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1. Hamilton-Gibson’s Winter Theatre Arts Camp to Present Public Performances of Disney’s “Frozen Junior” This Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17 & 18 in Blossburg
2. Trout Unlimited Tiadaghton Chapter #688 Flies and Lies Social is This Saturday, Jan. 18
3. Winterfest 2020 is This Saturday, Jan. 18 – REMINDER WITH NEW INFORMATION
4. NEW – Timeless Tuesday on Jan. 21 to Benefit Nessmuk Rod & Gun Club
5. NEW – Coffee & Conservation: Drink Coffee & Learn About Farm & Woodland Funding Opportunities with Tioga County Service Agency Representatives on Jan. 22 at Westfield, Jan. 24 at Tioga and Feb. 5 at Liberty
6. NEW – Winter Outings Continue on Jan. 25 & 26
7. NEW – Burns Supper is Sunday, Jan. 26
8. NEW – Driftwood Band Concert is Friday, Jan. 31

Diane Eaton
dianetn@ptd.net
(570) 724-3800

HAMILTON-GIBSON’S WINTER THEATRE ARTS CAMP TO PRESENT PUBLIC PERFORMANCES OF “FROZEN JUNIOR” THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, JAN. 17 AND 18 IN BLOSSBURG

Photo by John Eaton
At 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17 and 18, public performances of Disney’s “Frozen Junior” will be given in the Blossburg School Auditorium next door to the Blossburg Elementary School at 133 Hannibal Street in Blossburg by 91 third through ninth graders from communities in the Southern Tioga, Wellsboro Area and Galeton Area school districts. Based on the 2013 film, “Frozen Junior” is filled with magic, including mystical trolls, a comedic snowman and songs like “Let It Go.” Shown in this photograph taken during the Hamilton-Gibson’s Winter Theatre Arts Camp at Blossburg are: (from left) Annie Gehman (Anna), River Moyer (Olaf, holding a carrot to his nose) and Lily Cuneo (Elsa). Admission at the door is Pay-What-You-Can. For more information, call (570) 724-2079 or email hamgib@gmail.com.

TROUT UNLIMITED TIADAGHTON CHAPTER #688 FLIES AND LIES SOCIAL IS THIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 18

Photo by John Eaton
This Saturday, Jan. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon, Trout Unlimited Tiadaghton Chapter #688 members are offering free demonstrations and fly tying lessons to men, women and children who have never tied a fly or are experienced fly tyers. Equipment and materials and coffee and donuts will be provided free during Saturday’s Flies and Lies Social at the Wellsboro Community Center, 3 Queen Street in Wellsboro. Walk-ins are welcome. It is not necessary to preregister. Children 14 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. “This is an informal, fun event. Folks can feel free to stop in and visit with our members,” said Art Antal, organizer of this year’s socials. Pictured is Antal tying a dry fly during a social last year. For more information, call Antal at (570) 439-4221 or email him at artantal@yahoo.com.

WINTERFEST 2020 IS THIS SATURDAY, JAN. 18

“Snow or no snow, ice or no ice, Winterfest 2020 is a go and everything’s free!” said Tim Morey, organizer. “If there’s snow, it only gets better,” he added.

Winterfest is this Saturday, Jan. 18 with free, fun, family friendly activities at Hills Creek State Park’s beach parking area in Charleston Township, eight miles from Wellsboro. The park’s GPS address is 111 Spillway Road, Wellsboro, Pa. 16901.

Cold temperatures and snow are currently predicted for this Friday and Winterfest Saturday,” Morey said on Monday, Jan. 13. “The forecast calls for one-inch of snow Friday and an additional 5.4 inches on Saturday.”

“Our presenters are planning to be there. If visitors can drive safely to Hills Creek on Saturday and there is enough snow, the fun will increase,” Morey said.

“We don’t need a lot of snow for sledding down Beach Front Hill on tubes, toboggans, sleds and snowboards,” said Morey. “We do need at least five inches for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on park trails. If there is enough snow, we will hold the introduction to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing mini-clinics from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Adults and kids of all ages can sign out snowshoes and skis to use in the park free until 3 p.m. If there is not enough snow, the mini-clinics will be from noon to 2 p.m and people will be shown how to select appropriate equipment to purchase,” Morey said. “In that case, our plan is to end Winterfest at 2 p.m., too.”

Tubes for two and some sleds, ice skates, snowshoes and cross-country skis, boots and poles will be available to sign out and use free during the day; quantities are limited. Those who have their own equipment are encouraged to bring it.

“I am excited about the other programs and events we have lined up that don’t require snow or ice!” said Morey.

“We have no plans to be on the ice for fishing or skating on Saturday, but will have information on ice fishing as well as historic ice harvesting,” he said. From 11:30 a.m. to noon, talks about ice harvesting and how ice was used to keep food cold more than 100 years ago will be presented with a look at some of the historic tools used. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be a program with ice fishing tips and tricks on how to get started and demonstrations on land.

Visitors can hike on park trails or participate in different types of guided walks or hikes. At 10 a.m. will be a winter tree identification hike led by forester Steve Hoover. Tiadaghton Audubon Society members will take visitors on impromptu birding walks between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on scheduled 30-minute birding walks at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Bring binoculars and cameras.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be fat-tired snow bike demonstrations. Tom Gibson of Milton is bringing several pairs of the new, longer Tracker Skishoes he invented for people to look at, put on, and try out. Skishoes are a combination ski and snowshoe with a built-in traction device.

Build a bluebird nesting box to take home between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. with all materials provided free.

Mel “Longknife” Stafford, a reenactor portraying an 18th century Eastern mountain man, will do pioneer-style outdoor cooking demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and give out free samples of his freshly made donuts.

Free hot dogs and hot chocolate will be available to everyone from 11 a.m. until gone. Fire rings and burn barrels will help visitors stay warm.

At 12 p.m. and again at 1:30 p.m., “Meet the Owls of Pennsylvania, a 30-minute program for adults and children. Find out how to identify local owls by call and key features.

Snow and ice condition updates will be posted at https://www.stepoutdoors.org and on Facebook at Step Outdoors Tioga PA. For more information, call Hills Creek State Park at (570) 724-4246 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Photo provided
Addie (shown) makes a bluebird nesting box to take home with assistance provided by Sean Minnick of the Tiadaghton Audubon Society. Just like last year, people can build a bluebird nesting box using free materials.

Photo by John Eaton
Tim Morey is shown with an ice saw and ice tongs used for cutting and moving blocks of ice from local ponds and lakes to homes to preserve food in “ice boxes”100 years ago.

TIMELESS TUESDAY ON JAN. 21 TO BENEFIT NESSMUK ROD & GUN CLUB

WELLSBORO — The Timeless Tuesday Night Out to benefit the Nessmuk Rod and Gun Club will be on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Bring family and friends. Takeout is available.

Between 5 and 8 p.m. on Jan. 21 at Timeless Destination, 77 Main Street in Wellsboro, adults and youngsters can enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring pasta, meatballs, garden salad and bread. The dinner price for adults is $10.99 with Timeless donating $2 for each dinner sold to the Nessmuk club. The price for youngsters under the age of 12 is $5.99 with Timeless donating $1 for each dinner sold to the club.

For more information about the Nessmuk Rod and Gun Club, email Charlie Messina at nessmukgunclub@gmail.com.

COFFEE & CONSERVATION: DRINK COFFEE & LEARN ABOUT FARM AND WOODLAND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES WITH TIOGA COUNTY SERVICE AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES ON JAN. 22 AT WESTFIELD; JAN. 24 AT TIOGA AND FEB. 5 AT LIBERTY

Farmers and woodland property owners are invited to attend a free, informal Coffee and Conservation session to talk to representatives from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Tioga County Conservation District, and the Tioga County Planning Department to learn about available programs, funding sources, and educational opportunities.

The free Coffee and Conservation sessions will be from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the following dates in three different communities:
• Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the Home Comfort Restaurant, 1131 State Route 49, Westfield, PA 16950;
• Friday, Jan. 24 at Me-Ma’s Country Kitchen, 6 Wellsboro Street, Tioga, PA 16946; and
• Wednesday, Feb. 5 at the Landing Strip Family Restaurant, 8586 State Route 414, Liberty, PA 16930.

Those attending will have a chance to drink coffee and connect individually with NRCS, FSA and county staff to discuss projects and get answers to questions related to farm and woodland management, such as creating and supporting wildlife on their land or learning about ways to integrate trees with crops and livestock, about Farm Bill programs, and loan and grant opportunities to fund new or existing farming practices.

For more information, call Barbara St. John White of the Tioga County Planning Department at (814) 933-6877 or email her at bstjohnwhite@tiogacountypa.us.

WINTER OUTINGS CONTINUE ON JAN. 25 & 26

Step Outdoors Winter Outings in Tioga and Potter counties include three events this weekend: a winter hiking adventure at Lyman Run State Park near Galeton; outdoor activities at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum’s lumber camp; and the Kayak Club Open House at Mansfield University.

Lyman Run Winter Adventure Hike is on Saturday, Jan. 25

At 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 leave from the pavilion at Lyman Run State Park (GPS address: 454 Lyman Run Road, Galeton, PA 16922) to go on a two-hour moderately difficult 3.1-mile Lyman Lake Loop Hike with outdoorsmen Chip Harrison and John Halter. There will be ascents and descents on the Lyman Run and Susquehannock trails. Hikers will see native trout streams and what remains of a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp and a German Prisoner of War Camp. Wear sturdy shoes, dress appropriately for the weather and bring snacks and water. Park in the pavilion parking lot. This hike is not recommended for youngsters and may be cancelled based on trail conditions. For more information, call (570) 439-1826 or (814) 435-5010.

Winter in the Lumber Camp on Saturday, Jan. 25

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, free outdoor activities will be at the lumber camp at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum midway between Galeton and Coudersport on Route 6 (GPS address: 5660 US Route 6, Ulysses, PA 16948). Bring a sled and slide down the hills or make a snowman and warm up with some hot beverages in the program room. If there is enough ice on the pond and snow, cross-country skis, snowshoes and ice skates will be provided and volunteer instructors will show beginners, both adults and children under adult supervision, how to use them. At 1 p.m., go on a free, short, guided hike or snowshoe hike on the Sustainable Forestry Trail. Instruction is free and equipment to use for these activities is free. Those who have their own equipment are encouraged to bring it. Museum admission and snacks are available for a nominal cost. For more information, call (814) 435-2652.

Kayak Club Open House Is Indoors Sunday, Jan. 26 at MU

From 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, the Mansfield University Kayak Club is hosting a free open house in Decker Gymnasium on the MU campus. Children and adults, swimmers and non-swimmers of all ages are invited to try kayaking in the indoor, warm water pool. A responsible adult must accompany a child. The adult does not have to get in the water. Those who plan to get in the pool should bring a towel and wear a swimsuit or clothes that can get wet. Kayaks, paddles and other equipment will be provided by the MU Kayak Club to use for free. For information about this Winter Outings event, call (570) 404-1219.

FMI:

To learn more about all Winter Outings events, most of which are free, or for updates, trail conditions, directions and more, visit https://www.stepoutdoors.org or call (570) 724-0300 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays. Snow and ice updates are also posted on Facebook at Step Outdoors Tioga County PA.

BURNS SUPPER IS SUNDAY, JANUARY 26

Want a break from long, dark, January days? Like to laugh a lot? Up for a culinary adventure? Then the 9th Annual Robbie Burns Supper and Poetry Slam, a lighthearted homage to Scottish national poet Robert Burns, may be for you. Open to the public, the supper will be on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 3 p.m. at Timeless Destination, 77 Main Street in Wellsboro. Leave your inhibitions behind and join in.

Featured will be fun, fellowship, whisky and haggis, all to commemorate Burns on the Sunday closest to his birth date, Jan. 25. He was born in 1759. Not only is he Scotland’s national poet but in 2009 was also voted “The Greatest Scot Ever”.

Burns Suppers started in Scotland in 1801 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Burns’ death on July 21, 1796. Over the years the date of this annual event moved to the Sunday nearest his birth date, probably because whisky works better in January than in July.

Suppers take place worldwide each year on that date, from the modest event in Wellsboro to Toddish McWong’s Gung Haggis Fat Choy supper in Vancouver, British Columbia, simultaneously celebrating Robbie Burns and the Chinese New Year, with more than 500 people attending.

“If you know what a Burns Dinner is, you may already be hooked,” said Pat Davis, one of the organizers at Wellsboro. “While haggis and “neaps and tatties” – turnips and potatoes – are traditional offerings, a regular menu is also included, closer to participants’ palettes,” Davis noted.

A toast of an excellent single-malt whisky is offered by passing the traditional silver cup called a Quaich but no one is required to drink from it. A cash bar will be available.

The haggis will be piped in with Tim Swan playing bagpipes, followed by a recital of Burns’ “Ode to a Haggis” by Larry Biddison before the meal.

“Haggis tastes better than it sounds,” said Davis. Lamb is minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt, mixed with stock and simmered in a casing for three hours. This year, in addition to the traditional haggis, a vegetarian haggis is also being offered. There will also be appetizers, salad, dessert, coffee tea and soft drinks. Dessert is Typsy Laird, a Scottish trifle made with sponge cake, brandy, egg custard, raspberries, banana and double cream.

Traditionally, during the supper each attendee can choose to read a favorite, funny, short poem or story written by Burns, another poet or by himself or herself. The supper closes with a lusty singing of “Scotland the Brave” and “Auld Lang Syne.”

“Be prepared to laugh,” said Jim Tutak who along with Davis, Biddison, Charlie Messina, and Jerry Tutak are the perpetrators of the annual Wellsboro dinner.

Seating is limited to 30 at Wellsboro. The cost is $40 and reservations are required. Contact Tutak at (570) 723-5049 or at legaltak@aol.com to make reservations or for more information. No tickets will be sold at the door. Any proceeds will be donated to the Wellsboro Area Food Pantry.

DRIFTWOOD BAND CONCERT IS FRIDAY, JAN. 31

Driftwood will perform their style of Americana folk rock at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31 in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro. The band is now on tour in support of their fifth studio album, “Tree of Shade,” which was released on April 5, 2019.

On stage will be Driftwood’s founding members Joe Kollar on banjo and guitar and Dan Forsyth on guitar along with Claire Byrne on violin, Joey Arcuri on upright bass and Greg Evans on drums. Kollar, Forsyth and Byrne write original songs for the group and share the role of lead vocalist. Arcuri also sings. Evans doesn’t sing or write songs. The band is currently writing and arranging tunes for a new album with a goal of releasing it in late 2020 or early 2021.

Called a band with a rock n’ roll soul and a folk art mind, Driftwood’s sound is a nod to 1960s R&B, 1970s country rock, contemporary pop, folk and traditional Appalachian music. Live, it all comes together in a performance that has made the band a returning favorite at festivals and dance halls for much of the last decade.

Driftwood has been carving out a name for itself since its start when childhood friends Forsyth and Kollar began performing together in 2005. They released “Rally Day” in 2009 as a duo and that same year paired up with classically trained violinist Claire Byrne and began making a name for themselves. The trio’s fast-paced arrangements of Americana standards, vocal tradeoffs and penchant for genre-bending improvisation quickly generated an audience in their native Binghamton, N.Y. and beyond.

By the time upright bassist Joey Arcuri joined the band in 2011, Driftwood was averaging more than 150 shows a year and building a dedicated following of fans known as “Drifters” up and down the East Coast.

The band added drummer Will Sigel full-time and released their second live album titled “Driftwood Live at The Purple Fiddle on Nov. 20, 2018. Recorded at The Purple Fiddle in Thomas, West Virginia on Aug. 3 and 4, 2018, this album is filled with fan favorites and displays Driftwood’s electrifying live performance skills, blending the ghost of traditional American folk music with a modern rock-n-roll energy, creating something that is uniquely their own.

“It wasn’t until our fourth studio album, ‘City Lights’ released in 2016 that we took some time off the road to learn more about being in the studio,” said Forsyth. “Generally speaking, there’s a maturity to us now,” said Kollar in 2016. “We have a bit of experience doing what we do and the music reflects that point of view. The song subjects, our playing, singing and recording abilities and our relationships have all matured.”

For “Tree of Shade”, the band members retreated to the Catskill Mountains to write and record in the storied home of Rip Van Winkle. They spent 10 days working with Simone Felice, the award-winning producer of the Lumineers’ “Cleopatra” and sound engineer Pete Hanlon, whose many credits include work with O.A.R. and Rachel Yamagata. The resulting 11 tracks on “Tree of Shade” showcase an evolution in the band’s sound. Forsyth, Kollar and Bryne’s new songs are more thought provoking.

In April 2019, Sigel left the band. Greg Evans has been Driftwood’s drummer since May 2019.

The Jan. 31 concert is the third time Driftwood has performed on the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre stage. The first was in April 2018 and the second in February 2019. The band has also performed at Hickory Fest in August of 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019 at Stony Fork Creek Campground near Wellsboro.

This concert is BYOB with audience members encouraged to bring their favorite beverages and snacks. Tickets are $23. For tickets and to reserve a table at no extra charge, call (570) 724-6220 or visit https://www.deanecenter.com.

Photo provided
Shown are members of Driftwood (from left) Claire Byrne, Dan Forsyth, Joe Kollar, Greg Evans and Joey Arcuri.