LOCAL RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THE Presorted Standard ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Sunbury, PA Union County Times 17801 The Area’s Largest Weekly Newspaper! Permit No. #17 A DIRECT MAIL PUBLICATION - 23RD YEAR - NO. 7 Friday, February 14, 2020 MIDDLEBURG, PA 17842 Bear Harvest State’s West End Fire Co. Banquet Soroptimist Club Best All-Time & Awards Ceremony Welcomes New Members Pennsylvania hunters took 4,653 black bears this past fall, setting a new state record bear harvest. In 2018, the bear harvest was 3,153, 11th best all-time, but also the lowest bear harvest in the past 11 years. So, the overall bear harvest increased by a third from 2018 to 2019. With a statewide bear population of about 20,000 bears over the past several years, it was a harvest increase sought by the Game Commission, which had employed the larg- est suite of bear-season changes ever approved in a single Saturday evening we had our Annual Banquet and license year. Awards Ceremony at the Carriage Corner Restaurant. A “There were 30 days of bear hunting across all bear sea- video of the past year was presented by Jason Mangia- sons in 2019,” explained Mark Ternent, agency biologist. ruga of Worth it Entertainment. We were honored to host “The last time that happened was in 1931.” Congressman Fred Keller and PA State Representative Pennsylvania’s previous top bear seasons occurred in 2011, David Rowe, both shared words of support and encour- when 4,350 bears were harvested, and in 2005, when 4,164 agement. were taken. Our award were winners were: In recent years, bad breaks with weather, particularly on Firefi ghter of the Year: Tyler Bean opening days, when hunter participation is typically at its Rookie of the Year: Brian Zimmerman highest, have kept the bear harvest down. Presidents Award: Jeff Norton But in the four years prior to 2019, hunters still took more Community Support Awards: than 13,850 bears, which exemplifi es the bear population’s Get and Go Market of Laurelton Ruth Ann Miller, Wendy Hummel, Angela Hum- resiliency to remain around 20,000. West End Social Club of Glen Iron mel and NAR Governor Elect Diane Savidge Over the course of bear hunting’s three major season seg- Miffl inburg Hose Company Ladies Auxiliary The Soroptimist International Club of Sny- ments hunters took 1,629 bears in the general season; 1,340 der, Union and Northumberland Counties re- in the muzzleloader and special fi rearms seasons; 1,117 in cently inducted new club members, Ruth Ann extended fi rearms seasons and 561 in the bear archery sea- CHEMSWEEP Program Miller, Wendy Hummel and Angela Hummel. son. The muzzleloader, extended and archery harvests are all new record harvests, too. Soroptimist International is a global volun- “To have three independent bear seasons with harvests in Deadline Is February 28th teer network of women in 130 countries and excess of 1,000 is surely historic,” Ternent noted. “But when Winter is a great time to clean out your pesticide storage territories with a mission of improving the a record 202,043 hunters buy licenses and can participant in and take inventory. If you have canceled, suspended, or lives of women and girls through programs the opening days of four seasons that weren’t impacted by unwanted pesticides, now is the time to schedule dispos- leading to social and economic empower- poor weather, there’s always a great chance for hunter suc- al through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture ment. The local SUN Soroptimist Club meets cess to increase.” (PDA) CHEMSWEEP Program. the fi rst Wednesday of each month within the Opening-day harvests are typically responsible for 50 to CHEMSWEEP started in 1993 and collects unwanted three-county area. We encourage any person 60 percent of a bear season harvest. When weather inter- or unusable pesticides from Pennsylvania farmers, pes- who is interested in volunteering and becom- feres, the season’s take suff ers. ticide applicators, and pesticide businesses. The fi rst ing a member to contact any club member or Bears were taken in 58 counties and 22 of Pennsylvania’s 2,000 pounds of pesticides per participant is collected 23 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs). by contacting Tasha L. Herald at 570-259- and properly disposed of for free. Only products that 5965 or [email protected]. The largest bear through all 2019 seasons is the 813-pound have been registered for sale or use in Pennsylvania are male taken with a rifl e on the opening day of the general accepted. CHEMSWEEP is off ered in a selected num- season in Smithfi eld Township, Monroe County, by Victor ber of counties each year and runs on a four-year cycle. M. Vassalluzzo, of Kintnersville. For 2020, CHEMSWEEP is being off ered in Snyder and Miffl inburg Middle The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an Union Counties. 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Middle Smithfi eld Town- To participate, you must complete a CHEMSWEEP School Challenge Winners ship, Pike County. Since 1992, seven black bears weighing form and mail it to PDA by February 28th. A PDA in- at least 800 pounds have been lawfully harvested in Penn- spector will verify your inventory and schedule the pes- sylvania hunting seasons. ticide collection for later this year. If you have questions, Other large bears taken in the 2019 bear general and ex- please contact Penn State Extension’s local Agronomy tended bear seasons include: a 747-pound male taken with Educator, Anna Busch, at 570-556-4756 or akb226@psu. a rifl e in Wright Township, Luzerne County, by J. Kripp edu. Jr., of Mountaintop; a 743-pound male taken with a rifl e in Greene Township, Pike County, by Matthew J. Erdie Jr., of Nazareth; a 696-pound male taken with a rifl e in Penn Lewisburg Boys Cross Forest Township, Carbon County, by Brian J. Borosh, of Jim Thorpe; a 661-pound male taken with a rifl e in Lake Township, Wayne County, by Michael A. Biduck II, of West Country Champions Honored Abington; a 657-pound male taken with a rifl e in Franklin Township, Columbia County, by Nicholas A. Podgurski, of Elysburg; a 656-pound male taken in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, by Dale J. Kobal, of Hunlock Creek; a 631-pound male taken with a muzzleloader in Porter Town- ship, Clarion County, by Mark V. Neiswonger, of New Beth- lehem; a 630-pounf male taken with archery tackle in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County, by Craig L. Moyer, of Front Row: Dominic Scott, Samantha Weaver, Mason New Ringgold; and a 623-pound male taken in Beech Creek Morrison Back Row: Jeff rey Kapsar, President, Miffl in- Township, Clinton County, by Mikael J. Catanese, of Se- burg Bank & Trust, George Kahler, Teacher wickley. Miffl inburg – Schools across Pennsylvania were Lycoming County fi nished with 284 bears to take the top competing in a Pennsylvania Council on Financial county bear harvest. It was followed by Clinton and Tioga Literacy’s Stock Market Challenge, from the world counties, both with 267. Other top counties for bear harvests leader in fi nancial simulations, StockTrak. Teams in 2019 were: Huntingdon, 180; Potter, 174; Luzerne, 163; Pike, 161; Bedford, 156; Centre, 146; and Warren, 146. of students each managed a hypothetical invest- Final county harvests by region (with 2018 fi gures in paren- ment of $100,000 in stocks, bonds, and mutual theses) are: Front Row: Mark Temple, C.A.A., Lewisburg Area School District Ath- funds and made buying and trading decisions based letic Director; State Sen. Gene Yaw; Bryce Ryder; Connor Murray; Jacob on the stock market. The students whose invest- Northwest – 557 (517): Warren, 146 (72); Venango, 80 (96); Hess; Thomas Hess; Coach Ron Hess; State Rep. David Rowe. Back Row: Forest, 69 (70); Crawford, 65 (79); Jeff erson, 65 (79); Clari- Gianluca Perrone; Noah Shabahang; Calvin Bailey and Peter Lantz. ments made the most money won. The program is on, 65 (52); Butler, 44 (26); Erie, 16 (29); Mercer, 7 (13); and State Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23) and state Rep. David Rowe sponsored by Miffl inburg Bank and Trust. Lawrence, 0 (1). (R-85) today honored the Lewisburg High School Boys For the fall 2019 game, Miffl inburg Middle School Southwest – 347 (261): Somerset, 124 (85); Fayette, 62 (58); Cross Country team upon winning the 2019 PIAA Class ranked in tenth place in statewide middle division. Armstrong, 58 (33); Indiana, 42 (34); Cambria, 29 (21); “AA” state title during the Cross Country Champion- The winning students were Mason Morrison, Sa- Westmoreland, 29 (26); Allegheny, 2 (2); Greene, 1 (1); and ships in Hershey on November 2. mantha Weaver, & Dominic Scott. These students Beaver, 0 (1). The team members in attendance, along with Coach Northcentral – 1,605 (989): Lycoming, 284 (159); Clin- worked under the guidance of teacher, Mr. George Ron Hess and Athletic Director Mark Temple, were pre- Kahler. ton, 267 (158); Tioga, 267 (166); Potter, 174 (109); Centre, sented with congratulatory citations sponsored by the 146 (87); McKean, 129 (67); Clearfi eld, 103 (87); Elk, 101 Miffl inburg Bank and Trust Company, established legislators. in 1872, is a full-service commercial bank servic- (54);Cameron, 80 (67); and Union, 54 (35). “It is so encouraging to see what these young men have Southcentral – 731 (474): Huntingdon, 180 (142); Bedford, accomplished,” Sen. Yaw said. “They showed us all that ing customers from seven locations in Miffl inburg, 156 (80); Fulton, 80 (58); Perry, 68 (31); Miffl in, 54 (29); persistence and hard-work pays off and I’m very excited Lewisburg, New Berlin, Selinsgrove, Shamokin Franklin, 47 (26); Juniata, 42 (34); Blair, 40 (44); Cumber- to see what the future holds for those who will remain on Dam, and Millheim.