Town of Thompson Fall Clean Up 

TOWN OF THOMPSON, NY –Town of Thompson residents located outside the Village of Monticello can dispose of up to 500 pounds of household materials at no charge until Wednesday, October 7. To take advantage of this service, residents must acquire vouchers from the Town of Thompson clerk’s office. Vouchers will be available beginning September 16th. 

For details and guidelines, visit www.bit.ly/thompson2040.

Vacant position at WSPL

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — The Western Sullivan Public Library (WSPL) is seeking an interested resident of the Sullivan West Central School District to fill a position on the Board of Trustees left vacant on September 14, 2020. The mission of the library is to provide welcoming centers of information and discovery and provide our communities with tools for lifelong learning, creativity and enrichment.  If you are interested in learning more about the role of a library trustee, visit www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/trustees/handbook for a description of a trustee’s duties and responsibilities.  

For additional information, contact library director Audra Everett at 845/482-4350 or wspldirector@rcls.org. Interested candidates will be invited to the monthly board meeting on Tuesday, October 13 at 5:30 p.m.  

FUDR and Partners battle knotweed in the UDR Watershed 

DELAWARE RIVER — In 2018, Friends of the Upper Delaware (FUDR) was awarded funding from the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund to study the impacts of knotweed and techniques to manage it in the Upper Delaware River Watershed.

This summer, the focus was on research to understand the extent of the 100-year flood plain that is colonized by knotweed and which of the three types of knotweed exist in our area. Recently, the researchers did a river flyover to capture aerial imagery of knotweed in bloom, and they floated the river to identify species composition.

Next Summer, they will initiate on-the-ground demonstration projects to showcase management techniques to control knotweed. 

For more information, visit www.fudr.org. Read more about the research project, from River Reporter’s latest Upper Delaware Magazine, at www.bit.ly/udmknotweed. 

Drive-thru job fair

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — The Sullivan County Center for Workforce Development is hosting its first drive-thru job fair for businesses to attract new workers.

On Monday, October 5, it will take place in Monticello, off of 100 North St., at the municipal lots at the government center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On Tuesday, October 6, it will take place in Liberty in the side parking lot of the visitor’s association, located at 100 Sullivan Ave., side parking lot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

And on Wednesday, October 7, it will take place in Callicoon at Callicoon Creek Park from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

Participants will drive up to receive information from many of Sullivan County’s businesses. Masks are required by all parties involved. Someone will approach your car and ask you questions about what kind of work you’re interested in, and participants will drive off with a preset packet of information.

For more information, call 845/807-0603.

Introducing the ‘Holiday Donation Drive’

WAYNE AND PIKE COUNTIES, PA — The Holiday Donation Drive 2020 is a revamp of The Holiday Toy Drive. This year, it will be based solely on monetary donations, unlike previous years where toys and gifts were collected at more than 200 drop-box locations and distributed at a three-day event. 

There will be three phases to the program: A fundraising phase lasting from mid-September until the end of October with a goal of $125,000, mostly via GoFundMe. When/if the goal is substantially met enough to continue, applications from families will be accepted online from mid-October through mid-November. After complete vetting of applicants, distribution of funds will be through digital format at the very beginning of December, allowing families to purchase online and receive gifts for children by the end of the month.

For more information, visit www.ZipperJunction.org.

Highland history

SHOHOLA, PA — On Wednesday, October 7, the Shohola Railroad and Historical Society will show a DVD of the July 1989 presentation by Austin Smith, late Town of Highland Historian, of old pictures and postcards, showing various sights of historical nature in Barryville, Yulan, Eldred and the surrounding areas.  All are invited to the meeting, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Shohola Township Building, located at 159 Twin Lakes Rd. The meeting will be followed by refreshments. 

Virtual Readers & Writers fest possible with Greater Pike grant

MILFORD, PA — Pike Artworks, Inc., on behalf of the Milford Readers & Writers Festival, is honored to have been awarded the Richard L. Snyder Fund grant. The grant enabled them to bring audiences the virtual festival this year, “Doing It Write,” which was successfully held the weekend of September 11 to 13. The board would like to thank Greater Pike Community Foundation for its generous support.

For more information, visit www.greaterpike.org.