washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Traverse City police among the latest to get body cameras

TRAVERSE CITY , Mich. ( AP ) - Traverse City is joining other Michigan cities that have put body cameras on police officers .
Chief Jeff O ’ Brien recommended cameras and vest carriers for roughly $ 80,000 .
City commissioners approved the plan Monday .
O ’ Brien has been seeking cameras since 2017 .
“ It took the tragic death of George Floyd for us all to become aware of the need .
But our chief of police was thinking forward many , many years ago about this .
… Finally we ’ ve done it , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brien said the cameras could be in full use by the end of the year , WPBN-TV reported .
“ We ’ re definitely going to have to train our officers on using the body-worn cameras , but there ’ s also an education campaign that has to be facilitated within the community , certainly the stakeholders in law enforcement , ” the chief said .
“ The prosecutor ’ s office is going to be really impacted with 18 to 20 officers working the road every day .
There ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in , ” O ’ Brien said .

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Traverse City is joining other Michigan cities that have put body cameras on police officers.
Chief Jeff O’Brien recommended cameras and vest carriers for roughly $80,000. City commissioners approved the plan Monday.
O’Brien has been seeking cameras since 2017.
“It took the tragic death of George Floyd for us all to become aware of the need. But our chief of police was thinking forward many, many years ago about this. … Finally we’ve done it,” said Mayor Jim Carruthers.
O’Brien said the cameras could be in full use by the end of the year, WPBN-TV reported.
“We’re definitely going to have to train our officers on using the body-worn cameras, but there’s also an education campaign that has to be facilitated within the community, certainly the stakeholders in law enforcement,” the chief said.
“The prosecutor’s office is going to be really impacted with 18 to 20 officers working the road every day. There’s going to be a lot of video coming in,” O’Brien said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Preservation group acquires 6 historic homes in Indiana city

WABASH , Ind .
( AP ) - A preservation group plans to renovate the exteriors of six run-down homes in a northern Indiana city and put them on the market next year in hopes of spurring a historic neighborhood ’ s rebirth .
Indiana Landmarks said it acquired the historic homes , built in Wabash between the 1870s and the early 1900s , during an auction .
The Indianapolis-based nonprofit said the homes illustrate a range of architectural styles in the city ’ s East Wabash Historic District .
“ There truly is something for everybody , from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s a mad mix of styles and sizes , ” said Paul Hayden , director of Indiana Landmarks ’ northwest office in Wabash .
Hayden will lead the renovation of the homes ’ exteriors and the effort to put them back on the market in early 2021 .
The properties recently served as rental housing , and most were divided into apartments .
Wabash has a vibrant downtown , including a variety of shops and restaurants and historic entertainment venues including the Honeywell Center and recently restored Eagles Theatre .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County seat located along the Wabash River about 80 miles ( 129 kilometers ) north of Indianapolis , have been limited , particularly for those seeking historic houses .
“ When restored , these houses will be in high demand , ” said Dave Haist , an Indiana Landmarks board member who lives in the neighborhood , which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places .
“ By improving a cluster of homes in a two- to three-block area , there ’ s really an opportunity to transform the neighborhood , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchase and the work to rehab their exteriors is expected to total $ 770,000 .
That ’ s being funded by Indiana Landmarks , the city of Wabash , and donations from private individuals and organizations .

WABASH, Ind. (AP) - A preservation group plans to renovate the exteriors of six run-down homes in a northern Indiana city and put them on the market next year in hopes of spurring a historic neighborhood’s rebirth.
Indiana Landmarks said it acquired the historic homes, built in Wabash between the 1870s and the early 1900s, during an auction. The Indianapolis-based nonprofit said the homes illustrate a range of architectural styles in the city’s East Wabash Historic District.
“There truly is something for everybody, from a modest, wood-frame house to larger Victorians. It’s a mad mix of styles and sizes,” said Paul Hayden, director of Indiana Landmarks’ northwest office in Wabash.
Hayden will lead the renovation of the homes’ exteriors and the effort to put them back on the market in early 2021. The properties recently served as rental housing, and most were divided into apartments.
Wabash has a vibrant downtown, including a variety of shops and restaurants and historic entertainment venues including the Honeywell Center and recently restored Eagles Theatre.
But options for homebuyers in the Wabash County seat located along the Wabash River about 80 miles (129 kilometers) north of Indianapolis, have been limited, particularly for those seeking historic houses.
“When restored, these houses will be in high demand,” said Dave Haist, an Indiana Landmarks board member who lives in the neighborhood, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“By improving a cluster of homes in a two- to three-block area, there’s really an opportunity to transform the neighborhood,” he said.
The homes’ purchase and the work to rehab their exteriors is expected to total $770,000. That’s being funded by Indiana Landmarks, the city of Wabash, and donations from private individuals and organizations.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Sisterhood of 'traveling bag of hats' aids cancer patients

LANCASTER , Pa. ( AP ) - April Good ’ s straight , blonde hair fell out less than two weeks after her first round of chemotherapy in 2010 .
Good , a 1989 Warwick High School graduate and Manheim Township resident , went to A.C. Moore , looking for something to cover her head as she continued her battle with breast cancer .
“ I bought a bunch of bandanas and wore them like a pirate on my head , ” Good said .
“ Then some friends bought me bandanas and hats , and scarves.
” By the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in 2011 , her friend Lisa Rosenberger of West Donegal Township was diagnosed with breast cancer .
“ I was in tears , ” Rosenberger said of trying on wigs after her hair fell out .
She called a friend , Monica Long — the sister of April Good .
“ My sister has a bag of hats , ” Long said .
“ We ’ re coming over there.
” Thus began what Good now refers to as the “ traveling bag of hats.
” Over the past nine years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has helped six women who have lost their hair while battling cancer .
Four of those women had breast cancer , one had Hodgkin ’ s lymphoma and one had ovarian cancer .
All but one are alive .
Chemotherapy targets all rapidly dividing cells to fight cancer cells .
But hair follicles are also some of the fastest-growing cells in the body .
That ’ s why most cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy will lose their hair .
“ I did not want to lose my hair , ” Rosenberger said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I have natural , wavy hair.
” The American Cancer Society provides free wigs for adult women who financially qualify , but some women might prefer not to wear a wig .
“ I did not like the way they looked , ” Nancy Beauregard of Manheim Township said .
“ I was like , ‘ You know what , I don ’ t want to wear a wig .
I ’ ll wear hats instead.
’ ” Beauregard , a 56-year-old mother of three kids , was the second woman to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” when her light brown hair fell out over the course of treatment for stage 2A triple-negative breast cancer in 2014 .
Beauregard knew Good through church .
“ Me and April , and one of her daughters and one of my daughters , we all went together one day to the mall , ” Beauregard said .
“ I probably got like four hats that I thought were cool-looking .
I ’ d wear those , and I also wore the ones April gave me .
And bandanas and scarves.
” Beauregard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed it along to Sally Longenderfer , a Hempfield alum and Lititz resident who was 49 when her “ shoulder-length brownish , blondish hair ” fell out in 2015 during treatment for stage 2 estrogen/progesterone HER2-negative breast cancer .
Longenderfer also knew Good through church .
“ I bought a scarf ; I liked that one , ” Longenderfer said .
“ I remember that made me feel like a 1950s movie star , with a scarf and sunglasses .
… I liked hats and scarves .
I could wear it with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the bag went to 48-year-old Jill Segro , a Hempfield alum and Mount Joy resident who lost her shoulder-length blonde hair when fighting triple-negative breast cancer .
In 2017 , it went to Eva Salembier , whose long , brown curly hair fell out from treatment for stage 2A Hodgkin ’ s lymphoma in her final two years as a Manheim Township High School student .
In the first half of 2019 , the bag went to Montgomery County resident Janet Fransham , whose brown , chin-length hair came out shortly after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 2019 , the collection returned to Segro , who had been battling breast cancer a second time .
Segro died Dec. 19 , 2019 , at 51 years old .
She left behind a husband and their teenage daughter .
She was preceded in death by four miscarriages .
What are the symptoms ?
Some people have no symptoms at all , according to the CDC .
But symptoms can include : Changes in the size or shape of the breast Pain in any area of the breast A new lump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women who used the “ bag of hats ” during their cancer journeys said their favorite head coverings were those of neutral colors , because they generally matched any outfit .
“ All of hers were extremely colorful , ” Callie Segro said .
“ Her hats were the really bright , flowery kind , ” Callie Segro said of her mom .
“ One was pink with yellow flowers .
She had a green one , too .
Just a bunch of different colors.
” “ She was very bright , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always cheery.
” “ She was just very silly , ” Good said .
“ She laughed a lot .
She just always seemed very happy , even when things were tough.
” It should be noted here some of the hats that were previously part of the collection instead touched the lives of two other women who were fighting cancer before dying months apart from each other .
Beauregard gave some to a friend , Nicole Bomberger , a Mount Joy native and married mother of two daughters who was 38 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Rosenberger provided some to Cecilia “ Monica ” Cisneros , an Elizabethtown resident originally from Ecuador and married mother of three adult children who was 53 when she died Oct. 22 , 2017 .
Why do cancer patients lose their hair ?
Chemotherapy targets all rapidly dividing cells to fight cancer cells .
But hair follicles are also some of the fastest-growing cells in the body .
That ’ s why most cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy will lose their hair .
The collection is now back in Good ’ s possession for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed along to the next person in need .
The “ traveling bag of hats ” has actually now grown to three large separate bags containing about 150 items in all , made up of hats , scarves , bandanas , knitted caps and ski caps in a variety of colors and sizes .
It ’ s beyond what Good could have imagined when she first passed along the original head coverings she first used 10 years ago .
“ Just the fact that when I started all this myself , I didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the same thing , ” Good said .
“ I didn ’ t know what I was doing.
” “ It was such a Godsend when you ’ re dealing with everything else , ” Fransham said .
“ It wasn ’ t about the hats , ” Longenderfer said .
“ I can go buy hats .
For me , it ’ s knowing somebody else went through something and is doing something kind for you.
” “ I ’ ll always remember that kindness and love and connection , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a club you don ’ t ever want to be a part of , but once you ’ re a part of it , you ’ re family .
”

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - April Good’s straight, blonde hair fell out less than two weeks after her first round of chemotherapy in 2010.
Good, a 1989 Warwick High School graduate and Manheim Township resident, went to A.C. Moore, looking for something to cover her head as she continued her battle with breast cancer.
“I bought a bunch of bandanas and wore them like a pirate on my head,” Good said. “Then some friends bought me bandanas and hats, and scarves.”
By the time Good’s hair began growing back in 2011, her friend Lisa Rosenberger of West Donegal Township was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I was in tears,” Rosenberger said of trying on wigs after her hair fell out.
She called a friend, Monica Long — the sister of April Good.
“My sister has a bag of hats,” Long said. “We’re coming over there.”
Thus began what Good now refers to as the “traveling bag of hats.”
Over the past nine years, the “traveling bag of hats” has helped six women who have lost their hair while battling cancer. Four of those women had breast cancer, one had Hodgkin’s lymphoma and one had ovarian cancer. All but one are alive.
Chemotherapy targets all rapidly dividing cells to fight cancer cells. But hair follicles are also some of the fastest-growing cells in the body. That’s why most cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy will lose their hair.
“I did not want to lose my hair,” Rosenberger said. “I had great hair. Really long. I have natural, wavy hair.”
The American Cancer Society provides free wigs for adult women who financially qualify, but some women might prefer not to wear a wig.
“I did not like the way they looked,” Nancy Beauregard of Manheim Township said. “I was like, ‘You know what, I don’t want to wear a wig. I’ll wear hats instead.’”
Beauregard, a 56-year-old mother of three kids, was the second woman to receive the “traveling bag of hats” when her light brown hair fell out over the course of treatment for stage 2A triple-negative breast cancer in 2014. Beauregard knew Good through church.
“Me and April, and one of her daughters and one of my daughters, we all went together one day to the mall,” Beauregard said. “I probably got like four hats that I thought were cool-looking. I’d wear those, and I also wore the ones April gave me. And bandanas and scarves.”
Beauregard added her hats to the collection and passed it along to Sally Longenderfer, a Hempfield alum and Lititz resident who was 49 when her “shoulder-length brownish, blondish hair” fell out in 2015 during treatment for stage 2 estrogen/progesterone HER2-negative breast cancer. Longenderfer also knew Good through church.
“I bought a scarf; I liked that one,” Longenderfer said. “I remember that made me feel like a 1950s movie star, with a scarf and sunglasses. … I liked hats and scarves. I could wear it with a lot of different things.”
In 2016, the bag went to 48-year-old Jill Segro, a Hempfield alum and Mount Joy resident who lost her shoulder-length blonde hair when fighting triple-negative breast cancer.
In 2017, it went to Eva Salembier, whose long, brown curly hair fell out from treatment for stage 2A Hodgkin’s lymphoma in her final two years as a Manheim Township High School student.
In the first half of 2019, the bag went to Montgomery County resident Janet Fransham, whose brown, chin-length hair came out shortly after beginning treatment for ovarian cancer.
In June 2019, the collection returned to Segro, who had been battling breast cancer a second time. Segro died Dec. 19, 2019, at 51 years old. She left behind a husband and their teenage daughter. She was preceded in death by four miscarriages.
___
What are the symptoms?
Some people have no symptoms at all, according to the CDC. But symptoms can include:
Changes in the size or shape of the breast
Pain in any area of the breast
Nipple discharge other than breast milk (including blood)
A new lump in the breast or underarm
___
Several of the women who used the “bag of hats” during their cancer journeys said their favorite head coverings were those of neutral colors, because they generally matched any outfit.
Not Segro.
“All of hers were extremely colorful,” Callie Segro said.
“Her hats were the really bright, flowery kind,” Callie Segro said of her mom. “One was pink with yellow flowers. She had a green one, too. Just a bunch of different colors.”
The colorful hats matched Jill Segro’s personality.
“She was very bright,” Callie Segro said. “She was always cheery.”
“She was just very silly,” Good said. “She laughed a lot. She just always seemed very happy, even when things were tough.”
—-
It should be noted here some of the hats that were previously part of the collection instead touched the lives of two other women who were fighting cancer before dying months apart from each other. Beauregard gave some to a friend, Nicole Bomberger, a Mount Joy native and married mother of two daughters who was 38 when she died July 7, 2017. And Rosenberger provided some to Cecilia “Monica” Cisneros, an Elizabethtown resident originally from Ecuador and married mother of three adult children who was 53 when she died Oct. 22, 2017.
___
Why do cancer patients lose their hair?
Chemotherapy targets all rapidly dividing cells to fight cancer cells. But hair follicles are also some of the fastest-growing cells in the body. That’s why most cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy will lose their hair.
___
The collection is now back in Good’s possession for the time being, waiting to be passed along to the next person in need.
The “traveling bag of hats” has actually now grown to three large separate bags containing about 150 items in all, made up of hats, scarves, bandanas, knitted caps and ski caps in a variety of colors and sizes.
It’s beyond what Good could have imagined when she first passed along the original head coverings she first used 10 years ago.
“Just the fact that when I started all this myself, I didn’t have anybody who was going through the same thing,” Good said. “I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“It was such a Godsend when you’re dealing with everything else,” Fransham said.
“It wasn’t about the hats,” Longenderfer said. “ I can go buy hats. For me, it’s knowing somebody else went through something and is doing something kind for you.”
“I’ll always remember that kindness and love and connection,” Rosenberger said. “Having cancer, it’s a club you don’t ever want to be a part of, but once you’re a part of it, you’re family.”
___
Online:
https://bit.ly/3iBZrcc
___
Information from: LNP, http://lancasteronline.com


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Illinois changes online reporting of child abuse, neglect

CHICAGO ( AP ) - The Illinois agency responsible for investigating child abuse has updated its system for accepting online @ @ @ @ @ .
Leaders of the Department of Children and Family Services said the changes include clearer @ @ @ @ @ , aiming to reduce the amount of time required to complete abuse reports .
“ @ @ @ @ @ neglect is reported , the earlier we can connect the family to services and supports @ @ @ @ @ children safely at home , ” Acting Director Marc Smith said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ reports of abuse or neglect directly into the agency ’ s case management system .
@ @ @ @ @ investigators ’ efficiency .
Smith said making online reporting easier is critical during the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ likely to be seen by adults outside their home .
Reports to the agency have @ @ @ @ @ or in person this fall but totals for September still were lower than the same @ @ @ @ @ said .

CHICAGO (AP) - The Illinois agency responsible for investigating child abuse has updated its system for accepting online reports of neglect and abuse.
Leaders of the Department of Children and Family Services said the changes include clearer instructions and fewer necessary clicks, aiming to reduce the amount of time required to complete abuse reports.
“The earlier suspected abuse or neglect is reported, the earlier we can connect the family to services and supports they need to keep their children safely at home,” Acting Director Marc Smith said in a statement.
The updated system also puts reports of abuse or neglect directly into the agency’s case management system. Officials said that can improve investigators’ efficiency.
Smith said making online reporting easier is critical during the coronavirus pandemic since children are less likely to be seen by adults outside their home.
Reports to the agency have increased since schools resumed online or in person this fall but totals for September still were lower than the same month last year, he said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--EPA plans wells to assess scope of tainted Kokomo water

KOKOMO , Ind .
( AP ) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to install six groundwater monitoring wells around Kokomo to investigate the source and scope of chemical contamination that ’ s spread through groundwater beneath much of the north-central Indiana city .
The plans for the monitoring wells come five years after the 294-acre ( 119-hectare ) groundwater plume was listed on the EPA ’ s Superfund national program for top cleanup priorities .
The site was placed on that list in 2015 after testing found it was tainted with arsenic and vinyl chloride , a chemical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and packaging materials .
The underground plume also contains chlorinated solvents , which are chemicals widely used for dry cleaning and to clean machinery and electronic parts , the Kokomo Tribune reported .
EPA officials have investigated the extent and source of the contamination , including identifying 14 facilities within the city that handle solvents containing vinyl chloride .
There have been no conclusive findings in the past five years .
The EPA said the six groundwater monitoring wells will seek to determine how far down the contamination extends .
The wells will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the contaminated groundwater is moving and the best method for cleaning it up .
Data from those wells will also help investigators determine sites for other wells expected to be placed next year around Kokomo , about 60 miles ( 96 kilometers ) north of Indianapolis .
“ Because we don ’ t yet know the extent of the plume or the source , it may take several years for EPA to fully understand everything that ’ s going on in the subsurface , ” the EPA said in an email .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility treats all the water that ’ s pulled from the polluted plume to ensure that it ’ s free from vinyl chloride or other contaminants .

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to install six groundwater monitoring wells around Kokomo to investigate the source and scope of chemical contamination that’s spread through groundwater beneath much of the north-central Indiana city.
The plans for the monitoring wells come five years after the 294-acre (119-hectare) groundwater plume was listed on the EPA’s Superfund national program for top cleanup priorities.
The site was placed on that list in 2015 after testing found it was tainted with arsenic and vinyl chloride, a chemical used in the production of plastic products and packaging materials.
The underground plume also contains chlorinated solvents, which are chemicals widely used for dry cleaning and to clean machinery and electronic parts, the Kokomo Tribune reported.
EPA officials have investigated the extent and source of the contamination, including identifying 14 facilities within the city that handle solvents containing vinyl chloride. There have been no conclusive findings in the past five years.
The EPA said the six groundwater monitoring wells will seek to determine how far down the contamination extends. The wells will help the agency determine the depth at which the contaminated groundwater is moving and the best method for cleaning it up.
Data from those wells will also help investigators determine sites for other wells expected to be placed next year around Kokomo, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Indianapolis.
“Because we don’t yet know the extent of the plume or the source, it may take several years for EPA to fully understand everything that’s going on in the subsurface,” the EPA said in an email.
Indiana American Water’s water treatment facility treats all the water that’s pulled from the polluted plume to ensure that it’s free from vinyl chloride or other contaminants.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Amish cheesemaker preserves tradition with online sales

PHILADELPHIA ( AP ) - A ride through the rolling country roads of lush green Centre County farmland can feel about as far from the urban bustle of Philly ’ s restaurant rows as Pennsylvania can get .
And that was especially true as we climbed the gravel drive past the barns and farmhouse fringed with laundry lines fluttering in the fall breeze and we pulled up to the cheese house at Goot Essa .
This Amish farmstead cheesemaker , ( the name in Pennsylvania Dutch means “ good eating ” ) , is owned by the family of John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow their community ’ s religious traditions and assure it is as self-sustainable as possible .
“ This is an evolving process for us , but the goal is to be off the electrical grid , ” says John , 54 , who warmly welcomed us for a tour .
Solar panels power the pasteurizers that heat milk from the farm ’ s 70 Holsteins before it is hand-paddled , separated , and shaped .
Propane illuminates lanterns in the tasting room where orders are wrapped with ribbons and packed for gift box @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three aging rooms that are carved into the limestone hill below , where a 65-foot-long subterranean cave holds up to 10,000 pounds of aging dairy treasures like Felsa Yehr , a masterful Manchego-style wheel whose name means “ rock aged cheese.
” The COVID-19 catastrophe , however , has provided yet another reminder of how intricately our food systems are linked , where even some of the seemingly isolated artisan producers are vulnerable to the ripple effects of a still reeling restaurant industry .
“ This ( crisis ) has been a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is notable among Amish cheesemakers for his strong presence on cheeseboards in fine dining restaurants in Philadelphia and beyond .
That was a plus in pre-pandemic times .
But Goot Essa instantly lost 50 % of its business as orders went from an average of 100 per week to 15 after restaurants shut down in March .
“ Most restaurants are not back , or if they are back , ( at ) much lower volume , ” says Goot Essa office manager Carolyn Steffen .
It ’ s not for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laurel , one of several chefs on East Passyunk Avenue who has featured Goot Essa ’ s cheese , says that Felsa Yehr , which is made with sheep ’ s milk and aged for a year , “ is close to if not better than most Manchegos that we ’ ve had .
It ’ s very bright and floral with a lot of nuance , with an acidity like lemon rind and a kind of coriander smell.
” Elmi gushes that Goot Essa ’ s cow ’ s milk Gruyère-style , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like brown butter and hazelnuts .
And although it ’ s a harder alpine cheese , it smooths out quickly once you bite , then coats your lips , and encompasses your palate.
” Laurel finally reopened for limited indoor and outdoor dining earlier this month but the usual cheese course got axed for COVID-era tasting menu brevity : “ We ’ re trying to keep everyone here at or under two hours , ” Elmi says .
Goot Essa is hardly alone in its struggles , says Kerry Kaylegian , an associate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cheese contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and sits on the board of the American Cheese Society .
She estimates there are as many as 80 artisan cheesemakers in Pennsylvania , about 20 to 30 of them small farmstead operations that make cheese from their own milk .
And this crisis has challenged them all .
“ We ’ re seeing a lot of people struggling and smaller ( cheesemakers ) going under , ” she said .
“ If you ’ re a small business without a big buffer and losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hard to recover.
” This is not the first time the Esh family has faced an existential challenge to its farm .
In fact , that ’ s the reason they began making cheese nearly 20 years ago , as the economies of scale began to threaten small family dairies .
“ We were looking to position ourselves in a way to stay on this farm and support our family , ” said Esh , who began there as a dairy in 1991 , then began making cheese as a value-added product @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now have nine children and six grandkids , many of whom still work on the farm .
“ We ’ ve been blessed.
” Goot Essa ’ s operation has grown to an annual production of up to 40,000 pounds of cheese and employs eight non-family employees .
It also supports five other Amish farms that provide sheep and goat milk for some of the 19 varieties that cheesemakers Fannie Mae Glick and Lydia Stoltzfus make by hand .
Their version of Pecorino called Butta Schaf Kase is extraordinary after 16 months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flavors , a fissure-like crumble when sliced , and a bite of cellar age on the finish that recalls its sheep ’ s milk tang .
That sprawling cellar , built in 2014 , is one of three aging rooms at Goot Essa .
It has been a key to elevating the farm ’ s cheeses to the next level of complexity , which only time racked on a spruce wood shelf in a 55-degree room with high humidity can achieve .
Stepping down into its dank , vaulted space is a multi-sensory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must tickle your nose , and hundreds of cheese wheels cast concentric shadows across the brightly lit room in either direction .
This is where Goot Essa ’ s old-school magic happens .
Goot Essa produces a broad selection of well-made cheeses .
There are bloomy rind softies in three kinds of milk ( cow , sheep , and goat ; all of which could benefit from more ripening ) , a funky and pungent blue ( Der Edel Bleu Kase , perfect on burgers ) , excellent cheddars and a tangy Old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kinsinger of Oak Shade Cheese ( then aged further at Goot Essa ) .
John Esh built the business , in part , by his willingness to hire people to do the modern tasks he was uncomfortable doing himself .
He typically travels by horse and buggy , he said , as the phone rang and rang somewhere behind us ( “ It goes to voicemail !
” he shrugged ) .
But hiring a driver to take him on sales calls to restaurants and wineries in New York and Pennsylvania was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspiration for some of the European cheese styles that he ’ s refined with the help of consultant Bob Patton .
“ We get cold-calls from random people every week , but we ’ ve never had any Amish cheesemakers coming through , ” says Laurel ’ s Elmi , recalling his first encounter with Esh about five years ago .
“ I remember thinking , ‘ I don ’ t want to do this right now.
’ But he was so nice .
And then he started feeding me , Eddie Konrad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line cooks , and we were were like , ‘ Holy s- !
Let ’ s take a coffee break !
” High Street on Market , Townsend , Vetri , Rouge , and Tria were among the other Philly restaurants charmed enough to serve Goot Essa ’ s cheese .
But now the creamery must find ways to compensate for the loss of its restaurant base , and Esh has turned to another staple of modern commerce to help his cause : the internet .
“ Hiring a website manager for online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Esh , who does not use computers .
The timing couldn ’ t have been better .
The website they launched last winter is now responsible for 50 % of their retail business , says Steffen , throwing a small lifeline until the boost of the holiday season arrives when gift basket business - which also offer Amish honeys , preserves , mustards , and fudge - typically requires them to double staff .
“ We have seen increased retail traffic , but not enough to replace the restaurants , ” says Steffen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better than not having one.
” But in this corner of Pennsylvania , the old ways are still revered .
More locals have been coming directly to the farm to buy cheese in person .
Older customers still place their orders by phone , Steffen says .
And then there is their annual post office blast of colorful paper catalogs sent to 1,500 customers , its painted cover of an Amish family riding a horse-drawn sled across the picturesque farmland opening up to 20 pages of cave-aged dairy beauties .
Will it be @ @ @ @ @ @

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A ride through the rolling country roads of lush green Centre County farmland can feel about as far from the urban bustle of Philly’s restaurant rows as Pennsylvania can get.
And that was especially true as we climbed the gravel drive past the barns and farmhouse fringed with laundry lines fluttering in the fall breeze and we pulled up to the cheese house at Goot Essa. This Amish farmstead cheesemaker, (the name in Pennsylvania Dutch means “good eating”), is owned by the family of John and AnnaMary Esh, who strive to follow their community’s religious traditions and assure it is as self-sustainable as possible.
“This is an evolving process for us, but the goal is to be off the electrical grid,” says John, 54, who warmly welcomed us for a tour.
Solar panels power the pasteurizers that heat milk from the farm’s 70 Holsteins before it is hand-paddled, separated, and shaped. Propane illuminates lanterns in the tasting room where orders are wrapped with ribbons and packed for gift box shipping. A diesel engine chills the three aging rooms that are carved into the limestone hill below, where a 65-foot-long subterranean cave holds up to 10,000 pounds of aging dairy treasures like Felsa Yehr, a masterful Manchego-style wheel whose name means “rock aged cheese.”
The COVID-19 catastrophe, however, has provided yet another reminder of how intricately our food systems are linked, where even some of the seemingly isolated artisan producers are vulnerable to the ripple effects of a still reeling restaurant industry.
“This (crisis) has been a big deal for us,” said Esh, who is notable among Amish cheesemakers for his strong presence on cheeseboards in fine dining restaurants in Philadelphia and beyond. That was a plus in pre-pandemic times. But Goot Essa instantly lost 50% of its business as orders went from an average of 100 per week to 15 after restaurants shut down in March.
“Most restaurants are not back, or if they are back, (at) much lower volume,” says Goot Essa office manager Carolyn Steffen.
It’s not for lack of enthusiasm. Nicholas Elmi of Laurel, one of several chefs on East Passyunk Avenue who has featured Goot Essa’s cheese, says that Felsa Yehr, which is made with sheep’s milk and aged for a year, “is close to if not better than most Manchegos that we’ve had. It’s very bright and floral with a lot of nuance, with an acidity like lemon rind and a kind of coriander smell.”
Elmi gushes that Goot Essa’s cow’s milk Gruyère-style, Der Alpen Kase, “basically tastes like brown butter and hazelnuts. And although it’s a harder alpine cheese, it smooths out quickly once you bite, then coats your lips, and encompasses your palate.”
Laurel finally reopened for limited indoor and outdoor dining earlier this month but the usual cheese course got axed for COVID-era tasting menu brevity: “We’re trying to keep everyone here at or under two hours,” Elmi says.
Goot Essa is hardly alone in its struggles, says Kerry Kaylegian, an associate professor at Penn State University who started the cheese contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and sits on the board of the American Cheese Society. She estimates there are as many as 80 artisan cheesemakers in Pennsylvania, about 20 to 30 of them small farmstead operations that make cheese from their own milk. And this crisis has challenged them all.
“We’re seeing a lot of people struggling and smaller (cheesemakers) going under,” she said. “If you’re a small business without a big buffer and losing half your business overnight, it’s hard to recover.”
This is not the first time the Esh family has faced an existential challenge to its farm. In fact, that’s the reason they began making cheese nearly 20 years ago, as the economies of scale began to threaten small family dairies.
“We were looking to position ourselves in a way to stay on this farm and support our family,” said Esh, who began there as a dairy in 1991, then began making cheese as a value-added product for their milk in 2001. They now have nine children and six grandkids, many of whom still work on the farm. “We’ve been blessed.”
Goot Essa’s operation has grown to an annual production of up to 40,000 pounds of cheese and employs eight non-family employees. It also supports five other Amish farms that provide sheep and goat milk for some of the 19 varieties that cheesemakers Fannie Mae Glick and Lydia Stoltzfus make by hand. Their version of Pecorino called Butta Schaf Kase is extraordinary after 16 months of age, with intensely buttery, nutty flavors, a fissure-like crumble when sliced, and a bite of cellar age on the finish that recalls its sheep’s milk tang.
That sprawling cellar, built in 2014, is one of three aging rooms at Goot Essa. It has been a key to elevating the farm’s cheeses to the next level of complexity, which only time racked on a spruce wood shelf in a 55-degree room with high humidity can achieve. Stepping down into its dank, vaulted space is a multi-sensory experience: The lactic tang and cellar must tickle your nose, and hundreds of cheese wheels cast concentric shadows across the brightly lit room in either direction. This is where Goot Essa’s old-school magic happens.
Goot Essa produces a broad selection of well-made cheeses. There are bloomy rind softies in three kinds of milk (cow, sheep, and goat; all of which could benefit from more ripening), a funky and pungent blue (Der Edel Bleu Kase, perfect on burgers), excellent cheddars and a tangy Old German made off-site by Amish dairyman Israel Kinsinger of Oak Shade Cheese (then aged further at Goot Essa).
John Esh built the business, in part, by his willingness to hire people to do the modern tasks he was uncomfortable doing himself. He typically travels by horse and buggy, he said, as the phone rang and rang somewhere behind us (“It goes to voicemail!” he shrugged). But hiring a driver to take him on sales calls to restaurants and wineries in New York and Pennsylvania was a major step in gaining both exposure and inspiration for some of the European cheese styles that he’s refined with the help of consultant Bob Patton.
“We get cold-calls from random people every week, but we’ve never had any Amish cheesemakers coming through,” says Laurel’s Elmi, recalling his first encounter with Esh about five years ago. “I remember thinking, ‘I don’t want to do this right now.’ But he was so nice. And then he started feeding me, Eddie Konrad (then-chef de cuisine) and two line cooks, and we were were like, ‘Holy s-! Let’s take a coffee break!”
High Street on Market, Townsend, Vetri, Rouge, and Tria were among the other Philly restaurants charmed enough to serve Goot Essa’s cheese. But now the creamery must find ways to compensate for the loss of its restaurant base, and Esh has turned to another staple of modern commerce to help his cause: the internet.
“Hiring a website manager for online sales has been important,” says Esh, who does not use computers.
The timing couldn’t have been better. The website they launched last winter is now responsible for 50% of their retail business, says Steffen, throwing a small lifeline until the boost of the holiday season arrives when gift basket business - which also offer Amish honeys, preserves, mustards, and fudge - typically requires them to double staff.
“We have seen increased retail traffic, but not enough to replace the restaurants,” says Steffen. “Having the site has been better than not having one.”
But in this corner of Pennsylvania, the old ways are still revered. More locals have been coming directly to the farm to buy cheese in person. Older customers still place their orders by phone, Steffen says. And then there is their annual post office blast of colorful paper catalogs sent to 1,500 customers, its painted cover of an Amish family riding a horse-drawn sled across the picturesque farmland opening up to 20 pages of cave-aged dairy beauties. Will it be the boost Goot Essa needs?
“We shall see,” says Steffen.
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Online:
https://bit.ly/3iCRh2V
___
Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Roosevelt University creates new health sciences college

CHICAGO ( AP ) - Roosevelt University is creating a new college focused on health care education .
Officials at @ @ @ @ @ College of Science , Health and Pharmacy combines existing programs in science and pre-health .
@ @ @ @ @ total academic programs .
Dr. Melissa Hogan and Dr. Kelly Wentz-Hunter have been named as @ @ @ @ @ .
Hogan has been dean of the College of Pharmacy since 2016 and Wentz-Hunter has @ @ @ @ @ , Physical and Health Sciences Department since coming to Roosevelt in 2006 .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ in health care , ” Wentz-Hunter said in a statement .
“ We have a @ @ @ @ @ successful programs and provide a more holistic approach in training and educating our future professionals @ @ @ @ @ justice mission .
”

CHICAGO (AP) - Roosevelt University is creating a new college focused on health care education.
Officials at the Chicago university said the College of Science, Health and Pharmacy combines existing programs in science and pre-health. The new college includes 16 total academic programs.
Dr. Melissa Hogan and Dr. Kelly Wentz-Hunter have been named as the college’s co-deans.
Hogan has been dean of the College of Pharmacy since 2016 and Wentz-Hunter has been chair of the Biological, Physical and Health Sciences Department since coming to Roosevelt in 2006.
“We are facing a new era in health care,” Wentz-Hunter said in a statement. “We have a unique opportunity to leverage our successful programs and provide a more holistic approach in training and educating our future professionals, guided by our social justice mission.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--State: Worker who got $186K in ‘dog phobia’ case owned dogs

OLYMPIA , Wash. ( AP ) - A meter reader who was attacked by a dog while on duty and collected years of workers ’ compensation is now accused of stealing the money , the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries said .
Linda Jordan of Cathlamet told the agency the attack gave her such a strong fear of dogs she couldn ’ t work anymore and fainted at the sight of them , the agency said .
She ’ s now accused of stealing $ 186,000 of workers ’ compensation money , The Bellingham Herald reported .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Pacific County Public Utility District in 2007 .
According to L & I ; , she filed an injury claim .
In 2018 , a claim manager suspected there was something wrong and an investigation began .
An L & I ; investigator went to Jordan ’ s property and was “ greeted by three small French bulldogs ” when he arrived and “ watched her three large boxers swarm around her , ” according to L & I .
; She told the agent that she and her husband rescued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , “ and even warned the investigator that one of her recently rescued dogs might bite , ” according to the news release .
Jordan is charged with felony theft in Wahkiakum County for “ wrongfully receiving nearly $ 163,000 in wage-replacement payments , plus more than $ 23,000 in vocational and medical services , from 2016 to 2019.
” “ The defendant ’ s alleged actions in this case are so blatant it ’ s astounding , ” said Chris Bowe , assistant director of L & I ; ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the news release .
It wasn ’ t immediately known if Jordan has a lawyer to comment .

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A meter reader who was attacked by a dog while on duty and collected years of workers’ compensation is now accused of stealing the money, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries said .
Linda Jordan of Cathlamet told the agency the attack gave her such a strong fear of dogs she couldn’t work anymore and fainted at the sight of them, the agency said.
She’s now accused of stealing $186,000 of workers’ compensation money, The Bellingham Herald reported.
A dog bit Jordan while she was working for the Pacific County Public Utility District in 2007. According to L&I, she filed an injury claim. In 2018, a claim manager suspected there was something wrong and an investigation began.
An L&I investigator went to Jordan’s property and was “greeted by three small French bulldogs” when he arrived and “watched her three large boxers swarm around her,” according to L&I.
She told the agent that she and her husband rescued and fostered boxers over the last 30 years, “and even warned the investigator that one of her recently rescued dogs might bite,” according to the news release.
Jordan is charged with felony theft in Wahkiakum County for “wrongfully receiving nearly $163,000 in wage-replacement payments, plus more than $23,000 in vocational and medical services, from 2016 to 2019.”
“The defendant’s alleged actions in this case are so blatant it’s astounding,” said Chris Bowe, assistant director of L&I’s Fraud Prevention and Labor Standards, according to the news release.
It wasn’t immediately known if Jordan has a lawyer to comment.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Noncitizen immigrants to get health coverage in Illinois

CHICAGO ( AP ) - Low-income immigrants ages 65 and older in Illinois will be eligible for health care coverage that is similar to Medicaid despite their immigration status .
Ananias Ocampo , who is at high risk of contracting the virus because of his age and health , does not qualify for Medicare , Social Security , or any other federal assistance because of his immigration status .
But the 76-year-old will be able to apply for the program in December .
The expansion was part of the state budget passed this year , the Chicago Tribune reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at peace knowing that if I get sick , I can go see a good doctor that can help me heal without having to worry about not having the money to pay for the treatment , ” Ocampo , who has diabetes , said in Spanish .
Hayley Burgess of the National Immigration Law Center said Illinois is the first state to fully fund a program of this nature for noncitizen immigrant older people .
The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus supported the program in response to data showing uninsured older people who contracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , resulting in more medical bills the state would pay for , said Rep. Delia Ramirez , D-Chicago .
A Rush University Medical Center study shows that the population of older immigrants in a situation like Ocampo ’ s will “ substantially ” grow in the state in the next 10 years , said Padraic Stanley , a program coordinator at Rush who conducted the unpublished study with Chicago researcher Rob Paral .
“ It ultimately shows that we need structural solutions because currently , undocumented older adults are being serviced ( in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of resources and people or certain organizations making exceptions to find creative solutions for patients , ” Stanley said .
The program is expected to cost the state $ 5 million , said Evan Fazio , a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services .
Advocates say that ’ s a small amount compared to how much noncitizen immigrants pay in taxes .
A 2017 study found Illinois residents without legal immigration status contributed more than $ 758 million a year in state and local taxes , said Andrea Kovach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center on Poverty Law , who has worked with supporters of the bill .
Eligible applicants can enroll in December through the state website and call centers .
They will be able to apply for retroactive coverage which will cover health care bills from the past year .

CHICAGO (AP) - Low-income immigrants ages 65 and older in Illinois will be eligible for health care coverage that is similar to Medicaid despite their immigration status.
Ananias Ocampo, who is at high risk of contracting the virus because of his age and health, does not qualify for Medicare, Social Security, or any other federal assistance because of his immigration status. But the 76-year-old will be able to apply for the program in December. The expansion was part of the state budget passed this year, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“At least now I can be at peace knowing that if I get sick, I can go see a good doctor that can help me heal without having to worry about not having the money to pay for the treatment,” Ocampo, who has diabetes, said in Spanish.
Hayley Burgess of the National Immigration Law Center said Illinois is the first state to fully fund a program of this nature for noncitizen immigrant older people.
The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus supported the program in response to data showing uninsured older people who contracted the coronavirus could risk more severe complications, resulting in more medical bills the state would pay for, said Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago.
A Rush University Medical Center study shows that the population of older immigrants in a situation like Ocampo’s will “substantially” grow in the state in the next 10 years, said Padraic Stanley, a program coordinator at Rush who conducted the unpublished study with Chicago researcher Rob Paral.
“It ultimately shows that we need structural solutions because currently, undocumented older adults are being serviced (in health care institutions) with a patchwork of resources and people or certain organizations making exceptions to find creative solutions for patients,” Stanley said.
The program is expected to cost the state $5 million, said Evan Fazio, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
Advocates say that’s a small amount compared to how much noncitizen immigrants pay in taxes.
A 2017 study found Illinois residents without legal immigration status contributed more than $758 million a year in state and local taxes, said Andrea Kovach, a senior attorney with the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, who has worked with supporters of the bill.
Eligible applicants can enroll in December through the state website and call centers. They will be able to apply for retroactive coverage which will cover health care bills from the past year.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Electronic music artists to close out Concert of Colors

DETROIT ( AP ) - Michigan State University ’ s Science Gallery Detroit is helping present a performance at the annual Concert of Colors in Detroit .
Underground Resistance and electronic music artists John Collins and Mark Flash will be part of Sunday ’ s virtual event .
On Monday , Science Gallery Detroit will host a virtual workshop on design concepts run by Canadian artist Marc Ngui .
Sunday ’ s performance and Monday ’ s workshop are part of Science Gallery Detroit ’ s “ FUTURE PRESENT : Design in a Time of Urgency ” exhibition which runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open in downtown Detroit and is free to the public .
“ A core component of design is finding creative solutions to complex challenges , ” said Devon Akmon , director of Science Gallery Detroit .
“ Our team has taken an innovative approach to designing timely and relevant exhibits in Detroit while presenting exciting and informative programs to a global audience through a range of collaborative partnerships.
” Due to safety concerns around the coronavirus pandemic , only 30 visitors are being allowed per hour at the exhibition .
The exhibition also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attendees are required to wear face coverings at all times to stem transmission of the COVID-19 virus .
Michigan State University and Science Gallery International launched Science Gallery Detroit in 2018 .
The initiative creates space for programs and exhibitions designed to inspire creativity .
The Concert of Colors is a free diversity-themed , week-long festival designed to unite diverse communities and ethnic groups through music and dance from around the world .

DETROIT (AP) - Michigan State University’s Science Gallery Detroit is helping present a performance at the annual Concert of Colors in Detroit.
Underground Resistance and electronic music artists John Collins and Mark Flash will be part of Sunday’s virtual event.
On Monday, Science Gallery Detroit will host a virtual workshop on design concepts run by Canadian artist Marc Ngui.
Sunday’s performance and Monday’s workshop are part of Science Gallery Detroit’s “FUTURE PRESENT: Design in a Time of Urgency” exhibition which runs through Dec. 11. The exhibition is open in downtown Detroit and is free to the public.
“A core component of design is finding creative solutions to complex challenges,” said Devon Akmon, director of Science Gallery Detroit. “Our team has taken an innovative approach to designing timely and relevant exhibits in Detroit while presenting exciting and informative programs to a global audience through a range of collaborative partnerships.”
Due to safety concerns around the coronavirus pandemic, only 30 visitors are being allowed per hour at the exhibition. The exhibition also is being sanitized once every hour. Attendees are required to wear face coverings at all times to stem transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
Michigan State University and Science Gallery International launched Science Gallery Detroit in 2018. The initiative creates space for programs and exhibitions designed to inspire creativity.
The Concert of Colors is a free diversity-themed, week-long festival designed to unite diverse communities and ethnic groups through music and dance from around the world.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Therapy group offers services to organizations amid pandemic

MARTINSBURG , W.Va. ( AP ) - Horses with Hearts , a premier accredited riding therapy center focused on offering children and adults in the Eastern Panhandle a variety of special-needs and mental illness-based therapies , has expanded its offerings to include businesses and nonprofits in the area .
Typically , the therapy group , founded by Kay Barkwill in honor of a young girl with special needs who passed away before she was ever able to ride a horse as she had dreamed , offers three two-month sessions throughout the year , where groups of 30 to 35 riders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently expanded to include addiction and mental health services - are able to interact with the animals and volunteers and build relationships that foster continued growth and provide education about the “ remarkable things ” the human body can do through this therapy .
However , as has been the case with many typical activities in the Eastern Panhandle , COVID-19 derailed the organization ’ s calendar .
“ COVID-19 affected our start , but we are very blessed that because we are all volunteers , it didn ’ t hit us hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did affect our wants because of the lack of funds , ” Barkwill said .
“ But we were able to get kids on the horses , we were able to start those learning activities and we are going to build on that.
” One major way Barkwill said Horses with Hearts has been able to utilize the restrictions of COVID-19 has been through the use of a West Virginia Bridge grant that allowed the entity to offer local organizations and businesses introversive workshops focused on trust and strength within the work environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on helping business and organization leaders learn about each of their volunteers ’ or employees ’ strengths in the work environment and helping these leaders establish better , more cohesive teams by bolstering those strengths .
Stacie Rohn , executive director of the Girls and Boys Club of the Eastern Panhandle , vouched for the success of the workshops , stating that club employees were able to attend a workshop and find what each individual had as strengths , allowing her to see her team and strategize their strengths to benefit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better decisions as a leader in general.
” Barkwill said the all-day workshops are interactive and were created to help groups learn about themselves and their teams while utilizing a variety of activities , including horse-related ones , to pinpoint these exact skills .
According to Barkwill , businesses and nonprofits interested in hosting their own workshops for their staff or teams can also feel good about giving back to the community directly , as 90 % of what the group pays goes directly to Horses with Hearts , while the remaining 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program .
In addition to its training offering , Barkwill also shared a few updates on the Horses with Hearts property itself , including an additional four acres of land to the 30 acres the organization already possesses to be used for a parking lot , a playground and a hay storage and equipment building .
Barkwill said the organization also started its “ Mini Hearts ” program , sponsored by Procter & Gamble , where miniature horses are utilized to visit schools , hospitals and nursing homes and offer their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will become a very big outreach opportunity for the program .
Horses with Hearts also added a “ Horse Power Reading ” program where two certified instructors in equine learning help children build their language and reading skills through interactions and games with the animals .
Barkwill said their hope is to have this therapy ready by the late fall or early spring .
Horses with Hearts was also able to raise $ 50,328 through the United Way campaign to build the additional hay storage building the organization had been working toward , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to hold 120 round bales of hay .

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - Horses with Hearts, a premier accredited riding therapy center focused on offering children and adults in the Eastern Panhandle a variety of special-needs and mental illness-based therapies, has expanded its offerings to include businesses and nonprofits in the area.
Typically, the therapy group, founded by Kay Barkwill in honor of a young girl with special needs who passed away before she was ever able to ride a horse as she had dreamed, offers three two-month sessions throughout the year, where groups of 30 to 35 riders with a variety of special needs - recently expanded to include addiction and mental health services - are able to interact with the animals and volunteers and build relationships that foster continued growth and provide education about the “remarkable things” the human body can do through this therapy.
However, as has been the case with many typical activities in the Eastern Panhandle, COVID-19 derailed the organization’s calendar.
“COVID-19 affected our start, but we are very blessed that because we are all volunteers, it didn’t hit us hard in the need area, but it did affect our wants because of the lack of funds,” Barkwill said. “But we were able to get kids on the horses, we were able to start those learning activities and we are going to build on that.”
One major way Barkwill said Horses with Hearts has been able to utilize the restrictions of COVID-19 has been through the use of a West Virginia Bridge grant that allowed the entity to offer local organizations and businesses introversive workshops focused on trust and strength within the work environment.
According to Barkwill, the workshops focus on helping business and organization leaders learn about each of their volunteers’ or employees’ strengths in the work environment and helping these leaders establish better, more cohesive teams by bolstering those strengths.
Stacie Rohn, executive director of the Girls and Boys Club of the Eastern Panhandle, vouched for the success of the workshops, stating that club employees were able to attend a workshop and find what each individual had as strengths, allowing her to see her team and strategize their strengths to benefit the organization as a whole and “make better decisions as a leader in general.”
Barkwill said the all-day workshops are interactive and were created to help groups learn about themselves and their teams while utilizing a variety of activities, including horse-related ones, to pinpoint these exact skills.
According to Barkwill, businesses and nonprofits interested in hosting their own workshops for their staff or teams can also feel good about giving back to the community directly, as 90% of what the group pays goes directly to Horses with Hearts, while the remaining 10% goes to Leadership Adventure to fund the program.
In addition to its training offering, Barkwill also shared a few updates on the Horses with Hearts property itself, including an additional four acres of land to the 30 acres the organization already possesses to be used for a parking lot, a playground and a hay storage and equipment building.
Barkwill said the organization also started its “Mini Hearts” program, sponsored by Procter & Gamble, where miniature horses are utilized to visit schools, hospitals and nursing homes and offer their own equine therapies that Barkwill said she believes will become a very big outreach opportunity for the program.
Horses with Hearts also added a “Horse Power Reading” program where two certified instructors in equine learning help children build their language and reading skills through interactions and games with the animals.
Barkwill said their hope is to have this therapy ready by the late fall or early spring.
Horses with Hearts was also able to raise $50,328 through the United Way campaign to build the additional hay storage building the organization had been working toward, and the facility is now up and able to hold 120 round bales of hay.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Virginia man faces challenges at his bar amid pandemic

HARRISONBURG , Va. ( AP ) - Past the cheerful demeanor and booming welcome emitting from across the taproom , Shawn Gatesman ’ s darting eyes wide with strain betray his thinly veiled exhaustion .
Each morning , Gatesman is up by 4 a.m. slinging back coffee and reading or working on the computer to enjoy the quiet at home before going into The Friendly Fermenter , where nearly seven hours of brewing or daunting piles of administrator duties await .
Gatesman ’ s days are long and his list of responsibilities even longer , but operating The Friendly Fermenter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s not running on nothing at 120 miles per hour .
“ I built a business intended to bring people together and build camaraderie , and coronavirus has basically ripped that to shreds , ” Gatesman said .
“ Honestly , with this location and the restrictions on COVID , if it wasn ’ t for the following I have , I don ’ t think I would have made it this far.
” Locals and patrons know Gatesman as the owner-operator of The Friendly Fermenter , but he is first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ From the beginning , this was done for my family , ” he said .
“ Raising kids and being a family man is by far the hardest things I ’ ve done in my life , and I can ’ t imagine anything being more rewarding.
” To add to the challenge of running a business from a basement during the pandemic , Gatesman makes it a priority to rush back to his Linville home between breaks at least twice a day to check on his children as they navigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , he dedicates himself to purging his home as the family transitions to a new residence .
After the sun has sunk behind the horizon , Gatesman hunts for sleep - if he can find it - and then begins the tireless cycle once again .
Growing up , Gatesman had an inkling he wanted to follow his father ’ s footsteps and operate his own business as what he calls a “ blue-collar entrepreneur , ” but it wasn ’ t until 2014 that he tried his hand at homebrewing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the hobby .
“ People getting excited for my homebrew was like an addiction to me , ” he said .
Three years ago , Gatesman found the perfect nook to establish his nanobrewery and homebrew shop at the corner of Mason and Market streets , affectionately referred to as “ the beer shelter.
” Since then , Gatesman has created a name for himself in the craft beer world and developed a “ village ” of steadfast , loyal patrons .
Beer drinkers visit The Friendly Fermenter to enjoy eccentric , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tucked into the basement .
It ’ s easy to overlook from the road , but flavors such as “ Thaing One On ” made with Thai ginger and apricot tart are guaranteed to catch your attention .
Fueled by the desire to support his family and cultivate a humble , comfortable space to drink , converse and be merry - Gatesman said his vision of The Friendly Fermenter has always been about close relationships in close quarters - impossible amid concerns of COVID-19 contagion .
“ It ’ s about a bunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until our ribs hurt .
… That ’ s what it ’ s about , and it ’ s hard to do that now , ” he said .
Noah “ Preach ” Yoder spent the better part of last year working behind the bar pouring pints and sharing infectious laughter with patrons .
But apart from the jokes and fun , Yoder said his best memories were in the wake of hardship , made better at the bar .
“ It was a Sunday afternoon , and I had my regular regulars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes in alone and sits at the bar and he seemed like a normal dude , but I get to talking with him and find out he didn ’ t want to wait in the waiting room in the hospital because his son was getting surgery , ” Yoder said .
“ It was so cool to see all of the regulars just include him , bring him into the inner circle , get his mind off things for a while but knew he was loved and things would be OK. ” Brenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Thomas House consider Gatesman a business partner and friend , and both can sometimes be found working behind the bar helping when the taproom is short-staffed or hosting off-hour events .
Kearney said hanging out at the brewery always feels more like sharing a beer between good friends than ordering a round at any pretentious watering hole , but Horrell said Gatesman ’ s larger than life personality and excitement interacting with the community is what makes the establishment special .
“ It ’ s Shawn and his poignant personality , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a business owner , a family man , a husband , a father .
For me , those things are hard to adjust to … but he just goes and goes and goes and tries really hard not to let any of those responsibilities fall to the wayside.
” Under the ambient lighting in the taproom , Gatesman maintains an upbeat energy serving customers seated spaced out at table tops made by himself and his father , but there ’ s a subtle inflection of stress that cuts through his jolly voice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said working through the pandemic and watching the ebb and flow of clients rush to support local businesses and then drift back into hiding again has caused him emotional distress he isn ’ t sure can be mended .
“ I don ’ t even know how to go back to who I was mentally .
I don ’ t know if the enthusiasm I ever have can be restored , ” he said .
Whether coming in to distract a troubled mind , searching for advice from strangers or soaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a special style of community established between everyone who walks into the beer shelter .
Yoder said it doesn ’ t matter if you come in alone or with friends - everyone is sharing and creating the experience together .
“ You may only see each other in the bar , but you talk to each other and you know what everyone ’ s kids ’ names are and where you work .
It ’ s just different , ” he said .
That style of connection and openness isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Yoder said .
It stems directly from the warmth and love Gatesman emanates .
“ Shawn is just one of those guys where he walks into a room and everybody notices .
You look at him and he ’ s smiling and welcoming and happy to be alive , ” Yoder said .
“ He ’ s a big beer yeti who just cares for the people around him .
When he asks how you ’ re doing , he genuinely wants to know , and that ’ s bled through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beer shelter doubles as the meeting place for Harrisonburg Homebrewers .
Gatesman said the homebrew shop in The Friendly Fermenter saw an uptick in customers as most hobby shops have seen during the pandemic , but the 30 % of revenue it accounted for at its peak is incomparable to the loss of drink sales because homebrewers are sporadic shoppers .
As the taproom manager at Brothers Craft Brewing and a member of the Friendly Foundation mug club , Josh Harold looks to Gatesman as a fellow brewer and collaborator , but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the taproom has a “ come-as-you-are ” atmosphere that remains successful in the face of hardship in equal parts because of Gatesman ’ s gracious kindness and brilliant brews .
“ It ’ s a place so many call home because of the friendly , personal nature .
… It really has people really loyal to his space even amid a pandemic , with the misfortune of not having space that ’ s COVID-friendly , ” Harold said .
“ He ’ s constantly innovating and creating .
… It keeps it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exciting.
” In the beer shelter , Gatesman is operating in a low-key tone , refusing to partake to the chaos and noise outside , but he said maintaining the operation is challenging , so he hopes people remember to support local businesses or be prepared to see them gone once the pandemic has subsided .
“ This year has been really , really surreal , ” Gatesman said .
“ Every day , we hear , ‘ Man , it ’ s nice to come in here and get a pint , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ ll feel better when I can shake your hand .
’ ”

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) - Past the cheerful demeanor and booming welcome emitting from across the taproom, Shawn Gatesman’s darting eyes wide with strain betray his thinly veiled exhaustion.
Each morning, Gatesman is up by 4 a.m. slinging back coffee and reading or working on the computer to enjoy the quiet at home before going into The Friendly Fermenter, where nearly seven hours of brewing or daunting piles of administrator duties await.
Gatesman’s days are long and his list of responsibilities even longer, but operating The Friendly Fermenter is his refuge and outlet, when he’s not running on nothing at 120 miles per hour.
“I built a business intended to bring people together and build camaraderie, and coronavirus has basically ripped that to shreds,” Gatesman said. “Honestly, with this location and the restrictions on COVID, if it wasn’t for the following I have, I don’t think I would have made it this far.”
Locals and patrons know Gatesman as the owner-operator of The Friendly Fermenter, but he is first and foremost a father and family man.
“From the beginning, this was done for my family,” he said. “Raising kids and being a family man is by far the hardest things I’ve done in my life, and I can’t imagine anything being more rewarding.”
To add to the challenge of running a business from a basement during the pandemic, Gatesman makes it a priority to rush back to his Linville home between breaks at least twice a day to check on his children as they navigate virtual learning. After the workday winds down, he dedicates himself to purging his home as the family transitions to a new residence. After the sun has sunk behind the horizon, Gatesman hunts for sleep - if he can find it - and then begins the tireless cycle once again.
PALE ALE BEGINNINGS
Growing up, Gatesman had an inkling he wanted to follow his father’s footsteps and operate his own business as what he calls a “blue-collar entrepreneur,” but it wasn’t until 2014 that he tried his hand at homebrewing and became captivated by the creativity and independence of the hobby.
“People getting excited for my homebrew was like an addiction to me,” he said.
Three years ago, Gatesman found the perfect nook to establish his nanobrewery and homebrew shop at the corner of Mason and Market streets, affectionately referred to as “the beer shelter.”
Since then, Gatesman has created a name for himself in the craft beer world and developed a “village” of steadfast, loyal patrons. Beer drinkers visit The Friendly Fermenter to enjoy eccentric, artisan beers from within the downtown nanobrewery tucked into the basement. It’s easy to overlook from the road, but flavors such as “Thaing One On” made with Thai ginger and apricot tart are guaranteed to catch your attention.
Fueled by the desire to support his family and cultivate a humble, comfortable space to drink, converse and be merry - Gatesman said his vision of The Friendly Fermenter has always been about close relationships in close quarters - impossible amid concerns of COVID-19 contagion.
“It’s about a bunch of us getting in here and laughing until our ribs hurt. … That’s what it’s about, and it’s hard to do that now,” he said.
FRIENDLY MEMORIES
Noah “Preach” Yoder spent the better part of last year working behind the bar pouring pints and sharing infectious laughter with patrons. But apart from the jokes and fun, Yoder said his best memories were in the wake of hardship, made better at the bar.
“It was a Sunday afternoon, and I had my regular regulars at the bar. … This guy comes in alone and sits at the bar and he seemed like a normal dude, but I get to talking with him and find out he didn’t want to wait in the waiting room in the hospital because his son was getting surgery,” Yoder said. “It was so cool to see all of the regulars just include him, bring him into the inner circle, get his mind off things for a while but knew he was loved and things would be OK.”
Brenda Horrell and Jack Kearney of Dayton’s Thomas House consider Gatesman a business partner and friend, and both can sometimes be found working behind the bar helping when the taproom is short-staffed or hosting off-hour events.
Kearney said hanging out at the brewery always feels more like sharing a beer between good friends than ordering a round at any pretentious watering hole, but Horrell said Gatesman’s larger than life personality and excitement interacting with the community is what makes the establishment special.
“It’s Shawn and his poignant personality,” she said. “He handles being a business owner, a family man, a husband, a father. For me, those things are hard to adjust to … but he just goes and goes and goes and tries really hard not to let any of those responsibilities fall to the wayside.”
Under the ambient lighting in the taproom, Gatesman maintains an upbeat energy serving customers seated spaced out at table tops made by himself and his father, but there’s a subtle inflection of stress that cuts through his jolly voice.
Despite his passion to serve artisan brews, he said working through the pandemic and watching the ebb and flow of clients rush to support local businesses and then drift back into hiding again has caused him emotional distress he isn’t sure can be mended.
“I don’t even know how to go back to who I was mentally. I don’t know if the enthusiasm I ever have can be restored,” he said.
Whether coming in to distract a troubled mind, searching for advice from strangers or soaking in the local camaraderie, there’s a special style of community established between everyone who walks into the beer shelter. Yoder said it doesn’t matter if you come in alone or with friends - everyone is sharing and creating the experience together.
“You may only see each other in the bar, but you talk to each other and you know what everyone’s kids’ names are and where you work. It’s just different,” he said.
That style of connection and openness isn’t a coincidence or lucky twist of fate, Yoder said. It stems directly from the warmth and love Gatesman emanates.
“Shawn is just one of those guys where he walks into a room and everybody notices. You look at him and he’s smiling and welcoming and happy to be alive,” Yoder said. “He’s a big beer yeti who just cares for the people around him. When he asks how you’re doing, he genuinely wants to know, and that’s bled through the business.”
Once a month, the beer shelter doubles as the meeting place for Harrisonburg Homebrewers. Gatesman said the homebrew shop in The Friendly Fermenter saw an uptick in customers as most hobby shops have seen during the pandemic, but the 30% of revenue it accounted for at its peak is incomparable to the loss of drink sales because homebrewers are sporadic shoppers.
As the taproom manager at Brothers Craft Brewing and a member of the Friendly Foundation mug club, Josh Harold looks to Gatesman as a fellow brewer and collaborator, but he is also a decades-old friend. Harold said the taproom has a “come-as-you-are” atmosphere that remains successful in the face of hardship in equal parts because of Gatesman’s gracious kindness and brilliant brews.
“It’s a place so many call home because of the friendly, personal nature. … It really has people really loyal to his space even amid a pandemic, with the misfortune of not having space that’s COVID-friendly,” Harold said. “He’s constantly innovating and creating. … It keeps it super fresh, and it keeps it exciting.”
In the beer shelter, Gatesman is operating in a low-key tone, refusing to partake to the chaos and noise outside, but he said maintaining the operation is challenging, so he hopes people remember to support local businesses or be prepared to see them gone once the pandemic has subsided.
“This year has been really, really surreal,” Gatesman said. “Every day, we hear, ‘Man, it’s nice to come in here and get a pint,’ and I say, ‘Yeah, but it’ll feel better when I can shake your hand.’”


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--'Jews in Space' exhibit explores Jewish scholars, artists

BALTIMORE ( AP ) - During the early years of the first “ Star Trek ” TV series , when a producer asked actor Leonard Nimoy to develop a sign of greeting for his character Spock to use , Nimoy flashed on a childhood memory .
What popped into his mind was a synagogue service in which several rabbis raised their hands , split their pinkie and ring fingers from their middle and index fingers to form a wide V , and started chanting in Hebrew .
And that ’ s how the Birkat Kohanim - a sign of Jewish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moses - inspired the “ Vulcan salute , ” the hand sign that became Spock ’ s signature and an icon of Western pop culture .
The story , first shared by Nimoy in his 1975 autobiography , “ I Am Not Spock , ” isn ’ t the only example of Judaism intersecting the universes of space study and science fiction .
It ’ s a connection as old as the Torah , and now it ’ s the theme of an unconventional exhibit at the Jewish Museum of Maryland .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tribe in Orbit , ” as it ’ s whimsically titled , includes displays about everything from rabbinical scholars who shaped early astronomy to modern Jewish authors and artists who helped develop the sci-fi genre in books , comics and films .
Spaced out over 2,000 colorfully arrayed square feet , it embraces everything from Maimonides to Mel Brooks as it advances a sort of field theory : that just as the Jewish people are known for their history of traveling far and wide in search of an identity and a home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherworldly , who explore the heavenly beyond .
“ I think the idea of an alien - of someone who doesn ’ t belong , who ’ s trying to find their way and navigate the pressures of assimilation - definitely resonates with Jews in America or in any diaspora , ” says Tracie Guy-Decker , the museum ’ s deputy director and a Jewish native of Baltimore .
“ Staying true to oneself , but fitting in at the same time , is a theme of a lot of science fiction and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Jews would be drawn to it.
” Officials of the Jewish Museum of Maryland , which stands next to the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue in East Baltimore , happened on the concept two years ago when they learned of a smaller version of the exhibit at the Center for Jewish History in New York .
The starting point for the curators there , the team learned , was basically their amusement at the goofball phrase “ Jews in Space.
” It ’ s the title of a zany short film Brooks created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ History of the World , Part I ” in 1981 .
That short feature - a takeoff of “ Star Wars ” and “ The Muppet Show ” - showed audiences Orthodox rebbes piloting Star of David-shaped spacecraft and blasting lasers while happily belting out the title song , “ We ’ re Jews out in space / We ’ re zooming along protecting the Hebrew race !
” Among other things , it showed that the existential quest at the heart of the faith could be viewed alongside popular entertainment vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Muppet Show ” called “ Pigs in Space.
” But that “ funny contrast became something real over time ” as the New Yorkers began gathering information and artifacts that “ tell the full story of Jews ’ relationship to the solar system , ” says Marvin Pinkert , executive director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland .
“ The idea starts out as a comical thing , but there ’ s plenty of depth to it as well , ” Pinkert says .
It was in about A.D. 360 , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillel II is said to have fixed the Jewish calendar , an undertaking that required a sophisticated understanding of both celestial patterns and advanced mathematics .
Jewish ruling elders had decreed that every new month should begin at a time determined by observations of the new moon , a decision that made it otherwise difficult for Jews to know , for instance , on what exact days to celebrate their most important holidays .
The Jewish calendar is “ progressive lunar ” in nature , with a full leap month added once for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistency .
“ Science was in a way indistinguishable from religion at that juncture in history , and someone had to understand astronomy ” to develop that calendar , Pinkert says .
The story became part of a graphic timeline that stretches from such early thinkers to Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon , also known as Maimonides , who used his 12th-century writings to reconcile Aristotle ’ s views of the universe with biblical accounts , to modern Jewish figures including sci-fi pioneer Isaac Asimov , astronauts Judith Resnik and Jeffrey Hoffman , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Space Odyssey ” ) and Steven Spielberg ( “ E.T.
, ” “ Close Encounters of the Third Kind ” ) .
The timeline is part of the New York exhibit that curators brought to Baltimore .
So are such highlights as rare works of astronomy , in Hebrew , from the early and mid-18th century and a section on Nimoy that contains editions of “ I Am Not Spock ” and its 1995 follow-up , “ I Am Spock.
” When Pinkert and company decided to import the exhibit , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , both to make use of the larger display space in the Lloyd Street museum and to enhance it with Maryland-related features .
Joanna Church , the Baltimore museum ’ s collections and exhibits director , quickly realized some of the possibilities .
The museum , Church says , had long possessed a hand-carved , early-20th-century decalogue - a representation of the tablets on which God is said to have etched the Ten Commandments - donated by the now-defunct B ’ nai Reuben Synagogue .
The piece , designed to decorate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that contains the Torah ) , was surmounted not by a crown or lions , as many are , but by a carving of a pair of hands giving the Kohanim blessing that had inspired Nimoy .
Curators made it part of the “ Star Trek ” display .
“ By putting it in this context , we ’ re talking about that ( Vulcan ) salute as a religious symbol , ” Church says .
“ Most of us know that salute , but this placement doubles the meaning.
” Exhibitors have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian-born Jewish author of more than 500 science fiction books , by stacking more than 100 of the tomes .
A few feet away , visitors can operate a theremin , the electronic musical instrument responsible for the wobbly , high-pitched sounds known to fans of sci-fi fare including the TV series “ The Twilight Zone.
” The instrument is Pinkert ’ s favorite interactive feature both because its touchless nature answers the sanitary demands of the COVID-19 era ( players alter sound frequencies by moving their hands in proximity to a pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ ties to our storyline.
” “ There have been many Jewish composers involved in the scores for science fiction movies , including the ( 1951 classic ) ‘ The Day The Earth Stood Still , ’ and several of the ‘ Star Trek ’ movies , ” says Pinkert , whose love of pop culture has influenced exhibits at the museum for years .
“ Those are some of the classic theremin soundtracks .
Visitors can recreate the sounds for themselves.
” The team has fleshed out the Maryland component with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt and the 57-year-old Baltimore Science Fiction Society .
There ’ s also an exhibit on Resnik , the second American female and first American Jewish astronaut to go into space .
Resnik , an Ohio native who earned her doctorate at the University of Maryland , died in the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 .
A mailgram announcing her acceptance to NASA ’ s astronaut candidate program , dated 1978 , is part of the display .
The exhibit is timely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has studied the role of Jewish people in the creation and growth of science fiction .
Lawrence Pinsker is the former longtime rabbi of Beit Tikvah Congregation in Baltimore , which was founded in 1963 by a group of people who happened to be interested in science fiction .
Pinsker , who has taught courses on Jews in science fiction at Beit Tikvah and at the annual Balticon convention , says the connection is drawing increasing scholarly attention .
The Jewish tradition , he says , historically encourages questions about the nature of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things might be different under slightly altered circumstances - both core elements of science fiction .
After all , he says , it was the Talmud that contained the first “ time-travel ” story , when Moses is granted a glimpse 1,400 years in the future to visit Akiva , a first-century scholar and sage .
And it was a Jewish immigrant from Luxembourg , Hugo Gernsback , who started the first “ scientific fiction ” magazines in the 1920s and coined the term “ science fiction.
” “ I ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , ” says Pinsker , 73 .
“ A significant percentage of the authors and fans I ’ ve met in that world have been Jewish .
It ’ s a fascinating subject area.
” “ Jews in Space ” debuted in September , and members of the public may visit the exhibit either online or in person through April .
In-person visits , offered twice a day , are limited to 10 people at a time , due to coronavirus restrictions , and guests must make reservations in advance .
Guy-Decker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offers an appealing respite from the ongoing stresses of politics and the pandemic .
“ It ’ s an enjoyable show because it ’ s so playful , but it doesn ’ t sacrifice intellectual rigor along the way , ” she says .
“ That ’ s something that feels so welcome right now .
”

BALTIMORE (AP) - During the early years of the first “Star Trek” TV series, when a producer asked actor Leonard Nimoy to develop a sign of greeting for his character Spock to use, Nimoy flashed on a childhood memory.
What popped into his mind was a synagogue service in which several rabbis raised their hands, split their pinkie and ring fingers from their middle and index fingers to form a wide V, and started chanting in Hebrew.
And that’s how the Birkat Kohanim - a sign of Jewish blessing that dates to the time of Moses - inspired the “Vulcan salute,” the hand sign that became Spock’s signature and an icon of Western pop culture.
The story, first shared by Nimoy in his 1975 autobiography, “I Am Not Spock,” isn’t the only example of Judaism intersecting the universes of space study and science fiction. It’s a connection as old as the Torah, and now it’s the theme of an unconventional exhibit at the Jewish Museum of Maryland.
“Jews in Space: Members of the Tribe in Orbit,” as it’s whimsically titled, includes displays about everything from rabbinical scholars who shaped early astronomy to modern Jewish authors and artists who helped develop the sci-fi genre in books, comics and films.
Spaced out over 2,000 colorfully arrayed square feet, it embraces everything from Maimonides to Mel Brooks as it advances a sort of field theory: that just as the Jewish people are known for their history of traveling far and wide in search of an identity and a home, so are the beings, earthly and otherworldly, who explore the heavenly beyond.
“I think the idea of an alien - of someone who doesn’t belong, who’s trying to find their way and navigate the pressures of assimilation - definitely resonates with Jews in America or in any diaspora,” says Tracie Guy-Decker, the museum’s deputy director and a Jewish native of Baltimore. “Staying true to oneself, but fitting in at the same time, is a theme of a lot of science fiction and fandom out there. It makes sense that Jews would be drawn to it.”
Officials of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, which stands next to the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue in East Baltimore, happened on the concept two years ago when they learned of a smaller version of the exhibit at the Center for Jewish History in New York.
The starting point for the curators there, the team learned, was basically their amusement at the goofball phrase “Jews in Space.”
It’s the title of a zany short film Brooks created and made part of his comedy movie “History of the World, Part I” in 1981.
That short feature - a takeoff of “Star Wars” and “The Muppet Show” - showed audiences Orthodox rebbes piloting Star of David-shaped spacecraft and blasting lasers while happily belting out the title song, “We’re Jews out in space / We’re zooming along protecting the Hebrew race!”
Among other things, it showed that the existential quest at the heart of the faith could be viewed alongside popular entertainment vehicles, including a recurring segment of “The Muppet Show” called “Pigs in Space.”
But that “funny contrast became something real over time” as the New Yorkers began gathering information and artifacts that “tell the full story of Jews’ relationship to the solar system,” says Marvin Pinkert, executive director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland.
“The idea starts out as a comical thing, but there’s plenty of depth to it as well,” Pinkert says.
It was in about A.D. 360, for example, that a Hebrew prince named Hillel II is said to have fixed the Jewish calendar, an undertaking that required a sophisticated understanding of both celestial patterns and advanced mathematics.
Jewish ruling elders had decreed that every new month should begin at a time determined by observations of the new moon, a decision that made it otherwise difficult for Jews to know, for instance, on what exact days to celebrate their most important holidays.
The Jewish calendar is “progressive lunar” in nature, with a full leap month added once for every cycle of 19 years to maintain consistency.
“Science was in a way indistinguishable from religion at that juncture in history, and someone had to understand astronomy” to develop that calendar, Pinkert says.
The story became part of a graphic timeline that stretches from such early thinkers to Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known as Maimonides, who used his 12th-century writings to reconcile Aristotle’s views of the universe with biblical accounts, to modern Jewish figures including sci-fi pioneer Isaac Asimov, astronauts Judith Resnik and Jeffrey Hoffman, and filmmakers Stanley Kubrick (“2001: A Space Odyssey”) and Steven Spielberg (“E.T.,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”).
The timeline is part of the New York exhibit that curators brought to Baltimore. So are such highlights as rare works of astronomy, in Hebrew, from the early and mid-18th century and a section on Nimoy that contains editions of “I Am Not Spock” and its 1995 follow-up, “I Am Spock.”
When Pinkert and company decided to import the exhibit, they did so with the idea of enlarging it, both to make use of the larger display space in the Lloyd Street museum and to enhance it with Maryland-related features.
Joanna Church, the Baltimore museum’s collections and exhibits director, quickly realized some of the possibilities.
The museum, Church says, had long possessed a hand-carved, early-20th-century decalogue - a representation of the tablets on which God is said to have etched the Ten Commandments - donated by the now-defunct B’nai Reuben Synagogue.
The piece, designed to decorate a synagogue’s ark (a chest that contains the Torah), was surmounted not by a crown or lions, as many are, but by a carving of a pair of hands giving the Kohanim blessing that had inspired Nimoy.
Curators made it part of the “Star Trek” display.
“By putting it in this context, we’re talking about that (Vulcan) salute as a religious symbol,” Church says. “Most of us know that salute, but this placement doubles the meaning.”
Exhibitors have manifested the productivity of Asimov, the Russian-born Jewish author of more than 500 science fiction books, by stacking more than 100 of the tomes. A few feet away, visitors can operate a theremin, the electronic musical instrument responsible for the wobbly, high-pitched sounds known to fans of sci-fi fare including the TV series “The Twilight Zone.”
The instrument is Pinkert’s favorite interactive feature both because its touchless nature answers the sanitary demands of the COVID-19 era (players alter sound frequencies by moving their hands in proximity to a pair of antennas) and because its history “ties to our storyline.”
“There have been many Jewish composers involved in the scores for science fiction movies, including the (1951 classic) ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still,’ and several of the ‘Star Trek’ movies,” says Pinkert, whose love of pop culture has influenced exhibits at the museum for years. “Those are some of the classic theremin soundtracks. Visitors can recreate the sounds for themselves.”
The team has fleshed out the Maryland component with an oversize map of 18 space-related sites, including NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt and the 57-year-old Baltimore Science Fiction Society. There’s also an exhibit on Resnik, the second American female and first American Jewish astronaut to go into space.
Resnik, an Ohio native who earned her doctorate at the University of Maryland, died in the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. A mailgram announcing her acceptance to NASA’s astronaut candidate program, dated 1978, is part of the display.
The exhibit is timely, in the view of one man who has studied the role of Jewish people in the creation and growth of science fiction.
Lawrence Pinsker is the former longtime rabbi of Beit Tikvah Congregation in Baltimore, which was founded in 1963 by a group of people who happened to be interested in science fiction.
Pinsker, who has taught courses on Jews in science fiction at Beit Tikvah and at the annual Balticon convention, says the connection is drawing increasing scholarly attention.
The Jewish tradition, he says, historically encourages questions about the nature of the universe and the ways in which things might be different under slightly altered circumstances - both core elements of science fiction.
After all, he says, it was the Talmud that contained the first “time-travel” story, when Moses is granted a glimpse 1,400 years in the future to visit Akiva, a first-century scholar and sage. And it was a Jewish immigrant from Luxembourg, Hugo Gernsback, who started the first “scientific fiction” magazines in the 1920s and coined the term “science fiction.”
“I’ve been a devotee of science fiction from childhood on,” says Pinsker, 73. “A significant percentage of the authors and fans I’ve met in that world have been Jewish. It’s a fascinating subject area.”
“Jews in Space” debuted in September, and members of the public may visit the exhibit either online or in person through April. In-person visits, offered twice a day, are limited to 10 people at a time, due to coronavirus restrictions, and guests must make reservations in advance.
Guy-Decker says guests have told her the exhibit offers an appealing respite from the ongoing stresses of politics and the pandemic.
“It’s an enjoyable show because it’s so playful, but it doesn’t sacrifice intellectual rigor along the way,” she says. “That’s something that feels so welcome right now.”