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June 30, 2020
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NEWS
As restrictions ease, pet owners must prepare to ease the blow of going back to work
Photo provided The Rev. Michael Lozano, bishop of the Northwest Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, presents a certificate from the ELCA and synod to the Rev. V. Theodore Benson, pastor at Lebanon Lutheran Church in Kanesholm. Benson is retiring after 65 years in ministry, and the Lebanon Lutheran Church congregation will disband in its 150th year.
Chew Barker relaxes in one of her favorite spots in the house before her pet parent goes out to run errands.
By CHRISTINE HOLTZ Animal shelters across the nation saw an increase in adoptions during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, with many individuals becoming first time pet owners. Now that restrictions are easing, many pet parents will be going back to work and their pets will be spending more time alone, which can lead to separation anxiety. The Era reached out to the McKean County SPCA to find some tips on how pet parents can better prepare their pets for this transition. Hannah Lawton, dog supervisor, said her best suggestion is to start working with your pets prior to going back to work. In order to give your pet confidence, she said to start leaving them alone for a little bit and gradually increasing the amount of time until you go back to work daily. When individuals were adopting during the pandemic, Lawton encouraged people to “treat the pets like you are still working,” to better prepare them for when they actually go back to work. “Encourage them to be independent,” she noted. In addition, on their website, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) recommended associating one’s departure with something positive. For mild separation anxiety, giving a pet a healthy, tasty treat may be the ticket. The ASPCA suggested giving pets a puzzle toy, such as a KONG, stuffed with a few healthy treats that will take awhile to finish before one leaves the house. Separation anxiety can lead to some unwanted behaviors, such as chewing, barking and urinating or defecating in inappropriate areas. Lawton said the most important notion to remember here is to “be patient” as “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” “If you catch them chew-
ing on a shoe, encourage them to chew on a chewy toy with a similar texture — exchange one negative for a positive,” she explained. Lawton also explained that positive reinforcement is much more useful when dealing with unwanted behaviors than negative reinforcement is, as negative reinforcement can lead to aggressive behaviors. “I often encourage crate training,” she said. “Some people treat it as punishment, and it should be a positive thing, not a negative.” When crate training, Lawton said the crate should be a “safe space” for the pet. “They get toys in there or they get treats in there,” she added. “You want to make it a positive place that they want to go, so when you leave them alone, they feel comfortable and safe.” The ASPCA also suggests giving pets “jobs” to do during the day that will exercise both their body and mind. For example, before leaving the house for the day, engage Fido in at least 30 minutes of activity. Play fetch, let them run off some steam in the backyard or as mentioned previously, give them a puzzle toy that will keep them busy for a while. For individuals still experiencing difficulties with their pet who need some advice, Lawton said the SPCA is happy to give advice and suggestions on basic things. In addition, it might be a good idea to rule out any health issues with your veterinarian or your vet may even want to suggest a medication to help with the anxiety. Lastly, there are several trainers available in the area to help individuals with separation anxiety and unwanted behaviors. “Just be patient — Especially if you’re adjusting to going back to work — it’s going to be an adjustment for anyone involved, so don’t give up,” concluded Lawton.
Pastor Benson celebrates final service at Lebanon Lutheran Church By RUTH BOGDAN
KANE — The congregation at Lebanon Lutheran Church in Kanesholm is disbanding after its longtime pastor held his final service there on Sunday. The Rev. V. Theodore Benson, 90, who has served as a parttime pastor at the church for 37 years and 8 months, is retiring from part-time ministry. Lebanon Lutheran Church is celebrating its 150th year this year. The Rev. Benson celebrated 65 years in ministry earlier this month, said Matt Benson, his son. He explained it’s common for pastors to continue serving the community as long as possible. “Most pastors never retire,” Matt Benson said. “The Rev. Michael Lozano, bishop of the Northwest Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, visited Lebanon Lutheran Church in Kanesholm June 21 to honor the congregation as it celebrates its 150th and final year,” said Matt Benson. Lozano honored Matt Benson’s father, too, presenting the pastor with a certificate of appreciation from the ELCA and the synod. The Rev. Benson talked about what will happen on the day of Lebanon Lutheran’s last service this coming Sunday. The church celebrated Eucharist, and Benson preached his last sermon. Soloist Jen Crowley, an 11th grade-student at Kane Area High School, sang, and Tabor Lutheran Church organist Sharon Vaughn played. After the service, there was to be a special congregational meeting to take care of a few loose ends. “The church functions more or less democratically by the action of the congregation, so we have some housekeeping things to take care of,” the pastor said. As to why the congregation is disbanding, he explained, “The congregation has dwindled, and there are not other clergy to step in and replace me.” The issue is one that other churches of many faiths are currently facing, he noted, and it’s not unusual to see one pastor serving multiple churches. That won’t be the end of the church building itself, as Lebanon Lutheran Church’s assets and building will be turned over to the Tabor
Lutheran Church in Kane. While Sunday services will no longer happen at Lebanon Lutheran, people may be able to request a wedding, funeral or other special service be held there. Benson is happy to be passing along a well-kept church. “Our stewardship of the building facility, both the church and the cemetery, has been excellent,” he said, explaining that they started several years ago doing one improvement project each year to keep the inside and outside of the building in good shape. Projects have included a handicap ramp — made out of curved concrete rather than wood — as well as new front doors that meet fire code standards. Even though the building was built in 1875, “It’s in excellent shape. We’re proud that we can turn over our building and assets that are up-to-date and in good shape,” said Benson. He talked of his career as well. “I was ordained to the ministry June 5, 1955, at Zion’s Lutheran Church in Erie, my home congregation, and with that I have served in the ministry for 65 years,” said Benson. He added, “I’m still young at age 90.” Benson started his service in ministry as assistant pastor of the First Lutheran Church in Warren. “At the same time, I was mission developer of a new congregation in Warren, St. John’s Lutheran Church,” he added. He served in Warren for 2 ½ years. Then, he spent 13 months at a church in Drakes Mills, near Edinboro. After that, he went to New Castle for 6 ½ years, serving at St. John’s Lutheran Church. It was from there that Benson moved to McKean County to serve at St. Matthew’s. He served for 30 years as pastor of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church from 1965 to 1995, retiring as a full-time pastor that year. It was well before his retirement from full-time service that he started serving at Lebanon Lutheran. The pastor there, Mallard Nelson, “would ask me to fill in for him when he went out of town. On the last Sunday of October of 1982, (Nelson) was stricken and he died later that day.” It was on the first Sunday in November 1982 that Benson
became pastor on a part-time basis at Lebanon Lutheran. He continued serving at St. Matthew’s, too. He saw changes at his churches over the years, too, such as a new parsonage under construction in Drakes Mills, the purchase of a new parsonage in New Castle. In Mount Jewett, men of the congregation served as contractors for and even cut stone for a new stone building. Stone masons were hired, too. “If you were there for Mass, you would see stained glass windows of the highest quality,” Benson added, noting that the images were based on the writings of St. Matthew. Among Benson’s projects at Lebanon Lutheran is a monthly newsletter. He finds it difficult to type on his laptop, so he types the four-sheet newsletter on his IBM Wheelwriter Typewriter, which has a keyboard that is “much more accessible” than the one on the computer. The sheets get folded in half to become a mailer. Readers of the newsletter might enjoy the playful section on Page 7 called “Holy (Unholy) Humor.” “I also have put out now a brief history of the life of the congregation, so that’s going to go in the mail if not this week next week,” he added. Benson said he plans to stay local, where he has property that has been in his family for generations. He explained that his greatgrandfather emigrated from Sweden and started a farm that sits west of Lantz Corners. His grandfather added another 50 acres. Then his mother’s sister and her husband lived there, and they left it to their son when they died. Their son wanted to sell the land, so Benson and his wife ended up with it. For 40 years prior the couple had lived in church parsonages. “Once we had the land, we knew a location on the land where we wanted to build a home,” said Benson. A friend sent them a clipping from Yankee magazine of Deltec Homes, and they got an information packet and visited the Deltec factory in Asheville, N.C. Impressed with the construction, they eventually sent in a deposit for a home. While the homes are described as round houses, he said his home is not perfectly round, but rather has 15 sides.