The Lincoln Leadership Institute Sponsors "The Memoirs of Abraham Lincoln"

Photo courtesy of Totem Pole Playhouse

Marking the 150th anniversary of the death of Abraham Lincoln, Granville Van Dusen brings his acclaimed PBS production of the one-man play "The Memoirs of Abraham Lincoln" to the Totem Pole Playhouse stage for his farewell performance as the nation's sixteenth president.

Written by playwright Peter King Beach and directed by Academy Award-winning Best Director Delbert Mann, the play had its world premiere 25 years ago at Gettysburg College’s Kline Theatre. The play is a refreshing portrait of one of our country’s most beloved presidents, spanning his early years as a country lawyer, to the troubling times of the Civil War.

The Lincoln Leadership Institute is sponsoring the performance. Lincoln Leadership Institute President Steve Wiley is a proud supporter of the play. Here's what he told Celebrate Gettysburg about his connection to this summer's farewell performance.

"When I came to Gettysburg College in 19-something, the first thing I did was go to the drug store [at the Wills House] to buy some things. That was where the Lincoln room was up above...in the Wills House. I was mesmerized by the Lincoln bedroom, and now here it is many years later and this is our office. My mom and dad both passed away and are buried a couple feet away from where Lincoln actually delivered the Gettysburg Address in the private cemetery. When the opportunity to help support the Totem Pole Playhouse in this manner came about, I thought it was in the stars that we should help support it."

Shows are scheduled July 10-26. To purchase tickets or view showtimes, visit www.totempoleplayhouse.org.

About The Lincoln Leadership Institute 
The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg has developed several offerings that present “pure plays” in leadership that provide insight to timeless leadership issues—issues that were present in 1863 with President Abraham Lincoln, and issues that are relevant to organizations today. These sessions provide metaphors in which history comes alive and the leadership shift that occurred during the Battle of Gettysburg and its history-altering result are examined.

To learn more about The Lincoln Leadership Institute, visit gettysburgleadership.com.

Black History Tours

New Gettysburg Black History Museum to Offer Tours in 2015

By Cheryl Sobun

The Gettysburg Black History Museum, Inc., located at 777 Baltimore St., is a very new venture in town—so new, in fact, that while it has a location, it is not yet filled. It is presently open for group heritage tours, and the museum itself is set to open for business in 2015, according to museum president Ron Bailey.

The museum’s mission, Bailey says, is to preserve, educate, and inspire. “We have all this [black history] here, and it’s not exposed. Why?” he asks. Bailey says that the museum will encourage people to discover what the past means to them today—it will be a vehicle linking the past, present, and future.

Call 800-447-8788 or 717-334-6020 to arrange a tour, or visit www.gettysburgblackhistory.org or www.facebook.com/gettysburgblackhistory.

Roots of the Christmas Tree Tradition

By Karen Hendricks

Photo by Karen Hendricks

Evergreens were used to decorate homes in the dead of winter, dating back to biblical times. By the 7th century, the pagan custom became an accepted part of religious Christmas festivities. The tradition of Christmas trees dates back to the 16th century in Strasbourg, Germany, where fir trees were cut from German forests. The first Christmas tree market in America is believed to be Washington Market, New York City, where fir and spruce trees harvested from the Catskill Mountains were sold in 1851. 

Today, the Christmas tree market is booming throughout Pennsylvania and Adams County. According to the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture and the Department of Plant Science at Penn State University:

• 33-36 million: Christmas trees produced in North America annually
• 15,500: Christmas tree growers in the U.S.
• 2,000: Number of Christmas tree farms in Pennsylvania (second in the nation behind Oregon)
• 27: Christmas tree farms in Adams County (15th in the state)
• 45,000: Acres of Christmas tree farms in Pennsylvania
• 253: Adams County acres devoted to Christmas tree farms, ranking tenth in the state
• $1.5 billion: Amount spent annually by American consumers on Christmas trees 
• $55 million: Christmas tree revenues annually in Pennsylvania; third in the nation behind Oregon and North Carolina
• $843,000: Revenue generated annually by Christmas tree sales in Adams County; within Pennsylvania’s top 10 counties in terms of revenue

According to 2014 estimates by the Department of Plant Science, Penn State University, the following Christmas tree varieties are grown throughout Pennsylvania:

• Douglas fir  40%
• Fraser fir 35
• Colorado (blue) spruce  8
• Scotch pine  8
• Balsam (Canaan) fir  3
• Eastern white pine  3
• Others  3

Christmas Tree Tips

By Karen Hendricks

Photo by Karen Hendricks

According to Rick Bates, professor of horticulture at Penn State University, taking care of a live Christmas tree has become more challenging through the years, as consumer demand has extended the average time commitment from Thanksgiving through early January. Here are Bates’ tips on caring for a live tree.

• The important thing is to put a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree trunk if it’s been a day or two since the tree was cut down.
• Put it in a tree stand that holds an adequate amount of water—at least a gallon. Bates says some tree stands are too small in terms of water, and the average tree can absorb a gallon of water a day. The rule of thumb is a quart of water per stem diameter.  
• Check the water level once a day. The amount of water needed will slow down over time. 
• Don’t put the tree near heating vents or things that will dry it out. 
• There are various products— tablets or powders—that claim to keep needles from dropping, but none of those really work. “Just plain, clean water is fine—it’s pretty straightforward,” Bates says.

A Gettysburg Gem

By Kerry Mullen 
Photography by Picture This Portraits & Special Events

John J. Bradshaw presents rare gemstones during ALDavid's Gemstone Roundtable

Highly distinguished gemologist John J. Bradshaw chose Gettysburg as the location for an exclusive Gemstone Roundtable earlier this month. Handpicked to participate, attendees shared an appreciation and affinity for custom jewelry. Attendees were given the opportunity to touch and evaluate precious and rare gems while hearing from an expert in gemology and enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Gettysburg’s newest and only fine custom jeweler ALDavid hosted the event.

Gemstone Roundtables are a unique opportunity for the general public to discover stones they normally wouldn’t see on display in a jewelry store. This event featured colored gems, which include everything except diamonds. Gemstone Roundtables reflect the excitement and diversity of minerals, which Bradshaw says prevent him from picking just one favorite stone.

Along with well-known gems, Bradshaw brought some stones to the event that “many jewelers have never seen let alone know how to spell,” including Sphene, Sphalerite, and Haüyne. Some stones purchased at the October Gemstone Roundtable included Peridot, which is normally produced in Arizona, but Bradshaw’s collection originated from Pakistan and was larger and richer in color than the more common stone. The most unusual stone purchased was Chrysoberyl, selected because of its beautiful yellow coloring and unique fastening.

From an early age, Bradshaw had an affinity for gems and stones. “As a kid before I even graduated high school, I always had an interest in rocks and minerals,” he says. “A friend of the family was a mineralogist, and every time he went somewhere he would bring me back a specific rock.”

Bradshaw has come a long way since those days, building an impressive track record in the gemology world. He started his career at the Harvard Mineralogical Museum as the very first gemologist on staff. The 1985 curator of the gemologist department recognized Bradshaw’s talent and invited him to examine the museum’s collection. During his time here, Bradshaw went through each and every mineral and gem in the collection to confirm their grade and classification. Currently, Bradshaw is on call for the Smithsonian and the U.S. Department of Justice as a gemologist consultant.

Guest Nicole Bucher looks at a rare stone through the loop.

The venue for this exclusive event, ALDavid Custom Jeweler opened its doors on Oct. 15 to this new Gettysburg location after operating a successful studio in New Hampshire for 26 years. The store is centrally located at 18 S. Carlisle St., Suite 201 across from the Majestic Theater. ALDavid Vice President Michelle Manahan says, “The majority of people that purchased a gemstone at the event left the stones here at ALDavid to be custom made.”

The Gemstone Roundtable was ALDavid’s first introduction into the community, an exclusive sneak peak before opening day. ALDavid has another Gemstone Roundtable planned in January with esteemed gemologist Sherris Cottier Shank. If interested in attending, contact ALDavid at 800-253-6801 for an invitation.

PA Common Core: Myths vs. Facts

Myth: Adopting common standards means bringing all states’ standards down to the lowest common denominator. This means that states with high standards are actually taking a step backward by adopting the Common Core.
Fact: The standards are designed to build upon the most advanced current thinking about preparing all students for success in college, career, and life. This will result in moving even the best state standards to the next level. In fact, since this work began, there has been an explicit agreement that no state would lower its standards. The standards were informed by the best in the country, the highest international standards, and evidence and expertise about educational outcomes. We need college- and career-ready standards because even in high-performing states, students are graduating and passing all the required tests but still need remediation in their postsecondary work.

Myth: These standards amount to a national curriculum for our schools.
Fact: The Common Core is not a curriculum. It is a clear set of shared goals and expectations for what knowledge and skills will help our students succeed. Local teachers, principals, superintendents, and others will decide how the standards are to be met. Teachers will continue to devise lesson plans and tailor instruction to the individual needs of the students in their classrooms.

Myth: The standards will be implemented through No Child Left Behind (NCLB), signifying that the federal government will be leading them.
Fact: The Common Core is a state-led effort that is not part of No Child Left Behind or any other federal initiative. The federal government played no role in the development of the Common Core. State adoption of the standards is in no way mandatory. States began the work to create clear, consistent standards before the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided funding for the Race to the Top grant program. It also began before the Elementary and Secondary Education Act blueprint was released, because this work is being driven by the needs of the states, not the federal government.

Source: Common Core State Standards Initiative

Apple Country

The Apple of Tourism's Eye

By Karen Hendricks + Photography by Casey Martin

Good Intent Cider

“People are falling in love with our wineries & we hope they’ll fall in love with our cider makers as well,” says Carl Whitehill, director of communications for Destination Gettysburg. 

Whitehill says cider making fits in nicely with current niche trends such as wine and craft beer, as well as foodie tourism. He’s encouraged by the impact that Adams County’s cider makers have made so far and sees potential for additional growth. “We seem to be on the front end of the cider trend… we can tout it to our visitors, and it’s very trendy and impressive to tourists because our cider makers are doing a great job with it.” 

“The apple industry gives visitors a broader experience beyond the Civil War,” Whitehill explains. “The battlefield and Civil War will always be the big attraction, but the apple industry has provided us with a reason for visitors to do other things and lengthen their stay. It’s a great little break from history, to drive into the country and visit wineries.” 

Whitehill says Destination Gettysburg is reshaping and diversifying its marketing strategies as a result of Adams County’s successful wineries and cideries. “We are trying to market agri-tourism as an experience that links everything together. The Gettysburg Wine & Fruit Trail is an example. We want visitors to go into Northern and Western Adams County and visit farmers markets and wineries, to see the fruit and taste the wine…Adams County is a rural county, but we also have a lot of culture. The cideries and wineries are providing that culture.” 

To learn more about Adams County's apple cider producers, check out the September/October 2014 issue of Celebrate Gettysburg magazine.

Haunted Hanover

Residents Surrounded by the Supernatural

By Brendan Raleigh + Photography by Noel Kline

One night, DeAnna Simpson felt a strong presence that she could not see on her steps, followed by the sound of running footsteps toward her. Suddenly, she felt a thrust of hands on her shoulders, and was pushed off the steps to the bottom ledge. She suffered a hairline fractured coccyx.

DeAnna Simpson’s house in Hanover is a far cry from the old, dilapidated mansions of today’s horror movies. Its cozy front porch and colorful, well-maintained garden make the small brick house the very image of your typical suburban home. However, the stories that emanate from the house are anything but ordinary.

Simpson, along with her husband Tom and their daughter, moved into the residence in 2007 without the slightest idea of the terror and anguish that it would exert on them over the next seven years. Though Tom was initially against buying the house, DeAnna’s inexplicable fascination with it led him to overlook his doubts and consent to the purchase.

While touring the house, DeAnna noticed that small, orb-like particles would repeatedly show up in the pictures she took of the house’s interior. Attributing these to dust particles from the curtains or hardwood floors, the Simpsons thought nothing of it. But, the experiences became stranger immediately after the purchase, first in the form of what DeAnna calls “the shadow man,” a dark, towering figure that showed up in her pictures directly after the move-in, and has continued to emerge time and time again since then.

While touring the Simpsons' home, photographer Noel Kline captured this flame, which was not visible when the photograph was taken, in the dark basement.

“We had just signed for the house, and I was in the home alone taking pictures to send to my family in Kentucky,” recalls DeAnna. “Later, as my husband and I were looking through these pictures, I noticed this man’s face looking through the kitchen door, looking at me. It started that quickly.”