Debbie Earley, kindergarten teacher, and Linda Shupp, support staff in the Compass Lab, received the Lauretta Woodson Awards for an educator and a support staff member at the Mountain View School District school board meeting on April 24.

The award was named for Dr. Lauretta Woodson, who was a prominent Pennsylvania educator and an active member of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees (PASR). She left a bequest to honor those who have exhibited creativity, initiative, and productivity relative to the learning process and growth of children and who have had a positive influence on the learning process.

Ellen Holdredge, Educational Support chairperson of the Susquehanna Chapter of PASR presented the awards, assisted by John Manchester, president of the chapter and Gary Parker president elect of the state PASR. Also present was Barb Kelly, Region 3 and state PASR treasurer.

Pictured (L-R) with their awards are: front - Ellen Holdredge PASR, Linda Shupp, Debbie Earley; back row - John Manchester and Gary Parker PASR.

Debbie Earley has been a teacher in the Mt. View District for 35+ years.  Most of those years have been spent in kindergarten. She loves working with the children; often arriving long before the students and leaving long after dismissal. She recently wrote “I’ve been blessed to have had my passion and career be one and the same.” The children in her room have also been blessed to have Mrs. Earley as a teacher.

Receiving the Woodson Award for support staff was Linda Shupp. She is in charge of ensuring that daily operations flow in the Compass Lab as classes come and go.  A colleague reported that Mrs.Shupp encourages the children by using positive reinforcement and offers support when children are experiencing difficulty with content on the computer. She aids teachers by helping them find content areas in Compass that match what the children are studying in the classroom.

Both Earley and Shupp exemplify the goals of the Woodson Award.  Each received a framed certificate and a restaurant gift card. They are dedicated individuals who have had positive influences on the elementary students in the Mountain View School District. The Susquehanna Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees (PASR) was pleased to honor them with these awards.

The 1955 class of Montrose High School held their 60th class reunion recently. The reunion was held at the Bolles Farm on Bolles Road outside of Montrose with a large attendance of class members. It was a time or renewing old acquaintance and catching up on the happenings of the members.

Pictured (L-R) are: Sue Stone, Rita Eddy, Dorothy DePue, Al Hinds.

The group decided to honor their deceased members by giving a donation to the Susquehanna County Historical and Free Library Association with a donation in their honor. Representatives presented the check to Sue Stone on April 19 at the Library.

Sue Stone, Rita Eddy, Dorothy DePue, Al Hinds.

In honor of National Volunteer week, on Wednesday, April 20, 2016, United Way of Susquehanna County recognized and offered thanks to the many volunteers that contribute time, talent and financial support to UWSC and the partner agencies it funds. The event was hosted at the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center (SCCTC) with the talented Food Management students working under the direction of Mr. David Dunster and Ms. Jill Wiedmaier preparing a delightful lunch.

Members of the UWSC Advisory Committee and Allocation Committee were honored for their service in guiding the organization in its mission and making the important decisions of where generous donor dollars should be invested. Community volunteers include: Joel Levy, Kim Smith, Tammy Bonnice, Tom Chamberlain, Dr. Alice Davis, Terri Allen, David Passetti, Bob Welch, Peggy Maynard, Rich Mackey, Deserae Davis, Jamie Orlandini, Sara Armetta, Amanda Arnold, and Michelle Graziano.

UWSC also recognized Kenneth Brittingham, a student at SCCTC, for his contributions as a volunteer firefighter in Montrose. He has dedicated hundreds of hours courageously serving the community and serves as the assistant secretary. Kenneth also recently placed 1st in the Skills USA competition in the Prepared Speech division. He will go on to compete in the national event in June in Louisville, Kentucky. On hand was his mom, Karen, who acknowledged what a wonderful young man Kenneth is. Kenneth is planning on attending nursing school in West Virginia in the fall.

Pictured (L-R) are: Karen Brittingham, Kim Merithew-UWSC, Dr. Alice Davis-Executive Director-SCCTC, Kenneth Brittingham, Alan Hall-Executive County Commissioner, Kim Smith-UWSC Campaign chair and Susquehanna Market Manager-NBT Bank.

UWSC Campaign chair, Kim Smith and Susquehanna Market Manager with NBT Bank had this to say, “Thank you to the many volunteers and community leaders for being part of the change in our community. Your service allows us to inspire hope for a better tomorrow.”

Susquehanna County Commissioner Chairman, Alan Hall, was on hand to offer his thanks to the community volunteers for the work they do in an effort to improve quality of life for Susquehanna County residents. “These volunteers embody the true essence of giving. Thank you to the many community volunteers who step up to serve our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers in their time of need.”

Additionally, thanks were extended to our volunteer partners at United Way of Lackawanna County for working with UWSC and eligible Susquehanna County residents to provide free income tax assistance to income eligible residents.

If you would like to volunteer or get involved in the work UWSC is doing please contact UWSC at 570-465-3868 or visit us on Facebook or our website unitedwayofsusquehannacounty.org.

HARRISBURG – Applications are now available for Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), according to Rep. Sandra Major (R-Susquehanna/Wayne) said today.

The application period is open through May 19.

The grants, made available in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are designed to facilitate a partnership with state officials to organize, train and equip local forces in preventing, controlling and suppressing fires that have the potential to threaten human life, livestock, crops, pastures, woodlands, orchards and farmsteads.  The grants are available to rural areas or communities with fewer than 10,000 residents.

Grants can be used for the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment, wildfire protective gear, wildfire prevention and mitigation, wildfire training, mobile or portable radios and installation of dry hydrants.

Financial assistance on any project during any fiscal year cannot exceed 50 percent of the actual expenditures, including those of local, public, and private nonprofit organizations participating in the agreement.

The maximum grant that will be considered is $7,500 ($15,000 total project) per fire company.

Because of high demand and limited funding, fire companies must wait five years after receiving a DCNR grant through the program to be eligible to receive another grant. However, if a fire company received a $4,000 grant or less in the last five years, it is eligible for assistance one additional time as long as the two-year total does not exceed the maximum grant established for the program each year.

For complete grant guidelines or to apply, visit www.RepMajor.com

The Susquehanna County Conservation District hosted its annual Contractor Workshop on March 18th at the Montrose Bible Conference.  Breakfast was served to over seventy contractors, consultants, agency personnel and vendors. Following breakfast the workshop was held in the main conference room where vendors displayed their wares, services and programs.

After an introduction, Jim Garner, Susquehanna County Conservation District Manager, started the presentations off with how the Conservation District handles site inspections and complaints on constructions sites. This was then followed by Carl DeLuca with DEP North East Regional Office on penalties and getting sites back into compliance. Mark Madden with Penn State Extension spoke with the contractors about Conservation Plantings on Non-cropland. He also provided some useful information related to soil testing and how to get the most out of the information that you receive. After the early morning presentations attendees spoke with vendors and district staff in attendance.

Following the break, Matt Gall from the Army Corps of Engineers got us back on track with an informational discussion about the hydrology, soils and plant-life that make up wetlands in our area and some of the permitting required to work in and around wetlands and the departments that handle the different portions. Finally the presentations were rounded off with Jim Larkin from PA One Call, who spoke about tolerance zones for how close you can dig to different underground utilities safely and when you should contact PA One Call. The Workshop was wrapped up at noon with door prizes and closing remarks from Jim Garner, District Manager.