Inside Pennsylvania Magazine - Winter 2022 by The Daily Item

WINTER 2022

EQUITY,

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION LEADERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT GEISINGER, BUCKNELL AND SUSQUEHANNA

Expert decrypts confusion around cryptocurrency Valley woman wins CBS reality competition show Groundhog Day burrows deep roots in Pa. history

JANUARY 2022

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The CMS five-star rating is out of five stars. Evangelical Community Hospital’s 5-star ranking for Overall Hospital Quality is for 2017-2019. For more information on the star rankings, visit https://www.medicare.gov.

February 2018 | Inside Pennsylvania

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK As a new year begins, it is my hope that every wish, dream and goal you have for the 12 months ahead will come true. If the last two years have made you nervous about thinking positively, why not use the turn of the calendar as a reason to reset your optimism meter? Webster’s defines new as “not old: recently born, built, or created.” If you are not exactly sure what a bitcoin is, you are not alone. Finally, having a basic understanding will be “new” for me and, perhaps, for you. Ground Hog Day, is a well-known celebration in Pennsylvania. While the history of the event is interesting, what is definitely “new” to me is the knowledge that the critter peeking out of the hole was not always a groundhog. If you won a lot of money in a contest that required strength, quick thinking and a broad range of knowledge, would your plan for spending those dollars include gifts to your competitors non-profit of choice? That is what the “newest” champion in our Valley, Lia Mort, intends to do. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is a relatively “new” career choice that has been embraced by four valley professionals who have shared their insights about the need for their expertise in our communities. Your four-legged friend’s good health is important to you. That’s not “new,” of course, but have you discussed your pet’s health plan for the year with your veterinarian? Being proactive about our good health is important, but we are not always so good about doing what we know we should do to improve it. Dr. Anne Ivie has a “new” activity for your to consider as you work to improve your overall well-being. It’s also time to be honest with yourself about how you are doing with scheduling some physical activity each day. Perhaps some ideas for indoor activities during the winter months will strike you as a great “new” way to get moving. In our valley, early fall marks the beginning of hunting season and that tradition continues at a family business in Dalmatia that is “new” to me. Martz’s Gap View Hunting Preserve offers a variety of hunting options for young hunters, adults and seniors, corporate groups, friends and veterans. Finally, it is time to consider the gift you will give to that special person in your life. It might not be a “new” gift idea, but make it from the heart. Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy “New” Year! As we reported in The Daily Item on Dec. 23, the favorite holiday movie in our Valley in 2021 is “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” The film folks love that was not on our list is “Die Hard.” FYI: “It’s a Wonderful Life” finished second. Thanks for voting!

Jean L. Knouse, Editor

Weʼd love your feedback on the magazine! Send your comments, story suggestions and favorite local photos to editor@insidepamagazine.com

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Inside Pennsylvania | Winter 2022

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CONTENTS 20 BUILDING THE FOUNDATION DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION LEADERS MAKING BIG CHANGES AT BIG INSTITUTIONS

6 16 28 32 46

DEPARTMENTS

BREAKING DOWN BITCOIN:

EVENTS

Expert decrypts confusion around cryptocurrency

JILL OF ALL TRADES:

Woman proves she’s ‘Tough as Nails’ after winning CBS show

SOUPS OF THE SEASON:

Warm the belly with hearty stews and creamy soups

HAPPY AND HEALTHY:

Valley animal experts give tips for pet owners

HONORING DIVERSITY:

Remembering the words and achievements of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

PROGNOSTICATOR OF PROGNOSTICATORS:

Groundhog Day burrows deep roots in Pa. history

HEALTH & WELLNESS

GETTING OUT WHILE STAYING IN:

THREE GENERATIONS OF GAME HUNTING:

Indoor activities to get you into a healthy mindset

VALLEY BUSINESSES

Hunting preserve provides experience for every age group

COVER PHOTO AND ABOVE: KIM DRUMGO, CHIEF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER AT GEISINGER.

Robert Inglis/Inside Pennsylvania

Editor

Dennis M. Lyons

Publisher

Fred Scheller

Magazine editor

Jean L. Knouse A publication of The Daily Item

Magazine advertising manager

Lori Seebold Design editor

CONNECT WITH US! /InsidePA1 / @InsidePA1 www.insidepamagazine.com Inside Pennsylvania Magazine 200 Market Street Sunbury, PA 17801 editor@insidepamagazine.com

Aron Agerton Photo staff

Robert Inglis Writers/Contributors

Rochelle Shellehamer Cindy O. Herman Julie Mensch Vanessa Gabel Kaitlyn Gabel

INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA:

570-988-5473 Office 570-988-5347 Advertising Sales 570-988-5464 Subscriptions Inside Pennsylvania (ISSN 1935-4738) is published at 200 Market St., Sunbury, PA 17801.

Inside Pennsylvania magazine is not responsible for unsolicited submissions. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner, without permission, is prohibited. Copyright 2017 by Community News Group LLC. All rights reserved. Single issue: $3.95. Subscription: $10 annually (U.S. only). POSTMASTER: Send address change to Inside Pennsylvania magazine, 200 Market St., Sunbury, PA 17801. Advertising rates and specifications available online at InsidePaMagazine.com. Inside Pennsylvania was founded March 2007. A publication of The Daily Item, a member of Community News Group LLC.

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WINTER 2022 | INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA

BREAKING DOWN Valley financial expert decrypts confusion around successful cryptocurrency Interview by Inside Pennsylvania

y most financial metrics, 2021 was an astonishingly successful year for Bitcoin. Inside Pa. spoke with Bucknell University Freeman College of Management Professor Karen McGrath about what Bitcoin is, its impact and its future. QUESTION: What is Bitcoin? ANSWER: Bitcoin is a unit of digital currency. It doesn’t have any physical representation; it is all electronic. QUESTION: Where did Bitcoin originate? ANSWER: The foundations for cryptocurrency were laid in the early 1980s, but in 2008 the name Satoshi Nakamoto first appeared. Although Nakamoto is now considered the “father” of cryptocurrency, his identity is an ongoing mystery. As the author of the paper, “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System,”

Photo by Emily Paine, Bucknell University

PROFESSOR KAREN MCGRATH, BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY FREEMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT, FINANCE.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA | WINTER 2022

Julie Mensch for Inside Pennsylvania

THE VALLEY BOASTS MULTIPLE LOCATION FOR BITCOIN ATMS, INCLUDING ONE AT THE GIANT SUPERMARKET ON CHURCH STREET IN DANVILLE.

he outlined exactly how Bitcoin, as a cryptocurrency, would work. Then, in early 2009, and with code attributed primarily to Nakamoto, Bitcoin was launched at a value of $0.0008 per Bitcoin. Interestingly, no one actually knows who is behind the pseudonym, Satoshi Nakamoto. Is it a person? Is it a group of people? Even the claim that the entity is Japanese is subject to doubt. Although there are a few suspects, and even more are claimants, only the holder of the key to Nakamoto’s wallets can prove ownership of that moniker. Nakamoto’s wallets contain about one million Bitcoins which at the time of this writing are worth nearly $50 billion. QUESTION: Is Bitcoin cryptocurrency? ANSWER: Yes. Cryptocurrency is the term for any cryptology-based, 8

WINTER 2022 | INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA

digitally-traded asset that uses a decentralized verification and recording system, with Bitcoin widely considered to be the first in existence. QUESTION: If Bitcoin is a form of currency, is it like owning gold? ANSWER: Gold is a tangible asset, meaning it has a physical form. “Currency” is simply something that has value because people assign it a value. The paper that a $100 bill is printed on is not worth $100. It’s worth $100 because the U.S. government says that it’s worth $100. That’s the same for Bitcoin. It has no specific assets to back it, like gold, and it doesn’t have the backing of the government, like cash. Its value is literally derived through the worth that buyers and sellers attribute to it at any given time. QUESTION: How do you buy Bitcoin? ANSWER: You can buy Bitcoin on

a cryptocurrency exchange such as Coinbase. Some stock trading platforms, like Robinhood, now offer access to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. After you set up your Bitcoin “wallet,” you can buy it at a Bitcoin ATM. There are at least 10 in the area. QUESTION: Is Bitcoin a legal currency everywhere? ANSWER: Other than being declared illegal in Nepal and Algeria and a handful of other countries that ban Bitcoin transactions, Bitcoin is completely legal to own and transact globally. QUESTION: Is there an unlimited amount of Bitcoins? ANSWER: The total number of Bitcoins is capped at 21 million and, of that amount, more than 18 million are currently in circulation. QUESTION: Are there different types

of cryptocurrency? ANSWER: Yes, in fact there are more than 10,000 publicly traded cryptocurrencies and roughly 2,000 reported-failed cryptocurrencies. Some, like Ethereum, are very well known and differ from Bitcoin in how validating transactions are rewarded. QUESTION: Is the identity of a Bitcoin owner truly anonymous? ANSWER: If we are realistic, most people are buying Bitcoin on an exchange which will require the individual to set up an account using verifiable personal information, so your account is not anonymous. You can, however, also buy Bitcoin from a Bitcoin ATM with cash if you prefer to go the more unidentifiable route. Bitcoin is a form of currency similar to cash in that both can be anonymous. Bitcoin just lets you do it electronically so that you’re not carrying around those bulky bundles of Benjamins. QUESTION: Is it true that Bitcoin’s value can change from day to day? ANSWER: Absolutely. In fact, it changes continuously as the cryptocurrency exchanges operate 24/7. Thus, Bitcoin prices constantly reflect the market of buyers and sellers at that time. QUESTION: If Bitcoin transactions don’t involve a bank, what secures the transactions? ANSWER: This is the beauty of Bitcoin for many of its fans: The security. There’s no bank to get hacked or mess up your account with a computer glitch. The user’s wallet generates a digital address. This address consists of an asymmetric key pair, or two keys, one public and one private. The public key is not unlike your bank account number, and the private key is the pin that you use to access your account. Even though someone has your bank account number, they can’t actually access your account without that pin and that digital address is what directs your payment. This is similar to person-to-person payment apps such as Venmo where you direct payment to someone’s account. Unlike Venmo, these addresses are generated through cryptology and are nearly impossible

“You can buy Bitcoin on a cryptocurrency exchange such as Coinbase. Some stock trading platforms, like Robinhood, now offer access to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. After you set up your Bitcoin ‘wallet,’ you can buy it at a Bitcoin ATM. There are about 10 in area.” — KAREN MCGRATH, PROFESSOR AT BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY FREEMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT

to hack. Once the transaction is completed, it is time stamped and sent out to Bitcoin’s estimated 12,000 or so “nodes,” or computers, that are linked to the system. The nodes then validate the transaction, with the incentive of potentially earning Bitcoin as payment, and it is bundled together with other validated transactions until a “block” is filled. That block is then locked, stamped with a unique identifier, and linked to the last block of information, all in a continuous process. QUESTION: Some companies like Microsoft are accepting Bitcoin as payment, but how is it possible to pay in Bitcoin if the value fluctuates so often? ANSWER: There are a few major companies that accept Bitcoin as payment, and more that team with exchanges to allow for payment through an account. Bitcoin was envisioned as a peer-to-peer cash system, though now it is most typically considered an investment. The fact that it is not backed by an asset or government makes it much more volatile. Indeed it is an estimated 10 times more volatile, than the major currency exchanges. However, paying in Bitcoin is

essentially the same as paying with a foreign currency. If you go to an ATM in Paris to get 100 Euros, the bank will exchange USD to the value of 100 Euros. If you go to a Bitcoin ATM and remove $100, the ATM will remove $100 worth of Bitcoin from your wallet at a set price. This price, similar to a currency exchange, is likely to be at a less competitive price than you might get from an exchange, and the fees can be hefty. When paying Microsoft, you are actually redeeming Bitcoins into your USD-based Microsoft account, which can then be used as payment. When you select the dollar amount that you want to deposit, Microsoft will tell you how many Bitcoins correspond to that dollar amount (essentially telling you the rate), and you then have 15 minutes to complete the transaction at that rate. QUESTION: Is Bitcoin here to stay? ANSWER: This has been an evolving perspective over time for me. I remember when you could mine for Bitcoin from your home computer. I may have some on a now defunct computer somewhere, the access key long forgotten. Back then it was a novelty; maybe it still is. Do I think that Bitcoin is going away? No. Do I think it’s viable as a widely adopted payment option for developed countries? Not at the moment, and maybe not at all. But how do you value something when the only value that it has is how much someone wants to pay for it? It’s extremely volatile, which makes trading in it exciting, if not always profitable. It might be here to stay, increasing in price as it becomes more scarce and desirable, or it just might be the ultimate meme currency. So, while I may own a minuscule fraction of a coin, it’s definitely not something I’m willing to bet my 401k on. n Prof. McGrath will continue

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N VE

GROUNDHOG CLUB HANDLER A.J. DEREUME HOLDS PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL, THE WEATHER PROGNOSTICATING GROUNDHOG, DURING THE 135TH CELEBRATION OF GROUNDHOG DAY ON GOBBLER'S KNOB IN PUNXSUTAWNEY, PA., LAST YEAR.

WINTER 2022 | INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA

prognosticator of

prognosticators Groundhog Day burrows deep roots in Pennsylvania history

Story by Rochelle Shellehamer | Photos by Associated Press

ebruary 2. Dawn. As the sun breaks over the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, its residents prepare for the busiest day on their calendar. Visitors will be coming from near and far to celebrate the wisdom of the Prognosticator of all Prognosticators, a groundhog named Phil. Question: What is it that makes Phil so special? Answer: He has a great PR team. Did you know there are more than 20 Groundhog Lodges in operation today? Most are in Pennsylvania and each has its own meteorological groundhog. In previous years, there were many more lodges dating back to the time of the migration of German immigrants who would come to be known as the Pennsylvania Dutch.

The Deitsch brought their traditions and holidays with them, just like every other group of immigrants before and since. One such holiday was Dachstag, or Badger Day. It was celebrated on Feb. 2, whereupon a badger seeing its shadow when it emerged from its den meant four more weeks of winter. While many still trace the origins of the holiday to the Christian celebration of Candlemas, it’s actually much older. When the Germans were converted to Christianity, they already celebrated this holiday and they simply continued to do so. Gleaning information about the weather from animal behavior has been a practice for a very long time. It can’t have taken too many illadvised attempts at pulling a badger out of its burrow on a cold February

Punxsutawney Punxsutawney, famous the world over for its quirky Groundhog Day celebration, was originally a Native American campsite. Situated halfway between the Allegheny and Susquehanna rivers, its location made it convenient for travel; in fact, the town is located on the earliest known trail to the east, the Shamokin Path. Punxsutawney was officially incorporated as a borough in 1850. Coal mining has given way to light industry and, of course, tourism — the considerable fame and popularity of Punxsutawney Phil ensure that this charming small town is flooded with visitors each Feb. 2.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA | WINTER 2022

GROUNDHOG CLUB HANDLER A.J. DEREUME HOLDS PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL, THE WEATHER PROGNOSTICATING GROUNDHOG, AS VICE PRESIDENT TOM DUNKEL READS THE SCROLL DURING THE 135TH CELEBRATION OF GROUNDHOG DAY ON GOBBLER’S KNOB IN PUNXSUTAWNEY, PA., FEB. 2, 2021. PHIL’S HANDLERS SAID THAT THE GROUNDHOG HAD FORECAST SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER WEATHER DURING THE EVENT THAT WAS HELD WITHOUT ANYONE IN ATTENDANCE DUE TO POTENTIAL COVID-19 RISKS.

WINTER 2022 | INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA

morning to convince the Deitsch they needed a new critter. As they examined the fauna of their new home, one creature stood out to them as being inherently connected to the age-old pre-Christian traditions they were trying to keep alive. That creature was the grundsau, or groundhog. There are two reasons this rodent is appropriate. The first was the layout of a groundhog’s burrow. If you’ve never seen one, or a drawing of one, it looks a lot like an ant colony, with a series of chambers connected by a series of tunnels. This arrangement resembled depictions of an idea from an Ancient Norse religion – that of the Nine Realms of Reality – being connected by a “world tree,” which they called Yggdrasil. To them, the animal’s burrow resembles the map of the heavens. This discovery alone might not have been enough to elevate the groundhog to such a lofty status. Yggdrasil wasn’t just the structure holding the Nine Realms in place, it was also the

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IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY, THE MESSENGER SQUIRREL RATATOSKR RAN OVER THE TRUNK AND BRANCHES OF THE WORLD TREE DELIVERING MESSAGES TO AND FROM THE GODS.

highway between those realms. and that highway actually had a citizen, the messenger squirrel Ratatoskr. He spent his days zipping along the trunk and branches of the world tree delivering messages to and from the gods. A groundhog is an interesting substitute for a squirrel. The Viking Era was fraught with conflict, war could break out at any moment, so a messenger needed to be swift. However, rural Pennsylvania in the early 1800s, was not threatened by Vikings, nor were the Pennsylvania Dutch people who sought conflict: Their goal was peaceful existence. Also, squirrels are rarely still and, surely you’ve seen a groundhog. They look rather inclined to hang out, have a nice lunch, and dish gossip all afternoon. AN ANCIENT TRADITION CONTINUES The threads the Pennsylvania Dutch brought with them, and their holiday of Grundsaudaag, are The World Tree, Yggdrasil, and the messenger squirrel, Ratatoskr. This ancient belief that prioritizes two traditions and is actively embraced by followers today is called Urglaawe (urg-laa-va). It draws on the pre-Christian “holdouts” from Europe who passed their beliefs on to the Pennsylvania Dutch. Urglaawe encompasses a peaceful tradition, but adherents are not pacifists. There are no epic battles, no mighty heroes, and certainly no apocalypse at the end of everything. “Peaceful hobbits” is a term that accurately defines most of these believers. But how did Groundhog Day pivot from a Pennsylvania

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GROUNDHOG CLUB CO-HANDLER AL DEREUME HOLDS PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL, THE WEATHER PROGNOSTICATING GROUNDHOG, DURING THE 134TH CELEBRATION OF GROUNDHOG DAY ON GOBBLER’S KNOB IN PUNXSUTAWNEY IN FEB. 2, 2020.

Dutch folk custom to a quaint tradition for everyone in the United States and Canada? Robert L. Schreiwer, honest PA Dutchman and author of multiple books on Urglaawe, believes the holiday caught on because much of the U.S. is still rural, especially Pennsylvania. According to Schreiwer, “It comes from a time when people had few reliable means of knowing when they could plant, and they relied upon their relationship with nature and with the animals to make determinations about the consumption of remaining food stores and to plan for the planting.” Punxsutawney first made a big “deal” about it groundhog in 1886. At that time, people were still growing most of their own food or purchasing it at local markets. Everybody was invested in bountiful harvests. 14

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“I THINK IT REPRESENTS THE END OF WINTER, THE SEASON OF SELF REFLECTION. EVEN BILL MURRAY HAD TO ACTUALLY LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT HIMSELF BEFORE HE COULD LEAVE TOWN.” — STACEY LYNN STEWART, PA. ARTIST

Stacey Lynn Stewart, an artist from the suburbs of Philadelphia, connects the ancient with the modern. She wrote, “I think it represents the end of winter, the season of self reflection. Even Bill Murray had to actually learn something about himself before he could leave town.” A Berks county native with a long line of Pennsylvania German ancestors, Michelle A. Jones is very pragmatic about the whole affair, a common trait amongst the Deitsch. She says, “I’m not a fan of winter, so I look forward to Phil’s prediction every year. He’s either going to give

me a little joy because it’ll soon warm up, or the strength to push through the last blahs of snow and ice. A lot of that strength draws on the fact that, at least for a day, people from all walks of life come together to hear the news.” Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day in the United States. When the day arrives, be sure to wish your friends and neighbors a ”Halliches Grundsaudaag!” Then explain that you weren’t sneezing, just wishing them a Happy Groundhog Day in the language of the first people to celebrate it in Pennsylvania.

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OF ALL

JILL

TRADES Valley woman proves she’s ‘Tough as Nails’ after winning CBS reality competition show Story by Marcia Moore | Photos by Aron Agerton

ia Mort beams as she pores over letters people from across the country have been sending to her Richfield home since she won the CBS reality competition show, “Tough as Nails” on Dec. 8. “They don’t know me, but they’re saying all these nice things about me. That I’m compassionate, gracious,” the 54-year Army chief warrant officer said with a slight blush. Mort was billed as a “Jill-of-all-trades”

WINTER 2022 | INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA

as she competed in 20 challenges against 11 other contestants for the top prize of $200,000, a new Ford truck and title of “Tough as Nails” in the third season of the show that ran from Oct. 6 to Dec. 8. “I like to compete but it’s still hard for me to believe I won,” she said of the rigors of the challenges that included searching through a pile of 600 tires to find four with the same number, mounting them onto wheels and pressurizing them.

Another challenge involved each participant raising themselves 11 stories with a zoom boom to replace a lightbulb. Her husband of 28 years, John, said he was also surprised that she took the title and the response it’s garnered. “There was a lot of stiff competition,” he said. As for the letters of support and media attention his wife has received, “I’m blown away. She’s been an inspiration.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: LIA MORT, OF RICHFIELD, FEEDS ONE OF TWO ALPACAS SHE AND HER HUSBAND JOHN OWN ON THEIR PROPERTY; MORT WORKS WITH THE AXE SHE USED DURING HER TRAINING SESSIONS LEADING UP TO THE CBS REALITY COMPETITION SHOW, “TOUGH AS NAILS;” MORT FEEDS ONE OF HER 2 DONKEYS SHE AND HER HUSBAND JOHN OWN ON THEIR PROPERTY WHICH ALSO PLAYS HOME TO 2 ALPACAS, SEVERAL CHICKENS, TWO DOGS, A GOAT AND A HORSE; MORT SHOWS OFF A BOOK OF KNOTS SHE USED YEARS AGO DURING HER TIME AS A PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER. HER EXPERIENCE WITH KNOTS AND ROPES PROVED INTEGRAL TO WINNING THE FINAL EVENT IN THE SHOW. INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA | WINTER 2022

LIA MORT, LEFT, ALONG WITH HER HUSBAND JOHN, RIGHT, BEAMS OVER LETTERS AND CARDS SENT TO HER AFTER WINNING THE CBS REALITY COMPETITION SHOW, “TOUGH AS NAILS.”

PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY HAVE SENT LIA MORT, OF RICHFIELD, LETTERS AND CARDS THANKING AND CONGRATULATING HER ON HER WINNING PERFORMANCE ON THE CBS REALITY COMPETITION SHOW “TOUGH AS NAILS.”

WINTER 2022 | INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA

Mort has served in the Marines, driven tractor-trailers, worked as a professional firefighter and in construction. She prepared for the reality show by working on the 13-acre farm she shares with her husband and a menagerie that includes two alpacas, two donkeys, a goat named Blue who performs tricks for food, a 29-year-old horse, chickens and two dogs named Rudy and Jack. A long rope still hangs from a tree in her front yard that Mort used to practice climbing. In the back yard, she chipped at a tree stump with an axe and drove a railroad spike into another stump with a sledgehammer. She also reviewed “The Book of Knots” that she has had since 1991 which she used to learn how to make different knots while working as a firefighter. The practice paid off. The final challenge, in which Mort clinched the championship, required contestants to race through obstacles, smash a wall with a sledgehammer, stack 30 pallets, untie and drag a dummy up a slope, remove four tires and attach them to a container to make stairs, cut three pieces of metal with a grinder to make six steps, drive two stakes with a sledgehammer and raise a rope ladder to reach a truck. “Lia proved the old adage, you can never judge a book by its cover,” said Phil Keoghan, the show’s host and co-creator. “Our 5-foot, 3-inch, 54-year-old ‘Jill-ofall-trades’ flew in under the radar from the beginning and continued to master any job we threw at her. Her life skills, smarts and physical strength were evident from the first challenge, which she won, to the finale where she climbed to victory after a grueling 10 episode battle against 11 other hardened individuals.” Mort said the positive and supportive environment among the cast and crew of the reality show helped keep her focused and calm

LIA MORT STARES AT THE CLIMBING ROPE SHE USED TO TRAIN BEFORE HEADING OFF TO THE CBS REALITY COMPETITION SHOW “TOUGH AS NAILS.”

during the challenges. “I said I wanted an adventure. It was an awakening,” she said of the largely life-altering experience. The cash prize will be used to pay taxes and the Morts’ mortgage, but most of the rest will be given away, she said. Mort also said she is giving each of her 11 competitors $5,000 to donate to a charity of their choice. “I want to take advantage of the opportunity I’ve been given” by inspiring others, she said. She plans to start a nonprofit to help vulnerable and bullied children and establish a scholarship at Centerville Middle School in Lancaster in honor of her nephew, Nigel Kamm, who died by suicide in 2008 at age 14. She also hopes to “share the excitement and energy” she felt during the competition by creating a challenge course on her property for the public. In early 2022, Mort and two cast mates, Kalimba Edwards, 43, a fire captain from Nebraska, and Sarah Ham, a 30-year-old cement mason from Queens, N.Y., are creating a podcast, “More Than Tough,” where they will discuss the show and interview past contestants and crew members. In the meantime, Mort will be responding to all the well-wishers who sent her cards and letters following her win. “I’m going to write back to all those people,” she said.

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Building the

foundation

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion leaders work to make big changes at big institutions Story by Eric Scicchitano

im Drumgo arrived in the Central Susquehanna Valley ahead of an interview at Geisinger prior to being hired in October as the health system’s first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. She made a point to visit a grocery store and pharmacy in Danville to get a feel for the people in the community. She listened in on snippets of people’s conversations and observed their behaviors and interactions — casual eavesdropping that she’s done when relocating elsewhere, too. “That tells me a lot about the community that I’m in and the people that I would be around,” Drumgo said. “My immediate observation in Danville was that there wasn’t anyone in CVS or Giant who looked like me on that day. Not being surrounded by people who look like them is typically a deal-breaker for 20

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most Black or brown people. And that was honestly my thinking, too. However, as I made my way through the checkout at both stores, the people I met were very welcoming and asked many questions, recognizing I was an out-of-towner,” Drumgo added. Geisinger’s presence ensures broader diversity in a historically white region, its workforce inclusive of medical and business professionals from different parts of the country and the globe with varied ethnicities, backgrounds and cultures. Organizations like Geisinger and universities like Bucknell and Susquehanna are uniquely positioned as magnet operations, attracting people who might not otherwise relocate to rural Central Pennsylvania. “As I thought about this role and I thought about the role that Geisinger plays in its community, we’re not the organization that’s trying to reflect

the diversity of the communities that we serve, we’re an organization that can infuse the diversity of who we bring to this community,” Drumgo said. These three organizations are evolving culturally with guidance in the area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Leaders from each gathered for a virtual roundtable to discuss, for this edition of Inside Pennsylvania Magazine, instituting change through DEI initiatives, challenges they’ll face and benefits potentially realized within and beyond the confines of each organization. Joining Drumgo were Nikki Young, associate provost for equity and inclusive excellence at Bucknell University, along with two representatives of Susquehanna University: Dena Salerno, director of student diversity and inclusion, and Michael Dixon, chief inclusion and CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

KIM DRUMGO, CHIEF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER AT GEISINGER

Robert Inglis/Inside Pennsylvania

Watch video at dailyitem.com

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HOMES

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A LITTLE MORE ABOUT...

Kim Drumgo, chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer, Geisinger Kim Drumgo joined the Geisinger staff in late summer 2021. She has been challenged to further Geisinger’s commitment to promote an inclusive and welcoming organization and community to all. She is the organization’s first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. Drumgo has been asked to champion and guide Geisinger to better understand the importance and value of a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, as well as serve as a catalyst for change. She has been challenged to provide systemwide thought leadership, strategic direction

diversity officer. There are scholarly definitions of the three terms that make up DEI. And, there are analogies. Borrowing from one Young gave at a Women’s Leadership Symposium in Lewisburg in October, think of DEI as a dinner party. Diversity is the invitation, multiple people from varied backgrounds all invited to the same place. Equity is ensuring the dining room is an accessible space to all. Inclusion allows guests a say in setting the menu. With respect to these terms, Dixon said he finds reluctance in grasping the difference between equity and equality. Treating everyone the same

officer for Anthem Inc., where she led more than 63,000 leaders and employees in having authentic, compassionate conversations about race, social justice and health equity. She was named to Network Business Journal’s Top 25 Women in Business and recognized for her leadership in Diversity by Profiles in Diversity Journal. She earned her bachelor of science in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master of business administration from the University of Maryland.

and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion-related programs and initiatives. “The preservation of dignity and respect will be critical to our success,” said Drumgo. “I look forward to partnering with our Geisinger family and community leaders on these important topics. Geisinger and the communities we serve are infinitely stronger when we can harness the talents and backgrounds from each of us for the betterment of us all.” Drumgo has held leadership roles in several organizations, including most recently serving as chief diversity

isn’t good enough, he said. Students at Susquehanna come from different backgrounds and experience differences in access and barriers. “We need to be very cognizant of that and we need to adjust the way that we deliver our services or deliver our programming in order to meet the needs of people where they are and not necessarily where we believe that they are,” Dixon said. Another mistake with DEI terminology, Young said, is thinking of diversity as a characteristic of an individual. A person isn’t diverse. A group of people can be. “If those markers of difference are imbued by power and access and those things, really, a focus on equity

is a natural response to a diverse environment,” Young said. Lost at times among DEI is “belonging.” Drumgo stressed the importance of ensuring a sense of welcome and comfort in a classroom or workplace. That allows people to be their “best selves” in a diverse environment. “In my work, I’ve realized that the problem with diversity is not diversity itself, but that it’s our lack of curiosity and willingness to see the world from a different view. Curious communities are communities where people who represent differences have a chance to thrive and others have an CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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Nikki Young, associate provost for Equity and Inclusive Excellence, Bucknell University Since joining Bucknell in 2011, Thelathia “Nikki” Young, professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Religion, has worked to cultivate an educational community in which every Bucknellian feels a sense of belonging. Young is a scholar, educator and social justice advocate with nearly 20 years of service, scholarship and teaching that promote diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice in contexts of higher learning. As a social ethicist, she interrogates social, political and material disparities related to embodied difference (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, (dis)ability, social class, national origin, religion) and their connection to larger systems of privilege, power and oppression. In her previous position as interim associate provost, Young transformed inclusivity training for faculty and staff through an open-participation workshop series. Believing that all members of university hiring committees should be educated in equity and inclusion, she also expanded workshops related to recruitment

strategies that prioritize diversity advocacy. Her most recent project, the Transforming Communities Initiative, creates space for students, faculty and staff to engage in honest conversations around race and difference on campus. “For those of us invested in liberal arts education,” she added, “our commitment needs to be in fostering a community of critically conscious people who can conceive of and cultivate a livable world for all.” Young holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of North Carolina, a master of divinity in theology and ethics from Emory University, master of theology in race, gender, sexuality from Emory University and a Doctor of Philosophy in religion/religious studies and ethics and society from Emory University. Young is the author of two books, “Black Queer Ethics, Family and Philosophical Imagination” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), and co-author with Eric Barreto and Jake Myers In Tongues of Mortals and Angels: A Deconstructive Theology of God-Talk in Acts and Corinthians. Photo provided

opportunity to learn about people and cultures they would otherwise never encounter,” Drumgo later wrote by email. Salerno spoke of DEI initiatives implemented at Susquehanna. The benefits will be measurable and noticeable, in time. One initiative was Census. Faculty, staff and students spoke of where DEI could be improved on campus. It resulted in more than 30 different areas identified, each assigned specific measures, goals and potential outcomes. It led to the inclusion of a diversity advocate participating in each recruitment search at the university, allowing expanded and diverse pools of potential candidates and eliminating systemic biases. The Division of Inclusive Excellence was introduced. Through it, a DEI curriculum was introduced for faculty and staff. “We can be building our 24

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infrastructure, since that’s what stays and our students turn over, so we’re really creating a place where we want to work and where our students will thrive,” Salerno said. Young spoke of a similar curriculum for faculty and staff having been developed at Bucknell. And, the university hired a director for equity and inclusive excellence. Enrollment Management has its own DEI council to inform planning, recruitment and retention initiatives. Its work bridges with other divisions in the university and its results are observed in the attraction of more diverse pools of students and employees. Ways in which faculty incorporate research in service related to DEI may soon be part of Bucknell’s tenure and promotion plans, Young said. Data can measure successes in DEI to some degree. There’s something to be said for counting stats in any area. Harder to quantify as a statistic

are feelings, but Dixon said that’s as an important measurement as any. He said progress can’t be had if people aren’t feeling good about the community in which they live and work. There must be a sense of belonging and representation. If a person or group of people feel left out or that they don’t have a voice, it tempers any successes perceived on campus within the realm of DEI. “Our work is never done,” Dixon said. Work like infusing DEI into the fabric of a workplace culture, like Geisinger. Drumgo said she strives to ensure the key messages, behaviors and competencies are meshed into training, language and behavior on all levels — top down, bottom up. In recruitment efforts, Drumgo works to ensure processes are followed to eliminate bias, for example, or that steps are taken to draw a diverse array of candidates. CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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Dena Salerno, director of Student Diversity and Inclusion, at Susquehanna University Dena Salerno has held this position with Susquehanna University since 2008. Salerno provides comprehensive vision and strategic oversight to Susquehanna’s institutional diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that encourage an inclusive and vibrant campus community among Susquehanna’s 2,200 undergraduate students. She oversees several innovative campus-wide programs that encourage civil discourse, community building and positive bystander behavior. She has also forged community collaborations and coalitions to discuss perceptions of race, ethnicity, identity and improve community relations. Salerno has also served Susquehanna as an adjunct faculty member, teaching general and developmental psychology and an introductory college course for first-year students to support them in their transition to college, a position she assumed in 1995. She also taught at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Salerno’s first position in the field of diversity and inclusion was at Greenwood Friends School, Millville, where she served as director of counseling and admissions and later chief diversity officer. While at Greenwood, Salerno oversaw all aspects of admissions, created and led cultural competence programming for the campus and community and served as primary counselor for the student body by facilitating support groups focused on body image, healthy relationships and conflict resolution techniques. Salerno earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Eastern University and earned her master’s degree in counseling and education from Bucknell University.

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Michael Dixon, chief Inclusion and Diversity officer at Susquehanna University Michael Dixon came to Susquehanna University in 2019 from Manchester University, North Manchester, Indiana. During his tenure at that university, he served as chief diversity officer and director of intercultural services. In his role at Susquehanna, Dixon works closely with the president and the leaders across campus to develop and implement initiatives supporting the university’s inclusion and diversity efforts. During his tenure at Manchester, Dixon was responsible for providing the vision, leadership, development and evaluation of a comprehensive multicultural affairs program focused on retaining domestic students of color and international students, while educating all students about multiculturalism, diversity and social justice issues. As the founding director of Manchester’s Jean Childs Young

Intercultural Center, Dixon assisted in raising $1.1 million to fund the project. He also led the President’s Diversity and Inclusion Council to develop a bias incident protocol and a strategic diversity plan and he worked with human resources to infuse diversity training for faculty and staff. Prior to joining Manchester University, Dixon was coordinator of intercultural life and leadership programs at St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa. Before that, he served as an admissions counselor at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. Dixon is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He earned his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University. He went on to earn his master’s degree from Grand Valley State University and is pursuing his doctorate from Indiana State University. Photo provided

IT TAKES TIME Drumgo said she stumbled early in her career in trying to institute systemic change too quickly. There was no common language, no common understanding for the need of DEI, and when candidates were successfully recruited to that former workplace, there was no organizational culture in place to welcome them in. “You’ve got to make sure your culture is welcoming to diversity or else you’ll have that revolving door,” Drumgo said. The benefits of building a welcoming campus or workplace, one that is equitable and diverse, can extend into the broader community. Salerno said personal conversations about unjust experiences can foster understanding. People want to live in a just world, she said, and people can find common ground to talk about how that justice is found. Dixon spoke of a conversation he had about Colin Kaepernick, the

former NFL quarterback whose silent kneeling protest during “The Star-Spangled Banner” inspired conversation, and argument, about race, police brutality and patriotism. Dixon met a “blue collar worker” whose opinions about the situation differed from his own. They spoke about how the athlete’s protest was perceived through the media, their own takes on the situation and each other’s opinions, and even ventured into talk on Critical Race Theory. There may not have been much in the way of agreement, Dixon said, at least not in that moment. However, he said the man was open to reading different opinions and research that Dixon shared. “That’s the light, that’s the opening. It leads to then maybe having a broader conversation about educating yourself not just on what you hear in the media but also triangulating that information with other resources to have a more informed conversation,” Dixon said. A commitment to DEI initiatives

reflects deeper values of those singular terms: Diversity, equity, inclusion. It takes practice in listening, reflecting, conversing to share those values, Young expressed. Strategies to take that on are developed at institutional settings and can be implemented outside a university or hospital. “We have to have some wiggle room for people to meet us where we are and for us to meet them where they are. This is not to say that we capitulate to standards of acceptance and engagement in what used to be called tolerance, that are below what we hope for. It means we’re open to helping people along the journey. “To me, that means a kind of willingness to have compassion but also to declare boundaries; a willingness to have kindness but also to be very clear about our expectations; and a willingness to be truthful at every point about what we’re oriented towards in terms of DEI,” Young said. INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA | WINTER 2022

soups of

Warm the belly with hearty stews and creamy soups Story by Vanessa Gabel and Kaitlyn Gabel FROM VANESSA When the weather is frigid, people gravitate toward comfort foods. The warmth and sustenance they provide are welcome on a frosty day. If you grew up in the northeast, you likely have fond memories of a blustery snow day, when after playing with your friends for hours, your mom or dad served a steaming bowl of soup. You may, or may not, remember which soup was served, but you probably remember how you felt as you were telling your folks abou the excitement of the day and, I am guessing, you remember the delicious aroma and flavor of the soup. To help you create your own “comfort” memories during this winter season, here’s a soup that I would like to share with you to create your own memories this wintery season. This Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Soup recipe is incredibly easy and can be adapted for a crock pot, pressure cooker, or stove top. During my middle and high school years, I remember distinctly that it was always served with a sticky bun and a Cheddar cheese cube at my school. To this day, that’s all I can think of pairing with this soup. If you disagree and argue that crusty bread or another option for a side would be a steamy batch of parmesan garlic knots. I cook mine in the air fryer with a can of biscuits cut in half, basted 28

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Metro Creative Library

CHEESY CHICKEN BROCCOLI SOUP Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts 5 cups chicken broth 3/4 lb potatoes, cubed 1 onion, chopped ground pepper 1/4 cup flour 1 cup heavy cream 1 12 oz bag of frozen broccoli florets 1 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated Directions: 1. Add chicken breasts, broth, potatoes, and

onion to a pressure cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 2. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Manually release the pressure. You could also cook these ingredients in a crock pot or dutch oven at over a longer period of time. 3. Shred the cooked chicken into bite size pieces. 4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and heavy cream. Pour the mixture into the pressure cooker and

stir to combine. Turn to the saute setting and cook until the soup has thickened – about 10-15 minutes. 5. Add the broccoli and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. 6. Garnish with sour cream and more cheese, and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. If you find yourself low on either of these cheeses, feel free to also substitute your favorite kind.

the season Want more?

More recipes from Vanessa and Kaitlyn Gabel can be found on the Taste page every Wednesday in The Daily Item. with a mixture of oil, garlic and freshly shredded parmesan cheese. They can be eaten on the side, or dipped into the soup. Nobody can stop at just one! Add a delicious piece of fruit and you have an amazing “warm me up.” I takes a bit of time to chop and assemble everything. I wouldn’t try to accomplish that before work if, like me, you are strapped for time in the morning. FROM KAITLYN

Before now, I’ve never heard of or tried a meal that begins with beef broth, let alone make a recipe with it. I’ve also never made beef stroganoff, so I took a huge leap of faith with this recipe, and I couldn’t have been happier with the results. I loved the broth in the soup because it was just barely thick, it was very filling, and it had so many different flavors that burst in my mouth. The recipe did call for red wine and mushrooms, but I decided to leave those out and it still turned out fantastic. The recipe calls for putting raw noodles at the bottom of the bowl when serving and pouring the soup over the noodles to cook them. While that did work, the noodles were still kind of hard, so I ended up pouring the noodles into the soup and just mixing them in that way which made the meal more enjoyable. Although

Metro Creative Library

BEEF STROGANOFF Ingredients: 1 onion diced 3 Tbsp olive oil (divided) 1 lb stewing beef trimmed salt and pepper to taste 8 oz mushrooms, brown or white, sliced 6 cups beef broth (low sodium) 1/2 cup red wine 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 3 Tbsp corn starch 1/2 cup sour cream 3 Tbsp parsley chopped 1 1/2 cup egg noodles

Directions: 1) Heat 2 Tbls olive oil over medium high heat Season beef with salt and pepper and cook until browned. Set aside. 2) Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and cook onion until tender, about 5 minutes. 3) Add garlic and mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes or until tender. 4) Stir in the wine, broth, Worcestershire sauce and beef and

the recipe is incredibly delicious and filling, it does take a bit of time to make, and you need to keep an eye on it while it’s cooking. However, it is super easy to make when you have all the ingredients pulled together and ready to mix. This meal was delicious with

bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. 5) Allow to simmer for 45 minutes or until beef is tender. 6) Combine cornstarch with 3 Tbsp cold water and whisk into boiling soup until slightly thickened. 7) Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and parsley. 8) Place egg noodles in the bottom of a bowl and top with the soup. Serve.

noodles, but a yummy alternative could be rice or mashed potatoes, or it could simply be served with a vegetable such as green beans or broccoli. Since the meal was already boiling, the noodles cooked much quicker than having to deal with water CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA | WINTER 2022

to boil and to cook and strain the noodles, so that aspect of the recipe saves a lot of time. To also save money, and time too, you could make a roast for another meal and use the leftovers for this recipe so you would be using leftovers and you wouldn’t have to deal with the mess of cooking up the meat. To cut down on even more time you could throw all the ingredients into a slow cooker or even a quick cooker and have the same outcome. Since my family is big into making every recipe around chicken, this meal was a nice change, it gets tiring eating chicken for every meal, and it was incredibly filling and a different taste. Beef Stroganoff originated in Russia around the 1800s. During the start of World War II, beef stroganoff was a popular dish served in hotels around China. Immigrants from China then brought the recipe to America around the 1950s, and then it only became more popular. The recipe is still made in numerous different ways that can be adapted to anyone’s needs. I love this recipe and I love all the memories that will be made with it during the cold winter season.

Julie Mensch/For Inside Pennsylvania

KAITLYN AND VANESSA GABEL IN THEIR KITCHEN WHIPPING UP SOMETHING WARM AND DELICIOUS.

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HAPPY AND

HEALTHY

Valley animal experts give tips for pet owners

Story by Cindy O. Herman

ant to start the New Year off by keeping Smokey and Daisy as healthy as possible? Check this advice from Debbie Zaktansky, manager at Warrior Run Petcare Center, in Watsontown: Establish a relationship with your veterinarian and schedule regular checkups, especially as your pet ages. “Prevention and early treatments for any problems are much better than emergency care or treating a condition that has advanced to a grave problem,” Zaktansky said. QUALITY PET FOOD “Pet food companies want your money, so many use gimmicks to get you to buy their product,” Zaktansky said. “Dogs and cats don’t care what color or shape their food is. Many dyes aren’t healthy for them. Soft pieces are kept soft with ingredients that aren’t good.” Watch for added sugars, and don’t fall for fads like “grain-free” foods, which in fact are linked to a heart condition in animals. Regular baths and grooming help keep your pet’s skin and coat healthy and identify problems such as fleas and ticks, ear infections, overgrown nails, anal gland impaction, hot spots and many other conditions before they become difficult to

“Dogs and cats don’t care what color or shape their food is. Many dyes aren’t healthy for them. Soft pieces are kept soft with ingredients that aren’t good.” —DEBBIE ZAKTANSKY, MANAGER AT WARRIOR RUN PETCARE CENTER

treat, Zaktansky said. Brushing a pet’s fur keeps it from matting, which pulls on their skin and is uncomfortable as the animal moves. LET YOUR PET HAVE FUN “Each dog or cat is different in what tempts them to be active and playful,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 34 INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA | WINTER 2022

Zaktansky said. “Not all toys are appropriate for heavy chewers that may damage and eat parts of a toy. Chewing is beneficial for stress relief, exercise, teething and alleviating boredom.” KEEP YOUR PET’S TEETH CLEAN “Tartar buildup is unpleasant with bad breath, but it is also a health concern,” Zaktansky said. “Kidney disease can be the result of bacteria from infected gums.” In serious cases, a veterinarian will need to anesthetize your pet to work on its teeth, which is expensive for you and painful for the animal. “Brush your pet’s teeth regularly,” Zaktansky said. “Adding teeth cleaner to their water, feeding hard foods or giving dental chews are some ways to help keep tarter from building up.”

Cindy O. Herman/For Inside Pennsylvania

DEBBIE ZAKTANSKY ENCOURAGES PET OWNERS TO USE QUALITY CAT FOOD RIGHT FROM THE START TO HELP CATS TO GROW STRONG AND HEALTHY.

TRAIN YOUR PET Along with cats and dogs, Scherry Moore, of Winfield, has owned goats, horses, chickens, ducks, geese, a parakeet, guinea pig, hamster, donkey, calves, pigs and raccoons. She learned how to care for them by asking questions of veterinarians and other pet owners. Her Labrador/Rottweiler mix, Bailey, rested at her feet as Moore offered her top advice: train your pet to obey you. “If you’re going to have the animal, you have to be able to control it,” she said. “Not with whips and chains. I’ve had Bailey a year-and-a-half, and I’ve never laid a hand on her. She knows my voice.”

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AFTER A BUSY AFTERNOON OF WATCHING HIS OWNER PLAY VIDEO GAMES, A CAT IS HAPPY TO SNUGGLE IN FOR A NAP.

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Moore walked Bailey around her pasture two or three times a day for a year, and trained her to come by giving her treats when she obeyed. Now, even if Bailey sees a squirrel, when Moore says, “No,” Bailey stays at her side. “A happy dog and a happy owner only happen when the dog is well-trained,” Moore said. “Make them sit every time you tell them to sit.” Basic jobs like training a dog to do its business can be accomplished by taking it to the area of your choosing each time. Eventually dogs learn to go there on their own. “I’ve never walked her in the yard (to do her business),” Moore said. “The yard is to play in.” She also noted that pet owners have to be in it for the long haul, caring for their pet as it ages. “You have to be willing to commit to the dog that needs different food, medications and help getting in the car,” she said. Moore attributes success with her pets to consistency and wanting to be a good pet owner and taking pets out for exercise even on days she’d rather stay snug and warm inside. “You’re like the postman. Rain, hail, sleet, snow, they have to be out there,” she said. She reached down to pet Bailey as the dog lifted its head to gaze at Moore, who smiled and said, “There’s nothing better than having your pooch wagging their tail when you get home.”

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Plenty of indoor activities to get you out of the house and into a healthy mindset Story by Cindy O. Herman and Julie Mensch

anuary articles about health repeat the good advice we all know we should follow: Eat healthy foods, exercise daily, and don’t smoke. Avoid large amounts of fat, sugar and alcohol is always the next subject of the paragraphs that follow. Whether we heed these instructions or not, we know about them. Perhaps Dr. Anne Ivie’s approach about working to find ways to make improvements in all aspects of our lives would work better for some folks. “For the New Year, I recommend for everyone to evaluate yourself in four areas: spiritually, socially, physically and intellectually,” said Ivie, a family

medicine physician at Family Practice Center, in Selinsgrove. “What are you already doing in these areas? As you do this, you can also start to see ways you want to improve.” Ivie’s strategy begins with a piece of paper and a pen. Write down these headings: Spiritual, Social, Physical and Intellectual. Then, list ideas, concerns, and goals under each category. As you examine your list, look at each notation. What ideas, if you make a change, would make your life better? Do you need to spend more time with family? Write that down. Want to work on physical strength? Study a particular topic? Find a

church that resonates with you? Write it all down. “You can take one (change) at a time, or oft times there is a large overlap and you can cover multiple things with one change,” Ivie said. “Refer to this list and modify it as the year goes on. Keep track of what you have done and where you want to get to.” With each new improvement, your life will fall more in line with what you want it to be, and you’ll find a stronger sense of balance and accomplishment. “It works, but you must do it,” Ivie said. “Which I am now reminding CONTINUED ON PAGE 39 INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA | WINTER 2022

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STRETCHING IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FITNESS PLAN SAYS ERICA AMATO OF STACK’D FIT GYM IN SELINSGROVE.

myself. I will do better this year than last. You can, too.” SET SMALLER FITNESS GOALS

“Maybe not necessarily focus on weight, but on increasing the number of workouts you do,” said Amato, part-owner with Jatoya Troutman and Stephanie Keith of Stack’D Fit gym and physical fitness center, in Selinsgrove. “Maybe commit to just two workouts a week. That seems a lot more sustainable.” As a physical therapist, Amato is always on the lookout for ways to prevent injury, and taking care of our bodies by maintaining core strength and flexibility does that. If you’re just starting, consider aquatic exercises to help you increase strength and flexibility so you can graduate to more intense exercise. Amato added, “Sometimes the stigma of a gym is tough for people, especially those who are overweight. We can coach them through taking those first steps.” She also enjoys seeing kids improve in the classes Stack’D

Fit offers. Even athletic kids, Amato said, can develop terrible exercise habits. “We’re just cleaning up form and trying to instill a love of movement in our kids so they want to work out as adults,” she said. “So they will be healthy humans and, again, get CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

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the benefits of injury prevention.” Like Dr. Ivie’s suggestion for improving health in all aspects of our lives, Amato pointed out how good exercise can be for mental health. “I think people would be surprised to find how calming it can be,” she said. That exercise doesn’t have to take place in a gym or a class. Anything that involves movement can be a boost to good physical and mental health. “Take the New Year and try to find something you love to do,” Amato said, “rather than doing something you feel you have to do.” GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE Looking for something to get you off the couch and out of the house? If so, you don’t have to freeze your toes doing it. There are all kinds of indoor opportunities in the Valley that will get you out of the house and moving. Exercise and other types of physical activity can help relieve stress and anxiety, so making an effort to

connect with people you enjoy being with can give you that extra little boost to make the winter a bit lighter. The Greater Susquehanna Valley YMCA has facilities in Sunbury, Milton, Lewisburg and Mifflinburg and one membership makes you a member at all locations. Swimming pools in Sunbury and Milton have a variety of classes and open swim times. Additional opportunities for varying your “get up and move” resolution are basketball, fitness classes, work out studios and lots more. Check out the programs that are being offered, the facilities that are available for you to use and any schedules and fees at gsvymca. com. The Danville Area Community Center has a 25 yard, six-lane pool that offers times for recreation and lap swimming. A regular schedule of swim lessons for children of all ages is available. A wide variety of daily fitness classes from Aquatics to Zumba are offered. The basketball court also hosts Pickleball and there

are workout rooms with free weights. Silver Sneakers participants can enjoy weekly sessions of Yoga, Boom Move and Muscle. For hours, fee schedules and program details visit dacc. activityreg.com The Miller Center in Lewisburg also has programs, classes and activities available for all ages. Communications Director Drew Kauffman said, “Our most popular youth program at the Lewisburg YMCA at the Miller Center is basketball.” He added that while coach Kathy Fedorjaka’s Next Level Strong basketball program for elementary-age kids up through high school, adults haven’t been forgotten. A basketball league was so popular with adults this fall that a spring league is planned. For kids 2-5 years-old, the Little Stars program introduces sports in a non-competitive environment that encourages fundamentals and fun. Additional information can be found on all programs at millercenterlewisburg,com.

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SILVER SNEAKERS This national wellness program for adults 65 and over is offered at no additional cost to participants in eligible Medicare plans. There are three main goals for the program: Get/stay active, get fit, and connect with others. Designed for all levels of fitness and abilities, classes are available at over 15,000 locations and there is also a large catalog of online classes. To check your eligibility or to find locations near you, go to SilverSneakers.com or contact your Medicare Advantage Plan, local YMCA, community center or gym. YOGA Yoga is one of the fastest growing fitness trends worldwide. Originating more than 5,000 years ago in India, yoga is a discipline that focuses on health of the mind, body and spirit. A number of area studios offer classes at various levels of experience. A relatively new form of yoga, called chair yoga, started as a physical therapy program and has become popular with seniors and those with limited mobility. Many Silver Sneakers providers offer chair yoga classes. ROCK CLIMBING The Milton Rock Gym in downtown Milton is a former men’s department store that has been turned into a state of the art climbing facility. Instruction, equipment rentals and a variety of climbing opportunities are available as well as programs

Robert Inglis/Inside Pennsylvania

A SILVER SNEAKERS CLASS DOES GROUP EXERCISES AT THE LEWISBURG YMCA AT THE MILLER CENTER.

for children nine and up, senior programs, party and group rentals. The gym is open Tuesday to Friday 3 to 9 p.m. and Saturday noon to 9 p.m Another rock climbing option is available at the Middlecreek Area Community Center in Beaver Springs. The climbing wall is available for rental for groups to both members and the general public. Contact information and hours for the wall and many other programs is available online at maccrec.org BLADES OR WHEELS? If you liked ice skating when you were a kid, but you just don’t

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Y LE ESS L VA SIN BU

HREE GENERATIONS OF GAME HUNTING

Martz’s Gap View Hunting Preserve provides experience for every age group

Story and photos by Cindy O. Herman

o ahead and gasp. Firsttime visitors to Martz’s Gap View Hunting Preserve often do when they see the flight pens — 70 acres of wood-framed enclosures — stretched out across the rolling Pennsylvania hills.

Inside the pens are thousands of jaunty, ring-necked pheasants. With their distinctive, straight, brown tail feathers jutting out behind them like an exclamation mark, and those eyecatching, dark blue and green throat feathers stopping right at the line of white that circles their necks, they

are easily recognizable. They, along with chukar partridges, are the main draw at Martz’s Preserve. “Our most popular activity is upland game bird hunting,” said Mike Martz, third-generation owner of the Dalmatia preserve in Northumberland County. “We also

FIRST-TIME VISITORS TO MARTZ’S GAP VIEW HUNTING PRESERVE, IN DALMATIA, OFTEN GASP AT THEIR FIRST SIGHT OF THE FLIGHT PENS — ACRES OF WOOD-FRAMED CHICKEN WIRE ENCLOSURES — STRETCHED OUT ACROSS THE ROLLING PENNSYLVANIA HILLS.

WINTER 2022 | INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA

have continental shoots, sporting clays and lodging and we process the birds here for the hunters.” Upland hunting takes advantage of the preserve’s more than 1,300 acres and offers 18 different hunting areas of 40 to 100 acres, each dedicated to an individual group of hunters. Terrain can range from light brush and cornfields to open fields, especially well-suited for youngsters and older hunters, while areas with heavier cover offer more of a challenge for seasoned hunters and their dogs. “We have guides and dogs here, if they need them,” Martz said. “But they’re welcome to bring their own dogs. They’re welcome to dress their own birds, too, if they wish, or we can do it here.” Continental shoots simulate a European-style drive shoot, done from the comfort of blinds that keep shooters warm and dry even in rainy or snowy weather. Guests can shoot sporting clays either from a field course or from Martz’s wobble trap. In the field course, guests walk through woods and fields to shoot at 50 clay targets simulating realistic hunting situations of running ground animals like rabbits and foxes or wild fowl like pheasants, quail and grouse. The wobble trap, a roofed, wooden structure accessed by steps at either end, uses one trap that throws 25 targets from one location in 64 possible directions. Saturdays tend to get booked quickly, so hunters should call ahead for arrangements. Hunting is available from the third week of September through the end of March or early April. “From April to September, we’re raising birds and farming our cash crops, corn, soybean and winter wheat, and the sporting clays and wobble trap are open,” Martz said. “It’s a lot of manual labor.” SATISFIED CUSTOMERS Longtime friends and hunters Dale Meyer and John Rice, both of Duncannon, stopped in at Martz’s office after a sunny, November

THIRD-GENERATION OWNER OF MARTZ’S GAP VIEW HUNTING PRESERVE MIKE MARTZ STANDS NEXT TO A PHOTO OF HIM WITH HIS FATHER AND GRANDFATHER. CREDITED TO LEWISBURG STUDIO, IT READS: “AUGUST 1998. DON MARTZ, HAROLD “HUP” MARTZ, MICHAEL MARTZ. FOUNDER OF MARTZ’S GAME FARM, MARTZ’S GAP VIEW HUNTING PRESERVE, INC.”

Why raise pheasants? Martz’s Gap View Hunting Preserve raises about 225,000 birds a year — 185,000 pheasants and 50,000 chukar partridges, an upland game bird in the pheasant family. Martz’s is the second-largest bird preserve on the east coast. Mahantongo Game Farms, also in Dalmatia, is the largest. “We deliver a lot of our birds out of state to hunting clubs,” owner Mike Martz said. “We only use about 13 percent of our birds here.” For the past few decades, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has also raised pheasants to be released on state game lands. Why aren’t pheasants proliferating on their own? “The wild pheasant population morning of hunting. It wasn’t their first time at the hunting preserve. Pointing to Mike Martz, Meyer quipped, “I’ve been coming here so long, I can remember when his dad was young.” Martz grinned, taking a moment to pet Meyer’s German Shorthaired

in the early 1980s took a major nosedive,” Martz said. Different factors affected the decline. The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s website listed several, including increased use of pesticides and herbicides, elimination of fencerows on agricultural lands, two hard winters in 1977 and 1978, and urban development. Martz also pointed to state-mandated protection of natural predators like hawks and owls. “My opinion is, it was a perfect storm of things,” he said. Regardless, the wild pheasant population dropped, and hunting preserves like Martz’s were needed to bring the numbers back up.

— CINDY O. HERMAN

Pointer, Vinnie. “We like hunting pheasants here,” Meyer said, and pointing to Vinnie he added, “Mike’s wife usually gives him a cookie.” “It’s always good to hunt with a dog,” said Rice, explaining that he CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA | WINTER 2022

LONGTIME FRIENDS DALE MEYER, LEFT, AND JOHN RICE, BOTH OF DUNCANNON, REST AT MARTZ’S AFTER A SUNNY, NOVEMBER MORNING OF HUNTING WITH MEYER’S GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER, VINNIE.

used to bring groups from his workplace to hunt at Martz’s. “I just enjoy hunting with a dog.” The men had asked for four pheasants to be released and managed to shoot three, Meyer said. “It’s a nice area, a nice cover for hunting. and nice people, especially,” he said. “You almost always have success, which you don’t always have if you go out and beat the bushes.” FROM EGGS TO BIRDS Raising birds starts in early March with collecting eggs. Lots and lots of eggs. “We collect eggs around four months out of the year, early March until early July,” Martz said. “About four times a day.” About 90 percent of the eggs are laid in wooden nesting boxes filled with straw and wood shavings. The rest, called ground eggs, are collected by walking through the netting-covered pens. Nurturing the eggs into full-fledged pheasants involves a number of strategic transfers. First, they are stored in a cooler at 55 degrees to prevent the embryos from developing. Every Thursday, the hatchery manager, Bob Whitsel, pulls trays out of the cooler and allows them to warm to room temperature over the course of 10 to 12 hours. On Friday morning, the eggs are slid into an incubator and gradually warmed to a cozy 99 degrees. On Day 21, the eggs are transferred into hatching trays in a hatching machine, similar to an incubator. In a day or two the chicks start “pipping” out of their eggs, and by Day 24 they are taken to the brooding barns. “That’s where they get the tender loving care,” Martz said with a smile. “They’re in there six weeks, roughly.” From there they graduate to a flight pen planted with corn, lambs quarter and other natural vegetation. The plants shelter the chicks from rain and sun while they adjust to the weather. “We keep an eye on the weather and give the birds the best chance of acclimating to their new environment,” Martz said. FAMILY LEGACY Martz’s Gap View Hunting Preserve started in 1955 when Mike’s grandfather, Harold J. Martz, was approached by a

WINTER 2022 | INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA

Pheasants and veterans One event the Martz crew looks forward to each year is Wing Shooting Warriors and First Responders Day. The event, organized by Walt Bingaman and Jack Giblin of the Wingshooting Warriors Crew, offers a day of pheasant hunting, sporting clays and a picnic for up to 60 active-

duty and veteran service members. Accommodations are made for wheelchair-bound or disabled hunters. Martz’s Preserve also offers a special hunt each year that is halfprice for veterans and everyone in their group. It’s a matter of showing respect for veterans, owner

Mike Martz said, noting that his grandmother’s cousin, a World War II and Korean War veteran, had a big influence on him when he was a child. “We certainly appreciate our veterans and try to do what we can do,” Martz said.

group of 12 men about starting a club where they would pay him to raise birds for hunting. Within two years, the preserve opened to the public. Mike’s father, Don Martz, joined the business in 1980 and now considers himself “semiretired.” Mike became a partner in 2002. “As a third-generation operator, you don’t want to be the one that let things go backward,” Mike Martz said. “That motivates me to try to pass it off to the fourth

generation someday.” He and his wife have two daughters, both attending Line Mountain High School. Having great employees that feel like family is another reason to keep the business going, Martz said. “That motivates me to get up at four in the morning and basically work a 70- to 80-hour week a lot of time,” he said, then added with a shrug and a smile, “But I enjoy it, so it’s not like work a lot of times.” That attitude of enjoying his work

showed especially during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic when, with hunting preserves allowed to remain open, Martz’s workday continued pretty much as usual. “There were so many people that were going stir crazy, that when they came here they thanked us for staying open,” Martz said. “I thought the thanks really goes both ways, though, because I feel we were blessed to have them.” For more information, call 1-800326-8442 or visit www.martzs.com.

— CINDY O. HERMAN

INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA | WINTER 2022

HONORING DIVERSITY THE REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. 1929 - 1968

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” — THE REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

he Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister who rose to national prominence in the Civil Rights Movement in the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. After dedicating his life and ministry to non-violence, he was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn. In 1964, Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. President Ronald Regan signed the legislation creating a national holiday to honor Dr. King in 1986. OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN OF DESPAIR, A STONE OF HOPE The memorial honors Dr. King Jr.’s legacy and the ongoing struggle for freedom, equality and justice. A prominent leader in the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King was a tireless advocate for racial equality, the working class, and the oppressed around the world. KING’S WORDS TO REMEMBER “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” — Written in the student newspaper, The Maroon Tiger at Moorehouse College, 1947

“A riot is the language of the unheard.” — “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” 1967. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” — Washington, D. C., August 28, 1968 LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON, D.C., THE MEMORIAL HONORS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S LEGACY AND THE ONGOING STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM, EQUALITY AND JUSTICE.

Associated Press file photo

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If, at the age of 93, Dr. King were still with us, he would no doubt applaud the men and women who are working tirelessly to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Bill into law. — Jean Knouse, editor

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Inside Pennsylvania Magazine - Winter 2022

Articles inside

THREE GENERATIONS OF GAME HUNTING: Hunting preserve provides experience for every age group

HONORING DIVERSITY: Remembering the words and achievements of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

HAPPY AND HEALTHY: Valley animal experts give tips for pet owners

PROGNOSTICATOR OF PROGNOSTICATORS: Groundhog Day burrows deep roots in Pa. history

BREAKING DOWN BITCOIN: Expert decrypts confusion around cryptocurrency

SOUPS OF THE SEASON: Warm the belly with hearty stews and creamy soups

GETTING OUT WHILE STAYING IN: Indoor activities to get you into a healthy mindset