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From the Editor ...
TJean Knouse
wo years ago, in the September issue of Inside PA, I wrote a column about how on earth there could be so many foods — for people and pets — that were pumpkin-flavored! Not only that, those items began appearing on store shelves in mid-August. This year, I’ve noticed there are fewer pumpkin-flavored options. Could it be that apple cinnamon may be about to overtake pumpkin as the spice of fall?
While some things change on a fairly regular basis, others do not. In this issue, a group of Penn State alums who have tailgated together for more than 40 years are going to share plans, recipes and one or two stories. However, the one about taking a boat to a game takes some believing!
One of Danville’s favorite sons — who you might know as an educator, musician, historian and all-around nice guy — has taken on a challenge that some of us will never want to emulate. However, you can trust Van Wagner to find a new way to call attention to an important environmental concern. And, “wow” has he found one!
For 20 years, I’ve had a Tickle Me Elmo acting as a doorstop for one of the rooms in my house. (Note: I can be very creative when I would like to buy something I am a little too old to own.). But when I pass that little guy, I now think about how jealous I am that Ryan Pardoe, of Milton, got to meet the “real” Elmo. Ryan knows about bees and Elmo and his friends wanted to know more about them.
The Covered Bridge Festival in Bloomsburg and The Christkindl Market in Mifflinburg are two events that began modestly and have grown each of the many years they have been staged. More than one local event has ended for a variety of reasons, so how did these folks keep their projects going?
Perhaps, like me, you thought post office art was a project of the Depression — an effort to employ outof-work artists and sculptors. Not so, says Mary Bernath. Our local post offices contain treasures you may not have ever noticed. Check them out in these pages and then in person!
The joyful sounds of children at play is a wonderful thing. However, is it more important to allow children to play on their own or participate in organized lessons and/or team events? It’s an important question.
Fall is such a splendid time of year. There is so much to do — especially if the weather cooperates. Pace yourself and seek guidance if you’re thinking about climbing 67 trees!
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Jean L. Knouse, Editor jknouse@dailyitem.com
ContinuingCareCommunity
TheHome e With a
Cover photo by Robert Inglis
Sept./Oct. 2024
More presidents were born in October than in any other month: John Adams (1735), Rutherford B. Hayes (1822), Chester A. Arthur (1829), Theodore Roosevelt (1858) and Jimmy Carter (1924).
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A great blue heron lands in the middle of the Susquehanna River in Sunbury.
Robert Inglis is an awardwinning photographer for The Daily Item. In 2023, Inglis’s 20-year Retrospective of Photographic Journalism was exhibited at the Degenstein Library in Sunbury.
Everyly Gates, 4, of New Berlin, tries to hold onto her sheep during the Mutton Busting competition at the West End Fair.
Robert Inglis
Sean Lowes and Rick McIntosh pull into Hufnagle Park in Lewisburg during a stop for the Great Race.
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
Valley educator’s goal: Get people talking about trees
by Nicholas G. Williams
While hiking the Montour Ridge one afternoon, Danville High School teacher Van Wagner was struck with an exciting idea. He had brought his tree-climbing gear with him with the intent of scaling the highest tree on the highest point of the mountain. Montour Ridge, in Montour County, is a part of the nation’s Appalachian Ridges. During his climb, Wagner says it occurred to him it was possible he was the only person to attempt to climb the highest tree in Montour County. Along with that, he was sure this experience would stick with him for the rest of his life.
As he rose through the foliage, he was awestruck. “I became part of the woods and loved every second of it,” Wagner said. In that moment, he vowed to replicate this experience at the highest point of the highest mountain in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
Wagner is a Danville native who, sometimes by himself and often with friends, has hiked and explored the old trails in Montour County and climbed lots of trees. His love for nature was nurtured where he lived on the side of Bald Top Mountain: He grew up with the Susquehanna River as the view from his house among the trees.
Wagner became heavily invested in the commonwealth’s forests at a very young age. He says his upbringing left him with a deep appreciation for the value of Pennsylvania’s woodlands. This resource, he said, although fragile, will provide for generations if it’s properly maintained.
He says his ultimate goal is to raise
Photo by Robert Inglis
VIEW FROM THE TOP
MONTOUR COUNTY
From Van: Today I climbed to the highest point in Montour County and then climbed the highest tree I could find. I’d like to think it’s the highest natural climb anyone’s ever done in the county (natural meaning not up a radio or cell tower). ... My hope is to raise public awareness about our forests and the trees and animals within them. Pennsylvania is blessed with some of the most amazing forests and I want to promote them. At the same time our forests face many challenges and risks and I want to draw attention and discussion to these issues.
SNYDER COUNTY
From Van: For the Snyder County climb I was joined by friends from the Ulsh Hunting Camp. We met at Mount Pisgah Altar and hiked through a forest of Pitch Pine and Black Gun. ... I want my climbs to celebrate positive things. Our forests are vibrant. They are the source of thousands of jobs.
UNION COUNTY
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
From Van: From the top we could see as far south as the Harrisburg area and as far north as what I believe to be Montour Ridge in Danville. I chose a sturdy Chestnut oak tree along the tree line and made my climb. Once in the tree I noticed a run-down tree stand about 15 feet below me to the east. I wonder if the hunter who built it realized that at the time they had likely climbed higher than anyone in Northumberland County.
From Van: Today I climbed to the top of Jones Mountain, the highest point in Union County, Pennsylvania. My friend, Jamie Garrett, joined me for the adventure. We parked along Route 192 near Sand Bridge State Park and hiked up the Buffalo Path. I would like to add: There is no path! It was hand-to-hand combat with thick mountain laurel while hiking uphill with 30-40 pounds of climbing gear on my back. ... Once on top we took in one of the most incredible views I’ve ever seen in the whole state. You can drive a car to this vista but we decided a hike up the mountain was more fitting for this effort.
Photo by Robert Inglis
“I FIND MANY PEOPLE KNOW THEIR LOCAL HIGH POINTS AND HIGHEST MOUNTAINS. BUT THIS PROJECT HAS MADE THE CONVERSATION INCLUDE THE TREES THAT GROW UPON THOSE MOUNTAINS.”
VAN WAGNER
awareness for trees and the forests they call home, all in an effort to perpetuate the upkeep of the forests and to advance environmentalism.
“I find many people know their local high points and highest mountains,” Wagner said, “but this project has made the conversation include the trees that grow upon those mountains.” In order to find the tallest points in each county, he uses the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS is the country’s largest land mapping agency; the maps found here are updated hourly and very accurate. From there, Wagner says he visually identifies the tallest tree and climbs it. As a certified forester with the Society of American Foresters and a certified arborist with the International Society of Arborists, he is qualified to establish and work toward this goal.
Before beginning his career as a teacher, Wagner worked as an anthracite coal miner in Schuylkill County. In the heart of Pennsylvania’s coal region, he found himself as much as 500 feet underground on a daily basis. After this, he taught at Pine Grove High School, before moving to Idaho to become a logger. After this, he returned to the Commonwealth to teach at Lewisburg High School, where he remained until 2022. Presently, he teaches agriculture science at Danville High School — an occupation he considers himself fortunate to have. His passion is educating each new class of young people and being able to have a positive influence on the students in his community. He says returning to his home to teach has been a “full-circle life event.”
Wagner instructs his students on the importance of forests. The timberlands of the United States account for billions of dollars in revenue annually. As of 2022, the nation’s forests were responsible for roughly $42 billion in total economic output each year. Along with that, they provide directly for more than one million jobs, per the Georgia Institute of Technology.
In addition to their economic value, forests also hold significant spiritual value. In centuries past, indigenous societies relied on the forest for food, shelter, medicines and a slew of other life essen-
tials. Drawing on the teachings of the Native American tribes that once dominated North America, the forest and all of nature is to be treated with respect and honor. Many of these tribes held that everything in the world, including the forest, has a soul and should, therefore, be revered.
Wagner said the forests of today are plagued with many threats. The United States Forest Service declares that most of our nation’s forests are faced with one, or a combination, of four main overarching threats: Fire and fuels, invasive species, loss of open space, and unmanaged outdoor recreation. Pennsylvania’s forests are plagued by timber theft, disease, illegal dumping, motorized trespass, fire, poaching and the industrialization of our state forests. The Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation works to combat these ongoing issues in an effort to preserve forests and exercise the constitutional right to
clean air and water, or section 27 of the first article in the Pa. state’s constitution, he said.
Wagner stresses the importance of citizen involvement to protect the forests, saying that beginning is as simple as learning to identify the various species of trees found in the state. While he does not have a favorite type of tree, Wagner admits that he is very found of the Tamarack tree as the name is similar to his wife’s first name.
Wagner has completed climbs in more than 50 of the state’s counties, which puts him in the home stretch to his goal.
His determina-
tion to replicate his experience on the Montour ridge, along with his dauntless want to educate the community in forestry and preservation, have pushed him ever-closer to the completion of his goal — perhaps this fall.
PACast
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding climbs a tree toward Danville Area High School agriculture educator and forester Van Wagner at Blue Knob State Park in Imler, Bedford County.
Post office art, sculptures abundant in Valley
Program funded embellishment of historic U.S. buildings
By Mary Bernath
The next time you head to your local post office to buy stamps or mail a package, don’t just make a beeline for the window. Take a moment to look around, and up. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you will discover.
Post offices built between 1934 and 1943, of which there are many in our area, were often beneficiaries of a special program sponsored by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts, which commissioned and installed original murals and sculptures for the public to enjoy.
Separate from Works Progress Administration art, which was meant to employ artists in need during the Depression, the Section aimed to “select art of high quality to enhance public buildings.” Artists were not chosen on the basis of need, but through anonymous competitions where the jurors were often other artists. Franklin Roosevelt’s Treasury Department, led by Henry Morganthau Jr., set aside one percent of
At
Office Museum.
This “embellishment” was most often a mural or a sculpture or bas-relief, usually displayed above or around the postmaster’s door. Danville, Bloomsburg and Northumberland have impressive sculptures and Muncy and Selinsgrove colorful murals. In addition, the post offices in Lewisburg and Milton sport grandiose architectural features.
Once artists won the competition for a particular post office, they consulted with the postmaster and the community to work out the design. Selinsgrove’s “Susquehanna Trail,” a tempera mural above and around the postmaster’s door, was done by George Rickey in 1939 in cooperation with postmaster Marion
Mary Bernath
he was impressed by the countryside and painted instead a farm scene with the town, the Susquehanna River, and Mahanoy Mountain in the background.
The scene, in vibrant reds, greens, and blues, features two full-sized farmer figures on either side of the postmaster’s door that seem to step out into the room, with horses and a plow in the field behind. A woman approaches carrying a letter out to the workers, with her rural mailbox behind her, a plug for the importance of mail delivery by the Postal Service to bring the nation together.
Scenes of local interest and of Americans at work or leisure were emphasized. Although social realism painting was popular at the time, “the hard realities of
the Bloomsburg Post Office, the artwork is a hree-dimensional wood carving in walnut entitled “Pennsylvania Farming.” It was installed above the Postmaster’s door in 1937.
American life are not illustrated on post office walls,” according to the Postal Museum. “Tragic portrayals of industrial accidents or jobless Americans standing in bread lines are not to be found on post office walls.”
The large bas-relief sculptures in Danville and Bloomsburg, both mounted above the postmaster’s doors, depict local scenes. In Danville, Jean de Marco’s “Iron Pouring” (1941), done in cast aluminum, highlights Danville’s iron-producing dominance in the 1800s, when 14 blast furnaces were in operation. “It’s a beautiful piece,” said postmaster Angela Raup. The artist, a famous sculptor with a long career, has two pieces on display in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol and won numerous medals for his work.
In Bloomsburg, high above a bank of post office boxes, is a carved walnut relief by Roy King called
“Pennsylvania Farming,” completed in 1937. Four farmers and a farmer’s wife stand with their livestock — a pig, a cow, a chicken and a goat, with a baby goat in the wife’s arms. The figures are extremely lifelike and the wood a rich brown.
Roy King, too, was a major artist, with sculptures displayed in government buildings throughout the country, including four 13-foot carved limestone statues for the Cadet Mess at West Point meant to represent the Four Virtues of Military Service. Total weight is 16 tons.
Some post office art recognizes local heroes. The red mahogany relief hanging above the postal window in the Northumberland Post Office honors Joseph Priestley, known for his discovery of oxygen. His home and laboratory were just down the street. The
Mary Bernath
Cast aluminum “Iron Pouring” is on display at the Danville Post Office. It was created by Jean de Marco in 1941.
Photos by Mary Bernath
Above: The interior of the Lewisburg Post Office at 301 Market St. The marble and brass embellishments were a New Deal project. Note that even the trash cans are brass. Right: “Susquehanna Trail” a mural done in tempera fills an entire wall at the Selinsgrove Post Office.
sculpture was carved by Dina Melicov, a Jewish immigrant sculptor-painter from New York, in 1942.
Another local hero is Rachel Silverthorn, celebrated in oil on canvas at the Muncy Post Office. As soon as John Beauchamp, the artist, met Dr. T.K. Wood, president of the Muncy Historical Society, and heard her story, he knew he wanted to paint a mural about this forgotten Revolutionary War heroine.
As the story goes, in July 1778, settlers along Loyalsock Creek were being massacred by British Loyalists and their Native American allies. Survivors fled to Fort Muncy for protection, but many more were in danger. When Captain Brady struggled to find a volunteer to ride up Muncy Creek to warn them, a young woman named Rachel Silverthorn sprang onto the Captain’s white horse and galloped off to sound the alarm and lead them to safety.
Beauchamp was paid $700 for his mural, which measures 12 feet wide and took him eight months to complete. Out of that came his living expenses, travel costs, and art supplies. The painting was set in place in 1937.
Sometimes the whole building was the artistic showpiece. In Lewisburg, the elaborate brass and marble interior of the combined courthouse and post office erected at 301 Market St. in the early 1930s was a New Deal project, according to former postmaster Rick Sheets. The building has since been purchased by Bucknell for use as a downtown office,
Mary Bernath
The top of the main doorway of the Milton Post Office includes a carving of a Native American. There are two of these, one on each side. Also shown is the carving of the locomotive.
Also, the over-sized bricks are laid in a wheat design under each window. Mary Bernath
but the post office still sparkles with the original brass.
Local thoughts of grandeur went into designing the post office in Milton, completed in 1934-36, with its line of carved stone reliefs across the top showing five modes of mail transportation, from pony express to airplanes, and its elaborate entrance, with a bronze casting above the door showing the topography of Milton along the river, combined with the seal of the United States. Even the bricks are a quarter-inch larger than normal in all dimensions to add to the building’s grandeur. They are laid in a wheat design beneath each window. The architect was Henry Sternfield and the artist was Louis Maene.
While the Section of Fine Arts was in operation, it commissioned more than 1,100 murals and 300 sculptures in post offices and courthouses nationwide. There are 95 pieces of New Deal/WPA post office art
in Pennsylvania alone. A state-by-state list appears on www.wpamurals.org.
A person could spend a lifetime traveling the nation in search of post office art. Evan Kalish, from New York, has done just that. Starting with a three-month road trip around the country after he graduated from college in 2009, he has been visiting post offices for 15 years. Total count has topped 11,000 in all 50 states. He works with the Living New Deal organization to document and geocode New Deal projects he encounters in his travels. His blog, “Postlandia,” makes interesting reading for post office lovers.
Locally, the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau published a brochure titled “Post Office Art Road Trip,” with 12 area post offices featured. It is no longer in print but available online.
Mary Bernath Joseph Priestley is carved in red mahogany, and above the postal window in Northumberland.
Mary Bernath
“Rachel Silverthorn’s Ride,” is a 12-foot oil-on-canvas mural installed in the Muncy Post Office in 1937. It honors this little-known local Revolutionary War hero. In 1778, Silverthorn rode on horseback from the fort up Muncy Creek to warn settlers of an impending attack by the British and their Native American allies.
Three among many
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer will account for 30% of all new female cancers this year. Before the 1980s, very few people knew anyone outside of their immediate family who was suffering with breast cancer — people didn’t talk about it.
Judy
Helcoski,
written by Jean Knouse
My grandmother was born in 1910. She was one of 14 children and the oldest girl. Her youngest sister, Annabelle, was born in 1926. One day, I found my mother and grandmother in tears: They had just found out Annabelle had been diagnosed with breast cancer. They saw it as a death sentence and, unfortunately, it would be.
My great aunt, Annabelle, was the first person I knew who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 54 when she died on Jan. 15, 1981.
In 2005, my sister, Judy Helcoski, was 50 the day she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer — more than 25 years after our great aunt’s death.
Every family member and friend and, of course, my nieces and brother-in-law, participated in one way or another in helping her fight this battle.
Judy continued her job at a local bank — taking time off now and then for treatment or recovery from it. Like most chemo patients, she lost her hair and was often tired, but she persevered. She dealt with pain such as many brave women do. “I can do whatever I need to do to get better,” she said. Judy’s treatment finished with 30 days of radiation. She can’t have blood tests or blood pressures taken in her left arm and her hair, when it grew back, had — in her words — turned to straw. She takes a medication daily and she never misses a mammogram or follow-up appointment with her doctor. It has been 15 years since she entered remission. The idea that it could return is always with us, but hope and prayer are powerful weapons and she never ignores a symptom that should be checked. So far, so good.
Detra Dodge, written by Jerri Brouse
Detra, 58, said, “I make sure I go to my appointments each year due to a family history of aggressive breast cancer.”
Because she has dense breast tissue, in 2022, she had a mammogram and then an MRI. Something suspicious was spotted and she underwent a needle biopsy.
On June 9, 2022, Detra was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive type of invasive breast cancer which differs from other types in that it tends to grow and spread faster and has fewer treatment options.
“I had my surgery in July 2022 — a lumpectomy with node biopsies,” she said. “They thought they got all of it, so in August I began a chemotherapy regiment.”
All seemed to be going well until, “The day after Thanksgiving I ended up with a fever and neutropenic fever,” she said. “I was admitted to the hospital and placed on IV antibiotics.”
Detra was, at first, unbothered. She thought she knew what she was facing because she works in the medical field, but then the hard part came: COVID made things even worse.
“It’s difficult to have to go through (treatment) alone,” she said. “Luckily I had a great nursing staff who provided help.” But, she worried she would “end up with COVID and that would make it even worse.”
“It was an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “I just tried to stay strong. I felt that if I could touch just one life by showing that I could continue to work while going through this, it was a good thing.”
Detra had long hair, but after the second chemo treatment, her hairdresser was kind enough to shave her head. “I was lucky to have had the support of my family and church family. I trusted that God was going to see me through,” she said. Through it all, Detra continued to work, except for the days on which she had chemo.
“The side effects hit me on the weekends, so I had time to recover before going back to work on Monday,” she said.
When she began radiation treatments in February 2023, she decided to take a leave of absence.
She is continuing routine follow-ups with her surgeon, and is monitored with routine mammogram testing. She is hoping, in five years, she will be free and clear.
These days, Dodge is back to working five days a week and enjoying life as much as possible. Despite some neuropathy in her hands and feet, she was able to play slow-pitch softball with a team of women this summer. She continues to get check-ups at the breast center every three months as well as alternating between radiology and appoitnments oncology doctors once a year.
Photo provided
From left, Courtney, Judy and Jillian Helcoski in a recent photo.
Detra Dodge
Pam Bowman, written by Jerri Brouse
Thinking about the past 20 years, Bill Bowman can’t remember a time when his mother, Pam, wasn’t battling cancer.
Pam Bowman was diagnosed in 2001 with breast cancer; She was 47 years-old. The diagnosis was a shock, according to Bill, because there was no family history of breast cancer.
“It was the fall before I got married,” Bill said, and he worried his mother might not make it to his wedding. However, he was about to learn just how strong his mom was. Not only did she make it to his wedding, she went on to live another two decades, facing four more cancer diagnosis before losing her battle earlier this year.
Pam didn’t like to go into detail or even really talk about her illness, Bill said. She went to chemotherapy following her initial diagnosis, went into remission and carried on with her life.
The family hoped that journey was behind them, but sadly, in 2014, Pam’s cancer came back.
“It was Halloween and she came to our house — our son had just turned three, and our daughter was nine,” Bill said. “She said ‘It’s back, I might not make Christmas.’”
This time, the cancer had metastasized to her liver.
She would spend the next 10 years getting chemo every three weeks, before she would eventually start radiation as well.
in the emergency room. “During Christmas in 2022 she developed pneumonia and was on a ventilator for six days,” Bill said. “She was in the ICU for about 10 days and in the hospital for a month. We were stunned when she bounced back from that.”
Then, this past Christmas, Pam was back in the emergency room and she wasn’t eating. She was given an IV treatment and sent home.
A couple of weeks later the family began noticing she was losing strength in her legs.
Throughout the years, Pam would get regular full-body scans.
“The doctor would say she was fine, but she knew when something was off,” Bill said. “I think when you have it as long as she did, it registered when something didn’t feel right.”
“Every time it came back she had to go through some sort of treatment,” Bill said.
“She probably lost her hair six or seven times.
“For the most part, she didn’t let it impact her,” he said. “(My parents) traveled with us — we went to Disney a few times, and they built a pool at their house for grandkids.
“We had huge Fourth of July parties every year. Cancer never stopped her from doing anything until the last eight weeks of her life.”
It should come as no surprise that Pam fought her battle quietly, but fiercely.
“My mom was a non-traditional student who went back to college in her 30s and got a degree in social work,” he said.
Her career began at the Women’s Center in Bloomsburg and then she became a Children and Youth case manager in Northumberland County.
Dinner was often interrupted by emergency phone calls, he said. “Her base empathy was unmeasured. It is an odd balance you have to have between empathy for the families and the sternness of pulling the trigger on getting kids out of homes to safety.”
Bill remembered spending three consecutive Christmases
“We took her back to the ER again. We thought she would get hooked to an IV and move on.”
Instead, the doctor did a few tests and, following a scan to check for more metastasized cancer, they found cancer on her brain.
“She ended up back in the ER, then the ICU and they did radiation on her brain,”
Bill said. “They did a scan of her head and … it just looked like fireworks in there.”
At first, doctors believed there were two or three masses, but in the end, it turned out there were more than 20.
In mid-January of this year, Pam went back to the ER one last time.
“After that, she never went back home,” Bill said. “She ended up moving into Vintage Knolls, a senior care facility in Danville, where they continued to do treatment. She continued going to Geisinger for regular oncology appointments, and was admitted again because her levels were way off.”
Pam once again went through radiation treatment, this time for 10 days, and then went back to the care home.
Bill could see the toll the battle was taking on his mom.
“You could see a physical change in her,” he said. “Mentally, she was still pretty sharp, but she deteriorated quickly in the last three or four weeks.”
After decades of seeing Pam fight cancer, her family could tell this time was different — and it felt like it happened much too fast.
“My brother and I talk all the time about how it feels like it came out of nowhere,” Bill said. “She went through it for 20 years and in a snap of a finger, it ended.”
Pamela J. Bowman died on March 22, 2024: She was 69 years old.
“When I took a photo at Halloween in 2014, I didn’t think she would make it to Christmas,” Bill said. “Instead, she came within a few months of being there to see oldest grandkids graduate from high school. Our son was three when they said she wouldn’t make Christmas and he turned 13 a few days after she died. She got to share in all of that stuff — she got 22 years they said she wouldn’t get to see.”
Knowing that helps, but it doesn’t erase the emptiness the family feels with her absence.
“She never missed anything,” Bill said. “So it’s been odd this summer. Of course my Dad shows up, but it’s just so different: My mom was the center of the universe for our family.”
Pam Bowman, Bill’s mom, with her grandson, Brant, in 2014.
Photo courtesy of Bill Bowman
Fighting back against breast cancer
What can I do to lower my risk of breast cancer?
Research from the Mayo Clinic demonstrates that lifestyle changes can lower the chances of getting breast cancer, even in people at high risk. To lower your risk:
n Limit or stay away from alcohol.
n Stay at a healthy weight.
n Get active.
n Breastfeed your babies.
n Limit hormone therapy after menopause: Studies show that estrogen alone in people who have had hysterectomies does not raise breast cancer risk. Estrogen is linked with a small increase in blood clot and stroke risk.
n If you smoke, quit.
If you’ve been told you have a higher risk of breast cancer, consider:
n Genetic counseling and testing.
n More-frequent breast exams.
n Breast cancer screening tests at an earlier age.
n Medicines or surgery to prevent breast cancer.
The information from the Mayo Clinic says, “Eating a healthy diet might lower your risk of some types of cancer. It also might lower the odds of getting diabetes and heart disease or having a stroke.”
Mayo Clinic.org
FINDING SUPPORT
While a cancer diagnosis is still terrifying, breast cancer death rates have been decreasing steadily since 1989, for an overall decline of 42% through 2021.
Judy Helcoski said, “Women have got to learn that it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. There will be days when everyday tasks will be too much and that’s okay.”
Detra Dodge said, “I would tell others to remember that breast cancer treatment has come a long way since my grandmother’s diagnosis, and to stay active on your good days during treatments. Try to stay strong, and take one day at a time. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
Bill Bowman said, “Here’s the thing about my mom — I spent the last six months trying to get as much information as I could from her, because we didn’t talk about it at all,” he said. “Her famous line was ‘It is what it is, we do what we need to do.’”
Form your own support group. If you don’t have any family living close, your best friends will surely step in to help. And, your local chapter of the American Cancer Society, is always an invaluable resource for information, classes, assistance and — when you’re ready — helping someone else who has been diagnosed.
HelpingPeople NavigateMedicare
Local beekeeper meets Elmo
by Jerri Brouse
Local beekeeper Ryan Pardoe recently had a “buzzing” encounter with one of television’s most recognizable icons — Elmo. Pardoe was invited to talk with Elmo and a few of his friends about the ins and outs of beekeeping on an episode of a popular YouTube channel, “HiHo Kids.” The episode was part of the channel’s series, “HiHo Kids Meet.”
The “Beekeeper” episode of the popular series was a collaboration with Sesame Street. “HiHo Kids Meet” encourages children to develop curiosity and learning through the lens of children’s interviews with a variety of interesting people.
Pardoe was asked to help children understand the importance of bees to the environment. He is the owner/operator of Hex Honey Bees of Milton.
When asked how he learned about the opportunity, Pardoe said it was through his wife’s college roommate.
“She works for the production company on the West coast and is in charge of the programming for Kids Meet,” he said. “Sesame Street reached out to HiHo Kids hoping to do a collaboration with a beekeeper. So she threw my name in the hat.”
Having grown up watching Sesame Street, Pardoe said he never thought he would ever be involved in the show in any way.
“But when you get a call from Sesame Street, you can’t say no,” he joked.
Prior to filming, Pardoe said he first had to get through a series of interviews.
“I got a call in January, but we just filmed in April,” he said.
Once he was signed on, he was asked to travel to Brooklyn to film the episode, which aired in May.
He said, “It was so cool to see how everything came together. It was a whole new world for me, seeing the production side of things. There were photographers and cameras everywhere.”
Pardoe explained that on the day of filming he met with four different kids, filming for 45 minutes with each of them.
“I brought along an observation hive that holds two frames of bees so the kids could get up close and
personal,” Pardoe said. “I talked about the colony and how it works, and explained how important bees are for pollinating all the different foods we eat.”
He also showed some of his beekeeping equipment, and let the kids taste various kinds of honey.
“The director would steer things a little bit and ask kids certain things,” Pardoe said.
Of course, the highlight was getting to see Elmo in action with his own eyes.
“It was pretty impressive the way it works,” he said. “There were a pair of guys who ran him.” And, Pardoe said, Elmo had his own caretaker which was “super cool.”
WHEN HE WAS A KID
“We had a hive or two each year as kids,” Pardoe said. “We didn’t really know what we were doing, but we’d get a little honey each year. Then they’d die over the winter and we’d get more bees in the spring.
“That was my initial exposure to beekeeping.”
Fast-forward a few years and Pardoe’s father planted a few hundred fruit trees on his farm and asked Pardoe to put some hives up to help pollinate and “make some fruit.”
That was just before the pandemic, and, since then, it has grown into more and more hives and now Pardoe has approximately 40 of them.
Recently, he said, he has scaled back a bit on
Photo courtesy of Zach Hyman Pardoe explains to Elmo and his friend that they are looking at an observation hive of honey bees.
“IT WAS SO COOL TO SEE HOW EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER. IT WAS A WHOLE NEW WORLD FOR ME, SEEING THE PRODUCTION SIDE OF THINGS. THERE WERE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND CAMERAS EVERYWHERE.”
RYAN PARDOE
Photos courtesy of Zach Hyman Ryan Pardoe and Elmo visited with four children who were curious about the bees and beekeeper.
beekeeping and now focuses more on the honey and beeswax candles.
Pardoe sells a variety of honeys, including several “hot honey” versions, and is beginning to specialize in mono-floral honeys. According to him, a mono-floral variety is a honey made from a single-nectar source.
“That includes raspberry, blueberry, Golden rod — there are a lot of different and unique kinds of honey.”
He has some products for sale online, but also hits up local farmer’s markets, including the Lewisburg Farmer’s Market each Wednesday, and on First Fridays in Williamsport. A few retail stores, including The Mercantile in Lewisburg, also carry his products.
Elmo surely wishes his new friend Ryan success in expanding his line of products and growing his business.
Kids Meet a Beekeeper can be viewed on Sesame
Street’s YouTube channel — so far it’s racked up approximately 350,000 views.
For more information on the Hex Honey Bees, visit HexHoneybees.com.
Working together
Laurie Slear puts a lot of thought into the items she sells in The Mercantile, 319 Market St., Lewisburg, the downtown shop she has owned since 2005.
“I cannot definitively describe this store … it can’t be categorized like any other store,” she said. “We are constantly getting fresh, fun and functional merchandise that is unlike anything you’ll find in another store. We strive to be unique and fresh ... that’s what we are all about.”
One thing Slear tries to do, she said, is sell products made in the USA and, when possible, locally sourced. That’s what led her to stocking a couple of her shelves with honey and beeswax candles from Hex Honey Bees, a small-scale honey bee farm based in Milton that specializes in bee sales and honey production.
While owner Ryan Pardoe sells a variety of flavored honeys and scented candles and is typically set up at the weekly Farmer’s Market on Fairground Road, he also participates as a vendor at numerous events
throughout the year.
Slear stocks Pardoe’s hot honeys, which offer customers a “balance of heat and sweet,” according to the Hex Honey Bees website. The hot honeys are made with real chili peppers and local wildflower honey.
At first, Slear said, she wasn’t sure what customers would think. But, she said so far, the products have been great sellers.
“(Ryan) is very creative and has gone all out with honey making,” she said. “He is so knowledgable about bees and honey and he makes it exciting and fun to be a part of it with him.”
For the past few years, Pardoe has participated in Late Night Shopper’s Night, setting up a table at The Mercantile and handing out samples.
“It’s been an awesome experience, and we hope he comes back this year,” she said. “It’s been fun.”
Regarding Pardoe’s recent appearance on Sesame Street, Slear said she thought he did a great job.
“He was so good with the kids,” she said.
For more information visit lewisburgmercantile. com. Find The Mercantile on Facebook.
— JERRI BROUSE
Laurie Slear, owner of The Mercantile in Lewisburg, proudly stocks honey and beeswax candles from Hex Honey Bees.
Photo courtesy of Zach Hyman
Make time for play
Structured, unstructured activities vital for child development
by Lisa Leighton
It seems as though all sources of knowledge and entertainment can be accessed in seconds. That’s great, right?
But some local self-described “play experts” say this tech-savvy world may be doing a disservice to children, who need to disconnect from screens and relearn how to play.
Dr. Jeannette Brelsford is a Montoursvillebased play expert who holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and has studied the importance of play on the brains and bodies of children. Brelsford would prefer to return to a simpler
time when play was revered and encouraged by adults.
“When I was a kid, we were told — when you hear the bell ring or when you hear my whistle, that’s when you come back in,” she said. “We were outside all the time free playing … it enabled us to expand our imaginations and explore our creative side in a play-based setting.”
She said, “Nowadays, we tend to put children in this role where they’re not really children, they’re just mini-adults. We see more children play-acting, trying to figure it out. If they’re afraid of some-
Lisa Z. Leighton
thing, they play it out in play. If they don’t know how to react to something, you’ll see it come out in play.”
According to Brelsford’s research, the value of play to a little one’s growing mind and body cannot be overstated.
“Playing with building blocks at an early age, later on in life that incorporates into their math and science skills. Playing with dolls, both boys and girls alike ... teaches empathy and social understanding,” she said.
“When children play, you’re hitting the frontal lobe, which is where you’re going to see all those neurons light up and the release of feelgood chemicals like dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin,” she said.
This flow of positive chemicals triggers the release of powerful growth factors that support and promote learning and flexibility, and causes stress hormones to drop, moods to lift, and energy to surge, she said.
John Rowe, director of the Lewisburg-based Buffalo Valley Recreation Authority (BVRA), said, “Phones and social media — and the lethargy that accompanies them — is a war we’re all going to fight for the next two generations.”
Rowe said BVRA works to keep children active and to build healthy habits early, with the goals of improving physical and mental health. The benefits add up every time kids engage in a physical setting in an organized class.
“Kids learn to use their bodies under instruction in the right way. They also learn how to receive and process instruction, which is something that you do for your entire life, whether you’re talking about relationships or employment,” Rowe said.
“The give and take of coach to child is very beneficial, especially at a young age. Kids are learning interactions that are not always a perfectly refined, comprehensible set of instructions.”
Rowe said being in a structured class or participating in a team sport teaches the beginning of societal dynamics.
“Things like — this is your place in line and it doesn’t matter how angry you are that you have to wait, you need to wait,” he said.
Heather Laubach, Chief Operating Officer at the Danville Area Community Center (DACC), agreed and said the health benefits of physically moving are important, but organized class
Photos by Lisa Z. Leighton
Left and above: Children participate in adult-supervised free play and in a gymnastics class at the Miller Center in Lewisburg.
Help kids disconnect from devices with games
Modern children have somewhat different ideas of what constitutes entertainment, especially when compared to youngsters from a generation or two ago. While it was once commonplace for kids to be out and about with their friends, riding bikes and spending time in each other’s backyards — only returning home when the streetlights came on — modern youths spend lots of time at home and indoors on their devices.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids between the ages of eight and 18 now spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of a screen each day. That figure only accounts for recreational time, and doesn’t include the hours kids spend on computers or tablets for educational purposes. In addition, social media is a large part of kids’ days.
A classic children’s game night might be just what the doctor ordered to draw kids away from screens and provide a healthy respite from the barrage of information coming their way through the Internet. With these tips, a game night can be a successful way to help children engage socially in person.
Pick a theme
Unite all elements of the game night by selecting a theme. For example, if you will be pulling out the classic game Operation, pre-purchase inexpensive lab coats or doctors’ scrubs for participants to wear. Serve foods shaped like various body parts (borrow from some Halloween ideas) and give guests an invitation that serves as a “Prescription for Fun.”
Choose a good time
Even though “game night” implies the gathering takes place in the evening, choose a time that works best for most. Perhaps meeting directly after school for snacks and play before dinner aligns better with everyone’s schedules. Parents can take turns hosting to give children something to look forward to once a week.
Shop together
Bring the kids along to the store to select board games and other activities that appeal to them.
Explain that the majority of game nights will be dedicated to non-electronic games. Parents can organize game nights how they see fit, but working one video game per night into the rotation each month can up the fun factor for kids.
Take it outside
“Games” encompasses a wide array of activities. Organize a pick-up wiffle ball game in the cul-de-sac or an after-dark manhunt game with flashlights (age-permitting). Families with pools can rotate having kids over for splash games, which can include volleyball, diving activities or Marco Polo.
Plan in advance
Know what kids will be playing before guests arrive to cut down on arguments over which games to play, which only wastes time. An older child or an adult can chaperone. Game nights can be fun ways for kids to interact away from screens.
Kids at DCDC run around and chase bubbles outside on their playground.
Photo by Robert Inglis
situations also improve mental awareness, bodymind connection and simple coordination.
Laubach said, “Children have to learn to listen and learn verbal cues — having to wait your turn or manners in general.” Lessons and elementary sporting programs provide those beginning opportunities to learn.
She finds it very rewarding when — after a swimming lesson — she sees children improving their skills, as well as building endurance and physical conditioning.
BOREDOM HAS ITS PLACE
Brelsford said, “Boredom has its place. We tend to over-schedule kids and they don’t have the down time for creativity to just figure out who they are. They are little beings, so when a child says they’re bored, maybe they just need time for their own creativity juices to start going. Try giving them 15 minutes (before having an adult intervene).”
Rowe said there are also benefits to unstructured play and sorting out boredom — and it often comes naturally.
“If you put kids in a room, they’re probably going to end up playing something,” Rowe said.
“The professionals agree real play occurs organically and unstructured play is very beneficial. It gives kids a chance to practice implementing the skills and ideas they have acquired through training or observation.”
To learn more about the many of classes and recreational opportunities offered to children of all ages and skill levels, search for BVRA or DACC on Facebook or visit BVRec.org or DanvilleACC.org.
“C HILDREN HAVE TO LEARN TO LISTEN AND LEARN VERBAL CUES — HAVING TO WAIT YOUR TURN OR MANNERS IN GENERAL.”
Children enjoy playground equipment.
Photos courtesy of DACC website
Photo by Robert Inglis
HEATHER LAUBACH
The instructor is in the middle of the parent/child participants in their first swim lesson at the Danville Area Community Center.
The swimming pool at the Danville Area Community Center offers lots of fun for all ages.
COVERED BRIDGE FESTIVAL offers crafts, food and music
Attendees can meet artists, watch them create wares
by Cindy O. Herman
Have a festival run 42 years and you’re bound to come up with a few cool stories. But finding your old college mailbox turned into a bank? Capturing a runaway pig? That’s the stuff that makes you chuckle.
When the Covered Bridge Festival began in 1982, it was in Knoebels Amusement Resort’s parking lot with about a dozen vendors. As it grew the event moved to the area around the Haunted Mansion, then the pavilion area and transitioned into a fair for handcrafted items running three days, according to Shane Kiefer, director of marketing at the ColumbiaMontour Visitors Bureau (CMVB)
“One of my colleagues, in high school when the festival started, remembered there being homemade apple butter and people in period costumes, turning into more of a fall festival,” Kiefer said.
The festival wasn’t necessarily associated with covered bridges.
“We have 25 covered bridges in our two counties. It’s the third-most in the country behind Lancaster County, which has 28, and Park County, Indiana, with 41,” Kiefer said.
“So it’s one of those things where, what makes our area special? It’s the covered bridges. Fall is a beautiful time to see them.”
While not required, many crafters do feature covered bridge-related items such as handmade wooden ornaments or paintings of bridges.
The Covered Bridge Festival has been open four days for the past 10 to 15 years. Credit the festival’s popularity — “It just started getting so big,” Kiefer said.
The festival moved to the Bloomsburg Fairground in 2021, and now offers guided bus tours of covered bridges out in the countryside. For a list, check http:// www.itourcolumbiamontour.com/.
WELCOMING FALL
People tend to see the Covered Bridge Festival as the start of fall. They love that there are more than 350 crafters and food vendors, with everything from
glass-blown to wood-turned items, jewelry, pottery, autumn decorations and more. The crafts must be made at least 80 percent by hand.
“That’s really what sets us apart, the handmade crafts,” Kiefer said. “It’s a great opportunity to do some shopping with local vendors, even early Christmas shopping.”
Craft vendors come from local areas as well as Minnesota, Vermont, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, New York and Maryland, said Debbie Sokol, CMVB office manager.
A unique aspect of the festival is the fine arts section, where guests can watch and talk with crafters while they carve gourds, make ornaments, paint pictures, and more.
“I think it’s important for the customers to see that, wow, these aren’t made in China,” Kiefer said. “Artists are actually sitting here and making it right in front of me.”
The Covered Bridge Festival brought back live music last year.
Photo provided
Guests at the Covered Bridge Festival have the opportunity to watch crafters in action and ask questions about their work.
Photo provided These wooden banks were created using doors from old mailboxes at Bucknell University. The same combination is still used to open the bank.
Photo courtesy of Judy Helcoski Joan Townsend has attended the festival or many years. She creates characters out of clay and is from New Hampshire.
2 – 2:45 p.m., The Mighty Susquehannas (River Funk)
Linda Sones, CMVB member liaison, remembered an incident years ago when the Covered Bridge Festival was held at Knoebels. One evening, after customers had left and workers were closing up for the day, a pig from the petting zoo escaped while its owners were trying to load it onto a trailer.
“This pig, he was an adorable little guy,” Sones said. “We were running around Knoebels chasing him, and he’s squealing his head off. One girl literally did a flying tackle on him and caught him. It was one of those superhero moments.”
For the past 14 years, the CMVB has sponsored a covered bridge photo contest in the spring, with the winning photo being made into a puzzle that’s sold at the Covered Bridge Festival. This year the Johnson Bridge, just east of Knoebels, is featured. Kiefer has had people ask if they could purchase older editions, and even saw one at a public auction go for $40 dollars. This year they have a handful of 2022 and 2023 puzzles to sell.
“People do collect all the years,” Kiefer said. “It seems like they become coveted, especially the older editions, because once we’re out of them we don’t reproduce them.”
NEW ACTIVITIES
New this year will be a scavenger hunt run by the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum, giving kids a chance to tour the festival and win a prize. Festival organizers also hope to have some antique cars and trucks on display, and they’re also planning a benefit walk/ run called MARC on the Midway to raise money for the Montour Area Recreation Commission’s preserve. Also for the first time, the festival will host a Sunday morning vesper service at 8 a.m.
“We’re excited about expanding on some of the activities that people can do,” Kiefer said. “Not just coming for the crafts, which are obviously the focal point, but other things that encourage people to spend some more time there.”
As for finding your old college mailbox, Kiefer’s wife, Alana, visited the Covered Bridge Festival a couple years ago and came upon Robinson’s Woodworking selling small wooden banks with old postal box doors, complete with locker combinations. Out of curiosity, she asked where they got the little doors and learned they had just bought a batch from Bucknell University, which had transitioned student mailboxes to a digital system.
“Since she was a Bucknell alumnus, Alana asked if they had any sort of catalogue of the box numbers they had bought … and believe it or not, they had her old box door so she got them to make it into a little bank box,” Kiefer said.
It turns out, Robinson also had his old box number from Bucknell, so they had that one made into a bank, as well.
“Pretty crazy!” Kiefer said. “They even both still utilized the same combinations we used when we were at college getting our mail.
And they are a nice memento of our college years, especially since that’s where we met.”
Robinson’s Woodworking also ended up building bookshelves for Shane and Alana.
“We got to know them well,” Kiefer said, “so it was a neat personal connection that we made at the Covered Bridge Festival, because of the Covered Bridge Festival.”
Vendor’s speak
Toby Bouder - Woodturner; Liverpool, PA
“I have been doing the Covered Bridge Festival for at least six years now, and it is always a very enjoyable and profitable show for me. I’m a part of the new fine arts section of the festival that was introduced last year. Linda and the Visitors Bureau staff have been great to work with in getting that set up.”
JoAnn & Brad Bason; Bason Coffee Roasting - Danville, PA
“As a small local business, it is important we attract folks from outside the local area. The Covered Bridge Festival provides us with an opportunity for tremendous exposure. A common comment we hear from repeat customers in our shop is that they first found our coffee company at the Covered Bridge Festival. I am certain that our success has been helped by being there each year.”
Holly Steward; Holly’s Handbags Plus - Berwick, PA
“The Covered Bridge Festival is one of our favorite venues as a crafter. One nice thing about it is that it is easily accessible for all levels of mobility, plus there are high-quality crafts.”
The 35th Christkindl Market takes place December 12-14, 2024.
Christkindl celebrates wonder, pride and tradition
by Cindy O. Herman
One of Matt Wagner’s favorite Christkindl Market memories took place in a snowstorm in the early 2000s.
By then, the downtown Mifflinburg Christmas festival had existed long enough to have established traditions that include the opening and closing ceremonies, a parade led by the High School Renaissance Bande.
As band director and head of the music department at Mifflinburg Area High School, Wagner coordinated musical entertainment at the Christkindl Market, and his students who had grown up performing there were looking forward to their moment to shine as medieval-costumed Renaissance Bande members in the closing ceremony.
“It snowed and it snowed, but people still came to the Market because the atmosphere was perfect. The
decorations and the lights, the snow on the ground and everywhere else,” said Wagner, past president of the Christkindl board of directors.
Market organizers decided to close early that Saturday, and the high schoolers kept asking, “Are we going to do the closing?” Wagner told them, if their parents agreed, he’d go ahead with it.
“Almost all of them showed up. In costume,” he said, fighting a lump in his throat. “There were at least six or eight inches of snow on the ground, and they’re wading through. We did this parade, and it was magical.”
He later learned some students had made arrangements to stay overnight with friends in town.
“I was, like, ‘Oh my gosh, you guys are great,’” he said. “They surprised me. And this was before cellphones. I don’t know how we coordinated it. They just said, ‘Wagner, there will be enough of us here. You gotta do it.’”
CREATING THE WONDER
The first Christkindl Market, in 1989, extended just half a block with 20 wooden huts. It was initiated by Joannah and the late Rudi Skucek, a native of Austria, who first had to convince Mifflinburg citizens to give it a try — who wants to attend an outdoor festival in the winter, borough officials wondered.
With no budget at the time, the Skuceks approached Wagner and his sister-in-law, Patricia Wagner, music teacher at Mifflinburg High.
“The goal I had was that every level in the district would perform at some time during the Market, and
Photos provided Mifflinburg’s Christkindl Market is known for its vendors’ quality, handcrafted gift vendors. Some items include glass ornaments and Christmas pyramids.
we’ve achieved that,” Matt Wagner said, listing two first-grade choruses, the middle school Christkindl Singers and instrument ensembles, and the high school concert choir, chamber choir and Renaissance Bande.
Eventually, he took on the role of scheduling all entertainment.
“I was involved from the beginning and just have always enjoyed it,” he said.
In many older, European cities, Christkindl markets are set up in front of the predominant church in the town square. Market Street, while not Mifflinburg’s main street, was chosen partly because the First Evangelical Lutheran Church and St. John’s United Church of Christ face each other.
“It’s very picturesque, especially in winter. It has a very holiday look to it,” Wagner said. “We don’t have a square, but we have a wide street and we have two of the oldest churches in town. Both are great concert spaces.”
MAKING IT MUSICAL
Early on, the Shippensburg German Band joined the entertainment lineup and has been a mainstay at Christkindl Market. As the market grew, other musicians were added.
Some entertainers have appeared for years, such as Hilby the Skinny German Juggle Boy, the Town Crier, St. Nicholas, the marionette shows, Alpenrose
Mifflinburg’s
Market is known for its quality, handcrafted gift vendors.
Schuhplattler Germanic folk dancers, magician Brent Kessler, Shady Grove Christian Fellowship singers performing carols, and local favorite singer/songwriter Kj Reimensnyder-Wagner.
“Rudi’s concept was to have as much music outside as possible,” Wagner said.
But even in the European Christkindl Markets, indoor performances allow people to get out of the cold and warm up a bit. The churches on Market Street fill that need beautifully, offering space for solo and group performances of singers and instrumentalists.
And of course, there’s the schoolchildren. On Friday evening, the high school band joins in the Lantern Parade, which features second-grade students singing.
“That’s been a tradition from the beginning,” Wagner said.
For the middle school choral group, he tries to find a Christmas carol from each market’s theme city, which this year is Innsbruck, Austria. He’s looking
Photo provided
Christkindl
forward to hearing them sing a 19th century Tyrolean carol he discovered, told from the point of view of the shepherds who saw the angels singing in the sky.
COMMUNITY PRIDE
From the original 20 vendors the Christkindl Market has grown to more than 90 juried craft gift vendors, most from within a 60-mile radius. Some have been with the Market for a long time, including wood carvers, prune men, or Zwetschezkenmanner, and gingerbread hearts with German phrases. The Christkindl Gift Shop features German imports of Christmas pyramids, nutcrackers, smokers and other handmade gifts.
and said Mifflinburg’s is the closest to Nuremberg, even compared to some of the ones in Europe, Wagner said.
“People like making it an annual tradition,” Sarah Porell, secretary of the Christkindl board, said.
“They tend to mention the beautiful handmade crafts and the food variety. They liken it to the markets in Germany.”
“That’s what we strive for,” Wagner said. “It’s just so much fun. We hear people say that the whole atmosphere puts them in the mood for Christmas. The music, the food, the decorations. It’s a winter festival.”
The zany idea of a Christkindl Market now welcomes an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people a year, with booths staffed by local church groups, school clubs and civic organizations.
In Nuremberg, perhaps the best-known Christkindl Market, a young woman portrays the Christkindl Angel, or the Tinsel Angel, which led to the Tinsel Angel displayed on Joannah McGregor’s front porch at Mifflinburg’s Market.
A former Mifflinburg student who lived in Prague for a while visited other European Christkindl markets
“That’s something that I really noticed. Our community, our school kids love it. They’re really enthusiastic about Christkindl Market,” Wagner said. “From Rudi and Joannah at the very beginning … and now everybody’s involved. It’s one of the things that inspires you to continue because it has become, after 35 years, a Mifflinburg thing. It’s an integral part of Mifflinburg.”
Photo provided
Wooden trees are among the many items available at Christkindl.
ACROSS
1. Beauty’s love
5. Fall flowers
3. Halloween spirit
9. After-dinner _____
11. A word for fall
13. 6th note in a famous song by Julie
15. If you’re scared, _____!
16. The 10th one each year.
17. Festival in Mifflinburg
22. Made with apples
23. Graveyard
25. Black ones are traditionally unlucky
28. Made of bones
31. _____ the moon
32. A treat is better than this
33. September’s number of days
34. Can be ugly, scary or beautiful
35. Kind of scream
38. ____ you want to go, go
40. Symbol for chlorine
41. Wrong costume for October
43. Makes light when it burns
45. Not great , but
46. The _____ witch of the North
48. Fall colorful leaves
51. Jump
52. Ashes are sometimes stored in one
53. Need a tractor and wagon for one
56. Similar to jealousy
58. Take one if it rains
This and That for Fall
CROSSWORD PA
60. A baby fox
62. Old way to seal bottles
63. Fancy car
64. Fast walked
65. Van climbs them
66. An empty spot DOWN
1. It swoops after dark
2. _____ around (to see who is behind you)
4. Spooky house
6. A flavoring for fall
7. A repeated sound
8. _____ Horsemen of the Apocalypse
9. _____ at a festival is a must
10. _____ tock
12. If yes, then _____
13. Masculine word for “the” in France
14. A pleasing odor
18. Gathering crops
19. A kind of topic
20. _____ and pins
21. A witch’s ride
24. Don’t _____ leaves
25. Find your way in a
26. Opposite of wild
27. Covered _____ Festival
28. Protects the brain
29. Eating just one piece of candy is a kind of
30. A negative vote
36. Likely to harm
37. A strip of pasta
39. Soft fabric, often plaid
39. Soft fabric, often
42. Shouted at Halloween
44. Stop living
47. The largest orange fruit of fall
48. _____ little pumpkins sitting on a gate
49. Really black
50. Don’t _____ when you see the gore
54. Squirrels store them
55. Ryan’s TV partner
57. Pumpkins grow on one
59. A bundle of hay
61. Have a safe, but splendidly spooky _____ this Halloween!
Tailgaters
Penn State fan: Great tailgates include good food, full bar, decorations
by Deb Brubaker
When you’ve been invited to join a tailgating event, there is no need to panic just because you’re a rookie. While members of New Berlin’s Greater Susquehanna Valley Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association make it clear there is a lot to learn about this parking-lot party, they are more than willing to offer a few tips for success based upon their group’s decades of experience.
Curt Rothermel, of Mifflinburg, who is the group’s president, said a tailgate must include good food, a full bar, decorations and, sometimes, a chandelier.
Bill Borys, of Lewisburg, met his wife, Julie, at a PSU home game in 1971. He took the lead in explaining how important food planning is for this group. The first decision made each year is based on the team Penn State is playing. “For example,” he said. “When we play Purdue, chicken will be on the menu. Ohio State requires Buckeyes. When Wisconsin comes to Beaver Stadium, there will be lots of cheese. Apples are definitely on the menu when Washington arrives. The last home game in 2024 is with Maryland, so we’ll have crab; and, we always serve ham and bean soup at our last game.”
Another traditional menu — and an important one — is for the Homecoming game. It always features steak and champagne. Borys recalled that, back in the ’60s and ’70s, women wore dresses or suits and men wore coats and ties to tailgate and that’s how they dressed for the game! They don’t do that any more — not even at Homecoming.
“Now that the friends (group) own(s) a propane grill/oven, the tailgating has reached a whole new level,” Dan Voneida said proudly as his wife, Julie, shared a recipe for Alaskan salmon, which they prepared on the grill.
The Voneidas, of Lewisburg, have been season ticket holders and tailgaters since 1978.
While everyone was chuckling, Rothermel quickly reminded the group that deep-frying on a propane grill is not recommended at a tailgate. “I can still see the neighbor’s torched tent,” he
& Friends
said with a laugh.
KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WEATHER
The merriment continued as members recounted that fans arrive to Beaver Stadium by car, train and
plane. There was one game when one fan was seen rowing to the stadium in a raft.
Sept. 1, 2006, was PSU’s home opener against Akron. The day began with the remnants of Hurri -
Photo by Deb Brubaker
From left are Julie and Bill Borys, Mandy and Curt Rothermel and Sandy and Dan Voneida.
cane Ernesto causing havoc up and down the East Coast. For fun, Borys took a raft, oar and life jacket to the tailgate. With the raft tied to a nearby tree, there was so much water it floated along the curb. Wearing his rain suit and life jacket, their friend, Earl Fisher, of West Milton, sat in the raft pretending to row.
“A female with a large camera filmed me in the raft,” Fisher said. “I thought she worked for a local TV station. Turned out she worked for ESPN.”
Sure enough, during the first few minutes of the game, Fisher appeared on ESPN. Fisher and his wife have been season-ticket holders and tailgaters for more than 40 years.
The group agreed that weather dictates decorations and — sometimes — the food choices. The big and little blow-up Nittany Lions are always a must, no matter the weather, but cold weather gives the group the worst problems with food. They have had steaks freeze on the grill when it was bitter cold.
“Portable heaters were a great invention,” Voneida said, laughing.
The weather also affects parking. “Usually, our designated parking is an advantage,” said Borys, who, as part of the tailgate group, has parked 13 rows from the stadium for more than 20 years. “But on November 24, 2018, our designated parking was a disadvantage — our space was piled with snow.”
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The group continues to be amazed by the sheer volume of people who attend Penn State games. “On every Saturday there’s a home game, you can bet approximately 40,000 people are coming to tailgate and visit with friends and family,” Rothermel said. “The camaraderie tailgating provides is a tradition that’s been in my family for more than 45 years.
LIFETIME TRADITION
Rothermel attended his first PSU game/tailgate when he was five. He and his wife Mandy have two daughters. Jayden, 20, is a junior at Eberly College of Science, Penn State. Her sister Reagyn, 16, is a junior at Mifflinburg High School. Jayden attended her first game/tailgate when she was six weeks old. Reagyn was a little younger: she was eight days old. Curt had tickets to the Ohio State game and wanted to take his wife. Mandy wasn’t going to leave her newborn at home. “You either find her a ticket or I’m not going,” she said. Curt found her a ticket, and the family attended the game. “It’s a tradition; I’ve gone to games and tailgated my whole life,” Rothermel said.
Bill and Julie Borys, of Lewisburg, have a similar story of tradition and comradery. They’ve been to every PSU home game since 1977. “My only regret is that I didn’t take a picture or make a journal entry of every tailgating party I had,” Bill said. “What a memory book that would have been.”
HOSTING A TAILGATING PARTY
“Good food, good friends and team spirit are must-haves for any successful ‘tailgating’ party,” said Nicole Shaeffer, owner of Affordable Events by Nicole, Sunbury. She offers these suggestions for throwing a great “cheer the team” party at home.
Before you do anything else, ask yourself who will be attending your event? Adults only? Adults and children? Children only?
Will everyone stay to watch the game? When you’ve answered those questions, you’re ready to plan.
Planning the party space
Inside or outside? If your plan is to be outside, make sure you have an alternate set ting in case of rain. A garage, basement room or patio will work well if you can watch the game from there.
Take inventory. Do you need to borrow tables or chairs so everyone can sit comfortably?
Grab some sportsthemed tablecloths, plas tic silverware, paper lanterns, balloons or other decorations — in your team color — at a local party supply store. If you have a few old mason jars, you could paint them to reflect your team’s colors and add votive candles for an evening party. Or you could use the jars to hold your plastic utensils. Additional activities are important if children will attend the party. Yard games such as cornhole or frisbee golf are always fun, but you could simply provide a side yard and several footballs or soccer balls. (An adult overseer might be a good idea.)
Have your viewing space and TV or projector ready to go before your guests arrive.
Planning the menu
Your first step in planning your menu should be to plan for “after” your event. How will you make clean-up easy? Line pans or casseroles with foil or liners, for example. Make sure trash cans have sturdy liners.
If you’ve purchased plastic or paper tablecloths, plastic utensils and paper plates, that part of the clean-up will be easy. Make sure you have appropriate trash receptacles in handy, but unobtrusive, places.
Then, decide what the main course will be. Lasagna, hoagies, a stew, hot dogs and burgers, or steak and/or salmon are all good choices. Choose one that you enjoy cooking or baking or one that will be delivered by your favorite caterer. Everyone loves potluck. It’s perfectly fine to ask your guests to bring something to be served with the tailgating main course you have chosen — pizza, burgers, hot dogs or something “fancier.”
If you have a variety of chips and dips available, create a fun nacho bar. You can add a few vegetables in the hope your children will think eating them is a creative idea.
Ensure you have adequate bathroom supplies in the facility your guests will use. You’ll need plenty of soap, paper towels and hand sanitizer. Also, you should probably make sure you have a well-stocked first aid kit.
Don’t hesitate to choose one alcoholic beverage and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks to serve. And, it is perfectly fine to provide the sodas and ask the adults who are attending the party to BYOB (perhaps make it clear you are inviting them to bring their favorite beer).
Throw in a few sweet treats and a desert for your guests and then it should be time for the game! Don’t forget to cheer loudly.
— Deb Brubaker
Grilled Alaskan
Sockeye Salmon
GAME DAY EATS
Place salmon skin down on a piece of foil on the grill. Add butter, fresh squeezed lemon, and pepper on top of the fish.
Close grill lid.
Salmon will be done when it flakes — approximately 10 to 15 minutes on high heat.
— Dan Voneida
Hot Sausage Filled
Mushroom Caps
Remove stems from mushrooms. Wash the caps.
Fill the caps with hot sausage. Place filled caps in 9x12” dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Transfer the mushroom caps to
an aluminum pan, cover with foil and place on the grill to heat at tailgating time.
(Can be made 2 days in advance.)
— Dan Voneida
“Gram’s” Apple Cake
4 cups diced apples
1 cup nuts & raisins (mixed)
2 eggs
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. salt
2 cups flour
Break eggs over apples. Add sugar, oil, nuts with raisins, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Stir. Use a 9x13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.
Photo provided Dan Voneida and Earl Fisher man the grills.
ANSWERS TO PUZZLE ON PAGE
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Events around the Valley
Sept. 6 through Sept. 15
48TH MILTON HARVEST FESTIVAL
No events will be held on Friday, Sept 13
There is a fee for some events
Enjoy a parade, concerts, area vendors, a pumpkin roll event and a scarecrow patch during this annual festival. Additional info: miltonharvestfestival.com
Sept. 14
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, ARTS AND MUSIC FESTIVAL AT THE MONTOUR PRESERVE
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Vernal School
Environmental Education Partnership, Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and Montour Area Recreation Commission will be hosting an Environmental Education, Arts & Music Festival at the Montour Preserve. Lots will be offered throughout the day for people of all ages.
Free admission
For additional information: vernalschool.org
Inside PA file photo
Bailey Showers, Milton, places her pumpkin in the backhoe before the start of the first ever pumpkin roll at a previous Milton Harvest Festival.
Inside PA file photo
The Market Street Festival in Selinsgrove will be held on Sept. 28.
Sept. 28
SELINSGROVE MARKET STREET FESTIVAL
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Entertainment for the day includes the Selinsgrove Area High School Marching Band to kick off the festival, Selinsgrove Dance Studio, Burns Tae Kwan Do and additional acts. We are excited to see vendor applications arriving daily. Additional acts are still being booked. Expect to see some new and different stands along Market Street too! The 11th Annual Snader Strong 5K, organized by Jeff Kiss, will be held once again. This event continues to grow each year. Crafters, civic groups, food and games will line Market Street
For more information: selinsgroveprojects.org
Sept. 29
FALL CRAFT SHOW BANTY ROOSTER, ARD’S MARKET, LEWISBURG
Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Enjoy a variety of craft vendors along with a couple of food and beverage trucks. Free admission.
For additional information: (570) 524-9820 or bantyrooster.com
Weekends Oct. 4 through Oct. 27
KNOEBEL’S HALLO - FUN! $
Fridays: Oct 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 6 to 10 p.m.
Saturdays: Oct 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 2 to 10 p.m.
Sundays: Oct 6, 13, 20 and 27 from Noon until 5 p.m
For additional information: knoebels.com
Oct. 4-5
MIFFLINBURG OKTOBERFEST
Oct.: 4: 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Oct. 5: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Celebrating Mifflinburg’s German Heritage, come out and enjoy the day at the 19th Oktoberfest.
For additional information: mifflinburgpa.org or Facebook
Oct. 5
CLYDE PEELING’S CROCTOBERFEST — $
Witness a gator feeding, experience crocs up-close with special animal encounters, and learn about crocodilians and why it is they need help! Also, a portion of all proceeds from Croctoberfest will be donated to the Crocodilian Advisory Group. Other zoo exhibits will be open for perusing!
Admission: $
Additional info: reptiland.com
Oct. 5-6
HERITAGE DAYS - WARRIOR RUN FORT FREELAND — $
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Enjoy two full days of colonial foods, demonstrations, crafts and lectures that will help visitors of all ages better understand the lives of the early settlers in the Warrior Run area.
There is an admission fee
Free parking
For additional information: freelandfarm.org or email info@freelandfarm.org
Nov. 3
CHOCOLATE AND WINE FESTIVAL AT PINE BARN INN RESTAURANT
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This is a 21+ Event with ID required for entry.
Purveyors of sweet treats and great wines are invited to a Chocolate and Wine Festival to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Danville. Attendees will sample tasty nibbles, chocolates, desserts, cheeses, local wine and other yummies for a great cause.
For additional information: chocolateandwinefestival.com
Coming Nov. 29
MILTON MODEL TRAIN MUSEUM WINTER OPEN HOUSE
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Milton Model Train Museum hosts an amazing model train display layout that is modeled after Miltonm Pennsylvania in the ’50s. The museum also hosts other fictional model train displays that include a huge 20 x 60 O-gauge layout with many operating O-gauge trains and interactive action scenes. Free admission, donations accepted
For additional information: (570) 742-9207 or visit miltonpa.org
Inside PA file photo
Mifflinburg Mayor David Cooney taps the annual firkin during the start of the Mifflinburg Oktoberfest last year.
