Two events

Today the PVE open house and book fair for kindergarten and first grade will be held from 5 to 7 p.m.

The same event for second and third grades will follow on Thursday, also from 5 to 7 p.m.

Home Association

The West End Home Association will meet at the Legion in Gilbert at 7:30 tonight.

Nearby blood drive

Jackson Township Fire Hall in Reeders is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Thursday. Both Power Red and regular blood will be accepted.

Next Wednesday, Miller-Keystone is slated to be back at the Western Pocono Community Library to collect from noon till 6 p.m.

Donors are asked to call 800-223-6667 to make an appointment.

Legion meets

Post 927 of the American Legion will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Legion home in Gilbert.

Band Parents

Pleasant Valley Band Parents is scheduled to hold a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in the high school band room.

Tai Chi Time

The activity at the Chestnuthill Senior Center meeting at the Zion Lutheran Church complex in Brodheadsville Friday is Tai chi with Dolores at 10:30 a.m. The morning begins with coffee or tea at 9 a.m.

Lunch time begins at 11:30 a.m.

The choices for lunch include the light menu and the full menu.

The light menu for Friday is egg salad, carrot sticks, an apple and whole wheat crackers.

The regular lunch includes 10-grain pollock, red beets, broccoli & cauliflower, and a nectarine.

Next Wednesday a blood pressure screening is available for free from 10 to 11 a.m.

The light lunch offers chicken breast sandwich, low-salt chips, pineapple tidbits, whole wheat bun or graham crackers.

The regular meal is slated to be lasagna roll-ups, snap peas, mixed vegetables, sliced peaches and whole wheat dinner roll.

Attendees should give their choice to the site manager by 11 a.m. the day before by calling 570-242-6770.

Church flea market

St. Peter’s UMC in Saylorsburg has announced its September flea market being held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday with a rain date of Sept. 14.

The church will offer lunch fare, beverages and baked items for hungry vendors and bargain shoppers. Call 570-992-6930 to reserve a spot to sell those extras that someone else is just waiting to purchase and take home.

Auxiliary flea market

The Legion Auxiliary is holding a fall flea market at the Post home in Gilbert from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Lunch will be available for purchase.

Reservations due

The Garden of Giving is celebrating its 10th anniversary of being a nonprofit with a farm-to-table event at the garden on Sept. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. Chef Mike Abate will be hosting the event. In addition to the meal, music, dance and more will help show how the garden and its programs continue to grow.

Reservations for the evening are due by Saturday.

Make reservations at www.eventbrite.com/e/the-garden-of-giving-10th-year-anniversary-celebration-benefit-dinner-tickets-66629082379#tickets.

KoC Challenge

The West End Soccer League has the Knights of Columbus Challenge on its calendar for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the PVE large sided travel field. The Knights of Columbus youth soccer challenge will be held at the fields for athletes ages 9-14. This is open to both girls and boys.

For more information, email WESL@WESL.US.

Community Day

Ross Township is holding its Community Day celebration on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.

It is a free event and will include displays and information available from such organizations as Blue Ridge Hook and Ladder Fire Co., West End Ambulance, PVEN, Ross Township Historical Society, EPOSC, AWSOM, Pocono Animal Rescue, Pocono Heritage Land Trust, Friends of Cherry Valley, and other local service groups and county services.

Also included this year are crafters and direct sellers.

In addition, there will be a cake walk at 1 p.m., there is a cost to participate, demonstrations, entertainment, games, historical artifacts, and food and drink as well as live music and a basket raffle extravaganza benefiting the Ross Historical group and the West End Regional Park.

Art opening

Monroe County Conservation District’s Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center is having an art opening for Nancy Pitcher on Saturday for her work: The Beauty Around Us.

Nancy has hiked, climbed and paddled a great deal in the mountains, deserts and rivers. Through her travels, she has always appreciated the beauty of her natural surroundings. She now shares that beauty with her oil and watercolor paintings.

The artist’s reception is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This exhibit will run through Sept. 30.

For more information, call the Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center at 570-629-3061.

Chicken barbecue

Effort UMC is once again offering its chicken barbecue dinner. It will be held Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.

Takeout only starts at 1 p.m. Dine-in starts at 3 p.m. Eat-in and takeouts available through 7 p.m. or until sold out.

For costs, call the church at 570-629-1890. They are the same as last year.

Pancake breakfast

Boy Scout Troop 102 is holding its Annual All You Can Eat fundraiser from 8 a.m. to noon this Sunday at the Legion Post 927 Pavilion in Gilbert.

The meal includes pancakes, sausage, orange juice and coffee.

For costs contact troop102pocono@gmail.com.

Children under 5 in the family can get a free breakfast.

Riders meet

The American Legion Riders have their monthly meeting at 10 a.m. Sunday, at the American Legion Post 927, Route 209 and Fairgrounds Road, Gilbert.

The American Legion Riders contribute to Veterans, the community and enjoy riding.

For more information, contact group President Everett Shaver, 570-977-8208.

Rally Day carnival

Salem-St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kresgeville, will kick off a new year of Sunday school with a carnival. It will begin inside with the start of church and then youngsters will be going outside to have carnival games, food and lots of fun.

Sunday school regularly meets the second and fourth Sundays of each month during 10:30 a.m. the worship time.

The theme for this year will be The Parables of Jesus.

The focus will be on Special Olympics.

Sunday supper

A community meal will be held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Gilbert from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Ross supervisors

In light of the Labor Day holiday this past Monday, Ross Township supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. this coming Monday at the municipal building on Anchorage Road in Saylorsburg.

UMW begins anew

Effort UMC’s United Methodist Women will hold its first meeting of the 2019-20 program year at 7 p.m. Monday.

It is a business meeting. However, Marissa Wagner, Dietitian from Kinsley’s ShopRite will be speaking on diets and nutrition.

Devotions will be presented by Ann Sanders.

Hostesses are Reta Romanco, Ann Sanders and Carol Drewes.

PVI Book Fair

The PVI PTO-sponsored book fair will take place in school all week long.

Knit & Crochet

Zion Lutheran’s Knit & Crochet group will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday to work on making prayer shawls for people in need, whether physically or emotionally.

Newcomers are welcome, even if inexperienced. There will be members that will help teach the novices.

All Sports Club

The Pleasant Valley All Sports Club will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the high school library.

Diversity Task Force

Pleasant Valley School District’s Diversity Task Force will meet at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the District Office.

PVI events

The PVI fourth grade open house and book fair will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

August stats

West End Fire Company Chief Don Zipp reports that the West End Fire Company responded to 39 incidents in August. This is an 11 percent increase over 2018.

It puts the total incident count at 282 for the past eight months.

Patriot Day

The American Legion Post 927 in Gilbert will host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 10 a.m. Sept. 11.

It is an open event and a light lunch will be provided.

Monroe Garden Club

The Monroe County Garden Club will meet at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 11 at the Hughes Library on North Ninth Street/Route 611, Stroudsburg.

The guest speaker will be Matt Radar, who will present a program on the Philadelphia Flower Show.

The horticulture exhibit will be Bunny Brunch, display a fruit or vegetable on a plate that compliments the exhibit. The Monthly Design theme will be Purple Haze, incorporate the color purple into a design using fresh and/or dried flowers. Designer’s choice of style.

A light luncheon will be served. There is a cost for nonmembers. Everyone interested in gardening is invited to attend.

For more information, contact group president Robin Teets rteets@ptd.net or visit the website, http://www.monroecountygardenclub.com/ and join the membership on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MonroeCountyGardenClub/

WEPOSC meeting

The West End Planning and Open Space Commission is slated to meet at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11, at the Chestnuthill Park.

PVEN meeting

The board of directors for the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network will meet at 10 a.m. Sept. 12, at the Pleasant Valley Presbyterian Church on Pilgrim Way in Brodheadsville.

Contact Adele Argot at 717-933-4028 or arargot3@verizon.net. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.