Learn Benefits Of Strength Training

If you think that strength training is just for Mr. and Mrs. Universe, think again! Middle-aged and older adults can benefit from regular exercise more than anyone. Research shows that exercise with weights (strength training) will increase muscle mass and strength, bone density, provide arthritis relief, restore balance, control weight and blood glucose, improve sleep, strengthen your heart, and improve your state of mind.

If you want to experience the benefits of strength training, Growing Stronger is for you! Growing stronger is based on research done at Tufts University. It is simple, safe, and effective strength-training for midlife and for older men and women.

Penn State Cooperative Extension is presenting Growing Stronger this spring, at Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church, Roemerville Rd, Greentown. To learn more about this program, please attend a no obligation, informational meeting at Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church on March 9 at 12:30 p.m., or contact Penn State Cooperative Extension in Pike County, 514 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337, (570) 296-3400.

Parenting Workshop In Milford

MILFORD — Children today face tough social challenges. Prescription drug abuse, sexually transmitted disease, teen pregnancy, and underage drinking are too common. While it’s true that growing up has never been easy, it seems truer now than ever. Parents need to help their children resist social negatives.

Positive Parenting, a university developed parent education program, provides effective tools and strategies to help build strong families. This program can benefit parents of infants, toddlers, school age children, and teens. Positive Parenting focuses on parent-child communication, nurturing relationships, setting limits, and respectful discipline practices.

This 4 session workshop for parents, parent educators, social service agencies, parenting organizations, schools, foster parents, and churches begins March 2, 2010, at Penn State Cooperative Extension Pike County, 514 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337. Registration is $20.00 per individual, $30.00 per couple. Space is limited, so please register by February 25, 2010. For more information, call (570) 296-3400 or visit pike.extension.psu.edu. Please inquire about incentives.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Registration Deadline Jan. 25 For Parenting Workshop

MILFORD – Parenting is not easy, nor is being a child. Parents face tough challenges and children face difficult social situations. Parent education and support can help smooth the way along life’s road.

Parents – with love, limits, and lots of involvement, you can be a major influence in developing happy, healthy and well-behaved children; children with a sense of who they are, where they belong and where they are going. Parent education is the key.

Positive Parenting, offered at Penn State Cooperative Extension in Pike County, helps parents do the best job possible in raising successful children, creating competent, confident parents, and building strong families.

The four-session workshop will benefit those who nurture infants, children, youth, and adolescents. Parents, parent educators, social service agencies, parenting organizations, schools, and churches are encouraged to register.

This eight hour course is presented in four sessions and begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday February 2, 2010. Registration fee is $20 per individual, $30 per couple. Please register by January 25, 2010. Call for more information and registration: (570) 296-3400 or visit pike.extension.psu.edu.  Ask about incentives.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Positive Parenting Class Starts Jan. 5

MILFORD – Parenting isn’t easy. With love, limits, and lots of involvement, parents can be a major influence in developing happy, healthy, and well-behaved children. Parenting education can be the key to building strong families.

Positive Parenting is a university developed parent education program providing effective parenting tools and strategies that will benefit families of infants, school age children and teens. If you have wondered, “Where is the parenting manual?” This is it.

This workshop for parents, parent educators, social service agencies, parenting organizations, schools, foster parents, churches, etc., will focus on respectful discipline practices, showing love while setting limits, parent-child communication, nurturing relationships and more.

This eight-hour course, presented in four sessions, begins January 5, 2010 at 6 p.m. at Penn State Cooperative Extension Pike County. Registration fee is $20 per individual, $30 per couple. Incentives for those completing the course include gas cards and educational videos while supplies last. For more information and registration, call (570) 296-3400 or visit pike.extension.psu.edu.

Positive Parenting Classes Start Dec. 1

MILFORD – Parenting is not easy, nor is being a child. Parents face tough challenges and children face difficult social situations.

To help parents do the best job possible, Penn State Cooperative Extension in Pike County presents Positive Parenting. Positive Parenting provides the manual for raising successful children, creating competent, confident parents, and building strong families.

Parents – with love, limits, and lots of involvement, you can be a major influence in developing happy, healthy and well-behaved children; children with a sense of who they are and where they belong. Parent education is the key.

The four-session workshop will benefit families of infants, school-age children, and teens. This program is being offered in day or evening sessions, to parents, parent educators, social service agencies, parenting organization, schools, churches, etc. Evening classes begin December 1 and daytime classes begin December 3. Incentives are available while supplies last for those who complete the course.

For more information or to register, contact Penn State Cooperative Extension Pike County, 514 Broad Street, Milford, call (570) 296-3400 or visit pike.extension.psu.edu.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Food Safety Certification Training

The Pennsylvania Food Employee Certification Act states that food establishments regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) or a local health agency must employ at least one supervisor or other employee who has successfully completed a certified food safety training course. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) will certify participants who complete the ServSafe course and pass their examination. Persons who pass the exam may then apply for the required PDA certificate.

Penn State Cooperative Extension is offering a training for certification. Each student pursuing certification must complete eight hours of home study prior to the first day of class and complete the assignments. Participants must attend both classes to be eligible for the examination. The ServSafe examination is given at the end of the second session.

The two-day training will be offered by on Monday, November 2, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Monday, November 9, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at PPL’s Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center, 126 PPL Drive, Hawley. The registration deadline is October 15.

Those needing recertification must currently possess a food employee certificate from the PDA that is nearing expiration. You will not be required to complete the home study, but class attendance is required. You must bring your original food employee certificate from the PDA to the first class. The NRA examination is optional for recertification.

The cost is $175 and includes the text, home study and class materials, the examination and lunch on the second day of class. For information or to register call Monroe County Cooperative Extension, (570) 421-6430. You may also print out a registration form at: monroe.extension.psu.edu

On-Lot Septic Seminar For Homeowners

Perhaps where you lived in the past, your house was connected to a central sewer system and you didn’t have to worry where the water went after you flushed your toilet.  In many areas of Pike County, your responsibility does not end with the flush. If your house is not one of many hooked to a central sewer, the water your family uses flows literally into your own backyard.

If you are interested in learning how to properly maintain and identify potential problems with your septic system, then you should plan to attend an On-lot Septic System Seminar on Saturday, October 24 from 9 -11 a.m. the Middle Smithfield Township Building on Municipal Drive in Bushkill.

Are you properly managing your system?  Do you know how to maintain your septic system and how to identify problems with your septic system?  These and other questions related to on-lot septic systems will be discussed by Bruce Fox of Allstate Septic Systems. He is a certified Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO) and a professional on everything from designing a septic system to pumping out your septic tank.

The On-lot Septic System Seminar is sponsored by the Penn State Cooperative Extension.  There is a registration fee of $7. Registration, including payment, is required by October 22.

For more information or to register contact Penn State Cooperative Extension Pike County, 514 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337, (570) 296-3400, PikeExt@psu.edu or visit pike.extension.psu.edu/Programs.html to download a program brochure.

Gas and Water Don’t Mix: Advice for Landowners

Shohola Township and Penn State Cooperative Extension in Pike County will offer a program for landowners who may be located near existing or future gas well-drilling activity. The Natural Gas Wells and Drinking Water program will include an information session by Bryan Swistock, Penn State Water Resources Extension Specialist and Penn State Extension Educator Peter Wulfhorst on gas well drilling basics, how gas wells can impact groundwater wells, regulations to protect private wells, potential water pollutants, testing strategies to ensure the safety of your water, how to collect water samples and interpretation of water test results.

The program will be held on Wednesday, October 21 from 7-9 p.m. at the Shohola Township Building on Twin Lakes Road. In addition, Shohola Township will be offering a gas/oil water test package through Penn State’s Drinking Water Lab for the first 40 residents of Shohola Township at a reduced rate of $27. Residents of other townships can attend the program but must pay $52 for their water to be tested. The water test bottles must be returned to Shohola Township on Monday, October 26 by 9:30 a.m. The basic package for gas/oil concerns includes tests for pH, total dissolved solids, barium and chloride.

The program is free and is being supported by a grant from the Upper Delaware Council. The registration deadline is October 17. For more information or to register, contact the Pike County Cooperative Extension office, 514 Broad St, Milford, PA, call (570) 296-3400, e-mail PikeExt@psu.edu or visit http://tinyurl.com/lt29oq to download a program brochure.

This program is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice.

Free Program: Strengthening Family Bonds

Parents, middle school youth, and members of Penn State Cooperative Extension, will meet for dinner and the Strengthening Families Program beginning October 2 at the First Presbyterian Church in Milford.

The Strengthening Families Program is university developed and research based.  It is proven to help youth resist peer pressure, avoid substance abuse and school conduct problems. Parents will help youth prepare for the teen years by building on their strengths of showing love and setting limits.

This seven-week program is offered at no cost thanks to a grant from The Pennsylvania Department of Health. Childcare is provided. For information and registration, contact Penn State Cooperative Extension in Pike County, 514 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337, (570) 296-3400.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Penn State Cooperative Extension September Events

Sept. 16: 4-H Paw Partners Seeing Eye Puppy Raising Club Meeting, 6:30–8 p.m., Pike Co. Cooperative Extension office, 514 Broad St, Milford

Sept. 21: A Palette of Fun 4-H Club meeting, 5–6 p.m., Pike County Cooperative Extension office, 514 Broad Street, Milford

Sept. 22: Master Gardeners available to answer your gardening questions, 10 a.m.-noon, Pike Co. Cooperative Extension office, 514 Broad St, Milford

Sept. 25: Registration deadline for 10/2 Strengthening Families Program. Seven week program, beginning October 2, (Actual dates are October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13 – participants must plan on attending all sessions, not just one or two) will be held 6-8:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 300 Broad Street, Milford.. Cost: none. Pre-registration is required by September 25. If a minimum number do not pre-register, the program will be canceled. This program is for Parents/Caregivers and sixth, seventh and eighth grade students living in the same home. This program is designed to: help youth and families build skills to: prevent teen substance abuse; strengthen parenting skills; and build family strengths. This program is funded by a grant received by the United Way of Pike County and is offered at no charge to participants. For a printable brochure go to http://tinyurl.com/dndksa

Sept. 26: Safe Drinking Water, Monroe County Cooperative Extension office, 724 Phillips St, Suite 201, Stroudsburg PA 18360, 9-11 a.m. The cost is $7 per person or couple. Pre-registration, including payment, is required by September 23. If a minimum number do not pre-register, the program will be canceled. This program is for you if you depend on your own well or spring for your drinking water. It is your responsibility to have your water tested periodically at a certified water testing lab. For a printable brochure, go to http://tinyurl.com/n8lfzm

Sept. 28: A Palette of Fun 4-H Club meeting, 5-6 p.m., Pike County Cooperative Extension office, 514 Broad Street, Milford

Sept. 29: Master Gardeners available to answer your gardening questions, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Pike Co. Cooperative Extension office, 514 Broad St, Milford

Sept. 29: Managing Rainwater on Your Property, Delaware Township Building, 116 Wilson Hill Rd, Dingmans Ferry, 7-9 p.m. The program is free; a limited number of rain barrels will be available for participants to purchase. The registration deadline is September 22. This program will focus on designing, installing and caring for landscapes that benefit our local environment by reducing storm water, flooding and water pollution. For a printable brochure go to http://tinyurl.com/m5cbqv