Forest City – The hotelmen of Forest City are opening their bars now at seven o’clock in the morning instead of six o’clock, the hour recommended by Judge Denny. ALSO Wm. Evans, the milk man, bought a new horse last week.  He placed his new purchase on the milk route Tuesday and when on Lackawanna street in this place, the steed became frightened and started at a lively pace.  The sleigh containing milk bottles, etc., was overturned and the team pressed on down Dundaff street to Main where it was stopped by E. E. Horton.  At the corner of Dundaff and Main streets an aged man narrowly escaped being run over by the team.  Will says there is no use of crying over spilled milk.

Susquehanna – John Ray Osborne, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Osborne, of 511 Church St., Susquehanna, Pa., has received through the Hon. L. T. McFadden of the 14th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point.  Young Mr. Osborne, who is not yet 17 years old, is a junior in the Susquehanna High School.  He is a fine young man and was highly recommended for appointment.

Friendsville – The box social held Jan. 24th, for the benefit of Friendsville school, was largely attended and an excellent time is reported.  The weather was ideal, sleighing good, and the young people gathered from all points.  The teacher, Miss Elizabeth O’Connell, with the cooperation of directors and friends, made elaborate preparations for the entertainment of guests.  The young ladies provided tempting lunches and there was keen rivalry among the young men for possession of the biggest and handsomest boxes.  J. J. Matthews made a hit as auctioneer, and

C. C. Byrne and Wm. T. Moran were efficient and gracious managers.

Franklin Forks – The G. A. R. will observe Lincoln’s birthday at Alliance Hall, assisted by the school of this place on Monday afternoon, commencing at 2 p.m., Feb. 12th.  We expect a fine program, as the school is very much interested.  We hope that in the near future Lincoln will be taught in the schools of this country.  Show your patriotism for one of the greatest men the nation has ever known. ALSO No school at the Forks on Monday on account of the bad drifts.  Our teacher, Miss Mae Smith, of Montrose, started out but could not get here.

Dimock Twp. – We guess there is no mistake about the ground hog seeing his shadow this year judging by the weather. ALSO The Dimock Library is now open, as usual, seventy hours a week.  Many new books have been added, a list of which will appear in the Democrat nest week.

North Harford – “Old Kit,” a faithful farm horse, that had been with W. S. Sophia for several years, was found dead in the stable one morning recently. ALSO The first genuine blizzard that we have had this winter is with us today.

Silver Lake – Philip Lonergan, Superintendent of the Pueblo Indian Reservation in New Mexico, with headquarters in Albuquerque, is spending his vacation with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Lonergan at Richmond Hill. On the Pueblo reservation are over 8,000 Indians.  There are Indian Schools and various trades are taught necessitating the service of many persons.  All of these matters are in charge of Mr. Lonergan.  He came home about a month ago, but was summoned to Washington to appear as spokesman for the Pueblos, who are asking that the boundaries of their reservation be extended so as to take in more of the government land in New Mexico.

Fairdale – D. D Roe, who has conducted a large milk business at West Pittston, has disposed of the same and will return to his native hills near Fairdale to make his future home.

Liberty Township – The old bear came out Friday, saw his shadow and went back into his hole to stay the rest of the winter.  It was a good thing for Bruin as we have experienced some quite cold weather since. ALSO  On Howard Hill Miss Thea Caswell met with a distressing accident while out coasting Tuesday night.  In some manner, the sled on which she was riding with some others, slewed in making a curve on the hill near Joe Luce’s, at Stanfordville, going under a barbed wire fence.  It was only one wire, the two on front of the sled dodged the wire, Miss Caswell getting the full force of the wire, cutting her face and tongue quite badly, breaking off one tooth and knocking out one.  Dr. Caterson was called and gave immediate attention.  She is getting along as well as could be expected.

Little Meadows – Frank Lynch is building fires in the morning at the Graves School house.  ALSO We are having very cold weather here.  The bear saw his shadow alright.

Fair Hill, Jessup Twp. – Mrs. Mary Ball, of Montrose, who was born and lived here on the Hill until a few years ago when she moved to Montrose, was buried here Monday.  Only a few attended the funeral as the weather was so bad. Arthur Riker placed one of his concrete vaults in the grave of Mrs. Ball.

Springville – The Primary and Intermediate rooms of the Springville High School will give a patriotic entertainment Saturday evening, Feb. 24.  Admission 20 cents.  Proceeds will be used for interior decoration of the two rooms.  A play, entitled, “The Boys of Bunker Hill,” will be one of the main features.

200 Years Ago, from the Centinel, Montrose, Pa., February 8, 1817.

*Died in this town on Monday last, Mrs. Caroline Shipman, aged 36 years, wife of Nathan Shipman.  Mrs. Shipman had for a long time lingered under the worst of all maladies (the Consumption) which terminated her earthly existence.  During her long and distressing illness she bore it with Christian fortitude, resting her hope on the merits of her Saviour.

*ALL persons indebted to the estate of Luther Dean, late of Bridgewater, deceased, are requested to make immediate payments and those who have demands against said estate must bring forward their accounts properly attested for settlement. OLIVE DEAN, Administratix, Bridgewater, Feb. 8, 1817.

*In Good Nature, but, IN EARNEST! The subscriber intends to leave this state in about three weeks, and he therefore requests all persons indebted to him to call and settle within that time—By complying with this request, those indebted will oblige the subscriber, and perhaps, save themselves c…….s.  WILLIAM COOK, Bridgewater, Feb. 8, 1817.

*An Apprentice Wanted. An apprentice to the House Painting & Chair Making business is wanted by the subscriber.  A lad 14 or 15 years old will find good encouragement by calling on ELIHU B. SMITH, living in the township of Waterford [Brooklyn], who has a farm of 70 acres to sell, 16 of which are under improvement.  Said farm lies near where he now lives.  Waterford, Feb. 8, 1816.

*Public Notice.  All persons indebted to the estate of Truman Clinton, late of Gibson township, deceased, must make immediate payment; and those who have demands against said estate must present their accounts properly attested for settlement.  FREEMAN PECK, HOSEA TIFFANY, JR. administrators. February, 8, 1817.

In May 2015, a Harrisburg police officer and a Dauphin County probation officer were participating in a Street Crime Unit, which conducted nighttime surveillance of problem areas in the City of Harrisburg.  They observed two juveniles near an abandoned property searching through some tall grass.  Through the use of binoculars, the probation officer watched one of the juvenile offenders pick up a shotgun from the grass area and then load the shotgun with three shells.  The shotgun was then wrapped in a sweatshirt and the two juveniles began their travels again.  One of the juvenile was then observed to take the shotgun out of the sweatshirt and place it inside of his right pant leg and then put on the sweatshirt such that the firearm was totally concealed.  Based upon these observations, the police intervened and seized the firearm without incident.

Upon inspection, it was discovered that the barrel of the shotgun had been shortened to a length of eighteen and nine-sixteenth inches.  The shotgun had been further shortened by altering the stock such that the total length of the shotgun was only thirty-one and three-quarter inches.  The juveniles were charged with various offenses, including possession of a prohibited offensive weapon.  At the adjudication hearing, the Commonwealth presented testimony from a firearm expert who testified that there was “no common, lawful purpose” for the shortening of the length of this particular shotgun, except to allow to its easy concealment.  The juveniles were adjudicated of the prohibited offensive weapon offense, and one of the juveniles appealed.

The juvenile argued that the shotgun was not a prohibited offensive weapon because its barrel length was not within the definition of what is considered a sawed-off shotgun under the statute.   The criminal statute at issue specifically defines an offensive weapon to include “a sawed-off shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches.”  As noted, this particular barrel was sawed off to leave a barrel length of just over 18 inches.  As such, the juvenile argued this particular shotgun was not an offensive weapon under the criminal statute – and he could not be prosecuted for possessing a weapon whose barrel length was not specifically prohibited.

The definition of a prohibited offensive weapon also includes any “firearm specially made or specially adapted for concealment or silent discharge.”  The Commonwealth argued that this particular shotgun had been specially adapted for concealment in that both its barrel length and stock had been shortened.  The evidence also demonstrated that it was altered in a way to allow it to be concealed in the pant leg of the juvenile offender.  The Commonwealth’s expert witness also testified there was no other lawful purpose for the intentional shortening of the shotgun’s stock and barrel except to allow for more easy concealment.

The Superior Court agreed with the Commonwealth’s argument: “Nothing in the statute suggests that the legislature, by adding the maximum barrel [length] requirement in the shotgun provision, intended to foreclose prosecution for possession of a sawed-off shotgun with a stock end shortened to facilitate concealment.  [The juvenile’s] argument ignores the fact that the shortening of the stock end of the shotgun herein constituted an alteration and modification to a firearm that, together with proof that its purpose was to facilitate concealment, could support the court’s finding that it constituted an offensive weapon.”

“Today is the first of February, snowy, brilliant, but dripping with the sound of spring wherever the sun lies warm, and calling with the heart of spring yonder where the crows are assembling. There is spring in the talk of the chickadees outside my window, and in the cheerful bluster of a red squirrel in the hickory.” -Dallas Lore Sharp, The Atlantic Monthly, February 1908

What’s 75 years old and still “Golden”? Why, Little Golden Books, of course! Launched during the dark days of WWII, Golden Books such as “The Poky Little Puppy” were an instant sensation. Hallmarked by their superlative quality yet affordable to nearly everyone, they changed the cultural landscape and mirrored our changing post-war culture: the powerful influence of television, the post-Sputnik renaissance in American science education, and the birth of the civil rights movement. All Golden Books were, and continue to be, lavishly illustrated and accented with the iconic Golden Book covers that generations of children have pored over for decades. I’m sure many of us have scrawled our names on the inside of the sturdy cardboard covers with the shiny gold-foil spine and were read to, as well as learned how to read, using these dog-eared treasures. Who will ever forget “The Little Red Caboose”, “The Shy Little Kitten”, “The Little Red Hen”, and “Scuffy the Tugboat”, just to name a few of my favorites. Congratulations, Little Golden Books. You helped to pave the way for many up and coming talented authors and illustrators over 75 years and are still be enjoyed by millions of children today. Thank you! May you continue to produce such quality books for many more years to come!

There is another milestone to celebrate in the literary world. Author Mary Pope Osborne’s “Magic Tree House” series is celebrating their 25th Anniversary.

For 25 years, Jack and Annie have taken millions of readers on great adventures in the magic tree house. For this special anniversary, it was decided that it was time to refresh the branding and make way for many more thrilling stories for young readers to enjoy for years to come. The new Magic Tree House “Look” clearly helps children of all ages through three distinct parts of the beloved series. “Magic Tree House” titles are shorter and for beginning chapter book readers. “Merlin Missions” volumes are aimed at challenging more advanced readers, and “Fast Trackers” are for those who are fans of non-fiction and are chocked full of facts presented in an interesting way. The fifty-five fiction titles in the series are being re-numbered and divided into the two groups (plus a super edition). This will encourage youngsters to stay with their favorite series longer, and, give them a sense of accomplishment as they move from the classic adventures and into the Merlin Missions titles. What excitement! Your local library location has several Magic Tree House titles just waiting on the shelves for those who love an adventure. “Dark Day in the Deep Sea”, “Night of the New Magicians”, “Winter of the Ice Wizard”, “Polar Bears Past Bedtime”, “Vacation Under the Volcano”, “Dinosaurs Before Dark”, and “Earthquake in the Early Morning” are just a few of the titles available. Be a part of the magic! Stop in the library and go on a journey with Jack and Annie from the comfort of your armchair. You’ll be glad you did!

Remember, February’s Susquehanna Branch Reader’s Group Meeting will be on Thursday, February 9th, starting at 2:00 PM. The group will be discussing “The Lilac Girls” by Martha Hall Kelly. This is a tale of three women----a New York Socialite Caroline Ferriday, a Polish Teenager Kasia Kuzmerick, and a young German Doctor, Herta Oberheuser, who are on a collision course as their stories cross continents as they strive to bring justice to those history has forgotten. The March selection to be discussed will be “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande. Details will be forthcoming in this column.

As I sweep off the light dusting of snow from the sidewalk and think Spring, I leave you with this thought:

“With the lengthening days which distinguish the third month of winter from its predecessor, come ardent desires for spring, and longings for the time of birds and flowers. An adventurous swallow too early flying from the south, a vision of snowdrops in the snow, a day of April warmth lit by a slant February sun, are all hailed with pleasure as harbingers of a more gracious season on its northland way.” -Oscar Fay Adams, January 1886

Groggy Groundhog—Amaryllis Buds—Valentine Greetings

Enjoy!!

Calcium – is more better?

At 55, Rose is a physical wonder. She jogs, lifts weights at the gym, excels at tennis and even plays touch football with her family. Almost obsessed with staying healthy and fit, she asked the pharmacist if she should take the highest strength of a calcium supplement to help her bones stay strong and to prevent osteoporosis.  Yet, Rose is concerned about cardiovascular problems with taking high doses of calcium. The pharmacist knows he has calcium 1,200 mg in stock. But he feels that, based on the latest guidelines, Rose’s diet is probably providing just about enough calcium. A supplement with 1,200 mg would be a waste of money. But can it hurt Rose?

Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. The body needs calcium to maintain strong bones and to carry out many important functions. Almost all calcium is stored in bones and teeth, where it supports their structure and hardness. The body also needs calcium for muscles to move and for nerves to carry messages between the brain and every body part. In addition, calcium is used to help blood vessels move blood throughout the body and to help release hormones and enzymes that affect almost every function in the human body.

However, some people tend to overdo vitamin and mineral supplements. Rose admits to that. And there have been clinical studies that have concluded that high doses of calcium can be injurious to the heart. True or false? A 2016 Annals of Internal Medicine analysis of these studies have made another conclusion. Of the 15 studies that assessed calcium intake and risks for cardiovascular (CV) disease mortality, no consistent dose-response relationship was observed between calcium intake levels and risks for cardiac or ischemic heart disease mortality. Similar results were observed for risks for total stroke or stroke mortality, with cohort studies showing no consistent dose-response relationships between total, dietary, or supplemental calcium intake. The authors concluded that calcium intake within the recommended tolerable upper intake range of 2,000 to 2,500 mg per day was not associated with CV disease risks in generally healthy adults. So, Rose would be fine taking the 1,200 mg daily dose.

What about bone health? Current evidence suggests that consuming more calcium than the recommended dietary allowance will result in better bone health. Currently, the Institute of Medicine recommends that men and women aged 19 to 50 years consume a total of 1,000 mg per day of calcium and that women who are over age 50 years and men older than 70 years, consume 1,200 mg per day. The same institute states that most American adults obtain 700 to 1,000 mg per day of calcium from dietary sources such as milk, yogurt, cheese, fish with bones you eat (e.g., canned sardines and salmon), and leafy greens. Thus, most people require no more than 500 mg of supplemental calcium to meet their daily needs if not met by diet alone. They concluded that more calcium is not better. In fact, recent data from Harvard University have shown that too much calcium from dairy products can actually cause greater bone porosity and fractures. 

Rose now has a choice. She can take a higher dose of calcium without fear of cardiovascular repercussions. Conversely, a higher dose probably will not benefit her bones as much as a calcium-rich diet, and perhaps a 500 mg dose of calcium, and may even damage her bones. How would you advise Rose if you were the pharmacist?

Ron Gasbarro, PharmD, is a registered pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Visit him at www.rx-press.com.

Over the year-end holidays of 2016 I had a chance to spend some time with a 13-year old grand-daughter. In striking up conversation with her-I'll call her "Suzie" for the purposes of this article-I asked her about what she was studying in her courses in school. Now Suzie lives in a different state and said her class had just completed a mini semester-length course in civil rights. I was, of course, delighted to hear this, and I asked her if I could ask her a few questions about what she had learned in the course of her classes on civil rights. She was game, and said, "Sure." (I think she REALLY was confident of her mastery of the subject.)

And so I began with what I thought were really basic questions. What follows are my questions and her one word answer to each question.

#1: Did they teach you that President Andrew Jackson, a Tennessee slave-holder, was the founder of the modern-day Democratic Party? "No."

#2: Did they teach you that the Democratic Party was committed to not only the permanent perpetuation of slavery, based on race, as well as extension of slavery to the territories placed off-limits by the "Northwest Ordinances of 1787?" "No."

#3: Did they teach you that the Republican Party was founded by voters who wanted to stop the extension of slavery to the western territories and those committed to the abolition of slavery? "No."

#4: Did they teach you that at the time of secession of the 11 southern states in 1860-61, the Democratic Party controlled every secessionist state; had made it illegal to free slaves; and had embedded within its states' and confederate constitution the establishment of slavery into perpetuity? "No."

#5: Did they teach you that when the Civil War began in 1861, not a single slave was owned by a member of the Republican Party; that slave-holding was exclusive to Democratic Party members? "No."

#6: Did they teach you that Republican President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation for the express purpose of making it clear that the Union's (and the Republican Party's) express war aim was to end slavery for all time in those states in rebellion? "No."

#7: Did they teach you that the Republican Party passed the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution to free black slaves, to give them citizenship, and to give them the right to vote; and that these Amendments were passed with virtually unanimous Republican support, and over the unanimous objections of the Democratic Party. "No."

#8: Did they teach you that Confederate General and Democrat Nathan Bedford Forest founded the KKK after the Civil War to stop the newly-freed slaves from exercising their civil rights, including their right to vote and hold office? "No."

#9: Did they teach you that the KKK was, and remained into the late 20th century, the militant wing of the Democratic Party, dedicated to stopping blacks and Republicans from exercising their rights to exercising free-speech, voting, or even attaining literacy or economic independence? "No."

#10: Did they teach you that Union General and President Ulysses S. Grant founded the NRA (National Rifle Association) to arm the freedmen; that by securing their Second Amendment rights, black people might be able to exercise their First Amendment Rights? "No."

#11: Did they teach you that the Republican-dominated Congress established, over the united opposition of the Democratic Party, a Freedman's Bureau to provide the freedmen with economic opportunities that they might overcome some of the severe disabilities resulting from their former state of servitude? "No."

#12: Did they teach you about how the Republican-controlled Congress passed the first Civil Rights Act of 1875 over the objections of the Democratic Party? "No."

#13: Did they teach you about how a Democratic-controlled Congress in 1878 passed the "Posse Comitatus Act" to ensure that Federal troops who had protected black people in the 11 secessionist states during the Reconstruction Period of 1865 to 1877 could NOT be used to protect the civil rights of black people? "No."

#14: Did they teach you that the reform of the "Secret Ballot" was actually transformed by the Democratic Party into a device to deprive illiterate freedmen of receiving (formerly available) assistance in voting, thereby disenfranchising them of the right to vote? "No."

#15: Did they teach you that the Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws imposed by states were uniformly imposed by Democratic Party-dominated legislatures? "No."

#16: Did they teach you that Democratic President Woodrow Wilson re-segregated the federal civil service, firing all but one black employee, and demanded that henceforth all federal job applicants submit a photo with their application so that they could be assessed on the basis of race? "No."

#17: Did they teach you that the first movie ever shown at the White House was in 1915 under Democratic President Woodrow Wilson; that the film was blatantly racist and titled "Birth of a Nation;" and that President Wilson enthusiastically endorsed the film's propaganda, thereby giving the KKK a second incarnation and setting off another wave of lynchings of blacks and Republicans? "No."

#18: Did they teach you that Republican President Dwight Eisenhower pushed through a new Civil Rights Act in 1957 to reassert the rights of blacks who had been left in second-class status since the Civil Rights Act of 1875 (passed by Republicans) had been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1883? "No."

#19: Did they teach you that opposition to President Eisenhower's Civil Rights Act of 1957 was led by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson and racist Democratic senators, and filibustering Democrats only let the Act pass after they had stripped out the provisions for effective enforcement? "No."

#20: Did they teach you that Democratic governors stood in front of schools to block integration of black students into white schools, and it was only by Republican President Eisenhower's use of Federal troops that black students were permitted access? "No."

#21: Did they teach you that although the Republican Party was the minority party in Congress in 1964 and 1965, it was only because of vigorous and overwhelming Republican support that filibusters by Democratic senators were overcome, and the bills were enacted? "No."

#22: Did they ever mention the name, Martin Luther King, Jr., during your semester of studies in civil rights? "Yes!"

Admittedly, my grand-daughter is not getting the excellent Pennsylvania education that I received while growing up in the Susquehanna Community School District of some 45 to 50 years ago, but every reader should be gobsmacked at the results of the little quiz I conducted. Suzie hadn't heard of George Orwell, but a quote from his insightful writings may well sum up the truth of the situation we see all around us today, "He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past."

I've barely scratched the surface of civil rights, but it's obvious that many schools today are not giving our children the full story. If you're an older American with the benefit of education "back in the day" don't sit on your knowledge; share it with children and grand-children-the little Suzies, and Johnnies-in your life. It's the only way we're going to wake up America.