Muncy Luminary

Art mosaic adds character to decor at new donut shop

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

MUNCY - Just last Friday afternoon, a new art mosaic was installed at Dunkin Donuts, the new donut shop located at 1380 East Penn Street, Muncy Township. Local artists, Nella Godbey Storm and Selinda Kennedy designed and created the 10 ft. by 3 ft. terra cotta mosaic that depicts a period dating back to the Old Muncy Canal in the 1840's. It features two mules pulling a Pennsylvania Canal Boat 502 into Muncy's Sprout Waldron. According to Storm, all canal boats were assigned numbers led by one or two mules, depending on the size of the canal boat. "Each hand made tile has five or more layers of colored slip, then coated with a clear glaze," explained Storm. "Tiles range in size comparable to a silver dollar to about the size of your hand." The Muncy Historical Society provided photos of early canal days in Port Penn for the artists to work with. "We added a squirrel and a bird to give it more charm," added Storm who also acknowledged that the animals give it a story book quality appealing to younger audiences. Storm also said that she and Kennedy were notified in mid December by James Bower, Jr., owner of Dunkin Donuts, to do the mosaic project. Both artists were featured in Muncy's juried art show last fall through the Muncy Historical Society. Storm also furnished a 9 by 3 foot mosaic placed in Susquehanna Health's new 'Tower building in Williamsport, and Kennedy did one for Muncy Valley Hospital. "Mosaics are good to use for restaurants," said Storm, because unlike paintings, they are easy to clean and maintain. Shortly after Storm and Kennedy discussed the project with Bower, they immediately began work in Selinda's Muncy studio, working long hours each day to complete it in time for the nearly finished building, which was under construction at the time. It was easy for them to come up with the design and the two artists have collaborated previously together on many other art projects. Storm said she has created several mosaics in the past including a 15 foot design located in Philadelphia's historic Chestnut Hill. Dunkin Donuts transported the mosaic from Kennedy's studio and hung it with precision on one inch of plywood. The one of a kind mosaic can be seen upon entering the front door of the restaurant. "They were a joy to work with," concluded Storm. Several copies of old photos of historic Muncy have also been added on the walls which were reprinted and framed with permission from the Muncy Historical Society. Visitors will enjoy seeing the Old Normal School and Brelsford Motors, just to name a few. "This is all a great addition to the store and adds character to the decor," replied Trish Weaver, store manager. "Customers think it's pretty and they are amazed how the colors look so vivid," she added.

New guidelines set for disposing medications

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

As the New Year unfolds and healthy resolutions are made, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) is encouraging Americans to clean out their medicine cabinets. Pharmacists recommend patients clean out their medicine cabinets once a year to dispose of all the unused and expired medications that have accumulated over the past year. They advise to make it a yearly tradition to help keep everyone safe and healthy. Unused medications have the potential to be abused and misused and expired medications can lose their potency, thus reducing or providing no value to the condition being treated. Prescription drugs are classified as controlled substances and should be handled with care according to pharmacist, Gary Peck at Ben Franklin in Clarkstown. There are recommended guidelines to dispose of medications so that they will not do harm to anyone else or the environment. "Don't leave behind dangerous items where people can get hurt, especially used needles or sharp objects," said Peck. Generally, most people try to dispose of old or unused medications by flushing them down the toilet, or throwing them in the trash while in their container. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created some guidelines for consumers designed to keep people, animals, and the environment safe. "Do not flush them in the toilet and don't throw them out inside the prescription bottle. You can crush them up first and then put them in the garbage," Peck added. There are federal and state regulations. According to Peck a good resource to follow for both is the University of Pittsburgh's Medical Center (UPMC), a large resource for medicines, where they recommend the following guidelines for disposing medications: First you will have to "prepare" the medicine so that it will be in a safer form. These instructions apply to both pills and liquids. Remove the medicine from its original bottle. Mix the drugs with something that would make them unappealing to people or pets who may go through the trash. You can use kitty litter or used coffee grounds. Next, place the medicine in a plastic bag with a seal or in a container with a lid. The goal is to make sure that the medicine does not spill out of this packaging. You can also use tape to further secure the bag or container. Do not forget about the original bottle that the medicine came in. Your privacy is important. Remove the label or use a black marker to hide your name and any other information. Before placing the bottle in the trash, check to see if it has a recycling code on the bottom. If it does and your city or town's recycling program accepts this type of plastic, place the bottle in your recycling bin. "Over the course of a year, we can accumulate many medications to treat colds, headaches and infections, as well as more serious conditions," stated Thomas Menighan, CEO and Executive Vice President, APhA. "These medications play an important role in helping patients obtain better health and wellness, but if we do not store and dispose of them properly, they can become a hazard. When they fall into the wrong hands, these medications have the potential to be abused, and if improperly disposed of, they can harm wildlife, pets and other people." Prescription drug abuse is the Nation's fastest-growing drug problem. While there has been a marked decrease in the use of some illegal drugs like cocaine, data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), show that nearly one-third of people aged 12 and over, who used drugs for the first time in 2009, began by using a prescription drugs non-medically. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports in the US, an average of 2,000 teenagers use prescription medication for the first time without a physician's guidance. The same NSDUH survey found that over 70% of people who abused prescription pain relievers got them from friends or relatives. In spring, on April 28th, the Pennsylvania State Police will be offering a collection service for any unused or expired medications. Be sure to check the expiration dates. "Prescriptions should not be used beyond the expiration date. They should always be marked," added Peck. "If you are unsure or have questions, you can call us here at Ben Franklin Pharmacy, and we can inform you on what to do." Tips for Storing and Cleaning Out Your Medicine Cabinet or Other Medication Storage Areas: Medications should be stored in a secured area up, away and out of site of children and teenagers - that has low humidity, a stable temperature and adequate lighting. Check the date on everything in your medicine cabinet and dispose of anything that has passed the expiration date. Dispose of anything you have not used in the past 12 months or that you no longer need. Do not share medications with others. Dispose of medicines that are no longer in their original container, have changed color or odor, or that can no longer be identified. Do not flush unused or expired medications and do not pour them down a sink or drain. They should be disposed of properly in the household trash or through your community's medication disposal program, when available. Source: American Pharmacists Association

Historic Covered Bridge ends renovation with grant funding

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

MORELAND TOWNSHIP - Lycoming County's historic covered bridge in Moreland Township has received its final grant installment that completed its renovation this past December. A reimbursement agreement with was made with the State Department of Transportation so the county could receive state and federal funds to complete the covered bridge. The County Commissioners approved a grant with the state to allow the county to receive about $100,000. That brings about $1.3 million to the amount of state and federal funds spent to renovate the bridge, which spans Little Muncy Creek in the township. According to the county's transportation planner, Mark Murawski, the cost of the renovation, which began early last fall, was covered entirely by state and federal funds. However, due to flooding in September, there were some setbacks. Lycoming Supply performed the work on the bridge which included the installation of a new foundation, new flooring, new side boards and a metal roof. If the new infrastructure hadn't been in place, the bridge would have been lost for sure in last September's flooding stated Murawski. About two-thirds of the structure had already been replaced. Only the bridge trusses are original. "A lot of the debris was left upstream. If left unchecked, this would have washed down the stream, pushed the bridge and destroyed it," Murawski said. Fortunately, the stream channel was improved by putting in a large rock which anchored the stream embankment on the east side so it won't erode the foundation walls. This will also protect the bridge from future flooding. The bridge was built in 1888, and by the time work began on it last year, it was in serious disrepair. The bridge is one of only about 150 still standing in the state. The bridge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, may be in better condition than when it first was built. Two other bridges nearby were restored previously, one is in Buttonwood and the other one is in Buckhorn. Visitors are encouraged to visit the bridges since they are historic landmarks.

Two major watersheds discuss plans for pilot project at White Deer Golf Course

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

HUGHESVILLE - A joint public program was held last week at Hughesville's Public Library with the Black Hole Creek and Muncy Creek Watershed Associations. The purpose of the meeting was to gather more information from Lycoming County on the impact the two watersheds will have regarding a pilot project to start at White Deer Golf Course to improve floodplains and decrease erosion. The program is based on nutrient credits invested by the county to help farmers and landowners to significantly reduce nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen from entering the watershed. The credits are created when best management practices are taken into play. For example, a credit might be created by a watershed group that installs a section of riparian buffer or restores a stream bank by a farmer who converts to no-till planting. The two watersheds, Muncy Creek and Black Hole, run through the White Deer Golf Course and are in compliance with the nutrient trading program to restore the Chesapeake Bay according to Megan D. Lehman, Environmental Planner with Lycoming County. She introduced the program along with Land Studies from Lititz who will be designing and implementing the project. The golf course is owned and managed by the county's recreation department. "This is a cost-effective solution sought by the county," announced Lehman. "By using the nutrient credit trading program to tackle the problem, we can cap the sediment flowing from the Bay and see which sectors can reduce the pollution," she said. Credits are generally offered per pound for nitrogen and phosphorus pollution which are traded and entered into a credit bank which then can be purchased from other entities. "It can be fairly complicated, but we've seen it works," Lehman said. She referred to Hughesville and Wolf Township's joint sewer and water authority working with nutrient mandates. Hughesville is the first in the county to do all credit trading. A large portion of the funding came from a substantial grant with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. $600,000 was given to the county in 2009 for flood plain restoration projects. Thus, with consistent flooding, Lycoming County's White Deer Golf Course is a suitable site for a demonstration project to visibly show how the program works. The County has already invested more than $500,000 to design a county-based strategy that partners with wastewater treatment plants, farmers and landowners to keep compliance costs in check and reduce pollution in the Bay. Designer and engineer for the Golf Course project, Benjamin Ehrhart from Land Studies, told the members of the two watersheds that his company will support implementation of the county's nutrient program with stream and flood plain restoration while improving channel stability and water quality. At the same time all of this will be reducing maintenance for the golf course. He showed drawings and maps of flooding stream beds, and how they can be improved with vegetation filters to stabilize erosion with cost benefits for sediment and nutrient reduction. "This will be an area that won't have to be mowed or fertilized," Ehrhart said. With all of the recent rainfall and flooding, erosion has been accelerating, especially where the Black Hole Creek drains into the channel at White Deer. "It is starting to widen out," added Ehrhart. "There have been causes of instability with sediment transport existing downstream," he said. He also assured the group that the project will not impede in any way with the way to play golf on the course. The project is scheduled to begin construction late this summer. He made recommendations to excavate the flood plain and stabilize the banks to reduce sediment loading. "We can create a .43 acre of reparian wetland to reduce nutrient loading," he described, "and remove existing stone walls." The existing site in reference is about 500 linear feet on the east side of the golf course where soil samples have been taken. Detailed construction drawings will be submitted to DEP for a permit. With a budget of $280,000 the project hopes to add some visual interest by utilizing interpretive panels describing how the project will be reducing the consistent flooding problems on the course. "This will be a restoration project that will solve multiple problems," Ehrhart concluded. This will be a pilot demonstration site work showing how it can be done. "We will stabilize the site that has eroding conditions and make a small contribution to the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Project." Lycoming County will receive the credits through the Recreation Authority. Just last Friday the USDA Natural Resources and Environment announced a media conference call on USDA's funding for projects to enhance the effectiveness of water quality credit trading. Half of that funding is focused on water quality credit trading in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These projects are funded through Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grants. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service is providing up to $10 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for these projects, with up to $5 million focused on water quality credit trading in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Proposals for projects are due March 2, 2012.

Muncy Borough Council reorganizes for the new year

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

MUNCY - Muncy Borough Council appointed Matilda "Tillie" Noviello to council board who was sworn in by Mayor, Ed Dannemann at last week's reorganization meeting. Council also agreed to contract with Codes Inspections of Montgomery as its zoning officer, which is expected to save the borough about $5,000. Codes Inspections would instead consider the permit fees as payment. They are already enforcing the borough's building codes and council agreed it would be more convenient for those seeking permits to go through one source instead of two. In other matters discussed, council agreed to keep borough's employment health insurance contribution at 10 percent and endure a rise in cost of insurance. No raise is expected for 2012. Muncy Area Volunteer Fire Company re-elected officers with no changes from 2011. The company received a grant for new pumps and another grant has been submitted to be used for reducing debt, replacing old equipment and supplies according to Jamie Brelsford. Council is also working on gaining the $5,000 PA Wilds grant to upgrade the Veteran's Park on South Main Street. Muncy Bank and Trust has already donated $2,500 toward the required matching portion which leaves a remaining balance of $2,500. A unanimous vote was given for the incorporation of the Muncy Borough Municipal Authority to reduce the authority board from seven to five members. This was done as a pre-requisite to the takeover of the Muncy's sewer facilities by the West Branch Regional Authority. The water system will remain with the municipal authority. Mayor Dannemann said council should think about developing a new committee to look into bringing more revenue to the water fund by possibly selling water to the gas companies to help pay for the $142,000 that the water fund still owes to the general fund.