May 1-3

RUMMAGE SALE: May 1-3, Susquehanna UM Church, 9:00-7:00.

May 2

DINNER: Thurs., May 2, Family Style Chicken & Biscuit Dinner, 5:00 – til sold out. For more info call 570-879-4420.

May 4

BAG DAY: Sat., May 4th, Susquehanna UM Church, 9:00-Noon.

CEMETARY CLEAN UP: Sat., May 4, Spring Clean Up at Mckune Cemetary. Please remove all Christmas decorations and old grave stone decorations must be removed by May 4th.

CEMETARY CLEAN UP: Sat., May 4, Spring Clean Up at Lakeview Cemetary, 10:00 a.m.

May 11

SPRING FLING: Sat., May 11, 8:00-Midnight, Spring Fling at the American Legion Post 86, Susquehanna. Raffles all night. Music by Odd Man Out. Benefits Gino Merli VA Center, Scranton, PA. For more info call 570-853-3542.π

The Penn State Master Gardeners of Susquehanna County will be presenting educational demonstrations and answering gardening questions weekly on Fridays at the Farmers Market on the Green in Montrose, beginning May 3rd.

Demonstrations in May will cover a wide variety of topics including seed starting, composting, lasagna gardening, low maintenance gardening and pollinators. Children’s presentations will be given during the summer months. One program will be on poison prevention and others will be announced later.

Programs will include: growing lavender, programs at Salt Springs State Park, tomatoes, home canning, genetically engineered organisms (GMOs) and Montrose Adult School classes. Check out the Master Gardener table at the Farmers Market for a listing of dates and programs.

For more information or questions please call 278-4366 after 3:30 p.m.

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 they have expanded 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 2013. The awards will be presented at the 24th Anniversary of the Nightingale Awards Gala, to be held October 25, 2013 at the Raddison Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center in Camp Hill.

Nomination forms can be 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.

Spring is taking its time to arrive this year. Backyard bird feeders are still visited by juncos and cardinals, although blackbirds and starlings have shown up as well, and robins hop desolately over frozen lawns. Nevertheless, spring is finally beginning to show up, and once again Florence Shelly Wetlands Preserve in Thompson, PA will host its two annual bird walks. Dedicated birders and curious amateurs alike will enjoy exploring the woods, fields, and wetlands of the 400-acre preserve as they identify birds by sight and song.

On Saturday, May 11 at 6:00 AM, Ron Milliken will present his twenty-sixth annual walk in the preserve. Especially popular among birders, this walk focuses on migratory birds. The excursion often lasts the entire morning and covers a wide area of the preserve, so participants can expect to locate between 60 and 65 species. Of course, you are welcome to join even if you are a newcomer to bird-watching, and you may stay as long as you wish.

The folllowing Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 AM Evan Mann, a local birder and amateur naturalist, will conduct a leisurely walk around a smaller area of the preserve. Besides identifying birds that are nesting in the preserve’s diverse ecological niches, Mr. Mann will discuss the habits of the various species spotted.

Diversity is the key to the Shelly Preserve’s beauty and value and also the reason it hosts so many species. The brushy meadows are home to tree swallows, wrens and sparrows, while the deep boreal bog attracts eastern bluebirds nesting in dead snags, swamp sparrows, and belted kingfishers. Hawks can be spied hunting in open areas, while the preserve’s pristine brook and dense woodlands provide habitats for the northern waterthrush, Baltimore orioles, scarlet tanagers and least flycatchers. Plews Swamp is the preferred habitat for families of wood ducks, mallards and red-winged blackbirds. Participants can expect to see both familiar species and some surprises.

The two bird walks launch our season of monthly guided walks with local naturalists. Join us on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM during the rest of the summer to discover wildflowers (June–date to be announced), butterflies (July 14), a general nature walk (August 11), and trees (September 8).

The two bird walks, like all our walks, begin at the preserve parking lot one mile north of Thompson on Route 171, where Stack Road intersects. The trails may be wet, so wear warm, protective footwear. Don’t forget your binoculars, and come prepared to spend a morning—or mornings—exploring the fascinating world of birds. For further information, contact Andy Gardner at 570-727-3362.

Pictured are Dr. Margaret Stinavage donating 3 different sized pet oxygen masks to the Clifford Volunteer Fire Department and Al Fortuner of the volunteers accepting the donation.

Dr. Stinavage does rabies clinics for the volunteer fire department and will be donating her time and rabies supplies for the clinic on May 18th & 19th.