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COLUMNS: HARFORD: The encounter with a bear in Pike county, in which two Harford young men figured, calls back the time a couple of generations ago when wild animals were numerous in this section. Having used his last shot upon a huge black bear, which had wandered to the outskirts of the LaBarre hunting camp, near Peck’s Pond, late Saturday afternoon, Ray Tingley, an 18 year-old youth of Harford, dropped unconscious from fright. His companion, another boy named LaBarre, manfully disputed the bear’s attack and when but an arm’s distance away sent a heavy 40.40 Savage rifle bullet direct to the animal’s heart. The bear dropped dead across the body of young Tingley. Game Warden Charles Lowry, of Scranton, and other hunters in the vicinity came running up, attracted by the shots, and assisted LaBarre in removing the weight of the bear from Tingley and restoring him to consciousness. The bear weighed 400 pounds. JACKSON: Mrs. R. G. Lamb, one of Jackson s oldest residents, and widow of Rev. R. G. Lamb, a former pastor of Jackson Baptist church, died Thursday morning from the effects of severe exertion caused by fighting and sub-doing, single-handed, a conflagration in her home. It is believed the aged woman while seated at a table wrapped in a heavy quilt, fell asleep and knocked a lighted lamp from the table into her lap, setting the quilt on fire. After extinguishing the blaze she rolled the quilt up and placed it in the stairway. Being somewhat exhausted she retired and was aroused from a sound slumber by smelling smoke. Going to the stairway she found it to be a mass of flames. Unable to summon help for fear the fire would gain too great headway, she alone carried water and beat out the flames after a long struggle which taxed her strength to the limit, collapsing when the danger was over. About 8 o’clock in the morning she crawled to a window and attracted the attention of W.W. Larrabee, who was passing. Neighbors were notified and she was given every care, but lapsed into a comatose condition from which she did not recover, death resulting four days later. The deceased was a woman of literary attainments and a book of poems by her was published several years ago. She also wrote for many papers in this section of the state. MONTROSE: Last Saturday was the big day for shipping turkeys over the Lackawanna from the station here and 80,000 lbs was the record established, probably the largest in the town’s history. The principal shippers were Robinson, VanHorn, Raub, Hibbard and others. HIGHLANDS: The Brushville Ladies Aid Society will meet at Mrs. Will Kenton’s on Tuesday. Ladies will sew rags and the men will cut wood. AUBURN: J. C. Rifenbury, one of the pioneers of Auburn Twp., visited Montrose recently. He went into the them primeval forest and fell trees to build his first rude habitation. This was in the fifties, but the breaking out of the [Civil] war found him with his axe laid aside and with musket in hand fighting with the boys at the front. Upon his return he again took up the work of clearing a farm and now has one of the best in that vicinity. On his farm he still has 18 acres of the finest timber. Only the trees that fall from natural causes are taken out and consequently the woods retains its original beauty and grandeur. BROOKLYN: Oscar Stephens, son of W. B. Stephens, who was badly injured while playing football at the high school, is slowly improving. His kidneys were ruptured. Dr. A. I. Taylor, of Hopbottom, is attending him. AND: Apples are selling for $1.00 per 100 lbs; eggs, 32 cents a dozen; turkeys, 16 cents live weight; potatoes 70 cents; potatoes 70 cents a bushel. FOREST CITY: The truant officer has been appointed and has already served several parents with notices to send their children to school more regularly. The real truants have been few in number but it still remains for every parent to see to it that his or her child attends every day unless prevented by sickness or death in the family. Adam Spyhalski returned to school after having spent some time working in the breaker. Joe Bugake and Peter Markizinski also returned from like positions. BIRCHARDVILLE: Dana J. Edwards is advertising photographic work. He makes the copying of pictures into postcards a feature. TIFFANY, Bridgewater Twp.: John Carter is one of the best-known horsemen in the county. He has the reputation of knowing the exact age, various owners, weight and complete record of every “hoss” within the boundaries of the county, and he has owned at different times a majority of them. There was a time when it was said that John had to make a trade in the morning before he had an appetite for his breakfast. THOMPSON: Quite an excitement was raised in our midst last week over a hotel license. The very ones who have voted whiskey all their lives, got a hustle on them to defeat their neighbor in his supposed endeavor to secure one. Approaching “one of the fanatics” for help in the good cause, they were told that he would just as soon sign a petition for license, as he would vote for a law granting licenses. The excitement was up, nor need we tell who did the foaming. GELATT: The worst runaway we ever had took place Thursday evening. Benny Felton and Dock Pickering were on their way home from Burnwood where they had been hunting. When they got past Geo. Barnes place the horses got frightened at a pile of lime and jumped on the bank and threw the men out, and being near a bridge they ran off and it killed one and broke the back of the other. GIBSON: “Hipper,” a valuable birddog belonging to F. W. Barrett, died Sunday and though but a dog he was a general favorite and will be greatly missed. LAUREL LAKE: A mad dog came through from Binghamton as far as this place and bit several dogs. It then went back by way of Conklin Forks. ARARAT: Pierce Dunn, the Ararat checker expert, was the first turkey man in town this year. He has raised 150 of the Kings of the Thanksgiving table.
From the Desk of the D.A. I have always loved Thanksgiving Day. There is so much to love: the smells of all the different foods and desserts, the family and friends, the parades, the football games, the conversations, the laughter and jokes, and all of the countless other little things that make it so great. As a nation, we collectively love it for many of the same reasons. While our calendars are filled with different national holidays, Thanksgiving Day has a special place in our hearts and homes. Thanksgiving Day is about family. People travel here, there and everywhere to make it to a family dinner table. It provides a chance to reconnect, renew, recharge and reestablish our relationships with our loved ones. In the course of our busy lives, Thanksgiving Day is something of a spiritual oasis for our neglected relationships – a special opportunity to repair the bridges we have burned, to both seek and give forgiveness, and to restore strength to our familial love. Thanksgiving Day is not just about familial love, but also about love for our community. As Thanksgiving Day approaches, hundreds of organizations scramble to provide meals to the needy, people volunteer their time or donate food and money to make certain that those less fortunate have a good meal on Thanksgiving Day. As a community, we provide for each other to make certain that it is a special day for all of us. Thanksgiving Day is about reflection. There is a hustle and bustle that attends to packing and unpacking, driving or flying, preparing the food, and so many other activities that it is difficult to think that there is time for reflection. But it happens nonetheless. It is a chance to assess and evaluate our lives, our relationships, and our direction. In our reflections, we call to mind our blessings and good fortune. Thanksgiving Day is not about what we do not have – it is about what we do have. It is a rare moment in today’s society where we are called upon to recognize just how precious life is. Regardless of economic station, health condition, race, gender, religion, or any other societal categorization, we collectively draw a deep breath and realize that we have received countless blessings. In our own lives, the blessings abound. It could start simply with recognizing the sanctity of our own life. From there, there are family and friends that have provided love and support throughout the past year. Even for those in dark times filled with struggles, there are blessings to be counted, both large and small. The key is to know where to look – and Thanksgiving Day is all about that looking. But collectively, our blessings are overwhelming. We live in the greatest country the world has ever known, where the ideas of freedom, liberty, and democracy are not just ideas – but operating principles. We live in a country with immeasurable natural resources and amazing prosperity, where opportunity is a door that can be opened by any person willing to make the effort. We live in a place so special that people risk their lives to get here with nothing more than the shirt on their backs and a dream of a better life. They come in small boats across turbulent oceans, they come smuggled in the back of tractor trailers and shipping containers, and they swim rivers, climb fences, cross deserts – all for the chance to have a little piece of the American dream and the opportunity to share in our blessings. While illegal immigration remains a serious problem, it also demonstrates a significant truth – America is still that shining city on the hill whose light still calls to those yearning to be free. For most of us, we were blessed to be born here – and Thanksgiving Day is a time to really appreciate the simple good fortune of our birthplace. Thanksgiving is a special day – and let us do honor to it by calling to mind our blessings, both personal and collective, and do that which we are called upon to do – give thanks to God for each and every one of them. Happy Thanksgiving. 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. I’m having a knee replaced and I was wondering what it’s going to be like when I get home after the surgery. More than 9 out of 10 patients who have a total knee replacement have positive results; they experience reduced pain and improved ability to perform common activities. Within the first year after your operation, you should increase your endurance gradually. One of the key pitfalls is trying to do too much too soon. You’ll be given physical therapy exercises for at least two months. These are designed to help you bend and extend your leg. In addition to your prescribed exercises, you can walk as much as you like. Stationary bicycles are recommended for muscle tone and flexibility. Other acceptable activities after knee surgery include dancing, golf with spikeless shoes and a cart, and bicycling on flat ground. After the wound is healed, you can swim. Don’t do anything that puts stress on the knee such as racquet sports, football, baseball, basketball, and skiing. And don’t lift anything heavier than 40 pounds. Depending on the type of work – or play – you do, it could take 6 to 8 weeks before you are back in action. If your left knee was replaced and you have an automatic transmission, you may be able to begin driving in a week. If your right knee was replaced, you shouldn’t drive for 6 to 8 weeks. Your new knee will probably not set off metal detectors. However, you should carry a medic alert card indicating you have an artificial knee, just in case. The following is a list of modifications that can make your home easier to navigate during your recovery. Create a complete living space on one floor. Remove all loose carpets and electric cords. Rearrange furniture so you can maneuver with a walker or crutches. Install a shower chair, gripping bar, and toilet-seat riser in the bathroom. Use assistive devices, such as a long-handled shoehorn, a long-handled sponge, and a grabbing tool or reacher to avoid bending over too far. A stable chair with a firm seat cushion for your early recovery (and a height of 18 to 20 inches), a firm back, two arms, and a footstool for intermittent leg elevation. About 300,000 knee replacements are performed each year in the United States. Most patients who undergo total knee replacement are between the ages of 60 and 80. This surgery was first performed in 1968. There have been substantial improvements in technique and materials since then. Some anatomy. The knee, which is the largest joint in the body, is made up of the thighbone (femur), shin bone (tibia) and the kneecap (patella). Surfaces of this joint are covered with cartilage, a smooth substance that cushions the bones and enables them to move easily. The lateral meniscus and medial meniscus are pads of cartilage that further cushion the joint, acting as shock absorbers between the bones. In addition, surfaces of the knee are covered by a thin, smooth tissue liner called the synovial membrane. This membrane releases a special fluid that lubricates the knee, reducing friction to nearly zero in a healthy knee. Ligaments help to stabilize the knee. A knee replacement takes about two hours. Your orthopaedic surgeon will remove the damaged cartilage and bone, and then position the new metal and plastic joint surfaces to restore the alignment and function of your knee. If you have a question, please write to fred@healthygeezer.com.
Straight From Starrucca No Straight From Starrucca This Week
What’s Bugging You? Sowbugs & pillbugs: armored scavengers Perhaps one of the most frequently encountered, yet least noticed critters, are those small, armadillo-like bugs that quickly scurry away when you lift up an old board. Usually found in fairly large numbers, these “bugs” somehow disgust us and prompt us to quickly return the rotting board to its original position. We have just disturbed a group of sowbugs or pillbugs. While “woodlice” is another common name for either of these critters, sowbugs and pillbugs are distinctive species groups. If the disturbed “bug” rolls up into a ball, it is a pillbug. Sowbugs do not assume that defensive position. Also, pillbugs have a sharper convex profile than the sowbugs.
Pictured are left, a sowbug - note identifying “tails” and right, a ventral view of a sowbug. Commonly found under rotting boards and logs, sowbugs and pillbugs are not insects, but isopods. Like insects, isopods have the characteristic jointed legs and hardened exoskeleton of their common phylum Arthropoda. Since isopods are members of the Class Crustacea, sowbugs are closely related to crabs, shrimp, lobsters and crayfish. Of the more than 4,000 isopods, only the few species of sowbugs and pillbugs are terrestrial, with the remaining being marine or aquatic. Ranging in size from one-quarter to three-quarters inches in length, the oval-shaped sowbugs vary in color from dark brown to slate. They are wingless and have visible eyes. Their thoraxes are divided into 7 segments. They have 7 pairs of legs and two pairs of antennae, although only one pair is readily visible. Sowbugs have a pair of tail-like appendages, which protrude from the rear. Pillbugs lack these tails. The females of both have flattened structures at the base of some of their legs. These are brooding pouches for holding the developing eggs and embryos. Mating throughout the warmer seasons, the females carry up to 200 eggs in their brood pouches. The eggs hatch in three to seven weeks. The white-colored young remain in the brood pouches for up to eight weeks. There can be several generations per year, with individuals living up to three years. With incomplete metamorphosis, immature sowbugs look like smaller, lighter-colored versions of the adults. They molt 4 or 5 times before reaching maturity. The back half usually molts several days prior to the front half, resulting in a “two-tone” critter. They live together in family groups, with each family having a unique chemical ID that distinguishes it from the rest of the sowbug population. Since sowbugs breathe through gills located beneath the abdomen, they require a moist, humid environment. They find this under decaying wood, leaf litter and damp soil. In these locations, the sowbugs and pillbugs scavenge on decaying organic matter. They often group in masses, an action that helps preserve their moisture. They will remain hidden during the day, but will emerge at night to crawl about in search of more food. When disturbed, sowbugs are fast crawlers and can quickly disappear into cracks and crevices. They crawl into the moist soil where they become inactive during the cold winter months. Sowbugs and pillbugs occasionally feed on young plants, but their impact is minimal. Their biggest nuisance is simply their presence in an area where we don’t want to see them. This can be prevented by the removal of any moisture-retaining debris that can provide habitat for them. Indoors, simply removing moisture and humidity can discourage or kill them. They can easily be collected by vacuuming or by use of a dustpan and broom. Though not usually necessary or recommended, the application of a pesticide containing carbaryl or pyrethrin can be effective in controlling extreme cases of the isopod population. 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 Alzheimer’s Week November 23 – 29 Barnes-Kasson Hospital is celebrating National Alzheimer’s Week during November 23 – 29. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of a brain disease called dementia. Dementia is a type of progressive, degenerative brain syndrome. In other words, dementia is a condition in which the brain slowly degenerates, or breaks down. Dementia affects memory, thinking, behavior and emotion. Alzheimer’s has been called the “forgetting disease,” because the most famous and common symptom of it is memory loss. It is important though, to not confuse ordinary forgetfulness with short-term memory loss. It is normal for people to occasionally forget simple things, but forgetting things, such as their own name, can be a sign of something more serious. Other symptoms include difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language, decreased judgment, misplacing things, sudden changes in mood or behavior, and loss of initiative It is currently estimated that over 25 million people in the world have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. That number is predicted to skyrocket to 81 million by the year 2040. Dementia develops in only about one person in 1,000 under the age of 65. This is why it is said that dementia usually only affects older people. As age increases, so does the risk of getting Alzheimer’s/dementia. One person out of 20 over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s. Once over the age of 80, this figure increases to one person in five. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, but researchers have come out with a few different drugs to slow the process of dementia. The few drugs that are currently on the market are not a permanent solution, as they only slow the process for about 6-18 months. Some treatments are available for the symptoms of dementia, such as sleeping pills for sleeplessness. However, it is suggested such drugs as sleeping pills be kept to a minimum, as they can add to the confusion the patient already has. As stated before, there currently is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but there are things that can be done to help. If you believe that you or anyone you know may have Alzheimer’s disease, immediately contact your doctor to help ease symptoms.
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