in addition to his widow are two daughters, Deborah, wife of Gary Meitzler of Indianapolis, Ind., and Dorene, wife of Ross Johnston, of Palmerton; two sons, John J. Jr., and his wife, Suzy, of Lehighton, and Jamie, and his wife, Tammy, of Bethlehem Township; three brothers, Edward of Palmerton, Stephen of Catasauqua and Richard of Kunkletown; and six grandchildren.
He was also preceded in death by a sister, Mary Petroka.
The T.K. Thomas Funeral Home, 145 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, is in charge of the arrangements.

It looks like a nice day so far. Tommy and I want to go for a swim this morning. He plans to go to Portland, Pa. looking for Indian artifacts [dead Indians] after our swim. However it sounds as though the day is going to go downhill fast this afternoon with the remnants of Charlie coming this way. We went for our swim and it was great. The only other swimmer that was there was Romaine Biege who was still swimming her laps as we left. Yesterday there was a lot of activity over at the “Little White Church” by the Lehigh Gap Historical society’s work crew. They were cleaning up a storm. Those women were really busy throwing things out and sweeping and cleaning. Jim Burnhauser was busy assembling some display cases that someone donated to the cause.

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The folks were all cleaning up a storm

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Betsy at work A lot of accumulated trash

I saw this contraption next to the display cases that Jim was assembling. I have no idea what it does, but they have one.

I suspect this cleaning activity is connected with the Festival in September with perhaps an open house. I realized that Doc Cyr has or had a house in Ft Myers, Florida on Sanibel Island. I did see that apparently no one lost a roof there but not much else. There were power lines and vegetation everywhere. I found these pictures. We hope he was spared anything like these.

These pictures are from the August 14, 2004 Ft Myers Fl. News Press newspaper
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I realize this is out of chronological order but these are from Aug. 17 News Press. I am trying to keep these pictures in some kind of order.

Tommy is back from Portland and is going back for another dip. He will be here for supper. Now I must help Queen with the preparation of supper.
We had boneless pork chops on the grill, stovetop stuffing, fresh lima beans, an ear of Mike’s corn, garden tomatoes, cottage cheese, coffee and brownies for dessert. After that we sat on the front porch and talked. Everyone all had a good time conversing.

sep

Sunday, August 15, 20047:13 AM 64 deg at LVIA and 66.5 in the bus stop.
It is a cloudy morning today but so far it is not raining. Apparently Charley went further out to sea than expected. I understand that another one, Earl, is on the same path.

This morning the blood glucose is 119 and the weight is 195.

We are going for a short walk this morning. It was too humid to go very far. Here are pictures that Tommy sent me last night that Don took yesterday at the Indian Artifact site at Portland, PA. I also am including a few of the things that they have found over time. I had more but lost them in a computer crash!!

Tommy Davies and Jeff Gillette digging at 7 ½ feet.

Tommy informs me that the objects above are OVER 10,900 years of age.

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These pictures give one a sense of perspective of the job at hand. It is a hard meticulous search the takes place very slowly. I am indebted to Tommy Davies and Don Kline for these pictures of Don’s archaeological site. Don is well renowned in this field. This afternoon Queen and I were sitting up in the “tent” when we heard and saw a helicopter that passed low over our house and appeared to land at the park downtown. So I got the car out and went down and got these pictures. Firemen and ambulance people were just loading someone into the aircraft for a trip to Lehigh Valley Hospital. Thank God this is not an actual newspaper because I haven’t a clue as to who it was nor what happened. This is a poor way to run a paper, but what the heck!!!

This afternoon Gretchen had a belated 50^th birthday party for Larry at the pool. She had a hula dancer, a stripper, and assorted staff members honoring him. I had just walked into the pool area and did not bring my camera!! I would have loved to have pictures of the big event.

I got an e mail from Barbara Shepherd in Florida which I am sharing with all of you:
Thanks, Bob,

Hurricane Charley zigged into Charlotte Harbor which is south of us almost at the last minute. We are on Tampa Bay. Shep called me 1/2 hour before it turned in to tell me that we were going to get hit. I had been tracking it on TV and saw the same thing. The weather trackers were sure that it would come in here. Ironically some people from Bradenton and Sarasota went to the south to the very path it took to seek shelter till it was over, and landed right in its path. I am so very sorry for those south of us, but grateful that we were all spared. More later, but Howard Cyr's home may have sustained some damage. Some of the Fort Meyers properties were damaged, although the Ford and Edison homes came through all right. Downed trees in the yards, but that was all. For the other places in the direct path it has been devastating.

We continued to have incredible rainfall and thunder and tornado warnings until this a.m., but by afternoon we had sunshine again, although the county just north of us continued to have tornado warnings until 6 p.m. today. I know that you are having much rain as well, and that Charley is dumping more, but the wind is diminished, thank God. Best to you both, Barbara

I am sure glad to live here in good old polluted Palmerton, Pennsylvania. Golly!!

sep

Monday, August 16, 20047:12 AM 61 deg at LVIA and 63.6 in the bus stop.
It is a foggy muggy cool morning. I sat up in the tent and it was necessary to pull back the small tarp we placed on the glider so that I wouldn’t have to sit on the damp tarp. It was comfortable enough there.

This morning the blood glucose was 138 and the weight was 195.

Queen and I went to Super Fresh this morning and we got some coffee and salmon that was on sale. Tonight we had a piece of the salmon for supper. I packed the rest of in vacuum sealer bags and froze it. It will keep for months. She had some stewed potatoes, corn on the cob, fresh green beans, tomatoes, and cottage cheese. Then we had coffee and a small dish of ice cream for dessert. The food was excellent even though it was not one of the meals from “God’s restaurant”. Queen is cutting back on tomatoes for herself and we figured spaghetti would be inappropriate.

Earlier this afternoon I went to the pool for my swim. The water was perfect. I spoke to Larry as I was leaving and congratulated him on reaching that lofty age! My God 50 years old and still alive!! I told him I was 50 years old once. He asked how long ago? My answer 27 years ago. <sigh>

I just got these from Bob Green:

People who live in glass houses should make love in the basement.
Never read the fine print.
There ain't no way you're going to like it.
If you let a smile be your umbrella, then most likely your ass will get soaking wet.
The only two things we do with greater frequency in middle age are urinate and attend funerals.
The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
To err is human, to forgive - highly unlikely.
Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos?
Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than in a Hyundai.
Drinking makes some husbands see double and feel single.
After a certain age, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!

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What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches? A nervous wreck.
What's the difference between an oral thermometer and a rectal thermometer? The taste
Where do you get virgin wool from? Ugly sheep.
Why are there so many Smiths in the phone book? They all have phones.
Why do bagpipers walk when they play? They're trying to get away from the noise.
Why do gorillas have big nostrils? Because they have big fingers.

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1. Two antennas meet on a roof, fall in love and get married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

2. Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar.
One says, "I've lost my electron."
The other says, "Are you sure?"
The first replies, "Yes, I'm positive..."

3. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."

4. Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.

5. A sandwich walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Sorry we don't serve food in here."

6. A dyslexic man walks into a bra...

7. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says: "A beer please, and one for the road."

8. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?"

9. "Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.'" "That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome." "Is it common?" "It's Not Unusual."

10. Two cows standing next to each other in a field, Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning." "I don't believe you," said Dolly. "It's true, no bull!" exclaimed Daisy.

11. An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.

12. Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

13. A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet and says, "My dog's cross-eyed, is there any thing you can do for him?"
"Well," says the vet, "let's have a look at him." So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes, then checks his teeth.
Finally, he says, "I'm going to have to put him down."
"What? Because he's cross-eyed?"
"No, because he's really heavy."

14. Apparently, one in five people in the world are Chinese. And there are five people in my family, so it must be one of them. It's either my mom or my dad, or maybe my older brother Colin or my younger brother Ho-Cha-Chu. But I'm pretty sure it's Colin.

15. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.

16. I went to the butcher's the other day and I bet him 50 bucks that he couldn't reach the meat off the top shelf. He said, "No, the steaks are too high."

17. A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted, "Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!" The doctor replied, "I know you can't - I've cut off your arms!"

18. I went to a seafood disco last week... and pulled a mussel.

19. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly; but when they lit a fire in the craft, it sank, proving that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

20. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A FSH.

21. Two termites walk into a bar. One asks, "Is the bar tender here?"

Queen watched the news and is now at her computer. She is getting pretty good at it now!!

Tuesday, August 17, 20047:10 AM 07:11 61 deg at LVIA and 56.1 in the bus stop
I was up at the “tent” this morning enjoying what looks like a lovely day. Lee Bollinger hailed me as I sat. He was on his morning walk.

This morning the blood sugar is 127 and the weight 195.

We went downtown this morning to the store and a quick visit at the T.N. All seems well there.

Later I was out in the yard using the gas weed whacker cutting back a lot of the extraneous growth about the yard. Among the things I did was the bank where I have difficulty gaining access on a regular basis. Then I used it as an edger and trimmed along the bottom of the bank where it was growing into the flower boxes. It does look better now. I also trimmed back the Poison Ivy and sticker growth that was growing up through the Vinca bed next to the cemetery. Of course it ran out of string and that had to be replaced but it all went very well.

This morning PPL was up at the “Duris” lot installing the power pole and hooking it up to the service panel that had already been installed. Now they should be about ready for the house to arrive.

Now at 3 PM I am heading for the pool.

<Later> I had a great swim this afternoon. I was able to talk with George Ashman and Gail Nonemaker. On the way out of the pool as I passed the bulletin board I saw these pictures of Larry’s “Birthday Party”. Today I had my camera along and I copped these pictures that I suspect were supplied by “Donna” the exotic Hula dancer!! In addition, I took some video of the mushroom spewing water. That is to be my solace during the winter!! <Phooey>

This morning I saw this web page in the Morning Call newspaper. I used it to predict our lifespan. http://www.livingto100.com/

This pretty well screws up the whole day as far as doing anything else however it is much needed.

This morning the blood glucose was 133 and the weight 195.

Neither of us had a good night so we started out tired. Queen had difficulty sleeping and I was trying to help as best I could. Her dry mouth problem is the cause of her lack of sleep. We are really beat up tonight. I am going to bed soon!!

The Hibiscus plants are just beginning to bloom. So far this is the only one but more will be forthcoming.

The man finished about 3:30 this afternoon. He certainly did an excellent job.

Queen went up for a nap and I went to the pool. We had a long hard day today. I had absolutely no steam having first arisen at 2:30 AM. Going back to bed at 4 AM. The swim was just what I needed although they were a mighty slow 20 laps.

Thursday, August 19, 2004 7:01 AM72 Deg at LVIA and 70.7 in the bus stop
Oh what a beautiful morning! The weather stinks but we both had a good night’s sleep last night. We were both up as often as usual but the artificial saliva saved the day for Queen. Each time I got up I hoped I would not see a light in her room. I didn’t see a thing. Doc Cyr was right with the dry mouth under control the rest falls into place. Thank God!

It is very humid this morning. We went for an abbreviated walk this morning but not very far. Queen wants to start putting things back into the bathroom this morning. That man did a magnificent job. The room was as clean as a whistle. He even fixed some stuff that had nothing to do with the tub. He refastened the door leading to the closet and cleaned ALL the tiles around the room. Queen wants to write a letter of appreciation to them soon. Now all we need is a shower curtain installed. He would have done it if we had one.

Bernie Shea has ordered a curved rod that I will have to install. It should be here Friday. I hope I don’t smell too bad before then Ha!!!

I would like to see if Queen will cut my hair before noon. Then I would like to go for my swim. The weather does seem to not bode well for the rest of the day.
She did cut my hair before noon. I went up before I had any lunch. I was the only person in the pool. I had three lifeguards during my swim. The swim was smooth as glass. No rest was needed today at10 laps. It really went well today. As I was walking over to our car I met Gail Nonamaker who was just arriving for the afternoon. I told her the weather didn’t sound promising so I went early.

<Later> The bad weather held off all afternoon after all. However I am glad I went early. The first swimmer in the pool has a really wonderful swim with no waves or ripples other than what I create. Swimming through the water being the first to cut the water with your chin, is a great feeling. It reminds me of many a morning swim on Squam Lake in New Hampshire with the dead calm water and breaking one’s way with one’s chin. Swimming with Fritz out to Kent Island and later swimming with Tommy in Sturtevant Bay. One of us would operate his canoe and the other one swim. Then we changed places coming back. That water was crystal clear and of reservoir quality. One could readily drink it. A swim in those days was usually a mile long and had to be swum in one shot. You have no business starting a swim of that distance if you are not in some kind of shape. That is what got me started in lap swimming.
Ah those were happy days I surely do love the water. Golly, no one would ever guess.

I just got this from Queen’s cousin Bob Greenawalt in Rochester, NY.:
Subject: Apples and Grapes
Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree.
Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt.
Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy.
So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing.
They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.
Share this with women who are good apples, even those who have already been picked.

Men are like a fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

I am very fortunate I got one of the apples from the top of the tree. However she is still trying to stomp some more of the crap out of me and turn me into a better vintage. However sometimes she gets vinegar. Ha!!

sep

Friday, August 20, 2004 7:09 AM 66 deg at LVIA and 67.4 in the bus stop
This morning the weight is 194 and the blood glucose is 134.

It is a foggy morning today. I got an e mail from son George with the gentle admonition to the effect that “He who treats himself has a fool for a doctor” <Harrumph!!>His point is well taken!!

Now here is an interesting site. It doesn’t do anything important but it is interesting. Trace the places a dollar bill has been used. http://www.wheresgeorge.com/

This morning we plan on doing our shopping before it gets too uncomfortable outdoors.
We were back just before noon. It is hot and humid but we didn’t experience any problems. On the way back I went into Shea’s and got the curved shower rod Bernie ordered for me.

I got this from Henry Schwartz:

Who Says Cops Don't Have A Sense Of Humor?

"Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch out after you wear them awhile."

"Take your hands off the car and I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document."

"If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."

"Can you run faster than 1,200 feet per second? In case you didn't know, that is the speed of a 9 mm bullet fired from my gun."

"So you don't know how fast you were going. I guess that means I can write anything I want on the ticket, huh?"

"Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I am the shift supervisor?"

"Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."

"The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"

"Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."

"In God we trust, all others we run through NCIC."

"No, sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we want."

"I'm glad to hear the Chief of Police is a good personal friend of yours. At least you know someone who can post your bail."

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."

Tommy came over tonight and he installed the shower curtain rod with a bit of my help. We think it is a first class job and are very happy with the result. Queen is writing a thank you note to the company.

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It is Friday and about time to close this for the week and send it to my expert proofreader and censor, Queen.
Please, love one another, Mom and Bob [Queen and Bobby]