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Issue Home October 3, 2007 Site Home

COLUMNS:
100 Years Ago
From the Desk of the D.A.
The Healthy Geezer
Straight From Starrucca
Veterans’ Corner
The Road Less Traveled
A Day In My Shoes



100 Years Ago

FLYNN: Some young men or boys who are annoying people who try to use the telephone line, interrupt people while talking and use insulting language, are well known and it will be well for them to let up on this work; if not they will be punished according to law. Their parents ought to see to it at once and have this thing stopped.

WEST AUBURN: While Mrs. B. W. France was returning from West Auburn, Saturday evening, her horse became frightened at a bicycle and turned around in the road, throwing Mrs. France out, but fortunately she was not hurt. The horse ran back to West Auburn and under the church shed, where it was accustomed to stand. No damage was done, we are glad to say.

FAIRDALE: Fairdale Grange No. 1157 will celebrate its eleventh anniversary, on Wednesday, Oct. 9. There will be a chicken pie dinner served to all patrons present. A cordial invitation is extended to all the members of the Grange with their families.

HOPBOTTOM: Dr. F. T. Powers does dental work every Monday and Tuesday at the Foster House.

MONTROSE: Rev. Dr. Torrey, the world famous evangelist, is here to visit his friend, Rev. J. M. MacInnis. He will also look over Montrose as a possible location for a bible school. The usual Thursday evening prayer meeting at the Presbyterian church was changed to Wednesday night, that Dr. Torrey might be present, and after he had been feelingly introduced by Rev. MacInnis, he gave a most interesting and forceful address, reciting many wonderful instances in his personal career as to conversions. Henry Beach showed Dr. Torrey Montrose, and the surrounding country, in his automobile

DIMOCK: Luman Thornton, having sold his store to V. L. Van Camp, of New York State, will sell the remainder of his goods at cost for the next thirty days. Mr. Thornton’s health is poor, which makes the change necessary. AND: County Commissioner O. A. Tiffany can be seen driving his milk wagon to the station daily.

LENOX: At a regular meeting of the Lenox Grange No. 931, held Sept. 21, 1907, the following resolutions were adopted: Patrons: Again the reaper Death has entered our Grange home and taken from our midst brother C. W. Conrad. We have lost a charter member who helped to build up Lenox Grange and was ever ready to maintain every good work looking to the betterment and advancement of his hometown. He was a patriot and fought in his country’s defense [Co. A, 107th Regiment], and lay down to his final sleep at the age of four score and six years; therefore, be it Resolved, that our charter be draped in mourning for thirty days and a space be set apart in our minutes for this testimonial; that the sympathy of the members of Lenox Grange be extended to the family of our deceased brother, and a copy of these resolutions sent to the family and also to the county papers for publication. B. McDonald, D. N. Hardy, Mrs. D. N. Hardy, Com.

BROOKLYN: H. H. Craver and F. Jewett have installed gasoline light plants in their store and dwelling, respectively.

GLENWOOD: At the 52nd Regiment’s reunion at Scranton, Sept 19, there were over 300 of the old veterans who enlisted during the sixties, the full number being 1900.

SOUTH GIBSON: Four sisters met at Mrs. Manzer’s recently, and their united ages was over 272 years. Mrs. T. J. Manzer, age 56 years, Mrs. Alford Herrick of Binghamton, 74 years; Mrs. James Post, of Philadelphia, 72 years; and Mrs. C. A. Miller, of Susquehanna, 70 years. Their maiden names were: Polly E., Charlotte E., Lucy C., and Mary R., daughters of D. H. Fuller. Their grandfather on their mother’s side, Elias Van Winkle, was a brave soldier in the Revolutionary War, and we would think, from the appearance of these four sisters, that they are of the Democratic faith. AND: Mrs. Nellie Mapes, of Uniondale, who is nearly 83 years is visiting her brother, T. J. Manzer, who is 81 years old. We imagine we see them all having a good old-fashioned visit.

SUSQUEHANNA: C. B. Dugan has received appointment as house and commissary agent for the Erie railroad company, to have charge at Port Jervis, Susquehanna and Hornell. This is a newly inaugurated office, made necessary by the machinists’ strike now pending, by which the Erie is compelled to feed and house strike breakers. AND: Trainmaster Charles Ford, of the Delaware division of the Erie railroad, with headquarters at Susquehanna, has resigned his position with the road, and accepted a position with the Pennsylvania Steel Company, at Steelton, Pa. Trainmaster Ford has been in the employ of the Erie for several years, and has worked his way up from station agent to trainmaster of the road, within a few years.

FOREST CITY: After a year’s absence from the home of her parents, 13-year old Mary Vitiski has been found. She was located in the industrial department of the House of the Good Shepherd, in Scranton, where Mrs. Duggan placed her. The girl was taken from a saloon about a year ago. She gave the name of Helen Smith, and Mrs. Duggan was unable to find her people, so she placed her in the House of the Good Shepherd. Since then Mrs. Duggan kept up the search for the girl’s parents, and through a photograph finally discovered them. Both mother and daughter fell in each other’s arms when brought together.

SPRINGVILLE: Warren Dunlap will sell or rent their fine residence here. They are going away.

SOUTH NEW MILFORD: Wm. Moxley, of Renovo, spent a few days here and attended the Harford fair. This was Mr. Moxley’s first visit to his old home in twenty-six years.

ALFORD: Patrons will be pleased to learn that some time in the future, Mrs. H. L. Hubbard will throw open the doors of a new boarding and eating house, which will have much better accommodations for the comfort of patrons than the one burned down. Pending the completion of the new building, Mrs. Hubbard is serving meals in the house formerly occupied by Perry Sweet, where all friends will receive polite attention. Meals are served any time, and in a most satisfactory manner.

NEWS BRIEF: Automobiles operated in Pennsylvania next year will carry yellow tags with black letters and figures.

 

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From the Desk of the D.A.
By District Attorney Jason J. Legg

When I was in second grade gym class, I broke a finger playing dodge ball. Itzwas a freak accident – I tried to catch the large ball after it had bounced and it glanced off a finger on my left hand. The momentum of the ball caused my small finger to bend backward to the point that it snapped. I recall it as being a painful experience – made worse by the error of the initial treating physician in setting my finger improperly. The solution to the error was that a physician stood over me (and others were there to hold me down), he placed a pencil between the broken finger and a healthy finger, and then he proceeded to break the finger again so that he could set the finger anew. This particularly brilliant medical procedure resulted in more damage to my finger, the need to see a specialist, and some terribly bad memories for a child. Eventually, the finger healed and all was forgotten.

At least until I read an article recently about a school district that had outlawed tag on the recess playground, and noted that many schools had followed similar paths in getting rid of violent games such as dodge ball. The well-intentioned school administrators believe that these types of games create a high probability of physical injuries to the participants. Moreover, these games also have an apparently dark Darwinian side – the strong and fast mercilessly stalk and prey upon the weak and slow. In addition to the potential for physical injuries, the administrators also noted the potential for damage to the emotional and spiritual well being of victimized children.

I suppose that I can relate to some degree – I was (and still am) notoriously slow, likely due to my girth (then and now). I was an easy target in dodge ball, being larger and slower than other children, and not very elusive in tag because my feet did not carry me with any speed, grace or dexterity. Further, my horrific dodge ball injury should have been enough to propel me far from the dodge ball court. Given my life experiences, one might expect that I would embrace the new trend of banning such potentially dangerous and demeaning sporting practices such as dodge ball and tag.

Despite my physical shortcomings (injury), I still played both tag and dodge ball – though I knew that I was never very good at either one. And, shockingly, I remember enjoying them despite knowing that I was not the best player in the game – and indeed may have been at times the worst. I suppose that I may have been one of the slower or weaker children “preyed” upon by the quicker or stronger children. I felt no shame in the bruises (or broken bone) inflicted by the dodge ball, nor did I feel overly depressed when I could not outrun my quicker friends in tag. I recall experiencing the range of emotions that come with any competition – both good and bad.

Over the years, I have played in many competitive sporting events where I have been on dominant teams that won most of their games, as well as abysmal teams that have won few, if any, games. If I were to be honest, I seem to recall being on more of the latter and less of the former. Winning is definitely better than losing – but I would suggest that experiencing the emotions associated with both is an important part of the growth process. I believe I may have learned more about myself (and my teammates) in the agony of defeat than in the exuberance of success. The principles of good sportsmanship apply far beyond the playing field – and we should be doing everything that we can to allow those values to be learned, even if the lesson seems a little hard (and painful) sometimes.

Americans love the underdog – from Rocky to Rudy. The reason is simple – we all want to know that dedication, passion, and heart can be enough to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. But can a child learn perseverance in an environment where tough competition has been eliminated to avoid the potential for physical, emotional or spiritual pain? Are we creating environments that will encourage the development of the traits that we love and admire in our underdogs? There seems to be a disturbing trend toward sanitizing our children from any competitive atmosphere – whether it be in sports, games, grades or otherwise. I simply wonder whether this trend represents wisdom or folly.

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The Healthy Geezer
By Fred Cicetti

Q. This may sound like a crazy question, but is it possible to use your own stomach to take over for your kidneys when they aren’t working right?

This question isn’t as bizarre as it seems. It is possible to use the abdominal cavity, which includes the stomach, to perform kidney functions.

Kidneys are designed to remove waste and extra fluid from your blood. These organs contain millions of tiny blood vessels to handle this task. They also make hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy.

If your kidneys aren’t working properly, unwanted substances in the blood can be removed through a process called dialysis. Most people who need dialysis can lead a reasonably normal life.

There are two types of dialysis – hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.

In hemodialysis, a patient is connected to an artificial kidney. This mechanical kidney – or dialyzer – filters the blood and then it is returned to the patient. The treatment time typically lasts three to four hours. Most people suffering chronic kidney failure require hemodialysis three times a week. Hemodialysis can be done in a healthcare facility or at home.

In peritoneal dialysis, the filter that is used is the peritoneum, the large, blood-rich membrane lining the abdomen and the organs within it. A fluid is sent into the abdominal cavity via a catheter inserted into the abdominal wall. This fluid (dialysate) is left in the cavity long enough to absorb blood wastes. Then the fluid is drained and replaced.

Peritoneal dialysis can be done by hand or with a machine.

In continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), the abdominal cavity is filled with dialysate and drained by hand. A usual schedule is three or four half-hour exchanges during the day and one at night. The procedure can be done anywhere. You can follow your normal routine while the fluid is in your abdomen.

In continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD), a machine infuses and drains dialysate several times while you sleep. This procedure requires that you are linked to the machine for 10 to 12 hours at night. During the day, you are free of the machine, but you maintain fluid in your cavity.

Dialysis is usually prescribed when kidney problems are responsible for the following: heart failure, abnormal brain function, inflammation of the sac around the heart, an overload of body fluid, high acid or potassium levels in the blood.

More than half of the people on long-term dialysis are 60 or older. Older people often adapt more easily than younger people to long-term dialysis. However, seniors are more likely to find the treatments tiring.

If you have a question, please write to fredcicetti@gmail.com.

 

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Straight From Starrucca
By Danielle Williams

No Straight From Starrucca This Week

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Veterans’ Corner

No Veterans' Corner This Week

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The Road Less Traveled
By Bob Scroggins

Ahmadinejad In The Lions' Den

It was quite a display. One is not likely to see again such an exhibition of boorish manners, total lack of civility, and complete absence of respect for the office of a foreign head of state. The occasion was the appearance of the President of Iran, Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia University's World Leaders' Forum.

The president of the prestigious school, Dr. Lee Bollinger, introduced Ahmadinejad to the audience not with an expression of gratitude for accepting the school's invitation, but with a fusillade of verbal abuse and insults. Bizarrely, Bollinger even berated his guest for being "brazenly provocative" for accepting his invitation.

Columbia U's president began by defending the invitation to Iran's president saying that "we do not honor the dishonorable when we open the public forum to their voices." Then he congratulated himself for having the "emotional courage to confront the mind of evil."

Bollinger "confront[ed] the mind of evil" with six questions, really a series of lengthy indictments bristling with contempt. The first question concerned Iran's human rights record, specifically the imprisonment of two scholars (one was released a month ago) for fomenting a "velvet revolution." But perhaps their imprisonment was justified. Might their incarceration be connected to the $75 million President Bush allocated for just such a revolution?

He continued: "Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator. There are not enough prisons to prevent an entire society that wants its freedom from achieving it." Bollinger overlooked the fact that Ahmadinejad received 62 percent of the votes in a nation-wide election. He is a democratically elected official, not a "petty dictator."

Question 2 is puzzling. It questions Ahmadinejad's supposed denial of the Holocaust. It is puzzling not only because this rates the No. 2 spot, but that it is asked at all. Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence. Lacking compelling evidence, those who deny the Holocaust are unintentionally demonstrating the hollowness of their claim. Are they not, then, arguing against themselves? This being the case – and even if it were not – why not allow them the right to their opinion?

Question 3 has to do with Ahmadinejad's infamous quote, as Bollinger stated it, "that Israel should be 'wiped off the map.'" His accusation that Ahmadinejad is "astonishingly uneducated" should rather be directed at himself. He, as the education one, should have known that this is more fabrication than translation.

Here's how an accurate translation reads: "The Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time." Ahmadinejad quoted the Imam who did not refer to Israel, or to the Jews, but to the "regime" in Israel. This was said in the same sense that the current administration wanted to change the regime in Iraq, not obliterate the nation, or the people, but the government.

Question 4: "Why do you support well-documented terrorist organizations in the Middle East?" The query assumes that the Iranian government officially supports the insurgents in Iraq. Certainly, arms are being smuggled across Iran's 1200-mile border with Iraq, just as billions of dollars in contraband drugs and millions of illegal aliens are being smuggled across our Mexican border. But our government no more supports these activities than the Iranian government supports arms smuggling. Evidence to the contrary does not exist.

Question 5 continued where 4 left off: "Can you tell us why Iran is fighting a proxy war in Iraq . . . and killing U.S. troops?" Bollinger, who described Columbia as "a world center of Jewish studies," continued pandering to the largely anti-Iranian audience with libelous and unproven accusations.

Lastly, question 6 presumes Iran militancy: Why do "you continue to issue military threats to neighbors?" Bollinger treads in the land of fantasy. Iran has never threatened any nation, though other nations have threatened her.

Coming to the end of his tirade, Bollinger hurled his last insult: "Mr. President, I doubt that you will have the intellectual courage to answer these questions. I do expect you to exhibit the fanatical mindset that characterizes so much of what you say and do."

Columbia's president concluded with this parting shot: "[Y]earning to express the revulsion at what you stand for I only wish I could do better." Not a few, Dr. Bollinger, share your wish; we wish you had done better – much better.

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A Day In My Shoes

No A Day In My Shoes This Week

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