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COLUMNS: Slices
of Life
Where do the days go? Here we are into May already and there are many spring jobs that are not yet done at my house. I believe I’ve told you how my grandmother would move about once a year and we used to kid her that she did that in preference to doing spring-cleaning. I do think I inherited a lot of her genes. My daughter and I were talking last night about de-junking. She is heavily into cleaning out her attic, and I know that it will be sparse and well organized when she is done because she is ruthless when it comes to getting rid of "stuff." When I’m moving among my clutter and there’s not an empty flat space anywhere, I often think about my mother’s house. With no closets or even shelves, except for the kitchen, one would wonder where she stashed things. The answer is, she didn’t have things to stash. Basic utilitarian props kept her house going. Her few decorative items went into the china closet, each bedroom had one dresser for clothing, and that was it. Idle consumption was not a part of life then. In her later life, I do recall that she took the smallest unused bedroom and it became the catchall. The junk room, was the way she referred to it. That came into being after we kids had grown up and kept carting home all the latest small kitchen appliances, decorative items, etc. These would be gifts for Christmas, Mother’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions. She would thank us kindly, and then relegate the latest edition to this room which was also called "the playroom," because that was where the toys were kept. But she rarely, if ever, used these things we’d bought. She kept turning out spectacular meals with the most rudimentary equipment. There was no library of books or magazines spilling off tables and shelves at her house. My parents usually subscribed to one farmers’ publication, Ladies Home Journal and True Story magazine. Mom was a voracious reader, but I’m not sure where those books came from because I don’t recall them staying in the house after she was done with them and we didn’t go to a library. Dad had one fish pole and one rifle. He could help fill the larder with those two implements. Collecting was not in his vocabulary. It was the same way with clothing for all of us; very basic and no great quantities. We had only one grandmother and she never bought gifts. She would knit us mittens at Christmas time, but that was it. She never bought fancy clothes like grandmas do today. Or, if she did buy fancy clothes, they went into her closet. With families having very little disposable income, life was much simpler then. Would I want to go back to that way of living? Probably not. But there was a lot to be said for a life not consumed by caring for possessions. My family’s lives revolved around providing sustenance, care and love for their immediate family, with time and energy left over to minister to their extended family and their neighbors. I guess we could say their focus was people; not things. I think that is a formula worth keeping. CHOCONUT: The hearing of Frank and William Ragan was held on Tuesday before Justice J. S. Courtright. After evidence of Dr. Handrick, James Nugent and James Hawley, Frank Ragan was held in $4,000 and William in $300, conditioned for their appearance at the next quarter sessions in August. Thomas and Patrick Dean, E. J. Stanley and J. Ragan were sureties. Mrs. Jeremiah Ragan stated that she was not Mrs. DeLong before her marriage to Mr. Ragan. This is verified by the fact that Mrs. DeLong died several years ago. Mrs. Ragan was very indignant that a false report regarding her identity had become current. She was Jacob Lown's widow. Joseph Maroney, the injured boy, who was shot in the groin, continues to improve at the Binghamton hospital. MONTROSE: The Prohibition Convention was attended by the enthusiastic "cold water" brethren from all over the county. The following ticket was placed in nomination: For representatives, Asa Warner, Forest Lake and Clarence G. Mumford, of Ararat; for district attorney, Floyd D. Axtell, Susquehanna; for county surveyor, G. A. Stearns, Harford. For permanent chairman, Rev. P. R. Tower, of Thompson, was re-elected; Alfred Bowell, of Herrick Centre, secretary, and Dr .A. E. Snyder, of New Milford, treasurer. Delegates were also appointed to the State convention at Uniontown. AND: The commencement exercises of the Montrose High School will be held in the M. E. church next Thursday night, May 19. Only two graduates will receive diplomas, they are: Francis Hazen Shafer and Glen G. Haight. SUSQUEHANNA: While at work in the Erie yards, on Friday afternoon, Timothy Kearsey, Jr., was caught by two locomotives and so badly crushed that he died at the City Hospital, a few hours later. Deceased came from Boston a month ago to attend the funeral of his uncle, the late Timothy Kearsey, Sr., and recently decided to remain here with his widowed aunt. He took a job in the Erie shops and had worked but 11/2 days. He had made many friends while here. The funeral took place from St. John's Catholic church and the interment took place in Laurel Hill cemetery. AND: A band of fortune-telling gypsy women are among the late arrivals in town. BROOKLYN: The ladies of the Presbyterian society will hold an apron and sun-bonnet sale at the Odd Fellows' Hall on Wednesday, the 18th inst., and will serve dinner for ten cents. FOREST LAKE: C. L. Stone has been doing some repairing on the telephone line in this place. We understand that Mr. Burr's and Mr. Breasley's phones are in working order now. He also put a new phone at Byron Warner's. UPSONVILLE: A Polly Tin Party was held last Thursday evening at L. A. Sherwood's; all report a fine time. SOUTH MONTROSE: A new steam engine and boiler are being placed in the engine house at the Ballantine residence. ELK LAKE: Chas. Lathrop had the misfortune to lose a valuable cow. HALLSTEAD: Thursday morning last, Robert Steen, who was crossing the Great Bend-Hallstead bridge, saw a bundle of clothing on the peer near the water. When examined a letter was found in one of the pockets signed by Wm. T. Haynor, of Hallstead, in which he stated that he was tired of life and was about to drown himself. No money or watch was found in the clothes and he was known to have both. He carried an insurance of $1,200 in the S.U.N.A., which will not be paid just yet. The suicide is thought to be a ruse. [Another article states that Mr. Hainor, also spelled Haynor, had declared his intention of killing himself in a letter received by his wife in which was also enclosed a five-dollar bill. His age was about 20 years.] JACKSON: The New Milford dramatic society presented the drama "Diamonds and Hearts" in this place, on Tuesday evening. AND: The Harford Creamery Company is operating this season as a branch under the management of Carl Wheaton, of the Jackson milk station. This creamery at Harford is now turning out some 2,400 lbs. of gilt-edge butter daily and the output is rapidly increasing. Yet, with this large quantity produced the demand exceeds the supply. From present indications the volume of business this season will reach $150,000, greatly in excess of any other like business in Northern Pennsylvania. LAKE CAREY: The Lehigh Valley railroad company is going to expend $8,000 in booming Lake Carey as a summer resort. This includes laying a short track from the Montrose branch to the lake and the installation of sufficient sidings to care for excursion trains. John Redington, of Wilkes-Barre, has purchased a steam launch at a cost of $5,000 and forty steel boats, which he will put on the lake this summer. SPRINGVILLE: W. W. Pritchard, a section man on the Montrose Branch of the L.V.R.R. went to Sayre last week to be treated for blood poison in the right hand, caused by a hurt received while at work. NEWS BRIEFS: Tuesday, June 14, will be the 127th anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States. For several years past there has been a growing observance of this day by the floating to the breezes of flags from every housetop that could boast a flag. It is proposed this year to have this observance more general than ever. Among the plans spoken of to keep this day fresh in the minds of the young is to have an appropriate celebration in the schools. The observance of Flag Day deserves attention. It will cost nothing to fly the national colors from every building, public and private, however humble, throughout the entire land. AND: April 1904, was the coldest and most disagreeable April on record, says the Weather Bureau of Binghamton. Eleven consecutive months, during which the temperature has been below normal, is the record, which the weather has made for itself. AND: Rural free delivery boxes are given the same protection by the government as the regular U.S. mail boxes. It doesn't matter to Uncle Samuel if the receptacle is a soap, starch or baking powder box as long as it is shown that it is a mail box, and he stands always ready to protect it. A man who used one for a target for his shotgun got two months' imprisonment and $200 fine. Some of the boxes are such disreputable looking things though, that it would be almost a blessing if more were used as targets. The May issue of the Society's Journal of Genealogy and Local History, will be available soon. It can be yours with a membership of $15 a year. See more about our membership on our website, www.susqcohistsoc.org, or call 570-278-1881. Featured this month is an article by Wm. S. Young, "Getting The Farmer Out Of The Mud." Also, the "History of the First Baptist Church, Hallstead, 1807-1907," photographs, and much more. Along
the Way...With P. Jay
Talks are expected to resume soon between the county and the union as both sides attempt to pound out contracts that would be suitable to the employees and the county. A key to the happy ending of these talks appears to lie in satisfying both sides regarding health insurance contributions. At the present time, the county pays 100 percent of the premiums for all full time employees, union or non-union. But the county commissioners would like to change that policy and have the employees kick in a few bucks to help defray the ever-increasing monthly premiums. A 10 percent employee contribution would save the county a nice piece of change The union employees are not that eager to pay any portion of the cost and are expecting the issue to go to arbitration. If this happens, the union just might counter with a suggestion that the county set an example by compelling the non-union employees to kick off the contribution program by giving a few shekels toward their health insurance. Whatever is decided, you can almost bet the ranch it will take time. The union attorney moves slow and the county’s attorney for union matters moves even slower. Nobody asked me but if they had I would have told them to forget about a union. The non-union employees in the county are getting the same pay increments and other benefits as the union members and the union members are paying through the nose for it while the non-union employees are laughing all the way to the bank. Oh Donna Susquehanna County Republicans have a new leader. She is Donna Cosmello of New Milford Township and in the short time she has been at the helm, she already has taken some great forward strides. Ms. Cosmello has arranged for Bush-Cheney Campaign Headquarters to open in September; she plans to move the annual Fall GOP Rally from the Susquehanna County Courthouse to the Harford Fire Hall; she has named Gary Wilder as voter registration chairman; and, she hopes to find time to work with her municipal committees to find candidates for local offices. Ms. Cosmello is the first woman to head up the Republican Party in the county since the late Carmel Sirianni. She replaces Ivan Burman and that in itself requires a sizable pair of shoes. Serving in Ms. Cosmello’s cabinet will be Lanny Leonard of Susquehanna, vice chairman; Carolyn Dolittle of Friendsville, secretary; and, Laurie Conarton of Great Bend, treasurer. Ah, yes, prescription drugs Last week I got hit with a stomach virus. Extremely painful to the point of making me nauseous. If you can avoid this thing, do so, because it isn’t nice. Anyhow, what to do. Well, I called my doctor, she ordered blood tests, and a prescription I thought would head this thing off at the pass. The prescription was for that little purple pill we’ve all seen advertised on television. It’s called Nexium. I got 30 capsules. Are you ready for this. After my AARP discount, my cost was $130.56. The next day I got a call from my doctor’s office and I was told that the blood test turned up positive meaning I had an infection in my tummy. More medication. The second prescription was for Biaxin XL. This time, I received 28 tablets at a cost, again after my AARP discount, of $124.81. In two days, it cost me $255.37 for medication. I decided to see what the cost would be had I ordered the medication from Canada or Mexico and the results were amazing. From Canada, the cost for 50 Biaxin XL tablets was $128.95 and the Nexium, same quantity and strength, $68.45, American money. From Mexico, the cost of the Nexium, same quantity and strength, $112, and the Biaxin XL, for 30 tablets, $86. 00, also in American money. My friends, those congressmen and senators in Washington are pulling down annual salaries of $157,000 plus expenses and benefits. They just do not realize how the cost of medication is affecting us older folks. They sit on their fat haunches and play politics while millions of Americans across the country are struggling to pay for medical insurance and medication. One day, the American people are going to wake up and shout, "Enough!" And when that day comes, they will take back the America that our forefathers fought and died for and perhaps give us a government that is truly of the people, by the people and for the people. In 1895, Tom McMahon was our first police officer. He and Jack Palmer, 19, arrested two men, Shew and Egan, who had committed murder in the county. They were the last two men to be hung in Susquehanna County. Mike Deam, our chief for 20 years, was recognized by the FBI and other police agencies as one of the best law enforcement officers in the state of Pennsylvania. (I agree. I lived next to the Dean family on Prospect Street for a couple of years.) Kay Burns, of Susquehanna, out of 6000 contestants, won the statewide American Legion Essay Contest Award. U. G. Baker (Transcript editor and my mentor) was a noted baton twirler, along with playing a great game of tennis. A picture of Susquehanna Schools 1919 Football team is in fine shape. Some of the players I remember are Bruce Leslie, Paul Baker, Patty Dean and Dennis Horrigan, coach. A NEWS ROUNDUP – Ricky Henderson, the 45-year old outfielder, is back with the Newark Bears after playing (part season) with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. His stats in the majors; most runs 2295; stolen bases 1406; walks 2190; hits 3055; RBIs 1115; home runs 297. He played 25 years in the majors. He is considered the greatest lead-off batter in baseball history. Joe Girardi, former Yankee and Cubs catcher, is now an announcer with the Yankee press staff. He was in three World Series with the Yankees. As of May 3, my Yankees are "on the way." They won six straight, since being humiliated by the Boston Red Sox. (Just wait until they meet the Sox again!) As of May 4, the Binghamton Mets are near the top and are playing good ball. Several Susquehanna fans are frequent visitor at the games. Eddie Wade’s Phillies are doing good. They are only three games from the top (May 3). They have won 11 and lost 12. (Not too good, but they will pick up. Just wait and see!) Joe Canini, one of our Three Boroughs’ police officers, said he would like to play with a team "of ole timers" against an all girls team. Any one out there that would like to engage in a game of softball should give Joe or me a call. (Note to Bob V: Get ready, Bob, Joe is coming after you.) Two American Legion bowling teams recently took part in a state Tournament. Haven’t heard a word how they bowled. Did you know that ESPN TV is doing a movie on the life of Pete Rose, the former baseball player that is "trying" to get into the hall of fame after he was barred from baseball for gambling and lying to baseball officials. (I do wonder how much of the movie will "be fact, and how much fiction"?) The new $50 bill is being glamorized. The colors red, blue and yellow are being added to the new bill, making it harder for counterfeiters to reproduce the money. The bill will also have tiny yellow 50s scattered on back of the notes. HAVE YOU SEEN "Memorial Hall?" – During the testimonial dinner for Joan Hurley, April 22, several local and former residents were amazed at the murals on the walls. The murals, done by Bill Grausgruber of Windsor are war murals of Iwo Jima, 9-11 World Trade Center, W.W.1, W.W.II, Korean War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. Give yourself a treat. You need not be a veteran to tour Memorial Hall; ask any Legionnaire to be your guide. BATTISTI BROTHERS Busy – As it has been their "Volunteer Job" for the past several years, the Battisti Brothers, Dom and Sandy, have been busy getting the Community Veterans Service Board area "cleaned up" for the Memorial Day parade. The B’s trimmed the grass, cleaned up all the bottles and other junk that is thrown around the board and the monument. A B-I-G thank you should be extended to Spin and Sandy. IN THE MAIL – We have been asked to find out why we don’t have cell phone service in Susquehanna. The only thing I can tell you is we need a company that builds antenna towers. I understand that Rob Shaw, of Tunkhannock has a company and plans to build 19 cellular towers in Bradford, Wyoming and Sullivan counties. (Maybe we can get our Council to contact Mr. Shaw at the Tunkhannock-based Endless Mountain Wireless.) PARADE IN HALLSTEAD – On May 29, the Hallstead–Great Bend American Legion Post will serve a luncheon for all World War II veterans and guests, at 1 p.m. in the post rooms. Memorial Day parade services are as follows: Hallstead, parade at 9 a.m., followed by service at the River Bank; parade in New Milford at 10 a.m.; parade in Great Bend at 11 a.m. Come show your patriotism. "NO MORE STEPS" – Plans to add an elevator to the Susquehanna County Courthouse are moving forward, with the Board of Commissioners voting to borrow $220,000 to pay for most of the project. The Courthouse, dating back to the 1800’s, will now have an easier way for employees, visitors, etc., to visit the four floors. IN THE MAIL – I just want to thank you so very much for putting the article on (the old Post office Bldg.) the Persons Bldg., in the County Transcript. I received many nice comments on it. It is a wonderful tribute to my family and myself. Keep up the good work – Sincerely Yours, Henry (Joseph) Persons, Great Bend, PA. SEVERAL SHORT JOKES – How do you like her new bikini. It reminds me of someone trying to put 20 pounds of potatoes in a 10 pound bag – Say, what’s the big idea of wearing my raincoat? You wouldn’t want me to get your new suit wet, would you? – I hear Nancy’s dress fits her like a glove. That’s true. She sticks out in five places – I’ll have you know this suit cost almost 300.00 dollars. Of course, a car came with it – He says he’d rather kiss his wife than eat. I tasted her cooking. I don’t blame him – WIFE: Don’t forget I won a contest with my cooking. Husband, You can’t count that. It was sponsored by D-Con. – She’s the only person that times her meals with a smoke detector – The best way to hide something from my wife is to put it in the oven – WIFE: Wake up. I hear a rat eating last night’s leftovers. Husband: Don’t worry, go back to sleep, I’ll bury the rat in the morning – I didn’t know you had a brother that used to live in Atlanta? How long did he live there? "Two to five years."
On April 23, 2004, in honor of Earth Day, an inmate litter crew performed work in Great Bend Borough. Three inmates accompanied Susquehanna County Sheriff Lance Benedict, and two of deputy sheriffs, to the Borough of Great Bend. The weather did not cooperate, but, to their credit, the inmates indicated that they would rather work in the rain than return to the correctional facility. And work they did. In several hours, the inmates were able to cover numerous streets in Great Bend Borough and picked up several bags of litter. In response to a written request, we have received requests from the vast majority of the local municipalities identifying the areas of the municipality that need the services of the litter crew. Sheriff Benedict hopes to continue coordinating litter crews on a weekly basis. The inmates wear fluorescent orange garb, and there are warning signs identifying the areas where they will be working. If you are traveling in and around those areas, please use caution so as to protect the lives of the law enforcement officers and the inmates. I have received a few complaints regarding the proper response of a driver to an approaching emergency vehicle. When a driver hears an emergency siren or sees the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle, the Vehicle Code requires the driver to yield any right of way to the emergency vehicle and to immediately pull to the side of the road and stop. The driver must remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed that position. Recently, I heard an ambulance approaching, as well as noted through my rear view mirror the red emergency lights some distance back. I pulled to the side of the road to stop, and the car directly behind me attempted to pass me and almost struck oncoming traffic, as well as coming close to colliding with the fast approaching emergency vehicle. I have had other people relate similar stories of "near misses" between emergency vehicles and other vehicles not properly yielding the right of way and/or pulling to the side of the road and coming to a stop. Please do your best to remember to observe these rules. At most, your trip will be delayed by thirty seconds, and regardless of the reason for your haste, the thirty seconds is not going to make any difference. The failure to properly yield to an emergency vehicle, however, can have tragic consequences. Common sense occasionally does prevail. Recently, the Pennsylvania State Police in Bucks County were conducting an investigation of a child predator, who was using a computer chat room to entice potential juvenile victims. The child predator sent numerous messages to the chat room, which were then seized by the police and used as evidence. The child predator sought to suppress that evidence, arguing that his right to privacy was violated because the police were seizing his messages without his knowledge, without his consent, and without a search warrant. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a sender of e-mail messages has no expectation in privacy to those messages, and, as such there is no constitutionally protected privacy interest in messages sent via e-mail and/or to chat rooms. Because the sender of the e-mail could not reasonably expect those messages to be held private, the police could seize those messages without a search warrant. Although this may appear to be a common sense result, it is a substantial decision that allows the state police to continue to patrol cyberspace to keep our children safe. Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801. The home of Ed and Philip Karcher has been sold to a family from California – two women and a man, but I don’t know much about them at this point. Our lady fisherwoman, Virginia Upright can add another six trout, making fourteen in all. One native trout was over a foot long. Mighty fine eating. Teresa Anderson, our local poet, will give a talk on Monday, June 7 titled, "Journaling Into Healing," at the Self-Discovery Wellness Arts Center in Montrose. Terry is a cancer survivor. Call the center for a reservation. Saturday, May 8 should be a lovely scene when folks are invited to a Victorian tea at the Baptist Church. The invitation reads, "Wear hat and gloves, bring a tea bag and also bring a teacup that has a history and tell about it." Should be fun. Tell you more about it next week. Visitors at the home of Barbara and Roger Glover a week ago Sunday were her daughter, Andrea Knox and her three children, Ethan, Connor, and grownup Brittany from Chenango Bridge, NY. Andy and Jen Bennett had a birthday party for their two children, Taylor, five and Courtney, one, in the Baptist Church social rooms a week ago Saturday. The Civic Association is planning a craft fair to be held the seventeenth of July in the Community Hall from nine to three. Crafters can reserve a table for ten dollars. If table outside is desired you must bring your own. The Community Hall has been painted by prisoners from Wayne County Prison, Honesdale, PA. They have done a beautiful job. Through a grant, ramps have been built to both front and back doors of the hall. The Civic Association is buying a new wreath for the Memorial Park and geraniums to plant around flag poles. Also, they have planned a park cleanup for May 22. Kristin Potter is in charge of Memorial Day service. Son, Dan came down last Sunday and gave my lawn its first manicure. Growing fast with all this rain. They say "a cold wet May is a barn full of hay" so it’s a boon to the farmers, but not for us with a big lawn to mow. Cheerio!
Adriano Adamson Paiva, Bahia, Brazil Determining how much rainforest land is protected worldwide depends on how you define "rainforest." Researchers at the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, DC have identified three different types of rainforests. There are about 4.2 million square miles of tropical moist forest, of which just eight percent is protected, and 76,000 square miles of tropical mangrove forest, of which only nine percent is protected. And only five percent of the 300,000 square miles of the third type, tropical dry forest, is protected. And many of these forests are protected only on paper; in practice, they may not necessarily be safe from oil drilling, wood harvesting, cattle grazing and myriad other destructive uses. Scientists and policy makers at the Switzerland-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) estimate that there are 44,000 "protected areas" worldwide, covering over 13 million square kilometers – an area equivalent to the landmass of India and China combined. These areas, which include rainforests but which can also be agricultural lands, national parks, reserves, forested land, marine sanctuaries and more, cover about 10 percent of the Earth’s surface. While the IUCN has documented more than 1,388 words or terms used to describe a "protected area," national park designation remains a common way to secure the future existence of a natural resource like a rainforest. Tumucumaque National Park in the Brazilian Amazon is the world’s largest protected tropical rainforest, covering 24,135 square kilometers. CONTACTS: The World Conservation Union, +41 (22) 999-0001; www.iucn.org; Worldwatch Institute, (202) 452-1999, www.worldwatch.org; Rainforest Alliance, www.rainforest-alliance.org; Rainforest Action Network, (415) 398-4404, www.ran.org. Dear EarthTalk: I have been searching for an environmentally friendly way to repel moles from my home without killing or harming them. Any suggestions? Elizabeth Powell, Marion, OH Having moles in your yard is not necessarily detrimental. According to Bill Adler, author of Outwitting Critters: A Humane Guide for Confronting Devious Animals and Winning, moles eat destructive creatures like Japanese beetles and grubs, and aerate the soil by tunneling, thus bringing subsoil close to the surface. Moles themselves do not eat plant matter. Most likely, plant damage is done by the vegetarian vole, or by mice. However, mole-tunneling activity can cause significant cosmetic damage to a well-manicured lawn. There are some mole-friendly ways to urge them to take their digging elsewhere. Gardens Alive! makes an eco-friendly spray called Mole-Gopher Med Repellent. Made from castor oil that you apply directly into mole holes about once every two months, the product releases a harmless smell that annoys moles, encouraging them to leave. One-pint bottles are good for a 5,000-square-foot application ($17). Critter-Repellent.com offers Shake Away, a 100-percent natural pellet treated with a mixture of bobcat, coyote and fox urine that will also deter rodents from your yard: $15 for a 20-ounce bottle. A physical barrier to try: Surround a cherished garden with an underground barrier of compacted soil and stones about one foot wide and two feet deep. A one-foot-high fence will prevent the moles from walking over the barrier. CONTACTS: Gardens Alive!, (513) 354-1482, www.gardensalive.com; Critter-Repellent.com, (866) 802-8837, www.critter-repellent.com. GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit your question at www.emagazine.com; or e-mail us at earthtalk@emagazine.com.
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Oftentimes, there are little interesting points that really do not warrant
an entire article. I have been saving these items for some time, not
really sure what I was going to do with them. I decided to occasionally
throw these tidbits together to create a hodgepodge article of various
topics or points. Or, if you will, points from the prosecution: