| |
| COLUMNISTS |
|
Business Directory Now Online!!!
Please visit our kind sponsors |
|
||||||
|
COLUMNS: SUSQUEHANNA: The barn owned by J. G. Deuel near here was reported to have been destroyed by fire Monday afternoon. The horses were removed in time, but it was impossible to save anything else. The fire was thought to have started from a lighted match dropped by a tramp, who slept in the barn over night. The loss estimated at $800. HARFORD: Harford Camp of United Sportsmen will hold their first annual hunt Saturday, Oct. 15. Sides have been chosen and the losing side pays for the Oyster Supper which will be served in the Lecture Room at 7 p.m. Following is a list of the count: Fox 500; Weasel 100; Coon 100; Hawk 300; Blue Jay 50; King Fisher 50; Crow 200; Red Squirrel 200; Chip Munk 25. THOMPSON: Burglars stole 22 pairs of high grade shoes from the store of Thomas Walker, Monday night. Mr. Walker made the discovery on opening the store on Tuesday morning, finding several shoe boxes scattered about the floor. A window in the front part of the store was pried open and entrance gained. It appears like the work of some one familiar with the interior of the store. LAKESIDE: Mrs. Eva Perry is occupying rooms in W. S. Collum’s house, having sold her place to her son, H. S. Perry, who has taken possession. MONTROSE: While Robert Wood and wife were out driving Thursday evening, on Grow Avenue, their carriage collided with that of Ambrose Payne, who was also out driving, accompanied by his wife, daughter Ruth and two smaller children. The contact of the two vehicles precipitated Mr. and Mrs. Wood to the ground; also Mr. Payne and daughter Ruth were thrown out. All seemed to have escaped serious injuries from their sudden but rather exciting experience, but the following day Mr. Wood became unconscious and rather ill and has been hovering between life and death. The evening was an exceedingly dark one and Grow Avenue was without lights, a wire having broken and rendered void the light service on that street. [Mr. Wood passed away on Oct. 21, 2010]. ALSO Seventeen ladies signified their intention of forming a chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. One of the main objects in forming a chapter is to perpetuate the memory of the men and women of the Revolutionary period and promote the interests for which they struggled. In Susquehanna County, John Adams and Thomas Williams both lived to the age of 104 years and George Gelatt to 105 years. Many of the men served in the French and Indian war, and had glorious records of faithfulness and valor. Rufus Kingsley and Putnam Catlin were drummer boys at Bunker Hill; Capt. John Locke attended the Boston tea party in 1773 and was quite in evidence at that function. FOREST CITY: Rev. J. E. Gryczka has established a parochial school in the basement of Sacred Heart School and has about 200 pupils. KINGSLEY: Mr. and Mrs. Urbane Sloat attended the unveiling of the soldiers’ monument at Gettysburg. [U. Sloat was a member of Co. K., Sixth PA Reserves and later transferred to Co. E, 191st Reg. The Sixth fought at Little Round Top during the battle of Gettysburg.] WEST AUBURN: Frank Carter, of Retta, was seen driving his new machine through this village, Sunday morning about one o’clock, rather early for such a well behaved gentleman as Frank. In Auburn Center a number of people laid aside all work and care on Saturday afternoon and went to Meshoppen to see the $100 ball game played on Meshoppen ground between Laceyville and Meshoppen. The second game was in favor of Meshoppen, 8 to 1, and the final test to be on same ground, Oct. 15. SILVER LAKE: Mr. and Mrs. Pickett have conducted the boarding house at the Russell farm during the past season, caring for those employed there, and have had as many as eighteen boarders at a time. Such a large family made things very strenuous in the Pickett household at times, but Mr. and Mrs. Pickett were equal to every occasion. HOP BOTTOM: H. C. Carpenter, proprietor of the Valley View House, will give one of his popular hops, Friday evening, October 21. Purvis’ Orchestra will furnish music and a good time is assured those attending. FLYNN: Sister Admirabis, of Troy, N.Y., is here visiting her father, Mr. Patrick McCormick, who is dangerously ill. UNIONDALE: Two aged and respected residents of this place passed away last week. Wm. W. Davis, 74 years old, expired Monday morning, Oct. 3, and his wife, who had been ill several weeks, succumbed Wednesday evening, Oct. 5. Mr. and Mrs. Davis, after pleasantly living together for so many years, were allowed the unusual privilege of being carried to their last resting place together at the Welsh Hill cemetery. FAIRDALE: The Grangers met last Saturday in Grange hall to celebrate their 14th anniversary. There were over 100 present who partook of a most excellent dinner. HALLSTEAD: Worthy Deputy C. P. Lyman inspected Friendship Grange on Oct. 8. The question of dancing at Grange meetings came up and Brother and Sister Lyman both expressed themselves as being very much opposed to the practice, for the reason that it has a tendency to draw the interest of the young people from the meeting, they being disposed to hurry through to begin dancing. Brother Lyman cited instances where Granges had been nearly or quite broken up by dancing. After the meeting ice cream and cake were served. WEST LENOX: The Baptist church has purchased one of the houses on the grounds of the old Soldiers’ Orphan School and will move it and convert it into a barn on the parsonage grounds - a much needed improvement. LITTLE MEADOWS: Last Friday evening Avery Johnson’s friends gave him a birthday party at his home. A very enjoyable evening was spent, and best of all, the party was a genuine surprise to both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. NEWS BRIEF: We confess that we are not just as up-to-date as we might be and that is probably the reason that we never caught sight of a hobble-skirt until last week. They are not only pretty, but they might serve a good purpose as well if they only succeed in compelling the fast girls to slow down a little.
From the Desk of the D.A. Several months ago, I was speaking at a pre-prom assembly at a local high school and I stopped by the superintendent’s office before I left just to say hello. During the conversation, the Super told me that the district had just received notice from the insurance company that the cost of insurance was going to rise significantly in response to the federal national healthcare legislation. The Super was concerned over how the school was going to pay for these costs - and how much would have to be passed on to the taxpayer. Under the contract with the teachers, the school could not pass on any of the expense onto the teachers. The insurance company provided reasons for the increase in the premiums that were directly related to new requirements under federal law. The insurance company could no longer exclude pre-existing conditions. The insurance company could no longer put a cap on the amount of coverage the policy was providing. The insurance company had to extend coverage to dependent children up to the age of 26. The insurance company could no longer require co-payments on preventive medical procedures. All of these things resulted from the new federal healthcare legislation - and all have been heralded as wonderful improvements to our healthcare system. This extended coverage is undoubtedly an improvement - but everyone understands that you cannot get more coverage without paying more money for it. Well, most of us understand it - but it seems that politicians live in a different reality where up is down and more is less - and where red is black when it comes to the checkbook. We were promised by the politicians that the healthcare legislation would drive costs down - even when common sense suggests that there is no way to provide health insurance to 30 million more people and expand existing insurance coverage to everyone else without increasing costs. To put it in simpler terms, if every year you hosted a pizza party for 10 friends, you have a pretty good idea what it costs. Then the government tells you that it can save you some money on your annual pizza party. You say great and you ask how. The government smiles and tells you that this year you have to serve an all-you-can-eat lobster buffet and there will be 20 people coming to the party - and it will all cost less than feeding 10 friends some pizza. You know that you cannot do it for less - it is simply not possible. You cannot buy better food and feed more people for less money. But that is exactly what politicians told us that the healthcare plan was going to do. The insurance companies began to tell the truth that premium rates were being increased in part to comply with the new requirements under the healthcare law. In response, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius retaliated against the insurance industry and stated that there would be “zero tolerance” for insurance companies who tried to blame rate hikes on the new healthcare legislation. Sebelius threatened the truthful insurance companies with exclusion from any future run government run healthcare programs as well as prohibiting taxpayers from using government subsidies to purchase insurance products from them. As I said, politicians live in a different reality - and now they want to force the rest of us down into the same rabbit hole. Additionally, we just learned that around 30 employers, insurers and union health plans were granted a one-year waiver by the Obama Administration to avoid compliance with the new healthcare law. The reason that the waiver was provided was that the employers were going to drop the insurance coverage because of the increased costs resulting from the mandated coverage under the new federal law. In other words, it was a simple business decision - employers and unions could not afford to maintain the coverage required by the new law. While these big employers requested waivers so that they could maintain some level of health insurance for their employees, there are likely many smaller employers who simply eliminated the coverage rather than pay the increased costs. The result is simple: less people covered by health insurance. Ironically, Sebelius and her “zero tolerance” philosophy against “disinformation” granted the waiver to these big employers. There was no tough talk about not tolerating employers from blaming their decision to drop insurance coverage on the new healthcare bill. All of these issues were one of the reasons that so many people stressed that rushing a massive healthcare bill through Congress was a very bad idea. There were too many unknowns - not only to the politicians who never bothered to read the thing and literally knew nothing about it - but also in the practical application of how such massive and intrusive legislation would affect the market, employers and employees. There is an old saying out there that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The only people who do not understand the wisdom of this saying are politicians who get fed for free all of the time. Therein lays the problem. 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 considering a dental implant for a missing tooth. How reliable are they? Are they expensive? Dental implants, which started to become accepted in the 1980s, are both reliable and expensive. Dental implants are among the most successful procedures in dentistry. Studies have shown a five-year success rate of more than 90 percent. After more than 20 years of service, the vast majority of dental implants still function. With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime. Cost is dependent upon the dentist, the type of implant and the materials used. A single implant costs between $1,000 and $5,000. The cost of dental implants for an entire mouth can be as high as $100,000. Removable dentures rest on the gum line. Fixed bridges use adjacent teeth as anchors. Dental implants, which are designed to replace a single tooth, are made up of a titanium screw that fuses with the jawbone; the abutment, which fits over the part of the implant that protrudes from the gum line, and the crown, which is fitted onto the abutment. Dental implants look like real teeth and are more durable than dentures and bridges. A single implant can be used to support a bridge and increase the stability of dentures. There are difficulties with removable dentures and fixed bridges. Dentures can slip and make annoying clicking sounds. They may also lead to bone loss where there are teeth missing. Fixed bridges often have a negative effect on adjacent healthy teeth. Bridges and dentures usually need to be replaced every 7 to 15 years. Dental implants are not perfect. They can fail if the implant doesn't fuse to the jaw bone. Implants may break or become infected. Crowns can loosen. Smoking puts implants at risk. More and more seniors are choosing dental implants to replace lost teeth. If you can have routine dental treatment, you can generally have an implant. You're never too old to receive a dental implant. The implant procedure reminds me of carpentry instructions. First, a small “pilot” hole is drilled into the jaw. This hole is slowly widened to give the implant screw room. After the screw is in the jaw, a protective cover is placed on top to permit healing and for the titanium to anchor. This anchoring is called “osseointegration.” After several months, the protective cover is removed and a temporary crown is placed on top of the dental implant. The gum grows and shapes itself around the temporary crown. Later, the temporary crown is replaced with a permanent one. There are narrower “mini-implants” available for small teeth and incisors. These smaller implants, which are about half the width of traditional implants, are less costly. Seniors today are more likely to keep their teeth than they were a decade ago. However, studies indicate that older people have the highest rates of periodontal (gum) disease and need to do more to maintain good oral health. Some facts: * About 25 percent of people age 65 and older have lost all of their teeth. * Periodontal disease and tooth decay are the leading causes of tooth loss in older adults. * At least half of non-institutionalized people over age 55 have periodontal disease. * Receding gum tissue affects the majority of older people. If you have a question, please write to fred@healthygeezer.com.
Library Chitchat Keeping connected is the cornerstone of today’s Internet Age. The desire to keep connected has driven the development of the Internet and its social networking sites. The Susquehanna County Library’s website is essential to its operations. For the past year, the Susquehanna County Library has made it possible to keep its patrons “in the loop” by providing an online newsletter. Using this method, the Library is able to update patrons much more frequently about upcoming events. We invite you to sign up by visiting our website www.susqcolibrary.org and clicking on “join our newsletter” on the right hand side of the home page. If you have already signed up, you would have been alerted to these two upcoming October events: the Antique Appraisal Night on October 15 at St. Paul’s Church Hall in Montrose from 7 to 9 p.m. and the Halloween Family Story Time from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on October 23 in the Children’s Room at the Montrose Library. For more details, check the Library’s website. However, we still need to be able to “connect” with you by regular mail. All county residents have now received their new 911 addresses. Have you also visited your local library and filed out an updated library card? If not, we urge you to do so as soon as possible. If you have not been to the library in a while, take some time to browse our collection and see what is new and interesting. Remember the Susquehanna County Library’s goal is to become your resource for lifetime learning.
Rock Doc The Right Time To Sell With the price of gold over $1,000 per troy ounce, people have asked me if they should sell Great Aunt Edna’s rings and bracelets. Is the price of gold going to go up more based on fears of economic troubles? Will governments around the world take actions that change the price a lot, one way or another? And what’s the value we should put on loyalty to Great Aunt Edna’s memory? A geologist cannot usefully advise you about economic policy made at the international level or about balancing Edna’s memory versus being able to pay the rent. But the high price of gold has led me to some rumination about the world’s first, extraordinarily precious metal. Not all that glitters is gold, to be sure, but when I once had the chance to personally heft a gold bar (no easy feat for a lightweight), I surely admitted that gold has a strong allure. I was visiting a geologist at Round Mountain, Nevada, where the gold comes out of an open-pit mine and is processed on-site. The final step of the work creates the gold bars, which are called “dore.” That term means they have not yet been highly purified, so they can have some silver and other metals in them. But they’re mostly gold. It’s tough to think clearly about gold when you’re in the presence of a lot of it, like it’s tough to be completely unemotional in the presence of the Hope Diamond. But here, in the safety of print and away from stacks of gold bars, let me lay out a bit of what I know about gold. People likely learned to mine gold long ago where it occurred in the richest stream and beach deposits. If gold grade is high enough, you can literally simply look down at your feet as you walk along a sandy beach and pick out small nuggets and grains of gold. When gold grade drops below that, individual prospectors can either pan for gold or send their sandy diggings down sluices to process it. Both approaches help separate dense gold particles from the lighter sand around it. But gold is found in quite different geologic settings, too. It’s often in veins of quartz in other rocks. (In the ancient world, Mother Nature was thought to be in some sense alive, so it wasn’t surprising the Earth would have “veins,” just as you have veins in your arms. Odd, from a modern perspective, but true, and preserved in our language down through the millennia.) Geological veins are made by fluids, circulating in the Earth and depositing minerals that get left behind. I spent several years in graduate school studying how much gold will dissolve in fluids in the Earth. (Odd, also, but true, wasting my youth in such a way.) One impressive thing about gold in your daily life is that it doesn’t dissolve at all. The ring on your finger won’t dissolve if you throw it in the boiling pot of pasta water. The gold on your crowned tooth doesn’t dissolve despite years (or for some of us, decades) of being immersed in spit, hot coffee and all the rest. So the question for my studies as a student, essentially, was what conditions and chemicals in the Earth made it possible for gold to dissolve into fluids and move, then drop out of solution and into the veins from which we can mine it today. The answer had to do with sulfur and oxygen and some difficult points of chemistry, with lots of calculations thrown in to add to the labor. But the main issue was that the conditions where gold dissolves are rare, indeed - just as you know from your day-to-day living. And that brings us back to Great Aunt Edna’s rings. There’s no harm in taking them in and asking for a bid. But before you take the cash and walk away from the family gold, I’d recommend leaving the buy-back place and going home. One night’s sleep could help you reach a decision you won’t regret, one way or another. There was, after all, only one Great Aunt Edna. Dr. E. Kirsten Peters, a native of the rural Northwest, was trained as a geologist at Princeton and Harvard. This column is a service of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University. Dr. Peters can be reached at epeters@wsu.edu.
What’s Bugging You? No What's Bugging You This Week
No Dear Dolly This Week
EARTH TALK No Earth Talk This Week
Barnes-Kasson Corner No Barnes-Kasson Corner This Week
News
|
Living
|
Sports
|
Schools
|
Churches
|
Ads
|
Events
Military | Columns | Ed/Op | Obits | Archive | Subscribe © |
|||||||
