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COLUMNS: LITTLE MEADOWS: A word to the wise should be sufficient. It behooves some of our young men to pay strict attention to their driving when taking a sleighride over the hills, as the heavy fall of snow has made the road between Little Meadows and Warren Center unusually hard to travel. EAST ARARAT: Ira Tinklepaugh was badly injured on Wednesday last while falling a tree. He was chapping on the tree, which had lodged in another tree, about ten feet from the ground. It went down quicker than he expected, precipitating him to the ground, where he struck a stump, breaking a number of ribs. LYNN, SPRINGVILLE TWP.: James K. Mehlen, aged 80 years, died at his home on Saturday last. He had been in feeble health for some time and he and his aged wife were found in an unconscious condition by kind neighbors, who did all that could be done to make them comfortable, but the Reaper came and took Mr. Mehlen away. HERRICK CENTER: A drama entitled “Phyllis’s Inheritance” will be given at the high school building March 17, at 7:30 p.m. GREAT BEND: Work on the ice jam here was started last Saturday, but the proposition is larger than at first anticipated, and it is not likely the channel will be open until today or tomorrow. HOP BOTTOM: Ora L. Cooley, a resident of Lenox, was fatally injured by a fast southbound freight train at the creamery crossing at Hop Bottom last Friday evening. He had waited for a northbound train to pass, and as soon as it had gone by started to cross the tracks, the noise of the receding train preventing him from hearing the approaching freight. The locomotive struck the carriage, demolishing it and killing the horse, while the body of the unconscious and bleeding man was carried on the pilot of the engine for nearly a mile before the train was stopped. He was taken to the Moses Taylor Hospital, at Scranton, where he died. Mr. Cooley was a buyer of poultry and calves and on Friday went to Hop Bottom and negotiated for the purchase of the Stevens farm, intending to move there with his family, a wife and seven children, this spring. FRIENDSVILLE: (An Altoona correspondent wrote the following to the Philadelphia Inquirer.) “With the very unusual yet interesting feature of being the father of two young daughters at his advanced age, Leander A. Tyler has just celebrated his 75th birthday. Mr. Tyler comes from Quaker stock, his family being among the early settlers in Friendsville and he being born in Montrose. Mr. Tyler was first married at Downingtown to Mary J. Dowlin and to this union were born three sons and three daughters. Mrs. Tyler died at Lansdowne, Dec. 21, 1902. Mr. Tyler was married to Miss Ella E. Blair, of Morristown, Sept. 19, 1906. Mr. Tyler knew his second bride all her life and nursed her when she was a babe. To this union were born two daughters, Mary B., aged 4 years and Ella V., aged 9 months. Mr. Tyler is enjoying the best of health and is still active in his daily pursuits. He enjoys not only a large acquaintance here, but is also widely known among a host of friends in Philadelphia and surrounding counties.” TRANSUE, AUBURN TWP.: Howard Dixon, while returning home from Skinner’s Eddy on Friday, with J. W. Simms’ three-horse team, drove off the embankment above Preston’s, in the Tewksbury narrows, upsetting the wagon load of feed and a calf which was in the wagon. The wagon rolled over several times, dragging the team down the embankment 30 or 40 ft. They were skinned and bruised considerably, but luckily escaped being killed. The horse in the lead got loose in some way and escaped injury. The calf was caught the next day. ALSO, at Auburn Corners a jolly sleigh load of young people dined with the McAvoy’s at Auburn Corners, Saturday evening. The party was made up of the following: Loretta Reynolds, Margaret Reynolds, Dorothy Mack, Sarah Bosler, Mollie Miller, Norman Stewart, Marion Cornfield, Mr. and Mrs. Tinker. On their return, coming down the hill near Elk Lake, the team, which was being driven by E. M. Tinker, became unmanageable for a short way, running at a high speed, throwing chunks of ice, one of which hit Mollie Miller near the eye and bruised her cheek. She was taken to the home of Foster Oakley, where the bruise was dressed. JACKSON: All memberships in the Jackson Library expired on Jan. 18. Up to this time we have 15 renewals. Can you afford to let such institution go down for the want of patronage? The Jackson Dramatic Society have about $40 left from the proceeds of “The Corner Store,” with which they intended to buy books for the library, but the question is, will it pay to buy books for 15 members. Let every one who is interested in keeping up a good library send in their renewals, and as many more as they can get before the first of April, and make at least a showing of 50. FLYNN, MIDDLETOWN TWP.: Our telephone line is to be extended down the Lane road as far as Thomas Reilly’s, at once, and perhaps to the creek road in the early spring. HALLSTEAD: A horse belonging to Fred Brant, the milkman, was taken ill on Main Street on Friday morning. The animal was removed to the barn of the Keystone House and Dr. Tower, the veterinary, was summoned and prescribed for the animal and in an hour or so was better. LENOX: William J. Bell died Feb. 24 after a stroke of paralysis. He was an old soldier, a member of Captain Lyons Post, No. 85. He enlisted in Co. A, 187th Reg., and was honorably discharged Aug. 24, 1865. He was in the battles of the Wilderness and Gettysburg. Interment was in the West Lenox cemetery. FAIRDALE: A. D. Steger was in town Monday and after he returned home in the afternoon he found that his house was on fire, caused by the burning out of a chimney. He was able to put the fire out as he supposed, but in two or three hours it broke out in a new place and this caused “Gus” some more trouble and excitement. However, he was master of the situation and put out the fire this time to stay out. We are glad “Gus” had his house to sleep in that cold night. FRANKLIN FORKS: John Webster has a sick horse. Dr. Cole was called to see it. HARFORD: The Odd Fellows gave a party to their oldest member, Austin Darrow, on Feb. 28, it being his 86th birthday. A goodly number were in attendance.
From the Desk of the D.A. Some time back, I did a column on the Justice Department determining that it was no longer going to enforce federal marijuana statutes in states that had legalized the growing, cultivation and sale of marijuana. This was a departure from the Bush Administration’s approach - where the person was lawfully growing marijuana under state law, but still had to be concerned with the federal government coming in and shutting the operation down as a violation of federal law, and then arresting the marijuana farmer. In other words, the Justice Department simply decided to ignore that particular federal drug law. There are countless examples where state and federal laws overlap or simply contradict each other. For instance, in the arena of firearm possession, there are convicted defendants that can possess a firearm under Pennsylvania law, but cannot do so under Federal law. Of course, the Justice Department has not declared that it will not enforce those provisions of federal gun laws that conflict with state gun laws. And I would not hold your breath waiting for such a declaration. More recently, the Obama Administration got itself into some hot water for disobeying a federal judge’s ruling that determined that President Obama’s moratorium on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico was improper. Rather than obeying the Court’s order, or even appealing, the Department of the Interior continued to refuse to issue permits for offshore drilling. The federal judge recently held the Obama Administration in contempt for ignoring the his ruling. Of course, there is the issue brewing over the recent decision by a federal judge declaring the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional in its entirety where 26 individual states were successful in their attempt to have the statute voided. Despite the judicial ruling affecting a majority of the states, the Obama Administration continued to enforce the provisions of the recently declared unconstitutional statute. Rather than seek a stay of the decision, the Justice Department filed a “motion to clarify” the ruling - incredibly suggesting that the Justice Department did not understand it. Judge Vinson just issued another ruling expressing his exasperation with the Justice Department’s contention that it could not understand his decision - and expressing his frustration that the federal government totally ignored his decision and took no action whatsoever to seek a stay of the ruling pending appeal. In other words, all they needed to do was seek a stay - but they did not do so. I would expect that the Justice Department will now seek a stay, but it leaves unanswered the question of why this was not done sooner. Then there was the Black Panther voter intimidation case out of Philadelphia where members of that organization stood outside a voting precinct during the 2008 presidential election holding clubs and intimidating voters. This incident attracted national attention as the conduct was caught on videotape and there was no denying what had occurred. The Bush Justice Department had successfully litigated an injunction proceeding seeking to bar similar misconduct in the future. When Eric Holder became Attorney General, the case was dropped without explanation or justification. Recently, at a Congressional hearing, Holder brushed away comments concerning this egregious conduct and suggested that it did not rise to the level of intimidation necessary to warrant federal action. Finally, the Obama Administration has now directed the Justice Department to discontinue its efforts to defend the Defense of Marriage Act. Attorney General Holder has indicated that he and President Obama believe that the Act is unconstitutional - so they simply will no longer defend it. In other words, the Attorney General and the President are overriding a duly enacted piece of legislation that passed two houses of Congress and was signed by the President of the United States. The personal judgment of these two individuals supersedes their obligations to uphold and enforce the duly enacted laws of the United States of America. While I have some personal reservations on the Defense of Marriage Act that rest on federalism grounds, I would not substitute my personal judgment for that of the Congress and President. There are plenty of laws that I do not agree with - and some whose constitutionality I question, but our democratic system of government depends upon our elected officials enforcing the laws even if they do no personally agree with them. In fact, the President and members of the Justice Department take an oath to uphold and faithfully execute the law - there is nothing about picking and choosing based upon personal preference or ideology. 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. Fruit juices give me a stomach ache. Do you think I'm allergic to them? I never diagnose because I'm not a physician; I'm just a journalist. If you have a problem digesting fruit juices and this is getting in your way, you should get a check-up. Meanwhile, you might want to keep a diary of the food you eat; this will isolate foods that are giving you digestion problems. The intensity of your reaction can help determine whether you are allergic to certain foods or are suffering from a food intolerance. A food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by the body’s immune system. An allergic reaction to food occurs quickly - sometimes within only a few minutes. Reactions include oral itching, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. You may have a drop in blood pressure, asthma and skin reactions such as hives or eczema. Allergic reactions to food can cause serious illness and, in some cases, death. Sometimes, a reaction to food is not an allergy but a “food intolerance.” Food intolerance is more common than food allergy. The immune system does not cause the symptoms of food intolerance, though these symptoms can look and feel like those of food allergy. Many people think they have food allergies. However, most symptoms are caused by intolerances to foods such as wheat and other grains, sugar found in fruits and honey, dairy products, and corn products. If fruit juices are giving you a stomach ache, there is a possibility that you have fructose intolerance. Fructose is a sugar in fruits, honey and some syrups. Fructose is also a basic component in table sugar (sucrose), and it's used to sweeten many processed foods and beverages. In addition, sorbitol - a sugar alcohol - is converted to fructose during normal digestion. Sorbitol is a sugar substitute often used in diet drinks, ice cream, mints, cough syrups, and sugar-free chewing gum. You should avoid foods with fructose in them. In addition to fruits, honey, syrups and table sugar, you should watch out for high-fructose corn syrup, powdered sugar, regular sodas, flavored water, sports drinks and sweetened milk. Read food labels carefully to avoid fructose. The term fructose intolerance covers two conditions: hereditary fructose intolerance and fructose malabsorption. People with hereditary fructose intolerance, a rare genetic disorder, lack an enzyme that breaks down fructose. This a serious disorder that can lead to liver and kidney damage. Those who have fructose malabsorption have difficulty digesting fructose. This is a less serious disorder because it doesn't cause organ damage. But it can cause abdominal pain, gas, bloating and diarrhea. Either condition should be confirmed by a doctor. If you have a question, please write to fred@healthygeezer.com.
Library Chitchat Each time I prepare one of these columns, I try to think of an interesting lead in. However, the topic to be addressed this week is of a more serious nature and is targeted at a limited number of Susquehanna County Library patrons. As the Susquehanna County Library closed its books for 2010, we made note of the large amount of outstanding fines due for overdue items and replacement costs for lost books, etc. Materials are what libraries are about and constantly having to replace these materials is an onerous expense in these times of tight budgets. The Susquehanna County Library provides a service, but it should not be abused. Notices of fines due are sent and frequently ignored. To turn the matter over to collection agencies involves additional expense for the library system and would foster ill will, especially when people learn that a record of these collection efforts may affect their credit scores. Large fines can be paid in installments and the library is willing to set up an installment payment plan. “Lost” books that are “found” can be returned to reduce fines. You may check the library’s website susqcolibrary.org and click on “questions” to find out more about our policies. With your help, we can reduce the backlog of outstanding fines and add much needed operating income. One mother’s solution to keeping track of library materials at home was a book basket with wheels in a central location. All library items are stored in it and due dates checked regularly.
Rock Doc A New Slice Out Of The Apple I often eat without thinking, either while listening to the news or writing. It’s a poor habit for several reasons, one of which is my ever-growing waistline. But the next time you bite into an apple, I implore you to take just a moment to really savor its taste, aroma, and texture. Those characteristics vary a lot between a Granny Smith and a Golden Delicious, or a McIntosh and a Braeburn. The variation is one reason apples are a delight. Apples come from an ancestor tree that had small and acidic fruit. We don’t know exactly how it was that people coaxed substantial improvement out of acid apples, but around 2000 B.C. people produced sweet apple stock. That was also when they began grafting branches from one tree onto another, a clever idea if ever there was one. Much later the Romans, who knew a good thing when they saw it, spread the sweet apple and grafting technology to many lands. Now skip with me up to the present, because there’s some big news about apples. In the parlance of biologists, the full genome of the apple has recently been described. As it happens, scientists mapped the genome of the Golden Delicious apple. The Golden Delicious appeared on the scene as a “sport” in the soil of West Virginia, so it’s as American as apple pie. It was propagated and sold starting in 1914. Other types of apples have come from it. But what is a genome and why should you care about it? Some years back you likely heard that scientists described the human genome. But, as you’ve noticed, the people around you haven’t improved even one bit. So what’s to be excited about with respect to our growing knowledge of genomes? Let’s focus on apples. The apple genome is the total of genetic information that governs how apples sprout, grow and yield fruit. It’s genetics that help determine firmness and taste of the flesh, as well as the aroma of the peel. Genetics also influence the resistance to disease an apple tree is likely to have. If apples went through their whole life cycle every year like our grain crops, we could try crossing two related types and seeing what resulted about 12 months later. But apples are perennials, taking years to take root, grow and reproduce. On that ground alone, we could expect that manipulating apples to suit us by traditional methods would be slower than dealing with annual plants. The day will soon come that knowing the apple genome will make us better at helping trees produce more apples. And apples that ripen at times and rates that are useful to us are another possibility, giving us the hope of more efficient harvests. Most importantly for us gluttons, apples could taste and smell like we want, giving us a way to directly blend a Granny Smith with a Gala. As we zoom in and focus our knowledge of particular regions of the genome that do things like govern resistance to disease, we’ll know more and more about what part of the genetic material of the apple we want to change. And we can then do exactly that in a lab, not in experimental orchards where we wait years to see the fruits of our labors. An international team of researchers led by a group in Italy undertook the challenge of describing the apple genome to get a start on all this work. Professor Amit Dhingra of Washington State University was one person involved in the work, and he recently was kind enough to try to explain apple genetics to this rock-head. Dhingra told me scientists estimate there are 900 genes related to disease in apples. As knowledge about those genes increases, scientists can help trigger useful mutations or sports, and then trees will have the ability - on their own - to stand up to natural diseases that sometimes really plague them. As a geologist, I’m not sure I followed the details of genomic research. But I do know that in a world of growing population, anything that can help increase, diversify and secure the food supply is indeed good news. Dr. E. Kirsten Peters, a native of the rural Northwest, was trained as a geologist at Princeton and Harvard. Follow her on the web at rockdoc.wsu.edu and on Twitter @RockDocWSU. This column is a service of the College of Agricultural, Natural and Resources Sciences at Washington State University.
EARTH TALK Dear EarthTalk: I heard someone say that the environmental benefits of natural gas for electricity generation were overstated and that it is not as green-friendly as the industry would have us believe. What is your take on this? ~D. Montcalm In our increasingly carbon-constrained world, natural gas (also known as methane) does keep coming up as a potentially cleaner fuel source for electricity generation than coal, currently the nation’s primary source of electrical power. Natural gas advocates argue that it generates 50 percent fewer greenhouse gases than coal when burned. And since natural gas is more widely available than ever, thanks to newer more efficient - though in some cases environmentally damaging - extraction techniques, some think it should be playing a larger role in a transition away from coal, the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. Today over 50 percent of electricity generated in the U.S. comes from coal; natural gas accounts for less than 20 percent. But scientists aren’t so sure natural gas should play any part in solving the climate crisis. A 2007 lifecycle analysis of natural gas production, distribution and consumption found that when one factors in the total emissions associated with not only the end use of natural gas but also its extraction and distribution - much of it can leak when it is pulled out of the ground and then piped to power plants and other customers - it doesn’t seem so much cleaner than coal after all. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that loose pipe fittings and intentional venting for safety purposes on natural gas lines cause annual greenhouse gas emissions rivaling that produced by 35 million cars each year. The World Bank estimates that emissions from natural gas extraction operations alone account for over a fifth of the atmosphere’s total load of climate-changing methane. “When scientists evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions of energy sources over their full lifecycle and incorporate the methane emitted during production, the advantage of natural gas holds true only when it is burned in more modern and efficient plants,” reports Abrahm Lustgarten on the investigative news website, ProPublica. “But roughly half of the 1,600 gas-fired power plants in the United States operate at the lowest end of the efficiency spectrum.” He adds that, while the median U.S. gas-fired power plant emits 40 percent fewer greenhouse gases than a typical coal plant, some 800 inefficient plants offer only a 25 percent improvement. The fact that methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas - the EPA says methane is 20 times more effective trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2) - makes it even less appealing as a replacement for coal. “The problem is you build a gas plant for 40 years,” James Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy, one of the largest power companies in the U.S., told ProPublica. “That’s a long bridge. What if, with revelations around methane emissions, it turns out to be only a 10 or 20 percent reduction of carbon from coal? If that’s true, gas is not the panacea.” Rogers himself is an advocate for limiting greenhouse gas emissions. But with the Obama administration still keen on mining domestic natural gas reserves versus upping our reliance on foreign oil, natural gas will likely continue to play a role in the energy mix for some time yet. Dear EarthTalk: Isn’t it a waste that we buy water in plastic bottles when it is basically free out of our taps? Even health food stores, which should know better, sell it like crazy. When did Earth’s most abundant and free natural resource become a commercial ‘beverage?’ ~A. Jacobs Bottled water has been a big-selling commercial beverage around the world since the late 1980s. According to the Worldwatch Institute, global bottled water consumption has more than quadrupled since 1990. Today Americans consume over 30 billion liters of water out of some 50 billion (mostly plastic) bottles every year. The Beverage Marketing Association reports that in 2008 bottled water comprised over 28 percent of the U.S. liquid refreshment beverage market. The only bottled drinks Americans consume more of are carbonated sodas like Coke and Pepsi. And frankly, yes, it is a ridiculous waste that we obtain so much of our drinking water this way when it is free flowing and just as good if not better for you right out of the tap. According to the Earth Policy Institute (EPI), some 2.7 million tons of petroleum-derived plastic are used to bottle water around the world every year. “Making bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 U.S. cars for a year,” says EPI researcher Emily Arnold. And just because we can recycle these bottles does not mean that we do: The Container Recycling Institute reports that 86 percent of plastic water bottles in the U.S. end up as garbage or litter. The financial costs to consumers are high, too: According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), bottled water costs up to 1,900 times more than tap water. And the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reports that 90 percent or more of the money consumers shell out for it pays for everything but the water itself: bottling, packaging, shipping, marketing, other expenses - and, of course, profits. EWG is particularly appalled at the lack of transparency by leading bottled water sellers as to the sources of their water and whether it is purified or has been tested for contaminants. According to a recent survey by the group, 18 percent of the 173 bottled waters on the U.S. market today fail to list the location of their source; a third disclose nothing about the treatment or purity of the water inside their plastic bottles. “Among the ten best-selling brands, nine - Pepsi’s Aquafina, Coca-Cola’s Dasani, Crystal Geyser and six of seven Nestlé brands - don’t answer at least one of those questions,” reports EWG. Only Nestlé’s Pure Life Purified Water “discloses its specific geographic water source and treatment method… and offers an 800-number, website or mailing address where consumers can request a water quality test report.” EWG recommends that consumer resist the urge to buy bottled water and go instead for filtered tap water. “You'll save money, drink water that’s purer than tap water and help solve the global glut of plastic bottles,” the group advises, adding that it supports stronger federal standards to enforce consumers’ right to know about what’s in their bottled water besides water. Until that day comes, concerned consumes should check out EWG’s Bottled Water Scorecard, a free website that provides information on various bottled water brands, where they originate and whether and how they are treated to remove contaminants. EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com.
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