February 9

MUSIC by West Branch Ramblers w/ Steve Youngs, Thurs., February 9, 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Kirkwood Elks Lodge.

February 10

SPAGHETTI SUPPER, Fri., February 10, 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Lawsville Grange Hall. Eat in or take out.

DINNER, Fri., February 10, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Kirkwood Elks Lodge.

February 16-19

OUTDOOR SPORTSHOW, Thurs.-Sun., February 16-19 at Great Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks, PA. For info call 1-800-227-2067.

February 17

DOCUMENTARY: “Agenda,” February 17, 7:00 p.m. at Jackson Baptist Church. Free, refreshments. For info call 570-756-2265.

February 18

PANCAKE SUPPER, February 18, 4:00-7:00 p.m. at South Gibson UM Church. All welcome.

LINCOLN DAY DINNER, Sat., February 18, 1:00 p.m. at Gardner-Warner Post 154, Elk Lake. For info call 396-1538 or 924-0145.

February 19

PANCAKE & SAUSAGE BREAKFAST, Sun., February 19, 8:00-11:00 a.m. at Thompson Fire Co. All welcome.

Monday, February 13: sloppy joes, chicken noodle soup, carrot & raisin salad, sandwich roll, oreo cookie vanilla pudding parfait.

Tuesday, February 14: roast pork, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, ww dinner roll, apple pie, pineapple juice.

Wednesday, February 15: breaded fish, broccoli, corn chowder, sandwich roll, chocolate pudding.

Thursday, February 16: chicken parmesan, Italian green beans, Italian bread, rotini, lemon sorbet, orange.

Friday, February 17: roast ham, lima beans, parsley boiled potatoes, rye bread, peach cobbler.

The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for the counties of Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Tioga is asking for your input as they prepare their next Four Year Plan. The public is invited to attend a community focus group meeting on the Agency’s Four Year Plan, February 17, at 10:00 a.m. at the Montrose Bible Conference located at 218 Locust Street, Montrose.

The purpose of the community focus group meeting is to share the results of a Community Needs Assessment Survey, review program initiatives and gather additional feedback on local community needs.

The major objective of the Four Year Plan is to help the Agency effectively plan to meet the goals set forth in the Older Americans Act. A key part of the plan looks at what the needs of older individuals are and how the AAA can plan to use resources available to help address their needs.

If you would like to attend the community focus group meeting on February 17, please call the Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-982-4346 to make a reservation.

If you are unable to attend but would like to share your input, please send your written comments to the B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging, Inc. at 220 Main St., Unit 2, Towanda, PA 18848.

For more information on Area Agency on Aging services please call 1-800-982-4346. The B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging, Inc. is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging; the United Way of Susquehanna County; and the Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Tioga County Commissioners.

Relay For Life of Susquehanna County is hosting a luncheon to honor cancer survivors on Tuesday, February 28 at 11:30 a.m. at the Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center in Elk Lake.

“The luncheon is an opportunity for survivors and caregivers to get together, share stories, memories and show support for one another,” stated Bonnie Morgan, a cancer survivor and Survivor Chairperson for the Relay For Life of Susquehanna County. “Having cancer takes a toll on you physically, as well as emotionally and spiritually, so connecting with others with the same experiences is very uplifting.”

The luncheon is complimentary for cancer survivors and caregivers. Cancer survivors may each bring one caregiver to the event. Persons interested in attending should contact Bonnie Morgan at 570-278-3608 no later than February 14 to reserve a seat.

Should there be no school or a delay for Elk Lake School District on February 28, the luncheon will be on Tuesday, March 6, at 11:30 a.m.

The PA Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs (PFSC) will bring their Spring Convention to the north east March 23-25 at the Hilton Convention Center in Scranton. If you have a love for the outdoors, hunting, fishing, trapping and conservation you are invited to attend; please go to www.pfsc.org for more information or to register for any or all of the events.

Starting Friday night’s presentation will be Daniel E. Bright and Thomas S. Schrack of McQuaide Blasko, Inc., Attorneys at Law; they will be talking to landowners, specifically not-for-profit sportsmen’s clubs, with a program they call “Tax Traps and Tips for Non-Profit Hunting Clubs Engaged in Oil and Gas Leasing.” If your club has any amount of property in the Marcellus Gas Play you have no doubt entered into a lease with a gas company already. You may have received a healthy sign-on bonus and probably have lost a large portion of that to the “Tax Man.” Seems simple enough but as some clubs are finding out there are no clear answers to questions like how do we file in the future, do we retain our 501c7 status, or are we now considered a for-profit corporation? Phone calls to the IRS are confusing at best and depending on who you talk to on any given day the answers you get can vary. The PFSC has arraigned for this presentation to hopefully educate and possibly help you in your club’s administration. This presentation will start at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 23.

Saturday brings committee reports and discussions on many topics such as hunting/trapping, boating, fishing, conservation and of course our 2nd Amendment rights. With a shift in majority leadership and the presidential elections coming in November, we have to be ever more vigilant of our gun ownership rights and heritage. If you have been reading the PFSC News email blasts then you can appreciate the hard work and constant watch that your membership dues pay for.

Following the committee meetings will be the Saturday night banquet. Beginning at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 24, a fun-filled evening is planned with fellowship, food and of course fundraising. To top this evening the Keynote Speaker will be Certified Wildlife Biologist Kip Adams. Kip is the QDMA’s Director of Education and Outreach/Northern U.S., coordinating the REACH program in that region. Fresh off of his appearance at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Kip will be giving a brand new presentation entitled “State of the Whitetail: Trends in Harvest and Current Management Issues.” Kip is a fun and dynamic speaker and will be sure to entertain as well as educate.

On Sunday, before the county delegates head into the General Session, time will be taken to thank our Maker for the gifts bestowed upon us. Leading the Sunday morning prayer breakfast will be special guest Pastor Gary Haskell. Pastor Haskell is not like most preachers that you will find, as he is a “gun totin’, huntin’ and fishin’” kind of guy. He is pastor of Jackson Baptist Church in Jackson, and spends as much of his free time outdoors as he can. The church is host to yearly Hunter/Trapper Education classes and even has their own Youth Air Rifle Team. Not too long ago the church held the area’s first Cable Restraint Class to certify folks for cable restraint use during the special season. Sure to enlighten and empower you to go forward with God’s message, you don’t want to miss this highlight to the weekend. The breakfast will start at 7:15 a.m. Sunday morning.

The mission of the PFSC is to protect and promote hunting, fishing, trapping and related sportsmen’s rights and privileges; to secure and defend our 2nd Amendment Rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America; to protect from degradation and waste the natural resources of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States of America; to encourage, advise, and assist other groups, organizations, elected officials, government agencies, private businesses and corporations to further sportsmen issues.

Using a little imagination, you can make your Valentine’s Day a little more fun and a lot less expensive. If you want to add a little personalized romance or if you don’t have the time or money to buy all the pre-made things in the store, here are some ideas from www.LivingOnADime.com to help you make the day special.

For The Kids

My mom always made a great but inexpensive Valentine’s Day treat for us. She would take construction paper and cut a big heart out of it. (About 8x10 inches) then she would staple the edges together and write our names and an “I love you” on the outside. Then she would fill the heart with candy, purchased on clearance after Christmas. It was very inexpensive but we loved it!

Have a Valentine’s Day treasure hunt. Leave little notes around with the last one leading back to the kitchen table with a heart full of candy.

Make heart shaped Valentine cookies and cut the kids (or hubby’s) sandwiches with a heart shaped cookie cutter to make heart sandwiches. Add a few Valentine’s chocolates and put a note in red with big hearts on their napkins.

Serve anything red for the day. Serve red Jello, red pudding, red apples, toast with strawberry jelly, tomato soup, red applesauce, red Kool-aid, strawberry milk, or red frosted cookies. Use powered food coloring from the cake store to get the deepest shade of red. Leave sticks of red gum in their Valentine’s Day cards.

Make hearts out of chocolate chips in each of your pancakes.

Things To Do With Or For Your Honey

Make a treasure hunt for your spouse. Start by mailing or e-mailing them the first clue. Then leave clues all over the house, yard, car or their office telling them where to find the next clue. End the hunt by making a picnic in the back yard or going to a park for a picnic. Use your imagination and have fun. The simple things are the ones people remember.

Go to a bookstore together, enjoy the silence and browse. Get a cup of coffee and make a date of it.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day after Valentine’s Day when everything is half off.

Mail a love letter to your spouse’s work.

Leave "Why I love you" messages all over the house. Buy a package of the cheap Valentines. Leave a message on each one and hide them all over the house for your honey. They will get to enjoy the gift for months!

Use lipstick to make hearts and love notes on the rear view mirror, car windows, bathroom mirror or windows of the house. Leave a kiss on his napkin for lunch or dinner.

Make a bunch of hearts out of construction paper. Put a love note on each one. Paste them all over the front door or car before your spouse or kids come home from work.

If you don’t have money to go out, have a picnic on the floor. Use some candles and lay a soft blanket on the floor. Put on some soft music and have a romantic Valentine’s dinner on the floor. Use some white Christmas lights for additional romantic lighting!

TUNKHANNOCK - Reps. Karen Boback (R-Columbia/Luzerne/Wyoming) and Sandra Major (R-Susquehanna/Wyoming/Wayne) and Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne/Monroe/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming) are inviting veterans and their dependents to speak with veterans’ benefit experts at the Department of Veterans Affairs mobile veterans center when it visits Luzerne and Wyoming counties in February.

The veterans center will visit the Tunkhannock area on Monday, Feb. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the area of the Route 29 and Route 6 Bypass in Tunkhannock (across the street from Gay’s True Value).

On Friday, Feb. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. it will be available at the Dallas Shopping Center on Memorial Highway in Dallas.

The mobile unit will be stationed at Boback’s office, located at 608 Hunter Highway, Suite 110, in Tunkhannock on Monday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Appointments for mobile veterans center services are not required. More information about the center and veterans services is available at RepBoback.com, RepMajor.com or SenatorBaker.com.