Looking for a memorable experience this summer?  Check out several upcoming “Canoe & Brew” events that combine the best of craft brews and outdoor recreation!

Canoe and Brew is a just-for-fun event coordinated by a group dedicated paddlers who love the river, the outdoors, and beer.  It is not a fundraiser, nor does it benefit any one group.  The group is content to drink beer and build local communities through supporting local, independently-owned industry, such as breweries and river outfitters.

This year’s first event is coming up on June 3rd-4th.  This weekend extravaganza starts at the Berwick Test Track Park at the kayak launch and ends at Susquehanna Outdoor Adventures’ private island in the middle of the Susquehanna River.  Several treehouses on the island are up for grabs at the end of the day, and the rest of the group will be able to stay in tents and sleeping bags on the peaceful banks of the river.  There will be live music, barbeque prepared on the island, and fantastic brews boated in directly from Turkey Hill Brewing Company.

Pricing is as follows: $15 per head for the shuttle (beginning of the day at Susquehanna Outdoor Adventures to the launch site), including your boat. Boat rentals are $25 per head – that’s $25 for a single kayak, $50 for a double, including shuttle.  Kids riding in a canoe with their parents are free.

Visit www.canoeandbrew.com for more details or to register.  Spots are limited and will go quickly, so grab them soon.

Additional Canoe & Brew Events

June 11th, 2017: Susquehanna Brewing Co.

July 9th, 2017: Old Forge Brewing Co.

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania will introduce its new president on Monday, May 22, at 12:15 p.m. in the Warren Student Services Building.

On April 26, Bloomsburg University Council of Trustees accepted the recommendations of the Presidential Search Committee and voted unanimously to advance two candidates, Bashar W. Hanna, Ph.D. and Daniel A. Wubah, Ph.D., to the Chancellor and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors.

• Dr. Bashar Hanna is a professor of biology and formerly vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown. Prior to working at Delaware Valley, Hanna served as associate provost at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. He was dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where he served as interim provost. Hanna earned his three degrees from Temple University, including a bachelor’s degree in biology; a master’s degree in developmental biology and a doctoral degree in developmental neurobiology. Hanna and his wife Deanna have two children.

• Dr. Daniel Wubah is the senior advisor to the president at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. He joined the Washington and Lee administration after his tenure at Virginia Tech where he served as vice president for undergraduate education and deputy provost. At Washington and Lee he was appointed chief academic officer with oversight of two undergraduate colleges and the Law School. Wubah received a bachelor’s degree with honors in botany and diploma in science education from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, a master’s degree in biology from the University of Akron, Ohio, and a doctoral degree in botany from the University of Georgia, with a specialization in anaerobic microbiology. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Research Laboratory in Athens, Ga. Wubah and his wife Judith have two adult children.

BU President David L. Soltz will retire June 30 after a tenure of 9 ½ years. The new leader will assume his presidency on or around July 1.

The annual Celebrate Berwick festival has been postponed for this weekend due to weather concerns.  The forecast is predicting steady rain for the entirety of Saturday, so the festival has been rescheduled instead for Saturday, June 3rd.  The event will still take place on Market Street from 11 AM – 6 PM.  There will be live music, craft beers, activities for kids, fantastic food, and much more.  The Jackson Mansion will be open for tours as well. With questions, please contact the Berwick Area United Way at 570-759-8203.

The North Shore Railroad Company was recently privileged to receive the distinguished honor of being named Railway Age’s 2017 Short Line Railroad of the Year and was also selected to receive a 2017 ASLRRA Marketing Award.

The Montour Preserve’s Fossil Pit recently received an impressive distinction – it was named as one of the “30 Most Impressive Fossil Sites in North America” in a recent Top Value Reviews article. 

The fossil pit consists of approximately one acre of exposed Mahantango Formation shale.  Formed some 395 million years ago during the Devonian Period when much of Pennsylvania was covered by a warm, shallow sea, these shales are particularly rich in fossils.  The most commonly found fossils at this site are Pelecypods (oyster, mussel and clam-type species), Cephalopods, Brachiopods (lamp shells), Byrozoans (moss-like animals), Crinoids, Gastropods (snail-like creatures), Corals and Trilobites.

The site is open from dawn to dark year-round.  Admission is free and visitors may keep any fossils they find.  Dogs and other pets are not allowed at the Montour Preserve.  Please click here for site rules.

Those visiting the Montour Preserve Fossil Pit are encouraged to come prepared with some basic supplies, including: small geologist’s hammer, soft brush, safety goggles, a bag or bucket to carry fossils and supplies and newspaper or other material to wrap fossils for safekeeping.  Visitors are cautioned that the fossil pit shales are exposed to day-long sun and are often quite hot to the touch by mid-afternoon.  The shale is also particularly sharp on broken edges, so please move about the site with caution.  Children should be kept under close supervision.  Please wear long pants and sturdy footwear and bring plenty of water.

More information about visiting the fossil pit, including the full article and top 30 list, can be found on the Montour Preserve’s website.

Drive through the spring landscapes of Columbia and Montour counties while visiting the Susquehanna River Arts Artists participating in the annual Open Studio Tour. This year’s event will be held June 3rd and 4th from 11 AM to 5 PM each day. During the Artist Studio Tour, visitors will be welcomed into the artist’s workshops to tour their studios, discuss their work and maybe pick up a new piece or two to take home.

Grounded in the belief that art shapes both the spirit and vitality of a community; the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau created the Susquehanna River Arts group. By showcasing the works of our local artists, the Susquehanna River Arts project not only highlights the cultural assets of our region, but fosters an appreciation of both our communities and our heritage.

To download a copy of the Studio Tour Brochure, which includes complete descriptions for each of the 10 participating artists, driving directions, a detailed map, and a passport to enter to win free art, please click here.

Artists participating in this year’s tour include:
Robert Holborn Brown ~ Photography
Donna Shaffer ~ Painting & Sculpture
Sara Mika (Mock Pie Studio) ~ Art Quilts & Fiber Art
Annie Barnhardt ~ Oils, Acrylics, Pencils (Graphite & Color) Stick Inks
Peter Grimord ~ Sculpture, Photography, Drawing
Joan Gallup Grimord ~ Drawing, Printmaking
Gail Fox ~ Oil, Acrylic, Pastel, Pencil & Handcrafted Natural Stone Sterling Silver Jewelry
Abigail Smith Kurecian ~ Ceramics
Sandra Tranor (Black Bear Pottery & Fine Art) ~ Pottery
William Whitmoyer ~ Acrylic Paint

To find out more about the artists participating in this year’s tour, visit our Susquehanna River Arts webpage.

Have you longed to see many of the nineteenth-century covered bridges Columbia County has to offer, but didn’t want to travel off the beaten path alone?  If you are looking for a delightful and informative day touring our historic covered bridges, please join the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau for its fourth annual Covered Bridge Bus Tour on Saturday, May 20^th.

Hop on the bus at the Visitors Bureau office at 121 Papermill Road in Bloomsburg to begin a historical adventure. Guests can unwind as the guided ride meanders through the picturesque Central Pennsylvania countryside to visit 13 of the area’s covered bridges.  Symbols of small-town America, these covered bridges coax travelers off the beaten path to explore little streams and forgotten dirt roads. At each stop, there will be opportunities for leisurely exploration and for taking photographs. Enjoy a picnic lunch provided by the Visitors Bureau at one of the only two twin covered bridges in the United States.

The entire outing costs $25 per person. The tour will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end around 3:30 p.m. back at the Visitors Bureau. For more information about the Covered Bridge Bus Tour or to reserve your spot on the bus, please call the Visitors Bureau Welcome Center at 570-784-8279. Seats sell out quickly, so do not wait until the last minute to reserve.  There are currently only FOUR seats left on the second bus. When these seats are taken, the tour will be sold out – there will not be another bus scheduled!

The Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau believes that tourism is critical to the economic well-being of the region and will continue to market, promote and support our local communities.  In recent years, the tourism industry generated $4.2 billion in state and local taxes.  Tourism benefits all Pennsylvanians… a successful tourism industry generates enough taxes for the Commonwealth’s budget to reduce the tax liability of each household by $855 each year.

For more information about the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, and all the things to see and do in the area, please visit www.iTourColumbiaMontour.com or like them on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/iTourCM.

Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, PA will be opening for the season on Saturday, April 29th.  The park will be open from 12 PM to 6 PM, and will feature a “BOGO” Buy one, get one special on handstamps.  Buy one Ride All Day Pass, Get one FREE (of equal or less value).  Pricing for the “Ride All Day” pass is as follows: Basic Ride pass for General Admission is $32, Under 48 inches is $22.  The Wooden Coasters pass for General Admission is $40, Under 48 inches is $27.

There is no better way to enjoy your first trip of the season!  The free pass must be used same day as the purchased pass, and the special is valid on Opening Weekend only.  Opening Day entertainment will be the Frankie Roberts Show at 2 PM at the bandshell, and on Sunday, April 30th, the Bloomsburg University Band will perform at 2 PM and 5 PM. The following weekend (May 6th and 7th) is “Scout Day” at Knoebels.

Knoebels offers FREE parking, FREE admission, and FREE entertainment, and has long been ranked nationally as one of the best amusement parks in the country. For more information about the park, visit www.knoebels.com.

Below is a list of this week’s area Easter Egg Hunts!

Wednesday, April 12

BERWICK — Easter celebration, 6-8 p.m., Berwick YMCA, 231 W. Third St., crafts, Easter Bunny, refreshments, for age 11 and under; accepting donation for food pantry.

Friday, April 14

NESCOPECK TWP. — Easter Egg Hunt, 9 a.m., Nescopeck Township Fire Company, Zenith Road, for township children ages 2-10.

Saturday, April 15

BERWICK — Berwick Elks Easter Egg Hunt, 11 a.m., special-needs children; 12:30 p.m. for all other children, Salem Elementary School track.

BERWICK — West Berwick Hose Company Easter Egg Hunt, 1 p.m., Ber-Vaughn Park softball field, children up to age 12.

BERWICK — Easter Egg Hunt, 11 a.m., Berwick Christian Church, 701 E. Fifth St., age 12 and under.

BLOOMSBURG — Sons of the American Legion Squadron 273 annual Easter Egg Hunt, Bloomsburg Town Park, 10 a.m., age 10 and under.

BRIAR CREEK TWP. —Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., Summerhill Fire Company carnival grounds,422 Summerhill Road, Berwick,for Briar Creek Township children age 12 and under.

DANVILLE — East End Fire Co./Mahoning Township Fire Dept. Easter Egg Hunt, 10 a.m., Maria Hall on the campus of St. Cyril, off of Academy Avenue/Railroad Street, for ages 12 and under.

ELYSBURG — Easter Egg Hunt, 11 a.m., Knoebels Amusement Resort parking lot, for children up to age 10, sponsored by Elysburg Rotary Club; bring basket.

ESPY — Easter Egg Hunt, 9 a.m., Espy Fire Company hall; fire company canvassing for donations beginning April 10.

HEMLOCK TWP. —Buckhorn Fire Company Easter Egg Hunt, Fernville Park, 10 a.m.

JERSEYTOWN — Jerseytown Ladies Aid Easter Egg Hunt, open to the community, 1:30 p.m., Madison Township Community Center, for up to age 12.

LIGHTSTREET — Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., Lightstreet Fire Company carnival grounds.

MILLVILLE – Sons of American Legion Easter Egg Hunt, 1 p.m., Millville Town Park, ages 12 and under.

MILLVILLE — The Gardens at Millville Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., 48 Haven Lane, ages 2-12.

MILTON – Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt at Kohl’s Stony Hill Tree Farm. Again, this year Kohl’s will pair up with Kidswork Therapy Center to offer this enjoyable egg hunt. There will be a separate area set up for those in wheelchairs, and eggs will be placed on traffic cones so the individuals can retrieve the eggs themselves. Local businesses will be donating prizes.
Ages up to 10 will start at 1:00 pm
Ages 11 to 16 will start at 1:30 pm
Ages 16 and up starts at 2:30 pm

MOUNT PLEASANT TWP. — Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., Mount Pleasant Community Center, 558 Millertown Road, ages 10 and under.

ORANGEVILLE — Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., Orangeville Fire Company carnival grounds, up to age 12.

Sunday, April 16

LIME RIDGE — Lime Ridge Fire Company Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., Columbia Park, age 12 and under.

Bloomsburg Veterinary Hospital’s Emergency Clinic is now open until 10 p.m. Monday through Friday for pet related emergencies.  These extended hours come along with a brand new emergency room that opened last week at the hospital.

The hospital offers these extended emergency hours in efforts to continue to serve clients and their pets in their time of need.

The following guidelines allow us to offer these additional services in a safe and effective manner.

•  Clients are required to call and alert the staff that they will be making their way to the hospital.

• There will be no over-the-counter sales or prescription medication pick-ups after 7:00 p.m.

• Clients arriving for an appointment after 7:00 p.m. will be asked to wait in their vehicles.  Please call the hospital upon arrival to check-in and a team member will escort you into the hospital when they are available and ready for the patient.

• There will be 24-hour care for hospitalized patients Monday through Friday, however, there will be no emergencies or appointments seen after 10:00 p.m.

*Please note this does not affect their regularly scheduled hours on Saturday and they will continue to be closed on Sunday.