Spring/Summer 2008

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I

Ride of a
lifetime:

Horses

ai

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ACF and Bitfiick:
Looking back and
prepariilg for the future

The labelSfyOUYfi reading

may be misleading
about the fbod^pu'H be eatingi

Come

in cmcC'ReCcix
in our

I

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^utfientic

Jviarie's

^

gourmet Cuisine

Live Music Thursday & Friday
Dinner Specials Friday & Saturday

Fine Dining Daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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St.

Bloomsburg,

Full Service

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1

781

Bar

2 a.m.
(570) 784-71 69
until

Spring 2008

ontont)
Cover Stories
End of an Era
From Tanks to Trains, the ACF Era
by Chris Fetterman

Specially Selected

.FARMER'S MARKET

PRESH EGGS

^o Hormone

No

Antibior

lOOmgofOr

Riding out Life's Setbacks
Naturally Confusins

Some

no
by Annelise Chayka
labels have

8pectM'iun

Leaping over life's obstacles: Horses
help people overcome adversity
by Kelly MacMath

^

legal ba§i

Magazine - Vol, 21, No. 2 - 8pruig/8niiuner 2008

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Walter M. Brasch

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Joe Korba
Ashley Seigfried
Kristy Westbrook

ADVERTISING SPECIALISTS
Kaitlyn

Mayberry

Ashley Ney

Justin Strawser

ADVERTISING DESIGN

MANAGING EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

Steve Mock

Chris Fetterman

Antonella Dinnocenzo

Hilary Trainer

ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Kurt Nystrom
Kelly MacMath

ASSISTANT EDITORS
Annelise Chayka
Brittany Laumakis
Martha Harris
Jenna Wisniewski

DESIGNERS
Nicole Clark
Chris Fetterman

CIRCULATION

Jon Gass

DIRECTOR

MaryJayne Reibsome

Jon Sten

PHOTOGRAPHERS

CIRCULATION ASSISSTANTS
Joe Korba

Nina Gandoifo
Annelise Chayka
Chris Fetterman

Ashley Seigfried

Spectrum Magazine

rBUiUfBi:^

30

Flushed with Color
Make a

party out of your potty
by Martha Harris

L4

Barbershop Gold
Bringing back the sweet
sounds of Barbersiiop
by Justin Strawser

Classic Cars
A trendy auto

&

High Fashion

restorer's drive for fashion

byAntonelia Dinnocenzo

Was Always There

32

The Passion

36

High School with a College Twist

Riding shotgun with local racer 'Raging' Ray Bull
by Kristin Saltier

Local students juggle high school college courses

byJenna Wisniewsl<i

Warning: No Dumping
The

truth

tons of

in Columbia County
by Brittany Laumal<is

Fundamental

39

about 400

illegal pollution

^ ^%

A fun read

for local children

by Ashley Seigfried

Mentality of Surreality
The surreal

feel of

a local art gallery

byJonSten

About the cover photo:

Debbie smith

(right)

founder of Eos Therapeutic

Riding Center, and long-time volunteer Faye Mausteller (left) lead Conner Troutman, age
7, around the ring on Beau Pony. Conner, who has Down Syndrome, improves his handeye coordination and recognition of colors by putting marbles into the castle and watching
them roll down through the different colored sections, (photo by Nina Gandolfo)

PROMOTION DIRECTOR
Kristin Saltzer

Sam Osborne

PRODUCTION
CONSULTANTS

Alyssa Pierce

Mike Bischof

Christe! Sholly

Ken EnTgel
Dave Fry

PROMOTION ASSISTANTS

Tara Stancavage

WEBMASTER
Brittany

Laumakis

BUSINESS MANAGER
Erin Erdley

Spring 2008

Spectrum is published twice a year
by the journalism program at Bloomsburg University.
Address: Bloomsburg University

BCH

106,

400

E.

Second

St.,

Bloomsburg, Pa. 17815
Phone: (570) 389-4825
Website: http://www.spectrum-magazine.org/
http://www.myspace.com/spectrumrevolution
portion of Spectrum may be reprinted without its
permission. Printed by GRfIT Commercial Printing

No

(Montoursville, Pa.)

© 2008 Spectrum

I

-M- The new album by Jeremy dePrisco

FEATURING...
-

Original Blues

-

Covers by

I

Tom Waits

and Leadbelly

PLUS

MUCH MORE!

AVAILABLE AT...
iTunes,

CD Baby,

Gallery

of Sound and Amazon.com

www.mindspeak.com

'

ISTEN ONLINE

-

WWM.WBUQFM.COM

^UDEllJf JVDIO
Spectrum Magazine

What

does it take to make a good magazine?
You could say that the writers are the soul of a

magazine; without them, no magazine would exneed editors to assign stories and move the magazine through the production process. It's the fact checkers
who break down every story and verify not just every quote
and fact that appears in a story, but anything that should
appear that doesn't. It's our copyeditors who are vigorous in
assuring a high quahty of writing and editing.

ist.

We

You could say that it is photographers who capture a
moment, to aUow others to see what they see through the
lens, focusing and refocusing until it clicks. You could say it
is the designers, laboring over computers, moving items a
fraction of an inch to construct a masterpiece.
It's the circulation, advertising, and promotion staffs.
Without promotion, people don't know about the magazine; without circulation, there can be no advertising. No
matter how good a magazine is, it is useless if most of the
copies lie in storage. All staffs must work together.

Without cooperation, production falls apart. Hard
work, with sweat and tears, are poured into that cooperation until a final product is reached. It's long hours
and dedication, late nights and frustration, but when
the final minute passes and you see the fruits of your
labor,

it

makes

it

all

worth

it.

We

are proud to present you with the Spring 2008
edition of the national award-winning Spectrum Magazine. In this issue, we'll take you on a journey through
time. We start this issue with a feature on the American Car Foundry in Berwick, taking you on a tour of
its past, followed by what it currently is being used for.
We line the middle with stories about our present, people and places that are the pillars of this region and
make it beautiful. Near the end, our future: a handful
of teenagers from the next generation who are taking
college courses.

— THE EDITORS

Flushed with Color:
Designs Not Just for the Body Anymore
by Martha Harris
whether
People,
airplane-sized
their

the

bathrooms.
color

of

have large rooms or

they

spaces,

the

Any

like
detail,

walls

to

tattoos,

lid,

from

The decorations are hygenic and reuseable. They
made from plastic film and can be wiped clean.
They also cling to a smooth toilet lid because of

are

electrostatic energy, not adhesives, so they

the

shower curtain to what covers the toilet,
add personal touches. Although the
toilet seat is usually plain or has a
rug-like cloth over the

decorate

to

,.

—^

The plastic film has numerous designs.
There is Fleur-de-lis, leopard, and
zebra print, stripes, and polka dots. For

toilet

vinyl lid coverings with

children, there are tattoos with ducks

different pictures, give people one

even a
"It

an

Toilet tattoos were invented in
2003 when Celeste MassuUo, a

fashion design entrepreneur in
Macedonia, Ohio, became bored
with the traditional cover and the
decorative toilet seat.
"I

wanted

to decorate

my toi-

in a creative, modern,

way but soon

and clean

to decorate their

Spring 2008

commodes."

and

training chart with stickers.

provides

immediate

tion."

Using

realized that toilet decor

products had not changed for decades,"
Massullo says, "so I created toilet tattoos to
give consumers a contemporary and simple choice

toilet

the
child
with
beconnection
tween the desired behavior and the
reward, but it also teaches the child to
put down the toilet lid.
After using the commode," Massullo says, "the child applies the reward
sticker to the toilet tattoo themselves,
which exercises their hand-eye coordina-

more way to personalize the bathroom.

let

can

be used again.

way

toilet tattoos to

decorate lids

to customize the bathroom.

is

one

From leopard

print to wallpaper stripes and polka dots to toilet
training chart, all members of the family can benefit
from the tattoos.

^

End

The closing of the American Car
and Foundry plant in Berwick
devestated the local economy.
Berwick has spent almost five
decades trying to recover.

by Chris Fetterman
Vezendy remembers the whistle that sounded late in
the afternoon everyday in Berwick. For the first 14 years
of his 59 -year life, the low-pitched blast signaled both the
end of the work day for thousands of employees at the

Bill

American Car and Foundry plant and the time when his
William Vezendy, would be on his way home.
His father worked at ACF for 20 years as a machine burner, cutting huge steel plates into smaller pieces, and everyday he came
home from work filthy.
"The combination of all the smoke and dirt in the air made the
machine burners come home very dirty. We lived near the plant, and
any men who walked up from work looked like they were soaked in
oil. When my dad came home, let's just say he wouldn't win
any fashfather,

ion contests," says Vezendy.

Vezendy, who now volunteers at the Berwick Historical Society, has
a long family history at the ACF, as do many families in Berwick.
Vezendy's father, aunt, uncle, and both grandfathers worked at the
plant, which occupied 155 acres in central Berwick. However, once the
plant closed in 1962, Berwick became a vastly different town.
"All of a sudden you had hundreds of workers who didn't have jobs.

Closing the plant was a shock to the whole community. These people
spent

money in

out income

local stores for food, clothing,

and appliances, and with-

hurt everybody one way or another," says Vezendy.
Charles Kreischer tells a similar story.
"The ACF had all the money in the town; if you wanted a donation, that's where you went," says Kreischer. Kreischer also remembers the whistle that sounded every afternoon, sending his father,
brother, and Kreischer himself home from ACF.
"People in Berwick didn't need clocks. They could tell what time it

was by just

it

listening to the whistle blow every day," says Kreischer.
now the director of the Berwick Industrial Develop-

Kreischer,

ment Association (BIDA), started working at ACF in 1944 when he
was 15. At that time, the plant employed over 10,000 workers.
"That was one of the wonders of the world. I was there when they
had 10,000 men and women working at that plant; it was really

something

to see." said Kreischer.

Ki'eischer agrees that working as

a welder for ACF was no clean job.
"We worked hard, and I had a hot
job. I worked on the tanks, and when
we were inside them welding, there
was so much smoke and ash flying
you couldn't see your buddy standing a foot away." says Kreischer.
Kreischer felt the impact when
ACF left Berwick. "That was like a
death in the family." saj^s Kreischer. "Our paychecks depended on
that place and most everybody and

dollars in the

expand the

new

Berwick plant to

facilities,

buildings,

and

construct

install ad-

The
became even more

ACF

ditional machinery.

plant
ble in

1904 when

it

nota-

produced

the first ever all-steel passenger car.

The

gloiy

days

of

the

ACF came during World
War II. when the plant
switched
railcai's

to

from
building
becoming a major

their families

producer of war supplies. ACF
produced metal plates used on

for years:

ships,

vehicles,

shells.

Most

it

had worked at ACF
was realh' a downfall

he says.
The American Car and Foundry
plant was founded in 1840 to produce
plows, kettles, and other farming
supplies. In 1849. William Woodin partnered with Mordecai Jackson, the original owner, to form the
Jackson and Woodin Manufacturing Co.. which produced iron pipes
for Berwick.'"

and bridge castings before entering
the railway car building business.
In 1899, the Jackson and Woodin
was taken over by American
Car and Foundry. When ACF bought

plant

It

was

turer of railroad cars in the eastern
United States. Following the piu'-

ACF

artillery

ACF

pro-

duced Stuart tanks, producing
up to 10 a day. By August 1942.
less than nine months after
the United States entered the
war. ACF produced its 1.000th
tank.

"Our tanks went through
northern Africa, and they did
real well.

Berwick

is

trying to

find one to purchase

and bring

back, but there aren't

many left

and

they're real expensive," re-

members

Kreischer.

pretty devestating, Generations of families hac

out Jackson and Woodin, the plant
had become the largest manufac-

chase,

and

notably,

invested several milhon

The

known

ACF

plant in Berwick was
production even out-

for its

side the U.S.
"I've

read in several different

books that Hitler had this plant

on his

top spots he wanted deThey were always watching

list of

stroyed.

for saboteurs." says

Vezend}^

At its peak, the ACF plant employed
more than 10.000 workers, 4,100 of
whom lived in Berwick. Others came from
towns

across Pennsylvania, including
Clai'ksSummit.Nesquehoning.Lewisburg,

and Williamsport.
"Once the war started, they employed
people from all over. My boss drove all the
Sehnsgi"ove.

way fiTim Hanisbm-g," saj^s Kreischer.
Following the end of the war, ACF
to the production of railroad

went back
cars.

"We worked on loads of railcars. That
had 27 miles of railroad track
running through it." says Kreischer.
"and each building had rails in it to
move the cars in and out."
place

As

a testament to the prestige

brought

to

Berwick,

in

ACF

November

Spectrum Magazine

people didn't have

closure broke,

work

more orders came

crews to film a segment in Berwick

until

says Vezendy.

for

the

Inevitably,

decline

of

the railway industry caught

of the

sent television

their nationally televised

and Now program.
There was good reason

plant closing. It came
down to a choice for the ACF.
They could spend a lot of
money and do a lot of remod-

ACF

eling at the

Berwick

plant,"

^ spend more money on their
1 smaller plants around the
± country."
o
On Tuesday, Nov. 9, 1961,

Berwick
page
1 headline of T/ieMornin^Press
§ announcing the closing of the
I ACF. Though the ACF would
f remain open to finish all curthe

residents

awoke

of

to find the front

rent orders, by the following

November, ACF expected to
be out of Berwick.
According to Wil
liam Taylor, ACF

chairman

may

have. At the time

it

Here

for the fear

of the effects the departure of

says Vezendy, "or they could

o

NBC

up to the ACF. "Rumors had
been going around town about
the

m

ACF

eral days after the

down and
in,"

>,

news

period where the orders slowed

ACF

closed, the

provided nearly 40 percent of
Berwick's industrial employment.
"The local people stuck together as
best they could," says Kreischer, "but
the ACF was the highest paying employer in the area and when you take
all that money out of the economy, it
hurts. A lot of people left the area,
and a lot retired."
After a steady yearly increase be-

tween 1954 and 1960, Columbia County businesses paid out on average over
$10,0001ess per personin wages in 1963
than they did in 1960. Similar changes can be seen in the wages brought in
by residents of Columbia County. The
wages brought
in by resi-

of the

Board, the centers of rail traf-

/orked for

ACF/

1945, several Chinese industrialists

Berwick to take notes to bring
back and implement in China. The Chinese transportation infrastructure was
badly damaged during the war, and
to quickly improve their railways,
the Chinese toured the Berwick plant
because they beheved it was among the
most efficient in America.
"ACF was the bread and butter of
this town," says Kreischer, "and Berwick was known for its hard workers.
We produced almost anything, and
we produced it well."
During the next decade, trends
in shipping moved from railways to
highways as business took advantage
visited

of the reality that trucks could deliver

orders directly to a location.

"The plant went through cycles. There
would be a six month period where there
were a lot of orders, and business was
good. Then there would be a six month

Spring 2008

growth had moved
south and west away
from the East Coast,
and it was no lonfic

ger cost efficient
ship

to

railcars

from Berwick

to

customers.

its

The
announcement
raised

alarms

in state govern-

ment and

in lo-

government.
David
Governor

cal

Lawrence and the
local

steelworkers

union both set up
meetings with Taylor to discuss
sibility of

ACF

the posstaying in

Berwick, but no agreement
could be reached.

The announcement

also

made

a splash at the national level. SevPhoto courtesy

of

Berwick Historical Society

11

says

Stephen Phil-

lips,

the current ex-

ecutive

director

BIDA.
Once

ACF

of

left

Berwick, the Berwick Forge and Fab-

Company

ricating

became

the

business

first

move

to

some of the numerous unoccupied
buildings left behind
by the ACF. Though
Berwick Forge and
into

Fabricating attempted to ease the pain
of the
it

ACF vacating,

could not provide

ACF did. At

the jobs

the time

it

closed,

ACF employed about
2,800 people. When
Berwick Forge and
Fabricating opened,
there
were
only

enough jobs
dents also increased yearly from 1954
to 1960.

By

1963, personal wages had

dropped by nearly $5,000.
In August 1962, BIDA purchased
the 155 acre ACF plant for nearly
$2.5 million.

"The closure

of the

ACF facility deBIDA

because

they became the owner of the

facility,"

fined the

meaning

of

for sev-

eral hundred, leaving over 2,000 peo-

work or income.
was pretty devastating. Generations of families had worked for
ACF and Jackson and Woodin. Some
people left Berwick and followed the
company west to Missouri," says
ple without
"It

Phillips.

The employment impact the

de-

parture of ACF left on Berwick was
immediately evident. Between 1960
and 1963 the number of people employed in Columbia County dropped
by nearly 20 percent, and the number
of people employed in manufacturing
jobs dropped nearly 25 percent, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
Kreischer remembers how big a
part of everyday life ACF played.
"Half the homes in Berwick were
built by lumber from this place, they
had their own general store where
everybody bought their clothes, food,
and supplies," says Kreischer. "They
had a baseball team and a band, the
ACF even heated some of the buildings in the town with excess steam
from the plants. They had everything
we needed," he says
Since the departure of ACF, the
.

biggest addition to the local economy

was the addition of the Susquehanna
Steam Electic Plant. The $4.1 billion
nuclear power plant, which employed
more than 5,000 persons at its peak
over a 10 -year construction period,
went online with its first reactor in
June 1983 and its second reactor in
February 1985.
"That helped lessen the blow a little bit,"

of,

ACF Archives, John W.

B.

of Missouri

-

St. Louis.

recalls.

numerous companies have come and
gone in the ACF complex. "The public

Photo courtesy

Vezendy

Following the purchase by BIDA,

thinks that there

isn't

a

lot

on there," says Phillips, "but

going

that's a

misconception. Over half the existing
buildings are now in the private sector." Currently, 16 businesses employ

about 1,250 people. These companies
a printing company; Cheetah Chasis, which manufactures container chasis; Berwick
include Millridge,

Offray, the world's largest manufac-

turer and distributor of ribbon and

bows; and several mobile home constructors. However not all the space
has been rented, including over 20
acres which are available for purchase, and three 10,000 square foot
shell factories which are available for
lease or purchase.

Workers

in

subway car
12

1948 near completion on a
for

New

York

City.

Spectrum Magazine

Henry English, Herman Amble, and Guy Beoshline and the 1,000th tank.

Phillips believes

not entirely bad

it is

supplied the entire

ACF complex.

ACF
leaving forced Berwick to diversify. When

"We'd like to have it taken
down, but there's just too much

a single employer," says Phil-

and concrete. We'll need
some help paying for it if we want
to bring somebody in and tear

that

ACF

left

there's only

Berwick.

"I

think

mercy of that
employer. I'd rather have 10 companies
which employee 200 people each than one
company which employs 2,000 people."
lips,

"the

Of the

town

is

original

at the

ACF

buildings,

many

have been torn down and those still
standing have been repaired and remodeled, however one that still stands exactly as it was is the power plant which

The power

steel

that place apart," says Kreischer.

As

the buildings are repaired and

the railroad tracks are torn out of

ACF powremains as one of the last
untouched relics of Berwick's great
the ground, the former
er plant

industrial era.

plant remains the only building

^

left

untouched.

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble
at the
Alvina Krause Theatre

226 Center

Street

Downtown Bloomsburg
For tickets

570.784.8181 or 800.282.0283

j

www.bte.org

Spring 2008

13

I

Tuesday night at
Chuck Root joins
the West Branch Chorus at Beaver Memo-

Every

7:30,

rial

Church,
is

an

United Methodist
West Branch

Lewisburg.

all-men's choir dedicated to

singing classic music from long ago

when
It's

elderly

men were

not just music.

still

It's

young.

barber-

shop gold.

Although not every member of
the West Branch Chorus

is

part of a

quartet. Root's group, ages ranging

from 69 to

75, is

known

as Endur-

They have been entertaining crowds small and large
since 2005, although Root and Ed
ing Chords.

Abrahims, the

lead,

have been sing-

Root's first experience with bar-

was in East Rochester
(N.Y.) High School when his music
instructor put him in a quartet for a

bershop

short time.

When he reached college,

chemistry didn't

He

stifle

his love of mu-

and never
passed up an opportunity to sing. "I
think I enjoyed my music more than
some of the music majors. When
they were asked to do things, it was
always, 'gosh, do I have to do this?'
I could have said no, but I usually
said yes," Root says.
After earning a Ph.D. from Ohio
State University in inorganic chemistry, he moved to Lewisburg in
1965 to join Bucknell University's faculty, but not even a
sic.

joined a quartet

25 years.

new hometown could stop his
passion. He joined the West

Root, tenor, isn't a professional
musician. He doesn't have any CDs

practices the barbershop style,

ing together in barbershop for over

of his singing.

He

didn't even

in music while in college

major

—he chose

"I was fortunate
had a strong musical

chemistry instead.

enough that

I

background," says Root. In addition to the quartet. Root plays the
french horn, trumpet, and recorder,
has conducting experience, and has

been involved in the Lewisburg Opera Ensemble. But it's barbershop
that has become his favorite hobby.

14

Branch Chorus, a group that

and formed a quartet. In
2005, he and Abrahims recruited Al Wilcox and Bill
Laverty as baritone and
bass. Although Wilcox has
been in other quartets, this
is

Laverty's first experience.

"He's loving

it,"

says Root.

Root and the Enduring
Photos by Nina Gandolfo

Chords are not the only ones who
have fallen for the enjoyable sound
of barbershop. The Barbershop
Harmony Society has about 30,000
members in North
America, with

additional
members
in other

The West Branch Choir sings to Nottingham Village. Members are (from left to right) Dale Thomas, Chuck Root, Ed
Abrahims, Doug Rhoads, Joel Turrel, Jim Cotner, Ernie Rogers, Ken Paulhamus, Jay Spangenburg, and Ed Bordy.
countries. Barbershop singing goes
back to the 1600s. It was popularized in America during the early
1900s in barbershops, street corners, social functions,

and

parlors.

Although it can easily be mistakfor a capella since it shares the
characteristic of music with no instrumental background, it is has its
en

own

Valentine special consists of two
songs, a rose, a box of candy, and a
Polaroid picture. "The money goes
towards music, outfits, food if we're
eating out," says Root, who explains
that

it isn't

their livelihood

and

if

they didn't charge, it would become
an expensive hobby.

When

barbershop quartet comes

same image usually
pops up in everyone's head four

to mind, the

men

—

in striped shirts, bowties,

and

a goofy-looking hat, all ready to sere-

nade with a rendition of "Coney Island
Baby." Although Enduring Chords
doesn't

fit

that particular view,

its

set of rules. For instance, there
are only four singers the tenor, the
lead, the baritone, and the bass. The
melody is usually sung by the lead,

but

—

it

can also move to another part

a short time. Barbershop is also
known for its ringing accord. This
helps create the illusion that more
than four people are singing.
"There are a certain number of
seventh chords and a lack of several
combinations," says Root. He also explains that it can be challenging to
be part of a quartet. "There's no one

for

who

sings your part. You have
your own. You have to be a
good listener," he says.
Enduring Chords has sung at
birthday parties, picnics, anniversaries, nursing homes, and other
special events. It's non-profit but
charges for its form of entertainment: $125 for a half-hour. Its $35
else

to hold

Spring 2008

The West Branch Chorus serenades the residents of the Nottingham
Village, Northumberland, in March. The chorus includes four different

—

barbershop quartets Enduring Chords, According to Dad, Leisure
and WB 4. The chorus was organized in 1975.

Aires,

15

Shelly

Messner

Amber Carnuccio

is more what one would expect. However one image that would rarely make an appearance is the formation of 3'oung women, all college age. all eagerly singing
the same stj4e. but not the usual songs one might hear
in a traditional quartet.

image

That's exactly

what Consonance

is

doing.

"It hinders us a lot because people have no idea," says
Erin Linkoski. a sophomore majoring in medical imaging at Bloomsburg University. She explains that even her
roommates haven't a clue. "I recorded us on my phone
and I showed them. They said, 'Wow! You sound really
good.' I don't think they expected that. They thought it
would be " she pauses, looking for the right word.
"Boring music," suggests Emily Hollick. a sophomore
majoring in marketing at BU.
Linkoski agrees and adds. "We were singing bluesy stuff. They didn't think you could do that." Linkoski and Hollick. along with Shelly Messner, a senior
majoring in elementarj' education and special ed-

—

women. With nearly 30,000 members worldwas founded in 1945. Unlike

tion for

wide, the Sweet Adelines
other

women

choirs, these

women's quartets have bass

and baritone.

Much of the credit for their passion in Consanance is
given to Bonnie Klinger, their music teacher at Shamokin
High

School,

and Dale Thomas, head

of the

Bloomsburg

Shamokin music curriculum
had the option of forming and being trained in a barbershop harmony. Messner, who was part of a quartet
with Hollick and Carnuccio, was also a grade above her
chapter. Students in the

fellow barbershop buddies.

was excited to graduate, move on, and go to colMessner says, "but quartet was the only thing I
wanted to stay in high school for. I cried during graduation when they came up to me."
"I

lege,"

It

would be another year before the

Messner into

college.

rest of the girls followed

Once graduated, they quickly

recruited Linkoski to form their

amateur group. "Of course,

and Amber Carnuccio,
we wanted Shelly back so we begged her,"
who attends Empire Beauty School in
Hollick says, laughing with the othSelinsgrove, have called themselves
ers. She adds, "We didn't have to
"They said, 'Wow! You
Consonance since June 2006, but
beg too much."
sound really goodr' I don't
they have been involved in music,
Once it was decided that they
tiling tHey-^e^pected'tiiat,''
together and separately, much
were interested in pursu-"
griji LrnjfosEilonger.
ing barbershop on a reguConsonance isn't the only
lar basis, the girls would
ucation at BU;

-

-•

have to have a name.
They wanted something
unique, catchy, and explained exactly what
they were. They found
the word consonance,

female barbershop quartet.

Sometimes called beautj^
shop quartet, the women's
division has been divided
into two major divisions
Harmony Inc. and the Sweet
Adelines

Int'l.,

known

which stems from a Latin
word for "coming together," and

as the

world's largest singing organiza

Emily Hollick

Erin Linkoski

16

Spectrum Magazine

Messner clariwork on our image, to

right. I'm the parent," she says.
fies

by saying,

make

sure that

"I try to

we

are fun but

still

professional."

HoUick and Linkoski share the position

The

lead while the other sings tenor.

of

role of

is to be able to tell the story of the
song with their singing and facial expressions. Linkoski believes she works better as
tenor than a lead. HoUick doesn't agree. "It depends on the song. Our personalities have to
fit, too, not just our voice," she says.
Linkoski has been in musical programs
since elementary school and is still currently
participating in such programs in college life.
"She has a laser voice. Focused and strong.
Barbershop people are like, 'Oh, you have a
laser voice. That's awesome!'" says Messner.
When she discusses HoUick, she says,"Emily
can tell a story. She is easy to back up because
she makes you see it her way."
HoUick is the group's
scheduler. "She keeps

the lead

e

1

v

For more information
or to schedule a
barbershop quartet
to visit your

Consonance rehearses a new song.
is

also a musical
"It

term

for

party, contact:

Consonance

harmony.

could have two meanings be-

consonancequartet@hotinail.com

cause we found each other, we came
together, and now we make harmony,"

Enduring Chords
570-524-4848

says Linkoski.

"And you

can't

make harmony

According to Dad

with-

out others," Messner adds.

HoUick believes the meaning

name

doesn't only apply to

^0-447-3312

of the

more often than

570-387-7918

Old Stuff:

WB4:

to.

"I'm the loudest
love meeting

new

and

silliest.

people.

I

I'm very outgoing and

make us a

lot of friends at

events," says Carnuccio.

Messner, the baritone, says her love for music started
an early age. While her brothers were participating
in musical programs, Messner says, "I followed in their
footsteps. Eventually I owned the passion for myself."
When Carnuccio described their baritone as the
"quartet mom," Messner laughed in agreement. "That's
at

Spring 2008

of-

sound was just as
good but we were older
men, I don't think we
would have as many
shows as we do now,"
says Messner.

ciety

lot of

r

practice as

^0-326-0816

mind

entity,

tionship with each other.

They

ten as they can and
have a show at least
once a month. "If our

Found Sound

but rather their rela"We wouldn't
progress as a group if we didn't know
each other," she says.
Carnuccio is the bass and is described
as the feisty one. Her role in the quartet is the foundation for all other parts.
"Amber has such a passion for this," says
Messner, explaining that she's a determined individual who will do anything she puts her

musical

caUs." says Linkoski.

Even the official
members of the Barbershop Harmony So-

Lsure Aires

them as a

of things and
makes aU the phone

track

570-784-7272

570-323-5564

chapters

give

They
encourage the young
them fuU

support.

women to keep
ing, organize
for

them

sing-

shows

to sing at,

even donate money. They say there's a
encouragement to keep the barbershop tradition. And
not, they are received positively from

their audience.
of them would like to continue barbershop, and
they can't continue to sing with each other, they
will continue their passion and harmony.
No matter who is singing, male or female, young or
old, barbershop continues to capture the attention of
many and entertain even more. Perhaps that is what

Each

even

if

makes

it

gold.

^
17

ALL NATURAL-

GROUND BEEF
CHUCK
CARNE

K^\£fcl^ccte^

MOLIDA DE RES. DE PALETA

!t^ Hormones
^''Jteroids Added

^^mS^^^mmmM^
by Annelise Chayka

arol Busada takes pride in the
dinner she serves her husband and
five children. Amid her busy schedule. Busada takes the time to buy

raised beef, poultry, and
She purchases her beef directly from Rohrbach's Farm, and buys
her poultry and egg products from
locally

eggs.

Bloom Naturally, a

holistic health

food store in Bloomsburg carrjdng
locally raised meat.

"The labels in the supermarket
can be difficult to understand for
many consumers who do not know
how the labels are regulated and defined. It"s best to know the person

who raises the

animals." says Busada.

on meat
products are informative, others
can be misleading. The definition

Although some

labels

for "all natural" is often misinter-

prefer not ha\'ing

hormones

or

my meat." saj's Busada.
She says that bu>4ng locally "helps
guarantee I know what I am getantibiotics in

18

and how

was

it

the animals are being raised," says

raised."

Health concerns and label confusion cause many consumers to turn
to the local meat market.
"Consumers ai-e communicating support for natui-al local food by increasing the demand, which is leading
to more local farms and farm markets," says Todd Hopkins, co-owner
of Forks Farm in Orangeville.
Understanding how livestock is
raised enables consumers to choose
food from farmers who dont use
chemicals, pesticides, hormones, or
antibiotics.

"With all the issues surrounding the meat and labeling industr^^
consumers are gaining interest in

farming

Rachel Litco-owner of Spring

practices," saj's

whiler-Ribble.

Meadows Farm.

Orangeville.

Her husband agrees. "The

preted by consumers.
"I

ting,

relationship

direct

we maintain with our

Manj^ customers
farm to experience
the atmosphere and understand how
customers

will

come

is key.

to the

Kris Ribble.
Meat packages boasting "no hormones added" may be misleading.
Although the FDA prohibits hormones in poultry and pork products,
antibiotics have replaced them.
The Federal Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). an agency of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
reviews all labels on meat, poultry

and processed egg products, includ"all natural" label. To obtain
this label, the product must be minimally processed and free of artificial flavor, coloring ingredients, and
ing the

chemical preservatives.
The FSIS has a continuous presence in the slaughterhouse, and
conducts daily inspections in processing plants.
"We will not approve a label if
the product does not meet our standards." says

Amanda Eamich. FSIS

spokeswoman.
Many consumers

assume

"all

Spectrum Magazine

Regulated

CiaiiiiS

To obtain one of these labels the farmer must provide
documentation citing the feed formula, operational
protocol, and affidavits and testimonials.
Raised without added hormones
Raised without antibiotics
Not fed animal by products
Free Range

Corn-fed
Grain-fed
Grass-fed
;

only includes slaughtering

steeper growth curve," says Dr. Mark
Melynchuk, professor of biology and
nutrition at Bloomsburg University.

and processing techniques. Consum-

Critics highlight the relationship

ers often mistake the "all natural"

between antibiotics in the meat industry and antibiotic resistance in
humans.
The FDA's approval of an antibacterial drug used in the poultry industry,

natural" pertains to the

manner

in

which the animals were raised. However,

it

label to

mean

"naturally raised."

"Currently there is no 'naturalstandard; however, there
may be a marketing standard in
the future," says Jimmie Turner,
spokesman for Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS).
A commonly debated topic in the
"naturally raised" label is the use of
antibiotics and antimicrobial agents
for the use of disease control, disease
prevention, and growth promotion.
Because of the rising global demands for meat, the industry standard transformed from family farms
to massive feedlots where thousands
of birds are raised. To prevent the
risk of a diseased bird affecting the
entire flock, some farmers administer antibiotics through the feeding
supply. Proponents argue that administering low doses of antibiotics
eliminates the threat of an infection
being spread to consumers.
"The antibiotics keep the birds
healthy, and healthy animals have a
ly raised'

Ba3^ril 3.23 percent, resulted in the

emergence of an antibiotic-resistant
strain of the Campylobacter bacteria, a

common source of food-borne illness in
humans.
sistant,

If

it

the bacterium becomes re-

may

prolong the duration of

the illness, and increase the chance for
complications.

"Although antibiotic resistance is
it has the
potential to be if agricultural practices continue," says Melynchuk.
Because antibiotic resistance can
be inherited, the problem may continue to worsen.
"If a single bacterium is antibiotic resistant and it reproduces asexnot yet a huge problem,

ually,

the newly formed bacteria

probably

will,

inherit resistance,"

says Melynchuk.

John and Todd Hopkins

Farm

raise chickens, pigs,

of Forks

and cows

without the use of antibiotics or hormones through a "pastured" and
"free range" system.
In some industrial farms, chickens are confined to a small area in a
vast feedlot and will never see sunlight.

The

"free-range" label

was

cre-

ated to address confinement issues.

To obtain this label, documenmust be submitted and ap-

tation

proved by the FSIS, proving the
animal has access to the outdoors.
However, it doesn't require the farm
to be inspected.
According to the "free-range" label, animals must have "access to the
outdoors." However the standard does
not address the outdoor conditions or

the accessibility to the outdoors.

"Access to the outdoors can be
as small as

an open window. Under

these conditions, animals are unlikely to leave their food source and

an antiand a nonresistant

venture outside," says Todd Hopkins.

bacterium sexually reproduce, the
nonresistant bacterium can, and

chickens are raised by a "free-range"
system. The chickens are completely

will also be resistant. If
biotic-resistant

She explains that the egg-laying

These claims are not regulated or approved by the
United States Departrnent of Agriculture.
•
•
•

Antibiotic free
Drug free
Hormone free

•

•
•

•

Spring 2008

Pastured
Naturally raised'^
Naturally grown
Chenlical free
19

free to

sects

roam

and

the pasture and eat in-

grass.

The

bii'ds often re-

tiu'n to a chicken tractor at night to

obtain shelter and grain.

The "pastured"
ly different

s\-steni is

sHght-

from "free-range."

In-

stead of allowing the chickens to
roam completely free, the chickens
are raised in a movable coops or pastui-ed pens. The pastm-ed pens ai-e
bare on the bottom, allowing access

to the pasture: the roof protects the

birds from predatory birds.

On

Forks Farm, the pens are
a day to ensure a
constant supply of fresh grass.
Because chickens cannot survive
on a diet of only grass, their diet
is supplemented with "certified or-

moved twice

ganic" feed.

"We have a

and see the animals grazing
pasture," she

with most of our customers, many
of them come to our farmers market during the summer, or stop bjthe farm store year round," says
Hopkins. "Our consumers trust
our farming practices because they
have the opportunity to talk to us

'Buying

Although many beef labels boast
a "corn fed" diet, critics argue that
cows are ruminant animals, and
should be grass fed. A ruminant
animal has a stomach with four
compartments, one of which is the
rumen that contains enzj'mes able

I

locallj;

know wha
and how i

to digest grass.

"When animals

are on high levchanges the pH levels
in their stomach and makes them
el of

grain,

it

more susceptible

to diseases." says

Rachel Litwhiler-Ribble.

The "gi-ass fed" label was updated in
October 2007. by

cows

diet

AMS

was derived

to ensui-e the

solely

from

age. It prohibits the use of gi-ain
requii'es access to pasture

direct relationship

in the

sa\'s.

for-

and

during the

gi-owing season.

Kris Ribble and Rachel LitwhilAngus cattle on a
strict pasture diet, with unlimited
er-Ribble raise

access to pasture.

"We

raise oui' cows on pastuxe-

summer, and faU
months. Dui-ing the \\dnter months
diu-ing the spring,

John Hopkins stands

in front of a
pastured chicken pen. The pens
provide shelter for the chickens while
allowing them to graze on the pasture.

Spectrum Magazine

ilps

am

guarantee
getting

as raised.'
-Carol

—

'—

»

^

Busada

"

cows have a higher level of
good fatty acids and a lower level of
bad fatty acids. John Hopl<ins helps
oversee an 85 acre farm.
Grass-fed

Spring 2008

the cows are fed hay raised on the

farm.

We move the herd at least every

three days to ensure a constant sup-

the risk for cardiovascular disease,"

says Melynchuk.

Kris and Rachel

why

cite several rea-

people don't buy from

ply of fresh grass," says Kris Ribble.

sons as to

"Grass fed" beef provides several
health benefits over cattle fed grain
and stored forages. The meat from
the cattle of Spring Meadows Farm
contains four times the amount of
Omega-3 fatty acids than beef from
cows fed a feedlot diet, according to a
study conducted by the Department
of Crop and Soil Science at Pennsylvania State University.
Omega 3 fatty acids cannot be
manufactured by the body and must
be obtained from food. They play a
large role in brain function as well
as normal growth and development.
"Grass-fed" cows also have a

their local farmer.

higher level of Conjugated Linoleic
Acid Concentration (CLA).
CLAs promote healthy cardiovas-

local meat, while living in Virginia

cular health.

possible to find," says

"Although we are not exactly sure
how, CLA reduces the buildup of cholesterol in the artery walls, reducing

To find your local farm or farmers
market, visit localharvest.org.

"Customers

are

accustomed

to

the convenience of a grocery store

and they have lost contact with local farmers and are many times unaware of the superior products that
can be purchased

locally,"

says Ra-

chel Litwhiler-Ribble.

The rural counties of Columand Montour provide local resi-

bia

dents with the opportunity to visit

and support local natural farms and
farm markets.
"Since Bloomsburg is an agricultural area, a variety of different
outlets are available for purchasing
I

used to have to travel over an hour,
in North Carolina it was nearly im-

Busada

S

^
NO DUMPING
Almost 400 tons
39

dump

illegal

have been identified at
throughout Columbia County

of trash

sites

by Brittany Laumakis

is

T

ires,

refrigerators,

bricks, rusted bikes,

animal carcasses and
massive amounts of
bugs are some of what

commonly found

in illegal

dump-

ing sites across Columbia County.
Thirty-nine illegal dumping sites
have been identified in 12 different
municipalities throughout the county

PA

by

CleanWays. With authoriza-

tion from individual counties

and

funding provided by the Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP), these sites were analyzed for
approximate tons of waste, hazards,
potential plans to remove it, and possible solutions for the community.
"Not every resident is notified
of illegal dumpsites in their area,"
says Todd Crouch, program manager for PA CleanWays. All of Columbia
County's dump sites were located in rural areas. The first step to end illegal
dumping is to determine the extent
of the problem.

PA CleanWays

years in the county. "A lot of dumping has become hereditary, what we
can do is clean it up and educate
their kids to break the chain," says

for

Rush. Rush works mostly in eastern
Pennsylvania in collaboration with PA
CleanWays setting up clean ups with
various volunteers and groups.
"Both concerned communities
and individuals across Pennsylvania
get involved with the problem of illegal
dumping," says Crouch.
Dr. Sandra Kehoe-Forutan, Danville, volunteered in the clean up of
the Hogsback dumpsite in Greenwood Township as the adviser of

Bloomsburg University's Geography
and Planning Society (GPS) in April
2007. "It's a major environmental
problem, it shows a great disrespect
for the natural environment," says

Kehoe-Forutan.
During the past year, volunteers participated in four cleanups
in Columbia County.
"There was over 100 tons of trash;

has

we picked up about 154 tires," says
Rush of a dump site at the Catawissa Canal. The job was so large that
heavy equipment was brought in, followed by the volunteers to conduct
hand pickup. This clean up was funded by the Growing Greener grant.
PA CleanWays provides training
for all volunteers before the site

ect begins.

Through

and breeding of mosColumbia County sprayed
in July 2007 after adult mosquitoes
were tested positive for West Nile

to the presence

quitoes.

The standing water creates a
breeding ground for the disease carrying insects.
Along with the Catawissa Canal,
nearly half of the sites are near
waterways, increasing the chances
of polluting the water

Virus.

supply.

Kehoe-Forutan

with the biggest
dumping problems to fo-

ties

says of the Hogsback site, "There

Columbia
abandoned
coal mines are problem areas for dumping. "The earth is torn
up already and with a
first.

was a small stream
and trash was right

County's

lot of holes,

their trash

says

source speciaHst for

"Illegal

dumps

re-

contribute to pol-

PA

lution

CleanWays.
It's been a problem

22

it." Thirteen percent of the sites
were directly in the
water or wetlands.

in

people dump
down there,"

Bob Rush, a

prq

cooral'

nation with PA CleanWays, which
provided a backhoe, GPS got Hogsback cleaned up in about four hours.
Most projects are done between 9
a.m. and noon.
Illegal dumping also contributes

chosen the larger coun-

cus on

tight

A

Student from

GPS

piles

garbage bags collected from Hogsback.

of nearby
waterways by percolation and run-

Spectrum Magazine

veyed in Columbia were acConstant new
tive sites.
trash being added to a site

deems

it

"active".

Only two

percent were posted with
"no dumping" signs.

"Someone had actually
knocked down the 'No Dumping' sign over the bank," says

Kehoe-Forutan, "and a student had to carry it back up."
One of the common excuses people use for illegal
dumping is the lack of recycling in the community.
"When people don't want to
pay to have things removed,
they dump it," says KehoeForutan. Many of the items

Abel Witmer recovers a 'no dumping' sign

1^ ^

tiiat

off,"

was

Crouch

torn

down and became

trasii.

says.
larg-

can leak toxins

into the soil and surface waters.
"Pollutants and toxins can also enter private or

community drinking

water wells," says Crouch. Larger
household items, such as air conditioners and refrigerators, can leak
Freon, ammonia, mercury, lead,

and cadmium.

"We found

batteries

and they

leak toxins into the soil," says Kehoe-Forutan.
Broken glass, rusty metals and
toxic substances pose a threat of in-

jury to

had

and bulky items.
"When we went back

tires,

Hogsback]

The surveys found that the
er household items

cleaned at Hogsback were
mattresses, sofas, chairs,

ple

to

check,

[to

peo-

had actually started dumping

again.

It's

sad because

so beautiful,

hoe-Forutan.

end dumping

it

looked

ening dumping and

"When word
ing

won't

activity

dumping

littering.

gets out that

be

dump-

tolerated,

decreases," says Crouch.

PA CleanWays

also asks volunteers

watch for pill bottles, car registrations, and other items that can help
identify and track down the person

to

who left it at the site.
"We actually found an

entire

windshield with a person's car registration on it," says Kehoe-Forutan.
Sites vary in size and when it

comes to priority of cleanup, PA
CleanWays has to depend on the
funds and grants it receives.
"As much as we would like to clean
up all the sites, we have to limit the
cleanups based on the funding we
receive," says Crouch.

"Montour County is on the list
but also a much smaller county with
less of a problem," says Rush. It is on
the schedule to be cleaned up within
this year while the other counties in
Pennsylvania will be done by 2012.

so clean," says Ke-

A

possible solution to

a volunteer organization or individual to adopt
an area. "When someone sees the
sign, it lets them know that someone actually cares about that area,"
is for

says Kehoe-Forutan.
Enforcement of laws and monitoring the sites are successful in less-

[More information about volunteering

and

specific site details in

your area can be found on the PA
CleanWays website, www.pacleanways.org as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection
state.pa.us.J

website

www.depweb.

s

humans and animals. "We

to be

aware

of needles

and

Kehoe-Forutan.
If a site catches on fire, the air
becomes contaminated from the re-

sharp

objects," says

leased emissions.
"Animal carcasses allow disease
causing pathogens and bacteria to
spread," says Crouch.

A lot of what is found at sites can
be properly disposed of with little
effort. "Unfortunately a lot of townships don't have regular pick up
days for larger items, like washers,
so people dump it," says Rush. It's
a common occurrence to find household appliances at sites.
About 92 percent of the sites sur-

Spring 2008

Volunteers Kevin Watkinson and Kyle Rauch remove a small part of the
household items illegally dumped in Hogsback.

23

irg

eather Hunsinger and her
mother, Carol, can hardly
keep track of all the ribbons and trophies around
their home. They have run
out of places to put them,
which isn't surprising if
you've been horseback
riding at Eos Therapeutic

Riding Center in BloomsHeather has. When Heather's mom
praises her daughter it's obvious that Heather is beaming with pride, but she smiles and hides her pink face

burg

for as long as

brown

in her hands, leaving her

woman and

persevere through
ith the help of a
iutic rklittflLcenter

curly hair sticking

through the tops of her fingers.
Despite her daughter's bashfulness, Carol continues, listing Heather's loves and numerous accomplishments throughout her years, just as any proud
mother would.
"We can't make a quick trip to a store without somebody knowing Heather. She has more of a social life
than I do," Carol says. Heather loves movies and window shopping. She works part-time at Suncom Industries, an adult training center in Bloomsburg. Each
year she helps put on a Christmas show with the Starlight program at Wesley United Methodist Church of
Bloomsburg. In her spare time, her favorite thing to do
is send greeting cards and bake cookies for friends.
She loves bowling, and has traveled to compete in
State College, where Penn State University football
coach Joe Paterno signed her shirt. "He said good luck
to
it

me in bowling. He

my shirt and I

signed

got to

wear

home," she says.

Heather may seem like any average 29-year-old
woman, but she has mild mental retardation, and a
number of health problems. She has struggled her entire life for acceptance, for equality, and for the chance
to live a typical lifestyle. "I guess I was kind of ignorant about children with disabilities," Carol admits.
Due to complications that led to a lack of oxygen at
birth, Heather was diagnosed with a developmental
delay at 14 months of age. "I wasn't prepared. It's devestating," says Carol, "but

what can you

do,

how can I

do anything else but love her?"
Larry Hunsinger, Heather's father, says he knew
from the beginning that his daughter's disability
wouldn't affect how he felt about her. "They said she
has a disability, but what were they comparing her
to?" he asks.
Heather didn't start walking until she was almost 18
months old. Because she walked with her feet pointed
inward, she had to wear corrective shoes. She also had
tight hip abductors which made it difficult to walk.
When she was a toddler, her unstable gait caused her
to lose her balance and fall against a ceramic candle
holder, creating a U-shaped corneal laceration in her
left eye. She still has poor eyesight, even after healing

and years

and outgoing attitude. "I went into protective
mode, but she took to it like a troop-

uvula in her throat to create a wider
air passage, and she recently began
wearing a mask at night to provide

at Heather's loud voice

er feel so helpless," Carol says about

a constant air flow.

er,"

parenting a child with disabilities.

With the help of the program at
Eos, Heather Hunsinger has never

Heather never had any inhibitions. When her mother asks her if
she was scared her first time riding
a horse, she shrugs and says, "No, it

of treatment. "I feel like

we're supposed to have eyes in the

back of our heads.

Larry

says,

It

makes a moth-

"You wonder

if

you're

a good parent or not, or if it was
your fault, but then you see people

^ It's fun,

I

see

all

allowed her disabilities to hold her

back from living and loving

my

life.

Carol says.

friends and they are happy to see me. '

— Heather Hunsinger
with worse disabilities than she has
and you realize you're lucky."
Dealing with their daughter's
health troubles has been an endless
battle. Heather suffered from kidney
infections for seven years, which led
to urinary tract infections and temporary use of a catheter bag. Heather
has had surgeries for a bone growth
on her arm known as Osteochondroma, calcification in her knees, and
thyroid nodules. Heather also suffers from sleep apnea, a condition
that causes her to stop breathing for
short periods of time during sleep.
She's had a surgical procedure to
remove part of her soft palate and

spreading her free spirit to others,
and seeing people for who they really are. That's why Heather Hunsinger is not your average 29-year-old

woman.
Heather started therapeutic
riding when she was 13. "I think
we're part of the woodwork here,"
Carol jokes.
Carol first heard of Eos at the
Special Olympics, where Heather competes in bowling. No one in
her family ever had an interest in
horseback riding before, and Carol
was scared the horses would spook
Heather Hunsinger stops on the

trail

was

easy.

Heather still rides every Tuesday
for eight months of the year, and
her parents believe the program has
done wonders for their daughter,
physically, mentally, and emotionally. "She likes the people that work
with her. They treat her like a human, not a person with a disability,"
Larry says.
Heather mostly enjoys the social
aspect.

"It's

fun,

I

see all

and they are happy

to

my friends
see

me,"

Heather says.
Therapeutic horseback riding cenbehind the Eos barn

to

shoot

some hoops.

Spectrum Magazine

becoming more common
United States, but
most people know Httle about riding therapy and the potential help
it can give. A horse's gait provides a
repetitive pattern of movement very
similar to a person's pelvis during
normal human walking. "Horses are
always accepting, no matter what
the special need of the rider is, and
they are always in touch with the

tion and

are

ters

and

rider

horse's

forward

She's taught
that

me

okay to

it's

A

a human's does. For

be

people bound to

disability doesn't

as

just

a wheel
this

chair,

may be the
can
walking

closest they

get to

and stretching
their

muscles

on their own.
"For a lot of our
kids, this
all

that they

Smith

different.

make a person
any more or any
less of a person.
It's

what's inside?

—Carol Hunsinger

logs,

8,

the

and put the

bean bags in the
buckets," Heath-

Learning

col-

and counting
can come easy
for most children,
ors

but children with

developmental
delays have a

dif-

ficult

time retain-

ing

information.

"They were able
to

see at school

what she was able
to do because of the riding," Carol says.

says.

The physical aspect

can
normalize muscle tone, and improve
mobility.

"When

these kids get onto

horses they just melt. You can see
their bodies relax," says Carol, who
has witnessed the effects of riding
therapy.

Regular horseback riding has
improved Heather's walking, helping her to loosen the tight muscles
in her legs and allowing her to wear
regular shoes. The obstacle courses and challenges she completes on
horseback have improved her reading and problem solving skills with
puzzles. "When that improves, communication improves," Carol says.
activities riders participate

in have proven to encourage lan-

guage development, improve atten-

Spring 2008

Most importantly the program

of riding

balance, coordination, strength and

The

the figure

er says proudly.

may

have,"

be

social interac-

During Heather's therapy session,
her instructor, Denise Treven, gives
her a list of exercises to remember to perform
on
horseback.
"I do the cones,

center of gravity

and backward,
up and down,
and side to side,

The

says Carol.

sensitive to their needs,"

center.

shifts

skills.

between the animal, the rider,
and the volunteers improves motivation, enhances curiosity, fosters independence, and develops the ability
to care for others, both human and
animal, says Eos volunteer training
information. "The rapport between
the riders and the volunteers is phenomenal, hugs are plentiful here,"
tion

says Debbie Smith, executive director and founder of the Eos riding

The

memory skills, and generate

reasoning

throughout the

has given Heather self-esteem, confidence, and a supportive and accepting circle of friends. "It builds up her
confidence and brings her so much
joy. In all these years I can't remem-

ber walking in here without someone
smiling back at you," Carol says.
er

Throughout the hardships Heathhas faced in her life, her parents

insist that Heather's No. 1 priority

caring for others. "She's always
thinking of everybody else," Carol
says. On the way to a routine surgery to remove her tonsils at Geisinger Medical Center, Heather said,
"Mom, we have to stop at the dollar store." When her mother asked
why. Heather said that she had to
get cards to thank her doctors.
Shortly after waking up from
is

27

Heather's family, like
families with

children,

is

special

forced to

many

an

needs

through it."
The Hunsinger family knows that
Heather is unique, not because of her
disability, but because of her spirit.
"She cares about people unconditionally, you don't have to be something you're not, you don't have to
buy her love and friendship," Carol

deal

with people who are critical towards those with disabilities. "I don't see a lot of
people who are judgmental;
we've come a long way as a
society with accepting others, but there are people who
do,

Heather weaves her horse through an
obstacle course at Eos.

and

that's their problem,"

Carol says.
Carol and Larry brush
off people who judge them or
their daughter, and believe
that Heather has helped them
to forgive others. "She's taught
me a lot; she's taught me that
it's okay to be different. A
disability doesn't make a person any more or any less of
a person. It's what's inside,"
Carol says.
Larry says he's learned
how to be accepting when
things don't go as planned.

Heather has showed him "how
you can't change them, and
the procedure. Heather

mother go

attitude like so what, we'll get

says.

Heather

is

new

friends,

new
make

thrilled that the

riding season has started. "I

new memories," she

says.

For Heather, the riding season
friends, her riding instructor of 14 years, and the

means seeing her

volunteers that constantly praise
her and help her to reach her goals.
"I'm happy to see everybody here,"

Heather says.
For her family, it means another
season that Heather feels a sense of
camaraderie, a sense of self worth,
and a sense that she is just as important and special as anyone else.
"She's accepted here," Carol says,
"and she knows that."

^

made her

to the information

desk

names
of the doctors and nurses who took
care of her. Heather, who is allergic
to pain medications, was more conof the hospital to get a hst of

cerned with writing out her thankyou cards than the fact that she was
recovering from her surgery with
nothing more than regular aspirin.
Recently, when Heather was
back at Geisinger because of sinus
and respiratory infections, she was
treated by a physician who still
had her card hanging on his fridge,
nearly 20 years later. "She must
have had an impression on his life
too," Larry says.
Smith says Heather's kindness to
others is her best quality, and that
she strives to be friends with all of
the other riders at Eos, no matter

Providing financial well-being
for our members through
dedicated professional and
personal service for over 50 years.

Bloomsburg Branch
2251 Columbia Blvd.
570-784-5200
Fax: 570-784-5233

what

disability they have.
"She treats them like brothers and
sisters, she's comfortable with everyone she's around. There's no age limitation, no special needs limitation:
she wants to make everybody happy,"

Smith

28

PHILADELPHIA
FEDERAL CREDlLliMIL
pfcu.com

er.

honest

says.

Spectrum Magazine

Rachael Kerstetter

Laura Karchner

New Dawn and
Eos

is a non-profit organization dedicated to helppeople of all ages with physical and mental disabilities. The program provides special needs people
educational and therapeutic activities, increased confidence, and a circle of support, through equestrian
based lessons, says Debbie Smith, executive director
and founder of EOS Therapeutic Riding Center.
"Doctor's don't see outside the box, they don't realize there are goals out there to be met without scientific structure," says Smith.
The program was founded in 1991 after Smith suffered
a back injury and was confined to a wheelchair for over
a year. "I wanted to help people who go through the

ing

same

thing

I

went through," she says. The name

a shortened fomn of the Greek word Eohippus,
meaning "new dawn, new beginning." It is also the name

"Eos"

is

of the

first

horse of evolution.

"I

felt

that a

new dawn

and new beginning was great, because that's what
our kids are getting," says Smith.
Smith began the program with just seven riders
and two ponies out on loan. Seventeen years later,
Eos is a year round operation involving 90 riders, 10
horses, five instructors, and a multitude of volunteers
and benefactors. Eos was initially able to expand after
receiving a $152,000 community development grant
from Columbia County in 1998. The grant allowed the

Evan Radise

Spring 2008

Noah Hartman

Heidi Fletcher

Pat Zeblisky

a

New

Beginning

program to build a large indoor arena, permitting
more space and insuring therapy sessions regardless
of weather.

Smith says that the program would not be poscommunity involvement and those who
donate their time. "Anyone can be a volunteer, they
just have to love people and love life," she says. Even
sible without

with the help

it

receives, the non-profit

still

struggles

funds and to find enough volunteers.
Eos has a waiting list says Smith, and has had
one "for the past seven or eight years." Despite the

to raise

demand

for riding sessions,

and the expenses

of

running the program, Eos has never turned a rider

away due

to the inability to pay. "What better gift
can you give someone, than a period of time with
total happiness," Smith says.
Running Eos has taught Smith to appreciate what
she has. "Whatever challenges are thrown at you
and however tough things look, there are always
ways to get around problems and issues, and there
is always someone out there in worse shape than
you are," she says.

[For information about volunteering or therapy
sessions, contact Smitti at 570-784-5445 or tlirougli
e-mail at Eosriding@wmconnect.com.]

William Manning

Brad Vargo

Classic Cars
by Antonella Dinnocenzo
Photos by Annelise Chayka

The

different cultures

that surround

New York

helped shape what Cesare

now refers
"knack

to as his

for fashion." After

graduating from Queens

Community

College

and

the Fashion Institute
of Technology, Cesare

went on

to Alexander's,

a large department store

on Lexington Avenue in
Manhattan. There, he
became the buyer for ladies'
accessories.

"In the big city, people

are dressing for style and

purpose. There

is a higher
standard there," says

Cesare.

Five years later, he
to Capador's, a

went

manufacturer of ladies'
accessories, where he

became a partner

for the
purchasing, design, and
quality control of foreign markets. As the outside man in
ladies' accessories he purchased the products and then
resold them to fit the latest trends.

Leaning against his
remodeled purple and grey
three window 1932 Ford Coupe, "You
have to be open minded in
Tom Cesare looks back on
fashion. You have to be able to
the ride of his life, one that
step out and break tradition."
combines fashion and auto
Cesare explains, 'Tou have have to be out there and

gamble with colors. Hit all of these things the right way
and you've got a winner."

restorations.
Born

in Queens, N.Y., Cesare

the world of fashion.

30

became aquatinted with

Cesare took this philosophy with him while he traveled
throughout the world to find the most marketable items

Spectrum Magazii

He remembers taking
unique and different products to
make coordinated efforts to create
available.

new products.
"Each area has a

'

;r^'

specialty,"

Cesare explains. Italy, he
recalls, was proficient in leather
handbags, the Orient featured
belts and ladies wigs, and India
,

fevolved around fabrics.

s

o
,0

S
o
°

"Never take
anything for
granted and always
try to be contracted
in your thinking."
Cesare says, "If the style of a boot is really hot and
j^ou notice that in the far distance they are making
1 ladies hat with studs on it, try to incorporate
;hem both. Make the good boot and incorporate the
?ood stones on

it."

After his business partner, Irving Paul, died,

moved to Bloomsburg. He used to visit an
who lived in Berwick. "I saw a lot that I liked.

Cesare
ancle

found the area very relaxing and slow paced,"
Cesare says. He took a part-time job working as the
[

seafood

manager

'The purchasing

for

Giant Markets, Bloomsburg.

end

of fashion related to
purchasing timely items and the proper quantities
it

Giant," he says.

As a child, Cesare went to car meets at Nathan's
Hot Dogs one night a week where he showed off his
3ar,

a 1957 pink Chevy.

Since then Cesare has remodeled four cars.

Standing against a chain link fence tha^
separates fan from driver, dreaming of one day doing
the driving, a young boy of 6 focused on the action in
front at a local New Oxford track, only imagining of his
future."Ever since that race, driving was something I
always wanted to do," says Ray Bull, of Bloomsburg.
old, has won
was the ARDC midget
champion six times, and has raced
on dirt with some of NASCAR's giants.
Bull has his father to thank for

Bull,

now 38 years

over 100 races,

sparking his interest in cars. Maurice
Bull couldn't have known the magic
that

was turned on

in his son's soul, but

says Ray, "The passion was always there."

Growing up in New Oxford, known

and started to
meet more contacts. One of those individuals was Spike Gillespie, owner

races in a season

What

started out as a weekend job turned
into a couple days a week at the race
shop, followed

by attending two

rac-

es in a weekend.

At the end

of the

1990 season,

determination paid off. He
had been attending as many as 80
Bull's

32

made

it,"

he says.

out well with

his decision to put Bull behind the

From

1991, his first

driver's seat.

with the opportunity to race his Micro Sprint for one
of the remaining races of the season.

fuU season, until 1996, Bull collected
56 wins. Gillespie also gained a son-inlaw when Bull married his daughter,

At the time. Bull was 21 years old.
"Driving was something that I always wanted to do, I just never had

Jan,

Bull with his wife, Jan,

for local sprint car drivers.

and ran with

lespie presented Bull

after

young racer
began helping out as a crew member

it

Gillespie also

of Gillespie signs in Bloomsburg. Gil-

From boyhood, the

for sprint car racing, the

just took

affair.

racing bug has beei

and daughter, Lauren,

winning at Dixieland Speedway.

money to do it," says Bull. What
he needed was someone else to own
the

the car so the financial responsibili-

wouldn't be so harsh.
"Spike called me up during the
winter months and asked me if I
wanted to drive all of the next year,"
says Bull. Having only driven once.
Bull was surprised by the offer.
"It was a chance of a lifetime so 1
ties

making racing a family

After conquering the Micro Sprints
division, Bull moved up into the

ranks of the American Racing Drivers
Club midget class in 1996. He knew
little about midget racing.
"I was coming into a whole new
division that could run with a wing,
without a wing, on dirt or on pavement," says Bull.

The ARDC was organized in 1939
by a group of East Coast drivers and
owners to look after the interests of

Spectrum Magazine

midget drivers and owners. When
the formation of the club became
public, virtually all

midget drivers

signed up. Racing legend Mario Andretti was one of many who came
from the ARDC division.
Bull found his success racing in

ARDC. Between 2000 and

2005,
midget champion. Two of those years he earned
the title of winningest midget driver
in the nation, scoring a combined 10
feature race wins in 2001 and 11 in
Bull was the

ARDC

says, "once you make it, you can race
and have a good time." He explains
the Bowl as the only race that is a
party and then a race breaks out.

"People are relaxed, playing games,
throwing Frisbee; it's more of a social
event, and it's one place that you can't
get upset if you don't do well," he says.
Though the Chili Bowl is filled with
as many as 70 champions in all divisions all racing at one time, running
next to some of racing's "superstars"
doesn't hinder Bull's concentration.

2004 out of 17 racing events held,
two of which he did not compete.
While racing with ARDC, Bull
went to Tulsa, Okla., to compete in

To Bull, racing against Tony Stewart,
Kasey Kahne, and J.J. Yeley, all of

the inaugural Chili Bowl in Janu-

racing next to another competitor.

The best wingless drivers, including some of NASCAR "s greats
who hadn't forgotten where they got

whom

CAR

ictive in

Jull

by side in the

Ray

dirt.

full

Cup

"I don't let

ary.

their start, race side

compete
Sprint

time in the

NAS-

Series, is just like

racing special

is Bull's father.

quality time that

I

because if you let it, then you're already beat before you even get on
the racetrack," he says.

"The

get to spend

with

my

Now

that his parents have retired,

a

father

weekend

is great,"

says Bull.

trip to the races consists

and daughters riding
along in his parents' motor home. "I
get to the track with my dad by my
side and we go everywhere together.
That part's great," says Bull.
Although some opportunities arose
for Bull to pursue a career in racing,
of his wife

some fellow
move away, take 10 years

after watching

that stuff bother me,

Bull.

His wife and three daughters travwith him to every race. "The kids
love it, it's like a mini vacation every
time we go," says Bull.
Another individual who makes
el

and build a

lives to try

now have

drivers
of their

career,

nothing, or never

what could have been due

and

know

to a major

by Kristin Saltzer

celebrates with the checkerd flag after

vinning at

New

Egypt Speedway.

Bull describes the Chili Bowl as

Bull's best finish

never thought

was fifth in 2005.
be happy about

a "chess match," with each driver

"I

constantly having to plan his next

a fifth place finish, but you are racing in this little track, you have this
whole week of build up; 15,000 peo-

move. "You have to be good, and you
have to be lucky," he says.
"You would think once you make
the show that's the most stressful

but it's not, that's when
you relax," he recalls. Getting into
the race itself was stressful, but Bull
part of

it,

Spring 2008

ple

around you.

was pretty

I'd

It's

not a win, but

it

he remembers.
Racing has always been a family-oriented sport, and that is where
special,"

his biggest supporters

come from.

racing accident. Bull knew putting
and family first would

his children

have a more rewarding payout in
the end.
is

When not

a sign

What's

maker

left of

at the track. Bull

at Gillespie Signs.

his spare time he uses

most importantspends time with his family and

to golf and fish, but
ly

be there for his girls.
After the end of the 2006 season.

33

Bull cut back on his schedule. "Going to the races is fun and my family
enjoys it, but if you commit to that
every week there's no going to the
beach, or doing things with the girls
that

He

ARDC

will continue to

diana, and to the Midget Nationals in
Knoxville.

Taking on a
doesn't
mean that he
not to be
is
ule

feared.

"The

Raging

Bull,"

as

often

he's

known, scored

"You have to
be good, and
you have to
be lucky."
-Ray

victory

in

May 2007

at

Susquehan-

Bull

currently fourth on the
list.

the family

more
Bull.

it's

about

quality,"

says

"We ran

for the points
for

''

success
Banking

fit

now with

in;

to

our Y"

races

you

when, where
and how
you like it

years

six

straight,

and I

cherished that
time,

but

it

got tough," he

na Speedway
Park. He is
time win

many
can

The key

how

quantity,

his 50th career

ARDC

"It

used to be the

they need to
do," says Bull.
limited sched-

and New

the trips to North Carolina

York. Trips are planned to Illinois, In-

think

I

compete in

races around the state, but limit

.

^^t

says.

The

ARDC

all-

ChiH

Bowl, however, will continue to stay

on the schedule.

^
Scow Toicnship

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ready to be pushed out for his next race, mentally prepares himbefore side by side racing action at Silver Spring Speedway.

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self

34

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Spectrum Magazine

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Spring 2008

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35

High school students juggle
classes, extracurriculars, and
their social lives to enter college

with more than a year of credits
Story and photos by Jenna Wisniewski
time Courtney King sat in a college
was scared to ask her professor a question. "The professors are the most
intimidating part," says King, a senior at Montgomery High School. King is one of over 100 high school
students who are taking college classes at Bloomsburg University.
EHza Reed, a senior at Shamokin Area High School,

The

first

classroom, she

adds another perspective to college work. "There really isn't
much extra work; you just have to study," Reed says.

that

King

notes,

"Even though many

B's."

King

also

of the classes are

and
remembers the uneasy feeling of being

tougher than high school,

I still

receive mostly A's

a high school student in college. "Because I am still in
high school, I sometimes feel out of place," says King.
Both girls now accept college as second nature.
"No one even knows I am in high school so I can
just do my own thing," says Reed, "because the college atmosphere is so different than high school."
They are both surprised at how different college is
from high school, but believe they are getting the best
of both worlds.
Both students are attending BU through the Advanced
College Experience (ACE).

ACE, estabhshed

in 2003,

al-

lows high school students to famiharize themselves with

36

Courtney King and Eliza Reed discuss academics
walking between classes on the BU campus.

whiif

Spectrum Magazine

High School is

college while still attending high school. "It's a great

senior at Central Columbia

way

program. Although King and Reed are taking several college classes, Mordan is satisfied with just
one. "It's kind of the thing to do at Central [Columbia
High School]. A lot of students take advantage of the
ACE program because we are so close to the university," she says. Mordan believes that even though she is
taking only one college class, she will benefit from the
experience next year when she attends BU full time.
"I wanted to get the nervousness of the first college
class over with before I became a full time student," she
says. Mordan's only college course is Interpersonal Com-

students to experience college before becoming
a full time student at a university," says Karen Murtin,
head of BU's ACE program. Because many of the fees
are waived, students can attend college and pay only 25
for

percent of the price a full time student pays.
King, 18, will graduate from high school with 18 college credits. "Because I have taken these classes, I can
start college in the fall with a crutch. If I do poorly in a

and need to drop it, I have 18 credits to fall back
King says. She is undecided about her major but is

class
on,"

considering pharmaceutical sales. However, BU doesn't
offer that major so she would have to transfer later on
in her college career.

from
exams. Her 39
credits are equivalent to almost three semesters worth.
She hopes to become a physical therapist. Reed believes
the credits will help lessen her workload no matter
which major she decides to take. Both girls divide their
time between high school and college.
Each morning they go to their high school classes,
and then leave between 10 and 11:30 a.m. to arrive on
BU's campus in time to start the second part of their
Reed,

17,

will graduate high school with credits

BU, community

college classes,

and

AP

in the

also enrolled

ACE

munications, an introduction course at the university.
Mordan, like King and Reed, remembers her first day
as intimidating. No one knew she was in high school

and she wanted to keep it that way. On her first day
there was a phrase the professor kept using that she
didn't understand. "I had to confront the professor after
class," she says, "and she explained 'Blackboard' was an
online site that professors use to post assignments and
grades through the website. The professor was so nice
and even took me to her office to show me how to use
Blackboard so

Many

I

wasn't confused anymore."

people believe that because high school stu-

"Freedom is the best part of this experience," says
King. Unlike Reed, King had read about the ACE program online. "No one at my school had really heard
about the program. My mom and I had to search online
and then ask my guidance counselor about it before I

Although Mordan believes taking college
still in high school is an accomplishment,
she doesn't believe she is a child genius. "People seemed
to be impressed but I don't take the stereotype in a posi-

could even apply," King says.

tive way,"

day.

Reed found out about the ACE program when a representative spoke at her school. Reed was then approached
by her guidance counselor and began to think about the
possibility of the program. Her older sister had already
taken classes through the ACE program and reported a
good experience. "I saw how it prepared my sister and
how much she liked it," Reed says.
Like King and Reed, Jenna Mordan, an 18-year-old

a great way for the
students to experience
It's

college before becoming a
full

time student at a

university."

— Karen

Murtin

dents are taking college courses, they are over achievers
or prodigies.

classes while

Mordan says.
Reed has similar views about the stereotype. "I'm
not a prodigy or a genius, and I am only a year younger than many of the students here," she says. Reed believes taking college classes will give her a

when she attends
King agrees.

BU this

"It's

fall

head start

as a freshman.

mostly adults that think I'm a

child prodigy or genius," says King, but "I'm really just
like

any other high school

kid.

I

just

wanted a

feel of

"I wanted to get the
nervousness of the first
college class over with
before became a full time
."
student
I

—Jenna Mordan
life and a way to jump-start my college caBecause both gii-ls believe their genius status is
overrated, they just live their lives day by day as high
school and college students.
"I can still be a high school kid. but receive more academic stimulation." Reed says. Reed and King as well as
most ACE students, agree that taking college classes is
not as hard as

Jenna Mordan is taking one college class to get over
her nervousness before enrolling at BU in the fall.

the college
reer."

they thought

would
'I

have lots

time

it

be.
of

for all mj-

acti\dties. I

college
at the

take

classes

would be taking high school
ones," says Reed,

time
about

the

frame

is

same as if
1 were finishing my day at
the

high
Her

school."
extracui--

ricular
ties

acti\-i-

consume

her da}-; anj'one who didn't
know her wotdd
wonder how she
ever

fits

ev-

er\i:hing in. "I

have

time

for

my

I

see a

of

my fi'iends

diuing

my play prac-

she says.
King, like Reed, also beheves she has time for

all

her

"Even though I may have to spend a bit more
time studying. I have plenty of time to get it aU in. You just
have to make schedules and stick to them," King says.
All three giiis agi'ee ha\"ing a schedule and keeping
an agenda is the best ad\ice for someone in the ACE program. Reed believes she would lose her head without her
acti^^ties.

agenda.

"You need

it

to

keep

all

your

activities, classes,

ams straight. Once you have that down,

it's

and

ex-

really not that

bad." says Reed.

King

ha\dng a schedule helps keep her life
"Sometimes there is a conflict mth an exam or
a game back home, but most professors will work arotind
it and as long as I let them know ahead of time, an exam
can be moved \\ith little hassle." King says. All three girls
believe that responsibilty is the biggest difference between
high school and college.
As the giiis leave BU after then' first day of classes
thej^ know it has ah-eady been a great experience. "I took
college classes to challenge myself more. I have however, benefited fi'om the experience in more than one way,"
agi'ees that

in order.

King

says.

ai'e similai'. "This progi'am and this school
have helped me learn what college is hke. and I can't wait
to come here in the fall." says Reed. Most ACE students
agi-ee that stai'ting college with experience is their idea
of a perfect beginning.

Monique Grimord.

Reed's \'iews

^

17, of

Central Columbia High School,

Introduction to Drawing class at

program. Grimord.
University,

lot

sports practices, so they don't really ever feel

left out."

same time

I

"so

everjthing.
tices or

wanted

who

plans to

to get

is

attending an

Bloomsburg University through the ACE
major in graphic design at Susquehanna

a few credits before starting college

in

the

fall.

Spectrum Magazine

*^

F""^—

Local schools are making readin

by Ashley Seigfried

Fourth-grade student Michele Ko-

tarsky of Nescopeck Elementary

one out of millions of stu-

School

is

dents

who have become fond

reading. Kotarsky, like
er students,

is

is Fundamental. "I
book and being able to keep

involved in Reading

ally like getting to choose a

of

many othreit,"

says Michele.

dren. RIF tries to teach every child about the value of
books and the importance of reading. "The aim is to
get the kids motivated about reading. By providing free
books for children it helps low income families build a
home library of books to read at home," says Pasukinis.
RIF also hopes to build stronger community based childrens and family literacy programs.
The program is designed to have volunteers come in
during the school day, read stories to the students, and encourage them to read. The volunteers often come up with
a motivational activity or a theme for that specific day.
"I will often choose a favorite children's author and
read aloud a portion of that book." says Cathy Kline,
RIF coordinator for the Nescopeck Elementary School.
One activity at Nescopeck was to have children donate
a "gently used" book to Katrina victims. The activity
was a success and they learned how important reading
is to all

ties

may

children in the nation, says Pasukinis. Activiinclude arts and crafts, fun games, scavenger

hunts, and more. They help the students to have an enand use their own sense of creativity.
"Salem Elementary School did a Snow Blizzard
Reading Contest where the children read lots of books.

joyable time

Makayla Hess, Paige Superko, and Taylor Brown
in RIF at Nescopeck Elementary School.

participate

RIF has provided books for children across the United States. This non-profit organization, founded by Margaret McNamara in 1966, began as a small program at
three elementary schools in Washington, D.C. It's now
in about 20,000 schools in the United States. About 16
million books are provided for 4.6 million children every year, according to RIF.

"RIF has really encouraged me to read more and I
have finished every book that I have received," says
Tristan Delp, fourth-grader at Nescopeck Elementary
school. Lindsey Anderson, a fifth-grader at Nescopeck
Elementary School, says she has saved all of her RIF
books and now has her own personal library.
"RIF is all about encouraging children and their
families to read and helping them understand the importance of reading," says Cheryl Pasukinis, RIF coordinator for the Berwick School District. This year more
than 5,000 books will be distributed to the children in
the Berwick elementary schools. Millville Elementary
School and the four elementary schools in Berwick all
take part in the program. The organization primarily
provides a literacy program for underprivileged chil-

Spring

2008

For each book they read, they earned a snowfiake to

hang in the hallway. They tried to make the school
like there was a blizzard inside," says Pasukinis.

look

At the end of each session, students get the chance to
"RIF has made reading fun for me, and there

pick a book.

always a good selection of books," says Tyler Evans,
fourth-grade student at Nescopeck Elementary School.
"Students are offered books at a variety of reading levels
is

can find one that is just right for them," adds
about promoting a love for literature, children are not taught how to read through this program.
"By the end of their elementary school career, students
will have a shelf full of their very own books to read and
so that they

Kline. It

is all

and over!" says Pasukinis.
The funding is provided through RIF, the federal
government, local businesses and community members.
enjoy over

For each order of books RIF covers 75 percent of the cost
and the other 25 percent is paid for through donations,
Pasukinis says.
However, President Bush's budget plan for 2009,
eliminates RIF's funding of $25.5 million. Carol H.
Rasco, RIF president, says unless Congress reinstates
the funds RIF will be cancelled. For this year, RIF's

budget

is intact.

Next year, there may be no RIF programs.

S
39

^>^sv

Sheriff Sales:

^

The connection between adjustable
rate mortgage loans and forclosuires
by Joe Korba and Chris Fetterman
subprime loan crisis, severe increases in
unemployment, and the reality of the nation
at the beginning of a recession has led to a
significant increase in house foreclosures and
sheriff's sales in Columbia County.
Foreclosures in the county have risen from an average

The

of about 30 a year to over 100. Last year

was a record

year for foreclosures, with 120 homes put onto the auction
Tim Chamberlain. During the

block, according to Sheriff
first

quarter of 2008, there were 18 sheriff's sales.

The problem may have begun
lain, "when interest rates were

Chamberincredibly low." At the

in 2003, says

time, says Chamberlain, "people were re-mortgaging, get-

ting the adjustable rates,

The

rates soon shot

up

to

and now they can't pay them."
more than 20 percent in some

cases, rising at such a rate "that the borrower is blindsidbills that keep increasing as the economy
With increased unemployment, a two income
household was hit by the workplace economy, outsourcing
to other countries, and by the rising interest rates. "It is

ed by monthly
gets worse."

very difficult to afford a

Chamberlain

The

home with one income anymore,"

says.

sheriff also

of the problem.

blames the lending industries

He

for

some

believes lending institutions should

have been "more responsible in giving mortgages to people, they should know that they can pay it."
[Several organizations assist people in danger of losing
their homes to foreclosure. For more information, contact
the

Homeownership Preservation Foundation, a

counseling service, at 1-888-995-HOPE (4673.)]

e

federal

^

Need YOU!

Individuals, schools, churches,

and

civic

organizations are needed to volunteer
their time to erase the indifference.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Address: NEPA Alliance Against Homelessness

SOLVE Office of Bloomsburg University
400 E. 2nd St.
Bloonnsburg, PA 17815
Phone:

{570)389-5437

Email:

stvolser@bloomu.edu

Fax:

(570)389-3005

http://organizations.bloomu.edu/endhomelessness

Northeast Pennsylvania Alliance
Against Homelessness
at

40

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Spectrum Magazine

@ PMC BANK

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on the campus of
Bloomsburg University!

Inside you win and..

RETIREMENT
is

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around the comer.

.

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At the end of each
semester, the University

Store re-purchases textthat have been
adopted for the upcoming semester
at 50% of the retail price. Textbooks
not needed for inventory may be
purchased by the Missouri Book
Company at the prevailing market
price. You can also donate your
books during this time as well!

books

Hours of Operation
Regular Semester Hours

Mon.

-

Thvirs. 7:45 a.m. - 8:00

p.m.

4:30 p.m.

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imtil

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@

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Spring

2008

41

H^,

'^^-

k''

fiM^Wf--^

"'

'»^''

'

% M"
itis explains h
rriangular Teer

Spectrum Magazine

edged between a cigar shop and a restaurant in
downtown Bloomsburg, a small business provides
an opportunity for local artists to showcase their

and artistic vision. Bluegrass melodies hum
softly in the background as customers browse the
paintings and photographs which adorn the walls of
the gallery."Open Your Eyes to Dream is an extension
creativity

of my living room," says Eric Shurmaitis, gallery owner
,

and

artist.

"This gallery

is

my baby,"

says Shurmaitis,

who

launched his business in April 2005.
Shurmaitis used

money he had accumulated from years

of working "terrible jobs" throughout various parts of the

vacuums and pumping gas

U.S.: selling

in Wilkes-Barre;

mowing lawns

in

in Eugene, Ore.; delivering pizzas

Bear Creek; and even

"Some of those jobs were frustrating," he
money away for something of my own."
os.

says, "but

I

and

selling cars

selling timeshares in the

knew that I was

always

Pocon-

stocking

Shurmaitis had gone to Oregon on the advice of a good friend and then eventually
tled

set-

back in Pennsylvania. He landed in Bloomsburg when he discovered the current loI wanted a decent amount of space for a reasonable price in a town

cation. "Basically,

where there was a cultural

Once

the property

was

interest in the arts,"

he says.

secure, Shurmaits' unique viiiiing fantasies that

when he was very young.
When he was 5, his parents

began

„,,...,
him

in private

enrolled

been obsessed with art ever since," he
says, but admits that running an art gallery in a small
town like Bloomsburg can be a struggle. However, unart lessons. "I've

like

most business owners, Shurmaitis

is

obsessed with profit margins. Instead, he

not overly
is

more con-

cerned with creating a positive environment within

Spring 2008

"Fach

individual VisitOf

reacts differently wh.

they Walk thPOUgh the
^r-j^^r 9nmp «5PPm
'

n

-xu

*u

generally happy With the
Pl^CG While Others run

away

,

in lUcii.

^^q Shurmait

After graduating

high school in Wilkes-Barre, Shurmaitis earned an
associate's degree in

painting/illustration

from Luzerne County

Community

College.

After a few years of traveling,

he moved to Blooms-

burg, opening the gallery

he had been designing in
his

mind
Since

for years.
its

opening, Shur-

maits' vision for his gallery

has expanded to include yoga
classes, small-scale stage

plays,

and

live bands. "I

look for mostly up-and-

the

coming bands," he says.
These activities help cover

community, a place where learning and

creativity are the

the costs of running the gallery and provide an opportunity

primary focus. "More small

towns need a place

like this.

Too many people

believe art galleries belong in a city," he says.

Small galleries inspire

artists to

"crawl out of

more local residents to get involved in the creative arts.
Most of the bands he selects are from Pennsylvania, but some
have traveled from New York City to play at the gallery.
One theme that resonates throughout Shurmaitis' phifor

losophy of life

the cracks" of communities, because they sud-

is

the love of travel.

——
T

exists where
denly
Z
Tl^TirTTirT;
' realize a place
^
(Right): Matt Vanderslices
they can showcase their gift, he says. Rendition of Caravaggio's

"Works

of Mercy."

The walls
are

of the gallery

filled

with

photographs and

44

art.

Spectrum Magazine

moved to Bloomsburg, he
summer backpacking and bik-

Before he
spent a

ing through Europe, where he briefly

thought about relocating.

He

dured a cross-country road

has en-

trip

through

managed
much of the Northwest. "I just

between a few dollars and several hundred dollars making them affordable
to the general population. "Each individual visitor reacts differently

when

they walk through the door," says Shur-

the southern United States and

maitis,

to explore

with the place while others run away in

"some seem generally happy

love to travel and meet other artists," he

fear."

However, he explains

planning

leries

can be intimidating, so he firmly

says. In

August, Shurmaitis

his next

unorthodox adventure, a bike

trip

is

north with no particular pre-planned

itinerary. "That's

how

traveled through

I

met so many
interesting people. Traveling on a bicycle
forces you to take it slow and meet as
many people as you possibly can."
Europe," he says, "and

I

Shurmaitis views his gallery as a tem-

porary piece of his

life,

a temporary lo-

that art gal-

believes in an open door policy for

all,

measure the
well-being of a small community. His
passion for artistic culture seems to res-

onate through his every action. According to Shurmaitis, he considers himself

an "abstract mixed media

artist"

human

whose

current focus deals with

now, I'm trying to find a handful of

and the dream which they collectively

trustworthy people to pass on the gallery

experience. "I have been trying to paint

he says. But his vision of Open Your

Eyes to Dream goes beyond being confined to one place. "I want to open

more

galleries all across the country," the

27-year-old says.

Brosch,

is

A close friend. Matt

currently surveying locations

in Asheville, N.C., the future

Open Your Eyes
Most of the

to

Dream

home of

2.

gallery pieces are priced

Quality Briar Pipes

Shurmaitis maintains that creative outlets are crucial to

cation not limited to Bloomsburg. "Right

to,"

•

regardless of social standing.

a clearer picture of what they

beings

want from

new possibilities," he says. By launching Open Your
Eyes to Dream in downtown Bloomslife

and help them

to see

young artist has in fact fuldreams by offering others a
chance to cultivate their creativity and

burg, this
filled his

begin to bring their

dreams

to fruition.

own

^

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Spectrum Magazine

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