Water doesn't always flow over the dam!
April 30, 2006. The folks at Sugarloaf served 790 at their fish supper Saturday night.
Following a series of nose bleeds, Marcia Kay spent the afternoon Saturday in the Wilkes Community Hospital being treated for the aftermath of an asthma attack. For information and advice about asthma attacks, head on over to www.lungusa.org/asthma/astasthmatk.html . This site by the American Lung Association provides asthma information and advice on when to use medications to treat symptoms and when to seek medical help.
Open www.frontiernet.net/~cdm/age1.html , then key in your birth day when prompted. Pretty cute!
We found a copy of the Benton Argus for Thursday, December 31, 1925, buried in one of our rarely used drawers. Here are some of the goings on from Back Home in Benton, PA, for the end of 1925, starting with a general interest announcement:
"The Argus will be pleased to receive items, such as engagements, teas, wedding parties and other news of personal interest, with the names of those present for this department. The item should be endorsed with the names and addresses of the sender--not for publication, but as a matter of faith."
The issue of the Argus listed numerous stores advertising and wishing their readers a "Happy New Year." Here is a partial listing of the stores in business at the beginning of 1926: Benton Store Company, Universal Theatre, T. C. Smith Lumber, J. Burr Appleman, Ice Cream; Kozy Korner, Empire Roller Mills, C. W. Shannon, Prop.; J. P. Laubach, Albertson's Garage, Claude Albertson, Prop.; Holland McHenry, Fresh Groceries; T. A. Hess & Son, Successor to A. C. Harrison, Benton Meat Market, Rabb's Drug Store, R. W. Rabb, Ph.G.; Frank C. Yost, General Surveying; Benton Bakery, Mahlon L. Strauch, Prop.; Ray B. Keeler, Jeweler, Optometrist; Harry W. Hess Store, H. W. Belles, General Merchandise and Coal; John F. Wright, dealer in Jewett automobiles; V. E. Fritz Stores; Keller & Conner, Galvanized Roofing and Lightning Rods; H. B. Chapin, Selling the "New Corona Four, price $60; John F. Wright, Coal; Max Herr, Benton Furniture Store, E. P. Chapin, Prop.; A. R. Pennington, "all leather shoes and Oxfords, all dry goods, all men's dress shirts, all men's and boys sport shirts, all men's and boys clothing, all men's wool hats."
Many computer users set both their monitor and their hard drive to shut down after a predetermined number of minutes, saving both power and wear and tear on the monitor and the hard drive. Right click on the desktop, select "Properties" then click the screen saver tab. Click the Power button. I set my laptop monitor to automatically shut off after 15 minutes and my hard drives to shut off after 30 minutes. Press any key on the keyboard or move the mouse and things are up and running again. Our desktop computer runs all the time.Bluegrass artists Al and Jean Lumpkin and Mark Dancheski were center stage last night at The Red Carpet Café Coffee House, at the rear of the Forty Fort Presbyterian Church, 1224 Wyoming Ave. The Lumpkins have been involved in the bluegrass festival in Benton for many years. Dancheski is a member of Stained Grass Window, a bluegrass group.
According to the Los Angeles Times, gas stations are all stocking up on "$4" signs, in anticipation of high prices.
Satidy, April 29, 2006, as they say where I am in North Carolina. Happy birthday today to Alan Hack, Stillwater, his 20th.
Today is the Sugarloaf Fish Supper from 3-7 PM, a tradition at the Sugarloaf Township School Memorial Building, off Route 118. Adults pay $10 and kids between 6 and 12 pay $4, Meanwhile where we are, we continue to stuff our mouth with the south, as people in these parts put it, with the good North Carolina BBQ. And, yes, it is eaten locally with slaw on it.
The area was in shock Friday as news of the tragic death of Ivan Bond, 84, Third Street, slowly circulated. We are not going into the details of his passing since the true details will probably never be known, but it appears that a tractor ran over him after he dismounted to get his lunch. For more details, consult the Saturday edition of the Press Enterprise.
Ivan E. Bond, 84, (September 23, 1921-April 27, 2006) Third Street, Benton, a man who loved farming all his life, died Thursday while plowing a field off Piper Road near Derrs. He was the son of the late Ira and Elsie (Kline) Bond. He graduated from Huntington Mills High School, class of 1938. Ivan was an Honorary member of the Painter Den Club, affiliated with the hunting club for forty years. He was a fifty-plus year member of the Benton Masonic Lodge. He belonged to the Odd Fellows Lodge. Ivan retired from Sprout Waldron, Muncy, as a construction superintendent traveling extensively in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Haiti, China, the Dominican Republic and the U.S. while building feed mills for Sprout Waldron. In earlier years he drove tractor trailer for himself and various carriers. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, farmer and family man. Surviving are his wife of 63 years, the former Sophia Bolek; daughters Carolyn Jones (Ross) Texarkana, Texas; Patricia Threlkeld (Dennis), Orangeville; Debra Cordon (Wally), Benton; son, Ken Bond (Kathy), Millville. He has ten grandchildren; and nineteen great grandchildren. Also surviving are his sisters, Ruth Creveling and Helen Bond, both of Nescopeck, and brother, John Bond, New Hampshire. Preceding him in death were his sisters, Ethel Bond and Gertrude Fritz. His many friends will be received Sunday, April 30, from 6 until 8 PM at the McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., 4394 Red Rock Road, Benton. Visitation will also be held on Monday afternoon from noon until two o'clock at the funeral home. His funeral service will begin at 2 PM Monday under the direction of Rev. Calvin Miller of the Benton United Methodist Church. Interment will be in the Benton Cemetery.
--Obituary courtesy of the McMichael Funeral HomePamela Lynn (Wright) Laubach, 47, (August 15, 1958-April 27, 2006), 6020 Fort Jenkins Lane, Lot 30, Bloomsburg, died Thursday at the Geisinger Medical Center. Born in Berwick, she was a daughter of Robert R. Wright Sr. and Irene (Nagle) Yost. She was a graduate of the Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School and attended classes at the Luzerne County Community College. She worked several years at Berwick Industries and with her husband, Chris Andrew Laubach, in Newcomb, NY where they managed a campground and general store. She is survived by her husband and father, Robert R. Wright, Sr. (Geraldine Wright), Napanoch, NY; mother, Irene Yost (Robert), Lightstreet; son, David Heckman, Berwick; daughter, Jennifer Heckman, Benton; step-son, Lance Corporal Jesse Laubach, Camp Lejeune, NC; step-son, Lance Corporal Jared Laubach, Hawaii; granddaughter, Zanna Lynn Kinney, Benton; grandmother, Fern Diltz, Berwick. Pam is also survived by her siblings Susan Neufer, Berwick; Roxanne Olah (Blaise), Berwick; Robert Wright, Jr. (Christine), Fishkill, NY; Vicki Hess (Chuck), Berwick and Jason Yost, Lightstreet. Other family members are father and mother-in-law, Jerry and Margaret (Peg) Laubach, Benton; brother-in-laws, Brant and Jeff Laubach, Benton; aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her grandparents: Jay Nagle, Clayton Diltz and Ruth and Raymond Wright and by her brother-in-law, William Neufer. Friends will be received from 11 AM until noon on Wednesday, May 3 at the McMichael Funeral Home, Inc.. Her memorial service will begin at noon Wednesday at the funeral home. .
--Obituary courtesy of the McMichael Funeral Home
Frank Gough, Upper Raven Creek Road, moved back to this area in 1981 with his wife, Beth Ann Shultz, a daughter of Anna and Clyde Shultz. Jean Stackhouse is Beth Ann's aunt. Frank interned with the National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi, and later worked at the Williamsport-Lycoming County airport until it closed in 1996 as a Meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Frank currently takes daily temperature and precipitation readings for the National Weather Service, State College, and shared this information from the past winter. Our total snowfall for the season was 39.2 inches, about 10 inches below normal. The wettest month was January with 5.59 inches of liquid but just 10.3 inches of snow. The coldest temperature Frank recorded was 6 below on December 14. The most snow in a 24-hour period was 8.5 inches on December 9.
We are writing from memory, since it is late at night in western North Carolina and we don't see much out the windows of the motor home except for hundreds of campfires nestled in the coves and "hollers." The cool evening air smells like the inside of a smokehouse. We can make out the outlines of mountain pinnacles piercing low-level clouds. We are parked high on a plateau, and from our windows we have a view of the valley below. I can understand Robert Frost's thinking when he boarded an airplane for the first time, and asked, "May I stop and look at a flower?" while he could still see the wonders of nature.
We greatly enjoyed seeing and meeting the descendents of the predominantly Scotch settlers who come in from the hills for the bluegrass music. We feel somewhat like a tourist to the Lancaster area who comes to look at the Amish, except we aren't gawking so much at the people as we are mesmerized by the sounds that acoustic instruments can make. We do take the time to look at the quilts the people of the mountain valleys bring in, and watch as they demonstrate caning chair bottoms, carve beautiful animals out of wood, and make other crafts--like dulcimer making or fiddle making. One of the best of the western North Carolina instrument makers is Bob Kogut, the owner of Kogut Violins, and a master on the mandolin and violin. Bob is a brother of John Kogut, Benton. Bob is an experienced fiddler and performed at MerleFest in 2003 and 2004.
The mountain crafts of the area can perhaps trace back several decades following the Civil War when no schools existed in parts of the mountains. Today, the hopes of the residents lie in the local mountain colleges and universities, like Wilkesboro Community College, where the MerleFest is held, and Appalachian University in Boone.
Alanna Bath, Bendertown, will attend Penn State Main campus this coming fall as she pursues a career in music in her post-Wilkes University years.
We enjoy making salads in super markets and generally load up on the fake crab meat. We decided to find out how much crab meat is actually in the crab meat. What we found is that it is technically a "surimi-based crab analog." I didn't have a clue what that meant, so I did a little investigating. Surimi is a fish paste made by pressing and repeatedly washing deboned fish. We pick up the Surimi from salad bars in the form of sticks or shredded meat. The Surimi comes from cheap cod, plus generous amounts of starch, salt, chemical seasonings, "essence of crab" (which we believe comes from boiling down crab shells), and polymerized phosphate. Somehow, the crab meat doesn't hold the same attraction it once did.
John Maurr has opened a Hoagie and pizza place called Bear Essentials, 458-4104, in the old Harry McHenry building on the corner in Rohrsburg. John would like to know what was there before Harrys' gas station and is looking for any pictures anyone would like to share. We consider Bob Clewell the authority on Rohrsburg and Joe McHenry the authority on his uncle Harry, but possibly a reader can help out.
April 28, 2006. The Dillards led off the MerleFest Thursday. In case that is not a household name for you, the group goes all the way back to the days of the "Andy Griffith Show" when they played a family of slow-witted hillbillies called "The Darlin' Family." This year's featured performers include Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Gillian Welch, Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, Nickel Creek, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and Doc Watson. A talented group of entertainers, all name groups, perform on 13 stages and about 81,500 are forecast to attend. Phone and internet services are virtually nonexistent during the crush of people in Wilkesboro.
The third annual Scottish Heritage Day is Sunday at the Benton United Presbyterian Church and the public is invited. A Highland Tea begins at 10:30, followed by a Celtic worship with music at 11.
I am always amazed at the people who stand in the middle of the road and then allow themselves to get knocked down by the traffic coming from both directions.
Why is it that wind makes a "whistling" noise as it blows "through" the windows when it is very cold outside, but it makes no sound when it is warm? It's the wind speed that causes the whistling, not the temperature. Strong, even gale-force, winds are far more likely to occur during the winter when it is cold. Warm weather usually brings gentler breezes--and open windows!
Older folks never seemed to have leg and hip problems as I grew up, at least I don't remember them. What people did back them took a lot of physical exertion, involved a lot of movement and standing up. Long drives from Pennsylvania to North Carolina and excessive use of computers have changed our lifestyles and the workplace. Toss into the equation both junk and fast food, a liberal dose of Desperate Housewives and Commander in Chief, and the result is a nation of people built like turnips--portly, plump, pudgy, and pugnacious. People who are "plus sized" popped into our thoughts when we attempted to buy a MerleFest tee shirt and asked for a particular shirt in XXL. The generously endowed lady selling the shirts told me that "We are all out of the smaller sizes."
We often hear about people who eat like it is their last supper and then find a miracle diet where they can eat things like all the cauliflower, dandelion greens and tofu they can keep down. They find a funky fad diet and think it will solve all their problems. Usually the ones who find these ridiculous diets completely ignore healthy food and exercise. If they do exercise, they head for a gym that plays music right out of New York city or cram their ears full of iPod, climb on a stair machine, run in place on a treadmill or otherwise sweat out the calories. If our hard-working grandparents could see us paying to exercise, they would shake their heads.. If they saw us come home from our workouts and head for the couch, they would be very upset.
I still have a mirror I got many long years ago,
But something is the matter, but what I don't know.The mirror was always my friend and in my prime
I am certain it told the truth--for a time.But what should I do when today I looked in
I am now wrinkled and grey and not so thin.Such terrible lying to me is very bold
I believe that mirror must be getting old.Along the same lines, here is an interview with the Pillsbury Doughboy, which a reader send to us.
Q: Do you have a favorite song?
A: Dough, re, mi (also known as "Dough, a deer")
Q: If you could have a favorite dog, what kind would it be?
A: I would have a Doughberman Pinscher.
Q: Do you like to dance?
A: I love to square dance, particularly when we "Dough-si-dough." I have to be careful, though, so I don't stub my "dough."
Q: If you could choose another name, what would it be?
A: John Dough.
Q: What motto or words do you live by?
A: I try to live by my golden rule: "Dough unto others..."
Q: Can you tell us more about that?
A: For example, I try to make "doughnations" to charity when I can..."We heard the story of a Canadian who showed up at the MerleFest and asked a camper next to him, a man from South Carolina, for some pepper. "Black pepper, or white pepper?" asked the fiddler, more intent on his music than on helping a neighbor in distress. "Toilette pepper!" yelled the Canadian.
Jerry and Julie Beishline are having a horse-tack sale Saturday from 9 AM until 4 PM near St. James Church, just outside Bendertown. Set up a table and sell your horse tack and supplies for a 10% consignment fee or drop them off for a 15% consignment fee. Kathy Huggins, a Certified John Lyons trainer, will be there all day and will do a couple of clinics. Pastries and coffee will be available for the early birds and hot dogs and chip will be available for lunch. A representative from the PA Equine Council will be on hand, also, and have information on the new PA Equine Laws. All proceeds will go to Castaway Acres Horse rescue in Bradford County.
In memory of the now departed Winter and the transition into Spring, here is a poem by Robert W. Service entitled The Cremation of Sam McGee. As a kid growing up, I certainly remember hearing this recited at Painter Den and learned to hate it because I only ever heard it at 3 AM. As I transition into another phase of my life, I have learned to love it. And I suspect that you will, too!
There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGeeNow Sam McGee was from Tennessee,
where the cotton blooms and blows
Why he left his home in the South to roam
'round the Pole, God only knows.
He was always cold but the land of gold
seemed to hold him like a spell;
Though he'd often say in his homely way
that he'd sooner live in Hell.On a Christmas Day we were mushing our way
over the Dawson trail.
Talk of your cold! through the parka's fold
it stabbed like a driven nail.
If our eyes we'd close, then the lashes froze
till sometimes we couldn't see,
It wasn't much fun, but the only one
to whimper was Sam McGee.And that very night, as we lay packed tight
in our robes beneath the snow,
And the dogs were fed, and the stars o'erhead
were dancing heel and toe,
He turned to me, and "Cap", says he,
"I'll cash in this trip, I guess;
And if I do, I'm asking that you
won't refuse my last request."Well, he seemed so low that I couldn't say no;
then he says with a sort of moan,
"It's the cursed cold, and it's got right hold
till I'm chilled clean through to the bone
Yet 'taint being dead-it's my awful dread
of the icy grave that pains;
So I want you to swear that, foul or fair,
you'll cremate my last remains.A pal's last need is a thing to heed,
so I swore I would not fail;
And we started on at the streak of dawn
but God! he looked ghastly pale.
He crouched on the sleigh, and he raved all day
of his home in Tennessee;
And before nightfall a corpse was all
that was left of Sam McGee.There wasn't a breath in that land of death,
and I hurried, horror-driven
With a corpse half hid that I couldn't get rid,
because of a promise given;
It was lashed to the sleigh, and it seemed to say.
"You may tax your brawn and brains,
But you promised true, and it's up to you
to cremate these last remains".Now a promise made is a debt unpaid,
and the trail has its own stern code,
In the days to come, though my lips were dumb
in my heart how I cursed that load!
In the long, long night, by the lone firelight,
while the huskies, round in a ring,
Howled out their woes to the homeless snows-
Oh God, how I loathed the thing!And every day that quiet clay
seemed to heavy and heavier grow;
And on I went, though the dogs were spent
and the grub was getting low.
The trail was bad, and I felt half mad,
but I swore I would not give in;
And I'd often sing to the hateful thing,
and it hearkened with a grin.Till I came to the marge of Lake Lebarge,
and a derelict there lay;
It was jammed in the ice, but I saw in a trice
it was called the Alice May,
And I looked at it, and I thought a bit,
and I looked at my frozen chum;
Then "Here", said I, with a sudden cry,
"is my cre-ma-tor-eum"!Some planks I tore from the cabin floor
and I lit the boiler fire;
Some coal I found that was lying around,
and I heaped the fuel higher;
The flames just soared, and the furnace roared
such a blaze you seldom see,
And I burrowed a hole in the glowing coal,
and I stuffed in Sam McGee.Then I made a hike, for I didn't like
to hear him sizzle so;
And the heavens scowled, and the huskies howled,
and the wind began to blow,
It was icy cold, but the hot sweat rolled
down my cheeks, and I don't know why;
And the greasy smoke in an inky cloak
went streaking down the sky.I do not know how long in the snow
I wrestled with grisly fear;
But the stars came out and they danced about
ere again I ventured near;
I was sick with dread, but I bravely said,
"I'll just take a peep inside.
I guess he's cooked, and it's time I looked".
Then the door I opened wide.And there sat Sam, looking cool and calm,
in the heart of the furnace roar;
And he wore a smile you could see a mile,
and he said, "Please close that door.
It's fine in here, but I greatly fear
you'll let in the cold and storm-
Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee,
it's the first time I've been warm".There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee
April 27, 2007. Birthdays today include Bea McMichael and Charles Wodrig, both of Stillwater. Bill and Carla Lee celebrate their wedding anniversary.
At the risk of being shot by someone here in the south, we'll mention that April 27 was the birthday of Hiram Ulysses Grant, born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, in 1822. He changed his name (to Ulysses S. Grant) while a student at West Point to avoid the initials HUG. He ended up being the commander of the Union Armies at the end of the Civil War. He had some unusual habits. For example, he would never go back. If he went past where he was supposed to be he would continue until he could work his way around to where he had been, but he never retraced his steps. As a general, it meant he would never retreat. Those who supported the general said he was tough. Those in the North and the South who were horrified by his brutality called him the Butcher.
As a general, he sent thousands of men to their death, but he had a complete aversion to killing animals to the point that he would not eat fowl of any kind. Anything that walked on two legs was off limits to feed to the man. The sight of bloody meat at a table would send him from the table. Grant saw a mare being beaten once, and the general had the man doing the beating tied to a post for six hours.
Grant became the 18th president of the United States, but within ten years of leaving the White House he was completely broke. He came down with throat cancer and was forced to write his military memoirs, a wildly successful book, in order to survive financially.
It is just a shame that by the time a man can read a woman like a book, he is too old to collect a library
Everyone involved with the Benton United Methodist Church would like to extend a "thank you" to those who came to the first three coffee houses and everyone who worked at the first three coffee houses. Kelly Yost says there are more great coffee houses to come.
The number one rule of computer science is never allow a computer system to know that you are in a hurry!
We have been watching a sea of dandelions out the windows of the motor home as we travel south. Didja know that dandelions were once so prized that they were cultivated in gardens? French and Dutch settlers used the tender young leaves in salads, both fresh and blanched. Some used the leaves as one would spinach or used them in soup. Some boiled dandelion greens in water, then drank the "pot likker" or cooking water, which was loaded with water-soluble vitamins.
"Dandelion" comes from the French expression, dent de lion, meaning tooth of the lion. The German word for this delicacy is "Loewenzahn," which also means "Lion's tooth." The wilted greens covered with a hot sweet and sour bacon dressing is a sheer delight. A distinctive wine is made from the dandelions, too.
A spring tonic to "aid the blood and the digestive system was known as pieplant, and is now called rhubarb. Early cook books sometimes referred to it as "spring fruit." Rhubarb ended up in pies, puddings, tarts, preserves, and soups. Even Garrison Keillor acknowledges the joy of rhubarb pie. Another popular spring tonic was made by boiling sweet fern, sarsaparilla, wintergreen and sassafras and using the brew as a basis for beer, adding hops, molasses, and brewer's yeast.
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."
--Israeli diplomat Abba Eban
April 26, 2006. Alan Lamoreaux and Nathan Schlichter celebrate their birthdays today. Frank and Sylvia Vincent celebrate their wedding anniversary today. Today is the 20th wedding anniversary of Robert and Elizabeth Chamberlain, Benton Township. Tonight at 5:30 is the Wednesday work night at the Benton Rodeo grounds; in fact, dedicated workers show up every Wednesday night to work in preparation for the upcoming yearly rodeo. This month's rodeo meeting will be held at the rodeo grounds at 7 PM, Thursday, April 27.
The story is told about a great uncle who wasn't paying any attention to his wife. To stoke the fires of the furnace, so to speak, she ran past him in the nude while he listened, half awake, to a Phillies game. She came back into the room a few minutes later, now fully dressed, and asked if he had seen anything go by while she was gone. The great uncle replied, "Yeah, and whatever it was it needed ironing."
With relatives in your family like this, it never hurts to know how to describe your family relationships. The following definitions, courtesy of genealogy.com, should help.
Cousin (a.k.a "first cousin")
Your first cousins are the people in your family who have two of the same grandparents as you. In other words, they are the children of your aunts and uncles.Second Cousin
Your second cousins are the people in your family who have the same great-grandparents as you, but not the same grandparents.Third, Fourth, and Fifth Cousins
Your third cousins have the same great-great-grandparents, fourth cousins have the same great-great-great-grandparents, and so on.Removed
When the word "removed" is used to describe a relationship, it indicates that the two people are from different generations. You and your first cousins are in the same generation (two generations younger than your grandparents), so the word "removed" is not used to describe your relationship.The words "once removed" mean that there is a difference of one generation. For example, your mother's first cousin is your first cousin, once removed. This is because your mother's first cousin is one generation younger than your grandparents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents. This one-generation difference equals "once removed." Twice removed means that there is a two-generation difference. You are two generations younger than a first cousin of your grandmother, so you and your grandmother's first cousin are first cousins, twice removed.
The terms "niece" and "nephew" spring from Latin words which meant "granddaughter" and "grandson," so you may find them used in that context.
We parked the motor home last night close to the former home of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the United States and the driving force behind the Declaration of Independence which includes the lines, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." His political career began in 1769 in the Virginia House of Burgesses where he unsuccessfully attempted to emancipate the slaves under his jurisdiction. He retired forty years later as president of the United States. He died on July 4, 1826, at his Virginia home known as Monticello. If you don't remember what his house looks like, look at a nickel.
"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom."
--Thomas JeffersonWe are now writing from "the South," where the language is just a tad different from what we are accustomed to. For example, "waaaaf" is a commonly used word, meaning a female married person. The word could be used in a sentence like "Thars a phone call fer yew. Itch yer waaaaf."
Have you ever heard Dayne Kline tell the story of the time he and his bride of many years decided to go to a church supper at the Pine Summit Church? In case you haven't, Dayne and Ruth headed off into the night to grab something to eat, arriving at the church about 5 PM. They did notice that everyone was dressed a little fancier than they were, but sometimes when hunger sets in dress isn't all that important. They asked a couple leaving if there was any food left and the couple indicated that there was probably something left. They hurried to the basement and headed toward what they thought was the food line, but soon discovered that they were in a line to kiss the bride at the wedding going on in the church. Oh, oh! Wrong church.
A Fishing Derby/kite festival is coming up May 6 from 9 to 11 AM. The kite festival is open to all ages while the fishing derby is open to children 14 and under. It is open to the public and will include games, food and fun. There will be a drawing for prizes. The event benefits the Stillwater Christian Church Mexico Mission Outreach. It all takes place at Whispering Pines Camping Estates, 1557 N. Bendertown Rd., Stillwater. Call 925-6810 for more information.
April 25, 2006. It is the birthday of Janet Kriebel and Rebecca DePoe. Today is the wedding anniversary of John and Charlotte Sibly.
The Benton United Methodist Church is showing the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, on Friday, May 5, at 7 PM. All are welcome! Any questions please contact Janet English, 925-2417.
I belong to a number of historical societies in the state, including the Historical Society of Camp Hill where I enjoy listening to fascinating stories of the American Civil War. One of the members told an interesting story from his childhood about an elderly man by the name of Fickenscher who lived at 311 N. 24th Street. According to the story, in 1938 an older gentleman knocked on the family door and asked if anyone would be able to climb the large tree on the left side of the property. The man was in the area for the 75th Anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg and said that he was a scout for the Confederate Army and he had carved his initials in the tree while scouting the area in 1863. Mr. Fisckenscher's son climbed the tree and said the initials were still visible after 75 years.
Congratulations to all-East archery honors winner Ryan Rambo, Millville, in men's compound,
We are heading south toward a remote site near Wilkes Community College, Wilkes-Boro, North Carolina, to celebrate the music of the late Merle Watson and his father, Doc Watson. The music is strictly bluegrass, contemporary acoustic, Celtic, blues, folk, old-time, Cajun, jazz, and singer-songwriter. We should be able to send and receive email and upload the web page via our cell phone but if it turns out that we are unable to do that we apologize in advance for any inconvenience. One thing is for certain. The Benton News will not follow any schedule that you are used to for the next two weeks.
Term of the Day: Terminal Moraine.
Sign posted by the late Harry Cole, Leonard Street, Bloomsburg, on a rock beside the Iron Bridge along Camp Lavigne Road. The depiction was of an Indian. Although Harry was close to being right for the actual location, the terminal moraine was a bit further south. A terminal moraine is a linear ridge marking the furthest position of advance of an ice sheet, and forms by the melting of ice and the release of the debris. When the edge of the ice sheet stays in the same place for a long period, the debris builds up to form a ridge. Each time the ice sheet stops for a period during its retreating phase, it deposits a new moraine perpendicular to the ice sheet flow direction.The Pregnancy Resource Center in Bloomsburg known as Your Loving Choices will hold a fundraising walk-a-thon on Saturday, May 6, at the band shell in Bloomsburg town park. Registration begins at 9 AM and opening ceremonies at 9:30. The day will feature activities for children, music and refreshments, fun and fellowship!
The Executive Director of YLC is Benton's own Kathy Leamont. The organization offers free, non-judgmental and confidential services to all area women and families who find themselves facing unplanned pregnancy. From the initial free pregnancy test and options counseling, to the beautiful (all donated items) client gift shop, many young women are helped through a very trying time in their lives. New mothers can purchase everything from bibs to cribs for their baby with "Mommy Money" that they earn by taking "Earn While You Learn" parenting classes.
Trained volunteers help the new mother through the decision making process to avert making choices that will turn this crisis into life-long turmoil. Through parenting classes, adoption planning support and abortion education, each client is aided in making her own informed decision about her situation. Clients from the Benton area and surrounding areas have received assistance from YLC. Find out more about YLC by phoning 784-6124. (YLC is a 501C3 non-profit organization and receives no government funding. All gifts are tax exempt)Some readers may remember the former LaBuca Restaurant, Benton, in the former Benton Hotel. The restaurant was active in 1977. It was run by the Wing family and owned by the Bankes family.
The Neighborhood Watch meeting last night resulted in election of officers; By-laws were adopted and a survey taken. It was significant that two members of town council and Mayor Swan attended.
Here is an update on the availability of the Benton Town Park for the summer season, based on information provided by Mayor Jan Swan. Restrooms will have water by mid-May, but water will not be available to the pavilions at that time. Electricity is now on to the bingo stand and the number five stand (the large one) and the number seven stand in the lower end of the park, near Park Street. Due to excessive damage, it is not expected that the bandstand will be available for use this summer. The dinner stand is usable, although there is considerable damage on one end of the stand. There was no damage to the bingo stand and that is usable. Requests for park use should be directed to Sheryl McDonald, 925-2447.
Want a quick tour of the roadside highway markers in Columbia Country? Hold on while we drive slowly by...
Marker Name: Catawissa Friends Meeting
Date Dedicated: 5/8/48
Location: Junction US 11 & PA 42, .7 mile SW of Bloomsburg
Marker Text: At Catawissa, three miles distant, is the Friends meetinghouse built about 1790. The log structure is still standing and is a fine example of a pioneer place of worship.Marker Name: Catawissa Friends Meeting
Date Dedicated: 5/1/48
Location: South St. between 3rd & 4th Sts., Catawissa
Marker Text: The nearby Friends meetinghouse, built about 1790, was the place of worship for early Quaker settlers among the pioneers of this region. Catawissa itself was laid out by William Hughs, a Berks County Quaker.Marker Name: Columbia County
Date Dedicated: 7/11/83
Location: County Courthouse, Main St., Bloomsburg
Marker Text: Formed March 22, 1813 out of Northumberland County. Named in honor of America. County seat, Bloomsburg, became this State's only incorporated town in 1870. A Friends meetinghouse was built at Catawissa about 1789. "Twin covered bridges" at Forks are a unique site.Marker Name: Fort Jenkins
Date Dedicated: 5/8/48
Location: Old US 11, 6.5 miles NE of Bloomsburg
Marker Text: A stockaded house used as a settler's refuge was situated here on the bank overlooking the river, 1778-80, when it was destroyed by the Indians. The land was later owned by James Wilson, an author of the Constitution.Marker Name: Fort McClure
Date Dedicated: 5/8/48
Location: US 11 at Fairgrounds, Bloomsburg
Marker Text: Early in 1781 the McClure house was stockaded by the noted Indian fighter, Moses Van Campen, to protect settlers in this region after destruction of Fort Jenkins in 1780. Site on the north bank of the Susquehanna in present Bloomsburg.Marker Name: Fort Wheeler
Date Dedicated: 5/10/48
Location: PA 487, 1.2 miles NE of Bloomsburg
Marker Text: A stockade-type fort was built here in 1778 along Fishing Creek by Moses Van Campen. It served during the Revolution as a refuge against the Indians, by whom it was once attacked. Van Campen was the noted Indian scout of this region.Marker Name: Wyoming Path
Date Dedicated: 5/3/49
Location: US 11 at Fairgrounds, Bloomsburg
Marker Text: Important path linking the many Indian settlements in the Wyoming Valley with Shamokin, now Sunbury. In 1742 Count Zinzendorf, organizer of Moravian missions, came this way after visiting the Shawnees at Wyoming.With regret, the list does not include Dr. Frank C. Laubach!
April 24, 2006, the birthday of David Laubach, Kempton, PA, his 68th. David celebrates his birthday on the same day as Barbra Streisand. Today is the wedding anniversary of Dottie and Donald Rabb. Congress authorized the creation of the Library of Congress for the use of the House and Senate on this date back in 1800. All over town Saturday we heard people singing Blame It On the Rain. Who'll Stop the Rain? and Rainy Day Women. Ain't it great to get some rain!
Over the years, the Benton News has been responsible for introducing a lot of people to the upper Fishingcreek Valley, and a number of families have actually moved here after finding the Benton News on the internet and reading about the area. Others have reacquainted with friends, especially former members of the Benton Radar Base team. Relatives have linked up, too, and we'll tell you about a case like that today. Over the years Judi Veitz, Jamestown, New York, lost track of Thelma Steinruck, Mill Street. Judi's father was a cousin of William Steinruck, Fairmount Springs, Thelma's deceased husband. Judi googled for information on an unrelated subject. She found that the answer was on the Benton News and when she saw the word "Benton" immediately thought of Thelma and wondered if she might still be alive Back Home in Benton, PA. Judi emailed the Benton News and the connection was made. Judi drove to Benton on April 20 for an emotional reunion with Thelma, Harold and Alice Steinruck. The family had dinner at the Brass Pelican, then slowly drove through Jamison City where Judi's father, Edward Veitz, was born in 1911. Judi says "It was a thrill to see places and people I remembered from long ago. I wish that I had been able to keep connections before...it seems that young people don't realize what is important until so much later in life."
Upcoming...
• The Neighborhood Watch Meeting for the Benton Area will take place Monday night at 7 PM at the Benton Methodist Church. Officers will be elected, the constitution and by-laws adopted and a town-watch survey taken. Mark your calendars for the next meeting on May 8
• May 6, 2006. The high school Concert Band, Concert Choir and Mixed Ensemble and Jazz Band will present their annual Sounds of Spring concert that Saturday at 7:30 PM in the Richard E. Martin Auditorium at the Benton Middle/High School. Tickets are available at the door. Donations are $3 for adults and $1 for students. Jennifer DiLossi and Jennifer Welliver direct.
• May 11, 12, 13, 2006. Flowers and vegetables will be for sale at the fire hall from 9 AM until 7 PM just in time for Mothers Day on May 14.
• The Benton Memorial Day yard sales are coming up Friday, May 26, and Saturday, May 27. This is the event that has been written up many times by news organizations. The Fire Company is offering 33 spaces under the roof of the fire hall so that venders do not need to tear down overnight. There are also many blacktop locations both at the fire hall and throughout the town. Food and drink will be available at the fire hall and at noon the Chicken-B-Que comes off the grill. For reservations, call Dave Albertson, 925-6185.Most of us have figured out that the best way to get even is to forget.
Didja know...
• You can organize your email so it goes neatly into folders by subject? You can make messages go into folders automatically. A tutorial will help. Go here.• The U.S. Mint last year made 7.7 billion pennies?
• The Fire Company served 307 people at the April breakfast Sunday? The Fire Company thanks everyone who attended for their support. They also thank the Waller 4-H group and Mayor Jan Swan for helping serve the food and cleaning up. Anyone interested in helping at future events can contact Charity Robbins, 925-2168, or Lynn Musser, 925-2669. Breakfast next month will be on May 28.
Movie theaters during the era of the silent movie usually included a piano player. The Universal Theatre on Market Street was of the silent movie era. The theatre was frequently cooler than the outside summer air, and the low admission price was an attraction. An occasional high school or vaudeville show brought the interest level up a tad. But the movie was the attraction. There is a silent film web site where a lot of information about silent films can be found. Read about Lon Chaney Sr.’s frightening portrayal of the Phantom of the Opera, for example.
If you are an alumnus of the Benton Area Schools, it is important that you keep your alumni records up to date. You can simply draft an email to the Alumni Office at the high school to update your mailing records. It's simple. Send an email to Brady Hess at alumni (insert @ here) bentonsd.k12.pa.us if you have changes. We'll see you at the banquet!
The waters of Fishingcreek that run through the Borough of Benton were first held back during the days of the Parvin Masters shingle mill in 1870. That planing mill and furniture factory later bacame a buhr-process flour mill when partners John Kimble and John J. Mather bought the property in 1898 and changed it to a roller mill. The Benton dam as we know it today was built five years after the July 4, 1910, fire in order to provide community-fire protection. It was rebuilt in 1959. The dam is officially 11' high and 130' long.
Cracks in a 40' to 50' retaining wall on the downstream end of the dam on the west side will be repaired this summer by Benton Mobile Concrete, Stillwater. The company was chosen at a bid price of $14,830. Weather permitting, work will begin later this month. The Borough received a $13,000 federal grant through the Columbia County Redevelopment Authority.
April 23, 2006. Birthdays on this date include poet and playwright William Shakespeare, 1564; 15th U.S. President James Buchanan, 1791; and Illinois politician Stephen Douglas, 1813. Today is the feast day of St. George, the patron saint of England.
Buster, our male Bichon, loves this ditty by an unknown writer and asked us to reprint it...
There once was a feisty young terrier,
Who liked to bite girls on the derrière.
He'd yip and he'd yap,
Then he'd leap up and snap;
And the fairer the derrière, the merrier.The Benton Lions Club gathered the "Over 80" crowd from the local area and filled the Waller Community Center Saturday afternoon. The bluegrass group, Raven Creek, performed, the women of the Benton Women's Club provided door prizes for every person who attended, and the Lions whipped out a meal of roast beef, corn, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and dessert. Everyone said they had a great time.
The history of the Benton area has been preserved in photographs to perhaps a greater degree than has been recorded in writing. The Kemp Studios of Benton with its collection of negatives and prints maintained this record until it was destroyed in the Benton fire on July 4, 1910. Following the loss of the Kemp photographs, the torch passed to Paul Hess to pictorially record the events of the local area.
As a historian, Paul Hess was one of the local area's best!. Before you start scratching your head as to who Paul Hess was and what works of history he has left, we'll tell you that Paul was a photographer and many "locals" have his photographs. His work is not well known partly because his well-meaning wife had a sale shortly after he passed away. She felt that the negatives, cameras, notes and photographs were so old and uninteresting that she took the whole kit and caboodle to the Benton dump off route 239 and threw them over the edge. She was correct when she called his cameras "outdated," but they provided the photographs of the local area for many years.
Paul and Ella Laubach Hess lived at the time of his death on Main Street, in the small house adjacent to what is now the Methodist Church parking lot. They had lived at one time, according to Budd Fritz, in the north side of the double house two houses north of where Huber and Nancy Kline now live. That house is no longer standing. Ella Hess, a sister of Charity Keifer, later married Charles Laubach, Berwick, whose son, Dr. Charles Laubach, founded the Geisinger cardiology department in 1950 and the Geisinger cardiac catheterization program in 1957. He went on to serve as chair of the department from 1957-1979 and practiced cardiology until 1999.
Paul is remembered as a very talented man, but as he walked around the local area taking pictures many thought that he was "lazy" because of his lifestyle, especially since many of the other local men were manning picks and shovels in order to survive during the depression years.
Budd Fritz remembered when the hotel burned, recalling the huge ashes that landed in the garden behind his house. The next day, Bud asked Paul if he walked down to see the fire. Paul slowly responded, "No, I rolled over and touched the wall. It wasn't warm, so I went back to sleep."
Paul had the patience to get just the right picture, and he was an excellent photographer. We read an article saying that although flashbulbs were available by the time of his death, he rarely used them, relying instead on natural lighting.
Paul was also a baseball player, beginning with his high-school career in Berwick. After graduation, he was in demand as a third-base player at various community teams. He signed with a minor league team after his graduation from high school and for a time played baseball in the New England states. His heart was in Columbia County, and he returned to the area after a few seasons giving up professional baseball. Some speculated that he didn't like the strict routine of the professional baseball team. Living in Benton permitted him to just play on Wednesdays and on the weekends and if something came along that interested him more--like hunting, fishing, or photography--he was free to do that instead. Budd Fritz remembers that he went fishing "most every night," and brought eels home for the Fritz family.
Many of the photographs that came out of Benton in the time frame of 1929, as an example, came from Paul Hess. He photographed the major events in Benton, the opening of the new school in 1929, Benton Garden Club flower shows, the high school's yearbooks, the graduation of the senior class, their senior portraits, weddings, family portraits, new-born babies and anniversaries.
He specialized in what was called "instant" photos taken of people enjoying the Benton Park on Sundays. holidays and special occasions. His pictures were taken with an ancient block camera and developed in a small container of chemicals that dangled from the leg of his camera tripod. He claimed that he made his own chemicals for developing his photographs. Regretfully, many of the old photographs were never labeled by the people who acquired them, and over the years the photographs made their way to the attics of area homes and today we have no idea who is on many of the photographs. He sold his photographs at very reasonable prices so that the people who could not afford much would end up with his photographs.
Had Paul's work survived intact and properly labeled, there would have been files of photographs and negatives for our history, pictures of people, events and civic groups. He photographed the changes, the good and bad, the things we wish we knew more about today.
The old Bucky Knouse farm off Ridge Road sold at auction Saturday afternoon, but as Donald Hess quickly pointed out, "Bucky wouldn't recognize his farm today." Bucky moved from the farm after the August, 1962, fire which burned the barn on the property. Bucky then purchased the Norton Cole property and lived in that house for a few years until he died.
The property at 393 Ridge Road, once known as the "Richard Knouse place" and later as the "Bucky Knouse farm," is the location of a pristine house on 124.69 acres. A couple from New Jersey was the "highest and best" bidder--in fact, the only bidder--for the property owned by Mark Peter Messinger, who has moved to Ocala. The selling price was $700,000 plus a buyer's fee of 10%.
493 Ridge Road, Benton
April 22, 2006. Today is Earth Day, 2006. It is the birthday of Jeff Kelsey and the wedding anniversary of Frank and Barbara Edson. The Renaissance Jamboree is ongoing in Bloomsburg from 10 AM-5 PM, rain or shine. Take the free shuttle from Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. The auction of 125 acres and a "trophy home" at 493 Ridge Road takes place at 1 PM. Don't forget the all-you-can-eat buckwheat and pancake breakfast Sunday morning at The Benton Fire Co.
There will be Basket Bingo Sunday starting at 4 PM at the Benton Volunteer Fire Company, benefiting the Benton Girl's Field Hockey Team. Door open at 3 PM. Twenty games will be played for $20. There will be food, raffle, a 50-50 drawing, and door prizes. Tickets are available from any field hockey team member or at the door.
Quickies...
• If you are a user of the browser Firefox, you should head over to http://the-edmeister.home.comcast.net/index.html to find the latest tricks and neat idea for the program.
• If you use Google as a search engine, go to www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html and check out the ways to make that system work at its best.Someone once wrote something to the effect that life is full of chance, but only wisdom notices it and only hard work reaps its harvest. "Luck comes to those who look after it," is a way that a Spanish proverb puts it. Napoleon thought of it in a different way, "Providence," he said, "fights on the side of the strongest battalions." Mother said it a third way, "God helps those who help themselves."
We constantly read views written to the contrary, but we live in a remarkable place in this world. History has been full of men graced with wisdom, ability and hard work, men like Lincoln who carried the political wisdom of his century squarely on his shoulders. But with his wisdom, he applied it with hard work, too. With wisdom and with labor coupled, opportunity and luck are the result! The poet Vergil wrote that "Labor conquers all things."
We believe that every person on this earth has something that he is destined to do, but the combination of wisdom and labor are necessary for its accomplishment. We see too many people sitting around waiting for their destiny to ride in on a white horse.
"Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait."
--Henry Wadsworth LongfellowThe Benton Park is being restored very slowly...
• Contracts have been awarded to "Bennies," Berwick, for $12,694 for repair and replacement of chain link fence damaged in a storm last year. Work consists of repair of existing fence and replacement of storm damage as needed. Approximately 940 feet of 6' fence is to be replaced. The center field fence is to be attached. Fence is to be 9 gauge and rolled over tops and bottom. Bennies is to dispose of all damaged material.
• A2Z Landscaping, Millville, was awarded a contract for $7,679 to trim 33 trees and cut down 13 trees.
• we were not successful in getting a definitive statement from Mayor Swan about the availability of the town park for use this summer. Stay tuned.Even with the risk of ruining our weekend, we are thrilled to see a little rain today. Whether it is drizzle or rain, is yet to be seen. A drizzle happens when precipitation takes the form of water droplets measuring half a millimeter (about 1/50ths of an inch) or less. Rain is heavier: slight (accumulations of 0.1 inches per hour or less), moderate (0.1 to 0.3 inches per hour), or heavy (0.3 inches per hour and more). We have all seen what happens locally with a seven-inch rainfall. The heaviest rainfall over a 24-hour period took place on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean in March, 1952. Rain from a stalled cyclone fell on the island in the amount 73.6 inches.
The St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church, Coles Creek, in Sugarloaf Township, has had ties to the area since 1793, not long after early settlers first arrived in this area. John Godhard probably first organized the church and Rev. Caleb Hopkins along with 56 citizens from Stillwater to North Mountain organized the parish. The names of those 57 people are still common to us and include: McHenry, Cole, Coleman, Fritz, Kline, Peterman, Hess, Kile, Laubach, Rhone. They were largely German, Dutch and Scotch Irish.. Other names from tax files from before 1800 include Keeler, Colley, Bartleson, Viets, Cutter, Young, Jackson and Laubaugh. Rev. Hopkins also organized parishes in Milton, Jerseytown and Bloomsburg.
On two acres of land given by Ezekiel Cole for use by the "Episcopal, Lutheran and Presbyterian congregations," construction of a church began and was completed in 1812 at a cost just a little over $200. This first church was built of hewn pine logs and had a gallery around three sides and crude wooden benches. In 1812, during the time that the United States was at war with Britain, it was the only church in the entire country between Bloomsburg and New York state to the North and Jerseytown and Wilkes-Barre to the east.
A Bishop by the name of Onderdonk consecrated a log building for use as a church in 1828. Services were probably conducted in homes prior to the official consecration. Forty-eight years later, on Palm Sunday in 1876, the log structure burned. The Rev. John Hewlett oversaw preparing the ground for the present church and the cornerstone was laid on May 23, 1876. The first service appropriately took place on Thanksgiving Day, 1876.
Most of the priests during the early years of the church were "circuit riders" and only performed services like baptism and funerals. Only one priest was "in residence" at the church--the Rev. John D. Rockwell. He and his wife, Julia, are buried within the iron fence behind the church. His faithful horse, Ned, is also buried in the cemetery. Rev. Rockwell was the pastor of St. Gabriel for the last 20 years of his life. The St. Gabriel window above the altar was consecrated in 1922 as a memorial to the Rockwells.
The interior of St. Gabriel's church is solid chestnut. Pews in the church were of virgin timber cut by James Peterman. The stained-glass side windows were given by descendants of the pioneer families who were the first baptized communicants.
The Cemetery actually existed long before 1812. The land was deeded to St. Gabriel's Church by Ezekiel Cole. Many descendents buried in the cemetery can no longer be identified. Field stones were frequently used to mark the graves, and many of these stones no longer contain any trace of information, others are broken, missing or relocated.
The original Meneely bell, cast in 1882 and inscribed "0 Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord," was a gift from Blanche Bernard. The bell was brought by wagon team from Troy, New York, to Bloomsburg, then brought to Sugarloaf Township and mounted on a frame in a large pine tree in 1884. The bell was later moved to the front of the church where it hung for years suspended between two pine trees. The bell was lost for many years until it was found by Franklin Newhart. It was then restored to its original condition by a grant from the Kaplan Fund administered by Brad Cole, Annapolis, a descendant of Ezekiel Cole. The tower from which the bell now hangs was designed and built by Franklin Newhart. The bell was rededicated July 16, 2000.
One story about the church involved a young couple who moved to Jamison City from Germany about the time that Jamison City was in its prime. The wife died shortly after moving to this area, possibly from the severity of the winter, and was buried in St. Gabriel's cemetery.
The husband and children moved away shortly after her death. The mother of the woman, desperate for news of her American family, came from Germany to find her daughter. She found that the daughter was dead, and her son-in-law and her grandchildren had moved from the area without telling anyone where they were going. The mother fashioned a small cross out of wood and placed it at the end of her daughter's grave and at the other end planted an oak tree in her memory. She stayed and watched the tree grow until she was sure that the memorial was securely rooted. She had no friends and no income and soon became a charge of Sugarloaf township. The Country Commissioners finally paid her transportation to Philadelphia, and from there she was returned to Germany. The memorial in the form of a pine tree did not survive. Someone felt that the tree was "in the way" and cut it down. The simple cross deteriorated with time and the memorial to a stranger who died in a foreign land was gone.
The time of the worship service of the church is 10 AM. Holy Communion is celebrated the first and third Sundays of the month by the Rector with Morning Prayer the alternate Sundays conducted by parish lay readers. Festival services of the church year (Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter, Christmas Eve) are announced in the local newspapers.
George S. Miller, 56, (March 12, 1950-April 21, 2006), 602 Rt. 118, Benton, died Friday morning at the Geisinger Medical Center due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident along Elk Grove Road in Sugarloaf Township Wednesday night. Miller collided with a deer and was taken to the hospital by medical helicopter. He was a son of George M. and Dorothy J. (Temple) Miller, Benton. Born in Sugarloaf Township, he was a 1968 graduate of Benton High School and attended Williamsport Area Community College. He served in the U. S. Navy and served on the USS John S. McCain during the Vietnam War. He was a self-employed carpenter and worked as a truck driver. Surviving, in addition to his parents, are his twin daughters Melanie A. and Michelle L. Miller, Benton, a son, Mark A. Fenstermacher (Jaime), Millville, and two granddaughters: Ella and Bailey Fenstermacher. Three brothers also survive: James M. Miller (Darlene), Benton; David A. Miller (Mary), Stillwater; and Gary L. Miller (Hope), Benton. Nieces and nephews also survive, as does an aunt, Lena Harps, with whom he resided. He was preceded in death by his son, Christopher G. Miller, on September 11, 2002. A visitation will be held Monday from 1 PM until the time of the funeral service at 3 PM at the McMichael Funeral Home, Inc. Burial will be in St. Gabriel’s Cemetery.
--Obituary courtesy of the McMichael Funeral Home
Friday, April 21, 2006. Ken Druckenmiller celebrates his birthday today and Philip and Laurie Edson celebrate "16 wonderful years" of wedded bliss.
Quickies...
• The bluegrass group known as Raven Creek will perform from 6-8 PM at Kristie's Kafé, Route 487, Stillwater.
• Benton Fire Co. monthly breakfast will be held Sunday, April 23, from 7 AM. to 1 PM with a full breakfast menu including all you can eat pancakes and buckwheat cakes. Come out and help the firemen break an attendance record! Adults are $6 and children 6-12 $3. Children under 6 are free.
• Evy Lysk did what more people should do. She took the time to investigate the Model United Nations, a simulation of the U.N. General Assembly and other multilateral bodies, recently held at Bloomsburg University, in which students of Benton Area Schools and other local schools participated. Evy had spoken out against the program at a previous school board meeting, based on her non-support of the United Nations. Later, Evy attended and "enjoyed" the program at Bloomsburg University and reported back to the local school board to that effect at Thursday night's meeting. Not surprisingly, Evy has not changed her opinion of the United Nations.
• We enjoyed spending time with the Benton Women's Club last evening during their April meeting. After seeing how the members enjoy each other and after listening to the projects they tackle, we recommend that more local women take advantage of this organization. We'll tell you more closer to the time of their next meeting.First Columbia Bank will serve lunch today amid a showing of artwork by photographer Harold Ackerman. All of the pictures are interesting and beautiful. Stop at the bank for their Community Bankers Week lunch and enjoy the local talent.
The photographic work of Harold Ackerman is becoming more accessible. C. J. Whitenight-Hammill, of Framing by C.J., 804 Market St., Bloomsburg, is preparing a site which will exhibit artwork by Dr. Ackerman and others. We'll let you know when that site is up and running.
His work can also be viewed at the Old Filling Station, Kristy's Kafé, in the local office of Rep. David Millard, in Bloomsburg at the KNBT Bank and the Children's Museum, at the Northumberland Co. Arts Center, Shamokin. The North Mountain Art League is central to all these exhibits.
Harold has been interested in photography as long as he can remember. His parents had a "small Kodak with a collapsible bellows," a Kodak brownie, and a 35mm with an 80-150 zoom lens. "The cost of film developing was a severe limitation" of his exploration of photography, while writing was very inexpensive. Harry made the art of the written word his career. Now that he has retired from Bloomsburg University and digital cameras make it possible to take hundreds of photos at a time and review and edit to get the best," Harold has entered a new phase of his life.
"As a self-taught photographer, who doesn't have to do this for a living," Harold finds an "immense creative release in making photos." He says he is "tremendously humbled that people might want to look at my photos and find something enjoyable in them." Stop by First Columbia Bank & Trust Co. today and meet the staff who are sponsoring this day with the photographer, say hello to Harold Ackerman and enjoy his photographs.
Want to know how your computer works? Go here.
We'll take another look at Fowler's Red Book today, and will remind you that this was the book that most young housewives counted on for instruction in homemaking three-quarters of a century ago. Some items...
A good stamp holder: Paste an envelope in the top of the stationery box for holding stamps; then they will always be handy when needed.
A Splendid Shoe Polish is made by mixing a little milk with ordinary backing; rub a small quantity on the leather and very little polishing is necessary.
For Filling Cracks in Floors, soak old newspaper in strong alum water until it forms a soft pulp, then press it hard into the cracks with a blunt knife; when dry, cover it with paint and it will scarcely show.
Home Made Dustless Duster. Dip a piece of cheesecloth in turpentine, then let it dry and it will be found a magic duster.
An Interesting Experiment. A pane of window glass can be cut with an ordinary pair of scissors if both the glass and scissors are held level under enough water to entirely cover them. Accurate cutting cannot be obtained by this method, being merely an interesting experiment.
The book gave step by step cooking instruction. We'll omit obvious things like broiling and grilling, but here are a few definitions provided in the book of terms "used in cookery which may have proved puzzling to the housewife:"
To "bake" means to cook by dry heat, usually in the oven.
To "blanch" is to dip vegetables. etc., in hot water, which must be boiling, for a stated number of minutes. If the number of minutes is not given be sure that the limit is five. This is the time limit for asparagus, which is the toughest vegetable that has to be blanched. When taken from the hot-water bath, dip the vegetables in very cold water and remove them immediately: do not allow any vegetable at all to remain in the cold water bath.
To "boil" means to cook in water that is continually bubbling, or at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
To "braise" means to cook slowly in a covered dish or kettle with a little water, either in the oven or on top the stove. This was, in the old fashioned days, the same as roasting over the open fireplace.
To "clarify" butter, melt it over a slow fire and then strain it through a thin cloth. To clarify jelly, beat the white of an egg very stiff and add it to the jelly; then let it come to a boil once and strain through a jelly bag of muslin or thin flannel. To clarify apples, cut them in thin slices and boil them in thin syrup which must be boiling when the apples are dropped in. Gravies are clarified by straining, and a fine strainer is best, as gravies are too thick to be strained through a cloth.
To "fricassee" is to braise slowly in stock, gravy or sauce.
To "fry" means to cook by immersion in hot fat.
To "glaze" meat means to paint it with a brush dipped in thick gravy.
To "pan broil" means to cook in a pan, hissing hot, either greased or not greased on the bottom.
To "roast" is to cook in an oven with dry heat. Applied usually to meats and also a few vegetables, etc. In olden times this meant to cook on a spit over a hot fire.
To "sauté" is to cook over a little butter or other fat; or to cook till brown in a hot skillet or shallow pan just coveted with hot fat. This term is often confused with frying, which is an entirely different process.
To "scallop" means to cook by baking with a liquid sauce covered with bread crumbs.
To "score" means to make cross incisions on meat, etc., to facilitate the cooking. This is not recommended for fish as the fish is likely to crumble if it is not carefully done.
To "stew" means to cook slowly in water which is below the boiling point.These instructions concluded, "When these terms have been learned and put to practical use, the housewife may expect to furnish meals for the man of the house such as 'mother used to make.' "
April 20, 2006. Happy birthday to Richard Sutliff and Richard Lehet. The National Weather Service reminds everyone of the critical fire conditions brought on by minimal rainfall, warm temperatures, dry air and strong winds.
The Benton school board's April meeting is tonight at 6 PM in the Benton High School cafeteria.
"My heart is warm with friends I make,
And better friends I'll not be knowing;
Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take,
No matter where it's going."
--Edna St. Vincent Millay, Travel, 1921Volunteers are needed to help at the N4C Thrift Store on Mill Street. Please call Diane Laubach, 925-5199.
Jimmi Simpson, a member of the Bloomsburg University Class of '98, stars in what we hear is a "gruesome thriller" called Stay Alive, about teenagers playing a horror survival videogame. Jimmi is currently shooting Seraphim Falls, a Civil War drama starring Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, Angie Harmon and Anjelica Huston, a movie that sounds more to our liking.
We suspect that intuition is radar for women.
St. Gabriel's church celebrates their history through a yearly homecoming, usually held near the end of July. The day before the homecoming event, those interested in genealogy meet in the social room of the church. A schedule conflict this year has resulted in no date being set at this writing. It will be a topic of discussion this Sunday at St. Gabriel's and we'll possibly know next week when it will be scheduled.
The church will hold a tribute to Helen Smith Gammon in early June. A date (which is somewhat tentative at this point) for the service is expected to be June 10, at 10 AM.
We skimmed Fowler's Red Book, which we talked about yesterday, and will repeat some of the suggestions made in the 1928 book for young housewives.
HOUSEHOLD: the book recommended that screws be added to the top of the handle of a broom, handy for both hanging the broom when not in use and for lowering windows. To trim a broom that has become shorter on one side, dip it in hot water for a while, then trim evenly with shears. Save small amounts of soap until you have a pint, then melt them. To one part, add fine sea sand for grit and to the rest add borax or naphtha for laundry use, or glycerin or oatmeal for toilet use.
FOOD: To remove grease from the top of soup, throw a lettuce leaf in the pot, which will absorb the grease. When baking potatoes, make a hole in one end of the potato and insert a small slice of bacon, rolled. It greatly improves the flavor. When cooking peas or other green vegetables, add a teaspoon of sugar to each quart of water. A sprig of mint works, too. When cooking beets, add some mixed spices to the water. When frying bacon, dip each piece in flour to "keep the fat from running out" and the bacon "will go twice as far." When mixing bread, add a little lard to the sides of the bowl. The mixture will not stick.
I listened patiently the other day to a woman wearing what I believe was a wig, false eyelashes and fingernails and about ten pounds of makeup. Her complaint was that she couldn't find a real man.
The local area gasped Wednesday as prices of gasoline continued to climb. In Williamsport Wednesday, the "unofficial" average price was about $2.899 for regular, unleaded gasoline. In the Harrisburg area, the low price was at the Hess Stations, at $2.799, but $2.899 was common. Back Home in Benton, PA, the prices jumped to $2.849 and $2.909.
Worldwide, the demand for energy products is outstripping the supply. European countries have public transportation systems and do not rely on cars to the extent that Americans do. Still, drivers in Amsterdam and Oslo pay nearly 3 times more than those in the U.S. In nations like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, oil is produced by a government-owned company and local gasoline prices are kept low.
Here are the highest current prices paid around the world for regular, unleaded gasoline, according to figures supplied Wednesday by CNN: in Amsterdam, be prepared to pay the US equivalent of $6.48 a gallon, in Oslo, $6.27 and in Milan $5.96. But not to worry, there are still pockets of the world where gasoline is cheap: in Kuwait City, the US equivalent price for a gallon of regular, unleaded is $0.78; Cairo sells it for $0.65; Lagos, Nigeria, has it for $0.38; and Caracas, Venezuela, comes in lowest in the world at $0.12 a gallon.
Knowing that the public would be up in arms over the high fuel prices, the Governement created a primer on energy prices that should make everything clear as mud.
It seems like the Government takes about 40%
of everything that we make,
and the gas stations take the other 60%.Take the time to read about the conspiracy at Wolfe's Grove, an assault with a "65" T-Bird, a tragedy in four acts.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
April 19, 2006 Today is the birthday of Jim Kelsey. The area around the Steve Shannon Tire Store, the Dollar General and the N4C Thrift Store looks spiffy with the new HRI-laid asphalt.
We are holding a pop quiz today. We'll give you a little background, then the question. The homemaker of seventy-five years ago often faced the married world just as she was ending her teen years. There had to be ways of treating ailments and diseases, even though doctors were sometimes twenty or more miles away. It was necessary to have a home remedy for almost all ailments. Here is the question for today's quiz. What is the ailment being treated with the following remedy? Answer at end.
This home remedy was contained in a letter written to "Mrs. Cora McHenry, Stillwater, Pa," and we quote it as written.
"Dear Cora,
"Mom made a mistake in the remedy, so I will write it to you. One cup of lard, ½ teacup of vinegar, 1 heaping table spoon of sulfur, 1 heaping table spoon gun powder.
"She said it should be used on Friday night and the children won't need to stay out of school. You won't need to wash them so much.
"Minnie"
Jeannie Walters played "house" in the covered bridge over Elk Run, up in Elk Grove, many years ago when she was a little girl. The bridge is identified as #161, Sugarloaf 16, SR 4049. It was 68'11" by 14'. Jeannie would love to have a photograph of this bridge. Can a reader help?
The 2006 Renaissance Jamboree takes over Bloomsburg's Main Street Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM. No one should get hungry, thirsty, or not have things to do during this festival. There are numerous venues for entertainment, food and crafters. If you plan to attend, hop a shuttle from parking lots at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds at the west end of town or the Bloomsburg Hospital on Route 487. Handicapped can park behind the library on Market Street.
Pennsylvania has created a personal financial education web site that covers banking, budgeting and investing, buying a house and getting married. It explains concepts and provides tips, calculators and a glossary of financial terms.
One of our favorite people is wrong handed--oops, left handed. She even goes so far as to turn maps upside down when she needs to find a location south of where she is on the map. She is one of the estimated 13% of the population of the world that is left handed. These people even have a day just for them, known as Left-Handers Day (August 13). Didja know that most left-handers draw figures facing to the right? Four of the five original designers of the Macintosh computer were left handed. (The left hander I mentioned a minute ago asked me to mention that left-handers are "generally more intelligent, better looking, imaginative, and multi-talented than right-handers.") Didja know that cave drawings show prehistoric men using tools in both hands evenly, and it wasn’t until tools became more sophisticated that handedness became depicted? Didja know that if you are left handed, you will pass along the gene for succeeding generations to be left handed? Didja know that there is a high tendency in twins for one to be left-handed?
The Benton Assembly of God Praise Band will perform live at the Benton United Methodist Church April 23, from 6-8 PM.
Brides of seventy-five years ago often turned to Fowler's Red Book and Guide to Home Economy and to Fowler's Blue Book of Household Helps. Sharon Little showed us her copy.
Fowler's Red Book began "A place for everything and everything in its place." The emphasis for the young bride was in the kitchen. The book instructed that the "table should be placed near the fire." "It is a good idea to put castors on the table and many steps will be saved. It can be easily rolled to the sink or pantry, or wherever it may he needed."
Instructions in the book included
"Close at hand should be a cupboard, holding salt, spices, vinegar, flavorings, and all the little odds and ends that are constantly used in cooking. Around the sides of the cupboard should be hooks to hold spoons. the eggbeater and nutmeg grater, etc. Keep a pair of scissors handy for cutting up raisins, peppers, and other foods instead of using the food chopper. An inexpensive nickel, glass or enameled rod screwed to the inside of the closet door makes an ideal hanger for hand towels a and face cloths. When preparing meals in the kitchen, fasten a hot dish holder to the kitchen apron with a length of tape, it can then always be found when needed.
"Every kitchen should have a first-aid shelf or cabinet contained bottles of peroxide, witch hazel, Vaseline, remedies for burns and scalds, a pair of scissors, cotton gauze and adhesive tape. This shelf or cabinet should be placed some distance from the stove.
"It is not extravagance to keep on hand a variety of seasonings and flavorings. It may mean a small outlay at the beginning, but so little is required for any one dish that the supply will last a long time.
"The housewife who has a great deal of unexpected company is wise to always have on hand a head of lettuce and a jar of mayonnaise in the refrigerator. Than a dainty salad is always forthcoming to garnish an emergency meal.
When we return in time for coffee on Thursday, we'll tell you more about the book. Today we'll close with a few remedies from seventy-five years ago...
• ARTHRITIS: drink a mixture of honey, vinegar, and moonshine whiskey or powdered rhubarb dissolved in whiskey,
• ASTHMA: suck saltwater up your nose or smoke rabbit tobacco or keep a Chihuahua dog around the house. Another remedy, drink honey, lemon juice and whiskey, a tablespoon of each.
• ATHLETE'S FOOT: Wrap a woolen string around toes and stand in a fresh pile of cow manure, preferably while it is still warm.
• COLDS: Drink Ginger tea or Pine needle tea. Another remedy was "the amount of quinine that will lay on three-eights of the point of a pen knife blade." For babies, put "goose grease salve on breast." Other remedies included "Drink whiskey and honey mixed. Drink red pepper tea."
• CROUP in children: Roast an onion and squeeze the juice out of it. Give the juice to the child to drink. For a baby, "pour a mixture of turpentine and white whiskey sauce and set it afire and hold the baby over the smoke until it loosens him up." One recipe involved doing "something to make him sick, yet not quite enough to make him vomit." The remedy involved wetting leaves of strong tobacco and binding it with a cloth on his breast just under his chin and put him to bed and cover his face and breast with a light cloth."
• EAR ACHE: Pour warm salt water in ear. Roast cabbage stalk and squeeze juice into ear.
• ITCH: Use sulfur and lard with vinegar and gunpowder.
April 18, 2006. Today is the birthday of Denise Hack and Ruth Kline. The Columbia County Traveling Library will be at Riverside Market from 4 to 6:30 PM today. Take the time to get acquainted with the library services of this organization. Sharon Remphrey came through her Geisinger surgery in great shape yesterday and a nurse said that she would be coming home Tuesday.
On this date in...
1775, three men began a horse ride from Boston to Concord to warn the residents of the approaching British army. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow later wrote a famous poem, Paul Revere's Ride, glorifying the silversmith and dentist Paul Revere. William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott also rode that night to warn residents, but only Prescott made it all the way to Concord. Although Revere was nabbed by a British cavalry patrol near Lexington, the three riders got the job done! When the British forces arrived in Lexington to raid munitions stored by the provincial congress, they found the minutemen waiting for them.
1906, six consecutive shocks formed the Great San Francisco Earthquake, responsible for some 3,000 deaths and catastrophic damage. There were many fires that followed the quake and some took weeks to contain. Half of the city's population was forced to sleep in city parks. The devastation was felt for years following the movement of the San Andreas Fault by an estimated twenty-three feet. The quake measured 8.3 on the Richter scale and when it was all over more than 500 city blocks and more than 28,000 buildings were in ruins, 250,000 people were left homeless.
Quickies...
• Bunk Beds Plus is a family-owned business operating at 63 Whispering Pines Road, Stillwater. The company specialize in safe, sturdy beds and drawers made of solid wood. The company also manufactures small furniture, like quilt racks, accent tables, and farm benches. They have a new web site at www.bunkbeds-plus.com/index.html .
• Former participants of the cardiac rehabilitation at the Bloomsburg Hospital will meet at 7 PM, April 25, in the hospital dining room to discuss alternatives to continuing their maintenance recovery process.
• Two years ago today, regular gas prices were $1.669 and $1.689 locally. Monday evening the local gas prices ranged up to $2.859 and oil prices pegged at just over $70 a barrel.
• The longest professional baseball game began on this date in 1981: three days, eight hours, and 25 minutes, 33 innings. Pawtucket, RI finally beat Rochester, NY, 3-2.
MerleFest 2006 runs from April 27-May 3, on the Wilkesboro Community College campus in Wilkesboro, NC. MerleFest 2006 will include performances by Doc Watson and Merle’s son Richard Watson , Rory Block; David Bromberg Quartet; Alison Brown Quartet; Sam Bush Band; Guy Clark; John Cowan Band; Jerry Douglas Band; Béla Fleck & The Flecktones; Emmylou Harris; Hot Tuna; Robert Earl Keen; The Lee Boys; Laura Love Band; Nickel Creek; John Prine; Tony Rice Unit; Peter Rowan; Darrell Scott; Mike Seeger; Pete Seeger; Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers; Gillian Welch; and The Waybacks featuring special guest Bob Weir. This is the time for our annual jaunt to North Carolina, and we take very little time to peck out the News from Back Home in Benton, PA, during the period. We usually can send and receive email when we are at the MerleFest, but have little ability to put up our web page during the show because of our remote location in the North Carolina hills. About a week from now, you will notice that the Benton News will get mighty thin, something we can't seem to personally do!
For the past three years we have asked readers of the Benton News for help in identifying the name of the former covered bridge that spanned Market Street in Benton just south of the Benton Dam and adjacent to the Presbyterian Church. Tom Kipphorn recently answered the question when he identified the bridge as the Karns Bridge. It was identified as County #139, 117'5" long with a 15'7" roadway. The name was found on a covered bridge list compiled back in 1921 and revised in 1927.
The Karns Bridge
spanning Fishingcreek in the Borough of BentonAt the time of this bridge, Main Street in Benton terminated at Market Street. To come south on Main Street and continue toward Bloomsburg meant that you had to turn east on Market and pass by the Presbyterian Church and over the covered bridge. The bridge was also accessible from what was then First Street, now Park Street.
The concrete bridge over Fishingcreek, officially known as "SR239, Segment 100, Offset 120 bridge." was built in 1926 and widened in 1971. When completed, this bridge went straight through the Market Street intersection and made Main Street more or less straight across Fishingcreek.
Tom is trying to help gather information and photos for a relatively new website, called www.lostbridges.org which is attempting to document every covered bridge that ever stood in North America, an obviously ambitious task. Bob Parks and members of the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of PA are also participating.
We will be telling you more about the covered bridge project in the coming weeks, but please help the project by sending information that you might have about covered bridges to us. We'll make sure it gets to the right people.
Bob Webster returned to the Brass Pelican for the eighth time Monday when he addressed the North Mountain Historical Society on Patriot's Day, a legal holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, a day which commemorates the battle of Lexington and Concord dating back to 1775. Bob's talk was not about national patriots, but about local patriots who lived on the east and west branches of the Susquehanna.
As all Pennsylvanians should know, one branch of the Susquehanna begins in New York state near Cooperstown, works its way through and along Pennsylvania towns like Wilkes-Barre and Bloomsburg and into Northumberland. The other branch begins in Western Pennsylvania on "our" side of the Allegheny, and it works its way from the Clearfield area, through Renovo, Milton, Muncy and into Northumberland where the two rivers meet. The combined water flows by Harrisburg and eventually into the Chesapeake.
Bob described how the early settlers were "bowled" over by the beauty and the wealth of the frontier of our area. In 1682, the Pennsylvania colony was established and it wasn't long before settlers set out to discover what lay outside of the cities. Settlers followed the Susquehanna, either up the North branch or the west branch. In the mid-1790s, some people crossed the mountains from New Jersey and some came down from Connecticut when the Wyoming Valley was settled. These early people from the days of the American Revolution were the people Bob discussed in his talk.
Bob described his family during colonial days. He told about when the Revolutionary War broke out and what it was like far back on what was then the frontier. He described the people who settled in the river valleys as having as a main interest just eking out a living for them and their families, but this is not the way that history played out. Great Britain had made the decision to get the people out of the north branch and the west branches and began to harass the people. The British regular army and the Indians were pitted against the settlers. The most feared of the Indians were the Iroquois Indians known as the "Five Civilized Tribes."These tribes included the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca. Later they were joined by the Tuscarora Indians.
A series of harassing raids of settlers were began by the Indians, including one on Lycoming Creek ambushed by a raiding party in the middle of July, 1778. The results were not pretty. Within two weeks, one of the biggest tragedies in Pennsylvania history took place along the north branch. People from Connecticut claimed land into Pennsylvania in and around the present city of Wilkes-Barre. Several hundred settlers were considered intruders in the Wyoming Valley. They were told to get out, and did not heed the warning. In early July, 1773, a raiding party came down the north branch from New York, estimated by some historians to have been about 600 strong, two-thirds of them Indians, the rest were red coats and Tories. They attached the people in Wyoming Valley and devastated the area. People fled to the stockade at Forty-Fort, but to no avail, and the Wyoming Massacre resulted. You can read more about the Wyoming Massacre by reading William Baillie's essay on the subject . Interestingly enough, Bill Baillie was in the audience to hear Mr. Webster's talk.
News of that event spread to the settlers along the west branch, where their closest fort was in Sunbury at Fort Augusta. The commander of the fort sent word that settlers could expect a raid like the one in Wyoming Valley, and were told to flee the valley and desert the land that they had cleared. They collected along the river bank, then headed south.
Bob talked about Samuel Wallis, a surveyor, who was allowed to keep a portion of the land that he surveyed. He claimed "tens of thousands" of acres in Pennsylvania, including about 7,000 acres where the present Lycoming Mall is now located. He built a mansion at a time when early settlers lived in a one, two or three log cabin. Wallis had a three-story home made out of mountain stone where later Fort Muncy was built.
The home played a key role in an episode known as "The Great Runaway," of 1778 following a series of heavy Indian raids directed at the Susquehanna Valley. Settlers in the Muncy area found shelter with Capt. John Brady and settlers above Muncy sought refuge at the Wallis' house, which ended up being spared, possibly because Wallis may have spied for the British. The Wallis' home was outside of what is now the main entrance of the Lycoming Mall.
In any event, settlers abandoned the valley. Women and children were in the water, riding "hog troughs," rafts, whatever. The men and boys walked along the river bank driving the livestock. This fleeing from the Indians became known as the Big Runaway of 1777 in Lycoming County History.
John Brady, a Delaware native, an Indian fighter, was assigned to Milton to defend the west branch. He built his home in Muncy as a family home and it also served as a barracks for his men. The location became known as Fort Brady, John Brady was ambushed and killed near Halls on his way home to Muncy.
April 17, 2006. Blanche Getz celebrates her birthday today. Ora Karns had a spell of high blood pressure this past week and spent some time in the emergency room. Ora is still weak and deserves a prayer or two from you.
Today is the deadline to get your income taxes done and is the deadline to register to vote for the May 15 primary in Pennsylvania. Register at your county-voter registration office, PennDOT photo and license center, Armed Forces recruitment center or online .
We love well-intentioned people, but we continue to receive email where we have been carbon copied (CC'ed) with a herd of other people. In cases like this, the BCC (Blind Carbon/Complimentary Copy) option was not used. Messages sent with everyone’s email address visible--not using the BCC method--can result in any one of the visible addresses being used by someone who eventually gets a copy of the message. It could be that they deliberately use it in an adverse manner.
For example, Maude from Millville sends a message to 40 friends; one of whom is Oscar from Orangeville. Oscar forwards the message with all the addresses visible to 40 friends, one of which is Mary from Muncy. Mary sends the message to 40 of her friends with all 40 addresses visible, plus the first 40 that came from Maude. One of Mary’s 40 friends is Bert from Bloomsburg. Bert reads and keeps the message. Later, Bert gets a virus which is designed to send a copy of itself to every address in every email message that Bert still has on his computer. The virus sees a message with the 120 addresses (Maude’s 40 addresses, followed by Oscar’s 40 addresses and, finally, Mary’s 40 addresses. All of those addresses are visible.
The virus picks one address out of the first 40 addresses (the ones from Maude). It then creates a message with a copy of itself and fakes the From: part of the new message with the address that it picked. It then sends the message to the other 39 addresses, then does the same thing with the other two groups of 40 addresses. The address that the virus picked and used when faking the From: part of the message is most likely in the other 39 peoples’ address books. Anti-spam programs will allow it through because that address is in their owner’s address book and all of the addresses in each group are probably good addresses.
Use the BCC option when sending email to several family members at the same time and when sending to other larger email groups. The addresses won’t be visible and can't be used by anybody else.
Another thing that we should be doing is before forwarding a message, delete all of the other addresses in the message (the ones that are visible because other people didn't use the BCC method) so that only the basic message is left. That way, no one after us will be affected. Bottom line: the best thing is NOT to forward emails no matter how good the content of the email.
On Saturday afternoon, an attractive college student by the name of Lucy knocked on our door and told Kay that she wanted to demonstrate the Kirby vacuum cleaner known as "the Ultimate." Lucy told us that she would be paid $25 to clean one of our carpets and demonstrate the cleaner. Well now who doesn't have a dirty carpet somewhere, so Lisa was allowed in, offered a cup of coffee and the unpacking ceremony began. White filters were used to demonstrate that we had a dirty carpet, only a day after the carpet had been swept with what was obviously an old, totally useless vacuum.
The Kirby worked like a champ, although I suspect those filters would have been black if Lucy had vacuumed the evening breeze! Lucy changed filter after filter, and each filter came out just as dirty as the last. Lucy took her second cup of coffee, explaining that the van load of salesmen who had come to Benton from Elmira, New York, had left early Saturday morning. She reinforced her need for a cup of coffee with a muffled yawn.
About this time, I raced into the house looking like the wreck of the Hesperus and being the astute person that I am noticed Lucy vacuuming the floor, a job high on my "most hated" list. I got the details of Lucy making $25 just to demonstrate her wares, but I cut to the chase! "What does this sucker cost," I gently inquired, Kay's whispered voice ringing in my ears, "It certainly had amazing suction," words I recognize as "Kay-talk" for "buy it!" While I am somewhat liberal on some things--like buckwheat cakes, salt water taffy and yellow sneakers made in China--I am very conservative when it comes to letting loose of a quarter. Visions of $500 down the drain flashed through my head, $500 that wouldn't be available toward a new whiz-bang computer. Lucy quoted a price of $1,295, and did it without even looking up from the dirt that she was dislodging from our carpet. I gulped and decided I would bring up the subject of sales tax later.
A second salesman, a male vacuum cleaner salesman in a white shirt and tie, arrived at the door. He didn't ask if I liked the machine, but told me that he would give us $500 for our Hoover, which is less than a year old. Sight unseen.
Lucy was busy adding a dry aerosol cleaner to demonstrate the shampoo attachment to Kay. The unnamed male mentioned a five-year payment plan, and the deal could be sealed with just $1 down. I figured there would be some fine print, but we didn't get into that. I excused myself, headed for the computer and logged onto eBay and found the same sweeper for the starting bid of $394.99 (an hour and 16 minutes to go in the auction, with no bids) or $499.99 on an outright sale. Plus $40 to ship it. The fine print disclosed that "we are a company that specialize in previously used high-end vacuums" and the big print said that "$2,200 is what this Kirby Ultimate G sells for." The warranty appeared to be in order, and the cincher was the company's assertion that "This Kirby looks and runs excellent, just look at the pictures."
Lucy finally left about 90 minutes after she arrived, taking a cup of coffee for the road, all her accoutrements tucked back into the packing box. What do we need a new vacuum for? We have our carpet cleaned...
Come to think about it, Lucy reminds me of a door-to-door salesman selling wall-to-wall carpet on a day-to-day basis with a fifty-fifty commission in New York, New York. That sales person's sales record was only so-so, too, since she had only received three orders for the week--get out, stay out and don't come back!
April 16, 2006. Today is the birthday of Sam Dressler and His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. It is also the wedding anniversary of Randy and Denise Hack.
It is Easter, the day Christians remember that Jesus rose from the dead. After crucifixion, a large stone was rolled over his tomb. When followers arrived at the tomb to honor Jesus the stone had been moved and all that remained was the cloth that wrapped Jesus' body. The story relates that Jesus' body was no longer in the tomb and that he had risen from his death. An angel near the tomb told his followers of the miracle of the resurrection. As the Bible described it, when Jesus rose from the dead, Christians received new life after death. Easter celebrates this belief and is the last day of the 40-day Easter season. The date of Easter is determined by a formula involving the full moon. Jesus was crucified under a full moon, so the full moon has become the regulator of the date of Easter.
Easter was once known as the paschal festival, deriving its name from the Pascha, or Jewish feast of the Passover, the annual religious ceremony that Jesus and his disciples were celebrating at his Last Supper.
Along with the religious aspect of Easter are the ancient stories of the Easter bunny from the days when the rabbit was a natural symbol of resurrection and new life. (Rabbits breed prolifically, but that fact was overlooked as a fertility symbol,) Germans settling in Pennsylvania brought the story of the Easter bunny with them. Some imaginative person convinced children that if they were good, the Easter bunny would somehow lay a nest of colored eggs for them. Children turned hats upside down to make nests. The Germans made edible bunnies out of pastry in the early 1800s and the holiday has had high calorific value ever since.
Stories of Easter often involve eggs. Russians folklore held that a bat was a mouse that had eaten a bit of consecrated Easter egg. Polish folklore held that the first colored eggs were made by the Virgin Mary to please the baby Jesus. (It is for this reason that Polish women often make colored eggs at Christmas time rather than at Easter.)
Egg rolling has long been popular. English boys would beg for eggs on Easter Saturday. They would boil the eggs and then dye them and would roll them as a game. Some referred to the egg rolling as "Troll Day," ("Troll" came from "to roll.")
The tradition of the Easter Egg Roll in this country took place on the grounds of the United States Capitol. The event began during the Presidency of James Madison (1809-1817) at the suggestion of his wife, Dolley Payne Todd Madison. Mrs. Madison was fascinated to learn that Egyptian children rolled colored eggs on the site of the Pyramids. She thought the children of the Washington area would enjoy it, too. In 1877, the egg roll moved to the White House. The practice continues Monday in the 128 year-old Easter egg roll and hunt on the White House lawn.
In Ireland, farmers went to bed early on Easter Saturday night and rose early to see the sun rise. A number of Sunrise Services will be held locally on Easter Sunday.
Easter eggs are still a big thing on Easter, and we suspect that many children actually think that the Easter bunny laid them. If you neglected to buy your chocolate Easter eggs, wait until this afternoon when they will be half price in stores that have any left to sell--assuming that you can find a store open!
We continue to have our email censored by our ISP when we feel they have no business worrying about the content of our personal email. We have been told that we have been sent numerous emails that we have never received. The only solution to this escalating problem is to tell your ISP to just give you a convenient connection to the internet and provide reliable email service. We feel that the ISPs should not be a police force.
Benton Borough was hit Saturday morning in the latest wave of car break-ins, this time resulting in five vehicles affected, none of which were locked. In one case, multiple items of value were taken, and in other cases what they made off with was minimal, mostly change. We suspect that there might have been additional break-ins Saturday not reported at this point.
Mayor Jan Swan told us that in all cases the people who were affected did not call 911 when they found out about the break-in but either contacted the Mayor or attempted to contact the local police. In all cases, the vehicles were not locked. We don't know how to say it other than being direct! Lock your houses and your cars and until a neighborhood watch program is formally implemented call 911 if you sense that there is a problem.
All robberies apparently happened after 1 AM Saturday morning and before daylight. Randy Karschner, a part-time policeman, was on duty until 1 AM and no robberies were reported before that time. One of the victims is wheelchair bound. The events happened "from one end of town to the other," according to Mayor Swan. The next crime watch meeting will take place at the Methodist Church on April 24 at 7 PM. Turn out and show your support for this program.
Quickies...
• Mathew Byington, 23, Lancaster, pulled in a "keeper" Brown Trout measuring a hefty 21" from the area around the Benton Dam Saturday afternoon. We're sure Matt will be back next year!
• I asked one disgruntled fisherman yesterday if the fish were biting. Without looking up, he simply replied, "Maybe each other."
• Judging from comments received from fishermen, it is entirely possible that more fish were pulled from Fishingcreek yesterday than ever were in the creek! Many fishermen will hesitate to eat the fish they catch for fear of contamination with toxins such as PCB and mercury. Eating mercury-tainted fish is the main way Americans are exposed to mercury.
• Easter gasoline prices Back Home in Benton, PA, were $2.739 and $2.799 for regular, unleaded.
• We suspect it is time to make hard decisions about the Firebelch 500 SUV we drive. We tried to fill our tank Saturday with a credit card and for the first time ever the pump cut off when it reached $50--before our tank was full
• Kirk Hess has made a great addition out of the "back room" of the Benton Antiques, Etc. store. Didja know, by the way, that the antique shop at 235 Main Street is now the largest in Columbia County with over 55 dealers? It is also an extremely popular place!
• The fly fisherman statue adjacent to the Kozy Korner called "Passing It On" is now 2/3 installed. We'll tell you all about it and the many fine people who made it possible in an upcoming article.
• Pennsylvanians are encouraged to visit covered bridges, one of our local treasures. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges Week begins the first Saturday after the first Sunday in May, to and including the third Sunday of May, which puts it from the 13th to the 21st.
• The April meeting of the Benton Red Hat Society will be a buffet at the Jamison City Hotel Wednesday, April 19, at 2 PM. Fun and games in the Red Hat style are planned. Plan to attend. Guests are welcome and the chapter is open to new members, Proper attire of a Red Hat and Purple outfit is required.
• The Benton Volunteer Fire Department sold out of chicken and waffles a half hour early Saturday night at the popular event.
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A statue under construction on Market Street at Main beside the Kozy Korner Restaurant. This statue was cast by Paul and Brian DuMond, Stillwater, and erected by Total Look Landscaping, Benton Township. |
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"Passing it Along" |
April 15, 2006. Happy birthday today to Jennifer Hatcher, Ken Bond and Jeff Andrysick. Trout season begins at 8 AM.
Federal and state income taxes are due on Monday this year, giving late filers a two-day reprieve since April 15 falls on a Saturday. Income taxes are due by midnight Monday through electronic processing or the U.S. mail. If you are a little late, you aren't alone! An estimated 40% of U.S. taxpayers filed their returns this week or will file them by close of business Monday. We suspect, however, that the Government doesn't hire a bunch of clerks to stare at gobs of postmarks to make sure that everyone is legal. They might a week or so after the due date, but not immediately..
Technically, if you don't owe money, you can skip filing a return. If you don't owe anything, the late filing penalty is zero (but, of course, you should always consult a CPA for tax matters). Penalties and interest are computed as a percentage of what you owe. There aren't any criminal sanctions, but if money is due you from the Government a return is necessary. The Government will have a vastly better feeling about you if you file so they can look over your income and scheme to find why you do owe them money. And if you don't file and later decide that the Government owes you money on a return that you filed more than three years after it was due, simply forget about ever getting the money.
If you do owe the Government money for taxes, not filing or filing late will cost you penalties, interest and possibly even time in the hoosegow. Not filing at all if you owe money will result in a 5% penalty per month. If you owe and file but don't pay when due, the penalty is only 0.5% per month.
This country existed until 1861 without an income tax. The Civil War made such a tax on citizens making more than $800 a year a necessity. The Supreme Court decision of 1895 declared a tax on income to be in violation of the "direct tax" clause of the Constitution. The solution the boys in Washington came up with was the 16th Amendment which authorized Congress to "lay and collect taxes on income from whatever source derived." We hope Monday is not a taxing day for you...
"The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf."
--Will Rogers
The Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center will present the music of John Russo, a singer/songwriter, composer and producer, at the third annual Village Sampler and Fun Auction Sunday, May 21. There is food and an entire afternoon and evening of entertainment for a $10 admission at the door. This hugely successful activity brings together some 12 food vendors, live music, and the entertainment of a fast-paced auction conducted by Jim and John Vance. It is held at the Benton Volunteer Fire Department, and if the past two years are any indication, the available seating will sell out. Go here to to see the list of auction items as the list is developed.
Bob Webster will be the featured speaker Monday morning at the North Mountain Historical Society meeting at the Brass Pelican Restaurant, Elk Grove. Bob will tell about the Indian raids involving his family that took place on both branches of the Susquehanna during the Revolutionary War. John F. Meginness refers to the story in the History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania . Pig parts and buckwheat cakes go on the tables about 8 in the morning, and by 9 or so there will be a blessing and some announcements and the speaker will begin. There is no charge for the lecture and it is open to the public.
We love to poke around the past and figure out what happened in certain years. We'll do that today, heading back to the year that the birth control pill was approved for general use, the year that Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Soviet territory, the year that the world's biggest ship and the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was launched, the year that Senator John F. Kennedy won the presidency by a plurality of less than half of 1%, the year that the graduating class dedicated their yearbook to John Sibly. The year was 1960.
We'll begin with the Benecho. Roxie Walters Janney answered our request for donations of yearbooks to the Northernn Columbia Community & Cultural Center, and we'll begin by using one of her donated yearbooks for this article. We'll do other years in the coming weeks. We appreciate the donation by Roxie and again ask for donations of Benton, Millville and Northwest yearbooks for inclusion in the Center's library.
Margaret Anne Pollock was the yearbook's Editor-in-Chief, and worked under the watchful eye of Advisor John Sibly, Supervising Principal, Ben R. Pollock, Principal, Warren L. Ketner, and the staff of the "front office," including Ethel Baker, Eileen Creveling and Bonnie Heintzelman. There were "the usual suspects," teachers we all remember. But there were some names that we may no longer remember--names like Dale Davis, Joseph Curilla, Theresa Viti.
There were memorable haircuts, like the D.A. formed by combing the hair back on the side of the head and holding it with place with hair grease, worn by Ken Musselman, Jr, The "Pompadour" was favored by Marc Strauch and Gerald DeWitt who brushed their hair upward in front. The flattop was worn by George Wesley Houseweart, Charles Williams, Larue "Ted" Steinruck, Raymond Search and David Dinsmore. The "comb-em to the right," was worn by Byron Albertson, the "styled" look was worn by Diane Harvey and Judy Laubach.
Some of the businesses operating in the area that you may have forgotten about included Joe's Restaurant owned by Vernon and Blanche Fausey, Main Street, Sands Service Station, Dixie's Star-Lite Gardens, the IGA Stores on Market Street (Ross Harrison) and the one on Main Street (Horace Harrison). Hess's Bakery on Main Street was building fat pills and over in Berwick Nellie Welliver's Dress Shop or in the Borough Doris Hosler and her Towne Dress Shoppe made you look thin. Cipolla's Forks Inn was available by simply calling MU 3-2832. The Benton Laundry & Cleaners would clean you up and Albertson's General Store in Jonestown would fill you up. The Cambra Store Company was just over the hill.
Ritter's Nursery was busy as was Dr. C.H. Laubach, a chiropractor in Hughsville. Zella Seward's store in Red Rock sold "smokes" and buckwheat cakes. Ritter's Store in Maple Grove was where the "frozen custard" was sold, an excellent place for dessert after eating across the highway at the Pied Piper Inn. The price of gasoline was cheap enough that a drive to the Nor Pole in Orangeville was acceptable. There were other stores you may remember, like Mac I. Johnson's Feed Mill, Alfred Snyder's store, the apiary of John McHenry, the photography of Martin Appleman, the excavating of Vincent and Wenner. Baker and Baker sold Zenith TV and even gave out S&H Green Stamps.
The Benton Joint High School Band
The year was 1960
April 14, 2006. Pat Truskoloski, Red Rock, celebrates her birthday today as does Jacob Janney, Highland Manor, Laporte, formerly of Elk Grove, who is 89 today. Jacob is the father of twelve, six boys and six girls; grandfather to 25; and great-grandfather to 25.
Today is Good Friday, a holy day celebrated by Christians on the Friday before Easter. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary. Special prayer services are planned thrughout the area with readings from the Gospel of the events leading up to the crucifixion. Christian churches view Christ's crucifixion as a voluntary act, one by which, along with his resurrection on the third day, death itself was conquered.
On this date in...
1865, actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth was permitted upstairs at Ford's Theatre and entered President Abraham Lincoln's private theatre box as Lincoln watched a performance of Our American Cousin. Shortly after 10 PM, Booth shot Lincoln in the head, then leaped to the stage below shouting "Sic semper tyrannis! "("Thus always to tyrants!," the state motto of Virginia). He broke his leg, but managed to escape by horse several miles away to Virginia. Booth was hunted down and shot in a barn the next day.
1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean five nights into the ship's maiden voyage as she sailed toward New York City. About 1,500 people lost their lives.
Safely Home...
. Winton Laubach came home from the hospital to Golden, Colorado, Wednesday with his own private nurse--his wife, Jan. Jan says that he "is weak after being in the hospital for 12 days, but his sense of humor is intact, and he is delighted to be out. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and good clean thoughts."
. Bud and Malina Savage are back home in Leola from their winter in Florida.
. Emmna Lou Savage is home from her overnight stay in the hospital.
• Jack Laubach is back home from the hospital following heart-related problems.
The Fresh Air Fund is looking for families in the Benton area to host disadvantaged children from New York City for two weeks this summer, beginning July 10. If you have an interest in providing some fresh air and fun for a child who may have never seen the country, please contact Stephanie F. Streater at 570 387-1331 or Pattie Hartman at 925-5130.
There was a lot of excitement Thursday when the Benton Foundry donated two skillets approximately. 14" across, two sets of quoits with poles, and a set of barbeque weights for the upcoming auction for the Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center. The Old Country Barn donated two cast-iron planters. We'll start telling you about some of the donated items in the near future.
First it is the high cost of fuel and gasoline, and now comes rain in California causing headaches for forage growers. The current crop harvest is behind schedule, and reduced quality is becoming a significant concern. Additionally, spring planting has been pushed back, leading to concern over feed supplies and potential price increases.
Why is it easier to get up at 6 AM to play golf than at 10 AM to mow the yard?
Community Banking Week is being celebrated to inform the public about the many contributions made by community banks throughout the Commonwealth.
. The First Columbia Bank & Trust Company will celebrate Customer Appreciation Day on April 21. The bank invites you to stop at any of their Community offices to help celebrate. Enjoy the food and fun!
. The Benton branch of the Columbia County Farmers National Bank is holding a bake sale to benefit the Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center today. The bank will serve refreshments all day as a thank you to customers and community so drop by the bank.
There are a lot of sore backs and tired people this morning, the day before income tax filing, reminding us what Mark Twain once wrote, "The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin."
The list of America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2006 will be released on Wednesday, April 19, 2006! You'll remember that last year American Rivers named their list of the most endangered rivers of 2005, and our very own Susquehanna River was named the most endangered in the United States. Lots of folks immediately promised it wouldn't happen again. Stay tuned!
The Unit 1 reactor at the PP&L 2,360-megawatt Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Salem Township is operating again after completion of a scheduled outage. Outages are scheduled every two years at each of the PP&L plants for refueling and maintenance. During the outage, workers replaced about 40% of the uranium fuel in the reactor, refurbished the generator, and completed various inspections and tests.
Detective Captain Kevin Grevera of the Nanticoke City Police recently signed the guest book on the Benton News telling readers that there have been some "anonymous and untrue posts in the Benton News Guest book, and elsewhere on the web maligning the name and reputation" of certain Benton area residents. The Nanticoke City Police are investigating these posts. At this point, "these incidents are being investigated as victim intimidation. While police have a suspect, we are requesting any party with information concerning these posts or their origin contact Nanticoke City Police at (570)-735-2200." Ask for investigating officers Detectives Shutlz and Grevera. The Pennsylvania State Police have been alerted. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. The offending comments have been deleted from the guestbook.
April 13, 2006. It is Brian Stedman's birthday and the birthday of the third president of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. And we have an anniversary, which we'll mention in a moment. Tonight is the "Full Pink" moon, the full moon for the month of April.
It is Maundy Thursday, the Thursday of Holy Week—the Thursday before Easter, the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, sharing a meal with them which we call the Last Supper.
The Hoboken Sub Shop is an institution and today it marks its 27th anniversary. The Sub Shop opened on this date, a Friday the Thirteenth, in 1979, just in time for the onslaught of fishermen who descended on the town for the opening of fishing season. We have written an article about the restaurant, which originally appeared in these spaces. We have moved the article to the FEATURES section, at the bottom of the page. Please turn here to find the article.
Didja hear about the Iraqi terrorist by the name of Khay Rahnajet who didn't put enough postage on a letter bomb, and it came back marked "return to sender." He opened the package and was blown away. True story!
"I cannot help but notice that there is no problem between us that cannot be solved by your departure."
--Charles Darwin
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Five trees along the upper road of the Benton Cemetery are being removed by Kocher Tree Service. |
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| The old Benton cemetery is a fascinating places to visit. You'll find a quiet, park like setting, with monuments and sculpture, beautiful views towards the Fishingcreek valley, the Borough of Benton and the mountains to our north. One can come up with a sense of history unsurpassed by any other location in the area. For those who don't know the location of the Benton Cemetery, it begins in the Borough on "Cemetery Hill" overlooking the valley which is to its west, and climbs into Benton Township. From Route 487, turn on Sunny Hillside Road beside the Steve Shannon Tire Store, then turn on Hill Road and make a right on Cemetery Hill Road. |
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| We took the opportunity to walk around the old cemetery Wednesday morning and came away with a better appreciation for the many fine folks who are dedicated to researching, preserving and encouraging the appreciation of local cemeteries. We decided to conduct a walking history tour of the cemetery sometime this summer and we'll let you know when we have that arranged. Lets face it, there probably are not many who have stood in front of the grave of the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 16th District during the years of 1907-12 and reflected upon his accomplishments! | ||
Wednesday, April 11, 2006. Prayers are needed today for Albert Wood, following surgery Tuesday.
Were you a kid in the Thirties, Forties or Fifties or so? If so, look here.
Quickies...
. Christine's Karaoke will be at the Elk Grove Inn Saturday night from 9:30 PM.
. Allen Hess remains a patient in Geisinger Hospital following heart by-pass surgery. His condition is reported as good.
. Bible Baptist Church will hold their Good Friday service at 7 PM.• Panorama Magazine has been spending a lot of time in the Benton area and we believe that future editions of the free publication will be extremely enlightening. Look for it at a neighborhood store.
• The Benton Rodeo will take place from July 11-16. This year, an act has one man riding two bulls.
. The Benton area Easter egg hunt will take place at 1 PM Saturday at the playground of the L.R. Appleman Elementary Center. The sponsors are the Benton Volunteer Fire Co. and Ambulance Association and the Benton VFW Fort Ricketts Post 8317 and the ladies auxiliary of the post. The hunt is open to all children of the Benton area, ages 1 through 10.
. The Benton Fire Co. will serve an all-you-can-eat chicken and biscuit dinner Saturday from 4:30 to 7 PM at the fire hall. Cost is $7.50 for adults and $3.50 for children ages 6-12. Children under 6 eat free.
. The old adage that "April showers bring May flowers" doesn't apply so far this month. Just as State environmental officials place all 67 Pennsylvania counties under a drought watch and are asking residents to reduce water use voluntarily by 5%, the pesky and illusive water leak in the Borough may have been found in the vicinity of Market and Culley Streets. The solution to the problem lies ahead.
. The Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society is publishing a cook book, and naturally it has a historical bent! Will you please take the time to think of a favorite recipe that may have come from someone in your past--like your grandparents or earlier--and send the recipe either to CCHG&S, Attn: Cookbook Committee, P.O. Box 360, Bloomsburg, PA 17815, or send the recipes by email to the Benton News and we'll format them for you and send them on to the Historical Society. You'll remember your ancestors better, you'll get some recognition and some wonderful old-time recipes will be preserved. Do it today.
We'll tell you about a recipe that survived the years, a recipe from John Herbert Laubach's mother, Bernice Parker Laubach, a recipe for preparing mincemeat for 26 pies. When you think that a pint of mincemeat is usually sufficient for a small pie and a quart normally makes a 9-inch pie, you know we are talking a lot of mincemeat!
The recipe calls for nine pounds of apples, four pounds of meat (often pork, beef, suet [hardened beef fat]), five pounds or less of sugar, one quart of molasses, one quart of cider, 10 tsp of cinnamon, 5 tsp allspice, 2 tsp pepper, 2 tsp salt, 1 pint vinegar, 2 quarts water, 1 pound citron, 5 pounds raisins, 1 pound currants, 5 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cloves. To those ingredients, add water if too thick. Mix altogether in pan or in large kettle, and let come to a boil. Then can or keep in open jar in a cool place.
--Recipe by Bernice Parker Laubach; Submitted by John Herbert Laubach
The article about Thomas Alva Edison bringing electricity to Sunbury, which originally appeared in this section on this date, has been moved to the FEATURES section, at the bottom of the page, under Thomas Edison Lights Sunbury.
Evelyn Almira Northrop Elliott, 83, mother of Dave Elliott, passed away Saturday, April 8, 2006. Mrs. Ellott lived in Wysox on R.R.2. Surviving are her son David and his wife Sue Ellen, plus Gary D. Elliott, Fort Lauderdale, and Lynn M. Elliott (Terry), Wysox R.R.2. There are five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; a sister, Dorothy Elliott, Liberty Corners; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. A memorial service will be Wednesday, April 12, at 7:30 PM at the Maryott-Bowen Funeral Home, 217 York Ave., Towanda.
--Obituary from the Tuesday Press Enterprise, where a complete obituary can be found
April 11, 2006. Today is the birthday of Bud Allegar, Dorothy Kocher and Taylor Remphrey (his 23rd). Ron and Sheila Thompson celebrate their wedding anniversary today.
On the prayer list are Caleb Hoyt, transferred to Bonham Nursing Home Monday afternoon after a stay dating back to February 1 in the Geisinger Hospital. Jack Laubach is back in the Geisinger with heart-related problems following his hip surgery. Sharon Remphrey faces surgery next week.
Quickies...
• Didja realize that Wellsboro will celebrate their 200th Anniversary in 2006?
• Twenty-one local residents turned out at the Benton United Methodist Church Monday night for a neighborhood watch presentation. The "can-do" group prepared proposed by-laws for the group before the night was over, discussed various aspects of a neighborhood watch and the need for positive action, and agreed to hold election of officers at the next meeting and complete a neighborhood survey.
• The Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center building will arrive on site in June, according to Rich Kisner of the Columbia County Housing Corporation.
• The Youth Group of the Benton Christian Church will hold a hoagie sale on April 19 to benefit the Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center skate park. Please call Faith Schlichter at 925-2274 to order.
The article about Thomas Alva Edison bringing electricity to Sunbury, which originally appeared in this section on this date, has been moved to the FEATURES section, at the bottom of the page, under Thomas Edison Lights Sunbury.
An Introductory Internet and Computer Skills course began Monday at the Benton High School taught by Susan Posey. Classes introduce basic computer and internet use. Students attending include Janice Yost, Leslie Hess, Louise Fought, Ethel Litwhiler, Debra Marks, Theresa Yocum, Barbara McHenry, Gerald McHenry, Kathy Wells, Dorothy Hess, Pat Stemrich, Joyce Letteer, Whittier Letteer, Kay Kline, Marleen Ziocki, Helen Raski, Margaret Klenert, Shirley Lockard, Mary Trzcinski, Frank Trzcinski, Katherine Kline, Mary Alice Covington, Jan Swan, Lee Remley, Shirley Kocher, Frances Wenner, Martha Starr and Lucy Szabo. There were also three on the waiting list for the class.
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Members of the computer training class held Monday at the Benton Middle-Senior High School |
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April 10, 2006. We celebrate the birthday of Bridget Andrezee today.
Have you ever noticed how some people put their thoughts into action and others wait for the action?
Didja know that supposedly the man for whom our country was named really wanted it called "Mundus Novus," which meant "New World." Americus Vespucius (usually called Amerigo Vespucci in this county) was a rather obscure Italian navigator who made four voyages to the New World without ever once seeing North America. A mapmaker didn't understand the situation and put his name on the map. When the mapmaker discovered his error and took the name off the map it was too late. There was a certain ring to "America" that just wasn't there with "Mundus Novus" and the name stuck.
Speaking of America, A Horse With No Name made the band called "America" famous when they were "discovered" in 1972. That horse will take the stage at the F.M. Kirby Center on April 21 at 8 PM when America comes galloping into Wilkes-Barre. Tickets are $35 to $45.
When the U.S. Senate returns from spring recess in two weeks, lawmakers will struggle to hold together a delicate compromise on immigration reform that collapsed last week in a heap of partisan bickering.
To succeed, they will have to not only resolve sharp political differences but also address concerns that their plan to deal with nearly 12 million immigrants in the country illegally may be impractical and too costly to work.
The question of immigration is not a new own. American only got about 20,000 immigrants a year until about 1840 and those people mostly came from Africa in the form of slaves and from England. Only an estimated million people immigrated into the United States between 1607 and 1840. A famine in Ireland in 1845 and political unrest in other parts of the world turned the immigration into the county into a flood. By the time that the second half of the nineteenth century rolled around, something like thirty million people poured into our country, and by the beginning of the twentieth century the pace increased. Between 1901 and 1905, we took in a million from Italy, a million Austro-Hungarians and half a million Russians, plus tens of thousands from other places.
When 1900 rolled around, New York had more people speaking German than anywhere in the world except for Vienna and Berlin, more Irish than anywhere except Dublin, more Russians than Kiev and more Italians than in Naples. The United States, for example, had about 800 German newspapers in 1890.
Enclaves developed, like the Amish in Lancaster County and the Welsh up in Oneida County, the Norwegians in Minnesota and the Dakotas, Swedes in Nebraska, the Germans in Wisconsin and Indiana.
While today's immigration question involves the Spanish language in part, we will forever love to visit the "Amish county" and listen to their semi-Germanic accents. For example, we hear "chorge" when we talk about the father of our country, we hear the clop-clop of buggies as they cross what the Amish call "britches." They still have problems with their words, especially the "v" and the "th" sounds. They are still an oddity when they "wisit" "ziss" part of the state.
In the coming days, it is possible that several million people could attend rallies in more than 60 American cities in protest against proposals to criminalize illegal immigrants and those who help them. How this is all going to play out is unknown at the moment.
If you are a senior citizen and are having the time of your life, go here. If you want to get lost in the 50s, go here.
The third Annual Scottish Heritage Day at the Benton United Presbyterian Church will take place Sunday, April 30. Highland Tea is served at 10:30 AM and at 11 AM there will be Celtic Worship and Music with Rev. Al Lumpkin. Refreshments will be served, including oatcakes, scones, shortbread, clotted cream, scotch broth, marmalade, lemon curd and a Tassie O'Tea or Coffee. Bagpipers Stuart Erwin and Nicholas Franczak will be on hand. Dr. John Herbert Laubach will provide a solo number.
A planning and organization meeting for the Benton Area Neighborhood Watch will take place at 7 PM tonight at the Benton United Methodist Church. Please try to attend. Your participation is important.
Camp Lavigne Road will close today as bridge restoration work begins. Detours over Fritz Hill or over Klinger Hill will be open.
April 9, 2006. It is Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. It is a moveable event in the church calendar observed by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians. What many call "Holy Week" begins with this day.
On Palm Sunday in 1876, the log building housing St. Gabriel's church burned after being used for 64 years as a place of worship. On Palm Sunday in 2003, the Benton Area Council of Churches started the Capital Campaign for what became the Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center.
On this date in 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, bringing the Civil War to its end. Grant had written to Lee saying that continuing to fight was hopeless. Lee responded, "Though not entirely of the opinion you express of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the army of Northern Virginia, I reciprocate your desire to avoid useless effusion of blood, and therefore, before considering your proposition, ask the terms you will offer, on condition of its surrender." Take the time to read more of the resultant encounter between Grant and Lee and the end of the Civil War at www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/appomatx.htm .
The opening day of trout season truly means for many of us that spring has arrived. Spring actually and officially arrived in March, but the third Saturday in April is the yard stick that many use to stow their winter coats, hustle out the fertilizer for the lawns and make their yearly threats at the ever increasing dandelion population on their property. Nothing attracts people to our area like the opening day of trout season, although our gut feel is that each year there are a few less people. Fishing enthusiasts come to see the beauty of Fishing Creek and West Creek and other surrounding streams in droves and to dip the lower half of their bodies into our cold, well-oxygenated streams, away from watersheds and development, in search of trout that only two weeks before were enjoying the waters of a fish hatchery. We suspect that some are also looking for a little solitude, and we can only guess what they are trying to escape. Anyway, to all the fishermen and women who will show up in our streams, restaurants and stores next weekend, we welcome you and wish you the best of luck. Many will take the time to be photographed beside the statue of the fisherman and the two children nearing completion and about to be erected "on the square."
Didja hear about the Yankee who stopped in a Southern diner for breakfast. Grits was one of the items on the menu. "Grits?" he thought. "What's a grit?" Being adventurous, he told the waitress "I'd like a grit, please." She said, "Hominy?" and he replied "Oh, two or three.
Quote of the Day...
"I never questioned the integrity of an umpire. Their eyesight, yes."
--Leo Durocher
The impact of methamphetamine on communities in counties like Bradford will be documented from 6 to 8 PM April 12 in the Canton High School auditorium and at the same hours on April 26 at the Sullivan County Agriculture Center, Dushore. The program will help to tell participants how to spot meth production and educate residents on how to gather information to share with police, how to recognize the drug and warn about the dangers of its production and use. In 2003, authorities found 58 meth labs in Pennsylvania and 16 of them were in Bradford County.
Files in My Documents are not backed up or restored by "System Restore." The files that you keep in this location have to be kept safe by you. Assuming that Windows is installed on your "C" drive, "My Documents" is also probably on your "C" or system drive. My Documents can become bloated. If you partition your hard drive or have more then one hard drive, you can move "My Documents" to another drive. Your C drive will have more room, and "My Documents" protected in case you have to reformat your hard drive. Other than Outlook Express, other programs can automatically find "My Documents." If you decide you want to revert back to the original location, there is a "Restore Default" option with Windows XP.
The Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society's annual dinner and membership meeting was held at Almedia's Ridge Street United Methodist Church Saturday night. The society elected a new President, Bill Baillie, in succession to retiring President George A. Turner, who has served in the post for fourteen years.
Mr. Baillie retired in 2000 after 35 years of teaching at Bloomsburg University. He taught English, chaired the English department, and headed the University Honors Program. He is the author or editor of three books (most recently, A History of Madison Township) and has published numerous articles on historical topics. For the Society, he has been Vice President and a member of the Library and Publication committees. The upper Fishingcreek Valley is now represented by a representative on the Board of Directors of the Society, as David Kline joined the board.Musician Tom Jolin provided the evening's entertainment of traditional American music, much from the Civil War era. He played the hammer dulcimer, button accordion, banjo and harmonica last evening.
The many accomplishments on behalf of the Society by outgoing President, George Turner, were reviewed by the members who were present. Among his many accomplishments, he succeeded in moving the Society headquarters from Orangeville to Bloomsburg, succeeded in increasing the membership from 227 in 1992 to about 700 in 2006, spearheaded the publication of numerous books and pamphlets and was instrumental in starting the Society's web site. George Turner's firm hand and steady steering will be missed.
Because of an unanticipated emergency room diagnosis of stenosis of the aorta, Winton Laubach, Golden. Colorado, underwent emergency surgery at the Exempla Lutheran Hospital in Denver on April 6 to relieve extreme shortness of breath. The staff replaced an aortic valve and added a single heart bypass. Winton experienced outstanding recovery on April 7 when his state of consciousness allowed much interaction with his coronary-care nurse and family members. Winton's Saturday mid-day report is that he is "doing very well. Hardly any pain, sitting up and enjoying the attention of all the nurses in ICU."
April 8, 2006. Charlotte Sibly, John McHenry and Ken Dressler celebrate birthdays today.
Mill Race Golf course will be taking tee-times for Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the Easter holiday weekend. The price is $32 with cart. Good weather is expected.
Tune to 930 AM on your AM radio dial every Sunday morning at 11:45 to hear Reverend Al Lumpkin's Benton Reflections, sponsored by the Benton United Presbyterian Church. Market and Park Street. Worship service is held at the church every Sunday at 9 AM.
We'll tell you more about W. M. Baillie tomorrow, but today we'll refer you to an essay he wrote, entitled, The Proprietor of Bloomsburg: John Adam Eyer, which you can read at http://www.colcohist-gensoc.org/Essays/JohnEyer.htm . The town of Bloomsburg was laid out in lots by a developer in a moneymaking venture and now, thanks to a project begun in part by Bill Baillie, the Columbia County Historical Society will soon go to press on a project in which original lots laid out in Bloomsburg will be matched to former occupants.
An Earth Day trail hike is coming up at Ricketts Glen April 20 at 1:30 PM through old-growth areas along an old Native American hunting trail. Meet at the Adams Falls parking lot off Route 118. Call 477-5675 for more information or consult UPCOMING EVENTS on the side panel for all Ricketts Glen activities.
We are looking for a photograph of two former Berwick movie theaters, the Temple and the Palace. Can readers help?
The mischievous and often naughty music of the 1910-20s came to light at the former Universal Theatre, Market Street, at a "minstrel and variety programme of the Benton Vocation School" held on April 27, 28 and 29, 1927. Betty Fritz Victory provided us with a background of the evening designed to benefit the Athletic Association.
The pianists were Ruth Appleman, Agnes Fritz, Phyllis Conner and Mildred Albertson. Ruth Appleman, Agnes Fritz and Phyllis Conner were masters of silent-movies accompaniment.
The program began with Hervey Long acting as the Interlocutor, assisted by Edward Bogdziewicz, Lewis Creveling. O.B. Savage and Joseph Follmer. Soon locals like Zerban Pealer, Ivin Chapin, Paul Hartman, Kermit Hess, Harold Coleman, Kermit Kingsley, Hobert Shultz, James Wood, Richard Wood, Boyd Hartman, Carl Weaver and Elmer Miller (brother of former Benton teacher, Emery Miller) appeared on stage and broke into song. Emerson Laubach, younger brother of J. Paul Laubach, and Madelyn Bray, future wife of Clifford Sutliff, appeared in the production. Lewis Creveling sang for a time in the local Barber Shop chorus.
The music and comedy that kept the audiences laughing didn't take long to materialize. The first song was My Baby Knows and set the mood of the evening with the provocative words "Momma's on the bottom and Poppa's on the top, Baby's in the crib shoutin' "Pour it to her Pop, shoutin' Hey Bob a Re Bob, Hey Bob a Re Bob, Hey Bob a Re Bob, Yes my baby knows."
The 1920s novelty tune "I Never See Maggie Alone" came next.
Maggie dear just won't go out alone,
Seems that she must have a chaperon,
When we go out, no matter where we're bound,
There's always somebody around.
She brings her father, her mother,
Her sister and her brother,
Oh I never see Maggie alone,
She brings her uncles and cousins,
She's got 'em by the dozens,
I never see Maggie alone,
Edward Bogdziewicz sang the solo At Peace with the World, and O.B. Savage delivered a ribald, humorous monologue as only O. B. could do. I Love the Moonlight, which you can read here , came next, followed by one of songwriter Harry Warren's (He also wrote That's Amore) favorites Where Do You Worka John? The 1926 hit Breezin Along with the Breeze wowed the audience.
I'm just breezin' along with the breeze,
Trailin' the rails, roamin' the seas.
Like the birdies that sing in the trees,
Pleasin' to live, livin' to please.
The sky is the only roof I have over my head;
And when I'm weary, Mother Nature makes my bed.
I'm just goin' along as I please,
Breezin' along with the breeze.
A chorus then appeared to sing Sweetheart of Mine. The participants were Marie Albertson, Genevieve Edwards, Josephine Karns, Blanche Mordan, Florence Knouse, Phyllis Strauch, Hazel McMichael, Lena Stoker, Dorothy Eves, Beatrice Hess, Lucille Kimble, Marion Baker, Nellie Remley, Margaret Unbewust, Helen Parks, Sadie Keeler, Doris Botsford and Frances Cole.
The chorus then got the audience clapping as they broke into The Remedy.
I saw fireworks from the freeway
And behind closed eyes I cannot make them go away
'Cause you were born on the fourth of July, freedom ring
Now something on the surface it stings
I said something on the surface
Well it kind of makes me nervous
Who says that you deserve this
And what kind of god would serve this?
We will cure this dirty old disease
If you've got the poison I've got the remedy.
A one-act sketch by Arlene Buck and Clyde Kearkuff followed. Something called Me Too came next.
An operetta called The Family Doctor or How He was Cured came next with Paul Hartman in the lead cast as Dr. Drake. Edward Bogdziewicz, Thelma Cole, Ruth Appleman, Arlene Buck and Kermit Hess were also in the play.
A song and dance medley came next with a solo by Thelma Cole, a ditty by Mary Egizl and Evelyn Saul and the chorus finished up with How Could Red Riding Hood?
How could Red Riding Hood been so good,
And still kept the wolf from the door?
Father and Mother she had none.
So where in the world did the money come from?
Please let me ask it - who filled her basket?
The story books never tell.
They say she was a maid most discreet,
And there is no doubt she must have been sweet.
But you know and I know that sweet girls must eat.
How could Red Riding Hood have been so very good,
And still kept the wolf from the door?
How Could Red Riding Hood was released on the Victor label in late December, 1926, but was taken off the market a month later when nervous Victor officials deemed the lyrics a bit on the risqué side. If you would like to hear how the song sounds, go here .
The show benefited the construction program for the new school that was built later in 1927. The program asked that residents "be willing to pay for the new school house" and "other good things." The brochure said that the "cost really is small By dividing the payments over the next 25 years, the burden becomes quite light." Indeed it did!
Hazel D. (Cole) Swigart, 72, (January 22, 1934-April 6, 2006), 102 Railroad Road, Benton, died Thursday in Danville. She had been in ill health for the past three years. Born in Benton Township, she was a daughter of Dora (Winders) Cole and the late LaRue Cole. She attended Benton High School. She was preceded in death by her husband, William W. "Bill" Swigart, who died in 1987. Mrs. Swigart was a seamstress and had been employed at Milco, Dol-Ang Manufacturing, Krystal Fashions, Kecks Drapery; and Merrit Décor. She retired in 2003. Surviving are her mother and her six children: Dotty A. Steinruck, Milford, Delaware; Deborah L. Schumacher (Albert), Benton; Steven J. Swigart, Rohrsburg; Bernadine K. Houseweart, Jamison City; Ricky L. Swigart, Millville; Roxie J. Santos, Benton. There are also 15 surviving grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren, as well as brothers Donald Cole, Orangeville and Larry Cole, Bloomsburg and a sister, Wanda Cole, Benton. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her son Rodney W. Swigart and a great granddaughter, Angel Marie Steinruck. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, April 12, at 2 PM at the McMichael Funeral Home, Inc. Burial will be in St. Gabriel’s Cemetery.
--Obituary courtesy of the McMichael Funeral Home. A complete obituary is available in today's edition of the Press Enterprise.
April 7, 2006. George Welliver celebrates his birthday today. What a difference a year makes! A year ago at this time, rivers and streams were returning to "normal" following major flooding of the area, which was either worse or not as bad as Hurricane Ivan--depending on how far from water your home might be--but certainly not as severe as the 1972 floods. Statewide more than 5,715 homes were evacuated, including homes in Plymouth Township, Shickshinny, West Nanticoke, Plainsville and Jenkins Township.
On this date in 1815, a volcanic eruption occurred on Mount Tombora, on the Sumbawa island of Indonesia, which made a crater five miles across, lowered the island by 4,000 feet and killed 92,000 people. The effect was worldwide with a dust cloud released into the atmosphere in such record amounts that the light of the sun was shaded and the world experienced a drop in temperature.
On this date in 1795, France adopted the metre as the unit of length and the base of the metric system. The metre was defined as one ten-millionth part of the distance between the poles and the equator.
And on this date in 1794, chemist Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) left England forever and headed for the United States, partly to avoid his fellow countrymen who were angry at his support of the French Revolution. He ended up being a Northumberland neighbor.
Don't forget there is good eating this weekend with a ham and egg supper Saturday night from 4 PM at the Jonestown UM Church and a fish supper the same night at the Sugarloaf Township School Memorial Building, starting at 3 PM.
Arcadia Word of the Day: MINI (adj). A great number or amount.
Usage: "Mini battles were fawt durin' the War of Northern Aggression."
Mark your calendars for the following upcoming fairs...
Lycoming County Fair (July 13 - 22, 2006)
Troy Fair (July 24 - 29, 2006)
Northeast Fair (July 25 - 30, 2006)
Clearfield County Fair (July 31 - Aug. 5, 2006)
Wayne County Fair (Aug. 4 - 12, 2006)
Clinton County Fair (Aug. 5 - 12, 2006)
Cameron County Fair (Aug. 6 - 12, 2006)
Tioga County Fair (Aug. 7 - 12, 2006)
Mifflin County Youth Fair (Aug. 7 - 12, 2006)
Reading Fair (Aug. 7 - 12, 2006)
Elk County Fair (Aug. 8 - 12, 2006)
Warren County Fair (Aug. 8 - 12, 2006)
Carbon County Fair (Aug. 9 - 13, 2006)
Montour-Delong Community Fair (Aug. 13 - 19, 2006)
Kutztown Fair (Aug. 14 - 19, 2006)
Bloomsburg Fair (Sept. 23 - 30, 2006)
Centre County Grange Fair (Aug. 25 - 31, 2006)
West End Fair (Aug. 27 - Sept. 2, 2006)
Allentown Fair (Aug. 29 - Sept. 4, 2006)
Sullivan County Fair (Aug. 30 - Sept. 3, 2006)
Luzerne County Fair (Sept. 6 - 10, 2006)
York Fair (Sept. 8 - 17, 2006)
North East Community Fair (Sept. 14 - 16, 2006)
I have spend the past few days looking at equine property around the state, large ones with indoor arenas. Yesterday was spent in a lovely valley west of Millerstown and the Juniata River on Route 17. The narrow valley was about as wide as the valley in the Borough of Benton, covered with farms and stables from the tree-lined tops to the tree-lined top on the other side of the valley. Daughter-in-law Heidi, California born and raised, wondered why so many houses were white and barns were red. Her California frame of reference, of course, is the more modern barn structures favored in the west--low slung, mostly metal, unpainted or weathered as the sun chooses, open to the elements--completely different from the red barns that speckle our farming landscape . I suspect there are several explanations as to why barns of a former era were painted red.
European farmers often used an oil-based sealer for their barns, often linseed oil derived from flax plants. Additives like milk and lime made the paint dry faster and last longer. As these early pioneers arrived in Pennsylvania, our weather made it necessary to have larger and more substantial barns than needed in Europe.
Very early farmers in our country carried on European traditions and were said to have added blood from their kills to the paint mixture, making the paint a dark red color. Other farmers added rust (ferrous oxide) to the oil mixture, thought to keep mold and moss to a minimum and thereby adding years to the life of the exposed wood. Red became fashionable and "barn red" symbolized a prosperous farmer. By 1800, the Pennsylvania German barns were known throughout the nation and the design of the barn was simple: keep the animals comfortable in the winter and they will eat less and therefore save on food and grain. Bear in mind that the pride of a Pennsylvania farmer has long been his barn! The interior of barns were later often covered with whitewash.
It is interesting to note that the appearance of a farm has been important dating back as far as William Penn himself, whose "Great Law" of 1682 required that "All corne fields shall be fenced, and all fences shall be at least five feet high, and for default thereof such persons shall be fined at the Discretion of the County Court." But Heidi didn't ask about fences, so we'll quit this discussion freely admitting that we don't know a whole lot about why Pennsylvania barns are generally red and the accompanying farm houses are white.
Reader Hugh Shiffer saw the answer to the question a little differently. He wrote, "Red barns, white houses combined with blue skies may be significant, possibly a tribute of sorts to the first United States flag sewn in Philadelphia."
Do other readers have any thoughts on "red barns, white houses?"
April 6, 2006. We celebrate the birthday of Stephen Hess, Lower Raven Creek Road. On this date in 1789, George Washington was elected the first president of the United States, the only president to be unanimously elected.
Charlie Hessler recently came to the Benton cemetery to visit the graves of Stephen and Mary Lazarus and the nearby graves of some Raber family members. Charlie wondered when the old Benton cemetery was established and whether it was affiliated with a particular religious congregation. He is also looking for information on early Benton residents from the Lazarus, Raber, Krum, and Ruch families. We'll get to the Benton cemetery question when we return to Benton. In the meantime, do any readers have any input?
The Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center would like old Benton high school yearbooks for the library. If you are willing to part with yearbooks that are no longer of any use to you, please email us.
Upcoming...
Christine Karns Karaoke keeps company at Kameeo's Friday from 9:30-1:30.
The Choral Society of Northeast Pennsylvania and the Bloomsburg University Concert Choir--a combined choir of over 150 voices--will perform Johannes Brahms’s German Requiem at the Kirby Center on Saturday, April 22, at 8 PM. Tickets are $35 with a $5 discount for both seniors and students. Call 826-1100 to place your order.
Next week is Community Banking Week at the Benton branch of the Columbia County Farmers National Bank. On Friday, April 14, the staff and others will hold a bake sale to benefit the Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center. The bank will serve refreshments all day as a thank you to customers and community so drop by the bank.
For your computer...You can download a short file at www.belarc.com/Download.html and this software will take a snapshot of your system and display a page providing a complete summary of the contents of your computer. The data resides on your local system and is not sent to a server. The report provides information on all hardware and software you are running. It even tells you the version number. And it's all free for personal use and supports most Windows versions. We have used it for years and have recommended it several times.
An email stripper is a program designed to clean out the ">" and other symbols to make your replied and forwarded email more readable. This handy utility is free for the download
.
If you send a lot of email to one address, right click a blank area of your desktop, select New|Shortcut and in the command line, enter (without quotes) "mailto:" followed by the email address without spaces. Click on Enter and when prompted for the shortcut's name, enter the addressee's name or whatever you like. In the future, clicking on this new shortcut will open your email program composition window with the email address already entered.Applications for the Swearingen Rough Stock Rodeo School are now available from Dan Stoneham at the Benton location of Steve Shannon Tire & Auto Center, 925-2821, or from Lynette at Fishing Creek Tack Shop,458-5131, from Brian Bower, 683-5472, and from the Benton Rodeo Association, 925-6536. The school is May 19, 20 and 21 at the Benton Rodeo Grounds.
When opening a fresh carton of milk, add a pinch of salt to the full container. It won't change the taste of the milk but will add a few extra days of freshness.
If you are setting your GPS, Benton is at 41°08' N 76°24' W.
Try the U.S. Geological Survey's web site at http://pa.water.usgs.gov/ which allows Pennsylvania residents and businesses to track drought conditions affecting the state's 67 counties. The site shows precipitation, stream flows, groundwater levels and the state's current Palmer Drought Severity Index.
Congratulations to Eric and Kelly Kocher for bringing a new little boy wrestler into the world Tuesday and to Dan and Denise (Young) Preston who had a baby girl Wednesday. Denise Young Preston is the daughter of Foster and Carman Young, Waller Rd.
Have you heard about the World Championship Rattlesnake Races? The event started three decades ago in Old San Patricio, an area of Texas settled by Irish immigrants in the early 1800s. The basic idea is simple: pay $20 to rent a rattler, put it down on the ground and do whatever it takes to coax it along a grassy strip to the finish line 80 feet away. Meanwhile, a bunch of other people are trying to do the same thing at the same time. One winner was Don Burkman, Austin, Texas, who urged his rented western diamondback to victory in 69 seconds. Read about last year's event here.
April 5, 2006. Today is the birthday of local firefighter and emergency medical technician James Albertson. Jack Laubach remains a patient in the Geisinger Hospital following surgery on his leg that lasted seven hours Monday.
Upcoming...
The German Heritage Society of the Susquehanna Valley will hold its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, April 6, at 7 PM. at CareerLink, 713 Bridge St. Selinsgrove. The public is invited to join members and guests as they are treated to a presentation about United States Military Bases in the Nurnberg Area. Carey Sheaffer served in the United States Army and was stationed at US Military Bases in the Nurnberg area in the German State of Bavaria. Mr. Sheaffer's presentation will include historical references, personal photographs from his time in Germany, discussion of the current uses of the bases, and his continuing interaction with Germans who are preserving the history of the bases. A short business meeting will be held before the presentation. Refreshments will be served throughout the meeting. For more information, please feel free to contact president Jeff Sheaffer, 374-7730.
The Benton Volunteer fire company will hold a craft show on May 20 from 9-4. Vendors are needed. Reserve a table for $25 per table by contacting Charity Robbins, 925-2168.
The Huntington Mills United Sportsmen's Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday, April 8, at noon at the club house on Waterton and Cann Roads, west of Huntington Mills.
By now, most know that Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, one of the most powerful leaders in Washington, just a month after he fended off three challengers to win a Republican primary with 62% of the vote, decided to give up his seat rather than face a re-election fight. What many might not remember is that DeLay, a former pest exterminator, became majority whip in a race against former Rep. Robert Walker, R-Pa. Walker is married to the former Sue Albertson.
The smaller bridge on Camp Lavigne Road, just off Route 487, is getting some repairs by one of PennDOT's Columbia County maintenance crews. The crew will be repairing some of the concrete at the abutments. That work will take about a week or so to complete. There will be a lane restriction, at times, during this work. Crews were setting up Tuesday morning.
Both bridges on Camp Lavigne road are being repaired starting this month. The large iron bridge was supposed to be closed beginning April 3, but the closing was delayed until April 10 according to the crew doing the work. Crews are working on the underbelly of the bridge now.
You can find public notice advertisements for most of Pennsylvania at http://pa.mypublicnotices.com/PublicNotice.asp. The information includes government contracts, foreclosures, unclaimed property and community information. Regretfully, public service announcements from the Bloomsburg area are not included, but surrounding areas are.
An active group in the North Mountain Area for the athletic "over 50" crowd is the Golden Yakkers. These folks visit Pennsylvania's streams, rivers and lakes just as original native inhabitants did. European explorers moving into "Penn's Woods" made water routes in the state became important trading routes. Later, lumber, coal and other goods transformed the commonwealth's waterways into commercial highways. Today, the Golden Yakkers travel these same routes.
Water trails are boat routes suitable for canoes and kayaks. The routes are recreational corridors between specific locations. Water trails have access points, boat launches, day-use sites, and often overnight-camping areas. Each water trail is unique, a reflection of Pennsylvania's diverse environment. Add some fishing, wildlife watching, and camping to the equation and you can see how you might enjoy traveling the water trails and becoming a member of the Golden Yakkers. Under 50? The group accepts associate members. Call Henritta Erney, 925-5161, for more information. Trips down Pine Creek and a float in Vermont are next on the group's agenda.
Reader Harrison "Bluelips" Bergeron reminds us that it "costs nothing to paddle kayaks on any private or public waterways in PA, such as Fishing Creek, except those served by State Fish and Game boat ramps. At these places, one must pay a $10 yearly permit or pay to register the craft for $20 every 2 years. In some cases, single-use permits for a day or week are available. Many state facilities rent kayaks, too, now that the sport has become very popular."
Bluelips goes on to remind readers that the "state law requires adults to have a life vest on the kayak and preferably on the paddler. Children must wear their vests. A whistle is also required and must be attached to the vest. Throw-lines, compasses, and lights may prove life savers, as well. Various other necessities may be kept inside a plastic dry bag and stowed inside the craft or lashed to the outside."
We have several trails in our own area; i.e., North Branch Susquehanna River Water Trail runs from the New York line to Sunbury. The Lower Susquehanna River Trail runs 52 miles from Harrisburg to the Mason-Dixon Line. The Middle Susquehanna River Water Trail is 51 miles long, and runs from Sunbury to Harrisburg. The West Branch Susquehanna River Water Trail is 240 miles from Cherry Tree to Sunbury. The Lehigh River Water Trail is 75 miles and runs the entire river from Francis Walter dam to the mouth of the river. The Schuylkill River Water Trail is 142 miles in three legs.
We feel a little like the person must have felt when he advertised in a Florida singles newspaper: "MINT CONDITION: Male, 1932, high mileage, good condition, some hair, many new parts including hip, knee, cornea, valves. Doesn't run but walks well."
At this time in 2002, construction was underway on a building on Main Street, formerly the site of the Hotel Moses Van Campen and the former Baker and Bennett store. The lot had been vacant for several years, until March 14, 2002, when owners Dean and Beverly Ribble started the first dirt moving. When construction began, gas prices in Benton were $1.25 for unleaded. When construction was finished, D.R.'s QuickMart was the result.
"Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves."
--Abraham Lincoln
April 4, 2006. Robert Hough, Orangeville, celebrates his 69th birthday. Bob lives in Orangeville and is a retired dairy farmer from the Cambra/New Columbus area. Fawn (Hubler) Jolly and Guy Hubler celebrate their 40th birthday today.
On this date in 1818, Congress decided the flag of the United States would consist of 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars, with a new star to be added for every new state of the Union. On this date. Martin Luther King Jr., 39, (1926-1963), was assassinated by a rifleman at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis.
The subject of Neighborhood Watch seems to have area-wide interest as two dozen residents of the Borough and a sprinkling of residents from adjacent townships showed up Monday night for a general discussion as part of the Town Council session. A follow-up meeting will take place next Monday night.
The Town Council last night by vote of four yes (Klem, Little, Jankowski, McCormick), two no (Laubach and Hess) and one absent (Hartman), voted to enter a contract-signing stage with the Benton Rodeo Association for a fifty-year lease of the "rodeo grounds." This action should result in the local riders taking the necessary steps for improvement of the rodeo grounds, including possible sewer connection, construction of permanent bathroom facilities, the possibility of hookups for camping, and other projects that were never a possibility before based on long-term rental uncertainty.
No action was taken by Town Council on the question of the acquisition of a golf cart for use by the Maintenance Department. PennDot advised that "golf carts are not given registration; therefore they cannot be operated on the roadways. They are not given registration because they will not pass safety inspection requirements."
Some of the kids who played on the covered bridge in Forks while they waited for the school bus in the late 40's remember the game called Red Rover, sort of a group game of tag. The game called for players divided into two teams, lined up facing each other about 25 to 50 feet apart. Each side took turns calling "Red Rover, Red Rover, let (insert name) come over." At that signal, the player whose name was called ran from his line and tried to break through the line of opponents, who had all joined hands. If he broke through, he could take one opponent of his/her choice back with him to his team. If he did not break through, he must join the other team. The team to add all the other players on its side first, or which had the most players at the end of a designated time period, won. When one team was down to only one player, the game was officially over.
Bob Edwards remembers those mornings "waiting for bus owner Ken Musselman or driver Warren Rhinard inside the Forks bridge, since it was only about a half mile walk for me." Bob lived across from the Forks store of Neil S. Harrison, Bob's grandfather.
Bob remembers playing tag while cars and trucks traversed the bridge and now that he is a retired educator, he fondly looks back and calls it "an exciting game" and added a last thought: "I can imagine what the drivers were thinking as kids would dart in front of a vehicle to avoid being tagged."
The bigger boys tried to get bats to fly from the upper parts of the bridge. Bob remembers that "we never seemed to eliminate any and there were hordes of them hidden away in the cracks. One favorite place was between the 'weight capacity' sign overhead the entrances on the gable of the roof."
Sue Lucas remembers playing Red Rover in 1960/61 when she was in second and third grades at Picture Rocks school. Sue's children grew up in the United Kingdom, but didn't play the game. Sue's husband did play Red Rover as a playground game in England when he was growing up. Sue and her classmates also played Crack the Whip in long chains and wonders if these games are considered too dangerous or violent these days.
The game is a lot like the game of Anthony Over (or Antiover) that was played at the school house on Market Street prior to the fire of 1910. The game of antiover was played like this: students would get on each side of the schoolhouse and they threw a ball over the house to the other people. Then whoever caught the ball ran around the house and tried to tag one person from the opposing side.
There was another game played with a woolen ball which was called sock-about, hitting a player with the ball, and when the ball became well soaked up in wet weather you knew when the thrower hit you. Long Tom or Town Ball was another diversion, since baseball was at that time unknown here. The Market Street covered bridge in the Borough on a rainy day also made a good place to play.
If you use a laptop with Windows XP installed, you may have trouble finding the curser. It is easy to locate your cursor by touching the CTRL key. To enable this feature, go to Start|Control Panel and click the Mouse icon. Select the Mouse Properties and Pointer Options tabs and check "Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key." If only I could find a gimmick like that for my car keys...
The Benton High School Class of 1944 will meet Wednesday, April 5, for an 11:30 AM lunch at the Brass Pelican Restaurant, Elk Grove. For more information contact Jessie Whitenight, 925-2301, or Frank Brink, 784-4636.
For the sportsmen...
Fishing season begins Saturday, April 15. Didja know that the state has 4,000 lakes and ponds and 83,000 miles of streams--and we haven't even mentioned fishing in Lake Erie.Pennsylvania's one-day youth spring gobbler hunt will be April 22. The following Saturday, the general spring gobbler season begins on April 29 and runs until May 27. Spring gobbler season shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise until noon. Hunters must have at least 100 square inches of fluorescent orange when in the woods.
For the kids...
The North Mountain Fire Company Easter egg hunt will be held on Saturday, April 15, at noon.
Baking powder doesn't last forever. If you are not sure of the age of your baking powder, drop a generous pinch into a little warm water. If it fizzles or bubbles it is still good. If it sinks to the bottom of the glass, it is time to buy a fresh container.
April 3, 2006. It is the birthday of Helen Raski and Kim Fantanarosa. A family for whom the Fourth of July holds special meaning also celebrate a number of birthdays today and tomorrow. Charlotte (Hubler) Kingsbury is 38 today, and her younger twin brother and sister, Jeff and Jennifer Hubler, are 35. We'll also mention that tomorrow, April 4, Fawn (Hubler) Jolly and Guy Hubler will celebrate the big 40. Yes, that's three Hublers on the third and two on the fourth.
On this date in 1973, Martin Cooper placed the first phone call from a portable device, a behemoth ten inches high, three inches deep and an inch and a half wide. The "shoe-box phone" weighed 30 ounces. On this date in 2005, the area was a tad soggy, following two inches of rain that fell the previous day.
A reader asked for the list of the 2006 Board of Directors of the Bloomsburg Hospital. They are Chairman -- Susan M Hill, Esquire; Vice Chairman -- John R. Thompson; Secretary -- Richard M. Angelo, Ph.D.; Treasurer -- Glenn E. Halterman; Alex J. Dubil, Ed. D.; Lucille F. Lukas; M. Paige Raski; George A. Turner; Francis. J. Welk, PT, DPT; Pamela A. Young; Jose F. Derr, DO; Paul A. Saloky, DO; Regis P. Cabonor, CEO.
The Benton Town Council meets tonight at the Benton Fire Station and takes up several issues important to the future of the Borough, including a Neighborhood Watch program and the future home of the Benton Rodeo. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
On Wednesday of this week, at two minutes and three seconds after one in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06! That won't ever happen again.
Are you a TV junkie? Go to http://www.tvguide.com/listings/ and set your lineup for daily TV watching. You can configure it and then add it as a favorite on your browser.
The name "dandelion" comes from the resemblance of one of the leaf spikes of this plant to the tooth of a lion, said in French dent de lion. Dandelions are sprouting all over our area, and while most of us think of them as weeds, they also make wonderful eating. Dandelion leaves contain twice as much calcium as spinach, more vitamin A and E than broccoli and high amounts of iron, riboflavin and lecithin. Put them under a hot bacon dressing and you have a feast.Although we suspect that few regular reader of the Benton News knew Ronnie Hicks, the blind "picker" we have written about twice recently, many readers have thanked us for telling about his final days. Ronnie Keith Hicks, 52, Rogers Drive, Boone, North Carolina, died March 27, 2006. He was born August 7, 1953 in Banner Elk, a son of the late Dewey and Margie Love Hicks. Ronnie was a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church and was a well known local bluegrass and gospel musician. He was a member of the Cove Creek Ramblers and volunteered at the Project on Aging for the past 39 years. Ronnie was especially proud of his Volunteer of the Year Award recognizing his contributions to the citizens and agencies of Watauga County, North Carolina.
We promised to write about the funeral. Services were conducted Thursday morning at 11 o'clock at a small Baptist Church in the Beech Creek area where he grew up. Burial followed in the Beech Valley Baptist Church cemetery. Budd Glen, a retired chemistry professor from Appalachian State University, told us that "the entire service and surroundings were reminiscent of America a hundred years ago. Budd described the service as "quaint and effective." The church could hold "about 80 people and about 75 showed up for the service." Ronnie's three sisters and two brothers were there.
Three different preachers--the Rev. Harvey Presnell, the Rev. Arvil Hardy and the Rev. Quincy Norris--gave some remarks. Doc Watson opened the service by singing two songs while accompanying himself on the guitar. The bluegrass group from Avery and Watauga counties in western North Carolina, Southern Accent, rolled out their banjo, rhythm guitar, mandolin, fiddle and upright bass, and played three songs. Budd said that they "were great because they played in a subdued fashion even though Gary Trivette was there with his banjo." Gary sang I Want to Stroll Over Heaven with You (Listen to the music here) and the group did Now When I Die on the Battlefield, "I'll See Eternity. After the service, the entire procession walked to the cemetery, "which is just up the hill from the church." Budd promises us a visit to the cemetery later this month when we visit the area.
I want to stroll over heaven with you some glad day,
When all our troubles and heartaches have truly vanished away.
There we'll enjoy all the beauty where all things are new,
I want to stroll over heaven with you.
Sunday, April 2, 2006. We celebrate the birthday of Congressman Paul Kanjorski today. Over in Cambra, it is a big day as Avis Young McHenry turns 85 and her son-in-law Scott Thomas celebrates his birthday. We had hoped to have a surprise for Avis today. Grant and Mary Conrad recently saw the Mickey Finn Band in Homosassa Springs, Florida, and reminded us that Avis' husband, Jim McHenry, had once loaned his piano to Mickey and Cathy Reilly Finn for a local performance. We immediately contacted Mickey Finn and asked if he would write a birthday letter to Avis. With regret, his card did not arrive by her birthday. Anyway, we are going to devote this issue to Avis, the former post master of Cambra. We'll cover a couple of other subjects and then get into a subject that is near and dear to Avis.
Tonight at Christ the King Church the speaker is from Christ United Methodist Church and the music is by the Benton United Methodist Church.
Sgt. Scott Price, Commanding Officer of the Bloomsburg State Police Barracks, will attend the discussion of the Neighborhood Watch Monday night during the Benton Town Council meeting. Whether the measure is passed or not, it is important that everyone is alert, know your neighbors and watch out for each other, report suspicious activities and crimes to the police, and learn how you can make yourself and your community safer.
Thoughts for the Day...
. Most of the time people get what is coming to them--unless it is mailed!. Bad news doesn't travel fast, not if you mail it.
. Mail clerks are very considerate. Packages marked "fragile" are usually thrown underhand.
As the son of a former rural mail carrier (R.D. #3, Benton), I have always had great love for the postal system. I grew up helping sort mail in the car "on the fly," placing rubber bands around mail as it was passed across the passenger seat, through the open window and into a mail box that was either placed too high, too low or too far from the car window. I always got car sick as I helped Father on his "route," since I stayed in the back seat where the cigar smoke and the dust from the back roads swirled and irritated. Father and I would help farmers make their hay seconds before a violent storm would have ruined a second cutting of winter feed, then we would continue on the route as quickly as possible so that Father could get home for the evening chores on the farm. So bear with me for the rest of today as we talk about the U.S. Postal System for the benefit of Avis. We'll get specific about our own area, too.
We often talk about the postal system in the early days of our area, but we rarely go back to when the average road was just an opening through the forest. We do hint at the delivery of mail after 1812 in some of the FEATURES presentation of stories about the Susquehanna & Tioga Turnpike. A rhyme that typified the postal service at that time went like this...
Three times a week, by nimble geldings drawn
A stage arrives, but scarcely designs to stop
Unless the driver, far in liquor gone,
Has made some business for the blacksmith shop.Our early history usually picks up when roads were just becoming passable. For the record, the Continental Congress created the United States Postal Service in July, 1775. The "Post Office Act" formed a line of "posts" from Maine to Georgia.
Benjamin Franklin was the first to head the service at the salary of $1,000 a year and he also received an additional $340 for a "secretary-controller. Franklin left his post when he went to France in 1776. His replacement was a man by the name of Ebernezer Bache.
When the Constitution was adopted, Article 1, Section 8, stated that the Congress shall have the power to "establish post offices and post roads." We wonder if anyone could ever have imagined what the system would grow into; i.e., in 1789, the year that Washington took his oath as President, there were only 75 post offices in the thirteen states! Pittsburgh received its first regular mail by horseback in 1788. By 1791, the Philadelphia post office occupied only one room in a private dwelling.
While we think of travel north and south along the Susquehanna River as heavy, the route from Harrisburg north through Halifax, "Selins Grove," Sunbury and ending in Northumberland had riders leaving Harrisburg every Sunday and Wednesday at 4 AM and they arrived in Northumberland the next day at 11 AM. (The exact year of this route could not be exactly determined.) Postal delivery further up the Susquehanna was a tad slower. In 1859, mail was delivered between Danville and Northumberland six days a week, leaving Danville at 4 AM and arriving at Northumberland at 7 AM. The return trip began when the mail arrived from Harrisburg about 7 PM, arriving in Danville about 10 PM.
Here are some dates of the establishment of post offices: 1788, Pittsburgh; 1793, Harrisburg; 1795, Northumberland, Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport; 1800, Milton, Muncy, Berwick; 1801, Danville; 1802, Catawissa; 1807, Bloomsburgh; 1810, Towanda; 1822, Cambra; 1826, Espy and Jerseytown; 1827, McDowell's Mills; 1830, Rohrsburgh; 1831, Montoursville; 1835, Benton; 1836, Hazleton; 1840, Millville; 1858, Eyers Grove.
Before you email or call on the phone to correct the spelling of "Bloomsburgh," remember that the town name changed to Bloomsburg February 5, 1894. And for those who are wondering about "McDowell's Mills, the name was changed to Light Street September 8, 1841. The first postmaster in Orangeville was Clement G. Ricketts. "Rohrsburgh" was changed to Rohrsburg in 1893. Eyers Grove was established as "Williversville," and the name was changed in 1866. Established in 1822 as "Columbus," the name of the post office was changed in 1830 to "Cambra." John Koonz was the first post master.
Benton's first postmaster was Daniel Hartman, appointed to the position April 25, 1835. Benton was a delivery station on a mail route from Fairmount Springs to Taneyville, in Lycoming County. Coles Creek was a delivery station on the same route. The forty or so mile route was "walked daily, winter and summer, by James Parks and his son, Oren."A mail route connecting Pealertown, Stillwater, Coles Creek, Central and Division was operating in 1852.
Beginning about 1870, the Cambra Stage carried mail to and from Bloomsburg once daily. A Star Route from Laporte, Sullivan County, to Forks, served the Benton station. We are not certain where the post office was located during this period, although early maps show it just above the present Everett Street (then known as Broad Street.)
A post office was established at Raven Creek in 1872 with Peter Laubach as its first postmaster. A carrier started from Central and made stops at Coles Creek, Benton, Stillwater and Forks. At Forks, it waited for the Cambra mail that came via Bloomsburg.
The Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad was operating as a postal carrier as far as Benton in 1887, furnishing mail, freight and passenger service to communities along its route. The railroad into Jamison City was completed the following year. The rail service to Jamison City ended on June 26, 1926. When the railroad discontinued its passenger- and mail-delivery service, a Star Route operated from Bloomsburg to Benton providing twice a day truck delivery to the Benton office and points between.
The Benton Post Office currently maintains five Benton routes and one Stillwater route.
--Information from the National Archives, the Northumberland Historical Society, and our own archives.
It is April Fool's Day, April 1, 2006. Happy birthday in Mount Morris, New York, to Dorothy Passamonte and happy wedding anniversary in Benton to Phil and Jackie Malhoyt.
Terry Hack, Stillwater, officially starts his retirement today after working for PennDOT for thirty-five years. We wish Terry the best in the coming years as he hangs up his hard hat and prepares for the dreaded "honey-do list." We wish Terry many happy and healthy years into retirement, and we wish wife Rose the best as she adjusts to having Terry around the house all the time.
It would not be April 1 without a story and we have one about the island nation of San Serriffe, located in the Southern Indo-Pacific Ocean.
Ira Ricketts McHenry, 92, formerly of Benton, York and Danville, died November 24, 2005, at Masonic Village, Elizabethtown, PA. There will be a short memorial service at the Benton Christian Church today at 11 AM. Interment of Ira's ashes will be at the Benton Cemetery at 11:45 AM following the church services. The public is invited.
Quickies...
. Friday's Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. has a 2005 trade deficit with China of $201.62 billion, up more than 20% from 2004.
. Don't forget the auction of firearms today at 9:30 at the Benton Volunteer Fire Company. George S. Kapp, Jr. will sell approximately 200 firearms, including handguns and military rifles. Remember that all upcoming local auctions are shown on the side panel under UPCOMING EVENTS.
. Daylight saving time begins officially at 2 AM Sunday.
. We are always happy that we can sleep on what we intend to do rather than stay awake all night over what we did.
. Don't forget the movie, the Passion of Christ, tonight at the Benton United Methodist Church.Several area residents took inexpensive flights on Hooters Air out of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and found it to be an uplifting experience. One rider told us it was the only airline where passengers watched the "seat belt demonstration." Now, however, Hooters will ground all of its regularly scheduled flights in April and will continue to operate only as a charter airline, flying out of Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem, according to The Sun News.
In those times when you quickly need to find a phone number and you don't access to the internet, we don't recommend that you call 411. Call 1 800 411-SAVE instead. It is completely free, but you will have to listen to a short advertisement. You'll get a couple of options once the number has been located. You can listen to the number, repeat the number, or even have the number sent to your mobile device via text message. Once you have gone through the options, if you forget the number and call 1 800 411-SAVE from the same phone the automated voice will ask if you'd like to repeat the information from your most recent call. Add the number 1 800 411-7283 to your address book.
On March 10, I wrote about Ronnie Hicks, Deep Gap, North Carolina, a blind musician I had the pleasure of both hearing and meeting. Ronnie was a "picker," loved to play the banjo or anything else with a string. Ronnie had a series of seizures and a doctor told him that he had a brain tumor. Ronnie died Monday night, the music in him silenced forever. Although you probably don't know diddly about Ronnie we had to wait until the tears dried in our eyes before we could tell you about it.
Ronnie Hicks had his priorities right. He said that his banjo, a moon pie and a bottle of pop headed his list of priorities.
Two months ago, a malignant brain tumor was removed. Money for the operation and for the recovery period was an issue, so Ronnie was eventually moved from the hospital to a "Senior Center." We received several emails from musicians who visited Ronnie folowing his operation. One report told of numerous visitors singing hymns and playing favorite bluegrass songs in his room as Ronnie lay in the bed, unspeaking, unseeing, a faint smile on his face. Several asked Ronnie to autograph the heads of their instruments. Doc Watson simply hung his head and said he was an "all-right guy and that he would miss him. So will we, and so will his guitar, his Daddy’s banjo, his dobro, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer and autoharp, piano and organ.
