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HEADLINES: Engagement Announced Overmeyer – Armstrong Mr. and Mrs. George Overmeyer, Susquehanna, PA, announce the engagement of their daughter, Victoria Lynn Overmeyer to Martin J. Armstrong. The future bridegroom is the son of Carroll Thomas and Nancy Armstrong, Statesville, NC.
Victoria and Martin. Miss Overmeyer is a 2001 graduate of Susquehanna Community School District and a 2005 graduate of Mansfield University. Mr. Armstrong is a 2002 graduate of Iredell School District and was a Marine, having served in Iraq. A July, 2007 wedding is planned.
Picture Book Contest Winners Announced A total of 55 original picture books were received in the Susquehanna County Library's eleventh "Write and Illustrate Your Own Picture Book" contest for grades K-12. In each of three grade categories, judges examined each entry and deliberated long and hard before returning their verdict. "Congratulations to all our talented entrants," said Administrator/Librarian Susan Stone. "It's always a joy to see what wonderful books our students write and draw." Each entrant will receive a Certificate of Participation and comments from the judges. Slides of all the winning entries will be shown at the Awards Ceremony (Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m., Montrose Theater). Everyone is invited. First place books will be hardbound and placed in one of the four county libraries (Montrose, Forest City, Hallstead-Great Bend, and Susquehanna). Patrons will be able to borrow the books in the fall, after the collection of all the first place books has toured the four libraries. First place winners also receive a hardbound copy of their book. Second and third place books will be softbound and given to the authors. Grades K-2 First-place winners: Forest City Library, Buddy and Maggie – Maggie Kowalewski (Forest City/Forest City Regional); Hallstead-Great Bend Library, The Lioness and the Gazelle – Jared Rose (Hallstead/Homeschool); Montrose Library, Camp Out Night – Grace Rogers (Montrose/Homeschool); Susquehanna Library, My Dad in the Airforce – Dakota Oswald (Springville/Elk Lake). Second-place winners: The Cat – Jordan Coles (Forest City/Forest City Regional); The First Soccer Season – Cooper Meagher (Susquehanna/Homeschool); Football with Our Friends – Christian Burke and Travis Acosta (Susquehanna/Susquehanna Community); One Rainy Day on the Bus – Caleb Shafer (Meshoppen/Elk Lake). Third-place winners: All About Horses – Kaylin Trynoski (Thompson/Susquehanna Community); The Man That Was Lonely – Rose Warner (Rushville/Elk Lake); The Rose and the Daisy – Katie Nebzydoski (Pleasant Mount/ Forest City Regional); Summer Vacation 2006 – Emily Lawrenson (Thompson/Susquehanna Community). Grades 3-4 First-place winners: Hallstead-Great Bend Library, The Dolphin’s Adventure – Lydia Anne Costley (Montrose/Homeschool); Forest City Library, Wiggle Wiggle – Jackson Rogers (Montrose/Homeschool); Montrose Library, The Seasons Book – Liam McGranaghan (Montrose/Lathrop St.); Susquehanna Library, My Friends – Hunter Vaughn and Madison Canfield (Susquehanna/Susquehanna Community). Second-place winners: The Colorful Tree – Natalie Meagher (Susquehanna/Homeschool); Fluffy’s Little Surprises – Jennifer Korty (Forest City/Homeschool); Mammals A to Z – Ethan Luecke (Montrose/Lathrop St.); My Dream School – Nicole B. Sherman (Susquehanna/Susquehanna Community). Third-place winners: The Frog Adventure – Benjamin James Woolcock (Springville/Elk Lake); Jenny’s Surprise – Jennifer Grosvenor (Montrose/Elk Lake); Meow Meeting – Piper Gauthier (Thompson/Homeschool); The Tall Tree – Nicole Harris (Susquehanna/Susquehanna Community). Grades 5-12 First-place winners: Hallstead-Great Bend Library, The Remarkable Cat-Dog – Jesse Korty (Forest City/Homeschool); Forest City Library, Three Bad Goats – Joshua Korty (Forest City/Homeschool); Montrose Library, The Test – Aaron & Rebekah Costley (Montrose/Homeschool); Susquehanna Library, The Golden Cheese – Keith D. Hubal (Thompson/Susquehanna). Second-place winners: The Adventures of My Dog Tassie – Brandon Russell (Montrose/Homeschool); Jarbudy Benkins and the Down Hill Derby – Tyler Drake (New Milford/Homeschool); Princess Beauty – Marci Rose (Hallstead/Homeschool); Tiny’s Tale – Abigail Costley (Montrose/Homeschool). Third-place winners: The Brave Knight – Tyler Butler (Vandling/Forest City Regional); The Enchanted Forest – Gracie Lutz (New Milford/Lathrop St.); The Good Dog Friends – Kaylee Russell (Montrose/Homeschool); Sunny’s Worries of Tomorrow – Olivia Ely (Montrose/Homeschool).
Susky Fire Dept. 150 Club Winners Following are the Susquehanna Fire Department 150 Club winners for January and February. Jan. 20: Judy Lair, Helen Towner, Evie Smith. Jan. 27: Art Haynes, Bill Culnane, Nancy Hadden. Feb. 3: Sandy Babcock, Marge Wood, Ray Klym. Feb. 10: Linda Barrett, Gus Fabrizi, Dave Passetti. Feb. 17: Janet Denny, Joan Hurley, Mary Jo Glover. Feb. 24: Mike Vaccaro, Viola Ficarro, George Ann Darling.
Elk Lake Legion Post Charters Scout Troop
On Monday, March 5, Scoutmaster Jim Borosh, along with the newly formed Boy Scout Troop 154 presented the members of the Elk Lake American Legion Post 154 with their Boy Scout Council Charter. The Legion was enthusiastic in honoring the request to be the Charter Organization for the new troop. This newly formed union will allow the boys to participate in ceremonies held by the Legion and promote the boys’ ability to live up to the ideals of Scouting. Both the Legion and the members of Troop 154 are excited and look forward to a long lasting relationship. Since the start of the new troop in February, Jesse Borosh has completed the requirements and received the rank of Tenderfoot, and Ricky Burger has received his Boy Scout rank. Pictured above (l-r) are: back row – Legion members Bob Tiffany, John Klem, John Finlon, Jim McKevitt, Don Blaisure, Selene Herman, Harold Wegman, Carl Kaufman, Jim Borosh, Scoutmaster; front row – Boy Scouts Ricky Burger, Jesse Borosh, Jason Vermeulen, Aric Curry, Clark Fuller. Not pictured: Jerry Prusack, Assistant Scoutmaster, and Daniel Addice, Boy Scout.
Turnpike Senior Center Update Hello again from Turnpike Terrace, and a happy birthday to all up here. We have another new domino player, the more the merrier. We had a good turnout for the soup and sandwich supper – we had around twenty-five guests there. It was a great time. Marion Glover got moved into her new apartment. Her family came to help her move and got it done. She’s settling in nicely. We have kazoo practice after bingo on Tuesday and Thursday and, believe me, we need all the practice we can get. We sure have a lot of fun, and you can actually recognize the songs we do. We practiced for St. Patrick’s Day. The tax lady from Lanesboro came to help us out. A beautiful surprise birthday party was held at Turnpike Terrace, given by Catherine Paccio’s family. There was a full house in the dining room and she really was surprised. She even had a town crier there to sing a song to her. We had a great time. Happy birthday, Catherine and many more. We have lost a tenant here, Louie Parrillo. I only knew him from the sports column he wrote. Our sympathy goes to his family. Also to the family of Josie Holleran. She had lived here for many years. A lot of her friends from her would go visit her at Fran’s place. She will be missed. We had our St. Patrick’s Day dinner Friday, March 16. We had a good time, with a lot of nice people there in spite of the weather. We had a sing-along with the kazoo band, and Paul Skasko sang for us. We had a typical St. Patrick dinner. I will say again, we always have a great time at our parties. We were out in force, clearing snow off all the cars and the guys were plowing the parking lot. We are good for now, unless some more snow comes. It’s been on Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day that we got snowed on. Hopefully, Easter will be a nice warm holiday. See you soon.
United Way Adds Board Members The United Way of Susquehanna County has been growing consistently since its initiation five years ago, due to the fantastic group of individuals who serve as the Board of Directors. The United Way is excited to announce the inclusion of four new members this year: Stephen Lawrenson, Richard Makey, Kathleen Reddon, and Nancy Ross. Stephen Lawrenson resides in Susquehanna with his wife and children. He currently is employed as a Chief Sales Officer for Peoples National Bank. Kathleen Reddon is also from Susquehanna, where she is co-owner and Vice President of Reddon’s Drug Co. She keeps busy with her two sons and the pharmacy in Susquehanna. Nancy Ross is a retired school psychologist who is also a founding member of Rail Trail Council of NE PA and a volunteer counselor at Women’s Resource Center. She lives in Uniondale near Elk Mountain with her husband, and has four children and four grandchildren. Richard Mackey resides with his wife and children on the family homestead in Lathrop Township, and is the CFO for Maternal and Family Health Services, Inc in Wilkes-Barre. He currently serves on the Susquehanna County Cooperative Extension Board, the Woodbourne Wildlife Sanctuary advisory group, and is the Vice Chair of the Session of the First Presbyterian Church of Nicholson. These individuals will be a great asset to an already fantastic team of board members which include: Tom Chamberlain - Chairman of the Board, Bob Welch - Vice Chairman, Cathy Chiarella - Treasurer, Alice Davis - Secretary, Debbie Dissinger - 2007 Campaign Chairman, Ruth Donnelly - Executive Director, Earle Wootton, Alice Deutsch, Jim May, Terry Allen, Donna Cosmello, George Hill, Marilyn Morgan, Mike Ognosky and Diane Snee. These fine individuals gladly give up their time and talents on a regular basis to ensure the continuing success of the United Way. They are dedicated and have a great desire to be a catalyst for making Susquehanna County a better place to live.
This sweet, four-month old male tiger cat came to us as a stray many months ago. He was adopted once, but a member of the family was allergic to him. This small kitty is so loving that he deserves the best home we can give him. Won’t someone come and take him home? He’ll be waiting for you at the Susquehanna County Humane Society Shelter in Montrose, (570) 278–1228.
Dr. Christine C. Sezer Receives Service Award On February 23, Dr. Christine C. Sezer was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the NJ Music Educators Association at the NJ State Music Conference in East Brunswick, NJ. This award is given to music educators who have honored themselves with faithful service to music education in the state of New Jersey.
Dr. Christine Sezer was a recent recipient of a Distinguished Service Award by the New Jersey Educators Association. Recipients of this award must have met the following requirements: accumulated a total of no less than 25 years in music education in NJ; 10 years of meritorious service and outstanding leadership in music education as a member of the NJMEA Board of Directors (Dr. Sezer has been a board member for 20 years); must be nominated by a NJMEA board member; the nomination must then be endorsed by the Distinguished Service Award Committee and presented for acceptance and voted upon by the NJMEA Board of Directors. The award recipient also receives special recognition by the state governor at the annual Governor’s Award Ceremony in Trenton, which will take place in May. Presently, Dr. Sezer is President of Central Jersey Music Educators Association (CJMEA); member of the NJ Music Educators Association Executive Board (NJMEA); member of the NJ Retired Teachers Association; member of the National Education Association; member of the NJ Education Association; the Artistic Director/Conductor of the NJ Children’s Chamber Choir (the choir performed in Vienna with the Vienna Boys’ Choir last summer and also at a Salzburg music festival); NJ State Chair for the Society of General Music (Classroom Music); NJ State Chair for TRI-M International Music Honor Society; NJ State chair for the Special Learner; member of the American Choral Directors Association; contributing writer for the NJ state music magazine TEMPO; member of the Monmouth Symphony orchestra (violin). Some of her past duties include chair for the NJMEA All State Middle School/Junior High Choral Festival; Rehearsal Conductor for CJMEA Region II Intermediate Honors Chorus (prepared the chorus for guest conductors such as Sally Albrecht, Linda Spevachek and Greg Gilpin); ASTA (American String Teachers Association) Summer String Conference faculty member; member of the MENC conference planning committee; member of the National Board for Teaching Standards; artist/teacher for NJ Young Audiences; member of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association. Dr. Sezer has received many other honors and awards, which include the NJ Master Teacher Award; Governors Award for Arts Education; Award for Excellence for Outstanding Integrated Music Curriculum; Who’s Who Among American Teachers; Woman of Achievement Award (Monmouth County Advisory Committee on the Status of Women); NJSO (NJ Symphony Orchestra) Master Teacher Collaborative Award. Most recently, Dr. Sezer was a featured teacher representing the Northeast in choral excellence in an article of the Choral Journal; Dr Sezer has presented many workshop sessions for MENC Eastern Division and the NJMEA state conferences as well as presenting workshop sessions for various school districts in PA, CT, NY, MD and MA. She is also a registered provider for the NJ Department of Education in conjunction with the Professional Development 100 hours requirement regarding workshop and music conference presentation, focusing on integrated curriculum and choral technique. Dr. Sezer has the distinct honor of conducting the Vienna Boys’ Choir last summer during her tour and concert in Vienna with the Vienna Boys’ Choir and her group, the NJ Children’s Chamber Choir. Most recently, the choir had the distinct honor of performing a holiday concert conducted by Dr. Sezer. The audience was comprised of ambassadors and families of foreign embassies, and also members of the White House staff and their families. The choir performed a 90-minute concert, which included 26 holiday selections sung in Latin, French, Polish, Italian, German, Hebrew, and Swahili. Congressman Christopher Smith took the choir on a special tour of the Capitol building and Mr. John Hannah, Director for Internal Affairs for Vice-President Cheney, arranged a special tour of the White House, which included both the East Wing and West Wing of the White House. She recently retired from public school teaching after 39 years. Dr. Sezer still remains active in education and maintains her professional memberships and responsibilities in various organizations. Dr. Sezer has begun the process of building and organizing a community children’s choir locally, the Endless Mountain Children’s Choir. Information, details and membership requirements will be ready for publication some time in May. Dr. Sezer resides in Thompson, PA with her mother, Mrs. Isabelle Plonski and husband, Ilhan. Her brothers are Joseph Plonski, Thompson PA and Frank Plonski, Hatfield, PA.
PA Bluestone Association Holds Annual Meeting The Pennsylvania Bluestone Association held its annual dinner and membership meeting at the Summit Tea Room in New Milford on March 3. The featured speaker was Adele Abrams, Esq. who is an attorney and trained mediator representing bluestone quarry operators, mining operators, and contractors nationwide in OSHA and MSHA litigation. Adele spoke extensively about the newly enacted 2006 Federal Mine Act, which will have severe consequences and elevated fine levels imposed on the bluestone industry operators.
Pictured (l-r) are: Paul Macknosky, Jeff Loomis, Adele Abrams, Butch Coleman, Adam Diaz, Harry Triebe, Bill Rourke. Other speakers included Jeff Loomis and Roberta Kelly, Susquehanna County Commissioners; Butch Coleman, Adam Diaz, and Bill Rourke, President, Vice president, and Secretary/Treasurer of the PA Bluestone Association; Harry Triebe, Sr., President of the New York Bluestone Assoc.; and Thomas Decker, who prepared the Bluestone Industry Impact Study. Paul Macknosky, Dist. Director for US Congressman Chris Carney also attended. Of primary interest to all was the Bluestone Industry Impact Study commissioned by the PA Bluestone Association, and presented by Thomas Decker, Geologist for the Central Testing and Engineering Company of Castle Creek, NY. The study revealed that there are approximately 1,204 licensed bluestone quarrymen and manufacturers within the five-county area of Bradford, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. They produce approx $245 million per year in bluestones sales and pay out $35 million per year in employee wages and royalties to landowners. 85% of all of the natural cleft bluestone quarried within this region is produced by quarries of five acres or less, by small, independent operators and their employees. Because of the small size of these quarrying operations, their owners will be the least able to survive the huge fines that are being proposed by the newly created Mine Act of 2006. According to Adele Abrams, this act is so ominous that it treats all mining operations the same, regardless of size, and raises fine levels to a $220,000 maximum for minor infractions to up to a $1 million fine for major infractions. Fines of these magnitudes could effectively wipe out the bluestone industry in Pennsylvania and New York. The regulations need to be rectified by the US Congress and US Senate in future oversight hearings. Both the Pennsylvania and New York Bluestone Associations urge all bluestone quarry operators to contact and lobby your US Congressmen and US Senators to change this legislation. Without significant changes in the 2006 Federal Mine Act, every bluestone quarry operator is in jeopardy of being fined out of existence.
Fencing & Grazing Funding Available Funding is currently available for the installation of forested buffers along streamside property. Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and partners are encouraging landowners to participate in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). CREP not only covers the costs to install buffers, but also pays annual rental fees once the buffer has been established. Farmers can also receive funding for fencing, construction ofstream crossings, and alternative watering systems. Through CREP, landowners can plant a variety of native trees and shrubs along their streams to help reduce pollution entering the stream, keep the water temperature cooler, provide habitat for songbirds and wildlife, and to enhance the beauty of their property. The minimum buffer width required through CREP is 35’, but most landowners recognize the many benefits and enroll much more than that; the typical buffer is 100’ wide. To date, nearly 3,000 Pennsylvanians have enrolled property in CREP buffers. CBF has additional funding forfarmers participating in the CREP stream buffer programwho arealsointerested in improving or converting to a more intensive rotational grazing system. Practices could include exterior and interior fencing of cropland, assistance with watering systems beyond CREP’s limits, and stabilized animal walkways. CREP has set up a hotline for CREP information as well as an informative website that makes it easy to enroll. Check out 1-800-941-CREP or visit www.cbf.org/CREP or www.creppa.org.
Leadership 2020 Kicks Off Year VI Leadership 2020 /Year VI began on March 2 and 3 at The Rosemont Inn Bed & Breakfast, Montrose, with 11 participants from various locations around the county. Currently the numbers who have graduated from Leadership 2020 totals nearly 60 since the program’s inception in Fall, 2000.
Pictured (l-r) are Leadership 2020 Year 6 participants: standing - Cindy Beeman, Jill Aldrich, Pam Dewey, Lavonne Lewis, Vicky Taylor, Janice Webster, Randi Blank, Tammy Muzzy, Lee Maston and Brenda Loubet; seated – Kenny Coleman. Leadership 2020 is a comprehensive leadership development program open to anyone living and/or working in Susquehanna County: anyone who wants to make a difference in their community or develop their personal leadership potential is encouraged to participate. The series will not only include knowledge and skill development for prospective leaders, but also specific information pertaining to our communities such as education, accessing resources, and networking opportunities. The Leadership 2020 program requires a significant commitment of time and travel within the county as well as homework and other out-of-class preparation. This is the third year we are utilizing a statewide Penn State Extension leadership curriculum, which consists of 36 hours of instruction. The groups also work as teams on projects in areas that are important for the development of Susquehanna County, including economic development, education and health. Leadership 2020 is sponsored by Penn State Cooperative Extension in partnership and with the support of businesses and community organizations throughout the county. The Leadership 2020 Steering Committee which helps plan the sessions as well as recruiting and reviewing applications consists of Ray Osburn, co-founder, Tammy Cortright, Cathy Chiarella, Deb Dissinger, Ruth Donnelly, Joe Ferretti, Cheryl Matulevich, Marilyn Morgan, Bob Welch, and Marilyn Haskins. Graduation ceremonies are planned for Monday, May 14, at the Montrose Bible Conference. If you are interested in additional information regarding Leadership 2020, contact Joann Kowalski at the Penn State Cooperative Extension office at 278-1158 or 31 Public Avenue, Montrose, PA 18801.
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