COLUMNISTS

Business Directory Now Online!!!

Main News
County Living
Sports
Schools
Church Announcements
Classifieds
Dated Events
Military News
Columnists
Editorials/Opinions
Obituaries
Archives
Subscribe to the Transcript

 

Look Here For Future Specials

Please visit our kind sponsors

Issue Home June 2, 2010 Site Home

COLUMNS:
100 Years Ago
From the Desk of the D.A.
The Healthy Geezer
Library Chitchat
Rock Doc Break The Glass, Douse The Flames
What’s Bugging You?
Dear Dolly
Earth Talk
Barnes-Kasson Corner


100 Years Ago

MONTROSE: “Old Glory” floated gracefully from the top of the Court House on Decoration Day, but it took some pretty steady work to make it possible. The rope passing through the aperture at the extreme top of the iron staff surmounting the “pineapple” on top of the dome had become rotten, broken and slipped out, and it was up to somebody to go to the very top of the iron staff and insert the rope, and N. A. Warner was the man drafted to do this work, assisted by Arthur Smith and Ed. G. Foote, janitor. The “pineapple” on the top of the dome, which looks little bigger than an ordinary pail from the ground, is in reality about 6 ft. high, and the iron rod extending above it is an additional 30 ft., the whole distance from the ground being 100 ft., an uncertain movement on the part of the one making the ascent, would have meant almost certain death. “Nell” himself made the high climb and although 65 years old, there isn’t many younger men who would like the job. ALSO Scarcely had the town clock struck 7 a.m. on Memorial Day morning, when fourteen residents of Grow Avenue flung out their flags in honor of the soldier dead. Mrs. Rebecca Benedict, president of Dr. Ellen E. Mitchell Tent, Daughters of Union Veterans, headed the list, and others quickly fell in line.

FRANKLIN FORKS: Mr. and Mrs. Albin S. Burrows of Grand Forks, N. D., visited friends in Montrose and Franklin Forks. His father was the first man in this region to raise cultivated strawberries. Mr. Burrows was formerly superintendent of schools in the west, but afterwards went into the land business in North Dakota and was very successful in it. Mr. Burrows is a G.A.R. man and fraternized with the Montrose G. A. R. men in the observance of Memorial Day. He was in the Civil War and was a prisoner in the Libby Prison.

BRIDGEWATER TWP.: Dr. Dunton has rented the house at “Wayside,” lately occupied by G. D. Ayers, to a Philadelphia party. The house will undergo several changes, plumbing will be installed, and it will be splendidly furnished throughout, the Colonial effect to predominate.

ARARAT: The D & H Railroad Company are preparing to put [in] a new street bridge to span the railroad at this place, in place of the old wooden structure. Workers have already begun putting in the foundation.

LYNN, SPRINGVILLE TWP.: Fish and Sheldon have shipped from their store in two weeks, 100 cases of eggs, which equals 3000 dozen. This seems an enormous sum of eggs to be handled by one country store, but it is a fact nevertheless. They are paying 22 cents per dozen for them. Who can beat it?

HOWARD HILL, LIBERTY TWP.: Dogs have entered the flock of sheep belonging to George LaSure three different times within the past week, and have bitten sixteen sheep and killed two. The dogs are very bold, going through even in the day time. During the same week they have bitten sheep belonging to M. J. Hannagan, of Laurel Lake, and of Alvah Rockwell and Judson Stanford, of Stanfordville.

DIMOCK: Selden Stilwell sells the Saturday Evening Post paper every Thursday and John Dolan is doing the gardening work on the Ballentine farm.

LAKESIDE: Leland Mosher recently caught a silver sucker which weighed four pounds and seven ounces and Charles Leroy caught a ten quart pail of bull heads, in about two hours, one day last week.

SILVER LAKE: J. P. Radiker and wife are here and Mr. Radiker will complete the cottages he has under way and where he is also offered another contract.

BROOKLYN: John Lewis, of Binghamton, met with an automobile accident Sunday and as a result will ask the officials of Brooklyn for damages. Mr. Lewis was driving his car slowly across a bridge near Brooklyn, where repairs were being made, when one of the planks of the bridge tipped up and caught in the engine. The engine bed was torn out and Mrs. Lewis, who was riding with her husband, was thrown from the car but not seriously injured. ALSO Miss Alice Louise Lee has a serial in the “Christian Endeavor World” entitled “The Little Sister of the Founder.” The first chapters are now appearing and the story promises to be an interesting tale of college life. The reader cannot but be interested in the struggle of the heroine, a student who performs stenographic work to assist her through school. Miss Lee has woven in many interesting college episodes, which add spice to the narrative.

SUSQUEHANNA: Arch Woodward has the distinction of being the first one this season to bring to Susquehanna a rattlesnake. As Mr. Woodward was driving along the road at Green Grove, in the vicinity of his farm, Tuesday, a rattlesnake put in his appearance and attempted to cross the road. Woodward jumped from his wagon and securing a large stick, started after the rattler. The reptile showed fight but after a few blows was killed. It was a male, had 12 rattles and measured 4 ft., 3 in. long. Last season Mr. Woodward killed six good-sized rattlers at about the same point where he dispatched his latest victim.

UNIONDALE: Henry Garrison, an old and respected citizen here, died at the home of his daughter in Olyphant, May 20. He was a veteran of the Civil War, aged 74 years, and was buried in the Uniondale cemetery. He leaves a widow and one son and a daughter.

GIBSON: Memorial services were held here Sunday and were largely attended. Jackson Camp, P.O.S. of A., and Gibson Camp attended in a body. Beautiful and impressive services were held in the cemetery. Rev. B. R. Hanton gave an able and interesting address, his subject being “Lincoln, the Modern Moses.”

SPRING HILL, AUBURN TWP.: Miss Daisy Shumway, while driving, was thrown from the wagon and quite badly hurt. The horse became frightened at an auto. ALSO Throughout Auburn Twp., a visit to the last sleeping places of our loved ones showed them to be well cared for. At the Bunnell Cemetery the grave stones are in their places, the grass nicely cut and the graves covered with flowers. At Jersey Hill Cemetery everything was in fine shape and there was a big gathering of people. In the church nearby the G. A. R. held memorial services.

Back to Top

 

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

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed into law in 2006 by President George W. Bush. The Act contains a provision that allows the federal government to continue to incarcerate convicted sexual offenders even after the expiration of the sentence provided the offender is considered “sexually dangerous” by prison officials. There is a detailed administrative process that affords the inmate a hearing to contest the designation and the assurance that a federal judge will consider whether continued detention is necessary to protect the public.

As a result of this Act, there was approximately 100 federal inmates who have served their sentence, but have not been released as a result of a determination that they were “sexually dangerous” to the rest of society. A handful of these inmates challenged their continued confinement asserting that Congress lacked the constitutional authority to enact such a civil commitment statute. The inmates had already served out their sentences, none of which were terribly long as they ranged anywhere from three to eight years. Rather than being released, however, the inmates remained incarcerated after there was a determination that they were “sexually dangerous.” In their challenge, the inmates prevailed both at the district court and at the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, where the both courts concluded that Congress lacks the constitutional authority to indefinitely hold convicted sex offenders. The government appealed that ruling and the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.

In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court determined that Congress did have the authority to create legislation that allowed for the indefinite incarceration of “sexually dangerous” offenders. Writing for the majority, Justice Breyer stated: “The statute is a ‘necessary and proper’ means of exercising the federal authority that permits Congress to create federal criminal laws, to punish their violation, to imprison violators, to provide appropriately for those imprisoned and to maintain security of those who are not imprisoned.” In its analysis, the Court recognized that Congress had the authority to enact certain criminal laws relating to sexual offenses that were somehow connected with interstate commerce, i.e., child pornography or transporting or luring children across state lines for sexual purposes. If those criminal statutes were within the constitutionally permissible powers of the Congress, then the punishment, incarceration and treatment of those offenders was also plainly within the ambit of constitutional authority.

While there was no specific constitutional language that provided Congress with the authority to confine sexual offenders indefinitely, the majority concluded that the “necessary and proper” clause of the constitution afforded that power to Congress. In other words, the “necessary and proper” clause confers power upon Congress to take whatever appropriate steps to meaningfully effectuate its enumerated constitutional powers. The majority concluded that the incarceration, treatment, supervision and disposition of convicted federal inmates plainly were all necessary and proper components of the power of Congress to enact federal criminal laws.

Justice Thomas, joined by Justice Scalia, dissented. Justice Thomas sided with the lower courts in concluding that Congress lacked the constitutional authority to indefinitely incarcerate “sexually dangerous” inmates after the expiration of their criminal sentence. Justice Thomas conceded that Congress had the limited authority to enact criminal statutes under certain circumstances as well as the authority to incarcerate the offender for violation of that statute. After the expiration of the sentence, however, Justice Thomas argued that the genesis of federal authority disappears and, at that point, Congress lacks the ability to act without a specific, enumerated constitutional basis. In the absence of such explicit constitutional authority, Justice Thomas opined that the duty to protect the public from such dangerous individuals fell upon the states, not the federal government.

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/.

Back to Top

 

The Healthy Geezer
By Fred Cicetti

Q. What exactly degenerates when you get macular degeneration?

The macula. It is at the center of the retina in the back of your eye. The retina transmits light from the eye to the brain. The macula allows us to perform tasks that require central vision such as reading and driving.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.

In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes.

The risk of getting AMD increases with age. Other risk factors include smoking, obesity, race (whites are at higher risk), a family history of AMD, and gender (women are at higher risk).

Q. What is the difference between Tylenol and aspirin?

Acetaminophen is the most widely used pain-reliever and fever-reducer in the world. It is contained in more than 100 products. Tylenol is the best known over-the-counter (OTC) acetaminophen product. It is also a component of well known prescription drugs such as Darvocet and Percocet. Acetaminophen also is known as paracetamol and N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (APAP).

There are basically two types of over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Some contain acetaminophen, which is processed in the liver. Others contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are processed in the stomach. Examples of OTC NSAIDs are aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve).

Taking too much acetaminophen can lead to liver damage. The risk for liver damage may be increased if you drink three or more alcoholic drinks while using medicines that contain acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen is one of the most common pharmaceutical agents involved in overdose, as reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

NSAIDs are associated with stomach distress. You should talk to your doctor before using NSAIDS if you are over 60, taking prescription blood thinners, have stomach ulcers or other bleeding problems.

NSAIDs can also cause reversible damage to the kidneys. The risk of kidney damage may increase in people who are over 60, have high blood pressure, heart disease or pre-existing kidney disease, and people who are taking a diuretic.

It’s a good idea for all older adults to consult their doctors before taking any OTC medication.

Q. How long do hip replacements last?

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says joint replacement surgery is successful in more than 9 out of 10 people. And replacement of a hip or knee lasts at least 20 years in about 80 percent of those who have the surgery.

In the procedure, an arthritic or damaged joint is removed and replaced with an artificial joint called a “prosthesis.” Artificial joints are medical devices, which must be cleared or approved by the FDA before they can be marketed in the United States

The goal of surgery is to relieve the pain in the joint caused by the damage done to cartilage, the tissue that serves as a protective cushion and allows smooth, low-friction movement of the joint. Total joint replacement is considered if other treatment options will not bring relief.

The two most common joints requiring this form of surgery are the knee and hip, which are weight-bearing. But replacements can also be performed on other joints, including the ankle, foot, shoulder, elbow and fingers.

If you have a question, please write to fred@healthygeezer.com.

Back to Top

 

Library Chitchat
By Flo Whittaker

Back to Top

 

Rock Doc
By Dr. E. Kirsten Peters

Back to Top

 

What’s Bugging You?
By Stuart W. Slocum

No What's Bugging You This Week

Back to Top

 

Dear Dolly,

Dear Dolly,

My boyfriend is spending a lot of time checking out a new coworker. I know this because a friend of mine works at the same office. She says he is practically drooling over this new girl. We are both 23 and living together. -Melany

Dear Melany,

At 23, living together can mean a lot of things. Your boyfriend may believe you are roommates with "privileges." He may feel perfectly fine checking out other potential relationships, while sharing an apartment with you. You, on the other hand, may think of this as the last step before marriage and, "happily ever after."

It may be difficult, but you need to sit down in a calm frame of mind, and have a long conversation about the future. Find out what he is thinking and be honest with him about your needs and expectations. Be willing to really listen to what he is saying, even if you don't agree with him.

You're too young to settle for any relationship that doesn't have the potential to bring out the best in both of you. If your boyfriend is still playing the field, you are at risk for a number of nasty consequences.

Relationship decisions need to be made based on more than a report from a friend, but this is a wake up call. You need to listen and pay attention.

All Transcript readers are welcome to submit their questions to Dear Dolly at deardolly570@yahoo.com.

Back to Top

 

EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

No Earth Talk This Week

Back to Top

 

Barnes-Kasson Corner
By Cara Sepcoskiw

No Barnes-Kasson Corner This Week

Back to Top


News  |  Living  |  Sports  |  Schools  |  Churches  |  Ads  |  Events
Military  |  Columns  |  Ed/Op  |  Obits  | Archive  |  Subscribe