An open house for the new playground

DAMASCUS, PA — Granted, the kids are already enjoying it, but from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, Damascus Township will officially unveil its new playground.

There will be live music, plus hot dogs and soft drinks.

And it’s a chance to check out the playground—if you haven’t already—and see the amphitheater.

The rain date is Saturday, October 14.

The playground is located at 60 Conklin Hill Rd.

For more information about the playground, visit www.damascustwp.org/park.html. 

Are you a farmer who has experienced discrimination?

NEW YORK STATE — The application deadline for $2.2 billion in finds for farmers and ranchers who have experienced discrimination has been extended to Friday, November 3 for requesting documentation. The new application deadline is Saturday, January 13, 2024.

 If you’ve encountered any kind of discrimination applying for farm loans at any time before January 2021, you can file for compensation from the USDA. 

There are no fees involved, according to the Windsor Group, which has been hired with USDA funds to help farmers in New York apply for compensation.

For more information about the program, call the toll-free English/Spanish helpline at 800/721-0970.

SUNY Sullivan CDL training begins soon

LOCH SHELDRAKE, NY — In response to regional needs and the national shortage of commercial driver-licensed (CDL) truck drivers, SUNY Sullivan, in partnership with Ancora Education, is launching a CDL training program; classes start on Saturday, October 14 or Monday, October 16.

After completing the program, students can earn their commercial driving license, opening the way to an in-demand career.

 SUNY Sullivan Dean of Student Success and Workforce Development Dr. Jennifer Wrage. “There continues to be a huge demand for truck drivers across the state and companies are eager to hire licensed drivers,” said Dr. Jennifer Wrage, SUNY Sullivan dean of student success and workforce development. “For individuals who need fast training in order to support themselves and their families, earning a CDL license enables students to enter an in-demand, well-paying career.”

The program offers three levels of training: a 160-course Class A CDL course, a 120-hour Class B CDL course and a 10-hour refresher course. The training curriculum for both the Class A and Class B (for non-combination vehicles) courses meets Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) theory requirements and prepares students to obtain a commercial driver’s license.

The refresher course provides training in the safe operation of Class A or B Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV). Topics include, but may not be limited to, vehicle inspections, backing maneuvers, and public roadway driving. It is designed to strengthen existing knowledge, skills, and driving techniques for drivers lacking driving experience and/or who have not operated a CMV for an extended period of time. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate the proper skills required for safely operating a CMV in the public roadway environment.

Students can participate in CDL training during the day Monday-Thursday (7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), or evenings Monday-Thursday (5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.), or on Saturday and Sunday (7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.). Classes are available throughout the year on a rolling basis.

Course costs per student are $5,500 for CDL-A tractor-trailer training, $4,125 for CDL-B training, and $550 for both the one-day CDL-A and CDL-B refresher training courses.

If you can’t afford it, are unemployed or underemployed, financial assistance might be available, said Loreen Gebelein, director of the county’s Center for Workforce Development. Call 845/794-3340.

For class start dates and other schedule details, click here or email Bridget Schiffer at Bschiffer@sunysullivan.edu or call 845/434-5750, ext. 4242.

BOCES and Sullivan County offer free welding course 

Learn welding courtesy of Sullivan County's Center for Workforce Development and Sullivan BOCES.

LIBERTY, NY — Sullivan County’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD) and Sullivan BOCES have teamed up again to offer another free course, this time in welding, for up to 10 local residents, beginning Tuesday, October 10.

“Graduates of this program will earn certification in basic welding and be immediately employable,” said CWD director Loreen Gebelein.

The 10-week program is being administered by the CWD, which is part of the Division of Community Resources. 

The classes are open to those aged 18 or older and who have reliable transportation.

Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday through December 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Rubin Pollack Education Center on Ferndale-Loomis Road in Liberty.

“This is hands-on training at BOCES’ classrooms and shops in Liberty, and graduates of this program will be ready to work with any number of local employers, as the local building industry is growing fast,” said community resources commissioner Laura Quigley. 

To find out more or to apply, call the CWD at 845/794-3340 or email sccwd@sullivanny.us. 

Sullivan Chamber annual meeting, Pride Awards

CALLICOON, NY — The Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Pride Awards gala from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 9 at the Villa Roma Resort.

The chamber has honored businesses and individuals for 49 years. The Pride Awards recognize individuals, businesses and organizations from throughout the county for their community involvement and their contributions in economic development.

The chamber describes the awards as a way to honor people who wouldn’t normally be recognized—but who very much deserve it.

The selection committee was composed of past Businesspersons of the Year and the chamber’s board of directors.

The Pride of Community award winners for 2023 are:

Businessperson of the Year

Joseph D’Abbraccio, DVM—Catskill Veterinary Services 

Distinguished Achievement Award

Mike Taylor—Combined Energy Services, Holiday Mountain, All-Gas and others

Distinguished Service Awards

Al Frangipane—St. Jude Children’s Hospital, The Lions Club and others

Julian Dawson—United Way

Emerging Leader Award

Bradlyn Matican—Insight Cipher

Township Awards

Nick & Kate Rusin—Parksville Priorities, Liberty Rising, Town of Liberty

Joel Weinberg—Mountain Mall, Town of Thompson

Denise and Rob Lombardi—Hurleyville General Store, Town of Fallsburg

Doug Doetsch and Susan Manning—Seminary Hill, Town of Delaware

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Workplace Excellence Award

Joan Patterson, RN—Crystal Run Healthcare

Tickets cost $80 per person; couples’ tickets cost $150. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

The Villa Roma is located at 356 Villa Roma Rd.

For tickets and sponsorships, call 845/791-4200 or email office@catskills.com.  

Food manager certification courses at PennState Extension

HONESDALE, PA — The ServSafe Food Safety Manager course, conducted by Penn State Extension, will be held at the Penn State Extension Office, 648 W. Park St., Suite E from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11; and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18. The exam will begin at 11 a.m. on October 18.

These in-person trainings, taught by certified ServSafe instructors, will help participants learn how to prevent contamination of food by properly receiving, storing, preparing, cooking, cooling and serving the food, as well as proper methods of sanitizing food service facilities. 

After completing the course and passing the multiple-choice exam with a score of 70 percent or higher, participants will receive a ServSafe Food Protection Manager certificate. This certification is good for five years. 

The cost of the course is $165.

The TAP Online Food Safety Manager Certification course helps food service managers, chefs, caterers, cooks, health officials and inspectors prepare to take a Food Protection Manager exam, such as ServSafe, that meets regulatory guidelines for a certified food protection manager. The online portion can be taken at any time, but the exam is held in person and proctored at a scheduled location. The cost for the course is $145.

Registration is required by Monday, October 9 at www.extension.psu.edu/foodsafety2023.  

Call for submissions for Lights, Camera, Save!

HONESDALE, PA — Wayne Bank is accepting submissions for its Lights, Camera, Save! video contest. The deadline is Friday, December 1.

The contest, organized by the American Bankers Association Foundation, is a national competition that encourages teens to use video to communicate the value of sound money management and set their peers on a sound financial path.

“Lights, Camera, Save! gives the students within our Pennsylvania and New York footprints a fun opportunity to harness their creativity, learn about using money wisely, and communicate those lessons to their peers,” said Jim Donnelly, president and CEO of Wayne Bank. 

To participate, students aged 13-18 must create a video, running 30 seconds or less, on using money wisely. 

The competition is open to filmmakers of all experience levels.

The entry form can be found at www.wayne.bank/personal/lights-camera-save/.  

A link to the video and a completed entry form should be sent to promotions@waynebank.com by December 1. 

Wayne Bank will host the first round of judging and select one winner from each state in its Pennsylvania and New York markets.

Those winners will then compete on the national level for one of three cash prizes—$5,000 for first place, $2,500 for second place and $1,000 for the third place.

Videos will be judged on their quality, message, content and the criteria set forth by the contest’s official rules.

Learn more here.