Garden Club Plant Sale Set for First Week in July
On the cover: Punxsutawney Garden Club members prepare for their annual plant sale to be held during Groundhog Festival Week. (l. to r.) Libby Hoover, Susan Lefcowitz, Barb Postlewaite, Ann Lott, Cheryl Ploucha, Kay Nesbitt, treasurer Debby Elder, president Gloria Kerr.
Photo by Courtney Katherine Photography
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The well-maintained grounds and gardens of the iuP Academy of Culinary Arts are professionally designed and planted with herbs among the grasses and shrubs. it is the first ever professionally designed landscape included on the Garden Tour.
Garden Club Welcomes Public to Tour Area Gardens Sunday, July 8
By Gloria Kerr for Hometown magazine he public is invited to the Punxsutawney Garden Club’s biennial Garden Tour featuring six area gardens from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 8. The Garden Club’s main mission is to beautify the town. Currently the Club is maintaining nine projects in the borough, including the dazzling downtown petunias on parking meters, in pole-mounted hayracks, and in stone barrels along Mahoning Street. However, the club’s forty members can’t do it alone. Residents who take pride in beautifying their own property contribute significantly to that mission. Garden Club is recognizing six of them on Sunday afternoon, July 8, at the end of Groundhog Festival week.
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Tickets, $7 each, can be purchased in advance from Garden Club members and at several locations in Punxsutawney. However, tickets can also be purchased the day of the tour at any of the six gardens. Three of the sites are within the Punxsutawney borough, while the other three are within a six-mile radius. For the first time, a professionally landscaped garden at the IUP Culinary Arts Academy is on the tour. Tour-goers will be treated to a fine variety of plantings created by participants whose yards and gardens offer delights of color, harmony, and their own unique vision of nature shaped by their hands. Welcoming visitors on July 8 are the IUP Culinary Arts on 125 Gilpin St., Mark and Shar Loennig at 538 Harriger-Enterline Rd. off rte. 36 N, Paula and Wayne Sylvis at 82 Grandview Dr. in Young Township off rte.
Potting plants from their own gardens in preparation for the Festival Week Garden Club plant sale are Garden Club members (l. to r.) Gloria Kerr, Pam Rake, Barb Postlewaite, and Diane Neal. Many kinds of big and little plants to buy for a donation, some in interesting pots, include ferns, spiderwort, moonflowers, and coneflowers.
By Allie Shields for Hometown magazine
The Punxsutawney Garden Club is having their annual Plant Sale the week of July 1-7 during the Groundhog Festival. Their tent will be located in the lot next to the Presbyterian Church behind the Pantall Hotel. The sale runs from 12 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Their tent will be closed on July 4 so members can spend the day with their families. Garden Club members have potted plants from their own gardens to sell. The price: a donation to Garden Club’s beautification projects. Along with the Plant Sale, Garden Club is conducting a Silent Auction of 5 items as a new fundraiser idea this year.. The bidding, in increments of $2, will take place all week at the tent. Between 4 and 5 p.m. Friday, bidders can call the tent to check on bids and ‘up’ their own if they really want an item. Winners will be contacted on Saturday between 12 to 2 p.m. “Garden Club members will be at the tent, working in two and a half hour shifts on the four week days,” says Garden Club President Gloria Kerr. “All proceeds support our 9-beautification projects about Punxsutawney.”
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Garden Club Tour Continued from page 2 36 N, Cherie and Matt Kopas on 405 Indiana St., Abby and Matt Kengersky at 1960 Cloe Lake Rd., and Cecilia McCann, aka Aunt Deed, at 203 Liberty St. People who love to garden participate in the miracle of creation. The hard work they put into planting, tending, and growing is a labor of love. The gardens on this year’s tour will treat visitors to themes that include the exotic semi-tropical, the old-fashioned farm, contemporary casual elegance, functional public space, solutions for shaded landscape, and therapy for the ageless gardener. Each garden on the tour this year is a unique expression of the gardeners who created them; their plant choices and arrangements are reflections of the gardeners’ values, their artistry, their green thumbs, their lifestyles, and their connection to the earth. At the IUP Culinary Arts Academy, visitors will see herbs and leafy vegetables growing comfortably among Girard scarlet azaleas, hummingbird summersweet, red twig dogwoods, pawpaw, ornamental grasses, lilies, and other leafy perennials. Designed by a professional landscaper with input from the Culinary Academy staff, the area provides some edibles that students can harvest as they learn to be creative chefs. Students help tend them, too. Green Valley Landscaping, Inc., of Plains, PA, was contracted in 2010 to do the planting. Bill Lockhart is the IUP maintenance man/grounds keeper. Look for mint, sage, oregano, chives, thyme, and peppers. The herb gardens are located alongside the Academy, next to the parking lot, where students can access them from the kitchen. The interesting plant shapes, colors, and textures create a functional aesthetically pleasing public space that is a feast for the eye. At Mark and Shar Loennigs' old farm property, visitors will see lilac bushes, canning orchards with pear, apple, and cherry trees, and a quaint spring house with a cool storage chamber underneath. The Loennigs have lived at this home for 19 years since moving to PA from Alaska. Their son Tyler, who will enter medical school this fall in the Philly area, grew up here. Mark is the gardener of the family, as Shar is busy with her weekly commute to Ohio where she works as a nurse for a government agency. Mark favors old-fashioned flowers like iris, peonies, alyssum, zinnias,
and marigolds, as well as blue forget-menots, the state flower of Alaska. The farm itself, now on the real estate market, has a fascinating history. From the 1930s through the early 1960s, the Clair Harriger family, who owned and worked the farm, had a large chicken and egg operation. The big, old barn that housed the chickens still staunchly stands. Quite the entrepreneur, Harriger mined his own coal from a hill behind the house. In a cool chamber under the spring house, the family stored eggs, milk, and butter, and they hung bacon and ham from hooks in the rafters to cure. On hot summer nights, the family slept in the cooler spring house rather than in the hot upstairs of the main house. An accomplished carpenter and craftsman, Mark Loennig has made extensive improvements to the farmhouse, renovating the summer kitchen in the main house, adding a sunroom that is level with the back patio, and doing some impressive stonework. In the sunroom, Mark starts growing his seedlings early in the spring; then he wheels them in and out of the patio on sunny days in a large, ingenious wooden garden cart he built. With barn stones given to him by friend Lee Blose, Mark has turned a hillside, that was dangerous to mow, in front of the house into a lovely tiered flowerbed. He says that after he rolled over the riding mower on the hill, he got the idea. Uniquely designed stone steps provide a solid pathway up beside the beds to the - Continued on page 6
Plant Sale Continued from page 2
The 9-beautification projects include: • Meter urns and barrels downtown • Barclay Square bandstand • Public library beds • Margiotti Bridge/5 points bed • Trestle area near SS.C.D. • The historic N. Findley St. Cemetery • Jenks Avenue bed • Fairman Center beds • Hayracks that hang on Mahoning Street light and other poles Garden Club’s mission is to beautify our town of Punxsutawney, and they have been doing just that. If you want to help them, come on down to the plant sale and take a potted plant or three home! • • •
When Anita was a Booming Coal Town The Story of Abe Brody and his Clothing Stores
A
store and lived in Anita for over fifteen years. During that time they had another daughter, Flora. When the older boys were in their late teens, their mother passed away and their father married again. Abe and his new wife, Dora Rabinowitz, had a daughter, Lillian, and three sons, Joseph, William and Louis. The older Brody children attended school through the eighth grade at Anita. Abe observed the tradition of the time and ensured that four of his daughters were married well.
By PRIDE for Hometown magazine
t the beginning of the 20th Century, coal towns were good places for retail businesses. Miners were no longer tied to the company store. They could choose where to purchase goods and services. Peddlers were permitted to visit the households in the coal towns. Some of the peddlers, seeing opportunity, became retailers. Small ethnic grocery stores could operate and provide their specialty foods. Owners of general stores could provide the necessities including ready made clothing and household goods. In 1901, Anita was a booming coal town. There were 35 licenses granted for retail operations and two for billiard and pool tables. This was the largest number of licenses granted in the coal towns in the Punxsutawney area. These businesses served the miners and farmers who lived in the Anita area and those who could reach Anita by way of the Jefferson Traction Company’s trolley. One of these early retailers was Abe Brody. Abe hand been born in Russia as was his wife, the former Sarah David. They immigrated to the United States shortly after they were married. Abe first worked as a peddler in mining towns in Tioga County. He went door-to-door, selling items such as needles, lace, clothing, and kitchen wares. He and Sarah began their family with two sons, Hyman and Israel. They lived frugally and
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One daughter, Flora, remained single. Hyman worked with his father, and Israel went on to graduate from the Punxsutawney High School in 1910. Israel rode the trolley of the Jefferson Traction Company to Punxsutawney to attend school. The trolley schedule insured he was at school early every day. After school he returned to Anita and helped his father and brother in the store. In 1911, Hyman branched out and opened a Brody’s clothing store at 123 East Mahoning - Continued on page 10
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An advertisement for Abe Brody’s Store from The Canoe, Senior Number 1926, Rossiter High School. (Courtesy of the Punxsutawney Area Historical and Genealogical Society)
within a few years they were able to open a small general store at Ralston in Lycoming County. When the Berwind-White Coal Company mines began to open in the Punxsutawney area, Abe and Sarah moved their growing family, two sons and three daughters, Fannie, Rose and Rachel, to Anita, where he opened a general store in 1900. They operated the
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Paula Sylvis has chosen shade and moisture loving plants for her wooded property on Grandview Drive. Especially fond of hostas and heucherellas, she has planted many varieties, all of which she can name. How many different ones can visitors expect to discover? Ask Paula on July 8.
Garden Club Tour
Continued from page 4 back patio. Visitors to the Loennig farm are invited to stroll around the yard to spy "the breakfast blueberry bushes," the lighted flag pole where Old Glory can wave 24-hours a day, the fenced-in vegetable garden, and the large tree literally growing in a barrel. Step back in time to the good ol' days at the Loennigs'. At the home of Paula and Wayne Sylvis at 82 Grandview Drive off Barilar Rd., visitors will see the way Paula, a nurse at the Punxsutawney Area Hospital, has chosen plants that thrive in her woodsy location. Shade and moisture have dictated the plants and design of her informal style cottage garden that provides something blooming and color for the entire growing season. Paula is literally a “hosta Queen” with the many varieties of hostas she grows. She and her two sisters have avidly collected hostas with interesting colors, foliage, and names over the years. You might want to bring your hosta picture guide book along to identify varieties such as stained glass, mouse ears, patriot, old glory, Empress Wu elegans, and more that she’s collected in her shady beds. A heucherella guide book would be useful, too. Paula collects various cultivars of this plant some call alumroot or coral bells. Growers recently have developed many new varieties of this shade plant. Paula has caramel, obsidian, and lime, among others. Lovers of PA native plants will thoroughly enjoy Paula’s gardens that feature an abundance of geranium, columbine including black Barlow, pinks, larkspur, lily of the valley, Jack Frost brunaria, trillium, foam flower/ tiarella, bee balm/monarda, summer sweet, cone flowers, money plant, white spiderwort, and Solomon’s seal.
Because Paula has a huge heart, among her stepping stones in the back yard, visitors might catch a glimpse of one of her five, handsome rescued and pampered kitty cats. With a nurse’s compassion, she can’t bear to see a feckless cat in her neighborhood, so she’s collected her brood that enjoy a heated bed under the back porch. Growing among the stones are what Paula calls “steppables.”— wooly thyme, Irish moss, creeping thyme, and ice plants that grow lushly underfoot. Like many avid gardeners, Paula is generous with cuttings and roots from her garden, as her neighbors will attest, and she loves plant exchanges. In fact, on the first Saturday in June, Paula hosts a big plant exchange at her church in Dora. She advertises the event with posters at the hospital, too. All are encouraged to bring 2 or 3 potted plants to exchange, but Paula shows up with 50 to 100! In the Sylvis gardens, visitors are encouraged to “discover” plants they recognize in the mostly shady beds surrounding the house. Look for the hellebore called Lenten rose, the stately queen of the prairie, a porcelain berry vine, day lilies in bloom, amsonia blue star, and even a fig tree that was a gift. Paula Sylvis’s gardens are a reflection of her generous, informal, friendly personal style. Visitors on July 8 will most likely leave her home carrying one of her potted plants. At the home of Cherie and Matt Kopas on Indiana St., visitors will be treated to a rather exotic garden that reflects the patience and artistic eye of its designer, Cherie Kopas, who works as a postmaster in Sykesville. Husband Matt helps out with much of the work. A man whose physique reflects his health-conscious workouts at the Community Center, Matt just smiles when his buddies kid him that “real men - Continued on page 8
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6 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141
Stately foxgloves are among the tall flowers that catch the eye in plots Cherie Kopas has designed; the most stunning are exotic, burgundy canna lilies that should be a spectacle on the July 8 tour.
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Abby Kengersky planted 20 flats of pink and red wax begonias between boxwood dividers to create a meditative space around a curved, abstract sculpture.
Garden Club Tour Continued from page 6 don’t plant flowers.” Cherie’s exotic garden theme began with a small gift of burgundy-leafed canna lily bulbs her parents brought her from North Carolina. By digging the bulbs each fall and dividing them, she now has enough to plant generously in several areas around her garden. Complementing the cannas are other exotic plants for the Punx’y area that Cherie nurtures: elegant castor bean plants, a tropical mandevilla plant, and sometimes elephant ears. This patient gardener likes to collect seeds and bulbs and start plants from “scratch’ rather than buying hardy potted plants from garden stores. A testament to Cherie’s success with seeds and dividing plants is her lush array of variously colored tall foxgloves and regal delphiniums in blue and white. Other more familiar garden favorites she’s grown from seed include California poppies, orange butterfly weed—the asclepias tuberosa, the airy cleome or spider plant, coneflowers, and zinnias. She and Matt are creating a small cutting bed with a sitting area this season, and, of course, she planted only seeds there: echinacea, asclepias, and pentas. The couple with small daughter Eastyn, pretty as an exotic flower princess herself, will have a place to sit and appreciate the beauty they create. Visitors will enjoy the Kopas garden, which ultimately defies a single category. Yes, it’s exotic, but there are also elements of the formal garden, the cottage garden, and the cutting garden. There are even some edibles planted. Matt put in a plot of hot pepper plants; he harvests and dries the peppers to make his own crushed red pepper spice. That plot could be classified as ‘exotic’ or ‘real,’ depending on one’s taste in gardens. At the home of Abby and Matt Kengersky on Cloe Lake Rd., visitors will be subtly dazzled by Abby’s choice of plantings that she says highlight her focus on texture. But with Abby’s eye for color and design as well, she has created a quietly elegant aura that envelopes the Kengerskys’ lovely home nestled in a wooded area made moist by its location and a nearby stream. Abby is a nurse at the Punxsutawney Area Hospital, and she says Paula Sylvis, also on this tour, really got her started with gardening as a passion. The two love to plant shop together in the spring, and Abby has some of Paula’s shared plants in her garden. With two active, young boys and husband Matt expanding his insurance business,
Abby Kengersky has combined color, texture, and a subtle sense of order to create her casually elegant garden layout.
Abby is a modern career woman who says gardening is a way to de-stress in a creative way. The centerpiece of the Kengersky garden is their stone ranch house that Abby has artfully surrounded with shade and moistureloving heuchera, hostas, and other lush foliage, including a bed planted with 20 flats of red and pink wax begonias. Walking around the house, visitors are treated to a different vista of textures and colors on each side. Clematis, quickfire hydrangea, flame honeysuckle, and hosta blanket the foundation on the backside of the house. Beside a stone walk that curves to a large, tiered deck, Abby has created a formally arranged, restful bed of begonias and boxwood centered around a curved, abstract stone sculpture. On the deck, look for a couple clever terrariums Abby has created which live in her house all year round. A Garden Club member will be on deck there demonstrating how-to-make a terrarium and showing needed materials. Next to a gurgling stream that courses over rocks on this shady side of the house, Matt and Abby have also created an outdoor circular patio replete with adirondack chairs and a stunning planter filled with burgundy-toned coleus. The area quietly says “peace is here.” Walking on around the house past rhododendron, visitors will spy a quaint garden sprite sculpture looking up from the cellar door. It’s one of Abby’s finds at the Hazen flea market. Water-loving rocket lugalaria, ajuga, chameleon plant that Abby calls ‘hootenanny,’ a Harry Lauter walking stick tree, serviceberry, bee balm, summer sweet, and fineline buckthorn are tucked in along the foundation. Coming around to the front entry of the stone house, visitors are treated to a stun- Continued on next page
Garden Club Tour
she’s worked miracles in the good soil there. She is especially fond of her garden shed Continued from previous page that looks like an old-fashioned outhouse; Ron Brewer, her niece Mary’s husband, ning entry with breath taking ‘curb appeal.’ built it. Abby has planted an array of heuchera culFamily members help out with watering tivars, burning bush cypress, and day lilies and mowing, but Aunt Deed does all the in groups of five. The plant arrangements gardening herself. Pat Fleckenstein might are punctuated by stunning deep red be mowing for her. Mary Brewer, Jean splashes of color in an assortment of tall Sisk, or Dotty Jekielek could be helping earthen flowerpots, the red front door, and water in dry spells, but the gloriously natured tones of canna lily, coleus, cockscomb, ral display of flowers and plants she generand masses of sweet potato vine. ously shares are all the work of Aunt Deed. The Kengersky property, with the stream During the recent May 27 severe storm behind it and Abby and Matt’s creative that downed trees and cut off electric power to parts of Punxsutawney, a large silver ‘swamp’ maple, just like the huge one that closed Mahoning St., blew down right in front of Aunt Deed’s house. Luckily, it fell between her house and neighbor John Smith’s, and neither home was damaged. Gleefully examining the large, three-pronged stump in front of her home, she pointed out hollows where the tree had rotted and made rich ‘soil.’ This incredibly energetic and positive gardener sees Aunt Deed, 92 years young, is still gleefully tending her garden on lib- possibilities, not problems, erty St., with a little help from her many friends & family who mow and in the tree’s fall. In fact, water. She does all the 'dirt work' herself literally lying on the ground to Aunt Deed says she might see her plants. just plant morning glories in it to vine and bloom, declaring the glory landscaping, whispers peace, elegance, and and goodness of God. even enchantment. Plan to take the Garden Tour on July 8 to The final garden featured in this year’s enjoy these six area gardens’ beauty and tour makes a statement about the human pick up some inspiration or ideas you can spirit, as well as the therapeutic value of use in your own back yard. getting close to the earth. It is located on Tour chairperson Patricia Prushnok is arLiberty St. where 92-year-old Cecilia Mcranging special events at various sites, inCann, lovingly known to all as Aunt Deed, cluding a demonstration on how-to-make a patiently tends her bachelor buttons, sunterrarium, an opportunity to ask expert gardrops, Rose of Sharon, hostas, zinnias, and deners questions, and a free plant raffle. potted plants. Chicks from the Sticks will be at the LoenAunt Deed’s name derives from her childnig farm with old chairs, rakes, shutters and hood nickname, Dee Dee Dumpling. Begarden fun, while Michele Emhoff will be cause her eyesight is poor and she can’t there, too, selling her handmade stand up or kneel for extended periods, she pottery.Cookies and bottled water will be literally gets down on the ground to weed available at the Garden Club tent at the IUP and tend her plants. Passers-by have someCulinary Academy. Kerri Stebbins is servtimes stopped in alarm, thinking she needs ing as Pat’s assistant. help, only to discover a laughing, lovable, Get tickets from any Garden Club memand loving avid gardener. ber, at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library Aunt Deed returned to Punx’y in 2005 main desk, Roseman's Downtown or at the from Buffalo, where she’d lived for 60 Chamber of Commerce/Groundhog Souyears. Wanting to be closer to family, Aunt venir Shop next to McDonald’s. Deed settled in her little house next to Har• • • mon Field and the Mahoning Creek where
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israel, upper left, and Hyman, lower right, the Brody Brothers, were sons of Abraham Brody, who were raised in Anita. They founded the indiana Brody’s Store in 1915. The store operated for 74 years. (Photos courtesy of the University Museum, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.)
Abe Brody Continued from page 5 Street in Punxsutawney. Israel, seeing the coal business was moving south into Indiana County, went to Indiana, where on March 15, 1913 he opened a Brody’s store. About 1914, Abe Brody moved his family from Anita to Punxsutawney, first to West Torrence Street and then to Morrison Avenue. In 1915, he opened the Brody’s general store in the new mining community of Rossiter, which he continued to operate until he retired in 1940. Hyman joined Israel in the Indiana store in 1915, and it became known as Brody Brothers, then just Brody’s. It was an anchor store in the business district in Indiana for many years. Brody’s specialized in quality clothing and was very successful. They used up-todate marketing techniques, including having live models in their stores to show how their clothing would look when worn. As each of his younger sons came of age, Abe Brody was able to assist them in opening their own stores. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, the Brody family no longer looked to coal towns but to downtown economic centers as the place to open their stores. Joseph opened a Brody’s in Kittanning, William in Clearfield, and Louis in Oil City. As the 1960’s turned to the 70’s and 80’s, retail businesses in downtown economic centers experienced a rapid decline as shopping malls became popular and less formal clothing the choice of customers. With the shopping center concept came the chain stores. Brody’s which had been locally owned and operated could no longer compete. In 1987, the downtown Brody’s store in Indiana closed, ending 74 years of operation. The stores in downtown Kittanning, Clearfield and Oil City also closed. Upon the closing of the Indiana Brody’s, the Indiana Gazette reported: “In 1915 Abraham Brody opened a general store in Rossiter and continued there until 1940 when he retired. He resided in Punxsutawney until his death in 1945 at age 81. His life epitomized the success of many immigrants who fled from the
Retailers: Butcher, Charles Benson & Record Boneo, Tony Brody, Abe Cardamone, Gasper Chido, Santo Carlson, Ed Eureka Supply Co.* Gustafson, Mictor Hock, Laura Hansom, Swan Ingles, Wm. Johnson, O. M. Jinkins & Morgain Kramer, Charles Lafson, Olaf C. Mosier, Wm. S. Malburg, A.J. McGregor, H. R. McIntyre, John Mainey, Mrs. H. McKechnie, David Nelson & Olson Rymenez, Andro Roth, John Spencer, Harry Schwartz, John P. Treharne Bros. Thomas S. & Son Westre, Louis Wingard, Lebbie D. Walker, G. J. Warner, G. M. Wingard & Davis Yapol, James
oppression and poverty of the old world to the freedom and home of the New World.” Abe Brody ensured his family appreciated their community and the freedoms they enjoyed in his Billiard & adopted country. Pool Tables Each of his sons Morgan & Jenkins (2) and daughters were Walker, G. J. (3) active participants in their communi- * The Berwind-White ties. They beCompany Store longed to the Chamber of ComFrom the Punxsutawney merce and MerSpirit, May 27, 1901 c h a n t ’ s Associations. They headed committees and campaigns to improve their communities. They served as community leaders. They left legacies in the form of foundations and trusts which many enjoy today. The Brody family is one example of the many immigrant families who came to the mining towns of the Punxsutawney Area and encouraged their children to become educated, successful, contributing citizens of their new homeland. (Editor’s Note: The resources used in the preparation of this article are available at the University Museum, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the Punxsutawney Memorial Library and the Punxsutawney Area Historical and Genealogical Society. This article has been prepared by PRIDE – Punxsutawney Revitalization: Investing, Developing, Enhancing. PRIDE is a nonprofit organization which brings together residents, business people, community leaders and civic organizations, to improve the business districts in Punxsutawney. PRIDE is working to develop a Coal Memorial and Welcome Center for the Punxsutawney Area. Comments on this article may be directed to PRIDE, P.O. Box 298, Punxsutawney, PA 15767) • • •
Around Town Happenings
By the staff of Hometown magazine and the Chamber of Commerce rom the Chamber of Commerce, Community Calendar at Punxsutawney.com, and Hometown magazine, here is a list of events and happenings coming up in our area. • Rummage Sales - The Salvation Army holds rummage sales from 9 a.m. to noon every Friday. Good clothes and household items. These sales are a fundraiser for Salvation Army programs and services. 9385530. • Friday night Antique Car Shows - On a pleasant summer evening as you stand in an empty parking lot, you begin to hear a faint noise growing closer and becoming louder each second. In the distance, you can hear the rattle of the muffler and the shaking of the carburetor, sounding almost as if it were a rollercoaster partaking in the big climb before the terrifying drop. All of the sudden, dozens of blurry colorful splotches begin to appear over the hill. With their beaming lights of reflection hitting the pavement and a paint job so glossy that you can see your reflection; they’re hard not to miss. You finally realize that a parade of classic cars are revving right in your direction.
F
Every Friday night the antique cars line up to show the public what makes them so memorable
Fire up your engines! The weekend is here, and that could only mean one thing: the Antique Car Show. For the past few weekends, located in the Advanced Auto Parts and Movie Galley parking lots across from the Punxsutawney Plaza along West Mahoning Street, car lovers have been coming together to show their admiration for antique and vintage cars. This gives the public a chance to see what makes these cars so unforgettable. This is an open membership club started by Doug Hollenbaugh and anyone can enter their car and drive it in for the people to view. So if you happen to be motoring by, pull in and check it out. The action starts Friday nights at 6 o’clock throughout the summer; weather permitting. By the time you leave, perhaps you’ll be feeling a little bit of Mario Andretti inside of you. • Groundhog Festival Week - July 1 thru 7. Enjoy vendor booths, games and entertainment from 10 a.m. until dark each day. Free nightly shows on the bandstand. Groundhogfestival.com • A Year With Frog and Toad - Based on the award-winning books by author Arnold Lobel, Punxsutawney Theater Arts Guild's summer production offers the young and those who accompany them the story of two best friends. Told through jazzy music, silly merriment and simple lessons the characters come to life and take to the stage. Come join Frog, Toad and their woodland friends through a year of adven-
ture. Punxsy Middle School June 28, 29 , 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets available at the door. Sawmill Theater in Cook Forrest July 4, 5, 6 and 7. Call for reservations 814-9275275. • Put on a New FACE - Thursday, July 5 is the last day to submit a proposal to PRIDE for Façade Improvement Grant. Grants are available to improve the façade of commercial property and businesses in Punxsutawney. Façade improvements include, but are not limited to, paint, awnings,
signage, and window replacement. Projects already completed are not eligible. A grant must be approved before any work begins. Grantees will be reimbursed upon completion of the project, submission of required documents, and a final review of the improvement by PRIDE. Guidelines, requirements, and criteria for the façade improvement program are detailed in the application packet, which is available at the Chamber of Commerce at 102 West Mahoning Street. Grants will be awarded based on established criteria. • Used Book Sale - Friends of the Library will hold its Used Book Sale at the Pantall Hotel on July 5 and 6. Donations of gently used books, children's books, puzzles, DVDs, audio books, cookbooks and games are currently being accepted. Drop off at the Pantall Hotel during normal business
hours. Please, no encyclopedias, magazines or textbooks. • Garden Tour - Sponsored by Punxsutawney Garden Club, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 8. Tickets available for $7 per person at Punxsutawney Memorial Library and the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce. Garden locations are listed on the ticket. • Open House - 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday July 12. Chick’s from the Sticks, will be hosting an open house in their shop at the corner of Findley and Mahoning Street. The public is invited. • Second Saturday’s are Special - Saturday, July 14 is Blueberry Day in downtown Punxsutawney. Downtown merchants will be promoting the seasonal harvests with fruit based events and activities throughout the summer. Blueberries will be celebrated - Continued on page 18
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Manager Jerry Jozefowicz (left) of indiana, and glassblower Jerry Seliga of Walston display their products in the Punxsutawney Glass & Tile Company on lane Avenue. The ruby red glass globe is one of thee company’s specialties. The company’s production of glassware serves as a reminder of the early 19th century glass plants in Punxsutawney. (Photo by S. Thomas Curry)
making Glass in Punxsutawney
The Story of the mahoning Glass Works
A
Asphalt Paving Grading Line Painting Topsoil & Compost Sealcoating Chip Sealing Crack Filling
By S. Thomas Curry of Hometown magazine
recent visit down Lane Avenue to the Punxsutawney Glass and Tile Company was, in a manner, a visit to Punx’y’s past, especially the period of the late nineteenth century. Today, at the Punxsutawney plant, the novel glass forming technique of glassblowing is being used. It reminds one of the first glassworks in Punxsutawney, when skilled workers began forming molten glass into glassware for sale. Skilled workers at the Punx’y building are capable of shaping a variety of glass objects, but a specialty is decorative landscape globes. Also, the workers are producing many pieces of church ware that include sanctuary votives. Presently there are five employees. But, in good times there have been as many as twenty. The major tool involved is the blowpipe, or blow tube. Jerry Seliga, of Walston, is the
skilled glassblower for the company. With that reference, the reader is invited to step back nearly 125 years to when Punxsutawney had its first glass plant. It had a reputation that competed with the numerous glass factories in the Pittsburgh area and Westmoreland County. Two railroad companies entered the Punxsutawney area in the mid-1880s to reach the coal mined under the hills surrounding the town. Coal was transported to ports and docks located east and west and north and south. In addition to coal, other natural resources were available to entice enterprising company owners to consider Punxsutawney for a location. Prolific gas fields were discovered around Punxsutawney. With the railroad facilities and coal, there was plentiful land available, too. And there was an unlimited supply of “glass rock” discovered within a few miles of the town on property near Big Run.
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Glassblower Jerry Seliga (left) stands beside one of four oven furnaces at Punxsutawney’s glass plant. The ovens are used in the glass blowing process for decorative lawn ornaments and churchware, which are shipped throughout the u. S. and Canada. (Photo by S. Thomas Curry)
- Continued on page 14
Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141 – 13
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14 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141
A medicine bottle display in an exhibit room of the Punxsutawney Historical and Genealogical Society’s Bennis House tells the story of an early 19th century glass bottle factory in Punxsutawney that produced “prescription ware.” (Photo by S. Thomas Curry)
making Glass in Punx’y Continued from page 12 The glass rock was ideal for glass making. In the fall of 1888, there were reports that a representative of a large glass manufacturer was in Punx’y investigating the available natural resources, and to justify the construction of a glass plant. He liked the railroad service, the location, and the natural gas advantage. Local interests had informed him about the existence of an immense quantity of glass sand in the vicinity. Glass factories in the Pittsburgh area were having “glass sand” shipped from near Altoona and the representative reasoned it would be cheaper to have it shipped to Punxsutawney for its glass operations. A year later, in October 1889, the gentleman from Tarentum, near Pittsburgh, placed a proposition before the town people. He would start a glass factory here if the town would meet the needs. A citizens committee was formed to discuss and consider G. W. McGraw’s proposal of two acres of land to be offered free, and a $6,000 loan to begin the building of the plant. At the citizens meeting, a finance committee and a location committee were named. At the end of November, the newspaper headline read “GLASS WORKS A SURE THING.” The committee of willing citizens had guaranteed the funds and were prepared to suggest a choice of three locations, each parcel offered free by the landowners. The site selected was on the South Side of Punxsutawney, the area south of the meandering Mahoning Creek through the town. The area is where now is the Mahoning Valley Milling Company, Gaskill and Altman Avenues, and where the old Indiana Street would wind up the hill toward the town of Indiana. J. Sayers Campbell donated land, and a small corner of land owned by Henry Fackiner. When the company began operation, McGraw became superintendent and manager. The trustees of the firm included local physicians Dr. S. S. Hamilton, Dr. J. M. Beyer, and John A. Weber, a prominent merchant. W. W. Winslow, an attorney, was secretary. There would be a main building of a size
suitable for eight ovens and a capacity to reach 12 ovens. The smoke stack would be 50-feet high. There would also be a packinghouse, and other smaller buildings for storage. Depending on the weather, construction was expected to be completed before the summer of 1890, to begin the operation of glass blowing and the production of glassware. “Bottles and druggists ware” were the line of glass to be manufactured, and there were sufficient orders for four months work for the 75 men and boys to be employed. Overall, there was a promise to the employees for at least ten months work during the year. Glass blowers from different parts of the country would be employed at four to eight dollars a day. It was customary for glass factories to shut down during the “hot season” of the summer, for the fact workmen couldn’t stand the extra heat. During the two-month shutdown of the summer of 1891, superintendent McGraw conducted tours of the facilities for the benefit of the local investors and leading businessmen. In general terms, he explained the glass making process that began with the basic ingredients of lime, sand, soda ash, nitrate of soda and colorings. In the ovens the raw materials would be transformed into a liquid state. The skilled glassblower would stick a four-foot “glass pipe” into the molten glass, twist it around a little, pull it out and blow in it gently to form the glassware. It was announced to the visitors that the firm had received large orders for Mason fruit jars, from Baltimore, St. Louis and Richmond. He informed his audience that his Punxsutawney plant was the first in Pennsylvania to receive orders directly from wholesalers in the South. With the purchase of new “prescription moulds,” the production of bottles and prescription ware for drug stores would resume after the demand for fruit jars was met. A cold air blower, grinding machine, and new boiler were added for the fall production season. During the winter months of 1891 into 1892 the Punxsutawney glass factory was running fulltime. It had more orders than it could fill with its capacity of ovens. In 1892, McGraw had retired as superintendent of the Punxsutawney Glass Bottle Works and the business continued with H. H. Cunningham as manager. Three addi- Continued on page 16
making Your own Hummingbird Feeder ‘use what you have on hand’
d
By Melissa Salsgiver of Hometown magazine
o I need it? Can I make one instead? Can I make it better? How many minutes would I have to work to pay for it? Usually, I talk myself out of buying things when I ask myself any of the above questions. A friend even tried to talk me into purchasing a hummingbird feeder recently. “Come on, it's $3, just buy it.” But in my mind, it was $3 worth of plastic made in a country with questionable working conditions. Plus, in that short conversation, I already figured out how to make one for free. So, this is how I made my own hummingbird feeder. HUMMiNGBiRD FEEDER
• 1 small bottle with cap • 1 container with a firmly closing lid • Yarn or string • A nail or screw • Hammer • Scrap piece of wood • Sharp scissors • Marker • Decorations or Paint
HUMMiNGBiRD FOOD
• 4 Cups Water • 1 Cup Sugar
Boil four cups of water in a pan on the stove. Remove from heat and add one cup of
sugar. Stir until dissolved then cool. (Do not add any food coloring.) You can store leftovers in the fridge. The materials and tools you have may be different, but use what you have on hand. I like to use containers with screw on lids to make sure they don't come open, and containers with red lids to attract the hummingbirds. If the container has a snap on lid, tie the lid on, or use rubber bands to hold it on, as you can see in the photo at far right. Invert the bottle cap onto a scrap piece of wood, then hammer a nail into the lid to make a small hole. Do the same with the container lid, but make about four holes all around. This is where the hummingbirds will drink from. With the cap off the bottle, trace the bottle opening onto the underside of the container lid. I hammer a few small holes into the center of the traced circle on the lid then use scissors to cut out the circle. Fill the container all the way with hummingbird food. Also fill the bottle. The bottle doesn't need to be completely full. Put the bottle neck thru the hole you had cut in the container lid, screw the cap with the hole in it onto the bottle, then quickly put the lid onto the container. Hummingbird food will drip out of the hole in the bottle lid to replace the food that is consumed. This maybe messy, so do this step outside, or over a sink. All you need to do now is hang the feeder. You can tightly tie ribbon or yarn around the
A hummingbird visiting last year’s feeder. (far right)
top of the inverted bottle to make a hanger. You can also use the plant hanger explained below. Also, red decorations or flowers on or near the feeder will bring more hummingbirds in. I use the red-lidded containers for this reason. The picture on the left has red "fork weaved" flowers added to the plant hanger for more red. HOMEMADE PLANT HANGER
• 9 Pieces of Yarn, each 8-feet long • for hummingbird hanger use 6-foot pieces • Beads or decorations (optional)
Group three pieces of yarn together and knot at one end. Braid the three pieces of yarn. Braid in any beads, old jewelry or any decorations you want. Tie three more pieces together and braid and do the same for the last three. Group all three braided sections together and fold in half with the braided ends at the bottom. Make a knot about three inches down then another about four inches from the bottom. You can unbraid the bottom so it looks like fringe. • • •
Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141 – 15
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16 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141
making Glass in Punx’y
perience, and some of its experienced men moving from town, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. The glassworks Continued from page 14 would sit idle for two years. In 1897, a group of young men, who were tional ovens were built, and a new, larger experienced glassblowers, attempted to get storehouse added to the grounds. The the glass works operating once again. They townspeople were offered the assurance sought out 100 local citizens who could that “orders are plenty and still coming in put up at least ten dollars each to put the for first-class ware.” plant in running order through a “cooperaRegarding its specialty, the “prescription tive plan.” With the plan there would be no ware” for the drug stores, it was reported expensive clerks or manager hired. It that the bottle works “is making as pretty would operate by a board of managers sean article in that line as can be made anylected from area businessmen. It was exwhere. All our Punxsutawney druggists plained; with the help of a dozen men and are using it.” (May 18, 1892, Punxboys they could produce special bottles, insutawney Spirit) cluding beer, whisky and pop bottles, for By 1894, the factory had reorganized and which they felt there was a demand. Only was identified as the Mahoning Glass local men would be hired. The Mahoning Company. It was reported that “prescripGlass Company, tion ware” was too, had offered now made from an their property open furnace. free of rent, with “Making flint the exception of glass with an open keeping up taxes furnace is a feat and insurance. that heretofore had In 1897, there not been successwas hope for fully accomprosperity in the plished anywhere Punxsutawney else in the United area. O. H. NordStates.”(January strom was en10, 1894, Punxlarging his brick sutawney Sprit) plant to produce With its success, hard paving by the end of the year the company Glass blowing, forming glassware from molten glass bricks for the was shipping over through a long tube, is an age-old art form still being uti- streets, the new today in Punxsutawney. in 1890, the Punxsutawney Punxsutawney both railroads in lized Glass Works used the process to produce fruit jars, drug Furnace town to new mar- store bottles and other glassware for local and nationwide Iron would soon be kets as far as use. fired up, the area Texas and to New mines were paying well following the reOrleans on the Gulf coast. cent miners’ strike, the streetcar line was By the fall of 1895, during what some being extended to more outlying commueconomists considered was the worst posnities, the Adrian Hospital would be relosible time for the glass business on “flasks, cated into a new building on land on Jenks prescription ware and fruit jars,” the local Hill, and the town was surrounded by newspapers were providing discouraging many successful farms. statements. The Punxsutawney News But the endeavor to restart the idle glassprinted,” There is silence around and about works failed. the glass works at this place that is quite In 1904, the newspapers were reminding oppressive. About the only thing about the readers that the glass works on the South plant that is growing is the interest on its Side had fallen into decay. Only the large debts.” smoke stack remained, standing promiThe Punxsutawney Spirit added, “The nently among ruins and debris. Mahoning Glass Works at this place is The ancient art of glassblowing, however, again in grief and the sheriff has posted up is active in Punxsutawney today through notice. The personal property is being sold the glass production by the Punxsutawney at the suit of Cox and Sons Co. This is the Glass & Tile Company that was once second time the sheriff has had occasion to Dereume Glass. There is more to the glass levy on the glass works paraphenalia history of Punxsutawney. That story, from (sic).” the early 1900s, will be told at another Following a strike by its “finishers,” optime. eration by a stock company with little ex• • •
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Boomers emphasize family over wealth, despite recession
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By Tim Grant Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
aby boomers are first in line for what could be the largest transfer of wealth in history, yet a recent study suggests the majority of boomers place far more value on the life lessons and family history they inherit from their parents. “People are interested in the stories and family values of their ancestors,” said Katie Libbe, vice president of consumer insights for Allianz Life Insurance Co. in Golden Valley, Minn. “They want to know where they came from and what kinds of struggles and life lessons are part of their (life journey).” Eighty-six percent of boomers (age 47 to 66) and 74 percent of elders (age 72 and above) told researchers they believe that family stories are the most important aspect of their legacy, ahead of personal possessions (64 percent for boomers and 58 percent for elders). The results of the American Legacies Pulse Study commissioned by Allianz and conducted in January by SNG Research Corp., based in Rochester, Minn., are even more revealing because the conclusions are about the same as a similar study conducted in 2005 — before the housing market crash and the Great Recession wreaked havoc on
net worth and personal savings. Back then, 77 percent of boomers and elders felt family values were the most important part of a legacy. The retirement landscape for baby boomers has changed markedly from 2005: The typical 401k balance went down and many homeowners who were overleveraged found themselves upside down on their biggest asset. Despite these financial stresses, boomers remain focused on the emotional elements of what they will inherit from parents, although the financial windfall should be significant. A 2010 study commissioned by MetLife from Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research — “Inheritance and Wealth Transfers to Baby Boomers” — found two out of three boomers should end up with a median inheritance of $64,000. The study anticipates an intergenerational transfer of wealth totaling $11.6 trillion, including some $2.4 trillion that already has been gifted.
“People tend to believe children are looking for the money part of their parents’ estate. This study shows legacy is actually broader than the money part of the estate,” Libbe said, adding that money was the lowest item on the list. Certain personal possessions, such as jewelry, are valued more
for their sentimental value than their actual worth. The survey included people from different income and net worth levels whose parents had passed away and those whose parents are still alive. The 2,007 nationwide respondents included 1,000 people age 44 to 67 and 1,007 people over age 72. The 2005 American Legacies study was conducted by Harris Interactive with 2,004 respondents. Wealth manager Mark Luschini said there has been a lot of discussion about the enormous wealth transfers that will occur as inheritances are passed down to baby boomers and that the survey could provide money managers with more food for thought when working with clients. Another thing that hasn’t changed since the 2005 survey is that boomers and elders agree that an inheritance is not “owed.” Meanwhile, the number of elders who feel they owe their children an inheritance actually went down, from 22 percent in 2005 to 14 percent today. This change, Libbe said, could stem from elders being more concerned about needing their savings for living expenses. (Contact Tim Grant: tgrant(at)postgazette.com Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.) • • •
Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141 – 17
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Continued from page 11 on July 14. Stop downtown and see or taste the offerings and participate in the fun. • Gobblers Knob Community Yard Sale - Saturday, July 21. The Groundhog Club will sponsor the Gobbler’s Knob Community Yard Sale. The sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Persons wanting to rent a space may contact Katie at 938-7700, Extension #3. Persons wishing to shop are invited to come throughout the day. Proceeds benefit the Groundhog Club. • Katie Laska Receives DAR Service Award - The Punxsutawney chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently honored Katie Laska with its Community Service Award. Laska, Punxsutawney’s 2011 Woman of the Year, has served community organizations and committees, including Ss.C.D.’s
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18 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141
“Committed to Caring for Your Pets As though they Are Our Own”
Jennifer Roberts and Katie laska
PEO and Rosary Altar Society, Punx’y Young Women’s Club, Library Days, Punx’y Area Chamber of Commerce, Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center, PRIDE, and Home for the Holidays, Katie also operates two businesses, Laska’s Pizza and Caterina’s Dolce Cucina. Laska was presented a Community Service Award and pin. DAR will donate $50 toward a charity of Laska’s choice in her honor. The Community Service Award provides an excellent opportunity to recognize outstanding volunteer achievement in cultural, educational, humanitarian, patriotic, historical or citizenship endeavors. • Duathlon, 5k, community walk - Western PA CARES for Kids Child Advocacy Center will hold it's yearly duathlon, 5k and community walk on July 21. Participants
On Friday, June 1 another violent thunderstorm moved through the Punxsutawney area. A funnel cloud appeared to be forming over the area behind Punxsy Phil's Restaurant.
This years Punxsutawney Area High School prom King & Queen landon Kauffman & Sarajane DeppHutchinson congratulate each other on class night which took place on May 17th. landon was also choosen as Class Hearts from the class of 2012.
can pre-register by going to their website at www.carescac.org under the event tab. They will also find an event map. Please print out the registration form and waiver, complete and mail to the Brookville YMCA, 125 Main Street Brookville, PA 15825 before June 21 in order to receive a free t-shirt. Participants may also register the day of race at 8 a.m. but will not receive a free t-shirt. The duathlon begins at 9 a.m., and the 5k and community walk begin at 10 a.m. There will also be an awards ceremony and free lunch provided for participants and spectators. Western PA CARES for Kids Child Advocacy Center is an organization developed to reduce the trauma that children who have been abused experience when they disclose abuse. The organization is supported through fundraising efforts and donations from the caring people of our community. All gifts are tax deductible as they are a non-profit organization. • Christmas in July - Saturday, July 28 will be a great time to get started with your Christmas shopping as downtown merchants will feature special items in their stores. Thinking of Christmas may also give customers a break from the heat. Punxsutawney.com is maintained by the Chamber of Commerce for the community. Any area business or organization is invited to become a member of the Chamber of Commerce for as little as $75 for the year. For more information, visit Punxsutawney.com/chamber or call 938-7700. To submit an event for the calendar, visit Punxsutawney.com/calendar and fill out the form. Do you have a community event or news item you would like to include in Hometown magazine? Submit to hometown@punxsutawneymagazine.com. • • •
‘Preppers’ stock up on months of supplies to prepare for coming ‘disaster’
d
By Erik Lacitis The Seattle Times
o you have 12 cases of peas and beans, seven pounds of powdered milk, 50 pounds of flour, 50 pounds of rice, 20 pounds of frozen chicken breasts, a 4,000-watt generator and some 35 gallons of gas in containers to run a freezer? That’s just a sampling of what Robert Sarnes has stored in his family’s home — in the pantry, in the garage that’s stacked with metal and wood containers. Sarnes is prepared for a disaster, and you’re probably not. By the way, in case the thought crosses your marauding mind about breaking into Sarnes’ home, he also has “in excess of 17” pistols and rifles in a safe in his house. Plus, right now as he’s being interviewed, he’s packing a compact .45 in a holster under his T-shirt. Sarnes, 43, married, with two young daughters, is a prepper, part of an ever-growing group throughout the country who have decided that if they haven’t stocked up that pantry shelf for a long emergency, nobody else will. We’ve gone through periodic bouts of preparing for looming disaster. Aging baby boomers might recall news stories about people putting fallout shelters in their backyards during the Cold War and especially around the time of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. These days, the Internet instantly connects you with others who worry what disaster the future might bring. Tom Martin, 34, a long-haul truck driver based out of Port Angeles, Wash., is the founder of the American Preppers Network, or APN, as it likes to call itself. The website started in 2009, and now, he says, more than 16,000 people nationwide regularly take part on the site’s forums. “Prepper” is a term that has become better known since the National Geographic Channel began airing a reality show last June called “Doomsday Preppers.” The show describes itself as exploring “the lives of otherwise ordinary Americans who are preparing for the end of the world as we know it.” The program has been a ratings bonanza, with a 60 percent male audience, with an average age of 44. Guys do like their tough reality shows. A recent topic of discussion on the prepper website was, “What do you fear/are you prepping for?” The responses included “economic collapse and the subsequent civil unrest,” an earthquake, and an “EMP attack,” the latter referring to an electromagnetic pulse burst that supposedly could cause a mass power-system collapse. Enough people have such worries that the prepper phenomenon has gone mainstream. Costco recently offered on sale for $3,199.99 a nine-month supply of emergency food to feed four people. The chain now has a “disaster-preparedness” section
on its online catalog that sells everything from vegetable seeds for a one-acre garden ($42.99) to a powerful standby generator ($2,999.99). The tipping point for Martin in becoming a prepper spokesman, he says, began a few years ago, when the bad economy cut his $90,000-a-year earnings down to about $40,000 a year. Then he saw his mom in Idaho going through tough times as her home went financially underwater. Martin began blogging about preparing for tough times, and that led to forming the national preppers group. He and other preppers are adamant about not being mistaken for survivalists, especially after the recent news stories about the North Bend man who police say shot himself in a hillside bunker after killing his wife and teen daughter. On its website, Puget Sound Preppers says, “This group is NOT involved in: revolution, war, militia, political parties, religious activities, racism, or lobbying. This group is about skills and knowledge.” Preppers, says Martin, are not much different from Mormons who make sure they have food, water and other supplies in case of an emergency. He says preppers have no interest in toughing it out alone in the wilderness. In agreeing to talk to a reporter, Sarnes and Martin are a bit unusual for preppers, who can be secretive. Martin says one reason for secrecy is that during a disaster, people who failed to prepare can “come knocking on the door.” Better to keep it a secret how much you have stored up. And there is the fear, he says, of being portrayed as “crazy nut-jobs on the fringe of society.” The Preppers Network website answers, “Preppers are no more crazy than those wacky people who have homeowners insurance. ... “ Sarnes joined the Army at 19, and retired as a sergeant in 2004 after serving 18 years. He was in various air-defense artilleries and describes himself as a “typical grunt,” his record including medals for serving in Kuwait and Southwest Asia. Let’s say that disaster happens — and Sarnes believes that in the next decade, “there will be a failure of something, whether the economy fails or there is civil unrest.” First you bug in and stay in your house for a month with all those supplies you’ve stockpiled. But what happens if those unprepared neighbors do knock on your door? “If we have a snowstorm and we lose power for three weeks, I’ll share. But let’s say, for lack of a better term, that we have a civil war, something like that. My family’s life is more important than my neighbor’s life.” (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com) • • •
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When you want to reach ALL the people in the Punxsutawney area... larry Spearing holds up an aluminum can top as he plays a trick on wife Mary Beth as they use waterproof metal detectors in an attempt to find a ring lost by a vacationer. (SHNS photo by Jason Easterly / Special to Naples Daily News)
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Florida man is the lord of lost rings By Kristine Gill Scripps Howard News Service
m
ike Grueninger flew home from Florida to Indianapolis in 2010 without his wedding band. He was still married, but the ring was at the bottom of the Gulf, a casualty of beach football. While searching the Internet for cheap metal detector rentals and flights back to Florida, Grueninger found Larry Spearing, a Florida resident who makes money off a hobby of searching the sand for lost treasure. Spearing, 58, works through Ring Finders International, a group of independent contractors who hunt for lost jewelry around the world using metal detectors. Since he joined last year, Spearing has reunited six people with their lost rings. Spearing told Grueninger to send him an estimated location for the ring using Google Maps, and Grueninger outlined a spot. Spearing got his gear out and went hunting. But he couldn’t find it. Grueninger upped his reward price to $500, and Spearing went back out. He called Grueninger a week later. “He says, ‘is your anniversary July 1, 2000? Is your wife’s name Erika?’ “ Grueninger said, admitting he was doubtful at first that Spearing hadn’t just looked up his information online. But Spearing sent a photo of the ring with the words engraved inside. “Sure enough it’s my freaking ring,” Grueninger said. Spearing works on a rewards system, charging a flat rate of $25 to drive out to a site and only claiming his prize money if he retrieves the right ring. Each owner sets his reward price; Spearing has been offered between $30 and $1,000 per ring. No matter the amount, he enjoys the search. “It’s the excitement of sharing something someone has given up hope on,” Spearing said. “It’s the hunt. It satisfies my curiosity.” It takes Spearing three hours to search an area the size of a volleyball court, and sometimes watching him work can be like watching paint dry, he said. Each time his detector beeps, he digs into the sand and pulls up soda can tabs, rusted nails and pieces of crab traps. “But then you see something in the bottom
of the scoop and you just get that feeling of ‘that’s it. That’s gotta be it,’ “ he said. In October, Spearing spent two hours in waist-deep water searching for a man’s wedding band. Ched Chase, 31, lost his ring the same way Grueninger did, tossing a football with friends. Chase and his friends burned their backs in the sun looking for the ring for three hours with no luck. Chase called Spearing that night and was back at the beach the next day searching a space in the water across from a tree he remembered from the day before. “I was standing out there because I didn’t want to leave (Spearing) alone, that poor guy,” Chase said. “Every time we heard that beep go off, my heart went up in my throat a little bit.” But Spearing was successful. “I had given up all hope of finding it,” Chase said. Most recently, Spearing reunited a woman with her wedding band. Barbara Anderson, 61, and her daughter visited Barefoot Beach in Florida in January. The daughter put her engagement ring and wedding band in the pocket of her jeans to keep them safe while swimming. When she noticed sand on her jeans later, she shook them clean, sending her rings flying. Anderson and her daughter found one ring, but not the other. They flew home the next day to Milwaukee and Chicago, respectively, without the band. Three weeks later, Anderson came across Spearing’s site and got him out to the beach shortly after. After just five minutes of searching across from an osprey nest Anderson remembered sitting near, he found the ring. “I think the guy’s an angel,” Anderson said. “Everyone’s got a story. When you lose the item, or the ring, the story stops and this helps to bring it back and continue the story,” Spearing said. To contact Spearing, visit www.theringfinders.com/blog/Larry.Spearing. (Contact Kristine Gill of the Naples Daily News in Florida at KMGill(at)Naplesnews.com.) • • •
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Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141 – 21
Burkett’s PAWS
‘People You Know, Caring for Pets You Love’ (Editor’s Note: ‘From Our Past,’ researched by S. Thomas Curry, features items of interest from past editions of Punxsutawney and area newspapers.)
By PRIDE for Hometown magazine urkett’s PAWS is a downtown spa for canines and felines. Located at 242 N. Findley Street, the owners, Stephenia and Caitlinn Burkett, believe in treating each pet, groomed in their shop, as though they are members of their family. Their tag line is …people you
B
June 10, 1885 — Mr. F. P. Graf has opened a lunch counter in the basement of the St. Elmo Hotel. For the sum of five cents you can get a cup of coffee or tea, a glass of beer, with a dish of vegetable, rice, bean or noodle soup, or a plate of sourkrout and a plate of crackers. - Punxsutawney Spirit. [The St. Elmo Hotel was located where is now the Pantall Hotel and was destroyed by fire in October 1886.] June 19, 1889 — John Cricks returned home from Johnstown last Saturday where he had been making an effort to extricate the machinery of his merry-go-round from the piles of wreckage in the ruined city of Johnstown. There was little of it left worth saving with the exception of some of the irons. The wooden horses were badly crippled. Some were headless, some had lost a leg or two, and others had their back broken. The engine which supplied the motive power was swept into the river, and now constitutes a part of the debris above the famous stone bridge. - Punxsutawney Spirit. [The Johnstown Flood occurred on May 31, 1889.] June 24, 1869 — FORGOTTEN. - Civilized nations and people have always honored and revered their dead. And what more beautiful thought can the mind conceive than that, when we are gone, kind friends will bear us to the tomb, and our last resting place be beautiful and cared for by those who love us. But hard, indeed, would it be for the citizens of our town to hope for such care and remembrance, after once having observed the condition of our graveyard. The fences have fallen down, broken tombstones are scattered here and there, and herds of cattle are pastured among the tombs - Punxsutawney Plaindealer. [The graveyard referenced here is the North Findley Street Cemetery.] June 30, 1870 — The Mahoning Bank is now in operation, and we are pleased to say that it is arranged and conducted in the most complete manner. The safe, purchased in Philadelphia, is of the latest style and manufacture, and its completeness renders it absolutely impossible for any burglar to gain access to it. The room is finished in good style. A bank was something much needed in Punxsutawney, and it will be gratifying to all concerned to know that this institution is one the soundness of which is beyond doubt. — Punxsutawney Plaindealer. July 2, 1890 — The glass ball shooting contest between Sol. Roach, of Horatio, and John W. Frampton, of this place, came off at the fair grounds on Saturday last as was advertised, and resulted in Frampton beating Roach by one ball. Roach broke 82 and Frampton 83 balls out of a possible hundred. - Punxsutawney News. • • •
when brought into the shop. This requirement is for the pet’s protection, as well as for that of the groomer. “We were formerly known as Burkett’s Country Kennels, where we offered grooming and boarding services. After careful consideration, we decided to focus mainly on grooming. When this location became available on N. Findley Street, we moved our business to town and became Burkett’s PAWS,” said Stephenia. “We really like being in-town because of the convenience for our customers. Our patrons come from a fairly wide area including Hillsdale, Mahaffey, Brookville, and Treasure Lake, as well as those who live in and around Punxsutawney. “Many of our customers take advantage of our being in-town to schedule other activities including shopping, doctor’s appointments, visits to the barber or beauty salon, on the same day as their pet grooming appointment with us. They come into town, drop off their pet, take care of their business, and when they are through, they pick up their pet and head home. Our intown customers particularly like being
picked up their pet, groomed it, and returned it to the customer’s home.” Stephenia and Caitlinn maintain their grooming and service skills through continuing education. Each fall they attend the Groom Expo in Hershey. At this an-
Stephenia, standing, and Caitlinn, seated, with Bentley, Briar, Cole, zoey, and TJ.
know, caring for pets you love. Stephenia has over sixteen years experience in pet grooming and Caitlinn, who has worked with her mother for ten years, recently became a partner in the business. This mother-daughter team provides the full range of pet grooming services in their convenient downtown Punxsutawney location. In addition to routine bathing and trimming, Burkett’s PAWS offers breed specific grooming services. Specialty services include blueberry facials, paw soaks, and tooth brushing. For pets that have been too inquisitive in the outdoors, they offer de-skunk baths, as well as flea and medicated baths for skin problems. Burkett’s PAWS also has pet accessories, toys, and other supplies for their customers. All pets groomed at Burkett’s PAWS must have up-to-date vaccinations and be on a leash, or transported in a carrier,
Charlie enjoys his summer clip from Caitlinn at Burkett’s PAWS, 242 North Findley Street.
Bently patiently waits for his bath at Burkett’s PAWS.
able to walk their pets to the shop.” According to Caitlinn, their business creates connections and relationships with pets and their families. “When we have cared for a customer’s pet for several years, they become like a part of our family. We have seen customers lose a pet and have grieved with them. We are so happy when they make the decision to get a new puppy and come back to us. We have also had some of our regular in-town customers become ill or disabled and unable to bring their pet in for grooming. In these situations, we have
nual convention they participate in seminars on the latest in pet grooming techniques and browse new products for their customers. “Our customer’s really appreciate that we now accept Master Card and Visa, and it has worked out well for us in our business,” commented Stephenia. “We are on Facebook, just look for Burkett’s PAWS.” To make an appointment to have your pet groomed, call Burkett’s PAWS at 814938-3974 or email them at burkettspaws@gmail.com. • • •
Hometown Magazine... Online All The Time...
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22 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141
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Handmade Gifts by 18 different craftsmen new cLaSS SiGn upS cuStoM orDerS
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938-8570
To have your business and article featured in our Punxsutawney Area business Section contact Hometown magazine at 938-0312 or hometown@mail.com
dr. nathan c. Stebbins Take care of your eyes they are a vital part of your health.
Get your yearly eye exam, because sometimes changes in your eyesight happen without you even realizing. WE OFFER FULL SERVICE OPTICAL AND A COMPLETE LINE OF CONTACT LENS OPTIONS FOR ALL AGES. We take the time with each patient to make sure we are giving you the best in eye care. S. FinDLeY ST. PUnXSUTAWneY
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All Breeds Dog & Cat Grooming
814-938-3974 242 nOrTH FinDLeY ST., PUnX’Y
Carulli Computer Support now located at 700 Myrtle Ave. bldg. b Punx’y
reliable computer support at reasonable rates.
938-6241 HOurS: 11-5 M-F
REPaiRS • UPDatES • inStaLLS • Data RECOVERY COMPUtER CHECk-UPS • antiViRUS • REFORMatS SEt UP ROUtERS, SMaLL nEtWORkS • BaCkUP DEViCES PERSOnaLizED tRaininG • PC CLEanUP intERnEt SEtUP, tROUBLESHOOtinG ViRUS & SPYWaRE REMOVaL
Caterina‘ s
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HOMe OF tHe PAnini Now available: club, Whole Wheat & Gluten Free paninis Bagels • Muffins • Biscotti • Gobs • scones & cake
14 Flavors oF Biscotti Open Weekdays at 8 a.m. Sat. 9 a.m. 110 W. Mahoning St.
938-8781
Mon., Tues., Wed. & Fri. 8-5; Thur. 8-noon; Wed. evening & Sat. by Appt.
Most Insurances Accepted
Assistance in Computer Purchases & Set-up
Wireless internet AvAilAble
Additional seating now Available
Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141 – 23
Casteel Chiropractic DR. IAn CASteel • X-RAyS • 410 East Mahoning St.
938-4400
Now Accepting Highmark, UPMC, Medicare, Access & More Mon., Wed., & Fri. 9-1 & 3-8 Closed Tuesday & Thursday
A hometown bank you Big Run can count on . . . both today and in the future! Dayton
MaRion CenteR ClyMeR Punxsutawney willow sPRings inDiana
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windgate
New releases
Celebrate your 4th of July with a Blizzard ice Cream Cake from Dairy Queen!
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938-4570
Hours: Daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
vineyards & winery
Merlot & Vignoles
Gift baskets, wine-making supplies, books
GiFT CERTiFiCATES
July 1-7: 20% off "Eye of shadow" wine during Groundhog Festival Days Explore the Specialty Shops of Smicksburg Old Fashioned Penny Candy Day Aug. 11: Peachy Saturday featuring our Peach Wine 5 LOCatiOnS tO SERVE YOU: THE SHOP AT THE WINERY OPEN DAILY 12-5 1998 Hemlock Acres Rd., Smicksburg • (814) 257-8797 THE COuNTRY CuPBOARD, SMICkSBuRg INDIANA MALL • PITTSBuRgH MILLS • RIDgWAY July 4:
www.windgatevineyards.com
Thistle & Pine Celtic & Country Collectibles Distinctive Home Décor and Accents “Make your Home a Haven” Tues. - Sat. 10-5 7570 Rt. 119, Marion Center • 724-397-2442 Gift Cards Available See website for merchandise, events, info
www.ThistleAndPine.com
Oliver T. KOrb & SOnS inC. —— Bui lders of Better ——
MOnUMenTS
• Stroke Recovery • Hospice care • Long-term nursing care • Physical, occupational and speech therapy
Hillsdale Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, L.P. d/b/a Hillsdale Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. We subscribe to a non-discrimination policy.
medicare, medicaid and most insurances accepted
www.hillsdalenursingandrehab.com 383 Mountain View Dr., Hillsdale, PA 15746 814-743-6613 Fax 814-743-5556
KORNER KUPBOARD ANTIQUES
Julie & Frank Mondi
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814.938.6119 Office 814.952.1939 OR 814.952.6486 Cell 444 South Main St., Punx’y
653-2178
DuBois Office
502 Main St.,Reynoldsville
814.371.4545 Office Toll Free: 800.752.1601
Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon.
Fax: 814.371.5813
korbmonuments.com korbmonuments@verizon.net
• Post-acute care • Respite Care • Short-term rehab care • Alzheimers/ Dementia Care
Owners: Pat & Doc Gordon
24 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141
KA-Boom!
Child Protection Act of 1966: ‘it was all my doing!’ By Bill Anderson of Hometown magazine irecrackers! What a thrill that word gave the dozen or so eight-, nine- and 10-yearold boys in my neighborhood 50 years ago. So when the chance came to get our hands on a large box of M-80s, in our minds it was nothing but “bombs bursting in air.” We pooled our allowances and met the greasy operator of the local gas station, who was peddling them from the trunk of his shiny black Dodge Coronet. The commotion those “salutes” allowed us to spread about the neighborhood over the Fourth of July weekend that summer was described for years to come. The M-80 explosives were nothing less than mini sticks of dynamite, once used by the U.S. military to simulate artillery fire, and capable of blowing a steel pot twenty feet in the air. To us, touching one off at one o’clock in the morning was a dream come true, a makebelieve nuclear attack, much feared in the Cold War era of the early ‘60s. When ignited, the resounding explosion would rattle windows, orchestrate howling dogs, send small children screaming with fright from their bedrooms, and result in pajama-clad family groups congregating in front of their homes, up and down the street of our neighborhood, discussing the probable cause of the ruckus. A newspaper report indicated that the chief of police was happy to see the Fourth come to an end in the Heights section of the city, but that’s not the end of this story. It wasn’t until later that week that the boys gathered again with their M-80s. Meeting in my bedroom, Todd got the idea that it would be fun to put the match to one and toss it out the window. We gave little attention to the warnings printed on the inch-and-a-half red tube containing the powder, which read “only ignite the product on the ground” and “do not hold in hand.” But boys will be boys, and despite the admonitions, we strategized as to how our operation would run smoothly. It seemed a simple plan: Todd lights the match, puts the flame to the fuse, and we all stand back
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while I — since I convinced them that I had the most accurate throwing arm — chuck the fizzling firecracker out the window. We didn’t realize at the time that we were truly acting out the adage, “Playing with dynamite.” The success of the mission depended on an accurate flip. It never came. When the explosive left my hand, it traveled the three feet to the window, ricocheted off the windowpane, and settled between the wall and the bed, triggering an abrupt reaction. I am not exaggerating when I say that my bedroom was the scene of a reenactment of a “Three Stooges” television episode. Ten laughing and screaming boys hit the bedroom door at one time. The door wasn’t large enough to allow the group to pass and most of us bounced back in unison. Knowing that we, along with the room, were soon to be blown into nothingness, we hit the floor and covered our ears with the palms of our hands, laughing all the while, awaiting the forthcoming disaster. It didn’t come as expected. Thinking the M-80 was a dud and that we were safe, one by one we arose. We had dodged the bullet, so to speak, or so we were led to believe. I don’t know why that one particular M-80 was so slow to detonate. Maybe it was a way to teach us a lesson, but fully a minute after it dropped out of sight, it went off with a deafening “KA-BOOM!” Total confusion then played out in that bedroom on that afternoon in early July 1960. It is hard to recount exactly what transpired, but I do know that Gary, Mark and “I’m from Wisconsin, I’m Bart Starr” Dick later told that they were knocked off their feet. None of us could hear each other speak for the good part of ten minutes. Our heads thumping, and stunned and dazed, we wandered aimlessly about the room, trying to regain our senses but, still, we laughed all the while, knowing it was the funniest moment of our lives, or perhaps we were thankful we were alive. As a result of the blast and conflagration, the bed was moved a foot from the wall and - Continued on page 26
Summer rAffle: 1ST PlACe: 50” lCD TV, 2nD PlACe: APPle IPAD or 3rD PlACe: STeelerS TICkeTS Tickets available in the park during the festival & at the PACC office - $2 each or 3 for $5
TAke A look AT WhAT’S neW... New Murals painted by 8th & 9th grade art students • New Paint with updated colors New Carpet in the Movie Theater • Newer Equipment in the Fitness Center • New Exterior Signs
Photos by Myrna Jennings
220 n. Jefferson st. (814) 938-1008
ASk AbouT our ProgrAmS: • Fitness Membership: $30 per month or $150 for 6 months ($5 daily pass) • Silver Sneakers Fitness Program: Age 65+, Free for members, $1 non-members • Senior Strength: Age 50+, $1 per class • Open Gym: $2 per hour • Morning Men’s Basketball: Mon., Wed. & Fri. 6-7 a.m., $3 per day • Virtual Golf: Opti Shot Golf Simulator, $10 per hour • Karate: Coming Soon, Ages 9 and up • Cycling Class: Several levels, new classes starting August 27 • Kettle Blast &Yoga/Pilates Classes • Bellydance Class: For beginners, new classes start every 6 weeks • Jackson Theater: Movies every Fri. - Sun., only $4 adults, $3 children under 12, air conditioning during summer
Meeting rooms, party packages, gymnasium or Auditorium rentals Available www.punxsutawneycommunitycenter.com
upcOMing evenTs july 3 nnual 17th A /2 5k run alk mile W july 9 Annual raffle Drawing
june 3 0
“m a m a 2 ma b a by S a m a ” le 9 a.m. 1 p.m. Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141 – 25
FAMILY DENTISTRY
Jon J. Johnston, dmd PDA MEMBER
call OuR OFFice tOday! 106 W. Mahoning St.
938-4210 With the
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Open Weekdays at 8 a.m. Sat. 9 a.m. 110 W. Mahoning St.
938-8781
BIG RUn CARpet “The Store For Your Floors”
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o you only buy items if you have a coupon? I remember one of my first big couponing trips. I came home so excited about my savings and I couldn't wait to spread it all out on the table and show my husband. He only had one ques-
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Continued from page 24
A Fun Place to Be
Call for hours & class times.
653-2792
333 W. Main St., Reynoldsville
www.doublemceramics.com
ChiLL OUT ThiS SUMMER WiTh...
Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, Dipped Cones, New Cherry Berry Chillers, a Rolo Mcflurry or a Downtown Punxsutawney Chocolate Chip Frappé
Correction In last month’s issue of Hometown magazine, Matt Tibby’s father was incorrectly identified in the American Legion Memorial Plot article. Mr. Tibby’s father was J. R. W. Tibby, who came to Punxsutawney in the early 1920s to operate a glass plant in the Elk Run section. • • •
26 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141
cery bill. That means they won't have a coupon for everything they buy, but it is fairly common to save $100 a week or more. When you pull back and look at the big picture, this means saving upward of $5,200 a year. Definitely a worthwhile number! So just keep it in perspective. If there is something that you really need, or just flatout love -- buy it. Then, start watching for a sale on that item so you can build your stockpile and increase your savings. It takes time, but each week your needs list will shrink as your savings grow, and grow, and grow. (For more tips on saving money, go to time2saveworkshops.com. Email time2saveblogger(at)gmail.com.) (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com) • • •
KA-Boom!
DOuble CerAMiCS
• 1 med. rectangular 1 topping Pizza • Bread Sticks • Cinnamon Sticks
Walmart Plaza Rt. 119 North Punx’y
d
By Kasey Trenum Time2Saveworkshops.com
• Physical therapy • eMGs • back injuries • Sports injuries • Work injuries • Orthotics & braces
202 Thompson St. Big Run
$
when shopping with coupons
if you really need or just flat-out love something, buy it. But watch for sales so you can build your stockpile and increase your savings. (SHNS photo courtesy Kasey Trenum)
tion, “Where's the Diet Coke?” This was NOT what I wanted to hear. I wanted him to be excited as he “ooh'd” and “ahhh'd” over what an amazing job I had done. Nope, instead I got, “Honey, that's great. Where is the Diet Coke?” My answer? “It wasn't on sale!” To me, this statement explained everything. To him it meant grabbing his keys, driving back to the store and buying some Diet Coke. See, the thing is that it all comes down to one simple word: Perspective. Yes, I shop with coupons, and yes, I use them to save a substantial amount on my weekly grocery bill. But our family doesn't have to go without things we want, or even things we flat-out love, like Diet Coke. For example, my family still needs milk, fresh fruit and produce. We still need bread to make sandwiches, and yes, we need those diet sodas. What do I do when my family needs something I don't have coupons for? I buy it. But, through understanding the sale cycle and building a sensible stockpile, I'm able to significantly cut down on the number of items I need every week. My overall grocery bill is much lower; therefore, I can afford to buy items my family needs without breaking the bank. For just one or two hours a week of time invested, most people are able to cut a significant percentage off their weekly gro-
the room filled with a thick blue smoke. It would be pointless to try to describe the damage to the wall, radiator, carpeting and bed, not to mention our confidence, when that firecracker blew. One can only imagine. Let’s just agree that if my father was home, I wouldn’t be writing this today. The destruction was the best-kept secret I ever held. My older brother’s can of deodorant helped with the cover-up, hiding the lingering smell of burned powder. Days, then weeks, and then months passed without the cat getting out of the bag. Through it all, I was living in fear that my father would learn of the circumstances on that destructive day. Then it came. One evening, he unexpectedly announced at the dinner table, “I think I am going to sand and varnish the window sills in the bedrooms.” My world had come to an end. Nights passed without sleeping. The fear of punishment was overwhelming and became too much for me to bear. “Dad, I have to tell you something,” I confessed. “You’ll blow your head off,” my father warned after hearing the tale, in a way that only a father can advise his son of the outcome of continuing such foolish antics. “Yes, Sir,” I agreed, imagining how it would feel to have my head taken off by one of my own M-80s. He asked if I had destroyed or discarded the remainder of the powerful firecrackers, but in the heat of the moment, he didn’t await my answer. The incendiaries were hidden in the basement, a cache of fun for the remainder of the summer. That is a story, however, left for another issue of Hometown. Years later, I remember reading that due to property damages and bodily harm caused by M-80s, the Child Protection Act of 1966 was passed and banned the explosives. What a shame. It was all my doing. - B.A. • • •
Keeping your home BIG RUN CARPET safe while you travel The Store For Your Floor with Working Family Prices
By Rosemary Sadez Friedmann Scripps Howard News Service eaving home for the summer? If so, here’s how to prepare and protect your place so you can enjoy your travels and rest peacefully all summer without worrying that something went wrong at home. Here are some suggestions. • Bring in any outside furniture, especially anything that has cloth on it, because the fabric is susceptible to mold. The constant heat will damage plastic or wood furniture if you leave it outside all summer. • Non-refrigerated foods should be placed in airtight containers so bugs don’t think your house is a free-for-all buffet. Clean out your refrigerator. Condiments and water will survive in the fridge, but not much else. Empty the ice tray and turn off the automatic icemaker. If you intend to turn the refrigerator off, leave the doors open for circulation. If you intend on leaving the refrigerator on, then fill it with water bottles because it will use less energy full than empty. • If you have propane tanks in the garage, get rid of them, because they are flammable. Any other combustible chemicals in the
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garage should also be removed. • Replace the batteries in fire alarms, automatic watering systems and any other battery-operated items, such as thermostats and security systems. Turn the water heater off. Leave all the doors inside the house open for circulation. Unplug any appliances, computers and entertainment units to prevent damage in the event of an electrical storm. • It is wise to close all the drapes so the heat stays out. Hire a trustworthy company to maintain the yard and pool. Houseplants need care, so if you have any, put them outside by the sprinkling system or give them away before you leave. • Be sure to notify the local authorities that you will be leaving for the summer so they can keep an eye on the place. If you have a trustworthy neighbor, you might leave him/her a key in case of an emergency. If you can afford it, hire a company to stop by every couple of weeks to check the premises to be sure all is well inside and out. Have a wonderful summer. (Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of “Mystery of Color.” For design inquiries, write to Rosemary at DsgnQuest(at)aol.com.) • • •
Your family legacy: everything in one drawer Sacramento Bee inancial guru Dave Ramsey recommends what he calls a “legacy drawer”: a place to keep the essential documents of your life so your family can easily find things after you’re gone. Here’s his list of 11 essentials: 1. Cover letter — Nothing fancy, just a single letter to introduce loved ones to the drawer’s contents. 2. Will or trust — Copies of your will or trust, including names of the executor and person with power of attorney. 3. Financial accounts — List anything in your name, including account numbers and amounts. This includes creditcard, bank, retirement accounts. 4. Funeral plans — All instructions should be noted so family can fulfill your wishes. If married, include both spouses’ wishes. 5. Insurance policies — List all health, life, auto, homeowners’ policies, etc. Include who is covered, policy numbers and contact information. 6. Vital documents — Include birth certificates, divorce papers, military and Social Security records, car and boat titles, mortgages and property deeds. 7. Legacy letters — Since the intent is to guide your family after you’re gone, include personal notes or letters to loved
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ones. 8. Monthly budget — Add a copy of your budget, including bills to pay, so your family is prepared to handle household expenses. 9. Tax returns — In case of an IRS audit, your state and federal tax returns can be
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202 Thompson St. Big Run
814-427-2041 Monday - Friday 9-5 Saturday 9-1
MERCHANDISE HAS BEEN ARRIVING DAILY
Punxsutawney Fire Department
2012 Old Home Week Celebration now thru Saturday, June 30 • Carnival Starts Each Night at 6:00 pm • J & J Amusements will be on the Midway each night. One price nights tues., thur. & Sat.
JCArC Day will be Wed., June 27th You can also purchase books of tickets from the firemen. They will be in their usual places in County Market & Peebles Plaza. • There will be a drawing each night at 10:45 for some great prizes donated by area businesses. (Must be 18 or older & present to win) Firefighter’s Parade Saturday, June 30th at 4 pm The Firemen ask that you be courteous to the businesses in the plaza by not parking in front of their businesses. There is plenty of parking on the Carnival grounds.
like an insurance policy. 10. Safe deposit box — Indicate where it’s located and who has access. As backup, keep a copy in your box of the legacy drawer’s contents. 11. Passwords — Write down all passwords, user names and PINs so family can access computer, cellphone and financial accounts. Source: www.daveramsey.com (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.) • • • Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141 – 27
28 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2012 - Issue #141