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COLUMNS:
100 Years Ago
Along the Way...With P. Jay
From the Desk of the D.A.
Straight From Starrucca
The Healthy Geezer
Software Services
Food For Thought
Susquehanna County News
100 Years Ago
By Betty Smith, Susquehanna County Historical Society, Montrose, PA
ST. JOSEPH: "Camp Choconut" members are pleasantly located just over "Hurley hill," near Carmalt lake – that delightful sheet of water which inspired the poetess, Sister M. Rozine (Byrne) to speak of its beauty, and that of the "wooded hills," just before she entered "the cloister dim." The home of the poetess was just across the way from the lake, in the restful looking old farmhouse. AND: The question, "will that much talked of railroad pass through St. Joseph," is still the topic of conversation.
HOPBOTTOM: Parley Lord and family left LaGrange, Ill., on the 10th, by automobile, to visit his parents here.
HEART LAKE: James Melhuish, of Binghamton, who is spending the summer here, was in Montrose Tuesday. Mr. Melhuish stated all the cottages well filled and the fishing excellent, many cottagers capturing pike and bull heads of unusual size.
GREAT BEND: J.N. Sackett, aged 76 years, has just returned from a bicycle trip, which included Candor, Vestal and other places in New York State. The trip covered over 125 miles, but Mr. Sackett is none the worse for it. AND: Harry G. More, who has been the junior editor of the Great Bend Plaindealer the past two years, has secured the position of state editor on the editorial staff of the Binghamton Press. Mr. More will also edit the sporting page.
MONTROSE: The management of the Montrose Athletic Assn. have secured a date with the St. Louis Stars ladies ball club, for Thursday, July 20. This team is touring the country in their private car and has the reputation of being excellent ball players.
HARFORD: A peculiar accident occurred the other day. A young farm hand on W. Smith's farm was milking the cows when one of the cows, in switching off the flies, wound her tail around the young man's ankle. The tail caught in the shoestring fasteners and the animal, becoming frightened, started off on a run, dragging the unfortunate youth after her. Mr. Smith, who was near, ran to the rescue, but before he could liberate him the young man was unconscious. He was carried to the house, where restoratives were applied and in a short time he was little the worse for his accident. AND: In Oakley it is hoped for a school to be continued as they have 12 scholars in the neighborhood and some that will attend in the fall. Miss Little will be returned here, as her school was a success last year, and she deserved great praise.
FAIRDALE: The annual celebration of the 3rd was a grand success. There were two balloons sent up and other fireworks that the boys seemed to enjoy. There was a large attendance and all seemed to enjoy the evening. The proceeds were $40.
BROOKDALE: A.L. Roe, A.B. Mitchell and Jud Tingley have the Bell telephone in their homes. If you want to talk to any of them, just ring them up.
HALLSTEAD: M. F. Decker, a Lackawanna freight conductor, was seriously hurt in a peculiar manner this morning at 4:35 o'clock in the Binghamton yards. As extra freight, No. 873, was pulling down into the yard at a speed of about 8 miles an hour the train line broke and the sudden parting of the air hose brought the train to a sudden stop. Decker was riding in the caboose and was thrown with considerable force striking his head on the cupola ladder. A deep gash was cut in his head and one of his ears was nearly torn off. He was brought to the local baggage room in an unconscious condition and Dr. Moore was sent for. It was necessary for the physician to take several stitches in the man's head. He stated that the injury is very serious and probable that Decker's skull was fractured. Decker was put on a freight train and sent to his home. Word has been received that he is resting quietly and his recovery is looked for.
LAWSVILLE: Mary Wheaton's class in music is making rapid progress under her efficient teaching.
FOREST CITY: The Forest City Grist mill burned to the ground recently. The blaze was first discovered in the hay on the second floor and spread in a short time to the entire building despite the efforts of the Hillside and Enterprise hose companies. It is supposed the fire originated from a locomotive spark. The loss will be over $15,000 and the insurance $8,500. The mill was a large three-story structure, equipped with a large steam boiler and engine, the latest mill machinery and a big stock of goods. In addition to the usual stock the proprietors, E. Feldman & Co., used the building for storage purposes. The building was erected by E. Corey, of Uniondale, about 15 years ago. Three years ago it was purchased by Finn and Wademan who installed a power plant and up to date machinery. The building and business was purchased last April by E. Feldman & Co., the owners at the time of the fire. They have already secured a store in the Opera House building and are conducting the business there for the present.
SUSQUEHANNA: Seven of the Erie's oldest conductors were notified on June 28th that they would be retired on July 1st and placed on the pension list, they having passed the age limit of 70 years. Gabriel Wrighter, of the Susquehanna division, received his notice and will now receive $40 per month pension.
UNIONDALE: The Fourth passed off very nicely at the Uniondale driving park, with a very large attendance, considering so much going on at other places. The ball game between Forest City and South Gibson boys was a cracker-jack in favor of the City boys.
BROOKLYN: C. H. Tiffany is making a large derrick, which will be used in his bridge building.
CLIFFORD: P.A. Rivenburg, who spent the winter at Seabreeze, Fla., is now anxious to sell his entire property here with the intention of returning to Seabreeze. He has one of the most desirable homes in Clifford and the man that buys it will get a bargain. AND: B. F. Wells, who has spent every summer here for the last 70 years will not be with us, as he is at Seabreeze, where he expects to make his future home.
NEWS BRIEF: The largest American flag ever made is to be unfurled at Denver on the occasion of the G.A.R. encampment. It is 115 feet long and 55 feet wide and weighs 450 pounds.
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Along the Way...With P. Jay
By P. Jay Amadio
 Voting Machines Returning
Voting machines are coming back to Susquehanna County.
Not those humongous antiques that we put up with for years but brand new state-of-the-art computerized machines that will make your trip to the polls a pleasure. Why they tell me that these new-fangled machines are so sophisticated that you press a button and a ballot appears on the screen with the names of all candidates. Touch a box alongside a candidate’s name and you have voted for that individual. Pretty clever, eh?
These machines are priced from $3,000 to $5,000 each but Susquehanna County will get all they need persona gratis.
Why? Remember all those problems they had in Florida during the 2000 Presidential Election? Well, as a result of that fiasco, the Feds came up with HAVA. No, no, it is not a snappy Jewish folksong. That’s Hava Nagiela. HAVA is short for Help America Vote Act. It’s a program designed to get you in and out of the polling place in a hurry.
Equally as important as the votes will be the method of tabulating them. HAVA is intended to modify voting systems and technology for casting and counting votes. Not only will computerized voting machines speed up the voting process but they will also spit out more accurate counts.
Through the efforts of a grant writer named Hugh Gallagher and the determination of Chief Clerk Suzanne Brainard, Susquehanna County is one of only two counties in the Commonwealth so far to be approved for a grant to pay for new voting machines.
“Your county has been approved for a maximum grant of $396,944,” Patricia A. Ventrone, acting director of the Department of State’s Bureau of Financing and Operations, wrote in a letter to Mrs. Brainard.
Mr. Gallagher, who was paid $2,000 by the county, wrote the county plan that was required to qualify for consideration for a grant. But the application was returned time and again. But Mrs. Brainard refused to throw in the towel. She worked with Mr. Gallagher and the plan was resubmitted over and over until it finally met the requirements and the county received the grant.
Roberta Kelly, chair of the Board of Commissioners, said she was proud of the efforts put into the grant application by Mr. Gallagher and Mrs. Brainard.
“And I am proud,” Mrs. Kelly continued, “of the fact that Susquehanna County is one of two counties that have been accepted so far. I think we were on the ball with this one. We did our homework and moved forward.”
The county picked up three related grants as well.
Again, it was quick action by Mrs. Brainard that led to a grant in the amount of $8,353. The money came from HAVA via the Pennsylvania Department of State. Susquehanna was one of 53 counties that took the necessary steps to apply for this funding. The money was given to the county to alleviate expenses related to the processing of a record number of voter registration applications for the 2004 General Election.
The county was awarded a grant of $29,208 to be used to assure access to polling places for individuals with disabilities. There is a stipulation attached to this grant but it should not present any problems. The money will be forwarded to the county on a reimbursement basis only. This means the county will do the work, pay for it, and then submit vouchers to the Department of State who will reimburse the county.
And finally, the county has been approved for a maximum grant of $22,222 also to be used for improving, acquiring, leasing or modifying voting systems and technology for casting and counting votes. Like the others, this is another grant made possible by HAVA.
What does it all mean? Well, for one thing it shows that the county’s chief clerk is on the ball. These grants can be difficult to secure with all the paper work involved and the strict deadlines. But all is well that ends well and in this particular case, the county will get a total of $456,727 to improve its voting process.
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From the Desk of the D.A.
By District Attorney Jason J. Legg
 As a nation, we have watched the recent events in Idaho with sadness and anger, sadness for the horrific loss to the family, and anger over a system of justice that continues to allow sexual violent predators to roam free and prey upon our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. According to recently released reports, Joseph Duncan committed his first sexual assault 30 years ago when, at the age of 12, he sexually assaulted a 5-year old boy. Now, decades later, he is the only suspect in a triple homicide investigation involving the Groene family where the mother, her son and boyfriend were found bludgeoned to death, and the mother’s two other children, an 8-year old girl and a 9-year old boy, were missing. As I write this article, the 8-year old girl was found with the perpetrator, and it is believed that the remains of her 9-year old brother have also been found. In reviewing the history of Duncan, it has been uncovered that by the age of 16, he had raped 13 boys at gunpoint. In response to this behavior, Duncan was placed into a sexual offender program in the hopes of rehabilitating him. As a result of violating the terms of the program, including exhibiting continued fantasies involving rape, he was sentenced to a period of incarceration of 20 years. Duncan was released after a 14-year sentence, and then rearrested in April, 2005 for allegedly molesting a boy in Minnesota. While released on bail for that charge, it is believed that he killed four members of the Groene family, as well as sexually assaulting both of the children that he kidnapped.
These horrific tales have become far too common. Megan’s Law, named after 7-year old Megan Kanka who was raped and murdered in 1994, places certain registry requirements on sexual offenders – but the effectiveness of this “paper” trail, as well as the ability to track and enforce such registration has been called into question. There are approximately 550,000 sexual predators in the United States, and it is estimated that 25% do not register, i.e., we have no idea as to their location. Members of the United States Senate have recently suggested a national sexual offender registry as a means to assist the 50 different states in tracking the dangerous and deviant offenders. Even if such a national registry is created, it does not necessarily help law enforcement find a particular offender immediately. For instance, Duncan absconded from his bail in April, 2005, and was not located for several months – and, during that time four people were killed and two children repeatedly sexually abused.
Is there a better solution? In April, 2005, the Pennsylvania legislature was considering a bill to require GPS monitoring for sexual offenders. In other words, sexual offenders would be required to carry a tracking device on their person, usually an ankle bracelet or similar non-removable tag. If the bracelet is removed, an alarm signal is sent to the monitoring system. Furthermore, the computer programs allow certain geographic zones to be designated as off limits – such as playgrounds, school zones, and daycare facilities. If an offender goes near any of such area, the computer will likewise set off an alarm notifying authorities.
The use of such GPS technology has tremendous benefits to law enforcement. In the Idaho tragedy, the suspect (Duncan) could have been located immediately, anywhere in the United States through the use of the satellite tracking system. The computer system likewise tracks and records all of the whereabouts of the offenders, and such evidence can be used in later court proceedings to demonstrate the location of an offender at a specific time and date. Such technology not only protects the public, but could protect the offender by providing confirmation that the offender had an alibi for suspected crimes.
Unfortunately, Larry Frankel, legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has opposed the legislation, contending that the money needed for such a program should be used for treatment and rehabilitation of the offenders, as opposed to punitive tracking devices. In the Idaho case, the suspect (Duncan) spent twenty-two months in a treatment program prior to being incarcerated. Every convicted offender receives some form of sexual offender treatment while incarcerated. In Pennsylvania alone, there are 7,100 registered sexual offenders. Even if the experts contend that these individuals have been rehabilitated, wouldn’t you feel safer knowing that the specific whereabouts of these offenders was accounted for and that safeguards were in place to provide notification to law enforcement if these predators were stalking our playgrounds, schools and daycare facilities?
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
By Margaret M. Dickey
Roger and Naomi Getter are in the process of moving, with the date of July 16 looming when they leave. They are busy! They’re moving to Factoryville, where an apartment meets their approval. By coincidence our ex-pastor also has been assigned to the Methodist Church there. May you find as many good neighbors and friends as you have in Starrucca.
Robert and Trish Weldy are seeing what it’s like being “empty nesters.” The whole family took a trip to Rising Sun, Maryland, not too long ago to visit his parents, then dropped off their two girls at Robert’s sister, for two weeks. Another two weeks they will stay with their grandparents and cousins and renew friendships with pals from San Diego, CA, where they used to live and who live nearby.
While Lori and Jim Walker were visiting Carl and Virginia Upright, they took a day off to visit their mother’s sister, Lynn Kimble who is ninety-seven years old and according to the women, still very sprightly and clear of mind. She resides at “New Seasons,” a residential home in Clarks Summit and has her own apartment. Later they visited cemeteries where relatives are buried.
Ruth Mroczka has returned from Bucks Co., PA, where she was house sitting while daughter and son-in-law vacationed in Alaska. While away she worked on quilts to be displayed on August 15 in Lakewood, PA at the quilt show, sponsored by the Northern Wayne County Library. The display can bee seen from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Frank Mroczka was flag bearer on July 4, as he and other American Legion members marched in Pleasant Mount.
Being bluegrass devotees, Roger and Barb Glover drove in their self-contained camper to Benton, PA where they spent from Thursday to Sunday absorbing the bluegrass music. They were impressed by the sounds coming from a family of six called the Cherryholmes, from Nashville, who have played at the “Grand Ole Opry.” Their instruments were violin, banjo, bass fiddle, mandolin, guitar and another banjo. They also had high marks for a group called Bluegrass Brothers from Virginia.
Kristen McNally, NJ, daughter of Mary and George Debalko is awaiting the birth of her baby, due July 16. She is at the farm (formerly Stearn’s) with her parents for awhile.
Expecting to see a group of women making potato salad for the Fourth in Thompson, she was greeted by almost a hundred voices singing the birthday song. She was so surprised she almost dropped her potatoes!
Charles Levchak left home last Thursday to attend his brother Joe’s and Marie Levchak’s fiftieth wedding anniversary in North Carolina. Arrived home on Sunday.
Cheerio!
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The Healthy Geezer
By Fred Cicetti
 Q. I’ve noticed that today people talk openly about rectal cancer. This isn’t something you used to discuss in polite company. Why is this?
There is a new attitude that protecting your life is more important than protecting your sensibilities. I think the new openness is helping to reduce cancer deaths.
This reminds me of my friend, Pete, who has a “colonoscopy rule.” He insists that, if a bunch of us geezers are talking about aches, maladies and visits to the doctors, everyone has to change the subject as soon as someone uses the word “colonoscopy.” Usually we switch to grandchildren, which is a lot more fun.
Colorectal cancer – cancer of the colon or rectum – is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. Early detection of colon cancer is especially important because, if it is found in its early stages, it can be cured nine out of ten times.
Who’s at risk? The chances of getting it increase with age. But other risk factors include polyps, your history, diet and whether you’ve had ulcerative colitis.
Polyps are benign growths on the inner wall of the colon and rectum. Not all polyps become cancerous, but nearly all colon cancers start as polyps.
Colorectal cancer seems to run in families. And, someone who has already had colorectal cancer may develop this disease a second time. So greater vigilance is a good idea if you or your relatives have had it.
This form of cancer is more likely among people on a diet high in fat, protein, calories, alcohol, and both red and white meat. Low-fat, high-fiber diets seem better for the colon.
Ulcerative colitis is a condition in which there is a chronic break in the lining of the colon. Having this condition increases a person's chance of developing colorectal cancer.
The following are some symptoms of colorectal cancer: blood in the stool, diarrhea, constipation, stools that are narrower than usual, frequent gas pains or cramps, unexplained weight loss, unrelieved fatigue, vomiting.
Go to your doctor if you have symptoms. The medical profession has many detection tools. These include: a test to check for hidden blood in the stool; a sigmoidoscope, a lighted instrument for examining the rectum and lower colon; a colonoscope, a lighted instrument to examine the rectum and entire colon; a barium enema with a series of x-rays of the colon and rectum; a digital rectal exam to feel for abnormal areas.
Two recent studies showed that colonoscopy can find many pre-cancerous polyps that sigmoidoscopy misses. Another major advantage of the colonoscopy is that it enables the doctor to remove any polyps found during the procedure.
A “virtual colonoscopy” is being developed. Doctors would be able to see the entire colon using 3-D computer graphics from a computerized tomography scan, or CT scan. This technology could reduce the need for sigmoidoscopies and colonoscopies, which are more invasive.
If you have a question, please write to fredcicetti@gmail.com.
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Software Services
Online Safety Tips For Parents and Kids
Cyberspace is an exciting new world that can be explored from a personal computer. As in any exploration there are dangers. These dangers can be reduced when good online habits are developed. The following tips have been offered by a variety of experts on Internet safety.
Tips for Parents
Communicate. Talk to your child about the potential hazards of the Internet. Let your child know that you are interested and that you care. Find out about their online friends just as you would their regular friends.
Keep the computer in a common room. It's harder to keep a secret when you can regularly see what your child is doing online. It also encourages sharing of information about the using the computer and places visited on the Internet.
Learn more about your computer. Books, classes, and software are available that teach you how to navigate your computer. Learning a few simple techniques can show you where your child has been online recently. Blue Ridge School District is offering basic computer classes and there are a variety of computer books at the library.
Check out the sites your child visits. Review the “Terms of Use” policy, if the site has one. Determine if the site’s content is appropriate for the age and mentality of your child. Verify that your child has not provided personal Information on the "Member Profiles" forms. Pedophiles and scam artists can use profiles as a means to find victims.
Report inappropriate online activities. Contact the police immediately if an adult tries to set up a meeting with your child. Also, contact parents of children who use mean or threatening language.
Set up online rules with your children and ensure they follow them. Decide when you children can be online, and for how long; what sites they can and cannot visit, and who they are allowed to communicate with. Keep your own lists of approved and unapproved sites as reference.
Tips for Kids
Don’t give out information. This includes address, telephone number, real name, parent’s names, friend’s information, name and/or location of your school, passwords, and such.
Never agree to meet another person without your parent’s permission. Have a parent go with you, and meet in a public location.
Never send a picture of yourself to someone you don’t know. Ask your friends not to give out pictures of you either.
Never enter online contests without your parent’s permission. Contests for prizes or "free" stuff can be scams. Real contests require the consent of an adult for participants under the age of 18 years.
Don’t respond to messages that are mean or threatening. Instead, tell your parents and show them some of the messages.
Follow online rules. Discuss with your parents when you can be online, and for how long; what sites you can and cannot visit; and which chat rooms you can use, and who you can instant message with.
Be polite and kind to others online. Anything online or on a computer is not private; it can be shared or extracted. Never say anything you would not mind seeing posted on your school bulletin board.
Never download an unexpected email attachment. Opening a file can expose your PC to a virus. Don’t open attachments that come with Spam emails. If someone you do know sends you an attachment you are not expecting, verify that they really did send it before your open it. Do this especially if the subject does not seem right for the person sending the email, or if the attachment is sent without any message from the sender.
Be internet safe everywhere. Follow all of these rules when you are using the computer home, school, the library, or a friend’s house.
Next learn how surf the web more efficiently and maybe enjoy it a little more.
Lori Martin is owner of Martin Works, Inc. (www.MartinWorks.com), Susquehanna, PA.
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Food For Thought
By Lauretta Clowes D.C.
Many of us live highly stressful lives, whether we acknowledge this or not. Stress can come in many different forms: job, family, financial, social, physical, emotional, chemical. It can be caused by overwork, or not working enough, by too many bills, or not enough free time. It can be caused by the foods that we eat, or the lack of certain foods in our diets. It can be caused by repetitive activities. We even absorb stress from the type of movies or TV programs that we watch, the type of music that we listen to, the type of people that we hang around with.
Regardless of its source, stress affects us all very physically. It typically sets up the “fight or flight” response. This is also known as the “sympathetic response,” not because of the emotional connotation of sympathy, but rather because of the portion of the nervous system that is engaged.
The sympathetic nervous system stimulates the muscles and body organs that are essential for the preservation of life. Vision may become sharper. Muscle tension becomes apparent. Digestion is slowed down, or even stopped. Blood sugar becomes elevated. Reaction time is quicker. The brain even kicks in to overdrive and decisions come rapidly. The perception of time might be slowed down. Blood pressure is elevated. The heart rate increases.
All of these activities were once essential to the preservation of human life, in more primitive times and more primitive life styles.
In our current life style, they can become counterproductive and even destructive to the very life they are intended to sustain.
Long term high stress life styles create problems with high blood pressure, and heart disease. They allow diabetes and other glucose metabolism problems to manifest. Depression and anxiety attacks, and even anger management issues are common. These things are more easily recognized as stress related.
There are other manifestations that are not as easily correlated to stress.
Incontinence can be stress related, and not just because you cough or sneeze, but also because of the sympathetic nervous system effect on the bladder and the urinary tract. Infertility can also be stress related, because stress tends to shut down the hormone systems.
Chronic digestive disturbances like heart burn and ulcers have long been related to stress. Lack of digestive enzymes, food intolerances and an inability to digest proteins are also stress related digestive disturbances.
Chronic stress can also manifest in chronic diarrhea, chronic watery, runny nose and higher cholesterol levels.
Long term, unresolved stress can affect every aspect of our lives. If you have unresolved symptoms, or long term symptoms, stop and evaluate them. They are your body‚s way of telling you that things need to be changed.
The good news is that stress outlets are really not that hard to find. It would be really nice if all of the really bad stress sources were eliminated. Unrealistic, but nice. However, the old saying about “It’s not the stress, but the way that you handle it” comes in to play here. For the stresses that can’t be eliminated, the reaction to the stress can be changed.
Some stress outlets can be very simple. Here are a few ideas:
1) Funny movies, comedy shows, things that make you laugh.
2) Soothing music. Research on music has shown that loud music like rock-and-roll elevates heart rate and blood pressure, while soothing music and nature sounds lower them. So find some soothing music. (And don’t get me wrong. I love all kinds of music. Each type just has a different role or purpose.)
3) Find a relaxing hobby.
4) Get a pet or groom an animal.
5) Do something physical: take a walk, dance around the house, swim, ride a bike, anything that involves moving the body, preferably in a manner not similar to your normal daily routine. (Example: The mail carrier should try riding a bike or swimming.)
I highly recommend a physical stress outlet for everyone, because no matter what its source, stress affects people very physically. Having several stress outlets is ideal, allowing for variety.
For changing reactions to stressors, gaining a new perspective usually helps.
1) Meditation or yoga
2) Talking it out with an uninvolved person, or with other people in similar situations.
3) Turn it into a cartoon, or if it is a person, turn them into a cartoon character.
4) Play the “what if” game. “What is the worst outcome of this? ...I can handle that.”
5) Taking the spot remover approach. (in golf it is a "Mulligan") The TV commercial lady with her spray bottle of carpet spot remover just sings out “That’s OK.” to every little mishap.
What ever ways that you choose to implement in your life, I recommend that you begin to gain a measure of control on your stress level as soon as possible. Then continue to add new stress outlets as often as possible.
Stop and smell the roses. And admire the color of the dandelions.
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Susquehanna County News
By Jeff Loomis County Commissioner
Salt Springs State Park is located on state route 4008 in Franklin Township adjacent to the village of Franklin Forks just off Rte 29 approximately 9 miles north of Montrose, Pa. It is Susquehanna County’s only State Park that is not administered or fully funded and by the State of Pennsylvania as the other 116 state parks are. A voluntary group called the Friends of Salt Springs spearheaded by county residents Toby Anderson, Bob Coy, Bruce McNaught, Dennis Wilson, Jane LaBonte, Hedi Randall, and Debra Adleman work to administer the park, raise money, and secure grant funding to keep Salt Springs State Park operating on a year to year basis with oversight from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources(DCNR).
Back in the mid 1990’s, then County Commissioners Warren Williams and John Blachek agreed to start sponsoring a Pennsylvania Conservation Corps grant in which the State of Pennsylvania agreed to pay 100% of the wages to pay for an experienced crew leader and 5 disadvantaged, unemployed Susquehanna County youths to work in and improve the park. The state also pays for 75% of the yearly construction and material costs (up to a maximum of $20,000) to improve the park. In consideration for providing over $100,000 in wages, training, and materials, the Friends of Salt Springs are required to provide a match of 25% of the material costs (up to a maximum of $5,000) to the state as a condition for receiving the grant and employing the 6 crewmembers.
These young people are hired to work year round for 1 to 1 1/2 years, learn valuable life skills in construction and park maintenance, and are required to get their GED high school equivalency diploma as a condition of being hired. By participating in this program, they are taken off of our unemployment rolls, finish their high school education requirements, and go on to become gainfully employed.
The Friends of Salt Springs Committee recently met with the County Commissioners and asked us to provide the 25% matching requirement (as has been the practice since the mid 1990’s) to keep this program going for 2005 and 2006. We will be voting on this request at our Wednesday, July 13 open public meeting held at 10 a.m. in the 9-1-1 meeting room of the Susquehanna County Office building.
The Friends of Salt Springs have received praise from the Susquehanna County Literacy Council and humanitarian organizations throughout the county for turning these young people’s lives around and making them productive members of our society. Where else can you get over a $100,000 return of your investment for only $5,000 and forever improve 6 young people’s lives? To learn more about Salt Springs State Park, please check out their website at HYPERLINK "http://www.friendsofsaltspringpark.org" www.friendsofsaltspringpark.org. If you can, please attend our July 13 public meeting to voice your support for the continuation of this wonderful program.
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