inside pennsylvania magazine spring 2015

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Perennial Herbs For Gardeners

Zumba – It’s Good for What Ails You

Cheese From the Valley

Basketball’s Pink Zone

Perennial Herbs For Gardeners+ Perennial Herbs

Living the Living the Living the Good Life at Good Life at Good Life at RiverWoodsRiverWoodsRiverWoods

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2 Inside Pennsylvania | February 2015

Inside Pennsylvania | February 2015 3www.insidepamagazine.com

a letter from the editor

Soon the onion snow will fall. If you live outside Central Pennsylvania, you may not

understand that at all. And if you dislike onions, the very thought onions could fall from the sky might give you the shakes.

You dislike onions, you say? For shame. Onions don’t get nearly the respect they deserve.

Did you know people were eating onions long before farming – and even writing – was invented? Even the fi rst Pilgrims understood their value. They packed them along for their journey to America, though it turned out not to be necessary. Wild ones were plentiful; Native Americans were already enjoying them.

But onions go much further back in history than that. In India, in the 6th century B.C., the onion was celebrated as

a medicine — a diuretic, good for digestion, the heart, the eyes and the joints. The Greeks used onions to prepare athletes for the Olympic Games – not just consuming them but guzzling onion juice and smearing them on their bodies. The early Romans put a lot of stock in the onion’s healing powers, believing they could cure vision problems, induce sleep, heal mouth sores, toothaches, dog bites and dysentery.

The onion packs a powerful punch. Don’t trust me — the above history lesson is courtesy of The National Onion Association. Read more at www.onions-usa.org

Appropriate for this, our annual health-oriented issue, no?

• • • • •

Inside, we turn your attention to improving your well-being. Chef Paul shares spring meal recipes with fresh herbs and of course, onions. Cooking vegetables releases their fl avor, he says. The aroma produced by cutting and simmering onions can spark your tear ducts as well as your tastebuds.

Daniel Gasteiger urges you to start plotting your garden now. He suggests a variety of easy-to-grow herbs recognized as potential antibiotics, antioxidants and anti-infl ammatories. Jerri Brouse also explains why it’s time to get back into the garden, because there’s one thing that needs to be planted before the last snow falls.

And yes, of course, that would be the onion. When will the 2015 onion snow happen? For fun, send me your

best prediction at [email protected]

EDITOR

Gary Grossman publisher

Joanne Arbogast editor

Bryce Kile design editor

PatriciaBennett director advertising

Beth Knauer advertising sales manager

Cindy O. HermanJohn L. Moore, Tabitha GoodlingDaniel GasteigerRick DandesFreddi CarlipJeff rey B. RothJerri BrouseJeff rey Allen FederowiczDrucilla AumillerVikki PetersenKaren Lynn Zeedick

photo staff Robert InglisJustin Engle

Amanda August

information technologyLarry Schaeff er

circulation directorFred Scheller

controllerLeonard Machesic

inside pennsylvania:O� ce (570) 988-5364Fax (570) 988-5348 – Advertising (570) 286-7695 – EditorialAdvertising sales: 570-863-3208

subscriptions: 570-988-5483

email: [email protected]

write: Inside Pennsylvania Magazine 200 Market Street Sunbury, PA 17801

Inside Pennsylvania (ISSN 1935-4738) is published quarterly at 200 Market St., Sunbury, PA 17801.

Inside Pennsylvania magazine is not responsible for unsolicited submissions. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner, without permission, is prohibited. Copyright 2014 by Community News Group LLC. All rights reserved. Single issue: $3.95. Subscription: $10 annually (U.S. only). POSTMASTER: Send address change to Inside Pennsylvania magazine, 200 Market St., Sunbury, PA 17801. Advertising rates and specifi cations available online at InsidePaMagazine.com. Inside Pennsylvania was founded March 2007. A publication of The Daily Item, a member of Community News Group LLC.

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Dear Inside Pennsylvania,i enjoyed the article on the german feather trees (“Feather Trees: no Longer a Lost Art,” Winter 2014). i have a very, very old one. i don’t remember seeing it when i was little but my mother had it among her things. she would buy things at auctions and sales and it may have been something she picked up that way. or maybe it belonged to my grandmother. i don’t take it out very often because the feathers fl y off .

— Patricia TooheyDanville, PA

Hi,Two years ago (possibly three?) about this time, i saw an article in your magazine regarding an old West end Lumber company (union county).There was a photo, i think taken in Laurel park. my great grandfather — Harry Walls — was in the photo. The write-up even mentioned my great-grandmother, chestia sholter Walls, as the woman who fed all the men on the mountainside — hard work!

Thank you,Penny L. Johnson

Dear IPA,i am not really a fan of wrestling, but i read Harold Raker’s article (“Wrestling up a good time,” november 2014) and found it pretty interesting. Wrestling really is something very near and dear to central pennsylvanians — the sport has an amazing number of diehard fans. everyone talks about it and my town has had its share of wrestling stars. i’m going to check out some matches this year and see fi rsthand what all the fuss is about.

— Mark MillerMilton, PA.

Dear Inside PA,“pennsylvania Barn stories” (Inside Pennsylvania Books, november 2014) looks like a good book but the website provided did not give me information on placing an order. is the book available locally?”

— Dianne M.Lewisburg, PA

Editor’s note: Dianne is correct; the website provided was incomplete. The correct site is www.blurb.com/b/5503236-pennsylvania-barn-stories.

SHARE WITH US!Letters to inside pennsylvania are always welcome. We also like photos from around the Valley, like the one shown above. photos must be submitted via email untouched (right from the camera) at 300 dpi minimum.

submit photos and letter to us at 200 market st., sunbury, pA 17801 or email to [email protected].


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8 Cover Story: Living the Good Life at RiverWoods

12 The Most Important Relationship

14 Zumba: It’s Good for What Ails You

16 Basketball’s Pink Zone

26 Cheese From the Valley

36 In the Garden: 5 Perennial Herbs for Gardeners

44 Danville’s First Hospital Turns 100

48 Riding Toward Recovery: Random Canyon’s Therapeutic Riding Program

52 Profi les In Business: » Nottingham Village » Sculptures Island Salon » Owens Farm » Stein’s Flowers

56 When Will the 2015 Onion Snow Fall?

features»

More photos online dailyitem.smugmug.com

click the categories list and look for “insidepAmagazine”

2015SPRING


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Unique, Spring Meal With Chicken Saltimbocca

20 New Books: “Deep River Burning”

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42 Shopping Spree: Gifts and Goodies From Local Businesses

53 Fiction: “I Watch The Day”

54 Sprecken Sie: You Can Come With, If You’re Done Your Homework.

58 Calendar: What’s Happening Around the Valley

62 PA Plants: Winter Parsnips

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Wellness is central to the core beliefs,

activities and social programs at RiverWoods in Lewisburg, a senior living community preparing for its 100th anniversary in 2016.

“It is true that we emphasize mind, body and spirit here,” said Cookie Connolly, wellness director. “And that’s because our goal is to keep our residents as independent as possible for as long as possible. It’s one thing to do physical activities; but we also strive to keep the mind sharp using various techniques, some as simple as providing jigsaw puzzles for residents.”

Residents at RiverWoods have to be at least 62 years old — although for couples, only one person has to be that age or older. “We have many people — some in their mid-90s — who remain very active, still living in independent housing.”

Right now the average age of a moving-in resident is about 75. The average age, however, fluctuates.

The facility provides a number of fitness possibilities, beginning with a mile and a

half walking trail that is paved. Along that trail are eight Playworld Systems stations called the Life Trail. The system was created by Playworld to give older, active adults the freedom of revitalizing fitness in an outdoor workout designed to make it easier for users to perform daily tasks and enjoy a better quality of life.

Developed in collaboration with American Fitness Professionals Association (AFPA) Functional Fitness Certified kinesiology and gerontology specialist Danielle DuVall, the advanced system includes 21 activity panels built on the principles of functional fitness: progressively challenging exercises patterned after the twists, turns and movements of everyday life.

“Six years ago,” Connolly explained, “Playworld did a study on the campus with our seniors in regards to health and wellness of their equipment and with older adults. And it was very successful. They also tested some prototype equipment with our residents and made changes based on the feedback they received. The donated eight Life Trail stations to RiverWoods in thanks for that collaboration.”

At those stations, residents can exercise their upper body, balance, flexibility and strength. There are two stations for people in a wheelchair.

“I’m responsible for the wellness on the campus,” Connolly continued. “I do some work with personal care residents and occasionally I go over to the nursing center.”

Connolly teaches Tai Chi, yoga, a class where people with arthritis can exercise and a strength-training class with rubber bands.

“Several of us recently got certified for the Sun Style of Tai Chi,” she said. “I teach yoga and Tai Chi for fitness — not

so much as an art form, but as a form of fitness.”

RiverWoods also offers a full class schedule in the pool.

“We have a full-time lifeguard,” Connolly said. “We are open to the community for 50 public memberships and have a two-year waiting list to get into the pool.”

Aside from the physical aspects of fitness, Connolly runs a speaker series called Learn and Live, where once a month a community member will come in and speak on a different subject. The series has included former Lewisburg councilman Trey Casmir to talk about acupuncture, reflexologists and neurologists talking about brain plasticity. “It’s been a pretty wide range of subjects” she said.

Connolly works closely with RiverWoods’ physical therapy department for independent living and personal care. “If I see a need in a resident I am talking to, I’ll refer them to perhaps physical therapy and when they are through helping the resident, they’ll come back to me. It’s a good-cop bad-cop relationship and it works especially well with people who would never step into a gym.

“For many of this population, a gym environment is foreign to them so we try to make it as user-friendly as possible.”

Baby Boomers are starting to look at retirement communities, Connolly observed, “and they are very health conscious. One of our residents is a yoga instructor and she will be teaching a yoga class because she lives here and wants her peers and herself to stay fit. I would say the environment here is very focused on fitness.”

A first-rate exercise room is also available to residents — and staff. It offers a fitness elliptical machine, treadmill,

Living the Good Life at RiverWoods

cover story

It is true that we emphasize

mind, body and spirit here.

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cover story

Residents at RiverWoods in Lewisburg go through a rubber band exercise class.

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RiverWoods residents Cindy Nickelsen, left and Sally Nungesser talk while exercising in the pool.


work benches and free weights.Mental fitness — keeping the mind

active — is also an integral part of the program. You’ll see residents of all ages busy doing puzzles.

Other activities include a water volleyball group and there is a pool/billiards league on Tuesday night. There is even a wood shop where some residents make items available for sale in the gift shop.

“I find that resident-driven activities work the best,” Connolly said.

Currently living at RiverWoods are 143 independent living residents, 55 in personal care and 160 in the nursing care unit. There are 53 cottages and 64 apartments on campus. Most residents have some connection to the area; either they worked here or their children are here. Bucknell is a huge draw — some of the residents are former teachers.

The History Behind RiverWoods

That is a far cry from the few first residents who moved into the facility in May 1916, with a formal opening celebration held in August of that year. The history of the facility actually dates back to 1879, when Adolph Weidermeyer left a bequest of $115,000 to establish a home for orphaned children. In 1910, a plan for a combined Old People’s Home and Children’s Home was established by the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical Church, which held the funds and raised additional money. A charter for this new facility was granted on Jan. 13, 1912, under the name United Evangelical Home.

Purchase of the Ross Mansion (formerly the home of Eli Slifer, Secretary of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) and 119 acres of farmland was completed in 1915 and an administrator was hired. The orphanage was completed in 1921 and remained in operation until 1959. During its 38-year history, more than 250 children called the orphage home.

In 1926, the Evangelical Home opened a hospital on the campus which also served the larger community. By 1953, ownership of the hospital had been transferred to a community managing board and what we now know as Evangelical Community Hospital opened, have been built on land donated by the Evangelical Home.

With the focus solely on caring for seniors, Riverview Manor was opened in 1969 as housing for independent residents. Next, plans were made to build a state-of-the-art nursing care center. Opening in 1970 with 102 beds, additions were constructed over a five-year period bringing the total number of beds to 226. Cottages for independent-living residents were constructed, beginning in 1975 and in 2003, RidgeCrest Court was opened with additional independent-living

options. In 1996 the Lewisburg campus was

renamed RiverWoods Senior Living Community.

Today at RiverWoods, modernization and expansion remains an ongoing process. Construction has begun to renovate areas of the skilled nursing unit and later this spring, new construction will focus on a skilled nursing rehabilitation center.

With more than 300 workers, it is the fourth largest employer in Union County.

RiverWoods, a faith-based nonprofit organization, is owned by Albright Care Services.

cover story

...we try to make it as user-friendly

as possible.

Lois Hunter does a bicep curl at an exercise class at RiverWoods in Lewisburg.

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I find that resident-driven activities work the best.


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RiverWoods Wellness Director Cookie Connolly, left, leads a group of residents in a rubber band exercise class.R

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Celebrating125 Years

By Terry Barnett-martin, LmFT

The most important relationship of your life

is the one you have with yourself. When you were born, you were already perfectly you, ready to unfold. To the extent that you were encouraged to be you and not just the refl ection of those around you, you came to know and love yourself.

However, even with the best of parents, family and community, you can get lost from yourself in an attempt to please or protect yourself from others and that takes you on a road far from the best of your true self. It’s time to reclaim and cherish yourself.

February is relationship month, which some may think is just about romance and being in love, but it’s really the time of the year that reminds you to touch in with yourself, to slow down and listen to the voice of your own heart and to say and do loving things for yourself … in essence, to romance yourself. Too oft en we look outside of ourselves waiting for someone else to make us feel loved and cherished. But love and the confi dence that comes with it, really starts from within you.

Th e good news is, you can pour on tender loving self-care with reckless abandon and without excuses during this month of love and relationship. Th e more you love yourself the more you draw in truly loving relationships to your life. Th e secret to calling love into your life starts with loving yourself and here are 4 tips to becoming an expert at loving yourself:

1. Have your own best interests at heart.

Th ink in terms of what the fl ight attendant says to passengers on an airplane before take off : “In case of an emergency when the oxygen masks drop from the ceiling above you, put on your own oxygen mask fi rst, before helping others with theirs.” Oft en we focus on what’s best for others while ignoring what is right for ourselves. It is our primary responsibility to take care of ourselves so that when the time comes and the opportunity to help others presents itself, we will have reserve love and energy to help. Th e tender, giving hearts of the world oft en burn out all too soon, because they neglect to take care of themselves. Let February be the month that you remember to take time for yourself, to take stock of what matters most to you and to realign your life to match your intentions and purpose.

The Most Important Relationship February is National Relationship Month


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2. Tend your relationship fences.As much as possible surround

yourself with people who care about you and leave room for you to be your best self. In all relationships, even those that are close and loving, it is imperative to have proper fences to both connect you to others and protect you from others imposing on you. Taking the time to tend your relationship fences is one of the most loving things you can do for yourself and for the people in your life. With the people in your life with whom you feel safe and respected, a simple fence is all that is required to show where you end and they begin. But with people who tend to impose their way, intrude in your life, hurt you or boss you around, you need to visualize a strong and tall fence that clearly prevents them from getting to you. Well considered relationship fences can give you peace of mind and a feeling of safety and freedom to be your best.

3. Have your own back when things get tough.

We all make mistakes, take wrong turns and feel embarrassed at some time in our lives. And even when you do everything right, bad things can still happen that leave you feeling at loose ends. But the way you talk to yourself during those times is key to your self-esteem. Instead of berating yourself with attack thoughts and self-ridicule, speak to yourself with compassion and patience as a best friend would. Take in the experience as information to learn from and move forward feeling wiser and better equipped.

4. Take the time to look yourself in the mirror and give

yourself a reassuring wink.How oft en do you look in the mirror

and focus on the fl aws instead of your innate beauty? How oft en do you sigh and say, “It’ll have to do.” Th e truth is you

shouldn’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t want someone else to say to you. In fact, go the extra mile and wink at yourself and say, “You’re amazing!” when you pass a mirror. It will lift your spirits and make you smile.

Let February, the month of love and relationship, be your time to recalibrate and refuel and focus on playing to your strengths. Take extra special care of your body, mind and soul. Treat your own heart to fl owers and candy, or gather your loved ones together and share a delicious meal. You are the only you there is in the world. You matter and you are here for a purpose, to do something that no one else can do in the same way. When you get that, deep in your heart and you treat yourself with encouragement and loving kindness, you will change the world, no question.

Terry Barnett-Martin, M.S., LMFT is a relationship counselor.

The Most Important Relationship February is National Relationship Month


By Tabitha goodling

The Latin tunes are pumping through the

stereo system. Hips are shaking. Feet are sliding across the floor. Hair is swinging.

It’s Zumba at the Middle Creek Area Community Center (MACC) in Beaver Springs.

But this is not just any Zumba program. The participants’ average age is 65. This is Zumba Gold.

Becky Arnold, program coordinator at MACC, leads the group that meets weekly 8 to 8:45 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Though the crowd that comes out to MACC for the program consists of mainly 60-something females, anyone is welcome.

Zumba Gold, Arnold said, “is for those just starting a fitness regime and for active older adults.”

Zumba is typically high-impact exercise and Latin dance, Arnold explained and this version is modified.

“With this group, I know what they are capable of. I give them direction and keep it at a tempo to show them how to stay safe. They can be active without causing

any damage.”“It’s a lot of fun — a lot of good music,”

shared Jeannie McLaughlin, 69, of McClure. She said the exercise helps avoid health concerns like cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Eunice Zeigler, 61, from Beavertown, said she does Zumba to relieve stress.

“Zumba keeps me young,” added Harriet Botdorf, 70, of McClure.

“It really gets me moving,” said Connie Weader, 66, who lives in McClure. “We have a lot of fun. It’s a great way to get up and going in the morning.”

Sue Bubb, 64, of McClure, recently had back surgery — on four different occasions. Doing Zumba, she said, helps with her therapy.

McLaughlin, who is also board president at the MACC, said she and two of the other ladies take three exercise classes on Mondays. They do Zumba Gold, Strut and Stroll and Silver Sneakers.

Joann Tate of McClure is new to the class. “I’m not very good at it,” she said with a laugh, “but the girls here are a lot of fun. It’s good to get that heart and those muscles and everything moving at the same time.”

Arnold tries to make it easy for beginners like Tate. “I do the same repetitions to the same songs so that

they’re used to it,” she said. In time, “they become very comfortable. Every once in a while I throw in a new song so no one gets bored.”

Arnold pointed out that some insurance plans pay for the class for those 65 and older.

MACC, which is located at 1 Elm St., Beaver Springs, also offers the Silver Sneakers program, a low-impact workout.For more information: Call (570) 658-2276 or visit www.zumba.com/en-US/party and www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba:It’s good for

what ails you

Zumba keeps me young.

It really gets me moving. We have

a lot of fun.

It’s a lot of fun — a lot of good music.

Becky Arnold, program coordinator, leads a Zumba Gold class at the Middlecreek Area Community Center in Beaver Springs.


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During halftime festivities at the 2014 game, 698 breast cancer survivors gathered for a group photo. The Penn State Lady Lions posted a 78-68 win over Wisconsin in the Eighth Annual Pink Zone at Penn State game in front of 12,585 fans.


Nothing but net and patterns of pink. The ninth annual Pink Zone presented by Mount Nittany Health will take place

March 1 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College. (A time was not available as of press time. Check the website www.pennsylvaniapinkzone.org).

Local women will be among the 700 or more breast cancer survivors expected to come out for the Lady Lions basketball game against University of Wisconisin.

Cheryl Delsite of Sunbury and Jeanie Wesner of Catawissa will be attending the game again. It marks an important moment for each woman as she marks one more year breast cancer free.

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Like a conductor at a symphony, Chef Paul coaxed the best performance

out of an orchestra of ingredients — in this case, a medley of chicken, prosciutto, cheese, risotto, vegetables and spices that combine to form Chicken Saltimbocca and Risotto with Vegetables.

“Traditionally, Saltimbocca is made with veal,” Chef Paul said. “I went with chicken because it makes it more approachable. The last few times we had it at Le Jeune Chef, we sold out of it. It’s a nice, popular dish with a lot of flavor.”

The symphony opened with risotto preparation: an onion, carrot and celery ensemble in a pan of melted butter.

“The first step with risotto and vegetables is always the vegetables,” Chef Paul said. “You want to cook the vegetables first to start releasing the flavor.”

He sautéd them until the onions were doré — light brown — and a tempting aroma filled the air.

With the vegetables browned, it was time to introduce notes of fresh chopped chives and parsley.

“You want to add the savory herbs during the cooking process

Inside Pennsylvania | February 201518

Fresh herbs and ingredients always make for a mouthwatering meal.


chef paulso they have a chance to do their magic,” Chef Paul said, setting a steady rhythm as he chopped the parsley. “If you add them at the end, they won’t release their flavors.”

Next up: Arborio rice, stirred in with the sautéed vegetables and herbs to help hydrate the outside of the rice before adding the liquid. Chef Paul always uses vegetable stock so he can add a vegetarian option for guests. The risotto must then be cooked slowly, adding liquid as it is absorbed into the grain.

“The creaminess comes from the Arborio rice releasing its starch over time,” Chef Paul said. And unlike other

rice, Arborio must be stirred frequently. “When you see the rice start to swell up, that’s when you add a little bit more liquid. Stirring makes the sauce creamy.”

Keeping an eye on the risotto’s bubbling undertones, Chef Paul orchestrated the Chicken Saltimbocca, starting with a decisive stroke of a very sharp knife as he butterflied the meat into thin filets over which he layered garlic, sage, prosciutto and cheese. Even before rolling each portion pinwheel-style, the result looked impressive but was deceptively easy to produce.

“Always start with the seam side down so that it seals,” Chef Paul said as he seared a chicken roll in a pan of hot oil. “Otherwise it will open up.”

While the Chicken Saltimbocca rolls baked to perfection in the oven, Chef Paul brought the music out of a side dish of braised greens and prepared a quick yet flavorful sauce for the chicken, always with an ear to bringing the individual flavors to a pleasing crescendo and the

whole while adding vegetable stock and stirring the risotto till it took

center stage.“See how it’s come up (in the pot)?” he said as he stirred one

final time. “See how it doesn’t look translucent anymore? It looks white. See how it looks so creamy?” He threw his head back and laughed in triumph. “Ahahahaha!”

Like a proud maestro, he assembled the meal on a plate: risotto, chicken, greens and sauce — a symphony worth savoring.

You want to add the savory herbs

during the cooking process so they

have a chance to do their magic.

moRe on pAge 20

Orchestrate a unique spring meal with

Chicken SaltimboccaChef Paul Makes This Meal Sing

A Chicken Saltimbocca roll lies on a bed of Risotto and braised greens.

new

boo

ks

20

“Deep River Burning”

by Donelle Dreese Wido publishing

$11.77, paperback.

Denver Oakley’s home town of Adena, Pa., has become a world on fire. The abandoned coal mines underneath the town are a blazing inferno, the escaping smoke and gases killing vegetation and making residents sick. Denver, who recently lost her parents, feels adrift and alone. She sells the family home, drops out of college and takes refuge in Isabel Beach, N.C.. There, white, scalloped beaches and a coastal wildlife sanctuary provide Denver with a sense of belonging and a new focus.

And then she receives a letter from Josh, a good friend who disappeared from Adena before Denver left. In the letter, Josh asks her to return to their hometown and meet with him at their old meeting place on the river. She thought she’d never go back and is still not convinced she can re-open those old wounds.

But if she ignores the letter, Denver will always wonder what might have been.

Donelle Dreese’s story is loosely based on the mine fire in Centralia, “which left a big impression on me when I was growing up” in Selinsgrove, she said.

She studied music and English at Susquehanna University and received her Ph.D. in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania before moving to Kentucky, where she currently teaches in the English Department at Northern Kentucky University.

Her books include the novel “Deep River Burning” and the young adult vignette novella “Dragonflies in the Cowburbs.” She is the author of “America’s Natural Places: East and Northeast” and three poetry collections, including her most recent book, “Sophrosyne.” She currently serves as assistant editor for the Journal of Kentucky Studies.


Tips from The Chef:Traditionally, risotto is stirred with a wooden spoon. •Necessary? Not really. Wood was chosen because risotto involves lots of stirring and a wooden spoon would not discolor the rice. But Chef Paul didn’t hover over his risotto — he just gave it frequent stirrings throughout the cooking time.

Is the rice done? Use the pro’s trick: Press a piece of rice •against a cutting board. If the rice breaks into hard grains, it’s not done. Add more liquid to hydrate the rice and keep cooking until the pressed grain feels uniformly smooth.

Remember, short-grain rice like Arborio should be •creamy when done. Hard-grain rice like Uncle Ben’s should cook into fluffy, individual grains of rice.

Butterflying a chicken breast requires a ferociously •sharp knife. Chef Paul relies on his rectangular-shaped Mercer Knife, sold at The College Store at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

If you have trouble filleting the chicken, ask your •butcher to do it for you. Or try pounding it flat. No meat mallet? Use the bottom of a frying pan.

If, even after filleting the chicken, you just can’t •get it to roll properly, “Don’t fret,” says Chef Paul. Put the stuffing (spices, garlic, prosciutto, cheese) on top and tell guests that’s how it’s supposed to be. Don’t throw it out — people love food topped with cheese. “Give up all that flavor? No way!”

“You can change the recipes around any way you like,” •Chef Paul says. Don’t like prosciutto? Use the ham of your choice. Fresh herbs are always best, but dried will do. Personalize your meal with the ingredients you love.

Like a proud maestro, Chef Paul brings the music out of individual ingredients and creates a symphony of culinary delight.


chef paul’s recipesChicken Saltimbocca

Yield = 6 dinner portions6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (about 2 lbs.)

3 tsp. fresh garlic, chopped fi ne

Black pepper, to taste12 fresh sage leaves, no stems, left whole

¼ lb. prosciutto or smoked ham, sliced

very thin (at least 6 slices)6 slices mozzarella cheese, thin

1 cup fl our2 tsp. salt1 tsp. black pepper, ground½ c. virgin olive oil1 pint chicken stock1 cup Marsala wine

Lay chicken breasts fl at and pound them lightly 1.

to increase the surface area, or butterfl y them

open to make them uniform in thickness.

With the breast laid pounded or cut side up 2.

with the grain of the meat running horizontally,

spread on the garlic, season with pepper

and lay on the sage, prosciutto and cheese

evenly among the chicken breasts.

Roll up the chicken so that it is a roulade 3.

about 5 to 6 inches long. Squeeze the

stuffed breast fi rmly together.

Dredge the breasts thoroughly in the seasoned 4.

fl our. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes.

In a sauté pan over high heat, lay the breasts in 5.

seam side down and brown them on the seam,

then roll them and brown them uniformly on

all sides. Lay the browned breasts on a sheet

tray sprayed with no-stick spray. Repeat the

process until all the breasts are browned.

Preheat an oven to 400°. Bake the chicken 6.

until it is just done, with the cheese starting

to ooze out of each edge. Let the breasts

rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.

While the breasts are baking, add the stock 7.

and wine to the same sauté pan, stir until

smooth and cook the sauce until it thickens

from the fl our left from sautéing the chicken.

Slice each order into 5 pieces and serve topped 8.

with the sauce and risotto and greens.

Risotto with VegetablesYield = 6 dinner portions

1/3 cup salted butter½ cup Spanish onions, chopped small¼ cup carrots, chopped small¼ cup celery, chopped small1½ cups Arborio rice2 Tbsp. chives, chopped fi ne2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped fi ne6 cups vegetable or chicken stock¾ cup Fontina cheese, shredded¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shreddedSalt and black pepper, to tasteIn a saucepot over medium heat, add the

1. butter and vegetables and cook them until they are brightly colored and just tender. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated

2. with the butter. Add the chives and parsley. Lower the heat to medium low and add the stock in 2-cup batches, stirring frequently, so that the rice will absorb the liquid and begin to make a creamy sauce in the rice.

Add 2 additional cups of stock and stir every 3.

2 or 3 minutes, allowing the rice to absorb the stock again. Repeat the process the fi nal time and stir in the cheeses. The rice should be creamy but tender when a single grain is pressed on the counter with your index fi nger. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

4.

21

Braised GreensYield = 6 dinner portions¼ cup olive oil¼ cup garlic, chopped fi ne¼ cup Spanish onions, chopped

fi ne, washed and drained1 bunch kale or mustard greens, thick

stem removed, chopped fi ne1 cup waterSalt and black pepper, to taste

In a large saucepot or braiser over medium-1. high heat, add the oil, garlic and onions and brown them lightly, stirring frequently. Add the kale and water, lower the heat to medium low and cover with a tight-fi tting lid. Allow the greens to braise for 20 minutes, or until the color has changed to deep olive green and the greens are tender. More water may be added as needed to achieve this result.

Season with salt and pepper and serve 2. with your favorite meat and starch.

Chef Paul E. Mach is a certifi ed hospitality educator and assistant professor at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s School of Hospitality, Williamsport, which features Le Jeune Chef, a teaching-learning, gourmet restaurant. He’s also the co-host – along with grilled-cheese-loving Tom Speicher – of the award-winning TV show, “You’re the Chef,” which ran from 1996 to 2005, originally in Williamsport and eventually reaching as far as Japan. The show airs weekly on WVIA (Wilkes-Barre, PA) Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.ch

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Delsite was diagnosed in 1991 at age 29. “There was no family history. All of the

doctors examined me at first and said it was nothing to worry about,” she said. A surgeon cut out the lump in Delsite’s breast, revealing the cancer diagnosis.

Delsite has been cancer-free for more than 20 years and has been attending the PSU basketball game for the last few years. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, where she learned about the Pink Zone.

Delsite’s friend, Wesner, was diagnosed in October 2009 at the age of 43. She underwent 37 treatments of radiation and has been cancer-free ever since.

“I had a lot of prayer support,” Wesner said and she also appreciated the support of other women with the same diagnosis, including Delsite.

Attending the game is a highlight of her year.

At halftime all of the breast cancer survivors, clad in pink T-shirts, walk from the tunnel inside the Bryce Jordan Center and out onto the center of the court. There is applause and cheering and there are tears.

Delsite and Wesner said the feeling of making that step onto the court is like no other.

“It’s really neat,” shared Delsite “Most of the people there are in pink.”

Miriam Powell is the executive director of the Pink Zone.

She said last year 698 survivors — including two men — made their way onto the court.

“A big part of our mission statement is about raising awareness,” she said, pointing out that while the Pink Zone event helps empower women, it is about all breast cancer survivors.

All breast cancer survivors gain free entrance into the game. The survivor receives four free tickets, a T-shirt and a complimentary gift. They also can opt for free transportation with one of the participating bus companies.

And it’s not just about the survivors who have finished treatment.

“If you are undergoing treatment or are out of treatment 30 years, you can attend. If you have had a breast cancer diagnosis at any time, we will not turn you away. There have ladies on the court with bald heads and the next day they undergo another chemo treatment,” Powell said.

She said she has received calls from out-of-state survivors questioning if Pink Zone was for Pennsylvania survivors only.

“We don’t care if you’re from Alaska. You can come from Saudi Arabia if you are a survivor,” she said.

Pink Zone benefits a number of organizations — mainly local. These include Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, JC Blair Memorial Hospital, Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital, PA Breast Cancer Coalition and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

Kay Yow was a well-known women’s basketball coach with the North Carolina State University. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and lost her battle in 2009.

A Penn State basketball coach began the Pink Zone because of the diagnosis of her administrative assistant. Rene Portland was coach when the Big 10 Conference offered grant money to increase the attendance at Lady Lions basketball

events in 2006. Portland came up with the idea of Think Pink in honor of Mary MeCahan, a breast cancer survivor.

The Pennsylvania Pink Zone website states: “In the summer of 2011, a new - organization called The Pennsylvania Pink Zone was established to help alleviate some of the ‘growing pains’ and take Pink Zone to the next level. Through the creation of this 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the mission of Pink Zone can now be supported by year-round efforts in the fight against breast cancer.”

Over the past seven years the event has raised more than $800,000 for research and education in the area of breast cancer.

For more information about the event or to donate, go to www.pennsylvaniapinkzone.org.

It’s really neat, most of the people there are in pink.

We don’t care if you’re from

Alaska. You can come from Saudi

Arabia if you are a survivor.

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At Susquehanna Health, you’ll receive the best heart care in the region. We’ve joined forces with Cleveland Clinic, the nation’s #1 ranked heart program by U.S. News & World Report for 20 consecutive years. This means you’ll have access to all the latest treatments, techniques and technologies. We’re committed to improving the heart health of our community. Because it’s our mission to keep you Susquehanna Healthy.

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Penn Cheese is small enough to qualify as an artisan cheese producer. “We receive

two tankers of milk each day — more than 100,000

pounds — and use them to create three batches of cheese. It

takes 10

pounds of milk to make a pound of cheese.”

The math works out to 10,000 pounds of cheese per day; 5 tons.

From Milk, CheeseIt’s impressive to consider that the

solid, chewy, crumbly, melty, savory, sweet, creamy, aromatic and versatile product called cheese starts as a liquid

barely thicker than water. Even more impressive: You add very little to milk to get cheese out of it. The

simplest cheeses include two added

ingredients and most

cheeses require only one or two additives beyond that. Turning the ingredients into cheese is a matter of biology and chemistry.

Once milk arrives at the plant, biochemistry begins. First the milk passes through a pasteurizer to kill off pathogens it might contain. After pasteurization, the milk moves into tanks that can hold it at specific temperatures important for getting cheese off to a good start.

To create a particular type of cheese — cheddar, for example — you add a corresponding bacterial culture that causes the milk to ferment. With fermentation underway, you add rennet to the mix and let it rest. Weber explains what happens:

“There are two types of protein in milk: casein and whey. Cheese is made up of casein and milk fat. Rennet contains enzymes that make casein coagulate into curds so it’s easy to separate from the liquid in the milk — the whey.”

In about 30 minutes, the milk becomes a very soft, very wet block of curds which workers cut up using specialized slicers. Paddles agitate the mixture to keep the cut curds from clumping and assure uniformity throughout the tank. After a bit more fermentation, workers may heat the mixture, causing the curds to shrink.

Then they drain off the whey. They continue to stir the curds (using

stainless steel coal shovels) to help release liquid.

Workers shovel the curds into molds designed to fit a press that packs the curds into

blocks — rectangles or rounds, depending on the type of cheese and its intended use. Pressing

story and photos by Daniel gasteiger

Cheese From the Valley

Some of the best cheese in the world originates in the Susquehanna Valley. Penn Cheese, a small factory in

Winfield, produces cheddar cheese, seasoned cheeses and cheese spreads and award-winning Swiss cheese. Manufacturing since 1979, Penn Cheese supplies area restaurants and grocery stores and it ships cheese to other states and countries. “We even ship to Wisconsin,” offers General Manager Jonathan Weber.

removes even more liquid from the cheese and the molds sit for a while to drain.

Aft er pressing, some cheeses spend time in salt water brine and others go directly into boxes to ripen. In either case, the unmolded cheese sits in climate-controlled storage for several weeks — at 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally, workers package the ripened cheese and refrigerate it until shipping to customers.

Cheese For YouTh e Penn Cheese plant is on County

Line road in Winfi eld. You can buy cheese in the lobby of the building; they have a refrigerator where they stock Swiss, Baby Swiss, Cheddar, seasoned cheeses and cheese spreads all made in the facility.

If buying cheese made by your neighbors doesn’t satisfy your desire for a complete cheese experience, try making cheese in your own kitchen. Th e accompanying article provides step-by-step instructions for making American-

style mozzarella.


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After you add citric acid to 1. the milk, you’ll see small curds fl oating in the pot. Raise the temperature slowly to 90 degrees, then stir in the dissolved rennet and remove the pot from the heat.

It may take two or more 2. hours for your curds to reach a “hard set” — they’ll form a very loose block suspended in yellowish clear liquid. Use a long knife or spatula to cut a criss-cross pattern through the curds.

Transfer the curds to 3. a cloth-lined colander or strainer suspended over a pot. If you pour them, be cautious not to overfi ll the colander.

Cheesecloth will let 4. the whey through more quickly than a tightly woven shirt or towel. You can speed draining by gathering the cloth into a bag and holding it above the colander.

When whey stops 5. dripping from the curds, transfer the curds to a microwave-safe bowl and heat them for a minute in a microwave oven.

Squish and fold the cheese 6. as if you’re kneeding bread dough and pour off any whey that gathers in the bowl. You’ll reheat and knead the cheese several times until it becomes shiny and stringy.

Shape the cheese into 7. a ball and fl oat it in ice water for 30 or so minutes before serving it, using it in cooking, or wrapping it in plastic to store in the fridge.

1

3

5

7

2

4

6


Make Cheese at Home!American-style mozzarella is one of the easiest cheeses to make. It has all the characteristics of the dry mozzarella we typically use on pizza and in lasagna with a few added benefi ts: It tastes better and it’s fun to make.Before you start, make sure you have the equipment you’ll need: a 1.5 to 2 gallon stock pot, an instant-read meat thermometer, a large strainer or a colander, cheesecloth or a clean dish towel or an old (clean) T-shirt and a knife as long as your pot is deep.

Here’s how to make mozzarella:Ingredients:

1 gallon whole, pasteurized milk

1½ teaspoons citric acid powder (look in the canning supplies section of a grocery store)

¼ of a rennet tablet (look in “Country” or “General” stores that cater especially to Mennonites and Amish; area supermarkets rarely have rennet available)

Procedure:Dissolve the citric acid powder in 2 tablespoons 1. of cool water. Dissolve the rennet in a separate container — also in 2 tablespoons of cool water. Keep these in reach as you heat the milk on medium, stirring often to prevent scorching. Use the thermometer to monitor temperature.As the milk passes 60º, stir the citric acid solution into 2. the pot. Continue heating and stirring the mixture and remove it from the heat when it reaches 90º. Add the rennet solution and stir for about 30 seconds, then let the mixture sit undisturbed for one to two hours.When the mixture curdles into a “hard set” you’ll have 3. a very soft custard-like block (curds) suspended in clear or yellowish liquid (whey). Use a long knife or spatula to cut the curds from top-to bottom by tracing parallel lines through the pot at about 1-inch intervals. Rotate the pot 90º and cut another series of parallel lines perpendicular to the fi rst set.Return the pot to the stove and heat while stirring 4. gently until the curds and whey reach 105º Fahrenheit. Then remove the pot from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer curds from the pot to a strainer or colander lined with cheesecloth, a clean dish towel, or a clean T-shirt (pouring also works). Capture the whey, if you wish to use it in other cooking, feed it to your pigs, or add it to your compost heap.For a few minutes, gently break up the curds 5. to help release whey and then dump the curds into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the curds in a microwave oven on high heat for a minute, then knead the curds (use a spoon if the cheese is too hot to handle) and pour off any liquid that gathers in the bowl. Heat again for 30 seconds, knead, heat once more for 30 seconds and knead again.

The cheese should be shiny and elastic by this point; if it isn’t, heat it for fi ve or 10 more seconds in the microwave. Sprinkle on a teaspoon of salt and knead the cheese a bit more, then shape it into a ball. A fi nal pop into the microwave can help get the cheese to stick together. Immerse the cheese ball in ice water until it cools.If you don’t use the cheese immediately, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for up to a week.

5.

The cheese should be shiny and elastic by this point; if it isn’t, heat it for fi ve or 10 more seconds in the microwave. Sprinkle on a teaspoon of salt and knead the cheese a bit more, then shape it into a ball. A fi nal pop into the microwave can help get the cheese to stick together. Immerse the cheese ball in ice water until it cools.If you don’t use the cheese immediately, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for up to a week.

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When Williamsport native Kenny Wittman

came on the music scene more than 45 years ago, he put it into a spin.

And it’s still spinning.What does this multifaceted person have

in common with a trademark of the 1980s rockers ZZ Top, hundreds of guitars and a quiet way to sounding better?

The answer is he created them.“Almost everything good in my life has

come back to the day, many, many years ago that I had my prized bass stolen. I was young and didn’t have any money, so I built one myself. One that would be better and sound perfect,” Wittman said. “That served as a launching pad for a multitude of life-changing events that resulted in some significant changes in my life.”

Because he was busy performing as a bassist with several popular bands in the area, Wittman needed the instrument to have right tone and vibration to showcase his musical skills yet not overpower the other band members.

From a young age, Wittman was interested in repairing broken electronic and household items or ripping them apart to see how they worked, so creating a bass turned out to be only the beginning of his musical craftsmanship, which would go on to include patents on a tuning device that allows musicians to silently tune their instruments to the specially designed strap made famous by ZZ Top in the 1980s — a strap that allows the player to spin their guitars 360 degrees.

And as with many inventions, Wittman

came upon his spinning creation by accident.

“I was busy playing in a lot of local bands at the time, so busy I can remember times hurrying from one gig that I would change clothes while driving, waiting until I was at a red light to change my pants and be ready for the next gig. Since I was playing so much and was having the weight of the bass on my shoulder so

often, it was starting to bother me and I needed a strap that would help take the weight off of my shoulder. But I could not find the right strap for my guitar that would help balance the weight to make it easier to use,” he said. “I made one and it seemed to work well.

“I was at a gig in downtown Williamsport — this was in the early ’80s — and I started playing around with the strap and realized it could spin the guitar in a complete circle. I thought, man, this

is pretty cool and the crowd loved it.” Soon after, the craftsman in him was

busy at work, spending hours tinkering and making modifications and after some trial and error, the Wittman SpinStrap was born.

For years, Wittman spent many hours traveling to music conventions and tradeshows, where he would set up shop and impress the crowds with his creation. Because he holds a patent on the strap, Wittman is the only source in the world for SpinStraps, which have been used by other performers and have appeared in several films, including “Back to the Future.”

“Although we have sold SpinStraps to musicians all over the world, a lot of the people who either bought them did so because they saw ZZ Top or they are ZZ Top impersonators,” he said.

Although he is known for his inventions, Wittman is a skilled craftsman who specializes in high-end custom remolding and Victorian restoration work, including restoration work on historic mansions on Williamsport’s Millionaire’s Row.

His skills also include detailed work as a luthier, crafting guitars that have become the instruments of choice for professional musicians seeking the best in quality and design.

Lou Feist, of Montoursville, a famed drummer on the national circuit and a local musical legend, said: “Kenny is one of those rare people who can look at something and be able to build it or improve on it. No matter if it’s making a guitar or restoring the beauty back into an older home, Kenny is a very talented guy. I have literally seen him grow up

Jack of all trades, musical master of all

story and photos by Jeffrey Allen Federowicz

from here to ... here

Almost everything good in my life has come back

to the day, many, many years ago

that I had my prized bass stolen.


and grow as a musician. There are few musicians around that you could say are a perfect 10. Some might be an 8, some 9 or 9.5, but rarely does someone have the caliber and class Kenny does, which puts him in another class as a musician. If you’re a musician and you play with Kenny, it’s an honor. And if he is your friend, that too is an honor. I am lucky enough to have been both.”

When it comes to crafting an instrument, Wittman takes the finest materials including ebony, mother of pearl, maple and zebra wood and uses them to create either a distinct double neck-through, five-string fretted bass or the more common, six-string guitars.

“That’s the beauty about creating an instrument from scratch. You can have it as simple or elaborate as you want,” Wittman said.

He makes the musical magic happen in his studio space in Williamsport. It’s also home to several of his most prized guitars from his collection, which numbers in the hundreds. Yes, hundreds.

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Inside Pennsylvania | February 2015 33


By Freddi carlip

The Holiday Tea & Shopping Spree, presented by J. Kleinbauer and SUN Home Health & Hospice, is a holiday season highlight. This elegant afternoon features an exquisite fashion show, raffle drawing, silent auction, boutique shopping, door prizes, jazz standards by Harmonious Endeavors and tea served by tuxedoed waiters. A scarf-tying workshop and flower-arranging demonstration were very popular. The 2014 Tea & Spree was held on Nov. 2 at The Susquehanna Valley Country Club, Hummels Wharf.The fashion show, with Judy Spiegel providing expert commentary, drew enthusiastic applause and ohhs and ahhs. More than $125,000 has been raised from the Tea & Spree, since its inception, for The Friends of SUN Home Auxiliary.

From left: Mary Muolo, Roseanne Jensen and Jenna Antoniewicz at the Holiday Tea & Shopping Spree.ou

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If you don’t yet have one, do yourself a favor and

plant an herb garden this spring. There are so many great reasons to grow herbs and there’s no better time to start than as winter wanes.

While it’s still cold, evaluate the space you have for herbs. Th en consider your

tastes, do some research online and plan what you’ll plant. Start with perennials that come back year-aft er-year, but leave open spaces among them where you’ll be able to seed annuals such as dill, basil and cilantro.

Here are fi ve perennial herbs to consider for a Susquehanna Valley garden:

» OReGanOPerhaps one of the easiest perennials

to grow, oregano is necessary for Italian cooking. Plants tend to organize into

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mounds 6 to 12 inches tall, but they may stretch to 24 inches and they spread into whatever space you allow. Oregano stems root easily wherever they rest on soil, so you might consider planting in containers or creating a root barrier to reduce your efforts keeping the herb in place.

Varieties of oregano range from deep green to nearly yellow and some varieties sport leaves with light margins — white or yellow variegation. The variety you should have in your herb garden is Greek oregano. Seeds will start for you easily, or shop for seedlings at garden centers in early spring.

In the lab, oregano shows signs of being both an antibiotic and antioxidant, but the effects haven’t been proven in human testing. Don’t let that stop you from growing this herb. When a plant has several stems of 3 inches or so, cut off the top halves to season food. With bigger plants, harvest entire stems and pull the leaves from them to add to sauces, salad dressings and marinades. When your plants become particularly unruly, harvest heavily, dry the leaves and refill a spice jar.

» TaRRaGOnFor the best flavor, buy tarragon

seedlings clearly labeled as French tarragon. You can start plants from seeds, but these will be Russian tarragon, which isn’t as intense as the French variety. Nurseries start French tarragon plants from cuttings as the plants don’t produce seeds. (Confession: I started Russian tarragon from seeds in 2010 and have been satisfied with it, though I plan to add French tarragon to my herb garden some day.)

Tarragon grows as individual canes covered with leaves along their entire length. French tarragon canes reach about 24 inches, while Russian tarragon can reach 4 feet. The canes tend to bend low under their own weight. Let them have their way in their first season, but mid-season in later years don’t be shy about cutting all the canes off to about half their length.

If you grow Russian tarragon, set it at the north end of the planting bed so it

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doesn’t shade out other herbs. The deep green provides a visual backdrop that helps flowers and leaf variegation of other herbs pop. Plant shorter French tarragon among other tall herbs where it will still receive full sunlight.

Fresh tarragon tastes a bit like licorice and is a popular seasoning for light dishes such as chicken, seafood, eggs and salads. Tarragon is a critical ingredient in the classic sauce Béarnaise — which, technically, makes it a great seasoning for heavy foods such as steaks and roasted vegetables.

You can find long lists of health benefits claimed for tarragon, but there is virtually no medical research to back up the claims. The herb contains antioxidants, sedatives, numbing agents, chemicals that may assist in digestion and movement of blood and more … but the herb’s efficacy for any health claim is a matter of folklore.

» SaGeThe mention of sage may bring to mind

cowboy songs and the old West. But

culinary sage, the type you should plant in your herb garden, isn’t even related to sagebrush. There may be dozens of varieties of culinary sage, but not all will survive Susquehanna Valley winters. Select varieties that are cold hardy at least to zone 6, or anticipate next winter’s polar vortexes and plant sage rated to zone 5.

Many gardeners seem to think it’s hard to start sage from seed and recommend buying seedlings from garden centers. I didn’t know better some 15 years ago and started my own seeds indoors in late winter. Transferred to wooden half-barrel planters, the seedlings thrived in partial shade.

Sages come in various colors and variegation but the most familiar are light or silver green. Plants flower profusely in spring. They may be 2 to 3 feet tall and can stretch 3 or 4 feet horizontally, shading out other plants if you don’t trim them back in spring.

There is some research suggesting sage improves memory and reduces symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. In a test tube, sage seems to have anti-inflammatory effects,


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but so far there is virtually no science behind medicinal claims about the herb.

Use leaves fresh or dried as seasoning. Also, if you run a smoker, consider using dead sage branches to add complexity to flavors of meats you smoke.

» HOReHOundThis attractive plant has nearly vanished

from the consciousness of American gardeners. People in central Pennsylvania are most likely to know of horehound as a candy flavor. As tea, horehound supposedly reduces cold symptoms and may ease digestion, but there’s virtually no science behind these claims.

While horehound’s medicinal value is questionable, the herb is a lovely accent in the garden. Plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall and leaves are silver green. Though a member of the mint family, horehound doesn’t spread aggressively. It may drop viable seeds, but mulch and just a bit of weeding keeps new plants from getting established.

Horehound is very cold hardy. In this area, plants may die back to the soil in winter, but new sprouts will emerge in

spring and produce flowers in summer. Harvest leaves to brew tea, but beware! Raw horehound is sensationally bitter and the flavor is much more potent than that of horehound candy.

» LaVendeRFor many, lavender is the scent of soaps,

shampoos and air fresheners. But a growing number of lavender enthusiasts use the herb to flavor drinks, salads, meats and baked goods. For me, tasting lavender in my food summons thoughts of industrial deodorizing sprays and toilet cakes and I quickly lose interest in the food.

Still, I love lavender in the garden. The plants are small bushes — a foot or 2 high and about as wide. Leaves are thin and spiky like those of pine trees and blossoms are a delightful purple you might call lavender. Set three or four plants close together, give them a few years to mature and in bloom they’ll present an intense display.

Lavender’s familiar scent and flavor comes from its blossoms. There is

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Lavender is not a cold-loving plant. Look for hardy varieties and plant them

where they’ll get plenty of sunlight yet be well-protected from prevailing winds. In spring, if your plants seem to have died back to the soil, treat them as if they’re alive and they’ll likely put out new shoots as summer approaches.

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By late spring, the bloom is on the sage which stands about a foot above the lighter green oregano. Russian tarragon lurks in shadows behind all of it and cilantro and dill — both annuals — peak up in the foreground.

Leaves of the horehound plant add distinctive texture and color to an herb garden.

A single sprig of lavender blossoms is delicate and easy to overlook. However, a mature plant produces many such sprigs and adds a lot of drama to an herb garden.

Oregano would make an effective ground cover. A

single plant in a small nursery pot can expand to cover a 3-foot circle in one season. If you use oregano on a regular basis, and considering the cost of fresh oregano in a grocery store, raising even one plant could save $20 or more per year by adding it to your garden.

Mature sage plants have an old-world look to them, but even new sprouts stand out among tamer, smooth-leaved herbs.

Tarragon dies back to the soil each winter and new sprouts are among the earliest green in an herb garden. Shoots multiply but clump, so it takes years before a stand of tarragon threatens to overtake neighboring plants.

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Inside PA magazine half page (D Item) 4.2014 6/13/14 1:31 PM Page 1

44 Inside Pennsylvania | February 201544 Inside Pennsylvania | February 2015

danville’s first hospital turns 100

the history of geisinger medical centerB

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The front of the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital, Danville, 1916.

Long before she opened the hospital on the hillside overlooking Danville in 1915, the

woman we know as Abigail Geisinger operated the White Swan Hotel on Mill Street. She was known then as Abigail Cornelison, the wife of Jacob Cornelison, who was also her fi rst cousin.

Th at was during the Civil War, which created an immense demand for the iron products made in Danville. Th e Montour Iron Works, for instance, “cast many of the cannon and mortars used by the Union forces,” according to “Th e Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties.”

Th e war also required men to fi ght. Montour County was a patriotic place and Company H of the 93rd Pennsylvania Infantry Volunteers, which organized in late 1861, consisted mainly of Montour men.


Photo: The west side of the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital under construction, 1914.

Left: Abigail Geisinger and Dr. Harold Foss, the first superintendent of the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital, Danville, pose for a photograph.

Right: Abigail Geisinger at the groundbreaking of her hospital in 1913.

During the next three years. the company had so many casualties that by January 1865 it needed replacement troops. Abigail’s husband got drafted as the war entered its final months, joining the ranks of Company H on Feb. 24. But his stint as a soldier was short. Cornelison and all the other members of the regiment were mustered out of service in Washington City on June 27.

Many members of Company H returned to Danville, but not Cornelison. “On his way home he became ill and died,” said Carla Leighow, who owns and operates the Abigail House Bed & Breakfast in Danville.

Cornelison died in a military hospital on June 30, according to local historian Helen “Sis” Hause.

Author Donald D. Housley reported, “Jacob died of dysentery.”

Abigail was 38. Within a year, she married George F. Geisinger, a college-educated Massachusetts man who had come to Danville in 1855 “to become bookkeeper for Grove and Brothers, an iron manufacturer,” according to Housley’s 2011 book, “Make It the Best. A History of Geisinger Health System

1912-2001.”George did well in the iron industry and

in time he became one of the owners of the Pennsylvania Iron Co., a successor company to Grove and Brothers.

“In the mid-1870s, as the emerging steel industry challenged the manufacturing of iron rails, the Pennsylvania Iron Co. was sold to the Philadelphia Reading Railroad. Its investors, including George Geisinger, turned toward the burgeoning anthracite coal industry, buying the Kingston Coal Co.,” Housley wrote.

By the time of his death in 1883, George Geisinger had become a wealthy man and his widow inherited his wealth. Abigail was 56 years old and childless.

“After his death … his wife assumed his interest in the business and has continued as a member of the firm up to the present time, conducting her affairs with characteristic ability and good judgment,” reported “Historical and Biographical Annals,” the 1915 history of Montour and Columbia counties.

As she aged, Abigail turned more and more to philanthropic works. Indeed, her effort to organize the hospital dates to 1912. “She’s old when she’s doing this,”

said Housley. As she began to contemplate the

construction of a hospital, “she was pretty much influenced by John Montgomery Baldy,” Housley said.

“He belonged to a Danville family, but had become a gynecologist who practiced in Philadelphia.” He returned to Danville occasionally and learned that Abigail was thinking about establishing a small hospital like those in other rural Pennsylvania towns, but “Baldy talked her into doing something better,” Housley said.

Baldy had concluded that an effective hospital needed a radiology department, a pathology lab and medical records. “She had very high standards, which she got from Baldy, I think,” Housley said. By the time Abigail was finally ready to build, “she wanted a good surgeon to take over her hospital.”

Baldy helped Abigail Geisinger recruit Dr. Harold Foss, a young surgeon whom she appointed superintendent. “By 1913 he’s (Foss) on the scene helping to lay it out,” Housley said.

The conventional practice was for a hospital to allow privileges to medical


Abigail’s Hupmobile In 1913, Abigail Geisinger purchased one of the first automobiles in Danville. It was a Hupmobile manufactured by the long-defunct Hupp Motor Car Co. of Detroit. “She had a driver,” says J. Kenneth Ackerman, a retired Geisinger administrator and president. Before the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital opened, “she used to go up to Bloomsburg, where the nearest hospital was, to take patients there.” During the early 20th century, hospitals were few and far between in central Pennsylvania. According to Donald D. Housley’s book, “The Mary Packer Hospital in Sunbury … was founded in 1895 to care for victims of railroad accidents. The Joseph Ratti hospital in Bloomsburg … was established in 1905 to care for accident victims in Ratti’s silk mills.”Highways suitable for motoring were also rare, but that didn’t deter Abigail, already an octogenarian, from taking a 1,200-mile road trip in 1914. As local historian Helen “Sis” Hause reported in her “Moments in Time” column, Abigail left Danville in September “in her Hupmobile with Will G. Brown in charge of the car.” They drove to Marion, Ohio and back with stops along the way in Tiffin, Ohio, and Pittsburgh. “Moments in Time” appears in The Danville News.

Carla Leighow owns and operates The Abigail House Bed & Breakfast in the two-story residence in which Abigail lived when she was planning her hospital. In a recent interview, she recalled that her great-grandfather, the late Charles Kelly, worked in one of the town’s iron mills, lived near Abigail “and did odd jobs for her on the side.” An antique sleigh occasionally on display near the hospital’s main entrance once belonged to Abigail and “he drove that sleigh.” Leighow said that when her grandmother, Helen Kelly, was a child, she knew Abigail. Helen’s daughter, 83-year-old Eileen Shaffer, recalled that her mother once told her that “Abigail took her for a ride in her car” and that “I threw up all over the car, but she didn’t get mad at me because she liked me.”

doctors who maintained independent practices in nearby communities. The notion that a hospital should have physicians on staff was new. When Geisinger adopted it, many established doctors in the region were displeased.

“For many years, the physicians in Columbia, Montour and Northumberland counties really fought the hospital and said, ‘You’re stealing our patients,’” Housley said.

Abigail enjoyed a proprietary relationship with the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital, which opened during a typhoid epidemic in September 1915. She was 88 and “she owned the hospital,” Housley said. “It was built by her money, but she didn’t transfer it to anybody else.”

Added J. Kenneth Ackerman, a retired Geisinger administrator and president: “It was Mrs. Geisinger’s hospital.”

“In the early years, Dr. Foss would come down here to see her on his way home from work,” Ackerman said during a recent house tour at The Abigail House Bed & Breakfast. “She expected that.”

“Dr. Foss used to talk about her as that imperious woman. Dr. Foss said he would be scolded by her at times — if he missed a day coming down here to see her,” Ackerman said.

Mrs. Geisinger was “not always well liked by everyone,” said Billie Ingraham, a Danville woman who portrayed Abigail during the hour tour.

Even so, “she was forward thinking,” Ingraham said. “She truly cared for the community. She took care of the people of the town.”

Geisinger Memorial Hospital had been open for nearly six years when Abigail died in 1921. Where did she die? In her hospital, of course.

In the early years, Dr. Foss would

come down here to see her on his way home

from work.

Abigail Geisinger lived in this Center Street residence, now the Abigail House Bed & Breakfast, while she and medical and community leaders planned and built the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital, Danville.

Much has changed in Danville since Abigail Geisinger’s time. But a 15-minute drive around the borough and neighboring Mahoning Township takes one past four structures that she would surely recognize today. These are:

The original section of the George F. Geisinger •Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1915. Many expansion projects have occurred at the hospital during the past century. Consequently, much of the exterior of the building that Abigail Geisinger erected has been obscured by later additions. However, part of the original hospital can still be seen just east of the bend that Center Street makes as it approaches Geisinger Medical Center. The school of nursing, which also opened in •1915. This three-story structure is located at the intersection of Center Street and Medical Center Drive, just west of the oldest section of Geisinger Medical Center. As Danville historian Helen “Sis” Hause reported in her “Moments of Time” column for Aug. 23, 2013, a hundred years had passed since “ground for the nurses’ home was broken on Sept. 9.

This facility was to be an ornamental building of grey stone and Kittanning brick, 40 by 85 feet and capable of accommodating 20 nurses.” Abigail’s Center Street residence. Located at 12 •Center St., the two-story red brick structure has become The Abigail House Bed & Breakfast. Surrounded by a wrought iron fence, the elegant structure is outfitted in Victorian-style furniture. The first-floor room in which she met with Dr. Harold Foss serves as a dining room.The Mahoning Presbyterian Church, 218 Ferry St., at •the intersection of Ferry and West Mahoning streets. The edifice dates to the 1850s and the Grecian-style columns that adorn its Ferry Street exterior are similar to those that in 1915 graced the front of the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital. As noted in “Moments in Time” for Oct. 18, 2013, a century earlier, Abigail Geisinger had financed “the installation of the complete electric lighting system used for the first time” at the church’s rededication in October 1913. She also pledged to purchase “an electric motor to operate the organ,” which then relied on a device called a “water motor.”


The original section of the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital is visible just east of the intersection of Center Street and Medical Center Drive.

This building housed the School of Nursing, which also opened in 1915 on the campus of the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital. It is located at the intersection of Center Street and Medical Center Drive, just west of the oldest section of Geisinger Medical Center.


By Jeffrey B. Roth

At Joey and Vonna Knouse Benner’s wedding ceremonies at Mount Pisgah

Altar on Shade Mountain, Beaver Springs, on Aug. 31, 2012, a unique ring-bearer had the honor of fulfilling that tradition — Duster, an Appaloosa horse.

“When Joey asked me if Duster could be in the wedding, I knew he wasn’t joking,” said Vonna, who lives with Joey in Richfield. “Duster is more than a horse. Duster is more than a pet. Duster is a faithful and true friend that has stood by Joey in some pretty rough times, like a true friend should.”

Duster is one of nine horses owned by Abagail Morris and the Random Canyon Therapeutic Riding Program, 15 Costenbader Lane, Selinsgrove. Joey, who suffered and survived three bouts of meningitis, a stroke and pneumonia, said that if not for Duster, he believes he would have died.

“I don’t know where I would be without Abby Morris and her mother, Connie Hackenberg and my horse Duster and God,” said Joey, 37. “Also, I was not able to drive for 7½ half years. I feel that horseback riding helped me to drive again.”

Joey met Duster in 2006, after his physician advised him to seek physical therapy. When he came across information about the therapeutic riding program at Random Canyon Riding Program, he decided to give the farm a call.

Riding Toward Recovery

Emily Smith, leading Duster, the Appaloosa quarter horse which served as ring bearer at the wedding of Joey Benner and Vonna Knouse Benner.

Duster, the Appaloosa quarter horse from Random Canyon Therapeutic Riding program, with Joey Benner at wedding ceremonies at Mount Pisgah Altar, Beaver Springs, in the Shade Mountain, on Aug. 31, 2012.

When Joey asked me if Duster could be in the wedding, I knew

he wasn’t joking.


“When I was little I had ponies and my dad had horses, but they became too expensive so we didn’t have any more,” Joey said. “Th en, when I got sick, the doctors told me riding would help me so I got in contact with Abby.”

Vonna said when Joey was in a rehab center in Baltimore, doctors told him he would never walk again, but Joey proved them wrong. Not only is Joey walking with the use of a cane, he rides Duster without assistance and even competes in horseback riding competitions.

“When I fi rst started riding it took three people — one to lead the horse and one on each side to keep me in the saddle,” Joey said. “I could only ride for about 10 minutes, but now, I ride by myself and compete at the horse show at Moondust Meadows, up in McClure.”

Joey tries to ride Duster at least once every week. On average, he spends an hour riding Duster on trails at Random Canyon. At Moondust Meadows, he competes in gaming classes, which consist of polebending, the 50-yard dash, keyhole and barrel racing.

“Riding has helped me regain my balance and build core strength,” Joey said. “It’s a very good program.”

Vonna said Joey now “lives for speed and scares us to death some days. Duster had a lot to do with that.” A young woman, Emilly Smith, who also competes at Moondust Meadows, was given the honor of leading Duster down the aisle at the Benner nuptials.

“How could I say no?” Vonna asked. “Duster had every right to be there. And since the wedding was outside anyway, there was no logistical problems with getting him in the ‘church.’ I’m

also glad I didn’t have to get him fi tted for a tux.”Th e therapeutic riding program is a nonprofi t venture, said

Morris, 39, a 1994 graduate of Selinsgrove High School. Th e program is open to all ages of riders with any physical or intellectual disabilities. Random Canyon, which began in 1984, closed in the 1990s and was reestablished in July 2005, also off ers riding programs to able-bodied riders as well.

“We have about 40 riders, about 20 volunteers and nine horses,” Morris, who grew up with horses and whose career dream was to work with people with disabilities. “We have both indoor and outdoor riding and trail riding and we ride about nine months out of the year. Some riders ride year-round.”

Morris said the program works with Special Olympics. A 4-H club at the farm does both able-bodied and disabled riding programs. Th e farm also off ers a private horse boarding facility. Riders come from Union, Northumberland and Snyder counties — from about a 40-mile radius.

“Some riders qualify for assistance to pay for services,” Morris said. “In order to ride with the therapeutic program, they must have a diagnosis of some type of disability; and they must have obtained a signed release from their physicians. Our long-term goal for each rider, whether they are abled or disabled, is independent riding.”

In addition to Duster, an Appaloosa, there are ponies, quarter horses, Belgian crossbreeds and a Hafl inger … “we don’t do breed specifi c,” Morris said. All horses are taken through desensitizing training to acclimate them to riders who exhibit diff erent behaviors, such as a young child who shouts and jumps while riding.

Group wedding shot at the wedding of Joey Benner and Vonna “Knouse” Benner including Duster, the horse, held at Mount Pisgah Altar, Beaver Springs, on Shade Mountain, on Aug. 31, 2012.

For more information on Random Canyon, visit www.random-canyon-riding.org or call (570) 374-7322.

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Inside Pennsylvania

“Our youngest rider is 2 years old,” Morris said. “We buy some horses, but because we’re nonprofi t we can’t aff ord to buy many. Some of our horses were donated. We had a local Amish man hook us up with a plow horse who was too old to keep working. She’s not huge, but she’s great and perfect for us.”

A number of the therapeutic riders participate in competitions. Morris added: “One of our riders qualifi ed for the World Games in Los Angeles in July. We are actually preparing her for participating in dressage testing.”

Most classes are held on Wednesday and Th ursday evenings with other individual lessons during the week. Morris said that handling and caring for an animal builds self-esteem, nurtures independence and improves attention span. Volunteers are essential to the program and are always in need.

As a nonprofi t organization, Random Canyon appreciates fi nancial contributions and donations of horses, equipment, services and other items.

Riding has helped me regain my balance and build core strength. It’s a very good program.

Duster was the ring bearer at the wedding of Joey Benner and Vonna Knouse Benner. He was led to the altar by Emily Smith, (right), who also rides competitively at Moondust Meadows horse show, held in McClure.

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profiles in business

Owens FarmOwens Farm is the go-to place in the Valley for naturally raised pork,

lamb, chicken and turkey. Those in the know jump on the farm’s website to make reservations for meats they feel good about feeding their family. David and Caroline Owens use sustainable farming methods on their 112-acre property, with animal welfare a top priority. The animals live outdoors, moving from pasture to pasture so they always have clean, fresh grass. The lambs, being ruminants (four stomachs), live entirely on mother’s milk and grass. The pigs and poultry, being monogastrics (one stomach) need grain in addition to grass. Their diet includes non-GMO grain custom-mixed to the Owens’ specifications at a local feedmill and never containing antibiotics, artificial hormones or growth enhancers. The Owens raise their lambs and pigs from birth, so they know exactly how they have been treated and what they have been fed their entire life.

Owens Farm also offers unique educational programs such as Sheep Camp, Adopt-A-Sheep, Lambing-Time Slumber Parties and guided Farm Tours. New this year are overnight farmstays, in a cozy guesthouse which sleeps up to six and features a private kitchen. For more information, visit www.owensfarm.com. Owens Farm is located on Mile Post Road between Sunbury and Danville.

Mile Post Rd. between Sunbury & Danville • 570-286-5309/898-6060 • www.owensfarm.com

58 Neitz Rd., Northumberland, PA • 570-473-8356 • www.nottinghamvillage.com

Nottingham Village Understands the Value of Therapy

Not only does our skilled Therapy Department at Nottingham Village offer rehabilitation residents exceptional programs for fast recovery, but we have many off-campus visitors that take advantage of our services. Our highly skilled, full-time therapy team will customize a plan that suits you! Our new 4,000-square-foot Therapy Department affords the finest amenities to those off campus as well as residents of our Short Term Rehab area.

If you’re planning on a surgery, rehab with us. Or perhaps your age requires a little therapy to help you keep your independence. Nottingham Village can follow your rehabilitation upon discharge, or we are happy to assist new rehabilitation seekers.

Whether it’s post-surgery, pain management, language or cognitive impairment, cardiovascular, balance, stroke or sprain our therapists have a wealth of knowledge and experience. So if you live anywhere on our 105 acre campus or in any of our surrounding towns, call Nottingham Village Therapy Department and let us get you on your road to recovery. 570-473-8366 ext. 363

“I can’t say enough about the first-class care afforded me during my post-operative stay in the new rehabilitation center at Nottingham. All the staff were so caring and friendly, plus I loved the food!”-R. Confer

210 Bridge Ave., Sunbury, PA • 570-286-1694 • www.sculpturesislandsalon.com

Sculptures Island Salon Today, we live in a world where exposure to toxins is a

common everyday occurrence. Carcinogenic substances are found in a majority of our cleaning products, foods, beauty items and much more. At Sculptures Island Salon, we have made a conscious effort to carefully choose safe products to sell and use on our clients.

We offer a variety of haircare products that are paraben, sulfate, sodium hydroxide and gluten free. A large portion of Sculptures’ business is hair color. We offer a super-nourishing, ammonia-free, permanent color alternative. Nectaya is 91 percent of natural origin and enriched in argon oil. Our cosmetic line YoungBlood mineral makeup is mineral oil, talc, petroleum and paraben free. This luxe line contains only the purest, premium-grade minerals free of nano particles. All of our spa products are organic and infused with essential oils. We customize your mani and pedi to fit your personal needs.

Make an appointment at Sculptures and feel tranquility in knowing we provide fine products exempt of harmful chemicals.

http://www.owensfarm.com


220 Market Street, Lewisburg, PA • 570-524-9933 • www.steinsfl owersandgifts.com

Stein’s FlowersFor more than eight decades, Stein’s Flowers has been

helping the people of Lewisburg and the surrounding areas to express their deepest feelings: “I Love You Valentine, Happy Anniversary, Congratulations Graduate, Get Well Soon and I’m Sorry for Your Loss,” as well as a myriad of others.

Located in downtown Lewisburg at 220 Market St. since 1926, it offers fresh fl oral arrangements, plants, silk arrangements, fruit and snack baskets, balloons, stuffed animals, candles, greeting cards and a nice selection of gifts for any occasion or sentiment.

Local delivery is available in Lewisburg, Miffl inburg, Winfi eld, New Berlin, Montandon, New Columbia, Mazeppa and Watsontown. It is also a proud member of Telefl ora, which provides deliveries worldwide.

The hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They accept all major credit cards. You can see its exquisite selection online at www.steinsfl owersandgifts.com.

Inside Pennsylvania | February 2015 53

Would you like to see your story or poem here?Then fi re up your pens, pencils and imagination. One winning entry will be selected to appear in the summer issue of Inside Pennsylvania, which will be on newsstands in May. Here’s the assignment — yes, we did it before but we liked it so much that we’re doing it again — your story or poem must include a reference to a specifi c Central Pennsylvania landmark, no matter how big or small, or how well-known. It can be historically correct or it can be pure fi ction. Be creative!

But keep it short — 1,000 words or less – and include a title. Stories may include a photograph or piece of colorful artwork. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. March 27, at which time the winner will be notifi ed by phone or e-mail. Only one submission will be selected. One entry per person, please.

Send your entry, along with your name, address and phone number to:

Joanne ArbogastInside Pennsylvania200 Market St., Sunbury, PA 17801Or e-mail to [email protected] “fi ction entry” on the envelope or in the subject fi eld.

I Watch The DayBy Joy pascarella

I watch the day startI watch the day unfoldI watch the day go byAs I am turning old.

I watch the day’s sunsetI watch the sky turn grayI watch the clock tick swiftlyGone is another day.

Joy Pascarella lives in Bradford. Her son lives in Sunbury.

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With doesn’t get the respect it deserves in the world of

words. Typically the first word in a prepositional phrase, it is positively swallowed up by the big, strong nouns and verbs around it. Consider this:

I’ll decorate • Oschter oys (Easter eggs) with my Aunt Becky.

We’ll dye them with colorful vinegar solutions.•Most people can envision the decorating and dyeing,

the eggs and vinegar and colors — but we gloss right over the withs. Yet, take that unappreciated word away and you’ve got trouble:

I’ll decorate Oschter oys my Aunt Becky.•We’ll dye them colorful vinegar solutions.•

Silly, right? Kind of gives you a whole new respect for the power of a with.

But in Pennsylvania, I’m sorry to say, with is sometimes overlooked to the point of exclusion. My daughter in college can’t get over how her Philly friends discard their withs at will, saying things like:

I’m done my homework.•I’ll meet you as soon as I’m done my laundry.•

Can’t you just hear the withs begging to jump in and restore order to these sentences? Oh, how can we be so neglectful of these dear, little guys?

At the same time, inexplicably, we sometimes get all friendly with with to the point of omitting a much-needed noun or pronoun:

Want to come • with?Can I go with?•

How have we gotten so confused with such a simple little word whose only desire is to help us create strong, sensible sentences?

Words can be slippery things, no doubt about it. And when our language is influenced by the expressions of all the nationalities who have settled here, I guess we’re bound to combine them in ways that don’t always make good, grammatical sense. If something like these two sentences makes sense to you …

I’m going back the hall quick.•I saw two bunnies back the lane.•

… then you’re probably a native Pennsylvanian who’s been influenced by your Pennsylvania Dutch neighbors. You probably wouldn’t think to go back down the hall or back to the hall, back along the lane or on the lane or even in the lane, but if you did, you’d shed some of that Dutchified way of speaking. Which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Our idioms add regional individuality to our speech. How bland the world would be without them! The color and distinctiveness would soon be all.

And if you said, “All what?” then you must be new to these parts, where, when the snow finally melts, we say it’s all. When the Valentine’s Day chocolates have been eaten up, they’re all. And after Easter is all, then summer will soon arrive.

And though I feel bad for poor, unappreciated with, I kind of hope these Pennsylvania Dutch idioms are never all.

You can come with, if you’re done

your homework.by cindy o. Herman


Oschter oys — easter eggs

I’m done my homework.

can i go with?

i’m going back the hall quick.

summer will soon be here when easter is all.

Can you speak “Pennsylvaniaish”?


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“I’m kind of like a kid in a candy store when it comes to guitars. If I see something really diff erent or I have an instrument that has special meaning to me, I have to have it,” he said. “I tell people that my collection is actually my retirement fund.”

Wittman is passionate about music and madly in love with his wife, Dawn, which

gives him a zest for living every day to its fullest. Slowing down is the last thing on his must-do list.

Jazz, however, is his mainstay.For 20-plus years, Wittman has been the

bassist for the popular jazz quintet Jazzin, in addition to other local bands.

“Th e true substance of life is positive human interaction and live jazz is just that. Th e energy created with the interplay between musicians because it is live, spontaneous and improvised, creates

an interaction and bond between the players and the audience that can only be experienced that very moment. Live music is able to set a tone and a mood that can continuously change within a performance and move everyone to a higher plateau,” Wittman said. “In a word, if you will, euphoric.”

For more information visit www.wittman_spins.com, stop by 691 Woodland Ave., Williamsport or call (570) 327-1527.

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story and photos by Jerri Brouse

You may have heard about it from your

grandparents, your parents or your friends down the lane who farm the land for a living — and you wondered, “what the heck is an onion snow?”

Do onions fall from the sky when it gets cold?

No, they do not.Is it when the snow smells like raw

onions?No, it is not.Is it when a snowfl ake is shaped like an

onion?Uhhhh … no.Well, then, what the heck IS an onion

snow?It’s really quite simple and you may, in

fact, feel a little silly once you know the truth. An onion snow is simply a snowfall that happens aft er farmers (or any gardener) has planted his or her onions for the year.

Yep, that’s it.“Th ere is nothing too special about an

onion snow,” said Peter Jung, warning

coordination meteorologist for the NOAA/National Weather Service

Central Pennsylvania Weather Forecast Offi ce. “Th e term just refers to a snowfall that occurs aft er onions have been planted ... basically a late season (i.e. spring) snowfall.”

And believe it or not, that time (onion planting time) is anytime from now through early spring. Th at’s right — whether you like them raw, sautéed or pickled, powdered, chopped or sprinkled on top, if you like your onions fresh picked, you don’t have to wait much longer to get them planted. By March, in Pennsylvania, you should have already done your planting.

“Wait — what?!,” you ask. “It’s still cold outside — surely it’s not time to start thinking about breaking out the gardening gloves.”

Well, if you plan on growing onions, yes, it is. Which means you can expect at least one onion snow or possibly four or fi ve.

“I’m not an expert on when onion planting occurs in Pennsylvania … but as an example, for the Williamsport area (middle Susquehanna region), there are on average about four measurable snowfalls in March and on average about one measurable snowfall in April,” said Jung.

So … if you planted your onions in early

March, you could expect, on average, four or fi ve onion snows per season. If onions are planted by April 1 you should only expect one possible onion snow.

With that said, this only holds true primarily for Pennsylvanians, as the term onion snow is said to originate from the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch culture and language, as did other snow-related terms like a “sapling bender,” (a wet, heavy snow that weighs down tree limbs) and a “crack-stuff er,” (a dry, fi ne snow that settles into — you guessed it — cracks). And that all happens prior to the arrival of spring.

Th e Pennsylvania Dutch — people of German descent living in Pennsylvania — have had a big impact on the dialect used throughout the state when talking about weather and it’s not just limited to snowfall. In addition to the above-listed terms, other well-known Pennsylvania Dutch terms include referring to a storm as a “herschel.” Th e expression “dooner und blitzen” means a thunderstorm with lightning (not Santa’s reindeer!). Th ose with a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage may also refer to a rain drizzle as “spritzing.”

So now you know. If it’s spritzing, take an umbrella. If there’s a herschel, stay indoors. And if you’re a gardner, expect at least one onion snow before spring!

When will the 2015 onion snow fall?

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februaryFebruary 13-1611th ANNUAL CLARKS SUMMIt FEStIVAL OF ICEA”Frozen Fairy Tales” – live music, live ice carvings, storytelling, horse/carriage rides, crafts, food.5 p.m,, parade 7:30 p.m. February 13Clarks SummitFree admission and parking(570) 587-9045, www.theabingtons.org February 27-28, March 1PENNSYLVANIA GARDEN EXPOLargest and longest running garden show in Central Pennsylvania10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. SundayPennsylvania Farm Show Complex, 2300 N. Cameron St., HarrisburgGeneral admission: $13, age 12 and under free.(717) 932-1487, www.pagardenexpo.org

marchMarch 7hUMDINGER tRAIL RUNFirst running race in the River Towns Race Series. These crazy trail runs include obstacles, mud, fire, climbing walls, a slip-and-slide and lots of fun.10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; must register in advance to raceStart: “Pig Barn,” State Hospital Drive, Danville(570) 336-2060, (800) 847-4810, www.humdingerrun.com March 819th ANNUAL DUCKS AND GEESE OF thE SUSQUEhANNA RIVERWaterfowl Watch - might spot a bald eagle! Dress warmly; warm fire and hearty refreshments provided.8 a.m. to 1 p.m.Millersburg Gun and Conservation Club, River at Keystone streets, MillersburgFree(717) 692-3699, www.nedsmithcenter.org

ChARtER DAY At CORNWALL IRON FURNACEFree admission to the Cornwall Iron Furnace.12:30- 4 p.m.Cornwall Iron Furnace, 94 Rexmont Road, Cornwall(717) 272-9711, www.cornwallironfurnace.org

March 12DISCOVERY LECtURE SERIES: “BOG tURtLES IN YOUR BACKYARD”Bog turtles are the smallest turtles in Pennsylvania and federally listed as threatened. Rarely seen outside of wetland habitats. Learn more with George Gess who manages bog turtle projects.7-9 p.m.Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, 176 Water Company Road, MillersburgAdmission: $5(717) 692-3699, www.nedsmithcenter.org

March 13“AN EVENING WIth IRISh BLESSING”Corned beef and cabbage dinner; live Irish music; wear green7:30 p.m.Wooden Nickel Restaurant, 219 Market St., Millersburg(717) 692-0977, www.nedsmithcenter.org

March 14St. PAtRICK’S DAY PARADESecond largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the country. Day begins with Mass at St. Peter’s Cathedral at 10 a.m., parade kicks off at noon.Downtown Scrantonwww.scrantonculturalcenter.org, www.stpatparade.com

March 14-15“thE MUSIC OF DOWNtON ABBEY”Featuring Susquehanna Valley Chorale 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. SundayZion Lutheran Church, Sunbury(570) 547-0455, www.svcmusic.org March 19-2241St ANNUAL PENNSYLVANIA hOME ShOWSponsored by the Home Builders Asso. of Metropolitan Harrisburg10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. SundayIn the new exhibition hall and equine center2300 N. Cameron St. , Harrisburg$8 adults; age 12 and under free. Free parking(800) 281-5539, pahomeshow.com

april April 10-12BLUE & GRAY CLUStER DOG ShOWDog show event including a vendor area with one of the largest groups of vendors in Central Pennsylvania with dog and pet related products, merchandise and services.Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St., HarrisburgAdmission feepafarmshowcomplex.com/schedule-events; www.hkc.org April 11“CRUISIN’ thE COSMOS: SPRING StAR PARtY”With Astronomical Society of Harrisburg. Telescopes provided; can bring your own.7-10:30 p.m.Ned Smith Center parking lot, 176 Water Company Road, MillerburgFree but registration recommended(717) 692-0977, www.nedsmithcenter.org

April 25LEWISBURG ARtS FEStIVAL10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Craft and food vendors, entertainment, music along Market Street in downtown Lewisburg.(570) 524-5221, www.lewisburgartscouncil.com



MIFFLIN COUNtY KID CONNECtIONKids and family activities. Rain date: May 2Downtown Lewistown9 a.m. to 2 [email protected], www.mdkidsonnection.org

April 25 and May 2SPRING BIRD WALKSBinoculars provided7:30 a.m. to noonNed Smith Center parking lot, 176 Water Company Road, MillersburgFree but registration recommended(717) 692-0977, www.nedsmithcenter.org

mayMay 229th ANNUAL SPRING FLINGIncludes a marathon, half marathon, games, crafts, entertainment and food; more than 200 vendorsFree admission, parking and shuttle. Always the first Saturday in May.9 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain or shineDowntown Danville(570) 284-4502, www.visitdanvillepa.org

May 9thE BUFFALO VALLEY SINGERS SPRING POPS CONCERtConnie Pawling-Young is the director and Tim Latsha is the accompanist.7:30 p.m. St. John’s United Church of Christ, 1050 Buffalo Road, Lewisburg $5 at the door for adults, age 12 and under free(570)-286-9559

LEWISBURG LIVE!Eight to 10 bands in venues in downtown Lewisburg6 p.m. to midnightFree admissionwww.lewisburgartscouncil.com May 10thE BUFFALO VALLEY SINGERS SPRING POPS CONCERt Connie Pawling-Young is the director and Tim Latsha is the accompanist.3 p.m.St. John’s United Church of Christ, 1050 Buffalo Road , Lewisburg$5 at the door for adults, age 12 and under free(570) 286-9559

May 24thE BUFFALO VALLEY SINGERS SPRING POPS CONCERtConnie Pawling-Young is the director and Tim Latsha is the accompanist.7 p.m.Central Oak Heights , 75

Heritage Road, West MiltonFree(570) 286-9559

susq. university

The following are events planned during the spring semester at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove. For more information visit www.susqu.edu.

Through February 22ARt EXhIBItION: PAIRING thE ARt OF MENtORS AND thEIR FORMER StUDENtSPainting, drawing, photography, sculpture, metals, glass, fibers and mixed mediaNoon to 4 p.m.Lore Degenstein GalleryFree

February 2223RD ANNUAL S.U. hONORS BAND FEStIVAL GALA CONCERtFeatures more than 150 high school students3-5 p.m.Stretansky Concert Hall

March 16VISItING WRItER: MELISSA BANKBest-selling author of “Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing” and “The Wonder Spot”4:30-5:30 p.m.Isaacs Auditorium

March 17CONCERt: hONG GAOInternationally renowned pipa (traditional Chinese instrument) soloist and composer8-10 p.m.Stretansky Concert Hall

April 11 through May 1ARt EXhIBItION: CONtEMPORARY FIBER ARtLore Degenstein Gallery

April 14-15MUSICIAN IN RESIDENCE: GILBERt KALISh, PIANIStHe made the first recordings of several of Charles Ive’s works for solo piano, chamber ensemble and voice and piano8-10 p.m.Stretansky Concert Hall

Bloomsburg Office730 Market Street

Bloomsburg, PA 17815Phone: 570-784-5206

[email protected]

Danville Office326 Mill Street

Danville, PA 17821Phone: 570-275-8440

[email protected]

Lewisburg Office521 N. Derr Drive

Lewisburg, PA 17837Phone: 570-523-3244

[email protected]

Northumberland Office236 Old Danville Highway

Northumberland, PA 17857Phone: 570-473-7300

[email protected]

Selinsgrove Office715 N. Market St.

Selinsgrove, PA 17870Phone: 570-374-9200

[email protected]

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Vikki Petersen of Visalia, Calif., often visits the Susquehanna Valley and she comes armed with her camera. Most recently, “I left Pennsylvania in plenty of time this year – or so I thought – to escape a winter snowstorm like I was caught in last year and managed to beat the fi rst big one home by three days,” she said.

Among the subjects she caught on fi lm on one of her trips that we particularly liked were (1) an old building across the Susquehanna River from Danville. “I have been told it was a ‘stage stop’ at one time, she said, adding that she was also told it had been the scene of more than one fi re. “It is very big and stretches quite far behind that old tree,” and (2) These horses near Bellville. “They were at the back of the pasture and walked all the way around the perimeter of the fence when I talked to them.”

I always enjoy wandering around Pennsylvania with no particular destination in mind and my camera at my side.

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pa plants

Often seen swaying in the mild breezes along

the pasturelands here in the Valley, this perennial plant reminds one of Queen Anne’s Lace, if it were to come in the color of yellow.

Wild parsnip, or pastinaca sativa, is a biennial or perennial plant that sometimes reaches a height of 5 feet. Its thin stalks bear “umbels” of small yellow fl owers and in many places, it is viewed as a weed of concern or one to be eradicated. It grows best in rich soils, but can survive very poor soil conditions and even drought, due to its deep taproot. Because it is so hardy and is quickly spread by mowing, wild parsnip is a common plant seen in nearly every county throughout the commonwealth.

Seedlings of pastinaca sativa fi rst

appear sometime between February and April — one of the fi rst green wild sprouts to emerge as a small splash of color on an otherwise dull gray winter landscape. Like many taproot vegetables, it has a two-phase growth cycle. In the fi rst two years, it grows as a rosette and in the second phase it produces a tall fl owering spindly stalk. Beware: It is these second-year plants which can cause burns if the juice of its leaves comes in contact with skin that is then exposed to sunlight. A chemical reaction will occur that results in a painful burn. Handle with care; gloves are recommended.

Parsnips were a mainstay on dinner tables of our early ancestors and according to the website, Dave’s Garden, even predated the mashed potato by 100 years. Brought from Europe by the early settlers, wild parsnip was easy to store and if cooked and cultivated correctly, offered a bit of sweetness to any meal.

In the same family as carrots, dill, celery and caraway, parsnip has a fl avor somewhat like a carrot. After cleaning thoroughly and peeling, parsnips are ready for consumption. The most common use is in soups because their sweet, aromatic fl avor blends with other ingredients and they become incredibly soft when boiled. Parsnips can be eaten alone as a boiled vegetable, served with a little butter and salt, or made into mashed potatoes and combined with the dinner’s main roast. In Europe, the parsnip was a source of sweetener before sugar cane and beets were available. Another common use was making wine from wild parsnips.

No matter what the cooking format, be very careful when using the wild variety. One must be very familiar with identifying the correct plant, as wild parsnips resemble other plants which are toxic.

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Scientifi c name: Pastinaca sativa

Other names: harts-eye, madnip, yellow parsnip

Description: stem grows to 5 feet tall

» Umbrella-shaped clusters of small yellow fl owers

» Leaves are 1 to cluster of 5 yellow-green, shiny and oblong pl

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pa plants EmilFeryo, Sr.

EmilFeryo, Jr.

NuEar Digital Hearing Aid SystemsBehind the Digital Hearing-aid System sign hanging outside at

Sunbury Plaza is a father and son team with a combined total of 86 years of experience serving the hearing-impaired.

Emil Feryo Sr. said he and his son, Emil Jr., have been doing business as Digital Hearing-aid Systems for about 10 years or so. They dispense American-made hearing-aid products manufactured by NuEar, which is based in San Diego. In addition to the aids, they also dispense batteries, and other hearing accessories, like amplified telephones and clocks to wake up hearing-impaired people. Other services include repairs to all brands of hearing-aids and making earplugs.

A U.S. Navy veteran and a Penn State graduate, Emil Feryo Sr. is a second-generation hearing-aid dispenser, with over 56 years of experience. Because of his father, a coal miner who was deaf in one ear and severely impaired in the other, Emil was sympathetic and compassionate to the hearing-impaired from an early age. He started dispensing hearing-aids in 1955, while employed in his uncle’s practice.

His son, business owner Emil Feryo Jr., is a 1981 graduate of Bloomsburg University and was a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps. In 1985, upon completion of his active-duty military service and inspired by his father’s commitment to help the hearing-impaired, Emil Feryo Jr. pursued his career in the hearing health care field. He has been nationally board certified in hearing instrument sciences for 22 years.

During his years in the field, Emil Feryo Sr. has witnessed the development of products from the ear horn to the first body-worn hearing-aids, from the invention of the microchip to today’s 100 percent invisible modern digital hearing-aids using nanoscience technology, as featured in NuEar’s Imagine product line.

Emil Feryo Sr. explained that old-fashioned hearing-aids were

analog amplifiers. “In other words, we’d amplify one sound, and we’d amplify them all.” That meant a wearer might have to turn down their hearing aids because some sounds were being made too loud.

Modern digital hearing-aids have as many as sixteen channels that can be programmed for a wearer’s specific needs. Modern hearing-aids also include filters for background noise. So, the more filters and the more channels, the better the hearing-aid. One of the advantages offered by NuEar products is an “active feedback suppressor” which allows a wearer to use a telephone without having to take off the hearing-aid.

The senior Feryo explained that to begin the process of getting a hearing-aid, a customer would fill out a confidential report providing information about his/her symptoms. “After that, we’ll go and do a visual inspection of the ear with our otoscope.” That examination will show things such as the presence of earwax or the condition of the eardrum.

“Then we do a hearing test on the audiometer.” From that point, the audiogram report is put into a computer, which will program the person’s hearing loss to the hearing-aids available. The hearing-aid is then placed on the patient to show how hearing is improved with the new aid. The whole process can be completed in about 45 minutes.

The Feryos offer a friendly, relaxed atmosphere in their offices, and they take pride in providing high-quality products with state-of-the-art technology backed by the service, knowledge and expertise necessary for a successful practice.

Business hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday. For more information, call (570) 286-4400.


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inside pennsylvania magazine spring 2015

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