Cumberland County Edition
May 2011
Vol. 12 No. 5
Discovering Buried Treasure Metal Detecting Offers Key to Exercise, Service, Community, and Adventure By Beth Anne Heesen Metal detectors have become almost as common on beaches as seagulls. It is a popular hobby today, with thousands of people flocking to the sand each year to search for rings, coins, and other treasures. But for Bob Clark, 73, of Mechanicsburg, metal detecting is much more than a hobby. He started more than 40 years ago and has been doing it ever since. He began in the late ’60s. “Not many people had metal detectors at that time,” he said, “but as a deputy wildlife conservation officer, I was one of the few that did.” He was also a nature writer, and metal detecting turned out to be a perfect activity for the outdoorsy, adventure-loving man. Clark uses his metal detector extensively for community service, so the hobby has been a joy not only to him, but also to countless others who have benefited from his findings. “People take off rings [at the beach], put them in a shoe, and then come back and throw the sand out of the shoe,” he said. Out with the sand go the rings, much to their owners’ dismay. Clark said he is happy when he can return an item to someone and does not accept rewards. In the early ’70s, Clark joined a ring recovery team. One time, he found a class ring for a Gettysburg woman at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Cumberland County. “She was very poor, and it was one of the thrills of her life,” he said. The please see TREASURE page 4 Metal-detecting enthusiast Bob Clark at the lakefront beach in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, where he has often unearthed lost jewelry.
Inside:
Unique Stories, Common Goal page 10
Sign Up Now for Senior Games page 19
Landisville, PA Permit No. 3
PAID PRSRT STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE