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HEADLINES: . America Recycles Day was celebrated with an open house at the Susquehanna County Recycling Center November 14. Pictured (l-r) are: Nick Troutman, liaison from Senator Roger Madigan’s office; Lee Benedict, former county recycling coordinator; Anita Benedict, former recycling center manager/volunteer; Kathy Tuttle, former county recycling coordinator; William Zick, current county recycling coordinator; Sandy Babuka, former county recycling coordinator; MaryAnn Warren, county commissioner elect; Lee Smith, county commissioner. Rotary District Seeks Professional Exchange Rotarians of District 7410 in Northeastern Pennsylvania are seeking four outstanding young professionals to visit Norway from May 5 to June 5, 2004. They would be part of the Group Study Exchange program funded through The Rotary Foundation. During the four-week visit, team members share personal knowledge of their own country and experience the customs, vocations, and lifestyles of the country. The purpose of Group Study Exchange is to promote international understanding and goodwill through person-to-person contact. While abroad, team members stay in Rotarians’ homes and have the opportunity to meet their professional counterparts. They also give presentations to Rotary Clubs and other groups about their home country. The Rotary Foundation provides a round-trip ticket, and local Rotarians in the host country provide meals, lodging, and group travel in their district. Team members pay for personal and incidental expenses. People interested in applying should be employed full-time in a recognized business or profession. Young professionals ages 25-40 are encouraged to apply. Applicants must live or be employed in Rotary District 7410 which covers Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties. For an application contact your local Rotary Club president or Tom Kurosky, District GSE Chairman, at (570) 278–3063. Applications are due by January 2, 2004. B-K
Awards Club Halloween Party On Saturday, October 25, the Barnes-Kasson Hospital Awards Club held their annual Halloween party at the Susquehanna Moose Lodge. With a large number in attendance, dressed in costumes of "all kinds," some parading with masks were hard to identify until "unmasking time." The judges had a hard time picking winners due to the colorful and beautiful costumes worn. After much deliberation, the winners were picked as follows. But the surprise of the evening was an "unidentified man" who, dressed as a b-i-g Sumo wrestler, invaded the hall and took over the floor. He was acting like a big-time wrestler, making wrestling moves and dancing up a storm, to the delight of the many present. (His name, I promised I would not tell, but what the heck, it’s all fun. Nice job, Mark Skiba.) Blue
Ridge Senior Center Update October is great! Mother Nature puts on her yearly show with all the breathtaking shades of red and gold, but then those beautiful leaves fall and it's rake-up time. We have football games and Halloween and those "Yankees" are in the World Series again. How about that, Pearl? It was one of the busiest months of the year at the center. Donald Day was with us again, he spoke about old time butchering in this area. There were two slaughter houses in the Great Bend area, one in town and another on Randolph Road. Along with his talk he also brought a number of tools used in the slaughtering business. We always enjoy having Donald with us and we send many thanks. There was a Fun and Fabulous Fashion Show presented by the ladies of Kime Apartments. It was a real laugh getter, the very large crowd really enjoyed this affair. Some of the "fashions" modeled were: the tank top, the slip over dress, boxer shorts and tea top, baggy pants, the paper dress, and the Moo Moo outfit. The models were Arabella Fish, Louise Ackley, Diane Hardy, Pearl Williams, Celcia Vincent, Mary White and me. This was a very clever and original presentation, much work and ingenuity went into this skillful and funny show. Many, many thanks to all who were involved. Something new was tried. We had an evening meal. It was called Italian Night at the Center - and yes we had Italian Food. I call it comfort food, and after we went to the United Methodist Community Church for a hymn sing. After the music more wonderful food was served. A great night out, especially for those who don't go out much in the evening. On Tuesday the 14th, our first brown bag day of the month we went to Maloney’s for lunch. Each ordered from the menu and all 24 of us enjoyed the food and the fellowship. Jars were filled with the proper ingredients for making brownies. These are to be used for a fund raiser. If you need a special little gift come on in and purchase one. They look so nice and festive with the colorful tops. A Senior Citizen Fair was held in New Milford at St. Marks's Parish House on October 16. The B/K senior services were represented by Betty Kegleman from the Blue Ridge Center in Great Bend and Marsha Testa from the Lanesboro Center. There was a large turnout; many materials were passed out and a door prize was won by Betty Mitchell of New Milford. We had a card craft day - Shirley Gillett was our instructor. Not many out, but it was a learning experience. We each made three cards - really some clever and original cards were produced. Shirley provided all the materials and tools. For Halloween we traveled to the Lanesboro Center. What an enjoyable afternoon. Some of the costumes were really clever, like the cat lady, and the mummy ( who did start to unwrap before we left). We were served a delicious lunch of chili and cornbread with cake and cider (both mulled and cold), coffee and tea. Each place setting had a favor, they were hands. Really, rubber gloves filled with candies - mine had a ring on one finger, even fingernail polish on the tips. The decorations were typical of the season, many door prizes were handed out and bingo was played. Many thanks to Marsha Testa and her volunteers for all their hard work getting ready, for the great lunch and especially for inviting us to share in the festivities. October was National Book Month. We have excellent libraries in Susquehanna Co., with our own in the Hallstead/Great Bend area. There is also a selection at the center, both paperbacks and hard covers, large prints and also books on tape. Some of these are brought to us by the county system, some are donated to the Center for our use. I hope many of you are taking advantage and enjoying. We continue with our regular activities and also this month the AARP held their 55 Alive drivers training courses. We also had birthday cake for those who had October birthdays, who are: Etta Kelly, Ruth Van Cott, Fred Kelly, Bea Chandler, Audrey LaHoda, Norman Darrow, and Linda McManamon. Hope you all had the best day ever. Then last but not least we had the drawing for our quilt winner. This year’s lucky winner is Donna Flemming of Clark's Summit, PA. Congratulations. That’s all for now, be with you next month. Oftentimes caregivers spend most or all of their time caring for their loved one and they may neglect their own overall needs. The book, The Fearless Caregiver, edited by Gary Barg (Publisher, Caregiver Media Group, 2001), strongly recommends that caregivers make time to take care of themselves. This self-care prevents the likelihood of burn-out and helps ensure that caregivers will be able to continue providing care for their loved one by maintaining their own health. The following are some of the self-care tips for the caregiver suggested: take a break every day, even if it’s only 10 minutes; laugh about something every day; take care of your self physically and get adequate rest; talk with someone every day; know your limitations; know your community resources and connect with them; attend support groups and educational workshops when you can; get professional help if your support system isn’t adequate or if you feel overwhelmed; listen to music and learn relaxation techniques. For information on resources for caregivers in your area, contact the B/S/S/T Area Agency On Aging at 1-800-982-4346. CD Burning At County Libraries Do you want to make a CD of family photos, but don't have a CD burner? Do you have a large file you need to download, but you've only got dial-up access to the Internet? Don't worry, because now you can make CDs at your local public library! At each of the Susquehanna County libraries (Forest City, Hallstead-Great Bend, Montrose, Susquehanna), you'll find a fast Internet connection, Microsoft Office, and several computers that you can use to burn CDs. Bring your own blanks, or buy them for $1 each. The service is free, and there are instruction sheets available, but the library cannot provide technical support for burning. (No illegal use, like music file sharing, is permitted-users are responsible for determining the copyright status of anything they burn.) "We obtained a federal LSTA grant that paid for all our new computer equipment," says Systems Librarian Hilary Caws-Elwitt. "We realized that allowing people to make their own CDs could be a valuable service, so we asked that some of the new computers include CD burners." The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided the county libraries with the full Microsoft Office suite. A small business owner who can't afford FrontPage could create a website at the library and store it on CD. "Especially with the 50% funding cut in state aid to libraries that is threatened, we are fortunate to be able to provide services like these," says Susan Stone, Administrator/Librarian. "Without grants, new equipment would not be in our budget. But in a rural area like this one, we provide crucial access to the technology that people need but can't get (like high-speed access), or can't afford. The sad part is that if state aid is cut, federal grant monies will be cut too, and we won't have future opportunities like this one. For information on how you can help us communicate the importance of libraries to our state senators, please stop by your local library or visit our website (susqcolibrary.org)." Peoples Bank Helps ACS Relay For Life For almost ten years Peoples National Bank has been involved with "Relay For Life" and the American Cancer Society. This year the team from Peoples National Bank in Susquehanna County placed among the first 100 teams in the "Platinum Club level" for funds raised (raising $11,121.78). Peoples National Bank also has a Wyoming County Relay for Life Team which placed in the "Gold Club Level" and raised $7,087.00 this year. Peoples National Bank Wyoming County Relay for Life Team Captain is Marlene Tomcykoski. Suzanne Brant (Captain of the Northern Stars at PNB) and Robin Wallace (Captain of the McWalkers) will be co-chair persons for Susquehanna County Relay For Life (helping to raise life saving dollars for the American Cancer Society of Susquehanna County). Suzanne has been head of the Relay Team for Peoples National Bank since 2000, co-captain in 1999 with Roxie Connelly and walked for the team in 1998. This year there were 19 teams in Susquehanna County raising $69,082 for the American Cancer Society. Please keep your ears, and goodwill open for next year’s event, which will be in July, 2004 at the Montrose High School. In an effort to help our local firefighters Peoples National Bank has engaged a financier to educate our brave men and women in the field of grant writing. Mayor Dottie Howell has a proven track record and over 25 years experience with grant writing for municipalities, authorities, counties and fire companies. As the mayor of Avondale Borough, Dottie has administered grants worth over $2.4 million in the past six years for the borough. Upon her start with writing grants for fire companies, to date Dottie has received funding in the amount of $818,319.00 for her clients with more to come. Her experience and results are the main reasons for Peoples’ choice of Mayor Howell. Peoples National Bank is always looking to define itself as a "community" bank by helping customers not only with the daily aspects of banking but with the bigger picture of educating them so they can make smart decisions with their money. Peoples has a great respect for all its customers and a special place in its heart for those who give of themselves freely to the service of others. The Pennsylvania Association of Retired State Employees, Endless Mountains, Chapter 15, met on Veterans Day at the South Montrose Methodist Church. Harold Lee gave a tribute to all veterans and servicemen. After the presentation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, Julia Finnegan asked members to request that the phrase "under God" not be removed from the Pledge by calling 1-877-989-2255. Reports were given on the PARSE annual meeting held on October 22, at Camp Hill, PA, by State Vice President Clara Smith, Chapter 15 President Alton Arnold, Susquehanna County Vice President John Benio and Delegate Helen Benio. All state officers were reelected unanimously, which included Northeast Region Vice President Clara Smith. There are currently 58,000 PARSE members statewide. The organization was honored by the attendance of Pennsylvania Governor Rendell. It is the first time in the history of PARSE that a governor has attended. The membership voted to discontinue the Christmas gift exchange at the December meeting. However, the benevolent collection will continue with this year’s beneficiary from Sullivan County. The next meeting will be held at the Towanda Gun Club on December 9. All state retirees and guests are welcome to attend. To make reservations or to get more information, contact Susquehanna County Vice President John Benio, at (570) 278–2380. Janicelli Recertified As District Justice Harrisburg – District Justice Peter Janicelli was again certified for service as a member of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System after successful completion recently of continuing legal education course work. Conducted by the Minor Judiciary Education Board and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC), the "school" for district justices is held in Chambersburg, PA. The week-long instructional program is designed to ensure that district justices remain current in a variety of legal topics and management techniques required to fairly adjudicate cases and effectively run a district justice office. Included in this year’s curriculum are updates of Civil and Criminal Law and the Motor Vehicle Code; an overview of Consumer Protection Law; and a presentation by the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Pennsylvania. Continuing education course work is required by statute of each of the more than 500 Pennsylvania district justices, with approximately 45 district justices attending one of 14 such classes at some time during each year. District justices represent the "grassroots" level of Pennsylvania's judicial system. In counties other than Philadelphia, district justices have jurisdiction over summary, criminal and motor vehicle cases; landlord-tenant matters; and other civil actions where the amount claimed does not exceed $8,000. District justices may also accept guilty pleas in misdemeanor cases of the third degree under certain circumstances. They also have jurisdiction to issue arrest and search warrants and to hold arraignments and preliminary hearings in criminal cases. Established by Constitution, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts provides support to the Supreme Court in exercising its supervisory duties over each of the other state courts. The Minor Judiciary Education Board was established by legislative act to administer the continuing education program for district justices and Philadelphia bail commissioners, as well as certifying courses for district justices, bail commissioners and other minor court judges. SCSD
Bids Farewell To Jack McMahon Jack McMahon missed the October, 2003 school board meeting; something he rarely did. It was to be his last meeting since he chose not to seek reelection. Jack had served on the Susquehanna Community School District Board for 40 years, and while that’s not a record, it’s pretty close to being one. He would have been at the October meeting, but he was sidelined by a trip to the Barnes-Kasson emergency room after he had fallen at home. Jack’s early years on the board were interesting, to say the least. He said that each town had its own schools, its own school board, and there was just one supervising principal for the entire county to oversee all the schools. With a number of schools in need of repair, local board members (Susquehanna, Oakland, Lanesboro, Thompson, Starrucca, Ararat, etc.) eventually got together to discuss a jointure. In 1954 the jointure became a reality, but not without some heated local battles. Where to put the school was a big issue. It was finally decided to put the school in Lanesboro. What was even more interesting was a 42-member school board and meetings that went on long into the night. Eventually, a nine-member board was created. Over the course of 40 years, Jack worked with two supervising principals and four district superintendents; the supervising principals were Dr. Joseph Yurkewitch and Mr. Stuart Button, contemporaries of Jack’s, and both of whom Jack remembers fondly. The other four superintendents, in order, were Mr. Norman Gelatt, Mr. James Smith, Mr. Kenneth Andrews, and Mr. William Stracka. Jack always believed that the superintendent was the "board’s man," and he was always very supportive of each superintendent. Jack’s relationship with retiring superintendent William Stracka (and current business manager, Ray Testa) became more of board member and "surrogate sons" than board member and administrators. His lack of an "adversarial" stance helped create an atmosphere on the board that allowed good things to happen in Susquehanna Community School District. What’s interesting about Jack’s tenure on the board is that, even though he and his wife, Barbara had no children, both played a large part in the education of the community’s children – Barbara as a longtime elementary teacher and Jack as a long-term school board member. Jack supported academic programs, building programs, athletic programs, seminars (for all staff members), and every field trip requested for the school community’s children. His attitude was positive and his votes, affirmative. Whenever requests were on the agenda, he became known for his motion, "Let’s lop’em all together and vote." He had no intention of turning anyone or anything down. He had no problems sending teachers, students, or other staff members anywhere they thought would be beneficial to them and the school district. The Susquehanna School District owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Jack McMahon for his 40 years of service, for his concern for students and staff, for his positive attitude, and, most of all, for his efforts to make the Susquehanna Community School District a place that parents would want to send their children. Our school couldn’t have a better friend than Mr. Jack McMahon. Thank you, Jack; it was a pleasure serving with you. Free Gun Locks To County Residents The National Shooting Sports Foundation has partnered with the Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement to distribute 883,500 free gun locks in Pennsylvania as part of the National Project ChildSafe (PCS) initiative. PCS is designed to help make homes with firearms safer by raising awareness about responsible firearm ownership and storage. An expansion of NSSF’s Project HomeSafe, Project ChildSafe is funded by a $50 million grant from the Department of Justice and will provide nearly 20 million free gun locks and firearm safety educational materials to families in all 50 states, the five US territories and District of Columbia. A Project ChildSafe representative will be dropping off the allotted safety kits to several local law enforcement agencies, for them to in turn distribute at their leisure and in a way they deem most appropriate. Residents inquiring about locks in Susquehanna County should contact the following law enforcement after Friday, November 28: Susquehanna County Sheriff’s Office; Montrose Police Department; Oakland Police Department; Forest City Police Department. Endless
Mt. Marines Observe Veterans Day Marines all over the world – on Monday, November 10, 2003 – celebrated the 228th birthday of the United States Marine Corp., but none with more pride and dedication than the Marines of Susquehanna County. Meeting in the Maloney Restaurant, Hallstead, the Endless Mountain Detachment #880, Marine Corp. League, Marine Auxiliary Unit #348 and guests observed the Marines’ birthday with an interesting program. Commander Frank Kwader called for a moment of silence for departed comrades, those lost in action, Prisoners of War and those unaccounted for. Pledge of allegiance was led by Ellis Hobart. Opening prayer was recited by Commander Kwader. Mr. Hobart read the message from M. W. Hague, General, U. S. Marine Corp. that read in part, "In commemorating our 228th anniversary, remain true to the spirit of the occasion. Reflect on our fallen with deep respect, observe our traditions with justifiable pride, take care of one another, and of course, celebrate those special bonds that exist among United States Marines." Principal speaker of the evening was Sergeant Rick Williams, of the National Guard, a Marine that served seven months in Bosnia. He told of the terrible conditions in that country; no place to bury the thousands massacred; many bodies were thrown into the sea. "It was a place not to be in." Sgt. Williams, a former resident of Gelatt, PA, now resides in Falls with his wife, Debbie and five children. He is a member of Company C National Guard. Commandant Kwader told of the many incidents during his Marine life and recited the Marine hymn saying, "Today is a great day for the Marines (here) and all over the world." Marine Corps Officers – Commandant, Frank Kwader; Vice Commandants, Fred Boerner and John Benson; Adjutant/Paymaster, George Dutcher; Chaplain, John Fitzgerald, II; Judge Advocate, Dave Bolles; Sergeant at Arms, Ellis Hobart; Trustees, Charles Bower, Les Schell, Warren Nau. Auxiliary Marines – President, Jenny Gee; Vice President, Kathryn Mendoza; Secretary, Sandra Schell; Judge Advocate, Shirley Gabriel; Sergeant at Arms, Joyce Hawley. Marine Tidbits Cutting of a beautiful cake, decorated with Marine insignia was handled by Commandant Kwader, Warren Nau (oldest Marine present) and Park Stanley (the youngest). Short remarks by Les Schell (a Marine); John Bronchella and Lou Parrillo, both Army veterans. Also present, Air Force vet Ken Fisher. Helping and serving a delicious meal were the Maloney waitresses, Ann Strawn and Nicole Jesse, with Marine Dennis Maloney supervising. Mr. Kwader not only takes great delight in "ribbing" me for being an Army vet, but also that my Yankees were demolished by the Florida Marlins. (Wait until next year, Frank.) The informative (and beautifully put together programs) were the work of Mrs. Frank (Betty) Kwader. Marine Warren Nau, the oldest Marine, was involved in the Iwo Jima campaign. Hoofs in Clover On November 4 the Hoofs in Clover 4-H Horse and Pony Club did another exciting activity. Club members made little saddles for their model horses. The saddles were all different colors and sizes and they were made with felt, glue, elastic and pieces of wire. When finished they looked exactly like racing saddles for model horses. On Friday, November 21 members held a bake sale at Walmart in Tunkhannock. They sold pies, cookies and brownies. The Hoofs in Clover kids are trying to raise money to buy Christmas presents for needy children. News Reporter: Alissa Petty Following is the list of names drawn to serve as Petit and Traverse jurors for December, 2003, to appear in the Court of Common Pleas, Susquehanna County Courthouse, Montrose, PA, on the eighth day of December, at 9:00 a.m. Auburn Twp.: Rebecca Lydia Roman. Bridgewater Twp.: Valerie Aldrich, Norman U. Bender, Edward A. Bumby, Melissa Goble, Carol J. Snyder, Richard H. Storck. Brooklyn Twp.: John Diaz, Rebecca S. Pilcher. Choconut Twp.: Carla M. Miller, Mildred M. Nemcek, Peter L. Puterbaugh. Clifford Twp.: Julio Faramelli. Dimock Twp.: David A. Grosvenor, Mary E. Lathrop, Janet C. Mattei, Cleo R. Teel. Forest City Boro 2W: Carla A. Stackhouse. Forest Lake Twp.: Steven T. Hinds. Franklin Twp.: Bradley R. Rhinevault, Denise L. Russell. Gibson Twp.: Robert F. Curley, Joshua Urda. Great Bend Twp.: Jon M. Dribnack, Susan V. McAuliffee, Linda K. Williams, Robert P. Wintjen. Hallstead Boro: Rosemarie Simonson. Harford Twp.: Nino C. Bennici, Sharon E. Decker, Charles E. Morrison, Lisa G. Schaffer. Jackson Twp.: Joann Mannina, Debra J. Marvin-Buechel. Lathrop Twp.: Nancy A. Jones, Sherill Kwiatbowski, Rosemarie J. Stanziale. Lenox Twp.: William M. Lopatofsky, Bonnie J. Tolerico. Liberty Twp.: Rebecca M. Bower, Lori A. McKinney, Michelle A. Naylor. Little Meadows Boro: Scott Williams. Middletown Twp.: Edward L. Conley, Joe M. Dughi. Montrose Boro 1W: Cheryl Birchard, Connie M. Stevens. New Milford Twp.: Elwin Fiske, Joan A. Grover, Anna L. Lawson, Michael L. Pedro, Barbara J. Randall. Oakland Boro: Robert P. Muiter. Rush Twp.: Wayne P. Martin. Silver Lake Twp.: Lauren J. English, Debbie M. Mackey, Michael S. Peranich, Mary E. Perry. Springville Twp.: Nevin A. Norton. Thompson Boro: Brenda A. Rockwell-Halesky. Thompson Twp.: Catherine Lee.
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