The Lancast

It’s that time again…where the “guys” of The Lancast bequeath to us their knowledge (or not) of current trends and things that they find personally interesting. This week, David decided to lead in with a topic most anyone would find exciting: bacon. Yes, folks, bacon. Bacon burgers, bacon sundaes, bacon soda. With such an appetizing start to the discussion, the conversation quickly turned to how unappetizing fast food’s attempt at healthful food can be. Keith brought up the debate about homeschool vs. public school and all three guys had some personal insights to bring to the table. Next up, Jason Mundok told us about his newest project at Wood Stove House. It’s a new theater venture called Play Grounds: Theater on Site that will present on May 5 and 6 during Lancaster’s annual Artwalk. Three playwrights and three directors will create site specific plays at three different locations downtown and the audience will move from site to site during the event. Each play is unique and not connected with the others in theme or storyline. The shows will be open to the public free of charge, but Woodstove is trying to raise funds to help pull off the event. Other points of discussion included First and Third Fridays and their success, and the growing trend in house concerts here in Lancaster. David’s article in the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce magazine Connections can be found here. Know something about any of these topics? Have a question for one of the guys? Join the conversation by posting a comment below. And as always, thanks for listening. Photos Courtesy of Chetroy Productions Support for this episode provided by WindingWay Books and Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

It had been over a decade since Jack Lewars spent any length of time in Lancaster County outside of the occasional visit to his folks. In August 2011, he returned to his childhood home of Mount Joy and its surrounding areas for four weeks to create a film by the same name. During those four weeks, we found out, there were quite a few noteworthy experiences, including, but not limited to crashing vehicles into buildings and burning a barn to the ground. When they weren’t wreaking havoc on our serene farming community, Jack and the team were busy making connections with local businesses and filming the scenes that will eventually become the movie. The story line follows a group of friends and their attempts at making their band a success in the wake of a break-up between the lead singer and his girlfriend. Unlike some films that take place in a certain town but are actually filmed elsewhere, Mount Joy was all shot right here in Lancaster County. The crew got permission from Good’s Disposal service to use their trucks and uniforms for the movie, and Jack tells how a run-in with the police landed them an “in” to film in the holding cells at the police station downtown. The Chameleon Club also gets showcased as the backdrop for some of the band scenes. Local interest is building with supporters growing through facebook and twitter, and it certainly helps that local news stations like WGAL 8 and Fox 43 have taken notice as well. Jack co-wrote the script with fellow Mount Joy native and writer Mark Mena, and derived a lot of the content from his own childhood experiences. His wife Katie plays the roll of the love interest and also helped to produce the film. He told us that directing and producing a movie with such a small budget has taken its toll on him with the high stress of coordinating so many aspects of the film and trying to work around obstacles like weather and traffic patterns. But when we asked him if he would do it again, he said he plans to stick with it, because “it does come with great rewards in the end”. Mount Joy is expected to release in the fall of 2012 and Jack plans to submit it to Sundance and SXSW film festivals in 2013. You can view the trailer for Mount Joy HERE and if you would like to follow their progress or support the movie, check them out at www.mountjoymovie.com. As always, thanks for listening! Photos Courtesy of Bianca Cordova, www.biancacordovaphotography.com Support for this episode provided by WindingWay Books and Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

For Kristen Hertzog of Haitian Connection Network, it would seem that there is never a moment where her hands are idle. She is a woman who wears many hats, but she doesn’t seem to be bothered by her busy schedule. Kristen is the co-director/founder of HCN, a non-profit whose goal is to educate and empower Haitians to obtain gainful employment and become self-sustaining. Though she has been active in aid work to Haiti since 1999, it wasn’t until after the earthquake of 2010 that the extreme need for education was realized. Twenty-eight of the 32 universities in Haiti were destroyed in the earthquake, either physically or operationally, and the people there are desperate for education and jobs. HCN provides a student computer center that facilitates a virtual online education program. The center offers three different programs including ESL classes, University programs, and an Info Hub providing internet access for educational purposes. Assisting a nation of such hardship, one becomes quickly aware of the multitude of other needs these people have. HCN not only provides them with food and information, but also teaches them dignity and self-respect. Kristen talks about training the students to see themselves as equals with their instructors and would-be employers. They learn that they are valuable because they are people and that they are not less deserving simply because of where they were born. Kristen’s commitment to the country has become more personal than ever with the adoption of her daughter who is native to Haiti. On a lighter note, we discuss the mix of cultural backgrounds that make up Kristen’s immediate- family, and the “side business” she and her husband run from their historic Ephrata farmhouse. The Hertzog Homestead is a B&B that offers a retreat for those who want to get away from it all. It caters to peoples’ need for relaxation and boasts homemade meals straight from an Amish kitchen. In addition to the Bed and Breakfast, the HCN, and raising her two children, Kristen has also spent many years as a performer at Sight and Sound Theaters, helping to develop such plays as “The Miracle of Christmas”. There is no doubt that Kristen is a very organized and talented individual. With all of the interesting things that Kristen does, I have to say that her work in Haiti is what inspires me the most. She has chosen to look at herself and evaluate how she can make the best use of her time and her resources in order to help those in need. “We all have ways that we can give back,” she says. Her work in Haiti is a good reminder that everyone on this earth has value, and all of us have something to give. If you would like to contact Kristen or find out more about anything we talked about this episode, you can email her at Kristen@haitianconnectionnetwork.org. Support for this episode provided by WindingWay Books and Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

Since David and Keith decided to introduce “Guys Night” a few weeks ago on the Lancast, we girls have been thinking about launching our own show.  We figure there’s plenty of topics we’d like to discuss that our female listeners may also share an interest in. After much pestering, Becky and I were able to convince David to let us give it a try. Welcome to the very first episode of Ladies Night. We’ve decided to call this show Women’s Trends. We wanted to discuss things that we’ve seen becoming popular among our peer groups such as Chobani Greek Yogurt and Pinterest. If you’ve never heard of these, check them out. If you have heard of them, let us know what your thoughts are below. Since I personally am new to both, I will follow up with my own opinions on our next episode. Both Becky and I have a creative side, one that may not get utilized as much as we would like. We talked about some of our ideas for projects that we think are Pinterest -worthy, and someday hope to accomplish. We also talked about the growing interest in natural childbirth and midwifery. I gave a very long-winded account of the births of my four children and Becky graciously sat through the whole thing without looking bored. (Well, I do have four kids, and to be fair, I had to cover all of them!) Hopefully, though, if you’re expecting a child and you’re thinking about having a natural birth, I inspired you to give it a try. You can find the website for Birth Care where I most recently delivered here. If there is one thing I have trouble with, it’s listening to the sound of my own voice. That being said, I don’t think I did too badly for the first time around. You can tell I was nervous because I used the phrase “kind-of” about a hundred times in the first five minutes. I was concentrating so hard on not saying “like”, that I didn’t realize I just replaced it with a new set of words. Becky, however, is a natural. She is an excellent co-host, very well-spoken, and I had a blast working with her for our first show. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did, and as always, thanks for listening! Support for this episode provided by WindingWay Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

So this week, we sat down with Shawn V Martin, YouTube vlogger and fellow podcaster. In between Keith and David’s bickering about an earlier lack of communication, Shawn filled us in on the history of his video log and how it has evolved. Initially, he set out to make funny, informative videos for his parents on topics he thought they may find useful or interesting. Very quickly though, his friends took notice, and they agreed that he needed to make this a regular thing. It was entertaining and people kept watching, so as a result, “Five Things” was born. Shawn films all of his vlogs from his Lancaster City apartment which he shares with his wife Alisha, two cats, and a handful of clones. The clones were invented to add humor and content to the vlog, and they’ve since become permanent fixtures on the show. Alisha likes to add her own creative input and is also regularly cast on the show. In addition to Five Things, Shawn also produces a lot of content featuring a popular PC game called Minecraft. He hosts a server that hundreds of people can play the game from, and he has gained popularity with those who are dedicated fans of the game. Carter Kalchik was  a follower of Shawn’s vlog and would regularly comment on posts with his own commentary or input. The two  started talking, and one thing lead to another. They now cohost a podcast via Skype called Shawn and Carter Have a Podcast, which is available through YouTube and iTunes. Because Shawn spends the better part of a full day producing his vlog each week, and because Carter has discovered his incredible love for podcasting, Carter generally decides on the main content for each show. They may discuss or debate current trends and events, and they typically also include a film review. If you’d like to find out more about the Shawn V Martin experience, you can catch him on Facebook and Twitter. You can also visit his YouTube page here, where you will find links to his Five Things and Minecraft websites, as well as Shawn and Carter Have a Podcast. As always, thanks for listening. Support for this episode provided by WindingWay Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

Jasmine Grimm knows a good piece of clothing when she sees it. And she knows how to make a girl feel like a million bucks, no matter what the budget. Her style-consulting business, Ruby, Inc., not only helps women find good clothing without breaking the bank, but also educates them about their body type and how to shop for clothes that accentuate all the right features. She starts with her client’s body shape, and then determines what style they’re looking for. From there, she develops a game plan and then it’s off to the mall. But Jasmine insists that no matter where you shop, whether it would be Niemen Marcus or Goodwill, she can help you find a style that works for your shape. Her goal in all of this is to help grow the clients’ self-esteem and to give them  confidence in developing their personal style. Though low self-esteem in regards to appearance is typically seen as a female concern, we talk about how this can be an issue for men as well. Keith tells about his adventures in shirt tailoring and David lets us in on a quirky fact about his own wardrobe. In other news, Jasmine is active in the martial arts. We all got to talking about some of our personal experiences with various forms of martial arts, and let’s just say it will be worth your while to listen to this part of the show. Hilarity may ensue. Other topics of discussion include Mortal Combat, Angry Birds, and how many arguments Keith has not won with his wife. If you’d like more information on Jasmine’s consulting services, check out her facebook page here. Also, check out her blog for helpful tips and fashion tricks. You can reach Jasmine by phone at 717.517.8266. Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

This episode was the first of a new thing we’re calling “Guys’ Night”. David and Keith were joined by good friend Jason Mundok of Around the Woodstove to discuss all sorts of exciting topics. For instance, Keith shared briefly about the birth of his son, and his plans for world domination. Jason told us some of the things we can expect from Around the Woodstove in 2012. And David wrapped up the show by telling us what it was like to be featured on “Geek Love”, a new reality TV show that airs on The Learning Channel (TLC). He had quite the experience participating in the speed dating event that took place at the Comic Con in NYC. If you missed his episode of Geek Love or would like to check it out after hearing the show, right click and choose "Save As" on the link here to download the episode. Some other topics we discussed include Nano Studio for the iPod Touch, the rapid rate of growth in the world of technology, and the recent SOPA and PIPA initiatives. Hear our thoughts on these topics and share some of your own below. We plan to make this a regular occurrence from here on out, so watch for more of these “Guys’ Night” episodes. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to hear us cover, write your suggestions below! And as always, thanks for listening! Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

Director Allen Clements first discovered the Chameleon Club while touring in a band. The club had such an impact on him that he quickly realized a need to document everything the club was and had to offer so that others could discover it as well. Making The Chameleon Club Documentary took Allen 5 years to complete. Using everything from posting flyers to harnessing the power of social media he was able to gather an immense amount of old footage, photos, and music from band that played at the club including bands like Live & Suddenly Tammy. Compiling that all down to a one hour film is no small feat, but with the help of his team at PostageVFX and a group of passionate community members the project was wrapped up. The film is available online through Amazon.com. Check out the trailer below and make sure to leave a comment with your favorite memory from the Chameleon Club by February 4th, 2012 to be be entered into the contest to win a copy of the documentary. Your browser does not support video Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

Dance Envoy's "Dance With A Mission" is the brain child of Michelina Piazza and Alyson Grine. Different from traditional class formats, Dance With A Mission seeks to teach children and adults good technique and strong self-esteem without all the fluff. We sat down with Michelina, founder of Dance Envoy, to hear more about this unique approach to dance instruction. Fostering children's creativity is important, because it builds self confidence, Piazza says. If you were a fly on the wall in one of her ballet classes, you would see a strong emphasis on technique. In the latter part of the session, however, focus shifts to a more light-hearted and creative approach. The students may be required to take what they've learned and include those elements in their own choreographed piece while trying to express a concept or a feeling through their dance. This is called creative movement. In addition to ballet and creative movement, the dance company also offers instruction in hip hop and lyrical, as well as some adult classes. Michelina grew up loving dance, and from the age of three, that is what she aspired to do. She found ways to incorporate dance into so much of her life's activities. She has spent time living and working in Boston, Philadelphia and New York, and abroad in Italy. As exciting as her travels have been, Michelina has decided to bring her gift back to Lancaster County, PA. Piazza herself favors contemporary and world dance and it shows in her approach to teaching. Dance Envoy presents 12 week sessions which allow more flexibility for other school commitments and activities. Michelina and her staff bring a strong and seasoned, yet free and fun-loving approach to dance instruction, but they hope you'll come and see for yourself. Classes are offered at the Linden Hall Dance Studio facility in Lititz, PA. For more information on classes and pricing, please visit www.danceenvoy.com. You can also "Like" them on Facebook. Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

Theatre for Transformation is about just that: being transformed. For Dr. Amanda Kemp, it is a process, one that she hopes will affect the viewer as much as if affects the participants. "Theatre for Transformation...encourage[s] people to remember, forgive and to create something new." Founded in 2007 by Kemp, the company seeks to address the hardships of historic African-Americans through drama and to bring healing and personal growth to current generations. Dr. Kemp writes most of the productions herself and performs in them as well. She talked with us about her own transformation of thought while producing the plays and how she worked through some of her own prejudices in the process. Two 1-act plays will be performed this month at Millersville University's Ware Center. One of the plays, Sister Friend, follows the life and writings of Phillis Wheatley. The second play, Show Me the Franklins, will be presented for the last time on January 28th, after running for four years. Both productions are approximately 30 min in length. For more information on upcoming performances and how to reserve tickets, visit www.theatrefortransformation.org. Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

Jenny & Tyler have a personal relationship and a professional relationship.  Largely, the two of those are one and the same for this traveling folk/rock duo. When it comes to the music, they have a give-and-take approach to writing their songs and they share the spotlight equally. Both Jenny and Tyler come from very musical backgrounds with a wide variety of influences ranging from classical to country. If you listen to their past projects you can hear how their sound has evolved and how they have gradually rounded each other out. They talked with us about trying to find their identity and feeling like they've finally begun to "settle in". Many of the songs that have made the cut present very intimate and personal themes about life and faith. Based out of Nashville, Jenny and Tyler are making the rounds on the house concert circuit. We caught up with them while they were playing a show at Burlap and Bean Coffee in Newton Square, Pennsylvania and got to hear two of the songs from their latest album, Faint Not. You can check out their tour schedule and download music at www.jennyandtylermusic.com and keep up with they're journeys by liking them on Facebook. Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

This episode we break out of the geographical box going north and international to talk with Alex Yu of the increasingly popular YouTube commentary, Ragin Ronin Review. Alex lives in Vancouver and joined us via Skype to give us a picture of how he got started and what it's like to be an internet celebrity. Beginning with Iron Man 2, Alex decided to start giving commentary on movies, one of his passions. He started to gain popularity when he built up hype for the Transformers 3 trailer. He filmed his reaction when it finally was released, and that video has now had over twenty thousand views. Although reviewing movies and shopping for memorabilia is what put Yu on the map, he has a professional life that's pretty interesting as well. Alex became interested in video production at a young age when he saw some of his friends making homemade kung fu videos. He decided he wanted to do it for a living, and sold all of his toy collection to raise money for the equipment he would need. Advertising, weddings, events, and more, Alex enjoys producing for work and for play. He's learned a lot from his video posting experiences. Being yourself is important when putting yourself out there for the world to see. Get comfortable with the camera and be as natural as you can, Alex says. People seem to go for down-to-earth, honest commentary over big flashy effects. And, it would seem, that reality TV still sells. It connects with people. Get in touch with and follow Alex: Ragin Ronin Review on Youtube Email Alex  Twitter The Ragin Nation on Facebook Ragin Ronin Productions on Facebook www.theraginnation.com (coming soon in 2012) Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka

The door is shutting on 2011, but we've jammed a foot in the doorway to keep it open just a little longer so we can bring you The Best Lancast Moments of 2011! On this special episode Keith and David count down their top five moments from the year and play a track from their favorite musical guest. Previous co-host Daniel Klotz also takes some time to share some of what he thought were the most impactful moments while he was co-hosting the show during the first half of the year. Links to all the episodes we talk about can be found bellow. Happy New Year to you, our awesome listeners! Keith's Top 5 A Poetic Path for Public Art Defining A Collective with Erik Ewing Aaron Gotwalt and the Business of Tweeting An Oasis In The Painted Desert Bob Moore of Lancaster Regional Medical Center Best Musical Performance: The Billies David's Top 5 Spenser Brossman Comes Complete In Box Movie Talk with the Team at Penn Cinema Mike Witmer Introduces His Friends From Pinkerton Park Mark Douglas Only Writes Songs In The Key Of Awesome Stitches Comedy Club, Lancaster’s Source for Laughs Best Musical Performance: Symphony of Sound Daniel's Top 2 • Cooking Up Conversation with Sean Cavanaugh                        • Heads Up: Connecting Youth with Urban Art Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void

Christmas has come early this year on The Lancast. We share our holiday spirit by bringing you two season themed stories. The first story is Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas written and narrated by Chet Williamson, published by Pelican Books. And our second story is Presence by Janean Burkholder and Jason Deeds and is the featured holiday offering over at Gloaming Gap. We hope you enjoy this short festive episode and from all of us here at The Lancast we wish you a happy holidays! Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void

It all started in the eighth grade, when Chris Newcomer was first introduced to the idea of screen printing. Chris is the owner/operator of BigPlanetApparel, a screen print shop based here in Lancaster, PA. After the initial spark of interest struck in junior high, he took a few classes in high school and learned the basics. After that he became something of a Renaissance man, dabbling in various professions ranging from construction to cooking, and everything in between. Fifteen years and seven jobs later, Chris finally decided to take the plunge and go into business for himself. It took some time to accumulate all the gear he would need, but he now runs a successful screen printing business in addition to his other full time job. On what it's like to work for yourself, Chris says, "When you run your own business, you get to do [everything]." You see the process from start to finish instead of just contributing one small piece to the puzzle. That's a positive way of saying you have to do all the work. Chris doesn't seem to mind though. He's put in a lot of time working for "the man". Now he's finally doing something he loves and he's doing it for himself. To find out more about BigPlanetApparel, contact Chris at 717-283-6827. Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, & Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: An Other Side by Xenyka