SPRINGVILLE: The young men’s orchestra seems to be making good progress under the direction of Dana Taylor, of Elk Lake, and expects to go to Dimock on Friday evening of this week, where they will make the program Miss Ethel Thomas has prepared a pleasing one. [Nathan Dana Taylor was the uncle of Maurice Taylor, who started his music career in Montrose by organizing a band comprised of his brothers and neighbors. Maurice went on to organize the first Montrose High School band in 1927. He wrote Easy Steps to the Band and Orchestra, books used to teach music in schools throughout the United States. From 1931 to and including 1937 he organized the popular Massed Band Concerts in the natural amphitheater behind the Lake Avenue School. The highest crowd recorded was 12,000 people, at 25 cents each. Prior to his death, at age 95, he organized the first Blueberry Festival Massed Band concert in 1994, an event which continues to this day.]

SOUTH GIBSON: An operetta entitled, “Cinderella in Flower Land,” will be presented by the Primary Department of the South Gibson Graded School, in the church in that place, on Friday evening, March 29, at 8 pm. Admission 15 and 25 cents. Those who will take part in the operetta are: Edna Owens, Celia Carpenter, Gertrude Resseguie, Rachel Pritchard, Emory Resseguie, Thelma Michael, Sarah Michael, Henry Davis, Harry Pickering, Silas Pritchard, Erma Pickering, Marion Pickering, Wm. Prentice, Helene Pickering, Ruth Pritchard, Roy Gumaer, Geo. Lewis, Geo, Decker, Bernice Pritchard, Raymond Lewis, Will Gumaer, Geo. Carpenter, Lewis Pickering, Gaylord Pritchard, Marguerite Manning, Beatrice Thomas, Thelma Keech, Ethel Thomas, Manuella Lewis and Geraldine Pickering.

GREAT BEND: The ice started in the river here about 4 o’clock Saturday afternoon, but jammed up at Stillwater, backing up the water and large cakes of ice which flooded the flats and low lands along the river, causing some damage to property Sunday afternoon. The ice at Stillwater moved down the river and the water began slowly to recede and it is now believed that all danger is past.

UNION: On March 18, Mrs. Mary Ainey, Sadie Ainey and Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Squires and little daughter, Mary, started for Pashall, Colorado, where they expect to make their future home. Their many friends hope they will reach there safely.

AINEY: The West Lathrop creamery will not run the coming year for want of patronage.

THOMPSON: Frank Smith, of Avoca and Miss Susie Denney, of this place, were married on the evening of March 20 at the home of the bride, Esq. W. P. Tallman officiating. Mr. Smith is a brakeman on the Erie and if the threatened strike does not affect him they will reside at Avoca. Later they anticipate a wedding trip to Brooklyn, N.Y. and Niagara.

KINGSLEY: The "Anti-Kants” of the M. E. Sunday school will hold a warm sugar social this Friday evening at the home of C. H. Stearns. All come and be sweetened.

SUSQUEHANNA: On Thursday of last week Frederick D. Lyons celebrated his 94th birthday anniversary. Mr. Lyons has long been one of that town’s prominent merchants, starting in business in that place nearly 60 years ago. He has, for many years, been vice president of the First National Bank, and is interested in different enterprises in his home town.

UNIONDALE: Arthur Crosby, aged 22, was killed Sunday afternoon when struck by a southbound O. & W. freight train. He was a resident of Mt. Pleasant and had been with several young men to dispose of some cattle. When the freight on which they were riding reached Uniondale it stopped for water and the young man started down the track to board another freight expecting to reach home sooner. He did not see the oncoming train and was run down. His companions failed to miss him until they reached home. ALSO, Frank F. Hayden, an old veteran of the Civil War, answered the final roll call, March 17, 1912. Mr. Hayden was out the night before, taking care of his horse and doing chores as usual. He left his farm several years ago and moved here. About three years ago he went to live with his son-in-law and daughter Mr. and Mrs. John Davis, in the Welsh Settlement. Mr. Hayden was nearly 85 years old and leaves a widow and the following children to mourn his loss: George Hayden, Mrs. Alva Corey, Mrs. John E. Jones, Mrs. Ed. Thomas and Mrs. John Davis.

MONTROSE: The first robins and bluebirds made their appearance here on Monday morning, which was balmy enough to bring the welcome little feathered friends out. Already people are beginning to wonder whether or not there will be more snow. It will be very strange if there is not, but with such a peculiar winter - a maximum of cold and a minimum of snow, it would not be out of keeping with the funny actions of the climate. Later - and it snowed!

HARFORD: Frank LaBarr and son, George, were cutting ice one day last week on Tingley Lake, the ice being 26 inches thick.

FOREST CITY: There are fourteen inmates at the poor farm, one man, three women and ten children.

FRIENDSVILLE: St. Patrick’s Day was fittingly observed here by Division No. 3, A.O.H., which marched from their hall to St. Francis Church, where at the 9 o’clock Mass they read Holy Communion in a body, after which they partook of a bountiful breakfast, prepared by the young ladies of the Parish. Addresses were made by Joseph Mullen, H. J. Matthews and County President Shea and at the 7:30 service Father Cawley gave a forceful lecture on Ireland and her Patron Saint.

ELK LAKE: The Rabbi, from Pittston, was here Monday doing some butchering for Abe Wruble, of Pittston.

FRANKLIN FORKS: Perry Waterhouse, with one of C. S. Atwell’s teams, came from Sanitaria Springs, Thursday, to move Charles Skinner to that place, where he will work for Mr. Atwell, a prominent lumberman of that section. On account of the high water and ice jams it was impossible to return with the load of household goods until Saturday.

On of the best things about this column is that I get to hear from readers who respond with emails, blogs, letters, or even simply approaching me when they meet me outside of the workplace. There are readers who agree and readers who disagree with particular columns. There are those that really like the column and those who have a strong distaste for the column and do not think I should be writing it. But regardless of the reaction, the column provides a bridge to start relationships with folks I have never met - and I can say that I have some pretty rewarding relationships and fascinating conversations from readers across the political spectrum.

There are also times when I receive personal stories from readers as they share with me in response to a particular column. As those who follow the column know, I was a history major in college - and I love history. When readers share their own histories with me, I know that the column really connected with some folks. I have never shared any of those letters - until now. This is one that I received relating to the column about school lunches, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did - and perhaps you can see just how special our senior citizens are and how much we need a little more of their common sense and values in today’s world. This is a portion of a short letter I received from Delbert Potts:

I wanted to comment on your article yesterday about the little girl who had her lunch taken away. I agree with your judgment. When I was sophomore in high school my mother was taken very ill and was bedridden for a long time. My father was a dairy farmer and took care of my mother. I was left to pack my own lunch. I am not a great cook and time was short when I got my farm chores done and when the bus came my lunch consisted of 2 catsup sandwiches, an apple or orange. This probably wasn’t the most healthy lunch but it was easy to prepare and I liked it. I ate it all and then folded up the bag and put it in my pocket for my lunch container the next day.

I just had my 79th birthday February 20 so I don’t think I suffered too much from malnutrition.

Another story about bag lunches is one that my wife prepared for me back in 1956. I was working for Cadre Industrial Corporation in Endwell. At lunchtime we would gather together to eat our lunches. One of the men opened his lunch and got a sandwich. It was a lettuce and tomato with all the fixings. He became very upset and angry because he didn’t like that kind of sandwich. If his wife had been there I am sure he would have thrown it in her face. We didn’t have a lot of money and bologna was inexpensive. I liked it and my wife made me two sandwiches. I offered to trade one of mine for his that he didn’t like. He accepted and seemed happy. In those days meat was wrapped with a thin piece of cardboard on the ends of each package of meat. Since it was April 1 she put one of those pieces of cardboard in one of my sandwiches. The other sandwich she put 2 slices of meat. She thought that it would be a good April Fool’s joke on me. Not knowing about the trick, the sandwich that I traded to my friend was the cardboard one. He took a big bite of it and about broke his jaw. Not knowing what my wife had done I apologized and offered him my other sandwich. He refused and took the cardboard out and ate the two slices of bread. When I got home my wife asked me if I liked my lunch. I said I did and told her that she had made a mistake and put the cardboard in one of my sandwiches instead of a slice of meat. She told me that she put 2 slices of meat in the other sandwich so I could take one slice out and put it in place of the cardboard. We had a good laugh and she thought he got what he deserved for being so angry at his wife. By the way we will be married sixty one years June 16, and I still check my sandwiches on April 1.

Thank you, Mr. Potts, for sharing that story with me - and good luck on April 1.

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 staff of the Susquehanna County Library wishes to thank all of its patrons for their patience during the transition to the new Evergreen circulation system. All the bugs have not been fully worked out but we are well on our way.

Why did we make this change, you ask? There are two reasons. Transition to the Evergreen system meant costs could be kept in check and Evergreen will ultimately result in better benefits for library patrons.

You can now log on to the new Evergreen catalog with your barcode and the last 4 digits of your phone number. You can view and renew your checked-out items, but you cannot place online holds yet - perhaps in a week or two.

Since this is a state-wide system, all libraries have to share the same borrowing policies, meaning some of Susquehanna County Library’s arrangements have changed. Videos and DVD’s circulate for 1 week. Fines are 25 cents per day for all items except DVD’s, which remain at $1 per day. This means VHS tape fines have been reduced. Please note these differences so you do not unintentionally run up large fines.

Another thank you is in order for shoppers at Rob’s Country Market and Ray’s Shursave Market who participate in the Shursave Community Rewards program and have designated the Susquehanna Library as a beneficiary. We have recently received more than $4,000 from this program to be used for operating expenses. As we have noted in the past, all those pennies add up to a significant sum.