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Serving Mifflin County and the surrounding area.
The Valley A free newspaper dedicated to agriculture, self-reliance, frugal living, and modern homesteading. Tomorrow’s Media - A Day Early Volume 8, No. 9
By Michelle Grove Last year, I convinced my husband we needed to invest in a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. In the past, my husband did a lot of canning and we dehydrated a lot of foods. I already knew that freezedried food lasts a lot longer and was more nutritionally complete. I joined a few groups on Facebook and read as much as I could about the first home freeze dryer. Freeze dryers are expensive,
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The Valley, September 2017
but you can freeze dry a lot of food every year. Before we started freeze-drying food, all of our leftovers went to the chickens and compost. According to Business Week, the average American throws away $2,250 of food every year. I crunched the numbers. I looked at the reviews and prices for buckets of freeze dried food. It made sense for us to do it ourselves. Here’s how it works: your food is frozen to 40 below (or
colder). A vacuum pump (included) kicks on and the food is warmed by heaters under the trays. The heaters resemble seed starting mats. The ice turns into vapor and is sucked out of the food. If you want your food to last for 25 years or more, vacuum seal it with oxygen absorbers as soon as it is done. I primarily use half gallon mason jars, so I can see what is inside. Amazon sells a handy dandy attachment for a vacuum
Veritas vos Liberabit
sealer that seals the lids tight. I keep an oxygen absorber in each jar and organize the root cellar by type of food. We have freeze dried cheese, vegetables, fruits, meats, mushrooms, herbs, juices, yogurt, eggs, and leftover meals. Some of the meals are sealed in mylar bags so they can be brought on trips. This summer, we took freezedried food on a hiking trip. The food is very light. The thick mylar added some weight. Next time, I may move the food into plastic
instead, since we will be eating it. The meals we brought were already cooked, so all we had to do was boil water and mix it with the food - instameals! When the big storm came through a few months ago knocking out electricity for many local residents, I was relieved to have freeze-dried food on hand. Electric freezers are not reliable or sustainable. You can fill your deep
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The Valley, September 2017
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Editor’s Corner Wayne Stottlar If I had to choose my favorite month of the year, it would be a tough choice between September and October, it would also probably depend on the year. But September is right up there. The bugs are in decline or gone, hot humid slop is replaced with wonderfully dry and cooler air. Sleeping without the AC and the windows open is the way it should be, night time fires and sweatshirts and long pants. Love it, and this also means I get back out metal detecting, I go in the summer, but much prefer the time between summer and the time the ground freezes. New this month in The Valley you will be introduced to another new writer from New Jersey. Carole Moore has led an incredible life and is going to share some of her adventures—reading her introduction made me tired—the lady is non-stop! She also happens
to live where I attended High School, so I know the area well and her stories fascinated me, I hope you like them as well. Starting in the October issue we are finally able to complete our original vision for the paper. We have always intended to have a monthly bird column. Deb Brackbill has been kind enough to provide us with some “birding” stories over our 8 years for which we are very thankful, but we still always wanted someone monthly. Our search ended when Gordon Parker, the owner of Honey Creek Bill and Beak, called about advertising. I had only looked through the window a time or two since he opened and each time made a mental note to come back when he was open. Walking into his store really sparked the birding interest I have had since I lived in NH and when I went through 75
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- 100 lbs of seed every week or so. My enthusiasm sort of waned after moving here—it didn’t seem like birding was a very big deal here. I was wrong about that, they are here, and in numbers! So I know many others will be just as excited as I am about “Backyard BirdBrain” by Gordon Parker. If you haven’t been in to his store yet, do yourself a favor, he has everything for the bird enthusiast and hunters might want to take note that he carries premium optics at great prices. Looking forward to getting back up to New Hampshire this month. A little R&R before we start making preparations for winter. This trip we will be serving as tour guides for Lynn’s parents. It has been a long time since they have been there and they haven’t seen our property yet or the area around our future home. I will probably sneak off for a day or two detecting while I am there. My two oldest boys have some places II lined up and I am looking forward to that. As for the madness going on all over the country concerning Confederate Statues and the Monument grabbers, it needs to stop. NO WHERE ANYWHERE does it say that as an American you have a right to live your life without being uncom-
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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.
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The Valley, September 2017
Back Talk by Dr. Joseph Kauffman
Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill In the past two years, I’ve had several my patients come down with shingles. In most cases, the occurrences were in the elderly, but not all. Shingles used to be something we’ve heard about but hardly ever saw. However, I’m sure many of you have heard about someone being affected by it. You can thank the pharmaceutical companies and vaccines for this outbreak. This article was published back in 2010, but I think it’s more relevant today than it was back then: “Chickenpox (Varicella) Vaccine: This Is Why a Shingles Epidemic Is Bolting Straight at the U.S. November 02, 2010 Story at-a-glance Before the chickenpox vaccine was licensed in the US in 1995, children acquired natural immunity to the illness by age six. While it is contagious, chickenpox is a mild disease without any long-term or fatal complications. Normally, when you recover from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in your nerve roots for many years, unless triggered by physical or emotional stress. When the virus is awakened, it surfaces as shingles, a painful illness marked with a blister-like rash on one side of the body. The chickenpox vaccine only provides temporary immunity, unlike the long-lasting immunity you get from getting the condition. At the same time, there are reports of serious reactions, injuries, and
deaths from the mass use of the vaccine. Voluntary health choices are important in preventing vaccine issues. Help raise public awareness by arming yourself with vaccine information. Diane Murphy, MD, is the Director of the FDA’s Office of Pediatric Therapeutics (OPT). The mission of OPT is to enforce a Congressional mandate that assures access for children to innovative, safe, and effective medical products. Historically, many medical products have not been tested for use in children, leading to an increase in adverse events and the use of ineffective products. Murphy notes that young children and neonates require the development of a new directional endpoint that can better help us to not treat children with our best guess, but with knowledge. Dr. Mercola’s Comments: It’s now been fifteen years since Merck’s chickenpox (varicella) vaccine was approved for market. What had always been regarded as a relatively benign childhood illness was suddenly reinvented in the 1990s as a life-threatening disease for which children must get vaccinated or face dire health consequences. But wait—Merck to the rescue! As is true with many new and potentially unnecessary medical interventions used on
a widespread basis, there are often unintended consequences. The chickenpox (varicella) vaccine is a perfect example. By trying to prevent all children from experiencing chickenpox naturally, this policy may have actually created a NEW epidemic—not in children but in adults, especially elderly adults. Vaccinating children for chickenpox may very well be causing a shingles epidemic. Chickenpox—Another False Epidemic Before the live virus chickenpox vaccine was licensed in the United States in 1995, most children acquired a natural, longlasting immunity to chickenpox by age six. For 99.9 percent of healthy children, chickenpox is a mild disease without complications. It is estimated there were about 3.7 million cases of chickenpox annually in the U.S. before 1995,1 resulting in an average of 100 deaths (50 children and 50 adults, most of whom were immunocompromised). This hardly represents a dire, life-threatening epidemic that requires mass vaccination of all children! Chickenpox is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which is a member of the herpesvirus family and is associated with herpes zoster (shingles). Chickenpox is highly contagious but typically produces a mild disease characterized by small round lesions on your skin that cause intense itching. Chickenpox lasts for two to three weeks, and recovery leaves a child with long-lasting immunity. Half of all cases of chickenpox occur in children ages five to nine. Before the vaccine was licensed in 1995 and states started passing laws mandating that children get it to attend school, it was estimated that only 10 percent of Americans over the age of 15 had not had chickenpox. Up to 20 percent of adults who get chickenpox de-
velop severe complications such as pneumonia, secondary bacterial infections, and brain inflammation (which is reported in less than one percent of children who get chickenpox). Most children and adults who develop these serious complications have compromised immune systems or other health problems. Although chickenpox is typically not dangerous, there is a related disease that is more of a cause for concern: shingles. Chickenpox’s Evil Cousin: Shingles Chickenpox and shingles are related. They are caused by similar viruses, both in the herpesvirus family. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus can remain dormant (“asleep”) in your nerve roots for many years, unless it is awakened by some triggering factor, such as physical or emotional stress. When awakened, it presents itself as shingles rather than chickenpox. Shingles is marked by pain and often a blister-like rash on one side of your body, left or right. Other symptoms can include headache and flu-like symptoms. Shingles typically runs its course in three to five weeks. Although very painful, most people who get shingles will recover without serious complications and will not get it a second time. However, in people with
weakened immune systems, shingles complications can be severe or life threatening. The most common complication is postherpetic neuralgia,2 or PHN, where the pain may last for months or even years after the rash has healed. The pain is caused by damaged nerve fibers, which then persist in sending pain messages to your brain. Other less frequent complications include bacterial skin infections, Hutchinson’s sign, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, motor neuropathy, meningitis, hearing loss, blindness, and bladder impairment. A person with shingles can infect someone who hasn’t had chickenpox, who may then develop chickenpox rather than shingles. If you do develop shingles, as I mentioned earlier this summer, you can use topical honey to treat shingles symptoms and it appears to work better than the drugs. Chickenpox Is Nature’s Way of Protecting You from Shingles Nature has devised an elegant plan for protecting you from the shingles virus. After contracting and recovering from chickenpox (usually as a child), as you age, your natural immunity gets asymptomatically “boosted” by coming into contact
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The Valley, September 2017
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Pumpkin Seeds For Your Health I’m not sure if anyone noticed, but I got a little reprieve from writing last month because we were so jam packed full of good content, that there just wasn’t room for my column. Hey, that’s ok with me once in a while! I stumbled upon an interesting article about pumpkin seeds this month (well, actually Wayne sent me the link, so I guess if we’re being honest, he’s the one who stumbled on it). I was surprised to read about the benefits that come from these seeds. When I was a kid, we often salted and roasted the seeds when we were done carving our Halloween JackO-Lanterns, and then we snacked on them for a few days afterwards. I had no idea that we were actually doing something healthy for ourselves at the time though.
Pumpkin Seeds are Packed with Vitamins and Minerals. Pumpkin seeds contain the following: selenium, calcium, amino acids, iron, zinc , magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and K, etc. They are also a good source of phytosterols, which are plant components that aid in keeping stable levels of cholesterol and an enhanced immune response. They are freeradical scavenging antioxidants as well. Pumpkin Seeds Can Help Fight Cancer There have been a few scientific studies that show that the seeds contain certain properties that are extremely effective at killing cancer cells. The seeds also have anti-inflammatory properties and it was found in a German study that women in menopause should be eating pumpkin seeds on a daily basis in order to have a 23% lower chance of developing
breast cancer. Can’t Sleep? Pop Some Pumpkin Seeds Now you have my attention! Tryptophan, an amino acid, is contained in pumpkin seeds and is effective when it comes to chronic insomnia. The body converts tryptophan into melatonin, the “sleep” hormone. You may have heard of tryptophan as the amino acid that is in your Thanksgiving turkey that makes you sleepy after the big dinner. When eating the seeds for insomnia benefit, you should eat them before bed with a carbohydrate like apples or apple juice. A study published by Nutritional Neuroscience indicated that the consumption of tryptophan from a gourd seed taken together with a carbohydrate source is somewhat like pharmaceutical grade tryptophan that is prescribed for the treatment of insomnia. Improve Your Eyesight with Pumpkin Seeds Pumpkin seeds are full of zinc which is an essential mineral for the immune system. Zinc can also improve your skin, vision, sleep and mood. In addition, pumpkin seeds are a
rich source of phosphor, proteins, fibers, potassium and manganese, which is why they can aid in weight reduction. Wait, did you say weight reduction? Sign me up! 30 g of pumpkin seeds contains 5 g of protein which will keep you full for the entire day. Abundant Source of Plant Based Protein From the USDA nutritional database, this is how one cup of roasted pumpkin seeds stacks up nutrition-wise: 285 calories 11.87 grams protein 12.42 g fat 11.8 g dietary fiber Despite plant-based proteins being different from animal-based proteins, they are just as important, which makes eating pumpkin seeds an excellent way to boost
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
your protein intake without having to consume meat. They Are a Happy Pill! A magazine called “Shape” claims that the L-tryptophan in pumpkin seeds improves the mood naturally and may even be effective against depression. There are several other benefits of pumpkin seeds that I haven’t listed including boosting your potassium (which can help regulate your blood pressure, reduce the risk of kidney stones, and prevents bone loss) and helping with prostate health. I don’t know about you, but after reading about all these benefits, I will be saving my pumpkin seeds this year! Happy Carving! Source: http://tophealthlife. com/2017/06/these-seeds-killcancer-cells-affect-your-sleepingimprove-sight-and-much-more/ a
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The Valley, September 2017
Around Town With Carole
by Carole Lokan Moore Old Dog Learns Another New Trick Having four siblings and living on a Farm in Willingboro, NJ, just 7 acres, that Dad had purchased from his cousins, who were going to use it as a “phase two,” of their Post WWII house building project that “failed,” ours was a “weekend farm,” for Dad provided us with shoes, school clothes, etc. working for RCA in Moorestown, N.J. Sharing things was common for the two younger girls, and Mom and I were the same size so it was an easy life. Mom and I are sewers and crafters, so Christmas was always a delight. Married at 19 to my long time boy friend, Bill, gave us our first apartment in Delanco, which lasted 6 months, and our second
home in Riverside Apartments, until Bill’s Mom called and said “there’s an apartment open at Whitebriar,” which belonged to a family friend.. Bill’s Dad dropped baby Billy and his mom, off at Whitebriar, when he left for WWII, so Whitebriar was a common conversation in the Moore Family. Smaller than our Riverside Victorian second floor apartment, and $80 per month, which was $10 more than we were currently paying, I finally agreed. At least this one had a fire place. We eventually bought the 22 room home, and rented the two apartments to pay for tuition for Bill to finish college. Children came along after seven years, as we were the first
generation of the “birth control pill,” allowing us to plan the timing when “little invaders” joined us at the supper table. Twins were born in 1972, finished college, and now have their own collegeage kids, and Grandmom and Pop continued teaching. Myself a long term substitute for 19 years, every day jumping into the car, with Bill, at the request of his principal. It was a great deal in winter as the car was warmed up and the windshield cleared by time I got to the door. Bill, an avid reader, was a total science teacher—earth, meteorology, etc. at Jr High and eventually High School before he retired. Two teachers, both loving history and science...a match made in Heaven.
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Summers were busy with my Camp Whitebriar, in our historic 22 room home, and around the swimming pool, in the duck yard, feeding the goats, pot-bellied pig who weighed 150 lbs (small is a relative size), an old pony, and a garden for organic vegetables. Nineteen years of great summer fun (kids keep me young) and abruptly it’s over....the YMCA opened a “camp” in each school in Burlington County and my “camp” withered on the vine. But as it has been said, “When God closes a door he opens a window, you just have to find the window and kick out the screen.” At the local flea market Columbus Day Sale I was busy trying to compensate for the sudden “loss of income,” when Charlene stepped up and heard my organic herb sales pitch. She said “it looks like you know what you’re talking about” and invited me as a guest on a television show. After the half hour interview, the producer, Keith, said, “You’re a natural, how about a two year contract?” I laughed and spouted “I’m 68 years old, I could drop dead at any time, why do you want a two year contract? Just let me substitute or fill in!” And I’ve been doing it ever since. Wednesdays, they had me as a guest called “Fridays with
Carole” on the “Morning Coffee Show,” and it was fun because I could bring all my different collections to talk about for a half hour live television show— about the antique bank collection, the toys from the 40 & 50’s, the collection of “buttons” like “Eat More Beans We Need the Gas”, which was my father’s favorite. Collections of paper dolls and coloring books, many of which I had used at my Summer Camp and in the classroom on inclement days when the kids needed to keep busy. Stamp collecting was another topic which eventually turned in to a second show. After a while I was given my own show, called “Around Town with Carole,” which gave me the opportunity to find interesting folks to talk with, especially small businesses like myself. (I own an Organic Café in an old Fleet Bank next door to my home which is also a Bed and Breakfast Inn). Eventually another show was born, called “Camp with Mrs. Whitebriar.” Having loved the Movie “Mrs. Doubtfire,” with the late Robin Williams, I felt “Whitebriar” was more interesting than “Camp with Mrs. Moore,” so now I answer to that name as well. Last year on my 70th birthday
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The Valley, September 2017
6 Chicken Pox Vaccine from page 3
with infected children, who are recovering from chickenpox. This natural “boosting” of natural immunity to the varicella (chickenpox) virus helps protect you from getting shingles later in life. This is true whether you are a child, adolescent, young adult, or elderly—every time you come into contact with someone infected with chickenpox, you get a natural “booster shot” that protects you from a painful—and expensive—bout with shingles. In other words, shingles can be prevented by ordinary contact, such as receiving a hug from a grandchild who is getting or recovering from the chickenpox. But with the advent of the chickenpox vaccine, there is less chickenpox around to provide that natural immune boost for children AND adults. So as chickenpox rates have declined, shingles rates have begun to rise, and there is mounting evidence that an epidemic of shingles is developing in America from the mass, mandatory use of the chickenpox vaccine by all children. As hard as scientists try to come up with ways to “improve” human biology, they just can’t outsmart Mother Nature. In trying to tinker with the natural order of things, we tend to destroy processes that nature has masterfully orchestrated to keep us healthy. This dance between chickenpox and shingles is a perfect example. Vaccine Protection Is Only Temporary The chickenpox (varicella) vaccine is made from live, attenuated (weakened) varicella virus. But chickenpox vaccine provides only TEMPORARY immunity, and even that immunity is not the same kind of superior, longer lasting immunity that you get when you recover naturally from chickenpox. It’s important to realize that naturally acquiring a case of chickenpox is the ONLY way you can establish longer lasting im-
munity that will protect you until you come in contact with younger children with chickenpox and are asymptomatically boosted, which will not only reinforce your chickenpox immunity, but will also help protect you against getting a painful case of shingles later in life. When the chickenpox vaccine was licensed for public use in 1995, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimated it was 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing disease.3 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) later reported, “The effectiveness of the vaccine is 44 percent against disease of any severity and 86 percent against moderate or severe disease.” But the vaccine may be LESS effective than that—around 40 percent—according to an investigation of a chickenpox outbreak among 23 children at a New Hampshire daycare center. The outbreak began with a child who had already been vaccinated. And a Washington Post article reported that, in another outbreak, 75 percent of the children who came down with chickenpox had previously been vaccinated for it! It is also interesting to note that most 10-year-old children with no known history of chickenpox are actually immune. A study in Quebec, Canada, involving 2,000 fourth graders was done to determine the proportion of children who would need to be vaccinated in a “catch-up” program. Of the youngsters with negative or unknown chickenpox histories, 63 percent had antibodies against the virus, presumably from having had such a mild case that they didn’t even realize they had it. This isn’t terribly surprising given that healthy children occasionally have minimal symptoms (such as a low fever and headache), without manifestation of blisters, indistinguishable from a mild case of the flu. Bottom line is, the vast majority of children who do NOT get the chickenpox vaccine wind up immune to chickenpox anyway.
This and That at Greenlane Wholesale Hello to all the readers of The Valley. Jesse Hostetler here from Greenlane Wholesale. Here in central PA we are having above average rain this summer. We have also had plenty of sun and drying breezes to keep the ‘brown rot” in check on our
peaches. This is something that can be a major problem in wet humid weather. Peaches were a good crop this year, being the heaviest crop I have ever seen. I was down helping my brothers last week in McClure. We picked well over 400 half-bushel boxes that day.
The Chickenpox Vaccine Itself Can Cause Injury or Death As is true with most vaccines, mass use of the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine has been followed by many reports of serious reactions, injuries and deaths. Before consenting to your child’s receiving this vaccine, consider the following: Between March 1995 and July 1998, the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) received 6,574 reports of health problems4 after chickenpox vaccination. This translates to: one in 1,481 chickenpox vaccinations is followed by an adverse health event. Four percent of reported adverse events (about 1 in 33,000 doses) involves serious health problems such as shock, encephalitis (brain inflammation), and thrombocytopenia (a blood disorder) 14 of the 6,574 chickenpox vaccine adverse event reports ended in death As a result of the reported vaccine reactions, 17 warnings for adverse events were added to the manufacturer’s product label5 AFTER the vaccine was licensed and being used on a mass basis (including cellulitis, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and shingles) There have been documented cases of accidental transmission of varicella vaccine strain virus from a vaccinated child to household contacts, including transmission to a pregnant woman Adverse vaccine events are notoriously underreported—by as much as 90 percent, according to some experts—making the safety profile potentially even worse than the above statistics would suggest The chickenpox vaccine may be even more risky when combined with other vaccines, like MMR. According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC):6 “We have been getting reports from parents that their children are suffering high fevers, chicken-
Around Town with Carole from page 5
Continued on page 13
which fell on the same day as the show, Wednesday, May 7, Keith, Lori, and Charlene presented me with a dozen super-decorated cup cakes on air. What a surprise for this woman who thought she’d be long gone dead by this time. No, it’s never too late for old dogs to learn new tricks, so from a farm girl to wife to a teacher, then to a lifeguard and camp director, on to a television personality/ host. What a great life I live! But now, it only has gotten better. Bill came home from Agway after getting feed for our hens, ducks, geese, pony and pig, with a newspaper. The Valley newspaper, and before I could read past the title, I saw the purpose of the paper.....Oh my goodness...could I please borrow these sentiments to put them on my tombstone... (Yes, I asked for a “tombstone” for Christmas one year, and got it!)The Valley Newspaper....it’s just describing me from the time I was 14 and became organic on our farm with the “weekend farmer,” my Dad, whose magazines from Rodale Press, “Organic Gardener and Farmer,” were my bible. Sitting at the back bedroom window with a 22 cal. stinging the butts of rogue ground hogs who tried to steal the corn seed before it grew.... My conversation with The Valley newspaper owner, Wayne, who invited me to write for his paper “Just like talking over the back fence,” and thus as a type of introduction to the readers, here I am. An Old Dog changing careers again, and adding a byline to my resume. I asked my television producer if I could also use the same byline as my television show, and he said “It’s yours, you designed the show, you prepare the topics...it’s yours, all yours.” And thusly, by way of this communication, I introduce myself to you, the readers, and guarantee that my life is nothing except extrodinary and I’d love to share it with you every day. I don’t do negatives...it’s a waste of time, but I love my life and God has been
Greenlane Wholesale is now open and operating at 125 Stage Road Milroy. We have a full line of bulk foods including organic flours, pecans, walnuts, pistachios and much more. We also have gluten-free flours and many hard to find products like sprouted ancient grain flour and rice flour. We also carry many different brands of supplements and essential oils and salves including the B+W salve. We also carry gauze and
bandages. The store also carries several different types of salt. We have regular salt, Himalayan salt, Biosalt and Celtic Salt. Greenlane Wholesale sells several brands of soap such as Shaklee’s Basic H and Miracle II. We also have caustic soda beads (lye) by the 50lb bag. Wholesale prices are available on lye and Basic H and Miracle II as well as some other products; ask for more info.
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
very good to me (I follow the Big Ten) and I thank HIM for “everything.” My articles might contain stories about our 300 year old home, our 51 year old marriage, twin daughters and grandchildren (four college age), as well as the “critters” which God has given me to care for It might be about “Yuppy Puppy,” and his adventure swimming in the Delaware River, or perhaps about “Lenten and Ester,” twin goats born in Easter season. Maybe I’ll tell you the “ghost stories” of our 300 year old home, which are told annually by the camp fire pit. If you read me regularly, you’ll learn more about organic cooking, the grapes that grow at the end of my Café, and the blackberry leaf tea which is so coveted. Don’t be surprised if I throw in a few “Survival Skills” I learned as a Hunter Education Instructor, and a Range Safety Instructor. Maybe I’ll include the secret of winning at the Olympics, when I was trained as a Trap and Skeet instructor at Yale University. If you’d like, I’ll tell you my secrets to making “good beds” here at my Inn, as Martha Stuart is my hero, and I love to make something out of nothing. But what ever you read, you’ll enjoy it, it’s always on a positive note, an adventure, with kids, who keep you young, critters, who offer kindness without an expectation, and surprises and twists to keep you coming back to The Valley newspaper. I am thrilled to be a contributor to the Valley Newspaper, and welcome any and all to respond via email at whitebriarbb@hotmail.com or call me any time 609433-7979. I always have time to talk..... Carole Lokan Moore, Television personality/host / writer.... yippeeeee 1029 Cooper Street, c/o Historic Whitebriar Edgewater Park, New Jersey Office 609-871-9555 or cell 609433-7979 anytime www.whitebriarbedandbreakfast. com (f) CaroleLokanMoore (f) WhitebriarAnimals. a It is now five weeks that we have been open at the new location and there are still a lot of customers that come to the store and say, “We had a hard time finding you.” So, hopefully we can come up with better directions to help you out—we’re working on it. Greenlane Wholesale LLC Owners: Jesse and Rachel Hostetler 125 Stage Road Milroy PA 17063 a
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The Valley, September 2017
Dave Wilson
Coins, Precious Metal and a Little of this and That Will The Big One Happen Soon? Yes, I suspect that some of you might think I’m talking about the “expected” Major earthquake that is supposedly way overdue for California. Honestly, I just don’t understand how people can trivialize such a possible event and continue even living there. I guess I feel the same way about all those (probably very nice) folks who continue to live in trailer parks in Kansas and/or Oklahoma. Can’t seem to wrap my head around that one either. Tornadoes are something I never want to personally experience. No, I’m referring to the much discussed total collapse of the United States Economy, and possibly, the economies of every major nation on earth with it. Many economists have marveled at just how long the current (alleged) economic expansion has continued. Most know that market rigging, masterful use of continuous propaganda and manipulation of just about everything has helped us stay afloat for nearly nine years since the financial panic of
2008. If you check carefully, without the tremendous amount of government subsidies that are currently provided to nearly 60% of the American public (free entitlements that were not available prior to the 1960’s), we would already be in an even deeper “depression” than the United States experienced in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The US (since the enactment of NAFTA and CAFTA), the two most destructive, Anti-American trade agreements in history, has finally become a “service” economy. Our manufacturing might has slowly been destroyed over the past 25 years. Now, even a sincere attempt to “bring our jobs home” will most certainly fail. Even if it were successful, and there are too many people in Government who do not want the US to survive the coming collapse, it would take decades to achieve, and the necessary stamina the US population would be required to exhibit by “doing without” and willingly “paying more” will just not happen. At least, not voluntarily.
Since the mid 1940’s, the USA has had the great privilege of being in charge of the world’s “Reserve Currency.” Being able to print what dollars we needed to buy just about anything, allowed the American people to enjoy a standard of living unequaled by ANY other nation on earth. That privilege has been abused terribly, and we will shortly see an end to the dollar’s worldwide dominance.
The Truth Has No Agenda
When the dollar is rejected (as is already happening in many areas of the world), our inflation will implode. Continuously “fudged” US inflation statistics will no longer be able to hide the 20to-30% inflation that is surely on the horizon. And that may only be the start. With very few products being made in America any more and with our trade partners ready to not accept dollars in payment of hard goods, the American public will too soon find out just what life is like in third world nations. While the mainstream media almost never report on current economic conditions in
Venezuela, do some research on your own, and you will see where the United States is headed in the not-to-distant future. The Venezuelan people chase stray cats just like many Americans do. Unfortunately (for them and the cats) it is not to have them neutered. a
The Valley, September 2017
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“You are worried about seeing him spend his early years doing nothing? What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip? Nothing to play around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again. —Rousseau As summer draws to a close and the preparation for our second full year of Homeschooling begins, I think back over all of the small and large accomplishments of the past three months. Now, I had plans to keep some structure going one day a week, just to keep the school year and all its flashcards and sightwords and science experiments in the front of her mind, and not lost and muddled in the back. But, if you’re anything like me, you know very well what
happens to the best laid plans. They rarely come to fruition in the way you anticipated, or at all. It seemed, each day was relentlessly busy, yet I could not tell you, exactly, with what. If pressed, I’d say: picking raspberries and blackberries, digging up potatoes, pulling tomatoes and squash off the vine, gathering up eggs from various nesting sites, running through the sprinkler, going to the public pool, to festivals, yardsales, auctions, flea markets, amusement parks, waterfalls, campsites and lakes, working on projects, dressing up dolls, watching thunderstorms from the porch, jumping in puddles, and watching kittens and chicks grow along with the extended sunlight hours. How could I interrupt such vital
and essential goings on to break out flashcards? The idea became an almost blasphemous assault on the idea of summer. Maybe, for a few months in the prime days of play and youth, it’s perfectly ok to allow macro motor skills to overtake micro, self-guidance to overtake structure, for sitting in mud or sand to trump sitting at a desk, to let reading road signs stand in for sightwords, to let counting parade candy and saved up dimes replace that math worsksheet. Maybe, there will be time enough for those cards and worksheets when the daylight starts to retreat. So, what was learned in those three months of reckless abandon of all things of structure and still sitting? Some things that
can be measured and assessed and some things that are a bit more subjective in nature. She learned to swim, stay several seconds submerged, hold her nose and twist underwater, do cannonballs and open her eyes in the deep end. She learned how to ride her bike without help, peddle uphill and on stones, put on the brakes and turn the wheels. She mastered the art of catching chickens without fear or flinching. She broke her sprinting records for running around the cabin. She learned how to budget her change and hold out for the greatest return on investment. She learned how to treat bug bites and scratches on her own. She learned how to net tadpoles and minnows and crayfish. She learned how to do backflips off monkey bars. She learned how to use CD players (I know, archaic), type up simple notes and messages, pull in radio stations, search for topics that interested her online (with parental safeties on and supervision).
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
But of even greater and lasting consequence, I saw substantial shifts and progression in character development. Mastering physical accomplishments such as bike riding and swimming taught her that success requires failure. No one has ever learned to swim without getting stinging water up the nose a few times, no one has ever learned to ride a bike without falling. If you can’t take on risk, if you can’t leave your comfort zone, you can’t learn. She learned that when raising a litter or a flock, not all them will make it, but each fledgling life is worth taking the time to preserve. She learned to accept that though nature is cruel, sometimes you can intercept it with kindness. She learned how to work with her own body and anticipate its reflexive actions and reactions. Knowing ones own body’s capabilities leads to confidence and body positivity and respect for good health and care; the treatment of it as if it were a temple worthy of adoration and reverence. She learned a piggy bank is not a money tree, and funds run out if spent faster than replenished. Lastly, she learned the great paradoxal fact of life and time: the more fun you have the faster the rate at which it dissipates into dust. Time to dust off those workbooks! a
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The Valley, September 2017
The Amish Community and 4029 Exemptions
It blesses us to work with a wide-ranging constituency, including Amish, when it comes to the preparation of income tax returns. Pennsylvanians get to pay income tax to at least three different government entities: The Feds, The State, and local jurisdictions. Deductions for one don’t necessarily work for another. An example that comes to mind is the case of over the road truck drivers. The federal government allows per diem expense write offs, however the state requires actual expenses. The Feds and state require that you report and pay tax on investment income including rental income. This type of income does not get reported, nor do you pay tax on it, to the local county tax authority. Regarding the Amish, a lot of “English,” or non-Amish, believe that Amish don’t pay taxes. This is not accurate. We enjoy working with many Amish clients and can confirm that they are subject to the same rules for filing income taxes as the rest of us. The Amish do avoid FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare), which we are subject to, because of their community structure and beliefs. Amish community members do not receive social security payments in retirement, and if the community has a member who has needs, they typically receive help from the other community members as opposed to receiving government checks. I applaud their selfsufficiency! To receive a waiver from paying the FICA taxes, each member of the community must apply for a 4029 exemption (the form number). This is normally done when an individual becomes a member of the church, usually between the ages of 17-21. The new church member fills out the form and it is signed by his/her Bishop and submitted to the IRS for approval. As with anything the government does, the use of this exemption is not so cut and dry. If a 4029-exempt person works for a non-4029 exempt person, FICA taxes are required to be withheld. If a person is not yet a member
of the church and goes to work bringing his paycheck home to mom and dad (as is the custom), FICA needs to be withheld. I was recently speaking with Christ Blank, an Old Order Amish gentleman from Kinzers, PA who works as a tax preparer, predominately serving the Amish community since 1975. Christ (pronounced Crist), is a Registered Tax Preparer and to his understanding, it is not appropriate to account the son or daughter’s pay against the father’s social security number (who has the exemption). Instead, pay must be reported on form W-2 to the son or daughter who earned it and the appropriate taxes paid. This is applying the credit properly and thus preserves this very valuable exemption for the Amish community. I am addressing this topic for two primary purposes: 1. To clear up the misunderstanding that Amish pay no taxes. 2. To inform our clients and readers that we have scheduled a seminar with Christ Blank for October 19, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. We will be meeting at Maple Grove Mennonite Church in Belleville. The seminar will cover a range of subjects that affect the Amish Community including 4029 exemptions, Child Tax Credits, PA Tax Forgiveness, and more. The Stewardship Group is pleased to host this event. Space is limited and lunch will be catered. We request that you reserve your spot for this event by calling our office at 717-935-5858, or toll free at 1-866-935-5858. If you prefer, you may reserve a spot by stopping by our office and letting us know in person. As I noted at the beginning of this article, we prepare taxes for a wide constituency. Whether you are Amish or not, the complexities of properly filing tax returns has increased exponentially over the recent past, which is why we encourage you to not go into the tax neighborhood alone! Allow us to come along side you this coming tax season. Give us a call at The Stewardship Group to have your return expertly prepared.
We are here year-round and work with all sorts of filers, including farmers, business owners, seniors, pastors, retirees, sub-contractors, and hourly employees. We look forward to working with you.
The Truth Has No Agenda
We recognize that paying taxes never delights any of us. Our goal is to work with you to identify all the appropriate deductions and credits to which you are entitled, allowing you to keep your tax bill as low as possible. Judge Learned Hand said it best: “Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose the pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes. Over and over again, the Courts have said there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for no one owes any public duty to pay more
than the law demands.” In this ever-increasing world of tax complexity and compliance, our staff at The Stewardship Group continually trains to be knowledgeable of current changes in the code to assist you in taking all the deductions and write-off’s you are legitimately entitled to take. We have also partnered with Tax Protection Plus to provide our clients with audit assistance and Identity Theft Restoration services. This is an optional service we offer, and highly recommend to all our clients. Tax Protection Plus is the leading provider of audit assistance and identity theft restoration services in the tax
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The Valley, September 2017
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Essential Oils on Your Feet?
In the last few years I have had the great pleasure of meeting so many people who love essential oils and use them regularly. We talk about adding them to crèmes, soaps and oils to use topically, or putting a few drops in a pot of water on the stove or in fancy misters to inhale them; we even talk about adding a few drops to bath water. I get all those ways, but there is one way that people say they use essential oils that I just don’t quite understand how that would work, so I set out to investigate! That way is: putting them on the bottom of your feet. How many times have you heard this? Why I ask…and I get different answers when I do: some say for reflexology, some say the feet absorb oils better (but most are not sure exactly why), some say because they just heard to do it…hmmm is what I say to that! It’s been repeated so many times that some don’t think to question the science or reasoning behind it. I mean, if this many people are recommending to do it, then surely it works, right? Let’s see. I researched some very reliable sources. Those sources include Massage Today (a news source magazine written for the Massage Therapy profession), The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, Aromatherapy
United and Robert Tisserand (one of the world’s leading experts in aromatherapy). There does seem to be some controversy on this subject. Honestly, the information I found from the above reliable sources agrees: applying essential oils to the bottom of feet is pretty much a waste of costly precious oils. We will look at some reasons why some say it is beneficial to put essential oils on feet and then to be fair, I will cover both arguments. Reason: feet have large pores (sweat glands) Argument for: The soles of the feet absorb better because of the high content of sweat glands or larger pores. Larger pores absorb more because they are large! Argument against: Yes, there are more sweat glands in the bottom of the feet and the hands than any other part of the body, BUT, the pores in the feet are actually excreting larger quantities of sweat (excreting: exit: to leave: think this through!) Up to half a pint a day! Sweat runs in an outward flow, so I would think that it would be difficult for an essential oil to go against that flow. Aromatherapy United states: “Absorption via the pores and follicles is considered to be insignificant because the orifices account for only 0.1% of the skin
area and diffusion along sweat ducts is against an outward aqueous flow.” And Robert Tisserand states: “The soles of the feet and palms of the hands contain many eccrine (sweat) glands, through which water is released onto the skin. Since essential oils are not water soluble, they cannot use these glands to bypass the skin barrier. Not even water-soluble substances enter the body through sweat glands. If they did, we would put on weight after a swim or a shower.” I guess this argument is the feet don’t absorb a topical product as well because they are constantly sweating it off! Reason: the feet have no hair follicles. Argument for: Hair follicles prevent absorption of essential oils through the skin. Hair follicles contain sebum, an oily substance. This oily substance covers the body and helps waterproof and lubricate the skin. It also is said to be a protective barrier that some
say essential oils could not penetrate. The fact is this: feet do not have hair follicles, so therefore do not have this protective barrier, so some conclude that the feet CAN absorb essential oils. Argument against: Others state that hair follicles help absorption of essential oils through the skin. Because feet have no hair follicles. essential oils are not being absorbed. Here is a statement from Robert Tisserand: “The palms and soles have no hair follicles. Hair follicles contain sebum, an oily substance, and there is some evidence that essential oil constituents are able to use this route to bypass the skin barrier.” I actually did extensive research on this and there are recent studies to back up Mr. Tisserand’s statement. So, do hair follicles help or hinder absorption? Reason: Reflexology is cited as one of the reasons to apply essential oils to the feet, and frequently undiluted, or neat, is recommended. Argument for: Honestly, I found a lot of recommendations to do this, but found no good solid reason for why. Some simply state it increases benefits and others say by applying essential oils to your feet, it’s possible that these oils may have a stronger, more beneficial effect on certain areas of the body. Argument against: Whoever came up with this connection failed to realize the fundamental differences between applying a product to the feet and a foot reflexology treatment. It seems that
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
reflexology has, unfortunately, become a catch-all for a good foot massage! If you study true, ancient reflexology, the key is in the varied pressure techniques unique to the reflexology profession. This alternating pressure of the thumb and fingers over a reflex area is what sends the message to the brain regarding the reflected area of the body. This is done without the use of lubrication so the practitioner’s thumbs and fingers do not slip or glide over a reflex area and lose the opportunity to correctly stimulate that reflex. The American Reflexology Certification Board states: “Reflexologist may choose to use essential oils to complement their treatment, but for inhalation purposes.” The feet definitely has thicker skin, that anyone can feel! Can essential oils get through that? An article posted by Aromatherapy United titled, “Myth — Apply to Feet” states: “The stratum corneum of the palms and soles of the feet is very thick (400-600 µM) whereas that of the arms, back, legs and abdomen is much thinner (8-15 µM).” For the essential oil to enter, therefore, requires that the substance has some capability to penetrate cell membranes. Also, the substance must cross several membranes in order to go from one area of the body to another.” Furthermore, skin absorption has been thoroughly studied. Different areas of the body absorb at different rates and the feet routinely come up as the least ideal loca-
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The Valley, September 2017
R. O. F. F.
Rescue Our Furry Friends by Patricia Lawson
Oh boy, oh boy, it’s that time of year for the Annual ROFF Doggie Splash! Where? Burnham Community Pool. When? Sunday, September 10th, Noon3pm. Cost? $5 per dog and each additional dog, $2. Please note that dog handlers must be at least 16 years old and all dogs must be up to date with rabies vaccinations and licenses. Don’t have a dog or have a dog that does not enjoy the water? Well please stop by to have a hot dog lunch, make a donation and meet some of our adoptable dogs. Bonus…all dogs
Howdy, my name is Hop Along and I’m a 5 year old lad. Yes, I do hop when I walk because I was hit by a car when I was younger, but that doesn’t stop me from getting around at all. I have all my shots, I’m litter trained and de-clawed. Plus I’m told that I’m quite handsome. Come and see for yourself!
will be given a tennis ball to play with and take home with them. Before we meet the featured cat and dog of the month, we would like to remind everyone of the importance of spaying or neutering your cat. First, they make better, friendlier companions and they are less likely to roam, run away, get into fights or bite. Second, they are less likely to get certain kinds of cancers. And third, when you prevent unwanted kittens from being born, you help reduce the number of cats that ultimately end up in shelters.
Hi everyone! I’m a 2 year old Tosa and what is that you ask? Well I’m a South Korean Mastiff and my name is Rayna. The ROFF people tell me that I’m the sweetest thing ever and I do love to give dog kisses and go for walks. I will need a fenced in yard and I also need to be the only pet in the household. Can you provide that for me? I sure would like to show you just how loveable I can be, so please stop by for a visit soon.
If you are unable to adopt please consider a donation to ROFF. Checks may be mailed to: ROFF, 133 North Walnut Street, Burnham, PA 17009. Thank you so much! Until they all have homes… www.roffrescue.com; rescueourfurryfriends@yahoo.com
Essential Oils on the Feet? from page 10 tion. The area at the top of inner thighs and face absorbs the quickest, while the feet are the lowest. I am truly convinced after all the research I have done in the last few years that inhalation is still the quickest and most effective method of absorption in therapeutic aromatherapy. Topical applications come in second and should be applied to the areas of concern. So, there it is. Take it…or not. I can’t help being a “why and how” person, so I wanted to share my findings. If you have been applying oils to your feet and they have been working, then that is awesome! I would say continue.
It certainly is not going to harm you if you use proper essential oil safety precautions. As always: I would like to invite you to stop in at Shade Mountain Naturals. We are a small family owned business and we LOVE company! We have a complete line of organic essential oils and diffusers. We also make all of our products onsite—FRESH! Soaps, Crèmes, Bath Bombs, Lip Balms, Body Butters, Facial Soaps, Facial Moisturizers…and more! Come see what we are making. We will give you a FREE sample and, of course: smells are always free and encouraged. a
Home at the Grange by Patricia L. Bird
A Little Grange Out In The Country Nestled in the rolling hills of Warriors Mark, Halfmoon Township in Centre County, Pennsylvania you will find Halfmoon Grange #290. Organized on June 19, 1874 at the Friend’s Eight Square Schoolhouse, Halfmoon Grange still meets at the same site. Twenty-six chartered members received their first four degrees which were conferred by a PA State Grange Deputy. The first Master was John A. Hunter who was elected to the position on August 1, 1874. The Constitution and Bylaws were adopted on November 13, 1874. In 1877, Grange meetings were moved to the Centennial Schoolhouse for a fee of seventy-five ($.75) cents a month and scrubbing the school house. Meetings were also alternatively held during the same period of time at the Centre Line School. In 1878, the Grange members purchased two (2) shares in the Patrons Livestock Association of Centre County and in 1882, the Grange members formed a Library, consisting of books and papers beneficial to the advancement of agriculture. During the early 1900’s through 1940, the Grange grew in both membership and stature. They provided babysitting services for Patrons’ children during meetings if they could provide lighting, fuel and cleanup of the building. In 1923, they furnished the first kitchen area and purchased their first official set of silverware. In 1928 and 1930, respectively, they fixed up the interior of the hall adding a new stove and installed electric lights. In 1932, much to the delight of its members, Halfmoon Grange
won the Grange Fair Play Contest and earned the prize of $39.90. In 1935, a degree team was formed and then reconstituted in 1941 to confer degrees throughout not only Centre County, but many other counties. In 1944, dues for Grange members increased from $1.60 to $1.80 per year. Today they are $44.00 per year. On December 29, 1945, Patrons unanimously voted to purchase the Friends Meetinghouse property which included the buildings, benches and the grounds for $350.00. During the next couple of years, repairs were made to the meeting house. Partitions were removed, electric and coal stoves were purchased along with new dishes. Halfmoon Grange also fulfilled its share ($.50 per member) towards a commitment made by the Centre County Pomona Grange of $2,000 to help with the enlargement of the Centre County Hospital. In 1954, water was installed in the hall’s kitchen. It was run from a local farm’s milkhouse owned by Sam Mattern. In 1945, the Halfmoon Junior Grange was formed. Over the years many renovation projects were done and still continue to this day. In 1968, the Halfmoon Grange received the Second Century Builders Achievement Award and recognition for membership increase and it has continued to receive many net gain membership certificates throughout the years. Brothers and Sister George Peters, Sr., Diane Wilson, Russel Albright and Don Way received individual awards for recruiting new members. Halfmoon Grange is and has
Cave Echoes, Kangen Water from page 25
Hexagonal Kangen water: * Increases hydration Levels * Helps balance body pH * Increases blood oxygenation * Neutralizes free radicals Water is critical for our daily health! What are you drinking? What’s in your water? At Simply Health we have Kangen water as well as many other products and services to address a healthy life style. Check out all of our services at www.
* Reduce proliferation of candida, fungus, and undesir able microforms * Reduce chronic pain * Improve wound healing. Because our bodies are made up of 75% water, we need to make sure we are drinking enough good quality water everyday for our bodies. Four good reason to drink
The Truth Has No Agenda
always been ready and willing to respond to community needs and to lobby for current legislation. During the late 1990 and early 2000s, the members sold furniture from the large hall and then arranged for the demolition of the large hall. On April 2, 2003, a Mr. King leveled the building and on April 7, 2003, they drilled their own well, which was paid for by donations and fundraisers. Members of Halfmoon Grange continue to participate in not only Grange Activities, but also community activities. They have entered not only floats in the Grange Fair parade, but also exhibits in the Grange building. Their members serve on the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair Committee and they sell chances for the quilt which the Centre County Pomona Grange raffles off and then gives donations to several organizations. Members help with the degree dances at PA State Grange Session and many more things. Members are proud to be able to continue with renovations such as new drapes and bathroom fixtures. They are proud of their heritage and keep active. They want everyone to know that Halfmoon Grange #290 is alive and still going strong. The Master of Halfmoon Grange #290 is Diane Snyder and the Secretary is Tim Spicer. Membership is holding steady around 48. If you would like more information about Halfmoon Grange #290, please call Master Diane Snyder at 814-6924580 or Secretary Tim Spicer at 814-574-5146. They would love to hear from you. a
simplyhealth-calm.com. Be sure to check out our monthly Spa Specials! It’s a great way to try a variety of our services at a discount! Also, take the time to read the books listed above to be more informed on how alkaline water can help balance the body!
Call us for an appointment at 814-954-7731 and take the next step to better health! a
The Valley, September 2017
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Dressing For Success! by Kim Rickert Part II Selling your home is a big step, and it may be a necessary step to get you into your next home or allow you to move to a new area. In today’s competitive market, putting your house at the top of the list of desirable properties is important! The best way to do that is to make sure that your house looks, smells and feels like a cozy home that buyers will want to move into! If you want to get top dollar for your home, it is imperative that buyers do not walk in to a home that needs cleaned, repaired or updated...they will just move on to another property for sale. Last month I wrote about taking steps to clean, declutter and neutralize your home. This month I will give you some tips on “dynamizing your house”! According to a recent survey, the top three things that influenced a buyer when looking for a new home were: 1. Location 2. Curb appeal 3. Homey feeling Although you can’t change the location of your house, you can definitely change the other two points. With the help of a Ceritified Home Marketing Specialist, you can take a fresh look at your house and she can help you create a check list of things to do before the For Sale sign goes in the yard.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT! You have heard the phrase “curb appeal” used by designers, realtors and HGTV stars over and over again—but it really is a big deal! The very first chance you get to make an impression on a buyer is when they walk up (or drive by) to the front of your house. You want to make the home look inviting, to say “come on in!” to the buyer. Here are some things that you can do to make sure the front entrance is enticing: • Power wash exterior and porch • Place a new welcome mat at the door • Line the steps with potted plants • Add a new or painted mailbox • Hang a nice seasonal wreath on the door • Consider nighttime appeal also; landscaping lights on porch or sidewalk Always sweep the porch and sidewalk before a showing; this tells the buyer that this house is well cared for, and indicates it is in good condition! When a buyer takes the first step into your house, you have another chance to make a good impression. Stand in the doorway and look around to see what is in the line of sight; this should not be a pile of shoes or coats on the floor, or a straight line into a kitchen with dishes piled high. Look around and make some notes about what you see and how you can change that to send a message of “Welcome home!”
If you are fortunate enough to have a foyer at the entrance, use this space to create a pleasing vignette- hiding coats, shoes and backpacks in a nearby closet. Some items that you could use would include a small entry table, flowers and a mirror over the table. CREATING A FEELING OF HOME Next walk through the house and try to view it from a buyer’s eyes. You can ask one of our Certified Home Marketing Specialists to help you with this; they are experienced in deciding what will appeal to buyers and what needs to be removed or hidden. Check each room for sightlines and spaciousness; is there too much furniture for the room, creating a sense of a small space? Remove and rearrange furniture to increase the spaciousness. Each room should be given a purpose, and the furniture and props should support that purpose. Look around your house and find items that can be repurposed in different rooms. You should not have to purchase anything new, and may be able to borrow items from friends if needed. Some points to keep in mind when re-
creating a room: • Rearrange furniture, moving it away from walls and angling some pieces • Keep heavy furniture away from doorways and entry sightlines • Identify the purpose of each room; remove excess items • Create vignettes that appeal to the psychological needs of buyers Not sure what the “message” of each room should be? These suggestions will help: • Entry: Inviting, welcoming, elegance • Kitchen: Entertaining, gathering space • Living/Family room: Family, leisure, entertaining • Bathrooms: Clean, crisp • Bedrooms: Peaceful, comfortable, private • Backyard or Deck: Fun, casual I’M FEELING OVERWHELMED Of course, these are just some of the steps that are suggested to help you prepare your home for sale, but it may sound like a lot of work! Let’s review WHY you should consider taking the time to properly “Dress Your House for Success.” Buyers buy in three stages: First their criteria (3 bedrooms, 2 baths and $$$ price range). Secondly they look at properties that meet their basic criteria. Third, they decide whether or not to buy based on their emotional connection to a
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
home; how does the house make them feel? Welcomed? Relaxed? Anxious? This is what you can control with staging and preparing your home properly. You do not have to do this alone! That is why working with a Certified Home Marketing Specialist can help make the decisions that will position your house favorably in the market. She can help you objectively look at your home and decide what needs to be done to prepare for sale. She has checklists, vendors that can do work for you, and many resources to help you make it all happen. She will help you create an action plan and time line for any work that needs to be done. With the guidance of a professional, you can actually enjoy the process and feel a sense of satisfaction when you sell your home for the best price possible! If you are thinking about selling in the next year, we are ready to help! Your two local Home Marketing Specialists are Katy Flood and Kim Rickert of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate— Stone Arch Realty. Give us a call and set up an appointment to help you take the first step to Dressing for Success! a
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The Valley, September 2017 Chicken Pox Vaccine from page 6 pox lesions, shingles, brain damage and dying after chicken pox vaccination, especially when the vaccine is given at the same time with MMR and other vaccines.” Many questions remain unanswered. For example, will a young pregnant woman, who got varicella vaccine as a child instead of recovering from natural chickenpox, pass on vaccine induced antibodies to her newborn baby like mothers used to pass on natural maternal antibodies to chickenpox to their newborns? This is one of many questions about mass use of chickenpox vaccine that is being debated today. The Birth of an Epidemic Now, 15 years into the mass use of chickenpox (varicella) vaccine, there are signs a shingles epidemic is underway. This is not surprising when you consider that the mechanism keeping shingles largely at bay has been drastically reduced, if not eliminated because older children and adults are no longer coming into contact with younger children experiencing chickenpox and there is less and less natural “boosting” of immunity occurring in our population.
The natural “herd” immunity to chickenpox among Americans is being lost and we are becoming vaccine dependent. PLUS, a shingles epidemic is taking shape. Research done by Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D. who served for eight years as a Research Analyst with the Varicella Active Surveillance Project in Los Angeles County with funding from the CDC, revealed higher rates of shingles in Americans since the government’s 1995 recommendation that all children receive chickenpox vaccine.7 According to an article describing his work: “Dr. Goldman’s findings have corroborated other independent researchers who estimate that if chickenpox were to be nearly eradicated by vaccination, the higher number of shingles cases could continue in the U.S. for up to 50 years; and that while death rates from chickenpox are already very low, any deaths prevented by vaccination will be offset by deaths from increasing shingles disease. Goldman was so concerned about an epidemic of shingles that he has co-written a book on the matter, entitled The Chickenpox Vaccine: A New Epidemic of Disease and Corruption. Dr. Goldman isn’t the only one who is concerned about a
potential shingles epidemic. A team at Britain’s Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) found that adults living with children enjoy higher levels of protection from shingles. They stated that, although chickenpox can be life threatening for the im-
The Truth Has No Agenda
munocompromised, thousands of elderly people could also die from the complications of shingles. PHLS called for a re-evaluation of the policy of mass chickenpox vaccination in the U.S., as well as other countries implementing this practice.
For decades, shingles was thought to increase with age as older individuals’ immune systems weakened. However, research suggests this phenomenon is more a result of the fact that older people receive fewer natural
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The Valley, September 2017
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OUR YESTERYEARS County Historical Society A Brief History of the County’s Rural Schools “Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic” School days, school days Dear old Golden Rule days Reading and ‘riting and ‘rithmetic Taught to the tune of the hick’ry stick These familiar lines come from the 1907 “School Days, School Days” music and lyrics by then popular songsters Gus Edwards and Will Cobb. The words reflect memories of learning in the era of the rural, one-room school. The concept was simple. One teacher and forty or more diverse students at levels from first to eighth grade, working through the rigors of a basic education within the confines of the schoolhouse’s four walls. The setting was usually rural, when students walked to class, the original neighborhood school. Self sufficient, as it were, with a stove for heat and slates upon which to write or calculate. A stack of primers and advanced readers for each grade level, where the older students would work with the young ones, mostly on wooden benches or desks. The teacher ruled over all. Perhaps six or seven generations of Mifflin Countians had just such an education, an experience that evoked strong memories for one’s entire life. Historical narratives, archives and local histories record such memories. Long after the windows were boarded up and doors permanently closed, many former students of a particular one-room school gathered, reunion style. They would reminisce and recollect their teachers, former classmates and events of those bygone days. The Lewistown Sentinel covered these reunions over the
decades. The newspaper reported in August 1938, that former students and teachers gathered at the Alfarata schoolhouse, once called Lillyville, to remember their days in that school. The memory of the building remained with each person all through their lives, as strong a memory at age eighty, as it was at age ten. Rev. A. D. Kearns-Preston, came from Crystal Lake, Illinois. He wrote and recited a special poem at the Lillyville reunion, which was later published in the Sentinel. The words express the general feeling such gatherings call to mind. The poem concludes: Farewell to thee! May days to be Be rich in memory still, We’ll cherish long, in happy song, School-days at Lillyville. Tax records from as early as 1773 have a schoolmaster listed from Derry Township, then part of Cumberland County. The early schoolhouses were primitive, uncomfortable, and in many cases, unheated. One historian commented, “The only luxury was the privilege of learning. The only awards were the honor of passing from one grade to another.” When Lewistown was laid out in 1790, lot number 120 was designated as a schoolhouse lot, and in 1802 was deeded to the County for that purpose. The lot is on West Third Street between Main and Wayne, where the future Henderson Fire Company would be located. On this lot a log schoolhouse was constructed, made of round logs with a few panes of glass fitted between the logs for light. A nine-plate stove was in the center of the room, the pipe from which extended through the ceiling into the loft, where the smoke escaped between the logs and the wooden shingled roof. One personal account recalls that
Next Issue of The Valley: October 3rd
boys were often put into the loft as punishment and it was not uncommon for the students below to be smoked out through the mischievous covering of the pipe “by the little urchins above.” A detailed description of an early Mifflin County schoolhouse appears in an 1879 history of the county written by Joseph Cochran, who attended a log schoolhouse in Kellyville, now Vira, in the mid-1820s. He remembered: “The house was a large square room, built of hewn logs, and could seat 80 to 90 scholars in double rows along three sides, while the desk and seat of the teacher occupied the center of the west end in a line with the door and stove.” “The outer row was seated against the walls, with writing boards in front for those who used the pen and pencil. Long benches with low backs stood nearer the stove for us little fellows who did not use the pen. A huge ten-plate stove stood near the center of the room between the teacher’s desk and the door.” Armagh Township also had one of the other early schools, located along the old road leading to Penn’s Valley, likely in the vicinity of Hartman Center today. This schoolhouse was built of round logs and had a clapboard roof. Records show that James Hall was a teacher there in 1806. In this early era, local schools charged fees to attend. These were called pay-schools or subscription schools, as students paid tuition to the teacher or institution for the privilege of learning. The Lewistown Academy on Third Street was an example of this type of school, started in 1816, “…for the education of youth in the useful arts, sciences and literature…” The Pauper Education Acts passed by the state legislature during the early 1800s provided that such schools admit up to five “paupers” per term at no cost to the student. One local history noted, “It can readily be seen how ineffective they (Pauper Acts) must have been, because of the social stigma as paupers placed upon the children whom these Acts were intended to help.” Other schools of this type were Kishacoquillas Seminary (a portion still stands along US 655 between Reedsville and Belleville); McVeytown Academy
(still exists today, was the original 1844 grade school building) and later called the Mattawana School; a number of “summer schools” or normal schools for adults held by county superintendents; and several “classical” private schools operated in the 1830s. EDUCATION FOR ALL, RICH AND POOR The educational structure that included one-room schools can be traced to a specific place and time. The place was the capitol building in Harrisburg. The time was 1834. The legislature passed the Free School Act that year, signed on April 1 by Pennsylvania Governor George Wolf. It was no April Fools’ joke, though many at the time considered it so. Governor Wolf’s words stirred the lawmakers to action that year, when he declared, “It is time, fellow citizens, that the character of our state be redeemed from the state of …indifference under which its most important interest, the education of its citizens, has so long languished.” The bill passed both houses with votes to spare. The first official action in Mifflin County under “the new school law,” was to elect six directors from each of the county’s districts organized by the county sheriff. A joint meeting of representatives from these boards was held on November 4, 1834 with the County Commissioners. All voted “aye” to accept the provisions of the school law and for an appropriation for common school
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
purposes in Mifflin County. They levied a school tax for the year 1835, the sum of $4,260.00. 39 schools constituted the “charter” members of the first organization of public education in Mifflin County. By 1836, ten other schools were added, for a total of 49. As the county’s population grew, more districts came into being, and more schools were added. School names were quite diverse, either for its physical location or the name of a nearby property owner. Here are just a few schools of the era: Cedar Hill, Sterrett’s Mill, Honey Creek, Sigler, Bratton, McFadden, Hoope’s, White Hall, Mechanicsville, Krick, and Mountain House. The greatest total number of county schools was 119 by the 1890s, scattered from New Lancaster Valley in Armagh Township to Newton-Hamilton, near the southwestern border with Huntingdon County. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some schools exceeded one room, and many were frame or brick structures. The boroughs and larger villages eventually had substantial, multi-storied brick buildings. In 1895, for example. Mifflin County by then had 14 school districts including: Armagh, Bratton, Brown, Decatur, Derry, Freedom Independent (later Burnham), Granville, Lewistown, Menno, McVeytown, Newton Hamilton, Oliver, Union and Wayne. County Superintendent
Continued on page 19
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The Valley, September 2017
Dairy - Good - Truth by Gretchen Little
As the summer nights begin to dwindle, we know it’s time for school. Yellow buses picking kids up, back to school sales on tv, and of course... School promotions! As Dairy Princess, I have the privilege of going into classrooms to teach kids about dairy products and the industry! Depending on what age group I visit, I teach them about different things. I tell younger kids about cows and how
milk comes from the farm to them. I tell middle school kids about the health benefits of milk. I talk to high school kids about the differences between nondairy beverages and milk. Along with school promotions, we also hold a kindergarten farm tour at my family’s farm! Every year the children come to our farm and we show them the calves, equipment, the milking
facilities, and the cows. Some years the vet is able to make it over as well. This is an amazing opportunity for the young kids to come out and see how a dairy farm operates. Many young kids no longer get the chance to find out where their food comes from. Most people are 2-3 generations removed from a farm! Of course, as I attend these events I get some pretty interest-
The Truth Has No Agenda
ing questions. The most frequent being, “Does chocolate milk come from brown cows?” After a good laugh, I explain to them that chocolate milk does not come from brown cows. I tell them that the milk never comes out chocolate. It all is “white milk” and chocolate flavoring is added to make the
iconic recovery drink and assure them that it contains the same 9 essential nutrients! I look forward to working with school children every year. It is important to begin teaching them where their food comes from at a young age! And, I love their curiosity about the dairy industry! a
VAGUE POLITICS ARE A TROJAN HORSE
by Casey Grove Like most people, I got up for work each day, paid my taxes on time, and assumed that things were fine in good old Gregg Township, Centre County. Sure, I heard of the occasional uproar with certain projects. Concerns about those projects usually seemed warranted. I started regularly attending the Board of Supervisors meetings in 2015. I’ve lived here almost my entire life. What a mistake to not have been involved earlier. The public meetings were very poorly attended by taxpayers. Usually about a half-dozen people. Some topics were voted on without any discussion. There was no information available or explanation given about what the supervisors and the township employees were talking about. Most topics were decided by the same two supervisors voting in alignment with each other. Some appointed committees included people who don’t even live in Gregg Township. One committee that directly advised the supervisors was run by someone who did not live in our township. How could people who don’t live in our township be advising our supervisors on how to spend our tax dollars? I started to become increasingly agitated by some of my decisions about who I had voted for. Many of the township’s official actions were not the actions that I had expected. Problem is, I don’t know that they ever explained what positions they were running on. They were vague. “Vote for me because I want to give something back.” “Vote for me because I’m going to get people to work together better than the last person.” Vague politics are a TROJAN HORSE. Intentional or unintentional, what lies within the belly of the great wooden gift is more spending and more regulations. The result was, is, and will
be the support of MORE TAXATION. Trojan Horse politics in Gregg Township have brought a running deficit, balanced by a 40% property tax increase. My belief is that the taxpayers should be sovereign as much as possible, meaning the taxpayers should possess the supreme authority over their own choices. The taxpayers should not be prisoners to choices made by a few who have never explained what their choices may end up being for all of us. My opinion is that our local issues can be solved through Less Taxes, More Property Rights, Truth, and Transparency. All these things empower the taxpayers, and consequently limit the government. When is the last time someone executed that platform? What an important election this is in Gregg Township. What an amazing opportunity that we have. We can turn the clock back to a more rural set of values—in spending and in living. It’s an opportunity to get people’s attention, gain back the control, and become well-informed. If we don’t do this, what will spill from the wooden gift in the next 5 to 10 years? Don’t be surprised if it is more taxes and regulation. If you’d like to read more about my positions on the issues, watch campaign videos, or reserve a yard sign, please go to WWW. VOTEFORGROVE.COM. Let’s Get Out There & Protect Our Rural Values! Casey Grove for Gregg Township Supervisor a
The Valley, September 2017
16 Chicken Pox Vaccine from page 13
sole source of chickenpox vaccine in America. What an incredible profitboosts to immunity as their conmaking scheme – the same drug tacts with young children decline. company that profits from mass, In fact, the effectiveness of mandatory use of the chicken pox the chickenpox vaccine itself vaccine also profits from sales of depends on natural boosting, so as a shingles vaccine in a market crechickenpox disease rates decline, ated by the chickenpox vaccine! so will the effectiveness of the Sound the Horns! Merck ‘to vaccine. the Rescue’—Again! Are These Predictions Coming The FDA approved Merck’s True? shingles vaccine (Zostavax) for Absolutely. use in people age 60 and older in The incidence of adult shinMay of 2006. So, they have come gles has increased by 90 percent out with a vaccine (shingles) from 1998 to 2003, following the to reverse the damages to your release of the chickenpox vaccine health caused by their earlier vacfor mass use. Shingles results in cine (chickenpox). three times as many deaths and Sound familiar? five times as many hospitaliza It is very much like the tions as chickenpox, and accounts polypharmacy used to “treat” for 75 percent of all medical costs chronic disease. You get a drug to associated with the varicella zossupposedly make you better, but ter virus.8 it causes adverse side effects, so Even children are beginning you are given another drug to treat 9 to come down with shingles, as those side effects. Then, THAT evidenced by school nurse reports drug creates more problems, and since 2000, which was one of the pretty soon, no one can tell what’s concerns prompting Dr. Goldman causing what, and down the drain to warn the CDC that it may be of poor health you go. bringing about a shingles epidem Meanwhile, you are taking ic. a long list of drugs, and the only Prior to chickenpox vaccinapeople truly benefiting are the tion, shingles was seen only in pharmaceutical companies who adults. make money each step of the way. In the case of varicella vaccines, they are profiting from the cause of an epidemic, as well as the supposed cure... T But is it REALLY a cure? Will Boulevard BBQ a shingles vaccine prevent a shingles “Smooch Th epidemic? e Pooch” s tr a tirtoranitss) Raffle Vaccines: Public N e il lu (Pit Bull T ure Po T Prizes T Kissing Bo oth) Health or Profit T (Caricat Center Adult vaccination programs have 10:00 am to 4:00 pm T rarely proved sucth cessful. T The cost of T the shingles vacat Port Royal Fairgrounds cine itself ($200) Pet is prohibitive, Rabies Photograp T T her K-9’s ovfices especially for many Clinic Ser Police older Americans T struggling to meet monthly expenses Local R Dog Agilit escu y on fixed incomes. & Shelte es rs Course featuring: T Research shows T The Remnants few adults are T that ••••• making use of it.11 And what unDog Denny Heckard Event Blessings anticipated health T-Shirts Elvis Tribute Artist effects might the and shingles vaccine The Sweet Sensations Kids Un d have on the elFree Ad er 12 mission Admission derly—particularly Craft & Gift T Vendors By Donation! those who are immunosuppressed or Free Parking Dogs must be on a leash and have current rabies and vaccines! License # 313 already challenged
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All evidence points to the fact that we have traded a relatively mild illness (chickenpox), which does NOT involve complications for 99.9 percent of healthy children, for a more serious illness in our elderly (shingles) that has the potential for compromising the health of an entire population. Another peer-reviewed article by Dr. Goldman presents a costbenefit analysis of the chickenpox vaccination program,10 with disturbing findings. Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine would have to be universally used for at least 50 years to demonstrate a cost benefit, due to the substantial additional medical cost of a shingles epidemic. This is CLEARLY not worth it, when chickenpox disease presented such minimal risk to society in the first place! What do you think was the CDC’s answer to a potential shingles epidemic, when presented with Goldman’s findings? Another vaccine—of course. Merck – the pharmaceutical giant that makes the chickenpox vaccine – rides in on their white horse with the very answer the CDC was hoping for: A shingles vaccine! Yes, shingles vaccine was developed by the same manufacturer who markets and is the
W L A O P O W ZA A
Can You T Dig It ? !
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Saturday, September 16, 2017 4 Annual Benefit Concert for MCJC Pet Pantry
Groovy Live Music:
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with chronic illness or cancer? The conflicts of interest between vaccine manufacturers and vaccine researchers, and government bodies entangled with both, represent another layer of trouble. How reliable and unbiased is the vaccine information you get if it’s provided by researchers with financial ties to both vaccine manufacturers and government health agencies promoting mass, mandatory use of vaccines? In the words of Dr. Goldman:12 “When research is sponsored by agencies that promote vaccination, and reimbursed by the pharmaceutical company itself, and receive enrichment by immunizing children, my experience is that they demonstrate certain biases which allow them to continue operating as profit centers and unfortunately, at least sometimes promoting vaccination to the detriment of public health.” Hundreds of Vaccines on the Way U.S. public health doctors say your child should receive 69 doses of 16 different vaccines before age 18. And 145 more are on the way!13 Yes, believe it or not, Big Pharma has 145 more vaccines in the pipeline and most are in their final stages of approval, in clinical trials or under FDA review. - Sources and References National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) Chickenpox: The Disease & The Vaccine Fact Sheet Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 1 NVIC, Chickenpox: The Disease & The Vaccine Fact Sheet 2 Mayo Clinic, Shingles 3 See Ref #1 4 The Journal of the American Medical Association 2000;284(10):1271-1279 5 Merck, Varivax Manufacturer’s Product Label (PDF) 6 NVIC, NVIC Challenges VAERS Data of Chickenpox Vaccine Adverse Events, September
13, 2000 7 News Medical, September 1, 2005 8 National Health Federation, January 18, 2007 9 PRWeb, October 2, 2003 10 GS Goldman, Universal Varicella Vaccination (PDF) 11 Annals of Internal Medicine May 2010;152(9):555-560 12 Vaccination Risk Awareness Network, Threat of Shingles Epidemic 13 Medical News Today, September 12, 2010” http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ articles/archive/2010/11/02/chicken-pox-vaccine-creates-shinglesepidemic.aspx
Editor’s Corner from page 2
These memorials and statues are a reminder of what happened, so that it will be clear to anyone that we should avoid Civil War at all possible costs. My fear is that the lack of spine in our elected officials, and the downright manipulation by the media will allow these protests to gain momentum, which will lead to more statues being erected after the next Civil War. There are many people waking up, and once the real mission of these people comes to light, all hell will break loose, because their main objective is our Constitution, they want it dismantled or abolished. a
fortable or offended. Grow up! This isn’t about racism, this isn’t about people being offended—by a statue? Really? You need mental help if you agree with that stance. What all of these protests are about is a bunch of overgrown children not getting their way. Many are not happy about Trump winning the election and are going to act out for the entirety of his time in office, IF we let them. NO ONE should have taken the first monument down, appeasement of these people just makes them bolder.
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
Let me repeat this quote from the above article: “How reliable and unbiased is the vaccine information you get if it’s provided by researchers with financial ties to both vaccine manufacturers and government health agencies promoting mass, mandatory use of vaccines?” Have you been aware of the latest push by the school district to ensure that your child is up-to-date on his/her vaccinations? They prey on making you afraid that your child cannot enroll in the next grade for this school year if he/she is not up to date on ALL the vaccinations, and yes, this includes chicken pox. Pennsylvania is STILL a state that has 3 forms of exemptions: medical, religious, AND philosophical. Regardless of what the school district states, your child does not have to be vaccinated if you file for one of these exemptions. Simply not believing that ALL vaccines are safe is enough, but you must file the exemption. Don’t be ignorant on the matter and don’t let them bully you. Get educated on this topic and make an educated decision. Dr. Joseph Kauffman Kauffman-Hummel Chiropractic Clinic drjosephkauffman@comcast.net a
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The Valley, September 2017
Penn State Researchers Find New Solution To Combat Age-Old Bedbug Problem by Justin McDaniel
Story courtesty of Penn State Public Information. Invent Penn State entrepreneurial ecosystem helping to bring biopesticide to market
As the summer travel season kicks into high gear, Penn State researchers have found a potential solution to those unwanted guests that can turn a relaxing vacation into a skincrawling nightmare. Anyone who has had to deal with a bedbug infestation knows that once the bloodthirsty bugs gain a foothold — be it in one’s hotel room, home or psyche — getting rid of them can be anything but easy. Penn State researchers develop innovative bedbug biopesticide Aprehend, an EPA-registered biopesticide developed at Penn State, has the poten-
tial to revolutionize the way that bedbug infestations are controlled. Based on a natural fungal disease of insects, Aprehend could be in the hands of professional pest controllers as early as the fall of 2017 — thanks to an entrepreneurial ecosystem taking root at Penn State that’s helping to take research from the lab to the marketplace. Traditional chemicals require direct, long-term exposure to be effective, hardly an easy task given bedbugs’ habit of congregating behind baseboards and electrical outlets, inside furniture cracks, amongst household clutter, and other hard-to-reach places. Heat treatments can be effective in solving infestations but are often expensive and don’t always work in drafty, old, expansive properties. Then there’s the problem
of insecticide resistance among bedbugs, which recent research suggests is a mounting problem. However, a team of Penn State scientists has developed a potential game-changer in the war against bedbugs — a naturally derived, fungal-based pesticide that uses the bugs’ own natural tendencies to humankind’s advantage. Check out the video at http://news.psu.edu/ story/475774/2017/08/03/ impact/video-penn-stateresearchers-find-new-solutioncombat-age-old-bedbug?utm_ source=newswire&utm_ medium=email&utm_ term=476672_HTML&utm_ content=08-03-2017-2351&utm_campaign=Penn%20 State%20Today to learn more about Aprehend, a patent-pending, EPA-registered biopesticide that has the potential to When taken, this product goes in and cleans out the stem
Greetings from Nittany Valley! Fall is fast trying to push its way through summer! A wide array of spectacular jars of color and a variety of foods canned for the winter are the show of a bountiful summer. If someone is not a true believer, all you have to do is walk in someone’s can cellar and see the rainbow of color! Things just do not grow without the help of a higher hand. We just got done doing 250 donuts for someone that goes to Farmers Markets. Now I’m trying to quick write this and get ready to go to Lancaster to my Mom’s for the day. Today is her 61st birthday (August 26th).
With also trying to help my hubby with his work of paint jobs, it is hard to keep up with the every day pressures of life. But if we keep our bodies fed with the proper nutrients and not loaded down with toxins and chemicals of our soaps and lotions, then our bodies don’t have to work so hard to get rid of those foreign substances. That is also why I am a firm believer of Sisel International. I can feel the difference in my body for sure, so now that the company has launched the one and only A.G.E. product—talk about powerful and amazing. I feel so much more flexible and just able to stand stress so much better.
The Truth Has No Agenda
The Aprehend biopesticide developed by Penn State researchers contains Beauveria bassiana, a natural and indigenous fungus that causes disease in insects but is harmless to humans. When a bedbug crosses a sprayed barrier, it picks up the fungal spores, which germinate and colonize the body, killing the bedbug in four to seven days. Image: Daryl Branford
turn the bedbug control market on its ear — and the Invent Penn State entrepreneurial ecosystem that’s helping to
push such crucial discoveries out of the laboratory and into the marketplace. Aprehend is expected to be on the market and available to professional pest con-
trollers during the fall of 2017. a
cells and carries all the junk out so all of the nutrients can reach the
cells. My sore knee was always
Continued on page 20
The Valley, September 2017
18 HarvestRight from front page
freezer with meat and lose it all. Since freeze-dried food starts out frozen, I freeze-dried all of our frozen food over the winter. Some of it had been in there for years, but it freeze-dried perfectly.
We keep chickens and used to end up with way too many eggs in the summer and none in the winter. The freeze dryer solved this problem. I have gallons of freeze dried raw eggs in the root cellar. To use them, I simply add equal parts of water. Different
freeze- dried foods are rehydrated with different amounts of water. Some are best snacked on in their freeze-dried state. Harvest Right has a different sale every month and layaway is available. They have giveaways throughout the year. You can even
Bright colors give this appliance a hint of fun, and that is what you will have while creating long-term food security for your family.
Some items are complete freeze-dried meals, just add water and heat, Macn-Cheese, pasta and sauce, it all tastes incredible when reconstituted and heated, the 25 year shelf life breeds a sense of well-being.
Celery, Broccoli or beans, it all comes out looking great, and all nutritional value is saved, flavor can sometimes even be enhanced.
get free samples of freeze-dried food on their website, www.harvestright.com. I recommend you seriously consider investing in a freeze dryer this year. You will definitely save money over time, and have a long-lasting stash of the freshest
Imagine always having delectable mushrooms on hand for homemade pizzas or soups.
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
food possible in case of emergency or crop failure. While other people are shoveling out their cars to get Sheetz during griddown storms, you can be at home enjoying the hot meals you prepped months ago with minimal effort.a
Peaches are just like candy in their freeze-dried state.
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The Valley, September 2017
Savvy Cents & Sensibility by JoAnn Wills-Kline MBA
Savvy September September is a great month for home improvements, and to reexamine ways to save energy dollars. It is usually not too hot or too cold to conduct outdoor improvements, and there is still plenty of daylight to plan a full day of work for improvements and repairs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy on average 40% of a homeowner’s utility bill goes to heating and cooling costs. Environmental impacts are increasing, and energy costs are on the rise, making energy conservation and home heating alternatives at the forefront of everyone’s mind. There are several ways we can proactively save our energy dollars: Let’s begin with easy measures you can take to feel warmer with keeping the heat dialed back this fall and winter: 1. Allow yourself to acclimate – turn off the A/C as soon as possible and open the windows. As the weather changes, keep the A/C off, and your body will acclimate naturally to the changing weather. a. Keep yourself acclimated
Our Yesteryears from page 14 George T. Cooper noted a matter of great concern in his 1895 Annual Report. It was a very pressing matter, when Superintendent Cooper reported, “A number of outhouses were erected during the year. Wayne Township merits special mention for erecting two separate outbuildings last year.” To state the obvious, how times have changed! State laws mandating school consolidations doomed the oneroom school. Mifflin County Superintendent of Schools Elmer E. Sipe wrote in 1950, “The oneroom school building and its limited facilities is now as obsolete as the Model T.” In 1951, Mifflin County schools consolidated into six joint districts. They were: Armagh and Brown; Menno and Union; McVeytown, Bratton and Oliver; Newton Hamilton and Wayne; Burnham and Derry; and Lewistown, Granville and Decatur. Later Decatur withdrew and jointed Burnham-Derry to form the Chief Logan district. In 1953,
– do not drive in a very warm vehicle. Keep the heat dial to a low warm, and the same goes for work. Your body will adjust. 2. Begin to dress for the season – dress warmer as the weather gets colder; warm layers through the day, and flannel pjs and warm socks at night. 3. Eat warm foods – Begin to eat warm soups and spicy foods. Leave the cooler foods of summer behind, and start to think of fueling your body with warm nutritious foods. 4. Begin to integrate blankets and throws throughout the house. Pile throws on the end of the couch, or in a decorative basket to add to your décor and for utility to keep you good and warm as the temps drop. Next let’s examine a few easy outdoor improvements that you can make to save both time and energy later: 1. Caulk – This Old House suggests placing a fresh bead of caulk around windows, siding, and joints to keep drafts and critters out. a. Take a walk around your
house perimeter to check for open areas that could be improved with caulk. b. Once you’ve completed caulking, do a test to check if all open crevices are sealed up by lighting a stick of incense or a candle and hold it near the windows and any joints/crevices that were caulked on the outside. Watch for the smoke to blow sideways or the flame to flicker – if so a draft is still present. A piece of hair can be use in place of the candle if you prefer not to use an open flame. 2. Maintain walkways, driveways and paths on your property – repair concrete that is badly cracked or broken, and patch driveway cracks with a crack filler or patch product. It’s easier and cheaper to make small consistent repairs that to have to spring dollars for a costly replacement. a. In a few short months, slush, snow, and ice will cover them and thus cause further damage eventually. Indoors there are a few easy precautions you can take to keep the cold outdoors: 1. Cover windows with insulated drapes - or a heavier
the Armagh-Brown joint High School building was dedicated, that would become Kishacoquillas High School. Later that same year Burnham-Derry joint board optioned 27 acres of ground at Highland Park for a proposed $2,000,000 joint high school. In July of that year, with Decatur now in the fold, the joint board adopted the name of Chief Logan Joint Schools. Ground for the new building was broken in July 1956. Mifflin County Junior High School occupies the ground today. The trend toward consolidation of administrative units in the county’s education system continued, when three school systems in Mifflin County were formed: Kishacoquillas, consisting of Menno, Union, Brown and Armagh; Chief Logan, including Burnham, Derry and Decatur; and Lewistown-Granville-Rothrock, the latter including schools in McVeytown, Oliver and Bratton. Wayne Township schools in Mifflin County are part of a jointure with Mount Union. 1966 saw consolidation into one administrative county school district, the Mifflin County School District,
interrupted only during the short Penn Highlands era in the early 1970s. The last one-room schools closed in the late 1950s. It made news, not only in Mifflin County, but in the state capital as well. A Harrisburg Patriot News reporter wrote in June 1958, dateline Burnham, PA: “An end of an era is reported here with the closing of school this Tuesday when the last oneroom school house closes. The last four one-roomers to bow to progress: Hoopes School, Kline, Maitland and Vira. Pupils from those schools would be bussed to town schools in the Fall. The Vira school was believed to be the oldest of the four. Its teacher was Mrs. Dorothy T. Diess, who had thirty students in the first and second grades. She noted, “This would be the perfect set up if we had all the modern conveniences. There is a close teacher-pupil bond.” The newspaper continued: Seven of the thirty who live nearby walked home for lunch. The pupils traveling by bus, carry their lunches in bags or lunch
The Truth Has No Agenda
window dressing than the sheers often used in summer. Keep the window dressings closed after the sun goes down, and open the dressings in the morning to let the natural sunshine warm your home. 2. Improve air quality – replace furnace filters and air filters to keep your home-heating source in tip-top shape. 3. If possible, invest in a whole home humidifier to prevent dry throats and noses that often come along with the use of home heating sources as the home air dries out. Now let’s examine home heating conservation: 1. Perform regular maintenance on your homes heating system – be sure to schedule regular service and keep exhaust filters clean. 2. Avoid using exhaust fans extensively – running exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom too long can deplete the home of
warm air. Turn them off as soon as possible. 3. Recycle the oven heat – open the oven door after your oven use is completed, and you turn it off, to help warm the kitchen. 4. Keep the thermostat low – challenge yourself to turn the thermostat down a wee bit more each heating season working toward 60 degrees in the day and 55 degrees at night. 5. Use a programmable thermostat – it can decrease your energy consumption by 25%. 6. Reverse ceiling fans – reversing the fan’s settings draws down the risen heat and keeps it in the living area rather that dissipating through the roof and walls. September is a great month to get savvy home improvements completed outdoors and indoors, that will save you big dollars in the long run. a
boxes. Drinking water is carried in a bucket from a nearby home of Clair Corbin and poured into a stone water cooler equipped with a spigot, from which children filled their cups. The two modern conveniences are the electric lights and a telephone. Until 1930, in the county, eight grades were taught in these buildings. Since 1911, 70 one-room schools closed across Mifflin County. Wayne Twp. had the most closures, with 14. While driving the byways of Mifflin County, it is still possible to glimpse a former schoolhouse or two. Some were converted to private dwellings, one I know of is a convenience store or a couple are used for apartments. Most are now gone. Those days, of course, will never return, but it is good to remember when education in rural Mifflin County was in a one room school, with rigorous discipline, and a curriculum that was strictly reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic.
wolves roaming the Pennsylvania woods, ghosts in the Historic Mifflin County Courthouse and the ominous Legend of Cotter’s Hole in the Juniata River. Next month, stories to tell in the dark! If you would like to learn more about Mifflin County’s interesting local history, plan a visit to the 1841 McCoy House Museum, 17 N. Main Street, Lewistown, PA. The museum is the birthplace of Maj. Gen. Frank Ross McCoy, soldier and diplomat, who served nine US Presidents. The museum houses McCoy Memorial Collection, set period rooms from the Victorian age, American Indian Exhibit with a life-sized wigwam, artifacts from the French and Indian War to the Afghan War in the Military Room and so much more. Open every Tuesday from 11 AM – 2PM through October, just stop in or call the Mifflin County Historical Society Office at 717-242-1022 to arrange a visit at other times.
NEXT MONTH: October brings Halloween and scary stories. Folktales and stories have arisen locally about were-
HISTORY IS OUR STORY – PASS IT ON!!! a
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Foster Grandparenting in Central PA A Win - Win, Plus you get Paid! Over the age of 55, enjoy spending time with kids, and looking to earn extra money? The Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) may be the perfect fit for you! FGP is for men and women over the age of 55 who to volunteer with children while earning an hourly stipend. Volunteers are assigned to classrooms at schools, Head Start programs or alternative education programs. There are volunteer opportunities in Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder, Union and Northumberland counties. Foster Grandparents work oneon-one or in groups with children who have special needs, but volunteers do not need to have prior experience. Volunteers complete an orientation training which covers the necessary information to fulfill the duties. Foster Grandparents serve in classrooms as mentors and role models, sharing love with the students. They make a difference by tutoring the students in areas that the teachers feel they need additional assistance. Foster Grandparent Leah Young has been with the FGP since 2001 and currently volunteers in Cheryl Rush’s Head Start classroom at Strodes Mill. Young and Rush have worked together for several
Dear friends in The Valley from page 17 stiff and sore, but not anymore, it feels like a new one! Also very important is the fact that my hubby does not snore anymore. Wow! Now that is amazing! He gets up now feeling rested. Check it out! It is hot on the market, and the only place you will find it is at Sisel International! ezrapeachey. mysisel.com or 814-933-7012. Well I got to go get ready and hopefully next time I can put in a longer letter, ha! See you all in October. a
years. “Having Leah in our room is a huge help. She always knows which kiddos need that extra hug or encouragement. I love seeing the children’s faces light up when they see her at the door to greet them!” said Rush. Foster Grandparents earn an hourly tax-free stipend to off-set the time they dedicate. They serve between 15 and 40 hours a week. Volunteers work with staff to
create a weekly schedule which works best for their lifestyle. Volunteers receive paid vacation, allowing them to take time off when they need—whether that be for doctor’s appointments or bus trips! And volunteers are paid for holidays each year, so they can enjoy the time off while continuing to earn money. Additionally, they receive meals from their site and share
Leah Young sits with Head Start student Elionah Whary. Young is one of the FGP’s “Most Senior” volunteers and will be celebrating her seventeenth year with the program this year.
lunch-time with the children, getting to know them outside of the classroom. Foster Grandparents also receive transportation assistance to and from their volunteer site. For more information or to learn how to apply, call the
Foster Grandparent Program office at 570-374-9196 or toll free at 1-866-374-9196. The Foster Grandparent Program of Central PA is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Union/Snyder Agency on Aging, Inc. a
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All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
The Valley, September 2017
Modern Energy and Alternative Heating with Curt Bierly
Are You Ready For Winter?
Not too sure where summer went, but it sure was a wet one. No worries this year about your well running dry. My lawn has been green all summer and as a result, I’ve spent a lot of time on the lawn mower. I received our PPL Electric Bill and the average temperature for August was five degrees cooler (72F versus 77F) then last year and accordingly, it was less costly to operate our air conditioner. We live along Pine Creek north of Jersey Shore which is a very popular canoe and kayak run. Except for a few days the stream was “boatable” all summer. Can’t remember that
happening since we’ve been here. Grange Fair is history and Labor Day is soon upon us so we know winter is not far off. Time to turn our attention to the upcoming fall and winter season. This means if you haven’t done so, it’s time to maintain your current heating system; or, if the budget permits, upgrade it to obtain greater operating efficiency, reliability, comfort and very important, reduced operating cost. There sure is a great selection of affordable high efficiency heating systems available. Be sure to do your homework and select the system that is best for your home,
lifestyle and budget. If you heat with wood and you didn’t do any wood stove maintenance in the spring, it’s time to check it out and make a list of the things you need to accomplish to safely make it through the upcoming winter. Have you had the chimney cleaned and checked for structural integrity? Check your smoke pipe. Has it been brushed clean of creosote? Is the pipe 24 gage and is it secured with screws at each joint (minimum of two per joint, 180 degrees apart)? Is the smoke pipe securely attached to the stove and chimney? Are your clearances to combustibles correct according to your instruction manual? Is the stove located on a rated noncombustible surface (stove board, concrete floor, etc) Do you have at least 16” of noncombustible surface in front of the loading door(s)? If it’s a fireplace installation, is there adequate distance between the stove and a wooden mantle or wood trim around the fireplace opening? Check the wood burning fire box. Are there any firebricks cracked or broken that need to be replaced or any cracked castings or broken welds? Do the charging and ash
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21 doors close tightly or is it time to re-gasket them? If you have a masonry chimney and your draft was marginal last year, do you want to consider the installation of a stainless steel chimney liner to improve the draft? A magnetic flue thermometer is always a good idea so you can monitor the temperature at which the stove is burning. How bout a humidifier for the stove top to add a little Jotul Oslo Cast Iron Wood Burning Stove moister to that dry winter air. owned/operated by the writer and publisher Wood stoves burn best if there is 2” to 3” of ash on using this method. I assume that the floor of the firebox. The fire is because you are truly burning lasts longer and you have a better everything that is combustible. chance of having red coals in With everything checked out the morning so with a little dry and maintained you can look forkindling you can easily restart the ward to a safe winter of warmth. fire. I have a Jotul Oslo which is a cast iron stove with cast iron Curt Bierly is president of the grates and a steel ash pan. Jotul bierly group incorporated of makes a stove without an ash pan, which Stanley C. Bierly is a divibut I like the convenience, so sion. He graduated from Penn when my ash pan fills up I don’t State with a BS in Mechanical take it out, but instead allow the Engineering and is the chair for ash to build up on the floor of the the Penn College HVAC Advisory fire box. When there is too much Board. You can contact him at in the firebox I pull the ash drawer cbierly@bierlygroup.com or call out and empty it. Although I him at 814-349-3000. have no factual proof it appears a to me there is less ash generated
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The Celebration Continues...
September is a busy month for the library. Not only will we see students who have returned to school, but we will be celebrating Labor Day, Library Card Sign-up Month, Banned Books Week, and Goose Day. We are also continuing our celebration of our 175th anniversary. For Labor Day, we are closed Saturday the 2nd and Monday the 4th, to celebrate the American worker. Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and was first celebrated in 1882 in New York City. President Grover Cleveland signed the Labor Day bill into law in 1894, making Labor Day a national holiday. However you celebrate, have a safe Labor Day weekend. Library Card Sign-up Month occurs every September. This year marks the 30th year of the program. Nationwide, libraries emphasize the value of a library card. Your library card is free, but the services you receive are priceless. If you don’t have a library card, they are very easy to get, just bring your ID with proof of current address. You can also sign up for a temporary digital card on our website, www.mifcolib.org. Add a very important card to your wallet and get your library card. September 24th starts Banned Books Week. This is an annual celebration of our freedom to read. Banned Books Week was founded in 1982 by library activist
Judith Krug. Banned Books Week encourages readers to investigate books that have been challenged for one reason or another. Banned Books Week also promotes the importance of our First Amendment rights and the risks on our society when restrictions are put on the availability of information in a free society. The library will have a display of previously banned books available for checkout. I encourage you to examine some of these challenged literary works. Goose Day in the Juniata Valley is a Mifflin and Juniata County tradition. Every year on September 29, residents of these counties celebrate by eating goose. Again this year, South Hills School of Business & Technology, and many other sponsors, will offer Goose Fest at Rec Park in Lewistown on Saturday, September 23rd from 10 am – 2 pm with activities, food, and entertainment. Keep your eyes peeled for Miss Kelly and Miss K from the library, they always have fun activities. A special guest, Bee A. Reader, will be there for the Mascot Olympics. Whew! Aren’t you tired already? Well, have a safe and productive September and remember to visit us at the library! Respectfully submitted, Marsha Shilling Technology Services Coordinator Mifflin County Library a
Mark your calendars—September 16 is the date for this year’s Tire Recycle Challenge. It will once again be held at the Lewistown Borough Refuse Yard on Washington Avenue. If you have old tires you want to get rid of, this is the time to do it. There is a fee for the tire disposal. The challenge is amongst Mifflin, Huntingdon, Perry, and Juniata Counties to see which county will collect the most tires. This is a way to give the residents of each county a way to dispose of unwanted tires. If left to sit around, they can collect water and be a breeding ground for mosquitos that can transmit West Nile Virus. We had to cancel our River Cleanup for August 5, 2017 because of high muddy water. We hope to still get it in, but unless the river levels come down, we will not be able to. We can’t ask volunteers to go into the water if it’s high; safety is our top priority. Fresh Paint Days Award through Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s partnership with BEHR and The Home Depot has been granted to Armagh Township this year. The program is designed to provide community groups with paint and painting supplies enabling them to renew a community structure in need into something beautiful through the application of fresh paint and a lot of elbow grease. This project will focus on the restoration of the outfield bleachers and press box. The dugouts and home-plate press box were updated several years ago. A generous donation from American Legion Post 287 in Milroy, PA has given the field committee funds to replace the lumber on the bleachers. This part of the project is currently in process and being completed by members of the field committee volunteers. The plan is to partner with the United Way to provide volunteers to paint the bleachers during the Mifflin-Juniata United Way Day of Caring on September 20th, 2017. In the past, they have partnered with a business that has been able to provide a bucket truck for paint projects that require multiple stories. Here is the
history behind this project which has stretched over seventy years and through this will bring it back to be used for many more years. This will bring business to hotels and restaurants in the county if it used as the Babe Ruth Championships, should they be held here again. The Armagh Memorial Field Association is a non-profit corporation formed on October 7, 1946. The original purpose of the corporation was to provide and maintain a perpetual memorial to the men and women who served their country in World War II by providing and maintaining athletic facilities to this community for baseball and tennis. The original field, formed shortly after incorporation, was a major league size baseball field. A few years thereafter, another field was built to comply with Little League Baseball specifications in back of the original field. Tennis courts were also constructed beside that field. In 1972, field lights, a concession stand, and a press box were added to the major league size field. In addition, a fence was
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
built that completely enclosed the major league size field. These upgrades gave the field the capabilities to host Babe Ruth Baseball state tournaments. Since that time, a number of Babe Ruth Baseball tournaments were held at the field. Two Babe Ruth Baseball Middle Atlantic Regional tournaments were hosted by the field in 2003 and 2004, The winners of those Regional tournaments advanced to the Babe Ruth League World Series. In 1973, the field was further upgraded to accommodate high school football on the major league size baseball field. These upgrades included three large sections of bleachers in center field, removable goal posts, and a second concession stand. The Kishacoquillas High School played their home football games on the field from 1972 through 1987. The Kish Indians Midget Football has also played some home games on the field. In 2000, the Armagh Memorial Field signed a property lease with the Milroy Lions Club to
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The Valley, September 2017
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The Valley, September 2017
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The (lack of) Research Supporting Dynamic Accumulators Last month, we discussed guilds, or combinations of plantings around a central tree or bush crop. One of the plant types typically included in those are dynamic accumulators, deeply rooted, bio-mass producing plants. These types of plants are touted as the best method of “mining” your soil for nutrients. The idea is that, once those nutrients are accumulated, you chop down the plant and use the bio-mass as a mulch, allowing those nutrients to be released into your topsoil. This month, I want to evaluate if they really work. The answer depends on several factors, and sadly, it’s not as concrete as the permaculture community leads us to believe. An honest look at their potential is needed. To do this, we need to
look at how soils function, how roots functions, and the data in studies that are currently available to us. First, let’s go back to one of my favorite subjects: the soil. We learned before just how much is happening beneath our boots. Remember that although the cocktail of bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, and earthwoms might prefer a variety of soil pH, most beneficial stuff need plenty of air to survive and do their job making nutrients available to our plants. Because of that, we know that the majority of the nutrients plants need are in aerated soils. Where do soils have the most air? In the upper levels! So, unless there is serious leeching issues, we know that our soils are the most nutrient dense in the
top soil. We also know that the majority of roots are found in the first few inches of soil- especially the “feeder roots” of plants. Remember, nutrients are absorbed by the tiny root hairs in the rhizosphere. (A fantastic resource for anyone who wants to really get a visual catalog of the root systems of various plants and trees is Robert Kourik’s Understanding Roots. This book, combined with Teaming with Microbes are invaluable resources for anyone who is really interested in applying soil sciences to their gardening pursuits. They also happen to be where I’ve drawn a large amount of my understanding on dynamic accumulators in general and much of the information here is taken from those texts.)
An interesting note is that plants with deep roots tend to have root zones of a smaller diameter than those with shallow roots. Therefore, if nutrients decrease as depth increases, it would seem as though deeply rooted plants would have less access to nutrients than those plants with wide, shallow root systems where nutrients are abundant. Ok, but if my tomato plant has the same shallow root system, it can already access those nutrients at the shallow depths. We want to mine those nutrients at deeper levels, no matter how small the amount, right? Well, it does sound great. And it isn’t an impossibility. In fact, there is data to show that a process called hydraulic redistribution occurs when deeply rooted trees access ground water and nutrients and then redistribute it within higher (i.e. more shallow) soil levels.
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
However- and here’s the kicker!- there are currently no scientific studies to demonstrate that the list of weedy perennials in permaculture texts actually do the same thing. That’s right. None. Here’s what studies do tell us: We know that different plants have different abilities to uptake nutrients and minerals. We know that comfrey -the sweetheart of permaculturists everywhere- does accumulate lead, and that there is some correlation to the amount of tannins in its lateral roots and the amount of lead it accumulates. Notice, though, this accumulation is not done by the main or horizontal roots and that lead isn’t exactly something you want in your garden. Yet, it speaks to comfrey’s potential. So, do dynamic accumulators work? Well, we don’t actually know. Though permaculture books repeat the same list of dynamic accumulators Kourik had originally published in the 80s, he has actually retracted that list since, stating that he published it without delving into the research behind each plant. Is that to say that dynamic accumulators don’t exist? Not at all.
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YOU’RE NOT SICK..... YOU’RE THIRSTY! That’s the title of a book written by F. Batmanghelidj, MD. It’s very informative and there are many others written on the same topic. Your Bodies Many Cries for Water...Don’t treat thirst with medication also by F Batmanghelidj, MD Alkalize or Die by Dr. Theodore A Baroody Detoxify or Die by Sherry A. Rogers, MD Bottom line, water is essential for life and GOOD water is critical. At Simply Health we make and offer Kangen Alkaline water available for $1.00 a gallon. You may bring your own container (hopefully BPA free) or we have containers for sale. If you have a computer, look up on YouTube Kangen Alkaline water and watch what they show as to how acidic almost all bottled waters are that you may be buying. Most of us have an acidic pH level that can
set us up for many health concerns and problems. Kangen Alkaline Ionized Water produces pure water that works to restore an individual’s pH levels. It’s free of all contaminants and acts as an extremely potent anti-oxidant. In addition, Kangen water detoxifies and super-hydrates your body. Acidity comes from three sources: food, pollution, and stress. When you are over-acidic, you are more likely to experience weight gain, pain, fatigue, depression, memory loss, chronic infection, etc. Drinking alkaline water helps the body balance acidity at the cellular level. Alkaline/Kangen Water is absorbed by the cells six times faster than tap or bottled water, enhancing tissue repair and waste removal. Because of this, we recommend not drinking the Alkaline water 30 minutes before or after taking prescription medications. It is recommended to drink with vitamins, minerals and other natural supplements.
In Japan, hospitals and clinics have used purified, electrically restructured, hexagonal, ionized, alkaline water known as Kangen water, for over 30 years to treat a number of disease conditions. According to peer-reviewed scientific studies that have been performed in well respected universities and hospitals around the world (see: www.Kangenresearchreports. com), drinking Kangen water can: * Release excess body fat and stored toxins * Normalize blood sugar and insulin
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* Support healthy colon function * Resolve urinary tract infec tions * Relieve asthma and chronic respiratory infections * Stop abnormal gastro-intes tinal putrefaction
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to-Know Law, all records are presumed to be public unless the agency can prove they are exempt. You can request any existing records and appeal to the Office of Open Records if the agency denies your request. This is free. Under the new law, you have a very short window of time to request the records. When, not if, they deny your request, you will have to pay a $125 filing fee and petition the courts. The burden is on you to prove the record should be public. The dashcam I obtained from 2014 did not contain what I was looking for. I knew there was a slim chance it would, but I had to try. With the law previously in our favor, it still took this long for me to find out. Enjoy these screenshots, they could be the last you see from PSP for a long time.
In March of 2014, a friend of mine was rear-ended by a truck in Potter Township. I witnessed some unusual behavior by the police officer at the scene, which prompted me to submit a Rightto-Know request for the footage. The PSP would not disclose the footage. Over three years later, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court posted their opinion that the dashcam is a public record. This affirmed prior decisions made by the Commonwealth Court and the Office of Open Records. On the very same day (June
20th), PA Bill SB 560 passed the House. It was passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor soon after, effectively exempting police dashcam from the Right-toKnow Law and nullifying the PA Supreme Court’s decision. This change in the law was presented to the public as a step in the right direction for transparency, because it enables PSP to wear body cameras without worrying about violating the Wiretap Act. This allows them to film inside private residences. The truth is, this new law makes it nearly impossible for people to gain access to this footage. Under the PennA PSP officer attempts to split the lanes just before a blind sylA PSP officer takes the wrong way into a 25 MPH curve on Centre Hall mountain. He almost caused a car vania area. He did not have his siren on while speeding accident when a vehicle came around the bend. Right- to this minor accident.
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The Valley, September 2017
Mail Pouch Books by Carleen B. Grossman THE EDUCATION OF WILL By Patricia B. McConnell Copyright February 2017 288 pages Note: This book is not a historical fiction, but rather a memoir that relates a slice of the author’s life beginning in 1966. Her, sometimes, very troubled life is “graphically” depicted in the story and contrasts with her gentle, caring love of dogs. This author writes very well, and her true story just flows along like a most well-written novel. She has some interesting nature descriptions, but she keeps them
succinct and infrequent. Her insights on human nature and what trauma does to the mind are deeply perceptive. There are two themes in this book: The author’s own personal trauma/her healing, and her interactions with her dog and his quirks. She keeps these two themes well-balanced with varying chapters of the book that reflect her own life-trauma and the other chapters that portray the dog’s issues that began to show even when he was 8 weeks old. The non dog chapters do not derail the book, but instead they support and deepen the story of the dog and his owner. It is amazing that this author obtained her PhD,
became an internationally recognized expert in canine behavior, built a successful dog training and behavior consulting business, wrote many books and taught a much-loved undergraduate class at the University of WisconsinMadison, all the time living in a state of fear. The most interesting thing about the book was that it present-
ed a new understanding of people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Instead of the world feeling safe and predictable, victims of PTSD live in a constant state of fear and agitation. For the author, bringing Willie the dog into her home triggers big changes in her life and she struggles to solve both her problems with PTSD and the dog’s issues. As you read this book, you will discover how some of those who deal with PTSD learn to survive and ultimately thrive. This is an amazing journey! Simply put, Dr. McConnell shows us that we bring our past with us into every relationship we enter, including those with our beloved dogs. I think I most appreciate this book because it emphasizes how much fear drives canine and human behavior. Reading this book is like sitting in on a course that teaches us “why we
do what we do.”! She shares not just lessons learned, but the deep, abiding love she has for her own dogs; and by example, she gave me permission to love my own dog even more. I have attached a photo of the book jacket for you to view. a
But there’s nothing special about this movie other than its especially poor storytelling. Fans of the books are sure to be outraged that so much is abridged, and I seriously doubt that any new fans are going to won over with this hacky adaptation.
“Meh” emoji, but he feels a variety of emotions, usually exuberant, so he doesn’t fit in. His parents (Jennifer Coolidge and Steven Wright) let him go to work as a Meh on the phone of a teenage boy, but when it comes time for him to make the appropriate face, he screws up because he’s so confused about his identity. This puts all the emojis at risk, because the owner is now considering erasing the whole phone. Head emoji Smiler (Maya Rudolph) wants to have Gene deleted in the name of removing malfunctions, so he has to go on adventure throughout the phone to reach The Cloud, where he can be reprogrammed to conform to his role. Probably the biggest specific problem I have with the film is that it forgot to make Smiler actually evil. She has evil mannerisms, with her permanent smile becoming increasingly creepy as her fury heightens. But that’s not the same as evil motivation, which she lacks. She’s completely justified in thinking that Gene is a danger to the emojis’ whole world. In fact, Gene gets a number of characters deleted by the owner as a result of his journey of selfimprovement; quite inconsiderate come to think of it. Gene is joined by a fledgling High Five emoji (James Corden) and a tough-cookie hacker (Anna Faris). Together they visit popular apps like “Candy Crush” and “Just Dance,” where we get plenty of candy and dancing jokes that are par for the course for low-aiming kids’ movies these days. That’s what this movie is,
One and a Half Stars out of Five. “The Dark Tower” My understanding is that this film is not a straight adaptation of Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” book series, but rather a sort of sequel that cherry-picks elements of the anthology. I’m convinced the film was conceived as a writing exercise by at least one of its four credited screenwriters who wanted to tell the story of how a cowboy with a revolver could defeat a demon with one of the greatest arsenals of powers ever created. Now we have to suffer the results of that fan fiction gone wrong. Idris Elba stars as Roland Deschain, the last of an order known as Gunslingers. The Gunslingers’ job is to protect a universe called Mid-World from any demons or monsters that may want to invade. The rest of the Gunslingers have been effortlessly wiped out by a demon called Walter o’Dim (Matthew McConaughey). Walter’s motivation seems to go no deeper than a desire to kill absolutely everybody in existence. He can kill anyone he wants, anytime he wants, without consequence, just by hypnotizing them with commands like “Burn” or “Stop Breathing.” Roland is immune to the hypnosis, but he’s still vulnerable to Walter’s other powers like
telekinesis, so he lives a life of shame in exile. Roland is brought out of retirement by Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor), a boy from Earth who has psychic powers that may give him an edge in a battle against Walter. The power is called “The Shine,” because if it was called “The Shining,” that would be lazy, almost as lazy as dropping the suffix and acting like that’s somehow better. Jake has to be careful, because if Walter captures him, he can harness the power of The Shine to destroy The Dark Tower, a structure that protects every universe. In other words, Walter finds it inefficient to kill everybody individually, so he’s looking for a way to kill everybody in every universe at once. The plot is filled with a cluster of elements that I assume are taken from the book, but never given time to develop. At one point, Jake is nearly eaten by a living house with floorboards for teeth. Why doesn’t the very existence of this creature turn Jake’s world upside down? He should want to know what these things are, why they exist, how to beat them, and probably suffer from a lifetime case of domatophobia in the process. But no, he escapes through a magical portal
and it’s on to the next adventure in less than a minute. Dozens of potentially rich details like these are glossed over in an effort to hurry toward the showdown at the finale. It doesn’t help that the film clearly doesn’t have the budget to explore these elements. The special effects in the living house sequence are so bad I can only describe them as animation. But my biggest problem with the movie is the utter onesidedness of the central conflict. Roland is bringing a gun to a telekinesis fight. Walter can travel between universes with ease, isn’t being kept at bay by anybody, and has a tracker on our heroes, not to mention a litany of deadly superpowers. Yet he keeps sending incompetent henchmen to do his work. Yes, his mind control won’t work on Roland and he needs Jake alive, but there’s no reason why those minor inconveniences should prevent him from ending things early. Except, of course, that it would mean we wouldn’t get a grand showdown at the end where he has only himself to blame if he loses. “The Dark Tower” isn’t the worst movie I’ve seen all year. Elba gives an earnest performance as always, and it’s fun to watch McConaughey chew the scenery.
The Truth Has No Agenda
“The Dark Tower” is rated PG-13 for thematic material including sequences of gun violence and action. Its running time is 95 minutes. “The Emoji Movie” Last week I reviewed “Dunkirk” and I talked about how early reviews had set the bar impossibly high, which prevented me from appreciating the film more. This week brings us “The Emoji Movie,” and the scales are shifted the other way. This film has been a critical whipping boy since the day it was announced due to the faddish nature of its subject matter. And that prejudice seemed to be justified, with the film scoring a 0% on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes when I saw it Friday afternoon (that number has since beefed up to an 8%). A sort of contest emerged over who could trash the film the hardest, with many reviewers saying something to the effect of “This film is the end of civilization.” It’s a bad film, all right, but I can’t help but feel like maybe it doesn’t deserve to get flayed that badly. The film features a cast of characters defined by a single trait or emotion. Gene (T.J. Miller) is supposed to be an apathetic
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Life in the East End by Rebecca Harrop September is closing in fast as I am writing this article. I swear I don’t know what happened to August. I know a lot happened here in the East End. We had the Mifflin County Youth Fair and Open Show. That is always a busy week. This year the Open Show Committee started two new awards for a “Friend of Fair” and a “Jr. Fair Person.” Mr. Mark Glick was chosen as the “Friend of Fair” recipient for 2017. Mark has provided auctioneering services for the 4-H/ FFA livestock sale ever since they started having a sale. He always
donates his time for the Auction and never takes any payment. He has served on the Fair Board for quite a few years, donating his time and energy to various projects over the years. He often sees a problem and just fixes it without bothering anyone or submitting a bill. Mark is a great supporter of the Fair. The “Jr. Fair Person” recipient was Trent Goss. Trent has been involved in the 4-H program since he was old enough to participate. He is one of those young people who gives over 100% to whatever he is doing. He is eager
to assist his fellow 4-Her’s in any way he can. The younger kids look up to Trent as a leader and someone they can rely on. He is never too busy to help. He readily volunteers when help is needed. He has been involved with 4-H camp for several years as a councilor. The Open Show received several leader nominations for Trent so he was an easy choice to make to receive this award. Congratulations to both Mark Glick and Trent Goss, two very deserving individuals for these awards. The Open Show had a great year this year. Our exhibits were up in numbers this year. We owe you all a great big “Thank You” for entering your items. It’s pretty busy on the farm as usual. The sweet corn is ready and it is really nice this year. We froze some Incredible a couple Sundays ago and hope to freeze some Silver Queen too. We
A Coffee Culture is Brewing in Mifflin County
by Scott Keys
In April of this year, a wonderful new wave was about to start in Mifflin County Pennsylvania. Two new coffee shops were about to open, first was Brisco’s Coffee House in Burnham, Pa. (owned by Brian Powers and Scott Keys) and just a few weeks later came East End Coffee in down town Lewistown, Pa.(Owned by Ryan and Lillah Cherry.) This new wave that
These four coffee shop owners have taken coffee in Mifflin County to a whole new level for the community they wish to serve. They have aspired to the highest form of culinary appreciation of coffee, so that their customers may appreciate the subtleties of flavor, varietal, and growing region – similar to other complex consumable plant-derived products such as wine, tea and chocolate. Distinctive features of third wave coffee include dealing
such as pour-over brewing devices such as Chemex. After trying a coffee at one of these new coffee shops you will never look at coffee the same way again. East End Coffee procures their coffee from Little Amps in Harrisburg, which is a Micro Roaster and coffee shop. Ryan and Lillah of East End Coffee are always willing to talk coffee and have done extensive research to bring some of the best coffee available to Lewistown. Brian and Scott have also done extensive research and received extensive training and have decided to use multiple roasters into their
are getting some tomatoes and cucumbers. We’ve pulled some onions to use and they are doing good. So far no sign of the bugs we were worried about. My sunflowers are so tall this year! Even the ones that are supposed to be shorter varieties got tall. I have some very pretty dahlias this year. I’m kind of bummed though, the one is a really pretty purple but that storm and wind we had a couple weeks ago snapped it off at ground level. Mom’s not sure if it there will be enough top on it to grow next year. It figures, it’s the color I liked the best. My Calla lillies are doing really well also. I might need to make the garden bigger next year for all my flowers. Wait till I tell Dad I need more room. I’m sure that will make him happy. The hay crop has been great so far this summer. I think we just finished the fourth cutting.
shop to give their customers a wide variety of coffee to choose from. Brian and Scott chose to use Rothrock Coffee in State College and Stockton Graham in North Carolina. These two fine coffee shops offer so much more than just coffee. They also offer a wonderful selection of Teas. Brisco’s Brian Powers on right, of Brisco’s Coffee House Coffee House private events, has game night has a very large every third Thursday and has a menu of non-coffee drinks such paint and create class. They also as fruit smoothies and non-coffee have free live entertainment (see frappes. Brisco’s also offers light facebook page for details). breakfast and lunch items such as pastries, baked goods, soups and sandwiches. Brisco’s also hosts Continued on page 31
Ryan and Lillah of East End Coffee Co.
quickly took the area by storm is called Third Wave Coffee; which refers to a current movement to produce the highest quality coffee, and consider coffee as an artisanal foodstuff, like wine, rather than a commodity.
Last year we were hard pressed to get three done. We will soon be thinking about chopping corn silage and then it’s shelling corn and combining beans. There will be lots of big farm equipment on the roadways, so please pay attention. We try not to inconvenience anyone, but sometimes it can’t be helped. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now, if you ate today don’t complain, enjoy the scenery. I’ll be working At the Barnyard Cornmaze again this year. They have a great place with lots of things for kids and adults to enjoy. If you’ve never been there, I really encourage you to go check it out, I’m sure you would have a great time! Those who have been there before know what a great place it is and every year is a new theme so there is always something new. That’s all for this month from the East End. a
direct with Micro Roasters, using the highest quality beans available, use of single origin coffee (as opposed to blends), lighter roasts, and latte art. It also includes revivals of alternative methods of coffee preparation,
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
The Valley, September 2017
The Truth Has No Agenda
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A 501c3 non-profit organization Mailing Address: 114 Second Ave, Burnham, PA 17009 Website: www.embassytheatre.org Email: embassytheatre@verizon.net Facebook: www.facebook.com/embassyltwn
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places News Release: For immediate release
August 15, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT: NTHP PUBLIC AFFAIRS, 202.588.6141, PR@SAVINGPLACES.ORG
National Trust for Historic Preservation Awards the Friends of the Embassy Theatre, Inc. a Preservation Grant Towards the Historic Interior Finishes Investigation
Goss on Permaculture from page 24 It is quite possible that they do. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough data on the subject to create an easy go-to list, even if you are a world renowned permaculturist. So, my advice is to plant plenty of nitrogen fixing plants and any “accumulators” which also serve another purpose in your garden: pollination, aromatic pest deterrent, edibility, or bio-mass production for chop and drop mulch. Hopefully, research on this continues and we will know more about this fascinating concept sometime in the future! a
PA Cleanways of Mifflin County from page 22
Lewistown, Pa. The Friends of the Embassy Theatre, Inc. has been awarded a $6,000 grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors. These grant funds will be used to conduct a Historic Interior Finishes Investigation inside the historic Embassy Theatre. The grant will be matched with funds from the Friends.
This study will examine the many layers of paint to determine changes to decor, study of ornamental plasterwork for special and faux finishes, and to determine the original color and decorative schemes from 1927. Additionally, there are some decorative elements that are known to date later in time, but are considered to have historical value in their own right. These will also be examined, for future placement in either in their original location, or a suitable new location. The study will be performed by Evergreene Architectural Arts, an artwork conservation firm with experience in historic theatres. This study is necessary as a prelude to construction and restoration work within the interior, so that historic finishes are not inadvertently destroyed during construction work.
Results of the study will be used to decorate the interior as it appeared in 1927, with some later preserved artwork. We are looking to hire local artists to complete the decorative paint at the appropriate time. They would be guided by the Historic Interior Finishes Investigation Report, supplied by the contracted company. The Embassy Theatre is a rare example of an ornate small town theatre. A vibrant restored community theatre will be an asset to local citizenry, and provide opportunity for tourism in our community. The interior of the Embassy is remarkably intact, though is in need of major rehabilitation. The building has been determined to be structurally sound and was refurbished on the outside in 2013.
"Organizations like the Friends help to ensure that communities and towns all across America retain their unique sense of place," said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "We are honored to provide a grant to the Friends of the Embassy, which will use the funds to help preserve an important piece of our shared national heritage."
A Memory with a Future, a Future Full of Memories! Bob at the Movies from page 27 completely typical. Everything about it is ripped off from other, better movies. A digital world, a candy world, and a main character uncomfortable with his label? That’s “Wreck-it Ralph.” Characters representing a single emotion learning it’s healthy to have multiple emotions, to the benefit of a
teenager? “Inside Out.” Blatant product placement and the film being defined by a pop culture entity that sounds like a really bad idea for a movie? “The LEGO Movie” pulled it off, but this one doesn’t. But it’s that typicality that somewhat saves “The Emoji Movie.” It doesn’t have many ideas of its own, so it doesn’t have many bad ones. This isn’t a movie
where I’m screaming out “What were they thinking?” It was clearly overseen by people who watched every scene and said, “That will play well, I guess.” It’s a useless junk food movie, not a sign of the apocalypse. Out of every ten gags, maybe one is worth a chuckle, four are painful, and five sail away with no effect whatsoever. I found this movie to be pretty Meh, which is about the
highest praise it’s going to get. One and a Half Stars out of Five. “The Emoji Movie” is rated PG for rude humor. Its running time is 86 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@ nyu.edu. a
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.
lease a parcel of land. Such parcel is located behind the center field fence of the major league field at the corner of Old Route 322 and East Back Mountain Road. The following year a girls softball field was built on that parcel. The Armagh Field complex currently serves as home for Babe Ruth Baseball, Little League Baseball, Little League Girls Softball, and ASA Girls Softball. Throughout the seventy-one years of operation, hundreds of dedicated individuals have helped to improve and maintain the Armagh Memorial Field Complex. In 2016, The Mifflin County 14 yr. Old All Star team brought home the Junior Babe Ruth National Championship. When the team returned to Mifflin County, the players were given a hero’s welcome with a parade of police cars and fire trucks beginning at Walmart in Granville Township, traveling through Lewistown, Burnham, Yeagertown, Reedsville, and ending the parade at the Armagh Memorial Field—the long time home of our Junior Babe Ruth All-stars. I’m sure if anyone would like to help with this worthwhile project, you can call Armagh Township to see how you can help. This is the second time Mifflin County has been awarded this grant. Last year, Lewistown won it to paint the Lewistown Train Station. Pam Sechrist Affiliate Coordinator a
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The Valley, September 2017 The Sojourning Steward from page 9 industry, and we want to ensure that all our clients have access to this assistance and peace of mind. We can also help you with PA Property Tax and Rent Rebates. In addition to tax preparation, we offer bookkeeping, accounting, and payroll services. As already mentioned, we would enjoy working with you. The Stewardship Group offers a wide range of services to meet our client’s needs. In addition to our Tax, Payroll, and Bookkeeping Department, we offer a wide variety of insurance services. To do this, we have a staff of fourteen individuals. Each staff member is committed to achieving excellence in their professional and personal lives, which is what Holistic living and Stewardship is all about. I would like to highlight a few of our staff and associates here. Marisa Bossert worked with us last summer as an intern. She graduated from Pensacola Christian College in May with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business, with an Accounting Concentration. Marisa joined us full-time shortly after graduation and we are pleased to have her as part of our accounting and tax preparation team. Preston Sharp has been with The Stewardship Group for seventeen years. He too started as an intern and upon graduating with an associate degree, he chose to seek full time association with us. Preston has worked and studied hard through the years, obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 2009. He followed that up with earning his Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) Designation in 2013, and in August of last year, earned his Chartered Life
Underwriter (CLU) Designation. It’s good to have Preston and his expertise here at The Stewardship Group. Talina Lutz joined us in December, 2013 and has worked as a Customer Service Representative in the Property and Casualty Insurance Department. Having no previous insurance experience, she worked hard to learn the ropes and passed her licensing exam in September, 2015. We are pleased to announce that Talina is our most recent staff member to achieve an industry designation, becoming a Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) this August. Congratulations, Talina! It’s a delight having you here. Larry Kauffman joined our staff in December, 2008 and started out as our front desk receptionist. He now serves the company as Vice President, Property & Casualty (P&C) Lines. He too came to us with no prior insurance experience and studied and became licensed in August, 2009, and then pursued earning his CISR designation. This July, Larry achieved his second industry designation by studying and passing the required course material to become a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC). We are grateful that Larry chooses to practice his profession here. He has acquired a good depth of knowledge and provides a steady hand regarding P&C operations. As the Agency Principle and Owner, I am blessed to work with a really great group of people, a few of whom I’ve highlighted above. As I write about these individuals and their achievements, I realize more fully how talented and committed our staff and associates are and I want to encourage you to contact us so that members of our able team may work in
their chosen profession on your behalf. Founder and President of The Stewardship Group in Belleville, Mr. Ostrowski earned his Master of Science Degree in Financial Services from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pa in 2007. His articles ponder various contemporary topics evaluating them from a political, economic and scriptural point of view. a
CELEBRATING OUR NEW “HOME” FOR THE SEASON
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO A
“Housewarming Party” FOR THE
Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra THE
AT THE
State Theatre, 130 West College Avenue
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 from 4:30 - 6:30 Stop in for drinks and catered hors d’oeuvres from Harrison’s, take a tour of our new performance “home” for our 2017-2018 season, and listen to delightful music performed by PCO harpist Anne Sullivan. Our Maestro, Yaniv Attar, will give a brief overview of our exciting season called “Changing Dynamics.”
This an open house that you will not want to miss! Tickets are $50, available online at www.thestatetheatre.org or call 814-272-0606
A Coffee Culture is Brewing in Mifflin County from page 28 East End offers a wonderful variety of local made baked goods and also has free live entertainment, hosts artist galleries and adult Zen coloring. (see facebook page for details). There are plenty of free and low cost things to do at both coffee shops which only adds to the charm of these two up and coming establishments. The vibe at East End is very modern with eclectic décor such as handmade tables made by Ryan Cherry and an art gallery feel. Ryan and Lillah are very welcoming which makes you feel that they are truly reaching out to all types of people. Brisco’s has a more at home feel with over 5500 square feet of space which includes a tv lounge, books and games. There is plenty of space so you don’t feel you are on top of each other. It’s sort of a home away from home where you can come in from the hustle and bustle and just get lost in your own world. At Brisco’s you are never a stranger and you feel you are among friends. Many people come in just because they know they will run into friends and can sit and catch up on life. Both coffee shops offer free wifi which
The Truth Has No Agenda
makes them perfect to get work or Star Jewelry and Vince’s Pizza. You can find us on Facebook by studying done. going to Facebook and typing in Both shops offer incredEastEndCoffeeCo and for Brisco’s ible unique beverages not found briscoscoffeehouse. anywhere else in the area such as nitro coffee, pour over coffee and East End Coffee’s Hours of a wonderful selection of Teas. operation are Monday – Friday So the next time you want to 7am-4pm and Saturday 8am-12 meet someone for a coffee or pm. Closed Sunday. Brisco’s non coffee drink and you want hours of operation are Mondayto try something different, shop Saturday 7am-8pm and Closed small and try East End Coffee or Sunday. Brisco’s Coffee House. Either We are waiting to greet you place will certainly be a treat that and give you an exceptional cup you will not regret. of coffee. “Strangers are friends Introduce yourselves and you haven’t met yet.” a tell us you read the article in The Valley Newspaper and let’s talk coffee. East End Coffee is located downtown Lewistown at 18 East Market Street next to the downtown OIP. Brisco’s is located at 309 South Logan Blvd. next Scott Keys of Brisco’s Coffee House. to Four
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The Valley, September 2017
All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.