I am occasionally given an honor that I can't really express what it means to me. When someone trusts me to document something as important as a memorial service for a loved one lost it is truly an honor.

In a short span of time at the end of this summer I was asked to do this twice.

One took me back to my ancestral grounds in Rhode Island and included a service in one of the oldest churches in the United States. The history of this place was not lost on me and I wondered if any of my relatives had sat in this church over the last couple centuries. This was for a dear friend's father who passed away during COVID from a battle with cancer. My friend also lost her sister soon after and for her memorial we all went out on Narragansett Bay in a former America's Cup champion boat that was once called John F. Kennedy's favorite sail boat.

It was a remarkable journey for me to witness and be a part of this saying goodbye..

The other memorial was for a newer friend of mine who passed away in August of 2020. This man , Paul Wittreich, I knew as a fellow photographer and just a darn nice guy. His wife Terri asked me to come document a memorial gathering on the top floor of Debence Historic Music World back home here in Franklin. This also was beautiful in another way for me, because I really got a chance to meet a Paul I didn't know.

I either did not realize, or I didn't remember Paul was also a painter. We always talked about photography.

As I walked around the room looking at the display of his paintings, photographs, sculptures and memorabilia, I found out this nice man, who I chatted with about f-stops and shutter-speeds, was indeed a renaissance man. An Ivy League scholar, a Korean War era Navy veteran, a research chemist, a marathoner, an avid bike peddler who would go coast to coast more than once, a world traveler, author and illustrator and he wasn't afraid to tackle anything including opponents on the football field or a feisty band director who he fell in love with and lived out the last many years of his life with on a hill in Franklin, Pennsylvania.

Losing Paul Wittreich was losing an incredible human who lived quite a life. And the people who came to pay tribute to he and his family understood that better than anyone.

I found myself in awe of what was on display. The easel with his final painting in the works surrounded with his brushes and  palettes as if awaiting his return.

The painting above caught my attention right away. It's beautifully painted with only a few strokes really and great color. This painting really stood out  and then engaged me look closer at others. 

I could've looked at this painting all day. Even now writing this I keep scrolling back and forth.

Then I saw, tucked into the corner, old newspaper clips with old newspaper photographs. As an old newspaper man myself, I wanted a closer look. There was an outstanding football photo that really grabbed my attention. As a photographer and photo history buff, I knew that image was taken with a bulky single shot type of camera without the fancy telephoto lenses we use today. I also knew the action was pretty close to the unflinching photographer.

I wanted to read the caption for details and that's when I learned the speedy back leaving the opponents in his dust was the same guy whose paintings I was just marveling at... the renaisance man.

I told Terri as I was leaving that I felt I cheated myself out of not getting to know Paul better all those times we talked and that I really was honored she asked me to come document the gathering and remembrance.

Covering this I realized Paul was again teaching me something from beyond. I always appreciated his insights on photography and I learn so much from these moments when someone shares their interest with me. Here, at this event, he taught me that I need to take more time when someones blesses me with their interest in me. Paul kept asking me questions about me and my work over the last few years that we tended to focus too much on that and not enough time learning more and more from his extraordinary life.

My loss. This community lost a real gem too.

Matthew Kirtland said after his parents passed away and his dad's Oncology center was closed that folks don't realize the foundation is still there and still looking to help. Kirtland is the son of the late Howard and Barbara Kirtland, who started the foundation in order to help area residents who are battling cancer. "Sometimes some one needs a little gas money," Kirtland said, "Sometimes they need a lot more, but we're looking for people who might need help."

So events like the "Pink Splash for a Cure"Tuesday in Fountain Park are a big deal to let people know the work of the foundation is still there to help others. He said "we can't help if people don't ask."

The event also illustrates the importance of people coming together to support each other in a common cause.

October is national breast cancer awareness month and the annual "Pink Slash" kicks off the month and by adding the pinkish die to the fountain's water they hope the pink water coming from the fountain reminds people everyday of the terrible infliction cancer is on the individual and their families.

Keynote speaker Dr. Shannon Penland, a medical oncologist at the Hillman Institute at UPMC Northwest, is a breast cancer survivor herself. She said the advancements in drug treatments are amazing and the death rate for breast cancer is down from years ago. 

She said it is encouraging that they are finding more and more ways to treat patiants and helping in their treatment. She also spoke about the support of each person battling cancer saying that a survivor is everyone passed diagnosis that is with us is a survior

That is a reason to celebrate and support one another.

​​More than 100 attended the annual event, but many others supported through basket raffles, t-shirt sales and other donations.

The fountain in West Park will be running pink throughout the month.

Learn more about the Kirtland Cancer Foundation and how you can help your neighbor during a difficult time in their life at https://www.kirtlandcancerfoundation.org/support-the-cause

Featured photo: October is breast cancer awareness month

At sporting events all month fans and athletes will be displaying pink in order to increase awareness to continuing health issue of cancer in general, but specifically breast cancer. Last night the Cranberry super-fans made their section almost all pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Tonight in Fountain Park in Franklin a ceremony will be held with information and support for people going through cancer treatments now, survivors and remember those lost. Pink Splash for a Cure is an annual gathering that includes circling the fountain to add pink dye to the water so the fountain pours pink water all month long. It also raises money for the Kirtland Cancer Foundation which keeps the money local to help area families during their battle against cancer. It kicks of at 5:30 p.m.

As for this photographer who has witnessed a handful of these Applefest, this year's foray was truly a blessing for a community that has been strugglingfor normalcy, as all responsible community's have, amid this pandemic. Yes they have had successful summer activities in the park and through the busy summer, but Applefest is a very special time in Franklin as thousands of people travel to the city for this three-day festival each year.

And this year they most certainly did come.

Below are some of my favorite photos from the weekend, some you may have seen in previous posts. And another little story I had fun writing

​I love my job.

The gray skies in the morning may have slowed down Sunday's Applefest crowd and car show participants, but as the day rolled on, the forecast for rain kept getting pushed back. And the cars kept rolling in.

It may not have been a record Applefest Sunday, but there were still thousands of folks wanderting in and out of the crafters and food vendor rows when they weren't walking freely up and down a closed to traffic Liberty Street checking out the dozens of classic cars that sat proudly on display with their owners braving the weather.

​Forecast be damned, this is Applefest gosh darn it and perhaps one year of pandemic could take away this annual gathering of souls and funnel cake eaters, but not this year. This year, tens of thousands of apples were handed out and a great deal of money was spent and received as people from all around the region had fun.

Many vendors indeed said it was good. One server of hand carved wooden sculptures and ornaments said they sold over $15,000 in one day. Food vendors ran out of supplies and some even had to close up their tents early having run out of their offerings.

Photographs taken of the event showed that people bought items even though they had to lug them several blocks to get back to their car. Parking spaces near the festival were lucky to find, even on Friday. One guy was looking like his arms grew a couple inches as he carried two gallon jugs to his car parked way out past Riverfront Park. "My arms are Barkin'" he said as he sped out in front of his wife who was carrying a pretty hefty sack of McIntoshes as she tried corralling her two kids. The look on her face indicated she wished they thought through their purchase decision a little more.

​A few blocks later I saw a dude carrying a carved wooded pumpkin the size of a hefty tree stump. He just took it a block at a time stopping to rest wherever he could without having to put the heavy sculpture on the ground, fearing he'd have to then pick it up again. He admitted his love for his wife who truly wanted this for their home.
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A three and a half foot carved wooden Sasquatch seemed like the right purchase for a couple, who them, walking along Liberty Street admitted that it was a better idea a hundred yards back than it was when their car was not even in sight yet.

Sunday's car show ended this year's Applefest until next year where the dates are already set. October 7,8 and 9 if you want to mark your calendars and if you're living out of town, book your travel plans now.

Below are just a few more photos from Sunday.

Festival food is something folks just can't get enough of..Seems the kettle corn folks especially are sought out as I saw probably a hundred folks toting around yardstick long bags of the stuff and I'll admit I saw perhaps one too many tongues this weekend as people just seemed all have ice bream cones.

Same mirror, two views. I admit I am a reflections junkie. Always seeing the world as something to explore in a different way. I read once that a reflection isn't reality and it's a fascinating philosophical conundrum that I just keep on exploring, as silly as that may sound.

Along with the popular antique and classic car show, Sunday's schedule includes performances by Wild Will Ion, Uncharted Course, Samantha Sears and the Max Schang Trio. A complete schedule of events is available in the Applefest website.

Below are some scenes from Eight & 322's weaving around looking for fun photos. Hope you like them