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Issue Home November 12, 2002 Site Home

HEADLINES:
Conservation Banquet Has Best Turnout Ever
Jami Towner Is Pre-Teen Finalist
Library Offers Window To The World!
SCDED Welcomes New Businesses
Engagement Announced Schiffman - Chacona
Sea Scouts Elect New Quarterdeck
A Call To All Area Businesses
David Van Duren Is Forest Steward
DEP Congratulates County Conservation
Drought Loss Loans For Area Farmers
Pamela Hegedus Gets 1000 Hour Award
Library Quilt Raffle Winner Announced
Telephone Scam Targets Elderly
Card of Thanks

Conservation Banquet Has Best Turnout Ever

Nearly 100 conservationists from Susquehanna County and beyond were treated to a glorious array of colors and fantastic food at the Fairdale United Methodist Church as they celebrated the 55th anniversary and awards banquet of the Susquehanna Conservation District. The talented hands of the ladies auxiliary and their helpful spouses provided the hearty fare.

Secretary David Hess (left) and Rep. Tina Pickett (right) present a plaque to the Susquehanna Community High School "Tree Huggers" at the Conservation District’s awards banquet.

David Hess, the popular Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, was the guest speaker. DEP Northeast Regional Director Bill McDonnell, 110th Congressional District Rep. Tina Pickett, Penna. Dept. of Agriculture Regional Director Russ Gunton, and County Commissioner Lee Smith also shared in the celebration.

Conservation District Manager Lillian Theophanis and District Conservationist Robert Hotchkiss, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, narrated a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the diversity of programs and special events conducted by the Conservation District and its partner agencies over the last two years.

In his speech Sec. Hess commented on the amazing array of accomplishments of the Susquehanna County partners. He congratulated the audience, many of whom were direct participants in District, NRCS and Forestry related programs. Then, seven awards were presented on behalf of the District Board of Directors. In addition, Rep. Pickett presented certificates prepared by Rep. Sandra Major on behalf of the Penna. House of Representatives.

The Susquehanna Community High School "Tree Huggers" won the Envirothon award. Present to receive the "Envirothon Champs, 2002" award were Advisors Mr. Bronson Stone and Mr. Chuck Fuller with Envirothon competition participants Shannon Williams, Elizabeth Woer, Jannine De Witt, and Dannielle Stone. In addition to their plaque the team won attractive jackets bearing the Envirothon logo.

This year there were two families awarded the "Farmer Cooperator of the Year" award, Reuben and Beth Everitt of the Snake Creek Watershed and Dennis and Victoria Larue of the Wyalusing Creek Watershed. These two families were recognized for their outstanding cooperation and work in the planning, design and execution of Best Management Practices in their barnyards, fields and nutrient management facilities in partnership with NRCS and the District. No-Till Program Specialist Delbert Potts presented the "No-Till Farmer of the Year" award to Richard and Dana Empet of the Tunkhannock Creek Watershed. They received the award for their outstanding efforts associated with the No-till Program. This year, when so many farmers were affected by the drought, the Empets had a successful corn crop.

The Choconut Creek Watershed Association was recognized as an outstanding example of determination and effort in assessing, planning and funding a natural stream restoration on Choconut Creek. Co-Presidents Carolyn Doolittle and Jack Davis and the members of the Association’s Board of Directors accepted the award. The Snake Creek Watershed Association was recognized as an outstanding example of vision and public outreach in the organization, education and promotion of the Snake Creeks Watershed. James and Sandy Chambers and Board member Judy Dantine accepted the award.

The Northern Tier Coalition of Susquehanna County received its award for its partnership efforts with Cornell University that resulted in the publication, "A Rural Resource Inventory and Report for the Northern Tier Coalition of Susquehanna County". The "Rural Resource Inventory" paves the way for a Joint Comprehensive Plan for the municipalities of Susquehanna County.

David Gross, Ph.D., Cornell University received a Special Award for his partnership efforts and those of his team of professors, graduate students/teaching assistants and undergraduate students. Their efforts involved the Conservation District, County Planning Office, E. L. Rose Conservancy, County Commissioners, Northern Tier Coalition members, and private citizens of Montrose. The partnership work resulted in the achievement of important goals set by these groups for the future of natural resource conservation and the sustainability of the rural way of life in Susquehanna County.

Sec. David Hess was presented a gift of local products from Kessler Farms, owned and operated by Jim and Jan Kessler. He also received a copy of the book "From the Susquehanna to the Chesapeake Bay". Finally, the Conservation District Board and Staff presented a special gift of Courtland Birchard’s Bluestone Art to Conservation District Chairman George Gardner in recognition of his many years of leadership and commitment.

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Jami Towner Is Pre-Teen Finalist

Jami Towner, daughter of Charles and Helen Towner, Susquehanna, has been selected as a finalist in the Pre-Teen Pennsylvania Scholarship and Recognition Program to be held November 29-30, at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel, Harrisburg.

Pre-Teen Pennsylvania is a by-invitation only Scholarship and Recognition event involving young ladies 7 to 12 years of age based on their school academic records, awards and honors won and/or their participation in outside activities. Additionally, young ladies are invited who have been recognized publicly for their outstanding personal achievements, volunteer services, school involvement, leadership abilities or creative talents.

State Finalists will be evaluated on (1) Academic Achievement; (2) Volunteer Service to Community; (3) School Honors and Activities; (4) Development of Personal Skills and Abilities; (5) General Knowledgeability; (6) Communicative Ability and (7) On-Stage Acknowledgment of Accomplishments. Pre-Teen Pennsylvania will award more than $5,000.00 in educational bonds, prizes and awards.

Jami is very grateful to all her sponsors who have enabled her to attend this very prestigious state event.

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Library Offers Window To The World!

The Susquehanna County Library systems extend an invitation to Susquehanna County residents to explore the world of computers at the Main library and its branches in Hallstead, Susquehanna, and Forest City through access to the worldwide web, tutorials in Microsoft office suite programs, and wide source of research options.

"We’re especially delighted to provide county residents with an opportunity to learn computer skills free of charge," says Sue Stone, Administrator/Librarian. She explains that the county library system was the recipient of a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that includes computer workstations and software, a scanner, and a package of interactive lessons on using the various software programs. Library staff is on hand to get users started in the Office Suite lessons that range from word processing to how to put together a PowerPoint presentation. The main library and all of the branch libraries are now equipped with these work stations.

One of the county library system’s new computer work stations.

The county library system also provides, through its website www.susqcolibrary.org, access to a wide variety of research resources for students from kindergarten to graduate school. "The Pennsylvania Power Library provides free access to quality, accurate information from reliable providers 24 hours a day, from your home," says Hilary Caws-Elwitt. "All that is required is a library card." The Power Library includes databases of education, public information, and medical information, along with resources specifically for children that include SIRS Discoverer, Big Chalk and Searchasaurus. "Librarians are professional searchers," Hilary explains, adding that library staff are on hand to guide first time users through the process. "Users can call, or e-mail us with questions on how to use these resources, or, if you can’t find an answer, we can often be of assistance in searching it out."

Patrons can also use the library’s computer resources to set up a free e-mail account. "We’re seeing an increasing number of senior citizens who enjoy coming to the library to use the computers to send messages to their families," Hilary says. "Using the computers here means they don’t have the expense of setting one up at home."

As the library begins to plan for its future expansion, foremost in their minds is a need to continue to meet patron’s needs for computer access. "Computers are part of the library of the future," Sue explains. "With additional space and more staff, we’ll be able to provide more classes, and more computers for the public to use."

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SCDED Welcomes New Businesses

On behalf of the Susquehanna County Department of Economic Development, Director Justin Taylor extends a warm welcome to forty-five business start-ups in the county this year. "These new businesses are the result of local people having confidence in themselves and in their communities and we congratulate them on their entrepreneurial spirit," Taylor said. "These businesses are mostly in the retail and service sector, a growing segment of the county’s economic picture. These businesses will serve not only the local population but our increasing numbers of tourists and seasonal residents," Taylor noted. He added that many of the new business owners participated in the TREHAB Assets program, or the University of Scranton’s Small Business Development Center, and also contacted the Department of Economic Development for assistance.

Justin Taylor, director of the Susquehanna County Department of Economic Development welcomes Endless Mountains Pharmacy in Clifford to the Susquehanna County business community.

Taylor will present all the businesses with Welcome certificates.

For information on relocating, starting or expanding a business in Susquehanna County, contact the department of Economic Development, 31 Public Ave. Montrose, PA 18801 (570) 278-4600, ext. 588.

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Engagement Announced Schiffman – Chacona

Chris and Norma Chacona, Susquehanna, PA and Steve and Wendy Schiffman, Holbrook, NY are pleased to announce the engagement of their children, Jesse Chacona and Brooke Schiffman.

Ms. Schiffman is a graduate of Sachem High School, Ronkonkoma, NY, and SUNY Oneonta. She is presently a third grade teacher at Mount Washington School, Baltimore, Maryland.

Mr. Chacona is a graduate of Susquehanna Community High School and Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA. He is a fourth grade teacher at Hampden Elementary School, Baltimore.

An August, 2003 wedding is planned.

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Sea Scouts Elect New Quarterdeck

The Sea Scouts of Ship 90, New Milford, PA, have elected the following as the new Quarterdeck; the five key petty officers who run the ship organization.

New Boatswain is Matt Weber, who holds the rank of Ordinary Seaman. Apprentice Sea Scout Steve Spencer is the new Boatswain Mate. David Navickas, who holds the ranks of Apprentice and Life Scout is the new Storekeeper. Apprentice Sea Scout Jacob Brizzolara was reelected as the Purser and Amber Neild as the new Yeoman.

Other officers elected were: new Crew Leader Nate Hall and Assistant Crew Leader Dan Weber. Assistant Storekeepers are Caleb Gere and Nicole Conrade. Past Boatswain Drew Paterson was appointed Advancement Specialist.

Last Sail Of The Season

The 16 1/2 foot O’Day sailboat at Whitney Point Reservoir, NY.

Under the leadership of First Mate Marvin Van Cott, Second Mate Laurie Weber and Vice Chairman Chuck Jaget, the Sea Scouts took two sailboats to Whitney Point Reservoir in late September for one last sail before putting all the sailboats and canoes away for the winter. The Sea Scouts sailed the 15-foot, day sailor designers choice and the 16 1/2 foot, O’Day and had a real great wind with white caps on the reservoir. Chairman Don Johnson’s barn has been cleaned out and all canoes, four sailboats and windsurfers were put in storage for the winter.

Training Weekend, Maryland

The next major activity of the Sea Scouts will be attending the regional Sea Scout Training Weekend at Catacton Mountain Park, in Maryland to work on Sea Scout Advancement for the ranks of Apprentice, Ordinary, Able and Quartermaster as well as Officers Training for the adults. 13 Sea Scouts and officers from Ship 90 will be attending. It won’t be all work and no play, as there will be a sock-hop on Saturday evening, with pizza and soda.

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A Call To All Area Businesses

We are calling for complimentary ads in Susquehanna’s "Memorabilia" book, celebrating 150 years - 1853-2003. The book will contain the history of the community, including many of its "major" events. This will be a book you will want to save for your children, grandchildren, etc. It will include the names of many area businesses, that – in future years – say, like the 200th birthday, many of today’s "youngsters" can say, "Oh, I remember that store. I remember many of the names in the book."

The "deadline" is as soon as we can get your ad. The quicker we get it, the faster we can take it to the printer, and make sure that we will have the books for the celebration, slated to start in July.

If you have not been contacted and wish to be a part of the community’s 150th birthday, please call either Lou Parrillo at 853-3835, Mary Jo Glover at 853-3657, or Pam Hennessey at 853-4538.

We also urge all those that have been contacted, and wish to have their ad in the book, to please call any of the above numbers. The sooner, the better; it will make our work that much easier. There is a lot of work to be done, and getting the Sesquicentennial Book out of the way will be a huge part of our "Birthday Party," giving us time to concentrate on the program, which is tentatively set to start July 12 and end on July 19.

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David Van Duren Is Forest Steward

Susquehanna County has a new Forest Stewardship Volunteer. David Van Duren, of Silver Lake Township was among 29 volunteers from across the Commonwealth who recently completed the Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship VIP-Coverts volunteer training program. VIP-Coverts volunteers promote forest stewardship in their home community by relaying what they’ve learned to their friends, neighbors, and community groups. The two weekend workshops on forest management took place at Krislund Camp in Madisonburg, PA.

As part of the Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program, volunteers help forest landowners find information and technical assistance that can help them best achieve their objectives for their land, which may include wildlife habitat improvement, recreation, timber production, natural beauty, and many other uses. The volunteers encourage landowners to develop a forest management plan to meet their objectives, while caring for the ecological health of their land.

The volunteers complete 40 hours of classroom and field training in the principles of stewardship, silviculture (the growing of forest trees), forest and wildlife management, tree identification and measurement, forest ecology, financial and legal issues, and outreach. After volunteers complete training, they receive periodic newsletters, publications, and opportunities to attend advanced training sessions. In exchange for the training, volunteers agree to invest at least 40 hours relaying what they have learned to others.

To learn more about sources of information and assistance for private forest landowners, contact the Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program toll-free at 1-800-235-WISE.

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DEP Congratulates County Conservation

Fairdale, Susquehanna County – On behalf of Gov. Mark Schweiker, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary David E. Hess joined state and county officials in congratulating the Susquehanna County Conservation district for its long-standing efforts to protect the environment and educate county residents.

"The district and all county residents should be proud of your accomplishments in protecting the environment for the past 55 years," Secretary Hess said.

Secretary Hess visited Hop Bottom, in late March to view a conservation district stream restoration project on Martin’s Creek and visit the Mack family dairy farm’s manure-management and water quality projects on the farm.

He also visited Susquehanna County in June, to welcome the Susquehanna Sojourners to Pennsylvania. In September, he viewed student artwork related to the county’s environment in Choconut.

"I want to congratulate County Commissioner Lee Smith and Lillian Theophanis and her staff for their outstanding efforts to protect and enhance the environment here in Susquehanna County," Secretary Hess said. "DEP, through the hard work of your legislators, has been able to help the county in this effort with nearly $700,000 in Growing Greener funding. It has been money well spent, and the investment will pay dividends for county residents for generations to come."

For more information on Growing Greener, visit the PA PowerPort at www.state.pa.us, PA Keyword: "Growing Greener."

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Drought Loss Loans For Area Farmers

Montrose, PA – Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications for the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) – a new USDA program that provides direct payments to producers who suffered financial losses as a result of severe drought conditions.

"LCP is a livestock loss program that provides financial assistance to farmers and ranchers who would otherwise have no opportunity for loss compensation," said Charles G. Perkins, County Executive Director. "We recognize that individuals who raise livestock only, and those who raise livestock in conjunction with row crops, have suffered devastating losses on both accounts due to severe drought conditions," he said.

In Pennsylvania, most counties have been approved for LCP, including Susquehanna County.

For more information regarding Livestock compensation Program provisions, payment rates and eligibility criteria contact the Susquehanna County office at (570) 278-1197, ext. 2 or visit the USDA website at www.usda.gov or FSA on the web at www.fsa.usda.gov.

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Pamela Hegedus Gets 1000 Hour Award

Pamela Lynn Hegedus, Susquehanna, recently earned an award for logging 1,000 hours in the American Quarter Horse Association Horseback Riding Program. The program recognizes and rewards AQHA members for time spent with their American Quarter Horses in activities such as trail rides, working cattle, pleasure driving, and simply riding.

AQHA actively encourages horseback riding as a recreational activity that can be enjoyed alone or shared with family and friends. For more information about AQHA and its programs, visit www.aqha.com or call (806) 376-4811.

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Library Quilt Raffle Winner Announced

The Susquehanna Branch Library announced that Derek Williams was the proud winner of the beautifully, hand-crafted quilt which was donated to the library by the Susquehanna Quilters. The library thanks the quilters group for their generous contribution, and congratulates Derek on his winning.

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Telephone Scam Targets Elderly

The Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna/Tioga County Area Agency on Aging is issuing a warning to all senior citizens in the four-county area that a telephone scam has been in process recently. The agency encourages all senior citizens to be on alert that there are telephone calls being placed to elders by individuals claiming to be employees of the Area Agency on Aging.

Callers are telling residents that they have free programs and services to offer which can significantly reduce residents’ tax liability. Callers are asking for bank account information on residents’ CD’s, stock holdings and other investments.

Area Agency on Aging Employees may ask some preliminary questions about finances but would never ask for specific bank account numbers over the telephone. These calls are not being placed by agency employees. If residents receive such calls, they are encouraged to do the following: do not divulge any financial information or Social Security information; report the call to the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Protection, 1-800-441-2555 and to the Area Agency on Aging, 1-800-982-4346; if an appointment is made to come to your home, you may call the Area Agency on Aging to confirm that the individual is employed by the agency.

For more information, contact the Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-982-4346.

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Card of Thanks

Hi, my name is Jami Towner. I am a fifth grade student at Susquehanna Community. I want to thank the following businesses, teachers, friends and family for helping sponsoring me in Pre-Teen America. I will do my best to make all of you proud of me.

Businesses: Lisa Winner’s Beauty Shop, Schneider’s Market, Benson Brothers, TJ Auto, The Depot, Reddon’s Drug Store, Haynes Dept. Store, Gifts & More, Max & Kate’s Hair Salon.

Teachers: Mrs. Conklin, Mrs. Hinkley, Mrs. Tingley, Mrs. Chervanka, Mrs. Steele.

Family & Friends: Mr. Chad Towner, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Oropallo, Ms. Brenda Rockwell, Mrs. Kay Pacifici, Ms. Jeni Soules, Ms. Rebecca Harris.

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