Sunny Side Up (EDITOR’S NOTE: Dave Trostel, a former newspa- per editor, spends his summers at Harveys Lake. Having a general knowledge of the Back Mountain area and its residents, Dave offers his column, entitled “Sunny Side Up” to readers of The Dallas Post.) By DAVE TROSTEL Special to The Dallas Post Number 20 took a hefty swing. At the stroke of the bat, Don Hartshorne leaped to his feet and said loudly, ‘‘Good bye” as he thought Mike Schmidt’s blast was set to leave Vet Stadium. The ball left the park, height-wise, by a country mile and just as suddenly on the swing by Schmidt, Don quietly slid back into his seat as the ‘Good-bye George’ ball plumped ever so gently into the third baseman’s glove. But, hey, anyone can misjudge a fly ball at Vet Stadium in Philadelphia, where Don and his wife, Sharon and their two children, Donnie, 9 and Beth, 5, were beginning a seven game stint at watching their favorite team — Phillies in action. Don, pastor of the Providence Baptist Church, Scranton, and his family were on a two week camping trip from their home in Orange. A “pop-up” camper was just right for them, because it would mean a quick trip from their camp site to spacious Vet Stadium. Well, Warwick (Pa.) isn’t exactly around the bend from the ole’ ball park, so much to the Hartshornes’ chagrin, a trip to the South Philadelphia ball park meant 90 minutes on the highways, most of that spent on the congested Schuylkill Expressway, a motorist’s nightmare at any given time of the day. But, like true, blue die-in-the-wool Phillie fans, that was part of the fun of the campout and the drives, well let’s call them motoring experiences to Vet Stadium. The Hartshornes caught Dallas Green’s Chicago Cubs and Pete Rose’s Redlegs in town. But, let’s get back to the ball park for an inning or two and maybe a tricycle race that Sharon was a winning participant in as part of a Fourth of July program. Of course, most of the time the Orange family heads to the ball park, it’s usually seats next to the sky (700 level), but for Sharon, the seats are great. The climb is tough on Don, but then anything above Red Rock Mountain level is high and the 700 level is high. Don splurged one game during the family’s camp- out, which found their living quarters closer to Allentown than to Vet Stadium. He spent a few megabucks and the family trooping towards the 200 level when some Phillies guy tapped Sharon on the shoulder. She was going to be entered into bike race against Phillies broadcasters, Harry Kalas, Richie Ashburn, Chris Wheeler and Any Musser. As lady luck would say, Sharon drew the first leg of the race, from home plate to first base against Kalas. Lucky it wasn’t Ashburn, who can still pedal around the basepaths, although not as quick as when the former Whiz Kid used to dash around old Connie Mack Stadium (then Shibe Park). Sharon won her leg of the race with spokes to spare and her team of three other ladies came home the winner - and Sharon left the ball park a bit richer - $50 in cash. Not a bad day at the park. Of course, anyone who knows Sharon can attest to her fan devotion to Schmidt. The game’s reportedly highest salaried player is Sharon’s diamond idol. She even wears a ‘Number 20’ shirt when she goes to the ball park, or for that matter, treks around Dallas or Orange. Everyone back home in Orange knew her as Sharon Smith, daughter of Bill and Bettie Smith, also of Orange. A 1969 graduate of Dallas High School, she later became a teacher in the Dallas Intermediate School in remedial reading. 2 At the Hartshorne’s Orange Road home is an honest- to-goodness life size picture of Mike holding a con- tainer of milk. The name Mike Schmidt turns the friendly Sharon into a cheering, peppy and happy Phillies fan. : “Even,” Sharon said the other day, ‘when Mike trudged onto the playing field wearing that wig.” Schmidt had been in a slump and msot fans were giving Schmidt the old special Philadelphia boo-bird treatment. But give credit where credit is due, Sharon is not a b oo-bird when it comes to “Number 20.” “Everyone seemed to gasp,’ said Sharon as she recalled Mike’s attempt to propel himself back into the hometown’s good graces, “but then everyone finally realized what he had done and they began clapping and cheering.” Seven games in a week’s time wasn’t too hard for the Hartshorne family to take. Young Donnie is a member of this year’s Orange Yankees in the minor circuit of that area’s Little League program which found his team winning top honors. Donnie’s dad, aside from totally relaxing and misjudg- ing homeruns, loves baseball where he finds it is an excellent place to relax. “Next to the barber’s chair,” said the 1968 graduate of Wyoming Valley West High School, ‘‘baseball is tough to top.” Unless, one may quip, the barber slips with the old shears, but Don has no such fears. “I’m in dream land in a barbershop chair,” he said with all his confidence showing in those thick, curly locks atop his head. “Who remembers scores?’ quizzed Sharon ‘when asked to recall any big moment of any given game. “I just keep an eye on Mike,” and this can be attested to the family’s trip to ball park on camera day. Sure enough, there was Mike Schmidt zooming a smile good enough to sell a couple tank loads of milk, right at Sharon. The camping trip was one that found the Hartshorne family up bright and early each morning and off to some side trip - for the kiddies naturally and then to the ball park. They had a week’s stay at Wildwood and you know the Hartshornes could not drive by Vet Stadium without watching another game. So, with camper and all, into the parking lot they motored and since they had some time, they joined a legend in Vet Stadium when they tailgated some ball park franks before embarking on that big hike to the spot in the sky called the 700 level and a view - a bird’s eye view - of the ball game. Traffic, crowds, camping out and the like are all part of this family’s love of life. “We used to have a ont 2 said Don, “but then we bought this camper. We ove it.” : Naturally Orange’s number one fan of Mike Schmidt is a real milk drinker, and on the family-’s past weekend Baptist Youth Camp out near Tunkhannock, aside from plenty of milk, there was a portable TV, so Sharon could catch a glimpse of Schmidt sending a “real” good-bye patch into downtown St. Louis. The days of campus life at Bloomsburg State College and Don’s 3-year stay at Eastern Baptist Seminary (Pa.) are now history, but the friendly couple grew a lot in those learning years and their life and living it tells it all as they told listeners in their current home - a one-time one-room schoolhouse, nestled ever so perfect in the valley of Orange. : Seminar held Program participants Orientation held Ramsey (Wilkes-Barre). Workshop ends | and Audrey Gerlach. Sisters help kd INSYLVANIA White (Continued from page 20) Judy and Sid Silver have owned and operated the White ‘Horse Tavern for the past five years, with their grand opening on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, 1980. Diners who stop at the White Horse for lunch usually return for every item on the menu is made fresh daily by either Sid or Judy. Judy does all of the gourmet cook- ing while Sid does the basic cooking. The fish, meat and vegetables in all of the soups and entrees are fresh daily. The Silvers never pre- pare food for more than two days at a time. / Some of their most popular dishes at lunch are Filo, Reuben sand- wiches, barbecues, soups, especially gazpacho, walnut, peanut butter, cauliflower, broccoli and onion soup-onion soup fit for royalty. Judy’s gauchoburger is a creation of her own, a sandwich found nowhere else. Their roast beef sand- wich is a meal in itself. All cooking is done from scratch on the premises. Recently, prime rib was added to the menu — one pound prime rib done so well it melts in your mouth. Other special- ties which are favorites of evening diners are linguini with white clam sauce, steaks and open steak sand- wiches. No matter how particular the diner, there is something for every- one. : The Silvers welcome family dining and encourage children. They will prepare special food for the young ones on request. Judy also will prepare her specialty items for small parties as well as any item on the menu for takeout. Friendly, efficient barmaids will prepare your favorite cocktail whether it be daiquiri, manhattan, martini, old-fashioned, margarita or’ someone’s very own special. The Silvers now have the assist- ance of their two older boys when the kitchen gets very busy which it: often does. : Many local business people stop at the White Horse for lunch. They know they will be served delicious, home-prepared food, quickly and courteously. : Both Sid and Judy and members of their staff aim to please and do their utmost to satisfy their custom: ers every day of the week. - x J
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers