HealthSource of Great Bend and the American Legion Post 357 recently teamed up to support our local troops who are currently deployed overseas. During June and July, the chiropractic office asked patients to donate supplies such as shampoo, tissues, magazines and snacks to be sent to our troops. Employees and patients also made monetary contributions to aid in covering the shipping costs of sending the donations to Iraq and Afghanistan. The Ladies Auxiliary was given all of the collected items to be sent directly to servicemen and women from our local area.

Dr. George Stover and Dr. Brett Mullen with one of multiple baskets of donations for our local troops.

The American Legion Auxiliary Post 357 is looking for contact information for families of local men and women currently serving on active duty. If you know of anyone, please ask them to contact Post 357 at post357auxiliary@aol.com or ask their permission to pass on the information.

The team at HealthSource would like to thank everyone for their generous support. During the month of September, HealthSource will be accepting monetary donations to support the Susquehanna County Literacy Program.

HARRISBURG - Homeowners in danger of losing their homes due to involuntary unemployment, under-employment or for medical reasons have until September 16, 2011 to apply for the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP), according to State Senator Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming).

Yaw, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, said the federal Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program, which is administered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), will offer homeowners a declining balance, deferred payment "bridge loan" (non-recourse, subordinate loan with zero interest) for up to $50,000.

The program will also help homeowners in danger of imminent foreclosure with payment of arrearages, plus up to 24 months of monthly payments on their mortgage principal, interest, mortgage insurance premiums, taxes, and hazard insurance.

“This assistance will certainly help families on the brink of foreclosure,” Yaw said. “During this very difficult economy, the EHLP program is a safety net for homeowners struggling to make payments due to involuntary unemployment or other unforeseen reasons.”

Homeowners interested in the program must apply thru a PHFA Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program-approved counseling agency.

Pennsylvania residents should call PHFA at 1-800-342-2397 for a list of HEMAP-approved counseling agencies in their area.

North Jackson Ag

On August 4, the North Jackson Ag 4-H Club held a meeting at the Onyon’s house. All 4-H projects were delivered to the 4-H building on Thursday, August 18, and cakes and other baked goods were at the 4-H building Sunday, August 21. Leaders placed emphasis that all members must attend 3 out of 5 of the last meeting to finish the year. The next meeting is at the Onyon’s house on September 11 at 7:00. November 5 is achievement night, to be held at Mountain View High School. Dairy books are due after states and livestock books are due after the Harford Fair.

Katelyn Supancik gives a demonstration on her Mini Rex rabbit.

Demonstrations were given by: Katie Klim about her college achievements; Kalyeen Conklin on pig health and wellness; Austin Chisek showed lead bullets from the Civil War; TJ Loomis spoke about basketball; Katelyn Supancik talked about her pet rabbit and basic information on the mini rex rabbit breed; Kim Klim gave a demonstration on the Northern Red Salamander; Eric Onyon talked about his bows and bow hunting. First year 4-Her’s: Eli Aldrich, spoke about his pig Babe; while brother Evan spoke about his first deer hunting experience; Victoria Fallon played part of a song on her guitar; Aaron Cook showed all the various flies he made to take fly fishing; and Eric Giangrieco showed pictures of the fish he caught ice fishing.

News Reporter: Emily Supancik

MONROE, GA - Angel Food Ministries (AFM), the nation’s largest nonprofit food ministry, will join in supporting national Hunger Action Month in September. Every month AFM donates more than 600 of its food packages free to those in need while also offering food packages at 30-50% off retail prices to anyone. AFM recently donated more than 11 tons of food to tornado victims in Joplin, MO.

“Hunger continues to affect millions of Americans day in and day out. Nearly 15 percent (17.4 million) of U.S. households are food insecure and have difficulty providing enough food for all members of their family,” said Pastor Wes Wingo, AFM chief information officer and CEO of Ministry Development. “Children make up an important percentage of those who are food insecure and every month we donate at least 200 of our No Child Goes Without food packages.

“During these challenging economic times, it is even more difficult for those in need to provide nutritious food to their families,” Pastor Wingo said. “Every month we donate gift cards for our Sponsor Armed Services Families program as well as hundreds of our Bread of Life Signature food boxes.”

Founded in 1994, AFM serves hundreds of thousands of customers in 45 states through some 5,000 churches. Anyone can order AFM food packages and SNAP (food stamp) participants can use their EBT cards to purchase food packages. There are no qualifications, income criteria or forms to fill out. Food packages can be ordered online, by phoning 1-888-819-3745 or through local churches. To locate your nearest host site and/or to order online, visit www.angelfoodministries.com and click on “Order Online.”

Headquartered in Monroe GA, AFM offers a dozen standard food packages and a number of specialty packages at great discounts because it purchases food in bulk, does not have retail space and labor costs, does not advertise, uses less packaging, and benefits from the labor of some 40,000 volunteers at their partner churches.

Each month AFM compares prices item by item at major retailers in the 45 states it serves. In a recent price comparison, Angel Food’s Bread of Life Signature Box, which sells for $35, was priced for as much as $79 retail. AFM’s Bountiful Blessing Box, which sells for $46, was priced for as much as $114 retail. Prices are compared with major grocery and discount retailers and vary by marketplace.

“Angel Food is dedicated to helping those in need while also benefiting those churches and organizations we partner with,” Pastor Wingo said. “We have returned nearly $24 million to our partner churches and every month bring more individuals into their churches than any other single organization in America.”

AFM is non-denominational and does not require religious faith to order their food packages. AFM also does not rely on donations - less than 1 percent of AFM revenues come from donations. To review this month’s menu and gather more information, please visit: www.angelfoodministries.com.

Following are the July Pennsylvania Lottery Winners for Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. State records show $257,000.00 was paid out in winnings.

Roberta A. Sayers of Lakewood took home the most - $200,000 - from “Powerball.” Joseph Tighe of Lake Ariel scored $30,000 from the Instant Game of “Ca$h Up.” Mark Caton of New Milford snagged $5,000 from the Instant Game of “Diamond Millionaire.”

Listed below are the notable winners of $1,000 or more from the July Pennsylvania Lottery website.

Susquehanna County

Albert S. Rodriguez, Union Dale, $2,000 from “Dice Doubler.”

Doris Young, Clifford, $1,000 from $100 Million Cash Extravaganza.”

Sharon E. Kavetski, Susquehanna, $1,000 from “Gus Bucks.”

John E. Spickerman, Hop Bottom, $1,000 from Million Dollar Mega Multiplier.”

Gerard R. Lockwood, Kingsley, $1,000 from “Money Money Money.”

Martin P. Seidel, Susquehanna, $1,000 from “Money Money Money.”

Curtis R. Woodruff, Kingsley, $1,000 from “Pure Gold.”

Wayne County

Gerard Costello, Equinunk, $1,000 from “100 Million Cash Extravaganza.”

Richard Georgs, Beach Lake, $1,000 from “2nd Edition $100,000 Bingo.”

Eric S. Juskey, Honesdale, $1,000 from “2nd Edition $100,000 Bingo.”

Bronwyn A. Fischer, Lake Ariel, $1,000 from “All That Glitters.”

Matthew G. Bunting, Waymart, $1,000 from “Big Winner Spectacular.”

Robert Slick, Browndale, $1,000 from “Big Winner Spectacular.”

James Hopkins, Honesdale, $1,000 from “Bonus Block Bingo.”

Edward Holmes, Lake Ariel, $1,000 from “Diamond Millionaire.”

Craig E. Williams, East Berlin, $1,000 from “Diamonds And 7S.”

Phillip W. Killam, Honesdale, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Mega Multiplier.”

Daniel J. Petroski, Honesdale, $1,000 from “Platinum Crossword.”

Dolores Dombrowski, Lake Ariel, $1,000 from “Pure Gold.”

Glenn A. Yetter, Beach Lake, $1,000 from “Pure Gold.”

Wyoming County

Kenneth Hogan, Tunkhannock, $1,000 from “Big Winner Spectacular.”

For the fiscal year 2009-2010, The Pennsylvania Lottery paid $926,000 out to Susquehanna County for the Property Tax & Rent Rebates (Dept. of Revenue), $1,201,000 to Wayne County and $656,000 to Wyoming County.

(StatePoint) When your lungs are out of shape, your whole body suffers. Simple daily activities like walking can be difficult. And certain lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), can gradually reduce lung capacity.

Here are some tips to deal with or help prevent the most common types of lung ailments.

Stop Smoking

Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases. COPD - the third leading cause of death in the United States - occurs predominately in cigarette smokers. All smokers should speak with their doctors to discuss smoking cessation options as soon as possible.

“It is imperative that all individuals with COPD stop smoking to prevent progression of the disease,” said Dr. Virginia Hood, president of the American College of Physicians (ACP), a national organization of internal medicine physicians. “Of course, smokers without COPD should quit not only to decrease the risk of COPD, but also the risk of other serious potential complications of smoking, including lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. It’s never too late to stop. And if you don’t smoke, don’t start.”

Get Checked

Individuals with coughing (with or without phlegm), wheezing or shortness of breath that lasts more than two weeks should see a doctor, such as a pulmonologist, trained to diagnose respiratory illnesses. Physicians now have a new guideline to diagnose and manage COPD to help them prevent and treat exacerbations, reduce hospitalizations and deaths, and improve patient quality of life. The new guideline was developed by the ACP in collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, and the European Respiratory Society.

If individuals have respiratory symptoms, the new guideline recommends that physicians use a breathing test called spirometry to make a diagnosis of airflow obstruction. Patients may be treated with medications that help relax the airways of the lungs and drugs that decrease inflammation. For patients with COPD who have very low blood oxygen levels, physicians may prescribe continuous oxygen therapy. In addition, pulmonary rehabilitation, which typically includes an exercise regimen as an important component, is also helpful. For more information, visit www.acponline.org.

Get Exercise

For healthy lungs, try to get 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least three times weekly. If that’s too much to start, begin slowly by alternating a few minutes of walking and running. Also, breathe deeply as you exercise. Many times, people working out take short shallow breaths which are good for getting you oxygen, but not for building lung capacity.

Know Your Air Quality

People with breathing problems should check the air quality in their area each day and take proper precautions. If this information is not available in your local weather report, visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality site at www.airnow.gov.

With healthy lungs, there’s a whole world to explore.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A new report on the sustainability of forests in the United States indicates that Pennsylvania forests have declined slightly in the last decade and face a number of threats, according to an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

The USDA Forest Service recently released the second National Report on Sustainable Forests for the United States, and it offers a good look at how Keystone State forests are faring, noted Jim Finley, professor of forest resources. "The first report was released in 2004, and now, seven years later, we have a second snapshot to see how our forests are changing and the challenges they face," he said.

"The new report, which is aimed at creating discussion about forest sustainability, provides data and analysis addressing forest conditions and gives us some idea of how well we're caring for our forestlands."

While the National Report on Sustainable Forests focuses on the big picture - the public and private forests of the nation - the key findings are relevant to Pennsylvanians and are worth considering, Finley pointed out.

"Nationwide, our forest area is stable, but for Pennsylvania, the most recent assessment suggests a small decline in forest area as development in our more-urban areas outpaces farmland abandonment," he explained.

Across the country, fragmentation and forest loss is occurring in many regions and localities, owing mostly to development. According to the U.S. census, Pennsylvania has one of the lowest population-growth rates, yet data from other sources show that we have one of the highest forest and agriculture land-cover conversion rates in the nation."

National levels of forest disturbance are rising due to insect-induced mortality, Finley noted, and that's especially true in Pennsylvania, where emerald ash borer, hemlock wooly adelgid, elongated scale, gypsy moth and other native and non-native insects are changing the face of our forests.

Nationwide, wood-products production is declining relative to growing consumption, driving increases in imports. Pennsylvania is no exception. "The economic downturn, especially in the housing market, has lowered hardwood consumption, and many hardwood sawmills have been shuttered in the commonwealth," he said.

"This change in demand may, in the long-term, affect the ability of some forest owners to hold their land, and it could lead to further development and fragmentation."

The one piece of good news contained in the report, Finley contended, is that there is a growing interest in public and private collaborations through projects devoted to landscape-scale conservation. That is happening in Pennsylvania. "The dialogue about sustaining forests here is expanding," he said.

"The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' landscape-conservation initiatives are increasing sustainable-forest discussions. Twenty-eight woodland owner groups, covering about three-quarters of the state, are helping private landowners make sustainable forest decisions. The forest-products industry also is supporting forest-sustainability initiatives through training and education."

The national report suggests that three overarching issues emerge about forests, Finley said. First, nationwide and locally, we are going to face challenges as we lose forest land near urban centers. This loss of forest cover will affect ecological and social values, such as clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and recreation.

At the same time, loss of forest cover has economic costs as employment tied to forestry and forest products declines. While harvesting trees is not the leading reason among private landowners for holding land, a lack of markets over time will mean more land is lost to development.

"Second, forests are at risk from climate change and bioenergy demand," he said. "Already, there is evidence of forests affected by changes in temperature, precipitation and insects. We will know more about the effects of these changes in the coming decades.

"At the same time that change is happening, we know forests sequester large amounts of carbon and that many people believe they are a source of carbon-neutral energy. Harvesting our forests for energy could alter ecological and economic landscapes.

Third, forest health and disturbance patterns could lead to unexpected consequences, according to Finley. Careful management and tracking are important on all forests, he said.

If you want help managing your woodlot following principles of sustainable forestry, request a copy of "Forest Stewardship Principles for Landowners" by calling the Forest Stewardship office at Penn State (800-235-9473) or download a copy online at http://sfp.cas.psu.edu/pdfs/FSPrinciples.pdf.

The Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program provides publications on a variety of topics related to woodland management. For a list of free publications, call toll free (800) 234-9473, send an email to RNRext@psu.edu, or write to Forest Stewardship Program, Forest Resources Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, 416 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802.

The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and USDA Forest Service, in partnership with Penn State Forest Resources Extension, sponsor the Forest Stewardship Program in Pennsylvania.

The Susquehanna County Retirement Board met on August 24 with their consultants from the Seneca Group of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney to review the pension plan investments. At the meeting in May, the board voted to follow their consultant’s advice to lower their equity exposure. This saved the plan and helped protect pensioners during the recent dramatic sell off in the markets. The board is continuing to diversify its fixed income exposure to help navigate the potential uncertainties in the credit markets. The Seneca Group continues to maintain a cautious outlook on global markets and are pleased the plan is less dependant on the direction of the equity markets for its returns.

Vitamin D Critical For Good Health

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Vitamin D has been touted in the news recently as the new miracle vitamin, and the importance and benefits of vitamin D supplementation has been discussed at length by media giants from Oprah Winfrey to Dr. Phil.

Vitamin D supplementation does seem to be linked with benefits, according to a nutrition specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"Higher vitamin D intake has been associated with lower risks of colorectal, prostate and breast cancer," said J. Lynne Brown, professor of food science. "Higher vitamin D intake also has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a lower risk of type 1 diabetes and lower risk of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease."

However, the key word is "associated," Brown noted. None of these possible relationships have been proven using the gold standard of clinical trials. The only proven relationship is vitamin D's effect on bone health. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium from the intestine.

The most natural method for one to get a sufficient amount of vitamin D is sunlight exposure, Brown pointed out. "Fifteen to 30 minutes of sunlight on skin without sunscreen will provide all the daily need of vitamin D," she said. "However, individuals living in the Northern Hemisphere and those of African or East Asian origin who have higher melanin content in their skin may not get enough sun exposure for sufficient vitamin D production."

Brown recommends that these individuals acquire vitamin D through other means, such as vitamin D fortified milk, oily fish, egg yolk or tablet supplements. Still, the Institute of Medicine recently reported that national dietary intake data indicated that most Americans are getting enough vitamin D and set the recommended daily allowance at 600 IU/day for most adults.

Only the elderly might fall short, so the recommended daily allowance for those over age 70 was set at 800 IU/day.

Brown warned that vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets in adolescents and osteopenia and osteoporosis in adults. But it is important, she cautioned, to discuss any concerns about vitamin D deficiency with a primary health-care provider.

"You also should review all potential supplementation with your doctor, because any vitamin supplements can interact adversely with other ongoing drug treatments," she said. If you take supplements, your intake from foods and supplements should not exceed the tolerable upper limit for vitamin D of 4,000 IU per day.

The College of Agricultural Sciences provides publications with pertinent information on vitamin supplementation for health. These fact sheets, authored by Brown, detail the health benefits and risks of vitamin A, D and E supplements.

Single copies of these fact sheets can be obtained free of charge by Pennsylvania residents through county Penn State Cooperative Extension offices, or by contacting the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center at (814) 865-6713 or by e-mail at AgPubsDist@psu.edu. For cost information on out-of-state or bulk orders, contact the Publications Distribution Center.

The vitamin fact sheets also are available on the Web at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/PubTitle.asp?varTitle=vitamin.