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COLUMNS: LYNN, SPRINGVILLE TWP.: Lehigh Valley detectives are searching for the party or parties who attempted to wreck a train on the Montrose branch near the creamery last week. The tie was placed on the rail, evidently in a spirit of mischief, but the aspect of the case is rendered the more serious when it is reported that a brake shoe was found in a dangerous position on the rails that afternoon when the train was coming up. When the tie was encountered on the down trip, the engine shoved it along on the rails sufficiently until the engine could be stopped and the dangerous obstacle removed. HARFORD: Fully 4000 people attended the Harford Fair, the gate receipts amounting to about $950, while the total receipts will be about $1150. The exhibits were all up to standard and all were pleased with them and the management. The report circulated that Clarence G. Stephens, the Lenoxville merchant, was killed in an auto accident at the fair is not credited. The bursting of a tire on his machine started the story. DIMOCK: Much credit is due our milkmen at the station for the tidy appearance and cleanliness of everything, which makes our station one of the best along the line. HALLSTEAD: H. R. Bertholf, our enterprising merchant, gave away six sacks of Gold Medal flour in order to test its baking qualities, and also to find out the best bakers of our town. Mrs. F. C. Whitman, of Great Bend, was judge, and Mrs. Kate Bradstreet received 1st prize, Mrs. Miles Fisher, 2nd, and Mrs. George Hatfield, 3rd, out of 25 contestants. ALSO Giles M. Carpenter, accompanied by his estimable wife, are at the big Allentown fair this week, going down in his automobile, having become an ardent devotee of motoring. Mr. Carpenter is a mighty good judge of horses, too, and for many years took particular delight in drawing the reins over those that “took no dust,” but he says now that automobiles are “it.” GREAT BEND: The Keystone Hotel is being conducted by Mr. McEvoy in such a way as to please the traveling public, furnishing good meals and good beds. MONTROSE: Orin Owens and Jesse Chamberlain, who passed worthless checks, scaled the jail wall and had a few hours liberty. They were captured by a large posse of armed citizens and returned to the bastile. It created considerable excitement for a while, and every boy old enough to tote a gun was hot on their trail in order to capture the reward of $50, offered by Sheriff Conklin. Saturday is the day the prisoners are required to clean up at the jail. They are permitted to go into the jail yard, under surveillance, and wash blankets and perform other work that has a tendency toward cleanliness. The sheriff was away and a young man at the jail was looking after the prisoners. The arrival of the groceryman caused the prisoners to come into the jail to make small orders, which is customary, and the young man hustled downtown for 10 minutes, the impression being that the inmates were occupied and would not again go into the yard. Owens and Chamberlain took advantage of the time and got over the high jail wall and beat it out Prospect street in the direction of the State line. The men were last seen going toward Dr. Dutton’s farm (on Chenango St.). Bruce Titman came upon the much wanted pair seated on the ground, in a cornfield, and called to Dr. W. H, Conklin, Kelton Jones, J. V. Griffis and Charles Mackey, who were nearest. There was such a display of war paraphernalia that the cowed prisoners gave themselves up immediately. The reward went to Bruce Titman. ELK LAKE: Arthur Shay, while returning from the creamery, Monday, had his horse frightened by a gasoline engine, hurting him so he is confined to the house. SILVER LAKE: Miss Catherine Griffin has opened her school in Brackney, where she is a welcome teacher among the parents, as well as pupils. AND Miss Rose Sweeney has decided it is easier for her to attend a school in Binghamton than Montrose CLIFFORD: The Royal school is being taught by one of our rosy cheeked girls, Miss Florence Morgan, who is giving good satisfaction. ALSO A good number of our young people attended the dance at Royal last Friday night and they all report a very enjoyable time and think they will attend the next one. The Royal House has the only spring floor hall in this section of the country. It is reported that there will be a dance in the hall every two weeks until next April. BROOKLYN: Merchant Luther S. Ely drove his handsome pair of bays to Montrose on Saturday. HOPBOTTOM: Frank Janaushek is Hop Bottom’s well known undertaker and furniture dealer. FOREST CITY: Attorney F. M. Gardiner has announced himself as a candidate for district attorney in 1910 and informs us that he will make an aggressive canvas for the Republican nomination next year. SOUTH MONTROSE: The McDermott Dairy Co. has leased some land of Robert Reynolds and is building a pond thereon for the purpose of securing ice for their plant at this place. LAKESIDE, JACKSON TWP.: Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Whitney, of Susquehanna, are working for Mr. and Mrs. U. B. Rice, who are visiting Mr. Rice’s brother, Henry, in Amherst, Neb. LATHROP: The Commonwealth Telephone Co. is building a telephone line from Hillsdale to the Tarbell pond. Lathrop is getting pretty well supplied with telephone lines. SUSQUEHANNA: Complaints still come in about the work of “Jack the Prowler” who has been operating on West Hill and later in other sections of the town. His latest operations were on West Main street and while he did not chase any one to any great extent he favored several young ladies with a little more attention than they relished. The young ladies are not accompanied by gentlemen and he succeeds in making them nervous. The New Milford Advertiser offers the following advice to the people of Susquehanna: “A back yard prowler has been frightening unprotected women and girls in Susquehanna for the past ten days. He should be captured and hanged with a clothes line.” NEWS BRIEF: Spitting in public places is prohibited by Act 289. It makes it a misdemeanor to spit on a public walk, on the steps of a public building or in any railroad or railway car.
From the Desk of the D.A. Last week, I wrote about the first judge trial that I prosecuted - only 11 days after being sworn in as a Susquehanna County Assistant District Attorney. After reading that column, a reader indicated to me that I should explain the differences between a judge and jury trial. Well, I did not have to wait long for the first jury trial, which happened on October 13, 1999 - 30 days after starting work and just 19 days after the first judge trial - and it provides a nice opportunity to explain the most significant difference, i.e., the jury. As I said last week, a judge trial is little easier than a jury trial. The most obvious and stark difference is that there is no jury to select, and jury selection is a rather complex process. There are professionals and consultants who make a living by assisting lawyers in selecting the perfect jurors. The jury selection process is generally known as voir dire, which means generally “to speak the truth.” The stated goal is to obtain fair and impartial jurors - but, in reality, attorneys are generally looking for jurors who will relate to the facts of their particular case. In other words, you want jurors who indicate that they can be fair and impartial, but whom you believe will ultimately support your position. To accomplish the jury selection, a large number of members from the community are called into the courtroom for jury selection, i.e., the prospective jury pool. Then, the judge randomly calls a certain number of jurors forward and sits them in the jury box (or area surrounding the jury box), and the voir dire begins. The initial goal is to determine whether there are any jurors who need to be excluded for cause. In other words, they cannot be fair and impartial in the trial. Voir dire is also the first chance that an attorney has to talk with the jury and hopefully develop a good connection with the jury. There is a certain amount of difficulty in asking potentially embarrassing questions of potential jurors without risking alienating the entire pool. No body likes to have their dirty laundry aired in public - let alone to be forced to do so by a nosey attorney. There are lots of reasons that a juror may not be able to be fair and impartial. For instance, in a DUI case, a juror or a family member may have been a victim of a DUI crash - or the juror or the family member may have been arrested or convicted of a DUI offense. These experiences may produce in a particular juror certain emotions that cloud their judgment. The goal during voir dire is to elicit this information so that a juror can be removed for cause, i.e., stricken from the potential jury pool - and to do so in a manner so that the rest of the jurors do not develop a substantial dislike for you because you are butting into their private lives. Voir dire also provides the attorney with a chance to learn a little bit about the prospective jurors. Oftentimes, an attorney will not have sufficient cause to strike a juror, i.e., the juror has indicated that he or she can be fair and impartial despite a particular experience that may call into question their partiality. At the end of the voir dire process, both the prosecution and the defense have a number of peremptory challenges wherein jurors are struck without providing a reason. The only limit on a preemptory challenge is that it cannot be used for discriminatory purposes, i.e., striking a juror based solely upon race, gender or some other protected classification. Thus, the information gathered during voir dire becomes crucial to deciding which jurors you want to keep and which jurors you want to strike. Both attorneys must use their preemptory challenges. In a DUI case, there are 5 preemptory challenges for each side, i.e., ten jurors must be struck from the prospective jury pool for the final jury to be composed and seated. This becomes an interesting (and arguably arbitrary) process of selection of prospective jurors. The attorneys alternate striking jurors with their preemptory challenges, and the jurors sit quietly not knowing whether they have been struck, or which attorney decided to strike them from the pool. Trying to describe the jury selection process in a short column like this is difficult. I can say that I remember my first jury selection as being a bit of a bewildering experience. It was far more difficult than simply presenting the evidence to a judge - and the difficulties occurred even before any evidence was even presented. In the end, I obtained a conviction - which was likely attributed more to the evidence in the case than any particular skill in the jury selection process. 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 Flu season in the northern hemisphere can range from as early as November to as late as May. The peak month usually is February. However, this coming season is expected to be unpredictable because of the emergence of the H1N1 influenza virus or swine flu. The H1N1 has caused the first global outbreak – pandemic - of influenza in more than four decades. There is concern that the 2009 H1N1 virus may make the season worse than a regular flu season. It is feared that there will be many more hospitalizations and fatalities this season. The 2009 H1N1 virus caused illness in the U.S. during the summer months when influenza is very uncommon. The 2009-10 flu vaccine protects against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. The seasonal vaccine is not expected to protect against the 2009 H1N1 virus. A vaccine for 2009 H1N1 is being produced and may be ready for the public in the fall. The 2009-10 vaccine can be administered anytime during flu season. However, the best time to get inoculated is October-November. The protection provided by the vaccine lasts about a year. Adults over 50 are prime candidates for the vaccine because the flu can be fatal for people in this age group. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 20 percent of the population gets the flu each year. The CDC reports vaccination rates are better for those over 65. About 7 in 10 seniors get their flu shots. You can get the flu vaccine from your doctor, at public health centers, senior centers, pharmacies and supermarkets. For more than four decades, the flu vaccine has been strongly recommended for older people, but now some scientists say the vaccine probably doesn’t work well for those over 70. About 75 percent of flu deaths happen to people in this age group. Flu is a contagious illness of the respiratory system caused by the influenza virus. Flu can lead to pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, ear problems and dehydration. Droplets from coughing and sneezing spread the flu. An adult with flu can infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five days after becoming sick. Children may spread flu for more than seven days. The best way to combat the bug is to get the flu vaccine. You have to get inoculated annually because new vaccines are prepared every year to combat new versions of the virus. When you battle the flu, you develop antibodies to the invading virus, but those antibodies don’t work on new strains. The vaccine does not prevent flu in all people; it works better in younger recipients than older ones. Contrary to rumor, you can’t catch the flu from the vaccine. The flu vaccine is not made from a live virus. The recovery time for the flu is about one to two weeks. However, in seniors, weakness may persist for a longer time. The common scenario for flu is a sudden onset of symptoms, which include chills, fatigue, fever, cough, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, muscle aches and appetite loss. While nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can be related to the flu, these are rarely the primary flu symptoms. The flu is not a stomach or intestinal disease. The term stomach flu is inaccurate. When symptoms strike, get to a doctor as soon as possible; the faster the better. There are prescription antiviral drugs to treat flu. Over-the-counter medicines can help relieve symptoms of the flu. You should also drink liquids to prevent dehydration, and sleep to bolster your immune system. If you have a question, please write to fred@healthygeezer.com.
Library Chitchat What can you do with a penny? This much maligned coin has been flattened as a souvenir at carnivals and discarded from pockets and purses into piggybanks. However, we at the Susquehanna County Library are reaping the benefit of pennies, not from heaven, but from our county residents via their local Shurfine Markets, such as ABC Markets in Montrose and Rob’s Country Market in Great Bend. Shurfine Markets established this generous program which donates to organizations, such as your library, three cents from every purchase made of Shurfine or Western Family products. A Gold Card is necessary to participate in this program, but there is no other cost to the customer. If you register your Gold Card with the library and then use it regularly to buy Shurfine and Western Family products, the Library receives a check that adds up all those pennies. This year we have received in excess of $5,700 from this program. For this, we sincerely thank the participating markets. However, the markets would not be in a position to provide these funds, if shoppers in our county had not elected to make the required purchases. Therefore, pat yourselves on the back. You all did a good job of making a great program work. If you have a Gold Card and have not yet signed up to participate in the program, ask at your local library for a registration form. Every penny will help Susquehanna County Library continue to be your resource for lifetime learning.
What’s Bugging You? Milkweed Tussock Moth: Fuzzy & Colorful As the nights cool, and days shorten, a variety of caterpillars are actively feeding, in preparation for a “long winter’s nap” in their soon–to-be-formed cocoons. While most people are familiar with the smooth-skinned, vibrant-colored monarch butterfly larvae, few have noticed or recognized the equally colorful, but fuzzy, milkweed tussock moth caterpillar (Euchaetes egle). This densely haired caterpillar is frequently found on the undersides of older, more mature milkweed leaves. It is strikingly colored with bright yellow and orange tufts protruding dorsally along its back. Separate, longer lashes of white and black hairs extend outward and upward from both ends of the caterpillar’s body. In fact, unless the caterpillar is in motion, it is very difficult to determine which are the head and tail ends. The milkweed tussock caterpillars are protected by their coloration, which mimics that of the monarch caterpillars. The bright colors warn potential predators of the insects’ bad taste caused by toxic cardiac glycosides extracted from their milkweed forage.
Milkweed tussock moth caterpillar. Upon first hatching, the young tussock caterpillars remain together, sometimes feeding so voraciously that they totally defoliate their original host milkweed plant. Unlike monarch caterpillars, which most often habituate young milkweed plants, the tussock moths seem to prefer the more mature, older foliage that is beginning to dry and turn yellow. Little detail is actually known about the life cycle of these moths. The pupa overwinters in a fuzzy cocoon that is constructed from the caterpillar’s coat. There are normally two generations per year. Unlike the brightly colored caterpillar, the adult milkweed tussock moth is rather drab, with unmarked, light gray wings. Their rather plump abdomen is yellow, with a midline row of black dots.
Adult milkweed tussock moth. As members of the tiger moth family, Arctidae, milkweed tussock moths are closely related to the woolybear (Isabella tiger moth) and the fall webworm. Most of the mature moths in this group are primarily nocturnal. Like the noctuid moths, the Arctid moths possess typana “ears” that permit them to intercept bat sonar and take appropriate evasive actions. The Arctid moths go one step further. By emitting their own clicking sounds, the moths forewarn bats that they are undesirable, toxic and distasteful prey. Aposematic warning colorations, effective only if seen, are not deterrents to bats. Hence, the clicking mechanism is critical to the moths’ survival. A variation of those ultrasonic sounds is also employed in the search for a mate and subsequent courtship of the moths. As with the American dagger caterpillars, the tussock caterpillars are also susceptible to parasitism by the braconid wasps. As with other species of hairy caterpillars, some people report dermal sensitivity upon direct contact with the larva. Otherwise, there seems to be no real problem, medically or environmentally, with these caterpillars or their moths. Their bright coloration and amusing “waddle” as they transverse an aging milkweed leaf provide some natural entertainment on a sunny autumn day. Questions, comments and suggestions regarding this article, identifications or any other insect-related matters are welcome. Please email them to bugman95@gmail.com.
Dear Dolly, School has started and the morning has slipped back into the same pattern of, "I can't find my book bag" and "my favorite shirt has spaghetti on the sleeve." I'd hoped, with the kids being a year older, things would improve. I'm so stressed by the time I get three kids on the bus. I want to crawl back into my bed when what I need to do, is to get into my car and on my way to work. What can I do? -Michelle Dear Michelle, The goal of a positive, calm and happy start for each day, is within your reach. Simply take the pressure off the morning by developing a family evening routine. Each person needs a designated "launch pad" in their room where their clothes for tomorrow are laid out. We're talking everything they plan to wear from top to bottom. You will need to check to make sure this is done correctly. This should be completed before the computer, TV or any games are powered up to give Mom time to do a quick load of laundry if necessary. Next to the front door you need to establish a "community launch pad." You'll need to have a shelf and two hooks for each family member. This is where the book bag hangs after the completed homework is in it, and the next hook holds their coat, adding mittens and boots as the weather dictates. While you are making supper, you are also packing lunches for tomorrow and setting them in the fridge. Before bedtime, set up for breakfast. If the menu is cereal and fresh fruit, put everything on the table so that milk is the only thing you need to add in the morning. Pre program your coffee maker. Establishing and carrying out an evening routine will make your mornings worth waking up to. "Rise and shine!" as my mother always said. All Transcript readers are welcome to submit their questions to Dear Dolly at deardolly570@yahoo.com.
EARTH TALK Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that military sonar exercises actually kill marine wildlife? Unfortunately for many whales, dolphins and other marine life, the use of underwater sonar (short for sound navigation and ranging) can lead to injury and even death. Sonar systems - first developed by the U.S. Navy to detect enemy submarines - generate slow-rolling sound waves topping out at around 235 decibels; the world’s loudest rock bands top out at only 130. These sound waves can travel for hundreds of miles under water, and can retain an intensity of 140 decibels as far as 300 miles from their source. These rolling walls of noise are no doubt too much for some marine wildlife. While little is known about any direct physiological effects of sonar waves on marine species, evidence shows that whales will swim hundreds of miles, rapidly change their depth (sometime leading to bleeding from the eyes and ears), and even beach themselves to get away from the sounds of sonar. In January 2005, 34 whales of three different species became stranded and died along North Carolina’s Outer Banks during nearby offshore Navy sonar training. Other sad examples around the coast of the U.S. and elsewhere abound, notably in recent years with more sonar testing going on than ever before. According to the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which has campaigned vigorously to ban use of the technology in waters rich in marine wildlife, recent cases of whale strandings likely represent a small fraction of sonar’s toll, given that severely injured animals rarely make it to shore. In 2003, NRDC spearheaded a successful lawsuit against the Navy to restrict the use of low-frequency sonar off the coast of California. Two years later a coalition of green groups led by NRDC and including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the League for Coastal Protection, Cetacean Society International, and Ocean Futures Society upped the ante, asking the federal courts to also restrict testing of more intense, harmful and far ranging mid-frequency types of sonar off Southern California’s coastline. In filing their brief, the groups cited Navy documents which estimated that such testing would kill some 170,000 marine mammals and cause permanent injury to more than 500 whales, not to mention temporary deafness for at least 8,000 others. Coalition lawyers argued that the Navy’s testing was in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Two lower courts upheld NRDC’s claims, but the Supreme Court ruled that the Navy should be allowed to continue the use of some mid-frequency sonar testing for the sake of national security. “The decision places marine mammals at greater risk of serious and needless harm,” says NRDC’s Joel Reynolds. Environmental groups are still fighting the battle against the sonar, lobbying the government to curtail testing, at least during peacetime, or to at least ramp up testing gradually to give marine wildlife a better chance to flee affected areas. “The U.S. Navy could use a number of proven methods to avoid harming whales when testing mid-frequency sonar,” reports IFAW’s Fred O'Regan. “Protecting whales and preserving national security are not mutually exclusive.” CONTACTS: NRDC, www.nrdc.org; IFAW, www.ifaw.org. Dear EarthTalk: How does the microwave compare in energy use, say, to using a gas or electric stove burner to heat water for a cup of tea? The short answer is that it depends upon several variables, including the price of electricity versus gas, and the relative efficiency of the appliances involved. Typically, though, a microwave would be slightly more efficient at heating water than the flame on a gas stove, and should use up a little less energy. The reason: The microwave’s heat waves are focused on the liquid (or food) inside, not on heating the air or container around it, meaning that most if not all of the energy generated is used to make your water ready. Given this logic, it is hard to believe that a burner element on an electric stovetop would be any better, but an analysis by Home Energy Magazine found otherwise. The magazine’s researchers discovered that an electric burner uses about 25 percent less electricity than a microwave in boiling a cup of water. That said, the difference in energy saved by using one method over another is negligible: Choosing the most efficient process might save a heavy tea drinker a dollar or so a year. “You’d save more energy over the year by replacing one light bulb with a CFL [compact fluorescent lightbulb] or turning off the air conditioner for an hour - not an hour a day, one hour at some point over the whole year,” says consumer advocate Michael Bluejay. Although a microwave may not save much energy or money over a stove burner when heating water, it can be much more energy-efficient than a traditional full-size oven when it comes to cooking food. For starters, because their heat waves are concentrated on the food, microwaves cook and heat much faster than traditional ovens. According to the federal government’s Energy Star program, which rates appliances based on their energy-efficiency, cooking or re-heating small portions of food in the microwave can save as much as 80 percent of the energy used to cook or warm them up in the oven. The website Treehugger.com reports that there are other things you can do to optimize your energy efficiency around the kitchen when cooking. For starters, make sure to keep the inside surfaces of your microwave oven clean so as to maximize the amount of energy reflected toward your food. On a gas stovetop, make sure the flame is fully below the cookware; likewise, on an electric stovetop, make sure the pan or kettle completely covers the heating element to minimize wasted heat. Also, use the appropriate size pan for the job at hand, as smaller pans are cheaper and more energy-efficient to heat up. Despite these tips for cooking greener, Bluejay reiterates that most of us will hardly put a dent in our overall energy use just by choosing one appliance over another. According to his analysis, for someone who bakes three hours a week the cheapest cooking method saves only an estimated $2.06/month compared to the most expensive method. “Focusing on cooking methods is not the way to save electricity [at home],” says Bluejay. “You should look at heating, cooling, lighting and laundry instead.” CONTACTS: Home Energy Magazine, www.homeenergy.org; Treehugger, www.treehugger.com; Michael Bluejay, www.michaelbluejay.com. Send Your Environmental Questions To: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.
Barnes-Kasson Corner National Alzheimer’s Week September 20 - 26 Barnes-Kasson Hospital is celebrating National Alzheimer’s Week September 20 - 26.Alzheimer's disease is a condition in which the nerve cells in the brain die. This makes it difficult for brain signals to be transmitted properly. Alzheimer’s is common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is the loss of mental functions, such as memory and reasoning, that is severe enough to interfere with a person's daily functioning. Dementia is not a disease itself, but it is rather a group of symptoms that are caused by various conditions. Most symptoms of Alzheimer's progress so slowly over a number of years, that it may be hard to even notice them early on. The most common symptom is short-term memory loss, which over time usually develops into long term-memory loss. With long-term the person can't remember personal information, such as his or her place of birth or occupation, or names of close family members. In short-term, people usually forget new information they just heard, or forget that they already told the same story more than once. As symptoms worsen, people with Alzheimer's may get lost when they are out on their own. They could forget where they are and how they got there. They may not recognize a familiar face or place, and can forget what year it is. Medications that are used for Alzheimer’s are only capable of controlling symptoms; they cannot cure or slow down its progression. Most medications are used to improve mental function; others are used to treat the depression and anxiety that comes along with the disease. While medications might be able to control the symptoms of Alzheimer’s for a while, eventually the cells in an effected person’s brain will deteriorate to a point where they cannot live independently. Because the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s mostly only include memory loss, people often mistake them for normal signs of ageing. However, with new techniques doctors can now diagnose Alzheimer’s at a 90% accuracy rate. Early diagnosis is essential to create the most comfortable life with Alzheimer’s as possible. If diagnosed at an early stage, there is sufficient enough time for the patient and their families to plan for the future needs and care of the patient. Another added bonus of early diagnosis is that the patient can use some medicines that are only useful in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's. If you think that you or someone you know may be effected by Alzheimer’s or Dementia, please contact your doctor.
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