A lovely brunch at the Ramada Inn in Clarks Summit was the setting for awarding the International Reading Association’s Celebrate Literacy Award on April 11, 2015.  The local Northeastern Pennsylvania Reading Association (NPRA) bestows the award each year to individuals “who show exemplary service in the promotion of literacy.”    This year’s recipients included Alison Ashley Formento and Kathy Miller, two children’s authors who have devoted and donated much time to NPRA by doing programs and making workshop presentations. The brunch was open to members, teachers, parents and their children.  NPRA is a professional organization serving Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties devoted to the improvement of all aspects of reading.  They provide extensive professional development opportunities and family programs on a variety of topics at different locations throughout the area including schools, libraries, colleges, and universities.

Pictured (l-r) are: Carol Ann Pope, Celebrate Literacy Co-chair of NPRA; authors, Kathy Miller and Alison Ashley Formento, recipients of the 2015 Celebrate Literacy Award; Ashley Coar, Co-chair of the Celebrate Literacy Award Committee of NPRA.

The event began with an informal meet and greet of the authors with their books available for sale.  Each personally autographed all books that were purchased.  Member Joan Lengel, Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA) Region V Director then gave the invocation followed by a lovely brunch.

Following the meal, co-chairs of the Celebrate Literacy Committee made the award presentations. Ashley Coar recognized Alison Formento, for her multi award winning picture books: This Tree Counts; This Tree, 1, 2, 3; These Bees Count!; These Seas Count!; and These Rocks Count!  Her young adult novel, Twigs, debuted in 2013.  She studies all of the information she includes in each of her books to be sure that it is accurate. 

Carol Ann Pope then made the presentation to author Kathy Miller whose books include  Chippy Chipmunk Parties in the Garden, Chippy Chipmunk: Friends in the Garden, and Chippy Chipmunk: Babies in the Garden.  Her books loved by children and adults alike are illustrated with her own photographs of chipmunks.  She is a teacher, a cellist, and an award-winning nature photographer who uses her skills to write books.  Both of the authors thanked the association for bestowing the awards and talked briefly about their books.  Their enthusiasm and warmth exemplified the reason they were chosen to be recognized.

Offering congratulations at the brunch was past KSRA president and NPRA member, Jane Helman.  She noted that both authors had not only been very generous to the local chapter but also to the state organization as well.  The recognition was planned by Celebrate Literacy co-chairs Ashley Coar and Carol Pope and the annual brunch was planned by Membership Chair, Donna Salva.

On Saturday, April 25th and Sunday, April 26th a large group of hardworking individuals, young and young at heart, Boy and Girl Scouts, approx. 90 all total, gathered in the morning mist along State Route 1009 located at the end of Lanesboro, heading toward Stevens Point, where the D & H Rail-Trail intersects with the road. They came armed with their gloves, chainsaws, trucks and UTVs, plus a lot of love and pride, and proceeded to do an incredible job of cleaning up the areas surrounding Starrucca Creek. When the two days’ work was finished, approximately 1000 tires were rounded up, as well as enough trash, garbage, etc. to fill two 30 cubic yard dumpsters.

Pictured are the many, young and old individuals, who helped with the clean up.

This event would not be possible without a lot of planning. Dana Rockwell has spent countless hours and made numerous phone calls setting everything up so “no stone was left unturned” as far as safety and comfort for the volunteers were concerned. Many Thanks to all who braved the early morning chilliness and tough back-breaking work, as well as those who cooked and served hot meals and drinks as well as donated goods and services which made this year’s event a resounding success. A special round of applause to The Pennsylvania Environmental Council and The D & H Rail Trail who partnered with The Friends of Starrucca Creek.

Plans for the future include the submission of paperwork with the hope of adopting the Starrucca Creek from the Wayne Co. line to the Susquehanna River, and continuing with the D and H Rail Trail from the Wayne Co. line to the NY border. A short video has been made and will be submitted to the “Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful” Video Contest. Turn up the volume and enjoy the link to the submission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9t1gCe_UNY&feature=share.

A link to the contest will be forthcoming on Facebook so that we can all vote. Anyone who has ever fished or waded in the Starrucca creek knows what a gorgeous and valuable landmark it is. If you are interested in joining the “Friends of Starrucca Creek” please contact Dana Rockwell on his Facebook page or “Friend Request” on the “Friends of Starrucca Creek” Facebook page and you will be added to the group.

NBT Bank recently donated $1,000 to support the Eighth Annual Chocolate and Wine Festival scheduled for May 16 in Montrose.

Pictured are NBT Bank’s Lenox Branch Manager Robert Welch and Montrose Branch Manager Terry Cooper presenting Festival Committee Members Tom Follert and Tammy Bonnice with donation. Cooper said, “NBT Bank is pleased to sponsor Montrose’s Chocolate and Wine Festival and we encourage everyone to mark their calendars and make plans to visit Montrose to enjoy the festival.”

The only chocolate and wine festival in Susquehanna County, the event features numerous vendors, local businesses and Northeast Pennsylvania wineries and offers visitors great music, arts and crafts, demonstrations and food and chocolate samples.

Francis X. O'Connor, a sole law practitioner in Great Bend, will become the immediate past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association on May 8 at the conclusion of the PBA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.

O'Connor served as PBA treasurer from 2008 to 2011 and as the zone five governor representing lawyers in Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties from 2003 to 2007.

A member and past chair of the PBA Membership Development Committee, O’Connor also is a past president of the PBA Conference of County Bar Leaders (CCBL) and is the recipient of the CCBL’s Gilbert Nurick Award. He is a council member of the PBA Solo and Small Firm Practice Section. He also serves as a lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He is the immediate past vice president and treasurer of the Susquehanna County Bar Association. He served as vice chair of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, of which he was a member for six years. He has spoken to numerous groups on lawyer discipline and legal ethics and has authored a number of related articles.

O'Connor serves as solicitor for and is a life member of the Great Bend Fire Company. He is an Eagle Scout and is an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 89 of the Boy Scouts of America. He has received numerous awards for his scouting activities, including the Silver Beaver Award and the District Award of Merit. He is a Eucharistic minister at St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church and a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He also serves as a member/attendant for the Great-Bend/Hallstead Volunteer Ambulance Company.

O'Connor is a graduate of the University of Scranton and the St. Louis University Law School. He served from 2006 to 2013 on the University of Scranton Alumni Association Board of Governors. He and his wife, Sharon, have three children and two grandchildren.

The Delahanna District, Baden-Powell Council Boy Scouts of America elected new district leadership for 2015/2016 at their annual meeting on April 21, 2015.  The incoming District Chair will be Michael Redding, from Brackney who will be the leading scout volunteer in the district.  Joining Michael will be Tim Carpenter, from Great Bend as the District Vice Chair and John Stahl, from Montrose as District Commissioner.  The Delahanna District serves 16 scouting units across of Susquehanna County including Starrccua and Meshoppen.  The district ended 2014 with 512 registered youth in scouting, a 1.2% increase from 2013.  Supporting the scouts were around 200 adult volunteers in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Sea Scouts programs. 

Delahanna District is a part of the Baden-Powell Council, which also serves 5 counties in southern New York and is based in Binghamton.  The district is also served by a full time commissioned scouter, Adam Kovalchick, who resides in Great Bend and works out of the Binghamton office.  Outgoing district leadership is Tom Chamberlain of Hallstead, who served as District Chair for four years and Corky Staats of Montrose, who served as District Commissioner for 3 years.  The volunteers of the district thank them for their service to scouting and the community.  Anyone who is interested in joining scouting or getting back involved in the program should contact Adam Kovalchick, at 607-648-7888.

Nationwide Insurance and Financial a fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio recently announced production awards for 2014 and local agent Rick Leet, CFP has earned many accolades.

His agency met the qualifications for the Nationwide Insurance “Champion” award. This award recognizes agents and their staff for outstanding production and service of property and casualty insurance.

On the financial side of the business, Rick qualified for Nationwide Financial Network’s “Leaders” award. This goes to agents that meet high standards of production in the sale of Life Insurance and Annuities.

2014 was truly a record year for Rick as he was the top annuity producer in the nation as well. This level of production allowed him to meet the qualifications for the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Court of the Table award. Only 5% of all financial producers in the industry achieve this level of production annually.

The Leet Agency was established in 1938 by Rick’s grandfather Raymond Leet and then led by his father Nelson Leet in 1962. Rick took over after attending Bloomsburg University in 1983. He built a new office building in Lakewood and became a Certified Financial Planner professional (CFP) in 1999. “The two years of study and testing I completed to earn the CFP designation really changed my business” Rick explained, “I became less interested in the sale and more committed to a long term plan for my clients”.

Rick expanded his business last year when he took over the Nationwide Insurance agency in New Milford. He asked his brother-in-law Tom Chamberlain to partner with him and moved the office to Tom’s building at 693 Main Street. With 40 years experience as a retired Nationwide agent himself, Tom is a great fit. For financial planning services, you can schedule an appointment in their offices or at your kitchen table. With complex planning issues such as Natural Gas, Estate protection, Long Term Care or Retirement roll overs; they find many clients prefer the comfort of their home for meetings.

Rick lives on the family farm in Shehawken with his wife of 27 years Tanya and their three daughters Jordan, Kendall, and Baily.

For insurance or financial services you can call Lakewood 570-798-2666 or New Milford 570-465-3296.