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Thank you for reading and for all your support. The move is a good thing. Thank you David Martin of Ivy League Solutions for making it happen.
(Mehoopany) Connection for Oil, Gas & Environment in the Northern Tier, Inc. (COGENT) is pleased to announce the organization’s new web page – Regional Air Emissions Data. The new web page, based on the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Emissions Inventory data, features regional and county specific data regarding the pollutants common to reported gas industry emissions.
Indicating the progression of regional air quality changes, the data spans from 2005 through the most recent available data, 2012. The new web page may be found at www.cogentpa.org Marcellus Shale/Air Quality/Regional Air Emissions Data.
“We are receiving many inquiries about our Region’s air quality,” noted Emily Krafjack, President of COGENT. She further stated, “This information should not be viewed as a final indication of how our air quality has changed, but rather, it should be viewed as air quality in transition.
The information clearly indicates that the intermittent drilling activity affects air quality, as well as, the transition to production with more compressor stations, and as other pipeline above ground infrastructure comes on line. It is important to note this available data is roughly two years old, and may not reflect the present air quality. This is exactly why the region needs a complete air monitoring network.”
While the Northern Tier Region lacks a complete air monitoring network, currently, DEP does have two ozone monitors and two air toxics monitors placed in the Northern Tier. The DEP issues an annual air monitoring network plan that is available for public comment. COGENT issues Action Alerts which may be subscribed to on their website advising of such opportunities and how to participate.
Besides providing current data, an air monitoring network would provide the region with the opportunity for notifications of Air Quality Action Days. Such notifications advise the public when asthmatics and those challenged with respiratory and other health challenges should remain indoors or when strenuous activity outdoors should be avoided by healthy individuals during periods of reduced air quality.
Such days may occur throughout the year, as an example, for such items as high ozone or particulate matter pollution. Such information is very helpful to parents managing their children’s asthma, activities and medication, as well as, all those challenged with respiratory ailments.
Connection for Oil, Gas & Environment in the Northern Tier, Inc. is a resource for those seeking reliable, objective information regarding all aspects relative to the development of unconventional shale resources. COGENT is a resource for landowners and communities alike striving to find and advocate for a balance that supports public health and safety, community and the environment balanced with the needs of industry. COGENT’s focus includes regional air quality issues.
Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk
Rigmaids, based in Williamsport with offices in Ohio and West Virginia were indicative of a new, creative level of support businesses for the natural gas industry. They met hundreds of prospective applicants on Wednesday at the Business, Job & Gas Expo held at the Wyoming County Campgrounds.
A vigorous job market along the cusp of the Marcellus shale in Wyoming County continues to spur growth in the area and ensured the success of the Business, Job & Gas Expo at the Kiwanis Fairgrounds near Meshoppen on April 30. According to Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gina Getts, more than 2,000 people had come through the door by 3 pm. The Chamber presented the Expo along with three local energy powerhouses – Southwestern Energy, Williams, and Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation.
The variety of the 170 vendors showed how almost any sector of the local economy can benefit from a burgeoning industry if its proprietors and managers can create avenues and bridges to the gas industry. Some companies and agencies like Drill Baby Drill were on hand to help make make those connections.
Rigmaids, which provides cleaning services for living quarters and offices leased by gas-related companies operating in Ohio, West Virginia, and in Williamsport, PA was taking applications for people to fill local positions. Catering the Wright Way of Laceyville sets up and serves food at functions big and small for gas and pipeline companies.
Construction outfits and suppliers were well represented as were state and nonprofit agencies geared toward connecting qualified applicants with suitable positions and steering others toward training or resources that would lead them back to the work force.
Getts noted that more than half of the vendors were actively seeking employees. She estimated that some 500 jobs in skilled and unskilled labor were available that day, and the table space allotted to applicants was busy into late afternoon. In lieu of taking applications and resumes, several companies opted to pass out business cards and direct job seekers to their respective websites and application links therein.
“There’s been a lot of activity at our table,” said Shannon Spak of Williams, a midstream company that helps move natural gas from the wellhead to the pipeline. Williams was taking immediate applications for project managers and engineers, and the company will begin filling field positions this summer.
When asked what the driving force or recurring theme of this year’s Expo might be, many vendor representatives resoundingly said “truck drivers” in response.
“If you have a CDL Class A or B license in your pocket, you could go to work tomorrow,” said Pat Hoagland, a local Veterans Employment Representative for Career Link. He was sharing a table and a set of goals with Cully Kolakoski, the regional job developer for the Department of Labor & Industry. He related that one company alone was looking for 230 drivers.
Hoagland was pleased to report that interest in veterans among employers is very high.
Several of the vendor representatives, whose companies are not currently hiring, suggested that the Chamber’s annual Expo is as much a networking opportunity as it is a place to find a job.
“We are here to walk around and see the businesses we known and learn what they need,” said Beth Bevan of Taylor Rental and BX3 Oilfield Supply. Tunkhannock Store Manager Bob Pavlick added that the Expo and Fairgrounds provided the perfect venue for the company to exhibit its range of services.
The heavy concentration of so many related vendors could be a boon to suppliers, those offering specialized services., and those trying to help others find jobs. “I’ve talked to more than twenty employers today,” Hoagland remarked. “It would have taken me two months to see that many people otherwise.”
Those who were hiring were pleased with attendance as well. Most who had brought application forms had run out of them. Rigmaids gave away 250 bottles of spray window cleaner with the company’s logo before noon.
Getts was pleased with the participation and the large number of people who came out to the fairgrounds on a cold, damp day. She said that vendors could expect a follow-up survey from the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce to allow them to share what they liked most about this year’s event and anything that could be done differently.
“We will be looking for feedback on what went well and what can be improved,” she stated.
The application booth staffed by Williams, a key sponsor of the event, was an active site as representatives liked (above, from left) Tammy Bonnice, Mike Atchie, and Shannon Spak answered questions about how the company was evolving and where employees would be needed first.
Many of the 170 vendors who took part in the Expo, like Bob Pablick and Beth Bevan of Taylor Rental and BX3 Oilfield Supply, seized the opportunity to collaborate with business associates at the Expo and display their services to potential customers.
The Grammy-nominated Boxcars will headline at the 7th annual NEPA Bluegrass Festival at Lazy Brook Park, east of Tunkhannock over the last weekend of May.
This year’s NEPA Bluegrass Festival, set for Thursday to Sunday, May 29 to June 1, will continue to honor the traditions of bluegrass music while making room for musicians who experiment and offer alternate interpretations of the classic American genre.
Featuring two stages and highlighting a variety of artists is what helps the NEPA Bluegrass Festival in Lazy Brook Park at Tunkhannock stand out from similar events, noted festival organizer Danny Stewart Sr.
“There are so many different flavors and styles,” he noted. “Most festivals that I go to are traditional, and everything starts to sound the same. That’s why we have the progressive stage.”
The scenic community park will become a hotbed of activity as nationally known acts like CMT and Grand Old Opera regulars The Roys and the Grammy-nominated Boxcars command the main stage.
“They are giants in the bluegrass world,” Stewart said of the Boxcars. The group had two albums on the bluegrass charts in 2013, including “It’s Only a Road,” which hit #1 in July.
Over a knoll and out of hearing range, local and regional bands who employ drums, steel guitars, keyboards and other non-traditional bluegrass elements will exhibit their unique talents at another pavilion. Among them will be The Coal Town Rounders, Sully’s Fortune, Folk Spirits, and Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys.
“There are no rules,” Stewart said of the folk, country, rock and alternative musicians who may not be as picky about their pickin’. “Instrument wise, I welcome them to go crazy.”
A little less “crazy” but no less intense is Danny Stewart’s Jam Tent, where representatives from official bluegrass associations up and down the East Coast take turns guiding jam sessions in which local musicians are invited to participate.
“It welcomes the beginner more,” explained Stewart, noting that the tent provides a comfortable venue for novice performers to take chances and learn as they play with others who are continuously honing their craft. Additionally, there are music workshops offered throughout the weekend.
Vendors of all sorts of food and homespun wares will be found lining the trails from one performance area to the next. There will be special programs for children and a tent reserved for anyone who needs a break from the elements. There will be a senior shuttle to help those who need it bridge the distances between the parking areas, the stages, and the jam tent.
A Gospel Sing with Mike and Mary Robinson is popular with many regular patrons, who often opt to camp for the entire weekend. Full weekend tickets, modestly priced at $65 each, include camping. There is an additional charge for electricity.
It’s clear that Stewart feels that the NEPA Bluegrass Festival has found a good home. He said that guests love walking the park’s pathways, wading in the refreshing waters of Tunkhannock Creek, taking photos of unique wood carvings and totem poles, and reading the plaques at trees that have been planted in memory of loved ones. Stewart is as interested in preserving that serenity as he is encouraging others to enjoy it.
“It’s definitely a family oriented thing and that’s how I want to keep it,” Stewart related. “I don’t want to make it a party scene.”
Stewart is confident that this year’s roster of performers will please the pallets of all bluegrass fans. The Hillbilly Gypsies are among acts returning to NEPA that Stewart is excited to hear again, and the Little Roy and Lizzy Show will draw on nearly 50 years of bluegrass heritage.
Stewart suggested that one of the more unique acts to take the stage will be Goldwing Express. The family group got its footing in Branson, MO, and features three Native Americans and their white cowboy father. Beautiful costumes, storytelling, and comedy add to their distinct act.
Tickets and a complete list of scheduled performers and their itinerary are available online at www.nepabluegrass.com. Readers may also send an email to mandolindan2005@yahoo.com or call Danny Stewart at 570-721-2760.
Local favorites The Coal Town Rounders (above) will perform on the Progressive Stage at the 7th annual NEPA Bluegrass Festival at Lazy Brook Park, east of Tunkhannock over the last weekend of May.
EMVB Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator Shelley McAndrew (left) and Executive Director Jean Ruhf invite the public to stop by the Endless Mountains Visitors Center between Monday and Friday, May 5 to 9, to register for a Taste of the Endless Mountains gift basket and to look at the available information for summer travel plans.
The Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau (EMVB) is gearing up for Travel & Tourism Week – May 3 to 11. EMVB Executive Director Jean Ruhf and staff members at the Endless Mountains Visitors Center will cap off a week of promoting tourism in the region to those on the outside by welcoming travelers and local residents to an open house on Friday, May 9. Light refreshments will be served from 9 am to 4 pm.
Those stopping in during Travel & Tourism Week can register to win a Taste of the Endless Mountains gift basket full of food products and beverages produced in the region. The Visitors Center, located on Route 6 west of Tunkhannock, is open daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm from Monday to Friday, and registration slips for the gift basket raffle will be available all week. The winning slip will be drawn on Friday, and participants do not need to be present to win.
Tourism week is celebrated at welcome centers throughout the state. EMVB will have Taste of the Endless Mountains to give away at three welcome centers along Interstates 81 and 84 and Route 15, where literature promoting the attractions and activities in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming Counties will be prominently displayed. EMVB provided the Lehigh Valley AAA office with a Taste of the Endless Mountains gift basket and a basket of wine produced in the region to be given away along with literature about the region.
From May 5 to 7, Ruhf and other EMVB staff members will attend the second annual Pennsylvania Association of Travel and Tourism (PATT) Conference in Harrisburg to stay up to date with current trends and new ideas. On May 9 – Tourism Day – EMVB will participate with other local tourism businesses and attractions at the Welcome Center on Interstate 81 in Susquehanna County.
According to Ruhf, tourism is the state’s number two industry and, in the Endless Mountains, adds $470.5 million directly to the local economy. Statistics released in a report from Tourism Economics indicates that the benefits from tourism and travel extend far beyond hotel stays and meals eaten. Tourism has many indirect impacts on the region, including wages of employees related to the tourism industry that are, in turn, spent on local goods and services.
The report clearly indicates that tourism in the Endless Mountains is on the rise.
The tangible benefits to companies and employees of businesses that support the tourism industry are also telling factors. Labor income and tourism spending in the four-county Endless Mountains region has increased exponentially since 2005. Over-all spending in the Upstate PA Region increased by 3.9 percent since 2011, with the area ranking third out of 11 tourism regions in food and beverage sales.
“This is the perfect time to explore the four-county Endless Mountains region,” Ruhf remarked.
For more information about the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau, interested readers may call the visitors center at 570-836-5431 or 800-769-8999 or log on to www.EndlessMountains.org for a continuously updated calendar of events.
By Rick Hiduk
Wyoming County Commissioners were among those in attendance at a board meeting of Luzerne/Wyoming County Mental Health and Disabilities Services in Tunhannock held last Thursday afternoon. They hoped to hear some viable options for more than 40 local clients of United Disabilities Services (URS), which has announced that it is leaving its facilities in Tunkhannock and others in Luzerne County on June 18.
The announcement came as a shock to employees, client families, and associated providers and dominated the conversations at an April 10. Facilitators at the annual meeting, which is geared towards getting a handle on the evolving needs of MH/DS clients in the area, were described as “taken aback” by the news and did not have the answers that some 100 people in attendance were seeking.
“We all care very deeply about what happens to URS up there,” said Commissioner Tom Henry at a regular meeting of the commissioners held on April 22. Henry is a member of the MH/DS board.
“The clients and the employees up there are like family,” Commissioner Ron Williams added. “They are very close.”
At the commissioners meeting, Lori Bennett of Evans Falls, a URS employee and client parent, questioned the commissioners as to where the clients might go if the facility was to shut down entirely.
“If nobody bids on the Wyoming County site, do you have a game plan for 40 displaced clients?” she asked.
“There are some things in the works at the administrative office,” Williams replied. “We want to see some continuity. We don’t want their services disrupted.”
Henry noted that MH/DS, which has new interim directors, had recently agreed to holding some of its periodic meetings in Wyoming County after many years of holding them only in Luzerne County. He said that he looked forward to hosting the meeting in the commissioners office at the courthouse and invited Bennett to attend.
Photo and Story by Rick Hiduk
Wyoming County Commissioners (from left) Judy Mead, Tom Henry, and Ron Williams sign proclamations and other documents during their April 22 meeting in Tunkhannock.
Among other agenda items discussed at the regular meeting of the Wyoming County Commissioners on April 22 was the adoption of a new set of rules and regulations for tax appeals. The commissioners also ratified a proclamation marking Library Week, approved an IT internship for a Keystone College student, and signed a service agreement for Children and Youth Services.
Under Pennsylvania law, property owners have the right to appeal assessments if the owner feels that the figure is unfair, not uniform with other assessments, or not a fair market value.
The new 30-point document drafted by Kathy Voda and the Wyoming County Board of Assessment Appeals spells out the circumstances under which a hearing would be warranted and helps to prepare both the homeowner and the assessment office for the process. According to the commissioners, the previous rules and regulations were upgraded to bring both the county and residents onto the same page.
“This will make it a lot easier for everyone,” said Commissioner Tom Henry, noting that new policy will help landowners be better prepared by knowing what exactly the Assessment Board will expect of them when the hearing is held. A copy of the rules is available at the courthouse in Tunkhannock from 8:30 to 4 pm on weekdays. For more information, the office can be reached at 570-996-2262.
The commissioners approved the purchase of three new Seiko printers at the request of Election Board Director Flo Ball. There were problems with the printers used with Touch-screen voting machines in Eaton and Meshoppen Townships during the last election.
The machines will cost about $650 each, and the third printer will be stored as a backup unit. According to the commissioners, the purchase fits within the budget of the election department.
The commissioners were pleased to accept an application for an internship for Keystone College senior James Dewitt, who will assist the county’s IT Director, Tom Katchur. Henry indicated that Katchur has his hands full and the help will be appreciated. Commissioner Ron Williams highly recommended Dewitt and was hopeful that, if the internship goes well, a more permanent position might be found for him upon graduation as the county’s dependence on integrated technologies grows. There is currently no cost to the county.
Linda Swenson was subsequently awarded a services contract for Wyoming County Children & Youth Services.
In other news, Solicitor James Davis noted that the issue with the lease for a communications tower situated on land owned by Shadowbrook Resort was not yet resolved.
Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk
Children in the 9-to-12 age group take off across the ball field along Meshoppen Creek on Saturday morning, each focused on the hundreds of colorful eggs containing candy and prize slips laid out before them. A brilliant morning sun quickly warmed Meshoppen Ballpark for the annual event, which is made possible by the Meshoppen Holiday Fund.
In a small town like Meshoppen, it’s possible that nearly a quarter of its population found its way to the Meshoppen Ballpark on April 19 for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Bunny was on hand to help MC and event coordinator Holly Stark welcome the eager crowd.
The hunts were held in five heats, based on age groups: infant to 2-years-old; 3 to 5; 6 to 8, 9 to 12, and 13 and older, which included a large number of adults.
To ensure that the youngest participants each received the same chance of winning some of the bigger prizes, parents brought them in small groups (above) to an “egg pond,” from which they each drew 10 eggs. Remaining eggs were also distributed evenly.
Hunters in all other age groups scooped up plastic eggs filled with candy and some paper slips from the field that lead to prizes that included large sculpted chocolate pieces, tents, and bicycles. Smiles and laughter abounded throughout the event, as families enjoyed free snacks and beverages and sang along with a soundtrack of children’s songs and Easter tunes.
As usual, the 13 and older category garnered a lot of participation and attention. Whereas the children had hunted in relatively small sections of the field, teens and adults (above) had their work cut out for them as their eggs were distributed across the entire field and up the banks to the roadway, where many eggs were surprisingly well-hidden.
Stark was grateful for the assistance she received to conduct the event, including dolling out hot dogs and hot chocolate, staffing the prize redemption table, and hiding the eggs. Stark also coordinates the borough’s Halloween and Christmas parties and relies largely on the generosity of individuals and business owners.
Readers who would like to support Stark’s efforts via the Meshoppen Holiday Fund can contact her at 570-833-4317 or 570-240-0570.
Get Ready. Get Set. Go! Children in the 3 to 5-year-old age group scramble after eggs in the ball field in Meshoppen.
Event organizer Holly Stark (above) also MC’d the egg hunt.
5-year-old Maysie Rought (above) was one of five winners of bicycles at the annual Meshoppen Easter Egg Hunt held on April 19.
Kara Oslin, holding Treiah Vaow, was the proud winner of a bicycle in the 13-and-older category.
Zee and Demi Peacock (above) redeemed their prize slips for candy on Saturday.
Harley Shrevo (above) was ready to roar off on the new bike that she won in the 6-to-8 year-old age group.
Jennie Graham (above) was one of several key volunteers who kept things rolling behind the scenes at the Meshoppen Easter Egg Hunt.
It was a beautiful day for an egg hunt at Meshoppen Ballpark
Gladys Gruver (foreground, left) and Mike Houser “hide” the last few eggs for the adults and teens, who wait anxiously in the background.
Ruthann Nace distributes prizes to children whose eggs contained paper tabs.
Holly Stark (center) finds plenty of support for the efforts of the Meshoppen Holiday Fund from townsfolk and friends like Ashley Bluhm (left) and Dawn Lupher.
Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk
As a building along McCord Street in Tunkhannock is pulled down behind them, a number of individuals who worked together to fund the buyouts and demolition of flood-prone properties in the borough gathered on Wednesday morning to see the fruits of their labor. Participants included (from left) Rep. Karen Boback; Eileen Spencer, representing Rep. Sandra Majors; Sen. Lisa Baker; Wyoming County Commissioners Ron Williams, Tom Henry, and Judy Mead; Mayor Norm Ball; Pat Rogan, representing Cong. Lou Barletta, Wyoming County EMA Deputy Director Dave Carichner, EMA Administrative Assistant Sue Howell; EMA Director Gene Dziak; Tunkhannock Borough Council President Stacy Hubert; Robert Jones of Smart Recycling, CECO Engineering Structural Coordinator Eric Speicher, Wyoming County EMA Task Force Planner Keith Howard; and CECO Project Engineer Reade Schields.
It has taken well over two years and representatives from multiple layers of government to bring plans to fruition to buyout and demolish approximately 40 flood-prone homes in Wyoming County. On April 16, state, county, federal, and local elected officials and other representatives gathered on McCord Street to witness the demolition of a large warehouse that was badly damaged by waters from Swale Brook, Tunkhannock Creek, and the Susquehanna River in 2011.
“It was an opportunity for the representatives of the agencies to see that the demolition of destroyed homes in Wyoming County has begun,” said Wyoming County EMA Director Gene Dziak.
It wasn’t difficult determining which properties were most at-risk for repeated flooding, Dziak explained, and assistance from federal and state disaster funds was available. But the acquisitions were still daunting.
“There have been a whole array of situations that we are dealing with that have lead us to have to buy them out one at a time,” Dziak said, citing second appraisals, liens against properties, and mineral rights contracts signed in recent years as some of the obstacles.
“You have to go through the same process as if you were buying it,” noted Tunkhannock Mayor Norm Ball.
“In other states, when you sell the land, the gas rights go with it,” Dziak related. “Some folks wanted the buyout but wanted to keep their gas rights. The federal government did not know how to deal with that. Federal lawyers are still discussing what direction this will be going.”
Some landowners surrendered their gas leases, which allowed for the buyouts to progress, but the leases are still in limbo because municipalities cannot profit from the property and therefore cannot retain the mineral rights by default.
“FEMA is really struggling with this,” said Dziak. “That slowed us up.”
One of the early catalysts to turning the tide and getting the buyouts moving was the decision by leaders of individual municipalities to let the county take the lead.
Borough officials had already met with owners of flooded homes to get them signed up with FEMA, but Ball agreed that it made sense to follow the county’s plan and avoid unnecessary duplication of applications and fees.
The three county commissioners supported the idea, and Dziak began blazing a more effective trail to state and federal officials and secured the assistance of some key figures.
He credited State Sen. Lisa Baker and Rep. Karen Boback with taking the concerns of Wyoming County to Harrisburg. “They helped us over many hurdles,” Dziak related. “Rep. Boback has helped us in different ways at the state level, and (US) Rep. Lou Barletta came in and kept us on track on the federal side.”
With the support of so many elected officials and the funding in place, county officials solicited the help of CECO Engineering, which conducted bidding for demolition teams – like Smart Recycling of Dunmore – and will handle the projects across the county on behalf of Wyoming County EMA.
Ball concedes that the buyouts resulted in a loss of property taxes that the borough cannot recover. Most importantly, however, he noted, “We no longer have to worry about the people down there being being flooded.” Ball recounted dramatic rescues of residents in previous years from the swift moving waters of Swale Brook and Tunkhannock Creek.
Three of the homes already demolished abutted Swale Brook. One yet to be torn down is on the bank of Tunkhannock Creek. Each of the five properties on the buyout list are situated in what Ball referred to as a “tea cup.”
“Eventually, the water backs from the river into Tunkhannock Creek and back Swale Brook,” He stated. “But you never know where water’s going to go.”
“The municipality has been waiting patiently for this day,” Dziak remarked on Wednesday, “to start bringing these homes down and to clean up the municipalities and get life back to somewhat normal.”
Dziak noted that the properties, once cleared and seeded, can never again be the site of a permanent structure.
“It can only be used for parks and recreation from what I understand,” Ball concurred. “The only thing that we’re going to have to do is mow the grass.”
As for the remaining 31 properties on the list, “We are progressing,” Dziak maintained. “We’re going to continue to progress. We will get those homes bought out and processed.”
Snow that coated rooftops the previous evening cascades from the building that formerly house B&R Distributors as crew members from Smart Recycling of Dunmore took down another flood-damaged structure along McCord Street on Wednesday morning
It’s finally time to get back out on the Susquehanna River. Endless Mountains Heritage Region is planning a three-day paddling trip called the Heritage Sojourn from Friday to Sunday, May 9 to 11. Participants can opt for the full three-day adventure or catch up with the sojourners for shorter legs of the trip and engaging evening programs.
Endless Mountain Heritage Region (EMHR) and a number of environmental organizations and agencies will sponsor a first-of-the season paddling sojourn from Friday to Sunday, May 9 to 11. The professionally-guided 40-mile Heritage Sojourn will take paddlers from Sayre to Sugar Run, with participants camping at Larnard Hornbrook Park in Sheshequin Township on Friday evening and at Historic French Azilum on Saturday night. Special presentations and activities, open to the public, are planned at both sites to celebrate the unique partnership between the preservation of heritage in the Endless Mountains and an the appreciation of its natural resources.
In addition to EMHR, key sponsors of the annual event include the Chesapeake National Historic Trail, Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, National Recreation Trail, and Endless Mountain Outfitters (EMO).
According to EMHR Greenway Coordinator and sojourn planner David Buck, a contingent of students and professors from Bucknell University who are producing a documentary on French Azilum will be on the trip. They will give a presentation on Saturday evening. The public is invited to join the sojourners for evening programs.
The Great PA Migratory Bird Count happens to be on May 10, as well. Sojourners will participate by logging the birds that they see while paddling from Sheshequin to Asylum Township.
Interested readers may join the sojourn for one day or all three. Registration information is available online at http://www.EMO444.com. Deadline for registration is Friday, May 2.
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