#187 MAY 2016

Extraordinary Motherhood – Tammy Moore and Her Family

Left Left Lunchless Lunchless –– A A First First Grader Grader Misses Her Misses Her Sloppy Sloppy Joe Joe Tales Tales Once Once Untold Untold –– Gunsmiths Gunsmiths in in Punxsutawney Punxsutawney History History Explosion Explosion Devastates Devastates Mining Mining Communities Communities Historical Historical & & Genealogical Genealogical Society Society Offers On-Demand Offers On-Demand Programs Programs Cash Cash Bash Bash Auction, Auction, Beautiful Beautiful Birdhouse Birdhouse Contest, Contest, and and Hogtoberfest Hogtoberfest with with Phil!

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A Mother and “Moore”

Local Woman Accepts and Conquers the Challenges of Motherhood

Tammy, Christopher, and Amanda Moore

On the cover:

(photo by Huey Family Photography)

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By Jennifer Skarbek ered the mom-to-be high risk and monitored lungs. for Hometown magazine her pregnancy closely. Despite the doctor’s “Christopher was in the newborn ICU at vigilance, Tammy’s water broke at only thirtyDubois hospital for thirteen days,” Tammy reuthor Linda Wooten in her book, A two weeks gestation, prompting full labor to calls. “Premature boys usually have more Mother’s Thoughts, writes: “Being a occur only ten days later. Similar to his sister’s trouble breathing, and he had to be on a venmother is learning strengths you didtilator and an apnea monitor.” n’t know you had and Tammy went on to explain that dealing with fears you didn’t know her son was also “tongue-tied” – existed.” Most mothers can relate, a physical condition medically to some degree, to this profound referred to as “ankyloglossia” – quote as they experience the many where a band of tissue connects joys and challenges that accomthe tip of the tongue to the floor pany the gift of motherhood, but of the mouth. Likewise, he had for Tammy (Betts) Moore of Punxhypospadias, an abnormality desutawney, the call to being a mother scribed by the American Urologhas asked much more of her. It has ical Association as the formation required her to learn strength beof the penis with the meatus, or yond compare and to have endless hole, not at the tip of the shaft but amounts of courage as she stares in the middle or base. She said fear directly in the face. that the urological defect was Tammy and her husband, Dan, surgically repaired when Christoare the proud parents of two chilpher was nine months old, which dren, Amanda, 16, and Christopher, meant that for several months be12, both of whom attend schools in fore the surgery, Tammy had to the Punxsutawney Area School District. Tammy stays busy keep- Standing outside their villa at the Give Kids the World Village – the village that constantly change the infant’s hosts families of “Wish kids” – Tammy Moore and her son, Christopher (front clothing and bedding because of ing up with the kids’ schedules of row), and her husband, Daniel, and daughter, Amanda, pause during the first school and homework, instrumen- day of Christopher’s Make-A-Wish trip to Florida, where he and his family vis- frequent leakage. Last, the baby tal and band lessons, scouts, sports, ited four Disney parks, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. (submitted photo) had to be assessed by a cardiologist who discovered a ventricular and church activities, not to menbirth, Christopher was born six weeks early septal defect, or heart murmur. tion taking care of household chores on a daily with a low birth weight and diminutive length, Tammy said, “We had to see a cardiologist basis. Because Dan’s job with Universal Well as well as having problems with his heart and draws him away from home for several days - Continued on page 4 in a row, Tammy has, of necessity, taken on other duties on top of those that she already PX tackles so that the family unit can run smoothly. All of this work Tammy completes DOUBLE COUPONS ONS 99 9 ¢ with selfless, loving intent, a trait passed on to efood.com coom ood. od.com od oppnsaavvefood.com shopnsa GAS N S A202016.

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2 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187

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The Day Sloppy Joe Didn’t Go To School

By Mary Ellen Pollock-Raneri for Hometown magazine hen I was a kid, I hated eating lunch at school. I’m not sure exactly why.

Maybe it was because I was only six years old, and I had more important things to do, like reading and writing and playground stuff. Or, maybe it was because I didn’t like what my mom packed me – usually a baloney sandwich and some Campbell’s’ chicken noodle soup. Or, just maybe, it was because my mom made me carry my lunch in a metal lunch box shaped liked a barn – well, actually, it sort of looked like a United Mineworker’s lunch pail except it had farm animals painted on the outside of it. I fussed so much about it that, eventually, my mother painted it all bright red, which made me even sadder. Regardless of the reason, I just didn’t want to have anything to do with my brown bag or, shall I say, my steel-boxed lunch.

At Saints Cosmas and Damian Elementary School in the early 1960s, most of us kids ate our bagged lunches at our old wooden-top desks – that is, if you lived too far away to walk home for lunch. Usually, a few kids who lived in the neighborhood left at lunchtime and walked home for their noon meal. Also, a couple lucky kids had parents who picked them up and drove them home to and back from lunch. Me, I was destined to dine à la bureau – right at my little desk – until one day.

Once or twice a year, the PTA moms of Saints Cosmas and Damian provided a hot lunch of sloppy joes for the students. For twenty-five cents, you got a sloppy joe, and for another nickel, you got a bottle of milk. Personally, I thought it was the most spectacular luncheon in the world! Since I usually threw away the “fare made by mom” or carried it back home at the end of the school day, I was always excited about Sloppy Joe Day. It was one thing that I relished as a noon meal. That morning as I got ready for school and prepared to catch the school bus with the red seats, I couldn’t stop thinking about the tasty hot sandwich that awaited me at school later in the day. I was positive this day was Sloppy Joe Day, and I had

my extra quarter ready for the occasion.

“Are you sure that you don’t need me to pack you a lunch?” Mom questioned me, uneasy that she didn’t arm me with my metal lunch box filled with soup and a homemade sandwich.

Feeling confident, I nodded my head while I dipped into my oatmeal.

“Yep!” I replied. “You get one sloppy joe for twenty-five cents and two for fifty cents.”

Mom still looked a little worried, but she stopped drilling me about lunch and also didn’t make me take my “bucket” (as she called the dreaded red lunch pail).

Around lunchtime, the milkman brought in a couple cases of milk bottles, some filled with chocolate milk and others with white. The outsides of the bottles sweated a few droplets as they sat in the little classroom on the floor up by the nun’s desk. The milk delivery signaled that lunch was nigh.

I felt elated. I could practically taste the sandwiches that awaited me.

Funny thing is, though, I couldn’t smell them. Curiously enough, it was almost noon; yet, there was no sign or scent of a sloppy joe on the horizon of the little elementary school. Figuring that the PTA ladies hadn’t brought my favorite food into the school yet or that possibly we would eat in the cafeteria that day, I didn’t worry too much. I had my quarter for a sandwich and a nickel for my milk – all was good in the world of first grade.

All of a sudden, the nun signaled that it was time for lunch and instructed all of us “school eaters” to go to the little cloakroom to fetch our lunch boxes. She also dismissed the “lunch walkers.”

Confused, I looked around for any sign of a sloppy joe that might have been lurking in the back or on the side of our classroom. There was none. Ashamed of my mistake, I felt panic-stricken and tried to think fast, but when a six-year-old tries to “think fast,” the best outcome usually isn’t the result. Jumping out of my seat, I went to the cloakroom, grabbed my gray woolen coat from the steel peg, and started to the door in the front of the classroom.

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“Are you going home for lunch today?” the nun asked. She looked a little confused too.

I nodded my head and lied. “Yes,” I mumbled. “My dad is picking me up.” Embarrassed, I felt my face flush red, and I hoped that the nun didn’t notice.

For a moment, the nun kind of looked like she didn’t believe me, but I concocted some fish story about my State Policeman dad picking me up in his patrol car (which would never have happened), and she finally stopped questioning me and left me go out the door that led to Chestnut Street.

Once outside, I stood there, in the chilly spring air and unsure as to my next plan of attack. I watched the other kids stroll home, where hot lunches awaited them, and felt kind of jealous. I also felt kind of hungry and afraid that my teacher would discover that I had not told her the truth.

Again, I tried to figure out a master plan to bail myself out of yet another kid jam. I decided to stroll down Chestnut and make a left onto the main drag there, so I could get out of eye range of Sister, who might still be peering at me from one of the large windows in the first-grade classroom. That was the best I could do – I stood on the sidewalk in front of the Catholic Church for the entire lunch period, hoping that my dad would drive past in the patrol car and make my concocted story reality.

When you are six years old and alone on a cold street, there isn’t much to do. I tried to walk up and down a bit – looking like I had a destination, looking like I had some kind of mission. Sometimes, I would get real brave and cross the little alley by the right-hand side of the church. Sometimes, I walked a little far-

ther down the sidewalk toward town, but I always strolled back to my perch in front of the church.

Joe Strano’s store looked pretty inviting – it was located almost directly across from the parish, and my dad and mom were good friends with him. Problem was: I was embarrassed to tell anyone that I was dumb, that I had the wrong date for Sloppy Joe Day, and even more – that I was famished. I thought about a story I had just read in an old book at my grandmother’s house, The Poor Little Match Girl, and I likened my situation to her plight and waited for my hero father to return and rescue me.

That plan was a bomb because neither my mom nor my dad knew that I forgot my lunch and that I was standing there on the sidewalk in front of our church – and, I wasn’t about to tell anyone. Car after car sped past my hiding place out in the open, and I tried to see if my father might happen by. On the other hand, I tried to avoid any eye contact with the drivers, lest they discover my plight. It felt as though I’d stood there for hours although we had only about forty-five minutes for lunch.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I spied some of my classmates meandering up the street, ready to begin the post-lunch, afternoon session of school. Pretending to be walking back too, I hesitated a bit until they caught up with me.

One of the girls in my class clenched a little brown paper bag in her hand that was full of penny candy.

“Wanna B B Bat?” she grinned at me and pulled a little strawberry taffy pop out of her - Continued on page 7

Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187 – 3

Mother and “Moore”

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4 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187

riod of time seemed to be the culprit for Christopher’s non-verbal behavior: one cannot speak if one cannot hear. Therefore, both a Continued from page 2 speech therapist and a developmental teacher every six months for an evaluation of the murwere added to the early intervention services mur. Fortunately, by the time Christopher was in hopes of helping the toddler catch up to his four or five years old, the hole completely peers, who were developing at typical rates. closed.”

Tammy reported that the family faithfully Finally, after two weeks of observation at the stuck to the overwhelming schedule of home newborn facility following his birth, Christotherapy until, on his third birthday, Christopher transitioned into the preschool setting that is provided by the Riverside Intermediate Unit for toddlers who are facing delays and challenges. In this classroom, Christopher was able to interact with peers and to receive his therapy sessions.Both Christopher’s parents and teachers were excited when, at three and a half years of age, he started to talk.

“We saw progress,” Tammy happily remarked.

Christopher attended the IU classroom for two years, before having to start a different program at age five prior to his entering kindergarten.

“Christopher was only able to attend the IU until he turned five, and the program became unDuring the second day of Christopher Moore’s Make-A-Wish available,” Tammy said. “He trip, he and his sister, Amanda, visited with Mickey and Minnie, wasn’t ready for kindergarten bewho signed the feet of the Mickey Mouse that Christopher is cause he couldn’t hold a pencil. holding. (submitted photo) So he went to SSCD preschool pher showed considerable improvement and for his therapy sessions.” was discharged. Tammy, with motherly eyes The concerned mother expressed that it was that look beyond superficial flaws and weakthis experience at SSCD that led her back to nesses into the utter depths of a beautiful soul, the idea that perhaps her son was autistic. She took her perfect bundle of joy home to join the said that Christopher loved the computer so family. Even though Christopher had experimuch and would settle down his behavior enced a rocky start in his first few days, when he was allowed to use it. Likewise, the Tammy said that the next year went rather boy functioned best when a set daily schedule smoothly. was followed, without variance of any type. In “I really didn’t think that anything else was fact, she explained how one day in particular wrong,” Tammy remembers. “He just didn’t helped to confirm her fears. sit up early, not until eleven or twelve months Tammy said, “It was picture day at preschool, of age.” and the whole schedule was messed up.

Although a chart of prescribed milestones Christopher was totally out of sync for the ennotes that the ability to sit without support haptire day.” pens closer to the six-month mark for an inWith the question looming in their minds of fant, Tammy and Dan did not worry about whether or not their son had autism, Tammy Christopher’s minor delay because their first and Dan decided to have Christopher tested in child had followed a similar pattern. However, Pittsburgh during the summer before he started when the infant showed weakness on one side kindergarten. Tammy reported that Christopher of his body and failed to crawl or walk, a red was given the diagnosis of a Pervasive Develflag went up for Tammy, spurring her to seek opmental Disorder, or PDD. This diagnosis exprofessional input. plained the trouble Christopher had been She said, “When Christopher was thirteen experiencing when it came to social and commonths, MH/MR came to the house to perform municative abilities, or the lack thereof. Thus, an evaluation.” when the young boy started kindergarten, he Because of the delay in his motor-skill dewas able to have an individualized education velopment, a physical therapy regimen was plan in order to facilitate his success in school. started, one to two times per week, a regimen “He started the school year with a TSS (thersoon shadowed by occupational therapy servapeutic support staff) for five hours every ices as well. In addition, Christopher was preweek,” Tammy said. scribed a set of orthotics for his legs and feet

By Christmas though, his needs had amplibecause at two years of age, he still wasn’t fied so much that the support services were inwalking and needed extra support for his ancreased to five hours per day: a huge kles. Even though Christopher was benefitting difference, especially when Tammy was getsomewhat from the therapy, Tammy realized ting called into the classroom almost two to that the delays were becoming more and more three times daily in order to help with Christopronounced, growing to include an absence of pher and his behavior. Finally, in March of that speech acquisition. Such a delay in expressive year, Christopher was moved from full-time speech, along with other behavior patterns, placement in the kindergarten room and into caused Tammy and Dan to consider the possithe CLM classroom part-time with Jill Der, so bility that their son was autistic. Coincidentally, that his needs could be better met.

Christopher had suffered from multiple ear inAccording to Tammy, even though Christofections throughout his first two years of life, pher was having extensive issues with his beleading to excessive pressure in the inner ear havior, he was still accomplishing tremendous and ear drum perforations. The condition was academic gains. In particular, Tammy and her resolved with two different sets of tubes being family were most impressed that Christopher placed into Christopher’s ears, providing the was able to read by age four, just one year after fluid a way to escape. However, the presence he had officially started talking. of the residual fluid for such a prolonged peShe happily remembers, “Amanda would al-

- Continued on page 6

“Son of Gun!”

Gunsmiths Retrieved from Punxsutawney History

A

By S. Thomas Curry of Hometown magazine

mong the many stories published in Hometown magazine about the early years of the Punxsutawney area and the settlement of southern Jefferson County, a “hidden story” was found – one yet to be the primary focus of a story. There have been stories about the Punxsutawney young men who went off to California in 1850 in search of gold, accounts of young men from the area fighting in the Civil War, stories about the pioneer Campbell family, and histories about area churches, local cemeteries, and more.

Names such as Barclay, Jenks, Hoover, Campbell, Torrence, and Pantall are familiar to writers, readers, and researchers; however, the family names of Slaysman and Sink have been missing from written histories – until now.

In the story about the young men who were fired up by stories of the California Gold Rush, Dr. Charles Wood, George S. Campbell, and Frank Mundorff were identified as having the gold-rush “ambition.” Dr. Wood’s Pennsylvania long rifle was among the few personal items taken on the trip to the Golden State.

George S. Campbell was the third child born to William and Martha (Slaysman)

Campbell and was four years old when his family of seven came to Punxsutawney.

Martha Campbell was a sister of George M. Slaysman. The young Campbell family came to Punxsutawney in 1832, and shortly afterward, the Slaysman family made the journey. Family records state that William Campbell made the trip to the area “to check it out” for the families before they moved.

Members of the Campbell family remained in Punxsutawney and became active in the First Baptist Church after its organization in 1840.

George M. Slaysman spent his youth in Punxsutawney. In his church work at First Baptist, his talents for speaking were obvious. In January 1851, he established a Baptist mission in York, Pennsylvania. He remained pastor of the mission until 1862 when he enlisted for service in the Civil War as a chaplain. His obituary in a York newspaper stated, “His father was a gunsmith by trade.” The obituary in the local Punxsutawney News further elaborated, “His father, whose name was also George, was a gunsmith and with him the son learned the gunsmith trade.”

After retiring from his ministerial work in 1892, the Rev. Slaysman returned to Punxsutawney many times for visits with old friends. On a visit in March 1894, he spoke

Visitors to the Bennis House Museum of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society can view a display of the long rifle of Dr. Charles Wood, who began his medical practice in Punxsutawney in 1845. Stories about the gunsmiths in Punxsutawney during pioneer years in the wilderness of Jefferson County are preserved with the rifle. (photo by S. Thomas Curry)

from the pulpit of the Baptist Church, then located on North Jefferson Street.

The Rev. Slaysman’s recollections of his early years in Punxsutawney became feature articles for Punxsutawney newspapers. One detailed writing, titled “Recollections of a Flitting,” recalled the family’s journey in April 1835 across the Allegheny Mountains, from what is now Blair County, to Punxsutawney. In his opening sentence about the experience, he wrote, “… as there was a large area of forest, much game, many hunters, and no gunsmith in Punxsutawney, my father regarded it a good opening for him.”

George R. Slaysman – the Rev. Slaysman’s

father – was a gunsmith in Lewistown, Mifflin County, as early as 1805. From the time of his arrival with his family in the 1830s, he resided in Punxsutawney until he died in August 1862. A son, Charles, was twentyfour years old at the time of the family’s journey. He remained in Indiana, Pennsylvania, to be the town’s gunsmith. The 1860 U.S. census listed George R. Slaysman’s age as seventy-eight and his occupation as gunsmith.

The Democratic Standard, a Hollidaysburg newspaper, included the following words in the elder Slaysman’s obituary: “Died – at the residence of his son-in-law, - Continued on page 12

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Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187 – 5

Mother and “Moore”

Tammy Moore (left) and her two children, Christopher and Amanda, stop by Barclay Square to enjoy the first signs of springtime. (photo by Huey Family Photography)

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6 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187

Continued from page 4 ways read Christopher books, and he would just sit there and listen to her. She basically taught her brother how to read.”

In retrospect, Tammy realizes that Christopher’s progress in school during the second part of his kindergarten year was short-lived; for, in April, she got a call from her son’s aide at school saying that Christopher was starting to fall down often.

“I noticed that his left leg was bent out too far,” Tammy painfully recalls.

Upon examining Christopher, a doctor highly suggested that he see a neurologist so that an answer could be found for his recent unsteadiness.

Tammy said, “I called Geisinger myself and got an appointment with Dr. Spiegel.”

She was surprised when the physician ordered a slew of bloodwork, including a test unfamiliar to Tammy and her husband – a CK level. Whereas a healthy child of an age similar to Christopher’s age will normally have a CK level of approximately 700, his level was a shocking 5,000, more than seven times the normal amount. His mother says she will never forget the day that she got the call from the doctor with the unbelievably sobering results.

Tammy recounts: “It was December 6, 2010, Dan was home, and we were decorating the Christmas tree when we got the phone call from the doctor about the results of Christopher’s lab work. The doctor said, ‘You need to see Dr. Henry McGuire. Your son has Duchenne muscular dystrophy.’”

Tammy said that she “held it together” while she was on the phone with the physician; but, when she hung up the line, she and her husband just cried.

As defined by the Muscular Dystrophy Association, or MDA, website, Duchenne muscular dystrophy is described as follows: “… [A] genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. It is one of nine types of muscular dystrophy. DMD is caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact. Symptom onset is in early childhood, usually between ages 3 and 5. The disease primarily affects boys, but in rare cases it can affect girls. Muscle weakness can begin as early as age 3, first affecting the muscles of the hips, pelvic area, thighs and shoulders, and later the skeletal (voluntary) muscles in the arms, legs and trunk. The calves often are enlarged. By the early teens, the heart and respiratory muscles also are affected.”

Tammy and her family were in complete bewilderment with the news of Christopher’s

condition, basically feeling as if the breath had been sucked from them with no chance of the air ever returning to fill their lungs. They were unfamiliar with the diagnosis and equally unsure about the prognosis for Christopher’s future. However, once she had time to mentally process the message, Tammy was able to clearly see and connect the events of Christopher’s early years with the signs and symptoms of the underlying condition.

“At that point, we were just relieved that we had an answer,” Tammy admitted, “even though we felt very helpless.”

Each member of the family internalized the diagnosis uniquely in his or her own way, yet they banded together as a team to become familiar with the disease and how it manifested itself in Christopher.

Remarkably, Amanda, who has plans of pursuing a career in the medical research field so that she can be instrumental in helping others who suffer from physical conditions like her brother’s, has spent the last six years since the diagnosis reading about and studying the condition. This deeply concerned sibling explained that DMD is the result of a flawed gene on the X chromosome, one that is passed from mother to child. Amanda and her family have likewise gained much knowledge about this type of muscular dystrophy from Dr. McGuire who is very straightforward with his explanations, a quality that Tammy has come to value and appreciate.

Because of the urgency to address Christopher’s condition as soon as possible after the initial phone call, the doctor was able to fit him into the schedule within two weeks, a happening almost unheard of when it comes to scheduling with a specialist. According to Tammy, one of the first things the doctor did was start Christopher on a daily dose of 30 mg of prednisone, a corticosteroid used to reduce inflammation. Next, the family was urged to have genetic testing performed so that an official diagnosis could be made and to trace the origin of the defect. Since the disease can also affect the heart, Christopher was referred to a cardiologist in order to have annual echocardiograms. The young boy was found to have high blood pressure, which could be treated with medication. Also on the list of specialist visits was a trip to an endocrinologist to check the density of Christopher’s bones. DMD can take calcium out of bones, leading to osteoporosis, or weak and porous bones. Therefore, Christopher must have an infusion of pamidronate every four months, a medicine that alters the formation and breakdown of bone mass, so that he can maintain his bone health.

“Christopher is showing improvement with his bone density since he started the infusions,” - Continued on page 8

Call for Entries for 2016 Beautiful Birdhouse Contest

D

o you like to create birdhouses and birdfeeders? Do all your friends marvel at your creations and ask you to make one for them? If so, you will want to enter the Beautiful Birdhouse Contest being sponsored by the Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center.

The Beautiful Birdhouse Contest challenges adults and children from across the region to use their imaginations to create birdhouses or birdfeeders that are unusual, whimsical, or just plain beautiful. Entries can be in one of two divisions: children ages 6-16 or adults ages 17 and older. The adult entries will be judged on creativity of design, quality of construction, and uniqueness of the materials used. The children’s

entries will be judged on creativity of design, uniqueness of materials, and overall look.

Cash prizes awarded in the adult contest are: Grand Prize ($200), Runner-Up ($100), and Honorable Mention ($50). A fourth prize – the People’s Choice – will be awarded, and the winner will receive a ribbon and an assortment of birdseed. Prizes in the children’s division are: Grand Prize ($50), Runner-Up ($25), and Honorable Mention (the gift to be announced). The People’s Choice prize for the children’s division will be a ribbon and a gift to be announced.

The display of birdhouses and birdfeeders will open on Saturday, June 4. People’s Choice voting will continue from June 4 through June 30. The announcement of the winners and the auction will take place at 3 p.m. Friday, July 1. The birdhouses and birdfeeders entered in the contest will remain on exhibit at the Weather Discovery Center after the contest concludes. In addition, entrants may choose to donate their birdhouses or birdfeeders for a silent auction to raise funds for the Center. The silent auction will begin after the announcement of the winners on July 1 and continue through 4 p.m. Saturday, July 16.

The deadline to submit a contest entry form is April 30; birdhouses and birdfeed-

ers must be entered no later than May 31.

Get the complete contest rules and information by visiting Weatherdiscovery.org, by calling (814) 938-1000, by sending an email to info@weatherdiscovery.org, or by stopping at the Weather Discovery Center at 201 North Findley Street in Punxsutawney.

•••

The Day Sloppy Joe

Continued from page 3 paper sack.

“Oh. Okay. Thanks!” I tried to be slightly nonchalant, but I wanted to turn cartwheels on Mahoning Street. Right about then, I would have eaten just the white paper stick, let alone the taffy, and probably would have enjoyed it too.

Believe me, I savored every bite of that tiny piece of candy that day and tried to make it last as long as possible.

When I got home that evening, my mom and dad knew the whole sordid tale. You see, Mr. Strano had glanced out his little shop window and noticed me loitering on the street in front of the church. He didn’t want to be nosy; however, knowing my family, he figured there was something rotten in Denmark – or, shall I say, some-

thing rotten on Sloppy Joe Day. Mr. Strano called my dad; my dad called my mom – and there you have it. The parental chain of command headed me off at the pass. I had to tell my parents the truth.

What was I so afraid of? Looking stupid, I suppose, although any adult would have helped a confused six-year-old child find something to eat if they had known. Embarrassment is a powerful emotion – it can last a long time too.

For example, when my mom recently read this story, she looked at me and asked, “Why didn’t you tell anyone you had the wrong day for sloppy joes?”

“I dunno,” I replied flatly. “I just didn’t. I didn’t want to seem stupid.”

“That was dumb,” she said and laughed.

I rest my case.

•••

(front, left to right) Nick Kernich, Diane Hudock, Paige Mills, Mar Nagle, Savanna Hallman (back, left to right) Gary Hoffman, Morgan Miller, Wendy Domb, Norma Runk, Bill Love, Gary Bowers Not pictured : Jess Defoor, Michelle Parise, and Josh Harvey

Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187 – 7

Mother and “Moore”

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(genealogy)

Continued from page 6 Tammy happily reported.

Within a year of the Moore’s finding out about Christopher’s condition, the family was joyfully surprised to learn that Christopher was chosen as a Make-A-Wish recipient.

Christopher’s wish was to visit Florida’s Give Kids the World Village, a sprawling fairy taleinspired resort that treats children with lifethreating illnesses and their families to a week of fun and relaxation. So, in November of 2011, the family was flown to this whimsical location where they enjoyed activities at the resort and had the opportunity to visit four Disney parks, Universal, and SeaWorld.

Of the trip, Tammy said, “It was like Thanksgiving and Christmas all in one. Christopher had so much fun; he rode all kinds of stuff.”

Over the last few years, Tammy said that Christopher was showing signs of sleep apnea.

Thus, a sleep study was performed, and Christopher was fitted with a CPAP machine to help ensure pulmonary safety at night and allow him to get better rest. She said that she can truly see a difference in his energy level since he has been getting more quality sleep.

With DMD, it is beneficial to address the health of all areas of the muscular system so that the patient can enjoy a more satisfying life. With this in mind, Christopher has been continuing to wear the AF splints that allow the Achilles tendons to stretch while providing stability in his gait and movement. However, Tammy said that his legs are becoming weaker, making it hard for Christopher to walk a long distance. Hence, Christopher has begun to start using a wheelchair when he just can’t get his legs to cooperate.

Tammy shared that it is tremendously difficult for her to watch her son’s body starting to deteriorate, especially with Christopher’s awareness of the unavoidable reality. For example, she said that Christopher, who loves to watch television commercials, was so fascinated by an advertisement for prosthetic legs that he was moved to make an unexpected announcement.

Tammy relayed how she was caught off guard one day when Christopher asked her, “Why can’t we just cut off my legs since they don’t work and just get artificial ones?”

This was very hard for a mother to hear, especially when there is nothing you can do to make it better, no cure or remedy. Tammy said that she just wanted to “go in a corner and cry.”

She elaborated by saying, “It’s hard to understand why something happens to your child. You pray every day that he gets better or, at least, that he doesn’t get bad fast. You hope that they find a cure.”

In order to prepare for what the future might hold for her son, Tammy has secured a motorized chair for when Christopher loses mobility. Likewise, the family searched far and wide for a vehicle with a chair lift so that they would be able to transport Christopher. They were pleased to find a 2011 van that offered such accommodations. Although the hefty price tag of the vehicle has greatly impacted their monthly budget, Tammy feels that the purchase is well worth their sacrifice. And next on the “to do” list for this mother and wife is to get the insurance company to approve the installation of a stair lift in the home, a task that has been time consuming and thus far, fruitless.

Tammy is hoping that the approval for the lift comes soon, for Christopher has already begun to have a hard time maneuvering in their Anita home. In fact, she said that they keep a chair halfway down the hallway leading to the bathroom so that Christopher can

take a break as needed. On top of that, he has learned to crawl up the steps in order to get to the second level of their house because he can no longer ambulate the stairs upright. But Christopher’s challenges extend far from the home and into the school setting.

As is common with many special-needs kids, Christopher cannot claim ownership of a normal social life of a middle-schooler. For instance, Tammy said that Christopher does not have many friends, and that he is never invited over for play dates, or to hang out, or to sleep over. Furthermore, his physical limitations set him apart from his peers.

She said, “He knows he’s not as fast as the other kids.”

Despite this reality, Tammy is proud that Christopher has been blessed with a keen mind and the ability to learn. At school, Christopher loves to read, and he plays the baritone in the middle school band. When at home and in his free time, the pre-teen loves to construct with Legos, plays a myriad of video games, participates in the Challenger Baseball League, and attends Camp Friendship. He also has a healthy hunger for reading as a hobby. In fact, Tammy said that Christopher will read anything that he gets his hands on.

“He is an excellent reader. After I got the van, I found Christopher reading the instruction manual that came with it. No body reads those!” Tammy comically recalled.

So that Christopher continues to do well in his studies, Tammy said that she always makes it a point to meet with her son’s teachers each year even before the first day of school. Likewise, she has taken on the role of being his strongest advocate, always trying her hardest to ensure that he gets an appropriate education. Perhaps Christopher has been influenced by his mother’s constant persistence to get what is needed for her son; for, the young boy has dreams of one day becoming a lawyer.

The extra lengths to which Tammy goes do not go unnoticed; rather, they are very much appreciated by her husband and kids.

“My mom is nice and I love her,” Christopher commented. “She helps me when I’m hurt; she takes care of me; she hugs me when I’m down.”

Amanda added in regard to her mom, “She does a lot more than the normal parent and has to worry more as well.”

But, in Tammy’s eyes, she just does what she has to, saying, “It’s not easy, but I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”

When the Moores get a free block of time in their busy schedule, they enjoy going to the movies at Punxsutawney Area Community Center, playing games at home, going to amusement parks, or just sharing a meal together at a restaurant.

Tammy said, “We don’t get a lot of time together, so we make the most of it when we do.”

Possibly the most important activity to Tammy and her family is their regular attendance at church. In fact, she said that Christopher, from a very young age, has always followed along with the mass in the book and absolutely loves to sing the hymns and praises.

Many members of the congregation enjoy his singing and are moved by his devotion to God. Tammy said of her beliefs, “I’m glad I had faith to get through this. I just leave it in God’s hands; he has a plan.”

There is no doubt that motherhood has tried Tammy’s strength and put her fears to the ultimate test; however, she has accepted the challenge without question or regret, knowing that God chose her for a reason.

“He was meant to be mine,” Tammy lovingly proclaimed about her son. “You just have to stay strong and hope for the future.”

•••

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Printed 04-16

Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187 – 9

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10 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187

Unseen Danger: The Explosion at the Eleanora Shaft

D

By the Coal Memorial Committee Eleanora Shaft. Another miner was Henry Mohney, a motorman who lived in Horafor Hometown magazine tio, whose job it was to transport empty uring Thursday afternoon, April 27, cars to the headings and full cars to the 1905, brothers Adam and George shaft to be lifted and taken to the tipple.

Kirkwood walked down from About 9 p.m., when quiet had settled over Sugar Hill (also known as Desire) the countryside, the lights in the mine sudto the mining community of Eleanora. denly went out – the first indication of a There, they caught the Jefferson Traction problem. Within a short time, miners Company’s trolley and rode down to the began to appear at the surface, reporting an Eleanora Shaft, where they worked the explosion. Although the explosion had denight shift, which began about four molished all the air brattices and other fixo’clock. tures in the affected region, no damage had The Eleanora Shaft was located in a wild been done to the shaft. and lonely spot two miles from Eleanora, Trapper John Hopkins was riding back to three miles from Big Run, in a valley his station at the brattice after assisting moflanked by high brown hills covered with torman Harry Mohney with taking a trip of nothing more cheerful than stumps and coal cars to the shaft. The men in the secbrush and a few ond south shaft, pine trees. In the heading off the center of the valsouthwest track, ley, around the had undercut the mouth of the shaft, face of the coal. A was a cluster of tamping hole had several large brick been drilled. Dybuildings used as namite was the boiler house, placed in the hole, engine and comand the fuse was pressor rooms, and lit – but nothing the tipple. About a happened. Behind half a dozen the face of the houses were near coal, however, the the mine, all on the dynamite had ighill at rear of shaft. nited, but the high The location was density of the coal reached by the resisted the power Eleanora Branch of the dynamite. of the Buffalo, The force built up Rochester & Pittsin the coal, found burg Railway and the weakest spot, the Jefferson Tracand exploded tion trolley line, Rodger Hampson – whose image is shown here on a through the tampwhich ran from memorial tile – was one of the State Mine Inspectors Eleanora to the who investigated the Eleanora Mine Explosion that ing hole instead shaft along the happened on April 27, 1905. He began his career as a of knocking down railroad right-of- miner and worked his way up through the ranks, the face of the eventually securing a position as a State Mine In- coal.

Miners way. spector. Later, he owned the Cortez Coal Company, Adam and which was located near Anita. Inspector Hampson called this phe“a George Kirkwood has been honored with a tile – purchased by Mari- nomenon had grown up in anne Fisher – at the Punxsutawney Area Coal Memo- blow-out shot.”

Immediately after Piney Township, rial. (photo by Shirley J. Sharp) escaping the dense coal, the blast ignited Clarion County, and came to Jefferson the mixture of gas and coal dust in the County to work in the mines. The Eleanora heading, creating an explosion of such terShaft had been in operation for only two rible force that the men in the heading years. At the shaft, the brothers waited for were sent to their deaths, and young Hopthe mine fire boss, C.T. Rhule, whose job kins was slammed against the side wall of was to check the mine to ensure that it was the mine, killing him instantly. Harry safe and to give the “All Clear!” signal.

Mohney was knocked off the motor, and When it was given, the Kirkwoods and the his head was badly battered. He was, howother miners working the night shift rode ever, spared from being bashed against the the lift down to the bottom of the shaft. mine’s wall by an odd, yet fortunate, cirThe other miners, all later described as cumstance – his foot was caught in the “foreigners,” included Joseph Ludna, John motor and provided a measure of resistGamiyo, Andrew and Arnham Kormionance against of the blast’s force. ski, Frank Belohlovik, Charles Budginas, By 11 p.m., a rescue team – assembled by Frank Leckas, Martin and August WarsSuperintendent David Fleming and his asgocki, and Alexander Chamulski. Five of sistant, John Driscoll – was on its way to the miners lived in Eleanora, and two the scene of the explosion, located about resided at a boarding house located a short 1,000 feet from the shaft. The first miner distance west of the shaft. John Hopkins, a located was Henry Mohney. He was found young man about fifteen years of age, about 200 feet from the site of the explowhose parents had emigrated from Wales, sion, unconscious and tangled in the was also in the mine that night. He lived in wreckage of his motor. His skull was fracAnita and most likely rode the trolley to his job as a trapper-spragger at the - Continued on page 18

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814-371-3180 Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187 – 11

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12 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187

“Son of a Gun!”

Continued from page 5 Wm. Campbell, in Punxsutawney, Jefferson County, Pa., on the 11th inst., George Slaysman, aged 80 years, 4 months and 11 days.” Research uncovered that a photograph of a full stock long rifle with “G. Slaysman” on the barrel can be found on page 345 of Henry J. Kauffman’s book, The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle.

John Bair was another old-timer from Punxsutawney who wrote his early recollections of the Punxsutawney area in the mid-1800s when it was a rugged, forested area with many small villages. Bair was born in Punxsutawney in 1844 on South Gilpin Street. In 1919, with many memories to share, Bair, at age seventy-five, committed them to paper – in writings he titled Early Recollections of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania – for future generations to read.

Among the many recollections of the 1860s, Bair offered the following: “…

William Sink, a Gun Smith kept a Hotel on the corner of Mahoning and Water Street at the Bridge where the Laundry now is. He had a long sign across the pavement with a trout painted on each side of it about 8 ft. long. John K. Coxson was the Artist. Sink also had his Gun shop there where he and his boys worked at the trade. David Sink, the Gun Smith that lives in town is a Son of William Sink.”

[Note: the laundry mentioned by Bair was located at the present site of the Central Fire Company Hall at the Civic Center near the East End Bridge. Bair’s other notes indicate that a frame-covered bridge spanned the Mahoning Creek at that spot.]

There it was. Piece by piece it came together. George R. Slaysman, a gunsmith in Punxsutawney. George M. Slaysman, son of a gunsmith, learned the gunsmith trade from his father but entered the ministry. William Sink, a gunsmith in Conemaugh Township in 1830, Cambria County, operated a gun shop in Punxsutawney with his sons who had learned the gunsmith trade.

In 1835, the family of William and Mary Sink moved from Cambria County to the Smicksburg area. The family consisted of four boys and one girl. David Sink was born in Smicksburg in 1836. In the early 1850s, the family moved to Punxsutawney, where John, an older son, established himself as a gunsmith. In the 1860 census, the family’s father and four boys were all listed as working as gunsmiths in what is now West Virginia. (West Virginia became a state in 1861, during the Civil War, when citizens in the northwestern section of Virginia decided to break away from the state.)

In 1870, after a decade of plying his gunsmith trade in West Virginia and Ohio, David Sink returned to Pennsylvania, where he continued to practice his trade in parts of Indiana County and Kittanning. He returned to Punxsutawney in 1885, living here until he died in 1910.

A Punxsutawney city directory of 1893 listed the address for David Sink as 118 South Jefferson Street. Russ “Hop” Harriger, a Jefferson County resident, published his The Jefferson County Longrifles and the Sink Trophy in 1979. In notes shared with the writer, Harriger wrote, “Dave Sink had his gunshop on South Jefferson Street where the parking lot is beside the Pantall Hotel.”

This additional account from Harriger’s comprehensive history of gunsmiths in Jefferson County adds interest to the story: “George Slaysman was the resident gunsmith in Punxsutawney, Sink’s former home, and Slaysman had been there as a gunsmith for 25 years when the Sinks moved to West Virginia. In the fall of 1862 Slaysman died, and the Borough of Punxsutawney was without a gunsmith for a number of years. The Sinks had relatives in the area and they would have known this. It is possible the Sinks tested the waters to see what the actual needs were for a gunsmith in Punxsutawney, and David and Jacob, both Civil War veterans, were selected to do so in 1866. The tax assessor for the Clayville Bor- Continued on page 16

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Books • Bibles • Cards • Music • Gifts Jewelry • Precious Moments Collection Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation, Wedding Gifts 191 Main St. BROOkviLLE

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Fri. 8 a.m. -7 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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Route 36 N, Stanton

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Mon, Tues 6:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Wed, Thurs & Fri 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sat 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sun 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sausage McMuffin with Egg / Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Downtown Punxsy Open Til Midnight

2/$4

Contest rules: 1. No purchase necessary. Clip and complete coupon on this page and mail to: Mother’s Day Giveaway, Punxsutawney Hometown magazine, 129 Aspen Road, Punxsutawney, PA 15767.

2. All entries must be received

by Monday, May 2, 2016.

3. One entry will be selected for each participating business through a random drawing from all entries to be held in our Hometown office on Monday, May 2, 2016.

4. By participating in the contest, all entries are subject to contest rules.

5. One entry per envelope please.

6. Winners will be announced on our Facebook page after May 5.

No purchase necessary to enter the contest.

Must be 18 years or older to enter.

Punxsutawney Phil’s

102 W. Mahoning Street Punxsutawney

LOCATED IN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

T-SHIRTS • MUGS • COLLECTIBLES

tuff.com www.groundhogs (814) 938-7700 Great Gift Ideas for Mom! 1-800-752-PHIL

559 W. Mahoning St., Punxsy

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Mother’s Let us create the FULL MEN U perfect menu for R Day E ls a your special occasion! STAURANT Speci 535 W. Mahoning St., Punxsy

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All you have to do to register to win is clip, or photocopy, and complete the coupon and mail to:

Mother’s day Giveaway Punxsutawney Hometown magazine 129 Aspen Road, Punxsutawney, PA 15767 Punxsutawney Hometown magazine’s ‘Mother’s day Giveaway.’

Mother’s Name____________________________________ Entered by________________________________________

Address___________________________________________

City______________________ State_______Zip_________

Your Phone #______________________________________ E-Mail___________________________________________ Winners will be announced on our Facebook page after May 5.

windgate VINEYARDS

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313 Martha St., Punxsy

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Register to win the great gifts on next page. One winner per participating listing on next page.

“OFFICIAL” SOUVENIR SHOP

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BAKERY & DELI

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REGISTER BY MONDAY, MAY 2

THE PLACE WHERE GREAT MEALS BEGIN

The finest quality Beef, Pork, Chicken & Smoked Meats

LILY'S RESTAURANT

GIVEAWAY MOTHER’S DAY IS MAY 8

to the New Anchor Inn A Menu to Serve Every Taste Open 6 Days a Week

Outlet Store located at 551 E. Mahoning St., Punxsy

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Instant Lube and Oil

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plus call for MEChANiC wORk • STATE iNSPECTiONS • TiRES Rt 36 South in Cloe, 2 Miles South of Punxsy

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527 E. Mahoning St., Punxsy 814-618-5248 Thur.-Fri.-Sat., 10-6

14 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187

36 E. Long Ave., DuBois 814-618-5248

265 Swamp Rd., Clymer

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Pizza Town

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• Fitness Center

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B’s Books, etc. UsedGently Books 122 E. Mahoning St., Punxsy

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ENTER MOM TO WIN ONE OF THESE GREAT GIFTS $25 Gift Certificate Emma’s Catering Punxsy • 814-938-8098

$10 Gift Certificate B’s Books 122 E. Mahoning, Punxsy

$15 Gift Card Biggie’s Meats 6036 Rt. 119, Punxsy 814-427-2363

Bath & Body Gift ($70 Value) Hot Spot Family Tanning Salon Indiana St., Punxsy 814-938-3800

$25 Gift Card Fairlady & Company 100 W. Mahoning St. Punxsy • 814-938-1255

$25 Gift Certificate Christian Book & Gift Shop 191 Main St., Brookville 814-849-7800

$20 Fox’s Gift Card Fox’s Pizza den 207 N. Hampton Ave. Punxsy • 814-618-5653

$25 Neko’s Gift Card CNB Bank 559 W. Mahoning St., Punxsy, 814-938-2615

Emergency Roadside Safety kit, kengersky Nationwide insurance 52 Notary Lane, Punxsy 814-938-3092

$20 Gift Certificate Grandma’s kitchen Rt. 36 North, Stanton 814-849-6396

$25 Chamber Gift Card Christ the king West Long Ave., DuBois 814-371-3180

krevel Supply Gift Certificate krevel Supply 265 Swamp Rd., Clymer 724-254-0403

$20 Gift Certificate to Chamber member Grace Place 814-938-3008

$30 Community Center Gift Certificate Community Center 220 N. Jefferson St. 814- 938-1008

$25 Gift Certificate lily’s Restaurant, Bakery & deli 535 W. Mahoning St., Punxsy • 814-938-9419

$25 Gift Certificate Groundhog instant lube & oil Rt. 36 South in Cloe 814-849-3449

$10 Gift Certificate Country Cone Rt. 36N, Punxsy • 938-2058

Hanging Basket Hanzely’s Garden Center Rt. 119 South of DuBois 814-375-0305

$25 Gift Certificate CRW Home Center 313 Martha St., Punxsy 814-938-3850

CHRISTINE’S TANNING TANNING SALON, SALON, INC. INC. CHRISTINE’S

217 W. Mahoning St., Punxsy, 814-938-7515

1/2 Hour Session ($30 Value) Healing Touch Massage

Indiana Street, Punxsy Gift Certificates Available

Happy Mother’s Day! LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

$20 Gift Card Mcdonald’s Downtown Punxsy

Gift Certificate Musser’s Garden Center 6 mi. N. of Indiana 724-465-5684

Neko’s

$25 Gift Certificate The New Anchor inn Rt. 310 Elk Ave., Punxsy 814-938-8060

Birdhouse ($20 Value) Roseman’s Florist & Gifts 126 W. Mahoning St., Punxsy • 814-938-7364

Coffee Mug and a Package of Coffee Phil's official Souvenir Shop 102 West Mahoning St. Punxsy • 814-938-7700

Stello Food Gift Basket Stello Foods 551 E. Mahoning St. Punxsy • 814-938-8611

$20 Gift Certificate obsessive Apparel 527 E. Mahoning St. Punxsy • 814-618-5248

$20 Gift Certificate to the Greenhouse Punxsy SHoP’n SAVE Groundhog Plaza 814-938-2821

814-618-5653

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$25 Gift Certificate Yoder's Furniture Paradise Road, Punxsy

2 Bottles of Wine redeemable at Windgate Winery 1998 Hemlock Acres Rd., Smicksburg, PA 814-257-8797

“Quality Doesn’t Cost...It Pays!�

Rt. 119 Between Big Run & Sykesville Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 427-2720

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For information call Charlene Volansky, Director of Operations 814-371-3180

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Pedicure Gift Certificate ($30 Value) Wild Hair Salon 99 N. Gilpin St., Punxsy 814-938-3502

Hanging Basket Gift Certificate ($25 value) Reagle’s Notary 203 E. Main St., Big Run 814-427-2361

1/2 Hr Session $30.00 1 Hr Session $40.00 217 W. Mahoning St., Punxsy

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lovely Gift Basket Wal-Mart Supercenter 21920 Rt. 119, Punxsy

$20 Gift Card Pizza Town Punxsy Plaza 814-938-2380

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She is Loved. Show Her...

Mother's Day Trollbead Event!

May 2-7 Every Story Has A Bead

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Call for more information on promotions.

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814-938-1255

www.fairladycompany.com Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5

Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187 – 15

graceplace@ndcrealestate.com

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THANK YOU from

Proceeds benefit Arc of Jefferson & Clearfield Counties and Camp Friendship

We would like to thank all the local businesses who contribute donations, and all the volunteers who help make this event possible.

16 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187

area that is now the East End section of Punxsutawney. Dr. Wood began his practice in 1845 and was Punxsutawney’s second Continued from page 12 doctor. (Dr. John W. Jenks was the first.)

Arthur Wood dutifully began to care for the ough [now Punxsutawney’s West End] family gun in 1950, at the request of his counted them among the taxables in 1867, cousin Olive Wood, who lived in the Wood and their occupations were listed as gunfamily’s old homestead at the top of Woodsmiths.” land Avenue. After some research, Arthur In the early 1800s, these men and their Wood discovered that the long rifle, which families entered an area that was described had the name “J. Douglas” written on it, was as being “on the southern edge of one of the probably made in the mid-nineteenth cenmost isolated sections of the United States.” tury in Lancaster County.

With the rugged Ohio country to the west, Often been called the Kentucky long rifle – largely because of the popularity of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett in old movies – the long, slim, and light long rifle was actually developed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, by German and Swiss gunsmiths who emigrated from Europe to southeastern Pennsylvania.

Modified from the German hunting rifle, the long rifle is commonly referred to as “the Pennsylvania long rifle.” Others might say that “American long rifle” is the more accurate name for the unique firearm.

In June 2014, the Pennsylvania legislature officially declared the Pennsylvania Long Rifle to be a state symbol.

For early pioneers going into a frontier of dense woods and a variety of wild animals, their rifles were not sporting guns, but working guns used for defense as well as for gathering food, especially when it was necessary to bring down meat with a single shot – or starve. Nearly five feet long and weighing William Sink and his sons were gunsmiths in small villages in eight pounds, the flintlock long the area. The family came to Punxsutawney in 1850. After working in gun shops in Ohio and West Virginia, son David returned rifle was considered accurate to Punxsutawney, where he worked as gunsmith from 1885 to nearly 300 yards, making it until his death in 1910. He is buried in the Circle Hill Cemetery. an ideal weapon for hunting (photo by S. Thomas Curry) and fighting.

The long rifle used by Dr. Wood is disPittsburgh, as a growing city, was “the gateplayed at the Bennis House of the Punxway to the West.” The state capital of Harsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical risburg was nearly 200 miles over the Society. Visitors to the “Early Settlers” area mountains to the east, and Philadelphia was will be reminded of the prideful place that farther away in eastern Pennsylvania. gunsmiths had in the towns of Pennsylvania For those who had the spirit of adventure, history in general and in the history of the land became available in what one historian Punxsutawney area in particular. Sons of called “vast areas of rough and at that time gunsmiths – there were two of them in practically worthless land” in the portion of Punxsutawney. And, no doubt, others nearby Pennsylvania that included Jefferson offered competition. Many stories are left to County. Soldiers of the Revolutionary War tell. were the first to come; their war service was This writer thanks Russ “Hop” Harriger for paid with scrip to purchase land. After solthe stories he tells in his 1979 effort, The Jefdiers made their purchases, the rest of the ferson County Longrifles and the Sink Troland was opened to other people after 1792. phy.

During the late months of 2004 and early Editor’s Note: “Longrifle” or “long rifle”?

2005, Arthur Wood, living in Brooklin, One word or two? Contemporary dictionarMaine, contacted the Punxsutawney Area ies – such as the fifth edition of the American Historical & Genealogical Society about an Heritage College Dictionary or the eleventh old long rifle that had been in his possession edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate for many years. The Wood family history inDictionary – offer no help, since neither one cluded notes that the long rifle accompanied includes “long rifle” or “longrifle” among Dr. Charles Wood on the trip to California its entries. Even the venerable, and during the excitement of “gold fever.” unabridged, second edition of the Webster’s In the summer of 2005, Arthur Wood saw International Dictionary contains no such his heart’s desire fulfilled. After months of entry. Lacking lexical support, the editor has discussion by telephone and mail, the famopted to use “long rifle” – except where ily’s cherished long rifle that was in his care “longrifle” is used in a book’s title. To his was returned to the Punxsutawney area. This mind, the Pennsylvania’s legislators’ deciwriter and his wife made a trip to Maine to sion to use the name “Pennsylvania Long visit Arthur and Juanita Wood at their resiRifle” when they adopted the rifle as a state dence. The long rifle and other personal symbol tipped the scales in favor of using items from the Wood family were returned “long rifle” rather than “longrifle.” to their “Punxsutawney home.”

••• In 1837, the Wood family settled in an

Your Center for Quality, Advice and Value

Hogfest on Tap - Celebrate Spring with Phil!

Smiles and jollity will, no doubt, abound at the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Hogtoberfest, to be held on Saturday, May 28, at Gobbler’s Knob. (submitted photo)

M

ark your calendar! On Saturday, tickets to this area are available for each sesMay 28, the Punxsutawney sion. Each VIP ticket holder will receive a Groundhog Club will host HogtoPunxsutawney Philsner pint glass. VIP berfest, a Craft Beer Festival and ticket holders must also have a regular ada BJCP-sanctioned Home Brew Competimission ticket to enter the VIP area – in adtion. The festival, to be held at Gobbler’s dition to their VIP tickets.

Knob, gives one and all an opportunity to For tickets or more information about the celebrate spring with Punxsutawney Phil – Home Brew Competition, please call (814) the world’s most famous groundhog! Two 618-5591 or visit the club’s website sessions of complimentary beer tasting will (www.groundhog.org) or headquarters (200 W. Mahoning be offered: the St., Suite 1, first session will Punxsutawney). be held from 2 Live entertainp.m. to 5 p.m. and ers will perform the second sesduring each session from 6 p.m. sion, and Punxto 9 p.m. sutawney Phil The cost of a will also be in regular admission attendance! ticket is $30 and A few of the includes live enbreweries and tertainment, appedistributors attizers, and a tending the fescommemorative tival are Levity tasting glass, Brewing Co., sponsored by Super Sub & Standard PenSix Pak, Noble nant! A desigStein Brewing nated driver ticket Company, Doc costs $10 and inG’s, Conny cludes live entertainment and Phil and co-handler Ron Ploucha will celebrate spring at Creek Brewing, appetizers. the Groundhog Club’s Hogtoberfest, set for Saturday, Penn Brewery, Robin Hood, The cost of a May 28, at Gobbler’s Knob. (submitted photo) VooDoo, Riverticket for the VIP area is $20, a price that includes entry into town, Lancaster, Yuengling, Sam Adams, Yards Brewing Company, Glenwood Beer a separate space of the venue, where a special flight of complimentary beer tasting Distributors, Weyebacher, The Traveler Beer Co., and St. Mary’s Beverage. will be held. The VIP area is sponsored by ••• Super Sub & 6 Pak, and a limited number of

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Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187 – 17

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Wednesday, May 4th at 11 a.m.

“Bird Day Quiz” (“See if you can stump us!”)

THINKING SESSIONS

Wednesday, May 11th at 11 a.m.

“Things That Aren’t There Anymore!”

Thursday, May 5th – Cinco de Mayo Party (Wear your sombrero)

FUN EVENTS THIS MONTH!

Friday, May 6 at 11 a.m. – TRUTH or NOT GAME

Thursday, May 12th – Shopping & Lunch in Indiana (Call for sign up details)

Wednesday, May 25th at Noon – MEMORIAL DAY PARTY & PICNIC LUNCH Thursday, May 26 at 11 a.m. – Hymn Sing with Kay Young Friday, May 27 at Noon – CELEBRATING NATIONAL HAMBURGER MONTH – Burgers on the Grill

Tuesday, May 17th at 1 pm “Dementia” by Mulberry Square

INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS Thursday, May 19th at 11 am “My Plate: Focus on Fruit”

by Center Manager Mary Beth Wilson

18 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187

Unseen Danger

Continued from page 10 tured, and one arm was broken. He was taken to the surface, where he regained consciousness about midnight and asked for a drink of water, before being transported to Adrian Hospital.

At midnight, another miner was found dead, and at 2 a.m., the body of John Hopkins was found. These two were brought to the surface. Undertaker Lott H. Reed, of Desire, had established an on-site morgue in one of the compressor rooms. Here, he cleaned and prepared the bodies for the families to claim and to bury.

About 7 a.m. Friday morning, the bodies of seven more miners were brought out of the mine.

The final five miners, including the Kirkwood brothers, were not found and recovered until noon on Friday.

While the rescue party was working underground, little activity on the surface indicated the terrible situation in the mine below. The families of most of the miners lived two miles away in the villages of Eleanora and Desire, and it was said that the mining company had suppressed, as much as possible, the horrible extent of the accident until the majority of the bodies were recovered and were ready to be taken to their homes. For this reason, relatively few people gathered around the mouth of the shaft on Friday, and the site was relatively free of the heart-rending scenes that might have been expected, given the extent and appalling nature of the catastrophe.

The media – in the person of William M. Long, staff correspondent on Pittsburg Dispatch, who was sent to report on the mine disaster at Eleanora – did not arrive at Reynoldsville until about 10 p.m. Friday night. He was able to get to Eleanora by trolley; however, he had to hitch a ride back to Reynoldsville in a hack with members of the Improved Order of Red Men, who had driven to Eleanora to make arrangements for the funeral of George Kirkwood. If the Reynoldsville men had not driven to Eleanora, the reporter would have been forced to walk the six or seven miles back to Reynoldsville. Long arrived in Reynoldsville at 1:30 a.m. Saturday and telephoned his story to the Dispatch.

On Saturday and Sunday, a few sightseers from points along the trolley line visited the shaft, but nothing out of the ordinary was seen on the surface. The mine was not in operation; silence filled the lonely valley.

The funerals for the men who died took place on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the five miners who resided at Eleanora were taken to Anita for interment.

During Sunday afternoon, three hearses,

followed by seven three- and four-seat carriages, slowly made their way over the hills from Eleanora to Anita, where the miners were buried. Two of the miners’ funerals were attended by the Order of St. Joseph, of Delancey (Adrian); the Kirkwood brothers’ funeral was attended to by the Improved Order of Red Men; John Hopkins’s funeral was attended to by the Anita Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Pocahantas Council No. 56, and the Pythian Sisterhood, of Punxsutawney.

Mine inspectors Elias Phillips, of the Fourth District, Joseph Knapper, of the Eighth District, and Roger Hampson, of the Twelfth District, investigated the disaster and gave their testimony before the coroner’s jury in Punxsutawney on May 2, 1905. They confirmed that the cause of the explosion was a blow-out and that the explosion could not have been anticipated or predicted.

On August 5, 1908, the Reynoldsville Star reprinted an article from the Punxsutawney Spirit announcing that the Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal and Iron Company would drill another shaft midway between the Eleanora Slope and the Eleanora Shaft, which were about 15,000 feet apart. The shaft would be 14 by 17 feet square and 152 feet deep and would take four months to complete.

The Eleanora Shaft explosion offers the names of nineteen miners who may be honored by a memorial tile at the Punxsutawney Area Coal Memorial. To date, only one of these men has been honored with such a tile. These miners include the men who paid the ultimate price for coal, the fire boss, the superintendents, the mine inspectors, and the members of the rescue team. A number of the men, described as “foreigners,” died leaving families in the old country. These men are considered orphan miners and left no relatives to memorialize them. Each may be remembered by a sponsor who purchases a tile in his name. To request a memorial tile form or to purchase a tile, please contact the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc., by sending an email to punxsyhistory@verizon.net or by calling and leaving a message at (814) 938-2555.

Forms may also be picked up in person from Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Society’s Lattimer House, 400 West Mahoning Street, Punxsutawney.

Resources used in the preparation of this article are available at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, and the Library of Congress. This article has been prepared by the Coal Memorial Committee of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc. Comments on this article may be directed to PAHGS, P.O. Box 286, Punxsutawney, PA 15767.

•••

Punxsutawney Area Marching Band Performs at Walt Disney World Resort

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With Disney mouse ears atop their heads, members of the Punxsutawney Area High School marching band, with director Kurt Cessna alongside, march and entertain as the band makes its way down iconic Main Street, U.S.A., at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida, on Thursday, April 7. (submitted photo)

unxsutawney Area High School students entertained thousands of Walt Disney World Resort guests with their April 7 performance at the Magic Kingdom.

The PAHS marching band, alongside director Kurt Cessna, marched down iconic Main Street, U.S.A., past Cinderella’s Castle, playing songs and cadences that

captured the spirit of classic Disney tunes.

During the band’s visit, Kurt Cessna, director of bands at the high school, said, “I’m very excited. The kids are excited to be here, and I know they are having a great time.”

The group of seventy-five students traveled more than a thousand miles from Pennsylvania to Florida to participate in

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Programs, Research & Connecting the Dots at PAHGS

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By Marty Armstrong to focus on our Boomtown Era – engendered for Hometown magazine by the onset and growth of the region’s coal industry. The Coal Memorial Committee will arly last year, the Punxsutawney Area facilitate the three seminars. Seats are limited Historical & Genealogical Society anand registration is required. All interested nounced a service called “Programs persons are encouraged to sign up; a disOn Demand.” We were making the counted price is available for Society mempoint that a number of programs can be prebers. Forms are available at the Lattimer sented offsite to groups of students or at other House, but one may call (814) 938-2555 or organizations’ meetings. (Please see the sidesend an email to punxsyhistory@verizon.net. bar for a list of specific on-demand proThere is a lot to learn about our coal history. grams.) Our hope was that folks would find Written material comes from newspaper resomething of interest and ask that a program ports, letters, and other documents. Nearly be presented. Those that we have presented every document brings to light the goings-on in the past have been well received. of more than 100 years ago when the mines The unintended consequence was that began to be opened. We’ve known for years Stacey A. Etherson, who had been doing getheir locations; their towns’ dots on the map nealogical research with us, wrote to find out surround Punxif she could help desutawney in our Benvelop a program projnis House mine ect for us for her exhibits.

We’ve graduate studies in known some of the the Adult and Comprincipal characters; munity Education they occupied many (ACE) program at Inlocations in town, indiana University of cluding some of the Pennsylvania. After homes on “Milliondiscussion, she preaires’ Row.” Only pared a work plan through continued rethat was approved by search do we begin to the Society and IUP. see how many busiShe began developnesses, how many ing a program on families, how many Walston, where activities were intermembers of her famrelated. Genealogy ily worked when they becomes a factor in first came to the helping to connect Punxsutawney area. the dots. The first She conducted focus Walston workshop groups with Walston on May 31 will focus residents, researched on the opening of the the Buffalo, Walston mines. SubRochester & Pittssequent workshops burg Coal and Iron Company Records at Coal and railroad companies played important feature miners’ work in the history of the Punxsutawney region. and mine town comIUP’s Stapleton Li- roles A section of Dennis P. McInlay’s Horseshoe brary, and reviewed Curve: Sabotage and Subversion in the Railroad munity and cultural the Adrian files at the City, published in 2007, tells of the Pennsylvania development.

Society and an exten- Railroad’s efforts to establish an uninterrupted With all this empharail line through the Allegheny Mountains. One sive number of arti- purpose of the line was to transport coal. (cover sis on mines – includcles from historic image used by permission of Dennis P. McIlnay) ing our screening of The Molly Maguires newspapers. She was on April 1 and a planned showing of Black guided in this work by Society volunteers Fury on May 13, both of which concentrate and aided by the staff of the Stapleton Lion the distressingly hard conditions of minbrary. What she found was that there was far ers’ lives – why, a reader might ask, is this too much information for a single presentastory illustrated with a locomotive? It turns tion on Walston. After much analysis, she out that our coal boom was facilitated by the was able to identify three major themes rerail lines that finally reached our region. The lated to the Walston Mine: “The Developsaga of each rail company’s efforts to get ment of the Mine,” “Working at the Mine,” here first and of whose properties and busiand the “Community of Walston.” ness concerns would benefit rivals those of There are several pieces of good news here. the western movies played out on the silver Stacey was able to graduate in August 2015 screen. Society researchers have uncovered from IUP’s ACE program and has gone on local rail-to-coal and coal-to-rail connections to start her own human resources consulting with the Pennsylvania Railroad and its compractice (HR Solutions for Small Business). petitors – all racing to get to the coal fields The Society received the plans for conductfirst. Dennis McIlnay’s book, Horseshoe ing the Walston adult education program, and Curve: Sabotage and Subversion in the Railwe have decided to make use of this work road City, recounts the struggle of the PRR to over the course of the summer by scheduling get to our side of the Alleghenies along with three workshops: May 31, June 28, and Autwo riveting stories connecting World War II gust 30 at 7 p.m. in the Reschini Room of the to the Altoona area, highlighting the fact that Lattimer House at 400 West Mahoning Street. This fits right in with our current plan - Continued on next page

Spring Clean Your Car: Tips to Get Your Car in Great Condition

© Rukawajung - Fotolia.com

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or some, spring cleaning is a timehonored ritual, which doesn’t just apply to your house. Remember that your car is likely in desperate need of some attention after the winter months.

“A car that`s well-maintained is safer, cheaper to run, more reliable and can be worth more money at resale time,” says Brian Moody, executive editor of Autotrader.

To help, Autotrader editors are sharing “Simple Spring Car Care” tips to get your car in tip-top shape for the busy driving season ahead: • Wash and wax your car thoroughly. If you can afford it, have it professionally detailed. However, if you do it yourself, be sure to use a pressure nozzle in order to rid your car of any leftover road salt or sand from the winter. Direct sunlight can cause a car’s finish to become dull, but a thorough washing and waxing can also help keep your car’s paint and clear coat looking good.

It’s tempting to run the car through an automated car wash, but those big revolving brushes can dull the finish over time. If you’re not allowed to wash your car at home due to regional laws or neighborhood rules, seek out a good drive-thru wash and hand wax instead.

• Check and set your car’s tire pressure to the level specified in your owner’s manual or on the driver’s door sill. As temperatures warm up, the air in your tires can expand and that might impact the way the car handles.

Be sure not to over-inflate the tires. While low tire pressure can cause the tire to heat up if it’s not rolling down the road properly, extreme over inflation can cause a blowout in high temperatures. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, take your car to a shop like Big-O Tires, Sears Auto Center or Firestone Auto Care Center — those kinds of chains will usually do it for free.

• Have a qualified mechanic do a visual inspection under the hood. If you’re comfortable doing this yourself, check for worn belts or hoses and make sure your coolant (sometimes called anti-freeze) isn’t too old.

Coolant lasts a long time, but keeping track of when it was last changed, especially in older cars, can help you avoid overheating as the temperatures gradually climb.

For more tips for keeping your vehicle in great shape whether it’s hot, cold, or rainy can be found at www.Autotrader.com.

For better driving all season long, make sure your spring to-do list includes cleaning and maintaining your car.

(StatePoint) •••

Programs, Research

Continued from previous page Pennsylvania’s rail history reaches into modern times. Interestingly, one of the unsuccessful Horseshoe Curve saboteurs was married to a young woman from Walston.

The three traditional economic factors of production – land, labor, and capital – were all in play during our coal boom. A fourth factor, entrepreneurship, brought them together. We recognize the importance and the value of each. Our early history has much to do with our region’s natural resources and the early landowners and property developers who became investors. This first workshop emphasizes those things. Quickly on their heels came the much-needed labor – from virtually everywhere. The concomitant strife that sometimes ensued is explored sympathetically in both the Molly Maguires and Black Fury movies and objectively in our second workshop.

Proceeds and contributions benefit the Punxsutawney Area Coal Memorial, and the public is reminded that workers in industries such as rail and iron, which were part of the boom, may be memorialized as well. Forms for doing so are available by stopping in at 400 West Mahoning or by contacting the PAHGS by phone (814-918-2555), email (punxsyhistory@verizon.net), or mail (P.O. Box 286, Punxsutawney, PA 15767.

Marty Armstrong is a trustee of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc. •••

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Around Town

By the staff of Hometown magazine rom the staff of Hometown magazine and the Community Calendar at Punxsutawney.com, here is a list of events coming up in our area.

n April 28: Job Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at BC3 at Brockway. Call 265-1810 or email jill.martin-rend@bc3.edu for information. n April 30: Knights of Columbus Chicken BBQ at SSCD parking lot.

n April 30: PAHS Prom procession at 6:30 p.m. at Barclay Square.

n April 30: Last day to enter the Beautiful Birdhouse Contest at the Punxsy Weather Discovery Center. Call 938-1000 or visit the Weather Center’s website for more information. n April 30 & May 1: Hazen flea market opens.

n May 3: First Tuesday Community Meal, 5 p.m., at Punxsy Presbyterian Church. Free & open to the public.

n May 4: PAHS Chorus Concert, 7 p.m., at PAHS auditorium. n May 12: PAHS Band & Jazz Ensemble Concert, 7 p.m., at PAHS auditorium.

n May 13: Community Dinner, 5 p.m., at First United Methodist Church. Free & open to the public. n May 14: Block Party, 10:30 a.m., at Punxsy Memorial Library.

n May 21: Punxsy Area Community Center’s “Cash Bash” fundraiser, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the Punxsutawney Country Club. All proceeds benefit the center and its

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programs. For additional information, please call Michelle Zimmerman at (814) 952-2015. n May 22: Punxsy Community Band Concert, 3 p.m., at First English Lutheran Church. Open to the public. Donations appreciated.

n May 26: Mid-Day Chamber Mixer, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at DuBois Regional Airport. For reservations, call 371-5010 or email dacc@duboispachamber.com. Sponsored by the airport, Jefferson County Development Council, and Punxsy, Brookville, and DuBois Chambers of Commerce.

n May 28: Hogtoberfest, featuring craft beer, 2 to 5 p.m. & 6 to 9 p.m., at Gobbler’s Knob. Call the Groundhog Club at 618-5591 or email director@ghogclub.com for more information.

n May 28: Splash of Color 5K Run, 10 a.m., at George C. Brown Community Pool.

Registration information can be found on the pool’s Facebook page. n May 30: Memorial Day.

n June 1: Last day of school for Punxsy Area School District. Watch for children.

n June 1: Blood Drive, 12:30 to 6 p.m., at First Church of God, for the American Red Cross.

n June 4: George C. Brown Community Pool opens at noon for the summer!

n The Punxsutawney Area Community Center offers indoor cycling, batting cage, Fifty & Fit, SilverSneakers, AM men’s basketball, Pilates/yoga, and gymnastics. Call 938-1008 for more information.

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The flaw in Santayana’s thinking is that repeating history is a bad thing. History, however, is filled with good happenings.

Sometimes, the recollection of something good can spur folks to repeat that good thing – a repetition that isn’t bad at all!

Years ago – back in 2009 and 2010, according to director Rob McCoy – the Punxsutawney Area Community Center held auctions to raise money for the center and its programs. Recently, the center’s Events Committee – a subset of the organization’s Board of Directors – brainstormed for ideas for fundraisers. Lo and behold, members remembered good events from the past – the auctions! Committee members decided that the time was right to resurrect the auction and,

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since making that decision, have worked hard to flesh out the details of the event.

In its new incarnation, the auction is called the “Cash Bash” and will feature both bid-tobuy and buy-it-now items. The Cash Bash will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at the Punxsutawney Country Club.

In addition to food “picky things,” the bash will offer door prizes, 50/50 tickets, tear-off tickets, baskets, and – it almost goes without saying – a live auction. Cash giveaways will occur every hour ($25), a quarter after every hour ($50), every half hour ($75), and a quarter before every hour ($100). Wait! There’s more! The drawing for the grand prize of $500 will be held at 10 p.m.!

The bash’s live auction will feature a oneweek stay at the winner’s choice of either a three-bedroom, three-bath log home nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Boone, North Carolina, or a one-bedroom, one-bath, oceanfront condominium in a full-amenity resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In addition, a - Continued on page 26

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For main dishes, rely on cold proteins: chilled roasted chicken or poached fish can be paired with a pasta salad and

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topped with mozzarella or goat cheese.

These ideas are great for serving familystyle, giving you more time to mingle.

Remember, simplicity should extend to your hosting duties!

Drinks Wine and cocktails are the stars of the show at any good get-together. This spring, think about going beyond traditional warm weather drinks.

A delicious, unexpected choice is Port wine.

With all its diverse styles (ruby, tawny, rosé, and white), Port should not be reserved for the colder months. Certain types work perfectly in warm weather, such as Croft Pink Port, a crisp, ripe and fruity wine. © alexbrylovhk - Fotolia.com Serve chilled with a squeeze of lime or in a rosé sangria; it’s a great pairing for lighter meals.

Warmer days also call for lighter cocktails that are lower in alcohol. Try Fonseca Siroco, a dry white Port, that is delicious served over ice, topped with tonic, and garnished with a lemon peel.

It’s a simple and refreshing spring sipper.

Some Tawny Port wines are great served chilled, such as Croft Reserve Tawny or Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny. They are light, nutty, and have good acidity, making them a naturally refreshing choice for an excellent aperitif on their own or - Continued on page 27

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April 15, 1896 — Martin McGregor has received the contract of cutting and clearing the timber on the site of the proposed blast furnace. The timber will be cut into cord wood (Punxsutawney News) [Note: Located on what is now the site of the Punxsy Plaza, the Punxsutawney Iron Furnace began operation in September 1897.]

April 21, 1870 — STILT-WALKING has become quite an amusement in town, among boys, as well as those of maturer ages. We tried a hand in the game, at a considerable distance from the ground. Stiltwalking is not our forte. (Punxsutawney Plaindealer)

May 4, 1871 — Mr. JOHN GREEN, our photograph artist, intends visiting Reynoldsville for the purpose of plying his vocation in that vicinity. Persons in that section wanting good pictures taken should give Mr. Green a call. (Punxsutawney Plaindealer) [Note: Green’s “photograph gallery” was located on East Union Street where the First Baptist Church is now located.)

May 8, 1889 — A number of Hungarians at Horatio got to quarreling on Monday when one of them was bounced upon by the others and was pretty roughly handled. One struck him with a pick which penetrated his

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May 12, 1897 — The entertainment given by the Edison Projectoscope Co. last Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights was not as well patronized as should have been considering that they had on exhibition the most wonderful contrivance that has ever yet been conceived by the “wizard” Edison.

The scientific achievement which enables one to view every movement of the ocean’s waves as they lash against the shore, or watch the progress of a dozen fire engines as they roll rapidly along to the scene of a great fire is something truly marvelous and ought to attract a greater attention. (Punxsutawney Spirit)

May 18, 1887 — Punxsutawney is a pretty town now. The numerous shade trees have put forth their leaves, the lilac’s sweet perfume is wafted on the gentle breeze, and the song birds make the air blossom with melody. The putrifying garbage and dead cats in the back alleys are pretty well dried up and all we need to complete our happiness is a street sprinkler. (Punxsutawney Spirit) •••

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skull and others punched holes in him until he was wounded in many places. The unfortunate man was taken to the Adrian hospital for medical and surgical treatment.

The Hungarian who hit him on the head was brought to town and lodged in the lockup and the others made their escape from the place. (Punxsutawney News) [Note: The Adrian Hospital opened in February 1889 at the Adrian Mines in Delancey and moved to Punxsutawney in 1898.]

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Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187 – 23

Prom Price Tag: Rising Costs of the Big Dance

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rom is a time-honored tradition and a rite of passage for teens. Originally inspired by graduation celebrations and debutante balls, prom today is now an extravagant, defining moment in a teenager’s life, and bears little resemblance to the promenades of the past — especially when it comes to cost.

Going to the prom can put a fairly large

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third of their overall prom costs on it, totaling around $324, according to the Visa survey.

What are some popular promposal tactics?

Spelling “prom” with pepperonis on pizza, airplane banner flyovers, giant duct tape posters and the jumbotron at a sporting event are just a few ways teens are “popping the question.”

Fashion First When proms first became common, teens were encouraged to wear their “Sunday best” — implying that they wear a nice dress or suit that they already owned. Not so anymore. For girls, going to prom is all about the dress, and finding the perfect one at the right price is no easy task. In 2012, girls surveyed by Seventeen magazine said they planned to spend $231 on average for a dress, $45 on shoes, $23 on a handbag, $32 on jewelry and $118 on hair, nails and makeup combined.

While guys typically spend less on prom clothing and accessories, they’re still shelling out heavy cash to arrive in style.

Guys spent on average $127 for a tuxedo, $20 on a corsage for their dates, and $100 on other accessories, according to research from USA Today.

Cut Costs, Save for College The steep cost of prom night is leading teens to look at alternatives to traditional prom practices. One way high schoolers are saving is by ditching typical outfits and making their own. One creative example is Duck Tape prom wear. The Duck brand Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest annually offers more than $50,000 in scholarship dollars to creative prom-goers who craft DIY prom fashions.

Over the last 15 years, the contest has attracted more than 7,000 entrants seeking the top prize of $10,000 each in college scholarships. So, in addition to recouping your prom investment — the scholarship can help offset the skyrocketing cost of college, which has increased by 40 percent in the last decade! For more information about the contest, visit www.stuckatprom.com.

Carpooling with a big group, asking a family member to take pictures with a nice camera and creating DIY flowers (i.e. Duck Tape roses) are all ways to add a personal touch to prom, and they cost significantly less than the usual limos, professional photographers and flowers.

Setting a budget and looking for opportunities to save money can ensure prom is an amazing night that doesn’t break the bank.

(StatePoint) •••

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Tips to Get More Nutrients in Your Daily Diet G

etting all the nutrients you need each day to function or even thrive can be a challenge. After all, there are only so many meals in a day.

Here are some creative ways to pack the necessary nutrients into your day, without going over your tight calorie budget.

Make Each Bite Count It’s tempting to sneak in “empty calories,” with foods and beverages that have little in the way of nutritional value. Don’t give in to sugary treats or easy fixes. You will ultimately feel more satisfied by foods that work to fuel your body.

Plan meals ahead to ensure they each include a healthful balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, amino acids and minerals. Eating colorfully with each meal can help, because fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds of different colors can provide a rich mix of these valuable nutrients and antioxidants.

Also, don’t let unhealthy snacking be your downfall. Snacking doesn’t have to carry the connotation of mindless consumption in front of a television. Carefully planned bites between meals can be just what the nutritionist ordered.

For instance, consider a cup of high fiber cereal mixed with a few nuts or pumpkin

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Get to know the healthful options on restaurant menus and take the time to chew and enjoy your food.

Easy Replacements Some of the most essential nutritional components include protein, good carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, enzymes and probiotics. While many foods contain some of these important nutrients, landing on the right formula can be an ongoing and time-consuming challenge.

It doesn’t have to be.

Consider fast tracking your way to all eight of these core nutrients with a highquality meal replacement. For example, Illumin8, a plant-based USDA Certified Organic powder from Sunwarrior goes well beyond a traditional protein supplement

and can be used as a meal replacement, snack or pre/post workout shake. Available in three flavors, Vanilla Bean, Aztec Chocolate and Mocha, clean eating can also taste good.

Healthy Lifestyle Match your nutrient-filled diet with a healthy lifestyle. Get plenty of sleep each night, at least eight hours, and move more during the day, with at least 20 minutes of activity.

Be sure to stay hydrated all day long with glasses of clean, clear liquids. Water aids digestion and helps you skip the sugary soft drinks, which are high in calories but offer no nutritional value. Opt for water and green tea instead.

(StatePoint) •••

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Why Music Education is Vital

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26 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187

t a time when budget cuts are reducing the quantity and quality of arts education, experts stress that teaching music in school is still vital. Beyond the cultural value of music education, research has shown that both listening to music and playing music stimulates the brain and can increase memory, problemsolving and language skills, as well as help develop social skills.

The numbers don’t lie. Students in top quality music programs score better in English and math than students with no music programs; and schools with music programs have higher graduation and atten-

Community Center

Continued from page 22 variety of sports memorabilia will be auctioned.

The bash will be not only a great and memorable night of fun, but also an opportunity to support the center and the programs that it offers.

“We will spread the money that we raise across all activities,” said Rob, “but a specific part of our plan is to use funds to paint the theater area. We want to take the next step in improving the theater.” He pointed out that the theater now boasts a digital projector – thus enhancing the movie-going experience for patrons – and that recent weekend screenings drew crowds of 400 to 500 people. The auditorium is large – it seats nearly 1,000 – and painting it is a costly and massive undertaking. Housed in a former school building, the center is a large structure – maintenance costs are commensurate with that size – and funds raised from the auction will be used to continue to improve the facility and enhance the center’s offerings to the community it serves.

“It’s a very big building,” said Rob, who has been involved with the center in one capacity or another since 1997. “There’s a lot going on all the time. Anything that you can think of, we’ve probably had it.”

The center’s “anything you can think of” includes a fitness center and sports, such as basketball and flag football and T-ball (set to begin in May). The latter two sports are played in the field next to the center.

The center’s event calendar also lists a major event on Sunday, May 15 – a concert by country music star Clint Black. Rob

© Highwaystarz - Fotolia.com

dance rates than those without. Children given four months of piano lessons scored 27 percent higher on math and fraction tests than other students.

If your school is not well-equipped to offer a quality musical education program, consider furnishing your home with a digital piano or other instrument to provide your child with these same benefits. More information about digital pianos can be found at casio.com.

With encouragement, musical education can build pride, confidence and a strong foundation for overall academic success.

(StatePoint) •••

noted that the Black concert is the center’s seventh such concert and that the auditorium for the others was filled to the brim.

“We’ve added chairs and have seated nearly 1,100 in the past,” he said.

Rob added that tickets for the Clint Black show have not yet sold out. Tickets may be purchased by calling (814) 938-9632. Prices are $39, $59, and $79 (administrative and processing fees are not included in these prices). The doors to the auditorium will open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

The Punxsutawney Area Community Center is a regional asset – one that serves folks of all ages by encouraging wellness and offering movies, concerts, movies, and sporting events, among so much more. The Cash Bash offers an opportunity for people to tangibly express their support of the center and its mission in the community.

Cash Bash tickets are only $10 and can be purchased at the community center or by calling Michelle Zimmerman at (814) 952-2015.

Grab your friends, get a ticket, and come enjoy appetizers and a fun night out – all for a great cause. Many area businesses have generously donated gift certificates and items for this auction – the Cash Bash is shaping up to be a great event with many great prizes.

For additional information about the Punxsutawney Area Community Center, please visit the center’s website (www.punxsutawneycommunitycenter.org) and explore all that the center offers. Rob said that he is always looking for responsible volunteers to help out with the center’s movie screenings, noting that staffing for the popular events is done “strictly with volunteers.” So if you can, lend a hand!

•••

How to Create a Cash Stash for Unexpected Expenses

A

Many make the mistake of assuming that a pril is Financial Literacy Month, a time dedicated to teaching Americans how standard savings account can also serve as a to establish and maintain good finan- rainy day fund. However, dipping into savings cial habits. The month provides a good when your roof leaks, may not be the best soopportunity to assess whether you have a solid lution.

Start an account that’s only purpose is for plan in place to support your financial goals — and that means planning for emergency ex- emergencies. Some banks, such as Ally Bank, will allow you to create penses, too. “nicknames” for the acThe best time to plan for counts to reinforce their unexpected expenses is purpose. well before they happen.

• Specify amount to be One strategy to consider is allocated: to open an emergency savSet a goal for your fund ings account where you that could cover most can stash cash specifically emergencies with a little for unexpected expenses or extra to spare. (Some short-term savings goals. plumbing repairs can That way, you can avoid easily run close to having to pay for these ex$1,000.) Determine how penses with a credit card much you would realisand incur interest. tically need if an emerRegardless of your finangency were to arise. cial circumstances, a rainy Set up a recurring day fund offers peace of transfer or direct deposit mind and, if you plan well, to automate savings. If it won’t derail your other money is tight, decide long-term savings goals. © Jakub Krechowicz - Fotolia.com where you’ll cut corners To get one started, consider the following tips from Ally Financial Inc., to make your plan work. For example, directwhich offers personal finance tips, tools and ing $30 a paycheck to a rainy day fund in lieu education through its Wallet Wise financial lit- of going out for dinner one night will help plan for the future. eracy program: • Fee free is the way to be: • Create an account specifically for emerMaximize your savings potential by finding gencies:

a bank that won’t charge you a monthly maintenance fee, or penalize you for dipping into your emergency fund. Better yet, an account that earns a competitive interest rate or one that is compounded daily will allow your emergency fund to grow faster on its own.

• Ensure you can access funds: Many Money Market Accounts come with checks or a debit card to ensure quick access to funds, because emergencies usually don’t happen at convenient times.

The benefits of such accounts allow you to pay a locksmith, plumber or roofer directly without needing to run to the bank. Why add an additional step to a stressful situation?

For additional tips on what you need to know to be smart with your money, visit allywalletwise.com.

Everyone is going to face a situation where an emergency strains their budget. You don’t leave home in the rain without an umbrella, so don’t take on life without the same safety net. A rainy day fund is a smart way to guard against financial stress.

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Refreshing Spring

Continued from page 23 paired with hard, nutty cheeses or paté.

A glass of Port also offers a lighter, warm weather alternative to end a meal, satisfying sweet cravings without eating an entire heavy dessert.

Port, which was once thought of as a classic winter drink, is now lightened up to be enjoyed any time of the year. It’s also one of the few wines that keeps in the refrigerator for weeks after being opened; ready to go for those impromptu spring sipping moments. Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft are all famed Port producers to try.

Above all, have fun with your food and drinks this spring entertaining season, keeping everything light and easy for you and your guests.

(StatePoint) •••

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28 – Punxsutawney Hometown – May 2016 - Issue #187