Feb. 22 – March 29

FISH FRY: Every Friday, Feb. 22-Mar. 29, 5:00-7:00 p.m., Lenten Fish Frys, American Legion, Main Street, Susquehanna. Eat In or Take Out. Proceeds benefit the Edwards-Napolitano Scholarship Fund. For more info. Call 853-3542.

FISH FRY: Every Friday through during Lent, 5:00-7:00 p.m., American Legion, Hallstead, PA.

February 23

SUPPER: Sat., Feb. 23, 4:00-6:30 p.m., Chicken & Biscuit Supper & Bake Sale, Thompson UM Church, Thompson, PA.

Mon., Feb. 25: swedish meatballs, sugar snap peas, buttered noodles, rye bread, warm spiced pears.

Tues., Feb. 26: sweet & sour beef, mixed vegetables, white rice, ww bread, fruit & yogurt.

Wed., Feb. 27: roasted ham, parslied potatoes, lima beans, ww dinner roll, diced peaches.

Thur., Feb. 28: stuffed peppers, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, ww dinner roll, citrus fruit cup.

Fri., Mar. 1: eggplant parmesan, spinach salad, italian green beans, italian bread, orange sorbet.

Did you ever notice tracks in the snow and have an urge to follow them? You hear a mysterious howl at night and wonder . . . what’s that? Curiosity is one of the best motivators for learning, so if you have questions, we can look for answers. The Friends of Salt Springs Park are offering exciting and educational public programs on a variety of nature-related topics and geared to all ages to help you hone your outdoor skills.

The kick-off of Environmental Education Programs will be on Sunday, February 24: Who Goes There? will focus on exploring animal tracks in their habitats. Several programs throughout the spring and summer will focus on bees and pollinators, amphibians, and bird counting. “Honey, Where Are All the Bees?” on March 9 and The Important Role of Pollinators on May 5 take a look at our interdependence with these wonderful creatures. Children and adults alike can experience a Full Moon Hike on March 27, participate in a different kind of Egg Hunt on April 27, or take a walk through the park to look for birds and collect data for the North American Bird Migration Count on May 11.

Other environmentally focused events will provide opportunities to learn and lend a helping hand as spring approaches in April and May. Salt Springs Park is holding an early Spring Pruning Workshop on March 23 and two trail day clean-ups, on April 13 and 20, with food, fun and camaraderie for all volunteering. Come celebrate Earth Day on April 21, or join our team for the Great American Roadside Clean-up in Pennsylvania on May 4. In addition, hikes and other recreational opportunities will be offered on various weekends throughout the summer starting on May 18.

Details of all these events can be found on Salt Springs Park’s website on the Programs & Events page, http://www.friendsofsaltspringspark.org/html/calendar.html, or “Like” our Facebook Page. Seasonal event brochures are available at the park and select locations around the county, and watch for notices of upcoming programs in this publication.

If you have an interest not included in this extensive list, feel free to contact the Environmental Education Coordinator with requests or ideas at friends@epix.net or call the park at 570-967-7275.

So what does one need to be a nature detective? Ahhh, here is the easy part: a willingness to explore and to learn, an attention to details in your surroundings, an appreciation of nature, and a desire to experience the outdoors in all its beauty. More practical items include water/snacks, sturdy shoes, camera, notebook and pencils, even binoculars or magnifying glasses and a few handy resource books. The park can provide some of these items for your use during event programs.

What are you waiting for? Check program listings, mark your calendar, and come out to enjoy Salt Springs Park!

The Susquehanna County Conservation District will be holding its annual Heavy Equipment Contractor Workshop on Tuesday, March 12 at the Montrose Bible Conference’s Dreyer Hall in Montrose. The workshop begins with registration and breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and concludes at noon with door prizes.

This year’s featured speakers include Tim Ziegler, Penn State University Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, John Easom, ACF Environmental, Dean Auchenbach, PADEP, Robert Hassel and Gary Pezak, PennDOT. Tim Ziegler will present an overview on effective roadway ditch stabilization best management practices (BMP’s) for both ditch construction and ditch maintenance projects. John Easom will present an informative overview of the proper installation of commonly utilized erosion & sedimentation (E&S) pollution control BMP’s in accordance with the March 2012 PADEP E&S Pollution Control Manual. Dean Auchenbach will present on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) permits, highlighting the different requirements, types and timeframes. Robert Hassel and Gary Pezak will both be presenting on transportation weight regulations associated with posted roads, weight restrictions and bonding. This should be very useful and valuable material for townships and contractors.

The District hopes all heavy equipment contractors will be able to attend this informative workshop. A RSVP is due by Friday, March 1, 2013. A registration fee of $10.00 is required to attend the workshop, which includes breakfast. For more information please feel free to contact the District at 570-278-4600 ext. 285.

The 24th annual Susquehanna County Dairy Day will be held on Friday, March 1 at Elk Lake High School, Dimock. The event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. with 75 plus ag vendors, educational workshops, health organizations, lunch, pie baking contest, pie auction, and delicious dairy products including milk, cheese, and ice cream!

Educational Workshops will be available throughout the day, which will include hands-on demonstrations of colostrum testing using a colostrometer and refractometer. Also, hands-on demonstrations of the Penn State Particle Seperator Box, producers are encouraged to bring their own haylage, corn silage, TMR, and/or colostrum samples for evaluation by Penn State Dairy Extension Team Members Gary Hennip and Craig Williams. Other workshops will include pesticide credit workshops offered in both morning and afternoon by Dave Messersmith, Penn State Extension in Wayne County. The PA Department of Environmental Protection Agency and Susquehanna County Conservation District will share information on Nutrient Management regulation updates, manure management planning, and the Conservation District’s on-farm educational visits.

Lunch will be available to those interested. There is a fee for anyone over the age of 5 and children under 5 are free. Lunch reservations are required by calling the Susquehanna County Extension office at 278-1158. Reservation deadline is Noon, Friday, February 22nd. Individuals making reservations can pay at the door for their lunch.

Dairy Day’s every popular Pie Contest and Auction will once again be held with all proceeds benefiting the Susquehanna County 4-H Dairy Program and Dairy Princess Promotion Program. Guidelines for the 2013 Dairy Day Pie Contest are as follows: ·One pie per participant; ·There will be two divisions: adult and youth; ·Pie should be in a 9-inch aluminum pie plate; ·Pies must be entered by 11:00 a.m.; please bring them to the stage in the gym at Dairy Day; ·The top six pies will be recognized and receive special recognition; ·Please pre-register for the contest by calling 278-1158; ·Anyone is eligible to enter youth or adults, farm or non-farm folks!

The Pie Auction will take place at 2:30 p.m.; join the excitement as the pies are auctioned off by bidding and you will have a delicious pie to take home and will have supported the youth of Susquehanna County.

The Susquehanna County Dairy Day will also help the American Cancer Society kick off its third cancer prevention study. Residents of northeastern PA have an unprecedented opportunity to participate in a historic study that has the potential to change the face of cancer for future generations. Men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer are needed to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3). This important study is designed to help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer.

The registration site is live now, so individuals can go on line and register to be part of this study by logging onto www.nepacps3.org. The study will be held from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Elk Lake High School in conjunction with Dairy Day.

(WILLIAMSPORT) A representative from state Sen. Gene Yaw’s office will be at the Great Bend-Hallstead Public Library on Wednesday, February 20th from 10:30 until 11:30 a.m. and then at the Susquehanna County Office Annex, 81 Public Avenue, Montrose from 1-2 pm to meet with area constituents and respond to questions concerning state government.

Yaw encourages anyone with a state-related inquiry or problem to stop by; no appointments are necessary.

Constituents unable to meet with Yaw’s staff that day may also call the Senator’s toll-free number – 1-800-443-5772 – with questions and concerns.