mcatl ■arail lycoming County Dancers Square Off in Repaired Barn To Benefit 4-H BY BARBARA MILLER Lycoming Co. Correspondent WILLIAMSPORT - Seventeen squares of dancers recently promenaded in a bam whose roof was ripped off by a tornado last May. For the tenth consecutive year the Bald Eagle Creek 4-H Club held its annual square dance at the Burton Stamen farm, Mont gomery. It was also a celebration for the Stamen family, whose bam was again complete with a new, round, clear spanned roof. The Stamens, Burton Sr. and wife, Marjorie, and their sons Burton Jr., Eric and wife, Lori, farm 200 acres and milk a herd of 80 registered Holsteins. Shortly after the dance last May a tornado touched down in the Elimsport area, cutting a swath of destruction miles in length. The tornado not only sheared off the Stamens’ barn roof, but ex tensively damaged their home, garage, and vehicles. Square dancers swing their partners during the Bald Eagle Creek 4-H Club annual dance at the Burton Stamen farm. The roof of the barn was destroyed by a tornado last May, but it was repaired in time for this year’s dance. Let’s Celebrate Well, recently I experienced another traumatic event... an additional candle on the birthday cake. It’s not that I feel old, it’s just that in my younger years I thought this age was old. Regardless of the number of years, birthdays have always been special occasions in my family. We hold such favorite traditions as choosing our favorite type of cake, having our ears pulled, getting birthday presents, and throwing big parties on our fifth and 16th birthdays. Many people share this kind of birthday tradition. Recently, my father-in-law shared a new tradition with me. He showed me a photo of himself under the table that held the bir thday cake. I thought it was most unusual, but it’s not for them... it’s their own tradition. Whoever is the birthday person has to sit under the.table. iy, May 31,1986 ing, The Stamens weren’t surprised when neighbors streamed in to help, for they’d experienced such a caring attitude 10 years before. At that time their original bam had burned and with the help of nieghbors was rebuilt. Some farmers baled hay from their own fields to fill the Stamen bam. According to Burt Jr., the first dance was held then to thank everyone who helped with the bam building. The last two years, Burt Jr. notes, they’ve had well over 200 people attending the dance on their 100-by-60 bam floor. The bam has accommodated as many as 19 squares at one time. This year the Lycoming County Holstein Association helped sponsor the dance. Although there are a number of square dances in the area, actual bam dances are rare. They afford nonrural people a taste of the farming life. “It is a perfect night for a square HOME By Michelle S. Rodgers Berks Extension Home Economist Birthdays mark the rite of passage; they mark our progress. Change and growth cannot, of course, be encapsulated in a single day, but these formal events give symbolic representation to our moving forward. Birthdays become occasions that pull us together to give praise or comfort or sustinance to each other. This event carves a space in our busy lives to focus on the family unit and on each individual within it. Bir thdays provide an opportunity to take time to say a special, ‘I love you.’ Birthday traditions are a lovely way to make a family member feel important. There are many ad venturous ways to celebrate. Here are a few ideas. School age children who have birthdays in the summer often miss sharing their celebrations with friends. Try celebrating the birthday on a half year. Make two cakes at time and freeze half of dance,” someone observed. She was right. It was a balmy you-feel-like-16 again spring night! After the guests parked their cars in a nearby field, some petted the calves in nearby hutches on their way to entering the pulled back bam doors to pay admission. Spotlights hung from the cathedral-like ceiling and the band played from a two-haywagon stage. Guests either danced or sat upon bales of hay encircling the floor. Or tucked away here and there, they perched upon bags of feed or a grain drill or just leaned against a feed mixer. If thirsty, they found the corner of the barn with two old bathtubs full of soda covered with ice. “It’s a lot of fun,” Burt Jr. ob served “You get to see a lot of people you see once a year.” Tornadoes aside, the Stamen family plans to continue the tradition of the bam dance for years to come. one to eat on the real birthday. Have an only-me birthday dinner. If things in your house are like a zoo and you feel like you have little opportunity to give each child his own space and in dividuality, try this birthday tradition. Have the child choose his favorite restaurant and take him to dinner alone. This is just his special time where you can talk alone uninterrupted by anyone. Create a birthday flag for each person in the family. Fly the flag from sunup to sundown on the day of each person’s birthday. Have an annual birthday in terview. On each child’s birthday, record on cassette tape an in terview with him or her. Ask your child to describe special memories about the past year. Add to the recording each year, then play back the previous years. Try giving some creative gifts. How about tickets to the zoo, a concert, or a movie. For a small child, a large roll of tape to use as he wishes. For parents, a prepaid motel reservation so that they can get away for a little while. I must admit, birthdays really are special occasions even though I would like to put off the years that go with them. As a matter of fact, birthdays in our family have become a monthly event, rather than just a day. My dad started celebrating his 'birhday for an entire month proceeding or following the official day. We tease him about it, but it does give all of us a chance to help him celebrate in our own individual way. I guess it’s a new tradition in the making. / 5 See your nearest I\EW HOLLAIND Dealer for Dependable Equipment and Dependable Service: Annville, PA B.H M Farm Equipment, Inc R.D 1 717-867-2211 Beavertown, PA BAR Farm Equipment, Inc. RDI, 80x217A 717-658-7024 Belleville, PA IvanJ Zook Farm Equipment Belleville, Pa 717-935-2948 Canton, PA Hess Farm Equipment 717-673-5143 Mill Hall. PA Paul A Dotterer RD 1 717-726-3471 Carlisle, PA Paul Shovers, Inc 35 East Willow Street 717-243-2686 Chambersburg, PA Clugston Implement, Inc RD 1 717-263-4103 Davidsburg, PA George N Gross, Inc R D 2, Dover, PA 717-292-1673 Elizabethtown, PA Messick Farm Equipment, Inc Rt. 283 - Rheem’s Exit 717-367-1319 Everett, PA C. Paul Ford & Son RD 1 814-652-2051 Gettysburg, PA Ymghng Implements RD.9 717-359-4848 Greencastle, PA Meyers Implement’s Inc 400 N Antrim Way PO Box 97 717-597-2176 Halifax, PA Sweigard Bros R.D 3, Box 13 717-896-3414 Hamburg, PA Shartlesville Farm Service RD 1, Box 1392 215-488-1025 Hanover, PA Sheets Brothers, Inc 1061 Carlisle St Hanover, PA 17331 717-632-3660 Honey Brook, PA Dependable Motor Co East Mam Street 215-273-3131 215-273-3737 Honey Grove. PA Norman D Clark & Son, Inc Honey Grove, PA 717-734-3682 Hughesville, PA Farnsworth Farm Supplies, Inc 103 Cemetery Street 717 584-2106 Lancaster, PA L H Brubaker, Inc 350 Strasburg Pike 717-397-5179 Lebanon, PA Keller Bros TractorCo RD 7, Box 405 717-949-6501 Lititz, PA Roy A Brubaker 700 Woodcrest Av 717-626-7766 Loysville, PA PaulShovers, Inc Loysville, PA 717-789-3117 Lynnport, PA Kermit K Kistler, Inc Lynnport, PA 215-298-2011 Martinsburg, PA Forshey’s, Inc 110 Forshey St 814-793-3791 New Holland, PA ABC Groff, Inc 110 South Railroad 717-354-4191 New Park, PA M&R Equipment Inc P 0 Box 16 717-993-2511 Oley, PA C J Wonsidler Bros RD 2 215-987-6257 Pitman, PA Marlin W Schreffler Pitman, PA 717-648-1120 Quakertown, PA CJ Wonsidler Bros RD 1 215-536-1935 Quarryville, PA C E Wiley & Son. Inc 101 South Lime Street 717-786-2895 Ringtown, PA Rmgtown Farm Equipment Ringtown, PA 717-889-3184 Tamaqua, PA Charles S Snyder, Inc RD 3 717-386-5954 Westchester, PA MS Yearsley&Son 114-116 East Market Street 215-696-2990 West Grove, PA S G Lewis & Son, Inc RD 2, Box 66 215-869-2214 Churchville, MD Walter G Coale, Inc 2849-53 Churchville Rd 301-734 7722 Frederick, MD New Holland, Inc Rt 26 East 301 662-4197 Outside MD, 800-331 9122 Westminster, MD New Holland, Inc 1201 New Windsor Rd 301-857-0711 J Outside MD, 800-331 9122 Washington, NJ Frank Rymon & Sons 201-689-1464 Woodstown, NJ Owen Supply Co Broad Street & East Avenue 609-769-0308
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers