Home → Columnists ( January 14, 2026 )
Silver Lake – While hunting foxes, the Pierson brothers, located on a lumber job at Silver Lake, succeeded in capturing a wild cat in a ledge of rocks. The animal was a fine specimen, measuring 43" from tip to tip. Silver Lake seems to be going back to the pioneer days, for on the last day of the hunting season, not far from the same site, these hunters killed a fine buck weighing 141 pounds. [Deer were very rare in Pennsylvania at this time.]
Susquehanna – Mr. and Mrs. James Curtis, celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of their wedding. Mr. Curtis is 82 years old and his wife, 78. He is a veteran of the Civil War and at present is acting as tax collector in the third ward of the borough. Many friends called on the aged couple during the day and the junior choir of the Presbyterian church went to their home during the afternoon and sang selections.
Montrose – It is proposed to charter both White Line busses to take those who wish to hear Billy Sunday speak in the tabernacle, in Binghamton, on Friday, Jan. 22. Busses will leave at 5:00 in the afternoon. Tickets will be on sale after today at the Baptist parsonage for $1.25 for the round trip. ALSO Thursday afternoon, Dec. 24, Maude Frances Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence A. Jones, 4 Church Street, Montrose, and George D. Bell, of Carbondale, were united in marriage at the Baptist Parsonage, New Milford, by Rev. E. A. Benson. The bride was charming in a gown of autumn leaf brown, trimmed with fur and metallic braid, with a hat to match.
Hallstead/Susquehanna – Citizens living between Hallstead and Susquehanna have started a boom for a state road from Susquehanna to Hallstead, following the Susquehanna River. The sponsors for the movement say that it is only a question of time until Susquehanna and Oakland have the same bridge problem as exists at Hallstead, and that a road from Susquehanna to Hallstead will be a Godsend, so to speak.
New Milford – Lyman Bogue, age 92 years, a veteran of the Civil War, died Tuesday, Jan. 5, 1926, at his home on Montrose Street. Interment in New Milford cemetery. He was a member of Co. B, 114 Regiment, New York Volunteers, which was with Gen. Phil Henry Sheridan on his famous ride from Winchester. ALSO Owing to the scarcity of anthracite coal and because of the inability to burn substitutes, the library will be closed until further notice. The librarian, Miss Ethel Finch, requests that all books belonging to the library be returned to her at her home on Church Street.
Forest City – The contract for the first link in an improved road north of here, was let by the highway department last month. The second link is practically assured, which will take the stretch of improved road to the Herrick corners. ALSO Mrs. Kasson was in New York City attending the Beauty Culture Convention at the Waldorf-Astoria. She has hosts of new Beauty Hints and also purchased a Va-Per Marcel Permanent waving machine that is operated without electricity. This machine won three cups at the Beauty Culture Show.
Dimock – "Safety Last" will be given at the community building, Jan. 16, by the Dimock Athletic Association. This will be a genuine motion picture, which is said, by those who have already seen the picture, to be a scream from start to finish. The price is 35 cents straight. Good music will be provided during the entire evening. The proceeds will go towards new basketball equipment, such as jerseys, stockings and knee pads for the boys and girls.
Springville – Dr. Mackey, of Montrose, was down last week and fitted Mrs. Lucy Cokley with new glasses.
Hop Bottom – The Junior class of Hop Bottom H. S. is selling hot lunches, at noon hour, as a means of raising funds.
Harford – On returning to the home of Lee Grinnell, one evening, Gaylord Pritchard thought the house was on fire, but it proved to be the light of their Aladdin lamp, purchased of Mrs. Gail Peck. Passers-by should watch the homes in Harford, South Harford, Kingsley, etc. for the beautiful white light from kerosene.
Uniondale – Excitement ran high on Saturday when Peter Ruby's team ran away. They started from the creamery and ran up the track as far as Herrick, where they came to an abrupt end by smashing into a telephone pole. It was a bit of good luck for Mr. Ruby that there were no trains coming down the track or else it would mean a new team of horses. ALSO On account of the heavy fall of snow last week, the mail men are delivering mail with horse and cutter instead of by auto.
News Briefs: Three hundred cases of measles are reported in Wilkes-Barre. Until the epidemic is over, children under fourteen years are not permitted to attend motion picture theaters. ALSO Anthracite coal has probably been selling at the highest price known in local history – $22 a ton; wood is selling at $4.50 to $5 a cord, delivered.
Married – On Wednesday, the 28th instant, by the Rev. B. Baldwin, Mr. Moses Tyler to Miss Polly French, all of Bridgewater.
Married – On Sunday, the 8th inst., by Edward Packer, Esq., Mr. Jabez Frink, to Miss Eleanor B. Randall, of Brooklyn.
Died – In this town, on the 21st ult., after a short but distressing illness, Joseph Brewster, aged 17 years.
Died – In Lawsville, on the 31st Dec., William Warner, aged 28 years, formerly of Binghamton, NY.
The tuition bills due to the teacher employed in the Susquehanna Academy, previous to the employment of Eli Meeker, are left with J. W. Raynsford for collection.
"6 CENTS REWARD." Ran away from the subscriber, an indented apprentice, by the name of JAMES ROLS, JR., between 19 and 20 years of age; had on when he went away, a gray satinett surtout coat, and like trousers. Whoever will take up said runaway, shall receive the above reward, but no charges paid. W. DIMOCK, Herrick, Nov. 20, 1825.
A new Post Office has been established in Middletown, Susquehanna County, and J. A. Birchard appointed P. M.
TO RUTH DENNIS. TAKE NOTICE that William Dennis, your husband, has filed his petition and libel against you, for a divorce from the bonds of matrimony, and that an alias subpoena has issued, and was returned non est inventus, to Dec. Term last past. You are therefore, hereby notified, that you be and appear before the Court of Common Pleas, in and for this county of Susquehanna, to be held at Montrose, on the fifth Monday of January next, then and there to show cause (if any you have) why the said petition and libel of the said William Dennis, should not be granted, and his bonds of matrimony with you be dissolved. SAM'L GREGORY, Sheriff. Sheriff's office, Montrose, Dec. 26th 1825.
Damon and Chelsea were involved in an intimate relationship when Chelsea got pregnant. Damon believed that he was the father of the child and attended initial prenatal care with Chelsea. Thereafter, their relationship deteriorated and Chelsea told Damon that he was not the father of the unborn child – but that Casey was the father. Casey and Chelsea had an older child together. Chelsea gave birth to a baby girl and Casey signed an acknowledgment of paternity asserting that he was the baby girl's father.
During this period, Chelsea was having significant issues and child protective services was involved. As a result of Chelsea's problems, child protective services took custody, and a court awarded custody of the baby girl to Casey. After losing custody, Mother's contact with the child was limited – and she simply never sought any court ordered custody of her daughter.
Three years later, Damon filed a custody complaint after being informed by Chelsea's sister that he was the father of the child. The court ordered a paternity test which verified that Damon was the biological father. Thereafter, Damon and Casey worked on providing Damon with expanding periods of partial custody which eventually led to shared physical custody on an alternating week basis. Damon and Casey worked well together, and the child developed a close relationship with Damon even though she had not known him for the first three years of her life.
When the child was 5 years of age, Damon filed a custody complaint seeking primary physical custody of his daughter. At the custody hearing, Damon noted that he was very grateful for all the hard work and dedication provided by Casey, but Damon argued that it was time for his daughter to be primarily with him, her father, rather than with Casey. Damon proposed that Casey receive weekend time with the child to maintain their close relationship.
In response, Casey agreed that he and Father got along very well but that Casey believed that it was still in the child's best interest to remain with him even though he was not the biological parent. Casey explained that the child had a very close relationship with her older brother, who lived with Casey as well, and that Casey did not want to see the siblings separated. Casey also noted that a change in custody would require the child to attend a different school district – and that Casey was concerned about a school change when the child was doing so well at her current school. Chelsea failed to appear for the custody hearing – and both Damon and Casey agreed that she had little contact with the child.
Even though Damon was the biological father, and Casey had no biological relationship with the child, the trial court denied Damon's request for primary physical custody. In particular, the trial court noted that Casey provided stability and continuity for the child that a change in custody would disrupt – and that any change in custody would result in the child being separated from her only sibling with whom she had a very close relationship, i.e., Casey's older son.
Damon filed an appeal contending that the trial court had failed to properly apply the statutory presumption favoring a biological parent having custody of a child over a third party. The Superior Court acknowledged that this presumption exists – and that a third party seeking physical custody over a biological parent had to present clear and convincing evidence (as opposed to merely a preponderance of evidence) that it was in the best interest of a child to be with a third party rather than a biological parent. The Superior Court concluded that Casey had met his burden of proof: "Putting emphasis on stability, sibling relationships, and the non-traditional nature of the case, the trial court found that [Casey] met his burden to rebut the presumption that custody should be awarded to [Damon] and concluded that it was in the child's best interest to maintain the status quo with shared physical custody. Upon review, the record supports the trial court's findings."
This case presents a strong example of how the courts look to what is best for a child – not what is best for a biological parent – when making a custody determination. In custody hearings, it is common for a parent to testify that they are seeking a change in custody because the current custody arrangement is not "fair" to them. There is no standard of "fairness" in a custody proceeding; rather, the standard is what custody award serves the best interest of the child – not what would be a "fair" custody arrangement between the parents or a parent and a non-related third party who has come to occupy a parental role.
Good day Dear Hearts, I love you. Every generation wrestles with the same haunting question: What is one life worth? In a world that measures value by efficiency, numbers, and return on investment, Jesus tells a story that disrupts our instincts. It's the parable of the shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep safely grazing in the open country to search for one that has wandered off. Most of us know the line by heart, but we rarely sit with its implications. Why risk the ninety-nine for one? Why divert attention from the majority to chase the minority? Why spend energy on the one who strayed? You will find the parable in Luke 15:1-7 and you will find the parable isn't a lesson on farm livestock management. It's a revelation of God's heart. And if we dare to take it seriously, it becomes a challenge to our own.
We live in a culture that loves the ninety-nine. We celebrate the crowd, the consensus, the majority. We measure success by attendance, followers, votes and metrics. But Jesus refuses to let the one become invisible. In His eyes, the one is never a statistic. The one has a name, a story, a wound, a hope. The one matters simply because they exist. When Jesus tells this parable, He is speaking to religious leaders who were frustrated that He spent so much time with the wrong people; the strays, the wanderers, the spiritually disqualified. They wanted Him to focus on the faithful flock. But Jesus insists that God's love is not passive. It moves. It searches. It refuses to give up. And that is where the parable becomes uncomfortable. Because if we claim to follow this Shepherd, then His priorities must become ours. Some people hear this parable and worry that the ninety-nine are abandoned. But Jesus never says the shepherd stops caring for them. He simply says they are safe enough for Him to step away. The ninety-nine are not neglected, they are secure. There is a quiet message here for those of us who consider ourselves "the faithful." Sometimes God trusts us enough to stand steady while He goes after someone who cannot stand at all.
If Jesus were driven by efficiency, He would have stayed with the ninety-nine. If He were driven by fairness, He might have said, "The one made their choice." If He were driven by fear, He would have protected what He already had. But love is not efficient, fair, or safe. Love is stubborn. Love is inconvenient. Love is willing to be misunderstood. Love walks into the wilderness with no guarantee of success. And that is the part of the parable that speaks most directly to us today. We live in a time when people wander for all kinds of reasons; disillusionment, exhaustion, trauma, doubt, shame, or simply feeling unseen. Some wander quietly, sitting in the back pew until they slip out the door unnoticed. Others wander loudly, burning bridges on their way out. But the Shepherd's response is the same: He goes after them.
What would it look like if we did too? Sometimes the "one" is not a stranger. Sometimes it's the person sitting next to us at dinner who smiles but is quietly unraveling. Sometimes it's the neighbor who used to wave but now avoids eye contact. Sometimes it's the teenager who seems fine until you ask a question. Sometimes it's the church member who hasn't been around in a while and assumes no one noticed. The one is often closer than we think. And the search begins with paying attention. One of the most beautiful details in Luke's telling is that when the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he doesn't lecture it. He doesn't drag it home. He doesn't shame it for wandering. He lifts it onto his shoulders and carries it. Imagine how different our communities would be if that became our instinct. What if our first response to someone who wandered wasn't suspicion, frustration, or judgment, but joy? Jesus says heaven rejoices more over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who never strayed. Not because the ninety-nine don't matter, but because restoration is the heartbeat of God.
The parable is not about sheep, it's about us. At some point, every one of us has been the one. We have all wandered. We have all needed rescue. We have all been carried home by grace we didn't deserve. And that memory should shape how we treat others. What does It mean for us today? It means we cannot be content with safe circles while others are hurting. It means we cannot write people off because they wandered. Most of all, it means we must remember that love is not passive. Love moves toward the lost. Love risks misunderstanding. Love leaves the ninety-nine, not because they don't matter, but because the one does. And in a world that often forgets the value of a single life, that kind of love might just be the most radical thing we can offer. God Bless.
Father, we ask your blessing on our little town. Send your Spirit and touch the broken-hearted, give peace to the sick, bless the poor. Join us Saturday, Jan. 17 for a complimentary spaghetti dinner, 1361 Main Street, Pastor Vince Chiaramonte, 570-853-3988.