Last week I spent my free time binge-watching “Ripper Street” on Netflix. Daniel A. Hemberger, a professional watcher of the skies, was continuing his research into simulating binary black hole systems to aid gravitational-wave detection and parameter estimation. It’s a mouthful, I know. Basically, Hemberger, 30, a 2003 Exeter High grad, has created a method of predicting what a sort of listening device for gravitational waves might detect when two black holes collide far out in space. When that occurs, it creates what scientists call a chirp. Not a sound, it’s an intense wave of gravitational energy that ripples out through the universe. It’s a theory for the ages that Hemberger helped prove last month.

“It’s definitely an effort that spanned many decades and involved thousands of people,” Hemberger said. “By the time it gets here, the energy of a wave is a small fraction of a proton, yet represents one of the most energetic events humans have ever detected, except the Big Bang.”

Gravitational waves are something Einstein predicted as part of his theory of relativity, but which until now had never been proved. Hemberger and the research team he collaborates with at California Institute of Technology and other scientific and learning institutions around the globe already had their highly improbable “Eureka!” moment last month. LIGO, which stands for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, is a large-scale physics experiment aimed at directly detecting gravitational waves. LIGO, which consists of two observatories, one in Louisiana, the other in Washington state, recorded evidence of the first gravitational waves ever detected, on Sept. 14 at 4:50 a.m. “The waves descended on Earth from the Southern Hemisphere, passed through the Earth, and emerged at the Earth’s surface first at the LIGO interferometer in Livingston, Louisiana, and then, 7 milliseconds later, at the LIGO interferometer in Hanford, Washington,” an agency press release said.

Hemberger said his part was to help develop a simulation of what a gravitational wave might look like as it passed through the Earth and was picked up by the LIGO observatories. When the wave was detected, one of the ways to prove they had what they thought they had was to take the actual measurements and compare them with the simulation developed by Hemberger and his teammates.

Veteran Preservationists Cheryl and John Crozier like the atmospheric creaking of old houses. Their 18th century home on 8 acres in Colebrookdale Township is the second old farmhouse they restored. Before tackling their latest old-house rescue in 2012, they tried something different, building a new post-and-beam house in the Poconos.

“We only lived there a year,” John said. “We missed squeaky floors.”

Cheryl, a registered nurse and administrator for Penn State Health St. Joseph, grew up in an old farmhouse in Lower Alsace Township. John, a certified arborist and retired owner of 4 Seasons Landscaping, was reared in rural Exeter Township. Married 40 years, the beekeepers and breeders of German wirehaired pointers relish country living and enjoy hunting with their energetic pack, founded by the dam, Briska, 17, and sire, Cai, 15.

“We were longing for a Berks County farm,” John said. “We looked at other houses. Everything else was too modernized. With this house, the previous owners were cover-uppers, not ripperouters.”

Their research suggests the oldest section of the house was built about 1767, when Joseph Muthart, or Muthard, settled the farmstead. A stone wing was added in about 1820; and a summer kitchen about 1830.

“This began as a one-and-a-half-story, post-and-plank house,” John explained. “It was expanded to two stories with a log addition.”

The post-and-plank method, a traditional building technique using timber framing with heavy horizontal planks, can be found throughout Europe and was brought to America by colonists.

The only other known example in Berks County, near Bernville, was moved here from Dauphin County in the 1990s. Coincidentally, the Croziers’ home might have been moved here, too, but almost 250 years ago.

Since the post-and-plank method was widely discontinued in the region by the time the Muthard homestead was settled, some architectural historians theorize that the Muthards disassembled the home and moved it here. Sets of Roman numerals carved into the corners of the planks suggest the pieces were numbered for reassembly or were pre-fitted off-site.

Working with a team of professionals for three years, the Croziers stripped away evidence of modernity, removing any post-1830 materials and carefully hiding necessities such as plumbing and electricity.

“We wanted a modern kitchen, laundry room and baths,” John said.

They uncovered architectural clues to the original appearance of stairwells, windows and other features, finding hidden doors behind plastered walls. Remarkably, they discovered the original Dutch door stashed in the summer kitchen loft. Such divided doors were designed so the tops could be opened, allowing light and air in, while the bottoms stayed shut, keeping small children in and barnyard animals out.

“To have the original front door is unusual,” Cheryl said. “The windows are unusual, too. There was evidence of casement windows, and we had them remade.”

The oldest section of the house has a traditional Germanic three-room plan with a central fireplace and evidence of a jamb stove.

“The cooking fireplace beam is almost medieval,” John said. “The header measures 21 by 20 inches.”

The walk-in fireplace appears larger than the typical 18th century residential kitchen fireplace, indicating cooking on a commercial scale and suggesting the house might have doubled as an inn. This theory is supported by a series of faded tally marks, believed to be the tavern keeper’s tab, discovered on the cellar door beside the hearth. Corroborating evidence was found in the Pennsylvania census of 1800, where Joseph Muthard is listed as an innkeeper.

One of the Croziers’ strangest discoveries was an early 19th century shoe sealed behind an attic wall. Concealed shoes have been discovered in the fabric of buildings in European countries and their colonies, with the oldest reported example dating to the 14th century. While some attribute the practice to ancient superstitions for warding off evil, there are numerous theories, including some related to luck and fertility.

“I prefer to use the term ‘folk belief,’ ” said Patrick Donmoyer, site manager of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. “It doesn’t surprise me that a shoe was found,” he added, noting that the tradition was widespread in the 19th century.

Soon after the shoe was removed, the Croziers noticed strange occurrences. Footsteps were heard overhead when no one was there. Doors opened by themselves. The whirlpool tub repeatedly turned on by itself.

It was easy to shrug these things off, but when Cheryl was pushed into the wall by an unseen force, she told John, “We better put that shoe back.”

“As soon as we did, the odd activity ended,” he said.

Though they still like their squeaky floors, they don’t miss the other noises and commotions.

Jacksonwald native Joel K. Harding and wife, Denise Portugues Harding, on a visit to Red Square in Moscow. Joel Harding has been invited by NATO to speak on information warfare, propaganda and strategic uses of disinformation in the digital age.

Call it schadenfreude.

The term describes enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of others.In my case, I’ve recently had the sensation after reading stories about Russian misadventures and ineptitudes in their prosecution of the war against Islamic State.

I get a lot of my information from this newspaper and others, but other interesting stuff I’ve been reading lately is either authored or aggregated by my buddy Joel K. Harding.

I’ve written here a couple times before about Joel. He’s the guy who went from being a Reading Eagle newspaper carrier in his Jacksonwald neighborhood to an Army Special Forces warrior to an intelligence officer working with the Defense Department, CIA, NSA and others. Now he is a consultant on information operations, strategic communication and cyberwarfare.

Last week, Joel was notified that his blog, To Inform is to Influence, had been blocked by the Russians. The embargo coincided with a few of Joel’s more insightful and incisive posts about Russian propaganda.

Russian information warfare is a serious problem, I’ve been flat in their face for most of the past 20 months,” Joel said Friday.

”The head of Russian propaganda (Dr. Igor Panarin) hates me,” he added. “Therefore, I consider myself a success.”

Joel apologized for missing an earlier phone call.

“I was on the phone with NATO,” he said. “They’ve invited me to speak on Tuesday about how NATO can best combat Russian propaganda and disinformation.”

In a recent blog post, Joel wrote that he ascribes the theory that, based on its Internet activity, Russia has become a “Troll State.”

A troll’s purpose in Internet chat rooms is to suppress and overwhelm opposition and distract and disrupt a conversation. Russian trolls do the same thing through anti-American propaganda. The key is to not allow honest argument of the topic at hand, Joel wrote.

But there is now blowback from all of Russia’s propaganda. In recent blog posts, Joel has listed stories about:

Russians from mostly Muslim Chechnya organizing classes to stave off Islamic State recruitment. Thousands of Russian Muslims have joined ISIS in Syria, and some have taken senior positions. More conservative estimates from Chechnya said last month that less than 500 Chechens are believed to have joined ISIS and that about 200 of them have already been killed.

Last week, a person ISIS alleged was a Russian spy trying to infiltrate the terrorist group was beheaded on camera. ISIS then threatened to kill Russian civilians in their homes.

A Russian bomber was shot down when it allegedly invaded Turkish air space and then came a report that Russia had bombed grain silos in Syria in clear violation of international laws of armed conflict.

Joel agreed with my assessment that in this rare instance where Russians and Americans are fighting in the same Middle East conflict, it’s not just the Americans who are being portrayed in the media as inept or doing more harm than good.

And from his perspective, it was nice to see the Russian propaganda machine taking a few hits. He pointed to one of his favorite examples.

“Dr. Igor Panarin, the head of Russian propaganda, predicted the U.S. would be split into six separate countries by 2010,” he said. “It is such a popular theory in Russia that nobody cares that it isn’t true.”

Joel said one thing that stops U.S. officials from hitting back in Russia’s propaganda war against us is that Congress isn’t convinced we’re losing the war, or that it matters sufficiently.

That’s why Joel and like-minded strategists are working to convince Congress it’s worth the cost.

Taylor Bertolet was riding a wave of success when he was upended.

Bertolet, the former Exeter standout, accepted a scholarship to kick at Texas A&M and scored 106 points in 2012 when the Aggies finished 11-2 behind Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.

After his s u c c e s s f u l freshman season, Bertolet remained the A&M kicker until he missed two extra points in a 42-13 rout of SMU early the next season and lost his job.

“It happened quickly,” Bertolet said this week. “I missed two kicks, and I got pulled. I was having success. It was a pretty big shock to me. I thought I was in a good place.

“It made me even hungrier. It made me want to get back into that role. I didn’t take the easy way out, which is put my head down and walk around campus like: ‘This is crappy. I’m far away from home. This is bad.’ I refused to do that. I wasn’t going to let one game define who I am.”

Bertolet continued to handle kickoffs the rest of that season and last season before regaining his job this year as a senior. He’s one of the reasons why the Aggies are 5-2 going into Saturday’s game against South Carolina.

He’s made 13-of-17 field goal tries, including three from 50 yards or longer, and all 22 of his extra points for 61 points. He credits his offseason work on his mental approach for his comeback this year.

“Being a placekicker and being under the pressure that we face, you have to be able to train the mental side of kicking,” Bertolet said. “That’s a huge part. You can have all the physical talent in the world, but when it comes time to perform in a high-pressure situation you have to be able to trust the work that you’ve put in.

“It’s a tough thing for younger kickers to do.”

Bertolet was rated the No. 1 high school kicker in the country by Rivals after he made 10-of-14 field goals at Exeter and was named to The Associated Press Class AAAA All-State first team.

He was redshirted in 2011 while playing behind Randy Bullock, who won the Lou Groza Award that year as the nation’s top kicker and who’s now with the Houston Texans.

Bertolet burst onto the scene the following year, making three field goals 50 yards or longer and joining Manziel as the first freshmen in school history to score at least 100 points. But even then, he had trouble with extra points.

When he missed three PATs in 2013, giving him 10 misses in his first 17 games, coach Kevin Sumlin replaced him with Josh Lambo, who held the job through last season and is now a rookie with the San Diego Chargers.

“When I was younger, I made the mistake of overthinking and overanalyzing the kick,” Bertolet said. “When you make kicking simpler, it makes things go a lot easier and smoother.

“If you stay confident when you line up for a kick, if you stay relaxed and if you’re decisive, then you’re going to be way more successful than somebody who looks more at the technical side of it.”

After Bertolet lost the job, the first person he called was his older brother, Matt, a former kicker at Exeter who he said is his hero, role model and mentor

“He taught me everything I know about kicking” Bertolet said. “I told him how I felt. He was behind me 100 percent. My brother knew what I was going through. He was there to support me and keep me motivated. He wouldn’t let me drop my head.”

Even though he wasn’t the A&M placekicker, Bertolet continued to kick off, which he said helped him a great deal. He had 65 touchbacks in 2012, which ranked third in the nation, and has had more than 55 percent of his kickoffs wind up as touchbacks.

“That was a big positive,” he said. “There was still hope. You’re still a part of the team. You’re still kicking. It’s an exciting part of the game. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do, but there are a lot of guys who would still wish to be in that position.”

Even though Lambo was off to the NFL, Bertolet still had to beat out heralded freshman Daniel LaCamera this year. He worked on narrow Arena Football League uprights in the offseason, which helped him win the job.

He kicked a 55-yarder against Mississippi State this month, the longest at Kyle Field since 1999. The following week, he hit from 54 and 52 yards in a 41-23 loss to Alabama. His misses this year have come from 38, 49, 52 and 55 yards.

“I felt really good going into this season,” Bertolet said. “I worked hard and stayed confident. I got my chance to kick field goals again, and I think it’s gone pretty successful.”

Bertolet also is an outstanding student. He’s been named to the Southeastern Conference academic honor roll three times and received his bachelor’s degree in psychology in May. He wants to become a sports psychologist when his football career ends.

“I wouldn’t trade my time at Texas A&M for anything,” he said. “I think it’s been the biggest growing experience of my life. I wanted to be at a big-time school. I wanted to play in a big stadium. I wanted to be on that stage.

“I knew what I was signing up for. I know what the life of a kicker entails. You have to go through tough times, and you have to be able to withstand them.”

In health care, change is the word.

“Since the Affordable Care Act, we’re facing tremendous change,” said Dr. D. Michael Baxter, chairman of the Berks County Medical Society ’s executive council.

“Look at St. Joe’s and Penn State,” he said of the former St. Joseph Medical Center in Bern Township going under the Penn State Health umbrella. “Things are changing all around us.

“The medical society has to be flexible and help doctors deal with all the changes going on.”

Fitting the theme of change, the medical society has a new executive director, T.J. Huckleberry, 33, who is settling into the post after his first few weeks on the job.

Health care is changing, and the Sinking Spring resident said he could not wait to get started in his new role. “Being able to advocate for doctors, being able to be their voice in Berks County is a great opportunity and honor,” Huckleberry said. “The medical field, both legislatively and policywise, has been constantly moving and changing in the last five to 10 years, so this is very exciting.”

Huckleberry follows Bruce R. Weidman, who served as the medical society’s executive director for more than 27 years before retiring in June 2014. Huckleberry’s background is in politics, most recently serving as a staffer for state Sen. Judy Schwank, a Ruscombmanor Township Democrat. He also sits on Sinking Spring Borough Council.

Baxter said Huckleberry’s background in politics will be a big asset for the medical society. Many of the discussions that happen among lawmakers directly affect doctors, patients in Berks and the rest of the nation.

“He brings a lot of political experience with him, which is always valuable,” Baxter said. “A lot of issues that take place in Harrisburg and (Washington) D.C. affect doctors and patients and the way health care is delivered in this state. The medical society plays a role in those conversations.”

Huckleberry said that Berks has one of the most active medical societies in the state and a strong crop of doctors providing care in the region.

“We’re lucky right now,” he said. “We have a lot of dedicated physicians, a lot of independent practices and two major hospitals.

“We do have a physician-oriented and medically minded county. We have a strong presence in the community. We’re very fortunate to have that.”

Berks County has one of the oldest medical societies in the country, dating back to 1824, Baxter said. The organization in an advocate for doctors and patients, provides programs for doctors and gives physicians a place to get together.
Huckleberry said recruiting and helping young physicians is another goal.

“It’s a matter of keeping the best and brightest here in Berks County,” he said. “A lot of young physicians have the growing pains starting their own businesses, entering their own field. We have veterans who can assist them.”

He said doctors are at the center of a lot of health and medical policy issues that are debated, and Huckleberry said it’s an exciting time to be a part of that conversation.

“For me the goal is outreach and advocacy,” he said. “I’m ecstatic to be a part of this.”

Exeter man had love affair with cycling

Born: Sept. 1, 1954.
Died: April 13. He was 60.
Residence: Born and raised in Exeter Township, where he remained throughout his life.

Family: Survived by his mother, Mildred A. Winterhalter of Exeter Township; two sisters: Ruth Ann, wife of George Von Nieda of Reading; and Jill, wife of Chris Giles of West Lawn; a brother, Jon, husband of Debra of Sinking Spring; his companion, Peggy Romanies of Leesport; and four nephews.

Interesting accomplishment: The son of a bicycle shop owner, David was heavy into cycling for much of his life. He was a member of the Berks County Bicycle Club, and during and after college, a licensed amateur bicycle racer who competed in track and road race events throughout Pennsylvania and surrounding states. He’s credited with drawing several local cyclists into the sport.

David Winterhalter was fresh out of high school, in college at Kutztown in 1973 when his father opened up a bicycle shop on their Exeter Township property.

Home for summer break, he’d work in the shop helping to put bikes together.

But riding himself?

“He kind of turned his nose up at it,” said David’s partner, Peggy Romanies. “David was at first like, ‘Why would I want to bike? I’m 19, I have a car.’ ”

In talking to those who came in and out of the shop, he decided to give it a whirl. And that’s when he fell in love. For years, David lived above the shop.

“At one time he owned 19 bikes,” said Romanies of Leesport. “He was a bachelor, and he had no furniture. Instead, he had bicycles on stands.”

David would spend the next several years immersed in the sport — competing in road and track races across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast — before chronic pain forced him to give up riding from the mid-’80s until just a few years ago.

A lifelong Exeter Township resident, David died April 13 after losing his battle with brain cancer. He was just 60.

At Exeter High School in the early ’70s, he was an accomplished athlete, playing on the football and basketball teams. “That’s probably why he got into bikes,” said his sister, Jill Giles of Spring Township. “He had that athlete in him.”

David was a member of the Berks County Bicycle Club, which his father, the late Carroll A. Winterhalter, helped to found in the fall of 1973. After giving up biking in the 1980s, he built and flew radio-controlled airplanes, in addition to sharpening his pool game. A former employee of General Battery Corp., David earned a degree from Lincoln Technical Institute after graduating with a liberal arts degree from Kutztown. He later worked as an electronics technician for Videotek/ Harris Corporation and most recently Micro-Coax in Limerick.

It had been more than 20 years since David had given up biking, when out of the blue in 2012, he decided to give it another go.

“I don’t know why, but he just decided, ‘I want to try biking again,’ ” said Romanies, his girlfriend of nearly seven years. “He thought, ‘You know what, I’m just going to take the bike around the block and see how it goes.’ ”

Despite pain — mostly in the sciatica — David kept at it, riding a little farther each day. He reconnected with an old friend from the bike shop, and together, the two began going for weekend rides, doing as much as 50 miles of strenuous hills.

“He just pushed himself,” Romanies said. “Like a jogger, you get into that zone.”

In winter, David got a special stand for his bike, which he continued to ride at home to keep his stamina up.

A quiet man, David had a dry sense of humor and was very private about his life, Giles and Romanies said.

“When he walked into a room, he would rather you not notice him,” Romanies said. “He wanted to be the wallflower.”  David’s family and friends plan to install a memorial bench along one of the trails in the area in his honor.

“He loved to be active,” Romanies said. “He just couldn’t understand, why wouldn’t you bike? He’d say to people, ‘You can cover so much ground.’ ”