Hawley Man Pounded in Pike Road Rage Incident

LACKAWAXEN – A Hawley man was injured during a late-night “road rage” incident in Pike County. Police are searching for the assailant.

According to Pennsylvania State Trooper Don Storms Jr., the incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on Sunday, December 20, on Route 6, just east of Mr. B’s Exxon convenience store in Greeley, Lackawaxen Township.

Details are sketchy as to how the incident began but Storms explained that the victim – whose name is currently being withheld – pulled his vehicle over onto the side of the roadway to let the road raging driver pass but the angered driver pulled his late 90s, dark-colored Jeep Cherokee to a stop instead.

Storms said that a physical confrontation ensued leaving the Hawley man with several injuries to his head and face.

Police believe that the Jeep has minor damage to it’s right headlight and front fender.

The driver managed to escape in an unknown direction but he is described as a white man in his early 30s and is approximately 6-feet tall with “dark bushy hair.” Police believe that the assailant may be in the company of a woman said to have blond hair and also in her 30s

Storms is asking anyone who may have witnessed or who may have information about this assault to contact the state police in Blooming Grove at 570-226-5718.

Soup Sale Saturday

HAWLEY – Hungry participants at Hawley’s annual Winterfest celebration on Saturday, December 12, are invited to try cups of steaming soup to be available at the Hawley Public Library on Main Avenue.

Starting at 11 a.m., the Soup Sale will offer a variety of soups home-cooked in the kitchens of Library supporters.  The soup will be sold at $2 a cup for as long as supplies last.

“The Library’s Soup Sale,” says Chair Dona Schmalzle, “will provide an easy, warm, nutritious lunch at a very reasonable price while at the same time helping the Hawley Library to continue its services to the Lake Region community.  Everyone is welcome.”

New ‘Kraft’ Shop Opens In Hawley

HAWLEY — The Hawley-Lake Wallenpaupack Chamber of Commerce will participate in a grand opening and ribbon cutting at Krafting with Friends on Friday, November 20 at 10 a.m. at 225 Main Avenue, Hawley.

Krafting with Friends offers diverse programs, expert instructors and try to reach out to new audiences by offerings beginning to advanced level classes for young adults (14) and adults. They offer a variety of classes ranging from classics like quilting, sewing basics, knitting and crochet as well as the hottest trends and new crafts like scrapbooking, jewelry making and more. They offer group classes as well as one-on-one instruction.

Edible Kreations is a line of gourmet baked goods and chocolates for all special occasions. The items include gourmet brownies, pretzels, marshmallows and more.  They also have Edible Favors and Centerpieces for every occasion as well as Cookie Bouquet, Goody Bouquet and Cookie Cakes.  They ship anywhere in the United States and will gladly deliver locally.

The “Kreative” Director Nancy Morales has lived in Hawley for more than eight years.  Her background is that of an event planner and also as the education coordinator for Joann’s in Rockland County, N.Y.  She has been crafting since she was nine and has taught at the Wallenpaupack High School Community Program.

They are currently open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call (570) 226-6089.  On the Web: www.kraftingwithfriends.com

For more information on this business, or on becoming a member, please contact the Chamber office at (570) 226-3191 or e-mail hlwchmbr@ptd.net.

Wayne Home Expo Oct. 10-11

HAWLEY—Where can you see the latest home and garden products, have your home improvement questions answered by industry experts and catch the most popular children’s Lego building contest around… all for only $2?  At Northeast PA Living Home Expo 2009, presented by the Wayne County Builders Association (WCBA) on Columbus Day weekend.

The public is invited to Home Expo 2009 on Saturday, October 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Wallenpaupack Area High School, on Route 6, near Hawley, PA.

Northeast PA Living Home Expo 2009 will include demonstrations, displays and information on home improvement projects like flooring, windows, landscaping, remodeling, new construction and so much more.  “Whether you are building from scratch or renovating your home, there is something here for you,” says Laurie Lourie, WCBA’s executive director.

Home Expo 2009 will also include a silent auction featuring new building supply materials, decorative items and certificates for service. You’ve got to stop by Home Expo 2009 to place your bid on the shop vac, computer desk, portable grill, tools, electric garage door opener with tracks, or home décor items. Winners will be determined on Sunday at 2 p.m.

“Home Expo 2009 highlights our quality local builders and industry professionals who provide excellent service to homeowners in Northeast PA,” says WCBA President Joe Harcum.

For more information, visit www.WayneCountyBuilders.com or call (570) 226-4941.

Hawley Marine Injured in Afghanistan

HAWLEY – A United States Marine from Hawley is home now recuperating after being injured by a bomb blast several weeks ago while on combat duty in Afghanistan.

Corporal Joseph Tarkett sustained serious injuries from an enemy Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the morning of August 17.

Tarkett suffered shrapnel wounds to his face, arm, hand and legs as well as a blown eardrum. Tarkett credits his sunglasses for saving his eye which did swell significantly, however, because of the pressures caused by the blast concussion. He is also suffering some hearing loss that he hopes is temporary.

Tarkett has been a Marine for nearly 4 years and is currently serving with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines.

The Middle Ages Come To Life

HAWLEY — Visit life in the Middle Ages in Bingham Park, Hawley, Sept. 5 as Hawley’s Medieval Movie Night expands with to include more demonstrations.

Members of the Canton of Riverouge and Hawley’s Movies in the Park Committee are planning a Medieval Movie night, Saturday, Sept. 5 in Bingham Park on Main Ave. (Route 6) in Hawley. Medieval Movie night is free and begins at 1 pm with Riverouge members presenting displays, games and crafts from life in Medieval times, including warriors fighting in armor. The demonstrations will be followed at 8:30 pm by a Medieval-themed movie.

Riverouge members dressed in clothing from pre-17th Century Europe will be on hand to show and tell you how people live in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. There will be exhibits featuring items they would have used and made. Warriors from Riverouge and the Barony of the Endless Hills will be on hand to fight for a great honor. Fencers will also take to the field with demonstrations of their skills.

Spend some times in the stocks or enjoy fairy tales from the story tellers at the Hawley Public Library. Dress up in an medieval custome and join the fun.

You can also enjoy several one act plays performed by local dance students.

The Wallenpaupack Area High School Art Club is helping decorated the Bandstand. The students painted six shields with medieval heraldry in honor of the occasion..

The movie is co-sponsored by the Wayne County Drug Task Force and the Hawley Movies in the Park Committee. While the event is free donations are gladly accepted. Movies in the Park is a subcommittee of the Hawley Parks and Recreation Committee. Movies in the Park was formed to raise money for the Bandstand and other capital improvements in Hawley’s Parks. This year Movies in the Park is raising money to help cover the costs of resurfacing the tennis the courts.

The Canton of Riverouge and the Barony of the Endless Hills are a part of the Society for Creative Anachronism, an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which may feature tournaments, arts exhibits, classes, workshops, dancing, feasts, and more. For more information on the Canton of Riverouge go to riverouge.endlesshills.net/; On the Barony of the Endless Hills go to www.endlesshills.aethelmearc.net; or the Society for Creative Anachronism go to www.sca.org.

Shop United with the Lake Region IGA

HAWLEY – Shopping at a local retailer where customer satisfaction is a priority just makes sense. Now at the Lake Region IGA there’s a reason to shop where you can also touch the heart of your community. The United Way of Pike County is pleased to announce a partnership with the Lake Region IGA in providing basic needs to families in Pike County. During the month of August, Lake Region IGA shoppers will be able to donate to the local United Way of Pike County while purchasing their quality IGA products. A shopper who says “Yes to United Way” allows the Lake Region IGA to make a donation on behalf of its customers towards ending hunger, providing shelter and medical services where they are needed most in their community.

“We are very pleased to be able to help the United Way improve the lives of our community. The Lake Region IGA is dedicated to its friends and neighbors and wants to be involved in United Way efforts to help those who need us.”  Said Jim Shook, Lake Region IGA Owner.

The Lake Region IGA in Hawley is a locally owned supermarket with a mission to provide quality food and customer service to all of their customers. “We are very fortunate to partner in this event with the Lake Region IGA where customer loyalty is returned by giving back to the community. We are very grateful to the Shook family and their continued support of the United Way of Pike County”. Said Frank Redington, UWPC Board Member

Summer fun is not over so shop the Lake Region IGA for all your needs and help the United Way of Pike County provide for the needs of our community.

For more information about the United Way of Pike County or any of its events, visit www.unitedwaypike.org, or call toll free 888-306-6963 or 570-296-9980. If your business would like to donate to the United Way of Pike County please contact us. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org.

*Give*   *Advocate*   *Volunteer* Live United!

Hawley’s Midsummer Arts Festival: Celebrating Theater, Literature, Music and Dance

Steve Dublanica, author of the New York Times bestseller, Waiter Rant.

HAWLEY—Four outstanding Hawley arts organizations have joined creative forces to present the third annual Midsummer Arts Festival on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22^, at the Ritz Company Playhouse on Keystone Street in Hawley, PA, and other locations in town.

The Ritz Company Playhouse, the Black Bear Conservatory of Music, the World Dance Theatre, and the Hawley Public Library have planned a weekend that will showcase the thriving downtown Hawley arts community and bring Steve Dublanica, author of the New York Times bestseller, Waiter Rant, to town.

Along with evening performances, both days, at 7:30 PM at the Ritz, there will be free events, open to the public, during the day on Saturday promoting the arts at the library, the Black Bear Conservatory and the Hawley Cultural Arts Center.

Friday evening at the Ritz Theatre will offer music, theatre and literature. A string trio will perform works by Haydn, Boccherini and Schubert, featuring violinist Robert Murphy, a faculty member at the Black Bear Conservatory, and the assistant concertmaster of the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, who will be joined by Siobhan Solberg, viola, and Ling Kwan, cello.

Historical fiction writer, Clara Gillow Clark, well known for her Hattie series, will share how she draws on the history of her family and growing up in Wayne County as inspiration for her writings. “In telling the stories of my family and region, I have become aware of the importance of each life,” says the beloved local author.

The Wargo-Steveskey Flute and Guitar Duo will also perform. The duo is comprised of classical guitarist, Jay Steveskey, founder and president of the Classical Guitar Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania and Edward Wargo, who has performed as a principal flutist in several national orchestras and is currently on the faculty of Marywood University. The duo was formed to bring together a shared passion for these highly expressive instruments and to explore the beautiful and diverse repertoire for flute and guitar.

The Ritz Bitz Players will perform a medley of songs from this season’s shows, Godspell Junior and Bugsy Malone Junior. The Ritz Bitz young actors program has been in existence for eight years and is made up of students ages nine through fourteen. It has grown from a small theatre camp to encompass two full children’s productions each season. Program participation includes 80 young thespians each year. The Ritz is celebrating its 37^th season of live community theater this year.

Guests are invited to join the artists for a reception following the show at the Ritz.

On Saturday the Hawley Public Library, at 103 Main Avenue, will host an open house and book signings from 11 AM to 2 PM with a diverse group of local authors, who will share their writing and publishing knowledge with visitors. Among the participants are children’s author, Clara Gillow Clark; children’s author/illustrator, Lindsay Barrett George; young adult author, Jan Cheripko; and nonfiction authors, Veronica Deisler and Wendy Olving.

Also on Saturday, the Black Bear Conservatory of Music, a non-profit organization offering high quality private musical instruction, located at 519 Church Street, will host an open house with music by local talent from 1-3 PM on Saturday.

And, the World Dance Theatre will provide music and movement during its open house from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Hawley Cultural and Creative Arts Center, located above the Black Bear Conservatory. Visitors can sample a Zumba dance class from 1-2 PM. Children ages three and up and their parents/caregivers can join the fun with family musical theatre hour from 2:30 to 3:30 PM. Finish the afternoon with an introduction to belly dancing with master teacher, Diana Shahein, from 4:30 to 6 PM.

Saturday Evening at the Ritz Theatre, beginning at 7:30 PM,  will include literature, music, and dance. Guest speaker, Steve Dublanica, aka The Waiter, a seminary dropout-cum-mental-health-care-worker, waited his first table at age thirty-one. In 2004, he started his wildly popular blog, WaiterRant.net, eventually winning the 2006 Bloggie Award for Best Writing of a Weblog. He has been interviewed by media outlets nationwide, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today, and CNN, as a voice for many of the two million waiters in the United States. He is at work on his second book.

Poetry readings will be presented by Erica Fabri, whose first full-length collection of poems, Dialect of a Skirt, is forthcoming from Hanging Loose Press (fall 2009). She is the author of the chapbook, High Heel Magazine, and currently teaches creative writing at the School of Visual Arts and for the City University of New York.

Pianist Steve Faubel, a graduate of Wallenpaupack Area and Black Bear’s newest faculty member, will perform works by Claude Debussy and others. Faubel began his musical career at the age of 10 as a chorister with the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys in New York City, where he shared the stage with opera singer Jesse Norman and the Concert Royal Orchestra. At Penn State’s School of Music, Faubel earned a BA in piano and today serves as pianist/music director at Bethany Presbyterian Church, and pianist for the 2009 season at the Ritz Company Playhouse.

World Dance Theatre will offer a diverse cultural experience with theatrical songs by Stefani Lore, traditional and avant-garde dances of Egypt and the Near-East by Diana Shahein and drumming by award-winning sculptor, master drummer and teacher, Maxwell Kofi Donkor, who will be joined by dancers. Kofi has been performing for over thirty years and directs the African Drum and Dance Ensemble, “Sankofa.”

Following the performances, a reception will be held at The Settlers Inn. Attendees will have the chance to mingle with the artists and enjoy refreshments on the outdoor deck.

Tickets are available at the Ritz Theatre and Hawley Public Library. Tickets for “Friday at the Ritz” are $20; “Saturday at the Ritz” is $25, or $35 including the reception at The Settlers Inn. The cost for both evenings, including the reception, is $50. Proceeds benefit Black Bear Conservatory of Music, Hawley Public Library, Ritz Company Playhouse and World Dance Theatre. For more information, call 570-226-4620.

Schedule

Friday, August 21, 2009 ~ 7:30pm ~ Ritz Theatre

v  Music by Chamber Ensemble

v  Author Clara Gillow Clark

v  Wargo-Steveskey Guitar & Flute Duo

v  Ritz Bitz Players

Cookies and Punch Reception After the Performances.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

11:00am – 2:00pm at the Hawley Public Library

Open House and Book Signings by Local Authors

• 1:00pm – 3:00pm at the Black Blear Conservatory of Music

Open House and Music by Local Talent

• 1:00pm-6:00pm at the Hawley Cultural Arts Center

Open House and Dance Lessons – Zumba, Belly Dance, Musical Theatre

Events Open to the Public.  Donations Appreciated.

Saturday, August 22, 2009 ~ 7:30pm ~ Ritz Theatre

v  Poet Erica Fabri

v  Pianist Steve Faubel

v  Singer Stefani Lore

v  A Diverse Cultural Experience with World Dance Theatre and Guests

v  Steve Dublanica, Author of New York Times Bestseller, WAITER RANT

Reception at the Settlers Inn After the Performances.

Tickets ~

• Friday at the Ritz ~ $20
• Saturday at the Ritz ~ $25 ~~~ Ritz and Reception at Settlers Inn ~ $35
• Friday and Saturday at the Ritz and Reception at Settlers Inn ~ $50

Proceeds benefit ~ Black Bear Conservatory of Music, Hawley Public Library, Ritz Company Playhouse and World Dance Theatre

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL THE HAWLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY at 570-226-4620

Wine and Cheese Art Reception in Hawley

HAWLEY – Come and meet the artist, Roslyn Ross-Hoffman at her Special Art Exhibition to be held at the Artisian Picture Framing Art Gallery. Her creative artwork shows a versatile variety of very colorful acrylic emotional abstract-realistic canvases and Sumi Chinese Ink Paintings. They are different, exciting and have a three dimensional quality of textures and movement. A Wine and Cheese Reception will be held on Saturday, August 22, from 5-8PM at 204 Main Avenue in Hawley. For more information, email benaul@yahoo.com.

Golfers Get Into the Swing for the United Way

HAWLEY – The Woodloch Springs Country Club was a beautiful setting for the 3^rd Annual United Way of Pike County Golf Classic that took place on Monday, June 22.  Many players returned for the 3^rd year in a row! Other players arrived for the first time and were amazed at a course that winds through fern-carpeted forests, lush wetlands and broad upland meadows. The Woodloch Springs golf course is nationally recognized by GOLF Magazine as “one of the finest courses in America” with a variety of challenges, accommodating all levels of play and ability.  The picturesque, pristine setting and adrenaline-filled course challenges, added to the fun of supporting this United Way fundraiser.

The golfers had a chance to win awesome hole-in-one prizes – a New Holland Tractor provided by Tractor John and Krempasky Equipment, a Fat Boy Harley Davidson Motorcycle provided by Baer’s Sport Center, or a Triton Bass Fishing Boat provided by Seaman’s Marine.

Christine Obser, President of The United Way of Pike County, reminded all who attended that, “The United Way’s mission is to alleviate homelessness and hunger and to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors in need. It is with this mission that we strive to reach our goal and continue to fund local human service agencies that so desperately need our help. We express our sincere gratitude to everyone that came out to support us today.”

The United Way then welcomed a guest speaker from The Center for Developmental Disabilities. Tom Ahearn shared the story of how he and his wife Eileen discovered a beautiful little boy named Brandon who was in the foster care system. Brandon was removed from a very abusive home situation and has severe physical and emotional disabilities. He was placed in care of the Center for Developmental Disabilities when Tom and Eileen decided to take Brandon into their home and foster him. “Our goal was to provide a stable loving environment in which Brandon could heal and grow. Eileen and I have created a home environment for Brandon to feel loved, an environment where he could open up and learn to trust and interact with others in a positive manner. We know this process will be long and we are so grateful to the staff at CDD and to the United Way for their support.”

“Tom Ahearn eloquently reminded us all of the importance of supporting the United Way in any way we can.  Through our funding, we have such a direct impact on individuals who are in desperate need of help.  This was such a shining example of how individual lives can be positively changed because the community cares,” said UWPC Vice President Tom Regenski.

The United Way thanks all who supported and participated in the 3^rd Annual Golf Classic, especially the Woodloch Springs Country Club for hosting this event.

For more information about the United Way of Pike County or its events call 570-296-9980, email uwpc@ptd.net or visit our website www.unitedwaypike.org.  Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org.  Your generous donations to Pike United Way funds local human services right here in Pike County.