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1. NEW – Trout Unlimited Tiadaghton Chapter #688 to Meet Tuesday, Feb. 4
2. Last Coffee & Conservation Session is Wednesday, Feb. 5 at Liberty
3. NEW – Winter Outings Continue on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 7, 8 & 9
4. “Frozen Junior” Winter Theatre Arts Camp Opens in Elkland; Performances are Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7 & 8
5. NEW – Songs From The Road Band to Perform on Friday, Feb. 7
6. NEW – “Out of Rushmore’s Shadow” is Friday, Feb. 14
7. NEW – FFA Pancake Breakfast is Saturday, Feb. 15
8. NEW – Register Youngsters Ages 4 to 12 Now to Dance, Sing and Act Their Way Around The World at Deane Little Beans on Saturday, Feb. 15
9. NEW – Get Passports Now for Sixth Annual Chili With A Chance for Chocolate Taste-Off

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

TROUT UNLIMITED TIADOGHTON CHAPTER #688 TO MEET TUESDAY, FEB. 4

Tiadaghton Chapter #688 of Trout Unlimited will meet this Tuesday, Feb. 4 at the Wellsboro Community Center at 3 Queen Street in Wellsboro. Both the business and general meetings are free and open to the public. Participants do not have to be a member to attend.

At 7 p.m., Carrie Blakeslee will present information about “The Effects of Chloride Exposure on Multiple Life Stages of Freshwater Mussels.” She is an ecologist with the U.S Geological Survey at the Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory in Asaph. One area of Blakeslee’s research is the response of freshwater mussels and their host fish to chloride salts in their environment, why it threatens their survival, how this information can be used to help mussels and why that is important for people.

Chloride salts are increasing in freshwater streams, rivers, and groundwater in the northeastern United States and across the globe, according to Blakeslee. These changes are attributed to different factors. Among them are: climate change, changes in land use and development, road de-icing, and brines released from fossil fuel extraction techniques, such as surface coal mine runoff and flow-back water from natural gas fracking.

Researchers at the lab in Asaph have conducted a series of experiments on the effects of exposure to chloride salts on several species of freshwater mussels during each stage of their lives. “We chose to assess chloride toxicity to native freshwater mussels because they are in decline and have a general sensitivity to aquatic contaminants,” said Blakeslee. “Our studies suggest that chloride impacts mussels differently at their various life stages. Understanding the acute and chronic effects across life stages is crucial to predict mussel population and ecosystem effects, establish threshold levels for threatened species, and guide the development of appropriate regulations and best management practices,” she added.

The chapter’s regular business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Among the events to be discussed will be the five-session fly tying class for beginners that ends this Wednesday, Feb. 5; the Feb. 19 showing of the award-winning documentary “Live The Stream: The Story of Joe Humphreys” at the Victoria Theatre in Blossburg; the free Flies and Lies Social on Feb. 22 at the Wellsboro Community Center; and the Fly Fishing Film Tour 2020 fundraiser being hosted by the chapter on March 14 in the Deane Center.

For more information, call President Jere White at (570) 662-2167 or email him at whitesgordonsetters@gmail.com.

LAST COFFEE & CONSERVATION SESSION IS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 5 AT LIBERTY

The last free Coffee and Conservation session for farmers and woodland property owners will be from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at the Landing Strip Family Restaurant at 8586 State Route 414 in Liberty.

Those attending will have a chance to connect individually with representatives from six organizations to learn about available programs, funding sources, and educational opportunities. The organizations are: the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Pheasants Forever, the Tioga County Conservation District, Tioga County Woodland Owners Association and the Tioga County Planning Department.

Attendees at Liberty can get answers to questions related to farm and woodland management projects, 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.

“Fifteen people attended our first Coffee and Conservation session in Westfield on Jan. 22 and 16 others attended the second session in Tioga on Jan. 24,” said Barbara St. John White. In addition, six organization representatives attended on Jan. 22 and and eight on Jan. 24 to answer questions.

“We are very happy with the turnout,” said St. John White. “People are getting their specific questions answered and individual attention.”

Discussed on Jan. 22 and 24 were the Environmental Quality Incentives, Conservation Stewardship, Conservation Reserve and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement programs, she said.

Among the questions asked was “Are there any opportunities to fund establishment of pollinator or wildlife habitat on my land?” The answer is “Yes. The option might be through the NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program. This program also helps support farm or woodland owners who would like to increase crop resiliency, improve grazing conditions, or conserve fuel in their field or maple operations,” St. John White noted.

Another question was “Do I have to be enrolled in an NRCS, FSA, or other agency program in order to receive technical assistance?” The answer is “No. The NRCS staff is glad to help with a conservation plan or provide other assistance to all landowners whether or not they’re enrolled,” St. John White said.

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

WINTER OUTINGS CONTINUE ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, FEB. 7, 8 & 9

Winter Outings continue in Tioga and Potter counties with programs at Sinnemahoning and Hills Creek State Parks.

Winter Women in the Wilds is Feb. 7-9

Thirty-two women have registered to attend Winter Women in the Wilds from 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7 through 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Sinnemahoning State Park Wildlife Center at 4843 Park Drive in Austin, Potter County, Pa. Offered are classes on cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, winter bird identification, fire starting, open hearth cooking and more. Covered in the $70 per registrant fee are three catered meals and a choice of up to six classes. Leader is Kim Lott. For more information, call the park office at (814) 647-8401 and dial 0 for the front desk or email SinnemahoningSP@pa.gov.

Free Cross-Country Ski and Snowshoe Mini-Clinics are Saturday, Feb. 8

On Saturday, Feb. 8, arrive any time between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the beach parking area at Hills Creek State Park at 111 Spillway Road, Wellsboro, Pa. 16901 to participate in a short, free mini-clinic to learn the basics on selecting and using cross-country skis and snowshoes. Immediately following a clinic, participants can test their skills on the park’s trails and groomed track if conditions permit. Almost all sizes of equipment for adults and youth will be provided free to use during the mini-clinic and in the park. Those who have cross-country skis and/or snowshoes are encouraged to bring them. If the mini-clinics cannot be held due to insufficient snow, email tmorey@pa.gov to set up another date and time to learn about skis and/or snowshoes. If the ice on Hills Creek Lake is thick enough, Ice skates will be available for youth and adults to use free. If there is sufficient snow on Sledding Hill, a limited number of sleds and tubes will be provided. Those who have their own ice skates and sleds are encouraged to bring them. Dress in layers for the weather. For snow and ice conditions, call the park office at (570) 724-4246 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays.

FMI:

To learn more about all Winter Outings events, most of which are free, or for updates on 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.

“FROZEN JUNIOR” WINTER THEATRE ARTS CAMP OPENS IN ELKLAND; PERFORMANCES ARE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, FEB. 7 & 8

Photo by John Eaton
Preparing for their roles in Disney’s “Frozen Junior” are the 55 campers attending Hamilton-Gibson’s Winter Theater Arts Camp at the Clark Wood Elementary School Auditorium at 110 Addison Hill Road in Elkland. Pictured are: (from left to right) Carsyn Kemp who plays Kristoff; Darby Crance who is Kristoff’s loyal reindeer Sven; Hannah Day who plays Princess Anna; and Gabe Crance who is snowman Olaf. The musical tells the story of Anna, a fearless princess who sets off on a journey with Kristoff, Sven and Olaf to find her sister Princess Elsa whose icy powers have trapped their kingdom in eternal winter. Public performances will be in the auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7 and 8. Admission is Pay-What-You-Can. Call (570) 724-2079 or email hamgib@gmail.com for information.

SONGS FROM THE ROAD BAND T0 PERFORM ON FRIDAY, FEB. 7

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, the four members of the Songs From The Road Band will deliver a one-of-a-kind show featuring their original bluegrass, newgrass and Americana songs along with favorite cover tunes in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro.

Based in Asheville, North Carolina, the Road Band includes: Charles R. Humphrey III on electric bass, Sam Wharton on guitar, Mark Schimick on mandolin and James Schlender on fiddle. Wharton and Schimick share the role of lead singer and all four sing harmony vocals.

Humphrey is a Grammy winner in songwriting and producing, an International Bluegrass Music Association entertainer of the year award winner and two-time nominee for Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year. Wharton is a dynamic, award-winning singer and guitar player who developed his picking chops in the music halls of Telluride, Colorado. High harmonies and mandolin licks have pushed Schimick to the top of the progressive and jamgrass scene alongside legends Larry Keel, Vassar Clements and Tony Rice. Schlender, a two-time National fiddle award recipient, is one of the top five string fiddlers in the world, with a background in contest, classical, and jazz.

For the past 23 months, the Road Band has been on tour full-time, becoming one of the heaviest touring bands in America.

Wellsboro is not the band’s first visit to Pennsylvania. The foursome has played at a number of festivals in the Keystone State in the summers of 2018 and 2019 and last September in Philadelphia and Jim Thorpe. “If you are on the edge about coming to the show, take that leap of faith and come on out. We’re a people’s band,” said Humphrey.

In 2004, Humphrey and Wharton started Songs From The Road Band. Featured were a rotating cast of musicians who were performing full-time with other ensembles and projects throughout the United States. Primarily, the new band was an album-recording project, which served as an outlet for the abundance of original songs Humphrey had written or co-written.

“It was a fun thing to do,” Humphrey said. “We played five to 20 shows a year and released three CDs. “Songs From The Road” released in 2004 was The Road Band’s first album. The second was “As The Crow Flies” released in 2009, and the third, “Traveling Show” in 2015.

After 17 years of touring the world while performing with a Grammy-winning bluegrass band and writing much of that band’s repertoire, Humphrey announced his decision to go full-time with the Road Band.

In March 2018, the Road Band began touring full-time in support of its fourth album, which was released on July 23, 2018. Thanks to the success of “Road to Nowhere,” which topped the Americana, bluegrass and classic country charts, the band began picking up speed.

The following year on July 31, 2019, the band released its fifth studio album. “We put out ‘Waiting On A Ride’ to let people know our band is not a side project anymore,” said Humphrey. On all five Road Band albums, Wharton is the lead singer and Humphrey the songwriter or co-writer of the majority of songs.

This concert is BYOB with audience members encouraged to bring their favorite beverages and snacks. Tickets are $20. For tickets and to reserve a table free, call (570) 724-6220 or visit https://www.deanecenter.com.

“OUT OF RUSHMORE’S SHADOW” IS FRIDAY, FEB. 14

Friday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m., Lou Del Bianco of Port Chester, New York, will give a “captivating” living history presentation “Out of Rushmore’s Shadow” in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro. It is appropriate for adults and youth, ages 10 to 18.

In his “intriguing” one man show about history, ancestry and perseverance, Del Bianco, a master storyteller and entertainer, portrays his grandfather, the only classically trained Italian stone carver to work on Mount Rushmore. “This is the real story about the carving of Mount Rushmore and how it happened,” Del Bianco said. The show has received rave reviews from schools, libraries, historic groups and at Mount Rushmore where it was performed. “A graceful balance of humor and heart” according to the L.A. Times.

When Del Bianco was in second grade, he discovered a Mount Rushmore National Park pamphlet advertising a fundraiser to help complete the carvings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Inside the pamphlet, his grandfather’s name, Luigi Del Bianco was listed as chief carver. His mother confirmed that Luigi, who had died when his grandson was six, did work on the sculptures. Lou, his grandfather’s namesake, wanted to know more.

After Lou and his Uncle Caesar (Luigi’s son) learned that Luigi was not even mentioned in the most definitive book on Rushmore, they began a journey that lasted 25 years to get Luigi the recognition that he deserved.

As Luigi, Lou tells about his grandfather’s unique contribution as the chief carver on Mount Rushmore, our nation’s greatest memorial. To bring the story to life, he uses historic documents, photos and video that he and his uncle unearthed at the Library of Congress. The audience will learn about Luigi’s special relationship with “The Master” Gutzon Borglum who, with 400 workers, sculpted the colossal, 60-foot high faces of the four U.S. presidents in granite and how Borglum depended on “Bianco” to help him fulfill his dream. Audience members will also discover how the mountain was carved and how Luigi brought Lincoln’s eyes to life and saved Jefferson’s face.

Luigi was recognized as the South Dakota monument’s chief carver by the National Park Service in 2016, more than 45 years after his death in 1969. On Sept. 17, 2017, a plaque was unveiled at Mount Rushmore crediting Del Bianco as its chief carver.

The audience is invited to ask questions following the show.

Tickets are $15. Children 10 to 12 will be admitted free. To reserve a seat for this very special show call the Deane Center at (570) 724-6220 or visit https://www.deanecenter.com.

FFA PANCAKE BREAKFAST IS SATURDAY, FEB. 15

Members of the Wellsboro Area Senior High School Grand Canyon FFA are hosting a pancake breakfast on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Wellsboro Firemen’s Annex on East Avenue in Wellsboro.

On the menu are pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, tea, coffee and orange juice. The price is $6 for adults, $3 for youngsters 6-12 and free for children 5 and under and farmers.

Takeout is available for walk-ins.

Proceeds from this breakfast will be donated to Goodies For Our Troops, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located at 87 Main Street in Wellsboro.

Goodies For Our Troops volunteers support military men and women with ties to the Twin Tiers area who are serving their country in all parts of the world by putting together and sending care packages to them each month all year long. They have been doing that every year since July 2005. The money donated by the Grand Canyon FFA will be used to help cover the cost of postage to send boxes containing food, candy, socks, hand warmers and other necessities to the troops and to purchase any other items they may need. For more information about Goodies For Our Troops, call Dawn Pletcher, founder and co-director at (570) 662-5601 or email goodies@ptd.net.

REGISTER YOUNGSTERS AGES 4 to 12 NOW TO DANCE, SING AND ACT THEIR WAY AROUND THE WORLD AT DEANE LITTLE BEANS ON SATURDAY, FEB. 15

On Saturday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m., youngsters ages four to 12 can act, sing and dance their way “Around The World” with Lou Del Bianco, a storyteller, actor and singer, at the free Deane Little Beans program at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro.

For his exciting and lively 45-minute “Around The World” program, Del Bianco combines storytelling, theater and music. In this way, children learn about the world and themselves. He invites willing youngsters to join him on stage to help him dramatize the folktales, fairytales and fables he tells from countries such as Greece and Japan. His young audience joins in by singing and dancing.

Del Bianco is a nationally recognized children’s entertainer and a six-time Parents Choice award winner. He has been working with children of all ages since 1982.

His music video “A Little Bit Clumsy” is presently playing on the Learning Channel. Del Bianco’s CDs for children have received critical praise from the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, TV Guide, Parents Magazine, Child Magazine and others.

He has traveled the Northeast as an artist in residence for 17 years, performed in San Diego at the International Reading Association’s annual conference, and served as keynote speaker on the arts and character education from North Carolina to Massachusetts. Del Bianco’s “Around The World” one man show has reached thousands of elementary school children all over Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.

His “dramatic approach to storytelling “puts pow into passivity”, according to the New York Times. “Few performers excel as both a storyteller and musician but Lou Del Bianco is one who does”, the Parents Choice Foundation states.

Sponsors are the Wellsboro Community Concert Association and the Deane Center for the Performing Arts.

This fun, interactive Deane Little Beans program is open to youngsters on a first come, first served basis. To register children for this free program, parents are asked to call the Deane Center at (570) 724-6220.

GET PASSPORTS NOW FOR SIXTH ANNUAL CHILI WITH A CHANCE FOR CHOCOLATE TASTE-OFF

The Sixth Annual Chili With A Chance For Chocolate Taste-Off is Saturday, Feb. 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Wellsboro. There will be 15 great chilis to taste at 15 different sites and an opportunity to win one or more of 15 fun and unique baskets of chocolates.

“This year’s taste-off will feature some new and exciting chilis to tickle all taste buds,” said Jim Howe, organizer. “Passports are limited to 400 due to the event’s popularity to ensure that every passport holder has a chance to taste them all if they want to.”

Those who want to taste the chili and select the winners can call or visit the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office anytime between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays to purchase a taste-off passport in advance for $5. Each passport has a unique number and includes the businesses and a church hosting the chili taste-off entries. Some locations enter their own chili and others host chili entered by other individuals or organizations.

Taste-off passports will also be sold on Feb. 15, the day of the event, outdoors from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Penn Oak Realty, Inc. at 65 Main Street.

The 15 chili taste-off locations are: From My Shelf Books & Gifts, Garrison’s Men’s Shop, Johnny’z Hot Rod Café, The Native Bagel, Peggy’s Candies & Gifts, Pop’s Culture Shop, The Red Skillet, The Roost, Senior’s Creations and The Main Street Olive Oil Company, Shabby Rue, Stained Glass Reflections, Timeless Destination, TPA Family, Inc., the United Methodist Church of Wellsboro and Wild Asaph Outfitters.

In addition, passport holders are welcome to stop in at Century 21 Gold Star Real Estate to spin the wheel for a surprise and free, cold water to drink.

Special signs will be placed outside each chili tasting site making it easy to spot the chili and basket of chocolate locations.

Passport holders can visit as many of the 15 tasting sites as they wish to taste chili and show their passport number to enter the drawing for that site’s basket of all types of chocolates valued at $25. When they have finished tasting, people can cast their votes for their favorite chili picks by turning in their marked passports at any chili tasting site.

“At the end of the taste-off, drawings will be held and the basket winners will be announced,” said Howe. “‘A chance for chocolate’ refers to the baskets of chocolates. We are not asking people to make a chili that includes chocolate although they could.”

All proceeds from the taste-off will benefit rescued animals and programs offered by Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries.

For more information or to purchase a taste-off passport, contact the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at (570) 724-1926 or info@wellsboropa.com or stop in at 114 Main Street.