A3o—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, March 15,1980
Farm family scrapbook
(Continued from Page Al)
half-way up. There’s a good
view of TMI from the top,
but they were wondering if it
was worth it.”
Friday, March 30: “Today
it was a New York Times’
man who wanted a cow in the
field to photograph the
towers in the background.”
Nissley raises Holstein
steers and fortunately had
one specially tame that
could be called upon for the
photo.
“I let the steer out m the
field,” Nissley said.
“At first, he was real
frisky, jumping and running
around. The photographer
couldn’t understand why the
animal just wouldn’t hold
still for the photo. Finally he
calmed down enough and I
held him while the picture
was taken.”
Nissley also did quite a bit
of hauling an empty manure
spreader around the field
that looks down on the power
plant.
“The photographers
wanted some action in the
field,” Nissley said.
“I just drove the tractor
back and forth pulling the
empty spreader. They
waved their arms this way
and that like a movie
director trying to line me up
with the towers.”
The scrapbook continues
with Mrs. Nissley’s entry for
Saturday, March 31;
“I wanted to go to Uncle
Henry’s to spend the day but
Daddy didn’t think it was
necessary so we stayed
home. We went down to the
little tenant house and
painted the kitchen and
laundry. But we kept the
radio on constantly ”
Saturday night: “We feel
very much alone. It was
dark all around us and the
helicopters were flying over
every 15 minutes.”
The Nissleys explain that
this was a low point for them
during the first week. Many
neighbors had evacuated
and their darkened houses
were constant reminders
Sunday, April 1: “We had
a wonderful service at
Good’s Mennomte Church,
committing everything to
God and asking Hun to give
wisdom to those in authority
and to keep us safe.
“In the afternoon,
President Jimmy Carter
came TMI and we went
over to see him.”
Pasted in the Nissley
scrapbook is a blurred photo
of the president’s hmo as it
sped by the onlookers.
Sunday night: “They were
still making it sound like we
might have to evacuate so
we packed a suitcase ”
Monday, April 2. “Things
began to sound better so we
stayed ”
The family had planned to
tf J i.ta Count: if
evacuation had been or
dered. The 50,000 hens were
on automatic watering and
feeding, but there was still
the daily problem of packing
the eggs, requiring someone
to return to the farm.
Tuesday, April 2: “As the
days ahead unfolded, we had
news reporters about every
day who took pictures and
asked questions.”
Some Brazilian reporters
particularly were
remembered by the family.
“They wanted to visit the
chicken house,” Nissley
said.
“They had never seen
anything like it and seemed
to be more amazed with it
than the accident.”
Just about a year has
passed since the accident
and Nissley encounters
regular reminders. He
doesn’t need to follow the
news to be aware of them,
either.
“I drive school bus and
watch the plant’s parking lot
as I go by,” he said.
“If there are a lot of cars
in it, I know the reporters
are here and something is
going on.”
When he’s out in his fields,
Nissley only needs to glance
overhead. Eighty of his 230
acres have power lines
above them.
“When I’m pulling a
wagon and it’s damp, I
watch myself,” he said.
“Jumping off the tractor
and touching the wagon can
give a shock that you really
feel.
“When I make a round of
the fields, I pass under them
eight tunes.
“Sometimes at night you
can really hear those lines. It
sounds just like a frying
pan.”
Looking back, Mr. and
Mrs. Nissley have somewhat
conflicting views about the
plant.
“I’m not really fearful of
it,” Nissley said. “If we want
the power, I guess we need
them. But now let them be
more cautious, put more
safeguards m them and build
them away from population
centers.”
Mrs. Nissley has different
strong feelings.
“I don’t like it,” she said.
“I wish they would close it
down and never open it.
There’s the problem of
getting nd of the wastes, too
I don’t think that it’s the
type of thing we should give
to our future generations
Speaking of generations,
quite a few of the Nissley
family have lived on that
land.
Grandson Jeffrey is the
eighth generation.
A lot of family history has
gone into the land, but none
compares to that week or so
about a year ago recorded in
the Nissley scrapbook for
Family scrapbook brings back vivid memories of the week following TMI ac
cident for Mr. and Mrs. Clair Nissley, of Dauphin County.
Brooks End holds spring sale
BEAVERTOWN - Brooks
End and Par Kay Farms,
Beavertown, PA. held their
annual Spring Sale on March
7.
A total of 181 head sold for
$52,930, for an avg. of $292.
Also 121 head of pure-bred
boars and gilts averaged
$349.
The top-selling animal was
a Yorkshire Bred Gilt at
$950. The top-selling
Yorkshire Boar was pur
chased for $550.
The top-selling Landrace
Bred Gilt was purchased for
MANURE STORAGE?
Go For A
SYSTEM
Not Just A
Manure Pile
ACORN MONSTER PUMP
W&J A ACORN
THE FIRST TEAM BN SOLID MANURE STORAGE
SYSTEMS FOR STALL BARNS OR FREE STALL BARNS
See Us At Dairy Manure Management Seminar
Monday, March 17 at the Farm & Home Center
$550. The top-selling Lan
drace Open Gills were
purchased for $230. The top
selling Landrace Boar was
purchased for $450.
The 45 head of Yorkshire
Bred Gilts avg. $406. The 19
head of Yorkshire Boars
avg. $362. The 39 head of
Landrace Bred Gilts avg.
$312. The 10 head of Lan
drace Open Gilts avg. $215.
The 8 head of Landrace
Boars avg. $347. The 60 head
of Commencal Open Gilts
avg. $l7B.
This sale offering sold mto
Interested In
13 different states. Most of
this sale offering was of
Scotland Importation
Bloodline Heritage. The next
sale offering of Brooks End
and Par Kay Farms will be
on July 25.
Goat Gang 4-H Club meets
FLEMINGTON, N.J. The club is presently
The January meeting of the planning to bring goats for a
Goat Gang 4-H Club was held 4-H program to the Hun
at the home of their leader, terdon State School.
Anna Hartman, of Stockton.
We’ll Design A System
to Meet Your Needs
Of Today, with
Growth Flexibility
Horse
behaviour to
be studied
CHAMBERSBURG - A
short course, intended for
anyone of high school age
and above who is interested
in the Behavior of Horses
will be held; 6 sessions
starting March 26. Topics
include: maintenance
behavior, social behavior,
communicating behavior,
sexual behavior, mother
young relationships, and
play.
Instructor for the sessions
will be Ronald Keiper,
Associate Professor of
Biology, at Penn State.
Keiper has done extensive
research with the wild
pomes on Assateague Island.
The sessions will be held at
the Chambersburg Area
Senior High School, Wed
nesdays from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Cost is $24.00 per person
which includes all course
materials.
For more information call
(717) 749-3134.