Did you know October is “National Cheese Month?” Well I’m inviting you to celebrate by learning a few cheese facts and I suggest you check out the dairy case in your local grocery store and try a new variety of cheese. There are so many to choose from.

Susquehanna County Dairy Ambassador Alivia Hughes

Did you know it takes about 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese.  Mozzarella cheese is the biggest-selling cheese variety in the United States, followed by cheddar. Mozzarella is the cheese that tops your pizza and cheddar is the cheese used in my favorite dinner meal, macaroni and cheese.

There is no exact information regarding the origin of cheese; archaeological studies have shown the origin of cheese dates as far back as 6000 BC. The first cheese factory was established in Switzerland in 1815; however major production in the United States began in 1851. Today there are more than 2000 varieties of cheese available around the globe, however mozzarella remains the favorite worldwide.

Cheese is kept for a period of time before its ready to eat. Some varieties of cheese, blue cheese, gorgonzola and brie are exposed to mold which helps them age properly.

Here’s an interesting fact, some varieties of cheese like mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss and American, help prevent tooth decay by promoting the flow of saliva which leads to elimination of sugar and acids from the mouth.

Cheese, being an excellent source of protein calcium, and phosphorus is a perfect way to get one or more of the recommended “Three Everyday of Dairy”. So go ahead and enjoy “National Cheese Month” by trying a new cheese variety, or just enjoy a slice of pizza or a scoop of macaroni and cheese.

The Harford Agricultural Society held its annual banquet on October 3rd at the Montrose Bible Conference. There were many in attendance to enjoy dinner, friendship, a sense of community and of course to celebrate another successful year at the 159th Harford Fair.

Following dinner the celebration moved to a lovely program where President of the Board of Directors Dr. Michael Kowalewski awarded fourteen $1,000 scholarships to local students. Scholarship winners include Madison Button of Hallstead, Shannon Cobb of South Montrose, Cynthia Eichelberger of Susquehanna, Seth Fluck of Brooklyn, Austin Graham of Montrose, Dempsey Hollenbeck of Kingsley, Rachel Johnson of Factoryville, Sarah Longacre of Hallstead, Leah Ofalt of Montrose, Stephanie Ostir of Clifford Township, Ben Pettyjohn of Montrose, Emily Whitehead of Kingsley, Chad Schmidt of New Milford and Emily Supancik of New Milford.

Jolie Winemiller and Kaylie Grosvenor

2016 Harford Fair Queen Jolie Winemiller and 2016 Alternate Fair Queen Kaylie Grosvenor gave brief speeches on their experience at the fair. Miss Jolie Winemiller stated that the experience was “everything she could have imagined and more.”

Cindy Reynolds, Second Vice President of the Board of Directors presented an enticing video of the Harford Fair. It was complete with sounds of the fair and an aerial view of the fairgrounds, which truly captured the essence of the annual event.

Dr. Michael Kowaleski stated that planning for next year’s fair has already begun.

Noting that Wayne Memorial Hospital began back in 1920 as a memorial to Wayne County veterans who had lost their lives in World War I, the hospital’s current Chief Executive Officer David Hoff was honored to be asked to sponsor one of 17 podiums at the new Wayne County Walk of Honor.  Each podium in the Walk, a project of the Wayne County Business and Professional Women (BPW), features the names of servicemen and women who are buried in Wayne County, a national cemetery or overseas.

Pictured during a check presentation (l-r) are: Lisa Champeau, Wayne Memorial Hospital; David Hoff; and veterans and BPW Walk Committee members Melissa Rickard, CRNP/Air Force Reserves Ret., Lawrence Caruth, DMD/U.S. Army Reserves Ret., Betty Caruth, RN, PhD/U.S. Army Reserves Ret.

The Walk of Honor is on Court Street, next to the county courthouse, and is expected to officially open on Veterans Day, November 11, 2016. A ceremony, scheduled for 11am will honor the 9,000 soldiers whose names grace the podiums. The site also includes a map of Wayne County cemeteries and a central monument with insignias from all branches of the military. “We are grateful to Wayne Memorial and our other sponsors,” said Betty deMaye Caruth, BPW, “and we welcome more. We will also need donations to continue to maintain the site. We hope people come and see it. It’s really a living testament to those who, by joining the military, signified their willingness to give up their lives for our freedom.”

Social media has changed the rules of privacy for almost everyone. But for people diagnosed with cancer, social media use comes with the additional complications of online disclosure, which can have unintended consequences.

As part of their annual survey, Cancer and Careers, a national nonprofit that empowers and educates people with cancer to thrive in their workplaces, polled survivors on their experiences with disclosing their cancer online. Nearly one in five cancer survivors polled said that revealing their cancer diagnosis on social media negatively impacted their careers, and one in 10 said they experienced repercussions at work because of their disclosure; but 77 percent of respondents who posted about cancer or disclosed their diagnosis online felt supported by friends and family or found a support group as a result. Please note, sample size varied; for more information on the study methodology view the infographic here: bit.ly/2bNKanA.

As with any aspect of the cancer journey, the decision to disclose, whether online or in-person, is a personal one based on a variety of factors. For more information on Cancer and Careers’ expert resources, interactive tools and educational events visit CancerandCareers.org.

If you have cancer or are a cancer survivor, learning more about the possible consequences of online disclosure can help you make decisions that are right for you. (StatePoint)