Allison Keifer, 18, a senior at Montrose Junior/Senior High School has been selected as the fifth weekly winner of Susquehanna County’s “Discovering Tomorrow’s Leaders” contest, a partnership among Chesapeake Energy Corp., several local nonprofits and regional media.

Allison has been a member of the D.E.S. 4-H Club for ten years and the Arrows and Clays 4-H Club for the past 5 years. Throughout her membership, Allison has held a variety of leadership positions including secretary, treasurer, vice president and president. She is the current president of the D.E.S. 4-H Club and for several years has acted as the group leader for 4-H Dairy Camp and 4-H One Day Camp. Allison is always willing to help anyone in need within her own club and outside. Allison coordinated a chicken barbeque dinner for her Senior Graduation Project. She raised $2,500 and donated all of the proceeds to the 4-H Endowment Fund with the Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains to ensure future youth will have the opportunity to participate in 4H programs. Allison is the current Susquehanna County Dairy Princess and enjoys going out into the community and promoting dairy products and educating the public on the work dairy farmers do in her community. She enjoys promotions that include educating and mentoring the county youth and is an excellent role model to them.

“Discovering Tomorrow’s Leaders” gives residents the opportunity to nominate Susquehanna County students who have displayed outstanding leadership qualities within the 4-H or any other student volunteer organization. One young leader, nominated by the community, will be selected each week for eight consecutive weeks through May. A refurbished computer will be donated to each winner’s school. In May, two lucky winners will be selected from all honorees to win a personal laptop computer.

Partnering with Chesapeake Energy in the “Discovering Tomorrow’s Leaders” contest are the Susquehanna County 4-H, the Rotary Club of Montrose, New Milford and Forest City, The Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains, Gem 104 Radio, The Forest City Regional News, The Susquehanna Independent Weekender and The Susquehanna County Transcript.

The Susquehanna County Literacy Program announces the award of an extraordinarily generous and timely 2-year grant of $50,000 per year from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation of Owings Mills, Maryland. The “non-challenge” grant of unrestricted funds will help the Literacy Program to continue providing adult-education programs to disadvantaged persons in Susquehanna County.

The Literacy Program last year lost all of its state and federal funding and was forced to layoff its staff at the end of 2011 in anticipation of disposing of assets and preparing to continue operations on a “virtual” all-volunteer basis. The program was facing the loss of its space in the District Justice building in New Milford, which also houses its partner, the Susquehanna County CARES program for early-childhood education. The space offers volunteer tutors and GED instructors a safe, well-lighted and convenient place to meet with students and hold classes. The grant will help the program to keep the center open.

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation “assist[s] financially disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals and families through nonprofit grants to direct-service providers and programs.” The grant will “provide general operating support for this organization that improves literacy through one-on-one tutoring, life skills instruction, and GED preparation to residents of Susquehanna County” and “promote[s] life-long learning to residents” of the county.

Literacy Program Board President Dodi Davis, nearly speechless at the reprieve offered by this unexpected award, said she was “thrilled and excited by this opportunity to continue” the work that the program has been doing in the county since 1982.

Once again, Susquehanna County is seeking candidates to serve as Dairy Princess. Single young ladies between the ages of 16-24 with an interest in the dairy industry may want to consider devoting some time to promote the industry. A Princess serves her County for one year.

Not old enough to be a Princess? The Dairy Maid and Ambassador program functions within the County to assist the Dairy Princess in carrying out her duties and do dairy promoting on her own as well. In Susquehanna County we suggest girls be at least 10 years old to serve as a Dairy Maid or Dairy Ambassador.

Pictured Above: 2011/2012 Dairy Promotion Court - Front: Dairy Maid Emory Bewley; back left to right: Dairy Ambassadors Mercedes Spickerman and Callie Curley; Dairy Princess Allison Kiefer and Dairy Ambassador Mariah Tompkins.

Qualifications to be a Dairy Princess include at least one of the following. A daughter of a dairy farmer or daughter of an employee of a dairy farm or dairy related business, be a 4-H club member and own at least two dairy animals as a 4-H project or have served as a Dairy Maid or Dairy Ambassador. Princess candidates, Dairy Maids and Ambassadors must have a sincere desire to promote dairy products, be a milk drinker and include other dairy products in their personal diet.

Members of the dairy court work hard getting the message to as many people as possible about the importance of having “three every day” of dairy as part of their daily diets. Dairy Princess Allison Kiefer wants you to know “Dairy products aren’t only delicious and nutritious, they are an absolute necessity in developing strong bones, muscle mass, and healthy teeth. All dairy products contain 9 essential nutrients.”

Girls involved as Princess, Ambassador or Dairy Maid develop skills in public speaking, leadership, journalism and marketing through their promotion work. These young ladies make public appearances promoting the dairy industry at festivals, parades, schools, churches, restaurants, sports events, club and association meetings and other gatherings.

Allison Kiefer, Susquehanna County Dairy Princess will be handing her reign to a new County Princess at the 2012 Dairy Princess Pageant being held on Friday, May 25th 7:30 PM at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Hall on Church Street in Montrose.

Girls interested in being a Dairy Princess candidate or taking part in the program as a Dairy Ambassador or Dairy Maid should contact Evie Goff (278-1212 or 278-1158) or Mary Puzo (278-4704) by the May 1st deadline. Evie & Mary are happy to answer any questions about the Dairy Promotion Program in Susquehanna County. An orientation meeting will take place before the May 25th Dairy Princess Pageant for all Princess Candidates, Dairy Ambassadors and Dairymaids.

Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania (NAP) has announced a “Call for Nominations” and is now accepting applications for its prestigious nursing awards. Because Nightingale’s goal is to promote nursing we have expanded our categories to be more inclusive of all the different nursing roles in Pennsylvania. Nominations may be submitted by anyone who wishes to recognize excellence in nursing. To be eligible, the nominated individual must be practicing as a nurse in Pennsylvania. Applications must be postmarked by midnight May 31 for consideration for Awards in 2012. The awards will be presented at the 23rd Anniversary of the Nightingale Awards Gala, to be held October 26, 2012 at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center in Camp Hill.

Nine categories of nursing are recognized in the call for nominations: Advanced Clinical Practice, Clinical Practice RN, Clinical Practice LPN, Nursing Research, Community Nursing LPN or RN, Nurse Educator - Academia, Nurse Educator - Staff, Nursing Administration – Executive (CNO Level), Nursing Administration - Leader/Manager.

A non-profit organization, Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania (NAP) was established in 1989 to honor nurses employed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Foundation’s purpose is “to recognize the exceptional nurses of today and to recruit the nurses of tomorrow.”

The organization is led by a voluntary Board of Trustees who volunteer their time and services. Financial support has been received from healthcare institutions, professional organizations and individuals throughout the state. Interest from the Nightingale Awards and Scholarship Fund is used to enhance efforts to recognize, recruit and retain nurses throughout the Commonwealth.

As another part of the core mission, Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania has presented scholarship monies to Pennsylvanians pursuing nursing education that prepares them to become practical or registered nurses or an advanced nursing practice degree.

Nomination forms can obtained directly from the NAP website www.nightingaleawards.org or by contacting the NAP headquarters, 801 East Park Drive, Suite 100, Harrisburg PA 17111, phone: 717-909-0350; email: ruth@pronursingresources.

The Montrose Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, recognized Connie Page for her outstanding contributions to Susquehanna County through her Community Service.

Connie has been involved with the Susquehanna County Historical Society and Free Library Association where she has served on both the Board of Directors and on the two support groups, the Library Friends and the Friends of the Historical Society.

Pictured Above: Marleta Shadduck PA DAR State Treasurer, Connie Page, Nan Baker Montrose DAR Chapter Regent.

Serving on the Board of Directors, she moved from being a member of the Finance Committee to President of the Board as her interest and enthusiasm for the association’s mission and goals became evident. She has either helped organize or is present at nearly every library fundraising event held for many years.

Over the past several years, Connie has also become involved with Salt Springs State Park, located a few miles outside Montrose. Salt Springs has a large number of historic artifacts and Connie has been appointed to the Historic Committee to help with the collections and offer opportunities for visitors and friends to learn about the park and its holdings.

Recently, she also helped with the newly created Montrose Adult School’s annual fundraiser at Christmas. Decorated Christmas trees were donated by the community and auctioned to raise money to provide scholarships for the Adult School.

Connie’s knowledge and experience as both a former teacher and as a docent have made her a valuable friend to many organizations and individuals in Susquehanna County.

Hello from Turnpike Terrace. We are getting a makeover up here.

All of our halls are painted and on each floor the apartment doors were painted, downstairs have a plum color, our floors are a blue color and upstairs are green. They all look nice. We will be getting new carpet also in April.

They painted the community room yesterday, it looks really good. It will look nice when it is all done.

It’s a nice place to live. We have a couple of new tenants since I last wrote (I believe).

Shirley P. broke her arm but is coming along good. Ellen K. is still in the hospital. Get better and get back home! Pete M. is in S.N.F. but comes to see all his girls once in a while. That’s what he calls us.

Remember we still have nickel and penny bingo up here. We have different exercise groups up here Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. and Thursday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

I got a new full size bed, my kids were afraid I would fall out of the twin one, almost need a ladder to get in it.

Bob the bird is acting up again. I tell him I pay the rent up here and he should behave himself, he doesn’t listen.

We will be having our yearly inspection up here soon, so some of us are doing spring cleaning. Gwen M. is back home from the hospital, she was there about two weeks the first part of the month. We are holding an Easter Basket raffle, also a 50/50 raffle. Will see you around.

Take Care.

The early spring weather provided a unseasonably warm setting for the opening event of the Health and Wellness Family Night at the Choconut Elementary School. This was the second annual event planned and organized by Katy Rosenkrans, the physical education teacher in the school. Families registered and then walked six laps around the playground, which was equal to a mile, and completed a scavenger hunt which was set up along the way. From there the families went inside to enjoy a variety of physical activities such as jumping rope, cardio and flexibility activities, muscular strength, and hula hoops. They also learned from vendors’ displays set up which encouraged healthy eating and wellness activities. The Susquehanna Dairy Princess, 4-H, Penn State Extension, and Wilma Wellness all had fitness activities which were offered.

Pictured above: The Giannone Family enjoys one of the many activities which was part of The Health and Wellness Family Event held recently at the Choconut Elementary School. Organized by the physical education teacher, Katy Rosenkrans, the educational event provided information, activities, and snacks in a fun, interactive format.

The families were then moved to the music room to enjoy a performance of Celtic Dancers from the Windwood Hill Dance Academy in New Milford. The dancers Laura Jane Mosher, Sarah Raub, and Justice Vietri treated the audience to two hard shoe Celtic dance numbers. Their enthusiasm and talent made up for the small number in the group. They also answered questions from the audience and then moved the entire group back to the gym where family members of all ages tried out some of the fancy footwork lead by the dancers.

The wrap-up activity was snacks and more time to enjoy the vendor displays. The snacks were displayed according to the basic food groups which included fresh-made fruit smoothies, cheese, and fresh vegetables and fruits. Portion appropriate sizes of nuts, and peanut butter and ranch dressing for dipping were also available. The evening ended with free drawings for baskets based on the theme for the event. All who attended enjoyed the evening in a fun way to learn about health and wellness ideas.