We published a front page story today in the newspaper and online about a rare find in Berwick. Members of the historical society found a dusty, long-ignored copy of Benjamin Franklin’s 18th-century “Poor Richard” almanac on their shelves a few months ago, they decided to find out whether it could be real. Well it is real and it brought the historical society a nice chunck of change. Well more than change like $556,500. An anonymous bidder paid that amount Tuesday at the Sotheby’s auction house for the 1733 edition, the second highest price ever for a book printed in America. The windfall was reason to celebrate for the historical society members. “We’re on the second bottle of champagne,” historical society president Thomas McLaughlin said when reached on his cell phone aboard the bus taking 14 society members on the 150-mile trip home from New York back to Berwick Tuesday.
— In the dumb and dumber department today, we find police in south-central Pennsylvania reporting a drunken driver who was sleeping in a police station parking lot stopped his car between two marked cruisers so he could take a nap. He has been arrested. East Pennsboro police Chief Dennis McMaster said the 37-year-old man caught the attention of an officer Sunday night. He said the officer saw the man park in a space reserved for police cars, turn off his headlights, recline his seat and close his eyes. He said when the officer approached the car to check on the man he saw an empty vodka bottle on the floor and found a pipe with traces of marijuana. The man has been charged with driving under the influence and possessing drug paraphernalia.
— Free speech is one thing. Honking a car horn is another. And, it is not considered free speech. Judge Richard J. Thorpe ruled Monday that “Horn honking which is done to annoy or harass others is not speech.” A woman who vented at a neighbor by leaning on her car horn at 6 a.m. was cited with a noise violation. She appealed on free-speech grounds. Helen Immelt of Monroe, Wash., expressed her anger in 2006 because the neighbor had complained to their homeowners association about her having chickens against the association’s rules. She parked in front of his house at 5:50 a.m. the next day and leaned on her horn for 10 minutes straight. He called the police, but she repeated the honking two hours later. After exhausting her appeals, Immelt finally learned free speech is not horn honking.
— Everyone is reminded to recycle. Tina Asmus, of Lakemoor, Ill., likes to recycle discarded items. But some of the items she has recyled is not sitting well with neighbors and village officials in Lakemoor. They are upset about the planters in her front yard. She created the planters out of two old toilets and a pedestal sink. Mayor Todd Weihoffen, who is a plumber by trade, said he stands behind police who have given Asmus 30 days to remove the toilets. He said she faces a fine of $25 to $500 if she doesn’t comply by June 15. Asmus, though, said she will not remove what she calls her “art pieces.” She said each toilet planter cost about $100 to make and holds an assortment of daisies, angel’s breath, lilies and other flowers.
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Mid-Daily Items: Old almanac pays off for society
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