Rushville – The new schoolhouse is entirely completed and school began Monday with Hazel Bennett as teacher. In Rush, Ude James, while returning home last Tuesday evening, lost his balance and fell out of the wagon. The horse walked on into town. ALSO Auto riding is the popular sport in which some of our ladies indulge in. Also The revival at East Rush M. E. Church will begin on Sunday and continue through the week each evening at 7:30. Cordial invitation is extended to all to come to a meeting were the old time religion prevails. Rev. Ivan Lott Snyder, pastor.

Uniondale – Our fair was a decided success notwithstanding the cold, rainy weather, and one of its attractions was the “rest tent” placed on the ground by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Uniondale. The tent, equipped with a couch and chairs, together with a checking room, brought down many a tired mother’s benediction upon the heads of those whose thoughtfulness placed them there. The W. C. T. U. also had a booth where they sold ice cream, candies, nuts, fruit and popcorn.

Montrose – Joe Mawhinney has been one of the familiar characters here ever since the days when he used to play old fashioned baseball with the boys on the village green. He has shoveled the earth over the remains of many of the greatest statesmen of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and can give the history of nearly everyone buried in the cemetery during his career as grave-digger. While he expects to preside over the silent city for many years to come, Mawhinney prepared his own tomb several years ago, and exhibits with pride the concrete vault that is ready for occupancy at a moment’s notice. He is noted for his grim wit, and has often remarked that the people mind their business in the section of the town under his care. The little plot at Montrose, where the sexton may be found daily, is one of the most beautiful. Also The late Artemus Ward once remarked that “the mule is an amoosin cuss.” One of Will Harrington’s speckled roosters did not find it so however, last Friday, when a well directed kick from Mr. Harrington’s brown mule ended the earthly career of the rooster. A Democratic mule, probably. Also Montrose Chapter of the Eastern Star, lately organized, is growing in numbers, 4 new members having been received into the order Friday evening. The total membership is now 54.

Oakley – The Kingsley Book Club was entertained last Friday by Mrs. Louise Alexander, of Butte, Montana, at the home of her father, Seymour Sophia.

Highlands, New Milford Twp. – There has been no school since Thursday last, as Miss Dana is helping care for her niece, Mrs. Lewis Squires.

Fair Hill, Jessup/Forest Lake Twp. – Chicken thieves visited J. Green’s on Thursday night. M. J. greeted them with his shotgun and no more was heard from them until Sunday night, when Mart Smith’s coops were also visited. They met a warm reception and left for parts unknown.

Brooklyn/Hop Bottom – The fine macadamized state road, connecting Brooklyn and Hop Bottom, has been completed and was opened to the public last Sunday. It is one of the best pieces of roads in the state, costing about $22,000 per mile.

Hallstead - What came near being a fatal accident happened last Tuesday evening when Mrs. Barnes, with her daughter and baby, who reside up the river road were going home when the evener on the wagon broke letting the horse out of the shafts and frightening it. After going some distance, dragging the wagon by the shaft strap, it finally was run into a small ravine landing against a tree, when near neighbors caught the horse and partially repaired some of the damage done. Fortunately no one was badly hurt and were soon able to be taken home.

Thompson – Sneak thieves were transacting business in town last Saturday night. They took a pair of rubber boots and three bottles of milk from Borden’s milk station. Feed was taken from F. T. Spencer’s flour and feed building the same night. ALSO Mrs. Myra Stoddard, an invalid, attended church last Sunday, for the first time in 30 years, through the kindness of Herbert Burchell, who took her to and from church in his new auto.

Clifford – Our school, taught by Miss Irene Morgan, of Welsh Hill, sister of former county treasurer, Will Morgan, is in a very flourishing condition.

Brooklyn – Miss Helen Craver has gone to Scranton, where she will enter the Oral School to train for a teacher of the deaf and dumb.

Gibson – Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Sweet enjoyed a motor trip to Binghamton with Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Terwilliger and also attended the fair. While there Mr. Terwilliger purchased a fine new automobile.

Jackson – Miss Jennie Rounds will take charge of the Jackson telephone exchange the middle of the month.

South Montrose – Something entirely new and novel and long wished for by many practical farmers, is coming on Wednesday next on the Lehigh Valley demonstration car. This is the first time the Lehigh Valley has sent the demonstration car over the Montrose branch and it was brought about through the efforts of F. R. Cope, who is anxious that the farmers, their wives and children, and all interested in agriculture, should have the benefit of the many interesting and practical features which are embodied in the car. An expert will present the subject of poultry raising and, in fact, all of the different lines of agriculture and home improvements have expert instructors to propound knowledge and give information. This is being done to encourage the people living along the line of the Lehigh Valley road to encourage them to greater efforts, stimulating improvement and awakening inquiries into better methods of farming and more wholesome ways of living.

As I write this column, the federal government is “shutdown” as a result of a budget fight. Well, not exactly a budget fight since there has not been a budget passed and signed by the President since April 2009, i.e., the first few months of President Obama’s first term in office. The fight actually involves something a little more ridiculous – but not uncommon in the fairy world of Washington, D.C., the magic spell of continuing resolutions. That’s right, folks, who needs a budget when we can simply pass resolutions that say spend whatever is needed – even if we do not have the money to cover all of the expenses.

In the real world, a management team that was incapable of creating a realistic budget – let alone finding some way to make it come close to balancing – would be out of a job, either because the employer fired them or the business went bankrupt. In the magical world of Washington, our political leaders want us to believe that we do not need budgets – they keep telling the taxpayer to write a blank check that will not only bind the current generation of taxpayers but each succeeding generation as well.

We cannot really blame our politicians – we elected them – so the buck needs to stop with us. We better accept that reality even if we do not want to as it is going to happen whether we like it or not. There is an old Billy Joel song that talks about the inevitable with the following chorus: “Somewhere along the line, you know it’s just a matter of time, when the rent comes due, and the fun falls through, somewhere along the line.” In other words, sooner or later, you have to pay the piper and there is no such thing as a free lunch. The problem with the current fiscal policy is that we have no way to pay for the lunch – and we know it – but we just keep ordering more side orders and desserts.

If you listen to the Chicken Little media, one would think that a government shutdown is a harbinger of the end of time. The media rarely tells you that we have had 16 or 17 previous government “shutdowns,” the most productive of which occurred during President Clinton’s first term – and resulted in a period of reality in Washington where both parties came to the table and managed to actually balance the budget, which then resulted in an improved national economy. If the last shutdown worked so well, it is hard to understand why we are not celebrating the fact that Alice may finally be getting tired of Wonderland.

In any event, the executive reaction to the latest government shutdown reminds me a little bit of how my youngest daughter responds when she does not get her way. She loves to create as much chaos as possible until she gets her way – she throws things, she dumps things, she threatens continued misbehavior with extorting her parents to relent. In the current fiscal debate, the Obama Administration decided to “close” several national open air memorials that are normally open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Despite contending they had no money, the Parks Service actually sent employees out to put up barricades around our national monuments. This never happened during the 20-plus day government shutdown during the Clinton Administration – and it should never have happened.

This would be akin to the Commissioners putting up barricades around the Civil War Monument on the Green here in Montrose every Friday when the Courthouse closed and then removing them on Monday morning when the Courthouse opened again. It is so ridiculous that it reminds you of a child throwing a temper tantrum – there is no rationality behind it and the goal is to simply force someone to give you your way.

But the temper tantrum was even worse – it interfered with private businesses. The National Park Service showed up at Mount Vernon and tried to close it as well – even though it is leased by a private non-profit and receives no government monies. Mount Vernon was not the only example – there were other examples by the Park Service to interfere with private businesses simply because their business leased property from the Park Service. The Park Service could not give any explanation for the decision aside from they had to close the business because of the “government shutdown.” My youngest daughter likes to claim that she will keep crying until we give her what she wants – and the National Park Service appears to be following her lead.

There is no debate that this shutdown is hurting some families. In my own family, I have two family members who are directly impacted – one is furloughed and not receiving pay, while the other is an essential federal worker and must still go to work and simply wait to be paid. The politicians in Washington need to sit down and move this ball forward – and that would mean compromises on both sides of the table. If President Clinton and Speaker Gingrich could do it – then why can’t this group?

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/.

“October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again” ~Hal Borland

September slipped quickly and quietly away and now here we are in the flame-colored month of October! October comes charging in armed with spiced cider, homemade doughnuts, chipmunks and squirrels scurrying around filling their larders with hickory and black walnuts and acorns to tide them over the winter months. It is also a time to enjoy nature’s palette, splendid in reds, golds, oranges, browns and every shade in between. This is the time for planting fall bulbs too. In order to enjoy the beautiful tulips and daffodils next Spring, you must plant the bulbs now—for they must freeze to blossom. Just another excuse to adventure outdoors, and admire the foliage while digging the holes. Last, but not least, October beckons the young and young-at-heart to start thinking about their Halloween costumes. What will shock and awe this year? A dragon? A ghost? An angel or princess perhaps? You’re only limited by your imagination.

Have you stopped into the Susquehanna Branch Library and checked out October’s Book Club selection, which will be “Brooklyn” by Colm Toibin? You will be introduced to an unforgettable character, Eilis Lacey, who has come of age in small-town Ireland in the hard years following World War II. When an Irish Priest from Brooklyn offers to sponsor Eilis in America, she decides she must go, leaving her Mother and Sister behind. Countless revelations and adventures await her. The group will be gathering for discussion on October 17th at 4:00 pm. If you haven’t joined this interesting group, please stop in and speak with Laura, Pam, Elizabeth or Debbie, and they will be more than happy to sign you up.

Over the river and through the woods to the Hallstead/Great Bend Branch, we find Angie and Valerie busy with the Children’s Story Hour every Tuesday Morning at 10:00 am. If you are interested in having your child participate, please call or stop by to sign them up. The sessions will be held until October 29th.

The Hallstead/Great Bend Branch also has a representative coming in from NEPA on Monday, October 21st, starting at 9am and continuing until 1 pm to answer any questions you may have about the new Affordable Health Care Act. The representative will be handing out pamphlets, and assisting people in choosing a plan and signing up.

In case you missed it, the “Susquehanna County Reads” Committee is pleased to announce the sixth year of the County Reads Program. The selection for 2013 is “The Hobbit”, the classic fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien and prequel to the Lord of the Rings series. The Hobbit is a delightful tale originally written for children about a little hobbit who is pulled out of the comfy armchair of his quiet unassuming life and thrust into a wild adventure where he encounters everything from trolls to dragons! This beloved tale has taught readers for decades that though they may be small, their impact on the world around them is paramount. The County Reads program is brought to you by the joint efforts of the Susquehanna County Library and the Susquehanna County Literacy Program. Residents of Susquehanna County can register and get their own copy of the book (registration fee $3) which started on Monday, September 23rd at any County Library Branch ( Montrose, Hallstead-Great Bend, Susquehanna, and Forest City),or Pratt Memorial Library in New Milford. Those who register will be able to participate in several exciting programs and events, such as a theatre showing of the 2012 film and much more! All events will be free with a "Reads ID Card" received upon registration with the exception of a Finale dinner at the Stonebridge Inn in Uniondale. “ Reads” events have begun with the “Hobbit Hike” at Salt Springs State Park on Saturday, October 5th and will continue on Thursday, October 10th with a Panel Discussion and Hobbit Food Sampling at St. Mark's Church Hall in New Milford at 7pm. Come and sample some delicious traditional English foods. On Monday, Oct. 14th through and including the 22nd, please tune in to WPEL AM 800 for a radio reading of the first six chapters of The Hobbit. The Reading will begin at 12:30pm each day and will be read by local Hobbit enthusiasts! You can also listen online at www.wpel.org

***Also, each library branch (Montrose, Susquehanna, Forest City, and Hallstead-Great Bend) will be featuring a riddle contest each week during October. Stop by and try to guess the riddle for a chance to win a Hobbit-worthy prize!

The Children’s Story Hour has started at Susquehanna and Montrose as well. In Susquehanna, the popular program is on Tuesday at 10:30 am for the month of October. Story Hour at the Montrose Location runs from September through May. For an hour each week, 3 to 5 year olds can listen to stories, watch a movie, play games, and make a craft to take home. There are two sessions, Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Special programs during the year celebrate holidays and occasions like National Library Week. If your child would like to join in, registration for this year is still open. Please call or stop by to sign up.!

Don’t forget to find us on “Facebook”: (Susquehanna County Library) and look us up on “Pinterest” for lots of interesting nooks and crannies to explore and now, if you “Tweet”, follow us on Twitter (@susqcolib) to check out event information, local scoops and much more.

As I watch another “V” of geese head South, and fluff the flannel sheets, I leave you with this thought:

“October is crisp days and cool nights, a time to curl up around the dancing flames and sink into a good book.” ~ Unknown

Apple Cider—Hearty Stews – High School Football

ENJOY!!