Forest Lake – Two successive serious fires occurred when Fred W. Powell’s home and F. E. Hagadorn’s large store were burned. Mr. Powell’s residence burned having probably caught from the kitchen fire. He was working in the fields and Mrs. Powell had left the house, locking it, while engaged in work not far from the dwelling. She noted the fire when it had gathered considerable headway and entrance through the kitchen door being blocked by the flames, she attempted breaking out a window pane to effect an entrance. In doing this she badly cut her hand. The family carried no insurance and the dwelling was a fine, large structure. The Hagadorn store, located in Birchardville, was consumed on Oct. 1st. Besides the building with its contents, heavily stocked, a nearby warehouse and a granary were burned. The telephone was used in rousing out the people, who cane in large numbers, and by means of a bucket brigade kept the fire from spreading to the church sheds nearby and from burning the church. Mr. Hagadorn had purchased the business from W. D. Browning about three months ago, coming from Lestershire, N.Y., and Mr. Browning, in turn, having a short time before bought the property from Frank Robinson. As the Slauson ad Robinson store it was widely known, and it was well patronized. The loss is estimated at from $8,000 to $10,000. There was some insurance.
Hopbottom – Last week, Thursday, while the milk train was speeding down the Lackawanna at a rapid rate, a milk car left the rails about half a mile north of the Foster station. The car shattered the depot platform, but fortunately no one was injured.
Montrose – Montrose High school football team defeated the Crescent team, of Dimock, on Saturday by a score of 12-0. Capt. Mackin scored both touchdowns for Montrose. The two teams will play a second game at the Athletic Park, Montrose, Saturday afternoon, Oct. 3. Also our townsman and veteran barber, Albert Miller, has received a letter from his sister in Germany, which states that two of her sons have been called to serve in the German army. Also Leonard Stone, formerly employed at Earl Smith’s jewelry store, left Sunday for Philadelphia, where he will take a course in watch making.
Springville – On Oct. 9, at the home of Louis B. Johnson, there will be a box social and entertainment for the Union school. Proceeds to buy an organ for the school. A cordial invitation to all. Also the marriage of Harry M. Turrell to Miss Mary Sullivan, of Wellsboro Pa., took place at her home, Wednesday evening last. The groom has for several years been manager of Brown & Fasset’s feed mill here. The bride was for three years the supervisor of music in Tunkhannock high school. They will reside here after October 1.
Auburn Center – An automobile accident, Saturday afternoon, which might have proved very serious, took place on the road not far from here, near Ziba Lott’s. Delmer Stark, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Perigo, of New Milford, was driving a Ford touring car, when without warning the rod in the steering gear holding the two front wheels in unison, gave way and a sudden dive of the wheels caused the machine to turn turtle. Mr. Stark landed free of the car, Mr. Perigo was caught under it, while Mrs. Perigo was caged in the tonneau of the overturned auto. By supreme effort Mr. Stark succeeded in lifting the machine off Mr. Perigo who soon revived, he having been squeezed until his breath was nearly gone. Mr. and Mrs. Perigo were helped to the Lott home to recover from their bruises and fright. The auto was not badly damaged.
Rush – Prof. Roland Dayton, of the High school, while playing basketball with his team at Bichardville, last Friday, by accident had his cheek bone broken. The physicians at Montrose were unable to set it, so he went to Binghamton Saturday morning, but operation was deferred until Thursday of this week. Because of his enforced absence the High school was closed Thursday and Friday.
Susquehanna – Takasch & Chappelle, the contractors for the paving of Exchange street, are rushing the work right along. Also a number of the State Constabulary will be stationed here after October 1st. Also early Tuesday morning the store of Joseph M. Williams was entered by burglars and $25 in cash and a woman’s gold watch taken. An entrance was gained by prying open a window in the rear of the store.
Lawsville – B. L. Bailey received the premium at the Montrose fair for the finest colt and the largest cucumbers.
South Gibson – It is rumored that Dr. H. W. Trimmer, of Harvey’s Lake [Luzerne County}, who formerly resided here, will return to the town and open an office.
Thompson – In the prize-wining contest at Keystone hall, Mrs. Martin Nelson was awarded a set of silver knives, tablespoons and teaspoons for being the most popular lady in town and 50 cents for the best vocal solo.
Clifford – J. W. Jones, health inspector of Clifford Twp., reports an epidemic of measles in Clifford and vicinity. It is of a malignant type and every precaution is taken to prevent its spread.
Uniondale/Forest City – Seven years is a long time to wait for a cat to come back but that is what Hugh Burdick did, and he found the cat after yeas of waiting. It had become ossified when fond and is now in the possession of E. J. Wells, of Forest City.
News Brief: Micajah Weiss, aged113 years, died at Beaver Brook, Sullivan county, N. Y., on Sept 22. Mr. Weiss was probably the oldest Civil war veteran and was the oldest pensioner in the United States, if not the oldest man in the United States. He was one of the celebrities of the semi-centennial of the Battle of Gettysburg last year. For 70 years he lived at Paupack, Wayne county, and for many years was a lumberman. He was married four times and the father of two children, three of his marriages having been to widows with children. He was a Republican in politics, and in religion “generally a Baptist.” He gave the secret of his long life as hard work, sound sleep and minding his own business.
Did you know that it is illegal to purchase alcohol products in New York State (or any other state) and bring them back into Pennsylvania? Some of you were probably aware of this law, but I also suspect that there are a good percentage of readers who may be unknowingly “bootlegging.” The unlawful transporting of out-of-state alcohol or liquor is a summary offense punishable by a fine of $25 for each “package,” or imprisonment for up to 90 days. In determining what constitutes a “package,” the statute provides that each full quart shall be considered a separate package – so if you have a one gallon container, that is 4 separate packages adding up to a $100 fine.
As with much legislative masterpieces, the “Liquor Code” is not exactly the easiest read – it does not spell out with crystal clarity the conduct that it seeks to prevent. There are cross-references to other section of the legislation such that you find yourself flipping back and forth in an attempt to determine whether a particular conduct is unlawful. Generally speaking, however, it manages to state that you cannot import alcohol from another state if you are simply a consumer. In other words, you have to buy your alcohol from a state-licensed store here in the Commonwealth – not from the bigger alcohol mega-marts in New York State.
Further, just in case you are wondering, you will not get to enjoy the fruits of your bootlegging activities – the statute requires the forfeiture of the contraband. The statute provides that the bootlegged alcohol will be seized and forfeited to the Commonwealth. The statute does provide that the vehicle used in the bootlegging operation will not be subject to forfeiture. If you are a serial “bootlegger” with a prior conviction for smuggling out of state alcohol into the Commonwealth, and there is evidence that there is some commercial purpose behind your activities, then the offense becomes a misdemeanor offense and there is the potential that the Commonwealth can seek forfeiture of the booze and your car or truck. Most people are not “smuggling” out of state alcohol for commercial purposes – it is for personal use – and those offenses remain summary offenses with a fine of $25 per quart of alcohol and forfeiture of the alcohol.
What if you want to order wine from your favorite out-of-state winery? The Legislature has granted permission for you to purchase up to 9 liters of wine each month from an out-of-state winery provided that you have the wine shipped to a Pennsylvania Liquor Store, where you can pay the state taxes due on the wine prior to taking it home for your enjoyment. Before you can actually take your wine, however, the Liquor Store will make you sign an affidavit verifying that the wine will only be used for “the person’s personal use” - if you resell your out of state wine, you have committed a misdemeanor of the second degree. If you are having a big party, you better plan ahead if you need more than 9 liters – and hope that the language in the statute relating to “person’s personal use” of the wine means more than simply your personal use but also would allow you to pour a glass for your friends.
Philadelphia Representative John Taylor has introduced legislation that would legalize these out-of-state alcohol consumer purchases. Representative Taylor has a lot of constituents who shop in New Jersey and he does not want to criminalize their decision to pick up a bottle of wine and bring it home. Representative Taylor hopes that his proposal will find easy sailing in the Legislature. According to one media report, however, Wendell Young, president of the union that represents the state-run liquor store clerks, criticized the proposed legislation because it was not coupled with other reforms that would allow the state-owned liquor stores to compete with their out-of-state rivals, such as allowing our liquor store to open on Sundays – and have longer hours.
As the old saying goes – lawmaking is a lot like sausage-making – you really do not want to know how it happens or the junk that goes into it. There is only one reason for the Liquor Code to criminalize the import of alcohol into the Commonwealth for personal use – to protect a state-run monopoly on the booze business – and that is bad business indeed. If you are a bootlegger, you now know the Commonwealth considers your actions to be criminal – and you know the consequences for your behavior. Perhaps, Representative Taylor will get the needed support to legalize this everyday occurrence – but then again you never really know what “solution” the Legislature will find to address the “problem.”
After all, the last time the legislature addressed this issue it was the out-of-state winery solution – which requires you to actually sign an affidavit at the liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine that was ordered from an out-of-state winery – after you have paid all state taxes due – and places a 9 liter monthly limit on such purchases. Did the solution simplify the problem or simply make it more difficult albeit legal? It will be interesting what Wonderland solution they find to the continuing “bootlegging problem.”
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/.
What is prior authorization?
Joe, 45, was prescribed a medication which we will call Nervoid. Nervoid is a new combination anti-anxiety/sedative that has been heavily advertised on TV. Upon going to his neighborhood pharmacy, Joe is told by the pharmacist that the prescription will not go through his insurance without “prior authorization.” Joe does not know what this means and said, “If the doctor wrote me a prescription for a medication I need, then the insurance company should pay for it and the pharmacy should fill it.” Prior authorization (PA) is a requirement that your physician obtain approval from your health insurance plan to prescribe a specific medication for you. PA is a technique for minimizing costs, wherein benefits are only paid if the medical care has been pre-approved by the insurance company. This is usually the case for very expensive medications.
Without this PA, your insurance plan may not pay for your medication. Even then, the insurance company – not the doctor – has the final say in the matter. And they can turn you down. You can pay cash for the medicine – in the case of the mythical Nervoid, the cash price is $300 and Joe can decide whether he wants to pay that. Joe asked the pharmacist if another pharmacy would fill the prescription. And he was told that the same thing would occur no matter which pharmacy her went to. It is a physician-insurance matter whereby the physician would have to explain why the patient needs that particular drug. The insurance company usually wants the doctor to try the patient on a cheaper drug before approving the more expensive drug for Joe.
What should you do if the pharmacist tells you that your medicine requires a PA? Generally, the pharmacy will contact the doctor who prescribed the medicine and let him know that your medicine requires PA. Ask your doctor how long it usually takes for his office to contact the insurance company and fill out the appropriate forms. Call your insurance company and make sure there are no additional steps you need to take. Sometimes an insurance company may want you to fill out some paperwork or sign some forms. Allow the doctor’s office and insurance company enough time to complete their end of the process; this is typically days, not hours. Check back with the pharmacy to see if PA was approved. If your medicine is not approved, call your insurance company and find out why.
Ron Gasbarro, PharmD is a pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Write him at ron@rx-press.com.
