E-mail your "Community Events" to us: susqtran@epix.net; no phone-ins, please. We will publish events in the two issues prior to the event, free of charge for nonprofit or community events.

We regret that we cannot be responsible for keeping track of regular monthly events. Each must be submitted separately and are listed as space permits.

APRIL 5 - 19

CHICKEN SPIEDIES: Wednesday evenings, starting April 5 to 19 from 4:30pm - 7:00pm at the Susquehanna High School gym doors. All the proceeds go to benefit Students Services Learning trip to Peru.

APRIL 6

CHICKEN AND BISCUIT DINNER: Thursday, April 6 from 5 PM until gone at the VFW Auxiliary, 386 Great Bend, PA. Family style dinner with take-outs available.

HILL COUNTY ARTIST: Thursday, April 6 at 7PM at the Claverack Building, 706E in Montrose. Nance Brown is the featured artist. Free admission, all are welcome. For more information, call Rita Eddy at 570-553-2500 or email at jirieddy@epix.net

APRIL 8

SPRING DINNERS: Saturday, April 8th Roast Beef and Ham. Sunday, April 9th Roast Beef and Turkey, both to take place at the South Creek Lions Club in Gillett off Rout 14 at 4:30p. Dinners include "real" mashed potatoes, vegetables, baked beans and home baked bread.

EASTER EGG HUNT: Saturday, April 8 Susquehanna Community Elementary School at 11:00AM. Ages 1-8, Egbert the Easter Bunny will be on hand to help with the hunt. Please bring your own baskets.

ALL YOU CAN EAT PASTA DINNER: Saturday, April 8 from 4:30PM to 7:30PM at the Thompson Hose Co. Dinner will include spaghetti, lasagna, ziti, meatballs, salad, bread and dessert. Local delivery available (within our coverage area). Call 570-442-1107; Day of, call 570-727-2431.

SPAGHETTI AND HOMEMADE MEATBALL DINNER: Saturday, April 8 from 4:00PM to 7:00PM at the KOC Hall, 65 Kilrow St., Great Bend. Dinner includes salad, bread, homemade dessert and beverage. Take-outs available.

APRIL 12

ORGAN MEDITATION: Wednesday, April 12 at noon at the First Presbyterian Church, 120 Church Street, Montrose. Johanna Masters, Cathy Hammons and Lee Roseboom will be our musicians, followed by a free soup and bread luncheon in the Fellowship Hall.

APRIL 15

GOOD NEWS LUNCH: Saturday, April 15 at noon at the St Marks Church, New Milford. Free meal, all are welcome.

APRIL 28 & 29

RUMMAGE AND BAKE SALE: Friday, April 28 from 9am-2pm and Saturday, April 29 from 9am-1pm at the Franklin Hill Presbyterian Church. Lunch is served both days (homemade soups and sandwiches). Located halfway on Franklin Hill Road between Lawsville Center on Rte 29 and Summersville on Rte 11.

MONDAY: Open face hot pork sandwich, garden vegetables soup, mashed potatoes, whole wheat bread, cherry cobbler.

TUESDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs, tossed salad, steamed broccoli with garlic, whole wheat spaghetti, chocolate-vanilla swirl pudding.

WEDNESDAY: Chick verona, savory spinach, herbed potatoes, whole wheat dinner roll, sorbet.

THURSDAY: Pepper steak with gravy, glazed carrots, steamed brown rice, pineapple dream.

FRIDAY:  Tuna salad sandwich with lettuce and tomato, coleslaw, cucumber tomato salad, chocolate cake.

Make plans to be at the Montrose Tractor Supply on Saturday, April 8th for a Susquehanna County 4-H Bake/Food Sale to benefit the 4-H Dairy Goat Program!  The event will take place from 9:30am until 1:00pm.  Come and meet the 4-H Dairy Goat members and some of their goats, and be sure to pick up some great baked goods as well. The sale will also feature dairy goat items such as fudge, soap, hand lotion, and lip balm, made by Orson’s Best Garden Center and Farmstand.

Susquehanna County 4-H member William Herb stands proudly with his Champion Dairy Goat.

4-H is a non-formal program that is open to youth ages 5-18, as of the January 1st of the current year.  Members ages 5-7 are considered Cloverbuds and members ages 8-18 are regular members. The first step is to join a Susquehanna County 4-H club.  Currently, there are 21 4-H clubs throughout the county.  An interested member is allowed to join any club they would like, and can take any project they might be interested in.  Some of the project areas offered are animal projects, sewing, crafts, shooting sports, photography, dog obedience, and many others.  Once members join a club by the enrollment deadline of May 1st, they follow the club schedule for meetings, and are encouraged to attend County, District, and State 4-H events, as well.

If this sounds like a program you would like to join, please contact the Penn State Extension Office today.  Our phone number is (570) 278-1158 or drop an e-mail to ano3@psu.edu.  Also be sure to check out our website at extension.psu.edu/Susquehanna and find us on Facebook at Susquehanna County 4-H.

Much like history itself, the Clifford Township Historical Society (CTHS) is constantly marching onward.  Collecting, documenting and preserving the wealth of historical information and memorabilia relating to the early settlement of Clifford and the surrounding areas keeps the small handful of CTHS volunteers busy.  But without funding, its collective efforts will fall by the wayside.  And history could be lost and virtually unknown to future residents.

Volunteer efforts, in-kind contributions and quiet donations are very beneficial to keeping organizations like CTHS thriving.  Since its founding in 2006, various grants have provided CTHS the wherewithal to not only establish the Museum of Local History and its numerous indoor exhibits, but to restore and enhance the Hoover School, present the Clifford Baptist Church, as well as create and ensure the growing efforts of the new Children’s Garden, the new Agricultural Museum, and the ongoing restoration of Yarns Cider Mill at Suraci Farm. 

Pictured (l-r) are: CTHS volunteers Pat Peltz, Sandy Wilmot, and Shirley Granger take a break to talk about their program’s big fundraising raffle and the newest display in the Museum of Local History inside Clifford’s Community Center.

“The majority of our grant resources have come through the Endless Mountain Heritage Region,” said CTHS President Sandy Wilmot, “which is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  Through that program, another $16,000 is available to us for this year and next.  Many previous grants have been matched dollar for dollar through our merchandise sales and the generous donations of volunteer labor, materials, and dollars from CTHS members and friends.  But now we need more help to match this large $16,000 grant.”

Toward this end, CTHS recently developed an innovative way to help increase its funding to match the awaiting grant monies.  “We’re currently running a 50/50 raffle of 1000 tickets at $50 apiece,” said Wilmot.  “This raffle is the first major fundraiser since CTHS was founded eleven years ago.  It will enable us to award 20 prizes ranging from $100 to $10,000, while giving us the much-needed funds to finish the Children’s Garden and complete the cider mill renovation, restoring its original apple-pressing equipment.”

Wilmot noted that raffle tickets can be picked up at a variety of businesses throughout the Clifford area. Tickets are also available by contacting 570-679-2723 or swilmot@echoes.net.

While the raffle is ongoing, CTHS volunteers are completing another fascinating new display inside the Museum.  Beneath a sign that states “A person without knowledge of the past is like a tree without roots,” seven large display panels feature photos and other paper artifacts that depict 150 years of local history.  Donated by area residents, these are primarily items that have not been previously included in the CTHS historical books written by Sally Fischbeck and local historian Pat Peltz.  

The CTHS continually benefits from local area residents and its dedicated volunteers who share their time, countless talents and skills, as well as their own ancestral memorabilia to help further the group’s works and enhance the community’s education of area history.  Those who have 

Any historical items that they would like to donate or lend to the Museum are invited to contact CTHS at 570-679-2723 or www.cliffordtownshiphistoricalsociety.org.