January 31, 2011, the birthday of Bill Fester, Melissa Ferrey LeValley, Allie Becker, Ray Kisbach and Ron Salsman. The weather forecast isn't the greatest. Expect some snow late tonight and into Tuesday morning. The high Wednesday will barely make it above freezing and expect sleet and freezing rain.
Today's music comes from the Ambassadors of Harmony from the St. Louis, Missouri, area. The music and choreography is amazing for a group this size. To watch, go here.
Benton lost to Walsh Jesuit, OH 49-6, and lost to Massillon Perry, OH 59-13, in boy's wrestling tourniment play Saturday. Colt Cotten went 2-0 and Coltin Fought went 2-0. Fought defeated nationally ranked #4 Jonni DiJulius (Walsh Jesuit) in the dual 2-1.
--Compiled by Bryan Hart
Saturday and Sunday, January 29 & 30, 2011.
January 29, the birthday of Kristine Karns, Carl Chimi, Argil Posey and Whittier Letteer. The Early Bird Sports Expo is at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds from 10 AM to 8 PM. The annual ham supper is at the Benton Methodist Church from 4 to 7 PM with ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, string bean casserole, pickled cabbage, jello salad, pie, cake, iced tea, lemonade, hot tea and coffee. The meal is $8.50 for adults, $4.50 for children aged 6-12, and free for children 5 and under. Take outs will be available. W. C. Fields , born January 29, 1880, in Darby, Pennsylvania, once said, "Count our blessings! You might have been born in Philadelphia or some such."
The article which appeared in this section on the Gravity Switchback Railroad in Mauch Chuck has been moved to the FEATURES section.
January 30, the birthday of Dick McMichael, Charlie Crusain, Georgia Bashline, Becky Green, George Holdren and former vice-president Dick Cheney. The Early Bird Sports Expo is at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds from 10 AM to 5 PM.
January 28, 2011, the birthday of Cathy Cole Hartman, Teo Grigas, Amy Derr-Kile, Jo Marie Shaffer, Ellen Lenbergs and former Hazleton Mayor and now U.S. Senator Lou Barletta. First Columbia Bank & Trust Co. opened their Berwick office at 300 Market Street a year ago today.
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At thirty-five below.
Oh, how I love Pennsylvania
When the snow is up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Pennsylvania
Cause I'm frozen to the ground!
--Author unknown
Benton moves to 8-5 and will wrestle next this Saturday against Walsh Jesuit, OH, and Perry, OH, at Walsh Jesuit High School.
--Compiled by Brian Hart
Tuesday, January 25, and Wednesday, January 26, 2011. Oh, was it cold Monday morning! Lee and Carolyn Remley had minus 13 in the borough and Joyce Keller had minus 16 at her house near Zaners. The two electric temperature displays in the borough were four degrees apart--one at -14° and one at -10°. Bob Thomas had a minus 4 in downtown Carroll Park. But Sullivan County was the coldest with Dushore getting a -20 and the "Icebox of Pennsylvania" (Lopez) a reported -30°. Here in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, the temperature today will reach 80° following an overnight low of 66°, but the area will go through drenching rain which the Benton area could be plagued with Wednesday as snow.
January 25, the birthday of Ruth Cavanaugh, Jessica Smith, Penny Fritz and Virginia Cole.
January 26, the birthday of David Hilley, Allen Strauch, Marie Hornberger and Eugene Ribble. Tonight at 7 at The Center is a lecture and slide presentation about selected National parks and monuments in the US presented by Kay and Chuck Chapman. The presentation will discuss and show photos of US national parks and monuments including Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Craters of the Moon (Idaho), the Badlands, General Custer's last encampment before heading for the Little Big Horn and Glacier National Park. Call 925-0163 for further information. The presentation is free and open to the public.
The Jennings Company moved to Maryland in 1905, and many of the residents followed, reducing the population about half.
But, heck, I meant to talk about the naming of Orlando.
January 24, 2010, the birthday of Jeff Lynn and the Macintosh computer. Birthdays on this day include Ernest Borgnine, Ray Stevens, Aaron Neville, Sharon Tate, Neil Diamond and Oral Roberts. On this date in 1848, James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget at Sutter's Mill in northern California, a discovery that led to the gold rush of '49.
The Benton Gun & Outdoor Show will take place February 12 and 13--Saturday 9 to 4, Sunday 9 to 3--at the Benton Fire Hall where you can buy, sell and trade guns, knives and other related items. There will be 80 tables with inside and outside exhibitors--but no flea market items. The kitchen will be open for breakfast and lunch. Admission is $5 and under 12 free. Parking and door prizes are free. Mountain View Hunting Club will sponsor the event and all proceeds benefit Benton Volunteer Fire Co.
There is a vacancy on the Benton Borough Council. Interested parties should contact the Borough Office to apply.
The following are very abbreviated notes of the December 10, 2010, Benton Borough Council meeting held at the Benton Volunteer Fire Hall. The meeting was called to order by Council President, Grant Little. Attending were Jan Swan, and council members Grant Little, Ed Hartman, Dan Jankowski, Jan Jankowski, Huber Kline and Diane Laubach. Staff included Ed Kocher, Bryan Getz and Kay Yankovich, Borough Secretary. Ron Roberts and Gerald Kocher also attended.
The minutes of the November 8, 2010, council meeting were approved.
Diane Laubach reported the need for persons to serve on the Zoning/Hearing Board. Council members are not eligible to serve on the Zoning/Hearing Board.
PA Conservation Corp provided free labor to build steps from the dike to the area of the gazebos. The work was completed very satisfactorily, and letters of appreciation have been sent. Two large pieces of playground equipment have been ordered at a discounted cost of $17,182. The equipment will be stored at the sewer plant until spring. The Save the Dam Fund has an approximate balance of $7,000. The sluice gate at the dam will be the subject of future discussion. DCNR granted approval to remove all brush and trees from the “island” North of the dam in Fishing Creek in the borough. No stumps may be removed; the ground cannot the disturbed.
The Borough received a $990 grant from the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation to upgrade the Command and Control Operations Center. The Benton Township building has been selected as a back-up center with the Benton Fire Hall as the primary center. The grant funds will be used to purchase and install a new antenna at the Benton Township Building allowing both the Township and the Borough to benefit from this action.
The need to purchase sandbags and road-closure barricades for the Borough will discussed at the next meeting.
A new Community Assessment will be made during 2011. Benton Township permitted the use of their chipper ($50-$100) to dispose of Christmas trees. The 2011 General Fund budget, the 2011 Liquid Fuels budget and the 2011 Park budget were approved.
Welcome to an abbreviated version of the Benton News. The word "frigid" appears in every weather forecast for the upper Fishing Creek valley through Monday. Computer-connection problems preclude preparing a Benton News from my laptop. We'll wing a few lines for Friday and Saturday and apologize for what we didn't get computer time to prepare.
January 21, 2011, the 50th wedding anniversary of Dick and Janet McHenry and the birthday of Michael Sharkuski and Louise McGarigle, Bellefonte.
January 22, 2011, the birthday of Jennifer DiLossi, Chris Vincent and Sally Brewington; the wedding anniversary of Ed and Dorothy Kocher.
Thursday night, Benton boys wrestling defeated Loyalsock 39-15.
Port Saint Lucie is very close to the area we know as Okeechobee and slightly north and east of the Everglades of Florida. Okeechobee and the Everglades are very much related. When we take the time to get away from the touristy things South Florida has to offer, there are the campgrounds, sugarcane workers, cowboys and fish camps, sawgrass and miles of dikes of the enormous area of interior Florida.
Inland in this part of Florida is mostly liquid with some cattle, sugarcane, pine flatlands, vegetables and pastures thrown in the mix. North of the lake are the cattle ranches and the cowboys. Heading South on the East side of the lake are citrus groves and trailer camps, which eventually runs into groves of sugarcane. The Northwest shore of the lake is home to the Brighton Indian Reservation, all 36,000 acres of it, all occupied by Seminole Indians chased South in the nineteenth century by US. troops. This is the dryer side of the lake, so there are cattle in this area. The South shore of the lake is in the Everglades Agricultural Area with communities of South Bay, Clewiston Moore Haven and a couple others.
The word "Okeechobee" came from the Seminole Indians and means "Big Water." The shallow lake (compare to Harveys Lake with 101 feet at the deepest part of the lake) is 45 miles average in diameter with a 140-mile shoreline. Compare this with Harveys lake with 1.027 square miles of lake. Okeechobee is the second largest freshwater lake which is entirely inside the United States (Lake Michigan is the largest). Harveys Lake is the largest natural lake contained entirely in Pennsylvania. It wasn't until the 1880s that an accurate map of Okeechobee was even made.
The cattle business has long been profitable in South Florida as the herds were fattened on public lands. It didn't take much of an investment to buy cattle and almost nothing to raise them. A few cowboys and a couple of "catch dogs" could take care of thousands of cattle. As whips cracked over the heads of the critters, the cowboys acquired the designation "crackers."
The word "cracker" has different meanings. Early Florida settlers had few slaves and very little land, but owned a lot of livestock. They grazed their livestock on "open range," unclaimed public land, at no charge, a policy that continued until after the Civil War. A fence law was enacted by Florida state legislators in 1950, but before that cattle roamed free over much of Florida.
Herds consisted of "scrubs," hardy range animals which survived on course forage, tolerated the heat and developed immunity to diseases. Heavier stock sometimes walked themselves to death trying to find something to eat. Cattle formed herds consisting of an old bull, a couple of young bulls and a few dozen cows, calves and steers. It was usually impossible to predict where the herd would be found, although in the winters they were usually in the woods (known as hammocks) where they survived in part by eating the Spanish moss off the trees. The cattle roamed free over the state, grazing as they pleased, branded and earmarked to show ownership. Earmarks and brands were registered at the local courthouses and each cattle-herder had his own brand. The herd was rounded up at market time using long whips that were "cracked" to get the cows moving. This is one version of the derivation of the term Florida cracker.
(There is another version of "cracker," which comes from the “corn crackers” of the Florida backwoods who used cracked-corn mash, which after fermentation was distilled into “white lightning.”
So whether cracker comes from the sound of a cracking whip or the cracking of dry corn, most dictionaries choose to define it as "one of a class of poor whites in parts of the southeastern United States, especially in Georgia and Florida." The word is used by and for Southerners, mostly rural, many of whom self-identify proudly as crackers.
The word "cracker" is mostly considered a negative word and in Florida the word cracker when used as a racial epithet is a violation under the Florida Hate Crimes Act.
That Florida-born natives have come to be known as Crackers has little to do with the word’s original meaning. Migrating Northerners and out-of-staters comprised some of the earliest and hardiest Cracker stock in the state.
As unsuspecting Yankees felt the allure of the "Western-like land" on the East Coast of the United State, they began buying the land "by the gallon," not realizing that the land they were buying might never see the sun. Much of the land was bought at inflated prices, eventually reverting to the state for non-payment of taxes. With water came catfish and a thriving industry in fishing began developing on the north shore of Okeechobee in the early 1900s. During the eight-month fishing season, a reported hundred thousand pounds of fish a week were taken then shipped north.
For more reading on the subject of Lake Okeechobee, consult Okeechobee A Modern Frontier, by Jim Janosky
Thursday, January 20, 2011. It is the birthday of Doug Cole.
Benton defeated Vo-Tech 42-40 Wednesday night. Benton moves to 6-4, Vo-Tech moves to 5-12. Benton competes again tomorrow night at Loyalsock.
Please take the time to view a short movie at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PCtfGdrTBU dealing with child victims of the sex trade, and urge everyone you know to visit websites such as www.sctnow.org and www.polarisproject.org. Children from every community are at risk of being lured away or abducted. Recruiters for child prostitution and pornography are not only online but are also infiltrating shopping malls and other places frequented by young potential victims. Some are even found around U.S. schools.
January 19, 2011, Congratulations to Governor Tom Corbett and Lt. Governor Jim Cawley, both sworn in yesterday. There are 60 days until the official start of Spring.
On this day in 1872, those who were dentally challenged were helped by Silas Nobel and James P. Cooley, Granville, Massachusetts. The pair stopped at the patent office to get a patent on the toothpick. The machine converted blocks of virgin white birch into toothpicks, and that is exactly the process followed today. Birch logs are steamed to make them easier to cut, then they are veneered by peeling each log into a thin sheet, somewhat akin to a roll of paper towels. Flat toothpicks are stamped from the sheets, while round toothpicks are cut into oversized blanks, then milled through a "rounder" to grind them into javelins for very small people. We still remember a friend who leaned over to give his future wife a kiss, forgetting that he still had a "javelin" protruding from his mouth. For a time, we all suspected that the wedding would be off, but as soon as the bleeding stopped all was forgiven.During a meal at a restaurant last week, a man seated at the next table ate much of his meal while balancing a toothpick in his mouth. When he wasn't chewing his food, he chewed his toothpick, alternating that with sliding the end under his tongue and wabbling it in his mouth. At the end of the meal, he paid his bill, grabbed a number of toothpicks and stuffed several of them into his mouth and the balance into his shirt pocket. He eventually reduced the wood to a ragged pulp, which the man seemed to eat. I saw toothpicks disappear but never thrown away.At one time, toothpicks were so popular that restaurants dipped their tooth picks in an aromatic fluid, like cinnamon, thus increasing the popularity of chewing on toothpicks. Chewing on toothpicks has over the years brought the dentists of the country lots of business. It has destroyed gums and teeth, its chewed fibers lacerate the bronchial passages, get into the throat and head and insures bad breath and general disfigurement of the mouth.On the few occasions when the toothpick was not in the man's mouth, it was placed on the table--about as objectionable as an elbow on the table or a knife beside a pie plate. It makes you wonder why the man had not just carried his toothbrush to the table!Frank and Janet McHenry will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, January 23, at a gathering from 2 to 4 PM at the First United Methodist Church, 217 South Main Street, Enterprise, Alabama. The family invites you to attend and join in a casual time of fellowship, finger food and fond memories.Didja know that...
• The crushed potato chips at the bottom of a bag are good collected and saved in a tightly-closed container for use as toppings on a casserole?
• Cheese will stay mold free if you put a couple of sugar cubes in your cheese container?
• A slice of fresh bread laid against the cut edge of a cake will keep it from drying out?
• A lemon which had become hard and dried out will refresh somewhat when placed in a hot oven for a few minutes?
• Milk-chocolate mint wafers on top of cupcakes fresh from the oven make an excellent frosting?
• A small funnel will help separate egg whites from the yokes? Crack the eggs on the funnel. The whites flow through; the yolk will not.The Northside Beat, a Tuesday feature of the Press Enterprise, had an excellent human-interest story about John Haines and Ed and Edward Cole in Tuesday's edition.
The results of the January 12 blood drive at The Center sponsored by the Benton Women's Club, Benton Lions Club and the Community Center are as follows: the goal was 68 pints, 53 showed up to give blood and 9 were deferred. Two did not have a sufficient quantity of blood. A total of 49 donated blood, of which four were first-time donors. The Benton Lions Club thanks everyone who came out to donate in the bad weather. Thanks also to the volunteers and food donors.
Didja ever notice how easy it is to fall behind when you have nothing to do?
"Times, they are a changing." The days of losing your cell phone with no repercussions other than an inconvenience are over. We have entered a dangerous phase of life where the loss of a cell phone can impact your finances and your social life. Smartphones--which make up 30% of cell-phone subscribers--permit you to manage your finances by transferring money, making payments, storing valuable information, etc. As the newer smartphones arrive embedded with Near Field Communication (NFC) devices, you'll be able to wave your phone at the Starbucks cash register and walk out the door. Our future banking will use less and less personal contact while evil doers concentrate more and more on smartphones. The use of technology which wipes your smartphone clean if you advise your carrier that it has been stolen will become more and more important.
Didja know that there are about 100 million URLs on the internet,
and the majority of them are spam?
Want to know more? Go to www.spamclock.com/ .A tourist here in Florida was spending his time sports fishing in the inland waterway when he capsized his boat. He was able to swim, but clung to his boat in fear of alligators. He yelled to an old beachcomber standing along the shoreline, "Are there any gators around here?""Nah," the old timers yelled back, "they ain't been around in years."Feeling suddenly safe, the man started swimming for shore. As he neared the shore, his confidence built up and he again yelled to the man on the shore. "How'd you get rid of the gators?""We didn't have to do nothin'. The sharks got 'em!"Haurice J. Conner (February 5, 1929-January 15, 2011), Rickett Street, Orangeville, died Saturday at the Berwick Hospital Center. He was 81. Haurice was born in Orangeville. He was a son of Arthur J. and Genevieve G. (DeLong) Conner. He graduated from the former Scott Township High School in 1950 and spent his entire life in Orangeville except for the period when he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Haurice's employment career included the former Donald Reichart Lumber & Supply, Lightstreet, the former U.S. Radium Corp., Almedia, and the Buckhorn Truck Stop. Haurice cooked for the Bee Seller Hunting Club, Stillwater. He and his wife, Mary Lou, operated Bowman's French Fries at area carnivals for a number of years and a food stand at the Bloomsburg Fair.
Surviving are his wife, the former Mary Lou George, with whom he celebrated his 57th wedding anniversary on June 27, 2010; children Alice B. Conner, Millsboro, DE; Ruth A., Strauser (David), Orangeville; James P. Conner (Betty), Stillwater; Stella J. Longenberger Jr. (Harvey), Berwick; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews. Haurice was preceded in death by brothers Reamer H. Conner and Maurice P. Conner and a sister, Harriet A. Corell.
Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 AM in the Dean W. Kriner Funeral Home, Bloomsburg. Interment will be in the Laurel Hill Cemetery, Orangeville, with military honors by the combined VFW group. Friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday evening from 6-8. The family will provide flowers. Memorials may be sent to the Orangeville United Church, Orangeville, PA 17859. To sign the guest book or to send a message of condolence, go to www.krinerfuneralhomes.com .
January 17, 2011, the birthday of Tanya Harvey, Howard Leh, Glenda Watts Friend and Michelle Robinson Obama. It is the wedding anniversary of Grant and Mary Conrad. Today is a federal holiday in observance of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and civil-rights leader dedicated to nonviolence. Dr. King is the only American besides George Washington to have his birthday designated a national holiday. The Benton Area School District school-board meeting will take place in the Middle/Senior High School cafeteria at 6:30 PM.
The North Mountain Historical Society meets this morning at 8 for breakfast and at 9 for a discussion by Press Enterprise writer Tom Austin on the subject of a bear trap, chain and three-pronged drag found in the woods near Painter Run in the Elk Grove area of Sullivan County. The trap has been donated to the Brass Pelican restaurant and Monica and Chris Diltz will mount it on the wall of the restaurant. The unveiling will take place during Tom Austin's talk. This morning's "History Buffs" meeting is on trapping and hunting during the early 1900s during which Tom will tell "some great stories about the way things used to be," as well as the details of the bear-trap adventure. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011, the birthday of Almee N. Ken Hess (Aimee Kasper), Nicole Gordon and Bill Boston. Today is Inauguration Day, State Capitol, Harrisburg. Out with the old crumb-bums, in with the new.
Washington College continues to be very proud of sophomore center Erin Kile, a graduate of the Benton Area Schools where she lettered four times in basketball and soccer. Erin he often scores 12 or more points per game and brings home the game highs in the rebound department.
The reprint of the 1876 Atlas of Columbia & Montour Counties, PA by F. W. Beers & Co. is available at the Montour County Genealogical Society, This issue differs from the 2002 reprint in that it has been reproduced in full color scanned from the original images. The size is 11 ¼ x 14” and it is bound in a hard cover with a gold embossed reproduction of the original title. A full index of all surnames is included. The cost is $50 plus 6% PA sales tax for a total of $53.00. Purchases can be made during open hours at MCGS or by mail. The publication was a joint effort with the Columbia County Historical & Genealogical Society.
Some rise from it greatly strengthened. Others wake from it refreshed.
is that there are so few private thinkers?
Elizabeth T. (Stephanick) Misiewicz (November 19, 1922-January 15, 2011), Old Green Creek Road, Benton, died Saturday at the Bloomsburg Hospital Emergency Room. She was 88. She was born in Glen Lyon and was a daughter of Joseph and Pearl Stephanick. She was a graduate of Newport Township High School. She attended Christ the King Catholic Church.
Surviving is her husband, Clemence M. Misiewicz, with whom she celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary in October. Also surviving are her daughters Marie Jean Jordan (David), Los Angeles, California; Jane Wolfe (Guy), Cincinnati, Ohio; and a brother, John Stephanick, Manchester, New Hampshire.
Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 AM with viewing preceding at the McMichael Funeral Home. Burial will be in Elan Memorial Park, Lime Ridge. For online condolences, visit www.mcmichaelfuneral home.com .
David C. Carlson, a Kearny, New Jersey, resident all of his life, died January 14, 2011, in St. Michael's Medical Center, Newark, NJ. He was 85. Dave was the president of The West Hudson/South Bergen Chamber of Commerce and a salesman for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. He was an assistant at the Armitage and Wiggins Funeral Home for 15 years. He worked as a cab driver after World War II for his family business, Carlson Cab. He was a board member of the Family Service Bureau, Salvation Army, Girl Scouts, Safety Council, Museum Committee, Community Council Draft Board, United Way and the Band Parents Association, all in Kearny. Dave served in the Navy during World War II. He was a life member of and past commander of VFW Post 1302; member of the American Legion, Kearny, and the NJ Optimist Club; chairman of the board of West Hudson Hospital and also served as chairman of the Bicentennial Day Parade, all in Kearny. He was an avid Yankees fan.
Peter Paul Wallace, III (May 16, 1978-January 15, 2011), Stevens Hill Road, Benton, died Saturday from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident in the Route 487/Rohrsburg Road and Zaners Road area. He was 32. He was born in Bloomsburg. He was a son of Peter Paul Wallace, Jr. and Joanne G. (Roberts) Wallace, Benton. He attended Benton High School and later graduated from Columbia Montour Vocational Technical School. Peter was a construction worker and heavy-equipment operator. He was employed by the Neuber Corporation.
Surviving are his parents, a daughter, Rehna Jean ("Storm") Wallace, Benton; siblings Angie Evans Coolbaugh, Wilkes-Barre; John M. Volansky, Cambra; Jolyn Swigart (Andrew), Benton and Bernadette Wallace, Benton. Also surviving are numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be announced by the McMichael Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the Benton Council of Churches, P. O. Box 285, Benton, PA 17814. To sign the online register book or for online condolences, please visit www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com/.
January 15, 2011, the birthday of Derek Dietz, Dawn Young Lenz and Noelle Savage. Please keep Nancy Laubach and Rose Zimmerman in your prayers. Both are patients in Geisinger Medical Center. Just after noon on this day in 1929, a son was born to the Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr., in Atlanta, Georgia. The son became the nation's most famous civil-rights leader and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In the United States, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a national holiday on the third Monday of January. Two years ago at this time we were experiencing temperatures from -4° to -10°. Expect some snow this afternoon.
There is a new 11-mile power line between Washingtonville and Millville that is now in service--increasing reliability for thousands of PPL Electric Utilities customers in the area. The project represents a $6.5 million investment in the region. The line will benefit residents by providing increases in power demand via an additional power pathway to the area, which will greatly help the local area when severe storms affect service. Before completion of the line, one 69-kilovolt transmission line from the Bloomsburg area served customers in the Millville, Rohrsburg and Benton areas. The new line, known as the Derry-Millville line, brings a second 69-kilovolt source and could also be used to reroute power to the Washingtonville area if needed. PPL Electric Utilities provides electric delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania. More information is available at www.pplelectric.com.
The Sullivan County Recreation Association is sponsoring its annual Wild Game Dinner on February 19 at 7 PM at the Muncy Valley Fire Hall. Tickets are $20 at the door. A reader heard that they will serve "beaver balls" and asked if I knew what they were. Saints preserve us! I didn't even know those furry little critters that look something like lumbering hippopotamuses could dance. The whole business sounds completely nuts, and implausible to boot. A Hootchy-Kootchy Dance with beavers sounds like a strange idea. But EE-nough with that thought. Perhaps it is in reference to the S. S. Beaver, which sailed from Los Angeles in 1917, the "Big, Clean, Comfortable, Elegantly Appointed, Seagoing" ship with the elegant balls. Or perhaps it is something like the Oregon State Beavers had in 1979 with a piece of wood shaped like a football formed entirely by the front teeth of a beaver. These "beaver balls" were art objects for Oregon State fans. Or perhaps it meant the beaver balls on a "collar tie rack jacket over a V-throated slim dress" sold once by Sears in beige, red or royal. But maybe it was referring to a "$550 Hudson Seal Coatee in cape effect with large collar and cuffs of silver beaver, with its tie belt tipped with beaver balls." You may have to order tickets for the February 19 event and find out for yourself.
The position of Secretary to the Special Education Director at the Benton Area Schools is available, a full-time position with benefits. Knowledge of special education, school experience preferred. Send letter of interest, resume, current Acts 34, 114 and 151 clearances to Mrs. Penny Lenig-Zerby, Superintendent, 600 Green Acres Road, Benton, PA 17814. Deadline January 20, 2011. EOE
January 14, 2011, the birthday of Emily Lauchle DeWire. The Huntington Mills United Sportsmen's Club begins its annual coyote hunt. Tonight at the Sullivan County High School auditorium, Beech and South Streets, Laporte, the speakers include Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University. Dr. Terry Engelder, Professor of Geosciences and Fracture Mechanics, Penn State University; and documentary film maker Josh Fox. The presentation is open to the public and it is free. The Susquehanna String Theory is in concert tonight at The Center at 7 PM in an evening of instrumental and vocal music. There'll be two sets of music, with an intermission for refreshments. There is no admission charge for the concert. Susquehanna String Theory consists of Al and Jean Lumpkin, Warren and Ann Fisher and Judy Ellis. Jeremy Lumpkin will play bass for this concert.
The Benton Area School District will host an informational meeting and dinner Thursday, January 20, from 5:30 to 9 PM at the Benton Middle/Senior High cafeteria. The meeting is for any farmer, entrepreneur or rural landowner with an interest in getting involved with the district's biomass project, from growing crops to processing materials. The district heats buildings with a furnace that burns corn, wood and grass to save money on oil. Those who plan to attend should call the district office, 925-0914, for reservations .
The Women's Center and Benton Area School District are sponsoring an "Internet Safety 101" seminar January 20 from 6 to 8 PM in the Benton Middle/Senior High auditorium. The effects of cyberbullying on children will be among the topics discussed. A presentation will include internet safety tips, an explanation and warning signs of cyberbullying, the showing of a documentary about children's use of the internet and a general discussion among those attending.
Congratulations to Sean Hoover, who plans to retire from the Pennsylvania State Police February 19 after twenty years of service. Sean is the new owner of Sutton Archery and Taxidermy on Camp Lavigne Road. Sean has many improvements that will take place in the months to come; i.e., the showroom will be getting a major overhaul along with the exterior of the building. Sean is asking for ideas from the public as to what they would like to see at the shop so that he could better serve them. Stop in and convey your thoughts in person.
Didja know that in the 50 years since Farm Show weather has been recorded, it has snowed only 110 inches, or just more than nine feet?
--Source: PA Department of Agriculture
Who is nuts and who is not? You may have trouble determining that when you watch The Curious Savage as performed by the Fishing Creek Players on April 1, 2 and 3. The "Savage" is Mrs. Ethel P. Savage, who tries to hide the money she inherited from her deceased husband so that her children think more kindly of others. Mrs. Savage is placed in a private asylum by her greedy step-children who want $10 million in bonds that Mrs. Savage has squirreled away somewhere, and they won’t take no for an answer. She does her best to use their greed to her advantage.
On January 10, the Fishing Creek Watershed Association had its bi-annual election for officers and standing committee chair-persons. New officers are...
President, Peter J Mastroianni
Vice-president, Joshua Greene
Secretary, Patricia Beyer
Treasurer, Keith Sweeney
Finance chair, David "Otto" Kurecian
Membership, Clay Corbin
Stream Data, Shon Robbins
Kocher Park, Joan McCarty
Education, Nancy Corbin
Everyone who is in the boundary of the Fishing Creek watershed--from Red Rock to Bloomsburg, Jerseytown to New Columbus--is encouraged to participate in protecting and improving the watershed. For more information, visit www.fcwa.net
Girls Softball Assistant
Varsity Boys Soccer Head Coach
Send letter of interest to Joe Goode, Middle Senior High School Principal, 600 Green Acres Road, Benton, PA 17814. The deadline for submission is January 28, 2011. EOE.
Tuesday night Benton boys wrestlers beat Bloomsburg 39-33.
Benton moves to 3-1 on the season. Bloomsburg moves to 2-9. Benton competes next against Blair Academy and Cedar Cliff at the NHSCA Festival on Saturday Jan. 15 at Pleasant Valley High School.
A disruptive snowstorm is winging its way from the South where it was termed a "Southern Storm" and cut our drive short in Wilson, North Carolina. The storm will arrive locally Tuesday afternoon bringing with it 2 to 4" of snow. The snow will hug the coast from New Jersey to southern New England where 4 to 8 inches of snow could fall n Philadelphia, and 6 to 12 inches from New York City to Boston. Local temperatures will be very cold through Friday. Today's version is a shortened edition for...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011. Keep Betty Lou Stoneham in your prayers following surgery Monday. Add Ronnie Thompson, Roxanne Patton (Phillips) and Sally Brewington to your prayers for surgery later this week.Wednesday, January 12, 2011, the birthday of Bert Ritter, Sheila Malenovitch, Ray Kishbach, Walt Lysk, Janet McHenry, and radio-talk host Rush Limbaugh. On January 12, 1864, a doctor in Charity Ward 11, Bellevue Hospital, New York City, pulled a sheet over the corpse of what appeared to be a homeless young laborer. The man was found to have tuberculous and he had been drinking a few days prior to the time of his death. A little tag simply said the man's name was "Forster." The unclaimed body was taken to the city morgue. Three days later a neighbor, George Cooper, claimed the corpse not as "Forster" but as Foster--Stephen Foster--one of the best of America's songwriters. Stephen Foster, born in Pittsburgh on July 4, 1826, was once inspired by the five-mile horse race that ran between Wyalusing and Camptown when he wrote Camptown Races. The "camptown" was a temporary workingmen's living arrangement along with a rag-tag mix of horses. Two states even adopted its official songs from what Stephen Foster wrote--Kentucky for "My Old Kentucky Home" and Florida for the appropriate dittie, "The Old Folks at Home." Foster also wrote "Oh Susanna!" and "Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair," as well as hundreds of others. When he was in his thirties, his health and his life took a turn for the worse and he became bitter and depressed. His friend gathered his belongings, including a crumpled piece of paper on which were written the words, "Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dew-drops are waiting for thee, Sounds of the rude world heard in the day, Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away."
Thursday, January 13, 2011.
 |
John Haynes is not known for making stupid bets. Ed Cole, some say, has the first dime he ever made. |
Ed's sleight-of-hand at sliding his winnings off the table during a game of poker are legendary. When other planers have their attention diverted, Ed slides his left hand across his pile of money and slides about half into his right hand neatly nestled below the line of vision of the table. That portion then is transferred with no fanfare to Ed's right pocket. "Slicker than a greaser," as Lee Remley likes to say. Ed hopes that new players will feel sorry for him, with so little money on the table, and will "go easy" on him. Ed rarely bets, let alone making bets he could lose, so just the fact that the wager was made was unusual. The amount of the bet was also out of character for both.
We have to feel sorry for the Harrisburg auto dealer who drove his Chevy Suburban into a stream on North Mountain with three passengers. Cherry Ridge road is certainly a cold place to land in the creek.
Back to the bet between Ed Cole and John Haines. Twenty days from the big payoff of the weight bet, John Haines has lost 65 pounds and Ed Cole has lost 17 pounds. It certainly appears as though we all know who the winner of the bet will be.
On the first of June (four months after the diet wager began), Edward Cole, Jr. decided to hop on the bandwagon and challenge John and his father. His father refused to put any money on this wager, and the agreement between Edward, Jr. and John is limited to "bragging rights." They decided to use the same end date of February 1, 2011. This bet looks grim for John. As of January 1, Edward has lost 80 pounds. We'll provide the final figures after the final weigh-in.
Donald Larue Young (November 22, 1937-January 9, 2011), Benton, died Sunday at the Bloomsburg Health Care Center with his family at his side. He was 73. Donald was born in Orange Township. He was a son of Bruce and Lula Grace (Musselman) Young. He attended Benton schools with the class which graduated in 1957, He was a member of Jackson Baptist Church, Derrs. He was employed by Wise Foods, Inc., Berwick, as a truck loader from 1976 until 1995 when he retired due to medical complications.
He is survived by his wife, Geraldine (Morris) Young, with whom he formed a marital union that began May 19, 1969. Also surviving are children Brian Young, Berwick, and Lisa Young Morris (Darrell), Orangeville. There are four grandchildren: Lundy, Samantha, Emily and Toby; two great grandchildren: Liya and Huntyr. The following brothers and sisters survive: Mary Lou DeFrain, Bloomsburg; Edna Gearhart, Berwick; Evelyn Schultz, Millville; Bruce Young, Benton; Carlton Young, Benton; Dale Young, Millville, and Larry Young, Millville, and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Donald was preceded in death by a brother, Charles Young, and by a daughter-in-law, Lori Lee Eck Young.
Private services will be held at the convenience of the family under the direction of the McMichael Funeral Home. To sign the online register book or for online condolences, please visit www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com .
Don R. De Lotto (August 24, 1938-January 7, 2011), a native of Rutherford, New Jersey, who lived locally since 1990, died Friday at his Benton home. He was 72. He was a son of John and Louise De Lotto. Mr. De Lotto was employed by ATT and and later Lucent Industries, New Jersey, until his retirement in 1990. Mr. De Lotto proudly served his country in the U. S. Navy. At one time he attended Christ the King Catholic Church, Benton.
Surviving are his wife, Patricia D. De Lotto, a marital union that began September 7, 1964; a sister, Dolores Murray, Benbrook, Texas, and two nephews. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 11, 2011, at 11 AM at the McMichael Funeral Home. There will be no public viewing. Burial will be in the Waller Cemetery. For online condolences, please visit www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com .
January 8, 2011, the birthday of Sherry Hess Farver. The Watsontown United Methodist Church, 1319 Eighth Street Drive, Watsontown, will hold a meatloaf dinner starting at 4 PM. Cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 5-12 (a children’s meal will be offered). Take-outs available.
 |
Diane Laubach is the Volunteer of the Quarter at the Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center. Recognition of her accomplishments was made by Ellen Hall, Volunteer Coordinator at The Center. Selection of Diane for this honor was made by voting by the volunteers at The Center. |
Diane is one of the many volunteers who have made The Center a success. She served on the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2007 during the planning, design and construction phase. She stepped forward in 2007 when The Center decided to open a Thrift Shop on Mill Street to supplement the income of the operation and has run that operation to the present time with the aid of some very capable volunteers. She became the Library/Museum Chairman in 2011 and has worked in the library and the museum since The Center's opening. She firmly takes charge when it comes to the annual book sale of The Center. Diane maintains a low profile while doing what she has signed up to do. She doesn't make a big splash or pat herself on the back. She gets the job done and moves to what comes next.
What comes next would keep the average person busy. She is an accomplished pianist and organist and has performed in concert at The Center. She is the church organist for the Hamline Church and has played at the local Methodist Church and the Stillwater Christian Church. She has been a member of the Benton Borough Council since 2010 and serves on several important and time-consuming committees for the local government.
Diane graduated from Benton High School in 1960, attended Bloomsburg State Teachers College and graduated from Otterbein College with a major in art. She was a substitute elementary-school teacher and taught for ten years in a Christian pre-school. While at Otterbein College, she was the co-chairperson of the thrift store run by Otterbein--and held that position for twenty years. She married Dr. John Herbert Laubach in 1970. The couple lived at Westerville, Ohio, before John's retirement. They later lived in Bloomsburg and eventually moved to Benton. Diane has two sons, Rob, Youngstown, Ohio, and Brian, Benton.
Didja ever notice that the first people who arrive at an event sit on the aisles, are insulted when asked to tuck in their legs so others can reach an interior seat, often have pot bellies or gangly legs, generally are surly and remain in their seats long after the fat lady sings? People who sit in the middle of the row arrive last and leave their seats frequently for food, drink or a bathroom break--and often leave before the performance is over.
The humor for today comes from a ventriloquist, Paul Zerdin, who shows up for work without a dummy, but performs his act with a little help from the audience. Watch here.
Congratulations to Bob Brewington, flying high since Thursday with a private pilot's license designated as "small plane, land."
The Verizon iPhone could arrive on February 3. Read more here. The Wall Street Journal said the offical announcemente will be made Tuesday.
The Benton Tigers defeated Southern Columbia 39-30 Thursday night. The match was held at Southern and started at 7 PM. Benton moves to 2-1 and competes Tuesday, January 11, at Bloomsburg, Match time is 7 PM.
Taylor Ruk from the Women’s Center, Inc. will be coming to the high school auditorium January 20 from 6 until 8 PM to share a presentation and discussion for parents on cyberbullying. The program will focus on internet safety, defining cyberbullying and why it is happening, and will include warning signs and tips to avoid having your child become a victim of cyberbullying. The goal is to provide parents with tools they can use to empower their children to help them avoid this risky behavior. The contact person is Tarah Henrie, Blended Counselor, 925-2651.
The time has come to fess up. Marcia Kay and I are hitting the road, heading to where the temperatures are warmer, where the sight of the ocean cheers our aging bones, where cocoanuts and oranges and grapefruit hang like grapes from the vine, where an elevation of 250 feet is a "mountain." We are going to Florida.With our trip, comes a Winter vacation for us and especially for me. The issues of the Benton News will be cut back for the immediate future and beginning with this edition, we'll cover three days at a time for a few editions. I'll probably get restless and sit down and peck something out, but it is vacation time. One thing is for certain. The Benton News will not be published at a set time until further notice.
One "fly in the ointment," as Father used to say, is the weather situation through the Carolinas. We planned to stop at Mooresville, North Carolina, to see son David, but the forecast for when we plan to go through is for four to six inches of snow. I-81 can be tricky in the Winter and going over the Blue Ridge Parkway at Pleasant Gap, Virginia, in a snowstorm isn't my idea of a vacation.
Obituaries will continue to be published as received (this thought has nothing to do with the previous paragraph).
Keep your good health, your outlook on the positive side and don't be afraid to keep in touch. Fear not. We won't stay away from a beautiful place and hospitable people for long.
January 7, 2011, the birthday of Douglas Grabowski, Dr. Dean Christian, Danielle Deitrick and Clifton "Kip" Watts. In 2008 at this time it was 60°, but in 2002 we had 14" of new snow on the ground. Expect snow flurries for today and Saturday and cold through Monday.
The movie tonight at 7 at The Center is "Christmas in Connecticut" starring Barbara Stanwyck and Sydney Greenstreet. Come joins friends and neighbors. Movie Night is sponsored by Valley Pizza and the delicious pizza is from that local restaurant.
The Benton Lions club is active in many ways. The club sells food to help raise funds for charities. Members participate in local fund raisers including raffles for cash, Pennsylvania Lottery tickets, a Penn State Simplicity garden tractor, a Ford Econoline truck and a gazebo. The club has raised money for the local community by selling milk shakes, ice cream, barbeque chicken, peanuts, pretzels, played "polish poker," sold the "Game of Benton," crushed aluminum cans in Don King's barn, and participated in the Lions Journey for Sight. They sponsor the Halloween parade. The good that this club has done for the upper Fishing Creek valley is well known to all of us. They now have their own web site, www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/bentonpa/index.php . Pay them a visit.
Today is the day which follows Epiphany, traditionally when women went back to work after the 12 days of celebrating Christmas. Husbands of women returned to work the following Monday and would play tricks of setting fire to the flax on a spinning wheel. The women got even by throwing buckets of water on their husbands. The 17th century English poet Robert Herrick wrote: If the maids a-spinning goe Burn their flax and fire their tow. Bring the pails of water then Let the maids bewash the men.
The poet's use of "bewash the men" started me thinking about the hot August day when I jumped into the water flowing from Raymond Baker's springhouse. I often stopped as a kid at the springhouse for a cool hand-cupped drink of water, but never before had I actually jumped into the watercress waters. What a shock to the system. That water was cold! Really cold...
 |
Whenever I think of my early days on the farm, I think of a springhouse--a small building used to refrigerate dairy and meat in rural areas before electric refrigeration, usually constructed over running water. The springhouse just off Upper Raven Creek Road was built by Harry Campbell and Sheldon Long. |
Our family didn't have one, but there was one on the West side of Fishing Creek on the Raymond Baker farm (the remains are still there), one on the Harry and Cletta Hiscox farm, another near the Cleon and Emma Baker blacksmith shop on their farm, one on the Ken and Leola Wenner homestead in Honeytown, on the Harry Monroe Laubach farm and in many places on the upper Raven Creek road--the Harry Campbell farm, the "old Poust place" the "lower Campbell farm." Some of these springhouses are shown here.
A springhouse takes me back to the days when horses were not owned for pleasure. Those were the days when we got up long before daylight and usually before the rooster woke up to start crowing. There was always a mad dash to see who could get into the bathroom first. Mad scrambles were also common to get someone out of the bathroom quickly if they were taking up too much time.
While Mother made breakfast, I headed to the fields to get the horses, then as a family we had a hearty breakfast that if eaten today would have us on life support before we were 50, then it was off to work--feeding, milking and spending the daylight hours in the fields. Dinner was at 11, following by a five-minute nap, then back to work until about 5 when I would bring the cows across the road to the barn. I never figured out why it was that the cows waited until the middle of the road to leave their marks, and I have had many an out-of-area driver say some very unkind things to me about the trail markers that splashed on the sides of their cars when they drove over the area at a high speed. Milking followed and shortly after the milking was finished Summer darkness spread over the Fishing Creek valley. It was time to snap loose the suspenders and, as Kipling wrote, "sink 10,000 miles into sleep."
I intended to talk about springhouses, and got diverted. Back to the point. Springhouses were often built into a hillside and put up with creek or field stones and logs. Water bubbled out of the hillside from the stone-lined springs, then ran through a trough into the real springhouse where crocks of milk, smearcase and butter and the other things that were to be kept cold were stored. There was a good door to the springhouse, but never with a lock on the door. Because of cats, windows were a problem. I remember a hollow-gourd dipper for drinking in one of the springhouses.
I remember the stanchions and some of the cows on the Raymond Baker farm during the years when I was in elementary school. I don't remember what the milk from those cows was stored in, but it could have been a graniteware pan or a big crock. The cream from the milk rose to the top of the container. When milk was needed, someone was sent to the springhouse and filled a tumbler with cool milk for drinking and for pouring over oatmeal, Cream of Wheat or pie. The small pond downstream from the springhouse was great fun for ice skating this time of year.
Life with a springhouse is far different from simply opening a refrigerator door and removing the milk in which we drown our Cheerios each morning. Times have changed since before 1880 when Pennsylvania women did most of the milking. The women controlled the milking part of the family farm, just as they did the kitchen. The "woman of the house" milked, lifted the heavy crocks of milk into the springhouse, skimmed off the cream, churned and later packed the butter and sold what was excess to the family's requirements. She was also a mother and a housewife.
The Columbia Register in its edition of July 1, 1817, noted that the "operation of milking" is generally performed by having a "female seated by the side of the cow, commonly on a stool, and by a gentle squeeze with the hand the milk is forced into a pail."
The paper may have felt it was on dangerous ground, and began to backpeddle, as if it had been caught in saying something that a hundred years later would have tossed ears forward. "It is by no means absolutely necessary that the milker should be a female." The article admitted that "females with their soft and supple fingers generally perform this task with dexterity." The article then pointed out that men "practice the art of milking without making it their particular business much more than females. Females make their greetings by nodding the head. The customary mode of greeting among males is the shaking of hands and the squeeze used in shaking hands is much like the squeeze used in milking." The paper concluded that as a rule "a "great shaker of hands is a great milker."
Girls were said to be more "sympathetic" with the cows than men or boys. Men at times would lash out at a cow when she kicked the bucket. The result would be bad for the cow and worse for the milk. The girls generally used a more soothing tone.The Barre Gazette of August 23, 1839. wrote that "thirty years ago it would have been almost as difficult to find a man milking as to find a woman mowing. Half of the young girls now-a-days hardly know whether the milk comes from the udder or the horse. "
One journal described the "rosy milk-maid" as wearing thick shoes, a chedquered apron, her sleeves turned up and a handkerchief tied over her head, a pair of black eyes and ruddy cheeks peeping out from under it." She sat on a milking stool getting milk from a "cow that stood placidly switching off a fly now and then while looking drowsily out upon a lovely summer landscape."
One of the interesting things about milking stools is that while there were thousands of them in use, no one sold them. They were not an article of trade. The stools simply could not be made commercially cheaply enough to sell. The farmer could make them cheaper and there was no reason for him to buy what he could make for nothing or in a short time.
Most milking stools were constructed from a piece of board or plank with the corners rounded off, making the stool round. Into the underside of it would be bored--not quite through--three or four auger holes into which would be driven short, turned pegs for legs. However made, the milking stool was on every farm. The stools were never very elaborate or ornamental. There was generally one cow in each herd which would do whatever ornamenting there was to be done!
There were many cows who loved being sung to by those doing the milking and on brother Dayne's farm he always had the radio on during milking. He felt that some cows only gave their "fair share" of milk when being sung to. Strange noises or rough treatment did take a toll on milk production.
Where are you going to my pretty fair maid,
With your red and rosy cheeks and your nut-brown hair ?
Oh ! 'tis I am going a-milking, kind sir, she answered me,
A-rolling in the dew makes the milk maid so fair.
Shall I go with you my fair pretty maid,
With your red and rosy cheeks and your nut-brown hair ?
Yes, 'tis you're kindly welcome, kind sir, she answered me,
A-rolling in the dew makes the milk maid so fair.
Suppose I should lay you down in here, my fair pretty maid,
With your red and rosy cheeks and your nut-brown hair ?
Oh ! then you must help me up again, kind sir, she answered me,
A-rolling in the dew makes the milk maid so fair.
Suppose you should prove with child by me, my pretty fair maid,
With your red and rosy cheeks and your nut-brown hair ?
Oh ! then I must find a father for it, kind sir, she answered me,
A-rolling in the dew makes the milk maid so fair.
There was a time in our history when sour milk was in every American kitchen. There was always sour milk in the springhouse. It was the real clabbered kind--creamy blobs of curd, smooth and rich and a little tangy to the tongue, swimming in a blue-white translucent film of whey. Today when we stir up our buckwheat cakes, we need to pick up a container of buttermilk at the store. Our days of a short walk to the springhouse are over.
January 6, 2011, the birthday of Patti LaBonte. It was on this day, according to the New Testament's Gospels, when the Magi, the three wise men or kings, arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts for the infant Jesus. Epiphany was once the traditional end of the Christmas holiday and the date the tree and decorations were taken down. Bad luck would follow for the rest of the year if decorations came down sooner. From the middle ages until the mid-nineteenth century, what some call "Twelfth Night" was more popular than Christmas day, and even today some countries celebrate Epiphany as the most important day of the Christmas season.
Snow flurries and snow will be with us through Saturday, with nuisance snow beginning overnight tonight with cloudy, brisk and cold thrown into the mixture. A total of one to three inches could fall by late Friday afternoon. You can determine the weather situation around the country by going here. Simply move your cursor around the map and see what the current temperatures and weather conditions are in cities all over the country.
Some readers will remember the excitement in November 1947 when the present Queen of England married Prince Phillip in Westminster Abbey following a long relationship beginning when she was 13 years old. Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh are second cousins once removed, but that does not deter the worldwide interest in the couple and with any offspring contemplating marriage. In fact, Navy helicopter rescue pilot William--second in line for the throne--and Sara Middleton, his main squeeze for eight years, plan to wed April 29 at 6 AM Daylight Saving Time. It looks as though I'll have to get my own breakfast that morning...
Didja know that Pennsylvania, Vermont, New York and South Carolina have laws banning electronic waste--computers, televisions, personal digital assistants, video game consoles and stereo parts--from going to landfills?
Didja ever wonder if God had a refrigerator, would your picture be on the door?
Owners of BMW motorcycles are coming to Bloomsburg for theirinternational rally July 21 through 24. As an enticement to participate in the rally, organizers are painting a rosy picture of the local area: "Heading into historic Bloomsburg, you'll find some of the most sublime landscapes Pennsylvania has to offer - rolling hills of farmland, quaint villages, dense forests that provide a cool canopy on a hot summer day, hollows choked with laurel, and mountain twisty roads that lead to high ridges offering views of 30 or more miles." It almost sounds like participants are being redirected to the upper Fishing Creek area.
Congratulations to Harry Watts, Millville, for having his photograph selected by Geisinger Health Systems to grace the July page in the 2011 LifeFlight Helicopter 30th Anniversary Calendar. Life Flight® is the regional helicopter service designed to provide critically ill or injured patients rapid access to advanced life support care and rapid transportation to critical-care facilities. The photo which took the eye of the people putting the calendar together was taken at a July 2009 fiery motor-vehicle accident in Madison Township. Millville firefighters Randy Watts, Jason Reichenbach, and Charles Dietterick along with an unidentified Washingtonville firefighter are in the picture. Harry's pictures have been used in local publications including the Press Enterprise, the Benton News, and for training, incident review, and documentation purposes for the Millville Community Fire Company .
Warmups of an absolutely wonderful dish are now gone in the Kline house--and thank goodness! I'm talking about the multiple warmups of pork and sauerkraut left over from New Year's day. I am filled to the gills with good luck and prosperity from eating this favorite German dish at the turn of the year.
The mother of one of LuAnn Everett's closest friends, and a PA Dutch lady, always made sure nobody ate chicken or turkey on New Years Day. She said if you did, you would have to scratch for everything you got for a whole year! Makes sense to me, how about you?
Somehow, I can't get it through my thick head. U.S. stocks rose Wednesday, with the Dow posting a two-year high for the third day in a row, yet the market is overvalued, many stocks are overbought and its run-up isn't based on economic factors that one could take to the bank, but rather on the premise that the Fed can inflate asset prices. So what gives? The market isn't following the pattern for bull markets of not being happy during a rise in yields. Europe, now Japan, a good potential that it will begin to spread to China this year and the U.S. are struggling with a true debt crisis. Please explain this to me. Be like the Pennsylvania German with whom I once had lunch in Kutztown. I explained something to him. He politely listened. Then he was very quiet. After a period where neither of us said anything, he suddenly said to me, as if some of what I had said to him was beginning to sink in, "Explain it to me vunst." Heck, that is what I thought I had just done. So we go back to my dithering about the market. We have cranked up the printing presses and made money, money, money! There seems to be a great deal of risk. Would someone please explain it to me vunst!Erica Shames, founder and publisher of Susquehanna Life Magazine and Susquehanna Business Life Magazine, makes her debut as a correspondent for State Of Pennsylvania, WVIA’s regional interactive public affairs and news program, tonight on WVIA TV. To be part of WVIA's live audience in the Sordoni High Definition Theater at the WVIA studios in Pittston, call 602-1150 or visit www.wvia.org to reserve your free seats. During the live broadcasts viewers may call in questions at 800 326-9842 or go to www.wvia.org to submit questions online. After the live broadcast of each Sate of Pennsylvania, the program is available on demand .
Wyoming County is getting an exploratory natural-gas well, known as Noxen North, near Route 29, Monroe Township. The drill site is less than 3 miles from Harveys Lake. Carrizo Marcellus LLC will begin drilling about two weeks from now. Carrizo has 60,000 acres under net lease in the Barnett Shale. Like the Williams drill site near St. Gabriels church, the well will be drilled vertically, but after testing could then be drilled horizontally. The company plans to drill four sites in Washington Township, Rush Township in Centre County and Woodward and Sandy townships in Clearfield County. Chesapeake Appalachia, Chief Oil & Gas and Citrus Energy also have plans to drill in Wyoming County.
January 5, 2011, the end of the 12-day winter solstice celebration, usually referred to as Twelfth Night. It is the birthday of George Remphrey, John Kogut, Adam Worley, Joe (Brooks) Sutliff, Pennsylvania State Senator John Gordner of the 27th Senatorial District and former Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell.
A religion website known as Patheos.com has only been around since 2008, but has amassed hundreds of works from scholars and essays into a "religion library." There is a tool that lets you compare up to three religions or even religious sects to give you a side-by-side breakdown of the dates the groups were founded, who the founders were, and how followers are adapting to the modern world. Each religious group has extended reading, book reviews and serious commentary about news, politics and religious issues.
It was December 3, 1947, when the Western Evening Herald published the story under the headline, "The 'Herald' Gets Its Man Again."
 |
The story was about a Pennsylvania dairy farmer, a former American airman, a man the newspaper identified in military style as "Mr. Harry D. Kline," who sought the aid of the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, England, to help him trace two British Army "pals" he met in Shillong, Assam, India, in 1943 when he was stationed South of the eastern Himalayas at Assam's capital of Dispur. The Englishmen were in "rest camp" when they met. Dayne enclosed the picture of himself and the others. The mayor acted with dispatch. He went to the Western Evening Herald, told the story and the paper gave it a big play. |
| A. E. Mitchell, Plymouth, England, lower left. Dayne Kline upper left. The man in the upper right was killed in Burma during the war. His name was Smith. The soldier in the lower right is unidentified. | |
The only information Dayne could supply was that one of the men was named "Mitchell." The soldier had talked of Plymouth as his home. The other was named Smith and was believed to have worked on a dairy farm before entering the service. Smith "talked of Plymouth as the nearest large city."
The Western Evening Herald continues to be published in Plymouth, England, as The Herald, serving the area about 190 miles Southwest of London between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where the rivers join to form Plymouth Sound.
Within hours of the newspaper's office opening that Wednesday morning, Mrs. Mitchell called. Her husband, Alfred Edward Mitchell, was the Mitchell referred to by the American. The Mitchells lived at 23 Chudleigh-road, Lipson, Plymouth, near the Devenport dock yards, a strategic target during wartime. Mr. Mitchell, once a cook in the 19th Division during the Burma campaign, was then working as a "builder's labourer" rebuilding Plymouth's blitzed houses.
"Mike," the excited Mrs. Mitchell said, referring to her husband, "was tremendously excited when he saw the story of the American dairy farmer seeking his Plymouth ex-Burma pal."
According to the newspaper account, "they only met for about a fortnight" when Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Smith were on sick leave, but they "seemed to have struck up a good comradeship, although they did not exchange address." Mrs. Mitchell told the newspaper that her husband "always said when talking about Americans that at all events he had met some who were fine chaps."
The soldiers had their photographs taken and exchanged. Mrs. Mitchell brought to the Herald office the photograph of Harry Dayne Kline, and also a picture of Kline, Smith, her husband and another American.
The man by the name of Smith was never located. It was later learned that he was killed in combat.
Mr. Mitchell served three years and eight months with the 19th Infantry Division of His Majesty's government in the Burma campaign. Mrs. Mitchell was on the domestic staff of a Plymouth hospital during that period and was also employed in "Civil Defense."
Dayne Kline came into the Air Force of the United States in August 1943 and became a crewmember flying cargo airplanes filled with gasoline and ammunition over the Himalaya Mountains to resupply the Flying Tigers and to aid the Chinese Government of Chiang Kai-shek in its struggle against the Japanese. The United States Army Air Forces called the action the "China Burma India (CBI) Theater and those who participated in this dangerous maneuver were said to be flying "the Hump," their name for the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew from India to China. The story of Dayne's war years is told here.
Not long after Dayne arrived in India and during the period when the Japanese were on the northern boundaries of that country, he got a little time off and some British infantrymen were also getting a breather. Dayne remembered later that he spent some of that free time bargaining with the natives who had items to sell. Dayne explained once that "We were engaged in bargaining for some of those priceless jewels they first asked $100 for and were later pleased to sell you for three cents."
 |
When the duties of the war separated them, Dayne went back to flying and "Mitchell went on to Burma to put the Japanese back where they came from." Dayne spent twenty-eight months overseas and "rode the hump" twenty-six times before he was assigned to a supervising staff. He returned to the United States on November 2, 1945 and headed directly for Meadow Brook Farm South of Benton where a Golden Guernsey dairy herd and other aspects of farm life kept him busy. |
Wartime buddies often showed up for a visit on the farm. One was a baker from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Bill Rabold, and another was a man from Claveton, Pennsylvania, Bob Pritchard. Once in India, a buffalo charged a campfire where Dayne and Bob sat. Pritchard grabbed a gun and simply fired. He had no time to aim. Dayne later explained that the bullet "went home." Pritchard was a god to those Indian natives from that time on. They declared they never saw such skill in shooting, but the American simply smiled and never bothered to explain the luck of the shot.
January 4, 2011, the birthday of Nick Chabra, Darlene Hess, Rob Saienni, Amy Remphrey and Kelsey Lee McGarigle. Minnesota inaugurated Pro wrestler Jesse Ventura as the state's 38th governor on January 4, 1999. Watch for snow flurries this afternoon and the possibility of snow Friday afternoon.
whose members are duty bound to meet but not to get together?
Didja know that there was no construction of a single new coal-fired power plant in the United States for the second straight year? That is a telling statistic when you realize that half of the electricity used in the United States comes from coal-fired plants. Information supplied by the Sierra Club indicates that utilities and power-generating companies dropped plans last year to build 38 coal plants while announcing that they would retire 48 aging ones.
Prevention Magazine is out with an interesting list of "seven food that should never cross your lips." You can read about the seven by going here . A bunch of hooey, you say? You may not think that when you read the list of no-nos:
- Canned Tomatoes
- Corn-Fed Beef
- Microwave Popcorn
- Nonorganic Potatoes
- Farmed Salmon
- Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
- Conventional Apples
Today's music and comedy comes from Mark Lowry and The Trio and is available here.
A single-engine, fixed-wing Piper airplane from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport crashed Sunday evening in Davidson Township, Sullivan County, on a wooded hillside on North Mountain. The pilot called the emergency management agency with his location, had limited use of his cell phone and was able to get out of the burning plane. First reports of the crash broke about 9 PM. The pilot, James Caswell, 22, Lake Ariel, Wayne County, was removed from the crash site early Monday morning, hours after the crash. He suffered from hypothermia, a broken ankle and burns. Channel 16 first described his injuries as "serious," but later upgraded his condition in the Lehigh Valley Hospital as "critical."
Initial reports were that the 9 PM crash occurred in Jackson Township, Columbia County, and fire and ambulance crews from Benton became "first-due" on the scene. Benton arrived in the general area of the crash with three fire trucks and ambulance equipment.
Ronnie Robbins, Benton fire chief, said that getting to the injured pilot wasn't easy on the climb up the steep incline through boulders and laurel. The crash site was nearly on top of the mountain.
Geisinger's Life Flight helicopter played a key role in locating the victim. Ground search and rescue teams were initially unsuccessful in locating the crash site. The incoming Life Flight helicopter first spotted the flames from the crash while in the air over Unityville and flew directly over the downed and burning plane. Rescue teams then shifted their search operations from Jackson Township where the plane initially was reported down near the Lycoming County line to Davidson Township in the area of the Acorn Acres campground on Route 118. The Life Flight helicopter remained on the scene until its fuel supply became low and it was replaced for a time with a state police helicopter from Hazleton. The crash victim was eventually taken to Leigh Valley Hospital for treatment.
Initial reports were that the flight plan was from Wilkes-Barre to Lancaster. Apparently the plane landed in Lancaster before taking off and ending up over Sullivan County. The tail number of the plane was 42997, registered to FBO Air WB Leasing Inc., Hangar Road, at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
Federal Aviation Administration investigators are attempting to determine the cause of the crash.
January 3, 2011, the birthday of Rayellen Kishbach Gilles, Denise Lewis, Joyce Hosking, Cicero (who once said, "A room without books is like a body without a soul") and J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Congratulations to Taylor and Kim Remphrey, married Christmas Eve in Germany. Keep Arnold Kinney in your prayers as he faces surgery in the Geisinger Hospital today.
Didja know that "gas provides 24% of America's electricity and heats 51% of our homes?"
-- John Hanger, Secretary of the 2,760 employee Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Why is it that oil is so expensive while natural gas prices are so cheap? Crude oil is traded across borders and across the ocean, while natural gas comes, in part, over the next hill. But, wait! Liquefied natural gas tankers are sailing from five continents and many tankers are under construction. Watch for cheap LNG to show up on our shores. The cost of shipping via these tankers raises the cost of natural gas an estimated 10 to 30% depending on the distance from the reserves to the market), compared with less than 10% for oil, because of the relatively high cost of manufacturing LNG tankers. Have you ever seen an LNG tanker? If not, go here and here. For a list of countries exporting LNG, go here.
Russia’s gas giant GAZPROM has plenty of natural gas for Russia and most of Europe, but natural-gas prices in Europe and Russia are three to four times higher than they are in North America. Expect natural gas prices to double in this country sometime in the foreseeable future.
January 2, 2011, the birthday of Dave Hilley, Jr., Sandra Kelsey and Ruth Frey. Expect a high about 44° today, dropping to a high of about 33° Wednesday.
strong, homemade and not too subtle.
Saturday was a day for eating cooked greens--cabbage, chard, collard greens, kale and mustard greens--as practiced in different parts of the United States. Some say that the cooked greens look like folded money, and therefore make people think of economic fortune. If you are Danish, you may have eaten stewed kale sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon yesterday. If you are from the Commonwealth, or if your background is German, you hit the sauerkraut (cabbage) and added pork, which, thanks to its fat content, signifies wealth and prosperity. Our neighbors to the South of the United States like their collards and would argue that you can't have greens without black-eyed peas (for good luck). Black-eyed peas are also eaten as part of the Jewish New Year's celebration of Rosh Hashanah in hopes of increasing merit and purification. Whatever greens you go for, the more greens you eat the larger will be your fortune this year.
Alford H. Jackson, Big Flats, New York, died Friday, December 31, 2010, at the Arnot Ogden Medical Center, New York. He was 89. He was a former employee of Elmira Pattern and Foundry and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Survivors include his daughter, Janice Jackson, Big Flats; sons David Jackson, Spencer, New York; Daniel Jackson, Corning, New York; and brother Robert Jackson, Benton. Calling hours are 1-3 and 5-7 PM Tuesday at the Barber Funeral Home, 413 S. Main St., Horseheads. Services will be at 11 AM Wednesday at the Community Wesleyan Church, 2095 Grand Central Ave. Burial with military honors will be in Rural Home Cemetery.
"‘Tis the season for catalogues--and big garden plans from the comfort of your cozy armchair. Sorting through all the new offerings can be challenging; so a good place for perennial gardeners to start is by examining some of the suggestions of the Perennial Plant Association.
"Each year, this trade organization selects an herbaceous perennial that is suitable for a wide range of climate types, is low maintenance, and exhibits multi-season interest. Because all the usual suspects are familiar to the public and are often over-planted, the Perennial Plant Association strives to bring more unusual offerings to the attention of nurserymen. And this is exactly what all gardeners are looking for--a new and different plant to add to our constantly evolving landscapes.
"The 2011 plant of the year, Amsonia hubrichtii, commonly known as thread-leaf blue star, is easy-care, long-lived, deer and rabbit-proof, and attractive year round. The willow-like foliage is a delightful light green as it breaks ground in spring, growing into a three foot billowing mound, contrasting beautifully with shrubs and larger perennials to soften the garden tapestry. In May and June, blue star-shaped flower spikes float daintily atop the foliage. But the real show begins in autumn, with eye-popping golden-yellow foliage. Also, amsonia overwinters best if left uncut, completing its year-long display as it sculpts snow mounds along the perennial border.
"Thread-leaf blue star thrives in sunny, moist, well-drained soils but can tolerate partial shade, and also some drought after it has become established. It looks great naturalized and in cottage gardens, or grouped along walkways for an impressive promenade. Propagation is easiest by division in spring or softwood cuttings in early summer.
"A decade’s worth of other recommendations from the Perennial Plant Association’s winners’ circle includes:
2010 Baptisia australis, a tall blue spring bloomer, with pea-like foliage and interesting seed pods;
2009 Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola,’ a compact gold and green ornamental grass, to brighten dreary spots in part shade;
2008 Geranium ‘Rozanne,’ a two-foot spreading perennial with violet-blue flowers from late spring to early fall, in full sun to part shade;
2007 Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low,’ a three-foot catmint with violet flowers all season, attractive to butterflies and hummers, deer and rabbit resistant;
2006 Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch,’ a diminutive evergreen for full sun, with bright pink flowers in mid spring, and rebloom through fall after pruning;
2005 Hellebores xhybridus, a Lenten rose in numerous flower colors and forms, blooming early spring in shade, with perennial foliage;
2004 Athyrium riponicum ‘Pictum,’ a shade-loving Japanese painted fern, quite showy, to 18 inches tall and spreading two feet or more;
2003 Leucanthemum ‘Becky,’ a tall Shasta daisy with bright white flowers and a long season of bloom;
2002 Phlox ‘David,’ a three-foot native with fragrant white flowers all summer, mildew resistant;
2001 Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster,’ a versatile ornamental grass, deep-green foliage to three feet and light pink feathery fluorescence to five feet.
With all these great plants for the Northeast, you too can have the garden of your dreams--even if it’s only a figment of a drowsy winter reverie.
--Kathleen Arcuri
Saturday, January 1, 2011, the birthday of Debbie Sue Shultz, Robert Antanitis and William Kreisher and the wedding anniversary of Frank and Brenda Conrad. Country singer Hank Williams Sr. died of a drug and alcohol overdose on this day in 1953. During the early morning hours on New Year's day, while traveling through West Virginia on the way to a show in Canton, Ohio, Hank Williams died in his sleep in the back seat of his Cadillac limousine at the age of 29. In 1966 on this day, all US cigarette packages began carrying the health warning, "Caution: Cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health."
• It might not actually be finished this year, but the way technology is moving, expect that at some time in the future, Google and its hotter-than-a-wood-stove Android will be carried on Google's own carrier rather than on Verizon, ATT, etc., much as Google is currently doing with its free long-distance phone service Google Voice. Someone who is more of a techie than I am could explain this, but Google is playing around with the "white space" of vacant airwaves between television channels. Google continues to develop its fiber-optic broadband, which should make the monopolistic regional carriers hopping mad. There are some rumors that Google will attempt to scarf up Sprint to begin this move. What you can expect this year is that carriers will start to get fed up with what Google gives away free. Expect some moves to begin trying to close the gap on what Google thinks should be open. All this is easier said than done, but we all know what Google has been able to pull off in the last five years. There is no reason to believe they will slow down now.
• There is no truth to the rumor being spread by Jay Vandergrift, Berwick, that the Guv as his last official act gave me a full pardon for all the typos I made and poor English I used during 2010.
• Tune in to listen to Eric Fricke play this week on www.fromthetop.org/ as Texas sets out to prove that the pipe organ isn’t just for church anymore. Two of the best teenage organists in America play 20th and 21st century concert music. Watch a short video of Eric playing under related links "on the road with Joanne Robinson show 223" as he practices his music. WITF FM 89.5 broadcasts Sunday, January 2, from 7 to 9 PM. Eric's solo and interview comes last. He also plays a second number while a girl tells a story.
The Republicans in the House and Senate have as a priority to not fund and eventually repeal the health-care bill passed during the last session of Congress. State challenges against individual mandates are heading to the Supreme Court. That being said, starting today portions of the Affordable Care Act phase in, including...
• Health-insurance companies are required to spend 80 to 85% of premium dollars on medical care and quality improvements for patients, rather than on administrative costs. If they fall short, they will have to rebate to their customers beginning in 2012.
• Pharmaceutical companies are required to provide a 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs to Medicare recipients who fall into the "doughnut-hole" coverage gap in the Part D drug plans. Federal subsidies begin to kick in for generic prescriptions in the Part D coverage gap.
• Primary-care physicians and general surgeons will receive a 10% bonus payment for treating Medicare patients.
• Medicare recipients get free preventive services, including annual checkups.
• A "Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation" will evaluate the performance of health-care providers.
• More emphasis will be given to care for seniors after they leave the hospital in order to reduce hospital readmissions.
• Medicare Advantage payments will be set to smaller percentages and will limit 2011 payments to 2010 levels. Medicare Advantage plans will not be allowed to raise cost-sharing requirements higher than under traditional Medicare.
• Funding of $25 million is set up for state grants for Medicaid recipients for combating tobacco use, weight control and other health conditions.
• Over-the-counter drugs not prescribed by a doctor are no longer eligible for reimbursement from flexible spending accounts and health-reimbursement accounts.
Sandra F. (Richter) Lane (April 10, 1937-December 31, 2010), Third Street, Benton, died Friday at the Bonham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where she had been a resident since March. She was 73. Sandra was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was a daughter of Raymond and Alice Richter. She was a stock broker for Paine Webber, Hartford, CT.
Surviving are sons Alex D. Lane, Benton; Chris Alan Lane and Steven Edward Lane. There are two grandchildren, an aunt, Phyllis Sievert, and numerous cousins and relatives. The family thanks the community for the support and understanding during Sandra's illness. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family with interment in the Benton Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the McMichael Funeral Home. For online condolences, www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com .
