HEADLINES:
Community Foundation Board Elects Officers
Shared Services Grants Available
It’s A Girl!
4-H News Rough ‘n’ Ready Riders Horse Club
Locals Participate In Capitol Day Events

Community Foundation Board Elects Officers

The Board of Directors of The Community Foundation of Susquehanna & Wyoming Counties recently elected new officers to serve two-year terms. Earle Wootton of Montrose will serve as Chairman, William Lewis of Montrose will serve as Vice-Chairman, Arthur Sherwood of Tunkhannock will serve as Treasurer, and Maggie Cartwright of Tunkhannock will serve as Secretary.

Mr. Wootton is a native of Montrose and is a founding director of The Community Foundation. He is retired from the commercial printing and publishing business, and has substantial experience as a director of numerous community and regional financial institutions. He is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Lewis also hails from Montrose and was likewise a founding director, as well as the first Chairman, of The Community Foundation. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, and is a Certified Financial Planner.

Dr. Sherwood grew up in Nicholson and is a retired physician from Tunkhannock. For seventeen years he was a Senior Executive with Geisinger Health System. He is a graduate of Wyoming Seminary and Williams College, earned a Master’s Degree in Economics from Stanford University, and studied medicine at the University of Rochester.

Mrs. Cartwright lives in Tunkhannock and was born and raised in Springville and graduated from the Dimock-Springville High School. She worked for Bendix Corporation before owning an auto body repair shop and also a garden center with her husband. Maggie is involved with many community activities, including sitting on the boards of the Wyoming County Cultural Center and the Tunkhannock Library. In 2006 she was named Woman of the Year by the Tunkhannock Business and Professional Women’s Club.

Additional members of The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors are Robert Brown, Dimock; Thomas Chamberlain, New Milford; Charm Goff Giangrieco, Choconut; Jason Legg, Brackney; James May, Scranton and Silver Lake; Marian Miskell, Montrose; and Michael Thornton, Tunkhannock. Likewise there are fifty-two individuals from both Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties who serve on regional Advisory Councils. Visit www.community-foundation.org for more information about The Community Foundation.

Back to Top

Shared Services Grants Available

Funding is available to help municipal governments save time and money by working together to deliver local services. The grants are provided through the PA Department of Community and Economic Development’s Shared Municipal Services Program.

Municipal governments are encouraged to cooperatively apply for grant funds to help defray up to fifty percent of the costs associated with sharing a municipal function. Example projects include: combined police records administration, shared technology initiatives, municipal insurance pooling, shared public works operations, regional recreation activities, shared code enforcement operations, and shared motorized equipment. However, the purchase, renovation, or construction of buildings is not eligible.

Also, Intermunicipal Organization Start-Up Grants are available to help newly formed Councils of Governments or similar organizations defray the cost of initial administrative expenses.

The Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission’s services are available to help municipalities in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, and Wyoming Counties with grant writing. Contact Tom Schill, Community Development Program Manager toll free at 888-868-8800 or e-mail schill@northerntier.org. To view the grant guidelines, visit www.northerntier.org.

Back to Top

It’s A Girl!

Jaime Thurston and Lester Thomas, New Milford, are the proud parents of their first child. McKenna Reilly Thomas was born on Thursday, March 15, 2007, at 9:00 p.m. She weighed six pounds and was eighteen and a half inches at birth.

Congratulations, Jaime and Lester!

Back to Top

4-H News Rough ‘n’ Ready Riders Horse Club

The members of the Rough ‘n’ Ready Riders enjoyed their third meeting of the year Friday, March 2 at Unity Stables, leader Jen Joines’ place. President Shayna Carey called the meeting to order, then members recited the 4-H pledge, and roll was taken, with fourteen members present, ages seven through seventeen. Rough ‘n’ Ready Riders discussed the upcoming show season, 4-H requirements, horse camp, and plans for club activities. Morgan Duke and Erin Nolan prepared a challenging quiz to match the breed of horse with its country of origin, and a word find full of tack (horse riding equipment) terms. The meeting concluded at the indoor arena where everyone enjoyed green shamrock cookies ( the 4-H symbol), also prepared by Morgan and Erin, while watching club secretary Ashlyn Cobb perform Dressage on her horse, Shoqui.

Submitted by Meghan Honeyford, Vice President

Back to Top

Locals Participate In Capitol Day Events
Submitted By Matthew Purdy

The Susquehanna County Conservation District participated in a Capitol Day legislative luncheon on Monday, March 12, focusing on key legislative issues important to conservation districts across the Commonwealth. Over 200 participants attended the events, including representatives from county conservation districts, members of the PA House and Senate, and members of the Governor’s cabinet.

Several legislative issues discussed were the need to obtain consistent and sufficient funding for conservation district activities and staff, amendments to the Conservation District Law, and landowner liability legislation.

Attendees from Susquehanna County included District Manager Jim Garner, County Commissioner and Director MaryAnn Warren, District Chair George Gardner, Vice-Chair Thom Helmacy and Director Bill Ord. They had the opportunity to speak with Representative Sandra Major, Representative Lisa Baker’s Legislative Director, John Giannelli and Senator Roger Madigan’s Legislative Assistant, Nick Troutman to stress how important “dedicated funding” in the State budget is to our Conservation District.

Susquehanna County Conservation District Manager Jim Garner stated, “The focus of our Capitol Day luncheon is to bring forth ideas and generate enthusiasm for our concerns. This successful event is an extension of an ongoing dialogue between the Conservation Districts and our elected officials.”

Back to Top

©