Thevalley january2016online

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Serving Mifflin County and the surrounding area.

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

Tomorrow’s Media - A Day Early Volume 7, No. 1

The Valley, January 2016

Complimentary

Not Your Grandmother’s Wig Shop

We featured an ad last month ponytails and I have made regular lished salon in January 2015. the hairstyle that you want, but able to tell which hair is yours and in The Valley from a wig boutrips to Altoona to the mall to buy

A lot of my clients think that now with wigs, you can achieve which is the topper! tique in Milroy, and when I went them.

I sell only to people going thru any look you want, and look

We have well over 200 wigs to take pictures for the ad, I was

So, I thought, well why medical treatments, and we do sell younger too! to choose from, as well as lots floored—this did not look like shouldn’t we sell them here! How to those clients, but we sell even

A lot of people may have hair of ponytails and scrunchies, so any wig shop I remembered. We convenient it would be for other more to clients with fine or thinon the sides and back, but their basically, we have any kind of asked owner Selina Bittner if she people like me to not have to ning hair. When you lose hair or it top is too thin; a quick fix is a hair you could ever want. We also would write a story to introduce make the trip to Altoona anymore! becomes thin, it has the possibility “topper” which blends into their carry caps, turbans, scarves and the area to her business, I can see

So that is how I got started. of making you look older and you own hair flawlessly. jewelry. Another popular item are a lot of women in the area gainWe added on to the already estabmay have a hard time achieving

Believe me, you won’t be our “little ponytails” on a heading a huge benefit from being band for babies. able to throw on a new “do” When you start to realize in seconds before heading out the convenience of being able the door, and it really is that to throw on a wig and have a simple. new look in seconds, you will

By Selina Bittner see that perhaps getting ready

I would like to introduce won’t be such a chore anyeveryone to my wig boutique more. here at “A Little Off the Top So come on out and see what Salon” in Milroy. we have, and try on some new

A lot of my clients have hair and never have a bad hair asked me how I came to be day again! involved with wigs.

This is always an easy Our regular hours are; story to tell. I once had a • Monday 9:30am - 5:00pm client who was dealing with • Tuesday 9;30am - 5:00pm cancer, she had melanoma, and • Wednesday - Closed as we talked she informed me • Thursday 9:30am - 5:00pm that the doctors she had spoken • Friday 9:30am - 5:00pm with had told her that here in

central Pennsylvania, we had We can also take appointthe highest rate of cancer in ments after these hours to fit the whole United States. your schedule! You can “walk Well, I was shocked! I in,” but we like it better if you would have never thought call and let us know when you that, maybe New York City or are coming. You can reach us Chicago, but not here, but, she at 717-667-2293. assured me yes, right here in You can also check us out on central PA. Facebook!

So, that made me wonder why there were no wig shops See our ad on page 4 and many The friendly ladies of A Little Off The Top Salon in Milroy. (l to r) Deb, Brooke and shop owner Selena can make your mornings a more photos on page 5. Stop around here, in our area.

I have always liked faux breeze with a 30 second “do!” by and see us today! a

Veritas vos Liberabit

The Valley, January 2016

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Editor’s Corner Wayne Stottlar

Rebirth, Renewal, a Clean Slate, however you look at the turning of a calendar into a new year, for me it always hints at opportunity. A chance to tidy up loose ends, reassess your direction, chart a new course, or if you are adventurous, allow nature to take it’s course and adapt and conquer along the way. I believe in well laid plans, being a bit obsessive when it comes to planning, but at the same time, see myself as adaptable to any situation, not that I necessarily like change all that much, but I realize the need for it, especially in myself.

As is often the case with our species, (those still thinking at least) I tend to reflect upon the turning of the calendar. As I age, I realize that I am a lot more honest with myself than in previous lifetimes. Some of the things that

make you who you are never change, they may take a back seat to something new that comes along, but if it is part of who you are, it is always there. I have always been a lover of the outdoors, the lakes, streams and mountains of my home of New Hampshire, and to a great extent here in Central PA.

I have always loved history and politics too, the love of history is still there, not so much the politics though. Because I paid attention and observed, and now am comfortable bucking the system in favor of my core beliefs, I have evolved from a conservative Republican, to a committed Libertarian. Now I have never been much of a party guy, I would NEVER consider signing over my sovereignty to appease a party. I won’t do it to appease a so-called

friend or local group either. I am not playing the political game that seems to be ruining politics everywhere and that is Good Ole Boys supporters disregarding truth and lying to themselves to tow the party or group’s line. The behavior is everywhere within Republican and Democrat party politics as well as deeply embedded in local groups who use a national name to settle local scores.

Since becoming a Libertarian in ‘05, I have had to face some harsh realities in that a lot of what I thought was what years of conditioning trained me to think—to favor the party. Now that I am more honest with myself, I can tell you that about 97% of what was learned was pure horse manure, intended to perpetuate the party. A lot of my Libertarian friends have ideas that are quite different from anything I had accepted before, some of it was even uncomfortable, but once you realize the true meaning of Liberty, accepting the differences is a lot easier on your soul than accepting the perpetual lies of either the Republicans or the Democrats. Government is about control, control is the antithesis of Freedom and Liberty.

A few years ago we became members of The Free

State Project in NH. In it’s 13th year, the Liberty Movement has it’s goal of 20,000 signers in sight.

Once this number is achieved, the group will trigger the move. There has been a steady stream of new movers since the groups inception, but once that magic number is reached, pledges will finalize their commitment by actually moving to NH. More on this soon.

In the mean time, The Free State Project will be holding their annual “Liberty Forum in Manchester NH on February 18th - 21st.

Headline speaker will be Edward Snowden, someone I consider a hero and real American Patriot.

This will be history in the making, join us! For more info on Liberty Forum or The Free State Project go to freestateproject.org.

Changes and evolution will take place here at The Valley as well, some new writers will be joining us, some old writers will be leaving, this is that change I was speaking of, but as we evolve and our paper becomes more popular, disappearing much quicker from stores, we can only guess that this natural evolution is producing the desired results. We are going to make an effort to get back to our roots more, with more stories on agriculture, the environment and local business and the natural world.

Our evolution thus far has brought some tremendous, passionate and thoughtful writers through our pages, we encourage folks that have a passion for writing to contact us about publishing your work. We thought early on that we could have a small stable

Contact Info Editor/Publisher Wayne Stottlar Graphic Artist/ Co-Publisher Lynn Persing Associate Editor Colleen Swetland The Valley PO Box 41 Yeagertown, PA 17099 (717) 363-1550 E-mail: thevalleynewspaper@gmail.com Web: www.thevalleynewspaper.com ©The Valley. All Rights Reserved.

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

of writers and that would suffice, but we have found that by having many, many writers, everyone can write at their own pace without much pressure and that always makes each issue a surprise.

I am going to make a concerted effort to avoid as much as possible the national election. It is a huge theatrical stunt, very lacking in any truth by either side, the media manipulation and the news cycle junkies are enough to spike anyone’s BP. I already know that I support Rand Paul, he is so unlike ANY of the other candidates that he is the only one I would consider, with both parties and the media is hell bent on making sure he doesn’t get heard. I am not going to waste time rehashing that month after month. If it stays decent weather, I will go metal detecting instead, I get much more enjoyment out of that.

Speaking of this awesome weather, my bees were out and about on CHRISTMAS EVE!!

They were bringing pollen in from something, likely dandelions that I saw sprouting up everywhere and possibly the sage that pushed out new blooms about mid-December.

I know it won’t stay warm right through, but when I think back to last year, they had already been consuming their stores for two months by this time—this year they were still making honey, that is a good thing, I think.

Remember, we all get a restart this month, let’s all make an effort set some new goals and turn off the TV, get outside, discover something, get lost in the woods, and possibly find yourself. a

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The Valley, January 2016

Back Talk

by Dr. Joseph Kauffman

The Time Is Now To Take A Stand Before I delve into the meat of this column, I would like to go back and remind all of you what the richest man in the world stated six years ago. “The world today has 6.8 billion people... that’s headed up to about 9 billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 percent.”

So, again, 10 percent of 6.8 billion is 680 million people! And, you read the quote correctly…LOWER that number via new vaccines, health care and reproductive services! His goal is to assist in LOWERING the world’s population using these three avenues.

What does Bill Gates know about any of those three? I have no clue.

He made his money in computers and software, but no one can argue that the man with the most money in the world certainly has influence and power.

“How can vaccines actually be used to reduce world population? Let’s conduct a mental experiment on this issue. If vaccines are to be used to reduce world population, they obviously need to be accepted by the majority of the people. Otherwise the population reduction effort wouldn’t be very effective. And in order for them to be accepted by the majority of the people, they obviously can’t just kill people outright. If everybody started dropping dead within 24 hours of receiving the flu shot, the danger of vaccines would become obvious rather quickly and the vaccines would be recalled. Thus, if vaccines are to be used as an effective population reduction effort, there are really only three ways in which they might theoretically be “effective” from the point of view of those who wish to reduce world population: #1) They might kill people slowly in a way that’s unnoticeable, taking effect over perhaps 10 - 30 years by accelerating degenerative diseases. #2) They might reduce fertility and therefore dramatically lower birth rates around the world, thereby reducing the world population over successive generations.

This “soft kill” method might

seem more acceptable to scientists who want to see the world population fall, but don’t quite have the stomach to outright kill people with conventional medicine.

There is already evidence that vaccines may promote miscarriages (http://www.naturalnews. com/027512_vaccines_miscarriage.html). #3) They might increase the death rate from a future pandemic.

Theoretically, widespread vaccination efforts could be followed by a deliberate release of a highly virulent flu strain with a high fatality rate. This “bioweapon” approach could kill millions of people whose immune systems have been weakened by previous vaccine injections.

This is a known side effect of some vaccines, by the way.

A study documenting this was published in PLoS. Read the story here: http://www.naturalnews. com/028538_seasonal_flu_shot_ vaccines.html The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into vaccine programs targeting people all over the world. One such program is researching the development of “sweat-triggered vaccines” that could use specially-coated Nanomaterials to deliver vaccines to people without using injections.

More interestingly, his foundation has also invested millions in sterilization technologies that have been called a “temporary castration” solution. (http://www. naturalnews.com/028887_vaccines_Bill_Gates.html).

It seems that the actions of the Gates foundation are entirely consistent with the formula for CO2 reduction that Bill Gates alluded to in his TED conference speech: CO2 = P x S x E x C. P = People S = Services per person E = Energy per service C = CO2 per energy unit Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/029911_vaccines_Bill_ Gates.html.

By reducing birth rates (through sterilization technologies) and increasing vaccine penetration throughout the world population (by using sweat-triggered Nano-vaccines), his stated goal of reducing the world population by 10 to 15 percent could be reached within just a few years.”

Does all of this sound farfetched? Does it sound as though my hat is made of tinfoil and conspiracy-minded looney talk?

Perhaps, it sounds that way, but the article that is referenced here was written six years ago. Check this one out: “U.S. National Vaccine Plan

In 2010, partners from all over the world came together with a global commitment to immunization, declaring 2010 to 2020 as the Decade of Vaccines. American children today receive 49 doses of 16 different vaccines before 5 years of age.

There is no end in sight with at least 300 vaccines in the current developmental pipeline.

The National Vaccine Plan, developed by the U.S. Department of Human Services (HSS) is the roadmap for a ‘21st century vaccine and immunization enterprise.’

It lays bare the incestuous publicprivate relationship between the pharmaceutical vaccine manufacturers, the U.S. government and the World Health Community. The plan includes specific outlines and strategies for advancing vaccine R&D in conjunction with the NIH and FDA; calls for government guaranteed financing, supply, and distribution

The Truth Has No Agenda

of vaccines; and requests funding for new pro-vaccine information pieces to be distributed to consumers and health care providers.

The National Vaccine Implementation Plan was designed to coordinate with Healthy People 2020. This plan outlines the goals and objectives to achieve increased vaccination over a 10-year period, with action steps, processes and measurable outcomes to be achieved between 2012 and 2015.

The implementation plan has five broad objectives: 1. Develop new and improved vaccines 2. Enhance the vaccine safety system 3. Support communications to enhance informed vaccine decisionmaking 4. Ensure a stable supply of, access to and better use of recommended vaccines 5. Increase global prevention through vaccination

In December, 2014, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released a special report called “Outbreaks: Protecting Americans from Infectious Diseases.”

The first 10 pages discuss Ebola, superbugs, tuberculosis, pandemic flu and mosquito-borne diseases—the major infectious disease threats seen today. The document then transitions to a lengthy discussion about vaccines

and the major risk of infection for unvaccinated children.

Elimination of Exemptions: The Playbook

On page 75 of this document, the playbook for the current flurry of vaccination laws is succinctly and shockingly laid out.

Increasing Vaccination Rates: Improving the nation’s vaccination rates would help prevent disease, mitigate suffering, and reduce healthcare costs. The Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recommend a number of actions that can be taken to increase vaccination rates for children, teens and adults around the country, including: •Minimize vaccine exemptions: States should enact and enable universal childhood vaccinations except where immunization is medically contraindicated.

Non-medical vaccine exemptions, including personal belief exemptions, enable higher rates of exemptions in those states that allow them [implying religious and philosophical exemptions should not be allowed.]

•Increasing public education campaigns about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines: Federal, state and local health officials, in partnership with medical provid-

Continued on page 6

The Valley, January 2016

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CBD oil – how does it help with Chronic pain?

Dr. John Mainiero

My Thoughts

As this year comes to an end I am thankful for the opportunity to serve all my patients, friends and their families.

I especially enjoy writing monthly articles for the Valley Newspaper and have made many new friends and acquaintance in doing so.

I have also had many conversations with my patients and staff as well as Facebook friends.

In these conversations I hear over and over again how something that was said or done had made a huge impact on the lives of that person and or a family member.

By way of giving good health information, timely tips that go against the grain of modern medicine and sensible advice for an over medicated society we see

more and more patients seeking out chiropractic care as their first line defense.

Chiropractic care and chiropractors are not just for back pain; we as a profession truly listen to our patients, laugh with our patients, and cry with our patients.

We are intertwined with patients as friends, family and acquaintances.

A wise man once said, “We never know how far reaching something we may say or do will affect the lives of so many tomorrow.”

Through chiropractic care, we not only improve the health of one individual, but their spouse and their family.

Through chiropractic care. we not only improve the lives of

a family but improve the relationships of that family and their friends.

Through chiropractic care we not only improve the relationships of friends, but bring communities together.

Through chiropractic care, we not only improve the community as a whole, but build bridges with the world.

Through chiropractic care, we promise to make this a better educated and healthier world for our children.

CBD is hemp oil manufactured

from industrial hemp for its oils not the THC compound. The cannabis compound is the beneficial part of the oil, it is a sublingual, meaning it can be dropped under the tongue and used for its health benefits.

Hemp products are legal in all 50 states and do not require a prescription. With the use of CBD oils there is no “HIGH” associated with its use. Anyone can use CBD oil. www.pubmed.gov has articles on its uses and benefits.

Dr. John J. Mainiero Stealth Doctor a

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

The Valley, January 2016

Not Your Grandmothers Wig Shop

Whether blonde, dark brunette or something in between, “A Little Off The Top Salon” will have just the right topper or back to enhance your current look, or give you a completely different style in just minutes. Easy to care for and easy to wear, modern wigs are nothing like those used by your mother and grandmother. Our wigs are light and airy, you won’t even know you are wearing it, and the best part is, no one else will either. Need a look for work but want something playful for the evening, no problem, two different toppers or back extensions will give you what you are looking for.

The Truth Has No Agenda

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The Valley, January 2016

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About Faith

by Rev. Robert Zorn, Visitation Minister, Lewistown Presbyterian Church

January Thaw

The unusual warm weather that we have been enjoying through this fall and early winter has brought forth some seemingly strange phenomena. A few spring blooming bulbs are beginning to show in our front yard. While we may be enjoying the respite from winter that this year has afforded us, there is still the ominous threat of the bitter winds and the snow of winter which inevitably lies ahead. Another factor in the equation is that our mild season may deprive us of one feature to which we almost always expectantly await.

We have come to expect that after a blast of cold and snow there will be what we have come to anticipate as the January thaw.

Agreeably, it does not always happen, but we have come o expect it every year shortly after the Farm Show. We greet the thaws arrival with enthusiasm and begin to watch for the inevitable seed catalogs in the mail.

A January thaw of significant proportion that comes to my mind was one that occurred when I was in my sixth grade at our little one room school near our farm home.

The ground had been covered with snow since Thanksgiving Day. Almost weekly blizzards piled up more snow. So it was a welcome relief to see the tem-

perature rise above freezing, and the snow blanket considerably reduced in depth.

When this happened, Miss Wiggins, our teacher, thought that we could all play outside during our lunch hour. It was a welcomed opportunity after the months of inside games, such as eraser tag and marbles. (Would you believe that we boys even played mumbletypeg with our ever present pocket knives.) Once outside, we soon tracked the whole schoolyard with cow catchers, figure eights, and other designs. Then we found that we had a field of fine “packing” snow, which made wonderful snowballs. Now, we knew that snowball fights were not allowed, so the next best thing was to build a snowman. We boys started first, and rolled a ball until we could no longer move it. Then the copy cat girls rolled one of their own right next to ours. Thus began a competition to see who could build the highest snowman. Snowballs were piled upon snowballs until both were higher than any of us kids. Coal shovels and scuttles were pressed into service to add mass to our molded mountains of snow. Miss Wiggins, undoubtedly enjoying the quiet classroom, did not ring the bell to end our fun.

Loud arguments broke out as to which snowman was taller, wider

The Time IS Now To Take A Stand from page 3

the misperceptions about vaccines are particularly high.

•Expand alternate delivery sites: The National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) has recommended including expansion of vaccination services offered by pharmacists and other community immunization providers, vaccination at the workplace, and increased vaccination by providers who care for pregnant women. [schools have vaccinated children

ers and community organizations, should conduct assertive campaigns about the importance of vaccines [hence, the measles media blitz] particularly stressing and demonstrating the safety and efficacy of immunizations. Targeted outreach should be made to high-risk groups and to racial and ethnic minority populations where

Next Issue of The Valley: February 3rd

or prettier.

Soon, a strange thing happened. The snowmen, built hurriedly without sound engineering began to lean toward each other until they actually touched and held each other up.

Their contact formed an arch bridge under which we could, from the tallest to the smallest, march in a row until the bell rang.

We all went gleefully back to our classes.

For at least one day we had learned that much more can be accomplished by cooperation instead of competition. A return of cold weather preserved our bridge for a few more days, until a well meaning parent, fearing a dangerous collapse, broke it down.

We, of many faiths and denominations are to be building the Church of Christ. Competition will not work – cooperation will.

At the beginning of a new year it is our opportunity and obligation to build the ministry and mission of our churches together.

Concepts and ideas long frozen by habit and tradition need to thaw. The warmth of our fellowship and worship will enable us to build a strong Christian witness throughout our county and world.

For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Romans 12: 4,5. a without parental consent.]

•Bolstering immunization registries and tracking: States should take steps to integrate immunization registries and EHRs to help track when patients receive vaccines, improve information sharing across providers, remind providers to routinely provide recommended vaccinations, remind patients of vaccinations and address gaps.

•Requiring universal immunization of healthcare personnel for all APIC (Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) recommended vaccinations: According to a joint policy statement by APIC and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), manda-

tory immunization programs are the most effective way to increase healthcare personnel vaccination rates. As such, the societies support healthcare employee policies that require healthcare workers to demonstrate immunity or document receipt of ACIPrecommended vaccinations as a condition of employment, unpaid service [volunteers will be vaccinated], or receipt of professional privileges [doctors vaccinated to work].

This information is sobering – but should be infuriating. The objectives in Healthy People 2020 represent the massive expansion of a nanny-state government, intent on taking over every area of a person’s life and eliminating health choices. The legislative moves we are fighting were set in motion many years ago.

What can you do? Get involved. Join the NVICAdvocacy. org portal. Work to stop the bills that are on deck to take away our rights. Tell those involved that mass vaccination and Healthy People 2020 is not about making people healthy. It is about control.” “‘Mass Sterilization’: Kenyan Doctors Find Anti-fertility Agent in UN Tetanus Vaccine

According to LifeSiteNews, a Catholic publication, the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association is charging UNICEF and WHO with sterilizing millions of girls and women under cover of an anti-tetanus vaccination program sponsored by the Kenyan government.

The Kenyan government denies there is anything wrong with the vaccine, and says it is perfectly safe.

The Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, however, saw evidence to the contrary, and had six different samples of the tetanus vaccine from various locations around Kenya sent to an independent laboratory in South Africa for testing.

The results confirmed their worst fears: all six samples tested positive for the HCG antigen.

The HCG antigen is used in antifertility vaccines, but was found present in tetanus vaccines targeted to young girls and women of childbearing age. Dr. Ngare, spokesman for the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, stated in a bulletin released November 4: ‘This proved right our worst fears; that this WHO campaign is not about eradicating neonatal tetanus, but a well-coordinated forceful population control mass sterilization exercise using a proven fertility regulating vaccine. This

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

evidence was presented to the Ministry of Health before the third round of immunization, but was ignored.” Dr. Ngare brought up several points about the mass tetanus vaccination program in Kenya that caused the Catholic doctors to become suspicious:

Dr. Ngare told LifeSiteNews that several things alerted doctors in the church’s far-flung medical system of 54 hospitals, 83 health centres, and 17 medical and nursing schools to the possibility the anti-tetanus campaign was secretly an anti-fertility campaign.

Why, they ask, does it involve an unprecedented five shots (or “jabs” as they are known, in Kenya) over more than two years, why is it applied only to women of childbearing years, and why is it being conducted without the usual fanfare of government publicity?

‘Usually we give a series three shots over two to three years, we give it anyone who comes into the clinic with an open wound, men, women or children.’ said Dr. Ngare.

But it is the five vaccination regime that is most alarming. ‘The only time tetanus vaccine has been given in five doses is when it is used as a carrier in fertility regulating vaccines laced with the pregnancy hormone, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) developed by WHO in 1992.’

It should be noted that UNICEF and WHO distribute these vaccines for free, and that there are financial incentives for the Kenyan government to participate in these programs. When funds from the UN are not enough to purchase yearly allotments of vaccines, an organization started and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI, provides extra funding for many of these vaccination programs in poor countries. (See: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Vaccine Empire on Trial in India.)

Also, there was no outbreak of tetanus in Kenya, only the perceived ‘threat’ of tetanus due to local flood conditions. These local disasters are a common reason UNICEF goes into poorer countries with free vaccines to begin mass vaccination programs.

Health Impact News reported last year that UNICEF began a similar mass vaccination program with 500,000 doses of live oral polio vaccine in the Philippines after a Super Typhoon devastated Tacolban and surrounding areas.

This was in spite of the fact there were no reported cases of

Continued on page 9

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The Valley, January 2016

Dave Wilson

Coins, Precious Metal and a Little of this and That

2016 is looking Nasty!

I remember as a child, that I always enjoyed how the local newspaper (usually on December 31st) would show a cartoon of an aged (bent over and white bearded) father-time figure (representing the year that was ending) being pushed aside by a vibrant, healthy-looking and raring to go New Year’s Baby! I have always enjoyed history, and those cartoons, even at an early age, entertained my imagination.

If I were to design one of those cartoons for 2016, I would show the aged Father Time figure as being bruised and badly banged up barely making his escape from the New Year’s baby who is desperately hanging on to the old man’s tattered robes while gasping for breath, as he was being engulfed by a sea of red ink (Debt)!

Ok, I’ll probably wait until after I complete this article, before voluntarily checking myself into the local psychiatric ward.

Sadly, my suggested cartoon

would be entirely too accurate.

The entire world and especially the United States, is drowning in debt. It is the most serious problem we have ever faced.

Everything and nearly every one is maxed to the hilt!

2016 is when Obamacare comes full circle, and healthcare premiums are set to explode to the upside (anywhere from 15% to 75% and more). Fines for those who do not have healthcare are now near their max, and millions of Americans (many who have no idea) are going to be slammed with big fine amounts when they file their taxes for 2015. Obamacare, as we have heard and read, could cost the United States another two million lost jobs this year.

The United States national debt is approaching 20 trilliondollars, and our unfunded liabilities (future money obligations that must be paid, but for which there is no money) are said to top 150 trillion dollars!

Personal debt, car loans, and student debt are setting (unfortunate and gigantic) high records, and states, cities and local municipalities are either already bankrupt or are frighteningly close.

United States banks, were they to value their loan portfolios at “real worth,” and not at fantasy evaluations, would almost all be insolvent, which is why they are permitted to assess their assets at full value rather than at what they are actually worth. (Otherwise our entire banking system would collapse immediately!)

On the home front, residents of Pennsylvania should prepare for another round of tax hikes, as our present governor has set his sights on big spending increases to pay for his numerous pet projects. We are not saying his ideas are all foolhardy, but we are suggesting that the money for his “plans” simply does not exist, without placing new, debilitating taxes on already tax-poor PA citizens. Sales taxes, personal income taxes and new sales taxes

The Truth Has No Agenda

on presently non-taxed items are all in line, waiting for the up elevator.

If the door opens and they are all permitted to rush inside, Pennsylvania residents and businesses are in for real trouble.

Like everyone else, I am always hopeful that “things” will turn out for the best. After

assessing everything that is presently happening, however, 2016 is going to require lots more hope than usual! a

The Valley, January 2016

8

It’s completely worth it!

Sign and move to the Free State of New Hampshire, and do what you’ve always wanted to do, and be who you’ve always wanted to be. Join the adventure today!

Season’s greetings! What an exciting time we are in! The FSP is now more than 90% to our goal of 20,000 signers. We are poised to Trigger the Move in the next few months!

How? Since this fall, we have been running targeted Facebook ad campaigns. This has resulted in 1-2% growth in signers per month, averaging up to 24 per DAY. We are now connecting directly to a new, large audience of pro-liberty people looking for answers. The Free State Project offers a proven, community-based solution.

The only thing holding us back is being able to spend more on ads to get more signers faster.

Every $20, or equivalent Bitcoin donation, translates into a new signer. Help us Trigger the Move ASAP. Watch the video and get more details here.

Please give your most generous donation today. Let’s make history together!

Edward Snowden to Headline Liberty Forum

This Liberty Forum will be the most epic one yet! In addition to headliner Edward Snowden who will be joining us live from Russia, we have several exciting speakers, a new 20-minute program called “IRL: In Real Life, Love and Liberty,” a brand-spanking new and long overdue award ceremony to honor the people who are paving the way for liberty in New Hampshire. Please take a moment to nominate your “Liberty in Action” candidates now.

Don’t wait to buy your tickets. Book your hotel soon and mention Liberty Forum for the group discount. Upgrade to VIP to show your support of the FSP.

Kristine Boncer FSP 2015 Newsletter Editor

Free Talk Live is talk radio you can control. Broadcasts are live every day from 7-10pm EST!

From the Editor’s Desk

There’s something poetic about being in New Hampshire for Christmas with no snow on the ground, temps in the high 50s, celebrating with so many early movers, our families, our successes, and even our losses.

I see the activists who have moved as thousands of individual snowflakes, unique and separate, taking up into a grouping of human ebb and flow for liberty, making a movement, living our lives together, creating a difference in our homes and communities. What I feel is connection through thick and thin. I never expected it to be quite like this, and you can’t understand “this” until you experience it by moving.

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

You can listen here and call in at 1.855.450.FREE or via Skype at LRN.FM.

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The Valley, January 2016 The Time To Take A Stand Is Now from page 6

It’s a new year, and that time, at least for a little while, when almost all of us are looking ahead instead of back. We look to the future, each time hoping for a brighter year than the one before.

We all want to make changes, and see the new year as a “fresh start.”

Why? Just because the calendar says January 1? It does seem odd that all the sudden we feel “renewal” just because of a date on the calendar, doesn’t it?

January 1st marked the one year anniversary that we brought two new dogs into our household—Elwood and Murphy.

They’ve been a joy to have and give us a good chuckle at least once a day with their antics. We got very lucky with these two, they were excellently trained when they were young and are very well-behaved dogs (not always the case with Weimaraners, since they can be headstrong and are prone to separation anxiety due to their need to be with humans a lot!). Thankfully, Wayne is home all the time so they are very happy dogs.

Elwood’s previous owner told us that we should only decorate the Christmas tree from the middle up as Elwood likes to steal the ornaments off the bottom part of the tree. Well, we got such a little tree this year, that decorating from the middle up wasn’t really feasible since Elwood could almost reach the top of it anyway. So, we decided to take our chances since we were told he doesn’t eat or chew the ornaments, he just hides them in his bed.

Well, a day or two after the tree was up, we found the first ornament in the corner of the couch.

I guess his bed upstairs was too far to go to stash it. A few days later, we found another ornament on the floor in the corner between the couch and the loveseat. This time, he pulled the ornament off

the tree, but left the top of the ornament attached to the tree. He continued with this a couple more times, pulling another ornament off the tree and breaking its top off. Yup, he’s a stinker!

Elwood really doesn’t know how to sit like a dog.

polio in the Philippines since 1993, and people who have had the live polio vaccine can “shed” the virus into sewage systems, thereby causing the actual disease it is supposed to be preventing.

(See: No Polio in the Philippines Since 1993, But Mass Polio Vaccination Program Targeted for 500,000 Typhoon Victims Under Age 5.)

A very similar mass vaccination with the live oral polio vaccine occurred among Syrian refugees in 2013, when 1.7 million doses of polio vaccine were purchased by UNICEF, in spite of the fact that no cases of polio had been seen since 1999. After the mass vaccination program started, cases of polio began to reappear in Syria. (See: Are UNICEF Live Polio Vaccines Causing Polio Among Syrians? 1.7 Billion Polio Vaccines Purchased by UNICEF.) It seems quite apparent that UNICEF and WHO use these local disasters to mass vaccinate people, mainly children and young women. Massive education and propaganda efforts are also necessary to convince the local populations that they need these vaccines.

At least in Kenya, Catholic doctors are acting and taking a stand against what they see as an involuntary mass sterilization campaign designed to control the population of Africans.”

By Brian Shilhavy, Global Research, February 17, 2015 Health

Impact News Region: sub-Saharan Africa http://www.globalresearch.ca/ mass-sterilization-kenyan-doctors-find-anti-fertility-agent-inun-tetanus-vaccine/5431664

What was that reference to the Gates’ and India?

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Vaccine Empire on Trial in India While fraud and corruption are revealed on almost a daily basis now in the vaccine industry, the U.S. mainstream media continues to largely ignore such stories. Outside the U.S., however, the vaccine empires are beginning to crumble, and English versions of the news in mainstream media outlets are available via the Internet.

One such country is India, where the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and their vaccine empire are under fire, including a pending lawsuit currently being investigated by the India Supreme Court. Narayana Kumar of The Economic Times of India has just written a scathing report of fraud and scandals surrounding the Gates vaccine empire: Controversial vaccine studies: Why is Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under fire from critics in India?

Kumar starts out his 4 page article by focusing on the current case before the India Supreme Court regarding deaths and injuries occurring during drug trials carried out over Merck’s HPV vaccine Gardasil. Vaccine trials were conducted on thousands of

girls between the ages of 9 and 15. Many of the girls fell ill, and at least 7 died, and the lawsuit is alleging that in most of these cases, the girls and their parents did not even know what kind of vaccine trial they were participating in.

Most of the girls were students, and an investigation showed that as many as 120 girls who participated in the HPV vaccine trials ‘experienced adverse reactions such as epileptic seizures, severe stomach ache, headaches and mood swings. The Sama report also said there had been cases of early onset of menstruation following the vaccination, heavy bleeding and severe menstrual cramps among many students.’

Kumar points out that after these adverse reactions, a report was conducted to explain them all away as not related to the vaccines, so that the approval process could move forward to market the HPV vaccine in India. That report, according to Kumar, was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Authorities in India have looked into BMGF, and see a huge conflict of interest: Activists allege that these two institutions have a working relationship with pharma companies.

The main charge against GAVI is that it has representatives from pharmaceutical companies on its board, while the PHFI accepts grants from pharma com-

Continued on page 11

why Shade Mountain is unique:

Shade Mountain R&R and Shade Mountain Naturals is a destination you must check out

Murphy is Mom’s boy and pretty relaxed, except at meal time!

It all began 10 years ago with Shade M ountain R&R: described as “the most serene, peaceful place to get a massage” five years later: we began making our own 100% natural products at Shade Mountain Naturals

We are nestled in at the base of Shade Mountain in a quiet, tranquil location Three licensed Massage Therapists are available to provide treatments with products created fresh, with 100% natural ingredients next door by Shade Mountain Naturals!

We beg you to come see what we have to offer and see for yourself what makes us like no other!

Thursdays and Fridays 10 to 6 Also: the first Saturday of every month from 10 to 2

Shade Mountain Naturals

Shade Mountain R&R

100% natural skin products: soaps, crèmes, sugar scrubs, bath bombs, lip balms, facial: cleansers, moisturizers & masks, massage and spa products, private label

Massage Therapy, Facials, Sugar Scrubs, Whipped Cocoa Body Wraps, (you may schedule an appointment on-­‐line)

That’s the tree ornament thief on the left. a

Spa Parties for up to six guests! Grab some friends and come for 3 hours of complete pampering.

Handmade fresh on location: come visit, watch us create custom products for you and receive a FREE sample!

“Rest & Relaxation or Rehabilitation… the choice is yours!”

“creating excellence with nature’s finest”

Read our story, schedule an appointment or order online at www.shade-mountain.com 717-248-8847 45 Serenity Lane, Lewistown, PA

The Truth Has No Agenda

The Valley, January 2016

10

Welcome Winter

Welcome to winter! We got off to a slow start, but I think it has arrived! I love the change in seasons and cannot imagine a winterless existence, BUT… winter can be difficult on your physical and emotional health.

The days are shorter and colder, forcing us to stay indoors more and sometimes causing “the winter blues.” Also, colds and the flu are more prevalent.

There are some basic things we need to do to maintain optimal physical and mental health, such as eating healthy foods, drinking lots of water, staying physically active, and getting enough sleep.

Sometimes though, we need an extra boost to get through the short winter days and long winter nights. Essential oils to the rescue!

Aromatherapy is the perfect prescription for the winter season.

Essential oils can help in many ways:

•

HELP CONTROL THE SPREAD OF GERMS Diffusing Essential Oils with

antibacterial qualities into the air in your home can naturally help to rid your environment of the microbes that can make you and

keep a spray bottle with a blend of water and Essential Oils. Just be sure to shake well!

• If you’re on the go, help

cians believe it is important to keep your own immune system in balance for best protection. This can be done by daily infusing an EO into the air around you or using it topically.

• On the aromatherapy front, the essential oil of Niaouli has been considered by some to be the single most powerful supporter of the human immune system.

• Citrus oils such as: Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange, and Tangerine are known to support the body’s natural defenses.

SUPPORT RESPIRATORY HEALTH • Apply a chest rub containing Essential Oils to relieve stuffy noses and help you breathe deep!

Personal inhalers made specifically for Essential Oils come in many colors

your family sick. Some good ones to try are: frankincense, clove, lemon, oregano, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary.

• Clean household surfaces with antibacterial Essential Oils.

You can make your own wipes, or

sanitize the air in your hotel or car with a squirt or two of antibacterial oils mixed with water.

SUPPORT YOUR BODY’S NATURAL DEFENSES • Many natural medicine physi-

• Inhale, either with a store bought inhaler, or with a pot of hot water with a few drops of EO in the water. One of my favorite uses for my inhaler is to keep it open under my pillow.

• Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Rosemary, Clove, Ravensara and Camphor are all good EOs to try: but don’t stop there, do your own research and find one you love!

GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP • Take a soothing bath before bed with some Epsom salts and a few drops of your favorite soothing EO. Not only will you inhale the EO, but you will absorb them also! My most favorite way to promote relaxation is a nice warm aromatherapy bath!

• Put some water and EO in a spray bottle and spray it on your pillow. I love a blend of Lavender, Geranium and Ylang Ylang for this.

• Of course, you may diffuse EOs into the air while you sleep to help bring a peaceful night’s slumber.

KEEP AWAY WINTER BLUES • Short days, long nights, cold weather: a recipe for the winter blues. Sometimes it can be difficult to maintain an energetic, cheerful attitude but EOs can help!

• Citrus oils are great because they are energizing and uplifting.

• At Shade Mountain we have a blend that we use in our skin care products that is called Cheerful and it is a blend of citrus EOs to bring out your cheerful side!

Incorporating essential oils into your daily routine can help keep your immune system stronger, speed up your recovery time from colds and flu and uplift your spirits when the winter blues strike—helping to energize and motivate during the cold winter months.

There are so many amazing essential oils that are great to use in the winter. Do your research and I am sure you can find some that suit your needs. Or, as always, you are invited to stop in and see us at Shade Mountain Naturals.

We have LOTS of EOs and we love to chat! a

Niaouli, oil from this plant is thought by some to be the single most powerful supporter of the immune system

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

11

The Valley, January 2016

PACleanways of Mifflin County Keep PA Beautiful

A new year is beginning and hopefully it will be a new beginning for people who care about their neighborhoods and the environment around them. One way to do that is to get involved cleaning up the litter and trash in their neighborhood. The following is from the PA Environment Digest, an update on Environmental Issues in Pennsylvania by Crisci Associates.

Keep PA Beautiful: Join Adoption Programs to Keep Communities Trash Free

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful invites local residents, organizations, civic groups, and businesses to commit to keep communities litter free by joining adoption programs.

The adoption program is an option for most types of local areas. Such as municipal roads, communities, parks, neighborhood blocks, greenways, waterways and trails.

School grounds are also

eligible for adoption through the Litter Free School Zone program also offered by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

There is no fee to participate and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful provides up to two recognition signs per adoption. The support of the local municipality or maintainer of the property is required before an adoption can happen.

Groups must agree to make safety a top priority, schedule two cleanups per year and report the results to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful after each cleanup.

We all want to live in clean communities. Adopting an area is a proven and effective way to address persistent dumping and littering and helps keep these areas trash free. Our adoption Program helps mitigate the costs associated with cleaning up and encourages partnerships between local residents and municipalities.

All it takes is a concerned person or group of volunteers and a com-

Plain Talk

Solar Explained

by S. Yoder

Hello to every reader of The Valley Newspaper. Changes are coming with the new year, and the saying is that when it rains, it pours. This is the news! We are closing and selling out our inventory—this means BIG savings for YOU!

I will be still installing offgrid solar systems, so if you have any questions, you can still call me. There will be more info on this at a later point.

While you are still looking for that perfect solar system, I am going to give you a few tips and you also need to know the basics of your system, so read on.

Solar modules are installed in groups of 1 thru 12 panels on a roof, pole or rack in a suitable location. How do I know what is suitable? Considerable amounts of sun without shade are suitable locations.

The panels are wired to a charge controller putting regulated power into your battery bank.

The batteries store the power in the form of direct current and can instantly supply large amounts of power. Fuses and breakers are very critical on every circuit.

Battery size is chosen according to current needed. Charge controllers are available in many sizes ranging from 10 amp to 100 amp Magnum and Classic in 96 amp also has lots of history of good performance.

Battery volts are difficult to change once your system is built, so choose carefully. I know because I did it more than once and most guys, like me, do not like the expense!

12 Volt systems are very simple and standard in most vehicles, RV’s, boats etc. But 12 volt is also very high in amps and not very efficient. 24 volt systems are more efficient, especially if you think you will have more than 500 watts of solar power. Right now and into the forseeable future, 24 volt wire can run two times as far for the same wattage; the inverter is more efficient and the charge controllers handle twice the watts.

Due to lower current, 48 volt systems have some serious technical advantages and few inverters handle 48 volts, but don’t worry, these are the way of best quality.

See ya later, S. Yoder a

mitment to be part of the solution in keeping Pennsylvania clean,“ said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

For more information, visit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Adoption Program webpage or call Stephanie Larson at 724836-4121 Ext 104. Also visit PennDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway Program web page for more information on adopting a state maintained road.

You can also call the local PACleanWays of Mifflin County at 717-899-6701, Affiliate Coordinator, Pam Sechrist if you want help getting started. You can also join them for their local meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of the month starting in February at Downtown OIP at 12 noon. All are welcome to join us. This is where we plan our cleanups for the year.

Pam Sechrist Affiliate Coordinator a

The Time Is Now To Take A Stand from page 9 panies. ‘BMGF and GAVI are pushing the [vaccine] agenda with governments around the world, including India,’ says Ritu Priya Mehrotra, professor of Social Medicine and Community Health and School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. The community health activist says the biotechnology industry was pushing more and more vaccines into India and that the health ministry was not ensuring that adequate testing was done before recommending their use in government programmes.

GAVI is an organization started in 2000 and funded by BMGF. In short, they work together with the World Health Organization (WHO), specifically UNICEF, to purchase vaccines from pharmaceutical companies for distribution in poorer countries. The Gates basically help poorer countries buy more vaccines, which in turn increases the markets of the vaccine manufacturers among poorer people who would not normally be able to afford them.

WHO is the largest purchaser of vaccines in the world, but member country contributions via tax revenues often fall short of the volume of vaccines they wish to purchase and distribute, so BMGF stepped in to help form GAVI to make up the difference. Kumar

The Truth Has No Agenda

R. O. F. F.

Rescue Our Furry Friends

by Patricia Lawson

Happy New Year from all of us at ROFF!

Did you know that there are collection jars for ROFF dispersed around the Mifflin and Juniata County region? Here are a few in the Mifflin County area: Ron’s Fruit Market, Honey Creek Inn, Big Valley Beverage, Fisher Thompson, East Gate, Burnham Hardware, and The Logan House.

For those who live in the Mifflintown area, here are the locations where you can make your contributions: Juniata Veterinary, Chelsea’s Dog Grooming, Bargain Barn, Countryside Market, Juniata Dental Center, Marilyn’s Pools, and Juniata Lumber. We thank them for their support and thank YOU for your donations. If you would be willing to display a collection jar at your place of business, just give ROFF a call at the phone number below.

Let’s say howdy to “Howie!”

“Yes, I know I’m a big napper, but even we young boys need our beauty sleep. I enjoy the toys and my roommates here at ROFF, but having a home with my own people to snuggle with and love is what I really want. Won’t you

please fill out an application and invite me into your home? Thank you!”

And who do we have here?

It’s “Maddox!” “The people here at ROFF say that I’m as sweet as the day is long! Aw shucks… I am a 5 year old lad that’s a shepherd collie mix and I’m housebroken and crate trained. I love my fellow dogs, people (especially those with treats!), and I prefer kids that are 5 years old (like me) and older just because I never met

younger ones yet. So come and visit me and I’ll show you how well we’ll get along.”

Maddox

To rescue these and other precious future pets, please go to our web site www.roffrescue.com and fill out an online application or call 1-877-933-ROFF (7633).

We continue to need your help to cover vet bills and supplies. Your donations are greatly appreciated and can be made via PayPal and checks may be mailed or dropped off to this address: 133 North Walnut Street, Burnham, PA 17009. Thank you!

Until they all have homes www.roffrescue.com; rescueourfurryfriends@yahoo.com; 1-877933-ROFF (7633) a

reports:

The GAVI board comprises of a representative each of the pharma industry from the industrialized and developing countries, a sore point with some experts from the aid world. In an article in The Guardian three years ago, leaders of international aid agencies such as Oxfam and MSF said the representatives of companies needed to step down from the GAVI board. ‘”Pharmaceutical companies’” representation on GAVI’s board creates a conflict of interest. ‘The current structure is far too cosy,’ said the article quoting Mohga Kamal-Yanni, a senior policy adviser with Oxfam. Kumar then

moves on from the HPV vaccine scandal and writes about the deaths of many infants soon after they were immunized with the Pentavalent vaccine, a five-inone shot, which was promoted

by BMGF and GAVI, even after the deaths were revealed. (Health Impact News previously reported this story.) Kumar reports:

“In an opinion piece published recently in Deccan Herald titled ‘New Vaccines: Gates Foundation’s philanthropy or business?’, Dr. Gopal Dabade of the All India Drug Action Network said that GAVI had committed a

Continued on page 30

The Valley, January 2016

12

2015

THE YEAR IN REAL ESTATE

by Kim Rickert

According to National statistics, home ownership is at 64.3%. Considering that 63% of Americans think that now is a good time to buy and 46% or homeowners say that it’s a good time to sell, the real estate market of 2016 looks as if it will continue to improve. Trends for buyers today can be broken down as follows: 32% of buyers are Gen Y or Millennials born between 1980 and 2000. Gen X’s (born between 1961-1979) make up 27% of buyers, while Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1960) still make up 31% of buyers. The “Silent

As the New Year begins, you

Locally, (Mifflin County) more than 6.7% . Days on market may be curious about how the real the numbers are different, but for the local area continues to be estate market has fared in 2015. still reflect the positive upward high at 131 days. Statistics show The good news is that there have movement of the market. The that 34% of homes listed sell been definite signs of improvetotal number of homes sold in within the first 30 days, another ment, both nationally and locally 2015 was 276, according to NAR 31.5% sell within 33 to 120 days, in the real estate industry. There reports on the local MLS service. and a full 34.5% of homes listed are still very good interest rates for home buyers and that seems to be continuing, at least into the first quarter of 2016. Inventory is still low, but homes are selling at slightly higher prices than just a few years ago. Consumer confidence remains high, especially with millennial buyers. Let’s break it down for a more detailed look at the national and local markets.

Overall, the national statistics for 2015, according to National Association of REALTOR’s economist Lawrence Yun, show that existing home sales are forecast to finish 2015 at a pace of around 5.25 million units – the The Stone Arch Real Estate Professionals, always ready to help you succeed in buying or selling your home! highest since 2006, but roughly 25 percent below the prior peak set in 2005 (7.08 million). The national That is an 11.5% increase over take 121 days or more to sell. This Generation”, born in the 1920’s to 1945, make up only 10% of median existing home price for home sales in 2014. The inventory reinforces the idea suggested by buyers. A whopping 92% of buyall of this year will be close to of homes listed in 2015 was inRealtors that the first 4 to 6 weeks ers use the internet in their home $220,700, up around 6.0 percent creased by 447 homes, in contrast is the most active time period of search, with 50% of buyers using from a year ago. Median days to 393 homes listed in 2014. The a listing. This is when the seller a mobile website or app. on market nationally is about 39 average price of homes sold was should go into the market with a

How are these buyers purdays. $104,784 in 2015, an increase of competitive but fair price. chasing their properties? According to the NAR Report for Mifflin County, 45% of buyers used a conventional mortgage loan; 25% of buyers paid cash; 22% of buyers used a government backed loan such as PHFA, FHA or Rural Housing, and 6% of loans were VA backed. First Time Home Buyers continue to make up a significant percentage of homes sold with national stats for the Northeast region showing that 41% of buyers in 2015 were making their first home purchase.

Why are these numbers and stats important to home sellers?

The obvious reason is that when you know who the buyers are, you can prepare your home to the expectations of the potential buyer. Many articles on the internet offer advice on staging your home, simple repairs or cosmetic fix ups that will net more money and examples of what types of styles appeal to different buyer segments. A seller would be wise to research these ideas or to call a local REALTOR who can visit the

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

home and offer suggestions. Some types of loans require certain safety features, and your REALTOR can help potential sellers navigate the checklist to hit the market ready for sale!

Sellers are often also buyers; the average seller is upgrading for one reason or another.

Younger sellers are more likely to sell to upgrade to a larger home or for a job relocation.

Older sellers want to downsize in retirement or be closer to family and friends. National statistics show that 40% of sellers bought a larger home than their current one, 47% purchased a more expensive home and 53% purchased a newer home. Sellers tend to live in their home for ten years, up from the six year average in 2007. Sellers often reduce the initial asking price of their home (45% of sellers) but homes sold for 97% of their listing price.

With all of the information about homes available on the internet today, one may wonder what a REALTOR can do for them that they cannot do for themselves. Today’s real estate professional can be your trusted source for much more than just showing you homes that are on the market.

Buyers will benefit from an agent that knows the local market trends and neighborhoods.

Which neighborhoods are known to have high radon levels, flooding issues or lower land values?

Negotiations in today’s transactions can be complex, involving inspections, terms, and contingencies. Recent changes by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau have changed the rules for settlements and your REALTOR can help guide you through the process, along with a good lender.

Sellers will want to reach the most potential buyers and sell within the least amount of time. A REALTOR will help to price the home competitively, market the home and advise the seller how to make the home more appealing. All of these things can lead to a faster sale, if followed, and will help the seller move on to their next home.

The real estate team at Stone Arch Real Estate stands ready to help you move forward with your home purchase or sale in 2016.

We are interested in developing relationships with our clients and not only helping them reach their goals, but in being an ongoing source for you in the future. Give us a call and prepare for a quality real estate experience!

Sources: National Association of REALTORS; MifflinJuniata Homes.com a

13

The Valley, January 2016

I gained 50 pounds ...and love it! www.families4kids.org 800-568-6449

foster parent or adopt...you’ll love it too!

The Truth Has No Agenda

The Valley, January 2016

14

JANUARY 2016 Mifflin County History Trivia Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument As early as the end of the Civil War, civic leaders agitated for a significant monument to recognize the county’s participants in the conflict. It took decades to raise the necessary funds. One move to raise money was to sell shares in the project for $1.00 each. For those who didn’t have a whole dollar to spare, quarter shares could be purchased for twentyfive cents. Eventually $15,000 was raised and the project began.

Originally dedicated in 1906 to the memory of Mifflin County’s Civil War veterans, the monument was rededicated in 1969 to honor all Mifflin County service people.

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument on the Square in Lewistown is now considered by many to be a Mifflin County icon, and a symbol of the county. Lewistown Borough’s official seal, for example, includes the memorial. The only stone removed from Lincoln’s tomb in Springfield, IL was placed in the Monument’s base, given in recognition of Mifflin County’s Logan Guards. The completed monument tipped the scales at 125 tons. Height - 64 feet, 6 inches high. Material - Vermont granite.

Here are some questions about this revered memorial on its 110th

birthday.

1. Scores of Mifflin County children helped raise money to support the Monument project.

How did youngsters aide the Monument’s construction? [a] sold hand-made US flags [b] donated pennies, nickels and dimes at school. [c] earned a penny for every “A” on report cards. [d] pasted stamps in books to redeem for cash.

2. Money was hard to come by for the project that was finished in 1906. In fact, fund raisers started years earlier were unsuccessful.

Finally, to acquire necessary funds for the Monument, Mifflin County decided to... [a] take out a bank loan. [b] sell public property. [c] assess a tax. [d] opt out of the project.

3. Mary Selheimer, daughter of Col. John B. Selheimer, Civil War commander of the Logan Guards, the First Defender militia company to answer Lincoln’s call for volunteers in 1861, had a special honor at the dedication ceremony of the Monument in June 1906.

She was to... [a] fire the cannon salute. [b] give the keynote address. [c] seal the corner stone. [d] unveil the monument.

4. The Monument’s original purpose was to honor Civil War soldiers and sailors. Which of these branches of service were represented on the finished memorial in 1906? [a] Artillery [b] Coast Guard [c] Navy [d] Infantry [e] Marines [f] Cavalry 5. Some four years after its construction, in June 1910, the Daily Sentinel (Lewistown, PA) brought to the public’s attention an error in an inscription on the Monument base. First noticed by high school students, and overlooked by their elders at the time of construction, the Mifflin County Commissioners decided to bring in a stone mason to quickly make the correction. What was the error? [a] the names of the designers

[b] incorrect dates of the war [c] improperly placed quotation marks

[d] a misspelled word ANSWERS: 1.B 2.C (Taxes were assessed at the rate of $.84 per adult per year for five years.)

3.D 4.A, C, D, F 5. C (The original inscription was attributed to Abraham Lincoln, thus the quotation marks. However, the words were merely a paraphrase from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, according to the Daily Sentinel.)

SOURCE: MCHS newspaper Archives and from Mifflin County Yesterday & Today, 1992. a

New Mount Nittany Health Lung Nodule Program Works to Alter Lung Cancer Outcomes

Mount Nittany Health is excited to announce the development of a lung nodule program, aimed at transforming the disheartening outcomes of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among both men and women, with approximately 220,000 newly diagnosed cases and nearly 160,000 lung cancer-related deaths yearly.

The Mount Nittany Health

Lung Nodule Program is dedicated to optimizing the quality of life for adults in central Pennsylvania through the early detection of lung cancer, and by providing evidence-based best practices using a multidisciplinary approach.

The program will have a two-stage rollout. During the first stage—currently underway—the program will work to address the growing number of patients diagnosed with pulmonary nodules.

If a chest X-ray or CT scan finds a growth (nodule) in the lung, then a patient may be referred to Mount Nittany Health’s Lung Nodule Program for further evaluation by a pulmonologist.

The second stage of the rollout is to offer at-risk patients lowdose CT lung cancer screenings, and will begin in spring 2016.

Those at risk include smokers and former smokers age 50 and older, individuals with a family history

Sara’s Dairy Journey

by Sara Lucas

Happy Moo Year Everyone! 2016 will bring many new changes in my life. In January I will be one of only six students at Bald Eagle Area High School to receive the Keystone Degree at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

In February, I will become an aunt. In June, I will finally be graduating, and boy will that be a bittersweet day! Lastly, in the fall I will be attending college.

As you could probably guess all of these major life milestones will be on my New Year’s Resolution list in some way or another.

There is one other thing I want to add to my resolution list. In my last few months as the Centre County Dairy Princess, I want to the best job I have ever done promoting the dairy industry.

I want to remember that even though I won’t be a dairy princess forever, I need to never stop promoting, because the dairy farmer doesn’t stop working. As long as there are dairy farmers in Pennsylvania or in the nation for that matter, we, not just I, need to promote and educate others about all the hard work farmers do for their cows, for their families, and for the economy. Did you know that the 7,370 dairy farms all across the Commonwealth help to create over 60,000 jobs?

That’s incredible! I know the reality of how tough it can be to find a job sometimes, but starting out as a herdsman on a local dairy farm could carry you to so many places. Watch out though! It may cause you to fall in love with some adorable four-legged ladies.

As you begin to ponder on

your New Year’s Resolution, I ask that you do your best to help me promote the dairy industry in the best way that you know how. Even if you don’t have the same passion for advocating dairy farmers, dairy cows, or dairy products as I do, make it a goal that you can promote an industry or an organization that you have pride and passion for. I have included a couple dairy-filled recipes that will help kick off your 2016 with a little bit of luck on your side.

of lung cancer, and/or those who have had occupational exposures including radon or asbestos.

To learn more about the new Mount Nittany Health Lung Nodule Program, visit mountnittany.org/specialties-and-services/ lung-nodule-program or call Janet Cady, RN, MSN, CEN, lung nodule program coordinator, at 814.231.6881.

services at a growing number of offices throughout Central Pennsylvania. In addition to providing high-quality care, Mount Nittany Health strives to improve the health and wellness of its community through education programs, events and health screenings. Visit mountnittany. org to learn more about Mount Nittany Health’s mission to make people healthier. a

Mount Nittany Health, a health system located in State College, Pa., consists of Mount Nittany Medical Center, a 260-bed acute care facility, and Mount Nittany Physician Group, a staff of more than 130 providers who offer primary and specialty care

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

Green Bean Casserole Ingredients: 1/3 stick of butter ½ cup of diced onions ½ cup sliced mushrooms 2 cups of sliced green beans 3 cups chicken broth 1 can of cream of mushroom soup 1 can of french fried onion rings 1 cup grated cheddar Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté with onions and mushrooms. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes then drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings to the onion mixture. Stir well and pour into 1 ½ quart baking dish and bake for 20 mins. Top the casserole with cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer or until casserole is hot and cheese is melted. a

15

The Valley, January 2016

Snowshoeing The Lake Trail

There are a number of hiking trails located in our area that are relatively flat and ideal for hiking of snowshoeing during the winters months. One such trail is the Lake Trail in Stone Valley. This trail encircles the recently filled Lake Perez. Hitting the trail for a day of snowshoeing and snow falling from the sky, will make for a quite an enjoyable outing.

The trailhead for this hike is at the main lake access area of the Stone Valley Recreation Area. To reach the trailhead you will need to get yourself on to route PA26.

Route PA26 can be found off of route US322 in State College and route US22 in Huntingdon. If you are coming from the north, make your way to Pine Grove Mills, either on route PA26 or route PA45. Once you are in Pine Grove Mills, take route PA26 south for 4.1 miles. You will go over Tussey Mountain and when you are almost at the end of your descent, turn right onto Charter Oak Road.

Stay on Charter Oak Road for 1.7 miles and look for signs that indicate you are approaching the East Entrance of the Stone Valley Recreation Area. Turn left onto Red Rose Road and follow this road, bearing left at 0.3 miles and

then making a sharp right, staying on the paved road, at 0.5 miles.

After 1.5 miles since turning off Charter Oak Road you will see the main parking area on your right.

Pull in at the first access road and park in the parking area. If you are coming from the south, from route US22, turn onto north PA26 in the town of Huntingdon. From the intersection of PA26 and US22 stay on route PA26 north for 23.5 miles. You will then turn left onto Charter Oak Road at the base of Tussey Mountain. Stay on Charter Oak Road for 1.7 miles and look for signs that indicate you are approaching the East Entrance of the Stone Valley Recreation Area.

Turn left onto Red Rose Road and continue for another 1.5 miles, as described earlier.

Depending on the time of the year, the trailhead parking area may be gated and you will have to park along the main road. At the parking area you will find the sign indicating the start of the Lake Trail, near the edge of the lake.

Once on the trail you will hike the next three tenths of a mile along the southeast side of the lake. At 0.3 miles the orangeblazed Lake Trail turs to the left and crosses Shaver Creek on two

bridges. After crossing the bridges the trail walks through a stand of hardwoods as it slowly climbs towards the Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center.

A little over a half mile into the hike you will emerge into the parking area of the Environmental Center. There is a map located here that shows all of the trails in the area. Hike across the clearing in front of the center and then reenter the woods on the Lake Trail,

The Truth Has No Agenda

descending slowly towards one of the smaller streams the feeds into Lake Perez.

At 0.7 miles the trail turns left, crosses the small stream, and merges with the yellow-blazed Ironstone Trail. The trail heads back towards the lake and at 0.9 miles you are afforded some winter views of Lake Perez. At 1 mile into the hike you’ll cross yet another small feeder stream and make a left, continuing on the orange-blazed trail.

You will get pretty close to the lake here before you begin a sweeping right turn at 1.1 miles and begin a gradual ascent away

form the lake. This begins the longest climb of the entire hike, climbing over 150 feet in the next three tenths of a mile. At 1.6 miles the trail turns to the left as it emerges onto a powerline clearing.

From here, follow the power line clearing for about 500 feet, before following the trail back into the woods on your left. The trail will parallel the clearing until you reach 1.7 miles into the hike.

Cross the powerline clearing and enter the woods on the far side.

After two tenths of a mile

Continued on page 19

The Valley, January 2016

16 Medlar unknown fruit from page 31 ment, dehydrating the pulp to make a semi-crystalized candy like substance that could in hard times be used as a sweetener. Unless you grow sugar beets, and know how to process them, sugar sweetener in the form of cane sugar could become as rare as hens teeth in the event of an economic collapse. Me having a sweet tooth, I figure any way to grow and preserve sweet things will make me a much happier person if everything else in life has gone haywire. (Note from Lynn: Now if we could just grow coffee, we’d be all set!)

I put a one foot Medlar twig in five years ago, and I remem-

A fully bletted Medlar ready to eat

ber taking such care in planting the tree that was a lot harder to find than anything else I have planted so far. I hovered over it for the first two days trying to give it every possible chance of surviving.

A week later it was leafing out splendidly and I was proud as can be, but a couple days later I glanced at it and something didn’t seem quite right. It shook a little, and then I saw it, a floppy eared, cottontailed varmint! It had totally defoliated my Secure your taste of this rare treat!

Medlar! I was bummed but even still I fabricated an big time. I thought it was a goner, enclosure for it and hoped that it

might survive. I then promptly forgot about it for several weeks.

The next time I looked at it, it had fully recovered, although now it had a distinctly odd appearance as growing tips and branches were not in a normal symmetry. I decided to let it be and deal with it the following year, IF it made it through the winter. Well, that was five years ago, and my Medlar is over 10 feet tall, but is still quite odd looking due to the unlicensed pruning. At any rate, it does not seem to have any pests at least here in central Pennsylvania. It also seems to love the climate and the semi sheltered corner I have given it.

This past year we had our

Continued on page 27

Take a step back in time along the highways and byways of Mifflin County, founded in 1789. Through historic photographs and commentary, the Mifflin County Historical Society presents a brief look at how the county has changed. Photographic images are paired to compare past with present. Contemporary photographs approximated the same site or location as seen in vintage views from Mifflin County’s past unique history. Narration highlights

Based on the companion books, Mifflin County Then & Now and More Mifflin County Then & Now, published by the Mifflin County Historical Society, author Forest K. Fisher and photographer Nathaniel Thierwechter have teamed for this nostalgic look back to see a changing community through the camera’s lens, and to remember... Mifflin County - Then & Now. Bonus Audio Feature: “History is Our Story” - Listen to the exciting tale of the Logan Guards of Lewistown, Pennsylvania, first militia company to respond to President Lincoln’s call for volunteers in April 1861. In this two-part audio bonus feature, the early days of the Civil War, from a local perspective, are recalled by Mifflin County Historical Society author Forest K. Fisher.

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

17

The Valley, January 2016

Ed’s Railroading News

by Ed Forsythe

store on Market Street in Lewistown.

It is these three window locations that I’d like to talk about in this issue. The first window display started out as just a nice display for the Christmas season, but in conjunction with the Juniata Valley Chamber of Commerce, especially Jenny Barron Landis and the Mifflin County Arts Council, it evolved into a wonderful donated food drive to support Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard in memory

Wow, what a busy, but fun Snowflake’s On The Square shop filled month December was. Not located in downtown Lewistown. only did we have a really nice Along with this layout we have business month at Ed’s Train two layouts in windows at The Repairs & Sales, but all the other South Hills School, which is train projects were also enjoylocated just to the left of the CVS able. Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout this past year.

Along with being involved with the open house dates of the Mifflin County Model Railroad Club and the well attended train layout at Kish Park with the “Shining Light Through the Darkness” project, we’ve been involved with a layout in the window right beside the beautifully decorated windows of The folks from Skills Inc. stopped at the shop with boxes and bags of food to be added to the displays.

The Truth Has No Agenda

of Dr. Daniel K.Creighton. After constructing the train layout we began to build a few small hills of canned foods that had been donated. Then Donna from Snowflake’s on the Square came through with a nicely decorated Christmas tree to add to the scene. Soon we had to make changes so we could find room for all the cans and boxes that we received. As we added to the small hills, they soon became a big mountain of cans and boxes forming a neat mountain with a tunnel through which the train could run, bringing attention to the cause we were involved with.

This brought in more and more

needed items and we ended up with more than 350 items that will be used to help feed those in need this winter. We would like to say ‘’THANK YOU’’ to all who participated in this fine event and to those who donated food or other assistance. I’d be really remiss if I didn’t say THANK YOU to Mr. Mike Buffington, owner of the building, for allowing us to use the window area and for paying for the electricity used. Also, a big hearty THANK YOU to the folks from Skills Inc. who brought bags and bags of food to Ed’s

Continued on page 19

18

The Valley, January 2016

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19

The Valley, January 2016

Savvy Cents & Sensibility

by JoAnn Wills-Kline MBA

50/30/20 Plan

As we roll into a brand new year, now is a great time to reexamine finances. It’s important to create a saving/spending plan or re-visit an existing one. Circumstances change. Life events happen. So, consider making it a tradition to re-examine your finances at the beginning of each New Year. The first step is to forecast where you’d like to be financially at the close of 2016, and determine strategies to help you reach your financial goals. One strategy is to institute the 50/30/20 rule.

Elizabeth Warren discussed

the 50/30/20 rule in her book titled “All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan.” The plan works and can be instituted by everyone. The 50/30/20 rule applies to take home pay – after taxes. Some people have retirement savings taken directly off their payroll. So, when there are retirement contributions factored through the 50/30/20 rule, that is in addition to employer contributions. The 50/30/20 rule breaks finances down into three categories: Essentials (50%), Priorities (20%), and Lifestyle Choices (30%). Let’s examine

Ed’s Railroading News from page 17

little country scene with a trolley running along, back and forth daily, taking folks from one end of the line to the other. Oops, almost

Trains to be added to the display.

Your help is very much appreciated. It was great seeing you all enjoying the trains running in the shop when you delivered your donations.

As for the windows at the South Hills School, they were Barb Harer’s idea and it could not have come at a better time as a dear friend of mine, Sam Grubb, had passed away and his wife Maryann had provided me with his trains to use on a memorial layout. So, the first layout was in memory of one of our fine Veterans, Mr. Sam Grubb.

He is indeed missed in our train shop and in our lives. He really loved sharing his trains with the neighborhood kids of all ages.

The final window was just a

each category below:

1. Essential Expenses No more than fifty percent of take-home pay should go to the Essentials category. Essentials are the expenses needed to maintain the function of your life. Only four expenses belong in this category: housing, transportation, utilities, and groceries. Essentials must be paid first out of net income, and then the other categories follow.

2. Financial Priorities At least twenty percent of take-home pay should go to the Priorities category. These are the

Central PAHikes from page 15

hiking in the woods, emerge onto the other access road to Stone Valley. Cross the road here and began another ascent, passing a climbing tower at 2 miles into the hike. From here there is a gentle descent back to the lake.

A little shy of 2.2 miles into the hike you will be crossing the breast of the dam. At the spillway of the dam a bridge is erected.

Dicamba Drift Affects Pollinators from page 20

forgot it was a toy and not one of the real trolleys I drive at the Rockhill Trolley Museum. I am always looking forward to driving them again as the 2015 season is over until sometime in May of 2016.

Well, we hope you all had a really great Christmas and we hope you all have a fantastic and successful 2016. As always, HAPPY RAILROADING, Ed & Cathy a

drift of dicamba and/or 2,4-D.

“This is particularly relevant because the great majority of floristic diversity in agro-ecosystems resides in small fragments of semi-natural habitat around arable fields,” said Mortensen. “And the quality of these fragments may be substantially degraded by repeat exposure of dicamba or 2,4-D drift.”

Two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “Science to Achieve Results” Fellowships supported this research.

Other authors on the paper include Eric Bohnenblust, former graduate student in entomology, Penn State; Anthony Vaudo, graduate student in entomology, Penn State; and Franklin Egan, director of educational programs, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture.drift of dicamba and/or 2,4-D. a

2016 The Truth Has No Agenda

goals that are essential to a strong financial foundation. Included in this category are retirement contributions, savings contributions, and debt. The priorities category is second in the order. Essentials paid first, Priorities second, and Lifestyle Choices are last.

3. Lifestyle Choices No more than thirty percent of take-home pay should go to this category. This category includes personal spending, fun options, or rather discretionary income.

Lifestyle choices can consist of Internet, cable, cell phone plans, entertainment, hobbies, personal care, restaurants, shopping, etc.

Even though Lifestyle Choices are the last things in the budget to be bought, you should never feel guilty making spending decisions for these items as long as the other two categories have been satisfied.

Many people’s budgets look

more like 60/30/10, or perhaps 30/10/60, rather than the 50/30/20 recommended. It’s ok to have a small variance; however, large variances are often associated with financial imbalance and disproportionate debt. The goal is to work towards getting as close to the 50/30/20 ratios as possible.

It may take time, and be a work in progress for some or even most of 2016, but it is well worth the efforts to attain financial health. It may take a lot of work to rearrange lifestyle choices and priorities to get closer to the 50/30/20 rule. In fact, it may mean seriously considering downsizing and really reigning in spending, but the freedom from debt and slavery to materialism is so worth it, once one is out of debt, and on the other side. I encourage you to take the challenge and enact the 50/30/20 rule. Make 2016 a prosperous year! a

Crossing on the bridge, turn to you left to continue following the Lake Trail, once again on the southeast side of the lake.

At 2.5 miles the trail enters into the recreation area proper at Stone Valley. Off to the right are small cabins that can be rented. To the left is the office building and the boat rental shop. At 2.7 miles you will be back at the parking area and the trailhead for this hike.

The Lake Trail is a great trail to hike any time of the year, and makes for a great place to snowshoe in the winter. Mostly flat, the proximity to the lake provides some nice views of and over the lake. There are a few small climbs, just enough to keep things interesting. If you are looking to participate in outdoor activities this winter, check out the Lake Trail at Stone Valley Recreational Area. a

The Valley, January 2016

20

Dicamba Drift Affects Non-Target Plants And Pollinators

by Sara La Jeunesse Story reprinted courtesy of Penn State Public Information

Dicamba herbicide drift onto plants growing adjacent to farm fields causes significant delays in flowering, as well as reduced flowering, of those plants, and results in decreased visitation by honey bees, according to researchers at Penn State and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture.

“Because of the challenge of glyphosate-resistant weeds, new types of transgenic crops that are resistant to synthetic-auxin herbicides including dicamba and 2,4-D will be widely planted in coming growing seasons, raising concerns about damage from these drift-prone herbicides,” said John Tooker, associate professor of entomology, Penn State. “The expected high rate of adoption of the new transgenic crops will increase dicamba and 2,4-D use by four to eight times. Our results suggest that widespread non-target damage from these herbicides may adversely affect pollinator communities.”

The team examined the crop species alfalfa (Medicago sativa), which requires insect pollination to produce seeds, and the native plant species common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), which is highly attractive to a wide range of pollinator species. The researchers applied a range of sub-lethal doses of dicamba to the plants, then tracked flowering and floral visitation by insect species. They identified the types of insects visiting the flowers and analyzed pollen quality to determine if herbicide exposure altered pollen quality.

The scientists found that exposure to drift-level doses of herbicide reduced flowering in both plant species. In addition, herbicide-damaged common boneset experienced significantly reduced visitation by insect species, including honeybees (pollinators) and syrphid flies (natural enemies). The results appear in the November 24 online issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and will be published in the January 2016 print issue.

“We found that both plant species are susceptible to very

low rates of dicamba -- just 0.1 to 1 percent of the expected field application rate can negatively influence flowering,” said Tooker.

“By extension, we expect that other broadleaf plant species are similarly susceptible to this sort of damage from drift-level doses.”

According to David Mortensen, professor of weed and applied plant ecology, Penn State, synthetic-auxin herbicides are usually used early in the growing season, but with the new transgenic crop varieties coming on the

market, these herbicides will be used later when temperatures are warmer and more plant species are leafed out.

“This will lead to higher levels of non-target damage to susceptible crop plants and native, wild vegetation,” he said. “For susceptible crop varieties, this sort of damage could reduce yield. For non-crop plant species, this driftinduced damage could significantly decrease the pollinator and natural enemy communities that these plants can support.”

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The researchers found that alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is susceptible to very low rates of dicamba, just 0.1 to 1 percent of the expected field application rate can negatively influence flowering. The image shows a damaged alfalfa plant.

Image: Penn State

The team currently is work-

Continued on page 19

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21

The Valley, January 2016

Modern Energy and Alternative Heating with Curt Bierly

The “Mini Split” Heat Pump / Air Conditioner

As I write this article it’s very early Christmas morning and we’re looking forward to spending this afternoon with our two sons and their families. We traditionally celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, but it was decided to do Christmas Day this year.

Each family will open their gifts at their home before they travel to Grandma (GM) and Grandpa’s (GP) house early afternoon to share a Christmas dinner, take a short hike (weather permitting and if I can convince the grandkids); then, open gifts. We consider our-

selves fortunate that both sons live nearby so we can all be together for Christmas (very important to GM and GP) without the need to travel great distances. GM spent yesterday preparing the food (ham and scallop potatoes this year) and will put the finishing touches on everything this morning. To date, we have not had any snow and the weather has been warm; in fact, the temperature was to set a record Christmas Eve for warmth.

When you read this column, the holidays will be over and we’ll be looking forward to spring.

The prediction is colder weather ahead - so - soon your heating equipment will be being used more heavily.

As I reflect back on 2015, I would label it the year of the “Ductless Mini Split Heat Pump/ Air Conditioner.” The Mini Split, which is sometimes referred to as a “Ductless System,” consists of one quiet high efficiency outdoor compressor unit and up to four super quiet indoor air handler units. The indoor unit(s) and outdoor unit are connected together with two insulated copper tubes, an electrical wire and a thermostat wire, which are all neatly hidden on the outside of the house with a “duct hide” cover (three colors available). The desired room temperature is set for each indoor unit using a remote control, so relative to temperature, you can control each indoor air handler separately. Nice! Hyper heat units are offered that will hold the same btu/hr output down to single digit outside temperatures.

We are fortunate that Mini Splits HP/AC are being widely accepted today. It wasn’t that long ago that few wanted to consider them for heating and cooling their home. They “didn’t like the

indoor unit hanging on the wall” was the usual reply when I mentioned them to a prospective customer.

These highly efficient units have been popular in Europe for many years primarily because most homes are heated with a hot water system, so installing a traditional central HP/ AC system with duct work is difficult and expensive. In addition, if you lived downtown on one of the upper floors of an apartment building heated with hot water, a traditional central system wouldn’t be feasible.

The Mini Split systems derive their high efficiency and the ability to service multiple zones from the outdoor variable speed compressor. Simply stated, the more indoor air handlers that are running, the faster the outdoor compressor runs. This variable speed technology is now being

used by Trane and Carrier on select high-end models for their central ducted systems and I’m certain you will see this technology used more and more in the future.

So, what is the best solution to heat and cool your jome or business? It may be a Mini Split Ductless System.

Curt Bierly is president of the bierly group incorporated of which Stanley C. Bierly is a division. He is chair of the Penn College HVAC Advisory Board.

You can contact him at 814-3493000 or cbierly@bierlygroup. com. a

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6678 Towne Center, Huntingdon The Truth Has No Agenda

The Valley, January 2016

22

LIbrary Lines Your Mifflin County Library

Crisis averted…for now

How does the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Budget impasse affect you? Without a state budget, the Mifflin County Library, Lewistown and Belleville locations, were planning a temporary closing on January 8, 2016, until such time that the crisis has been resolved. Residents of Mifflin County would not have access to books, e-books, internet and WiFi service, or any databases available now with your Mifflin County Library card.

Thanks to the Mifflin County Commissioners, Mark Sunderland, Otis Riden, and Kevin Kodish, we are able to stay open until February 5, 2016. Our County Commissioners voted to grant the library our 2016 first quarter allocation now, instead of waiting until January 2016 to assure the library will be available to county residents without interruption of services.

Almost half, 43%, of the Mifflin County Library total operating budget, comes from the Commonwealth and is received in January of each year. Without an approved budget, that money is not coming.

Another portion of our funding comes from the County, about 38%. If the County does not receive its money from the State, they don’t have the money to pass it along to other county departments and associated agencies, Mifflin County Library being one. The remaining 19% must be raised with monies from fines, copies, faxes, and donations in addition to an allotment from the United Way.

Were you aware it costs an average of $35,000 - $40,000 each month to keep the two branches of the Mifflin County Library operating? The amount of money required each month may change in relation to contractual and operational needs. For example,

insurance may be paid at the start of the year or book processing supplies might only need to be purchased twice a year. Mifflin County Library has certain continuing costs for contractual services such as: copy machines, online databases, an online timeclock, telephone, and internet services. These services make our library a consistent and important part of the community. Other significant costs include books, magazines, and office supplies; all of which are needed to serve the patrons of the Mifflin County Library and larger community.

These are just the basic services and do not include story time programs for children or special programs, or staff salaries and benefits.

Because we receive money from the Commonwealth, we are bound to a specific set of standards for library operations.

Mifflin County Library is required to provide certain services, a minimum amount of materials (books, magazines, etc.), trained staff members, and a certain number of open hours for each branch.

At the end of the year, the library is required to complete an annual report proving that we met the standards, thereby qualifying to receive state-aid money the next year.

As we look forward to the New Year, the staff and the Board of Directors of the Mifflin County Library would like to express our thanks to all of you for your support and patronage. Whether you have donated for memorial or honor books, purchased books via Front of the Line, or sent in a donation during our annual campaign, every donation is appreciated! Have a Happy New Year.

Marsha Shilling Technology Services Coordinator a

A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.

Thomas Paine

Pesticides, A Love Story New book explores our complex relationship with environmental chemicals

By Lisa Baldi

Story courtesy Penn State Public Information.

We just can’t seem to quit bug-killing chemicals.

Michelle Mart, an historian at Penn State Berks, investigates why Americans cling to their love of pesticides despite warnings, rising costs, and declining effectiveness in her recently published book, Pesticides, A Love Story: America’s Enduring Embrace of Dangerous Chemicals (University Press of Kansas, 2015).

The book grew out of a research fellowship Mart was awarded by the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society (RCC) in Munich, Germany, in 2012 to explore the cultural history of pesticide use in the United States from 1945 to the present. She examined popular and political attitudes, synthesizing scholarly work on familiar turning points in the history of pesticides, and juxtaposing those with contemporary media discussions.

According to Mart, America’s love affair with synthetic pesticides started with the use of DDT during World War II to kill the organisms that carry typhus (lice and ticks) and malaria (mosquitoes). After the war, the transition to domestic use in the United States was almost immediate.

In a blog post she wrote for the RCC, Mart explains how the adoption of DDT use fit with larger trends in the U.S. at the time. “This was a period of a great increase in per capita wealth, and rising expectations about quality of life and material comforts.

There were also changing aesthetics to do with suburbanization, which accentuated the idea of possessing and shaping your very own part of nature. Pesticides could help people to do this.

“Of course DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbons were increasingly widespread in agriculture, not just suburban homes.

They seemed to work miracles.

Production was way up and the direct costs of food production were way down.”

In the 1950s, many citizens began to question the health and environmental effects of synthetic pesticides, and when Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was published in 1962, it received enormous attention and became a bestseller.

After intense public debate, the there were contradictory deuse of DDT was banned in the velopments in attitudes toward U.S. in 1972. pesticides. While some Ameri “I would argue that the comcans celebrated the ban on DDT mitment to an industrial, agriculand other persistent chlorinated tural order and chemical interferhydrocarbons here and abroad, ence in the environment is no less others blamed this policy for a strong.” resurgence in malaria, primarily

Mart explains that much of in sub-Saharan Africa, and the the discussion about pesticides millions of deaths that resulted. was focused on DDT and did not Since then, environmental regulaquestion the modern agricultural tions have continued to elicit both system as a whole or the general strong support and criticism. question of chemical use in the

“The discourse about pestienvironment. Meanwhile, herbicides today is more sophisticated cides—most commonly Agent and complex than it was in 1950,” Orange—were used as chemical asserts Mart. “But I would argue weapons in Vietnam to defoliate that the commitment to an industhe jungle and destroy crops that trial, agricultural order and chemisupposedly fed enemy fightcal interference in the environers. There were few criticisms ment is no less strong. There has of this policy at the time. When not been a paradigm shift about the policy was mentioned in the pesticides or the environment, press before 1968, the media often even if environmental historians repeated the military justification and activists would like to think that Agent Orange was a strategic otherwise. In essence, there is no tool. indication that most Americans

“Towards the end of the have given up three bedrock war and after it was over, there assumptions of their cultural was much more controversy in outlook: Modern human society American politics over Agent has some ability to manipulate or Orange, most especially its impact control the environment; shorton American veterans, not on the term interests are more important Vietnamese or their environment, than long-term ones; environmental decisions must be made on the nor on the use of chemicals in agriculture more generally,” explains basis of clear evidence, not out of precaution.”

Mart.

By the late 1960s and early

Mart’s research on cultural 1970s, new laws were passed history has appeared in a numin the United States, such as the ber of journal articles and book National Environmental Policy chapters. Her first book, Eye on Act and the Clean Water Act, and Israel: How America Came to the regulation of pesticides was View Israel as an Ally, examined changed with the establishment of American culture and U.S.-Israeli the EPA. These laws and regularelations since the Jewish state’s tions were met with resistance founding in 1948. a from business groups, which argued that the government measures were unnecessary and economically harmful. At the same time, American-made pesticides and herbicides continued to be marketed overseas.

“All the while that the issues were debated in the United States, American chemical manufacturers, agricultural companies, and the U.S. government promoted the export of chemical agriculture in the Green Revolution,” says Mart.

Michelle Mart is an associate professor of

She goes on to explain history at Penn State Berks. that beginning in 1990,

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

23

The Valley, January 2016

Eat a Paleo Peach

First Fossil Peaches Discovered in Southwest China

by Matthew Carroll

Story courtesy Penn State Public Information.

The sweet, juicy peaches we love today might have been a popular snack long before modern humans arrived on the scene.

Scientists have found eight well-preserved fossilized peach endocarps, or pits, in southwest China dating back more than two and a half million years.

Despite their age, the fossils appear nearly identical to modern peach pits.

The findings, reported last week in Nature Scientific Reports, suggest that peaches evolved through natural selection well before humans domesticated the fruit. It’s the first discovery of fossilized peaches, and it sheds new light on the evolutionary history of the fruit, which has not been well understood.

“The peach is an important part of human history, and it’s important to understand

how it became what it is today,” said Peter Wilf, a professor of

Homo erectus, a long-extinct hominid species, may have enjoyed peaches much like those we eat today. Peach fossils more than 2.5 million years old have been discovered in China, showing that the wild ancestors of today’s peaches were already well-established before either Homo erectus or modern humans arrived on the scene.

Image: Rebecca Wilf

paleobotany at Penn State and coauthor of the article. “If we know the origins of our resources we can make better use of them.”

Tao Su, lead author on the paper and associate professor at Xishuangbanna Tropical Garden, discovered the fossils near his home in Kunming in southwest China when some road construction exposed a rock outcrop from the late Pliocene.

“We found these peach endocarp fossils just exposed in the strata,” Su said. “It’s really a fantastic finding.”

The Truth Has No Agenda

Su said the discovery provides important new evidence for the origins and evolution of the modern fruit. Peaches are widely thought to have originated in China, but the oldest evidence had been archeological records dating back roughly 8,000 years. No wild population has ever been found, and its long trade history makes tracing its beginnings difficult.

Animals, perhaps even primates and, eventually, early hominids, snacked on and dispersed the sweet, wild fruit and played a key role in its evolution. Only much

later, after modern humans arrived, was the peach domesticated and bred. Humans have created new varieties and larger sizes ever since and spread the fruit across what is now China, and far beyond.

“Is the peach we see today something that resulted from artificial breeding under agriculture since prehistory, or did it evolve under natural selection?

The answer is really both,” said Wilf, an associate in Penn State’s

Continued on page 27

The Valley, January 2016

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An integrative wellness plan for a dog or horse will help maintain their health, address issues naturally, and optimize their performance and disposition.

Free Motion Animal Massage will work with you to develop a custom program for your dog or horse based on their needs.

Canine and Equine Sports massage therapy includes the use of trigger-point therapy, and compression massage. Additional stretching exercises will provide a unique and beneficial experience for your dog or horse.

About Robyn

Robyn has been riding and showing horses for 19 years, competing at local shows and the Appaloosa Circuit. Her love for horses led her to the career of Equine Sports Massage Therapy.

She is also a Certified Canine Massage Therapist. Robyn’s goal is to improve the relationship between you and your pet.

Robyn was certified by Equissage of Roundhill, VA in 2015. The 50 hour training was all hands on and very intensive. It is her hope to provide horses and dogs the best service possible and also tools to make your relationship with them the best possible.

Benefits of Canine and Equine Massage

A dog and horse will benefit from massage in many of the same ways we do as humans. Canine and equine athletes performing to their limits, those that have had injuries or illness, those under stress or tension, and elderly dogs or horses can all gain from the experience of a therapeutic canine or equine massage. The best practice is to incorporate a preventative maintenance schedule to help avoid injuries, but a dog or horse can also be treated after an injury has occurred to expedite the recovery process.

• Improves circulation and as a result, promotes more rapid healing of injuries • Enhances muscle tone and increases range of motion • Eases muscle spasms • Reduces inflammation and swelling in the joints so that pain is relieved • Relieves tension • Stimulates circulation in the lymphatic system and hastens the elimination of waste products and other toxins • Lengthens connective tissue and so breaks down/prevents the formation of adhesions and

reduces the danger of fibrosis • Generally improves the disposition of the animal

For example, when we ask our horses to “move up” in dressage, on a hunter jumper

horse gets injured is exactly when and why people should contact their canine/equine massage therapist. Massage therapy can help expedite the healing of an injury in many cases. However, there are times when massage is not a good fit and could cause additional pain and suffering. Free Motion Animal Massage will be able to guide you and help determine the best course of complimentary care based on your veterinarian’s diagnosis and your dog or horse’s condition. Massage therapy should never be used in replace-

We must treat the animal as a unit, because they function as a unit. Horses are made of 60% muscle. The muscular system is often the most overlooked. Using compression massage and stress point therapy, muscle adhesions and spasms are released, freedom of movement is restored, circulation is improved and pain is eliminated.

The muscle’s response to overuse and over-stretching is first tightening, then shortening, then ending in spasm. Muscle spasms will interrupt the free flow of motion in your horse or dog. If the spasms are left unattended, they will often lead to larger injuries.

In order to perform the biomechanics of motion, muscles are arranged in pairs and each muscle has two functions: contraction and release. When one muscle contracts (shortens), the bone or joint is moved in the direction of the contraction. The muscle must then release in order not to interfere with the opposite contraction.

Spasms interfere with a muscle’s ability to release completely and this is where problems begin.

Massage enhances muscle tone and increases range of motion

course, or push for a few tenths of a second off the clock, we tax the horse’s muscular system to achieve the new goals. When asking this much of your horse, you increase their ability and performance level, but you must be careful. We really don’t know how much strain and exertion is required for maximum performance, or when we have reached it. Indicators of underlying issues are; resistance to one side, shortened stride, switching or refusing leads, restricted bending, sore back, or jumping flat.

Robyn and another happy patient.

Massage during canine or equine injuries

Many times, when a dog or

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

ment of veterinary care.

The Technique

Equine and Canine Sports Massage is a 36 step massage that covers the animals entire body.

Six strokes are used in sports massage; cat paw, zig zag, palpation, direct pressure, compression and cross fiber. At each step, the muscle is opened, treated, and then closed. This allows the therapist to locate the muscle spasms and treat them directly.

For the first-time client, we will generally speak with the owner or trainer, asking questions to learn more about the dog’s or horse’s specific condition, situa-

Continued on next page

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The Valley, January 2016

Massage generally improves the disposition of the animal

tion and any immediate concerns.

Many also like to watch the dog or horse move and visually assess their condition. This will allow

us to watch the animal move and identify where they are labored in movement. This is what makes the method of sports massage so

unique; we go to where the cause of the problem is.

For example, the dog or horse may have a shortened stride, but the cause may be behind the shoulder at the withers. It might hurt in the poll, but it stems from the muscles in the hocks.

Motion is a wave, it starts in a hind leg and the wave travels all the way to the poll. If at any place of the body there are tight muscles, it interrupts the wave. The objective is to create ease of motion.

We work head to tail on both sides of the body; carefully assessing their head, moving to the poll, down the neck and through the shoulders, then moving to the back, belly and hindquarters down through the legs.

Giving Back I believe massage therapy is a way to give back to our pets. Like regular services such as vet care, chiropractors, training, and more, massage therapy is reasonably affordable, even as a regular treatment, and you will find the results very beneficial. You will notice they are more relaxed in training and they will regularly feel good. They will get more out of life.

Massage stimulates circulation in the lymphatic system and hastens the elimination of waste products and other toxins

Prices and Packages Free Motion Animal Massage offers free evaluations for all clients and non-clients. The evaluation will

The Truth Has No Agenda

Massage can be very beneficial as part of the wellness program for a senior canine.

give you a quick idea of reactive areas on your dog or horse. Each massage will include an evaluation chart for visual reference.

Full body equine massage is roughly one hour. Canine massage time will vary based on the size of the dog.

We offer special packages for kennels and groomers, equine training facilities and, adopted and foster dogs. Call for our promotional materials.

Free Motion Animal Massage is offering equine sports massages

for $60 and canine sports massage for $50. Further pricing details can be found on our website at www.freemotionanimalmassage. com. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ freemotionanimalmassage.

Call us today to set up your first Free Motion Animal Massage at 717-348-8956.

Free Motion Animal Massage is certified to provide Equine and Canine Sports Massage through Equissage. a

The Valley, January 2016

26

Art Appreciation Take A Closer Look

To really appreciate a piece of art, especially an original oil or acrylic painting, you need to see it under a variety of lighting condi-

tions and from different distances.

Why? Because what you see in it will change. From across the room, or on a small image on the

computer screen, you’ll take in the overall view and the general composition. You’ll get a sense of the style it’s done in and the degree of detail and, obviously, what the subject matter is.

As you move in closer, however, you begin to

see it in a different way. Not only do you notice the finer details, but you’ll begin to see the brushwork, and depending on how the paint was laid down, perhaps the thickness of the paint. If you move to within a foot or so, the surface of the paint and the topography of the thicker strokes will become the main focus, and hopefully, take on a beauty of its own. You may also, if you do any painting yourself, get some sense of how the artist works. If the painting is an abstract, this will be especially true since it is not much about subject matter or details, in the usual sense anyway.

Moving back out again, you’ll again see the overall piece,

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

but with a new appreciation for its finer elements. If you’re able to either change the lighting or move the painting to a different spot, you’ll get an even richer experience. Some paintings are at their best in bright light and others are far more compelling under low light. Warmer (yellow-orange) or cooler (blue-white) light are better for different paintings.

I’m including two of my paintings in very different genres, along with a close-up view of each. One is a realistic piece and the other is an abstract. These should give you an idea of what I’m saying about looking at the paint surface up close for a different experience of appreciating the art. a

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The Valley, January 2016

Mail Pouch Books

by Carleen B. Grossman

Greetings dear readers...what better way to begin a new year than some reading of good books about animals and their surroundings? I hope you will enjoy these books as much as I did! Happy New Year to you all.

NO BETTER FRIEND: One man, one dog and their extraordinary story of courage and survival in WWII

By Robert Weintraub Copyright 2015 400 pages

This books is about a purebred Pointer, born in Shanghai in 1936, who was a witness to history, as China, and then the world, descended into WWII. She saw desperate people during the horrors of war on the Pacific front. During her time in the military, she had a succession of loving friends, and also enjoyed affection from many military men. Respect increased as she developed useful military skills, for example warning of approaching enemy aircraft. As the situation deteriorates, and she and her friends start to flee from the Japanese, you will travel with her through it all and learn much history about the war in the Pacific!

The Spanish Farmer with the author of “The Telling Room,” Michael Paterniti

Medlar unknown fruit from page 16 best harvest to date, two plastic buckets full that I let go through three frosts before harvesting as I heard you could partially blet them, on the tree. I took them all down to Scott Keys at the Dutch Pantry gifts. Last year we split the slightly smaller harvest and used two different methods and recipes to make Medlar Jelly. You noticed I said I took ALL of this year’s crop to Scott right? Well, last year, I ended up with Medlar syrup as unknown to me at the time, making Medlar jelly can be a bit touchy. At any rate, Scott’s recipe came out fabulous! He was kind enough to give me several jars and I will admit, I am hooked.

Whether on English muffins, toast or as a marinade for venison, it is a flavor unique unto itself.

With the exceptional harvest this season, I am sure Scott will have several cases for sale about right now. But, if you want to try this rare and unique delicacy, you should get there early. To my knowledge, Dutch Pantry Gifts is the only place I could find that

carries this. No matter how many jars come from this year’s crop, it won’t be enough—last year it sold out early in the year and since it is only a once a year harvest, when it is gone, it is gone until the next year. One fan of the jelly returned to Dutch Pantry and wanted to know if Scott would tell her where to get the fruits as she wanted to make her own. After finding out that there simply isn’t anywhere

to go locally to get the fruits unless you know someone who grows them, and it is a three year wait for the first crop, the woman saw the great opportunity she had to get them at Dutch Pantry Gifts.

So with that in mind, you can be sure that this special rarity will

It’s surprising that this dog survived even a minute in a Japanese POW camp, but survive she did; as she befriended the love of her life—a wonderful man who was an American soldier. Both man and dog survive the war, but neither would have without the other. This is an incredible nonfiction that is an exciting read!

Life in the Spanish village is everything that life in modern America is not. People spend their time in rooms that are called Telling Rooms, caves actually, out on the hillside, where wine flows freely (wine they themselves have made) and food is shared lovingly with friend and stranger alike.

This is life as it has been for centuries. This nonfiction book shows village life at its most comforting, yet also with its problems.

Don’t be derailed by the long historic footnotes... take the time to enjoy and learn from these educational tidbits. A most unusual, yet enjoyable, book about rural life.

THE TELLING ROOM

By Michael Paterniti Copyright 2013 349 pages

THE LITTLE ROOSTER

By Azarias Anorga Copyright 2015 24 pages

This beautifully illustrated fable for the entire family is about a very inquisitive little rooster who questions everything that happens around him. He gets advice from elders and asks for explanations.

The Little Rooster disagrees with behaviors that lead to clashes and death. He decides to change that way of living and he travels around the world carrying his message of respect for others and loving and protecting the environment. During his trip, he escapes from others who want to banish him for his beliefs. He has no alternative but to face them. The result of this battle brings changes that will affect life. A good book to begin the new year! a

This is a simple story of a farmer in Spain who creates a fantastic cheese and then, through mismanagement, loses the company he has built. The book is a reflection on how life is to be lived.

The author is completely awed by this farmer, his cheese, his wine and his farm; he even, takes his family to live in the farmer’s area of Spain while writing this book.

disappear fast.

Anyone in this area can grow Medlar, they have no pests (other than the darn rabbits at first planting), they are ok with most all of our soils, and they seem to love the climate, Medlar also provides an early nectar source for honeybees. Our Medlar tree is literally “abuzz” with my honeybees in early spring. The other thing is, they do not take up a lot of space and can be treated as more of a wide shrub in a deep garden bed like mine is.

Like I said, I enjoy the obscure and unusual, in plants, and animals, but I also look at this as preserving an heirloom specimen that enjoyed wide appeal and notoriety at one point in history. While I am at it, I am also preserving a little bit of knowledge that I can pass on to those wanting it. There are many old time novelties that are rarely grown anymore—Medlar is one of them. I am doing my part to preserve the past, want to lend a hand? a

The Truth Has No Agenda

Paleo Peaches from page 23 Earth and Environmental Systems Institute.

The researchers say the discovery supports China being the home of the peach. The fruit remains culturally significant in the country, where it carries multiple meanings – from immortality in Taoist mythology to good fortune and beauty, Su said.

“The peach was a witness to the human colonization of China,” Wilf said. “It was there before humans, and through history we adapted to it and it to us.”

Su brought the fossils to Penn State and analyzed them while working there as a visiting scholar and collaborating with Wilf. Several tests confirmed that the fossils are indeed more than 2.5 million years old and not from recent contamination. In addition to their having been found in the Pliocene rocks along with many other plant fossils, the seeds inside the pits are replaced by iron, and the walls of the pits are recrystallized.

A modern peach pit would have a recent radiocarbon date, but radiocarbon analysis of the fossil peaches showed them to be older

than the limit of radiocarbon dating, which about 50,000 years.

Researchers compared the correlation between modern peach and pit size, and used that to estimate the size of the fruit during the late Pliocene as approximately 5 cm in diameter.

“If you imagine the smallest commercial peach today, that’s what these would look like, “ Wilf said. “It’s something that would have had a fleshy, edible fruit around it. It must have been delicious.” a

Fossilized peach pits discovered in China dating back more than 2.5 million years are identical to pits found in modern varieties of the fruit. The discovery indicates peaches evolved through natural selection, long before humans arrived and domesticated the fruit.

Image: Tao Su / Xishuangbanna Tropical Garden

The Valley, January 2016

28

Life in the East End

by Rebecca Harrop

By now everyone should be recovered from all the joyful celebrations of Christmas and New Years. It’s such a wonderful time of year and I always wish the happiness and goodwill would carry farther into the New Year.

It’s too easy to get swamped with the everyday activities that we all have and forget that cheery good morning greeting or just smile at the passerby on the street. So my New Years wish is for us all to carry the Christmas spirit through 2016.

Our family had a great Christmas as usual. Rachel got home Christmas Eve. My nieces, Emily and Nicole, were so much fun this year—they really got into unwrapping gifts. They gave us all checkups with the “Doc McStuffins” sets Santa brought them.

I got some Pittsburgh Penguins stuff, so of course I was happy.

We had a good meal and way too many cookies. Mom’s friend, Nicole, sent a plate of cookies from New Jersey with Rachel. They were different cookies than Mom and I made, so we got to try some new kinds. The plate was over half empty by the end of the day, so you know they are good. Even though we still have to do the everyday work that has to be done on a farm, we still had a pretty

good day. The best part is we got to spend time with all the family.

Going into the New Year there are some things I have been thinking about. There is a lot of talk lately about GMO and organic products versus conventional products. I am concerned by the misinformation I have seen and read. I know a little about GMOs and I have done some research and I would like to share some of the information I have found. First, I would like to say that GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism, and you would be surprised how many people who say they are against GMOs can’t tell you what GMO actually stands for. GMOs were first studied in the early 70s and commercialized in pharmaceutical applications in the early 80s, and in agriculture in the early 90s.

The first GM drug was insulin; by 2000 there were over 100 GM drugs on the market. Ag companies use genetic modification to add traits to the crops that will benefit the consumer and help the farmer, without affecting the safety of the crop. The goal is to have NO greater effect on our health and metabolism than the crop’s non-GM variety. All GM products on the market are the result of very long and careful screen-

ing processes and go through a multi-year approval process.

Before they reach the market, crops from GM seeds are studied extensively to make sure they are safe for people, animals and the environment.

Today’s GM products are the most researched and tested agricultural products in history. Plant varieties developed from other breeding techniques, including thousands of conventional varieties and those used in organic production systems have been developed using mutagenesis and do not go through any formal regulatory assessment to evaluate environmental or food safety that GMOs do.

By using GM seeds, farmers can use less pesticides and herbicides on crops. Scientists are using genetically modified tobacco to make collagen to help heal burns, as well as vaccines and drugs for diseases such as rabies & Ebola.

Hundreds of studies have and continue to demonstrate that GMOs do not present any health risk.

They do not cause new allergies or cancers, infertility, ADHD or any other diseases. In the years that farmers have grown GM crops, since 1994, there has not been a single documented instance of harm to human health resulting from genetic modification.

I have no problem with people who choose to use non-GMO or

organic products, but please don’t bash GMOs or conventional techniques. The average US farmer feeds 155 people; in 1960 it was 26 people. With growing populations and decreasing farmland, we need GMOs and conventional farming techniques to continue to

feed the world. There will always be people who choose to only use organic and non-GMO, but that cannot feed the masses. There is a great website called GMOanswers.com for anyone who would like more information on GMOs. a

Spring Arrives March 20th

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

The Valley, January 2016

The Truth Has No Agenda

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The Valley, January 2016

30

Home Nursing Agency Home Health Named as a Top Agency of the 2015 HomeCare Elite

Home Nursing Agency Home Health has been named a Top Agency of the 2015 HomeCare Elite™, a recognition of the topperforming home health agencies in the United States. Now in its 10th year, the HomeCare Elite identifies the top 25 percent of Medicare-certified agencies and highlights the top 100 and top 500 agencies overall. Winners are ranked by an analysis of publicly available performance measures in quality outcomes, best practice (process measure) implementation, patient experience (Home Health CAHPS®), quality improvement and consistency, and financial performance. In order to be considered, an agency must be Medicare-certified and have data for at least one outcome in Home Health Compare. Out of 9,718 agencies considered, 2,431 are elite.

The award is sponsored by OCS HomeCare by National Research Corporation, the leading provider of home health and hospice metrics and analytics, and DecisionHealth, publisher of the most respected independent publication in the home care profes-

sion, Home Health Line.

“The 2015 HomeCare Elite winners deserve credit for demonstrating high-quality care in their communities. As quality care initiatives become top-of-mind for healthcare providers, we recognize this as a remarkable achievement and are pleased to make this our 10th year of acknowledgement for top performing home health organizations,” said Christine Lang, VP of Product Development for OCS HomeCare.

“We congratulate Home Nursing Agency on being one of the top home care agencies in the country.”

Janie Christner, vice-president of home health for Home Nursing Agency, credits the agency’s ability to achieve recognition as one of the HomeCare Elite to exceptional, individualized patient care designed to ensure each patient achieves his/her maximum potential; comprehensive education program for clinicians and an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to patient care.

“Our clinicians remain leaders in the home health industry, as evidenced in Home Nursing

Agency’s position among the nation’s top providers every year since HomeCare Elite began,” said Phil Freeman, Home Nursing Agency president. “Our team provides the highest quality of care and customer service to patients wherever they call home.”

“Happy 10th anniversary to the winners of the HomeCare Elite. As CMS ramps up its nationwide initiatives to reward home care agencies for the quality of care they provide, this is yet another way to acknowledge those agencies that have demonstrated their commitment to improving patient care at lower costs. The winners of the HomeCare Elite Award are proving that a heightened focus on clinical outcomes, patient experience, and financial management leads to success,” said Marci Heydt, Senior Content Manager, DecisionHealth.

The entire list of 2015 HomeCare Elite agencies can be downloaded by visiting the National Research Corporation website at http://www.ocshomecare.com/HomeCare-Elite.aspx.

About Home Nursing Agency Serving more than 23,000 individuals of all ages throughout Central Pennsylvania last year, Home Nursing Agency is the region’s premier not-for-profit provider of home healthcare, hospice and communitybased services.

Founded in 1968, Home Nursing Agency employs more than 800 healthcare professionals who care for families with the mission of pro• Reliable Propane & Heating Oil Delivery viding the highest quality of customer • Budget Payment Plan Call today service. Call Home to learn about our • 24/7 Emergency Service Nursing Agency NEw CustOmER at 1-800-445-6262 • Heating Equipment Service Plans sPECiAls! or visit www.ho• Safety Trained Professionals menursingagency. com for more • Over 80 Years Experience information. Home Nursing Agency is a United Way partner agency in Bedford County, Our Business is Customer Satisfaction Blair County, Huntingdon Coun717-248-5476 • 1-800-PROPANE (776-7263) ty and the Laurel Highlands. a

Expect More from Your Fuel Supplier!

The Time To Take A Stand Is Now from page 11 $165-million grant for the phased introduction of Pentavalent in India and provides a subsidy of Rs 145 per injection for five years after which the government will have to pay the total cost of the vaccines. ‘BMGF is a founding partner of GAVI. Its initial grant helped establish GAVI and it continues to support its work. Some of the pharmaceutical companies have affiliation with BMGF to manufacture the vaccine,’ Dr. Dabade said.

Unlike the U.S., victims of vaccine harm and fraud will get their day in court as the Supreme Court in India takes up the HPV Gardasil fraud claims. Also unlike the U.S., investigative reporters like Narayana Kumar are doing their job and publishing their findings in the mainstream media, informing the public.

- See more at: http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/bill-melinda-gates-foundation-vaccineempire-on-trial-in-india/#sthash.

CyZG1aO2.dpuf

There are two perfect examples right there. In the first example, mass sterilization is happening in Kenya. In the second example, injuries and deaths occurred during live human experimentation while testing their vaccines, namely Gardasil. And, you can see, that even though negative results occurred, they pushed the vaccination anyway, regardless of its failures. India, at least, has the guts to take them to court. What has our country done? They won’t even admit vaccination failures occur and in fact, they continue to push them on us. All of us.

Here’s what is happening in our own state:

“Pennsylvania legislators are considering a bill to toughen the state’s immunization requirements by removing one of the pathways to opting out.

There are three such pathways now: A medical exemption, a religious exemption, and a philosophical exemption. HB 883 — introduced this week by Rep. Becky Corbin; a Chester County Republican — would eliminate the philosophical exemption, and raise the paperwork barriers to gaining a religious exemption, requiring affidavits signed by a healthcare provider.

‘A religious belief shall not include a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief,’ the bill states — language that eliminates secular objections to immunization.

Pew in February reported that Pennsylvania has the second-

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”

lowest vaccination rate in the country. Coming as it did during the middle of a measles outbreak, the news prompted state legislators to consider tougher requirements. A Senate committee has already approved a resolution to study and make recommendations on how to increase the vaccination rate here, though the resolution has since been referred to another committee for consideration. In a memorandum, Corbin said that philosophical objections comprise most exemptions to immunization in Pennsylvania.

‘Our legislation simply removes the philosophical immunization exemption to better protect our citizens and communities from debilitating and deadly diseases that can be prevented through the administration of a vaccine,’ she wrote.”

Read more at http://www. phillymag.com/news/2015/04/08/ bad-news-for-pa-anti-vaxxers-billwould-eliminate-philosophicalexemptions-for-vaccinations/#UJi zY32SIwuCup8w.99

“They” meaning the government and Big Pharma are trying to force us to get these vaccinations, even though time after time and case after case vaccine safety and efficacy are questioned. What can we do about it? It’s easy to say, “What can I do about it? I am just one person. I cannot change the law.” Perhaps that is true. But, if we get enough single persons together, we have a voice and can express our opinions and concerns. In our state, we currently do have the philosophical exemption. Make sure your local representative in the house and senate knows how you stand.

They are supposed to represent us.

All of my sources are cited. Read them yourself. Study these things.

The time is coming where our hands are going to be forced if we sit back and let them do what they want. Don’t be one of the 680 million people who gets reduced because Bill Gates thinks there are too many people in the world. The time to take a stand is now! http://drtenpenny.com/category/ articles/ Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/029911_vaccines_Bill_ Gates.html#ixzz3w6f0bh00 Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/029911_vaccines_Bill_ Gates.html#ixzz3w6RY6HdO Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/029911_vaccines_Bill_ Gates.html#ixzz3w6Q88yX3 Dr. Joseph Kauffman Kauffman-Hummel Chiropractic Clinic drjosephkauffman@comcast.net a

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The Valley, January 2016

by Wayne Stottlar

As a person who always has an eye for the obscure or unusual, and not being a “follow the crowd” type of person, it only makes sense that the same would apply to my gardening practices.

If one were to check out our gardens, you would find several items not found many other places. I also, because of my desire to learn the old ways and to get to a more natural and sustainable lifestyle, have discovered through research some long forgotten items that at one point in time were found everywhere.

What is this obscure fruit I speak of? No, it isn’t the Russian Honeyberries we have in the side garden, nor is it the Norwegian Gooseberries we grow, and not the Persimmon trees we planted several years ago, or the Pawpaws we have carefully nurtured through their first 5 seasons. It is a way more unknown fruit than any of the aformentioned. It is the Medlar. Mespilus germanica, the common Medlar, which is anything but common.

Once grown on many early

colonial homesteads, Medlar was brought here from Europe sometime in the 1600s. It has a far more distant history though than 15th century Europe. Medlars were cultivated by the ancient Greeks and Romans around the 2nd century BC. They spread from there but they are considered naturally occurring in southwest Asia, and southeastern Europe.

They are still grown today in Turkey, Iran, and in small pockets throughout Europe where it still enjoys a faithful following.

But what was once a great source of sugar and something sweet during the winter when it first became ripe enough to eat, has now been largely forgotten in the United States. It is a shame too, because the Medlar tree is one that tends to be on the small side anyway, so harvests are easy, and it also holds its fruit after the first frost has killed off the leaves, making picking the fruits even easier. But don’t think you are going to go out and pull a bunch of Medlars off the tree and gorge on them right there in the sunshine. Harvesting Medlars is just the beginning of a “process” that is required before you can eat them. Like I said, harvest happens AFTER the first heavy frost has knocked the majority of the leaves off. The fruit is plucked off the tree and then has to be bletted before eating. What?... bletted?...yeah, it is almost as bad as it sounds, but it produces a sweet, if not totally eye-appealing spoonful of fruit pulp that tastes similar to cinnamon spiced applesauce.

Bletting is for all intents and An nice specimen just loaded with fruit in late summer. With frequent pruning you can purposes conkeep the tree to a manageable height for easy trolled rotting of harvest. the fruit to make

it edible. After harvest, place the Medlar fruits in a single layer in a box or shallow crate and leave them alone for 3-5 weeks, perhaps turning them once during that time. Make sure you blet the Medlars in an area where there are no mice, or protect the fruit while it is rotting down. Our first sizable harvest fell victim to mice. I harvested the fruits and carefully laid them out in the cellar and moved on to other chores intending to use these to make Medlar Jelly to give away as Christmas presents.

Imagine my surprise when I went downstairs on December 15th to find Medlar skins and mouse poop. I wasn’t happy, a whole years worth of anticipation gone.

When finished you are left with a brittle outer shell which can be cut or cracked open to expose the pulp inside. As with any fruit, there is a seed or two inside that can be expelled much like watermelon seeds, by spitting.

Medlars are related to the rose family and the fruits of the Medlar look very similar to oversized rose hips. The Medlar produces a white flower in the spring that is hermaphroditic and is pollinated by bees. The fruit is a 1-2 inch pome with an open end much like a pomegranate, which gives the appearance that the fruit is hollow. The trees themselves are extremely long lived with some specimens known to be several hundred years old. It is a very slow growing tree with maximum heights of 25 feet or so in some varieties, but the

The Truth Has No Agenda

Medlar fruit is easy to harvest as the first frost removes the leaves—the fruits hold fast.

tree is just as happy being kept between 6-8 feet for ease of harvest.

The Medlar is a densely leaved tree with individual leaves long and elliptical anywhere from 2 1/2 to 6 inches long and 1 - 2 inches wide. The tree is well adapted to zones 4-9 which includes a lot of the area in our country. Sadly, due to the fruits obscurity, Medlar is a hard item to locate in most places in the states. It does enjoy a wider popularity in Europe and is quite readily available there. Here in the US, the easiest places to get them are via the internet from “One Green World” in Oregon at www. onegreenworld.com and Rain Tree

Nursery in Washington at www. raintreenursery.com.

So after all of this you are asking why on earth would I want to go through the trouble of growing a Medlar? The reasons could be many, perhaps you remember some of Shakespeares work that mentioned the Medlar. Maybe you have heard of the delicate one of a kind flavor of Medlar Jam. Perhaps you want to try one of those British favorites, Medlar cheese. Since it is a pulp, you could make breads and pies with it as well. I am going to experi-

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The Valley, January 2016

“Liberty and Government are Opposing Forces”