Locust Lake Villager - Fall 2022

Top Gun MAVERICK

Father’s Day 2022 was sunny and breezy. In fact the winds at times were recorded at more than 30 mph but the pilots of the West End Wings Model Aviation Club gathered around and decided to proceed with the show! Many supporters were in attendance to watch what has become a yearly tradition.

Vince Carreri who started in the hobby when he was about fifteen has earned the respect of his fellow pilots because of his skills in model building, his knowledge of the changing technology and his flying capability. Today, Vince once again opens the show with his hand made “flying American Flag” high in the sky as the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic music starts the program. Each pilot gets a couple minutes to show off their abilities with their own aircraft and controller. And these craft are fashioned after early and newer planes like the ones shown. Vince had several of his planes at the show that treated the spectators to high flying acrobatics, speed and maneuvering. And there were helicopters and drone like models to complement the variety of aircraft. And then there was an air battle with several planes weaving in and out causing turmoil and trying to create carnage. Even our Village pilot Vince lost his P51 Bomber in the frey which was later recovered and salvaged. Mary and I really enjoyed the afternoon and Vince’s wife and family kept an eye on Vince as he demonstrated his various aircrafts.

more information check out www.westendwings.

or just ask Vince when you see him in the VillageTop Gun MAVERICK!

Table

Chair’s Message

by Bob Gettis

We have recently completed the LLV Election process for the LLV Board of Directors and the Officers on the Board and I’m excited about the talents and energy of the Board Members that we have in place. Our goals will continue to be to keep on track and improve our Village.

These goals include improving communications and transparency for our Villagers that have invested in the Village and shown interest in our progress. We are looking again at developing an ongoing and longer term plan that we can adjust as needed but follow even as our Board Members change in the coming years. This is no easy task and has been tried before. I believe this starts within each of our Committees e.g. Roads, Building & Grounds, Security, Lakes & Wildlife and the rest of

our Committees. However, we will establish a Long Range Committee to take a fresh look at this challenge, bring the ideas together and make progress for the future requirements of our Community.

In the short term we will continue to work on plans for making safety and quality improvements to the Chalet complex and our roads. These will be communicated at Committee Meetings, published Committee minutes, Board meetings, through our new communication tool Town Square and when appropriate by presentation at Board and perhaps special meetings. To make these continued investments to maintain and add value to Locust Lake Village we need the support of our Villagers.

I want you to know that the Board of Directors takes our work very seriously and that we are working with Judy Kennedy, LLV Property Manager and her Team to conduct business in the best interest of LLV so that our Community continues to be a quality place to work and live. Be Safe and Enjoy!

I would like to thank the membership for electing me to the Locust Lake Village Board of Directors. I very much appreciate the trust and confidence you have placed in me to represent the membership. I take this responsibility very seriously and I am looking forward to taking on the many tasks that need the Board’s attention. No matter how big or how small any task may be. I have a great deal of confidence in my fellow Board members, and I am looking forward to working with them. This Board can achieve so much as a team. As Babe Ruth once said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success”.

I believe as a Board we have many challenges in front of us. We have a very good team of nine members, and I am looking forward to working with the entire Board in a positive manner. As a Board we owe it to the membership and the employees to move forward in a productive and positive manner to do what is best for Locust Lake Village. I am confident we can achieve the many goals and membership concerns that are in front of us.

I would also like to thank Andy Gross and all the Election Committee members for their hard work and dedication.

Please feel free to reach out to me at any time to discuss your concerns or ideas. You can contact me at fishingbobllv@yahoo.com, I will do my best to address any concerns or ideas you may have.

Thank you, Bob Christensen, LLV Co-Chair

To all the owners who voted;

I would like to sincerely thank all of you who participated in the recent election. Taking your time to study the candidates and selecting your choices for the board is a vital part of keeping LLV a strong and progressive community. Please stay interested in LLV by attending BOD meetings, participating on committees, and volunteering to help out at community functions. Again, thank all of you so much.

Stephen Pace

I just wanted to say thank you to all of the homeowners that voted in this year’s election, it is very important. I was honored to be elected to the board, and I promise to do my best to meet everyone’s expectations. If you ever have a question that I can answer, please feel free to reach out to me and I will give you my honest reply.

Seth Loux

I want to take a moment to thank all of you who supported my run for a position on the Board of Directors. While I didn’t quite make it this year, I remain committed to serving the best interests of the community. I will remain actively involved with committees and support the Board and staff to improve what is already the best community in the Poconos! Thank you again, and I hope to get to know more of you in the coming years.

Mike Wolfe

the Clean Water

Community Mgr.

Judy Kennedy

570-843-7322

llvmgr@ptd.net

Office Administrator

Mary Marucci Office: 570-843-7329

llvpoa@ptd.net

Office Staff

Linda Buscavage

Shirley Gandy Jennifer Cowen Office:

Editor

Charles Simon

Ranger Staff

Regina Williams Security Chief

Manager’s Report

by Judy Kennedy

Committee. We appreciate your dedication and volunteerism.

to organize events and activities.

The combined efforts of all departments are what provides a

the village. Always make sure to walk and jog in the direction of oncoming cars, not in the same

Locust Lake Eagle

By Bob Gettis

for volunteers so, if you would also like to join a committee or club, or volunteer for an event, please contact the administration office. There are several reasons to volunteer, it’s a great opportunity to meet your neighbors, make friends, and exchange opinions.

Kindly remember that the Board of Directors are also volunteers who continue to work diligently to address all village concerns. The new back gate is operational, roads have been repaired, septic at both Pines and East are being addressed, and the ski hill equipment is on schedule for repair.

Thank you, Andy Gross for your hard work as Chair of the Election Committee and to all the time and effort of the entire Election

Sincerest thanks to Board Chair Al Markin, and Board Director, Karen Avery who stepped down from the Board. We appreciate their service and dedication to the village!

We are very fortunate to have our current staff in place and truly do appreciate all that they do for the village! The administrative staff works very hard to provide a positive experience for everyone. The Security Rangers work around the clock to ensure the continued safety of our village. The Maintenance Department works tirelessly to address all daily village tasks and the Recreation Department continues

along with all other community updates, please make sure we have your current contact information.

All exterior modifications to your home and/ or property require permits prior to beginning the project. Always contact the administration office and township before scheduling any work.

Obey speed limits, Security Rangers will be aggressively issuing speeding citations. No fireworks are permitted in

Magic and majestic our Village was his home.

He was here for many years, his mate is now alone.

For fishermen and walkers, would put on quite a show.

A soar, then dive to make a catch, a trout or two to go!

So time it made him tire, at last he just grew weak.

We won’t forget his bright eyes, or the sharpness of that beak!

Fairwell to our feathered friend, thank God for his peaceful end!

Fire

Accounting

Recreation

Simon

llvrec@ptd.net

Maintenance

The Opening Day of trout season stocking took place on Saturday, March 26th. East Lake and Locust Lake were stocked. An Anglers Club meeting was also held at the LLV Chalet on Saturday, March 26th at 11:30 AM. The Opening Day of trout season began on Saturday, April 2nd at 8:00 AM. Additional trout stockings of East Lake and Locust Lake took place on April 13th and on May 4th. East Lake was stocked with trout on May 25th and then closed to fishing until the Kid’s Trout Fishing Contest. Tom Rezner, Bill O’Mahoney, Pat Foley, and Bob & Mary Gettis assisted with all of the stockings.

The Kid’s Trout Fishing Contest was held on May 28th at East Lake scheduled for 9-11 AM. The Contest ended early around 10:15 AM due to thunderstorms in the area with visible lightning strikes. There were 87 kids that registered for the contest. Snacks and refreshments were available during and after the contest. First Place - Brooke K. with a 4 lb. 7 oz. tiger trout / Second Place - Michael C. with a 2 lb. 3 oz. trout / Third Place - Chloe K. with a 2 lb. 2 oz. trout. Other nice trout were caught and weighed. Great job young anglers! Every kid that registered for the contest won a prize. Special thanks to Rick Phifer, Mike & Sue Petro, Dave Chorney, Tom & Anne Rafter, Rich Wolfinger, Pat & Sue Foley, Joe McCusker, Bill Kisinger, Christopher Leib, and Braiden Leib for setting up, organizing, and running the contest along with the Timberline Pocono Boat House for giving us discounts on all of the prizes purchased for the contest. Special thanks to the following for their prize donations to the contest: Mike & Sue Petro - 2 rod & reel combos / Bill Kisinger and Mark Agan - 2 rod & reel combos, minnow bucket, net, and stringer / Geoff & Barbara Hutton2 rod & reel combos / Phil Cerbara

Chorney - rod & reel combo, and Pat Foley for donating the ice for the refreshments. An Anglers Club meeting was also held at the LLV Chalet at 1:30 PM on May 28th.

The Family Fishing Contest was held on Saturday, August 13th at Pines Lake from 9-11 AM. There were 24 Families that registered for the contest for a total of 67 people. First Place - The Pierce Family with a 4 lb. 4 oz. largemouth bass / Second Place - The Petro Family with a 2 lb. 8 oz. largemouth bass / Third Place - The Chorney Family with an 11 oz. perch. Other nice fish were caught and weighed. All of the fish were released unharmed. There were snacks and refreshments available during and after the contest. Special thanks to Greg Pierce for adding two

dozen donuts to our snack table. Every Family that registered for the contest won a prize and the weather was sunny, windy, and cool. Thanks to Mike & Sue Petro, Tom & Anne Rafter, Rich Wolfinger, and Joe McCusker for coordinating, setting up, and running the contest. The Annual Fish Fry was cancelled.

Anglers Club members please remember to pay annual Anglers Club dues for 2022 if you have not already done so. Annual club dues are still only $10 dollars. Any questions regarding club membership status or the Anglers Club please contact Joe McCusker at: jgcmmc4@comcast.net (cell phone # 215-694-5493 / home phone # 215-389-6209) or Mike Petro at: mgpetro@comcast.net (phone # 610-539-5483) or Pat

Foley at: foleyp11@verizon.net (phone # 267-304-9804).

Please be mindful of the 3 trout daily limit during the extended trout season in the state of Pennsylvania along with the catch and release of all largemouth bass and the enhanced panfish regulations within LLV.

Thank you, LLV Anglers Club

As of this writing, we are nearing the close of our summer season and the last hoorahs and festivities. That also means that it is a good time to take stock of what has already passed.

This summer has had Angela Schinzel return as our Youth Coordinator, although that title barely scratches the surface of all the work and hats that she wears. Assisted by the very capable Caroline Basile, the two maintain everything crafty in the village, from arts and crafts for the village children, to the adult paint and sips. Angela also wrangles the teens and tweens for our Youth Gatherings, manages the movie nights, and is a font of ideas for new activities.

This has been our first summer with Mikal Brutzman working as the Recreation Assistant. Mikal has proven indispensable in our activities and has helped our food events and barbecues expand with more and more ideas and options as well as bringing in new ideas completely like our planter workshops.

That isn’t all the help that we have. The volunteers in the Village are always willing to step up and work harder than most paid employees would, forgoing the activities for themselves to instead see that everyone else is able to enjoy themselves.

But it goes on even further than that. One of the things that endears me most to the Village is how much the villagers WANT our events to succeed. When we are busy, I’ve seen so many of you step up and lend a hand without being asked and the feedback I get is always how we could expand and make things better rather than complaining about anything that may have gone wrong. If we are short on volunteers, I can put out another announcement and people step up—we haven’t had to cancel a single event due to lack of volunteers. When we needed more cornhole sets for our tournament to run smoother, everyone was willing to bring them out to help the event to succeed. This attitude makes it a privilege to work with the village to make it better.

As for our events, this summer saw us trying new things as well as expanding upon old favorites.

We introduced our “Dad Games” as part of our Father’s Day breakfast celebration. We doubled our participation from last year’s 5k(ish) Run/Walk. We brought in some live entertainment with our barbecues as well as making it the lead-in to some of our karaoke nights, and our Magician’s performance was to a packed house.

We had a full 32 teams in our Cornhole Tournament bracket and crowned this year’s winners, Steve Miller and Mike “Murph” Murphy of team Go Birds! as well as seating the champions of our “alternate

winners” bracket, Rich Matkowski and Carissa Head of team Drunken Fawns.

As we move forward into autumn, we are looking to start our Wednesday Luncheons earlier in the season, looking to continue our Movie Nights, and planning to expand our Oktoberfest celebration into an entire weekend affair, with a barbecue on Friday, the Carnival on Saturday, and the full Oktoberfest band and beer on Sunday. We will be trying out some new ideas as well to see how they work out. And we are always tinkering and fine tuning our events to try to make them run even better and offer even more options. We may “slow down” after the summer, but we never stop.

We are also always looking for new ideas and feedback on how we can make our events run even better and appeal to even more people. If you have any ideas please contact Charles Simon, Recreation Director, at 570-843-7328 or via email at llvrec@ptd.net.

Tree Removal

Tree Trimming

Land Clearing Landscaping

Tree Removal

Tree Trimming

Land Clearing

Light Excavation Stump Grinding Chipping

Landscaping

Bucket Truck Services

Light Excavation

Stump Grinding

Chipping

Bucket Truck Services

Houses of Worship

Pocono Wesleyan Church 570-646-7456

203 Spur Road, Pocono Lake, PA Poconolakewesleyan.org

St. Maximillian Kolbe RC 570-646-6424

5112 Pocono Crest Rd., Pocono Pines, PA Stmaxkolbepoconos.org

St. Mark RC Church 570-472-3061

1052 Bear Lake Rd, Thornhurst, PA Churchofstelizabethstmark.org

Thornhurst United Methodist Church 570-842-1434

342 Old River Road, Thornhurst, PA

Facebook: Thornhurst Umc

Congregation B’nai Harim Reformed 570-355-5350

5349 Pocono Crest Blvd, Pocono Pines, PA Bnaiharimpoconos.org

Community Bible Church of Pocono Lake 570-646-8995

899 Route 940, Pocono Lake, PA Poconolakechurch.org

Faith Lutheran Church of Blakeslee 570-646-0309

Route 940 & Robyn Lane, Blakeslee, PA

Email: faithlut@epix.net

FB: Faith Lutheran Church, Blakeslee PA

Mt. Pocono United Methodist Church 570-839-9902

12 Church St., Mt. Pocono, PA

Email: mtpumc@ptd.net

Sundays: 8:15am w/communion 9:30am contemporary 11am traditional

Pocono Lake United Methodist Church 570-646-2650

1188 PA-940, Pocono Lake, PA

Email: plpumc@epix.net

Sundays 8:15am

Rangers’ Corner

Joe D’Alto, Security Chairman

As summer comes to an end, we can now look forward to cooler weather and all of the wonderful activities the village has to offer during the fall season.

Our rangers were busier than ever this summer patrolling the lakes, checking badges, controlling traffic, and continuing with their daily routines. We can make their jobs easier by observing speed limits, stopping at stop signs, and being respectful to other motorists and pedestrians. Let’s give them the right of way and maybe a friendly wave as we pass them.

Unfortunately speeding and failure to stop at stop

signs continue to be a problem. In order to try and curtail speeding, we have moved the stop sign at the tennis courts to Windy Pine and made a fourway intersection. At the tennis courts, a pedestrian stop sign was placed in the center of the road at the crossing from the lake to the tennis courts. We are doing everything possible to keep our roads safe, but as a community, residents need to set a good example for those visiting or vacationing here.

Sometimes we take our ranger staff for granted it’s hard not to, that’s because we see them every day, patrolling the village and doing their daily routines.

It’s hard to imagine what the village would be without them. I believe the staff we have now, led by chief Regina Williams, is one of the best we’ve ever had. They work hard, do many things that go unnoticed, and most of all, they make our village one of the safest in the Poconos.

Have a happy and safe fall season.

A Tee Time at Turkey Trot

Bob Gettis, Ice Golf Architect

Just a bit of an update on the Locust Lake Village golf course. This is the 3rd year that we have a 9 hole golf course right in our backyard, next to the Chalet on the ski hill. But what does that mean for you?

You have tennis, pickleball, basketball, to name some of the other ball sports. Turkey Trot golf has been designed for all ages and has been set up to be fun, a bit of exercise and a hand and eye coordination challenge. If you have played miniature golf you can do this! If you are an accomplished golfer you’ll find the course interesting enough to bring a beginner, young or older. A combination of short and longer holes will make you pay attention and although you won’t see greens like these on the Pro Tour they are playable. To play, it is good to have a chipping club, putter and a ball. If you don’t have clubs there are some loaner clubs and balls at the Caddy Shack. Turkey Trot GC is open every day from 9am to 5pm. Look for upcoming special events and take some time to give the course a try!

Community Fundraiser A Huge Success

The Locust Lake Village Property Owners Association hosted a fundraiser for WIN and the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center (PWREC). Inspired by the rescue of an injured Bald Eagle, the community raised $1,650.00! Pictured are event organizer Bob Christensen , Chair of the LLVPOA Lakes and Wildlife Committee, WIN Board Secretary Connie Campanella Donna Barney and LLVPOA General Manager about the rescue was featured in The Dispatch last month.

WIN and PWREC are grateful for this community’s generous financial support and for the assistance provided to the WIN volunteers during the capture process.

WHO WILL HOST THE NEXT FUNDRAISING EVENT?

WIN provided special promotional materials for the LLVPOA fundraiser and we would be pleased to do likewise for other events.

Please contact us at wildlifeinneedPA@outlook.

com to discuss how to organize a fundraiser for WIN in your community. Thank you!

SHOP LOCAL

Penguins Hockey begins 26th Season in Wilkes-Barre

by Seth Isenberg