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COLUMNS: UNIONDALE: A serious accident took place Wednesday near Feldman & Co’s store, by which two women were badly injured. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Walker, of Herrick township, and Mrs. Emeline Lyon, of Elkdale, were just entering the sleigh when the horses became frightened and dashed suddenly ahead. The runner of the sleigh struck a stone, overturning the sleigh and throwing the ladies directly underneath the horses’ hoofs. Both were badly kicked and trampled upon before they were rescued from their perilous position by several men who witnessed the accident. Mrs. Walker was struck on the temple and under the eye. Mrs. Lyon was kicked about the head and body and at last accounts was still unconscious. The former lady was removed to her home and Mrs. Lyon was conveyed to the home of her son at Elkdale. It is feared that both are of a very serious nature and as yet the probable outcome can not be surely predicted. The escape from instant death was perilously close. HALLSTEAD: David Luscom, of Great Bend, was instantly killed and Edward Day, of Hallstead, seriously injured by a landslide in Mr. Day’s stone quarry, about one and a half miles west of Hallstead, Thursday afternoon of last week. Mr. Day and Mr. Luscom were engaged in uncovering a bed of stone when a huge mass of rock and earth came tumbling down upon them, burying both men. Day fell beneath Luscom and they were completely covered with the debris when the other workmen came to their rescue. Mr. Day suffered a compound fracture of the leg, besides severe bruises and internal injuries. His condition is still serious and he owes his life in all probability to the chance in falling by which Luscom’s body shielded his own. The remains of the deceased were taken to Tuttle’s undertaking establishment. BROOKLYN: A very pleasant triple wedding anniversary was celebrated at the home of W. L. Sterling last Friday. Those whose anniversaries were celebrated were Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Waldie, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson L. Tiffany and Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Sterling. The Rev. and Mrs. T. L. Drury were guests of the occasion. Mrs. Sterling furnished an excellent dinner of which the party cheerfully partook. These parties were married on the same date, but in different years. SOUTH GELATT: On Monday, Fred Holmes left his horses standing in the road. They became frightened and ran away, completely demolishing the wagon, but the horses were not injured. MONTROSE: Nine inches of snow the first of the week made sleighing fairly good around town for a couple of days. AND: Quite a number of Montrosers expect to witness “Ben Hur” which is the coming attraction at the Stone Opera House in Binghamton. HEART LAKE: Up to Wednesday of this week the American Ice Co., of Hoboken, NJ, had shipped 60 carloads of ice over the Lehigh Valley, shipping on an average 12 carloads every 24 hours. The company’s manager was here Tuesday and pronounced the quality of the ice A No. 1. If it were possible to secure more help the output would be increased. At Heart Lake many of the men who were employed harvesting ice have gone to the Mount Pocono region. FOREST CITY: Fire gutted the lower part of the Osgood building on Main street, Forest City, on Thursday evening of last week and caused great damage to all the tenants. The grocery stock of Wm. Sredenshek, who also occupied the basement under the main store building, was wiped out. The stock of candy, etc., in the Cooley store, and the feed in the H. W. Brown store were badly damaged by smoke and water, as were also the photograph gallery on the north side of the second story and the household goods of John Rollinson, who occupied the rooms on the south side. The latter carried no insurance. Mr. Sredenshek estimates his loss at over $5,000. The other losses are much lighter. The fire originated in the basement and its cause is unknown. KINGSLEY: F. B. Titus, of Hatboro, NY, is here purchasing a carload of cows. THOMPSON: J. E. Bates, of Philadelphia, has moved into the Collyer house on Water street, and will devote his energies to raising fancy chickens. MIDDLETOWN TWP.: The new building for the skimming station near John Curley is to be erected this week. RUSHBORO: Uda Larue recently sold his pacer, “Clip”, to Mr. Houser at Meshoppen. LAWSVILLE: About 40 of the friends and neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bailey made them a pleasant surprise Wednesday evening, March 7, it being the 17th anniversary of their marriage. The evening was spent in games and refreshments were served. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey received several useful and beautiful presents. SOUTH MONTROSE: While drawing the gasoline engine onto the barn floor at the Ballentine farm, the sleepers gave way, precipitating the team, driver and engine to the basement. No damage was done with the exception of a few slight breakages to the engine. AND: Uncle Gene’s dissolving picture show was given at the church on Tuesday evening to a fair sized house. Oakland: On account of the prevalence of scarlet fever in Oakland, the board of school directors has decided to close the public schools for a period of one week, and longer if necessary. Five or six cases of the disease are already reported. SUSQUEHANNA: The contents of the Susquehanna Journal office is advertised to be sold by Sheriff Pritchard tomorrow. CHOCONUT: The first store in the township was kept by Peter Brown in 1815. Joseph Addison, a Protestant Scotch-Irishman settled here in 1808. His son, Isaac, was the first child born in the township. Sabra Cox, a daughter of Edward Cox, another able pioneer of this section, taught the first school. Joshua Griswold came from Vermont and located in the western part of the township. He and his two sons, Clark and George, built the first sawmill. Chancy Wright, who came from Otsego Co., NY, was a clothier and built the first falling mill. (Geography & History of Susquehanna County by Jasper T. Jennings.
Along the Way...With P. Jay
No bowl of cherries If you think reporters have it easy sitting at meeting after meeting of our Board of County Commissioners and the county Salary Board and then going through notes and tapes trying to decipher just exactly what was done, it isn't. Permit me to give you a little taste. The following is taken verbatim from the minutes of recent Salary Board meetings: “1/11/06 - Commissioner Kelly called the Salary Board meeting to order at 11:20 a.m. in the EMA conference room. Present: Commissioners Kelly, Loomis and Warren and Treasurer (Cathy) Benedict. Motion by Treasurer Benedict to approve the minutes of the 12/14/05 Salary Board meeting. Second by Commissioner Loomis. Ayes: Unanimous. Motion carried.” From the minutes of Salary Board meeting 12/14/05 – “Motion by Treasurer Benedict to suspend the position of secretary to Domestic Relations Director for a period of one (1), per the request of Judge Kenneth Seamans. Seconded by Commissioner Loomis. Ayes: Unanimous. Motion carried.” “...to suspend the position of secretary to Domestic Relations Director for a period of one (1), per request of Judge Kenneth Seamans.” Hmmm! One what? Year, month, day, hour? From the Salary Board meeting of 1/25/06: “Motion by Commission Warren to approve the minutes of the 1/11/06 meeting. Withdrawn. Motion by Treasurer Benedict to correct and approve the minutes of the 1/11/2006 Salary Board meeting. Second Commissioner Loomis. Ayes: unanimous. Motion carried. This was only unanimous had the corrections been made as voted on. They were not.” Uh? From the minutes of the Salary Board meeting of Feb. 8, 2006: “Motion by Commissioner Warren to approve the minutes of the 1/25/06 Salary Board meeting.” Minutes do not show whether any action was taken on this motion. “Motion by Commissioner Warren to approve the minutes of the 1/15/06 Salary Board meeting. Withdrawn.” Probably because Jan. 15, 2006 was on a Sunday and I doubt if there was a Salary Board meeting on that day. “Motion by Treasurer Benedict to correct the minutes of the 1/11/06 Salary Board meeting. Second: Commissioner Loomis; ayes, unanimous; motion carried.” It appears that this motion was subsequently removed from the minutes and replaced by another motion from Treasurer Benedict to correct the minutes of the 1/25/06 Salary Board meeting. Mrs. Benedict explained that she voted after the motion carried to set the rate of pay for Amy Burt; therefore, her vote should not have counted and the motion was not unanimous. Mrs. Benedict further stated that she did not vote on the rate of pay for Bobbi Benedict as reflected in the January 11 minutes; and, that she and Commissioner Loomis did not vote on the rate of pay for the temporary full time clerk-typist in the Clerk of Courts office as was recorded in the minutes. And so it goes. Behind closed doors It seems our county officials are accustomed to making changes that seem to suit them. Another example occurred last year in a report from the state on the annual inspection of our county jail. In a section under security, the state report reads: “Title 37 Chapter 95 requires supervision on a 24-hour basis by trained personnel. Two factors continue to adversely impact the ability to provide proper supervision: nine out of 22 full-time corrections personnel have yet to complete an approved basic training program; and no supervisor is on duty for approximately 12 hours per duty day (off shifts are under the direction of a 'senior' officer for that duty shift, an officer having no authority). Before it released the report, the county doctored it up a bit and it reads like this: “Title 3 Chapter 95 requires supervision on a 24-hour basis by trained personnel. Two factors continue to adversely impact the ability to provide proper supervision: nine out of 22 full-time corrections personnel have yet to complete an approved basic training program; 12 hours per duty day (off shifts are under the direction of a 'senior' officer for that duty shift).” So sorry Overlooked in our report on last week’s commissioners meeting is the reappointment of Joe Andre, John Kameen and James Bralla to three-year terms on the Economic Development Board, and the appointment of Janet Haulton to fill the remaining term of Sue Fitch who resigned due to work conflicts. Congratulations, folks!
On Thursday, March 30, 2006, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Blue Ridge High School will be hosting Kid’s Safe Night for the second consecutive year. What is Kid’s Safe Night? It is an opportunity for children and parents to gather information concerning recurring issues affecting our children. There will be representatives from various agencies and entities providing pamphlets and information centering upon issues that regularly impact upon juveniles. The variety of available information is staggering – if you are concerned about pedophiles and potential abduction, there will be information concerning how to find out information regarding convicted child predators in our area, as well as tips of abduction prevention and child identification, as well as tips regarding internet safety to help avoid online solicitation. Along a similar line, there will be information regarding child abuse, as well as representatives of various agencies there to answer any questions. Miscellaneous topics of general interest also include such items as bullying, piercing laws and tattoo laws, conflict resolution strategies, gun safety and weapons laws, teen gambling, and general information for fire and emergency contacts. There will be displays to assist parents in identifying certain controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. Pamphlets regarding every variety of controlled substance will be available to assist parents in understanding the warning signs that would help identify if a child has used a particular drug. There will also be information concerning tobacco laws and how those laws impact upon juveniles. In particular, the evening will also focus upon the rampant problem of underage drinking. In addition to the information that will be made available at the various booths, the evening will conclude with a “town hall meeting” from 7:00 p.m. until approximately 8:00 p.m. The meeting will provide a forum for parents to discuss underage drinking issues with a panel consisting of members of the various agencies present for the event, including President Judge Kenneth W. Seamans. We anticipate that the meeting will begin with a short but powerful video presentation by Jason Barber – an individual who has personally felt the horrible impact of drunk driving. Jason Barber goes around the country talking to teens about the dangers of underage drinking and drunk driving. If you have a teenage child, this is a tremendous opportunity for you and your teenager to sit down together to listen and discuss underage drinking – and its potential for horrific consequences. After the video presentation, the audience will then have the opportunity to present questions to the panel – and a good and open discourse will follow in a true “town meeting” format. Underage drinking is not a problem that can be solved by one person or one entity – but if we all work together, we can make our communities a safer place for our children. I would encourage all parents to make an effort to attend – even if you have to travel a distance to get to Blue Ridge High School, it will be worth the effort. I know that I will be there, and I hope to see you there as well. Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801.
Treatment for back pain generally depends on whether it is acute or chronic. Acute back pain usually gets better on its own. Treatment for chronic back pain is either non-surgical or surgical. In most cases, back pain does not require surgery. The following are common non-surgical treatments for chronic back pain. They have varying degrees of support from the medical community. You should seek your own doctor’s advice about any of them. * Hot or cold packs can be soothing. * Exercise can help ease chronic pain and perhaps reduce its risk of returning. * Medications are used to treat chronic back pain. These include over-the-counter pain-relievers such Tylenol; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen that relieve both pain and inflammation; prescription narcotics such as oxycodone; topical analgesics such as Ben Gay; muscle relaxants and certain antidepressants. * Traction, which employs pulleys and weights to stretch the back, pulls the vertebrae apart to allow a bulging disc to slip back into place. * Injections into nerves, spinal joints or specific areas of pain. *Spinal manipulation refers to procedures in which professionals use their hands to treat the spine or surrounding tissues. * Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) involves wearing a small box over the painful area that directs mild electrical impulses to nerves there. *Acupuncture, which involves the insertion of thin needles at precise locations, is used to relieve pain. * In acupressure, no needles are used. Instead, a therapist applies pressure to points with hands, elbows, or even feet. * Rolfing is a type of massage involving strong pressure on deep tissues in the back to relieve tightness. Some of the conditions that may require surgery include: *Herniated, or ruptured, discs that are damaged and irritate nearby nerves. *Spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal canal. * Spondylolisthesis, a condition in which a vertebra dislocates. *Vertebral fractures caused by trauma or crumbling of the vertebrae. *Degenerative disc disease brought on by aging. Following are some commonly performed back surgeries: * Laminectomy/discectomy in which part of the lamina, a portion of the bone on the back of the vertebrae, is removed. The herniated disc is then removed. *Microdiscectomy removes a herniated disc through a small incision in the back. The doctor uses a magnifying microscope in this operation. *Laser surgery. During this procedure, the surgeon inserts a needle in the disc that delivers a few bursts of laser energy to vaporize the tissue in the disc. This reduces its size and relieves pressure on the nerves. * In a laminectomy, the doctor makes a large incision down the affected area of the spine and removes the lamina and any bone spurs, which are overgrowths of bone, that may have formed in the spinal canal because of osteoarthritis. *In spinal fusion, two or more vertebrae are joined together using bone grafts, screws, and rods to stop slippage of an affected vertebrae. *Disc replacement: When a disc is herniated, one alternative to remove the disc and replace it with a synthetic disc. If you have a question, please write to fredcicetti@gmail.com. Softwear ServicesEmail Etiquette Basics Lori Martin (626) Minding your manners in electronic mail (email) may not seem all that important at first glance. After all it’s just a quick way to leave someone a note, right? Common courtesy is always welcomed in written communication and helps to promote two-way communication. This is true with email as well. Your emails are a reflection of you. Moreover, if you are sending the email on behalf or your business or the company that employs you, it’s a reflection of that business as well. Messages should be concise and to the point. It's important to remember that some people receive hundreds of email messages a day, so if your emails are concise, the people you send them to will be more likely to read them. Don't get caught up in grammar and punctuation, especially excessive punctuation!!! You'll see lots of email messages where people put a dozen exclamation points at the end of a sentence for added emphasis!!!!!!!!! It’s annoying. It’s also unnecessary. Exclamation points (aka "bangs") are just way to end a sentence. If something is important reflect it in your text, not in your punctuation. Use a spell checker if you have one. But remember spell checkers only help with spelling – you need to make sure that you choose the “write” word. Always take the time to proof read your message. WRITING IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IS LIKE SHOUTING AT SOMEONE. Unless that is the intention of your email, make it a habit to use proper case. Remember the email you send one person can be forwarded to hundreds, or even millions. If you are emailing a copy of a news article or other such copyrighted material you should include the source, and never make it look like your own work. Plagiarism is plagiarism on the web, too. Remember, millions... Avoid offensive foul and crude language. Some email filters will discard your email because “unacceptable” words were found in it. Additionally, using email to harass others in a sexual, racial or other manner has the same legal penalties as doing it with a pen and paper. Abbreviation usage is quite rampant with email. In the quest to save keystrokes, users have traded clarity for confusion (unless you understand the abbreviations). I recommend that you use abbreviations that are already common to the English language, such as 'FYI' and 'BTW'. Beyond that, you run the risk of confusing your recipient. Here’s some common abbreviations and their meanings: BTW – By The Way, FYI – For Your Information, IMHO – In My Humble Opinion, IMNSHO – In My Not So Humble Opinion, LOL – Laugh Out Loud, TTFN – Ta Ta For Now, TTYL – Talk To You Later, HTH – Hope This Helps. Another part of conversation is the use of visual cues. How important are facial expressions and body gestures to a conversation? Since there are no visuals with email, users have come up with something called "smilies". They are simple strings of characters or small graphics that are interspersed in the email text to convey the writer's emotions. They are typically found at the end of sentences and will usually refer back to the prior statement. I recommend you use these sparingly. There are hundreds of these things and their translations are by no means universal. Your email can improve your image or detract from it. While a couple of abbreviations and smilies are fine for the appropriate email audience, abusive and foul language is never appropriate. Use meaningful words that actually convey information to get your points across. By just taking a few more minutes and a little more effort, your email will reflect your caring, respectful, and professional qualities. Next time I discuss email etiquette for sending and receiving email. Lori Martin is owner of Martin Works, Inc. (http://www.MartinWorks.com), Susquehanna, PA.
The Spirited Seniors of Starrucca met in the social rooms of the Baptist Church last Wednesday, March 8. The main course of the luncheon was a ham and cabbage concoction made by Jen Fenton, June Downton’s caregiver, which was very tasty. She had also made chocolate covered strawberries and a dessert she called “Irish Potatoes” which was made from cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, potatoes (mashed), cooled then rolled the “potatoes” in cinnamon – melted in one’s mouth. At the business meeting, the group of 11 decided to meet twice a month now. The next meeting will be March 22 with a bag lunch. April 5, Andy McLinko comes from Honesdale to talk about Medicare “D.” April 27 will be a luncheon for the public. Donation. We will also have a magazine exchange at our March 22 meeting. It was good to see Eleanor Buchanan at our meeting. She looks good, having spent the winter with her daughter and family in Concord, NC. Also present were Paul and Bridgette D’Agati, who have returned this week, looking quite healthy from a three-week vacation visiting friends and relatives in the Carolinas and the east and west coast of Florida. June Downton’s grandson, Todd Hadden, Pottstown, spent some time with her recently. Carl Upright is home from B.K. Hospital where he underwent surgery a week ago. He is doing fine. Phyllis Dickey and granddaughter, Rebecca, stopped overnight on their way home from Reading outlets and environs. Charlie Levchak thinks his puzzle will be done by the end of March. His daughter, Carol Robideaux, came last Tuesday to help him out a bit. This Thursday he will be attending the birthday party of his sister, Mary Klym’s eighty-eighth, which is akin to a family reunion. Mary lives in Kirkwood. Congratulations, hope she can celebrate many more. Our get-well wishes go out to Clarence Smith, Little Ireland Road, who is hospitalized at Barnes-Kasson, and to James Soden, Gelatt, who is in CMC in Scranton. Both men grew up in Starrucca and have great stories to tell about their early years. Cheerio!
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(This is the last of a 3-part series on back pain. The first two columns were about causes and prevention. This one is about treatments.)