August 24

SUPPER: Sat., Aug. 24, Roast Beef Supper, Thompson UM Church, 5:00 pm. Eat in or take out.

September 5

DINNER: Thurs., Sept. 5, 5:00 pm till sold out, Chicken & Biscuit Family Style Dinner, VFW, 386 Main Street, Great Bend. Takeouts available. For info call: 570-879-4420.

September 7

BOWHUNTER’S BONANZA: Sat., Sept. 7, 9:00 a.m., 3rd Annual Brushville Bowhunter’s Bonanza, Brushville Baptist Church, Bring your own bows and arrows and shoot the 3-D Course, free lunch will be provided. For more info or directions call the church office at 570-465-3861. Rain date will be September 14th.

September 8

BRIDGE DAY: Sun., Sept. 8, Nicholson Bridge Day 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Main Street Nicholson PA Rt 11&92. Many vendors, music all day by the Nicholson Guitar Studio, Ross Park Zoo animals from 11:00 am – 2:00pm, chicken BBQ starting at 11am, Lenoxville Community Band at 1:00 p.m, Whipple Dance Studio at 2:00 pm, children's games and train display all day. For info: 570-942-6747.

CELEBRATION: Sun., Sept. 8, 200th Anniversary Celebration of the Franklin Hill Presbyterian Church, 9:30 AM Morning Worship, 11:30 a.m. Dinner (Free will offering), 1:30 PM Service of memories and music followed by an ice cream social and cake. Located half way between Lawsville Center on Rte 29 and Summersville on Rte 11.

Mon. Aug. 26: egg salad, minestrone soup, beet & cucumber salad, ww bread, icecream sandwich.

Tues. Aug. 27: sautéed beef & brocolli, noodles, ww bread, tropical fruit, oatmeal raisin cookie.

Wed. Aug. 28: bbq chicken, chuckwagon corn, mashed potatoes, biscuit, ambrosia salad.

Thur. Aug. 29: hot dog, pork & beans, potato wedges, ww hotdog roll, watermelon.

Fri. Aug. 30: roast pork, sweet potatoes, warm applesauce, ww dinner roll, summer fruit crisp.

Dog owners, it is time to show off your pooch and support Susquehanna County Literacy at the same time. Applefest, the major fundraiser for the Susquehanna County Literacy Program is just around the corner and this year it features not only crafters, games for children and excellent food, but also a dog show.

The festival is September 14th on the green in Montrose from 9 am until 3 pm. Everyone can enjoy a basket raffle, musical entertainment and the first ever Applefest Dog Show. While purebred dog owners are not discouraged from joining, this show is for canines of all kinds. The categories include:  cutest dog, scruffiest dog, best trick by a dog, and two prizes for the best dressed canine. One prize will go to the dog that best displays the literacy logo of the apple and the other for overall best dressed. There is no cost to participate, although donations are welcome. Dog owners do need to pre-register for the noon show by calling the show’s coordinator at (607) 765-7116.

If dogs are not your style, how about decorating your bike?  Applefest’s 2nd Annual Bike Decorating Contest will also be on the green during the festival.  Kids are encouraged to bring their colorfully decked out bikes to be judged and then ride in a short parade.

Applefest comes at an important time for the Susquehanna County Literacy. Since state funding was eliminated in 2011, the program has worked to find ways to continue to meet the needs of our residents. Basic skills and GED preparation tutoring continues, family literacy is the focus of our monthly story times and new programs are in the works that will provide even more opportunities for those living in Susquehanna County.

If you would like more information about the upcoming Applefest or about how you can help the program meet its mission of providing life skills, education and promoting life- long learning, call (570) 465-2880, see our webpage at www.scliteracy.org or check us out on facebook.

So you think you have seen everything? Not yet! But if you come to the Harford Fair Friday, August 23rd you can add to your list of unusual things you’ve seen. The most popular rodeo act in the nation will appear in Dave Martin’s Bullride Mania Rodeo beginning at 7:30 PM in the main arena. Tim Lepard and Team Ghost Riders consist of three Border Collies with three Capuchin Monkeys riding them to round up sheep. They have appeared on America’s Got Talent, America’s Funniest Home Videos, and even Tosh.O. A new series is in the works for A&E. Film credit includes Gambit with Cameron Diaz. Headquartered in Pontotoc, Mississippi, the troupe hasn’t been home since November of last fall.

Pictured are the Cowboy monkeys riding Border Collies rounding up sheep is the nation’s most popular rodeo act. They will be featured during the Dave Martin’s Bullride Mania Rodeo at the Harford Fair Friday, August 23rd at 7:30 PM in the main arena.

The canine group consists of eight year old Bob, four year old Doc, and two year old Shot. The monkeys are nineteen year old Sam, eight year old Meglynn, and two year old Bubba.

Along with the Bullride Mania Rodeo they have entertained sports fans at games hosted by the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Orlando Magic, and even been featured in the February issue of Sports Illustrated. Check them out at teamghostriders.com.

Tickets are still on sale at the ticket office at the Harford Fair grounds. Seats offer a great price for some family entertainment.

The Rail-Trail Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 PM on Thursday, August 22nd at the Lake Idlewild Pavilion, West Clifford.  All are welcome.  Please bring a covered dish and your beverage of choice.  Setups will be provided. The meeting will follow at 7:00 PM.  Discussed will be trail improvement plans and the upcoming D&H Distance Run on Sept. 8th.  Call the office for details or questions 679-9300.

More than 125 people from throughout Susquehanna County are expected to participate in the upcoming Out of the Darkness Community Walk on September 7, 2013. The fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) by helping to support local and national suicide prevention and awareness programs.

The Susquehanna County Out of the Darkness Community Walk is one of more than 300 Out of the Darkness Community Walks (www.outofthedarkness.org) being held this fall nationwide. The walks are expected to unite more than 100,000 walkers nationally and raise more than $9.5 million for suicide prevention efforts.

“Much more needs to be done to prevent suicide. Yet, suicide and the underlying mental disorders that can sometimes lead to suicide continue to be surrounded by misinformation and stigma,” said Colleen Haberle, Chair of this Inaugural Susquehanna County event. “This walk is about reducing that stigma, raising awareness and raising needed funds for research and local prevention programs.”

The Susquehanna County community walk is scheduled for Saturday, September 7, 2013. The Walk begins at the Montrose Area High School at 11 a.m. and ends at approximately 3 p.m.

According to AFSP, close to 700,000 people will make a suicide attempt requiring medical care and more than 38,000 will die by suicide in the U.S. every year.

“Despite the troubling statistics, an important goal of the walk is to stress that suicide can be prevented. The walk is also a call to action that more must be done to prevent suicide, nationally and in communities across the country,” said Robert Gebbia, executive director for the foundation.

“We know that the best way to prevent suicide is through the early recognition and treatment of the mental disorders that can contribute to suicide. Unfortunately, stigma about disorders such as depression, bipolar illness, and alcohol and substance abuse, keeps people from getting the treatment they need. It’s about bringing hope to those who have been affected by suicide,” he continued.