| |
| COLUMNISTS |
|
Please visit our kind sponsors |
|
||||||
|
COLUMNS: HALLSTEAD: Architect E. W. VanSlyke, of Binghamton, has arranged with the Hallstead School Board to prepare plans for a new school building to take the place of the one recently burned. The plans will be for a two-story brick building with a seating capacity of nearly 400, to cost about $12,000 dollars. Common red brick will be used. It will be heated by the direct-indirect system. RUSH: Grace Snell, is being treated by a medical expert of New York for injuries caused from being thrown from a carriage--the experts say the spine is badly twisted from the accident and term it railroad spine. AND: Election passed off very quietly here. Of a total of 138 voters in the Eastern district 108 voted. The Republican vote averaged about 60, Lilley dropping to 53. Democrat average, 32; Kipp dropping to 53. Democrat average, 32; Kipp coming up to 42. Prohibition average, 8. Decker for Coroner, 13. NEW MILFORD: A couple of weeks ago our electric lights were noticed to be a little dimmer than usual and quite a number of uncomplimentary things were said about them. Nothing seemed to be the matter only with the power and after a few days about a dozen eels were found in the propeller. The lights are all right now. SUSQUEHANNA: It was amusing here before election to hear the different groups of men talk politics, and it was all New York State that was talked. A great many of our citizens did not know who were running on the different tickets in their own state, but could tell you all about New York state. This should not be so but as the Republican majority in this state is so large that the people do not take the proper interest in our town elections, and as the candidates in York state were fighters, and made tours of the state several times and kept the people guessing as to the outcome. In our own Congressional district the candidates kept sending out circulars of different kinds telling their good qualities and that their opponent should be in jail, etc., and the people got tired of receiving such slush every time they went to the postoffice, and we hope the best men won: next time let Pennsylvania nominate a couple of fighters so they can present to the public their views, and not have to leave cheap political fodder sent through the mails that is cast into the waste basket nine times out of ten unread. MONTROSE: The ladies of the Zion A.M.E. church will give a Patriotic Concert on Tuesday evening, Nov. 13th. There will be solos, duets and choruses, recitations, select readings and addresses. The committee asks the solicitation of their many friends to help them at this time. Admission 15 cents. Refreshments at moderate prices. Doors open at 7. AND: As a safeguard against intemperance, the young boys of St. Mary’s church will act upon the advice of their pastor, Father Broderick, and take the pledge of the Sacred Thirst Society, until they are 21 years of age. WEST AUBURN: B. W. France’ tenant house, containing several hundred dollars worth of household goods, etc., burned last week. It is especially hard as much of the contents were prized on account of having belonged to Mrs. France’s parents. LYNN, Springville Twp.: One of the domestic animals on the farm of Engineer James Deubler, near Lynn, is a bulldog. Another is a saddle horse, which Mr. Deubler recently bought for his daughter, Rachel. A few days ago Miss Rachel went for a ride and the saddle not being tightly buckled on, turned and dumped the miss off, practically unhurt. The horse galloped away, but the bulldog, taking in the situation, ran and grabbed the bridle rein in his teeth, stopping the pony. Pretty well done for a dog. LAUREL LAKE: Our school is progressing nicely under the management of Kathryn Giblin. FRIENDSVILLE: A Teachers Social Institute was convened in this place on Saturday, by Supt. George A. Stearns. The meeting was well attended and the subjects of Reading, Arithmetic, History, Grammar, and care of school property were profitably discussed. AND: Miss Lena Deuel, of Little Meadows, has a fine millinery display at E. E. Lee’s store. THOMPSON: The postoffice will be a lonesome place, and its burdens greatly reduced now [that] the campaign is over. AND: Quite a surprise came upon Thompson the other day when S. D. Barnes, our druggist, miller and all around dealer, put up a notice. “This store, house, etc., for sale.” HOP BOTTOM: Workmen are busy building a new concrete wall around the Highland Dairy Co.’s ice pond. HICKORY GROVE, Great Bend Twp.: A short time ago a miniature cyclone, accompanied by severe thunder, lightning and down pour of rain, swept over Hickory Grove, doing considerable damage to buildings, trees, fences, etc. The barns on the farms of R.G. Colwell, E. B. Fox and A. L. Kent were partially unroofed; shade and fruit trees uprooted and fences demolished. Every rod of fence on the farm of Milton Brush was leveled to the ground. Lightning visited several telephones along the Hickory Grove line, burning out fuses and also the sires in the receiver of E. B. Fox. SOUTH GIBSON: W. W. Resseguie and family have gone to Hanford, Cal., where they will spend the winter with their mother, Mrs. Vianna Resseguie, and sister, Ethel. Their uncle, Will Pickering and family, went to Hanford several years ago. BROOKLYN: The young men who put their horses in the blacksmith shop should remember and return the key to the blacksmith before returning home. WEST LENOX: The milliner, Mrs. Maud E. Michael, of South Gibson, was at Nelvin Empets, Thursday--had a big day as usual. BIRCHARDVILLE: Quite a crowd at the spelling school last Friday evening. Hazel Ball won the prize for the contest for the scholars. Cake and cocoa were served at the close of the contest. VISIT OUR WEBSITE at www.susqcohistsoc.org for back issues of “100 Years Ago”.
Along the Way...With P. Jay
Blue Ridge Should Return To Old Setup Homeowners in the Blue Ridge School District would do well to attend the November 13 meeting of the Board of Education and tell the school directors to cut out the nonsense and return the district’s tax collection process to the way it was before they conjured up the dumb idea of having the district collect its own taxes. Having recently lost one of their key objections to a lawsuit filed against the district by three of the six tax collectors (see story elsewhere in today’s Transcript), the school board apparently prefers to continue adding legal fees to the cost of trying to defend its action. There are also additional unexpected costs, some of which could be tacked on to delinquent tax bills and some that eventually could trickle down to the district taxpayers. For example, the board did employ someone to collect the taxes for New Milford Township and the boroughs of Great Bend and Hallstead. However, sources tell me that two or three members of the district’s office staff also lend a hand with the collections. And since the taxes are being collected at the school, as a precautionary measure, the district hired a security guard to be on hand during tax collection hours. The word is out that the Blue Ridge Board of Education is thinking of severing its relationship with the county’s Tax Claim Bureau. The board recently heard a pitch from Portnoff Law Associates of Norristown. The firm would like to collect the delinquent taxes for the school district. This could be another drastic mistake on the part of the school board. My friends, not only does the Tax Claim Bureau do a fantastic job of collecting delinquent taxes, but every year it earns a sizeable amount of money for the county. The bureau gets five percent of all delinquent taxes collected. County Treasurer Cathy Benedict doubles as head of the Tax Claim Bureau for a fraction of what it would cost to employ a fulltime director for the bureau. In 2005, after all of its costs connected with the collection of delinquent taxes were paid as well as expenses required for tax sales, the tax bureau income over expenses was $200,939. That money was turned over to the county. Mrs. Benedict read a statement at the last Blue Ridge Board of Education meeting advising the board of the services performed by the Tax Claim Bureau. She said the county is initially responsible for the expense of operating the bureau. In addition to paying the salaries and costs of bonds for officers and employees, she pointed out that the county also pays all mailing and advertising costs associated with the collection of delinquent taxes and other costs incidental to the management of designated properties. “A lot of school boards don’t realize how efficient we are in collection of taxes,” Cathy told me. Cathy also told me that the tax collectors in a school district generally collect about 90 percent of the taxes that are due. She said the Tax Claim Bureau collects about 98 percent of the remaining 10 percent that are delinquent. Of all the delinquent bills turned over to the Tax Claim Bureau, only about 30 or 40 properties are actually sold at tax sales. If any of you decide to attend that November 13 meeting, you might want to ask the school board why it would even consider an outside agency to collect delinquent taxes when the Tax Claim Bureau is so successful at doing it. I have been informed that the six tax collectors that the school board would like to replace have been collecting 90 percent of the school taxes, and the Tax Claim Bureau collects about 98 percent of the 10 percent that is delinquent; it appears from here to be a no-brainer. What could be better than getting paid 98 percent of the taxes due the district? Yeah, I know, 100 percent. The other two percent is uncollectible because of bankruptcies and litigation. However, eventually even that two percent is collected. Speaking of tax collections, Harry Phillips, tax collector in Clifford Township, and one of the nicest individuals I know, and Maria R. Esterbrook of Wyomissing, tied the knot recently. Congratulations to this lovely couple. And, oh yes, further congratulations to Harry on his election as president of the Susquehanna County Tax Collectors Association.
From the Desk of the D.A.
Actually, the backers of the marijuana amendment measure feel that the right to smoke marijuana actually trumps even free speech. In Nevada, after the Washoe County District Attorney expressed his opposition for the measure, the marijuana supporters filed a lawsuit attempting to block the district attorney from voicing any further opposition in his official capacity as an elected official because it was an unlawful use of taxpayer funds. What does this tell you about the advocates of this amendment? They may favor marijuana, but to hell with free speech. Let us gag the district attorney while we all light up another joint and revel in our drug-induced ecstasy. Ridiculous. To make matters worse, there are five cities nationwide that have referendums that would direct police officers to make the arrests of marijuana a low priority. What does that mean? I have no idea aside from providing a glaring testament to the state of our society. There is a strong correlation between the use of marijuana and criminal activity. This should not be surprising as a person willing to break the law to possess a controlled substance will be more likely to ignore other criminal laws. Despite the years of evidence linking controlled substances and criminal activity, there are five major cities in the United States where, if the voters make the wrong decision, the police will be directed to make marijuana a “low priority.” Plain idiocy. Supporters of marijuana use will claim that it is a safer drug than alcohol or cigarettes. They will contend that the use of marijuana does not harm anyone and can be done safely in the privacy of their homes. These are old and tired arguments. If the drug were truly safe, the proponents of its use could seek approval for the drug through the Food and Drug Administration. Of course, the proponents will not tell you that they have tried this route, but have failed because the drug is not safe. Proponents will not tell you that marijuana is a steppingstone for many addicts to cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, and other controlled substances. Proponents ignore the connection that marijuana has with criminal activity. They have done so intentionally, or perhaps they are addicts in denial, unwilling and unable to admit to their problem and the consequences associated with it. In the end, their argument/addiction is tragic – they seek or know happiness only by the use of a controlled substance. No responsible government should promote such a policy. In the end, the entire debate is moot. Federal criminal law prohibits the possession of marijuana. The only thing that the proposed amendment would accomplish would be to eliminate the ability to prosecute the drug use on a state level. Thus, the pragmatic effect would be an increase in the size and number of federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors in Nevada and Colorado to prosecute marijuana cases. State officials would merely turn the marijuana cases over to their federal counterparts for prosecution. The Amendment would not legalize marijuana – it would merely result in a larger federal law enforcement presence in those states. While my comments have been caustic, my concerns are passionate. I have seen the effects of marijuana use in thousands of cases over the last seven years. The vast majority of these cases were not prosecutions for the mere possession of marijuana, but related criminal activity associated with a drug addition. With these criminals, marijuana is a common denominator. It is a destructive drug – and it has no business being protected by any constitution. Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801.
The Healthy Geezer
Q. Isn’t a fractured bone less serious than a broken bone? This is a common misconception. A fracture and a break are the same thing. For several reasons, seniors are in danger of breaking a bone. As we age, the power of our senses, reflexes and coordination diminishes. Maladies and the medicines we take for them can contribute to balance problems, which can lead to falls. Then there's osteoporosis – a disease that makes bones more likely to snap. You may be in danger of having weak bones and should check with a doctor if you: smoke, are in poor health, are over 65, fractured a bone after age 50, have a close relative with osteoporosis, are underweight, started menopause before age 45, never got enough calcium, have more than two drinks of alcohol several times a week, are inactive. The following are medical conditions that can weaken your bones: hyperthyroidism, chronic lung disease, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic liver or kidney disease, hyperparathyroidism, vitamin D deficiency, Cushing's disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis. The following also put your bones at risk: oral glucocorticoids (steroids), radiation, chemotherapy, thyroid medicine, antiepileptic drugs, gonadal hormone suppression, and immunosuppressive agents. There are various types of fractures. Simple: the bone is broken, but the skin is not. Open or compound: the skin is broken and may be pierced by the bone. Transverse: the break is at a right angle to the long axis of the bone. Greenstick: a fracture on one side of the bone with a bend on the other side. The name comes from the appearance of a broken, young tree branch. Comminuted: a fracture with three or more bone fragments. Undisplaced: a break that leaves the bone pieces aligned. Displaced: a break that leaves the bone pieces out of line. Most broken bones can heal successfully. Fractured bones usually need at least four weeks to heal, but casts may be removed before that to prevent stiffness, especially for hand or elbow fractures. The following treatments are used for various types of fractures: Cast immobilization is the most common treatment. A plaster or fiberglass cast is made to keep the fractured bone in place. A functional cast or brace permits nearby joints to move. Gentle traction is usually used to get a broken bone into position. Open reduction and internal fixation is a type of orthopaedic surgery in which bone fragments are repositioned (reduced) and then held together with screws, by metal plates or rods. An orthopaedic surgeon can place pins or screws into a bone above and below the fracture. After the bone pieces are positioned correctly, the pins or screws are connected to a metal bar or bars outside the skin. This type of treatment is called external fixation. Eventually, the external fixation device is removed. Because of the way bones are made, they also get stronger with regular but not excessive exercise. If a person is active, bones will become stronger and more dense. The bones of an inactive person are often not as strong and may fracture more easily than those of an active person. For this reason, older people should try to remain physically active. If you have a question, please write to fredcicetti@gmail.com.
ASK The Family Doctor Q. Can you explain to me as much as you can about the new virus “HPV” ? (S.B., Susq.) A. Another very timely question, given that HPV infections are reaching epidemic proportions in our society, and are the number one cause of cervical cancers. Also a timely question because finally, after years of research, a vaccine is available for prevention. In fact, one can argue that this is the first vaccine to prevent cancer, and it has the potential to make a huge impact on public health. HPV stands for “Human Papilloma Virus”, but there is more than one specific virus in the family. All of the viruses in the HPV family can infect humans and trigger uncontrolled growth of skin cells. Uncontrolled growth of cells, of course, is essentially cancer. Fortunately, in most cases HPV just causes a localized, non-invasive and non-destructive growth of skin. In other words, a wart. When you picture a wart, you see a lump of skin, a raised bump that represents a localized overgrowth of skin cells. That’s because HPV particles have gotten into the skin and caused it to start growing and multiplying. HPV is not a “new” virus and has been known for years. Recent developments have identified different types and sub-types, and new treatments have been developed. The usual treatment for warts involves destruction of cells, with the hope of eliminating all of the cells infected with the virus. That means destroying skin cells, and we do that by causing a very localized frostbite (“wart freezing”) or a localized burn (cautery or acids). Most of the over-the-counter products you can buy work by dissolving keratin, which is a major component of skin cells. Unfortunately, dissolving keratin just helps smooth out a visible wart, and does not kill the virus. In fact, simply occluding a wart with duct tape is often as effective as over the counter wart products in making the visible wart go away, but does not kill the virus nor eliminate it from the body. With a healthy immune system, your body is usually able to isolate, control, or eliminate the virus. That’s why so many kids have warts which go away before adulthood, and it is also why practically anything you do (including, as Tom Sawyer did, burying a dead cat by the light of the full moon) will eventually result in the disappearance of most simple warts. There are over 60 different sub-types of HPV, and some are more dangerous than others, with a greater likelihood of triggering cancer. When these particular sub-types infect the cervix of the uterus, they can go undetected for years, and trigger cervical cancer. The difference between a wart and a cancer is that the cancer invades and destroys tissue, while a wart just quietly grows in one place. Specific subtypes of HPV that are more likely to cause cancers have been identified, and a vaccine has been developed to protect people from those specific subtypes. The vaccine does not cure infections or eliminate the virus from the body, and it only protects against four subtypes of the vaccine. Because it only works to prevent new infections, it must be given before exposure. This means that the best time for the vaccine is before the onset of sexual activity. HPV can be considered a sexually transmitted disease, but it can also be transferred in other ways. Wrestlers, swimmers, gymnasts, and other athletes often pick up HPV from gym mats, locker rooms and showers. Most commonly, they develop HPV infections and warts on the soles of their feet, which is called the "“plantar” surface. Hence, “plantar warts” (which are often mistakenly called “planter’s warts”) are simply warts on the soles of the feet, where the weight of the body causes them to grow inward, instead of outward like a wart on the hands or face. Sexually transmitted HPV can be both benign or malignant, depending on the strain. Males will usually notice genital warts right away; women will almost never detect them when they are internal, which is why annual exams are so important. Abnormal PAP smears are very often the result of HPV and the presence of the virus can be identified by PAP tests and other tests done at the same time. If present, HPV can be treated (but not eliminated from the body) and any pre-cancerous changes can be treated (again with freezing, burning, or other types of cautery) to eliminate that particular location of infection. Unfortunately, this still does not eliminate the virus from the body, but it does stop a developing cancer in its tracks before it has a chance to spread or cause damage. As always, if you have questions about health issues or medicine, you can write to me at rhacker@bkhcs.org, or care of the Susquehanna County Transcript. To schedule an appointment with me at the Hallstead Health Center, please call (570) 879-5249.
No veterans' corner this week.
News
|
Living
|
Sports
|
Schools
|
Churches
|
Ads
|
Events
Military | Columns | Ed/Op | Obits | Archive | Subscribe © |
|||||||
Is America going up in smoke? Nevada and Colorado actually have proposed constitutional amendments that were voted on November 7 to establish the right to possess (and use) marijuana. How did marijuana evolve to a level where a significant segment of the population would actually suggest there should be a constitutionally protected right to smoke a bong? A constitution should be a solemn document outlining the limited powers of a particular government, the mechanisms for its creation and governance, and finally, where deemed important enough, a specific list of restraints upon the authority of the government to infringe upon private rights. Have we devolved so far as a society that we now consider the use of marijuana to be an inalienable right akin to freedom of speech?