West End news for Feb. 12, 2020

WEPOSC meeting

The West End Planning and Open Space Commission is scheduled to meet at 6:30 tonight at the Chestnuthill Park Building in Brodheadsville

Auxiliary meets

The American Legion Auxiliary membership is scheduled to meet at 7 tonight at the Legion Post Home in Gilbert. The executive committee will meet at 6 p.m.

Volleyball deadline

Effort UMC has organized a church co-ed volleyball league every summer for ages 17 to 70 for years. Churches from all over the West End play. Games are Wednesday or Thursday nights at either 7 or 8:15 p.m. and are usually held at the church.

Effort UMC has three teams. If anyone would like to be on a team, or be the captain for a new team, email pdaz@ptd.net by Saturday with the subject: Volleyball.

A team must be affiliated with a local church.

General meeting

Polk Township supervisors will hold a general meeting at 8 a.m. Thursday. No plans will be considered. That is done at the Monday evening meetings. General meetings are for time sensitive matters that need to be considered.

PVIS PTO meeting

The Pleasant Valley Intermediate School PTO meets at 6 p.m. Thursday.

PVSD School Board

The Pleasant Valley School District’s Board of Education meets at 7 p.m. Thursday in the District Office in Brodheadsville.

WE Little League

Thursday evening is the time for the board meeting of the West End Little League at the Chestnuthill Township Park building. It begins at 7:30 p.m. and is a closed meeting. Next Thursday, same time and place, is the open to all meeting for the league.

Valentine’s dinner

American Legion Post 927, Fairgrounds Road, Gilbert, is hosting two days of Valentine’s dinners with two seatings each evening.

That will be Friday and Saturday. Seatings are at 6 or 7:30 p.m., either day. Reservations for this table seating meal are required.

For costs and other info call P. Froncek at 570-992-5547.

Presidents Day

Many township offices and agencies will be closed on Monday, Presidents Day.

Chestnuthill Township is open.

Eldred Township is closed.

Polk Township will be closed.

Ross Township will be closed.

Zion Lutheran, Brodheadsville, office is closed.

Chestnuthill Township

The Chestnuthill Township Board of Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the municipal building in Brodheadsville.

Home preservation

Habitat for Humanity, Monroe County, is asking if anyone needs help with winter projects, including such items as a water heater, new doors, new appliances, flooring, etc.

Folks must qualify based on income, beginning with earnings of less than $38,600 to families of eight earning less than $72,750.

For more information call 570-216-4390 or email the county director, Kelly Kemmerer, directly at ExecDirector@HabitatMC.org for more information and an application.

Senior Center

The Chestnuthill Senior Center, functioning Wednesdays and Fridays at Zion Lutheran in Brodheadsville will have as its activities those days — Healthy Steps in Motion on Friday and Arts and Crafts next Wednesday.

The regular menu on Friday is baked ziti with sauce, winter blend vegetables, Italian green beans, fruit cocktail and whole wheat bread.

Next Wednesday’s regular menu includes chicken tenders, collard greens, sweet potatoes, peaches and whole grain bread.

Friday’s light menu is a pasta and vegetable salad, coleslaw, banana, Jell-O, pudding.

Next Wednesday’s menu is listed as Italian wrap, broccoli salad, apple, yogurt.

Call in menu choices by 11 a.m. the day before at 570-420-3735 or 570-242-6770.

Next Friday there will be a Paint & Sip session with Laura Pride, a Health and Wellness Coordinator, from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m.

All supplies are provided. This activity is free.

Registration is required and space is limited. Call Laura at 570-420-3746 to reserve your space.

KC’s Free throw

This year’s Knights of Columbus free throw challenge will be held on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m., at Notre Dame High School in East Stroudsburg.

For additional information call the church at 610-681-6137.

Karaoke Night

The American Legion Post Home is hosting a karaoke night at the post home in Gilbert from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday.

There will be prizes, drink specials and food specials.

For more information call the Post at 610-681-5838.

LAMA meeting

The Latin American Motorcycle Association, Pocono Chapter, will meet at 10 a.m. Sunday, at the American Legion Post Home in Gilbert.

Patriotic Rosary

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church will be doing the Patriotic Rosary at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Congregational meeting

Salem UCC, Gilbert, will hold a congregational meeting after the 10 a.m. worship service Sunday. For those attending, a covered dish will follow.

Flower Show

The West End Park and Open Space Commission is hosting a trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show on March 2.

The theme of the show is Riviera Holiday.

For cost and other information, call 570-992-9733 or email bkozen@weposc.org.

Registration is due by Feb. 17.

Census jobs

Eldred Township reminds residents that the 2020 is a census year for all residents of the United States. On April 1, people will be receiving information and questionnaires that will need to be filled out and returned.

Money and services of the federal government are distributed to states and local agencies based upon the results of the census, so it is very important that all people respond accurately.

In addition, some temporary local jobs are available. For more information, visit https://www.pa.gov/census.

Diversity Task Force

Pleasant Valley School District’s Diversity Task Force is scheduled to meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the District Office in Brodheadsville.

Knit & Crochet

The group that makes prayer shawls at Effort UMC will meet again on Tuesday, beginning at 10:30 a.m.

PVES PTO meets

The PTO of the Pleasant Valley Elementary School is slated to meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Give blood

If it’s time to give blood for you, the American Red Cross has a drive scheduled at the Northampton Community College Pocono Hall in Tannersville on Feb. 19. It is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both blood and Power Red will be accepted.

Miller-Keystone collects blood donations at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville the first and third Wednesday of the month. The next drive is also scheduled for Feb. 19, beginning at noon.

Community dinner

Zion Lutheran Church is hosting its next free community dinner at 5 p.m. Feb. 19.

Retirement feted

Sheriff Todd Martin recently retired and was feted by Monroe County Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council which he has served as vice president and most recently as president.

Many West Enders will remember him and his staff for the hours they served at the annual West End Fair.

The newly elected sheriff is Ken Morris.

Soup sale

The last soup sale of the season is now taking place at Effort UMC. The homemade varieties include: minestrone with sausage and loaded baked potato.

Orders will be taken until Feb. 19. Delivery of the soup will be after each service on Feb. 23.

For cost and making payment, call the church at 570-629-1890.

Tax help

West Enders can go for help with their taxes from AARP tax volunteers at Salem United Church of Christ, corner of Long Mountain Road and Route 209, Gilbert, from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursdays. No appointment is needed.

If schools are closed due to inclement weather, the tax site will be closed. If there is a delay, the site opens regular time.

Sponsor a maple

Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center is once again promoting its Sponsor-A-Maple Tree program.

Individuals, organization, families, companies, etc. can help Monroe County students by sponsoring one of the maple trees. A tree can be sponsored for a fee. That sponsorship includes many benefits: receipt of a Certificate of Sponsorship, a map of the sugarbush showing the location of one’s tree, a pint of KCEEC’s pure maple syrup and free admission for up to four people to the annual public Maple Sugaring Day on March 7.

This fundraising program, sponsored by Monroe County Conservation District’s Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center, helps offset costs for the maple sugaring educational program that has benefited students throughout Monroe County for over 30 years. The Center always tries to keep costs to the students affordable, but due to the overwhelming interest in the program the expenses have increased. Participating in the Sponsor-A-Maple Tree program can help offset these costs.

A special day in the Maple Sugarbush for Scout groups is scheduled for March 14. Programs can be scheduled between 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and are open to any level of Scouts and their families.

The day will feature a tour of the Sugarbush including stops to learn about Native American and early pioneer methods of making maple syrup, the evaporator process and methods of identifying and tapping a maple tree.

After the tour, everyone will get a chance to taste some of the syrup on freshly made pancakes. For costs or to preregister by March 9, call the center at 570-629-3061, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or visit www.mcconservation.org to download a sponsorship form and a schedule of the programs being offered.

Contact Adele Argot at 717-933-4028 or arargot3@verizon.net. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.