Earlier this year, we
were sent two articles
which appeared in the January
19, 2009 edition of the
Oil & Gas Journal. And
while this is obviously not a
publication we read on a
regular basis, we did find
the two articles of interest.
The first, entitled ``CNX
Gas drills record Marcellus
shale well’’ and written by
Nana M. Rach, Drilling Editor,
concerns ``...hundreds
of coalbed, methane wells
in the Appalachian basin...’’
which were drilled in southwestern
Pennsylvania.
We gather from the article
that these wells, which
were the first horizontal
Marcellus shale wells
drilled by CNX, have proved
to be quite successful. In
fact, according to the article
``On Dec. 15, CNX reported
that the well was producing
6.5 MMcfd of natural gas.
``A record daily production
rate for any well in the
company’s history and believed
to be among the
highest reported by any
Marcellus shale producer,’’
said the company in a press
release.’’ We suspect that
those in this area of the
world opposed to natural
gas drilling would not find
this news of particular comfort.
In the second article, entitled
``US, world possess
rich resource base’’ and
written by Khosrow Biglarbigi
and Hitesh Mohan,
both of Intek Inc., Arlington,
VA and James Killen,
US Department of Energy,
Washington, DC, we
learned that ``Oil shale is a
hydrocarbon-bearing rock
that occurs in nearly 100
major deposits in 27 countries.
In-place hydrocarbons
contained in the shales
may exceed 10 trillion bbl.’’
The article quite clearly
points out that in the United
States, the best shale
deposits for oil shale production
in the immediate
future are found in the
western states of Colorado,
Utah and Wyoming.
However, the article also
concludes that ``...eastern
shale has the potential to
become an important addition
to US unconventional
fuel supplies.’’ It further
adds: ``With processing
technology advances, for
example the addition of hydrogen
to the retorting process,
potential oil yields
could approach those of
western shale.’’
We must say we were
most interested in the conclusions
reached by the article
concerning gas drilling
in the east. The article
reads:
``Eastern shale has some
advantage over the western
shale. Five of these are:
1. Eastern shale is closer
to major demand centers
and this would reduce
transportation costs.
2. Companies could
move the liquid produced
by barge to a refinery for
processing. This would
eliminate the need for local
upgrading and for constructing
large new pipelines.
3. Because the resource
is diverse, eastern shale development
should have
fewer associated environmental
problems.
4. Because the eastern
area is more populated, the
area should have fewer infrastructure
and socio-economic
problems than in the
west.
5. The eastern states
also have numerous coal
mines and industrial
plants, so that public acceptance
and permitting of oil
shale facilities may be easier.
We must say that we
had several responses to
this set of conclusions.
However, insulting is the
only printable one. For
those who may be interested,
both of these articles
can be found online at www.
ogj.com/index.cfm.
We were somewhat surprised
at the response we
received to our thoughts of
last week concerning the
teaching of grammar. We
were amazed at the number
of people who told us
they felt their grasp of
grammar was inadequate.
We were equally surprised
by those who told us that
blaming poor grammar on
the internet was a cop out.
We must say we hadn’t
given a great deal of thought
to the internet angle when
it comes to grammar. However,
having now done so,
we must say we find the argument
somewhat offensive.
After all, we, and all
the other columnists who
write for the Cooperstown
Crier, can be found on the
internet. And we would truly
like to think that none of
us present a poor example
when it comes to writing.
Naturally we all make mistakes.
But overall we think
all the columnists do a good
job, presenting the columns
in a straight forward, easy
to read and understand, informative
and, hopefully at
times, humorous fashion.
And although we certainly
cannot speak for our fellow
columnists, we would not
like to think our offerings
should be used as part of
the explanation for poor
grammar in the school system.
In fact, there are times
when we would tend to
think that simply diagramming
our sentences would
be most challenging. At
least we hope that would be
the case.
Therefore, instead of
trying to figure out who or
what is responsible for the
lack of grammar in our
schools, we would think it
far more productive to discuss
how best it might be
improved. To that end, we
would like to suggest that
improvement in the area of
writing would be greatly
helped by both more reading
and writing on the part
of students.
Reading broadens one’s
exposure to all sorts of writing
styles, whether they are
fiction or non-fiction. And
writing gives one the opportunity
to explore how sentences
fit together to express
ideas and support
positions. Understanding
the rules of grammar will
only help to make the process
more pleasant.
We would also suggest
reading one’s written work
out loud. If it sounds bad, it
probably is. But knowing
that gives one the opportunity
to rework the piece and
improve the writing. And,
perhaps, most important of
all, we would suggest sleeping
on any written piece.
Going through it a second
time, working out any
problems, will always make
for a better written piece.
And, of course, we always
find that proof readers can
be most helpful as they
tend to read what we write,
not what we think we write.
And sometimes that does
make a big difference.
In closing, we must admit
that we have found ourselves
to be quite taken
with the 2008 movie ``Mamma
Mia.’’ In fact, we
watched it three times this
past weekend. We thought
it to be a riot. We found it to
be too funny. And we felt it
made us feel like we were
29 again. And watching the
movie, which included the
ABBA song ``Dancing
Queen,’’ was definitely better
than reading the e-mail
we received which renamed
a number of songs including
``Dancing Queen’’ which
became ``Denture Queen.’’
That made us feel like we
were 129.
We remain,
In these Otsego hills,
The Ellsworths
The Ellsworths may be
reached by mail at 105 Pioneer
Street, Cooperstown,
NY 13326, by telephone at
607-547-8124 or by e-mail
at cellsworth1@stny.
rr.com. They look forward
to hearing from you.
Columns
In These Otsego Hills
- Columns
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
We continue this week by answering the question we asked if anyone remembers the old Cooperstown National Bank? On May 13, we wrote: “Martha Dickison, Delaware Street, called to tell us about the Cooperstown National Bank where she worked at her first ‘real job’ after her graduation from school.
Continued ... -
Up On Hawthorn Hill: Spring inventions
The second line of Lawrence Durrell’s novel “Justine” reads as follows: “In the midst of winter you can feel the inventions of Spring.” I first read all four novels of his magnificent Alexandria Quartet during the year I traveled from Saigon to Paris after working in Vietnam for a refugee organization for several years.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
Time to bring you up to date on Fly Creek’s happy clambering into Spring. First, the eatery scene. “Is Jerry’s open yet?” The answer is, “Oh, yes!” The porches are freshly stained; the lawns a uniform green, and the hop vines are already climbing the posts on the covered side deck. Blue and I went up there to lunch earlier this week, and I celebrated spring with my traditional bacon, onion and Swiss cheese hamburger. We two sat on the deck, enjoying the broad view and some spectacular clouds marching across, up toward Schuyler Lake.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: More from 1986 ...
This week we continue with the discussion of telephone service from the pre-dial days. On March 12 we noted that: “No one has yet produced a telephone directory from pre-dial days, but Doug Preston of New Hartford recalls that some business (which one?) in the village had the phone number 7.”
Continued ... -
Home Notes: Celebrations abound at the Thanksgiving Home
April was a month of celebrations and much to appreciate. We had a 90th birthday celebration for Wanda Noyes on April 4 including her family and friends. Personal care staff Dee Bouck worked with residents to hand paint Easter eggs for the tree in the activity room.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: 1986 continues ...
This week we continue our journey through the columns of 1986 with the answer to the question “for whom, according to tradition, was Hannah’s Hill named?”
Continued ... -
Book Notes: Baseball book features local contributors
Baseball is part of the nation’s fabric. Most kids have a memory of the game either from playing Little League, attending a major league contest or meeting a favorite player. In Cooperstown that feeling is magnified since we are the official home of baseball. We get to see firsthand what has made the sport the national pastime.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: Ya really wanna know?
SETTING: Fly Creek General Store. CAST: Assorted seated geezers, drinking coffee. [Door opens, enter heavy-set geezer; walking slowly with wide stance, maybe prostatitis.]
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: Returning to 1986 ...
For the past several years now we have undertaken sharing some of the area’s oral history we have collected over the years that we have written this column. Therefore, this year, we would like to go back to 1986 to share that rather unusual year. Those who were here then no doubt remember that it was that year that the village celebrated the bicentennial of its founding.
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From Fly Creek: For reasons unknowable
[Jim’s reached back to 2002 to share one of his favorite columns.] My father was born as the last century began into a river village in tidewater Maryland. He told me once of a man there in his boyhood who, like so many, made a thin living tonging for oysters in the cold months and, in the hot and humid ones, crabbing and raising vegetables.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: CCS balancing act ... side two
Last week we shared a number of activities in which students at CCS can participate. We thought it was an impressive, if not overwhelming, list. And we are indeed pleased that the young people of our area have these opportunities. However, we think it is also important to keep in mind that these undertakings do have a cost associated with them. They are not free. In fact there are, no doubt, those who would say they do not come cheap.
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From Fly Creek: A graceful crowd
Make of this what you will, friends. I feel I’m really meant to share it with you. Despite good medication for my Parkinsonism, every four or five weeks I can sensethe symptoms building up on me, giving me more than ordinary trouble. Lately it’s been falls, and last week brought a typical one. I’d gone out to get the paper, moving along with penguin steps on the snowcoved ice patches, and usingmy spike-tipped cane the waya climber uses an ice axe. But circumstances overcame me. Parkinson’s wipes out the possibility of multi-tasking.
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In These Otsego Hills: This and that and the other side ...
We note that the CCS Class of 2012 is presenting its senior class play, “Snow White” by Tim Kelly, this week with performances 7:30 p.m Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30, and at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31. All performances will be at the Nicolas J. Sterling Auditorium at the Middle/High School.
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In These Otsego Hills: That green thing ...
Of late we have noticed that our email inbox has been much busier than usual. In fact, we find ourselves hard pressed to keep up with all the various messages we receive. As a result we suspect we have not answered some in as timely a fashion as might be thought appropriate.
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From Fly Creek: What you need to know
In their last Sunday’s bulletins, all 84 churches of Otsego County were to have carried announcements of an important meeting; most of them did. But because the announcement is so important, and not just to the churched, here it is again.
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Book Notes: Living the magic of ‘Hoosier’
A lot of people consider “Hoosiers” the best sports film of all time. The 1986 classic follows the exploits of a fictional small town Indiana high school basketball team in 1952 as it attempts to achieve the impossible dream of a state championship. The story is inspired by the true life achievement of the 1954 Milan team, who with an enrollment of only 161 students shocked big city power Muncie Central on a last second shot to win the state title. It’s the kind of sports story that represents something that is hard to grasp unless you live in a small town.
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In These Otsego Hills: The most perfect village... home to heavy industry?
We suspect we would get a whole lot more accomplished if we spent less time thinking, pondering and musing about things. In fact, there is a good possibility we might actually have completed our goal of cleaning the basement if we only focused on the task at hand, instead of trying to figure out the world around us. It almost makes us wonder if it is possible to think too much about things. We certainly hope not because should that be the case, we are in deep trouble.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: The past in the present
Clichés abound about the value of photographs. Most are probably true at least to a certain extent. What I do know about an image is that it represents something of the past that is not the pastitself. But that is the power of any image. It represents something that once was. The beauty of an image, revisited, is that it functions as a catalystfor reliving in the present a past experience. My own view, one that I thank the Spanish writer Jorge Luis Borges for, is that all we ever can experience is the present.
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Home Notes: Workshops held for Thanksgiving Home residents
We welcomed Linda Keller, Ph.D. of the Bassett Research Institute and Ida Baker of NYCAMH who presented a six-week workshop for residents and staff.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: Late-winter hamlet news
Well, at least I’m “guessing” it’s late winter now — in the winter that wasn’t. But, if not snow, I can provide a flurry of Fly Creek news to share with you, scooping Associated Press, Reuter’s, and United Press International, not to mention all local news services except our General Store.
Continued ...
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
