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HEADLINES: Feed-A-Friend Campaign Kick Off By working together, schools, churches, businesses, service organizations, and individuals in Susquehanna County can help 900 needy local families enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings this year. TREHAB Executive Director Dennis Phelps welcomed some 40 volunteers, from school students to senior citizens, attending the annual kick-off luncheon for the county's Feed-A-Friend program. The luncheon was held at The Basil Leaf Restaurant, Montrose, on Wednesday, October 2. Feed-A-Friend, coordinated in Susquehanna County by TREHAB in cooperation with WNEP-TV 16, helps needy county families celebrate Thanksgiving with all the trimmings through donations of nonperishable food items and of money to purchase holiday turkeys. The food banks run by TREHAB in Montrose and Oakland have already started taking names from persons requesting the Thanksgiving baskets. Lists of potential recipients are also sent to the food banks by Aging Services, Children & Youth Services, and school nurses. Because of space restrictions at both food banks, the Montrose Fire Company and the Oakland Rod & Gun Club have volunteered their facilities for food collection, basket preparation, and distribution. Students from the Elk Lake and Montrose Area High School Key Clubs and Student Council and from Blue Ridge Middle School Student Council joined with representatives from People’s National Bank and organizations like Experience Works, the Montrose Chamber of Commerce and the Literacy Council in outlining their fundraising and other efforts for this program. This is the 18th year of operation for Feed-A-Friend in Susquehanna County.
Pictured during the luncheon to kick off TREHAB’s Feed-A-Friend Program with County Commissioners Gary Marcho, Cal Dean, and Lee Smith, at rear, are Blue Ridge Middle School Student Council representatives, led by advisor Rebecca Randall, left. The volunteers gave brief descriptions of their plans to help Feed-A-Friend. Elk Lake High School representatives reported that they would make food collections at the school, and also help with bagging the food. Montrose High School students will help by putting out donation and food canisters at local stores and businesses. Students from the Blue Ridge Middle School made a presentation using posters featuring photographs of last year’s food collection and bagging at the food bank. They donated these posters to TREHAB to display at the food banks. All three county commissioners, Gary Marcho, Cal Dean and Lee Smith, were on hand to thank the volunteers for all their efforts. Commissioners Marcho and Smith commended the young people for their active involvement in the program. Commissioner Dean noted that agencies like TREHAB are active in helping the community not only during the holiday season, but year ‘round. All food and money donations collected by TREHAB stays in Susquehanna County to help feed hungry families right here. Anyone interested in helping with or donating to the Feed-A-Friend program can contact Barbara Houlden, TREHAB’S Community Services Coordinator, at 278-0986 or toll-free 1-800-390-0352. Gardening and landscaping require ongoing maintenance and upkeep. Weeding and pruning are two necessary things to keep plants and shrubs healthy and attractive. Timing is important, also, as these jobs need to be done at different times of the year for different plants. Members of The Garden Club of Montrose help with the housekeeping chores needed to maintain the health and welfare of various areas in the community. In early May, the planting bed in front of the Court House was weeded and prepared for the summer planting. The dying foliage of perennial bulbs was removed, weeds were pulled and the deciduous and evergreen shrubs were pruned to keep them well shaped and under control. Later in the month brightly colored annuals were planted for summer viewing.
The flower bed in front of the County Courthouse. Flowering hanging baskets of pink ivy geraniums were hung along the downtown areas of Montrose in June. June is also the time for pruning and deadheading spring blooming shrubs and bushes. Garden club members pruned the rhododendrons at the gazebo on the green in Montrose. Pruning should be done immediately after bloom season to insure flowers for the coming spring. Careful shaping keeps the shrubs full and dense while keeping them low enough to see into the gazebo. This is important for the weddings and other functions held at this lovely spot. The area around the "Welcome to Montrose" sign on the golf course, donated and maintained by the garden club, received grooming in July. Members pulled weeds, trimmed shrubs, divided and replanted perennials, and edged the area for neatness and easy mowing. (Like housework, gardening is never finished!) With the coming of autumn, there will be more work to do. Dead annuals must be removed and weeds pulled so they don’t reappear next year. Plans will be made for the spring when once again the chores will be repeated. The Garden Club of Montrose is one of the 126 clubs belonging to the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania, with a membership of over 2700. The GCFP is a member of National Garden Clubs, Inc., the largest gardening organization in the world. In large cities, small towns and rural areas, garden club members unite to educate, preserve, protect and beautify. Bache Club Hears Words of Wisdom Charlotte Sidorski of North Jackson appeared at the Louise Bache Women’s Club in October to present readings of the poems of Edgar Guest as well as ones her mother used to recite. The selections recalled an earlier time when words of wisdom helped a parent rein in rambunctious children much more than will ever happen today. The members continued their support of area needs by agreeing to participate in Interfaith’s Adopt A Family program for Christmas.
Pictured (l-r) are: Charlotte Sidorski, with Jayne Manzer, Program Chair. JoAnne Kelly will chair the next meeting, November 19 at Green Gables. Call her at 465-7967 for reservations. Karin Mowry, a Susquehanna County Dairy Maid served cheese and crackers at an event at Lake Verex recently. Karin also did a milk mustache promotion to remind the public to consume more milk because of all the good nutrients contained in milk. Although they are too young to be Dairy Maids, Abigail and Justine Johns and Amanda Mowry like to help their aunt Karin doing dairy promotion.
Abigail and Justine Johns help their aunt Karin Mowry serve cheese. The Dairy Court does as many promotions as they can to help educate the public on the importance of milk and milk products. Please help our efforts to support local farmers by making sure you’ve "got milk." Specter Introduces New Dairy Bill According to Arden Tewksbury, Manager of the Progressive Agriculture Organization (Pro-Ag), Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) recently introduced Senate Bill #S-3068 which would mandate the US Secretary of Agriculture to include the cash costs on dairy farms when the Secretary establishes the Basic Formula Price. The cash costs would include all the everyday expenses on our dairy farms. In addressing the US Senate, Specter acknowledged the severe world problems facing the United States. "However," Specter stated, "we cannot ignore many of the severe economical problems also facing our country. One of these problems is the plight of the Pennsylvania dairy farmers." Specter cited the fact that current prices do not reflect our dairy farmers’ costs, and the prices are at the same level as over twenty years ago. The proposed bill has been referred to the US Senate Agricultural Committee. Tewksbury said, "Pro-Ag estimates the cash costs on our average dairy farm would equate to nearly $14.50 per cwt. (nearly $1.20 per gallon). When you take the $14.50 Basic Formula Price and apply the $3.25 per cwt. Boston Class I differential, then the Class I price (fluid price) would be $17.75 per cwt. (nearly $1.50 per gallon). According to Pro-Ag these prices would generate a pay price to the average farmer of approximately $15.80 per cwt. (nearly $1.30 per gallon). Dennis Boyanowski, President of Pro-Ag said, "It is rewarding to have a US Senator like Specter to acknowledge the critical problems facing all dairy farmers in the United States." At a recent town meeting in Towanda, Tewksbury pointed out to Senator Specter the severity of the dairy farmers’ plight. At the Towanda meeting, and later at a meeting in Wellsboro, PA, Specter promised the crowd he would go to the Senate floor and seek Senate action. Boyanowski and Tewksbury are asking all diary farmers to contact their Senators and Congressmen urging them to support Senator Specter’s bill. Leadership
2020 Program Starting in January The Planning Committee is now accepting applications for the upcoming Leadership 2020 program. This will be the third leadership development program for Susquehanna County since its inception in Fall 2000. Currently the numbers who have graduated from the program totals 23, and many of our referrals come from the graduates. We are looking for interested individuals for the January 10, 2003 kick-off. The program continues on every other Monday evening until graduation on May 5. Leadership 2020 is a comprehensive leadership development program open to anyone living and/or working in Susquehanna County. Public officials, business people; staff, volunteers and board members of non-profit agencies and service clubs, and anyone who wants to make a difference in their own community or develop their personal leadership potential is encouraged to apply. The Leadership 2020 Program requires a significant commitment of time and travel within the County and will require homework and other out-of-class preparation, and at the end of the program series, occasional support and assistance to operate the program for future participants. Applications will be reviewed and the Leadership 2020 Planning Committee. For an application, or if you have questions on any aspect of the program, please contact Joann Kowalski at 278-1158. Applications are due by November 22, 2002. If you are a business or organization interested in sponsoring a participant or would like to make a donation of money or space, please contact Joann Kowalski at the Penn State Cooperative Extension office at 278-1158 or 31 Public Avenue, Montrose, PA 18801. PNB Announces 3rd Quarter Results Increased income, dividend increase, and expansion were important factors as Peoples National Bank and its parent Peoples Financial Services Corp. announced third quarter results. A record quarterly income of $1,502,000 led the Board of Directors of PFSC to increase the regular quarterly dividend to 23 cents per share from 22 cents per share. The dividend will be payable on November 15, 2002, to shareholders of record on October 31, 2002. Through nine months of 2002, net income was $3,438,000 vs. $3,549,000 in 2001, a decrease of just over 3%. Income per share was down less than 2% at $1.64 compared to $1.67 at September 30, 2001. The bid price on PFSC common stock on September 30, 2002, was $28.50, an increase of 14% over 2001. Deposits have increased over 5% to $259,493,000 and loans have gone up to $214,656,000 an increase of 16% over the same date last year. Total assets as of September 30, 2002 were $344,299,000. Also announced was that an application for a branch office in Conklin, NY was approved by the Board and filed with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The newest Peoples National Bank office will be located at 1026 Conklin Road and is scheduled to be opened for business in the first quarter of 2003. Peoples National Bank is headquartered in Hallstead PA and has community offices in the Hallstead Shopping Plaza, Susquehanna, Montrose, and Hop Bottom in Susquehanna County, in Nicholson, Tunkhannock, and Meshoppen in Wyoming County and in the Price Chopper, Norwich, New York. Mary and I want to thank our family and friends for their many acts of kindness when I was a patient in Barnes-Kasson Hospital. A "big thank you" to Dr. Shah, Dr. Saran, nurses and aides for the wonderful care I received. Thank you, Father Connor and Father King for your visits and prayers. God Bless You, Paul McCormick
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