District honors
‘Cooperator’
Craig Roe is Susquehanna Conservation District’s “Cooperator of the Year.” Craig, of Liberty Twp., was honored for agreeing with the district “to implement soil and water efforts to improve the farmland and water quality”.
Owner of a farm that his grandfather (Wilson “Bill” Roe) began working in the 1940s, Craig manages a 50 cow/calf beef operation that includes 185 acres of hay, a pasture, house and farm building, forest and wildlife areas.
The farm signed up with the Conservation District in 1949. Over the years, in addition to continually updated conservation plans, soil and water conservation projects were built and installed, Bob Wagner of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Montrose Field Office, said in an email message.
Craig has owned and managed the farm since 2008, and has worked with the USDA District and Natural Resources Conservation Service and the District to improve the farm with the installation of conservation practices including: subsurface drainage, water troughs, new high tensile fencing, rotational grazing of pastures, roofed concrete barnyards, roofed manure storage facility, roof water runoff (rain gutters), animal trail and walkways, Bob said, adding, new grass and legume seeding was done on gas pipeline right of ways.
Craig has also had a wildlife and forest management plan written for this property by a private consultant, Bob said.
On hand when Ain Welmon of the USDA Conservation Service presented the Cooperator Award to Craig were: John Benscoter, Conservation project inspector; Jim Garner, Susquehanna District manager; Curt Hepler, acting chairman, and Jim Kessler and Lillian Theophanis, Conservation District board members.
Super students
LaShondra Cherry, a senior majoring in Spanish from Tobyhanna, was among five East Stroudsburg University students attending the first Global Youth Peace Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa in October. The event replaced the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, which was suspended when the South African government refused to issue a visa to the Dalai Lama, and the other Nobel laureates called a boycott in protest. More than 150 students from 30 countries were due at the event, which organizers transformed into the Youth Peace “Indaba,” a Zulu word meaning “dialogue,” is often used in South Africa to designate an important meeting.
High notes
Dunmore Class of 1949 celebrated its 65th anniversary at a buffet dinner at St. George’s Restaurant in
Jessup.
Class members and guests who enjoyed dinner table conversation included Margie Margotta Brown, Angie Rinaldi D’Arienzo, Betty Hockin Davis and husband, Willard; Frank DiVizio, Robert Fidiam, Ernie Gatto and guest, Liz, Mary Maira Giumento, John and Margaret Greco, Betty Jean Phillips Gregory, Marion Parks Kolibob, Tony Lacertosa and wife, Angie, Carmella Mecca Novak, Veronica Bresnak Pennella, Angie Cordaro Richards, Sam Sica, Marie Bevelock Valvano and husband, Guy, and Mike Zabatta.