December 2009 #111

A “Boomer” Christmas Memories of 1957

On the cover: Merry Christmas!

‘Punxsutawney Hometown’ magazine © Copyright 2009 — All Rights Reserved.

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By Marty Armstrong for Hometown magazine incoln Logs, Block City, Trigger, a Singer sewing machine just like Mamma's, Disney card games, a tin windup train, cap guns, a red Farmall tractor just like Daddy's, books, games and toys – growing up the 1950s, I had them all. Because of my mother's careful safekeeping, I have them still. Not all items I display with my "Boomer" Christmas tree arrived in 1957, but they came during the years just before and after. l957 was an eventful year for me.

L

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Publishers William C. Anderson Mary L. Roberts Advertising Mary L. Roberts Tracey Young Contributing Writers S. Thomas Curry Marsha Lavelle Bill Anderson Justin Eger Marty Armstrong

Christmas memories include: "Rockin Around The Christmas Tree” (recorded '58) sheet music from Spotts'; Landmark books from Hunger's; Replogle globe with Sputniks (launched '57). (Hometown photo

by Marty Armstrong)

Graphic Artists Carol Smouse, Nicole McGee All material submitted becomes the property of Punxsutawney Hometown magazine.

How to Get In Contact With Us: Mary Roberts ................................(814) 938-0312 Bill Anderson ................................(814) 472-4110 Tracey Young ................................(814) 938-9084 Our Office......................................(814) 938-9141 Our Fax..........................................(814) 938-9507 Our email address: hometown@mail.com Our business mailing address: P.O. Box 197, Punxsutawney, PA 15767 With our office located in: Railroad Building, Suite 100 North Penn St., Punxsutawney, PA 15767 Yearly Subscriptions: $36 — First Class Mail

My dress is old; my flowers are new.

My locket is borrowed; my earrings are blue (Hometown photo by Marty Armstrong)

February 2 - Grandma (Bess Mae Galbraith) Jordan, widowed for several years, married Gene Williams. I found that they recorded the event in the hymnbook he'd brought from his home in Ohio. When they returned from Florida later in the

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spring, they brought me a souvenir bracelet from the Florida Keys.

May 3 - For my tenth birthday picture, I wore the red dress Grandma (Orpha Maude Anthony) Stoops made for me. A skilled seamstress, Grandma used material brought back from Germany by Aunt Esther and Uncle George Brehmer.

June - The Shilling School closed permanently. This one-room schoolhouse in Perry Township just up the road from my house was one of many such schools to close in the move toward a consolidated school district and larger, more modern, elementary schools. For my first three years of school, our teacher was Miss Louise Bish (Rowse). Miss Bish had to contend with eight grades. The fun part was listening to the other classes at their lessons. On Fridays we had meetings of all the students using parliamentary procedure. We had committees for sweeping, dusting erasers,

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and bringing in coal.

In fourth grade, our teacher was Mrs. Hazel McGee. Because the school was closing, we were each allowed to select one book from the school library shelf to keep. I picked “A Child's History of England” by Charles Dickens. This is the book I read with a flashlight under the covers at night. Other books were important, too.

We were able to order paperback books at school and I have a big selection of teen mysteries and western and wildlife adventure stories. One of my favorite things was to visit Hunger's Office Supply to see what Landmark books dealing with historical characters were for sale. My bookshelf holds stories about the vikings, Betsy Ross, and many others. “Guadalcanal Diary” was the book Daddy read to me in junior high school because while ill with the measles, I was forbidden to strain my - Continued on page 6

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Season’s Greetings! residential Living

Kept Lasting Link with Ancestors Through Food

By PRIDE for Hometown magazine

T

he legacy of Punxsutawney’s coal communities reaches out in many directions. As we enjoy this holiday season, we look forward to the foods that came to the area when the miners and their families brought their old world traditions to their new homes.

Immigrants from Eastern European and the Mediterranean areas brought with them their traditional foods. As they settled into their homes and communities and learned a new language, they kept a lasting link with the old country through their foods.

Their influence on food, and especially holiday food, in the Punxsutawney area can be seen in the comparison of cookbooks and recipe columns. Early cookbooks published by local groups consisted mainly of recipes of English and German origin and working with the available food crops in the area.

The Punxsutawney Cook Book of Tested Recipes compiled by the Ladies’ Aide Society of the First Baptist Church of Punxsutawney in 1904 is typical in its presentation of foods prepared and consumed in the area before the coal mining

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era. The cookbook, among the many recipes, includes only one recipe for noodles, two for macaroni and cheese, and a one entitled “American Macaroni,” which uses macaroni in a casserole with oysters.

Corn is the main ingredient in many recipes in the book, showing the use of this Native American grain in the diet of our earlier settlers. Recipes using corn included soups, puddings, corn bread, corn pone, and corn cakes. There is only one recipe for meatballs and based on the ingredients it was more a croquette than the meatballs of today.

By the mid 1890s the population of Italian immigrants in the area was large enough to make them a viable market for “specialty” food products. About 1895, C. & J. Marinaro established the Jefferson Macaroni Factory in Reynoldsville. They built a factory on the Reynoldsville Land and Improvement Company tract. It was a two-and-one-half story brick building, 30 feet by 300 feet, where they housed the machinery to produce a variety of macaroni. Factory employees learned the techniques of their work from experienced Italian macaroni makers. The Marinaro brothers also imported specialty goods and were wholesalers of table delicacies and fancy groceries including olive oil, cured olives, cheeses and canned goods. By 1911, the Jefferson Macaroni Company had $40,000 in capital and a profitable business.

Punxsutawney entrepreneurs also entered this expanding market. The General Merchandise Store of Antonio Gigliotti at 215 Findley Street, near the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad crossing was a wholesale operation which supplied local stores as well as other customers. He was one of Jefferson County’s largest dealers in imported foodstuffs. He carried a large line of fancy groceries including olive oil, canned goods, foreign and domestic, and all kinds of fruits and nuts from this and other countries. His store sign advertised that he was the sole agent in Jefferson and Indiana Counties for the macaroni made by

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A second specialty food wholesaler in Reynoldsville was the Brockway Macaroni & Supply Company, Inc. The picture was found in an early history of Reynoldsville, at the Reynoldsville Public Library.

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that mine closed they moved to Stump Creek, where they shared the market with Marino’s. It is not possible in this short column to name all of the stores that once operated in the area. However, all of these

Continued from previous page Ernesto Bisi.

The Jefferson Macaroni Factory, Brockway Macaroni and Supply Company, Inc., and Antonio Gigliotti’s General Merchandise Store and similar emerging businesses supplied the “Mom & Pop” stores. These stores were located in neighborhoods, in towns, and near mining communities in more rural areas.

They offered a variety of items The following advertisement found in the 1894 edition of the including groceries and special- “History of Reynoldsville” by Elliott, shows the nature of the Italized in Italian foodstuffs not read- ian market at that time. ily available at the traditional stores provided an income for their ownstores. ers and some became very successful and The older generations today may rememgrew into larger operations. ber and be able to name these stores and The Barletta Store, which was begun in store keepers. In Punxsutawney, Carlino’s, 1898 in Soldier by the Barletta brothers, produced an income which enabled them to expand their business to become a regional grocery operation.

The brothers moved their operation from Soldier to Punxsutawney in 1924, where they opened a store on East Mahoning Street. They began to grow, opening another market on West Mahoning Street then Clearfield The Barletta Super Market from a photo in the 1949 Punxand DuBois and a warehouse to sutawney Centennial Book. support their store operations and they became the Barletta Grocery Notarian’s, Infantino’s, Mayo’s, Longo’s, Company. As they continued to grow they Gattuso’s, Constanzo’s, Castronova’s, reorganized, becoming the Quaker MarBonarraigo’s, and Tronzo’s were once kets with 13 stores in the region. neighborhood grocery stores. The Torretti These entrepreneurs were able to satisfy family had a store near Eleanora, and when - Continued on next page

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Sticks), Biscotti (Italian Anise Cookies), and Balish (Polish Tea Cookies) are included among the more traditional American recipes.

As Punxsutawney area families prepare for the holiday season their family traditions are a blending of many cultures. The families who came with the miners, the

Continued from previous page the customer demand for specialty groceries and in doing so influenced the foods we enjoy today.

The cookbook which is a benchmark for the change in local cuisine is “Cooking with the Groundhog.”

The book was compiled by The Adrian Hospital Auxiliary of Punxsutawney.

It was edited by Elaine Kahn Light and Ruth B. Hamil, and first published in November 1958, 55 years after the ladies of the Baptist Church produced their book. The influence of the many ethnic tastes of General Merchandise Store of Antonio Gigliotti at 215 Findley Street, near the the immigrants The Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad crossing. (Photo from the New York Inwho came to dustrial Recorder at the Punxsutawney Area Historical and Genealogical Society.)

Punxsutawney is coke drawers, the railroad builders and all reflected in the recipes contributed to the the other workers in the coal and related book by their descendants. Spaghetti, industries have married into the families of Lasagne, Baked Steaks Italiene, Swedish the early settlers. The customs of the imMeat Balls, Italian Broccoli, Lithuanian migrants have been blended with the cusPotatoes in Casserole, Gnocchi, Canneltoms of the early settlers to create the loni, Holubki (Slavish Stuffed Cabbage traditions of today. Punxsutawney area aka Pigs in the Blanket), Perohi (Polish families will be preparing Polish perogies, Filled Dumplings), Hungarian Nut Torte, Finsker Brod (Swedish Sugared Almond - Continued on page 28

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Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 5

It doesn’t take a special occasion like the holidays to remind us how much we value our loyal customers. At Indiana First Bank, we celebrate our customers every day with a commitment to exceptional service.

We value your business, and we wish you and yours the happiest of holidays!

Happy Holidays!

“Boomer” Christmas Continued from page 2

eyes by reading; it was the worst part of being sick.

Most things I liked were available in

dents, most of whom had walked to school, now had to ride the bus to school in Hamilton or Valier. Those of us in the first six grades went to Hamilton. There were two rooms with two teachers there. Mrs. Powell had the upper four grades while Miss Sprankle had the first four grades. Wherever we went, our class was the largest. In

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Favorite items included Landmark books from Hunger's. (Hometown photo by Marty Armstrong)

Punx’y. We shopped for art supplies at Nolph's, clothes at Rosenthal's and all kinds of things at Montgomery Ward's, a true department store, and the 5 & 10 (actually there were two of these, side by side — Murphy's and McCrory's).

Of course, I went with my mother when she shopped for herself at Noonan's or the Smart Shop or for Daddy at Albert's Men's and Boys' Wear. Joe Beatty's had TVs and appliances and both Feicht's and McLaughlin's pharmacies had soda fountains. There’s nothing to compare to the original cherry Coke.

We went to the Jordan Store, too. This was another department store having jewelry, furniture and, in the basement, fabric, patterns, and notions. Uncle Sam (Jordan) was one of the owners and one year we watched the Firemen's Parade from an upper-floor window. Our piano came from the Jordan Store. My first lessons were with Aunt Ruth (Roderick). By 1957, my teacher was Monabel Hamilton. We added piano music to our shopping list.

At some point during the year we got a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica. No doubt the salesman knew his sale was made when, during his entire presentation, I sat on the floor, leafing through his samples, exclaiming over this or that entry.

September - The Shilling School stu-

first grade, there were six of us: Ed and Bill Blose, Shirley Humble, John Smith, my cousin Bob Roderick, and myself. We were joined in second grade by Judy Barnett and David "Ponch" Smith when the Moser School just off the Porter Road closed. When we went to Hamilton, Barbara Neal and Shirley Johnston joined the group. It was a preview of our high school days, when 401 students graduated with the class of 1965.

October 4 and November 3 - The USSR launched Sputnik I and II. Here in the United States, the Replogle Globe company rushed a special globe into production. It had a detachable ring with two satellites moving about the globe. A supplement to the Atlas describes the science of space travel. I was a “Star Trek” fan in the making.

December - Everyone prepared for Christmas. Earlier in the year, our church had been part of a national merger of many Congregational Christian and Evangelical & Reformed churches. St. John's, originally a German Reformed Lutheran, and later an E & R church, soon received a new young minister and his wife, Donald and Mary Jean Orander, who stayed for a time with my Grandma and Grandpa Stoops, just next door. We children participated in - Continued on page 28

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Happenings Around Town This Holiday Season

By PRIDE for Hometown magazine

W

ith only eight more days ‘til Christmas here are three good reasons to check out downtown Punxsutawney for those last minute gifts: n Retailers will have extended hours in their businesses, most will be open during evening hours and some will be open on Sundays, enabling shoppers to find those special gifts here at home. n New stores have recently opened in downtown Punxsutawney with quite a variety of new items for the holiday shopper. n Downtown parking at meters is free to customers through December 31.

Last minute request for Santa? n you will find him in the lobby of the Pantall Hotel on Saturday, December 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. While there, check out the special luncheon menu.

Entertaining out of town guests? Check out the Punxsutawney Historical and Genealogical Society. n The newest exhibit, “Sports Rock!” at the Bennis House, featuring local athletes who made it big. n Christmas Trees are on display at the Lattimer House. n The Highland’s Invitational Gallery is featuring “Objects of Costume” a special exhibit at 1:30 pm and 3 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays. There is a $5 admission for this exhibit. n Both houses are open from 1 to 4 p.m.

Thursday through Sunday.

Other attractions: n Visit the Punxsutawney Weather Center and enjoy the newest interactive exhibits. n Take in the weekend movie at the Punxsutawney Community Center.

Looking for exercise? n Take a walk along the Mahoning Shadow Trail and enjoy the winter landscape. If it snows, dig out those cross country skis and enjoy shushing along the trail. n Visit the gym at the Punxsutawney Community Center. Note that there is a charge for use of the equipment but it is well worth it to work off those heavy holiday meals.

Need to unwind? n Check out a good book from the Punxsutawney Memorial Library and curl up on your favorite chair for an afternoon of

pure relaxation. Or check out a favorite old movie, pop some corn, and enjoy an evening with family.

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Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 7

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By S. Thomas Curry ing’s death in 1923 was heard shortly of Hometown magazine after 11 p.m. by Punxsutawney residents who gathered over the radio set in the n the 21st Century, in the midst of Kandy Kitchen on North Findley Street many new electronic entertainment gimmicks, there are still a large number of people who listen to radio broadcasts between AM and FM stations, and the new satellite radio.

Hometown magazine readers of an older generation will have memories of when WPME became an AM radio station in Punxsutawney.

With the familiar voice of its founder, Charlie Erhard, when it went on the air in 1953, the headline story in the local newspaper claimed its dawnto-dusk operation was Punxsutawney’s (and Jefferson County’s) first radio station.

It was “the first” in the memories of one generation, but research has found that WPME was not the first radio station in Punxsutawney.

The advent of the radio in the early 1920s was a spectacular event in the lives of Americans, altering daily habits of many. A growing radio craze followed the entrance of Pittsburgh’s KDKA, on the air on November 2, 1920 as the first commercial radio station. By 1922, there were many radio stations During the early years of the radio craze, in the mid-1920s, Punxacross the country transmit- sutawney area residents listened to radio programs on hand-built ting programs of popular crystal sets (bottom,) or radio consoles with amplifiers (top). This radio is among many older radios (and TVs) displayed at the music, community events and 1926 Punxsutawney Area Museum in the Bennis House. (Radio photo news, stories and sports. by Thomas Curry) Crystal radios were the first (in the block of buildings recently demolreceivers to be made (boys could make ished for the new ATA terminal). The their own by following step-by-step inradio news was passed along to the mustructions in magazines) and reception nicipal building nearby from where the could be heard with headphones.

The news about President Warren Hard- Continued on next page

I

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Continued from previous page

municipal bell was tolled. From that arousing sound shortly after midnight the news was spread around the town, according to the August 3, 1923 edition of

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By Christmas in 1928, people were purchasing radios from manufacturers such as AtwaterKent, Crossley and Bosch. Families gathered around radios for home entertainment, instead of going to music concerts and plays at theatres.

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fluence to keep the American home together. Father smokes his pipe, mother knits and the children play with the dials.

They don’t all go ‘gadding’ about.”

The obsession for this newest of fads led to concerns among theater owners. Attendance at many stage productions and concerts became smaller as people chose to gather around their radios for nighttime entertainment. Special radio sections soon appeared in the newspapers to - Continued on next page

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Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 9

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Radio Pioneers Continued from previous page

inform people of the choices available over the few radio stations broadcasting live programs of popular music, classical music, sporting events, and lectures to go along with the newscasts of the early radio networks.

It was often difficult to get good recep-

and profit.

A “local” radio station could, of course, enhance a sense of community by its programming. To cope with the poor reception on the crowded airwaves, a radio broadcasting station in Punxsutawney came into existence in 1925. Station WHBX went on the air for the first time on April 8 over a 50 watt amplifier from the home of Paul Bowser in Punxsutawney’s east end (Spirit, April 9, 1925). Its first program consisted of a

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Dr. Joseph Vancheri, who began his dental practice in Punxsutawney in 1926., was a local pioneer of radio (and TV). In the 1930s he began experimenting with broadcasting and building “television” sets from his home on north Main Street. His continuous broadcasting during the March 1936 Flood enlisted help to the area. (Photos courtesy Dr. Mike Vancheri, grandson of Dr. J. P. Vancheri)

tion because the radio waves of the many stations overlapped, and there was static.

The best option was to listen to a more powerful nearby station. The radio stations in the early years were operated as nonprofit businesses, many years before commercials became a means of support

concert by the Fairyland Serenaders, a popular local dance orchestra.

When WHBX first went on the air, the brief news story related, “Punxsutawney’s own broadcasting station will cope with the best in the land.” A week later, a

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(814) 849-3924 One mile south of Exit 81, I-80 on Rt. 28 South Brookville, PA 10 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

Best Wishes for a

Merry Christmas from...

District Judge Doug Chambers “Serving Southern Jefferson County” 221 E. Union St., Punxsutawney

- Continued on page 29

Holiday shopping: 10 ways to wise up

By Kathleen Pender San Francisco Chronicle

W

ith unemployment rising and credit shrinking, it's more important than ever to spend wisely this holiday season.

From making a budget to saving on shipping, here are 10 ways to be a smart shopper.

1. Make a budget Write down how much you will spend for each person on your list and add it up. If you can't afford the total, start crossing gifts

Even if you go over your limit, keeping the list will make you a more restrained spender than having no list at all. "It's like the difference between going to the grocery store when you're hungry versus after a big meal," says Bill Hampel, chief economist with the Credit Union National Association.

3. Cash only A good way to prevent overspending is to

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- Continued on page 15

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or names off the list.

Rather than exchanging presents around the tree, is there something you can do with friends and family that will be remembered long after who gave what to whom? "Some families volunteer together, get outdoors, go caroling," says Gerri Detweiler, a personal finance adviser for Credit.com.

Although some families might be offended by such a suggestion, "you might be pleasantly surprised," Detweiler says. More so than in years past, "people are willing to come clean and say we really can't afford to spend as much as we have."

Some families rein in spending by giving only to the kids. If you must trade presents with adults, pick names from a hat and set a dollar limit. "If you feel an irrepressible need to spend more than you can under the rules, do that privately on your own time, not at the family get-together," says Tod Marks, senior editor with Consumer Reports.

2. Stick to it Keep a running total of everything you buy for each person, including online purchases, and when you hit your preordained limit, stop.

put your budgeted amount into an envelope in cash and spend only from that. "When you see a big pile of money disappearing before your eyes, it imposes a discipline that is not readily apparent when you use a charge card," Marks says.

4. Debit cards If it's not practical to use only cash, use a debit or ATM card but make sure your bank won't hit you with an overdraft fee if you accidentally exceed your balance. With many cards, "you can spend more than you have in your account, and when you do, it gets pretty expensive pretty fast," Detweiler says. The fee can be $35 to $40 for each purchase that exceeds your balance.

The Federal Reserve just announced new rules that will ban overdraft fees on ATM and debit-card transactions (except for recurring ones) unless consumers specifically

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Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 11

Punxsy Sew N Vac Brittany Ludwick - Owner

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Fighting H1N1 flu in the household W

By Betsy Hart Scripps Howard News Service

hen it comes to germs or bacteria, I'm just not much of a worrier. Generally if food drops on the floor and the dog doesn't get it first, I consider it still okay

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www.marioncenterbank.com 12 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

for the kids. On the rare occasion when my children get sick, I figure "they'll get over it." And I've heard that children who grow up around dust have fewer allergies. Let's just say my house is a case in point.

I'm typically the one pooh-poohing (and writing about) the latest health scare. But, even I believe that H1N1 (swine) flu is different. yes, there've "only" been some 550 such flu deaths in children in the U.S. so far -- the real number is probably higher -- and millions have likely already suffered from the virus. But that's still at least five times as many child-deaths as occur from regular flu in an entire season, and it's only November. Plus, children are far more likely to be hospitalized from H1N1 than from the seasonal flu. Many of these kids had no other health problems.

So, I admit that I've been a little hyper.

Hand sanitizer everywhere. Having us all

gargle with Listerine. Trying desperately to get H1N1 flu shots. Forget it, since they are being distributed by the government "for free."

In spite of my best efforts, two of my kids have already been hit. Ouch. Of course I felt like an idiot because though I was on the lookout for the virus, I didn't recognize it the first few days that Tori, my 13year-old, had it.

That's because her fever started low.

She has of course used that against me ever since.

Still Tamiflu, the fabulous "antiviral" drug (best if given early), helped her out and she was on her feet pretty quickly.

Maddie, my 10year-old, woke up one morning about a week later with a 103-degree fever and so miserable - Continued on page 15

Merry Christmas from

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HAPPY

HOLIDAYS!

An idea for a Bridge That Never Came About W

By S. Thomas Curry of Hometown magazine ith its three rivers, Pittsburgh has often been referred to as “the City of Bridges.” But, upon reflection, what about Punxsutawney? Couldn’t it be called

“the town of bridges” by reason of its many roads (including the railroads), streams, and the Mahoning Creek? A quick count of bridges within the town’s boundaries put nearly a dozen on a list.

Through research it was learned that there were ideas for two bridges that

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FM In 1890, the P & nW Railroad built a line over the Mahoning Creek to connect their railroad yard and station in the East End to mines in the Anita area. A few years later business people and residents wanted a bridge built to connect East End with the Elk Run Addition. (Photo by Thomas Curry)

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were never accepted by those responsible for making the decisions.

As the borough of Clayville grew in its location west of Punxsutawney, there was only one road that connected the business and trade traffic between the towns. Talk was beginning in the mid-1890s about merging the town with Punxsutawney.

An idea was put into print by the editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit to connect the two towns by a bridge, too. “If Pine Street were opened up and graded through to the Brookville road, and a bridge built over the railroad in Clayville, it would make a fine thoroughfare.”

The railroad was the B. R. & P. Railroad that followed Saw Mill Run to the Walston mines. The bridge would span the ravine created by Saw Mill Run and con- Continued on next page

Wishing you a Holiday Season full of Joy, Peace, and Lasting Happiness

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939-2676 Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 13

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idea for a Bridge Continued from page 13 nect to Winslow Street, where used to be the old West End school building, and where is now the IUP campus in Punxsutawney. The newspaper writer went on

street car “stable” was located, was called South Elk Street. The road north of Mahoning Creek through the Elk Run Addition was named North Elk Street.

Those promoting the “Elk Street Bridge” pressed their cause with many advantages to the growth of Punxsutawney. For one, it would make a con-

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Ordaining South Elk Street in 1897 was the first effort toward petitioning the county for a railroad crossing over the B. R. & P Railroad and a bridge over the Mahoning Creek to connect East End with the Elk Run area. (Hometown photos by S. Thomas Curry.)

Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sat. 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

14 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

to say “...to have Pine Street opened up clear through would be a great advantage.

The towns will be consolidated one of these days, and this matter of fixing up Pine Street is a concern of both boroughs.”

At the same time in 1897, there was a promotion of an idea for a bridge in that section of Punxsutawney east of the Mahoning Creek, to improve the development of that area.

For years, a bridge of one form or another spanned the creek to connect and provide transportation in that direction where Mathias Clawson first built his house about 1825 (the first house built east of the Mahoning Creek). Of course, the earliest bridge was an old, covered, wooden bridge. It was replaced by the “upper iron bridge” as traffic and loads increased after the arrival of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1886. The East End section developed quickly as the railroad set up and expanded its operation to mines in the area and returned business and travel interests to Altoona.

In 1889, Punxsutawney’s boundary was extended to include the East End section.

Elk Street was laid out in 1897 and ordained with the intention of moving it north to the Mahoning Creek, crossing the railroad and connecting to the “Elk Run Addition” by the construction of a bridge. Elk Run was named for the stream running through it, but was also known as the Graffius Addition to honor John Graffius who owned the land.

That portion of Elk Street to the creek from East Mahoning Street, where the

tinuous road from the young Township line beyond the Elk Run section to East Mahoning Street, and when completed it would unite the two business sections of East End and Elk Run and develop new residential areas. For teamsters hauling goods, and for pedestrians, it would shorten the distance between the two sides by a mile and eliminate traveling to Front Street to reach the sides.

For others, there was the advantage of the bridge for children. It would shorten their route to reach the new East End school building (built in 1890) and eliminate walking a more treacherous route over the Ridge Avenue bluff and across the railroad tracks at the Front Street crossing, where they were often delayed by trains.

The petition in 1897 for a bridge was denied and South Elk Street became a dead end street. In its place, the old “iron bridge” over the Mahoning Creek on Mahoning Street was replaced in 1905 by a more substantial bridge to handle the heavier loads created by new industries and the traffic of two railroads. Many older readers will remember the arched steel bridge that spanned the Mahoning Creek until the 1980s. In 1908 another effort was made to connect Elk Run with East End by a bridge over the Mahoning Creek. All of the advantages for a bridge were proclaimed again.

However, by 1908, new industries had located in the Elk Run section, a glass factory one of them, and hundreds of the workers lived in the East End section.

- Continued on page 16

Holiday shopping Fighting H1N1 Continued from page 11

opt in to an overdraft protection plan, but the new rules don't take effect until July 1.

5. Credit cards If you use credit cards, "stick to one or two cards," says Detweiler. "Double-check your interest rates on all your cards, that's a moving target these days. Use the card with the lowest interest rate for purchases you might have to stretch out for a couple months. Anything you can pay off in full, put on a rewards card. Before you leave for the mall, check your credit limit. Companies are slashing limits and they don't tell you until after the fact."

6. Gift cards Gift cards "are among the most frequently purchased and most desired gifts that people give and get," says Marks. But a Consumer Reports survey found that 1 in 4 people who received a gift card last year had yet to spend it.

Gift cards make it easier to set an amount and stick to it. But 65 percent of recipients are spending more than face value when they redeem the cards. "They have to dig in their wallet for a gift you supposedly gave them," Marks adds.

7. Layaway lessons With credit tight, layaway plans -- where you pay for a product over time and take it home when it's paid for -- are making a comeback. If you choose one, "make sure you get the refund policy in writing so you know what happens if you choose not to go through with the purchase, especially after you have made some payments," says Jack Gillis, a spokesman for the Consumer Federation of America. Also get in writing what will happen if the product is not available at the end of the payment plan or if the item goes on sale before you complete your purchase.

8. Return policies If you purchase a real gift, make sure you and the recipient know the retailer's return policies, including the time limit, what documentation is needed, and whether the recipient can exchange for cash or merchandise.

9. Finding deals Use the Internet to compare prices and search for discounts and coupon codes at www.fatwallet.com and www.couponcabin.com.

10. Save on shipping Hundreds of retailers will offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve for orders placed on Dec. 17. For details, see freeshippingday.com.

Marks says many retailers offer free shipping every day or every few days during the holidays. If you sign up for e-mail alerts from companies you like, you will be target-marketed with free shipping and other deals.

(E-mail Kathleen Pender at kpender@sfchronicle.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com) •••

Continued from page 12

and sick. In to the doc we went but he was a different pediatrician than we'd seen with Tori. Strangely, even after the swab test told us it was H1N1, I had to wrestle him for the Tamiflu. He explained that there were some risks to the drug (turns out it's mostly the possibility of nausea) and at best it would shorten the illness by a few days. A few days?

Um, to a single mom of four that would be roughly one lifetime.

More importantly, here's the math.

Children don't die from using Tamiflu.

Many have died from H1N1. Hand it over pal. He did and 36 hours later, she was doing great. Note to self: you really

can live better through chemistry.

Now I'm back on the hunt for a vaccine for the rest of us. I called the Chicago/Cook County Health Department this week and finally got someone on the line this time. They can fit us in - in January. The county next door has an appointment in 10 days for ONE person.

I grabbed it. I'll take the two who haven't been sick and either the clinic can give me an extra dose, or I suppose it will be a kind of a "Sophie's Choice" situation for me.

Meanwhile, my own doctor has given me Tamiflu so I have that standing by to start downing in the first split seconds of illness if I need it. But no, not for my sake. I myself just can't become ill because of the fundamental difference between a mom's world and a child's.

Maddie so succinctly clarified it all

when she innocently looked at me and asked, "gee mom if you got sick that would be awful -- who would take care of us?"

(Betsy Hart hosts the "it Takes a Parent" radio show on WyLL-aM 1160 in Chicago. Reach her through hartmailbox-mycolumn@yahoo.com. For more stories, visit scrippsnews.com.)

•••

Wishing you loads of joy and laughter, Throughout the holiday season and after!

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Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 15

idea for a Bridge

Richard L. Fait

Continued from page 14 Some of the workers for the Pennsylvania Railroad were living in the Elk Run section. The business portions of both sections had grown substantially to support the increased populations of the two residential areas in town.

As in 1897, the B. R. & P. Railroad had a different view about a bridge, and a necessary crossing over their railroad tracks along the creek to reach it, and go

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he could personally come to town to look over the proposed site. In 1909, the building of the bridge was denied by the judge with a ruling that the ordinance of November 1897 establishing Elk Street, and the crossing over the railroad property, was illegal.

After some years elapsed, East End residents renewed their effort in 1916 to have an Elk Street bridge to continue South Elk Street to Ridge Avenue at a point called North Elk Street. The petition went nowhere. What resulted was North Elk Street was changed to Elk Run

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Sheriff carl gotwald Sr. What is now indicated as “Elk Street” on a street sign for many years was South Elk Street and it was intended to connect it to north Elk Street (now Elk Run Avenue). The last effort in 1908 to build a bridge across Mahoning Creek was denied. (Hometown photo by S. Thomas Curry.)

SPReAD tHe WORD! Michael Horner, kim Horner

beyond to the Elk Run Addition. In fact, the railroad officials even questioned the legality of the South Elk Street that would take the public across their property. With the increased railroad activity at the Elk Run Junction and the roundhouse at the Elk Run yard near there, the railroad expressed the dangers of crossing their tracks. It would add one more dangerous crossing, joining the Pine Street crossing, the North Findley Street crossing, the North Penn Street crossing and the North Front Street crossing.

The Jefferson County commissioners had approved the construction of the bridge in 1908, but a review of the case by the Judge of the Courts (from Clearfield County) was postponed until

Avenue. South Elk Street was ordained and remained for years the only street north of Mahoning Street that strangely continued to be identified as “South” Elk Street. Street signs now identify it as only Elk Street.

When the Elk Street bridge was proposed in 1908, there was also an idea for a South Penn Street bridge. South Penn Street ended at the Mahoning Creek and residents in the Bubeck Addition on the South Side of the Mahoning Creek were connected to the downtown by a walking bridge, or “swinging bridge.” A bridge to cross over the creek and the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks was petitioned, approved and completed.

- Continued on page 29

(missing from photo)

Joe Presloid & Jennifer Moore LOCAL ReGISteReD PHARMACIStS

all of us at the Medicine Shoppe offer our warm wishes and gratitude for all your support this past year.

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16 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

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We’d like to join our neighbors in spreading his message of peace and love this Christmas.

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Remember, you can hold your special occasion with us. Just give us a call.

Happy Holidays!

Best wishes and many thanks for your friendship and continued support.

Sam Smith - State Representative -

On The Job Working For You. Paid for by Citizens for Sam Smith

GREAt FOOd FOR ALL

A Christmas Card

By Bill Anderson of Hometown magazine or most of us, there is no holiday quite like Christmas. Unlike many of the other holidays, it does not come and then go in one day. We spend weeks, if not months, preparing for Christmas Day. December is a favorite time of the year, too. The holiday season brings together family and friends to enjoy good times, to share memories of Christmases past, and to celebrate the birth of Christ, the champion of the Christian faith (not to mention an endless

F

stream of football games). And, if the loved ones cannot get together or are departed, it is a time we spend missing them. It is a time of year that sharing, joy, generosity, peace and love bring a sense of security to our families.

My fondest memories of Christmas are those of sharing the time with my young children, dropping hints about gift ideas, making lists, guessing what might be under the tree, with the glimmer and shine of decorations and the spicy scent of Christmas filling our home. And then it would come to

Wishing All A Holiday Season Filled With Peace & Happiness

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2. bREAkFASt bOX ($18) 2 lb. sausage gravy, 2 lb. french Toast stix, 2 lb. pancake mix, 40 oz. Biscuit mix, 6 ct.

Cinnamon roll Danish, 2 boxes of 6 ct. Cereal Bars 3. SUpER bOWL bOX - Feed your whole team with this 17lbs. of Food! ($23) 6 lb. Drumstix, 4 lb. mild Chili Cheese poppers, 3 lb. Breaded mushrooms, 4 lb. Onion strings 4. bASIC MEAt GRAb bOX ($25) each box will be at least 13 lbs. a mixture of chicken, beef, or pork in each box! No seafood!!

for online orders go to: www.greatfoodforall.com Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 17

Punxsutawney Alliance Church PRESENTS

“Festival of Carols” Wednesday, December 23rd at 7:00 p.m.

Don’t let family Christmas Eve traditions keep you from attending church services this years. Bring the whole family to this wonderful Pre-Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.

814-938-4230 or 888-322-3997 (PA OnLy) www.eastamericanmotorsport.com

eASt AMeRICAN 2 miles south of MOtORSPORt Punxsutawney on Rt. 119 WARNING! ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing and never carry passengers unless the adult ATV has been designed by the manufacturer specifically for that purpose. Polaris® adult models are for riders aged 16 and older. Polaris youth models of 90cc are for riders aged 12 and older. Polaris youth models of 50cc are for riders aged 6 and older. Be sure to take a safety training course.

For safety and training information in the U.S., call the SVIA at (800) 887-2887. You may also contact your Polaris dealer or call Polaris at (800) 342-3764.

For safety and training information in Canada, contact your Polaris dealer. ©2009 Polaris Industries Inc.

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

sixty (960) men on the pay rolls of the Walston Coal Company, seven hundred and forty (740) of them are Hungarians and Italians. (Punxsutawney Spirit)

December 2, 1903 — Gilbert Gahagen, who teaches the Loop school, came home on Friday evening and went to work at dark and killed six hogs and dressed them himself and took them to Punxsutawney the next day. We don’t know whether he worked all night or not, but he started for Punxsutawney the next morning. This goes to show that we have a man in our village who can teach school in daylight and butcher hogs at night. This is one of our busy men. (Dayton News)

December 24, 1868 — ORGANIZED. - We are pleased to state that a number of gentlemen, of a literary turn of mind, met in one of the rooms in the new School House, on Saturday evening last, and organized the “Keystone Literary Society.” This will be a pleasant and profitable manner for the young men of our town to while away the long winter evenings, besides having a fine opportunity to cultivate and improve their intellectual powers.

(Punxsutawney Plaindealer) •••

December 15, 1897 — There has been a rumor that the Punxsutawney School Board would close the high school room January 1st, because the scholars who attended did not justify the expenditure of money to keep that room going.

This is not likely to be done, however, but it still remains a fact that the young men and women who have an opportunity to attend our high school, and do not, should avail themselves of the chance to further their education. [A four-year high school course in Punxsutawney was begun in 1896] (Punxsutawney News) December 16, 1903 — Edward Boyle completed the installing of water filters in the public school buildings yesterday. Six stone filters of the Roberts make, two in each building, were installed, each filter having a capacity of 2 1/2 gallons of pure water per minute.

This method of obtaining pure water has been introduced in many homes in Punxsutawney. The six filters were obtained at a net cost of ten dollars each.

(Punxsutawney Spirit) December 21, 1887 — We are informed that of the nine hundred and

Hometown Tales

Continued from previous page the wonderful moment when the children would awake at 3 a.m., excited to see what Santa had left under the tree. As the family would gather around, opening presents and sharing happy moments, it was one morning each year that everything else was forgotten.

As our lives change, seemingly on a daily basis, one thing remains constant at this time of year: the traditions of Christmas.

Ten years ago, in December of 1999, the first issue of Hometown magazine was put together. As I look back, it was the beginning of a new tradition and a new life for me.

For all involved, too, it was a refreshing first page of a new chapter in their lives. As we worked and enjoyed the pride and joy that came with building a new company during that Christmas season, I remember trying to keep it all simple. Like Santa, we would go to every home, with a colorful new magazine showing up in the mailbox each month.

It is our wish that you and your family have a perfect Christmas and that happiness follows you always. Remember, too, to share the gifts God has given you and help those who are in need.

•••

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2 Locations www.jeffersonmanor.net 18 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

214 W Mahoning St. 1st Floor Front, Punx’y 916 Beaver Drive, DuBois Phone 814.618.2064 Fax 888.789.1480

Bah, humbug: The 12 scams of Christmas D

By Bill Toland Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

on't let Christmastime warmth cloud your good sense. Scammers and thieves aren't beneath preying on you while you're busy spreading cheer and good will -- in fact, they're more likely to hit over the next week, knowing that you're desperate for the perfect gift, that your car is loaded with expensive electronics or that you're feeling a bit more generous than usual.

McAfee Inc., the computer-securitysoftware firm, rang a warning bell recently when it issued its list of the 12 most dangerous online scams to be wary of this season.

And some other agencies -- from the Pennsylvania state attorney general's office to the Better Business Bureau -chimed in with warnings that thefts and scams can spike during the holiday season.

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So it's plain that you should keep your eyes peeled for the Scams of Christmas.

Here are 12 that shoppers should be aware of: 1. First, a commonsense suggestion: When out shopping, if at all possible, store your presents in the trunk. Leaving a new DVD player box in plain sight on the passenger-side front seat can lead to crimes of opportunity.

2. Craigslist and eBay fraud. Does that $199 digital camera seem too good to be true? It probably is. Do your due diligence when buying from strangers or online auction sites, especially when it comes to expensive electronics or the must-have Christmas toy.

Amazon.com (or good old-fashioned bricks-and-mortar retailers) might be more expensive, but during the holidays, they're also more trustworthy.

3. Don't throw your loose change into just any red kettle. Most solicitations and toy drives are on the up-and-up, but, unfortunately, you can't trust everybody.

Don't be afraid to ask someone what organization they're representing, if it's not plainly evident, and don't feel bad about Googling an obscure charity to learn more about it.

This goes for virtual change kettles, too -- fraudulent charitable solicitations are prevalent online in December.

4. you probably use your credit card more often during the holidays, and that gives scammers more opportunities to steal your credit-card information and identity. Be extra-careful buying from online vendors that you're not familiar with.

Review your December and January credit-card and bank-card statements as soon as they arrive in the mail to check for any unauthorized charges.

5. If you bought an item online, or if someone is sending you a gift, it might be - Continued on page 21

SEASon’S GrEETinGS

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938-4004 Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 19

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By Margaret Harper Courtesy of the Indiana Gazette he toys in the holiday display at Denise’s Antique Mall remind owner Denise Matthews of a simpler time, where toys were made to last and getting one Christmas present,

T

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- Continued on page 28

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in such a throw-away society.”

The display coincides with the annual Festival of Lights at nearby Blue Spruce Park, which this year boasts the theme ‘Toys of the Century.’

The toys which are mainly not for sale,

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An antique toy display at Denise’s Antique Mall shows toys from 1900s to the 1970s, such as this bear, left, from 1910, and many others. (Photo by Jamie Empfield from the Indiana Gazette)

a really meaningful one, was OK. “Maybe people got one item, and they appreciated and cared for that one item,” Matthews said. “It meant something. It wasn’t about just getting a bunch of stuff.

People had a lot more perspective.”

Nowadays, children want and expect a pile of toys under the Christmas tree. Plastic toys. Stuff that lights up and makes noise and requires a handful of batteries.

Stuff, Matthews said, that breaks easily, sometimes even before Christmas Day is over.

Matthews, who has owned the Antique Mall at routes 110 and 119 for 16 years, said she hopes her holiday display will evoke good feelings for those who stop to look and take a step back in time.

“Things of the past bring back a lot of fond memories,” Matthews said. “We are

20 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

12 scams of Christmas Continued from page 19 coming in the mail, or via FedEx or UPS. So watch out for a surge in e-mails purportedly from FedEx, UPS or the U.S. Postal Service, telling you that there is something wrong with your delivery, or that the gift you ordered can be claimed only after you supply your name and credit-card number for verification purposes.

Related scam: you get a flier or notice on your door, saying you missed the delivery of your package, and asking you to call a "toll-free" number to check on the status of your delivery. But the number is actually a toll call, charging you $5 a minute.

6. If you get an e-mail from Hallmark.com or some other greetingcard company telling you that you've received an online Christmas card, be wary.

Check to see if the card came from a name or e-mail address you recognize. If it doesn't, delete it -- it's probably a phishing attempt, aimed at either hacking your computer or getting you to divulge personal information. Or it might contain a worm or virus, wreaking havoc for havoc's sake, according to McAfee.

7. Plain old "pickpocketing." Sounds so low-tech and Oliver Twist-ish, but pursesnatchings and pocket-pickings still happen. Malls are thick with crowds, making getaways easier. Keep your wallet in your front pocket. Avoid leaving your purse in the front seat of the shopping cart. Carry only a few credit cards, and limited cash.

8. The holidays are a popular time to see

a show, concert or even a sporting event with family and old friends. But watch out for counterfeits to sold-out hockey games and shows.

9. So your kid wants a puppy for Christmas? Scammers know this, too. Buy from a pet store you trust, or from a reputable breeder. Beware any print or Internet ads that offer purebreds at bargain-basement prices, or dealers that offer the puppy for free, but ask you to pay shipping costs in advance. (And if pure breeding isn't a priority, consider adopting a pet from an outfit like the Humane Society.)

If you are a breeder, the reverse is true - beware of e-mails from folks who say they are pet "agents," buying the Christmas pet for a client. This is not how most people go about buying a dog.

10. This isn't an intentional scam, but during the holidays, many retailers hire extra help. Some are unfamiliar with the cash-register software, or with promotional codes, or with the latest sales. As a result, they may accidentally overcharge you. Don't feel guilty about holding up the line for a few seconds while you review your receipt to make sure that you paid what you were supposed to pay.

11. With unemployment still high, you can expect a twist on the make-$500-aday-from-your-home scam. Fake jobplacement services and headhunters promise to set you up with temporary holiday employment, if you send them a check or some personal information. Be wary, especially if they contact you out of the blue -- and especially if they want you to send them money. Real job-placement companies don't take money from the employees, they take it from the employers.

12. No matter what kind of last-minutegift crunch you might find yourself in, don't name a star for a loved one, says Bankrate.com. Stars are named by the International Astronomical Union, and they aren't naming the star after your girlfriend for $59.99, and they certainly aren't putting your newly named star into some "official" star registry.

There are dozens of "name a star" companies out there, and you can count on hearing lots of their radio pitches during the holidays. It's not an outright scam -the fine print usually confesses that the naming of the star isn't in any way official -- but a lot of people don't realize that until it's too late.

(Bill Toland can be reached at btoland@post-gazette.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

•••

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AdditiOnAl ServiceS AvAilABle SOciAl centerS Serving yOu • Adult Day Care • Apprise Benefits Counseling Chestnut Hills ........(724) 459-5251 • Caregiver Support • Care Management Indiana Center ......(724) 465-2697 • Exercise & Health Promotions Mahoning Hills ......(724) 286-3099 • Home Delivered Meals • Ombudsman • Telephone Reassurance • Protective Services Saltsburg Center ....(724) 639-9055 • Senior Employment Program • Transportation Two Lick Center ....(724) 254-9820 LOOKING for a job? Are you 55 or older? OUR SENIOR EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM helps to bridge the gap between the older worker and employer.

If you are at least 55 years of age and desire to work part or full time, or if you are an employer looking for a seasoned mature worker, call today and ask for our SENIOR EMPLOYMENT COORDINATOR. you’ll be glad you did!

Questions on any of these programs?

call (724) 349-4500 or 1-800-442-8016 Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 21

Merry Christmas to all the folks I’ve had the privilege of working with and serving this past year.

STATE SENATOR JOE SCARNATI 410 Main Street, Brockway, PA 15824 814-265-2030 www.senatorscarnati.com

H APPY H OLIDAYS !

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An extra teaspoon a day of salt jacks up the chance of stroke C

By Andre Picard Toronto Globe and Mail onsuming an extra teaspoon a day of salt jacks up a person's risk of stroke by 23 percent and their risk of developing heart disease by 17 percent, according to a new study.

"This research adds to an already significant body of evidence that shows we could make major public-health gains if we were to cut sodium in the food supply," said Kevin Willis, director of partnerships at the Canadian Stroke Network.

The research, published this week in the British Medical Journal, was led by Pasquale Strazzullo of the University of Naples in Italy.

His team compiled the results of 13 studies, involving more than 170,000 people, that were published between 1996 and 2008. The researchers examined the direct correlation between salt consumption and heart disease and stroke, and found that more than 10,000 heart attacks and strokes could be directly attributed to excess salt consumption.

(The knock against research in the field is that while it has been amply demonstrated that consumption increases blood pressure and that high blood pressure increases cardiovascular risks, rarely is the direct link examined.)

Strazzullo and his team estimated that if people worldwide consumed no more than the recommended upper limit of five grams of salt daily (one teaspoon -- or half the average consumption today), as many 3 million cardiovascular deaths and 250,000 stroke deaths could be averted annually.

(Table salt is actually sodium chloride and 40 percent of it, by weight, is sodium.)

"These results support the role of a substantial population reduction in salt intake for the prevention of cardiovascular disease," he said.

Canadians consume, on average, 7.7 grams of salt daily, well above the recommend level. In Europe, where this study was published, salt intake is measured in grams.

In North America, sodium -- as opposed to salt-- intake is the measure of choice.

Canadians consume, on average 3,092 milligrams of sodium daily, more than double the recommended amount.

Regardless of the measure used, the "projected benefits of salt reduction are substantial," said Lawrence Appel, a professor of human nutrition at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. He said that, if anything, the new research likely underestimates the negative impacts of salt consumption because there is "systematic under-reporting of salt intake."

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

•••

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22 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

New songs struggle to join canon of holiday classics T

By Andrew Druckenbrod Pittsburgh Post-Gazette here's little room at the inn for new Christmas carols and songs.

Whether it's singing around the piano, caroling in the neighborhood or turning on radio stations with allholiday formats, Americans sing and hear much of the same music they did a generation or more ago. In the past 30 years, only a few new holiday tunes have joined the likes of "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World" in the standard repertory or airwave rotation, including: -- Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" (1979); -- Wham's "Last Christmas" (1984); -- Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is you" (1994); -- Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (1984); and -- Adam Sandler's "The Hanukkah Song" (1994).

Not even country clubs have memberships this exclusive.

"A new holiday song has only six weeks

of exposure, and it is competing with 50and 60-year-old recordings," says Sean Ross, vice president of music and programming for Edison Research.

"New songs that do become entrenched

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do so over the course of years. Even a song like 'Wonderful Christmastime' is still considered new as far as Christmas songs go."

"It takes a special new piece to tap into that realm quickly," says Rebecca Rollett, an expert in lesser-known and older Christmas carols. "One of the newer carols to make it into the canon is 'White Christmas.' But those opportunities don't exist anymore. It is harder to get into the public consciousness."

So the formula is simple for a songwriter with a Christmas wish: Simply do like Irving Berlin and write a brilliant song such as "White Christmas" that becomes one of

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Happy Holidays

After suffering an accident and surgery, Irene Grube of Punxsutawney was transferred from the Punxsutawney Area Hospital to Mulberry Square for rehabilitation.

On September 28, Irene fell and broke her hip, which led to her surgery. Following the operation, she was admitted to Mulberry Square on October 3. During her short stay at Mulberry Square, Irene underwent rehabilitation and physical therapy to aid in her recovery from her fall and surgery.

Irene stated that she would “definitely recommend (Mulberry Square) for anyone who needs short-term rehabilitation. It’s a good place to go.”

She emphasized that during her stay there, she had several hours Bob of physical therapy daily and it was very beneficial. Irene remarked that the staff and workers at Mulberry Square were exceptional in their patience and thoughtfulness. The treatment she received there helped her recover and made her strong enough to return home.

In addition to liking Mulberry Square’s therapy and extraordinary care, Irene noted that, “the meals were carefully planned and I couldn’t have asked for much more about the service for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

Irene was very satisfied and happy with her therapy, care and short-term stay at Mulberry Square.

by Louisa Roberts of Hometown magazine

Ridge Ave. • 938-7100 Ridge Ave. • 938-0200 extending Warm Wishes to everyone for a Merry Christmas & Happy new Year

eLDeR CARe & ReHABILItAtION CeNteR

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Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 23

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Continued from previous page the top-selling singles of all time. you might as well try to teach reindeer how to fly.

That's why artists for years have looked instead to covers of traditional carols, songs and hymns.

"It is so much easier to get an old Christmas song on the radio instead of a new one," continues Ross. "That's why every year you have a slew of artists who put out albums of the traditional tunes."

Bruce Springsteen's high-energy version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a shining example of how a new recording of a classic can deck its own halls. Artists from every genre have tried to capture that Santa magic: David Bowie, Josh Groban, RuPaul, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Faith Hill, the Temptations, Jessica Simpson, Run DMC and many more. "(Artists) tend to go with familiar songs," agrees Dan Michaels, program director of Pittsburgh's WLTJ (Q92.9), which takes on a Christmas format each season. "you see very few new ones. It is like comfort food."

If you go back 10 more years, you can include John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (1971) and Randy Brooks' "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" (1978). you have to travel even further to catch a few more that have staying power: Albert Hague's "you're a Mean One, Mister Grinch" (1968) or the warm and homey jazz stylings of Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here" (1968) from "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

"Grandma" is typical of how long it can take a new tune to get its own Christmas stocking. Recorded by the duo Elmo and Patsy in 1979, it primarily got play on country stations until the group rerecorded it in 1982 and pushed it on Top 40 stations. Now the one-time novelty song is a Christmas standard.

"Every generation has the music they grew up with, and that gets passed on to the next generation," says Ross. "With Christmas music, it is cumulative."

And centuries of holiday music have built up a sizable and exclusive canon.

"The bulk of the most popular carols date from the 19th century -- 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,' 'Away in a Manger,' 'Silent Night,' etc.," says Rollett. But there are many that are much older.

"The absolutely oldest carol or hymn that I can come up with is 'Of the Father's Love Begotten' -- with text written in the fourth century, and a tune from the 11th or 13th

century, depending on who you believe," she says. "Not really a top-of-the-charts hit, though.

"An older tune would seem to be 'Conditor alme siderum' ('Creator of the Stars of Night'), which seems to be seventh century. Again, not one you would hear at the mall."

But there are several ancient carols that are very popular today, including "In Dulci Jubilo" ("Good Christian Men, Rejoice") from around 1400; "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" (text from the ninth century, chant melody from the 15th century); and "Coventry Carol" from around 1500, says Rollett.

"What Child Is This?" is a case of new religious text applied in 1865 to the 16thcentury folk song "Greensleeves."

So this Christmas, consider the plight of Neil Diamond. The singer-songwriter has just released a new Christmas album headed by a brand-new holiday song, "Cherry Cherry Christmas."

He may have risen to the top of the charts with "America" and "Sweet Caroline," but he has his work cut out for him when it comes to Christmas. (andrew Druckenbrod blogs at Classical Musings on post-gazette.com/music. Reach him at adruckenbrod@post-gazette.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

top toys of holidays past Scripps Howard News Service

2008 - Bakugan Battle Brawlers 2007 - Nintendo Wii 2006 - T.M.x. Elmo (Tickle-Me Elmo Extreme) 1999 - Furby and Razor Scooter 1997 - Beanie Babies 1996 - Tickle-Me Elmo 1990 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1983 - Cabbage Patch Kids 1981 - Rubik's Cube Sources: Toy experts Tim Walsh, Chris Byrne, Toy R Us (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

•••

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24 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

Debating college’s worth A

By Bill Maxwell St. Petersburg Times mericans are attending college in record numbers. According to a Pew Research Center study, 11.3 million Americans ages 18 to 24 attended college in 2008, continuing an upward trend that began 30 years ago.

Now, because of the deep economic downturn, high student debt, the failure of many students to graduate in four years and President Barack Obama's call for every American to get at least one year of higher education or vocational training, many old and new issues are being hotly debated.

Now a growing number of outspoken education experts are arguing that too many young people are attending college.

To address the major issues being debated, the Chronicle Review, a publication of the Chronicle of Higher Education, asked nine higher education experts, liberals and conservatives, to respond to seven questions. The two questions I found most challenging were these: "Who should and shouldn't go to college?"

"Do we have a moral obligation as a society to work to send as many students as we can to college?"

Predictably, the conservatives and the liberal experts answered the questions quite differently. But these differences create a dynamic that is good for education at all levels in the United States. This is a healthy debate.

Hard-line conservatives, such as Charles Murray, political scientist and scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, do not believe everyone should go to college who wants to go. Best known for his positions on race and intelligence, Murray argues that we should listen to the research.

"It has been empirically demonstrated," he writes, "that doing well (B average or better) in a traditional college major in the arts and sciences requires levels of linguistic and logical/mathematical ability that only 10 to 15 percent of the nation's youth possess. That doesn't mean that only 10 to 15 percent should get more than a high school education. It does mean that the four-year residential program leading to a B.A. is the wrong model for a large majority of young people."

On the other side, Daniel yankelovich, founder and chairman of Viewpoint Learning Inc., which develops programs to resolve public policy issues, contends that college attendance has clear utilitarian value and should be encouraged: "In today's society and economy, virtually everyone who has the motivation and stamina should acquire some form of postsecondary education. That is a prac-

tical reality of today's economy."

The two camps sharply disagree on whether we have a moral obligation as a society to send as many students as we can to college.

Murray is unequivocal: "We have a moral obligation to destroy the current role of the B.A. in American life. It has become an emblem of first-class citizenship for no good reason."

Like Murray, Bryan Caplan, associate professor of economics at George Mason University, is blunt, if not cynical: "From a moral point of view, far too many students are going to college -- just as far too many people stand up at concerts."

W. Norton Grubb, professor of policy, organization, measurement and evaluation at the University of California at Berkeley's Graduate School of Education, argues the opposite of Murray and Caplan.

"We do have a moral obligation, emerging from several centuries of concern with equity in a highly inequitable country, to make access to and completion of college more equitable," he writes. "But rather than proclaiming College for All, we should be stressing High School Graduation for All, emphasizing that such completion requires either college readiness or readiness for sustained employment -- or for the combination of the two that has become so common."

Along with the comments of the experts, the Review published the results of an OppenheimerFunds Inc. survey of some 1,000 parents of pre-college children about their thoughts on the importance of college. The findings will not please the likes of Murray and Caplan.

Nine of 10 said that although the econ-

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Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 25

Readers offer a sleighful of new Christmas cookie recipes

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some new tricks in recipe boxes out there.

The call went out in August for recipes, and by the end of September we had selected 30 for testing. As happened last year, we couldn't winnow them to just 24. We had to make it 26. Sometimes the Keeler Elves have a hard time making a decision.

Must be all that sugar. Most of the selections are included below.

We bypassed recipes that can be found in lots of cookbooks. Snickerdoodles and chocolate-chip and sugar cookies don't make the cut unless they include a twist.

Also, we don't include recipes that are exceptionally fussy or that require special equipment.

Karen Pryslopski, Patty yablonski and B Buckberry Joyce, all St. Petersburg Times staffers, helped me select this year's recipes from the big pile. And lots of people taste the cookies when they come in to the office for testing. Everybody loves the powderedsugar project.

- Continued on next page

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26 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

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wondered if it was possible to find a new drop, bar or iced gem. Would the eighth annual cookie issue be a bust and would I need to solicit readers for fruitcake recipes?

Somehow, I don't think a fruitcake-recipe issue would be as popular.

Remind me never to doubt the readers again.

More than 600 recipes rocketed in, mostly through e-mail, reassuring me that there are

beautiful cakes for all occasions cookies • rolls baked To your order

By Debbie Shick

365-5728

cookie recipes Continued from previous page Karen is the head baker and she puts the cookies to the test in her home kitchen. She uses the same equipment that you do, so her results should be easy to duplicate. Her kitchen is something to behold when she's in full-baking mode.

Karen is a coconut lover, so among her favorites this year are Lemon Coconut Chews, submitted by Gail Sloan of Tampa, Fla. Another favorite, Orange Spice Gems, are loaded with the flavors of the season: cranberries, orange and pecans. These lovelies were submitted by Elaine Patenaude of Tarpon Springs, Fla., and Vernie Frigeri of Sun City Center, Fla. Licorice Snaps from Patricia Kucera of Seminole, Fla., got top marks, also. The licorice flavor comes from a tablespoon of anise seeds. The flavor is subtle, not like a licorice rope, and I'll go out on a limb and call this a perfect cookie. Buttery and crisp, with the licorice kick at the end.

I had several favorites this year. The treats most likely to make me chuck my diet are Snickers Cookies from Chris Ales of Spring Hill, Fla. Want to know how to ramp up a basic peanut-butter cookie? Wrap the dough around a mini Snickers bar and drizzle the baked cookie with a chocolate glaze.

Oh, yeah.

Mexican Hot-Chocolate Balls from Linda Spurgus of New Port Richey, Fla., did taste just like hot chocolate, as Linda told us in her submission. Perfectly delicious with a cup of coffee. Next time we make them, we'll add a shake or two of cayenne pepper for an authentic touch of heat.

Chocolate Coffee Batons from Ruth Langan of Largo, Fla., is another winner. The finger-shaped cookies have a pleasant crunch, plus a nutty-chocolate dip at the end gave them a toffeelike taste.

Will they freeze?

Every December I receive phone calls from readers wondering which cookies freeze well. Seems everyone wants to bake ahead, and that's not a bad idea.

This year, we put every cookie to the test and marked them for their "freezeworthy" status on the recipe. Most, we are happy to say, performed with flying colors.

Head tester and St. Petersburg Times

staffer Karen Pryslopski froze three of each batch in zipper-type bags or airtight containers after the cookies were completely cool. We let them come to room temperature and then took a bite. Because we had already sampled them freshly baked, we knew what we were comparing.

As suspected, cookies with icing and soft cookies fared the worst. Cakelike cookies seemed drier and came apart easily. The freezing process changed the consistency of the icing, too. In general, glazes and frosting should be put on after cookies are thawed.

We also haven't had great luck freezing bar cookies that have heavy fruit or cream cheese fillings. tips for freezing cookies: • Cool completely before freezing.

• Separate layers with wax or parchment paper.

• Use resealable plastic bags and/or airtight containers. If you are storing several types of cookies in one large container, use bags to separate them.

• Baked cookies thaw fairly quickly, so you can take them out of the freezer not too long before serving.

A selection of readers' favorite Christmascookie recipes, tested and tasted by the St. Petersburg Times: MRS. CLAUS' CANDY CANE GINGER SNAPS 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup dark molasses 1 egg 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 3 ounces crystallized ginger, chopped coarsely 3 ounces peppermint candy canes Granulated sugar for sprinkling

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves; mix well. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, molasses, - Continued on page 30

tips for making the best cookies ever

by Janet K. Keeler and Karen Pryslopski St. Petersburg Times

T

he most important advice we can give you after all these years of testing and tasting cookies is to study the recipe before you start. Read it twice to make sure you understand the directions and that you have all the ingredients. It's best to know at the beginning that the dough needs to be chilled for an hour or more before baking.

By our estimate, we've baked nearly 4,000 cookies since 2002. We've had a lot of success, but some failures, too.

Learn from our mistakes. Here's what we know about baking great cookies.

Protect the Ones You Love.

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n Set your timer for the lowest amount of cooking time suggested in the recipe, especially for the first batch. Check and then watch carefully if you decide to leave the cookies in the oven for a few minutes more. n Use heavy-gauge aluminum cookie sheets with a reflective surface.

They should be rimless. Dark sheets make cookies darker on the bottom and facilitate burning. n

Ice-cream scoops come in several

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- Continued on page 30

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Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 27

Families of Miners “Boomer” Christmas Continued from page 5 Ukranian kolash, Hungarian haluski, Swedish meat balls, Italian pizzelles, and other favorites to accompany the American tradition of turkey, ham, and pumpkin pie.

PRIDE is gathering recipes, handed down from our immigrant ancestors, to prepare a cookbook celebrating their influence on our lives. The recipes will be published in a cookbook which will benefit the Punxsutawney Area Coal Memorial and Welcome Center. If you have a favorite recipe you are willing to share, you may send it to PRIDE. P.O. Box 298, Punxsutawney, PA 15767.

P.S. The pizza our Italian immigrant ancestors brought with them was very different from the more recent post World War II import. The early pizza was more like a loaf of round bread about 1-1/2 inches to 2 inches thick, topped with olive oil, dried tomato flakes, hot pepper flakes, and spices. Today’s pizza is almost as American as apple pie.

Christmas eve Worship Gathering

11:00 pm

(Editor’s Note: The resources used in the preparation of this article are available the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, the Punxsutawney area Historical and Genealogical Society, and the Reynoldsville Public Library. This article has been prepared by PRiDE – Punxsutawney Revitalization: investing, Developing, Enhancing. PRiDE is a nonprofit organization which brings together residents, business people, community leaders and civic organizations, to improve the business districts in Punxsutawney. PRiDE is working to develop a Coal Memorial and Welcome Center for the Punxsutawney area. Comments on this article may be directed to PRiDE, P.O. Box 298, Punxsutawney, Pa 15767) •••

Continued from page 6 a Sunday School program and received treats. Usually these were paper bags of chocolate drops or other candy from the 5 & 10. Daddy and I joined the choir and there was wonderful Christmas music. At home, we decorated our tree with the same ornaments I use now on the "Boomer Tree." The star is original, while other lights are modern versions of the originals.

What's different is the tree skirt. We would never have used a quilt for this purpose, preferring the snowdrift look of white sheets.

Grandma Stoops made the turquoise quilt for me in the late ‘50s using a star pattern, now my favorite Christmas symbol.

December 25 - Under the tree is the real reason I wanted to focus on 1957. She's as pretty now as she was then. I don't remember her having a name; we always called her "The Bride Doll." I have others but this one is the only one where I specifically remember the moment of receiving her. I clearly remember the dreadful anticipation of that Christmas morning before entering the living room. Would she be there? I don't know why I worried so but that doll on that day was very important.

In grade school, I had read about the city of Pompeii being destroyed by lava. For a while I was very intent on setting things aside so future generations could find them, going so far as to put items on a certain kitchen shelf. Those were the days when I was sure I would someday be an archaeologist. I've always felt I had failed to create the time capsule I wanted but it seems I have one now after all.

(Marty armstrong is President of the Punxsutawney area Historical & Genealogical Society.

•••

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Continued from page 20 just for display are from various vendors and Matthews’ personal collection, passed down through generations in her family.

The toys range in origin from the 1900s to the 1970s, and there are “quite a bit,” Matthews said.

“It is a really, really nice and unusual display,” she said. “It’s unique.”

Toys are a hot item among collectors, Matthews said, because not many have lasted over the years.

“To find that many toys in the condition they are in is a rarity,” Matthews said of the items in the display.

The display contains a teddy bear from 1910, wind-up toys and many other interesting items, such as a log cabin that sat on a toy train platform, passed down to Matthews from her father, an avid train collector.

“It’s quite the variety,” she said. “It’s a nice piece of history. It makes you smile and remember way back when.”

Hours at the store are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Extended hours will be until 7 p.m. on Dec. 10 and 17.

The display will be up through Dec. 31.

“It’s nice to see,” Matthews said. “It helps you get in the spirit.” mharper@indianagazette.net •••

Radio Pioneers Continued from page 10

three-hour program from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. added vocal numbers from the musical talent of Kenneth Carr, piano selections, and selections by the Punxsutawney Ladies’ Quartet.

Within a month the new radio station was looking for more rooms in a more central location for a soundproof studio.

A plan “using the best of talent for its programs” was promoted, and a number of local businesses offered donations to support Mr. Bowser. Additional programs to be heard on WHBX were the annual banquet of the Alumni Association of P. H. S. and frequent concerts performed by visiting entertainers following their stage shows at the Jefferson Theatre.

In 1925, radio sets and accessories were being mass marketed. Atwater-Kent models, Crosley sets, and the Bosch radio became available in local stores for area residents to listen to the “city stations” from Pittsburgh, New york, Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland.

On February 2, 1928, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club used the powerful signal of Pittsburgh’s pioneer-station KDKA to “tell the world” the prognostication for the six weeks to come. The 20-minute evening program, expected to reach unknown millions of people, featured music from local singers, a brief word about Punxsutawney’s history, and then the reading of the official proclamation that was announced earlier in the morning at Gobbler’s Knob.

Another of the early pioneers in radio locally was Dr. Joseph P. Vancheri, a dentist who began his practice in Punxsutawney in 1926 immediately following his graduation from the Dental School at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Vancheri had made radio a hobby as a young man. On his first experimental radio sets at his home in Cambria County, he was listening to the returns for the election of Warren G. Harding as U. S. President in 1920.

In the 1930s, local people were talking about Dr. Vancheri’s new broadcasting station, WBH, operating on a state permit on 1525 kilocycles. With a state permit, he had to limit his experimental broadcasting range to the confines of the state as he presented programming at various hours.

The oldest of readers may remember the March 1936 flood in Punxsutawney and other sections of Western Pennsylvania.

And during that flood, Dr. Vancheri will be remembered for his sleepless, non-stop broadcast over his amateur radio set from his home on North Main Street. His station was the only one broadcasting continuously during the two-day flood to inform other parts of the country of local conditions and was largely responsible for enlisting help to the counties of this area.

Two years after coming to Punxsutawney from Pitt (1928), when more and more Americans were getting their news from radio, newspapers and newsreels in movie theaters, Vancheri was experimenting in early “television,” when people would be able to sit at home and look at pictures in a little box. He built his first TV set that year, according to a story in the March 1, 1952 Punxsutawney Spirit.

In early February 1952, Dr. Vancheri

made Punxsutawney history in another way. The Spirit headline read “TV ‘First’ Scored Here Last Night.” On the night of February 11, 1952, at the Punxsutawney Country Club, Dr. J. P. Vancheri accomplished his “first” on a television set he had constructed himself. Country Club members, as well as members of the PHS and SS.C.D. basketball teams, were treated to a unique entertainment.

Through the doctor’s television set, he was able to project the St. BonaventureDuquesne basketball game on a four-byfive foot screen. The game at “the Duquesne Gardens” in Pittsburgh was televised over Pittsburgh’s WDTV station.

In 1952, Duquesne was one of the top ten teams in the nation, and at the time of the game, it was the only undefeated college basketball team.

Coached by Clarence “Perk” Binney, Punxsutawney’s 1951-52 high school basketball team of Sutton Tait, Tom Hester, Bud VanDyke, Ralph yenzi, and Bill Zito was also gaining attention by Pennsylvania basketball “experts” from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. That February night, PHS was sporting an undefeated season, facing DuBois for its 15th win.

When the season ended Punxsutawney basketball fans and the PHS team were celebrating the first undefeated basketball season in PHS history.

While many area residents were watching the PHS basketball squad make history, or watching new TV shows in 1952 – The Today Show, Search for Tomorrow, I Love Lucy, Ernie Kovacs, The Roy Rogers Show, Hallmark Hall of Fame and Edward R. Murrow’s See It Now – television history was made in Punxsutawney in 1952 thanks to the ingenuity of Dr. Joseph Vancheri.

•••

Bring your “DeAr” family, to visit our “Deer” family.

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With Punxsutawney having grown over years into many unique neighborhood sections, from the Hospital Hill section, the Jenks Hill section, the Downtown, the West End, the East End, and the South Side, there was a time in 1940 when some people in that section of town known as Elk Run expressed an idea to designate that section as the “North Side.” Having been the “Graffius Addition” for awhile, then the “Elk Run Addition” to be followed as simply Elk Run, those residents had an interest to put the “North Side” on the Punxsutawney map.

The Punxsutawney Spirit began to use the North Side tag for the section that had long ago established itself as the Elk Run section. In a short time, protests to the unofficial change in name were heard from many more of that area’s residents.

There were many loyal “Elk Runners” who liked the name as it had been, uniquely named for the Elk Run gently winding its way through it. Their stores, their fire company, and their playground were identified by the name. And for some people the name “North Side” would be more confusing, considering the vast territory that lied north of Mahoning Street.

The objections were heard. Punxsutawney continues to have its Elk Run section north of town, but no bridge to connect it to South Elk Street.

•••

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Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 29

cookie recipes Continued from page 27

egg and fresh ginger; mix well. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined; stir in crystallized ginger.

Wrap and place dough in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Place candy canes in a heavy plastic bag and break into small pieces, using either a mallet or rolling pin. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Portion out chilled dough by heaping tablespoons, forming into balls if you wish, and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle each cookie with a few pieces of broken candy cane and granulated sugar. Cool.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Freezeworthy: yes, but cool completely first.

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For the squares: 1/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup dark molasses 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup nuts, coarsely chopped For the frosting: 2 tablespoons butter, softened 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon molasses Water to thin frosting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and molasses; mix well. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and add to shortening mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in vanilla, raisins and nuts. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a well-greased, 10by 15-inch jelly-roll pan. While the cake is cooking, make the frosting. Combine the butter, confectioners' sugar and molasses in

cookie tips Continued from page 27

sizes and are perfect for measuring drop cookies uniformly. n Use parchment paper to line cookie sheets. It facilitates even baking, prevents sticking and makes cleanup a snap. n Cool cookies on wire racks rather than on the baking sheets or plates.

Cookies cooled on solid surfaces get mushy on the bottom, and those left to cool on hot baking sheets lose moisture. n Always use unsalted butter, and if a recipe calls for margarine, make sure it's in stick form rather than from a tub. Do not use margarine that's less than 60 percent fat; it has more water in it and will make cookies soft and perhaps make them spread in the oven. n To keep cookies from spreading too much, use butter that's just soft enough to cream with sugar, but not so warm that it melts the moment it gets in the oven. Butter is ready when it yields to slight pressure, and depending on the temperature of your house, this could take an hour sitting on the counter. n In general, use the chocolate that's called for in the recipe. Swapping milk chocolate for semisweet may result in cookies that taste too sweet and lack chocolate flavor. n Gather all ingredients before you start. The French call this "mise en place" (everything in its place), and it makes the whole process much smoother. n Cool cookie sheets between batches; better yet, buy two or three sheets. Don't grease the cookie sheet unless the recipe calls for it, or cookies may spread and brown too quickly

- Continued on next page

- Continued on next page

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Based on your creditworthiness, you may qualify for 9.99%, 10.99% or 13.99% APR with payments as low as $19 up to $69 effective until January 1, 2012. The minimum monthly payment may increase due to any debt cancellation or late payment fees. Paying only this amount will not pay off the purchase during this period. Thereafter, the regular Minimum Monthly Payment and Standard Rate APR apply. For Accounts not current, the promotion is cancelled, and the Default Rate APR and regular Minimum Monthly Payments apply. Minimum Finance Charge $1. Certain rules apply to the allocation of payments and Finance Charges on your promotional purchase if you make more than one purchase on your Yamaha Card. Call 1-888-367-4310 or review your cardholder agreement for information. For Accounts generated on or after 11/06/09: Variable Standard Rate APR: of 14.99%, 17.99%, 19.99% or 22.99% as of 11/03/09. Variable Default Rate APR: 28.99% as of 11/03/09. For Accounts generated before 11/06/09 you may have a Fixed Standard Rate of 12.99%, 14.99%, 16.99%, 17.99%, 18.99%, 19.99% or 22.99% and a Fixed Default Rate of 28.99%. Offer good only in the U.S., excluding the state of Hawaii. Professional riders with advanced skills on closed course. Some models shown with optional accessories. Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. Specifications subject to change without notice. ©2009 Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. All rights reserved. yamaha-motor.com

30 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

Old -T im e P hot os f r om t he Pun x’ y His to ri ca l S o cie ty C olle ct ion

This Punxsutawney landmark building on north Penn Street — near the downtown — speaks about the booming railroad activity in the area from the 1880s through the mid-20th century. It was built in 1903 as the new office for the Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal and Iron Company and the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railway (BR&P Ry). It was often called the "Railroad Office" building. Incidentally, the office of Hometown magazine today is located on the first floor. (Photo courtesy of the Punxsutawney Area Historical and Genealogical Society.)

cookie recipes

cookie tips

Continued from previous page a mixing bowl. Beat well, adding water by the teaspoon until mixture is of a spreadable consistency. Remove molasses squares from oven and frost while warm.

Continued from previous page

Makes about 3 dozen.

Freezeworthy: Not the best candidates for freezing because icing gets gummy.

-- Submitted by Bonnie Whitaker, Largo, Fla.

MEXICAN HOT-CHOCOLATE BALLS 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1-1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, divided 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided 1/2 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder and vanilla until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer; stir in the remaining flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and pecans.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.

Combine remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll cooled cookies in the sugar mixture.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Freezeworthy: yes, but cool completely first.

St. Petersburg Times testing note: Next time we make these, we'll add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper for heat.

-- Submitted by Linda Spurgus, New Port Richey, Fla.

BUFFALO COOKIES 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups rolled oats, uncooked 1 cup crushed corn flakes (or granola or Rice Krispies) 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces 1/2 cup pecans 1/2 cup coconut flakes

around the edges.

Chilling dough before baking and using parchment paper reduce spread in the oven. n

n Make cookies the same size and shape so they will finish baking at the same time.

Lightly oil the cup before measuring molasses, honey, peanut butter and other sticky ingredients, and the ingredient will pour out without sticking. n

KEith

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PUMPS AND WELL SUPPLIES See our special page: www.keithspecialty.com 6791 rt. 119, Marion center

724-397-8838

or toll free 800-705-8838

n To make chopping dried fruit easier, coat the blade of a heavy chef's knife with nonstick cooking spray. Or use kitchen shears to snip the fruit apart.

P& N

COal

n To chill cookie dough quickly, divide it into smaller portions and shape it into discs.

(information from St. Petersburg Times files was used in this report.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)\ Combine butter, sugars and vanilla; beat until blended. Add eggs and beat. Gradually add flour, cinnamon and baking soda.

Stir in oats, corn flakes, chocolate, pecans and coconut. Dough will be thick. Using an ice-cream scoop (or about 1/4 cup per cookie), place balls of dough on a greased cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake 13 to 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Do not overbake. Let cool on wire racks before putting them into a container.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

Freezeworthy: yes, but cool completely first.

St. Petersburg Times testing note: at 15 minutes, these are very crispy cookies. We like the results at 13 minutes.

-- Submitted by andi Blount, Tampa, Fla. - Continued on next page

ACME MAChinE 46 Anchor inn Road punx’y

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It’s WINTER!!!

Get Out The Flannel Sheets & Don’t Forget The House Coal!

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240 W. Mahoning St. Punxsutawney

Well Services Co. 304 Hidden Hollow Lane Punx’y • 938-9593

call 427-2821

good old Pa house coal

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65 00 /Ton

Celebrating 100 Years...

MAHONING VALLeY MILLING CO. INC.

From Field to Table Seasonings and more...

Woodchips • Hickory • Mesquite • Seasonings Ham Curing kit •Morton tender Quick Morton Sugar Cure - Plain and Smoked Marinade - Lemon Butter Garlic, Teriyaki Honey, BBQ Mesquite • Injectors • Jerky Cannons • Sausage Seasonings • A Wide Variety of Jerky and Stuffing tubes • Grinder Plates • Grinder knives in a Variety of Sizes • Weigh Scales • Boner knives • Meat Grinders • Dual Sensor thermometer/timer

Area’s Largest Gun Shop

Excellent for Hunters & Athletes

• Camo Outdoor Hoodies • Camo Cold Gear Mocks & Leggings (also white & black)

• Men’s & Women’s Cold Gear Base Layer (level 2.0 & 3.0) • Camo Loose Gear Long Sleeve Tees • Under Armour Accessories - Hats, Gloves & Socks

800 Guns in Stock Rifles, Shotguns, Handguns, Muzzleloaders, Par Military

BUY • SELL • TRADE your federal Amunition headquarters Just Received Shipment of Heritage Gun Safes 328 Indiana St., Punx’y • 938-8850 • mahoningvalleymilling.com

Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 31

cookie recipes Continued from previous page

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE TREASURES 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips, divided 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups rolled oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked) 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth; cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs, vanilla and melted chocolate; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture; stir well. Stir in remaining chocolate chips.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in confectioners' sugar, coating heavily.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Freezeworthy: yes, but cool completely first.

-- Submitted by Joanne Cherry, Pinellas Park, Fla.

BUCKEYES IN THE PAN 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup peanut butter 2 cups graham-cracker crumbs 2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 10 ounces chocolate chips 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix butter or margarine with peanut butter. Add graham-cracker crumbs and confectioners' sugar; combine well. Pat into 9by 13-inch pan.

Melt the chocolate chips over low heat and stir in vegetable oil until well combined. Pour over the top of graham-cracker crust and refrigerate until set.

Makes about 35 squares.

Freezeworthy: yes, but cool completely

first.

-- Submitted by Shirley Zagorc, Clearwater, Fla. LEMON COCONUT CHEWS 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 egg 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 (3-1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut Candied cherries, halved

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add egg, lemon juice and extract; beat well. Stir together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in coconut and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with bottom of glass.

Top with candied-cherry half. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet immediately.

Makes 7 dozen.

Freezeworthy: yes, but cool completely first.

-- Submitted by Gail Sloan, Tampa, Fla. ORANGE SPICE GEMS For the cookies: 3-1/2 cups sifted spice-cake mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 medium apple, peeled and diced 1 tablespoon orange zest 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier, optional 1 cup dried cranberries Juice from 1 medium orange 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 2 eggs 1 cup chopped pecans For the glaze (optional): 1 cup confectioners' sugar 3 to 4 tablespoons orange juice

Combine cake mix, cinnamon, apples, orange zest and Grand Marnier, if using, in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine cranberries and orange juice; set aside. In another bowl, mix butter with eggs; add to cake-mix mixture. Add cranberry-orange juice mixture; mix well.

Drop by half-tablespoons 1 inch apart on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets.

Sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let cool before removing from cookie sheet. To make the glaze, mix together confectioners' sugar and orange juice until mixture can be drizzled over tops of cookies. The cookies will be cakelike.

Makes 3-1/2 dozen.

Freezeworthy: yes, but cookies will be slightly softer when thawed. Cool completely before freezing.

-- Submitted by Elaine Patenaude, Tarpon Springs, and Vernie Frigeri, Sun City Center, Fla. (St. Petersburg Times Lifestyles Editor Janet K. Keeler can be reached at jkeeler@sptimes.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com) •••

32 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

HAPPY HOlIdAYS!

DR. DANIeL S. GORDON

OWNERS: Pat & Doc Gordon

come Home for christmas and visit!

Korner Kupboard

AND

7th annual red ribbon sale

ALL ITEMS WITH BOWS 2311 Rt. 310, Reynoldsville expedite and Trailer load services from 1 lb. to 45,000 lb. Call for rates.

50% OFF

THROUGH DECEMBER 31st!

9 ROOMS OF: Antiques, Collectibles, Quality Furniture, Melissa’s Primitive Wicks, Primitive Lantern Candles

(814) 939-8999

Give a piece of yes tery ear th is Holiday Seas on . . .

fax: (814) 939-8990 • Cell: (814) 591-5244 e-mail: brian@fastrakpa.com

814-653-2178

Brian A. Smith - President

StAFF

Have a Healthy & Happy Holiday!

DRMC Primary Care Associates Suite 1, Lower Level 5 North third St. Reynoldsville, PA

Tues.-Sat.

502 Main St., Reynoldsville 10AM - 4:30PM

(814) 653-7686

Happy Holiday!

Thank you for your patronage throughout the year!

reyNoldsville lauNdromat clean, friendly atmosphere.

We also offer dry cleaning and wash & fold service

open 24 hours daily 7 days a week

305 Main St., Reynoldsville

653-2165

Custom Art Pieces

CHECK AT OUT OUr FAIR LADY

• Custom Signs & Neon Signs • Vinyl & Pylon Signs • Custom Architectural Channel letters • Full Color Vinyl Printing 668 Reynoldsville/Sykesville Rd. • Reynoldsville 894-5069 • neonexposure@comcast.net

DOUBLe MM CeRAMICS

333 W. Main St., Reynoldsville

653-2792

www.doublemceramics.com mark9_23@verizon.net

Visit our shop for many unique gifts. or Join one of our

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REYNOLDSVI LLE BUSINESSES

153 South 5th St. Reynoldsville 653-8211

These shops and services send their warm est holiday wishes.

Remember to sto p in today!

look Your Best

Cindy Shaffer’s Beauty Salon

A style that’s all yours...with a little help from us

5884 Point View rd. reynoldsville

653-7805

Happy Holidays!

compliments of

DR. HARRY E. KunsELmAn

five weekly classes

473 Main st., reynoldsville

where you can make your own gifts.

653-2227

Happy Holidays!

Not sure what to buy?

Then, purchase a

Gift Certificate.

Ted’s

Meat Market Best Wishes for a Holiday Filled with Love of Friends & Family.

Bernard P.

SnydEr

Coroner of Jefferson County

Package Deals Large Selection Available • Party Trays • Meat & Cheese • Fresh & Lean Meat • Our Own Old-Fashioned Sugar-Cured Hickory Smoked Semi-Boneless Ham

chapman Auto Parts & Sales inc.

24-HOUR Towing Service

3rd & Jackson St., Reynoldsville

653-9633

Owned & Operated by Ted Palumbo & Sons Hours: Mon-Wed 8 to 5; Thurs 8 to 6 Fri 8 to 8; Sat 8 to noon Located 1 1/4 mile East of Reynoldsville on 4th St. or 6 miles West of DuBois on Wayne Road

653-2147

We specialize in Late Model Salvage 2608 Carson Hill Road, DuBois, PA

At the Intersection of Routes 322 & 219 RICHARD T. CHERICO, OWNER Day & Night 583-5128 or 800-543-4396

HaPPy Holidays!

Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 33

The right to go back to the Moon T

By John M. Crisp Scripps Howard News Service

he recent discovery of water on the moon could provide us with something that's been in short supply since the first lunar landing in 1969: A reason to go back.

Apparently the water doesn't amount to very much -- one estimate suggests that a ton of lunar rock from the right place might yield 32 ounces of water, which means the moon is still a very, very dry environment.

Still, it was enough to quicken the heartbeats of space enthusiasts and mining engineers everywhere. For one thing, water on the moon could tell us something about lunar history. And it doesn't take much imagination to picture a lunar way station, a watering hole on the way to Mars.

Why does this prospect make me vaguely uneasy? I should welcome the prospect of another trip to the moon. After all, my own life has happened to parallel the Rocket Age. I was born well before the flights of Alan Shepherd and John Glenn, when space travel was confined to science fiction and the fantasies of schoolboys. The moon was still a very mysterious, impossibly distant place in those days.

And I was privileged to observe the successes and setbacks of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, and eventually the lunar landing, a giant step that in some ways changed everything. Now we shuttle between the earth and the space station almost as casually, and with about as much public notice, as crossing the street.

Besides, I like the idea of space travel: it's exotic and it probably answers to some primeval human imperative to explore whatever's out there. Furthermore, our history in space demonstrates that Americans are, in fact, capable of cooperating as a people and that our government can foster programs that work reasonably efficiently to accomplish the most implausible goals.

Imagine! Going to the moon!

So why can't I work up more enthusiasm about going back?

Maybe it's because once you throw resources like water into the picture -- and water undoubtedly will become an increasingly valuable commodity -- a trip to the moon and on to Mars begins to look like an ill-considered extension of our long history with the natural world.

Oversimplifying only slightly, the story of civilization can be reduced to a chronicle of the consumption of local resources -lumber, land, water, petroleum -- and then moving on to fresh abundance elsewhere.

The examples are practically countless, but consider our own petroleum production, which reached a peak in 1970 and has gone downhill ever since. We've had to move on to fresh abundance, depending more and more on places like Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. To a great extent modern

American foreign policy has been driven by the impending dearth of local petroleum.

Why else would we be so interested in Iraq?

Common sense tells us that no non-renewable resource can be infinite, but this is a lesson we've yet to learn in practical terms. We imagine that more resources will always lie over the horizon, and the moon and Mars may represent for us, at some conscious or subconscious level, a fanciful safety valve for our overburdened earth.

Who knows what resources are on Mars? We never thought there was water on the moon.

Maybe more resources are out there, and our natural instinct is to go and get them.

But there's something vaguely unseemly about failing to live within our means here, and then hoping at some level to bail ourselves out by moving on to other worlds. I'm wondering if we have done a good enough job of husbanding the abundance of this planet to have earned the right to begin exploiting resources elsewhere.

(John M. Crisp teaches in the English Department at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. E-mail him at jcrisp(at)delmar.edu. For more news and information visit www.scrippsnews.com.)

•••

College’s worth Continued from page 25

omy is in the tank, they still believe that sending their children to college is essential.

"No question, the dream of college is alive and well," William F. Glavin Jr., chief executive of OppenheimerFunds Inc., writes for the Review. "But what we found amounts to an urgent call to action for everyone concerned about accessible and affordable higher education."

While I do not believe that everyone needs to attend a four-year college, evidence shows that typical four-year graduates earn more than 50 percent more than typical high school graduates.

Even so, many young people can benefit from attending community colleges and trade schools to earn certificates and licenses that lead to better salaries and wages. For this reason alone, Obama is right to call on every American to receive at least one year of higher education or vocational training.

This is a debate that is worth having.

(Bill Maxwell is a columnist for the St. Petersburg Times. E-mail bmaxwell@sptimes.com) (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com) •••

34 – Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009

GReenTRee lUmBeR Custom Homes & Cabins

203 N. Hampton Ave. - Groundhog Plaza

938-9150

Custom Lumber • Log Siding Post & Beam Structures Sheds & Pole Buildings Log Furniture

M-F 9-8, Sat 9-5, Closed Sundays

Easy Parking • Free Delivery • Fast Service

Smicksburg

814-257-9878

PA# 019608

938-4615

FoxsPizzaPunxsy.com

* Contest Rules 1. Complete the coupon on opposite page.

2. Guess the winning team and the total number of points you think will be scored in the Steelers/Dolphins game and enter the guess in the space provided on the coupon.

3. Enter one of the participating advertisers on page 34 & 35 in the space provided to redeem your coupon should you be the contest winner.

4. Clip and forward the coupon to: Steelers Football Contest, Punxsutawney Hometown, P.O. Box 197, Punxsutawney, PA 15767 5. All entries must be received at the Punxsutawney Hometown office

by Thursday, December 31st.

6. Only one entry per person. If you do not wish to clip your magazine, you may photocopy entry blank.

7. In the event two or more contestants correctly pick the winning team and total number of points, one winner will be randomly selected and awarded the winning prize. In event two or more contestants tie for closest to the total score, one winner will be randomly selected to win the $25 certificate. There will be only one $25 winner each month in the contest.

8. Punxsutawney Hometown retains the right to make any final decisions regarding the contest, and by submitting an entry, contestants agree to abide by the rules of the contest.

Nogacek's

Bark N' Boutique Jessica Nogacek, Owner

(Graduate of the PA Academy of Pet Grooming)

Where all dog breeds get a fresh new look!

242 N. Findley St., Punx’y

814-952-3401

punXSY hoteL a Punxsutawney landmark where old and new friends gather together.

108 N. Findley Street F Punxsutawney

938-8182

Unique Solutions to Grow Our Community.

For over a century we have provided solutions to individuals like you - one customer at a time.

Hampton Ave. • 814.938.1101 Mahoning St. • 814.938.1125 stbank.com • Member FDIC

puNxsy aNimal WellNess spa

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FOOTBALL FEAST

TRAILHEAD GALLERY

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treat your family pet to a day at the spa.

They’ll lOve yOu fOr iT! plus our hands-on grooming can detect various problems.

Bigfoor Pizza - 1 Topping 10 Wing Street Wings 2 Liter

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242 NOrTh fiNDley sTreeT • puNxsuTaWNey Go STeeleRS!!!

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We Deliver All Day

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Punx’y Hometown Steelers Football Contest:

ThiS monTh’S feATURe ConTeST GAme:

STeeleRS at DolPhinS JAn. 3

Complete, Clip, Drop off or Mail to: Steelers Football Contest Punxsutawney Hometown, P.O. Box 197, Punx’y, PA 15767

Name Address City & Zip Phone

Coupon for Game of January 3

Step 1: Guess the Winning Team:

__ Steelers

__ Dolphins

Step 2: Guess the Total Points that

will be Scored in that Game: __________ Step 3: Should i win, i would like to redeem my merchandise certificate at: ____________________________________

PittSBurgh StEELErS SchEDuLE Thur., Sept. 10 TITANS W 13-10 Sun., Sept. 20 at Bears L 17-14 Sun., Sept. 27 at Bengals L 23-20 Sun., Oct. 4 CHARGERS W 38-28 Sun., Oct. 11 at Lions W 28-20 Sun., Oct. 18 BROWNS W 27-14 Sun., Oct. 25 VIKINGS W 27-17 Mon., Nov. 9 at Broncos W 28-10 Sun., Nov. 15 BENGALS L 18-12 Sun., Nov. 22 at Chiefs L 27-24 Sun. Nov. 29 at Ravens L 20-17 Sun., Dec. 6 RAIDERS L 27-24 Thur., Dec. 10 at Browns L 13-6 Sun., Dec. 20 PACKERS 1 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 27 RAVENS 1 p.m.

Sun., Jan. 3 at Dolphins 1 p.m.

Entry Deadline is Thursday, Dec. 31

Everything in the Store Including Custom Framing Excludes consignment items and limited edition prints.

Let Us FRAME Your Photos or Keepsakes.

We offer the best prices on framing and we want you to compare!

FEATUrING lOCAl ArTISTS WOrK 124 W. Mahoning St. Punx’y (Downtown) 938-1004

The Bengals defeated the Steelers 18-12 Winning November’s contest was Robin VanLeer of Punxsutawney.

Robin was the only contestant who picked the Bengals for the November 15th Steeler game. The Bengals defeated the Steelers 18-12.

Congratulations Robin, who will redeem her merchandise certificate at Fezell’s County Market.

The Raiders beat the Steelers 27-24 This month’s hometown Steelers football contest winner is Brenda Gray of Punxsutawney. Brenda choose to redeem her gift certificate from Fezell’s County Market.

She guessed a 48 point spread being the closest entry. The final score was Raiders 27 - Steelers 24 for the December 6 game. you, too, can be a winner. Just clip (or photocopy) the coupon that appears in this issue’s Steelers Football Contest, predict the winning team and guess the total points in the game.

OPEN: Thur., Fri. 12-8 p.m.

Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sun. 12-5 p.m.

Season’s Greetings

Fezell’s groundhog Plaza, Punx’y Football tailgate time...

We HaVe It all! wings • party platters • pizza • snacKs CALL US:

938-3900 u

Indiana Street

PUNx’Y

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ORDeR ONLINe:

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See Insert In This Issue

Michael Horner, kim Horner Joe Presloid & Jennifer Moore (missing from photo) Local Registered Pharmacists

Open: Mon.- Fri 9 to 7 Sat. 9 to 2

938-3077

132 West Mahoning Street, Punxsutawney

5

40 Yards of Carpet Installed for just

59900

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Working Family Prices You Can Afford 202 Thompson St., Big Run

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•

Mon., Wed., Fri. 9-5 • Tues. & Thurs. 9-7 Sat. 9-1 • Evening by Appt.

100% U.S. Mail

Custom and Retail Meat Processing

The Best Choice for Advertising!

Specializing in Beef, Pork & Homemade Bologna

100 W. Mahoning Street Downtown Punxsutawney LocaL & RegionaL aRtists Recognized as a Pennsylvania wilds aRtisan tRail RetaileR

& Postage Statements to Prove It!

Gift Certificates Available 814-938-1255 • www.fairlady.com

Hometown Punxsutawney 938-0312 or 938-9141

Holiday Hours: Mon. - Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 1-6 p.m.

DuBois, PA duboismallpa.com DuBois Mall Gift Cards - Always Available!

Wallpaper Blowout CLEARANCE NO Rolls REtuRNS $ 00or Double Border Rolls

Rocky • Georgia • MuCK Boots • Danner • Wolverine

Punxsutawney 21920 Rt. 119

D

DuBois Mall

ALL MuSt GO!

Great selection of Hunting boots

Table arT • PerSonal acceSSorieS • HoMe Décor jewelry • PrinTS • arT GlaSS • PHoToGraPHy ScenTS • baby & ToDDler GifTS

December 18 • 11:30am & 1:15pm, Smethport High School Chorus singing and dancing.

• Noon - 1pm, St. Marys Middle School Band and Chorus. Near Fritz Music store.

December 20 • 4:00 pm, The Singing Dutchmen sing Holiday songs. Near Fritz Music.

BIG “The Store For Your Floors” RUN CARPET

Gipsy, PA • 814-845-7853

NeWly remODeleD!

Holiday Entertainment

M&S Meats

Cheeses • Cold Cuts • Party Trays • Smokehouse Products 1 mi. N. of New Bethlehem on Rt. 28 1353 Brookville St., Fairmont City

814-275-1801

Tue.-Wed. 12-5; Thur. 9-6; Fri. 9-9; Sat. 8-6; Sun. 12-6; Closed Mon.

Missy & Scott Shirey, Owners

Punxsutawney Hometown – December 2009 – 35

Punxsutawney Aesthetic Practice 803 W. Mahoning St., Punxsutawney

814-938-0123

“non-Surgical face lift” look 10 yrs. younger for The holidays With 15% off the Total Price of the fillers

lATi

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$

RADIeSSe, ReStYLANe, JUVeDeRM AND BOtOx NON-SURGICAL PROCEDURE (offering the lowest prices in pa - $8.00 Per unit)

ea long e yelashutiful, es *a

or $125 Per Area

ask me about tUMESCENt

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ty Beau est b is the r of lette tion uc introd

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2 X-Large

Member of the American Acedemy of Cosmetic Surgeons

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1 Large 1-topping pizza & Order of Cinna Stix®

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OveN BakeD

saNDWiChes

FEEd thE FAMILy

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2 Sandwiches & 1 Large 1-topping pizza

Indiana Street

Indiana Street

PUNx’Y expires 02-28-10

geT $50 reBaTe from allergen Botox Co. $75 reBaTe from Dysport Botox Co. thru December 31

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36 – Punxsutawney Hometown –December 2009

WaCky WeDNesDay Medium 1-topping pizza

399

$

CarryOuT ONly

Deep Dish exTra

Indiana Street

®

PUNx’Y expires 02-28-10

5

$

55

3 or More Medium 1-topping pizzas

5

$

55

®

1899

$

1 Large 1-topping pizza & 20 Wings

eaCh

Indiana Street

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PUNx’Y expires 01-20-10

or Call f fRee t!!! n intme o p p A

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PUNx’Y expires 02-28-10

Indiana Street

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