The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, July 31, 1996. 5 - A Case for conservation 22 ec Jib HRN Alene N. Case Penis who have never smoked or been exposed to large amounts of side-stream smoke are not to- tally immune to the risk of getting lung cancer. There is yet another way in which we can protect our- selves and those we love. We can ensure that our homes are not contaminated with radon. Radon is responsible for an average of 14,000 deaths in the United States each year and most of these [atali- ties can be prevented by simple and fairly inexpensive means. Just because radon has not been in the news recently does not mean that we should ignore it. Radon is an element that is found in gaseous form. It is color- less, odorless, and tasteless. And, it is similar to other inert gasses such as helium and argon in that it does not react with other ele- ments to form compounds. In fact, if radon remained radon, it would be totally incapable of harming any living thing. But, it doesn't. It is created continuously from the decay of other radioactive ele- ments such as uranium and tho- rium and it fairly quickly decays tomore danger daughterelements such'as polonium-218 and 214. In less than four days, half of any particular quantity of radon has changed to something that can become lodged in our lungs and emit alpha particles which can 7 o! * 5% SAB By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The month of August will be celebrated as ‘Puzzle Month’ at the Back Mountain Memorial Li- brary, in the display case. On lop of the display is a 1,000 piece puzzle, put together by Paul and Jean Rodda and friends. The completed puzzle stands at42 inches high. It is the Empire State, Building. The size of the 1 ,000 pieces is 1" by 1/2". It took the group about 10 days to put it together. The base is glued with a box for Foundation, the rest of the . puzzle is not. The pieces are foam | rubber with paper over-lap with "Youth Sizes: Diego Liga Jr. ; Youth's 12-8 "Torra ll Liga Jr. youths 1-6 Desailly Liga Jr. youths 12-6 Estadio Adult's 61/2 - 13 Important facts on radon injure lung tissue cells and lead eventually to cancer. If you were to take a typical quart jar (approximately one liter) of air anywhere on earth, you would find that it contained a very small amount of radon — in the range of 0.2-0.7 picocuries. That is less than one trillionth of a curie or the equivalent of less than two atoms of radon decaying each minute in that liter of air. Most of the human population could live long and healthy lives if that were all we had to worry about. But, most of us live in houses which tend to trap gases including radon, and some of us are exposed daily to many times this normal background level of radiation. The only way to determine the level of radon in your house is to have it tested. If your neighbor had a test done and did not find a problem, it does nol mean that your house is also safe. The rocks and soils that are high in radioac- tive elements are distributed rather unevenly over the earth. And, the construction and condi- tion of two houses may be quite different. so, if your house has never been tested, I suggest that you do so at your earliest conve- nience. The tests are fairly cheap (generally less than $100) and easy to do. You can buy a device al a hardware store, follow the directions carefully, and send the container off to a laboratory to determine the results. Or, you can hire a professional to do all of that for you. One of the most encouraging things about radon testing is that even il a severe problem is found it can be [ixed. Many new houses are built with radon abatement systems installed. Older houses can be fixed by installing one of several abatement systems de- pending on the severity of the problem and the style of home. These retrofits cost somewhere in the $700 to $2,500 range. Al- though the testing can be done by the homeowner, the installation of radon reducing equipment should always be done by a pro- fessional. The Pennsylvania State Radon Hotline is 1-800-237-2366. Anyone who wants information of any kind may call this number. They have booklets that they can send you. They also have lists of approved professional radon tests and abatement specialists in your area. Some of you may have heard about people concerned about radon in their water supplies. The EPA estimates that less than 5% of the radon in houses comes from the water. It is true that radon can be released [rom water (especially hot water) when it is used in the home. It is also true that many wells in Pennsylvania have high radon levels. If the air in your house has been tested high for radon and you use well waler, it would be a good idea to have that walter tested before pro- ceeding with other abatement projects. The Low Level Radiation Monitoring Laboratory at Penn State (phone 814-863-2647) can help you with this. In this world, there are many risks over which we have little or no control. However, the two major causes of lung cancer—smoking and radon—are almost totally avoidable. We simply need to be aware of the dangers and then do the logical things to protect our- selves and our families. It's Puzzle Month at library authentic windows and doors. There is a separate topper for the building. The display will be at the li- brary until August 21. Paul would be willing to give the puzzle away, if anyone is interested alter Au- gust 21. We will accept names who are interested at the front desk in the library and will hold a drawing to determine the lucky winner. The display case itself includes small puzzles put together by our PHEAA students, Lynn and Jefl, a puppy called Bark Simpson and a kitten called Well Orchestrated. They were timed putting them together and Jeff completed his in 26 minutes and Lynn in 30. There are two puzzle books, a large children's puzzle put to- gether, a Coca Cola 700 piece puzzle in a can, a ‘Coke is It’ 500 piece puzzle, two clever puzzles from the children’s collection, and various other ballling puzzles, rubic cubes, and a number match- ing puzzle. Puzzle contributors include Jefl, Lynn, Paul, Marilyn, Millie and Nancy. Newbooksat thelibrary: “The Last Don" by Mario Puzo is about the inner workings of the Mafia, a product of five years of work and a lifetime of research into the mores of the mob, Vegas and Hol- lywood. “Vegas Rich” by Fern Michaels is the story of Sallie Coleman who leaves Texas and heads west to get away from the squalor of her dirt-poor beginnings. Las Vegas seems like Paradise with its shift- ing sands, saloons and bingo pal- aces. “Rosehaven” by Catherine Coulter, is a novel of passion, intrigue, and obsession in medi- eval England. Severin returns to his family’s estate in England to find his father and elder brother dead and his mother demented. YOUR CLEAR SHOT ar SAVINGS! Adults: Torra li Liga Adult's 61/2 - 13 Biella Liga Adult's 61/2 - 11 Estadio Jr. Youth's 13 - 6 Trilette Adult's 5 - 13 Adissage Adult's 4 - 13 SOCCER BALLS Starting at § 14.°7 with the purchase of Nike Soccer Spikes - Sizes 3,490rS <> Shirts &¢ UMBRO AY y [0] > ¢ ph co OBITUARIES | 18 THERESA SIMON Theresa Verbetich, Simon, 49, of Lake Road, Noxen, died July 26, 1996, in the Western Penn Hospital, Pittsburgh. Born Oct. 12, 1946 in Wilkes- Barre, she was the daughter of the late Carl and Helen Craig Verbetich. She graduated from West Side Central Catholic High School in 1964. She was co-owner and opera- tor of Simon Auto Parts, Noxen, and also worked as a Notary Pub- lic. She was a member of Beau- mont Union Gospel Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher, choir member, and active in fundraising and the Christian Women's Club. She and her husband, John, celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary in July. Surviving in addition to her husband, are sons, John Jacob, Shavertown; Joseph John, Kunkle; a daughter, Mrs. Earnest (Sheryl) Smith, Cocoa, FL; nine grandchildren; abrother, Charles, Midway Park, NC; sisters, Sister Charlene, Allentown; Mary Fondo, Phoenix, AZ; Dolores Leonard, Pittston; Lucille Reed, Peoria, AZ: Carolin Rukstalis, Kingston; Helen Zimmerman, Midway Park, NC; Bernadine Simon, Dallas; Marga- Qe : Shop ret Smith, Harveys Lake. Funeral services will be at 11 a.am. Wednesday [rom the Simon S. Russin Funeral Home, Inc., 136 Malflelt St., Plains Township, with Jerry Mattocks, pastor of officiating. Memorial donations may be. made to the Children's Miracle, Pld Network, in care of Geisingef Wyoming Valley Medical Center, 1000 East Mountain Drive, Plains Beaumont Union Gospel Church, Township, 18711. wy Joy SPROG—-- : "RESERVED FOR + i © THE UNITED 80 STATES OF | Hp AMERICA | 3 > — THE COTTAGE GIFT & FURNITURE SHOPPE Our Outside Sale Up to 50% Off Wednesday - Sunday July 31 - Aug. 4 Hours - 10-6 - CG mm = Cor. > 63 North Memorial Highway, Shavertown Route 309 South 1/4 Mile South of Shavertown Traffic Light 696-3036 1% Off | Home Equity Loans. | Limited Time Only. Right now, get up to a 1% discount on a Home Equity Installment Loan.* To apply, visit our offices or Insalaco’s supermarket locations, or just call the MellonDirect 24™ Center anytime day or night at 1 800 MELLON-24. @) Wellon Bank © 1996 Mellon Bank Corporation. * 1% discount includes standard | 75% discount for Smart Account: Bonus Plan customers who have payments automatically deducted frorn a Mellon checking account. Additional 125% discount available 1o all custorners: for limited time only. Subject fo credit approval. Offer does nat apply fo certain loans which will be assigned to other lending institutions. Mellon: Bank, NA, - Northeastern Region: Member FDIC - LENDER a a a AE
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers