TyronePA.com

Check for updated information about the library, its books,
programs, and special events in this
column appearing bi-weekly on Thursdays in The Daily Herald.

December is upon us and 2008 is racing to an end. Below average temperatures and early snowfall reminds us that winter will be here officially in a few weeks. On the bright side, the weather helps get us in the holiday spirit. It is also time for many annual events – governmental agencies reorganizing, Tyrone Yuletyme Christmas Celebration, and, yes, planning ahead for next year’s big events. The Tyrone-Snyder Public Library participates in all three of these.
On Tuesday, December 2, the Library Board of Directors held its Annual Meeting. At this time, the Board said farewell to two board members: Fred Thomas and Mike McNelis. Thank you both for your dedication to the library and its mission in our community. Your activities on behalf of the library have contributed to the growth of the library’s building and to the services provided by the library to our community. Thank you, Fred and Mike, for a job well done.
On Saturday, December 6, the library will join in the Tyrone Yuletyme Christmas Celebration. We will offer our patrons the chance to save time baking by offering Christmas cookies for sale, an opportunity to shop new or nearly-new items for Christmas gifts at our Christmas Gift Yard Sale, and, at the same time supporting the Library. These sales both take place in the Library’s Community Room beginning at 10 a.m. Charlotte Albright will offer Christmas stories for the young from 1 to 2 p.m.
Tickets are now available for the Library’s 2009 spring concert. The May 2 concert, entitled Save the Last Dance for You, features not one but TWO classic groups: The Marcels and Charlie Thomas and the Drifters. Unlike many other things in today’s economy, prices for the concert tickets remain the same at $30 – a bargain for wonderful night of entertainment. Tickets are available at Kopp Drugs (Tyrone store only), Bressler’s Food Mart, and, of course, at the Library. These tickets will make great stocking stuffers for those music lovers on your list.
Whether you stop in for cookies, Christmas gifts, or a story, we look forward to seeing you at the library soon.

Bill Ellenberger is founding president for the ministry Faithful Path in Tyrone. He was born and raised in Tyrone. Faithful Path is a ministry to support church lay-leaders without pastors to assist in the process of finding their next pastor. Bill, who is ordained, also speaks to final year seminary, Bible College & Bible institute students as to what to expect as a new pastoral
candidate. He is known by his peers as a visionary leader. You can reach him via email at Bill@FaithfulPath.com or visit their website at: www.FaithfulPath.com.

Do you have a gift to share? Another look
Churches contact Faithful Path to meet and discuss their need to find a new pastor. During our time together, we meet for pray and go through a process of a church spiritual inventory. There are numerous questions. One point that continues to surface is about attendees or visitors. It has been a long time since an individual has come to know the Lord. What we mean is a changed life in this individual that others can observe. Certainly, it is an important point to a healthy church. The key issue is church members need to give an invitation to their family members, neighbors, and friends. Ask these special people to join you as your guests at a Christmas Church service.
There may be some of you who are still searching for the meaning or lost meaning of this holiday. Over the past thirty years, it certainly has been easy to lose the significance or importance in the lives and what we mean to each other. Our center of attention by things to do and the media of marketing has us adding things to our “To do List” more than then ever before.
It can take so much of our time we can easily lose love for this Christmas season. You may not believe this but each year increasingly people in this country are getting further and further away from the meaning. Are you? Could you believe that many individuals really do not understand the meaning of this sacred day anymore? Some have never been told. Here is a personal test for you to take. 1. When was the last time you spent time sharing with someone why Christ was born, than when and where he was born? 2. Have you ever shared the “Why” of this day we observe as Christmas to your family, a special friend or your grandchildren? 3. Have you yourself lost your enthusiasm for this gifted event? How well did you do with this quiz?
There is one thing I have learned about people in my life, never assume people understand the subject you may be discussing. If in your conversation there is no response from the other party, they can a.) They may disagree with you, b.) They are not sure what you said, or c.) they are not interested in what you have to say. In this case, it is a good time to ask them a question. This shows you are interested in them. Show them you care.
Your pastor of your church can assure you this is one of the best opportunities to invite someone to your church. Invite guests who have no church experience or rarely attend any church. They are more likely to accept an invitation. Easter Sunday has the highest response followed by a Christmas service comes in with a close second.
You do have a gift to share. The true meaning of Christmas is the purpose of Jesus Christ. This is how we will spend eternity. God’s desire is for us to spend it with him. He loves us. He had his son come to earth, die for us so we can live with him. The Lord assured this through Jesus’ resurrection. Sharing this message with others is the greatest gift we can offer. Ask your pastor about this, if you do not know how to share this message.
If you are reading this and you are not sure of your relation with the Lord, ask a pastor. Pastors and your believing friends and family will help you. I am praying for you. If you have not received a personal invitation to attend a Christmas service, check the newspaper for times and locations of local churches. Go and hear a wonderful story that will change your life. Hope
“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 Hope is trusting God to act in his good timing.
Stay focused on the King,
Bill

To contact Suzi, email her at suziwalzie@aol.com or
visit her website at www.myspace.com/suziqzi1948

Well, Walzie just came in from a long, cold day of bear hunting. His face was red from hours of being stung by the wind that whipped towards his tree stand. It snowed off and on all day, sometimes coming in white squalls. He built his little four feet square tree house, eight feet above a cornfield at the Pine Hill Hunting Club. He and his little canvas wrapped tree house have been a permanent fixture there for a decade or more. Now all the younger members of the club refer to him as that old geezer who sleeps in that tree stand at the corner of the cornfield.
A month or so ago, as a part of the mentor program, he took six year old, Mason, hunting for turkey. Oh yeah, Mase thought he was a big deal. I made him a pair of camo bib overalls and a camo jacket; Grampy even pinned one of his old hunting licenses on Mason’s back. The boy was in his glory. After Grampy showed him how to place the decoys, he let Mason climb into the tree stand ahead of him, then Grampy tossed their fanny pack full of snacks onto the floor, and then climbed up beside him. As they each got situated on buckets used as seats, Grampy heard a thump. The fanny pack lay at the bottom of the ladder.
“Uh oh, Grampy,” the boy said. “I kicked our snacks out. It was an accident. Honest. Can you go get it?”
Grampy climbed down, scooped up the fanny pack, and then back up again.
Far off across the field some black things appeared. Mason spotted them. He was so excited to even see a flock of something. The little fellow began to make gobbling sounds. Grampy checked with his binoculars. Turkeys.

“Lemme see”, Mason whispered excitedly. “Can I do my owl call now?”
“Shhh, not right now,” Grampy handed him the binoculars.
Thud.
Grampy retrieved them from the bottom of the ladder.
Next went one of the buckets; then the thermos and then the other seat. All in all, Grampy made a dozen trips up and down the ladder that day. Needless to say, it was not a successful turkey hunt, and it was a three Aleve night. But a little boy and his grandpa bonded.
So now that the weather has gotten colder, Grampy has been a little reluctant to take his sidekick. But Mason insists he’s going along for the first day of buck season. Unable to resist those pleading big brown eyes, Grampy decided he needed to fix up a heater for his boy and him. He rooted around in his shed for hours the other day and by darn he did come out with a propane heater.
“Where the heck did you get that?” I asked.
“My brother left it here twenty years ago,” Walzie said. “I’m gonna fix it up for Mason and me. I’m gonna test it out in bear season.”
And so today was his first day experimenting with the heater. It stands about 12” high and has a funnel shaped shield with a flame in the center that radiates heat. Walzie got himself and the heater situated in the tree stand. He lit the propane and settled back to watch for a bear. Now you know if a fellow isn’t seeing any action in the woods and there is a warm heater blowing directly on him, it’s really easy to get drowsy. Soon his eyelids got heavy, and his chin dropped to his chest.
Behind his eyelids he watched a huge black bruin lumber through the brush right under his tree stand. Its thick fur rippled and shined in the sunlight. The heater blasted at Walzie’s feet. Feeling the heat, he shuffled his feet a bit, and the heater tipped. The flame blasted directly against his insulated pants. Suddenly, his dream of the bear shifted to a flaming barbeque grill. Was he grilling a bear steak? The burning smell woke him. The bottom of his pant leg was smoldering. He jumped up and tipped over the heater. The flame hit the canvas on the tree stand just like a welder’s torch. Poof! Ol’ Walzie dropped his rifle over the side and did a tuck and roll off the edge of that stand. He rolled like a bowling ball across the cornfield. When he looked back, the entire tree was aflame. Oh crap, he thought. My extra clip of ammo is up there. Then without warning, the ammo exploded and Walzie hit the dirt.
Suddenly, he bolted upright and shook his head. A nearby shot woke him from this nightmare. He was breathing hard and his heart pounded. The heater was fine; the tree stand was still intact; and his trusty rifle was still on his lap. Wow, he thought, no wonder I never used a heater before … must have been the fumes.
And then, there it went. The backside of the bear disappeared into the thicket. Oh shucks, Walzie, don’t feel too bad, we don’t need another dust collector hanging on the wall anyway.
Mason, good luck deer hunting with your old mentor. Hope you can keep him awake!

Keep up with happenings in and around northern
Blair County with “In My Opinion,” a weekly column by
The Daily Herald’s Staff Writer, Kris Yaniello.

As winter clenches its fists to let us all know that the warm weather is behind us, the pleasant welcome mat of the Thanksgiving holiday has swept under our feet. I have had more years than I have wanted where Thanksgiving wasn’t much of a “thanks” or “giving”, but a lot of things have changed in my life – so I’m really feeling the anticipation of the holiday season.
With tonight being Thanksgiving Eve, I was thinking about what I was thankful for. I figured that if I was going to share that with Daily Herald readers, I didn’t want to make it as much personal, but rather more from a community viewpoint. There’s many great aspects of Tyrone and northern Blair County that sometimes gets overlooked or taken for granted, so I wanted to show my appreciation for those people and places for whatever it is worth.
• We’ve lost some good people this year in Tyrone. People who have contributed to the betterment of Tyrone and its residents. People like Lamoine Zimmerman, Bob Maser, Steve Michaels, and others had spent countless hours of their own time helping Tyrone in one facet or another. It’s always sad when we lose people like that, but watching other people step up to fill the voids left behind is heartwarming. To me, that’s what defines a community like ours – the people who put others ahead of themselves.
• Tyrone Borough Council has taken its share of criticism with the ongoing issue of Gamesa’s proposed wind farm on Ice Mountain. When council does vote, its members will be deciding on one of the biggest issues to perhaps ever come up before council. The wind farm decision has been looming for three years, which is a long time, but the wind farm will be here for 30 years if approved. Council should be thanked for taking their time on something that has Tyrone residents split at the seam. The knowledge council has gained just in the last year on wind energy pros and cons is well worth the wait, all while managing to perhaps not raise our taxes in the borough’s 2009 proposed budget that is waiting to be reviewed.
• The Tyrone Area School District and its tireless efforts to always make sound economic decisions on school projects. Superintendent Dr. William Miller, Business Manager Cathy Peachey, the school board, and other administrators consistently make the right decisions. Not everyone may agree, but their work shows when school district taxes are not raised and the school improves. It’s not just money either, the school district provides a safe environment for the children and youth of Tyrone to attain the best education possible. As far as the school board goes, go to a board meeting sometime and it’s not hard to see that each member sincerely cares about the staff and the kids in the schools.
• Tyrone Mayor Jim Kilmartin has set an example for all who dream. Not only does he fulfill his duties as mayor by always keeping an ear to the streets and being open for discussion, criticism, or suggestions, he has built a safe harbor for the youth of Tyrone in the Joshua House. He has made an impact in my life and I could never thank him enough for that. I feel that Tyrone residents can rest assure that Jim will always make the best decisions for our community. If Tyrone wants to grow and prosper, then the right person is our mayor. It’s evident in what he has done with the Joshua House in a mere 10 years.
• Tyrone Borough Police Chief Joe Beachem and his officers, all of the fire departments, and emergency personnel are so vital to our community. Chief Beachem and his staff had the biggest and most threatening task of all to accomplish, ridding our streets of drugs. The selling or using of narcotics in a small community like Tyrone can destroy its very fabric, but that wasn’t an option for our police department. The progress they have made in recent years is commendable, but the effort put forth is astounding.
• All the men and women who educate and coach the youth of Tyrone are the same people who turn into the Zimmerman’s and Maser’s of past years. People like John Franco or Kevin Soellner, who take what was given to them by someone and give it back to another. All teachers take on the task of arguably the most important job in the country, and do it for far less monetary value. All of these people aren’t in it for the money, but for the joy of watching a kid learn something new, whether in school or sports.
• Our National Guard in Iraq and all of the present and past men and women serving in the military. We have Thanksgiving because of what these servants of freedom do. Thanking them and praying for their safety is the least we can do.
• The Sample News Group provides a daily newspaper to Tyrone and northern Blair County. This newspaper is the smallest daily paper in the state. Our owner, Scoop Sample, keeps this paper alive and puts trusts in his employees to keep it going. We’re trying to make some changes at the Herald to provide a more local news oriented paper, so hopefully the community will jump on board and help support something that most small towns do not have.
• Many thanks goes out to all of the people in Tyrone, Bellwood-Antis, and the rest of northern Blair County who are committed to making a difference in their communities. It’s easy to say what should or should not be done, but those critics are usually the ones who aren’t involved in anything. Be pro-active in the community and make a difference in someone’s life or in some cause.
• Last but not least, I’m extremely thankful for my family, loved ones, and friends. My fiancee Christina, her family and mine, and our daughter, Chase, has been a blessing in my life. Waking up in the morning and knowing that there are two young ladies in my life depending on my love and support, as I depend on theirs, is the most thankful part of me. Nothing can replace that.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving to all!

To contact Suzi, email her at suziwalzie@aol.com or
visit her website at www.myspace.com/suziqzi1948
I don’t know about you, but I love to savor a good meal. Doesn’t matter if it’s at home or in a restaurant or even at Burger King, for that matter. I read somewhere that it’s better for a person to eat slowly and allow time for your stomach to signal your brain that it’s full. Supposedly, you’ll eat less that way. (Can’t prove it by me, though.)
Walzie yells at me all the time for eating too slowly. In fact, just last week as we enjoyed breakfast at the Chill N Grill, he sat with his arms folded, watching me play with my scrapple. Okay, so I draw pictures in the butter with my knife and smear syrup around like Picasso. I’m letting my brain and stomach get it together.
Finally, he couldn’t stand it any longer, “Susan, if you ate like that in ‘Nam, you’d still be there!”
Well, doggone it, we aren’t in ‘Nam – get over it!
Just because he inhales his food like a vacuum sweeper, he thinks everybody else should do likewise. Sometimes I think he’s mentally still in ‘Nam gulping down cold sea rations or sucking it in under the watchful eye of the drill instructor at boot camp.
He learned all that stuff at Parris Island, South Carolina, way back in 1967. He was a smart-aleck kid just turned eighteen when Aunt Lovie made him join the Marines. (Bet she was tired of him inhaling all of her food!) It was either enlist or suffer the wrath of Drill Instructor Bigmouth as a draftee. He later found out that either way, the D.I. would make him suffer.
It was 100 degrees and the middle of the night when the Greyhound pulled through the gates at Parris Island. When the door opened, the D.I. shouted, “You girls have three seconds to clear this bus!”
Quicker than soup through a goose, Gomer Pyle was standing on the yellow footprints. Sweat matted his slicked-back Elvis hair and stains as big as Chevy hubcaps wet his armpits. His heart was thumping. Sgt. Reed got in his face right away, “Think you’re tough, Elvis? What’s that I hear? Is that your stomach growling?”
“Uh, no…well, maybe…uh, yeah,” Walzie stammered.
“Well, which is it, Sally,” he continued. “No? Maybe? Yes? And what title follows?”
Uh oh, a trick question. I know Walzie’s mind raced trying to remember what the heck a proper title for a ranging banshee should be.
“Yeah, uh…Mr. Drill Sergeant.”
A quick slap up-side the head taught him the word, “Sir”.
Before the sun came up, his hair turned to Velcro, his jeans and t-shirt transformed magically into fatigues, his cowboy boots became combat boots, and his poor empty tummy growled louder. What he wouldn’t give for a slab of bacon and a dozen eggs right now.
“Breakfast at o-five hundred hours,” the D.I. barked.
Finally, Walzie, carrying his tray, joined the other recruits in the mess hall. He sighed. Two seconds later, the banshee screamed that breakfast was over. Fall in formation. Walzie gulped a quart of chocolate milk and snapped to attention.
Outside in the southern morning heat, that milk churned and burbled. Just as the D.I. came face to face with Walzie, he let out a deep chocolaty belch.
“Who’s the uncouth clown?” he questioned. “Private Walls, was that you?”
The D.I. took his pointer stick and rammed it into poor Walzie’s gut. Chocolate milk shot out of him like pea soup from Linda Blair. Drill Sergeant’s don’t wear chocolate very well, you know. Now who’s the one that needs a Tide stick?
So after all that, Walzie learned to turn on the vacuum (and hold it down well). He’s never stopped. He’s told me that eating this way saved his life many times over. Well, yeah, when eating in the jungle, not the Chill N Grill for heaven’s sake. He says there’s just too much stuff to do to waste time eating. Shucks, Walzie, Walmart is open 24 hours – slow down!