County Living

The Archbald borough will be opening its first Little Free Library this month. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Reading Association enlisted the help of the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County to build two Little Free Libraries after raising funds throughout the year. Instructor Shane Malicky and his student, Camryn Kuchak a junior at North Pocono High School built two libraries for NPRA. The other Little Free Library will be installed in Covington Township.

 

Painted by Barbie Rosler and funded by The Northeastern Pennsylvania Reading Association, Archbald's first Little Free Library was recently installed at the High School Plaza, Archbald Memorial Park, across from the Archbald Borough Building. Readers of all ages are encouraged to take a book and enjoy. To keep it filled, people are encouraged to add books to the Little Free Library.

NPRA board member Anne Mary Doyle approached the Archbald Council for permission to install the library in the park. The library will hold about 30-40 books for children and adults. The premise behind this project is to bring 24/7 access to books and encourage a love of reading. Anyone can take a book or donate books by simply placing them in the Little Free Library. You do not need to return the exact book, but to keep the library stocked, think about donating a few books to share. This book exchange is based on the honor system, so as the saying goes, "Take a book, leave a book."

The 7th New Milford MidSummer Fair continues to grow. The annual event, held on July 8 at the Green Gables attracted almost 100 classic cars, nearly double the previous record. Perfect weather also drew a record crowd - the chicken barbecue sold out in two hours.

Classic Cars are always a hit!

The Fair, a fund raiser for the New Milford Area Rotary Club and the New Milford Men's Club, also offered local non-profit, church and youth groups the opportunity to raise money for their own organizations. Funds from 44 local business sponsors were used to match money raised by seven local youth groups at the Fair. Three Girl Scout troops, two 4-H. Clubs, a Cub Scout Pack and a Boy Scout Troop each earned enough to qualify for a $250 matching contribution from the Fair. The Fair also hosted a cornhole tournament, 50/50, raffles and craft vendors.

Some of the ever-shifting crowd

Photos By Matt Warren.

Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative members returned two incumbents to the cooperative board of directors at the utility's 2018 annual meeting, held Tuesday, July 17, on the Elk Lake School District campus in Springville.

Incumbent directors Gary L. Hennip of Rome and James E. Luce of Laceyville were unanimously re-elected to represent Zones 4 and 6, respectively. Directors are elected to three-year terms.

Claverack traditionally seats three of its nine board positions at the annual meeting each year. The Zone 5 director post, which had been held by Michael Coleman of Montrose, remains open.

Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative President and CEO Bobbi Kilmer congratulates directors James Luce of Laceyville, left, and Gary Hennip of Rome, right, following their re-election to the co-op board during the utility's annual meeting at Elk Lake Junior-Senior High School July 17

Coleman had chosen not to seek another term on the board, and the announced candidate for the seat, Travis J. Long of Montrose, withdrew his petition for candidacy due to uncertainty about whether he met the cooperative's one-year-prior-residency requirement.

More than 900 members and guests attended the meeting, during which they heard election results and business reports from cooperative President and Chief Executive Officer Bobbi Kilmer and board Chairman James Luce.

Featured speaker Van Wagner, an entertainer, local historian and environmental science teacher at Lewisburg High School, spoke on the Susquehanna River Valley's white pine rafting era of the 1700s and 1800s.

During a reorganizational meeting immediately following the annual meeting, Luce was re-elected board chairman, Charles R. Bullock of Meshoppen was elected vice chairman, Steven T. Sliwinski of Troy was re-elected board secretary/treasurer, and Danise C. Fairchild of Wyalusing was re-elected vice secretary/treasurer.

Unlike investor-owned utilities, Claverack is a not-for-profit organization owned by its consumer-members. A democratic organization by nature, the cooperative conducts an annual meeting each July to update consumer-members on the progress made during the year.

Annual meetings also provide consumer-members with the opportunity to offer input and voice concerns before the board of directors and management staff.

Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative, with headquarters in Wysox, provides electricity to more than 16,000 members in Bradford, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Tioga, Lycoming, Sullivan, Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

 

The official groundbreaking ceremony for the Forest City Family Health Center (FCFHC) -- a 5,000 square foot, state-of-the-art medical office building under construction by Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers (WMCHC) was held July 12th. The $1 million plus project also received funding from the Moses Taylor Foundation. Government officials, local business owners, Wayne Memorial board members, administration, and staff assembled at the worksite on Dundaff Street in Forest City to mark the project's milestone. Pictured above (l-r) are: Michael Clifford, Chief Financial Officer, Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH)/ WMCHC Board; Nicholas Cost, President, Forest City Borough Council; Attorney Hugh Rechner, First Vice Chair, WMH Board; Dirk Mumford, Chair, WMH Board; David Hoff, CEO, WMH/ WMCHC Board; Krista Hollis, CRNP, FCFHC; David Tomazic, DO, FCFHC; Frederick Jackson, Executive Director, WMCHC; Peter Rodgers, Chair, WMCHC Board; PA State Representative Jonathan Fritz (R); William Kerl, WMCHC Board; Robert Fortuner, Finance Director, WMCHC; Steve Tourje, WMCHC Board; Walter Smith, WMCHC Board.

Members of the Beta Rho Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International recently attended the Alpha Alpha PA State Convention at the Nittany Lion Inn in State College. The theme of the convention was "Our DKG Journey." Pat Carpenter, Gail Franko, Barbara Kelly, Becky Place, Cindy Reynolds, Jeanette Saulo, Dr. Lansdale Shaffmaster, Dr. Nancy Simon and Sheri Wolfe attended the three-day convention, along with 268 other Society members representing fifty-four chapters from across the state. All participated in both Society workshops as well as personal and professional workshops; attended two general sessions where state level items were discussed and voted on; and heard inspiring keynote speakers.

Guests of the weekend event included international guest Nita Scott, from Texas, the international executive director who is utilizing her skills to develop strategies for marketing the Society and strengthening membership. She also serves as the liason for the international committees and lives in the countryside outside of Austin, Texas. She brought greetings from international headquarters in Austin, Texas and gave the keynote address at Saturday morning's general session. Immediate past international president Dr. Lyn Schmid, also from Pennsylvania, participated in the weekend convention as well. Banquet speaker and author of Comfort Food—One Woman's Journey to Understand the Meaning and Significance of Friendship and 101 Ways to Nurture Yourself presented an inspiring message based on her own experiences that good friends renew, restore and revitalize the spirit.

 

Beta Rho Chapter members of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International recently attended the three-day Alpha Alpha State Convention at the Nittany Lion Inn in State College. Nine members participated in a variety of events and received recognition and opportunities throughout the weekend. Pictured (l-r) are: Becky Place, Cindy Reynolds, Pat Carpenter, Jeanette Saulo, Sheri Wolfe, Dr. Lansdale Shaffmaster, Dr. Nancy Simon, Gail Franko. Absent from photo but in attendance was Barbara Kelly.

Friday evening began with seventeen state members honored for the Album of Distinction, a recognition for notable service outside of DKG. Pat Carpenter, a newly retired, gifted education teacher in the Lackawanna Trail School District had received the Environmental Education Partnership Award in Wyoming County. She was awarded this distinction for her dedication to environmental education in her school. For three years Pat had partnered with the PA Council of Trout Unlimited and the PA Fish and Boat Commission for the "Trout in the Classroom" project where her gifted education students were totally involved in raising trout from eggs to the fingerlings which were released each spring. An executive board meeting followed with a fun-filled Friday Night Fling. Jeanette Saulo, a member of the State Educational Excellence Committee provided the lovely theme-filled gift bags for the event.

Saturday morning began early with the first general session where committee reports were reviewed and discussed. Society workshops were then presented by the state committees. The celebration luncheon began by recognizing eight chapters as birthday chapters. Gail Franko was presented with the $500.00 Nancy Grove Visionary Grant for her SCRATCH classroom program involving the chrome books. This grant will help to extend the education of her math classes into coding and offering students the opportunity to expand their creativity and problem solving skills. She gave a moving acceptance speech noting that her husband had been so supportive and helpful with her application, but unfortunately passed away suddenly nine days before she received the letter that she was selected to receive the grant. All were touched by her words and situation. Red roses were then distributed to all members present for forty plus years of membership which included Becky Place, Cindy Reynolds, and Jeanette Saulo from Beta Rho Chapter.

Six afternoon workshops included one by chapter member Cindy Reynolds, encouraging state members to submit their artwork for possible inclusion in the International Gallery of Art. Cindy presently has three watercolor paintings displayed in the on-line gallery. To view the gallery, go to gallery.dkg.org and click on visual art. Then click on painting. The second, third and fourth paintings in the first row are hers. The Saturday night banquet began with the procession of outgoing and incoming chapter presidents. Dr. Nancy Simon passed a red rose to Jeanette Saulo, both from Beta Rho Chapter. The Alpha Alpha State Chorus entertained with its delightful musical presentations at the banquet.

Sunday morning began with a lovely celebration of life ceremony which recognized chapter members from across the state who passed away within the last year. Beta Rho member Dr. Margaret Stone was named in the lovely service. Following the morning honors brunch, Cindy Reynolds was presented with a $2,000.00 Enrichment Grant, which she will use to attend a week-long watercolor painting workshop in Owls Head, Maine in September. One scholarship and ten enrichment grants were awarded to state members. Beta Rho Chapter was so proud of its members who participated in and received recognition and opportunities throughout the weekend conference.

Delta Kappa Gamma is an international society of women educators whose membership is by invitation only and provides a variety of opportunities for women educators internationally. The international convention is scheduled for July 16-20 in Austin, Texas which is the international headquarters of DKG. The next Beta Rho meeting will be a picnic at Mary Ann Cunningham's home outside of Montrose, on July 25, 2018, at 11:00am with a covered dish luncheon. Initiation of two new members, Leslie Gossage and Sarah Richards, will take place at the October 4th meeting, 4:30pm at Dreyer Hall in Montrose.

The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Susquehanna County are currently teaching the summer session of the Junior Master Gardener program, a wonderful learning opportunity for children ages 9-13. Master Gardeners and students completed the spring session and will end the year with a fall session.

For the summer session the children are learning about growing vegetables, herbs, insects and diseases. Fun, individual and group projects are included. The 4-H Pumpkin Roundup project, which is a hands-on growing, documentation and exhibition project, is incorporated into this session as well as the continuation of being a "citizen scientist". Growing food helps create a more positive attitude toward healthy eating and making a positive impact in your community. Food grown in the gardens will be donated to the community.

Lauren Ross and Maddie Gaylord after harvesting lemon verbena for drying to make lemon flavored teas. They also pressed a variety of flowers and leaves for a future project

The goal of the Junior Master Gardener program is to motivate the children in our area to achieve certification as a Junior Master Gardener and to be involved in community service, while working closely with Certified Master Gardeners. Teenagers may graduate and volunteer to come back and help teach the next group, and continue to learn. Certification is not mandatory and other awards and recognition are given along the way.

Junior Master Gardener is a flexible, children's horticultural program. The children will learn about the many aspects of horticulture. They will receive basic instruction in botany, entomology, propagation, soil, composting, plus lots more. This will be a fun hands-on learning experience using a combination of individual and group projects. The Junior Master Gardener program is full of experiments and growing challenges. Even possible careers or options for the future will be explored.

Addison Welch and Maddie Gaylord taking a short break

Master Gardeners will begin teaching the Junior Master Gardener Fall session on September 5th. The children will learn about fruits, nuts, ecology, and the environment. Project books will be displayed at the Harford Fair and at the Master Gardener Fall Clinic on October 27th at the Montrose Bible Conference. Participants will conclude the 4-H Pumpkin Roundup project on October 27th, by exhibiting their pumpkins and project book in a variety of categories such as: painted, largest pumpkin, pumpkin people, carvings and/or recipes. Attendees of the Fall Clinic will help judge their submissions. The children will also conclude their "citizen scientist" project. All data that they have collected will be submitted to 'Seed Savers Exchange.' Food grown in the gardens will be donated to local food pantries.

The classes will be held a minimum of twice a month at the Penn State Extension Office in Montrose and various other locations throughout the 2018 growing season. Each class will be two hours long and held on Wednesday evenings, from 6pm till 8pm. There is a class size limit of 12 children per session and the cost of the fall session will cover supplies needed.

So, if you know a child who would be interested in this fun learning program contact the Master Gardeners at 570-666-9003; or email: susquehannamg@psu.edu.

Too much, not enough, and never when you need it. This is a common complaint of gardeners. Keeping and using water where it falls is the first step in managing this precious resource.

Planting and maintaining a healthy landscape is a good place to start. Trees, shrubs, groundcovers and other plantings improve water quality and reduce storm water runoff. The plants capture nutrients, preventing them from leaching through the soil. A dense covering of greenery and mulch helps prevent soil erosion and keeps phosphorous and other pollutants out of our waterways.

Incorporate native plants whenever possible. Not only are most adapted to the local growing conditions, but many have deep root systems that open pathways through the soil. These openings allow the water to penetrate the soil surface, providing moisture to plant roots on the way to recharging the groundwater. And as the old roots die they add organic matter to the soil, increasing its ability to absorb rainwater.

Adding more organic matter in the form of compost will also increase the soil's ability to absorb water; reducing surface water runoff into the street and storm sewer. Compost also helps capture contaminates so they don't leach into our waterways or get absorbed by plants.

Native plants have deep root systems that open pathways through the soil and allow the water to penetrate the soil surface, providing moisture to plant roots on the way to recharging groundwater. (Photo By Melinda Myers, LLC)

Capture rain falling onto your roof with rain barrels to use for watering containers and ornamental plantings. Start with a call to your local municipality. Some restrict the use of these water-collecting devices, while most offer incentives and rebates for including them in your landscape.

Make your own rain barrel from a food grade container or purchase one from your local garden center, retail outlet or online garden supply company. Select rain barrels suited to your landscape design. Purchase one of the more decorative barrels, turn a plain barrel into garden art with a bit of paint or mask it with a few plants.

And don't worry about mosquitoes. Just toss a donut shaped cake of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), such as Summit® Mosquito Dunks® (SummitResponsibleSolutions.com), into the rain barrel. This naturally occurring bacteria only kills the larvae of mosquitoes, black flies and fungus gnats. It won't harm people, pets, fish or other wildlife.

Consider adding these to areas subject to periods of standing water. One dunk provides control of a 100-square-feet surface of water for 30 days. The hole in the middle allows you to stake the dunk in place, preventing it from being washed away in heavy rains. It remains in place and provides control when the area is flooded again.

Add beauty and prevent surface water runoff with a rain garden. These gardens are located and designed to intercept the water running off walks, drives and the lawn before it enters the street and storm sewer. The water percolates through and is filtered by the plant roots and soil before entering the groundwater. Do a bit of research before digging in. Proper placement, soil preparation and plant selection are essential to success.

Managing water where it falls is not only good for your garden, but also the environment. You'll enjoy the beautiful surroundings and know you made a difference by incorporating one or more of these strategies in your landscape.

The 250th Anniversary of Anthracite is being observed this year, but it will be marked by several historical signs here for years to come.

The Forest City Area Historical Society has purchased four signs from the 250th Anniversary Committee which will be dedicated at the Trail Town Festival, August 4. Two signs will be installed on the Rail Trail and two will be on the grounds of the Historical Society.

 

The signs say that Forest City is the Northern Gateway to the Anthracite Region. One of them notes that mining began in Forest City in 1874 and had 2,000 miners employed in five coal breakers at the height of coal mining in 1920. It also declares that 282 men and boys died in the mines during the period from 1974 to 1943, and that many others died from the diseases of coal mining.

The other sign tells the story of how coal was formed beginning many years ago with a leaf falling from a tree.

The signs have been beautifully framed by Joseph Kluck, of Signs Around Town, Simpson, and will be erected by him, as historical markers for many years to come.

The deadline to register for the August 10 Montrose Mobile Pantry's (MMP) monthly free food distribution is August 2.

Also, sign up for MMP's final K-12 summer student lunchbox distribution on August 17. The deadline to register is August 9.

This program is open to Montrose area students and others in need.

All distributions will be held from 3:00 - 5:30pm at the Montrose United Methodist Church.

The August 10 distribution is open to all Susquehanna County residents. You do not need proof of income, but you must prove residency.

Pre-registration is required. Call 571-214-2184.

The Commissioners created a Substance Abuse And Recovery Initiative and have committed $10,000 from the general fund to assess the resources available to county residents, improve upon the extent of services available and also ensure residents receive those services in a timely manner, with choices to services. Over 1,000 county residents are currently receiving substance abuse disorder services. An updated Susquehanna County Resource Brochure is also in the works. Thus far, over 12,000 have been distributed. The Resource Brochure was one of many goals shared with Susquehanna County residents from the Suicide Awareness Initiative, begun in 2015. Others include Scranton Counseling having a presence in the County, as well as a 24-hour crisis number, 1-844-348-6100 and we have a Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Diane Hawley-Wurth educating residents on the resources available for suicide prevention. Call her today, at 570-892-1190 to schedule a presentation for your school, church or organization.

A draft of the county's updated Comprehensive Plan has been sent out to all municipalities for comment. A public meeting will be scheduled for September, to get public input. A draft of the plan can be found on the county's website.

We continue to work with Trehab as the county's designated Literacy Facilitator, as this community action agency also has an active Workforce Investment Program and helps residents with employment opportunities through education and training. We're also looking to programs that educate and train prisoners in our jail, preparing them for their release. We have a few businesses that currently employ 9 inmates full-time; these are skills and jobs that will assist in their employment upon release.

Construction continues on the clock tower of the Courthouse and we expect a completion date later in August. Ground was recently broken for the much needed maintenance building to be built on Ellsworth Drive, Bridgewater Township at a cost of $990,000. Our Act 13 monies have been received, based on 2017 numbers and we received just under $6,000,000, which will be included in the 2019 budget, as we continue to apply for grant funds for a Public Safety Building.

Employment opportunities with the county can be found at the following link: susqco.com.

I continue to have Community Outreach hours in Forest City at Elegante's Restaurant on the 3rd Thursday of each month, 1pm -3pm and would support the opportunity of another venue in the county.

I welcome your comments, suggestions and opinions. Please feel free to contact me at: mwarren@susqco.com; or by phone, office 570-278-6604, or cell 570-533-3716.

The Northern Tier Symphony Orchestra has openings for the following instruments, as well as a need for substitutes on all instruments: Oboe, English Horn, Clarinet, Bassoon, French Horn, Harp, Percussion, Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass.

Audition requirements are: 2 pieces of your choice, at least one of which is in an Allegro tempo or faster; and 2 orchestral selections of your choice (suggestions on our website northerntiersymphony.org).

The Application Form for auditions is available at: www.northerntiersymphony.org. Applications accepted via email to northerntiersymphony@yahoo.com, or via snail mail to Northern Tier Symphony, PO Box 111, Nicholson PA 18446-0111. Questions? Call the Symphony at 570-289-1090.

Auditions will be held at the Tunkhannock Methodist Church, 2 Church Street, Tunkhannock, PA on the following dates: Friday, September 6, 2018 from 4-9pm; Sunday, September 9, 2018 from 2-6pm.

If you are not available for these audition dates, please contact the Symphony office at 570-289-1090 for an audition appointment.

Act 53 Expands Authority of Attorney General's Office to Prosecute Abuse and Neglect of Care-Dependent Individuals in Pennsylvania.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro praised a new Pennsylvania law expanding the authority of the Office of Attorney General to prosecute abuse and neglect of care-dependent persons in nursing homes and similar settings. Under prior state law, the Attorney General's office only had power to prosecute neglect cases, not abuse.

"Prior to passing this new law, Pennsylvania law treated 'neglect' and 'abuse' differently," Attorney General Josh Shapiro explained in Reading, where he stood with members of his Medicaid Fraud Control Section, Rep. Jim Cox (R-Berks/Lancaster) and Berks County Area Agency on Aging Executive Director Dr. Edward B. Michalik. "Until now, my office only had jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute neglect of care-dependent persons. This new law gives us the law enforcement power we need to investigate and prosecute abuse as well. I want to thank Representative Cox, the General Assembly, and Governor Wolf. Act 53 will allow us to better protect Pennsylvanians in nursing homes and similar settings from abuse and neglect."

Act 53 gives the Office of Attorney General jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute those who physically abuse seniors in nursing homes. It also increases the office's ability to prosecute neglect cases by removing the need to prove that actual physical injury occurred in order to establish the charges.

"This new law gives law enforcement personnel the tools they need to prosecute deadly neglect of a care-dependent person," said Rep. Cox, who introduced House Bill 1124, which is now Act 53. "Those caregivers who kill a person by neglecting the individual will no longer be able to hide behind a legal loophole."

The Office of Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Section's Care-Dependent Neglect Team works aggressively with local and state authorities to root out and prosecute neglect of Pennsylvania seniors and care-dependent persons. The office has recently brought felony neglect and other charges against a Luzerne County charge nurse, an Erie County aide, a Berks County man, and a Philadelphia nurse for failing to properly care for people entrusted to their care.

Student loan debt is on the rise and, unfortunately, the high cost of tuition doesn't mean that graduates are guaranteed to find high-paying, meaningful work after earning a degree.

"Our education and workforce development systems are broken right now, and as a result, the country is facing a crisis," says Mark C. Perna, workforce development consultant, education strategist and author of the new book, "Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations."

"Millions of jobs in sectors crucially important to our economy and society are open and we have no one with the right skills -- or even the desire -- to fill them," he says.

In "Answering Why" (markcperna.com/book) Perna lays out a road map for better preparing young people for the opportunities ahead, while also closing the skills gap currently dogging the economy.

Here he offers some of his top insights and recommendations:

• Biases and misconceptions about younger generations continue to persist and there's an intergenerational struggle to connect effectively. Perna refers to Generations Y and Z collectively as the "Why Generation," because its members want to understand the "why" behind everything they are asked to do. We need to get to know and understand their traits and abilities if we expect them to perform beyond expectations.

• Non-college career paths have become stigmatized in this country. Experts like Perna believe that teachers and parents need to move away from the belief that everyone has to go to a four-year university to be a successful and productive citizen. Fulfilling, high-demand, high-wage careers can be attained by postsecondary training pathways beyond the traditional college route.

• We should prioritize career development exploration and education as part of the K–12 system, Perna stresses. Even many teachers, counselors and school administrators are themselves unaware of the robust opportunities available to today's youth and have tended to devalue career exploration for the sake of sending everyone through one pathway -- college.

• The Why Generation needs to better understand the relationship between self-motivation and outside motivation when it comes to achieving goals, and parents and teachers can help. To succeed today, young people must develop the 'want-to' that fosters passion, achievement and positive self-esteem.

"As young people prepare for and enter the world of work, we need to coach them to do three things: focus, plan and take action," says Perna. "This generation is tenacious and talented, but they need to be motivated to reach their peak performance. They can do it, but we have to help." (StatePoint)

 

This adorable trio of scrumptious kittens are: Champagne - 5 month old female, Moscato - 5 month old male, Sangria - 4 month old female. Friendly, fun, loving and more than anxious to go home, these babies are sadly spending too much of their kittenhood living at the shelter. Vaccinated, UTD, microchipped and the picture of health, our little love bugs need you. Won't you come in and meet these beauties whose adoption fees have been waived and take one, two, or all three home so you can fill your days with love and laughter???