a
S
MOTORCYCLES
1983 YAMAHA black,
50cc, special $550. Call
675-3713. 18-tfn-P
1985 KAWASAKI
“VULCAN” V-engine,
garage kept. $2400. Call
after 4° p.m. 829-6584.
29-ttn-P
4-P
TRUCKS
FORD VAN E 200, A-title,
42,000 orig. miles. Per-
fect shape, $1,500.00.
Call 825-5416. 34-4-Gr
~ TRUCKS
1972 CHEVY %: ton pick-
up truck. Good running
cond. Call 675-1650 after
5 p.m. 35-4-P
76 CHEVY SPORT VAN, 6
cyl., standard. Seats 10,
Good cond. $1800 neg.
Call 696-4161. 35-4-P
AUTO
‘84 RENAULT ALLIANCE
Exc. cond. red w-gray
interior, p:s., p.b.,
speed, stick shift, a
mpg. like new inside &
out. Must sell $2895. Call
822-8562. 36-2-P
AUTO
1975 CAMARO, good
cond. Asking $1,000 or
best offer. Call 825-7311
ext. 175, 8:30-4:30. After
5 call 822-1084. 36-1-P
RADO, FWD all options,
rust velour int. 54,000
miles. A-1 Cond. asking
$1395.00. 825-7292. 36-1-
P
.m. 35-4-P
400, 4 BBl, Sensen
stereo, Svc speakers,
runs good, needs body
work $1800. 696-4484 or
823-2244. 34-4-GR
AUTO
1980 PONTIAC GRAND
PRIX SPORTS COUPE.
Loaded, 58,000 miles.
Like new. $3695. Call
824-4497 or 287-2650. 33-
4-P
‘68 FORD LTD., auto.
transmission with torck
converter. Good $35.00.
Call 655-9220. 33-4-P
77 DATSUN B210 HATCH-
BACK, 5 speed, runs
very good. Will take best
offer. Call 868-3662 after
5 p.m. 35-4-P
V-8, auto. Runs good.
$250. Call 675-1333. 36-4-
P
5 ne
As Luzerne County prepares to celebrate its 200th
anniversary, county historian Charles A. McCarthy
offers the following history of our county.
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, was erected from a
portion of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania,
effective Monday, September 25, 1786, two hundred
years ago.
For a long period of time Luzerne County was the
largest county in terms of size in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania. It exceeded the acreage included in
each of two states: Rhode Island and Connecticut. It
was slightly smaller than the State of New Jersey. At
the time, Luzerne County was spread over 5,000 acres
of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Termed the ‘Mother of Counties”, the original area
of Luzerne County, originally known as ‘The Susque-
hanna Purchase’, encompassed all or parts of land
segments later included in: Susquehanna, Bradford,
Lackawanna, Lycoming, Schuylkill and Carbon Coun-
ties.
Luzerne County’s initial Board of Commissioners
named to serve until an election was held early in
1787, consisted of: Zebulon Butler, Nathaniel Landon,
Jonah Rogers, John Phillips and Simon Spaulding.
The legislative act giving status to the new county
directed that court and county matters be handled at
the ‘Wilksburg” home of Zebulon Butler until the
erection of a county court house.
The name ‘‘Wilksburg’’ remained in the charter
until March, 1789, at which time the Supreme Execu-
tive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
changed the record to read: Wilkesbarre (without a
hyphen between the two words).
It was not until 1805 that records recognized the
county’s seat name as Wilkes-Barre. However, some
references continually used the old spelling of the
town’s name. The record of the Times, later renamed
Wilkes-Barre Record, utilized the old spelling of the
town’s name, Wilkesbarre, until as late as 1853. Other
regional newspapers used the same spelling for many
decades.
Susquehanna County, named for the Susquehanna
River, which curved through that community, was
constituted Wednesday, February 21, 1810, from a
portion of Luzerne County. A county government was
established in this jurisdiction folloiwng the 1812
elections.
Initial action by the Pennsylvania State Legislature
to organize the region later known as Bradford County
from a portion of Luzerne County took palce at a
hearing conducted Saturday, December 19, 1807. At
the time the name Hiram was suggested as the name
for the proposed county. This plan for a new county
died aborning.
A further effort to construct a new county in this
region occured when the matter was considered by the
Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1810. On Monday,
January 29, 1810, the name Morris was proposed for
the new county. However, under terms of an amended
bill passed Wednesday, February 21, 1810, the new
county was authorized under the name ‘‘Ontario’.
After the new boundaries of the new county were
definitely determined, its formal organization took
(EDITOR’S NOTE: ‘Common Science” is a science
column written by Joe Jeffers, Ph.D. Jeffers received
the Ph.D. in molecular biology and biochemistry from
Purdue University. He teaches chemistry and biology
at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkan-
sas. “Common Science’ is sponsored by The National
Dallas Post.)
Have you ever thought about why we need sleep?
For rest, of course.
Sleep does restore the body after the day’s activi-
ties. Persons deprived of sleep for extended periods of
time often act in bizarre ways. They hallucinate, their
speech is slurred, and their reflexes are poor. The
making of several hormones depends on sleep. Growth
hormone in children, for example, is stimulted by
sleep. Children with sleep disorders who are deprived
of adequate sleep often are stunted in their growth.
Sleep is not just the passive rest that most of us
think of it as being. In fact, during sleep the body
regularly cycles through several stages.
If volunteers are hooked to electroencephalographs
(EEGs), machines which measure the electrical
activity of the brain, their sleep patterns show two
major types of sleep, REM and NREM.
rapid eye movement. It is thought that one spends
time in REM or NREM depending upon which side of
the cerebrum, the most intelligent part of the brain, is
controlling mental activities. For right handed persons
the right side is mostly used for the non-verbal, visual
and artistic aspects of intelligence, while the left side
is involved more with written and spoken speech and
abilities that are logical and analytical like math
ability.
While dreaming can occur when either side is in
control, the more vivid dreams most persons typically
remember following awakening from REM sleep.
These dreams are usually associated with very clear
visual images.
Reality is often distorted. For example, one may
remember going to the school prom wearing a swim
suit or having a formal dinner in the middle of the
forest. Persons awakened from NREM sleep are less
likely to remember a dream and when they do it is
much more logical. For example, a student may have
been worried about passing an exam.
There are four different stages of NREM sleep
Parts of Luzerne County and Columbia County were
added to Schuylkill County on Tuesday, March 3, 1818.
Wyoming County, organized from part of Luzerne
County, Thursday, April 14, 1842, was named for
Wyoming Valley in Luzerne County.
According to the Wilkes-Barre Advocate, published
Tuesday, April 11, 1843, an ‘‘Anti-Division”’ meeting to
oppose the cutting off of Luzerne County and the upper
portion of Columbia County to form a new county to be
named Madison County proved unsuccessful and no
further action was formed to form a new county from
the two counties of Luzerne and Columbia.
In early February, 1837, a new county bill, known as
Lackawanna County Bill, was introduced in the State
Legislature. An opposition meeting held Monday,
February 20, 1837 resulted in the shelving of this bill.
Subsequently, on Tuesday, April 13, 1878, Lacka-
wanna County was formed from the upper portion of
Luzerne County. It was named for the Lackawanna
River which courses through it.
In 1853, a project was set in motion to erect:
“Anthracite County” out of the southern part of
Luzerne County and the eastern portion of Schuylkill
County. Not much came of this move.
Luzerne County officials were severely shaken up
when word reached the Luzerne County Court House,
then on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, in late 1870,
concerning a strong movement then underway to have
Foster, and part of Butler Township secede from
Luzerne County and be annexed to Carbon County.
A public protest meeting, attended by persons who
desired to have the affected communities maintain
their status was held Saturday, January 28, 1871, in
Hazle Hall, Hazleton, to take appropriate steps to
counter the extraordinary endeavor of Carbon County
members of the State Legislature, who were behind
the transfer move.
Hon. R.F. Russell, who presided at the Citizens’
meeting, informed the audience he had sent a message
regarding the contemplated action by the group and
invitations to the State Senator Samuel G. Turner, and
House Members Richard Williams, George Coray and
Stephen Keene, all of whom represented Luzerne
County constituencies.
Evidently the meeting was unsuccessful as nothing
Luzerne County loss of territory to Carbon County.
Under a Harrisburg date-line of Wednesday, Janu-
ary 9, 1889, a new item mentioned that former
Representative P.F. Boyle, Mine Inspector Rode
Arms, and Attorney Kline, all of Hazleton, were at. the
state capitol lobbying for a new county, to have
Hazleton as its Center.
In the ensuing years several efforts were made to
carve out a portion of Luzerne County to form a new
county.
At various times bills were entered in the state
legislature to form new counties which would include
portions of Luzerne County. Among those were bills
which called for the formation of County of Quay,
Hazle County and Grow County.
Hazleton’s last effort to be the county seat of a new
county failed when Attorneys Andrew Hourigan and
John D. Farnham, both of Wilkes-Barre, spoke to the
instigators of the move in 1913 and convinced them
their efforts would be in vain.
which occur along with REM sleep. Each is distin-
asleep.
Stage one of NREM happens as one just begins to
fall asleep. During this five to 10 minutes, one is easily
awakened. The musclestbegin to relax, body tempera-
ture starts to decrease and heart rate slows.
In stage two one is soundly asleep, but can be
awakened by sounds. Body movement decreases,
temperature continues to decrease and brain activity
slows. If one talks in his sleep, it is likely to occur
during stage two.
In stage three the body is totally relaxed. It would
take a loud noise to awaken one. Blood pressure and
temperature continue to fall, as does the heart rate.
Stage four is the deepest level of sleep. The muscles
if awakened is likely to be slow to respond. Stage four
is considered the most restorative sleep. However, this
is also the stage when sleepwalking occurs.
After stage four one quickly moves back through
stages three and two and enters REM sleep. The eyes
dart back and forth under the eye lids (thus the name
rapid eye movement). The brain activity pattern is
approximately the same as one fully awake! The body
muscles, however, are totally limp, as if one were
paralyzed.
Most of the vivid dreams occur during REM. After
10 minutes or so of REM sleep, one starts a new cycle
beginning with stage two. The complete cycle lasts 90
to 100 minutes and four or five cycles will occur during
the night. There are some changes as the cycles
continue.
Stage four sleep will typically occur only during the
first couple of cycles and then disappear. Closer to
morning even stage three will cease. The amount of
time in REM sleep increases each cycle and may last
as long as an hour near morning.
Why do we have these stages, especially REM, and
what purpose does REM serve? The answers are not
known. Some researchers think that REM time is used
to strengthen memory traces and has to to do with
memory storage. Others think it is a time to get rid of
accident or meaningless connections in the brain, a
time to unlearn things that are not important.
Obviously much remains to be learned about sleep
and the importance it has in our normal functions.
Dr. Wallace F'. Stet- Director for the
tler, president of Upper and Lower
Wyoming Seminary, Schools.
Josuweit will direct
the entire operation
of the instrumental
music program, now
recently announced
that Donald G. Josu-
weit has been named
Instrumental Music
in its second year, at
the Lower and Upper
Schools. He will also
conduct the chamber
Originally from
Dallas, Josuweit
attended Lake-
Lehman High School
ensembles and and performed in the
present a spring con- school band. He
cert. received a B.S.
Students meet
September 3.
The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce is
accepting ,entries for the Second Annual Chamber
Awards Program.
Entries may be submitted by any person or organi-
zation in the greater Wilkes-Barre- -Wyoming Valley
area until Sept. 26, 1986.
This year’s award categories include the Athena-
Woman of the Year, which salutes an outstanding
professional woman in the community who is a
member of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of
Commerce; the Service Award can include educators,
government employees, clergy, civic and social lead-
ers who have given service to the greater Wilkes-
Barre-Wyoming Valley community; the Local Busi-
ness Award which recognizes an individual or business
that holds high standards of business ethics and
leadership within the greater Wilkes-Barre-Wyoming
Valley area; the National-International Business
Award is given to an individual, group, or business
with high standards of business ethics involved in a
national or international business and has brought
attention to the greater Wilkes-Barre-Wyoming Valley
area through their accomplishments; and the Achieve-
ment Award is presented to an individual or group
who ha received personal recognition and has brought
attention to the greater Wilkes-Barre-WyomingValley
area through their accomplishments.
All nominations must be submitted on the Greater
Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce Awards Form
which may be obtained from the Chamber office, 92
South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701, or by
calling the office at 823-2101.
With increasing frequency, older homeowners living
on fixed incomes are experiencing difficulty in financ-
ing their retirement years.
In most cases, neighbors can’t see their plight. They
live in nice homes and to all outward appearances are
managing well. But ‘in reality many are depriving
themselves of necessities...adequate medical care,
diet, heating, etc.
Moreover, many of these older homeowners live in
daily fear of losing their greatest source of security,
their home, because of higher property taxes.
Take the case of Mr. H. AT age 78 he was a fairly
typical retired homeowner. His home was one of many
like it in a quiet suburban neighborhood and his equity
in it was substantial.
Security and a modest pension, he had little left over
after paying $2,000 in real estate taxes every year and
meeting the $1,400 winter heating bills.
In reality, Mr. H. was house rich but cash poor. Like
many of his retired friends and neighbors, he was
considering selling his home of 25 years, worth $73,000,
to produce more retirement income.
But now Mr. H. is better off, even able to afford a
trip to see his sister in Florida, to have minor repairs
done ot his home. He is even putting a few dollars into
the bank each month for occasional large expenditures
he may wish to make.
Mr. H. has achieved his financial turnaround by
utilizing a long term reverse mortgage called the
Individual Retirement Mortgage Account (IRMA).
This long-term reverse mortgage is a financial instru-
ment which allows older homeowners to receive
monthly tax-free income for as long as they live in
their homes.
Offered by American Homestead Mortgage Corpora-
tion, a mortgage bank, the IRMA program is available
and cash poor?
in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania and will be available in Ohio in the
first quarter of 1986. The program enables home-
owners 62 and over to retain title to their homes, yet
enjoy -the whopping nest egg of equity, actually
savings, accrued over years of ownership.
In essence, homeowners borrow'a monthly amount,
up to $700, against the equity in their homes. They
continue to receive this monthly advance until the sell
the home or die.
At the maturity of the loan, the homeowner or, more
likely, the executor of the estate pays off the principal
and interest owed from the proceeds of the sale of the
property. Under the terms of the reverse mortgage the
amount owed by the homeowner (or his estate) can
never be more than 94 percent of the home’s value
even when the bank is owed more. i
The amount a homeowner can receive tax-free each
month is determined by the homeowner’s age, the
value of the home, the portion of the home’s value
made part of the reverse mortgage and the marital
status of the homeowner(s)...payments are lower for
couples because the monthly advances continue in the
same amount until the death of the surviving spouse.
In addition, to the monthly cash advance, a lump
sum is also available to pay, for example, back taxes,
medical bills or to meet other needs.
For people like Mr. H. who are house rich but cash
poor, the long-term reverse mortgage provides a way
to get the cash they need to make their retirement
years their best years. As another homeowner put it,
“I haven’t felt this secure in a long time.”
Mr. H. is convinced. He says it’s changed his life.
(A free brochure explaining how reverse mortgages
work, is available by writing: Consumer Affair
Department, American Homestead, Executive Offices,
305 Fellowship Road, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054, or by
calling toll free 1-800-233-4762.) :
Are you fascinated by other lan-
guates and cultures? By hosting a
foreign exchange student, you can
meet the world in your own home!
We are seeking families to host
students from Brazil, Mexico,
Japan, ‘England, Spain and Ger-
many.
One of these boys or girls, individ-
ually selected for you, will live as a
member of your family while he or
she attends the local high school.
These excellent students are very
carefully screened, covered by med-
ical insurance, and provide their
own spending money. They are
eager to experience our American
way of life while sharing their
culture, but they can only do so if
you are willing to open your hearts
and homes to them.
If you would like to participate in
this unique learning experience,
please contact International Student
Exchange, P.O. Box 58, Fort Jones,
California 96032 or 1-800-233-HOST,
or 1-916-468-2264 in California.
The National Arbor Day Founda-
tion is giving 10 free shade trees to
people who join the nonprofit Foun-
dation during September, 1986.
A Pin Oak, Red Maple, Weeping
Willow, Red Oak, Green Ash, Thorn-
less Honeylocust, Silver Maple,
Tuliptree, European Mountainash,
and Sugar Maple will be given as
part of the Foundation’s campaign
to encourage tree planting.
These trees were selected because
they provide beautiful fall colors,
flowers, and berries, in addition to
cooling summer shade, according to
John Rosenow, the Foundation’s
executive director.
The Foundation will give the ten
free trees to members contributing
$10 during September. The six-to-
twelve inch trees will be shipped
this fall between October 15 and
December 10 when conditions are
right for planting. They will be sent
with enclosed planting instructions,
and are guaranteed to grow or they
will be replaced free by the Founda-
tion.
To become a member of the
Foundation and to receive the free
trees, a $10 membership contribu-
tion should be sent to TEN SHADE
TREES, National Arbor Day Foun-
dation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska
City, NE 68410, by Sept. 30, 1986.
Residents of Kingston Township
are reminded that a township ordi-
nance expressly prohibits the burn-
ing of leaves, branches and lawn
clippings in gutters, along the town-
ship roadways. Burning in the
asphalt gutters weakens the pave-
ment structure and causes the gut-
ters to deteriorate rapidly.
Township residents are also
reminded that the open burning of
wood, tree branches, tree leaves,
paper or yard trimmings requires. a
Township Burning Permit. Only one
open fire is allowed with each
permit. The fire must be controlled
at all times and adequate precau-
tionary measures must be taken by
the property owner. Burning is per-
mitted from dusk to dawn daily,
with the exception of Sunday when
no open burning is allowed.
Burning permits may be obtained
at the Kingston Township Adminis-
trative Office, 11 Carverton Road,
Monday through Friday, between
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The Kingston Township Board of
Supervisors is looking for area resi-
dents interested in serving on the
Water Commission. Presently three
vacancies exist on the five-member
commission. The Board of Supervi-
sors will be accepting applications
from township residents through
October 6, 1986.
The Water Commission serves as
a liason and advisory committee
between the residents of Kingston
Township and the township supervi-
sors. The water commission investi-
gates complaints from residents and
makes recommendations to the
supervisors on matters related to
water supply and water service
within the township.
Residents interested in serving on
’
i
the commission should send a letter
or brief resume of their qualifica-
tions and’ abilities to the attention of
Fred A. Potzer, township manager,
Kingston Township Municipal Build-
ing, 11 Carverton Road, Trucksville,
PA 18708 Appointments to the com-
supervisors regular meeting sched-
uled for October 8 at 8 p.m.