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COLUMNS: BROOKLYN: F. P. Miller is building a fine carriage barn on his farm and had an old-fashioned raising on Friday afternoon. T. M. Whitman and son, George, are doing the work and expect to have it ready for use before haying. LENOXVILLE: Eldridge Snyder, the Lenoxville florist, was in Montrose securing orders from many people. He also made arrangements for planting flower beds in front of the courthouse. DIMOCK: Dimock Campmeeting will begin August 21 and close August 29. SPRINGVILLE: E. R. Thomas, who has been running the grist mill at Springville, will discontinue business and cease grinding on June 20th. Brown & Fassett, of Tunkhannock, have purchased his flour and feed business and will continue at the old stand after July 1. Mr. Thomas has always had a flattering patronage and is one of the most cordial and best-liked businessmen in the county. He will remain in Springville and devote his time to the management of his farm. FOREST CITY: There were but 34 votes cast at the recent primaries. Twenty-four were Republican and ten democrats. In some districts it was difficult to get a board together. The fact that this was the first primary under the new system and not generally understood, that it was competing with Forpaugh and Sel’s circus and that there were no contests, all had their effect on the vote. The election offices say that the work on the board is very cumbersome and with a big contest would be worse than a regular election. MONTROSE: Considerable excitement was aroused yesterday morning in the eastern part of our quiet “berg” by the running away of L. T. Harrower’s horse. To say that the horse cut great “pigeon-wings” is treating the subject mildly, but could be plainly seen by the wily portions of the vehicle and contents were strewn over Church St. You must hang on to them “Lou.” AND: The Montrose Steam Laundry, of which Chas. S. Sprout is proprietor, recently added a new clothes wringing machine to its already finely equipped work rooms. GLENWOOD: John S. Courtright and Frank D. Morris, appraisers of the estate of Hon. G. a. Grow, filed their inventory of his personal effects, amounting to between $6,000 and $7,000. Report says that Mr. and Mrs. G. N. Bennett will occupy the Grow mansion in the future. SOUTH GIBSON: The people here put in a full day May 30th. At 10:30 a.m. services were held in the lower cemetery and at 12 dinner was served by the Ladies’ Aid in Belcher’s hall. At 1:30 all repaired to the church, where an appropriate and eloquent address was delivered by Atty. George W. Maxey, of Scranton. The band and choir gave some fine selections. At 3 p.m. the South Gibson ball team crossed bats with a Carbondale team, the former being the victors. Miss Grace Manzer was hit by a pitched ball and sustained a broken nose. In the evening, under the auspices of the Epworth League, a mock trial was presented by local talent in Morgan’s hall. It was a case of breach of promise and elicited much merriment in the crowd. About $30 was realized by the Aid Society for dinner. The League netted $21 in the evening. HALLSTEAD: V. H. Hand, the wide-awake merchant bought E. H. Sparrow’s “Leader Store,” the largest store in Hallstead and will start a large special sale. This is the fourth store Mr. Hand has bought since locating in Hallstead. LYNN: Donald Tiffany has erected a photograph gallery and is now ready to take pictures of the people. HOPBOTTOM: Much disappointment is expressed at the news that the Commissioners had refused to help build the State road proposed from Foster [Hopbottom] to Brooklyn. AND: Tennants Hall is to be taken down and moved to Clarks Summit. FLYNN, Middletown Twp.: Our telephone line pulls hard, by way of getting the wire. The money is on hand, but no wire. WATROUS CORNERS, Bridgewater Twp.: Borden inspectors found things in very good shape in the barns and milk houses in this neighborhood, when on their rounds last week. The farmers are learning a much-needed lesson in neatness. BIRCHARDVILLE: Frank Bolles has taken some fine views of Birchardville and vicinity on post cards, which are now on sale at J. S. Hosford’s Store, of this place. SOUTH AUBURN: W. G. Judson has shipped eggs of his new breed Buckeye red fowls to California, Nebraska, Maine and New York this week. SOUTH NEW MILFORD: Someone too tired to walk Thursday night, took a horse out of the lot on the Frank Everett farm, and rode it into [the] town of Gibson and left it loose in the road. Mr. Tompkins recovered the horse on Saturday. HARFORD: A request published in the county papers for information concerning Harvey Kingsbury, one of the men who organized the Harford Fair, has borne fruit. Mr. Thatcher finds him in Rock Island, Ill., an invalid, a retired Baptist minister. After leaving Harford he preached in Dimock, and later Windsor; afterwards going West. He and his wife have a lively interest in the old town yet. He also states that on the division of property, books, etc. of the Alpha-Epsilon society at Franklin Academy, the banner of the society fell to him; and is yet in his possession. He would like it to find its way back to Harford and will surrender it, if sure it will be preserved. SUSQUEHANNA: At St. John’s church yesterday morning Miss Elizabeth Davies became the wife of William P. Cole, of Crystal Lake. The ladies were charmingly arrayed in white silk gowns with hats to match. Rev. William Davies, brother of the bride was the officiating clergyman. After a reception at the home of the bride, in Oakland, the Coles left for a wedding trip to Atlantic City, Philadelphia and Washington and on their return will take up their residence on Mr. Cole’s farm near Crystal Lake. The bride for the past 10 years has been connected with the faculty of the high school, having for the past seven months been vice-principal, and Mr. Cole is one of Clifford Township’s most prosperous farmers.
Along the Way...With P. Jay
What ever happened to Ivan Burman? For those of you who do not know of him, Ivan Burman was the leader of the Republican Party in Susquehanna County before his voluntary retirement. Actually, he dedicated a dozen years of his life to supporting and promoting the gospel of politics according to the GOP. He served as party chair for four years and was vice chair for two years. He also served as a party campaign director and as treasurer of the prestigious Republican “C” Club. Does he miss politics? “I am very content where I am at,” Ivan told me during a recent interview. “I clean cars, mow the lawn, sweep the floor and golf. As a retirement gift, he bought himself membership in the Elk View Country Club. “Actually, I am still an informed voter and I exercise my right to vote. I am a Republican and I always will be. I believe in the philosophy of the Republican Party.” Would he ever return to active duty with the party? “This congressional race coming up might get me involved,” he said. “It depends on who pops up.” Burman was an early supporter of former Congressman Don Sherwood. He ran a shindig at his home in Ararat Township that annually raised a nice piece of change for the congressman. He believes the Republicans will take back the Tenth Congressional District seat it lost to Democrat Chris Carney in 2006. Burman’s affiliation with national politics was instrumental in obtaining financial help that allowed Barnes-Kasson Hospital to retain its Obstetrics Department. Besides Sherwood, other prominent visitors that he took to the hospital included Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum. Closer to home, Ivan supported Commissioner Jeff Loomis’ comeback four years ago but he now appears to be sorry that he did. “He came to me and made promises to be a good boy,” said Burman. “But we talked after he had won the primary election and I was disappointed. All I can say is he is downright mean.” Speaking of Commissioner Roberta Kelly’s impending write-in campaign, Burman expressed a belief that she could win. “I honestly think that she can pull it off,” he said. “I would much rather see her in there than Jeff Loomis.” He said if he was still involved in party leadership he would be bound to support the primary election winners, but he no longer holds any position in the party. In 1981, Burman made a bold move when he decided to open a body shop in a garage on his property in Ararat Township. He subsequently built a state-of-the-art body shop that features Susquehanna County’s first paint baking system. More recently, he added an automotive service center with certified technicians. Burman, who is 58, said there are a lot of people he could draw strength and advice from but the most important source is his 91-year-old father, Reed Burman, who still delivers Meals-on-Wheels in the Susquehanna Depot area. An improvement at last After years of pleading for some improvements to the security system in the county buildings, some progress has finally taken place. While the opinion here is that is it far from being state-of-the-art, it is better than what was previously at the main entrance to the courthouse. And, guess what? There is finally some security in the county’s office building on Public Avenue in Montrose. Again, nothing elaborate and far from what it should be, but it is a step in the right direction. Congratulations to those responsible, including the county commissioners, Sheriff Lance Benedict, District Attorney Jason Legg, President Judge Kenneth W. Seamans and Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Wood.
From the Desk of the D.A.
There is no doubt that the children and young adults understand that they should not be drinking alcohol. They know that it is against the law. Yet, there are parents that believe that it is a good decision to show their child that disregard of the rule of law is appropriate behavior. I recently read an article in a local school paper where several children were interviewed and they bragged about their drinking patterns, and that their parents were aware of the conduct, and approved because they drank “responsibly.” In other words, the parents were proud that their children were breaking the law, and seemingly praised the child’s decision to engage in criminal conduct. In any other context, such parental support of a child’s criminal activities would be condemned. In our society, however, there is little condemnation for not only underage drinking, but also for the enabling parents. While societal attitudes may not persuade parents or other adults from furnishing alcohol to minors, perhaps an awareness of the criminal sanctions connected with such conduct might. Those charged with the furnishing of alcohol to minors are often shocked at the potential consequences resulting from such actions. The criminal offense of furnishing alcohol to a minor is a misdemeanor of the third degree, punishable by up to one-year incarceration and a fine up to $2,500. The legislature, however, has deemed this offense to be so severe that a mandatory fine of $1,000 for each violation must be imposed. Therefore, the potential financial consequence for each act of furnishing alcohol to a minor will be at a minimum fine of $1,000 up to a maximum fine of $2,500. If you consider this matter practically, the potential financial penalty for furnishing alcohol to minors can be staggering. If a parent were to throw a graduation party for his child and allowed his child and nine friends to consume alcoholic beverages at the party, the parent would have committed ten separate acts of furnishing alcohol to minors. Thus, the parent faces a minimum fine of $10,000 and a potential period of incarceration of up to 10 years. As to the minors, they also face criminal prosecution. The consumption (or possession) of alcohol by a minor is a summary offense, resulting in a fine of not less than $300 for a first offense, and not more than $500 for any second and subsequent violations. For the minors, the financial penalty may not be as severe, but a conviction also results in a suspension of the minor’s driver’s license for 90 days on the first offense, one year on the second offense, and two years for a third or subsequent offense. Finally, the furnishing of alcohol to minors can also have tragic consequences. In Susquehanna County, we recently had three separate motor vehicle accidents that resulted in death to a passenger in each vehicle. In each case, the operator of the motor vehicle was under 21 years of age, the operator was under the influence of alcohol, and each operator was charged with homicide by motor vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol. In the case of a person under 21, the Commonwealth need only establish a blood alcohol content of .02%, which amounts to basically one 12-ounce beer, in order to prove a DUI offense. In one case, the young driver was sentenced to three years to eight years in a state correctional facility, another driver received three years to six years in a state correctional facility, and the final driver is pending sentencing, but the mandatory minimum period of incarceration is three years in a state correctional facility. The bottom line is that the legislature has good reason for prohibiting persons under 21 years of age from drinking alcohol. When it occurs, the statistics demonstrate that there is a higher probability that a tragic accident may occur. Hopefully, this graduation season, and throughout the summer, adults and children will make good decisions that are in accord with the law. Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801 or at www.SusquehannaCounty-DA.org.
The Healthy Geezer
An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is like a pacemaker. Both a pacemaker and an ICD are battery-powered devices installed in the chest to deliver electrical impulses to the heart. In general, a pacemaker is used when the heart beats too slowly; an ICD is used when the heart beats too quickly. Pacemakers jog the heart with mild reminders that patients usually can’t feel. Pacemakers are small; some are only as big as a quarter. The electrical impulses from an ICD can feel like being whacked in the chest. These devices are about the size of a stack of three silver dollars. However, ICD devices today function as both an ICD and a pacemaker. ICDs monitor for abnormal rhythms and try to correct them. An ICD can reduce your risk of dying of cardiac arrest by stopping these arrhythmias. ICDs have become standard treatment for anyone who has survived cardiac arrest. An ICD is considered effective in fighting cardiac arrest more than 9 times out of 10. Only 15 years ago, few survived this condition. Cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac death (SCD), is not a heart attack. However, if you had a heart attack, you can be at risk for SCD. A heart attack happens where there’s a blocked vessel carrying blood to the heart. This condition leads to the damage of heart muscle. The damage may lead to abnormal electrical signals that sometimes cause deadly heart rhythms. An ICD cannot prevent a heart attack. If you’ve ever watched shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” or “ER,” you’ve probably seen a cliché scene in which a doctor demands electrified paddles to shock a troubled heart. An ICD works inside the chest like these paddles. ICDs are installed under the skin, either under your collarbone or in your abdomen. One or two flexible, insulated wires (leads) run from the ICD through your veins to your heart. The surgery to implant an ICD can be performed with local anesthesia and a sedative. Then you stay in the hospital for a day or two. Modern ICD devices have an electronic memory that records the electrical patterns of the heart whenever an abnormal heart beat, or arrhythmia occurs. With this information, the electrophysiologist, a specialist in arrhythmias, can study the heart's activity and ask about other symptoms that may have occurred. This record is available for review during regular checkups by the physician, who can monitor the frequency and severity of problems in the heart's electrical conduction system that may lead to cardiac arrest or other serious heart disorders. Like pacemakers, ICDs aren’t affected by normal household appliances, but, if you have one, you should avoid strong magnetic fields. For example, stay away from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. Power machines are dangerous. Don’t go near arc-welding equipment, high-voltage transformers and motor-generator systems. If you have a question, please write to fredcicetti@gmail.com.
Straight From Starrucca On the first of June, Perri Weldy, Josh Williams, and I will attend the 2007 Class Night at Susquehanna Community High School. I, as Senior Class President, will have to speak. It should be a rather good time! I noticed that even after the Starrucca Clean-Up, there has been more trash accumulating on the side of the road. Please, help out our small town by waiting to throw your trash in a real garbage can instead of the side of the road. It would help our environment immensely. I’ve noticed the D’Agati’s replaced their roof! It looks great! I’ve also noticed that the Buck barn is being replaced after the cave-in last winter. I can’t wait to see it when it’s done! Happy Birthday to Gale Williams! Her sons, Scott and Greg Williams came up to visit on the 26th to celebrate her birthday, even though her birthday is on the 27th. The Memorial Day Ceremonials were spectacular last week. It was a great success! Cheerio!
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As graduation season approaches, the climate becomes ripe for underage drinking. With underage drinking comes the adult who furnishes the alcohol to the children. Over the years, I have been amazed at the willingness of some parents to provide and furnish alcohol to minors during graduation parties or other functions. This parental conduct is particularly disturbing where the adults understand that the conduct is criminal, but manage to justify their criminal acts. I hear the same excuses repeatedly, i.e., if you can vote or die for your country, you should be able to drink a beer. Other adults justify the conduct by stating that they will make sure that no one drives an automobile or that it is better that they drink under my supervision than somewhere else unsupervised. Regardless of the excuses or the safeguards implemented, the furnishing of alcohol to a minor is a criminal act.
In the last column, we discussed pacemakers. In this one, we’ll continue on the general topic of heart regulation with information about implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.