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HEADLINES:
SCCD Seedling Sale A Huge Success The Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD) held its annual seedling April 23, at the Montrose Fire Hall. Conservation District staff, District Directors, and staff from USDA-NRCS provided the workforce for this year’s event which has been in place for many years.
Susquehanna County youth enjoy coming to the seedling sale every year to purchase their seedlings. Profit from this event is used for environmental education materials and events for Susquehanna County youth. The SCCD Scholarship award is for a student entering the fall semester studying agriculture or the environment. The SCCD also holds a envirothon competition, in which over 100 students from Susquehanna County schools participated in 2005.
Turnpike Terrace Center Update Greetings from Turnpike Terrace. On April 1, game night, we had nine players for dominoes; we had a great game and a great time. Also, what a beautiful day for the first day of April. We had a lot of birthdays in April. Hope everyone had a good day and a great year. We had Brown Bag Day and a busload went to the Mountain View Restaurant. We had a yearly meeting with all the tenants. It was nice to actually see how many people live here. We learned a lot of plans for the Terrace. We had a line dance instructor here and the same lady gave us instruction on basket weaving. It was a lot of fun. We have had inspection for the month of April, for the year. All’s well here. Our beautiful trees will be blossoming soon; out front and out back. We have had the grass cut – it smells like spring. Hope you all have a good day – see you next month.
USDA RDCP Offers Community Loans Tunkhannock – USDA Rural Development’s Community Program offers direct and guaranteed loans to develop essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Direct and guarantee loans are available to public entities such as municipalities, municipal authorities, and counties, as well as nonprofit corporations and faith-based and community initiatives. Loans may be used to construct, enlarge or improve community facilities for health care, public safety and public services. This can include costs to acquire land needed for a facility, pay necessary professional fees, and purchase equipment required for its operation. Some categories for fund usage are: community health care, cultural and educational, fire rescue and public safety, community support buildings and improvements, transportation, and utility needs. Priority is given to first responders such as fire departments, hospitals, etc. For the direct loan program, there are three levels of interest rates available (poverty, intermediate and market) each on a fixed basis. Eligibility for these different interest rates is determined by the median household income of the area being served and the type of project. Guaranteed loans, up to 90% of any loss of interest or principal on the loan, may be made and are serviced by lenders such as banks, savings and loans, and mortgage companies. The interest rate is the lender’s customary interest rate for similar projects. Guaranteed loan interest rates may be fixed or variable and are determined by the lender and borrower subject to USDA Rural Development’s review and approval. Further information and an application may be obtained by calling Michael Angerson at the USDA Rural Development’s Wyoming Local Office at (570) 836–5111 ext. 4.
Fewer older adults are requiring the kind of long-term institutional care that was once standard for our seniors. Today’s Americans have more options and are choosing to enjoy more home and community-based long-term alternatives. Older individuals’ continued active engagement in life benefits all generations. This is the time for the nation to begin planning to care for and capitalize on older Americans as one of our greatest assets. This May, as we celebrate Older Americans Month, we will be considering the impact of the momentous event of the aging of our population. The theme “Celebrate Long-Term Living!” was selected to focus on what we have accomplished, and to highlight the need for mid-life and older persons to be better prepared for living out their golden years. Older adults and baby boomers need to make thoughtful choices now, so they will be more likely to stay healthy, productive, and financially secure in their later years. The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) wants all Americans to know that better planning, better community-based long-term care options, and more consumer-friendly systems are helping more older Americans remain vibrant and independent. This is an important part of the general movement in our country toward more consumer choice. Studies have shown that, given the choice, older adults opt to remain in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. AoA is proud to sponsor programs that help them do just that. Using the best caring, they are implementing programs that help older persons eat better and move about more, that highlight the positive benefits of civic engagement, and that redefine aging in our society. The B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging is one organization, providing programs to help older citizens celebrate long-term living. They invite contributions from all who would like to help. In addition, they remind everyone that it is never too early to begin to explore the options available to you and your loved ones. They urge you to begin planning for your later years now. For more information, contact the Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-982-4346 (toll-free) or (570) 265-6121 (locally).
Pure Pennsylvania Is Business Of The Year The 2004 Business of the Year, Pure Pennsylvania Gallery and General Store, was honored at the Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission's annual meeting held on April 21 at St. Basil's Hall in Dushore. Kevin Abrams, Executive Director of NTRPDC, presented a plaque and a $2,500 check to owner Jill Aldrich. Open since 2001, the store promotes products made in Pennsylvania. Locally produced foods such as maple syrup, cheese, fresh eggs, and other gourmet snacks; as well as artwork, pottery, quilts, and books by local authors are all for sale. In just four years, the business has grown from a small storefront to two locations: one in Great Bend and one in the recently renovated Washington Street Station in Towanda. Owner Jill Aldrich remains dedicated to promoting locally made items. "I can't think of another store you can walk into and buy a jar of Amish Jelly, as well as an original oil painting," Aldrich said. "What is most impressive about Pure Pennsylvania is the cyclical effect it has on other craftsmen with small businesses because now they have a venue to sell their products in a unique setting," said Jill Koski, Program Manager for NTRPDC. "It feels good to be able to go in and buy a gift or a food item and know that it was locally handmade."
BSFSC Gets At Local Defibrillator The Bradford/Susquehanna Emergency Service Council recently was able to secure a Community Access AED for Riverside Lanes Bowling Center in Susquehanna, PA. An AED is an “Automatic External Defibrillator” that is used to restart the heart in CPR.
Pictured is David Scales (right) who is the Chairman of the Bradford/Susquehanna EMS Council presenting David Passetti, owner of Riverside Lanes with a Community Access AED. Both are members of the Susquehanna Fire Dept. and Ambulance Service. The Community Access AED is a program of the PA Dept. of Health, Emergency Service Division, and the local Regional EMS Councils. This program has provided professional rescuer AED for Ambulances, Fire, ORS (Quick Response Squads from Fire Dept. that do not supply ambulance service) and Police agencies. The AED concept has proven to save lives in emergency situations. Most facilities, such as school campuses have instituted an AED response program with AED’s located in different buildings. With the addition of the Community Access AED at Riverside Lanes, which offers coverage to the P. J. O’hare restaurant, it completes the plan to place AED’s in strategic locations in the Susquehanna area including Susquehanna Police patrol vehicles. The Susquehanna Police Dept. received (last year) and have AED’s in their patrol vehicles. Most if not all Municipal Police Vehicles are equipped with AED’s. An agreement with the Susquehanna Fire Dept. Ambulance Service and Barnes Kasson Hospital to supply training for employees of Riverside Lanes was a significant reason in the placement of this AED, along with a high rate of sudden onset of coronary emergencies at sports centers such as a bowling alley.
Daffodil Days A Great Success! The American Cancer Society recently held its Daffodil Days fundraiser the week of March 14. Thousands of cut daffodils were sold throughout the county by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Over $38,000 was raised through the Susquehanna/Wyoming Unit Daffodil Days to fund the American Cancer Society’s cancer control mission.
Chairpersons of the 2005 Daffodil Days campaign were Betty Kwader (right) and Joanne Bledsoe (left) for Susquehanna County. Many other volunteers assisted with the packing, delivery and selling of the flowers. The money raised during Daffodil Days provides hope to patients and their families through patient service programs. In addition, progress towards a cure is taking place everyday thanks to American Cancer Society funded research. The American Cancer Society also provides answers to questions about cancer, and is the only national cancer organization to provide information 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week via a national call center, which can be reached at 1–800–ACS–2345. And for those who prefer receiving information via the Internet, www.cancer.org is available.
PNB Releases First Quarter Earnings Net Income through the first three months of 2005 for Peoples Financial Services Corp. was $1,274,000, compared to $1,297,000 for the comparable period in 2004. This is a decrease of $23,000 or 1.77%. Total Assets, on March 31, 2005, were $384,342,000, which compares to $372,684,000 as of March 31, 2004. This is an increase of $11,658,000 or 3.13%. Net Loans were $245,143,000 on March 31, 2005, compared to $237,859,000 on March 31,2004, an increase of $7,284,000 or 3.06%. Deposits totaled $280,437,000 as of March 31, 2005, compared to $278,073,000 on March 31, 2004, an increase of $2,364,000 or .85%. Peoples Financial Services Corp., Hallstead, Pennsylvania, is the parent company of Peoples National Bank, an independent community bank with nine community offices.
Conservancy Announces Stewardship Awards Winners in Montrose, Tunkhannock and More Countryside Conservancy honored the winners of its 2005 Stewardship Awards at its standing-room-only annual meeting on April 20 at Keystone College. Ten property owners in and around the Tunkhannock Creek watershed were recognized as outstanding stewards of their farms, homes, buildings and lands. The 2005 awards were given in three categories: Working Farm, Residential, and Other. Winners in the Working Farm category were Lloyd and Denise Pease and family for their "Sweet-Peas" dairy farm in Jackson Township, Susquehanna County; Thomas and Sandy Henry and family for their Quarter Horse breeding operation in Tunkhannock; and Robert and Darlene Longmore and family for their beef cattle and Morgan Horse farm in Monroe Township, Wyoming County. These farming families demonstrated both commitment to the traditional farming values of our region and respect for the environmental sensitivity of the lands they work. Residential winners were Robert and Susan Caterson for the "Frink House" in Montrose; Danny Seamans for his home, gardens and blueberry patch in Jackson Township, Susquehanna County; and Donald and Wendy Sweppenheiser for their Audubon-certified Backyard Bird Habitat in Tunkhannock. The "Other" category was nearly swept by several beautiful Lake Avenue properties in Montrose. The Community Foundation of Susquehanna County, the Rosemont Inn, and the Self-Discovery Wellness Arts Center were recognized for outstanding restoration and adaptive use of traditional buildings in the Borough. The Tunkhannock Tree Association was recognized for its 35 years of commitment to maintaining beautiful and healthy trees in Tunkhannock Borough. All award winners received framed certificates with photographs of their properties and descriptions of their good stewardship practices. The Stewardship Awards were instituted nine years ago to express the Conservancy's appreciation for the efforts of good stewards of the land. Stewardship Awards Committee members are Lydia Coulter, Margaret Hull, Cheryl Kaiser, Ernie Keller, Gerald Kenjorski, Mary Rhodes, Joanne Smith, and Ed Zygmunt. Sandra Boyle of Nicholson served as committee chair for the 2005 Awards. Countryside Conservancy conserves lands and water in and near the Tunkhannock Creek watershed for the public benefit now, and for the future. It is part of its mission to recognize and thank land owners and stewards who maintain their properties with respect for the land's conservation and cultural values and thereby bring pleasure to the public.
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