Thevalley august2015online by The Valley Newspaper

Serving Mifflin County and the surrounding area.

The Valley A free newspaper dedicated to agriculture, self-reliance, frugal living, and modern homesteading. Tomorrow’s Media - A Day Early Volume 6, No. 8

Labor Day weekend is fast approaching and the Penns Valley Conservation Association (PVCA) is getting ready for their annual Crickfest event to support the environmental education they provide in the Penns Valley Area School District. The 13th Annual Crickfest will be held at the Coburn Park on Labor Day Sunday, September 6th from 11:00am to 6:00pm, rain or shine. PVCA’s Executive Director, Andrea Ferich, says “This year’s Crickfest is certain to be the best year yet with a fabulous celebration of our waterways, art, and each other. We have something for everybody, come celebrate with us, while supporting our environmental education in the classroom and in the field.” PVCA has been providing environmental education in the schools since 2003 and Crickfest honors that with this one day event full of fun activities for kids and adults. You can race a duck down the creek, set off water bottle rockets in the field, enjoy a live petting farm with pony rides and a kids activity tent to let the imagination run! Children and adults are sure to enjoy learning about bees from the Pennsylvania Honey Princess. And back by popular demand there will be

The Valley, August 2015

wader relays so bring your fishing Crickfest would not be donated foods prepared by Bobgear along. Enjoy workshops in complete without live music bie’s Kitchen. This year’s menu the Learning Tent starting at 2:00 and a spread of delicious locally features pulled pork sandwiches, pm that include bison burgers, Stand Up and Garvegetarian capden - Using Really rese sandwichRaised Beds, Proes, and Mexican cessing Food That chicken salad Can Hurt You, and with an assortThe Playful Zen ment of freshly of Free-Range made sides. Poems. On your way PVCA also to the food encourages people line chat with to drop by the environmental large pavilion to organizations bid at the silent and round off your meal at the auction and take Sweet Creek home a hand Café with crafted piece of art goodies donated or a gift certificate from around the for a massage valley. The live among many musical variety other wonderfully show presented donated items. by WSOV Visit the PVCA radio: a service Welcome Tent to of PVCA, starts become a memat 12:00 pm ber, pick up your PVCA merchanand goes all day dise, and chat with with Smampmembers of the foot’s Revue, watershed commitHeather Boob, tee to learn about The Strayers, the local conservaThe Up Texas tion efforts being Chapel Choir Sweet Creek Bakers - Barbara Lange and Judith Fordham implemented. and a song-

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writers circle hosted by Jeremy Tosten. Visit the website <www. pennsvalley.net/crickfest.htm> and Facebook page < www.facebook.com/crickfest4PVCA> for more updates on the event and for a full list of Crickfest sponsors. PVCA would like to thank the Crickfest sponsors and all of the volunteers and contributors who support this event, just to name a few: Black Walnut Body Works, Penns Valley Veterinary Clinic, Elk Creek Café & Aleworks, Millheim Small Engine Shop, Northwest Savings Bank, and EcoVents. The Penns Valley Conservation Association serves as a steward for the natural and cultural communities in the Upper Penns Creek watershed. PVCA seeks to preserve and honor the agricultural roots of Penns Valley by protecting and conserving its waters, farmlands, forests and rural heritage. PVCA organizes and supports activities that promote healthy natural systems and foster local economies. For more information or to volunteer, contact info@pennsvalley.net or visit www.pennsvalley.net to check out all of our upcoming events.

The Valley, August 2015

Editor’s Corner Wayne Stottlar Yikes! It’s August already! I know August should be the lazy dog days of summer, but my New Hampshire DNA keeps insisting it is TIME TO GET WOOD READY! And even here in PA, so it is. My wood chore is quite different here though. While up in NH there is opportunity for cutting most everywhere, here it is just a matter of calling my wood guy Brian Stine whose ad is on page 23. He has been supplying me with fantastic firewood for six years now without fail. He has the best prices and honest counts, but call him now as from October through March he is hard to get a hold of other than by message. Best to set up a relationship now rather than wait until you are number 30 on the waiting list. Also, getting your wood ready now will make for much nicer

fires this coming January after it has had time to season in the late summer and fall heat. I am trying to get a new woodshed built before we get into wood season. I have been stacking my wood on pallets out in the yard, which was fine for a season or two, but then the pallets rot and the stacks start leaning. This is nothing new of course, been doing it this way pretty much for 40 years. For so many years I worked around snowstorms to get wood under cover in a staging area on the side porch; always at the mercy of how much snow we got. Well, I decided that perhaps just in time for someone else to buy the place as we head back to NH, I might as well set them up with a nice place to store wood. One less thing for them to get upset about right?

I decided to get a concrete pad poured and my friend Steven Yoder is making me stainless post anchors, with rough cut locust from Rueben Hostetler, and a metal roof, it should be there for quite some time. Everything has been growing great this year, especially the *&#@* grass, I feel like everything else this summer has been preceded with a mowing. But, with all that rain making things grow, my bees are having a field day with a rather constant nectar flow ever since Locust Blooms this May. There has been substantial overlap of blooming as well— all things that are helpful to the bees. So I am hoping that we will go into winter this year with more stores and healthier bees. The 40% loss of managed hives last year is NOT sustainable, and we need to get a handle on it sooner rather than later. Another surprise greeted me this year out in the yard—my second ever sighting of a Zebra Swallowtail butterfly in our yard. The first one was spotted three years ago the first year after I planted Pawpaw trees in our yard. This is significant, because Pawpaw is the only forage for the Zebra

A rare Zebra Swallowtail butterfly visiting our Purple Coneflower for nectar, but I suspect the reason for this fellows visit was the fact that we have Pawpaw trees growing in our yard ,which are the Zebra Swallowtail’s only forage. This is more than likely the reason the butterfly itself is so rare. They are similar to the Tiger Swallowtails, which are yellow and black and common, but the Zebra Swallowtail is white and black.

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The Valley, August 2015

Back Talk by Dr. Joseph Kauffman

E.O.K.

Equal Opportunity Killer. Old/Young. Obese/Fit. Black/ White/Yellow/Red. Rich/Poor. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you are or anything you might have or not, Cancer will kill you no matter what. It seems like nowadays that everybody knows someone personally whose life was taken too soon due to this killer. There are billions of dollars each year getting poured into cancer-related organizations looking for a cure or a good treatment option. And, what do we have as the go to solutions? The two most popular options: chemotherapy or radiation. Both options cause cancer. Excuse me, what? Both options can cause cancer. So, the years of research and the billions of dollars getting funneled into organizations searching for answers, and the two best options we have are options that can kill you themselves?? Really?

Fraught With Risks and Side-Effects Written by Steven Ransom | Last updated on February 22, 2015 Read more http://www.cancertutor.com/deathbydoctoring4/ “Consider the following statement from cancer specialist, Professor Charles Mathe, who declared: If I contracted cancer, I would never go to a standard cancer treatment centre. Cancer victims who live far from such centers have a chance. Walter Last, writing in The Ecologist, reported recently: After analyzing cancer survival statistics for several decades, Dr. Hardin Jones, Professor at the University of California, concluded ‘…patients are as well or better off untreated. Jones’ disturbing assessment has never been refuted’. Or what about this? Many medical oncologists recommend chemotherapy for virtually any tumor, with a hopefulness undiscouraged by almost invariable failure.- Albert Braverman MD 1991 Lancet 1991 337 p901 ‘Medical Oncology in the 90s’

Or this? Most cancer patients in this country die of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy does not eliminate breast, colon, or lung cancers. This fact has been documented for over a decade, yet doctors still use chemotherapy for these tumors. – Allen Levin, MD UCSF The Healing of Cancer Or even this? Despite widespread use of chemotherapies, breast cancer mortality has not changed in the last 70 years- Thomas Dao, MD NEJM Mar 1975 292 p 707 Chemotherapy is an invasive and toxic treatment able supposedly to eliminate cancer cells. Unfortunately though, its ferocious chemistry is not able to differentiate between the cancerous cell or the healthy cell and surrounding healthy tissue. Put simply, chemotherapy is an intravenously administered poison that kills all living matter. Repeated chemotherapy and repeated radiation treatments kill the whole body by degrees. The immune system is hit particularly hard by chemotherapy and often does not recuperate enough to adequately protect from common illnesses, which can then lead to death. Some 67% of people who die during cancer treatment do so through opportunistic infections arising as a direct result of the immune system failing because of the aggressive and toxic nature of the drugs. What is this if it is not death by doctoring? Death on Legs The side effects from both chemotherapy and radiation itself are extensive. They can include dizziness, skin discoloration, sensory loss, audio-visual impairment, nausea, diarrhea, loss of hair, loss of appetite, leading to malnutrition, loss of sex drive, loss of white blood cells, permanent organ damage, organ failure, internal bleeding, tissue loss, cardio-vascular leakage (artery deterioration) to name but a few. Vincristin is a commonly applied chemotherapy agent. Its sideeffects include rapid heart-beat, wheezing or difficulty breathing,

skin rash or swelling, fever or chills, infection, unusual bleeding or bruising, abdominal or stomach cramps, loss of movement or coordination, muscle spasms, fits, seizures or convulsions. Another common drug is Actinomycin – D. The side-effects again are horrendous. They include hair-loss, anemia, low white platelet count, nausea, sickness, diarrhea and liver failure. Two years ago, Hazel was diagnosed with breast cancer. She described her chemotherapy as the worst experience of her life. ‘This highly toxic fluid was being injected into my veins. The nurse administering it was wearing protective gloves because it would burn her skin if just a tiny drip came into contact with it. I couldn’t help asking myself “If such precautions are needed to be taken on the outside, what is it doing to me on the inside?” From 7 pm that evening, I vomited solidly for two and a half days. During my treatment, I lost my hair by the handful; I lost my appetite, my skin color, my zest for life. I was death on legs.’ For a graphic visual account of the dangers posed by chemotherapy when making contact with bare skin, visit ‘chemo spill.” This page is not for the faint-hearted. Found here: http://www.cancertutor.com/chemospill It seems though that with chemotherapy, we have once again been visited by King Charles’ ammonia treatment, and again being administered by the highest, most learned physicians in the land. Similarly, on the toxicity of radiation ‘therapy,’ John Diamond noted that it was only when he began his radiation treatment that he began to feel really ill. Senior cancer physician Dr. Charles Moertal of the Mayo Clinic in the US stated: ‘Our most effective regimens are fraught with risks and side-effects and practical problems; and after this price is paid by all the patients we have treated, only a small fraction are rewarded with a transient period of usually incomplete tumor regressions….’ Dr. Ralph Moss is the author of ‘The Cancer Industry’ – a shocking expose of the world of conventional cancer politics and practice. Interviewed live on the Laurie Lee show in 1994, Moss

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stated: ‘In the end, there is no proof that chemotherapy actually extends life in the vast majority of cases, and this is the great lie about chemotherapy, that somehow there is a correlation between shrinking a tumor and extending the life of a patient.’ Scientists based at McGill Cancer Centre sent a questionnaire to 118 lung cancer doctors to determine what degree of faith these practicing cancer physicians placed in the therapies they administered. They were asked to imagine that they had cancer and were asked which of six current trials they would choose. 79 doctors responded, of which 64 (81%) would not consent to be in any trial containing Cisplatin – one of the common chemotherapy drugs they were trialing, (currently achieving worldwide sales of about $110,000,000 a year), and 58 of the 79 (73%) found that all the trials in question were unacceptable due to the ineffectiveness of chemotherapy and its unacceptably high degree of toxicity. Chemotherapy – A Scientific Wasteland The following extract is taken from Dr. Tim O’Shea at The Doctor Within: ‘A German epidemiologist

from the Heidelberg/Mannheim Tumor Clinic, Dr. Ulrich Abel, has done a comprehensive review and analysis of every major study and clinical trial of chemotherapy ever done. His conclusions should be read by anyone who is about to embark on the Chemo Express. To make sure he had reviewed everything ever published on chemotherapy, Abel sent letters to over 350 medical centers around the world asking them to send him anything they had published on the subject. Abel researched thousands of articles: it is unlikely that anyone in the world knows more about chemotherapy than he. The analysis took him several years, but the results are astounding: Abel found that the overall worldwide success rate of chemotherapy was “appalling” because there was simply no scientific evidence available anywhere that chemotherapy can “extend in any appreciable way the lives of patients suffering from the most common organic cancers.” Abel emphasizes that chemotherapy rarely can improve the quality of life. He describes chemotherapy as “a scientific wasteland” and states that at least 80 percent of chemotherapy administered throughout the world is worth-

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The Valley, August 2015

4 Editors Corner from page 2 Swallowtail larva, perhaps this is why they are so rare. At the first sighting I was able to snap one decent photo and have been unable to get another, although the sightings have continued all summer so far. And, to the larva’s benefit, I messed up on the hand pollinat-

ing this year and only had five Pawpaws growing, which also means the trees are putting all of their energy in growing foliage! I was a week late with my vials and paint brushes, so I will have to pay closer attention next season. Something I wasn’t responsible for, the pollinating of the Medlars went wonderfully apparently

(the bees handle this chore). The tree has at least double what it produced last year, so it looks like Scott at The Dutch Pantry Gifts in Milroy will have the makings once again for his fabulous Medlar jelly. Again, this is a rare taste like my pawpaws, and you don’t often see it for sale here in the US. Dutch Pantry makes it from our fruit, check it out around Christmastime this year. I want to thank the many

good folks who have called Sam Alexander or I about retrieving swarms of honeybees this summer. Your watchful eyes have allowed us to successfully hive almost a dozen wild swarms, which now have a safe place to multiply and produce excellent natural honey. With the losses last year, most all beekeepers are in a building mode trying to increase hives and bee numbers in case we have another tough winter

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keeping bees alive. Our practices haven’t changed, at least those of us practicing natural beekeeping, refusing to use chemicals or medicines, but the bees surely have. I believe they are compromised due to a cocktail of pesticides, GMO crops, other farming practices and the practice of trucking bees all over the country. Each one of those factors weakens the bees,

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The Valley, August 2015 that have moved away from the area in a yard sign in the shape of a horse and Amish buggy, with space to put a name, a house number or as in the display piece, a remembrance of Big Valley? Tim has several of these at the homes all across the country of folks that have moved away, but wanted to take a little bit of home with them. Basically, if you can think it, I would be willing to bet Tim and Catherine can produce it. Give them a call and then go out to see the magic that is happening and let your mind wander. I know you will come up with an idea for something to personalize your place, and once you learn how inexpensively you can have some-

thing like this, well that will have you leaving with a smile. Order a special gift now for Christmas (see ad to the left), that special someone will be delighted! a

Peter Westbrook

Mifflin County Youth Fair & Open Show Benefit Auction will be held Aug. @ 6:00 pm in the lower end of the Green Building at the Mifflin County Youth Fair. Donated items and Gift Certificates from local businesses and individuals will be auctioned. The wood carvings created during the Fair will also be auctioned. The Chesney Auctioneering team will be our auctioneers again this year and will do a fantastic job as usual. 8th

Artwork with a Purpose by Wayne Stottlar I have seen many representations of this type of work over the years, most of it left a lot to be desired and wasn’t ever something that I would put at my house. That was because I hadn’t met Tim and Catherine Houser yet. They do exactly what I have seen others attempt, but they succeed and produce some really beautiful one-of-a-kind items such as custom fire pits, yard address signs and name signs, and whimsical yard art that will add a personal touch to your castle. When I went out to Treaster Valley to get pictures, I was immediatly struck by the fine workmanship. The dedication to excellence was apparent in each piece. Tim and Catherine gave me the guided tour. They don’t only make these functional and artistic items that would find a home in most peoples lives, but they also do fabrication work for local industry. Making parts, or making something better than it was before, is all in a day’s work for Tim and Catherine. One thing that stood out from

the onset, was that this couple was not trying to get rich quick from their labor. They truly love what they are doing and they price their work way below what I have seen on comparable craftsmanship elsewhere. After talking with them just a little bit, you will find that these are the kind of people you want to do business with. The firepits caught my eye right off, one with a Harley Davidson logo made me think of how many friends would love to receive one as a gift, but the ideas for these are endless. I thought right away of sports teams, and thought maybe one with the Penguins logo would look great! They had a fire ring with their married child’s name on it along with their spouse. How about having one with a name to signify the given name to your camp? Then there were the huge 4 foot by 4 foot business signs that when applied to a light colored board, would make a business sign second to none, and a whole lot cheaper! I know, I have purchased business signs before. How about a gift for those

Don’t forget if you’re looking for some great Baked Goods, all the baked items entered in the Open Show will be auctioned Tuesday, Aug. 4th @ 6:00 pm in the lower end of the Green Building at the Mifflin County Youth Fair. Mr. John Rheam will be the auctioneer for the Baked Goods. All the proceeds from both Auctions are used to improve the Fair experience, opportunities, and the Open Show prizes for the youth and adults of Mifflin County. Join us at the Mifflin County Youth Fair and Thanks for your support!!

The Truth Has No Agenda

The Valley, August 2015

Encouragement from the Book of Revelation by Pastor J. C. Reese Oftentimes we get discouraged because we look at life in fragments rather than the whole picture. If for example, we dwell on what is happening to our nation now, morally and politically, it’s easy to be downcast. But if we look at the larger picture, that God will right all wrongs and set up a new and glorious kingdom on Earth wherein right prevails, we can find hope and be encouraged. The twentieth chapter of Revelation is an oasis of encouragement as John begins to describe for us the beginning of the Millenial reign of Jesus on our planet! Let’s look at the first six verses to see two especially uplifting truths. The first is the removal of Satan in verses 1-3. Imagine living in a world where Satan is not! John tells us he sees an angel descend from heaven with two important items: (1) a key to the bottomless pit and (2) a great chain. He then

proceeds to latch on to Satan and binds him with the chain and then throws him into this pit for a period of no less than a millennium (1000 years). During Lucifer’s lengthy incarceration we’re also told his deceptive influence will be hampered totally, but he will be permitted one last “hurrah” after these years are expired. Satan wields considerable influence in our world today. One clear example is the recent court case permitting same sex marriage in our nation. This idea, so soundly trounced in state after state referendums has finally succeeded by another tact by legislating from the bench by a few liberal judges. What is so clear from Scripture, that such a practice is sin, is so warmly received by a vocal minority and anyone opposing is seen as intolerant and hateful. Satan is clearly influencing the minds of people in our world today! But his influence is only temporary, the good guys

Editors Corner from page 4

made it unconstitutionally difficult for independent or minor political party candidates to get onto ballots because of the threat of costly court challenges. The reign of terror by the two parties is about to be OVER! None too soon either, in case you haven’t noticed, those two parties work together for their common interests, and it has nothing to do with what you want. Now that the stranglehold by the Republicans and the Democrats has been broken, we should see some decent, thoughtful candidates who represent the people, not just those buying their way to the top on your back. In other political type news, I met someone that I now call a friend who is Kurdish Peshmerga, and over the last six weeks has been in Syria, Iraq and Iran. They are really taking the fight to ISIS and on an equal battlefield, will win every time. They are not only fighting to govern themselves, but they are fighting for their very lives. Meanwhile, our government continues to work with people that hate us, and calls the Kurds terrorists—makes a lot of sense doesn’t it? The Kurds have ALWAYS loved the US and what we stand for. My friend Mosab sent along a new recruitment video produced by the Kurds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW_aPlvrZ0E They need our support, Free Kurdistan! a

and what was once a struggle for the bees, now kills them as they are not starting from the same place physically. If we do not face up, we are headed for big problems. On the political front, a bit of good news here in Pennsylvania. It appears that perhaps I won’t get denied the opportunity to vote in the primaries soon. Bet you thought that in America, everyone was able to vote right? Not in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If you are registered Libertarian, Independent or some other third party, you can’t vote in the primaries. The Democrats and Republicans have been unconstitutionally denying anyone other than a Republican or Democrat the opportunity to even run under the same rules. Oftentimes Republicans or Democrats need to only garner 2,000 signatures to get on the ballot, while a Libertarian or other third party needs to get eight times that many signatures and must defend each one in court for as long as the other two parties want to force them to spend money. Until now, it has been near impossible for third parties to gain any traction here in PA. That is going to change due to U.S. District Judge Lawrence Stengel in Philadelphia throwing out provisions in Pennsylvania law that

win in the end! The fact this angel carries such a key denotes his great authority just as we may have certain keys, which allow only us or those we designate to open certain places or things. And his ability to overcome Satan is also important, for Satan was given this key earlier in the book only to have it wrested from him and to be placed under the same lock and key for a very long time. A great lesson to bear in mind here also is that although Satan is powerful and influential, he is not omnipotent—he will fall. And if you find yourself ensnared by his influence rather than God’s Word, you can find relief, the Almighty is our Lord, not the devil! How wonderful a precursor to the eternal state though, where Satan will be eternally confined to the lake of fire, that in the Millenium Satan’s tricks will not fly. Jesus will be ruling with complete fairness and rightness! Then, not only will Satan be removed, but the saints will reign with the Lord during this great Kingdom era! We find in verses 4-6 the next “I saw” where the apostle states: “And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon

them…” Who are these? The 24 elders of 5:10 and Luke 22:2930. “Thrones” implies rule and “judgment” that these received authority to try matters during this time. And verse four tips us off that many John sees here will be those who had been martyred for their faith in the Lord during the time preceding the Kingdom (the tribulation period). These will then be resurrected and no more to face death! Whenever you must take a stand for Christ, remember the price will be far outweighed by God’s reward! The hardships you endure here for His sake will be rewarded beyond your wildest imaginations. In verse five it says, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” Who are these “dead?” These are the unsaved spoken of in the context in verse 12 who will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment after the 1000 years. So it is vital that you make sure you are saved by simply and sincerely asking God to forgive you for being a sinner and asking Him to be your Savior. This then will not be a worry for you. But of particular encouragement at

LIbrary Lines Your Mifflin County Library

by Susan Miriello Children’s Librarian Mifflin County Library Everything is awesome! That’s how that annoying song begins in The Lego Movie released last year and starring the voices of Will Ferrell and Morgan Freeman. And let me tell you, I’ve watched it about a dozen times this summer. The Mifflin County Library is offering Brick Mornings every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning from 9:30 to 11:30. And often while we play with the library’s Legos, we watch the movie (and after about five weeks now, we know the movie by heart). One of my little friends asked me about Brick Mornings. He is three and wanted to know how old you had to be to come. My answer was, “You have to be old enough to know not to eat them! Will you put them in your mouth?” His answer was priceless! He said, “I not a baby!” We did agree, however, that his 14 month old sister was just too little to attend.

Other than watch a movie, what do we do at Brick Mornings? First of all, the library has a fantastic summer youth worker from Mifflin County CareerLink. Brittany Miller will be a senior at Mifflin County High School and we are very happy to have her as part of the library’s team this summer. Brittany had an interesting and unusual interview with the library director before she was hired. Dr. Kinney asked Brittany to create a duck out of a little box of Legos. About fifteen minutes later, Dr. Kinney was the one surprised! Brittany had not only made a duck from Legos, but also gave the duck a scepter, a little man to guard him as well as a detailed story about the adventures of the duck. She was hired on the spot! Brittany’s job revolves around Legos at the library. She sets out the boxes of bricks, takes bricks apart and puts them away again. All while taking attendance, talking to parents, watching the movie, and looking for needed pieces for other students. I remember helping one morning

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the end is that we who are saved will have a spiritual “we shall be priests” and political position in Christ’s kingdom! As verse six says, “. . .we shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Anyone who is saved will enjoy being a part of the first resurrection and escape the second death mentioned in verse six. This is just another vital piece of information advocating the eternal security of the believer! Some of the lesser known Christians now will be prominent then. We had better treat everyone well and not burn any eternal bridges now, HA! When today gets you down, look ahead—there’s a better world coming! Join us Sundays at 10:45 a.m. as we open the Word to you in a practical and encouraging way. And for more info check out our website at nittanybaptist.org! a

and there was a funky-looking orange piece with two Lego studs (those are the little bumps) and it also had a long diagonal handle piece sticking out of it. It was weird and I tried to create something with it. As it turned out, it was a Brick Separator, a tool to take the Legos apart and it wasn’t a playing piece at all. You use this instead of your teeth or instead of mom or dad breaking their fingernails. The children have made a waterfall, a zip line that they sent Lego men zooming across the library, a fort, a castle, cars, planes, and treasure chests. Even a beach scene with mermaids and a crashed airplane! We average about 15 participants each day. I have found that most people don’t take their Legos as seriously as the father in The Lego Movie and that building with Legos with kids is just so much fun! Building without the directions is even better! If you get a chance, come to Brick Mornings with your child and build to your heart’s content. And I just don’t want Brick Mornings to end! The last day for Brick Mornings will be August 5 and before you know it, school will start once again. And so I’m thinking… how about Brick Saturdays? a

The Valley, August 2015 supply, and experiencing super elevated, unsatisfied demand? If you have an interest in Gold and Silver as the best way to protect your lifetime assets, don’t become discouraged by artificially dropping prices. Buy as much real (history proven) wealth as you can, while you are being pro-

Dave Wilson

Coins, Precious Metal and a Little of this and That

vided with wonderfully subsidized lower prices. Economic mother nature can’t be tricked forever! a

Economic Mother Nature Can’t Be Fooled Forever What usually happens when too much of any product is available, with very few interested buyers? Yes, you are correct, the price for that item will decline until such time as buyers become interested, and demand meets present supply. Conversely, what occurs when there is a huge demand for an item, but almost no supply is available? Right again, the price for that item will rise, sometimes substantially, until the sellers of that desired merchandise are satisfied, and enough is coaxed into the market to satisfy buyer’s needs. That is the way it should work, and used to work, when “normal” marketing conditions prevailed. Today, it would seem, almost nothing works the way it used to! A quick look at the current markets for Gold and Silver will quickly make this point. With huge numbers of concerned citizens buying Gold and

Silver, because they are (justifiably) worried about inflation and a very possible (likely?) currency crisis in the very near future, prices for both metals are plunging. How can this be? It really is an excellent question. In mid July, the United States Mint shut down, because there was such a gigantic spike in sales of 1-Ounce Silver Eagles that their inventories were totally depleted, and they simply could not keep up with demand. During this shutdown, one would have expected prices to skyrocket, do to a huge, as yet unsatisfied, demand. Nope, didn’t happen! In fact, market prices declined, almost on a daily basis. However, even though “paper” prices for Gold and Silver were dropping steadily, premiums for all forms of physical (Real) Gold and Silver went ballistic, as there simply wasn’t any “product” around. Still, the “paper” (market) price fell even further.

Gold and Silver buyers were terribly confused. With so many unsatisfied buyers, and so little metal available (in any form), how could prices drop and drop and drop? There is a logical answer. Unlike Gold and Silver markets outside the USA, where one must have physical, real Gold and Silver before they are permitted to trade, the US markets are based on “paper” sales, where no real metal changes hands! “Manipulation” of prices in such markets are easily achieved, and it has been argued for decades that such “control” has been used to crush the value of both Gold and Silver. High Gold and Silver prices make the US Dollar look very weak, and, as such, simply cannot be tolerated (or allowed). There is certainly lots more to the equation than that, but this explanation will have to do for now. How else can anyone explain constantly dropping prices, for products that are in ultra scarce

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The Valley, August 2015

R2L Reduces phone radiation –

Stealth Diggers and Their Detectors What brand of metal detector should I purchase? Our own Stealth Diggers family is about to tell you in their own words and personal experience. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Chris Backbacon: Garrett At Pro...mid-range price with good depth and ease of use. Easy to learn with advanced settings to fine tune it. Great target separation with multiple coils available. WATER PROOF! Murchison Garrett’s customer service is top notch as well. Tim Matthew: The Teknetics T2 ltd upgrade....lightweight, swings fast, uses 4 AA batteries that last forever. Turn it on and a few easy

clicks and you can swing it pretty it’s so easy to use and pinpoint quick. I paid just under $800. 95 . a target... I’ve had Minelabs go The depth of finds is incredible. I behind me and not find anything... buried a clad quarter at 14 inches The Ace 250 works, so why and it sounded off fine. It’s a deupdate it? tector made here in the USA that Brandon Stewart: I started with is made by First Texas Products. the Ace 250 also. Thrice Alford. I stand by them 100%...and they It’s an excellent machine for its have an incredible service and cost. customer service. I’m one click Bill Stone: Whites MXT is unbeaway from a bunch of people that lievably simple to use. No need work at First Texas if I or any one for headphones either—you can of you needs help with a problem. turn that volume right up! The T2 is one machine that is unJoshua Nicholson: At Pro—for derrated for its performance, and water resistance and Minelab Edurability. Pick one up and swing Trac to find deep silver. it, you will buy one. Rob Hilt: Minelab CTX 3030, the ergonomics and balance of Thrice Alford :The Ace 250 bethis machine is outstanding; batcause anybody can afford one and

$29

tery life is long-lasting for the serious detectorist. Being waterproof is such an advantage for several reasons to include paying attention to my detecting and not what the weather is doing. One of the most impressive features of the CTX is the ability to pick out good targets such as silver in iron infested areas. I have personally dug silver that had iron directly on top of it in the plug. This is a

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machine that will always perform to a high level and will definitely meet or exceed your expectations. The cost of a CTX is steep but I’m a firm believer that it is well worth it. Detecting is a lifestyle for me so, the decision was an easy one. Mark Steponaitis: White DFX. A little tough to get the adjust-

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The Valley, August 2015

I’m so excited to share my article page with businesswoman, Tamela Hetrick of Shade Mountain Naturals. This paper has allowed me to get to know so many local business owners and experience their products, and Tamela’s products are one of my favorites. Tamela has a real

and she has created this wonderful line of skin and spa care products so that you have an alternative. Her soaps are not only natural, but fun to use. When you use her lotions and crèmes, you know you are doing yourself a favor by skipping the chemicals. Her article on Essential Oils this month is really interesting—be sure to read it! At the end of the article she

passion for what she does and it shows! She’s genuinely concerned about the chemicals you might be absorbing into your body

asked what other ways people use essential oils, so I wanted to share mine. I discovered essential oils to help treat my severe headaches.

Essential Oils & Me

I’m not sure my headaches are migraines, but they do make me sick to my stomach sometimes. My headaches are almost always between my eyes and up the back of my neck. I’ve begun to

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The Truth Has No Agenda

The Valley, August 2015

As promised: I am returning with more on Essential Oils! We have been busy at Shade Mountain creating all kinds of awesome skin care products using these precious oils; I have a new found respect for them. Not only are they created in only 1% of plants, but also they are constantly changing their chemical composition, helping the plant to adapt to its ever-changing internal and external environment. Can you imagine that it takes 60,000 rose blossoms to produce one ounce of rose oil? It takes 2,300 pounds of rose petals to make a single pound of oil. Have you ever given any thought to how much a Rose petal weighs? Let’s just say not particularly much! I find this impressive: No wonder it is one of the priciest oils I have the pleasure of owning: and it is one of my favorites! Lavender, on the other hand, yields approximately one pound of oil from 125 pounds of flowers. Because of the difference in the amount of plant materials to make a pound of its essential oil, some essential oils are much more costly than others. Have you ever wondered how

these precious essential oils are extracted from the plant? The two most common methods include steam distillation, and expression (or cold pressed). A new extraction method: CO2 extraction is also used. Solvent extraction is also discussed. Steam Distillation: The vast majority of true essential oils are produced by distillation. Steam distillation uses steam to extract the essential oils from the plant by suspending the plant material over water, which is then brought to a boil. The steam containing the essential oil is run through a cooler then once it condenses the liquid is collected. The essential oil appears as a thin layer on top of the liquid, as water and essential oils do not mix. Occasionally an essential oil is heavier than water and is found on the bottom rather than the top, such as with clove essential oil. The essential oil is separated from the water and is collected while the water runs into a large vat. Expression, also referred to as cold pressing: This is how citrus oils are ex-

tracted. The essential oil from citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit is located in tiny sacs just beneath the surface of the rind. In order to extract the oil, it must be squeezed out or expressed from the peels and seeds by rolling the fruit over a conveyer containing short needles, which pierces the small oil pockets in the citrus fruit’s rind. Next, the fruit goes through a machines using centrifugal force. The spinning in a centrifuge separates the majority of essential oil from the fruit juice. Solvent Extraction: Very delicate aromatics cannot survive the process of distillation. To capture their magical aromas, a process of solvent extraction is used. Solvent extraction uses very little heat in order to preserve that which would otherwise be destroyed or altered during steam distillation. Fragile plant material such as Jasmine, Hyacinth, Narcissus, or Tuberose is dissolved in a liquid solvent which absorbs the smell, color and wax of the plant. After removing the plant material, the solvent is boiled off to separate. Once the solvent evaporates, a substance called ‘concrete’ remains. The concrete is then mixed with

alcohol which serves to extract the aromatic principle of the material: the ‘absolute.’ The word ‘absolute’ appears on the label of some bottled essential oils, and because it may still contain 2-3 per cent of the solvent, it is not considered pure essential oil, but an absolute. The solvent extraction actually yields three usable products; first the concrete (some use as a solid perfume), the precious absolutes (very aromatic), and the floral waxes (for addition to candles, thickening creams and lotions as a softly floral scented alternative to beeswax). Hypercritical carbon dioxide: I could write a whole page on this, but…I will try to keep it short and encourage you to research this relatively new technique. Hypercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) extraction is a relatively new process used for the extraction of aromatic products. This extraction method uses carbon dioxide under extremely high pressure to extract the essential oil. Plant materials are enclosed in a stainless steel tank where carbon dioxide is injected and pressure builds. When the carbon dioxide turns into a liquid, it acts as a solvent in extracting the essential oils from the plant material. Once the pressure is lessened, the carbon dioxide returns to a gaseous state,

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leaving no residues behind. There are some advantages and some disadvatages to CO2. Advantages first! 1. Crisper aroma 2. Smell more similar to its living plant 3. Produce a higher yield from its plant material 4. Produce an oil that has not been altered by the high heat associated with steam distillation. 5. Some believe: creates a more potent oil with greater therapeutic benefits. 6. Contain some elements not found in essential oils. For instance, the essential oil of ginger does not contain the bitter principles (stomach tonic), however the CO2 extract does. Also, the CO2 extract of frankincense has immune enhancing and antiinflammatory activity not found in the essential oil. Next: disadvantages: 1. Costly: CO2 can cost up to 3xs more as their distilled counterpart 2. Potential pesticide residue. More research needs to be done on this. Carbon dioxide extraction has been demonstrated to concentrate from 7 to 53 times more pesticide residues in the final extract. Therefore, it seems sensible to

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The Valley, August 2015 Essential Oil from page 10 only use organic plant material for CO2 extraction. 3. Because this is a relatively new process, the lack of information regarding their safety and therapeutic benefits. Now that we are more familiar with the most common ways to get the essential oil: how do I use these EOs: you ask?!?! Well…there are MANY ways to get that precious oil into your system. The most common ways are: topically, baths, aromatic spritzers, diffusers, direct inhalation, and ingestion. Topically: Essential oils added to your skin care products: did you know your body absorbs up to 70% of what you put on it? We at Shade Mountain use essential oils to create soaps, crèmes, sugar scrubs, facial cleansers and moisturizers, and even lip balms! You can use essential oils to help combat acne, wrinkles, itchy scalp, eczema, muscle aches and pains, and STRESS!!! Get the best of both worlds: and try a professional aromatherapy massage! Baths: This is a great way to use EOs as you are getting them into the body topically and through inhalation! Add a few drops (up to 12) to your running water. Depending on which oil you choose, this can: • Alleviate muscular aches, pains, and tension • Soothe mental or physical fatigue • Stimulate circulation • Enhance lymph circulation • Aid detoxification and reduce STRESS! Aromatic spritzers: This is simply a combination of essential oils and water sprayed into the air. Aromatic spritzers can be used as room fresheners, to cleanse the air, to uplift and energize, to scent space, spray on linens before bed (I love to spray a blend of Lavender, Ylang Ylang and Rose Geranium on our sheets and pillow cases), freshen carpet, etc. To make a spritzer: Add 10-15 drops of essential oil per two ounces of water to a spray bottle. Shake before using. Diffusers: Oh the many, many ways of diffusing! There are the room diffusers: ultrasonic, nebulizing, candle or tea rings, reed oil,

steam/ vaporizer, electric plug ins, misters, and my favorite way: jewelry (stop in and check it out!) Keep in mind: diffusers that heat the oils (like in a candle, vaporizer, the rings that go on a light bulb, etc) may alter their molecular structure and can lose some of their effectiveness. My first choice is always a diffuser that does not heat the EOs. Direct Inhalation: Inhalation is one of the easiest methods of use and is considered the most direct pathway. When inhaled, fragrant vapors enter the lungs which are instantly released into the bloodstream for delivery to every cell in the body. Scientific research shows that essential oils can remain in a person’s bloodstream for up to 4-6 hours, depending on the oil. How to: Apply 2-3 drops of essential oils into your hand and rub palms together. Cup hands over the nose and mouth. Inhale vapors deeply several times. Or you may: Place 2-3 drops of essential oil in a bowl of hot water. Place a towel over your head and inhale for 5 minutes. Be careful to use only safe oils, as some essential oils may irritate the eyes. This type of treatment is also useful if you are suffering from a cold or upper respiratory illness. Ingestion: GREAT care must be taken! In my opinion: there are so many other safe ways to incorporate EOs, that taking them orally is not necessary. Many Aromatherapists, let alone the majority of the medical community do not recommend oral ingestion. We will get into more detail next month. Please seek the advice of a qualified Aromatherapist: also: more on that… next month! Another great way to use EOs is in your cleaning. There are TONS of recipes online for all natural cleaning supplies. I like to use EOs in my handmade laundry detergent. We have a blend at Shade Mountain that is formulated to disinfect, whiten and brighten! We have also seen a growing number of people coming in looking for a blend of EOs to drop into their wool dryer balls. One Fun Fact: Did you know that it is not possible for scientists to combine all the chemical components from an Essential Oil, in the correct proportions, and get an identical oil? Even with the best human

PACleanways of Mifflin County Keep PA Beautiful By the time this newspaper comes out, we hope to have this year’s river cleanup behinds us. A lot will depend on river conditions with all the rain we have had this year. Last month, almost the whole state was under a drought watch. During a drought watch, residents are asked to use less water to conserve it for eating and drinking. At that time the river levels were down. With all the rain we are now having, if the river levels are up, we will not have volunteers in the water, and we will be forced to do the cleanup at a later date when the river levels go down. If you go to the www.keeppennsylvaniabeautiful.org web site and check the events section, you can see what we are doing and when. If you would like to help out, not only with the river cleanup, but any illegal dump cleanup we may do throughout the year, we always accept new volunteers at any time. Anyone under 18 has to have their parents sign the waiver form that everyone fills out to be able to help us. The other county affiliates in Juniata and Perry county will hold theirs on August 8th, and Huntingdon will hold theirs on August 23rd. Also check out our ad in last month’s issue for contact information. Cleaning up the river will be an economic engine for the tourism industry as well as for local residents. People swimming, boating, fishing, or kayaking in the river will have a safer area for efforts, the chemical components that nature combines is still a secret. A single oil is made up of more than a hundred components, and can run into thousands, depending on the oil. This could explain why pharmaceutical companys don’t use essential oils...there’s no money in it when just anybody can grow what they need! In closing: I would like to personally invite you to come visit us at Shade Mountain! We LOVE to chat and share information. Maybe you have some great ways to use EOs that you would like to share!? Remember: sniffing is always FREE! Next month: Tips on buying essential oils, EO safety, and just HOW do Essential Oils help us fight infections and keep up our immune system. a

The Truth Has No Agenda

their recreational activity if the trash and tires are out of the river. We have scheduled our Tire Recycle Challenge for September 19th. In the past ,we have been able to get grant money from DEP to help offset the cost of the recycle event to keep the disposal cost per tire lower for our residents to dispose of unwanted tires. With the state budget not being passed yet, those grant funds may not be available for this year, and we will be forced to raise our prices to cover disposal costs. Donations are a vital part of any nonprofit organization’s programming, including special collection events like the tire recycle. We are an all-volunteer group who cares about cleaning up the environment so that we can have a beautiful countryside for ourselves, our children, and grandchildren. Charging fees for items brought to special collection events serve a dual purpose. First, fees will help offset expenses. Second, they help to educate the public that trash and recycling services do indeed cost money. Fees should, at a minimum, cover the collection contractor’s costs. For example, if the collection contractor cost is $30 for a television, this should be included in the minimum fee since collection contractor costs tend to be the biggest expense. Therefore, if the event budget is $1000, a total of 200 televisions need to be collected at $35 each to break even.

With tires though, the cost is usually $250 for the truck, $80 a ton for the tires, and $50 an hour for the driver. The event usually lasts four hours. They usually figure there are 100 car tires in a ton, so we would have to charge at least $2 a tire to break even. There are 25 tractor and trailer tires in a ton so we would have to charge at least $7 per tire, and tractor tires would have to be $15 per tire. With the DEP grant we can usually charge a lower price, but there have been years that the cost has gone over what we bring in, so we have had to do fundraisers to help cover the cost. Educating the public on the costs is important so that they can realize there can be a financial burden to these recycling events for nonprofit groups like ours. This year’s tire collection will once again be at the Lewistown Borough Refuse Yard on Washington Avenue from 8 am to 12 pm on September 19th. Planning for volume and participation: one-day special collection events typically draw one to two percent of the population. Free events will have a higher participation rate than an event where the participants will be charged a fee. While we would like to say we will take tires for free to keep them out of the river or along road sides, it is not feasible for our organization to do so.

Pam Sechrist a

The Valley, August 2015

Character and Charm of a Classic Home by Kim Rickert Step back in time to an era when quality built homes were valued, and considered money well spent. When crown molding, oak hardwood floors and wide front porches were hallmarks of a beautiful home. Imagine a neighborhood where kids could ride their bikes on the street without

a 1930’s era home that was built with grandeur in mind. The home welcomes visitors with it’s wide front porch and private back yard. A quiet “no outlet” street runs in front of the home, and off street parking is included in the two-car garage and fenced yard parcel across from the house. Close to

worry about traffic and families looked out for each other’s safety. The home you are imagining is real and now available for a new owner to claim! The two and a half story Steinbach built home at 101 Academy Hill is an example of

town, but quick and easy access to school, shopping and parks. Step into the large foyer and be greeted by an oak stairway and floor, with the traditional living room to the left and a formal dining room to the right. A cozy fireplace will warm you on winter

nights in the living room, which is adjacent to the library lined with built-in bookcases. Enjoy formal meals or just relax with friends in the dining room which features two built-in china cabinets and French doors. Not in the mood for formal dining? Your family will enjoy the breakfast room for casual meals or homework. All of these first floor rooms are accented with thick crown molding and oak hardwood floors. The first floor includes a gorgeous chef’s kitchen with traditional black and white tile floors, white Woodmode cabinetry, granite counters and plenty of pantry space. The professional grade gas range is included, as well as the stainless dishwasher and garbage disposal. Storage abounds in closets and pantry, and a half bath with ceramic floor is accessible from the foyer. The second floor holds four of the six bedrooms, all of which are generous sizes! Perfect for the larger family that currently resides here, the bedrooms have oak hardwood floors, closets, and two full baths on this level. A lovely sunroom with windows overlooking the wooded back yard would be a great location for a playroom or

an office. Stairs lead to a third level where there are two additional bedrooms, a full bath and an attic or storage area. This level has two cedar closets and an additional “cubby” in one of the bedrooms that offers even more storage! As if this weren’t enough to take in, the tour of this house is not over! The basement level features a wine cellar with beautiful built-in shelving and exhaust fan. The full laundry is located in the lower level as well as more storage areas. The property includes an additional parcel across the street with a two car garage and fenced yard. This feature makes 101

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Academy Hill stand out from other homes on the street with no off street parking or garage space, and is why we feel this home is a great find for the price! So step back into time, and see how the wealthy of 1935 lived! You won’t want to miss your opportunity to own this beautiful remodeled home! Call Kim for your tour today! a

The Valley, August 2015 Join me in thanking these wonderful volunteers for their hard work at making PorcFest XII a huge success!

We’re 85% of the way, baby! 17,000+ freedom activists have now pledged to move. More than 10% have already moved. We are now officially in the final stretch, and with more movers arriving weekly, the air is alive with excitement and ideas to Trigger the Move and to build the Beacon of Liberty in NH. Big things are coming. We are getting more and more media attention, which helps spread the ideas of liberty. Just this past month, the FSP was featured in Playboy, Maxim, Vice, CNN, and in a feature-length documentary. As the first-in-the-nation presi-

dential primaries heat up, we will see even more attention focused on both in-state activists and New Hampshire as a pro-liberty destination. YOU should be here! Now is the time to sign. Now is the time to move. Now is the time to donate. It is only a matter of time before we achieve Liberty in Our Lifetime. I’d prefer it be sooner rather than later, but know this—it is inevitable. Let the games begin! Remember to save the date for Liberty Forum, which will once again take place at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, February

Pavilion ~ Angela Harris Agora Valley ~ Cecelia Fairchild Art Director ~ Marcus Connor Creating Communities Tent ~ Jessica Love

18-21, 2016. Yours in peace and liberty, Carla Gericke FSP President PorcFest XII Accolades Maxim called PorcFest “the freest place on earth.” Organizers Kristin Weitzel and FSP board member Matt Philips, together with their amazing team of lead coordinators, did a remarkable job! Over the years, I have seen PorcFest evolve, and this year, by George, I think we got it. On top of major improvements like the shower trucks and excellent facilities management, the festival struck a healthy and happy balance between partying and personal responsibility. Your feedback is important, so stay tuned for a survey coming soon.

The Free State Project has created a vibrant intellectual and social culture for thousands of people. And that culture is spreading outside New Hampshire to the region, the country, and the world.” ~ J. Tucker | Photo by V. Văduva

Alt Expo Track ~ Nick Ford Master Scheduler ~ Amy Day PorcuPints Activities ~ Theresa Earle Pipeline/Facilities ~ Tim Bauman Sponsor Partners ~ Jim Gordon VIP Hospitality Tent ~ Carolyn Albert

Audio/Visual ~ Eric LaRoche Volunteers ~ Rhonda Lambert Fr33Aid ~ Stephanie Murphy PorcRangers ~ Tara Powell PorcFest Program ~ Julia Miranda Logistics, Marketing & On-site Runner ~ Jen Lyon Welcome & Registration ~ Kristine Boncer s

I gained 50 pounds ...and love it! www.families4kids.org 800-568-6449

foster parent or adopt...you’ll love it too! The Truth Has No Agenda

The Valley, August 2015

Sara’s Dairy Journey by Sara Lucas

AUGUST 2015 Mifflin County Trivia Civil War Recollections This year marks 150th anniversary of the close of the Civil War. At the time of the decisive battle of Gettysburg, the Lewistown Gazette reported on the condition of the community prior to the fighting: “Meeting after meeting was called, bells were ringing and drums beating while the Stars and Stripes waved everywhere and the nights were wakeful.” Local letters and narratives of those days reveal the reality of war on the doorstep of Mifflin County. This month’s trivia questions come from those enlightening accounts. 1. James M. Martin was a twelveyear old boy, living at the family home, Pine Cottage Farm, near Vira that summer of 1863. Lee’s rebel army was nearing Pennsylvania and rumors were rampant of Confederates approaching in his neighborhood. James later recalled that the local boys had a company of youthful soldiers, just like their older counterparts who answered Governor Curtin’s call for troops to defend the state. The boys drilled in the evenings, James used a gun his father made, “perfect in shape,” he remembered. Word reached Mifflin County of the fighting at Gettysburg, so on the morning of July

4th, James’ father could not rest and took Martin to Lewistown to learn the outcome. For two days prior to the 4th, James recalled, the remained at one spot, listening to the distant cannonading. Where was James M. Martin’s listening spot? [a] atop Jack’s Mountain [b] upon a flat rock near home [c] along the Juniata River [d] near the railroad tracks 2. Mattie and Sadie Shaw of Siglerville corresponded in late June 1863 about the weather, Sunday preaching, visiting friends and a worrisome event relating to the Confederate advance into Pennsylvania. Of what did the sister write on June 24th, 1863? [a] their brother’s entry into the state militia [b] no word from their father who traveled to Gettysburg [c] Confederate spies were seen locally [d] Rebel soldiers in Shade Gap 3. Mifflin County resident W. C. Gardner kept a Civil War diary, which was given to the Mifflin County Historical Society in the 1960s. In 1967, Gardner’s children, Mrs. Margaret Gardner Middleswarth of Belleville and Miss Anna Gardner donated a letter, sent to their father from his friend F. M. Hanck. Both men were in service at the time. Dated July 6, 1863 and while recovering from

R. O. F. F.

Rescue Our Furry Friends by Patricia Lawson

“Hi all, I’m Buffy! Wow was I lucky that ROFF rescued me. You see, I was found in the middle of a mountain in Licking Creek. I was so skinny and weak that I didn’t know what was going to happen to me. And look at me now! I’m not even a year old girl yet and my smokey grey short

scarlet fever, Hanck wrote about the invasion of “sacred Pennsylvania soil” without the knowledge of the outcome of the battle of Gettysburg. About what other event of the war did he write? [a] raid on Chambersburg by Rebel forces [b] seeing the Logan Guards at Harrisburg in 1861 [c] remembering Lincoln’s visit to his hospital [d] burning the bridge at Columbia to prevent invasion 4. Elias W. H. Cogley, long time telegraph operator in Lewistown, was selected by Gov. Curtin in 1863 to report on Confederate activity in southern Pennsylvania via the telegraph. Cogley had a close call at the McConnelsburg, PA telegraph office in May 1863, when rebels entered the office early one morning. How did Cogley escape? [a] he hid in a crate and was carried away [b] donned a rebel uniform [c] his small stature misled the enemy [d] he pretended to be a deaf mute ANSWERS: 1.B 2.C 3.D 4.C SOURCES: Archives of the Mifflin County Historical Society a

hair is healthy just like me. You don’t have to worry about having me spayed or getting my vaccines taken care of because ROFF paid for all that. I love other cats and kids. I never saw a dog, but I might like them just fine. Wouldn’t you love to have me as a part of your family? Here’s another Furry Friend that I would like to introduce to you.” “Boy, I’ve had a ‘ruff’ time of it lately. My owner dumped me on Academia Road in Juniata County. Can you believe it? Thank you ROFF for coming to my rescue! I’m a really good boy who

As the summer is winding down and vacations are ending, the children get ready to go back to school, young adults go back to college, and the actual adults go back to work. Throughout this summer I hope you have done your personal best to get your three servings of dairy everyday! Whether milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, or even butter, try to make it a point to make a healthy food choice throughout the day. I know what you’re thinking; the past few months you’ve been camping, vacationing, going to carnivals and fairs, so you don’t have time to eat healthy. However, I encourage you to take time to read the menu at places, surely they will have dairy in some meals they offer. A perfect example is a hamburger, instead of just the plain burger, spice it up and add some cheese! There are hundreds upon hundreds of different cheeses, enough to satisfy anyone’s taste buds! Another great example is breakfast. A classic bowl of cereal is simple enough, pour some milk over those delicious munchies and there is a healthy, tasty, and quick breakfast. While you’re all on your family trips, something you never forget is a cooler. Instead of sticking soda and candies in there, throw in some water bottles, cheese sticks and those little on-the-go loves kids and dogs and I would give cats a try, I just never met one of those furry things. My name is Tacoda and I’m a Terrier who is about 2-3 years old; crate trained; housebroken; have all my shots and will be neutered soon. What more could you ask for? And look how handsome I am!” Please go to this web site www.roffrescue.com to see these two cuties and more furry companions and to fill out an online application. If you don’t have access to the internet call 877-

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yogurts. Quick, easy, and refreshing while being out in this summer heat we are finally beginning to experience! To help stick with my theme of quick, easy and healthy, here are just a few recipes to help not only you, but others around you to get their three everyday servings of dairy into their diet! Creamy Raspberry Fruit Dip 1(8oz)pkg cream cheese, room temp. ¼ cup marshmallow fluff 3 Tbsp of raspberry jam In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Blend thoroughly. Best served with fruit Cheesy Potatoes 9 medium red potatoes 1 stick of softened butter 1 Tbsp salt 2 cup light cream ½ lb. cheddar cheese Boil potatoes in their skins. Refrigerate overnight then peel and grate. Heat Butter, salt, and cream. do not boil. Stir in cheese. pour over potatoes and mix well. Bake in buttered casserole dish for 1 hour at 350 degrees. a 933-7633. Also, be sure to “LIKE” us on Facebook. Then you’ll be in the loop with participating in fun auctions and attending clinics and events. And, as always, your donations are crucial to our mission. Contributions can be made via PayPal or checks may be mailed to: 133 North Walnut Street, Burnham, PA 17009. Thank you! Until they all have homes… www.roffrescue.com rescueourfurryfriends@yahoo. com 1-877-933-ROFF (7633) a

The Valley, August 2015 Trail and soon come upon a marshy area at the headwaters of a small mountain stream. This is where three bridges are constructed to cross the stream. Just past the last bridge there is a spring located to the left of the trail. This is a good place to fill your water containers before continuing on. The Three Bridges Trail soon comes to an end at Laurel Run Road. The Three Bridges Trail is only a quarter of a mile long and acts as a cross connector between

Galbraith Gap This circuit hike takes place in Galbraith Gap. Galbraith Gap is located behind the Tussey Mountain Ski Resort and is the main route for accessing Rothrock State Forest. On this hike, an invigorating climb to the top of Tussey Mountain is followed by a nice view of Bear Meadows and then a steep descent on Spruce Gap Trail. This circuit hike is more easily hiked in a counterclockwise fashion. The trailhead for this hike is located at the Rothrock State Forest access parking area in Galbraith Gap. This is located about 0.5 miles beyond the Tussey Mountain Family Fun Center on Bear Meadows Road. To reach the trailhead you will need to get on route US322. Traveling east, you will see Bear Meadows Road on your right, just after passing Boalsburg. The four lane highway will reduce to two lanes with Bear Meadows Road being 0.65 miles beyond this point, on your right. If you are heading west, you will see Bear Meadows Road on your left,

directly across from the Mountain View Country Club. Once on Bear Meadows Road drive for 1 mile. You will see a gravel road as well as a sign to your left. Pull back onto this road and park here: there is additional parking located farther back in a second parking area if the front parking area is full. From the parking area hike for about a tenth of a mile on the Black Gum Trail. Turn right onto Bear Meadows Road, cross Galbraith Gap Run and immediately turn left. This is the Galbraith Gap Trail and it will continue straight for another hundred feet, cross a small feeder stream and then turn to the left and follow an old railroad grade along the south bank of Galbraith Gap Run. At 0.4 miles the trail pulls up and away from the stream and crosses Laurel Run Road. This is the start of Lonberger Path and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll begin a gradual climb up the mountain. You will hike for an additional 0.3 miles, climbing steadily with a number of switchbacks to make the ascent easier. The Lonberger Path will make a sharp left at the intersection with Spruce Gap Trail. Turn right on Spruce Gap Trail and continue hiking until you see the sign for the Three Bridges Trail on your right. Turning right at this intersection, walk back Three Bridges

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Spruce Gap Trail and Old Laurel Run Trail. Follow Old Laurel Run Trail up to the top of the mountain and the Little Flat area. The trail parallels Laurel Run Road for about a quarter of a mile before it gradually turns to the left and begins a steeper ascent. At 1.8 miles youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll emerge from Old Laurel Run Trail and bear left, pass the gate located here, and continue straight on the

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The Valley, August 2015

self-recognition? I challenge you to grab a pen and paper. Read these questions one by one, closing your eyes after each. Let some truths rise to the surface of your consciousness. Write them down.

Self Awareness “There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them.” ~Anthony de Mello You Already Have the Power. Do you sometimes feel that your life is totally screwed up? Like no matter how hard you try, you keep running into dead ends – failing to achieve the things you want? That you conjure up great plans and fabulous ideas that you just can’t seem to launch? Do you see other people succeeding, living fulfilled lives, and wonder, “What do they know that I don’t? Why is everything such a struggle for me?” Events happen that we have no control over – a death, job lay-off, family tragedy, natural disaster. We all experience these

challenges, but fortunately, not often. Most of our life struggles are self-created. Often we follow the same patterns, doing the same things over and over again, expecting different results. Sometimes we’re aware we’re doing this, but don’t realize we can change the patterns. Maybe we’re convinced it’s someone else’s fault: our family, our birth order, or some vast conspiracy against us. “I’m just unlucky. The world is out to get me. I’m destined to struggle.” I believe we do have the capacity to change, to evolve, to succeed and be happy – if we choose to figure out the root cause(s) of our self-defeating, limiting behaviors. Is any of this making you feel a bit uncomfortable? Or perhaps you feel a glimmer of

1. What kind of problems, struggles, or crises tend to keep repeating in your life? 2. What do you continue to do that’s getting in the way of your success? 3. Are you kidding yourself – what lies are you telling yourself or others? 4. How are you sabotaging yourself, without even knowing it? 5. What is a central truth (not self-pitying) about your failures that involve your choices or behavior? 6. Are you holding on to any childish fantasies? 7. What are you still hoping for that you know won’t ever come to pass? 8. Are you hiding any secrets? Do your answers make you feel like you’re using a sharp screwdriver to open a can of worms? How does it feel to take a look at yourself honestly, revealing some of the dark corners of your life? Take heart! I believe that

within your answers lies the key to changing your life for the better. Self-awareness is the first step toward personal evolution and empowerment. We should allow ourselves to take a peek at ways we hold ourselves back, asking ourselves if we really want to tolerate living that way. Knowledge is power and will help you to take action and reject your habits.

I believe it all starts with shifting your thinking about the role you play in your struggles. Once you isolate the causes and do everything in your power to eliminate them, momentum and energy will triumph. Discover the power of facing your difficult truths and take control of your destiny! a

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The Valley, August 2015

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The Valley, August 2015

Savvy Cents & Sensibility by JoAnn Wills-Kline MBA

In the recent months, I have come across the term “capsule wardrobe” many times. It piqued my interest, so I chose to research and read up on capsule wardrobes, and found it was an excellent way to save time and money. The term capsule wardrobe has been defined as: a small collection of clothing, shoes, and accessories created to span a three month period of use, usually totaling about 33 items. Other definitions include: a collection of essential clothes and accessories; and as a set of clothing consisting of about 24-33 items to be mixed and matched to create a wide variety of outfits. The caveat is that the capsule wardrobe does not include under garments, hosiery, or pajamas in the 33 items. So in all actuality, you end up with more than 33 items overall. This is great if you love pajamas, lingerie, or crazy socks because you

can own oodles of those things and still qualify to have built a capsule wardrobe. Saving time and money is always of interest to me, and so is maintaining a refined closet for ease of dressing. So I decided to create a capsule wardrobe for myself. First, I started with taking everything out of my closet and assessing what could stay and what had to go. Anything that I had not worn in the last year was boxed to be donated. Next, I inventoried all summer and warm weather clothing since I started my capsule wardrobe at the onset of summer. Keeping in mind that I was planning to allow myself 33 items total, I had to whittle my wardrobe and accessories a bit. Once I made the decisions of what had to go, I said goodbye to the items and placed them in the donation box too. Next, I moved on to inven-

tory all my fall wardrobe items. I chose to blend my cool weather items with a few warm weather pieces because fall can be unpredictable, and I didn’t want to get caught off guard, or have to suffer uncomfortably – either too warm or too cool. Once again I chose 33 items including clothes, shoes, and accessories for my fall capsule wardrobe. Now, all together I had 66 items that would be considered my wardrobe. After assembling my summer and fall wardrobe items, I chose to pull together my spring wardrobe. I threw spring into the mix next because I love spring, and thought that some of the boxed items for donation could actually find a second life in my new capsule wardrobe – as part of my spring collection. My spring and fall capsule collections are very similar in material weight and overall items, but the color palette is different. I used rich, dark, and jewel tones for fall; and added pastels and bright colors

Stealth Diggers from page 8

Don Shepherd: Nautilus! I don’t care what machine your using, unless your sifting every inch you’re not going to get it all, and I’ve hunted with some of the most experienced relic and coin shooters in the country—they will tell you the same. So start with something you’re comfortable with, price and ease. Chris Armstrong: In good soil for deep targets, I use the Mautilus dmcIIba. If the soil is not too hot, no other machine will beat its depth (4 9 volts + 12 inch coil equals big depth). They don’t make these anymore as the designer died, but if given my druthers this is the machine I would use every time (I have 4 of them). For hot soil, I use the Garrett ATX and I like it pretty good. It crushes the tdi. For trashy areas or water hunting, I use the AT Pro and love it. I will definitely say there are places certain detectors fail miserably and others shine; experience will tell you where this applies. New detector $ = ? Experience with your machine = priceless Brian Walsh: Bounty Hunter Gold digger--free(it was my son’s machine that he never used). I used it for my first two years and found my best finds yet. Garrett Ace Freedom Plus—never got to use it, I got it in a drawing and it was broken and Garrett wanted too much $ to fix. Bounty Hunter

Ultra Mag Sharp Shooter also won in a contest and it was broken. Garrett Ace 350 that I traded a 50 caliber black powder muzzle loader for. Still trying to get used to the Ace 350—I find it is quick to false signal, need a smaller coil for trashy areas also. I would love to have the AT Pro, but unfortunately out of my price range. Joe Toth: Minelab CTX 3030: As Rob stated before the ergonomics (for the way it’s shaped and feels holding it, and the efficiency) are amazing. I can hunt all day (to me that’s 10 hours plus) and not feel a thing. The balance is amazing. The separation and sheer ability to read through iron is second to none. It has a great line of coils from large to small. I can also name the obvious—the water proofing to 10 feet and the GPS. The GPS does come in handy when making a plot map, and the ability to mark all your finds or a cellar hole/foundation you might have found, via GPS on your machine is great. That comes in handy when hunting fields and trying to find an old house location that’s gone. You look for the concentrated find spots and judge from there. It can perform in parks, to iron infested house sites, fields, rivers, and ocean hunting (wet and dry sand). The depth is great. What’s also nice is the accuracy of the VDI

The Capsule Wardrobe

ments just right, but once you do, I swear it’s a little better than my Sons AT Pro. I bought one used with two extra coils and Sunray pin pointer for $800. Frederick Tuttle: Garrett GTA 500 because it was 25 bucks and it’s great and easy to use. Goes deep! Eddie Smith: I have used alot of different machines and for me the CTX 3030 is the one I love the best! Its price is a little steep, but it’s worth every penny and then some. I have taken my CTX 3030 to sites that I have pounded with other machines and was still able to find the goods hidden beneath the iron. Mike Underwood: At Pro... Waterproof and the 5x8 is a killer coil on it! William Pezzuto: Fisher 1266x It’s an older machine, but it has excellent depth range. It’s not too hard to figure out. Not too heavy, but it’s not waterproof and not made any more. But it’s an awesome machine in my books! Ryan Smith: Like a lot of others, I use the AT Pro. It’s popular for a reason. Being able to go through iron infested areas and really being able to pick out those good high tones—I haven’t used a machine that does it better. I started finding a lot more after I got it.

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for spring. They could actually be blended into one season if I choose to do so, rather than create four different capsule wardrobes to represent the seasons; time will tell if I combine the two. Finally, I built my winter capsule wardrobe. It was relatively easy as many of my items were already assigned to my other seasonal capsules, or they landed in the donation box. My winter items were selected for warmth, coziness, and ease of dressing. Coats, hats, mittens, scarves, and boots had to be included as part of my 33 items. As I built my winter wardrobe, I stayed focused on functionality of the item foremost before fashion. I knew the winter wardrobe assembly would be the least fun because practicality had to be considered above fashion and fun. Now my closet is nicely streamlined, items are placed seasonally and color coordinated well. I know exactly where everything is located, so getting dressed and out the door in the morning should be a breeze. The best part of taking the time, and getting the willpower to build a capsule wardrobe? It aligns with my vision to live a simple, less stressed, frugal and minimalist

lifestyle. If you are interested in building your own capsule wardrobe, make a list of how many items you think you may need and get started. An example follows: 1 Sunglasses 1 Purse 2 Dresses/skirts 2 Jeans 2 Shorts/Capri 3 Dress pants 2 Light Sweaters 1 Blazers 2 Tanks 2 Button Down Shirt 3 Shirts 1 Sweatshirt 4 Shoes/sandals/sneakers 1 Coat/jacket 1 Bracelets 2 Necklace 2 earring sets 1 Scarf _________ 33 Total Items If you would like to explore or read about capsule wardrobes below are two great resources: “The 333 Project” http://theproject333.com/how-to-build-a-capsule-wardrobe/ “Project 333 Community Board on Pinterest” https://www.pinterest.com/bemorewithless/project333-community-board/ a

even with the deeper targets. The rechargeable battery lasts for a great amount of time. I’ve heard all sorts of time frames, but like I stated earlier, I will hunt for 10 hours plus and when I’m done it’s barely even down a quarter of the life. The wireless headphone module (WM10 Module) is an amazing idea. It disconnects you from the machine which comes in handy when you set the machine down to dig a plug. The WM10 also has a great distance/strength for the wireless signal and reconnects automatically if you happen to leave the range and come back into range. It comes apart and puts together with ease. The ability to shrink it down for storage is a fantastic idea. Makes traveling and packing an ease. How’s the durability? It’s awesome! I’ve dropped, beat it up in the woods, against trees and rocks, and it hasn’t cracked, chipped, or anything. The nice thing about it being water proof is after a hard day of digging and your machine is a mess and so are you, just take it in the shower and wash her (or him) up. Ha ha, but for real, a hosing will do too! It does have a lot of settings you can adjust and change to your liking, but it’s also not overly confusing. Read the manual, watch videos, and please when you pick a certain setting to go with and it feels good for you,

stick to it and learn the machine with it. People who change their settings constantly while trying to learn what the machine is telling them, more often than not end up getting frustrated and sometimes end up blaming the machine when it’s really user error. Now, yes, of course, this all comes with a price. I can tell you wholeheartedly that it is worth OVER 100% of its price. In the end, not every machine is going to agree with how everyone hunts, but the CTX 3030 does a darn fine job at covering almost every hunting style. Good luck and happy hunting out there! Don Shepherd: I used to hunt with a Tesoro Eldorado until a guy asked me to check a target. I couldn’t hear a thing, then I put on his ear phones and it turned out to be a percussion cap over a foot deep—I was convinced. Robert Leon Briggs: Garrett AT Pro. I could afford it and lots of Pros use one. Kevin Randall: Teknetics Delta 4000 with a NEL 12.5×8.5 DD. It’s light weight and I have pulled coins from 10”. Tony Mantia: I too use the CTX 3030 by Minelab and Joe Toth summed it up very nicely. I too think it is awesome in the heavy iron. I used to use the E-Trac and did great with it, but the CTX is

Continued on page 30

The Valley, August 2015

20 • • •

Sarsaparilla

Making the Ginger Bug It’s been a while since my last article. I have been busier that a one legged man at an ass kicking contest. I’m trying to grow more food this year than last year and the weeds this year have been crazy due to the amount of rain we have received, so I have not had a chance to try this new concoction. Now that I found the time to make it happen, it’s time to share the experience of making a homemade soda of yester years, sarsaparilla. This month I will discuss making one of the key

ingredients, the Ginger Bug, and next month, the brewing up of the soda. A ginger bug is a very key ingredient in the process to make a carbonated soda that does not have any alcohol. So it’s very important to get this step right or you are going to produce a flat soda pop, and who wants to drink that? The components for a ginger bug are simple, but producing a final product is a little trickier. Ingredients • Ginger Root the fresher the

better ½ cup white sugar 2 cups of water Quart size Mason jar

1. Cut a piece of ginger root about 1.5 inches long and grate it to make 2-3 tablespoons. You could also chop it finely. 2. Place the ginger in a quart size Mason jar and add an equal amount of white sugar (2-3 tablespoons). It is highly recommended that you use white sugar to get the best results. 3. Add 2 cups of filtered water if you are using city water (this removes the chlorine) or 2 cups spring or well water to the Mason jar. 4. Stir mixture with a wooden spoon. Actually any kind of spoon, except metal. I like to use a wooden spoon. Then cover the jar with a coffee filter and use a rubber band to hold it in place. 5. Each day for the next five days, stir the mixture at least once and add 1 TBS of grated ginger and 1 TBS of white sugar.

6. You can tell if the culture is active if there are bubbles forming around the top of the mixture, it fizzes when stirred, or it takes on a sweet and mildly yeasty smell. It will also become somewhat cloudy and opaque. If mold appears on the top, scrape it off if it can be removed. If this happens more than once, ditch the mixture and start from scratch. If none of these signs appear after eight An active Ginger Bug days, start over ginger bug. with a new batch. 8. Once the ginger bug has cul7. Keep the mixture away from tured, it’s ready to ferment sodas. other cultures such as kombucha, One final note, to keep the kefir or sauerkraut. You do not bug alive and continue growing, want a cross culture to ruin your you will need to feed it sugar regularly (at least every other day add some sugar and ginger.) You can also rest it in the fridge then you only need to feed it once a week. When you are ready to use it take it out of the fridge and let it reach room temperature. Start feeding it, and check for active culture signs. You have made a natural bacteria culture that will cause carbonation to occur, but not create alcohol as a byproduct. Next time, I will discuss the actual sarsaparilla recipe. Until then, find shade when you can and a cold beer doesn’t hurt either. a

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The Valley, August 2015

Modern Energy and Alternative Heating with Curt Bierly

Bicycling the Rail Trails If you missed my Rail Trail article August 2013 and 2014, a quick review will “bring you up to speed.” Rail Trails, as the name suggests, are former railroads that have been abandoned and are converted to a trail that is open to hiking, walking or the use of non-motorized vehicles. The trail surface is usually a fine crushed stone packed down to provide a very hard surface and because Trains don’t like steep grades, there are no big hills to climb! There are numerous “trailheads” along the way that provide access points to the trail, sometimes bathrooms and always parking. Some trailheads are more developed and have gift shops in former railroad stations. The Pine Creek Rail Trail North of Jersey

Shore passes very near our home and it is truly amazing how many people use this trail. People walking their dogs, joggers and bikers. Youngsters and oldsters. I’ve seen families out for a ride with Mom, daughter, son and, if they are too young to ride a bike, Dad will pull them in an ultra-light enclosed “trailer” that hooks to his bike. Occasionally, I will see a family pet in the trailer being towed by the pet’s owner. Hybrid bicycles are generally used to ride a Rail Trail although any bicycle will do. The hybrid bike has a medium width tire as opposed to a larger width mountain bike tire or a skinny road bike tire. Other then the tire size, the hybrid is a standard multispeed bike that you can purchase at any

good bike shop. Also available are “Comfort Hybrid Bicycles,” which allow you to be in an upright posture as opposed to being in the tuck position on a standard hybrid bike. The number of Rail Trails have been growing rapidly as cities, states and non profit organizations have been buying or leasing abandoned railroads and converting them to Rail Trails. There is currently a bicycle trail that you can ride that starts in Washington DC and goes all the way to Point State Park in Pittsburgh (340 miles). Amazing! If you haven’t ridden a bike in many years, you may be concerned that you can’t ride very far. I know when we started riding the Pine Creek Trail we only went a few miles before we would turn around and return. Now our average evening ride is 12 to 15 miles. At halfway, we’ll stop at a bench along the trail in a scenic spot and take a break. We carry water inside the bag mounted behind the seat in lieu of on the bottle holder mounted on the frame of the bike. On a warm summer day the water bottle stays cleaner and the water stays cooler in the bag. Currently we’re planning our annual week long bike trip, which is scheduled for late August. I use the www.traillink.com website

The author, Curt, with his son, Stan, and Daughter-in-Law, Robin. on the High Bridge over the Casselman River on the Great Allegheny Passage Rail Trail south of Pittsburgh.

to decide which trails to choose. That site lists the rail trails in the various states and provides statistics and reviews for the Rail Trail you select. I filter out shorter trail lengths as during our trip we’ll ride 30 to 40 miles per day for 4 or 5 days. My brother has a motor home and he’ll drop us off at the entry Trailhead we select, and pick us up 3 to 4 hours later at the exit Trailhead we choose; then, we’re off to a nearby campground

for an overnight stay near the next Rail Trail we’ll ride. It’s easy to plan the trip if the trail is long and maintained. For example: 30 miles per day X 5 days = 150 miles. The Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD trail is 150 miles long and is well maintained. Easy. After three years, we have biked all the local, well maintained, long trails - so - I had to

Continued on page 27

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Plain Talk

Solar Explained by S. Yoder Hello to all of The Valley readers from Honey Creek Road, where the road is closed, but time keeps traveling, and light keeps shining until sundown. We had plenty of rain in the last two months. Also it is now August and that means time for the 16th Annual Old Order Amish Hospital Aid Fund Auction at 640 Church Lane Road, Reedsville on August 15th. It is only 2 miles from Reedsville or about 10 miles east of Belleville—watch for the signs. Bring out your good, sellable items to sell through the auction on Saturday starting at 8:30 am. Also come for BBQ chicken supper Friday evening starting at 4:00 pm. Breakfast will be available early Saturday morning. A full day of fun, food and more. Quilts of all kinds and sizes are on sale at 12:00 noon sharp on

Saturday. Furniture, and livestock, machinery, trees, shrubs, shrubs and more shrubs, as well as perennials start at 9:00 am Saturday. The auction will be accepting consignments from August 13th thru the day of the sale, until 7:30 am. They also accept donated items. You can stop in to our store for your sale bill. If you have any questions, call one of the following sales committee members. • Michel 717-667-1439 • Steven Sr 717-667-1095 • Moses 570-658-4411 • Week of sale 717-667-6289 My letter space this month is donated for this cause—the 16th Annual Benefit Auction. When the sun shines we wait for rain. When it rains, we wait for more sun. Such is life. Enjoy it! Give thanks to the greatest. Steven M Yoder Jr. a

Next Issue of The Valley: September 2nd PAHikes from page 15 forest road that provides access to the communication towers on Little Flat. A half mile of road walking finally brings you to Little Flat. Here you will encounter an old cabin and one of the few remaining fire towers in the area. Turn right here on the orange-blazed Mid State Trail. Soon you’ll come upon the intersection of Spruce Gap Trail. You can head back down Spruce Gap Trail for a shorter hike, but a small detour on the Mid State Trail will take you to a nice vista with views towards Bear Meadows. About a tenth of mile past the intersection with Spruce Gap Trail you will come to the intersection of Kettle Trail and the Mid State Trail. At this junction is the monument erected for Dr. Thomas Thwaites, the father of the Mid State Trail. Hiking on for another quarter mile brings you to the first of many vistas found on this section of the Mid State Trail. This is a good place to take a break and spend some time enjoying the views. Leaving the vista, retrace your steps to the Spruce Gap

Trail. Turn right onto the trail. After a tenth of a mile of hiking through mountain laurel on relatively flat terrain, the trail makes its way amongst a stand of hemlocks. At 3.3 miles you’ll emerge from the stand of hemlocks and will be treated to a decent view of Bald Knob. For the next half mile, the descent on Spruce Gap Trail is somewhat difficult and steep, with the trail being very rocky and eroded in many places. At 3.8 miles you’ll pass the Three Bridges Trail and finish the hike by retracing your steps back to the trailhead. The total mileage for this hike is 4.4 miles and can be completed it in a little over 2 hours. The total elevation gain of over 1000 feet makes this a good hike for a cardiovascular work out. Both Old Laurel Run Trail and Spruce Gap Trail make for easy access to the Mid State Trail, something to keep in mind if you’re through hiking the Mid State Trail or need a place to park your cars for a section hike on the MST. More information about this hike, and many other in central Pennsylvania, can be found on the website PAHikes.com. a

less, and is akin to the “emperor’s new clothes” – neither doctor nor patient is willing to give up on chemotherapy even though there is no scientific evidence that it works! – Lancet 10 Aug 91’ No mainstream media even mentioned this comprehensive study: it was totally buried. ‘Success of most chemotherapy is appalling…There is no scientific evidence for its ability to extend in any appreciable way the lives of patients suffering from the most common organic cancer… Chemotherapy for malignancies too advanced for surgery, which accounts for 80% of all cancers, is a scientific wasteland.’- Dr. Uhlrich Abel, Stuttgart, 1990 Chemotherapy Can Cause Cancer An amazing admission is made on a web page supported by the US National Cancer Institute. Giving the reader information on the treatment of Wilm’s Tumor (a children’s cancer which affects the kidney) the site goes on to state: ‘When very high doses of chemotherapy are used to kill cancer cells, these high doses can destroy the blood-forming tissue in the bones (the bone marrow). If very high doses of chemotherapy are needed to treat the cancer,

Roads Less Traveled - Essential Oils from page 9 realize that they are mostly stress and hormone induced. When I get them, I’ve found that essential oils (EOs) can help a lot to keep them from progressing to something unmanageable. I use a combination of EOs. What I’ve found most effective is boiling some water with a few drops of eucalyptus and peppermint oil along with some pink Himalayan salt (see Himalayan Salt Spa ad on page 25). I then put a towel over my head and inhale the steam for about ten or more minutes. When I’m done, I put a dab of peppermint and lavendar EO under my nostrils, and some at the base of my neck at my hairline and on my temples. (I have a poor sense of smell, so others may not need this much scent). Then I lay back with a warm compress on my forehead and just try to relax. I’m really excited to try Shade Mountain’s new line of jewelry that diffuses EOs while you wear it. Neat! Also like Tamela, I sometimes like to spritz a little lavender on my bed sheets and pillow at bedtime. I use tea tree oil and

bone marrow may be taken from the bones before therapy and frozen until it is needed. Following chemotherapy, the bone marrow is given back through a needle in a vein. This is called autologous bone marrow re-infusion. Radiation therapy uses x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation for Wilms’ tumor usually comes from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy). Radiation may be used before or after surgery and/or chemotherapy. After several years, some patients develop another form of cancer as a result of their treatment with chemotherapy and radiation. Clinical trials are ongoing to determine if lower doses of chemotherapy and radiation can be used.’ Read More http://www.cancertutor.com/deathbydoctoring4/ There it is folks, in black and white. On the US National Cancer Institute’s supported web page, “After several years, some patients develop another form of cancer as a result of their treatment with chemotherapy and radiation.” Yet, what is the main answer for cancer still today? Chemo or radiation or the combination of the two? Think outside the box with me for a minute. Fighting cancer is a multi-billion dollar industry. There are many

people who work in the cancer field from oncologists to nurses to research scientists to specialists. So much money coming in…so many people depending on the money, and after decades of work…this is what we have, still??? Maybe, it’s time to start searching for preventative measures, different treatment methods, and different ways of battling the issue. Clearly, the most popular method doesn’t seem to have our best interests in mind. How can treating the body for cancer with cancer-causing agents be the most logical way to go? There has to be another way. There have to be more options. And, anymore these days, if the CDC or the FDA do not recommend it, which may not be a bad thing, considering they do recommend chemo and radiation. I don’t put too much trust or faith in them anyway. Do you? Let me know your thoughts. And, please, do your own research and remember to investigate all sides of any decision or treatment option. My goal is to get you to think outside of the box and perhaps question things enough to check out other possible options.

lavendar for acne, rashes, eczema, bug bites, etc. Clove oil can be used for sores in your mouth or a toothache...just rub a little bit on I don’t ingest - some may need to dilute it. I’m currently building my mental checklist of other Essential Oils that I’d like to acquire and

try—frankincense, chamomile, lemon, rosemary, rose, ylang ylang...and the list goes on. Before I finish up, I want to apologize for my typo in last month’s column. I used “their” when I should have used “there.” Sometimes I’m not so good at proofreading my own articles! a

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Dr. Joseph Kauffman Kauffman-Hummel Chiropractic Clinic drjosephkauffman@comcast.net a

The Valley, August 2015

Huntingdon County Fair More Barns will be Filled Saturday, August 15th for the Cattle Battle Fairgoers will find barns a little more crowded on Saturday, the final day of the Huntingdon County Fair, when the best purebred breeding beef cattle in the region come to the grounds for the

inaugural Cattle Battle. The show will take place at noon on Saturday, August 15, in the Large Arena, early enough to leave the ring ready for the annual Central Pennsylvania District Championship Holstein Show that starts at 6 p.m. Show coordinator and fair board member, John Nichols, estimates that 40 exhibitors will bring about 60 head of registered cattle, which will be stalled in the

livestock barn that earlier in the week also houses sheep and hogs. 4-H and FFA members bring breeding cattle that are shown on Sunday the 9th and released on Friday the 14th at 11 p.m. This open show provides other cattlemen outside of the county an opportunity to exhibit at the fair. “This show gives families more to see on the fair’s final day and also brings our area’s best cattle

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and breeders together for a unique exhibition,” Nichols said. “We’re looking forward to bringing the Cattle Battle to the Huntingdon County Fair.” Grand prize in the competition, which is limited to purebred cattle, is $750 to the Supreme

Champion Female. Breed champions receive $100. While Huntingdon County cattle will be showcased, cattle have been entered from as far away as York County. Animals will remain on display until the fair closes at 11 p.m. a

The Valley, August 2015

24 Navajoland from page 26 little painting on site and brought back lots of photos to paint from in the studio. In getting to know the people, we met grandmother elders who mainly speak Navajo and need a translator to communicate in English, as well as teens

with their thumbs glued to their phone’s texting buttons. Some of these same kids, though, go home to a little cluster of shacks with no running water. It is a strange mix of cultures, but in the end, people are people, and all people are called to love one another above all else. We are thankful we had this opportunity. a

A partially finished 12x36 inch oil painting I’m working on of Navajo horse on the open range.

A home where we picked up a couple of kids for Vacation Bible School. Several related families live in this collection of small, worn out travel trailers. There is no real permanent building at this homestead. Tribal rights guarantee them a piece of ground, but not what they will have on it.

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The Valley, August 2015

SimplyHealth Coupon! Summer is flying by way too fast, but some of the summer annoyances can be relieved at The Salt Spa. Many people have found relief from all the allergies, of course, by using a salt room. Since Himalayan salt is anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial, it allows people to start to breathe better and many have told us by also adding the Himalayan salt inhaler, that their doctor has allowed them to eliminate other prescriptive inhalers over time. Of course, by adding an authentic (many look a likes on the market now) Himalayan salt lamp to the home, you extend the benefits of our salt room into your home. If you’ve been attracting mosquitos or other insects, many find relief from the itching by using our purifying bar...it is just pure Himalayan salt. It also helps psoriasis, eczema, dry skin and especially acne. Come see us in August and experience some of our services. Take some time to experience some natural healing, a bit of relaxation, and a treat for your spirit as well. Our August specials are: Summer Fling • 45 minutes in a Himalayan Salt Room in which negative ions are absorbed into the body by breathing the saturated air into the lungs. The salt is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-fungal. You will be breathing air that is saturated with 84 minerals and trace elements. • 15% off an Authentic Himalayan Salt Lamp of your choice or a Himalayan Salt Inhaler. BOGO BIO for Two (Wednesdays Only) ~ $49 • 60 minutes (30 minutes for each person) on the Amythest BioMat. The deep penetrating Far Infrared rays and negative ions helps reduce stress, tension and aches and pains and is capable of stimulating the cells of our nervous and musculoskeletal systems. • 60 minutes in a Himalayan Salt Room (for each person), while laying on the Amethyst BioMat, in which negative ions are absorbed into the body by breathing the saturated air into the lungs. The salt is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and

anti-fungal. You will be breathing air that is saturated with 84 minerals and trace elements. Destress, Detox, & Delight ~ $49 • 5-10 minutes of our Whole Body Vibration to get your circulation moving, your lymphatics stimulated, and your muscles relaxed. • 30 minute Detox Footbath to pull toxins out of the body and identify where the body is releasing the toxins. This naturally stimulating and relaxing session is based on ionization of water and osmosis to draw toxins from the body. • Hot Butter Hand Treatment & Hot Butter Foot Treatment following the 30 minute detox footbath. This treatment begins with a salt scrub exfoliation on the hands to remove dead cells and open pores before the warm melted butters are drawn into the skin. The hands and feet are then tucked into warm Himalayan salt mitts and booties until butters are delivered deep into skin layers. • 4oz Himalayan Salt Scrub to take home

created with NO water. Our crème will hydrate and nurture using organic aloe vera juice, organic

coconut oil, and shea butter. It only gets better when whipped

continued on page 30

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The Valley, August 2015

Navajoland

In late June, my wife Linda and I joined five other adults and teens from our Green Grove Brethren in Christ Church along with 18 people from United Redeemed Church in Elkton, Maryland in a short-term missions trip to work with the Navajo people in northwestern New Mexico. The Brethren in Christ denomination has had the Navajo BIC Mission on the edge of the largest Navajo reservation since the 1940s. Over that time, the Mission has gone through many changes as needs and understandings have changed. The dedicated people there, including Native American partners, have learned to present the Christian gospel in a way that tries to get past the cultural evangelism of the past and focuses on the unbiased gospel message as well the most pressing needs of

the community. Much of the worship service music is done through drum songs around the big ceremonial central drum, with simple Christian lyrics to the traditional drum style and beat. Through most of the year, the Mission runs a live-in substance abuse program to help combat the high rate of alcoholism in the community. Some of the men coming to the program are straight out of prison or probation. The Mission also has a good water well where anyone can fill their large water tanks for a penny a gallon, as many homes have no well or running water. It also provides a public laundromat and shower facilities. Duane Bristow, the director of the Mission along with his wife, Diane, explained to us when we got there, the reservation and adjoining areas are much like a third-world country

within U.S. borders, with high rates of poverty and unemployment, epidemic alcoholism and DUI traffic fatalities, and many broken families and young people with little hope. And yet, there are many individuals with a positive attitude and an openness to building friendships and working side-by-side to help make things better. We could see this wide range of responses to a difficult situation in both the young people and the adults who came to the Vacation Bible School and adult Bible study we helped with. Our work also included repainting the Laundromat facility, which sees a lot of hard use. It is a bit surreal to come to understand that many of the difficult issues on and around the Rez (reservation) are almost identical to those found in inner city ghettos, yet in a totally different environment. The wide open high desert country of northern New Mexico is nothing like inner city Harlem, yet the reasons for the problems in the communities are actually very similar. In both cases, the ripping away of a traditional culture over generations by an oppressive “conqueror” is to blame. African Americans were kidnapped from their homeland and brought here as slaves, while Native American tribes were devastated by introduced

Arlene, one of the Navajo grandmothers we met at the Mission. The elders are generally highly respected.

lems that took generations to cause and will take generations to mitigate. A first step is for each of us to examine our own hearts and weed out any sense we may

bridges. We did get some opportunities to explore the landscape and fascinating ancient ruins. A nearby mesa, know by the Spanish name

El Huerfano mesa, the nearby sacred mountain of the Navajo. At least one of their important sacred stories is connected with this mountain. This is looking from partway up one end toward the other at sunset.

diseases, killed outright for their land, and herded onto designated reservations. In both cases, the destruction of culture and roots has led to systemic prob-

have of racial or cultural superiority—in other words, to truly apply God’s call to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” Then look for any opportunities to get involved on a personal level. Spending even a short while working directly with people of another culture in another place is a real eye-opener and an opportunity to help build

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of El Huerfano and to the Navajo by the abbreviated Navajo name of DZ, is one of the sacred mountains on the tribe. We spent some time on the mountain and got a breathtaking view of the seemingly endless surrounding sagebrush plateau. Of course, I did a

Continued on page 24

The Valley, August 2015

Mail Pouch Books by Carleen B. Grossman Ah life! Yes, life is varied for each one of us. For this month’s column, I have chosen three different books which paint vivid pictures of just what life is about for some others. STELLA BAIN By Anita Shreve Copyright 2014 264 pages In this novel, a woman awakens inside a casualty tent in France in 1916. She cannot remember who she is or how she came to be there. Wounded in body and spirit, she chooses the name Stella Bain for herself as she resumes familiar duties as a nurse aide and ambulance driver. She slowly begins to figure out some answers to her situation. As she begins to recover her memories and to remember what drove her from her home and to the battlefields far away, she begins a course of “talk therapy” with a doctor who has developed an interest in psychiatry and also aids her in reawakening her artis-

tic talents that also help her make decisions about how to return to claim what is hers and to make amends for her mistakes. This story, embraces strong topics such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, especially as it affected women at the time, the rights of women and societal expectations and norms, while delivering a poignant love story of pain and loss and healing. I highly recommend this historical novel

future. Although you may not have read all of the books that the author and his mother read and discuss, that should not detract from the pleasure of reading this book. If anything, it has caused me to add a few more titles to my ever-growing list and to consider actually having my very own End of Life Book Club. This is not a sad book, but rather one that will show you the impact reading can have in your life.

THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB By Will Schwalbe Copyright 2013 352 pages In this non-fiction book, the author’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. While juggling chemo treatments, she continued to lead an active life. During the time the author and his mother spent together as she received treatment is when the two talked about books they had read in the past as well as titles they agreed to read together. Thus came the idea of this book! The book highlights important books in their life and in their

Ed’s Railroading News by Ed Forsythe

Well it sure has been a busy and hectic spring and summer for us at Ed’s Trains. I was called upon to help inventory and pack-up a friend’s extreme “HO” collection as he has had to move due to health problems. After inventorying close to 100 engines, several hundred cars, track, turnouts, transformers, tools, etc., the project came down to dismantling the layout and moving it to its new home where it will be used in several ways to delight hopefully many visitors in the future. Next, I received a phone call from the widow of another friend who had passed on to his next life just after our burglary back in February. This news really floored me as I was so busy with my problems that I hadn’t even been thinking about what was happening in our local community. So again, I got involved in transporting trains and the layout to their new homes. I have always had sad feelings and yet fond memories of

about a woman searching for the secret of her identity.

This is a true story about a man and a special bond with his service dog, Tuesday. Dog’s all have a place in our lives, and what they give to us as humans is immeasurable. This story is a testament to that mutual, unconditional love between a man and his service dog. But, this story is also about struggles and disabilities of our American soldiers who suffer from PTSD. You definitely will be moved by this story of recovery, guided by a warm, loving, goofy, and beautiful golden retriever who serves his man unconditionally.

friends when I go through others collections whether it’s in buying them or just assisting in packing them. Doing this task has really made me realize that we are all mortal and someday someone will be doing the same to what I have enjoyed all these years. So, along those lines, I’m giving notice now to my wife Cathy and our sons, Edo and Jason Andrew, I’m never downsizing. I’m going to add to the pile as much as possible. Old railroaders proverb, he who dies with the most trains, WINS. Deal with it. ha ha ha ha Ah, at last, back to reality. Along with these past projects, operating the train shop, picking up the Lionel trains of yet another friend who has gone to the railyard in the sky and beginning to design a memorial layout to him, I along with members of the Mifflin County Model Railroad Club have gone through a really sad time as we said good-bye to the last of our charter members, Mr. William

(Bill) Corbin. Bill has been with the club since the beginning back in the 1960’s. He had seen it all. The forming of the club, meeting at different members houses and working on their layouts, building the first club layout only to see it lost to a fire on New Year’s Eve 1989, starting over on the second layout, and after 12 years having to dismantle it and find a new home to begin the third club layout. It it this layout that our club is still working on and operating at 3 West Monument Square in downtown Lewistown. This layout was designed by Bill and he has been the leader of its advancements for the past 11 years. Just over two months ago, Bill was still laying under the layout doing switch wiring, running trains, adding scenery and more, when his health took a quick turn downward that he could not recover from. It was during this time the members got together and finally did something that Bill would not have approved of, but did give his blessing and thanks for. Our club layout has never had a name until now, but now it does. With Bill’s blessing and to his surprise, our layout is now known as ‘’The William (Bill) Corbin Honorary Layout’’ as a big THANK YOU

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to him for all his hard work and guidance over the past fifty some years of service. Soon, a new sign will hang in the club room as a remembrance to him and all that he accomplished. When I visited with him one Sunday morning, I asked him about doing this for him and his first statement was “No, I don’t deserve that.” Bill was always a modeler at heart and always strived to make the layout as prototypical as possible, so having his name on it just wasn’t something he really thought about. After hearing our desires and ideas he said thank you as he tried to hold back his emotions. Bill has already been missed by all of us, but none more than Dick Stimely as they have been very close friends who have traveled the country together exploring railroads, building the layouts and helping each other for most of those fifty years. Bill, if you can look down and read this, HAPPY RAILROADING and say Hi to all our past friends and members. To all of you, Happy Railroading, Ed, Cathy & The Mifflin County Model Railroading Club a

Bicycling the Rail Trails from page 21

select five well maintained “local” trails that are in the 30 mile range. We were thinking West Virginia, but the only long distance trail that had good reviews was the Greenbriar trail (77 miles, two days of riding). The other WV Trails were works in progress. We settled on five trails in Pennsylvania. Ghost Town Trail - Ebensburg PA; Armstrong Trail East Brady PA; D & L Trail - Jim Thorpe PA; Delaware Canal Trail, NJ side - Frenchville NJ; Heritage Trail - York PA which joins the Torrey C Brown Trail in Maryland. The Pine Creek Rail Trail is an impressive 60+ miles long, is well maintained, receives great reviews and is easily accessible to this papers’ readership. Why not grab a bicycle and give it a try! Curt Bierly is president of the bierly group incorporated of which Stanley C. Bierly is a division. He graduated from Penn State with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is the chair of the Penn College HVAC Advisory Board. You can contact him at cbierly@bierlygroup.com. a

The Valley, August 2015

Life in the East End by Rebecca Harrop It’s Fair time again in Mifflin County! The Mifflin County Youth Fair and Open Show starts August 3rd and runs through the 8th. There will be lots of 4-H and FFA kids running around making sure they have all their Fair supplies. Lots of parents will be pulling their hair out trying to make sure their kids have everything, because even though they swear they have it all, you can bet something will go missing. From my own experience showing, there is always something you forget until the last minute. Some things have to wait until the last minute such as the vegetables, flowers and baked items. My sister and I would usually put off doing our posters until the absolute last second. We would be sure we had poster board somewhere, and of course the markers would be all dried up, so Mom would make a mad dash to the dollar store. She used to say we should do the posters the beginning of July, that way they would be done and ready, but we were equally as sure that we had loads of time and much better things to do. Besides, we probably would have lost them. All things considered, I wouldn’t trade my years of showing at the Fair.

Wow, have we been getting rain! On July 6th we had 2 ½ inches of rain in about 20 minutes. Our cellar had 3 feet of water in it. It was over the motor on our furnace. We have oil/hot water heat, so our furnace heats water year round. Ben and Dad had to take the motor apart to dry it out. It didn’t work for a few days, but then it started again. There was a foot of water in the back yard and about 6 inches in the front yard. The water was running across the road in front of our house. It washed out along the front walk and was right up to the edge of Mom’s fish pond. The fish all stayed in the pond, but Mom was trying to count them to make sure. I think I counted 3 or 4 more springs in the yard now since we keep getting rain. We made a flowerbed out where the outhouse used to be, and you walk through water now to get to it to dump the rain gauge. All the rain has made hay making tricky, especially baled hay. It’s not quite so touchy for haylage. The corn is growing well and our soybeans look pretty nice. We are having concerns with sprouting wheat. I’m pretty sure we will be into the sweet corn by the time you get this. Mom

says we have to freeze a bunch this year. We dug some potatoes already. We planted 4 rows of red potatoes in the garden. Mom dug some when Emily and Nicole were here and they helped gather them up to bring in the house. A lot of the seeds I had planted in the garden either got washed out or rotted with all the water lying in the garden. We do have cabbage ready and the tomatoes and peppers are coming along nicely. The weeds are doing great! Why can’t they get washed out? Nothing seems to hurt the weed population. I know one thing, as soon as it gets dry enough, I want to replant my carrot seeds. There may be some mixed in with the weeds, but I can’t tell yet. I’ve been trying to get as many weeds pulled as I can between rains so maybe I’ll find some. I don’t know about anyone else, but we have a ton of Praying Mantises this year. We always have some, but they are everywhere. I found them in the garden, in Mom’s flower beds, in her flower pots on the porches, and I’ve even seen them in the calf barn. There was one on the window above the sink the other day. I’ve never seen so many of them. We were concerned earlier this spring about the honey bees in our pear tree. They have been in that tree for probably over 10 years now. It looked like they didn’t make it through the winter. It was so cold for a long period of the winter and it didn’t seem like they were still there. Mom was out in the yard with Emily

and Nicole and heard buzzing so she went and looked and there they were. It’s funny, we were all wanting someone to come and take them to a hive, but now

maybe we’ll just leave them where they are. That’s all from the East End this month. I hope to see you at the fair! a

PVCA 13th Annual CrickFest Sunday September 6th Coburn Park 11:00am - 6:00pm

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The Valley, August 2015

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The Valley, August 2015

30 Stealth Diggers from page 19 more accurate TID with the Target Trace. The ability to set your own tone profile in combined is great and you can run it wide open and feel confident on what you’re digging. Philip Mandolare: AT Pro is the only machine I’ve ever had. Works great and I find lots of cool stuff. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it! Stefan Wildhagen: At Pro, Waterproof and it’s a Garrett smile emoticon. Brian Albanese: Those AT Pros are good machines! Never had one, but used a Garrett Master Hunter 7 in the mid 80’s.... It is a great “trashy area” machine with my 8” coil instead of a 15” has coil. Used DMC 2B from 1989 to 2015! Got a Deus last February and have been learning that ever since (wireless, super powerful, and light as a feather). Nautilus DMC 2B with a 10” coil is by far the deepest machine I’ve ever seen....much less used! Today’s hunts are generally a toss up between the Nautilus and Deus. I will use the Nautilus as a control unit and then go in there with the Deus to make sure that I’m operating optimally. The Nautilus will dig a bullet 14 to 15 inches in the ground in average soil conditions! I try to set the Deus to work the same, but it will not go that deep, no matter how you set it, unless you splurge for the 13 inch coil. The Deus sounds off on every target regardless of its position to heavy iron. In this day and time, with hunted out areas and goodies masked by iron, it is essential. I have seen the AT Pro run neck and neck with this Deus. It seems like the best bang for the buck in the entire hobby, considering the Deus will set you back 1600 dollars with the package that I got. AT Pro is great choice at half that price! Ed Backes : I use the AT Pro. Very happy with what I recover. Troy Reed: I decided I was going to get into this great hobby in the late fall here in Maine. I started off knowing I wasn’t going to just grab a machine and swing before the ground froze up, so I started researching detectors and saving my pennies. I felt Garrett AT Pro was the detector for me. I was looking for a machine that could compete with the big dollar models out there that had the versatility, ease to learn and an underwater functionality. It has met and exceeded my every expectation so far! There are so many ways to tweak this machine for any situation. In my opinion, it’s the biggest bang for the buck.

Jeff Wood: Minelab Etrac—it’s just what I am used to. Good depth and running in the field. Jeromey Wills: Fisher F-2 great for the price and finds lots of coins and silver, I will be upgrading to the At Pro when I can save enough money. Andrew Richter: White’s XLT, no longer made, easy to use, 12 years of use also, found most my finds to date. Scott Lannan: I use the Minelab Safari....very easy to use, great depth and handles salt water mineralization very well. Martin Mitchell: NO machine better than Nautilus in decent to good soil—doesn’t matter which model I have owned DMC-1, 2, ,2b, and DMC-4 which I have had for 20+ years and still find shells up to 4 foot deep, and it sniffs deep pits all day long Dan Johnson: I currently use a Minelab E-Trac for cherry picking a site then go over it again with my Tesoro Tejon to find the relics and deep lower conductors. The E -Trac finds the deep silvers with ease. The Tejon is unsurpassed in depth for those relics. It never ceases to amaze me how deep I sometimes have to dig to recover a relic! I’ve never used a CTX3030, but I hear nothing but good things about it....other than the price of course! Jay Morgan: Minelab CTX 3030, I find all the stuff the others leave behind. Charles Ronayne: I like the AT Pro because at the price point, it’s one of the best bargains on the market. Its waterproof, works well, and pretty lite. Beardon O’Diggerton: AT Pro, coming off the Ace 350, the AT Pro picks up signals clearer and the tones are easier to decipher. The VDI also helps pick out targets better. It’s extremely easy to find good targets mixed in with iron signals. Henry More : XP Deus for me. Number one reason I like it, is the weight. We hunt 8 to 12 hours a day, and for a senior citizen like me, that means a lot! We also will hike five plus miles a day to get to our destination. Nothing beats being able to collapse the XP Deus down small enough to fit into my back pack with just the switch of a few laches. I can’t complain at all about its ability to become a different machine by the tapping of a few buttons. The depth of recovered targets is truly amazing. The recovery time is the swiftest I have witnessed against scores of other machines that I

have owned throughout the years. the same but different. I drove a Stealth Doc John Mainiero: Buick when all my friends had Brian Bari : I upgraded to my CTX 3030 and E-Trac are easy Chevys. Everyone in SD uses a current White’s V3i from a Garto use, you can hunt by sound or tactical back pack, I use a tactical rett Ace 350 last September. In number, lightweight, and long batside sling. Everyone seems to truth, I was looking for a cheaper tery life, great customer support love their coffee with cream and White’s when a friend told me he and hunts like a hound dog. sugar, I drink mine black. I’d had his uncle’s V3i for sale. Wire Pretty much any detector you less headphones and other goodies have to say that this GBP will be buy will find good finds. There the machine I use for most of the for $700 is a no-brainer. I love are no magic detectors, only good rest of my time in this hobby. The the 3 frequencies, and the -95 to detectorists. +95 VDI scale that basically splits only “upgrading” I could see is if Make sure to check with your I went with the Fisher F19, which ferrous from non-ferrous targets. local dealers first—don’t buy used IS the same machine with a bunch from folks you don’t know. Ask And it’s a detector with a LOT of of new features like volume, room to grow into. Charlie likes around on the Facebook groups backlight, and more tones. it because it sounds like a light like ours Stealth Diggers. Kurt Franz: My detector of saber in Relic mode. And as our good friend choice is the Garrett AT Pro. It’s a Wayne Stottlar: I am using JayMo always says, “ Swing Beep simple, well priced, versatile, and the first detector I ever owned Dig” deep-seeking machine. still, four years later. I swing a Thanks for tuning in again, White’s Spectrum XLT, vintage Stealth Doctor a 1990s. I have hunted with guys with Minelabs, Garretts, etc, and Cave Echoes from page 25 Please call us for an appointit always seems that we all do ment at 814-954-7731 or 717pretty close to the same. I have 248-2000. Check our website with Himalayan Salt! made some amazing finds in the at www.simplyhealth-calm.com. • 4oz Himalayan Salt Scrub four years I have been detecting, Coming to the Grange Fair......we which is a must have! Our scrub so it isn’t all machine. I know aren’t far...come see us! Enjoy will exfoliate having a profound the machine is still smarter than the last long summer days! a moisturizing effect to even the me, and still has lots of doors to driest of skin. Use often to reveal open for me, so I will stick with it. velvety gorgeous skin. The only drawback is that it isn’t • 2 pounds Himalayan Bath waterproof. Salts containing 84 essential minWe are all born Jay Mo: Currently I use a Fisher erals and trace elements essential ignorant, but one Gold Bug Pro DP. I like this to the bodies health and well bemachine because it’s simple to must work hard to ing. The minerals are in an ionic use, only has 2 knobs and a few form allowing the body full use of remain stupid. buttons, it’s got the larger VDI the minerals. display in the game and it runs at ~Benjamin Franklin • Lip Balm to nourish the lips 19 kHz. Running at 19 kHz means that it focuses a little better on mid tones where a lower frequency machine would focus better on high tones. It’ll still pick up high tones obviously, but much like an AT Pro (for instance) can pick out the difference between a clad quarter and a silver quarter, my GBP can pick out the difference between a buffalo • Reliable Propane & Heating Oil Delivery nickel and a Jefferson nickel. Not • Budget Payment Plan Call today that we would to learn about our • 24/7 Emergency Service dig either, and NEw CustOmER not the other, • Heating Equipment Service Plans but it’s what’s sPECiAls! • Safety Trained Professionals unique about my machine. It has • Over 80 Years Experience a DD coil and is deadly accurate with the pinpointing. I chose this machine because Our Business is Customer Satisfaction I’ve not seen a whole bunch of people using it 717-248-5476 • 1-800-PROPANE (776-7263) and I like to be

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The Valley, August 2015

Local Mother and Daughter Team Bring Innovation And Technology to Child Safety By Marti McCurdy With Introduction by Scott Keys At Dutch Pantry Gifts in Milroy, Pennsylvania, we are always looking for new and innovative items from our local talent. This new item is not only innovative in child safety, but it is also a story about one of our locals making a successful career in California, yet bringing her invention back home to launch. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice when our citizens make us proud in the big cities, but even nicer when they remember were they came from and include their hometown in their success. In the United States, 637

children have died from hot car deaths by accidently being left in the car by their parents/caregivers. Currently the US has an infant death every 9 days from heat stroke in cars. The majority of children are from age 0-2. A local Mifflin County resident has created the iRemind by Sunshine Baby alarm, it is an alarm system that installs in seconds and will alarm if a parent walks away from the car and accidentally leaves the child behind. The education and acceptance of using an alarm is to get parents to realize it is not

about parenting, but about prevention. The alarm is triggered when the child is placed in the child seat and works on an iPhone and key fob. When the parent walks away from the vehicle forgetting the child, the phone or keyfob will give an audible alarm and visible notification that you forgot something. The goal and vision of the company is to make an alarm system mandatory for all car seats in the US and other susceptible countries. The reaction of parents leaving their child in the car is associated with being a bad parent,

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when in fact it is not the case at all. The saving of a young life, the avoidance of a family living the rest of their lives with the guilt and loss of a child is very preventable. Sunshine Baby Alarm is currently selling the iRemind on line at www. sunshinebabyalarm.com and Amazon. The product can be found at our local retail store, the Dutch Pantry in Milroy, PA. See our ad on this page for directions and hours of operation. The iRemind Alarm was designed by Beverley and Marti McCurdy in an effort to prevent infant deaths in car seats. Beverley manages the administration and marketing side of the business and Marti provides the design and engineering contributions to the business. The mother/daughter effort is conjoined to protect the precious cargo of others and is inspired by their 4 year old great granddaughter/niece. We have

experience with multiple companies and are excited about the launch of this product line to the parenting and baby industry, according to the pair. The innovation of the company continues to explore other toddler products and is releasing a wearable device for an electronic Toddler Tether coming soon. Stop by Dutch Pantry Gifts at 15 Commerce Drive, Milroy, PA to see this great new invention. To better acquaint parents with this device, Dutch Pantry will be running a demonstration of the iRemind on Saturday, August 8th from 11am-5pm. a

The Valley, August 2015

Serta icomfort/iseries Labor Day FREE Boxspring Event

Begins August 19th through September 13th Save Up To $300 On FREE Boxsprings -ORSave Up To $1,000 With An Adjustable Base “Fair & Balanced” means Spin gets Equal Time