Features

Remembering the Alamo

LEWISTOWN - That three local men fought and died in the Battle of the Alamo in 1836 is no secret to anyone with even an inkling of the history of the Juniata Valley. Now the story of those freedom fighters is immortalized in song."Pennsylvania to the Alamo," is song Number 11 on a CD called "A Mountain Man's Dream," just released by Danville musician and schoolteacher Van Wagner.Wagner is also a friend of Paul Fagley, of Burnham, a well known local historian who the musician met at Greenwood Furnace State Park, where Fagley is a cultural educator."Paul and I share a love for Pennsylvania ...

Liverpool couple shares battle with brain cancer

MIFFLINTOWN - Mary Jo Barner knows what cancer can do. It can come back again and again. It can cause fear and leave families wondering if this is a last opportunity at every activity.Barner also knows what cancer cannot do, and she knows what Jesus Christ can do.Barner's husband, Keith, has faced three rounds of brain cancer in 16 years. She will share their journey at 6 p.m. this evening at the Central Juniata Emergency Medical Services building in Mifflintown. It is the annual Cancer Banquet hosted by Heavenbound Church in Mifflintown, aimed at providing a free meal and encouragement ...

Spring cleaning — the drawbacks and benefits

Spring cleaning has its drawbacks and its advantages. The drawbacks are obvious ... nobody really likes to clean. Once the task is complete, the advantages to spring cleaning include additional storage space, discovering items that you thought you lost, and some quick cash if you work to sell some of your unwanted stuff online. In the world of art and antiques, spring cleaning is a great opportunity to review the condition of objects, repurpose items, sort out what to keep and what to sell, and reconsider a collection's display options within your home.Here are some tips for your own ...

School Days

I went to St. Mary's twice and Notre Dame once and my older brother went to St. Mary's once and Notre Dame twice.What?Let me explain.My parents were born and raised in the Philadelphia area. Although they loved and always remained close to their families, after they married in 1952 they wanted nothing more than to raise their own family AWAY from the city.They settled in Mifflin County in 1966, just 165 miles from their native city. But they took the long route.As a result, I have wonderful memories of my elementary school years - from the fall of 1959, when I started kindergarten, to ...

Library fundraiser

Take a hike

MOUNT UNION - Standing Stone Trail, which links Greenwood Furnace and Cowans Gap state parks and runs through Mifflin, Huntingdon and Fulton counties in central Pennsylvania has been named the state's 2016 Trail of the Year.The announcement was made in a recent press release from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn."In testament to the vast walking and hiking opportunities Pennsylvania offers, almost two dozen trails were nominated during the third year of this very special designation," Dunn said. "Standing Stone was singled out for ...