The Hershey Chocolate Factory has been in the news a lot lately due to the fact that The Hershey Company is planning to knock down some of the factory’s original structure. The equipment and some of the factory buildings are outdated and there is apparently no reasonable way to renovate them. Some of the demolition has already begun. When I was a little girl there were public tours of the Hershey Chocolate Factory. I remember watching the chocolate swooshing back and forth as the conches were churning and the wonderful smell of chocolate filled the air. I will never forget receiving a souvenir packet at the end of the tour that contained a full size Hershey’s candy bar and a package of Hershey’s Cocoa. I have lived in Hershey most of my life and as I watched a local news report this past week, I was reminded of the rich history of this factory and I couldn’t help but feel truly fortunate to have experienced a piece of it myself. It made me sad to see the reporter standing in the same place that I stood over 40 years ago but now the building was empty and dusty and the conches were retired. So, as sad as it is, life moves on and progress happens. We have to embrace change and look forward to new things. I am just happy that I had the chance to experience the Hershey Chocolate Factory when it was thriving. It's something I will be able to tell my grandchildren someday. Today I thought it would be fun to share some photos of one of the "Sweetest Places on Earth.” Happy Friday!