Pot Luck Luncheon, Chair Yoga start 2023 for Pocono Garden Club

A pot luck luncheon and chair yoga program will welcome back Pocono Garden Club members when the club starts its new year at noon Tuesday, February 14, at the Monroe County Conservation District, 8050 Running Valley Road, Bartonsville.

Members should bring a covered dish and their own place settings. Drinks will be provided.

The meeting will begin with a 30-minute chair yoga demonstration led by club member Linda Long who will teach movements to prepare our bodies for gardening season. Everyone may participate in these simple and fun stretching and strength-building exercises.

The February design entry is a horizontal design called “Cupid’s Arrow.”

The horticulture entry is a variety of fresh pine cones, with three to five in a container of choice.

The houseplant entry is a cut leaf in a clear glass container.

Officers for 2023 are Nell Cadue, president; Dolores Ragin and Jeanette Gupko, co-vice presidents; Joan Lippi, treasurer; and Patty Fretz, secretary.

In 2022, the club welcomed many new members, and held its first flower show and plant sale since the pandemic began. Proceeds from the successful sale partly supported camperships at the Monroe County Conservation District’s summer environmental camp and Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm’s summer camp, as well as the Garden of Giving food bank.

This year’s Flower Show and Sale, themed “Lights on Broadway,” will be held July 8 at St. Paul’s Church in

Tannersville.

The club’s programming plans for the year include trips such as to The Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, N.J., among others, speakers and hands-on activities.

Among planned topics are building a terrarium, Mother’s Day Tea, flower arranging, orchid care, making herbal cleaning products, decorating gourds, and more.

For more information contact club president Nell Cadue at poconogardenclub@ gmail.com. Visit the Pocono Garden Club on Facebook.

Monroe County resident authors first book

Consequences Of Pa Act

77 is a compilation of news articles, Pennsylvania State Senate and House Legislative Journal records, government press releases, and a Pennsylvania legislative timeline of PA Act 77 of 2019 leading to President Donald J. Trump’s November 2020 re-election loss in Pennsylvania. Some people believe there was voter fraud, and maybe there was, but this book is not about that. It lays out what happened at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg, PA. It is up to the reader to form their opinion about why PA Act 77 came to fruition.

Linda S. Womer, the author, explains, “I worked in the Pennsylvania government (Republican) for 23 years, mainly in the Senate, before I retired in 2018. I was shocked that Republicans amended the Pennsylvania Election Code of 1937 to allow no-excuse mail-in ballots in 2019. Why would Republicans do this knowing it was a Presidential election cycle with a Republican incumbent? It didn’t make sense, so I looked into it. Writing this book was the best way to share with people what I found.”

Pre-COVID-19, PA Senate Bill 421 (SB421) was sponsored by one Democrat and co-sponsored by eight Republicans. One is Senator Mario Scavello, SD40, representing Monroe County and a portion of Northampton County. The intent was to eliminate the option of straight-ticket/ party voting. Before passage to become PA Act 77 of 2019, no-excuse mail-in ballots became part of the bill. Republicans voted for it. PA Act 77 was signed by Democrat Governor Tom Wolf even though the majority of his Democrat legislators did not support the bill.

Senate Republicans confirmed appointments made by Governor Wolf. Were deals made? Readers can decide.

Womer continued, “The book is an easy and quick read in large print. I wanted to present my findings in a way that does not intimidate people who find legislation and its politics complex or confusing but still care very much about it.”

Consequences Of Pa Act 77 in the book section of Amazon.com is available now in paperback and Kindle.