January 26

MUSIC by Senior Moments w/ Steve Youngs, Thurs., January 26, 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Kirkwood Elks Lodge.

January 27

DINNER, Fri., January 27, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Kirkwood Elks Lodge.

February 2

OPEN HOUSE, Thurs., February 2, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Susquehanna Branch Library. Light refreshments.

CHICKEN & BISCUITS, Thurs., February 2 at VFW #6223, Great Bend. For info call 879-4420.

February 4

PANCAKE & SAUSAGE BREAKFAST, Sat., February 4, 7:00-11:00 a.m. at East Ararat UM Church.

February 5

PIZZA, WINGS & MORE, Sun., February 5, 12:00-6:00 p.m. at Thompson Fire Hall. Preorder 570-442-1208, day of 570-727-2431.

HOAGIE SALE, February 5, noon pick up at St. Martin of Tours Church, Jackson. Preorder 756-3047 or 756-3305.

Monday, January 30: meatball sandwich, Caesar salad, split pea soup, ww hoagie roll, cheesecake.

Tuesday, January 31: apple cranberry pork chop, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, ww dinner roll, spice cake.

Wednesday, February 1: stuffed shells, garden salad, minestrone soup, garlic bread, banana.

Thursday, February 2: chicken & biscuits, mixed vegetables, crackers, fruit cocktail.

Friday, February 3: roast turkey w/gravy, peas & pearl onions, cranberry sauce, dinner roll, stuffing, mixed berry crisp.

Do you ever wonder if there’s a better way to handle those daily parenting problems? Maybe your son dawdles around whenever it’s time to get dressed, your daughter is using disrespectful language, or the children seem to forget to do their chores and argue every minute of the day.

Join other caring parents in the Active Parenting Now! program beginning Thursday, February 16, and learn a proven approach to parenting that will lead to more harmony and happiness for you and your children. You’ll leave each session energized and motivated to make changes in your family’s daily routine that will lead to greater happiness in every room of the house (and the car, too!).

The class will run six Thursday nights, from February 16 to March 22, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Blue Ridge High School. For more information or to register for this program, call the Penn State Extension Office at 278-1158 or e-mail susquehannaext@psu.edu.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Pennsylvania dairy farms are invited to apply for this year's Dairy of Distinction award from the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program. Applications must be submitted by April 15.

The award is based on the idea that attractive farmsteads enhance consumer confidence in the wholesomeness of milk and stimulate milk sales and public support for the industry. Dairies receiving the highest scores in each of 10 Pennsylvania districts will be awarded an 18-inch-by-24-inch Dairy of Distinction sign to display in front of their farm.

"This program is run by volunteers and recognizes the hard work and dedication of dairy producers who promote a positive image for the dairy industry," says Mike O'Connor, secretary of the Pennsylvania Dairy of Distinction program and professor emeritus of dairy science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Roadside judging will take place in May, and farms will be evaluated on factors that can be controlled by the dairy producer. Judges will look for clean and attractively finished buildings; neat landscaping, ditches, roads and lanes; and well-maintained fences. They also will take into account other aspects of the farm, such as manure management and cleanliness of animals, the barnyard and feed areas.

To receive an application, call O'Connor at (814) 863-3913 or visit the Web at http://dairyofdistinction.org.

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is the Commonwealth’s largest farm organization, with over 50,000 members. An important part of their mission is sharing vital information about agriculture. Through member involvement in the 54 county Farm Bureaus, members work together to build a stronger relationship between agriculture and the non-farm public.

One PA Farm Bureau program that supports our local community is Food Check-out Day. Food Check-out Day, February 21, commemorates the time of year when the average American will have earned enough income to pay for the entire year’s food supply. Based on statistics from the Agriculture Department, it takes just five weeks for this to be accomplished. Additionally, Food Check-out Day helps to emphasize that Pennsylvania’s farmers are committed to producing safe, abundant and healthy food and that the Farm Bureau is helping consumers find solutions to eating healthy on a stretched budget.

As a way of celebrating Food Check-out Day, county Farm Bureaus from across Pennsylvania collect food and money and donate these items to local food banks or to one of the five Pennsylvania Ronald McDonald Houses. Therefore, you are encouraged to support the Susquehanna County Farm Bureau by making a monetary donation. Please make checks payable to “Scranton Ronald McDonald House” and send to Donna Williams 1080 Station Hill Road Nicholson, PA 18446 or Barbara Roszel 1873 Conroy Road Montrose, PA 18801. Monetary donations are used to purchase perishable foods such as dairy products, fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. Thank you for supporting such a wonderful cause.

There is so much to know about raising a baby or toddler! Especially for new and young parents, the challenges can be worrisome and stressful.

Join other caring parents for fun and answers to everything from first foods and handling emergencies to dealing with temper tantrums and setting up routines and appropriate play at each age and stage of development. Depending on the interests of the group, personal and family support, managing time and stress, and living with other relatives while parenting your little one will also be discussed.

The class will be held eight Wednesday mornings, beginning February 1, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Susquehanna County Office Building in Montrose. There is no cost for this program, but registration is required. Call the Penn State Extension Office at 278-1158 or e-mail susquehannaext@psu.edu. Each participating family will receive a copy of the “What to Expect” book.

Harrisburg - Pennsylvania high school students are invited to enter a PennDOT contest aimed at discouraging distracted driving. Students can submit a 30-second radio public service announcement, or PSA, and the winning announcement will be professionally produced and sent to the student’s local media market.

“We hope students will use this contest as an opportunity to learn about the very real dangers of distracted driving and never take safety for granted,” said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch. “Developing and recording these PSAs is a great way for students to share this important message with their peers and even their parents.”

Distracted driving poses a serious safety risk to drivers of all ages, and particularly to relatively inexperienced drivers. According to PennDOT, in 2010 there were 14,294 crashes statewide involving drivers who were distracted or were using a hand-held cell phone. Approximately 37 percent of those crashes involved a driver who was 16 to 25 years old.

To enter the contest, high school sophomores, juniors and seniors should submit recorded scripts in MP3 or MP4 format. Students may also submit written scripts.

One finalist will be chosen from each of PennDOT’s 11 engineering districts. The winning students will be invited to travel to Harrisburg to have the PSA professionally recorded and then distributed to their local radio stations. Winning students from each PennDOT district will receive certificates and recorded copies of their PSAs.

Entries may be submitted by email to RA-penndotpress@pa.gov. Students can also submit entries by mail to: PennDOT Press Office, c/o Erin Waters, 8th Floor-Keystone Building, 400 North St., Harrisburg, PA, 17120. Entries must be received or postmarked by March 23.

Visit www.DriveSafePA.org for full contest rules.

Scranton, PA - Timmy’s Town Center (TTC) has received a grant through the Lackawanna Valley Heritage Association for an upcoming exhibit entitled “People on the Move,” which will promote notable achievements and achievers from Lackawanna County. The goal of the exhibit is to expose children to as many notable contributions from the area as possible, to spark their interest and to instill pride in and appreciation for the area. “People on the Move” is scheduled to open in April 2012.

Scranton has a rich heritage, and the abundant iron deposits and anthracite coal fueled the creation of transportation innovations throughout the country. People from across the nation came to the Lackawanna Valley to participate in the movement. Names like Isaac Tripp, the Scranton brothers, Scranton Lace and the Slocum brothers are but a few of the many who made contributions. Today the Lackawanna Valley is still a mosaic of different cultures and continues to embody an enterprising spirit. Promising persons from the area continue to make contributions throughout the nation. A few of those include Gertrude Hawk, Mike Munchak, Judy McGrath, Ralph Lomma, Mel Ziegler and Howard Gardner.

“People on the Move” will have a graphic timeline as well as several interactive, tactile elements for children to explore. Some examples would include a miniature golf hole, a kiosk allowing children to see themselves making a music video, and a small fashion studio. This will expose them to a wide range of modern day vital and creative accomplishments.

Timmy's Town Center is an interactive children's museum located on the second floor of the Mall at Steamtown in Scranton, PA. The museum's target population is ages 0-10, the ages which utilize fun and play to spark imagination, arouse curiosity, inspire creativity, stimulate exploration, and instill a love of learning.

TTC depends on the community to foster positive discovery of self and community pride for our children. As a result, the center is seeking information from you about a relative, former classmate, neighbor or friend who has made a notable contribution to the area. Please contact Timmy’s Town Center at 570-341-1511 or info@timmystowncenter.org to share information, artifacts, or suggestions for the upcoming exhibit.

The Wildlife Leadership Academy is now accepting applications from youth ages 14-17 from Pennsylvania for this year round program that focuses on wildlife conservation and leadership development. The mission of the Academy is to empower youth to become ambassadors for wildlife conservation in order to ensure a sustained wildlife legacy for future generations.

The Academy begins with an intensive, week-long field school experience that focuses on a fish or wildlife species as a springboard for exploring biology, habitat, and conservation issues. Youth also develop leadership skills by engaging in team-building activities, educational presentations, and mock "town hall" meetings.

Two field schools are available for youth to choose from: Pennsylvania Bucktails, which focuses on white-tailed deer, and Pennsylvania Brookies which focuses on brook trout and coldwater fisheries.

Prepared with the knowledge and the skills from the field school, students return to their home communities to complete conservation outreach that focuses on environmental education, community service, media engagement, and/or participation in the arts.

Student Brook Martin of York County describes his participation in the program as "life changing."

He shared how his time with the program affected him. "At the field school, I was able to reach my full potential and find a career path that I feel will be very rewarding. It was an experience that I will cherish and remember the rest of my life," he said.

Led by the Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education, the Wildlife Leadership Academy is a cooperative initiative and brings the experts to the students. Participants are taught by and interact with conservation professionals daily. These professionals represent agencies and leading organizations and universities from across the state.

Instructor and professional ecologist Lisa Smith commended the program.

"The high caliber and sheer number of conservation professionals who are involved as instructors in this program are beyond impressive, but more than that is the commitment of time, energy and passion that each of these instructors gives to the students," Smith said.

Pennsylvania Brookies is a new addition to the Academy and will bring a fresh opportunity for youth to engage with fisheries experts, including those from Trout Unlimited. Rebecca Holler, Education Coordinator for Trout Unlimited Eastern Abandoned Mine Program, said Brookies will teach the youth a valuable lesson about how ecosystems function.

"Coldwater fisheries are the backbone of our environment. They provide the water source for most other ecosystems. Learning about them and what brook trout need teaches about the interconnectedness of life."

Students return to their community to share what they have learned. They also keep a record of their conservation outreach efforts. Top outreach achievements qualify students for educational field trips, opportunities to return to field school tuition-free as mentors, and college scholarships.

Molly Diefenbach of Centre County, a student at Pennsylvania Drummers, said the feeling she got from doing her outreach was not what she expected.

"I was surprised by how accomplished and proud I felt after completing each outreach activity - whether it was speaking to a crowd of 200 or finishing up another entry in my nature journal alone in the woods," she said.

Molly gave an educational presentation to the Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania Association (COPA) and also wrote an article for their magazine, The Greenline. Bernie Schmader, a member of COPA, was impressed by Molly.

"Her article and oral report reassures our members and others that there are intelligent, interested, dedicated and understanding young people who are preparing to step up and carry on in our efforts to promote and safeguard Pennsylvania's precious fish, wildlife and other natural resources."

Academy youth have taken the program's mission to heart. To date, Academy graduates have conducted 522 conservation education, communication, and service projects; given more than 2,000 hours of work towards these efforts; and engaged over 10,000 Pennsylvania citizens across 44 counties in the state.

Academy Director Michele Kittell said the participants are "the next generation to speak for wildlife conservation."

"We hope the leadership of Academy youth in their home communities will inspire others to care more and therefore act more on behalf of the environment." she said.

Applications for the 2012 field schools can be download at www.PICEweb.org , click on the youth programs link. Application deadline is April 1. PA Bucktails will be held at Stone Valley Recreation Area in Huntingdon County June 19-23. PA Brookies will be held at Sieg Conference Center in Clinton County July 10-14.

Expert instructors at the field school include representatives from Audubon PA, Kutztown University, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania State University, Trout Unlimited, Quality Deer Management Association, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and many more.

For more information, contact Academy Director, Michele Kittell, at mkittell@piceweb.org or (570)245-8518.