The Valley - April 2013

A free newspaper dedicated to agriculture, self-reliance, frugal living, and modern homesteading.

Tomorrow’s Media - A Day Early

ComplimentaryVolume 4, No. 4 The Valley, April 2013

F R E E

Serving Mifflin County and the surrounding area.

The Valley

Lighting Brush Fires in People’s Minds

There is a little secret happen-ing in Lewistown, in one of the most unexpected places. No need to travel to State College or Har-risburg to experience the “Club Scene” any longer. Mel Smith and her family have worked extremely hard to bring a first-class “Club and Pub” to Chestnut Street in Lewistown. I was absolutely blown away when I first walked through the door. Mel had been telling me about their new project while I was at her other business, The Dragonfly Antiques on Market Street. Even her thorough expla-nation could not have prepared me for what greeted my eyes when I walked through the door a couple months ago. For a minute I thought I had been transported to some big city nightclub, and right away I noticed how clean and organized the whole operation was—from the door security to the cleanest rest rooms I have ever seen in a club. There was a raised stage, a huge dance floor, billiards tables, dart boards and a very styl-ish “social bar” on the upper level. What surprised me even more was that even though it was early in the evening, the place was filling up. How did these folks know about this place? It seems that with all of the work they were doing to the club, advertising was something that wasn’t at the top of their list, the crowd that was building was the

result of mostly word of mouth advertise-ment, which proves that those who came once, told their friends and they also returned. A comfort-able, clean atmosphere and a tightly controlled safe envi-ronment to party is just what Lewistown needed. Not being familiar with the club scene here, or anywhere for that matter, I was lost when Mel started rattling off the different bands that had already played at the 717 Club & Pub to huge crowds of up to 400 people. To say that this is very exciting for Lewistown would be an under-statement. The fact that the 717 Club & Pub is happening on Chestnut Street, where many other exciting projects are taking place, bodes well for the future of down-town. When I stopped in to get the story, this is what Mel had to say. “The 717 Club & Pub was a long time in the making. We want-ed to have a place where adults

could meet, have a few drinks, have a few laughs, and enjoy good live entertainment. Our goal has always been for people to come in happy, have a great time, and leave happy. Our customers tell us we have succeeded in doing just that. In today’s world, people want to be entertained and sometimes there are limited options available to them. The 717 is providing the option of live entertainment in a great atmosphere. We have DJs on most Friday nights with the occasional guest DJ like DJ “JABS” all the way from Omaha Nebraska and J. Valar from Scranton PA. Our DJs keep the dance floor full and our dancers happy! The 717 usually has live

music on Saturdays. In the 10 months that we have been open, some of the bands that have played our venue include, “My Hero Zero” & “Velveeta” from State College & Chicken Tractor De-luxe from Millheim.

We have also featured “Pop Rox” from Wilkes Barre, “Beat City” from Philadelphia, “Kiss Alive” from New York City, “Chris Woodward” from Three Springs, “Funny Money” from Maryland, “M-80” from Wilkes Barre, and “Honey Pump” from Harrisburg. The new local band “So-Low” & Chris Ruble are always a favor-ite, and who can forget the now dissolved band “Lucky You,” they were fantastic and will be greatly missed. In the next few months we will have bands such as “Radio Tokyo” from Pittsburgh, “Total White Out” from State College, “Big Jack,” and another timeless, local favorite, “Friction” rocking the stage at the 717. Come out and

Lewistown’s Best-Kept Secret

Exposed!support Live Music! The 717 Club & Pub is a very spacious venue set on two, levels in one large space. Features include two bars, V.I.P. booths available to rent, lots of tables, chairs, booths and pub-style seat-ing. We also offer pool tables and darts. Something everyone will appreciate are our “no waiting,” CLEAN, restrooms, even on the busiest of nights! Another nice feature at the 717 is the raised stage, which the bands love and appreciate, as well as the dedicated dance floor that keeps those who love to dance happy. People really enjoy the birds-eye view they have of the stage and dance floor. When you are on the top level at the railing you really get to see everything that is going on. Our staff includes a full secu-rity detail, bartenders, waitresses and barbacks that all know their jobs and perform them profes-sionally and flawlessly in a way that makes me very proud to have them in our 717 “family.” We feel that consistency in our drinks is of the utmost importance. Our bar staff has either graduated from the “Capital Bartending School” in Harrisburg, or have been trained by someone who has. We are proud of the drinks we serve and hear over and over that our drinks are the best

The dance floor is usually packed at the 717, come join us in your own hometown club.

Continued on page 25

The Valley, April 20132

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Editor’s Corner Wayne Stottlar

Contact InfoEditor/PublisherWayne Stottlar

Graphic Artist/Co-PublisherLynn Persing

Associate EditorColleen Swetland

The ValleyPO Box 41 Yeagertown, PA 17099(717) 363-1550

E-mail: [email protected]: www.thevalleynewspaper.com

©The Valley. All Rights Reserved.

Spring? Ha! Where? This has got to be the most miserable winter in recent memory. I have burned one half again as much wood than I burned last year, my metal detecting hobby has been put on hold, and that causes lots of withdrawal to someone as addict-ed to the hobby as I am. Last year I think there were only a hand-ful of days that I was kept from hunting, but this year I can count on one hand how many times I have been out since the New Year. The lack of sunshine also has me grumpier than normal—I LOVE the sunshine! I think that my ses-sions at the Himalayan Salt Cave are the only thing that has kept me from going over the deep end. The more I go, the more of a sense of well-being I have, not to mention a noticeable benefit to many of the ailments that carrying around an old and abused body make you aware of. The world and national news also are not conducive to a happy, cheery self either. As we strive to become more self-reliant, and less exposed to the craziness of the progressive world, the quicker it seems that the rest of the world is rushing headlong into insanity. My Amish friends keep telling me that I have too much information and bad news coming at me from all angles and need to simplify

more. Taking an objective view of that, they are absolutely right. I think if it weren’t for hockey, I might be tempted to take a page out of Rick Hanson’s book and use tube for target practice. The TV is one of the most power-ful tools the government has, they use it to manipulate and program you. There is an agenda to most everything you see. It’s a produc-tion instead of straight-forward re-porting—even the shows that are advertised as entertainment have agendas woven in throughout the story line. It is everywhere, and most people just numbly sit on their couches watching “Dancing with the has-beens.” On the good news front we have several stories this month that were fun to write and re-search and kept me in touch with REAL people. We have more guest writers this month and a few new advertisers, and we feel that those stories that come from the community add great value to our pages. Real people, real stories about actual happenings, rather than staged productions or information disseminated from a central location far from the source of the story. Unfortunate-ly, most local dailies practice this kind of one-size-fits-all reporting, and in my opinion, it hurts their readership.

I am finally getting around to getting some seeds started, I just didn’t get that urge this year as I have in the past. I suppose the lack of any signs the weather was going to improve any time soon could be the cause. But, it is time, so perhaps that yearly activity will adjust my attitude in a positive direction. I also want to mention that your local maple syrup is ready to purchase. See the ad on this page for info on where you can get that natural sweetness. While getting a haircut a week or two ago, during the height of the illegal government gun grab argument, Sue, who has been cutting my hair for years says, “Why are you so Grumpy!” My answer was, “those paying at-tention to world events have every reason to be grumpy.” Un-elected officials are stealing your personal Liberty at an alarming rate, your elected officials use these kind of people to make it appear that it isn’t their fault, all the while a wink and a nod keeps the activity going strong. There is one thing you can count on, the government will NEVER vote itself less pow-er. They have stepped way beyond their intended place and will continue at an accelerating tempo.

They have made you believe that they have the power to do this. They DO NOT! Their influence only reaches as far as we all are willing to let them go. The “Peo-ple” created the government, not the other way around, and when we decide we have had enough, we would be well within our Constitutional power to change it. The biggest impediment to that is the fact that the government steals money from YOU, then gives it to people who will continue to vote them into power. When our founders set up our govern-ing rules, they never envisioned people so devoid of character and morals that they would accept stolen money, taken from those that produce. The destruction of incentive is an evil perpetrated by our own government in the name of fairness. Our elected officials are our

SERVANTS! They serve at OUR pleasure, those that have failed to uphold their oath, should be thrown out with the trash. a

The Valley, April 2013 3

www.thevalleynewspaper.com

505 CHIROPRACTIC, LLC

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Dr. Christie R. Gisewhite

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Formerly Gisewhite Chiropractic Center

As we have tried to point out, Agenda 21 is a comprehensive statement of a political ideology that is being infused into every level of government in America. It is true that Democrats tried to pass a resolution to develop a national strategy to implement Agenda 21. Even though that resolution has never been adopted, the recom-mendations have been imple-mented through various actions by the President and Congress. Although Agenda 21 has never been implemented by treaty, it has been advanced by what is termed soft-law policy. That policy is not binding as a treaty, but it is com-monly utilized in United Nations strategy. Soft law policy finds im-mediate application through local legislation or policy without an internationally binding agreement. When you look at an organi-zation or a movement, you usu-ally look at the basic principles, mission and purpose. The key words in the mission of Agenda 21 include “worldwide move-ment”, “global sustainability”, and “cumulative local actions”. The principles include “community of life”, “democratic societies”, “bio-

logical diversity”, “community well-being”, “human development in an equitable and sustainable manner” and “environmental imperative”. Do you notice there is no reference to freedom, indi-vidual liberty or property rights? Compare the source of our Declaration of Independence with the United Nations Declara-tion of Human Rights. We have individual rights and the U.N. emphasizes community rights. Comparing the purposes of government we have our Declara-tion of Independence purpose of protecting the natural or unalien-able rights of each individual with the U.N. purpose of controlling the individual for the greater good of a global community. In short, in our United States, we are born with rights and government exists to protect them. In the United Nations version, the government grants, restricts or withdraws your

rights according to your

needs. The product of your labor belongs to the community. The U.N. Charter provides the point of agreement and supports Agenda 21. That sounds very much like the share the wealth ideas coming from the Obama administration. Locally, words such as con-sensus statement or vision state-ment are proposed and authority to regulate citizens is submitted to a non-elected authority. They reach for a consensus which does not recognize any minority view. Sound familiar? The effect of a communitarian philosophic ap-proach to government dominates the Obama administration’s agen-da. Gone are the days when the federal government was limited. The battle of ideas is classic – the battle between liberty and tyranny. We see it everywhere today. We need to restore liberty through a renewal of reason and respect for individual determination. Agenda 21 advances the anti-liberty sus-

tainable development agenda. The United Nations website clearly displays Agenda 21 docu-ments. Sustainable development documents call for the abolish-ment of private property along with the freedom private property supports. We need to read about this threat. We need to face the challenge. Look at the language used in local land development plans, zoning ordinances and eminent domain proceedings. We need to recognize that this form of government leads to a breakdown of liberty and accountability. I, for one, continue to resist collec-tivist attitudes, values and beliefs. If we do nothing, our future and our children’s future is threatened. It may sound like science fiction or some conspiracy theory, but it isn’t. Most of us agree that gov-erning environmental laws have strayed far from intended purpos-es, and their implementations are imposing immense costs on Amer-icans. There are few benefits in return. Mandates are imposed and ineffective bureaucracies are

enlarged and empowered. Our country needs to require objective, rigorous scientific standards, bal-ance the costs of regulations with benefits, and let states set policy and regulatory standards. We need to reject ceding control over elements of our nation’s economic and individual liberties through ineffective global environmental negotiations. We need to clearly reject Agenda 21 and its prin-ciples. Doing so requires an ap-proach that first reflects the tradi-tional American values of private property rights, free markets and individual liberty and responsibil-ity. We need to be educated and reject the ideas and advocacy of Agenda 21. The key is education and that requires people who are willing to read and become aware how Agenda 21 reaches into many parts of your life. Agenda 21 is about control and regulation. It is an effort to redistribute wealth – only on a global scale. That sounds just like the Obama efforts to redistribute our wealth in these United States. I truly despise the flowery language used by propo-nents of Agenda 21. They must believe we are pretty dumb. I just hope enough of us surprise them and spread the word about the true meaning or plans like Agenda 21. Consider yourself warned. Hope-fully, you will respond. a

We’ve Done Our PartThe Rest Is Up To You

By Dave Molek


[email protected]

I think it’s probably safe to assume that most of you are hav-ing the same luck I am at finding any kind of ammunition any-where, especially certain calibers. I just want to kick myself every time I walk into a gun shop or walk through the sporting goods section of my local big box store and stare disappointingly at the empty shelves. Just thinking about the many times I put off buying that extra box of .22 LR makes me want to scream. Who would have thought five or six months ago that we would be facing the kind of shortage and “panic buying” that we are seeing today. Is there a legitimate reason for this panic buying spree? With the uncer-tain future of our gun rights and suppression of our freedoms by which has become, in my opinion,

an oppressive government at ALL levels, I think, yes, that there is a VERY legitimate reason. This month I want to give you a few thoughts on what I’ll call the 11th Hour Panic or wait-ingtothelastminutetodosomething-Jaredbecauseyouhaveareallybad-habitofdoingthatjustaskyourwife. Really I just want to encourage you to not make the same mistake that I made with my ammo pur-chases. Take this time while your dollar still has some buying power to make those purchases that need to be made. Prioritize your list of lists, delay that vacation if you must to buy that big ticket item, whether it be a generator, a water filter, or a new pressure canner. Take this time to contact like-minded folks; find out who you can rely on and trust. Make that

firearms purchase; exercise your right to gun ownership while you still can. Learn those skills you keep saying that one day you will. Become more self-reliant today; plant that garden, buy those chickens. We have a win-dow of opportunity right now to make certain prepara-tions and to do them discreetly, but I feel that window may soon close forever. Yes, there is a sense of urgency, but it is for a good reason, and tomorrow may be too late. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but our country is facing the same

predicament that the EU is facing right now—po-tential, if not inevitable, eco-nomic collapse. The folks in DC know our finan-cial situation is not sustainable and they are doing their best to delay it for as

long as possible. It is unfortunate that most of our fellow citizens continue to believe that we are on the road to recovery, and that they

continue to ignore the signs all around. “You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore the conse-quences of ignoring reality” --Ayn Rand Do not wait until the 11th hour to get your preparations in order. Do not delay in making those purchases, making those contacts, or getting that training. Commit yourself to becoming more prepared today than you were yesterday. Refuse to be a statistic. a

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April 19 and 20, 2013HANDMADE QUILTS

Food and baked goods as well asa limited quantity of our famous strawberry

pies available both days! Visitwww.bellevillemennoniteschool.org

for information, photos and auction items.

The 11th Hour Panic



Looking out my Back Door Life on my Mifflin County Homestead by Mary Anna Chenoweth

“Ma had sent them ginger-water. She had sweetened the cool well water with sugar, flavored it with vinegar and put in plenty of ginger to warm their stomachs so they could drink till they were not thirsty. Ginger-water would not make them sick, as plain cold water would when they were so hot.” - from The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

NEWS FLASH! FORGET THE G----ADE! DUMP THE R-D B--L! We’ve got the scoop on the ULTIMATE POWER DRINK FOR HARD WORKING, SUSTAINABLE AG, HOME-STEADING TYPES that you can make in the comfort of YOUR OWN KITCHEN using INGRE-

DIENTS SOURCED FROM THE REAL WORLD! That’s how this month’s topic could be described using today’s power marketing techniques. What do you think? Well, I don’t think much of it either. How about this? Summer is just around the corner and that means outdoor pastimes like haymaking and field work and construction and gardening and other such activi-ties with family and friends that guarantee that you will be getting an adequate daily dose of vitamin D. In other words, you’re go-ing to be working in the sun and you’re going to sweat - a lot. Which means that, at work or at

play, your bodies are going to shed fluid and minerals like crazy. To put all the fluid and minerals back where they belong, many people turn to commercially avail-able drinks that may have some of what your body needs but all too often also contain things that your body can definitely do without.A traditional, delicious and (in my own biased opinion) superior al-ternative to these flashy packaged drinks is a beverage most often referred to as switchel. Depending on your source it may also go by the derivative names of swizzle, switchy or swit-zel. Another name, haymaker’s punch, makes abundant sense, especially to all of us who have sweated our way through this es-sential summer time chore.

Along with various local names, there are a number of possibilities for where and when this homemade thirst quencher originated. The Caribbean, eastern Canada and the greater Amish community are just three cultural areas that have been put forth as home base. Evidence of the particular combina-tion of ingredients that makes the drink switchel has been around for at least three hundred years. Along with varia-tions in the name and place of origin, there are some variations in those ingredients. Folks with access to the internet will have a field day reading all of the websites that celebrate switchel. But there are four constants in every recipe I’ve seen so far: water, apple cider vinegar, some type of sugar and powdered ginger.

Now, let’s take a look at the how and why of a very basic recipe for the switchel that we’ve used for the past forty years or so.

Basic Switchel

For each quart of water, add a mixture of:½ cup apple cider vinegar ½ cup honey, molasses (or maple syrup, especially if you make your own)1 teaspoon of powdered ginger (or to taste)

Mix a teaspoon or so of water with the ginger to make sure there are no lumps oozing about. Add the vinegar and honey and mix well. Stir into the water and chill. We generally make this up in 2 quart mason jars in the evening and let in sit over night in the fridge. Remember to give it a good shake before drinking. If you’re working away from the house, a slick, low tech way to have cool switchel on hand is to set the jar, wrapped in a wet cloth, in some nearby shade - in the way of a breeze if possible. The evaporation of the moisture from the towel should help to keep the switchel cool for quite a few hours. Over the years we’ve read up on why these particular ingredi-ents work so well together to slake our thirst and replenish our bod-ies. Here are just a few interesting points for your consideration. Among all of its other healthy attributes, apple cider vinegar is a power house of minerals. High on the list is the potassium particu-larly needed by the body during and after strenuous activity. While raw, organic apple cider vinegar is considered the best choice by most of us who make and drink this concoction, any apple cider vinegar that is available can be used. Read labels. Sometimes you’ll find the word “flavored” tucked in there in small print. Do not be fooled. It’s apple cider vinegar made from whole apples that you are after. (Have I empha-sized that enough?) You also may want to avoid any vinegar that is packaged in plastic – but that’s a conversation for another time. Honey and molasses are the sugars most often found in switchel recipes. While they con-tain some minerals, their most ob-vious roles are as energy sources. Maple syrup is an obvious choice from areas where its production is common. While molasses is a by product of the sugar refining process, it is far different from the resulting cane sugar, which is not

usually found as a switchel ingre-dient in the older recipes that I’ve seen. We have learned much in recent years about the nutritional value of refined sugar. Perhaps this new information can play a part in your choice. As a matter of taste, another point to consider is that honey, molasses and maple syrup or any combination thereof, will you give completely different flavor experi-ences. Ginger finishes off the list. The tummy settling qualities of this tropical spice make its inclu-sion in a hot weather-work drink quite sensible. Anyone who has gotten a stomach cramp from swigging a cold drink while over-heated will appreciate this point. It’s also why you usually see the word cool, not cold, mentioned. So it might not be a good idea to gulp down switchel straight from the fridge, sip it if you must have it cold since even the ginger may not help to save you from modern refrigeration. Another good reason to include the ginger is that it really tastes good with the sweetened vinegar, though if you’re new to this spice, adjust the amount to your liking. So there you have it. Since you’re reading this in April, you have plenty of time before the hot days of summer to do your own research and then to experiment to find your favorite switchel recipe. Enjoy!

To begin reading up on vin-egar and other healthy additions to our diets, try this classic book.Vermont Folk Medicine by D. C. Jarvis M. D. (Recently saw Folk Medicine: A New England Almanac of Health Care from a Noted Vermont Country Doc-tor. By D.C. Jarvis from Fawcett Publications. I have not had a chance to check it out but I’d lay dollars to doughnuts it’s a reprint and definitely a book to consider adding to your home library.) a

In Praise of Country Things: Consider the Switch to Switchel

Switchel, a healthful summer drink that replaces what you use and keeps your body performing in tip-top condition.


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Thots on...GenesisA Bible Study for the Lay Christian

by Lydia

New Life!by Pastor Pat Roller

In 2 Timothy 3.16, Paul tells us, “Every inspired scripture has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, or for reforma-tion of manners and discipline in right living…” [NEB*] *Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are quoted from the New Interna-tional Version.Genesis 20.9Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, ‘What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.’ You may recall that when Abraham moved to Egypt during the famine in Canaan, he worried that the Egyptians might covet his beautiful wife and so he told Sa-rah to lie and say she was his sis-ter. Because Pharaoh took Sarah into his harem, believing she was an unmarried woman, the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house-hold with disease. Upon learning

that Sarah was Abraham’s wife, Pharaoh sent Abraham and his household packing. [see Genesis 12] Since that little ploy turned out so well, Abraham decided to try it again. This time, Abraham had moved from Hebron, which lies in the hills to the south of Jerusalem, to Gerar in the Negev, about 15 miles inland from the Mediterra-nean Sea. Since he was traveling across the hill country and down into the Negev with his household and all his flocks and herds, he made the journey in easy stages. We aren’t told the reason for this move. Perhaps he no longer enjoyed the view: the ashes of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Once again, Abraham was concerned that his wife’s great beauty might be a liability. Bear in mind that Sarah was now 90 years old, yet she was still very beauti-ful. (Don’t you wish we knew her beauty secret, ladies?!) And once again, Abraham told Sarah to lie

and tell everyone that she was his sister. Abraham settled in the Negev, in the district ruled by Abimelech, king of Gerar. Word of Sarah’s great beauty reached the king’s ears and, believing that Sarah was unmarried, Abimelech sent for her and took her into his harem. However, God was watch-ing over Sarah and kept her safe. Sarah’s husband Abraham was her spiritual covering and out of respect for her husband and her LORD, Sarah had obeyed Abraham. Therefore, God held Abraham, not Sarah, accountable for the lie. In fact, God himself came to Sarah’s defense. He spoke to Abimelech in a dream, telling him, “You shall die because this woman whom you have taken…is a married woman.” [Genesis 20.3 NEB] Abimelech was understand-ably concerned to hear God pro-nounce a death sentence against him. In his dream, the king protested his innocence and said he had taken Sarah with a clear conscience. God answered him, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against

me. That is why I did not let you touch her.” [Genesis 20.6] God told Abimelech to return Sarah to her husband and ask Abraham to intercede on his behalf. Though Abimelech was a pa-gan ruler, he believed the God of Abraham and, without hesitation, obeyed His instructions. Note also that God considered adultery a sin not against Abraham or Sarah, but against God Himself. Upset at Abraham’s decep-tion, Abimelech called a meeting of his top officials and told them what the God of Abraham had said to him in the dream. They, too, were terrified, for they did not want to fall under the judgment of such a powerful God. Then the king called Abra-ham and demanded an explana-tion, telling him, “You have done things to me that should not be done.” [Genesis 20.9] What a humbling experience it must have been for a man of God to be rebuked by a pagan king. Was Abraham contrite when faced with his deception? On the contrary, instead of admitting his sin and asking forgiveness, he dissembled and tried to justify his behavior. “Well, she’s really

the daughter of my father, you know… and, well, I just didn’t know if I could trust God to take care of me, so I told a little white lie.” [Genesis 20.11-13 para-phrased] Abraham tried to justify himself by insisting that he’d told only a partial lie, but as someone once noted, a half-truth, told with the intent to deceive, is always a whole lie. Surely, God must be dog-tired of listening to such excuses for our disobedience! However, Abimelech had taken God’s warning seriously and was not in the mood to listen to Abraham’s excuses. Not only did he return Sarah to her hus-band, but he gave Abraham sheep, cattle, slaves and the choicest land in the kingdom, and then asked Abraham to intercede on behalf of him and his people, as God had instructed him. On account of Sarah, all the women in Abimelech’s house-hold had been struck barren and a king’s life was nearly forfeited. Once again, we see the far-reaching effects and unintended consequences of sin—even small, seemingly insignificant sins, such as Abraham’s little white lie. a

Soon Spring and Easter will be exploding into our lives. With hurricanes hitting the coast, with snow blanketing the Midwest and us, and with one dreary-gray day following another—perhaps we are looking forward to both spring and Easter more this year than before. We yearn to see the first yellow-green leaves push-ing out of trees, the first daffodils springing from the earth, the first weather where we don’t have to wear winter coats. WE want to see chocolate-faced children play-ing on the lawn, the Easter bunny making an appearance, or Easter eggs arriving colorful and full of life. Some of us are striving to just hold on long enough to make it to signs of new life. Yes, I know there is that fear still hanging over us that we will still have winter weather and possibly a bad snow storm. But, those who are optimistic are preparing for Spring. Those who are more realistic haven’t put their winter clothes away yet. Both Spring and Easter offers to us the possibility of new life—the reality of hope. This is a new life grounded in the old one, but altered radically by the grace of

the Christ Child whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. This is a new life that is promised to be abundant and full of meaning and purpose. This is a new life that is grounded in the King of Kings who gave his life for us. What we do with this promised new life is determined by us and our relation-ship with God and others. We can fall into the rut of winter, gray days endured. WE can fall into the rut of survival. Or, we can celebrate the coming of this new life with joy and hope. We who live in Christ possess a constant hope. It is a hope built on the reality of God’s love for us. This hope is not something wished for, something in the distant future, some possibility we dare not dream of. This hope we possess is constant and consistent grounded in and built upon Christ who is the center of our new life, our reality of hope, or experience of grace. As this new Spring and Easter passes, I invite you to look at your life, your relationship with God and your relationships with others. These are the areas where you

OBSERVATIONS . . . of an OLD MAN

We are living in a climate of concerns, beginning with the Economic Meltdown of 2007/2008 and continuing in the

Political Polarizations of today. Fear in our land is pervasive!

But, should we be fearful?

Isaiah 41: Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind .

Proverbs 2: Incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding . . . . The Lord gives wisdom. . . . Cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for under-standing . . . Then shalt thou understand righteousness,

and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

Peter J. Moses,Continued on page 22



Adventures on Our

Nourishing Journey by Sue Burns

Coming Clean In the health and wellness world, springtime often elicits de-tox talk. Magazines, blogs, web-sites, emails and TV infomercials are popping up as fast as the daf-fodils. We are reminded that it is time to come clean. The premise is that we are supposed to get our bodies in “spic and span” shape, as well as our homes and gardens. Fling open the windows and toss out the musty, dusty, smelly, winter build-up. Sounds great, but exactly how and why should we do that? And what if we don’t have the resources to engage in an all-out toxic warfare? This month I bring you some simple, common sense tips to keep your insides as squeaky clean as your windows!

Close Encounters of the Toxic Kind

No doubt, our exposures to toxins are increasing with each passing year. Our hunter/gatherer ancestors lived a rough and tough life, but they had it much easier when it came to toxic exposure. If, by chance, you question that statement, check out the 139 page report from the Center for Disease Control’s National Report on Human Exposure to Environmen-tal Chemicals Updated Table at: http://www.cdc.gov/exposurere-port/pdf/FourthReport_Updated-Tables_Sep2012.pdf The stuff it reveals is more frightening than the hundreds of dust bunnies that are nesting under your bed. Many toxins have external origins via the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the plethora of hygiene and beauty products we dot and

dab all over our skin. Others are lurking within office supplies, building materials, growing on mold, floating on cigarette smoke, beaming through radiation, and of course, this time of year we can’t forget the spring cleaning products we spray and sputter throughout our homes. As if that is not enough, our bodies inter-nally produce toxic by-products from our everyday metabolism. Injury and surgery bring their own creatures. And finally, there is another form of internal toxin that may be overlooked, yet they spare no one. These are the toxins that form from our cumulative life experiences, emotional trauma and stress.

Yet, in spite of this massive and un-avoidable invasion, we need not obsess about all the “beas-ties” that surround us. In this high-tech,

mechanized world, we sometimes tend to lose sight that our bodies are divine miracles, not machines. That means that our creator has gifted us with our very own built-in ability to spring clean our systems 365 days a year. Most of us are not in need of “fasting retreats” and expensive elixirs to cast out our sludge. All we need to keep things running smoothly is a little reminder as to how our custom made detox system works, and the steps we can take to nour-ish it along so we can reduce our risks to toxic exposure.

How do we know if toxins are toying with us?

Dr. Elson Haas of the Preven-tative Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael California defines a toxin as “any substance that creates irritating and /or harmful effects in the body, undermin-ing our health or stressing our biochemical or organ functions.”

In other words, a toxin is anything that can be harmful to the body as it affects our body’s balance. It may also be defined as a foreign chemical not produced by the body. Water soluble toxins are absorbed and then excreted, but fat soluble chemicals accumulate in our fat cell and cell membranes. When our body is under stress, it releases these chemicals to circu-late in the bloodstream only to be returned to the fat cells another time. Hence, that up and down sluggish feeling we all sometimes experience. Other common symp-toms of too many toxins include headaches, fatigue, chronic respi-ratory problems, coated tongue, bad breath, multiple allergies, depression, brittle nails and hair, adult acne, being underweight or overweight, memory loss and mental confusion, “flulike” symptoms, skin irritations, muscle aches and pains, vision distur-bances, and gastrointestinal upsets such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. A person’s susceptibil-ity and response to toxins varies with age, gender, health status, genetic factors, nutritional status and lifestyle. Children and elderly people are more susceptible to toxins than healthy adults and women are more sensitive in general than men. Women have more adipose (fat) tissue in which fat soluble toxins are stored. Hormones are also a factor. Remember, all symptoms are clues that allow us to investigate and explore our journey toward balance.

Our Built in Detoxifiers

Everyday our body is eliminat-ing toxins via our skin, liver, kidneys, lungs, gastrointestinal

tract and our lymphatic and circulatory systems. Any and all support we can give to these organs and body systems will in turn aid in our detoxification process. It’s a blessing that the body is so efficient and

effective when it comes to dealing with toxins, but we are facing some mighty heavy loads. Today we are being bombarded with tox-ins as soon as (and before) we are born. Yet, just 50 years ago, the levels of toxins were lower, as our bodies were used to eating whole, unprocessed, non-technologi-cally impacted foods. We didn’t consume pharmaceuticals at the levels we do now, our air had less pollution in it, and our cosmetics were made more naturally. Today, the toxic load is higher, the stress on our bodies is cumulative, and the detrimental effect of this expo-sure is accumulating into our toxic load. How to Detox Without Spend-

ing A Fortune At The Spa If you have any of the above mentioned symptoms, you will benefit from doing an internal spring cleaning. Cleansing your cells allows your body, including your immune system, to do its job better. And the healthier and “cleaner” you are, the better able

the body is to heal itself. In fact, if you are living on planet Earth, you have a “toxic load” whether you know it or not. If you don’t have symptoms, you are below the symptom threshold, but you still have toxins in your body. You can do a detox or cleanse and reduce your burden, which in turn will greatly improve your body’s functioning and prevent future health issues. Here is a brief listing of sev-eral common detoxifying meth-ods that you may want to further explore:Saunas, baths and hydrotherapy A very basic detox method is one that involves promoting heat in the body to release fat soluble toxins from the fat cells of the body. The toxins are moved into the bloodstream where they are flushed out in urine, bile, and sweat. A hot bath has been called a poor man’s sauna. Ideally the tub should be spotless (using a non-toxic cleaner). Take a shower first to remove body oils and dead skin cells. Fill the tub with as hot as you can tolerate. Begin with a five minute soak, no longer, and gradually increase the time by 5 minutes until you can soak for 30 minutes. Massage your muscles while soaking to increase


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Well it’s April here on the homestead and we are crazy busy with the winter clean up. We have had a hard winter here in New England and the yard is full of de-bris. I have already burned for five days and just now I am getting a handle on getting rid of it all. As we are beginning work on the newly cleared side of the property, we have been looking into cheap projects to not only beautify, but to make the area functional. One of our first priorities is to fence the property line. Being a stay-at- home homesteader doesn’t

exactly promote buying new fence financially, so I have been search-ing for alternatives. A few months ago I wrote about wattle fencing, but the amount of material we would need would be prohibitive since that side alone is 150 feet long. In doing a web search, I found a great looking and very cheap idea. A fence made out of pallets. The use of pallets is becoming somewhat of a fad because many businesses give their used pallets to whoever wants them. Our local newspaper,

for example, actually advertises the availability of their pallets. In other words, “please come take them!” Our local feed and grain store also has them available “free for the taking,” all you have to do is go pick them up. Most times, pallets seem to be made up of oak or pine. I think we are leaning in the oak direc-tion, if they are available. We may have to brush linseed oil on them or spray them with some sort of preservative to get them to last. On the other hand, they are free, so replacing a fence section that rots shouldn’t be an issue. The only thing that will be of some cost is finding some pressure treated posts and the gas to go back and forth. There seems to be two different methods of using the pallets for fencing. One is simply slipping the pallet over the fence posts, and the other is using screws or nails to attach them. Even though the screws would be an additional cost, slightly elevat-ing the fence sections from touch-ing the ground might be a good idea—less chance of moisture wicking up through the boards and it will also help to prevent bug infestations. I think the last decision we will have to make is whether to place the pallets with the boards running horizontally or vertically. Both are attractive and have their own merits. The main objective for us is to make a boundary and to keep the critters from either getting out or getting in. As I sit and look through the millions of pictures available online, I am struck by how many people are using pallets not only for fencing, but for other projects as well. I think the word is get-ting out. There are websites that are entirely devoted to recycling the previously maligned throw- outs. People are even building barns out of them. From furniture to wine racks to raised garden beds, the choices of designs are seemingly endless. In a final thought, I tried my hand at making a raised garden bed from the wattle fencing.

Although it came out half way de-cent for my first attempt, I learned a few things in the process. First, you will need a lot more materi-als than you think you will need, especially for the weaving whips. Once you start the weaving pro-

cess, it goes very quickly….until you run out of material. I know for me, stopping a project until you can run around and find more branches is frustrating. I still haven’t finished the second half of

my bed because of that. The sec-ond thing I learned is that when you start, you have a tendency to want to make the wattle very uniform and even. This takes the charm out of the style. Don’t be too concerned with having the

same color whips or remember-ing to weave alternately all of the time. Making mistakes is just part of the process and in the end it makes the project unique to you and your personality. a

A vertical slat pallet fence enclosing a back yard garden

Horizontal slats using slip over the post design, simple, effective.



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Dream Horse Or Nightmare? Are you pleased with the horse you own? Do you “enjoy your ride”? I am very pleased with the horses that I own. Crockett and Goose each have their own unique qualities that make them my “dream horse”. I put a lot of time into each of them, and I am excited to see what each will accomplish this year. More than once people have said to me, “I wish I had a horse like yours”, whether it is disposition or the performance of the horse. How do you get your “dream horse”? Well, you simply have to pick them right! Some-times that is easier said than done. Your choice could be the differ-ence between a “dream horse or a nightmare”. Professional horse people have certain standards they look for to find horses that excel in particular events. Many times a beginner choosing a horse on their own, will chose the “pretty one”. I think when you chose a horse you have to have your priorities

in order. What do you want to do with that horse? That is the most important question you have to answer when you are looking at a prospect. Can that horse do what you want? And more important-ly…with you riding it? Once you have answered that question here are some key points to consider in choosing your next horse. 1. Eye Appeal and Presence. Pretty isn’t everything but “something” about that horse has to catch “my” attention. I did not necessarily think Goose was pretty when I first saw him but he had a presence about him that really attracted me to him. If you are horse showing, regardless of what discipline, that horse needs to stand out in a ring of 20 horses.2. Soundness. If your horse is lame, he is not out there accom-plishing any of the goals you have for you and him. I look closely to see if the horse is sound before I purchase it. I also look for long-term soundness. If the horse is

weak in an area of his conforma-tion, he may not hold up for the events that I have chosen for him.3. Conformation. The horse’s build or conformation goes along with soundness. Proper build will help the horse maintain sound-ness. Leg conformation is of key importance in any event. I like to look at how a horse is made over his topline. A horse that is long and weak in the back will become sore. I look at bone and muscle structure. A horse could be too heavily muscled to be athletic enough for a speed event. Or if he is lacking hind end muscling, he will not be able to properly get up under and use himself. I like to look for a horse that is built square and standing solidly underneath.4. Athletic Ability. I prefer a working type horse. He has to be athletic to be able to turn a barrel or chase a cow. However I think in order for any horse to perform well in any event, it needs to be athletic. A trail horse still has to

be able to step over longs and carry a rider down a hill.5. Hoof. No hoof no horse. Some hoof conditions can be fixed with proper farrier work and an improved feeding program. Keep in mind, these could take time.6. Disposition. I like a horse that has personality. Some-times this is not evident when you first look at a horse. I have had horses that are very

“business-like”. Not every horse is going to have that “story-book” connection with you, but I want a horse that I enjoy being around.7. Willingness. This also goes along with personality. I don’t care how pretty or well-made a horse is, I want one that likes to please. A horse that is willing to do his job is less stress for every-one.8. Gender. I am a big fan of geld-ings!! That is just personal prefer-ence.9. Long term suitability. What can that horse do for me in 5 years? I think if more people looked at this they would have a horse that they could easily

pass down to someone else in the family or even a horse that could switch events.10. Price. Horse prices can vary widely. Mostly it comes down to what each individual can or wants to spend for that particular horse. I consider all the above factors and the use I will get out of the horse. I also consider if I can make that money back when and if I go to sell him. Regardless of how you choose a horse, hopefully you will found your “dream horse” or at least a horse that you can truly enjoy. However as with Crockett; sometimes you just have to wait for them to find you. a

Not every horse is picture-perfect. However by under-standing your priorities of what is important when chos-ing a horse, you will hopefully find your dream horse and not your nightmare.Original drawing by Traci Hanna Yoder



LIbrary LinesYour Mifflin County Library

circulation. After soaking, take a cleansing shower to remove any released toxins. Drink 8 ounces of water before, during and after your bath. Take an antioxidant supplement before your bath. Repeat three times a week. When you have built up to 30 minutes in plain water you can begin adding detox substances such as: Epsom salts (begin with ¼ cup) Apple cider vinegar (1/4 cup) Hydrogen peroxide (up to 8 oz. of food grade 35%, in warm wa-ter, not hot). This may cause you to be very alert due to increase in oxygen at the cellular level so you may not want to use this before bed. Baking soda Use one cup per tub. Especially good for cleansing sores or skin irritationsHerbal teas A number of herbal teas may be used in detox baths. Use one cup of brewed tea per tub of water. Start with just one type of tea such as peppermint or chamomile and then experiment with others, one at a time. Nutrients: Vitamins and minerals from foods and supplements are necessary to support the chemical reactions that take place in our bodies detox process. Detoxing requires a large amount of energy. Some of the most critical nutrients include:Antioxidants Vitamin A, C, E, selenium, zinc, and manganese.B VitaminsMinerals Calcium, copper, iron, magnesium Amino Acids Cysteine, N-acetyl Cysteine , Glutathione, Methio-nineEssential Fatty Acids Digestive Enzymes, Aloe Vera, Coenzyme Q10, ProbioticsFood, Fasting and Juicing-Diet directly affects the ability of the body to detoxify. In addition, it is important to eat in a relaxed atmosphere. When possible, choose the “cleanest,” freshest, high quality foods. Organic is not trendy. It is vital when it comes to avoiding pesticides and herbi-cides. Remember to choose a va-riety of foods too, because eating the same foods day after day can predispose us to develop allergies or sensitivities to those foods, which taxes our digestive sys-tem. Try to eat raw foods every day, chewing each bite well. For many, fasting has proven to have detoxing benefits. As you know, fasting has been a part of religious observances for many centuries and most animals instinctively fast when they are ill or injured. Although the process of fasting can be varied, the benefits have

shown that it is a great cleanser of metabolic wastes and can be an aid in improving digestion. Done safely, fasting is a detox guar-antee; however, I would never advise anyone who is underweight to fast, nor would I suggest this practice for anyone who has lowered immunity or chronic health conditions. In addition, those with a severe food allergy should exercise great caution due to withdrawal symptoms. Juic-ing is often one method of getting nourishment during a fast. If you are interested to know more about juicing or fasting in general, come see me and we can talk more. Exercise-Daily movement is an important life long habit to acquire. Aerobic exercise will rapidly cleanse chemical toxins from the blood. In addition, any form of body work involving touch such as massage, acupres-sure, reiki, or reflexology helps to increase circulation which allows for cleansing and removal of toxins. Breathing (Oxygen Therapy) - The lungs are one of the main organs of detoxification. Our respiratory system is constantly exposed to a variety of toxins. Adequate amounts of oxygen are necessary for detoxification and cleansing. Simple, yet power-ful breathing techniques are very helpful to cleanse the body not only physically but also mentally and spiritually. Deep breathing can balance the functions of the entire body. Breathing is the only function of the body that we can do both consciously and uncon-sciously. There are many good resources offering a variety of breathing techniques but here is an easy one by Dr. Andrew Weil that is available whenever and wherever you may need it. Sit with your back straight.Place the tip of you tongue against the ridge of tissue behind your up-per front teeth. Keep your tongue there during the entire exercise.Exhale completely through your mouth. You will make a noise.Close your mouth and inhale qui-etly through your nose to a count of four.Hold your breath for a count of 7Exhale completely through your mouth to a count of eight, making a noise as you do so. This is one cycle. Repeat three times, for a to-tal of four complete breaths. Try doing this twice a day, building up to more if needed. Always keep the ratio at 4:7:8, no matter the speed at which you are counting. It is great in stressful situations or when trying to fall asleep. Trust me, this really works.

Herbs and Aromatherapy- Herbs have been used for thou-sands of years for medicinal purposes. Because they can not be patented, pharmaceutical companies are not interested in them. Herbs have many differ-ent detoxifying actions and can be administered in a variety of forms. When used in detoxifying, specific herbs are enlisted to purge the body systems. Then other herbs are added to tone, soothe and strengthen the body. While safe and effective for most people, they should be used appropriately and carefully and any medica-tion already being taken needs to be considered when using herbs. Aromatherapy is a part of herbal medicine that focuses on scents from the essential oils of plants. There are a variety of essential oils that are successfully used to cleanse and strengthen our body organs against toxins. Topical Detoxification – Topical detoxification involves the pulling of toxins out of the body using the surface application of substances that draw and detoxify. These would include compresses, poul-tices, and packs. Agents that are frequently used include aloe vera juice, charcoal, comfrey, castor oil and dried mustard. Organ Cleansing – During times of intense toxic load, cleansing procedures of the organs involved in detoxifying will help them to function more optimally. If any one of them (liver, colon, skin, lungs, and kidneys) are not performing well, there will be a slow down in the total detoxifica-tion process. The lymph and blood also participate in detoxifying. There are numerous methods for cleansing the organs of detoxifica-tion using nutrients, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. I recom-mend consulting a healthcare practitioner before beginning an organ cleanses to be certain your body can handle the procedure, especially the kidneys, which will have to process and excrete the increased load of toxins. When doing organ cleansing, a kidney cleanse is often recommended first. Detoxing Mind and Spirit – Our mind and spirit can become overloaded with emotional toxins. The body cannot completely heal if the mind and spirit are bur-dened. While some techniques will require professional help, others are self help. Some sugges-tions include: art therapy, laughter therapy, hug therapy, journaling, dance therapy, guided imagery, dream therapy, counseling, prac-ticing forgiveness, and restoring

Coming Clean from page 7


by MCL Board of Directors

Now that Easter, St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness are behind us, everyone is looking forward to the joys of spring. With spring comes the promise of more sunshine, budding trees, flowers and gardening. It is a pleasant thought after a numbingly cold winter with gray skies. While spring brings pleasant thoughts to most of us, the situa-tion is very different at the Mifflin County Library Association. For the library, spring is a BIG RED FLAG that we are well into the year, and ever closer to the loom-ing financial crisis that the library faces. In just five short months, the library may have to suspend services and close the doors of its branches and the main library in Lewistown. If the doors close, the library will no longer provide computer usage and internet access, chil-dren’s programs and story hours, the opportunity to research school projects, or check out a book for your reading pleasure. The librar-ies cold brick walls will serve as a sentinel to unlimited knowledge, technological access, recreational usage, and educational opportuni-ties. But all of that will be inside the walls. You and I will be stand-ing outside in the cold, looking in. There will be nobody standing at a door with a key and friendly greeting. The library will be dark, barren and lifeless. How can that happen, you ask? How could things be so bad? Are not libraries a significant part of the heart and soul of a commu-nity? The simple fact is that the Mifflin County Library Asso-ciation will run out of money in September. The state has slashed library funding three times in recent years. As a result, the county library system receives $90,000.00 less than it did just five years ago. In the same time period, the Mifflin County Com-missioners also cut funding to the tune of $40,000.00. In spite of a recent one mill tax increase there was no restoration of library fund-ing in whole or part by the County Commissioners. Between the state and county commissioners, our funding is down more than $130,000.000 per year. Many municipalities, even those with growth, give little if

anything to the library. State law prohibits public libraries to charge patrons for library services. In other words, the library cannot as-sess membership fees. From time to time, patrons do make dona-tions to the library. Occasionally individuals will leave the library something from their estate. Dur-ing each of the past two years, the library mailed a letter to patrons and other interested parties. Each mailing generated approximately $11,000. Another fundraising project last year also generated approximately ten thousand dol-lars. A dedicated group of local citizens formed an organization called “Friends of the Library” in order to support the existing county library system. Although small in size, this group raised an amazing $20,000 during the last two years. In spite of our library’s effort to help itself, the arithmetic is simple. In the last two years the library received $260,000 less in funding than the state and county commissioners had given previ-ously. The library’s independent efforts to help itself only gener-ated $41,000 in the same time period. Over the last few years the library dug into its reserve fund from endowments/contributions to stay afloat. That cow has now been milked and no more money remains. The county library system will be undertaking several new initiatives in the next several months to remain open during the last quarter of the year. If you are asked, please make a contribution to the library. If you are not asked, make a voluntary contribution by sending a check to the Mifflin County Library Association, 123 N. Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044. Contributions can also be received via your credit card. Visit our web site at www.mifflincoun-tylibrary.org and see how you can volunteer to help the library. Or, just pick up the phone and dial 242-2391 to volunteer. Contribu-tions are tax deductible. Ultimately, it will be your decision as to whether the Mifflin County Library continues to be a vital part of our community or be-come a cold, dark, barren, lifeless institution.


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Since we don’t have Debra Kulp’s recipes this month, I’d thought I’d dedicate my column to good eats! The following recipe comes from Linda Dajani of Yeagertown and it sounds like an easy way to create a bread that can be used as a dessert, snack, or meal. I was intrigued by its versatility and can’t wait to give it a try. Linda got this simple recipe from an Australian friend. Accord-ing to Linda, the Aussies call it “damper” -- a traditional pioneer biscuit -- but it has a multitude of uses. Add herbs for savory biscuits or sugar & spices for a coffee cake. Bake it in a 1 1/2” thick oval, marked into wedges, & dip in marinara sauce for a yummy snack. Or make it into

a quick, delicious pizza crust. Linda especially likes it for this purpose because you don’t have to wait for it to rise like a traditional yeast dough. It makes a 12” pizza, enough to feed a hungry young man, with a couple of slices left over for his grandmother. 2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. salt 1 or 2 T. olive oil Warm water

Combine dry ingredients.

Drizzle olive oil. Add enough warm water to moisten well. Knead gently only enough to form a dough. Press into a 12” round, add sauce, mozzarella & your favorite toppings. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Enjoy! With spring and summer on the way, salads will soon become a popular evening meal for some. Or, maybe you just want a nice side salad to go with that yummy pizza you just made with the “damper” crust recipe. Thanks to a coworker who bought one of these salads at Wegman’s for an event, I’ve discovered a new favorite. This salad is called a pear salad and it’s the delightful contrast of flavors created by the dressing that makes it. I’m go-ing to give it a slight twist (lime dressing instead of lemon) for Easter dinner.

Pear Salad• salad greens (a spring mix or

whatever you like)• dice up pears (with skins still

on them) and sprinkle in a ring around the outside of the bowl.

• dice up provolone cheese (or another mild cheese) and place it in the middle of the ring you just created with the pears.

• Add fresh ground pepper over the top

It’s pretty to display this way before tossing it when you serve! The dressing for this salad is Wegman’s Lemon Vinaigrette, which is extremely tasty and it’s tartness makes a wonderful con-trast to the sweetness of the pears and the mild flavor of the cheese. Now that I’ve mentioned salad, I’d like to share what I’ve learned recently about the nutritional value of iceberg vs.

romaine lettuce. I like both, and use them both off and on, as well as spinach. As most people know, generally, dark leafy greens pack the most nutritional punch, so spinach and kale should be your top picks for a healthy salad. Following that logic, it goes without saying that the dark leafy greens of romaine would win out over iceberg. Just look at this comparison. Make special note of the difference in the amount of beta carotene and lutein! Wow! Happy eating! a

Pear salad. Photo courtesy of Wegmans.com

Pizza made with “damper” crust.

One cup of iceberg lettuce: One cup of romaine lettuce has:8.0 calories 8.0 calories 0.5 gram protein 0.58 gram protein0.7 gram fiber 1.0 gram fiber10 milligrams calcium 16 milligrams calcium78 milligrams potassium 116 milligrams potassium1.5 milligrams vitamin C 11.3 milligrams vitamin C16 micrograms folate 64 micrograms folate13.3 micrograms of vitamin K 48.2 micrograms vitamin K164 micrograms beta carotene 1637 micrograms beta carotene152 micrograms of lutein + 1,087 micrograms of lutein + zea- zeaxanthin xanthin

FAB FOOD



Understandingthe

Constitutionby David Molek

Washington - Reagan - Obama Our country is exceptional because of its universal found-ing principles. At the heart of these principles is the belief that people are free by nature and pos-sess inherent rights. The federal government is not supposed to be the most important institution in America. In securing the general welfare, it is supposed to do only those things that are provided for in our Constitution. The people have given the government only limited powers, but you would never know it today. Remember the consent of the governed? I would certainly like to withdraw my consent. George Washington was a strong supporter of our Constitu-tion. He viewed it as our stron-gest check against tyranny and the best guardian of our freedoms. Washington reminded people that our Constitution deserves

our support and fidelity. He cited it as “sacredly obligatory upon all”. Ignoring our Constitution and allowing the rule of law to be weakened, Washington warned, is done at our own peril. Remember that Washington led a revolution to root out monarchial rule in America and establish a republi-can government based on the rule of law. We have the same Constitu-tion today that we had over 200 years ago. As Ronald Reagan said, “all of us need to be re-minded that the federal govern-ment did not create the states; the states created the federal govern-ment”. Reagan’s idea to follow our Constitution was to show that the federal government had taken on functions it was never intended to perform and which it does not perform well. He proposed a planned, orderly transfer of such

functions to states and communi-ties and a transfer with them of the sources of taxation to pay for them. Both Presidents would agree (if they were living today) that this federal government has taken too much tax money from the people, too much authority from the states and too much liberty with our Constitution. President Obama doesn’t let little things like our Constitution get in his way. Both Washington and Reagan could teach Obama much about our Constitution. I can recall how Reagan was able to revive the spirit of Ameri-cans and rekindle interest in our Constitution. I love his line when he said, “We the people tell the government what to do. It doesn’t tell us”. Certainly, the Obama government has grown beyond the consent of the governed and has usurped powers and authority

that belongs at the state and local levels. There’s a big difference when you compare the core set of beliefs of Washington and Reagan to those of Obama. Washing-ton’s and Reagan’s do not shift with their audience at the time, but Obama’s does. We have constitutional government on the one hand and a share-the-wealth administrative state on the other. They appear near total opposites. Our Constitution gives us our identity, defines our purpose and defines who we are as a people. We are a government of laws, not of men. While George Washing-ton was one of the indispensable men of the American Founding, Ronald Reagan was guided by the principles of the American Found-ing. These men understood how important our Constitution is to a free and civil society. Our current

President pursues a government of men, which creates a true consti-tutional crisis. We must under-stand our Constitution if we are to defend what we have achieved under it. We must know our his-tory if we are to value the ordered liberty our Founders bequeathed to us. We the people created this republic, and we the people must preserve it. a

No passion so effectu-ally robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.

-Edmund Burke


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ALMANACK LITERATUREFunny But Lucky

By Sylvia Basinger, Bluffton, Ohio

When I was twelve years old, my uncle and aunt invited me to go along with them to Pennsyl-vania. I asked my folks, and they said I could This was a great treat for me. It was the first time I left the state of Ohio. When we arrived at our destination, Aunt Stella had an old-fashioned, cook-stove meal waiting for us. We all ate together. And then, of course, I looked the outdoors over. My aunt and uncle had a privy, and it was some distance from their house. I went into the outhouse and sat down on the hole. Suddenly I heard some pigs grunting real loud underneath me! I jumped up off the toilet seat and saw, to my surprise, two half-grown hogs down below! Luckily, I hadn’t been bitten, but I screamed anyway and ran to the house to tell my Aunt Stella what’d happened. She told her husband, but he just said: ‘Oh, I cleaned out the outhouse pit, and I forgot to put back the boards.’ Those days are gone for-ever,” comments Sylvia, “but the memory will always remain with me!”

WINNERS OF THE FEBRUARY VALLEY

SCKRAMBLER SCRAMBLEA prize of $5.00 was promised to the 1st and 5th person to cor-rectly unscramble all the words in last month’s Valley Sckrambler. The two February winners: John Sheetz of Mount Joy, PA and Faith Hassinger of Milroy, PA.

ANSWERS TO THE MARCH SCKRAMBLERWEP PEWUECSRE RESCUEEPSW SPEWVERIEW REVIEWOMO MOOOHOP POOHWIEVERP PREVIEWGTRWEOU OUTGREW

OUSLGH SLOUGHPOMOHSA SHAMPOOWENIS SINEWTSTEUA STATUEIOUSX SIOUXEWST STEWNSAFU SNAFUHHEWGROU ROUGHHEWORED REDOHRUNE NEHRUOISDM MISDOWEN NEWBOLCSK BLOCKSLOCCSK CLOCKSXOPWOC COWPOXOOONBCDKS BOONDOCKSCODS DOCSCKOSRC CROCKSNTILFSKCOL FLINTLOCKSOAXBTH HATBOXFXO FOXDEALHOCKS HEADLOCKS

THE VALLEY “SCKRAMBLER” FOR APRILIf you are the 1st or the 5th person to respond with the cor-rect answers, you’ll receive a $5.00 prize. There should by no typos in this puzzle, but if you do find one, you may skip the word without penalty. There should be no typos in this puzzle, and no typo prize will be awarded. If you happen to find a typo, however, you may simply skip that word without penalty. Send your entries by postcard only to Poor Will’s Valley Almanack at P.O. Box 431, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387. The unscrambled words and the names of the winners will appear an up-comingof The Valley Newspaper.

TOCNOTOWOD BOLOCOCO MEL GMU CAHKRRBEY

CHSTNTUE NPIE EADRC YWE RIF MLOHECK AKO AMELP RALHC DREDOWO RUSPCE PPLROA HIRBC UCOLTS HAS LADER PENAS

Listen to Bill Felker’s weekly “Poor Will’s Almanack” on pod-cast any time at www.wyso.org. And Bill’s website, www.poorwill-salmanack.com, contains weekly updates and a sizable bank of information about nature. His organization of weather patterns and phenology (what happens when in nature) offers a unique structure for understanding the repeating rhythms of the year.

Bill lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He has two daugh-ters, Jeni, who is a psychologist in Portland, Oregon, and Neysa, a photographer in Spoleto, Italy. a

Poor Will’s Valley Almanack from page 19

price limit on how much I would like to spend on a market project. You need to keep in mind that when you purchase a market lamb or goat, you have them for less than a year, and you will sell them at your local fair to whoever puts the highest bid on them. It’s good to keep track of how much you are spending on your market proj-ects when you first get them. Also keep your feed and vet receipts, so when you sell them at your local fair, you can look back and see if you made a profit or lost money once that animal was sold at the end of fair week. Setting a short and long term goal in anything that you would like to accomplish will help you stay determined and work hard towards achieving that goal! Sales can be stressful to first time buyers, but hopefully with these three helpful tips you will be able to make the right purchas-ing decision. Always look to the future and what you would like to accomplish with your animals. Do your research, set goals, and never underestimate anything! Good luck and have fun shopping! a

Are You In The Market from page 16

“Yoda” & Ally. 2011 ReserveChampion Market Goat. Purchased from Sunnybrook Boer Goats: Lewis-town, PA

Ally & PA Secretary of AgricultureGeorge Greig. Reserve Champion lightweight market goat. 2012 PA Farm Show.



Our Environment Our Culture

Geocaching is an outdoors, recreational activity that was started in 2000 with the advent of consumer GPS devices. For the longest time, regretfully, I was reluctant to embrace geocaching. A bit of a purist snob, I felt that time outdoors should be spent sans technology, simply explor-ing nature with only our human senses. Technology in the woods made no sense to me. Some years later I am involved with placing geocaches along the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails. This begs the ques-tion “Why geocaching on the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trail?” Searching for geocaches gives one the opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature while using some 21st century skills. Geocaching is a free outdoor treasure hunt that can be fun for all ages and physical abilities. Everyone can enjoy this fun and educational experience. Geocach-ing on the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trail gives the geocache seeker a chance to be outdoors, exercise, appreciate art, experience history and nature, while using problem-

solving skills to find a hidden cache. The result is an overall positive experience for people of all ages and abilities. Two new geocache sites have been incorporated with the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails. The first quilt square site to host a geocache is Hunters Valley Winery located at 3 Orchard Road Liverpool, PA 17045. This is a great site for a person just beginning geocaching or someone looking for a quick educational cache. The site of the geocache container was selected by Bill and Darlene Kvaternik owners and operators of Hunters Valley Winery. Standing in the vineyard you are treated to a spectacular view of the Susquehanna River at the exact point of the crossing of the Millersburg Ferry. The quilt square is located on the side of the winery building clearly visible from the driveway. The cache is a traditional cache in a container consisting of a log book and small trinkets for trade, as well as writ-ten historic background on the site. It is a “quick grab” cache

conveniently located just off Route 15 and is easily accessible, leaving plenty of time to enjoy all the winery has to offer. Tours are available at this boutique winery and wine tasting is free. If you bring a picnic lunch you can enjoy the breathtaking view with a chilled bottle of wine at one of the picnic tables or at the pavilion available there. The coordinates for the cache are N 40.32564 W 76.59477. The second geocaching site on the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails is located in the Tuscarora State Forest. This location takes a little more patience and some rigor-ous hiking in order to reach. The actual geocaching site is located well off the beaten path, at the highest point in Perry County. This site is for those who want to get outdoors and love a challenge—getting to this site will be half the fun. On the way to the geocache, there are over-looks with amazing views of the mountain range as well as tables to stop for a picnic, water break or snack. Along the path to the

geocache site there will be many opportunities to observe the flora and fauna of this wonderful loca-tion. This site was selected by Gene Odato, Tuscarora District Forester. The cache is a traditional cache consisting of an ammuni-tion can with log book, small items for trade and written historic background on the Tuscarora State Forest. The world’s first Trail Rug is located on the fire building across the parking lot from the ranger station. The coor-

dinates for the Trail Rug are N 40.303139 W 77.589222, while the coordinates for the geocache are N 40.188583 W 77.598528. For more in-formation about the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails and its geo-caching site, contact:Sharon Lee,[email protected] Partner-ships RC&D

23 North Main Street Lewistown, PA 17044717-248-4901 ext 326www.paquilttrails.org

PA Quilt (And Rug) Trails, a project of Community Partner-ships RC&D, is a community-centric venture that promotes agri-tourism, strengthens small towns, promotes sustainability, while educating the public about the importance of Pennsylvania’s rural communities. a

Geocaching on the PA Quilt Trailby Beth Miller and Sharon Lee


[email protected]

Are YOU in the market? You can smell the aroma of spring starting to appear, grass is finally starting to emerge, and livestock that were born the beginning of this year are start-ing to be; or are already, weaned from their mothers. You know what that means…time to start looking for your new market or breeding projects! April is one of the busiest months for many lamb and goat breeders across the state. 4-H and FFA exhibitors are look-ing for those exceptional market projects for upcoming fairs and jackpot shows. Most market lambs and goats are born anytime between late December through early March. The date of your

fair and the weight requirements for each market species at your local fair, will determine which goat or lamb will work best for you. For my local fair (Gratz Fair, Dauphin county PA), our weight requirement is as follows: lambs: 90-150 lbs. and goats: 60-110 lbs. Each fair has a different weight requirement. Our fair is one of the later fairs, held the third week of September, so we can get away with having a younger lamb or goat and it can still make weight by the time fair rolls around. Whether you are in the mar-ket for a market animal, breed-ing project, or just a pet, there are a few things that you should

remember before making a final decision to purchase that animal. I have been a livestock and horse exhibitor for 11 years in 4-H, and these are my three tips that I keep in mind before making an impor-tant purchase on an animal: Tip # 1: Do your research. You don’t want to make a pur-chase on something when you are clueless and have many questions about the industry and the breed standards on a certain species if you are looking to breed or show that animal. Talking to different breeders and livestock experts is one of the best ways to learn more and gain experience in the live-stock industry. Reading a book or

looking up information online is definitely helpful, but I learn best by hands-on experiences. Many people buy animals without even touching or being around them. When buying a market animal, I like to be able to check its body condition, how much muscling it’s carrying at a young age, and I like to make sure it’s structurally correct. All animals start from the ground up; meaning that if you are looking to purchase an animal, structural correctness is extremely important. When buying a lamb or goat, if their back pasterns are weak, or it has a slight limp when it walks, you might have trouble keeping that animal sound (in perfect health) throughout its life. Tip # 2: Don’t overlook the little guys and gals: I have the most experience in the market animal side, so when I had to look for my market lambs and goats for the upcoming show season, I noticed that many buyers at local sales gravitated towards the larger goats and lambs and the small ones had hardly any bids on them. There is nothing wrong with a smaller animal, and sometimes, that lamb or goat that nobody wanted can become a champion with good feed and proper care. I have experienced this first hand. My last year in 4-H I went to a local breeder’s sale to look for

a market goat. Every goat but one had bids on them. The goat that didn’t have a bid on it didn’t look like a traditional Boer Goat (Boer’s are the most common goat breed for market projects). This goat was smaller than the rest and had markings that made him look like a pygmy goat. When I put my hands on him, he was actually very good. He had structural correctness and muscle definition. so I knew that if I put good feed in him, he could do alright. I took a chance and bid on him. I ended up taking “Yoda” home, took him to a few jackpot shows in western PA, and eventu-ally showed him at my local fair. We placed in the top 3 at every jackpot show during the summer, and Yoda was reserve champion market goat at Gratz Fair in 2011! This shows you that those ani-mals that nobody wants can be a diamond in the rough with a little work and experience. You need to know what you are looking for and look past the size. Tip # 3: Set a goal. Purchas-ing an animal is a huge invest-ment and you need to make sure that you are ready for the time and devotion to each animal you purchase. Before I would even attend a local sale, I would write down what I am looking for and a




A hometown groceryou can trust.

MEAT.WILSON’S MEATS AND GROCERIES

Fresh Meats, Full Line of Groceries, and Produce

Open 7 Days! 7am - 9pm

Sojourner Perspectivesby

Mark Ostrowski

May I indulge you? I returned to my home town of Buffalo, NY, last week to unwind my father’s estate. Dad passed away the end of September, last year. Many will ask me, was it expected? I quizzically respond; well he was 90. But, in my heart I thought he’d live forever, after all, he’s my father. Dad came from strong stock. Polish. The son of immigrant parents who came to find a better life in America. His dad worked in a foundry and he, after serving as a crew chief for P-47’s dur-ing WWII came home, worked for a short while as a carpenter, then began his own business: Ostrowski Builders, Inc. He grew up in Polonia, the term given to the large Polish community in Western New York. It was a place where thrift, hard work and family solidarity were core values oflife. A better life is what his father

wanted for his sons and daughter and a better life is what my father wanted for his sons and daughter. I was three when dziadzia (closely pronounced as jaja, meaning grandpa in Polish) died, so I re-ally don’t remember him but dad would relate what a sharp dresser he was. Sundays where white shirt and tie days and during the hot summer months, dziadzia would sweat rust colored sweat because of his work in the foundry. Dad said dziadzia was a proud father when he pulled up to the house with Ostrowski Builders first pan-el van lettered with the company name on the doors. Likewise, dad would express how proud he was of us in our achievements as we progressed through life. As I reflect on this, I recognize this as his way of communicating bless-ing to us. He later opened a delicates-sen on Buffalo’s west side, living

above the store. Together he and siti (grandma) had 11 children. Needing a larger space both per-sonally and professionally, they relocated to Kenmore, NY, a sub-urb just north of the city. When grandpa opened his new store, it was cutting edge and industry wonks came from as far away asRochester, NY and Toronto, Cana-da to see what he had established. It was the largest grocery store of its time, and even included two check outs! Thinking back on it, I believe it was the size of your local Sheetz, my how times have changed! I do remember helping count inventory on New Year’s as well as assisting my cousin Tommy in the dairy. He taught me to stock, organize product and rotate. Always rotate items. The oldest stocked/dated product gets moved to the front of the case. Dad was hired by Grandpa Moses to remodel the grocery store after a fire. He liked the work Ostrowski Builders did andre-hired them to remodel his home

kitchen at a later date, at which time dad met my mother. Now, as Paul Harvey would say; you know the rest of the story. You never think of your formative years as you’re growing up, they just happen to you, but you get to a place where yourealize what an incredible impact they had on you. I suppose the proof of the solid upbringing we received was, that it wasn’t until my mid to late twenties until I realized that everyone didn’t have the same upbringing that I did. It was rather idyllic. An intact fam-ily, parents who truly loved one another and a stable environment where dad worked and mom washome. To my recollection, it seemed that everyday around two PM, mom would begin to prepare dinner from scratch which always consisted of meat, vegetable, starch and desert. All five of us attended Catho-lic grammar school and for High School I choose to go to a Jesuit High School, Canisius. Thecompanion college is well known for its basketball program. Here’s the thing; the tuition was $1,000 per year back in the mid to latter 1970’s (equivalent to $10,000 today!). My mom & dad never once in four years flinched on the cost. We never even had a conver-sation about it. I now recognize

the hard work and sacrifice they exemplified and modeled as par-ents. Makes me feel bad for not learning Latin in Father Redman’s class. Dad loved mom. He would leave her notes when he’d go off to work in the morning or perhaps bring a single flower home to her for no reason at all. We uncov-ered a letter that dad wrote to mom upon their engagement in which he said: “You will never know my beloved, how I prayed for someone like you and since you came along I feel and I know that the good Lord has answered my prayers. It is so difficult to realize that from all these billions of people on this earth He heard from one like me who is but a speck amongst all this humanity. My only answer to Him for His wonderful gift to me is a prayerof thanksgiving and a promise to treat you as He’s meant for you to be treated; with warm and tender affection, sprinkled liberally with kindness and consideration; not only now but for all the years to follow.” Mom passed away seven years ago and dad had never quite been the same since. They were soul mates before the term was ever coined. Mom for her part was an

DUTY, THRIFT, HARD-WORK, FAITH, SACRIFICE & FAMILY SOLIDARITY



[email protected]

POOR WILL’S VALLEY ALMANACKfor April of 2013

by Bill Felker

Like a sound, spring spreads and spreads until it is swallowed up in space. Like the wind, it moves across the map invisible; we see it only in its effects. It ap-pears like the tracks of the breeze on a field of wheat, like shadows of wind-blown clouds, like tossing branches that reveal the presence of the invisible, the passing of the unseen.--Edwin Way Teale

The SunThe night in the Valley loses about 70 minutes this month. And on April 20, Cross-Quarter Day, the sun reaches half of the way between equinox and solstice, coming into its late spring sign of Taurus at the same time.

The Planets Jupiter is the evening star, still in Taurus. Saturn in Virgo rises at dusk and moves across the night sky, visible in the far west near sunrise. Venus in Aries is not vis-ible to the naked eye as it follows the sun throughout the month. Mars remains in Pisces, disap-pearing below the western horizon before dark.

The StarsYou should be able to plant all your corn as the small constella-tion, Corvus, lies along the south-ern horizon in the evening. If you can’t find Corvus, look straight above you: the Big Dipper is due south of Polaris, its deepest intru-sion into the center of the heav-ens. Far to the east, Vega is rising. To the west, Sirius, the great Dog Star is setting. All these starts tell you that only six weeks remain before the most tender plants can be set in the garden.

The S.A.D. Stress IndexApril and May see an end to

seasonal affective disorders in many people. On the other hand, atypical cloud cover or prolonged cold spells can create a resurgence in S.A.D. for those especially in need of spring.

Key for Interpreting the S.A.D. Index

Totals of: 75 - 65: S.A.D. Alert: Severe Stress for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorders; 64 - 50: Severe to moderate stress; 49 - 35: Moderate stress; 34 - 25: Light to moderate stress; 24 and below: Only people with extreme sensitivity to S.A.D. experience seasonal affective disorders below an Index reading of 24.Day Clouds Weather Dayl Totals 5: 10 11 10 3710: 15 9 9 33 20: 14 8 9 3125: 13 8 8 2930: 12 7 7 26

Best Feeding, Fishing and Hunting Times

Seven major cold fronts move across the nation in April. Snow is possible in northern areas with the arrival of the first three fronts. Average dates for the weather sys-tems to reach Pennsylvania: April 2, 6, 11, 16, 21, 24, and 28. Fish-ing and hunting are most reward-ing and dieting is most frustrating near these dates at midday when the moon is new, in the afternoon and evening when the moon is in its first quarter, at night when the moon is full and in its third quar-ter, in the morning when the moon is in its fourth quarter.

APRIL - WEEK 1THE FIRST WEEK OF MID-

DLE SPRING

Lunar Phase and LoreThe Maple Blossom Moon, enter-ing its final phase on April 2 at 11:37 p.m., wanes throughout the period, darkening until it becomes the new Apple Blossom Moon on April 10 at 4:35 a.m. As middle spring deepens, more and more trees come into flower: the box

elders, the plums, the ashes and the pears. Forsythia flowers in the hedgerows, and the great violet and dandelion bloom begins just as apple trees blossom. Rising in the middle of the night. And setting in the middle of the day this waning, crescent moon will move overhead in the morn-ing, making the time between breakfast and lunch the most promising lunar period for angling and feeding fussy animals and children. When the barometer drops in advance of the April 2 and April 6 cool fronts, fishing and eating should be especially rewarding. Plant all the seeds you can when the moon is in Capri-corn on April 2 – 4 and in Pisces, April 6 – 8.

Weather TrendsTwo major weather systems usu-ally dominate the first quarter of April, and these fronts bring each day of the period a 40 percent chance for precipitation. April 3 and April 5 are two of the wettest days of the month, carrying a 60 and a 70 percent chance for pre-cipitation respectively. Highs rise above 50 degrees an average of 60 percent of the time this week, approximately the same percent-age as in the last week of March. Chances for highs in the 80s move from just five percent on March 29 up to ten percent on the 30th, and to 15 percent on the 31st! Then they fall back to an average of five percent untilApril 20, after which they return to 15 percent until the 11th of May. Chances for frost remain steady at 30 percent throughout the period.

APRIL - WEEK 2THE SECOND WEEK OF

MIDDLE SPRING

Lunar Phase and LoreThe Maple Blossom Moon becomes the Apple Blossom Moon at 4:35 a.m. on April 10. Rising in the morning and setting in the evening, this moon moves

overhead in the middle of the day. Lunar conditions are most favorable for fishing and feed-ing finicky creatures at lunchtime today, especially as the barometer falls in advance of the April 11 and 16 cold fronts. Planting of all flower and vegetable seeds is rec-ommended this week, especially under Taurus (April 10 – 13).

Weather TrendsAs the month progresses, normal average temperatures rise at the rate of one degree every three days. Beginning near 45 in central Pennsylvania on the 1st of April, they reach to the middle 50s four weeks later. Typical highs move from the upper 50s to the upper 60s. Lows advance from 35 to 45. A normal April along the 40th Parallel has two days in the 80s, six days in the 70s, eight days in the 60s, eight days in the 50s, four days in the 40s, and two days in the 30s.

APRIL - WEEK 3THE THIRD WEEK OF MID-

DLE SPRING

Lunar Phase and LoreThe Apple Blossom Moon waxes throughout the week, entering its second phase at 7:31 a.m. on April 18. Rising near midday and setting in the middle of the night, this moon moves overhead in the evening. Lunar position is especially favourable for angling near suppertime, as the cold fronts of April 16 and 21 push down the barometric pressure.Plant flowers and vegetables that will produce their fruit above the ground throughout the coming week, especially under Cancer on the 15th through the 18th. And this week’s lunar phase may promote easier discussions with significant others and children. Training of pets and livestock may produce more results, as well.

Weather TrendsApril 18 is a major pivot point in the progress of spring. Beginning

on that day, there is a consistent chance for an afternoon in the 80s - the first time such a thing has occurred since the middle of October. The 18th brings 80s fif-teen percent of the time, 70s five percent, 60s forty-five percent, 50s twenty percent, and 40s or 30s just fifteen percent of the time. April 19 is one more pivot day: from that time forward, a high temperature of lower than 40 de-grees is unlikely until October 19. And after the 20th, the steady advance of middle spring cold waves stagnates. The regular pat-tern of fronts changes, and long periods of stable, mild weather encourage the advent of full sprouting and foliage growth. High temperatures almost always reach 70 at least once or twice in a week.

APRIL - WEEK 4THE TRANSITION TIME TO

LATE SPRING

Lunar Phase and LoreThe Apple Blossom Moon, hav-ing brought all the apple flowers into bloom (and then pulled them down), becomes full on April 25 at 2:57 p.m. Rising in the evening and setting in the morning, this moon is overhead in the middle of the night. Lunar conditions for field and garden planting continue favorable throughout the week, especially when the moon passes through Scorpio on April 25 – 27. Fish with the moon above you around midnight – or at the sec-ond-best lunar time, midday. Of course, full moon not only brings higher tides along the seacoasts, but higher tides in human affairs, as well. Expect extra challenges with friends and family.

Weather TrendsLate spring arrives this week, the warm weather creating unmistak-able markers in the progress of of the year. Among those landmarks: The 26th and the 30th record freezing temperatures less than five percent of the time, the first



time that has happened since late September. Chances for a cold day in the 30s or 40s fall to only ten percent on the 22nd, then plummet another eight percent on the 26th. And after the 22nd, chances for snow drop below five percent. Beginning on April 27, highs in the 90s become possible, and the daily chances for a high in the 80s pass the 20 percent mark. The chances for a high above 70s degrees are now 50/50 or better for the first time this year. April 29th and 30th are usually the warmest days this week, with the 30th bringing a 90 percent chance for highs above 60 degrees for the first time since late September.

A DAYBOOK FOR APRILApril 1: This week marks the beginning of middle spring and the start of Field Corn and Sweet Corn Planting Season, Lettuce and Spinach and Potato Planting Season, and Middle Spring Wild-flower Season. (Violets, bluebells, twinleaf, bloodroot, purple cress, swamp buttercup and hepatica are blooming most years.)

April 2: When pollen covers the pussy willows, then honeysuckle, mock orange, privet, wild multi-flora roses, lilac, black raspberry and coralberry leaves break out from their buds, a signal for cor-nus mas and lungwort to flower and for mourning cloak butterflies to navigate the channels of equi-nox. A few days later come the question-mark and tortoise-shell butterflies and then the white-spotted skippers.

April 3: Collards, broccoli, and kale are often transplanted to the garden now, new shrubs and trees to the yard as well. Early head lettuce and sweet corn are being planted, and farmers are band seeding alfalfa. Most commercial cabbages have been set. Flower producers have finished preparing bedding plants for Mother’s Day and Memorial Day.

April 4: Japanese beetle grubs move to the surface of the ground to feed. New calves and lambs are in the fields. Three more weeks of relatively mosquito-free garden-ing remain, seven weeks before frost-sensitive plants will grow without threat from the cold.

April 5: Now new beggarticks, touch-me-nots, and great ragweed have four leaves. Knotweed is eight inches tall, about as high as the nettles. May apples are up all over. Buckeyes have unraveled.

Columbine is three to four inches. Skunk cabbage is more than half size, ten inches long, eight across. June’s chicory is six to nine inch-es. Ragwort and garlic mustard are forming clumps, seed heads visible, still tightly bunched.

April 6: Patches of wild geranium leaves glow with an orange tint in the sun. Sedum is budding. Stalks are forming on the sweet rocket. Cowslip is just opening. Peach trees are in bloom, along with for-sythia, pears, quince, magnolias, crab apples, and cherries. Daffo-dils and grape hyacinth hold from March. Buds on the grape vines are flushed and swollen.

April 7: Water cress has filled the shallow brooks. Half the ginger in the woods has emerged. Peony stems are eighteen inches, turning from red to green. Cabbage moths are out laying eggs on the new cabbage, kale, collards, and Brus-sels sprouts. Grape vines are just starting to break dormancy. April 8: The second week of April opens Strawberry Flowering Season, Wood Thrush Season, the peak of Daffodil Season, Squill Season, Grape Hyacinth Season. It’s Creeping Phlox Season and Wind Flower Season.

April 9: When turkeys gobble, raccoons are born in woods. The earliest grasshoppers and tadpoles swarm from their eggs. The first goslings are born. Tent caterpil-lars appear in the wild cherry trees. Aphids hatch, and ladybugs come looking for them.

April 10: Privets are filling out. Branches of the multiflora roses are almost completely covered with foliage. Pale spikes of lizard’s tail are as long as drag-onflies. Asparagus is big enough for supper. American toads are chanting, and tadpoles are already swimming in the backwaters. Young hummingbird moths and bumblebees come out to sip the annual mass flowering of dandeli-ons. Gnats become bothersome.

April 11: Deep in the woods, the momentum of time and weather raises morels from their mulch. Low patches of wild geranium leaves glow orange in the sun. Buds on the grape vines are swell-ing. Hobblebush and the privet are filling out.

April 12: In the rivers and res-ervoirs, bluegills, catfish, carp, suckers, and bass are feeding and courting. Water striders are mat-ing and diving beetles hunt for prey. Above them all, the tall tree

canopy is flushed and poised to break out into May.

April 13: Snakehead mushrooms, which have a tall, light-colored stalk and a small, dark cap, begin to appear now, and their season typically lasts through the end of the month.

April 14: Whenever it reaches you, the Great Dandelion Flow-ering turns lawns and waysides golden with their blossoms and announces the greening of the high trees: the maples, oaks, mulberries, locusts, and ginkgoes sending out their first leaves. It trumpets tulip season and the bud-ding of peonies in the garden. The Great Dandelion Bloom in the alleys and along the freeways lets you know that - if you had time to take to the woods - you could find hepatica, periwinkle, toad trillium, cowslip, rue anemone, and buttercups in flower. In the vegetable garden, you might find fresh asparagus, new herbs for seasoning, maybe lettuce leaves long enough for salad.

April 15: The third week of a Valley April brings Bumblebee Season and Carpenter Bee Sea-son, Asparagus Cutting Season, Crab Apple, Cherry, Dogwood, and Redbud Season. It’s Lawn Mowing Season, Buckeye Leaf-ing Season, the Great Dandelion Bloom Season, Winter Cress in the Pasture Season, and the best of late Middle Spring Flower Season with watercress and ragwort blooming in the wetlands, thyme-leafed speedwell in the lawn, early meadow rue, rue anemone, large-flowered trillium and colum-bine all filling the woods. Along village and city streets, Pink Magnolia Season replaces White Star Magnolia Season. Buttercup Season and Money Plant Season complement Snowball Viburnum Season and Bridal Wreath Spirea Season.

April 17: The spring oats crop is often a third to half planted by this point in the year, along with the first field corn and sugar beets, and up to a fifth of the potatoes.

April 18: A third of the wheat is typically jointed as spring barley seeding comes to a close. In cooler years, grape vines leaf out, and apples and peaches are still in flower. The juniper webworm has emerged, and eastern tent caterpil-lars weave their tents on flowering fruit trees.

April 19: Honeysuckles and spice bushes have developed enough to

turn the undergrowth pale green, and color rises through the tree line as rose of Sharon, ginkgo, elm, tree of heaven, black walnut, pussy willow, box elder, sweet gum, ash, locust, and mulberry foliage appears. Redbuds and pie cherry trees open wide as pear petals come down.

April 20: The boxwood psyllid starts to attack the boxwoods now. Dogwood borers are at work on the dogwoods. The spring dan-delion bloom fades between now and the first week of Late Spring.

April 21: This is the time the antlers of deer begin to grow. In average years in the Valley, the first parsnips bloom, and all major garden weeds are sprouting.

April 22: Late spring’s plants are getting ready for May: wild phlox, wild geranium, wild ginger, celan-dine, spring cress, sedum, golden alexander, thyme-leafed speed-well, garlic mustard, and common fleabane are budding. Summer is right behind them; sweet clover and wild lettuce are already a foot high. Hosta and lily-of-the-valley foliage will be four to six inches, poison ivy vines two inches, dock and great mullein and comfrey leaves eight inches, Dutch iris 12 inches, cattails and poke weed up to 24. Winged termites seek new nesting sites. Bumble bees come out with the sun. June bugs begin their evening flights. Later at night, the Lyrid meteors, ten to fifteen per hour, pass overhead.

April 23: Silver and red maple seeds are an inch long. Flowering pears are passing their best, start-ing to get their leaves. Ferns are at least six inches tall in the new shade. Touch-me-not sprouts sport four to six leaves. The first yellow celandine blossoms in the alleys.

April 24: This transition week to late spring ushers in Jack-in-the-Pulpit Season, Miterwort Season, Wild Phlox Season, Celandine, Meadow Parsnip, Wood Betony, Wood Hyacinth, Fleabane, Spring Cress, Nodding Trillium, Larkspur and Bellwort Blooming Season. Garlic Mustard Season is here, covering the deep woods with white and green. It is Leafing Season for ginkgo, tree-of-heaven, ash, locust, black walnut, and mulberry. Clematis Season graces garden trellises. Wild Cherry Blossom Season spreads through-out the woodlots.

April 25: Yellow-bellied sapsuck-ers mate as buckeyes come into bloom. Admiral butterflies hatch.

Azaleas blossom in the warmest Aprils just as field grasses and winter wheat become long enough to ripple in the wind. Chickweed starts to fill in the woodland floor.

April 26: In late spring, the time of flowering fruit trees slowly comes to a close, and the great dandelion bloom of middle spring turns to gray and fragile seeds just as dogwoods open. Bamboo stalks have reached at least three feet tall, and peony buds are as big around as pennies.

April 27: All the gold has dis-appeared from middle spring’s forsythia as daisies bud, and ferns unravel. The white star of Bethlehem says it’s almost May in the city, and the pink and purple sweet rockets tell the time of year throughout the pastures. Lilies of the valley have their bells, and the first bright yellow cressleaf groundsel is opening in wet-lands. Rhubarb pies are growing everywhere as the first strawberry flowers, as Virginia creepers get their new shiny leaves, as azal-eas brighten and as honeysuckle leaves turn the undergrowth deep May green.

April 28: The garlic mustard, of May comes into bloom when the first indigo bunting reaches the Valley. Crocus and purple deadnettle leaves yellow in the grass as the growing canopy turns the hillsides of late April green. Cobwebs appear overnight, glisten with morning dew. Most dandelions have gone to seed when ruby-throated humming-birds arrive at local feeders. There are buds on the black raspberries, mock orange, and mulberries. Star of Bethlehem and wood hyacinths have come up in the lawn. Nettles are waist high along the fence rows

April 29: Garden chives are bloong as the first tall grass heads up. Black walnut trees leaf out and the green ash trees blossom while the maple flowers collapse all at once. Pussy willow leaves are racing with the box elders, both about half size. Poplar leaves are half an inch, some garlic mustard 12 to 18 inches. Mulberry buds are greening.

April 30: Many pines have started their new growth, some trees hav-ing pushed out tiny cones, others with fresh green needles at the tips of their branches. In town, many pears have exchanged their flow-ers for leaves, and the forsythia



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Fifty Years AgoFrom the pages of The Sentinel (Lewistown, PA), founded in

1903:April 1963

Features at the Reedsville Market - Wieners, United Brand, 2 -1 lb. packages 89 cents; Cubed Steak - To Quick Fry Bone-less – 79 cents per lb.; Nescafe Instant Coffee 6 oz. jar, 79 cents; Furman’s Pork & Beans/Kid-ney Beans, 4 40oz cans for $1; Hershey Bars, Plain/Almond 10 for 39 cents; Grapefruit White or Pink, 10 for 59 cents; French Fries Small Fry Krinkle Cut 9-oz pack-age, 9 cents. Burnham Drive-in Theatre – Box Office open at 7:30 – First Show at DuskShows Thurs., Fri., and Sat. - Three Features - $1.50 per car load – First Run – “The Trojan

Horse” starring Steve Reeves; “The Mongols” starring Anita Ek-berg and Jack Palance; and “Ride Vaquero” Starring Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner.

One Hundred Years AgoFrom the pages of the Democrat

& Sentinel (Lewistown, PA), founded in 1832:

April 1913

The Mifflin County Horticul-tural and Agricultural Association held its second quarterly meet-ing in the grand jury room of the courthouse. A fair representation of farmers and fruit growers of the county were present. A proposal that the annual exhibit of fruit and agricultural products be joined with the annual exhibit of the Mifflin County Poultry Associa-tion was discussed. The event was scheduled for the second floor

of the Market House with no ob-jections. (The Market House was located on Third Street where the United Fire Co. house and parking plaza is today.) All persons are warned not to dump refuse, garbage or other foreign matter in the Kishacoquil-las Creek, Juniata River or other waterways. A recent investiga-tion of area streams by J.D. Sizer, a warden of the State Fisheries Department, found an appalling situation he described as “frightful and about the worst encountered anywhere.” From Kishacoquil-las Creek near the county home, to the railroad bridge there was at least 50 carloads of refuse and decaying matter, according to Warden Sizer. Its poisonous run-off was killing fish and creating a menace to the public health by fostering typhoid and other toxic germs.

Civil War Echoes – One Hundred Fifty Years Ago

From the pages of the Lewis-town Gazette (Lewistown, PA),

founded in 1811April 1863

The newspaper reported that a visiting minister, while practicing with a rifle at a barn door, killed a cow belonging to William McKee of Valley Street. The owner agreed to accept $20 for his loss and received partial payment. The stockholders of the Tuscarora and Lewistown Bridge Company ratified a 99-year lease of the bridge to the Mifflin and Centre County Railroad Company for the annual rental of $300. The bridge would carry the railroad over the river. It was a covered bridge in use until destroyed by a tornado on July 4, 1874. The Memorial Bridge occupies the location today. The newly formed Young Men’s Christian Association set the annual dues at 50 cents for active members, males over 14 and under 40 years of age. Members were to be nomi-nated at regular meetings, then approved by a board of manag-ers and finally by a two-thirds vote of members present at a subsequent meeting.

The Logan Guards - The Civil War’s First Defenders from Mif-flin County, Pennsylvania by author Forest K. Fisher tells the story of this Mifflin County militia company. $17.75 plus PA Sales Tax and $3 S&H - Available at these locations: Mifflin County Historical Society, 1 W. Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044 or - Purchase with PayPal, visit our web site at www.mccoyhouse.com, click on STORE - Also the JVACC Gift Shop, Historic Court-house, Lewistown, PA. For more information: Call MCHS Office at 717-242-1022 or [email protected] a



Modern Energy and

Alternative Heatingwith Curt Bierly

Home Show Results Last Month I encouraged you to attend one of three Home Shows if you were planning to do any home improvements this year. I personally attended the State College Home Show and helped my son Stan “man the booth.” We’ve participated in many of the local shows over the 38 years that I’ve owned the business, but I can’t remember talking with as many interested customers as we did this year. Most visitors to the booth during the past shows ask questions and requested literature on the subject of interest. This year many of them “cut to the chase” and requested a site visit. Maybe the economy has turned the corner! We had lots of prod-ucts on display, but the product of most interest to potential custom-ers was the Heat Pump (Ducted Geothermal Heat Pumps, Ducted

Air to Air Heat Pumps and Duct-less Heat Pumps). Our Solar PV and Thermal Seminar was well attended, but we only had a few people interested in a site visit. It is apparent the Feds are high on Ducted Geothermal Heat Pumps (GEO) as they are still offering a substantial tax credit (30%) if you install one. Why is that? Ok you say, I’ve heard people talk about Geo Systems, but how do they function, how ef-ficient are they, and how much do they cost? To understand a Geo Heat Pump System, you need first to understand how a Heat Pump System operates and why it is very efficient. As opposed to using electric resistance heaters (electric baseboard heat, electric ceiling cable heat, electric fan unit heaters, etc), a Heat Pump uses a

compressor much like that in your refrigerator, freezer or window air conditioner. You can understand the effect of this compressor sys-tem by feeling the heat your win-dow air conditioner (AC) blows outside on a hot summer day. Yes it is cooling the inside of your house, but it is also heating the outside space around your house. Ok, take that window air condi-tioner, reverse it in the window and let it blow (pump) the heat inside and the cool air outside. I know you don’t want to heat your house in the summer, but the fact is that window air conditioner will pump heat into your house sum-mer or winter; thus the name Heat Pump. In summary, a heat pump will cool your house in the sum-mer and heat your house in the winter. The nice thing is that you don’t need to physically “turn the unit around” in the winter to have it blow heat into your house. It is done automatically with a “revers-

ing valve.” The other advantage is when you are heating your house with the compres-sor system (Heat Pump) you are using about 1/3 of the energy that you would use to heat your house with electric base-board or ceiling cable heat; thus, the unit is about 300% efficient. Amazing! Now for the Geo part. Your Window AC is an “air to air” sys-tem. As the outside temperature drops, the reversed window AC system becomes less efficient, and thus it is pumping less heat into your house for every kilowatt of electricity used by the compressor. A Geo is an “air to ground” sys-tem. As the outside temperature drops, the ground temperature (55 degrees F, plus or minus) below four feet remains nearly the same. In fact the wells for Geo systems are drilled about 230’ deep where the ground is a very constant tem-perature. As a result, Geo systems

don’t lose there efficiency when the outside temperature drops. This means big savings for you! So what does a Geo System cost? For a whole house system from scratch $25,000 to $35,000; however, the 30% tax credit with no cap is a great incentive, saving you $7500 to $10,500! Curt Bierly is president of the bierly group incorporated of which Stanley C. Bierly is a divi-sion. He graduated from Penn State with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is a member of the Penn College HVAC Advisory Board. You can contact him at [email protected] a


[email protected]

minish your confidence or hinder your enthusiasm. They exist; so what. Strive to adequately equip your children with the fundamen-tal tools, satisfy any and all gov-ernment requirements. Then leave

it at that, and feel good about it. Perfection—whether you are student or teacher—is just not possible this side of heaven; but excellence…that, we can do. And achievement testing is just one of those pesky things that challenge us to remember the difference! a

That Notorious Gap Theory from page 30

will see the growth of a new Spring. These are the areas where

you will experience the hope of the new life. These are the areas where Christ is grounded into the future. a

New Life from page 6

things of this world like how nice your house is or how much money you have, or all the bad things that are happening. Don’t fear what may be coming because in case you haven’t noticed, things have been messy on this earth since Adam and Eve left Eden. And unfortunately, they will be messy until Christ’s return, after which

the Bible says in Isaiah 65:17 “Behold, I will create new heav-ens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” So, if we are not even going to remember all this “stuff” we think is so important on earth, we should be much more free to focus on doing God’s work and allowing our lives to be used to show God’s love to others. a

Life from page 31

Exploring Maitland Cave from page 37

mer to do that part of the cave. Next, we went in the large opening. It was filled partially with breakdown blocks of all sizes. Some of the larger ones were the size of pickups and one was bigger than a bus! Here at the entrance in the breakdown, there are numerous openings between the boulders to squeeze down in. Most had a small room or a maze crawl while a few were dead ends. Looking in the mouth of the cave, you can plainly see where the ceiling fell in. The opening into the cave resembles an upside down “V.” Most of the opening pinches off not more than 150’ from the entrance, but if you stay far right, the passage goes another 150’. The “floor” is tricky with mud, rocks and slots along the wall that drop into deep moving water. It is easier to just brace yourself between the solid stone walls, which are two feet apart and climb through a few feet off the floor. This passage eventually is choked off by a mud plug. After we finished caving, we

took some time to check out the old mill remains and to talk with Don. He said the cave is not posted and is open to cavers. He would like to ask visitors to park in the parking lot next to the old chicken house, not on the grass please! Be sure to get permission before entering and let him know

when you will be coming out. One more thing, due to the nature of the cave and loose rock, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! If you are in the Siglerville area and you have any questions about the caves in the area, stop by Double D Enterprises to speak with me personally. Check out our ad in this month’s paper.

Cave SafeTodd [email protected]



Mail Pouch Books

by Carleen B. Grossman

This land is your land, this land is my land, from California to the New York island...”Woody Guthrie April 22 brings us Earth Day. To honor this celebration, I have selected books that cover an overview of our land. The novel for this month, KEEPER OF THE BEES, is a classic originally published in 1925 and reissued since then. It is a most enjoyable read ringing as true today as it did then. And, I think you will find the non-fiction books useful in providing information about the land’s care and its harvests!

THE KEEPER OF THE BEESBy Gene Stratton-PorterCopyright 1925 This novel is set in 1920’s

California. The story focuses on an American soldier of Scot-tish descent, who is in a military hospital after being wounded in World War I. He is scheduled to be sent to a rehabilitation camp, but tuberculosis is rampant at the camp; so he decides to escape from the hospital. He thinks he can just die in the peacefulness of nature and not have to suffer confinement in the diseased camp. He ends up at the door of a Bee Master, who is also trying to recover his own health. The Bee Master needs to spend some time in the local hospital, and even though this stranger has just appeared in the neighborhood, the Bee Master asks him to care for the hives and gardens while he himself is recuperating from a heart attack. Thus begins the experience and healing for this soldier. He learns about bee keep-ing and caring for nature along a seaside cove. As you journey through the beekeeping and gardening in this book, you can hear the surf as it crashes onto the beach; smell the fresh salt air; see beautiful flowers in the garden; feel like you are picking ripe tomatoes fresh from the vine; hear the hives humming and taste the sweet honey. This is a perfect story for an Earth Day celebration!

This book is filled with old-fashioned wonderment. This is realistic storytelling at its finest. The people you meet in these pages are ones you’d probably like to get to know in real life; people you’d enjoy having as neighbors and friends!

WILD GOOSEBERRIES, GARLIC AND ME

By Denis CotterCopyright 2010 Explore with this author/chef as he shows you the connection between food, people and land. You will learn how to search for

wild mushrooms, wild greens and much more; then, he teaches you HOW to cook them! He focus on four major themes...green things, wild pickings, growing in dark-ness and how to have a passionate pursuit! Scrumptious recipes are included for your use. Outstand-ing images of the landscape, the food and the finished recipes help you open your eyes to some new ingredients and how to use them creatively!

PRESERVING WILD FOOD:Modern Forager’s Recipes for

Curing, Canning, Smoking and PicklingBy M. Weingarten & R. PelzelCopyright 2012 Wherever you forage, in the wilds or at the farmer’s market, this book is for YOU! Travel with this author to find out about

produce that can be processed in the kitchen. Find out about exotic items as well as very practical things. Experience a journey filled with love for both nature and food. Learn how to capture nature’s essence.

THE PRUNING ANSWER BOOK

By Lewis Hill & P. O’SullivanCopyright 2011 Do you wonder what needs pruning and how to do it? This book provides that information for interested homeowners and nature lovers. Safety and achieving at-tractive, long-term, healthy plants is the focus for woody trees, shrubs and vines. The format of the book is question and answer; over a dozen chapters present various topics and illustrations.a


[email protected]

The Pen and ThreadCustom Calligraphy and Weaving

Mary Anna ChenowethProprietor

Monday, Wednesday, Friday10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.717-248-6079

131 West Market StreetLewistown, Pennsylvania



Cave Echoesby Marge Delozier-Noss and

Nikki Santangelo

Every week is the perfect time to be sitting in our Hima-layan Salt Cave, but now with Spring in the air and allergens flying everywhere…it is very ben-

eficial to do several sessions in the cave. Each session is 45 minutes and we do sessions every hour on the hour. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and breathe in the

Himalayan Salt Cave... Whether you are bothered in the Spring when things begin to bud and bloom or when flowers release their pollen, or Fall when lots are suffering from hay fever, please read on. Help is in the air! Technically, it’s not hay fever, its rhinitis, and pollen is not the only thing that causes it. Rhinitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the sensitive membranes of the nasal and sinus passages, the eyes, and the throat. Let’s keep to allergic rhinitis, where inflamma-tion is caused by allergic reac-tions. However, rhinitis can have other causes besides allergies. But, whatever the cause, having congested nasal passages, a runny nose, itchy, wa-tery eyes and an irritated throat isn’t very fun! Often, one of the first signs that we are becoming ill is congestion. Our sinuses plug

up or start draining; we cough, sniffle, and sneeze. Many people quickly reach for antihistamines or other over-the-counter cold medicines to dry up the sinus drainage. Similar preparations are used to treat the symptoms of hay fever and allergies. Unfortunate-ly, this most often does not really help. All one is doing is suppress-ing the symptoms, which provides temporary relief, but never usually fixes the problem, nor HEALS. Using a Himalayan Salt Inhaler is a great aid and way of HEALING the sinuses and lungs. It does not just mask the problems, but actually heals the sinus area and lungs. Remember, Himalayan salt is anti-inflamma-tory, so every time you use the inhaler, it’s shrinking the inflam-mation that is in your body…es-pecially the sinus area and lungs. It’s very simple to use. You put the Himalayan salt in the inhaler,

wrap your mouth around the mouth piece and breathe in, and then breathe out through your nose. Use it 10 minutes every day as a minimum and you will see amazing results. So many people have purchased these inhal-ers and come back to tell us how easy they are to use, but also how quickly they are effective and their symptoms

are gone. They are also pleased when they are able to get off of expensive prescriptive inhalers and other drugs that make them feel sluggish and rundown. Dr. Oz is a big promoter of Himalayan Salt therapy and believes we all need to use the Salt Inhaler because it boosts our immune system. When that hap-pens, then we are not as suscep-tible to the person walking by us with a cold or the flu. Call us today (717) 248-2000 to schedule your next appoint-ment in the Himalayan Salt Cave and then check out the inhalers while you are there. Also, review our web site for more information www.simplyhealth-calm.com.A salt lamp in your home extends the benefits of the cave into your home or office. Hop on in this Spring and check out our large display. a

LONG AWAITED SPRING WILL COME…

BUT WITH ITS BEAUTY, ALLERGIES WILL ALSO ARRIVE (OR WORSEN)

A Himalayan Salt Inhaler is a great aid and an easy way to heal the sinuses and helps boost the immune system

Lewistown’s Best Kept Secret from front page

around, no matter who makes it, or what day they visit. The same drink always tastes the same, FABULOUS! Scheduled for the future are a kitchen where we will take our pursuit of excellence to another level and provide you with the best pub fare in the area. The 717 Club & Pub is open from Thursdays to Saturdays from 8:00pm - 2:00am. We have a large grass

parking lot adjacent to Burgard Apartments that can accommodate up to 200 vehicles. We are on Chestnut St. right across from the Burgard Apartments. You can reach us by calling 717-248-2226.We look forward to serving you soon, come find out all about Lewistown’s best kept secret! a

The 717 is in the heart of Lewistown across from Burgard Apts. We are easy to find!


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Savvy Cents & Sensibilityby JoAnn Wills-Kline MBA

This month, we revisit con-cepts developed by Jim Collins in his Book “Good to Great.” This month’s strategy is “The Hedge-hog Concept” in which Jim Col-lins uses a parable about a clever fox and a simple hedgehog. The devious fox keeps contemplat-ing ideas to eat the hedgehog, but the simple hedgehog defeats him every time by rolling into a thorny ball. We can apply Jim Collins’ “Hedgehog” concept to busi-ness and personal life notions by performing a simple exercise that consists of three questions: What are you passionate about? What can you be best at? What could you make money doing? The an-swer must meet all three criteria. The intersection of all three ques-

Focused Passiontions is your “hedgehog.” The “Hedgehog” concept is coming to an understanding of what “you” personally could be best at. And, it probably is deeply related to your “purpose” in life. So, how do you find your “Hedgehog?” – by promoting a firm standard of excellence. The following steps are a map towards finding your personal hedgehog:

1. Understand what you truly have the potential to be the very best at

2. Once you find it… stick with it… do not give up!

3. Stick with it and work to refine it.

4. Focus on what you person-ally could/can do better than anyone else.

a. This step leads you on the path to your greatness5. Allocate resources based on the above understanding a. Read all you can about your focus… your hedgehog b. Again refine your skills – practice, practice, practice! c. Take courses & instruction – find a mentor6. Avoid distractions a. Ask yourself “How bad do you want this?” b. If your answer is “I want it bad! I want to find my hedgehog!” Then: i. Schedule the time (and money as needed) to make it hap-

pen ii. Do not permit distractions to take you off course 1. Life may attempt to sideline you – just get back on course as quickly as possible 2. Offer no apologies for seeking your purpose As you pose the three hedge-hog questions to yourself. listen for the answer deep inside your-self. Do not answer with what you think your parents, spouse, family, friends, or co-workers would say. Instead, breathe deep

with courage and answer with your gut instincts. Once your answers bubble up, take action, and don’t look back. Ok, fel-low hedgehogs, it’s time to take a three question quiz. Are you ready? Your life and purpose is waiting! Enjoy! a



Grosze Thal Nachbaren

(Big Valley Neighbors) by Jeptha I. Yoder

Liebe Leser! Ein Grusz in dem Namen unseres Heilandes Jesu Christi. Es ist die liebe früh-lingszeit. Die Vögelein kommen zurück von ihrer winter-heimat gegen mittag. Der Vier-und-zwanzigst Hor-nung waren wir in der Gemein ans Eli S. Zugen. Ost Lang Leen war ans Noah D. Hostetlers. Singen war auch dort. Nieder Milroy war ans Noah R. J. Hostetlers fürs Noah R. Hostetlers (Hoffman Leen). Der Dritt März gingen Unkel Christ M. Yoders in Kirchengasse Gemein ans Samuel N. Yoders. Lang Leen West war ans Sam I. Yoders. Ost Milroy war ans Samuel M. Zugen. Isaack R. Hostetlers und Familie waren hier fürs Mitta-gessen. Meine Eltern waren ans Unkel Christs abends. Der Zeht war Gemein hier. Von ander Theil waren Christian Z. Speichers welche waren hier fürs Abendessen. Auch hier fürs Essen waren Jakob S. Hostetlers und etliche Junge, Singen war hier. Der Siebenzeht war Kirch-engasse Gemein ans Joseph S.

Yoders. Etliche Junge waren dort fürs abendessen und Singen. Christian Z. Speichers waren dort fürs abendessen. West Lang Leen Gemein war ans Christ E. Yoders fürs erste mol. Vell des is nau der Achtzeht März, Und est ist ein winterli-cher tag. Ich hab mehr Schnee-vögelein (Juncos) gesehen heute als im ganzen Winter. Gewohnlich ist der winter vorüber bis der Vierzeht März welcher mein Ge-burtstag ist. Wird es noch länger ungewöhnlich kalt sein dies jahr? Wir werden sehen so der Herr Will und Wir leben! Bisz nächst mol ein Glück-seliges Frülingszeit und Osterta-gen. Vergesset die betrübten nicht! Christian greetings in our Saviour’s Name. It is the wonder-ful springtime. Migratory birds are coming back from their winter homes in the south. Had several goats freshen since my last writ-ing. But with the yearling having twins and the older one triplets, it does not mean stocking up on cheese and yogurt. Christ M. Zook Sr. is now home from the hospital, but had to bear the regrets of not being

able to attend the funeral of an Uncle Eli Y. Hostetler of New York, where others from this area attended. Their (Christs’) youngest daughter, the Samuel A. Hostetlers moved on February 19, where their oldest daughter the Rufus M. Yoders vacated the week before. A mistake in my last writing, Eli J. passed on the 18th; not the 19th. Sorry. The widow (Samuel R.) Barbara H. Yoder is having Public Auction on Saturday, April 27, Lord Willing, to dispose of her late husband’s shop tools and more. Also household items, which are not mentioned on the sale bill, possibly having been overlooked. These include two new quilts and both a large and a crib comfort, some homemade (lye) soap, books, dresser, childs hutch, a new 31 day key wind-up clock and more. Also a collec-tion of canes and walking sticks, including a blue glass cane. Her address is 92 Raspberry Lane, Belleville, PA 17004. At first con-sidered a mens sale, but not really so! Samuel M. and Elizabeth S. Hostetler are having private (Fre-undschaft) sale on May 4, Lord Willing, for their cousins and their cousin’s children. This is now the eighteenth of March and a very wintry day. Saw more Juncos today than I had seen all winter. Nancy E. 10, (Dec. 11, 2002) had an overnight stay (Mar. 9) at State College Hospital where surgery was done on her fingers, after suffering the misfortune of getting her left hand in the meat grinder, losing part of her ring fin-ger. But otherwise, the prognosis of regaining the use of her hand sounds good, except several outer (finger) joints may remain dys-functional. Is taking it easy. She is the daughter of John Y. and cousin Rebecca K. (Yoder) Hostetler of 253 Orchard Drive, Milroy, PA 17063. An update on Ruthie Speich-er, daughter of Noah C. and Eliza-beth B., is that apparently she is growing, as her clothes need to be adjusted, which everyone is glad to hear, after some previous concerns about her growth rate. Walks now but tires easier than others. New arrival is a Dena, joining five sisters and one brother, to Samuel Y. Jr. and Katie E. Zook. Grands are widower Samuel Y. Sr. Zook; Samuel Y. and Sara N. (Yoder) Hostetler. Great Grandfa-ther is widower Christ S. Yoder. Friends and relatives re-

ceived word of the passing of widow (John K.) Lydia Byler of White Hall area on March 11. Her brother Jonathan Zook was buried the day before. Fifty-six years ago today (the 19th) my (late) Grandad Jeff S. and Miriam E. Hostetler and family moved from Church Lane to the former Danny Decker farm. The cattle was taken on foot. If I have it correct, this being the last time a herd of cattle was chased through the village of Milroy. Cousins Ruth N. Hostetler, Teachers Barbara K. and Adelina E. Yoder, and the Special Ed. board were among a load of visit-ing Special Schools in other areas of the state, including Lancaster, on Thur. Mar. 14. Word came to the valley of the accident and passing of Iva, wife of Nathan Yoder of Juniata. Funeral was Sat. Mar. 16. The grieving have our sympathies. I have kid goats for sale, ages up to six weeks. Bucks $15.00; Does $35.00. If interested stop by or drop me a line at 150 Red Lane, Milroy, PA 17063. Also I have Lancaster Sure-crop Open-Pollinated Corn for sale from ears I saved for seed. Several days later as i wrap this up the weather remains wintry. A week ago I gathered some chickweed greens which were good. Dandelion crowns are

peeping, but some sunshine would provide more “greens”. Am looking forward to broody hens and hatching chicks. Several Cochin banties have been laying about all winter, but apparently their instincts didn’t call for incubation of eggs in our “extended” winter. May the Lord be with you till we meet again.Best Wishes,Jeptha I. Yoder

Kid Goats for SaleBucks $15Does $35

See Jeptha at 150 Red Lane, Milroy PA 17063 or drop him a

line


[email protected]

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www.TheStewardshipGroup.org

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Belleville Mennonite SchoolTo Hold Annual Sale

With the coming of spring in The Valley, an annual tradition can not be far off. As the tem-peratures rise and people return to the outdoors, Belleville Menno-nite School marks the coming of Spring with their annual sale. This year the 48th Annual sale will take place on April 19th and 20th. As usual, this year there will be baked goods and other foods, and don’t forget to grab one of their “almost world famous” strawberry pies to take home. The sale also provides sale attendees with the opportunity to purchase one of the many beautiful quilts that are made here locally. I am not sure if any of you have checked, but authentic Amish/Mennonite quilts are priced at this sale well below half of what you can find for prices on the internet from companies dealing in these family heirlooms. Belleville Mennonite School supplements their budget by holding this sale each year, which keeps tuition low, so that any Christian family in the area can afford to attend. With modern sci-ence and computer labs available, all students have the advantage of using these resources at a much greater frequency due to small class sizes. Students excel due to these smaller class sizes, which gives teachers more one-on-one time and the ability to dedicate

more time to those in need. This fact was clearly on the mind of senior Hannah Temple-ton when she described her time at Belleville Mennonite School. “Small class sizes give the teachers opportunity to work closely with the students. This cre-ates a good student/teacher bond. This bond creates a relationship beneficial to academic success.”“I’m glad for having the oppor-tunity to play field hockey. Sports promoted teamwork, helping each other to improve and do our best. The teachers show support by at-tending the students’ activities.”“A Christian education has made me a well-rounded person. It has shaped my values and morals. My education at BMS will help prepare the way for my future.” The fact that the students receive a “Christ-centered” educa-tion is something that is very special about Belleville Menno-nite School. The framed picture of our Lord hangs right inside the front door, and when I was there this reminder of where I was, put me at ease right away. After see-ing the decay in our “government

schools” due in large part to the elimination of faith and prayer, it is very refreshing to see a school that promotes Christianity doing so well and producing students like those that graduate from Belleville Mennonite School. Al-though this was very apparent to me just from one visit, it is really driven home by the words of the students. “The teachers are nice and helpful. I like that we have chapel and I enjoy the science labs.”-Chloe Renno, 3rd Grade “I enjoy attending BMS because of all the great teachers and the fun that they turn each class into every day. If we need help with anything - and it doesn’t need to be about school - they are more than willing to listen and give encouragement. They work hard to be sure that each student strives to do their best and learns all of the skills needed for life and relationships with others.”-Derek Byler, 10th Grade “I enjoy being around people who are going to influence me in a Godly way and encourage me to do my best. We get an excel-

lent education and also have good relationships with our peers and teachers while learning.”-Angel Fishel, 11th Grade Belleville Mennonite School also provides cultural awareness by hosting students from other countries such as Venezuela, Ja-pan, Korea, China, Germany, Vi-etnam and Brazil. One exchange student had this to say; “I really enjoy studying here. The teachers are nice and kind and try their best to help you. The environment will help you a lot.”-Terrance, Senior (3rd year International Student) The students I witnessed on my visit seemed genuinely happy and involved. It reminded me of some of my own memories from my school days so very long ago, before political correctness reared its ugly head and government cur-riculum replaced common sense and parents’ wishes. Apparently this is not lost on even the young-est students at BMS. “My favorite part about BMS is the teachers and my friends.”-Natalie Yoder, 2nd Grade A treasure such as this does

not exist without local help and involvement. Area businesses help with items for the sale each year, local farms provide animals and produce, and don’t forget the thousands of hours donated by those making those wonderful quilts that you can purchase to help the cause. This is what local control looks like, and Belleville should take a bow. With enough local effort, this is possible anywhere there exists a desire to promote what you believe. This is self-reliance at its best. Let’s show the folks at BMS that we appreciate their efforts. Come out to the sale on April 19th and 20th, mingle with your neighbors and make a purchase to ensure that this wonderful facility for learning will be here for a long time to come. The benefit of BMS is shown by continually achiev-ing much higher PSSA scores relative to their counterparts in the “government school system,” this is due to local control, let’s make sure it stays that way. Complete information on the upcoming sale can be found at BMS’ website: bellevillemennon-iteschool.org. Lists of auction and sale items, as well as a complete schedule, can be found there as well as directions for those com-ing from other areas. We hope to see you all there! a


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Home-Grown!A Homeschooler’s Perspective

By Mary Eck

That Notorious “Gap Theory

and preserving spirituality. Preventing Toxic Overload

Food and Water – Choose organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains and grass fed, organic meats when possible. Toxins in our food include artificial colors and pre-servatives as well as sugar, white flour products, soda, artificial sweeteners, fried foods, alcohol and caffeine. Clean, filtered water is essential to removing and preventing toxic buildup. Consider installing a water filter on your shower. Don’t Eat Microwave Popcorn. The inside of a microwave popcorn bag is usually coated with a perfluori-nated chemical (PFC) called a fluorotelomer that can break down to form perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Designed to prevent oil from seeping through the bag, PFOA can migrate into the food when heated. It has been linked to cancer and birth defects in animals. Limit use of (aluminum)canned food and plastic contain-ers. Most canned goods are coated with a resin lining derived from Bisphenol-A (BPA). A compo-nent of polycarbonate plastic, BPA may be linked to certain cancers, fertility and behavioral problems in children. The risk is especially great when exposed in the womb; women who are pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant and young children should be especially careful of their canned-food intake. Not all plastics contain BPA, but because it can leach into food when heated, it is suggested that we should avoid heating foods in plastic contain-ers. Use glass or ceramic contain-ers for heating food instead. BPA can also leach into food when the container is scratched or worn; so to be safe, if you have a water bottle or other plastic container, discard it if it becomes worn out. Indoor environment- Consider the use of an air purifier. Also be aware of personal care products, laundry products and clean-ing supplies. Buy the ones that are fragrance free if possible. When shopping for cosmetics and personal-care products, read the ingredients labels—avoid anything that includes the words “paraben” (often used as a suffix, as in methylparaben) or “phthal-ate” (listed as dibutyl and diethyl-hexyl or just “fragrance”). If there isn’t an ingredients list, log on to cosmeticsdatabase.com, a web site devised by the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) that identifies the toxic ingredients of thousands of personal-care

products. Do not store pesticides, paints, etc. inside the home due to the fact that the molecules of these substances can slowly escape. Avoid cleaning products that contain phenol such as Lysol and Pine Sol. If you must use them, use gloves and a mask. Outdoor environment- Naturally, it is much more difficult to control the toxins we take in from the outside. Do not use ChemLawn or harsh pesticides. Remember to never burn any poisonous plants because breathing the vapors can cause lung damage of sensitive people. Talk to Your Dry Cleaner -The chemical Perchloroethylene (perc) is most commonly used in dry cleaning. The EPA identifies perc as a known human toxin and “a precursor to ground-level ozone (smog).” It usually enters the body through inhalation and remains stored in fat tissue. While many dry cleaners have begun using alternative cleaning practices (the EPA has ordered a phase-out of perc machines in residential build-ings by 2020 and California will eliminate all use of perc by 2020.) It’s best to ask what chemicals your dry cleaner uses. If they use perc, make sure you hang your newly cleaned clothes outside for a day to air out the chemical.Dust and Vacuum Regularly - Here is where the spring clean-ing comes in! Toxins can settle into the dust in your house, so to be extra safe, it’s best to keep your house clean through regular dusting and vacuuming. This is especially important if you are pregnant, have a young child or have a pet, which can transfer the dust through its movements. Keep these tips in mind this spring and you will be as in-vigorated as those sparkling clean windows! (You have washed your windows for the season haven’t you? NO? Well me either, I do plan to get to them soon, but right now I think that hot bath sounds great! )

Resource: Natural Detoxification: A Practical Encyclopedia by Jac-queline Krohn MD and Frances Taylor MA

Sue is a holistic nutrition consul-tant and holistic health educator. Her office is located at 54 Chest-nut Street in Lewistown. To learn more about her business go to www.mynourishingjourney.com She can be reached by email at [email protected] or give her a call at 242- 3132. a

Coming Clean from page 11

Most of you are no doubt familiar with the so-called gap theory that seeks to harmonize the opposing worldviews of evolution and Creation. An adult with but meager logic skills and aver-age intellectual integrity would dismiss the premise as wholly deficient, if not outright absurd…which it is. So, if we were to “talk” herein about the “gap theory” within the framework of that in-sidious hoax, a.k.a. evolution, I’d tell you flat out both theories are absolute bunk. But, in the context of our state’s achievement testing requirements for students, the gap theory is—surprisingly—relevant; spot on, actually. Many of you have been on the receiving end of snide comments like, “Oh, well, he’s homeschooled…,” as if it is some inferior mode of education. Now, if a public-schooled student was to make the identical mistake or misstep, he or she would be praised for the effort alone. True? Absolutely, it is. When a previously home-schooled student is enrolled in public school, which is common at the middle and high school lev-els, educrats are quick to pounce on “missing content,” or so-called “instructional gaps,” in an effort to belittle homeschooling as the inept and bungling rival they only wish it were. I guarantee you a public school transfer student is not subjected to such criticism. It is a rare student indeed who does not have gaps in her educa-tion, whether private-, public- or homeschooled. And there are a dozen plus factors that define the breadth, depth and thoroughness of anyone’s schooling dossier: a teacher’s passion for or profi-ciency in a particular subject, and disdain or anxiety for another; unexpected family circumstances and trauma that may result in relocation to new school(s), reduced focus and a whole slew of emotional upheaval; individual student interests, abilities and aversions; parental involvement or lack thereof; and on and on. You get the idea. Achievement testing, al-though a well-intentioned concept,

is an academic measuring tool that inadvertently sabotages the very standards it was created to uphold. Many teachers are now heavily influenced by a teaching-to-the-test burden that inhibits sponta-neity or deeper study of a topic, as warranted. For the student, the discovery aspect of learning is diluted and what is deemed “important” is enumerated for memorization and recall purposes only; the individual study process is, in effect, stunted. What, exactly, is the purpose of primary and secondary school-ing? Is it to turn out teen automa-tons that have been systematically purged of all inquisitiveness by a system that designates a glar-ing line of demarcation between learning (classtime) and fun (re-cess), yet know everything there is to know about the Russian czar lineage, or how one compounds annual interest, or the difference between alliteration and onomato-poeia? Or, rather, should school-ing produce competent young adults that embrace learning as a life-long pursuit because that artificial and wholly detrimental line has been blissfully blurred by an approach that makes study an exciting and stimulating pursuit in and of itself? The point is, filling student’s heads with facts, dates and count-less proper nouns with little to no context—just for the purpose of testing recall—does not a good student make (Don’t you just love Yoda-speak?!). Prior to achieve-ment testing in this great nation, our citizens as a whole were better critical thinkers and far more educated in subjects like math, literature, history and science because the instructional method complemented our naturally-inquisitive minds and spurred independent study efforts. But today, with compulsory educa-tion, “core” content standards, and mandatory achievement testing, that once-ravenous collective curi-osity has been stymied—necessar-ily demoted to luxury status—to be satisfied only after the required information has been tediously committed to memory, which typically exhausts any extracur-ricular interest and leaves little

time for it. Also, for every supposed educational gap a homeschooler might have, there is often a compensating interest or apti-tude that goes unacknowledged by homeschool naysayers. The homeschooling culture is one of self-discovery, which unleashes interests which, in turn, become passions potentially every bit as integral to a student’s future success. Artistic, athletic or even mechanical tinkering pastimes that students show initiative in as personal pursuits can be just as critical to their development as the requisite academics. Certainly, a standard knowl-edge base is critical and doing well on achievement tests is the ideal. But success is also about discovering and developing our talents and gifts, and I would argue that educational gaps are in-evitable given that noble pursuit. So, fellow homeschoolers, do not stress out about your child’s minor deficiencies that fall outside the three R’s. Teach them how to do their best in everything, and then demand that standard from them so they learn to demand it of themselves. In the whole scheme of things, what is most important is that our children become highly-skilled in the English language triad (reading, writing and speech) and competent mathematicians. Meagerly-outfitted, one-room schoolhouses once did that job with incredible success on a per student expenditure that was virtually nil compared to the ludicrous amounts spent on stu-dents today… for embarrassingly substandard results. For sure, homeschoolers should make conscientious effort to fulfill the testing parameters imposed by state law. I encour-age no less. But I do discourage the needless stress we place upon ourselves and our dear students when we hold ourselves and them to some ridiculously towering standard that our public school counterparts fall well short of. Do not let the possibility—no, prob-ability!—of instructional gaps di-




Lifeby Sarah Hurlburt

We often only think about life when faced with death. It’s ironic that it has to be that way, but it’s true. We can be sailing along through life at breakneck speed thinking of nothing but how we are going to get all the “stuff” done in one 24 hour period that we technically need 72 hours to do. We cram so many things into a day that often we don’t have time to think about next week, let alone eternity. Unfortunately, that all comes to a screeching halt when you get the “diagnosis” from the doctor or when you get the phone call that someone you loved dearly and was a part of your personal life, just died. Time stands still in that moment. We are forced to stop and think about our own destiny. In the past few years in my own life, I have said goodbye to several close family members and as a result of that, death is a very real and near thing to me. Even

still, God has used all those events to remind me of who he is and how fragile physical life is. We may feel invincible, but unfortu-nately we are not. Sin entered the world and physical death became a reality for all humans because the first humans wanted to be invincible—they wanted to be like God; they wanted to know it all. It didn’t work out too well; that feeling of self-dependence and invincibility will never get us anywhere, but sad and alone. God designed us for com-munity and wants us to be there for each other on this journey of life. He sent Jesus to redeem us spiritually so even though we will still face physical death, we must remember that’s not the end. A spirit is eternal. So like a dead dry seed, our bodies will be planted in the ground returning to the dust we were made from, but in the light of the Son, new life will burst forth just as a plant from the

garden in springtime. We will be made new. So, as we head into summer and vacations, and con-tinue our busy schedules of life, stop and take some time to think about the bigger picture. This life is not all there is. We will one day, and that day could be sooner then we think, stand before our creator and our lives on earth will, for the first time, make sense. What will be said of your life by the people you leave behind, and even more importantly, what will God say? Are you wondering how to be sure of your eternal future? John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” That’s it, it’s that simple—believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Maybe you think you have gone too far and have done too many things wrong. That’s not true because when Jesus died, he took the sins of the entire world and covered them by his ultimate sacrifice. So forgiveness is already in place; all you have to do is ac-cept it. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Bible says this, Philippians 3:20-21 – “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly

waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.”

Don’t forget this life is only the beginning of something much bigger, and whether we like it or not, eternity is a reality for all of us! So don’t get too caught up in



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Festival Celebrates Native Plantsand makes it easy to “Go Native” in your landscape

Trilliums, bluebells, and redbuds, oh, my! …and hundreds more native beauties!! You’ll meet them all at the Native Plant Festival and Sale, May 4, 10am—3pm, at Penn State’s Shaver’s Creek Environ-mental Center, Petersburg. After you’re wowed by their splendor and diversity, you’ll be blown away by their practicality and benefits to your yard, community, and planet Earth (see “Why Na-tive?” article to the right). Then you’ll have the delightful task of deciding which ones to take home with you. The Pennsylvania Na-

tive Plant Society (PNPS) and Shaver’s Creek are partnering again this year to bring together eight native plant nurseries from across central Pennsylvania in one market place. Over 140 species of plants—ferns, perennials, shrubs, and trees—will be on sale with vendors and PNPS members at the ready to advise and suggest plant best suited for your yard. You’ll find plenty of inspiration and information at several educational programs and walks, including how to create a butterfly garden and plant native shrubs and trees to attract birds. You’ll also experi-ence the joy of discovery on a

self-guided wildflower scavenger hunt—designed for kids of all ages! So, load up the family, clear your trunk, and set off to celebrate the arrival of spring, the return of wildflowers, and the start of another gardening season. Check out the seasonal, organic prepared food vendor and make a day of it! Betsy Whitman is a native plant gardener and a storyteller of traditional and original tales. She lives in State College.picnic (or purchase local seasonal prepared foods), a

Love Your Mother: Plant Native!An enticing way to go green—literally and figuratively.

What are Native Plants? A native plant is one that occurs naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without direct or indirect human intervention. In the eastern United States, native species are usually considered to be flora present at the time Europeans arrived and began settling in North America. Native plants include all kinds of plants from mosses, mush-rooms, lichen and ferns to wildflowers, vines, shrubs, and trees.

Why Native Plants? Native plants are adapted to the growing conditions where you live so they are often easier to grow and less susceptible to challenging conditions than non-native plants. Easier can mean less watering, less fertilizing, fewer pests and weeds (so less pesticides and herbicides!) and—when you trade a spot of grass for a native ground cover—less mowing and leaf-blowing. All in all, natives can be less demanding of resources—Mother Earth’s and yours! Native plants are essential links in the life cycle of many insects, birds, and other animals. The more native plants in your community, the healthier your ecosystem, and the more likely you’ll attract birds and wildlife to your yard. Plus, many non-native species are invasive and can “jump ship” from landscapes to grow with abandon in field and forest, out-compet-ing and threatening our native plant species.

Where do I start?As with any plant, a native must be matched with the right spot—be it sunny slope, wind-swept field, wet swale, dry shade, or other dozens other combination of light, moisture, and soil type. Two local resources will help you make that match: Central Penn-sylvania Native Plant Festival, always the first Saturday in May (see If you Go…, below) and the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society (PNPS). At the PNPS website, panativeplantsociety.org, you’ll find helpful links to national plant databases, native plant resources in Pennsylvania, and landscape help. You can check out wildflower hikes and other native plant events offered by PNPS and related conservation organizations. Coming soon--you’ll be able to browse the PNPS plant database to learn the size, shape, bloom time, distribution, and habitat needs of many Pennsylvania native species. Best of all, if you have a specific question about a plant, habitat, or native landscape concern, post it on the PNPS website forum (Facebook page) and you’ll soon get an answer—or two or three!

--adapted from the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society website, pana-tiveplantsociety.org. a

Why Native?

Eastern Redbud is one of many native species you can plant on your property to help beautify the land-scape, and being a native, it is well adapted to our climate and soil conditions. The beauty of natives is that they thrive without the use of added resources, a carefree guest that belongs here.



Back Talk by Dr. Joseph Kauffman

Sometimes, I think people see my views and beliefs as nothing but conspiracy theories. So, when I find articles and data that back up what I believe, I like to share it so that it sheds light on what is re-ally happening behind the scenes of which 99% of the public are totally unaware. This is another example of something that I came across while researching another topic. This article comes from Dr. Joseph Mercola who holds a doctor of osteopathy degree (D.O.), is a best-selling author, and is known to be an advocate of natural healing and nutrition. His article is lengthy and reiter-ates some of the same information that I have posted in previous columns, so I will not repeat the same information again. But, I will pick pieces of his article to show you, the reader, the reason I think the way I do. Then, you can decide for yourself if it is all just a conspiracy theory, or if there is a legitimate reason for us all to be

concerned. How can anyone trust our government, the FDA, and in some cases, our medical doctors and definitely the pharmaceuti-cal companies? As always, I will cite my sources so you can read the article in its entirety if you so choose. And, again, I welcome all opinions and replies, positive or negative. “Ever wonder why your child’s pediatrician—or your own physician for that matter—seems to be pushing vaccines on you every time you walk in the door? Does your doctor actually seem angry if you’re not interested in buying a dose of that flu vaccine? Well, maybe it’s because he’s working for what amounts to a bribe from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase the practice’s vaccination rates. In a program called AFIX (for Assessment, Feedback, Incentive, and eXchange), the Incentive part refers to lucrative

‘gifts’ the CDC offers your doctor for pushing vaccines on patients. The AFIX program encourages ‘friendly competition’ among staff to see who can increase vaccina-tion rates the most, and prizes with monetary and career enhanc-ing value include such things as ‘scholarships’ to training and pro-fessional meetings (a potentially huge value that could amount to hundreds of dollars per person), to plaques, and public recognition, such as being named a ‘Vaccine Champion.’ Financial incen-tives also include opportunities to partner with pharmaceutical companies for additional funding sources.

Is the Mass Vaccination Program Powered by Money

and Bribes? A case could easily be made for that possibility. We certainly know that large corporations manipulate the system for their own benefit; pharmaceutical com-panies are particularly notorious for this kind of behavior. In my view, the best illustration of just

how compromised some parts of the political system has become is the story told by Jack Abramoff. He has been characterized as one of the most notorious lobbyists of our time, and is a classic example of how corruption and influence-peddling can affect law-making. Last year, he was featured on 60 Minutes, and he didn’t pull any punches—he openly admits using private industry money to influ-ence legislation on behalf of big corporations. He was a master at shower-ing gifts on lawmakers in the 1990’s, in return for their votes on legislation favoring corporations he represented —much like how doctors are being showered with gifts and financial incentives to administer more vaccines. Five years ago, Abramoff’s luck ran out. He plead guilty to corrupting public officials, tax evasion, and fraud, and served three and a half years in a federal prison. Since he’d already served prison time for his crimes, he could freely share the specific details of how he manipulated the political system; offering a fright-ening glimpse into ‘the real world’ that shapes our politics, and hence our medical system, and ultimate-ly our society at large.” The above paragraphs illus-trates how politicians can work. In order to really have your eyes

opened, you can check out the actual interview with Jack and 60 Minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHiicN0Kg10.If you cannot access or write down this link, simply go to You-Tube and search Jack Abramoff 60 Minutes and you will find the interview.

“Drug Companies Control the System”

It is a well-documented fact that the pharmaceutical industry has more lobbyists on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures than almost any other industry. Multi-national drug companies market-ing vaccines and funding medical trade organizations, which have their own lobbyists as well, are some of the most clever marketers on the planet. They know how to leverage their resources by donat-ing money to politicians, who will vote for legislation that give them an unfair advantage in the market-place. One tactic is to push through legislation that will eliminate their competition. We’ve seen this re-peatedly in all sorts of legislative attacks on anyone associated with alternative health, whether the laws backed by pharmaceutical corporations are aimed at stamp-ing out alternative health care op-tions, or the legislation is designed

Conspiracy Theory?



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Joanne Wills-Kline Contentment

Quest

Progress At The Embassyby Patricia Lawson

I recently read a blog post by Angela Nazworth at (in)courage (www.incourage.me) that had an impact on me. Angela wrote about a particularly difficult time in her life where she was asked to “pull it together”… to just keep going as if the difficult time was not tough. I thought long and hard about Angela’s post, and I recalled many times in my life where I had been told to just “pull it together,” and about the many times I had told others to just “pull it together!” Angela’s post helped shed some light on the potential degree of impact of three simple words “pull it together.” How many times have we heard those three words during a time of crisis in our own lives? How many times have we uttered those well-mean-ing, yet misguided words to some-one else in crisis? How many

times have we served others such a jagged pill when our intent was to provide strength? How many times have we quietly uttered those three words to ourselves because we couldn’t seem to keep it all together? I honestly and transparently can state I have been guilty of both. Angela’s words hit home when she said: “I’ve heard those words numerous times throughout my life in various situations. Sometimes they were spoken by well-meaning individuals. Other times I whis-pered the phrase to myself. A graveside vigil. Pull it together. Job loss. Pull it together. A loved one’s betrayal. Pull it together. Saying goodbye to dear friends. Pull it together.Overwhelmed by an infant’s col-icky cries or a toddler’s 40-minute

tantrum. Pull it together… Truth be told… the expectation of “pull-ing it together” during times of emotional agony is often mis-guided. The fiery pain of personal loss is immeasurable. And each person’s threshold for heartache is different. There are times when we cannot pull it together. God does not command us to pull it together.” We will all – at one point or another – suffer moments when torment throbs deep, when hope seems threadbare, and when our brokenness seems irreparable. With all of my mortal being, I am so very thankful that our Heav-enly Father will never bark “…stiffen that upper lip girl… and pull it together!” When times get tough, we are invited into the arms of our Father to pray… to cry… to release the humanly fear… to relax in our smallness…

to heal. Give yourself and others the permission to “let go… and let it all hang out.” Give your-self permission to NOT “pull it together”… and offer no apolo-gies for being simply human. In times of agony, let it go… let it all go… and then breathe deep… and be assured that God is at the helm. For when we are feeling ragged, and emotionally bankrupt, we cannot feel contentment. Let it go… let it out… give yourself permission to release it… you do

not have to keep it “pulled togeth-er.” In times of deep emotional pain, unravel the twisted knots of your heart… go ahead and let it get messy. You do not have to “pull it together.” Our lives are to be lived in deep joy; therefore release all that does not bring you joy.

“For He has not despised or de-tested the torment of the afflicted. He did not hide His face from him, but listened when he cried to Him for help.” ~Psalm 22:24 a

Pull it Together...or not

Thanks for coming out to J.P. Edwards on March 10th. Your support is greatly appreciated! Mark your calendars! It’s time for the annual Embassy Fair! Here are the dates and times: Tuesday, April 23 through Sun-day, April 28; T – Th 6 to 10, F - Sevening 6 to 11, Sat afternoon 2 to 5, Sun 2 to 7. As usual, a full slate of bands and entertainment will be offered, and the proceeds benefit the Embassy Theatre restoration project. I would like to take this month to acknowledge Mike Ne-gra, who has been very instrumen-tal in attaining our goals. Mike is from Negra – Graham TheatricalAdvisors in State College and has been involved with the Embassy Theatre renovation project since September 2011. At first, he was a paid consultant and wrote our Business Plan and a five year Operational Budget. He is now a valuable volunteer, and most recently has been involved in obtaining renditions of things to

come. How exciting! Yes, our dream will come true, and the theatre will become a reality and a suc-cess! To all the business owners and patrons of the arts: Wouldn’t you take great pleasure in know-

ing that you made a difference in helping us achieve our goal? Reclaiming the Embassy as a prime asset of Lewistown and the surrounding communities is an achievable goal and well worth the effort. Redeveloping Theatre’s such as the Embassy in

similar communities have proven to be catalysts of economic development and quality of life improvements, all while saving an important part of the heritage of the community. Remember, the more clientele we attract, the more customers you will have!Your financial help will be neces-sary to see the Embassy come back to life. We firmly believe in the ability of the Embassy to succeed, and we hope you see fit to join us in that belief and support the Embassy’s renovation campaign.

Please call Mike at 814-883-8234 to discuss further the potential andpossibilities of the reno-vated Embassy Theatre. Thank you in advance for your consideration. OK, back to the 1920’s. So, Lewistown now has The Embassy, The Rialto, and The Pastime theatres. Due to the small market, none of the local theatres were part of the studio circuits, but were owned locally. Individual theatres contracted for movies from the various studios. During this period 1927 to 1948, The

Embassy showed films from First National Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., RKO Radio, Disney, and Universal (until 1942). The Rialto showed Para-mount, MGM, and after 1942,Universal films. The Pastime originally showed better films, but during the Great Depression became the home of second-run movies and lesser studio fare,particularly “Republic” westerns and serials, and was affection-ately called the “Shoot-N-Juke,” Bucket-of-Blood,” “Roxy,” or the “Bang-Bang.” As many locals would say, when you were a kid, you went to The Pastime. When you were a teenager you went to The Rialto, but when a young man took hisgirl to the movies, and he wanted to impress her, he took her to The Embassy. Next month we’ll talk about the interior, including a balcony. Remember those?

The Friends Of The Embassy Theatre

www.embassytheatre.orgA Memory with a Future, a Fu-

ture Full of Memories! a

Rendition of things to come! This will be your new jewel, Lewistown. YOU can help make it happen. Courtesy of Mike Negra.



Life in the East End

by Rebecca Harrop

Cut split and seasoned 16” or 20” $20.00 Per scoop (1/10th cord)

$185 / Cord $175 / Cord—Two or more cords at one time

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We’re finally starting to get some spring weather, I just hope it stays. I’m ready for warm weather and being able to work outside in the sunshine. With the warm weather, farmers will be busy working the fields and driv-ing tractors, farm trucks, wagons, and large equipment on the roads. April 14-20 is Mifflin County Farm Bureau’s Rural Road Safety Week. Farm Bureau encourages all motorists to be aware of farm equipment as they travel in rural areas this spring, and all year long. Motorists must remain alert for large and often slow-moving equipment. There are a few sim-ple steps that can help drivers stay safe when driving on rural roads.• Don’t Rush – If you drive on

rural roads, chances are good that you will encounter farm equipment at some point on your route. Avoid rushing and allow plenty of time to reach your destination safely. This is especially important while traveling during the months between April and November.

• Pass with Care – If you feel you must pass the farmer, do so with caution. Be obser-vant of oncoming traffic and for other vehicles that may try to pass. Never pass when curves of hills block your view of oncoming vehicles, you are in a “No Passing Zone” or within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad grade crossing, bridge, elevat-ed structure or tunnel. Also be careful that the farmer is not pulling to the right to make a wide left turn.

• SMV = Brake Immedi-ately – The orange triangular Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem warns drivers of a slow vehicle speed. All farm equipment traveling at speeds of 25 miles per hour or less are required to be marked with a SMV emblem. Once you see it, slow down im-mediately.

• Remain Visible – Don’t as-sume that the farmer knows that you are driving near his vehicle. While most farm-ers will check behind them whenever possible, they are concentrating on keeping

their equipment on the road and avoiding oncoming traf-fic. Before you pass, use you car’s horn to let the driver know where you are. Farm-ers may not be able to hear you over their equipment noise.

Farmers will make every effort to accommodate motorists. Machine operators will drive on the shoulder of paved roadways, whenever possible, in order to give other motorists a better view of road conditions and enough room to pass slower moving farm vehicles. Keep in mind that if the shoulder is soft, wet, or steep, the farmer cannot move aside because it would cause his equipment to tip. If the farmer cannot pull off the road and you feel you must pass, please do so with caution. On behalf of the Mifflin County Farm Bureau, I encourage all residents to be aware of farm equipment during their travels on rural roads. By working together, we can make the trip safe for motorists and farmers. Last month we butchered our pigs. One of my Mom’s co-work-ers, Jimmy Acre, from New Jersey came to our butchering. He had read my article about butchering and wanted to see what it was like. He and his brother drove out the night before and stayed at a hotel. They came out early in the morning so they could experience the whole thing. I wasn’t sure what they would think of it, but they jumped right in and helped out. They certainly didn’t mind getting dirty. Pap Goss and my Dad had a blast showing them the different things that go into butch-ering. It was fun watching them try the headmeat, kidneys, and liver. I think they even tried the tongue which I do not like at all. I love it when they are done dipping the Ponhaus into the pans and all the guys are running their fingers around the edge of the kettle to get a taste of the fresh Ponhaus. Pap made sure Jimmy and his brother got some as well. Jimmy has a farm in New Jersey where he raises chickens and his brother makes honey. They brought us some eggs and honey. They gave Rachel and I sweatshirts for the honey farm “Mill Lane Farm.” The honey was really good on the

homemade rolls we had for lunch that day. Thanks guys! In March I started going to the grocery shoots at Blue Rock Sportsmen’s Club. I want to thank John Eckly Jr. for letting me use his .22. I told my Dad I need to get my own. I did pretty good for never going before, the first night I went I got two first places. I only made it three nights this year. When I get my own gun I’ll be able to practice so I can get better. Although I did out-shoot my brother the first two nights. Earlier in my article I told you about Rural Road Safety. Spring is also a time to keep an eye out for livestock on the roads. Some farmers put livestock out in pastures for summer grazing. While we all try to have good fences and keep our animals in, occasionally they can get out and wander onto the road. Believe me a cow will do a number on your car. So watch out for livestock as well. Til next month, that’s all from the East End. a

to encourage regulatory attacks on the availability of vitamins and other kinds of holistic health supplements. Such legislation fa-voring pharmaceutical companies is typically implemented through enactment of regulatory laws that are carried out by federal regula-tory and policymaking agencies like the FDA and the CDC. State legislation that threatens to take away or restrict the ability of citi-zens to obtain medical, religious and conscientious or philosophical belief exemptions to mandatory vaccination laws is another way drug companies and Pharma-fund-ed medical trade associations pro-tect their bottom line by forcing everyone to buy and use vaccines. So why is it not okay for the CDC to promote “friendly competi-tion” among doctors’ offices and individual office’s staff members to see who can boost vaccination rates the most? I believe it’s very difficult to defend such tactics be-

cause what it really boils down to is bribery using taxpayer money. Another factor that warrants mentioning is the use of fear to promote the purchase and use vaccines. Fear is the hidden side of these competition- and finan-cially-driven incentives the CDC is using to promote high vaccina-tion rates by pressuring doctors to become drug company sales reps. While ‘good’ doctors are rewarded in a myriad of ways for increasing vaccination rates (i.e. selling more vaccines), doctors, who fail to comply, can face a less pleasant future. They not only risk being reprimanded or fired by their employers, but could also be reported and get into trouble with the medical board for being “bad” doctors if they don’t aggressively sell vaccines to all patients. It’s important to understand that the foundation of corruption is all about bribery, and brib-ery involves giving a gift with

Conspiracy Theory from page 33



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Hi again. I hope all is well with you and yours down they-ah. As I write this, it is snowing sideways with winds gusting to al-most 40. A walk in the park com-pared to our last storm, Nemo. If anyone down thataway spots my roofing, please cuss it out in good shape for me. Lost half of our front roof, being very thankful it was 10 degrees out and not 40 (read on to understand why). We got her all tarperated up in good shape. Me being a 46 year-old homesteader of mediocre physical ability, and this being February, I was scrambling to figure out how to get this baby roofed on the cheap. My first phone call was to another guy that just loves to work around the system. Guess what? It being February, and this being Maine, he was getting low on seasoned firewood. Huh. You’ll never guess what I have an abun-dance of. So, he’ll be here next week. He already delivered some nice hunter green metal roofing. He’ll be here, I guarantee it. Why?

Because that’s where the firewood is. My folks did raise some fools, but they also taught us to share. Guess it’s not my turn this week. So, planning some articles on past and present projects, we man-aged to not mess up too badly around here. Haven’t had to call in FEMA yet. Always a good sign there. I like to keep things moving forward, not messed up beyond all recognition. Basically, I like to write about Living On The Cheap, common sense, and whatever happens to be wandering through my grey matter at the present time. We make our own hot water, for the most part, both solar and wood- fired. I did have to cave and bought a propane-fired hot water heater designed for camp-ing (three cloudy days in a row, does not hot water make). It gets fed off of a garden hose. Hey! I have those. I just drilled a hole through my 50s vintage shower stall and out to the back storage room. I’ll try to send down some

pics so you can visualize what a guy with power tools and a low IQ can accomplish. Pex tubing is my friend. Mr. P is very forgiving of carpenter-type guys like me. The thing with ther-

mal siphoning (hot water rises, cold water falls) is that you can’t use any sharp angles or elbows. It needs to flow smooth-ly—like lies out of a politician. And with very few exceptions, I say to them: go casual, you ly-ing, treasonous, power-hungry crooks. I read yesterday that the czar of Homeland Stu-pidity, Jammit Incompitano, is saying that our borders have never been more secure. Really? I have friends in Arizona that disagree with you there, Jam-mit. Is it just

me, or are you too, fearful of all these un-elected idiots having all that power? She’s buying millions of rounds of ammuni-tion. Why? If you can think of a plausible explanation, please let me know. Where was I? Oh, yeah. So, we needed a greenhouse, big-time. I was given an old hoop-type temporary carport frame—12 x 20 feet. It was three doors down, (great band, by the way) about 1/4 mile away, so instead of taking it all apart, I decided to wait until a nice quiet Sunday morning and I lashed 2 x 4 cleats to the bottom of 6 hoops, lashed another 2x across the drag end, and hooked it

up to our old Wheelhorse trac-tor. Right down the middle of the road at 2 mph. Go us! As you can see from the pics, its nothing fancy. I don’t need or want fancy. I want free or cheap, and I want it un-taxable. Temporary structures cannot be taxed. The taxman will meet my logger boots if he tries that trick on me. They re-assessed my taxes three years ago. They doubled. I went right down to town hall and asked them who was smoking their breakfast when they came to my place. As a result, my taxes went down three bucks. Until next time, enjoy what you do have, and stay safe. a

My hot water system that uses the heat I am already making to keep the inside of the cabin comfortable

My new to me greenhouse, the price was right and it is serving the purpose perfectly. My own tropical oasis, and the plants like it too.

Our solar hot water system, no sharp angles, smooth flow.



Caving Mifflin County

with Todd Karschner

Hello again Valley readers. How are you enjoying our spring this year? Blame the groundhog! For those of you who are patiently waiting for Alexander Caverns to start doing tours this summer, your wait is almost over. The plan so far is May. Watch for next month’s issue for more on that. This month I will be taking

you to a cave in Maitland. The cave and old mill are owned by Donald Gage who lives across the road from the now empty mill pond. I had the opportunity to talk with Don about the history of the area and learned some interesting things. One of those was that when the mill was operating and the pond was full, they would take boats

across the pond and into the cave. They were able to go underground for about 1000’ before having to turn around. There are no ac-counts of lighting, nor did we see any evidence of wiring like you see in Alexander’s Cave. Can you imagine that? We are talking about pre Civil War, so the only lights were flames. Around the time of the Civil War, there was a large collapse of the ceiling stopping the boat tours. And sometime after that, an attempt was made to close it permanently by blasting the entrance shut. Thankfully it didn’t work. (I would like to mention my opinion on blasting caves shut. I disagree with this practice. There are other ways to close them that doesn’t de-stroy them. And when they are blasted, they are usually ruined forever. I don’t believe that any man has the authority to destroy mother nature in such a drastic way. Shame on you.) Now that’s off my chest. The cave we are going to take you through is called Maitland Cave. There are two ways to get in. One is a rectan-gle shaped opening to the right of the very large main opening.

The small entrance leads straight into the cliff face about 30 or 40 feet and pinches down to where you have to lay on your right side to get in. Roughly 5 more feet and the passage turns abruptly left and drops into fast moving water. Don

says if you get into the water and swim upstream under the boulders it opens up into a large room. Well, seeing how it’s March, we decided to come back sometime

Exploring Maitland Cave

Lena Yoder found an ice garden; a nice place to take a break.Previous attempts to collapse the entrance were no match for us.

One of the more spacious rooms within the cave.



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Ed’s Railroading News

by Ed Forsythe

Home Brew UAdventures in Homebrewing

by Kevin Morgan

Hoppy Days Are Coming! The first year I planted hops it was very disappointing. I had this vision of beautiful fresh hop cones that were just begging for me to toss into a batch of brew. The plants just did not grow as much as I thought they would. Some of it was my fault. I did not feed them enough nutrients, but some of it was related to the fact that it takes some time for a perennial to mature. The second year I learned more about how to care for hop plants and I also learned that you better have a trellis system ready for them when they do mature. If you planted your hops last year you better get ready, because this year that magical vision of your own homegrown hops will start to become reality. If your ground is thawed, it is time to apply a light dress-ing of organic fertilizer (blood

meal or bone meal). The idea is to “wake up” the soil microbes and get them rocking so they are ready to break down organic material you apply 3 to 4 weeks later. This application of fertilizer is not intended to feed the plants; so a little goes a long way (1 tablespoon per plant). Don’t use chemical based fertilizer for this application - inorganic fertilizer (Miracle Grow). This actu-ally reduces the amount of soil microbes and most will just leach away because the soil is still too cool for the microbes to convert it. Always remember a plant gets most of its nutrition from the soil, not from fertilizers. Then as the weather warms up, you can add 2 to 3 inches of compost or grass clippings around the area where the hops are starting to emerge. As the growing season kicks

into full gear, many shoots will present themselves. All but the strongest 2 or 3 should be thinned out. These shoots will quickly grow to 4 to 5 foot lengths in a matter of weeks. When they reach 2 to 3 feet, it will be necessary to train the hops onto the trellis us-ing string. Wind them clockwise around the cord or string that is descending from your trellis. Be sure it is clockwise so it will fol-low the sun across its southeast to southwest direction. As the hops race up the vine, keep the soil moist at all times. I like to use a urine/water mixture to give them a little extra nitrogen. It may sound funny, but I pee in a gallon jug and fill it the rest of the way up with water and shake it up. A ra-tio of 10 to 15 parts water to urine is recommended. This may sound bizarre, but urea is just a form of nitrogen that microbes will con-vert to nitrite which is absorbed by the roots. More shoots will

form and they should be continu-ally thinned out. Now you need to know that this plant can grow a foot a day during the peak of the growing season and reach lengths extend-ing 30 feet. That is a lot of weight so a good solid substrate for the vines to go on is very important. I have seen many different things used as a trellis from an old fence to a nearby tree. A simple, cost- effective tent pole trellis is, in my opinion, the best way to go. The single pole method is easy to install and up to six plants can be planted around one pole. Dig a hole with some posthole diggers about three feet deep. Place a large rock at the bottom of the hole and insert the post. Now pack the hole with the smaller rocks and dirt. Check the post for plumbness with a level and pack down the dirt well. As for the strings or cords, that’s your choice. I used some left over cordage that is used on my clothes line—that way I do not have to replace it each year. You just need to make sure that it can hold the necessary weight. Then attach the string or cordage to the top of the pole (please refer to the picture

for additional information.) Growing your own hops is a lot of fun and as the plants mature the workload diminishes. And as the plant matures, expect more and more hops each year. Next month we will get back to talking beer and provide a new recipe. Until then, good luck growing and may your beer be fresh, local and plentiful. a

Well folks, here we are with the second article for this month’s Valley. The first one was only 12 days late since I held it to write about the train “The Pennsylva-nian.” The article dealt with the decree from our federal govern-ment not funding the short line passenger trains anymore so the states would have to fund, them or allow them to disappear. Right after I submitted the article, I heard the report on the radio that the Department of Transportation of PA will be picking up the fund-ing of the train, thus cancelling out my article and the appeal for all of you to contact our govern-ment officials. Well, it is a good thing this potential problem has been eliminated and we all hope ridership continues to increase so that Amtrak needs to add more passenger service to the rails. Now for the rest of this arti-cle. First, I need to acknowledge an error in last month’s article. I wrote that “HO” trains did not exist back in the 1940’s when in fact, they did get their start in the 1930’s. Sorry for my mistake. I

try not to get my facts wrong, but I’ve always thought “HO” didn’t come onto the scene until the 1950’s. Right after the paper hit the public, I got a call about the mistake and I thanked the reader for the information.Editors note: Not only are people reading your column, they are paying attention! If you’ve been reading these ramblings regularly you may remember the stories about the new bullet train in Japan, “The Shinkansen,” and that I’ve been hinting to our son Edo that I defi-nitely wanted one. I’ve always known that it would be quite a problem for a model to arrive for me with Edo and family, or with Edo when he arrived this past month for a weekend visit while he was in Virginia with several of his students on an exchange trip from their university in Hirosaki, Japan. I can now state happily that I have finally received not one, but several Shinkansen trains. Edo brought them with him—they are a pen and six pencils all with the train on them. Hopefully it

won’t be too long before we get to ride on it for real just like Edo and family have gotten to several times. Here’s an interesting story that was told to me after Christ-mas last year. Many years ago a friend of mine,TC, had graduated from high school and joined the U.S. Military. While he was away, his Mother gave his Lionel train to his second cousin. He wasn’t real happy about losing the train, but didn’t say too much since he didn’t want to upset his Mother. TC went through life as we all do and finally retired. After retir-ing, he got back into the model railroading hobby, only this time it was in “HO” trains. Sometime later his cousin, who still had the train, found out TC had again got-ten involved in the train hobby and the cousin contacted TC’s brother. The cousin gave the train to him with instruc-tions to give it to TC for Christmas as a surprise. When TC told me this

story, he told me tears actually came to his eyes when he opened the package. He has been ex-tremely happy about having this train in his collection again. I’ve had the pleasure to do the repairs on the engine etc. I’m sure TC will always be grateful for the gift and will always appreciate his cousin for taking care of the train for all these years. I can relate to his feelings and tears of joy as my original train stopped running after years of rough handling. When I learned how to repair it after many years of not running, it was like an old friend returning to me after being gone for a long, long time. Hope you all enjoy the Spring and Happy Railroading to all. Ed a

Shishkansen Bullet train with Mount Fuji in the back-ground



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My dad recently suffered his second stroke, and after a stay at Mount Nittany Medical Center, he was referred for rehabilitation to HealthSouth Nittany Valley Re-habilitation Hospital. Following my initial fear and concern for his recovery, I was able to breathe a big sigh of relief knowing that he would be receiving rehabilitation at HealthSouth. I was confident that it would be as valuable as his stay last May. The level of care provided to us at HealthSouth was excep-tional. The knowledgeable and professional nurses treated my dad with respect and provided him with dignity, while keeping him comfortable. From making sure that he had sugar-free hot choco-late, a favorite, to extra blankets on his bed (a must for him), they took time to meet his needs. The compassionate nurses held his hand to comfort him and to make him feel safe. They assisted him when he struggled with basic care and daily routines, all in a nurtur-ing environment. HealthSouth’s skilled therapists provided consistency in dad’s routine, which is critical for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. They knew how important it was for him to build up his strength and to increase his cognitive skills. They provided just the right balance of motivating him and pushing him to begin his thera-

py. Their sense of humor also motivated him to do a bit more each day! It touched my heart to watch Jenna, a physical therapist, meaningfully work with my dad. She treated him just like he was her own dad and inspired me. When our family and friends visited dad, the HealthSouth staff greeted everyone with smiles and made them feel welcomed. And since I was planning to become a fulltime caregiver for my dad, I received valuable resources to ensure that I was thoroughly prepared to give him the best possible care. During dad’s final week at HealthSouth, everyone involved in his recovery took time to answer our questions. Health-South offers family services, in-formational meetings, and training that I can utilize to enhance my knowledge as a caregiver. When asking dad about HealthSouth, he says emphatically, “They were just wonderful, and I really mean that!” I am thrilled that my dad continues to make progress each week. I believe that HealthSouth had such a positive impact on him; it was the foundation for his improvement and overall well-being. We are so fortunate that my dad received his therapy at HealthSouth. We have such grati-tude for the staff, and we hope they know how much they mean to us and what a difference they have made in our lives. a

Dr. Marianne Hazel and her father, Joe Hazel.



ergetic woman who loved her man and taught her children to work first, play later. She maintained a high standard of cleanliness. She would tackle chores any time of the day or night as I remember herwashing floors at 11 PM...on her hands and knees! She was an art-ist and the kitchen was her canvas. We delighted in the vibrant pallet of colors and flavors that flowed forth from her creativity. She grew up cooking Lebanese and after marriage, added Polish dishes to her repertoire. Ah...how I dream of her homemade spinach pies, pierogies and signature pastryhearts. We were taught to trust our spouses as Dad would bring his paycheck home giving it to Mom who would handle the familyfinances. We learned thrift when Dad took a pay raise and Mom acted as if it never happened, instead opting to pay off the home mortgage at an accelerated rate. There were the stories of childhood silliness, such as the time when Mom’s Lebanese class-mates at Saint John’s wrote: EB B D Z on the chalk board when the nun left the room. Upon re-en-

tering, one of the boys asked her to say each letter in order, which she did. The kids fell off their seats in hysterics. After everything calmed down and the laughter subsided, the nun discovered she had spoken Arabic and had said the English equivalent of; “my hand is in my fanny.” We neverlearned if that required a trip to the principal’s office or not. Dad attended Catholic school as well. In Polonia, at Assumption School, classes were taught in English and Polish through the fourth grade. During the great depression, his family could no longer afford the 50-cent per month tuition, so he transferred to public school. After high school graduation, he was drafted into the US Army and then transferred to the Army Air Corps where he ended up work-ing on B-17 bombers (the Flying Fortress) and P-47 fighter planes. As a general contractor, Dad left an extensive mark on Western New York, having built or remod-eled many prominent structures throughout the city. Among other volunteer activities, he served as commander of the American Legion Post where he was a mem-ber. In 1993 was given the Saint Joseph the Worker award by the Diocese of Buffalo in recognitionof his labors on behalf of the

Diocese. Growing up, church life was pre-eminent in our lives. We attended Holy Spirit Church and school where we were bolstered by being part of a family of fami-lies. As I consider all these things while tediously cleaning out Mom & Dad’s home, painting and preparing to put the home-stead on the market, I’m struck by the legacy I am a part of. My heart has been turned toward my father’s and I am a better man for that. Although to many it appears counter-cultural, I recognize that faith, hard work and duty still have a place in life today.

Mark Ostrowski is Founder and President of The Stewardship Group in Belleville. He earned his Master of Science in Financial Services degree from theAmerican College in Bryn Mayr, PA in 2007. His e-mail address is: [email protected] a

Dad relayed that he completed pilot training and how at the very end of the program, was tested for color blindness. He didn’t pass the test and was kept from flying. Seventy-five percent of his class ended up sweeping Europe with General Patton’s Third Army and seventy-five percent of those pilots never returned home. He always recognized the hand of Divine Benevolence toward him and his family. He was one of five brothers, all of whom served during the great war and each returned safely home. Very uncommon for this conflict, as most American families suffered loss. Dad met mom after his service years, and evidence points to the fact that he instantly and incredibly fell in love with her. Mom was first generation American born as well, not from Poland, but from Lebanon.

Her maiden name was Moses (what’s in a name anyway?) and gidu (Arabic for one’s maternal grand-father) came here at the age of 18 and initially delivered groceries on a bicycle to earn money. a

Duty, Thrift, Hard-work, Faith,Sacrifice&FamilySolidarity from page 17

In the cockpit of a P-47 Thunderbolt

monetary value to somebody, who makes a decision on behalf of the public. Certainly, doc-tors have tremendous influence over their patients, and providing gifts/incentives to doctors to sell more vaccines is not really in the public’s best interest. Health fac-tors such as individual biological susceptibility to vaccine damage is completely ignored in this sce-nario—the only thing that counts as ‘good’ is increasing overall vaccine use by all patients.Find a Doctor Who will Listen

to Your Concerns If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don’t want, I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor. Harassment, intimidation, and re-fusal of medical care is becoming the modus operandi of the medi-cal establishment in an effort to punish those patients and parents, who become truly educated about health and vaccination and want to make vaccine choices instead of being forced to follow risky one-size-fits-all vaccine policies. If you are treated with disrespect or are harassed in any way by a doctor (or government official), do not engage in an unproductive argument. You may want to con-

tact an attorney, your elected state representatives or local media, if you or your child are threatened. That said, there is hope. At least 15 percent of young doctors recently polled admit that they’re starting to adopt a more individu-alized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vac-cine safety concerns of parents. It is good news that there is a growing number of smart young doctors, who prefer to work as partners with parents in making personalized vaccine decisions for children, including delaying vac-cinations, giving children fewer vaccines on the same day, or con-tinuing to provide medical care for those families who decline use of one or more vaccines. So take the time to locate and connect with a doctor who treats you with compassion and respect and is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child, and isn’t just competing for gov-ernment incentives designed to increase vaccination rates at any cost.”http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/02/brib-ery-affects-vaccination-rates.aspxI wanted to verify the subject of AFIX with the CDC, so, I checked Dr. Mercola’s source, which was the CDC and sure enough, on their own website, it explains all about AFIX. “Overview of AFIX: AFIX is

a quality improvement strategy used by grantees to raise im-munization coverage levels and improve standards of practices at the provider level. The acronym for this four-part dynamic strategy stands for1. Assessment of the healthcare provider’s vaccination coverage levels and immunization practices. 2. Feedback of results to the provider along with recommended strategies to improve processes, immunization practices, and cov-erage levels.3. Incentives to recognize and reward improved performance.4. eXchange of healthcare infor-

mation and resources necessary to facilitate improvement.”http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pro-grams/afix/index.html Even though it is more comfortable to pass this all off as merely conspiracy, do you really believe that? The data proves that the incentives exist. The government proves to be corrupt. And, bribery is running rampant. Pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars every year to push their drugs and vaccines. Can you see how it is happen-ing? And, do you really think it is about the health and welfare of the public? Of you? Of me?

Of our children? Of course not! It’s all about money, all the time. All the time, it’s all about money. So, once again, who do you think knows more about what is best for your children? You or the doc-tor or the politician who may be being bribed to make decisions concerning YOUR child: Think about it. Dr. Joseph KauffmanKauffman-Hummel [email protected] a

Conspiracy Theory from page 35

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In Artistic Expression, Less Can Be More If you grew up in the sixties or seventies, and perhaps even before that or much more recently, you can probably hear the opening five notes of Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin and instantly know what song is starting up on the radio. The more intense and complicated later parts of the song may be less familiar, but the hauntingly beautiful simplicity of the first few notes and verses are deeply planted for many of us. The best expressions of hu-man creativity are often like that; simple, sparse, and saying exactly enough without trying to say too much. Bob Dylan’s early “Blow-in’ in the Wind” was simple, una-

dorned, and unpolished, but in its time and place it said something powerful enough to express the feelings of an entire generation. The spoken and written language works the same way. The Gettysburg Address, one of the best known and most power-ful speeches in American history, numbered less than 300 words. Most politicians today couldn’t order a slice of pizza with 300 words. Why do people think that a plethora of details and second-ary considerations (“but if you don’t have anchovies, you can sprinkle extra salt on, unless of course the sausage is particularly salty, in which case, blah, blah,

blah…”) will make more of an impression? In fine art, and especially painting, I find that I’m happiest with my pieces that say the most with the least. The accompanying image is an oil painting I first did last spring and have since been painting as a limited number of smaller “copy paintings” so more people can own it without having to resort to print reproductions. Anyone who follows Penn State football will likely recognize it as Coach Joe Paterno, even though you can’t see his face at all and the back of his head and shoulders are only partially visible because of the contrasty lighting. If you can immediately recognize coach

Paterno, it’s because the little detail that’s there is very specific in clothing, head shape, and body language to the man. And the fact that the viewer has to complete the

picture in his or her mind makes it strike a more powerful emotional chord than if everything were there on canvas. That’s what a more impressionistic approach to painting can bring to art. The setting in which art is ex-perienced can increase or diminish the experience, too. A beautiful auditorium can provide a comfort-able and acoustically perfect set-ting for appreciating fine music or choreographed dance, but let me share a recent experience at the other end of the spectrum. A few weeks ago, my wife Linda and I were in New York City for the opening reception of a group art show I’m in and were riding the subway from our hotel in Queens to the Chelsea district in Manhat-tan. After one change of trains, a few people got on the half-full car at a stop and these two young guys turned a boombox on rather loudly and shouted a sentence or two to get people’s atten-tion. We didn’t know what was up until they started to dance. I guess you’d call it dancing - some combination of break-dancing, acrobatics, and gymnastics – spinning, twisting dancing and clapping their hands while doing a handstand, spinning around on the chrome handhold bars with nothing touching the ground, and much of it to the strong beat of the hip-hop music. The strength and coordination needed to do what they were doing, in the confines of a bumpy moving subway car, was unbelievable. After a couple of minutes and as we approached the next stop, they got a nice round of applause, passed around hats for a few dollars from those who chose to give, said their thank you’s, and were off for another train. It

was a phenomenal performance by two anonymous artists that we’ll probably never see again, and even though the quality could have been showcased on a major stage, somehow that unexpected three minutes in an Manhattan subway car will remain far more vividly embedded in my memory just because of its unexpected-ness. As I sit here writing at a second floor studio window of the Green Drake Gallery in Millheim, overlooking the town square, I’m reminded that I should give a rundown of arts-related events coming up in April here in town. At the Green Drake, we have a new show, “The World Tour of Contemporary Landscape Artists”, running from April 4-28 (a con-tinuation of the show we went to New York City to attend), with an opening reception Friday evening, April 5. Jay Vonada and Bill Stetz will provide jazz music for the reception on trombone and bass. On the 26th is our Fourth Friday Poetry night, starting at 8 pm. We also host a Jazz Jam/Workshop at 7:30 pm on the second Tuesday of each month and an Old Time Mu-sic Jam on fourth Wednesdays at 7:30 pm (see http://greendrakeart.com). The Up Texas Chapel (Josh and Eric Condo McCracken) hosts a choir practice every Tuesday evening at 7 pm (see http://www.facebook.com/UpT-exasChoirMembers), with music ranging from religious to Sam Cooke to Randy Newman. The Elk Creek Café and Aleworks has lots of great Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday music coming up in April (see http://www.elkcreekca-fe.net). So come out to Millheim any chance you get! a

“End of Good Season” oil on canvas panel by Karl Eric Leitzel



With Easter so close behind us, rabbits are still a hot subject in many homes, especially families that have just adopted bunnies for Easter. Because there are so many new rabbit owners out there and many considering rabbit owner-ship, this month’s issue of Split-ting Hares is dedicated to deciding whether a rabbit is the pet for you, learning what rabbits need to live a healthy life, and finding the right rabbit for a pet. The Easter bunnies you may see in stores are very cute, but are often very young. The minimum age to sell rabbits in Pennsylvania is 8 weeks old, so they are still very small. They will grow up to be anywhere from 4 lbs. to 16 lbs., depending on the breed. Beforebringing a rabbit home, make sure that you will be able to feed andcare for them once your furry friend grows up. Rabbits make great pets. They can be very friendly and fun to play with. Rabbits can be won-derful house pets and are easily litter trained. However, they do re-quire daily care. They need fresh

food and water every day, shelter, and a cage big enough to jump and play in. The cage should be cleaned often as needed (at least once a week) and bedded with something like pine shavings. If they are litter trained, the litter box should be cleaned often and bedded the same as the cage. Be careful to avoid cat litter, which can be harmful to rabbits. Rabbits are very playful animals and enjoy toys to stay entertained. You can buy toys made for rabbits, or give them hard plastic baby toys. They love rattles, plastic keys, and any-thing they can throw. Every rabbit has a favorite toy! The best food for your rabbit is just plain pellets and hay. Youcan buy these at many feed stores where pellets are not as expen-sive as pet store food. It is much healthier for them too, as the little colorful treats that are often found in pet rabbit food are not healthy for them. They need fresh water, offered in either a water bottle or bowl. If you add apple cider vinegar to the water in a ratio of about 1-2 tablespoons per one

gallon of water, it will decrease the odor of the urine and pro-vide vitamins and minerals to your rabbit! If you have decided that you are ready to commit to a rabbit for its lifetime (5-10 years), the next step is to find the right rabbit for you. Take a few things into consideration. What breed of rabbit do you want? Do you prefer long hair or short hair? Lop ears or erect ears? A full list of ARBA-recognized breeds is available atwww.arba.net/breeds.htm. There are lop breeds, wool breeds, and meat breeds. Each one has its own personality, so research the breed and talk to breeders who work with your top choices before deciding. Once you choose a breed, it’s time to decide where to purchaseyour rabbit. You can buy one from a pet store, a shelter, or a breeder. Each of these has advantages and disadvantages. Pet store rab-bits can be less expensive than a shelter rabbit or a pedigreed rabbit. Pet stores may have some

background information on therabbit, but usually do not. Some stores sell a rabbit starter kit with their rabbits, which include a cage, food, a water bottle, toys, and more. Shelter rabbits can make great pets. Often the shelter will spay or neuter your pet for you before you take it home. You have to keep in mind that these rabbits may have been neglected and can be skittish in some cases. They also may have special needs and require veterinary attention. If you are prepared to give a shelter rab-bit the love and care that it needs, go for it, but also keep in mind that you do not know the age of these rabbits, so they may be older when you buy them. When you purchase a rabbit from a reputable breeder, the rab-bit will most likely be purebred. Rabbit breeders take great pride intheir rabbits and try to keep them

in the best health they can. They will not sell a sick rabbit, and they will tell you about any other prob-lems the animal may have. One disadvantage is that these rabbits may cost a little bit more money than a rabbit from the pet store. But breeders can tell you about the rabbit’s parents and may have them for you to look at. Other outlets usually do not have that information. Rabbits are great pets and can be very friendly. They are very intelligent and can learn many things. But consider all of the needs that rabbits have, and make sure you will be able to care for your pet for 5-10 years of life!

Feel free to contact me through my website at www.maplespring-srabbitry.com. We raise Holland Lops, American Fuzzy Lops,Jersey Woolies, and English Angoras! a

Fresh forage is always a treat and temporary enclosures are easy.


[email protected]

The Udder Truthby Heather Wasson

Pennsylvania Alternate Dairy Princess and Centre County Dairy Princess

Spring has officially arrived! Along with spring comes opti-mism for a good growing year. Farmers will soon begin tilling the fields; gardeners will start the early plantings of onions and let-tuce; and dairy farmers are turning their cows out to graze pasture. I always enjoy seeing cows in a green pasture because they seem so content. A dairy farmer provides clean, soft bedding for their cows and access to food and water. This is easy to achieve in the spring if you can pasture your cows in a luscious green meadow with a stream close to your barn. Happy and content cows are important to dairy farmers and to you. Cows provide you with na-ture’s most nearly perfect bever-age—milk. Milk is a great source of calcium plus other essential nutrients and helps nourish your body, not just your bones. Spring also brings about baseball, softball, and track and field seasons. This is a great time of year to encourage physical activity for our nation’s children. The weather is warming, every-one is ready to be outside, and we need to exercise after a long winter. Little league and spring soccer are also beginning. I en-courage everyone to try to attend a spring sporting event and cheer

on our youth to be active. After the game, stop by your local ice cream or dairy store for an ice cream cone or a cool milkshake.Now that spring has finally ar-rived, it is time to enjoy the sea-son. I am including some recipes including the product produced by those happy and content cows you see grazing in the luscious green pastures. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 3 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 (16.5-ounce) rolls refrigerator chocolate chip cookie doughDirections: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until well mixed; set aside. Slice cookie dough rolls into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices from one roll on bottom of a greased 9- x 13-inch glass bak-ing dish; press together so there are no holes in dough. Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over dough; top with remaining slices of cookie dough. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden and center is slightly firm. Remove

from oven, let cool, then refrig-erate. Cut into slices when well chilled. Note: Keep cookie dough refrigerated until just before slic-ing. You can serve the cheesecake plain, with chocolate sauce, with fudge or whipped topping...what-ever’s your favorite.

Cookies&CremeMilkshake

2 cups vanilla ice cream1 cup milk4-5 Oreo’s1 tsp. vanilla extractIn a blender, throw all your in-gredients in and mix it up! If you like it thicker, use less milk. If you like it thinner, use more milk. Serve immediately. a

O’ The Things You Will Find At Dutch Pantry Gifts

Making Art out of Feathers

Dutch Pantry Gifts in Milroy is always searching far and wide for local talent. Well this time, we only had to search down the road to find one of the most unique and amazing talents in our commu-nity. Grace Lucci of Milroy has been painting for 19 years and obviously has a gift for detailed painting. Although she has no formal training in art, Some of the most intricate details flow from her paintbrushes in colorful displays of wildlife including wolves, deer and fish. She also paints domestic animals with great detail; animals seem to come to life through her skill. Lucci has painted on all types of surfaces includ-ing slate, stone and

gourds, but one of the most inter-esting elements in her work is that Lucci doesn’t create on canvas. Instead, she appreciates the chal-lenge of painting on wild turkey feathers. “There’s just something about painting an animal on a sur-face that was once connected to part of nature itself,” Lucci says. All of Lucci’s work is a one-of-a-kind, “no two feathers are ever alike” according to Lucci. Lucci receives turkey feathers from local friends that are hunters and once she picks through the best ones, she cleans and grooms them. Lucci explains, “All this is done carefully so as not to disturb or

separate. I don’t spray my feath-ers with any type of sealer before painting because I want to keep the integrity of the feather as natu-ral as possible.” All the feathers

are signed, dated, and then mount-ed on acid free matting and placed in a box frame with glass cover where dust and dirt can’t harm them. Look-ing for a unique way to preserve a special moment with

your unique trophy? Grace Luc-ci’s unique custom work is one of her specialties. The customer provides Lucci with a couple pho-tos of their event (or pet) and the moment is captured with a feather painting. This form of art can take Lucci anywhere from 48 hours to a week to get it just perfect and prices average around $80; not bad for an original, one-of-a-kind. In Lucci’s words, “Painting to me is a passion, it’s part of who I am, who God made me to be. I believe we all have a God-given gift and mine is painting.” Grace

Local artist Grace Lucci holding one of her “One-of-a-kind” Turkey Tail paintings. These framed mat-ted and covered pieces of art will be sure to become family heirlooms.

Even a beloved pet can be painted to create an everlasting memory.




Dave WilsonCoins, Precious Metal and a Little of this and That

Since 1988, when our busi-ness first opened its doors to the public, we have witnessed a gradual disappearance of invest-ment-grade product. At that time, more people were interested in “collecting” coins, and not just buying them as an investment. The market was awash with $5, $10 and $20 US gold pieces, and 90% silver coins (and silver dol-lars) were available everywhere, and in quantity. SELLING gold and silver coins was a MUCH more dif-ficult task than FINDING coins TO sell. The US economy was very healthy, and just about ready to experience a tremendous 20+ year pattern of sustained (and dramatic) growth. The national debt was insignificant, and interest rates provided savers with “real” income, meaning that their annual interest income was larger than (then) current inflation numbers, so they actually gained purchas-ing power with their savings each year. The need to consider tan-gible investments was simply not there, unless you were something of a visionary, and most people, at that time, were not. After all, things were great, so very few people cared too much about what “might” happen 20 years

down the road. That attitude was certainly understandable. In February of 1988, the US National Debt stood at just 2.6 trillion dollars. While this number received “some” recognition at the time, it was generally brushed aside by most analysts as being “easily manageable” and “nothing much to worry about.” In the spring of that year, we sent out our very first price list, newsletter, and warned (even then) that “easy money” would be nearly impos-sible for US politicians to ignore. With the dollar being a “fiat” cur-rency (backed by nothing) since 1971, we felt that the potential for deficit spending abuse would continue, and likely increase with time. We continued to speak up about growing annual deficits in nearly every price list we offered. As we mentioned earlier, in the late 1980’s, US numismatic gold coins were plentiful and reasonably cheap, especially by today’s standards. We warned our customers even then that there would come a time, perhaps within the next 10-15 years, when these coins would disappear and be terribly difficult to locate.At that time, many US $5, $10 and $20 gold coins were being

brought back to the states by several major gold companies that were locating bags of these coins in the vaults of Asian and European banks. These banks had acquired the gold through their host country’s trade with the US since WW II. The party was on,but, as we had predicted, didn’t last all that long. The coins repat-riated were quickly disseminated, as thousands of eager collectors and investors snapped up nearly everything in sight. Today, we handle so few of these coins that their sales numbers don’t even make a noticeable blip on our an-nual sales reports. They are GONE, tucked safely away in vaults, closets, bank safe deposit boxes, and even BURIED in strange, out-of-the- way places. Between 1995 and 2005, US 90% silver coins seemed to be everywhere. Prices were cheap, and bags of these coins ($1000/face value) were as plentiful as $10 and $20 gold coins had been 8-10 years earlier. We told our customers then that these coins would also soon become hard to find, and that they should take substantial “positions” while product was available and prices were cheap. Those customers

that “bit,” are certainly happy that they did. (Those that didn’t, when they reminisce, usually participate in the exercise of “self-posterior-kicking.”) By 2009, quantities of 90% silver coins began to disappear. Over-the-counter purchases of these coins dropped dramatically, to a point now, where we buy far fewer 90% silver coins in a year, than we used to buy in just a few weeks. What small amounts we are able to locate, generally sell in the same day they are purchased. These coins, too, are GONE, and likely in very strong hands (i.e. owned by people who have no intention of selling them at amu price. They feel, as do we, that gold and silver will end up being “the last man standing” of worthwhile, tangible savings.) Gone, too, are quantities of older Morgan and Peace silver dollars. Uncirculated 20-coin rolls of these coins disappeared in the late 1990’s, while quantities of other, common date, dollar coins, available for purchase, have gone from a flood (in the early 2000’s), to a tiny trickle today. Premiums for these coins have increased substantially as a result. So, what do we actually have left that would be worthy of being purchased in an attempt to stop the annual purchasing power drain (inflation) on our savings? Silver wartime nickels (from the early 1940’s), 40% Silver Kennedy half-dollars (1965-1970), foreign silver coins, and generic silver rounds and bars represent a few options, but the total available quantities of these, less popular, investment alternatives wouldn’t be enough to satisfy even a few percent of current (and increasing) demand.

Two months ago, our Valley article talked about what would happen if the US Government were to halt (for whatever reason) it’s gold and silver “Eagle” coin and bullion program, that has been in operation since 1986. Our answer then, much like our answer now to this article, is that a buyer’s “Panic” would quickly ensue. As more and more people become aware of what is happen-ing in world markets, (with nearly every country on the planet par-ticipating in huge money-printing schemes, in an attempt to give them product export advantages),the intense sales pressure on the US Mint is becoming shockingly obvious. In just the first two months of this year, the Mint sold (and delivered) over 10 million 1-ounce Silver Eagles, a record start for any year to date. Can the Mint keep up with this increasing level of demand? Can they con-tinue to even find enough silver to mint? The one-time-huge US strategic stockpile of silver, nearly 1.5 billion ounces, was depleted several years ago, and the mint must now purchase its needed silver on the open market. If the answer to either question is no, then the “last seller standing” of desirable, investment-grade “product” will also be, gone. So, too, will your opportunity to protect your (and your family’s) accumulated wealth from the rav-ages of intensifying inflation. a

Gone, Gone, Going

Lucci’s turkey feathers and other original pieces are currently hang-

Making art out of Feathers from page 44

ing on the walls for sale at Dutch Pantry Gifts in Milroy, next to Dollar General and across from Tom’s Rest Stop. a

The beautifully matted and framed art is also covered with glass to protect it from dust, so it will be a treasure that can be handed down.


[email protected]

2013 Pennsylvania Organic FarmFest Announces Partnership Opportunities

Join thousands of regional farmers, backyard gardeners and families celebrating organic and sustainable living at the 2nd Annual Pennsylvania Organic FarmFest on August 2nd & 3rd at the Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall, PA. FarmFest is currently seeking event sponsors, farmers, artisans, and food vendors for 2013. Hosted by Pennsylvania Cer-tified Organic (PCO), FarmFest offers a number of opportunities for businesses and organizations to connect with a broad and di-verse audience in its Exhibit Hall, Organic Classroom, Handmade & Homegrown Market, and more. FarmFest is a fun and free community-building event that fosters knowledge of organic agriculture and sustainable living through educational opportunities, local foods, lively entertainment, and interactive activities. In its first year, FarmFest attracted a crowd of over 2000 attendees including farmers, backyard growers, consumers, and families. In hosting a diverse set of educational workshops, live music, food and craft vendors, ex-hibitors, and children’s activities, it was truly a celebration of the ever-broadening organic commu-nity. This year, FarmFest promises to attract an even bigger audience. PCO and FarmFest organizers invite organizations, farmers, artisans, restaurants, and more to be an integral part of making FarmFest a great success in 2013. Commit to your sponsorship by April 1 to make the most of your benefits. There are many ways to get involved. Title spon-sorships give your organization “ownership” of an event such as

an educational workshop or festi-val venue such as the grandstand stage. These opportunities range from $2500-$3500 and provide the best value for an organization looking to maximize their vis-ibility through FarmFest. Along with having your name solely associated with an event or venue, you also receive the full benefits outlined in the lower levels of sponsorship. Other sponsorship levels and benefits are outlined below: FarmFest Steward

($1001-$2000 Contribution) Placement of your organiza-tion’s logo on promotional materi-als including volunteer t-shirts, print ads, posters, and the Farm-Fest website and social network-ing sites; Hosting of an indoor 10 x10 exhibit space, complete with elec-tricity Complete access to the hos-pitality tent, with organic snacks and drinks. A 1⁄4 page-sized ad in Or-ganic Matters 2013 issue A one-year business-level mem-bership to PCO Special recognition in PCO’s eMarketplace newsletter.

Golden Egg ($501-$1000 Contribution)

Placement of your organiza-tion’s logo on Volunteer t-shirts and our website. Hosting of an indoor 10 x10 exhibit space Complete access to hospital-ity tent, with organic meals and drinks. Special recognition in PCO’s eMarketplace weekly newsletter Listing of organization on the website as an exhibitor with live link

Exhibitor-Level Sponsor ($250-$500 Contribution)

Hosting of an indoor 10x10 exhibit space, complete with elec-tricity Special recognition in PCO’s eMarketplace weekly newsletter Listing of organization on the website as an exhibitor with live link Sponsorship is just one of many paths to FarmFest Involve-ment. The festival’s Homemade & Homegrown Market invites farmers and handcraft artisans to sell their wares in a shaded out-door area where shoppers will be entertained by live music. Vendor fees are $50. Restaurants and food trucks specializing in local, organic, and sustainable food are also invited to be part of the very popular Organic Food Court. FarmFest is also looking for tax-deductable contributions of Silent Auction items, in-kind sponsor-ships, workshop leadership and more! For more information, contact FarmFest Coordinator, Erin Mc-Cracken, at [email protected] or 512/576-4831. To register and read more about these opportuni-ties, visit the FarmFest website: farmfest.paorganic.org.

About Pennsylvania CertifiedOrganic

Pennsylvania Certified Or-ganic (PCO) is a USDA-accredit-ed organic certifying agency that educates and certifies growers, processors and handlers of organic crops, wild crops, livestock and livestock products in Pennsylva-nia and adjoining states. PCO’s mission is to assure the integrity of organic agricul-tural products through education, inspection, and certification of

growers, proces-sors and handlers. PCO provides services to operations based in Pennsylvania, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, North Caro-lina, Virginia, and West Virginia. a

Trail2Creek.comYour Source For

Pennsylvania’s Outdoor Adventures

by Colleen Swetland Where do you go when you possess a spirit for adventure, a modicum of athleticism, and a love of the outdoors? Trail2Creek.com of course! March 17, 2013 marked the public launch of Trail2Creek.com and the accompanying Outdoor Symposium held at the Bremen Town Ballroom (Ecovents) in Millheim. With an air of excite-ment and celebration befitting the nature of the day, Bill Wolfe, creator of the website and host of the symposium, welcomed over 300 guests to this inaugural event. Bill’s entrepreneurial spirit, boundless energy, and commu-nity-mindedness have combined to benefit outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and help visitors to the center region. The idea behind the creation of Trail2Creek.com is to provide one site where you can plan any type of outdoor activ-ity that may appeal to you and/or your family. There is access to links and information that will help you to plan your adventure, pick a route, and even access a repair or supply shop in case of an unforeseen problem during your adventure. It also provides information on places where you can grab a bite to eat or reserve overnight accommodations while enjoying the local communities. The beginnings of Trail-2Creek.com were originally formed when Bill was working on the road as a commercial diver. As he explained it to me, he finally had a weekend off and was trying to figure out what the area had to offer for entertainment. He said, “I was tired of searching differ-ent websites and trying to decide what to do and thought how easy it would be to have everything on one site. So, from the front seat of an old Chevy, Trail2Creek.com was born.” The difference between Trail2Creek.com and other websites is that he asks permission from site owners to use their website and sends traf-fic straight to their sites. “Local businesses get all the attention, and I just help direct people there. Local clubs, businesses, and non-

profits can give better information on your area of interest than I can. There are no chain restaurants or motels on Trail2Creek.com, just your neighbors.” The Outdoor Symposium was an accompanying event to Trail-2Creek.com’s launch designed to showcase and celebrate Central PA’s diverse outdoor resources. Exhibitors and vendors included local outfitters, outdoor clubs, non-profits, and local farms sell-ing their produce and products. Visitors were invited to learn about the activities and become involved with community groups such as the Penns Valley Conser-vation Association (PVCA) and the Penns Valley Rails to Trails Feasibility Study. There were edu-cational workshops, demonstra-tions, and presentations held every half hour on topics that ranged from introducing new gear, learn-ing the basics of reading a map, to equipment repair and survival skills. And, while visiting the booths, meeting old friends and making new ones, guests were able to sample local food and microbrew. Bill’s idea is still in its infan-cy, but definitely getting traction. His short-term goal is to have this site expand to cover not just the Central Pennsylvania region, but the entire state. His ultimate goal is to see his site include this type of information for each state, and who knows from there! “Trail2Creek is constantly adding new locations and working on making your outdoor adventure the best it can be!” is the site’s tagline. So, please take the time to visit Trail2Creek.com before and during your next outing. Feel free to send an email to [email protected] with comments and questions so that he can continue to build a site that has everything you need to enjoy your time with nature! a



by Wayne Stottlar

Even though I am considered an old guy now, I wasn’t quite old enough to be thrown into the conflict in Southeast Asia dur-ing the 60s and 70s like so many other young men at the time. I do remember vividly though the news reporting, the protesters, my own mother’s suffering over my brother’s deployment to Vietnam and the lack of information that

reached home during the Tet of-fensive. My brother was stationed in Da Nang as a computer program-mer for the Air Force, so he wasn’t a jungle busting soldier crawling around in the mud and leach infested canals like so many others, but still, during Tet, EVERYONE saw a lot more than anyone could ever imagine. I re-member my brother relating to me the medivac missions he was sent on to help, as everyone including cooks and office types were put to work where the real fighting occurred, which during Tet, was everywhere. Like so many others, my brother came back a changed person, he only rarely would give us glimpses of what he went through, choosing rather to try to forget what he had been through and move on with his life. I have always been a sup-porter of our military, but over the years my thoughts have changed as to when they should be used, and looking back, that whole mission was a terrible waste of so many young men’s lives. It was also the first time our military

was, in my mind, defeated, not due to our soldiers who were and still are the best of the best—they never lost a battle during the whole conflict. We lost the war because our corporate run govern-ment did not let the soldiers do their job. This loss rests squarely on our evil and corrupt politicians who sent them out to die for no good reason other than to produce profits for the military industrial complex.

Conse-quently, when our brave sol-diers returned home, they were spit on, called all kinds of vile names by those that never served, and even some that did, and lost their sense of right and wrong because of it. There were no parades, no hero’s welcome,

and in many cases, no one waiting for them when they arrived back stateside. This is one of the black-est marks on our nation’s history, to have sent these boys to fight, and then all but abandon them after they had served their time. Absolutely disgraceful. Since that time, there have been steps taken to make sure this does not happen again, mostly by volunteer groups, who meet returning soldiers at airports, pri-vate companies who extend offers of gratitude to those who make it home. Our government makes a half-hearted attempt to appear like they care, but still, we have people in government now who were those same protestors during the war, and they label return-ing vets as “dangers to society,” “possible terrorists,” and some are even trying to deny them their 2nd Amendment rights. Those people should be the ones receiving the scorn and ridicule. But getting back to Vietnam, the Vietnam Veterans of America Local Chapter #791 is going to provide you with an opportunity to say Thank You even after all

these years. They have under-taken a project to build a Memo-rial at the Beech Street Circle in Burnham. This ambitious un-dertaking will feature two black marble panels with the names of the 16 local soldiers who paid the ultimate price in Vietnam. The back of the panels will feature the POW-MIA logo on one, and the service ribbons and the words “All Gave Some, Some Gave All” on the other. The markers will be flanked by the POW/MIA flag and the Pennsylvania State flag, with the American flag positioned be-tween the two markers. Outward from the foundation of the panels will be bricks bearing veteran and non-veteran supporters names.

This is where you come in. The bricks are the funding mechanism for the project. The cost for each brick is $60, probably the most affordable thank you that you could ever give. Each brick will feature three lines of text and is a perfect way to memorialize your favorite vet-eran or military supporter. Brick pavers can be purchased for any war era veteran or service mem-ber, or any non-vetran who has passed away. Certainly everyone has someone that they care about that is no longer with us, and this is the perfect opportunity to memorialize them with their own brick paver, and the fact that it will focus attention on those who never received a thank you is all the more reason to do this. The local chapter of VVOA #791 is also looking to contact

relatives of Denny Harmon who served during the Vietnam War. Denny lost his life while trying to get rid of a live grenade so as to protect his fellow soldiers. Denny was a member of the 66th Military Police and was the

first casualty from Mifflin County. Denny was born in Belleville and a 1962 graduate of Kishacoquil-las High School, where he was known for his athletic ability. If anyone has any possible contact information for any living rela-tives, it would be greatly appreci-ated that you contact Denny Drass at 717-248-6915, Ervin Priest at 717-248-0934, or Charlie Dicken at 717-363-3100. Anyone wishing to purchase a brick paver can also contact any of the gentlemen above. Let’s fi-nally say Thank You to these men who made the ultimate sacrifice and let those still living know that we respect their service and want them to know we care. Dedication of the Memorial is planned for Saturday August 31st and everyone is invited to attend. In the meantime, pass this infor-mation on to your friends and let’s purchase these pavers and bring this memorial to life. It is a very inexpensive way to say “THANK YOU.” a

Artist rendering of the new Memorial to be placed at the Beech Street Circle in Burnham on August 31st.

The back of the black panels will feature the POW/MIA logo and the reminder that “All gave some, Some gave all”

A representation of the bricks that will be placed at the new memorial.


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Documents

The Valley - April 2013