KEYSTONE CLIPS Farrell official knows wit is a hit

When Farrell Mayor William Morocco and Farrell City Council presented a proclamation to Dr. Thomas Laton making National Osteopathic Medicine Week last week, Councilman Robert Burich had high praise for the physician.
"He's the best sleep doctor in the [Shenango] Valley. He got me fixed up so I can sleep all night," Burich announced, prompting Councilwoman Helen Marenchin to quip," What'd he do? Hit you on the head?"
A dry spell: October was a good bit wetter than normal in the Shenango Valley, but it didn't help the ongoing dry spell much.
Consumers Pennsylvania Water Co. Shenango Valley Division, which keeps rainfall statistics at its Water Avenue plant in Sharon, reported 4.16 inches of rainfall last month compared with the normal 2.73 inches for that period.
The total so far for the year, however, stands at 29.15 inches, compared with 33.07 the average first 10 months of the year. Last year, rainfall for the entire year totaled 38.18 inches, though the normal annual rainfall is 39.35 inches.
Voters in the dark: Some Lawrence County voters were in the dark Tuesday when it came time to cast their vote. A power outage in Ellwood City, Ellport and parts of Wayne and Hickory townships kept voters without electricity for about an hour, said Marlene Gabriel, Lawrence County Elections director. But a call to Ellport Mayor Joe Cisco found that poll workers set up candles, which allowed residents to keep voting through the blackout, she said.
Saving energy: The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection wants residents to take steps now to conserve energy in their homes this winter and keep down heating costs.
The DEP recommends that thermostats be set at 68 degrees or even lower when you are sleeping or no one is home. Reduce heating in rooms that are not used regularly. Dress warmly, trapping body heat in layers of clothing and closed or high collars.
Have your heating system inspected and serviced. Install storm doors and windows or make sure the ones you have fit snugly to cut down on drafts and leaks. Add attic or wall insulation. Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air. Close curtains at night when no warm sun is shining in.
Make sure your fireplace damper is closed when not in use. Select energy efficient equipment when you buy new heating equipment.
XContributors: Harold Gwin of The Vindicator Sharon Bureau and Laure Cioffi of the New Castle Bureau