In our issue of August 31, concerning the Harford Fair, we inadvertently misidentified Dempsey Hollenbeck as Dempsey Hollister. We apologize for any inconvenience.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A new study examining the Marcellus Shale natural-gas boom in Pennsylvania suggests that, although development of this resource is having a positive economic impact in the state, the net benefits may be more modest than previously reported.

Summarized in a publication, "Economic Impacts of Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania: Employment and Income in 2009," the study was conducted by the Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center, a partnership between Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport.

Timothy Kelsey, professor of agricultural economics in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and a lead author of the publication, said the study looked at several aspects of Marcellus Shale natural-gas development in Pennsylvania that had not been considered in previous research and assessed how these factors affected the overall economic impact.

"For instance, we examined where leasing and royalty dollars actually are going and how they are being spent," Kelsey explained. "The economic impacts will be very different depending on how many dollars go to Pennsylvania households, to state and local governments, and to nonresidents.

"In addition, how many of those dollars are immediately spent by residents and how many are saved also will affect the impact, as will the proportion of wages being paid to out-of-state workers."

The study included surveys of landowners, local businesses and local government officials, as well as a GIS analysis of land-ownership patterns among Pennsylvania residents, nonresidents and the state. The researchers combined this information with industry spending data to estimate the spatial distribution of natural-gas-company spending over time. They then entered the data into economic-analysis software to model the state's economy and estimate multiplier effects.

The results suggest that in 2009, Marcellus Shale development supported between 23,385 and 23,884 jobs in the state and generated around $3.1 billion in economic activity. This included about $1.2 billion in labor income and nearly $1.9 billion in added value.

"These results are about half the size of those estimated in previous Marcellus economic-impact studies," Kelsey said. "But this isn't surprising because we had more detailed information about leasing and royalty income. Our results confirm that where leasing and royalty dollars are going significantly influences the estimated overall impacts."

Kelsey explained that only about half of the land in counties with Marcellus activity is owned by residents within those counties. Twenty-five percent is owned by residents living elsewhere in Pennsylvania, and nearly 8 percent is owned by out-of-state landowners. The remaining 17 percent is owned by the public sector, primarily the state.

"This would imply that a large portion of the economic benefits immediately leaves the communities being impacted by drilling," he said.

Similarly, the study looked at wages paid by the industry and where they are going. "A recent Marcellus workforce study indicated that about 37 percent of Marcellus workers are non-Pennsylvania residents," said Kelsey. "We estimated two alternative scenarios - 25 percent and 50 percent - for how much of the payroll going to non-Pennsylvanians is sent back to their home-state communities. We also accounted for how their spending likely differs from typical resident workers."

In addition, the study found that the amount of lease and royalty payments spent or saved affects the gas play's immediate impacts. The researchers surveyed landowners in Bradford and Tioga counties who live within 1,000 feet of active Marcellus wells. The results suggest that lease holders save or invest about 55 percent of leasing proceeds and about 66 percent of royalty payments in the year they are received, rather than spending them immediately.

"This means a significant portion of leasing and royalty dollars are not spent in Pennsylvania in the year received, reducing the potential economic impact in that year," Kelsey said.

The researchers also looked at the Marcellus boom's fiscal impacts on local governments. They found that the effects on municipal coffers so far are minimal.

All 494 municipal governments in 12 Marcellus counties were surveyed, with 293 responding. Only about 18 percent of governments experiencing Marcellus activity said their tax revenues had increased, and about 26 percent said costs had increased, especially related to road maintenance.

"To have a complete understanding of the impacts of gas-development, you have to consider both revenues and costs," Kelsey noted. "These findings contrast with previous economic studies that predicted large local tax impacts but did not verify what actually is occurring."

Local businesses in two counties surveyed as part of the study described positive impacts, according to the authors. About a third of all responding businesses in Bradford and Washington counties reported increased sales due to natural-gas development, and only 3 percent reported a sales decline.

"Businesses across the economy reported positive effects, though hotels, construction companies, transportation concerns, eating and drinking places, wholesalers and financial-services firms were most likely to report higher sales," Kelsey said.

The researchers did not try to quantify other important but difficult-to-measure costs of Marcellus development, such as effects on the environment and health. They said they hoped that future studies can look at such issues as better information becomes available about their prevalence and extent.

"The long-run implications of Marcellus Shale development are still unknown," Kelsey emphasized. "We believe our results must be viewed as a preliminary, short-term view of the impacts of Marcellus Shale and should be placed in the broader context of these other important concerns."

The report is available online at the Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center website at http://www.msetc.org, and at the Penn State Extension Marcellus Education Team website at http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas (under Quick Links, click on Publications).

Washington D.C. - President Obama urged Americans to come together in acts of service and remembrance to honor the victims and heroes of September 11 on the upcoming tenth anniversary of the terror attacks.

The President encouraged Americans to visit Serve.gov to find local volunteer opportunities for the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance.

“There are so many ways to get involved, and every American can do something. To learn more about the opportunities where you live, just go online and visit Serve.gov,” said the President. “Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost; a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”

The President recalled how the terror attacks a decade ago brought out the best in the American people and urged Americans to reclaim that sense of unity and generosity by serving on September 11.

“As we saw after 9/11, the strength of America has always been the character and compassion of our people. So as we mark this solemn anniversary, let's summon that spirit once more. And let's show that the sense of common purpose that we need in America doesn't have to be a fleeting moment; it can be a lasting virtue - not just on one day, but every day.”

The President announced that he and First Lady Michelle Obama will join the commemorations at Ground Zero, in Shanksville, and at the Pentagon, and will participate in a local service project, as he has the past two years.

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is the culmination of an effort originally launched in 2002 by 9/11 family members and support groups, led by the 9/11 nonprofit organization MyGoodDeed, which worked to establish the charitable service day as a forward-looking way to honor the 9/11 victims, survivors and others, and to rekindle the spirit of unity and compassion that followed the attacks.

The bipartisan 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act designated September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with supporting this effort across the country.

For the tenth anniversary, MyGoodDeed, HandsOn Network, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and other organizations across the country are working to organize the single largest day of charitable service in U.S. history, in tribute to the 9/11 victims and survivors and all those that rose in service in response to the attacks.

The Serve.gov website features a searchable database of volunteer opportunities for the September 11 weekend and throughout the year, as well as toolkits and other resources for individuals and organizations to plan service projects.

Dan Callen, a senior at Abington Heights High School, is proud of his first-time entry in the School Department at the Harford Fair. His pencil drawing of Teddy Roosevelt won him a first place blue ribbon. He takes drawing lessons from Al Ondush, a former art teacher in the district.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - An earthquake centered in Virginia shakes the mid-Atlantic region. Hurricane Irene causes severe flooding and widespread power outages up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

If these recent natural disasters aren't enough to convince people that emergency preparedness is important, then perhaps nothing will. And being ready for disasters means special planning for agricultural producers, suggests a specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"If anything positive came out of the Virginia earthquake and Hurricane Irene, it's that those events provided a 'teachable moment' that we hope can raise awareness about the need for readiness," said David Filson, Penn State Extension state program leader for emergency readiness and rural health and safety.

Filson noted these disasters came just before National Preparedness Month, an annual September observance led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "We use Preparedness Month to encourage people - and particularly ag producers - to take stock of their homes and farm operations and prepare for the kinds of scenarios that many folks currently are dealing with in the eastern United States," he said.

Filson pointed out that events such as fires, floods, feed contamination and animal disease outbreaks can come without warning. But he said extension professionals from across the country have developed an educational tool to help farmers and ranchers prepare for such contingencies.

Called "ReadyAG - Disaster and Defense Preparedness for Production Agriculture," the program can help producers prepare to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from all types of damaging incidents. "ReadyAG is designed to help identify vulnerabilities and prioritize actions to make agricultural operations more resilient and sustainable in the face of adversity," Filson explained.

ReadyAG begins with a general preparedness assessment, followed by commodity-specific sections including cattle, crops, dairy, fruit and vegetable, swine, and poultry. The assessments can be completed online and will automatically populate a customized action plan to address items identified as vulnerabilities for which mitigation is a high priority.

Farmers who access the ReadyAG workbook will be encouraged to take the following steps: identify vulnerable areas of production and management; prioritize areas to strengthen; create an action plan specific for an operation; develop an accurate inventory of assets; identify and engage local critical services; find additional helpful resources.

The ReadyAG workbook can be found online at http://readyag.psu.edu/.

The project was funded by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Special Needs grant. Extension faculty and staff from Penn State, Cornell University, Oklahoma State University, Rutgers University, University of Vermont, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and University of Maryland contributed to the development of the ReadyAG assessment.

More information about preparing for and responding to disasters and emergencies can be found at the Pennsylvania Extension Disaster Education Network website at http://extension.psu.edu/prepare.

The B/S/S/T Area Agency on Agency Inc. has established a permanent endowment with The Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains. This endowment will provide a source of funding for the Agency’s activities and expenses.

The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is a nonprofit organization designated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the provision of social services for Senior Citizens in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Tioga counties. The AAA provides a variety of Home and Community Based services such as In Home Personal Care , Care Giver Support, Senior Center and Nutrition Services, Prime Time Health Programs, and legal services. Community Foundation President, Peter Quigg, states “we are very pleased to work with the Area Agency on Aging in helping to support their important work. Our region has a substantial elderly population that depends on their services and this new endowment will help ensure the Agency’s long-term existence.”

Friends and supporters of the Area Agency on Aging can make tax-deductible donations to the Agency’s endowment and know that their contributions will be combined with others to enhance the support the Agency receives to assist with its valuable work. Donations can be sent to The Area Agency on Aging Fund at The Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains, 270 Lake Avenue Montrose, PA 18801. For more information on this or other funds at The Community Foundation visit www.community-foundation.org. For more information about the Area Agency on Aging please visit www.aaaseniors.org.

Despite the threat of Hurricane Irene, the Harford Fair had a wonderful week of weather again this year. While the pickup of entries had to be moved to Monday, the fair itself was not affected by the storm. Attendance on Monday, Tuesday and Friday were high, while the Blue Grass Festival on Wednesday and the three featured singers on Thursday failed to bring out the expected crowds. The Championship Pro-Rodeo and the Demolition Derby were both sell-out nights.

The Board of Directors, the office staff, and the superintendents of the departments wish to thank the community who came from far and wide to enjoy and support the fair. In addition, a special thank you is extended to all of the exhibitors who contributed to the various displays, to the Boy Scout Troop 98 who did the recycling, and to the 4-H for their projects and work on the flower beds. The many vendors and commercial spaces added to the features of the fair. The volunteers who gave their time in a variety of ways before, during, and after the fair are also greatly appreciated. A thank you is extended to the media for broadcasting the interviews and spots about Harford Fair and to the many newspapers for printing the informational articles for months prior to the fair.

The Harford Fair is a perfect example of the phrase, “It Takes a Village” because without everyone’s support, the 154th fair would not have been so successful. Thanks to all who had any part in making this happen.

Penn Star Bank recently made a donation in the amount of $1,500 to the Susquehanna Boro Parks and Recreation Committee for the Ira Reynolds Memorial Park/Walkway. Pictured (l-r) above are: John Sholtiss, Parks & Recreation Committee Head; Lori Canfield, Penn Star Bank; David Scales, Susquehanna Borough Council.