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1. Family Fishing Day Tournament Winners are Named
2. Wellsboro Growers Market is This Thursday, June 25
3. State Parks Offer Free Virtual and In-Person Programs
4. 3Ds and Drowsy Maggie Musicians to Perform Free Concert Outdoors This Friday
5. Matt West to Give Free Presentation on Bald Eagles at Mill Cove This Saturday
6. Where are the Totally Ninja Raccoons Hunt to Begin in Wellsboro July 1

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

FAMILY FISHING DAY TOURNAMENT WINNERS ARE NAMED

Winners of the Family Fishing Day Tournament on Saturday, June 20 on Hills Creek Lake at Hills Creek State Park, 111 Spillway Road in Charleston Township, near Wellsboro, were announced by Park Naturalist Jim Mucci following the 7 p.m. weigh-in. A total of 75 anglers had registered.

Mucci presented medallions individually to the three winners of the five tournament categories. “The purpose of our tournament is for people to have a good time and enjoy themselves. That’s what it’s all about,” said Mucci.

Brett Shirk of Blanchard Pa. won the largest bass and largest stringer of game fish by weight categories. The largest bass he caught weighed 6.21 pounds. His stringer of bass totaled 29.79 pounds.

John Baney of Mill Hall, Pa. caught the largest bluegill of the day. It weighed .527 pounds.

Ed Hicks of Houtzdale, Pa. caught the largest crappie, weighing .588 pounds and the largest perch, .281 pounds.

Shirk said he has been competing in the Hills Creek tournament for 13 years and Baney and Hicks each said they had been competing for more than 30 years. All three were staying at the park and said they come back each year to take part in the contest.

Photo by John Eaton
Ed Hicks wears the two medallions he won for catching the largest crappie weighing .588 pounds and the largest perch, .281 pounds.

Photo by John Eaton
John Baney displays the medallion he won for catching the largest bluegill.

Photo by John Eaton
Brett Shirk holds the 6.21-pound bass he caught during the Family Fishing Day Tournament at Hills Creek Lake. He won both the largest bass and largest stringer of game fish by weight categories.

WELLSBORO GROWERS MARKET IS THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 25

The Wellsboro Growers Market will be from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. this Thursday, June 25 and every Thursday through October 8, on the front lawn of the First Presbyterian Church at 130 Main Street in Wellsboro, next to the Green Free Library, weather permitting.

The June 25 market will be the first one this season for Udder Merry Mac Farm and the last one until September for Growin’ Native.

Also at the market on June 25 will be Justina Swartwood and Boki Cvetkovski of Wellsboro with their Scentillating Creations, a selection of candles, soaps and other products.

“It was Christmastime in 2018 when my fiancée and I fell in love with making soaps and candles,” Boki said. “I spent time researching how soaps are made,” said Justina. “Making soaps led us to making candles because you buy the supplies for both in the same places,” she said.

“I had a booth at the Wellsboro Plaza Marketplace selling the blankets, headbands, ear warmers, hats, scarves, dishcloths and pot scrubbies I crocheted,” said Justina. She had started doing that after moving back to Wellsboro. “On Jan. 16, 2019, Justina took some of our hand-poured scented candles and soaps to her booth and they took off,” Boki said. “We were just playing around. I didn’t know we were going to start a business,” he laughed.

“It’s still a learning process. Today, we have 150 fragrances and are doing custom orders. We do candle wax melts, liquid soaps. air fresheners, car fragrance diffusers and body splashes,” Boki said.

“One of our most popular scents year-round is pumpkin apple butter,” said Boki. “Another is unicorn farts. It smells delicious, like grape-flavored Hubba Bubba bubble gum. In the summer, people like our combination scents, such as basil, sage and mint; cucumber melon; mandarin peach; and white tea and ginger.”

“For the Thursday markets, we take some of our more popular products and add in a couple of new ones,” said Justina.

“Our kitchen is our factory,” Boki said. “That’s where we design our products,” Justina added. “We start at 8 a.m. some mornings and 9 p.m. some nights. It depends on when we have the energy and time.”

“We also own the CBJ Collective Gift Shop and Piano Studio at 152 Main Street (formerly the West End Market Café),” Boki said. “I teach piano there to students five years old and up.” “In our gift shop we sell the crocheted items I make plus our candles, soaps and other products and also offer some merchandise on consignment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Wednesdays and Sundays,” said Justina.

Also at this Thursday’s market will be Todd Webster of Hillstone Farms with beef, pork and ham; Aunt Lulu’s Embroidery; WindStone Landing Farms with non-GMO and chemical-free foods; Linda Sweely of New View Farm with freshly baked artisan breads; Jeff and Sally Jones with Between Two Rivers maple products; Liz McLelland of Yorkshire Meadows with freshly made goodies; and Frank Maffei with wine tastings and Staggering Unicorn wines sold by the bottle.

All vendors and customers at the market are asked to wear masks and to stay at least six feet from each other.

Vendors who want to participate are asked to email Thomas Putnam at wellsborogrowersmarket@gmail.com or call (570) 439-2000.

Photo by John Eaton
Boki Cvetkovski is shown with some of the Scentillating Creations that he and Justina Swartwood make. He took off his face covering only for this photo and immediately put it back on.

Photo by John Eaton
Boki and Justina restock the shelves in their gift shop with their Scentillating Creations.

STATE PARKS OFFER FREE VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMS

“We are slowly bringing in-person programs back to four of the eight state parks in the Hills Creek State Park Complex,” said Tim Morey, natural resource specialist. Two of the four, including Lyman Run and Leonard Harrison, will not have events posted on the state parks events calendar though they may have a few programs for campers. In-person programs for Cherry Springs and Hills Creek will be posted periodically.

“At this point, in-person educational programs are limited to a maximum of 25 participants based on state coronavirus protocols,” said Morey. “That includes in-person stargazing programs at Cherry Springs, which have been attended by 500+ people in the past. That’s why there will be no telescope viewing until further notice. We’re still working on how to accommodate stargazing with laser pointers due to the high numbers that visit. Bigger events, such as the 69th Annual Woodsmen’s Show sponsored by the Galeton Rotary Club and scheduled this August at Cherry Springs, have been canceled,” Morey said.

“Currently what we are doing is offering a combination of virtual and in-person programming at Cherry Springs,” Morey said. “For example, this Thursday, June 25 and continuing on Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Cherry Springs we are offering a 30-minute virtual program for those planning to take a trip there to camp and see the stars. They can join park staff on Skype for a slide show presentation about things they should know about Cherry Springs before their visit,” Morey said.

“This Saturday, June 27, at 6 p.m., we are hosting a 30-minute, in-person short walk to introduce registrants to the history and future of Cherry Springs. The walk is not strenuous and is not a hike. Registration is required and will be limited to the first 25 people who register. It is important for families to register as a group if more than one member is going.” To register, visit https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/cherry_springs_state_park/calendar. All participants must follow CDC guidelines and bring a mask with them in order to attend. Programs may be cancelled due to severe weather.

“Planning for a telescope workshop in 2020 is a lot different than it was in 2019,” Morey said. “Since we cannot offer in-person telescope viewing, we are planning to host a virtual telescope workshop. It is for those who have a telescope but still haven’t figured out how to use it. As a follow-up, those who participate and are still having trouble with their telescope can schedule a one-on-one virtual session to find out why it isn’t working or how to get the most out of it.”

The virtual workshop is also for those who are Interested in purchasing a telescope and want to find out what to look for and what to avoid. They are invited to join park staff for a short overview of the variety of telescopes available and to find out which type might best suit their needs.”

All parts of the virtual telescope workshop will be conducted online. “There will be no in-person presentation,” Morey said. “Those who have a telescope and register to participate will need to use a smart phone or tablet so they are mobile and can move around,” Morey said.

All virtual telescope workshops will be posted on the Cherry Springs event calendar. In the meantime, those who are interested are invited to contact Tim Morey by emailing him at tmorey@pa.gov to let him know the days and times a virtual telescope workshop could be held that would work best for them and their families.

Photo by John Eaton
This photo of Hills Creek State Park Complex Natural Resource Specialist Tim Morey with a park telescope was taken in October of 2017, well before the Covid-19 pandemic struck the United States.

3DS AND DROWSY MAGGIE MUSICIANS TO PERFORM FREE CONCERT OUTDOORS THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 26

At 6 p.m. this Friday, June 26, the 3Ds and three members of Drowsy Maggie are giving a free concert on the outdoor stage at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro. The stage is on the Central Avenue side of the building.

Drowsy Maggie’s Dan Shipe on guitar, Bruce Smith on standup bass and Daria Guelig on hammered dulcimer and concertina, will sing and play a variety of folk, bluegrass, and Americana songs.

The 3Ds with David Milano on guitar, David Driskell on clarinet, flute, whistle and musical saw and Guelig will play a variety of tunes that include ragtime, jazz, pop, Celtic, old-time and more.

Bring lawn chairs and blankets and sit on the grass in front of the outdoor stage or sit on lawn chairs on Central Avenue, which will be closed to traffic between Main and Water streets from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 26 to provide space for social distancing for those attending.

The next free concert in the series is a deluxe jam session of local musicians on Friday, July 3 at 6 p.m.

For more information about this outdoor concert series, call the Deane Center at (570) 724-6220, email office@deanecenter.com or stop in between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Photo provided
Guitarist and vocalist Dan Shipe (pictured) will perform this Friday, June 26 during the second concert in the free outdoor series being sponsored by the Deane Center and the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce.

MATT WEST TO GIVE PRESENTATION ON BALD EAGLES AT MILL COVE THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 27

This Saturday, June 27 at 7 p.m., Matt West of Wellsboro is giving a presentation titled “Return of the Bald Eagle to Pennsylvania” at the large pavilion in the Mill Cove Environmental Area at 3036 Mill Creek Road, Mansfield, Pa. This program is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine.

West, a local expert, will talk about how the Pennsylvania Game Commission reintroduced the bald eagle, this raptor’s daily habits, competition with other fish-eating birds, such as the Osprey, how it chooses a mate, incubates eggs and raises its young as well as how to identify bald eagles and the best spots to view them in this area. He will display a mounted bald eagle along with photos of them.

Those who attend will need to bring chairs and are asked to follow CDC guidelines, including wearing masks and social distancing.

For more information, contact Patricia Butts by calling (570) 463-1407 or emailing her at pbutts6610@yahoo.com.

WHERE ARE THE TOTALLY NINJA RACCOONS HUNT TO BEGIN IN WELLSBORO ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 1

Where are the Totally Ninja Raccoons? They will be hiding in 21 Wellsboro area businesses the entire month of July.

Every July for seven years in a row, From My Shelf Books & Gifts at 7 East Avenue hosted the Candlewick Press search for Where’s Waldo, the publisher’s iconic cartoon character. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Candlewick cancelled the 2020 hunt.

In response, the local bookstore owned by author Kevin Coolidge decided to host the “Where Are the Totally Ninja Raccoons” search based on Coolidge’s “Totally Ninja Raccoon” action series for 7 to 10-year-old reluctant readers. The eight books in the series are about the three raccoon brothers who become ninjas.

The hunt for the brothers begins on Wednesday, July 1 at 9 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 30. This event gives both locals and tourists of all ages an opportunity to play.

Each participating business will have free passports, listing all of the businesses where searchers can find the Ninja Raccoons. When a customer spots the raccoons, the business will stamp or sign the individual’s passport.

Nina Raccoon seekers should make sure their names and contact information are included on their passports before submitting them. All passports must be turned in at From My Shelf Books & Gifts no later than 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 30. Passports will NOT be accepted after 6 p.m. on July 30 for prize eligibility.

“Visiting kids sometimes worry about not having time to search at all 21 businesses,” said Kasey Coolidge, manager of From My Shelf Books. “We reassure them that everyone who plays has a chance to win prizes sponsored by the participating businesses,” she said.

“For each place you find the Ninja Raccoons and get your passport signed, your name goes on a ticket in the prize jar. We will draw for prizes at the Ninja Party on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Winners need not be present to win.”

Prizes include gift certificates to and items donated by participating businesses; a variety of books and Wellsboro Chamber bucks.

The Ninja Raccoons will be hiding in the following Wellsboro area businesses: Café 1905 and a second location on the first floor at Dunham’s Department Store at 45 Main Street; Wild Asaph Outfitters at 71 Main Street; C.S. Sports at 81 Main Street; Peggy’s Candies & Gifts at 82 Main Street; In My Shoes at 85 Main Street; Garrison’s Men’s & Ladies Shop at 89-91 Main Street; Tioga Office Products at 96 East Avenue; Highland Chocolates Factory at 11724 Route 6, Charleston Township; The Farmer’s Daughters at 11719 Route 6, Charleston Township; Karen’s Country Store at 15 Main Street; Tony’s Italian Cuisine at 3 Main Street; Wellsboro House Restaurant & Brewery at 34 Charleston Street; the Frog Hut at 132 Tioga Street; Pag-Omar Farms Market & Restaurant at 222 Butler Road, Delmar Township; CBJ Collective Gift Shop and Piano Studio at 152 Main Street (formerly the West End Market Cafe); The Yellow Basket & Ice Cream Shop at 2744 Route 660 (on the way to the Canyon); Omi Of The Canyon gift shop and food at 4181 Route 660, near Leonard Harrison State Park; Wellsboro Mini Mall at 5 East Avenue, Suite 101; Krout’s Creations and More at 5 East Avenue, Suite 102; and host: From My Shelf Books & Gifts at 7 East Avenue.

For more information, call Kasey Coolidge at (570) 724-5793.

Photo provided
The raccoons read the classified ad section in The Wellsboro Gazette to find their first ninja job.