West End news
Meeting tonight
The Chestnuthill Township Planning Commission is slated to meet at 7 p.m. today at the township municipal building in Brodheadsville.The township office will be closed Monday due to Christmas.Football BoostersPleasant Valley Football Booster Club is slated to meet at 6:30 p.m. today.Early dismissalPleasant Valley schools will dismiss early Thursday and be on winter break through Jan. 3, 2017.Hanukkah programAt 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Western Pocono Community Library will welcome the Education Committee of B'nai Harim Congregation, who will present a Hanukkah program for all ages.Chestnuthill SeniorsFriday's hot meal available to the Chestnut Seniors meeting at Zion Lutheran as part of Monroe County Seniors is quiche.On Dec. 28 it is Asian chicken salad.All who plan on eating must call site manager Dolores Casalaspro before 11 a.m. the day before at 570-242-6770 or 570-420-3735.If the schools are closed due to inclement weather, the Senior Centers will also be closed.Christmas concertSt. Matthew's UCC, Kunkletown, presents It's A Cramer Brother's Christmas Country Christmas Concert at 7 p.m. Friday.Eldred office closedThe township office in Eldred Township will be closed Friday, Monday and Jan. 2 due to the holidays.Library closedDue to the Christmas holiday, the Western Pocono Community Library will be closed at 2 p.m. Christmas Eve and all day Monday.It will reopen at 9 a.m. Tuesday.Christmas services• Effort UMC will hold a 6 p.m. worship service on Christmas Eve. That service is a family service and the little ones can be brought in their pajamas if the family desires. The program will be done by youth and Sunday school classes under the leadership of the Christian Education Director Brenda Mitchel and her helpers. A traditional service at 8 p.m. led by Pastor Robin will include Scripture reading, lots of singing, a choir anthem, poetry reading and Communion. The 11 p.m. service is a lessons and carols service. It will be led by Pastor Ken and will consist of Scripture readings and the singing of many Christmas carols.On Christmas Day there will be a traditional service at 11 a.m. This service will be led by Pastor Robin and will be the traditional Sunday service to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ including Scripture and singing and a sermon. There will be no 8:30 a.m. service.• McMichaels UMC will hold a Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. and a Christmas Day worship service at 9:30 a.m.• Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Gilbert, will hold Mass at 4, 7, and 10 p.m. but no confessions, on Christmas Eve and at 11 a.m. Christmas Day.• St. Matthew's UCC, Kunkletown, will hold Christmas Eve services at 7 and 10 p.m. The 7 p.m. service is a family table style; the 10 p.m. one is a candlelight service. On Christmas Day there will be a 9 a.m. service.• Salem United Church of Christ, Gilbert, will be holding its Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m.• Salem-St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Kresgeville, will hold two services on Christmas Eve, at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Each service will include carols, Communion and candlelighting. On Christmas Day there will be no early service or Sunday school, but one service at 10:30 a.m. It will include Holy Communion and Christmas carols.• Zion Lutheran, Brodheadsville, will have three candlelight services on Christmas Eve, at 3:30, 7:30 and 10 p.m. On Christmas Day, the church will worship at 10:30 a.m. and hold a free Christmas Day dinner from noon to 5 p.m. To make the requested RSVP, call 570-992-6988.Republicans meetThe West End Republican Club will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Cherry's Sunset Family Restaurant in Kresgeville. The optional dinner is at 6 p.m.Library closedThe Western Pocono Community Library, Brodheadsville, will close at 2
p.m.New Year's Eve. It will also be closedJan. 2and reopen at 9
a.m.Jan. 3.For more information about the library, please call 570-992-7934. For more information about the Heritage Center, call 570-402-1906.Story timeThe Western Pocono Community Library offers story time five times each week: Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.; Wednesday at 1 p.m.; Thursday a 6:30 p.m.; Friday at 1 p.m., for children with special needs; and Saturday at 10:30 a.m., Family Fun Time.All story times are open to all ages.Ski timeWest End Park & Open Space Commission is offering discounted ski tickets for Blue Mountain, Jack Frost/Big Boulder, Shawnee and Elk and Montage Mountains.Tickets are available at the Chestnuthill Park office, 221 Route 715 in Brodheadsville. Call 570-992-9733 or contact
bkozen@weposc.org.Volunteers soughtThe Agricultural Security Area is an act of the legislature to protect farmland activities in the state. Every seven years there is a review of the properties in the act and this year is that year. As part of the review a Township ASA Committee of three people, two farmer residents and a nonfarmer resident, and a supervisor review the information. It has been a while since an ASA Committee has been formed in Eldred Township and a few volunteers are needed for the committee.The duties of the committee are to review the seven-year review and make any recommendations to the supervisors and to meet whenever there is a new application.Anyone in the township interested in serving on the committee is asked to contact E. Ann Velopolcek, administrative assistant, in the township office at
a.velopolcek@eldredtwp.org or 610-381-4252 ext. 2, before Dec. 31,with a letter of interest.Road conditionsMotorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting
www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras.511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 511, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/511PAAllentown.Contact Adele Argot at 717-933-4028 or
arargot3@verizon.net. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or