Soup sale begun

Effort UMC has announced its last soup sale for the year. It began this past Sunday and will continue through Nov. 18, with order pickup being Nov. 22.

Hearty minestrone and creamy broccoli and cheese are being offered.

All profits go toward the connectional portion of the church’s apportionments.

Home Association

The West End Home Association for the West End Memorial American Legion Post 927 in Gilbert will meet at 7:30 tonight.

Monthly meeting

Legion Post 927 will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Post Home in Gilbert.

PVMS food drive

The Pleasant Valley Middle School’s food drive continues through Nov. 12.

Cardinal Days

Kinsley’s ShopRite is Brodheadsville is sponsoring the second annual Cardinal Days in memory of former Western Pocono Women’s Club member Sally Anthony through Nov. 29. At checkout, add a name and amount to donate on a card that has a picture of a cardinal.

That card will then be posted on the wall at Kinsley’s. All proceeds will benefit the Hospice House of Monroe County in memory of Sally.

School board meets

The Pleasant Valley Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, in the District Office in Brodheadsville.

Monroe OES

Monroe Chapter No. 99 of the Order of the Eastern Star will hold a stated meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the RimRock Masonic Center.

Vets recognized

St. Peter’s UMC, Saylorsburg, will recognize its veterans at its Sunday service at 10 a.m. William (Bud) Gouger will lead the worship and bring his message to the congregation.

The church observes all CDC guidelines: hand sanitizing, masking, social distancing and sanitizing the sanctuary.

For more information, call the church at 570-992-7311.

Riders meet

The Riders will meet at the Legion Post Home in Gilbert at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. For more information, contact the president, Everett “Skippy” Shaver, at 570-977-8208 or everett.shaver@yahoo.com.

West End Fire report

West End Fire Chief Don Zipp reports that October was a most busy month, with 52 incidents. This is a 41 percent increase over 2019, he adds.

That takes the yearly count so far to 444, which is 20 calls more than the volunteers responded to in all of 2019.

This total includes 59 structure fires, 20 vehicle fires, 35 brush fires, 6 other type fires, 129 automatic fire alarms, 80 motor vehicle accidents, 32 officer contact 911 center, 8 hazardous materials incidents, 4 public assistance, 4 smoke investigations, 12 medical incidents, 11 fire police only, 17 utility incidents, 15 CO alarms, 3 technical rescues, 8 burn complaints, and 1 search.

Orders are due

Middlecreek Christian Church, at 343 Dorshimer Road, Kresgeville, is holding a fundraiser for its West End Fair well-received bean bake by the quart and apple dumplings.

Place an order on the church’s Facebook page or leave an order on the church’s voicemail at 570-629-4066.

Drive-thru pickup of the order is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 21.

Payment by cash or check made out to Middlecreek Christian Church is acceptable.

All orders are due by Friday.

Giving Tree ready

Our Lady Queen of Peace church will have a Giving Tree at each exit after Mass. The church body hopes to brighten many lives this Christmas.

There will be wish lists for children, baby items, items for seniors and shoes or necessities for PVEN.

Donors are asked to return the unwrapped item with a tag before Dec. 4.

Folks who cannot make it to Mass are asked just to drop of any items to the church office before the deadline.

OES soup sale

Orders are now being taken by OES of Monroe County at 570-807-2964. A variety of soups are offered, including chicken noodle, beef vegetable, split pea with ham, creamy chicken with orzo, Manhattan clam chowder, minestrone, potato, kielbasa soup, chili, spinach-chicken tortellini, clack bean, corn soup, Asian pork-noodle and four quarts of pork and sauerkraut.

Pickup time is from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 22 at the Rimrock center on Rimrock Drive in Stroudsburg.

Shoebox packing

St. Peter’s UMC will pack the Operation Christmas Child boxes with all the items donated over the course of 2020.

Join members to pack the boxes and bring smiles to impoverished children’s faces. Call 570-992-7311 and leave a message for a callback.

McMichaels UMC has already done its packing of 35 boxes under the direction of Mabel Hoagland.

These boxes are sent to impoverished children around the world to share the message of Christmas.

Poppy picking

American Legion Post 927 is holding a Pick-a-Poppy event Saturday, from 1 to 5 p.m. in honor and recognition of Veterans Day.

Orphan Sunday

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church will celebrate Orphan Sunday this Sunday.

The Orphan Outreach Ministry will pray the Rosary and include a lantern release for all the orphans of the world. Attendees are asked to bring their respective rosary or one will be provided.

An invitation to join in the fellowship, cider and snacks around the bonfire by the pavilion at 6 p.m. on Sunday, has been extended.

An RSVP to Flannery at 570-350-9652 has been requested.

Veterans Day parade

An annual Veterans Day Parade will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Pocono Raceway.

Additional information includes: staging is at 11:45 a.m. at the racetrack.

Parade participants are to enter Gate 3 directly off of Long Pond Road.

When participants get to that point they will be directed where to go for their division with Operation: Touch of Home being in Division B, #4.

The parade starts at 1 p.m. and should only be 45 minutes to an hour.

There will be no lunch afterward due to COVID-19.

Anyone participating with OTOH is asked to let Tammy Gower know, and if a participant would like a COVID waiver in advance, email her at TGower@poconoraceway.com; one will be forwarded so it can be read, printed and signed prior to the day’s event.

Upon arrival to Gate 3, give the waiver to the Gate 3 Guard.

UMW meeting

The next meeting of Effort UMC’s United Methodist Women is at 7 p.m. Monday, in Wesley Hall.

Masks are to be worn and social distancing practiced.

SAL meeting

The Sons of the American Legion will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the Legion Post Home in Gilbert.

For more information, call Nugent at 917-217-1387.

Touch of Home

Operation: Touch of Home is having a regular meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the American Legion Post 927 in Gilbert.

Office closed

The Polk Township municipal office will be closed on Nov. 11, as will many other places due it being Veterans Day.

Those with permits in that township who use the solid waste facility on Wednesdays may come on Thursday instead.

The offices of the Monroe Office of Aging will also be closed on Veterans Day.

Veterans Day

On Nov. 11 at 10:30 a.m., a Veterans Day Honor Guard ceremony will be held at the American Legion Post 929 on Fairgrounds Road, Gilbert.

All CDC and state COVID-19 guidelines will be followed.

For more information, contact Commander Danny Insalata 570-977-3046 or dannyinsalata5@gmail.com.

Eldred ceremony

The public is invited to a Veterans Day 2020 ceremony honoring veterans at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the Eldred Township Veterans Memorial, 490 Kunkletown Road, Kunkletown.

Masks are required.

This year the ceremony will be outdoors only, weather permitting.

WEPOSC meeting

The West End Park and Open Space Commission is slated to meet at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Chestnuthill Township Park building.

Scarecrows due

West End Park and Open Space Commission’s annual Coloring Contest is a scarecrow for ages 3-11. Youngsters can have fun coloring one with crayons, paint, markers, colored pencils, stickers, straw, beads, glitter, etc. and return on or before Nov. 16. One winner, per age categories of 3-5, 6-8, and 9-11, will be selected to win a prize and their pictures will be featured on the WEPOSC Facebook page. After the contest has ended, all entries will be donated to a local nursing home with only the children’s first names and ages on them, for the residents to decorate their rooms.

Entry drop-offs can be done in person on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. with Kim or one call Bernie at 570-992-9733 to arrange another time. Also the entries be mailed to: WEPOSC, Attention Bernie and Kim, PO Box 243, Brodheadsville, PA, 18322.

Copies of the scarecrow to be colored can be picked up at the Park on Route 715 in Brodheadsville.

Pizza sale

The November pizza sale at McMichaels UMC is now happening. Order from Martha Stout at 570-992-6742 by Nov. 12.

Pickup is set for Nov. 21.

Donation breakfast

McMichaels UMC is having its final donation-only breakfast for the year from 8 to 10 a.m. Nov. 14.

Breakfast will be served outside or in one’s car.

Effort pantry

The Supplemental Food Resource Center at Effort UMC is having its first November distribution from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 14. This will also be the Thanksgiving dinner items distribution day.

Reservations are recommended.

Call the church at 570-629-1890, ext. 109.

Shawl ministry

Effort UMC’s Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on Tuesdays, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the church’s former Day Care Kitchen area.

The next gathering is set for Nov. 17.

Blood drive

The American Legion Post 927 blood drive in Gilbert, happening on Nov. 20, still has a few appointments during its slated drive from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) now to make a life-saving donation.

Miller Keystone will next be collecting at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville on Nov. 18, beginning at noon.

Call 800-B-A-DONOR (223-6667) to reach Miller-Keystone.

Contact Adele Argot at 717-933-4028 or arargot3@verizon.net. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.