SUSQUEHANNA: Susquehanna was visited by a $40,000 fire Wednesday morning in the destruction of the Metal Manufacturing Co’s plant, and the conflagration for a time threatened to wipe out the entire business section of the town.

NEW MILFORD: Miss Verna Williams, whose home is near New Milford but who has been employed in the Black Horn Leather Co’s plant at Great Bend, died under peculiar circumstances at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Flynn, where she boarded. Miss Williams complained of a severe toothache Saturday evening and to relieve the pain she had been given a small bottle of chloroform and a bit of cotton and instructed how to use it. Sunday morning the young woman did not appear at the accustomed hour and Mrs. Flynn, on going to her room, found her unconscious and her death soon resulted. She was subject to convulsions and friends believe her death was due to the combined effects of the chloroform and the attacks.

HERRICK CENTER: The funeral of John Williams, an old and respected citizen of this place, was held at the Methodist church Tuesday morning.

LITTLE MEADOWS: I. Chester McCormick and Iva B. Ford have applied for a marriage license.

LAWSVILLE: Wallace Southworth, a well known farmer of Lawsville, residing near Tripp Lake, met with a shocking accident on Thursday of last week. Mr. Southworth was tightening a nut with a wrench, the nut being fitted on a bolt holding the rapidly revolving saw in position. The wrench slipped and his right arm came in contact with the sharp teeth of the saw, shearing through bone and muscle from just below the elbow to the hand. Drs. C. W. Caterson and J. G. Wilson were summoned and determined that the only thing possible was amputation.

GREAT BEND: James Straney, one of Great Bend’s oldest veterans, died at the home of Miss Mary Allen, in that township, March 3, 1912. He was one of the first to volunteer on the call of President Lincoln, and had a good war record. One daughter, Miss Mary Straney and one son, James Straney, survive.

AINEY: Willie Bailey, of Lindaville, played [the fiddle] for the dance last Thursday night at E. Suttons.

HOP BOTTOM: This has been a winter of accidents and sickness. There have been many deaths among aged people. March has come and the cold winds are calling for more coal.

PLEASANT VALLEY: We are glad to note that Miss Ethel Green is again able to resume her teaching. Her sister, Mrs. Lola Hibbard, has been teaching for her the past two weeks.

MIDDLETOWN: The Borden plant will cease manufacturing condensed milk on account of the large supply on hand for which there is little demand. The manufacture of candy will be taken up and the number of employees will be doubled. A small amount of candy has been manufactured there in the past. The plant has also been making a quantity of butter which was sold to the employees for 28 cents a pound but this practice was discontinued after vigorous protest of the merchants of that city.

SILVER LAKE: On Thursday last, a bee was held at Col. West’s. Twenty-three were present and fifty cords of wood were cut.

EAST ARARAT: Leo Silver purchased a fine Edison phonograph recently.

MONTROSE: Miss Mary Meehan, the organist at St. Mary’s Catholic church, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John V. Meehan, is the youngest church organist in Susquehanna county, if not in the Keystone State. Miss Meehan, who is only 12 years of age, plays very well, and devotes much spare time to the study of church music. ALSO, tonight at the Cnic Theatre - “Our U.S. Navy,” launching of the battleship Florida, battleship New Hampshire and her sailors. “A Summer Adventure,” a deep story costing a large sum of money to produce. Deer being chased by wolves, etc.

FOREST CITY: Pipes have arrived to complete the sewering of the town. This work will be completed as soon as weather will permit. ALSO, Sheriff Benj. Reynolds, of Montrose, was in town a few days ago, probably looking after prisoners to replenish the depleted stock.

UNIONDALE: We hear that Louis W. Norton and his wife offer their dairy farm of 98 acres, with all improvements, for sale, situated two miles west of Uniondale, 1/2 mile from the butter factory. They have a southern fever and if anyone wants a bargain they better look after it before the fever turns to homecoming.

NORTHEAST TELEPHONE COMPANY: is planning many improvements as soon as the season opens up. They will take on additional men. Those who wish to learn the business will be given a good opportunity. They also have some good positions for operators. Only those who wish the position for permanent employment need apply. However, this company does not require bonds from its operators not to get married.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DUNDAFF, as written by Jasper T. Jennings: Dundaff borough was incorporated in 1828 and in the most flourishing period of the old Milford and Owego turnpike it was one of the most thriving villages along the line. Benjamin Bucklin made the first clearing in 1799 and the first store was opened in Dundaff by Asa Dimock in 1818. Colonel Gould Phinny, from Wilkes-Barre, came here in 1824 with fourteen others to take an active part in turning the settlement into a busy village. Archippus Parrish became a hotel keeper, Ebenezer Brown, became a miller, Nathan H. Lyons became a distiller, John Wells became a clothier, C. B. Merrick, a physician, George W. Healey, a merchant, Benjamin Ayres, a stage proprietor and Jacob Bedford had a hat shop. In 1831 an extensive glass factory was started. About 100 hands were employed to make ordinary window glass. The sand for making the glass was obtained on the shores of Crystal Lake. An academy was established in 1833 and there were three churches established, Presbyterian, Methodist and Episcopal. In 1840 the population was 300.

The Susquehanna County Historical Society has a facebook page. Plan to visit us.

The Pennsylvania Legislature has now come into compliance with the provisions from the federal Adam Walsh Act relating to juvenile sexual offender registration and notification. This has been a long and arduous process for the Pennsylvania Legislature as it attempted to comply with the dictates laid down by the federal government while weighing those requirements against Pennsylvania’s idea of balanced and restorative justice as it relates to juvenile offenders.

The new law will require the registration of juvenile sexual offenders to register in the same manner as adult sexual offenders. In essence, in order to fall under the registration requirements, a juvenile offender must have committed a felony sexual offense - not a misdemeanor offense. This is different from the adult system which requires registration for certain misdemeanor sexual offenses. The category of sexual offenses that require registration if committed by a juvenile is also smaller than the types of offenses for an adult offender.

The law also creates a special classification for a “sexually violent delinquent child,” which relates to any juvenile sex offender who has been involuntarily committed for sexual offender treatment. The law also requires that certain juvenile sex offenders comply with the registration requirements for the rest of their lives.

The failure of a juvenile offender to register carries some serious penalties. The failure to register as required constitutes a felony of the first degree, and carries a mandatory minimum sentence of three years for the first conviction, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years for a subsequent conviction. The law also provides that if an offender provides false information during the registration process, then a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years applies to the first offense, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years applies to the second offense.

The law provides a mechanism through which a juvenile sex offender can petition the court to have the registration requirement terminated. The juvenile must wait 25 years from the time the juvenile was adjudicated delinquent. The juvenile must also demonstrate that he or she has not been convicted of any criminal offenses that are punishable by more than one year of incarceration, i.e., essentially any offense that would be considered a misdemeanor of the second degree or greater under Pennsylvania law. The juvenile would also have to demonstrate that he or she successfully completed court-ordered supervision without any revocation proceedings. The juvenile would also have to provide proof that he or she successfully completed a sexual offender treatment program. A juvenile who has been designated as a “sexually violent delinquent child” may never petition for termination of the registration requirements.

If an offender petitions the court for termination of the registration requirements, the Court must conduct a hearing to determine whether termination is appropriate. The offender must demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he or she has satisfied all of the necessary prerequisites for termination, and the Court must also make a determination that termination of the registration requirement will not pose a threat to the safety of any other person.

This is just a small piece of the new legislation - and it truly does create a fairly complex framework for the supervision, treatment and registration of juvenile sexual offenders. The “summary” of the Act that I received was over 40 pages of single spaced lettering. In other words, there is nothing simple about it. But it does address a very difficult issue relating to how do we handle juvenile sex offenders, treat those offenders, and ultimately provide some measure of protection and notification to the public.

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/.

“Reading is fundamental” has been a very popular slogan. Your Susquehanna County Library does its best to foster the love of reading in both children and adults.

March 2 is the birthday of Dr. Seuss, the creator of so many children’s books, filled with interesting characters. The reading of Dr. Seuss books has become a regular feature at libraries, including our own, across the country this month. Coincidentally, filmmakers have released a new movie, “The Lorax,” based on one of his memorable characters.

March also is the month that launches your library’s “Susquehanna County Reads,” featuring “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. Beginning on March 7, you can register to participate in this program at your local library. For your small registration fee, you will receive a copy of the book, access to the program venue spots, and discounts at local businesses. There will be a panel discussion on Tuesday, March 27 in New Milford moderated by Barbara Scott and a special “survival” program at Salt Springs Park on Saturday, April 28.

In addition, the brand new movie, “The Hunger Games,” will be shown from March 23 (its nationwide release date) through April 12 at the Montrose Theater. Those registered in the Susquehanna County Reads program will receive a discounted rate by showing their “County Reads Card.”

Check out your local library location beginning on March 7 for all the details of your County Library’s 2012 Susquehanna County Reads Program. Remember it is our goal to be your resource for lifetime learning.

Ceaseless Change Dominates Our Dynamic Planet

Nothing about Earth’s history is static or unchanging. That’s particularly true of climate, and thereon hangs more than one interesting tale including recent news of a scientific advance in understanding how past climate has changed.

It wasn’t too long ago by my standards - about the 1830s - that naturalists started to seriously think the globe has undergone revolutions in climate. The evidence for that came from Europe, where glacially polished and transported rocks dot the landscape. By going high up into the Alps, men like Louis Agassiz studied glaciers, how they slowly flow downhill, and how they shape the land around them. Then, looking at the rocks and landscapes of Germany, Scotland, and other such places, many naturalists started to become convinced climate had once been radically colder and glaciers had covered essentially all of northern Europe. That was disquieting news for people who had always assumed that climate was an unchanging part of the world.

As the 1800s unfolded further, American geologists got into the act. They mapped out glacial debris in New England, the upper Midwest, and then parts of the mountainous West. One geologist had the wit to reason that when thick glaciers covered much of the land, they must have “locked up” a great deal of water, so sea level must have been lower. Later investigations showed that to be true. The oceans control many aspects of climate but when conditions are cold enough to produce worldwide glaciation, sea level is strongly affected by climate.

It was during the 1800s that scientists clearly recognized how different animal species had been during the last Ice Age. Famous and exotic animals like the wooly mammoth and the saber-tooth tiger roamed the land. There were also many other lesser-known mammals of the time, like a beaver as large as a black bear. There were a few animals we still know today, like the musk ox, but the different climate appears to have been linked to the flourishing of a number of species we simply don’t have around us today.

Early geologists couldn’t see clear reasons for climate to change - becoming bitter during the Ice Age and then warmer during our own epoch. We didn’t doubt the radical evolution of climate change, but at first it just wasn’t clear what could be driving the alterations that clearly had important effects for Earth history. In a step-by-step process science came to recognize two factors that probably control most climate change. One is minor but important variations in Earth’s orbit around the sun. The other is the composition of the atmosphere.

Around 1990 there was a dramatic step forward in climate studies. Using ice cores drilled first in Greenland and then in Antarctica, scientists were able to study snow deposited in annual layers on the ice sheets, going back in time one-by-one like rings of a tree. And the news from those studies was shocking: the evidence was clear that climate can lurch from warmer to colder times in just one human generation.

Some new research takes up the tale of climate change with reference to what likely caused the extensive ice sheet in Antarctica to form. That enormous repository of ice came into being about 34 million years ago and has been influencing climate ever since.

New evidence from researchers at Yale and Purdue published in Science magazine suggests that a 40 percent drop in carbon dioxide concentrations in the ancient atmosphere was the driving force that led to the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet. In a span of 100,000 years the whole region around the South Pole was transformed.

At this point, science can’t tell us what made the carbon dioxide levels drop. That’s the next question that needs to be investigated. But it’s crystal clear that climate is a dicey business, one from which we should expect change in both specific regions and all over the globe.

We may not like how fragile Earth’s climate looks. But the more we know about even natural climate evolutions, the more it seems clear change is in the cards.

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, Human and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University.

Dear EarthTalk: I know that there are many issues with personal care products being unsafe for our health, but where do I look to find out what’s safe and what’s not? ~Mary

The average American uses about 10 personal care products each day, resulting in exposure to some 100 unique chemicals. But the vast majority of the 12,500 chemicals used by the $50 billion beauty industry have never been assessed for safety, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC), a coalition of eight non-profits concerned about the health of cosmetics and personal care products.

“Many of these chemicals are linked to adverse health effects like cancer, birth defects and other serious health issues,” CSC reports. And with cosmetics chemicals showing up in breast milk and umbilical cord blood, not to mention rivers, lakes and drinking water aquifers, it is indeed a problem that affects us all.

Unfortunately for American consumers, these products aren’t held to the same high safety standard as foods and drugs in the United States, and as such manufacturers do not have to disclose ingredients on their products’ labels. That means it’s up to consumers to educate themselves as to what products to buy and which to avoid if human health and the environment are concerns.

To the rescue comes the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG), which launched its SkinDeep database back in 2004 to give consumers a way to learn about what’s in the products they use on their skin and bodies. Today, SkinDeep - which is free to use and has a user-friendly, keyword-searchable interface - features health and safety profiles on 69,000 different cosmetics and personal care products.

“Our aim is to fill in where industry and government leave off,” reports EWG, whose researchers cross-reference hundreds of safety studies and nearly 60 toxicity and regulatory databases against thousands of product ingredient labels to help consumers find the safest cosmetics and personal care items.

Beyond searching for your most frequently used creams, gels and elixirs to get the low-down on their safety, users can also learn what to avoid by browsing the site’s “What Not to Buy” section. Harsh soaps, anything with chemical fragrances, many nail polishes and most dark permanent hair dyes top the list of products health-conscious consumers should steer clear of - or at least check out on SkinDeep. The website lists safer versions of all these product types for those who just can’t live without.

But public health advocates and environmentalists alike, of course, would prefer that all personal care products could be trusted to not be rash-inducing, carcinogenic or otherwise harmful. CSC has been lobbying Congress about the need for stricter laws and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight, and last year was instrumental in getting the Safe Cosmetics Act (HR 2359) introduced into the House of Representatives. While the bill stalled in committee, it would have required the FDA to create a list of specific contaminants likely to be found in certain cosmetics ingredients and provide testing protocols to determine which ones qualified for warning labels, phase-outs or outright bans. Whether a similar bill will come up again anytime soon remains to be seen. In the meantime, consumers should make sure to visit the SkinDeep database at www.ewg.org/skindeep before lathering up.

Dear EarthTalk: How is it that Latino communities are among those hardest hit by air pollution? ~Miguel

Latinos are indeed among the U.S. ethnic groups hardest hit by air pollution. A recent report from the National Latino Coalition on Climate Change (NLCCC), Center for American Progress, National Resources Defense Council and National Wildlife Federation found that Latinos face a disproportionately large air pollution risk than even other minority groups. According to the report, “U.S. Latinos and Air Pollution: A Call to Action,” Latinos face increased health care costs, more lost days at school and work, and a shorter life expectancy due to increased exposure to air pollution.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 26.6 percent of U.S. Hispanics live in counties that violate the federal government’s 24-hour standards for fine particulate matter, the greatest percentage of any ethnic group. Meanwhile, 48.4 percent of Hispanics live in counties that frequently violated eight-hour ground-level ozone standards.

According to the National Coalition of Hispanic Health & Human Services Organizations (COSSMHO), 80 percent of U.S. Latinos (compared with 65 percent of non-Hispanic U.S. blacks and 57 percent of non-Hispanic U.S. whites) live in so-called “non-attainment” areas where ambient air quality is worse than what the federal government considers safe. “Although Hispanics in general live as long as or longer than non-Hispanic whites, what morbidity data are available reveal that the quality of that life is severely impaired by a variety of chronic conditions, such as asthma,” adds the coalition.

Meanwhile, another recent report from the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) found that seven out of 10 Hispanic Americans face air pollution threats some 16 percent greater overall than the overall U.S. population. “The increased exposure to air pollution makes Latino families more vulnerable to health problems associated with air pollutants such as low birth weight and asthma attacks,” stated the report. “Factors such as poverty, language barriers and lack of access to health care increase the danger.”

In June 2011, 14 Latino groups from California, Texas and other states joined together to urge President Obama to bring permissible levels of ground-level ozone - a key component in the formation of smog - down to below 70 parts per billion. Under George W. Bush, the limit was lowered from 85 to 75 parts per billion, but environmentalists maintain that the limit must be even lower to reduce respiratory and related illnesses in densely populated, largely minority urban areas already hardest hit by pollution.

But in September 2011 the Obama administration cited economic concerns in announcing that it would leave the ozone standard as is for now. Lowering it further at this point, the White House argued, would cost American businesses and the federal government billions to upgrade or retrofit industrial facilities with pollution scrubbing equipment and other technologies. The administration hinted it would revisit the topic once the economy improves, but in the meantime those living in urban areas with unsafe amounts of air pollution should check daily air quality forecasts before going outside for extended periods. The federal government’s Airnow.gov website offers daily air quality reports across 300+ urban areas from coast-to-coast, and also provides links to more detailed state and local air quality information sources.

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.