During the month of October, the Activities Department of the Forest City Nursing & Rehab Center conducted a charity drive to benefit the Schaeffer’s Retreat Homeless Shelter in Carbondale.

Employees of the Nursing Center generously donated coats, canned goods, boxed foods, and clothing as well as personal care items. Personal care bags included shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, deodorant, and a gift card to the Weis Market. The donations fed five families, and all coats collected were distributed to those in need within two days.

Bonnie Schaeffer, owner of Shaffer’s Retreat Homeless Shelter and Marcy Kerzic, Activities Director, Forest City Nursing & Rehab

The Schaeffer’s Retreat Homeless Shelter is a non-profit organization serving Lackawanna, Wayne, Pike and Susquehanna counties. It has been in existence for over 20 years, and has helped countless individuals in times of need. With the holidays fast approaching, the need is greater than ever. The Retreat gratefully accepts donations of clothing, food, toys, cash or gift cards. Schaeffer’s Retreat is located at 166 South Church Street, Carbondale, PA, and is owned and operated by Bonnie Schaeffer. She can be contacted at 570-282-0761.

The Endless Mointains Children’s Choir is inviting all children who love to sing to join the concert choir. We are a community choir looking for new members to join us in making beautiful music together!! We are now preparing music for our holiday concerts. If you love to sing- then please join us. You will have many opportunities to peform all kinds of beautiful music and learn to sing music n languages from many countries (we have sung in 13 different languages inluding American sign language). You will have opportunities to sing solos in your concerts .You will travel to interesting places to perform wonderful concerts. We have performed at Kosciusko observance at West Point (the first children’s choir ever to perform there); we performed an evening holiday concert at the National Christmas tree in Washington D.C. (2 years); a holiday concert at the capital in Harrisburg (2 years); Lithuanian Heritage Day at the Anthracite Museum (3 years); various Christmas tree lightings in various communities; concerts at local hospitals, nursing homes and senior centers; holiday concerts at the local shopping malls; concerts at the Harford fair; concerts at community and county organizations; after attending the Radio City Christmas show we Sang some holiday songs at the Rockerfeller Christmas tree; Cancer fund rasing event at the Scranton Cultural Center. These are just the highlights of activities and local community events and concerts that we as a community choir have done and will continue to do.

There are still other valuable performance opportunities that are offered to the children by being a member of the choir: children have the opportunity to audition and participate in the American Choral Directors Association (Dr. Sezer is the ACDA Northeast Chair) ACDA-PA All-State Honors Choir (we have had students in that choir every year for the past 4 years); ACDA All Easter Division Honors Choir (we have had students in that choir for th past 3 years); ACDA National Honors Choir (we have had students in that 1 year).

Of interest to the parents/guardians, the children are taught proper vocal training. The child’s voice is very fragile in its developement-proper vocal techniques-breath control, posture, vocal placement, blend, intonation (singing in tune), dynamics/vocal volume (especially when children’s vocal chords are being developed) musicianship, expression, phrasing, proper diction, proper foreign language pronouciation - these are all implemented into the weekly training that the children receive. The children also learn about other world cultures through the music that they sing from these cultures. Many of the multicultural music includes authentic movement to the music the children are performing, which also adds to the education of the cultureof that particular country. The children also learn to perform music in American Sign Language - widely used by the deaf for communication. Children are also taught some music theory-Kodaly (sol/fa or solfege), rhythmic reading, notation.

So as you see by being a member of the choir there are vast educational opportunities other than just singing a song-- the most important of all is to share one”s love and passion for music and enjoy doing it!! Please give your child this special opportunity -have him or her join our wonderful choir - you will be so proud of your child! For more information contact Dr. Christine Plonski Sezer (570)756-2729. Choir rehearsals are every Thursday 6PM to 8PM at the South Gibson United Methodist Church.

Hello, my name is Callie Curley. I live in Susquehanna County and was recently given the honorable duty of representing Pennsylvania' #1 ranked agricultural industry as a member of the 2012-2013 Pennsylvania State Dairy Royalty Team. As part of this exciting responsibility, I have the opportunity of meeting and speaking with dairy producers from across the state of Pennsylvania as well as educating consumers on the benefits of including delicious, nutritious dairy products in their every day diet.

Kozy Kountry Farm in Springville, Susquehanna County, is just one of the nearly 9,000 family owned and operated dairy farms in Pennsylvania. Owners and operators Kim and Charlie Clark work tirelessly with their daughters Cassie, Sabrina, and Vicki to ensure the production of high quality milk and to maintain the health of their cows. For Kim and Charlie, the duties performed on their operation add up to much more than a job; but are in fact an integral part of the lifestyle that they have chosen for their family.

Cassie, Victoria and Sabrina Clark of Kozy Kountry Farm

Their herd of 35 milk cows is a two-thirds, one-third mix of Registered Holstein and Ayrshire cows respectively. The Clarks also house show calves and heifers and various livestock animals that the girls enjoy exhibiting both locally at the Harford Fair and at statewide contests such as the Pennsylvania Farm Show and the Keystone Youth Livestock Exhibition in Harrisburg. The girls have been involved in the Susquehanna County 4-H program for as long as they have been eligible; showing their dairy calves, heifers and cows at the county, district, state, and national levels. These years of preparing animals for the show ring have taught Cassie and Sabrina in particular the benefits of hard work and commitment, as well as shaped them into the young women they are today.

"Because of [what I've learned in] 4-H I know I want to work in the dairy industry," Sabrina said. "I'm thinking about being a large animal veterinarian."

Cassie even based her graduation project, a requirement for seniors at most high schools, on things she's learned from her just under ten years of experience in 4-H. Earlier this fall, she planned a "Fitting Clinic" at her farm. This event was organized to help local kids better understand how to clip their animals for shows.

What is now known as Kozy Kountry Farm began operation on December 31, 1989 under the careful watch of Norm and Pat Clark and their children. Their operation began with roughly 84 milking cows that has since changed hands and become the livelihood of one of their children and the passion of their grandchildren, something they had hoped for since the beginning, according to Charlie.

"Kids who are raised on farms are healthy and strong. They learn things about life, death, and the ways of the world that can't be learned from a text book. They learn to think and make decisions. I think a farm is the only place to raise a child," Charlie said.

Just as many kids have jobs around the house; the girls are responsible for a variety of chores on the farm. While Kim and Charlie cover the morning milking during the school year, the girls can be found feeding the cows, heifers and calves, milking in the evening, and caring for their livestock.

While farm work can be very time consuming, that doesn't keep the Clarks from enjoying life outside their operation. The girls are very active in DES 4-H Club, where Sabrina serves as vice-president and Cassie as treasurer. Vicki enjoys cake decorating with other members of DES, playing basketball on her school's intramural team, and working with her Golden Retriever Daisy as a member of Clover Pups 4-H Club in Montrose. All of the girls are active in the Susquehanna County Jr. Holstein Club and travel each year to the PA Jr. Holstein Convention for the dairy quiz bowl, poster display, and photo contests among many others. And for Kim, these activities are what it's all about.

"We have met a lot of good people along the way," Kim said. "And meeting people who care about the same things we care about it what makes working in the dairy industry worthwhile."

Of the 51,000 farms in the United States today, 98% of them are owned and operated by families like the Clarks who care not only about the health of their animals and the members of their family, but also about the quality of the dairy products produced from the milk on their farm and the relationship between dairy producers and the consumers who trust them to provide the nutritious, delicious dairy products they enjoy on a daily basis.

Jesse Jackson has completed all requirements for certification as a Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST). This highly respected certification is awarded to individuals who meet the experience and education requirements to include passing a four hour examination. The examination covers safety and health inspections, general safety training, safety and health record keeping, hazard communication compliance, safety analysis, accident investigations, OSHA and other inspections.

The Construction Health and Safety Technician provides an important effort at the job site level to aid in the protection of workers, the public, property, and the environment. The CHST functions with specifically designed and managed programs aimed at compliance with the safety principals and federal, state and local regulations.

A graduate of Rutgers University, Jesse has approximately 25 years experience in the field of safety. He is the owner of Empire Safety Consultants, LLC.

He and his wife, Nancy reside in South Gibson.

We have so many strays we would love to show them all to you. Please stop in and find your best friend. Shown is Brick. He is a large red mixed breed male and he is very nice. He will sit and give you his paw in greeting. He is handsome and friendly and loves to go for a walk. .He was found on route 374 in Nicholson. We are sure to have something to fit your lifestyle and acitvity level. Pets definitely fit into the family and have many beneficial qualities including but not limited to confidante, friend, exerciser, entertainer, ego booster, teacher and just a joyful bundle of love. Thank you to Stephanie Nichols for her generous donation in lieu of birthday gifts and to all who remember our four legged friends. You are special and enrich the lives of us and our animals.

9 Sea Scouts from Ship 90 participated in the Sea Scout Centenial, which included 9 days aboard two sailboats(a 30 foot and a 32 foot) provided by Sea Scout Ship Eagle, 198,Lewes DE. We sailed Delaware Bay, through the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal to get to the Chesapeake Bay and on to Baltimore, MD for 4 days of Sea Scout Centenial celebrations! Attending from Ship 90 were bo-sun Josh Warner, sea scouts Christian Chludzinski, Diana Stude, David Stude, Katie Greene, Billy Reddon, skipper Chuck Jaget, 2nd mate Judy Dennis & committee chairman Joe Stude.

Ship 90 sea scouts in the parade of vessels past Fort McHenry, Baltimore, MD returning to Baltimore inner harbor

Almost 200 sea scouts attended (only 100 were expected). We learned important tide tables and how to use them. On the way to Baltimore the tide was against us, but on the way back to Lewes, DE using the charts and tide tables it went a lot smoother. Ship 90 participated in the parade of sea scout vessels past Fort McHenry where the Star Spangled Banner was written by Frances Scott Key in the War of 1812. We were supposed to be in our dress whites, but due to a cold heavy rain we were all in foul weather gear.

It was a great recruiting experience and a great way to see what other sea scout ships use to recruit and just to socialize with other sea scouts. We visited the National Aquarium, the sailing ship "Constellation”, a Civil War era frigate, a light ship and a U.S. Naval Submarine.

Ship 90 meets every Monday night at 7:00 in the scout hall behind the First Baptist Church in New Milford and is open to girls and boys ages 13 to 21.