PV bands' success

Pleasant Valley band parents are very proud of the results of the 6th annual "Sounds in the Valley" Band Competition held Saturday, Oct 24, at Pleasant Valley High School.Having to move indoors due to the inclement weather, Pleasant Valley hosted the USSBA (United States Scholastic Band Association) Competition.Pleasant Valley 7th Grade Band opened the show, with Catasauqua High School Marching Band, Pen Argyl Green Knight Marching Band and East Stroudsburg High School South Cavalier Marching Band following,The Pleasant Valley High School Marching Band ended the show with a presentation of its 2009 Marching Band Show: The Music of Carlos Santana.The show opened with an arrangement of "Everybody's Everything." The second number was "She's Not There." The ballad for this year is an arrangement of "Novus." The band closed the show with "Da Le Yaleo."The Pleasant Valley Marching Band is competing in USSBA sponsored marching competitions this season, traveling to Bangor, Nazareth and J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown.The band is proud of its many successes which include a USSBA All-State Championship and two PA State Championships. Last year, it was awarded: two Best Percussion, three Best Visual, three Best Effect, three Best Music and two Best Color Guard awards.Food safetyAt 11:15 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Chestnuthill Senior Center, now located at Zion Lutheran Church in Brodheadsville, a program on "Food Safety" will be presented. This program is free and open to the public. For more information call (570) 420-3746.Lions boardThe Western Pocono Lions Club Board will meet at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Western Community Library in Brodheadsville.All Lions are welcome.Scouting for FoodScouts from area troops and packs will be distributing reminders of the food drive on Nov. 7 that is taking place the following Saturday, Nov. 14. Nonperishable foods should be placed in paper or plastic bags and put out before 8 a.m. on Nov. 14 so that the household's donation is visible from the street or road.Donations will be collected and given to area food banks which are in great need of donations in light of the upcoming cold weather and the two major holidays.Free workshopsThe Pocono Healthy Community Alliance, (PHCA) is presenting two free workshops on "Are You Ready to 'Weather the Winter.'"Sponsored by Home Depot, the first one will be held at Home Depot on Rt. 611 in Stroudsburg, from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 7.The second of the weatherization and energy saving workshops will be given from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Western Pocono Community Library, 2000 Pilgrim Way, Brodheadsville.For more information call (570) 517-5367.All Sports ClubThe Pleasant Valley All Sports Club will meet at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9, at the PVHS library.UM WomenThe United Methodist Women of Effort UMC will meet at 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9, in Wesley Hall. The program will be Cheer Baskets and Thank Offering. Devotions will be led by Nita Nydam. Ruthann Felker and Kay Charbonnier will be the hostesses.PTO meetsThe Chestnuthill PTO will meet at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10.Addresses wantedNames and addresses of area troops serving in Iraq & Afghanistan are wanted by Operation Touch of Home as they are to be recipients of group's Nov. 15 essentials shipment.Family members or friends with this information are asked to contact:

touchofhome@hotmail.com, or mail information to the address that follows. One should include the GI's name, rank, address and deploy dates. They are critical. Contact information for the provider of said referral should also be provided. Volunteers are needed as well. For more information one can visit the Web site and check the "events" page: The mailing address is Operation: Touch of Home, P.O. Box 162, Brodheadsville, Pa. 18322.RSVP helpThe Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Monroe County has a need for volunteers. Among them is a volunteer needed to pick up a Thanksgiving food basket at the 7th Day Adventist Church between 10 a.m. and noon, Sunday, Nov. 15, to deliver the basket to a family in Effort.Also needed are volunteers for countywide litter control. Vests, gloves and plastic bags are all provided to work, in an assigned location near your home. Flexible hours are offered.One can call Merle at RSVP (570) 420-3747 for more information.Thanksgiving dinnerEffort United Methodist Church will host its 4th Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 26, beginning at 2 p.m. Anyone who is alone, has no family, is welcome. For more information call the church at (570) 629-1890.Birthday greetingsHappy Birthday to: Brendan Dohn, Bill Shiffer, Steven Rhoads, Meagan Garner, Nov. 4; Barbara Shiffer, Susanne Phillips, Kenneth Edwards, Brenda Carroll, Chris Daube, Nov. 5; Melinda Hatt, Kiersten Griesback, Zachary Elvin, Nov. 6; Faye Nicholas, Kelsey Griesbach, Tom Mulcahy, Natasha Edwards, Haley Zipp, Nov. 7; Nicholas Russo, Nov. 8; Peter Stanaway, Sean Steinmetz, William Martin, Nov. 9;