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The Valley A free newspaper dedicated to agriculture, self-reliance, frugal living, and modern homesteading. Tomorrow’s Media - A Day Early Volume 5, No. 8
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The Valley, August 2014
PVCA’s 12th Annual Crickfest Celebration offers fun for all ages The Penns Valley Conservation Association (PVCA) will hold its 12th Annual Crickfest Celebration at the park in Coburn, PA on Labor Day Sunday, August 31st from 11:00am to 6:00pm. “Come and meet with us to celebrate at the confluences of Elk, Pine, and Penns Creeks. Learn what makes our watershed special, from the eyes of a child or the eyes of an experienced naturalist. Whether it’s your first time here or if you grew up with the Penns Valley Conservation Association, everybody is most certainly welcome, and of course don’t forget to bring your water shoes,” says Executive Director Andrea Ferich. Crickfest offers fun for all ages with music, workshops, kids’ activities and so much more! Don’t forget to check out the delicious local foods menu (provided by Bobbie’s Kitchen and Mountainside Homestead) full of wonderful items like pulled pork sandwiches, vegetarian and beef tacos, grilled vegetables, corn on the cob and all the other summer picnic favorites. Round off your meal at the Sweet Creek Café with local goodies donated from around the valley. The live musical variety show starts at 12:00 pm with local musicians that include Hannah Bingman and friends, Chris Rattie, The Alley Cats, The Up Texas Chapel Choir and Chicken Tractor Deluxe. The variety of music is sure to please everyone and might even have you on your feet and dancing. Crickfest helps to support PVCA’s educational program-
to ID and what their life cycle is. Rounding it off at 4:00 pm will be Toni Brink of the Millheim Learning Garden to discuss favorite food processing gadgets. PVCA would like to thank the Crickfest Sponsors and all of the volunteers and contributors who support this event, just to name a few: Black Walnut Body Works, Penns Valley Veterinary Clinic, Millheim Small Engine Shop, Northwest Savings Bank, Elk Creek Café & Aleworks, and EcoVents.
Children enjoy helping with the duck races at Crickfest
ming in the Penns Valley School District. True to that mission there are lots of fun kids activities planned, such as bottle rockets in the field, duck races down the creek, a live petting farm with pony rides and a creativity tent to let the imagination run! Be sure to check out a new attraction this year - Shaver’s Creek will be doing a wildlife demonstration that starts at 1:00 pm. Jim Flanagan, the PVCA education coordinator, will also be leading macro-invertebrate walks near the stream so you can learn what keeps our rural
Photo by Annie Mascelli
streams so vibrant and healthy. To help support all of the great work that PVCA does locally, don’t forget to stop in the large pavilion to bid at the silent auction and take home a hand crafted piece of art or a gift certificate for a massage among many other wonderfully donated items. Also, be sure to visit the PVCA Membership Table for your chance to win PVCA’s Golden Ticket. You and your lucky guest may just win a trip to the Hummingbird Room restaurant for PVCA’s very special event “An Evening at the
Hummingbird Room” on September 14th. Educational workshops start at 12:30 pm with Warren Leitzel of Ecosophy Farms discussing the top three tools you would want to have on a deserted island as well as how to maintain them until you were rescued. At 2:00 pm, Anne Tubiolo of the National Park Service will show great techniques for wildlife photography using your cell phone. At 3:00 pm, Paul Weamer, author of the Pocket Guide to PA Hatches, will discuss trout stream insects, how
Lighting Brush Fires in People’s Minds
The Penns Valley Conservation Association serves as a steward for the natural and cultural communities in the Upper Penns Creek watershed. PVCA seeks to preserve and honor the agricultural roots of Penns Valley by protecting and conserving its waters, farmlands, forests and rural heritage. PVCA organizes and supports activities that promote healthy natural systems and foster local economies. For more information or to volunteer, contact info@pennsvalley.net or visit www.pennsvalley.net to check out all of our upcoming events. a
Toni Brink provides a “Live” Jukebox in the kids’ activities
The Valley, August 2014
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Editor’s Corner Wayne Stottlar Ahhh, August! A month that still stirs in me the need to start getting enough wood stacked before winter. I know I could do it in October here, but after years of needing two months to assemble the 10 cords or so we needed to get through a NH winter, I still get those same feelings deep inside of a need to start gathering. Maybe it goes way back to when we were closer to the land and were more in tune with such things. I am not sure, but I do know that nothing is quite as satisfying as looking at a full woodpile ready for the winter months well before it is needed. A full pantry will give you the same kind of feeling. Perhaps it is that I love fall so much, the crisp air, fallen leaves, corn shocks in the fields, thoughts of hunting season, and more importantly HOCKEY season!
Perhaps it is because Lynn and I had a chance to skip away for a week to the peace and beauty of northern NH. We crammed an awful lot into 8 days, but we were very recharged and invigorated to get back to work after spending time in the mountains. It is totally inspiring to be able This spot, is going to see to be alone a whole lot of me soon, with the napping is superb! such beauty, but the fact of the matter is, there just isn’t the density of
people up north of the Lakes Region. Especially if you head northwest from there. Our future destination in Grafton County NH is a bit out of the tourist corridor and doesn’t see a large influx of “people from away” as do other parts of the state. We enjoy the peace and quiet and beauty while taking a leisurely drive on some forgotten back road, and we both mention how nice it is not to have to share the road with other cars—there aren’t any. There’s no one pasted to your bumper because they aren’t satisfied that you are already five miles over the speed limit. How I would love to reinforce the rear end of a car and wait until they were within a foot or so and...... Nevermind, we were enjoying the peacefulness of backroads NH. We did play tourist a couple days and drove Lynn’s new Explorer to the top of Mount Washington, which if you have never been, you should! It is so close by, and the experience is fantastic. It takes about 20 minutes to ascend the 8 mile auto road which takes you almost 6,300 feet up. When we arrived the ranger told us we had hit the weather lottery
and that day was their best so far this year. Visibility was over 100 miles, and you could see the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The temp at the base was 76 degrees, and when we arrived at the summit is was a brisk 48 degrees! We toured the museums and had lunch on the summit and all in all spent about
3.5 hours up there. I would highly recommend this to everyone. Since we had half a day still left, we went from Mount Washington to Jackson, NH and took an hour long nap while laying in the water falls off of Carter Notch
Continued on page 3
Contact Info Editor/Publisher Wayne Stottlar Graphic Artist/ Co-Publisher Lynn Persing Associate Editor Colleen Swetland The Valley PO Box 41 Yeagertown, PA 17099 (717) 363-1550 E-mail: thevalleynewspaper@gmail.com Web: www.thevalleynewspaper.com ©The Valley. All Rights Reserved.
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The Valley, August 2014 Smokey Bear, one of the most well-known icons in advertising history, is starring in a new round of public service advertisements (PSAs) to celebrate his 70th birthday and further his famous message, “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.” The Ad Council, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) are announcing the new television, radio, print, outdoor and digital PSAs in advance of Smokey Bear’s birthday on August 9. Created pro bono by FCB West, the campaign features Smokey Bear awarding “Bear Hugs” for safe fire practices and directs audiences to visit www. SmokeyBear.com. First launched in 1944, the Wildfire Prevention campaign is the longest running and one of the most successful PSA campaigns in American history. Over the past seven decades, the campaign has received more than $1.4 billion in donated time and space from media companies. Awareness levels have also remained high, with 96 percent of the U.S. adult population recognizing Smokey Bear and 70 percent being able to recall Smokey’s tagline without any prompting, according to the Ad Council’s consumer tracking surveys. Most importantly, the average number of acres lost annually to wildfire has decreased from 22 million in 1944 to an average of 6.7 million today. “Few advertising icons have become as much a part of the American vernacular as Smokey Bear,” said Peggy Conlon, president & CEO of the Ad Council. “Smokey’s persistent popularity from generation to generation is not only a testament to the quality of work done on his behalf pro bono by FCB, but also ensures that his legacy will be one that results in continued impact in the area of wildfire prevention.”
Editors Corner from page 2 Road. Talk about re-charging! That spot will be a destination for those times when the weather is perfect, once we get back home. We went to the ocean one day for Lynn, both of us love days spent at the ocean, and thankfully, that will be easier to do in the future. We also visited with friends and family. Truth be told, I had a hard time getting Lynn to come home, I think she may be just about ready. It seemed a little different this trip, like we were visiting home. I was so relaxed by the time we got home, it took me two or three days to even start to feel like
Smokey Bear Celebrates 70th Birthday Awards Smokey Bear Hugs In New Wildfire Prevention PSAs Created pro bono by newly rebranded ad agency FCB West, the same volunteer agency that has created work for the campaign since 1944, the new television, radio, print, outdoor and digital PSAs continue the “Smokey Bear Hug” where, in acknowledgement of using the proper actions to prevent wildfires, Smokey rewards his followers with a hug. In return, outdoor–loving individuals across the nation are shown reciprocating with a birthday bear hug in honor of his 70 years of service. Audiences are encouraged to join in by posting their own #SmokeyBearHug online. “Smokey has a long legacy as a wildfire prevention icon,” said Eric Springer, EVP, chief creative officer of FCB West. “We are honored to help celebrate his 70th birthday through these new spots and continue to spread his message.” The PSAs direct viewers to www.SmokeyBear.com where they can sign a wildfire prevention pledge, learn safety tips like how to properly build and put out campfires, and access tons of Smokey content from past to present. Smokey Bear is also continuing to encourage young
adults to be proactive in preventing wildfires through his social
media channels, which include over 180,000 Facebook fans, 22,000 Twitter followers, and over 620,000 views on YouTube. Although progress has been made, wildfires remain one of the most critical environmental issues affecting the U.S. Many Americans believe that lightning starts most wildfires. In fact, on average, nearly 9 out of 10 wildfires nationwide today are caused by people. The principle causes are careless or accidental behaviors like campfires being left unattended, debris burning on windy days, improper discarding of smoking materials or BBQ coals, and operating equipment without
spark arrestors. “Our Wildfire Prevention campaign has helped children and adults throughout the country understand their role in preventing wildfires,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “Smokey Bear has empowered people to make a difference; his message of personal responsibility continues to be as critical and relevant now as ever. We look forward to celebrating many more birthdays of our beloved icon.” The Ad Council is distributing the new PSAs to more than 33,000 media outlets nationwide this month. Per the organization’s model, the PSAs will air and run in advertising time and space that is entirely donated by the media. Smokey Bear will officially celebrate his 70th birthday on August 9, 2014, through a series of national and local events and activities to be implemented throughout the spring, summer and fall. The U.S. Forest Service is the agency responsible for overseeing the use of Smokey Bear in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council. The U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of
I was back. For sure there was lots of things to catch up on, but I was just going through the motions while my brain was lost somewhere between here and there. That was a well-needed rest, I watched little news while we were gone and now that I am paying attention again, the world looks more insane than before we left. Israel is subjected to hundreds of rockets a day being fired indiscriminately into their cities, and when Israel responds, the media calls them the aggressor? What are people smoking on the News networks? The US and everyone else should just stay out of the situation,— Israel is quite capable of defending herself, as
long as the US and the UN don’t meddle and call for diplomacy. PEACE IS NOT NEGOTIATED! It is WON by defeating and destroying your enemy. Hamas is a terrorist group, their charter calls for the destruction of Israel, that is all anyone needs to know in order to throw support behind Israel and remove Hamas from the equation, ALL OF THEM! Another thing that irritates me about the news reports claiming disproportionate casualties. What? Are you serious, THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM, THAT is HOW YOU WIN WARS! You want to cause disproportionate damage and casualties against your enemy, THAT is how you
defeat him! The UN is the most worthless organization on the planet. Somehow they think that war should be fair. Is this the beginning of us seeing the result of how kids that got trophies for nothing behave when they become adults? You want to see peace in the Middle East, let Israel fix the problem, once Hamas is destroyed, that sector will quiet down. I guess the Bowe Bergdahl story has been removed from people’s consciousness because we didn’t fall for the manufactured hoopla this administration had planned. The Benghazi survivors still have not been brought before the public, we have not gotten the
The Truth Has No Agenda
national forests and grasslands for the American Public. Its mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The National Association of State Foresters is comprised of the directors of forestry agencies from the fifty states, eight U.S. territories and associated states, and the District of Columbia. Through public-private partnership, NASF seeks to advance sustainable forestry, conservation, and protection of forest lands and their associated resources. As a partner with the U.S. Forest Service, State Foresters are committed to the continued delivery of Smokey Bear’s message of personal responsibility in wildfire protection. The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has affected, and continues to affect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit www.adcouncil. org, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our PSAs on YouTube. With more than 140 years of communications expertise, FCB’s worldwide network spans 150 offices in 90 countries, with over 8,000 people, and is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG). For more information, visit www.fcb.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@ FCBglobal) and Facebook (FCB Global). a truth about that. It appears that the IRS has corruption at its very core and really is an agency that needs to be dismantled. Police departments are still being militarized at an alarming rate, and police across the country are trampling the Liberty of THEIR EMPLOYERS! There is the NSA, Ukraine, the outlaw EPA, and the NEA all attacking us on many fronts. That is part of their plan, overwhelm. Well guess what, things are still normal up in NH, actually you have to get north of the Lakes Region, but sanity still exists there. You can forget the news and make a living living in the North Country. a
The Valley, August 2014
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“Fair & Balanced” means Spin gets Equal Time
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The Valley, August 2014
Without A Single Shot Last month, this column likened the tension that exists between the “conventional,” “science –based,” “we can redesign nature” synthetic chemical farming folks and the “organic-sustainable,” “science-based,” “nature’s perfect and we just need to learn to understand better” farmers as a civil war: infighting between related parties, i.e. we Americans, on and off the farm. There is so much tension, anger, frustration and misinformation flying about that sometimes it’s a bit hard to see your way out of the mess. But as we mentioned last month, unlike some wars, this one can end without a single shot (figuratively speaking) if we’re willing to make a few changes.
Notice please, that I said “WE” have to be willing to make a few changes. NOT new laws or regulations from the state or federal governments. As farmer and writer Joel Salatin aptly points out, we rely too much on “salvation by legislation.” NOT some shiny new silver bullet from some shiny, big company. Shiny, big companies are what are filling the center aisles of grocery stores with fake foods: shiny big companies are the ones telling us that millions of tons of synthetic chemicals dumped into our environments, our foods, our homes are what will see us safely into a brave new future: shiny, big companies are the ones lobbying
the government and moving people into key positions of power so that they can saturate our food system with crops that have had their genetic structures mutilated with viruses and bacteria and foreign genes. Sounds impossible to stop, but WE can slowly, but surely bring the epidemics of health and economic degradation to a grinding halt if we will only change the habits that have caused them in the first place. And change we must do or we will sink ourselves under a mucky mass that future generations well curse us for. As Professor Don Huber said in a recent lecture, “Future historians may well look back upon our time and write not about how many pounds of pesticides that we did or didn’t apply, but about how willing we are to sacrifice our children, to jeopardize future generations to this massive experiment that we call genetic engineering that’s based on flawed science and failed promises just to benefit the bottom line of a commercial enterprise.” So change we must. But it’s easy to “say” change and too often very hard to “do” change. And as we all know, “change” isn’t a one shot deal and then you’re done. It has to happen every day, all of our lives.
The Truth Has No Agenda
And it doesn’t have to be “change everything all at once” nor will it be “change and all will be perfect”. We’re grown-ups here and we don’t deal in fairy tales of happily-ever-after. There will always be problems to deal with, but we still have to try. So, change what? Little things. Start to educate yourself. READ. Teach yourself about BOTH sides of the issue and see what you come up with as to transparency in information and common sense answers. Here’s another one, you can begin to weed out the “junk” that pretends to be food that you may be eating. Even the doctors are finally getting on the band wagon and telling folks to clean up their diets. And if enough of us stop buying this “junk” most of it may eventually disappear. Or, even better, turn back into real food! Here’s another one and we hear it a lot: get moving. Exercise is great. But in addition, there are lots of ways to work activity into our everyday lives. For example, instead of squirting those pesky weeds that grow in the cracks of the walk with herbicide, try this: Boil some water. Pour the boiling water on the weeds. Go do something else for a little while. Come back, bend over and pull the weeds. Throw the weeds away
or better yet, compost them! Hey, presto you’ve not only stopped polluting the environment and your self and your neighbors, you’ve gotten exercise! Can’t bend over? Not problem, ask a neighbor for help. There, you’ve added community building to the list of things you’ve done to change things for the better! The point is, if WE really put our minds to it, imagine what WE will be able to come up with. And WE aren’t starting from scratch, you know. For generations, plenty of folks, everywhere, have been figuring out how to do things safely, productively and efficiently without compromising the natural design of the universe. It may mean a bit more work, but if you change how you think about work, it can also mean a lot more healthy fun! And no civil war, and not a shot fired. PHEW!!! Resources: Joel Salatin. Read his books. Every one you can get your hands on. Even if you’re never going to grow anything! Google the work of Professor Don Huber. Read : A Nation of Farmers by Sharon Astyk & Aaron Newton. And no, it doesn’t mean we ALL have to farm. a
The Valley, August 2014
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Encouragement from the Book of Revelation by Pastor J. C. Reese Think of some person in the past you’d want to be like. Would it be Washington? Lincoln? Amelia Earhart? Mary? The person at the start of chapter 13 of Revelation is the Anti-Christ. No one in their right mind would want to emulate him, but there is an encouraging lesson about him: How NOT To Be ! John tells us first he sees him coming up as a beast “out of the sea.” It’s held this means he comes from humanity so not a demon and likely the area of the Mediterranean for the context deals with this sea and its environs. Thoroughly human, he will be very worldly as opposed to godly. As Christians, we are to be IN this world not OF it. Being a “peculiar people” and so standing out by being focused more on truth than trends. I was witnessing to a Penn State football player a few years back and he was wavering between becoming a Christian and a Muslim. He told me several Christian players on the team listened to Christian rock and asked me “Why should I become a Christian, I see no difference in what they like and do, than me?!” I’d never said anything to him about music, he brought it up yet he knew a truth of Scripture: that Christians ought to be godly not worldly. Worldiness in believers was keeping him from heaven! Churches today often water down the faith by giving people what they want rather what they need. We must approve everything by His Word (Eph.5:10). The Anti-Christ will also derive his power from Satan (vs2) whereas the believer gains that from Christ! Some folks get it from wealth, things, relationships; but these are all fleeting and, quite frankly, cheap counterfeits for the true power found in Jesus. True strength of character is found in
being right with God, walking with Him and letting Him bring His peace, which the world can never bring. Verse 5 says “there was given him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.” What kind of mouth are you known for? Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! We will speak what we are. Years ago I worked in the computer industry and they had a term called GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out). Put the right things in your mind and the right words will come out. And pray as David did, “let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight. . .” (Ps.19:14). The Anti-Christ will be a vile person speaking against God even moreso than the usual cursing people do today. The word “blasphemies” here means to speak so as to harm God’s cause and children. Words can bring great hurt and we will be evaluated one day for how we used our mouths. Certainly we all fail verbally at times, but the one who misspeaks and makes it right by using that same mouth to apologize will be in good stead much more than the one who bashes people with words and moves on as though no damage had been done. Strive to find ways to complement others, and things to genuinely praise God for rather than settling for a mouth that complains and criticizes others to their hurt. In short, be like Christ – He will be happy to help you in this as you give Him all your heart! Join us Sunday at 9:45 a.m. at the “log cabin church” just one mile west of the intersection of Rts 144 & 322 in Potters Mills. Only 10 minutes from State College & Milroy. a
�������������������������� Dear Country Folks, Greetings to you all from beautiful Nittany Valley. God is so good, just take a deep breath and breathe in the fresh country air, fresh mowed hay, and all the fresh vegetables from the garden. Life is so great and we can have lots of fun harvesting the bounties God has given us. Just the right amount of rain and hot sunshine makes it all so green and beautiful. Can we, as we go about our daily jobs, feel thankful of our great health, to be able to do what needs to be done? Or are we weighted down with burdens of not feeling good, the struggle of finances, or a loved one, not knowing what is wrong? Let us
not take the focus off of our Lord and provider that knows all our struggles and trials. We know that to be able to help others we need to help ourselves. I believe a lot comes from
not having the right vitamins and nutrition we need. Yes, there are so many different health options out there, so we need to find our spot among them. When we find an awesome product, let’s share it with everyone.
They might be battling the same issues. Here is a short story of my husband of 16 years who has been battling bronchitis and often pneumonia every fall when the weather has turned cooler, when we have all the pollution of leaves, straw, flowers and whatever it may be. He has always ended up with bronchitis and that turns into pneumonia. Sad to say, he always ended up off work for a week or more and had to use inhalers. In the summer of 2013, our great friends shared some awesome products with us. My husband has been taking them faithfully and has yet not had a week off because of being sick. He has so much more energy and no more achy bones when he gets up. No more yucky inhalers and Dr. visits. He is like a completely different guy and is enjoying the first summer, winter, fall and spring of no sickness. He has been taking Focoydon, Eternity, Spectramax, Body Shield and Influence. Stay tuned next month for an amazing story on this family’s first trip to the ocean! All because of the lady being a weight loss winner! See ad on page 28 for Sisel Kaffe, So Much MORE Than Coffee! a
OBSERVATIONS . . . of an OLD MAN We are living in divisive times, we are challenged daily to discern. Do we understand the opposition’s perspectives? Is our thinking Positive or Negative? POSITIVES
Love Sharing/Caring Light Understanding Compassion Joy Good Trust
God’s Passion: Compassion and Justice
NEGATIVES Hate Greed/Selfish Darkness Ridicule Cruelty Sadness Evil Fear Evil is: Fear, Greed, Hate
Albert Einstein: “ Peace cannot be found or kept by Force. It can only be achieved by Understanding”
“Fair & Balanced” means Spin gets Equal Time
Peter J. Moses
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The Valley, August 2014
Dave Wilson
Coins, Precious Metal and a Little of this and That
Made In China?
For the past 20 years, we have seen numerous counterfeited U.S. Collector coins pop up from time to time. In earlier years, those fakes were pretty terrible, and not even a novice collector could be fooled into buying one as genuine. However, as the years progressed, so did the counterfeiter’s ability to make a more believable product. Silver bullion coins and Morgan Silver dollars have always been favorites with the bogus coin producing crowd, if only because they were a bit cheaper, and would, therefore, be less scrutinized, than coins that carried a larger price tag. Today, with the modernization of counterfeiting techniques, several different types of fakes are being produced, and MANY of these ARE good enough to trick some people into making an unfortunate choice. Personally, I have seen US Trade Silver Dollars (allegedly made in the Far East) that could fool even the most advanced collector. Gold coins, fortunately (at least so far), have NOT been a favorite target for the bad guys.
Still, one never knows what the future holds, so when we sell gold coins in the store, we put EVERY SINGLE COIN on the scales, to PROVE that they are PRECISELY on weight. If they ever do start to counterfeit gold, the fakes will almost assuredly be well UNDER weight, and easy to detect with “legal for the Trade” scales. When customers watch us weigh each coin, we remind them that, should they decide to sell any of the coins back to us, we will weigh them again. Since gold coins don’t go on diets, anything they offer that does NOT weigh correctly, will tell us that a problem occurred between the time they left our store, and the time they returned, and we will not be held accountable in such situations. (Weighing each coin is a wonderful protection for both the BUYER and the SELLER.) Silver coins, not made from silver, are also easy to pick out, as they do not SOUND like silver when they are flipped. Silver has a rich, mellow tone, while substitutes have a high-pitched
(tin-type) ring, or, no sound at all (as with coins made from lead, or similar metals). The trouble arises when RARE DATE silver coins ARE made from REAL silver. The potential rewards of selling expensive rarities has encouraged many counterfeiters to seek out professional die makers, who, with computers and lasers, can duplicate even the most intricate coin production dies. At this time, most professional dealers are still quite good at identifying counterfeits. However, with the (almost shocking) advancement of new technology, it will soon take more than long-time, hands on experience to be able to detect the new, and greatly improved facsimiles that are sure to invade the marketplace. a
A fake 1906 Silver Eagle, made in China
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The Valley, August 2014
“Fair & Balanced” means Spin gets Equal Time
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The Valley, August 2014
Life in the East End by Rebecca Harrop I hope everyone is enjoying the hot summer weather. It’s been pretty hot here in the East End. Remember, don’t complain too much—we will be having cold, winter weather soon enough. In last month’s article I promised I would have some more information about the Mifflin County Youth Fair’s history and some interviews. I started out with a whole list of people I wanted to interview, but as usual before I knew it, it was time to get the article in. I had a list of 6 questions for each person. 1. When were you involved in 4-H (years and age). 2. What clubs /activities were you involved in? 3. What clubs or activities were active then that aren’t now? 4. What advantage or disadvantage do you see with Community Clubs versus County Clubs? 5. Overall, what significant changes do you feel have most influenced the current Fair? 6. How has the 4-H experience helped you in your adult life? First I interviewed Wilson (current Fair Board member)and Nancy Goss (my grandparents). Both serve on the Open Show Committee. Pap was active in 4- H from 1956-1960, ages 16-20. He showed an Ayrshire heifer in the Dairy Club. Gram was in 4-H from 1955-1960, ages 12-17. She was a member of he Ellen Chapel Cooking Club. Both Gram and Pap said the Fair was only one day. They told me there wasn’t Dairy Feeder, Beef Heifer, Goat, Shooting Sports or Cake Decorating then. They both felt the kids got more individual attention from the leaders in the Community clubs. The leaders spent more time visiting the kids to see how their projects were coming along. Community Clubs offered more opportunity for the Green Building Project kids and the Livestock Project kids to associate with each other. Gram and Pap felt there are more opportunities for more kids to be involved in 4-H now due to the additional clubs. Pap said he felt he learned how to be humble by losing and gracious when winning. Gram agreed. Gram and Pap shared with me that they met through 4-H. One interesting thing Gram told me was after the Fair, the Ellen Chapel Cooking Club would cook a meal for their parents. The menu included por-
cupine meatballs, baked potatoes, salad, and cake. Sounds good! Next I talked to Clint and Katie (Shank) Aurand, they’re my neighbors. Clint was in the Hog Club and Horse Club from ages 8-18, starting in 1988. Katie as in Beef, Hog, Lamb, Ceramics, and Horse clubs from 8-18 starting in 1991. They both felt there are better animal facilities now and the new show ring and chutes help keep things more organized. Clint also felt that the water system installed in the hog pens was a huge improvement. They both said being in 4-H taught them responsibility, a good work ethic, and to take pride in their work. Katie also said it taught her to get up early in the morning. I also interviewed David and Jane (Gehman) Esh, another neighbor of mine and the owners of Esh’s Orchard. Jane’s perspective is as a 4-H leader. David was in 4-H in the 50’s. He was in Armagh Community Club, Chicken, Tractor and Vegetables. The Tractor Club is a club they no longer have. Members of the Tractor Club would go to dealers and the dealer would create an issue with the tractor. The members would then have to go over the tractor, find the problem and fix it. They were scored on how well they did. They also had a plowing contest. David said there was fun competition between the community clubs such as softball games. They also said when showing at fair, they would see which community clubs did better. They said the meeting were more of a social event and kids looked forward to going to the meetings. All the kids had to give project updates. After the meetings they would play games such as, Black Magic and Pass the Scissors. I encourage todays 4-H members to ask past 4-H members from that generation about these games, they sounded pretty interesting. Esh’s said back then most 4-H kids were farm kids. With more clubs available now there are more opportunities for more kids to be involved, not just farm kids. They felt that the instant communications/phones/electronics has replaced a lot of the face-to-face interaction between kids. Meeting protocol, leadership abilities, and meeting people you wouldn’t have met otherwise is how the 4-H experience helped
them in their adult lives. My final interview was with Wayne Fogleman. Wayne did construction work for many years in Mifflin County. My Dad suggested Wayne because he helped with a lot of the improvements made at the Fair grounds. When we called Wayne he said he had been in FFA and I thought great, I didn’t have an FFA perspective, so this would be good. Well, Wayne was born in center Juniata County, not Mifflin County, but it would still be Fair experience. What I
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actually learned from Wayne was about the different improvement projects. Wayne helped with several projects including the new show ring, the hog chutes, concreting what is the current beef, lamb, and hog barns. 4-H had several fundraisers to raise money to pay for these projects. My Dad also remembers local farmers were asked to donate a calf to be auctioned at Belleville Livestock Market as one of the fundraisers. 4-H kids also made lunch for the workers. Wayne also designed the
4-H and Reedsville Fire Co. Foodstands and the Pavilion between them. The one Vo-Tech class built the foodstands on skids. They had to be on skids because the Youth Park is in a flood zone and they couldn’t build more permanent buildings. Wayne’s first experience with the Youth Park was way before it was the Youth Park. As a young man, Wayne worked for Howard Houser who farmed the fields that
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The Valley, August 2014
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Let That Be A Lesson
Horseback riding lessons are a fun and valuable activity for several reasons. Do you own a horse and want to improve your riding skills with him? Do you want to familiarize yourself with riding before you make the investment into your own horse? Do you just want to become more physically fit while enjoying the company of horses? First, determine why you want to take riding lessons and what you want to accomplish. Do you want to ride Western or English? Do you want to run barrels, lope around on a Western Pleasure horse, or canter over jumps? Regardless of why you want to ride, one of your biggest concerns should be safety. Find a riding facility that is set up in a safe manner and an instructor that takes your safety into consideration. Be comfortable with the program that your instructor has set up for their students. A good riding instructor should challenge you, not endanger you. Developing a good relationship with your riding instructor is key to helping
you reach higher goals. You need to consider what you want to invest in riding lessons. Lessons can easily range from $25 to $75 or more, depending on several circumstances. What is the “going rate” for your area? What is the experience level of your instructor? Will you be in a private lesson or a group? Will you use your horse or a lesson horse? Will you require help with yourself and an inexperienced horse during the lesson? If you can afford one or two lessons a week, you will further your riding goals much quicker. A lesson once a month may be enough if you just need a refresher to make sure you are on track to success with your horse. You should determine what to wear during your riding lesson. Safety also should be considered in your choice of riding attire. Flip flops should not be worn during a riding lesson, or even around the barn when handling horses. Shorts and sneakers are frowned upon when taking a riding lesson. If you are riding English, most
instructors will want you to wear breeches or jodphurs. These are not only designed for comfort but they help give you added security in the saddle with the suede knee patches. Stretchy comfortable jeans are good attire whether you are riding English or Western. A boot with a heel is a necessity for keeping your foot from slipping through the stirrup. A boot with a longer shaft or half chaps can help protect legs from rubbing when you first start lessons. The choice to wear a helmet may be up the rider, the instructor, or the stable requirements where you ride. There is often a debate over helmet/no helmet for adult riders. If there is no rule where you ride, then it is a personal choice; however, beginners or young children should seriously consider wearing one for safety purposes. If you make the choice to wear a helmet, it should be a properly fitted, approved riding helmet. Your riding lessons should be geared towards improving your skills on horseback. But often
Macy & Simon. Young children can benefit from lessons on properly handling horses or ponies while on the ground and in the saddle.
early riding lessons, especially for beginners will focus on ground work. Lessons could begin with how to approach and halter a horse, how to groom, how to saddle, and how to mount the horse. Initial evaluation of a rider may be on a long lead or lunge line.
“Fair & Balanced” means Spin gets Equal Time
This allows the riding instructor to control the horse, and the rider is then able to concentrate on balance and coordination. Even experienced riders may take lessons on the lunge line to concentrate on themselves without worrying
Continued on page 19
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The Valley, August 2014
Hillside Orchard News and Comments by Iddo M. Hostetler Ein grus zu alle thal laser. Hello to all The Valley readers from Hillside Orchard, where the peaches are getting ripe, the shoes are tied tight, and the people work with all their might to bring you food that is right—won’t that be a sight when the sun is shining bright with the heat climbing in height, then everyone longs for the cool of the night. Well, we surely are getting enough precipitation from above that there was no reason for irrigating around our place so far. In fact, some of the showers are gone, but it’s only a day or two till the next one rolls through. We were, however, able to get our hay in, in decent shape, but there weren’t many second chances. Last month we discussed conventional farming versus nature-friendly farming. This is a heated topic in all circles, but facts are facts. A couple years ago, I witnessed where an uphill neighbor sprayed before three inches of rain and the storm water carried the spray to a downhill neighbor’s
strawberry patch, killing almost the entire three thousand strawberry plants, as well as leaving big yellow streaks in another neighbor’s oat field. It was a sorry, sickening sight. Now I am not against spraying, but I am against the misuse of it. It seems like the popular belief is that if you are organic, you don’t spray, which isn’t the case for at least some crops. In fact, most organic farmers spray more often than others. Oh really? Yes! Why then, if they are organic? Well, first off, we spray mostly to repel insects, rather than kill them. Liquid kelp (iodine), sulphurs, and phosphorus are some of the important minerals for soil health and insect repellents. Secondly, is everything good to use because it’s natural? Absolutely not! A poison is a poison regardless if it is natural or man made. For example, night shade—how many are going to
eat it because it is natural? Or poison ivy—are you going to roll in it because it is natural? I hope not. Most natural poisons break down more quickly in the environment than synthetic ones. Most natural poisons kill or repel on contact rather than by systemic action. So what is systemic action? It means the spray will enter the plants system, and when the pest feeds on the plant or fruit it will kill it. Any organic farmer can tell you that farming organically isn’t merely planting and harvesting, but rather an intensive program of building soil fertility, promoting beneficial insects, and discouraging pests. Here you have my two cents worth. Now you have to decide what makes sense for you. I know this; I never want to be the cause of a disaster to my neighbor like I mentioned, and neither am I interested in being the victim of one. I often heard the saying, “what goes on on my property is no one else’s business.” That might be true if it
stays on your property. In a case like I described, it becomes the other person’s business regardless if he wants it to be or not, or more
YES, I want to join FRIENDS OF JACKS MOUNTAIN support!!
sadly, his loss. Sometimes people are like concrete all mixed up and set in their ways. Auf weider sehen a
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Can Industrial Wind Companies Take YOUR Land Through Eminent Domain?
Laura Jackson, President Save Our Allegheny Ridges
Eminent domain is the right of the government to take private land for public use. Private individuals and corporations cannot use eminent domain, but there are exceptions. Volkswind has leased property along the top of Jacks Mountain, hoping to build 20 turbines that would tower 436 feet tall to the tip of the blade. Volkswind’s original plan was to haul the turbine towers and blades up Jacks Mountain Road, but it appears that Volkswind has not been able to lease enough property to access the 4 miles of leased land on top of Jacks that starts about 2 miles northeast of the Altar. Now Volkswind is trying to
get easements or right of ways along other roads on Jacks Mountain. Can Volkswind take properties through force, if landowners don’t want to grant the easement? Fear not! Industrial wind companies are corporations and they do not have the authority to use eminent domain. It is sometimes dangerous to think that the world operates in black and white. There always seem to be shades of gray and layers of complexity that make it difficult to answer questions like the one in the title of this article. But, in this case, I feel confident in saying that industrial wind companies CANNOT use eminent
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We really just need your membership, but if you would like to donate, we will appreciate any donations. Tax-deductible Donations should be Payable to Save Our Allegheny Ridges (SOAR) which is a 501(c)3 partnering with Friends Of Jacks Mountain. You will receive a receipt. MAIL TO: Darrell Smith 567 Mile Long Lane Martinsburg, PA 16662
domain to force a wind project on a landowner’s property if they don’t want to lease. There is no precedent that eminent domain has ever been used by an industrial wind company in the U.S. A wind developer cannot force a landowner to grant a right of way and they cannot even enlarge a right of way where a state or township road crosses the property if the adjacent landowner is not willing to grant them an easement. Gas companies and pipeline companies DO use eminent domain to force their way onto an unwilling landowner’s property. State and/or federal law actually grant electric and natural gas utilities, telecommunication companies, railroads and transpor-
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tation infrastructure (widening the Pennsylvania turnpike is just one example) the right to use eminent domain (1). Furthermore, Pennsylvania’s Business Corporation Law allows a company to condemn land for pipes transporting natural gas, petroleum, or petroleum products (2). Several steps are taken when eminent domain is used to construct a pipeline: 1. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) must determine that there is a public need for the gas pipeline. If so, FERC issues a certificate of public convenience and necessity, which allows the company to use eminent domain (3). 2. The Natural Gas Act is a
federal grant of eminent domain. State or federal courts supervise the fair compensation and treatment of the landowner, if eminent domain is used. Although Volkswind reimburses landowners who sign road easements, payments fall short if the landowners value solitude, a forest of trees instead of turbines, and the natural beauty of Jacks Mountain. Fortunately, it appears that most landowners value the mountain more than the money. 1. http://www.ingaa.org/cms/87. aspx 2. http://www.eminentdomainpa. com/topics/right-of-way/ 3. https://www.ferc.gov/help/faqs/ prefiling.asp a
The Valley, August 2014
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Hey all! I’m hoping you all have had a great start to your summer! Our garden is now producing zucchini, cucumbers, and starting
loads of tomatoes. I love growing our own foods. I also have branched out and begun to grow herbs. Spearmint, basil, parsley, and rosemary are in my garden. I also have a separate space for Echinacea and mullein. These two are more medicinal herbs rather than culinary. You may have seen mullein already growing wild along the road or in pastures. It grows very tall, up to ten feet, with a yellow flowered stalk and wide, fuzzy, silver leaves at the base. It thrives in dry and rocky soils, and in wet soils, making it easy to grow just about anywhere. It is a biennial, meaning it takes two growing seasons to mature, seed, and start over. Mullein generally blooms in Mifflin County from July into August. Now, on to the reason I like mullein. Mullein is great for respiratory problems like congestion,
asthma, and allergies. The small yellow flowers, leaves, and roots can be harvested and dried to be used to combat mucus, diarrhea, chronic coughing, skin rashes, ear aches, and even some have found relief from migraine headaches. When I see the plant starting to flower, I can pluck off the flowers every couple of days and dry them. I will wait until there are no more flowers blooming to pick the leaves. When I have enough, I can make an herbal tea or an infused oil out of the flowers or leaves. Some people have smoked the leaves to help coughs from asthma or a cold. The seeds are toxic and should not be used, except to grow more! Mullen flower is also available from health food stores. The root and seeds can be purchased from on-line sources. It only takes a tablespoon per 8 ounces of water to brew a cup of relief. The leaves can be bitter, but the flowers are not. It is free of side effects for most folks, but the small hairs on the leaves can be irritating. They can be scraped off prior to use if this occurs. So the next time you’re driving along the highway or down through Dry Valley, look out for mullein. It is definitely another one of the useful wild and free “weeds” we can benefit from! a
“Fair & Balanced” means Spin gets Equal Time
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The Valley, August 2014
FIRST ANNUAL CHILI COOK OFF! I just love a good bowl of chili. In fact I crave it, even in the hot summer months. In addition to a bowl of chili, I love a nice spicy chili served over top a warm bed of nachos smothered with freshly melted cheddar and some jalepenos. I must stop! My mouth is watering.... Now imagine my delight when I opened a letter from the Penn State Cooperative Extension Office, and there was a brightly colored flyer announcing a Chili Cook Off—in Mifflin County! Yes!! I hit the lottery! It looks as though they are currently generating teams for the cook off, and if they get enough to make it successful, the event will be held on October 11 (is there a better time than fall for a chili cook off, I ask you?) at the
Reedsville Youth Park Fairgrounds from 11am to 3pm. The
event is being co-sponsored by Geisinger Lewistown Hospital,
the Mifflin Juniata Career Technology Center and the Penn State Lewistown Cooperative Center. Hats off to them for coming up with something new for our area to enjoy as a community. Currently, the organizers are soliciting teams of 4 to 5 people to enter the contest. There are many rules to participate as a team, but all are intended to maintain sanitary and safe conditions for the preparation of the chili and those who eat it. The public will be able to taste all chili entries for $.50/taste. I will bring my wad of cash because I NEED to taste each and every chili! But wait, it gets even better— there’s not only chili to sample, there will be wine vendors (providing tasting), a horse shoe competition, a corn hole event, and games for the kids. This sounds like a lot of fun! Let’s get back to the chili.... First place prizes will be awarded in three categories: (1) Family & friends (2) Busi-
ness & Industry (3) Commercial. A prize will also be given to the Best Decorated Themed Booth and the Gand Prize will be “The People’s Choice Award,” which will be given to the team that the public decides has made “the best darn chili ever.” That team will receive an engraved trophy, which can be displayed at a business of their choice until next year. Other category winners will also receive a trophy for display.
Are you interested in getting in on some of this action? For all the official rules and regulations and a Chili Cook-Off Team Application, contact Harriet Arndt, 152 East Market Street, Suite 100 at the Penn State Learning Center. Alternatively, email hla13@psu.edu or call 717-2499618. Please, for the love of chili (specifically MY love of chili), come out and support this event! a
Why Shade Mountain Is Unique:
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Nestled at the base of Shade Mountain is a quiet, tranquil location where three licensed Massage Therapists provide treatments with 100% natural products. Look next door and you will find where those products were designed, made and packaged… Shade Mountain Naturals! We beg you to come see what we have to offer and see for yourself what makes us like no other! Thursdays and Fridays 10 to 6 First Saturday of every month from 10 to 2 Shade Mountain R&R
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Read our story, schedule an appointment or order online at www.shade-mountain.com 717-248-8847 45 Serenity Lane, Lewistown, PA
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The Valley, August 2014
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Our Environment Our Culture “The Belleville Sale Summer Workshop Series” by Kevin Morgan
The Big Valley is what the locals call it but technically its real name is the Kishacoquillas Valley. It originates near Allensville and makes its way to Lewistown where it empties into the Juniata. Known for its large Plain Sect community and the Belleville Livestock Auction and Sale, which takes place every Wednesday, the valley is intrinsic to the agricultural community of Mifflin County. However, the Kishacoquillas Creek is currently on Pennsylvania’s 303d list, which classifies the watershed as impaired; being on the 303d list means that the creek has high amounts of sediment and nutrient loading according to the stipulations in PA Chapter 93. This law is derived from the Clean Water Act. Many times this is caused by a point source, but in the case of the Kishacoquillas, it is often a non-point source issue. This means that the root cause of the impairment is not located at one location, but is due to many problems throughout the watershed; and many times these are caused by human activity such as agricultural activity, develop-
ment, or deforestation. Community Partnerships RC&D, with the support of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and supporting agencies such as the Mifflin County Conservation District and DCNR, are tackling this issue by increasing awareness and educating landowners within the watershed on steps and resources available for them to improve the quality of the Kish Creek and to improve the productivity of their properties. We will be hosting a series of workshops at the Belleville Sale Barn starting in midAugust and running through the beginning weeks of September. Below is a list of the workshops with speakers, and a general description of the talking points. Also provided are dates and times of each discussion. Riparian Buffer Construction with Trevor Weaver- August 13th from 11:30 to 12:30. Trevor is the Outreach & Technical Assistance Coordinator for the Mifflin County Conservation District. He will be explaining about Riparian Buffer importance to the restoration of the Kish Creek and about
Caving Mifflin County with Todd Karschner
I am going to take a little detour this month. I have been out caving, and we have some awesome pictures to show you of “never before explored” caves that we have found, but I have been just too busy to upload the pictures in order to write about them. I have a good reason. GOOD NEWS BOAT OWNERS! There is a new boat shop in town! Karschners Marine Services, located in Nagney, PA at 590 Nagney Road, just outside of Milroy, across from Mifflin County Recycling, and across the bridge in the old “battery quarry.” If you are not familiar with the area, call ahead for directions. Specializing in older outboards as far back as the 60’s, I offer everything from tune-ups to complete engine and drive overhaul. I also offer parts and supplies
along with technical support for the do-it-yourself gang, Some of the other services are winterization, prop repair, carburetor cleaning and rebuilding, and water pump replacement. In the off season from November 1st until March 1st, hourly rates are reduced for those who need major service work to get a jump on the spring rush. Also during the off season, are chainsaw services, saw sharpening and small engine services. Pick up and delivery service is also available. We even offer dockside service for Raystown Lake, Sayers Lake, Juniata River from Raystown to Clarks Ferry, and the Susquehanna River between Selingsgrove and Harrisburg.
a current program the District is offering for the construction of buffers. Soil Health and Management with Joel Myers- August 27th from 11:30 to 12:30. Joel is a retired conservationist and lifetime farmer. He will be speaking about management practices and techniques to improve water infiltration and improve the productivity of agricultural fields. After his talk, Tyson Myers of the NRCS will be demonstrating the Rainfall Simulator using local agricultural field samples. Forest Management with Gerald Hoy- September 10th from 11:30 to 12:30. Gerald is a local forester with DCNR. He will discuss sustainable timber harvesting. Each one of these topics will provide information on how we can improve the condition of the Kishacoquillas Watershed. The Kish Creek at one time was a cold water trout stream, but over time sediment and nutrient loading has curtailed the existence of the native fish. By educating the public on simple management techniques for use on their properties, things can turn around and Kishacoquillas Creek can hopefully be removed from the 303d list. a Have a boat you want to sell? You can post it at the shop or for a small fee, you can set it at the shop. Looking for a used boat, trailer or both? Call or stop by. I also buy old or damaged outboards and parts. KSM also recently became a Rotary Dealer! We offer a FULL LINE of replacement parts for many brands of small engines including chainsaws. Do it yourselfers can come and get their parts at KSM, but it also allows me access to parts direct for the repairs I perform for you—THIS saves you $$$. It also makes for a quicker turn-around on all of your repairs. Amish customers should know that I will gladly pick up and deliver back to you any item to be repaired—many of your neighbors are already using that service. Coming soon are boat and RV shrinkwrapping and boat/RV storage. Give me a call at 717-5133545 or stop in to see what I can do for you! Todd K. a
Dairy Connection by Kelly Beck
Centre Count y Dair y Princess As August rolls around so does fair season. County fairs are going on all around and it seems like everyone is there to enjoy them. At Grange Fair, people look forward to the rides, the food, entertainment and animal shows, which make every fair great. I enjoy having a different meal each night for supper, going to the grandstand to listen to bands and spending my time in the barns. It is always fun to see who is new this year, meet with friends from past years, and talk to the people walking through the barns and getting ready for the shows. While it may not be all fun and games, it is an experience each year to be able to show what all the hard work throughout the year has done. From a blue ribbon book to winning first place with your animal, the experience is never dull. Here are two recipes that are great fair foods and will help you to get your three servings of dairy every day! Vanilla Milkshakes 4 c. Vanilla Ice Cream 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract 2 c. Milk Using a milkshake mixer or blender, blend all ingredients together. More or less milk
can be used for thicker or thinner milkshakes. Serves 4 Funnel Cakes 2 cups milk 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups allpurpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) melted butter Powdered sugar, for topping 6 cups oil for frying Heat oil in cast iron skillet. Combine milk, egg, vanilla in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar and gradually add to wet ingredients. Beat with a mixer until a smooth batter forms. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into a funnel using your index finger to stop the flow of the batter. Bring the funnel over the hot oil and release your finger to start a stream of batter while moving the funnel in a circular motion to create spiral-like shapes. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and slightly puffed. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. a
R. O. F. F.
Rescue Our Furry Friends by Patricia Lawson
All of us at ROFF hope you’re having a wonderful summer! Please check out our website: www.roff.cc or our Facebook page to see all the cute and cuddly rescues that are looking for you. I adopted a kitten from a barn in Lancaster almost 8 years ago, and it has been one of the best things I ever did! I had the expense to take care of our kitten’s shots and neutering, but when you adopt from ROFF, that is all taken care of, plus the cats are littertrained and have been in great care among fellow felines. So, for only $40, all you need is some food and a litter box, and you’re good to go!
“Fair & Balanced” means Spin gets Equal Time
Can you help us out? ROFF Rescue is in need of Purina One Chicken & Rice dry dog food, Purina Dog Chow and Purina Beneful Healthy Weight. These items may be dropped off at 133 N. Walnut Street in Burnham. Thank you! Save the date…ROFF will be holding a 2nd Cash Nite on Saturday, October the 25th. Check out our web-site and Facebook page to find out when the tickets will be available. Tickets will be only $35, and based on how successful the spring event was, they will go fast! Talk to you next month! Until they all have homes… www.roff.cc a
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The Valley, August 2014
Trail Cams Are The Best Form Of Scouting The best time to get some trail cam pictures is right now. The deer are loading up on lots of protein getting ready for the winter. If you like to get pics of fawns and bucks in velvet, now is the time to do it. Get your cameras out along field edges, tree line and trails leading to and from the food source. Using trail cams is the best way to scout your area without putting your scent all over the secret hunting spot. You might also catch some great pictures of bear, or maybe the elusive bobcat or coyote. I love to get my trail cams all fired up at this time of year to see what type of quality deer we have on the property we lease. Trail cameras are good in many ways. Some trail cams take video. All trail cams have the date
and time on the bottom of the picture so you can pattern the deer that stroll by your favorite tree. I have some great trail cam pictures of fawns and little cubs that make
awesome screen savers for my computers. You can also use the nice little devices to catch people that trespass on your property. With new and improved Infrared (IR) cameras, they do not even know they were caught on camera. We have a few people that fell into our camera trap and did not even realize it. Trail cams come in many different shapes and sizes. Some even fit in your back pocket— easy to carry in and out. The pictures are all captured on a small SD card. Carry a new card into the woods, and swap it with the card that is in your camera, and the trail cam is ready for new pictures. Trail cams range from 2 megapixel to 12 megapixel. They even have trail cams out now that will
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foster parent or adopt...you’ll love it too! The Truth Has No Agenda
email the pictures to your computer or to your phone. The only reason you have to enter your hunting area is to change the batteries. At VSO, we have many trail cam options for you to choose from. VSO has mounts that mount to trees and ground stakes in case there are no trees for the camera to be mounted on. Stop In at Valley Sports N Outdoors and check out the lineup of trail cams. a
The Valley, August 2014
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Side Note: Nature’s Cure For Bee Stings
I’m going with a bit of a change of pace this month, and related to art only in the sense that a visual artist, like a writer, is better off knowing their subject well. I often paint outdoors, or outdoor subjects like stream scenes, rural landscapes, and wildlife. I grew up in Penns Valley and have spent many hours in the fields and woods, with a particular interest in getting to know and understand the plants and animals around me. In some cases, there are very useful things to know about the plants we walk among. The plant featured here is known both as Jewelweed and Touch-me-not. There are two species, the orange-flowered Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and the lemon yellow-flowered Pale Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida). As you might guess, they are related to the garden Impa-
tiens. The name Touch-me-not comes from the seed pods, which easily pop open at a touch when ripe to disperse their seeds. The Jewelweed name comes from the way dew or rain beads up on the leaves, glistening in the light like jewels. Other than the flower color, both species are nearly identical and both are usually found in damp places near streams or ponds or in wet ditches. They grow two to four feet high, getting taller where they have plenty of water. Jewelweed is well known for reducing or eliminating the effects of poison ivy if put on right away and being generally soothing for any kind of skin problem like sunburn or a rash. The crushed juicy stems release a slightly sticky aloe-like liquid that is just mashed onto the problem area.
The less known and more miraculous quality of the plant in my book, though, is its effect on bee, wasp, or hornet stings if applied within a few minutes of the sting. I don’t know whether it neutralizes the poison or controls the body’s immune response, but I’ve found that a sting is completely counteracted if this is done right away. I got stung while walking through a field of goldenrod a week ago, probably by a paper wasp, and knew there was jewelweed growing within fifty feet. I got it on right away, and the throbbing pain of the sting disappeared within a minute or two. The sting site never swelled or itched later as it normally would, and the only thing left the next day was a tiny red dot where the stinger penetrated. A few days ago a group of us were playing Frisbee at the Coburn Park and a toddler of about a year and a half got stung on the finger by a yellow jacket. He was crying inconsolably because of the pain, so I grabbed a jewelweed plant from along the edge of the park near the creek and suggested to his parents that they try it. Within two minutes he suddenly stopped crying and the worried look left his face. I hadn’t even realized that the mom also got a sting getting the yellow
jacket away from him and had put some on her sting, too. She got an amazed look on her face and told me that hers had stopped hurting as well. So, please get to know this common local plant and the kinds of places it grows, and be ready to use it in case of a sting or poison ivy exposure. Just crush up the soft stem between your fingers and hold it against the site for a half minute or so to absorb the juices. Repeat again in a couple of minutes for good measure. I’d love to hear reports back on how it works for you, and especially if anyone with a serious bee allergy tries it. In that case, I would still have your epi-pen ready if needed and head for the emergency room just in case, but those more extreme measures might prove unnecessary. Let me know how it goes at karlericleitzel@gmail. com. On the art front, a new show of amazing large format paintings by Elody Gyekis called “Mythology” opens August 1 at the Green Drake Gallery in Millheim for the months of August and September. Also, stop by to see me at the Centre County Grange Fair as I once again paint the fair in late August. You can find me either painting somewhere on the grounds or at my display in the
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Emporium Building most days of the fair. a
The more common Spotted Jewelweed, or Touch-me-not, showing both the orange flower and the easily popped open seed pod. Photo by the author.
The Pale Jewelweed has lemonyellow flowers and no reddish tones in the stem color, but is otherwise identical. Photo by the author.
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The Valley, August 2014
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The Valley, August 2014
Joanne Wills-Kline Contentment Quest Can it really be August already? Where has the summer gone? Well, out on our farm, it’s been going mostly pretty well. Like always, some crops are doing better than others, but always there’s plenty to start to put away for winter. Canning and preserving are getting into full swing now and we are busy getting fall crops in, but even so, there’s always time to do some thinking. And you know how that goes, you start thinking about one thing when you’re pulling weeds and the next thing you know, your head’s gone somewhere else by the time you’re at the end of the row. One of the things that has been bouncing around in my brain lately is about science, or maybe I should say about how we understand – or don’t understand – what it means when we say science. We farmers hear a lot about science anymore. You hear about scientists saying we should do this or that, or you hear about good science or bad science. And you have to wonder sometimes if science has anything to do with what we feel is important. But since there’s so much talk about science in farming, I thought it would be a good idea to start at the beginning and try to figure out what science is, before I try to figure out if it’s good or bad. So I looked it up in the English dictionary and here is what I found. Science is knowledge of facts and laws arranged in an orderly system. That’s what the dictionary says. So, I thought about it for quite a few rows of weeding and I read a bit more. I think I’m beginning to see what they’re talking about and I just wanted to share a few of those thoughts here. Science, it turns out, is a word that covers a lot of things. There are all kinds of knowledge and there are all kinds of people who study that knowledge and they are the scientists. Here are a few of the kinds of science and scientists that I read about. And this is a very short list. Biologists study biology, which is anything that is alive. Chemists study chemistry, which is anything that has to do with chemicals – and that could mean pesticides or essential oils. Geolo-
gists study things that aren’t alive, like rocks and soil. Economists study how money works, and sociologists study how people live and work together. There is even a science called theology that is the study God. Theos is the Greek word for God. It turns out that a lot of the words in science are in Latin or Greek because, back in the day, people who were educated, no matter what country they came from, could speak to each other since they all spoke Latin or Greek, so science was in those languages too. Now, what all of these scientists do is to try to learn facts about what they study and put them in order so that they are easy for others to learn about. People, like doctors, and the people who made kerosene to light lamps, and the people who make paper for books. It seems like everything that people use comes from some kind of science. It can all seem awful much to think about. And maybe it seems like it doesn’t have much to do with life on a farm or trying to live life as God wants us to. But then I got to thinking, and I don’t know what I was weeding when this happened, and it hit me that farmers are scientists too. Maybe even the first scientists. Think about it. We are biologists because we study all the living things on the farm, plants, animals, weeds and even our children, so we can keep them healthy and safe. We study the soil and how it works, and we try to make it better so we are geologists. We are chemists because, even if we don’t understand it, the manure we put on our fields and the teas we drink to stay healthy are chemicals that come from nature. The more I thought about it, the more there is to call us scientists. We are economists because we try to earn a living by farming and have to understand how money works, we are sociologists because we live and work together as families in a community and we have to study on that to make it work. And when we read the Bible and think about that, we are studying God to try to understand His will. So you see, I think that there’s a good reason to call us
Passeggiata… Take a Little Walk In Italy, people in nearly every city, village, town, and countryside venture outdoors for a little evening stroll known as a “passeggiata.” The purpose of the passeggiata is not to exercise or burn calories per say, but rather to get outside among neighbors and community to take a little walk – a slow meandering stroll. Participating in a passeggiata correctly requires that the individual “slow-down” and take in one’s surroundings – mindfully connect with one’s surroundings for a period of time. I am currently in a season of “slow” and my intention is to savor it. In the not so distant past, I was comfortable in a very long season of action/do/go/keep on going no matter what. It was a season of achievement and goal completion… and it took an enormous amount of energy of my day to day life. When my season of action/achievement was winding down, I was beset with personal concerns of “what’s next?!” Meandering through life and operating from a slow and steady stance were not possibilities I wanted to discover. Then, something completely unexpected happened – my health deteriorated quickly. It was as though life was “informing” me that it was time to move at a much slower pace and clear my “to-do list.” Deterioration in health can serve as an excellent teacher if we choose to learn from the experience. I chose to heed the lesson, and in addition, learned that living life in the
slow lane has many rewards. The world will not stop to embrace my or your permission of slow. In fact, it is likely that your corner of the world, and the people in it, will criticize your decision to slow-down. And, quite possibly, will do everything in their power to get you back on track – their track and whirlwind pace of busy, busy, busy – so that your time once again belongs to someone or something other than yourself. If you truly desire a slow pace, a schedule with lovely white space (spaces open with opportunity of your desires), time to fill as you please, and a simplified lifestyle, then mindfully choose to eliminate things from your life that do not serve well a life in the slow lane – regardless of criticisms. Boldly say “No” to anything that does not align with the life pace you are working to create. Creating a life in the “slow-lane” is work, but the fruits of such labor are so very worthwhile. It is like creating a beautiful garden with bountiful fruits and vegetables and stunning flowers – it takes much effort, time, and pruning. Paring away hustle and bustle in one’s life is very personal, and it may look very different from person to person. Life doesn’t have to be heavy. You can choose how to view your life and the world. Choose to make it light. Choose to make it like a passeggiata – slow, mindful, and meandering. I leave you with a couple of “thought appetizers”… food for
farmers scientists and it’s like everything else. We can use what we learn for good or for bad, just like the scientists who work in other places. We can choose to work with nature or against nature. And we have to think very hard about what our choices will mean not just for us but for everyone. And that’s a science too. It’s called ethics. a
will burn approximately 370 calories per hour. Not only can you expect to lose a little weight, but you will build muscle. Horseback riding is one form of exercise that you hardly notice you are exercising because you are enjoying riding and bonding with the horses. Horseback riding not only gets you out in the fresh air, but it is great for relieving stress. A lesson program should help you progress to whatever goal you want to achieve. Each lesson builds on the previous lesson and challenges you to learn more. As I discussed last month in the Horse Scoop, clinics and riding lessons often help us step outside our comfort zone and push us to
Let That Be A Lesson from page 10
about controlling the horse. If you are interested in improving your health, horseback riding is great exercise. The average person
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thought from fellow “slow life” advocators who heed the restorative necessity of living life in the slow lane for a season or so. Enjoy… “As much as I sometimes wish I could post a bulletin to the world, announcing a celestial time out, I know that isn’t the answer. Many are in a season of speed, a time of movement, of action, and go. But that is not where I am now… So here’s to you, my fellow slow-processors. Take the long way home. Embrace the silence to consider. Give yourself permission to think, to listen, to be sure. Here’s to waiting before we move, pausing before we speak, and taking a week to cross of our day list. Here’s to shuffling our feet, playing on the floor, and staring out the window if we need to. Here’s to listening to our questions, sitting in the darkness, and letting our experiences do their deep work within us. Here’s to a long, deep breath.” ~Emily P. Freeman (www.chatting@thesky.com) “We act like sleep is a luxury or an indulgence; as a result, sacrificing sleep in the name of productivity has become routine. But the opposite’s true. Cheating our sleep is like maxing our credit cards. There’s a benefit now—at least, it feels like it—but the bill always comes due in the form of decreased health and mental ability. No one would choose to be sick and stupid, but depriving our bodies of sleep is the same thing. Robbing our sleep is robbing our productivity.” ~Michael Hyatt a ride even better. Regardless of whether you have ever had or felt you needed a horseback riding lesson, we can all learn more from someone else’s observation and evaluation of our riding skills. So let that be a lesson that you are never too old, too young, too good, or too bad to consider investing in, whatever level of riding lesson suits you. One of the most important goals in horseback riding lessons is to improve; improve your riding, improve your health, improve your mind... improve your life. a
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Fifty Years Ago August 1964 Pennsylvania Governor William W. Scranton, and erstwhile Keystone State favorite son candidate for the Republican nomination for President against Barry Goldwater, spoke at Green Gable Hotel to an invited crowd of 250. Gov. Scranton praised the work of the Mifflin County Industrial Development Corporation, and was warmly received by the “Who’s Who” of the county. Ground breaking was held at the site of the future water filtration plant in the Seven Mountains; the 72nd Central District Volunteer Firemen’s Convention was held in Lewistown and Fame Fire Company wins the Mifflin County Softball League title over City in a 5-2 win. The Burnham Drive-In Theatre was showing “He Rides Tall” starring Dan Duryea and Tony Yound, plus Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in “Charade.” Reminder, first show at dusk and $1.50 a car load. The Embassy Theatre drew the young crowd with “Bikini Beach” starring Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and Martha Hyer. Shirley McClain and Paul Newman starred in “What a Way to Go!” at the Miller with shows at 2, 7 and 9:10 p.m. One Hundred Years ago August 1914 As the First World War raged in Europe, the United States remained at peace. However, the cost of commodities jumped on this side of the Atlantic. Local warehouses received notices from supplying firms that foodstuffs, like flour, sugar and coffee will be both scarce and costly. “Dan Cupid on Job at County Bastille,” noted the Lewistown Democrat & Sentinel. The newspaper took some delight is reporting that, “Little God of Love Uses His Good Offices in Making Emma Pentland the Blushing Bride of Tony Chirco.” United in marriage by Justice of the Peace W. P. Searer, the report continued, “The smiling groom, a youthful native of sunny Italy, and latterly a resident of Yeagertown, has been a guest of the official family of Sheriff Thomas VanZandt at the
county Bastille since last May as his portion of the fight along the Milroy Branch of the PRR.” It seems Judge J. M. Woods acted the part of good fairy by releasing the young bridegroom on parole following the expiration of his term in jail. The bride and groom repaired to her father’s home for a welcoming reception. “Farmers Win Road Victory,” announced the headlines. State Highway Commissioner Bigelow ordered the Auto Registration Division to accept all applications for traction engines to traverse state roads. A win for the farmers, notes the paper, removes any misunderstanding in the Automobile Act of 1913.
case in point. No adequate defense was in place and the quota of emergency volunteers was unmet during that perilous event. The editor called for martial law to be declared when another invasion threatens, covering every border county from the Susquehanna to the Alleghenies, and every man from 18 to 45 be put under arms. a
The Road to Faster Recovery
Civil War Echoes August 1864 “Burning of Chambersburg” was the headline on page one of the Lewistown Gazette, relating that 200 to 500 Confederates under Gen. Bradley Johnson had demanded $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in greenbacks or the town would be burned. Unable, or unwilling to produce the ransom, the stores and houses were plundered, the townsfolk driven into the streets and the town torched. The story took up a column and a half on the front page. “Invasions and Their Remedy” was the subject of a Gazette editorial, and pointed to the burning of Chambersburg as a
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The Valley, August 2014
Modern Energy and Alternative Heating with Curt Bierly
Bicycling the Rail Trails If you missed my Rail Trail article in August 2013, a quick review will “bring you up to speed.” Rail Trails, as the name suggests, are former railroads that have been abandoned and are converted to a trail that is open to hiking, walking or the use of non-motorized vehicles. The trail surface is usually a fine crushed stone packed down to provide a very hard surface, and because trains don’t like steep grades, there are no big hills to climb! There are numerous Trailheads along the way that provide access points to the trail, sometimes bathrooms, and always parking. Some Trailheads are more developed and have gift shops in former railroad stations. The Pine Creek Rail Trail north of
Jersey Shore passes very near our home and it is truly amazing how many people use this trail. People walking their dogs, joggers and bikers—youngsters and oldsters. I’ve seen families out for a ride with mom, daughter, son and, if they’re too young to ride a bike, dad will pull them in an ultra-light enclosed “trailer” that hooks to his bike. Occasionally, I will see a family pet in the trailer being towed by the pet’s owner. Hybrid bicycles are generally used to ride a Rail Trail, although any bicycle will do. The hybrid bike has a medium width tire as opposed to a larger width mountain bike tire or a skinny road bike tire. Other then the tire size, the hybrid is a standard multispeed bike that you can purchase at any
good bike shop. In addition, recumbent bicycles are gaining in popularity. We are seeing more of these on the trail, both the two and three wheel types. They are more expensive then a standard bicycle, but people that own them say they are more comfortable to ride. Also available are comfort bicycles, which allow you more to be in an upright posture as opposed to being in the tuck position on a standard hybrid bike. The number of Rail Trails have been growing rapidly as cities, states and non profit organizations have been buying or leasing abandoned railroads and converting them to Rail Trails. There is currently a bicycle trail that you can ride that starts in Washington DC and goes all the way to Point State Park in Pittsburgh (340 miles). Amazing! If you haven’t ridden a bike in many years, you may be concerned that you can’t ride very far. I know when we started riding the Pine Creek Trail we only went a few miles before we would turn around and return. Now our average evening ride is 12 to 15 miles. Halfway, we’ll stop at a bench along the trail in a scenic spot and take a break. We carry
water inside the bag mounted behind the seat in lieu of on the bottle holder mounted on the frame of the bike. On a warm summer night the water stays cooler in the bag. Tomorrow we leave for a weekA Comfort Bike allows you to be upright in your seat. end bike trip with friends and family town and return to Confluence. on the Great Allegheny Passage Ohiopyle is where the Yough Raft (GAP) Rail Trail south of PittsTrips begin. Falling Waters is burgh. We rented a house in Connear, but not on the Rail Trail. fluence, PA, which is very near The Rails to Trails Conserthe trail. On Saturday morning vancy (www.railstotrails.org) we’ll have a “local” shuttle us to publishes a magazine and logs Meyersdale, PA and we’ll ride 30 the trails in all states with commiles back to the vacation rental ments published on their website house in Confluence. The bike from people that have ridden the ride from Meyersdale to Conflutrails. ence travels along one of the The Pine Creek Trail receives most scenic sections of the Great great reviews and is easily accesAllegheny Passage. It includes the sible to this paper’s readership. 1,900 foot long Salisbury Viaduct Why not grab a bicycle and give it near Meyersdale, the 200 foot a try! high wind turbines on the Decker Curt Bierly is president of Farm, the Pinkerton High and the bierly group incorporated of Low Bridges, the CSX Gateway which Stanley C. Bierly is a diviProject that involves the “daysion. He graduated from Penn lighting” of the Pinkerton Tunnel State with a BS in Mechanical and the bridges over the CasselEngineering and is the chair of man River at Harnedsville and in the Penn College HVAC Advisory Confluence. On Sunday, we’ll Board. You can contact him at ride to Ohiopyle, PA, walk the cbierly@bierlygroup.com. a
Call us today to schedule your appointment.
1-877-643-4327 www.uhrings.com
3 Convenient Locations: 1130 W 4th St. Suite #2 Lewistown, Pa 17044 611 University Drive State College, PA 16801 6678 Towne Center Blvd. Huntingdon, PA 16652
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Wild rabbits are much different than your domestic pet rabbit. When you find a nest of wild rabbits, your first instinct is to pick them up, and if there is not a mother around, you think they are orphaned and take them inside. While this may seem like you are helping them, it is actually the worst thing you could do. Wild rabbits only come to their nest about two times a day, to feed and care for their babies. They do this so they do not attract attention to their nest full of helpless babies. When you find a nest, there is no harm in taking a peek at them. If they are pink, and warm, they are perfectly healthy and should be left alone. But if they are bluish,or grey, and cold, they are in trouble and mom is probably no longer alive. In this case, take the babies out of the nest and put them under your shirt, against your skin to warm them up. While you are warming them up, call your local wildlife rescue center
and tell them you have orphaned kits, and would like to bring them to the rescue. I do NOT suggest you attempt to raise these babies on your own. If you have no wildlife rescue center in your area, a rabbit savvy vet will do. If you have neither one of these facilities in your area, hand rearing them is the only chance they have. Do not let these wild babies come in contact with any of your domestic rabbits, as they can transmit parasites and all sorts of nasty things. The first important thing to do is to determine the babies age. Wild babies develop faster than domestic ones, since they need to be able to defend for themselves as fast as possible. They start growing a soft fuzz at only a few days old. They will open their eyes at 10-11 days old, and need to be hand fed until they are about 14 days old. At that point they will be able to eat rabbit pellets, and hay.
There is some controversy over using Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) verses 2% cow’s milk to feed these kits. Some people swear by cow’s milk and say they have never lost a kit to it, while others say KMR is the only way to go. This is up to you what you would like to use. You can use cow’s milk for the first day or so, even if you plan to use KMR, until you can get to the store to get some. Kits are only fed two times a day, and it is very important not to over feed them. There are several ways to feed the babies, depending on how old they are. You may have to gently force feed them with an eyedropper for the first several days if they are very young. You can also buy a tiny baby bottle with a nipple made for rabbits, or you can take a Q-tip and dip the end in the milk, and let the baby suck off of that. It is really trial and error, but these babies have tiny tummies, so do not be surprised if they do not drink that much. The bellies should be full, but not as tight as a drum, every time you finish feeding. These kits should be released into the wild when they are between 4 and 6 weeks old. Do not try to keep them as pets—they are wild animals and would never be happy in captivity. The important thing to remember in all of this is...these
PACleanways of Mifflin County Keep PA Beautiful When the paper comes out this month we will be working on the four county river cleanup. On September 20th, we will be holding our annual Tire Recycle Challenge at the Lewistown Borough Refuse Yard on Washington Avenue from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. . If you would like to know when your county is doing one of these events, go to www. keeppennsylvaniabeautiful.org and check out what your county may be doing. This month I wanted to write on a topic that involves the safety of all county residents, not just ones that have health conditions from people burning their trash. Burning leaves or yard waste isn’t as bad as people who want to burn their household trash. One lady told me she can always tell when her neighbor burns his pile of household trash because she not only smells how bad it is, but she hears the rats that had been living in the pile running on her back porch that night. On days that the neighbor burns, she can-
not sit out side on her porch and doesn’t want to do any yard work that day. Townships in Mifflin County and throughout the state often enact ordinances to protect their residents from air pollution and nuisances caused by open burning. The regulations states there will be no open burning of material except for certain exceptions, which are listed in the township ordinance. Criminal penalties can be brought against any person who violates any provision of the township ordinance. The Policy of the Ordinance is to determine that air pollution from open burning may be detrimental to the health, comfort, living conditions, welfare, and safety of the citizens of their municipality from such air pollution. Domestic refuse – Waste that is generated from the normal occupancy of a structure occupied solely as a dwelling by two families or less. The term does not include appliances, carpets, demo-
lition waste (insulation shingles, siding, etc.), furniture, mattresses or box springs, paint, putrescible waste, solvents, tires, or treated wood. The Ordinance can not be less restrictive than the state law set forth by the Department of Environmental Protection, but can be more restrictive than the one the state adopts. Most Townships set days and times for burning and that the burning has to be done in an enclosed container. Many townships that have burning ordinances in place restrict when people can burn. Most cannot burn on Sundays and holidays and cannot burn after sunset. Some only allow residents to burn one or two days a week. Before you light that match, think about your neighbor’s health conditions. Pam Sechrist Affiliate Coordinator a
babies are wild animals, and the survival rate of these babies is already low in the wild, but it is even lower when being hand reared. So do not feel like you have done something wrong if your babies do not make it. That is why rabbits have so many kits, if they all survived, this world
would be overrun with rabbits! If you find babies and you have no place to take them and do not have the time to devote to caring for them your self, feel free to contact me and I can help you find a place to take them. (maplespringsrabbitry@7mcs. com) a
Next Issue of The Valley September 3rd
LIbrary Lines Your Mifflin County Library
Preserving the Harvest and Enriching the Mind by Trish Forshey
It’s that time of year again, August, aka the dog days of summer. These are the days that are so hot and humid that we begin to rationalize an early winter and yearn for the days when we can wear blue jeans and sweatshirts again. If you are looking for something to get you through these hazy, hot and borderline miserable days, I think I have just the thing…home preserving. Now I will be the first to tell you that I am by no means an expert in this category. The thought of using a pressure canner scares the life out of me! However, I have a genuine desire to do as my grandmothers did and preserve the harvest. We are extremely lucky to live in a region where agriculture is very prevalent, thus giving us access to the freshest of the fresh vegetables. It seems almost a shame to not try my hand at preserving them. Now as I said earlier, I am a novice in this area. Both of my great-grandmothers were very experienced in this department; however, they have both passed away, so what is one to do? Where can I go to find a wealth of information on the subject for FREE? The answer is to visit your local library, of course! There are literally dozens of books that touch on this subject ranging from growing your own vegetables, to making organic compost, and then to actually preserving what you have grown. You can choose from hundreds of recipes for jams, pickles and sauces, or if you are very new to preserving, some will teach you the basics. You can learn the best
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way to sterilize your jars, what equipment you need to purchase, what it means to process your jars, how to store the finished product and much more. Oh, and the recipes…good gravy the recipes! Who knew there were so many different types of jams and jellies? Try new combinations such as peach and ginger, strawberry and jalapeño, or the old tried and true raspberry, blueberry or apple. I am hoping to make the most out of this growing season and maybe even save myself some money in the process on future grocery bills. I am betting that any of you who have ever enjoyed sweet corn in December that was frozen or canned in August, or spread some homemade strawberry jam on your toast in February that was made in June, knows the joy of preserving. There really is nothing like that fresh-picked taste that you achieve by locking in the flavor during the peak growing season. So if you are looking for a constructive way to pass the time during this last official month of summer, come on out to the library, which I would like to remind you is air conditioned, and look for some reading material on gardening, preserving or whatever floats your boat. We would be glad to help you find what you are looking for. In the meantime, I will be trying to preserve the harvest while nourishing the body and enriching the mind all while enjoying my favorite pastime, reading. Enjoy the rest of your summer! a
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created from what was once a conferBuild Your Family History ence room (with original cabinetry) in this Belleville Home and a walk-in safe has been by Kim Rickert transformed into a walk-in closet off the bathroom. A secret retreat at the back of the home Homes are full of memories when the building served as the This Federalist Classic home reveals a wine and if the walls could talk in this original Belleville Town Hall. welcomes visitors from the mocave and private home—what a story they would Serving first as a busy Genment you step onto the wide, The formal dining room features hardwood floors stone patio that tell! eral Store on the dirt streets of pillared front porch and enter the offers respite from and French Doors. Built in 1863, while AbraBelleville, then through the years spacious living room and formal the interior of the home, beautihot summer days ham Lincoln was President, this as the Town Hall, an office and dining room areas. The living ful landscaping has been added, and a cozy entertainbuilding still stands proudly in the home for the town’s first doctor, and a covered porch overlooks ment area. Fire up the the Farmer’s National the plants and flowers. A one car grill here and keep the Bank, a Bed & Breakdetached garage offers shelter for heat out of the kitchen fast, and today as a vehicles or lawn equipment, and a when temperatures contemporary famnew 12 x 20 shed is included with soar! ily home. Built with the property. The gravel driveway The second a sense of style, the offers plenty of off-street parking floor offers three home is a testament for guests. spacious bedrooms, to the affluence of the With the convenience of the a dressing room and original owners, as evnew and the history of the old, closet area, and a idenced by the abunthis home awaits the next owner second floor full bath dant use of wide wood The home in its life as Farmers National Bank to write his page of the history— featuring a claw foot moldings and trim, could it be you? tub for relaxing soaks. The custom beautiful hardwood room is warmed with a remote Contact Kim or Katy at Stone designed master bedroom is spafloors,and floor to ceil- controlled electric fireplace and Arch Real Estate to arrange for a cious and offers the choice of a ing picture windows large picture window with a A beautifully landscaped and cared for 1863 home personal tour! a first floor or second floor master then used only in the park view. The dining room is awaits you to become part of its history. suite. All rooms have been painted most elaborate homes enhanced with French doors and and primped to make you feel of the period. The elegance of the heart of downtown Belleville at hardwood floors. If one prefers right at home. A walk home has been preserved, when 3947 West Main Street. The home a more casual eating space, the appropriate, such as an original kitchen area is adjacent to a break- up attic offers loads was originally built by one of Big of storage space, claw foot tub in the main bathfast nook/laundry area with more Valley’s founding families, the and it was there that room, hardwood floors throughout of the beautiful wood cabinetry. Watts. Among the many visitors the current owners the first floor, and built-in cabinets The kitchen layout lends to easy to the home, in addition to the discovered an 1844 rumored visit of Andrew Jackson, in many rooms. The home’s style meal preparation and the new coin atop a rafter, was then Pennsylvania Governor and character, protected over the stainless steel appliances make now framed in a place Martin Brumbaugh who addressed years, is now enhanced with the life easier! A main floor master of honor. It is said a crowd from the front porch conveniences of today. bedroom and bath have been that tradition dictated that craftsmen leave behind a hidden token—are there more awaiting discovery? PA Governor Martin Brumbaugh addressed the In addition to crowd from this porch.
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The Valley, August 2014
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The Valley, August 2014
“Scheduled Maintenance” for Recharging Intimacy So many say that sex stops once you get married. I say, “Baloney!” It doesn’t have to be that way. When I listen to couples’ stories, their disconnection seems to have a few common causes. If we can eliminate those causes, intimacy returns. Some partners feel that marriage was a goal. Once achieved, they switch goals to house, children, and careers, with no plan for maintaining the relationship. Thus, once the “special” things that once happened (i.e. courting rituals: flirting, dating, touching, etc.) have disappeared, they start to feel emotionally neglected, and sex drives weaken. How can you bring back your intimacy? Plan a working balance. Partners should work out some sort of equality of duties. The goal is to become an equal partnership within your lifestyle. For example, if one partner often ravels for a job and the other comes home every evening, the partner who travels should take a larger part in home maintenance and childcare on the weekends. Remain connected. Lack of touching disconnects many couples. Touch is very important in a love relationship. The most noted is the release of Oxytocin from the pituitary gland, which physiologically keeps a couple bonded. This neurochemical (AKA the cuddle chemical) is released in high amounts when a woman gives birth, when she breastfeeds, when partners touch, and during orgasms. The more you embrace, the more Oxytocin is released. Even daily 30-second hugs and touching can rekindle intimacy. Schedule date nights. Often, I see couples that haven’t gone on a date since long before they’ve exchanged vows. Dates offer the couple “intimate adult time” which they may rarely get. If money is tight try “in house” dates, like a candlelight picnic in the living room. Keep communications open. Intimacy blooms with sincere communication about everything, including sex. Good communica-
tion is at the core of a healthy relationship and needs to continue throughout a marriage. Many individuals have a difficult time telling their partner what feels good sexually and what doesn’t. Your body is yours forever. You direct how you want it treated. Let your partner know what feels good and what doesn’t. There are many more techniques to re-build intimacy; these four top the list. A working balance, touching, date nights, and communications should be “scheduled maintenance” – regular tune-ups for long-lasting intimacy. • If you want to create more intimacy in your relationship…. • If you want to stop feeling alone and start feeling like team-mates on a mission together... • If you want to stop bickering and start feeling your partner’s care and tender support... • If you want to stop feeling like nothing you can do is ever good enough and start feeling accepted.... • If you want to feel safe and secure in the knowledge that your partner will be there for you, no matter what... • Then call Coach Joanie and get yourself in her 12 week Couples Coaching program. • Re-connect and get on the same team— You’ll wake up 12 weeks from now next to your greatest ally, your closest friend and your passionate lover. Coachjoanie@ joanieyanusas.com 814-777-0410 www.joanieyanusas.com a
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The Valley, August 2014
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Raindrop Therapy by Tatyana Vdov Raindrop therapy is one of the few therapies that focuses on the detoxification of the cerebral spinal fluid, spinal column, and
muscles immediately surrounding the spinal column. Raindrop therapy is by far one of the most effective and non-invasive therapies for bacteria, virus, and fungus caused spinal misalignment. It is an amazing way to help your body detoxify, boost the immune system, and keep all the body systems in tune. So, what is so unique and different about Raindrop Therapy? It is a combination of the application
of nine powerful essential oils and massage. The essential oils that are used, possess anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. The massage technique focus on decompressing the soft tissue around the vertebrae. Essential oils are volatile extracts from various parts of plants. They have been used for centuries in the healing practices of Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine and other ancient healing arts. Because the essential oil structure is similar to that of the human cell, they easily penetrate and diffuse throughout the blood and tissues inhibiting growth of pathogens. In a Raindrop session the essential oils get dropped onto the spine creating a ‘raindrop’ sensation, hence the name. After, they are stroked into the spinal area. When all nine oils have been applied, warm towels are placed on the back to help the muscles
relax. The essential oils are also applied to the spinal reflex points on the feet. Even though a session lasts an hour, the oils continue to work in the body for up to 7 days after. It is important that the person receiving raindrop therapy drinks enough water at least a day before and after the session, as the body will go through an intense detoxification process. Insufficient water intake will result in nausea, headaches or flu-like symptoms. ~Tatyana Vdov (814) 937-0375 www.tanyasmassagetherapy.com a
Greetings! I just want to share with you a new line I picked up this year while in Atlanta. One item in particular caught my heart and that was gypsy gardens. This line was created by a mother who found her children lacked in imagination…because of all the gaming and television…so she set her creativity to work and developed this line of miniatures for the garden indoor or out. For me, it took me back to fond memories of riding my bike till dark, playing in the sand on vacations, and a tree house that I always wanted. Now that I am older (we will leave my age out of this), I want to have a chicken coop and...whalla I have a chicken coop in miniature form on my vanity where I can see it every day—just something to make me smile. Let the kid inside you come out and play using the imagina-
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tion God gave you. Start with one piece that makes you smile and build from that. Come in and look at all the different minis we have here—we would love to see what you create.
Bushmen at Home 1537 Loop Road Lewistown (717) 248-3484 Store hours Monday-Friday 10-5 Saturday 10-3 Closed Sundays a
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The Valley, August 2014 Marie Bostwick: A THREAD OF TRUTH A THREAD SO THIN THREADING THE NEEDLE TIES THAT BIND APART AT THE SEAMS
Mail Pouch Books by Carleen B. Grossman August is the month to get ready for school! Yes, for this month’s reading theme of “sewing,” I have reviewed an interesting novel for you as well as three excellent sewing non-fiction books that will get your creative juices flowing and produce products for you that will make going back to school extra special. During these hot, end-of-summer days, nothing could be better than some reading to do, maybe under the shade of a big tree while relaxing in a hammock, and a few fun sewing projects to do in a cool indoor environment!
to see the entire quilt/path. The story shows how sewing, i.e. quilting, helps to heal the troubled lives of these women. Sometimes the scenarios make you feel just like you are with the quilting group and enjoying the camaraderie of these four women. Other times you feel as if you are the sympathetic friend. The book starts out in Texas and takes you to a New England town in Connecticut to join the quilting group composed of
IMPROV SEWING By Nicole Blum & Debra Immergut Copyright 2012
these women. You will follow each woman as her troubles are presented to you and you will discover their solutions to their problems. This book is the first in a series of sewing novels by Marie Bostwick. If you are interested in reading the entire series, the next books, in the following sequence are the sequels, all written by
A SINGLE THREAD (Cobbled Court Quilts #1) By Marie Bostwick Copyright 2008
There are 101 quick sewing projects in this book. They include clothing for all ages, accessories, furnishings and home decor items. The book will show you how to make simple patterns, and it will provide visual guides and easy instructions. This is a very creative and fun book for your collection of sewing books. A must have! THE SWEATER CHOP SHOP By Crispina French Copyright 2009
Turn your old or unused sweaters into something new! Using simple sewing skills, you too can reassemble wool knitwear into new treasures. Learn some artful techniques of cutting and felting and reassembling into not only clothing items, but into accessories and toys and household decor. What fun! SEW & STOW By Betty Oppenheimer Copyright 2008 There are 31 easy to sew projects for your home and garden in this book! The items that you will learn to create and sew include such things as aprons hammocks, totes, dog beds, carryalls and shopping bags. I guarantee you that this is a very useful and fun book that is perfect for some unique back-to-school items. a
Marie Bostwick stitches up a story about four very different women. These lives are just like quilts that are made of lines and shapes and some of them lead to dead ends thus sometimes we need to step back and view the entire make up
Ed’s Railroading News by Ed Forsythe
Wow, what a summer it’s been. We had our granddaughters and daughter-in-law here from South Dakota for a few days & then we went to Rochester, N.Y. to see them again before they flew back home. All of a sudden it’s article time again and I’m late as usual. So this month let’s do a short visit to the Rockhill Hill Trolley Museum to see what’s happening just 45 minutes from Lewistown. The museum volunteers have had some very interesting weekends this year already and have many more planned. There’s been the PCC trolley weekend when the PCC trolleys from Philly, San Diego, etc. are the featured trolleys for riding. These trolleys are newer types even though they are still a few decades old. While riding these trolleys, one can get a feeling for what many folks ride on a daily basis traveling around cities to go to work, shopping, etc. These trolleys are available to ride most
other weekends also so if you’re at the museum and wish to ride a PCC trolley, don’t be afraid to ask about doing so. If the staff are qualified to drive them, your wish will most likely be granted. Upcoming events will be Homecoming on August 16 and Snowcone & Soft Pretzel Day will be August 30th. On both of these special days, trolleys will run from 11:00 to 4:00 as well as on all other weekends. In September, there will be other special events, so go on-line to Rockhilltrolley.org. to see just what’s happening at this local attraction. It a doesn’t stop in September either as there will be many more really neat events coming in October, November and December. So check out the site and make your plans to have some fun times riding old trolleys. Over the years there have been several times that the streets of Lewistown have had the asphalt worn out or broken up and the old rails from the Lewistown Trolley Line has become vis-
ible. Many times I’ve wondered just what it would be like to have had that experience right here in Mifflin County. Several years ago, two gentlemen that I knew and I were at Wendy’s Restaurant on Electric Avenue and one of them mentioned that when he visits places he usually wonders how places or streets have gotten their names. He then asked if either of us knew why Electric Avenue was named that. Roger stated he hadn’t grown up in Mifflin County so he didn’t know. Well, I was able to inform them that right across the street in the old red brick building, and other long gone buildings, the old trolleys and later buses were housed along with the old power plant for the trolley line that ran from there up and over Stratford’s Hill, through Lewistown, around both sides of the square and on over to the railroad station. The line also went from the trolley barn out Electric
Avenue to Reedsville and across the Kish Creek near J.P.’s Restaurant to Standard Steel and out to the old park on Old Park Road. As was common way back then, there usually were amusement parks at the end of the trolley lines for folks to enjoy. I remember both of these friends were impressed to find out that after all the years that had passed since the name had been given to The Electric Avenue, due to the overhead trolley wires for the trolleys to get their power from, that someone still knew how the naming had happened. I figured it was just one of the few times that I knew the answer to something and it all stems from my love of all things railroading. Now you know how Electric Avenue and Old Park Road got their names, but what about Stratford’s Hill, Reedsville, and Lewistown? As usual, Happy Railroading. Ed a
Life In The East End from page 9 are now the Youth Park. Wayne remembers the Lion’s Club asked Mr. Hayes for ground for a Little League ball field. Mr. Hayes donated the area used by the Little League first, then later donated the rest of the field for the Youth Park. Wayne has been a member of the Youth Park Board for around 20 years. He sponsors the Outstanding Shop Student for the Big Valley FFA. I want to Thank everyone who allowed me to interview them for this article. I learned a lot about 4-H’s history in Mifflin County. To close, I would like to encourage all the current 4-H members to talk to some of the past generation of 4-Her’s. a
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The Valley, August 2014
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Property Tax Increase Does Not Equal Good Education
The “new normal” is parttime work with no benefits and no security. 40 million jobs are now part-time with no benefits and no security due to the uncertainty of the economy and the extra costs of Obamacare. So why does the Mifflin County School Coard and the Teacher’s Union want to increase your property tax by 8.1%, while other school boards are looking at other means of educating our children that will not place an onerous burden on taxpayers? What will the majority of our tax increase be for? First, it will be used for the school teachers’ and administrators’ retirement benefits. They will receive an aggregate retirement payout of 303% of their annual salary. Yes, there is nothing wrong with your eyes! Three Hundred and three percent exceeds the norm the general public receives in retirement. Why would they want a 303% retirement benefit and can the public afford the cost? The average private sector retirement income was approximately $35,100 for an entire household in 2011 per the Census Bureau. Roughly $15,000 of this amount was Social Security and the remainder was from employer retirement plans. The net result is teachers receive 200-300 percent more than private sector employees, retire earlier, and work an average of 188 days a year vs. approximately 240 days in the private sector. Although teachers contribute approximately 7 percent of their income to retirement, most of teachers’ benefits are funded by taxpayers — not by individual teacher contributions. In the private sector, 69 percent of retirement plans are defined contribution plans, where the employer makes a fixed contribution, but does not guarantee a fixed retirement benefit. All losses are incurred by employees. In contrast, public employees are almost exclusively covered by defined benefit plans. In Pennsylvania, a fixed benefit is guaranteed by the Common-
wealth. In the recent recession, private sector defined contribution retirees lost an average of $117,000 or 25-40 percent of their retirement savings. Teachers lost nothing because the Commonwealth (hence the taxpayers) was required to cover teachers’ retirement plan losses! Next, the 8.1% increase in taxes would include a 26% increase in medical insurance coverage for administration and staff. In contrast, many Mifflin County citizens have lost their health coverage, have been denied by Obamacare, or are considered to be in Obamacare “limbo.” How can our citizens afford to give administrators and teachers these special gifts when they can’t even afford to provide for themselves and their families? Chad Cohrs, Superintendent of Selinsgrove School District, faces a similar problem to us. The problem is how to avoid increasing taxes on citizens while covering administrators’ and teachers’ retirement and health care benefits over the next 5-10 years. He said that “the current model of providing quality education is unsustainable. District expenses will outpace revenues. This is a trend occurring in most districts. The District’s existing fund balance (financial reserves) will be able to help carry us through this perio,d but unless changes are made to the factors under our control, our current model of providing a quality education will be unsustainable. Funding from the State and Federal government has been declining and reliance on the local taxpayer has increased, all while the economy has remained relatively stagnant.” The union for the Mifflin County school teachers and Mr. Estep, who is Superintendent of Mifflin County Schools, blame Governor Corbett for its recent lack of funds. However, Corbett is not the person to blame. Education is the single largest item in Corbett’s 2014-2015 budget. Total direct state support is $10.1 billion for public education. So
current model, which is used by most school districts, is one that originated in the 1800’s and is based on an agrarian calendar and an industrial approach. We treat students as a product to move through the assembly line of education.” Please see this link on the new “flip education” method to be used in the future. http://wkok. info/news/news-news/selinsgroveschool-district-change-is-needed. Mr. Cohrs has suggested “moving the school model to the ‘Flip System,’ which is also used by Mars Area School District in Western, PA as a teaching method that does not increase taxes on citizens but keeps cost the same. The Flip Method would require teachers to work part time; their work schedule would no longer be from 8 am to 3 pm. Instead, teachers would not have a defined instruction place or time. You and your child would watch a video of the lesson the day before school at home, a park or wherever, and homework would be done at school not at home. In addition, educators who want the flip method are also pushing for year- round school. However, this Flip Method of teaching would open the doors to Common Core. Both programs have similarities that include testing that has not been proven
to accurately test the knowledge of your child. There would be no grade standardization. Both make use of group projects for teaching that do not reflect your child’s individual personality. Also, keep in mind that your children might graduate in 12 or 14 years depending on the subjects they take and how hard they want to work in school. Both Common Core and the Flip Method allow kids to graduate with just enough knowledge to prepare them for community college or a minimum wage job. The idea is to pigeonhole your children into an early career for the global economy. The Flip Method of learning helps to keep costs even, not down, and opens the door for Common Core, which puts our children at an educational disadvantage. Good education and associated costs are very serious concerns for all school districts. The solution is not to spend money on unproven approaches to education or to spend exorbitant amounts of money on teacher and administrator health care benefits and retirement benefits.
then why are they saying that Corbett is to blame when it will be 40% of the Pennsylvania budget? Could it be that the union, school board and Mr. Estep do not agree on how this money should be spent? The money for schools in the Corbett budget would be spent on new school performance profiles and teacher evaluations; nothing more would be spent on teacher and staff health care benefits and retirement funding. So, the school board, union and Mr. Estep want the citizens of Mifflin County pick up the tab. Well, the citizens of Mifflin County cannot afford to pick up the tab and Corbett was percepLisa V. Nancollas, tive enough to realize this by not Mifflin County Tea Party Patriots including it in the state budget and PA State Coordinator, Tea Party giving citizens the opportunity to Patriots a address the problem locally. The solution is to require that new teachers and staff take a defined contribution pension plan, which places the financial burden on themselves rather than the taxpayers. The Selinsgrove School District faces similar school district financial problems, and is planning to address them with the new Flip • Reliable Propane & Heating Oil Delivery Method (read on). Mr. Cohrs, • Budget Payment Plan Call today Superintendent of to learn about our • 24/7 Emergency Service the Selinsgrove NEw CustOmER School District, • Heating Equipment Service Plans views this money sPECiAls! • Safety Trained Professionals problem as an “opportunity to • Over 80 Years Experience examine how we educate students and improvements to provide not only a better Our Business is Customer Satisfaction education, but one that is affordable for our 717-248-5476 • 1-800-PROPANE (776-7263) community”. He stated, “our
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The Valley, August 2014
At Dutch Pantry Gifts we will be starting off fall celebrations early starting with our anniversary sale from August 8th-16th with the entire store on sale. On Saturday August 9th, join our very own Jan Brubaker from Brushstrokes and Blessings for a demonstration in Gilding. Keep reading to find out what gilding is. On Saturday August 23rd, Huge Yard Sale!! 10am-5pm. We must make room for our newest items for Fall and Christmas. New Arrivals- August 1st. Kongming sky lanterns August 9th Demonstration: GILDING [gil-ding] is defined by dictionary.com as: 1. the application of gilt. 2. the gold leaf or other material with which something is gilded. 3. the golden surface produced by the applica-
tion of gilt. Sounds expensive doesn’t it? It doesn’t have to be, and it’s simple to do! I’ve made gilded (with gold, silver or bronze leaf) decorations for Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas. I always love our Christmas tree, but last year it was even more special because I made most of the ornaments. You can do that too! Imagine your tree with silver, gold and bronze gilded ornaments. In few hours and four easy steps, YOU can make gilded pieces that will become treasured pieces. All you need is to “basecoat” the item you want to gild, apply the “sticky size,” apply the “leaf” and then apply “toner” and wipe it off. Voila! Making ornaments for your tree is a great Girl’s Night Out
Create your own family heirloom
project! Imagine the excitement of having your friends over and everyone taking home beautiful ornaments to decorate with for the upcoming holidays. The ornaments also make great gifts. It’s fast, easy, affordable and fun! Stop by Dutch Pantry Gifts on Saturday, August 9 for more
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information and a demonstration between the hours of 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. If there is enough interest, we will be offering a class at a later date. —By Jan Brubaker Kongming Sky Lanterns? During July 4th fireworks there were many sightings of these flickering lights in the sky. Many people couldn’t figure out what they were, so they became known to some as UFO’s. Kongming lanterns are made of paper with an opening at the bottom where a
small fire is suspended to help the lanterns float in the air. In Asia and elsewhere around the world, sky lanterns have been traditionally made for centuries, to be launched for play or as part of a long established festival. Very inexpensive, these lanterns are made of fire resistant paper and are completely safe. Pick some up for the family reunion, down at camp or just fun with the kids, and make sure you have plenty. Get ready for Labor day! a
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