Susquehanna Life Out Loud

This episode features the stories of people who persevered and received a hard-earned reward for their efforts. We  take a deep dive into Marcos Colon’s article The Dry Crusade. His article invites us into a world very different from ours today, and yet it feels familiar. He writes, “Imagine living in the 1870s. It was decades before women would have the right to vote, but that did not discourage a group of determined women in Pennsylvania from working diligently to improve the lives of their families.” Retired historian professor, Mary Zimmerman tells us about the Women's Christian Temperance Movement and the social issues they were seeking to address through Prohibition, and how that fight helped them in the quest to secure women's right to vote. Cindy Ross is the author of the new book, Walking Toward Peace [https://riverhousepa.wordpress.com/2021/01/28/walking-toward-peace-veterans-healing-on-americas-trails/]. She shares Intimate stories of those who have found new tools to deal with psychic wounds suffered as a result of serving in the armed forces. Scientific data explains why and how spending time in nature can help heal psychological scars. Through River House PA [https://riverhousepa.wordpress.com] Cindy leads hikes for military veterans. In the fall 2021 issue of Susquehanna Life Magazine, Cindy gives us a taste of the book, and reads some of it for us for the podcast. Lenaire Ahlum felt so moved by the challenges one Central Pennsylvania student faced in getting an education, it led her onto the long hard path to start a community college in Sunbury with satellite campuses in the region. Her relentlessness and pursuit of higher education is about to be rewarded. Dr. Lenaire Ahlum, Founder and Executive Project Director of The Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project [https://newcommunitycollege.org] (SVCEP) along with board president, Meghan Beck tell the story of the community college and share the many ways it will benefit the region. Plus hosts, Peterson Toscano and Erica Shames catch up and talk about the challenge and rewards that come from perseverance. You will also hear about events you do not want to miss this fall. Susquehanna Life Out Loud is the companion podcast toSusquehanna Life Magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/]. You will find a full transcript of this episode and listings of previous episodes onour show notes page [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/podcast]. You can hear our podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio. All the music we use on the show is licensed via Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/]. Let us know where you hear podcasts, and we will submit our show to that platform. See a listing ofwhere you can buy our magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/where-to-buy]and find out aboutsubscription options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/subscribe]. Do you want to be a sponsor of Susquehanna Life Magazine? Find out aboutadvertising options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/advertise]. For questions, comments, suggestions, and recommendations, you can reach us atSusquehannaLife@gmail.com [SusquehannaLife@gmail.com]

In this episode we feature two stories of historic restorations. They standout among restoration stories because of the extraordinary circumstance involved and the many community members who worked together for years to make it all happen. First you will hear about perfectly restored carousel in Pottstown PA [https://www.carouselatpottstown.org/]. A labor of love that has lasted nearly 15 years has resulted in a world class attraction and a lot of community pride. After reading about the Pottstown carousel in Preservation magazine, writer Stephanie Kalina-Metzger [https://stephaniekalinametzger.contently.com/] realized something special about this particular restoration project. Stephanie did a lot of research and spoke at length with Alain McBain, one of the many volunteers involved with the carousel. She describes for us how they recreated the carousel from the ground up. We also share with you the incredible story of the East Broad Top Railroad [https://eastbroadtop.com/] in Huntingdon County. Writer Darrin Youker, tells us about this railroad restoration project happening in our region. Thanks to one family and a lot of volunteers, over 30 miles of history has been preserved. Jonathan Smith, the director of sales and marketing of this very special excursion train, grew up in Colorado, and from the age of 11 has volunteered and worked on the tourist train that went right past his house. Once he learned about the East Broad Top Railroad in Central Pennsylvania, his dream was to be part of the full restoration project.  He tells us, “The East Broad Top is sort of a  mythical thing in the railroad industry, untouched representation of industrial America. As the world opens up after the long Pandemic lock down, I will share with you highlights of  special events happening this summer in the Susquehanna Valley. And with people heading back to restaurants, we feature one that not only offers fine food but their own craft beer. Susquehanna Life Out Loud is the companion podcast toSusquehanna Life Magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/]. You will find a full transcript of this episode and listings of previous episodes onour show notes page [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/podcast]. You can hear our podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio. All the music we use on the show is licensed via Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/]. Let us know where you hear podcasts, and we will submit our show to that platform. See a listing ofwhere you can buy our magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/where-to-buy]and find out aboutsubscription options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/subscribe]. Do you want to be a sponsor of Susquehanna Life Magazine? Find out aboutadvertising options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/advertise]. For questions, comments, suggestions, and recommendations, you can reach us atSusquehannaLife@gmail.com [SusquehannaLife@gmail.com]

After a particularly cold, snowy, and difficult winter, it is time for renewal and rejuvenation. The Spring 2021 issue of Susquehanna Life Magazine provides multiple stories and features that will motivate you to get outdoors into the woods and the garden. This episode expands on some of the stories in our magazine. You will also from an experienced educator sharing insider tips for educating children outdoors. A master gardener will tell you everything you need to know to grow your own herbs for teas and herbal infusions. The Lewisburg Pod School After seeing their children struggle with remote learning at the start of the Coronavirus Global Pandemic, five families decided to pool their resources and started modern day one-room school house. They call it The Lewisburg Pod School. The students range in ages from 6 to 14 years old. With the help of a very creative teacher, they created a safe learning community during this very long Coronavirus pandemic. Every Wednesday the students and the teacher head into the woods for a full day of learning and play. Through fall, winter, and now in the spring, you will find them exploring the forest. In this episode we hear from Jenn Boyunegmez, the teacher,  Elizabeth Durden, a parent and Gabriel, a six-year old student in the Pod School. Planting an Herb Garden and Infusing Your Own Infusions and Teas rica Jo Shaffer has a storehouse of knowledge to share with those with experience and little to know experience planting and tending a garden. In a recent conversation about her Garden Shed article, Erica answers my many questions about growing herbs and using them to make homemade herbal infusions and tea.  Host, Peterson Toscano, peppers Erica with questions about seeds versus seedlings, pots versus growing in the ground, and what to do with friends who claim they simply do not have a green thumb. Erica also reveals the wonders of dandelions and stinging nettles. Behind the Scenes Look at Susquehanna Life Magazine’s Design When perusing a magazine listening to a podcast, we can become immersed in a world, but most of us are usually unaware of all the techniques and design elements that make it work. In this episode we pull back the curtain for you and introduce you to one of the people who make the magic happen at Susquehanna Life Magazine—Simone Tieber [https://www.kunstfarmwerkstatt.com]. Growing up in East Germany, Simone turned to art to comfort her during a turbulent childhood. Later in university the only way she could continue her art career though was to be an active member in the Communist party. She refused and forged her own path. Now as a graphic designer splitting her time between the USA and Germany, she has been responsible for designing the magazine that accompanies the Grammy Awards and the American Country Music Awards along with many travel, food, and university publications. Still working on each issue of Susquehanna Life Magazine is some of Simone’s favorite design work. Plus Host Peterson Toscano chats with Susquehanna Life publisher, Erica Shames about the Spring 2021 issue. Peterson also shares highlights including strategies for coping with the Coronavirus Pandemic, comfort foods, and more. Susquehanna Life Out Loud is the companion podcast toSusquehanna Life Magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/]. You will find a full transcript of this episode and listings of previous episodes onour show notes page [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/podcast]. You can hear our podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio. All the music we use on the show is licensed. In this episode you heard Dreamers of the Shore by Volcan Peaks and featuring Cody Francis. You can it and the other music at Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com]. Let us know where you hear podcasts, and we will submit our show to that platform. See a listing ofwhere you can buy our magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/where-to-buy]and find out aboutsubscription options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/subscribe]. Do you want to be a sponsor of Susquehanna Life Magazine? Find out aboutadvertising options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/advertise]. For questions, comments, suggestions, and recommendations, you can reach us atSusquehannaLife@gmail.com [SusquehannaLife@gmail.com]

* “The Riches of Kindness” Doris Lessing in her novel,The Golden Notebook [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Notebook], writes, “Do you know what people really want? Everyone, I mean. Everybody in the world is thinking: I wish there was just one other person I could really talk to, who could really understand me, who'd be kind to me. That's what people really want, if they're telling the truth.” Kindness. It doesn’t have the pizazz that comes from fame and fortune. There is something gentle and unassuming about it. Still in small and large ways it is often life changing. Erica Shames, founder and publisher ofSusquehanna Life Magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/]speaks with her podcast co-host, Peterson Toscano, about the contents of the Winter 2020 issue of the magazine. In preparing the issue, kindness emerged as a strong theme. It is so strong that Erica plans on weaving the theme of kindness into the magazine and podcast throughout 2021. So in a time when there is a lot of strife in the world, how do we promote more kindness? To find out Susquehanna Life Out Loud co-host, Peterson Toscano, chats with Joanne Troutman, the President and CEO of theGreater Susquehanna Valley United Way [https://www.gsvuw.org/]. She tells us about wildly successfulKindness Campaign [https://www.gsvuw.org/bekind]that United Way helped organized earlier this year. She also reveals bigger plans for the 2021 Kindness Campaign.Follow them on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/gsvuw]. Dr. Mel Zimmerman from theLycoming College Clean Water Institute [https://www.lycoming.edu/cwi/], updates us about the Susquehanna River and the many creeks and streams in the region. Dr. Zimmerman is featured in Darrin Youker’s article in the 2020 issue of Susquehanna Life Magazine. Dr. Zimmerman also shares ways you can show some kindness to the Susquehanna River and area water ways. You can follow the Clean Water Institute on theirFacebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/LycoCWI] In anticipation of her 50th birthday Karen Hendricks decided to try something completely different. An avid runner, she signed up to run 50 races for 50 different causes. Susan Ryder writes about Karen’s year-long celebration in the Winter 2020 issue of Susquehanna Life Magazine. Peterson Toscano chats with Karen to find out more about her adventure, what she learned, where she ran, and how the Covid-19 Global Pandemic interrupted but did not deter her plans. Karenblogs about each of the 50 races [https://inspiredmiles.com/]and each charity they races benefited. She is also the host ofThe Burg podcast [https://theburgnews.com/burg-podcast]. Dig Deeper * The officialKindness Campaign website [https://tkckindness.org/] * Video of Hellbender Salamander research [https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hellbender+video+Peter+Petokas&docid=608050872697095122&mid=8BB9CFB3E1BC2186F2AA8BB9CFB3E1BC2186F2AA&view=detail&FORM=VIRE]with Dr Peter Petokas from the Clean Water Institute * Integrated water quality report 2020 [https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/CleanWater/WaterQuality/IntegratedWatersReport/Pages/2020-Integrated-Water-Quality-Report.aspx]from PA Department of Environmental Protection * Chesapeake Bay report card [https://ecoreportcard.org/report-cards/chesapeake-bay/] * AUG 2020 WNEP Outdoor Life [https://www.wnep.com/article/entertainment/television/pa-outdoor-life/catching-hellbenders-peter-petokas-hellbenders/523-70f16952-52bb-4d92-a08c-851d4c49781c]program featuring Dr Peter Petokas and CWI interns Hellbender research * Create aRiperian Buffer [https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/riparian-zone]to protect river and streams * PA Bureau of Watershed Management’sRiparian Forest Buffer Guidance [http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/subject/advcoun/ag/2009/june2009/Riparian%20Forest%20Buffer%20Guidance.pdf#:~:text=PURPOSE%3A%20The%20primary%20purpose%20of%20this%20guidance%20is,It%20will%20also%20serve%20to%20assist%20any%20interested] * PA Fish and Boat Commission [https://www.fishandboat.com/Pages/default.aspx] * Susquehanna River Basin Commission [https://www.srbc.net/] * Road Runners Club of America [https://www.rrca.org/home] * Susquehanna Ridge Runners Club [http://susquehannaridgerunners.com/site-srrc/Welcome.html] This episode of Susquehanna Life Out Loud is sponsored byElizabeth’s An American Bistro [https://www.elizabethsbistro.com/], a true neighborhood bistro, and by theLewisburg Downtown Partnership [https://lewisburgpa.com/], sponsor of “Lewisburg in Lights” and “Late Nights in Lewisburg.” Susquehanna Life Out Loud is the companion podcast toSusquehanna Life Magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/]. You will find a full transcript of this episode and listings of previous episodes onour show notes page [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/podcast]. You can hear our podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio. Let us know where you hear podcasts, and we will submit our show to that platform. See a listing ofwhere you can buy our magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/where-to-buy]and find out aboutsubscription options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/subscribe]. Do you want to be a sponsor of Susquehanna Life Magazine? Find out aboutadvertising options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/advertise]. Do you want to be a sponsor of Susquehanna Life Magazine? Find out about advertising options. For questions, comments, suggestions, and recommendations, you can reach us atSusquehannaLife@gmail.com [SusquehannaLife@gmail.com] In this show you heard the songs “Weather Every Storm” by Cody Francis and “We’re All Runners,” by Nadja Alsén and Craig Reever. They are available atEpidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/]. This episode of Susquehanna Life Out Loud is sponsored by Elizabeth’s An American Bistro [https://www.elizabethsbistro.com], a true neighborhood bistro, and by the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership [https://lewisburgpa.com], sponsor of “Lewisburg in Lights” and “Late Nights in Lewisburg.” Susquehanna Life Out Loud is the companion podcast toSusquehanna Life Magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/]. You will find a full transcript of this episode and listings of previous episodes onour show notes page [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/podcast]. You can hear our podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio. Let us know where you hear podcasts, and we will submit our show to that platform. See a listing ofwhere you can buy our magazine [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/where-to-buy]and find out aboutsubscription options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/subscribe]. Do you want to be a sponsor of Susquehanna Life Magazine? Find out aboutadvertising options [http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/advertise]. Do you want to be a sponsor of Susquehanna Life Magazine? Find out about advertising options.For questions, comments, suggestions, and recommendations, you can reach us atSusquehannaLife@gmail.com [SusquehannaLife@gmail.com]