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100 Years Ago

By Betty Smith, Susquehanna County Historical Society, Montrose, PA

Birchardville – The county loses one of her oldest and most highly regarded citizens in the death of Levi T. Birchard, which occurred at his home on March 18. He was one of the pioneers settling in Forest Lake Township, Birchardville taking its name from the family. He was buried, with services in the Baptist church, on the 90th anniversary of his birth. Survivors are three sons, Selden and D. Fred, of Birchardville, Raymond of Portland, NY and two daughters, Miss Mattie Birchard and Mrs. Fred Dayton.

Ararat – The horse belonging to Maurice Stalker, recently injured in a run-away, is getting well and will fully recover.

New Milford – Fred Harding and George Chamberlin figured in an auto accident on the trail near Alford pond, when the steering gear on Mr. Harding's car broke and narrowly missed going over a steep embankment and into the water. Neither was seriously injured. Mr. Chamberlin received a few cuts about the face when the sudden stop propelled him through the windshield and Mr. Harding had a few minor bruises. The car was considerably damaged.

East Lynn – Lloyd Bush and Ulysses Johnson are busy making maple syrup.

East Rush – Last Sunday Rev. Young held services at this point, for the first time since the first of January, on account of the neighborhood being quarantined for scarlet fever. There have been thirteen cases here. ALSO The death of John F. Swackhamer, March 11, at his home in Rush, came as a shock to his many friends and family, although he had been in poor health for some time.

South Auburn – P.M. Benninger accompanied his daughter, Mrs. Richard Merritt, to the Packer hospital, Sayre, where she expected to undergo an operation for appendicitis, but the operation was postponed when it was found she was also suffering from peritonitis.

Oakland – Mrs. Ella Sampson, wife of Lester Sampson, died at her home in Oakland on March 18. Before her marriage to Mr. Sampson, she was Miss Ella Harpur, of Harpursville, NY. She was a descendant of one of the leading pioneer families of the town, it being named after her grandfather. She is survived by one son, H. Vaughn Sampson, at home, and daughter, Mrs. Daniel Bonner, of Susquehanna.

Montrose – At a session of the Montrose Boro Council, bricks to complete the paving on Public Avenue were ordered from Bangor, PA, and are expected to arrive any day. They are of identical size and quality as those for the Lake Avenue work, received last week. The bricking of these streets may be started as soon as the snow is off the ground and it is estimated the bricking may be completed in six days. ALSO Dr. and Mrs. C.W. Caterson, of Sanitaria Springs, NY, formerly of this place, were here to see their grandson, Donald Caterson, who has been quite ill. He is the physician in charge of the Cancertorium of Sanitaria Springs, formerly the Dr. Kilmer Cancertorium, of Binghamton. ALSO The Merchants Telephone Co. has purchased the building on Church Street, known as the "Reynolds Egg Building," which the company will occupy, moving from the Slatter building.

Dimock – J.F. Warnick, our harness maker and shoe repairer, is more than busy in his shop daily, not having time to call on friends for a social chat. ALSO Earl Barnes, of the Cope farm, who was inured by a thug in a hold-up on the trail near Alford, last week, was injured more seriously than was thought at first. He was carried to his home in Brooklyn where he is yet suffering from internal injuries.

Uniondale – Howard Johns, who for a number of years has been a leading [wood] shipper from this point, is about to engage in business at Long Eddy, NY. He has about circled Elk hill in his lumber operations.

Hop Bottom – Henry Lindsey, an aged veteran of the GAR [Civil War] has been very ill for some time.

North Bridgewater – Mr. Bunnell is moving the barn on the farm formerly known as the Pettis farm, but owned now by G.C. Comstock, across the road on the part of the farm now owned by G.P. Sprout & Sons.

Lawton – The residence of John Millard was completely destroyed by fire, March 19. It caught fire from the chimney. Mr. Millard was working in the woods at the time the fire broke out and before they could reach home the flames had spread so that they were unable to save only the few household goods that Mrs. Millard got out. The loss was partly covered by insurance.

Forest City – The Northeastern PA Telephone Co is installing a new trunk line between here and Honesdale. It is a line by which through messages will be sent and will be hailed as an improvement over the present system. ALSO Earl Tourge was at Hallstead and assisted in placing wire for the Northeastern Telephone Co across the Susquehanna River at that point. ALSO Miss Alice Malia, graduate of Madame Sidonia French School of Beauty Culture, is prepared to give scalp and facial treatment in the latest modes. Manicuring and hair bobbing is a specialty. Call 604 for an appointment.

News Briefs – The fight against tuberculosis is to be waged in every county of Pennsylvania. Special efforts are to be directed towards the health of underweight children to detect tuberculosis in early stages. Mothers to be instructed in sanitary and hygienic practices. ALSO Bobbed hair is a sure means for causing baldness and so it will not be many years before the world is full of bald-headed women, said Joseph Byrne, editor of a beauty magazine, addressing the annual convention of the American Hairdressers association in New York recently. The vice-president of the association characterized bobbing the hair as the "greatest misfortune that has befallen women in recent years." Hat makers, in order to conform to present day hair styles, have been obliged to make head bands exceedingly tight to keep the hats on, resulting in the death of the hair. ALSO If you want to sell your farm and expect quick results, list it with John Maday, the Polish Real Estate and Farm Agency in Scranton.

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Letter of the Law

By Jason J. Legg

On December 25, 2018, a juvenile was involuntarily committed to the Wayne Memorial Hospital to treat a mental health condition. The juvenile was making threats to commit suicide and engaged in belligerent and combative behavior. On multiple occasions, the juvenile had to be physically restrained.  Based upon the juvenile's mental health and behavior, it was determined that he needed to be sent to a facility that specialized in mental health treatment. The staff was able to locate a bed for the juvenile at a mental health treatment center in Pittsburgh, but the juvenile still had to be transported there.

On December 30, 2018, the Cottage House Volunteer Ambulance Company appeared at Wayne Memorial Hospital for the purpose of transporting the juvenile to the Pittsburgh facility. The treating physician was not present when the juvenile was released to the ambulance personnel. No one provided the ambulance crew with any warnings about the juvenile's aggressive and violent outbursts. While en route to Pittsburgh, the juvenile became irate and attacked one of the crew, Cori Larsen, and she was injured. Larsen's injuries included a detached retina, fractured teeth, a concussion and contusions to her knees and ribs. Larsen then initiated a civil action against Wayne Memorial Hospital contending that it had been negligent when it failed to provide her with any warnings concerning the juvenile's violence tendencies.

The trial court dismissed Larsen's claims based upon a finding that Larsen had failed to present sufficient evidence to demonstrate that Wayne Memorial Hospital had breached its duty of care to provide relevant information to an ambulance transport team. While Larsen did have an expert witness that would have opined the such information must be provided to the transport team, the trial court found that Larsen's expert did not have the requisite qualifications to render such an expert opinion. Larsen filed an appeal to the Superior Court.

The Superior Court noted that Larsen's theory was that the treating physician at Wayne Memorial Hospital had failed to adhere to the applicable standard of care, i.e., failed to warn the ambulance crew about the juvenile's aggression. The problem arose, however, when it was discovered that Larsen's expert witness was not board-certified in internal medicine. The physician at Wayne Memorial Hospital who treated the juvenile was certified in internal medicine while Larsen's expert was certified in emergency medicine. For this reason, the Superior Court agreed with the trial court that Larsen's expert could not provide an opinion as to the standard of care followed by the doctor at Wayne Memorial Hospital because Larsen's expert did not practice in the same field of medicine.

Larsen argued that her expert had enough general experience in medicine to provide the necessary expert opinion to establish the duty of care that Wayne Memorial Hospital owed to the transporting ambulance crew, i.e., be careful with this juvenile because he has violent tendencies. The Superior Court observed that Larsen failed to develop the record to a sufficient degree to show that her expert had that requisite level of expertise to render the proposed opinion. Larsen failed to provide the trial court with any evidence to demonstrate that a physician certified in emergency medicine would have the requisite knowledge to opine on the practices of a physician certified in internal medicine. In the absence of such evidence, the Superior Court concluded that the trial court properly dismissed Larsen's claims against Wayne Memorial Hospital.

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Little Kids' Garden Party

By Shannon Madden

Are you looking for a fun and educational spring activity to engage your small children? Why not host a seed planting party! It's a great way to teach kids about the growth cycle of plants and encourage them to connect with nature and learn valuable gardening skills. Planning such an event might seem daunting, but with a little organization and creativity, you can make it a memorable experience for both the kids and adults involved. Everyone will enjoy getting their garden started.

Choosing the Right Seeds: First things first, you'll need to decide which seeds to plant. Opt for seeds that are easy to grow and have a relatively short germination time, such as sunflowers, beans, or radishes. Consider the preferences of the children attending the party and choose seeds that they will find interesting and enjoyable to watch grow.

Gathering Supplies: Next, gather all the necessary supplies. This includes pots or containers for planting, potting soil, seeds, watering cans or spray bottles, and labels to identify the different plants. You can ask everyone to bring aprons or old t-shirts to protect the kids' clothing from dirt and water.

Setting Up the Planting Area: Create a designated planting area that is easily accessible to the kids. Lay down a tarp or old newspapers to catch any spills and make cleanup easier later on. Arrange the pots, soil, and seeds so parents can help kids get started.

Educational Activities: Before diving into the planting process, take some time to educate the children about seeds and plants. You can read some books about gardening. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle is a great choice. Up, Down, and Around by Kathrine Ayers was one of my kids favorites!

Planting Time: Now comes the fun part – planting the seeds! Encourage the children to get their hands dirty as they fill the pots with soil, plant the seeds, and water them gently. Teach them about the importance of providing sunlight and water to help the seeds grow into healthy plants.

Games and Crafts: After planting the seeds won't be too exciting until they sprout. You can keep the kids entertained with some garden-themed games and crafts. You could organize a scavenger hunt to search for bugs. They can paint rocks or craft sticks to mark the pots and plants once they are in their garden.

Snack Time: Keep everyone energized with a selection of healthy treats such as fruit kebabs, vegetable sticks with dip, or homemade granola bars. You could even incorporate ingredients they'll find in the garden later in the season such as snap peas and cherry tomatoes.

Take-Home Gifts: Ideally, everyone will take home a few pots or an egg tray with their future garden inside. Provide care instructions so that they can continue to nurture their plants and watch them grow.

Hosting a seed planting party for small kids is a wonderful way to instill a love of nature and gardening from a young age. These hands-on learning experiences can create lasting memories for everyone. So roll up your sleeves, grab your gardening gloves, and get ready to watch those seeds sprout and bloom!

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Pastor's Corner

By Pastor Vince Chiaramonte

Good day dear hearts, I love you. Here we are! We are four days away from the biggest moment of the universe, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some say it's the Super Bowl, or the World Series, but these or any event you can think of pales in comparison to the Resurrection. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith. Without the Resurrection there is no Christianity. If Jesus didn't die for us the entire universe would have died in sin. While this account may sound repetitive, it's a great account to share and celebrate and this is the time the Christian world celebrates.

Two days after Good Friday, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, there was not much joy in Jerusalem. The city was packed to celebrate the feast of Passover. Late in the afternoon of Good Friday, the wind, the thunder, the shaking of the earth subsided. During the time of Jesus' crucifixion many of Jesus' followers ran and hid. In fact, Scripture tells us only John the Apostle stood at the foot of the cross with Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdelene and other women who were active with Jesus in His ministry. Later on, Jesus rewards them for their faithfulness and their courage. A man by the name of Joseph of Arimathea received permission to take the body of Jesus and bring Him to the tomb where Jesus' body needed to be prepared quickly for burial, as it was Passover and the Mosaic Law required the body be buried before sundown. Nicodemus, a high priest in the Jewish Sanhedrin became a believer of Jesus Christ and he helped Joseph of Arimathea. After they sealed the tomb, Pontius Pilate ordered his guards to guard the tomb because the Jewish leaders feared Jesus' followers would steal his body from the tomb to fulfill Jesus' promise He would rise from the dead.

Let's now return to the big event, Matthew chapters 26-28 where you will read the full account of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today I'm focusing on Matthew chapter 28:1-10. This is essentially what occurred. It's Sunday at about 5:30am, most of Jerusalem is sound asleep. It's about 65 degrees, more than 2,200 years ago, and we begin to celebrate the cornerstone of our faith. While the city sleeps, Scripture tells us several women, most scholars agree there were five, went to the tomb of Jesus, which was about three quarters of a mile from where the apostles were staying. The purpose of the women going to the tomb was to complete anointing the body of Jesus with various anointments according to Jewish law. They were prevented from doing this on Good Friday because it was sundown and the Passover celebration ended Saturday night. This was a somber walk to the tomb, and they were most likely crying.

As they arrived at the tomb, they encounter two angels sitting in white, asking them what is their purpose here? Who are you looking for? Suddenly, Mary cries out Rabboni, which means teacher and she suddenly sees Jesus standing before her. Jesus then instructs Mary to bring the apostles to the tomb. Imagine this, five women, probably in a jog, or a close run, are joyfully running three quarters of a mile through the city as it's beginning to wake up. They wake up the apostles and suddenly Peter and John are in a mad race to the tomb. The despair, the discouragement, the confusion turns into full joy. HE IS RISEN! CHRIST HAS RISEN! I said a few minutes ago Jesus would reward the women who stood at the cross for their love, faithfulness and courage. In those days, the culture was such, a woman was a possession. She had little rights and was oppressed in every way imaginable. Her testimony on anything was not recognized. That did not matter to Jesus, so He appeared to them first. They were the very first to see Jesus resurrected and then sent the women to get the men because people would believe their testimony.

There is much prophesied in the Old Testament about the Messiah, His birth, death and resurrection. It is certainly in the New Testament and actually the core of it. The book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible speaks to us about a new heaven and earth for God's believers. That's our hope and promise in Jesus Christ. He tells us He is the way, truth and the life. And His gift of eternal life is for all who believe. Christ's resurrection gives us an open line of communication with God, cleans the slates of our sin and we get to start all over. All we need to do is accept the gift of Salvation. Acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior, ask Him for the forgiveness of your sins and let the Holy Spirit into your heart, who will change your life. Remember this, the end is not Resurrection Sunday. Jesus is coming back for the final judgement. Jesus tells us only His Father knows when that time will come but we are advised to be ready; choose between God or the world. Are you ready? God Bless.

After you finish your delicious meal from the American Legion on Good Friday night, come join us at 7:00pm for our Good Friday Service. Lord watch over our community. Bless our children. Heal the sick and broken-hearted. Let your Spirit hover over our community. Amen.

Contact me anytime. Pastor Vince Chiaramonte, 570-853-3988, Susquehanna Christian Community Church, 1361 Main Street; or email: clearmountain2158@gmail.

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