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Issue Home June 1, 2004 Site Home

COLUMNS:
Slices Of Life
100 Years Ago
Along the Way...With P. Jay
Newsbeat

From the Desk of the DA
Straight From Starrucca
Earth Talk
An Inside Look

Slices of Life

Rain, Rain Go Away

Remember the elocution lesson in My Fair Lady? "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain." Well, in the United States it falls anywhere it wants and as much as it wants.

After being away a few days I came home to find my rhododendrons and spirea in full bloom. What a gorgeous show! But I knew from past experience that their blossoming would certainly call the rain. And it did. By tomorrow they will look like drowned rats. It never fails.

One reason I was so sure of the rain was that I had just flown back from Chicago, and winds and rain had traveled with us from around Ohio eastward. Not that they disrupted our flight; just made it a little bumpy.

I recently received a patio tomato plant for my birthday, probably because I’d decided not to plant a vegetable garden this year. I took the pot from my car and carefully placed it on a concrete slab near the basement door. It hadn’t been there half an hour when the downpour started. I threw a slicker over my head and dashed out into the lightning to retrieve the beautiful plant before the wind and rain ruined it. Mother Nature is not cooperating. When the rain quit for awhile today, I decided to set it out again, but this time I found a sunny spot on the front porch where it would be more protected from wind and rain. As well as deer. Bold as they are, I don’t think they come up on my porch. Yet!

Because they were eating my phlox every night, I bought some invisible fencing and covered the stalks. Also covered the planters that I had recently filled. The next morning I found one new phlox that I hadn’t covered, eaten halfway to the ground. A couple days later, the fencing over my newly filled planters looked like someone had pulled it off and rolled it into a tight ball. It’s like gremlins are at work out there.

But I think deer don’t like iris because those plants are just coming into bloom and making the backyard beautiful with waves of vibrant blue. The rain probably has been good for them.

I’m hoping any further showers hold off now until after my Saturday yard sale. I was sure I had nothing more to sell, but then friends and relatives got to working on me, convincing me that I should have just one more sale. I finally consented, being that I have the most accessible spot, and I was amazed what I found in my attic again. I also did a big cleaning out of my bookshelves and was relieved to find several books that I was quite sure I would never read again. I’m not one to go back and re-read fiction. My non-fiction (how to) books are a different story. Some of them are dog-eared from many readings and "leafing throughs." They are my textbooks on how to live my life and I need much prompting as I go along. Besides, books like that are great on a rainy day because they make me feel like I’m studying, which we all know is a form of working.

Sitting on the front porch writing, I can feel the air cooling down and breezes picking up. If it has to rain, Sunday would be nice. Just not tomorrow to make the lawn a spongy mess when customers arrive on Saturday. Or not Saturday so I have to bring things inside, where perfect strangers walk through the house asking how much I want for my china closet, couch, kitchen sink, etc.

Yard sales do not always bring out the best in some people, especially on a rainy day.

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100 Years Ago

AUBURN TWP.: Charles E. Bunnell, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Bunnell, who has been principal of the Valdez (Alaska) school for several years, has, we learn, been engaged by the government for another year, proof in itself of the satisfaction he has been giving. Mr. Bunnell is located in one of the most beautiful sections of that vast country, and besides the scenery and delightful climate the region abounds in timber and many of the more valuable minerals. The town of Valdez is but a few years old, dating back from about 1898, yet its growth has been rapid and already possesses many modern buildings and conveniences. An illustration of the advance in civilization among the Indians is brought forth vividly by the fact that the money to build the church at that place was furnished by a man of the Cherokee tribe.

SUSQUEHANNA: When returning from the ball game on Saturday afternoon Martin J. Ryan, proprietor of the Canawacta House, walked down the Erie tracks with his two little sons. The youngest, Paul, aged 4, ran in front of a locomotive, and was struck by the big machine. One foot was so badly crushed as to necessitate amputation, which was performed at the City Hospital.

UNIONDALE: Farmers who sell their milk at the local milk station are complaining about the price of milk, which is 67 cents a can; already talk is heard about building a co-operative creamery. AND: On Monday the graves of the departed soldiers were properly decorated by members of the G.A.R.

GREAT BEND: Charles Smith, a brakeman on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad, was killed at Clark's Summit on Thursday morning by the cars. Smith had served in the United States navy and was a man of great bravery. Last winter when the steamer "Waukerman" was wrecked off Cape Hatteras, it was seen that there was not sufficient room in the boats to hold all on board and he was among the few who volunteered to risk being picked up by a passing vessel with nothing but a life preserver to keep them afloat. After much exposure and suffering they were finally rescued, and for a number of weeks he was in a critical condition and it was owing to his crippled state that he was released from the Navy, and since then had been working for the railroad. He is survived by a father, mother and two brothers.

FOREST LAKE: Misses Lattice Brown, Mabel Lewis, Ethel Andre and Emma Jagger are among those who are learning music under the direction of Miss Francis Howell, of Birchardville. Miss Howell is a thorough and competent teacher of music and a large number of students are studying under her tuition.

GLENWOOD: The farmers are so busy these days that they can't stop long enough to talk particulars or tell any long stories, as help is very scarce. One thing we are glad to see is that all are willing to take a day off to do honor to the fallen heroes of the Civil strife, 61 to 65. A few more years until the last old vet shall be called away, to be in line with those who have gone before. Decoration has become world-wide, not only the graves of the soldier dead, but of friends in every walk of life. We gather to pay tribute to those who were near and dear.

LAWTON: The ice cream parlors at Lawton re open every Saturday evening and are well attended.

LYNN: The 94th birthday of Mrs. Lucilla Avery occurred recently and was observed by several of her relatives and friends, who spent the day with her.

FAIRDALE: Someone reported 70 percent of the bees died during the winter. Louis Sheen had 20 swarms, lost all. Charles saved 3 or 4 out of about 80. George Frink lost all of his bees.

MONTROSE: For the third time within as many years the Printers and Barbers will come up against the Clerks, and there will probably be something doin'. We can't speak of the skill of the players, for some of them haven't gripped a ball since "happy childhood days." Yet wonders will never cease and we wouldn't wonder if you saw a very amusing game filled with double plays, home runs and grand stand plays in general. The admission of ten cents, one dime or a tenth of a dollar, admits you to any part of the park, which will not interfere with the players. The line up is: Barbers-Printers: Fred Connell, catcher; Corella North, pitcher; Carlton Griffis, 1st base; Ennis Burch, 2nd base; Will Cruser, 3d base; Ed Thompson, short stop; E.J. Keough, right field; Will Aitken, center field; George Daunie, left field. Clerks: Glen Roberts, catcher; Fay Sprout, pitcher; H. F. Brewster, 1st base; Olin Tingley, 2nd base; Bruce Titman, 3rd base; J. M. Watrous, short stop; M. Roberts, right field; James Mahon, center field; T. Davies, left field. Jollying of players by spectators will be allowed.

HALLSTEAD: Brakeman Vanishes: Relatives of Charles Sisson, the young brakeman who disappeared mysteriously after leaving his train on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad at Scranton, May 15, have been searching in vain for him ever since without the slightest hint of success. Sisson lived at Hallstead and was respected. His friends and family alike are at a loss to assign a reason for his disappearance. The police are now inclined to believe the theory of foul play, although they have slim clues to work out this solution. He had drawn his pay and it is likely he simply "skipped." AND IN A RELATED MATTER REPORTED A FEW WEEKS AGO: William T. Haynor, the Hallstead switchman employed on the Lackawanna, who was mourned as dead for the brief space of two or three hours after he disappeared two weeks ago, leaving a suit of clothes on the Lackawanna bridge across the Susquehanna river in Owego, together with a letter of farewell saying that when it was read he would be no longer in the land of the living, has been holding quite a reception at the hotel "Reno" on the South side, Owego, and incidentally, getting reconciled with his family. Haynor appeared in the night and took refuge at the "Reno" and when morning had come he telephoned to his wife, who has been in Owego since his disappearance, and asked her to call upon him. To a curious inquirer as to why he did not call on his wife, he said that "he was afraid his mother-in-law would go for him with a knife." His first remark to Chief Robinson, who called to make sure that the "body had been recovered," was "this is a nice mess, isn't it?" The chief replied that he thought it was. Haynor says that he is not very clear as to what he has been doing, but from his appearance it is safe to say that he has been living well. He says he has been to St. Louis to the World's Fair. He inquired about the suit of clothing he had left behind and was told he could get it of Coroner E. E. Raner. Mrs. Hayner says that whiskey and cigarettes were at the bottom of her husband's trouble and that she intends to reform him. He says he is going to return to Hallstead, Pa., and intimated that his old job would be very acceptable.

NEWS BRIEF: The enormity of the ice gorges along the Susquehanna last winter may be partially realized when it is stated that all of the ice is not yet melted.

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Along the Way...With P. Jay

(G)ot (O)bvious (P)roblems

Donna Cosmello, new head of the Republican Party in Susquehanna County, may not recognize it yet, but there is a family feud brewing in the county courthouse. If it spills over into the rank and file party members and leads to a pick-and-choose contest, it could be a bit embarrassing for Donna and other Republican office holders on the state and county levels.

While the two of them are doing their best to hide it, it is becoming more and more obvious that Republican Commissioners Roberta Kelly and Jeff Loomis just do not see eye-to-eye on a number of issues. And, to paraphrase Ziggy Marley, "Water and oil can’t mix; Water and oil don’t mix."

Mind you, this is not a power struggle by any stretch of the imagination. Roberta is chair and Jeff is second chair and it will stay that way for three more years at least and maybe for another four after that. As seen from this writer’s advantage point, the problem appears to be that Jeff wants some recognition. Roberta on the other hand would prefer that he remain in the background where he is less likely to become involved in political confrontations with John Q. Public and, more specifically, with archrival James Jennings of Brooklyn Township.

And so, Jeff pounds out his own press releases and Roberta has Liz Janoski, who is supposed to be devoting full time to industrial development, doing some PR for the county (?). It is a neat arrangement only because Susquehanna is a Republican-controlled county and everyone knows that in the eyes of a Republican, a fellow Republican can do no wrong.

Need a little "for instance?" How about the time clock issue? Jeff put out a press release stating that time clocks were coming to county government, something that is long overdue. But alas! While Jeff was out there spewing out the virtues of swipe (time) cards Roberta sat quietly and let her vice chair mouth off. When things finally got down to the nitty gritty, Roberta and Minority Commissioner MaryAnn Warren pulled in the reins and stopped Jeff in his tracks. Roberta said the time card issue needs more study.

So what’s next?

For openers, Mr. Loomis must learn how to be creative without being demonstrative. He didn’t ask, but if he had, I would advise him to touch base with Mrs. Kelly before he grinds out another press release. It is nice to be a member of the majority commissioners if both commissioners are on the same page. Being a majority commissioner but not communicating with the other majority commissioner can put you in a mighty precarious position.

The numbers game

Question: Would you change your house number if it meant saving a life? Of course you would. So would I. And so would many, many others.

Susquehanna County is in the process of readdressing. It is difficult to understand because we have all had the same addresses for years and years. That is, unless, of course, we moved. About all I know is that the readdressing will speed up response time in emergencies and that’s good enough for me.

Is it mandatory for municipalities to participate in this readdressing program? Initially I thought it was but after further investigation, I don’t think so. However, if it will expedite emergency service countywide, should the small municipalities remain adamant and refuse to be a part of the overall picture?

"We don’t need it," is the cry from the smaller municipalities. "Our firemen know where everybody in town lives." "Let the rural areas change if they have to but not us."

My friends, we are touted as a nation that extends a helping hand worldwide when tragedies occur. We are forever digging into our pockets for a few bucks that will help a sick child or families left homeless by floods and fires. Suddenly, we raise our voices and refuse to participate in a safety program all because of something as simple as changing an address. Wow! How selfish!

I live in Forest City and we could probably get along just fine retaining the status quo. Who cares if our refusal to participate messes up a few house numbers or addresses in our neighboring communities? Who cares if the fire engines cannot find a burning home on some country road? Why should I worry about response time for an ambulance rushing to help someone I don’t even know?

Is this the way we should be thinking? I think not. Somewhere in the Bible is a passage or two about loving thy neighbor. Somewhere in our hearts is concern about a child trapped in a well 1,000 miles away. And somewhere in us there is a conscience that compels us to pitch in and help during emergencies.

Let’s not start putting up walls between us and our neighbors in the next town. This readdressing program is mighty important and participating in it is so simple. Before you condemn it, think about the overall effect the program will have on the area and not just how bothersome it will be to you.

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Newsbeat

GRADUATES "Please Be Careful" - It’s prom time - meaning that thousands and thousands of students will be graduating, meaning that most of them will be celebrating - and rightfully so. The graduates have a full life ahead of them. They are asked to be "super-careful" on that night. You do not have to be "macho" to enjoy yourself and have a good time. You will have the rest of your life to enjoy many, many other things. Hundreds of graduating students have met disasters on prom night. "Don’t let that happen to you." Be one of the smart ones. Enjoy yourself. Life is wonderful. Make the best of it. You will eventually have many "Prom Nights" to celebrate.

PRES. BUSH Says "No Oil" - Pres. Bush has rejected Democrats - and some Republicans, to ease gas prices by tapping the nation’s petroleum reserve. "No way," says Mr. Bush, "we may need the oil for future emergencies." What does Mr. Bush think is going on now? If rising gas prices isn’t an emergency, then what is? Why aren’t we getting some of the oil pumped from Iraq? I understand that most of the Iraq oil is going to Japan. A group of Democrat senators want Bush to release one million barrels of oil a day from the SPR, for up to 60 days, to help bring down gas prices. (The Bush administration is still buying oil to fill the reserve tanks, keeping the prices high for the travelers.) Did you know (I bet you do) that Bush and Cheney have long-standing ties to the oil industry?

IRAQI’S "Not Satisfied" - Many Iraqi’s are calling for death sentences for the prisoner abusers. I didn’t hear them demanding to help find the murderers that beheaded Berg, a civilian. It seems like (most) Iraqi’s want their cake - and eat all of it, too. Can you imagine them wanting justice, when every day one of our military people is being killed by Iraq insurgents. (Note: One soldier guard has received a year in prison and was demoted for his part in the prisoner abuse scandal.)

D.A. LEGG Explains Law - In his column of May 12 (Susquehanna County Transcript) District Attorney Jason Legg explained the Vehicle Emergency Law. If you missed it, here it is again: 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.

(Also remember, it’s against the law to pass a school bus with students aboard when stopped to take on students or dropping them off. The fines are stiff and you may lose your license if guilty. Be careful.)

DAVE WESTMAN in "Hall" - Dave Westman, a former all-star scratch bowler, is a member of a class to be inducted in the Southern Tier Bowling Association. Westman is co-owner of the Great Bend Valley Lanes. In his 26-plus seasons of bowling, Westman, from Binghamton, has rolled thirty 300 games and has a personal high of a 847 series.

EDGAR JONES Played Here - Edgar Jones of Scranton died Tuesday, May 18. He was known throughout his sports career as "Special Delivery," due to his ability to play several sports. Mr. Jones will be remembered by the "elder baseball fans" of the area. Prior to WW 2, while a student at the University of Pittsburgh, on several occasions he came to Susquehanna/Lanesboro at the request of the late Clyde Crosier, manager of the local baseball team. A super-player he played all positions, but was mainly used as a pitcher and catcher. He was 84. One of his big achievements was the founding of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. He was named to the "hall" in 1983. He excelled as a pro football player, as well as a baseball player.

PITCHER SHEETS "KOs 18" - Ben Sheets, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher, shattered the franchise record with 18 strikeouts. The record, being 20 by Kerry Wood, Roger Clemens (twice), and Randy Johnson. Johnson also has two 19 strikeouts in a game.

TRAIL BASKETBALL Classic (1971) - Playing in one of the lower brackets in the Trail Baseball Classic, the Susky Sabers lost a hard-fought game to Lackawanna Trail 53-48. The Sabers did manage to have two of their players - Bob Ficarro and John Lee - named to the All Star team. Sabers scoring: Lee 21 points, Ficarro 15, McNamara 10, Testa 3, Robinson 0. (Sorry, all of the first names were not available.)

A TALKING DOG - In Tennessee, a man sees a sign in front of a house: "Talking Dog for Sale." He rings the bell, and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a black mutt sitting.

"You talk?" he asks.

"Yep," the mutt replies.

"So, what’s your story?"

The mutt looks up and says, "Well, I discovered this gift pretty young and I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gift. In no time they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.

"I was one of their most valuable spies eight years running. The jetting around tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger. So I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security work, mostly wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings there and was awarded a batch of medals. Had a wife and a mess of puppies, and now I’m just retired."

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. "Ten dollars," the owner says.

"This dog is amazing," the guy says. "Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?"

"He’s such a liar," the owner replies. "He didn’t do any of that stuff."

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From the Desk Of The DA

The Laci Peterson case in California has sparked national interest, both in the media as well as in the halls of government. Recently, the federal government enacted a statute that created a criminal violation for killing an unborn fetus. Although public opinion clearly supports such a criminal statute, there was surprising strong opposition to the proposed bill as it was viewed as a means to undermine the legality of abortions. Those in the opposition failed to recognize that the statute did not criminalize medical procedures through which the life of the fetus was terminated. Thankfully, despite the opposition, the bill passed and was enacted as federal law.

How does Pennsylvania address this issue? In Commonwealth v. Booth, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court determined that a fetus is not a person under the applicable statute, and, as such, there can be no criminal homicide charge against any person who kills a fetus. In Booth, an intoxicated driver ran a stop sign and collided with a vehicle driven by Nancy Boehm. Mrs. Boehm and her husband were seriously injured. At the time of the accident, Mrs. Boehm was approximately 8 months pregnant, and her unborn child died in her womb as a result of the blunt force trauma. The intoxicated driver was charged with a homicide by motor vehicle for the death of the unborn child.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reviewed the historical roots of murder as it related to unborn children. The Court noted that under English common law, a fetus has never been treated as a person. In 1791, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had adopted the "born alive" rule. In other words, only a person who has been "born alive" could be a victim of a homicide. Because there was over two hundred years of legal precedent indicating that a fetus was not a person for purposes of criminal homicide, the court noted that a homicide charge could not arise unless the legislature had specifically defined an unborn child as a "person" protected by the statute. In this particular case, the definition of a "person" under the definition provided in the statute. Therefore, the drunk driver could not be charged for the death of the fetus.

In 1997, the legislature enacted the Unborn Child Act, which expanded the scope of the criminal law to encompass unborn children. The accident in Booth occurred approximately three months prior to the enactment of the Unborn Child Act. Because a criminal statute cannot be applied retroactively, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court could not consider the extent to which the Unborn Child Act applied to the Booth case.

Thus, the Pennsylvania legislature has specifically created criminal offenses relating to the killing or injuring of unborn children. The Unborn Child Act creates various offenses under the Crimes Code, such as homicide of an unborn child and aggravated assault on an unborn child. Unfortunately, the Booth case involved a homicide by motor vehicle charge, which actually falls under the Vehicle Code, not the Crimes Code. The legislature has never amended the Vehicle Code to correct the definition of "person" to include unborn children. For a law person, it is a strange concept to suggest that the word "person" does not have one meaning. Under the law, however, the definition created by the legislature will govern when interpreting the applicability of the statute.

Thus, given the definition of "person" under the Vehicle Code, as well as the interpretation of that definition by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Booth, the result in Booth may be the same today, i.e., the drunk driver could not be prosecuted for homicide by motor vehicle for the death of the unborn child.

Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801.

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Straight From Starrucca

Spirited Seniors met on Wednesday, May 26 with twelve members. For the second Wednesday in June, Sister Therese of the Oblates of Mary will tell us of their religious group. The fourth Wednesday in June, a member from the Agency on Aging will speak to us about the new Medicare discount card.

June 3, the ladies of the Methodist Church will serve a turkey buffet at 5 p.m. Takeouts at 4:30 p.m. A little different dessert will be served this time.

Grandma Joy Mead is showing her grandchildren, Pat and James a good time until the middle of April when they will return to their home in Jacksonville, Florida.

Congratulations to Vincent Matta, who received honorable mention for his poster on alcoholic awareness.

I see the Getters are getting a new roof on their house. Sluman Glover is the owner of the property.

Judy Fairchild, Waymart, and daughter, Brenda stopped in for a visit last Wednesday and took care of the graves of family in the cemetery.

Son, Dan reported six inches of hail last week when he got home from work.

Sue Ellen Lynch, Sayre, was an overnight guest of Kirk and Alice Rhone.

A surprise party was held at the home of Kirk and Alice Rhone last Saturday for daughter, Julie, who graduated from Penn State, Worthington Campus, Dunmore on May 14 with a degree in Nursing and Liberal Arts.

Let’s hope June isn’t as dampened by rain as May was.

Cheerio!

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EARTH TALK

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve been hearing that wind power is going to play a significant role in our energy future. What’s the story?

Dorothy Raffman, Norwalk, CT

Wind energy is zero-emissions energy, a renewable resource that many environmentalists and alternative energy proponents feel is one of our last, best hopes for staving off devastating climate change. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the average wind turbine can prevent the emission of 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide each year.

Globally, wind energy has grown 500 percent since 1997. In 2003, 8,133 megawatts of wind-generating capacity were installed worldwide, according to a recent joint announcement from AWEA and the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). This brought the world’s total wind power generating capacity to 39,294 megawatts, enough to power 19 million European households, according to EWEA. World wind leaders include Germany, the U.S., Spain, Austria and India, each with more than 1,000 megawatts. A number of other countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, Japan and Great Britain, are nearing the 1,000-megawatt mark.

In the United States, there are now wind energy installations in almost every state west of the Mississippi, and in many Northeastern states. California leads with more than 2,000 megawatts of installed wind energy, followed by Texas with nearly 1,300 megawatts. In total there were nearly 6,400 megawatts of wind power in the United States as of January 2004, enough to power 1.6 million U.S. homes, and up 50 percent from the installed capacity in the U.S. at the end of 2001, says AWEA.

Offshore wind has enormous growth potential as well. Germany, for instance, recently finalized an agreement to build a 350-megawatt project (with 70 five-megawatt turbines) anchored on the ocean floor off the island of R’gen. Here in the United States, in Massachusetts, the Cape Wind Project hopes to construct a $700 million, 420-megawatt, 130-windmill development that would stretch for five miles off Cape Cod, though it has drawn opposition from some residents, as has the German project, for fears that it will be an eyesore and could harm migrating birds.

CONTACTS: American Wind Energy Association, (202) 383-2500, www.awea.org; European Wind Energy Association, +32 2 546 1940, www.ewea.org; Cape Wind Project, 617-904-3100, www.capewind.org.

Dear EarthTalk: Which are better for the environment, disposable or cloth diapers?

Barbara Fritts, White Lake, MI

The "disposable versus cloth" debate has raged among environmentalists for years. Non-degradable disposable diapers can sit for decades, even centuries, in landfills and require thousands of tons of plastic and hundreds of thousands of trees to manufacture. However, the water and chemicals used to clean cloth diapers, and the fossil fuels diaper services consume to transport them, suggest that their relative environmental impact could be a wash.

However, modern advances in water- and energy-efficiency in washing machines and dryers have reduced the environmental impact of diaper laundering. Concerned parents should also consider the issue of sewage. The urine and feces in disposable diapers enter landfills untreated, possibly contaminating the ground water supply. Whether cloth diaper waste is flushed down the toilet or removed in the washing machine, that dirty water will enter a sewer system and, most likely, a wastewater treatment plant.

Also, John Shiffert, executive director of the National Association of Diaper Services (NADS), points out that the chlorine byproduct dioxin, a carcinogen, has been found in trace amounts in disposables.

Those concerned about the environment who want the convenience of disposables can try Nature Boy and Girl, which makes a competitively priced, cornstarch-based diaper that can be composted. Using flushable cloth diaper liners, made by Tiny Tush and other companies, means only the thinnest – and messiest – part gets thrown away. Parents who want to use cloth diapers can hire a cleaning service to do the dirty work. Their numbers have rebounded in recent years. Check the yellow pages, or contact NADS to locate a service in your area.

CONTACT: National Association of Diaper Services (NADS), (610) 971-4850, www.diapernet.com; Nature Boy and Girl, (425) 771-1339, www.natureboyandgirl.com; Tiny Tush, (608) 356-2500, www.tinytush.com.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EARTH TALK,

c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881;

or submit your question at: www.emagazine.com, or e-mail us at: earthtalk@emagazine.com.

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An Inside Look

With less than two weeks left of this school year, everything is getting wrapped up. The students are getting antsy about the upcoming freedom of summer and the teachers are frantically trying to squeeze their last minute lessons in. Quite a mix, right?

Of course we all know about the upcoming final exams and how hectic the high school gets around this time. It does not help that absolutely none of the students want to take these tests. The last two days we all come in to take our Science, English, Math, and Social Studies tests and then we just leave for home right after. Now granted, these days count towards our total year, so luckily we are only here for a couple hours. Although I know that there is not one student looking forward to these exams, we will all definitely take the reward of summer.

Along with academics getting wrapped up, the sports are also being brought to a close. Both the softball and baseball teams, who were the defending district champs, suffered tragic losses in the district playoffs after a successful season. The boys’ volleyball team continued to improve and hopefully next year they will have a breakout season. Our track team continued to be successful, yet again sending students to districts and states. Since the boys’ tennis team is so small, they definitely have a lot of work on their hands, but their dedication certainly helps. These spring sports take up a large amount of our time and lives, and now that they are all over, it’s sad to think that there is only one year left for us juniors.

As well as things being ended at the close of the school year, things for junior class are just beginning. With being seniors next year, our college hunts are now being brought under way, and decisions on our future have to be made. I personally am readying myself for my college career by taking college courses in the summer, fall, and spring semester through Wilkes Young Scholars Program. Theses credits actually count towards my needed amount to graduate from college. Needless to say, this has been a fast moving year for us, and with the end of it upon us, we all are grateful for the summer break.

Since day one of the school year, we’ve been waiting for this: the end of the school is upon us. For those seniors graduating, good luck and we will all miss you. To my fellow juniors, we’re almost there! Just think, next year we will finally be seniors! And to those sophomores and freshman that think school will never end, hang in there, it will go by faster than you think.

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