HEADLINES:
2008 Plat Books Now Available
Waiting for you!
2008 Farm Market Guide Available
It’s A Boy!
PARSE UPDATE
Waiting For You!
Countryside Conservancy 2008 Stewardship Awards
Vince Birchard Receives Regional EMS Award
Walk Raises $7,500
BURGLARY

2008 Plat Books Now Available
Submitted By Penn State Cooperative Extension

The much anticipated Susquehanna County Plat Books have arrived. This book shows detailed maps of each township that include property owner’s names and their acreage for parcels over 10 acres, and owner’s initials for parcels 4 to 9 acres in size. The Plat Book also contains road maps throughout the county.

The 2008 edition of the Susquehanna County Plat Book is available in two sizes, 8 ½ x11 inches or 11 x 14 inches. Plat books can be acquired at the Susquehanna County Cooperative Extension Office located in the County Office Building, 31 Public Avenue, Montrose. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sales from the Plat Book support the Susquehanna County 4-H program. The county 4-H program consists of over 500 youth, ages 5 -19 years old, and 130 adult volunteers involved in 38 4-H clubs throughout the county. 4-H offers a wide variety of “learning by doing” opportunities for its members, including animal/dairy/equine sciences projects, farm safety, shooting sports, leadership development, citizenship and life skills.

The Plat Book contains data gathered from various official public records. Therefore, it is impossible to guarantee 100 percent accuracy, and we do not accept any responsibility whatsoever for errors or omissions of any nature contained. This publication is not intended for any legal use of any kind, including but not limited to sales, transfer, trades, leases or other transactions.

For more information about the Susquehanna County 4-H program, contact the Penn State Cooperative Extension Office at (570) 275–1158.

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Waiting For You!

This is Chyanne. She is a female Lab and Border Collie mix. She is very playful and energetic. She will need some refresher training on her house-breaking. She will also need training on her manners. She will do better in a house that does not have smaller children.

To see Chyanne stop by the Montrose SPCA, 278-1228.

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2008 Farm Market Guide Available

HARRISBURG – Consumers looking for the best Pennsylvania has to offer, from sweet corn and juicy peaches to baked goods and wine, can find it all with the 2008 Consumer’s Guide to Pennsylvania Farm Markets, said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff.

“With more than 1,000 individual roadside fruit and vegetable stands, and large markets featuring thousands of specialty foods, farm markets are great places for consumers to buy fresh, nutritious products,” said Wolff. “The guide is a great way for people to connect with local producers, while directly supporting them and Pennsylvania’s economy.”

The guide lists farm markets by county and provides the name, location, dates and hours of operation, types of food sold and contact information for each entry. The guide also denotes farm markets participating in the state’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which benefits older adults and Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, participants.

Many Pennsylvania farm markets are travel destinations, giving visitors the opportunity to visit the farm or orchard to pick berries, apples, peaches, grapes and other fresh fruits and vegetables.

In addition to farm markets, Pennsylvania is home to educational and affordable agricultural destinations across the state, including fairs, wineries and farm stay bed-and-breakfasts.

To view a copy of the 2008 Consumer’s Guide to Pennsylvania Farm Markets, visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us and click on “Consumers.” For more information on farm markets or to request a guide, contact Kathy Cutman at (717) 783-9948 or kcutman@state.pa.us.

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It’s A Boy!

The Masters family welcomed Richard Tingley Masters, who was born Monday, May 12, 2008, 6:60 a.m. at Tyler Memorial Hospital, Tunkhannock.

His proud parents are Richard Conrad Masters and Bethann Masters of Kingsley.

Grandparents are Elaine Tingley, Waverly; Kenneth and Sandy Tingley, Gibson; Richard W. and Shirley C. Masters, Kingsley.

Great-grandparents are Richard S. and Eloise Masters, Kingsley; Maxine Heath, Great Bend; William Katona, Lake Winola.

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PARSE Update
By Cynthia Sims, Secy.

The Pennsylvania Association of Retired State Employees (PARSE) met on May 13 at the Zion Lutheran Church, Dushore.

In response to a letter to Representative Tina Pickett, regarding the status of pending Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) bills, we received an answer, excerpts of which are following:

HB350 (catch-up COLA), currently awaiting consideration from the House Finance Committee;

HB2084, to be paid over next five years, awaiting consideration from House State Government Committee;

HB2187 (annual COLA), COLA will be half of the percentage change seen in the Consumer Index for Urban Wage Earners, was awaiting House Finance Committee;

HB1991, provides for a biannual (every two years) COLA instituted in 2009, awaits House Finance Committee consideration;

Finally, HB2379 is a collaborative effort by industry stakeholders and members of the General Assembly. Representative Pickett is a co-sponsor of this bill.

Although our legislators are aware that a COLA is very much needed by retirees on fixed incomes, the bottom line is affordability and their willingness to “bite the bullet” to make this happen. The initiative of the PARSE membership has been important in pushing for this legislation.

The next meeting will be held at the Towanda Gun Club on June 10. To receive more information regarding PARSE and/or to make reservations, contact John Benio at 278–2380.

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Waiting For You!

This is Simon. He is a larger, 10-year old tiger and white domestic shorthair. He is very loving and loves to get attention. He is litter box trained.

To see Simon, stop by the Montrose PSPCA.

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Countryside Conservancy 2008 Stewardship Awards
Submitted By Mary Felley, Countryside Conservancy

The Countryside Conservancy announced the winners of its 2008 Stewardship Awards at a ceremony on May 7 at Keystone College. This year’s ceremony recognized 10 property owners and caretakers in our region as outstanding stewards of their farms, homes, lands and waters.

Three awards went to working farms: to James and Vivian Cappucci for their farm in Mehoopany; to William and Elaine Wood for Brookwood View Farm on Route 92 in Jackson Township; and to Eleanor Jagger, Cheryl Jagger Williams and Richard Williams for Sheepy Hollow Farm in Hop Bottom, famous for its stock dog trials.

Four homeowners were honored for outstanding stewardship of residential properties: Deb and Jim Nagle for “Meadowwood” in Dimock Township; Frank Pinkowski for his Fieldstone Farm home near Montrose; Mrs. Edmund Thomas for her historic family home in Factoryville; and Sonji Lee and Neil Andre for their “Kickback Farm” outside Montrose.

Three winners were named in the Special Use category: the Newton Lake Watershed Association for their efforts to study and protect this northern Lackawanna County lake; Sally Steele and Ray Biglin for a restored wetland and invasive plant control site on their land near Lake Carey; and the Mountain View Garden Club for their beautification and greening efforts in the greater Clifford area.

There were heart-wrenching stories among the winners, like that of Walt Jagger of Sheepy Hollow Farm, who passed away just two months before the awards presentation. But there were inspirations as well, like his daughter, Cheryl Jagger Williams who said simply, “This farm will go on as long as I’m alive.” Deb Nagle was embarrassed to be honored for “doing what comes naturally,” which for her and Jim involved creating a nature-education and recreation wonderland on their Susquehanna County acreage. Frank Pinkowski noted that sometimes a person trying to care for the land and its heritage can feel like the world is spiraling down around him, but as he looked around the room at the landowners, friends and supporters in attendance, he said, “Coming to an event like this, you realize you’re not alone.”

All award winners received certificates of appreciation and a one-year membership in the Conservancy.

Co-chairs of this year’s Stewardship Award Committee are Amy Broadbent and Gerald Kenjorski; committee members are Lydia Coulter, Jo-Ellen Greene, Margaret Hull, Ernie Keller, Marta Kovacs Ruiz, Jack and Gayle Muller, Susan Scranton Dawson, Joanne Smith and Ed Zygmunt.

The Stewardship Awards were instituted 12 years ago to express the Conservancy's appreciation for the efforts of good stewards of the land. The 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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Vince Birchard Receives Regional EMS Award

In recognition of National Emergency Medical Services Week, the Bradford Susquehanna EMS Council regional EMS awards luncheon was held on Wednesday, May 21 in Sayre, PA. The names and accomplishments of the award category winners will be forwarded to the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council in Harrisburg for consideration of Commonwealth recognition at the PA EMS awards banquet this August in Hershey. For the past three years, statewide EMS award winners have come from the Bradford/Susquehanna region.

Vince Birchard of the Montrose Minutemen EMS was honored as Outstanding EMS Instructor. He is described by his students as an excellent instructor with both superior knowledge of the subject matter which he instructs, as well as how to share it with his students in a way that makes it applicable and meaningful. He is a role model not only as an exceptional care provider, but instructor as well. He always encourages his students to strive for the highest goals, to ensure the best in patient care.

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Walk Raises $7,500

Over 60 walkers, representing hundreds of sponsors, participated in the tenth annual Valerie (Holmes) Shook Memorial Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes, held on Saturday, May 10. Walkers took a four-mile round trip on the Endless Mountains Riding Trail. Walkers either raised money ahead of time, or self-sponsored on the day of the walk. Paper sneakers had been sold in the months before the walk. Many local businesses supported the walk with donations. Valerie's co-workers, family, and friends organized the event and made sure everything ran smoothly. Adding together donations, sponsors, and sneaker sales, with some money yet to come in, about $7,500 was raised locally for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Photos from this year's walk are on display at www.susqcolibrary.org/walk. Next year's date is Saturday, May 9, 2009 (always the Saturday before Mother’s Day). Coordination of the Walk is handled through the Susquehanna County Library.

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BURGLARY

PSP Gibson is investigating a burglary that occurred on May 8 at around 3:30 a.m. at the VFW Post 6223 in Great Bend Borough. During the crime, a cash register was damaged and a window was smashed. The approximate value of the loss is $500.

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