Thevalley october2017online

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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.

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The Valley, October 2017

Brandless

The Best for Less

by Tina Sharkey & Ido Leffler

We’re here!

We Are Brandless™

Based in San Francisco and Minneapolis, Brandless was brought to life on July 11, 2017.

We’re a group of thinkers, eaters, doers, and lovers of life with big dreams about changing the world.

Our mission is deeply rooted in quality, transparency, and community-driven values. Better stuff, fewer dollars. It’s that simple.

Meet Brandless™. We make the best stuff for $3. Yup, you read that right. We make better products and sell them for one super affordable price. Today, 7-11-2017 is our starting line. Our everyday essentials collection—aka the things you use all the time—just launched with an extensive array of awesome products, from snacks to soap to serving spoons. All for just $3.

We have spent the last few years building an incredible team of experts who created and curated the most AMAZING stuff across food, health & wellness, beauty, and home goods. Luxurious body lotion, rich coffee, delicious sauces, satisfying whole grain-based snacks (hello, Jalapeño Cheddar Quinoa Puffs), yummy fruit spreads, and much more…plus hundreds of new products on the way.

We did tons of heavy lifting to make Brandless a destination for streamlined shopping. We’re

not overwhelming you with options (there aren’t 100 pasta sauces to compare, there are three) or forcing you to over-consume (no need to stock up to save, you can get great value buying just one).

We don’t want you to spend your time and energy trying to figure out the difference between 20 different Italian dressings or hunting

Here at Brandless we always put people first, which is fueled by the belief that everyone deserves better. Better ingredients, better pricing, better everything, really.

We know your values are important and you look for better-for-you products in every aspect of your life. So do we. We start with a focus on Just What

values, preferences, and requirements. Whether that’s organic and/or gluten-free food or beauty products without sulfates or synthetic fragrances, we’ve got you covered.

We rigorously vet, taste, try, and sometimes create hundreds of formulations for deliciousness, safety, quality, and pure goodness.

for the best deal. We’re bringing you an edited assortment of better products at a fairer price.

Matters™, which is a filter for everything we do. That starts with offering products that match your

From there, we partner with our suppliers to create packaging that makes sense, limits waste, and

Veritas vos Liberabit

distills the values and ingredients you care about most. We try to keep it simple, so hopefully you can easily find Just What Matters™ to you. We really care about that.

Nowhere is this more clear than on our product labels, where we peeled back the clutter to put the attributes you care about most front and center. Tons of data, surveys and conversations helped us determine which attributes matter most for each individual product.

For our Extra Virgin Olive Oil, it’s about being organic and cold pressed. For our Hand Cream, it’s eliminating parabens and not testing on animals.

Safety & Integrity Our products are made under the highest standards of safety, quality, and social ethics such as certified Global Food Safety (GFSI) or Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Household Cleaners Brandless products adhere to the strictest performance and nontoxic, safer-chemical standards set by the EPA. Home & Office Our paper products are either made with bamboo and sugarcane fiber or are FSC certified ensuring sustainable forestry practices.

Food & Beverage Our vast food assortment is

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The Valley, October 2017

2

Editor’s Corner Wayne Stottlar

How can you not love fall?

Ok, there is the leave raking thing.

But the air is crisp, the colors bright and the fragrance positively earthy. Bugs, for the most part are history and it is delightful to get outside work completed now, whether it is cleaning up from summer, or preparing for winter, it is a great time for those chores.

Another reason for feeling chipper is that we just returned from 8 days in NH. This trip was more of a pleasure trip than much to do with future plans. We had Lynn’s parents with us and had a great time showing them NH as only one who lived there can. They were already talking about the next trip, so we will do that again soon. It was great to be there at the very beginning of autumn. A quiet time before the hoards of leaf peepers invade the state. Still though, our night with

Pemi Valley Moose Tours in Lincoln NH (www.moosetoursnh. com) saw a completely full tour bus, with a few folks from the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area of PA. Judging by the comments at the end of the tour, everyone loved it, we got to see a couple moose including a bull, a deer and a bear; the tour guides keep everyone entertained. This is a well worthwhile memory to make if you are ever in NH.

Welcome this month to our new resident Birdbrain, Gordon Parker, who fills a slot we have had open since we started publishing. Stop in at Honey Creek Bill & Beak on Electric Avenue in Lewistown and welcome Gordon aboard.

Having disconnected from everyday news for quite some time now, and enjoying the peace, I had to shake my head at this

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controversy in the NFL. In America, you are allowed to protest anything you want, ON YOUR OWN TIME! The fact that these disrespectful, crybaby, street thugs do it while on the clock is what hacks me off. The NFL thinks it has a captive audience and that they will use that to shove their political views down your throat. I have news for these punks, anyone who receives a paycheck from someone else, no matter who they are, no matter how much they make, are paid to do as their employer asks.

While you are on the clock, you do what your check writer wants.

Since when is football particularly important in the big scheme of things anyway? These are athletes, nothing more, their politics doesn’t amount to anything, they get paid to play football, period.

Same as Hollywood, you get paid to act, we do not care what you think about anything. It is kind of comical when guys making millions II of dollars to play a game start protesting how unfair their life is. Of course that is not what this really is, it is just what the media will have you believe—the real problem is that these leftists lost the election and they aren’t mature enough to move on. Could we be seeing the collapse of the NFL? I sure hope so, I don’t really care much about over-paid, unappreciative, street thugs. 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 Rights Reserved.

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

3

The Valley, October 2017

Back Talk

by Dr. Joseph Kauffman

Know Your Rights

After finishing a busy day in the office last month, I had a call from a gentleman who sounded a bit frantic. He stated that his daughter had to be taken to Danville for a health-related issue. While being examined there for her issue, the medical staff realized that the little girl had not been inoculated with any of her recommended vaccinations. The staff there was hassling this poor father who was concerned about the health of his daughter and then had to deal with the medical staff trying to override his views and rights and concerns.

Nothing should ever be forced on you. Whether you decide to vaccinate or not should never be a spur-of-the-moment decision.

I strongly encourage each one of you to research it from both sides

and make an educated decision.

Do not blindly trust either stance.

This father did not know what to do, so he called me. He was apprehensive about what they were trying to force him to do. He told me he was Amish and that they were basically bullying him to vaccinate her. Please know your rights. I find that in many cases the Amish settle for sub-standard care because they do not wish to cause a scene. But, if this concerned father simply went along with what they were trying to do and did not wish to go against recommendations, his daughter would be vaccinated against his wishes. I appreciated his concern and action to stand up to the attempt at their bullying. Our state of Pennsylvania still has 3 forms of exemptions from vaccinations:

medical, religious, and philosophical. Simply not believing that vaccines are safe is enough for our state, currently.

And, being Amish to boot, the religious exemption would stand as well. But, please, if you are Amish or anyone else reading this, know your rights. Deciding to vaccinate or not is a highly debatable topic, but one thing that we should all agree about is that we should all have the right to choose. And, in our state, we do.

I am including with this month’s column the form that is the vaccination exemption form that I gave this man to show that he knows his rights and is willing to point out that turning down vaccinating is legal according to Pennsylvania Law. Feel free to copy it or cut it out and save it. If you furnish this form, that should suffice in the event of any type of incident.

Dr. Joseph Kauffman Kauffman-Hummel Chiropractic Clinic drjosephkauffman@comcast.net a

Immunization Exemption Letter (Current Date 00/00/17) To Whom It May Concern: Re: Religious Exemption I, ___________________________________, being the legal guardian of _________ _______________________ object to the immunization requirements as outlined by the Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as defined in 28 PA. CODE CH.23 on the basis of a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief as outlined in section § 23.84 Exemption from immunization.

If you need a copy of the School Immunizations Rules and Regulations [28 PA. CODE CH. 23] for your records, it is illustrated below.

Sincerely,

§ 23.84. Exemption from immunization. [28 PA. CODE CH.23] (a) Medical exemption. Children need not be immunized if a physician or the physician’s designee provides a written statement that immunization may be detrimental to the health of the child. When the physician determines that immunization is no longer detrimental to the health of the child, the child shall be immunized according to this subchapter. (b) Religious exemption. Children need not be immunized if the parent, guardian or emancipated child objects in writing to the immunization on religious grounds or on the basis of a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief.

The Truth Has No Agenda

Is It Tinnitus?

by Dr. Sarah Wakefield

byuTinnitus is the “conscious perception of an auditory sensation in the absence of a corresponding external stimuli” (Baguley, McFarren, and Hall, 2013). The auditory sensation is often described as a ringing, buzzing, humming, chirping, or static noise. It is often only audible to the person experiencing it and is an audiological and neurological condition that impacts millions of Americans. Although many people who suffer from tinnitus are not aware of the sound unless quiet, some individuals have a difficult time turning it off and are aware of their tinnitus most of the time they are awake. Tinnitus has several pronunciations; Healthcare professionals and researchers typically pronounce it as “TINni-tus”, while the layperson will often pronounce it as “ti-nighttus” or “tin-NYE-tus.” Regardless of how you pronounce it, tinnitus is more often than not a symptom of hearing loss and impacts nearly 50 millions of people in the United States.

What causes Tinnitus? Tinnitus itself is not a disease, but a side effect. There are many potential causes of tinnitus including hearing loss, noise exposure, ear disease, head or neck injuries, circulatory changes, side effect of medication, neural disease, and aging. A medical evaluation is necessary to determine potential cause/s and how to manage the tinnitus. However, in most cases the main cause of tinnitus is hearing loss and the changes that take place in the brain (neuroplasticity) secondary to the hearing loss.

Why are some people more bothered by tinnitus than others? This again has to do with neuroplasticity and the affected areas of the brain. For some people the perception of tinnitus is like any other sound. They hear it and it is not bothersome, similar to hearing a continuous hum of an air conditioner or background music. This is because the tinnitus does not evoke any emotions or need for the individual to pay attention to it. For others, they are acutely aware of the tinnitus and place great importance or attention on it. When our brain

is concerned or interested in a particular sound or stimuli it can activate different regions of our brains. Specifically, research has shown more activation of the limbic system responsible for our “Fight or Flight” reaction in individuals who suffer from bothersome tinnitus. When this system is engaged we are in a protective mode causing our brain to place an emphasis on the stimuli (in this case the tinnitus) over everything else, resulting in the individual to hyper-focus on their tinnitus. Our brain believes this is necessary to survival as it perceives the sound as potential threat or danger.

Hyper-focusing on the tinnitus can disrupt an individual’s daily activities and sleep cycles often making the tinnitus more bothersome over time.

How do you measure or assess tinnitus? Since tinnitus is typically only heard by the individual experiencing the tinnitus it can be difficulty to describe or quantify. One way that healthcare professionals measure tinnitus is through the use of tinnitus questionnaires. The questionnaire provides the professional snapshot of how the individual is impacted by his or her tinnitus at that moment. Specifically it evaluates the disruptiveness of the tinnitus on an individual’s ability to concentrate, socialize, work, relax, sleep, and communicate. It will also assess the awareness and annoyance of the tinnitus. In addition to the questionnaire, an audiologist will often complete a tinnitus assessment which is used to measure the pitch, loudness, and reaction of the tinnitus to sound. Using the information gather through the questionnaire and tinnitus assessment the audiologist can then create a patient-centered treatment plan best suited for that individual’s tinnitus. This will often include the use of sound therapy, hearing aids, and tinnitus counseling. The assessment will then be used as a baseline measurement to track an individual’s progress with treatment.

How do you treat tinnitus?

Unfortunately there is currently

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As I was taking a stroll through the Internet today I came across some vintage ads and I thought that some of them were pretty comical, and others were just plain nostalgic. Since I don’t really want to write this month, I thought why not just share a few vintage ads with you instead.

Enjoy!

The Valley, October 2017

Attract Migrating Hummingbirds To Your Feeders For A Chance At Prizes.

Hummingbirds are being found with increasing frequency in the fall & winter seasons in Pennsylvania. About 99% of the hummingbirds that are found east of the Mississippi are Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, but sometimes during fall and winter other species of hummingbirds pass through Pennsylvania as the travel from breeding grounds in Alaska to wintering spots along the Gulf Coast. Ornithologists are very interested in learning more about these wayward little birds. Your participation can help contribute to the growing body of information about migrating hummingbirds. If you are able to get a confirmed hummingbird to visit your feeders, you can win a prize. In addition, researchers with federal banding permits would like to band the late season hummingbirds, if the homeowners are willing.

NOTE: Maintain a clean feeder whenever you leave it out for birds. It is recommended that you clean the feeder at least weekly, more often if the sugar mixture gets cloudy. The mixture for the feeders should always be 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. No additives or dyes are ever needed. If temperatures drop below freezing, bring the feeders in overnight. It is a myth that keeping feeders up will prevent them from migrating in the fall. They will come and go as they please. We are only helping them fuel up in their journey.

PRIZES: Any hummingbird species that can be confirmed will be entered into a $100 Drawing. Any species other than Ruby-throated Hummingbird will automatically WIN $25.

This contest will run from 10/1/17 to 1/31/18.

Contest is sponsored by: KAUFFMAN INSURANCE AGENCY in Mifflintown and LOST CREEK SHOE SHOP/OPTICS from Oakland Mills.

Contest is limited to anyone in the Juniata, Mifflin, Perry and Snyder County area. Anyone in the state, outside of the above areas who are getting hummingbirds, is still welcome to contact us for further information. They can be eligible for other prizes and contests going on.

Contact information: Chad Kauffman 717436-8257; Aden Troyer 717-463-3117 or email chadkauffman@earthlink.net • www.facebook.com/FallForHummingbirdsContest

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

5

The Valley, October 2017

Birds of a Different Feather

It’s getting colder out. Your backyard birds have finished breeding and their territorial feuds are a thing of the past. Have you noticed during the fall / winter that you can go from zero birds at the feeder to five or six different types all at once? You have what’s known as a mixed-species winter flock.

This group will travel together from feeding area to feeding area. As winter deepens, more small birds will join in. There can be nuthatches, cardinals, downy woodpeckers and titmice, amongst others, all getting along and working as a team.

And in these parts, the leader is most likely a black-capped chickadee. If not a chickadee, maybe a tufted titmouse. They’re

both in the same family (paridae) It’s not really clear why these guys are the leaders, or why they tolerate the followers.

They seem to be best at sounding alarms and are caught less by sharp-shinned hawks than others.

Birds most likely winter flock to improve foraging and reduce the risk of predation. So this arrangement most likely benefits the followers most.

A raised platform feeder will keep your offerings at their best and will be more healthful for your flock

The Truth Has No Agenda

Birds have to do a lot of foraging during the day just to make it through the harsh winter nights.

That puts them at greater risk of predation. As the saying goes, there is safety in numbers. Twenty eyeballs are better than two.

Also, the more foragers, the more likely to find a food source that might otherwise have been missed.

You just might have different types of flocks. There can be ground feeding flocks that include juncos, white-throated sparrows, tree sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, and others.

Then there might be one with goldfinches, pine siskins, and redpolls.

There’s still a bunch of research being done on the what, whys, and wheres of mixed winter flocks.

Some tips to help your winter flocks:

Provide cover – such as putting your feeders close to shrubs (not so close that cats might take advantage), or even making a good size brush pile. I’ve watched some very frustrated hawks jump-

Continued on page 31

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The Valley, October 2017

You Are Not Alone

by Sarah Hurlburt

At one time or another every one of us faces great challenges.

They may be physical, emotional, financial or relational—it doesn’t matter which one you are facing, any of them can bring great turmoil into our lives. During these times of struggle in our lives we often feel like we are alone in it and no one else is dealing with what we are or would understand what we are going through. We convince ourselves no one cares about us or would understand, but the fact is, not a single human is exempt from pain and struggles and trials in this life. I promise if you reach out to someone you trust and share your struggles with them, an interesting thing will happen, they will share theirs too.

In that sharing and connecting, healing happens and the human spirit is touched and inspired. I jokingly said to one of my friends the other day that I wanted a therapy dog to make me feel better when I was anxious about things and she laughed and

said that’s me, that’s what I am here for. And it struck me how true it is that we all need at least one “therapy friend!” If you don’t have one, begin searching for one and pray for God to send you one.

God says he will never leave us or forsake us and prayer and a relationship with God is very important, but sometimes we just want someone with “skin on” that can wrap us in a warm hug and say everything is going to be ok. God gave us each other for a reason, He knew we would need community and friendship to get through this life. We can easily get so caught up in our own pain or struggles, or even career, and yes, even technology (because who can even put their smart phone down long enough to have a complete conversation anymore) that we forget about the beauty of human connection. Looking that hurting friend in the eye over coffee is different than shooting them a text.

Even though it seems like

Statement Regarding Accusations

by Vince Stoops

I spent Saturday afternoon exploring Independence Mall in Philadelphia. There was a beautiful irony to physically standing before the place our Constitution was signed while waiting for criminal charges to arrive in the mail. My alleged crime, wishing “good morning” to a public figure in a public place. My real crime, an unflinching news coverage that does not always paint the powerful in a positive palette.

I’ve been exposing and battling against corruption in Snyder county for years, particularly in Selinsgrove. First as an independent journalist and now as a candidate for Mayor. But, I never imagined that in this rigged system my opponent’s campaign manager and the District Attorney, both of whom I’ve been very critical of in their dealings with SPI and other issues we face, would resort to such vile tactics as leveling baseless criminal charges against me. I will not stop fighting for Selinsgrove because I will not stop fighting for myself or any of my neighbors who have to deal

with this corrupt government.

The Selinsgrove Police Department has informed me that these charges are being filed at the specific direction of District Attorney Mike Piecuch. Also, my accuser has filed multiple complaints over multiple years “clearly fishing for a charge,” but that all were ignored until “the DA told [the officer] to file the charges.”

I look forward to my day in court not only to clear my name, but, also to ensure no journalist must ever fear the wrath of a public official.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of these United States of America: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Article I, S 7 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Freedom of press

the last thing we want to do when we are busy or hurting or angry, the absolute best thing we can do to heal is to reach out to another who is hurting and help them. One of my favorite prayers is the St. Francis Prayer for Peace.

Personally, I think no matter what religion or belief or lack thereof that we have, this is a beautiful prayer to recite daily. It will challenge us to get outside of our own head and our own selfishness and put others first. Try saying this prayer every day for 30 days and see if it changes your perspective!

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be and speech; libels.

The printing press shall be free to every person who may undertake to examine the proceedings of the Legislature or any branch of government, and no law shall ever be made to restrain the right thereof. The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the invaluable rights of man, and every citizen may freely speak, write and print on any subject, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty. No conviction shall be had in any prosecution for the publication of papers relating to the official conduct of officers or men in public capacity, or to any other matter proper for public investigation or information, where the fact that such publication was not maliciously or negligently made shall be established to the satisfaction of the jury; and in all indictments for libels the jury shall have the right to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of the court, as in other cases. [The provisions of section 7 relating to criminal libel were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in Commonwealth v. Armao, 446 Pa. 325, 286 A.2d 626 (1972). ] a

loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in

dying that we are born again to eternal life. a

Shining Light Through The Darkness Can Use Your Help

Shining Light Through the Darkness will hold its 11th annual holiday lighting display December 2, 2017 through January 5, 2018 (all nights) at Kish Park, Derry Township weather permitting.

This event is hosted by Freedom Avenue United Methodist Church, Burnham with over 30 churches and groups from various denominations involved. There are light displays that will be featured from previous years. New displays will be added due to the generosity of donations from businesses, churches, and individuals. Event insurance is covered under the Susquehanna Conference of United Methodist Churches.

The entire event is free and is for all ages with the goal of sharing God’s Love and the Light with the community. There will again be nightly entertainment in the Old Scooter Car Building.

Hot chocolate and hotdogs will be offered free at the food stand.

Sometimes baked goods will also be available. On select nights, the miniature village and train room will be open and horse and wagon rides will be offered. A golf cart will once-again be offered to those unable to walk as the event is a walking display only.

The schedule of entertainment, train room hours, and horse and wagon ride dates can be found at kishparkshininglight.org and on Facebook.

Donations are greatly appreciated and accepted as it is the

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

only way to sustain the event and keep it free to the public. Shining Light could not function without the participation of many volunteers. The committee would like to thank all who participated and enjoyed the event in past years.

There are numerous ways to get involved and support Shining Light. The Shining Light Committee meets at the Freedom Avenue United Methodist Church the 3rd Monday of most months at 6:30 p.m. One meeting remains in 2017 - October 16. The public is welcome to attend.

The committee has a need for volunteers to set up lights and displays. Set up dates are as follows: every Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 2-5 starting October 28. If you are interested in assisting with setup of a certain display, please contact committee members in advance so that information can be shared.

For the duration of the season there is a need for greeters; food stand helpers; entertainment; train room monitors; golf cart drivers (must have a valid drivers license); and helpers to turn lights on and off and monitor the lights throughout the evening.

For more information or questions, please contact Chairperson Darla Rickert at 717-6350919.

“This event is not sponsored or endorsed by Derry Township, Mifflin County.” a

7

The Valley, October 2017

Dave Wilson

Coins, Precious Metal and a Little of this and That

The Dollar is Crashing!

Early in my professional (Coin/Jewelry Dealer) career, I had a friend who (in jest, at least that is what he said), always called me “Chicken Little.”

Nearly 25 years ago, I began telling my customers who received my newsletters, then e-mails, that the United States was spending and borrowing itself into oblivion. I suggested that “one day” our country’s debt burden would be so great that the value (purchasing power) of its currency (the dollar) would experience a terrible crash. It took nearly 15 years for people to begin to awaken to what would probably happen if such a scenario unfolded. Now, ten years after that, the collapse of our currency is a very real possibility, one that should not be ignored or simply brushed aside because it is just too scary to contemplate.

Since Richard Nixon took the US off the Gold Standard in 1971, the value of our currency has been protected by a 1973 agreement with Saudi Arabia. Simply stated, WE (the US) would agree

to “protect” the Saudi Royal family from any type of danger, and they would demand that anyone wishing to buy their oil (which was about everyone on the planet) must do so only in US Dollars.

This created a huge need for Dollars throughout the world and we were able to export our inflation by having every nation needing Saudi oil sell us their “real” products, in exchange for our (freely printed) US Dollars.

For over 40 years, the US became addicted to easy (printed from nothing) money, and our National Debt rose to unsustainable levels, recently topping 20 trillion dollars. Those many nations that had built their stockpile of US Dollars for the purpose of buying Saudi oil, have become terribly concerned that the value of their US Treasury holdings was quickly losing purchasing power.

Nobody really knows just how many Dollars are in existence, but quite a few financial analysts have suggested that the number is way, way higher than what we are being told.

While the US has been able (with it’s military might) to keep the Petro Dollar alive, recent (and numerous) events have called the health of this arrangement into question. Russia, China, Iran and many other nations now refuse to use the dollar, and Venezuela, in mid-September, announced that they would no longer sell their oil for dollars.

When all those (no longer

The Truth Has No Agenda

needed) treasuries begin making their way back to the USA, they must be purchased by the Federal Reserve with even more freshly created cash, exacerbating the problem of the Dollar’s drop in purchasing power. Countries will no longer want to accept dollars in trade for their valuable manufactured products or services, as they have in the past. That poses a gigantic problem for every American. The US dollar is quickly losing it’s status as “world reserve currency.”

Prices of imported products will skyrocket, and, likely worse, many will not be available at any price.

Distribution of Goods and services all across America will begin to break down, and the shelves of many retailers (those

fortunate enough to survive this whole mess) will be lacking many products that we use in our every day routines.

The people who are reading this article already have an understanding of just exactly where all this is heading. If you tried to explain this to most people, they would probably just laugh and assume you were just some kind of kook. Those people, sadly, will be the ones who will be totally unprepared for what is (very) quickly coming our way. a

The Valley, October 2017

8

by Wayne Stottlar

We lucky folks in Central Pennsylvania are in the midst of a windfall of rare and mostly unknown fruit right now!

Asimina triloba, or commonly known as Pawpaw, are actually a native tree to Pennsylvania. In fact, the pawpaw is native to the eastern, southern, and midwestern United States and adjacent southernmost Ontario, Canada, from New York west to southeastern Nebraska, and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. Still it is amazing how many people who live in these states have never heard of, much less tasted, one of these delectable “tropical fruits.”

A fruit that has more protein than most other fruits. Pawpaws were

once very popular for the folks who lived where they grew.

Pawpaws are an understory tree in their native habitat. That means they evolved to grow in the rich soil of a forest bed in dappled sunlight from the canopy of larger trees above them. Many Pawpaws disappeared during deforestation in the 1800s. Young seedlings could not get a foothold due to the fact that the taller canopy that they needed was gone. For sure, there are still patches of wild Pawpaw scattered about in places where patches of trees were spared the loggers saw.

Through research it was discovered that Pawpaws could be successfully grown in full sun with special precautions during the first two or three years. Cover-

ing or shading the trunk of the tree to protect it from being scalded by the sun and plenty of water usually result in a successful tree. The big bonus to all of this, besides being able to grow them anywhere on your property, is that when grown in full sun, Pawpaw trees produce way more fruit than they do in the understory. So the extra fuss is well worth it.

Many people who try Pawpaw for the first time describe the flavor resembling banana and mango. The texture is almost custard like and the two rows of lima bean size seeds are easy to handle. Because Pawpaw does not keep long from the time it ripens, folks have mostly either canned the fruit as a jam or preserves, or freezing then using the frozen

was by flies or to an even lesser extent, beetles.

The flowers of the Pawpaw are almost un-noticed, but for the fact that they appear before the tree leafs out. Otherwise, you would miss their dark burgundy color and downward facing attitude.

The flower does not have a very strong fragrance Pawpaws grow in portions of 26 states in the Eastern and what there is half of the United States resembles rotting pulp in baking recipes or as a meat, which hopefully attracts a main ingredient in a smoothie. Re- fly or carrion beetle to investigate. cently, tests are being done with

That is a tough row to hoe freeze drying and/or dehydration. if fruit production is your goal.

Such tactics need be employed Backyard gardeners have found due to the short shelf life of the resourceful ways to increase pollifruit. This is a major factor in why nation success, for left to nature, it Pawpaws have never been prois sporadic at best. Some growers duced commercially to this point. in remote areas will drag a road There is also a secondary killed animal into their orchard problem for anyone looking to go to help attract the needed flies to into Pawpaw production—polperform pollination. lination. Pawpaws are a very

Being in a residential area, old species that was native here that seemed a bit extreme to me before the United States had when I started out, so I chose honeybees. Therefore, the only way for Pawpaws to be pollinated

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

Continued on page 9

9

The Valley, October 2017 Pawpaws from page 8

lination process, I will have somewhere north of 100 fruits, many of hand pollination. Each spring which get shared with friends due at the proper time—and this is to their short shelf life. a short window so you have to

As an understory tree, Pawkeep checking—I would head paws normally grow in tangled out to my two Pawpaw trees and patches of thick trunks. In full sun carefully, using an artist brush, however, they grow in a beauticollect the pollen from first my ful pyramidal shape, with long “Wells” Pawpaw, and fill a small obovate leaves, and they resemble glass vial with the pollen. Then a tropical plant. The long leaves I would switch brushes and get turn a vibrant gold when the fruits a new vial and collect the pollen start to ripen.

The fruit, which is bright green throughout its summer growth, turns yellowish to brown when ripe.

Be warned though, although Pawpaws have few pests and diseases, once the fruit is ripe, raccoons, opossums, foxes and squirrels all find Pawpaw attractive and will thin your harvest if you are not careful.

Named cultivars are your best bet for consistently large and tasty fruit. Many With artists brush and glass vial in hand, carefully colvarieties have lecting pollen. distinctively different flavors and from my “Overlease” Pawpaw. I average a pound in size, whereas then use the opposite tree’s pollen wild Pawpaw may be half that and reverse the procedure. Pawsize and it is hit or miss on flavor, paws need two different varieties to set fruit.

There have been many varieties developed, so make sure you pick two that bloom at the same time or pollination will be even harder or near impossible, unless you freeze the pollen and finish pollination when your second tree blooms.

This was an easy process for me the first couple of years. Trees are usually 3-4 years old when they first start flowering, and at first there are few blooms, so the chore is accomplished quickly. Now that my trees are 8 years If your timing was correct, and your hand polold, and much bigger, lination successful, a few weeks after pollination, pollination took almost tiny pawpaws will begin to grow.

4 hours this last year.

Something has to give, so next year I am wondering if I regardless, I would give any a try can get away with hanging fish and you will too once you have heads in the trees as flowering had your first. happens during the height of trout

Pawpaws have been enjoyed season. It could be a possibility. in America for centuries, the This year, due to the tedious polearliest historic mention was in

1541 by the Spanish explorer De Soto, who wrote that natives were cultivating Pawpaw in many areas east of the Mississippi River. It is also thought that Pawpaw got its name from the Papaya which resembles Pawpaws, and a fruit the explorers had been previously exposed to.

The Lewis & Clark Expedition subsisted entirely on A freshly fallen fully ripe Pawpaw, at close to a pound Pawpaws for brief a piece, are an ample snack. periods of their

The Truth Has No Agenda

expedition when game could not be hunted.

There are a very broad range of health benefits to the Pawpaw, but they also tend to cause allergic reactions, so care should be taken when using them.

PawPaw can help to combat cancer. In fact, the Pawpaw extract, when used to combat cancer cells, can actually cause the cancer cells to die. A chemical in Pawpaw which is called acetogenin, was very effective in combating cancer of several types.

Pawpaws are seeing a resurgence in popularity and interest with folks looking for a more natural diet, while they may

Continued on page 28

The Valley, October 2017

10

A Tale of Five Lavenders

Your friend uses lavender, let’s say for her aches and pains from arthritis. It works great she tells you. This is amazing you think—I have aches and pains from arthritis! You go and buy some Lavender. It does not work for you. Hmmmm. You may think that you bought a ‘bad’ oil or you could assume you bought from the wrong company and yours just isn’t as good as your friends. Or worse yet, you think that Essential Oils do not work!

I am here to tell you that Essential Oils do work, but you just need to know what oil to buy for what purpose. Yes, you need to know whether to buy tangerine, peppermint or kanuka for your headache. But, also, with certain oils you need to know which species to use. There are some essential oils that, although they come from the same plant, they come from different species of that plant. The different species of one plant produce essential oils with different constituents (you may think of these as therapeutic properties). Therefore, your results may be remarkably different depending on which you use for what purpose. Some examples are: rosemary, frankincense, eucalyptus, and lavender. Today, we are going to look at the different lavenders and in the end, you will know which lavender to use for different purposes! Also, have you ever heard lavender is great for children and/or pregnant women…or, lavender is not good?

Confusing? It doesn’t have to be—read on!

Currently there are over 45 different species of lavender with over 450 varieties. SO, how do you know what you are buying?

First of all: buy from a company that lists the botanical name on the label. The botanical name of a plant is the scientific Latin name identifying the genus and the specific species. Botanical names have two parts. The first word is the genus and it is always capitalized. The second word is the specific species and it is not capitalized. For lavender, the genus is Lavandula. The most common used lavenders for aromatherapy are Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula stoechas, Lavandula latifolia and Lavandula x intermedia.

Lavandula angustifolia Lets begin with the most common lavender known in aromatherapy.

• AKA: true lavender, Bulgarian lavender, English lavender, high altitude lavender, Himalayan lavender, lavender Kashmir, lavender Maillette, or any of several other names. It is formerly known as Lavandula officinalis • The natural habitat for this species of lavender is at a very high altitude over 3000 ft. The higher the altitude at which lavender is grown, the more esters the lavender will contain. Esters are what give Lavandula angustifolia its wonderful soothing properties.

• Soothes burns, regenerates skin cells and is an anti-inflammatory at the primary phase of infection; unarguably one of the most important essential oils to have in a first aid kit • go-to for soothing and calming anxious or busy thoughts, soothing symptoms that are related to stress

(headache, occasional sleeplessness, restlessness, nausea, agitation, etc.), and helping the body to relax.

• a significant amount of Alcohols which make it antifungal, antiviral, strong bactericidal and immunostimulant properties.

• The most gentle of the lavenders and can be used on babies and pregnant mothers.

• This oil stands apart from other lavender oils because it contains almost no camphor. This gives it a very sweet floral aroma.

Sounds like a great one to have around, no wonder it is the variety you will see for sale most often.

Lavandula stoechas • AKA: French Lavender, also may be called Spanish Lavender • contains the highest (of the lavenders) constituent Camphor: great for relieving muscle aches and increasing circulation.

• widely known to stimulate the immune system • Essential oils high in Camphor are considered mucolytic,

reducing mucus phlegm.

• great for skin care: stimulates cell regeneration and promote tissue formation.

• used as a natural insect repellent • may be a mucous membrane irritant. Do not get near eyes.

• contains a high percentage of Camphor, so therefore should be used with caution, and not be used on children or with pregnancy or breastfeeding mothers.

Lavandula latifolia • AKA: Spike Lavender • grows at a lower latitutude: so this is not the oil you want for calming: in fact this one can be stimulating!

• High percentage of 1,8-Cineole and Camphor, makes it an excellent choice for helping to relieve coughs, clear congestion, and promote easy breathing • Highest in Cineole of the lavenders makes this one great to diffuse to clear the air of bacteria and viruses and to stimulate the immune system.

• Cineole is also great for memory retention.

• High camphor and cineole: not recommended for children or pregnancy in high doses.

Lavandula x intermedia

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

• AKA: lavandin • the x in Lavandin’s Latin name indicates that this plant is a hybrid, and was created in the 1920’s by crossing Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia • some lavandin being closer to the L. angustifolia end of the spectrum, and others being closer to the L. latifolia end of the spectrum • knowing the chemical profile of the particular lavandin you are purchasing will guide you as to the best way to use that particular oil • these plants are cloned • a weaker performer than either one of its “parent” plants.

• primarily distilled for the perfume and fragrance industries

Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil I see this oil quite often for sale, so I thought it warranted going over also!

• a standardized oil, meaning it should have the same aroma every time you purchase it.

• To accomplish this, two of the main constituents in lavender oil, linalool and linalyl acetate,

11

The Valley, October 2017

R. O. F. F.

Rescue Our Furry Friends

by Patricia Lawson

I don’t know about you but I always liked people names for pets. In the past we had a cat Minnie, a dog Sam and even a rooster named Chuck! Well, let’s meet one of the future pets of the month…Fred.

Hi Everyone, I’m Fred the Beagle and I’m only 8 months old. I love other dogs, little and big people and I even like to play with cats. I am crate trained and listen to this little trick I taught myself: I ring a bell to let humans know I need to go out. Pretty neat huh? I am told that I’m neutered and that that’s a good thing. I just know that you and I would get along great so come on

over to meet soon. You must admit I am handsome and I would make the perfect addition to your home.

We can’t forget our adorable cats so here’s Leiha.

Well, I did have a human family but they moved and couldn’t take me with them. So, I was surrendered to ROFF. ROFF has been very kind, but I have been here for 6 months and I really would like a home of my own. I am 4 years old, I’m spayed, litter trained and I have all my shots.

I hear the people here talking about how friendly, playful and super sweet I am...aw shucks. Stop by and see for yourself.

Mark your calendars: Basket Auction to benefit ROFF will be held at the Burnham Firehouse on Saturday, November 4th at 5pm.

Who doesn’t like pies for their Thanksgiving feast? Next month we’ll reveal the details of the fund-raiser of Pie Shoppe Pies. Give yourself a break from baking and order these yummy desserts that will be available on November 19th.

For more information and additional photos of all of animals up for adoption, just go to our web site www.roffrescue.com or call 1-877-933ROFF (7633). Thank you and Happy Halloween!

Until they all have homes… www.roffrescue.com; rescueourfurryfriends@yahoo.com; 1-877-933-ROFF (7633)

Home at the Grange

by Patricia L. Bird

Walker Grange First #345 now #2007

there on the second Tuesday of Bartley and Mary Dunkle.

This month I would like to each month. They went on to tell you about Walker Grange

However, in 1913, the Walker purchase the adjoining lot that had #2007. Walker Grange was first Grange #345 was disbanded and previously been occupied by the organized on September 18, 1874 the charter was closed. On March Presbyterian Church and also used

by Leonard Rhone who is credited 25, 1936, Walker Grange #2007 by the Hublersburg High School with organizing almost all of the was reorganized by L. E. Biddle. to hold their graduation ceremony Granges in Centre County along Dispensation was given by the and special events. with the Centre County Grange National Grange on April 1, 1936

The first annual dues were Encampment and Fair. A few and it was received and recorded forty cents compared to the of the first officers were Jacob by the State Grange on April 2, forty-three dollars today. They Dunkle who was the first Master/ 1936. This time there were 27 continued to meet there until the President and David Dunkle who charter members, some of which 1990’s when they sold their hall to is listed as the first Secretary. were the same surnames as the Trinity United Church of Christ.

When first organized, Walker original charter. Those predomi At the highest, their memberGrange met on the first and third nate names were Deitrich, Dunkle, ship was one hundred members, Saturdays of each month.

Hoy, Heckman, Lee, Porter, but today there are approximately

In 1893, a new Grange Vonada, Yearick and McCloskey. seventy-eight men and women.

Hall was erected in the town

Walker Grange members Each month, Walker Grange of Hublersburg at a cost of met in the old POS of A build#2007 meets on the 2nd Tuesday $2,500. The carpentry work was ing in Hublersburg. Later they of the month at 7:00 pm at the performed by Twitmyer and bought the building. They met Walker Township Building locatKerstetter of Pleasant ed at 816 Nittany Valley Gap. When the hall was Drive, Bellefonte, PA. completed, the members An average of 20 people held an ice cream social attend the monthly meeton August 12, 1893 as a ings. You might find celebration. them putting together

The original charter Jared Boxes for charity, members of Walker planning the exhibit for Grange were: Jacob the county fair or Dunkle, D. Harshberger, having a picnic or party Michael Corman, I.T. for members. Each year Dunkle, John Dunkle, they also take their exFrederic Bartley, David hibit to the Bloomsburg Dunkle, Peter HockFair where they have man, Ira Dunkle, Lewis finished in first place in Dietrich, Joseph Markle, the past.

David Yocha, William

If you would like Pennington, James more information about Gramley, Harriet Bartley, Walker Grange #2004 Walker Grange #2007 members worked together to creMartha Dunkle, Joseyou can contact Master ate this beautiful exhibit. It won a blue ribbon at both the phine Hockman, Ettie Ben Haagen at 8114Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair and also at the Markle, Mary Gramley, 383-4428 or Secretary Bloomsburg Fair.

Catharine Bartley, Ann Christina Cristani at 814571- 8481. a

Tinnitus from page 3 not an FDA approved drug or scientifically proven treatment method to cure tinnitus. There are however management strategies or therapies proven to reduce the impact of tinnitus. Because tinnitus presentation is unique to the patient, there is not a one size fits all treatment and therefore a patient-centered approach should be taken when determining the best treatment. Common treatment options include hearing aids, sound therapies, behavioral therapies, or medical management.

The Truth Has No Agenda

Hearing aids are used to treat tinnitus by restoring the balance to the peripheral and central auditory systems disrupted by hearing loss.

Research has shown that approximately 50% of patients fit with hearing aids experience improvements in tinnitus symptoms, with some patients finding complete relief (Shekhawat G.S., et al, 2013).

Hearing aid manufactures have also recently added sound therapy options to their devices improving their effectiveness in treating bothersome tinnitus. Sound therapy options differ between manufactures and ideally should

be implemented by an audiologist trained in tinnitus management.

See below for more information on sound therapies.

Sound-based therapies are another way that tinnitus can be treated. There are many sound therapy programs available and each differs slightly from another in how they are delivered and utilized to treat the tinnitus. Sound therapy programs can use a dedicated device, be built into hearing aids, or simply use environmental

Continued on page 19

The Valley, October 2017

12

Ready to Sell?

Tips to Make Your Home Stand Out!

by Kim Rickert

If you are thinking about putting you home on the market in the near future, you may be wondering how to make your home more attractive to prospective buyers. While buyers may have specific “must haves” on their wish list, there are several features that will be appreciated by all home buyers.

UPDATED KITCHEN

If your kitchen hasn’t been updated in years, a minor renovation may be in order. For minor update, paint the walls in a nice neutral color; grays and whites are very popular right now.

Adding new light fixtures and changing out cabinet hardware can go a long way towards bringing your kitchen into the 21st century!

UPDATED BATHROOM

As with a kitchen, a dated bathroom is a drawback for many buyers. You don’t have to break the bank to update- installing a new sink, toilet and shower would be one way to change the look.

Stuck with aqua colored fixtures from the 60’s? Just go with it! Change out light fixtures, add a new mirror and towel racks, and use towels, rugs and shower curtains in fresh white to play on the now popular aqua colors!

OPEN FLOOR PLAN

Everyone wants the open feel of a kitchen, dining and family room area. If your home has an open floor plan- play it up!

Otherwise, look into taking down non-load bearing walls if you’d like to create a larger space.

HOME OFFICE

Americans are working from home now more than ever. Even if home buyers are not planning to work from home, they will appreciate a space for home files, bill paying or reading. A guest bedroom can be re-purposed as a home office space, or combine them in one if you’ve got a larger room.

WIRELESS SECURITY SYSTEM

Safety is important. A wireless home security system is one of the top technology features buyers would like to have in their home.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

90% of buyers want a home with outdoor lighting including spotlights, walkway lights and pendant lights. Not only does this lighting highlight your home’s curb appeal, it’s also a safety measure. For example; motion light will turn on when they sense movement. Exterior lighting is a relatively inexpensive upgrade that you can do for under $100 per fixture.

regularly and lets buyers see the features of the house more easily.

3. Stage your home. When you’re selling your home, it’s difficult to see it through the eyes of a potential buyer. A Certified Home Marketing Specialist can help you present your home in the best possible light, making sure

more accessible than attic or basement spaces. Improvement options include installing pegboard on the wall for tools, improving the lighting and electrical circuits of adding cabinets.

ENERGY EFFICIENT WINDOWS AND APPLIANCES

Star-rated windows and appliances are a top choice of buyers.

Energy efficient windows can reduce heating and cooling costs by 12%. Additionally, homeowners may save up to $40 a year on their utility bills by including energyefficient appliances in their home.

WANT TO REALLY STAND OUT?

If you are ready to sell, these three things will help your home stand out among the competition:

1. Have your home inspected.

This will help you isolate repairs that need to be addressed before listing your home. If you make the most important repairs, you’ll be ahead of the game and able to list your home for more than if you left the issues unresolved.

2. De-clutter and start packing. You will have to pack when you move anyway; starting the process now allows you to pack up anything you don’t use

GARAGE STORAGE SPACE

Storage is important to 81% of buyers, especially if they have growing families. Additional storage in the garage keeps the main living areas free of clutter and is

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

the focus is on the features that sell.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has two agents who have earned the CHMS certification, Katy Flood and Kim Rickert.

Call our office for a free consultation. a

13

The Valley, October 2017

Around Town With Carole

by Carole Lokan Moore

The Stress of Life

We came home from the television studio Wednesday to find our utilities turned off at our Organic Green Café, in Edgewater Park NJ. Pop had forgotten to send the check, and once they turn it off at the pole, which they did because no one was here to give them a check, you must pay the entire balance instead of the “budget plan.” My neighbor said: “It’s happened to the best of us,” but it never happened to us before. Pop had to scramble to find $3,600 and was at the PSEG office at 7:45 Thursday morning. Thank goodness it was a “slow day for the guys on poles” and they turned it back on by 9am. I tell this part of the story so you know, the stress was already at a peak.

Our month hasn’t been so terrific. Our good old dog, Yuppy Puppy, on the Fourth of July during the fireworks, snuck up stairs under my bed. I knew he used

to “worry” about the noise, but now that his hearing was “gone,” I didn’t think about it...I guess he could still feel the vibrations and hid under the bed, infesting the carpeting with fleas. N.J. was extremely “wet” and I’m told that increases the “flea problem” till the frost, which is several months away. Yups favorite spots were also ‘violated’ by fleas, where he also lays in the living room, laundry room, and dining room.... ugh....

We’ve vacuumed two times a day for weeks, and Bill has “bombed” three times. The poor parrot is on the front porch safe from the fumes. Yup has had two flea baths this week, has a flea collar, and drops on his hips, neck and tail, to no avail. The last alternative is to give him the “Oral poison,” and being an “organic family,” we have left that till there is no choice. I think we are there.

So having had enough stress to last the month, I remarked at the bumper sticker, “Shit happens.” You can’t do anything about it, it’s over, move on, etc..... so we treated ourselves to Habbici Grill to “de stress.” Seems it’s a human frailty...when stressed, eat well.

We took a walk by the river to calm down, and since we had set another “bomb” off in the house, we had to take Yuppy, who has always loved a stick thrown into the Delaware River, so he could retrieve it...that’s what labs do...

Putting a nice fluffy cover on the back seat of the Jeep, we traversed ten blocks with Yuppy sitting in the back with his leash in my hand, and hooked to his collar for safety when the windows were open; his white face and black nose sniffing out the window. I’m sure he remembered where we were going, and he eagerly got out of the vehicle, dragged me down the eight steps to the beach along the Promenade at the foot of Cooper Street in Beverly and I unhooked the leash as we neared the water.

Yuppy was over twelve now and his hearing has pretty much gone, but we use hand signals and scream his name in many different “octaves”

The Truth Has No Agenda

till he hears us. I said to Bill, “what if he doesn’t hear us?” Bill said, “I’ll go in after him, if I have to.” Being married to the oldest lifeguard in NJ, has many rewards. I was completely at rest with the idea.

First the pale yellow lab, who I’ve been known to call a “white lab” for his lack of anything even nearing the color of “yellow,” wandered north about two blocks along the river’s edge. Yup was still in our view and the confines of the fenced area. He could only “get away” if he went past us, sitting on the step. Yup always listened to our commands and was a very obedient dog who had been here many times, but perhaps not for a couple years...or at least since his hearing was so bad. After enough “sniffing” the “pee spots” of every other dog in town, he came back to where we were sitting on the steps to the beach.

I picked up a stick and threw it into the wash, and as always, he retrieved it, came back shaking his wet fur, and dropped the stick at my feet. After the third swim, I worried because of his advanced age, so I left the stick for a mo-

ment, thinking I was giving him a rest.

But Yuppy, who lives with two domestic geese and many other farm animals here on our farm, aka Whitebriar, saw the Canadian Geese. At home the two proud white “gaggles” just walk a few feet in front of the dog to get out of his way. There is never any “Hustle or bustle” or “threat to be perceived.” Yup usually herds the white geese in and out of the back yard, and I presume it’s an acceptable “game” played by these three farm animals who all live in harmony on the County Road known as Cooper Street. (Cooper Street was named after the author of the “Leather Stocking Tales - Last of the Mohicans,” James Fenimore Cooper—a NJ farm boy..

Talking with much “wild

Continued on page 30

The Valley, October 2017

14

OUR YESTERYEARS Mifflin County Historical Society Spooky Tales from Local History OCTOBER 2017

A curious story I once heard involved a Mrs. Bixler of Bixler’s Gap near the Lewistown Narrows.

In that story, Mrs. Bixler’s son cut off her ear while she was in the guise of a black cat. As punishment for the act, Mrs. Bixler cast a spell on her own son, changing him into a wolf-like creature destined to roam the forest’s of Pennsylvania forever.

Werewolves in Pennsylvania? Judge for yourself from this folktale.

The following story is said to have happened in 1899 in Northumberland, Pennsylvania.

Many of the townsfolk believed that a certain old man was a werewolf, or “wolfmann.” It was the Paul family that suspected the man first, due to the interest the old man took in their 12-year-old daughter, May.

He would sit at the edge of the woods and watched her as she tended the family’s sheep. May was a very sweet and a kind little girl that often lifted the spirits of people around her and the old man just seemed to enjoy watching her do chores. He never spoke or disturbed her as she worked.

The other shepherds in the town found it strange that the wolves in the area often attacked their sheep, they’d even be attacked in broad daylight, yet the wolves never touched May’s sheep. Some said they saw the wolves approach May’s sheep, but that they then turned and ran away. This is when the rumors that the old man was a werewolf began.

Then one night under the full moon a hunter saw a thin, old, gray wolf wandering along the fields. Thinking about the bounty

on wolves, the hunter shot the wolf. Hearing the wolf’s cry of pain, the hunter knew he hit his quarry, but the wolf stumbled into the woods. It was simply too dark to wander the dense woods at night, so the hunter decided to come back after dawn.

The next morning came and the hunter went back to the spot and followed the blood trail, but instead of finding the corpse of a wolf he found the cold and dead body of May’s elderly admirer.

In the eyes of the villagers, this confirmed that the old man was in fact a werewolf.

The people buried the old man where he fell, which became known as “die Woolfman’s grob” (the wolfman’s grave).

Little May grew up and continued to tend her sheep and even though wolves still attacked the neighbor’s sheep they never harmed hers. She said that it was because the werewolf’s spirit protected her and her flock.

Are there ghosts in the Historic Courthouse on Lewistown’s Monument Square? That’s a question that has come to the Mifflin County Historical Society’s office from time to time. Here is a story told about the building for a number of years now. Let the reader judge the veracity of the story.

In the early 1980s, after the County Offices moved to Wayne and Third streets at the present County Courthouse, the Historic Courthouse on Monument Square was undergoing a renovation and remained basically closed, except for a local police desk in the former Sheriff’s Office. On several occasions after dark, noises of various kinds, including what sounded like footsteps crossing the wooden floor in the old courtroom on the second floor, were heard by an individual in law enforcement. Upon investi-

Next Issue of The Valley: November 7th

gation, no other people were found in the building. These sounds and similar circumstances were repeated several times.

Speculation swirls, in some quarters, that the spirit of someone who died in the courthouse is still making its presence known in the 1843 building. There may be three candidates for the spirit, so you may make your choice.

First: Before the back portion of the Courthouse was added in 1878, a well was located in the yard behind the building, next to the alley. One dark night, a courthouse employee, came out the alley, perhaps from a local tavern, maybe a bit tippled, and accidently fell into the well and drowned.

His body was found in the watery grave next morning. According to this version, his spirit still moves through the courthouse while carrying out his unseen chores in the second floor courtroom.

Second: Then there’s the spirit of the County messenger.

In the early 1920s, a long time court messenger was bringing an important communication from the Register & Recorder’s office on the first floor to the Courtroom on the second floor. The octogenarian was stricken with a heart seizure in the Main Lobby, at the foot of the staircase. The Civil War veteran collapsed, partly on the first stair steps and died on the spot. So dedicated to his post, his spirit still walks the stairs and crosses the courtroom to deliver his message.

Third: The last is that of an attorney whose portrait hangs in the Second floor Hallway. A former District Attorney and well-known local lawyer, he was also the defense attorney in the infamous Woodhouse Murder Trial of the 1950s. In that case, Dr. Woodhouse of Milroy, Armagh Township, murdered his sixteen year old daughter as she lay asleep in bed, suffering, the doctor claimed, from an incurable illness.

The defense pleaded insanity on the part of the doctor, but he was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. His lawyer became so embroiled in the intense appeal process, his own personal turmoil drove him to take his own life. The Woodhouse defense attorney still roams the halls of the courthouse seeking an appeal for the doctor’s murder conviction.

Take your choice, as Ripley

once said, believe it or not.

There is one local ghost story that has become popular, due to its location, the Juniata River…that of The Legend of Cotter’s Hole.

According to 1886 The History of the Juniata & Susquehanna Valleys, Aaron Cotter acquired 130 acres of land in 1796. Cotter’s property was located in that part of Mifflin County that would become Milford Township in Juniata County. The 1886 History explains, From him, a very deep place in the river near by has been known (ever since) as Cotter’s Hole. Into this, it is relayed, some benevolent persons threw a cannon, used in former days for firing salutes at Mifflintown on the fourth of July, which had been the means of killing and wounding a number of persons. Another story is that the cannon was thrown into the hole …to prevent rival claimants at Lewistown from getting possession of the cannon.

That is the history…here is the ghost story involving Cotter’s Hole…

The story originated in the misty, distant past, over 250 years ago set along the banks of the Juniata River when the territory was still a wilderness, and long before permanent settlements were established. The story tells of a murderous trapper known as Judas Cotter, a man devoid of common decency and charity toward his fellow human beings. It was said he murdered and robbed other trappers, and the occasional hapless traveler. Among the Native People living in the valley, his

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

blood lust and depraved treatment of their own earned Cotter a devil’s reputation.

He abused and murdered at will until his vicious acts brought about Cotter’s own violent demise.

In what can best be described as pure revenge, Cotter was ambushed one night while on his way back to his cabin near the riverside path. He was bludgeoned to death by unseen enemies, his corpse weighted with rocks, then dumped in the deepest swirling hole at a bend in the river. There, it was said, the greatest of the Juniata’s muskellunge was thought to dwell. Cotter’s remains surely be a feast for this hulking creature.

Generations passed, and the path became a trail, then a wagon road.

That deep hole, as the story goes, was the murderous trapper’s watery tomb, regarded by the old fishermen as a haunted place to be avoided. The oldest river men knew the seemingly bottomless, dark abyss as Cotter’s Hole. A place, it was said, if one stared into the watery blackness long enough, a ghostly, dream-like image of Cotter’s rotted corpse could be seen slowly beckoning from below.

In the year 1880, more than 100 years after Cotter’s violent death, a full late October moon was ascending over the mountains along the Blue Juniata, there, a young couple made their way home along the river road. The

Continued on page 30

15

The Valley, October 2017

Dairy - Good - Truth

by Gretchen Little

As you walk through the dairy aisle, the choices can be overwhelming. With everything from yogurt to ice cream, kefir to butter, and sour cream to cottage cheese it can be hard to choose how to get your three everyday of dairy. But this month, the choice is clear… American cheese!

American cheese is a semisoft cheese that originated in America, and America celebrates this cheese throughout the whole month of October!

Did you know that it takes about ten pounds of milk to create one pound of cheese? Everyday the average dairy cow will make

Milk & Moos

enough milk to produce seven pounds of cheese (dairy cows produce about 70 pounds of milk a day)!

Of course, none of this would be possible without the dairy farmers! Dairy farmers milk their cows 2-3 times a day and work 7 days a week, 365 days a year to ensure their community has access to this wholesome and nutritious product.

Katrina Bliss Huntingdon County Dairy Princess

Someone wise once told me, “All things happen for a reason.”

This past weekend, I attended the 61st Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Pageant in Harrisburg, PA. Princesses from across Pennsylvania gathered Thursday evening to begin the competition. In the months preceding the pageant, I prepared a poster display board, radio spot, scrapbook of my year so far, and perfected my speech and children’s skit I have been using throughout the past couple of months.

Friday morning began our presentations, dairy knowledge tests, and interviews. Throughout the day, we presented for the judges, but in the evening, we were able to take a break and relax. We loaded a bus for a surprise destination, and the only thing we were told was to wear professional attire and comfortable shoes.

As we entered the city, we still weren’t quite sure what to expect.

All of the sudden, we were in front of the Pennsylvania Capitol Building. There we took a tour of the breathtaking building and its many rooms. As Dairy Princesses, knowing how the legislative system works is important, and having the opportunity to see the Senate Room, House of Representatives, and even the PA Supreme Court, was not only extremely interesting, but very beneficial to our roles as advocates for the dairy industry.

After the tour, we had dinner and a dance, and then headed back to the hotel.

Saturday began early, with speech presentations and later our awards luncheon. Here, top winners in speech, skit, radio spot, dairy knowledge, and poster display categories were recognized.

I received Runner-Up in Dairy Knowledge.

That evening, the corona-

tion began with a cow-tail hour complete with milk punch and cheese and crackers, as our families and friends arrived. After dinner, we began the pageant.

It soon was the time where the names of the Top Seven Finalists were being called. From there, the Top Three would be chosen to be the new PA State Dairy Royalty Team. As I heard my name being called, my heart skipped a beat. There it was. The goal I had set for myself, before I had even run for county Dairy Princess, was met. I then answered an impromptu question, along with the six other finalists. In the end, I didn’t receive a state title. Instead, Casandra Bickley representing Chester County, and Gretchen Little of Centre County were chosen as alternates, and Yvonne Longenecker of Blair County, was chosen to be the State Princess. I know the new State Royalty Team has an exciting, wonderful year ahead of them, and I could not be more proud to support them.

As one can imagine, I was disappointed. Who wouldn’t be?

But soon, I realized that maybe at this point it’s best I didn’t get that state crown. I have a purpose, right here in Huntingdon County.

I can do a great job at promoting our industry, getting to know our producers, and educating the public about all there is to know about dairy and its benefits.

I know that I came home from State Pageant with so much more than a Top Seven award, and that is what is most important by far. I have nearly thirty brand new best friends that I know I can count on for the rest of my life and a community to return to that is so supportive and caring. I have a newfound respect and pride for Huntingdon County, and a renewed passion to promote what I love—dairy. a

The Truth Has No Agenda

My junior representatives and I will be busy promoting this October, and will be sharing all of this information with the local community! And of course, we’ll be giving them tips on how to add American Cheese to their diets!! Such as, adding a slice to things such as (but not limited to) grilled cheese, a cheeseburger and some mac and cheese! All of these simple dishes will help you get your three servings of dairy everyday.

So remember to pick up and enjoy some delicious American Cheese throughout the month of October. a

16

The Valley, October 2017

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

The Valley, October 2017

The Truth Has No Agenda

17

The Valley, October 2017

18

By: Chris Baldwin

Understanding & Setting Goals on your DHI-202

Reading and actually understanding your DHI records are two totally different things. It’s extremely important in these times of lower milk prices that we take every opportunity to understand what is actually going on in our herds so we can make the best management decisions. Let’s review a few areas on a DHI sheet and some goals of where I like to see my clients:

Yearly Production- Look for trends in milk production. What is your average days in milk (DIM)?

Set a goal- 175 DIM or less. For every 10 days you improve DIM it equals 1.5 pounds of milk.

Somatic Cell- This is an area that can be improved on with simple management changes that has minimal costs involved.

Whenever average SCC doubles, it will reduce milk yield by 1.5lbs/cow/day.

Set a goal- Less than 200,000. 80% of 1st lactation cows should be under 142,000 SCC, 70% of 2nd lactation cows should be under 142,000 SCC. Its important to monitor SCC so you can get all your bonuses on your milk check.

Production By Lactation- How are your 1st calf heifers doing? What is your average age of first calving? Compare 1st,

2nd, 3rd+ lactations to see if you are making gains in your overall herd.

Set a goal- Have projected 305 day milk higher for 1st and 2nd lactations than older cows. Age of first calving under 22 months.

Stage of Lactation Profile- Are you getting cows started right? Are they holding peak milk?

Set a goal- Compare the different lactations against each other, do you have an even distribution between lactations?

Days 1-40 is a reflection of dry cows and pre-fresh programs. Days 41 to 100 is a reflection of fresh cow diets, dry matter intakes and overall body condition of the herd. Days 101-199 reflects DMI and body condition. Days 200 to 305 reflects nutrients and persistence. Any cows over 305 days would be considered problem breeders.

Cows should be peaking between 41 and 100 days in milk. Compare peak to summit milk to see how the cows are maintaining production.

Dry Cow Profile- What are your days dry?

Set a goal- Average days dry should be 50-60 days.

Yearly Summary Of Cows Entered and Left the Herd- Know your culling rate and reasons for culling. Know whether

it is voluntary or involuntary. Identify and record correctly why the cows were culled: mastitis, production, death, reproduction, ect.

Set a goal- Less than 20% culled for involuntary reasons.

Yearly Reproductive Summary- Are heats being observed? Take the time to watch.

Set a goal- % heats Obs- 60-65% is “good”, >70% is “excellent”, conception rate-35 to 40% is “good” 45% is “excellent” and pregnancy rate should be 20% or above.

Reproduction Summary of Total Herd- What is the trend for calving interval?

Set a goal- Current actual calving interval under 13.5, average days to 1st service- >85 is “good”, between 60 and 75 is “excellent”, services per pregnancy under 3.

Take the time to sit down and provide your DHI representative accurate information. The more precise you are with providing data, the more you will be able to gather from the reports you are already paying for. Using DHI reports is a great management tool on what is happening on your dairy farm. It gives you a big picture of what is going on and areas that need improvements.

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

19

The Valley, October 2017 Tinnitus from page 11

Joanne Wills-Kline “Contentment Quest”

Pay Attention!

The topic of simple living has become increasingly more complex. There is media on simple living that revolves around a complex movement, and the more we explore, the more there is to explore. We can go down the rabbit hole, so to speak, with the topic of simple living – sustainability, productivity, spirituality, creativity, parenting, decluttering, the pace of our living, or the modern technology that crowds our days.

I believe simple living can look different for different people, and it hinges on one “simple” question: What is at the center of your life? Simply ask yourself, and wait for your honest answer to bubble up. Contemplate the following: What is it that matters most to you? What is it that you notice?

Greetings from Nittany Valley.

Looks like we will be having another beautiful day, lots of fog has been floating around, so everyone drive safely to and from your errands or work. Our school children wear safety vests so the people in vehicles can see them from a distance. Our children even wear them in the 1-2 minute walk to school as lots of people come off of Sand Ridge and zoom off to work. It just brings peace of mind to me to know they will be seen before it is too late. God’s will be done!

Today I plan on doing our last batch of sweet corn to put in the freezer. Then I also have to do apple sauce yet, which will have to wait until next week.

It feels so much like fall.

The time of year when our bodies try to change with the season.

Often times we end up with colds, coughs and other seasonal

I believe that simple living is about stopping long enough to enjoy the beauties in one’s life – both the large and the tiny that surround us. I believe simple living is about becoming a “noticer.”

Now, there is a cost for this – for noticing. The cost is of time – a precious commodity. There is also a cost of not paying attention – of not noticing, but that cost is much steeper in every aspect of life. The not noticing cost is that we miss out on so much – miss out on the truly important things in life.

I have noticed that when I take the time to slow-down, to notice, I see the ever evolving clouds. I see the slow subtle changes to the landscape as the seasons change. I see the golden sunshine on the porch floor – changing angles as the day wears

ailments. So then it is time to see what we are using and what kind of supplements are we taking.

Are they pure or synthetic, which means your body can not break it down as it is considered a foreign object. Lots of companies may put a few drops of all natural ingredients then fill with cheap fillers.

That makes more money for the company because they can sell it at what people can afford. Have you ever heard the phrase ‘you get what you pay for”? So why not invest your money into products that are 100%—I challenge you to do your research to find a company like that.

First of all, turn your bottles and start educating yourself on toxins and chemicals in your soaps and supplements. The list of toxins is long, be especially wary of Fluoride, Formaldehyde or Formalin, Mineral Oil, PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid), Parabens,

on. I notice sounds that are usually silenced by business – the sound of the hummingbird’s wings, the songbird, the crickets, and the rustle of leaves on the trees. Any time that I spend noticing always produces rewards – rewards of joy, beauty, and depth of life. Noticing costs time, but it also grants us time. When we are lost in the drift of clouds, or simply the flight of a bumble bee, nothing else is urgent, nothing else jostles for attention.

Once we choose to “notice” even times of business take on new meaning through the lens of noticing. Although we know there will be times of hurriedness and business in life, we can also carry in our hearts those little joys and beauties of slowness and noticing. That, my friends, is called simplicity in motion.

“Tell me to what you pay attention, and I will tell you who you are.” ~ Jose Ortega Y. Gassett a PEG, Polysorbates, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, Quaternium, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Talc, Toluene—all of which are found in the popular market products.

Don’t try to change your whole household at once, start with one product.

Since we are aware of what is in ours and do not use any of those products, my husband no longer gets bronchitis anymore.

This time of the year was very bad for him, but now I can rest assured to know he has the best of the best.

To each their own, just mount up and do your research, so we can all fly like eagles, we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not faint, we will renew our strength in the Lord. Isaiah 41:31.

Each and everyone is welcome to join us on October 18th at 10AM to talk about toxins and chemicals, 814-933-7012 for more info.

God Bless! a

The Truth Has No Agenda

sounds to manage tinnitus. The common ways that sound is used to treat tinnitus is through habituation or training the brain not to listen to the tinnitus, masking or covering up the tinnitus, and/or distracting or shifting attention away from the tinnitus. Each of these methods has been extensively researched and has been successful in managing tinnitus through the guidance of a tinnitus specialist. A tinnitus assessment will help to determine which type sound therapy would work best for an individual’s tinnitus.

Behavioral therapies are used to treat negative feelings that are often associated with tinnitus such as anger, anxiety, and depression.

Audiological programs that work to address these negative emotions are Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) and Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM). With these programs the individual will work with a tinnitus specialist who has been trained to provide counseling on the psychological impacts of tinnitus and how to address them using sound therapy. Sometimes the audiologist will refer individuals to a counselor who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) if further counseling is necessary.

Medical management can take place by an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) physician who may treat medical conditions such as an inner or middle ear infection, impacted wax, or other ear diseases which can cause tinnitus.

Individuals may also work with a neurologist or psychiatrist to provide therapy or medications to treat co-morbid conditions such as depression, anxiety, or other neurological disorders/injuries.

Other medical management might include a dentist who specializes TMD (temporomandibular disorders) which in some cases can be the cause tinnitus.

General wellness is important to treating all individuals who suffer from tinnitus. Exercise, a balanced diet, and good sleep are necessary to support the efforts in the treatment methods mentioned above. Yoga or Tai Chi is an excellent way to calm the mind and body to escape the effects of tinnitus and reduce stress. While eating a healthy diet is not going to directly impact tinnitus it does support a healthy lifestyle that can improve other aspects of your life.

Lastly, good sleep habits are central to breaking the vicious cycle of tinnitus since it often disrupts

sleep. When sleep is disrupted it can cause the individual to become irritable and stressed further aggravating the tinnitus. Good sleep habits such as having a consistent bed time, limiting television prior to bed, enriching your sound environment with relaxing sounds are suggested. Because tinnitus is the most apparent when quiet, relaxing sounds can assist individuals in falling and staying asleep. Items such as a fan, radio set to the static between stations, or sound generator app on your phone may be helpful.

Regardless of the cause of your tinnitus treatment often requires a multidisciplinary approach. A medical evaluation by your primary care or ENT physician is strongly recommended prior to receiving a tinnitus assessment or treatment to rule out a medical cause of the tinnitus.

Once a medical cause of your tinnitus is ruled out or medically managed a tinnitus assessment by an audiologist who specializes in tinnitus may be warranted. This assessment will help the audiologist determine which treatment option is best to treat the tinnitus.

One positive thing to take away is that we have learned a lot about tinnitus over the past 25 years and you do NOT need to learn to live with it. To learn more about tinnitus treatment or to schedule a tinnitus assessment contact Uhring Hearing and Balance.

About the author: Dr. Sarah Wakefield is a trained in several tinnitus treatment methods such as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) with Dr. Pawel Jastreboff, Desyncra neuromodulation therapy, sound therapy, and hearing aids. She recently relocated to Pennsylvania from South Florida where she was an Associate Professor at Nova Southeastern University teaching for a doctoral program in Audiology. Her specialty areas include tinnitus and auditory processing disorders both of which she taught in a didactic and clinical format.

References: 1) Baguley, D., McFerran, D., & Hall, D. (2013). Tinnitus. The Lancet, 382(9904), 1600-1607.

2) Shekhawat, G. S., Searchfield, G. D., & Stinear, C. M. (2013). Role of hearing aids in tinnitus intervention: a scoping review. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 24(8), 747-762.

The Valley, October 2017

20 Brandless from front page entirely non-GMO and well over half is organic. Our food is made without any artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors.

Health & Beauty We’re against animal testing. In addition, we’ve banned over 400 harmful ingredients like parabens, polypropylene, phthalates, and sulfates from our beauty products.

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We believe better shouldn’t cost more so we hacked the BrandTax™, the hidden costs you pay for a national brand often associated with production and retailer margin. We’ve been trained to believe these markups increase the quality of the product, but they rarely do. And those markups seriously add up. In fact, you pay an average of 40% more to have a big-name brand on the label. And sometimes up to 370% more for beauty products like face cream.

We’re here to eliminate BrandTax™ once and for all.

Our team has benchmarked pricing across five major retailers (in-store and online). With that information, we’ve calculated the average BrandTax™ for each item across our entire everyday essentials selection.

BrandTax™ will be calculated quarterly and your savings will be reflected on your account page.

Brandless will always offer you great value, on every item, every day.

At Brandless, everything is “BrandTax-free™,” which means we’ve stripped out all of those excess costs. It’s how we’re able to offer the best stuff at the fairest price, everyday, to everyone.

That’s why our Daily Moisturizing Facial Lotion costs 367% less and our Blueberry Flax Granola costs 90% less than top household brand products with similar quality and ingredients.

This is Day One.

The sky’s the limit in terms of where we as a community can go.

We want to do this together. At Brandless, we care about kindness and generosity, we care about trust and honesty. We care about taking care of ourselves and the people around us, but that’s not all we care about. We believe it’s the doing that matters. Because while $3 is a great starting point in making better stuff accessible to more people, we know that doesn’t include everyone. That’s

of skeptics when we shared the stealth Brandless story early on.

The response was so remarkable we wanted to capture it on film.

On 6-28-2017, we invited some Awesome Strangers for a taste test, hidden camera style. Favorite quote—and it was hard to pick just one—was, “I have $3 right here!” Take a peek and let us know what you think! a

why with every Brandless order, a meal* is donated to people facing hunger through Feeding America®. Though today is our official launch day, we’ve already donated thousands of meals thanks to the early believers in the Brandless promise.

If you haven’t already done

so, please join us at Brandless.com. If you already have, THANK YOU!

Brandless. A different kind of brand. Open for business.

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All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

21

The Valley, October 2017

Modern Energy and Alternative Heating with Curt Bierly A Brief History Of Our Family Business That Is Located In Millheim And Has Provided A Service To The Area For Over 92 Years

Stanley C. Bierly Sr. (my Father, Stan) started selling radios from the family home in Rebersburg in 1925 (he was 17). When he graduated from Penn State with a degree in Electrical Engineering, there were no US Jobs available for EE’s. - so - he started wiring houses and selling small appliances including radios.

The business grew, so in 1945 he purchased a building and moved to our present location in Millheim; which at that time was a center for commerce as a trip to State College was considered too far to travel. Beyond doing house wiring, at the new location he sold and installed large appliances,

heating systems and plumbing systems.

I can remember when television sets started selling, Dad purchased the abandoned Beacon Light Tower on top of the mountain north of Millheim and installed three television aerials on top of the tower for Altoona (Channel 10), Johnstown (Channel 8) and Lancaster (Channel 8). Our family would load up the black and white TV in a Jeep (the final hill was steep) and transport it to the Beacon Light Tower and have a cookout and watch snow-free TV. I can remember him telling me in its “hay day” he installed a TV and a TV Tower

every day of the work week.

My Dad ushered Stanley C. Bierly (the business) through the appliance age. Customers wanted more conveniences like clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, electric ranges and television sets to name a few.

They were tired of the wringer washer and hanging clothes out to dry. Stanley C Bierly was there to provide those products and service after the sale. I can remember as a kid that we had a Bendix Washer in the basement of our home that was bolted to a block of concrete to hold it down when it went into the spin cycle.

After graduating from Penn State in Mechanical Engineering in 1963, I (that’s me, Stanley C. Bierly, Jr, I use my middle name, Curt) went to work for Packard Electric, a division of General Motors in Warren, Ohio. In 1967, Gretta, a Warren resident, and I were married and we moved to Angola Indiana where I managed the Indiana Division of Gettig Engineering.

Our Sons, Stan III and Alex, were born in Angola. We stayed there until 1975, then moved back to the Penns Valley Area

Visit our Offices 1130 W 4th St. Lewistown, 6678 Towne Ctr (Walmart) Huntingdon, 100 Oakwood Ave., Suite 400, State College 132 Abigail Ln., Port Matilda Exit 68 Off I-99

The Truth Has No Agenda

where I worked as an Engineering Manager for Gettig Engineering in Spring Mills. About that time, Dad wanted to retire and was planning to put the business on the auction block. We hated to see all the years he worked to establish the business be wasted, so in 1975 we purchased the business and I spent daytime hours at Gettig’s and evening hours at SCB while Gretta handled the bookkeeping.

In 2005, Stan III joined Stanley C. Bierly. Stan III graduated in 1993 from Penn State in Mechanical Engineering and has been an irreplaceable asset the past 12 years.

In 1975 when we purchased the store, an energy crisis was upon us. Oil was in short supply and the price was rising steadily.

People were looking for ways to save money on their heating bill

and many turned to wood and coal. We started to sell Franklin Fireplaces that were made in Mifflinburg. I can remember selling the first air-tight wood stove and people were amazed that fully loaded with wood, it would last overnight. The government was starting to think renewable and was offering solar rebates. You might say that we ushered the store through the energy age and we’re still doing it with no end in sight.

Curt Bierly is president of the bierly group incorporated of which Stanley C. Bierly is a division.

He is chair of the Penn College HVAC Advisory Board. You can contact him at 814-349-3000 or cbierly@bierlygroup.com. a

The Valley, October 2017

22

Nuts for the Mifflin County Library? The Friends of the Library certainly are. So, we are having a nut sale, pecans to be exact. We will be taking orders for pecans from September 25thOctober 14th. The pecans are from the Mascot Pecan company in Georgia and they are yummy.

After all, we couldn’t sell without sampling first. If you are interested in purchasing some send an email to the Friends group (friends@mifflincountylibrary. org), or we will be taking orders on Wednesday, September 27th, Saturday, September 30th (Lewistown branch) and October 7th (Lewistown and Kish branches).

You can buy regular pecan halves, chocolate covered pecans, candied pecans, caramel and chocolate pecans, a pecan log, or a lovely gift tin. Pick up your orders at the Lewistown branch on November 4th and you will be set for holiday baking or gift giving.

The Friends are continuing to celebrate the 175 Anniversary of the Mifflin County Library serving our beautiful area. And, just how are we celebrating? In both branches, a glass brick has been set up for donations. The Friends are matching the donations given up to $175 each month. So be

sure to drop in some cash when you visit the library and know your donation will be doubled.

If you haven’t seen the community room of the Lewistown branch yet, be sure to check it out. (Maybe during the Book Sale which runs from Sept.

27th-October 1st.) Renovation of the community room has been a multi-year project of the Friends group and is now close to completion. We would like to have the chairs reupholstered since they are sturdy and comfortable, but in need of a face lift. Do you know any commercial upholsterers in the area? If you do, please contact the library and give the names to the library staff.

September was National Library Card Sign-up month.

Did you miss it? No worries- the library staff will be happy to sign you up for a new library card or renew an expired one. You need a library card to access all the resources the library has available from computer usage to books.

You can even use your library card to download audio books or eBooks. So be sure to visit the library and sign up yours.

A Tale of Five Lavenders from page 10

(Lavandula angustifolia) is also referred to as French lavender, because it grows in France – yet can be found in other places too.

Lavender can be so confusing!!!

That is why you need to look at the botanical name!

are added to the oil to make up 40/42% of the oil.

• I don’t recommend this oil for aromatherapy purposes, but it is a wonderful oil to use if you are creating skin care products and want your finished product to smell the same every time you make it French Lavender or Spanish Lavender?

French lavender grows in France and Spanish lavender grows in Spain, right? Not necessarily! In old texts, you will find Lavandula stoechas referred to as French lavender whereas today it might be referred to as Spanish lavender. Lavandula dentata is also referred to as French lavender – but it also grows in Spain.

And, of course, true lavender

Tangeline Sechrist a

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 essential oils, 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

cling law.

Huntingdon and Perry Councation activities and educational ties were able to get their river

These are hard financial times resources.

Research from Keep America cleanup in this year. I do not have for our state, communities, and Beautiful shows that a majority of the totals yet for trash and tires families. The budget negotiations people want their community to taken from the river this year. in Harrisburg have been painful. do more to support recycling, not Juniata and Mifflin were not able It is like the final compromise will less. to do theirs because of higher than leave stakeholders disappointed

People want to recycle not normal water levels this year. and dismayed. because it is mandated by law,

I do have this year’s totals

The mission of Keep Pennbut because they don’t want to be for the Tire Recycle Challenge. sylvania Beautiful is to empower Huntingdon collected 1998 Pennsylvanians to keep their com- wasteful.

It is more economical, far tires, Juniata collected 964 tires, munities clean and beautiful. In better for the environment and Mifflin collected 759 tires, and Blair County, the Intermunicipal less burdensome to residents when Perry counted 605 tires. In all, our Relations Committee is one of our a community provides a universal volunteers loaded a total of 4,326 most valued community stewards. waste and recycling collection tires. These tires will be made into Clean and beautiful comprogram than when residents are useful products again. munities are building blocks for required to contract for these

This fall, we will be doing economic development, environservices on an individual basis. a cleanup on Hawstone Road mental health and strong societ Recycling can be challenging. on October 7 with a rain date of ies. Whether you live in Altoona But we must focus on making it October 14th. On October 21, we or Allentown, people want to live will be cleaning up Big Ridge in and businesses want to invest in more convenient and cost effective, while educating residents Road with a rain date of October clean and beautiful communities. about the power of recycling to 28th. You can go online to www.

Our partners at the IRC create new products, grow the keeppennsylvaniabeautiful.org to deliver an extraordinary return economy, support the environment see what we are doing and where on investment, providing services we will meet. For both these such as community recycling, Continued on page 30 cleanups, we will meet at the community cleanups and beautifiLewistown library at 8:30 am and work until 12pm. These will both be an International Coastal Cleanup since we are in a watershed and a lot of trash can get into the river if it isn’t cleaned up and properly disposed of. I would like to say Thank You to the Democratic Womens Club for doing a cleanup on Ort Valley Rd. and removing ten • Reliable Propane & Heating Oil Delivery bags of trash.

The following • Budget Payment Plan Call today is a letter written to learn about our • 24/7 Emergency Service

by Shannon Reiter, NEw CustOmER President of Keep • Heating Equipment Service Plans Pennsylvania BeausPECiAls! • Safety Trained Professionals tiful as a letter to the editor of the Altoona • Over 80 Years Experience Mirror.

Clean communities aid economic climate.

I’m writing in Our Business is Customer Satisfaction reference to a story from September 717-248-5476 • 1-800-PROPANE (776-7263) 19 about Act 101, Pennsylvania’s recy-

Expect More from Your Fuel Supplier!

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

23

The Valley, October 2017

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The Valley, October 2017

24

Brisco’s Coffee House A Possible Location for Your Next Event

by Scott Keys

Many of us have been there... trying to keep our heads down while the boss or family member decides that someone needs to plan the office Christmas party or family event, only to have his or her gaze fall upon us and declare “you there, you were great at organizing the coffee run last week, you must put your talents to planning our event!” After an internal groan, you agree, and then the real challenge begins—where do you even start? There are a few venues out there, but they tend to be very pricey and around holiday season they seem to get booked very quickly.

Brisco’s Coffee House in Burnham, Pa has 2500 SQFT available and knowledgeable owners that can help you do all the planning for your special event. From office parties and Tupperware parties to wedding showers, we are able to customize the pricing based on your needs. Brisco’s has so far hosted

wedding showers, private painting parties, music events, and sales parties. In December, we will host the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Christmas Party, bringing together

business leaders from Juniata and Mifflin County. This is one of the largest events of the year for the Chamber of Commerce.

Brisco’s is not just a Coffee House, it is a center for Our

Live entertainment is always popular at Brisco’s!

Community. Our spacious shop provides a television lounge, board games, free WiFi and a gift shop. We have privacy for those who may just want to get some work done and we have some quiet space for those who want to get together for a little lunch and to meet up with old friends. We have regularly scheduled Paint and Create classes, and every third Thursday of the month we have Game Night, and regularly scheduled live entertainment (we are always looking for new talent.). It is a family friendly place where you can feel free to bring your children of any age. We are an open venue for those wishing to play their music, and we even have people that have organized Bible Studies. Brisco’s is a very informal place where you don’t feel rushed to give up your seat so someone else can sit.

We encourage our customers to stay as long as they like and to use our space as their home away from home.

Brisco’s offers a nice light menu of sandwiches, salads, soups and a great variety of desserts. We usually have a gluten gree

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

option as well. We offer some of the best specialty coffee available, most are organic and Rain Forest Certified. Our highly trained barista’s can guide you along our menu to make the perfect selection tailored and handcrafted for you. Not a coffee lover? We have a nice selection of noncoffee frappes, teas and real fruit smoothies for that non-coffee drinker.

We have also started ‘Lunch on the Go.’ Call ahead and we will get your lunch ready for pickup. Check out our website www. briscoscoffeehouse.com for our menu or find our daily specials on facebook at briscoscoffehouse or, for the most up to date information live, follow us on Instagram.

If the internet is not your thing, then feel free to call use direct at 717-420-3286.

For your friends and family that can’t make it out to Brisco’s Coffee House, we offer a Box of Joe that you can order and take directly to them. The Box of Joe is a 96oz Box of Coffee, ground and brewed to order and comes with cups, creamer, sugar, sweeteners and stirrers. You can take the joy of great coffee directly to those you love.

So whether you need to plan

Continued on page 25

The Valley, October 2017 Brisco’s Coffee House from page 24 an event, meet a friend for lunch, need a place to have some quiet time or need to grab breakfast or lunch on the go, Brisco’s is there to meet all your needs. We want to take this time to thank this great community in Mifflin County who have been patient in watching us grow and very supportive of small business. This Coffee House concept was made for you and we are here to listen to your needs and do our best to accommodate all the things you want in your local coffee shop. Brisco’s is located at 309 South Logan Blvd. between

Vince’s Pizza and Four Star Jewelry. We look forward to meeting you, your family and friends.

Upcoming events October 7th Free Live Entertainment by Flipside. Halloween Show and Costume contest, October 19th Free Game Night.

Hosted by the Keystone Gamers; All are welcome.

October 28th Paint and Create Class. $35 includes all supplies, instruction, food and drink.

Need a venue to play your music, Please email us at info@briscoscoffeehouse.com and let’s talk.a

The Truth Has No Agenda

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The Valley, October 2017

26

Folks, Gregg Township government has reached a new low.

Public participation is no longer allowed in meetings, especially if you or your spouse are running for office.

At the September Old Gregg School Advisory Board meeting, the board discussed a private donation account that was not in control of the township government. The account was set up by a Supervisor on his own time to collect private donations to benefit local organizations. This account has nothing to do with township funds or the township government. My husband said he didn’t understand what the issue was. The President of the board said, “this is not your time or your money” and my husband responded, “well I’m allowed to comment on things.” The President of the board replied, “you’re not if I don’t recognize you to speak.”

Later in the month, the Board of Supervisors held the first budget meeting of the year. They were originally going to have this meeting in the office, discouraging public attendance. I wanted to

know what date the year-to-date report ended on, but I held my question until another question came up. The Secretary started discussing the budget for the township engineer, so I asked my question about that first.

The township recently had a special meeting at 7:30 AM with only two Supervisors present. In that meeting, a decision was made regarding a private road. The 7:30

“You can’t get rich in politics unless you’re a crook.”

Harry S Truman AM meeting was advertised the day before in the CDT with no mention of the road.

I asked if that road project was going to cost the township money (for the township engineer). The Secretary shook her

head no. I then asked, “so who’s paying him for that?” The Secretary then said the township would be paying the engineering fees.

I was about to ask my other question, the question about the year-to-date report, when Chairman Myers interrupted. “First of all, this isn’t open for discussion.

You’re here to observe.” I waited a few minutes to see if anyone else would try to ask a question.

After a few minutes, I spoke again. I asked, “is this not a public meeting?” The Secretary replied, “it’s a public meeting, but there’s not public input.” I asked if everyone there was in support of not allowing public participation. Supervisor Bierly said “yes.”

Supervisor Stover said, “I’m not.”

I feel it’s important to mention the private donation account brought up at the earlier meeting was set up by Supervisor Stover.

He is also the Supervisor who was missing from the 7:30 AM Special Meeting.

Supervisors Myers and Bierly continue to do shady things, while Supervisor Stover continues to serve the people in multiple ways.

In a township with only three Supervisors, the only way to stop this behavior is to shift control of the majority vote (2) by electing someone in who isn’t part of this clique. a

If You Keep Voting the Way You Have Been Voting you will keep getting what you have.

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

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The Valley, October 2017

Mail Pouch Books

by Carleen B. Grossman A Long Way Home

By Saroo Brierley Copyright 2013 and reissued November 2016 288 pages paperback

What would you do if your child never returned home someday? No matter what your race, your political affiliation or your beliefs---as a human being, a parent and especially a mother, you will be able to relate to this amazing story! It is a story of a young man who used Google Earth to rediscover his childhood life and home in an incredible journey from India to Australia and back again. “Everyone” can benefit from going on this journey of tenacity, resolve and grace with a young man who searches for his birth family whom he vaguely

“American Assassin”

“American Assassin” stars Dylan O’Brien as CIA asset Mitch Rapp. The paperback-based Rapp is an action hero akin to Jack Ryan, Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne, and I’ll even throw James Bond in there. O’Brien is best known for the “Maze Runner” series, a teenagers-in-a-dystopianfuture franchise akin to “The Hunger Games,” “Divergent,” and “The Host.” All he needs now is an unimaginative superhero film and he’ll be the king of late-

remembers from his childhood .

The book shows his devotion and respect to both his adopted and birth families.

You will follow a five-yearold child in a village in central

to-the-party knockoffs.

Rapp is so typical of heroes of this genre. He suffers a trauma, feels haunted, trains to be a killer, lives without direction except for a need for revenge, the government shows interest in him, he’s shaped by a tough-love mentor (Michael Keaton), he doesn’t follow rules or orders but he gets results, etc. Of the similar heroes I mentioned earlier, his personality most closely resembles Reacher’s – smug and rude. People say that Tom Cruise has enough of a presence to get away with that style, and I don’t even agree with that assessment, so suffice to say that I don’t think novice pretty-boy O’Brien can pull it off either.

The theme of taking things personally runs throughout the movie. Rapp’s fiancé is gunned down in a supposedly impersonal terrorist attack by a gunman who seems to delight in targeting her just to antagonize Rapp (shooting her a second time when she’s mortally wounded is just bad manners, then again so is shooting her in the first place). Rapp is so blinded in his need for revenge on the gunman that when the CIA

India, who gets separated from his brother and finds himself transported on a speeding train all the way east to Calcutta, some 1800 kilometers away. He does not even know the name of his village and knows little else about where he was from. You will experience with this child various situations that include the very crowded and dangerous city streets, a short time in a child detention center, a benevolent orphanage and finally his transport to Australia to become the son of an extremely loving set of parents. You will quickly transcend the next 20 years with the boy as he grows up to be the

takes out the terror cell, he just has to get in a pointless cheap shot. Keaton tries to teach him not to let personal anger get the best of him, but he can’t help but kill some despicable targets who could have provided useful intel.

It turns out that the villain (Taylor Kitsch) is also ignoring Keaton’s advice, because he’s carrying out an attack that is very, very personal. He even takes some nerve-touching swipes at Rapp to gain a psychological advantage.

The film teases a romantic subplot between Rapp and a Turkish agent named Annika (Shiva Negar). Thankfully the relationship doesn’t go as predictably as I expected, but the direction it does take isn’t very inspired either. And it climaxes in an astoundingly stupid decision on Annika’s part.

The film does do one thing to separate itself from its spy-game brethren.

The Truth Has No Agenda

man who begins the sleuthing process for his birth family. At this point, the book begins to read like a mystery and it becomes a real page turner.

The Australian adoptive mother was herself a WWII refugee from Hungary and her story is also inspiringly told in the book.

The other heroes in the book are the internet, Google Earth and Facebook! You will find the book moving, inspirational and one

Whereas most of these films are satisfied with a PG-13 rating, this one goes for an R with coarse language and bloody violence.

Neither is exactly out of place given how tensions are high and a lot of people are getting killed, but they don’t make the movie more interesting. Having copious amounts of blood is not the same as having a heart. The film is dull with or without the language and violence, all the R rating does is close it off to a wider audience.

Not even Michael Keaton can save “American Assassin.” Here is an actor who helped guide two movies in a row (2014’s “Birdman” and 2015’s “Spotlight”) to Best Picture Academy Awards and he has little to do here besides spout hardened mentor clichés and rip off Mel Gibson from the torture scene in “Lethal Weapon.”

An even bigger problem is Dylan O’Brien. I’m certainly glad to

of hope, and a book that has the indomitable spirit of humankind.

This book is an easy and very quick read. It has a happy tone and is extremely optimistic and positive.

The movie LION is based on this memoir/book (and you will learn when you read the book, why the movie is entitled LION!) . I have attached the 2 different book jackets and the DVD jacket , for you to view. a

see he’s recovered from his highly-publicized head injury, but maybe he should take some low-key roles for a while because right now being an action hero is not for him. In this role he lacks charisma and credibility, not that any actor could do much with this heavily-recycled material. About the only positive thing I can say about “American Assassin” is that it moves along at a brisk pace, so it’s never long before the next underwhelming attempt at a thrill.

Grade: C“American Assassin” is rated R for strong violence throughout, some torture, language and nudity.

Its running time is 111 minutes.

Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@ nyu.edu. a

The Valley, October 2017

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Life in the East End

by Rebecca Harrop

Wow, where has September gone? It has been a very busy month on the farm. We started chopping corn silage. We filled six bags and a couple of the silos.

The corn is still a little wetter than we would like for the silo, but we have a lot to get done. Dad thinks some of the corn looks like it may have a little blight in it so that could affect the yield. We’ve had a pretty good growing year with plenty of rain when we needed it, so we are looking for some good yields. Blight can change that, so hopefully we won’t have too much of a problem. When I asked Dad how that would affect the corn, he said it could cause the kernels to be smaller and loose on the cob. Hay making was a little challenging early, but the last month has been good hay making weather. The soybeans seem to be ripening pretty good also, so that is a good sign. All in all, I think we are pretty happy so far.

The turkey shoots at the Bluerock Sportsman Club have started on Thursdays at 7:30 pm each week until Thanksgiving.

I’ve been to some of them and I haven’t been doing too bad. I won two bags of potatoes so far.

If you are looking for something to do on Thursday evening come out to Bluerock and try your shooting skills.

Mifflin County Farm Bureau had their Annual Meeting Sept.

27th at the Milroy Presbyterian Church. The Administrative

Secretary, Sam Keiffer was the main speaker for the evening. He shared his vision for Pennsylvania Farm Bureau going forward.

He gave our local Farm Bureau members some valuable insight; stressing Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization. Sam feels the grassroots part is what makes Farm Bureau the strong organization it is. He also stressed the importance of the policy process Farm Bureau goes through each year. Our Policy Chair presented the Mifflin County policies to be voted on by our membership. All were approved after some discussion. These policies will now be presented at the State meeting in Hershey in November. It is also time to renew your farm Bureau membership if you have not done that yet. If you are not currently a member, I strongly encourage you to consider membership.

At the Farm Bureau meeting, we named Jean Savitts as our Mifflin County 2017 Outstanding Woman in Agriculture. Jean was presented a beautiful vase with a plaque. This is the first year we have chosen someone for this award. As Mifflin County’s recipient, Jean’s application was submitted to Pa Farm Bureau’s State Outstanding Woman in Ag, so we are waiting to hear who will be chosen as the State winner. I hope you will congratulate Jean if you see her.

Till next month, that’s all from the East End. a

Iddo Hostetler

Pawpaws from page 9 be hard to find to buy, you can always plant a couple trees like I did; they are easy to grow and the reward is so sweet!

I had great success using Burnt Ridge Nursery in Onalaska Washington; their prices were reasonable and I know the company stands behind their product.

I am sure a search on the internet will give you many options, just remember, the two types you choose have to be compatible.

Most nurseries will tell you which type pairs with your first choice.

There is also one last possibility— go exploring in the woods. I know of several people, even our writer Brooke Wilt, who have located their own secret stash out in the woods of Mifflin county. a

“Now that I have had the opportunity to taste one, I find it hard to understand why everyone doesn’t grow Pawpaw.”

After you have had your first, a sight like this picture will automatically start your mouth watering, like mine is now.

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

The Valley, October 2017

The Truth Has No Agenda

29

The Valley, October 2017

30 Around Town with Carole from page 13 geese gusto,” a low continuous soft honk, which I’m sure you’ve all heard, as they paddled with no effort in the Delaware. Yup saw about a dozen Canada Geese, bobbing gently on the small waves sent back to shore by the most recent jet ski.

Realizing that I wasn’t going to be throwing the stick right away, Yup determined to entertain himself with the wild geese.

He entered the water again, this time on his own because I had not thrown the stick. He swam toward the flock, as they seem “familiar” to the old dog and yet, they look unlike the geese at home, who just stay a couple feet in front of the canine. The geese gently kept on paddling with their webbed feet, with no effort what so ever, getting 400% momentum as they glided across the silvery surface. The old dog was not so efficient in his paddles, but he never gave up, he continued the path he had chosen, and he kept on paddling.

I called in every level of voice I could use and the “normally” obedient dog, didn’t hear a word I said. Bill tried again with even more vibrato, but Yuppy kept paddling after the geese. The Canadians just kept pace two feet ahead of the dog. Bill handed me his cell phone, and looked at his thick leather and rubber boots.

I knew he was getting ready to untie them.

Standing now and holding my breath, as Yuppy got closer

Our Yesteryears from page 14 horse that pulled their buggy, slowly clip-clopped along the crushed-stone trail, as the couple talked of the harvest dance they just left not 30 minutes earlier.

Their way home took them past Cotter’s Hole.

The young man drove the buggy along the edge of the road, closer to the river bank, to see the full moon glinting on the slow moving waters below. Unknown to them, Judas Cotter’s watery grave was just below.

Suddenly the wind picked up, and a strong gust swept a shower of autumn leaves from an old oak on the roadside and blew them across the roadway and into the buggy. This in turn startled the horse, it lurched and bolted toward the river, just as the buggy’s hind wheels slid off the road. The young couple tumbled out of the seat and down the bank into the

and closer to the channel and it’s strong flow, I said, “do you have time to go back home and get the kayaks?” “Probably not,” Bill said. Just then as our hearts were in our throats, the flock veered apart with one lone goose heading North on the Delaware River.

All I could see was Yuppy’s white ears, and every now and again, a black nose, bobbing up and down as the feet kept on peddling. The old white lab was not going to give up. If he couldn’t herd the entire flock, maybe his chances with this one goose would be better. Yup followed the lone goose, another fifty yards, as we called and gestured to the “deaf” dog. Thank God the lone Canadian goose turned about ten degrees toward the beach. Yuppy could see our frantic hands and arms waving in the breeze to get his attention. The bobbing black nose veered in our direction and we sighed a sound of relief saying: “he saw us, here he comes.”

Yuppy knows and loves us, and once he saw the “signals” with our hands for him to come, he listened, or should I say, “responded,” and began paddling toward shore. I handed Bill back his cell phone, and we took another breath...rewarding the old soldier, as his feet hit the beach.

He didn’t look tired, and we were surprised at that. He just took a couple minutes shaking off the water, then rolled in the beach sand, shook again, and I clipped the leash back to the collar around his neck.

Enough excitement for one day, so we headed toward our

river house, which was empty of tenants, and sat on the porch swing. Yup was tethered to my chair, and at first didn’t understand all the new smells, but eventually laid down and took a nap.

He deserved it. Back we came to the “infested house,” but we could not enter cause the “bombs” had been set. We couldn’t let Yup run in his own back yard for fear of more fleas now that we thought we had drowned them all in the Delaware.

I pulled my Jeep under the big tree at the end of the driveway where Yup could see all his geese friends, goats, ducks, etc. I put down the Jeep top, opened all the windows, and he fell asleep on the back seat among the blankets, dreaming about the “one that got away.” His black toe nails on white aged legs, moved violently as he slept, so I knew he was still chasing geese in the river, at least in his dreams.....

You see, everyone has stress, be it in the power shut off, or the flea infestation, but the love of a four-legged old dog let’s you know it really doesn’t matter in the scheme of things. The lights got back on, the fleas were eliminated, and the family friend, security dog and loving pet, was safe and sound. Now that was really important.

water.

They struggled to get to shore, as the water there was surprisingly deep. The couple helped one-another to gain a foothold on the shoreline rocks. They were almost clear of the water, when some movement behind and below caught the young man’s attention. Whirling around and looking behind he saw a bony hand breaking the water appearing to grasp at their clothing and a skeleton face just below the surface glistening white in the moonlight.

With their feet now on dry land, and with pounding hearts, they collapsed on the shore. Staring at the now calm waters, no evidence of anything ghostly was evident on the October moonlight.

Yet it was only the young man who saw the bony Specter.

She was none the wiser. And for the remainder of his days, he never shared the encounter with his wife and they never again traveled the river road at night.

As they say, Happy Halloween.

Beavertown God’s Missionary Church’s 85th Anniversary Sunday October 15, 2017 at 10:00 AM Lebanon Valley Gospel Band at 6:30 PM. Location: 1653 Creek Road, Middleburg, PA. Website: www.beavertownchurch.com Keep PA Beautiful from page 22 and cultivate stronger communities.

Let’s discuss how we provide universal access to convenient and affordable trash disposal and

recycling for all Pennsylvanians and move forward with a shared vision of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania.

Affiliate Coordinator Pam Sechrist a

Carole Lokan Moore Television Personality/host/ and writer www.Radiovisionnetwork.com www.TheValleyNewspaper@ www.Whitebriarbedandbreakfast. com a

[Author’s Note: I first read The Legend of Cotter’s Hole about 15 or 20 years ago. It appeared in an edition of the Stone Arch Players newsletter, although I have not seen it in print anywhere since.]

NEXT MONTH It will be November, a time to remember our Veterans and the sacrifices made by our men and women in service over the years.

In the depths of the Vietnam War, Mifflin County honored her sons and daughters who fought and died for the Nation. Next month, The 1969 Rededication of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in downtown Lewistown.

HISTORY IS OUR STORY – PASS IT ON!

Mature Workers Get Paid to Train:

Clerical - Food Service - Custodian MUST be 55 years or older.

MUST meet income guidelines.

MUST be UNEMPLOYED with a desire to return to work.

AARP Foundation SCSEP 570-972-0080 or AARPWorks@gmail.com

All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.

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The Valley, October 2017 masterclass for area high school violinists to be taught

by Ms. Ivakhiv on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County in State College.

Concert tickets may be

PA Chamber Orchestra to Present “The Prodigies”

The Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra (formerly the PA Centre Orchestra) will perform their first season concert entitled “The Prodigies” on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 3 pm, at the State Theatre in State College.

The PCO is the only allprofessional chamber orchestra in central Pennsylvania made up of 33 musicians under the direction

of music director, Yaniv Attar.

The orchestra will begin their 27th season with the music of J.S. Bach, Mozart, and Mendelssohn, all composers who are considered to have been musical geniuses.

They will be joined by highly-acclaimed Ukrainian violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv in a performance of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5.

The PCO is also offering a violin

Backyard Birdbrain from page 5

how many birds will stop by, even without food, just for water. A heated bird bath might just make you the neighborhood birdie hero.

And then, come spring, the hormones will kick back in, and it will go back to the springtime chorus and chaos that we all know and love.

No matter how big or small your flocks are, flock into Honey Creek Bill & Beak to help with all your winter outdoor bird needs. a

ing up and down on our brush pile trying to reach the birds that made it in there safe and sound.

Good winter food- high fat stuff is what they need to make it through the night. Black oil sunflower, suet, nuts, and for good measure, throw in some berries.

Low tray-style feeders are good for the ground feeding folks.

Water- You’d be surprised at

A heated birdbath will make you the neighborhood superstar, water can be a hard resource for birds to find in winter.

The Truth Has No Agenda

purchased at the State Theatre box office at 814-272-0606 or online at www.thestatetheatre.org. More information and applications for the masterclass may be found at www.centreorchestra.org. a

The Valley, October 2017

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All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.