HEADLINES:
LHA Classes Reunite
Library Quilters Win Blue Ribbon
Locals Help Read For A Record
Birds Of Prey At RESCUE Meeting
Sea Scouts Sail Chesapeake Bay

LHA Classes Reunite
By Mary Patrillo

The Laurel Hill Academy classes of 1968, 1969 and 1970 got together on July 22 for a long-awaited class reunion. Although the day started out rainy, it cleared enough for our classmates and some of their spouses to attend a wonderful day at Ed and Gwen Chianese’s Windcrest Farm. By 1:30 or so most of the 30 guests had arrived and by the time the food was served, everyone was accounted for. They must have smelled the chicken that was being barbecued on Ed’s open pit.

Most of the day was spent catching up with old friends. There was also a memorabilia table that included photos and newspaper items that always seemed to have a swarm of people around it.

Pictured (l-r) from the Class of 1970 are: Barbara (Lawson) Reynolds, Wally Bixby, Kathy (Davidson) Matis, Barbara (Romanofski) Sims, Polly (Parrillo) Spry, Kathleen (Cotter) Ackley.

It was great to have many from the classes come from out of town. Most of us hadn’t seen Margaret (Teribury) Mandell since school and Shane (Cotter) daCosta hadn’t been able to make a reunion since our tenth.

Pat Pristavec managed to get everyone rounded up for class photos. She is truly our historian, and has documented a lot of our parties, during our school years right up through the present time.

Around 7:00 the conversation turned to the fact that Brother Pat McNamara’s sisters were performing at Lakey’s, and wouldn’t it be grand to hear them sing. Several members of the group went there to continue the festivities and that was a very enjoyable time.

The class reunion committee had scheduled a 10:30 Mass at St. John’s. What a wonderful experience that was. Father Simon actually had a clicker that the nuns used to use to get us to pay attention! There was no slouching or talking out of turn at that Mass! Father incorporated some little known (and very humorous) facts about former students into his homily and even included our Alma Mater into his liturgy. I’m sure the parishioners realize how truly blessed they are to have this wonderful priest.

The only downside was that several of our classmates were missing from the reunion this year. Rick and Mary Mazikewich were in Alaska, Chet Walker was down South basking in the sun, the LeStrange brothers had a family wedding, Candee (Smith) Thornson had unexpected company, and Mary Davies was on vacation. Those are just a few of the many classmates that weren’t able to attend or did not get their invitations due to incorrect addresses or emails. We will do better next time and we won’t let seven years pass before we get together again. The time we spent together will warm our hearts and stay in our memories for a long time to come.

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Library Quilters Win Blue Ribbon

A quilt made by the Susquehanna Library Quilters won a Blue Ribbon at the Harford Fair in the category of "group quilts". Members of the group are Ruth Clift, Theresa Hinkley, Lynne Jenks, Beverly MacRae, Ruth Mroczka, Helen Reed, Cindy Sisler, and Marge Suchnick. The quilt pattern was featured in several issues of McCalls Quilting as a "mystery quilt", where just one strip of the quilt was revealed in an issue.

The quilt will be on display at the Susquehanna Borough Branch of the Susquehanna County Library as a gift from the quilting group.

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Locals Help Read For A Record

With the phrase “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” ringing through the grandstands at the Harford Fair, hundreds of families gathered together Thursday, August 24 to help read their way into the record books. The special event was part of a national effort, bringing youngsters and adults together for the largest shared reading experience in a single day.

Sherman Burdette helps “Read For A Record” at the Harford Fair.

Jumpstart, a national non-profit group dedicated to promoting quality early learning, encouraged people across the country to read “The Little Engine That Could,” on August 24. Thanks to a generous donation of 900 books, children at the Harford Fair not only participated in the shared reading, they were also given a free copy of the children’s classic. “Children need to participate in reading long before they start school,” explained Harford Fair Director, Cindy G. Reynolds. “This is a great way to promote the love of reading.”

Following along in their own books, families listened as WNEP-TV Action 16 reporter Sherman Burdette provided story time in the grandstands. Some youngsters even showed off their own skills, reading a line or two as Sherman shared the microphone.

There were 613 children verified from Susquehanna County who participated, while thousands more across the country will be added to that number in “Read for the Record.” It will be at least a week before it is known if this event will make the Guinness Book of World Records.

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Birds Of Prey At RESCUE Meeting

At the recent Wayne/Susquehanna R.E.S.C.U.E. public meeting at the Visitor Center in Honesdale, Mr. Bill Streeter of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center (DVRC) delighted a standing room only audience with his presentation of “Close Encounters With Birds of Prey.” From little “Mortimer,” the 7-inch saw-whet owl to “Julia” the grand golden eagle with a wingspan of over 6 feet, the wildlife rehabilitator engaged the group with his knowledge of birds of prey including personal anecdotes of his lifetime of work with these animals.

Pictured is wildlife rehabilitator Bill Streeter of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center with a golden eagle.

Photo by Jim Parker

All the birds that are part of the presentation were injured to a point where they could not be released back into their environments, so that owls, falcons, hawks, and eagles travel with Mr. Streeter and educate thousands of people in the area. Many of the birds had been blinded or wounded by accidents or incredibly, on purpose by gunshot.

Guests learned about predator/prey relationship, and wildlife rehabilitation, specific adaptations of the birds present and various issues facing wildlife today.

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Sea Scouts Sail Chesapeake Bay
By Maria Preston, Yeoman

An exciting adventure took place the week of August 13 – 19. Sea Scouts of Ship 90, New Milford went sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, on a 46-foot ketch rigged sailboat owned by the Friends of Sea Scouting of Maryland. Attending from Ship 90 were Dan Gall, Maria Preston, Ben Fisher, Josh Neary, David Navickas, Tim Gall, and our newest Sea Scout, Linda Swedinsky. Adult officers were Skipper Chuck Jaget, Second Mate Helen Reed and boat Captain Steve Nichols.

Pictured (l-r) in the cockpit of the Der PeLiKan are: Ben Fisher, Dan Gall, Linda Swedinsky, Helen Reed, Captain Steve Nichols.

Photo by Maria Preston

Things didn’t really start out on a good note, because both sailboats, the “Der PeLiKan” and the “Dauntless” had some engine problems and would put us behind a couple of days. That didn’t get us down, because after we stowed our gear on board, we practiced running the dingy (small boat with motor). The next day we went into Baltimore and went to the Ship Museum. We also got to spend some time shopping at the mall. We all definitely got a lot of walking in. After a long day, our next crucial question arose. Should we take the “Dauntless” with all our gear already stowed aboard, or should we take the “Der PeLiKan,” which sails a lot faster? We chose the Der PeLiKan.

The next day we got underway, sails hoisted and started sailing. Around  noon we went to the US Naval Academy and their museum. We also stopped at a seafood and steak, all-you-can-eat restaurant called Buddy’s, a favorite port call each year for Sea Scouts. We were underway that night and stood night watches looking for buoys, other boats and manning the helm.

In the morning we worked on our marlinspike seamanship (knots) and cleaned up below deck before taking the dingy into St. Mary’s City to visit the village of the 1600’s with a pinnacle class sailing ship, the “Dove.” While sailing we came into four- to five-foot waves; Maria was the only one that got seasick that night. We later sailed to Solomon Island and walked around the island and bought a pirate flag to hoist up the mast. At night, we anchored in St. Michael’s harbor. The next day we visited the St. Michael’s museum and walked around the city. While underway on the last day, Maria and Linda surprisingly jumped overboard, and a man overboard drill was held. In Baltimore the last day, we cleaned up the boat, and loaded our gear into cars for the five-hour trip home. It was a very funny and exciting trip, and a great learning experience.

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