Home → Columnists ( April 1, 2026 )
Forest City – William J. Pentecost, one of our pioneer citizens and a man universally esteemed in the community, died suddenly at the supper table, at his home on Delaware Street. Mr. Pentecost was born in Dyberry Twp. in Wayne County, Jan. 31, 1850, the son of the late William Pentecost, who did the first lumbering here. The elder Pentecost began his lumbering operations in 1865, when Forest City was known as Pentecost, the saw mill being the only industry. Mr. Pentecost saw Forest City grow from a lumbering camp to its present size and actively participated in its progress. He was of a quiet disposition, exemplary habits and kindly nature and held the good will and respect of the community. For 35 years he had been a member and regular attendant of the Methodist Church.
Middletown – Mr. and Mr. Harry P. Watson is the happiest couple in town. It’s a girl, named Kathryn. ALSO Mrs. Jennie Sullivan, of Norwich, NY, is home helping care for her father, Jeremiah Lane, one of our oldest citizens, who is quite low at this writing.
Dimock – Mr. and Mrs. Leo Donahoe, popular young people, have moved to Fairdale, where Mr. Donahoe will have a position in the creamery. Mrs. Donahoe becomes operator in charge of the Prospect Hill Telephone Exchange, at Fairdale.
Hop Bottom – The scarlet fever conditions look as favorable as it is possible for an outbreak of the contagious disease here. The board of health has been vigilant in an effort to quarantine all contacts. Those afflicted are as follows: Walter Smith, James Murray and Roland Rose. No cases, so far, have been among the school children.
Clifford – Allen Finn has been taking Rev. Madden to his appointments at North Church, of late, with horses, on account of bad roads.
Brookdale – Alford Wilbur’s family are nearly all ill with grip and whooping cough.
South Montrose – Many friends will learn, with pleasure, of the approaching marriage of Thomas J. Brown and Miss Clementine Porter, of Orange, NJ, which will occur on April 7, 1926, at the home of Rev. Joseph C. Hazen, in that city.
Montrose – The Presbyterian church has been presented with a beautiful baptismal font by the Misses Stewart, of Brook Hill, VA, in memory of their aunt, Mrs. Bruce Stewart, for many years a member of the church. The font is a handsome work of art, being on a substantial base and column of finest marble. The misses Stewart, some years ago, presented a communion table to the church, in memory of the late John Stewart. ALSO There are quite a number of cases of measles and scarlet fever in town.
Brooklyn – On the morning of March 26th, a delegation from the Odd Fellows Lodge, of this place, visited the Brooklyn Vocational High School and presented a beautiful copy of Trumbull’s painting, “Signing the Declaration” [of Independence]. A program of music and remarks followed.
Birchardville – Men have been opening the hill roads where the drifts were bad.
Lawsville – At her home, the morning of March 24, occurred the death of Mrs. Phoebe A. Small, aged 94. Deceased was not even ill at the last. Just went to sleep to cross the river into the next world. She had been a resident of Lawsville for 65 years. For many years Mrs. Small conducted the hotel at Lawsville Center, which was a very popular stopping place for travelers a third of a century ago. She is survived by one son, Arthur, of Lawsville; two daughters, Mrs. Edward Lindsey, of Lawsville, and Mrs. Frank Ball, of Birchardville.
Civil War Veterans’ Deaths: Asa W. Hickok, of Rush, aged 82 years, died after a long illness at his home here, March 29, 1926. He was the last surviving member of Bissell Post, GAR, and was a Sgt. in Co. E., Ninth Cavalry. He is survived by one daughter, Miss Mary Hickok, who lived with him; two sons, Dr. A. Lee Hickok, of Waymart and Clinton Hickok, of Plainfield, NJ. Many friends mourn the passing of the old veteran. Morris Davis, age 85, one of Uniondale’s oldest residents and a veteran of the Civil War, passed away March 23, 1926. Up until the past year he had secured a hunting license and it was considered quite remarkable that a man of his years should take such a keen interest in the pursuit of game. He was a son of Richard R. and Margaret (Breese) Davis, who came to Welsh Hill when he was a small child. He was a member of Co. C, 151st Regiment and McPherson Post, GAR, and a survivor of the Battle of Gettysburg. ALSO Edgar W. Bolles, of Fairdale, is asking if there are any members of Co. D, 50th PA Vols., now living in Montrose or vicinity.
“Lizzie Refused to Ramble.” Had “Lizzie” rambled along instead of laying down the job, John Page, of Poyntelle, might have gotten away with something and be $21 richer today. It was an unusual stunt Page tied to “pull” Wednesday of last week, when he took to the O&W railroad tracks, at Forest City, and started home with his Ford car. He figured the going would be better on the tracks than on the highway, owning to the deep snow. But “Lizzie” failed him a few miles out of Forest City, around 10:00am, a short time ahead of the passenger train. The Ford still refused to go when the train approached. Fortunately, he succeeded in flagging it. In order to get by, it was necessary to back up to Stillwater and take the switch to the northbound tracks. Page was later arrested, taken to Forest City for trail and fined $21, including costs.
MARRIED - On Thursday the 23d inst., by the Rev. Mr. Baldwin, Mr. M. S. Wilson, to Miss Caroline Pinkney.
MARRIED - On Sunday, the 26th, by the Rev. Mr. Meeker, Mr. S. F. Keeler, to Miss Diantha Catlin, all of this borough.
DIED - At Fishkill, NY, on the 23d of February, Mr. Ebenezer Clark, aged 44 years, formerly of Harford, in this county.
DIED - At Harford, on the 4th inst., Mrs. Betsey Coonrod [Conrad], wife of John Coonrod, aged 37 years.
On November 24, 2024, John Zeigler attended a school board meeting for West Allegheny School District. During the public comment portion of the meeting, Zeigler began asking questions and demanding answers from the members of the school board. Initially, the school board members engaged with Zeigler and provided answers to his questions. Despite the cooperative responses provided by the school board, Zeigler was not satisfied and his behavior escalated.
When Zeigler began to use expletives, the school board president reminded Zeigler that he had to comply with the board’s rules relating to the public comment period. Zeigler responded by declaring that the school board did not have any legal authority to even conduct the meeting – and he was again reminded to calm down. Zeigler then got up from his seat and physically approached the board, which resulted a police officer stepping between Zeigler and the school board. A brief recess was conducted during which police officers spoke to Zeigler to calm him. Zeigler was told that he could remain – but he needed to follow the rules. When the meeting reconvened, Zeigler immediately began to disrupt the meeting and refused to comply with directives to stop. At that point, the school board president directed Zeigler to leave – and Zeigler refused. A police officer intervened and removed Zeigler from the meeting.
Zeigler was charged with a summary offense of defiant trespass, i.e., he was told to leave the school board meeting and refused to do so. The matter proceeded to a judge trial, where Zeigler was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of $300. Zeigler filed an appeal.
First, Zeigler contended that he had a right to a jury trial – not a judge trial. The Superior Court noted that the right to a jury trial only applies to criminal cases where the potential minimum punishment exceeds six months of incarceration. Because a summary offense is only punishable by up to 90 days of incarceration, there is no right to a jury trial on a summary offense, and Zeigler’s constitutional right to a jury trial was not violated.
Second, Zeigler contended that because he was “a member of the public in a public place, no rules could be placed on him.” Zeigler contends that he had a constitutional right to peacefully petition the government body – and to constitutionally protest the government body’s directive, i.e., his refusal to leave the school board meeting when directed to do so. The Superior Court conceded that the defiant trespass statute provides a defendant with a potential defense where the defiant trespass occurred in a public place, and that this defense assures that a defendant’s First Amendment rights are protected. If a defendant can demonstrate that he had “complied with all lawful conditions imposed on access to or remaining in the premises,” then a defendant cannot be guilty of a defiant trespass. The Superior Court noted that Zeigler refused to comply with the school board’s rules even after being given ample opportunity to correct his behavior prior to his removal. Because Zeigler failed to comply with the school board’s rules that applied to all people attending the meeting, Zeigler’s refusal to leave the meeting constituted a defiant trespass.
Finally, Zeigler also argued that the trial court violated his constitutional rights during the judge trial by directing Zeigler to refrain from using vulgar language. Zeigler contended that “the courtroom is not insulated from the right of the people to speak freely merely because the bench prefers civility over freedom.” The Superior Court noted that the trial judge merely warned Zeigler about his language – and the trial court did not hold Zeigler in contempt or punish him in any manner. As it relates to conduct within the courtroom itself, the Superior Court noted that a trial judge has wide discretion in implementing rules for behavior during court proceedings. Thus, the Superior Court concluded that “the trial court did not violate any of Zeigler’s constitutional rights in seeking to maintain decorum in its courtroom.”
Good day dear hearts, I love you. It began with a parade, one of those rare moments when hope swells so high it spills into the streets. Palm branches waved like banners of victory. Children ran ahead shouting. Grown men climbed trees for a better view. Women pressed forward, craning their necks to see the man at the center of it all. Jesus of Nazareth rode into Jerusalem not on a warhorse, but on a borrowed donkey, yet the city greeted Him as if He were a conquering king. “Hosanna!” they cried. “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” For a moment, it felt as though the world had tilted toward peace. But behind the cheers, another sound was stirring, quieter, colder and far more dangerous. In the shadows of Jerusalem’s courtyards and upper rooms, a different conversation was taking place. The religious leaders, already uneasy about Jesus’ growing influence, saw the palm-waving crowds and felt something tighten in their chests. Power is a fragile thing, and nothing threatens it quite like a man who can raise the dead, calm storms and draw thousands without lifting a sword.
The Gospel of John puts it bluntly: “So from that day on they plotted to take His life,” John 11:53. The decision had already been made before the parade ever began. Palm Sunday was not the beginning of Jesus’ downfall it was simply the moment when the plotters realized they had to act quickly. And so, while the crowds shouted “Hosanna,” the chief priests whispered, “How do we stop Him?” While children laid palm branches on the road, the Sanhedrin laid plans for an arrest. While the city celebrated, the machinery of betrayal was already turning. It’s tempting to shake our heads at the duplicity of it all. But the truth is, the line between “Hosanna” and “Crucify Him” is thinner than we like to admit. Human enthusiasm is loud, but human loyalty is often quiet and sometimes absent altogether. The same crowds who welcomed Jesus with open arms expected Him to overthrow Rome, restore national pride and usher in a new golden age. They wanted a king who would meet their expectations, not a Savior who would challenge their hearts. When Jesus refused to play the part, they assigned Him, their cheers evaporated. Disappointment can sour into anger with astonishing speed.
By Thursday night, the city that had once celebrated Him barely noticed as He was dragged from one sham trial to another. By Friday morning, the same voices that had shouted “Hosanna” were now shouting “Crucify Him.” And by Friday afternoon, the man who had been hailed as a hero hung on a cross between criminals, abandoned by most, mocked by many and misunderstood by nearly all. How does a hero become a scapegoat in less than a week? The answer is as old as humanity: fear, jealousy, unmet expectations and the fragile nature of public opinion. Yet in the middle of all this chaos, plots, betrayals and shifting loyalties, Jesus never wavered. He knew the parade would lead to a cross. He knew the cheers would fade. He knew the same people who praised Him would later turn their backs. And still He rode into Jerusalem. Still, He taught. Still, He healed. Still, He loved. Because Palm Sunday was not a miscalculation. It was a mission. The plot to kill Him did not derail God’s plan; it fulfilled it. The fickleness of the crowd did not weaken His resolve; it revealed the depth of His love. The cross was not a tragic twist; it was the very reason He came.
Palm Sunday invites us to look honestly at ourselves. We like to imagine we would have been among the faithful few who stayed with Jesus to the end. But if we’re honest, we know how easily our own hearts can shift. We praise God when life is good but question Him when life grows difficult. We welcome His blessings but resist His challenges. We celebrate His power but hesitate at His call to surrender. And yet this is the beauty of the story! Jesus remains faithful even when we are not. As Holy Week begins, Palm Sunday stands as both a celebration and a warning. It reminds us of the joy of welcoming Christ, but also of the danger of following Him only when it suits us. It calls us to a deeper loyalty, a steadier faith, a quieter but more enduring “Hosanna.” Because the One who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, who endured betrayal and injustice, who went from hero to scapegoat in a matter of days, He did it all for us. Not because we are faithful, but because He is. And that is a story worth telling every year. God bless.
Lord, we praise you and honor you. We prepare our hearts for this upcoming week, Holy Week. May we take time from the Easter Bunny and devote it to the real reason for the season. Bless and meet the needs of your people. Amen.
Our doors are open to all Friday, April 3, 7:00pm for Good Friday Service; Sunday, April 5 for an indoor Sunrise Service, 7:00am; and our Easter Sunday Service, 10:00am at 1361 Main Street, Susquehanna, 570-853-3988. Pastor Vince