The Monroe County commissioners announced the development of the Pocono Cinema-Monroe County Poet Laureate Program.

Commissioner Sharon Laverdure said that about two months ago, Brianna Booker, Carlton Farnbaugh, and Courtney Tolino, president of the historic Pocono Cinema and Cultural Center in East Stroudsburg, began working on the new program. It was adopted and approved at the commissioners’ meeting on Wednesday morning.

“The Pocono Cinema board will be running the show along with the other two individuals here,” Laverdure said.

Tolino spoke about how Booker and Carlton approached the theater about starting the program and they have been working hard to get it established ever since.

“The job of a poet laureate is to raise the county consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry, and raise awareness for the poet laureate program,” Tolino said.

The poet laureate is not a paid position, she said. They are accepting applications on the cinema’s website at https://poconocinema.org/poet-laureate-1. Applicants must 21 years old or older.

One of their goals is to have a monthly poetry program, and to elevate poetry in schools.

In other business, the commissioners proclaimed the week of Feb. 11-17, 2024 as FBLA Week in Monroe County. Two members of the Stroudsburg High School FBLA chapter were present for the proclamation.

John Christy, the chairman of the commissioners, said the Stroudsburg chapter was established in 1985. There are chapters at in the East Stroudsburg Area School District, as well as in the Pocono Mountain School District and Pleasant Valley High School.

Laverdure said her granddaughter is a member of the chapter at Pleasant Valley.

The commissioners also recognized the work of four people in the PEER program and three people for their volunteerism.

Agnes Callery, Christine Gerlach, Cheryl Giunta and Robert Hirt all completed the PEER training. And Dr. Marilyn Brown, Russell Fisher and Sue Mahusky were all nominated for the Middle Smithfield Township 2023 Person of the Year.

Fisher was selected as the Person of the Year by an independent panel of judges. His volunteer work is with VALOR and St. John’s Knights of Columbus.