The Great Pretenders provided the entertainment last night at the carnival. The parade route took a different route last night than scheduled and as a result a number of families did not get to see the parade. The parade route was scheduled to end by going up Third Street to North Street, the street on which it began. For unknown reasons, the parade route changed to Everett Street vice North Street. A number of on-lookers had nothing to look on!

Over a million volunteer firefighters serve their communities on a daily basis, community-minded individuals racing towards the fire station—day or night—to answer the call for help. And the old days of joining a volunteer fire department have changed. It isn't just donning a heavy canvas coat and duck-billed fire helmet and jumping out of bed at the first sound of the old siren wail. Thos days have changed, folks! The training is hard, technical, and covers a wide variety of hazardous conditions and there are plenty of rules, policies, procedures, and standards in the organization. The next time you hear the fire alarm blow, say a little prayer for your friend and neighbor—your local fireman.

Miniature donkeys Libby and April lead handlers Benny Pasukinis and Julie Beishline before last night's Pet and Toy Parade.

Mature miniature donkeys are easily trained to pull carts and to be ridden by small children. Miniature donkeys are native to the Mediterranean Islands of Sicily and Sardinia.

Quote of the Day:
"I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position."
--Mark Twain

There was a time when gasoline taxes were less than a cent per gallon, so gas sellers had to devise some way to build this into the price. For example, the tax on a 49-cent gallon of gas (that would have been a few decades ago) may have been 0.25 of a cent, so that price would be correctly spelled out as $0.4925. Although taxes today are much more than 1 cent per gallon, the practice of listing the price with fractions has remained customary.

Congress recently enacted a new tax law called the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, providing significant tax cuts to individuals, families, investors and businesses and is generally retroactive to the beginning of 2003.
Here is a quick rundown of the new law's key provisions, remembering that in matters of advice of the law, finances or the heart, professional help is recommended!
• For individuals: Under the new law, more of your income will be taxed at the 10% rate. Tax rates above the 15% bracket are reduced. Under the old rules, the tax brackets for middle- and upper-income taxpayers were 27%, 30%, 35%, and 38.6%. The new rates are 25%, 28%, 33% and 35% respectively.
• For families: The old rules permitted families to claim a $600 tax credit for each dependent child under age 17. The new law temporarily increases the credit to $1,000 per child. The new law contains two provisions to help alleviate the so-called marriage penalty. The new law increases the basic standard deduction for married couples filing jointly from $7,950 to $9,500. The new law also widens the 15% tax bracket for marrieds filing jointly.
• For investors: The new law reduces the tax rates on long-term capital gain. Under the old rules, with certain exceptions, the maximum capital gains tax rate was 20% for taxpayers in a regular income tax bracket above 15%. For taxpayers in the 15% bracket, the maximum rate was 10%. The new law reduces the maximum rates to 15% and 5%, respectively, effective for sales on or after May 6, 2003. The new law also reduces the tax that investors pay on dividends. Under the old rules, dividends were taxed at ordinary income rates, just like salaries or interest income. But under the new law, most dividends will qualify for the new lower capital gain rates.
• For businesses: The new law increases the bonus depreciation allowance to 50%. A tax law enacted in 2002 temporarily created a bonus depreciation allowance on the purchase of new equipment and machinery of 30% of the cost of their purchases—over and above their regular depreciation deductions. The new law also increases the Section 179 deduction for small businesses. Previously, small businesses could immediately expense up to $25,000 of their equipment and machinery purchases annually in lieu of depreciation. The new law increases the Section 179 deduction to $100,000 and makes more small businesses eligible for the deduction.

The Columbia County Historical & Genealogical Society is republishing the Jamison City book, A Quiet Boomtown, sometime this fall, and the reprint will include an additional chapter. The first printing of the Craig Newton and James Sperry book came out in 1972.

Political Quote of the Day:
"You know, everybody makes mistakes when they are president."
--Bill Clinton, on faulty intelligence included in President George W. Bush's State of the Union message.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission will soon mail its annual in-lieu-of-tax payments for State Game Lands it owns in 65 of the state's 67 counties. The Game Commission's checks, totaling $1,706,403.63 for the 2003 tax year, will be sent to county treasurers, school districts and municipalities. In 1929, the General Assembly set the Game Commission's in-lieu-of-tax payments at five cents per acre. In 1963, the rate was increased to 20 cents per acre; in 1980, 39 cents per acre; in 1984, 60 cents per acre; and in 1995, the rate was set at the present $1.20 per acre. This $1.20 per acre is evenly divided between the county, school district and municipal governments based on the acres of State Game Lands that are within each political subdivision. The Game Commission currently pays on a total of 1,422,002.95 acres statewide, with Columbia County getting $25,838.85 and Sullivan county getting $72,406.05.

For months gasoline has sold briskly in Benton, as the price matched or stayed under surrounding areas. In Bloomsburg yesterday, gas prices were much under ours. Coupled with the opening of the new Giant store, the supermarket fuel debuted with a price of $1.19 per gallon for regular gasoline, compared with Benton's $1.47 and Bloomsburg's $1.49 per gallon. Sheetz and Sunoco A-Plus on Route 11 matched the price.

July 30, 2003. Happy birthday to Baltimore, founded on this date in 1729, to staff reporter Chloe, now two, and to auto maker Henry Ford, born in 1863. He started the Ford Motor Co. in 1903 and was the father of the Model T—which originally sold for $850 and slowly dropped lower than $280. By 1925, he was producing almost 2 million a year.

The Johnny Jolin Band provided the music last night.

Don't forget the Pet and Toy Parade tonight. It forms on North Street at 6:30 PM and moves at 7 PM. The parade route is East on North Street to Main, South on Main to Market, then West to Third Street, North on Third Street to the end of the parade at North Street. The Great Pretenders provide the music tonight.

We ought to start thinking about the Fireman's Parade and the huge water battle in town Saturday night, the last night of the carnival. Here is the scoop... The parade forms—now we are talking Saturday night here, not tonight—at the Rodeo grounds and will move out Mendenhall Lane, South on Main Street, West on Market Street, North on Third Street and back to Main. Now this gets tricky, so listen up! The fire apparatus and others that will not participate in the water battles will proceed North on Main and back out Mendenhall Lane to the carnival. The fire apparatus that will participate in the water battles will proceed South on Main Street and let the battle begin until Center Street where the water gets turned off. The fire apparatus will then proceed to the carnival. If you want to throw a balloon this year, you will have to fill a balloon this year! And don't use anything but water! In fact, spectators are cautioned at the intersection of Main and North Streets to stay in the lower half of the block of Main. NO WATER IS TO BE THROWN AT ANY FIRE APPARATUS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE WATER BATTLES. The local police will take your actions very seriously.

Did you ever wonder how this whole water battle got started? Did you ever know that even the National Geographic Magazine got so caught up in the event that a photo of the battle ran in the magazine? Well, lets get to the point and name some names! In 1953, David Bardo, Roy Colley, David Davenport, David Ward, Brooks Sutliff, Dan Stoneham, Robert Rabb, Linda Dildine, Bobby T., Tom and Kay and Mike Knecht, and even some big kids like Jim Dildine and Don Rabb, went to Yost's Restaurant and Vincent's Market, traded in all the soda bottles they could muster up for $.02 each, went to Buckley's Store and bought balloons. They then positioned themselves on the balcony of the Hotel Moses Van Campen and other stores on Main Street. When the fire chief, Gene Bardo, came by, all hell broke loose! Sitting on his front porch, even Ray Knecht got soaked and got his water hose out to defend his home and honor. Balloons flew everywhere. Firemen threw open the valves and water started spraying the crowd. Everyone had such a great time that more elaborate plans were drawn up for 1954 and a tradition began.

The long-standing Benton Fireman's Carnival tradition turned ugly in mid-August, 1984, as the annual water battle between Benton firemen and bystanders along the parade route stopped being good, clean fun. Someone started chucking marbles at the trucks instead of throwing water balloons. When a Bloomsburg fire truck was damaged, town officials told Benton firemen to either tighten controls on the parade or they could not hold the affair in 1985.

The marbles were either fired from a slingshot or thrown inside a water balloon, but one broke an emergency light on one truck and a side mirror on another. And a water balloon shattered one homeowner's window. Benton Mayor Wayne Yorks wrote a letter of apology to the Bloomsburg firemen. He also directed the Benton firemen to tone down the annual water battle. The Chief of Police in 1984 was Barry Lewis, who remembers that there was alcohol found near the parade route. Alcohol is no longer permitted at the parade.

The water battles are always the highlight of the parade and people who don't want to get wet usually stay home. We look forward to seeing you at the parade.

Giant Food Stores will open two stores today. A 45,000-square-foot store in the Shippensburg Market Place will employ 160 people and a 55,000-square-foot store in Bloomsburg will employ 120 people. As part of the store openings, the company is donating thousands of dollars to organizations and nonprofits in both regions. Carlisle-based Giant, a subsidiary of Dutch food giant Royal Ahold, has 114 stores in four states.

The Times-Leader for July 30 reports on a Martz bus ride from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre filled with about 40 Job Corps Center students from 16 to 24 years old smoking, standing, getting sick—an obscene-laced "ride from hell." The link will be up today only, but read it at http://www.timesleader.com/mld/thetimesleader/6414068.htm .

PPL Corp. reported second-quarter net income of $116 million, or 67 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $27 million, or 18¢ per share, in the year-earlier quarter. In last year's second quarter, PPL recorded two unusual items that affected earnings: a write-down of 64¢ per share in its Brazilian investment and a charge of 29¢ per share from a reduction in its domestic work force.

Another section of the old Carey Avenue Bridge was demolished Tuesday. The bridge crossed the Susquehanna River between Hanover Township and Plymouth.

A word to the wise should be sufficient! Down in Dauphin County yesterday, police nabbed about 100 motorists for speeding in an I-81 work zone. The radar was set up in the back of a truck! Troopers will point "radar out of dump trucks, foreman's trucks and other construction vehicles." Since last spring, state and local police have ticketed 7,552 people on interstates 81 and 83 and Route 581 in the Harrisburg area.

See you at the carnival tonight.

On this date in 1981, Britain's Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The couple divorced in 1996. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-NC, is 67 and ABC News anchorman Peter Jennings is 65 today.

Johnny Jolin provides the entertainment at the carnival tonight. Johnny has done 13 different opening acts for 11 Nashville recording stars, has written songs for his three albums, and is currently working on the fourth album. On August 6, Johnny will appear at the Tioga County Fair, Whitneyville, (7 PM to 10 PM). On Saturday, August 9, Johnny will appear at the Shangri-La On-The-Creek Campground, 670 Hidden Paradise Road, Milton, from 7 to 10 PM.

The more programs you allow to start with Windows, the less resources you're going to have to run additional applications. Your system only has "x" amount of RAM; once that's used Windows will start using hard drive space to add memory to your computer. In Windows XP this is called a "page file" or "paging file." You don't want to get into a situation that immediately after boot-up where you are using your "paging file" for memory. It slows your computer down and can cause program crashes. You need to control your start-up programs, removing everything but the essential programs, like anti-virus program.

Two police officers noticed Grandma staggering and thought that she had been drinking too much. They stopped to drive her home, loaded her into the police cruiser and one of the officers got in the back seat with her. They asked Granny where she lived. All she would say, as she stroked the arm of the officer in the back seat with her was "You're passionate." Each time the question was asked, she gave the same answer. The officers got upset at her answer, stopped the car and snarled at her for not answering the question. Her response was truthful and short: "I keep trying to tell you. You're passin' it."

If you know you will be exposed to poison ivy, try spraying your skin with an antiperspirant before you get close to the vine. If you know you've been exposed to poison ivy, wash your skin with rubbing alcohol and then water by dabbing with cotton balls, before the rash has time to appear. About 15% of the 120 million Americans who are allergic to poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac are so highly sensitive that they break out in a rash and begin to swell in 4 to 12 hours instead of the normal 24 to 48. Want to know more? Go to http://poisonivy.aesir.com/ .

Quote of the Day:
"I do not know which makes a man more conservative—to know nothing but the present, or nothing but the past."
--John Maynard Keynes

Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia and Kentucky are called commonwealths instead of states simply because the word commonwealth was used in the original royal charter of land. The residents liked the word and its connotation, and kept the label commonwealth even after becoming states.

The project manager for Benton Manor is now taking applications for one bedroom apartments which will be available for rental in the fall of 2003. Utilities are included in rent and rents range from $320-$405 per month. There will be a community room, and a laundry on premises. One of the units is handicapped accessible. Residents must be 62 or older and income eligible. For more information, contact Carol Wagner, Project Manager, at 784-9373. Twelve applications have been received so far, and there are still some openings in the higher income brackets. Folks are welcome to call Carol Wagner to see how their income and assets are counted. Call today and see if you qualify. Take the time to drive by and see the construction and get a feel for the community.

Rain interrupted the Vesper Services last night at the Benton Carnival, but thirty or so braved the rain and lightening and the thunder boomers to hear the message from Pastor Paul Gorba from the Hamline Church and hear the music from the bluegrass group, Raven Creek, made up of Joe and Loraine Feola with friend Joe Loran on fiddle.

Two unusual tree fires at 245 Church Street, overhead of the house of Doris Appleman, sparked the interest of firemen and PPL last night just after dark. Heavy rain and high winds blew electric lines into limbs of a 29- and a 31-year old silver maple causing arcing of wires and a major interruption to the nesting habits of hundreds of birds. Doris had often found dead birds in her front yard, but didn't realize they were being electrocuted. And how did Doris know the age of the trees? She remembers when they were planted.

During the late 1950s and through the 1960s, a young banjo player and tenor singer named Delano Floyd McCoury played bluegrass in the bars of Baltimore. William Smith Monroe, known simply as Bill Monroe, asked Del to try out for the spot of lead singer and guitar player in his Bluegrass Boys. A couple of years later, Del got his own Dixie Pals going and they played throughout the seventies and eighties. Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals were favorites of the Northeast bluegrass scene, often playing carnivals and fairs in this part of the state. Later, with sons Ronnie and Robbie, the band changed its name to the Del McCoury Band and today Del is at the top of the heap in bluegrass singing. The next time the group will be in this area will be the 22nd of August when Del plays the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival.

We remember back to the Benton Carnival August 7-9 and 12-15, 1970. The music included Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals, Jean Shepard, the Johnny Starr Show, the Range Riders, Sonny Miller, the Sandhill Singers and Crazy Elmer. Oh, and we won't ever forget the "wettest and craziest fireman's parade of them all." Robert Miller was secretary of the carnival. One of the biggest sponsors of the carnival was the "old country store" in Fairmount Springs. Ed's Esso Service offered $.39 off on any Atlas air filter and the Little Lumber Company offered a special of a vacation home "delivered on your lot for $2,800 and up, or completely built on customer's foundation for $3,600 and up." A choice was given of either the "John Doe," with 704 sq. ft. of living space, or the "Buttonwood," with 1044 sq. ft. of living space.

Make sure that you read the two articles in today's Press Enterprise about the Northern Columbia Community and Cultural Center which will house a full-sized gym, an exercise room, a weight room, library, museum, game and arcade area, computer lab, family center with a nursery, an outside deck or pavilion and a commercial kitchen. Stop at the carnival and say "hi" to the volunteers of the Center and learn more about the plans for the facility.

It is a little early for this quiz, we suppose, because it won't be until about late September that geese-wild honkers-start flying south.
The flights over the state extend into November. Answers are at the end...
1. Do Canada geese always fly in V-formation?
2. What are young geese called?
3. Do Canada geese ever reach a weight of fourteen pounds?
4. What is the fluffy material with which geese encircle their eggs in the nest?
5. How long does a wild gander keep a mate?
6. What is the color of a Canada goose's head and neck?

To empty temporary Internet files on a computer using Windows XP, either...
. right click on Start in the toolbar or go to My Computer.
. right-click on Drive: C and choose "Properties."
. Click the "Disk Cleanup" button.
Disk Cleanup will take a minute or two to work so be patient. When the dialog appears, click OK and then YES when asked "Are You Sure."
Please note that when you empty the Temporary Internet Files folder in Internet Explorer, files that start with the word "Cookie" may remain in the folder.

Ryan Newman captured the Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway yesterday, defeating Kurt Busch by 0.307 seconds. The victory was Newman's fourth of the season and fifth of his Winston Cup career. Newman became the second straight driver to win at Pocono from the pole.

Do you ever wonder how the "other half" lives? Just when you think you have seen everything along comes a luxury motor home that you can drive right into a lake and cruise like you're in a luxury yacht! Once afloat, the 45-foot Terra Wind's road transmission is placed in neutral and two propellers and traditional rudders take over. You might expect such an RV to look very strange, but it's hard to tell it's not a regular luxury motor coach. The price tag of the unique RV runs $850,000 to $1.2 million, and no fishing tackle is included. Take a look at this picture of the amphibious RV in the water.

Answers to the goose questions...
1. Nope. They often fly in loose flocks when making local flights.
2. Goslings
3. Yes.
4. Down pulled from the female's breast
5. For life.
6. Black.

We'll see you at the carnival tonight. Come out! The white chili and other food is great and you can listen to the music of the Cadillacs.

It has been 50 years since the signing of the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953—the only document that technically prevents North Korea and the US, along with ally South Korea—from resuming the war, since no peace treaty has ever been signed. Korea was divided along the 38th parallel at the end of World War II with the Soviet Union controlling the north and the United States controlling the south. North Korea tried to invade South Korea on June 25, 1950, and President Harry Truman ordered a military police action to stop the invasion. Douglas MacArthur led the United States' army, and we were holding our own in what MacArthur called his "Home By Christmas" offensive. But late in November of 1950, the Chinese entered the war and drove MacArthur back to the 38th parallel. The war dragged on endlessly. Truce negotiations began the next year and lasted over two years with 575 meetings between the opposing sides. In 1952, Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for president with a promise that he kept that he would end the war. The armistice was signed on this day in 1953 without a winner and with no celebrations. Almost 35,000 Americans were killed in the Korean conflict, 5000 captured or missing. Both sides still accuse the other of violating the agreement, as tensions rise over North Korea's nuclear program. For more on the Korean War on a more local level, read the article in today's Press Enterprise about the way the war affected Arthur Covert, 69, born and raised in the Benton area, served in Seoul and Inchon with the 1st and 5th divisions of the Marine Corps, wounded, still carrying battle scars affecting both the mind and the body.

Quote of the Day:
"Three years of heroism, frustration, and bloodshed are over."
--Dwight David Eisenhower.

Attendance and enthusiasm are up this year at the carnival. Friday night, as an example, revenue was about $1,500 ahead of last year's carnival revenue when it was held at the Benton Park. Representatives of both the volunteer fire department and the rodeo association seemed pleased about the temporary location and the crowd certainly was pleased. We talked with several people who actually were attending their first event at the rodeo grounds and loved it, and many walked into the arena to watch team penning for the first time. There is no agreement for future carnivals to be held at the rodeo grounds, and the impact of the loss of revenue on the park needs to be considered, but the rodeo grounds seem to be a winner of a location for a carnival.

Vesper services at the Benton Carnival will be at 6:30 PM tonight at the rodeo grounds. According to Pastor Howard Leh, the program will include...
• Call to Worship.
• Singing of "Let There be Peace."
• Reading of the scripture, Ephesians 2: 1-10.
• Special music by the bluegrass group Raven Creek.
• Message given by Pastor Paul of the Hamline Church, "Give Thanks,"
based on Proverbs 3: 19-27.
• Prayer of the Church.
• Closing Hymn, "Here I Am, Lord."
• Offering with proceeds going to the Benton Volunteer Fire Department.
• Special Music by the Raven Creek Gospel Choir.

Here is the lineup for the 2003 Bloomsburg Fair, September 20 through 27, 2003. Tickets go on sale August 9 at the fairgrounds ticket office, or by phone at area code 570, 387-4192, -4191 or -4145. Fireworks will be Thursday, September 25, at 10 PM.

Saturday, September 20, Figure 8 Race, $8
Saturday, September 20, Bill Ray Cyrus, $22, $18, $14
Sunday, September 21, Bull riding, $8
Sunday, September 21, Spirit of the Dance, $20, $16
Monday, September 22, Smothers Brothers, $21, $17
Tuesday, September 23, Lynyrd Skynard, $25, $21, $17
Wednesday, September 24, Michael Bolton, $24, $20, $16
Thursday, September 25, Lonestar, $24, $20
Friday, September 26, Horse pulling, $3
Friday, September 26, Charlie Daniels, $23, $19
Saturday, September 27, Demolition Derby, $8
Saturday, September 27, Tractor & Truck Pull, $10, $6.

A questionnaire recently went out to 500 registered voters within Benton Borough, Benton Township, Jackson Township, Sugarloaf Township, Fishingcreek Township, and Stillwater Borough—the regions which account for most of the Benton Area School District. The survey asked for each respondent's preferences about including certain features, services, and facilities in the proposed Northern Columbia Community and Cultural Center. It asked for their views on how the center should be funded and on the ranking of each method. Respondents were asked if they would be willing to volunteer at the center, and if so in what capacity. At their option they could give their names and telephone numbers if they wished to be contacted as volunteers. Twenty-eight did. Finally, they were asked to add any overall comments they might have. There were 55 such separate remarks. Some addresses on the voter rolls proved to be faulty; where possible, these were corrected and a second questionnaire was sent to the same party. In other cases, a second name was chosen instead to make a full complement of 500 recipients.

A response rate of 25% is considered high for a mail questionnaire. Out of the 300 questionnaires, 154 responses (a 30.8% return rate) was achieved. A few gave minimal information, but the rest were generally supportive and provided much information. After about 12 days for recipient response, the replies were opened, numbered, read, and tabulated. The greatest number of responses came from Benton Township (39 or 25.3%), followed by Fishingcreek Township (38 or 24.6%); Sugarloaf Township (27 or 17.5); Jackson Township (19 or 12.3%); Benton Borough (18 or 11.7%); Stillwater Borough (12 or 7.7 %); and one from Fairmount Township.

The households surveyed were populated primarily by adults of ages 40-59 (137 individuals), then by adults 60 and older (87 individuals), next by adults 26-39 (52 individuals), and lastly by adults 19-25 (24 individuals). Where children were part of the household, the largest number (24) was in the 10-14 age group, followed by 22 in the 5-9 age group, 20 in the under-5 age group, and 17 in the 15-18 age group. A composite report analyzing the data according to township or borough is currently in the review process. We'll go through the findings in an upcoming report.

Ryan Newman will drive the Dodge to catch at Pocono Raceway at Long Pond this afternoon, after scooting around the 2 1/2-mile triangular track at 170.358 mph to claim the top starting spot for the Pennsylvania 500.

After attending Indiana State University for two years as a music performance major, DeWayne's love for performing took him to a cast position with Holiday World Theme Park in Santa Claus, IN, where he was on the stage six shows a day.

The sun rose this morning Back Home in Benton, PA, at 5:55 AM and sets tonight at 8:29 PM. Isn't it sad how the days are starting to get shorter! The moon popped into view this morning at 3 AM, by the way.

Alison Krauss + Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas come to the F. M. Kirby Center, Wilkes-Barre, August 18, followed by Pat Boone August 24. And speaking of entertainment centers, Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, opened April 10, 1971. The final concert will be performed there tonight when Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow and the Goo Goo Dolls cavort on the stage. Veterans Stadium is built on a 74-acre site in South Philadelphia, part of a complex that also includes the First Union Spectrum and Center, former and current homes of both the Flyers (NHL) and 76ers (NBA). It replaced 62-year-old Shibe Park which was known as Connie Mack Stadium. Its seating capacity of 62,382 is the largest in the National League.

Last night at the Benton Carnival could only be called a success, with warm temperatures and clear skies. The crowd was large and enthusiastic. "Covert Action" was the singing group and seats were stacked everywhere in order to see the show. The move to the rodeo grounds from the Benton Park was warmly endorsed by many in attendance and should be ideal for tonight's entertainment.

Our take on Seabiscuit is that the movie may bring a tear to your eye and a lump to your throat and does succeed as a "feel-good" movie, but you probably won't be cheering "Four Stars" at the finish line.

Aristide Du Petit Thouar was a French naval captain hired by Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV. He came to America to explore the valley of the Loyalsock Creek at what is now Dushore on the Asylum land tract and spent two years in this country. He lived in a small cabin in the Dushore area in a part of Sullivan Country that become known as Frenchman's Spring. Aristide Du Petit Thouar was the founder of the town of DuThouar, now called Dushore. He returned to France and became a French naval captain but was killed in the Battle of the Nile, a decisive naval battle that altered the course of world history by denying Napoleon his Eastern Empire, while crippling him at sea. While on the deck of his ship, Aristide Du Petit Thouar received a life-threatening wound, was carried below deck by the crew, but returned to the deck and continued to fight to his death. In 1795, the Asylum company which laid out the French town of Asylum purchased 100,000 acres beside the Loyalsock Creek, patented 400 acres on which Dushore is now built and cleared the area around Main and German Streets.

Quote of the Day:
"Victory is not a name strong enough for such a scene."
—Nelson, surveying the floating carnage the day after the Battle of the Nile.

One of the books that should be in your library is by Walter M. Brasch, Columbia County Place Names, published by Mayfly Productions. The book is a study of Columbia County place names, with emphasis on location, historical description, and etymology. Walter M. Brasch, Ph.D. is a university professor of journalism and mass communications, and author of a biweekly syndicated newspaper column, author of dozens of magazine articles, author of 13 books and the owner of a most interesting web site, http://www.walterbrasch.com/.

After struggling for 17 years to have children, a Pocono Mountains couple from Cresco, PA, got an instant family of five babies Thursday as Rebecca Wilson, 37, gave birth. The four boys and a girl were the result of four fertilized eggs implanted in Wilson's uterus. One of the eggs split.

Bob Dylan performed for the first time on this day in 1965 at the Newport Folk Festival and used an electric guitar. Folk music then was played on acoustic instruments, but Dylan walked on stage that day in his Johnny Cash outfit and began playing rock and roll. Last August, Dylan returned to the Newport Folk Festival dressed like a "biblical prophet in a cowboy suit, wearing a good guy's white hat," and this time he was not booed even though his singing had not improved.

It is either good or it is bad, depending on your perspective! It will cost over half a million dollars to renovate the old Cole's Hardware Store at the corner of East and Main Streets, Bloomsburg, into a 24-hour Greek diner with a bakery and delicatessen in the rear. Display windows in front, and an awning will be put up around the building. But with six restaurants in the Iron Street to the CCFNB area, some (read "restaurant owners") are not happy.

Term of the Day: cat's meow.
A nifty idea, thing or person, as in "She's the cat's meow." Cats can look enormously pleased, and the expression probably came from that appearance of satisfaction.

The first steam locomotive operated in England at the beginning of the 19th century. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad began operation in 1828 with horse-drawn cars. After Tom Thumb, a steam train that nearly outraced a horse in 1830, steam power was added. By 1831, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad had completed a line from Baltimore to Frederick, MD. Railroads were the cat's meow in the 1830s, and by 1840 the nation had almost 3,000 miles of railway. The railroad network by 1860 become a national network of some 30,000 miles and nine years later the transcontinental railroad service became possible.

A railroad from Bloomsburg to North Mountain and then on to Bernice was granted a charter in 1883 to construct a railroad up Fishing Creek Valley. Ground was broken above Orangeville in August, 1886, and on Independence Day in 1887 the first train arrived in Orangeville and in August of that year the tracks were laid to Benton. Work on the Jamison City extension began in the spring of 1888 with railroad service in Jamison City opening in November, 1888.

Keep your eyes open for Martha. Sam Waksa, the 55-year old founder and ex-Chairman of ImClone Systems, Inc. checked in for a seven-year sentence for insider trading at the federal prison in Minersville.

The anti-tailgating "dots" on route 11 near Bloomsburg resulted in PennDOT getting a National Highway Safety Award from the Federal Highway Administration in 2001, when a 55% reduction in automobile crashes resulted from someone giving the road-dot program the credit. The large white dots on the pavement are 115 feet apart and with a two-dot space between two vehicles, drivers have a much better chance of survival in case of an accident.

The Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza is the new name (effective July 25) for what was the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza and—well, yes—it is the same arena that opened five years ago as the Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center. It is the home of the American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, a farm team for the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins, and the home to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers of arena football.

Here is a sampling of new words from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition...
• bubble, noun, 5: a state of booming economic activity (as in a stock market) that often ends in a sudden collapse.
• Frankenfood, noun [Franken- (as in Frankenstein) + food]: genetically engineered food.
• oy, interjection [Yiddish], used especially to express exasperation or dismay <oy, what a mess>.
• headbanger, noun: a musician who performs hard rock; also a fan of hard rock.
• chin music, noun, 2: a usually high inside pitch in baseball intended to intimidate the batter.

All gift horses that come galloping your way are not Seabiscuit! The national "Do Not Call" list does not shield consumers from political organizations or charities, and telephone surveyors and companies with which consumers have existing business relationships are still free to make unsolicited calls without penalty. This last exemption is being touted on the Internet suddenly where in the very small print you might sign an unintended authorization to have companies call you. Read what you sign, since filling out a survey form or mailing in a completed contest entry or taking a free product might be construed as establishing a business relationship with that company.

We were recently asked when we are going to write up the history of the three huge radar domes and stall-standing antennas at the top of the 648th AC&W squadron at the Benton Air Force Station. The kettle is on the stove, but the pot isn't hot yet. We now have about half of what we need to write an informative article, but to tell the truth we just haven't put pen to paper yet.

We remember back in 1963 when Ruth Chapin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Archie Chapin, Stillwater, became the bride of Keith Hilley, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Bruce Hilley, down at the Stillwater Christian Church. We hadn't heard a word from our old classmate (well, actually, all of our classmates are old!), when in popped an email from them. What a nice surprise it was to see their electronic voice coming from western Pennsylvania.

We also remember back to June of 1965 when Ann Louise Bennett married Rolland Blaine Zeisloft at the Millville Methodist Church. Ann was the daughter of Mae Bennett and the late Donald R. Bennett, who had partnered with Edgar Baker to form the Baker and Bennett Store, Main Street. We recently had dinner with Ann and Ron, as they prepare for their month-long stay in Australia and New Zealand with Dr. and Mrs. Getti Kelsey.

A year ago today...
• the House expelled Ohio Rep. James Traficant, convicted of bribery, racketeering and tax evasion. The man is now serving as a Pennsylvania resident!
• Nine coal miners were trapped in a flooded mine in western Pennsylvania.

The difficulty of travel during the Middle Ages is reflected in the etymology of the word "travel." We may complain today about delayed departures, lost luggage, and late arrivals, but consider the traveler on the Tioga Turnpike, as an example. The traveler often had to contend with the weariness that comes from long, dangerous and bumpy journeys. Travel comes from the French word travail, meaning work or labor, as in the labor of childbirth. And travail derives from the Latin tripalium—a kind of rack for torture purposes. One would hope that no journey could have been that uncomfortable, but the root of the word suggests that the word might have been coined after completion of one of the stages of the Tioga Turnpike! Now widely used in the English language, travel has come to mean a journey.

America's first covered bridge spanned the Schuylkill river at Philadelphia and proved the value of protecting the wooden structures from the elements. The construction work on a three-span 550 foot arch truss bridge worried a man by the name of Judge Richard Peters, who headed a stock company that financed the construction of the span. The Judge wanted to assure as long a life as possible and wanted to "weather board" the sides and roof the top of the bridge. The bridge maker's experience was that painting the joints and applying turpentine or oiling the timbers had little effect on preserving beyond a 10- to 12-year life. But the bridge life could be tripled by enclosing and covering the new covered bridge and that concept became the forerunner of thousands of covered bridges eventually constructed in this country.

In Columbia County, The Columbia County Covered Bridges Association is working to preserve our covered bridges. Under their ownership, the Josiah Hess and Stillwater Covered Bridges are being maintained and are open for the public's use for picnics, weddings or just plain photographing. They have placed picnic tables on both bridges, and at the Stillwater Covered Bridge, even a "Johnny on the spot." Next time you have a family gathering and want a "different" place to picnic, visit the Columbia County covered bridges. A third bridge may soon be added under their wing.

On Sunday, September 14, the Columbia County Covered Bridges Association will be holding their 2nd annual "Dinner on the Bridge" at Twin Bridges Park, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM with all profits going toward the preservation of the bridges. Tickets are $15.00. Call 458-4290 for more information.

As part of the migration of settlers from Connecticut into Luzerne County, many young men and women were self-educated sufficiently to serve as teachers. They built their crude log cabins and prepared for life in what for them had to be a new frontier. Their log cabins were hardly built before they turned to the process of education and the construction of schoolhouses. These places of learning turned out to be almost as "comfortable" as the homes in which they resided--if "comfortable" is the correct word to use. Indications are that desks and seats made of planed boards were used as early as 1800.

Over in the Huntington Valley, good education manifested itself in 1855 in the construction of a two-story academy at New Columbus. The school served the community and drew students from miles around for many years. After it was no longer used as a school it stood empty for many years and was beginning to show the ravages of time. A non-profit organization was founded of former students and civic-minded people in 1964 with the express purpose of preserving the building as a memorial. The building is an excellent example of colonial architecture and reminds one of the New England countryside where many similar buildings are to be found. The second floor is a very interesting museum of colonial and early educational programs and furnishings. It also depicts home life in the New Columbus area dating back to its incorporation in 1859.

The people of Benton and those associated with the Catawissa Marching Band love to hear praises given to Rick Martin, who passed away November 15, 2002. And Michael S. Milnarik, director of INNOVATA and a close friend of Rick Martin did just that last night in Bloomsburg as part of the town park series. Moved indoors because of the threat of rain, the concert was a smash hit with the audience. Mike's new trumpet player, Trent Austin, is the lead trumpet player for the Artie Shaw orchestra. The auditorium rocked as tunes like "Tiger Rag," "Ain't Misbehavin',"76 Trombones," Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, "Amazing Grace," and a trio of songs written by Michael's new bride, recently awarded her PhD in piano.

Mike Milnarik doing what he likes best—performing many styles of music from Renaissance through Contemporary including Dixieland and jazz—on the tuba.		With his many abilities, he perfoms with many different types of organizations including orchestras, chamber groups, jazz bands and as a soloist.
Mike shown with his father, Bob, a well-known man to the students at Benton High School.		Trent Austin, a new trumpet player with the group, autographing one of his CDs for the Benton News.

Quickies...
• A website that promotes Berwick and does it well is http://www.denoria.com/. Take a look.
• Ruth Kline is now a patient in the Orangeville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
• Eight of the ten people leaving from this area Thursday morning for Scotland are from Benton. We wish them well on their 15-day trip.

Quote of the Day:
"We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilization."
—Voltaire

You will see something next month never before seen in recorded history. Earth and Mars will be the closest between each other ever recorded.  Astronomers claim that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years, and it may be as long as 60,000 years. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. The encounter will culminate on August 27 when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles and will be the second brightest object in the night sky.  At a 75-power magnification, Mars should look as large as the full moon. At the beginning of August, Mars will rise in the east about 10 PM and reach its azimuth at about 3 AM.  By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 AM. Mars will be closest to Earth on August 27. Earth will pass between the sun and Mars the next day. For charts showing Mars' whereabouts, go to www.earthsky.org .

For those familiar with the article about the mountain lions under FEATURES , you know there is a picture of a mountain lion that was allegedly shot here in Pennsylvania. We labeled the picture a probable hoax for several reasons. A reader finally tracked the real story down. The big tom was actually shot six miles from Bellevue, WA, and was large enough to get listed by Boone and Crockett. Turn to the article under FEATURES for the "rest of the story."

July 23, 2003.

The announcement simply said that PPL Electric Utilities "has all available employees working to restore power to customers after a line of severe thunderstorms barreled across the company's 29-county service area Monday evening." We could spend all morning telling horror stories about trees down and power interrupted. We'll simply say that some Benton area PPL customers won't have power back until 9 PM Wednesday according to current estimates.

There was no "fast food" when we grew up and food usually proved to be "slow food." Mother cooked and we ate when Father finished his second job, before he started the evening chores of milking the cows. We would sit down together at the dining room table and if we didn't like boiled spinach or something that was served we would be allowed to sit there until we did like it. We mostly wore Levis and shorts in those days—except jeans were not allowed in school back then—and shoes in the summer were unheard of, except at Sunday School. Our transportation was as good as the one-speed bike we peddled—all thirty pounds of it—and swimming at the dam after we got the lawn mowed was just heaven and running to the railroad bridge so we could jump off as the B & S approached was grand sport.

We never had television in our house while we were growing up, but the summer we graduated and moved away from home a set with a piece of blue, green and red colored plastic over the screen appeared at the house and never seemed to shut off during the afternoon hours just as the radio never turned off at night when the Phillies played. I can still remember an announcer droning in the background something about "deceit, jealousy, rage, avarice, amnesia…these are typical traits that hover around Mary Noble Backstage Wife." And then there was the story of Young Widder Brown, a 30 year-old mother, who "struggled to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonsville." And there one about how the world squirms or something like that.

We cleaned lima beans on the porch, picked strawberries and sold them on the street with the largest ones always on top, and never had a clue that spinach could be eaten without being boiled. We didn't know what "subs" or pizza pie was, or what a clean car looked like after Father finished his delivery of mail on R. D. 3. We grew up embarrassed with Mother for waiting for the phone to ding, then watching in horror as Mother lifted the receiver and listened in. Sometimes her eyes got real big, and she would raise a finger as if to say, "Don't you dare say a word right now; I am listening to something big..." We always had lots of high butterfat Golden Guernsey milk and we fed our pumpkins, neighbors and ourselves with it. We plucked huge icicles from the rocks across from our house and made wonderful ice cream in the winter and dreamed of it all during the next summer. Our homemade freezer was lined with buckwheat hulls for insulation. Once, for Mother's December 5 birthday, Father gave her a hand-cranked ice cream maker. For Father's Day the next year, Mother gave it back to him.

We kept a horse named "Lady" and got in serious trouble once for yelling at Lady when she got scared by a fast moving car approaching from the rear on a dusty dirty road. After yelling some unkind things to our horse "Lady," the lady in the car got out and chewed us up one side and down the other, thinking she was the lady we were saying unkind things about. For spending money, we tried delivering newspapers until we found out that it had to be done as they say now "24/7" and we were not allowed to sleep in ever. We swept cobwebs from barn ceilings and hauled manure and stacked hay and straw—anything to make some money for the Farmer's Picnic or the carnival or just for a VMP at Kozy Korners. Now that we think it over, we'll take slow food over fast food any day...

It is said, according to a story we once heard, that when the Bloomsburg and Sullivan railroad first rolled up the Fishing Creek valley to Benton and beyond that live stock occasionally strayed onto the tracks and were killed. Each time a cow or horse lost its life, the owner put in a claim for damages, and in each case asserted that the dead animal was of full-blooded, valuable stock. The president of the railroad discussed the situation with a railroad attorney and concluded that "nothing improved the quality of livestock so much as crossing it with a locomotive."

Do you remember what you were doing in July of 1972? Well, if you were in the Benton area you might have...

Emma Lazarus was born in New York City on this date in 1849. She contributed to the project to build the Statue of Liberty in Upper New York Bay by writing the poem "The New Colossus" to help raise money for it. The poem was later inscribed on the pedestal. It included the words...
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

For those who asked about more information about St. Gabriel's Church, we recommend two wonderful books...
• "John Godhard, Benton's Grandfather," researched by Polly A. Laubach-Eckrote.
• "St. Gabriel's Cemetery," by Polly A. Laubach-Eckrote and Mark C. Eckrote.

In fact, Polly was baptized at St. Gabriel's church Sunday!

Several alert readers caught the typo in the St. Gabriel's article yesterday about the incorrect spelling of the Meneely bell owned by the St. Gabriel's Church. Brad Cole, Annapolis, also provided these statistics:
* The Meneely Bell Foundry was started in 1826 by Andrew Meneely in West Troy, NY and a second Meneely bell company was formed in 1870 by relatives in Troy, NY.
* Andrew Meneely was an apprentice to Julius Hanks, who started the nation's first bell foundry in 1808 in West Troy.
* Meneely bells rang for President Franklin Roosevelt's and President John Kennedy's funerals, and for President Lyndon Johnson's inauguration.
* The replacement for the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, as well as many church bells in that city, were Meneely bells. Nearly every church bell in Troy, New York, is a Meneely bell.
* Other Meneely bells include bells at Cornell University, the Metropolitan Life building in New York City, and the West Point military academy. Overall, the Meneely companies produced about 65,000 bells.
* The Meneely companies eventually closed in 1952 owing to metal shortages and the increasing popularity of electronic bells and chimes.

Get ready for peach pie! The Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistics Service predicted that the state's orchards would produce about 70 million pounds of peaches this year, up 17% from last year's frost-and drought-ravaged crop. Sunny days are helping produce a more flavorful peach, and spring rains helped boost the size of individual pieces of fruit. We have also noticed that some of this year's sweet corn is very sweet.

After discussing an upcoming birthday with a friend, we concluded that he won't be "over the hill," but rather still going up the mountain...

In case you missed it last Fall, Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. have become ProLiteracy Worldwide. Laubach Literacy International was founded in 1955 by world literacy pioneer and Benton native Dr. Frank C. Laubach. Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. was founded by Ruth Colvin in Syracuse in 1962.

A school teacher who lives in Fishkill, New York, and his brother who lives in Sugarloaf (near Hazleton), came to the Brass Pelican July 23 as part of the North Mountain Historical Society's monthly series of speakers. Pictures and the narrative of that meeting have been moved to FEATURES, North Mountain Historical Society.

Quote of the Day:
"All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse, and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was."
--Ernest Hemingway

On this date...
• in 1961, Virgil "Gus" Grissom became the second American to rocket into a suborbital pattern around the Earth, flying aboard the Liberty Bell 7.
• in 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin blasted off from the moon aboard the lunar module.
• in 1999, Navy divers found the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, off Martha's Vineyard.

There are some cowboys with tender bottoms this morning as the bull riding last night brought the 2003 version of the Benton Rodeo to an exciting conclusion. A large and enthusiastic crowd came close to filling the stands. We should have more pictures of the rodeo posted by tonight.

Remember how dry it was last summer at this time? The current forecast is for three or more days of rain. And while we are remembering last year, we'll mention that the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 closed at new lows for the year—their worst levels since 1997. The Dow Industrials, which closed just over the 8,000 mark, finished at its worst level since October of 1998. The Dow is now up 1,188 points year-to-year.

Poem of the Day:
I think that I shall never see
billboard as lovely as a tree.
Perhaps unless the billboards fall,
I'll never see a tree at all.
--Ogden Nash, "Song of the Open Road"

Have you noticed that on the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (DCNR) Web site, www.dcnr.state.pa.us, 83 of the 110 printed state park maps are online, with others being added regularly? Visitors can access the maps through DCNR's Web page, by simply clicking "State Parks," choosing a park and clicking on "Map." Additionally, there are 54 campground maps posted on the Web site, and all 19 of the bureau's cabin maps also can be found there.

According to Church records, the Episcopal congregation at St. Gabriels, Coles Creek, dates from 1792, probably organized by John Godhard, with the parish organized in 1793 by the Rev. Caleb Hopkins. Other priests followed, some assigned to the parish, others were "circuit riders" performing baptism, funerals and other services. The only priest to have been "in residence" at the church was the Rev. John D. Rockwell, now buried with his wife, Julia, behind the church within the iron fence. Ned, Rev. Rockwells "Missionary Horse," was buried under a giant oak tree, later cut down.

In the summer of 1828, Bishop Onderdonk consecrated a log building for use as a church. On Palm Sunday in 1876 the old log building burned. Under the guidance of the Rev. John Hewlett, ground for the present building was broken, and on May 23, 1876, the cornerstone of the present building was laid. The first service took place Thanksgiving Day, 1876.

The interior of St. Gabriels is solid chestnut, and the stained glass side windows were given by descendants of the pioneer families who were the first baptized communicants. The St. Gabriel window above the altar was consecrated in 1922 as a memorial to the Rockwells. This window replaced the first which was broken when a tree fell on the roof in a storm.

The original bell, inscribed "0 Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord," was a gift from Blanche Bernard and was cast in 1882 by the Meneely Foundry, Troy, NY. The bell was brought by team and wagon from Bloomsburg, and mounted on a frame attached to a large pine tree in 1884. The bell was later moved to the front of the church where it hung for years suspended between two pine trees. The tower from which the bell now hangs was designed by Franklin Newhart. Pews in the church were of virgin timber cut by an vestryman, James Peterman.

Old St. Gabriels Cemetery actually existed long before 1812. The land was deeded to St. Gabriel's Church by Ezekiel Cole. For the church homecoming, July 20, The Rev. Alan C. Mead, Rector, and the Rev. Joseph W. Hess, Jr., served as Celebrant and Concelebrant.

The first two men to walk on the moon did it on this day in 1969 in a spot called the "Sea of Tranquility." Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first to walk on the moon, simply because he was closest to the lunar module door. His companion in space and the halls of history, Buzz Aldrin, observed a moment of silence after the landing to give thanks for their survival and observed communion with a wafer and a tiny chalice of wine. Armstrong and Aldrin described the smell of moon dust as being like "wet ashes in a fireplace" or "spent gunpowder."

Quote of the Day:
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
--Neil Armstrong.

The Benton Rodeo was an exciting place last night with well over 1,000 cars parked in the main lot and virtually every seat in the arena filled. Everyone but the cowboys wearing their hats on the rodeo grounds at 12:15 AM Sunday needed to wash their hair following the gigantic fireworks display. If you didn't see the fireworks, create your own here. The free KJRA Junior Rodeo starts at 8 AM Sunday and tonight at 7:30 PM is the Bull-A-Rama—and that will be a lot of bull! Make sure that you look at all the pictures of the Benton rodeo.

We enjoyed a long morning in the social hall of St. Gabriels Church Saturday morning. We even have a number of pictures showing many of the hard-working people who came from all over the United States to celebrate the "homecoming" of that celebrated church. Turn to Churches on the left panel, then to St. Gabriels.

Speaking of Churches, if you are responsible for what we say about your Church or business, please review the Church and the Business sections and give us an update, if necessary.

After prolonged debate, the Pennsylvania House voted 120-81 Saturday morning to authorize expanded gaming at nine racetracks and at two non-racetrack sites in the state. The House measure will be taken up in the state Senate when lawmakers convene in Harrisburg on July 28. A total of 5,000 gaming machines were approved for each site.

The state might get another, unexpected source of income: The person who won the July 9 Powerball jackpot ticket has not yet claimed the prize. If the prize goes unclaimed, the Pennsylvania Lottery Fund will get nearly $10 million. A Missouri couple immediately claimed their half of the prize, but so far nobody has claimed to be holding the ticket purchased at a 7-11 near Pittsburgh.

— — —

The General Casting Co. may be forced to shut down its foundry in Shippensburg August 29 if it cannot find a buyer for the operation. The foundry in Shippensburg makes iron castings for other equipment manufacturers. We asked Fritz Hall of the Benton Foundry for his outlook for the industry and for his organization in particular. Fritz told us that "in calendar year 2002, 150 foundries in the United States closed" and cited industry estimates that in calendar year 2003 another 200 could close.

Fritz warns that at the end of 2003, the United States will have less than 2,000 foundries remaining, compared to over 6,000 at the end of 1945. He says that many of these closures have been caused where highly leveraged operations could not withstand a downturn in the economy, coupled with foreign competition. Fritz cites statistics that show other countries are currently producing products that would not be legal for Benton Foundry or and other US foundries to produce. "We would either be fined or shut down for producing grates for barbeque grills, cast-iron water pipe and water pumps currently being shipped in from China containing high levels of arsenic that could leach into your water or food as you use these items."

According to Fritz, the current and the prior administrations in Washington have not been concerned about the problem or that the United States is being drained of all types of manufacturing. "These plants are all going offshore where there are no regulations such as OSHA, environmental regulations, workman's comp, product liability—all of which United States industries must comply."

Neither the state nor federal governments have taken a stand to enforce current laws on the books or enact new ones to cover existing problems. "We cannot exist without manufacturing and technology jobs, all of which are going offshore."

"Benton Foundry has made several adjustments to compete in this market. We have the best technology currently in the business. We are not leveraged financially and we have been very quick to adjust to market conditions. This flexibility has made Benton Foundry a survivor and a benchmark of the foundry industry. We do not at this time see anything drastically changing in our industry and expect to see another 500 foundry closings in years 2004 and 2005."

Fritz says that during this week ending July 19, 2003, Pennsylvania lost over 500 manufacturing jobs because of additional foundry closings. The Benton Foundry was advised this week by two of their customers that their plants will close and all manufacturing will be moved offshore by December 31, 2003.

— — —

It was a fun time in Laporte yesterday as the town turned 150. Historian Wilson Ferguson tells us that Laporte Borough was founded by Secku Meylert (1784-1849), a German who served in the French army under Napoleon. Too politically liberal for Europe, he came to Pennsylvania in 1817 and was the agent for the financial and land-holding businesses of three Philadelphia families. Meylert had nine children, and son Michael became his father's business partner. In 1845-46, the Meylerts bought 33,000 acres in northeastern Lycoming County and were instrumental in the 1847 creation of Sullivan County. In 1850, Michael resolved the problem of where to site the county seat on his undeveloped land by plopping it at the county's geographic center. Laporte was named for Secku's friend, John LaPorte, the Surveyor-General of Pennsylvania.

The adjacent town and the home of Wilson Ferguson is at Lake Makoma, created in 1888 as a tourist attraction to rival the developing resort at Eagles Mere. These hopes were dashed during a flood in November, 1926, when a 35-foot section of the earthen dam washed out, leaving a stump-filled Sullivan County bog with a stream flowing through it. New investors bought the assets of the Lake Mokoma Company in 1927 and bought additional land, reconstructed the dam, drilled a deep well for a lake area water system, and began to aggressively sell lots. Older cottages at the lake date from these actions of the "New Lake Mokoma Co." Several cottage owners created the Lake Mokoma Association in 1958, sold shares, bought the lake and the remaining unsold land. Since then, the Lake Makoma association has been managed by a board of directors elected by 175 shareholders.

Up in Towanda, construction work is well under way on the Towanda School District's $28.5 million school facilities improvement project. Here in Benton, we are told that construction is slightly ahead of schedule for this summer on a similar project. We'll give you a report soon.

We can only tell you what the official party line is. Gasoline prices recently soared because of the "cost of crude oil" and because approximately 27% of what we pay at the pump goes to the state and federal government. About 32% of the cost of a gallon of gasoline is refining costs charged by the oil companies.

On this day in 1799, cracking the code of Egyptian hieroglyphics suddenly became easier after Napoleon's soldiers discovered the Rosetta Stone while knocking down a wall in the Egyptian town of Rosetta, near Alexandria. The tablet, inscribed with a proclamation honoring Ptolomy V, was written in three languages: hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek. The stone is now on display at the British Museum in London.

Today at the rodeo...
Start with breakfast at 7 AM, served this morning by the Benton Methodist Church; the Rodeo Run for Leukemia Cure is at 8 AM; Special Kids Roundup and petting zoo, 10 AM (free); chicken barbecue and Cabin Run band, 5 PM; APRA Championship Rodeo, 7:30 PM; Cabin Run, 10 PM, and the huge fireworks left over from last night starts at 11 PM. It is a full day of fun at the Benton Rodeo. Make sure that you see the pictures of last night's rodeo. Here is a sample:

Quote of the Day:
"An optimist sees opportunity in every calamity. A pessimist sees calamity in every opportunity."
--Anonymous.

The French defend their language to the hilt, and have banned the word "email" and replaced it with "courriel." Official documents have already started referring to electronic mail exchanges as "courriel." The ban on the word extends to all government ministries, documents, publications and websites. This is the latest step to stem an incursion of English words into the French lexicon. Courriel is a term coined by a Montreal professor contracting the words "courrier and electronique," the French term for electronic mail. At the moment, we are thinking of another word the French wouldn't like to use, too!

The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission has unveiled a web-based way to find more than 400,000 Civil War service record cards in its electronic archives. The electronic system started-up two years ago with Revolutionary War service records. Try the site at www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us . We tried it with Robert Bruce Ricketts, but were not successful. We therefore suggest that you join the North Mountain Historical Society Monday, July 21, at the Brass Pelican Restaurant, Elk Grove. The subject is the war record of Robert Bruce Ricketts. The buckwheat cakes should be on your plates by 8:30 AM. There is also a short segment of entertainment at the conclusion of the meeting that we won't tell you about until you get to the Pelican Monday.

Do you remember that as a kid we heard about "cooties?" It was a slang term associated with the military in World War One. The Scotch used the word as an adjective for farmyard fowls with feathered legs, but the word probably came from Malay, where "kutu" is a biting insect, but how it got from there into the slang of soldiers is not known.

DirecTV is now offering all the local TV stations. If you have a DirecTV multi-satellite system, you can call 1-800-531-5000 to subscribe to a package that includes the local channels. Dish Network has announced that they will carry local channels in this area by the end of this year, but it's likely that this area will lose its place on the main Dish Network satellites and subscribers would have to upgrade their equipment to the new SuperDish, which can see a third satellite location. Even owners of the Dish 500 units would need to upgrade to SuperDish to get local stations.

Quickies...
• Six people sustained minor injuries Friday night when lightning struck a tree at a Columbia County campground that is part of Knoebels Amusement Resort.
• Make sure you get your own copy to keep of Thursday's Press Enterprise so that you'll have the article on Servant Outreach, which continues the work of Dr. Grant Clark, formerly of Benton. Pastor David Diehl and his wife Carolyn of the Benton Christian Church were the driving force behind this mission to bring the word of God to Hondurans.
• The Laporte Volunteer Fire Co. will hold its annual carnival July 30, including an extensive parade including floats by organizations and county businesses. Laporte isn't done with the fun yet, though. On August 9 there will be a craft festival in the court house park and the 150th anniversary postage cancellation will take place from 1 to 3 PM. On Sept. 14, the Little German Band and a birthday cake will be cut and served at the Court House Park at 2 PM.
• The 61st Bald Eagle Kennel Club all-breed dog show and 39th obedience trial takes place next Saturday from 7 AM to 6 PM at the Consolidated Sportsmen of Lycoming County grounds, about 10 miles northeast of Williamsport along Route 87.
• Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.7% in June.
• Don't forget a prayer for Ruth Kline, now at Geisinger Hospital.
• The annual "Homecoming" service at St. Gabriel's will be Sunday, July 20, at 11:00 AM with Rev. Alan C. Mead officiating, assisted by The Rev. Joseph W. Hess. For those interested in "family roots," a get together is planned for Saturday, July 19, at the church beginning about 9:30 AM until about 3:00 PM.

The Benton Rodeo kicked off last night with the Grand Opening Presenters: Haeli Fagan, Allison Culver, Jess Senchak, Kim Stauder, Audrey Culver, Amanda Young, Shawn Stackhouse, Tricia Bump. Beth Litwhiler was the drill instructor. The ice cream stand and all of the food stands were perking with business last night. The Rodeo booklet this year is dedicated to Dean Kelchner, Treasurer of the Benton Rodeo for 19 years.

On this date in 1927, Ty Cobb recorded his 4,000th career hit. Two years later, Cobb finished out his major league baseball career with a grand total of 4,191 hits. Cobb stood as the all-time hit leader until his total was surpassed by Pete Rose.

It is Allison Kocher's 17th birthday today and Nevin Dressler celebrates his birthday today, too! These fine people share their birthday with Red Skelton, born in 1905, The son of a clown in a traveling circus, Red also worked the circus in the teens, and wrote and illustrated children's books. He was best known for his years in radio and television playing characters with names like "Clem Kaddiddlehopper," "Sheriff Dead Eye," "Willie Lump Lump," "Bolivar Shagnasty," "San Fernando Red," "Cauliflower McPugg," and "Freddie the Freeloader." He composed over 2,500 pieces of music including thirteen symphonies. He wrote many children's books, and wrote and illustrated coloring books.

It is important to know your state. Here are some things about Pennsylvania that you might not know...
. There was once a 50-mile railroad in Lackawanna County that operated its trains entirely by gravity. It had no locomotives.
. Wayne County is called the County of Lakes-119 lakes are located within its borders.
. Chimney Stack rock is a natural sandstone feature that appears to be a chimney stack. It is located on what we locally call Central Mountain, Sugarloaf Township.
. The tracks for America's first switch-back railway were laid at Mauch Chunk in 1827.
. Pittsburgh is the birthplace of the nickelodeon, for it was there in 1905 that the first moving picture theater in the world opened.
. The first record that we can find of a cub scout troop in Benton was when Emerson Stoneham was cub master and O. B. Savage was his assistant. We aren't sure of any year when it occurred more than 60 years ago, but we'll tell you that the six dens had the following den mothers: 1, Raven Creek, Mrs. Clyde Karns; 2, Maple Grove, Mrs. Jim Hess; 3, Divide, Waller, Mrs. Luther Mann; 4, Mrs. Herbert Davis (with cub scouts Richard Wilson, George Ketner, Alfred Harrison, Joel Confair, Paul Dodson, Gary Hess, Bruce Evans, and Charles Querry); 5, Mrs. Loren Appleman (with scouts Robert Fritz, Donald Gordon, Jerry Appleman, Arthur Comstock, James Harvey, Jack Young); 6, Mrs. Byron Dickson (with cub scouts Thomas Vincent, Sterling Dixon, Ronald Follmer, Ronald Goss, Joe Evans, Willard Arter, Billy Hartman). A member of the Boy Scouts was named as "chief" over each of the packs. Those six Boy Scouts were Billy Hess, Alex Ash, Lee Remley, Wayne Baker, Billy Follmer and Bob Baker.
. We read that a stagecoach in 1790 made the 90-mile trip between Philadelphia and New York in less than a day at the dizzy speed of up to 7 miles per hour.
. The quaint customs and dress of the Amish, Mennonites, Drunkards and other "Pennsylvania Dutch" have not changed in the hundreds of years since they settled near Lancaster.

Talking with people in Benton is not always easy-or as we might say, "it takes a little getting used to." Yesterday, a cow poke from the rodeo moseyed into a local restaurant. He inquired of the next table if anyone was sitting at a vacant table. A man adjacent said no, and added, "We reserved it for you." The cow poke reared back and with a startled look on his face that made one think that the bad guys were after him, asked, "How didja know I was a comin'? The answer was easy and given immediately, "I seed you walk in the door!"

Didja know that mosquitoes allegedly kill more humans than any other animal on earth? During World War II, Americans were protected from mosquitoes by a drug called atabrine. Later, the army tried out a organic insecticide called DDT that was originally prepared in 1873 but which got a new burst of energy in 1939 when Paul Muller of Geigy Pharmaceutical discovered the effectiveness of DDT as an insecticide. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology in 1948. There is, of course, more to this story, but we'll let that for another day.

Didja know that Sullivan County was formed in 1847 from Lycoming County and was named for Charles C. Sullivan, a state Senator from Butler. The first settler was Daniel Ogden in 1786. The first court was held at Cherry Hill in 1848, the second at Laporte in late 1848. The Courthouse was built in 1852. The first newspaper was the Sullivan Eagle in 1860. The first church was The Friends Meeting House in Elkland Twp. dating from 1805, the second was the "Peace Church" in Cherry Township. The first school was in Forks township, 1816.

A 25-year low in dairy prices has prompted Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis C. Wolff to form a statewide Dairy Task Force "to review and strengthen Pennsylvania's dairy industry," the largest segment of Pennsylvania agriculture.

In 1821, Spain ceded Florida to the United States. On this date in 1945, President Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met at Potsdam in the final Allied summit of World War II.

On this day in 1938, pilot Douglas Corrigan asked the Civil Aviation Authority for permission to fly from New York City to Ireland. The request was denied because of the "poor condition" of his plane. Corrigan got in his plane and took off West, then did a 180 turn to the east, headed over the ocean, landed in Ireland, and complained of a faulty compass. No one believed him and he lost his pilot's license, but back in New York over a million people came out for a ticker-tape parade honoring "Wrong Way" Corrigan.

The Benton Rodeo moves into full swing tonight. Come out for the excitement. Admission to the grounds is free. We'll add some pictures from last night's tea