February 2008 #89

A Former President Visits Punxsutawney

Taft Speaks at the High School, Jefferson Theatre St. Adrian’s Roman Catholic Church painting by Kelly Porada photo by George Powers

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By S. Thomas Curry streets blowing horns and waving a speaking engagement on the topic. of Hometown magazine American flags. It was a big celebration Readers who are students of the or several years Groundhog Day on that November 11, and an “official” American Presidents will remember that and Punxsutawney have been parade and celebration was held the next President Taft lost re-election in 1912 given a huge boost of publicity as day. As a result of the end to the war, when Teddy Roosevelt broke from the a result of comedian/celebrity Bill Americans could go about their life and Republican Party to run on the nominaMurray’s appearance in town business in peace. tion by the new prior to the filming of the movie The active YMCA, in N a t i o n a l “Groundhog Day” Progressive Party, in 1993. More the nicknamed recently, another "Bull Moose" celebrity, Chef party. Democrat Irvine Robert Woodrow Wilson from the Food won the 1912 presNetwork program idential election. and cable televiPresident Taft was sion’s “Dinner scheduled to speak Impossible” made in Punx’y at 8:15 a special appearp.m. on January 9, ance in Punx’y to 1919. The time was set to allow the p r e p a r e streetcar company to use their schedGroundhog Day ule to bring people from “suburban breakfast at the towns” to the theatre and to return Punx’y Country them immediately following the lecClub for selected ture. Taft would arrive in town in the guests.

East End section over the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania Railroad shortly after with fame by its 11 a.m., coming direct to Punx’y curious name and from attending the funeral of former with the For his lecture in Punxsutawney in 1919, former President William H. Taft was escort- President Teddy Roosevelt at Oyster Groundhog Day ed down Mahoning Street from the Pennsylvania Railroad station in East End to the Bay in New York. Mr. Taft was met of Attorney Jacob L. Fisher (inset, and at right in photo) where he was hostSeer of Seers (as residence by the superintendent of the ed by the family. well as being a - Continued on next page booming new city on the “grow”), has its new building on the corner of North often been a favorite stop for celebrities, Findley Street and Pine Street, had On the Cover entertainers, lecturers, athletes, and scheduled the appearance of former more. Allow me to give a report of President William Howard Taft for Adrian Painted Red another visit long ago by a special perOctober 16, 1918 as a part of its lecture son of interest in this month of February, series, but the date had to be postponed “Mrs. Iselin, the pious and Presidents’ Month. because of the prevalence of the Spanish charitable wife of Adrian Iselin, In January, 1919, the Jefferson Theatre Flu at that time. The people would wait on North Findley Street in Punx’y, was of New York, will have erected until January 9 for his arrival (and his the location where a distinguished speech) in the Jefferson Theatre. at Adrian a Catholic church,” it American spoke to Punx’y area resiWilliam Howard Taft was the twentywas announced on May 30, dents. seventh President of the United States, 1888.

Just a couple months earlier in the fall serving from March 1909 to March 1913 of 1918 the townsfolk, like all following the two-term presidency of “Adrian is a very pretty town Americans countrywide, had gathered in Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Upon — for a coal town. It stands the streets to celebrate the end of World leaving the White House in 1913, Taft War I. The streets were crowded: served as a professor at Yale University. upon a hill, a ‘gentle hill, green throngs of people were yelling, He spent eight years teaching, writing, and of mild declivity,’” it was whistling and using all kinds of noiseand lecturing. When World War I broke reported in September, 1887. makers. Some people were in their out in Europe in 1914, he founded The “The entire town is painted red.” automobiles and drove around the League to Enforce Peace and set out on

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Taft Visits Punx’y Continued from previous page Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal and Iron Company, superintendent of the Punxsutawney schools F. S. Jackson, Dr. F. D. Pringle and some representatives of the YMCA. After a few minutes of greetings and cordialities he was taken to the home of attorney J. L. Fisher on West Mahoning Street (the house has since been demolished and is the site of Stewart’s Drug Store).

When the YMCA booked Taft as a speaker, he was considered one of three of the leading men of the United States.

His audience that night attracted a capacity 1,400 people in the theatre.

His topic was “Clinching the Purposes of the War,” the subject to which he had devoted much of his time, and which would lead to a national debate after World War I about the forming of a League of Nations.

Physically, Taft was always recognized by his size. He was a large man of six feet in height. At times during his presidency, he reached 340 pounds in weight, and is best remembered as the nation’s heaviest chief executive. When he appeared in Punxsutawney after his

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One of many dignitaries and celebrities who made appearances in Punxsutawney in the early 20th century was 27th President of the United States William Howard Taft. His visit in January 1919 was during the period between his Presidency and his position as Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court. He spoke to a capacity crowd in the Jefferson Theatre.

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Taft Visits Punx’y Continued from previous page

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Those people who had seen him described him as having a “clear, ruddy

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complexion of a healthy boy.” He impressed some as “a much younger man than they had pictured him.” Years later, a local woman who had seen him remembered he had worn the “baggiest trousers” she had ever seen on a man.

In reporting Taft’s speaking engagement, the Punx sutawney Spirit stated, “The majority heard and saw him for the first time, and the big, genial statesman, whose grasp of things American is so comprehensive, captivated that majority with a personality that is irresistible, and logic of such simplicity and clarity ...”

After the lecture more than half the audience of adults formed in line and marched across the stage to shake hands with the ex-President. Some in the audience remembered his big booming laugh that resonated in the theatre during the various conversations. The experience

surely had to have been a memorable one for those in attendance.

There were others in town who had gained memories, too. During the afternoon, prior to his lecture at the Jefferson Theatre, Taft spoke to the students of the high school about patriotism and “the duty the young men and women owed to their country...” The high school was located on North Jefferson Street and is now demolished. It occupied the space where the Hi-Rise Social Center currently stands.

Taft left the auditorium on the fourth floor of the building to be greeted by older elementary students in the halls.

From the balcony above them all he spoke briefly. He also visited each classroom of the very youngest in the lower grades to offer a few words.

The newspaper report about the talks at the school stated, “Although he kept the young people in an almost constant roar of laughter, he planted some seeds of wisdom that will doubtless bear fruit.”

Shortly after his retirement as Superintendent of Schools in Punxsutawney, F. S. Jackson in 1939 remembered the visit of former President Taft and said about him “He was a big man physically, but his head and his heart dwarfed even his great stature.”

After his visit to the school pupils, he was seen walking the streets with some local business men, at least walking a little as a regular practice to counter his appetite for food. Following his lecture that evening, Taft was escorted to the Jacob L. Fisher home on West Mahoning Street by Mr. Jackson to spend the night.

As Jackson remembered, “he went to his room to do some writing.”

Clear in the writer’s mind is the little story shared by the late Diane F. (Fisher) King, granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, who told of the circumstance whereby the Fisher family had to seek out at a local furniture store a larger chair for their home to accommodate the “bigness” of the former President.

The next morning, Taft went to Pittsburgh for another speaking engagement.

Two years after his visit to Punx’y, William Howard Taft became Chief Justice of the United States, nominated

by President Warren G. Harding in 1921.

He served in the position until his death in 1930 and is the only person ever to be President and Chief Justice.

•••

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938-8110 4 – Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008

Susan Glessner: Presiding Over Punx’y Borough Council

By Carole Milton Roberts of Hometown magazine usan Glessner is the current president of the Punxsutawney With Borough Council.

President’s Day this month, we thought it would be appropriate to interview Susan about her life and involvement with Borough Council.

Susan Glessner has spent most of her life living in the Punxsutawney area.

Born in Latrobe, she came to Punx’y when she was five years old. Susan’s parents were Paul and Maria Remek, who had a pretty interesting history themselves. Paul was trained as a draftsman and later fought in World War II. Interestingly enough, it was his wartime experience that led him to invent a camera cover for planes.

“He was a man ahead of his time,” Susan proudly stated.

When Paul was in the military, it was there that he met Maria Maximenko of Leningrad, a translator at the Nuremburg Trials, who later became his wife. They met, married, and came back here to live.

Susan’s mother was so happy to become a citizen of the United States, and Susan attributed her community involvement and pride in Punx’y to her

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parents who felt the same way.

Council two times since, and that will Susan is a gradube it for me. of ate Next month it Punxsutawney will be eight Area High School years [to be in and IUP, where B o r o u g h she majored in Art Council], and I Education.

She will be done in spent her time in two years. It’s the classroom time for someteaching at the one else to take DuBois Business on the job.”

College. At one “Susan is a time, she was very good perworking as the son to work Borough Secretary with,” Borough during the day and Manager Ben teaching at DBC at White stated. night. Eventually “She’s dedicatshe was asked to ed to working run for a seat on for the residents Borough Council. and taxpayers “At first I said, of town.”

‘No,’” said Ben went on to Glessner. “I didn’t explain how feel like I had the s o m e o n e time, and it’s hard becomes a to beat an incum- Susan Glessner currently presides over the member of Borough Council. (Photo by Carole bent. Anyway, I Punxsutawney B o r o u g h Roberts) lost the first time I Council. First, ran. Later, Jim Infantino left, and I was one needs to be a resident within the appointed. I have run for Borough borough and win through an election.

Elections for Borough Council are staggered so that seats are open every two years. Primaries are in the spring while general elections are in the fall. The term for a council member is four years. Council members vote amongst themselves to elect the president and vice-president for a two-year period.

There are seven seats within the Punxsutawney Borough Council, and these are currently occupied by Larry Chenoga, Mike Porada, Donna Lellock, Bob Reesman, Bill Spencer, Roger Steele, and Susan Glessner.

“We have a great council who works together,” Susan remarked of the current council. “We have a great momentum going right now, and we all want to see progress.” When I asked about what typically happens at a meeting of the Borough Council, Susan invited me to attend one and noted that meetings are open to the public.

So what do they discuss? In these meetings, monthly reports from committees are approved and projects are discussed. One of the biggest projects right now involves ATA. Not only that, but Susan said 2008 will be a very busy year for regular borough maintenance which will include the tarring and chipping of many roads as well as the stabilization of eroded stream banks which have caused flooding in places like Sawmill Run, Gaskill, and Scotland Avenues. Susan added that Sam Smith was instrumental in acquiring grant money for these projects.

Prior to council meetings, the committees meet in order to discuss issues.

Members are on at least two commit- Continued on next page

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Council it’s usually to try to improve the community,” Susan explained.

“That’s why we try to cooperate with other organizations in town to work together. It’s a big responsibility. We need to put personal feelings aside so it doesn’t interfere with our decision making.”

The one thing Susan would like the public to know is that they can call to talk to council members about questions they may have.

Susan lives with her husband Howard who just retired after 31 years of service in the Northeastern Regional Development Corporation. They live on old Indiana Street, where they have spent the last thirty years. Susan and Howard have a son, Alex, who is a doctor of forensic science and does DNA analysis for Pennsylvania Crime Labs

Continued from previous page tees, and there are quite a few of those.

Committees fall under the following categories: Public Service, Civil Service, Recreation, Building, Legal and Finance, Public Safety, and Public Works.

“It’s a business as well as a local government,” Susan added. “We have an excellent administrative staff. I am just one of seven members on Council. We are in the business of running a town, but its taxpayers’ money being used.

That’s one of the biggest challenges.

There is never enough money, but we don’t want to raise taxes and make it a burden on the public.”

“Whenever someone runs for Borough

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in Greensburg. They also have a daughter, Maresa, who is an environmental planner with Lee Simpson and Associates in DuBois.

When Susan isn’t busy with committee meetings and doing work for the Borough Council, she loves spending time with her granddaughter, Aubrey, and working in her gardens.

“We have both flower and vegetable gardens, but they’ve gotten smaller over the years,” she said, though, clearly, Susan puts a lot of time into her gardens.

Susan received the Garden of the Month award but was surprised by the honor. When asked what she liked about working in the garden, Susan said, “Sometimes it’s relaxing. I just enjoy being outside.” She went on to say that the challenge of maintaining a garden is keeping up with the weeds.

“It’s constant. You really need to be out once a week to devote time to it [the garden], and the weather around here is unpredictable.”

Just as a garden requires attention, Susan continues to devote her time and energy to the community—at least for another two years.

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(Editor’s Note: ‘From Our Past, ’ researched by S. Thomas Curry, features items of interest from past editions of Punx sutawney and area newspapers.)

February 14, 1900 — A citizens meeting was held in Municipal Hall Tuesday night for the purpose of taking action on the pantaloon factory for this place by outside parties. A committee was organized ... who will solicit subscriptions for the bonus asked. The firm who proposed to put in the plant asked for a suitable building and lot and they will employ about 200 laborers.

(Punx sutawney News)

March 10, 1871 — RETURNING Our lumbermen from Pittsburgh. A ready sale was found for all the lumber got to market. The prices are unsteady.

It is reported that pine timber sold from

8 to 16 cents per foot; hemlock from 4 to 6 cents; and boards from $16 to $20 per thousand feet.

(Punx sutawney Plaindealer) •••

CALL FOR A FREE RATE QUOTE. Local Geico agent Tim Hester (412) 364-7170 • (F) (412) 364-7183 (Yes my Grandmother owned Hesters’ Restaurant) Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, and features are not available in all states or in all GEICO companies. Government Employees Insurance Co. GEICO General Insurance Co. GEICO Indemnity Co. GEICO Casualty Co. These companies are subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. GEICO auto insurance is not available in MA. GEICO:Washington, DC 20076. © 2007 GEICO. The GEICO gecko image © GEICO 1999-2007

February 15, 1907 — While returning from the show at Punxsutawney Wednesday night, a sleigh with G. I. Davis and E. P. Weber, with their wives, was overturned while passing another sleigh, near Cloe. Beyond a general shaking up no serious injury was sustained by any of the party. (Big Run Tribune) February 27, 1894 — About ten coal digging machines, which are run by compressed air, and are small enough so that two men can carry them about, have been placed in the Adrian mines. One of them, we are informed, will do the work of six men, and they cheapen the cost of mining by about fifteen cents on the ton.

The miners do not like these iron diggers. (Punx sutawney Spirit) March 9, 1887 — The penmanship and drawing department of the Punxsutawney Normal Academy for the session of 1887, commencing April 18th, will be conducted by J. L. Greene, the prince of penman. No extra charge for plain business penmanship, but an additional charge will be made as follows: Ornamental Penmanship, $1; Pencil Drawing, $2; Pen Drawing, $3; Sign Painting, $5. (Valley News)

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Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008 – 7

Remembering the life and Times in the Adrian Mining Town

Adrian, a small town located several miles from Punxsutawney, once was a large bustling coal town with over 250 houses. (Photo courtesy of Punxsutawney Historical and Genealogical Society)

By Pat Giavedoni of Hometown magazine drian, a small town located several miles from Punxsutawney, once was a large bustling coal town with over 250 houses. These homes were built to house the many immigrants and their families who came to live and work in Adrian. Privies or outdoor bathrooms were built near each home, but almost all of the privies and many of the original homes have been demolished.

Adrian not only had homes for the miners but also a completely stocked company store, church, rectory, convent, school, hospital, a home called The Mansion and a post office. The town was self-sufficient.

Of all those buildings, only the post office, Mansion and the rectory remain standing.

Adrian has always been special to me as my husband, Ange, and his sister, Marie, were raised there. His mother, Anna, was born in Adrian. His father, Luigi, migrated from Italy and settled in Adrian after he and Anna married. Ange and Marie attended St. Adrian’s Roman Catholic School. Ange graduated in 1952 with exactly three members in his graduating class. The school closed after Marie graduated in 1955.

Rose (Bevak) Shambelin now lives in nearby Fairview, but her memories of Adrian are very strong. Rose was raised in

A

Adrian. Her parents were Ruby (Savarich) and Patsy Bevak. He was also called Charles, but his real name was Pasqualie Bevaque. She has no idea why he was called Charles, as it doesn’t sound like an Italian name.

Charles worked in the Adrian mines from the time he was sixteen, as child labor laws weren’t in effect then. Some young people of today work part-time. Unlike the young people of Adrian from the past, today’s generation gets to enjoy their young years.

Charles was injured in a mine accident, recovered and went back to work. On payday, there was always candy in his bucket for Rose. He died when he was 58 years old. Rosie’s mother never remarried and lived alone in her own home in Adrian until she died at the age of 89.

Throughout her life, Rose’s mother never complained about her lot in life. She just accepted things and coped with them to the best of her ability.

Laocadia (Pernicu) Kengersky, whose nickname is Lodga, was born on July 13, 1919 and will be 89 this year. She is one of the oldest residents of Adrian. Until recently, she was able to live in her home, the house she was married in, carefully watched over by her children and friends and surrounded by pictures of people she loves, her rosary beads and the Angel

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Statues given to her by those children and various games. Football was a favorite, but friends. some of the ones they devised themselves Lodga remembers the vendors in Adrian, were: stink (which involved the privies), coming to sell their wares. They came marbles, making and rolling hoops around from Punxsutawney selling fine linens and the square, kick the can, and buckety buck beautiful curtains. One gentleman came (“how many fingers up”). with a horse and buggy to sell big boxes of I don’t know if kids play these games crackers and cookies. today but if they are Her mother always interested in knowbought these so her ing how to play, I children and the chilknow the rules. dren in the neighborIn the winter, of hood could have an course, they would afternoon snack. No always sled ride. vendors ply their They were never wares in the town of bored or idle and Adrian today. were busy all the Wouldn’t it be nice, time. Mickey and though, just to walk Patsy both graduatout your front door ed from Adrian High and select the items School.

Mickey you needed for supbecame known for per? That would be a her cooking and much simpler life. baking and she and Throughout her Patsy catered wedmother’s and father’s dings for many lives, Lodga never years.

Giavedoni Family — Luigi, Anna, Angelo and heard them complain The Elsie (Gomola) Marie. (Photo Courtesy of Angelo Giavedoni) about anything.

Hettish was born in Times were tough when she and her brothAdrian on March 29, 1927 and will be 81 ers and sisters were small and tough when this year. When she married John Hettish, she and her husband, Ed, started their life also an Adrian resident, they moved to together. Like her parents, Lodga never Punx’y. He has been deceased for a numcomplained, either, and ber of years. She lives doesn’t to this day. alone watched over by Patsy Mesoraco and her daughters, but she Mickey (Kolson) has traveled to Texas to Mesoraco live in the home see her son. they purchased when the Elsie’s dad worked in town of Adrian was sold to the Adrian mines and the residents. They have was killed on February fond memories of their 13, 1933 when he was Christmas holidays. Patsy 35 years old and Elsie and his dad would go to the was just five. She had area known as the orchard, four brothers and one chop down a tree and bring sister. it home. Today a lot of Like other widows in people purchase an artifiAdrian, Elsie’s mother, cial tree.

Mary, never remarried When presents were but made the best life given out, they each usualpossible for herself and ly received only one. Patsy her children.

Mary remembers his being a baked every day and Chinese Checker Game learned how to make and Mickey knows she got these wonderful, timea coloring book and consuming cookies crayons. Gift-giving at called Twists.

This Christmas time is totally process took all day. different today.

She baked Twists for Empty lots in Adrian were Edward and Laocadia (Lodga) every holiday and all her October 6, 1945 (Photo children’s and relatives called squares. Each square Kengersky, Courtesy of the Kengersky family) had a name and the most weddings. popular one was called Madison Square.

Elsie’s daughter, also named Mary, is the The children would gather there to play - Continued on next page

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Remembering Adrian

living there. Her daughter, Mary Anne, who is of a younger generation, enjoys living there too. She loves the peacefulness of the town and doesn’t worry about her children when they are out playing. She tries to carry on the old traditions as she fears we are losing them. At Easter time, a table is set for deceased members of the family and her husband, Sam, the head of the house-

Continued from previous page only one who can make them taste like her grandmother’s. One day during her Christmas and Easter Holiday is set aside to make the Twists.

Elsie thinks about all the progress that has been made in the country since she was young. Her mother got the second phone in Adrian. Today each of Elsie’s grandchildren has a phone of their own.

Dorothy (also known as Dodo) (Marajda) Pisarcik, Helen and Anne Marajda, and Dorothy’s daughter, Mary Anne Baker, and I met at Mary Anne’s home in Adrian. Mary Anne lives in a newly built house.

When Helen and Anne went to grade school, neither one of them spoke English, so a nun taught them the language. The church was the focal point of the community, and the choir sang for all the services. Helen and Dorothy still sing in the choir every Sunday.

The original post office for Adrian was located in the nearby town of Crawfordtown and was called Immigrants and their families came to live and work in the Delancey. After the mines opened, it coal mines located in Adrian. (Photo courtesy of was moved to Adrian. In 1974, Punxsutawney Historical and Genealogical Society) Dorothy became postmaster of hold says a prayer over the food. She is Adrian. At that time, the post office, a onelearning to make Easter Paska and nut roll. story wooden building, was at the bottom At Easter she will place a small salt box of the hill leading up to Adrian. This was containing a serving of replaced in later years by salt inside the basket and a small trailer located in cover the basket with her the middle of town. In grandmother’s cover.

1985, a new post office She will take the basket was built on that site. It is to Church to follow the still in operation today. old tradition of the Dorothy retired in 2003 Blessing of Food by the after working for 30 Priest. years.

These two generations Mary Anne remembers of women treasure their watching her grandma memories of their parbake bread. She would ents who began this famhave on her long dress, ily, the kindness of the her apron and a colorful people of Adrian and the babushka on her head. happy times of their Mary Anne would pinch childhood. off pieces of the dough to eat. Her grandmother Elsie Gomola, age three, and Andrew Monsignor Karg, a forwould see this, shake a Gomola, age five, in Adrian during late mer Pastor at St. Adrian’s wooden spoon at her and 1930's. (Photo Courtesy of Elsie Roman Catholic Church said, “My Heart will yell in Slovak. Mary Gomola Hettish) always be in Adrian”.

Anne didn’t understand a word but knew You might move away from Adrian but it she was being scolded for eating the is never far from your heart. It is always dough. your Holy Hill, your Svata Gora, your Dorothy lived away from Adrian, but home. moved back and will never leave. She loves •••

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Punxsutawney, as a little village around the ‘town square’ in the mid 18th century, is represented in the artist‚s lithograph drawings (1878). At left is the residence of widow Mrs. Edwin Little located on corner of E. Union St. at South Jefferson St.; at right is residence of Capt. John Bell which had been located on E. Union where now is the Public Memorial Library. (Drawings from Caldwell’s Illustrated History of Jefferson County)

Changing Times in Punx’y’s Past Point to a Brighter Future G

By S. Thomas Curry of Hometown magazine roundhog Day 2008 in Punxsutawney has passed and the prognostication is for six more weeks of winter, as we understand only “Phil’s shadow” can tell us. More winter — or an earlier arrival of spring — has been tradition in our region since the mid-1800s.

In a sentence or two, the weekly newspapers would make note of the day, and life would go on. There was no big celebration or no parties until the early 1900s, when the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club took charge of getting the word out to draw attention to our town.

Times changed.

Local residents can take credit for conducting one of the biggest and happiest town parties of the winter around the country, and it is heartwarming to hear and read the accolades about the great time visitors have had in our friendly little hometown.

In the 1890s, the combined population of Punxsutawney and Clayville boroughs was about 6,000 people, with Punx’y twice the size of Clayville, at 4,000. The surrounding townships and towns would include an additional 7,000 people.

The men who initiated the local Groundhog Day celebration then would have seen many changes in the town from their childhood to their years as contributing adults in business and industry.

An interesting poem written in 1887 by a J. C. Stock described the changes experienced over the fifty years since the1830s.

Titled “When You and I Were Boys,” it reads in part: Behold! What changes time wrought, What agents it employ s, No natural gas by us was bought When y ou and I were boy s.

has

The ladies used no chewing gum, They wore no corduroy s.

On temp’rance questions they were mum When y ou and I were boy s.

We had no base ball play ing then, And v ery few v ice-roy s, We had no bicy cles for men When y ou and I were boy s.

With minerals our farms were stored, Which mak e us now rejoice, But all this wealth was unex plored - Continued on next page

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The changing times in Punxsutawney history can be seen in the contrasting views of West Mahoning Street at South Gilpin Street. At left is the corner with older buildings in a circa 1900 photo. At right is the look many older residents will remember as captured in a late 1940s photo.

Caldwell (about where Wendy ’s is today ). An old log house stood in a field north of the eastern part of the village; this was the first house erected on the site of Punxsutawney.

“The school house of the village and neighborhood and our only place of public worship, stood near the rear of the Baptist Church (located then on North Jefferson Street where now is the Hi-Rise Building, and formerly Altman’s Pontiac Garage). In front of the school house, where the street is now located (North Findley Street and the Army & Nav y Club), ran the highway, leading past the old - Continued on next page

Changing Times Continued from previous page When y ou and I were boy s.

We now liv e in a golden age, Giv e telephone a v oice; Electric lights our minds engage Since y ou and I were boy s.

In 1894, George M. Slaysman, who came to Punx’y with his parents in 1835 as a young teenager, shared his memory of the town as it was before he left it in 1851. The town in his mind was centered around the town square (Barclay Square), a part of the original eight squares laid out for the future village by Rev. David Barclay in the decade of the 1820s.

Following is how Slaysman, “among the old gentlemen,” remembered it for a local newspaper, (with additional information to help readers find their way around the town as we know it today): “....A large, well built, frame dwellinghouse (of Charles Barclay ) stood where the Hotel Pantall now stands. Westward a quarter mile or more (bey ond Gilpin Street) was a small one-story house known as the Hess property; the next below was the residence of the Hon. James Winslow. (These two were not regarded as in town, but below town.)

From the Pantall corner southward (toward Mahoning Creek ) there were no houses, nor south of the Public Square.

There was one house on the corner east of Dr. Shields’ store which subsequently became a hotel kept by Abram Weaver (corner across from the park where ERA Powell and the fountain are located). On the corner where now stands the George Zeitler estate (park ing lot opposite the Pantall Hotel) there was a dwelling house with a store room in the west end.

“Dr. John W. Jenks had a store room on the opposite corner, southward, (where is now the Council Chambers of the Civ ic Center) below which, east of the public square, were three or four dwellings.

Between Dr. Jenks’ corner and the creek (and now also the East End Bridge) was but one house, a log building, a hotel on the bank of the creek kept by a Mr. Caldwell. Passing southward on Water Street there was but one house, the residence of Mr. Barclay known as Grandpa Barclay, a Presbyterian minister (Rev. Dav id Barclay, town founder).

“Northward (toward the Groundhog Plaza) on the same street were four or five dwellings, and on the opposite side of the street a blacksmith shop owned by Josiah

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Changing Times Continued from previous page

graveyard. On the east side of this road, about half way down from the graveyard,, was a dense growth of alder and other saplings. On the west side from the school house (where the Weather Discov ery Center and the Elk s building are), northward was an open field, the playground of the school. Punxsutawney was somewhat condensed.”

A newspaper story in 1906 recalled the words of a visitor to the area in 1857 when he explored where Punxsutawney was laid out. He wrote: “...we find ... a town of considerable size, enterprise and intelligence, containing a dozen to twenty stores, four or five churches, three or four good hotels, together with numerous places of entertainment of lesser note, flouring, saw mills, etc. This place is destined, if ever the iron horse makes his way to the region, to be a place of considerable business ...being as it is, a kind of central mart for the trade of a considerable scope of surrounding country...The people are active, enterprising and industrious, with a slight sprinkling of what might be termed “fast.”

During the August 1909 Punxsutawney Old Home Week, there were a great many of the town’s old-timers stepping up to offer their “recollections” of the former little village that burst into prosperity during the late 19th century.

Phillip Sharah, who had left the town at age 17, had offered his opinion that “Punxsutawney had hardly entered the first stages of civilization” then. Another old-timer, William Davis, recalled the 1830s and stated he was “not particularly impressed with the place as a permanent abode.” But, for lack of money to move on, he stayed in Punxsutawney and made a success of his life here as a businessman.

The early pioneers would bear some difficult economic times before they would see the progress from the industrial and business climate that developed as the 19th century ended An interesting newspaper article appearing in the Spring of 1890 would give evidence of the hope and confidence of the people who saw a new Punxsutawney on the horizon.

The editor of the Punxsutawney News presented his list of “A Few Advantages of Punxsutawney and Clayville: Two banks, Natural gas, Good hotels, Plank roads, Street lights, Two railroads, Public square, Two weekly papers, Three flouring mills, Telegraph facilities, Two express companies; First class fire protection, Incandescent electric lights, No. 1 fire company, Brick manufacturing works, Excellent shipping facilities, Five first class planing mills, Good schools and good teachers; Adequate system of water works, Two foundry and machine shops, Abundance of all kinds of lumber, Inexhaustible supply of bituminous coal, Weather signals displayed every morning, Telephonic communication with neighboring towns, and Plenty of good stores and shops of every description.”

After the celebration in 1909, a lengthy poem of four parts, presented in sixteen sections, appeared in 1910 in the Punx sutawney Spirit.

Written by Alexander T. Ormond, a philosophy professor at Princeton University, it present-

ed his orderly history of the town up to the big event in 1909. A section near the end of the poem reads, in part: “The longest winter some-day ends And y ields its icy clutch to spring Whose genial warmth will mak e amends And life once more to nature bring; And so on Punx sutawney dawned A day when new-born hope awok e And stretching forth her magic wand Misfortune’s fell enchantment broke.

And v isions of an untold worth Of new resources that still lay Deep in the bowels of the earth Held promise of a better day, When lumber camp to mine would y ield, And iron horse with lungs of steam Lead enterprise to wider field

- Continued on next page

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The view from an early 1900s postcard shows a blend of older buildings (center right) and the newer buildings erected between 1902 and 1905 as mining, railroad and related industries in the economy changed the look of the town from a village to a city.

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Punx’y Rotary Club Auction Returns Saturday, March 15; Blood Screening in April T

he Punxsutawney Rotary Club will be holding its annual radio auction from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. The auction will be broadcast live on two local radio stations, WPXZ 104.1 FM and KOOL 103.3 FM. To participate in the auction, bidders must call the Rotary Club members at 938-9164 throughout the day. During the auction, and for a period after it concludes, winning bidders can claim their goods at BFG Manufacturing Services located on Martha Street.

The annual Rotary auction was started in the 1970's by Charles M. Erhard Jr., a Rotarian and local radio station owner, who wanted to find a new and innovative way to raise funds and help the Punx’y area. It has become an annual event that many hundreds, if not thousands, of local residents look forward to for the chance at some bargains of donated items.

This year promises to be an exciting event. Photos of many of the items can be found online at: www.punxsyrotary.com.

Click on the auction tab at the top where complete listing will be posted.

The auction listing will once again be distributed inside the local newspaper.

Look for the four-page insert to be in the Wednesday, March 12 edition during the week prior to the auction.

The annual auction is the one and only fundraising event where the Rotary Club asks merchants, businesses, and local professionals for donations. The support of auction contributors and participants is critical to the overall success.

Without this multi-faceted help, the Rotary Club could not come close to meeting its financial goals.

The Rotary Club returns 100 percent of all auction proceeds to the community through the form of donations to local civic and youth athletic groups. In addition, others that receive benefits are local National Honor Society high school students and deserving seniors who receive thousands of dollars in scholarships to further their educational goals into college and other higher education locations. All told over 40 community groups directly benefit.

One other item that is now a fixture of the Punx’y community also resulted from money raised. The community Christmas tree that first appeared in Barclay Square during the 2006 holiday season was such an exciting project that it evolved into the 2007 project called the "Circle of Trees." The Circle of Trees allowed eleven non-profit groups the chance to claim cash prizes for decorating a Christmas tree and it received so many positive reviews. The Rotary Club is proud of that addition to the downtown district and the fact that the

Christmas tree and the Circle of Trees will be there for many years to come. In fact, 2008 will hopefully bring several more trees into the circle allowing more groups to be involved and making Punxsutawney a more exciting and beautiful location during the holiday season.

Another project the club will be involved with this spring is the annual multiphase blood testing program. Two dates in April - Saturday, April 19 and Saturday, April 26 — have been designated. The event will again be held in the Punx’y Middle School.

To register this year log on to the www.punxsyrotary.com website, as those wanting to register via this method can do so themselves online, any time of day or night.

Rotary members will be calling individuals that were tested in prior years during late March regarding the blood testing program for this year that are not already registered via the Internet.

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That would fulfill man’s wildest dream.

With leaps and bounds the old town grew Till all its compeers it outran, While to its ample breast it drew A sister to complete the plan, (referring to Clay v ille becoming a part of Punx sutawney.)

And e’en the unk empt public square Was rescued from the browsing cow, A sign of grace as fit as rare And seldom thought of until now.”

That group of men who established the local celebration of Groundhog Day as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at the beginning of the 20th century would certainly be in amazement in the changes that have occurred over 100 years since their “first hunt and party.”

Change is expected.

And there is change occurring for a new Punxsutawney that can develop as a result of the Groundhog Day tradition of the past. We sense excitement with new stores, the success of the Weather Discovery Center, the partnership with Indiana University of Pennsylvania and its plans in town, the Area Transit Authority and its plans, the interest of the PRDC to develop more land as industrial parks, and the ..., and the ...

The list goes on.

Push away the dark skies of winter.

Let’s use the brighter light of spring to see what is growing in our midst.

The changes point to better things to come.

•••

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Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008 – 13

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JCARC Run/Walk for Someone Special Event Planned for Sunday, April 6

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The annual Run/Walk for Someone Special is coming up on Sunday, April 6,

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Jennifer Roberts, Josh Golembiowski, John Orsich enjoying the 2007 Run/Walk. (Submitted photo)

2008. The Pittsburgh Pirates Parrot will be there to start the race.

All monies raised at this event are used to provide children and adults with disabilities from Jefferson County and the Dubois area a two-week long summer camp. The money also helps support our adult recreational and socialization program.

Registration begins at the Sykesville Town Hall at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, April 6;

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14 – Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008

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the race begins at 3 p.m. Anyone wishing to participate has the option to run or walk two-miles or run five-miles. Trophies and ribbons are awarded to finishers in a variety of age groups for both the 2-mile and 5-mile events.

In the Hall, there are also games, food, and prizes.

Anyone collecting $20 or more will receive a t-shirt.

Prizes are given to the top money collectors and anyone can enter the raffle for a chance to win $25 to $200.

Rosebud Mining has been a major contributor and event organizers would like to thank them, the other local businesses who contribute donations, and all the volunteers who help make this event possible.

Seeing the joy on the faces of the campers makes all the hard work and and the Pirate Parrot time dedicated worth it!

Everyone is encouraged to please come out and join the fundraiser.

Registration/collection forms are available in many local businesses attached to the Run/Walk poster. You can also obtain forms and information by contacting Erin Cameron at (814) 938-4416 or Pat Mowrey (814) 591-0949 or emailing run/walk@yahoo.com or patmowrey@yahoo.com. Information is also available at www.jcarc.org •••

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16 – Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008

Mon.-Sat. 9-9

The Fairman Centre – future home of Culinary School.

iUP expanding programs in Downtown Punx’y D

By Harry Zimbler courtesy Pa Business Central magazine owntown Punxsutawney received an economic shot in the arm in January when the Indiana University of Pennsylvania announced that it was expanding its program offerings there.

The Culinary School at IUP will move into the Fairman Centre, which will be completely renovated by the school. In addition to educational programs, the building will house retail space and student housing.

The Fairman Centre was purchased by IUP in 2006. In years gone by, the building housed a department store and retail shops, and was considered one of the most outstanding buildings in the state. Now it will be repurposed to accommodate growth at the Punxsutawney campus of IUP. The building is owned by the Foundation for IUP and will be operated by that organization.

“The building was crumbling,” said Valerie Trimarchi, who has served as dean of the IUP/Punxsutawney campus for the past 11 years. “Frankly, its future was as a parking lot. This is a great partnership between the university, community, and the Fairman family.”

Costs for the total building will run between $4 million and $5 million; and there will be 24,000 square feet of useable space.

Trimarchi commented that the student housing on the third floor will be used by students in IUP’s culinary-arts program. The facility will be geared primarily to the 35-plus students who will be entering the second-year culinary program – baking and pastries.

The university was able to receive and refurbish the building due to the gener-

ous $1.9 million gift of the Fairman family. It was among the largest single gifts ever received by IUP. This addition to the downtown is seen as a great win for both the university and Punxsutawney. It should prove to make an important contribution to the economic revitalization of that area.

In announcing the school’s plans to use the building for programming and housing, Trimarchi noted that this provides an important opportunity to preserve the town’s historic core, while at the same time moving the region forward.

Construction of the new Fairman Centre is expected to be completed by early 2009.

The Punxsutawney Regional Development Corporation and the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce turned the building over to the IUP in 2006. The Fairman’s gift was used to help leverage public monies from federal, state, and local sources – monies totaling $2.5 million.

The project is expected to create 60 new jobs in the downtown area.

Trimarchi described the IUP Punxsutawney campus as a freshman feeder program. “It’s like a freshman boot camp that gets students more prepared for college,” she noted. “We have about 300 students in the program who will go on to the main campus.

Culinary arts is a one-year certificate program. Some students then go on for a second certificate in bakery and pastries.”

•••

Over 8,000 copies of this edition printed and distributed.

George Washington First President 1789-1797 State Represented: Virginia Party Affiliation: Federalist Fact(s): In May 1775, Washington, one of Virginia's delegates, was elected commander in chief of the Continental Army.

Thomas Jefferson

Third President 1801-1809 State Represented: Virginia Party Affiliation: Democratic-Republican Fact(s): At age 33, he drafted the Declaration of Independence. He constructed his mountain top home, Monticello.

John Adams

Second President 1797-1801 State Represented: Massachussets Party Affiliation: Federalist Fact(s): His son, John Quincy, became president. He was the first Vice President.

William Henry Harrison Ninth President 1841 State Represented: Ohio Party Affiliation: Whig Fact(s): He was the first president to die in office.

James Madison

Fourth President 1809-1817 State Represented: Virginia Party Affiliation: Democratic-Republican Fact(s): Louisiana and Indiana became states during his term. He helped form the Bill of Rights.

Martin Van Buren

Eighth President 1837-1841 State Represented: New York Party Affiliation: Democratic-Republican Fact(s): He gave us the word "OK" or "Okay" which was an abbreviation for the name of his New York home "Old Kinderhook."

James Monroe

Fifth President 1817-1825 State Represented: Virginia Party Affiliation: Democratic-Republican Fact(s): He was the first president to ride a steamboat. He made the Monroe Doctrine.

John Tyler

Tenth President 1841-1845 State Represented: Virginia Party Affiliation: Whig Fact(s): Loved to play the violin.

His first wife died while he was president.

John Q. Adams

Sixth President1825-1829 State Represented: Massachussets Party Affiliation: Democratic-Republican Fact(s): His father was president.

James K. Polk

Eleventh President 1845-1849 State Represented: Tennessee Party Affiliation: Democrat Fact(s): He died from exhaustion and hard work soon after he left office.

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Millard Fillmore

Thirteenth President 1850-1853 State Represented: New York Party Affiliation: Whig Fact(s): He had eight brothers and sisters. His wife started the White House library collection.

Franklin Pierce

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James Buchanan

Fifteenth President 1857-1861 State Represented: Pennsylvania Party Affiliation: Democrat Fact(s): He was elected five times to the House of Representatives.

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Sixteenth President 1861-1865 State Represented: Illinois Party Affiliation: Republican Fact(s): He had to struggle for a living.

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Chester A. Arthur

Twenty-First President 1881-1885 State Represented: New York Party Affiliation: Republican Fact(s): Was a General in the Civil War.

Grover Cleveland

Twenty-Second & Twenty-Fourth President 1885-1889 & 1893-1897 State Represented: New York Party Affiliation: Democrat Fact(s): Angered the railroads by ordering an investigation.

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Twenty-Third President 1889-1893 State Represented: Indiana Party Affiliation: Republican Fact(s): He was the same height as James Madison. His grandfather was president.

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Thirty-First President 1929-1933 State Represented: California Party Affiliation: Republican Fact(s): He was a member of the Supreme Economic Council and head of the American Relief Administration.

William H. Taft

Twenty-Seventh President 1909-1913 State Represented: Ohio Party Affiliation: Republican Fact(s): He was the son of a distinguished judge. He preferred law to politics.

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Twenty-Eighth President 1913-1921 State Represented: New Jersey Party Affiliation: Democrat Fact(s): He was a good student in college.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower

Thirty-Fourth President 1953-1961 State Represented: New York Party Affiliation: Republican Fact(s): He was the first president to ride in a helicopter while president.

John F. Kennedy

Thirty-Fifth President 1961-1963 State Represented: Massachusetts Party Affiliation: Democrat Fact(s): He liked to swim. He represented Massachusetts in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

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Thirty-Sixth President 1963-1969 State Represented: Texas Party Affiliation: Democrat Fact(s): He signed a civil rights bill, established Great Society programs.

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Guild to Present ‘lost in Yonkers’

T

o launch its 33rd season of local theater productions, the Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild has chosen 'Lost in Yonkers,' the 1991 Pulitzer-prize winning comedy-drama by Neil Simon, regarded as the most successful playwright in the world. Guild veteran, Kathy S. Dinsmore, is directing.

The Tony Award-winning play comes to the stage of the Punxsutawney Area Middle School at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 29, Saturday, March 1; and Friday and Saturday, March 7 and 8. A 2 p.m. matinee has been scheduled for Sunday, March 2. Tickets are sold at the door.

Hailed by the New York Post as "the best play Neil Simon ever wrote," the story is a memory play set in Yonkers in 1942. It features another battling odd couple, an elderly woman and her 35 year old daughter. The daughter, Bella is a mentally challenged, pathetically affectionate person and more than enough for Grandma Kurnitz to manage.

As the show opens, son Eddie deposits his two sons on the old lady's doorstep. He is in debt and needs to go on an extended sales trip to make some money. The boys must contend with Grandma, a stern, tough old lady; with Bella and her secret romance; and with Louie, her brother, who may have mob connections.

Gradually, the mood deepens and darkens as the boys endure life with a family of emotionally crippled people.

While the children are only temporarily exiled in Yonkers, the rest of their sad, funny family is truly lost.

Appearing in the production are Michael Depp-Hutchinson and Daniel Weimer as the two young brothers, Jay and Arty. Debra Dinsmore is Grandma Kurnitz, while Morgan Barrett portrays Bella.

Other characters include Josh Widdowson as Eddie; Doug Fye as Louie, and Tracey Young as Gert.

Matt Dinsmore, the technical coordinator, has designed and built an

impressive set to recreate an apartment from the 1940s. He is also in charge of lights and sound. Terri Studebaker is assisting.

The backstage crew consists of Nikki Battestili, Nikki Williams, and Mallory Croasman.

Director Kathy S. Dinsmore said, "Neil Simon is one of the most noted modern playwrights in America. His plays have been produced for decades, and this one has been of interest to me for some time. I simply feel that the time is right to stage this show in 2008.

The cast is doing a truly wonderful job in interpreting the characters. I'm certain our audiences will enjoy the acting and the story that makes this awardwinning play so popular everywhere it is performed."

Reviewing the play, "Newsweek" declared, "Laughter and tears come together in a new emotional truth.

There are moments in this play when you experience a new kind of laughter for Simon, a silent laughter that doesn't explode into a yuk but implodes straight into your heart."

The narration of the PBS series 'Master Works' noted that Simon 'invigorated the stage with touching stories and zany characters, but possibly his greatest contribution has been the ability to create humor from the lives and troubles of everyday people.

Of Simon, actor Jack Lemmon said, "Neil has the ability to write characters — even the leading characters that we're supposed to root for — that are absolutely flawed. They have foibles.

They have faults. But, they are human beings. They are not all bad or all good; they are people we know."

Area theater-goers will have an opportunity to see what Lemmon meant by attending a performance of "Lost in Yonkers."

•••

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“LOST IN YONKERS”

by NEIL SIMON

7:30 p.m. • Feb. 29, March 1 2:00 p.m. • March 2 7:30 p.m. • March 7, 8 PUNXSUTAWNEY AREA MIDDLE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM tickets at door: adults $7 • seniors $6 • students $3 Presented by Special Arrangements with Samuel French, Inc. • New York, NY

Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008 – 21

The Tale of Groundhog Day 2008 ‘Everyone should have a day like this’

(photo by Alan Freed)

By Bill anderson of Hometown magazine ne of the longest-running American outdoor adventures is Groundhog Day — and it, not surprisingly, becomes more popular with each passing year. It attracts those who have an irresistible urge to travel, and, in addition, to participate in a century-old tradition.

I have had the privilege of following Punx’y Phil for a period spanning four decades. I value greatly the business of seeing Phil rousted from his slumber on Gobbler’s Knob on Groundhog morning.

This year, however, I decided to share in Punx’y’s festivities — from start to finish — on the streets, in local shops and restaurants, on the bus, at the Knob, in the community center, and at all points in between.

Chronicling all my experiences over Groundhog Day weekend this year would tire my readers, and so I will choose from my collection of memories the certain

O

parcels that made 2008’s encounter unique.

Groundhog Day for me began at 5:30 p.m. Friday, February 1, when I arrived in downtown, ventured from my parking space, crossed the parking lot, and made my way into Barclay Square. The old park is still a good host, and it was lively with vendors and those arriving for Punx’y’s big day.

After saying hello to the always congenial and perky Groundhog organizers Michele Neal and Marlene Lellock, I greeted people from Ohio, New Jersey, and Virginia. They had journeyed to see what Groundhog Day in Punx’y was all about. One fellow was driving down I-80, saw the Punxsutawney sign, and decided to spend the weekend.

“What do you think about Punxsutawney and Groundhog Day?” became my well-suited greeting.

Each visitor had a story to tell.

Groundhog Day, it seemed, was distinctive only to him or her. Most would tell of

the events or experiences that led them to come to our town. “It is something we had to do in our lifetime,” was a common comeback.

“How did you find out about Groundhog Day?” I asked.

“The movie,” was the unanimous reply.

I stopped at the Elks’ Club for dinner and had a discussion with Joe Crissman concerning the whereabouts of the club’s 1900 guest book. At the table across from my own, there was a group of young men from Boston, who earlier that day, without any preparation, jumped into a car and ventured to Punxsutawney. They were excited to be here.

As with most who enter Punx’y on Groundhog Eve, the contagious Groundhog fever quickly consumed them. They couldn’t get enough Groundhog information. They had dozens of questions about the town, Phil, and the legend.

“Is it true that it is the same Groundhog all these years?” the scholarly Bostonians

inquired.

There was only one answer that they wanted, and when they heard it, they asked for more. “How could he live for a hundred years?”

They appeared to have been seized with the appeal of enchantment that comes from this time-honored tradition.

The fact is that many I met had lively imaginations.

Stories of the hunts, feasts, and Groundhog punch flowed forth, but through it all, I marveled at the spell that came over them. The mystique and the magic of Phil held their attention, even if it was just for one evening or a day.

I posed for a student’s documentary.

“How did Phil become a legend?” the filmmaker inquired as he adjusted his lens on me.

“You don’t have enough film,” I answered.

It was, and will be, a superb video history for the student from Pittsburgh.

- Continued on next page

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depend upon hotels again. They appreciated the low expense of resting behind the wheel. They found it difficult to spend money while huddling in their automobiles. When you consider that they arrived in town one evening and would leave the next, and with little to do once they got here, it began to dawn on me that this is just about the cheapest vacation devised.

There is no rest, however, for man or beast that decides to do the Groundhog Day marathon. As each hour passed, I plodded on, joining several groups while making my rounds throughout the town.

“What time will I have to be on the bus?” was the widespread question as the clock pushed the early hours of the morning.

“Three-thirty.”

After purchasing a large coffee at

McDonalds, I boarded the frosty, yellow bus idling next to County Market. We were halfway up Indiana Hill, and still there were a dozen questions that had not yet been answered. As the bus — with its anxious passengers — made its way through the darkness, an eruption of glee exploded as a blaze of light appeared on the horizon. A burst of energy came over the somber trekkers and everyone began talking at one time.

“Is that the sun?”

“Why do they have lights on Gobbler’s Knob?”

“I thought we would be standing in the dark?”

“Can you see Phil?”

“Is Phil out now?”

“Where is he?

- Continued on next page

They are all there...

Groundhog Day 2008 Continued from previous page

No one has ever laid down the rules as to how people are to react on Groundhog Day, but it is safe to assume that they will conduct themselves the same way: they wandered the town, traversing the streets; they made their way from each tent into open businesses, passing the time.

All came for the day and would leave the next. Each small group of friends or families was a stranger to the next.

Nevertheless, they were drawn together to be part of this famous ritual.

People venture to Punxsutawney seeking the wonderment of a fairy tale. Those who looked for it, found it. I mention this only because I was a witness.

I met a mother and her two teen-aged daughters in the parking lot located across from the town square. They had driven that afternoon from Philadelphia.

“We always celebrate Groundhog Day at home. This year, we decided to come to see it for ourselves. Does Phil live on Gobbler’s Knob year round?”

I explained that Phil lives in the zoo and is taken to the Knob early in the morning.

“Oh, that’s okay,” Mom replied, reassuring her girls. “He is the REAL Groundhog. Can we take a picture with you?”

I had to advise a few people that there is counseling available for that type of thinking, but when I did, they just gave me a puzzled look.

The popular idea among Punxsutawneyites that those coming to Groundhog Day are propelled by alcohol is not entirely true. That notion is derived from the fact that many of the establishments that remain open until the early hours of the morning are taverns and pubs. It should be pointed out that these businesses also provide the service of offering refuge from the cold and thus are heavily patronized.

The Arizona Groundhog Club Chapter attended Jane Cunningham’s Rooftop Prognosticator’s Ball, which by the way – for those in Punx’y who missed it – was an amazing affair. Those hailing from the Southwest could not have had a better

(photo by Alan Freed)

time any place in America than they were having Friday night in the Rooftop.

When you decide to seek out an adventure on February 2, the place to be is Punx’y.

There was also Tim Hester and his family from Pittsburgh. Tim’s grandmother once owned a restaurant in Punxsutawney named “Hester’s.” They came to town not only to see Phil but also to find their roots. They were proud to have a Punx’y connection. The Hester family was reaping the benefits of their vacation.

The Pantall’s Candlelight Bar was filled wall-to-wall with celebrants.

“What are some of the perks of wearing a top hat?” a young man asked.

Before I even could begin to conjure up a shadow of an answer, a bright-eyed gal was at my side posing for a photo, bubbling, “This is the greatest thing ever. Can I wear your top hat?”

Groundhog Day isn’t all about out-oftowners; it’s about celebrating our citizens, too. Punxsutawneyites who do not take part in Groundhog Day struggle to find a purpose in the occasion. Finding ordinary, down-to-earth pleasure in being at Groundhog Day and its festivities, perhaps, is reason enough for the day.

Any person who would try to make more out of Groundhog Day than it is simply has missed the point altogether. It is no different than going to the beach in the summer. Both happenings fulfill the urge to take a trip and provide relaxation and fun. Why do you go to the beach? Why do you come to Gobbler’s Knob?

While welcoming new friends, I met old ones at every turn. Punx’y residents — too many to name here — were interspersed among the crowd of tourists.

Hometown people were gaining satisfaction in playing the role of good host.

Most all who arrived in Punx’y came by car. Having no place to stay on Groundhog Eve, the automobile also served as hotel room. Some who had reserved actual rooms in adjacent towns chose to remain in Punx’y for the evening. It wasn’t worth the trouble to return to Brookville, Clarion, or DuBois for an hour’s sleep.

For those who tried the adventure of sleeping in their cars, many will never

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Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008 – 23

Groundhog Day 2008 Continued from previous page I am more convinced than ever that we introduce this tradition to a new group of people each year.

We exited the bus. The Knob was on the far side of the hill, and we hurried to the edge of the woods where thousands like us had already gathered. They gazed upon the crowd-gratifying antics of Inner Circle members Dr. Dave Gigliotti, John Griffiths, and Ron Ploucha.

The atmosphere resembled that of a throng assembled for a circus. If you are standing in the cold and doing nothing but keeping warm, time passes quickly with dancing girls, proposals of marriage, and shouts of “Hey, Ben, what time is it?”

Throughout the morning, bus after bus continued to empty fifty people at a time onto the teeming hillside. There was no actual record of the number in attendance at Gobbler’s Knob, but as near as I could ascertain as the fireworks were exploding overhead, I doubt if it was any less than 30,000 who discovered the path to the top of the hill. From my point of view, it challenged the largest crowd ever at the Knob.

Then, as if it had been physically chiseled into two segments, the mass parted, and we made our way to the stump, and stepped upward to the topmost point of the stage. Attorney Jeff Lundy pointed out all the Inner Circle members, including me.

And then, yes, it was the moment.

As quiet spread across the acres around the platform, Phil was pulled from his stump. The animal was raised as high as Ben Hughes could reach, and Phil proudly posed to the delight of the congregation.

The generally pleasant mood of the crowd soon soured, however, when the sun began to flood the walls of the mountain.

When President Cooper and the other Groundhoggers finished eyeballing Phil, it was all over, for, according to Mike Johnston, “There are six more weeks of winter.”

The rush to the buses and down the hill began. It was impressive to us on stage seeing that herd of people sweep across the mountainside.

I decided that it was time for my descent and breakfast, too. I said goodbye to Bill Deeley and Butch Philliber, waved to the rest of the Inner Circle, joined the dash, and mingled with the caravan.

After a few moments of vigorous rubbing and pushing, I skipped line and lunged for a bus. Everyone was busily restoring circulation and animation. One high-school girl was wrinkling her nose like a rabbit.

“It was better than we could ever have imagined!” she gleefully declared.

I got caught up her enthusiasm.

“How did you imagine it?” I responded.

“It was just like I wanted it to be!” she proclaimed.

We have a pretty good thing going on here in Punxsutawney. You find that out when you listen to the people who take a part in it.

I suppose I talked to several hundred people on Friday and Saturday. Without exception, every one was happy to be in Punxsutawney, including the folks who stood in line for two hours for breakfast

and then had to be turned away because the food supply was exhausted. I apologized to the assembled crowd for the shortage. They didn’t fuss or complain too much. They understood the magnitude of the day. They were happy to be a part of it all, despite missing their bacon and eggs, pancakes, toast, butter, and coffee. To them, it would be but another memorable example of their Groundhog Day. They liked my thinking, too, when I urged them to make the best of their morning in town.

“You stood in line to catch the bus. You stood in the cold for four hours waiting for Phil. You stood in line for another half hour waiting for a ride down the hill. You stood in line for two hours waiting for breakfast you didn’t get. Now, let’s go stand in line to get a Groundhog souvenir,” I reasoned.

And they did.

The line at the Chamber of Commerce souvenir shop was a half block long, extending down North Findley Street. I joined souvenir shop manager George Powers, and festival committee member Roger Steele and greeted those waiting to buy souvenirs. Near the end of the growing rank, a father who stood with his family asked, “Do you know where the souvenir store is?”

“Why are you standing in line?” I said.

His response was, “Because everyone else is.”

I found his answer humorous, but others standing in line looked as if they didn’t know why I was laughing.

They all were well indoctrinated to Punxsutawney’s ways: stand in the middle of the woods, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, in the middle of winter waiting ... and then waiting some more, but all the while having a wonderful time.

At each place that I stopped to say, “Hello, what do you think…?” I was given a cheerful response, and I did not hear of a disagreeable experience the entire day. Everyone was playing by the same rules; partaking in the spirit of the holiday.

At the community center, as with the souvenir shop, Groundhog-related wares were selling at a brisk pace. One salesman in the cafeteria of the community center wished that he had gained a table in the main auditorium, but I tried to cheer him up by purchasing three pieces from his stand. I didn’t happen upon exactly what I wanted, however.

I am still looking for a complete run of Deb Dale’s annual and ingenious Groundhog characters. (Can you help? If so, call me!)

February 2 is the day that marks a tradition in Punxsutawney.

I signed my name over five hundred times in the community center while attempting to set straight the misconceived notions adopted by a few of my fellow Groundhoggers.

It was in the middle of the afternoon when I wound my way to the New Anchor Inn and shared a table and enjoyable time with Ron Ploucha, his wife Cheryl and their family.

At the end of it all, I thought, life is what you make it. To sustain one more cliché: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Such is the tale of Groundhog Day 2008. For me, it could not have been better.

I think I will try to do it again next year.

Everyone should have a day like this.

24 – Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008

Effective Dental Care leads to a Healthy Mouth and a Healthy Pet

N

ational Pet Dental Health Month is celebrated each February to educate pet owners and veterinary health care team members on the importance of routine pet dental check-ups and home care maintenance options such as brushing, routinely

owners can prevent plaque and tartar buildup, resulting in a healthier mouth and a happier life.

“Effective oral home care coupled with regular professional dental care - Continued on page 26

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Families seek support after beloved pets die

By Carol Chambers The Press-Enterprise dying man once asked Chaplain Beth Gilbert if she thought he would see his best friend again in heaven.

If he couldn't be with his dog in heaven, he told her, he didn't want to go.

That conversation and others like it prompted the 29-year-old chaplain at Loma Linda University Medical Center to start a support group devoted to pet loss.

"I work with people every day with so many grief issues," Gilbert said. "There are support groups and grief recovery groups for people who lose a family member, but not for people who lose pets, and they can grieve just as deeply."

During the final meeting of a sevenweek session on a recent Wednesday night, the first topic was boxes.

"They're going to be buried with me," said Susan Lyrla, of Palm Desert, Calif.

"I have three cedar boxes at home.

Eventually, I'll have four."

The boxes contain the cremated remains of three of Lyrla's dogs, including her "baby," a Shih Tzu named Lucille.

"They put a little poem or prayer inside, sometimes with a lock of fur," said Michelle Buckman, of Palm Springs.

Buckman had put off leaving for a vacation so she could attend the support group's final meeting.

Lyrla hadn't known about the prayer or fur in the box among the ashes. She hadn't had the will to look inside. She said she still can smell the pink euthanasia solution.

Buckman had worked in her brother's veterinary office in Lake Havasu, Ariz., and had assisted him when he had to euthanize animals, but that didn't prepare her for the loss of her 14-year-old poodle, Twain, she said.

She woke one day to find that Twain was urinating blood, but it was two days before she could agree that it was time to let him go, she said.

"I just have never had a loss like this," Buckman said. "He was a sweet, spoiled dog. I never dreamed my grief would be

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this deep."

Kara Minton, of Redlands, attended the grief support group with her terriermix Sweetie, who has chronic renal failure. Minton inherited Sweetie in 1995 when her mother died. Although her dog is still living, Minton said she expects to feel the loss of her mother all over again when Sweetie dies.

Faith Hughes, of Colton, lost her schnauzers to mammary tumors within months of each other. She doesn't think

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Healthy Pet

“ Your Perfect Wedding Starts Here “

Continued from page 24

provides the pet with an optimal combination for maintaining a healthy mouth,” said Linda J. DeBowes, D.V.M., MS. “This combination not only decreases plaque accumulation, but also provides an opportunity to identify oral problems earlier than what might otherwise have been found.”

Emerging science is showing that the mouth is a window into the health of the human body which can show signs of nutritional deficiencies or general infection. For example, systemic diseases — those that affect the entire body — may first become apparent as a part of periodontal disease. To address this, the American Dental Association recommends adult men and women brush twice a day, eat balanced meals and schedule routine dental visits for professional cleanings and oral exams.

This protocol for a healthy mouth doesn’t simply apply to humans. Many pet owners don’t realize the steps dental health maintenance should also be applied to their canine and feline companions, and effective plaque control can prevent a large percentage of pet periodontitis cases.

To help remind pet owners how important dental health is to their cats and dogs, Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc., maker of Prescription Diet® and Science Diet® brand pet foods, is pleased to co-sponsor February’s National Pet Dental Health Month along with the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Dental Society, Academy of Veterinary Dentistry,

American Veterinary Dental College and Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

It is vital for pet owners to understand that while February is the month designated to the promotion of pet dental health, ensuring proper oral care requires a yearlong commitment.

According to the AVDS, it is estimated that more than 80 percent of dogs and cats age four and older show signs of oral disease, often indicated by bad breath, a change in eating or chewing habits, pawing at the face and mouth, and depression. If inflammation of the gum is left untreated, the bone around the roots of teeth can deteriorate, and as the bone tissue is destroyed, teeth may become loose or fall out. Eventually, the infection can cause receding gums and tooth loss and bacteria may enter the bloodstream, potentially affecting the heart, liver and kidneys.

“Pet owners need to remember that periodontal disease is very common, and even if a dog or cat doesn’t require therapeutic care, it does need preventive care,” said Ellen I. Logan, D.V.M., Ph.D., manager, Hill’s Veterinary Consultation Services. “Every visit to the veterinarian should include dialogue regarding the pet’s dental health. By working together, the veterinary health care team and client create a better overall quality of life for the pet.”

For more information on proper pet dental care, contact your veterinarian and visit PetDental.com.

•••

Beloved pets Continued from page 25

she'll get another dog.

"I don't want to hurt this bad again," Hughes said.

Gilbert said that while everyone grieves in his own way, those mourning the loss of a pet may not feel comfortable in other support groups, such as those for people who have lost a family member.

"In the culture we're living in, a lot of people do feel: 'It's just a dog. Get over it!'" Gilbert said. "People who've lost a pet don't feel they can go to a grief recovery group where someone is talking about losing their 3-year-old child when they lost their 3-year-old dog. Our culture doesn't see it as equal."

But Gilbert said she knows of people who have committed suicide over the death of a pet.

Veterinarian Nisar Ahmed of All Creatures Animal Hospital in Murrieta, Calif. said he, too, has seen pet owners essentially give up and die after losing an animal.

"I knew one man who kept his dead cat in the refrigerator because he couldn't bear to part with it," Ahmed said. "He had lost his wife from cancer. The cat was all he had left."

Veterinary medicine is changing because pets today are considered part of the family, he said.

"They don't sleep outside -- they sleep

with the family," he said.

"I went to a seminar and the topic was pets suffering from separation anxiety, and there are drugs to treat that. Any field of medicine that is available to humans is also available to pets now," Ahmed said.

People's devotion to their pets seems almost limitless, and it is not restricted to dogs and cats, he said. Besides treating birds, reptiles and even a lion, Ahmed once fixed a broken leg on a pet tarantula.

A family recently drove 100 miles to Ahmed's hospital seeking help for an ailing seahorse.

He has seen that devotion returned, citing as an example a turtle that follows its owner around like a puppy.

One client had a potty-trained iguana.

"And how much time do you have to spend to potty-train an iguana?" Ahmed said.

Gilbert plans to continue the pet-loss support groups and has another scheduled to start in October. The group already has its first members: a family that lost a beloved pet lizard.

E-mail Carol Chambers at cchambers@PE.com (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Serv ice, www. shns. com. ) •••

26 – Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008

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wo journal reports out this week suggest that even for folks with heart disease or diabetes, with a little lifestyle change, it's not so hard to live to your 90s or even 100.

Yet another report in the same Archives of Internal Medicine, though, concludes that after 40 years of improvement, the rate of death from heart disease in the United States may be on the rise again.

So are we doing better at evading the Grim Reaper or not? And how much does it have to do with the health care we get, or our income, or our genes, for that matter?

The answer seems to be that lifestyle, and managing chronic conditions well enough not to become disabled, are most responsible for people joining and staying in the fastest growing segment of seniors, the 85-and older set. That includes 55,000 centenarians.

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- Continued on page 33

Visit your local Medicine Shoppe pharmacy to find these first rate products and expert services: • Now offering vaccinations • FrEE Medicare billing • No up-front cost on worker’s compensation

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Mike Horner, r.ph.

132 W. Mahoning St. ✆814.938.3077 Punxsutawney, PA 15767 Hours: M-F 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Sat 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

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• 938-3100

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$10.00 worth of Medicine Shoppe® Brand Products (nonprescription)

Valid for in-store use only. Not valid with state or federally funded prescription plans or with any other offer, co-pay or deductible. Limit one coupon per customer. No cash refund.

State and local restrictions apply. At participating Medicine Shoppe® pharmacies only. Not valid in AR or NJ. No cash value. ©2008 Medicine Shoppe International, Inc., a Cardinal Health company. All rights reserved. 1094/472a01/0208

Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008 – 29

~ Most Insurances Accepted ~ BLUE CROSS/SHIELD/OPTICHOICE, UPMC, MEDICARE, VSP/VBA/NVA, GATEWAY/ACCESS & MORE

HOuRS: Monday thru Friday, 8-5 Wednesday Evenings & Saturday

by Appointment

Dr. Nathan Stebbins BOARd CERTIFIEd In THE TREATMEnT And MAnAgEMEnT OF OCULAR dISEASE

814-938-5920

Accepting new Patients Call for Appointment

pharmacy department

– Over 300 in Stock –

Mon-Fri 9 -9; Sat 9-7; Sun 10-6

Putting Health Into Your Hands With Help From Ours

Dr. David V. Gigliotti 217 WEsT MAhOninG sTREET PUnxsUTAWnEy, PA

(closed every day 1:30-2:00 p.m. for lunch)

21920 rt. 119, Punx’y •

Any AGE.

Wellness Center

pharmacist does the rest

Ask about our $400 Generics

Medical Training, Experience and Qualifications to Administer Care to Patients of

Gigliotti Chiropractic

bring your prescription or refill bottle and our

see us for all your diabetic needs

• diabetic Eye Care • Ocular disease • Pediatrics • glaucoma • Laser Correction • Emergencies • dry Eye Therapy • designer Eyewear Available

938-8100

814-938-7851

JEffErSoN MaNor HEalTH CENTEr

Specialty Care unit

CLINICAL SPECIALTIES: • Cardiac/vascular recovery • Pulmonary management OTHER JEFFERSON • IV therapy and MANOR RELATED management SERVICES: • Surgical recovery • Alzheimer’s • Oncology care Specialty Unit • Orthopedic recovery • Hospice/Palliative Care • Stroke recovery • Short-term • Wound management Rehabilitative Care • Physical therapy • Diabetic/Wound • Speech therapy Management Care • Occupational therapy • Assisted Living • Medically complex care • Respite Care • Independent Living • Outpatient Therapy

417 Rt. 28 North of Brookville • Exit 81, I-80 • 814-849-8026 Caring for you...today, tomorrow and always 30 – Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008

Fated to be fat?

Scientific surprises scramble rules i

By Dorothy korber Sacramento Bee

f you're worried about your weight — and who isn't? — you may have the feeling lately that science is really jerking you around.

Consider recent findings: Rats fed saccharin gain weight faster than rats fed sugar.

Some overweight humans live longer than skinny ones.

Diabetics who drive down their blood sugar to "normal" levels are more likely to die of heart disease.

Even the end result of "just eat less and exercise more" is under scrutiny, as researchers find that some obese people are destined by their genes and metabolism to stay fat.

Maybe it's time to be realistic and play the cards we're dealt.

"The reality is that people have less control over their weight than they realize," said Gina Kolata, whose book "Rethinking Thin" looks at the science of weight loss. "Weight is inherited almost as strongly as height.

No matter how much you'd like to be skinny, you may not be able to be as thin as you would like."

Kolata suggests that Americans should stop blaming people for obesity.

"It's just as hard for a thin person to gain 100 pounds as it is for an obese person to lose it — or even 50 pounds, or even, I hate to say it, 20 pounds," she said.

Hard as dieting is, losing weight is easi-

er than keeping it off.

Even Oprah Winfrey, one of America's wealthiest women with personal trainers and chefs, struggles with gaining and losing repeatedly, points out University of California, Davis nutrition professor Judith Stern.

"It's really hard to keep weight off," Stern said. "Some of it has to be biology.

Some of it has to be the environment."

And some of it is probably interactions between the two that we don't fully understand.

Just as with diet sodas, artificial sweeteners and other food controversies, Stern said, "when all the evidence is in, the patients will be dead. We don't have all the information right now."

In the absence of firm knowledge, she advised people to try out different strategies that do have some support in medical literature, and see which approaches might suit them.

Among things you might try: • D r i n k unsweetened tea, especially oolong, which has a long tradition of use for weight control in Japan.

• Before dinner, have a bowl of soup, not just broth but something with vegetables.

• If you're prone to mindless eating at a desk or elsewhere, keep healthy snacks around.

- Continued on page 33

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Christ the King Manor, a leader in Long Term Care, will be extending Quality Care to the Community with our In Home Support Services Serving Clearfield and Jefferson Counties who MIghT bEnEfIT fRoM hoME SUPPoRT SERVIcES: • People of all ages recovering from an illness or injury.

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Depend upon Christ the King Manor Home Support for: • PERSonAL cARE • coMPAnIonShIP • hoME MAnAgEMEnT • RESPITE cARE Many elderly, sick or disabled people need some assistance in order to remain in the comfort and security of their homes. Support services are available on an hourly basis, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and are often a cost-effective alternative to hospitalization or nursing home placement.

Many of these services are provided through the Pennsylvania Waiver Program or Department of Aging Options Programs. Check with your local Area Agency of Aging Representative to see if you are eligible to receive these services or call Christ the King Manor at 814-371-3180 for more information.

Christ the King Manor Home Support Services

1100 West Long Ave. DuBois

1-800-419-2779 Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008 – 31

residential living

Village View...814-375-3941

assisted living

DuBois Village...814-375-5483

residential living

DuBois Nursing Home...814-375-9100

www.duboisccci.com

Marc W. Weimer D.D.S. Family Dentistry

CCRC Member

By Martin Mittelstaedt Toronto Globe and Mail

DCCCI subscribes to a nondiscrimination policy.

HARRY E. KunsELmAn General & Family Practice Dentistry

212 Pine St., Punx’y

473 Main St., Reynoldsville

By Appt. Only

William A. Cameron D.M.D.

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653-2227

938-5070

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Days, Evenings & Sat. by Appt.

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106 W. Mahoning St., Punxy • 938-4210 • PDA Member

32 – Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008

Study touts life-extending benefits from vitamin D T

938-5800

aking vitamin D has been found to have a new benefit: It appears to be a life extender, according to a new study.

Researchers who pooled the results of 18 separate experiments conducted in several industrialized countries reported that people who were given a vitamin D supplement had a seven percent lower risk of premature death than those who were not.

The pooled results were from experiments conducted in the United States, Germany and Britain, among other countries, and included more than 57,000 participants.

For reasons that are not yet fully understood, those who received vitamin D had a lower chance of dying prematurely than those given dummy pills, or placebos, in the experiments, said the study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"Mechanisms by which vitamin D supplements would decrease all-cause mortality are not clear," said the study's authors, Philippe Autier of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, and Sara Gandini of the European Institute for Oncology in Milan, Italy.

Earlier research has indicated that vitamin D deficiencies are associated with higher risks of contracting major illnesses such as cancer, which account for 60 to 70 percent of deaths in highincome countries. The study speculates that the vitamin, which is used in organs and tissues throughout the body, may cut death rates by inhibiting the proliferation of cancerous cells.

Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin, because it is produced in naked skin that is exposed to strong sunlight.

Many medical experts believe people living in northern countries have a chronic deficiency of the vitamin in winter, when the weak sunlight does not

lead to creation of the nutrient in skin.

Although most of the vitamin D people have is made in their skin, it is also available in supplement form and in some foods.

The European study tracked the participants in the various experiments for an average period of 5.7 years, taking note of whether those dying had been given the vitamin.

There were 4,777 deaths from all causes among the group.

Those experiencing the lower risk of dying took daily doses of vitamin D ranging from 300 to 2,000 international units, with the average 528 IU. Most commercially available multivitamins c o n t a i n between 400 and 600 IU. Some foods — for example, oily fish like salmon and sardines — are a natural source of the vitamin.

Milk is commonly fortified with 100 IU per cup.

In a separate editorial in the journal, Edward Giovannucci of the Harvard School of Public Health and one of the world's leading researchers on vitamin D, said evidence of the nutrient's health effects are so strong that doctors should start testing their patients' vitamin D levels and treating those with deficiencies.

The new study "adds a new chapter in the accumulating evidence for a beneficial role of vitamin D on health," Dr. Giovannucci said.

"From a broader public health perspective, the roles of moderate sun exposure, food fortification with vitamin D and higher-dose vitamin D supplements for adults need to be debated," he said.

Giovannucci also said North Americans may be inadvertently contributing to their vitamin D deficiencies through sun avoidance in an attempt to prevent skin cancer.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Serv ice, www. scrippsnews. com. ) •••

live sensibly

Fated too be fat?

Continued from page 29 of a study that also began in 1981 was on people who were younger than 64 (and older than 16), who died of unnatural causes and were autopsied to find out why they died. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic used information from the pathology reports and death certificates to assess the condition of the coronary arteries in the deceased — a total of 425 people through 2004.

Over the years, 83 percent of the dead showed some evidence of clogging in one or more heart arteries, and 8.2 percent had severe disease. During the '80s and '90s, the severity of those clogs showed a steady decline. That ended in 2000, and in the first four years of the new century, started becoming worse.

Olmsted County's murder, accident and suicide victims may not be exactly the same as Americans everywhere, but the researchers say the condition of their arteries does not bode well for the rest of the country.

They can't prove it with just 400 victims, but they strongly suspect that the surge in obesity and diabetes among American adults, and the decline in activity, have a lot to do with the increased clogging of arteries in the young. The study also raises doubts that as many as a million Americans will reach age 100 by 2050 as predicted.

•••

Continued from page 30

Let Fezell’s County market

County Market

1 2 3

DELIvER YoUR GRoCERIES To YoU!

it’s as easy as:

We will call you on TUESDAY each week for your order.

We will deliver your order on Wednesday. (The next day) You pay the same retail prices as all of our customers, plus a 5% delivery fee is added to your total.

FEZELL’S

County Market 201 N. Hampton ave.

938-2820

groundhog Plaza Punxsutawney

Liz Applegate, an expert on diet and fitness at UC Davis, advises setting an initial target of dropping 5 or 10 pounds.

"When you've achieved that, you'll have a sense of accomplishment," she said. "Be realistic -- don't announce that you're going to lose 50 pounds or weigh what you weighed in junior high."

She said long-term studies of people who have managed to maintain weight losses show similar patterns: They don't skip meals, particularly breakfast. They don't fool themselves about how much they're eating. They find ways to exercise during the day for a total of 60 to 90 minutes.

And they are vigilant about not letting pounds creep back: "They have a monitoring device that works for them: A scale. A notch on a belt. A skinny pair of jeans."

Applegate's mantra is that it can be done — and Kolata agrees, up to a point.

"I don't want to say it's useless, that you can't lose any weight, because people can and do," she said. "But it's very hard not to get caught up in this zeal that people think they can weigh anything they wanted to if they just will it. It's like saying, 'I could grow a few inches if I just really wanted to.' " (Contact Dorothy Korber at dkorber@sacbee.com) (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Serv ice, www.scrippsnews.com.)

•••

Punxsutawney Home Health Care 938-2431 If someone close to your heart is in need of home health services, contact our competent and compassionate home health staff.

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Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008 – 33

Punx’y JV Basketball

Punx’y Varsity Basketball

(front row, l. to r.) Luke Weaver, Dylan Kachmar, Eric Neal, Kyle Neal (back) Chase Tibbs, K.J. Starr, Jacob Stumpf, Jordan Walker, Doug Dale

(front row, l. to r.) Corey Neal, Chase Tibbs, Nick Pascuzzo, Austin Furman, Christian Muth, Jordan Walker (back) Dan McHenry, K.J. Starr, Dane Kopas, Jacob Stumpf, Mike Cook, Tommy Bush

Punx’y 9th Grade Basketball (front row, l. to r.)

Corban Cressley, Brodi Lowmaster, David Roberts, Isaac Fugate (middle) Taylor Neal, Zak Dickey, Jimmy Kachmar, Jordan Mesoraco (back) Brenton Cunningham, Joseph Long, Ian Weaver, Darren Pifer, Coach Mike Carlson

PAHS SPORTS PHOTOS BY liFETOUCH

let’s Go ChuCKs! from all of us at...

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Go ChUCKS! 34 – Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008

Proud to Support our PuNx’y ChuCkS! Box 63 265-B N. Findley St. Punx’y

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46 Anchor Inn Road • Punxsutawney

938-6702

Punx’y 9th Grade Basketball

(front row, l. to r.)

Brandy Hassan, Paris Kernich, Brinkley Gray, Lindsey Paulina (middle) Corinna Snyder, Kristen Fedder, Maddison Kernich, Loren Lingfelter, Kaitlyn Nestel (back) Justine Kaza, Taylor Powell, Shawna Crago, Hannah Smith, Miriam Fuhs, Coach Todd Heigley

Punx’y JV & Varsity Basketball

Punx’y Wrestling

(front row, l. to r.)

Luke Filhart, Scott Salsgiver, Vince Villella, Ty Albright, Kody Young, James Bullers (middle) Khris Cleary, Derek Kerr, Derek Burkett, Patrick Mahan, Jimmy Shirley, George Woodson (back) Bobby Wingert, Steven Cressley, Tyler Burkett, Jake Long, Chad Rumgay, Easton Renwick

(front row, l. to r.) Jenna Reitz, Lauren Janocha (middle) Laurie Keeley, Brittany Baker, Jube Parise, Dana McHenry, Juan Lin (back) Ashely Craig, Amber Fye, Emily Thompson, Amanda Toven, Megan McCully, Hannah Neal, Allie Miller “The new choice of the Pro’s”

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Bats!

Great Job Chucks!

Our Bats are completely handmade here. We provide a tour for you to see first hand how our bats are processed from start to finish. With our hands on manufacturing, we can control our bats from forest to home run. This aspect makes our company very unique in the baseball bat industry.

Hard Maple, Ash & red oak Bats for Serious Players For the home you’ll love to come home to.

Furniture • Flooring • Mattresses Window Treatments • Commercial Fine Quality Furniture at the Best Price!

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Neko’s

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Open Daily: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

80 Womeldorf Lane • Brookville, PA 15825 814-849-0089 • www.bwpbats.com • sales@bwpbats.com Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008 – 35

Therapy Rehabilitation & Skilled Living for our Friends and Neighbors

Mulberry Square

Lisa White, PT • Talisa Dimmick, SLP • Penny Rowles, COTA Jeanette Snyder, PTA • Sa lly Round, COTA• Mary Jo Fry, PTA Becky Weaver, COTA • Martin Kirsch, OTR/L, Rehab Manager

ElDEr CarE & rEHaBiliTaTioN CENTEr Mulberry Square Elder Care and rehabilitation Center provides excellent individualized Medical and rehabilitative services at a location close to home with care from the heart.

Mulberry Square is the only skilled elder care facility in the community and is conveniently located in the heart of Punxsutawney.

At Mulberry Square, our staff is committed to providing individualized care for our residents.

CALL For MorE iNForMATioN

938-6020

www.mulberry-square.com 411-1/2 W. Mahoning Street • punxsutawney

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CloSE To HoME. 36 – Hometown Punxsutawney – February 2008

rEHABiLiTATioN SErViCES ™ occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy ™ Long Term Care ™ Short Term Care ™ respite Care ™ Assisted Living ™ 24 Hour Visitation ™ Semi-Private rooms ™ Private rooms as Available ™ rehabilitation Unit ™ Qualifed, Caring Nurses ™ Fine Dining ™ Salon ™ Activities ™ in-Home Care

CloSE To THE HEarT.