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COLUMNS: THOMSON: Linn Spencer is making it very enjoyable for a couple of ladies, probably cousins, his sisters are entertaining these days, by giving them an automobile ride each evening. Linn is a good driver and one rides quite securely when they ride with him. Then, his auto is a fine one--the only one around town. BROOKLYN: The Dr. Chamberlain residence and Odd Fellows’ Hall will be raised several inches above the present foundations. The house is to be remodeled and the hall to be newly painted and some important improvements be made. KINGSLEY: A gang of Western Union Telegraph men are making changes and improvements in the telegraph service at Kingsley station, putting in new wire and cable. SOUTH MONTROSE: Jerome Shannon has been appointed foreman at the Ballentine farms, taking charge on Monday. Mr. Ballentine is to be congratulated in securing Mr. Shannon for the position. SILVER LAKE: Rev. and Mrs. J. Russell arrived at Shelden Croft Tuesday, having come from New York in their automobile, making the trip in four days, though hindered some by heavy rains. FOREST CITY: The Star drum corps, after paying all bills realized $125 by their recent picnic and the boys feel very proud of their accomplishment and grateful to the public who helped them to such in gratifying success. AND: An entertainment presenting the “Life of Christ” with a cameragraph, the latest and most approved moving picture machine, will be given in the opera house on Sunday evening for the benefit of St. Joseph’s church. There will be a musical program in connection with the picture exhibit. MONTROSE: A party in a big 40-horse Pierce touring car, comprising Norman Stewart, formerly of Montrose, owner of the machine and three friends, passed through Montgomery, N.Y. Monday evening. They left Buffalo Monday morning at 7 o’clock, on an endurance run, to Boston, going along the Lackawanna railroad to Scranton, across the mountains to Stroudsburg, Port Jervis, Middletown, Goshen, and from here went to Newburg, making a detour to Walden to escape the slate on the turnpike, then to Albany, which they expected to reach at one o’clock Tuesday morning, across to Springfield, to Boston, returning by way of Providence, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, to Scranton and back to Buffalo. Judging from the way in which they came into the village and the way the car ran when they went out of town, they evidently would make the trip in record time, if they were not arrested somewhere for exceeding the speed limit. SPRINGVILLE: Nearly a carload of butter is shopped by express from Springville each week. It comes from creameries located at Elk Lake, Auburn, Auburn Center and Jersey Hill. SUSQUEHANNA: James F. Houlihan, of Susquehanna, who has many acquaintances in the vicinity, was ordained a priest by Rt. Rev. M. J. Hoban, D.D., in St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, last Saturday. Fr. Houlihan is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dimwoodie, N.Y., and is an accomplished pianist. LAWSVILLE: W.S. Drake, the efficient and obliging manager of the creamery, although badly afflicted with rheumatism, is attending to his duties just the same, being at the creamery at 2:30 in the morning. How’s that for an early riser? AND: G. C. Shafer, S.E. Osborne and T. B. Hewitt, have organized an Athletic Camp at Tripp Lake, near Lawsville, similar to Mr. Mulford’s Camp Choconut, which will open Thursday, June 29, and close September 1st. They already have 12 boys for the season, and no doubt will have more later. They have rented the Moran and Campbell farms consisting of 270 acres, bordering on the lake, a splendid place for canoeing, swimming, fishing, etc.; also a base ball field, tennis court, golf links and croquet grounds. The farm house and other buildings have been repaired, making very comfortable quarters for work of this kind. GLENWOOD: 100 in the shade Thursday; 98 on Friday with Saturday and Sunday about the same. No complaint now of cold weather giving the corn a set-back. HEART LAKE: Eugene Whitney and Will Smith have just completed a new dock for the Goldsmith cottage. Messer’s Whitney and Smith are in great demand these days having several carpenter jobs on hand. FRANKLIN FORKS: F. M. Pierson, the wagon maker and painter, is busy these days. Mr. Pierson is a painstaking and obliging workman. AND: John Dillon is fitting up his blacksmith shop in an up-to-date manner, and when completed will be one of the neatest and handiest shops in the county. FOREST LAKE: Fred Maynard is driving stage from Friendsville to Montrose. AND: Mrs. Jane Vaughn, widow of Calvin B. Griffis, died at her home at Hancock [N.Y.] on June 10. She was born at Forest Lake, this county, 83 years ago, married Mr. Griffis at Montrose in 1844, and he died in 1900. She was the last survivor of the 13 charter members of the Hancock Baptist church. GIBSON: The Band Festival held Friday evening was a success. The Kingsley Band was present and rendered many fine selections. AUBURN: The 2nd annual reunion of the descendants of David and Tirzah Bushnell was held at the home of R. M. Bushnell, June 15. Relatives came from Scranton, Sayre, Binghamton, Bradford county, Montrose and Springville. NEWS BRIEF: Men who wear collars, which resemble a whitewashed length of stove pipe, will not be in style again very soon. The low and comfortable collar is now coming forward. BACK ISSUES of “100 Years” can be found on the Society’s website, www.susqcohistsoc.org. Be sure to take advantage of the instant indexing feature.
Along the Way...With P. Jay
Let’s hear it for the Blue Ridge School District Board of Education! The board spends money as if it had access to the Rockefeller millions, what with trips to California and recent talk of heated sidewalks. But give these school directors credit for opting in to Governor Ed Rendell’s Act 72. Blue Ridge was the only school district in Susquehanna County to gamble on the governor’s belief that enough money will be raised through gambling to allow for a cut in ever-increasing school taxes. The belief here is that being one of only 111 school districts in the Commonwealth to jump on the governor’s bandwagon could result in a windfall for Blue Ridge. There is another more significant point to be made here. Many Blue Ridge School District taxpayers complain of the spending practices of the district’s Board of Education. And rightly so! Blowing eight grand by sending four directors to a conference in San Diego is not exactly anyone’s idea of controlled spending. However, unlike the 390 school districts that opted out of the governor’s plan, the Blue Ridge Board of Education put itself on the firing line. It is no secret that those boards of education that wanted no part of Act 72 opted out for one big reason – budget voting. And, while there is also an increase in the earned income tax packaged into Act 72, the budget vote is what scared off most school boards. So give credit where credit is due and, in this instance, the accolades go to Blue Ridge school directors who are showing plenty of chutzpah by offering their constituents the opportunity to vote on school budgets that may exceed state-approved increases. Of course voting on the budget is not etched in stone. Those school districts that said yes to Act 72 agreed to reasonable limits on future tax increases. Under the act, school boards will still be able to raise property taxes each year by at least the rate of inflation without seeking voter approval and after that they can apply for up to 10 referendum exceptions. However, school boards proposing unusually high tax increases will have to receive voter approval in the spring primary election. In the Forest City Regional School District, where Act 72 went down to defeat, one director opposed to the act said he favored tax increases and suggested that if the taxpayers do not trust the directors – simply vote them out. Another director expressed doubt that senior citizens and families that no longer have children in school would vote in favor of a budget that has a tax increase attached to it. Pennsylvania is the only state that presently has no limit on how much a school board can increase property taxes. And Pennsylvania is one of only a few states that have never allowed its residents to vote on school budgets. While both of these school directors are most certainly entitled to an opinion on the subject and should be given credit for airing their beliefs with their constituents, shouldn't it be a two-way street? If the school directors expect their constituents to trust them, shouldn't they, in turn, trust their constituents to do what is best for education? I recently heard another school director say if school budgets required approval from the taxpayers, the schools will be falling apart waiting for it. He went on to cite poor conditions of schools in neighboring New York where taxpayers do vote on school budgets. I checked on the results of the May 17, 2005 voting on public school budgets in New York and learned that 83.51 percent of the budgets were approved at the polls. That blows a hole in the theory that, if there are rundown schools across the border, the fault is with the voters for rejecting budgets. One unconfirmed report has it that some buildings in the Hancock School District are in need of repair. I do not know if there is any truth to that talk at all. But if there is, don't blame the voters. They approved Hancock's 2005-2006 school budget by a 3-1 margin. My friends nothing in this world is perfect. If we look long enough and want to be critical, we can find a flaw in everything from soup to nuts. And a lot of people are experts at blowing things out of proportion when the need suits the occasion. But no one will ever convince me that taxpayers – young or old – would deliberately jeopardize the education of our children to save a few dollars. When school budgets are defeated at the polls, it is generally a retaliation against a school board that goes off on a spending binge with little or no consideration for the taxpayers. If school boards and municipal governing bodies will meet their constituents halfway, their constituents will also bend and the end result is usually a friendly compromise.
There were criminal charges filed against the soldiers with a possible death sentence. The captain in charge of the soldiers was the first person scheduled for trial. As one can imagine, the British captain had a difficult time finding someone to defend him against the murder charge and the potential penalty. Then, a young patriot named John Adams, the future second president of the United States, agreed to act as defense counsel for the British captain accused of the horrible murders in the Boston Massacre. John Adams, facing a jury of Bostonians with strong anti-British feelings, was faced with the task of demonstrating that the soldiers feared that their very lives were in danger so as to justify the use of deadly force. Adams spent the majority of his closing explaining self-defense and asking the jury of fellow Bostonians to put themselves in the place of the British soldiers – facing a huge and angry crowd, jeering and threatening them with violence, throwing snow balls, ice and other objects, and finally knocking down one of the soldiers while he stood his guard. After deliberating for three hours, the jury returned with a verdict of not guilty on the murder counts for all of the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, but two of the soldiers were convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter. Thus, one of the most infamous acts in American history resulted in a patriot and future president of the United States taking up the defense of the hated and reviled British soldiers. Why tell this story? In the wake of the Michael Jackson verdicts, I have heard too many attacks on the jury system. Imagine yourself in Boston in 1770 when you heard the news of the British soldiers being acquitted of the capital murder charges for killing five of your fellow citizens – coupled with the actions of a known patriot, John Adams, in actually defending the murderers. I suppose that we would have heard the same criticisms and attacks that followed the Michael Jackson fiasco. So again, I ask, why tell this story? It is important to remember our roots and heritage and how strongly our founding fathers believed in the jury system itself and how the founding fathers treasured the rights that they fought to protect and preserve. In my experience, citizens take on the role of jurors with a serious resolve to do their duty. At the end of the day, the jury must determine the facts – and, in a long case with many contested facts and dubious witnesses, the jury is faced with a daunting task of trying to find the truth. If the jurors have reservations or uncertainty as to the credibility of the witnesses or as to what actually occurred, then it is likely that a not guilty verdict will be returned. In many cases, the jurors may know in their “gut” that the defendant is guilty – but the jurors also know that the use of such intuition cannot form the basis of a guilty verdict. It is a difficult job, and perhaps becoming more and more difficult with the continued spinning of facts to a degree where truth itself is a lost artifact. Several years ago, after a jury returned a not guilty verdict in a DUI case, I was struck when I heard one of the jurors stop and tell the defendant to stop drinking and driving. The law enforcement officer was outraged and asked me how a juror could make such a statement after minutes earlier finding the defendant not guilty. I suppose the juror knew in his heart that the defendant was guilty, but without any blood alcohol test (as a result of the defendant’s refusal to submit) and in the absence of any seriously erratic driving, the jury collectively determined that there was not sufficient evidence to provide guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. No one has ever suggested that our criminal justice system is a perfect system – but it is the best system known to mankind designed to protect individual rights and ensure that innocent persons are not wrongly convicted. Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801.
Mr. Boughton of Lanesboro, after resubmitting a bid was hired by the town council to mow the ball diamond. Frank Mroczka and son-in-law, Doug Kohler, Levittown, PA went fishing off the coast of Cape Cod and landed a twenty-five pound striped bass. Needless to say it was quite a struggle. A farewell party for Pastor Brian Lucas and family will take place Sunday after services at the Thompson Church, about 12:30 p.m. Each family is asked to bring a covered dish. Nelson and Phyllis Dickey were down for the weekend. Saturday afternoon we attended a wedding reception for my grandson, Jeremy and wife, Kimberly at the home of her parents, David and Jan Coregin, S. Canaan. Our arrival coincided with a thunderstorm circling the area, so we were met with umbrellas and escorted to the garage instead of the voluminous tent on the lawn. Ruth Mroczka, along with twenty other women visited the Woodbourne Forest and wildlife sanctuary, five miles south of Montrose on Sunday, June 12. They traversed part of the 654 acres and were amazed at the old growth of hemlock. Ruth was pleased to find Lady Slippers on her trip. Congratulations to Genny Gulley, daughter of Pat Gulley, who is the only graduate this year from Starrucca. Cheerio!
Not Laughing in New Orleans A. Shingles is a painful skin disease caused by the chickenpox virus awakening from a dormant state to attack your body again. Some people report fever and weakness when the disease starts. Within two to three days, a red, blotchy rash develops. The rash erupts into small blisters that look like chickenpox. And it’s very painful. Does this sound funny? I don’t think so.... Anyone who has had chicken-pox can get shingles. Half of all Americans will get shingles by the time they are 80. Shingles occurs in people of all ages, but it is most common in people between 60 and 80. Each year, about 600,000 Americans are diagnosed with shingles. The virus that causes chickenpox and shingles remains in your body for life. It stays inactive until a period when your immunity is down. And, when you’re older, your defenses ain’t what they used to be. The inactive virus rests in nerve cells near the spine. When it reactivates, it follows a single nerve path to the skin. The shingles rash helps with its diagnosis; the rash erupts in a belt-like pattern on only one side of the body, or it appears on one side of the face. It usually begins as a patch of red dots which become blisters. Physicians treat shingles with antiviral and pain medications. The antivirals don’t cure shingles, but they weaken the virus, reduce the pain and accelerate healing. The antiviral medications work faster if they are started early – within 72 hours from the appearance of the rash. The disease’s name comes from the Latin word cingulum, which means belt. The virus that causes shingles is varicella-zoster, which combines the Latin word for little pox with the Greek word for girdle. In Italy, shingles is often called St. Anthony's fire. If you have had chickenpox, shingles is not contagious. If you have never had chickenpox, you can catch the virus from contacting the fluid in shingles blisters. However, you will not get shingles, but you could get chickenpox. The pain of shingles can be severe. If it is strong and lasts for months or years, it is called postherpetic neuralgia. Persistent pain is a common symptom in people over 60. However, most victims of shingles overcome their symptoms in about a month. And the odds are against them getting shingles again. Outbreaks that start on the face or eyes can cause vision or hearing problems. Even permanent blindness can result if the cornea of the eye is affected. In patients with immune deficiency, the rash can be much more extensive than usual and the illness can be complicated by pneumonia. These cases, while more serious, are rarely fatal. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health are now working on a shingles vaccine to prevent the disease in people who have already had chickenpox. It is designed to boost the immune system and protect older adults from shingles later on. The vaccine is basically a stronger version of the chickenpox shot, which became available in 1995. The chickenpox shot prevents chickenpox in 70 to 90 percent of those vaccinated, and 95 percent of the rest have only mild symptoms. Millions of children and adults have already received the chickenpox shot. If you would like to ask a question, please write fredcicetti@gmail.com.
EarthTalk
Hunter White, Lafayette, IN By far the most popular form of insect repellent available to consumers in the U.S. is diethyl-meta-toluamide, known popularly as “DEET.” According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), each year approximately one-third of the U.S. population uses insect repellents containing DEET, which is the active ingredient in more than 230 products, including sprays, lotions, liquids and wristbands. But recent laboratory animal studies have found that frequent and prolonged exposure to DEET can cause neurons to die in regions of the brain that control muscle movement, learning, memory and concentration. Other studies using humans have found adverse effects ranging from skin irritation and blisters to memory loss, even seizures. Very high exposures, such as those that occur if the repellent is swallowed, have caused neurological damage in at least 18 children, three of whom died as a result. Yet despite these threats, the EPA insists that DEET products are safe as long as consumers follow the directions carefully. Meanwhile, bug zappers – which emit ultraviolet light to draw pests – kill few if any mosquitoes, which are attracted not to light but to our body heat and the carbon dioxide we exhale. Some four million zappers are at work in the U.S., toasting nearly 71 billion insects – mostly non-target bugs – each month. The most common bugs killed are beetles, moths, flies, bees, ants and wasps, many that are themselves beneficial for insect control as well as pollination. But while there are issues with many localized forms of pest control, most troublesome are the potential public health effects of the widespread application of “organophosphate” pesticides, such as Malathion, intended to wipe out large mosquito populations for miles around. In recent years, cities and states looking to stave off mosquito-borne maladies like West Nile Virus have undertaken large-scale mosquito control projects – often involving the use of Malathion. According to Pesticide Action Network, Malathion is chemically related to the nerve gases used in World War II. It kills by disrupting nervous system processes, and has been linked to cancer, nervous system disorders and a wide range of other maladies in humans. One environmentally friendly alternative mosquito control method is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI), a bacterium that can be applied to mosquito breeding grounds, usually in places where standing water collects. BTI is a naturally occurring organism that targets only the larvae of insects, and as a result poses no health threat to humans or wildlife. Some hardware stores stock BTI-infused mosquito “dunks” which are activated when wet. Another somewhat more costly option is the Mosquito Magnet, a trap that attracts mosquitoes by emitting an irresistible combination of carbon dioxide, heat and moisture. But perhaps the safest way to avoid bug bites is to don the always-dapper combination of a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, ankle socks and a wide-brimmed hat. CONTACTS: U.S. EPA DEET Page, www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/deet.htm; Pesticide Action Network, (415) 981-1771, www.panna.org; Arbico Organics’ Mosquito Control with BTI, http://store.arbico-organics.com/organic-pest-control-most-requested-mosquito-control.html. Dear EarthTalk: What exactly are PZEV cars? Someone told me they were very clean, and on the market now. Thomas Lyons, Jamaica Plain, MA Thanks to rigorous auto emissions standards in California – where regulators are trying to clean up the worst air in the country – no less than a dozen car companies now offer Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) cars for sale in the U.S. While these cars run on gasoline and don't necessarily get better mileage than their traditional counterparts, they do produce much cleaner emissions by controlling exhaust gases with sophisticated engine controls and advanced catalytic converters. Most auto pollution is released while a car is warming up and the catalytic converter is still cold. But PZEVs, through the use of lightweight steel and aluminum components, computerized valve timing and other advanced engineering technologies, heat the catalytic converter quickly, which reduces emissions significantly. These reduced emissions qualify the cars as ìlow-emission vehiclesî (LEVs) in the ìclean car statesî of California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine, each which requires automakers to sell a certain percentage of “green” cars. Environmentalists are optimistic that the fast-growing fleet of PZEVs on America’s roads will have a much larger and more positive impact on environmental quality than the even cleaner running gasoline-electric hybrids, which are still niche vehicles. In fact, already for every hybrid Prius sold by Toyota since it was introduced in 2000, Ford has sold three PZEV Focuses. Indeed, what’s perhaps most striking about the push by automakers to produce PZEVs is the lack of hype surrounding the vehicles, especially in light of all the attention being paid to the hybrids and to the coming hydrogen fuel cell cars. All new versions of Fordís popular Focus model, for example, meet PZEV standards, but consumers wouldn't know it unless they were to ask. Compared to a similar size traditional car, the PZEV Focus produces 97 percent fewer hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions, and 76 percent less carbon monoxide. According to California’s DriveClean website, car buyers looking to jump on the PZEV bandwagon will have to shell out a few hundred dollars extra for the greener technology, but have several models to choose from, including BMW’s 325i, Dodge’s Stratus and Sebring, Honda’s Accord, Hyundai’s Elantra, Mitsubishi’s Galant, Nissan’s Sentra, Subaru’s Legacy, Toyota’s Camry, Volkswagen’s Jetta, Volvo’s S60 sedan and V70 wagon, and of course, Ford’s Focus. Consumers in the five “clean car states” should be able to order any of the PZEV models at local auto dealers. Only the Ford Focus is readily available in all 50 states but, according to the magazine Green Car Journal, “It’s just a matter of time until the rest of the country catches up and we can all breathe a bit easier.” CONTACT: Ford Focus, www.fordvehicles.com/cars/focus; Californiaís DriveClean Website, www.driveclean.ca.gov; Green Car Journal, www.greencar.com. GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. Dear EarthTalk: What’s the story with electro-magnetic fields? Can you really get cancer from living near clusters of power lines or from sleeping near the fuse box in your house? Tim Hutchins, Arcata, CA Over the past 25 years, there has been growing concern and controversy in the scientific community--and in the public domain--about possible links between electro-magnetic fields (EMFs) and any of several forms of cancer. EMFs are invisible lines of force that radiate from sources of electricity, including power lines and transformers, interior home wiring and all electrical appliances, gadgets and machinery. These fields have both electric and magnetic components that diminish in strength with distance. The electric segment of the field may be at least partially blocked by physical barriers, such as walls, trees and partitions, but the magnetic segment is much less easily shielded. In an attempt to clear up concerns and uncertainties about the health effects of EMFs, the federally funded National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) conducted a multi-million dollar, five-year study of all relevant EMF research during the mid-1990s. Although NIEHS concluded in 1998 that there was still no clear answer to the question of risk, it did affirm that extremely low frequency (ELF) EMFs should be classified as possible human carcinogens in the case of two cancers: childhood leukemia related to residential exposure; and chronic lymphocytic leukemia in adults in occupational settings. A few years later the World Health Organization concluded, based on studies of childhood leukemia, that ELF magnetic (but not electric) fields were possibly carcinogenic to humans. But uncertainty remains. One of NIEHS's key conclusions in 1998 was: "Despite a multitude of studies, there remains considerable debate over what...health effects result from exposure to EMF. There is still no clear answer to the question, 'Can exposure to electric and magnetic fields resulting from production, distribution and use of electricity promote cancer or initiate other health problems?'" NIEHS decided there was inadequate evidence to draw any clear conclusions. But while the evidence of EMFs effects on humans is not conclusive, May Dooley, whose company Enviro Health Environmental Home Inspections provides comprehensive on-site EMF testing, cites several scientific studies showing that EMF exposure has increased the size and number of tumors in laboratory animals. She recommends reducing exposure as much as possible: "If someone with cancer knew that eating a certain food would speed up the growth of tumors, you can bet that he or she wouldn't eat that food." CONTACTS: World Health Organization, www.who.int/peh-emf/en/; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/news/emfnew.htm; Enviro Health Environmental Home Inspections, (888) 735-9649, www.create-your-healthy-home.com. GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.
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Bravo Blue Ridge!
On March 5, 1770, there was a lone British soldier guarding a British custom house in Boston, Massachusetts. As a result of previous incidents, a large number of colonists gathered outside the custom house and began to jeer and curse the British soldier. During the course of this episode, the British soldier struck one of the onlookers in the head with the butt of his musket. The crowd continued to grow to between 50 to 100 onlookers, and the crown began throwing snowballs and chunks of ice at the soldier, which prompted him to load his musket. Upon seeing the soldier loading his musket, the onlookers began to taunt the soldier, daring him to fire upon the crowd. After the arrival of 25 additional rowdy American sailors carrying wooden clubs, the lone British sentry finally called for reinforcements. Thereafter, an additional 8 British soldiers arrived, and lined up facing the crowd, which had by then grown to approximately 400 people. Some of the more brazen colonists began to strike the soldiers’ muskets with their clubs and were yelling out encouragements for the crown to kill the soldiers. A club was thrown from the crowd, striking one of the soldiers in the head and causing him to fall to the ground. The soldier returned to his feet and opened fire upon the large and rowdy crowd. Chaos erupted with the soldiers randomly firing into the crowd until the officer in charge was able to regain control of his soldiers and stop the firing. Five colonists lay in the snow dead. Since that day, March 5, 1770 has been known as the Boston Massacre.
Q. I heard a comedian make a reference to “shingles” as if there was something funny about them. I had shingles and I didn’t find any humor in the experience. Am I missing something?
Dear EarthTalk: What are the health and environmental consequences of some of the methods used to control mosquitoes, ticks and other insects?