Franklin Township – W. H. Sisson passed his 92nd milestone last October and is about the youngest old man we ever met. He was the oldest man in the county to take out a hunter’s license, and in five times out hunting he bagged two foxes and two rabbits. Mr. Sisson told of his experiences in buying furs from the Indians on the reservation many years ago. One friend asked if he was 80 years old. He replied “If I were only 80 I could jump over any fence in New Milford and I don’t know but I could do it now.” After seeing his elastic step and quick movement we would hesitate on betting against him.
Franklin Hill, Franklin Twp. – We are very thankful to say that Augustus Smith, who has been ill with pneumonia, is around again. He is the only one left of all the Smiths that used to live in this vicinity. Only the older people know that Franklin Hill was like when those people that have passed away were here to help in all good works. [Ephraim, Roswell, Lyman, Titus, Anson, Raymond and Sylvester, were the seven Smith brothers who came to Susquehanna County from Cheshire, CT, and among the first settlers in Franklin Township. Anson was killed by a falling tree in 1805 and was the first person buried in the Franklin Hill Cemetery, on land taken from the adjoining farms of Rufus Lines and Anson’s brother, Ephraim Smith.]
Montrose – Dawson Edwards was born a slave in Virginia and was brought to Montrose during the war by Henry Foster. In 1870 he began work at the Beach Mfg. Co. plant for Henry L. Beach and had remained an employee there until his death, Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. His record of industry was unusual. He was a local preacher of the Zion church for many years and for different periods of time would do his regular work and act as pastor of the church. He is survived by one son, Emerson, of Montrose, and one daughter, in Chicago. ALSO Landlord Daniel J. Donovan, of the Tarbell house, has leased a licensed hotel at Jersey shore, Pa., we learned last evening, and will take possession of same April 1st. He will go to Jersey Shore as soon as he can make the arrangements, together with his family. Mr. Donovan and family have made a host of friends here, who sincerely regret to see them leave Montrose. We are told that Mr. Donovan will close the Tarbell House, tight, in a few days, plans now being made to board up the windows. [This done because liquor licenses in Montrose had been denied by the Judge.]
Springville – Stephen Tuttle wishes to announce that he has secured J. L. Kinney, a regular licensed undertaker and embalmer, to look after the undertaking and furniture business in this place. ALSO Mrs. John Decker, while assisting with the chores at the barn, fell dead on Thursday of last week. The funeral was held on Sunday at the Evangelical church, on Strickland Hill. Interment in the cemetery near the church.
Forest Lake/Fairdale – Mrs. N. L. Parks received a telegram Tuesday, stating that her aunt, Mrs. George Birchard had been instantly killed in an accident, near her home in Lincoln, Neb., and that her husband had been seriously, though not fatally injured. It is presumed that it was an automobile accident. They lived here about 30 years ago, Mr. Birchard attending school in Montrose and was a teacher in the county schools. His former home was near Fairdale. Mrs. Birchard’s maiden name was Vilpha Carr, being a daughter of Arial Carr, her girlhood days being in Forest Lake township. Her age was about 60 years.
Uniondale – Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Orce, who have conducted the Temperance House at this place, every acceptably the past two years, will close their house to the pubic April 1st.
Heart Lake - Oscar King Davis, the well- known newspaper and magazine writer, is returning to the United States from Germany with Minister Gerard and party. He at one time resided in Binghamton, where he was married. Mr. Davis spends his summers at Heart Lake.
Harford – Sleighing is not very good here in South Harford. Quite a difference between the “North” and “South.” ALSO A ball was held at the home of L. J. Conrad’s, Friday evening. A most enjoyable evening was spent and the guests departed at a very early hour Saturday. Among the out of town guests were: Will Hadsell (fiddler), Mr. and Mrs. John Felton, Jas. Pickering and family, Mr. Sinsabaugh and family, Elmer D. Tiffany and family, Ed Conrad and son, Oscar.
Auburn – Father Burke’s parishioners filled his ice house recently, drawing the ice from Elk Lake. ALSO Mrs. W. H. Cadwell, who has been ill with scarlet fever, has nearly recovered. Mrs. Emma Bunnell, of Shannon Hill, is caring for her. She is isolated from the children, who are cared for by their father in another part of the house. The quarantine holds for a week yet.
South Gibson – A dealer with an auto truck bought 110 bushels of potatoes from parties of this place during the recent cold snap. He started out with them for the city markets, got stalled on the road, and the potatoes froze overnight. His loss was $210.
Crystal Lake –The Johnson estate at Crystal Lake, and several others, will have electric lights installed. The power will be provided from Carbondale.
Clifford Twp. – Some of our basketball enthusiasts journeyed to Carbondale with the expectation of playing a game with a quintet from the Y. M. C. A. The boys evidently did not expect a team from the country to appear so no team was in evidence. However, a pick-up squad was made up and a game proceeded. Everything was going lovely when a bull dog was introduced into the game. The dog was not new to the game and soon had one of our fellows by the clothes which go through the door last. No particular damage was done
, only, don’t say anything about it.
Fiddle Lake – The snow storm and heavy wind which struck this place and adjoining towns on the 4th caused the roads to be almost impassable in some places. Our mail man failed to make his trip. Mr. Brown is a hustler and when he fails you may know there is a reasonable excuse.
News Brief: A certain local man was immensely pleased, but also much surprised, when his wife referred to him one day as a “model” husband. So, he thought he would take the dictionary and see what “model” meant. Here is what he found: “Model, a small imitation of the real thing.”
200 Years Ago from the Montrose Centinel, March 15, 1817.
*TAKE NOTICE. The subscriber is about to leave this place and therefore requests all persons indebted to him on Note or Book to settle the same immediately, otherwise they will have to settle the same on a Justice’s docket. JABEZ FRINK. Montrose, March 15, 1817
*J. W. ROBINSON has for sale OXEN & cows, AT HIS Farm in Springville. March 13, 1817.
*”Tho’ last not Least.” WILSON & GREGORY Request all persons indebted to them to call and settle as soon as may be, and give their Notes if Cash cannot be paid immediately. By attending to this call you will much oblige them & raise your own credit at least ten percent. March 15, 1817
Have you ever said something in jest and then realize that you should not have said anything at all? I suspect that we have all had those moments. When it happens in a courtroom, there is a record of it that could come back to haunt you. Such a circumstance occurred in the case of Commonwealth v. Derry.
In that case, the defendant was on probation for a felony drug case. As a result of an altercation with a relative, the defendant’s probation was revoked and he was re-sentenced to a period of incarceration of 5 to 10 years in a state correctional facility. As permitted by the rules, the defendant’s attorney filed a post-sentence motion seeking reconsideration of the state sentence. When the defense attorney presented the motion to the sentencing judge, the defendant was not present. The defense attorney advocated that the defendant had a right to be present for any hearing on the post-sentence motion.
The judge then proceeded to make some comments that did not sit well with the defense attorney. The judge noted that the court had to “accommodate” the defendant and sarcastically suggested that county officials went to the state correctional facility “every day” so it would be no inconvenience or unnecessary expense to go fetch the defendant for the hearing. After agreeing to have a hearing where the defendant would be present, the judge told the defense attorney: “Tell [the defendant] to get dressed today, so he can be on time tomorrow. Tell him to wear a suit and tie. Get dressed up. We’re going to have a party in here.”
The prosecutor then asked a question regarding the judge’s comment about the defendant’s dress attire likely because the Commonwealth would have to provide such dress clothing to the defendant. The judge then responded: “[The defendant] can come in however he wants to. He can come in naked as a jaybird. Doesn’t matter.” In response to this clarification, the defense attorney thanked the judge for granting the hearing and permitting his client to be present at it.
This is the point where you sometimes have to leave well enough alone – but sometimes we just cannot help but make the one extra comment. The judge ended the proceeding with the following statement: “I’ll bring the candles, and the matches. Have the fireworks out. You’ll think it’s the Fourth of July here tomorrow.” The proceeding was then concluded. On the following day, the defendant attended a hearing on his post-sentence motion and argued that his sentence was too harsh. The judge denied the post-sentence motion and the defendant appealed.
One of the issues that the defendant raised on appeal was that the judge’s off-the-cuff comments demonstrated that the judge was biased and prejudiced against the defendant. The Superior Court rejected these claims and noted: “While the court appears to have engaged in a series of sarcastic comments, essentially feigning excitement about [defendant’s] return to the courtroom, we do not believe this conduct rises to the level of partiality, prejudice, bias or ill-will. The court does not appear to be pre-judging the merits of [defendant’s] post-sentence motions, or making any specific comments suggesting a particular animus towards [defendant]. In any event, [the defendant] fails to sufficiently articulate, with any specificity, why the court’s comments should be received as bias or ill-will toward [defendant] specifically, rather than simply playful banter among court staff and attorneys conducted outside the presence of [defendant].”
In other words, the Superior Court recognized the reality that “playful banter” occurs even in the context of a courtroom setting. It is unfair to a particular jurist to ascribe a nefarious motives or ill will based upon a misplaced attempt at humorous interaction with counsel. If there had been evidence on the record that the comments were more than simply “playful banter,” then the result would have been different.
When sleeping pills come back to haunt you
Ben, 57, came into the pharmacy and said to the pharmacist, “I went away last weekend and forgot my sleeping pills. Man, did I suffer for that!” The pharmacist looked at Ben’s computer profile and saw that he gets his sedative every 30 days which means he is taking a pill every night. No wonder Ben had a bad weekend – he had rebound insomnia which means he is physically dependent on his sedative.
Ben is like many people who have dealt with insomnia during their lives. He was prescribed a sedative to help treat his condition. Unfortunately, many people who begin using prescription sleep aids to manage their insomnia become totally reliant on them and never develop useful strategies for handling their condition. Since most prescription drugs come with side effects - many of which worsen with time - it often becomes necessary to discontinue their use. Controlled substances such as Ambien® and Lunesta®, for example, might be used for a lengthy period of time and then stopped. When they are discontinued, a condition known as rebound insomnia may occur. In Ben’s case, he could not sleep a wink and was exhausted when dawn finally came.
Not all sleep aids cause rebound insomnia. The ones that do, especially those that require a prescription, tend to create intense reliance in the people who use them. In other words, people become dependent on the pills to fall asleep, and rebound insomnia is a natural consequence when the crutch is removed. Drugs like these do not actually cure the problem of insomnia, but tend to mask it. When a person stops using the drug, he or she must learn how to fall asleep all over again – a huge part of the reason that rebound insomnia is so incredibly common. The danger and risk of rebound insomnia is much higher with prescription medications than with natural or herbal remedies, such as melatonin.
The pharmacist also explained to Ben that insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. Also, insufficient sleep is also responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related crashes, causing substantial injury and disability each year.
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that the person experiencing insomnia maintain regular and appropriate sleep and wake times. The person should also regulate amount of time in bed, seek maximum light exposure during the day and minimize light exposure during the night. Get some exercise – even walking is good. Minimize late-day caffeine, nicotine, alcohol intake – chocolate too! Also, reduce the length of daytime naps, or skip them completely.
More than 25% of the US population report occasionally not getting enough sleep, while nearly 10% experience chronic insomnia. However, new methods for assessing and treating sleep disorders bring hope to the millions suffering from insufficient sleep. Getting sufficient sleep is not a luxury—it is a necessity—and should be thought of as a “vital sign” of good health.
There are many great products for sleep, and that includes melatonin. This natural hormone encourages a healthy sleep-wake cycle, and can counteract many of the effects of going off a prescription sleep medication, and rebound insomnia can be warded off in a healthy means. Ben is going to taper down his sleeping pill and couple it with better sleep hygiene and melatonin.
Ron Gasbarro, PharmD, is a registered pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Visit him at www.rx-press.com
