HEADLINES:
D&A Seeks Creative Ideas
Family Health Clinic Receives Care Grant
From Can To Catalog
PARSE Update
Thomas Chamberlain Joins College Board
ASSETS Grads Hear From Entrepreneur
Bill Bayne Wins PA Farm Bureau Award
Creative Gift-Wrap

D&A Seeks Creative Ideas

The Susquehanna County Drug and Alcohol Commission on behalf of the Anti-Tobacco Initiative, announced that grant applications are available to community groups, schools, and health organizations. Grants must address programs committed to the prevention and education of tobacco use in Susquehanna County. The Commission is looking for innovative, creative ideas inspired and facilitated by youth that outreach into schools and the community.

The deadline for application is January 5, 2007. If you are interested in receiving a grant application, contact the Susquehanna County Drug & Alcohol Commission at (570) 278-1000.

Back to Top

Family Health Clinic Receives Care Grant

The Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania has awarded a $6,000 grant to Susquehanna Health Systems to support direct care for uninsured and underinsured patients at its Family Health Clinic. The clinic serves residents of Susquehanna, Lackawanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. The funding is part of the foundation's Access to Health Care for the Uninsured and Underinsured initiative, which was launched earlier this year.

As part of its Health Restoration Project, Susquehanna Health Systems is using funding to build an inventory of needed pharmaceuticals. Through this grant, at least 300 uninsured and underinsured patients will receive medication free of charge for acute, episodic conditions, or for preventive or single-course treatment. This service is currently unavailable to this population.

"This project is critical to our community," said Susan BeGasse, projects coordinator at the Family Health Clinic. "By providing necessary medications free-of-charge, uninsured and underinsured patients will be more likely to comply with health care recommendations and avoid further complications or preventable illnesses. We are grateful to The Blue Ribbon Foundation for providing funding to allow us to provide this important service."

Back to Top

From Can To Catalog

 “The Can Of Yams,” a one-act farce by Friendsville, PA playwright Jonathan Caws-Elwitt (pictured), was recently published by Baker's Plays, a prominent national publisher of scripts. The play premiered in Montrose, PA in 2002 with Endless Mountains Theatre Company. Now that "Yams" is available in published form, Caws-Elwitt hopes to see the one-act attract the attention of directors who look to companies like Baker's for new material.

Back to Top

PARSE Update
By Cynthia Sims, Secy.

The Pennsylvania Association of Retired State Employees (PARSE) met November 14 at the United Methodist Church Fairdale, Susquehanna County. The featured speaker was the Reverend Richard Spering of that church. He told the group how he had become a minister after 40 years as a carpenter in the construction business.

The membership focused on the need to increase membership in PARSE. The larger the organization, the more influence the members will have with the legislature. The organization is continuing to push for an annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). All state retirees from Bradford, Sullivan and Susquehanna counties are requested to join Chapter 15 of PARSE, by coming to the meetings and learning more about the organization.

The next meeting will be held on December 12 at the Towanda Gun Club, Bradford County. For more information and/or to make reservations, contact Susquehanna County Vice President John Benio, 278–2380.

Back to Top

Thomas Chamberlain Joins College Board

Thomas F. Chamberlain of New Milford has been named to Board of Trustees of Lackawanna College, announced Board Chairman G. Richard Thompson. The college is a private, non-profit institution with its main campus in Scranton and centers in Hazleton in Luzerne County, Honesdale in Wayne County, and Towanda in Bradford County. Lackawanna is currently exploring the opening of a college center in Susquehanna County.

Thomas Chamberlain of New Milford, recently appointed to the Board of Trustees of Lackawanna College.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Mr. Chamberlain joining our Board since he has such a great understanding and familiarity with Susquehanna County,” said Mr. Thompson. “His experience and abundant talents will provide vital guidance in keeping the college on its present path of dynamic growth and innovative expansion.”

Thomas Chamberlain has owned and operated an insurance agency in New Milford since 1972. He is an exclusive agent for Nationwide Insurance and is a member of the National Association of Life Underwriters. He is recipient of the Community Service Award for Pennsylvania from Nationwide.

A graduate of Broome Community College in Binghamton, NY, he serves as a director of Peoples National Bank. He is past president and charter member of the Endless Mountain Business Association, and charter member and secretary of the New Milford Community Men’s Club.

Mr. Chamberlain also is a charter board member of Community Foundation of Susquehanna County, charter member and board chairman of the United Way of Susquehanna County, president of Creative Adventures for Education, Inc., and board member of Sky Lake Camp and Retreat Center of the Wyoming Conference, where he has also served as a Special Needs Camp Counselor.

Mr. Chamberlain is one of six new members appointed to the Board. The others are Gerald Langan, Melanie Naro, Esquire, Jackie Johnson, Thom Welby and Mark R. Zimmer, Esquire.

Back to Top

ASSETS Grads Hear From Entrepreneur

Montrose: Despite funding cuts, the ASSETS program will continue to contribute to the local economy, according to TREHAB Executive Director Dennis Phelps. He emphasized this in congratulating the 12 graduates of the fall cycle of the ASSETS-TREHAB program during graduation ceremonies and a celebration dinner held at the Tea Room of the Montrose Bible Conference on November 8. Besides the graduates, family, guests and program trainers attended the event.

Pictured (l-r) are ASSETS graduates for fall, 2006, along with presenters: seated – Darla Snyder, Jessica Warner, Karen Bennett, Shannon Gilbert; standing – ASSETS Program Director Mary Anne Waddington, James Snyder, George Shields, Thomas Malandri, Kevin Pascoe, Michelle Axtell, TREHAB Executive Director Dennis Phelps, Gary Marcho, keynote speaker and TREHAB board member. Absent from the picture are graduates Lewis Towner, Phyllis DiGiore and John DiGiore.

The ASSETS Program, A Service for Self-Employment Training & Support, is a training, mentoring and technical support program for persons in the process of starting up or expanding a small business.

ASSETS Program Coordinator Mary Anne Waddington introduced the graduates and presented each with a certificate of completion of the program.

The keynote speaker for the event was TREHAB board member and local entrepreneur Gary Marcho. After congratulating the graduates, he gave some of his own history, including employment at Ingersoll Rand, followed by an ice cream franchise, a stint in local politics, a bakery, and, currently, a beer distributorship.

About his first employment at Ingersoll Rand, he says, “ I didn’t enjoy working for someone else. I realized I like to work for myself.” Marcho emphasized the importance of passion in business, “Take something you like, something you have a passion for. That passion will get you through.” He also pointed out that common sense helps entrepreneurs as well.

“Make sure you have a fair product for a fair price,” he said, adding that image is very important, and therefore advertising is important, too, “to keep reminding people you’re there.”

The graduates of this ASSETS class, and their businesses, are: Michelle Axtell, retail clothing store; Karen Bennett, blue stone sales; John & Phyllis DiGiore, agro tourism; Shannon Gilbert, lawn care/Mary Kay; Thomas Malandri, flagstone; Kevin Pascoe, recycling and trash disposal; George Shields, dog grooming; Darla and Jim Snyder, lawn care; Lewis Towner, lawn care; Jessica Warner, massage therapy.

Anyone interested in learning more about the ASSETS-TREHAB program should contact Mary Anne Waddington at 278-5228 or 1-800-982-4045, ext. 5228. The next ASSETS class will be held in Spring, 2007.

Back to Top

Bill Bayne Wins PA Farm Bureau Award

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) has named Bill Bayne of Susquehanna County the 2006 recipient of the Distinguished Local Affairs Leader Award during PFB’s annual meeting in Hershey. The award is designed to recognize an outstanding individual county Farm Bureau leader whose local affairs program greatly benefits the county Farm Bureau and its members.

Pictured (l-r) at the PFB annual meeting are: PFB President Carl Shaffer, Distinguished Local Affairs Leader Award winner Bill Bayne, PFB Vice President Rick Ebert.

“Bill has spent an extraordinary amount of time working to improve Farm Bureau programs in Susquehanna County. He truly has energized farmer volunteers to be more active in the Susquehanna County Farm Bureau and has worked with local and state officials to help achieve positive results concerning projects impacting agriculture,” said PFB President Carl T. Shaffer.

Bayne is credited with spearheading the following improvements:

Worked with PennDOT and local governments to achieve road and bridge improvements to resolve a long-standing issue where farmers were having difficulty moving farm trucks and products in and out of farms.

Guided the county Local Affairs program through several tax and land use issues resulting in improvements to the Clean & Green program. Also convinced all six school districts in the county to establish Tax Study Commissions.

Worked in each township to receive total support for Farm Bureau position on illegal township ordinances known as the ACRE legislation.

When Susquehanna County decided to start a recycling program, Bayne moved the effort toward recycling of agricultural tires and plastics, and started a newspaper-bedding program for farmers.

Organized a “Game of Logging Program” that helps prevent chain-saw accidents and improves timber harvest safety on county farms.

“I am honored to receive the award, but I certainly couldn’t have gotten anything done without the help of other people working inside and outside of Farm Bureau. I think talking and listening to people, to identify problems and work toward solutions is a key factor in our success. I also believe my background as a township supervisor helped put a connection between agricultural and local government concerns, as each had similar issues, such as road problems,” said Bayne.

Several hundred farmers from across the state attended Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s 56th annual meeting at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center on November 13-15, to set policy for the statewide organization on issues affecting farm and rural families.

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is a voluntary organization with a membership of more than 40,000 farm and rural families, representing farms of every size and commodity across the Keystone State.

Back to Top

Creative Gift-Wrap

To make wrapping holiday presents easier and support the Susquehanna County Historical Society & Free Library Association at the same time, why not use library tote bags? They come in four different colors, and feature all four county buildings (Forest City, Hallstead-Great Bend, Montrose, and Susquehanna). They are lightweight but sturdy bags that your friend or family member will be able to use for years!

And to fill that bag, why not consider some of the Association's items, like the county coverlet, Blueberry Festival T-shirts and sweatshirts, Blackman's or Stocker's History of Susquehanna County, or the Scenes of Susquehanna County Railroads calendar?

For more information, stop by your local library or the Historical Society, or visit www.susqcolibrary.org/items.

Back to Top

©