Montrose – The high school night classes in Agriculture and Home making are being well attended, but there is room for many more. If you are interested in “Better Farming” as it is affected by soil management or fertilization, or if you are interested in the principles of better home-making, don’t forget the time, Monday and Wednesday evenings, at 7:30, and the place, the basement of the Village Hall [Colonial Hall]. Also Rt. Rev. G. L. Blackwell, D. D., Presiding Bishop of the W. N.Y. Conference, will make his official visit to the A.M.E. Zion church, Thursday, Feb. 5th, and preach at 8 p.m. Come and hear him.

Hopbottom – The program of the silhouette social, to be given in Masonic hall this Friday evening, will include several good musical numbers and other attractions, in addition to the exhibition of silhouettes, and a chance to win an oil painting, which will be given as a prize. Homemade candies and homemade Brooklyn ice cream will be on sale.

Uniondale – Wallie W. Whitman has opened a repair shop in U. Barringer’s cobble shop. Wallie is ready for business. ALSO Everyone seems to be rejoicing over the fact that Uniondale will be “dry” for 1914.

North Bridgewater – We experienced an old fashioned cold winter last week. The thermometer registered 20 below zero. Sleighing is good and farmers are improving it hauling lime and ice.

Hallstead – The ice crop for this vicinity is about all gathered, the river ice being of good quality and from 9 to 12 inches thick. ALSO The borough lock-up, which was sold to W. P. VanLoan, has been demolished and removed to his farm.

East Lynn – C. D. Travis, the efficient clerk in Avery’s store during the past year, has accepted a position operating the grist mill widely known as the Rogers’ mill. His many friends united in extending him a hearty welcome back to East Lynn. Also The cow barn belonging to Norman Brown was burned Tuesday evening. Mr. Brown was doing his chores, when he became dizzy and fell across the mowing machine tongue, breaking the lantern and setting some chaff on fire. He regained consciousness in time to let his cows out, but a quantity of hay and machinery were burned with the building. Mr. Brown had a very narrow escape from being burned to death. He carried a light insurance.

Rush – One of our aged, but wise farmers, asked me to call the farmers’ attention to the hungry quails and to ask them to scatter grain where these valuable little birds can get it and so be able to live through the cold winter. Some ornithologists declare that these little birds are of great value to the farmer.

Crystal Lake – The Country Club was entertained by Mrs. Will Cole, Jan. 21, and a fine time was enjoyed by all. Before luncheon was served Mrs. Arthur Thomas played some fine selections on the piano. After luncheon, Mrs. Cole and Mrs. Greely played and sang some very pretty pieces, which all enjoyed very much. The Club meets every two weeks and makes country life a great deal more pleasant. The Club is reading the book, “That Printer of Udells.” Mr. and Mrs. Cole know just how to entertain.

Friendsville – Our town is glad to welcome a new doctor, Dr. Bolan, of Nicholson, having decided to locate here. We all wish him success in his new field. Also Thos. Harrigan, of North Brackney, is assisting Joseph Crowley to fill the ice-houses at Camp Choconut.

Susquehanna – Quite a serious coasting accident occurred on Broad street, Friday evening. Fifteen young men were in a large bob and in some way the bell got under the runner and the sleigh slewed and some of them were injured. Jack Beers and Robert Kane had to have medical attendance, but the others escaped with a few scratches and minor injuries.

Liberty – Henry Craik’s horse ran away Friday. It hurt Craik some but the horse was not hurt. Also Ernest Risley has bought a new sleigh; it’s a dandy.

Harford – Renew your paper now and get four magazines—Green’s Fruit Grower, Home Life, Farm Life and Woman’s World—all for $1.68.

Forest City – Thomas Lynch, aged 81 years, died at his home Sunday morning, Jan. 25, 1914, from general debility. He was a lifelong resident and for a number of years conducted a general store here. One son, John Lynch, survives. Interment in St. Rose’s cemetery.

Great Bend – Fifty couples, composing a sleighing party from Susquehanna, took supper at the Kilrow House one night recently and held a dance at Kistler’s hall, bringing an orchestra with them. Also Mr. Miller, who has opened the Crystal ice cream parlor, will occupy the Newman residence on Main street, his family coming from Harford about Feb. 1. ALSO Demer Bros. Co., on Monday, started nine experienced glasscutters at work in their factory. They have large orders booked ahead.

Kingsley – Two hundred civil engineers, who were attending a convention in New York city, came by special train to Kingsley and viewed the new Lackawanna bridge.

Brooklyn – A large number of friends and neighbors met at the home of Mrs. B. L. Jewett on Monday evening in honor of her birthday, giving her a genuine surprise. The time was spent in music and games, piano solos and duets, and refreshments were served.

Middletown Center – Russell James and bride started for their new home in Alberta, Canada, last Friday. Also The dance and oyster supper held by Coleman and Guiton was largely attended and a god time enjoyed by all.

Clifford - While returning to Carbondale from this place, Saturday evening, a man driving one of Fowler & Williams’ rigs ran into a sleigh left by the side of the road near Alfred Snyder’s and was severely injured. The man was some busy, for a time, getting the horse quieted.

Springville – Owing to the measles epidemic the Wyoming Seminary Glee club did not come here, but stopped off at Lynn, where they were greeted b a full house. This measles business has got to be quite a thing, as there are about sixty cases already and ore developing every day. It looks like a clean sweep.

The White House website has a terrific page entitled “Drug Policy 101,” which presents a “drug policy for the 21st Century.”  This page starts off with President Obama’s vision of an American “skilled workforce [that] has the knowledge, energy and expertise to compete in the global marketplace.”  The policy statement warns that “far too many Americans” have failed to live up to the President’s vision because they are “limited by drug use, which not only limits the potential of the individual, but jeopardizes families, communities and neighborhoods.”

Thereafter, it is noted that illicit drug usage cost the United States $193 billion in lost productivity, healthcare and criminal justice costs – but it also noted the “human costs” encompassed by the increasing levels of drug overdose deaths.  The White House proposed a plan to “reduce drug use and its consequences.”

The President’s plan highlighted the need for education – “particularly among young people” – as the most cost-effective means of reducing drug usage.  The White House contended that for every dollar dedicated to educational programs there was a correspondence savings of $18 in costs associated with substance abuse disorders.  President Obama pledged to “reach young people in schools, on college campuses and in the workplace with tailored information designed to help them make healthy decisions about their future.”

There is no partisan division in this approach to battling substance abuse – both political parties can agree that we need to keep drugs away from our children and arm them with the knowledge to understand that drugs are destructive and dangerous.  President Obama’s Office of National Drug Control Policy website provides the following statement: “The Administration steadfastly opposes legalization of marijuana and other drugs because legalization would increase the availability and use of illicit drugs, and pose significant health and safety risks to all Americans, particularly young people.”  In terms of public policy, this was a fairly easy one for both parties – drugs are bad. 

Somewhere along the line, however, President Obama’s drug policy went up in smoke.  In a recent interview with New Yorker magazine, President Obama decided to undercut his own educational policies by declaring that marijuana usage was no worse than alcohol and cigarettes, and he seemingly encouraged the legalization efforts similar to those in Colorado and Washington.  The President seemed to forget that he had a drug policy that was aimed at encouraging young people to refrain from the use of illicit drugs.  During the course of these cavalier comments, President Obama described his past use of marijuana as follows: “I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life.  I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”  The President did manage to give this weak rebuke to marijuana use stating that it was “not something I encourage” and that it is “a bad idea, a waste of money, not very healthy.”

President Obama never mentioned the scientific data contained on his Administration websites.  Marijuana smoke has significantly more carcinogens than tobacco smoke.  Adolescent use of marijuana can cause permanent brain damage and lower the child’s I.Q.  Marijuana is addictive with over 4 million marijuana addicts nationwide as of 2011.  After the President’s statements, the American Society of Addiction Medicine issued a statement warning that marijuana impairs memory, motor function and respiratory health.

The Drug-Free America Foundation responded: “President Obama is surrounded by a myriad of experts who have voiced serious concerns about the harms of marijuana and rejected legalization, so either he is seriously ill-informed about the issue or is completely ignoring warnings from his highly-esteemed advisers.”  This may be true to a point, but President Obama also contended that marijuana laws were hypocritical as he suggested that the legislators “have probably done the same thing” as the people being arrested for marijuana possession.  President Obama seems to think that since he smoked dope – everyone else probably did as well – and perhaps he thinks his drug advisers are former pot smokers too.  Given the current state of the federal government, perhaps some of these people never stopped smoking pot.

In the end, it is disappointing to see the President of the United States engaged in any dialogue that could be viewed as supportive of illicit drug usage – especially where his own drug policy highlights the dangers of marijuana use and the need to educate children to avoid drug use.  Nancy Reagan got it right – Just Say No – and that is the message the President should be sending our kids.

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/.