Brooklyn – Mr. Pratt had a peculiar automobile accident on the state road, near J. S. Wright’s. He lost control of the steering gear and the machine, a Ford, left the road and ran against one of the monuments of the sluice and landed some distance away in the ditch. Mr. Pratt’s companion went through the windshield and was seriously cut about the face. The Ford was put out of commission. ALSO Considerable excitement prevailed in town last Thursday afternoon when it was discovered that fire was rapidly spreading through the fields back of the Van Auken property and threatened to reach the Barnes’ peach orchard and the woods beyond. The men of the town, with the help of the High School boys, succeeded in putting it out before much damage was done.
Great Bend – Frederick Von Bergan, the 8 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Von Bergan, was instantly killed by the accidental discharge of a revolver in the hands of his friend, William Kuhn, Tuesday afternoon. The boys found the pistol, an old weapon, in a chest in Dr. Kuhn’s barn. They were examining it and while in the hands of the Kuhn boy it suddenly went off and into the breast of Frederick, near the heart. The frightened boy ran to his mother and Dr. Merrell went to the scene, but the child was beyond any human aid.
Lynn, Springville Township – Word was received here from Gordon H. Fish that he had been ordered from the training station at Newport to a ship, “Blakely.” If more had Gordon’s spirit of bravery there would be no need of drafting. ALSO In Springville – Misfortune pursues some people relentlessly as in the case of John Decker. A few weeks ago his wife died suddenly, and on Monday afternoon his house was consumed by fire. Much sympathy is felt for the family.
New Milford – The roads have been the worst for years, so many bad places several feet deep and rods long that should have been filled with stone. If every farmer would turn the water off the road it would help, and the road taxes would go farther. Put up the flag and then help on the roads a little. ALSO The United States Court Jury awarded Mrs. Jessie Darrow, $6,790 in her suit against Postal Telegraph-Cable Company of New York, for the death of her husband, Ellis Darrow, who was killed while working on the wires of the defendant company at New Milford. She brought suit for $15,000. Paul J. Sherwood was her attorney.
West Lenox – The funeral of Joseph Bennett was held from his late home on Tuesday afternoon, April 10. Rev. J. W. Bailey, of Nicholson, conducted the services. Interment in the Tower Cemetery. Mr. Bennett had lived in this place all his life—86 years—and will be greatly missed.
Montrose – Carr Pross, Donald Smith and Newell Washburn left on Monday morning for New York, where they will take examinations for the coast defense work of the U. S. Navy. Later reports state all were successful and are in training at Newport, R. I. ALSO Mrs. James Webb was quite seriously hurt yesterday morning by being thrown out of the wagon at the creamery. The horse was frightened by a cake of ice, which was thrown down. Mr. Webb had stepped out of the wagon and had only one line. This turned the horse around which got away. Mrs. Webb had several ribs broken and received several bruises. She was taken to the home of Mr. Evans, where Dr. W. W. Preston attended her.
Uniondale – F. M. Davis expects to have the band soon organized. It is 19 years or more since the Uniondale band was organized and like other organizations it has had many removals. Many of the old players are still here and it is expected that they will come to Mr. Davis’ rescue and assist in keeping up the work necessary for the life of a lively band.
Nicholson - The machine gun company of Captain Harry S. Sisk is stationed here to guard the big bridge, the tunnel and the bridge at Kingsley. The men sleep in tents and take their meals at Hotel Almont. The company recently returned from service at Texas.
Lakeside, New Milford Twp. – E. E. Mosher, who has conducted a general store here for the past 18 years, has sold his stock and good will to Walter Brink, of Endicott, who will conduct the
business. Mr. Mosher will remain at Lakeside for the present, at least.
Dimock – Miss Mary Calby, daughter of Lawrence and Betsy Calby, died at her home in this place, Monday, shortly before noon. The funeral was held from her late home on Wednesday morning. Burial in the family plot in St. Bonaventure’s cemetery in Auburn. The deceased leaves to survive her an aged mother and two brothers, Michael and James. She was about 50 years of age.
Thompson – All those who were made happy by the arrival of April 15th [fishing season] and started out early in the snow storm with their fishing rods, were Dr. McNamara, Dr. Barnes, George Gelatt, D. Benedict, C. Lamont, W. Spencer, A. Brundage, P Smith, H. Swingle and L. Mead. However, they did not get a bite. Nothing strange, as some of them were so excited they forgot their bait, and you could not expect the wily beauties to be much enticed with a bare hook.
Forest City – Rev. A. Yanusas, pastor of St. Anthony’s church, delivered a patriotic address to his congregation Sunday. In speaking of the European war and its sufferers he paid glowing tribute to the American people for their liberality toward the Lithuanians. When Russia was the aggressor, Lithuanians found a refuge in America, where they might avail themselves of the privileges of citizenship and equal rights. He said America was the asylum for the oppressed of all nations. The persecuted of Europe found peace of mind and person in America’s domain. No Siberia for them. With open arms the emigrant is received and granted the privileges accorded the citizens of the land. He advised his congregation to stand as a unit and if required the Lithuanians would be found at the front for the preservation of the country that the principles of right and justice be not set aside. To die for this country in her defense is glorious and praiseworthy.
News Brief: Two farmers were overheard talking the other day, and both said that they thought they were going to lose their hired men, who have got the war fever and want to enlist. That will be one of the things to contend with in food production on the farms. It will be as patriotic a duty for some to enlist in farm work as it will to enlist for the fighting line.
200 Years Ago from the Centinel, Montrose, Pa, April 19, 1817.
*All our last year’s subscribers will be considered subscribers still unless they give us notice that they wish to have their papers discontinued and pay up all arrearages. Persons who have received the Centinel by a post-rider can still have them forwarded to any post office they may choose, by sending us information.
*Take Notice. All persons will take notice that the Milford and Owego Township road from Montrose to Caleb Bush’s farm, will not be open for travelling this summer, on account of the inconvenience in clearing and keeping it open whilst constructing it. And I hereby notify Samuel Scott and Olive Dean that they must open the roat of said road thro’ their respective enclosures by the first day of May next. JOHN STREET, Bridgewater, April 19, 1917.
*Proprietors of the School in Montrose, take Notice. Proprietors of the School in Montrose are informed that a school will commence on Monday next in the house lately occupied by Rufus Bowman, on the Avenue; said school will be taught by Miss Stephens. C. CARR, J. CLARK, Committee.
*MARRIED – In Choconut on the 10th inst. by the Rev. D. Dimock, Mr. George Griswould to Miss Betsey Rose.
In a child custody proceeding, the Court may appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the child’s best interest. One or both parents may also request that the Court appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the child’s interests. If an attorney is appointed as a guardian ad litem in a child custody case, the attorney has certain mandatory responsibilities: (1) the attorney must meet with the child; (2) the attorney must have complete access to the parties and the child; (3) the attorney also has access to any and all records relating to the child; (4) the attorney must attend court proceedings on behalf of the child; and (5) the attorney must prepare a written report within 60 days of being appointed outlining the attorney’s position relative to the best interest of the child.
In reviewing this list of responsibilities, it is clear that the position of guardian ad litem requires a great deal of work – and this can add a substantial expense to a custody litigation as the parties generally are responsible for paying the compensation due to the guardian ad litem. As a court-appointed attorney, the hourly compensation is generally lower than a private attorney would receive but the costs can still add up quickly. A recent Superior Court case highlighted how these costs, even at a reduced court-appointed rate, can be very significant.
In a case out of Berks County, the court-appointed guardian ad litem submitted a bill for 30 months of service that totaled $18,187.50 for attorney fees and another $1,323 in costs. In Berks County, the Court appointed rate for a guardian ad litem was $75 per hour for out-of-court work and $100 per hour for time spent in the courtroom itself. When the bill was received by the parties, they did not pay it. The guardian ad litem then petitioned the Court seeking an order directing that her legal fees and costs be paid by the parents.
In response, the Father appeared and objected to the payment of anything to the guardian ad litem because the Father was “dissatisfied” with the professional services rendered. The Mother did not object to the legal fees but suggested that the Father should be the party who paid for the guardian ad litem. After reviewing the guardian ad litem’s billing, the trial court reduced the fees to $4,000 and directed the parties to pay that amount along with the actual costs, which made the final bill $5,323. The guardian ad litem appealed the trial court’s decision to disallow 79% of her billable hours.
In making its decision, the trial court noted that it had no problem with the “quality” of the services rendered by the guardian ad litem, but it did have a problem with the “quantity.” In other words, the trial court simply found that the guardian ad litem spent too much time on the case and exceeded the scope of the duties necessary to fulfill her court-appointment.
In reviewing the trial court’s decision, the Pennsylvania Superior Court determined that the trial court had “acted arbitrarily and palpably abused its discretion” in reducing the guardian ad litem’s fees without further explanation. The Superior Court noted that the trial court found the services of the guardian ad litem to be “exemplary,” but that the trial court failed to specifically identify those services rendered by the guardian ad litem as being unnecessary, excessive or duplicative.
The matter was not resolved – the Superior Court remanded the case back to the trial court for further review. The trial court was instructed to examine the 40 page legal bill with its 538 entries and 239 billable hours to determine whether each of the items billed was work properly performed in the scope of the court-appointment and whether the amount of time spent on each item was a reasonable amount of time.
During the course of the proceeding, the Father of the child had noted that he had personally spent $40,000 on his own legal fees in the custody litigation – and that was only the amount that he paid his current counsel and he did not disclose how much was spent on his prior counsel. This case presents a snapshot of just how difficult and contention custody litigation can become – and just how quickly the legal costs and expenses associated with such litigation can skyrocket.
Ironing out the kinks in your diet
Mrs. Jones came into the pharmacy and said to the pharmacist, “I have been feeling tired lately. My neighbor takes iron pills and says she feels more energetic.” The pharmacist told Mrs. Jones that, while everyone needs iron, not everyone’s needs are the same. Why do people need this metal? Iron is necessary to make hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen through the blood to all the cells in the body. Hemoglobin is what makes red blood cells red. With insufficient iron, and, therefore, not enough hemoglobin, red blood cells become small and pale and do not carry enough oxygen. This is called iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). The symptoms of IDA include general fatigue, weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, dizziness, and/or craving items to eat that are not food, such as dirt, ice, or clay.
According to the World Health Organization, iron-deficiency is the most common form of malnutrition in the world. IDA is highly prevalent in less-developed countries where malnutrition is prevalent. Iron-deficiency is not the only cause of anemia, but where anemia is rampant iron-deficiency is usually the most common cause. The definition of IDA is low hemoglobin (which measures the amount of oxygen that is being carried to the tissues) and low hematocrit (the ratio of red blood cells compared to the volume of blood); these two parameters are used to assess the severity of iron-deficiency.
How much iron does one normally need each day? It depends on one’s age, gender, and overall health. In general, infants and toddlers need more iron than adults – about 11 milligrams (mg) because their bodies are growing so quickly. In childhood, boys and girls require the same amount of iron – 10 mg daily from ages 4 to 8, and 8 mg daily from ages 9 to 13. Starting at adolescence, a woman's daily iron requirements increase. Women should get more iron because they lose blood each month during their period. That's why women from ages 19 to 50 need to get 18 mg of iron each day, while men the same age survive well on 8 mg per day. After menopause, a woman's iron needs drop as her menstrual cycle ends. After a woman begins menopause, both men and women should take in the same amount of iron – 8 mg each day.
However, before taking iron supplements, Mrs. Jones must get a complete blood count (CBC) that will be ordered by her doctor or nurse practitioner. Because there are other types of anemia besides IDA, the CBC will tell her prescriber immediately whether or not she lacks iron. And even if she has IDA, her diet should first be assessed to see if she is eating foods with iron in them. Vegetarians can become anemic because they do not eat red meat, which has high amounts of iron. If you Google “iron-rich foods,” you will see many foods that should be included in a healthy diet including certain kinds of fish, and foods fortified with iron such as breakfast cereals. Spinach may not deliver superhuman strength to fight off villains like Popeye's arch-rival Bluto, but this leafy green vegetable as well as beans and certain fruits, can fight IDA.
If one is advised to use iron supplements, then dosing is extremely important, especially if it is to be given to a child. Typically, a pharmacy will sell iron as “ferrous sulfate 325 mg.” This means that there is 65 mg of elemental iron in each tablet. If a child is getting liquid iron, read the label carefully as to how much elemental iron is in each teaspoonful. There have been iron overdoses in children when directions are not followed correctly. Mrs. Jones says she will hold off on the iron pills for now until she sees her doctor. In addition, she will correct her diet to make sure she is getting enough daily iron.
Ron Gasbarro, PharmD, is a registered pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Read more at www.rx-press.com
