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Serving Mifflin County and the surrounding area.
The Valley A free newspaper dedicated to agriculture, self-reliance, frugal living, and modern homesteading. Take a Break From the Mainstream Madness Volume 8, No. 12
by Scott Keys
The odds are good you’ve never heard of alpaca fleece before. Indeed, it’s quite possible that you haven’t the faintest idea what on earth an Alpaca even is. So I am writing this story to take some of the mystery out of alpacas and alpaca fleece. An alpaca is a domesticated species of the South American Camelid. It resembles a Llama in appearance. Alpacas are known for their very gentle demeanor. Indeed, alpaca’s are frequently purchased for pets, as they are very friendly and calm around young children. Today, many ranches/farms in the United States raise alpacas. These ranches raise the alpaca’s for their soft, warm fleece, which is sheered off (cut-off) about once a year. No alpacas are killed or injured in obtaining their fleece. Instead, they simply get a haircut once a year - not so different than normal sheep, which are sheered once a year for their wool. So what makes alpaca fleece different than normal wool? The softness. Alpaca fleece is significantly softer than normal wool. The best comparison for alpaca fleece is that it is roughly equivalent in softness and insulating abilities to Merino wool, which is used in Ugg Boots, smart wool socks and other products from New
Complimentary
The Valley, December 2017
Zealand and Australia. Additionally, alpaca fleece, similar to Merino Wool, does not have the “scratchy” feeling that normal wool has. Similar to other wool, the fleece from alpacas is very warm - actually warmer than normal sheep’s wool. The fleece has hollow air-fibers that provide superb insulation - even when wet. Alpaca fleece is a lustrous and silky, natural fiber, While similar to sheep’s wool, it is warmer, not prickly, and bears no lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic. Alpaca fibers have received a lot of attention from fiber enthusiasts and fans of fashion alike over the last few years. Wondering what all the fuss is about? The answer lies in the quality, durability, and hypoallergenic quality of the fibers. The following benefits may astound you; read on to learn exactly what gives alpaca fibers a leg up over traditional wool. 1. Lightweight and Strong Alpaca fibers are lighter than sheep’s wool, so you need not
worry about a bulky or heavy quality to this material. This quality makes alpaca fibers the number one choice for use in apparel, as well as other fiber crafts, including felting and blanket-making. Though lightweight, alpaca fibers are still seven times stronger than
sheep’s wool. If you’re seeking durability as well as beauty and comfort, look no further than alpaca fibers. 2. Hypoallergenic Forget itchy, scratchy wool sweaters. Alpaca fibers are soft on the skin, lacking the sharp barbs that sheep’s wool contains, which can prick the skin and introduce allergens. Alpaca wool is an excellent apparel choice for anyone looking to avoid skin irritation, allergic reactions, and to enjoy a soft, supportive experience.
An alpaca wool scarf will “hug” you in warm comfort and keep the cold drafts at bay
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3. Zero Lanolin Lanolin is a fatty substance often used as a base for ointments that must be removed from wool before it can be made into garments and other products. While many fiber types require chemical treatment during processing to remove this waxy residue, alpaca fibers do not, due to their lack of lanolin. Alpaca products are the purest available, free from processing toxins as well as tacky buildup.
4. No Moisture Absorption Alpaca fibers do not absorb moisture and are thus a natural choice for extreme activities, including cold-weather garments, workout wear, and camping blankets. 5. All-Around Rugged Although alpaca fibers are known for their softness, their pilling-resistant makeup creates endurance in all kinds of garments, including clothing, toys, and bedding. If you’re seeking a product that can stand the test of time, look no further than alpaca fibers. Soft yet strong, these fibers don’t quit and promise all the softness, strength, and warmth you desire! THE PERUVIAN LINK AT DP GIFTS Alpaca fibers are especially good for making warm socks for winter, but they also are great for making cozy summer socks and athletic socks too. Finding good socks is very important for people who suffer from diabetes since if their circulation is cut off they could suffer from gangrene. People who suffer from arthritis may also find alpaca socks beneficial to helping relieve the aches and pains in their feet. The
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Editor’s Corner Wayne Stottlar We made it! Another year in the books. A challenging year for most no doubt, what with the riots, protests, natural catastrophes and a lack of equitable leadership from those who are supposed to serve us. At what age did you come to understand that “Public Servant” actually means “Ruler,” at least in the minds of those who seek those positions. The reasons these type of folks are allowed to rule rather than serve is because the rest of us let them. We don’t challenge them for their positions and many positions go unfilled or are won with just a single vote. Case in point was the constable who roughed up and threatened to beat a local resident. He voted for himself and got the position. People that have no business in positions of authority win these seats because WE do not challenge them. Bad people get into office because we are too
lazy to stop them, but their game can be turned around on them just as easily. It will take some effort, but most things do. I do not believe the old saying about changing things from within will or can work. That is just a trap perpetrated by the current opposing sides to bring you in and then silence you. Change, if it is going to happen, will have to come from a new front. Our tendency to want to be part of something bigger than us causes us to allow bad platforms being put in place because the powers that be are too entrenched. I have seen this happen to several friends, good people who sought office for the right reasons, and then became one of “them” as soon as they got there. I believe the best option for those looking to make a change occur is in the Libertarian Party. To be sure, I have seen the hierarchy of the Libertarian Party
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to be just as full of ladder climbers and empty suits that I became accustomed to in the GOP, but national and even state politics is not what I am talking about. I am speaking of local activism and seeking and filling vacant positions with Libertarians. The local group is planning activism rallies focusing on Cannabis Legalization and Jury Nullification (Google it!) If you have any interest, you should get involved. Change takes effort. The local Libertarian Party has a Facebook page, make contact, stand up, and we will make change happen. Also, speaking locally, and it being December, I hope everyone is making a conscious effort to do their Christmas shopping locally. A good place to start would be with our advertisers, they are the people that feed our efforts to bring The Valley to you. Lynn and I have almost exclusively used our advertisers for buying each other and many others gifts II for Christmas the last few years. We are going to buy presents anyway, why not buy them from our friends and neighbors and keep our hard earned money local? That 50 cents or a couple bucks you might save at a big box store do nothing to boost the local economy. When your money stays local, the benefit is compounded. Merry Christmas to all and remember to support your neighbor.a
Contact Info
Editor/Publisher Wayne Stottlar Graphic Artist/ Co-Publisher Lynn Persing The Valley PO Box 41 Yeagertown, PA 17099 (717) 363-1550 E-mail: thevalleynewspaper@gmail.com Web: www.thevalleynewspaper.com ©The Valley. All Rights Reserved.
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The Valley, December 2017
Ed’s Railroading News
Back Talk by Dr. Joseph Kauffman
by Ed Forsythe
A Christmas Present This month’s column is a present to all who read my column and those who question vaccinations. Many of us who choose against vaccinating have to stick to our beliefs because of the lack of research comparing children who are vaccinated to those who are not, when we must defend our stance. I always try to stress that you have to educate yourself and do your own research. I can try to point you in the right direction, but you need to make the choice for your own children. While doing your own research, try to have an open, unbiased mind; then you can be truly objective. It is important to weigh the risk versus the benefit. Many of the research presented is prone to manipulation by those who stand to benefit by your choice. For example, if you choose to vaccinate, you have to ascertain who stands to benefit? If you are pro-vaccination, you believe that your child will benefit. But, also remember who manufactures the vaccinations and who administers them? The pharmaceutical companies make them and the medical doctors and pediatricians make money through the manufacturing and administration of each vaccination. Not only do the doctors get paid because that is their job, but they also get financial incentives from the pharmaceutical companies for the number of vaccines administered. “Blue Cross Blue Shield pays your doctor a $40,000 bonus for fully vaccinating 100 patients under the age of 2. If your doctor manages to fully vaccinate 200 patients, that bonus jumps to $80,000. But here’s the catch: Under
Blue Cross Blue Shield’s rules, pediatricians lose the whole bonus unless at least 63% of patients are fully vaccinated, and that includes the flu vaccine. So it’s not just $400 on your child’s head–it could be the whole bonus. To your doctor, your decision to vaccinate your child might be worth $40,000, or much more, depending on the size of his or her practice.” http://cognitivetruths.com/ blue-cross-blue-shield-pays-yourdoctor-a-40000-bonus-for-fullyvaccinating-100-patients-underthe-age-of-2/ And, that is just one insurance company. You must also be forced to ask yourself, “what is the real motivation here?” “Does the pediatrician really know for him/herself what the ingredients in a vaccine really are?” “Do they really have my child’s best interest in mind?” While that may open a few eyes, this is not the Christmas present. The present is that we, finally, have a peerreviewed article published that provides the proof that unvaccinated children are healthier than vaccinated children. This is proof for us and something concrete to stand on and might help anyone who is on the fence, questioning, or doing their own research. Here is the present: “First-Ever Peer-Reviewed Study of Vaccinated vs Unvaccinated Children Shows Vaccinated Kids Have a Higher Rate of Sickness, 470% Increase in Autism May 7, 2017 Mark Blaxill, Age of Autism Health 37 The first-ever, peer-review study has been published com-
paring total-health in vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Dr. Anthony Mawson led a research team that investigated the relationship between vaccination exposures and acute or chronic illnesses in home-schooled children. The vaccinated children had a much higher rate of autism and ADHD, at a rate of 470% higher than those who received no shots. Vaccinated children were also more vulnerable to allergies and eczema. Unvaccinated children contract mild childhood diseases more frequently, but their vaccinated counterparts suffer pneumonia and ear infections more frequently. The finding that vaccination introduces a significant risk for autism is devastating to the vaccine industry and, therefore, will be vigorously attacked. –GEG Pilot Comparative Study on the Health of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated 6-12 Year Old US Children In a development that autism parents have long anticipated, the first-ever, peer-reviewed study comparing total health outcomes in vaccinated and unvaccinated children was released on line yesterday. According to sources close to the project, the study had been reviewed and accepted by two different journals, both of which pulled back on their approval once the political implications of the findings became clear. That’s largely because, as parents have long expected, the rate of autism is significantly higher in the vaccinated group, a finding that could shake vaccine safety claims just as the first president who has ever stated a belief in a link between vaccines and autism has taken office. Working in partnership with the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), Dr. Anthony Mawson led a research team that investigated the relationship between vaccination exposures and a range of over 40 acute and chronic illnesses in home schooled children, a population chosen for its high proportion of unvaccinated children. Surveying families in four states–Florida, Louisiana,
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Well, hello to all. I hope everyone has been good since I last wrote back in April. It has been a bit difficult for us over the past six months in dealing with this bone marrow cancer. The stem cell treatment went like clockwork for several months, but then things changed and my old blood is fighting back hard. I had to go through more chemo and other treatments and these will be ongoing until things change back to success. I would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to everyone who have been giving prayers for us, sent us well wishes cards, called or stopped in to see us, etc. Also THANK YOU to all those who have helped out around the house and shop when we were away. May God bless all of you for what you have done for us. With the Christmas season soon to be upon us, there are several events happening here in Mifflin County that all should check out. The Mifflin County Model Railroad Club located at 3 West Monument Square Lewistown will be holding their annual Open House events in conjunction with the Ice Festival on Thursday, November 30th & December 1st from 5 to 9. Other dates and times are as following: Saturday, December 2nd, 10 to 3, Sunday, December 3rd, Saturday, December 9th, Sunday, December 10th, Saturday, December 16th and Sunday, December 17th, all from 1 to 4. As in the past, each of these events is FREE to attend, but we do take and need donations to help us offset our more than $5000 annual expenses of rent, insurance, etc. before we allow any monies to go into building the layouts. So, come on out, bring your friends and enjoy the fruits of our labor as we run many different trains around the 45 by 65 foot “HO” layout and the 24 by 26 foot “O” gauge layout. Another great event to attend is ‘’Shining Light Through the
Darkness’’ at Kish Park every night from December 2nd until January 5th. The park is all lit up with Christmas decorations for all to enjoy. This is a walking tour, but there are also golf cart rides available for those who may need. Throughout the month there are horse and carriage rides available on December 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 9th, 10th, 15th and 16th. These will be available from 6:00 to 9:00. There will be entertainment, food, beverages, a winter village display, and a train layout display to go along with the Christmas atmosphere for all to enjoy. Everything is FREE so come on out and relax during the very busy month. It’s always great seeing the work that our volunteers have created. Also for all to enjoy are the trolley events at Rockhill Trolley Museum, so checkout rockhilltrolley.org.....for all information. Riding these old trolleys is a real treat for all. As a reminder, Ed’s Train Repairs & Sales is indeed still open for business even though my hours of operation are curtailed somewhat. For the month of December my hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 to 4. There may be days that the shop will be closed due to treatments, so I still recommend calling before coming any distance. After Christmas into January 2018, Ed’s Train Repairs & Sales will be moving to ‘’PENN STATION,” a new hobby store that is opening just off of the square in downtown Lewistown. This is a real exciting time for Cathy & I and we hope you will all welcome and support the new owner of this establishment. We would like to say THANK YOU to all for your support over the past twenty years. It’s been quite a ride. Happy railroading, Merry Christmas and please “Enjoy your trains, but don’t forget the reason for the season, The birth of Jesus Christ.” Thank you, Ed & Cathy a
Mississippi and Oregon—the study (officially titled Vaccination and Health Outcomes: A Survey of 6- to 12-year-old Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Children based on Mothers’ Reports), reported a number of startling findings. Vaccinated children were significantly more likely than the unvaccinated to have been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder: most notably, the risk
of being affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was 4.7 fold higher in vaccinated children; as well, ADHD risk was 4.7 fold higher and learning disability risk was 3.7 fold higher. Overall, the vaccinated children in the study were 3.7 times more likely to have been diagnosed with some kind of neurodevelopmental disorder.
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SHOP SMALL, SHOP LOCAL THIS HOLIDAY
As Wayne mentioned in his editorial, we like to do as much local shopping as we can to support our advertisers and stimulate our local economy. This year I made time to attend a local craft/ art fair at the end of November that I’ve been hearing about for years, but just never fit into my schedule—The St. John’s Holiday Gift Show at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Belleville. This was not a big craft/art show, but the vendors were high quality and it was quite busy. I met a local jewelry artisan there, Heather Braightmeyer of Walnut Ridge Designs, who makes unique, hand-crafted jewelry. You can find her on Facebook by searching “Walnut Ridge Designs” and you can also find some of her jewelry at Shade Mountain Naturals in Lewistown. The pieces she makes for Shade Mountain Naturals contain lava rock that absorbs essential oils. Each piece of her jewelry is carefully hand-made from a number
of materials, but mostly copper, silver, and various stones. If you live in Centre County, you can also find Walnut Ridge Designs jewelry in the Helen Foxx and Co. store in Bellefonte. I bought a sterling silver ring from Heather at the St. John’s craft show and I couldn’t be happier with it! If you are looking for a finely crafted piece of jewelry at a reasonable price as a gift for that someone special (or yourself) this Christmas, you can’t go wrong with a piece from Walnut Ridge Designs. Some of my favorite local places to shop in Mifflin County also advertise with us. Brisco’s Coffee and DP Gifts in Burnham is a big favorite of mine. I stop and grab a coffee there most days I’m out running around (their Organic Sumatra is amazing!) and I also usually make time to browse through the gift shop. This year I purchased gifts for my coworkers from DP Gifts. I also regularly go to Shade Mountain Naturals and
Olde Thyme Reflections in Lewistown (have to pass one to get to the other, so why not hit both is what I always say!) If you’ve never visited these shops, you’re missing out. Olde Thyme Reflections will be under new management in 2018, but word is that the shop will remain the same, which I know many of their customers were very thankful to hear. Other favorites are Burnham Hardware’s Gift Shop and Yoder’s Tees. If you can’t find gifts (big or small) for almost everyone on your list between the stores mentioned above, you might just have a “hard to shop for” person on your hands. Looking for something for the health conscious? Visit Nature’s Harmony on Belle Avenue in Lewistown. Rose has a delightful shop that is packed full of great products! Or, visit the Sim-
ply Health Salt Spa in State College located in the Honey Baked Ham plaza. A gift certificate for services or one of their salt lamps makes a very unique gift. Have someone who needs help to stop smoking or lose weight? Changes Hypnotherapy (ad on this page) is the place to go.
Miss d t ’ n Do ear-En Our Y
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Remember that all of these retailers and most of the other advertisers in The Valley, restaurants included, also sell gift certificates, so if you are uncertain, you can’t go wrong with a gift certificate. Remember SHOP SMALL, SHOP LOCAL this holiday season. Merry Christmas! a
CLEARANCE
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The Valley, December 2017
Fun Feather Facts
We all associate feathers with flight, but their original purpose was for insulation and waterproofing. Flight was a later add-on bonus. Here are some more feather insights that you don’t know how you lived without. As light as they are, a bird’s feathers weigh 2 - 3 times as much as its skeleton. The bird with the least amount of feathers is our little Ruby-throated Hummingbird, with only 940 feathers On the opposite end, the Whistling Swan has the most at 25,000 during the winter. Feather boas are made from Turkey feathers. As many as 12 species of lice may be living on the feathers of one bird. (Ever see a bird take a dirt bath? It’s de-licing.)
An ornamental chicken in Japan had a tail feather 34.75 ft long. It is illegal to own or collect almost all feathers found in the U.S.
Once a feather is full grown, it becomes “dead matter” like finger nails. However, they are still attached to muscles at their base. Birds keep their feathers from fraying with a series of barbs and barbules that can best be described as Velcro like. The outer ends of an Owl’s feathers lack barbules. This makes them virtually silent in flight. The fear of being tickled by feathers is called pteronophobia. A juvenile songbird’s wings become longer after its first molt. For some Hawks, a full molt can take several years. Birds that winter in cold areas can have 50% more feathers in winter than in summer. Badminton shuttlecocks are made with 16 feathers which all come from the left wing of a goose. Birds oil their feathers from
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a gland on their back called the preen gland to maintain waterproofing. In the 1950s, the U.S. developed the M115 anti-crop “feather bomb” to drop feathers laced with fungal spores to spread wheat stem rust. It was never used. Last but not least, it’s not surprising that Penguins have more feathers than most birds, about 100 per square inch. And it just so happens that Honey Creek Bill & Beak has an excellent field guide to North American Bird Feathers. a
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Beavertown’s Annual Christmas Program
About Faith
by Rev. Robert Zorn, Visitation Minister, Lewistown Presbyterian Church
Christmas Patches
Although the weather at the time of this writing is more befitting of Labor Day, still the calendar insists that Christmas will soon be here. One of the most joyous and inspirational parts of our Christmas observance is our annual Christmas Eve Service. Attendance at this service practically guarantees that, at least for a few moments, we can believe the angel’s message of peace and goodwill. I can remember one particular Christmas Eve some years ago when the service came near to disaster in one of the churches where I served as pastor. Just three hours before our scheduled service, the organist was getting in the last practice of the music of the cantata that was to be the major part of the evening’s event. About 7:30 P.M., I received a frantic call from her that something was wrong with the organ. She demonstrated the difficulty by pulling and pushing a series of knobs at the two manual keyboards. Instead of the rich, vibrant tones of the magnificant
Allen pipe organ, there came forth the loud “whoosh” of escaping air. Instead of sounding like a fine musical instrument, it was giving a very good imitation of a wounded locomotive. Now, as pastor of that congregation, I was accustomed to wearing many hats. I had served as janitor, sexton, gardener, lawn mower, snow shoveler, floor scrubber, and preacher, but I had never considered myself to be a pipe organ fixer. At the organist’s insistence, we removed the panel which bore the words, “Access by Authorized Technicians Only.” Inside, we found a maze of metal and wooden pipes and a series of boxes and bellows connected with tubes and wires. The leather side of one of the bellows had ruptured. This accounted for the escaping air. It was clearly a job for duct tape, which probably had not been invented, yet. At least there was none available at that time on Christmas Eve. Fortunately, our dog had eaten only one of Carol’s soft leather moccasins, leaving the
other for projects such as repairing pipe organ bellows. A little contact cement and the patch was soon in place and the sound restored to the instrument. Probably, no one but the organist and I knew how narrowly we had escaped a musical meltdown. As Christmas approaches this year, there will be many opportunities for us to make the season most memorable for ourselves and others. We can help prepare and present the special programs of our church and church school. We could and should send greetings to friends far and near. We can cheerfully contribute to the special needs of which we are made aware. A friendly smile, a kind word, a sincere prayer, a warm presence, and so many other things may serve to be a “patch” on our world so terribly torn in recent days. May God bring us another Blessed Christmas. “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5: 11
by Percy R. Wilson, Jr. Evangelist, The Church of Christ at Milroy realize that God comes first in our lives. John, the inspired apostle wrote, “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19, NKJV) Yes we are to love Him, the reason for this is that He first loved us. God sent Jesus to die on the cross for us because He loved us. We are to love Him! That love is not just verbally stating that we love Him, but it requires
Beavertown God’s Missionary Church Live Nativity at Middlecreek Farms Bring the whole family to celebrate the real reason for Christmas! Enjoy live music, animals and actors along your journey through “Bethlehem” on a search for the Messiah. Don’t miss this popular Christmas tradition presented by Beavertown God’s Missionary Church at the Middlecreek Farms Nativity Barn, Middleburg, PA. May Christmas come alive in your heart through the wonderful message of hope. You too can find him! There is no admission charge, though donations are accepted. The Beavertown GMC Live Nativity is hosted by Middlecreek Farms located at 134 Farmhaus Lane, Middleburg, PA 17813. Dates & Times: Friday, December 15, 6pm-10pm Saturday, December 16, 6pm-10pm Location: The Nativity Barn is located on 533 between Middleburg & Beavertown at 134 Farmhaus Road, Middleburg, PA Information: Call or text 570-541-9538
Robert Zorn Minister of Visitation a
My Percyving Eye
As we approach 2018 many will begin to think about and make resolutions to improve their lives. Many resolutions focus on losing weight by improving our diets and exercising daily. Others may resolve to get rid of a bad habit, such as nail-biting, or arriving late to all events. While we may consider a number of resolutions, most do not consider a resolution regarding their relationship with God. First and foremost we must
Three Nights!- Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, December 10, 11 & 12 at 7 PM each night. “Home for Christmas” A World War II Christmas story, combined with beautiful music, a program for the entire family. Church and youth groups are welcome. No admission charge. God’s Missionary Church (Corner of Creek and Covered Bridge Roads between Beavertown & Middleburg, just off Route 522) GPS Address: 1653 Creek Road Middleburg. For more information contact Pastor James Plank or Pastor Solomon Shaffer 570-658-2422 or visit www.beavertownchurch.com
that we obey and seek Him. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15, NKJV) The most important thing in our lives is to seek Him and the kingdom of heaven. Again quoting Jesus, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33, NKJV) We need to seek Him and His
righteousness, that is living a life that is just and according to His standards. We should resolve to exercise toward godliness. Paul writing to the young said, “But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7–8, NKJV) Living a godly life will benefit us now, but if we want to have life with Him in heaven for all eternity we must be practicing godliness. If we are not serving Him or living a life in accordance with His will, we must change. The apostle Peter stated in a sermon “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing
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may come from the presence of the Lord,” (Acts 3:19, NKJV) We should resolve to read God’s word daily. If we read for 15-20 minutes a day, we can read the entire Bible in a year. There are many good reading plans which can be found at numerous websites on the internet. We should also resolve to devote ourselves to prayer, as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians; “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV) When we make resolutions for 2018, let us resolve to put God first. Repeating the quote from 1 John, “We love Him because He first loved us.” Percy R. Wilson, Jr. Evangelist, The church of Christ at Milroy preacherpercy@comcast.net 717-667-7346 a
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The Valley, December 2017 gagement diamond (or any more expensive diamond), always ask to view the diamond under magnification. Many diamonds do have small inclusions or tiny carbon spots, but larger carbon blobs or serious inclusions put the diamond into a low-quality category. If you are not offered to view a diamond under magnification, then you must immediately question its quality.
Dave Wilson
Coins, Precious Metal and a Little of this and That
Even Santa must Be Vigilant!
Being directly associated with the jewelry business, it is always interesting to see how some stores and companies use ambiguity and outright trickery, in an effort to make their customers feel that they are getting a better value than they actually are. Before I begin, I must remind everyone that an item of jewelry, no matter how expensive, is not a certificate of deposit. Jewelry is an “adornment,” and usually does not hold its “cash” value, as some stores would have you believe. Many times, you can purchase expensive diamond jewelry for less than 30% of the retail, insurance appraisal certificate that accompanies the transaction. That does not mean that you can take the jewelry item back in a few months and expect to receive its appraisal value in cash. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Yet, there actually are people out there who believe exactly that. True, some larger diamond jewelry, and heavier gold jewelry will return a decent percentage of one’s purchase price, but usually only if the store is in immediate
need for the item, or, if the value of gold bullion has risen substantially since the original purchase. Here are just a few “tips” that may help you avoid mistakes when buying gold and diamond jewelry this holiday season. (1). If a store purchases scrap gold and used diamond jewelry, make certain that they do not refinish the nicer items, then offer them for sale as new. You would be amazed at how many stores do this, and think nothing of it. Labeling the item as “Trade-In” or “Estate,” and offering it at a substantial discount is honest and acceptable.
stores have started to carry “fancy name” sterling silver jewelry with tiny gold accents. Naturally, they advertise these items as “Sterling and 14K gold.” Less than 3% of the item’s weight might be real gold, but they can still give its gold content a big shout. Fancy sterling silver (with gold accent) jewelry is normally marketed at huge markups. (4). When shopping for an en-
(2). Be very careful of hollow weight gold jewelry. The item may look like its solid counterpart, but hollow jewelry almost never holds up, and can be almost impossible to repair when it does break. Price per gram for lightweight gold is usually lots higher than for heavier items, too. Another little bonus for the store. (3). For the past few years, many
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(5). Be very suspicious of diamond jewelry that is labeled “Approx” (short for Approximately) when referring to carat weight. A real, honest “1.00 carat” diamond is worth substantially more than a diamond that weighs 97-points. (A carat equals 100-points of weight) Stores that purchase wholesale diamonds in the 95-point to 99-point range, paying much less for them than for full 1 carat stones, then label them as “Approx. 1 carat” are doing
you in, big-time. Any selfrespecting jeweler has a gemscale, and diamond weights, especially for single stones, should be exact. Sometimes the best assurance you have, of getting a terrific (and fair) deal on nice quality jewelry, is to establish yourself with one store where you are made to feel comfortable about the quality it offers, and, how it handles those occasional little difficulties that do happen from time to time. Smart businesses appreciate regular customers, and make every effort to keep them coming back. Happy shopping everyone. a
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“I want an official Red Ryder carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle.” -Ralphie “No, you’ll shoot your eye out.” - Mrs. Parker We feel the habitual need to constantly inquire from elementary age children “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Followed by the line “Anything’s possible, you know.” However, typically within the next breath, limitations and fear-based restrictions along with the subconscious need to be needed, override and demand qualifiers and corrections to the child’s original response to the loaded question. “Oh, you want to be an explorer? That’s just great. But....You know you will run into lots of wild and unpredictable animals, don’t you?” Aren’t you scared to go
into the woods alone, how could you handle being in the jungle in a foreign country?” I think maybe a zookeeper or a trail guide at a park would be a better choice, plus it would be nice if you worked somewhere I could come visit you” What if instead of placing limitations on an individual’s (yes, children, while still dependent, are not an extension of the parents’ once the cord is cut, they are autonomous beings) plan and preferences for their own life’s path, we helped them to acquire the necessary skills and tools for such, and helped them overcome any emotional or psychological barriers, rather than piling on with our own baggage? If a child aspires to become an explorer, why not help ease them into becoming comfortable in strange environ-
ments? Start with the back corners of your own property, move to friends or neighbors properties, then to state park trails, then to more far off and obscure locations. Why not teach them the general habits and habitats of various species of wild animals and what the best way to counter a surprised or aggressive animal is? Teach them how to remain alert, cautious, and respectful and when all precautions fail, defend themselves with the least amount of required force? Wouldn’t any or all of that be more helpful in spades, opposed to steering an ambitious child away from the daydreams they wish to someday live out? These days, we pride ourselves in telling our children with (supposed) open hearts and minds, that they can be anything, yet in reality, we prepare them for next to nothing. Least of which being the fact that life has a way of interfering with the best laid plans. And that doesn’t mean that you give up, it means you get
back up, more battle-ready this go round. Sheltering a child from pain and grief may temporarily halt the onslaught of the stark realities of life and loss, but in the long run it creates an adult ill-prepared for a bad day, a bad decision, a crushing blow, an unexpected loss, or any other significant roadblock. Life is limitless, but not painless. The most well-rounded and wellseasoned of people understand this catch 22 and embrace it as such. For example, when a pet dies, most parents instinct is to shield the child from all aspects aside from “the talk.” If the child asks to see the pet, it is read as macabre, and often denied. And to allow a child to lay said pet in the ground and shovel the dirt on top? That is verging on endangerment in the minds of some folks. If the child reacts in anger or rage, they are told while its OK to feel sad, there is no reason to let anger get the best of them. Instead of letting them accept and feel loss on their own terms, we feel the need to coopt the process, to make it kinder and gentler and more palatable. What if instead we asked if they wanted to say goodbye? Have one last stroke of the fur? Pick out the burial location? Choose a blanket, box, and/or goodbye toy? If we let them go out and
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My daughter Annika, having displayed proper understanding, received her first Air Rifle, a Red Ryder, just like Ralphie.
scream and kick rocks, and smash cans? To question the fairness of a good dog dying and a mean one left to live? What if when they asked if their other pets (or even the people in their lives) would be safe from a similar fate, we didn’t lie, but instead told them even though nothing is guaranteed, they should, even still, love the people and animals in their lives with reckless ferocity as if they would never have to one day part? What if we were honest? What if we treated them as if they could handle the world we brought them into? What if we
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The Valley, December 2017
Understanding the Constitution by David Molek
Our Flag And Our Creed
I miss watching the Steelers play football. I even sometimes miss the Eagles, Packers and Cowboys (but not as much). But to me, the sight of NFL players kneeling during the playing of our national anthem is just disgraceful and insulting. I am skipping football unless things change. Kaepernick says he refused to stand for our national anthem in protest of what he deems are “wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the United States” and “police brutality against black Americans.” The NFL’s policy is the players are encouraged, but not required, to stand during the playing of our national anthem. I have no clue how the alleged oppression and wrongdoings are related to disrespect for our flag and what it represents with our national anthem. For more than 230 years, our American Flag has been the symbol of our nation’s strength and unity. It’s been a source of pride and inspiration for millions. The American Flag has been a prominent icon in our national
history. As an Army veteran, it has a special place in my heart. Our flag consists of 13 horizontal stripes, 7 red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the 13 original colonies and the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of our flag are symbolic. Red represents valor and hardness. White represents purity and innocence. Blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice. Our flag symbolizes national independence and popular sovereignty and embodies the essence of patriotism. Our flag symbolizes what it means to be an American. In 1917, at the start of America’s involvement in World War I, an American’s Creed was developed. It was written by William Tyler Page and adopted by the United States House of Representatives in 1918. This creed was developed from principles taken from our Declaration of Independence, Preamble to our Constitution, the Federalist papers, the United States Oath of Allegiance and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Ad-
dress. It goes like this: I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign nation of many sovereign states; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies. The American Creed was a result of a nationwide contest for writing a national creed and would be a brief summary of our American political faith founded upon things fundamental
The Truth Has No Agenda
in American history and tradition. America’s Creed sums up the things for which America stands. Our flag is the symbol of our country. We should respect it. When we show it our respect we show our respect and love for all that is American - our land, our people and our way of life. Our flag is also an expression of thanks for the men and women who have served and sacrificed in defense of our freedoms. Our Founders knew that no piece of paper could ensure freedom and liberty. Only a people steeped in the principles in our Declaration of Independence could do that. In the home and around the kitchen table, parents need to teach their children what it means to be an American and discuss how these misguided protests affect us. Our Declaration of Independence contains the clearest, most concise and most eloquent articulation of the American Creed. It is a timeless statement of inher-
ent rights, the proper purposes of government and limits on political authority. The truths proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence define us as a nation and bind us together as Americans. When is the last time you sat down and read our Declaration of Independence? Or read it with your children? Yes, these NFL players can kneel for our national anthem, show disrespect for our flag, and protest their issue at the wrong place and the wrong time. That is their privilege (so long as the NFL/Owners put up with it and the resulting loss of income). But then people who believe in the American Creed and respect our flag are able to stop watching, stop going to games, stop buying NFL apparel and novelties and have the freedom to ignore these millionaire athletes. One of the best ways I have to describe what our flag means to me is to look at a flag or close my eyes when there is no flag and really listen to Lee Greenwood’s song, God Bless the USA. I was born and raised an American and the symbol of my country is our flag. That flag continues to fly freely in my yard. Too many have fought and died for this country and what our flag represents to have it and us disrespected with kneeling. a
The Valley, December 2017
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A Healthy Home Begins With Your Next Purchase by Tom Meade
A man’s home is his castle. A woman’s home is her paradise. A child’s home is his/her sanctuary. For all, it is our personal oasis. It is HOME! Which is one reason the holiday season is so special, as we tend to “Go home for the holidays.” If not to our own home, maybe to our childhood home, back to our roots to maybe visit a place that used to be our home. There is a bigger home that we all share, that is our dear planet Earth, the most beautiful place in the Universe! If you find a better place, please write home to share the good news :-) . And we realized in the 20th Century that we had, with all of our technological progress, destroyed many parts of this heavenly place. Many rivers were dead, the water was polluted, the air and the ground were toxic. And even though all of these are still major concerns, if you look back, at least in the United States, we have made substantial progress since the Cuyahoga River in neighboring Ohio caught fire in 1969, thus “fueling” the creation of the EPA, by the government (corrupted since, yes), and the first annual Earth Day, by We the People, on April 22, 1970. Yet cancers and chronic, degenerative diseases have exploded
since 1970. Nixon declared a “War on Cancer” in 1971, when the likelihood of someone getting cancer in their lifetime reached an epidemic level, 1 in 10. This was shocking and scary. Now it is 1 in
2 males, 1 in 3 females, or 4 out of every 10 citizens (this includes our children)! And that is JUST cancer, not all of the other health issues. If our world, our environment, and especially our work places are much less toxic, then what gives? What is the root of all of these problems? TOXINS! From the foods we eat and the
toxins that enter our bodies either via the mouth, the lungs or our skin, our largest organ. What is the proof? Let’s start with the fact that the average baby born in America has over 200 chemicals (232 and 287 in two recent studies) in its bloodstream the day its new life, with its precious little developing body, enters our toxic world. This is a tragic travesty to say the least. The environment may be a little cleaner, but the toxicity level of the American people today has never been greater, and the bodies of our little children have never been more polluted. The accumulation of toxins is passed from generation to generation and this is why the youngest generation today has a far greater predisposition to not just obesity, but also to all other diseases and healthy mental functioning. Why are millions of children/adolescents today on anti-depressants, an amount more than doubling since the 1990s? This is outrageous when the solutions are so
simple - purify the body! What is being learned, however, is that by purifying the body, reducing and eliminating accumulated toxins, and eating only REAL food, food that is grown from nature and not processed with additives and chemicals and pesticides from a factory, that most, if not all, of the “modern day” ailments just go away. There is hope now that you know. The Room Doctor is concerned about more than just making your home a happier, more comfortable place with exceptional value, but also about making our world a better place. That is why we have been designing and manufacturing “The Most Affordable, Solid-wood, Eco-friendly Furniture in America” for over 28 years. And our goal is to help you to create your own personal,
healthy oasis, for you and your children, to make “your world” a better place. The greatest concern for all of us, in everything we do, should always be about the Next Generation. What are we doing for the future of the little ones? There is a better way and it begins with your next purchase! Something to think about as you buy gifts for your friends and loved ones and something to ponder as the New Year begins. Start writing your New Year’s Resolution today to “Make Your Home Healthy Again.” Next month, let’s explore the home, the most toxic place on Earth (that you frequent anyway). “Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children” -Sitting Bull a
Winter Family Discovery Day Winter is for the birds! December 16, 10 a.m. to noon Community Room, Centre County Library and in the Bellefonte Community Children’s Garden Families are invited to make bird-friendly ornaments and learn about birds in the winter, then help hang the ornaments on trees in the Children’s Garden or take them home to feed the birds. The Bellefonte Community Children’s Garden is supported by the Centre County Library, Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, and the Bellefonte Garden Club. Free events for families are held each season. Contact Lisa at 814-222-4871.
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The Valley, December 2017
R. O. F. F.
Rescue Our Furry Friends by Patricia Lawson
Cupcakes for sale, 24 Days of Christmas Gift Basket Auctions and more…oh my! The ROFF calendar is jam-packed so visit our web-site and Facebook page to learn more. Also, while you’re shopping for Christmas gifts, please keep ROFF’s Wish List handy: Dogs— Purina One Chicken & Rice Dog Food, Purina Puppy Chow, Single Dog Bowls, Toys, Treats, Collars & Leashes & Canned Dog Food; Cats-Purina Cat Show Complete, Scoopable Cat Litter, Litter
Boxes, Litter Scoopers & Toys; Cleaning Supplies-Paper Towels, Garbage Bags, Pine Sol & Clorox. Of course, monetary donations are always welcome. These items and checks may be dropped off at ROFF Headquarters: 133 North Walnut Street in Burnham, Big Valley Beverage in Reedsville and our newest location, The Times: 410 Milford Street in Port Royal. Thank you! Now it’s time for the introductions…
“I’m Scrappy and I’m a 2-year-old male Porkie. That means that I’m a Pomeranian Yorkie mix. Aren’t I cute? ROFF took care of all my grooming and vaccines plus I’m neutered and ready to be part of your family. I just love kids and cats but I’m not keen on some dogs. We’ll have to discuss that part when we meet. The humans here say I’m a very sweet boy so come on over and see for yourself.”
“My name is Oliver and I have been in rescue for 2 years and I’m already 3 years old. Not that that is old in cat years, but my Christmas wish is to have a permanent home to call my own. My caretakers will tell you that I am super sweet and that I just love affection. Plus, I can give it right back! Now I need to tell you that I have been tested positive for feline leukemia, but I have not shown any signs of illness and I have never had to use a sick day ever. Won’t you please stop by to see me while you’re out and about during the holidays?” Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at ROFF! Until they all have homes www.roffrescue.com Rescueourfurryfriends@yahoo.com 1-877-933-Roff (7633) a
Libertarian Mom from page 8 stepped back, let them draw up their own plans, and if and when they showed them to us, we didn’t erase and redraw the lines? What if instead we studied it as if we were just given the master plans to that which could change the course of history? Because it is exactly that.
“Mama’s gonna put all of her fears into you Mama’s gonna keep you right here Under her wing She won’t let you fly but she might let you sing Mama will keep baby cozy and warm Of course Mama’s gonna help build the wall” -Mother, Pink Floyd a
Home at the Grange by Patricia L. Bird
Me and Leonard Rhone This month as I thought about what to write I was reminiscent of some of my childhood memories. As many of you know, I didn’t grow up in the Grange, but little did I know that my ties to Grange in Centre County are very strong. Growing up, many of my friends only remember me living in a house on Pennsylvania Avenue in Centre Hall and not remembering where I lived before that. In actuality, I grew up on a Dairy Farm on Rimmey Road in Potter Township outside of Centre Hall. Ok, so what does that have to do with Grange. Well, the farm I grew up on had the official name of Rhoneymeade Farm. Ok, so what? Well, the Rimmey in Rimmey Road was for my Grandfather Amos Edgar Rimmey who moved his family to Rhoneymeade in the 1940’s. As they were preparing to move, there was a tragedy. The barn burned and the farm was sold. Not to be deterred, my grandfather moved the family anyway, and I lived with him, my unmarried uncle and my mother, father and sister there until 1969 and I was fourteen. That fall my Uncle Edgar (Sonny to me) Rimmey decided to get married and took over the farm where he lived for many years. My family along with Grandpa then moved into the town of Centre Hall where I lived throughout my teenage years and until I got married in 1978. Ok, enough about me. That farm on Rimmey Road, as I said, had the name of Rhoneymeade Farm. The Rhone in Rhoneymeade is for the family that built it, lived in it and then eventually sold it. The 150 acres of land where Rhoneymeade farm is located was first settled by Michael and Catherine (his wife) Rhone in 1794. The original dwelling was a small log cabin covered with clapboards, a small stable and a few acres that could be tilled. This was the start of a very prosperous landholding that has been continuously farmed for over 200 years. Michael Rhone’s grandson, Leonard Rhone (the person known as the father of the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair and also many of the Granges in Centre County), built a solid brick farmhouse in 1853 that is near the center of the
The Truth Has No Agenda
property. As a child and “tween” I played in the exact same large expansive yard and meadow that now houses the Rhoneymeade Sculpture Garden and Arboretum. The big brick house at that time of
my tenure had been “modernized” by including running water and electricity, dividing the large massive bedrooms into several small ones, adding a summer kitchen with a bathroom on the second floor and a large outdoor porch. There was just one small problem, no one thought it necessary to install a furnace. The house was heated solely by a “Victrola” wood/coal stove and a cook stove in the kitchen along with a kerosene stove in the parlor, which was used for special occasions like Christmas, and one in the bathroom which was heated as necessary. A “new” barn was constructed to replace the one which burned and several implement sheds, a pig pen, woodhouse, smokehouse and chicken house had also been added. The water supply came from a spring which fed water to both the house and barn until the drilling of a well was needed. When we moved in 1969, the house still used strictly spring water. Through the property ran the rail lines for the train which traveled from Lemont through Centre Hall daily. On the edge of the property there was a substation know as the Gregg Station. As the Leonard Rhone family settled in, they learned lots of history about the property. One of those being the location of a bountiful supply of water from a spring. It was known as the Indian spring where bands of Indians
frequently camped on their way on the “trail” running past it from Logan’s Gap to Tussey Mountain. For many years, the ancient path with all its history was visible and many persons had come to look for arrowheads and other relics. The land on Rhoneymeade was proven to be very fertile and the Rhone family found themselves to be the owners of one of the most prosperous farms in the area. Michael and Catherine went on to build a better house in 1805 that had a stone foundation and a high stone chimney at either end. They also built a barn in 1810 and about 1820, built the one that burned and was replaced in the 1940’s. In 1846, Jacob Rhone, one of Michael and Catherine’s children, purchased the homestead from the other heirs. Jacob went on to marry Sarah Kerstetter and had a son Leonard. In 1864, Leonard Rhone married Mary Margaret Sankey when he was 26 and she 23. Mary Margaret lived about 6 miles away near Potters Mills. Both Leonard and Mary were from two early, prominent Centre County Pioneer families who were farming land originally owned by the the Penns. When Leonard married, they lived with his widowed mother, unmarried brother, and three unmarried sisters in the Rhone house. It really must have been quite full. In May of 1866 they had a daughter May, and in 1868 they had a second child, a daughter, Florence. The Rhone family lived a typical life for the time period. Even though Rhoneymead was prosperous, Leonard felt the isolation of farm life. Even though he attended many of the local schools, he craved the need for more learning and attended a Mifflin County academy. Through his education, he realized that farmers lacked a unified voice and organization. Grange became a household word in the Rhone home. The Grange, which is a fraternal organization of the farming class, was organized. Upon The National Grange’s founding in 1867, Leonard founded a local chapter and his leadership in Grange politics caught hold. He helped to organize first the Centre
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The Valley, December 2017
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Artwork Discovered Under Paint Layers Embassy Theatre Invests In Testing by Jane Cannon Mort
Reprinted by permission from The Sentinel, originally appearing in the Saturday, November 4, 2017 edition Nov. 4 LEWISTOWN — A large mural painted in 1932 by Ivan Leeper was revealed under layers of paint on a wall in the Embassy Theatre this week. For three days, a team of art conservators from Evergreen Architectural Arts conducted a Historic Finishes Study inside the South Main Street building that has been under restoration for many years. “The intent of the study is to determine how the theatre was originally decorated, how it changed through time, and to expose interesting artwork that may have been painted over decades ago,” Paul T. Fagley, president of Friends of the Embassy Theatre, said. This week, about 120 paint samples were taken by the art conservators, and several “exposure windows” were created. Most of these were in the area of artwork that was revealed. “While the Friends knew that there was something there, as evidenced from period Sentinel articles and indications in the paint, they did not know the extent of the artwork,” Fagley said. “While not fully revealed, enough has been exposed to show the beautiful decorative painting. From the articles, we know that it was painted in 1932 by Ivan Leeper, the father of local sign painter and artist John Leeper. Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, it was painted over in 1937,”
he said. The portion of the mural that was exposed by the art conservators shows what Fagley termed a “colonial dame,” as well as a sunburst. The design was mentioned in old newspaper articles, Fagley
said, adding that the building’s original design was colonial in style, and the well-known art deco decor was added later in order to keep up with popular decorating styles. Fagley said the walls were painted in 1932, 1937, touched up in 1941-42, completely repainted in 1949 and, the remaining outermost layer was painted in 1981-82. Further inspection of the paint samples taken during the study will reveal if the walls were painted in any other years, Fagley said. The conservators will also use the paint samples they collected to create a color chart that can be used to find the correct colors when the time comes for painting the walls. “In general, the color scheme will be from 1927,” Fagley said. While the intent of the restoration project is to take the building back to its 1927 origins, the 1930s mural will remain exposed, Fagley said. “I can imagine the painting being restored or replicated.” He said the art conservators recommended that a varnish be applied to the mural to seal and preserve the original, allowing a replica to be painted on top. Fagley said the opposite wall may have had a similar mural at
one time, but a leak in the roof resulted in water damage that washed the paint from the wall. Also, there are similar sunburst paintings in the second floor of the building, Fagley said. At least one of them will be left in the final restoration. Leeper’s paintings will be included in the restoration because “They are a page in the history of the Embassy. We’re restoring the Embassy back to 1927, but it will include elements that were added at later times because they are part of the history of the building,” Fagley said. Meanwhile, the Friends are continuing to pursue grants to get the building “lawn chair ready,” for people to be able come in and watch movies or performances while the restoration continues. The Historic Finishes Study was funded in part by a grant from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. a
The 2018 Kishacoquillas Valley Historical Society Calendars are available!. They feature old photos of the Kish Valley and the events of 1909. The price is $5.50 and they are available at the following retailers: The Country Village Restaurant in Allensville; Whitehall Store, Peights, Total Life Care Pharmacy and the Thrift Store in Belleville; Ron’s Market and Honey Creek Inn in Reedsville; the Friendship Bookstore in Burnham and Big Valley Antiques in Milroy. You may order one by mailing a check for $7.00 along with your address to KVHS, P.O. Box 43, Allensville, PA 17002 and it will be mailed to you. Enjoy doing a little time traveling through 1909 and support our efforts to preserve the history of our beautiful valley.
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The Valley, December 2017
Around Town With Carole
by Carole Lokan Moore A SELF RELIANT CHRISTMAS MEMORY FOR MORGAN Some people think that having their children prepare their list for Santa is the way to go, but I think that its the way to provide a false sense of value in children. There are more important things in life than tins, trinkets, and bobbles. So as our 9 year old grand daughter, Morgan, reached the “I Don’t believe In Santa” stage when kids in her class would make fun of her for “still believing,” we decided to give a present more valuable than gold. We gave her a memory. Having owned many houses as school teachers who needed a summer job, we ended up with several restored historic homes. When grand mom and pop were babysitting, each child was invited to help with the work on these homes by helping to take out the trash, light the pilot light if it blew out, or change a fuse. As time passed, each of our four “next
generation,” became attached to a particular home, which we indicated as theirs. Michaela, being first born, received the main house, “Whitebriar.” Her cousin, Colin, got the Dunk’s Ferry Inn farm across the street, Kyle got the River House just ten blocks down Cooper St, and Morgan, got, as she called it in her younger years, “The Blue Jouse.” As the tradition of Christmas came, when she was just 8, to ride around and look at our beautiful restored homes, which were all within 10 blocks of the family’s Whitebriar, suddenly, Morgan threw herself on the back seat of the truck in complete disarray. When we asked “what was wrong,” she pouted, “There are no Christmas lights at my Blue House and everyone will think I am Jewish.” Being Episcopalian and never ever mentioning Jesus’ religion, we couldn’t under-
stand where this remark came from. Needless to say, two days after Christmas, papa is wandering around stores trying to find lights, and reindeer to put on the lawn. Morgan took the ride again near New Years and was totally thrilled. Because children “grow up way too fast” in this life, Pop and I decided we had to work some “Christmas Magic,” and about the Thanksgiving of her 9th year, we began making “innuendos” about the woman who was renting “The Blue House.” Morgan needed to know that until she was old enough to take over her “Blue House,” a tenant’s rent would pay the mortgage. One tenant she met always had a candy jar filled so Morgan said she could stay as long as she liked. The simplicity of a child always amazes me. That Thanksgiving, I mentioned to Pop in the presence of Morgan and other grandkids that an elderly lady want to rent Morgan’s basement. Never before had we had this request and she only wanted to rent it for two months, November and December. No bells went off for anybody. The following week when Morgan came over I said that I didn’t know if this elderly lady would work out as a tenant because the first floor
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tenants were complaining that they heard little voices and tapping of hammers late at night from the basement below. Morgan rode over to the house to do something with her grandfather and I said in her presence, “Bill, did you paint the basement door red?” and he denied the duty. “It looks real nice,” I said, “especially with the wreath hanging there.” Bill kept to his work and Morgan logged this information into her mind. Another visit to the “Blue House,” and I quipped to Bill, “When did you have time to put those antique reindeer on the front lawn.” Bill played along and denied the activity. Bill blamed it on the first floor tenants who also denied it and so we presumed it was the “basement grandmom.” Christmas came and went, and the old lady was gone as New Years arrived. “We better check for sure that the key was left,” Papa said, and Morgan followed him down the steps into the basement. Light from the two bright eight-pane window glass shown into the partitioned basement room. Morgan’s eyes became big and round as she viewed the large punch bowl with tiny little cups, pop corn strewn around the
table, and a bunch of finished toys on the side shelf. Her brain was cooking when she spied the soft easy chair in the corner of the room, and the oriental rug and foot stool to the left. The coat rack was hung with a bright red blazer and a fluffy stocking cap with green holly prints. The light bulb did not thoroughly go on until pop said: “Hey Morgan, there is a card and gift here for you.” She opened it up and read the ancient hand writing on the hard piece of stationary. “Thanks Morgan, for letting us use your basement, sorry about the mess, but the little guys were too tired to clean it up. See you next year.” The bulb burned brightly now in Morgan’s imagination as she read the signature. A simple two capital letters: “S” and “C”. Her voice shattered the silence of the below ground room....”It’s from Santa Clause,” she screamed. “It was Mrs. Claus who was the old lady...the noise the tenants heard were the elves tapping making these toys, and the little voices.... were Santa’s elves.” Only the “believers” in 3rd grade asked Morgan to tell the story again and again. The big kids joked and called them “ba-
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The Valley, December 2017
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OUR YESTERYEARS County Historical Society Mifflin County Christmas Through the Years - 1920s DECEMBER 2017 I’ve searched the newspaper archives at the Mifflin County Historical Society to bring you the life and times of our county at Christmas time over the decades. What was on the collective mind in Mifflin County as Christmas time approached during the 1920s? The American Viscose plant was a brand new industry in 1920, announcing plans for its model industrial village in December of that year. 1920 would also see the election of Warren Harding, swept into power in a landslide with the help of the first women voters in the United States. Along with the right to vote, came the civic duty to serve on juries. Along with published advertisements for the coming holiday season, the November 26, 1921, edition of the Lewistown Sentinel, headlines told the story: WOMEN’S FIRST TASTE OF JURY DUTY - NAMES OF 31 WOMEN DRAWN: for the first time in the history of Mifflin County women jurors were drawn from the jury wheel today for service at the regular January sessions of court. National news told of women serving on the jury in the notorious Fatty Arbuckle trial in San Francisco that made news in December 1921. One Sentinel headline stated: WOMAN STANDS BETWEEN FATTY ARBUCKLE AND STARS LIBERTY-JURY STILL HOLDS 11 TO 1 FOR ACQUITTAL OF FAMOUS FILM COMEDIAN. On the same front page of the newspaper that reported on the Arbuckle trial, another headline
and picture stated: Mrs. Warren Harding shops for Christmas, the president’s wife shopped for presents, not in a department store, but at Walter Reed Hospital where she bought handiwork made by wounded soldiers to give as presents. This was still the decade of prohibition. Christmas spirits of another sort were strictly outlawed. Sentinel headlines for December 13, 1923: RUMRUNNERS CAUGHT AFTER MAD CHASE BY OFFICER LIMES - MOTORCYCLE POLICEMAN PURSUES CAR UP STREET AND ALLEYS BEFORE CAPTURE - 4 MEN ARE HELD FOR COURT -FORD SEDAN CONFISCATED - GALLONS OF WHITE MULE TAKEN AS EVIDENCE - QUARTET OUT ON BAIL. On the same page as the headline, BOOTLEGGERS CAUGHT, appears an advertisement for the Christmas Savings Club at the First National Bank Of Burnham. There will be no bills to pay on 1 January if you join our Christmas savings club. That is the easy modern way of financing Christmas happiness. Newspaper readers looking at the Christmas ads in 1923 found fancy California Diamond Walnuts, Paper Shell Almonds or fresh roasted hand picked peanuts priced as little as 15 cents a pound at H & H Supply at Water and Dorcas Streets opposite the freight station in Lewistown. These same potential buyers likely paused to read what was the most popular comic strip in December 1923, appearing just below the ad for those walnuts. “Barney Google and Spark Plug” drawn by Billy De Beck, was as popular in the 1920s as Charles Shultz “Peanuts” characters would be fifty years later. Character toys, card and board games and
Next Issue of The Valley: January 2nd
coloring books featuring Barney Google and his horse Spark-plug were offered in Christmas Toy Departments all along Market Street. The nickname, Sparky, was given to many a rambunctious child in the 1920s named for Barney’s horse, Spark Plug. On Christmas day evening, 1924, the Sentinel advertised a new theater at Reedsville. Peters Theater on Main Street, opened to a large crowd Christmas evening. The building was advertised as fireproof. The newspaper reported that the Christmas evening show taxed even the standing capacity of the large and well-equipped show house. The opening film shown that Christmas evening was director John Ford’s silent drama, Hearts of Oak, starring Hobart Bosworth and Pauline Starke. In Lewistown, theatres, including: Temple, Rialto, Pastime, National, and later the Embassy, provided holiday diversions. Stars like Clara Kimball Young, Charlie Chaplin, Buck Jones and Rudolph Valentino as The Sheik, drew crowds to town in the 1920s. The silent movie was still the norm until later in the decade. Gift giving was on the minds of advertisers throughout each Christmas season during the 1920s. And the Christmas Club concept to pay for that jolly season’s many gifts was popular. All of Lewistown’s banks advertised their special clubs, including Citizens Bank, First National Bank, Lewistown Trust Co., Mifflin County National Bank and the Russell National Bank. The 25 cents per week Club equaled $12.50 at Christmas time. The Russel Bank’s Christmas Club advertisement was typical and played upon the concept of keeping the family happy and secure. Ordinarily Shelby Ritch was not a man to save, but the disappointed faces of his little ones on that day of peace and goodwill last year was too much for him. Our Christmas club made him happy. He read of it and started saving his $.25 per week for this Christmas. Not only did he get the spirit of the holidays himself, but he also brought happiness, as well as added comfort, to the entire
family. You too can save two bits a week, then you shall be rich. Savers could spend their Christmas Club dollars at Lewistown’s many stores along Main and Market Streets. E. E. McMeen’s Department Store was a Christmas favorite in the 1920’s. Almost every December during this decade, McMeen’s published a list of suggested gift items. This Santa’s List covered a full page in the newspaper, apparently enumerating every conceivable item the company sold from aprons to zebras in the toy department. Six drug stores lined Market Street from Five Points to the County Jail, and all offered Christmas specials. Prestige Headings at Five Points, Ritz Drug, Rothermel’s, Shumaker’s, and Johnson’s all the way to Eby’s Drugstore on the corner of Wayne and Market across from the jail. Shoe shops, music stores, hardware stores, furniture show rooms, milliners, dress makers and clothing stores all advertised their Christmas specials during the 1920s. Lewistown boasted 16 clothing stores on Market and Valley streets alone, 10 furniture stores were within the Borough. People’s Furniture on Market Street advertised in 1929, the Brunswick Junior Pocket Billiard Table for just $7.50, a complete pool outfit, a good time for young and old at Christmas time. Add just $1 for home delivery. Hardware stores carried sporting goods, Woolrich jackets and shotguns and rifles. These
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Lewistown hardware stores included: Franciscus Co., Lewistown Hardware, Phillipsburg Hardware Co on Dorcas Street, and Ulsh-Shinkel Hardware on Valley. Ulsh-Shinkel also sold new manufacture glass milk bottles to the smaller creameries and dairies around Mifflin County. This was the age of home delivered dairy products. A gift for the entire family might be a new automobile. Heading’s Auto Company of Lewistown advertised Studebaker cars during the 1920s. Models included the two passenger roadster-coupe for $1550 or the five passenger sedan at $1850. The more moderate priced Chevrolet models were sold at Leopold Chevrolet on Chestnut Street. $270 down and $54 months bought the Superior Chevrolet Sedan, perfect for driving the children safely to school. Lewistown Sales Co on South Main Street suggested giving a Ford for Christmas. A two-door Sedan cost a low $590 during Christmas sales in December 1923. Keystone Motors on Third Street offered a Christmas Day present to buyers of a new Overland Touring car or roadster. A $10 credit would be given to those who chose to purchase through a unique Car Club, much like a Christmas Club, by saving $5.95 per week from Christmas until the new Overlands arrived in the Spring of 1922.
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The Valley, December 2017 (r) The current ever growing family of orphans cared for by Jenn and helped through your generous donations
sharing the message of his love and salvation to the children, but meeting their basic needs is of course the most important thing that must happen on a daily basis.
Jenn’s Story
There are so many ways we can change and impact the world for the better, so if you happen to be looking for some new ways to get involved, check out Project Liberty International, Inc. I am always very cautious about who and what I donate money to and for good reason. Many “charities” aren’t doing all that they claim with our hardearned money and are either wasting money given, or even worse. Project Liberty is a small organization compared to some worldwide relief organizations, but it is no less important. Jennifer Jestes Chana started the organization 16 years ago when she went to Africa at 24 years old with just a heart full of love and a passion to change kids’ lives. A couple years before that she had gone on a ministry trip to Africa and after returning to the U.S. she quickly realized that Africa had captured her heart. She knew she belonged there, so after much prayer and working at two jobs for two years to save money,
Jenn
Jenn went back. She traveled and volunteered at orphanages in South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and few in Mexico. Her goal was to find out what model of orphan care was most successful. And she learned what worked and what didn’t. After feeling like a “family home” was where the kids thrived best, she decided to return to Mozambique Africa and rent a house. By the end of the first month she had 15 orphans living with her! She had planned on getting settled and educated in the language and culture and preparing the house for at least a year, but God had other plans. Clearly, she did not have what she needed to provide for all these kids, but she began a walk of faith! A journey that would change her life. She spent five years living with the orphans, running the home, and living in a local African community. Her goal was to figure out what worked and how to solve the problems these kids faced. In 2006, Jen made a brief trip back to the U.S. to set up a 501(c) (3) called Project Liberty International, Inc. Some of her goals were things like meeting the current problems of orphans in MOZ, and creating programs for the prevention of HIV/ AIDS. She wanted to address unemployment among the older orphans, the need for education for these children and the basic teaching of life skills. The heart of the project is centered on Jesus Christ and
The Truth Has No Agenda
All this time Jenn had been doing this amazing work as a single woman in a dangerous city where crime and riots and bombings are a normal part of life. But thankfully two years ago, God blessed her with a husband and I can only imagine how thankful she is to have a strong pair of arms to fall into when the work of being Mom to a very large family feels overwhelming. Since moving to MOZ, Jenn has purchased land and began the long and difficult process of building a permanent orphan home
Continued on page 19
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The Valley, December 2017
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The Valley, December 2017
The Truth Has No Agenda
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The Valley, December 2017
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The Valley, December 2017
Joanne Wills-Kline “Contentment Quest” Journey toward Optimum Joy for the Holiday Season We often skate into the holiday season disheveled and distracted, and before you know it, the most wonderful time of the year has passed. Make this year different. Pledge to make an effort to ensure optimum rest and relaxation during the month of December and the Christmas holiday season. Utilize some, or all, of the tips below and find overflowing joy this blessed season. You never know, perhaps you will choose to continue to apply a few of the tips long into the New Year. According to An Organized Life (https://www.anorganisedlife.com/ blogs/blog/3-simple-things-youshould-do-to-ensure-optimum-rr-time-this-holiday-season), there are three things we can do to kick-off rest and relaxation during the holiday season. 1. First, write a “to-do” list to capture all of the upcoming tasks for the holiday season. This list should envelope all the major points of what you need to accomplish during the Christmas season such as hanging holiday lights, grocery and gift shopping through the New Year, party planning, etc. It is also wise to write a “to-do” list for the office. About a day or two before you leave for the holiday break, write a list of the things you must accomplish on your first week back after the break. An office “to-do” list is a great idea because it allows you to write it and leave it – no worries while you are at home enjoying the holiday. Who wants to be plagued with work tasks when you are supposed to be focusing on the reason for the season and family?
2. Second, Place an “Out of the Office” replay on email. When you leave on holiday break – leave. Leave guilt-free and enjoy the holiday break, pick up the tasks and emails upon your return. This goes for devices as well. If you find yourself constantly checking your phone out of habit – whether it be work or personal, set clear and realistic expectations outlining restricted device and computer use during the break – and stick to it. 3. Third, find a distraction. It will do your mind and body good to pursue active relaxation and rest through distraction. I love to read, and prefer to hold a book, newspaper, or magazine in my hands rather than always read online. So during the holiday season, I pick-up a tangible piece of reading material and enjoy. If you prefer reading online, or do not wish to read tangible items, perhaps pick something fun and relaxing to do that does not involve technology devices – like peruse a recipe book, bake, or cook something you enjoy, etc. The goal is for you to pursue something that you enjoy minus technology, and that does not feel like work. Aim to work towards working well with your spouse or significant other during the holiday season. Oftentimes, the season can become stressful for couples due to all the irrational standards we place on others. Take some time to stand back, breathe, and evaluate your expectations. Kathy Lipp wrote an article for Focus on the Family (http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/daily-living/
three-tips-to-help-you-work-together-for-a-blessed-christmasseason) that suggested instituting three tips for cohesiveness for a blessed holiday season. 1. Kathy’s first tip was to plan. Talk out expectations and get on the same page. If ordering takeout each night makes things easier and cuts “to-dos” like grocery shopping for most of December – then do it if you and your partner are in agreement. If you both find that holiday time if full of disagreements like where you’ll spend the holidays, or how much money will be spent on gifts, etc., talk it out early. 2. Second, Kathy suggested we do all we can to prepare, such as declutter the home in anticipation of holiday guests, and pick up needed supplies early such as gift wrapping materials, paper products, cards, and mailing materials. 3. Her third tip is to play. Decide early on how much time you will devote to family and friends and how much time you will set aside to enjoy couple time such as a watching a holiday movie together, or as Kathy calls it, having a “food & finances night.” Where you both have a great take-out meal and enjoy it over briefing and strategizing on holiday money spent so far, and the projection of holiday money yet to be spent. The holiday season, which should be a time of great joy, can also be a season of tension and even angst. The Huffington Post recommends that we follow the four “Cs” of health and happiness, as a roadmap, to effectively navigate the holidays, if we want to get the greatest
The Mifflin County Model Railroad Club will present their 2017
Open House the following dates: Thurs, Nov. 30th & Fri. Dec. 1st from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. Sat. Dec.2nd from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Sun. Dec.3rd from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Sat. & Sun. Dec. 9th & 10th
from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Sat. Dec.16th & Sun. Dec. 17th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. The club is located in the old Montgomery Ward building on the Square in Lewistown. The event will have numerous trains running. There is no admission charge and all are welcome.
The Truth Has No Agenda
joy out of our holiday season (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ entry/the-4-cs-of-mindfulnessfor-healthier-happier-holidays_ us_5853eb22e4b0d5f48e164e76). 1. Calm - Take slow, deep belly breaths throughout your day. Simply inhale slowly through your nose, filling up your belly and then chest. Exhale slowly through either your nose or mouth allowing your belly to gently squeeze toward your spine. Just a few rounds of unhurried, full belly breathing relieves stress and quickly re-centers you. Deep breathing is a skillful response to the swirl of activity and the emotional climate of the season. Regardless of stressful conditions, breathing is always an option. Remember to take “sacred pauses” throughout the day to support yourself through the period of stress you undergo. Amid the lights, music, expectations, gatherings and emotions, a state of calm can be cultivated in simple ways. 2. Compassion - Thanksgiving through the New Year brings to practice of gratitude but compassion may not get the same kind of notoriety. As emotions become
magnified, the tempering effect of compassion is essential. Compassion is vital during the holidays. At times, this may mean saying yes to yourself and no to others. You deserve to enjoy this time of year without drama. 3. Clarity - Stop. Slow down. Remember to breathe. These things go a long way in helping you to get clear about your next steps. That wise, inner voice cannot be heard very well if we are in constant motion. 4. Choice - Each day is a blank slate. You get the opportunity to choose how you will spend each day. The choices we make each day are what creates the sum of your life. Give yourself the gift of making choices that are for your highest and greatest good – and do not feel guilty for doing what is truly best for you. Invest in your well-being without apologies. I hope there is a tip, or several that resonate with you to enact this December, and perhaps, that you choose to make part of the new you in the New Year. May the Christmas season shine upon you, brighter than the twinkling holiday lights, and may it bestow many blessings upon you. a
Jenn’s Story from page 15
can sign up for monthly donations through PAYPAL or make a one time donation. If you’re on Facebook, follow their Facebook page for lots of pictures and updates. Look up “Project Liberty International” on Facebook and you will find them there. You can also check out my blog at wonderful-life.blog to see this article there along with some great pictures of this amazing family! It always helps to see pictures of who and what organization you are choosing to give to. Just $50 a month can literally change a child’s life! That money for us is as simple as maybe giving up the $2 a day fancy coffee or lunch out that we didn’t really need so a child can have 3 meals a day for a month and a safe place to sleep at night. Think about that! Donations can also be sent to Project Liberty PO Box 1025, Bethany, Oklahoma, 73008. We aren’t all brave enough to move to Africa and take care of orphans, but we all have a little extra money we could come up with to help feed them. We can be part of something much bigger than ourselves and the joy we will experience from it will be a gift we receive in return. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! a
further out away from the city. They can grow food and build a school and offer even more to these amazing young lives that have faced such devastation in their lives. Currently the building project is on hold because of a lack of funds and Jenn and her husband, Chana, have now rented a second home to accommodate the ever-growing family. As you can imagine the hardships that they face trying to manage on average 20 orphan children ranging from toddlers to young adults, is very difficult and requires involvement from other passionate people. Currently they are struggling and behind on rent not to mention they have a $2000 a month food bill to feed them all. Due to the terrible economy in MOZ, the cost of living has experienced a 100% spike. Things like gas, electricity, food and rent that all must be met every month have drastically increased. Monthly rent is $900 along with the $2000 cost for food so as you can imagine their limited donor funds are taking a hard hit. And those are only the very basic survival needs. Please consider checking out Project Liberty at www.libertymozambique.org where you can learn more and make a donation. You
The Valley, December 2017
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Story courtesy of Penn State Public Information A nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will support Penn State researchers in determining best management practices for organic beekeeping by comparing organic and chemical-free to conventional management systems. The funding comes from the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Led by project director Margarita López-Uribe, assistant professor of entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the research team will conduct a stakeholder-driven, integrated systems-based project to rigorously test the effect of organic, chemical-free and conventional honey bee management practices on honey bee health. To this end, they will quantify colony performance, immune competence, and parasite and pathogen levels. The overarching goals of the three-year project are to generate evidence-based knowledge for best management practices that will improve colony health in a sustainable, organic beekeeping system, and to increase economic returns of beekeepers. Researchers hope results from this study will help to improve organic agriculture while creating a profitable economic opportunity for beekeepers and organic growers. The beekeeping industry is challenged in meeting the demands for crop pollination and honey production as the number of colonies continues to dwindle. A recent nationwide survey revealed that even with intensive disease treatment, beekeepers are averaging losses of almost 38 percent annually. Bees are essential, not only for honey production, but for pollinating crops that account for approximately a third of the food consumed by humans. This includes a large variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts and animal feed crops. In this study, “Working Toward Best Management Practices for Organic Beekeeping: A SideBy-Side Comparison of Management Systems,” scientists will
build upon existing research derived from smaller-scale projects. The goal is to address the critical need for an improved management system to better control parasitic mite pressure. “Varroa mites, which weaken bees’ immune systems and transmit viral diseases, are one of the biggest challenges faced by beekeepers,” López-Uribe said. “But some of the chemicals beekeepers use to treat for mites also can compromise honey bee health.
Our hope is to develop recommendations for mite management that could completely change, for the better, beekeeping in the United States.” Added project co-director Brenna Traver, assistant professor of biology at Penn State Schuylkill, “Comparison of the different management systems on a large-scale level have not been done before. This is a very exciting project where we are taking a different approach into looking at
how to alleviate colony losses.” Previous work has shown that current management practices are no longer sufficient, noted project co-director Robyn Underwood, research associate in the López-Uribe lab. “Varroa mites are getting more and more difficult to A USDA grant will support Penn State manage,” she said. “Anecresearch aimed at enhancing sustainable, dotal evidence of beekeeping organic beekeeping methods and increassuccess using a chemical-free ing economic returns for beekeepers. system leads us to question Image: Thomas Völcker via Pixabay whether there is an unconvenalternative beekeeping managetional approach that will lead to significant improvements in honey ment systems. The researchers will collabobee health.” rate with the Pennsylvania State Additional objectives of the Beekeepers Association and the study include quantifying pesRodale Institute to develop and ticide residues in beeswax from implement extension programcolonies in the three management systems, developing a cost-benefit ming. The extension plan includes an array of educational activities, economic assessment of these including an annual field day, systems, and establishing a longannual workshops and online term extension program to assist presentations. a stakeholders with incorporating
Regain Strength and Be Home for the Holidays
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The Valley, December 2017
Modern Energy and Alternative Heating with Curt Bierly Room Thermostats
For years we had a Round gold-colored Honeywell thermostat on our wall. Many of you remember these and I’m sure there are many still in use. When we left home, we reduced the thermostat a few degrees to save energy and then when we returned, we increased the temperature a few degrees to warm up the house. It was a mechanical thermostat with a small amount of liquid mercury sealed in a small glass tube, and that was attached to a coiled bimetal spring that wound or unwound according to room temperature. It had two display windows that you could read— first, the current room temperature and second, the temperature you selected. If you set it for 70ºF, and you had a real good one and the anticipator was set correctly, the heating system would turn on at 68ºF and off at 72ºF (a 4 degree differential). If you had an electric heat thermostat, it only had a dial that gave you the option of setting the desired temperature,
but I suspect they were afraid to let you know what the temperature actually was because there was no actual room temperature shown. Then as the computer age unfolded, Honeywell was offering a round electronic version. So I figured since we were in the business, I should give it a try. I took one home and replaced my gold mechanical model with the new round white electronic model with a single digital display. Normally the room temperature was displayed; then, when you turned the outside ring, the display switched to show you the set temperature. It was installed in our hallway to the bathrooms / bedrooms – so – every time
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I walked by the thermostat, I checked the room temperature on the display. I was sure it was defective because what ever room temperature I set it for, the display would indicate that was the room temperature. After some research, I learned that this thermostat measured in tenth of a degree – so – if I set it for 70ºF and the room temperature dropped to 69.6ºF, it turned on the heat. When the room temperature rose to 70.4ºF it would turn the heat off. Thus the display The thermostat is the brain of new energy efficient systems. would always show 70ºF speed blowers and electric backup what stage and at what compres(a .8 differential). Amazing!! elements therein. Furnaces can sor speeds, and when to use the As you are no doubt aware, be two stage or have modulating gas furnace backup and on what currently, digital thermostats are burners with variable speed blowstage and at what fan speed. the norm and the days of the wall ers. Zoning is another option that But there is more. With wifi thermostat only controlling your is becoming more popular. Plus, and a smartphone, you can view heating system are history. As you may have a system humidifier and set your wall “thermostat” heating systems become more to control or perhaps you want to via the internet. There is even a energy efficient and thus more set back room temperatures while “thermostat” available that can complex, the thermostat is becomyou’re away. Let’s face it, the sense when you are near home ing the “brain” of the operation. simple mechanical room thermoand turn up the heat in anticipaHeat pumps can be two stage or stat has evolved into a specialized tion of your arrival. Hang onto have variable speed compressors. computer. Heating systems now your hats as it won’t be long until Air handlers can have variable need to be commissioned to be you can carry on a conversation sure the with your “thermostat.” system is proCurt Bierly is president of the grammed bierly group incorporated of to realize which Stanley C. Bierly is a divimaximum sion. He graduated from Penn efficiency State with a BS in Mechanical by choosEngineering and is the chair of ing when the Penn College HVAC Advisory to use the Board. You can contact him at heat pump cbierly@bierlygroup.com. a and on
The Truth Has No Agenda
The Valley, December 2017
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Dr. Joseph Kauffman from page 3
New Look - Same Great Site
I spend a lot of time staring at a computer. That’s just how our world is today. Everything is online. And you know what? I love it! I love my smartphone. I love my iPad. Most of all, I love to read eBooks or listen to eAudiobooks on my smartphone or iPad. Recently, the Mifflin County Library’s website was upgraded. I was nervous. How will I find my digital library? Can I still renew my books online? The important stuff like hours and phone numbers are still the first things you see, so I wasn’t too worried about that. The digital library, powered by Overdrive, allows readers to check out eBooks and eAudiobooks to your smartphone, iPad, or Kindle. Lemony Snicket, author of the popular children’s series A Series of Unfortunate Events, says, “Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.” And I agree. With my smartphone, I always have a book to listen to when I’m traveling in the car or to read when I’m anywhere and I have to wait. I can still renew my books online through the new updated website. If you are unsure how, there are clear, concise instructions. Just click on the Card Catalog link and log in. You do need a PIN. But any one of the library staff can give you a PIN if you don’t have one; just call us. I renewed my books online this morning. Even though I’m at the library everyday, I still have a fine. Oh well! I figure it’s a
donation! $1.50. That’s my fine. Time just gets away from me, but I’m better at keeping track of books now that I can get into my account. And there are so many great new books! If you don’t have a library card, you can apply for a digital card through the library’s website. This card is temporary and is good for 60 days. So if you need an eBook, you can get a digital card and check out the eBook to your mobile device right away. And then, at your leisure, come to the library for a real card. My favorite branch is the digital library. It’s so convenient to go the library in my jammies from my couch! And then there’s POWER LIBRARY, the best kept library secret. Power Library is a digital resource that gives any library card owner access to resources for free. I just was in Power Library and I found The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Sewing. I can download the whole book as a PDF. I’ll be honest, Power Library isn’t used as much as it could be because it isn’t very user-friendly, but if you are just browsing, there are treasures galore. Please visit our new and improved website at www. mifcolib.org. And please consider using Amazon Smile this holiday season. It’s Amazon, but more. Amazon will donate a portion of your amount spent to the charity of your choice, one of the charities supported by Amazon Smile is the Mifflin County Library.
Around Town with Carole from page 9
box, of the 7 red note cards, with the initials “S.C.” A memory far more valuable than gold and a very good way of being self reliant in establishing priorities, values, and traditions, that will be passed from generation to generation far longer than the stone walls of the basement will last, as this story is repeated, and will never get old.
bies,” but Morgan knew the truth and each November and December of the following decade, The old lady came back and tapping was heard and little voices echoed from the basement work room, and yes, every year there was a note. Morgan is now a senior in high school and one of her prized possessions is a set of note cards, kept deep below in her jewelry
Season’s Readings!
Grand Mom Carole Lokan Moore a
Paul Offit have resisted these calls with claims that a comparative study of autism risk and other health outcomes in unvaccinated and vaccinated children would be retrospectively impossible and prospectively unethical. Despite opposition from those like Offit, attempts to launch a formal vax/unvax study have been made for many years. In 2006, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D, NY) authored what is now called Vaccine Safety Study Act. Said Maloney to the opponents, “Maybe someone in the medical establishment will show me why this study is a bad idea, but they haven’t done it yet.” In 2007, Generation Rescue (one of the Mawson study’s sponsors) retained a market research firm to undertake a similar survey (it is available on line and had similar findings, but was never published in a scientific journal). Less formal surveys focused on whether or not autism was present in the unvaccinated have also been undertaken in unusual populations, including the Amish and the patients of alternative health practitioners. Age of Autism founder Dan Olmsted investigated autism in the Amish, who vaccinate less frequently. Autism is rare among the Amish and the only autistic Amish children we discovered were also vaccinated. (Others reported cases in Amish
children with birth defects, but not “idiopathic autism,” the kind that occurs in otherwise typical children who are the heart of the current epidemic). The late Mayer Eisenstein reported in his HomeFirst practice in Chicago that he delivered more than 15,000 babies at home, and thousands of them were never vaccinated. Of these unvaccinated children, none had autism. The link between autism and vaccination became a hot topic in this year’s presidential election. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton once tweeted ““The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let’s protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest.” In contrast, President Donald Trump has long been outspoken about the likely connection between vaccines and autism. As early as 2007, Trump remarked, “When I was growing up, autism wasn’t really a factor. And now all of a sudden, it’s an epidemic. Everybody has their theory, and my theory is the shots. They’re getting these massive injections at one time. I think it’s the vaccinations.” The full article is here: https://needtoknow.news/2017/05/ first-ever-peer-reviewed-studyvaccinated-vs-unvaccinatedchildren-shows-vaccinated-kids-
Vaccinated children were also significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an immune-related disorder. The risk of allergic rhinitis (commonly known as hay fever) was over 30 times higher in vaccinated children, while the risk of other allergies was increased 3.9 fold and the eczema risk was increased 2.4 fold. With respect to acute illness and infectious disease, the outcomes were in some respects surprising. As might be expected, unvaccinated children were significantly (4-10 times) more likely to have come down with chicken pox, rubella or pertussis. Perhaps unexpectedly, the unvaccinated children were less likely to suffer from otitis media and pneumonia: vaccinated children had 3.8 times greater odds of a middle ear infection and 5.9 times greater odds of a bout with pneumonia. The study was based on a survey with participants recruited in a process led by NHERI and coordinated through 84 state and local homeschool groups. The survey itself was, according to the authors, “nonbiased and neutrally worded.” These findings in a study population of 666 children, 261 of whom (39%) were unvaccinated, Continued on page 30 are sure to stir controversy, in part because it is the first of its kind. The scientific literature on the long-term effects of the vaccination program is virtually silent. Most studies on the safety of vaccines only consider immediate or shortterm effects. There was no obvious explanation for the differences in health outcomes observed between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups of children other than • Reliable Propane & Heating Oil Delivery vaccination itself. The finding • Budget Payment Plan Call today that vaccination is a to • 24/7 Emergency Service le arn about our significant risk for NE w CustOmER autism is the most • Heating Equipment Service Plans sPECiAls! explosive finding • Safety Trained Professionals in the paper. For well over a decade, • Over 80 Years Experience parents concerned that vaccines were involved in autism’s sharp rise have been calling for what has Our Business is Customer Satisfaction long been labelled the “vax/unvax” 717-248-5476 • 1-800-PROPANE (776-7263) study. Public health officials such as
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The Valley, December 2017
I gained 50 pounds ...and love it! www.families4kids.org 800-568-6449
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The Valley, December 2017
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The Yoeman’s Keyline Plow and Rotational Grazing
Last time, we talked about swales and how they should be dug on contour to capture water. This month, I want to introduce another concept called the Yoeman’s Keyline Plow, which is often touted as the solution to soil compaction due to heavy grazing and heavy equipment usage. If this truly works and is easy to implement, then it would make sense to utilize the practice. I must preface this entire article with the fact that I have not implemented this particular system and everything written here is simply the knowledge I have obtained through years of research, attendance at conferences, and handson workshops at permaculture conventions and the like. I cannot give anecdotal information except as second-hand. However, I think
any readers know by now, I take scientific proof of the efficacy of principles seriously! Ok, so now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let’s get started. First, we must understand what a keyline plowing system is and why we would use it with rotational grazing. The practice was invented by a farmer named P.A. Yoeman. Essentially, a keyline plow is simply a piece of subsoiler machinery used to loosen soil. Unlike a disk, however, it cuts a narrow trench into the soil at a preset depth. In theory, this allows the soil to absorb water, direct moisture away from wet areas, and allow nutrients from manure or topical applications of soil amendments to infiltrate the soil. The plowing is done on contour, just like with swales. It begins
at a point in the elevation where the landscape turns to a concave silhouette, meaning that it’s bowl-
shaped, rather than convex, or an upside-down bowl shape, for water retention purposes. Now, let’s take a look at its
proposed benefits. According to the permaculture community, keyline plowing used in tandem with a very short and intense rotational grazing plan is supposed to build soil, increase the nutrient holding capacity of soil, and increase the subsurface biota of the soil. That’s a pretty big claim! So, what does research show us? So far, not much, though I personally think it looks promising. There are scattered results as far as scientific testing, yet there are heaps of
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anecdotal stories from farmers as famous as P.A. Yoeman, the inventor himself, and Geoff Lawton. A 2013 study by Vermont University showed little evidence for increased nutrient holding capacity or increases in soil at several dairy farms studied. However, they did show increased earthworm habitation, showing that subsurface biota is increased. As we know, earthworms are typically beneficial in cycling organic material in the soil. So, while several of the soil scientists on that study seemed pessimistic about the practice, I remain optimistic that it does improve soil quality overall, especially in severely degraded or compacted soils. Unfortunately, more research is needed for there to be a definitive answer. To implement a keyline plow with rotational grazing, a rigid schedule for grazing and plowing is claimed to be essential in obtaining good results. If you are interested in implementing such a design on your farm, it would be helpful to obtain guidance from a permaculture designer with a decade or so of experience, who had not only put such a practice in place, but has also seen the long term effects of doing so. And, of course, if anyone does implement a plan like this, I would love to hear from you about the results!a
The Valley, December 2017
The Best Gift....EVER!!
What is the ONE gift you would love to have this Christmas? Really, the one gift that would mean the most to you....... the one that you could really use! It’s never “things”.....time is often close to the top. But at the very top is to feel good again, to have energy to play like we did as a kid, to have less aches and pains, to be able to breathe clearly, and possibly, not to be dependent on medications that have side effects that attack our health almost as much as our health concern. Please consider doing some natural things for yourself then, and possibly giving a gift certificate to those you love so they can do the same. Come sit in a Himalayan Salt Room for 45 minutes ($15). This room has walls and a floor made of Himalayan salt and more salt is generated into the room. This unique salt is anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and antibacterial. I can’t think of too many health challenges that don’t start with inflammation....so every time you come and sit quietly in the room, your inflammation starts to reduce. People often breathe better, have less arthritic pain, less headaches, less sinus congestion, and are relaxed after a session. Many people take an AUTHENTIC Himalayan salt lamp home with them to extend the benefits into their bedroom or office. A lamp in the bedroom helps people (and babies!) to sleep better and often reduces or eliminates snoring. We have a very large selection of unique and beautiful lamps
and any time you do any of our services, you may purchase a lamp at 15% off our already low prices. We guarantee our lamps are authentic—don’t be fooled by the look-alikes! We also offer both the Ion Cleanse detoxing footbath as well as a FIR Infrared Himalayan salt sauna for detoxing. We are subjected to thousands of toxins and chemicals daily so it helps our bodies if we can lessen the load and allow our bodies to work better. Come try our personal massages, a jade massage bed, an amethyst bio mat for the full body or your back during a salt room session, whole body vibration therapy, and a Bemer mat ( this helps to increase blood flow and oxygen throughout the body— very therapeutic!) We also sell the Bemer mat and the amethyst biomats for you to use daily in your homes for maximum benefits. We sell alkaline water by the gallon for $1. We have a very large selection of wonderful gifts. We have soaps, cremes, and scrubs made with all-natural ingredients and Himalayan salt, edible salts, salt cooking blocks, salt stirs, and many other items. Our large selection of organic bone broth protein shakes makes a great gift too....for yourself or others! Need a salt pillow to help relieve some pain? Call us for an appointment (814954-7731) and bring your family in while they visit over the holidays, or come yourself to relax and refuel while you’re preparing for this most beautiful holiday. Check out our web site ( www. simplyhealth-
calm.com) for all of our services, monthly spa packages, special happenings—like our Solstice day celebration on December 21—or book a spa party in the new year! You may also order online and we will send your gifts to you or to your recipient. A gift certificate is always appreciated It’s been a year of many blessings and the opportunity to meet and make new friends at the spa. We feel honored and blessed when so many of you come back and share your health successes after having experienced the spa—less pain, fewer (or often eliminated ) medications, more energy, and many other improvements. Please stop by and say hello and all of us at Simply Health wish you and your family a blessed and Merry Christmas and the happiest of all holidays. We are here to help you make the New Year healthier. God Bless! Marge Delozier Co-Owner Simply Health Salt Spa 814-954-7731 a
The Truth Has No Agenda
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Winning!
The Valley, December 2017
26
Grove Overcomes Hanky Panky
In the days leading up to November 7th, Gregg Township tried literally everything to keep my husband, Casey Grove, from being elected. Rumors were flying like bats. At the Joint Meeting the night before, ex-Roadmaster Laron Horner told every public servant in attendance that my husband and I initiated a paperwork audit by the Ethics Commission and that my husband cost him “a lot of money.” I did file complaints about Laron and Jennifer’s paperwork, but nobody was fined. In fact, I am the only person who is out of pocket, as complaints to the Ethics Commission require notarization. Here is the response from the Executive Director of the Ethics Commission regarding this outright lie: “There were no civil penalties issued to any public officials in your municipality for deficient or non-filing statements of financial interests.” We spent the entire day at the polls. Casey’s opponent slipped
business cards to people to write in another resident for Constable. Not everyone was handed a card… only certain people. ViceChairman Doug Bierly stopped by to quietly ask her if she needed more cards. I witnessed this. Their sneaky efforts proved futile. Casey was elected Constable, Auditor (as a write-in), and Inspector of Elections (as a write-in). He can only serve in one elected position, but the write-ins were a nice surprise. Now that election day has come and gone, Gregg Township is back to their usual business: spending money. The Board of Supervisors have decided (in the usual 2-1 vote) that the township employees should all receive 4% pay increases this year. We (the residents) will also be purchasing a laptop and a shiny new website that will cost many thousands of dollars. The annual budget just went out for public inspection, and is expected to be to adopted at a special meeting at 5:30 PM on
by Jeffrey Smith
Years ago, skeptical activists challenged me, “How can you expect a tipping point against GMOs when there are so few supplies of non-GMO ingredients?” I smiled and said something they found shocking: “Cargill and ADM will become our allies in this.” “Why would they want to help us?” they asked. It’s true that these multibillion dollar food ingredient and grain trading companies were more traditionally targets of nonprofits, not allies. But I was never expecting them to “want to help us.” Rather, I was counting on them to help themselves. In March of this year, Cargill announced that its list of NonGMO Project Verified ingredients more than quadrupled. In October, ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) invested in a non-GMO soymeal facility. The market is moving—
just as we predicted. Just as we planned. And Monsanto is fighting back. They’ve fabricated a storm of protests against these and other companies that offer non-GMO alternatives, and they’ve deployed an army of trolls and PR firms who are creating the impression that all the health danger fuss about GMOs and Roundup is just an unscientific scare tactic. We need your financial support to counter this lie. In fact, we believe that the massive deterioration of our children’s health is largely being fueled by GMOs and Roundup.
We need to get our message across not only to tip an industry, but to heal children, heal families, and save lives. We have more compelling evidence than ever before about how GMOs and Roundup rob us of our health. As the desperate GMO industry works overtime to cover up the truth and try to reverse our progress, so we need your support more than ever. Institute for Responsible Technology PO Box 469 - Fairfield IA 52556 641-209-1765 info@responsibletechnology.org a
What is the Condition of Your Water? We Have Solutions For:
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The Valley, December 2017
Mail Pouch Books by Carleen B. Grossman KIRK AND ANNE: Letters of Love, Laughter and a Lifetime in Hollywood By Kirk Douglas, Anne Douglas and Forward by Michael Douglas Copyright May 2, 2017 240 pages Some years ago, I found the correspondence that my parents saved from their years of dating and the years that my father served in WWII during their early married life and for the first five years of their marriage until the birth of their first child. I took some time to edit the letters and made a keepsake recording of me reading their letters. I am so grateful that I did this. Thus, when I heard about this particular book and the audio book version of it that is narrated by the adult grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Kirk and Anne Douglas, I just had to listen to it.
“Thor: Ragnarok” It’s been over two years since we’ve seen Thor (Chris Hemsworth), which seems like forever in Marvel Cinematic Universe time. He missed the dissolution of The Avengers in “Captain America: Civil War” and the rise of several new superheroes. We missed a lot with him as well. He broke up with his girlfriend and got himself imprisoned by a fire demon. The demon wants to bring about Ragnarok, or the destruction
At the time of my writing this review, Kirk is 100 years old; and the copyright on this book, as you may have noticed, is May of 2017. A tidbit that you might be interested in knowing is that on December 9, 2017 Kirk Douglas will turn 101 years old! This book has alternating sec-
of Thor’s home planet of Asgard, which essentially means the end of everything Thor holds dear. Thor kills the demon in about a minute and returns to Asgard expecting a hero’s welcome, only to learn that he’s missed a lot there too. His wise father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) has exiled himself to Earth and his troublesome brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is now posing as the king. The brothers travel to Earth to bring Odin back, only to discover that they have a long-lost sister named Hela (Cate Blanchett) who is bent on taking over Asgard and conquering the universe, not to be confused with the flat-out destruction of Asgard that is Ragnarok. To give herself an unfair advantage, she traps the brothers on the waste-disposal planet of Sakaar. Loki wastes no time selfishly endearing himself to the planet’s Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), while Thor searches for a way to get off the planet. He’s captured by drunken bounty hunter Scrap-
tions written by Kirk Douglas and his wife, Anne. Kirk and Anne each provide snippets of their life including the time before they met. Sometimes, Anne provides additional information or another viewpoint about what Kirk just told about and Kirk does similar
per 142 (Tessa Thompson) who sells him to the Grandmaster as a gladiator. He’ll win his freedom if he can defeat the Grandmaster’s Grand Champion… The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Hulk’s been gone from the MCU for as long as Thor, and his story has apparently consisted of getting stuck on Sakaar, becoming Grand Champion, and not being able to turn back into Bruce Banner. Thor wants to recruit Hulk to help him save Asgard, but without Banner’s goodness, Hulk no help, Hulk Smash! For better or worse, this is a “fun” film. I love the bright color scheme with greens and oranges standing out, especially on Sakaar. This movie would be right at home on 90’s Nickelodeon. The film prides itself on its sense of humor, and the results are mixed. Superhero movies that take themselves too seriously do make for a miserable experience (a few from the rival DC Universe come to mind), but this one may
The Truth Has No Agenda
writing/telling with his sections. Within the entire book are many interesting Hollywood tidbits about various celebrities and the very wealthy people of Los Angeles who the Douglas’s socialized with. It provides a good history of the Hollywood lives and even the lives of several U.S. Presidents. There are many
old photographs in the book – the ones in color are in the middle section of the book and then throughout are also some black/ white photos. Since Kirk is 100 years old and a Russian immigrant, this book gives history buffs a great fix of history. In this day of speed-contact and email, I think it’s wonderful that these two saved their hand-written letters to each other. This book is quite inspiring and uplifting. I have included a photo of the book jacket for you to view plus two extra photos; one of Kirk and Anne with their sons, and another of a photo showing them then and now! a
take a few steps too far toward the other extreme. Almost every scene is permeated with something going wrong and making our stoic characters look silly. They’ll mistime crucial moments, they’ll stumble and fall, they’ll be clumsy around newfangled equipment and obstacles, and they’ll otherwise be embarrassed when they’re trying to look cool. These gags happen so frequently that they quickly lose the element of surprise. I found myself hoping that things would go right just so the movie could stop wasting time on characters recovering from minor missteps. Come to think of it, the whole MCU has been taking this approach lately, and it’s getting stale. The film isn’t exactly ruined by its silliness, and indeed there are several gags that work (everything involving Rachel House as the Grandmaster’s scene-stealing assistant is gold), but the franchise would do well to ease up on humiliating its heroes going forward.
“Thor: Ragnarok” is ultimately an average MCU offering from a character who’s never quite reached the heights as his colleagues in The Avengers. For such a lighthearted entry, this film sees Thor lose an awful lot, which leads me to theorize that he’s not going to survive his next go-around. I know the character is worth a ton of money to the MCU, but they’re going to want to shock fans by killing off an Avenger eventually, and by the end of this movie there’s an unmistakable impression that he’s run his course. I could be way off, but I say you should enjoy Thor’s meatheaded antics while you can. Grade: C “Thor: Ragnarok” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive material. Its running time is 130 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@ nyu.edu. a
The Valley, December 2017
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Life in the East End
River Valley & The Cookie Jar
by Rebecca Harrop After reading the article last month titled “GMOs and Cancer” written by Jeffrey Smith I decided to do some more research on GMOs. First I would like to point out that Mr. Smith is neither a scientist nor doctor and lists ZERO references for where he gets his information. His article focuses on GMOs causing cancer and other illnesses. The truth is there are no known or proven cases of GMOs causing any illness or disease. A statement made by the National Academics of Sciences in 2016 states “over 20 years of data in credible scientific studies show no long term effects from eating GMOs.” There is also no
nutritional difference between GMO and non-GMO. There are many benefits to using GMO crops. They are one of the best ways for farmers to protect and preserve water, air and land. We have been able to reduce carbon emissions by 58.8 billion lbs. In the last 20 years pesticide application has been reduced by 8%, while increasing crop yields by 22% with less land. We are able to use less toxic pesticides and have reduced water pollution. Using non-GMO practices is simply not sustainable and not a feasible way to feed the growing world population. Without GMOs
Dairy - Good - Truth by Gretchen Little
As the weather gets colder and the thought of snowy nights near, one thing comes to mind. Holiday break. A few days off of work and a week or so off of school combined with the holiday spirit is simply magical. But in my house, and many others, Christmas isn’t a day off. That morning my dad rises early to milk the cows so that my brother and I can open our stockings when he’s finished. We eat a quick breakfast together before we all take off for the barn to help Dad finish the barn chores for the morning before everyone arrives. I always call dibs on my favorite job, feeding the calves. After finishing, we’d race up to the house to
we would need to convert the equivaRt. 522 McVeytown, PA lent of almost all 717-899-6850 US National Park Mon - Fri 7am - 6pm land to farmland to Sat 8am - 3pm get the same crop yield. The entire SOMETHING FOR rainforest would EVERYONE! need to be cut down Classic and converted to Wooden farmland, comPop Guns pletely destroying ecosystems and Toys For Our Specialty possibly causing The Kids Order Your Cookie Tray Today! animal and plant species to go exGift Certificates Available! tinct. I’m sure most and untruthful things people say to stop them from dying form disof you have seen about GMOs. People who oppose ease. If it wasn’t for the Rainbow the picture of the tomato with the GMOs use fear and misinformapapaya most of the papayas of syringe stuck in it when articles tion rather than facts to get people Hawaii would have been wiped are talking about GMOs. Guess to join their cause. Would you out by disease causing many what? There are NO GMO torather watch people dying of farmers to lose their livelihood. matoes on the market. There are starvation? Anti-GMO = Anticurrently 10 GMO crops available Just imagine if the blight resistant Science. potato had been available during on the market. They are Summer I have no problem with peothe years of the Irish Potato FamSquash 1995 disease resistance, ple who choose to use non-GMO ine. One million Irish died due to Soybean 1995 insect resistance starvation and another one million and organic practices, but they do and herbicide tolerant, Field/ not need to tear down those who Sweet Corn 1996 insect resistance emigrated from Ireland reducing do. There are enough consumthe population by 20-25%. So & herbicide/drought tolerant, ers for everyone. Some great many lives could have been saved Cotton 1996 insect resistance & sources for information are www. if they had the technology we herbicide tolerant, Papaya 1997 gmoanswers.com, GMO Answers have today. disease resistance, Canola 1999 Most people today own a YouTube channel, and a movie on herbicide tolerant, Alfalfa 2006 smartphone. We can hold in our Hulu called Food Evolution. herbicide tolerant, Sugar Beets I hope I have inspired some hands more technology than was 2006 herbicide tolerant, Potato of you to do research for youron the first Apollo mission. Yet 2016 non-browning & blight selves from these credible sources with all this amazing technolresistance, and Apple 2017 nonogy we have access to, people rather than simply believing the browning. don’t want us to use it because fearmongering of the Anti-GMO The Rainbow Papaya was they believe all the misleading crowd. a developed by scientists in Hawaii
change and wait patiently to open our presents. So as the holiday season nears, we ask that you think of the farmers (and farm families) that work 365 days a year to ensure that their community is provided with wholesome and nutritious dairy products. We ask that you support your local dairy farmers this holiday season by devouring delectable dairy dishes by using REAL butter, adding scoop of vanilla ice cream with your dessert, or simply enjoy a glass of milk with your meal. Happy Holidays and a very DAIRY Christmas! a
HOMEMADE C O O K I E S D A I LY S A N D TA RT S
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The Valley, December 2017
The Truth Has No Agenda
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The Valley, December 2017
30 Home at the Grange from page 11 County Pomona Grange #13 (which I am now the treasurer of) and Progress Grange #96. Since 1874, both Leonard and Mary have been in association with Grange. Growing up at the brick mansion, the Rhone daughters walked to a one-room “common” school, the Manor school, one-half mile down the “Rhone road.” (In my life I walked down that same road now Rimmey Road to catch a
Our Yesteryears from page 14 If a new car wasn’t in your future, White’s Bicycle Store at 11 W. Monument Square, suggested making it a bicycle for Christmas. A 1925 advertisement stated: What a delightful gift a bicycle would be to your boy or girl, you could never find a present that would be appreciated, or that would do them more good physically. Bicycles build health, strength and independence. We have an unusually large and attractive line of Christmas bicycles. Victrolas of all designs were advertised for playing your favorite records. Kauffman’s Music House had everything from the $25 table model to a grand floor model in exquisite cabinet styling for $350. The emerging medium of radio was beginning to make an impact locally in the 1920s. Radio sets were advertised at Kauffman’s, Lewistown Electric on Chestnut Street and at the Edgewood Radio Shop in Burnham. Edgewood guaranteed every radio set came with batteries, tubes and a head-set, priced from $39.50 to $97.50. The Radiola Grand Radio Receiver installed complete and ready to tune to your favorite Broadcasting Station, cost $350, (as much as an automobile of the era). Mifflin County in the 1920s did not yet have its own broadcasting station. It seems nothing was out of the realm of gift possibilities in the 1920s. A dentist on Market
school bus at SR45. It is approximately 50 yards from the Manor School house, which still stands today. The Rhone family attended the Tusseyville Lutheran Church. (Growing up I attended the Tusseyville Reformed and Lutheran Church). They visited the Captain George Boal’s farm with a similar large brick house which was down the lane half a mile south. (I grew up playing in this house with our neighbors the Neubert Family). Down the Rhone (Rimmey) road in the opposite direction was the Stanford Cabin, which today still stands and is also listed in the National Registry of Homes just like Rhoneymeade. The attic of the house was never finished and still remained in its raw state when I lived there. The Rhone Children played in that attic and so did
I. In the summer, the attic was a bake oven, and in the winter, an ice-box since there was no insulation. I remember hearing about and seeing the writings and drawings as a child. The Rhone family continued to be steadfast with the Grange. Leonard went on to be the PA State Grange Master, he was a Pomona Grange Master, Master of Progress Grange #96 and was the President of the Grange Fair. Many people, however. do not realize that he also served in the PA Department of Agriculture and as a Statesman in the General Assembly for Pennsylvania. Grange was also in the lives of his daughters and wife. They served positions at the subordinate level, at the PA State Grange level and at the National level. His wife Mary was a National Grange delegate for 18 years; was Ceres of the Assembly of Demeter for two terms, which is the highest court of the National Grange, and for eight years was Lady Asst. Steward of
Street even offered a unique gift during the Holiday season in 1923. Dr. Haag of Hart’s Dental suggested dentures, with a testimonial from a user of the new Statite Teeth. “I ate a roast beef supper with my Statite Teeth immediately after they were put in. They are very satisfactory.” (This from an admiring customer from Burnham.) The Christmas dinner was estimated to cost $6.87 in the early 1920s. With a population of about 10,000 people and growing, Lewistown supported an astonishing 70 grocery stores within the Borough during this decade. Many were Mom and Pop businesses, located within the various neighborhoods, but Weis Pure Food Stores were here, as was the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., the reliable A&P. The Christmas parade as we know it today, had not yet made its appearance on the streets of Lewistown in the 1920s. Each year, the Community Tree was erected on Monument Square and Community Carol singing, church services and suppers for the less fortunate seemed the norm. These newspaper headlines tell the story: The Sentinel, Saturday, December 24, 1921 - CITY AGAIN MIDST GLAD YULETIDE, SING CAROLS TONIGHT. RENDITION OF CHRISTMAS STORY BEFORE COMMUNITY TREE THIS EVENING WILL MARK BEGINNING OF FESTIVITIES. Monday, December 24, 1923 - CROWDS FILL CHURCHES TO HEAR STORY OF
CHRIST’S BIRTH. Thursday, December 24, 1925 - CHRISTMAS WILL BE JOYFUL DAY IN MIFFLIN COUNTY HOMES, CHARITY WORKERS HAVE PROVIDED CHEER FOR FAMILIES SANTA MIGHT HAVE MISSED ON HIS ROUNDS, ALL INDUSTRIES AT STANDSTILL, FEW ATTRACTIONS OUTSIDE OF HOMES, SCHOOLS CLOSE TODAY, LOCAL CELEBRATION STARTS THIS EVENING. Tuesday, December 24, 1929 – CAROL SINGING WILL USHER IN CHRISTMAS DAY, SEVERAL GROUPS PLAN TO SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS ON THE STREETS OF LEWISTOWN TONIGHT, WILL CHEER THE HOSPITAL PATIENTS, AUXILIARIES BRIGHTEN LOCAL INSTITUTIONS - LOCAL INSTITUTIONS, ALL BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY. Snow began to fall on December 23, 1929, and with a cold snap following, it was going to be a white Christmas in Mifflin County. And at least as the decade closed, children were nestled snug in their beds and the coming New Year, and new decade of the 1930s, offered hope for the future. I take this opportunity to wish our readers a very Merry and Blessed Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year! HISTORY IS OUR STORY PASS IT ON a
the Pennsylvania State Grange. Both daughters filled in the positions of PA State Grange Flora, Pomona and Lady Asst. Steward. In my life I have served in several subordinate positions at Grange and also at the Pomona level and on PA State Grange Committees. Like Leonard, my daughter Ashley also faithfully serves Grange. She serves as the Logan Grange #109 Lecturer and previously as Junior Matron and Flora. She has been the Chaplain, Lecturer and is now the Pomona Master at Centre County Pomona #13 and has also served as the Pennsylvania State Grange Pomona for three terms. Lastly the last thing that keeps me connected to Grange like Leonard Rhone is the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair. Leonard Rhone was fundamental in the starting of the Grange Pic Nik, which is now the fair. He served as manager and overseer of the event. Both his daughters were listed on the tenting list. (In my lifetime I have never not attended the annual Grange Fair. My family tent has been in existence for approximately 100 years with members of my family actually attending the first event. My daughter Ashley also serves on the Grange Fair Committee where she is Chairman of the Dairy Committee.) The last correlation that I can claim between the Rhone family and mine is that we both moved from Rhoneymeade into the town Centre Hall. In 1900, the Rhone family made a fateful decision to leave the farm and Rhone house and move four miles to Centre Hall. Sadly, on September 25, 1917
Leonard Rhone passed away. The Grange sadly missed his guiding hand. Within two years of Leonard’s death, both daughters found husbands that were acquaintances from their youth. May married the Reverend Wilton Dunlap, a widower who lived in Louisville, KY and Florence married Roger Bayard at her sister’s home in Louisville, KY later that year. So as I finish this, I do not claim to be as important as Leonard Rhone and his family for they were truly good amazing Grange members. I am strictly showing how closely my life has paralleled the life of Leonard Rhone and family. Grange is still very important in the lives of many in Centre County and at State and National levels. Please feel free to contact any Grange member and they will give you the information you need to join Grange. As stated, the Centre County Grange Pomona Master is Ashley Furman and you can contact her at 814-360-2265 or ABird6280@yahoo.com or get in touch with me at GracieGrandma55@yahoo.com or 814-3592851. a
Dr. Joseph Kauffman from page 22
and that way you can make an educated decision. The life and well-being of your children depend on you, the parent, and the decisions that you make. Enjoy the time you have with your family over the holidays, and Merry Christmas to you all.
higher-rate-sickness-470-increaseautism/ Here is the article in a peer-reviewed journal: http:// www.oatext.com/Pilot-comparative-study-on-the-health-of-vaccinated-and-unvaccinated-6-to12-year-old-U-S-children.php As I always try to encourage all of you to do…please research these on your own. Take the posted links and look them up for yourself. Do your own research
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Dr. Joseph Kauffman Kauffman-Hummel Chiropractic Clinic drjosephkauffman@comcast.net a
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The Valley, December 2017
WSOV
the Sounds of the Valleys
Finally on the Air!
WSOV, the Sounds of the Valleys, a low-power FM community radio station for Penns Valley that was four years in the making, is excited to announce they will be broadcasting starting 12/2/17. “This represents an enormous accomplishment for our tiny community,” comments Nick Engle, the new station’s General Manager. “People have waited and watched and hoped for this, especially since we get so little coverage out here.” WSOV, 101.7 on the dial, is a project of the Penns Valley Conservation Association, and received its license to build in March of 2014. Since then, the community has raised nearly $20,000 to get the license to broadcast. “We’ve had to build two studios, as our first one was lost to us in a zoning dispute,” notes Larry Wolken, one of the station’s founders. “Having to start all over again when we were almost on air really set us back, so I’m especially delighted that we’re finally going live.” The first month’s programming will have a holiday music focus, along with readings of notable Christmas classics such as Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and
“Twas the Night Before Christmas” by well-known Penns Valley English teacher Carl Gaffron. After that, programming will include Valley history, a wide variety of music, environmental education programs, gardening, fishing and hunting, children’s stories, poetry readings, and pro-
Winter is Alpaca Time from front page
with its super versatility combined with its super soft texture. The high ribbed cuff extends to midcalf. The gathered band at center foot holds the sock in its place. They feel thick to the touch, but yet they are light and breathable. The inside resembles terry cloth.
socks provide warmth, but are not so tight that they reduce circulation. When circulation is reduced in the foot, the arthritis sufferer feels more aches and pains. Something Special for hunters. Our ultimate outdoor socks are a huge hit with the local hunters and people that are outdoors in the cold for long periods of time. These socks are absolutely the ultimate in comfort
Alpaca socks will cradle your feet in warmth and comfort.
work with folks to make the proTHE ennsylvania grams they want. hamber rchestra They may be a little rough, but they’ll be real PRESENTS Penns Valley.” The station’s studio is now located with the Orpheus Singers and professional soloists in the next to HosterState Theatre, State College, PA. man & Stover’s Hardware store Two performances on on Rt 45. “One good thing that came out of our move is that it got the broad2:30 PM and 7:00 pm cast tower up higher, so we can Soloists: reach a slightly Lisa Rogali, soprano larger audiTimothi Williams, mezzo-soprano Christopher Kiver ence. We now Guest Conductor Jeffrey Fahnestock, tenor can be heard Ted Christopher, bass-baritone from Hartleton to nearly Centre $ Hall, and almost to Livonia as $8 for children 16 and under and students with ID. well as MadiTickets are available online at sonburg, out in George’s Valley www.TheStateTheatre.org or call 814-272-0606 and through the Millheim Narrows,” Wolken SPONSORED BY: observed. Engel adds: “And simultaneously. You’ll log on to puter or your phone.” when we’re WSOV.org, our website, and be Contact: Lisa J. Marshall streaming in a few weeks, folks able to listen through your comPhone: (814) 404-5425 can listen us anywhere. That’s the exciting part – we can be local and world-wide
C
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“Messiah”
Handel’s
Sunday, December 10,
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grams on wellness “as well as any other programs the community brings us,’ says Engle. “We very much want this to be a community- focused station, so we’ll
FEATURES * Plush comfort yet breath- able * Alpaca naturally wicks away perspiration * Retains warmth even when wet * Solid best seller sock for ladies & men Alpaca socks are machine washable and do not require special care. They are ideal for people who are allergic to sheep’s wool. Products made from alpaca fiber are long lasting, in fact, a well made pair of alpaca socks will last for many years. Alpaca fiber is often said to be stronger and longer lasting than most wools. We now carry a bigger variety of alpaca clothing such as hats, scarves and gloves. If you are a consumer looking
for good quality alpaca socks, you will want to check out Brisco’s Coffee House and DP Gifts. We are located at 309 South Logan Blvd. Burnham, PA right between Vince’s Pizza and Four Star Jewlers. We ship throughout the USA, and will ship internationally if requested. Our alpaca products will make a great and unique gift this holiday season. See Dutch Pantry Gifts Ad on this page. Stop by Brisco’s Coffee House and DP Gifts and see the great selection of alpaca items. a
The Truth Has No Agenda
The Valley, December 2017
32
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