820-Lancaster Fuming, Saturday, February 14, 1998
Storytelling
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
ALTOONA (Blair Co.) -
Storytelling is an age-old art of
passing stories orally from per
son to person.
It's something the early set
tlers did as they sat around
their cabins on dark winter
evenings with only a candle for
light.
American Indians are also
renown for their storytelling
abilities.
One Pennsylvania lady who
has been doing all she can to
help with the promotion of sto
rytelling is Jan Kinney of
Altoona
Jan was a librarian at
Hollidaysburg High School
when she first learned the art of
storytelling and saw it as a way
to encourage children to read.
"It takes long hours of prac
tice," Jan admits. "I read each
story four times. Then, I write it
down as I remember it and final
ly practice telling it aloud with
the help of a tape recorder."
It is necessary to obtain the
permission of an author before
pubhcally telling a story you
have read. If that story is a
fable or an old fairy tale, this is
not necessary. There are many
books of stories written just for
the storyteller.
Jan Kinney encourages chil
dren and adults to learn the art
of storytelling. It's a great way
to entertain at your next family
gathering or summer picnic.
On the second Monday
evening of each month, Jan
leads a group of storytellers at
the Altoona Library. Children
and their parents come from
surrounding areas to listen to
Jan and the others in her group
who have also become story
tellers.
They use the fluctuation of
their voices as well as their
hands and body movements to
make the story interesting.
Teach F
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Adult
farmers know they can drown m
a gravity bed full of grain. The
gram shifts, making it impossi
ble to get secure footing. And if
the grain is flowing out, the
force of gravity can quickly pull
someone under the surface.
But to a child, that potential
ly dangerous mound of grain
look like a perfect place to play.
Each year, about 300 children
die and more than 24,000 are
seriously injured on farms
nationwide. Day-long farm safe
ty camps increase children's
awareness of potential hazards
through powerful demonstra
tions and hands-on activities,
said Dee Jepsen, a youth safety
coordinator at Ohio State
University.
Anyone interested in teach
ing agricultural safety to kids
and farm families is invited to
attend an upcoming training
program, Jepsen said. The pro
gram, "Conducting Farm Safety
Day Camps in Your
Community," will guide partici
pants through everything they
need to know to hold a day
camp. The Feb. 26 program will
be held on the campus of Ohio
State University.
"We're trying to establish 10
day camps across the state,"
Makes A Comeback
in mney uses visual aiv> jry to very young
children. For older children and adults, she uses only her
voice, hands, and body to enhance the story.
Children as well as adults are
enthralled with the various
tales.
Sometimes, storytellers write
their own stories. It is Jan
Kinney's desire to research the
Altoona and Cambria County
areas for her own ghost stories.
Jan, a grandmother, tells sto
ries in schools, at festivals and
community events, churches
and museums. Each year she
organizes a storytelling haunt of
the Baker's Mansion, an historic
home located in the Altoona
area.
In October, a huge national
storytelling festival is held in
arm Safety
Community
Jepsen said. "We're looking tor
community coordinators to take
these programs to the kids."
The morning session will
teach participants about the
mechanics of planning a camp,
including gaining community
support, obtaining sponsorship,
selecting a camp site, publiciz
ing the event and estimating
needed supplies.
In the afternoon, participants
will learn how to put on an
interactive camp.
"Participants will leave with
materials that will guide them
through every program, from
supplies needed to safety pre
cautions," Jepsen said. "People
will see how the demonstrations
are done and learn how to pre
sent them."
For example, to show how
quickly someone can be entan
gled in a power-take-off unit,
teachers can catch a stuffed
dummy in the unit. To do this
demonstration safely, choose
newspaper instead of straw to
stuff the dummy, use sweat
pants instead of jeans, and
remove all buttons from the
shirt. All these steps prevent
flying debris such as straw
shards, zippers or buttons from
hitting a spectator.
Typically, farm safety camps
cover six to 10 areas. Of those,
Jonesborough, Tennessee.
There is also a very popular
Corn Island Festival held in
Kentucky in September.
Also in September, a story
-1 telling festival is held at
Mansfield University in
Pennsylvania.
Perhaps you know of a story
teller in your area who could
help arrange a workshop for
children.
For more information from
Jan, contact her at (814)943-
1080 or you can write her at
1900 16th Avenue, Altoona,
Pennsylvania.
In Your
tractor and equipment safety,
poisons, and livestock handling
and drowning - in either water
or grain - are always included.
The other areas vary according
to the needs of the community,
Jepsen said. Coordinators from
last year's camps will also be on
hand to provide their tips for
putting on a successful camp.
The 10 day camps in 1998
will be sponsored by Nationwide
Insurance, Ohio Farm Bureau
and Ohio State University
Extension. Seed monies and
camp T-shirts are available;
applications will be at the train
ing sessions.
The program will be held
from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at
the Agricultural Engineering
Building. The $2O registration
fee includes the Leader's Guide
and resource notebook for
designing Farm Family Safety
& Health Workshops, video and
publication resources that are
appropriate for various rural
audiences, and lunch.
Fore more information or to
register, contact Dee Jepsen, 222
Ag. Engineering Building, 590
Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus,
Ohio 43210, or call (614)292-
6008. More information can also
be obtained on a web site
(http://www.ag/ohio
state.edu/~agsafety).
usk
This column is for readers who have questions bui
don’t know who to ask for answers.
“You Ask—You Answer” Is tor non-cooking ques
tions. When a reader sends In a question, It will be
printed In the paper. Readers who know the answer are
asked to respond by mailing the answer, which will
then be printed in the paper.
Questions and Answers to this column should be
addressed to You Ask—You Answer, Lancaster Farm
ing, P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. Attention: Lou
Ann Good.
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QUESTION —A Snyder County subscriber would like to
know where to purchase a Reed’s Pocket Nut Cracker
Model #Bl6.
QUESTION M. Riehl, 333 Laurel Rd., Narvon, PA
17555, would like a pattern for making an adult size bean
bag chair. She has a pattern for a regular size bean bag
chair but wants a larger size. She is willing to pay a reason
able price for the pattern and the postage, but contact her
before you send it.
QUESTION Robin from Elverson is looking for a
directions to make a room freshener similar to one sold at
Bath and Body Works. It is called Jelly Jar Scents and com
es in a jelly jar used for canning. It is in a gel form and con
tains ‘bitrex.*
QUESTION —Ruth Miller is willing to pay a reasonable
price for an out-of-print book, The Secret of the Singing
Heart," by C.W. Naylor. Call her at (301) 842-2029.
QUESTION—Mary Pazzaglia, Columbia Cross Roads,
wants addresses for suppliers for chipwood baskets that
measure 4V4 -inch wide and 3’/«-inch deep, and
2 'A -inches high.
QUESTION L. Tyrpen, Fredericksburg, wants large
blocks of scented and colored wax, not beeswax, to melt
for candlemaking.
QUESTION —John Los, York, is looking for a place to
buy a Claxton horn, also known as an “Ah-oofi-ga," horn.
During the 19605, auto parts stores carried the horns in
their line of accessories.
QUESTION—LIoyd Gingrich, Lebanon, wants to know
where to get caps for croquet mallets.
QUESTION John Seller, R. 1, Box 99, Allenwood,
would like a service manual for an Allis Chalmers Forkload
model #5OO, serial #lBB6. It uses a 4 cylinder engine mod
el #l6O-19755-R.
QUESTION Michael Binder, McConnellsburg, is
searching for a source for parts for an electric furnace man
coal stoker make in the 1930 s and 19405. Needs model
A2O electric motor.
QUESTION Sylvia Fryberger, 325 Creek Rd., Den
ver, PA 17517, is looking for the directions for a reversible
shell afghan. She saw one displayed at the Ephrata Fair
about two years ago.
QUESTION Terry Lowe, New Park, is hoping to
purchase wood or coal grates for a Wincroft #BBBB2R
cookstove, made in Middletown.
QUESTION Bob Zoetewey, Denver, Col., has a
POW-R-TRON Electric hammer Model #2sp Serial
#749212 manufactured in Home, Pa. He needs to corres
pond or have a telephone conversation with some one who
has an owners manual, maintenance manual or parts cata
log for the drill. He'd like to be able to obtain a copy of the
manual and know where to buy parts for the drill.
QUESTION T. Faber, Booonville, would like to find
Dark Tower Games, a battery-powered Castle made by
Milton Bradley early 1980 s. Looking for complete games or
just small parts. Where can he find some?
QUESTION—Jo Marie Snyder, New Bloomfield, would
like to know how to sex chickens and ducks before they are
grown. Is there a good instruction book printed?
(Turn to Pago 826)