Will a Halloween Scrooge Create a New National Cemetery?

Halloween is a fun sort of holiday. It's actually the start of the “holiday” season, quickly followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. It begins the season of gathering together with family and friends, gift giving and celebration.

Originally, established as a harvest festival it is now connected with remembrances of those who have died, costumes, trick or treat, pumpkins and gourds, witches and black cats.

Dia de Muerto's, November 1 & 2, is the Mexican celebration perhaps best known for welcoming back the spirits of family and friends who come back for a visit. It is an important holiday to visit cemeteries. Halloween is actually a joyous festival.

Pennsylvania Senate Republicans – The Holiday Scrooge Factor for Citizens ?

Pennsylvania Republican Senators, however, are “scrooging” Pennsylvania citizens by balking at a severance tax on Marcellus Gas. The Pennsylvania House adopted a tax proposal, as promised, and forwarded it to the Senate, which has until Thursday October 14^th to pass the legislation. The proposed tax calls for a tax of $.39 per 1,000 cubic feet of gas taken. Not a whole lot of money. If the severance tax is not in place, it is likely dead in the water since no more legislative sessions are scheduled.

Of course elections are only a few weeks away, and the politicians need to spend some time with the electorate. Many of the politicos will have some extra money to spend this election cycle, thanks the generosity of the drilling companies. Check out MacellusMoney.Org to see who is getting rich.

Perhaps, not as much in northwestern Pennsylvania, but in other regions, the Marcellus debate is a contentious issue during this election. Chances are that is the same in New York, West Virginia, and parts of Ohio.

Pennsylvania sits on what is estimated as trillions of dollars of Marcellus Gas and there is no tax to help fund the local communities, state government, nor environmental issues. This despite the fact there is enough gas to supply US energy needs for the next fifty years.

The gas is a statewide, people's resource not a corporation's resource. At least in Alaska, the oil wealth is shared, why not Pennsylvania? Could it be the Halloween Scrooge at work?

The Halloween Costume of Marcellus Gas ?

Marcellus drilling does offer some hope. There will be plenty of jobs in many communities connected with the drilling. Although, lets face it some jobs, perhaps the highest paying, will go to company workers from out of state; fine. There are many other related spin-off jobs which will be available. Besides, the gas is here not in Texas or Iraq.

From a company viewpoint, there are few environmental problems, some even admit to no wrong. But that is not the reality. There have been problems with private water wells, public waterways, farm animals and forest land.

Concerns are also being raised about the effects of roads and huge machinery rumbling through forest land and it's impact on wildlife. Yet, very little environmental studies have been completed, despite the fact that 70 percent of Pennsylvania is forest land.

Gas might be a clean burning energy resource, but extracting it has some serious issues.

What are the impacts on the deer herd, turkey flocks, grouse and other native wildlife? Could Appalachia become the next national cemetery? After all, it is Halloween.

Halloween and the Vegetable Garden

Halloween also brings up images of snow, fireplaces and woodstoves. The holiday means winter is knocking at the back door. Ashes can be good for the garden but be careful.

Do not use the ashes if cardboard has been burned, plastic or most fire starter logs. These items have dangerous chemicals.

The best wood ash to use which will raise a soils pH are the hardwoods like cherry, oak, hickory and beech. It is also best to dig the ashes into the ground in the spring of the year which means safely storing them in a covered container. Melting snow and rain will leech out the available nutrients.

Before using the wood ash, it is a good idea to have a soil test done to determine the ration of ash to use. These test are inexpensive and will help to improve soil quality for the next growing season.

Additional Quick Note: Be careful, there is a ban on moving firewood because of the Emerald Ash Borer.

Good Blogs to Read

One Woman--over sixty--and her perspective of life. - by Kathleen Richardson. This was formerly called On Your Way to the Top. It is a great blog and she has worked hard to improve it and make it better.

Penn Future - This is a Web site, not actually a blog, but worth the time to check.

Marcellus Money - Not a blog but a listing of whose accepting money.

What Happens when Gardens Wind Down and the Gas Heats-Up

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The all important honey flow from the goldenrods and asters is winding down. These native wild flowers provide the honeybees and other native bees with their last nutrients before winter set it's icy grip.

The sunchokes are blooming. At times called Jerusalem artichokes, are members of the sun flower family and the edible tubers are healthy and nutritious, although, they are difficult to work with. Unlike a smooth potato, the sun choke tubers are bumpy and irregular and not the easy to peel. But they are tasty. The bees are attracted to the small yellow flowers and the finches in particular enjoy the seeds after the flowers dies back.

The bees have been in trouble for years now and declining populations of pollinators pose a threat to the human food supply as well as to native wildlife. Bees are necessary for the pollination of many wild food crops such as berries, nuts and wild apples.

Varroa mites and Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, have decimated many beehives, both domesticated and feral. Ongoing research by universities and state agencies continue to investigate the best methods to manage these pests.

There are immediate actions which home and property owners can do to help the bees. One of the first steps is to discontinue herbicide and pesticide use and find alternative solutions; plant native and heirloom flowers which provide the bees with the best nutrients and increase habitat areas. Ultimately, vegetable gardens will do better; the more bees around, the better the pollination, the more vegetables.

For the most part vegetables gardens are over unless a fall garden was planted; lettuce does particularly well in September/October as do red beets, peas and other edible greens. 

In the woodlands, the stumpy mushrooms are ready and easy picking this month. October is also a great month to get garlic in the ground.

With gardens winding down, the Marcellus Gas debate is heating. Many farms and organic growers, hunters and anglers, are becoming increasingly concerned about drilling operations and the impact on the environment.

Marcellus Gas

Many citizens continue to express concerns over the largely unregulated, and untaxed, gas drilling companies. Pennsylvania, as well as New York and West Virginia are hot beds of activities as more deposits of underground gas are discovered. There is enormous amounts of money involved and many problems connected with Marcellus Shale Gas drilling.

In Pennsylvania, there has been something of a free-for-all for the companies – the state is the only state not too tax the huge profits. However, that is beginning to change as communities need to address some of the problems created by the industry such as crumbling bridges and roads from the traffic from heavy trucks, water issues from sloppy workmanship and accidental events, and the impact of workers and their families from other states, particularly school districts.

Many of Pennsylvania farms and organic growers are becoming increasingly concerned for their operations. Clean water is a big issue.

Dimock, Pennsylvania is a tragic example. Cabot Oil and Gas of Houston, Texas has been drilling wells in that area. Unfortunately, many private water wells have been polluted and have become unusable because of leaking methane gas among other problems.

The situation has become so tense in that region that armed guards now accompany drilling crews to work sites in that region. Last week, the Pennsylvania DEP ordered the Houston, Texas based company to install a water line to provide clean drinking water to the families. Cabot, however, is outraged and is taking the DEP to court. Similar situations are happening in Bradford, Pennsylvania as well.

The state is taking action on regulations and on taxes. The PA House of Representatives recently adopted a tax structure, which the gas companies simply don't like. The bill now goes to the PA Senate where there will likely be a fierce debate.

The gas deposits are a natural resource which belong to all citizens of Pennsylvania and should be shared by all not just the drilling companies. The drilling companies are not fond of the proposed tax.

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The Marcellus Spy Thriller

Recently, it was revealed that the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security under Secretary James Powers hired a small company to spy on Pennsylvania citizens who express concerns about the Marcellus drilling. The spying revelations have created an furor among many environmentalists, Civil Rights Groups and churches. Political dissents is a constitutional right in both Pennsylvania and the USA. This isn't Iran.

The small company had a $130,000 contract to spy on citizens and the information was forwarded to the Homeland Security office which then issued “bulletins” to various agencies and to at least some of the drillers. Gov. Rendell, when the spying scandal broke, ended the contract.

Groups of citizens in Pennsylvania now want to know exactly who was informed by the bulletins but so far the state has refused to release a complete list. The issue is going to court.

Marcellus Cash Register

Marcellus Money, a Web site, has posted a listing of all the politicians, and many candidates for public office, who have received money from the gas drillers. It is an eye opening list. Check it out, MarcellusMoney.Org.

Frontier Preacher

A new book by former Canadohta Lake novelist Sam Hossler is a fictional account of the life historical Pennsylvania citizen John Corbly 1733-1803. It is great reading, great writing, and highly informative. Sam brings history alive with this his, third novel. The time frame is the Whiskey Rebellion. The book can be obtained at Sally's on the Lake in Canadohta, Morrison's Sports Store in Titusville and the Erie Book Store as well as online at SamHossler.com. For more information on Sam, his books and how to obtained his latest novel go to Sam Hossler.

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Good Blogs

On Your Way to the Top

New York's Southern Tier

Simply Snickers

Special Note Blogs : Here are some links to other blogs which I have read about Marcellus Gas. I will include one from each side of the debate. Get informed, know the issues, it could very easily be coming to you neighborhood.

Bobs Blog – this is really good first hand citizen journalism with great photos.

Marcellus Shale and Gas - from the industry's point of view.