Thanks, Karen!!! On that note, I don't think that's the only reason, but could be part of the reason. There has to be another reason, because I've noticed it in the broadcasting sector of our society, and even in the "Our Town" Series on PBS. WOW!!!! Did Reading ever change since I lived there!!!!! I saw it starting to change, but 40%!!! And, Richard Emlin Reed, Don't we wish that were the case, that people want to learn PA Dutch. I know what is bringing them to Columbia...cheaper living, though our taxes for HOMEOWNERS are very high. I just found out why people move OUT of Columbia, yesterday, to closeby communities such as Mt. Joy, and Marietta, and that is because it costs less to live in those places. How did Columbia get this way? I know, but I better keep my mouth shut. It's a very sore subject lately around these parts. Everyone should learn PA Dutch_I believe it's a reminder of a simpler way of living_not easier, mind you, but a simpler way_a more family oriented way of living for sure. I'm going to sidetrack the conversation a bit: 1) I talked it over with my neighbor about planting the Hollyhocks, and she is all for it. 2) I didn't know that you have to pinch back Royal Candles Veronica until I googled it :o( Now I have these weird looking flowers out front, and they have been weird since they started dying from the bottom of the flowers up. It says that if you pinch them off, it flowers longer, and gets hardier. Drats!!! 3) As far as my Madame Butterfly Scotch Broom aka Cytisus x Scoparius 'Madame Butterfly', does anyone know if this grassy, bush plant is to be cut back at all? If so, when and how much. Thanks! Lynn Richard Emlin Reed wrote: 40% 'ispanics, did ye say? MY! My! Did it ever occur to anyone to wonder, since the big corporations sent all the jobs overseas, what is attracting all those 'ispanics to Reading? Could they be wanting to learn to speak PA-Dutch. }:-) Karen of Berks wrote: > Lynn, I've noticed that as well. My thinking is that it might be an > influence of the growing Latino population in Reading making their "mark" > on the everyday language. I could be totally off base and have nothing > concrete to base that guess upon, but it seems to my ear as though Spanish > speakers who use English as a second language will ofton drop a leading H > when speaking English. Since Hispanics now constitute almost 40% of > Reading's population, it would just make sense that we would begin to see > their influence on our general population regional accents. > Lynn wrote: "As for the word "Historical"_all of a sudden, after living > for 53 years, I'm hearing people starting to pronounce it, even news > reporters, as "istorical" and we were always taught NOT to use an before a > consonent, therefore we always said "a Historical" whatever. Now it's "an > istorical" whatever, and I find that "ysterical" :o) Actually I find it > rather hysterical hearing people all of a sudden change the way they > prononce this word. Why just yesterday they were saying, Historical, and > today they say istorical, and this is all just lately. > Wonder when this all changed, because it was definitely not that way in > Reading 17 years ago, when I lived there. And, when I go back for visits, > I have never once heard anyone say "ve-icle" or "istorical". Now, maybe > if I went to the "istorical Society of Berks County" I would hear it > there? Don't really know_anyone know? Karen? or anyone who has been > there lately?"