LOCAL NOTEABLES!

Local man, Walter Baran,
authors first book

“feet first” is a delightful autobiographical memoir of everyday life, struggles and achievement. Walter A. Baran was born in June 18, 1924 in Frackville, Penn., attended local public schools; Doctor of Humane Letters (Honoris Causa) Alliance College 1982; Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. 1987; founder, chairman of the board, Model Garment Co. Inc. Frackville; Penn Spruce Inc. Sunbury; Penn Allen Inc., Hazleton; former member advisory board, First Union Bank; Director, founder and president., Broad Mountain Manor Nursing Home., founder and president., Walnick Manor Inc., Received, “National Governors Association Award For Distinguished Service to State Government,” 1982, confirmed Secretary of General Services, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, February 13, 1979; received, “The Pennsylvania Award” presented by The Pennsylvania Society of Architects. In recognition of his fair treatment in selecting architectural firms to design State construction projects. A collector and restorer of antique automobiles, the most noted of which is a rare 1938 Bugatti. He has written numerous articles for the magazines of various American and European antique automobile organizations with which he is affiliated. Married to the former Irene Saukaitis; two sons, Anthony and Joseph.
He resides in Ashland, Pennsylvania.

Information on purchasing the book can be found on page 13 of this month's print issue.

 

feet first excerpt

226 North Broad Mt. Ave.

Our family moved into this house in 1929. It was a “double block” house. We got the side with the large yard. The yard had many fruit trees, cherry, apple, pear and plum trees. The yard also had two very large geese that competed with the large dog that protected the family. The geese would stick out their long necks and emit a loud hissing sound. Our dog did not have to worry about protecting the family as long as the geese were around. He spent his time getting his kicks by killing the neighborhood chickens. This caused my mother a lot of grief. She tried communicating with the aggrieved neighbor without much success. She spoke Polish while the neighbor spoke in some foreign tongue. These negotiations that lasted some hours really did not resolve anything. She decided to once again patch the holes in the fence that surrounded the yard. This fence was something to behold. I suppose that in the last century, circa 1894 or thereabouts. It had an assortment of pickets, all-different colors and sizes, placed haphazardly. Not one picket assumed an upright position. In some areas the pickets were overlapped so often that it was impossible to see the original pickets.
My mother would warn us kids to be careful when we played a little too rough. She would warn us that if we lost a tooth, our teeth would look like “Arciszewski’s fence.” After all the repairs made to this fence, the dog would somehow leave the yard in search of chickens.
Each spring my mother purchased a piglet from a farmer. It became a family pet. Every Saturday she would give it a bath and bring it into the house. This is one pig that was house trained. It also was quite a performer. Mom would put a record in the victrola and this pink pig would dance around in circles. If mom stopped the record, the pig would stop his dance. The neighbors were often invited in to see the dancing pig. The pig had another trick. We had long carpet runners from the front door to the kitchen. This pig would lie down at the end of the carpet, put the tassels on the end of the carpet in his mouth, and roll himself halfway to the front door. This was a damn funny pig..............