Help for qualified families, homeowners and landlords in Pike County, and more

What's going on in your community January 27 to February 2

Posted 1/25/22

Grahamsville Rod and Gun Club elects officers

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — The Grahamsville Rod and Gun Club elected officers for 2022 at its January 6 meeting, held at the First Aid Squad building. …

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Help for qualified families, homeowners and landlords in Pike County, and more

What's going on in your community January 27 to February 2

Posted

Grahamsville Rod and Gun Club elects officers

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — The Grahamsville Rod and Gun Club elected officers for 2022 at its January 6 meeting, held at the First Aid Squad building. There were 19 members in attendance.

The members were commended for their volunteer activities, such as stocking streams and lakes with trout, bass and perch; environmental activities; teaching children and young adults hunting safety and responsibility; fundraising activities such as selling knives and outdoor equipment at the Grahamsville Fair and Tractor shows; and other community services throughout the year.

The club is always looking for new members, both men and women.

The officers are Hank Samyn, president; Todd Brown, vice president; Gary TerBush, treasurer; Marlene Dauch, secretary; Craig TerBush, three-year trustee and Gary Muthig, one-year trustee.

Get customer insights for your ag business

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — Ever wonder what your customers really think about your farm market or nursery? Do they really like your llamas or are they just pretending to? Why is nobody buying the cheese?

Penn State Extension is offering “Under the Ground,” a subscription service aimed at helping agricultural businesses better understand and enhance their appearance to customers.

The service begins in April. It’s designed for retail owners and employees, farm markets, nurseries, wineries, breweries, cideries, specialty food markets and small grocery stores.

The businesses must be in Pennsylvania or within 15 miles of the border. The subscription period is from April 1, 2022 through Jan. 31, 2023.

Registrations will be accepted through March 31, and the cost is $425 for the starter level. The first 20 businesses to register will receive a $200 discount, which applies to all levels of subscription. In addition, two businesses will receive full scholarships to the starter level. Preference will be given to new markets, markets looking to renovate, or markets in regions with limited access to a variety of healthful foods.

For more information, visit the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/under-the-ground.

Limited number of free water tests available

WAYNE COUNTY, PA — Have you ever had the drinking water from your well, spring, or cistern tested for lead and other health-related pollutants?

The Penn State Extension will provide no-cost drinking water testing to a limited number of Wayne County homeowners who use private water wells, springs or cisterns.

The water will be tested for coliform bacteria, E.coli bacteria, nitrate, manganese, arsenic, lead, copper, barium and sodium. The tests will be evaluated by a PA Department of Environmental Protection-accredited water-testing lab.

Registration is limited to about 35 households. Each owner must own or rent a primary residence—no camps—in Wayne County that uses a private well, spring or cistern for a drinking water supply.  Registrants are required to attend a one-hour initial webinar at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2. Participants will be mailed a water testing kit. Optional follow-up webinars will be offered to provide interpretation of results and to answer questions. Registration and further information for this testing program is available online at https://bit.ly/3AuUdJF or by phone at 877/345-0691. For more information, call Peter Wulfhorst at 570/296-3400 or email ptw3@psu.edu.  

Help for qualified families, homeowners and landlords in Pike

MILFORD, PA — New child-care assistance, mortgage assistance, and landlord incentive programs have been established by the Pike County board of commissioners.

Child-care assistance is available for families who live in Pike County, who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and have income below 80% of the area median—up to $63,100 for a family of four. Eligible participants could receive up to six consecutive months of assistance with child- care payments.

Homeowners who reside in Pike County, who are behind in mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have incomes below 80 percent of the area median, can receive assistance with mortgage payments for up to three months.

The county also has funding available through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to help renters who are behind on their rent and utility payments.

A new incentive is available to help landlords create or maintain affordable housing in Pike County. In exchange for up to $25,000 in assistance with eligible repairs, landlords who participate in the program will agree to rent units to households with income below 80 percent of the area median and to charge rent at or below the fair market rent—currently $1,368 for a two-bedroom apartment.

The Landlord Incentive Program was created because of a housing study by Diana T. Myers & Associates. It found that there is a shortage of affordable housing in Pike County and that Pike County has the highest fair market rents in Pennsylvania.

Information about all of these programs is on the Pike Forward website, https://www.PikeForward.org. For questions, call Robert Ruiz, executive director for human services, at 570/296-3434 or contact him by email at rruiz@pikepa.org.

Being safe on river ice

REGION — It’s worth repeating. Ice can be dangerous, as the National Park Service reminds us. Especially ice on a river.

Now that we’ve had some sub-zero temps, ice is forming on the Delaware River. Anglers are hoping to ice-fish and ice skaters are hoping to skate.

The Park Service emphasizes the importance of properly fitted cold-water life jackets. Wearing them is required in the Upper Delaware until April 30. It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you’re out on the Delaware River this winter, wear the life jacket. And carry ice safety picks and wear loose boots.

As was noted recently, it’s important to check the thickness of the ice. You want a minimum of four inches of solid, clear ice or eight inches of white ice, which is half as strong. If you aren’t sure what you’re standing on, drill test holes at least every 150 feet.

Avoid areas that have feeder streams or springs; and avoid dark, honeycombed or porous ice.

Always let someone know where you are fishing and when you will return; in fact, fishing with a friend is a good idea. Children should be accompanied by an adult.

If you fall through the ice, remain calm. Use those ice safety picks to help get out.

If you didn’t bring picks, try swimming out, so your body rises and you can get on the firm ice. Use your legs to kick behind you so you aren’t pulled under.

If you can’t get to safety, call for help. Slip your loose boots off to make treading water easier. Keep your clothes on because they will insulate you from the cold water.  

Once on the ice, stay low and distribute your weight over as much surface area as possible.

If someone else falls in, always remember to use Reach, Throw, Row, and Go. That’s reaching with a long stick or fishing pole; throwing a rope, PFD, anything that floats; rowing or pushing a boat; and going for help.

If you become wet, immediately change into dry clothes and seek warm shelter. Watch out for frostbite; look for pale skin on exposed flesh. Treat it with warm water. Watch out for hypothermia, which can show itself in shivering and loss of judgment. Treat it with warm fluids, dry clothes, a blanket and warm shelter.

Stop ice fishing if you become tired or cold.

For more information, contact the National Park Service at https://www.nps.gov/upde or call 570/729-8251.

Grahmsville Rod and Gun Club, officers, Penn State Extension, agricultural businesses, drinking water testing, child-care assistance, mortgage assistance, landlord incentive, COVID-19, Pike County, river ice, river safety

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