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1. NEW – Last Bird Walk at Hills Creek is This Saturday, May 25; 48 Bird Species Were Sighted on May 18
2. Canyon Pilots Association Memorial Day Weekend All-You-Can-Eat Fly-In Breakfast is This Sunday, May 26
3. History Comes Alive on Wednesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. with Rich Pawling
4. Register by 4 p.m. Friday, May 31 for Laurel Festival 10K to Get Free Event T-shirt, Enter drawing for Chamber Dollars
5. Friday, May 31 at 4 p.m. is Deadline to Enter Community Float in Laurel Parade
6. Damn the Torpedoes Concert is Friday, May 31
7. NEW – Hills Creek and Cherry Springs State Park Programs for May 31, June 1 & 2
8. NEW – Nessmuk Rod and Gun Club is Hosting Skeet Shoots on Sundays June 2-October 27, 2019
9. NEW – Mudskippers Concert is Thursday, June 6
10. NEW – Register by 4 p.m. Friday, June 7 to Enter Sunday, June 9 Laurel Festival Pet Parade
11. NEW – Nick Kody and the Creek Road Band Concert is Saturday, June 8

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

LAST BIRD WALK AT HILLS CREEK IS THIS SATURDAY, MAY 15; 48 BIRD SPECIES WERE SIGHTED ON MAY 18

The last bird walk is this Saturday, May 25 at Hills Creek State Park in Charleston Township, about seven miles northeast of Wellsboro. It is free and provides an opportunity for the public to see the water and woodland birds that live in or migrate through the park.

The May 25 walk will begin promptly at 8 a.m. First timers to experienced birders are invited to meet at 7:50 a.m. at the park office at 111 Spillway Road, Wellsboro, Pa. 16901. Registration is not required. Bring binoculars and cameras and wear weather-appropriate, subdued clothing and sturdy walking shoes. For those who do not own binoculars, the Tiadaghton Audubon Society has 20 pairs available for adults and children, ages 7 and up.

Participating in the Saturday, May 18 walk were 17 people plus leaders Sean Minnick and Ken Cooper, both members of the Tiadaghton Audubon Society. “Among the walkers were campers at the park and several children,” said Minnick adding “”It was a beautiful day. We identified 48 bird species, four of them for the first time this year including the bay-breasted warbler, brown thrasher, common grackle and eastern kingbird.”

Those on the May 18 walk saw only one migratory bird species – the bay-breasted warbler, which winters in the northern tip of South America and stopped in the park on its migration to Northern Canada. It was the first time this species was reported this year. It was not seen on any walks last year. No other migrating bird species reported on other walks this year were seen on May 18.

Walkers also saw 22 bird species that live at Hills Creek year-round, one of them – the common grackle – for the first time this year on May 18. The other 21 were seen on previous walks this year and all 22 were reported on walks last year. They include: the American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, bald eagle, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Canada goose, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, eastern bluebird, European starling, great blue heron, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, and wood duck.

Of the 25 bird species identified on the May 18 walk that are spring, summer and/or fall residents at Hills Creek, two – the brown thrasher and eastern kingbird – were seen for the first time this year. The brown thrasher was reported on walks in 2018 but the eastern kingbird was not seen on any walks last year. The brown thrasher winters in the Southern United States and the eastern kingbird winters in South America.

Of the other 23 bird species that spend spring, summer and/or fall at the park and were reported on May 18, two of them – the American redstart and swamp sparrow – were identified on previous walks this year but not seen at all in 2018. The other 21 were seen on previous walks this year and also identified on walks in 2018. They include: the barn swallow, blackburnian warbler, black-throated green warbler, broad-winged hawk, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, gray catbird, hermit thrush, northern rough-winged swallow, osprey, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, song sparrow, spotted sandpiper, tree swallow, turkey vulture, yellow-bellied sapsucker, yellow-rumped warbler and yellow warbler.

For updates and local birding information, visit tiadaghtonaudubon.blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/TiadaghtonAudubon/ or emailtasmember@yahoo.com. For information about Hills Creek State Park, call the park office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays at (570) 724-4246.

Photo by Sean Minnick
Sean Minnick captured this photo of a black-throated green warbler singing at the top of his lungs during the May 18 bird walk at Hills Creek State Park.

CANYON PILOTS ASSOCIATION MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT FLY-IN BREAKFAST IS THIS SUNDAY, MAY 26

This Sunday, May 26, from 8 a.m. to noon is the Canyon Pilots Association All-You-Can-Eat Memorial Day Weekend Fly-In Breakfast. This event is open to the public and will be held rain or shine in the commercial corporate hangar at the Wellsboro Johnston Airport at 112 Runway Road, Wellsboro, PA 16901, just west of Wellsboro in Delmar Township. Ham, eggs, buckwheat pancakes, coffee and orange juice are on the menu. Requested is a donation of $8 for adults and children 9 and older and $3 for youngsters ages 3 to 8 years old. The breakfast is free for children 2 and under. There will be lots to do with full size and model aircraft on display; simulators that replicate flying both full size and model airplanes to try out for free; and a free, foam model glider to make, decorate and take home. Watch full size aircraft land and take off during the breakfast or go for an airplane ride, weather permitting. Pictured are pancakes being served at last year’s breakfast.

Photo by John Eaton

REGISTER BY 4 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 31 FOR LAUREL FESTIVAL 10K TO GET FREE EVENT T-SHIRT, ENTER DRAWING FOR CHAMBER DOLLARS

The Laurel Festival 10K Foot Race will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 15 and the two-mile Fun Run/Walk at 9:05 a.m. at Packer Park on Queen Street in Wellsboro. The entry fee for the 10K is $25 and for the Fun Run/Walk is $5. Event sponsor is First Citizens Community Bank.

Those who register for the 10K on or before Friday, May 31 at 4 p.m. will receive a free event T-shirt and be entered in the early bird drawing for a chance to win $25 in Wellsboro Chamber Dollars to spend in area businesses.

The 10K course is challenging with both paved and dirt surfaces and rolling hills. Age categories in the 10K for males and females are: 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60 and over. Medals will be presented to the top three overall male and female 10K runners, to the first, second and third place finishers in each age category and to the youngest and oldest to cross the finish line.

Each Fun Run participant will receive a commemorative ribbon. The first, second and third place finishers overall and the youngest to cross the finish line will each receive a medal. Sponsor of 10K and Fun Run awards is UPMC Susquehanna Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital.

Packet pick-up and registration for both the 10K and Fun Run will be from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. on race day in Packer Park. Those who register that day must pay the entry fee in cash or by check. Prior to race day, registrants can pay the entry fee with a Visa card.

Providing timing for the race is Falcon Race Timing. The Tioga County Amateur Radio Club is handling communications. Pepsi and Weis Markets are providing free post-race refreshments for all runners.

For course maps and registration forms for the 10K and Fun Run, call the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at (570) 724-1926, email info@wellsboropa.com or stop in at 114 Main Street, Wellsboro.

HISTORY COMES ALIVE ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 29 AT 7 P.M. WITH RICH PAWLING

At 7 p.m. this coming Wednesday, May 29, Rich Pawling of Sinking Spring, Pa. will bring Jack Hains to life as the lobby hog on stage in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro. In the logging industry in the 1800s, the lobby hog was responsible for making sure that everything ran smoothly in the logging camp whenever the foreman was away.

During his first person presentation as Hains, Pawling will describe his life as a lobby hog and reminisce about Pennsylvania’s pioneer, water rafting and railroad logging eras and then answer questions from the audience. At the same time, photographs taken in the 1800s of wood hicks and bark peelers will be shown on the big screen in the Coolidge Theatre. Pawling will also have an assortment of lumber industry artifacts with him.

This award-winning educational interpretive specialist, lumber historian, re-enactor, musician and semi-retired college professor enjoys exploring the lumber industry’s past and bringing it to life. “When I first introduced Jack, he was a young, strong, rugged wood hick,” said Pawling. “At last year’s Bark Peelers Convention in July at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum on Route 6 in Potter County, I introduced the aging out Jack,” he said. “Jack’s days of felling and skidding trees are over because he is having problems hearing and seeing, both critical to surviving in the logging business,” Pawling explained. “But, as the lobby hog, he knows all about the industry and is willing to talk about it,” he added.

In the 1980s, Pawling was employed as a national park ranger. He was assigned to the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Elverson, about an hour from Philadelphia. In 1988, he was awarded the Freeman Tilden “Interpreter of the Year” award for the creation and design of first person programming there.

In 1991, he founded Rich Pawling History Alive! Through his company, Pawling continues to provide living history and heritage music programs and training workshops to parks, museums, colleges and civic, professional and historical organizations throughout the United States and Canada. “Hawaii is the only state where I have not performed or presented,” he said.

Pawling earned the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) “Excellence in Interpretation Award” in 1995. This national distinction is presented annually to one individual, institution or agency that has displayed excellence in the practice of frontline field interpretation and through their efforts, influenced others.

Tickets for this Deane Center History Comes Alive show are $15 and free for children 12 and under when accompanied by a paying adult. For information or tickets, call (570) 724-6220 or visit www.deanecenter.com.

Photo by Diane Pawling
Rich Pawling (shown) will portray lobby hog Jack Hains on stage in the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre in Wellsboro. “My beard is now white so I look like the unknown lobby hog who is shown in a photo taken by William T. Clarke in the 1800s,” said Pawling.

Photo provided
This black and white 1897 or 1898 photo of an unknown “lobby hog” (front and center with a white beard, surrounded by wood hicks) was scanned from “Wood Hicks and Bark Peelers: The Photographic Legacy of William T. Clarke.” The book was compiled by Ronald E. Ostman and Harry Litttell in collaboration with the Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. “Pictured is one of the photos Clarke took,” said Rich Pawling. “This book is the best collection of photos I’ve seen on logging in Pennsylvania,” he said noting that “Clarke was a photographer who was hired by the lumber barons to go into the camps in the 1800s and photograph these men in action.”

FRIDAY, MAY 31 AT 4 P.M. IS DEADLINE TO ENTER COMMUNITY FLOATS IN LAUREL PARADE

Nonprofit organizations in Wellsboro and surrounding areas, such as church groups, youth groups, scout troops, etc., are invited to participate in the 78th Annual Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival by entering a community float in the Saturday, June 15 Laurel Parade.

Floats must preregister by 4 p.m. Friday, May 31 to participate in the parade. To be eligible for awards, the float design must represent the 2019 theme – “Find Your Adventure.” All floats should be nonpolitical, non-commercial and non-sectarian. Nonprofit organizations may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $100 for the actual cost of materials in construction of the float.

For float entry forms and safety guidelines, mail the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce at 114 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901, call (570) 724-1926, email info@wellsboropa.com or stop in.

HILLS CREEK AND CHERRY SPRINGS STATE PARK PROGRAMS FOR MAY 31, JUNE 1 & 2, 2019

Free programs and activities are being offered at Hills Creek and Cherry Springs State parks on May 31, June 1 and 2.

At Hills Creek State Park
WELLSBORO — Hills Creek State Park at 111 Spillway Road, Wellsboro, Pa. 16901 is seven miles northeast of Wellsboro in Charleston Township via Charleston Street and Hills Creek Lake Road. Free, one-hour programs will be in the park’s Nature Center located in the campground between B and C loop. Registration is not required.

Meet the Weasel Family on Friday, May 31
Not all members of the weasel family are called weasels. At 8:30 p.m. on Friday, May 31 in the Nature Center area find out about the other family members, how to identify them and about their aggressive nature. Many examples will be shown.

World of the Beaver is Saturday, June 1
In the Nature Center area at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, learn about the beaver, an amazing rodent that lives in the park, and its importance throughout history.

Three Smart Dogs is Sunday, June 2
At 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 2 in the Nature Center area, examine the world of three canines – the red fox, grey fox, and coyote – to learn about their unique features and survival strategies in the wild. Skins, mounts, photos and skulls will be used to demonstrate these features.

FMI:
Call the park office at (570) 724-4246 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. for more information.

At Cherry Springs State Park
COUDERSPORT — Cherry Springs State Park at 4639 Cherry Springs Road, Coudersport, Pa. 16915 is 12 miles from Galeton via West Branch Road and 15 miles from Coudersport via Route 44. All stargazing and other programs will be cancelled if it rains or thunders.

Anyone may observe the night sky at Cherry Springs on his or her own without attending a stargazing program. All visitors should arrive before dark. Search for the Clear Sky Chart online for 48-hour forecasts about viewing conditions. Arrive early for a program, bring a picnic supper and use nearby picnic tables and charcoal grills.

Nature at Night is Friday May 31
Planning to attend the Night Sky Tour on Friday, May 31 in the Night Sky Viewing Area? Arrive early and join park staff from 8 to 8:45 p.m. for Nature at Night, a free program on fascinating night critters, such as fireflies, bats, black bears, coyotes or others based on animal activity in the park. Registration is not required for Nature or Night programs or to picnic in the park.

Around the World in 80 Minutes is Friday, May 31
The Around the World in 80 MInutes tour is being offered at 9:15 p.m. on Friday, May 31 for the first 16 people who preregister and prepay. This small group experience with the North Star Outdoor Guides’ Dark Sky Telescope Tours ensures maximum telescope time and a more individualized program. Fee: $20. For details, visit http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/cherry_springs_state_park.

Free Night Sky Tour is Friday and Saturday, May 31 & June 1
From 9:30 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 31 and June 1 in the Night Sky Viewing Area, experience the splendor of the night sky. Park staff will give a laser-guided tour of the constellations and recount the legends and myths surrounding these mysterious patterns. Afterwards, take an up close look at celestial objects through park telescopes. This is a free program. Preregistration is required.

Nightscapes Photography Workshop is Saturday, June 1
The first 10 people who preregister will be accepted for the Nightscapes Photography Workshop being given by Curt Weinhold at 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, June 1. Learn how to photograph the starry night sky, including constellations and the Milky Way, and foreground material using your own DSLR camera and lenses. View samples of Weinhold’s work at http://pbase.com/cwphoto. Fee: $60. For details, visit http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/cherry_springs_state_park.

To Preregister for Stargazing Programs
Online preregistration for stargazing programs is required. Visit http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/cherry_springs_state_park. If there is a problem with registering online or for information about these free programs, call (814) 435-1037 or email cherryspringsee@pa.gov.

NESSMUK ROD AND GUN CLUB IS HOSTING SKEET SHOOTS ON SUNDAYS, JUNE 2-OCTOBER 27, 2019

From 1 to 3 p.m. on Sundays, June 2 through Oct. 27, the Nessmuk Rod and Gun Club is hosting skeet shoots at its outdoor range at 4646 Route 287 in Delmar Township, 6.5 miles south of Wellsboro. The skeet shoots will continue each Sunday through October, weather permitting

The fee to shoot skeet for members and non-members 18 years of age and older is $5 per round of 25 clays. Skeet shooting is free for youth ages 12 to 17. The club will provide up to two boxes of ammunition free to each youth to use at the range the day he or she shoots.

Shooters have to provide their own shotguns and ammunition. Eye and ear protection are required.

The club will have a limited supply of 12- and 20-gauge shotgun shells in boxes of 25 available for purchase.

For more information, contact Skeet Shoot Coordinator John Davis at johndavispa@gmail.com or (570) 439-1300.

DAMN THE TORPEDOES CONCERT IS FRIDAY, MAY 31

“The tribute band Damn The Torpedoes recreates the stage presence of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with painstaking precision,” wrote Ray Schweibert of Atlantic City Weekly.

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 31, Damn the Torpedoes will perform in the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro. Among the more than 60 songs included in the tribute band’s repertoire are “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “Free Fallin’,” “I Won’t Back Down” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”

Ten years before Petty’s death at the age of 66 in 2017, Rich Kubicz, then in his late 30s, decided to form the band in tribute to Petty and the Heartbreakers, an American rock band founded in 1976 in Gainesville, Florida.

Mesmerizing audiences since 2007, this tribute band offers a genuine concert experience for audiences by delivering the “awe” factor every time, according to Kubicz. His goal is for all Damn the Torpedoes members to perform the Petty/Heartbreaker studio hits, some of the live versions and a few deep cuts by playing those parts note for note and replicating the same sounds made by each of their counterparts on the original Heartbreaker records.

Each member of this tribute band is an experienced, professional musician. The band’s current lineup has been performing together for approximately six years and demonstrates the unspoken chemistry of what makes a band great. All of the signature riffs, harmonies and underlying parts of the music are there. Band members have a deeper understanding of the Tom Petty catalog so much so that the show has become “second nature” to them with an artistry and emotion that makes audiences smile.

In the show, Kubicz is the lead singer and plays guitar as Tom Petty. He has been told that he not only resembles Petty but sings and plays like him, too. Jimi Alan is lead guitarist and replicates the performances of the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell; Gary Castelluccio plays keyboards, piano, guitar and harmonica and is a backup singer as the Heartbreakers’ Benmont Tench and Scott Thurston; Jon Provan is on bass guitar and a backup singer as Ron Blair and Howie Epstein; and Ross Kantor is on drums and a backup singer as the Heartbreakers’ Stan Lynch and Steve Ferrone. Kantor’s versatility allows him to play with Lynch’s finesse and Ferrone’s power.

The tribute band took its name from the title of Petty and the Heartbreakers’ third studio album released on October 20, 1979. “Damn The Torpedoes” was the group’s big breakthrough with “Don’t Do Me Like That” becoming the band’s first Top 10 single and “Refugee” in the Top 15. Their next three albums all went Top 10 and spawned a string of Top 40 singles.

Tickets are $25. For more information and tickets, call the Deane Center at (570) 724-6220 or visit www.deanecenter.com.

Photo provided
Rich Kubicz fronts the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band during a performance.

REGISTER BY 4 P.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 7 TO ENTER SUNDAY, JUNE 9 LAUREL FESTIVAL PET PARADE

Do you have the cutest pet in Tioga County? Is your dog the best dressed or most intelligent canine? Do you have the prettiest or most lovable feline? Looking for a chance to show off your pet goat?

Children 12 years old and younger are invited to join in the fun by entering their pets in the 2019 Laurel Festival Pet Parade being held Sunday, June 9 at 1:30 p.m. Don’t have a pet? Don’t worry! Decorate your bike, three- or four-wheeler or wagon.

Judging in several categories will begin prior to the parade at 12:30 p.m. at Packer Park on Queen Street. Participants are asked to be at the park no later than 12:25 p.m. on June 9.

The parade will form on Queen Street and beginning at 1:30 p.m. will travel up Main Street to The Green in Wellsboro. There, all parade participants will receive ribbons. Special awards, sponsored by Dr. Kristine Shaw of the Grand Canyon Veterinary Hospital at 23 Water Street in Wellsboro, will also be presented.

All dogs, 3 months of age and older, must be vaccinated and licensed. Bring water for pets and keep them in the shade.


For an entry form, mail the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, 114 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901, call (570) 724-1926, email info@wellsboropa.com or pick up entry forms at the office. The deadline to return completed entry forms to the chamber office is 4 p.m. Friday, June 7.

NICK KODY AND THE CREEK ROAD BAND CONCERT IS SATURDAY, JUNE 8

Nick Kody and the Creek Road Band will perform his original songs as well as a handful of cover tunes on Saturday, June 8 in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro.

Kody is the lead singer and plays guitar, harmonica and saxophone. Influenced by a wide range of rock, blues and country music, he offers a unique and diverse interpretation of the Americana genre through both his recorded work and live performances. Kody has opened for Bret Michaels, Eric Church, A Thousand Horses and Toby Keith and shared the stage with Stolen Rhodes, Doug Seegers, Heather Luttrell and more.

The Creek Road Band includes Arron Peters (drums/vocals), Aimee Peters (keys/percussion/vocals), Devin Erdmann (bass guitar), and Lydia Herren (violin/vocals).

“Our show consists mainly of the songs I have written, but we like to throw in a few familiar covers by our favorite artists like The Band, Tom Petty, The White Stripes, etc.,” Kody said. “Stylistically though, we are all over the place, some rock, blues, country, reggae, etc. No two shows are the same. We feed off the energy of the audience and that often determines what songs we do.”

The band will perform selections from Kody’s two CDs. He began writing music in 2011 shaped by the experiences of everyday people. His first CD, “Rainy Day Blues“ was released with six of his songs in 2015. His second CD, “The Sonic Farm Sessions” was released in 2016 with 12 country rock and blues rock tunes, including 10 Kody originals. He is currently in pre-production for his next album “With Help From My Friends,” which will feature guest musicians and collaborations. It will be released later this year. Some songs from this album will also be performed by the band in Wellsboro.

Born and raised in West Valley, New York, an hour south of Buffalo, Kody played guitar with several different cover bands in the area throughout his school years. “In 2014, I began performing under my own name and started my own band to help me better achieve what I wanted to accomplish musically” he said. The other band members live in the Western New York area, too.

The group has been performing throughout New York State as well as in Pennsylvania and Vermont. “This will be our fifth time in Wellsboro. We look forward to seeing both new and familiar faces,” Kody said.

Tickets are $15 for adults and free for youth 12 and under when accompanied by a paying adult. This is a BYOB – bring snacks and beverages – event. For tickets and/or to reserve a table free of charge, call (570) 724-6220 or visit www.deanecenter.com.

Photo provided
Shown are Nick Kody and the Creek Road Band (from left) Lydia Herren, Devin Erdmann, Nick Kody, Arron Peters and Aimee Peters.