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Serving Mifflin County and the surrounding area.
The Valley A free newspaper dedicated to agriculture, self-reliance, frugal living, and modern homesteading. Tomorrow’s Media - A Day Early Volume 8, No. 11
It’s All in the Family: A Family Business Promoting Family Experiences By Sidney Barlett Henry’s Tree Farm: a place that brings multiple meanings to the word “family” began over twenty years ago. Nearly 28 years ago, during the Christmas season of 1989, Terry Henry was out to buy a pre-cut Christmas tree when a question sparked in his mind: What would it be like to grow his own Christmas trees? The idea stuck with him. And in 1990, Terry bought 60 acres of land and planted the first round of Christmas tree seedlings. Over the next six years, Terry, with the help of multiple local folks looking for work, put in the work to care for the seedlings and see them grow into full size Christmas trees. In 1996, Henry’s Tree Farm officially opened for business. “The farm,” as it’s often referred to by the family and its regular employees, was originally only going to be a wholesale business, meaning that they would sell trees in large quantities for resale. However, as people heard that a Christmas tree farm was opening, they asked if their family would be able to visit and cut their own tree down for in their homes. As the number of people who wanted
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to cut their own trees down grew, Terry and Joanne decided to open the business for retail sale as well. If a regular customer of Henry’s Tree Farm were to describe the farm, they likely wouldn’t describe what it looked like in
its early days. They’d likely talk about the weekend visits from Santa Claus and the Grinch; Buddy, the famous “Christmas tree dog;” the Reindeer pen of years past; the elf cutouts; the Nativity Scene by the Santa Shack; or the
craft room where customers can find unique Christmas decorations and even gifts. A regular customer might also picture the modern conveniences that Henry’s has, such as a motorized tree bailer, a tree shaker, or a tree driller.
Buddy the famous “Christmas Tree Dog” is always overseeing the activities at the Farm, from welcoming Santa and Mrs. Claus to keeping his eye on that mean ole Grinch!
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Most people likely cannot picture a time where “the farm” existed without these modern commodities. However, getting Henry’s Tree Farm to the welloiled machine that it has become took a lot of trial and error and working with what they had. Before the tree bailer, trees were wrapped using a bucket that had its bottom cut out and a roll of twine. Each hole for a Christmas tree seedling to be planted in was dug by hand instead of with the efficiency of a tractor and a drilling attachment. To the surprise of many, there was even a time when Mr. and Mrs. Claus were not regulars at Henry’s Tree Farm on a chilly December weekend. Henry’s has certainly grown every year since they first opened nearly 21 years ago. Something has been added to Henry’s Tree Farm every year. Whether it be the addition of the craft section, the “Santa Shack,” or the ten additional acres of land that have been added since the initial purchase, “the farm” has improved every year between seasons. Terry and Joanne recalled that at one point, Henry’s was only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Now, they are open seven days a week from Black Friday until the
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Editor’s Corner Wayne Stottlar November, time to get married to the woodstove again. Didn’t get much of a break between grass mowing and wood stacking, in fact, this year they are over-lapping and I am not overly happy about it. And, to add to the pleasure, leaves are falling, yippee. The silver lining of course for me is crops are coming off the fields and a few farmers have called to grant me permission to metal detect their fields. Any fields are welcome, but, fields adjacent to old homes are fairly productive and the quiet of the farm is refreshing to me. If you have some land you would allow me to hunt, please give me a call or drop me an email. We want to welcome back an old friend this month, Dave Molek is once again going to help you “Understand The Constitution” now that he is back to teaching. Dave was always a reader favorite
and we were sorry to see him have to give up his writing due to time constraints and we are very happy he is back. Also back this month is our Faith Page anchor Reverend Robert Zorn. Bob took a couple months to mend after an accident and we are happy he is back in the saddle! It seems as the harvest comes in, everyone had a pretty good year, corn cribs are full and there won’t be a need to import hay this year, I have been told. On the international front, I am afraid the US has just disgraced itself once again, and no, I am not blaming this on Trump. Once again our country has turned it’s back on a loyal ally, and it isn’t the first time. I remember being still young and naive when I learned of our back-stabbing of the Montagnards in Vietnam. A loyal and fierce ally who helped
us fight the Viet Cong and NVA in the central highlands. When our government removed its pawns from the field of battle (ie. turned tail) the Montagnards were never given a second thought and many were slaughtered by advancing NVA as we left—nice way to treat a loyal friend huh? Now in the Middle East things are shaping up the same for the Kurds. Our only ally in
the region aside from Israel, and the US has once "WALK" in to Walker & Waker Equipment II again turned its for ALL your lawn, garden and landscape equipment needs! back on them, much the same as we did when we told them to rise up against We have trailer, used equipment and rentals too! Saddam; they did and we didn’t back up our word and thousands were gassed—we sacrificed them. Now, after defeating ISIS, and fighting side by side with US troops, our government is allowing Turkey, Iran and Iraq to interfere in the process of a Free Kurdistan. We should be ashamed! a
Contact Info Editor/Publisher Wayne Stottlar Graphic Artist/ Co-Publisher Lynn Persing The Valley PO Box 41 Yeagertown, PA 17099 (717) 363-1550 E-mail: thevalleynewspaper@gmail.com Web: www.thevalleynewspaper.com ©The Valley. All
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Back Talk by Dr. Joseph Kauffman
Stress: It Does Not Do the Body Good Happy November! This is the month where we stop and appreciate the things we have in life and be thankful for them. This is also a month where the stress starts to mount, and we tend to focus on the things we do not have anymore, if that includes the loss of loved ones. Stress can cause many issues in the body, far deeper than what most of us realize. Chronic stress, which is stress over a long period of time can be seriously detrimental to the body. Chronic stress puts your health at risk Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your mind and body. Take steps to control your stress. By Mayo Clinic Staff Your body is hard-wired to react to stress in ways meant to protect you against threats from predators and other aggressors. Such threats are rare today, but that doesn’t mean that life is free of stress. On the contrary, you undoubtedly face multiple demands each day, such as shouldering a huge workload, making ends meet and taking care of your family. Your body treats these so-called minor hassles as threats. As a result, you may feel as if you’re constantly under assault. But you can fight back. You don’t have to let stress control your life. Understanding the natural stress response When you encounter a perceived threat — a large dog barks at you during your morning walk, for instance — your hypothalamus, a tiny region at the base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, located atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs func-
tions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with regions of your brain that control mood, motivation and fear. When the natural stress response goes haywire The body’s stress-response system is usually self-limiting. Once a perceived threat has passed, hormone levels return to normal. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels, and other systems resume their regular activities. But when stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. The long-term activation of the stress-response system — and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones — can disrupt almost all your body’s processes. This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including: • Anxiety • Depression • Digestive problems • Headaches • Heart disease • Sleep problems • Weight gain • Memory and concentration impairment That’s why it’s so important to learn healthy ways to cope with the stressors in your life. Why you react to life stressors the way you do Your reaction to a potentially stressful event is different from anyone else’s. How you react to stressors in your life is affected by such factors as: • Genetics. The genes that control the stress response keep most people on an even keel, only occasionally priming the body for fight or flight. Overactive or underactive stress responses may stem from slight differences in these genes. • Life experiences. Strong stress reactions sometimes can be traced to traumatic events. People who were neglected or abused as
children tend to be particularly vulnerable to stress. The same is true of people who have experienced violent crime, airplane crash survivors, military personnel, police officers and firefight-
ers. You may have some friends who seem laid-back about almost everything and others who react strongly at the slightest stress. Most reactions to life stressors fall somewhere between those extremes. Learning to react to stress in a healthy way Stressful events are a fact of life. And you may not be able to change your current situation,but you can take steps to manage the impact these events have on you. You can learn to identify what stresses you and how to take care of yourself physically and emotionally in the face of stressful situations. Stress management strategies include: • Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise and plenty of sleep • Practicing relaxation techniques such as trying yoga, practicing deep breathing, getting a massage or learning to meditate • Taking time for hobbies, such as reading a book or listening to music • Fostering healthy friendships • Having a sense of humor • Volunteering in your community • Seeking professional counseling when needed The payoff for learning to manage stress is peace of mind and — perhaps — a longer, healthier life.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/ healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art20046037?pg=2 “Do you find yourself overly stressed, tired, and even notice weight gain despite not changing your diet or workout frequency? Your cortisol levels may be out of whack. More specifically, they may be too high. Cortisol is often called the primary “stress hormone” because it’s one of the main hormones we release when we’re under any sort
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of pressure and our evolutionarybased “fight or flight response” kicks into gear. Although most think of cortisol as a bad thing — such as contributing to acne, weight gain or high blood pressure — there’s a lot more to cortisol levels than just our stress response and its unwanted symptoms. We need it to live. While producing cortisol is a necessity for life and helps keep us motivated, awake and responsive to our environment, maintaining abnormally high circulating cortisol levels can become dangerous and contribute to long-term problems. Long-term use of corticosteroids and chronic stress are two of the biggest contributors to high cortisol. Chronic, high cortisol production is tied to symptoms and ailments including weight gain, anxiety, sleep disorders, hormonal imbalances and fertility problems, in addition to many other problems. The good news is there are many natural ways to get your cortisol levels in check. For instance, adaptogen herbs are known to lower cortisol, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Read on for more ways to lower high cortisol levels naturally. How to Lower Cortisol Levels Naturally You can greatly help manage cortisol levels and regain your health by changing your diet, exercise routine, sleep and stress levels. Assuming you haven’t been diagnosed with Cushing’s disease by your doctor, here are steps you can take to help lower high cortisol levels naturally: 1. Switch to a Whole Foods, Anti-inflammatory Diet Poorly managed blood sugar levels (especially hypoglycemia, having low blood sugar) and high levels of inflammation can contribute to high cortisol levels and other hormonal imbalances. Following an anti-inflammatory diet low in processed foods and high in antioxidants, fiber and essential nutrients is key to balancing hor-
mones, controlling your cravings and getting you on the right track. These same strategies can also help with adrenal support, allowing you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, boosting energy during the day and helping you sleep better at night. Some of the most significant dietary contributors to inflammation and high cortisol levels include: •high-sugar, high-glycemic diet (with many packaged foods, refined grain products, sugary drinks and snacks) •consuming high amounts of refined and trans fats •drinking too much caffeine and alcohol •experiencing insufficient intake of micronutrients and antioxidants •not consuming enough fiber (which makes it hard to balance blood sugar) •not consuming enough healthy fats or protein (which can lead to hunger, weight gain and high blood sugar) Instead, switch to a lowglycemic diet, include healthy fats and proteins with every meal, and make sure to get enough fiber and phytonutrients by eating plenty fresh fruits and veggies. (2) Some of the most useful foods for lowering cortisol and stabilizing blood sugar include vegetables; fruits; coconut or olive oil; nuts; seeds; lean proteins like eggs, fish and grass-fed beef; and probiotic foods (like yogurt, kefir or cultured veggies). Reduce and Manage Stress Chronic stress is now linked with just about every health problem out there. Stress affects most people at least to some degree and impacts health by sending chemical signals around the body, including to the heart and blood vessels, immune system, lungs, digestive system, sensory organs, and brain. Stress has the power to increase breathing, heart rate, pain and muscle tension, your appetite
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Green Tea Wow! As I was proofreading this issue, I was struck by how many good articles there are in this month’s issue. Joe Kauffman’s article about Cortisol really hit home for me since I was seeing a nutritionist for a while who diagnosed me with Adrenal Fatigue and had me take a Cortisol saliva test that was sent away to a lab for analysis. The test came back that my Cortisol was off the chart. Unfortunately, I never followed through doing what I needed to do to get my Cortisol and Adrenal Fatigue in check and so I still suffer many of the symptoms (insomnia, anxiety, depression, weight gain, brain fog, etc.) His article made me realize that it’s probably about time I do something about it! Then I read Simply-Health’s column about the Infrared Sauna, which I tried once and really enjoyed. I’ve been back to the Salt Spa several times, but haven’t done the Infrared Sauna again, but
now after being reminded of the many benefits it provides, I think I need to get back in there. The deep penetrating heat it provided was amazing, and is especially wonderful on a very cold or damp day. It felt like super warm sunshine radiating through you. One thing I have been doing to try to solve a few of my issues is trying to get a daily dose of Green Tea. I started making it because it’s supposed to be helpful for skin inflammation, but it also has so many other health benefits. Read on. Green tea, which originated in China and India, has been used throughout the world for centuries for its health benefits, but has only recently become popular in the U.S. All tea, except herbal tea, is brewed from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush and the level of oxidation of the leaves is what determines the type of tea. What does oxidation of the leaf mean? Oxidation refers to a series of chemical reactions
that result in the browning of tea leaves and the production of flavor and aroma compounds in finished teas. Depending on the type of tea being made, oxidation is prevented altogether, or deliberately initiated, controlled then stopped.[1] Green tea is made from unoxidized leaves, and therefore, is one of the least processed teas (white tea being the least processed) and so it contains a lot of antioxidants and polypenols. (Polyphenols are micronutrients with antioxidant activity, found most abundantly in whole foods such as dried spices, fruits, vegetables, red wine, and cocoa [2]) What are some health benefits of Green Tea? Although there’s still a lot of research to be done to prove the claims of many of the health benefits of green tea, here are some of the claims made with preliminary studies promot-
ing the use of Green Tea. •
Green tea may be a cancer preventative. According to the National Cancer Institute. the polyphenols in green tea may decrease tumor growth and protect against damage from ultraviolet UVB radiation. • Green tea may have heart benefits and reduce cardiovascular disease. • Green tea may lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol. • Green tea may lower the chance of having a stroke.
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Green tea may help with weight loss.
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Green tea may help with
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inflammatory skin conditions (e.g. acne, psoriasis and dandruff) •
Green tea may increase our brain’s cognitive functions like working memory and could be a promising treatment for dementia.
•
Green tea might help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Additional research has suggested that green tea might aid in preventing dental cavities, stress, chronic fatigue, treating skin conditions, and improving arthritis by reducing inflammation. [1] https://worldoftea.org/tealeaves-oxidation/ [2] https://articles.mercola.com/ sites/articles/archive/2015/12/14/ polyphenols-benefits.aspx a
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Binocular Shopping
Whether it’s through the perfect binocular to suit every A good starting point for kitchen window or out in the field, one’s needs. People vary as much binoculars would be power and your two most important tools as binoculars. size. Besides brand and model for birdwatching name/number, are binoculars and these will be a field guide (OK, listed on the box add bug spray for or binocular with out in the field). numbers writ Choosing ten as 8x30 or your field guide 10x42. The first is a piece of cake. number is the There might be power. On an five good choices 8x30, the power for any particular would be 8x. region. That means ob Binoculars, jects will look 8 on the other hand, times bigger than have close to a they actually are. gazillion options, The 30 refers to the size of the give or take a few. Don’t judge a binocular by its cover (or size). All of these binoculars are front/objective There is no the same power, 8X.
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lens, which in this case would be 30mm. Common power ranges range from 6x to 15x. Most bird folks lean towards 8x, but 10x is starting to catch up. • The lower the power, the more light you’ll get. • The lower the power, the better the depth of field. • The lower the power, the wider the field of view. • The lower the power, the easier for beginners and kids. • The lower the power, the less strain on your eyes, easier to
use for long periods. Can you tell where I lean here? The bigger the objective lens, the more light you’ll get (and a bigger, heavier binocular), along with a wider field of view. Common objective sizes range from 20mm to 56mm, with most bird folks preferring a 32mm or 42mm. So, it’s lower power, bigger objectives for the most light. That’s why a lot of star gazers
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About Faith
by Rev. Robert Zorn, Visitation Minister, Lewistown Presbyterian Church Going Nuts It is autumn out here in Treaster Valley and to our ears comes a nostalgically familiar sound, it is the thump, crack, plunk sound of falling nuts and acorns. There is a pignut tree that drops its harvest on our back porch, a butternut stands just a few feet from our garage and, on the other side of the house, is a clump of hickory trees. There is a hazelnut thicket beyond that. Finally, walnuts are so plenteous that it makes it almost dangerous to walk around the lot. As much as enjoying the harvest of the few nuts that we can pick up before the squirrels carry them off, there is the joy of remembrance of my boyhood on the farm in Fayette County in Southwest Pennsylvania. We
knew where every nut tree was located in our entire township. A huge hickory stood at the far end of our pasture. A butternut grew in a ravine over in the neighbor’s woods. Walnuts were to be found everywhere and there were hazelnuts down along Jacobs Creek, near Chaintown. It was a badge of authenticity for all boys in our grade school to have brown stained hands from hulling walnuts. This would bring down upon us the derision of all the little girls in school who assured us that our hands and arms would be permanently discolored. Even our teacher, Miss Wiggins, would have us wash our hands before we handled our books and papers. The stain usually wore off by Thanksgiving and we would be allowed to play “Red Rover”
again with our classmates. Gathering the nuts and hulling them was just the beginning of a long and tedious process. Before we could taste the succu-
lent morsels in cakes, cookies, and candies we had to dry the nuts in some squirrel-proof location and then we would crack them with a hammer on an old “flatiron.” Finally, the nuts had to be picked from their shells as we sat by the fireplace on long winter evenings. As I remember, the taste of those winter goodies made the mess, the work, and the bruised fingers all worthwhile. In a day in which the primary search in life is for ease and convenience, it may be good to remember that some of life’s rewards come only by effort and labor. Could it be that even our church life has become just too
easy? “Therefore be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” I Corinthians 15:58 a
My Percyving Eye by Percy R. Wilson, Jr. Evangelist, The Church of Christ at Milroy Psalm 100: A Psalm of Thanksgiving, Joy and Worship As the holiday season nears, we should take some time to focus on the first of the three major holidays, Thanksgiving. The book of Psalms, the prayer book and song book of the Old Testament saints, has some form of the word thanks written 36 times in 34 verses in the NKJV. While the psalms are a collection of songs and prayers, often praising God, it is obvious that a spirit of thanksgiving pervades them as well. There may be no better illustration of this than Psalm 100. Many commentators describe a number of psalms as psalms of thanksgiving. Psalm 100 has this title, “A Song of Praise for the Lord’s Faithfulness to His People.” The anonymous writer was very thankful. That may be why this is the only Psalm that has a superscription describing it as a psalm that is specifically for thanksgiving. The uninspired superscription to the Psalm is “A Psalm of Thanksgiving” or “A Psalm For Thanksgiving.” This Psalm has been summarized as “developing an attitude of gratitude.” The entire 100th psalm as it reads in the NKJV: 1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. When one reads through this psalm of thanksgiving, one notices that joy and worship are closely associated with a spirit of thanks. In fact, for the Christian, joy and worship are inseparable from a spirit of thanksgiving. Verse one of the psalm reminds us that we are to make a noise, “to the Lord!” Not just any noise, but a “joyful noise” is to be made to the Lord! Certainly we should be doing that on a daily basis and when we come together to worship and sing songs of praise to Him. Verse two specifies that we are to serve the Lord. We are not just to serve, but to serve Him with gladness. Verse three states the reason for our joy and service with gladness. It is because God is our Creator! He has given us life, He has created us! We have not
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evolved, nor made ourselves, but God has made us. In addition to making us, God is our Shepherd. We are not just people God created, but sheep, who have a loving Shepherd to care for them and provide for them. Jesus our Shepherd gave His life for us, and now is willing to lead us. He is now in heaven serving as our High Priest and reigning as King at the right hand of God. (Hebrews 8:1). Verse four puts forth that we should go before God with an attitude of gratitude. Whether it is our public worship, or our individual prayers we should be thankful to God, Always! The last verse gives three more reasons for us to be thankful to God. He is good, merciful, and His truth endures forever. Yes, we are to be thankful! Always be thankful! We serve a loving God. We should worship Him with joy and gladness in our hearts. Regardless of our circumstances in our daily lives, we should always be thankful! Thanksgiving is not a oneday-a-year attitude, but rather an attitude we should have 24/7/365. Percy R. Wilson, Jr. Evangelist, The church of Christ at Milroy preacherpercy@comcast.net 717-667-7346 a
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Dave Wilson
Coins, Precious Metal and a Little of this and That
With Great Progress
Comes Equally Great Risk! There is very little comparison between my childhood days, and that of my all my Grandchildren. We did have our share of complications, but nothing like what is faced every day (today) by just about all of us. When kids wanted money, mostly, they had to do real work for it. If they saved (Good-Golly, perish the thought) they could go to the store and buy what they wanted with their hard-earned cash. There were no Credit or Debit cards, and the only way somebody could steal your money, was to either break into your house or locker, or grab your wallet (or purse). Today’s miraculous electronic inventions truly have made all of our lives easier and more productive. At the same time, however, these “lifestyle improvements” have put us all at terrible risk. Thieves (hackers, cyber-criminals, whatever you wish to call them) are getting smarter every day, and they are putting every
person (and Nation) on the planet in serious peril. Personally, I have never put any of my financial information on the Internet. I write checks for everything and nobody has access to any of my accounts for the purpose of deducting monthly charges for anything. The few family members who (somewhat passively) chuckled at my “Old-Fashioned” thinking, never really bothered me that much. Now, with recent (and all too frequent) hacking events, carrying real, folding cash, and paying bills with checks are quickly coming back into style. The level of professional hacking that is now plaguing every thing and every one is dangerously increasing every single day. Just this year, cyber-criminals have hacked into The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), the NSA (National Security Agency), and, most recently, EQUIFAX, one of the three, major consumer credit reporting agencies. And this is EQUIFAX’s THIRD (3rd) serious attack just this year. It is
believed that these hacks involved over 143-MILLION Americans, who probably had their Social Security and Driver’s licenses stolen. Earlier this year, the records of nearly 198-MILLION US voters had their records breached by one of these (increasingly nasty) hacking operations. Hackers are becoming highly sophisticated, and what many of these people see as a game or enjoyable challenge to their computer skills, is
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quickly becoming the #1 threat to our very existence! Nobody is safe.. Everyone is at risk.. We have been hearing for some time that any serious hack into our Power grid, into our banking system, and especially into our military complex, could cripple our entire nation. Just imagine awakening one morning to discover that all your financial records, Banking account infor-
mation, etc. were lost, forever! Don’t let anyone tell you it could never happen, as it absolutely could, probably will, and, sadly, in the not-to-distant future. At that point, you had better have some real folding cash on hand, a healthy supply of real, tangible, money, and a reasonable supply of stored food and water. Those without, will certainly do without. a
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“You go talk to kindergartners or first-grade kids, you find a class full of science enthusiasts. They ask deep questions. They ask, “What is a dream, why do we have toes, why is the moon round, what is the birthday of the world, why is grass green?” These are profound, important questions. They just bubble right out of them. You go talk to 12th graders and there’s none of that. They’ve become incurious. Something terrible has happened between kindergarten and 12th grade.” -Carl Sagan This is a very clear, plain as day, no great revelation type of observation. In fact, I remember as early as my middle-school years, having a strong prefer-
ence for watching over children between the ages of 4-7 because they were old enough to take themselves to the bathroom, eat on their own, complete thoughts and sentences, move about with few hindrances, etc, yet having also maintained that “spark,” that “something” that older kids had lost. The un-predictability and frequent non sequiturs of a wandering mind were still in tact. It made them interesting. The eight plus demographic had very clearly lost something along the way. It’s a tragic down slide in what was not long ago a peak of curiosity. What is the “terrible” common denominator that comes in to play that cuts off that peak of mountainous imagination and wonder? What halts those pressing questions on little lips before they can escape?
The institution of public schooling. It acts as an assault on the individual and quickly quiets the restless, the talkative, the inquisitive, the bold, the questioners, the weird, the gifted, and any number of other “outliers” to the status quo of matched conformity. It’s a common misnomer that home school MAKES kids weird. Nonsense, it KEEPS them weird. It’s the dress codes, uniforms, neat lines, chronic turn taking, monotony, tight quarters, and the lack of fresh air, free time, unscripted activities, and age mixing that works in concert to stifle them. My daughter gets so frustrated when her mind goes faster than her mouth can, when she can’t quite come up with the words to express her thoughts, when she is interrupted, when she has to
hold a thought. Sometimes she loses the thought altogether and I lament over what she may have said, the thought she so desperately wanted to breathe life into. And I have to wonder how that would play out and be exemplified by magnitudes if she was in a classroom of 25 equally eager to speak children, expected to raise her hand to voice any thought, concern, answer, question or basic need, and frequently shut down for being “off-topic.” How many great insights and perspectives are we losing from these kids on a
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daily basis? Now, granted, there are some exemplary elementary educators out there who go above and beyond to try to keep sparks and imagination alive in their pupils. I fully and readily admit I would not have the patience to attempt such a feat, a handful of kids on spaced out occasions is the very
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Home at the Grange by Patricia L. Bird The First Grange In Centre County Meet Progress Grange #96
When traveling in the small borough of Centre Hall, be sure to look for a grand old brick building on the main street of Pennsylvania Avenue (PA State Route 144). This majestic red brick building is the home to Progress Grange #96. It was the first established Grange in the County. On February 3, 1874 in a vacant school room in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania, Progress Grange #96 was organized. Conducting the first meeting was State Deputy Frank Porter and W. R. Bierly of Eagle Grange #1 located in Lycoming County near Williamsport, PA. The first official officers of Progress Grange #96 were John J. Arney who was elected as the Master; Overseer was Leonard Rhone; Lecturer, Dr. Peter Smith; and Steward, John Sankey. Others officers were David Rhinesmith, Assistant Steward; Daniel Fleisher, Chaplain; George M. Boal, Secretary; James A. Keller, Secretary; George Hoffer, Gatekeeper; and Maggie Hoffer as Lady Assistant Steward. Making up the team of the Graces were Maggie Rhone, Ceres; Mary A. Neff, Pomona and Maggie E. Keller as Flora. The Trustees were James H. McCormick, Peter Smith and James A. Lingle. If you like looking back through history all of those names were also prominent in the history of Centre Hall Borough. Leonard Rhone, whom many consider the father of the Grange movement in Centre County, showed true leadership, vision and entrepreneurial spirit, which resulted in the fast-growing membership and a Grange Cooperative. The Cooperative was established to purchase bulk quantities of fertilizer, salt, plaster, binder twine, farm machinery and other farm supplies. This was done to be able to offer the items to not only Grange members, but the general community at a lower more affordable cost. Leonard Rhone is credited with the beginning and establishment of what everyone knows today as the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair. He proposed that “We join with our sister Granges in holding a Picnic.” The
first picnic or “pic-nik” was held on September 24, 1874, where more than 3,000 Grangers and family members met and attended the first Grangers Pic-nik. In his lifetime, Leonard Rhone served as Master of Progress Grange, the Centre County Pomona Grange and the Pennsylvania State Grange from 1881-1899. The cornerstone for a new Progress Grange Hall duly named the “Grange Arcadia” was held in July 1898 and the building was dedicated on June 24, 1899. Cost for this new building was estimated to be approximately five thousand dollars. This building served as meeting place for not only the Grange, but also the entire community. It contained a library, a stage for not only Grange ceremonies, but also community and school plays and ceremonies, a movie theatre (with ticket and projection booths) and a bowling alley. At the time lights were battery powered until 1930 when it was fully wired. The estimated cost of the wiring was $230.00. The Patrons Rural Telephone Company was founded by six Grange shareholders. It expanded service to neighboring communities through five separate companies, which was owned, constructed and operated by Grangers. It continued to serve the Centre Hall area until 1931. Through the generations of time, Grange families have continued to serve their community. Members work to maintain the original building which is still being used today. They do fundraisers like serving meals with the help of their outstanding Women’s Activity Program in the past and all members now and in the future. They serve meals to RV groups camping at Grange Park, rent out their hall for outside events like meetings and family gatherings, and this year they held a children’s fair. These are just some of the ways to raise the funds needed to repoint the building. Members listened to speakers at different months’ meetings that included well known Centre Hall author, Ralph Gray, who wrote about the Wizards of Centre Hall; Happy Valley Quilts of Valor;
and Emma Spackman, the 2016 Grange Fair Queen. Some of the donations that they have made this year included giving the Child Access Center hats, gloves, scarves and socks for children in need. Members of Progress Grange serve on many committees of not only their own Grange, but also
The Truth Has No Agenda
the Centre County Pomona Grange and the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair Committee. They dedicate many hours to help make each of these run as smoothly as possible. Many Grange members feel that the spirit of Lenard Rhone still resides in the hall and you can still feel him sitting in the Master’s Chair at each meeting. If you would like more information about Progress Grange
#96 located in Centre Hall, you can contact Master Donna Cogan at 814-777-6149 or Secretary LeDon Young at 814-441-4210.a
The Valley, November 2017
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SOAP: so many Choices
Here at Shade Mountain we frequently have customers come in looking for a moisturizer for their skin issues: my reply to them is always the same. What soap are you using? It all starts with the soap (or I should say cleanser)! Read on and you will understand. There is true soap, and then there are detergent bars that will have a multitude of creative names. For instance: beauty bar, bath bar, deodorant bar, etc. Then we have the liquid or gels! It’s important to be educated about potentially harmful ingredients prior to purchasing soap products. You want to refresh your skin, not pollute it with chemicals; and don’t forget about protecting our environment! There really is a huge gap between all the cleansing products out there. Natural soap can often seem overpriced compared to the commercial options available; however, when you take into account not only the benefits of using natural soap, the environmental advantages, but also the level of care and attention that goes into producing it, then you will soon see that when it comes to soap you really do get what you are paying for. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the differences between the options.
Please read to the end as I have examples of ingredients of each kind.
HANDMADE SOAP: This soap is for real, true handmade soap! This soap is made by taking each oil, melting them all together, mixing it with sodium hydroxide (lye), and then adding any ‘extras’ like scent, exfoliators, colors, herbs. It then must be poured into molds, insulated and cured. This process is called cold process or hot process. Some soap makers use tallow (animal fat), some a variety of vegetable oils and some add goat’s milk. Soap made with pure olive oil is called castile soap.
capabilities. If you get too much lye, your soap can be ‘lye heavy’ and harsh. If you get too much oil, you can end up with a soft bar that can go rancid. So it once was that soap makers would rather the soap be lye heavy and a bit harsh and not oil heavy and soft with the chance it could go rancid and waste all those precious oils. Make sense? The trick is getting a bar where all the oils and lye react in perfect harmony and make a great bar with a great PH. Soap is formed by the process of ‘saponification’ which includes the reaction between an alkali and an oil. When this reaction takes place, glycerin is formed as a by-product and is present in the soap itself and gives the soap its moisturizing property. So, the ultimate product called ‘soap’ is actually a salt. The alkali used in soap making is called lye or sodium hydroxide. Lye is reacted with natural oils such as coconut, palm, olive, etc. This process changes both the oils and the lye:
you no longer have oil or lye; you have soap: a complete molecular change! Soap is extremely gentle on the skin, doesn’t let your skin dry out and keeps your skin smooth and soft. They’re capable of cleansing while being 100% biodegradable, leaving no phosphates or harmful chemicals behind. Handmade soap is the product that Shade Mountain grew with. We are passionate about our soap: the ingredients we put in it, the way it looks and even the ingredients we don’t put in it. We spend a lot of time and energy making sure our soap is the highest quality. Honestly, most small business soap makers have this passion. Soaping is expensive, hard work and time consuming, not a huge money maker, and it takes passion to stick with it! MELT AND POUR HANDMADE SOAP: This is a type of soap that will be sold as handmade. It is exactly what the name states: melt and pour. This is bought in a cube and melted down. Then the crafter will add colors, scents and sometimes herbs. They are then poured into molds, usually shapes or ovals. Be aware of the chemicals in a lot of melt and pour products even though they say ‘handmade soap.’ Many of the bases contain sodium laureth sulfate--a harsh detergent that some consider unhealthy. There are only a handful of melt and pour soap manufacturers in the USA: most are imported. Not all melt and pours are created equal, some are much better than
True soap cannot be made without lye! Some think that lye soap is harsh. This may have been true a long time ago, but we now have very sophisticated measuring
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others: READ YOUR LABEL! GLYCERIN HANDMADE SOAP: This type of soap is the same as melt and pour, except with a larger percentage of glycerin. These will be clear soaps. COMMERCIAL SOAP: Now, commercial soap is made by using an alkali and an oil, but they also can add some detergents and still label it as soap! Not only that but, most of the soap you purchase in stores does not contain naturally-occurring glycerin because the big soap manufacturers have removed it because the glycerin is worth more than the soap itself! They then sell it to other companies to make lotions or other cosmetics. So, the soap that is sold has little or no naturally occurring moisturizing glycerin. Preservatives are added and a whole host of other ingredients can find their way into a commercially manufactured soap. Most of the ingredients in commercial soap are not healthy for the environment. READ YOUR LABEL! BATH BAR, BEAUTY BAR, DEODORANT BAR These bars are made with detergents. Per FDA regulations, they cannot put soap on the label, so they are called all kind of different things: but not soap. Detergents are great for stripping the oils from our dishes and clothes, but we should not strip the natural
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The Valley, November 2017
R. O. F. F.
GMOs and Cancer
Rescue Our Furry Friends by Patricia Lawson
You’ve heard the expression, “as easy as pie” right? Well I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it’s that easy to make a pie. In the last article we tempted you with our ROFF pie fund-raiser and now we have all the delectable choices that the Pie Shoppe is offering: Chocolate Meringue, Coconut Meringue, Lemon Meringue, Apple, Dutch Apple, Blackberry, Wild Blueberry, Razzleberry, Cherry, Peach, Raisin, Pumpkin, Harvest and a Pumpkin Roll. They will be available on November 19th and they’re only $9! Just call the number below with any questions and to place your order. ROFF also has something for your pooches too—homemade dog treats! They are $6 for a dozen and all of the proceeds benefit our homeless fur babies. These tasty morsels are soft treats and the flavors are Beef, Chicken, Peanut Butter and Pumpkin. They will be ready for pick up the week after Thanksgiving. And, now introducing our pets of the month…
“Hi, I’m Clover and maybe I should be named ‘four leaf clover’ since I was so lucky that ROFF rescued me and saved my life. I was only 7 weeks old when I was brought to the rescue and I had to be bottle fed. Now I’m a healthy 8 week old lad and I’m eating on my own and I’m litter trained. I’m a big boy now! I just love to play and if you’re looking for a youngster with a big heart, I’m the one for you. Please come and visit me to see first-hand how lovable I can be and what a ‘purr-fect’ addition I would be to your family.”
“Cooper here and listen to this sad ‘tail” I have to tell. My house mate and I were left behind when our owners moved! Can you believe it? They took the calendar too so I don’t know how long we were alone, but I can tell you that when ROFF rescued me I was so happy. They even got me groomed and up to date on all my shots. Here are a few things you should know about me: I am a neutered 9 year old pooch, I am not a fan of cats, but I do like other dogs and very young children are a bit too hyper for me. So let’s set up a meet and greet soon and I’ll give you lots of love.”
For more information and additional photos of all of animals up for adoption, just go to our web-site www.roffrescue.com or call 1-877-933-ROFF (7633). As always, your donations are crucial to our mission. The vet bills plus daily care for all our rescues are astronomical so your contributions would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made via PayPal or checks made payable to ROFF may be mailed to: 133 North Walnut Street, Burnham, PA 17009. Thank you! Until they all have homes… www.roffrescue.com; rescueourfurryfriends@yahoo. com; 1-877-933-ROFF (7633) a
by Jeffrey Smith 1. The very process of creating a GMO creates side effects that can promote cancer. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready corn, for example, has higher levels of putrescine and cadaverine. These are not only linked to cancer and allergies, they produce the foul smell of rotting dead bodies. 2. Bt-toxin, which is manufactured by the altered DNA in every cell of genetically modified varieties of corn, cotton, and South American soy, pokes holes in cell walls. It may create “leaky gut,” which is linked to cancer and numerous other diseases. 3. Most GMOs are “Roundup Ready”—designed to be sprayed with Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. These include Soy, Corn, Cotton, Canola, Sugar Beets (for sugar), and Alfalfa. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is classified as a class 2A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World Health Organization). They said it probably causes cancer in humans, does cause cancer in animals, does cause mutations in DNA that can lead to cancer, and where it is heavily sprayed, cancer rates are higher. 4. Roundup is also sprayed on numerous non-GMO crops just before harvest as a desiccant, to dry down the crop as it is killed by the herbicide. Some of these other crops include: Wheat, Oats, Flax, Peas, Lentils, Dry Beans, Sugar Cane, Rye, Triticale, Buckwheat, Millet, Potatoes and Sunflowers. Canola, Corn and Soybeans labeled non-GMO may also be sprayed with Roundup.
5.
To avoid Roundup, eat-
ing non-GMO is not sufficient. It is better to choose organic, which does not allow the use of GMOs, Roundup, or other synthetic poisons. (Products labeled both Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified are even better, because the latter requires tests for possible inadvertent GMO contamination.) Since Roundup is sprayed on most US cotton, residues are found in cotton products including tampons. BUY ORGANIC! 6. Several cancer rates in the US are rising in parallel with increased use of glyphosate on GMO soy and corn fields. These include leukemia and cancers of the liver, kidney, bladder, thyroid, and breast. 7. In Argentina, the rate of cancer in communities living near Roundup Ready soybean fields has also skyrocketed, as have birth defects, thyroid conditions, lupus, and respiratory problems. 8. The following are just some of the health effects of glyphosate, all of which are known to increase cancer risk. Glyphosate: a.
Damages the DNA
b.
Is an antibiotic
c.
Promotes leaky gut
d. Chelates minerals, making them unavailable e.
Is toxic to the mitochondria
f. Interferes with key metabolic pathways g. Causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
h. Degrades into Sarcosine and formaldehyde 9. The full Roundup formulation is up to 125 times more toxic than glyphosate alone. It also has a greater endocrine disruptive effect. 10. Thousands of people who were exposed to Roundup and are now suffering from nonHodgkin’s lymphoma are suing Monsanto. The lawsuit forced Monsanto to make public secret documents, emails, and texts. These are smoking guns, providing clear evidence that Monsanto colludes with government regulators, bullies scientists, ghostwrites articles, pays off journal editors and scientists, and publicly denies evidence of harm that it privately admits to. I ended my talk by introducing a peer-reviewed article that was recently accepted for publication. It features survey results in which 3,256 people describe significant improvements in 28 conditions after switching to nonGMO (and often organic) food. Of the 155 people who reported improvement in cancer after making the change, 23% said there was “Significant improvement,” 17% said the condition was “Nearly gone,” and 42% had a “Complete Recovery.” My new film Secret Ingredients, created with Amy Hart, has an excellent section on cancer. Information on the film and the new peer reviewed article are coming soon. Safe Eating. Jeffrey Smith Executive Director Institute for Responsible Technology a
The annual Big Valley Brethren in Christ Fall Renewal meetings will be held Sunday November 12 through Wednesday November 15, 2017. Sunday service times are 10:45 am. and 7:00 pm. Monday through Wednesday service times are at 7:00 pm. This years speaker is Rev. Terry Burton pastor of the New Life BIC church in Millerstown, PA. The public is cordially invited. The church is located at 81 Wagner St. Belleville, PA. For direction or more information please call 717-436-8010 The Truth Has No Agenda
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In The Market For A New Home? by Kim Rickert The last few months I have focused on helping home sellers prepare their home for sale. This month I will talk about home buyers: who they are, what they want and what to expect if you are buying a home. Today’s home buyers are looking for homes in a very different way than their parents did just twenty years ago! The Millenials are now making up 26% of home buyers; the largest share of any age group. These are buyers ages 25 to 34 years old. The age of the average buyer held steady at 44 years old, but the median household income increased to $88,500. For more than half of buyers, the most difficult part of the real estate process is finding the right property to purchase. The average buyer searched for 10 weeks and viewed 10 homes before they found the one they bought– this is unchanged from last year. Buyers continue to view homes online as their first step in the home buying process; and more the 67 percent schedule a showing of the homes that have caught their interest Although times have changed in a lot of ways, there are still some things that every home buyer should know before they start looking at homes and making offers. Do Your Homework • Where do you want to live? Drive around different neighborhoods and decide which appeals to you the most. Remember to check driving distance to work or schools. • What do you want in your home? Make a list of “must haves” and a list of “dream house” features. You may have to weigh the importance of these as you look at homes, so be prepared to compromise. • What are your deal breakers? Decide what would make you pass on a home, and what you could live with. Know the Numbers • Get prequalified for a mortgage. This should be done as soon as you are serious so that you know how much you really CAN afford. Your local lenders can help you, just call them! • Check your credit report. Get a free copy of your credit
report (many credit card companies offer them free) and be sure that it looks good before you apply for a mortgage. • Avoid making large purchases while you are looking for a home; a new vehicle or appliance purchase can hurt your credit rating and your ability to borrow. Wait till after you are all moved in to do these, unless paying cash! Start the Search! Now it is time to start the search for your home. Check online listings to get an idea of what is on the market, drive through the area where homes are listed to make sure you like the neighborhood and surrounding homes. When you find one that fits your basic criteria, call your REALTOR! We can provide you with additional information about the home, set up a showing, and make sure that you are represented by a professional. Make an Offer When you find a home that meets your needs, we’ll help you make an offer. The offer includes a commitment for a deposit of good faith, so be sure to have the cash available. Within the offer, you can request conditions of the sale, such as repairs to be made or appliances you’d like to be included in the purchase. The seller can agree to the terms or make a counter offer. Once the offer is accepted and signed by both parties, the process is started. Consider getting a home inspection. A home inspector will look for structural damage, potential repairs and other issues. Many buyers make the offer contingent upon the results of the inspection. If the inspector finds a major issue, you may have the opportunity to renegotiate or withdraw your offer. • Review the inspection report and decide which repairs should be addressed by the seller before closing. • Before the sale is finalized, you’ll have the opportunity to walk through the home and make sure the repairs were completed. Learn the home’s value . Your lender will have an appraiser from a third-party company provide an estimate of the home’s value, •
ensuring you pay the fair price of the home. Shop for home insurance. Home insurance protects your biggest investment. Meet with your insurance broker to go over your options and ensure you have the coverage you need. Closing. Prior to closing, your lender or escrow company will work with a title company to research the deed and ensure it’s free of any liens or other ownership entities, among other things. If you have questions about the terms of the sale or you have other legal concerns, a real estate attorney can address all of them. At closing, you’ll read over and sign the paperwork. When the check is given to the seller from your loan company, you’ll be able to move in. With these tips in mind, home buyers of all ages should feel more prepared to begin the search for their next (or first) home. Calling your REALTOR should be the next step; our office includes several agents that have earned the Accredited Buyer Representative designation including Katy Flood, Tami Slick and Kim Rickert. Give us a call, we are here to help. a
The 2018 Kishacoquillas Valley Historical Society Calendars are available!. They feature old photos of the Kish Valley and the events of 1909. The price is $5.50 and they are available at the following retailers: The Country Village Restaurant in Allensville; Whitehall Store, Peights, Total Life Care Pharmacy and the Thrift Store in Belleville; Ron’s Market and Honey Creek Inn in Reedsville; the Friendship Bookstore in Burnham and Big Valley Antiques in Milroy. You may order one by mailing a check for $7.00 along with your address to KVHS, P.O. Box 43, Allensville, PA 17002 and it will be mailed to you. Enjoy doing a little time traveling through 1909 and support our efforts to preserve the history of our beautiful valley.
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The Valley, November 2017
Around Town With Carole
by Carole Lokan Moore
Pros and Cons of Hormones School teachers work only ten weeks of the calendar year, and get a lot of “flack” from those who only get two weeks off during the vacation time. As a longterm substitute teacher over nearly two decades in the same school system here in New Jersey, and a camp director over 20 summers, I can see both sides of this issue. Parents often complain to me about their “teenage daughter” or “rebellious son” as he leaves the confines of elementary school and ventures into Junior or Senior High School. I can only smile and listen, until I get my “classic remark” as a rebuttal. “You think it’s hard to live with one teenager, why not try 28 in a class room!” The parent is “stopped cold.” Little do those folks realize the artistry, patience, and skill it takes to keep a confined group of “hormonally raging” teenagers entertained and restrained in a
24’x24’ space for 6-7 hours a day. I remember one of the girls in my summer camp, Nicole, who came for years, and she was like my own grandchild, except on this special day when I asked her to “do something,” she sighed, flipped her hair and dragged her feet slowly as she approached the project. All I had to do was say: “Nicole, that was a hormone speaking,” and she snapped right back to her beautiful, cooperative self, with an “I’m sorry” and a “I’ll never do it again.” She responded this way because of a conversation that was had earlier in this season, and in the seasons prior. As a teacher, I needed a summer job so when my own grand children needed a place for the summer when their mother’s worked, I started a “camp” in my home. It really was my daughter, Lizzie, who came home in tears, as the
employer who had hired her for the past few summers told her the insurance company could not insure a “pregnant life guard.” Pregnancy is normal and natural, and yet, a high risk for swimming. Liz wailed, “I can’t pay my car payment, etc.” Crushed for being rejected, I said, “If you can’t go to the kids, we’ll bring the kids to you,” and thus was the beginning of our family summer camp here at Whitebriar, our 300 year old home. Only about a half dozen kids came, and during the entire first summer, Liz never took off her life guard shirt. It was only when the kids were in the house at lunch movie, that she jumped into the pool and did her laps and leg exercises to promote a healthy delivery. Her husband, Ed, had gotten her a maternity bathing suit, but she dismissed it as “It looks like Mommy’s bathing suit for old ladies,”...”absolutely no.” She took the “pads” out of the bra part of her “normal bathing suit,” and pulled the bottoms up under the now six month belly, and the Lifeguard shirt covered the rest. Decency prevailed and a “brown basketball” emerged into our first born on September 5. The camp children ranged in age from Sydney, age 3 1/2, to 10. But
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in the summer when the girls (we had a few boys over the years, but mostly girls) turned ten, no one brought the traditional birthday cup cakes to camp. I thought I was having a “senior moment,” and by the end of the summer, I knew I couldn’t be wrong... some one usually has a summer birthday...but no cupcakes. One of the parent’s finally let me in on the “secret.” Since the camp rules were up to age 10, and they all turned 10, they didn’t want me to realize for fear I’d kick them out for being too old. Since I had such a wonderful group of girls (and Billy, Timothy & Aidan), I told the campers that I would raise the age to 11. One of the older girls said, “Can you keep raising the age till we get to be 18?” I guaranteed them I’d raise the age until it got to “Hormones,” and thus is why Nicole reacted so intently to the word. Nicole was a gem for the rest of the summer, but did not come back next year. She too realized, that she no longer needed a baby sitter. Nicole, Morgan D, and Samantha are now college age, and I get emails occasionally as the hormones have taken them from childhood to womanhood. Yes, my boys did well also, as I was greeted
by a big Burlington City Police officer, who hugged me and said, “It’s me, Mrs. Moore, it’s Billy,” although his name tag said “Will.” They all grew up and reserved the memories they shared with me here at Camp Whitebriar. Our eldest granddaughter, Michaela, now finishing college, insists that she is the first and oldest of the summer campers here at Whitebriar. Her claim to fame, is that she was indeed in her mother’s stomach that first summer. Michaela claims she was swimming with the kids and peering out the “belly button,” being a full partaker of the summer camp at her grandparent’s home. As senior at TCNJ (The College of NJ), with her first “off campus housing,” she is an active “foodie” and trying all the new products on the market to be healthy and strong. It also works for making her pleasant, giving, and successful in all attempts. Along came brother, Kyle, whose Dad dropped him off, with MeMe (Michaela’s nick name) at camp while he was on his way to the second shift as a police officer with the Bridge Commission. The short time between his
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The Valley, November 2017
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OUR YESTERYEARS Mifflin County Historical Society MONUMENT SQUARE The Rededication of 1969 November 2017 As we approach Veterans Day, it’s fitting to recall the purpose of one of Mifflin County’s most significant locations. I speak of the tall, granite Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument in the Square of downtown Lewistown. Once the space was the location where farmers sold their produce, thus the name Market Square was used in an earlier time. Since its construction in 1906, the site is most commonly known as Monument Square. It has been the focal point of community events for generations. Reviewing stands for various holiday parades were set up there. War Bond rallies were held there during both the First and Second World wars. The nearby courthouse steps held the rostrum for political speakers as crowds gathered around Monument Square. But most importantly, the place has been the site for remembrance… and memorial ceremonies for Mifflin County’s many veterans. The County’s military tradition of service to the country stretches back to the War of Independence. But the Monument itself was a long time coming. Just after the close of the Civil War in 1865, there was community discussion about erecting a significant memorial to Mifflin County’s over 3,000 veterans of that conflict. There was a push to establish Civil War monuments in many Pennsylvania towns at the time. It took several attempts between 1865 and the early 1900s to energize the community enough to support and finance the Monument’s final construction. This
push was motivated by the gift of the Lincoln Stone, presented from the Springfield, Illinois tomb of Abraham Lincoln. The only granite stone to be so given, in recognition of Mifflin County’s First Defenders of the Civil War in 1861, the Logan Guards of Lewistown. The 65 foot tall Monument, made of Vermont granite, at a cost of $15,000 and weighing in at 125 tons, was finally dedicated in June 1906. It honored Union Soldiers and Sailors from Mifflin County who served during the Civil War. Mifflin County’s men and women continued to serve the Nation, through the World Wars, Korea and Vietnam. Then on November 10, 1969, 47 years ago today, something changed on Monument Square. In a ceremony led by the Mifflin County Veterans Council and the County Commissioners, the Civil War Monument was rededicated. Front page of the Lewistown Sentinel’s evening edition the next day reported on the re-dedication. Mifflin County’s Civil War Monument that has so proudly graced Lewistown’s public square since 1906...became a memorial to those countians who made the supreme sacrifice in all American wars... Several hundred persons heard former State Representative for Mifflin County, Harry W Price, Jr proclaim... ... by the power invested in me as president of the Mifflin County Veterans Council, consisting of all veteran organizations in Mifflin County, I do hereby re-dedicate this monument to those men and women from Mifflin County who made the supreme sacrifice in all wars and conflicts of the United States, from the Revolutionary War to and including the Vietnam conflict. The Sentinel continued, The highly patriotic program
Next Issue of The Valley: December 5th
was topped off by Ellis W Fisher, the county director of veterans affairs, when he threw the switch that bathed the impressive monument in a lighting system provided by the county commissioners. Flood lights illuminated the four granite figures on the monument representing the various branches of the Union forces during the Civil War including Army, Navy, Cavalry and Artillery. Pinpoint spotlights were also directed at the 7-foot tall flagbearer atop the monument. Keynote speaker, Judge Paul S Lehman, President the judge of Mifflin County told the crowd, in part: We need a thing like this to remind us what our veterans did for us, because nothing worthwhile is free. Someone has to pay for it, and it often is enjoyed by those who have had to make no sacrifices for it and who fail to appreciate it. A son may enjoy the fruits of a father in a lifetime of sweat and painful struggle; freedom is also that way. Today we enjoy freedom because over the years our forefathers paid the price for it. The Sentinel also reported that Musical selections by the Chorus of the Blue Juniata and the Lewistown/Granville High School band added to the patriotic program. Also featured, was a special flag raising ceremony by the local recruiting services. Chaplin Benjamin F Hughes, USN retired, offered the prayer of Dedication and the Benediction, as the ceremony concluded. In 2006, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument marked its one hundredth anniversary of construction. The efforts of the citizen soldier, past and present, were recalled during the ceremony, as several hundred people turned out to see the centennial recognition of the monument. Historian and educator Stephen J. Rynkewitz, Jr. gave the principal address that day. He told of the history of the monument. He said the monument is the symbol of remembrance and reflection of those whose bodies had been assaulted by the ravages of war. And he talked about the Lin-
coln stone, the only piece taken from the former presidents tomb, and the names of the Civil War veterans hidden behind it in a time capsule. Rynkewitz stated, in part: Sacrifice was something all too familiar to our Civil War veterans, he said. They left our county as boys and returned as men. These were citizen soldiers who were lucky enough to survive the carnage. Today’s Mifflin County citizen soldiers find themselves once more in foreign lands. Their task remains the same. This monument also belongs to these young people. That same year, an anonymous essay was published in Sentinel under the title Soldiers and Sailors Monument. It was written as if the monument were speaking to those of us living in Mifflin County. Here are excerpts from that essay: My tour of duty started on June 21, 1906. It was a beautiful summer day, and there were approximately 25 thousand people on hand to watch as I assumed my post. My mission at that time was to stand guard over the memory of all of our fallen sons and daughters who served so gallantly in defense of our country and our freedom. It is not a duty I took it lightly. Since that time, I have not missed a day of service. I stand at the center of town, and proudly look out over the town of Lewistown, and beyond, over the entire
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Mifflin County area... Over the years, we have lost many more of our faithful citizens to war. Our grandparents, parents, and sons and daughters have brought honor to our little community, and it is a tradition that continues today. I stand guard over their memory that they may never be forgotten, and that their sacrifice has not been in vain, we show them the honor and dignity that they so lovingly deserve. I hope to stand guard for another 100 years. Please take a moment to look up at me. I am here for you, and enjoyed knowing that you recognize that I am YOUR monument to the brave men and women who have served us in the past, in the present, and those who will continue to serve us in the future… As long as we have brave young men and women to protect us, and our way of life, I will be here, rain or shine, night and day, to let them know that we all are very proud of them, and will be here to welcome them home when they return. Monument Square, we see it everyday. First dedicated to our Civil War veterans in 1906, then in 1969, re-dedicated to all who served from Mifflin County. So as the anonymous writer suggests, pause a moment and look at the monument in the Square. Perhaps it will be at the Veterans Day parade or during the upcoming Festival of Ice. Whenever that may be, look
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The Valley, November 2017
Milk & Moos
Katrina Bliss Huntingdon County Dairy Princess What’s the best way to end a long school or work week? How does a tasty, home-cooked breakfast sound? One of the best ways to wake up on a Saturday morning is to the delicious aromas of bacon, eggs, and toast wafting through the kitchen. The most satisfying Saturday morning breakfasts, or any for that matter, all start with only the best ingredients. By incorporating dairy products, you are sure to not only enjoy a yummy meal first thing in the morning, but your most important meal of the day will also be one of your most nutritious. There are more ways than you may think to add a dose of dairy to your diet. First, instead of having orange juice, try a glass of milk instead. It contains Vitamin D, zinc, and protein which provide your body with the energy and nutrients it needs to get a start on the day ahead. Now, if you’re a dedicated coffee or tea drinker, who just wouldn’t be able to go without a cup of caffeine in the morning, just pour milk or dairy creamer in your beverage of choice. Next, try topping your warm toast with only real butter. Margarine and other butter alternatives simply don’t compare to real butter made with wholesome milk. Don’t forget about the dairy
products that are easy to enjoy even if breakfast is something you may often have to cut out of your hectic morning schedule. The innumerable amount of yogurt flavors and varieties available allow you to choose any that please your taste. String cheese is also portable, quick, and fun to grab on the way out the door. Dairy products provide nine essential vitamins and nutrients to the body, contributing to disease prevention, system development, and boosted immunity, just to name a few. Now, I have a recipe to share for Blueberry and Oatmeal Pancakes with a Maple Yogurt Topping. This Saturday, spend a morning making this delightful dish for breakfast or brunch, and enjoy the three different dairy products it includes. Happy cooking!
1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 1 tbsp butter, for cooking 3/4 cup plain yogurt Preparation In medium bowl, whisk together milk, quick-cooking oats, 2 tbsp maple syrup, melted butter and egg. Let stand for 15 min or until oats are slightly softened and mixture has thickened. In large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour,
Blueberry and Oatmeal Pancakes with Maple Yogurt Topping Ingredients 1 1/2 cups milk 1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 tbsp melted butter 1 egg, lightly beaten 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda
Dairy - Good - Truth by Gretchen Little
As the 2017-18 Pennsylvania Alternate Dairy Princess I would like to share with you a family favorite recipe which was chosen as an Honorable Mention at the PA State Dairy Pageant. • • • • • •
Glazed Cheese Croissants ¾ cup small-curd cottage cheese ½ cup softened unsalted butter 1 cup flour ¼ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons milk ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, butter, flour, and salt until mixed. Shape into a
ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or until dough is firm. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a floured surface, roll dough into a 14-inch circle. Evenly cut into 8 triangles (like pizza). Roll-up each triangle beginning with the wide end. Place on an ungreased baking sheet in a slight crescent shape. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to cool. While cooling, in a small bowl, gradually add milk to the confectioners’ sugar until slightly thick glaze-like consistency. Drizzle or brush glaze over croissants and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings. a
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baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour oatmeal mixture over dry ingredients; sprinkle with 1 cup blueberries. Stir gently just until combined. A few lumps will remain. In large non-stick skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tsp butter. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter per pancake into skillet. Cook for 2 min or until bubbles break on pancake surface and edges appear slightly dry. Turn and cook for 1 to 2 min longer or until puffed and golden. Repeat with remaining butter and batter, adjusting heat as
needed to prevent burning. In small bowl, combine yogurt and remaining 2 tbsp maple syrup. Top each pancake with 1 tbsp maple yogurt. Sprinkle with a few of the remaining blueberries. Serve immediately. a
The Valley, November 2017
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“In remote mountain highlands of Asia, a group of Buddhist monks called the Luohan achieved enlightenment through meditation, prayer and pure living. On the slopes of a primeval forest, the monks discovered and cultivated a rare fruit prized for its sweetness. This sacred fruit was named Monk Fruit, or Luohan Guo, after its devoted caretakers and was used in elixirs to increase chi, or life energy. Monk Fruit was used for centuries in eastern traditional herbalism to increase chi and wellbeing, earning it the nickname “The Immortals’ Fruit.” We still grow and harvest Monk Fruit for LAKANTO® in the same pristine area and according to traditional and environmental methods. Born from a proprietary mixture of the high-purity Monk Fruit extract and Erythritol, LAKANTO® is a delicious, all-natural, zero calorie, zero glycemic sweetener with the sumptuous rich taste of sugar.” With the coming holiday baking season almost upon us, how many are dreading breaking your routine of healthful eating that comes with summer for most. The holiday temptations have been the ruin of many healthy eating programs. I know myself having eliminated processed sugar from my diet as well as 60 pounds over the summer, I was not looking forward to skipping the treats that
come with holiday gatherings. I have done it before, it wasn’t fun, the outlook was not bright. It was around mid-September when I started hearing about a sweetener that was all-natural, tasted like sugar, was non glycemic, and had no terrible aftertaste. Yes, I have tried Stevia—not a fan. It seemed like everything that wasn’t sugar had an issue. Sugar has been recently been linked to most of our diseases in University studies, so it’s probably a good idea to curb our intake wouldn’t you say? Sugar is incredibly damaging when consumed in the amounts that most Americans do today. It’s estimated that Americans consume 130 pounds of sugar per year, as opposed to our ancestors in the early 1800s who averaged
about 10 pounds. This surge in sugar intake has ballooned obesity rates, as well as cases of diabetes. Although there are a number of artificial sweeteners available, the side effects of sugar substitutes like aspartame make them more harmful than the natural stuff. Monk fruit extract does not affect blood sugar the way natural sugars do — providing the sweet flavor we strongly crave without the damaging side effects. Using monk fruit sweetener can help those already suffering from obesity and diabetes from furthering their condition because it works as a natural obesity treatment. Another benefit is that the sweetener is extracted from nonGMO fruit, unlike table sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Monk Fruit also helps treat cancer and fights free radicals in the body. Scores of studies have proven the anti-carcinogenic effects of the natural sweeteners contained in monk fruit. From studies displaying its abilities in inhibiting skin and breast tumor growth to providing proteins that have potent anticancer abilities, monk fruit is a great warrior in
the fight against cancer. There is irony in the fact that other sweeteners are proven to increase the risk of cancer, while monk fruit sweetener has the power to reduce it. Monk fruit’s mogrosides, the compounds that give it its intense sweetness, are also powerful antioxidants. Oxidative stress plays a part in many diseases and disorders, and choosing high-antioxidant foods is the key to reducing free radical damage in the body. Studies have shown that mogrosides “significantly inhibited reactive oxygen species and DNA oxidative damage.” The fact that the same monk fruit ingredients that provide antioxidants also provide a no-calorie sweetener makes it nothing less than a superfood. A superfood that also is an antiinflamatory and coolant for the body. Ancient Chinese usage of this fruit included drinking tea made from the boiled fruit to cool the body from external and internal sources and ailments from fever to heat stroke. It was also used to soothe a sore throat. This method worked because of monk fruit’s anti-inflammatory abilities. Inflammation can cause a host of issues throughout the body, and many modern anti-inflammatory medications come with harmful side effects, such as liver damage. Using monk fruit is a natural way to fight inflammation. Many studies prove its anti-inflammatory powers are most likely the reason it’s able to positively affect so many other diseases and disorders. And even in spite of all of
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the health benefits, unlike other sweteners, there is no downside, no bitter aftertaste, and it tastes like and in some cases can be used as a direct 1:1 substitute in it’s granular form. Lakanto also comes as a liquid sweetener, and the granular comes in a classic white and there is also a Golden variety that mimics brown sugar. The classic has more of a clean crisp sweetness while the golden has more of a sweet maple flavor and smell. The classic is like white sugar, and the golden is like brown sugar. Both do contain the same ingredients (Monk fruit and Erythritol), but they contain different monk fruit extracts. The Golden sweetener is extracted from the seeds and the skin of the monk fruit, which gives it a more sweet maple flavor and smell. The Classic sweetener is extracted from the pulp of the monk fruit, which gives it a more crisp sweetness. Everything else about the sweetener is the same, same nutritionals and sweetness profile. The difference between the sweeteners comes from which part of the monk fruit they originate. The Classic (white) sweetener is extracted from the white pulp. The Golden (brown) sweetener is extracted from the seed and peel of the monk fruit. These sweeteners possess the same nutritional
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The Valley, November 2017 Lakanto Sugar substitute from page 16
The Benefits of Detoxing An infrared sauna can help you to sweat out your toxins, lose weight, may reverse chronic pain, can relieve soreness due to over exertion by helping to loosen tight muscles (which can help with recovery time for athletes and the rest of us after a hard workout), can help with pain due to injury or arthritis, has positive effects on blood pressure, and faster wound healing. Our sauna at Simply Health is an infrared sauna using farinfrared (FIR) light. The term “far” refers to where the infrared waves fall on the light spectrum. FIR light reaches deepest into the body, where toxins are stored. Unlike traditional saunas, which heat the air, an infrared sauna uses light to heat your body in much the same way as the sun does. An infrared sauna can produce the same benefits and more than a traditional sauna, but at a lower temperature of between 120 and 140ºF compared to the temperature range of a traditional sauna, which is typically between 150 and 185ºF. As humans, we are all bio-accumulators. According to the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA), we all have dangerous toxins stored in our bodies, including pesticides and mycotoxins. We retain these toxins in our bodies’ fatty tissues, including breast milk, the liver, and blood plasma. Most of these environmental toxins are known to contribute to a whole host of diseases, including cancer, arthritis, autoimmune disease, autism, fibromyalgia, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s and more. A sauna increases your heart rate just like when you exercise. Used regularly, saunas can help increase your metabolism. Users can burn between 500-700 calories in a session while also releasing toxins. In addition, some studies have shown that sauna therapy can release toxins stored in fat tissues that can otherwise prevent weight loss. Some of these toxins include heavy metals.
Many people, including celebrities, swear the infrared sauna is their secret to glowing skin. Studies show that infrared sauna can improve psoriasis and other skin issues. Far infrared saunas stimulate blood circulation in your skin, which in turn may help boost your skins ability to produce collagen. Sweating may accelerate your skins ability to detox traces of dirt, makeup, pollution, heavy metals, and alcohol. The heat also relaxes tense facial muscles. Releasing toxins through sweating can help support kidney function by reducing the load put on your kidneys. Saunas have traditionally been used to produce a feeling of relaxation. The heat helps to relieve physical and emotional tension in your muscles, including your face and neck muscles, by triggering the body’s parasympathetic nervous system. This relaxation effect is one of the biggest benefits to using an infrared sauna. When you are relaxed, your energy levels increase, and you sleep better at night, therefore, increasing your sense of well being. The far infrared sauna has been known to help people rid their bodies of agent orange from the days of the Vietnam war and now we have many people using the sauna to help with Lyme disease. At Simply Health, we have a package that encourages usage 3 times a week for a month at a special rate. Using the FIR sauna 3 times a week will maximize the
sauna benefits. For pain relief we recommend visits 2-4 times per month. For detoxification or chronic issues, we recommend you schedule for 1-3 visits per week. Not crazy about heat??? Try detoxing with our Ion cleanse detoxing footbaths. Takes only 30 minutes while your feet are in a bucket of warm water.....and you can relax and enjoy a nice cup of herbal tea. One of our weekly clients (who happens to be 95 years young!) is using the detoxing footbath to keep himself off of dialysis! He’s amazing! Call us today at 814-9547731 to get your detoxing program started and your health on a positive track for the winter. Build your immune system naturally. Check our website www.simplyhealth-calm.com for our monthly spa packages. Want to do something special with the upcoming holidays? Schedule a Spa Party. Looking forward to healthy and happy holidays! See you soon! a
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content. They do differ in flavor comparable to white and brown sugar. The texture of the Golden is drier than brown sugar — it is not moist. Lakanto also has other items that will thrill those watching what they eat, and eating to live well. Among the offered products are Maple Syrup, Chocolate Bars, chocolate drink mixes, and Matcha latte. Also offered are low-carb, gluten free Pancake and Waffle mixes. Being able to enjoy these few things means a lot to someone who has a very restrictive diet—it almost makes you feel normal again. I am looking forward to what the future might hold for this company, but for right now, I am very happy to have put some sweetness back in my diet without all the issues that go with sugar or other substitutes. To find more information or to order for yourself www.lakanto. com will get you where you need to be.
Slather that guilt free Maple Syrup on your pancakes like when you were young, no worries with Lakanto!
Editor’s Note: having used this product myself now for almost a month, I highly recommend it to anyone who suffers a sweet tooth, but wants to shed some pounds. You substitute this product 1:1 so it is easy, and you will never know that you aren’t having sugar, except at your waistline. a
The Valley, November 2017
18
Understanding the Constitution by David Molek
Return To Original Meaning It’s been some time since you’ve seen any articles from me. I retired from the practice of law, retired as Mifflin County District Attorney and retired as a law instructor at South Hills School of Business & Technology. During that time, I was able to catch up on much deferred maintenance and projects at home and at camp. Although I enjoyed complete retirement, I decided to return to teach law courses part-time and I decided to write again about one of my passions - our Constitution. Thanks to Wayne for accepting me back. Last fall I was extremely happy when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. I was even happier when he started initiating his agenda - which matched his
campaign platform. How infrequently do we see that? Much of his agenda was to restore constitutional government. It wasn’t everything, but it was a good start. However, all I saw from the mainstream media (NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN and NYT ) was distortions, dishonesty and outright lies. This mainstream media refuses to cover the many major accomplishments of President Trump. It was and still is disgusting. I can’t help but think of all the ignorant Americans who follow only mainstream media and have no accurate idea of how things are going in the real world. I had a journalism course in college over 45 years ago. There was a time when journalists
Good News By Sarah Hurlburt
There is something wonderful about hearing good news. Unfortunately, if you watch any major news networks for 5 minutes you will experience no less than fear, dread and terror and imagine our world must be such a horrible place. I hear it so often, the comments, can you believe what was on the news this morning, can you believe how awful that terrorist attack was, how scary is that disease outbreak, or what a nightmare about the prescription drug abuse. News media thrives on fearmongering and we have learned to thrive on bad news. It’s a terrible thing it affects our brains because we are living on high alert all the time because our culture has become so negative and fear-based. It’s not just news media, marketing and advertising have learned how well fear-based marketing works as well and use it to convince us to buy certain products. Those products are promised to take care of some “thing” that invokes fear in us and offer us peace of mind. How sad that as a culture this is normal thinking now. Children
are now experiencing anxiety problems as the negative and fearbased media trickles into their minds as well. We have allowed focusing on the negative and fearful side of life to change us and it’s a tragedy. Fear has become a monster that can only be killed by positivity and peace of mind. As long as God allows this world to exist there will always be evil, but it is NOT greater than the good. The good always has and always will win. For every terrorist there a million-wonderful people living out their daily lives making a difference in a million different ways. Why don’t we notice them? Why don’t we have news stories about them? The doctors, the nurses, the volunteers, the school counselors, the teachers, the spiritual leaders, the fire fighters, the first responders, the police officers, the stay at home Moms or Dads, the farmers, the people just getting up every morning and going to a job they don’t always love, but do it so their family can have what they need. Everyday heroes that do things that make a difference in the world every day
looked at who, what, when, where and why, and reported actual facts, not “fake news.” I have become truly frustrated and quite selective in what I read and watch on TV. As a veteran, I am one of those guys who is boycotting the NFL and pro football because of their disrespect for our flag. Journalism taught me to be responsible about what I say and how I say it. The media used to follow these same rules, but no more. They hate Trump and everything he or his administration does. It appears to be an establishment propaganda machine posing as a free press. To those of us who follow the “We report, you decide” networks, it makes me think the existence of Sasquatch is more believable than CNN. and no one notices. You don’t have to do something earth shaking to be a hero. Sometimes just the little things make you someone’s hero. It is with this thought in mind that I would like to start sharing some stories each month of people that I find inspiring and to be a positive influence. I would like to hear from readers as well. If you know of someone making a difference in their own humble and quiet way, please let me know and I will do my best to feature them either in the Valley Newspaper or on my new blog site. You can find me online at wonderful-life.blog. Or email me stories and pictures of your hero at real.life.heroes@ outlook.com. My blog site is brand new so be prepared to be very underwhelmed if you visit. Currently it is more of a blah site. It will take me time to begin composing good news stories, but eventually they will be there to read. In the meantime, I will post my own random musings. I look forward to adding a little dash of positivity to the world and encouraging people to realize how important they are and that every little good deed changes the world for the better. I look forward to hearing from you as you help me in my real-life hero project. a
I write this column from a constitutional conservative’s perspective. I will try to pick constitutional topics relevant to what is going on in our great country. Some of the issues that are currently relevant are: Federalism, Immigration, U.S. Supreme Court, 2nd Amendment, 10th Amendment, Religious Freedom, Delegation of Legislative Authority to Bureaucrats, and many more. If you have interest in a particular relevant topic, let our editor know. Our Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by conservative philosophers and Christianity. However, America today is distant from its founding principles, With the exception of 8 years under President Ronald Reagan, the Republican administrations have been too closely following the New Deal and Great Society path. They forget that in the United States, the people are sovereign over the government. Our national legislature no longer actu-
Henry’s Tree Farm from front page last weekend before Christmas. The amount of help Henry’s Tree Farm has had over the years has gradually increased as well. With what began as having mostly family help, including that of their son, Brian, and his wife, Carena, as well as a few close friends, has expanded into a much larger operation. Year in and year out, Henry’s employs dozens of locals for jobs ranging from planting trees, to trimming trees, to harvesting trees, as well as the routine maintenance that must be done outside of the Christmas season. People often don’t see the work and labor that is necessary for growing Christmas trees. “The thing is, you don’t put the tree in the ground and come back and open the gate on Black Friday,” Terry’s wife, Joanne, said of the process. “It’s work and it’s a commitment.” The work and commitment of the Henry’s and their employees have allowed “the farm” to flourish into what it is today. Not only is Henry’s a family business, but it promotes a family atmosphere and a family experience. Henry’s prides themselves in promoting family time, saying that families have a difficult finding time to do activities together.
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ally legislates; but delegates to unelected bureaucrats. We need a return to limited government. We do not need activist judges who adopt the “living” Constitution doctrine which allows them to legislate from the bench. Constitutional law is now more the study of Supreme Court cases than the actual Constitution itself. For a while after retirement, I was apathetic because it was so overwhelming. At some point recently, I just couldn’t take it anymore and felt I needed to get back to helping people understand our Constitution and help ignite a bit of passion to return to limited government, individual freedom and responsibility, free market, a strong national defense, control of our runaway debt, adherence to the rule of law and belief in God. Our Constitution remains the law of the land. My columns are based on one simple principle: respect the original meaning of the text. My objective is to make our Constitution understandable. Our Constitution, if followed, secures the liberty and sovereignty of We the People. a
Between a parent’s busy work schedule and their children’s sports and extracurricular activities, family time often falls by the wayside in today’s world. Picking out the family Christmas tree is something that many families have made a yearly excursion that both parents and children can look forward to. Regardless of the weather, whether it’s sunny and semi-warm, or a chilly day showing the first signs of the season’s snow, people enjoy the family experience that is visiting Henry’s Tree Farm. With Christmas carols playing in the background, a faint “Merry Christmas” that can be heard from the Santa Shack, and a group of workers that can always be found smiling (and occasionally wearing Elf hats), Henry’s Tree Farm is not a place to overlook this Christmas season. Everything in life begins and ends with family, and Henry’s Tree Farm sees the value in that. Henry’s Tree Farm is located at 7870 Stage Road, McClure, PA. a
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The Valley, November 2017
Savvy Cents & Sensibility
Stress from page 3
by JoAnn Wills-Kline MBA
Holiday Link-up As we usher in the holiday season, it’s a great time for a link-up. Below you will find topics for great gifts ranging from $25 - $100, scrumptious holiday breakfasts, full meal ideas, and effortless ideas for cooking for a crowd; Plus, ideas for inexpensive decorating, and suggestions for a stress-free holiday. Take some time to peruse the links for terrific ideas to jump into the most wonderful time of the year. Season’s Greetings! We begin the link-up with reasonable $25 - 100 gifts for everyone. These links offer a wide range of classic and trendy gift ideas for everyone on your list.
http://www.redbookmag.com/life/ friends-family/advice/g849/coolgifts/
Great Gifts under $25 – Clever uncommon goods for every age and every lifestyle Great Places to find Affordable Gifts Under $25|Money http://time.com/money/4138325/ holiday-gifts-under-25/ Christmas Gifts under $25 – Southern Living http://www.southernliving.com/ christmas/christmas-gifts-under-25 The Grommet https://www.thegrommet.com/ gifts/under-25
Easy Holiday Breakfast Ideas 2017 – Simple & delicious ideas for special holiday mornings A beautiful Mess http://abeautifulmess. com/2012/12/10-easy-holidaybreakfast-ideas.html Country Living http://www.countryliving.com/ food-drinks/g1557/christmasbrunch-menu/ Good Housekeeping http://www.goodhousekeeping. com/breakfast-recipes/
Great Gifts under $50 – Trendy cozy gifts for the abode and cool tech gadgets to make life easier CNET https://www.cnet.com/holidaygift-guide/under-50/ Buzzfeed https://www.buzzfeed.com/ nicolenguyen/tech-gifts-under50?utm_term=.drGbm8WrYy#. agqENJmD27 Redbook
Great Gifts under $100 – Unique, trendy, and classic gifts that recipient will truly appreciate Best Products http://www.bestproducts.com/ lifestyle/news/g2100/perfect-giftideas-under-100/ Business Insider http://www.businessinsider.com/ collection/best-gifts-by-budgetunder-100-dollars Lumens https://www.lumens.com/giftguide/gifts-under-100/
Full Holiday Meal Ideas – All you need to go all out Holiday Meal Ideas – Country Living http://www.countryliving.com/ food-drinks/g635/holiday-recipebook-1108/ Epicurious https://www.epicurious.com/occasion/christmas Easy Meal Ideas for a Crowd http://www.delish.com/cooking/ recipe-ideas/g3166/cheap-easy-
recipes/ Easy inexpensive holiday decorating ideas – Deck the halls for less HGTV http://www.hgtv.com/design/ make-and-celebrate/handmade/ our-65-favorite-handmade-holiday-decorating-ideas-pictures Real Simple – Easy & Elegant Christmas Decor https://www.realsimple.com/ holidays-entertaining/holidays/ christmas/christmas-decor Traditional Home – 51 Simple Holiday Decorations http://www.traditionalhome.com/ design0/51-simple-holiday-decorating-tips Suggestions to eliminate stress during the holidays e-Wellness Magazine http://www.ewellnessmag.com/ article/8-tips-to-a-stress-freeholiday-season Woman’s Day | 31 Expert Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday http://www.womansday.com/ health-fitness/wellness/g2044/ how-to-have-a-stress-free-christmas/ Health | 25 Ways to Fight Holiday Stress http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306655,00.html Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons are for enjoying family and friends; making magnificent memories; and recognizing the many blessings in our lives and the true reason for the season. Enjoy this beautiful, special, and most wonderful time of the year! a
The Mifflin County Model Railroad Club will present their 2017
Open House the following dates: Thurs, Nov. 30th & Fri. Dec. 1st from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. Sat. Dec.2nd from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Sun. Dec.3rd from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Sat. & Sun. Dec. 9th & 10th
from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Sat. Dec.16th & Sun. Dec. 17th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. The club is located in the old Montgomery Ward building on the Square in Lewistown. The event will have numerous trains running. There is no admission charge and all are welcome.
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(including overeating), and sleeprelated problems. Luckily, the natural stress relievers listed below are proven to help lower cortisol and decrease the negative impact stress has on your health: •Meditation or “mindfulness”: This practice has been shown to help train the brain and body to turn off the stress response and promote more relaxation. And these benefits are possible without impairing alertness, concentration or memory. Many studies show that daily mediation or even healing prayer for just 15 to 30 minutes can offer significant reductions in cortisol. Participating in a regular “mindfulnessbased stress reduction” program also offers significant reductions in cortisol and stress-related symptoms or diseases. Using meditative methods can also improve brain and heart health while bolstering your immune system. •Acupuncture: Trusted for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture treatments help naturally control stress and reduce symptoms like muscle or joint pain, headaches, fertility problems, troubling sleeping, and poor circulation. •Deep breathing exercises: Taking deep breaths helps turn down the sympathetic nervous system and kick in the body’s natural relaxation response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Diaphragmatic breathing is an easy technique to learn on your own and practice throughout the day to relieve muscle tension and anxiety. Controlled breathing techniques have been a staple in Eastern health practices for centuries and are becoming more popular in the West, too, thanks to emerging studies and books describing their benefits — such as Dr. Herbert Benson’s book “The Relaxation Response.” •Spending time in nature/ outdoors: Studies show that physical settings play a role in stress reduction, and being in nature is a well-documented way to promote relaxation. Try going for walks or runs outside (especially barefoot running or walking, a practice called “earthing“), spending time at the ocean, walking through forests, gardening at home, or doing other things outdoors and away from technology to reduce anxiety. Exercise Regularly According to research published by Harvard Medical School, regular exercise (about 30 to 60 minutes most days of the
week, depending on the intensity) is one of the best ways to manage stress, balance hormones, sleep better and aid normal metabolic functions (like balancing blood sugar levels). The key is to avoid overtraining and overexerting yourself, which can actually cause even more cortisol to be released. Exercise benefits hormone levels because although it temporarily increases adrenaline and cortisol production, it generally helps bring cortisol back down to normal levels afterward. This cycle helps your body better handle stress and gives your autonomic nervous system (the one that controls your stress and relaxation responses) its own workout. This means the next time your stress hormones rise due to a perceived threat, you should be able to lower cortisol levels more easily, since your body becomes primed to this during physical activity. Use Adaptogen Herbs and Superfoods Adaptogen herbs help naturally lower high cortisol levels in several key ways. They help balance hormones; reduce inflammation due to their strong antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial effects; have natural antidepressant effects; lower fatigue; and help balance blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Many adaptogens, such as reishi mushrooms and cocoa, have been safely used for thousands of years to promote better overall health with little to no side effects. There are at least 16 different proven adaptogenic herbs that can help lower cortisol, including: •ashwaganda •astragalus •ginseng •licorice root •holy basil •medicinal mushrooms, including reishi and cordyceps •rhodiola Try Essential Oils to Promote Relaxation Similarly to adaptogen herbs, essential oils are also helpful for fighting stress and balancing hormones. Essential oils, including lavender, myrrh, frankincense and bergamot, contain potent, active ingredients that have been shown to naturally lower cortisol, reduce inflammation, improve immunity, and help with sleep and digestive functions. Try inhaling some of the best essential oils for hormones, diffusing them in your home, making bath soaks or body washes using your favorite kinds, or rubbing them directly into your skin when mixed properly with a carrier oil
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The Valley, November 2017
20 Nature’s Remedy from page 10
oils from our skin! There is really nothing natural about these bars. They are synthetic, chemically made bars. People with already dry or sensitive skin are especially affected by the harsh chemicals used in a detergent bar soap. Some ingredients used in these bars include: parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrance oils, preservatives and artificial coloring. These bars are made with synthetic ingredients, which are not biodegradable nor environmentally friendly. These chemicals and toxins are now finding their way into our eco-system. Every time that lather goes down the drain, those pollutants are going with it! LIQUID OR GEL SOAPS OR WASHES: These kinda follow the same guidelines as above. You have your handmade all natural liquid soap, commercial made liquid soap or shower gels and detergent based shower gels. Again: READ THE LABEL! I WILL TRY TO MAKE THIS ALL CLEARER! Let me give you an example that may help you better understand if this is confusing: True soapmakers (cold process soap) carefully choose each and every ingredient, measures it out, and create their product from scratch: kinda like grandma’s chocolate chip cookies are made. The soapmaker has complete control. A melt and pour crafter will take a base, and maybe add a few things to make their product: kinda like the Pillsbury sugar cookies that you buy in the grocery store refrigerated section. You buy a cold roll of dough, take it home, scoop it out, maybe add some colored sugar and bake them. The crafter has some control. Commercial soap is like a box of Oreos! You have no control. Make sense? SO, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING? It is pretty simple, really: READ THE LABEL!!!!! The FDA does regulate the label and if it is not a true soap (created with oils and an alkali) it cannot be labeled as soap. Just remember, they can label it as soap as long it does contain some soap. SOME being the word that should create a red flag. It can get a bit confusing as these large companies creatively use wording on the label that make you say….hmmm: that
doesn’t sound too bad. Until you actually read the ingredient list! There are so many large companies with major advertising budgets competing for your business. Hopefully, this article has explained the options enough for you to make an informed, educated purchase!
Powder, Glycerin, Prop. Glycol, Coconut Oil, Triethanolamine, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Laurate, Sodium Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Purified Water, DMDM Hydantoin.
Here are some samples of ingredients I found online. Handmade soap: (Shade Mountain’s Birch Sassafras) Saponified oils of: Coconut, Palm, Olive, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond, Sunflower, and Castor. Kaolin Clay, Sea Salt, Birch Essential Oil and ground Sassafras Root for exfoliation Basic white melt and pour: Amazon’s #1 best seller (maybe not the best choice!) Goat’s Milk
Organic melt and pour: (a better choice)! Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Glycerine), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol, Sorbitan oleate, Oat protein Glycerin melt and pour soap: Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sorbitol, Coconut Oil, Sodium Myristate, Triethanolamine, Sodium Laurate, Sodium Cocoate, Purified Water A very well known major com-
mercial soap: (take note: the first ingredient is soap and this is why they can label theirs as soap….then you have the rest of the ingredients) Soap (sodium tallowate, sodium cocate and/or sodium palm kernelate), Water, Hydrogenated Tallow Acid (skin conditioner), Glycerin (skin conditioner), Petrolatum, Coconut Acid, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-6, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulouse, Pentasodium Pentetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-dit-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Corn Starch Modified, Mineral Oil, PEG-12, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines A very well known beauty bar: Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate Stearic Acid , Sodium Tallowate and/or Sodium Palmate, Sodium
Isethionate, Lauric Acid, Water, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Red 4, Red 33, Titanium Dioxide. Thank you for reading. Thank you for your support. Please come visit us on Jack’s Creek Road in Lewistown, or now at The Barn in Lemont (next door to Happy Valley Brewery). We love visitors at Shade Mountain and we LOVE to chat about our products, so if you have questions: bring them in! If you are interested in learning more about essential oils: we teach classes at both locations. Join us on Facebook to view our schedule and sign up, or give us a call at 717-248-8847. ~Tamela a
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The Valley, November 2017
Modern Energy and Alternative Heating with Curt Bierly What “Fuel” Should I Choose to Heat My House and DHW? There are many different “Fuels” available to heat your home and to supply Domestic Hot Water (DHW) for you and your family. Which “fuel” you choose depends on how much money you are willing to budget toward these “necessities” and how much extra money you are willing to spend for the convenience of having these “necessities” used in conjunction with an automatic heating system. Also, you may select one fuel over the other for environmental concerns i.e. some fuels are renewable (wood, solar, wood pellets), some fuels are not (oil, natural gas, propane, coal). Electricity can be produced from either renewable or nonrenewable “fuels.” Some fuels
are “Green” (wood, solar, wood pellets) and some fuels are not (oil, natural gas, propane, coal). Providing fuel to satisfy your needs and the needs for power companies is “Big Business.” Big business is charged with making a profit for its shareholders, which is certainly understandable. Profitability is better and more consistent if the product being sold is needed every day/month/ year when compared to a one time sale. Thus, as an example, oil and gas companies (BP, Exxon, Shell, etc) would rather sell oil and gas fuel every day/month/year in lieu of selling you a solar panel and you receive the “fuel” in the form of
sunshine at no cost. Certainly it is understandable that oil and gas companies are not interested in promoting solar products unless mandated to do so. So in what direction do you think our country should be moving? Toward renewable or non-renewable energy? There is an abundance of information available on the subject. Before you buy, study the information carefully and make an informed decision which way you want to move. To the right is a spreadsheet I constructed ranking each form of “fuel” on several parameters. Hope it helps! Curt Bierly is president of the bierly group incorporated of which Stanley C. Bierly is a division. He graduated from Penn State with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is a member of the Penn College HVAC Advisory Board. You can contact him at 814-3493000 or cbierly@bierlygroup. acom.
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New Website to be Released
Over the last 175 years, there have been many changes to the Mifflin County Library. When the Mifflin County Library originally opened its doors in 1842, the library was a paid lending library. In 1942 the library became the county library and the changes didn’t stop there. Throughout the years the library has had an address change, the card catalog became digital, and e-books can be checked out from the comfort of your own home. Please don’t think the library is done changing. Very soon the Mifflin County Library will have a brand new website! The new website will be released on November 13, 2017 and will offer all of the great features the current website offers with a fresh new look. You will continue to have access to the library’s card catalog from the website’s homepage, plus now there is a bonus feature with step by step instructions on how to access your library account through the card catalog. On the homepage you will also be able to register for a temporary digital library card. The digital library card provides you access to e-materials until you get to the library for your permanent library card.
Along with the homepage of the website, you will also find an Adults, Teens, and Kids page. Each of these pages contains custom information for each age group. Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events and Programs box found on the right hand side of each page. This box will have programs of interest for each page. New to the website is the Library Store page. Here is where you will discover the bonus services the library has to offer the public for a nominal fee. You most likely know that the library offers copy and fax services, but did you know that the library also offers notary services? Be sure to check this page often! You never know what new service the library will have to offer for your convenience. Soon, our year of celebrating 175 years will be coming to an end and yes the library may be “old,” but it is ever changing and always has something “new” to offer! Submitted by: Kelly Rodenbaugh Youth Services Manager Mifflin County Library a
Family Hospice, Part of UPMC Home Nursing Agency, Offers Free Grief Support Group in Lewistown Family Hospice and Palliative Care, Part of UPMC Home Nursing Agency (HNA), is offering a free Grief Support Group on Wed., Nov. 8 and Wed., Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to noon at the HNA Lewistown office, 129 S. Main St.
and Perry were. We did not have 20 days without rain until October and the water is too cold to get in then. This year Huntingdon removed 5.21 tons of trash and 160 tires, had 33 volunteers, 231volunteer hours, and cleaned up 4 miles of river. On August 26th, Perry County with 12 volunteers, hauled 54 tires and approximately 500
pounds of trash out of the Juniata River between Millerstown and Newport. Below is a picture of Kristi Smith and her group from Perry County holding a sign thanking the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds and New Pig for their grant support to help pay for these river cleanups. Pam Sechrist Affiliate Coordinator a
This is from our first fall road cleanup, which was an International Coastal Cleanup. Much of this was pulled from an area where there is a creek leading down to the Juniata River. It’s awful that people will take trash out of town two miles in the opposite direction from the Mifflin County Solid Waste Authority transfer station and dump it. There was a whole blue living room sectional, a headboard and foot board of a bed and a pool table in pieces to name a few of the items found. I think they kept the dining room table and the kitchen sink. If you know someone that cleaned out their house let us know. Our second road cleanup we collected 14 bags of trash and one aquar• Reliable Propane & Heating Oil Delivery ium that looked like it housed either • Budget Payment Plan Call today snakes or critters of to learn about our • 24/7 Emergency Service some kind. Our next NEw CustOmER fall cleanup will be • Heating Equipment Service Plans sPECiAls! Saturday November • Safety Trained Professionals 4th with the rain • Over 80 Years Experience date being Saturday November 11. We couldn’t do it without their help. Mifflin and Juniata Counties Our Business is Customer Satisfaction were not able to do their river cleanups 717-248-5476 • 1-800-PROPANE (776-7263) because of high waters, but Huntingdon
Expect More from Your Fuel Supplier!
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The Valley, November 2017
I gained 50 pounds ...and love it! www.families4kids.org 800-568-6449
foster parent or adopt...you’ll love it too!
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The Valley, November 2017
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Swales in the Permaculture Landscape In my writing so far, I have mentioned swales a few times. They are one of the key concepts in permaculture when it comes to land form design and maximizing your landscape’s water efficiency. Swales should really be planned and dug prior to planting crops. As opposed to cisterns and rain barrels, which are “active” water collection techniques, swales are considered a “passive” water collection. Though conventional landscape management practices often use what are referred to as “swales” in various construction projects, they are often implemented in ways which increase erosion. In fact, most “swales” in modern landscape design are merely ditches to redirect water off-site and into man-made water
catchment systems. These systems direct water at high velocities, taking sediments and precious habitat along with them and sometimes creating as much of a problem as standing water or run-off would for local ecosystems. In permaculture, swales are used in a specific way to manage water, and they can be a bit tricky to master. On my small lot, I have dug only one mini swale for water catchment, but as your space and slope increase, this is an important tool to master. Not only does passive water catchment systems reduce the amount of water pumped onto the site either from wells or municipal sources, it can also increase habitat, conserve top soil, and reduce downstream pollutants.
So, if I have sold you on swale design, how can it be done? It’s likely that for a large parcel of land, you will need some help from an experienced landscape or permaculture designer. For small to medium parcels, though, you can likely learn the basics and work slowly through trial and error to dig them correctly. The keys to good swale design are to build them on contour, to start high in the landscape, to always build a berm on the low elevation side to keep erosion from occurring, and place swales closely together where the water moves quickly. (I could write an entire article on contours in the landscape, but understanding contours is either something that comes inherently or something you have to learn
visually. If you are confused about contours- as many people areplease search for a youtube video online to get a clear explanation complete with demonstrations of the concept before you begin digging up your yard.) When swales are dug in this manner, water flow is slowed and forced to infiltrate into the soil of the berm, creating a great place to plant. This is the general idea of large scale permaculture plantings, too. Intercropped tree rows are planted on contour in the spongy soil of the berm, soaking up water and nutrients as they slowly move down from the highest point in a landscape. If you’re thinking that would be impossible for large equipment to get through the bumps and dips in the agroforestry operation, you’re not wrong. But remember, permaculture advocates limiting large
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machinery in favor of keeping soil less compacted. I don’t have a good answer as to how large operations manage this as I don’t do large scale agroforestry. (And quite frankly, it sounds exhausting to me.) However, I have seen it work on small to mid-scale operations and it is easy enough for swales to be placed at a distance wide enough for mowing to take place between them and mulched heavily to decrease the amount of undesirable vegetation between crops until they are well established. To really get a good idea of how you will need to move soil for swales, you need maps. This is especially true the bigger your plot of land becomes. For most other permaculture concepts, you can get by without them. Not so for water catchment. As someone who worked in the GIS industry for years, maps are one thing I can do! So, here are my best tips: You have a few options for mapping your plot of land, and the ones I’ll mention are free. The easiest for most people who aren’t GIS dorks like me is, of course, Google Earth. Another free and great option is QGIS, an open source GIS program which was originally created by the Army Corps of Engineers, if I am not
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The Valley, November 2017 Stress from page 19 (like coconut or jojoba oil). If you’re dealing with side effects of high cortisol, including acne, indigestion or bloated stomach, certain essential oils like lemon or peppermint can help with that, too. Get Enough Sleep Getting enough sleep helps us control cortisol production, but having high cortisol levels can make it hard to rest. In people with normal circadian rhythms, cortisol levels rise during the early morning hours and then drop very low at night prior to sleep and during sleep. People who develop high cortisol levels can wind up feeling the opposite: wired and anxious at night, but then fatigued during the day — thus, they can’t sleep well at the times they’re supposed to. This overactivity of the adrenal glands is one of the biggest signs of Cushing’s disease or adrenal fatigue and is usually tied to stress and hormonal imbalances. By taking the steps listed above, you should be able to rest more easily. Ideally, you should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night to reset your circadian rhythms and bring hormones back to balance. What Is Cortisol? The adrenal gland, following
signals from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, is responsible for the secretion of cortisol, a type of essential glucocorticoid steroid hormone. Cortisol levels are highest in the morning around 7 a.m. and lowest at night (called a diurnal rhythm). Cortisol is also present in both chronically stressed individuals and those who are perfectly healthy. (7) This vital hormone possesses dozens of different purposes within the body and makes numerous chemical interactions every single day. What does cortisol do exactly? Cortisol receptors are scattered throughout the entire body, found in nearly every cell, and serve different essential functions, including: •helping to keep us awake and alert •preventing fatigue or brain fog •keeping our metabolisms running (it helps us burn fat for energy) •balancing blood sugar levels (since it allows cells to take up and use glucose for energy) •reducing inflammation and helping with healing •balancing fluid levels based on salt and water intake •contributing to control over blood pressure •helping with many cognitive processes like learning and
memory formulation •allowing us to respond to and escape perceived dangers •helping to develop the fetus during pregnancy Levels of cortisol rise when the pituitary gland releases anoth-
er hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH signals the adrenals to pump out more cortisol. Why does this happen? Many different things trigger this release, including various forms of physical or emotional
stress, a poor lifestyle, too little sleep, or illnesses and infections. https://draxe.com/cortisol-levels/ Remember stress is extremely tough on the body and bottling it up over a long period of time could mean the difference between life and death. I highly encourage everyone to find a physical activity that they enjoy and do it. One of the great way to relieve stress is to get a heavy bag and hang it from your ceiling or rafters or the stand and beat the crap out of it every time you feel stress. Get it out! Your body’s response to an overwhelming amount of stress is what tightens up your back muscles, which then, in turn, pull the vertebrae in the spine out of alignment and pinch on the spinal nerves causing subluxations that interfere with the messages from your brain to your body and can cause a great dis-ease in the body. The only two jobs of every chiropractor are to locate and correct your subluxations. Call our office today to find out how chiropractic can help you deal with the stress that life brings you. a Dr. Joseph Kauffman Kauffman-Hummel Chiropractic Clinic drjosephkauffman@comcast.net 717-248-2506
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The hanky panky never seems to end in Gregg Township. This month, the Ethics Commission conducted a preliminary inquiry into the matter of the Secretary operating her undisclosed private business during work hours. The agency found that “although you may have used a Township computer and/or took actions in furtherance of your personal business during Township business hours, such was done
with the approval of the Township Board of Supervisors as a result of other duties you perform for the Township with no compensation.” The township office is only open 30 hours per week and she is fulltime. My husband and I called all three Supervisors and asked if they approved of this misuse of taxpayer resources. One of them said no. One of them said she did no such thing. The third, who works in the office with her as “Assistant Secretary/Building Manager” said he does approve.
Apparently, he IS the Board of Supervisors. I am writing this column just after replacing my husband’s campaign sign in front of the Municipal Building. To date, his sign has been run over four times. Conveniently, the security cameras at the Municipal Building do not cover the area where the sign is placed. The person who is destroying the signs knows this. Allow that to sink in. Most likely, you are reading this column after election day. There are two possible outcomes: 1) Casey Grove is the new Supervisor and he will work hard to put a stop to the secret meetings, lies to the public, manipulation of funds, passing of Township work to friends and family, and attempted silencing of the public. You have to wonder who could possibly be upset enough about this message that they would drive their vehicle over it....hmmmmmm
Someone obviously knew that driving their vehicle over the sign wouldn’t be caught on the security footage
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OR 2) his opponent has won, and things will most likely continue the way they have been. She has supported and defended a lot of these behav-
iors and decisions, and has even participated in some of them. I don’t have a crystal ball to predict the outcome of the election, but I will be proudly voting for my husband on the 7th. I hope all of you readers went out and voted in your own municipalities. It is the only way to really change things in your local government. a
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to God, religious fanaticism, love of family and family dysfunctions and many ulterior motives from the priest, the doctor, the innkeeper and the parents. The welltrained nurse arrives on the scene with total skepticism and believes the child herself is involved in this hoax. The nurse’s challenges are twofold, first to discover why this is happening and then to figure out a way to keep the child alive. As the story evolves, the nurse grows very fond of the child and a trusting bond develops between the child and the nurse. You will have much to ponder with
this novel. It is a very worthwhile read. The author is a master storyteller and she will take you deep into this historical mystery. This is a book that shows the struggle between belief, right and wrong and truth versus lies. It will challenge your belief system. This is a slowerpaced read but that is intentional; it will keep you in suspense until the very end. I listened to the audio
bursts of violence and emotion barely affected the world’s harmonious state. “Blade Runner 2049” takes place thirty years after the original, and this time the stakes are more disruptive. It seems as though about thirty years ago, Deckard and his Replicant wife had a baby, and the potential for human/Replicant hybrids could shift the balance of power on a universal level. For example, industrialist Wallace (Jared Leto) could harness the biology and increase his company’s line of A.I. servants tenfold. Or outdated Replicants could use it as evidence that they deserve freedom in human society. Or the general population could be thrown into panic, which cannot be tolerated by L.A.’s Lt. Joshi (Robin Wright). She assigns K (Ryan Gosling), her best Replicant officer, to identify the now-grown baby and “retire” it, “retire” meaning “kill” in this world because humans like to delude themselves. Replicants like K are now acceptable on Earth, provided they’re newer, more obedient
models than the originals, who still need to be retired. K lives a moderately comfortable life with his holographic girlfriend Joi (Ana de Armas). He’s labelled a sellout because he hunts his own kind, but he’s wired (perhaps literally) to not let that bother him. K’s investigation stirs up emotions he’s never felt, especially since he’s not supposed to feel emotions and it’s actually a major problem that he does. He’s compelled to ask questions about his past, including whether he himself is the human/ Replicant hybrid that’s causing all the fuss. His quest eventually leads him to an aged Deckard, whom he immediately sees as a father figure. The best thing about the movie is the relationship between K and Joi, which is at once sad, sick, and beautiful. Neither of these characters are technically humans (and one doesn’t have a body), yet somehow they have more heart than characters with actual hearts. The film invites viewers to make weird speculations about the couple’s intimate life, and provides a few offbeat answers. Joi indulges K in the popular fantasy of being with two women at once, though in fantasies the women are usually separate. The worst thing about the movie is Leto as the villain. I’ve never seen a character whose dialogue could be more accurately described as “mumbo-jumbo.” He wants to be a god and he’s despondent that he has to settle
Mail Pouch Books by Carleen B. Grossman For this food-filled, Thanksgiving month, I decided to share with you a very excellent novel that deals in a mysterious way with food. The book is entitled THE WONDER, By Emma Donoghue. This novel is based on the nearly fifty cases of Fasting Girls, often adolescent girls who, between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries and largely in Europe, were hailed as marvels for surviving without food. The real historic girls claimed a variety of reasons for fasting, though religion was chief among them. The girls met a variety of fates; some inevitably died or were simply revealed as hoaxes, yet their ability to survive without sustenance captivated the public as well as doctors, religious men, and newspapers.
“Blade Runner 2049” If I could describe 1982’s “Blade Runner” in one word, it
THE WONDER By Emma Donoghue Copyright September 2016 304 pages The author of the book ROOM has yet another exciting novel. I found THE WONDER to be a most suspenseful, psychological thriller. The story revolves around a nurse from England in 1859 who was trained by and served under Florence Nightingale; she takes a position in Ireland as an outside observer to determine the validity of a rural Irish family who’s daughter had not eaten for four months and yet is miraculously surviving...the daughter is seen locally as being blessed by God. You will learn about devotion
would be “hypnotic.” Director Ridley Scott crafted a world of eerie calm, one where flying cars and public shootouts were so casual that they blended in perfectly with their environment. A “blade runner” detective named Deckard (Harrison Ford) was assigned a case where he was to kill four disgruntled androids called Replicants. Surely he was in danger, and the case would go on to greatly affect his existence, but his only distress initially was over his inability to enjoy a bowl of noodles. Occasional
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book version of this novel; the narrator was excellent! A photo of the book jacket is attached for you to view. a
for being a billionaire. But that doesn’t stop him from spouting what he considers godlike wisdom at every opportunity. He leaves most of his dirty work to his assistant Luv (Sylvia Hoeks), and she does pick-up some much-needed villainous slack, but it’s not the same as if the film had created a viable lead antagonist. Director Denis Villeneuve certainly nails the atmosphere he wants for “Blade Runner 2049.” It’s not exactly post-apocalyptic, but thirty years have taken a toll on the world Scott created, and we get the impression that it’s just a few years away from collapse. There’s more action and urgency this time around, but you can still get lost in this world and its hypnotic qualities. At 163 minutes at a contemplative pace, you might find yourself getting very sleepy for the wrong reasons. Note: It pays to see the original “Blade Runner” before seeing this movie, if only for a frame of reference for when an old buddy of Deckard’s shows up, still rocking the bowtie. Grade: B“Blade Runner 2049” is rated R for violence, some sexuality, nudity and language. Its running time is 163 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@ nyu.edu. a
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Life in the East End by Rebecca Harrop We are midway through the harvest in the East End. The beans have been running around 50-60 bushels to the acre, which is good. The corn is doing pretty good as well. Some of the better spots have been around 200 bushels to the acre, but then the spots that were wet are a lot less. All in all it has been a pretty decent year so far for us. We’ve been having quite a few calves born lately. We had moved several calves into the bigger pen leaving several empty pens for the little calves, but we have them filled up again. Dad helps me feed the bottle calves. I like listening to him talking to the calves. He’s kind of funny. I try to get the calves onto the bucket as soon as I can. I think they do better once they can drink out of the bucket. They seem to start eating grain better and I think they don’t get sick as quickly once they are eating grain and drinking out of the bucket. My dahlias sure lasted a long time this year. The first couple of frosts we had didn’t seem to hurt them. I had beautiful blossoms even the third week of October. I was disappointed that my calla lilies didn’t bloom again this year. I haven’t had the best
of luck with them. I’ve had them for three years now and they only bloomed the first year. If anyone has tips on growing calla lilies please let me know. My Dahlias on the other hand have been doing great. I started out with just two red colored ones last year, but when I separated them and planted this spring I had about ten. I bought some other different ones this spring so now I have a nice variety of colors and sizes. I am planning to do some trading and adding to get even more next year. There are so many different varieties and colors of dahlias, I may need a separate garden just for them. The rest of the garden did pretty well this year also. The birds sure are loving the sunflowers anyway. The Mifflin County Farm Bureau held a Measure the Candidates night a couple weeks ago. There weren’t that many contested races so it was a short meeting. The school board, county treasurer, county register and recorder and sheriff candidates were there. It was the same night as the Halloween parade so that kind of hurt our attendance, but we do our best to allow the public an opportunity to learn about the candidates. I think the best part of the night is the refreshment time afterwards. Besides the delicious goodies made by our Farm Bureau ladies, it is a great chance to speak one-on-one with the candidates. If you have not been to one of the
Measure the Candidates events yet, you really need to make it a priority next time we have one. Just a reminder that the general election is November 7th. Please, if you are registered, get out and vote. If you are not registered, consider getting registered for the next election. Voting is a very important part of being a legal citizen of the US. I firmly believe every person should be informed about the issues and vote according to your conscious. Some of the things going on today are because so many people do not understand our constitution and how our government is supposed to work. November 7th is also the date of the Farm City Banquet where the Farm Family and the Business/City Family of the year will be honored. The banquet is always a great night where two important parts of our community come together to recognize the contributions of each other. I will have more about the banquet next month. Thanksgiving is coming up this month. It’s a time to be thankful for the harvest we farmers have just (hopefully) finished, a time to be thankful for the humble beginnings of our nation. At a time when many in this country are tearing down the statues and important reminders of where this nation started and how far we have come, what we have overcome, and what we have yet to achieve, please take time to reflect on our past and what it will mean if this trend continues. Think about the important historical places we are losing and will keep losing if we do not stop and realize these things have no power, they are simply reminders of our strengths, our mistakes, and our perseverance. For now, let me wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. a
Homesteading from page 8 best I can reasonably manage. An attack on the institution of public schooling and its failings is not an admonishment of those doing their very best to be a beacon of light in an otherwise bleak system. For the people who do not have the luxury to pursue outside options, such teachers are nothing short of a Godsend. Please keep that differentiation in mind. And, most unfortunately, there are also parents who have dulled the spark in their own children before they even set one foot on the school bus by belittling, shaming, indoctrinating, domineering, and slighting them at every turn. Nothing in this world can be reduced to absolutes, however, the timing and common sphere of influence doesn’t bode well for the institution whose time has come and gone. We are no longer looking for spades of assembly line workers, cubicle stock, and conformists. We are at a time in human history where people have become shamefully dependent on outside
Swales in Permaculture from page 24
mistaken. It is not as user friendly as Google Earth, however, so unless you have a specific bone to pick with Google or some experience with GIS software, I’d stick with Google Earth. You will want topographic overlays to your maps. You can download these for free easily from the National Geodetic Survey (NGS.gov). Your swales will run parallel to these contour lines. Because your swale spacing is dependent on the velocity of water moving through your landscape, mapping software has another neat trick to help you in your planning. It’s called creating an elevation profile, and is simply
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sources for even the simplest of tasks. Children can no longer cook, sew, create, hunt, grow, harvest, or even entertain themselves free of technology and supervision. When district budget cuts come in, whats the first to get cut? Music, art, gym, woodworking, home economics, and child care courses. The things that lend themselves to both sufficiency and creativity are always first up on the chopping block. The societal model that puts both parents out of the home 40+ hours of the week and separates all family members for a majority of the week and has them in a chaotic scramble of scheduled activities and catch up on weekends, is not admirable or advantageous. It creates detachment, longing, isolation, gaps in skill-sets, apathy, and anger. Its a tough predicament to avoid, absolutely, but where there is free will, there is choice. And there are many, many choices to be made that can counter the tide. a
a graph or cross section of your landscape. To do this in Google Earth, you simply click the ruler icon, draw a path, save it, and then view the elevation profile by right clicking on the newly created layer under the “places” bar. This gives you a clear visual on where the swales should be placed closely together (where it is steep) and where you can give them more space (where it is flatter). Finally, even with the best map and plan, you will need to be in your landscape to measure elevation and be sure there are no discrepancies. There are a few ways you can get this information, but- as I am running out of space and time- that will be an article for the future! a
The Valley, November 2017
The Truth Has No Agenda
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The Valley, November 2017
30 Around Town with Carole from page 13 employment start time and the end of his wife Lizzie’s arrival home time was only a few hours, so Grandmom got to have fun with the camp kids and her own grand kids during the school year and summer break. Kyle’s famous for “being lost” in the 20 room home around Easter time and the frantic adults finally found him with a basket of chocolate under the table, shoving candy into his mouth as fast as he could. He still loves Skittles, which are truly glorified jelly beans of color. Kyle is completing his first year at Rowan University, in a music program, and plays ice hockey, putting all his hormones to work on the ice as State and National Champs. Colin, first born of our “oldest” identical twin daughter, was put in my charge and totally enjoyed making up stories to tell by the camp fire on Fridays when the girls all cooked their own hot dogs. Flooding the trenches in the garden so the toads would have water and building mud bridges across the riverways was a favorite project for the campers. You see, there is an unwritten rule that your parents do not let you get dirty. But camp directors do let you. And so as the official “boss” of the camp, they could get as muddy as they liked, since the whole day was in bathing suits anyway. The few, actually only one, Mud Fight, was curtailed before anybody got dirt in their eyes. As a lifeguard, the first rule of first aid is “prevention.” So what do you do when you have a hand full of muddy children? Of course you get out the garden hose and “hose them off.” Colin would grab the hose and give a “wetting” to the Director, but it was all in good fun. The swimming pool, high in chlorines, would take care of any microbes that might cause illness...but this was all part of the plan. After the “Mudding,” we sterilized them in the concrete pool. Of course, Colin’s favorite trick was to lay on the bottom of the hot tub (attached to the pool) and hold his breath. Even at four he had a tremendous set of lungs and could stay down a long time. With his eyes wide open on the bottom looking up at his grandmother, who was frantically holding her breath to see if he was “dead” or not. It never failed... “he won” every time. Colin now is beginning his first year at TCNJ, and after being co-captain of his Seneca High School football team, is already at the dorm prepping for the coming season.
His leadership qualities grew in ROTC and with the guidance of his father, who also coached him. When hormones reached Colin they subsided and blended into a very gentile young man who all the girls love. Ten weeks of a Summer Camp is a teachers dream because the numbers are so low. When our eldest daughter announced the second child, our 4th grandchild, would be attending the Camp, Carrie, remarked: “It’s probably not a big deal, but we’re having a baby.” Well, every child is a “special deal,” but in 2000 when Pop retired as an educator, Morgan was born. Grandmom had been in charge of the “babysitting” for grandchildren up until this time, but the uniqueness of Morgan’s situation was that she would have 100% of her Grandfather’s attention from the early years, and even today. When she was old enough to contradict her grandmother, she informed me her hair was not “red” it was “orange,” and so it was according to the Crayola crayon box. A will of her own, unique as a person, and a head higher than her kindergarten class mates, she stepped up to the plate when another “drop off” was “unhappy,” with an arm around her shoulder, and said, “Come on with me and we’ll play over here.” The orange-haired, tall 5 year old, never retreated away from being a “social” sort who interacted well with others, played field hockey very well in the lower grades, and on to high school became a member of the (non school) cheer squad, where they throw you around after piling you up on a pyramid. Morgan was always a “base” and was known to get a “heel” in the eye every now and again. But she never complained. Her hormones turned into an extrovert who makes everyone around her feel good—what a great characteristic! At camp, she was the same age as the kids and particularly fond of Sydney, the younger sister of an older camper, and they bonded. Many summer days, playing alongside the pool with the “Pet palace”...every sort of animal with a personality in itself, with it’s room, it’s bed, it’s house, and they got along beautifully. On days Morgan was not at camp, Sydney stepped in with the “whistle,” to walk the girls safely across the parking lot from the pool to the café. Morgan was picked up by her Pop Sunday night and stayed over night at Whitebriar till the following Friday. So predominant in our lives was this “orange-haired” girl, that
even my sheets and bath towels, replace the color. We call it “The Orange Years.” We would eat lunch and watch a movie. Rotating the time on the sofa with each child choosing the floor, chair, or sofa, while they watched the afternoon movie. Morgan always got the Old Table Heirloom table cloths, which they used as covers, and Sydney got the pillows, so everyone was comfortable to watch “The Munsters” or “Sound of Music” or “Abbott and Costello meet the Mummy.” Many times the end of the movie I found no one moving...they were all asleep. Morgan is a Senior in high school this September and between her Jersey Shore friends, and her new Jeep, the 17-year-old is still a compassionate individual, even with the hormones giving her a tall, persona, just like her great grandfather, who at 6’9”, was a German, with orange hair. So when the Mothers complain of their “hormonal” children, I say go to the Parent Teacher conference, and thank the teacher. Imagine having prehormonal, hormonal, and posthormonal students. As with this phase of development, all are not “in time” with each other, so half of the 15 year olds might be “just menstral” and the rest purely into “birth control options,” but who knew which were which? But that was not the hardest part. Then you must consider the daily “change”...today, I’m not feeling very mature, so I want you to treat me like a kid, coddle me, coax me, just like Mommy does at home. Or could it be the day when the hormones are at full “rage,” and the hair flipping, and the rolling-back eyes, and sighs are prominent along with a “mouth” that would make truckers blush. It’s all in the cycle, it’s all a part of growing up, accepting responsibility, becoming a productive member of society, a part of being an adult. One-on-one, is hard enough, but a multitude in different stages of maturation, is a whole other story. When you go to that Teachers Conference... thank him/her. When you go to bed at night and the car is back and the 17-year-old is safe and sound in bed, thank God, but also, say a prayer for the teachers, who give your children what they need in a precarious situation over days, weeks, months and years of their development. When you are at work, complaining about a coworkers attitude...think hormones, and remember that the school system has extremely qualified educators who through many expensive years of education, pre-
pare the teacher for handling the ups and downs of hormonal development, and be thankful you only have one and not a class room. Carole Lokan Moore, Long Term
Substitute Teacher (retired) Willingboro and Burlington NJ Systems, 1977-1997 circa 1101 Cooper St, Edgewater Park, N.J. 08010 a
Our Yesteryears from page 14
Historical Society to bring you the life and times of our county during the holiday season. What was on the collective mind in Mifflin County as Christmas time approached during the 1920s? Let’s find out next month in Mifflin County Christmas Through the Years.
and remember…our monument represents all of the sons and daughters of Mifflin County down through the years and beyond who protect our freedoms through their service. NEXT MONTH I’ve searched the newspaper archives at the Mifflin County
BackYard BirdBrain from page 5 like 8x56s or a 7x50. A good bit of the cost in making binoculars, and very important, are the lens coatings, which are also responsible for a lot of the light transmission and color saturation. They will be listed as coated, multi-coated, fully multi-coated, or PC (phase correcting) fully multi-coated. It would be nice to shoot for fully multi-coated and optimally PC fully multi-coated, but that could depend on your budget. It’s also nice to shoot for a waterproof vs water-resistant binocular. A bonus with waterproof binoculars, they’re purged/filled with nitrogen, which prevents them from fogging up on the inside.
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HISTORY IS OUR STORY PASS IT ON! a
Always ask about warranties. It’s always best to actually try them in hand. It’s been a fun day at the shop if there are binoculars and lens caps all over the place from folks coming in to compare. If you’re upgrading, bring your current binocular with you. This is an extremely abbreviated article, so please stop in or give a call if you have any binocular or spotting scope questions. Honey Creek Bill & Beak is an Authorized Swarovski and Opticron Dealer and stocks binoculars ranging from $99 to $2800— all of which are the best glass you can get in those price ranges. Mention this article and receive a free Field Guide with any binocular purchase, while supply lasts. a
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The Valley, November 2017
It’s Not Too Late
The Procrastinator’s Guide to Last Minute Christmas Shopping by Scott Keys
You waited until the last minute — again. So now you’ve missed every opportunity to “Get it there by the 25th!” You are faced with going to the store with hordes of other grumpy procrastinators. It’ll be a Scrooge Apocalypse out there: traffic, Christmas music, picked over sale bins, and the smell of desperation. But it’s what you deserve. Right? Oh, stop beating yourself up. This is an opportunity. Even if you are — at this very moment — giftless, dressed in your finest Christmas sweater, and late for the festivities, you can still pull it out. And you don’t have to settle for lame gifts, either. In fact, I believe that, if you fully embrace your procrastination as a casual, laid-back choice, you can still be in the running for “Giver of Best Gift” each of your recipients gets. Procrastination is an art. Maybe it’s time to up your game. Think simple. By this stage, elaborate gifts are beyond your capability, and keeping it simple
is the name of the game. Perhaps this is why you left things until the last minute anyway, but there’s no need to feel guilty––simple gifts in our recession-prone, environmentally responsible and conscious consumption era make sound sense anyway. If your own ideas aren’t sparking, here are just a few ideas to get you started: At Brisco’s Coffee and DP Gifts we are known for one of a kind and unique gifts that you won’t find anywhere else. So if you are a last minute shopper you can still pick out an item that is very unique and different. Our sales staff is always here to help you, so do not take on all the stress yourself. Tell us about the person you are buying for and let us help guide you to the perfect gift. For the Decorator: General Winter décor such as snowmen, wintery wreaths and candle scents. These are gifts that the receiver can enjoy all winter long. For the Jewelry Lover: keep
it simple. You can rarely go wrong with well-crafted piece of Jewelry. At DP Gifts we have a great selection of Made in America jewelry that can be custom designed on the spot for just about everyone. With over 1600 pieces, we can show you how to personalize a well-thought-out piece of jewelry for that someone special. For the Bath/Spa Lover: We also carry a wide selection of handmade bath and body products that are great for the skin. Getting your special someone a unique bath and body kit. You can pick up a gift set for under $20. For the Coffee Lover we have a wide selection of some of the best Specialty Coffee available. For the Outdoor Lovers: DP Gifts has a huge selection of Alpaca socks, gloves, hats and scarves, which have been a huge hit for women dressing for the winter or men that like to spend time outdoors. The unique alpaca fibers have been one of our store’s
The Truth Has No Agenda
biggest hits with men and women alike. If you are really in a jam, Brisco’s Coffee and DP Gifts is known to be constantly changing our inventory to keep up with the seasons. A gift card allows the receiver to come back after the holidays and see what the newest trends are for the next season. So it’s never a lazy idea to give one of our gift cards for any occasion. Worried about the crowds? One thing about shopping at small businesses like DP’s is that you don’t have to fight the crowds and lines to pick up a gift. Although we run some of our biggest sales on Black Friday 11/24 and Small Business Saturday 11/25, we will still run sales right up to Christmas Eve, so you won’t be stuck paying those panic prices on leftover items. Brisco’s Coffee and DP Gifts is probably the most unique shop you will find in any area. 5000sq ft of shopping and Café space. Shop, dine or just have a coffee all under one roof. This will be our first
Christmas at this new location, so we are super excited to share this experience with you. On Saturday 11/25, we will have live music in addition to great sales and specials in the gift shop and coffee shop. Stop by Brisco’s Coffee and DP Gifts and let us help you put together a great gift. Don’t be ashamed of procrastinating because we will be here when you are ready. We are located at 309 South Logan Blvd. Burnham, Pa between Four Star Jewelry and Vinces Pizza. I would also like to take the time to thank all the Valley Readers, the editor Wayne Stottlar and Lynn Persing for all your support by shopping Brisco’s Coffee and DP Gifts in Burnham, Pa. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. a
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