Why isn’t the Mt. View family showing loyalty to its own instead of siding with the politically motivated Lackawanna League which created this problem in the first place by putting our outstanding team in Division III? The outcome has been exactly as predicted—Mt. View has overpowered every opponent with unprecedented scores. I believe I know what Bob Klenk would tell the powers that be in that league were he here.

Why in the Old Forge 24-1 game didn’t that coach stop the game if he and his team were so humiliated.? He could have stopped it at any point. Perhaps he had the backbone to take the licking he knew his team deserved—they had just as many players on the field—and perhaps he was man enough to know that they could learn from this defeat.

Why aren’t we as the Mt. View family standing up for our outstanding team which has committed the terrible sin of winning with big numbers? If it were PSSA scores we’d be dancing in the aisles—if all our choral and band students beat out other schools in making districts and regionals, we’d be delighted—if the scholastic team annihilated its opponents that would be fantastic. What is the difference? This is varsity level athletics—t-ball and little league rules don’t apply any more—the best players play and the best team wins. I stand up for my family when they win and take pride in what they accomplish—Mt. View is my family and that team is a part of it—and I am proud of these fine players who have been taught to achieve excellence by a dedicated, passionate teacher coach—they deserve all the praise and loyalty this family can give them, and shame on those who turn on their own.

Sincerely,

Mary Ketterer

Harford, PA

Disease is marketable. It's the American way. If there's a way to make a buck, we will find it. And find it we do most profitably in charities, specifically, money collection organizations targeting certain diseases.

Usually the poster disease is paired with a month. For example: last month was Breast Cancer Awareness month. This month is the first ever Breast Cancer Scam Awareness month.

Typically, “charities” campaigning diseases skim millions from contributions to fund their favorite cause---themselves.

But Breast Cancer Scam Awareness is different. This charity is not soliciting money; it wants you to keep it. Its goal is to inform you about the breast cancer swindle and how to prevent and even cure this No. 2 killer of women (heart disease is No. 1).

The Susan G. Komen Breast Foundation or simply Komen, is the largest and best-funded breast cancer con in the United States. It collects more than $400 million every year from contributions, government grants, and investments. Some $48 million of this is allotted for administrative costs, primarily for top-heavy salaries.

Its president earns $460 thousand annually plus perks and bonuses. The company's CEO is in the same tax bracket. The next 50 top managers are paid more than $100,000 each.

The bulk of its funds, $300 million, is given to promote the mammography industry and grants to pharmaceutical companies for cancer research. These industries, in turn, support the Komen organization with donations of over $55 million a year.

Sound self-serving? Incestuous? That's because it is. In effect, Komen functions as the recruiting arm for these shady trades. Let's take a look at each.

The Cochrane Collaboration specializes in meta-analysis. This technique uses statistical methods to combine the results of many studies on a specific topic. In 2001, it analyzed seven trials involving 500,000 women to determine the effects of mammography screening. Its finding were published in the British peer review journal, Lancet.

The report concluded that screening is not warranted “because there is no reliable evidence that it reduces mortality.” It also reported that for every woman helped by mammography, ten were harmed by overly aggressive treatment, tumor excision, and mastectomy. Additionally, the repeated radiation and breast compression of a mammogram may induce cancer.

This study has been examined and re-examined for the past two decades and found to be valid. But when it comes to survival, the $5 billion mammography business puts its own survival before the life of its patrons.

Similarly chemotherapy for breast cancer is also carcinogenic. Yes, it frequently causes the tumor to shrink. But that has nothing to do with reversal of the disease or helping victims to live longer.

Another effect of chemotherapy is chemo-brain.

Chemo-brain is an umbrella term for mental symptoms caused by chemotherapy. These symptoms include difficulty in concentrating, fuzzy thinking, a shortened attention span, confusion, personality change, and a general decrease in cognition. Some of these symptoms are transitory, others are permanent.

While the Komen Foundation promotes harmful treatments it ignores preventative measures.

The World Health Organization says that 70 percent of all cancers can be prevented through simple changes in food and living habits.

First, avoid cancer causing chemicals frequently found in cosmetics, personal care products, laundry detergents, dryer sheets, and plastic food containers. Avoid fumes from dry cleaning, solvents, paints, nail polish removal, and air fresheners. Read labels to exclude hydrogenated oils and trans fatty acids. And refrain from eating processed meats, refined sugar, and denatured grains.

Do include proven cancer fighters in your life and diet. Get plenty of vitamin-D-making sunlight or lacking that, take a D supplement. Greens, onions, and cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, collards, and kale are potent inhibitors of cancer.

In a laboratory study with rats, a 20 percent increase in cruciferous veggies corresponded to a 40 percent decrease in cancer.

Experiment with a vegetable smoothy of cruciferous veggies, dark greens, onions, and ginger. Add a couple of Brazil nuts for selenium and flax seeds for essential fats. Make a smoothy of antioxidant rich berries. Get sufficient exercise and sleep.

Finally, if you have breast cancer, by all means do all of the above. And read about people who have cured themselves of breast cancer and did not succumb to the disease or to its orthodox treatment.

Sincerely,

Bob Scroggins

New Milford, PA

I have a gas site 3,000' from my home with three drilled wells from WPX Energy here in Silver Lake Twp. It's on the MacGeorge property on Mahoney Rd. off Tripp Lake Rd. This site is about 2500' above Laurel Lake and all the residents up to 3,000' have had their water tested by WPX before the drilling. Now WPX is fracking the site. I am keeping written records in a journal and on a calendar of what I see and experience that troubles me and disturbs me, and I videotape and photograph as much as possible here and throughout the county. I am keeping a record since 2008 of what is happening to Susquehanna County and all the changes to our environment and impacts to our health, air, water. This has been sent to regulatory agencies, like the DEP, EPA , the Governor, legislators, media, and I give Citizen Tours weekly throughout the county showing citizens from NY, other countries and other areas what this is doing to us, changing a rural area into an industrial zone.

We now have over 900 gas wells drilled in our county and pipelines and Compressor Stations dotting the countryside in every direction and more being planned. I got awakened last night at about 2:40 am. from the fracking noises from the MacGeorge site with my windows being closed and I smelled new, noxious odors in my driveway earlier in the evening and smell bad odors when I walk Laurel Lake Rd. in the direction of the site.

Keep records of what is happening near your homes and take note of any air changes, water changes, health changes. Call the DEP, EPA and local townships and report the changes and consider filing lawsuits against the gas companies and owners of these gas wells. I am part of a Citizens Watch Group watching the industry and recording all that we see for future compliance and regulation and lawsuits. We need to get involved and be vigilant to save the good things we have and not let it get ruined by profit-motivated corporations that will leave a spoiled land after they remove all the resources they seek like they've done many times before in other areas and left a mess to clean up for future generations, if it can be cleaned up. The IBM site in Endicott, NY is still being cleaned up and our Bendix Site in South Montrose, Pa., is still being cleaned up years later. The water in those areas are still impacted.

Our Citizen website is www.nepagasaction.org. Stand up as Americans to preserve the good things you have and not risk it for short-term profits that will not mean as much as the gift of clean water, air and land.

Sincerely,

Vera Scroggins

Citizens for Clean Water

Brackney, Pa.

There are those who vote with their heart: There are those who vote on facts: There are those who do both. The question is which one are you? Are you one of those, whose mind is made up, don't give me the facts: I don't want to hear it.

We hear, let’s tax the rich: We hear, let’s level the playing field.

The Democrats, during this administration, have control for approximately two years of the Senate: the House, and the Presidency. During this time no tax reform: during this time no flat tax proposal: during this time no taxing of the rich.

Another confusing issue in leveling out the playing field is the lack of those who do not give up their wealth voluntarily and give it to the poor. I am not a millionaire; yet I am happy because money is not a large part of my happiness.

I write Senator Major; call her up several times to get Penn Dot a call and have them put up warning signs at the Gibson, Flying J exit off I81. It seems there are new tire marks on the wall again. It was recently in repair due to a truck over turning.

This time the driver of the truck was not killed. In the past, there have been two to my knowledge. Hence, what will make me happy before new construction begins on this exit is to have installation of temporary caution signs leading up to the exit and preventing another truck to overturn.

What will make me happy is to vote for a person who believes in giving at least ten percent in tithing: as I do every month: What will make me happy is not increasing Government control over us citizens and each state is to solve their needs.

What will make me happy is to vote for a party who will do what they say and not make excuses for not doing what they say or blaming others for their lack of achievements.

Sincerely,

Larry Gary

Gibson, PA