Journal of the Pocono Plateau

12/10/2019

Tree lighting at Blakeslee Community Center

11/01/2019

November Specials

November Specials

Offered by A Bit of Bliss Therapy, Inc - Nov 1st - Nov 30th: In The Spirit of Giving! Bring in a donation for Women's Resource Center of Monroe County and receive $5 off any 25 min or longer service. Requested items: *Twin Sheets/Blankets/Comforters *Towels *Personal Care Items One discount per serv...

10/17/2019

Blakeslee Rotary

Great pizza and another weapon in the fight to end polio—that's a win/win!

Blakeslee Rotary is there for the community and abroad. We take action. As community volunteers, we reach out to neighbors in need.

09/07/2019

Blakeslee Rotary

Lots of cars. Come on out

Blakelee Rotary Car Bike Truck Show

07/04/2019

Stroudsburg Arts Festival-2
nd Annual

Stroudsburg - Pocono Arts Council will host the 2nd Annual Stroudsburg Arts Festival, Saturday, July 6, 1 – 6
PM, in the courthouse square area of downtown Stroudsburg. Our Ruby Red Sponsor for the event is First
Keystone Bank located at 559 Main Street in downtown Stroudsburg, PA
Over 25 fine artisans and crafters will be showing and selling their creations. There will be live music and raffle
fun throughout the day, plus roving Magician, Mark Mysterrio.
PERFORMANCES
Spencer Reed 2 – 3 pm
Community Connection 3 – 4 pm
Alicia & Steve Kruger 4 – 5 pm
Elvis Impersonator, Kevin MacIntyre 5 – 6 pm
Juggernaut String Band 6 – 7 pm
FIRST SATURDAY ART WALK will conclude the festivities from 6-8 PM with the following galleries
open:
Turrell Art Studios, 4 N 6th Street
Gamut Art Gallery, 111 N 8th Street
Tolino Winery, Courthouse Square
Origins Gallery of Pocono Arts Popup Gallery in Courthouse Square
Andrei Art Gallery, 18 N 7th Street
Soho in the Burg Gallery at Renegade Winery, 600 Main Street
School of Visual and Performing Arts, 554 Main Street
The Charcuterie, 548 Main Street

07/03/2019

06/28/2019

The FREE Summer Concerts continue at the Chestnuthill Township Park, 221 Rt. 715-Brodheadsville with a performance by Out of the Blue on Sunday, July 28th at 6pm. Blues and Classic Rock Clapton·SRV·Beatles·Eagles and more! Bring a Lawn Chair, Blanket and Bug Spray. FREE Ice Cream at all concerts. FMI: (570)992-9733 or [email protected].

06/27/2019

PMRPD Open House This Saturday
Celebrating 25 years serving the community, Pocono Mountain Regional Police opens its doors to tours, demonstrations, refreshments and more commemorating this momentous occasion 11 a.m. to 2p.m. Saturday, June 29, 2019 at headquarters 2454 Route 940, Pocono Summit, PA 18346.

Experience officers in action with tactical demos, equipment displays, plus conversations of ways this long standing law enforcement agency is an important part of the community. Meet those who played a role since inception; along with professionals that continue to make Pocono Mountain Regional Police a force to be recognized across the region.

06/27/2019

Happy Birthday, America: Army Band to Perform Here
…28th Infantry Division Band Returns to Tobyhanna Township

The band played to hundreds in a packed house in 2014. The excitement is building for their return to Tobyhanna Township to celebrate our nation’s birthday this year. The 28th Infantry Division Band of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard will present a memorable evening of patriotic music at the Pocono Mountain West High School auditorium in Tobyhanna Township, Route 940 on Tuesday, July 2nd at
7:30 PM.

The concert band will perform an exciting program of rousing marches, traditional classics, contemporary selections and patriotic music. The event is sponsored by the Township of Tobyhanna and is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required and seating will be limited to the capacity of the school auditorium.

The band’s mission is to support the troops of the 28th Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard, as well as serve the citizens of Pennsylvania and the United States of America. These part-time soldiers and band members are not just making music. Several past, and present members of the band have defended our freedom in combat.

Formed in early 1944, the band earned distinction in the defense of Wiltz during WW2’s Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944. Being soldiers and musicians, over half the band was lost, being killed in action, wounded or lost as prisoners of war. The band’s decorations include the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Luxembourg Croix De Guerre.

The band has had the distinct honor to perform for several Presidents of the United States, Governors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Duke of Luxemburg, and the President of France. They supported our forces in Bosnia in 2002. The 28th has performed in many parades and public ceremonies in Pennsylvania as well as neighboring states and foreign countries.

At present, the 28th Infantry Division Band is located at the Torrance Armory in Torrance, PA and is under the command of Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) Aaron Burkle. These part-time citizen soldiers take extreme pride in their history of service to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to the United States of America.

The public is encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of this free concert. For further questions and information, contact the Tobyhanna Township office at 570-646-1212.

05/30/2019

News from Clymer Library
Don’t Miss Clymer’s 2019 Home Tour.
Our 2019 Home Tour will be held Wednesday, August 7. The Brunch and Tour is $45, while the Tour only is $25.
(The prices were listed incorrectly in the May 15 Journal)

Also:
You are invited to an open house at Clymer Library! Come in and see our many changes on Sunday, June 9 from 1 to 5 p.m. where you can meet the Board of Trustees and the Library Director. Remarks and Dedication to Our Founders will take place at 2 p.m. Refreshments will be provided – see you there!

04/01/2019

Our hours vary, depending on what stories we're working on, and what we're doing. Please call and we'll be happy to make an appointment.

03/26/2019

The Pocono Mountain West High School Choral Department will present its 17th annual Dinner Theater, "Retro Rewind: Music of the 1970s," on March 29 and 30, 2019, under the direction of Mandy Van Kuren.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and seating begins at 7 p.m.

The menu for the Dinner Theater includes: salad, chicken parmesan, pasta and an assortment of desserts.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $6 for children under 10 years old.

To order tickets, please call the Pocono Mountain West High School at (570) 839-7121 ext. 81401 and ask to speak with Doreen Esposito. Confirm which performance(s) you will be attending. The deadline to pre-order tickets is March 25. Please make checks payable to the Pocono Mountain West Chorus and send payment to: Pocono Mountain West High School, c/o Mandy Van Kuren, 181 Panther Lane, Pocono Summit, PA, 18346.

02/22/2019

The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania

The Nature Conservancy is hosting a Volunteer Recruitment Day at our Hauser Nature Center located at 1567 Long Pond Road, Long Pond, PA (Monroe County) on Saturday, March 30th from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. More information and online registration is provided on our website at https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/volunteer-and-attend-events/find-local-events-and-opportunities/volunteer-recruitment-event/.

Our mission is to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends. We've been working in Pennsylvania to do just that.

01/03/2019

Toll Calculator

PA Turnpike Reminds Travelers of 2019 Toll Increase
New rates take effect early on Sunday, Jan. 6.

HARRISBURG, PA (JAN. 2, 2019) — The PA Turnpike Commission (PTC) today reminded customers that, beginning 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 6, tolls will reflect a six-percent increase for cash, E-ZPass and PA Turnpike TOLL BY PLATE users. The increase, approved by commissioners last July, is needed to meet the PTC’s dual funding obligation to improve its toll-road system and support mass-transit improvements across the Commonwealth.
As a result, the most-common toll for a passenger vehicle will increase a dime for E-ZPass customers from $1.30 to $1.40 and 20 cents for cash customers from $2.10 to $2.30.
The toll increase — like others since 2009 — is required to meet the PA Turnpike’s legislatively mandated funding obligation to support the Commonwealth’s public-transportation systems as well as to maintain and improve the 552-mile Turnpike.
“Parts of our roadway are 78 years old, and we owe it to customers, who pay a premium to travel, to invest in our road and make it safer, smoother and wider,” said PTC CEO Mark Compton. “This year about 84 percent of our $552 million capital budget is focused on renewing, rebuilding and widening our highway which carried more than 200 million vehicles last year.”
The PTC has reconstructed more than 140 miles of its system, with another 11 miles of roadway now being rebuilt and widened and more than 82 miles in planning and design phases. (The PTC does not receive tax appropriations to operate and maintain its roadway.)
Additionally, the Turnpike delivered more than $6 billion in toll-backed funding to PennDOT in the last decade. The PTC’s annual payments of $450 million — mandated by Act 44 of 2007 — are to be reduced to $50 million a year in 2022 under Act 89 of 2013.
This six-percent toll increase will apply to all PA Turnpike sections and extensions, including the westbound Delaware River Bridge cashless tolling point (#359) in Bucks County, where tolls have not changed since January 2016.
One way to moderate the effect of the increase is to switch to E-ZPass. E-ZPass holders will save $3.70 on a single trip between Valley Forge and Harrisburg West, for example. To calculate how much you could save on your next trip, visit https://www.paturnpike.com/toll/tollmileage.aspx.
E‑ZPass is the world leader in toll interoperability with 35 million E‑ZPass devices in circulation across 17 states. Today, about 80 percent of PA Turnpike travelers pay with E-ZPass. A PA Turnpike E-ZPass can be used on any toll facility where the purple-and-white E-ZPass logo is shown. To learn more visit https://www.paturnpike.com/toll/ezpass_info.aspx or call 1-877-PENN-PASS (1-877-736-6727).

ATTENTION: NESHAMINY and WARRENDALE will NOT appear in the dropdown list. For Neshaminy Falls: To calculate a toll for a trip that includes Neshaminy Falls, please select the actual interchange where you will enter and/or exit the Turnpike system (i.e. Delaware Valley or Delaware River Bridge). For....

12/20/2018

Monroe County: Upcoming Road Work

​County: Monroe
Municipality: Tobyhanna Twp
Road name: PA 940
Between: PA 423 and Interstate 380
Type of work: Pothole Patching
Work being done by: PennDOT Maintenance Forces
Type of restriction: Daytime
Restriction: Lane restriction. Please use caution driving through work zone.
Start date: 12/26/18
Est completion date: 12/28/18
Restrictions in effect (time of day): 09:00 AM To 03:00 PM
Will rain cause delays? Yes
Change/Update:

County: Monroe
Municipality: Tobyhanna Twp
Road name: PA 940
Between: Carbon County Line and PA 423
Type of work: Crack Sealing
Work being done by: PennDOT Maintenance Forces
Type of restriction: Daytime
Restriction: Lane restriction. Please use caution driving through work zone.
Start date: 12/26/18
Est completion date: 12/28/18
Restrictions in effect (time of day): 09:00 AM To 03:00 PM
Will rain cause delays? Yes
Change/Update:

12/13/2018

From 9 AM until approximately 3 PM today, PennDOT crews will be performing emergency bridge repairs on Interstate 81 South, at Exit 165 (Mountaintop/309). Delays are expected and motorists should use caution when driving through the work zone.

12/10/2018

PA TURNPIKE TRIP TALK APP

Lehigh Tunnel Closures Scheduled Dec. 11-13
Day-time tunnel maintenance to impact traffic on I-476 in Carbon County.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advises motorists traveling on the Northeastern Extension (I-476) to be prepared for day-time single-lane patterns and two-way traffic in the northbound Lehigh Tunnel Dec. 11 through 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day

By 9 a.m. each day, the southbound tunnel will be closed and all traffic diverted into the northbound tunnel until the patterns are lifted. The restrictions are necessary to allow crews to safely perform planned maintenance inside the southbound tunnel.

The Lehigh Tunnel is located between milepost A70.2 and A71.5 between the Lehigh Valley, Exit 56, and Mahoning Valley, Exit 74, interchanges.

Message boards will be activated to update motorists of any changes to the schedule caused by inclement weather or unforeseen traffic conditions. If the work is delayed, it will take place on the next available day.

Motorists traveling on I-476 should stay alert when entering the tunnel and turn on their headlights. Drivers are also advised to slow down, keep an adequate distance from the vehicle ahead and never pass inside the tunnel. Customers who experience car trouble and cannot safely exit the tunnel should stay in the car, put on the hazard lights and wait for assistance. Tunnel personnel will monitor closed-circuit cameras and send help for disabled vehicles.

To report an accident or other emergencies on the PA Turnpike, dial *11 on your mobile phone. To learn more about PA Turnpike conditions or to contact us, use one of these resources:

ON THE PA TURNPIKE
Variable & Digital Message Signs — nearly 100 signs along the Turnpike
Highway Advisory Radio — 1640 AM (tune-in near interchanges)
BY PHONE
Turnpike Roadway Information Program (toll-free) — 866-976-TRIP (8747)
Customer Assistance Center (toll-free) — 800-331-3414 (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
ON THE WEB
TRIPTalk — free, travel-alert smartphone app; download at https://www.paturnpike.com/travel/trip_talk.aspx
Travel Conditions Map — live, interactive conditions map; view at https://www.paturnpike.com/webmap
Waze — a crowd-sourced navigation app that provides real-time traffic conditions with input from other drivers; download at https://www.waze.com

Listen to your phone play Pennsylvania Turnpike travel advisories near you, in your direction of travel. As you travel, it will automatically keep you updated. If you are not behind the wheel, you may also view advisories on a map, calculate a toll, view traffic cameras along the Turnpike and provid...

12/10/2018

Monroe County: Locust Ridge Road Closed for Pipe Replacement

​

County: Monroe
Municipality: Tobyhanna Township
Road name: Locust Ridge Road
Between: Old River Road and PA 940
Type of work: Drainage
Work being done by: PennDOT Maintenance Forces
Type of restriction: 24 Hours
Restriction: Road closed to replace a drainage pipe. Traffic being detoured on Old River Road, Thornhurst Street/Buck River Road, PA 115 and PA 940.
Start date: 12/10/18
Est completion date: 12/13/18
Will rain cause delays? No

12/04/2018

PA TURNPIKE TRIP TALK APP

Lehigh Tunnel Closures Scheduled Dec. 5-7
Day-time tunnel maintenance to impact traffic on I-476 in Carbon County.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advises motorists traveling on the Northeastern Extension (I-476) to be prepared for day-time single-lane patterns and two-way traffic in the northbound Lehigh Tunnel on Dec. 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, and on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

By 9 a.m. each day, the southbound tunnel will be closed and all traffic diverted into the northbound tunnel until the patterns are lifted. The restrictions are necessary to allow crews to safely perform planned maintenance inside the southbound tunnel.

The Lehigh Tunnel is located between milepost A70.2 and A71.5 between the Lehigh Valley, Exit 56, and Mahoning Valley, Exit 74, interchanges.

Message boards will be activated to update motorists of any changes to the schedule caused by inclement weather or unforeseen traffic conditions. If the work is delayed, it will take place on the next available day.

Motorists traveling on I-476 should stay alert when entering the tunnel and turn on their headlights. Drivers are also advised to slow down, keep an adequate distance from the vehicle ahead and never pass inside the tunnel. Customers who experience car trouble and cannot safely exit the tunnel should stay in the car, put on the hazard lights and wait for assistance. Tunnel personnel will monitor closed-circuit cameras and send help for disabled vehicles.

To report an accident or other emergencies on the PA Turnpike, dial *11 on your mobile phone. To learn more about PA Turnpike conditions or to contact us, use one of these resources:

ON THE PA TURNPIKE
Variable & Digital Message Signs — nearly 100 signs along the Turnpike
Highway Advisory Radio — 1640 AM (tune-in near interchanges)
BY PHONE
Turnpike Roadway Information Program (toll-free) — 866-976-TRIP (8747)
Customer Assistance Center (toll-free) — 800-331-3414 (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
ON THE WEB
TRIPTalk — free, travel-alert smartphone app; download at https://www.paturnpike.com/travel/trip_talk.aspx
Travel Conditions Map — live, interactive conditions map; view at https://www.paturnpike.com/webmap
Waze — a crowd-sourced navigation app that provides real-time traffic conditions with input from other drivers; download at https://www.waze.com

Listen to your phone play Pennsylvania Turnpike travel advisories near you, in your direction of travel. As you travel, it will automatically keep you updated. If you are not behind the wheel, you may also view advisories on a map, calculate a toll, view traffic cameras along the Turnpike and provid...