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COLUMNS: RUSH: Charles Flumerfelt, of Rush, Susquehanna county, visited his brothers, Daniel and John, at Tunkhannock. He has been located on the Wyalusing creek since 1869, and for about twenty years prior to that time he lived on Prospect Hill, Tunkhannock. NORTH JACKSON: The North Jackson M. E. church celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the church recently. Four of the original members of the church, Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Williams and Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Chase, were present, and gave interesting reminiscences of the dedication of the church. HALLSTEAD: John E. Clune has completed the changes and improvements on the interior of the Hallstead opera house. The windows have been changed and made modern and the side walls and interior have been repapered in red and dark green. The wood work is also painted in dark green, and as it stands completed now it is one of the neatest and most attractive opera houses in Northern Pennsylvania. BROOKDALE: Wm. Chalker is suffering with blood poison in his hand. ARARAT: Rev. Mr. Brandt Supt. of the Anti-Saloon League, delivered a temperance sermon in the M. E. church Sunday afternoon, giving illustrations on a map of the United States, which was both helpful and interesting in the cause of temperance. GELATT: Walter Lewis has dug a well this dry time and found abundance of water at a depth of eight feet. We are glad to note that the long-looked for rain is here this morning, and I think it will check the fire that was raging so hard yesterday at Ararat. HEART LAKE: Born to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Leslie, Sept. 24, twin girls. ALFORD: The much needed rain came today. FOREST LAKE: Some of the finest blooded stock ever offered in the county at public sale will be made at the big sale of stock on the Griffis farm in Forest Lake township, Oct. 8th . Dairymen should remember the date. MONTROSE: Winfield W. Hickok and family have removed to Binghamton, where Mr. Hickok has accepted employment in the bottling department of the Kilmer Swamp Root Manufactory. AND: A two-horse load of young fellows attended the Harford fair, making the trip in one of the Liveryman Cox’s handsome surreys. A farmer driving ahead of them proved too slow, and to avoid the dust they attempted driving past, taking the ditch. Wheels locked in a warm embrace, the farmer’s proving too strong a vehicle and they lost a wheel. Appropriating a wheel from a carriage standing in a farm yard they used it to get their own chaise repaired and managed to get back all right Friday morning ere the cocks had stopped crowing. The trip cost a good ten-spot and the boys say they will wait until flying machines or aeroplanes are perfected before making another such long journey from home. FAIRDALE: The hearts of all were made glad last Monday when the refreshing showers came so gently. All nature seemed to rejoice and everybody was happy. MIDDLETOWN: The baseball game on Thursday between Little Meadows and Middletown resulted in a decided victory for the home team. BRIDGEWATER: That there are persons who exhibit a penchant for the yellow-legged fowl is indicated by the report that R. L. Bush, a farmer residing southwest of town, had his hennery entered a few nights since and half a dozen fowls taken. It should serve as a warning to others. Meanwhile Mr. Bush sleeps ‘o nights with one eye open, the double-barreled shotgun loaded with rock salt and nails and trusts the light-fingered gentry will come by the light of the moon and try to carry off some more of his Plymouth Rocks. SUSQUEHANNA: The Erie railroad tracks near Asa Baker’s farm on the Susquehanna division, resembled a slaughter house Thursday morning. Eleven of Mr. Baker’s cows and two bulls during the night broke through the fence and wandered along the track. Two trains passed this point at 4:18 this morning. When they had passed the herd had been cut to pieces. Six cows were killed outright and five other cows and one of the bulls died later. One full is alive, but badly hurt. The loss is a very serious one to Mr. Baker. CLIFFORD: C.G. Stevens, of Lenoxville, took some of our townsmen to the Allentown fair in his big auto. The party was composed of Merchant Bennett, L. E. Lee, Jefferson Hobbs, and J. D. Tripp. All report a good time. FACTORYVILLE: About two years ago an improvement society was organized which did great things for our town. Street lamps were purchased, sidewalks were repaired and new ones built, trees were planted, buildings painted and posters stripped from building and fences. But where, oh where has the improvement society gone? We no longer venture out at night without a lantern, for darkness reigns supreme save on moonlight nights, and one is in peril who tries to walk over some of the streets after dark. Gorgeous posters and advertising signs now stare us in the face by day from trees, fences and even buildings. If the improvement society is asleep, who will awaken it? If dead, who will resurrect it? LYNN: Charles Hartman, who was badly hurt by a flying pulley during the haying season and had his skull fractured, went to an hospital in Philadelphia on Sunday to have an operation performed. It seems that when the wound began to heal, the skull began to settle on his brain, so that the doctors thought an operation necessary. VESTAL CENTER: Henry Jenner, from near St. Josephs’, visited relatives here Sat. and Sunday. Although very old, he is remarkably smart, he having walked the entire distance of 10 miles. NEWS BRIEF: The city clerk of West Chester, Pa., received a marriage license through the mail, Aug. 31st , which he had issued to a resident of that place last May. The paper was indorsed across the face: “Returned, because I got out of the notion.” AND: There is a demand for good boys. The boy who is honest, earnest and industrious, will not be long out of a job. There are lots of prosperous business men, merchants and mechanics, who are constantly on the outlook for good boys. They do not look for them on the streets, however, but in some sort of employment. They have no use for an idle boy. He is to apt to make an idle man. The boy who jumps into the first job that offers, whether it is agreeable or not, is the boy who is chosen when the boy-hunter comes along. The boy trundling the wheelbarrow is taken while the boy playing marbles in the shade is left; the boy cheerfully minding the baby on the front step is invited to put on a boy’s suit, which the one playing hockey and smoking cigarettes is refused a place to drive a dirt cart. AUBURN CORNERS: T. S. Kellogg and daughter, of Dalton, visited his brother, T. F. Kellogg, and purchased a fine cow. AND: while returning from Springville Miss Verla Shaw’s horse was frightened at an engine and partially wrecked the wagon. Fortunately none of the occupants were hurt. HOWARD HILL: R. M. Borne is having a serious time with his hand, at present he is not able to do much. A few of the neighbors made him a wood bee and got him a nice pile of wood. UNIONDALE: Report says that Henry Corey, of this vicinity has taken to himself a wife.
From the Desk of the D.A. Last week, I discussed the impact that the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” had upon me as a young reader. As you may know, the Susquehanna County Library is currently conducting the Susquehanna County Reads program, which encourages the residents of Susquehanna County to read a particular literary classic during the fall season. This year the selection was “To Kill A Mockingbird,” and I have been privileged to be involved in some of the activities that the Library has conducted in promotion of the book. If you are interested in joining us in reading this novel, you can get your own paperback copy of the book at the Library for only three dollars. As I stated last week, I can trace back my initial consideration of becoming an attorney to reading “To Kill A Mockingbird” in eighth grade English class. To a large degree, the book inspired me toward a legal career, or, more accurately, the character Atticus Finch inspired me (and continues to provide inspiration to this day). With the Library’s effort to promote the book, I decided it would be interesting for readers to get my own experiences in reading the novel, and I shared one of those with you last week. There is one more experience that I would like to share with you relating to the book. During the end of my first semester of law school, I was studying for my first set of final examinations. To say that this is a daunting and stressful time would be a gross understatement. To add to the stress, I was attending Albany Law School on a merit scholarship, and the continuation of the scholarship required a certain level of academic achievement. Thus, the mere prospect of good grades was not the only thing that I was considering, but also the knowledge that a poor performance could cost the tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship funds. I suspect that there is a time when most law students experience a sense of disillusionment in law school. Things are not what they seemed, not what they expected, and perhaps no longer worthy of pursuit. My moment came at a bad time – with the stress of the finals bearing down on me like a pack of hungry wolves. In the context of this internal struggle, there was a moment of clarity and purpose. I went to the card catalogue in the school library and looked up “To Kill A Mockingbird.” To my surprise, the book was there and I signed it out. Then, I took a break from studying, and read the novel for the first time since eighth grade. When my friends called, they thought I was crazy. Why was I wasting my time reading that book when I should be studying? Looking back, it was probably the best thing I could have done at that particular moment. It renewed my commitment and dedication to the law – and I attacked the books with a newfound determination. In the end, things worked out just fine. The novel is a powerful literary work and I would encourage everyone to take a chance to read it for the first, second, or third time. The Library still has several events planned to promote the book. There will be a panel discussion regarding the book on Thursday, October 9 at 7 p.m. at St. Mark’s Parish Hall in New Milford. The panel discussion will include Dr. David Elliott from Keystone College and Elizabeth Gordon from Northampton Community College. If you are interested in discussing the book with these experts and your neighbors, this will provide you with a great opportunity. Finally, on Friday, October 17, at 7 p.m., there will be a mock trial in the large courtroom in the Susquehanna County Courthouse. I have often heard attorneys comment that they could have filmed the movie version of “To Kill A Mockingbird” in our historic courtroom. It should provide a grand theatre for the reenactment of the trial scenes from the book. Moreover, we will also be providing an additional element not contained in the book itself – the oral argument on the appeal of the conviction and the reasons it should be overturned. This is a very exciting event for me – I will have the honor of playing the role of Atticus Finch throughout the mock trial event. I am hoping that you can join us to make the event a real success in honoring this amazing literary classic. Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801 or at our website www.SusquehannaCounty-DA.org or discuss this and all articles at http://dadesk.blogspot.com/.
The Healthy Geezer Q. What is the French paradox? The paradox is that the French eat a lot of saturated fat, but have relatively low rates of heart disease. When the French paradox is discussed, the robust consumption of red wine in France is often given as the explanation for the paradox. The term French paradox was coined by a scientist at Bordeaux University in France. More than 700 million bottles of wine are produced every year in the Bordeaux region of France. Do you smell the bouquet of conflict of interest? The wine explanation for the French paradox is in dispute. There is evidence that wine has health benefits, but there have been no direct comparison trials to determine the specific effect of wine or other alcoholic beverages on heart disease or stroke. But, before I hearten all you oenophiles, here’s a killjoy warning from the American Heart Association. The AHA does not recommend drinking any alcoholic beverage for potential health benefits. The AHA position: “The AHA does recommend that, to reduce your risk, you should talk to your doctor about lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure, controlling your weight, getting enough physical activity and following a healthy diet. There is no scientific proof that drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage can replace these conventional measures.” The AHA warns people not to begin drinking because of many health risks. However, if you do drink, the AHA recommends no more than one to two drinks per day for men and one drink a day for women. A drink is defined as a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits. The men’s limit is higher because they usually weigh more and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than women do. People age 65 and older shouldn't drink more than one drink a day because older adults break down alcohol more slowly. Okay, now for the information that could be comforting to those of us who like our cabernets and pinot grigios. There have been many studies about how drinking alcohol may reduce deaths from heart disease. Much of the research has focused upon wine. The reduction in heart-disease deaths may be caused by resveratrol, a substance found in the skin of grapes, especially purple and dark red grapes. Because red wine is made with the pulp and skins of grapes, red wine contains more resveratrol than white wine. The skins of grapes are removed during the making of most white wines. However, recent research indicates that the pulp of grapes has health benefits, because there are other substances in the flesh that can help the heart. And there’s one study that indicates that white wine is good for your lungs, too. Resveratrol is sold in capsule form. The scientific community is divided on the merits of the capsules. Some scientists are taking the capsules, but others believe it is too soon to take the wine ingredient until we have more evidence that it is effective and safe. Resveratrol is also found in grape juice made from dark grapes. Both red wine and dark grape juice may reduce the risk of blood clots and LDL, the harmful cholesterol. Wine and juice may also prevent damage to coronary blood vessels, and maintain healthy blood pressure. Both red wine and grape juice also contain antioxidants that have been shown to increase your HDL, the beneficial cholesterol, and lower your risk of clogged arteries. The antioxidants may help lower blood pressure, too. The alcohol in red wine also appears to be good for your heart. Moderate amounts of alcohol raise HDL, inhibit blood clotting, and prevent artery damage caused by LDL. There have been recent reports, too, suggesting that red wine can make you live longer, and that a glass a day of either red or white wine may reduce the risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Salute. If you have a question, please write to fred@healthygeezer.com.
Straight From Starrucca No Straight From Starrucca This Week
What’s Bugging You? Grasshoppers: always a jump ahead When we think of insects, grasshoppers are one of the first examples that come to mind. This may be in part due to our high school biology class experience, when the teachers made us dissect those disgusting lubber grasshoppers that were nearly as large as a small mouse. In reality, grasshoppers are very common and mostly go unnoticed in our part of the world. This is not the case on other continents, where large populations of migratory grasshoppers, known as locusts (Latin for grasshopper), devour all of the vegetation in their path.
A female red-legged grasshopper. Grasshoppers are insects with well-developed chewing mouthparts. Closely related to crickets, walking sticks and praying mantises, grasshoppers are easily recognized by their oversized hind legs and large compound eyes. They are broadly classified into two groups, the long-horned grasshoppers and the short-horned grasshoppers. The long-horned members are frequently referred to as katydids. The short-horned members, in the family Acrididae, are the familiar grasshoppers that leap along in front of us as we take a stroll across a recently mowed field. Unlike their nocturnal, musical cousins, the short-horned grasshoppers are exclusively active during the day. Their musical output is limited to a few rasping sounds crudely created when pegs on the hind leg are rubbed against the wing covers. Other grasshoppers of the same species receive these sounds through a drum-like membrane called a tympanum. This structure, acting as an ear, is located under the wings on the first abdominal segment. Unlike many insects, grasshoppers do not undergo a complete metamorphosis. They have only three stages in their life cycle. These are egg, nymph, and adult. The nymphs are miniature, wingless duplicates of the adult. It usually takes from 40 to 60 days for a nymph to mature into an adult. Over that time period, the nymph sheds its exoskeleton up to eight times, as it grows larger. Each of these stages is referred to as an instar. Each molt gives the insect the opportunity to replace worn or lost parts. The females are normally larger than the males. Some grasshopper species engage in aerial displays and produce enticing sounds to attract a mate. In many cases, the coupling pair remains together as the male defends his paternity of the offspring. Using her stout ovipositor (egg placing end of the abdomen), the female penetrates the ground and lays either an individual egg or a pod of eggs. The egg remains undeveloped until the following spring. There is only one generation of grasshoppers per year. It is interesting to note that varying conditions of weather and crowding can influence the development of grasshopper eggs into either solitary or gregarious forms. The solitary individuals are the ordinary, occasional grasshoppers. The gregarious forms evolve into the notorious locusts that vary in coloration and physiology. They can darken the skies and devour all vegetation in their path. Studies have determined that such development not only relates to the densities of the offspring, but also is a result of the parent insects’ prior environment. Fortunately, the last known major invasion of a locust swarm in North America occurred in the mid 1800’s. Such occurrences still impact parts of Asia and Africa, where a swarm of billions of these migratory grasshoppers move over vast distances, consuming all crops and vegetation in their path. The final several instars and adult grasshoppers are the most voracious in their feeding habits. A single grasshopper can consume its own weight in green plants within a period of 16 hours. Although the locust forms of grasshoppers are indiscriminate feeders, the solitary forms are more selective, with individual species showing a marked preference for certain plants. The majority of grasshoppers in this area are grass eaters. Grasshoppers are popular prey for birds, rodents, spiders and skunks. They are parasitized by several species of flies and horsehair worms. Horsehair worms are thin, long, white worms that live inside the grasshopper, where they cause sterility in the females. Upon reaching maturity, the horsehair worms emerge through the grasshopper’s body wall, killing the insect in the process. The grasshoppers have some defensive tricks. Anyone who has picked up a grasshopper is aware of its ability to spit “tobacco juice.” This acrid, smelly fluid is in fact the partially digested content of the insect’s stomach. Grasshoppers are also capable of inflicting a painful nip. Their best defense, however, is their unexpected hop and flight. When they land, they will sneak along through the grass, thus not ending up at the same spot as their apparent point of impact. When necessary, there are several insecticides available to control grasshoppers. Insecticides that contain carbaryl, such as Sevin and Malathion, can be sprayed on affected vegetation. Biological control can be achieved by the application of a microbial insecticide that contains the protozoan Nosema locustae. This causes a disease that naturally occurs in grasshopper populations. Weather is perhaps the most important factor in grasshopper control. While a warm, dry spring and long hot summer enhances grasshopper development and reproduction, the opposite conditions slow down grasshopper maturation and reduce egg-laying opportunities. Fortunately, we can enjoy the sound and sight of our solitary grasshoppers. Our weather and natural predators keep our native grasshoppers under control, and we don’t have to worry about a plague of locusts. Instead, we only need to fret about the weather. Questions, comments and suggestions regarding this article, identifications or any other insect-related matters are welcome. Please email them to bugman95@gmail.com.
Food For Thought No Food For Thought This Week EARTH TALK No Earth Talk This Week
Barnes-Kasson Corner Down Syndrome Week September 28 – October 4 Barnes-Kasson Hospital is celebrating National Down Syndrome Week during September 28 – October 4. Down Syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality, characterized by the presence of an extra copy of genetic material. It causes delays in the way a child develops, and often leads to mental retardation. This extra copy of genetic material is due to what is called chromosome 21. At the time of conception, a child inherits genetic information from its parents in the form of 46 chromosomes, 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. Sometimes an extra chromosome is given to the child from either parent. This extra chromosome gives the child a total of 47 chromosomes and in most cases, Down Syndrome. Kids with Down Syndrome usually share physical features such as a flat facial profile, an upward slant to the eyes, small ears, an enlarged tongue, and a single crease across the center of the palms. Other characteristics are low muscle tone and loose joints. Babies especially seem to be affected by this. Muscle tone and joint strength often do improve over time. Most children with Down Syndrome learn how to sit up, crawl and walk, just like unaffected children. The only difference is, children with Downs usually learn these skills much later than those unaffected. Down Syndrome effects one in every 800-1,000 births. Downs affects boys and girls in equal numbers. Although no one is quite sure why Down Syndrome occurs, scientists do know that the risk factor for giving birth to a child with Downs increases as the mother ages. When the mother is around 30 years old, she has a less than 1 in 1,000 chance of giving birth to a child with Downs. These factors increase to 1 in 400 by age 35. Once a woman has reached the age of 42, the risk is around 1 in 60.
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