September 2002 Archive

September 30, the 273rd day of 2002. There are 92 days left in the year. Seventy-five years ago today (1927), Babe Ruth hit his 60th homer of the season to break his own major-league record.

Thursday was the late day of employment for Harry Ritter, North Street, who retired after 17 years at JDK Management, Light Street. His bride, Shirley, recently retired. We suspect that Harry's "Honey-do" list will be a mile long by week's end.

A dog was resting in a campground and an RVer was reading nearby on a lawn chair. "Excuse me, sir, but does your dog bite?" a recently arrived camper asked. The RVer looked up over his newspaper and replied, "Nope." Yet when the camper approached the animal, it began snarling and growling, and then attacked his legs. After pulling away from the crazed animal, he yelled, "I thought you said your dog didn't bite!" The RVer muttered, "Ain't my dog."

Twiggy, the skinny British model who came to epitomize the 1960s, returned to the modeling catwalk in Milan, Italy, Saturday, saying she felt short and fat next to the new generation of models. "Next to these girls I'm very fat and pretty tiny," the 5 ft. 6 in. Twiggy laughed, confiding she was now about 20 pounds heavier than her 1966 weight of a mere 96 pounds. This lady is lucky not to look in the mirror that I look in!

Both the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post show new statistics from the Census Bureau showing that 41 million Americans didn't have health coverage last year, 1.4 million more than the year before. The New York Times mentions that the number of children without health insurance stayed steady at 8.5 million, after having declined for two years. The Times explains that in addition to the sputtering economy, more than a billion dollars given to states to enroll kids in health-care programs has gone unused.

Ira Einhorn, the former radical professor from the University of Pennsylvania, begins trial in Philadelphia this week. Einhorn is charged with the murder of his ex-girl friend Holly Maddux, who was discovered in his apartment closet--surprise, surprise--in 1979 after she had "disappeared" in 1977. Einhorn, then represented by a private attorney by the name of Arlen Specter, was charged with the crime but jumped bail and vamoosed. He was tried in absentia in 1993 and found guilty. In 1997 he was discovered living in France.

Homegrown Music is a radio series originated and produced by George Graham, and broadcast Tuesdays at 9:00 PM on WVIA-FM, 89.9. The series has presented regional artists virtually every week since 1976, with over 400 different individuals and groups featured. The series often presents live in-studio concerts. Jeremy dePrisco (guitar, bass & vocals) and Dave Blackledge (guitar & vocals), Bloomsburg, playing original acoustic music as the group "Dark Honey," will be featured guests October 8 at 9 PM. Tune in at either 89.9 or if you are closer to Williamsport, try 89.7, WVIA's Williamsport frequency. Chris Norton of WVIA tells us that WVIA does not have programming streamed on the internet yet. He says, "It's a goal, but we're still looking for an affordable way to get it done." Well, maybe if Bentonians kicked in just a little more during the fund raisers, it could work...

Quote of the Afternoon:
"Nothing is more fatal to eloquence than attention to fine hair-splitting distinctions."
--Mathews: Oratory and Orators, chap. ii. p. 36.

And here I thought that no one actually read this stuff. I was just never one to use "glad" when "happy" would do. And to think that I had been so happy simnply typing until I thought of something to say...

At the Pennsylvania Outdoor Elk Expo in St. Marys, Elk County, the Pennsylvania Game Commission awarded elk licenses to 70 hunters in a public drawing. Of the 31,458 applications eligible for the drawing, 66 elk licenses were awarded to Pennsylvanians, none from Columbia, Sullivan, Montour, Luzerne or Wayne Counties) and four to nonresident hunters. Ed and Susan Cole tried to attend, but so many interested hunters preceded them that they had to stay twelve rows deep outside of the main tent where the drawing took place.

According to the PE, over 605,000 people attended the fair with an avenue-clogging record of 137,000 the last Saturday. Attendance records on the first Saturday (91,000) and Monday (79,000) were set, both sunny and warm days. More than 40,000 saw popular Elvis imitator Ryan Pelton at the band shell.

The WP included a Chandra Levy development yesterday, probably of no interest to anyone else. Detectives in the murder case are again focusing on 21-year-old Ingmar A. Guandique, who is currently in prison for the assaults on two women jogging in Rock Creek Park, the same place where Levy's body was found. Guandique originally passed a lie detector test, but investigators now believe the test was flawed, the result of using a Spanish translator instead of a bilingual test administrator. Investigators are said to be struck by the similarity in crime scenes between the three women, and while some discrepancies still exist, the FBI is now conducting DNA tests.

Advice of the Day "To cure hiccups, eat a spoonful of peanut butter, salt, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or crushed ice."
--Old Farmer's Almanac

A reader wrote that when she visits www.bentonnews.net, some of the text is so small she has trouble reading it. No problem. When you're visiting our web site and want to make the text on the page bigger, just click "View" (on Internet Explorer's toolbar), select "Text Size" from the menu and choose one of the options that appear on the right.

Make sure that you add to your calendar the buckwheat cakes and sausage supper on Wednesday, November 6, at the Benton Christian Church. The griddle will be hot from 4 PM until the cakes are all sold. Oh, sure, there will be pies and cakes and other good things, too. Chefs Letteer and Hartman will be in the dough by the end of that night!

Quote of the Day:
"I can't direct the wind, but I can adjust my sails."
--Noreen McDormand

There seem to be computer viruses and computer virus hoaxes running this way and that. Virus hoaxes are more than mere annoyances, as they may lead some users to routinely ignore all virus warning messages, leaving them vulnerable to a genuine, destructive virus.

Regretfully, it is probably just a matter of time before you receive an urgent virus warning message. Please, please remember never open an email attachment unless you know what it is--even if it's from someone you know and trust.

A number of local residents are struggling with a virus that I can't even spell correctly, for fear that some virus protection programs on somebody's computer will stop this email from reaching its intended recipient. Adding a space between the letters of its name--K L E Z--will give you a clue. Anywho, it affects Windoze 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP and Me. Go to a site like http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.klez.h@mm.html to learn more. You will not get infected from the Benton News. At the present time, the news is "pushed" to you from a list server and you should be very secure. You cannot, however, have the same confidence if you get an email with an attachment from others, even if you know them.

Several complaints came in about the math involved in figuring out the age of the tires and the automobile in Sunday's pop quiz. Reminds me of the story about the local man who asked his wife what she was nagging him about, saying he had been home by a quarter of 12 the night before. "You were not, you liar!" yelled the irate wife. "I heard you come in and the clock was striking three." "Well, honey," said the husband, "isn't three a quarter of 12?"

Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble (BTE) will open its 25th anniversary season with the adventures of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." The play previews on Oct. 5-6 at 7 PM and runs from Oct. 11 through Nov. 3. For ticket information and seating reservations, call BTE's Box Office at 784-8181 or 1 800 282-0283. "Romeo and Juliet" is BTE's Project Discovery play, meaning that thousands of high school students will see it for free, thanks to donations from local businesses, corporations, and foundations.

From the "Make a Note of It" Department:
o If you get a computer error message, you can research the error code on Microsoft's Web site http://support.microsoft.com .
o Need to know your IP address? (An IP address distinguishes your computer from others on the Internet.) Go to http://www.ipchicken.com o You can get your hungry hound a free liver biscotti treat by visiting http://www.liverbiscotti.com/free.html .

The Pennsylvania Game Commission loves to put up gates on land they control for the taxpayers. Many of these gates will open this weekend as the six-week archery deer season gets under way Saturday. By the way, more than 1 million antlerless deer licenses have been allocated statewide this year.

September 29, 2002. General Douglas MacArthur handed over the city of Seoul to President Syngman Rhee of the Republic of Korea on this date in 1950.

Q: If • an automobile is three times as old as its tires were when it was as old as the tires are now and • if when its tires are as old as the car is now the car will be a year older than the tires are now • what are the present ages of the car and tires? (Answer at end)

Seen On an old post card sent from Red Rock, PA:
"You're only a friend, like a Duesenberg is only a car."

In a rare Saturday night game at Crispin Field, Berwick (necessitated by the Friday night rains), the Hazleton Cougars played the game of their lives winning 28-14 over their long-time rivals. The Wyoming Valley Conference Division I victory was the first for a Hazleton Area or Hazleton High team over Berwick since 1977 when the Hazleton Mountaineers beat the Bulldogs 9-6. Since a 6-6 tie the following season, the Dawgs have won 21 straight contests with their Hazleton neighbors. Lou Barletta may face an uphill battle in Berwick!

Advice of the Day:
"Polish pewter with a cabbage leaf."
--Old Farmer's Almanac

Bernard Hess, Kelly Yost and Lee and Carolyn Remley have loaned us some wonderful pictures of the area, and will be added to the Vintage Pictures section of www.bentonnews.net in the next couple of weeks. Our deepest appreciation is extended to these fine people.

Quote of the Day:
"The past actually happened but history is only what someone wrote down."
--A. Whitney Brown

Wall Street thinking isn't always completely clear to small investors. A popular theory is that investor sentiment has to really sour before stock prices can bounce back and stage a large, sustainable rally. The more gloom, the more investors sell and the further stock prices fall until at some point, the theory goes, prices reach such ridiculous lows that they set the stage for a frenzy of buying and the next strong rally. Although new lows were set by blue-chip and technology stocks this week, investor's outlook remains a little too upbeat, analysts say. Maybe some day I'll understand... In the meantime, I have a few questions:
• Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
• Why is it that anything you sell automatically doubles in value?
• In this market, would you trust your stockbroker if he's married to a travel agent?
• If Microsoft stock plummets, will investors jump out of windows?
• It costs $75 to file for bankruptcy. Think they'll take a check?

Sixty-six Pennsylvania hunters and four out-of-state hunters were awarded elk hunting licenses in a Pennsylvania Game Commission lottery yesterday. About 32,000 people submitted applications for the right to hunt 36 antlered and 34 antlerless elk out of an estimated 800 in the state's herd. Last year, 50,697 hunters submitted an application for the 30 licenses awarded and 27 bagged an elk.

A complete set of data on U.S. religious affiliation was released September 20. "Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States: 2000," published by the Glenmary Research Center, Nashville, is the latest in a series of every-10-year studies conducted at the same time as the U.S. census. “This study reports that 140 million Americans are associated with one of the 149 religious bodies participating in the study,” reported the committee that directed this study for the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB). Data are reported by region, state and county. According to the study, the majority of residents in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties are affiliated with religious organizations, most with Catholic churches. Lackawanna has the seventh highest percentage of residents--66 percent--belonging to religious groups while most residents in Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna and Wyoming are not part of any organized faith group. I could not locate the data for Columbia Country, but will pass it along when I do. Pike County needs some work, ranking last in Pennsylvania in religious adherence. Since the report costs $110, I have to just read about the study in today's Scranton Times, but Spirituality appears to be practiced very differently across NE PA. Nationally, the study concludes that 50.2 percent of Americans--about 140 million people--are part of a religious body.

If an automobile is three times as old as its tires were when it was as old as the tires are now and if when its tires are as old as the car is now the car will be a year older than the tires are now, the present age of the car is 18 months, the tires are a year old and I aged 12 months trying to figure it all out.

The steel framework of the new Dollar General store, behind the current location of the Steve Shannon Tire Company, went up in two days, and the building should be ready for occupancy November 1. And I can't even find anyone to patch two pieces of drywall in the house! We took a picture of the old store yesterday so we could include it on www.bentonnews.net. Five years from now, we'll have forgotten what that building looks like...

Arcadia Word of the Day:
EMERSON (phrase).
Usage: "Emerson fine lookin' tars ya got on yer truck there, Earl."

Saturday, Sept. 28. Today is the 39th wedding anniversary of Jerry and Peggy Fritz. On this date in 1957, the Milwaukee Braves' led by the batting of Henry "Hank" Aaron, 23, (44 homers) ended their first pennant-winning season. In 1957 John F. Kennedy won a Pulitzer Prize for his book Profiles in Courage. According to the New York Times, "It is refreshing and enlightening to have a first-rate politician write a thoughtful and persuasive book about political integrity." The rain-drenched Bloomsburg Fair ends today and the crowds should be huge.

The area saw lots of rain for the past two days, but it was generally free from water damage from flooded streams. It was just a nice, gentle rain for the most part. Amounts ranging from two to two and a half inches fell in the Borough.

Quote of the Day:
"You can't shake hands with a clenched fist."
--Indira Gandhi

For whatever reason, there seem to be a lot of Tyson/Lewis rematches this fall. We're talking knock down, drag-out fights. The PressEnterprise reports on another one at the Fair in this morning's paper, and it took local police and the occupants of four State Police vehicles to quell a bar fight in Benton last night about 10:45. Four seasonal workers, currently living (well, more like "bundled") in a double house here in town, agreed to disagree while sipping the suds at Sophie's Tiki Lounge. By the time it was over, much of Market Street was covered with people standing in the rain watching the clean up of the fray. Oh, and by the way, "tiki" means (in Polynesian mythology) "the first man on earth." Now that your memory is refreshed on the word "tiki," you still probably don't know the significance of that word and why it would be used to describe a Benton bar. And neither do we.

Poem of the Day:
"Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.
Hide your drops, and dry your puddles.
Leave the fair to other muddles."
--Posted on the door to Fred Trump's office at the Fairgrounds

The Hazleton teenager who was starved and beaten by his mother and live-in boyfriend died from peritonitis due to gastric rupture of his stomach. Peritonitis is an inflammation of the abdominal wall produced by bacteria or irritating substances in the abdominal cavity. A peritonitis sufferer would experience chills, breath rapidly and shallow, have nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and be unable to defecate. The autopsy results will hopefully put away allegations that the mother poisoned sandwiches that the boy took with him on the more than 30-hour bus trip. The allegedly poisoned sandwiches contained higher-than-prescribed doses of Adderall, a medicine the teen took for attention deficit disorder. The boy in a phone call from Washington said that he had already eaten all the sandwiches. The 5 feet 3 inch boy weighed only 63 pounds when he died four days after he arrived in FL in a weakened, frail state following a 1,100-mile journey and five buses through four cities. Authorities in Florida called it the worst case of abuse and starvation they ever saw. The boy will be buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Pensacola, FL in a donated plot. A fund has been established to assist in burial costs. Contributions may be made to First Federal Bank, 12 E. Broad St., Hazleton, PA 18201.

Stocks were tumbling yesterday as the Dow Jones industrials plunged 295 points to post their fifth straight losing week, closing at 7,701.45. It pushed blue chips close to their four-year low of 7,683.13 reached on Tuesday. An investment expert estimates that $15 billion has been pulled out of stock mutual funds in favor of bonds and savings accounts this month.

September 27 Edwin Allen Kocher was born on this date in 1943. Happy birthday, Ed! We've lived with a drought emergency for months, so it's hard now to believe we may see some flooding over the next day or two. On Friday of Fair week in 1975, The Bloomsburg Fair was cancelled following over ten inches of rain that had fallen since Monday of that week, and the worst was yet to come... The "Susquehanna Beltway" isn't expected to be open for another 8 years, but relocating Route 220 between Jersey Shore and Williamsport to make way for Interstate 99 is a hot subject west of here. It's still up in the air exactly where the new highway will be located. And doesn't a beltway go around something?

Hazleton police plan to file homicide charges in the death of a malnourished 62-pound teen found wandering in Florida looking for his father. Miller's mother and stepfather are being held on half a million dollars bail each. Police say the parents had neglected the boy for at least a year. Outside the home, a sign read, "Chester's Weight, 63; Mother and Stepfather's IQ, 63." But his reception in FL was apparently no better than what he left in Hazleton. Saturday he was turned away from the trailer of his Florida family and dumped at an apartment complex. The other two children in the Hazleton household, a 13-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter, are now in the custody of a state social services agency.

Bankrupt US Airways said it plans to accept an Alabama pension fund’s offer to buy a nearly 38 percent stake in the Virginia-based air carrier. The Retirement Systems of Alabama will pay $240 million for US Airways. A bankruptcy judge in Arlington, Va., accepted the bid, but it could still be trumped if a higher offer comes in.

Quote of the Day:
"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake."
--Jeannette Rankin

Pittsburgh is facing a projected budget deficit of 40 to 50 million dollars according to the AP. Seeking assistance under the Financially Distressed Municipalities Act, with the state taking over the city and allowing the state to negotiate contracts with fire, police and paramedics, may happen.

Donovan McNabb, 25, is now the highest-paid player in NFL history. The Philadelphia Eagles and their quarterback worked out a 12-year, $115 million contract that includes more than $20 million in guaranteed bonus money.

Advice of the Day:

Two sparrows on the same ear of corn are not long friends.
--Farmer's Almanac

Some Fair Questions...
• Does anyone from Benton work at the Benton Cider Stand?
• What was going through the mind of the first person ever to pull on
a cow's udder?
• Does your dog really think it's a person? And perhaps that you're
the dog?
• Why do ducks spend their lives in water but get under cover when
it's raining?
• Should we take the knives out of the little old ladies' church
stands? And what about the W. R. Case Cutlery Company of Bradford?
Will they not be welcome at the fair anymore? Or Chicago Cutlery,
which makes some pretty fine slashing instruments?
• Ever notice how people always say 'it will turn up' when they're
not the one looking for it?
• Isn't it true that what we see depends mainly on what we look for?
• Why do old men wear their pants higher than younger men?
• When you order black coffee, why do they always ask you if you want
cream and sugar with it?
• How come the only exercise some people get is pushing their luck,
running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and jumping
to conclusions?

We normally wouldn't bother to mention yesterday's debate, but in the last two administrations the lieutenant governors have become the governor. Mark Schweiker became governor when Tom Ridge became homeland security director and Mark Singel served as governor while Robert P. Casey was hospitalized for a heart and lung transplant. The lieutenant governor candidates' debate yesterday between Ed Rendell's running mate, Catherine Baker Knoll, 71, and State Sen. Jane Earll, 44, running with Republican Mike Fisher, was colorless, to say the least--at least while the cameras were on. The debate offered voters a glimpse of the candidates for the largely ceremonial office that breaks tie votes in the Senate and heads the pardons board and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. No woman has served as lieutenant governor since the office was established in 1875. That will most probably change this election year, since three of the candidates are women.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court yesterday upheld a Commonwealth Court decision that ruled former Gov. Tom Ridge was within his authority when he fired former Pennsylvania Game Commissioner George Venesky as a Game Commissioner nearly two years ago. Venesky is now considering a run for county commissioner. Venesky is about ready to tie his sneakers for a run in the Luzerne County Commissioner's race.

Are you feeling Italian this morning?
• al dente: "to the touch," a method of cooking pasta so it offers a little resistance when bitten.
• antipasto: "before the pasta," a plate of hors d'oeuvres typically including sliced meats, cheeses and olives, served either hot or cold • focaccia: round, flat bread flavored with olive oil and spices and occasionally tomatoes, olives, rosemary and onions.
• formaggio: cheese.
• gelato: ice cream.
• insalata: salad • pesto: a green sauce made from fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and grated parmesan cheese • primavera: "spring style," with fresh vegetables • zuppa: soup Never spell a person's name wrong. "Trace" Adkins name came out "Tracy" twice yesterday morning. A reader boomed, "It's Trace Adkins, not Tracy. Could you be confusing him with Tracy Byrd? Or Tracy McGrady? Or Dick Tracy?" "Errors have been made, others will be blamed!"

Allied Irish Banks has agreed to sell its U.S. subsidiary, Allfirst Financial Inc., to M&T Bank Corp. of Buffalo, NY, in a deal valued about $3.1 billion.

Clyde Peeling, owner of Reptiland, Allenwood, will appear on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” Friday. The show is broadcast on NBC after “The Tonight Show.” If you invest in the stock market, consider PepsiCola. They will soon release a flavored drink with a secret ingredient (which we can divulge as Viagra). Rumor is it will be called Mount 'n Do.

Good Knight. Britain honored Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan by making him an honorary Knight of the British Empire. It will be interesting to find out why...

September 26 On this date in 1952, fifty years ago, Clair and Marlene Harvey tied the knot. Jacob Janney, 85, and Mary Janney, 83, Elk Grove, celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary today. Congratulations to both of these couples! On this date in 1960 in Chicago, the first televised debate between presidential candidates Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy took place. And today, tennismeister Serena Williams turns 21. At 4:30 this afternoon, boy's varsity soccer is played at Muncy.

Term of the Day: "Barge."
The word barge has two nautical meanings. First as a term applied to a flag officer's boat or highly decorated vessel used for ceremonial occasions. The second usage refers to the more common, flat-bottomed work boat which is hard to maneuver and difficult to control. And from this word comes the term "barge in."

We recently wrote about Hurricane Agnes, the devastating 1972 storm that did so much damage in the Susquehanna Valley, especially the Wilkes-Barre area. A storm that caused more damage in Benton than Hurricane Agnes did, however, was Hurricane Eloise. That hurricane caused over $200M in damage and left 76 dead in the U.S. and the Caribbean between September 17 and 27, 1975. It remains one of the deadliest Category 3 hurricanes on record. We tell you about it under Features.

At http://www.classicreader.com/ you can read great works of literature by authors such as Dickens, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, and many others. The collection currently contains 651 books and 906 short stories by 196 authors. New works are added to the collection on a regular basis.

Telltale tiny white masses at the base of the needles are good indications that death will result for hemlock trees. The spots are the telltale sign of the woolly adelgid, an Asian insect that is decimating hemlock forests. The insect slowly kills the trees by sucking out the sap and the tree will die after two or three years of heavy infestation. An estimated 80% of the hemlock trees in the Delaware Water Gap have the insect. That decreases to 5 percent of hemlocks toward State College, but the woolly adelgid is moving west. An impact of losing hemlock is the loss of trout enjoying life in the welcome shade of the tree. A solution for smaller trees is to spray with an insecticidal soap in the fall and the spring. Larger trees probably require an injection of insecticide from a professional.

Volkswagen, "the people's car," its new car designed in California, OKd by the original designer's grandson in Germany, and built in Mexico, epitomizes the global manufacturing of the 21st century.

Josey Bailey, an 11th grader at Benton High School, won the banjo pickin' contest for the ladies at the Fair and three weeks ago didn't know how to play the banjo! Although she has performed at the Benton Bluegrass festival and at the Benton Park on the spoons, when she got up to play she told the crowd, "I know four chords," she said, laughing. Although she was the youngest entrant in the contest, training from her father, Bill Bailey, worked well and she got thunderous applause from the crowd of nearly 500.

Randy Hess, son of Al and Pat Hess, is a member of the band working with Trace Adkins, the act that opened for the group Diamond Rio at the Fair a couple of nights back. Some in the audience commented that they liked Trace Adkins and his extensive vocal range better than the main act. Adkins stood the audience on their feet with his country music.

Sullivan County has more Liquid Fuels allocation than it needs and will distribute $50,000 of its allocation to the county's municipalities to supplement liquid fuels funds that each municipality receives directly from the state. Liquid fuels funds, which are funded by a gasoline tax, can only be used to maintain roads and bridges. The $50,000 will be divided among the municipalities based on the population and miles of roads in each municipality, Cherry Township getting the most at $12,591.

Zack Mills, 20, became a state household name soon after he became the starting quarterback at Penn State. The easygoing left-hander has led the Nittany Lions to a 3-0 record and a No. 12 ranking. "Zack Attack" and "General Mills" T-shirts are the rage.

Quote of the Day:
"There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval."
--George Santayana

The Guv is the state's highest-paid elected official at $142,189, but his annual paycheck ranks him 27th among the 100 top wage-earners in state government, reports The Patriot-News. For example, the chancellor of the State System of Higher Education tops the list with an annual salary of $275,000. Schweiker ranks seventh in salary among the nation's governors, according to the Council of State Government.

In the predawn darkness of Saturday, September 25, 1982, in Wilkes-Barre, George E. Banks gunned down his children, their mothers and others who had the misfortune to be in his line of fire--13 people in all. Banks fate is still in the hands of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. So much for the negative news for this date.

Attendance at the Fair yesterday was 71,018, compared to 1991's record 51,977.

Plan to attend the Pumpkin Festival October 12 and 13 at the 'Ol Country Barn, off route 487, six miles north of Benton. There will be free entertainment, free hayrides and free parking. There will be food stands. One of the interesting items for sale will be home-made ice cream and home-made apple dumplings. This won't be just ordinary home-made ice cream--it will be made powered by hit 'n miss engines--yep, the real, honest-to-goodness put-put type. Now how many times have you had peanut butter ice cream made by a machine powered by a machine that chuffed, clanked, whirred and whooshed and was probably built around the turn of the last century? Put the festival on your calendar now. Questions? Call 925-6295.

A local resident has hit the big-time Hollywood style. Tune in channel 44 at 10:30 PM tonight to see our very own Zane Unbewuest on TeeVee.

Gas prices are doing the inevitable in Benton, but we're still holding our own against Bloomsburg prices. Uni-Mart's price for regular unleaded is $1.319. DR's MiniMart's price is $1.359. Both prices are better than the surrounding areas. As you head toward Wilkes-Barre, unleaded in Shickshinny is $1.439. The posted price at Sam's Club is $1.379, but member's get a $.05 cent discount bringing the price to $1.329.

A major rehabilitation project along nearly five miles of U.S. Route 220 near the Athens-Sayre bypass will begin next week. The project-- which is valued at approximately $1.847 million--will consist of the rehabilitation of the existing concrete roadway, including concrete pavement patching, new blacktop shoulders, concrete bridge deck repairs, and new signs and pavement markings. The work this fall will concentrate on concrete repairs to the interchange ramps. The winter shutdown for the project will be from Nov. 3 through next March.

The Luzerne County Community College hired its first woman president, Patricia Donohue, Ph.D., formerly vice chancellor for education at St. Louis Community College in Missouri. The annual salary is $125,000 for a three-year contract.

Cooking with iron pots may help prevent iron deficiency, according to a joint study by Cornell University and Agricultural Research Service scientists. They cooked three cabbage dishes--fresh Chinese cabbage, fresh Chinese cabbage with vinegar, and sauerkraut--identically in iron and aluminum pots. They concluded that in each case--dah--cabbage dishes cooked in iron pots had more available iron than those cooked in aluminum ones. The type of food being cooked also seemed to affect the pots' iron. Vinegar or acidic foods such as sauerkraut appeared to leach more iron from the pots, making more iron available for absorption.

An alert reader pointed out that attorneys Gary Norton of Bloomsburg and John McDanel of Berwick are trading charges and almost coming to blows over the handling of a case involving--hum--three pounds of marijuana.

Tropical Storm Isidore continued north at 13 mph in the Gulf of Mexico, bringing heavy rain and high wind to parts of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida. Isidore should slam the Louisiana coast by early Thursday.

September 25, 2002. On this date in 1789, the first United States Congress adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution and sent them to the states for ratification. At 4:30 today, the girl's varsity soccer AND girl's varsity field hockey are at Muncy. Go to the Fair and support Benton-area stands, like the Benton Cider Mill, Karshner's buckwheat cake stand (and it is open at 7 AM for you early risers), the good BBQ at the May's stand owned by Robert and Debbie Rabb, Vance's apple dumpling and their new stand of English fish and chips, the wonderful potato pancakes--the list just goes on and on.

Arthur Raymond "Art" Musselman Jr., 56, of Round Oak, GA, died Monday, Sept. 23, 2002, at the Medical Center of Central Georgia, following a lengthy illness. Born in Benton, he was the son of the late Ethel and Arthur Raymond Musselman Sr. A Benton High School graduate, he competed in track, basketball and baseball. Mr. Musselman served in the Marine Corps, completing basic training at Parris Island, S.C., and served four years in Beaufort, SC. He retired in March as a lieutenant from the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department, where he served as director of communications in the 911 Center, and then was transferred to the Fire Prevention Bureau, where he was a fire inspector. Mr. Musselman was a member of the Sunshine United Methodist Church, Round Oak. He is survived by his wife, Mary Musselman; a son, Arthur Raymond Musselman III, Round Oak; two granddaughters; and a sister, Rachel Little, Benton. Funeral services will be 2 PM today at the Sunshine United Methodist Church, Round Oak. Burial will be in the Russell Cemetery, off Will Russell Road, Jones County, GA, under the direction of the Bridges Funeral Home, Gray, GA.
--the Press Enterprise

The PGC is showing off their land over the next couple of weeks through free State Game Lands tours. The public is invited to take part in the free tours. With autumn officially here, and leaves turning on top of the mountain next week, these tours could provide some great scenery. On Sunday, October 6, State Game Lands 57, will be open. Registration will be held from 7:30 AM until 12:30 PM at the headquarters building complex on State Game Lands 57, Ricketts Station, Forkston Township, Wyoming County, in the general area of Mountain Springs Lake. Game Commission personnel will be on hand to explain wildlife habitat improvement projects. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended for this three-hour, 30-mile, self-guided driving tour. Directions: At the intersection of Routes 487 and 118, take Route 487 north for 7.5 miles and turn onto a dirt road near State Game Land sign on right. Travel on dirt road one-tenth of a mile to a "Y" intersection and go left three-tenths of a mile to the headquarters complex. Each vehicle will receive a map and brief explanation of wildlife management programs being carried out on this parcel.

The INNOVATA Brass website, http://www.innovatabrass.com/ , is being updated with a section honoring Rick Martin. If you would like to wish Rick well, tell a story or just thank him, send Michael Milnarik an email. While you are at it, tell him how much you enjoyed his concert Sunday.

A local web site worth checking out is www.dianalehr.com. Diana Lehr--of Orangeville and Makawao, HI--has exhibited her paintings in museums and galleries in many parts of the world, and her works are held in numerous private, public and corporate collections. It is a beautiful website.

The market value of Bloomsburg Fair stock certificates, limited to a total of about 1,850, trades in a range of $7,000 to $8,000, according to this morning's PE. The first buyers in the mid-1800s at the very beginning of the Bloomsburg Fair paid $5 for a Bloomsburg Fair share. The price raised to $10 and then to $25 by the 1920s. In 1950, when fair memberships expanded to the present level of 1,850 shares, the price went to $50. Now if the rest of our portfolios would just appreciate at the same rate...

The Zoning Appeals Board for Benton Borough needs community volunteers. Although the Borough Council has sought to replace retiring regular members and to name alternates, it has been unsuccessful in finding willing candidates. Benton Borough residents who would serve on the Zoning Appeals Board are urged to contact John Herbert Laubach by telephone at 925-5199.

From the "They May Need It There, But We Don't Need It Here"
Department: Free software from Thailand is said to emit a frequency which paralyzes the wings of mosquitoes within 2 metres of the computer! If you want it, go to http://www.thaiware.com/software/util/UL00608.htm . This is untested, since we didn't have any mosquitoes to try it on.

September 24, 2002. Tonight at the Bloomsburg Fair Diamond Rio with Trace Adkins will provide the entertainment. At 10 PM, fireworks will explode over the Bloomsburg sky. Attendance at the Fair yesterday was 79,383, compared with the old record set in 1992 of 47,282. Through yesterday, 222,275 attended the Fair, compared to the old record of 225,883. We suspect that over four inches of rain during the weekend had a lot to do with it!

Lower levels of the U.S. Justice Department are recommending that the government block the proposed $11.2 billion merger of satellite television broadcasters DirecTV and EchoStar Communications Corp. because it would be anticompetitive.

The address for donations to Rick Martin is: Innovata Brass PO Box 51249 Boston Mass. 02205 Although Rick loves and uses the Internet, the volume of email he receives becomes a problem when he goes into the hospital for any length of time. Today, for example, Rick went to the Geisinger Hospital for a feared blood clot in his leg, but he is home tonight. Rick writes, "I have received many emails so far and have no problem with my address being published. His postal address is P. O. Box 141, Benton, PA 17814-0141. A card of understanding and love addressed to his home would most likely serve him best at this time.

Quote of the Day:
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. And that word is love."
--Sophocles

The 24th annual Selinsgrove Market Street Festival will feature five musical acts as part of the entertainment Saturday, including a 9 AM performance by the Selinsgrove Area High School Marching Band and Blackwater, a country band from Lewistown, at 3 PM.

Under new ground rules, no House Member may propose an elimination or reduction in property taxes unless he or she simultaneously proposes a plan to replace the revenue stream by proposing to raise other taxes or enact new ones. House members also may not propose new or expanded spending programs without designating a revenue source adequate to pay for the proposals.

September 24. . On this date in 1789, Congress passed the First Judiciary Act, which provided for an Attorney General and a Supreme Court. Today Keith Bankes and Lauri Edson celebrate their birthdays. At 4:30 today, the varsity boy's soccer team plays at Montgomery and also at 4:30 the junior high girl's basketball travels to Warrior Run.

What is the world's longest railway? (Answer at end)

A reader worried that the legislature is quiet at the moment on the issue of property tax reform. It appears to this writer that tax reform is going to happen in Pennsylvania--but not this fall. These guys aren't going to put their names on anything BEFORE the election, and with about 70 bills aimed at tax reform in front of them their job is huge. But when the dust settles, it seems inevitable that property taxes will be lowered and the 2.8 percent personal income tax will go up.

Check out the 625 pound pumpkin at the Fair. The Bloomsburg Fair is an "eatin'" Fair, according to Harold Bankes, and the delicious apple dumplings with Penn State ice cream proved that last night at Jim and Ruth Vance's stand. Even in the cold of the night, lines were long while neighboring stands dispensing hot food were hungry for customers.

A Prime, Inc. tractor trailer tipped over early Monday on route 220 near Laporte wiping out two utility poles, knocking out power to 400 homes and shutting down the highway for seven hours. The seat-belted driver was OK. The tractor and trailer were not...

Hide their check books! The PE reports that Geisinger Health Systems will shell out $1.6 million to buy the 125,000-square-foot Aldan Industries plant at the corner of Woodbine Lane and Route 11, but since they don't know what they will do with it they don't know how much it will cost to fix up. TRW built the building in 1981, Textron was next, then Aldan Industries bought it in 1997. The article also reported that the hospital is expanding the emergency room to the tune of $9 million and is drawing up plans for a 52-unit apartment building for medical students on short-term internships.

It was difficult to tell who was shooting at whom or why according to the AP when bullets started zinging in the Ivory Coast. French troops are poised to evacuate French citizens and others if necessary. Monday night's shooting around the school is another salvo in the Ivory Coast's uprising and it has terrified the young residents of the International Christian Academy. The shooting started as the children were making their way across the compound plaza after supper. Red Cross and other international organizations sought shelter for 3,871 people displaced by the coup violence. Ranging from infants to
12-year-olds, the young Americans are among 200 foreigners holed up at a boarding school for children of missionaries in Bouake, a city of a half-million people that has been in rebel hands since Thursday.

The market took the change of season a little to literally as the averages began to fall from the opening bell. The market is working on a four-week losing streak. Enough already!

The world's longest railway is the Trans-Siberian Railway, from Moscow to Vladivostok, 5,777 miles long. In the United States, we have 1,780 miles of continuous track, completed in 1869 when the Central Pacific Railroad built east from Sacramento, California, and the Union Pacific Railroad built west from Promontory Point, Utah.

On this date in 1957, President Eisenhower signed an Executive Order ordering Defense Secretary Wilson to federalize the Arkansas National Guard. There was to be no obstruction to letting 9 black children into Central High School in Arkansas.

We can't please everyone! We got a question yesterday about why each day we mention what happened in 1957. Well, for starters, one of my favorite people and one of my bride's favorite people graduated from high school that year. Western movies filtered to the top 25 and stayed there for a number of years. Shows like Gunsmoke, Tales of Wells Fargo, Have Gun Will Travel, The Restless Gun, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Cheyenne, Wagon Train, Sugarfoot. Jack Benny and Red Skelton were hits, and Ed Sullivan was at the top of the Sunday-night heap. Lunch in the cafeteria was topped off with a bottle of milk that had a cardboard stopper. Mrs. McHenry was right there at the table to make sure you kept your elbow off the table. Do you remember going to the Drive-In Theater on Route 11? Can you name the drive-in theater's name? Ever sneak into the drive-in in the trunk? Ever sneak in the exit, get stuck in mud and have to have the owner tow you out with his tractor after the last show ended? Remember going into Blanche Fausey's restaurant and having a hot dog and begging your parents for some change to put in the jukebox? Neighbors were neighbors! They really knew and helped each other. You knew all the people in Benton and just about everyone in the whole county. You could pull into Harry Ackerman's service station and be greeted with a smile and friendly "hello" and the words, "Fill her up?" Your windshield was cleaned, tires checked, oil checked and gas pumped. Some of the records cut in 1957 included All Shook Up by Elvis, Pat Boone was writing Love Letters in the Sand, and Elvis was tugging at hearts with Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear. Debby Reynolds wowed them with Tammy. Elvis was doing Jailhouse Rock. Sonny James did Young Love and the Everly Brothers were singing Bye Bye Love. Jimmy Rogers had the big hit, Honeycomb, Ferlin Huskey had Gone and Guy Mitchell had Singing the Blues. People were rocking to Fats Domino as he sung Blueberry Hill, and it is still a favorite of mine. At Papa Galamas' restaurant in Bloomsburg, the Crickets were popular with That'll Be the Day and Ricky Nelson was singing Be-Bop-Baby. Danny and the Juniors were having fun At The Hop and Marty Robbins was wearing A White Sports Coat. Later, the Statler Brothers, who were only "half" brothers, remembered the year in their hit, "Class of '57.

Which reminds us...the Statler Brothers announced in January their plan to retire from concert touring at the end of October, 2002. And last night they did us the honor of coming to the Fair and entertaining us in fine style. The final concert will be the weekend of October 24-26 in Salem, VA. The show is sold out. The Statlers, Harold Reid, Phil Balsley, Jimmy Fortune, and Don Reid will continue to record and release new albums on a continuing basis. Three numbers from their new gospel album, "Amen," were performed last night. Harold Reid, the brother with the deep voice, was born in Virginia August 21, 1939, and first organized a group known as the Four Star Quartet. And, sure, he graduated in '57. In the early days, each of the group members held other full-time jobs and performed in the evenings and weekends. About 1961, Harold revised the group with his younger brother Don. In 1964, the group was hired by Johnny Cash to open his show. For the next eight and one half years, they "got paid by Cash" as Harold would tell the story. And as Harold put it, the group was sitting in a hotel room when Harold saw a box of Statler tissues and suggested the name "The Statler Brothers." There was the Statler Hotel in New York too, so it was a name that smacked of class. As Harold has often said, "We might have been called the Kleenex Brothers."

The Statler Brothers...
Harold Reid, Bass, is the clown of the group. Harold provides onstage humor, double-bass singing, supervises all album covers, and coordinates bookings. When he's not on the road or in the office, Harold relaxes on his farm, making music with his wife and family.
Harold and brother Don are writers for their shows. Don Reid, Lead, is one of The Statlers' prime songwriters and spokesman. Don lives in Staunton, VA, with his wife and family. Phil Balsley, Baritone, keeps track of the Statlers' business and administrative affairs. In the office he still oversees the books for seven corporations. Jimmy Fortune, Tenor, wrote "Elizabeth" and "My Only Love." Jimmy, like all the Statlers, lives in Staunton with his wife and family.

In a story you aren't hearing much about--yet--American children of missionaries, about 150 of them, are trapped in their school in the Ivory Coast as rebels have overtaken their city. CNN and newspapers are rushing correspondents to the area, so you'll start hearing about it soon. The Ivory Coast is a 127,520 sq. mi. republic in West Africa, formerly part of French West Africa.

We don't usually publish reader's comments and we "rarely" publish reader's names. We make an exception today:
"I am beginning to feel good enough that a boot in the posterior may be what I needed. And believe you me, I got one yesterday."
--Rick Martin

And in response to the Benton News comment, "Some U.S. lawmakers are working toward making standard televisions and VCRs obsolete within five years by requiring broadcasters to switch to digital, copy-protected signals," we received this reader's comment: "I think Mr. Tauzin has been drinking too much swamp water. Send him back to the bayou. Where are the Libertarians when we need them?

Poetry for The First Day of Autumn"
"No spring, nor summer beauty hath such grace As I have seen in one autumnal face."
--John Donne (1572–1631) "Elegy IX: The Autumnal"

Attendance at the Fair was only fair yesterday, 50,652 compared to last year's 88,661.

Quote of the Day:
"I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them."
--E. V. Lucas

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a common circulation problem in which the arteries that carry blood to the legs or arms become narrowed or clogged. PVD is sometimes called peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. Many people also refer to the condition as "hardening of the arteries." The "Legs for Life" campaign will offer a limited number of free screenings for PVD at more than 300 hospitals nationwide. To request a screening, log on www.legsforlife.org or call 1-977-357-2847. The screening in Williamsport is Tuesday and there will be a repeat. Ring them up.

PPL Electric Utilities has launched a small-scale test of "Power Line Communications" that could enable the utility's power lines to be used for high-speed data transmission. The technology will be tested in the Allentown area and will be complete by the end of the year.

Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., owner of the Delaware & Hudson track, recently granted Norfolk Southern Corp. rights to haul freight between Sunbury and Mechanicville, NY. (By road, this trip would be 279 miles.) The D&H track originates near Montreal and heads south through Schenectady and Binghamton. After passing through Scranton, the track runs on the west side of the Lackawanna River and ends in Sunbury, where it connects with Norfolk Southern's extensive rail system east of the Mississippi River.

The Colonel's secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices took on new meaning when a customer at a Northern California Kentucky Fried Chicken got two baggies of marijuana in his chicken order. The man had asked for extra biscuits. Police say he returned the marijuana to the KFC and got his biscuits, then called the police. Marin County deputies arrested a worker suspected of selling marijuana from the drive-up window. The employee would apparently slip the marijuana into a to-go order when the customer used the right code word.

September 23. Nine black children entered Little Rock's Central High School on this date in 1957 to begin desegregated classes. Three days before, a court ordered Gov. Orval Faubus to remove the National Guard troops that barred the students from entering the high school. The children were sent home three hours later when a crowd of 1,000 gathered outside the school. On this date in 1975, the remains of Hurricane Eloise merged with a stationary front over New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to produce major flooding. The high water marks from this flood are clearly marked on the fair grounds. Look from them at the South end of the grandstand when you go this week. The Bloomsburg Fair continues in full swing today, although the grounds will be soggy this morning! It continues to rain in Benton at this hour, and we have now had a full 24 hours of rain, some of it heavy. Yesterday at this time, water wasn't even close to going over the dam. The Statler Brothers provide the entertainment at the fair tonight.

There was much enthusiasm in the air last night after the INNOVATA concert, possibly because so many people wanted their family and friends to have been there. If you would like to share a sample of the music you heard yesterday, go to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/innovata and listen to cuts from their CD, "Brass a' la carte."

The Arcadia Term of the Day:
Impa Tickler (adv). Specifically.
Usage: "Whatcha doin tonite?" "Nuttin impa tickler."

Everyone is happy in Happy Valley! For the first time in three years, the football talk is about nuttin impa tickler except maybe a Big Ten title or bowl bid, but not rebuilding, recruiting or retirement of Joe Paterno.

Just four months after celebrating her 108th birthday, Sara Billings Titman died Saturday at a Tunkhannock nursing home. She was the oldest known resident of this part of PA.

When it was time to cut the ribbon on a new exhibit at Pittsburgh International Airport, there were no scissors to be found. The reason? Security.

Want to back up a folder in Outlook Express? To locate your mail folders in Outlook Express, run Outlook Express and then open your folder list. Right-click a folder and choose Properties. The Properties dialog box will give you the folder's location. Since all the folders are in the same place, you can now use Windows Explorer to go there. Copy the DBX files to your backup disk.

Some U.S. lawmakers are working toward making standard televisions and VCRs obsolete within five years by requiring broadcasters to switch to digital, copy-protected signals. Rep. Billy Tauzin, chairman of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, wants to require broadcasters to transmit digital signals by the beginning of 2006, and require them to end standard, analog broadcasts by the end of that year. The Louisiana Republican's draft bill would require that only high-definition signals could be picked up by digital TVs and recording devices with built-in anti-piracy features. The transition to digital broadcasts, originally scheduled to be complete by 2007, has succumbed to industry bickering. Manufacturers of DVD players worry that they would have to make machines that consumers would not buy. The two sides can't seem to agree on a marker called a "broadcast flag," which would allow consumers to record broadcasts for personal use but not for Internet sharing. Tauzin's draft would direct the Federal Communications Commission to set the technical standards and require all digital TVs and other devices to recognize the broadcast flag. The draft would prevent analog VCRs from working with digital TVs made after July 2005. The FCC wants to sell the airwaves the broadcasters currently use for analog transmissions and has ordered TV manufacturers to begin selling sets as early as July 2004 that can receive over-the-air digital signals. By July 1, 2007, all televisions with 13-inch screens or bigger must have the tuners. Go to http://digitalconsumer.org/ for more information.

Quotes of the Day, from Groucho Marx:
——From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it.
——Those are my principles, and if you don't like them...well, I have others.
——Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
——I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.
——I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.

As an avid Washington Redskins fan, I always root for ANY team that plays the Dallas Cowboys. On the last day of the summer, Philadelphia put the Cowboys on the barbie as Dallas lost forty-four to thirteen. Oh, by the way, the Redskins Lost to the 49ers, 20-10.

More of you should write to Benton News now and then. Your questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. If you have a question or something to say about life in Benton, just reply to this newsletter or David Kline .

Do you think that your car is a lemon? Or are you considering buying a car and want to check to see if it might be a lemon? Thanks to the efforts of the Center for Auto Safety, http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemonlist.html gives you numbers of vehicle complaints on file with the National Highway for Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

September 22, 2002. In 1957 on this date, ABC-TV premiered a new western series entitled "Maverick" starring James Garner and Jack Kelly, with Roger Moore and Efrem Zimbalist.

A rousing "all-brass" concert in the gymnasium of the elementary school this afternoon raised the sprits of Rick Martin and everyone who heard the performance of a Benton man who came home to honor his former teacher. Leading the introduction of Rick Martin, Michael Milnarik echoed the words "a good-hearted man then, a good-hearted man now. INNOVATA played an exciting mix of music featuring classical, renaissance, baroque, contemporary, jazz, blues and Dixieland. Formed in 1998 and based in Boston, INNOVATA is top-shelf talent. The musicians come from a pool of hand-selected performers who have appeared with the Boston Symphony, Boston Ballet, Portland Symphony, Sao Paulo (Brazil) Symphony and with other leading orchestras and chamber groups around the world. Each member of the group plays as a team member and also excels on his own during solo numbers.

INNOVATA is under the direction of Michael Malnarik, a 1987 graduate of Benton High School. Rick Martin was Michael's mentor and only music teacher through his school experience in Benton and urged him to audition at Mansfield University in music rather than go to Penn State University to major in computer science. He holds performance degrees from Mansfield University and Boston University.

Michael Milnarik has performed on CNN, New Hampshire and Maine Public Radio, Boston Catholic Television, at Boston's Symphony Hall, at the House of Blues (Cambridge, MA), at the Newport Chamber Music Festival, the Tanglewood Music Festival and the New York Shakespeare Festival. He has performed with many orchestras and chamber ensembles including the Boston Ballet, the Portland Symphony, the Granite State Symphony and contemporary music ensembles--but he probably never looked happier than he did this afternoon playing his heart out for his high school mentor. Michael's solo engagements include a performance with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and the Portland Symphony Orchestra, a guest appearance with the Bloomsburg Orchestra, the Harvard Summer Orchestra, multiple appearances with the New England Philharmonic, jazz soloist at the University of Scranton, at the 1991 Regional T.U.B.A. Symposium and in numerous solo recitals.

Currently Michael is the tuba instructor at the University of Southern Maine, at the Lexington (MA) Public Schools, at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and has a large private teaching studio. In addition to performing with the Portland Brass, Michael appears with the Boston Nights Jazz Trio, Dr. Fidgety (a New Orleans style Dixieland Band), is the director of the Youth Brass of Boston Chamber Music Program, and is the tubist and president of Symphony New England. He is the son of Gloria and Bob Milnarik, Benton. Bob is an employee of the Benton Area School System and a very proud father today.

In addition to many familiar pieces, "Karen" by Dr. Sanae Kanda was very popular with the audience. It was written specifically for the group by Michael's charming and talented girl friend, Sanae. Other numbers included "Star Dust," "Overture of 1812" selections, "12th Street Rag," the "Tiger Rag," the "William Tell Overture," the "Blue Bells of Scotland," and many more. When the band dedicated Cole Porter's "Leader of the Big Time Band" to Rick Martin, several in the audience wiped tears from their eyes. The music was enthusiastically received and presented with just the right touch of humor and selection. The music spanned a time period of over 600 years of musical history. The musicians twisted and turned themselves and their horns literally upside down to make a wonderful afternoon.

Michael thanked Frances Baker, secretary of the Benton Lions Club, along with the Benton Lions Club, and read the names of many individuals and local businesses who contributed money to get INNOVATA to come to Benton and make the memorial concert the success it was. Joe Goode reminded the audience of the approximately 44,800 band sessions Rick held over the 28 years of teaching at Benton, the 250 (or so) school functions under Rick's control, the 1,600 (or so) students Rick has inspired over the years. It was a fine day for Rick Martin and for the people who got to meet and hear a Benton High School graduate who came home to honor his teacher...

Quote of the Day:
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
--John Fitzgerald Kennedy:

Our Favorite Words of Appreciation for Today:
"This plaque is presented to Richard E. Martin on behalf of all the communities you served and all the student's lives you touched. This plaque is in appreciation of your continuing dedication, leadership, guidance and generosity you exhibit to your community and to your students, past, present and future. With our sincerest thanks this plaque of appreciation is presented on the 22nd day of 2002.
--Presented by Michael S. Milnarik, class of 1987 and Bruce P. Wilkins, Class of 1984 to Richard Martin

Rod, Julie and Doug Pennington are home from their first night of camping in their recently acquired camper. Julie said she would do it again--sometime, but today she is going to "take all day to recover."

By PETER KENDRON, Press Enterprise Writer Forty-seven years ago, a team of kids from northern Columbia County led by a coach just a few years older than them made it to the state playoffs at the original Little League field in South Williamsport.
Last month, that team had a reunion. Many of the players were as gray as the color of the hats handed out at the gathering. The kids had become 50- and 60-year-olds, but team members still remember the summer of 1955, the first time a team from their area made it to Williamsport, they said. "We were a very, very ragtag bunch," said Harry Ackerman of Jamison City, now a professor at Bloomsburg University. In those days, the Little Leagues from the more urban areas "were considered more sophisticated," said Ackerman, who played third base. "We were really the country cousins." That meant packing nine or 10 kids into two cars to go to a game. And it meant that sometimes, a team would play with only eight people in the field, said Bob Stackhouse of Benton. Stackhouse was a shortstop for team from 1953 to 1955 and now works at the nuclear power plant, Berwick. It also meant that the coach of the Grassmere and North County All-Star team, David Laubach, who was 13 when he started coaching a team of 9- to 12-year-olds in 1953, wasn't above gamesmanship. During a few contests, when Laubach's Grassmere team was far behind, the coach brought out his umbrella at the first sight of rain, Stackhouse said. He was trying to get the umpire, who often was just someone from the crowd, to call the game before it became official, Stackhouse said. Laubach, now a professor at Kutztown University, said it worked once. "I think I shamed him into it," he said. Other times it just got him thrown out of the game. Enough of his players remembered his antics that they gave him an umbrella at the reunion held at Grassmere Park August 10. While Laubach, now 63, and many of the players at the reunion were on the Grassmere team, it was an all-star team of boys from the North County Little League--Grassmere, Benton, Millville, Orangeville and Jerseytown--who made it to Williamsport in 1955. To make it there, they beat all-star teams from the South Columbia County Little League, the Berwick Little League and a team from Union County. Their dream season ended quickly in Williamsport, however. In their first game, a team from Newberry beat the North County boys, 10-1. The only highlight for the North County team was a home run by Larry Wenner that Ackerman, Laubach and Stackhouse all said was one of the longest they've ever seen hit.

The reunion was organized by Ackerman and Terry Griffith. Ackerman said they thought it up after the 40-year reunion of the Benton High School Class of 1961. Laubach said it saddened him to see how many people from the team had died. On a Little League bat that the members of the team presented him, there were two lists of names on plaques. On was labeled "Still on Base" for those still alive, and one was labeled "Safe at Home," for the six team members who have died.
©Press Enterprise, Inc.

Attendance figures of 91,241 at the Fair yesterday broke the old record of 89,440.

It is time to start planning your fall foliage drives. As any reader knows, we are partial to the beauty of Sullivan Country, noted for its scenery and wildlife. The county is known for its outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing, hiking and camping. While in Sullivan County, plan to stop at their three covered bridges, or their scenic overlooks, or the new courthouse addition and museum in Laporte. Enjoy a visit to Eagles Mere. Consider a drive to World's End. If you don't have the time to go by car, visit their web site at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/worlds.htm .

September 22, 2002. Today is Alan Turner and Elsie Powell's birthday. Tomorrow autumn officially arrives.

This afternoon from 2 until 4 the students of Rick Martin will gather to honor "Benton's Music Man" during a concert by a professional brass quintet directed by Benton graduate Michael S. Milnarik in the elementary school gym. Donations at the door will be split between the Benton band fund and assistance in paying for Martin's cancer treatments. Please be there and be generous.

Funeral services for Grace P. Klinger will be 1 PM Monday at the Waller United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Amelia Meade Bobon officiating. Burial will be in the Waller Cemetery. Mrs. Klinger, formerly of Waller, and the widow of Harold D. Klinger, died Thursday, September 19. 2002, at Balanced Care in Bloomsburg. Arrangements are under the direction of the McMichael Funeral Home, 4394 Red Rock Road, Benton.
--Press Enterprise

Wilkes-Barre's problems continue to mount. Almost a $1 million outstanding balance on a line-of-credit issued to the Wilkes-Barre Redevelopment Authority in 1997 is now overdue and a consortium of local banks are seeking immediate payment. The shell game being played by council, the mayor and controller will have a huge impact on taxpayers who will have to shell out more of their hard-earned money to pay for these games.

A milk truck tipped over near Towanda Saturday afternoon losing its entire 53,000 pounds of milk, and landing the truck's Laporte driver in the hospital. The accident near route 220 was on a bend known as "Dead Man's Curve."

If you are going to have A Fair To Remember, make it the Bloomsburg variety. Saturday had overcast skies and periods of rain, but people still jammed the fairgrounds as the 148th Bloomsburg Fair got under way. The fair, which will continue through Saturday, offers a variety of food, games, entertainment and exhibits. But the biggest draw is probably the food: candy apples, pizza, funnel cakes, French fries, hamburgers, apple dumplings, buckwheat cakes, candy corn, Italian wedding soup--its all there. Sure, you can find miniature horses and livestock of all sizes--even a 2,600-pound brown Swiss ox. There is the usual Ferris wheel, a giant slide, funhouses and several rock climbs, a ring toss, a dart toss and a basketball dunk. And if you are lucky, prizes include a stuffed animal Scooby-Doo, a Spongebob Squarepants, baseball hats, giant balloons, fish and hermit crabs.

What more could a kid want? In the grandstand this week is REO Speedwagon, Jars of Clay, Journey, Travis Tritt, Diamond Rio and Trace Adkins. And it wouldn't be the fair if it didn't include the world's largest pig and a three-eyed, two-nosed pig, a four-winged goose, a two-faced cat and a giant spider. Admission is $4 for adults and free for children age 12 and under. Parking is $3 per vehicle. Free tram service from Uncle Elmer's farm is provided from the parking area to the admission gates. For more information, the fair's Web site is www.bloomsburgfair.com .

There was both a deluge of rain and touchdowns as 15th-ranked Penn State dropped on Louisiana Tech in the third quarter of a 49-17 victory before 103,987 spectators.

Miss Illinois is Erika Harold, and now she is Miss America, too. The Harvard University law school student put her education on hold so that she could compete in the Miss America Pageant. Harold, 22, sings opera and convinced the judges with her version of "Habanera," an aria from the opera "Carmen," and with her responses during the contemporary culture pop quiz given to the five finalists.

Passwords on a computer can be a real problem. People use their middle names, their mother's maiden names, their pet's names. They use the same word for the pin number on their ATM card. Or they use simple number combinations. Crooks use sophisticated programs that will guess these passwords. An alphanumeric password is best, one that includes numbers, letters and symbols. Those are virtually impossible to break. A system that I like is to pick a word that you want to use as a password and substitute a number for a letter. For example, let's say your password of choice is "mountain." Simply substitute a number for the letter "o" and use "m0untain" as your password.

The contents of the Jan Lewan's store at 206 W. 21st St., Hazleton, went on the auction block yesterday to help repay what Lewan couldn't after his traveling polka party lost its rhythm. Buyers walked away with seven-foot Santas, mangers, greeting cards, Polish dolls, chunks of amber, carvings made from coal. Lewan got in trouble when he sold about $2 million of securities, and the Pennsylvania Securities Commission filed a lawsuit against him in Commonwealth Court. In 2000, the commission ordered Lewan, whose real name is Lewandowski, to stop selling securities. Last year, a van carrying his orchestra crashed, killing two musicians and injuring Lewan's teen-aged son. This year, Lewan filed bankruptcy, listing debts of $3,388,000 in his corporations.

The Times Leader features an article about the Old River Church, Wapwallopen. The 169-year-old church, on a hill off Route 239, has no electricity, no running water or heating system. There is little comfort between the four wooden walls and metal roof in the church built on a mortarless foundation of native rocks. Dating from 1833 and restored in 1954 by the Wapwallopen Historical Society, the structure was built as a union church--German Reformed and Lutheran.

Four sections of wooden pews face the altar and are entered through narrow wooden gates. Worshipers sit beneath a three-sided balcony under the 19-foot ceiling. Because of good acoustics, no sound system is needed. Music is provided by an antique foot-pump organ and piano.

Ministers preach from an elevated wineglass-shaped pulpit reachable by a dozen small steps. On either side of the pulpit are two large windows. Just outside is the Wapwallopen Cemetery, dating back to the 18th century, known locally as the "Cemetery of the Union Reformed and Lutheran Church or Old River Cemetery." Three different doors permit the congregation to go in and out of the structure. When three woodworkers said they wanted to help in designing the building, the congregations allowed each to complete a door so they would not have to choose between them. The building was restored after it was left in disrepair for more than 40 years. The Reformed congregation pulled from the church on Sept. 4, 1887. The Lutherans followed suit on Oct. 4, 1908. Vesper services are held through July and August.

Etcetera...
• Bloomsburg's Town Fountain at Main and Market Streets should be back together again in early October, according to the PE. The base of the fountain will be removed this week and construction of the new pool will begin next week.
• Benton defeated Central 2-0 yesterday in a girl's Mid-Penn field hockey Conference game, following a 1-0 loss to Southern Wednesday.
• In college football, the Bloomsburg Huskies beat Lock Haven 47-23.

September 21; there are two days remaining until the official start of Fall. The Harvest Moon, the full Moon that occurs nearest the autumnal equinox is available tonight in all its splendor, just a few days before the autumnal equinox on the 23rd. It's called the Harvest Moon because its moonlight in the early evening is a traditional aid to harvesters. Usually, the Moon rises later each night, but near the autumnal equinox, the difference in time of moonrise from one day to the next is much less. Because the full Moon always rises at sunset, it means that for several days in the fall, just when the days are starting to get shorter, our well-lit hours are extended by the light of the full Harvest Moon.

Louisiana Tech (2-1) today brings a potent passing offense into Happy Valley. Quarterback Luke McCown is completing 57 percent of his passes and the Bulldogs are averaging 295 passing yards per game, ninth-best in the nation.

An independent poll shows that Republican Mike Fisher has narrowed the gap in his quest for Pennsylvania governor against Democrat Ed Rendell, and is in position to make it a close election in November.

The favorable outcome of the proposed sale of Hershey Foods Corp. brought good news in his campaign for governor, handing Fisher an opportunity to portray himself as a job-saving giant-killer.

Country music great George Jones, with Aaron Tippin, is at the grandstand of the Bloomsburg Fair tonight. Could be a damp performance.

If you are one of the (many) people who won't go the Fair every night this coming week, here are the TeeVee shows that show a hint of promise during the period September 21-27:
• The 54th Emmy Awards (NBC, Sunday, 9-22, 8-11 PM). Conan O'Brien hosts.
• CSI: Miami (CBS, Monday, 9-23, 10-11 PM). The spin-off of "CSI"
probably won't have the cool detective work of the original.
• Ed (NBC, Wednesday, 9-25, 8-9 PM): Ed's romance never gets too far.
Danny DeVito is a guest star.
• Without a Trace (CBS, Thursday, 9-26, 10-11 PM): FBI drama led by Anthony LaPaglia. Figure out the missing person's personality before the FBI can find him or her.

The residents of Selinsgrove are excited about their sesquicentennial that begins a year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the borough's founding September 23, 1853. The events of the week include a Sesquicentennial parade, a historical pageant with an updated version of a theatrical production performed for the borough's centennial celebration and a formal Sesquicentennial commemoration on September 23. For their Halloween parade in October, participants are urged to wear costumes following the 150th anniversary theme.

Organizers of the Selinsgrove Sesquicentennial celebration have commissioned four prints of historic borough scenes by local artist Jeanne Parker. The scenes--North Market Street, a canal boat, the train station and the U.S. Post Office--have been made into 100 prints, signed, numbered and printed on acid-free paper. The price is $50 each. Sales of the prints will begin at the September 28 Market Street Festival.

Shades of Stillwater... The U.S. Postal Service issued an apology to the 20 people remaining in Centralia, following notices saying the Postal Service would no longer recognize the name Centralia. The notice to residents initially said Centralia no longer has a post office and mail is routed to the Ashland post office. The Postal Service knows its mistake caused some tense nerves in Centralia. It says it's sorry and the only thing that will change is Centralia's zip code. The name Centralia can still appear on incoming mail.

In response to a reader's question about repairs to his "Inbox," repair either a corrupted "Inbox" or "Sent Items" Folder in Outlook Express by closing Outlook Express, browse the location of your Outlook Express message store (usually in C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\ Microsoft\Outlook Express). Find the Sent Items DBX (or Inbox DBX) and right-click it. Select "Delete." Now open Outlook Express. Outlook Express will create a brand new Sent Items (or Inbox) folder automatically.

The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is one of the most difficult tongue twister in the English language.

Quote of the Day:
"A new movie is out about Saddam Hussein. It's called 'My Big Fat Iraqi Funeral.'"
--Jay Leno

Sunbury's Rescue Hose Company has a new jet-powered dive boat for emergencies on the Susquehanna River. The boat can hold eight men at a time, can go in water only one foot deep and easily goes 35 miles per hour. The team has already had three responses in the boat over the past two weeks.

September 21, 2002. On this date in 1957, CBS-TV launched a new drama, "Perry Mason," based on the courtroom trials of Perry Mason, played by Raymond Burr. He had a beautiful secretary, Della Street (Barbara Hale) and a private detective, Paul Drake (William Hopper) and each week they would try to outwit prosecutor Hamilton Burger (William Talman). In 1989, Hurricane Hugo, packing winds of up to 135 mph, crashed into Charleston, SC. The hurricane that came to be known as the Long Island Express slammed into Long Island at 60 mph on this date in 1938. The Blue Hills Observatory in Milton, Massachusetts, had a sustained wind of 121 mph, with a peak gust of 186 mph. This morning, all eyes along the Gulf of Mexico are watching Hurricane Isidore. It has already battered parts of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cuba, and meteorologists say it could next strike a blow at the United States or Mexico. We hope that the skies are clear as they were last night so we can all stare at the Harvest Moon tonight. And the weather outside tells us that it is once again time for the great Bloomsburg Fair. "Closing for the week" signs are going up on many local restaurants.

Grace Phander Klinger, 95, R.R. 3, Benton, died Thursday, Sept. 19, 2002, in Bloomsburg. Originally from Lansdale, she was born Dec. 7, 1906, to the late William H. and Anna Mae Moyer Phander. Mrs. Klinger was the wife of the late Harold D. Klinger and sister to the following predeceased siblings: Kermit Phander, John W. Phander, Velma and Mildred Phander. Mrs. Klinger taught for 26 years in the Lansdale School District and was a Girl Scout leader for nine years in that area. She moved to Waller in 1963. She was a past vice president and president of the Waller United Methodist Women. A lover of flowers, for 20 years she raised flowers to make arrangements for the church altar. Mrs. Klinger was also Waller's Sunday School treasurer for 20 years and served as Communion steward for 15 years. Mrs. Klinger was past president of the Benton Garden Club. Service will be by the McMichael Funeral Home, 4394 Red Rock Road.
--Press Enterprise

The PE included an article saying that Heritage RV on Route 11 south of Bloomsburg has shut its doors as of Wednesday, after an attempt at Chapter 11 (August 15) didn't resolve their problems. Heritage RV blamed their problems on mega-RV dealers, although the company said they sold about 400 units a year. Dealers like Wilkins RV, Hornell, NY, do make it hard for the "little guy."

"Pixel" is short for "picture element." A pixel is the smallest unit which makes up an image. Pixels are the little squares that can be seen when a graphics image is greatly enlarged. The more pixels in an image, the better its resolution. Pixels are also used as a measure of monitor size. For example if you have a 17" monitor your screen size is most likely 1024x768.

We saw a movie for the adult mind last night, The Banger Sisters. Lavinia and Suzette are former rock groupies and best friends, and they reconnect after 20 years; one is still as wild as ever, while the other thinks she has adopted a more conservative lifestyle. Susan Sarandon plays Lavinia Kingsley; Goldie Hawn does Suzette stunningly; Geoffrey Rush plays Harry in his transition to a new version of manhood. It is rated "R" for all of the reasons that "R" is on the books, and the audience left smiling.

In sports...
• Williamsport (4-0) won its 10th regular-season game in a row last night as they plowed over Berwick High School. The Millionaires' 24-14 victory was their first victory against Berwick since 1994, also at Crispin Field. Berwick quarterback Frank Jankowski was hampered by a deep thigh bruise and Bulldogs fullback Mike Viti was banged up. A total of four linebackers were injured for last night's game.
• The Panthers scored three times in the first five minutes of last night's game and cruised to a 42-13 win over Montgomery.
• Central comes to Benton this morning at 10 for girl's varsity field hockey.
• Millville plays Benton in girl's varsity soccer at home; 11:00 • Loyalsock plays Benton's boy's varsity soccer at home, 1:30.

Legislators return to Harrisburg Monday for their special session on property tax reform where they will take up the issue of what the Guv calls "a taxpayer protection cap." It would give voters the final say, through a special referendum, anytime a school district wanted to increase spending at a higher rate than inflation, factoring in enrollment increases.

Quotes of the Day:
• "If Pennsylvanians don't like what they're seeing, they should be able to stop it at the ballot box."
--the Guv •

"The very idea that there is another idea is something gained."
--Richard Jefferies, English author (1848-1887)

The official site for zip + 4 lookup is http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/lookup_zip%2b4.html .

WBRE-28 meteorologist Kirk Clyatt by mutual agreement left the station; his last day at the station was Thursday, September 19.

If you are addicted to coffee and computers, hop on over to http://www.pimprig.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=72&page=1 and look at the coffee machine/computer.