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1. “Birding at Hills Creek” Virtual Program is this Friday, May 7
2. HG’s “The Last Romance” Opens This Weekend, Friday, May 7, Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9
3. Free Guided Bird Walk is This Saturday, May 8 at Hills Creek
4. Hamilton-Gibson Children’s Choir Alumna to Sing in New 25th Season Celebratory Choir That Begins Monday, May 10
5. 30th Annual Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament is Saturday and Sunday, May 15 & 16, Register in Person on Friday, May 14, 15 and 16
6. Wellsboro Growers Market to Open on Thursday, May 20
7. Register by Monday, May 31 for Laurel Festival 10K for Free Event T-shirt, Drawing for Chamber Dollars

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

“BIRDING AT HILLS CREEK” VIRTUAL PROGRAM IS THIS FRIDAY, MAY 7

A free 30-minute “Birding at Hills Creek” virtual program will be from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. this Friday, May 7. The last one will be on Friday, May 21. The programs in this series are not only for avid birders but also those getting into birding for the first time.

“This virtual series is exploring birding opportunities at Hills Creek State Park and several other parks in Tioga County,” said Bob Edkin, environmental education specialist with the Hills Creek State Park Complex, which manages eight state parks in Tioga and Potter counties.

“These programs are providing people who are interested in bird watching with information they can use to go on a self-guided tour at Hills Creek State Park or other areas to see many different species from bald eagles and ospreys to bluebirds,” Edkin said. Each one highlights birds that are at the parks or may be arriving soon with tips on where and when to see them. Among the birds at Hills Creek are migratory birds that stop at the park on their way to their spring or summer locations and those that live there year-round or are seasonal residents.

“Register at https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/ under Hills Creek State Park to receive a link to these free programs. For best viewing, use a desktop computer or larger tablet. For more information, call Edkin at (570) 724-3061 or email him at redkin@pa.gov.

HG’S “THE LAST ROMANCE” OPENS THIS WEEKEND, FRIDAY, MAY 7, SATURDAY, MAY 8 AND SUNDAY, MAY 9

“The Last Romance” is about finding love at any age. Hamilton-Gibson’s production of this comedy opens with performances at 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8 and at 2:30 p.m. this Sunday, May 9 in the Warehouse Theatre at 3 Central Avenue in Wellsboro. The May 7 performance is for vaccinated audience members only. Three more performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 14 and 15 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 16.

On an ordinary day in a routine life, Ralph, an 80-year-old widower who lives with his sister Rose, decides to take a different path on his daily walk – one that leads him to an unexpected second chance at love when he meets Carol at the dog park.

Ralph is played by Gary Fizzano of Morris, Carol by Kathryn Sheneman of Roseville, Ralph’s sister Rose by Anne Acker of Wellsboro and the young man by John Tobey Jr. of Hawley, Pa., a Mansfield University student.

“Carol is a retired executive secretary in her 70s with a strong sense of propriety. She comes across as stiff and rule-bound,” said Sheneman. “Carol staunchly resists Ralph’s overtures, his relentless flirting and teasing games. But she softens and gives herself over to the complications and mysteries of romance and to the beauty of opera despite Rose’s best efforts to drive her away,” Sheneman said.

“This is a golden years romance so I think adults of any age will enjoy and appreciate this play. It shows us the transformative power love can have,” said Sheneman.

“‘The Last Romance’ is tender, sweet, bittersweet, and hilarious. It is not just a romantic comedy. I think audiences will love this play. It is the perfect way to begin spring and end a pandemic,” she said.

“It is exciting to be part of this reopening of theater after such a long ‘drought’. I have missed live entertainment,” said Sheneman.

“The fact that all of us in the cast are vaccinated lends to a significant feeling of freedom. For me, being fully vaccinated is such a relief. I am not as concerned about being in an enclosed space,” Sheneman said.

Tickets are by reservation only, have to be ordered in advance and prepaid online at hgp.booktix.com or by calling the HG office at (570) 724-2079 with credit card information.

“Prepaid reservations allow us to assign and group seats to meet social distancing protocols and state guidelines,” said Director Thomas Putnam. “That’s why no tickets will be sold at the door. “We also ask that the audience wear masks,” Putnam said. Hamilton-Gibson is following a rigorous cleaning protocol during all performances.

Ticket prices are $14 for adults and $6 for youth, 18 and under. Also available are FlexPasses for $60. For more information, to purchase a flex pass or to reserve and prepay, call (570) 724-2079 or email info@hamiltongibson.org.

Photo by John Eaton
With airline tickets in hand, Carol (Kathryn Sheneman) and Ralph (Gary Fizzano) look forward to the trip of a lifetime.

FREE GUIDED BIRD WALK IS THIS SATURDAY, MAY 8 AT HILLS CREEK

A free morning bird walk will be at Hills Creek State Park this Saturday, May 8. Bird walks are also being held on Saturdays, May 15 and 22. All three will be led by volunteers from the Tiadaghton Audubon Society, the local birding group and are free and open to the public.

The park is located on Hills Creek Road in Charleston Township, about seven miles northeast of Wellsboro.

Each walk will begin promptly at 8 a.m. Registration is not required. The walks are slow-paced, cover a limited distance and provide an opportunity to see the many varieties of water and woodland birds that live in the park or are migrating through.

Meet at the Hills Creek State Park office at 111 Spillway Road, Wellsboro a little before 8 a.m. to drive to the nearby starting location. In case of inclement weather, the group may opt for a driving tour with several key stops nearby to keep participants dry. Everyone is welcome, including birders of all levels, first timers to experienced.

Bring binoculars and cameras and wear subdued clothing and sturdy walking shoes. Participants are also asked to wear masks and social distance.

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

HAMILTON-GIBSON CHILDREN’S CHOIR ALUMNA TO SING IN NEW 25TH SEASON CELEBRATORY CHOIR THAT BEGINS MONDAY, MAY 10

“I’m excited to be able to sing with Hamilton-Gibson’s 25th Season Celebratory Choir this summer,” said Kacy Hagan, an HG choral program alumna.

The first rehearsal of HG’s newest choir will be at 6:30 p.m. this Monday, May 10 in the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church at 130 Main Street in Wellsboro.

Invited to participate are singers entering the ninth through twelfth grades this fall, including boys with changed voices; HG Children and Youth Choir alumni; and anyone who was in HG’s production of “I Never Saw Another Butterfly.”

In late winter of 1996, Kay Galloway and Thomas Putnam welcomed 18 fourth through eighth graders to the newly founded Hamilton-Gibson Children’s Choir. Hagan was one of them.

The children’s choir had its beginnings in March of 1993, when Putnam and Galloway produced “I Never Saw Another Butterfly.” Hagan was in the play. It is based on a book of poetry and drawings made by the children of Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp just north of Prague that existed from Nov. 24, 1941 to May 9, 1945.

Many talented musicians, composers, painters and poets housed at Terezin affirmed the children’s humanity and gave them hope by encouraging them to write poetry and draw or paint on any scraps of paper they could find. Thousands of poems, drawings and paintings were created, hidden and then discovered years after World War II ended.

“For our production, we used songs created by a Philadelphia composer who set some of the children’s poems to music,” said Putnam. More than 100 children auditioned. About 80 youth ages 8 to 18 and several adults performed in the play at Mansfield University’s Steadman Theatre.

“It was a powerful experience. Kay and I were amazed at how the children embraced the story and the difficult, challenging music. That led us to start the Hamilton-Gibson Children’s Choir a few years later,” Putnam said.

“In 1993, I was in ‘I Never Saw Another Butterfly’ and in 1996, I was in the inaugural class of the HG Children’s Choir,” said Hagan. “I also participated in the reunion concert that we did a handful of years ago,” she said. “It was so special to hear and sing some of the same songs that we sang when I was a child in the choir and to learn new ones that were familiar to other generations of singers.

“The HG choral program is inspiring because it harnesses the talents and attention of children of so many different ages. It has been a very formative experience for so many of us,” Hagan said.

Over the years, the HG choral program has grown from one choir for fourth through eighth graders to four choirs for second through twelfth graders and has provided youth with a wide variety of places to visit and experiences to enjoy.

“Our 25th Season was actually in 2020,” said Putnam. “Because of the pandemic, we are celebrating our 25th Season this summer,” he said.

“We may be masked and distanced but we’ll be singing SATB (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) music together,” said Putnam.

For more information about joining the 25th Season Celebratory Choir, call Hamilton-Gibson at (570) 724-2079 or email hamgib@gmail.com.

Photo by John Eaton
Kacy Hagan, a Hamilton-Gibson choral program alumna, is shown with Thomas Putnam, director of the new HG summer choir.

30TH ANNUAL UPPER PINE CREEK TROUT TOURNAMENT IS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, MAY 15 & 16; REGISTER IN PERSON ON FRIDAY, MAY 14 AND DURING TOURNAMENT HOURS

Anglers can register in person at the tournament check-in station for the 30th Annual Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament on Friday, May 14 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and during tournament hours, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 15 and from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 16. The entry fee for adults is $25 and $15 for youth under 16.

Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon Snowmobile Club, the tournament takes place along a 13-mile stretch of Pine Creek between the Mill Street Bridge in Galeton Borough, Potter County and the Ansonia Bridge in Shippen Township, Tioga County.

The check-in station is the snowmobile clubhouse at 4814 Route 6, 12 miles west of Wellsboro. The clubhouse is located on the south side of Route 6, halfway between Galeton and Wellsboro. While on club property, people must wear masks and follow CDC guidelines.

Top prizes are $1,000 and four $500 cash prizes. The minimum prize for a tagged fish is $50 and may be cash, merchandise or a gift card or a combination of the three. Anglers can receive more than one prize depending on how many of the 250 float stocked tagged trout they catch.

What anglers win is based on the luck of the draw. They have to bring their tagged fish in “live condition” to the check-in station. The angler draws a Ping-Pong ball for each tagged fish he or she catches. The number on the ball identifies the prize.

Every registered participant who picks up his or her badge no later than 4 p.m. at the check-in station on Saturday, May 15 will be entered in a special drawing being held that day to win one of two $1,000 cash prizes being awarded in celebration of the tournament’s 30th anniversary. Individuals need not be present to win.

Youngsters 12 and under, whether they register to fish in the tournament or not, can participate in the free “Draw A Ball and Win A Prize” giveaway. With help from Smitty’s Sports in Gaines, the Tackle Shack in Wellsboro and club members who donate items, young anglers receive rods and reels and other fishing equipment.

All fish must be legally caught. No fish will be accepted one hour after the cut-off time. Anglers caught fishing before or after stated tournament times will be disqualified.

Those competing in the tournament must have a valid Pennsylvania fishing license and must observe and obey landowners’ rights. Trespassing on private property is not allowed, nor is littering.

To register for the tournament online anytime, visit www.pagrandcanyonsnowmobileclub.com and download a registration form. Registration forms can also be found at many businesses in the area.

For more information, call (717) 881-9358 or the club at (570) 724-2888 or visit the club’s website at www.pagrandcanyonsnowmobileclub.com.

Photo provided
Ray Deater (left) and Tom Byrne tag trout that were float stocked in Pine Creek for the Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament several years ago.

WELLSBORO GROWERS MARKET TO OPEN ON THURSDAY, MAY 20

Mark your calendars. The Wellsboro Growers Market will open for the 2021 season on Thursday, May 20 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the front lawn of the First Presbyterian Church at 130 Main Street in Wellsboro, next to the Green Free Library. Customers are asked to wear face masks, maintain six feet of distance between themselves and others, and have fun.

Among those who will be at the May 20 market are Liz McLelland of Yorkshire Meadows, Kathy Siegrist of Bakery 303 and Linda Sweely of New View Farm. “I have a new pound cake that is really cool. I don’t have a name for it yet but I hope to by May 20,” said Siegrist who is known as the pound cake lady.

McLelland is bringing her banner, which reads: “Put on the kettle, make the tea, order your baked goods, right from me” along with an array of goodies, including her lemon, orange and lime curd, carrot cake, eccles cakes, scones, caramel shortbread bars, pecan sandies, assorted cookies and pastries, her new summer fruit preserve, raspberry mango jam, triple berry jam and other British delights.

Sweely will be offering her artisan breads, herb focaccia, bagels – plain, cinnamon raisin and everything – and Boston cream cupcakes as well as jams and jellies, honey, maple syrup products, homemade sauerkraut, ground horseradish and sprouts.

Growers, bakers, candymakers, maple producers, artisans, craftsmen, musicians and others who want to participate on May 20 or at an upcoming market are asked to contact Thomas Putnam, event organizer, for more information as soon as possible by calling 570-439-2000.

“We are asking customers who are in the market at the same time to follow COVID-19 safety rules and to be patient,” said Putnam. “We did the same last year and it worked well for all involved,” he said.

“Our Growers Market is usually a rain or shine event,” Putnam said “Now, when there are rain showers, we stay outside under the trees. If there is a downpour or constant, heavy rain, the market is canceled.

“Our Growers Market is operating under safety guidelines. Vendors and the steering committee are asking all customers to please wear a mask while at the market and to practice physical distancing of at least six feet,” said Putnam. “We are under the auspices of the First Presbyterian Church and are asking all customers to comply with the church’s coronavirus guidelines of safe practices for all. If there is a downpour or constant, heavy rain, the market will be canceled because we cannot use Fellowship Hall when the weather is bad due to those safety guidelines,” Putnam said.

The market will be held every Thursday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. through October 14, weather permitting. For updates on who and what will be at the market, email wellsborogrowersmarket@gmail.com or visit the Wellsboro Growers Market Facebook page.

Photo by John Eaton
Liz McLelland is shown standing in front of her banner at last year’s Wellsboro Growers Market.

REGISTER BY MONDAY, MAY 31 FOR LAUREL FESTIVAL 10K FOR FREE EVENT T-SHIRT, DRAWING FOR CHAMBER DOLLARS

The Laurel Festival 10K (6.21 miles) will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 19 at Packer Park on Queen Street in Wellsboro. The two-mile Fun Run/Walk will start at 9:05 a.m.



Those who pre-register for the 10K on or before Monday, May 31 and pay the $25 entry fee will receive a free event T-shirt, courtesy of First Citizens Community Bank. They will also be entered in the early bird drawing for a chance to win $25 in Wellsboro Chamber Dollars to spend in more than 60 area businesses. Those who do not pre-register will have the option to purchase a race T-shirt the day of the event.

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. The course is challenging with both paved and dirt surfaces and rolling hills that provide views of Pennsylvania Grand Canyon country scenery.

UPMC Wellsboro is sponsoring the 10K and Fun Run/Walk awards. For the 10K race, large, medium and small medals with ribbons imprinted with “2021 Laurel Festival 10K Footrace” will be awarded. Large medals will be presented to the first place overall male and female finishers; medium medals to the second and third place overall male and female finishers; and small medals to the oldest and to the youngest to cross the finish line first. The first, second and third place finishers in each 10K age category will also receive medals.

Each Fun Run participant will receive a commemorative ribbon; the first, second and third place runners and overall youngest runner to cross the finish line in the Fun Run will each receive a small medal with a ribbon imprinted with “2021 Laurel Festival Fun Run.”

The entry fee for the 10K is $25 and for the two-mile Fun Run/Walk is $5. 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 Visa or MasterCard.

Insta-Results will provide timing for the race and the Tioga County Amateur Radio Club will handle communications.



C&N and Weis Markets are providing free post-race refreshments to all runners.

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