Lititz Record Express

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S E R C I S I , T H E W A R W I C K A R E A E O R M O R E T H A \ A C E S T I :R V
108th Year ESTABLISHED APRIL 1877 AS THE SUNBEAM
CONSOLIDATED WITH THE LITITZ RECORD 1937 Lititz, Lancaster County PA, 17543. Thursday, March 28,1985 25 CENTS A COPY: $7.00 PER YEAR BY MAIL
WITHIN LANCASTER COUNTY 26 Pages-No. 51
Citizens Tell Council To Hire More Police
An estimated 50 residents
of Lititz Borough and
Warwick Township attended
Tuesday night’s Borough
Council meeting to voice
concern about the problem
of escalating drug abuse in
the borough and its ac­companying
criminal ac­tivities,
they said.
In an introductory
message by Jerry Shupp,
principal of Warwick Middle
School, Council was formally
requested to hire two more
police for“ directing their
attention to the drug and
alcohol abuse problem.”
Following Shupp, several
residents spoke of their
personal experiences with
drug traffic in the borough.
Noting that the drug and
vandalism problems in Lititz
Borough are “all common
knowledge,” Terry Wen-tling,
134 S. Spruce St., told
council members that she no
longer allows her children in
the park (Lititz Springs)
because of the graffiti and
“heads” there. “I think this
really has to be looked into
and taken seriously,” she
While Barbara DeLancey looks on, Terry
Wentling presents residents concerns about drug
and alcohol abuse and vandalism in the borough at
Tuesday’s council meeting. The group's specific
request was for two additional police officers.
Council responded that a solution would be
impossible by the April council meeting but that
members would be studying several approaches to
the problem.
admonished.
Jan Stein, 415 N. Cedar St.,
alleged that “many are
coming from outside of Lititz
to come into the borough for
their traffic (of drugs)
because they know we are
short-staffed and they can
get away with it.” Stating
that, in her opinion, much of
the borough’s crime is drug-related,
she noted that she
would like be be assured that
“the protection is there if I
ever have to have it, which I
hope I don’t.”
Pat Wagner, 206 Leaman
St. .claimed to live on the
same street as “the biggest
drug dealer in Lititz.”
“Granted, it’s a secluded
area,” she said, “but if we
have enough police in our
community, that should
have been done away with.”
She expressed concern about
the young people she said
she has seen visiting the
house for over a year. “I get
sick because I never know if
I might pick up the paper
and see one of those kids that
might overdose.”
Helen McGarrigle, 118 Owl
Hill Road, reported seeing
obvious drug transactions
directly across the street
from her home. “You can’t
even go over and deposit
trash in the dumpster,’’she
complained, because next to
that...these cars are there,
and they’re doing a little
business.” She continued,
“They see me looking...they
even blink their lights to let
me know they know I’m
watching.”
Barbara DeLancey, head
of the Warwick Drug and
Alcohol Action Group,
p re sen ted ch a rts and
statistics outlining the past
ten years of police activity in
the borough. She stressed
that in every year since 1974,
statistics showed a low rate
of “ c le a ra n c e .” For
example, in 1983, out of 162
cases of burglary, robbery
or larceny reported, only 21,
or 13 percent, were cleared
by borough police.
“I think what we’re trying
to say,” asserted DeLancey,
“is, our policemen need
help. Too often there is one
officer on duty, and when
there’s one officer on duty,
he’s tied up with a case and
another call comes in...he
has to make a choice.’’
Refuting contentions that
hiring additional police
would not be feasible under
the present borough budget,
DeLancey suggested that
“some things (now in the
budget) are just not
necessary.”
“This is a compensatory
type government,” she
noted; “If we’re in such bad
shape...if I was in that
position, I’d give up my
compensation for awhile,”
she added.
D eL an c ey , u rg in g
members of council to take
the group’s concerns
seriously, told them that five
representatives from the
large group would return for
April’s council meeting, and
“We do expect action on this
matter, (or) we’ll go and
take further steps. ”
Responding to the groups’
demand for action by next
month’s meeting date,
Wendell C. Hower, council
president, retorted that no
formal action would be
forthcoming within the short
span of one month. When
pressed regarding the
matter of a progress report
in April, Hower agreed that
might be a possibility.
David Bucher, council
member, told the gathering
of citizens that “throwing
money at the problem”is not
always the answer and that
he was “skeptical” that the
only solution to the problem
is to hire more police. He did
note that since the police
department was technically
under the juridiction of the
mayor’s office, he would be
interested to hear how the
mayoral candidates would
speak to the issue.
Roy Clair, citizen and
mayoral candidate, told the
group he felt the problem
would stand a better chance
of being solved by an “at­titude
change” on the part of
residents and by individuals’
willingness to become in­volved
in finding the
solution.
Don Stauffer, borough
council member and
mayoral candidate, stated
that he believes another full­time
borough policeman
must be hired but warned
that the borough stands to
lose $40,000 in 1986, following
possible abolishment of
federal revenue sharing.
April Marks 50 Years On Main Street
Ed Stroble’s Been Clipping
And Cutting For Half A Century
By Karen Belber
You’d think that after 50
years of snipping, lathering
and shaving, Ed Stroble
would have tired of
operating a barber shop. But
after 50 years of “lowering
ears,” while providing a
laid-back place for the boys
to gather, Stroble continues
to serve a healthy lot of the
Lititz community at the East
Main Street landmark.
April 1 marks one-half a
century for the barber you
grew up with at 59 E. Main
St. Stroble began his barber
career in Ephrata as an
apprentice to Clair Grant
before moving to the Lititz
area. For a time he worked
between where Bingy’s
restaurant and the Parkview
Hotel are, then he moved to
where the post office is now
located.
But it is perhaps where the
kindly, white-haired barber
cuts hair now that most
remember best.
An unassuming sign, the
writing faded and the wood
weathered with age, hangs
at the entrance to Stroble’s
shop and home. If you didn’t
know the shop was there, you
could easily pass it by.
Inside, though, is a
treasury of anecdotes and
good times.
After throwing his coat on
the rack, combing his
fingers through wind-mussed
hair, the man who
arrives every now and again
for a hair cut and to catch up
on the latest, enters a
cheerful room filled with
tonic bottles, antique
shaving mugs and razors. If
he’s a little early, no
problem. There’s plenty of
reading material in the rack.
Chances are he’s just a
loafer, said the 75-year-old
barber.
Stroble, who now works by
appointment only for 100
customers-some who have
been coming to him now for
50 years or more-said that
most of the men who
frequent his shop come in for
the company and to rehash
local happenings and
headlines.
A prismatic showcase of
memorabilia, including
English- and German-made
razors and antique barber
bottles, the Stroble shop
instills memories of the old
town in its heyday. On the
walls hang pictures of
Zartman Dodge, Ideal
Chocolate and the railroad
station at the turn of the
century. The pristine cash
register was likely an an­tique
when Stroble pur­chased
it fifty years ago.
The shelves above the
mirror studded wall are
lined with old shaving mugs,
some ornately decorated,
others rather plain. Stroble
has usually acquired the
mugs when his customers
have passed away. Stroble is
partial to the occupational
mugs on which a man’s
particular trade is scribed.
Of the several Stroble has
collected over the years, a
Lititz plumber’s mug is one
of his favorites. The picture
shows a man working on a
claw foot bath tub. Above,
his name is inscribed in gold.
Stroble also has a hand­some
hand-carved wooden
cane that was given to him
by one of his older
customers, Alan Putt,
otherwise known as “Putty”
to his buddies. Putty whittles
in his spare time. Strobie
said; showing the cane’sTine
detail: Stroble’s name and
animal figures, with the
wood’s natural knots as
eyes, deftly carved. Putty
stops in regularly after his
morning coffee at Benner’s
Pharmacy to see “Eddie.”
“I’ll wager my money that
Putty could sit here and
recite to you anything for at
least an hour,” Stroble said
of his 88-year-old friend.
Stroble described Putty as
Carl Frymyer, a plasterer, of 710 Pine Hill Road,
had been doing some work for Stroble when he got
the idea to come in and have his hair cut.
the kind of guy who might
forget his hat on the rack,
but he’s not likely to forget
anything he’s ever read or
learned.
One of Stroble’s best ac­counts
of his 50 years at 59 E.
Main St., recaptures his 65th
surprise birthday party, ten
years ago on Feb. 26. “I was
down stairs in the cellar
when Hazel (his wife of 52
years) said somebody was
outside to see me,” he said,
remembering well the 40 or
so friends greeting him with
co ffee u rn s , c a k e s ,
beverages and food in hand.
“Now that was a good time.”
Stroble’s seen it all. His
wife, a retired registered
nurse, once delivered a baby
in a car parked on Main
Street outside their front
door. “ (Hazel) wrapped the
little cherub in a blanket,”
Stroble said, remembering
the incident of 30 years past.
Twice, men have had
heart attacks while sitting in
the old-style barber chair,
Stroble recalled, insisting
though th a t the c ir­cumstances
really had
nothing to do with his bar-bering
expertise.
Maybe a good bit of luck
and a great love of people
has kept Stroble in the
barber business for so many
years. But when he found a
1795 penny, while cleaning
up his basement one day, he
knew that Lady Luck really
was on his side. The penny,
he maintains, must have
d ro p p ed down when
renovations were being
made to the upstairs shop.
Just ask the Neideigh
twins, Paul Balmer, Bob
Kreider or Clarence Mentzer
about “Eddie” Stroble, and
his barber shop, where
they’ve been having their
ears lowered for the past 50
years.
,<■
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I
MP 5”. f i f l l H i .is .
Firemen battle the blaze that destroyed the
historic Regennas Candy Shop at the rear of 120
W. Lemon St., last Thursday. However, most of the
antique candy molds used to make the famous
clear toy candy were recovered. See page 16 for
story and more pictures.
Generations Grew Up With Candy Shop
Generations of Lititz
children have grown up with
Regennas candy and the
news of Thursday’s fire
s a d d e n e d a lot of
children... of all ages.
A lot of people have a lot of
memories tied up with the
shop on Lemon Street, in­cluding
the current mayor.
“It certainly was a sad
event for me,” owned Lititz
Mayor Raymond Reedy. “I
started life there. At 14
years, I began working
there,” he recalled.
Elab o ra tin g , Reedy
described his early teen
years at the then—C.
Frederick Regennas & Sons,
Inc. Confectionary. Up at
6:30 every morning to go to
work at the candy factory
from 7 to 8 a.m., he returned
after school to continue his
workday from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
For three years, Reedy
— Mi
A
Ì
' f
Firefighters Respond To Chimney Fire
«
Stroble holds one of his prized occupational
shaving mugs. This particular mug belonged to a
local plumber and was given to Stroble when the
plumber passed away.
The Lititz Fire Co.
responded to a fire call
Monday evening at the
Gerard Martin Schouten
residence, 120 N. Broad St.
The fire was contained to
the chimney and was caused
by “a combination of wood
and paper” that was used to
ignite the fire in an open
fireplace on the first floor of
the three-story home at the
comer of Lincoln Avenue
and Broad Street, according
to Fire Chief H. Richard
Neidermyer.
“The chimney was in good
shape....It just flamed up for
awhile,” the chief said. “It
wasn’t a typical chimney
fire,” he added.
The fire started just before
5 p.m., and firefighters
remained at the scene for
about three-quarters of an
hour, Neidermyer said.
Mrs. Schouten said that
she was glad her one son,
who had started the fire,
thought to call the fire
company as soon as he
noticed an unusual amount
of smoke billowing through
the chimney.
In This Issue
Editorial 4
Sports Section 10,11,12
Social 18,19
Church 22
Business Directory 24
Raymond Reedy
spent his weekends and
summers working full-time
at the shop, then operated by
Charles Regennas’ uncle,
Harry P. Regennas.
“Harry really was an
artist,” insists Reedy. “We
made penny suckers, pep­permint
sticks, and penny
pieces by the thousands. A
lot of items we made aren’t
on the market anymore,” he
added.
“At the time, they were in
the wholesale candy
business. Charlie’s father
was a salesman and his
uncle was in charge of the
manufacturing end,” ex­plained
the Mayor. “There
wasn’t too much of that
then; now there are a lot of
big candy distributors.”
From a beginning salary
of ten cents an hour, Reedy’s
diligence soon earned him a
whopping raise to 12 cents
per hour. “I couldn’t wait to
get home in time to tell them
I got a raise,” he laughed,
remembering.
Because remembering
and reminiscing contribute
to a large number of his
more pleasant hours,
Reedy’s voice reflects the
Elaine Good
loss h e '' feels at the
destruction of a part of his
personal history: “It’s
something you can’t forget,”
he noted, speaking of his
years as a candy-maker,
“and now to have this...to
watch the place go up in
smoke. It was a shock to
me.”
Charlene Van Brookhoven
is another Lititz native with
childhood memories in­terwoven
with Regennas’.
Charlene lived as a child
on Second Avenue with her
parents Sketch and Betty
Mearig. She remembers
going to the shop with her
mother at Easter and
Christmas to get the
specialty items that only the
Regennases would have -
clear toy Easter baskets that
her mother would fill with
straw and jelly beans or
clear toy Santas on a stick.
However, her memories of
Regennas have more to do
with the candy than the
place, she said.
“Our biggest treat when I
was a kid was to go to the
Lititz theater where we had
to pay 25 cents to get in and
for another five cents bought
Charlene Van Brookhoven
a Regennas spearmint
stick,” she said.
And then there were the
molasses strips.
“They were always my
favorite - they came in a
white box tied with string
and we used to play cat’s
cradle with the string,” she
remembered.
“I used to like to watch
him (H a rry , Charles
Regennas’ uncle) hand coat
the peanut butter Easter
eggs. I used to think it’d be
fun to stick your hand down
in that chocolate.”
Charlene said when she
heard the shop was on fire
“I could have just cried...it
was like burning your arm
off.”
“When you grow up in a
town and the town is all you
know things have special
meaning,” she said.
Although grown up and
with three children of her
own now, Charlene still
frequents the candy shop.
“We were just over there
the Saturday before the
fire.”
She liked to take her kids
along because she said she
(Turn to Page 16)