Hawley Harvest Hoedown

Kick off the fall season in downtown Hawley, PA. The Downtown Hawley Partnership (DHP) invites you to two full days of Fall Festival Fun, October 1 and 2.

Tiffany Hoffmann,

Hawley Harvest Hoedown committee member says that this year’s event will include some

new twists. In addition to shopping, kids’ activities, a petting zoo, scarecrow costume contest, live music, the Fall Beer Crawl, horse and wagon rides, craft vendors, bluegrass concert and delicious local foods, the PA Professional Lumberjack Organization will host a lumberjack competition in Bingham Park. The lumberjacks and lumberjills will compete and showcase skills in the standing block and underhand chop, springboard, crosscut, bow saw, chainsaw, log roll and axe throw. Attendees can watch and cheer on the contestants. The DHP is also partnering with Pocono Cornhole for a great Saturday afternoon. Pocono Cornhole will bring the boards and the competition, but guests should bring their own bags to throw. (No corn filled bags, please.) Cost is $50/team; event will include two divisions for all skill levels; six games guaranteed, four Round Robin games for seeding followed by a double elimination bracket. Over $2500 in cash prizes is guaranteed! Find a partner and sign up on Facebook (Hawley Harvest Harvest Hoedown Cornhole Tournament). The Saturday night Bluegrass Concert musicians promise a foot stomping good time at The Ritz Company Playhouse. Musical acts include: Mark Miklos, Robert Mabe Band and The Feinberg Brothers. The pre-concert VIP event will include music by The Lost Ramblers and Uncle Jake & The 18 Wheel Gang along with food and fun. A live performance stage has also been added this year with craftspeople demonstrating talents. Enjoy live music and learn how to line dance or how to clog, Appalachian style. The Fall Beer Crawl promises to be one of the best. Visit participating local restaurants and taverns and enjoy a Hoedown special cocktail or mocktail. Fill your game card and receive a free signature Hoedown pint glass. Original drinks will help you celebrate Hoedown; you don’t want to miss this one. Follow the

Follow the Downtown Hawley Partnership, Hawley Harvest Hoedown on social media or visit www.visithawleypa.com for vendor applications and event updates or call 570-2264064. H

October 1 & 2 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Vendors, live music, kids' activities, a petting zoo, food, cornhole and a horse and wagon. Free admission. Hawleyharvesthoedown.com. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Corn Hole Tournament, October 1 Bring your own bags and partner with a chance to win over $2500 in prizes at Bingham Park, Main Ave, Hawley. Register online for $50. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Bluegrass Concert, October 1 at 7:30 p.m Come to the Ritz Company Playhouse at 512 Keystone Street. The pre-concert party includes food and fun.

In 1964, the Luhrs

family purchased a local hardware store located in the old Bloom Garden building in Milford, PA from the well-known Hoey

family. While the location of the hardware store has changed over the years, the Luhrs family remained the

Luhrs True Value

owners carrying with them their love of people and all things hardware. Third generation hardware store owners, Doug and Penney Luhrs opened Independence True Value in Dingmans Ferry in 1995, followed by Roundhouse True Value, in Newfoundland, 1997, the reopening of Milford True Value in 2013 and the Lakeview True Value in Hawley, 2015. While the Luhrs family name has synonymously stood as the local momand-pop hardware store, when you ask them what has made their stores a staple in Pike County they will tell you that it is their employees. “Our managers and employees are who create the personal rela-

Greentown Milford

Dingmans Ferry Hawley

tionships with the customers who shop in our stores. They are the ones who go above and beyond when someone needs to find something. They are the ones with smiles in place to give customers a great experience. From the managers who have grown with the company over the years, to the teens who get their first taste of customer servicecentered work, the success of all four Luhrs True Value locations rests with them,” say the Luhrs family. The employees are everready and adaptable and have remained so during years of growth and transition, snowstorms, heatwaves, pandemic lockdowns and software changes. Their primary

focus remains on the care and service that the customers receive. The dedication and loyalty of the employees are what cultivate wonderful and loyal customers. Penney and Doug have deep roots in Pike County where they have spent years creating a home, raising children, playing with grandchildren, making friends and supporting the community. While running and overseeing the day-to-day operations in all four locations,

they remain dedicated to giving back to as many local community organizations as possible each year and enjoy attending many fundraisers. The Luhrs family has been able to enjoy longstanding success in the Pike County area due to employees, the cultivation of relationships with wonderful customers and their commitment to providing the best quality goods to the community they love. What’s next for Luhrs True Value? Be on the lookout for some exciting new things happening in their Dingmans Ferry location…and did somebody say new location? Stay tuned! H

Doug and Penney Luhrs

"From the managers who have grown with the company over the years, to the teens who get their first taste of customer service-centered work, the success of all four Luhrs True Value locations rest with them"

Van Gorders’ Furniture: In Stock and Ready for Delivery

For more than 85 years, Van Gorders’ Furni-

ture has been serving families in the Lake Wallenpaupack area with quality home décor that reflects the beauty and nature of the lake region.

Right now, Van Gorders' Furniture has abundant inventory on items for every room of your home, which means you can beat long lead times and receive deliveries in days or weeks. Unlike the big box stores, all three of Van Gorders’ showrooms, in Milford, Honesdale and at Lake Wallenpaupack, feature a unique mix of lodge-style furnishings that truly bring the outdoors inside. Each Van Gorders’ showroom features a Sealy Mattress Gallery where customers can experience the newest Sealy Posturepedic and Stearns & Foster mattresses. The historic Honesdale location also offers a La-Z Boy Comfort Studio with hundreds of recliners and sofas of all styles and sizes. In addition to the finest American-made rustic home furnishings found in every Van Gorders showroom, shoppers will find a large selection of quality name brands of the latest furniture styles. Stop by for a power browse to experience hundreds of items (including rustic specialities) for every room of your home including, the bedroom, dining and living room, home office and kitchen. Visit Vangorders.com or stop by one of its three welcoming showrooms soon for your shopping adventure. H

BEAUTIFUL LAKE WALLENPAUPACK Route 6 • 570-226-9726

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN HONESDALE Church & 6th Sts. • 570-253-1860

CHARMING MILFORD Route 2001 (Water St.) • 570-296-9610

5 Tips For Homebuyers

Owning a home is

the American dream. Representing stability, independence and an investment in your future, a home will be your most valuable asset.

However, people across the country are struggling to purchase a home.

Issues like low inventory of houses on the market, supply chain challenges and soaring prices are to blame. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, the median sales price for singlefamily homes in the first quarter of 2022 was $428,700, a 16% increase over the prior year.

Additionally, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates multiple times this year, with additional increases expected.

What can homebuyers do to counteract these challenges?

Follow these tips from mortgage experts at Wayne Bank. 1. Get Pre-Qualified. As soon as you decide to start looking for a house, reach out to your bank lender to get pre-qualified. Pre-qualification will help you to understand how much you can borrow when purchasing a home. This is how to submit a bid quickly and effectively. Fix Financial Flaws. Maxing out credit cards or falling 2. behind on other loan payments can create issues when applying for a mortgage loan. Keep tabs on spending habits and pay down debt to qualify for a better interest rate. You should also check your credit report before applying for a mortgage loan to better understand your current credit position and help detect any inaccurate information. Credit reporting agencies must provide one free report annually. 3 Do a Down Payment. According to the National . Association of Realtors, down payments for first-time homebuyers generally range between 6-7% on average. Offering a larger down payment can help reduce your monthly payments, eliminate the need for private mortgage insurance and provide more equity in your home from the start. Before purchasing a home, open a savings account with your local community bank and keep adding to it. Be Realistic. Make a list of necessities in a future 4. home and prioritize those items. Know your monthly income and create a budget including how much you spend on rent, utilities, entertainment, clothing, food, transportation and additional costs for a new house. You’ll have monthly mortgage payments, but don’t forget about homeowners’ insurance, private mortgage insurance, utilities costs and any home-owner’s association dues.

Research Your Market.

When you know your budget and have pre-qualified with your bank, work with your realtor to research what the homes in your area have sold for in the past six months. In real estate, this is referred to as comparable sales. This will help to decide how much to offer when you find a home and make sure you don’t overpay for a house. For information visit https://

wayne.bank/personal/

home-loans/.

5.

Wayne Bank is an Equal Housing Lender. Loans are subject to Wayne Bank’s credit approval. Certain restrictions apply. Ask for details. NMLS #462082. H

“ The median sales price was $428,700, a 16% increase over the prior year.”