May 6

MEETING: Wed., May 6, Lake Lorain Couple’s Golf League Organizational Meeting at the clubhouse, 7:00 PM.

May 8-10

PLAY: Fri., May 8 – Sun., May 10; St. Martin’s Players present “Around the World in 80 Songs”, St. Paul’s Parish Hall, Starrucca, 7:00 PM, Call 570-442-1084.

May 8

SUPPER: Fri., May 8, Spaghetti Supper, 4:00 – 7:00 PM, Lawsville Grange Hall.

May 9

DINNER: Sat., May 9, Spaghetti/Meatball Dinner, Knights of Columbus Hall, Kilrow St., Great Bend, 4:00 – 7:00 PM.

PARTY:  Sat., May 9, Spring Fling Party, American Legion Post 86, Susquehanna, Music by The Look. For more info call 570-853-3542.

BBQ: Sat., May 9, Chicken BBQ, East Ararat UM Church, 11:00 - 2:00 PM.

May 10

BBQ: Sun., May 10, 11:00 – 1:00 PM, Mother’s Day Chicken BBQ, Thompson Hose Co., Preorder and Take out only. Call 570-442-1107 or 570-442-1208.

May 13

MEETING: Wed., May 13, 4:00 PM, Garden Club of Montrose is Celebrating Spring, 273 Maple Street, Montrose, For more info call 570-278-3184 or 570-465-9080.

May 15

FLOWER SALE: Fri., May 15, SCDA Flower Sale, 9:00 AM, Schneider’s Market.

DINNER: Fri., May 15, Spaghetti Dinner, 4:30 PM, Blue Ridge Senior Center, Great Bend.

May 16

LUNCH: Sat., May 16, Good News Lunch, Noon, St. Marks Church, New Milford, Free Meal.

MEETING: Sat., May 16, Quaker Lake Cemetery Association Meeting, 10:00 AM, Silver Lake Christian Community Church.

May 17

MEETING: Sun., May 17, McKune Cemetary Association Annual Meeting, 1:00 PM, Harmony Twp. Building.

May 19

MEETING: Tues., May 19, Mountain View Garden Club will meet at the Clifford Twp Fire Hall, Route 106, 7:00 PM.

DINNER: Tues., May 19, Chicken n Biscuit or Ham Dinner, Clifford UM Church, 4:00 – 6:00 PM.

Mon., May 11: spaghetti & meatballs, garden salad, steamed garlic spinach, bread stick, fruit sorbet.

Tues., May 12: hot open face pork sandwich, oven roasted potatoes, chicken vegetable soup, ww bread, peach bread pudding.

Wed., May 13: rosemary roast turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, fruit shortcake.

Thurs., May 14: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green & wax beans, melba toast, sugar cookie.

Fri., May 15: pork & bell peppers, brown rice, steamed carrots & broccoli, ww bread, orange.

Every spring for almost thirty years, Florence Shelly Wetlands Preserve in Thompson, PA has been hosting walks devoted to discovering the migrating birds that nest in this diverse and beautiful natural refuge. We are proud to announce that, even though our region has undergone a very long, hard, cold winter, spring is finally arriving, and our two gifted and enthusiastic guides, Ron Milliken and Evan Mann, will once again lead bird walks on consecutive Saturday mornings in May. 

On Saturday, May 9 at 6:00 AM, Ron Milliken will present his twenty-eighth annual walk in the preserve. Especially popular among dedicated 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 for as long or short a time as you wish. 

The folllowing Saturday, May 16 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 varied ecological niches, Mr. Mann will discuss the habits and characteristics of the birds that are spotted and will help participants understand how they themselves can identify different species. 

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.

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. 

The two bird walks launch our season of monthly guided walks with local naturalists. Join us on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM to discover wildflowers (June 6, with Nancy Wottrick), insects (July 11 at 10 AM with Rob Anderson), herbs (August 16 with Peeka Trenkle), and trees (September 13 with Hank Hartman).

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 are uneven and are likely to be wet, so wear warm, sturdy, 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, 570/727-3362.

One of the joys of rural life is an evening at the farm pond with the kids or grand kids fishing, whether for everybody’s favorite panfish, the bluegill or America’s game fish, the large mouth bass. Perhaps you would like to fly-cast for rainbow trout or maybe an old fashion fish fry of channel catfish. The Susquehanna County Conservation District would like to help these dreams by sponsoring a sale of fish for stocking on May 24, 2015.

The District is offering bluegill sunfish, channel catfish, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, fathead minnows, triploid grass carp and ornamental koi. Most of the species are 4 to 6 inches so if you are stocking a pond with other fish in them they will not just be feed for the fish already there. We are also selling fathead minnows which are meant to be forage for predatory fish such as bass and catfish. They will increase the growth rate and final size of these fish. The triploid grass carp are stocked to control weeds in ponds. These fish are 11 to 15 inches long and require a permit from the PA Fish and Boat Commission to buy and release. The permit is available on our website. Koi are available from 4” to 18” for garden ponds and as ornamental fish in other ponds where they can be hand fed. All these fish will be delivered to the Conservation District on May 24th at 1:00 pm. They come in a container of water and pure oxygen which can be loaded in any vehicle for the ride to their new home. This replaces the need for the buyer bringing milk cans or garbage cans of water from home and dumping the fish in them with a resulting decrease in fish survival.

For more information contact the District At 278-4600 ext 3051 or look on the website: { www.suscondistrict.org }.