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Thursday, August 31, 1972, Page D-- 1 p.tu m i 9 'hex signs'

adorn Hill Ridge family's home ii ii hum w.iHMHiin.iwi.iri ini.Wiwiiiiiniiiii.iiii.;iiii.lim,wn1, V. .y.; '. 'i. f J itirn TWO 'DISTLEFINKS,' a popular theme in Pennsylvania RAIN, SUN AND FERTILITY are the wishes this hex religious hex Dutch folk art, dominate this "hex sign" on Fred Bag-ley'- s sign By Robin Garr III freedom, the sign offers its owner. According to Pennsylvania Dutch is an integral part of the cul- Hill Ridge home. The Distlefink, or goldfinch, was legend, the central circle represents the sun; the drops Staff Writer ture that came to be known as considered a harbinger of springtime, a bringer of good are for the rain; and eight-pointe- d is a "Pennsylvania the star fertility Dutch." luck and happiness. symbol. A touch of the Pennsylvania Himself a descendant of Penn- Dutch has come to Jefferson-tow- n. sylvania Dutch families that have Many hold strong belief In evil A similar precaution, wearing Another common theme, three farmed the rich land of eastern spirits, and fear having a "spell" the right eye of a wolf Inside the tulips, represents faith, hope and Some of Fred Bagley's Hill Pennsylvania's Schulyklll County cast upon them. right sleeve, will protect the Ridge neighbors may have been charity, as well as the Holy Trini- since 1748, Bagley added the The hex sign, It is believed, was bearer from all injuries, ac- ty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. wondering about the brightly-color- ed symbolic hex signs to Hill developed a his as sort of charm cording to the old belief. Other symbols featured In Bag-le- y's circular decorations that Ridge home, "not only because of against spells. A representative of the Superior two outdoor signs include now adorn the Bagley home at my ancestry, but because they're It was thought the symbolic sign 4011 Belle Switchboard and Devices Co., scallops around the circle for Grade. colorful decorations." could not only keep the bad spir- luck (when Two signs, one adorned with a which sells electrical apparatus they're colored green, Though Bagley moved to the its away, but in fact bring good to It means luck a pair of stylized the other utility companies, Bagley and riches); heart birds, Canton, Ohio area as a luck to eight-point- child, their owner. travels widely. He's rarely seen for love; the ed star dominated by a bright eight-point- ed and came to the Louisville area Various designs on the hex signs hex signs on homes outside Penn- fertility; a red circle, star, flank the front door over three years ago, his in- were developed to bring specific ranch-sty- sylvania Dutch country, though he the sun; and raindrops, rain. of the Bagley's pleasant le In Pennsylvania types terest Dutch life of good luck. Thus, one recalls noting one "way out in the The hex in the Bagley's home. A third, smaller and culture sign Irish remains strong, and denotes fertility; another middle of Nebraska" one time. family room has an interesting design over the door features he has close ties with his family aims at providing riches; and a an American Eagle. He purchased the signs for his story, going back to the Revolu- In eastern Pennsylvania. third is intended to bring sun and home during a Inside, over the family room Pennsylvania Dutch, a dialect of recent trip back tionary war. As Bagley tells it, rain in the proper proportions. to Pennsylvania. Hex signs bar, yet another decoration in German, is still widely spoken "Many are the Pennsylvania Dutch at Valley people think of the now produced commercially for Forge had hex signs everywhere similar style centers around a there, Bagley recalled. "Why, and Mennonites when they think bright-gre- en sale as souvenirs, he added. on their wagons, tents and the shamrock. they used to teach it in the Bag-le- of the Pennsylvania Dutch," y Bagley, his wife Marcia and her like. They're Pennsylvania Dutch schools. My mother didn't even the said. "But hex signs aren't mother, Mrs. Martha Nelson en- "Not to be Bagley "hex symbols,"Bagley explained. learn to speak English until she a part of outdone," the Amish ways at all." joy their Jeffersontown-are- a said, "the Irish troops there Deeply rooted in the history of was 10," he remembered. The Dutch who are not really the home. "We love It here," he said, made up one of their own. They Dutch Quakers, Mennonites, An Important aspect of Pennsyl- Dutch all, he cautioned di- at "not to mention the mild winters took the Distlefink, the three tu- Amish, French Huguenots, Irish vania Dutch culture is super- vide themselves into the and German Lutherans who came Bagley compared to Ohio. There seems lips and other Dutch symbols, stition, said, particularly "Plains" and the Fancies." to be a to Pennsylvania in quest of among the more elderly people. liveliness about the area but in the middle they added the The "Plains," or the Amish and look at downtown Louisville Irish shamrock," Mennonites, wear dark clothing and the people are warm and Do the signs really bring good and lead staid, simple lives with friendly." luck? "Well," Bagley said, "I little luxury, avoiding most com- The varied symbolism of the don't ' . really believe that or 1 mon forms of entertainment. hex sign is demonstrated in the only in a sort of tongue-in-che- ek The "Fancies," including the ones the Bagleys display. way. O Irish and Luth- Catholics German The two birds, he noted, are a "But," he added, "some strange t erans, among others, went In for common feature. Known as "Dis-tlefink- s," and unexplainable things happen colorful clothing, singing and or thistle finches, they in Pennsylvania Dutch country." mm dancing, and probably originated i 4 i actually represent the goldfinch, In any case, he concluded the hex sign. "I've never seen a which in Dutch "everybody loves the signs " 'plain' home with a hex country is the sign," bird of and so and whether you believe in them J Bagley first springtime, said. associated with happiness and or not, you've got to say they're Another unusual superstition good luck. Bagley recounted is the concept colorful." of the "pow-wowi- st" a hex doctor. Both his grandmothers were pow-wowl- sts, he recalled, ... one dealing In afflictions of the .v liver, and the other with stomach ailments.

) pow-wow- ! The ist apparently pro- s.. vided a strange mixture of super- r.x f. stition and Christianity, as Bag-l- ey told the story. "They be- lieved many illnesses were due to a spirit or a spell affecting a portion of the body. "So, they'd go out in search of herbs, which they'd pick and mix with lard to make a poultice or salve. They'd take this poultice and rub it into the body, then mark the sign of a cross in it, and this was supposed to exor- r j cise the evil spirit." A sure-fir- e treatment for warts, he said, was to roas t chicken feet and rub the warts withtherr., Jeffersonian photos by Robin Garr III then bury them under the eaves. A booklet on Dutch folklore urn rnwriimHii riniDi iii in mini winiiiiiii in nimwii in iiniiwi.i'iini'MiriftininiiiiliiiiWinl 'WILKUM' which as anyone could guess is Pennsyl- win' iiiiinir lists other "sure-fire- " pract- vania Dutch for "welcome," offers a greeting to visitors ices, such as to tie the heart of THE IRISH, not Dutch at all, designed this popular hex at the Bagley home, 401 1 Belle Grade. The signs, com- a bat to your right arm with a sign that hangs in Fred Bagley's family room. In addi- mercially available in the Eastern Pennsylvania area, are red silk string, "and you will tion to more usual "Dutch" symbols, it proudly dis- win every game of firmly affixed to the brick wall. cards you plays a bright-gree- n Irish shamrock. play." New zone regulations formalize hearing process

Zone change matters and related county by the year 1990. to be followed. The first three specific case, and each case will public hearings are going to be The recommendation handed pages of rules outline how the tions including: fix a time for normally be heard in the order more formal and legalistic in down by the commission is not council is to handle a proposed additional information to be fur- In which they appear on the cal- Jeffersontown from now on. binding, however. It is an ad- zone change; the last two pages nished; set a time and date for endar. of the conduct of That's the implication of a bul- visory notice, forwarded to the rules outline public hearing, if desired; return Zoning cases will be hoard a public hearing. the to planning com- ky package of planning and zon- legislative body governing the matter the in this order: The planning com- ng. a final deter- ing regulations approved by City tract of land proposed for Highlights of the first section in- mission; or make mission's recommendation will mination immediately. Council at its meeting on Mon- clude: be read; the applicant will make If the proposed zone change If a public hearing is set, day, Aug. 21. is On receipt of a recommenda- a statement in support of his pro- in goes to the the applicant, his attorneys, and In the past, according to Coun- Jeffersontown, it the planning posal; other speakers favoring City Council; in Louisville, to tion from commis- all adjacent property owners will cilman Sherman Kline, chairman a calling the pro- the proposal will speak; persons the of sion, first for be notified of the time and place of the council's economic de- Board Aldermen; in fifth posed zone change is normally opposed may speak, first adjoin- or sixth class or unin- by registered mail at least 14 velopment committee, council cities placed on the agenda of a coun- ing property owners, then Jef- deliberation on zoning matters corporated areas, to Jefferson days in advance. fersontown residents, and last, cil meeting within 20 days, and If the council the mat- was based on "unwritten rules." Fiscal Court. returns non-reside- nts of the city, fin- bodies the applicant and his attorneys ter to the planning commission, generally These further review so ally, the applicant may be heard These "rules," the proposal and make a final are notified. it will write the specific rea- went back to proce- in rebuttal. speaking, and binding judgment. Fre- The applicant is charged a sons for doing so, and advise followed by the council in The applicant will be permit- dures quently, they follow the planning filing fee, which ranges from $50 the commission what action it past years, before the establish- ted to voluntarily submit restrict- commission's recommendation, to $200 for or low desires taken. ment of a county planning com- residential ive covenants with respect to the but they are under no compul- medium-densi- ty If the council decides to take to apartment; use of his land; or may with- mission. sion to do so. $75 to $300 for high density immediate action on the matter, Since the county commission has draw the matter pending at any Until now, has been no neighborhood com- it may approve, reject, or par- been operational, proposed zone there apartment, time before the council votes. formal set of governing and tially approve and partially re ject changes have gone first to the rules mercial the like; and $100 the procedures to be followed by in- the proposed zone change. The regulations do not speci- downtown, where the to $500 for commercial or courthouse the city council in deliberating zone fy that the council must make holds a public hear- dustrial changes. commission on zone changes, or in setting its decision at the time of the ing and a recommenda- The applicant is required to Hearing rules l renders up and administering public hear- public hearing. iscal Court tion of or submit a map or list indicating approval denial. ings on I lie new regulations deal- and the Board of Aldermen, how- rezoning proposals. all owners of property city's recom- adjacent ing with the conduct of public, ever, normally do not do so. The commission's to the property in on question. hearings When the council makes de- mendation is generally based Procedures outlined include these major its the county comprehensive plan --- At the council meeting set points; cision, the applicant and his at- a map indicating what planners The new regulations fill this gap, for first calling on the matter, Public hearings will be held torneys, and the planning com- hope will be the face of the and outline specific procedures councilmen may take various ac in the place designated for each mission, are notified by mail.