Chestnuthill column

Monroe parade

The 33rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Monroe County as hosted by the Pocono Irish American Club will be held Sunday, March 21, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Among the West End groups participating is Operation: Touch of Home in a fully restored 1944 CCKW deuce type truck, being used courtesy of Red Ball MV Club.

Operation: Touch of Home will meet this week at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 16, at the American Legion Post 927, Route 209, Gilbert.

West End Rotary

Lori Yarosh will be the featured speaker at the West End Rotary Club meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, March 18 at the Western Pocono Community Library, Brodheadsville. She will share the story of Riverside Rehabilitation Center.

Blood drive

The Western Pocono Lions Club is sponsoring its first American Red Cross blood drive of 2010, from 2-6 p.m., Thursday, March 18, at the American Legion Post home in Gilbert.

The club holds its regular meeting on St. Patrick's Day, at The Hamilton, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The program will be presented by Betsi Olmstead of Pocono Lutheran Village in East Stroudsburg.

For reservations call Bob Argot at (570) 629-5718.

Talent show

The Chestnuthill School will host a talent show at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 20.

Think Kindergarten

Kindergarten registration for the 2010-11 school year in the Pleasant Valley School District will be held Monday, March 22.

Helping Haitians

Members and friends of Effort UMC contributed enough material goods or funds so that the church was able to put together 170 health kits. The kits have been taken to the distribution center to be sent to Haiti.

Memorial service

The Monroe County Firemen's Association's 15th Annual Memorial Service, set for at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 11, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Fish Hill Road in Tannersville, has been postponed until the following week.

Specific details will be made available later.

Firefighters and support team members from Monroe County fire companies who passed away in the 2009 calendar year will be memorialized. The service will be conducted by Chaplains from the fire companies and includes a candle ceremony and tolling of the bell for the fallen, a selection by the choir of St. Paul's Church, an organ solo and a bag piper.

Youth Program inventory

A Monroe County Youth Program Inventory Project is under way and program providers are being sought to enter their program information at www.unitedwaymonroe.org.

To enter a program, go to the United Way Web site: www.unitedwaymonroe.org, scroll to the bottom of the page, click the blue button labeled "Youth Inventory" and enter the following: Login: supersum\program; Pass: Monroe2010 (case-sensitive)

One should use numbers only when entering the Program Budget. For example, $50,000.00 should be entered as 50000.00

For more information contact Francesca Turturro, coordinator of Youth Projects/Teen Works, at United Way of Monroe County, (570) 629-5657, Fax: (570) 629-5680, francesca@unitedwaymonroe.org.

Great success

Over $3,000 was raised at Effort UMC's Talent show Saturday. Among the auctioneers were the Revs. David Felker and Deb Hoffman.

Chem. Free Committee

The Pleasant Valley Chemical Free Graduation Party committee is slated to meet at 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 23, at Sen. Browne's office. To volunteer or for more information, call Grace Marks at (570) 977-4437 or e-mail grasee@ptd.net.

Healing service

Zion Lutheran Church, Brodheadsville, will hold a Service of Healing, at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 24.

Grease coming

The Pleasant Valley High School Musical, "Grease" will be on stage the last week end in March.

For senior citizens of the Pleasant Valley community, a free buffet dinner theater is being offered Saturday, March 27, at 5:30 p.m., in the high school cafeteria, followed by reserved seating for the musical.

Reservations are necessary. Call Lorraine at (570) 402-1000, ext. 1246, to make a reservation. Only two tickets may be reserved per caller.

Special wishes

Happy birthday to: Jeffrey Brong, Karen Bruch, March 16; Walter Bartholomew, Dina Kresge, Ronald Haase, Meredith Hannon, March 17; PaulDebarry, Philip Yetter, Tabitha Scerbo, Mark Johnson, Denise Kindt, Bobby Kitchen, Debra Schaeffer, March 18; Dale Bartholomew, Gary Schaeffer, Jr., Madilyn Adams, Edward Juris, March 19; Nancy Harkins, Terry Hunter, Erin Moran, Jillian Steele, March 20: John Burrus, Cathy Hunt, Barb Snyder, Jeff O'Donel, Margaret Seligman, Emma Bartholomew, Pastor Marsh, Alice Eckley, Sarah Smith, Donald Brong, March 21; Richard Wessner, Katie Kane, Kathy Jaeger, Juliette Arendt, Cidalia Soares, Afton DeBarry, Kayla Johnson, Abril Hammerstone, Ian Pfeifer, March 22; and Patricia Christian, Jace Frost, March 23.

Celebrating their anniversary yesterday were Timothy and Sherry Back. Anniversaries during the next week include: David and Christian Scheller, March 18; Bud and Amelia Martin, March 22.