Vestal, NY - Casey Holleran has joined AXA Advisors, LLC as a financial professional. The announcement was made by Steven DeRiancho, CFP®, Divisional Vice President of the Southern Tier District of AXA Advisors, LLC.

Casey Holleran

“We’re extremely pleased to have Casey join our team at AXA Advisors,” said Mr. DeRiancho. “We look to him to carry on our commitment to our clients and professional leadership.”

Holleran will work with individuals and business owners in the Southern Tier of New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania to help them define their financial goals and provide strategies, products and services to help them work toward their objectives.

Holleran holds a Bachelor of Science in business economics from Penn State University. In addition, he has earned the FINRA Series 7 securities registration and holds his Life and Health insurance license.

The Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains welcomes Martha Cuomo as our newest staff member who will be helping with the daily tasks of administering The Foundation’s charitable endowments and education assistance. Martha and her husband Dr. Kenneth Cuomo, Principal at Elk Lake High School, have resided in Susquehanna County for 21 years after having moved here with their children from Port Charlotte, Florida just in time to experience the infamous blizzard of ’93. Her family lives in Elk Lake where in her free time Martha enjoys running, writing, and speaking on behalf of survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Martha has a Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science from Messiah College, and most recently worked at The Women’s Resource Center of Susquehanna County, first as a Counselor/Advocate for two and a half years, and then as Program Manager for more than seven years. She volunteers her time for her church, where among other projects she organized relief efforts for the Meshoppen victims after the floods of 2011. Martha also helps organize and prepare meals for the Loaves & Fishes Café that is held at the United Methodist Church. Additionally, she also leads a support ministry called Broken Pieces. Most recently Martha assisted District Attorney Jason Legg in honoring his late mother this winter with the Cindi Conaty Memorial Breakfast for Life that raised funds for the Cindi Conaty Memorial College Scholarship administered by The Community Foundation.

Martha looks forward to utilizing her networking skills as she joins the team at The Community Foundation with a particular interest in the Women Helping Women Fund and its efforts to empower women and girls and provide them opportunities for growth and development. She also looks forward to working with the Foundation’s pre-school through college scholarship recipients and getting to know the families and organizations that have established the more than 140 charitable funds currently managed by The Community Foundation. Martha joins current Foundation staff members including Chairman Earle Wootton, President Peter Quigg, Operations Manager Cristine Clayton, Book Keeper Angie Frystak and Technology Advisor Jerry Golis in our work assisting donors with their charitable priorities and improving the quality of life in our region.

Pictured (l-r) are Chorale member Dr. Thomas Pascoe, Rachel Pratt and Chorale member Mary Ann DeWitt. Officers of the Montrose Community Chorale are shown giving a $1,000 check to the Susquehanna County Interfaith director, Rachel Pratt. Each year the Chorale presents a December program with proceeds going to local charity.

Few people live to see 100.  Fewer still will see 100 without any major health issues.  Mrs. Anna Drasler is one such person.  Anna celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, March 16, 2013 surrounded by 5 generations of her family and dozens of friends. Anna enjoyed a beautiful party given in her honor, complete with polka music by Jude and Theresa Wasileski and her fellow residents at Forest City Personal Care.

Pictured are 5 Generations: Anna and great great granddaughter  Alexandra Rose; back - (l-r) Gene Drasler (son), Marianne Drasler (granddaughter), and Shai Drasler (great grandson).

She was born Anna Saiz on March 16, 1913 in Sesser, Illinois where she grew up on a small farm, the second of six children.  Her father worked as a coal miner in southern Illinois, while her mother stayed home to care for the family.  Anna is no stranger to hard work. After finishing 8th grade she went off to work in St. Louis as a mother’s helper for a widow who cared for orphan children, and ran a bakery to support them. 

When her Uncle Tony Zaitz, needed an able helper for the boarding house, which was attached to his gas station in Browndale, PA, Anna was up to the task.

It was in this little town that she met Tony Drasler, who was to be her husband of 54 years.  The couple married in 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression.  Though times were hard, they managed to purchase a small, shell of a house on Martin Street in Browndale.  Tony remodeled that house into a cozy home.  Here, they raised their three children: Donald, Eugene, and Joyce, and Anna lived there for seventy years.

In addition to raising her family, Anna worked in the garment industry in Forest City for thirty years.  She was an excellent cook and baker who loved gardening, sewing, and making fine, crocheted lace doilies.  She and her family spent many enjoyable hours fishing at the local lakes, as well as those in New York and Canada.  In 1974 Anna took a trip to Hawaii to visit her daughter, now Joyce Sperry, and her husband, Master Sergeant Timothy J. Sperry, who was stationed there with the Marine Corps.

Today, Anna Drasler is still going strong. She resides at the Forest City Personal Care, where she is loved by staff and residents alike.  She is the proud mother of 3, grandmother of 5, great-grandmother of 9, and great-great-grandmother of 2.  If you were to ask Anna the secret to her long life, she would likely tell you to live each day joyfully!

The newly remodeled Center for Anti-Slavery Studies in Montrose provided a lovely setting for the March meeting of the Beta Rho Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. President Carol Goodman conducted the business meeting. Four ladies were present to receive their 25 year membership pins, given and recognized by Membership Chair, Ann Gay. They are Rose Borgna, Mary Ann Cunningham, Carol Goodman, and Nancy Wilson. Philippa Follert was absent for the presentation. Eleven prospective women educators were announced and the membership voted affirmatively for the ladies to be initiated at the October 3rd meeting at 4:30 PM at Dryer Hall in Montrose. An orientation meeting will be scheduled for the new initiates prior to the October meeting. The chapter is composed of key women educators from Bradford, Susquehanna, and Wyoming Counties.

Pictured Professional Affairs Committee members Pat Carpenter, Rachael Gilleran, and Agnes Massacesi presented the program “Current Events and Professional Issues” for the March meeting of the Beta Rho Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International in Montrose. The committee members presented current information on School Safety Issues, the Teacher Effectiveness Evaluation System, and How Legislation Could Affect Pensions.

Other items of business included the vote to award two $200.00 Grant-in-aids to Julia Sherry and Tiffany Carpenter. Both are juniors at Keystone College. Members were encouraged by Becky Place, the scholarship chair, to apply for state or international scholarships as well as enrichment grants. It was announced that members had purchased and donated materials to support early career educators. With the volume of donations received, some will be taken to state convention in June and the remainder of the items will be distributed to new teachers locally.

Following the business meeting, three members of the Professional Affairs/US Forum/Grant-in-Aid committee chaired by Agnes Massacesi presented a very informative program entitled “Current Events and Professional Issues.” Pat Carpenter, a Title 1 and Gifted Education teacher in the Lackawanna Trail Elementary School, began with information about safety in the schools. She read a poem “Eleven Days Before Christmas: a poem about the shooting in Sandy Hook School” which moved many to tears visualizing the horror of that day. Pat discussed the present actions and policies in the schools in an attempt to make them more safe and secure. She also talked about the new Act82 – Teacher Effectiveness System, which appears to have a lot of additional paperwork for teachers as well as administrators. Only time will tell if such measures will insure better performance and learning on the part of the students. She distributed hand-outs which gave more specific information about her presentation.

Committee member Rachael Gilleran, a Title 1 Reading Teacher in the Susquehanna Community Elementary School, expanded on the issue of school safety and school climate. She distributed resource materials to use with students and parents which included websites where more information can be secured. Chairman Agnes Massacesi focused on both retired and active teachers’ concerns about their pensions. Her knowledge was evident as she gave highlights of possible things that could happen. She distributed a helpful sheet, “Stay in contact with Your Legislators.”

Much discussion was generated by the program and continued as the members gathered for and enjoyed a lovely luncheon buffet prepared by Beta Rho member, Cynthia Wooden and her husband, Sherman.

The next Beta Rho meeting will be a Tri-Chapter meeting with Alpha Zeta and Phi Chapters to be held on April 13th at the Pink Apple Restaurant in Tunkhannock. The Alpha Alpha State President Louann Shrader will be the guest speaker. She will bring greetings and updates to the chapters from the state. There are presently sixty-three Delta Kappa Gamma Chapters across Pennsylvania and during her biennium the president’s goal is to visit all chapters.

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is a professional honor society for women educators with more than 115, 000 members. Established in 16 member countries around the world, the Society defines its mission as promoting professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. Upcoming events include the State Purposeful Seminar “Living in Color,” April 26-28, 2013 at the Best Western Plus Country Cupboard Inn in Lewsiburg. This will be a weekend to rejuvenate and explore possibilities of living in color. Alpha Alpha State convention will be held June14-16, 2013 at the Nittany Lion Inn in State College. The NE Regional Conference will be held in Portland, Maine July 24-27, 2013, and is one of five regionals held by the Society. Beta Rho members are always encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the Society by attending the functions beyond the chapter level.

Two of Mountain View Elementary second grade classes came to JoSan Farm, owned by Joe and Sandy Pavelski. The Pavelski’s have been hosting school tours for more than 20 years. Joe and Sandy’s granddaughter, Emory Bewley is one of the Susquehanna County’s Dairy Maids. Alongside was Pennsylvania State’s Alternate Dairy Princess, Callie Curley from Montrose.

When the kids first arrived Emory introduced them to her two calves. “Marshy and Dora had a wonderful year showing”, said Emory. She explained how she worked with them all summer and taught them to lead for shows in local, district and state shows. She explained to the children how old each calf was and that they’ll be 2 years old when they have a calf and start milking.

Pictured are two of Mountain View’s Second Grade Classes who visited JoSan Dairy Farm.

Then the kids were lead through the barn starting with the milk house. They continued into the barn to see how the cows are milked and how the milk gets to the bulk tank. After milking, Mr. Pavelski fed a baby calf a bottle with the help of a few students.

After the farm tour, the children ate their lunch and listened to Emory and Callie talk about dairy farming. Emory spoke about how farmers take care of their cows and keep them healthy. Finally the kids enjoyed shaker pudding before going on a hayride. Then we said good-bye until next year’s classes arrive.

Emory Bewley is a second year Dairy Maid with the Susquehanna County Dairy Promotion program. She is a 10-year-old fourth grader at Mountain View Elementary School and is the daughter of Owen and Cathy Bewley.

The North Jackson Ag. 4-H club held it’s first meeting on Sunday, March 24th, 2013 at the Pavelski’s home. The meeting was opened by Troy Carey. Emily Supancik lead the pledge to the American flag and the 4-H pledge was lead by Jamie Supancik. The first order of business was to elect this year’s officers. They are as follows: President Emily Supancik, Vice President Troy Carey, Secretary Emory Bewley, Treasurer Jamie Supancik, Historians Samantha Jones and Garrett Conklin, Social Chair Makenzie Cook (with some help from Emily Supancik, who is our president) and lastly our 2013 News Reporter is KayLeen Conklin.

April 1st was the tagging deadline for dairy projects. The Pork Bowl competition was held on April 6th. The Bradford County Calf Sale will be held on April 13th. People from all over can come buy calves at this sale. April 13th is also the date that our club will be going to the Gibson cemetery to rake leaves and clean it up. We will appreciate all the help we can get to do this community service. If you plan to attend please be sure to dress properly for the weather conditions and bring as many rakes as you can. May 1st is the deadline for 4-H enrollment along with your $10. In May there will be an officer’s training meeting, with date and time to still be determined.

4-H members: please encourage your friends to get involved in 4-H. There are so many different projects and fun activities. Anyone interested in just about anything could become a member and enjoy 4-H. If anyone has any questions you can call Abby Onyon, 4-H Educator at the Penn State Extension office, at 278-1158.

All 4-H members please keep in mind that demonstrations are required for all projects. The next North Jackson Ag. 4-H Club’s next meeting will be held at the Bewley’s home on April 21st at 1 pm.

Hallstead, PA/ April 1, 2013 – On April 1, 2013, the Board of Directors of Peoples Financial Services Corp. (OTCBB: PFIS) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share. The dividend, which is a 10.0% increase over the comparable quarter last year is payable May 15, 2013, to shareholders of record April 30, 2013.

Peoples Financial Services Corporation is the parent company of Peoples Neighborhood Bank (the “Bank”), an independent community bank serving Lackawanna, Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties in Pennsylvania and Broome County in New York through twelve offices. Each office, interdependent with the community, offers a comprehensive array of financial products and services to individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organizations and government entities. In addition, customers can take advantage of PNB Online Banking services by accessing the Company's website at http://www.peoplesnatbank.com. Peoples Wealth Management, a division of the Bank’s subsidiary Peoples Advisors LLC, provides investment advisory services to the general public. The Company's business philosophy includes offering direct access to senior management and other officers and providing friendly, informed and courteous service, local and timely decision making, flexible and reasonable operating procedures and consistently applied credit policies.

Mick is our pet of the week. Mick is housebroke, neutered, knows some commands and walks on a leash. He likes some of the bigger dogs but is not good with small animals. He would do best in an adult home with a fenced in yard and lots of exercise. He likes to be amused and carries his food bowl. We have many animals that have been here way too long and need those special people who will care for them. Can you be one? Woofstock is again in the planning and we are looking for sponsors - business or individuals. Stop in the shelter and pick up a form and mark August 10th on your calendar for a day of fun at Woofstock. Help us to continue to support the animals in our area.

We again have the distinction of being recognized as the best Farm Bureau in Pennsylvania and received the Farm Bureau C.A.R.E.S. Award at the PFB Annual Meeting in Hersey, Pa held November 12-14th. The award honors the County Farm Bureau that achieves the highest score in the recognition and awards the program. This is the 7th time to receive this award since 2000. In addition, we attained 1st place in the Overall Achievement Award for counties up to 400 regular members and the President’s Award in the areas of “Policy Development & Implementation” and “Services.” We also received County Level Program Awards in all six program areas and were recognized at our County Annual meeting in October.

Congressman Tim Holden was presented with PFB’s Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. “Congressman Holden has been a strong and consistent ally of farm families and the agricultural industry”, said Carl Shaffer in his award presentation.

The three day annual meeting was packed full of seminars and presentations. Susquehanna County Farm Bureau was asked to display their American Farm Bureau Federation “County Activities of Excellence” award winning program work with the American Red Cross helping to promote and support the blood drives. There are also thirteen workshops one could attend covering various topics including environmental regulation, death taxes, gardening and motivational speakers. Susquehanna County was one of the presenters at the workshop with “Funtastic County Activities”, which encouraged counties to overhaul committees to increase membership involvement.

The annual meeting is the culmination of 12 months of hard work to bring farmers to the attention of the PFB membership for consideration as policies to be included in the policy book. This book is given to legislators so they know how farmers would like them to vote on legislation brought before them.

It is an amazing process and we encourage each of you to make an effort to get involved in the Farm Bureau organization.

I am sure many of you have heard the country song, “The House That Built Me.” by Miranda Lambert. My version is “The Farm That Built Me.”

On The Farm That Built Me, I learned responsibilities that no kid is given unless raised on a farm. I learned how to deliver a new born baby calf on that farm. I raised my first 4-H heifer calf on that farm. I learned how to ride my bike with no training wheels on that farm. I have met people from all over the world that visited that farm. Unfortunately, I learned how to mow the lawn, which isn’t my favorite thing to do on that farm. I bet you didn’t know I found my first kitten in the haymow of that big red barn.

Mariah and her 4-H heifer

I have been lucky enough to be raised on a dairy farm where there is always something to do. We have our own basketball court, in the haymow! We have round bales to jump on, streams to play in and plenty of space to go 4-wheeling. The farm that built me has taught me how to look someone straight in the eye and shake their hand. It has taught me that summer days are not for just lying in the sun but for putting hay in the mow. That listening to a cow moo can be just as relaxing as a day at the spa.

And although living on a farm is not the easiest life; it has taught me a lifetime of lessons at a very young age. I will always have fond memories of “The Farm That Built Me”. So the next time you drive past a dairy barn think of all the kids that have been influenced and given many opportunities because of that big red barn.

And because of “The Farm That Built Me, I am proud to be a Susquehanna County Dairy Ambassador. I enjoy promoting the dairy industry and most importantly the farmers that produce the milk we all enjoy. And may I remind you to include three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt in your diet each day, as dairy products are packed full of nine essential nutrients that your body needs to maintain good health.