Locust Lake Villager

On-line at www.locustlakevillage.org

SPRING 2017

In Brief Badges, flags, plates, and stickers Property owners can pick up LLV badges, flags, plates, and parking stickers at the Administration Office. Note that new vehicle stickers are required this year

Interested in a Community Garden?

You’re in luck! LLV is considering starting a garden for residents in time for May/June 2017 plantings. There will be a rental fee of approximately $25 per bed; number of beds will be limited. If you would like a garden bed, contact the administration office (570-6463616) and give your name and a contact phone number so that the level of interest can be determined. (No commitment required right now). As details develop, information will be provided on the LLV website, in weekly eblasts, and in the Villager.

Clubs and Committees Get in the swing of things at Locust Lake Village. As a ready reference, here is contact information on some clubs and committees:

One of the largest number of LLV residents turned out for the Feb. 11 Property Owners Association Board of Directors meeting.

OPENING DAY

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Anglers Club—Tom Rafter: traft60@aol.com; Joe McCusker: jgmmc4@comcast.net; Bob Wolek: bobalu2@ptd.net

Board Approves Major Expenditures

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Archers Club—Dave Chorney: dchorney276@aol.com

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Village Life—Diane DiSandro: diane@disandro.net

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Recreation Committee—Nicole Hill: nicole@locustlakevillage.org

Before one of the largest attendances in recent memory, the Locust Lake Village (LLV) Property Owners Association (POA) Board of Directors held their first meeting of 2017, Saturday, Feb. 11 at The Chalet, and wasted no time in getting down to business.

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Strategic Planning Committee—Bob DiLullo: rdilullo@verizon.net

For information on all activities, contact the Administration Office at 570-646-3616. Office hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Wed., closed; Sat. & Sun. 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The board approved expenditures to key Village infrastructure projects.

Chalet deck expansion: Approval was given to spend $50,450 for expansion of The Chalet’s deck with $47,250 coming from LLV’s Capital Improvement Fund,

and $3,200 coming from LLV’s Capital Reserve Fund.

The contract was awarded to Oak Ridge Construction Company of Pocono Pines with the stipulation that the work would be done before Memorial Day Weekend.

Although four requests for proposal (RFP) had been issued by LLV Property Manager Dan Dougherty, Jr., Oak Ridge Construction was the only company that expressed interest in the project, which, in turn, makes Oak Ridge the sole source for the project.

The expansion will add 230 sq. ft. to the cooking area

Continued on Page 18

LLV Website

LLV TREASURER’S REPORT

Website use continues to increase:

2016 Was A Good Year; Good Start For 2017

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Total log-ins from Jan. 15 to Feb. 15: 12,880.

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Total log-ins in Dec. 2015: 6,000

Note that the number of log-ins changes daily. Get an account log-in by going to locustlakevillage.org and clicking on “to request a log-in ID.”

At the first Locust Lake Village (LLV) Property Owners Association (POA) Board of Directors Meeting held Saturday morning, Feb. 11 at The Chalet, LLV Treasurer Vince Moderski had good news for the large audience.

Wrapping up 2016, Moderski said, “We had more

income in 2016 which was over our three-year average, and we had a relatively healthy surplus while expenses continued to follow the trend.”

Income for 2016 came in at $2,042,834.66 which was $256,486.27 over budget. Expenses for the same 12-month period came in at $1,815,139.57 going $26,791.18 over budget.

POA membership dues peaked in December at $133,564.79, as many property owners paid their 2017 dues before the end of the year.

“This is the usual trend,” Moderski commented. “Among the early dues payers are folks who need the payment as a deduction for their 2016 income taxes.”

However, the surplus for 2016 was $83,242.60, which was used to reduce dues members would have paid to meet expenses. An additional surplus of $29,102.01 was put into the Capital Improvement Fund.

Continued on Page 15

Newburgh, NY 12550 PERMIT NO. 335

PAID PRSRT STD U.S. Postage

About the Village Table of Contents About the Village From the Desk of the Community Manager

2

Administration Office Reconfigured

3

Community and Volunteering

4

Understanding LLV’s Financial Fund Structure

5

Security Register Your Vehicles and MDRVs

6

Two LLV Rangers Honored

6

Inside & Outside The Village LLV Calendar of Events

7

Houses of Worship

7

LLV Lifeguards

7

Writers for The Villager

7

WINTER REDUX Learning The Cold Facts of Fishing

8

LLV Ice Golf 2017

9

When LLV Needs A Little Christmas

10

Dear Residents and Guests,

It is hard to believe that spring is here and summer won’t be that far behind. Nicole Hill and the hard working volunteers on the Recreation Committee have lots of exciting activities planned for your enjoyment. So make sure to check out the 2017 spring/summer event schedule online.

The website is an essential communication tool that is used for Village updates, event information, community groups and more. It is important to register to stay informed. This can be done by visiting locustlakevillage.org and clicking on the “To request a login ID -- click here” which can be found in the middle of the page. Once you have logged in, you will need to fill out a form. Depending on the time of the day, your request may be handled that day or usually by the next morning.

If you have not signed up and received a password for the site, I strongly recommend that you do so as soon as possible. Once you do, you will start receiving our weekly eblasts. I send one out each Tuesday which deals mostly with the business and life in the Village. I do try to keep it lighthearted, so it does not read as an official memo from the front office. Then every Thursday, Nicole our recreation director, sends out an eblast on the weekend activities and a glimpse of future events.

You will see in my weekly update eblasts and articles in the edition of the Villager that there are many improvements planned for some of the amenities such as The Chalet deck expansion, the replacement of the public docks at Pines Lake, and the front office remodel.

As I write this letter, I am hopeful that this year you will see The Chalet parking lot expansion project completed and the start of a five-year road improvement project.These are two goals that I hope we can see go from the talking stage to the action stage. So, cross your fingers, let me borrow your lucky rabbit’s foot or anything else that will help bring some good luck to this goal.

Please remember that should you have any questions, concerns or inquiries, I am here to assist you. Feel free to contact the office at 570-646-3616 dan@locustlakevillage.org or stop by the office; I am usually here Monday thru Saturday.

Positively working for you, Daniel T. Dougherty, Jr. – CMCA, AMS Community Manager Locust Lake Village POA

Wesleyan Carolers Serenade 10 LLV Residents New Years Eve

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Preser ving A Local Pocono Industr y

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About Village People How The Poconos Were Formed

14

They’ll Eat Anything!

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Fran’s Finds: ‘Now That’s A Sandwich’

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Birds In Ever y Season

17

Anglers Club: Hooking Up For 2017

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Archer y Club: Archers Take Aim on New Season

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PAGE 2 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

Thank You We would like to thank everyone for all their prayers and support on the passing of our daughter Vicki Lee Christensen. We also want to thank everyone for the donations made in Vicki’s name to the three different charities that help support the unfortunate people stricken with cancer. We know Vicki would have been touched very deeply by everyone’s generosity and support for her family.

All the support from our friends and neighbors in Locust Lake Village over the past 38 months has meant the world to us and is something we will never forget. It has helped us get through the toughest times in our lives and is very heart-warming knowing so many wonderful people care so much.

Thank You and May God Bless You All! Bob and Tammi Christensen

Locust Lake Village POA

© Copyright 2016 1778 Lake Lane, Pocono Lake, PA 18347 P: 570.646.3616 www.locustlakevillage.org

FOR BETTER SERVICE

Administration Office Reconfigured The Locust Lake Village (LLV) Administration Office has a new look.

Citing the need for better traffic flow and increased efficiency, LLV Property Manager Dan Dougherty Jr. and his staff consisting of Office Administrator Mary Marucci and Assistant Office Administrators Lillian Bellis, Linda Buscavage, and Pat Ryan now work in reconfigured office space.

The first thing visitors to the office notice is a new service counter that stretches approximately 13 feet from right to left just inside the entrance.

In front of the counter, the waiting area has been doubled from 40 sq. ft. to 80 sq. ft.

“We needed to do something to relieve the bottlenecks that formed when more than four people came to the old counter,” Dougherty said.

“Inconveniently crowded can best describe the scene which property owners or their renters or guests should not have to experience.”

PUBLISHER: Niki Jones Agency, Inc. 39 Front St., Port Jer vis, NY 12771 P: 845.856.1266 E: publisher@nikijones.com Photo by Scott Beadenkopf

Reconfiguration of the LLV Administration Office includes a new counter and the doubling of customer service waiting space.

A large screen computer monitor is located at the far left of the counter which more than hints at other improvements.

“The C-3 computer system is an absolutely secure system,” continued Dougherty. “When a person comes in, we may ask questions regarding his or her account in order to both update and verify their account information.”

Community Manager Dan Dougherty, Jr. Office: 570.643.8653 Cell: 570.778.8923 dan@locustlakevillage.org Recreation Nicole Hill, Director Office: 570.643.8655 nicole@locustlakevillage.org

“That monitor is part of our internal office network,” Dougherty explained. “When a person comes in to register for badges, plates, vehicle stickers, flags or needs some paper work to fill out, it will all be done via computer thus saving time by eliminating the need for our staff to process forms by hand.”

Residents need not be concerned with privacy issues when viewing their account information on the monitor.

OFFICE HOURS: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Wednesday - Closed Sat. & Sun. 8:30 am-4 pm

Office Staff Lillian Bellis, Asst. Office Admin.

Linda Buscavage Office: 570.643.8650 llvpoa@ptd.net Photo by Scott Beadenkopf

Counter monitor with signature pad permits property owners to review their account information securely and efficiently.

He affirmed that “the policy of the Village is that we do not give out any personal or account information from your private account.”

In order to verify a person’s identity before accessing his or her account, proper personal identification such as a valid driver’s license will need to be produced.

Cost of the remodeling including cubicle partitions for the Recreation Department and a general purpose area for committee work was $6,440.72 which was approved by the Property Owners Association Board of Directors and appropriated from the POA’s Capital Improvement Fund.

Office Administrator Mary Marucci Office: 570.646.3616 mary@locustlakevillage.org Ranger Staff Andy Gross, Chief Office: 570.643.8656 24/7 dispatch: 570.646.3532 Fire & Police: 911 Maintenance Shawn Heller Office: 570.643.8659 llvmaintenance@gmail.com Accounting Kathleen Benner Office: 570.643.8652 kathllv@ptd.net Disclaimer:The comments, statements or written opinions expressed in Locust Lake Villager are the sole responsibility of the signed individual/author and/or committee and are not edited. All letters to the editor and paid advertisements do not reflect the opinions or views of Locust Lake Villager. Locust Lake Villager is not responsible for typographical errors, mistakes or misprints.

All advertising, including photographs are the property of Niki Jones Agency, Inc. and not that of the advertiser.

The advertiser has purchased rights of reproduction in Locust Lake Villager and does not have the right to reproduce ads in any other place or publication without written permission from the publisher. Locust Lake Villager reserves the rights to exercise its discretion in the selection of advertisement.

PAGE 3 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

Community and Volunteering in LLV First of Two Parts As has been discussed at recent Property Owners Association (POA) meetings, there is a changing demographic in the make-up of the Locust Lake Village (LLV) community that bodes well for the economic future of the Village. Fueling that change is the increase in new property owners especially over the last two years as the national economy has begun to emerge from the Great Recession.

At the same time, the concept of community that continues to make the Village one of the most appealing family-friendly four-season communities in the Pocono region is going through a change in and of itself.

Younger buyers with families are a growing segment of the community, while the segment of longtime residents has begun to slowly shrink.

Add to that mix a number of property owners who have bought homes as investment opportunities and utilize them as rental properties either by the weekend, the week, or the season.

Renters apparently present the Village with a valuable marketing opportunity. It is not unusual for renters to turn into property owners.

And there are those baby-boomers and Generation Xers who fall in the middle of the mix who are property owners who use their homes for weekend and holiday getaways or for extended weekends or vacations.

There are two undercurrents to this concept of LLV’s broad community appeal: amenities and recreation.

In addition to being in the mountains with its change of seasons, Village amenities like its three lakes, The Chalet, tennis courts, fishing, archery, hiking, ATV and golf cart privileges, and closeness to wildlife among others, all are there for the asking.

By the same token, most of the Village’s recreational activities conveniently utilize these amenities to enhance the LLV experience. Given the changing demographic, the growing diversity in age and preferences presents a challenge for the Village’s Recreation Committee and LLV Recreation Director Nicole Hill.

“The biggest part of the challenge is trying to gear activities to everybody and the age groups,” said Carrie Pohl, LLV (POA) board liaison to the recreation committee. “At one time there was a huge older group that has or is gradually moving out of the Village. We don’t have that group as a core demographic any more.

And we must allow for the weekend folks who just want to ‘veg-out.’”

Contributing to that equation is the high-technology presence. “This dampens the younger set’s appetite for,

shall we say, traditional recreation,” Pohl continued.

“They don’t leave home because they’re on the Internet and phones to remain connected to friends back home or they’re glued to their hand-held devices when they’re out on the beach. That doesn’t allow for much interaction with other kids or even adults.”

Working with Pohl and the Recreation Committee, Hill, now in her second year as LLV recreation director, has a better read on the activities situation. “The big events are the Golf Cart Parade, the Cardboard Boat Race, and the Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Columbus Day weekends,” she pointed out. “They are for the most part intergenerational in nature and draw and engage a good cross-section of the community.”

Major holiday weekends include picnics which have been highlighted by expanded menus that include lobster and spare ribs as well as the basic hot dog, hamburger, sausage, bratwurst, and chicken fare.

However, Pohl offered a reason as to the high popularity of the “big” events. “The Cardboard Boat Race and the Golf Cart Parade are more ‘do your own thing’ events,” she said, “but while they continue to grow each year, they also are one-time events. What we are striving for is to develop activities that will fill both the recreational and leisure time needs of the community by engaging and encouraging a closer community feel.”

Already on the activities chart are the improved weekly arts and crafts sessions for kids, storytellers at Pines Lake, the annual ATV Rally, holiday scavenger hunts, family and adult bingo, science fun for kids, an annual chili cook-off, an annual “Soup-er Bowl” homemade soup competition and buffet, free Mothers, Fathers, and Veterans day breakfasts, kids games and attractions like the Independence Day Carnival over Fourth of July weekend and the Fall Festival over Columbus weekend, and all-day outings at the Great Wolf and Camelback waterparks among others.

LLV Recreation Director Nicole Hill (background standing left) and Recreation Committee Chair Carrie Pohl (background, standing right) share a moment with volunteers (from right) Alice Curreri, Terry Jones, and Pat Holohan at last summer’s Fourth of July Picnic.

creative activities for kids including technology-based interactive games, movie screenings, outings to regional historic and recreational venues, lectures from local experts on different topics such as local nature, history and geology.” Pohl admits that when an event has low attendance, event planning can become frustrating.

How far an idea can go depends a lot on the important role of volunteering to help run an event. “It comes back to persuading people to come out and see and do other things,” Pohl said. “We want to know what part-time and full-time residents as well as their guests want that is practical and doable.” The Strategic Planning Committee is developing a survey that will soon be sent to property owners to learn their preferences and suggestions. In part two, which will appear in the summer edition of the Villager, how critical volunteering is to the success of events and how it helps minimize need for an increase in the annual POA events will be addressed.

While participation varies from event to event, the challenge remains to develop activities with broader appeal with an eye to community. “It’s tough,” admits Pohl, “especially for the weekend people.” The Village Life Committee, co-chaired by Diane DiSandro and her late husband Ray, took an initial step to addressing the challenge with a Wine and Cheese Welcome Party held at The Chalet last May 28 that was attended by more than 50 people. “Our goal for this event was to help the new property owners connect with other property owners in an informal atmosphere to make them feel part of the Village,” said Diane in a story that appeared in the Villager.

Both Pohl and Hill consider Village Life as both a catalyst and a conduit for developing ideas and projects.

“It helps in our goal to plan for everyone,” said Hill. “We want events and projects to have a fun-plus benefit for as many people as possible.”

Relying on Village Life and input from residents in general, Hill feels that both Village recreation and community will benefit. “We are looking at a wealth of ideas,” she said. “There are only three things to keep in mind: safety, practicality, and is the idea or event possible.” Not that the funding is no object, but the 2017 budget for recreation is $162,000 or approximately 10 per cent of the Village’s annual budget.

While Hill, Pohl, and members of the recreation committee make it a point to informally canvass residents and guests during events or on the beach, more input is more than welcome as well as necessary.

“We feel we have a good foundation for more and diverse recreation and leisure time activities,” said Hill. “It is strong enough to support ideas like a makeyour-own-pizza night, ice cream socials for kids,

PAGE 4 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

CAST YOUR BALLOT

LLV To Decide On e-Voting The Locust Lake Village (LLV) Bylaws Committee has sent ballots to property owners in good standing as of Dec. 31, 2016 to vote on changes needed to the by-laws to include electronic voting.

Each ballot includes the changes and the committee’s rationale for those changes. “Those changes in vote No. 1 are not changes to the bylaws itself,” said Pat Hiddleson, chair of the LLV Bylaws Committee, “but changes in vote No. 2 allow for ballots to be received in the Administration Office until the end of the business day.This allows delivery by other carriers such as UPS.” An approval vote of 50 percent plus one of those property owners in good standing is required to approve the wording changes. However, each household has only one vote. POA members will still retain the option of either using electronic voting or mail balloting.

Under the existign bylaws, POA members have until noon on June 15, 2017 to return their ballots in person at the Administration Office or by mail. “Consider these changes as fine-tuning,” said Hiddleson, “to actually implement electronic voting.” Upon approval, electronic voting is expected to be up and running by 2018.

MAKING ‘CENTS’

A Primer For Understanding LLV’s Financial Fund Structure

By Vince Moderski Vince Moderski, treasurer of Locust Lake Village’s (LLV) Property Owners Association’s (POA) Board of Directors, provides the following definitions of key terms used in his treasurer’s report that he presents at LLV’s monthly board meetings. His intent is to help property owners better understand LLV’s fund structure by which the financial affairs of the Village are run.

Operating Fund Think of it as your home checking account. You deposit your income (or have it direct deposited) into this account and periodically write checks, withdraw cash or make online payments to cover your bills and various expenses. In addition, you may even transfer funds into one or more savings accounts. The LLV Operating fund works in a similar fashion.When you pay your POA membership dues or make other LLV purchases, your check or cash is deposited into the Operating Fund.

When vendors send LLV invoices for goods or services, a check is written from the Operating Fund to pay the bills. We also use money from the Operating Fund to contribute to our “savings” accounts. We have two of those – the Replacement Reserve Fund and the Capital Improvement Fund.

Replacement Reserve Fund

Think of the Replacement Reserve Fund as a savings account you would use to buy a car when your current one is no longer usable or cannot be repaired. By putting money away on a regular basis you are able to buy that replacement vehicle without taking out a loan and paying interest. You might even make some money on the funds you put away.

dues, LLV has set up the Capital Improvement Fund in order to pay for these new items. Every year a fixed, budgeted amount is transferred from the Operating Fund into the Capital Improvement Fund. Sometimes the POA board knows what kind of improvements it wants to make and sometimes it is still in the planning phase. Regardless of the phase, funds transferred to the Capital Improvement Fund are dedicated to these “new” items (such as the parking lot at The Chalet) and cannot be used for any other purpose.

To recap, the Operating Fund is used to pay for LLV’s day-to-day expenses such as telephone, electricity, fuel, heat, consumables and wages. The Replacement Reserve Fund is used to replace village assets, and the Capital Improvement Fund is used to acquire new assets.

Depreciation

In accounting terminology, the cost of an asset is not totally written of in the year in which the expense occurs but rather, it is written off over its useful life through depreciation. The IRS has specific guidelines that govern how many years an asset must remain “on the books.” Here are some examples: Computers and peripherals, six years; automobiles, five years; light trucks, four years. In general, a capital expenditure (Capex) is money spent to acquire or upgrade fixed, physical, non-consumable assets, such as buildings and equipment.

LLV Property Owners Association Treasurer Vince Moderski

There are two types of Capex – those that are purchased to maintain existing levels of operation within a company (Replacement Reserve), and those that are spent on something new to foster future growth (Capital Improvement). Customarily, regardless of the manner of investment, Capex is money spent with the intent of initiating future cash flow and a substantial return on investment (ROI). In LLV’s case, it’s also to provide a better quality of life and/or enjoyment for its members. Capex’s counterpart, operational expenditures (Opex), refers to the day-to-day costs of operation.

I hope this helps shed some light on the way in which LLV manages your money. Every year an independent, outside auditing firm goes over LLV’s accounts to make sure we are complying with our financial policies and generally accepted accounting practices. The annual audit is underway now and will be reported to the membership once it is completed.

Part of your membership dues are transferred from the Operating Fund into the Replacement Reserve Fund on an annual basis so that LLV can replace items that have outlived their usefulness but are needed to maintain services. Examples of items that are regularly replaced and funded from the Replacement Reserve are: the Ranger vehicles; trucks used by the maintenance department to repair and plow LLV’s roads; resurfacing of the roads themselves as they wear out; replacing roofs on LLV’s buildings and tables and chairs at The Chalet among many other items essential to maintaining LLV’s quality of life.

Capital Improvement Fund

The other “savings” account that we have set up is known as the Capital Improvement Fund, which is kept separate from the Replacement Reserve Fund. At some point in our lives, young or old, we start building a list of items that we know we need or would like to have such as a primary home or a vacation home here in LLV. Keep in mind that we already decided to start an account so we can buy that replacement car or refrigerator, and realize that if we used that money to finance these “wish list” items, we won’t have enough to replace those items we use on a regular basis.

LLV has much the same issues at times. A typical example are the proposed improvements to the parking situation at The Chalet. It’s something property owners need and want, but the funds are not in the Replacement Reserve Fund because there is nothing to replace. The proposed parking lot is a brand new item. If the funds to pay for it cannot be found, a special assessment would be in order to get them. To avoid assessing each member more than the annual

PAGE 5 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

Security FOR THEIR SERVICE

Two LLV Rangers Honored

DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM

Register Your Vehicles and MDRVs

Two of the Locust Lake Village (LLV) Ranger Staff recently were recognized for their long service to the community.

Ranger Joe Becker received a plaque from LLV for his 20 years of service, and Ranger Tom Dowd was similarly honored with a plaque for his 10 years of service.

By Tom Schad, Deputy Chief, Locust Lake Rangers The Locust Lake Village Security Ranger Department strives to maintain a visible presence so we can be alert to any suspicious and unsafe conditions in the Village. As a result, we document and monitor cars and motor driven recreation vehicles (MDRVs) that are in our community and at our amenities and parking lots.

“Both gentlemen are dedicated Rangers,” said Ranger Chief Andy Gross, who with Tom Schad, Deputy Chief, presented the awards in December. “They know the paramount importance of keeping our community safe and secure.”

Locust Lake Village (LLV) is a private community and one of the few left in the Poconos that allows ATVs, golf carts and snowmobiles to drive on the same roads driven by cars, SUVs, and trucks.

This is why it is so important that LLV residents register their vehicle(s) and MDRV(s) at the office.

Not only is this information vital for insurance but is also needed for security so we know who should be in our Village. This rule also applies to renters and guests of the Village.

Since we do not know every home owner or the vehicles that they drive, we have to rely heavily on our computer systems in the administration office for the most updated information. As homeowners, you are ultimately responsible for making sure registration is taken care of each year. Otherwise, one of the Rangers will stop you and direct you to the office to get your registration completed. If you do not register your vehicles, they are not permitted to be used in LLV.

LLV Ranger Tom Dowd (center) receives congratulations from LLV Ranger Deputy Chief Tom Schad (left) and LLV Ranger Chief Andy Gross on his ten years of service.

Becker was presented his plaque at the December Property Owners Association board meeting while Dowd received his plaque at the Rangers’ annual staff Christmas party. “I didn’t expect this,” said Dowd, who relocated to LLV after many years working in private security and in horse racing with the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission. “I am truly honored.” Becker, who retired from the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Department before relocating to LLV, had a similar reaction: “What a surprise, and honor too.”

Gross praised the service and experience of both parttime Rangers. “This is a win-win for the community,” he said. “They brought their experience and expertise with them to help provide a safe and secure environment for all the residents of LLV. Little did they realize that they would be ending up with a second career.”

LLV Ranger Joe Becker (center) accepts best wishes from LLV Ranger Chief Andy Gross (left) and LLV Ranger Deputy Chief Tom Schad (right) for 20 years of service.

It is best to register your vehicle(s) and MDRV(s) when you pay your dues, which should have been paid by February 28, unless you have made previous arrangements with the office. Once paid you will receive your 2017 identification permit stickers and flags from the office. This year they are BLACK. When registering your vehicle(s) or MDRV(s), please remember to bring in your vehicle registration and provide proof of insurance.

Special note: every homeowner can register their vehicles free of charge. However, only members in good standing can register their MDRVs before receiving their stickers for an additional fee.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask any of the Ranger Staff or call the office at 570646-3616.

PAGE 6 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

Inside & Outside the Village HERE COMES SPRING

Houses of Worship

LLV Calendar of Events More events will be added throughout the spring and some dates may change due to the availability of vendors, etc.

This is a general outline of spring activities. For more information, contact LLV Recreation Director Nicole Hill at (570) 643-8655.

• Wednesday Luncheons will continue until April 26, 12 – 2 p.m.

• Saturday, April 8: Lunch with the Easter Bunny and Egg Hunt at The Chalet: 12 – 2 p.m.

• Saturday, April 15: Opening Day of Trout Season Chalet: 5 p.m.

• Monday, May 1: Adult Bingo begins at The Chalet: 6

• Saturday, May 6: Archery Kids Event at Archery Club Range: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

• Sunday, May 14: Mother’s Day Breakfast at The Chalet: 9 a.m. – Noon

203 Spur Road Pocono Lake, Pa. - 570-646-7456 Poconolakewesleyan.org

• Friday, May 26: Friday Night BBQ’s Begin: 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

• Sunday, May 27: Kid’s Fishing Contest. Hosted by the

St. Maximillian Kolbe RC

Angler’s Club at East Lake: 9 – 11 a.m.

5112 Pocono Crest Road Pocono Pines, Pa. - 570-646-6424 Stmaxkolbepoconos.org

• Saturday, May 27: Welcome Party. Hosted by the Village Life Committee at The Chalet: 7 – 9 p.m.

• Saturday, April 22: Bingo Spaghetti Dinner at The p.m.

Pocono Wesleyan Church

• Sunday, May 28: Memorial Day Picnic, 4 – 7 p.m.

St. Mark RC Church

DJ with Bonfire: 7 – 11 p.m.

1052 Bear Lake Road Thornhurst, Pa. - 570-472-3061 Churchofstelizabethstmark.org

• Saturday, June 10: Archery Open House At Archery Club shooting range: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

• Sunday, June 18: Father’s Day Breakfast at The Chalet:

Thornhurst United Methodist Church

9 a.m. -- Noon

342 Old River Road Thornhurst, Pa. - 570-842-1434 Facebook: Thornhurst Umc

WANTED - I

Congregation B’nai Harim Reformed

LLV Lifeguards

5349 Pocono Crest Boulevard Pocono Pines, Pa. - 570-355-5350 Bnaiharimpoconos.org

Job applications can be picked up at the Locust Lake Village office. Returning lifeguards must contact Nicole Hill (570-643-8688) if you plan on returning for the 2017 summer season. Requirements: • A valid American Red Cross Lifeguarding and First Aid Certification (or be able to obtain by May 2017).

• American Red Cross CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer (or be able to obtain by May 2017). Must be a least 16 years of age by Memorial Day Weekend 2017.

• Pre-employment completion of the American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguarding Module (training provided) • Mandatory pre-employment drug testing and background checks per LLV employment policy.

Community Bible Church of Pocono Lake 899 Route 940, Pocono Lake, Pa. 570-646-8995 Poconolakechurch.org

WANTED - II

Writers For The Villager The Villager is looking for folks who would like to write for this noble publication. That involves covering events, writing informative stories on trends in the Village, or coming up with your own story ideas for assignment by our editorial coordinator.

You don’t need to be a Pulitzer Prize winning writer. We will work with you to get you up to speed if the last time you wrote something was a term paper in college or an English assignment in high school. One requirement: You need to be curious as to the why something is or what effect that something could have on the Village.

07612

Some topics that may interest you: recipes and cooking; nature; hobbies; home maintenance; Village events; club and committee meetings to name just a few.

Get in touch with Fran Odyniec at Francis1937@live.com.

PAGE 7 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

Winter Redux

ICE FISHING CLINIC

Learning The Cold Facts Of Fishing For the second consecutive year, Mother Nature forced a change in plans of the Locust Lake Anglers Club.

The club’s Ice Fishing Clinic, scheduled this year for Saturday, Jan. 14 at East Lake, had to be rescheduled to Feb. 4 due to a period of warm temperatures. Last year’s clinic was held on a blustery, Arctic-like Saturday, Feb. 13, because warm temperatures in advance of the scheduled Jan. 16 event left ice too thin for safety at East Lake.

What to Wear Here are the “musts”:

• Dress in layers

• Warm and waterproof boots

• Hat or hood • Gloves • Scarf

• Face mask protection in extreme conditions

With ice thick enough to safely drill holes with an augur, the Anglers’ 15th Ice Fishing Clinic took place in 23-degree temperatures under a clear and brilliant blue Pocono Mountain sky. “Last year the conditions were brutal, much colder and very windy” said Anglers Secretary Joe McCusker.

“This year it was still cold but manageable.”

The time of year was underscored by an occasional gust of wind from the west to remind folks that it was a wintry Feb. 13. “We want to run an event at LLV for people to get outdoors and to break cabin fever,” McCusker continued. “And we want to introduce people of all ages to ice fishing as an additional activity during the winter months.”

Twelve people ventured out onto the ice at East Lake for this year’s clinic. The Anglers provided hot chocolate and snacks as well as instruction on ice fishing and proper tackle under the guidance of Tom Rafter, the club’s president.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Tina Nescio as she stood on the lake shore, wrapped in a long insulated coat, while watching her son Jack, 7, and his friend Owen Paulus, 7, try their hand at ice fishing. “This is teaching the kids something different, and both like to fish.”

Neither young man had ever ice fished before. “It’s strange,” commented Jack. “It’s cold,” said Owen. But both said they would probably try it again sometime.

Nick Rodden, 14, was at the clinic with Angela, his mom,

Anglers Secretary Joe McCusker drills a hole with an auger in the East Lake ice.

and Pete, his dad. “Nick’s out here all summer,” said Angela of her son’s dedication to fishing.

Working a hole with a short jigging rod (provided by the Anglers to all clinic participants), Nick was displaying the patience required of a true fisherman. “I like it,” he said of ice fishing. “I always wanted to do it, but last year was too cold.”

As for his love of fishing, Nick said, “I fish a lot in the summer. I don’t know, I just like it. It’s fun and relaxing.”

Beckoning to his Mom on the shore, he asked her to come join him. Angela smiled and responded with a polite and long, “Noooooo.”

Susan and Pat Foley, both avid fishermen, were on the ice for the first time. “We wanted to try it for quite some time,” Susan said. “It’s interesting but colder than the summer.”

Nick Rodden, 14, patiently waits for a bite.

Ten years ago they bought a home in LLV as a vacation getaway, and fishing played a major role in their decision to buy at LLV. “We would drive up here to fish,” said Pat. Now as full-time residents, there’s no reason to head back to Bucks County where they lived before going full-time at LLV.

“When I’m done with work, I jump on our ATV and go fish,” he said of the fishing opportunities at Locust, East, and Pines lakes.

Nevertheless, when conditions are safe for ice fishing, it can be done at any of those lakes.

Pat and Susan Foley listen intently as Anglers President Tom Rafter explains the function of a bobber.

“Please note that ice thickness can vary throughout a lake,” cautioned McCusker. “You need to have at least four inches of clear ice, and an LLV badge. A Pennsylvania fishing license is required if you are 16 years of age and older.”

Asked what it takes for success in ice fishing, he replied, “A combination of luck, instinct, persistence, and experience.”

For some folks, it all started on that Saturday afternoon in February.

For more information on ice fishing, contact Joe McCusker (jgcmmc4@comcast.net) or Tom Rafter (traft60@aol.com).

Anglers President Tom Rafter issues ice fishing rods to (left) Owen Paulus, 7, and (right) Jack Nescio, 7, before heading for their ice fishing holes.

PAGE 8 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

Winter Redux

CHILLING PAR 26

LLV Ice Golf 2017 With the temperature hovering around 23 degrees under a crystal clear blue sky, conditions couldn’t have been more ideal for the Fourth annual Locust Lake Village Ice Golf event, held Saturday afternoon, Feb. 4, at Pines Lake.

“We came out to hang out and be a little crazy,” said Locust Lake Village (LLV) property owner Rich Fidele, sporting a floppy moose antler hat, who headed up a foursome consisting of himself, Shaun Connelly, Meghan Sundberg, and Maureen Helfers.

Fidele got wind of the event from the e-blasts the Locust Lake Village (LLV) Administration staff sends out on a regular basis.

Kylie Elkins, 12, tees off at the second hole.

Meghan Sundberg is somewhat happy that she sunk her putt.

Shaun Connelly makes a short putt look easy as (from left) Richard “Moose Man” Fedele, Meghan Sundberg, and Maureen Helfers look on.

Richard “Moose Man” Fedele follows through off the elevated tee in “closest to the cone” competition as Shaun Connelly (left) and LLV Recreation Director Nicole Hill (right) follow the trajectory of “Moose Man’s” shot.

For closest-to-the-cone, Gettis added an elevated tee as new feature to the course.

In an impromptu press conference, he said, “I had a great time and I thank Maureen for getting me here.”

“I check it out every week,” he said. “It’s a good thing.”

Fidele’s foursome were part of a hardy band of golfers who took to the nine-hole, par 26 winter course laid out with three holes on Pines Lake beach, and six on the ice of the frozen lake. There also was a closest-to-the cone challenge after the ninth hole.

“We had over 40 people play, which was a new record,” beamed Bob Gettis, the course architect, who was assisted by Steve Pace who served as the event’s marshal. “I wanted to make the course safe and playable for all ages and ability.”

Gettis, who spent Thursday and Friday afternoons constructing the course with the help of Pace, described the course as a “unique golfing experience that combines ‘land and sea’ with sand, snow, and ice. We have found a good balance of challenge and fun.”

According to LLV Ice Golf rules, the basic rule is to play the ball from where it lies unless the golfer is against a man-made obstruction. Then the golfer can move the ball far enough from the obstruction to play the shot.

All shots are putts right up to the cup.

Golfer used putters and regular and colored balls for the course, but had a choice of irons to hit rubber core balls for the closest-to-the-pin challenge.

A threesome of Jameson Conway, 4, Kylie Elkins, 12, and Justin Ferry, 18, cheered on by Rita Conway, Jameson’s mom, had finished the “front four” of the course.

“This is crazy,” Rita laughed as she watched the threesome line up their shots. “Otherwise, it’s a way to entertain a four-year-old.”

Ferry added, “It’s a good time, and entertains 12- to 18-year-olds. Yeah, we’re having fun.”

Meanwhile, Fidele’s foursome was playing through.

“Some of golf’s greatest holes are from an elevated tee,” he said. “The dock (beached for the winter) allowed us to set it up similarly.”

A gusting westerly wind increased the degree of difficulty to reach the cone.

“It made the closest-to-the-cone contest extra challenging,” Gettis noted. “The player had to hit the shot over the lake and let it drift back to the target on the beach.”

As it turned out, Connelly took that honor as part of the Fidele foursome, and was awarded the 2016 LLV Snowman Ornament.

Fidele, accepting an LLV wine carrier for low score on behalf of the foursome, put their outing in perspective.

“It was part crazy and part experience,” he said. “It’s not every day you get to play mini-golf on ice.”

LLV Recreation Director Nicole Hill, who was on hand to track the closest-to-the-cone shots and provide hot chocolate and donuts, agreed.

“People are looking for unique winter opportunities,” Hill said. “If you don’t ski, ice golf is something a group of people can do together.”

“I’m not used to this kind of country club,” said Connelly, who knelt down to size-up the eighth hole.

“My strategy is to play smart and go half-way to the hole.”

Helfers, Connelly’s girlfriend, pointed out with a knowing look that “the strategy sometimes doesn’t work.”

Gettis said that the third hole and the ninth hole were the most challenging on the course.

“Number 3 on the beach was a sharp dogleg that narrowed closer to the cup,” he explained. “Number 9 went from the beach to the ice, and one of the shots had to be played through the legs of a saw horse.”

PAGE 9 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

Winter Redux MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT

Wesleyan Carolers Serenade LLV Residents ‘Twas the week before Christmas, Sunday, Dec. 18 to be exact, and all through the Village carolers from the Pocono Wesleyan Church in Pocono Lake braved the late afternoon cold to spread Christmas cheer around LLV. This past Christmas season marked the 12th year that carolers from the church have come a-caroling through LLV.

The Village Tappers kick up their heels at the Christmas Cabaret.

“We do it because we care about the community,” said Sherry Keiper, assistant pastor at Pocono Wesleyan. “You’re in our backyard.”

Not only did the eight carolers raise their voices in song, but they also came bearing gifts. At each stop on their journey, they presented home owners with Christmas cookies.

Carolers from Pocono Wesleyan Church serenade Jenny Wynne Odyniec on their way around LLV on the Sunday before Christmas.

“Linda compiles a list of people who would like us to stop by,” said Keiper, referring to Linda Buscavage, LLV administration office assistant and member of Pocono Wesleyan. “If they’re willing to listen to us, we’re willing to sing.”

The carolers made a dozen stops throughout the Village in a vehicle convoy protected by LLV Rangers John Baxter and Kyle Kwiatkowski.

An ensemble number from the Christmas Cabaret.

CHRISTMAS CABARET

When LLV Needs A Little Christmas Pat Grace’s Arrowhead Cabaret featuring the Village Tappers filled The Locust Lake Village (LLV) Chalet with a sleigh-load of holiday spirit when they performed their Christmas Cabaret on Friday night, Dec. 16.

They concluded their two-hour tour at The Chalet where they warmed up with minestrone and chicken noodle soups and chili.

“We’re the Christmas Carolers of Wesleyan,” laughed Keiper, “and whoever else wants to come with us.”

Kaylene Argot hands Bob and Gerry Williams Christmas cookies after the Wesleyan carolers made another caroling stop in the Village.

The carolers were: Sherry Keiper, Linda Buscavage, Jessica Romig, Mary Romig, Kathleen Keiper, Timothy Keiper, Nathaniel Argot, and Kaylene Argot.

The two-part, three-hour show opened with the 25-member ensemble singing “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” then proceeded to showcase the talents of LLV and Arrowhead Lake with classic as well as contemporary holiday songs such as: “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” “Winter Wonderland,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Silver Bells,” and “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” among other traditional favorites.

Jim Forcella, the company’s technical director, and Judy Grace, the company’s director, combine their creative talents leading the company to performances at nursing homes throughout the Pocono region and the two major productions a year at LLV and Arrowhead Lake.

The Village Tappers, including LLV residents Barbara Hudson, Kay Krause, and Donna Boyer, are a highlight of each production adding a Broadway chorus line flair to the program.

Forcella stated the Cabaret’s goal is to provide the audience with entertainment and a take-away with each production.

NEW YEARS EVE

“We want to entertain and engage them and have fun,” he said.

Locust Lake Village residents and their guests welcome in 2017 at the annual New Year’s Eve celebration held at The Chalet.

That was more than evident at the Christmas Cabaret.

PAGE 10 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

NEW LISTING

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Heather Rickert Cell 215.850.9640

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"Our PASSION for Real Estate became our PROFESSION!" PAGE 11 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

HISTORY ON ICE

Preserving A Local Pocono Industry Before the introduction of refrigeration in the 1930s, lakes around the Poconos produced a product that helped prevent spoilage of certain consumables.

Millions of tons of ice were harvested from these lakes and shipped by train to markets in Philadelphia and New York City for restaurant and household use as well as for preserving food shipped by rail.

Ice Cost

6 cents per ton to harvest 5 cents per 10 lb. cake for household use

“It was big business,” said Bill Leonard, whose grandfather worked the ice harvests.

“There were 12 to 14 ice houses in the Poconos.”

Leonard, who recently retired from the National Park Service as deputy 65 cents per ton superintendent of the charged by the Delaware, Delaware Water Gap National Lackawanna and Recreation Area, heads the Western Railroad Tobyhanna Millpond No. 1 Ice for transport Harvesters (TMNIH), founded by his father. As a young boy from 12 to 14 years of age, Bill Sr. worked as a “chunk boy.” It was his job to kick out irregular cakes of ice as they came up a conveyor to the ice house.

As a tribute to the once flourishing Pocono ice industry, TMNIH decided to build an ice house for the Coolbaugh Township Bicentennial in 1994. They chose a site on the shore of Millpond No. 1 near where the Pocono Ice Company had built a behemoth of an ice house in 1907.

“Unfortunately, Dad died of a heart attack in October of 1993 before the ice house was completed,” Leonard said. “He was a mechanical engineer in his day and had sketched out the plans for the ice house.”

Bill Jr., with the help of family and friends, finished the job in time for the bicentennial.

His father designed an ice house, similar in construction to the Pocono Ice Company’s house, which can hold up to 50 tons of ice and measures 16 ft. long by 20 ft. wide by 14 ft. high. Constructed of sturdy hemlock lumber, its walls are lined with sawdust for insulation, just like in the old days. Sawdust serves to keep ice frozen through the winter and for as long as October.

By comparison, Pocono Ice’s house stretched a length of 500 ft. (almost two football fields long), was 100 ft. wide, 50 ft. high and held 60,000 tons of ice. It was consumed by fire in 1939.

Courtesy Bill Leonard A photo from 1907 of the original Ice House No. 1 of the Pocono Ice Company on Mill Pond No. 1.

Ever since the Coolbaugh bicentennial, Leonard and his crew of volunteers every last Saturday in January recreate an ice harvest at Millpond No. 1 following the procedures used in the old days which includes a draft horse to power the conveyor to lift ice cakes floated from the Millpond to the water box (or channel) at the foot of the conveyor, up the conveyor to the top of the ice house, where a volunteer will hook the cakes and send them down an adjustable-height ramp to volunteers waiting to stack the cakes. “If we can’t cut, we show and demonstrate the original tools and saws that were used for harvesting,” said Leonard of the annual event.

Harvesting demands weather cold enough to freeze ice to a thickness of as much as 24 inches, which it did for the first harvest in 1994. This past January 28, the ice was too thin for a harvest. “The last 25 years we haven’t had much ice,” said Leonard.

But back in ice’s heyday, it was a different story. “There was only one year, 1932 or 1933, when there was no ice,” Leonard said.

The conveyor transports ice blocks up to the top of the ice house where it will be stacked. Photo by Tom Dowd

Archival records indicate that the Pocono Ice Company employed more than 500 men during the height of a harvest. Workers cutting ice on the lake were paid 30 cents an hour while those who worked in the icehouse were paid 35 cents an hour for handling 300 lb. cakes of ice.

A restored Boston & Maine boxcar sits on a makeshift siding near the ice house. Obtained from Steamtown National Historical Park in Scranton, Pa., it has been rebuilt by volunteers to resemble a vintage Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad box car that would have carried ice. Instead of ice, visitors can inspect an impressive array of harvesting tools ranging from 5-ft. long hand saws, power saws, needle, cutting and splitting bars, to pike poles and 3-foot high tongs among other tools—many from Bill Leonard Sr.’s collection. A video presentation takes the visitor step-by-step through a typical ice harvest. According to Leonard, the Pocono ice industry reached its zenith between 1910 and 1920. However, ice houses in Gouldsboro and Warnertown cut ice until the early 1950s for cooling boxcars carrying perishable items.

All Aboard!

Excursion trains are coming from Steamtown to Tobyhanna for icehouse tours on: Saturday June 3 Saturday July 22 Saturday August 26 Sunday October 8 For details contact: bdleonard@verizon.net

The Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad laid a spur from its main line at Tobyhanna to service the ice houses at Millpond No. 1 and Millpond No. 2.

“As many as 200 box cars a day loaded with ice came from the Poconos,” Leonard said. Of the ice industry he commented, “It was time-consuming, cold, hard work.

Before refrigeration, that’s how people got ice. You could say that the ice man cometh.”

When the weather is cold and the ice thick enough, volunteers will take people out to prepare sections of ice that have been scored in checkerboard fashion and cut to two-thirds of the ice’s thickness, hand them the proper tools, and teach them how to cut and harvest in the tradition of the Pocono Ice industry.

With this annual ice harvest, the TMNIH works to preserve an important piece of Pocono Mountain history. “Ice was an important industry in its day,” Leonard said. “The guys who help us had grandfathers and fathers who worked in the ice industry. We do this so that this piece of local history will not be forgotten.”

In this case, relying on a tractor to power the conveyor, blocks of ice are being moved up a conveyor to the ice house from the channel in the pond. Photo by Tom Dowd

Harvesting would begin the day after Christmas when the ice was 12 to 14 inches thick. “Crews would harvest the whole lake (60 acres), then let it freeze over for a second harvest,” Leonard explained. “Sometimes there would be a third harvest if it were cold enough.”

Courtesy Bill Leonard The ice house is full and ready to keep the ice blocks frozen for as long as October.

WB&E and Ice The Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad ran between Kingston and Stroudsburg, and was primarily a coal-hauler. It also serviced ice houses at Brady’s Lake and Pocono Lake located near its single-track main line. Remnants of its abandoned bridge and roadbed that crossed the Twin Lakes can be seen from Route 940 looking north of Sullivan Bridge.

Folks try their hand at cutting ice at Tobyhanna Mill Pond No. 1 at a past ice harvest. Photo by Tom Dowd

PAGE 12 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

PAGE 13 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

About Village People

Trout Creek looking towards Brady’s Lake

TALLER THAN THE HIMALAYAS?

How The Poconos Were Formed

By Susan Bachor, Archaeologist & Adjunct Professor Our home here at Locust Lake Village in Pocono Lake sits within an extraordinarily diverse and plentiful region. Right in our own backyards we can find many streams, lakes, bogs, waterfalls, and mountain vistas to enjoy. People aware of the natural beauty here have been visiting and living in the Poconos for thousands of years. The forces that built this area were often extremely violent but eventually created the gem we share today.

The Poconos are part of the Appalachian Mountain range which was created during the formation of North America approximately 440 million years ago. A strange but true fact is the Appalachian Mountain range was once taller than the Himalayas! The Himalayas’ highest peak towers over 29,000 feet above sea level. Over time our mountains were eroded by natural earth forces

such as water, wind, and ice. This specific section of the Appalachian Mountains, the Pocono Plateau which encompasses parts of Monroe, Carbon, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Pike, and Wayne Counties, has been glaciated at least three times.

The most recent glaciation period was called the Late Wisconsin which lasted from approximately 29,000 – 12,000 years ago. During this cooling period the Laurentide Ice sheet, whose origination was Hudson Bay in Canada, stretched a segment into our region. This segment was called the Lake Champlain- Hudson River Lobe and it generally moved in a southwesterly direction. The repeated acts of glaciation destroyed the original mountain chain but created the spectacular landscape visible today.

The boulder field in Hickory Run State Park.

There are many wonderful sights to be found. Driving local roads, such as Routes 115, 940, and I-80, will take you across the Pocono Plateau allowing you glimpses of extraordinary landscape. On the eastern edge of this region you experience rough gouges cut into the mountains and deep lowlands that are quite boggy like the Cranberry Bog Preserve in Tannersville. The bog is home to native orchids such as rose pogonia and heart-leaved twayblade. As you drive west on I-80 after climbing a steep incline you reach flats with its many streams, marshy areas, and ponds which hold a vast variety of wildlife. In our own neighborhood one can stand on Locust Ridge looking west during fall and see a spectacular fall foliage display on gently rolling hills till the next ridgeline.

Continue driving west on Route 940 or I-80 you reach the terminal moraine of the last ice sheet revealing one of the greatest regional treasures, the boulder field in Hickory Run State Park. This landscape feature was created when the glacier retreated. As the ice melted, the stone that was once locked in its grip was released and created this deposit. The boulder field is approximately the same square footage as nearly 14 football fields. This feature along with the many other have drawn people here for millennia.

The first people here over 12,000 years ago would have found a similar landscape to what we see today. We have evidence of their presence in the form of stone tools scattered across the region. After the Europeans arrived and claimed the territories, the resources available here drew logging and other supportive industries. Now people come to this area for outdoor activities and leisure time.

With the abundance of natural resources and wondrous sights in the Pocono Plateau Region who wouldn’t want to make this home or at least a seasonal experience.

PAGE 14 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

GOOD GARDENING

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

They’ll Eat Anything!

Good Year; Good Start

By Rose Petal This is the first of brief articles on flower (and sometimes vegetable) gardening.

I am not someone trained in the profession of gardening or horticulture but a longtime resident of Locust Lake Village. Just someone who would like to pass on learned information that could help make a difference in cultivating your garden. After all, there is so much material available in so many places by so many educated people you don’t need the Villager to add to that. So, here goes. Anyone who has tried to plant anything in this Pocono region, and I mean anything, knows that success does not come easily. It seems safe to say that in some places dirt is non-existent and has been replaced by boulders left behind by the Ice Age. (Have you ever seen Boulder Field, a National Natural Landmark which was formed by a glacier, at Hickory Run State Park?)

Liquid Fence in a handy spray bottle.

Another impediment are the ravenous, four-legged “oh-so-cute” bambies. They eat most things you want to grow and, if hungry enough, I think they may eat anything that comes out of the ground. One cold winter we saw them eat thorny barberry, for Pete’s sake. Don’t give up hope! We have a solution. There has been great success with a product used on LLV flower gardens and bushes. Our four-legged cuties don’t seem to like a product called “Liquid Fence.” It is a spray that you can buy in local nurseries and warehouse stores.

After your initial application, spray it about every 10 days, and after it rains even though the label instructions are not that stringent. Spray the ground around the garden so these lovely (but sometimes detested) herbivores get used to making a path around your plantings. Advisory: Do not use the spray on vegetables or edibles. One warning on Liquid Fence - be wary of the wind. Stay up-wind when spraying because even skunks run from this fragrance. Luckily, our human nostrils snarl at the odor for only about the first 15 minutes. But watch the deer show you the white of their tails when they take a whiff. Of course, no guarantees but we think it works.

“By rolling over annual surpluses into the Capital Improvement Fund,” Moderski said, “we are able to dedicate dollars to projects like The Chalet parking lot, without touching the Capital Reserve Fund.” Property turnovers in 2016 contributed to the surplus. “Resale fees for the year were $9,750,” Moderski continued, “which was $3,750 over budget reflecting the ongoing uptick in residential sales in the Village.” Expenses by percentage were: Administration 24 per cent; Rangers, 20 per cent; Maintenance, 19 per cent; Trash, 10 per cent; Recreation, 10 per cent; Utilities, 5 per cent; and Miscellaneous, 12 per cent. Turning to the first month of 2017, he commented, “Not much happened.”

As of Jan. 31, 2017, income for the month was $591,387.35 with POA membership dues contributing $488,716.35. Expenses amounted to $154,763.71 with road maintenance at $35,966.24, administration at $30,747.40, and maintenance at $25,880.90 the biggest expenses.

Liquid Fence also comes in a large bottle for refills.

Good luck in your efforts to beautify the earth as well as the Village. A NOTE TO NEWCOMERS: If you want spring flowers, get some daffodils. You don’t need to spray them because the deer won’t touch them.

Receivables (money owed LLV) stood at $2 million as of Jan. 31. “This includes old debt,” Moderski explained, “which includes membership dues, penalties, interest and money owed to the association. As people pay, the balance will decrease.”

PAGE 15 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

FRAN’S FINDS

‘Now That’s A Sandwich’

By Fran Odyniec It’s rewarding as well as convenient when you discover an eatery that is so close to the Village, even though you may have driven right by it any number of times on Route 940 West. Traveling 940 East from Route 115, you have a better chance of catching a glimpse of what promises to be a delightful and delicious experience whether for lunch or a casual dinner.

He more than lives up to his slogan “Now that’s a sandwich.”

JR opened his deli six years ago when, as he put it, he got disgusted with an inferior sandwich that was being purveyed near his home. “I lived near a deli that made horrible sandwiches,” he explained.

When this hungry LLVer nodded to everything but requested oil, JR remarked with a sly but knowing look, “You’re from Philly.”

JR’s Deli, located in the Pocono Lake Plaza where 940 does one of its curves, doesn’t look like much from the outside. Oh, there’s a stylish sign over the door and a hand-crafted “OPEN” sign to beckon you inside, but once through the screen door, get ready for a real treat.

“When I retired,” JR says he promised himself, “I’m gonna make a better sandwich.”

Retired with a definite North Jersey-New York accent, JR is all business, sandwich business, that is.

On a recent visit, this hungry LLVer ordered a ham, salami and cheese sandwich from the menu board behind the counter that lists a lineup of heroes (or as some say, hoagies) along with salads and wraps.

JR, out to prove in a humble way his mastery of the sandwich art, asked the obligatory questions regarding cheese, lettuce, tomato, oil or mayonnaise.

What he calls a sandwich takes shape on a hefty and puffy roll. He estimated that he put a “half-a-pound of ham and cheese” for a base as he built the hoagie.

This LLVer noticed that, indeed, the hoagie roll had become thick with meat.

JR’s Deli on Route 940.

JR continued with his superior sandwichship, then cut the roll in half, wrapped it and brought it forth to the counter. “I only have a couple rolls left,” he said, referring to a rather busy Saturday on the sandwich front as we closed the deal. “I’m doing something right,” JR offered. “People come in here when it’s 20 degrees out and get a cold sandwich!”

Just to the right of the counter were piled high and wide in plastic containers a row of a variety of Italian cookies from Ruggero’s Bake Shop in Westbury, N.Y. This unassuming LLVer asked JR why he had them perched within arm’s reach of customers at the risk of an unintentional brush of an arm or coat that would send them tumbling to the floor. “So they see them,” he said. “That’s why I have them stacked up.”

The LLVer surveyed the stack and added to this order a container of chocolate dipped, raspberry filled Italian cookies without cholesterol, to boot.

Once home, this LLVer decided to measure the thickness of the meat that was artfully layered in the heart of the hoagie. Much to his amazement as well as satisfaction, he found that the meat was tastefully resting just a smidgeon below one-and-a-half inches.

Not only that, but the hoagie was, in his humble opinion that fronts a big appetite, big enough for two. Using meats from Dietz & Watson and Thuman’s, the taste and quality of the hoagie more than lived up to JR’s claim, “Now that’s a sandwich.”

What a way to satisfy hungry appetites for lunch or a leisurely dinner with potato chips and soda or a good cup o’ joe and some expert sandwichship. JR’s is about 15 minutes down 940 West from the Village. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday; 570-643-3354.

This just in: Every first Friday of the month from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post 509 at 1917 Goodwin Street in Tobyhanna (570-894-0381) cooks up a Soup Bar. For a donation of $7, choose from as many as seven different soups—all piping hot and homemade including Manhattan Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Chicken Noodle, Turkey, Brunswick Stew, and Chili among others. Bread and rolls also go along with the soups.

Here’s the best part: Not only are the soups homemade, but you can go back to those hot crocks for as many bowls as you wish. (This LLVer did justice to two clam chowders and one corn chowder.) And there are nifty door prizes to boot. It’s a perfect way to savor home cooking.

PAGE 16 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

LOOK UP!

Birds In Every Season

Village Spottings

Weir Lake Spottings

These birds were spotted in and around LLV:

These birds were spotted at Weir Lake:

By Bob Gettis There are some year-round outdoor sports and hobbies that come to mind including hiking and fishing. But one that is always close to home is birding.

Even in the harshest weather with a little effort and a pair of reasonably priced binoculars, you can keep an eye on a long list of resident and visiting birds. A variety of inexpensive bird books can be helpful in identification by showing beak shape, color, feather patterns, calls, flight pattern and size of the numerous varieties you will see.

Gold Finch with winter colors

Just over the months of December and January in Locust Lake and specifically on February 3 at a spring fed lake in Brodheadsville, the birds pictured are among those that were spotted. Because there are many similarities, you get better at getting all the varieties right when you have a birding book.

Locust Lake Village spottings: Gold Finch with winter colors, Female Cardinal, Male Cardinal, Red-shouldered Hawk.

Weir Lake spottings: Ring-billed Gull, Mallards, Hooded Merganser, Lesser Scaup in a group of Canada Geese.

Hooded Merganser

Male Cardinal

Lighting, time of year, length of viewing time and mostly experience help in being sure. For the birds pictured here, there are some identification marks:

• The black tip on the beak of the Gull and feather colors help.

• For the Hawk horizontal bars on the tail feathers that are

Ring-billed Gull

edged with white at the bottom narrows it down.

• The Scaup is a tough one with the view I had but based upon the territory they normally travel, it is probably the Lesser Scaup and not the Greater.

Female Cardinal

If you think I got some wrong or if you’re interested in being part of a Locust Lake Village birding club, write me at rbgettis@comcast.net

Red-shouldered Hawk

PAGE 17 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

Mallards

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Board Approves Major Expenditures and 590 sq. ft. to the outside dining area providing additional seating for 56 people.

Board Member Bill Donner requested that in view of receiving only one RFP that it be documented that other contractors had been approached but declined to participate in the RFP process.

Plans for the deck expansion were brought to the board by the Building and Grounds Committee at the October 2016 board meeting.

Then chair Bob Christensen presented two options for the project citing a number of needs that justified a deck expansion including: safety at the grill area; more room to walk and more room to sit comfortably at tables; and more outdoor seating to generate increased income for the Recreation Committee and the village’s Operating Fund.

Community Garden project: The board approved $5,000 to initiate funding for the Community Garden Project at East Lake that was presented by the Strategic Planning Committee for consideration this past fall.

Funding will come from LLV’s Operating Fund.

However, the board placed a restriction on the use of funding until a master plan is developed that takes into consideration factors such as the environmental impact on Wagner Run, classified as a natural waterway, which parallels the area upon which the garden will be located.

A 600-foot water line reaching from the East Lake concession stand to a point just beyond left field of the existing ball field was installed before the winter by LLV’s Maintenance Department. Funding in the amount of $1,100 for pipe for that portion of the project was approved by the board and was appropriated last fall from LLV’s Capital Improvement Fund.

The Community Garden will consist of 30 4-ft. by 8-ft. raised bed plots for growing flowers and vegetables. Each plot will be rented by interested property owners for one year.

Pines Lake Dock Project: Approval was made for the purchase and installation of ten canoe/kayak docks to replace wooden docks at Pines Lake in the amount of $51,500 which will come from the Replacement Reserve Fund.

Property Manager Dan Dougherty Jr. explained that the docks are manufactured by Hewitt Docks and Lifts, of Nicollet, Minn., and sold and installed by Pocono Boathouse, of Pocono Lake. These docks are made of marine grade aluminum, and were recommended by LLV’s Maintenance Supervisor Shawn Heller. Seven of the docks are rolling docks and three are free standing

Bob DiLullo, chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, gives his report to the Locust Lake Property Owners Association Board of Directors at the Feb. 11 board meeting.

docks. The free standing docks will be placed at the Little Cottontail dock area because water depth at the end of the dock is no more than two feet while the portable docks will be placed at Pines Lake Beach and at the area on Cottontail west of Ellis Island. Thirteen requests for quotes were sent out before deciding on the package provided by Hewitt Docks and Lifts.

Administration Office improvements: The board approved the expenditure of $6,440.72 from LLV’s Capital Improvement Fund for remodeling and reconfiguration of LLV’s Administration Office. In the project, which has been completed, the A typical Friday Night Barbecue on The Chalet’s deck. office counter was replaced and relocated to double the amount disandro.net or Nicole Hill at nicole@locustlakevillage.org. of “waiting” space for people being served by the She also indicated that there will be another Welcome Wine office staff. Residents will be able to view a monitor and Cheese for new property owners and existing owners that will show their property owner’s account so that during the Memorial Day Weekend. The committee’s tech verifying or updating owner information, registering classes and grief support group will soon resume. for LLV badges, and other functions will be performed Finance: Chair Pat Holohan acknowledged the in a more efficient and timely manner. Property responsible management of operating budgets that has Manager Dan Dougherty Jr emphasized that all owner kept annual dues at a reasonable level. However, Holohan information is private and totally secured. Partitions requested that the board review the fines structure for more defined office space for the Recreation found in LLV’s Rules and Regulations citing that there is Department and a separate office space for committee between $12,000 and $14,000 in uncollected fees which use will be installed in the office’s meeting area. the Village is carrying as uncollected debt. Treasurer Salt Spreader: To replace the worn out V-Box salt Vince Moderski said that a review will be made. She also spreader, the board approved purchase of a Salt Dog suggested that the board finish outstanding projects tailgate salt spreader at a cost of $5,184.45. Funding before undertaking new ones. came from LLV’s Replacement Reserve Fund.

Communications & Technology: Chair Scott New Maintenance Hire: The board approved the Beadenkopf reported Recreation Director Nicole Hill hiring of Mike Mangino to full-time from part-time has taken over duties as LLV Website webmaster. The status in the Maintenance Department.

C-3 computer system in use at the Administration Office is a totally secure system by which crucial property LLV Committee Reports owner contact information, registrations, and other Roads: Chaired by Peggy Coates, the committee was to submit information can be updated when property owners to the board at its next meeting a list of the top five dirt roads come to the office for badges, plates, flags, and vehicle and the top five tar-and-chip roads that in the opinion of LLV’s registration—all of which can be done electronically maintenance staff rank as priorities for repair. thus eliminating the vast amount of paper work that was part of these functions. Beadenkopf also reported Recreation: Board Member and Recreation Committee that LLV Website log-ins for January totaled 12,807. liaison Carrie Pohl provided a recap of activities that took place over the winter that included: weekly Security & Emergency Planning: Chair Sharleen Wednesday luncheons with impressive attendance; Skipper said that the Ranger Security Staff will take a Wing Night that featured 42 dozens of wings; the training this year provided by the Pennsylvania Anglers Club’s annual Kids Christmas Party; the Emergency Management Agency and the Monroe Christmas Cabaret; Christmas Caroling; a day at Great County Office of Emergency Management. Skipper Wolf’s waterpark attended by 65 people; Ice Golf; explained that there have been changes in Pennsylvania and the Anglers Club’s annual Ice Fishing Clinic. Pohl law that will have an effect on LLV policies. indicated that the committee plans to redevelop LLV’s New Year’s Eve Party to increase attendance.

Mark Brugler has joined the Ranger Security Staff, and brings a medical background in nursing to the job.

Bylaws: Chair Pat Hiddleson reported that a letter requesting a vote on changes to LLV’s bylaws regarding Strategic Planning: Chair Bob DiLullo recapped the electronic voting was to sent by the end of February major issues the committee will focus on in 2017: to all property owners in good standing as of Dec. 31, Community Garden; a final evaluation of the condition 2016. Property owners must return their ballots to the of the LLV Administration Building to determine if administration office either by mail or in person by it needs renovation, a replacement building, or if it June 15, 2017. The committee is developing a glossary is in acceptable condition; an overall vision for the of bylaw terms so that property owners will have a community as best family community in the Poconos; a better understanding of these laws that govern LLV. survey due out in the spring to ask property owners key questions about the present and future of LLV; the East Village Life: Co-chair Diane DiSandro stated that the Lake Revitalization Project to evaluate and recommend committee will need ambassadors for Memorial Day projects such as a walking trail, a batting cage, a dog Weekend; interested parties contact Diane at diane@ walk, and other ideas from the community.

PAGE 18 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017

LLV ANGLERS CLUB

Hooking Up For 2017

By Joe McCusker The LLV Chalet was decorated for Christmas and the Kids Christmas Party on Sunday, Dec. 4. Very special thanks to all of our decorating volunteers: Tony and Diane Ruggiero, Tom and Marcia Rezner, Dee Kasarda, Pat Holohan, Bob Boyer, Bob and Diane Wolek, and Tom and Anne Rafter. Dee Kasarda picked up an electric fire place for the Santa Claus setting. The Chalet looked fantastic.

The Ice Fishing Clinic scheduled for Saturday, January 14th at East Lake was cancelled due to poor ice conditions. The clinic was re-scheduled and held on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. at East Lake.

Safety, ice auger drilling, ice fishing techniques, tip ups, rods and reels, bait and lures were presented and available for people to use. Twelve people participated in the clinic but the fish would not cooperate.

The weather was sunny and cold but the wind was not too bad. There was hot chocolate with various pastries available for folks to stay warm.

Special thanks to the following for their donation contributions during the party: Joe O’Drain - $20 and Fran Odyniec - case of soda.

2017 if you have not already done so. Annual dues are still only $10. Questions regarding club membership status or the Anglers Club in general, contact Tom Rafter at: traft60@aol.com (phone # 570-624-9002),

The Kids Christmas Party was held on Saturday, Dec. 10 at The Chalet from Thanks go out to Tom Rafter for 12-2 p.m. There were 46 kids and coordinating the clinic and to Tony more than 50 adults in attendance.

Zaledzieski for once again repairing The kids received early Christmas the ice auger during the clinic. An Ice presents from Santa Claus. There Fishing Contest was scheduled for was a video produced by Tom Dowd Sunday, February 19th at Locust Lake that featured pictures of past Kids from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., pending safe ice Christmas parties from 2009 to 2015 conditions. Additional details to follow. set to a music track. Kids created Christmas items at the arts and crafts Noelle Hull won last year’s Kids’ Trout Stocking for the Opening Day of trout tables manned by Santa’s helpers.

Fishing Contest. season is scheduled for Saturday, April 1 at His helpers also lent a hand serving 10:00 a.m.

We will stock East Lake first, then Locust Lake. lunch, snacks, and refreshments. To top it off, kids got a chance to have their picture taken with Santa while An Anglers Club meeting is also scheduled for Saturday, they told him what they wanted for Christmas.

April 1 at 11:30 a.m. at The Chalet. Discussion of multiple topics will take place. Another meeting is Thanks to all of the volunteers who ran the event and scheduled for Saturday, May 27 starting at 1:30 p.m. at made it a huge success: Mike and Sue Petro, Bob and The Chalet. Please try to attend both meetings.

Diane Wolek, Tom and Anne Rafter, Tom and Marcia Rezner, Tom and Cheryl Dowd, Carrie Pohl, Harry Opening Day of trout season begins at 8 a.m. on D’Onofrio, Dee Kasarda, and T.J. Rafter. As a result Saturday, April 15 within LLV and the Poconos. of their efforts, the kids had an amazing time. We apologize if we failed to mention any other helpers.

Please remember to pay annual Anglers Club dues for

or Bob Wolek at: bobalu2@ptd.net (phone # 201370-2992), or Joe McCusker at: jgcmmc4@comcast. net (phone # 215-389-6209). Please be mindful of the four-trout daily limit within LLV during the regular season and the catch and release of all largemouth bass along with enhanced panfish regulations within LLV.

UPCOMING EVENTS: The Kid’s Trout Fishing Contest is scheduled for Saturday, May 27 from 9-11:00 a.m. at East Lake. Rules for the contest: 15 years of age or younger; only trout are eligible for weigh-in; LLV badges required; one fishing rod per child; live bait or power bait only - no lures cast and retrieved. Also wading is not permitted. Kids must hook and reel in the fish, must be registered for the contest held only at East Lake. Ties in weight for the biggest trout caught will be decided by registration order. Please remember to register kids for the contest at East Lake that morning.

There will be plenty of prizes, snacks, and soft drinks for the kids. The Family Fishing Contest and Annual Fish Fry are scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 12. Additional details to follow.

Dave Chorney shows how to hold a bow.

LLV ARCHERY CLUB

Archers Take Aim On New Season

By Dave Chorney

Time to take out your gear… spring is finally here.

The archery range was to open Saturday Mar. 11 (weather permitting). To share the excitement of the new season, we can use help to get the range looking as best as it can be. Work weekends will be discussed and sent to members.

Get ready for the new season with a members only shoot on Saturday April 1 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Archery Club will kick off the season on Saturday May 6 with the Kid’s Open House from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Kids get the opportunity to learn and get to know how much fun archery is. With fellowship and complimentary food, folks can get to know hunters, target shooters and everyone who enjoys the sport.

With the growing interest in archery, everyone is welcome to join us for two summer open houses on Saturday June 10 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., and Saturday July 15 from 1-4 p.m. Our last open house will be held on Sept. 23 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Come out and get your dancing shoes on to enjoy fellow archers and friends for a fun night on Saturday July 22 from 6 -11 p.m. at The Chalet.

Membership in the Locust Lake Archery Club is $25 per year, and is open to all Locust Lake property owners in good standing. Hope to see you at the range. For more information, contact club secretary Dave Chorney at dchorney276@aol.com.

PAGE 19 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | SPRING 2017