Walkie Talkies

The Western Pocono Community Library has a book discussion group the last Thursday of the month at 4 p.m. that meets in the track area to walk laps and discuss a different genre.

Call the library for more information at 570-992-7934.

PTO Meeting

The Pleasant Valley Intermediate School PTO is slated to meet at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Special meeting

Eldred Township has a special meeting set for 5 p.m. Thursday. Link into it via the township’s website, eldredtwp.org.

Park meeting

According to Polk Township’s calendar of happenings, the Park Committee is slated to meet at 6 p.m. Thursday.

WELL registration

Spring ball registrations for 2022 continue to be accepted by the West End Little League.

Online registration is open at www.westendlittleleague.org. In-person registration continues from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the Pleasant Valley High School Old Auditorium lobby.

Visit the website or Facebook page at West End Little League PA for more information.

PVSD Board

The Pleasant Valley School District Board of Education is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Souper Bowl set

Area churches may have their own version of Souper Bowl Sunday, but Effort UMC’s Missions Team and Supplemental Food Resource Center, the church’s food pantry, sponsor the appropriately named Souper Bowl activity.

Soup pots are set up in the narthex for donations of canned goods such as canned fruit, canned pasta, canned vegetables, canned sauces, etc., and nonperishables.

Back by popular demand, there will also be a little competition involving the teams that will be playing in this year’s Super Bowl.

Each soup pot will have a team name so folks can vote for their favorite by placing their donation in that particular pot.

Donations should be brought in by Feb. 7.

Chili cook-off

It is a Chili Cook-off on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m., at the West End Fire Co. in Brodheadsville as chili cookers, entering their chili for judging, pay a fee to do so.

Everyone else, meaning the eaters also have to pay, including students over the age of 12. Children younger than that 12 are free.

Chili cookers should bring their chili in a slow cooker and it should be almost fully cooked before they arrive.

For questions, including entering fee and admission costs, contact Sharon Gerhart 570-856-4631.

Proceeds benefit Austin’s Blue Line, a nonprofit raising funds for suicide awareness and providing PV students scholarships. The website is austinsblueline.org.

American Legion

The West End Home Association is slated to meet at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1.

Free test kits

From Eldred Township’s Secretary E. Ann Velopolcek comes the government address for free COVID tests kits: https://bit.ly/3H29tAn.

WEPOSC cook-off

Registration and entry fee for the first West End Park and Open Space Commission’s chili cook off set for Feb. 12 are due by Feb. 1 at Friends of WEPOSC, P.O. Box 243, Brodheadsville, PA, 18322 or dropped off at the Chestnuthill Park in Brodheadsville.

For full details about the Feb. 12 event at the Chestnuthill Park, contact Bernie Kozen or Kim Tuin at 570-992-9733 or go to www.weposc.org.

BINGO ahead

The Pleasant Valley All Sports Club and PV Bears Softball are hosting the sixth annual bingo on Sunday.

There will be two sessions. For details and costs contact Toni D at bdorsh@ptd.net.

Food will be available for purchase. The snow date is Feb. 6.

The Pleasant Valley All Sports Club: Bears Baseball is hosting a Bingo Night Feb. 19, beginning at 2 p.m.

For costs and other details contact Brittany, Jamie or Annette at pvbearsbaseball@yahoo.com.

Monday bingo

The American Legion, Gilbert, continues to offer Monday night bingo to the community, with card sales beginning at 6:30 p.m. and game calling at 7 p.m.

Prayer Shawl work

Effort UMC’s prayer shawl group will meet again from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

Help needed

The Garden of Giving is seeking helpers or volunteers. Needed are administrative helpers, including board members.

Linda Zak said board members are essential to keeping the garden running efficiently and effectively; just a few hours per week would be of great help. Anyone available to help in the office on Wednesdays and Fridays, for two to three hours per week would be much appreciated.

The garden is located in McMichaels, off Route 715 at 2556 Rising Hill Road. The Garden’s office is open part time, in the ReMax building on Route 115 in Effort. The phone contact is 570-402-1282 and the email is GardenofGiving@gmail.com.

Sweet stuff

The Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center is once again promoting its Sponsor-A-Maple Tree program.

Each sponsor receives a half pint of our fresh maple syrup, a certificate, free admission to one of the Public Day programs on March 5 or 12 for up to four people and a map showing the location of the sponsored tree in the Sugarbush.

Call the center at 570-629-3061, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit the website www.mcconservation.org to download a sponsorship form and a schedule of the programs Kettle Creek offers.

WE food pantry

The next West End Food Pantry, Kunkletown, distribution is set for Feb. 5.

Block shoot ahead

On Feb. 6, there will be a block shoot and meat raffle at the Kunkletown Rod & Gun Club on Gun Club Lane in Saylorsburg.

It begins at 11 a.m.

The public is welcome.

It is a 12-gauge shotgun only event.

For more information one can call 610-381-3215.

Super Bowl told

Zion Lutheran, Brodheadsville, will also be celebrating the Super Bowl of Caring on Feb. 13. The church will be collecting an offering for the PVEN. Worshippers are asked to look for the big soup pot of one’s favorite team.

Art classes begin

Our Lady Queen of Peace church has announced an upcoming art class by artist Jean Perry.

Irish blessing/St. Brigit’s Blessing, a colored pencil and Celtic stencil design, will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 10.

There is a fee.

One can sign up at jgmobeel@ptd.net.

Local scholarships

Bernie Kozen, Executive Director of the West End Park and Open Space Commission, has announced that this year the WEPOSC is once again offering two David Fleetwood Memorial scholarships to deserving Pleasant Valley School District graduates for $2,000.

Said scholarships will be given to students who exemplify the outstanding attributes of Mr. Fleetwood and a spirit of giving back to the community.

More information may be obtained by going to www.weposc.org or by contacting one’s guidance counselor at Pleasant Valley High School.

All properly completed applications must be received by the West End Park and Open Space Commission on or before April 22.

The scholarships will be presented on May 22 at the Fleetwood 5K at West End Regional Park.

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