Children's Chalk Fest

The Wilkes-Barre River Common is finally having their second annual Children's Chalk Festival tomorrow, Saturday, October 8 from 11am-3pm. You can find the flier below. The event had to be postponed twice due to the September Flooding. This is a great event for the entire family. There are endless activities to keep young children occupied and happy. Best of all, its FREE! The Times Leader had an article about it today, which you can read here.



Also, I wanted to take a moment to formally announce my latest community service endeavor which will be officially kicking off at Chalk Fest. Karla Porter and I are Co-Chairs on the "Wyoming Valley Costume Caper", a Halloween costume donation drop/swap to benefit children/families who may otherwise not be able to afford a brand new Halloween costume. Have you seen the price of some of those things? Very costly. Help us give them a fun Halloween! Read all of the details in the below press release.



Halloween Costume Caper 2011 Comes to Wyoming Valley

October 5, 2011 - Wilkes-Barre PA - The Arc of Luzerne County and Wyoming Valley CYC have teamed up with volunteers to make Halloween happier for some area children.

Gently used children’s Halloween costumes will be collected at these Wilkes-Barre locations through October 20:

Wyoming Valley CYC, 36 S. Washington St Wilkes-Barre

The Arc of Luzerne County, 16-18 W. Linden St Wilkes-Barre

Odyssey Fitness, 401 Coal St. Wilkes-Barre

Tobyhanna Federal Credit Union, 880 Schechter Drive

October 8th at Chalkfest , Rivercommon Wilkes-Barre

Families can visit the Wyoming Valley CYC, 36 S, Washington St. Wilkes-Barre, on October 22 from 12:00pm - 6:00pm to select pick up a ‘new’ costume for their children. There is no cost for costumes.

The idea for the ‘costume caper’ came from community volunteer and mother Michelle Davies. Davies got the idea while thinking about costumes for her own children this year, and families that may struggle to provide this day of fun, especially in light of loss to many from recent flooding. A few emails later she was teamed up with The Arc of Luzerne County and the Wyoming Valley CYC to make it happen.

---

I will be on Rock 107 on Monday 10/10/11 at approximately 8:30am to talk about the project with DiRenzo & Prospector. I hope you will tune in and consider donating new and used costumes to our Costume Caper Cause.

You can also find us on Facebook under "Wyoming Valley Costume Caper". I hope you will stop the page and "Like" us.

~Michelle

REMINDER: Dale Wilsey Jr.'s benefit is TONIGHT!

Details from the Press Release:

WHO: The Scranton Cultural Center featuring artist Dale Wilsey Jr.

WHAT: First Friday Exhibit: to benefit the Wyoming County Cultural Center at the Dietrich Theater

WHEN: October 7th, 2011 5-8 p.m.

WHERE: The Scranton Cultural Center

420 North Washington Avenue

Scranton, PA 18503

4th Floor, Shopland Hall Lobby

TICKET PRICE: Free

FROM ONE CULTURAL CENTER TO ANOTHER: SUPPORTING ARTS IN NEPA

Scranton, PA -- Sept. 20th, 2011 -- The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple will host a benefit exhibit to raise money to help restore and rebuild the Dietrich Theatre in Tunkhannock. The Dietrich Theatre (the Wyoming County Cultural Center) was recently devastated by record flooding. Estimated costs to restore and repair are close to $100,000.

The exhibit will take place Oct. 7th, in conjunction with Scranton's First Friday, as well as, the kickoff of the SCC Electric City Listen Local series. The free exhibit will begin at 5pm on the 4th floor Shopland Hall and run through 8pm. Money will be raised through individual donations, sale of artwork and a bake sale. Donations will be accepted until 10pm.

Photographs in the exhibit were taken by writer/photographer and Tunkhannock native, Dale Wilsey Jr.

All proceeds will go directly to the Dietrich Theatre.

Visit the SCC's site, www.scrantonculturalcenter.org for more information.

--
Dale R. Wilsey Jr.

manic-frustration.blogspot.com

The Plastic Waffle

Happy Thursday everyone! Time for another mailbag submission. Our latest mailbag submission arrived yesterday to the NEPA Blogs Gmail account from Bob Merc (a huge Todd Rundgren fan) who would like us to add his blog to our ever expanding blog roll.

"Greetings ! My name is Bob Merc from Scranton, Pa. and I have a music blog called "The Plastic Waffle" I would like to have it listed at your site.. the addy is www.pwaffle.blogspot.com Thank you!!! "

The URL is http://www.pwaffle.blogspot.com
You can also follow him on Twitter: @BarreChordz

The Plastic Waffle blog features a new and different recording artist every day of the week. These featured blog posts contain faction information, trivia, videos and reviews about the artist. There are also a ton of links directing you to the best places to buy concert tickets, musical equipment and get musical lessons (if you are so inclined). You can learn more about Bob's focus for this blog by reading the first blog post here.

If you would like to feature your blog/list you in our blog roll, please send an email to nepablogs@gmail.com with your info!

~Michelle

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Manic Frustration

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! site:

http://pahomepage.com/palive-details/?nxd_id=203556

At NEPA Blogs, we locate blogs in a variety of ways. Some blogs are submitted to us through email (nepablogs@gmail.com) or through our Facebook group. Some we find by actively looking for sites that mention places in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And some have been found when co-administrator and social media maven Michelle Davies took a closer look at our Twitter followers and found out that some of them, in fact, had blogs!

Dale Wilsey, Jr. falls into this last category. His blog is our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week, and is called Manic Frustration (http://manic-frustration.blogspot.com/). It would perhaps be overly simplistic to call Dale a "blogger"; he is, in fact, a writer, photographer, and documentarian who blogs.  But at the same time, he is also a full-fledged blogger. Based out of Tunkhannock, a beautiful city along the Susquehanna River in the northern reaches of Northeastern Pennsylvania, he has blogged extensively about the effects of the recent historical floods in Tunkhannock here, here, and here. But his blog also falls into the broad category of "life blogs," those meandering, unfocused blogs that serve as a means of expression for any and all of a blogger's thoughts, whenever they may arise. Life blogs to me represent blogging in its purest form, resembling the works of eighteenth-century diarists and journal-writers who captured so much of the history of their times through their own personal reflections and observations.

As I mentioned earlier, Dale is also a photographer, and an exhibition of his photography will be displayed Friday, October 7 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on the fourth floor of Shopland Hall at the Scranton Cultural Center as part of Scranton's First Friday celebrations, to benefit Tunkhannock's Dietrich Theater / Wyoming County Cultural Center, which was damaged in the flooding. You can read more about the show on Dale's blog here, and can read even more in this excellent review with Electric City / the570.com here.

You can read more about Dale Wilsey, Jr. and Manic Frustration here.  Be sure to check out his blog, and visit the exhibition of his work on Friday to benefit a good cause!

If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

2 From Joe Gannon

I found Joe Gannon from scouring the @nepablogs follower list. He has two parenting blogs that he authors.

Blog #1 --

RaiseACaveman
http://raiseacaveman.blogspot.com
Twitter: @RaiseACaveman

"Just a guy teaching his son how to be a man. And having as much fun as possible doing it!"

After perusing the About Page, I learned that Joe has a 10 year old and 4 nephews that are all under the age of 4! I must also mention that this blog of Joe's hasn't been updated since March. As a mother of 2 under the age of 7 (one of which is an evil genius), I can completely empathize with having your hands full. God bless your soul, Joe.

Blog #2 --

Raising Freedom
http://raisingfreedom.blogspot.com

This second blog of Joe's talks about raising kids who value and respect freedom. There are only 2 posts over there, but we have no doubt that he will pick-up where he left off with this thought provoking blog soon enough.

Hey, and if you are on Twitter and not following us, you are missing out! If you blog and have twitter join the fun by giving a follow to @nepablogs.

~M

Vote Early / Vote Often

We have another NEPA blogger that has been nominated for a Best Blog Award at Parents.com. If you remember back a few months ago, NEPA Mom was nominated for a similar award. So, who was nominated this time around?

Its none other than Shannon Nelson of the "A Girl's Gotta Spa" beauty blog!!! Congrats Shannon! Shannon tipped us off over on our Facebook Group Page (which by the way, you should join if you haven't already).

If you haven't checked out the "A Girl's Gotta Spa" beauty blog, here's the 411. Its a beauty blog from Shannon Nelson-a mom, skin care professional and pro in the social media industry. She covers everything from hair products to spa treatments. You can also read more about Shannon and her blog from vising the "About Page" on her blog.

Right now she only has 3 votes :-(
Get over there and vote for her right now so she can win this award!
The URL to vote is: http://blog-awards.parents.com/blog-awards/mom_blogs/1146-a-girl-s-gotta-spa
Voting ends on 10/15/11 and the winners are announced thereafter.

~M

Worthy of a second mention

A few weeks ago we featured "Our10.org" which was a portal for flood victims and volunteers/those with donations to connect. Our10.org was founded on September 16, 2011. The focus seems to be in the Wyoming County area, but anyone can sign up and post a listing. You can read our post about it here.

There is a similar website for Luzerne County/The Wyoming Valley out there (although not limited to those areas) for flood victims/volunteers. It is called NEPA Connect.

http://www.nepaconnect.com

From the Connect Flood Needs Page:

At NEPA Connect we want to do what we can to help people affected by the recent historic flooding in Northeastern Pennsylvania get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

Use this free tool to find or donate items for home or business. We can work as a community to put affected homes, small businesses, and most importantly lives back on track.

[...]

-The NEPA Connect Team

I have had great success with posting some baby furniture and getting the items into the right hands of someone in need. You can read more about the experience on my blog here.

~M

Happy in NEPA

Happy in NEPA - http://happyinnepa.typepad.com - is the TypePad blog of Dr. Patricia Fox who lives and works in Northeastern PA. She is one of the blogs I found on my most recent Twitter blog fishing expedition. You can follow her on Twitter @DrPFox

More from the About Page:


I am a psychology professional living and working in northeast PA (NEPA). I am abundantly curious about what makes people happy. Dr. Ed Diener pioneered the modern study of happiness, scientifically known as "subjective well-being." I became interested in the study of well-being while a graduate student in the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program at Marywood University in Scranton, PA.

As an educator, writer, and researcher, I explore the factors that influence happiness including income, personality, relationships, health, environment, geography, and public policy. As a trained clinical psychologist, I am curious about how individuals cultivate happiness. I am especially interested in the happiness of people living in northeast PA (NEPA).

Pennsylvania is experiencing an historical change related to its mineral wealth. In 2003, the first natural gas well in the Marcellus Shale was drilled in southwestern PA. Speculators began to secure gas drilling leases in late 2006. Natural gas drilling quickly came to northeast PA in 2007. In 2010, Pennsylvania was reported to have 57,469 natural gas wells, the second highest in the U.S. The citizens of PA continue to be divided about the potential economic benefits and the environmental risks of natural gas drilling in the state.

I blog about the scientific research on happiness and well-being. I also explore the events unique to northeast PA influencing happiness. Finally, I seek out those people living and working in NEPA who have discovered what makes them happy.

Some happiness is just what the doctor ordered after all of the tragic recent weather events that occurred in NEPA. I urge you to check out the blog, a little happiness never hurt anyone.

~M

Endless Simmer

The Endless Simmer blog is essentially a "foodie" blog. There are several individual contributors to this culinary blog...similar to NEPA Blogs setup, except they are from all over the country. The connection to "NEPA" is that one of the contributors is a NEPA Native. Blogger Clayton Jacobs (@bellyrulesmind on Twitter) is of local swagger, from the About Page:

"Neither a writer nor a chef by profession, Clay Jacobs (Borracho) joins the ES team with passion and desire to explore new culinary experiences and basic grammar skills. Borracho is as likely to rave about Michelin 3-star cuisine as the pizza place down the street. When he cooks, the focus is on local product, bold flavors and comfort food, but his posts mix in discussions of technique, sports, pop culture and a dash of the inane. His Gridiron Grub series offers amped-up takes on typical football and tailgating foods to enjoy when watching the game, even if you are a Dallas Cowboys fan."

There's also a blogger listed as attending college in Central Pennsylvania....Madeline Shores. Here's her bio from the About Page:

"After living off cafeteria food, the strange products of her tiny kitchen, and Central Pennsylvania’s finest offerings while attending college, Madeline Shores (ML) hwas forced to enter the real world in 2009 to begin her fast and sexy life representing the future of America. With only the stamp of a snotty private school and a completely unmarketable degree, ML has returned to Philly to live off cheap beer and whatever food she can afford (see: gourmet instant ramen). In her free time, she can be seen traveling and acting as the mealtime paparazzi while spending time with friends, some of whom have dubbed her “the anytime eater.”

On Twitter: @MadelineSho

To view all of the contributors to the blog, visit: http://www.endlesssimmer.com

More about the blog:

We created Endless Simmer to satisfy our insatiable desire to think about food constantly. We’re basically somewhere between regular consumers of food pop culture and total snobs. We can just as easily enjoy offal or destroy a Dunkin Donuts (fake) egg and cheese croissant. We love to experiment in the kitchen, but we do frown on cheating. There’s nothing we love more than a good food pun.

Turn to Endless Simmer for all your food needs. We will share our cooking stories, favorite shows, restaurant reviews, travel tales and any other things we can think of that incorporate eating in any way.

Clearly, we just can’t keep our mouths shut.

--

For our sake, we hope that they don't, because we were drooling over several of the posts. However, the "Top 10 Things I Ate In College That I'll Never Eat Again" post was pretty damn hilarious. I am guilty of so many of those food crimes! However, I'm kind of shocked that ramen noodles were absent from the list. Maybe some of the authors are guilty of still eating them (as I am on occasion)....speaking of which. TIME FOR DINNER.

~M

PostSecret

Let me preface this post by saying, the blog that I'm about to share with you is not a NEPA Blog, but the most recent post there ties in with NEPA as you'll see below....

What is PostSecret?

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. New "secrets" are posted every Sunday early in the morning. If you are so inclined, you can submit a new secret via the following snail mail address: 13345 Copper Ridge Rd Germantown, Maryland 20874. You can visit the blog going to http://www.postsecret.com.

Personally, I've been following this blog since approximately 2005. The online community has grown tremendously and Frank Warren has published 4 books with people's secrets. He is an advocate for suicide prevention and has teamed up with 1-800-Suicide to raise awareness and funds for the cause.

The secrets every week are a mashup of all different topics. Some controversial in nature, some comical, others about love. You never know what you are going to get (much like the swath of blogs we feature here). Sometimes there is a theme to the postcards secrets selected that week. For example, On Sunday, 9/11/11, most of the secrets carried a somber theme in remembrance of that tragic day 10 years ago. The secrets that were posted last Sunday (9/25/11) included the below post card.

DISCLAIMER: I hope that showing this does not offend anyone as that is not my intention (especially those of you who have lost loved ones in 9/11). You simply cannot compare one tragic event with another. Suffering, no matter the circumstances, is not a contest to be won. I just wanted to bring attention to the fact that NEPA was represented on the PostSecret Blog this week.



-----Email-----
My family lost 3 homes in this month's flood in Pennsylvania. I feel guilty for thinking that you can't bring the 9/11 victims back, but you can help the ones suffering right now from the flooding in Pennsylvania.

If I may say so myself, we need all of the help we can get right now. While the major river flooding is over, there is much clean-up to be done from that...as well as the renewed threat of flash flooding with the heavy rains this week. I also want to reiterate that we have a Blog Post dedicated to Giving/Receiving help for flood victims and potential volunteer opportunities. CLICK HERE to view the most recent information. I try to update the list as soon as I get new information. If you have any tips on where new donation drives are being held or know of somewhere that needs volunteers that we do not have on the list....please email nepablogs@gmail.com with the info, and we will update accordingly.

Stay safe AND DRY out there NEPA!

~M

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Karla Porter

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! site: 

http://pahomepage.com/palive-details/?nxd_id=202306

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week carries a name many in Northeastern Pennsylvania are familiar with: Karla Porter. Found at http://karlaporter.com/, Karla Porter's blog reflects her interests as a Human Resources professional, including Human Capital and New Media , and looks at topics like how to prepare an "elevator pitch," how individuals can use New Media to advertise their value to potential employers, and why poor customer service is bad business. From her "Who is She?" page:

I work with orga­ni­za­tions that want to achieve employer of choice sta­tus, are inter­ested in attract­ing can­di­dates who develop into employee brand advo­cates that drive growth and con­tin­ued suc­cess, embrace diver­sity, desire a cul­ture of inno­va­tion and excel­lence, want to enrich the com­mu­nity and reward supe­rior per­for­mance with celebrity.

As much as Karla Porter's blog is about human resource issues, it is also a prime example of a "Personal Branding Blog." A Personal Branding Blog is just what it sounds like: a blog that allows you to build your personal "brand". Personal Branding Blogs give bloggers some control over what information there is on the Internet connected to their names. The thought behind every post is "this is something I want people to read and associate with my name." Whether your goal is to land a specific job, to flesh out a résumé, or just to present a professional image of yourself, a Personal Branding Blog is something that can be of tremendous value to many people.


Here are some examples of blogs linked by NEPA Blogs that fall into the Personal Branding Blogs category, as well as some key posts that help to explain the concept :

Karla Porter
http://karlaporter.com/
See: 

- When They Search You Who & What Will They Find?

- What’s Personal Branding Got to Do with Job Search?

Cheri Sundra is the New Black (according to me, Cheri Sundra)
http://cherisundra.blogspot.com/

See:

- THE BRAND CALLED (insert your name here)

- WHY YOUR BOSS CARES ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL BRAND

Mandy Boyle
http://mandyboyle.com/
(Described by Mandy as "a patchwork of posts surrounding marketing, social media, branding, and my own reflections.")
See:
- How I Build My Personal Brand

You can also find my own Personal Branding Blog here:
Harold F. Jenkins
http://haroldfjenkins.blogspot.com/

(A word of caution: Don't assume that every blog that has a name for a title is - or is intended to be - a Personal Branding Blog. There are many examples of "Life" blogs - the meandering personal online journals that probably represent blogging in its purest form - linked by NEPA Blogs that use the blogger's name as a title, but aren't being used for the purpose of building a personal brand. Sometimes a blog is just a blog! But we'll talk more about "Life" blogs in a future installment.)

Blogs to Beat Cancer

In my last blog about the "Nothington Post" we received the below comment:

I was able to catch you guys on TV with George Roberts Computer Wise Show talking about Blogging and I picked up a few good tips! Thanks for the inspiration.

I'm helping a very dear friend who has suffered over five operations and is battling Ovarian Cancer. With the help of a few of her co-workers and the Boy Scouts Troop #80 we have put together a Fund Raising Benefit & Tricky Tray for Lisa Payne at the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire House off Rt.715 in Reeders, Pa. November 5th 2011 1:00pm to 5:30pm if anyone out there would care to attend. Everyone is invited and please bring a friend!

We’ve been working hard to raise-up some really great items to give away at this Fund Raising Benefit & Tricky Tray like a pair of Giant VS Eagles tickets, tons of gift cards from local business owners, dinner for two, gift baskets, DJ Chris Fox and a whole lot more!

If anyone reading this is in the position to donate monetarily please visit Lisa Payne’s Blog at;
http://lpovariancancerfund.blogspot.com/ because is she is certainly a one of a kind and I feel blessed to have her as a friend. Everyone that knows her in fact knows that this is a very special person and there just doesn’t seem to be enough like her in the world.

Other Contacts are Lori Dewitt 570-629-7818
and Kim Lollis 570-236-3115.

God bless you for your help!

Gary Keesler
PoconoPhotoShoot.com

As promised, I will be adding the Lisa Payne Ovarian Cancer Fund blog to our side bar, and hope that you will consider attending the event if you are in the neighborhood in November when the event will be occurring. Additionally, I will add PoconoPhotoShoot.com underneath the NEPA Companies & Organizations section of the blog roll.

Keep those submissions a-comin'. Send us yours via nepablogs@gmail.com.

Nothington Post

Yesterday we received another mailbag submission from someone called "Scare Jacket". The only text in the email was the URL (that is to say, the Uniform Resource Locator).

Nothington Post
http://nothingtonpost.blogspot.com

From the about section:

A blog dedicated to local, state, and national news, based in Luzerne County, PA, with an emphasis on politics as seen through a conservative lens.

To give us news tips or letters to the editor please email:
NuPoBlog@yahoo.com

We check the blog email at least once a week, so be patient.

An interesting fact about the blog, is that it is written under total anonymity. I do not know the author, or am able to find any specific details as to who he/she might be. They are definitely someone who resides in Northeast PA.

There is also a sister site linked from the blog roll on Nothington Post which is authored by the same anonymous person:

The Obscure Lure
http://obscurelure.blogspot.com
"Odd News, Out of the Box thought, Off-beat Commentary"

I'm going to add both of these links to the blog roll here at NEPA Blogs. I think the political crowd of bloggers will appreciate these two new blogs. Don't forget, if you have a blog that you would like us to feature, send an email to nepablogs@gmail.com.

Happy Sunday!
~M

A dog blog

Yesterday, while were all enjoying libations and interesting conversation at Blog Fest, we received the following email from Ada Mae Compton:

Hi,

This is my dog blog, out of Tioga County. Mostly, it is a first-hand account of unconventional shale gas development's impact on our family.
http://adamaecompton.wordpress.com

Thanks,
Ada!

I must say, I was intrigued how a dog blog and the shale gas development could go hand in hand, so I visited the link as soon as the email came into the inbox. The story line is profound. I don't think I could sum it up any better than the introduction right on the main page:

Ada the Dog

Just a 3-legged dog living thu an unnatural disaster

Thanks for visiting! The most recent blog posts are in the right-hand column!

I’m a three-legged dog named Ada who’s living the country life here in northcentral PA. My name is short for Americans with Disabilities Act. I was adopted from the vet’s office after I was abandoned by some guy who works in the natural gas industry. So the story goes: I was brought to PA from TX and left here when he went back to TX. After I became a stray and was hit in the road, someone dropped me off at the vet.

The vet saved me by amputating one of my front legs. A month later, I was adopted by my new master and he gave me my name. He lets me blog, but moans about using too much bandwidth, whatever that is.

This is the blog of my life and the ongoings here in the country… specifically, the part about how operations at the Marcellus Shale wellpad next to my kennel’s property (literally) has affected my favorite places to play– in the field, in the pond, in the water from the garden hose.

So far, my master can light the tap water on fire and his pond’s ecosystem is crashing (e.g., the salamanders have died off). Pre-drill analytics show that I used to drink pristine water… now, my master fills my water bowl from one of those 5-gallon blue water jugs. The scariest part is that the gas wells next door haven’t even been fracked yet. All this drama and trauma is from the drilling process and/or the perforation process (which happens right before fracking). Isotopic analyses prove the thermogenic methane migration comes from the gas wells next door.

I’m guessing you’ve never met a dog with an education in organic chemistry, philosophy, or assessment, and I hope we can be friends!

Read answers to FAQs about me in my first post by clicking here! Also, at the right-hand side of each page, you’ll see links to some of my other posts in the archive. See ya round the blogosphere, friends!

I am so glad that "Ada" contacted us about linking to her blog. We are very thankful that she found a new, more responsible and loving owner. We will continue to follow her adventures, by adding her to our blog roll. We invite you to do the same.

~M

Yuengling Brewery Blog

5 Signs you may be from NEPA:


#5 - You use heyna at the end of every other sentence.

#4 - You've gone around trick or treating to bars when you were younger.

#3 - You can actually pronounce Knoebels the correct way (Hint - Ka-Nobles).

#2 - You've done the dollar dance at a wedding.

#1 - Your food pyramid consists of: Middleswarth, Tastykake, Turkey Hill and Yuengling.


HEY...*cue segue*...Speaking of Yuengling...Did you know that they have a blog?

http://yuenglingbrewery.blogspot.com

The Official Yuengling Brewery Blog covers all of the events and happenings at America's Oldest Brewery. If you didn't know much about the Yuengling company or the beer they produce, this blog seems to be a great resource.

From the side bar:

Yuengling Brewery
Located in Pottsville, PA, United States

Welcome to the official Yuengling Brewery blog. Yuengling is America’s Oldest Brewery. Located in Pottsville, PA since 1829, we have grown to become one of the largest domestic brewers, still family-owned and operated today. The brewery is currently under 5th generation ownership of Dick Yuengling, Jr. and produces seven beer brands including Traditional Lager, Light Lager, Black & Tan, Dark Brewed Porter, Lord Chesterfield Ale, Premium and Light. Our products are distributed in 13 states up and down the East Coast. For more information, please visit our website at www.yuengling.com.

Give the blog a visit and have a cold one on us!

~M

PA Live! follow-up

Yesterday was the second Tuesday for PA Live!, and the second installment of the NEPA Blogs "Blog of the Week!" And in a bit of self-referential linking, the Blog of the Week was...NEPA Blogs! (Video should be available here, though I'm having some playback issues. Oh, geez, I really did go overtime there! The clip runs 2:55 - we were scheduled for 90 seconds!)

Once again I got to meet a lot of great people on the set. First up was Gabriella Conover, a Junior at Meyers High School in Wilkes-Barre who is working on a Senior project called A Project of Hope, a breast cancer awareness project. From the event's Facebook page:

This is Gabriella Conover's Senior project. This will be a breast cancer benefit dinner with a tee shirt sale and a Chinese auction. All proceeds are being donated to Candy's Place in Forty-Fort. I have been working very hard all threw out the year to plan this. Each dinner will cost $7.00 and tee shirts will be $10.00. You must pay in advance to lock in your spot. Dinners will be limited and will be eat in or take out. We are also currently accepting donations for the Chinese auction. If you are interested please contact Jacqueline Askew for further information.My total goal for this project will be $3,500. R.S.V.P September 28th. If you have any questions please feel free to send me a message and i will give you a number to call about further details.

The dinner is October 12, 5:00 - 7:00 at the Wilkes-Barre Area Voc-Tech school at 350 Jumper Road in Wilkes-Barre. The menu is Chicken Scampi, Mashed Potatoes, Carmelized Carrots, and Chocolate-Covered Pretzels - all fresh-made by students of the culinary arts classes, all for $7.00, eat in or take out. PLEASE CALL 570-991-8780 AND MAKE RESERVATIONS BY SEPTEMBER 28.   Gabriella'a project benefits Candy's Place, which lists the event on their events page. You can see Gabriella's whole interview here.

Also on the set were representatives from the Bayada Nurses, who specialize in providing home health care. I met Community Liason Mile Sokoloski and Division Director Garri Vickers, RN, MSN, CRNP. I don't see their segment online yet, but I'm sure it's coming!

Of course, no episode of PA Live! would be complete without something delicious being made on the set! On Tuesday's episode this was Pork Tenderloin Neptune, prepared by Chef John J. Hudak, Jr. of Vanderlyn's, located at 239 Schuyler Avenue in Kingston. It was made with the biggest shrimp I have ever seen, something like four ounces apiece! They simply had to be seen to be believed! I mean, look at them!

I believe Chef Hudak said these are called "#8"s - meaning eight or fewer to the pound. I later heard that these bad boys are actually four ounces apiece! That's some substantial shrimp!

So, what will next week's Blog of the Week be? That's a good question! I'd better get started on that...

Tumblr Trio

Psssst! NEPA. I have a secret for you.

I have a Twitter addiction. I am the soul figurehead that manages the @nepablogs Twitter account. I scour it at least once a week to see if there are any new bloggers that have decided to give us a follow. Today, I'll be sharing with you the three Tumblr blogs that I came across most recently. Fear not! I still have an extensive queue of Twitter bloggers to add to our blog roll, but I'm trying to break it down into more manageable doses. I think these few Tumblr blogs may snap you out of your mid-week blues......or something like that.



First up...A Tumblr Sports blogger who loves Hockey!

"Lets Go Pens 1105"
http://letsgopens1105.tumblr.com
Hey! My name is Danielle! Just in case you couldn't tell by the title I'm a HUGE hockey fan! My favorite teams are the Penguins, Hurricanes, and Blackhawks. I don't mind any of the other team except the Capitals, Islanders, and of course the Flyers. Favorite players are all the Staals (including Jared!), Jonathan Toews, Jeff Skinner, Deryk Engelland, and Max Talbot!


Next...Christian Kemmerer with a Political Themed Blog.

"No Tea 4 Me"
http://notea4me.tumblr.com
On Twitter: @christiank22

Replacing right-wing extremism with potent home-brewed posts...


Lastly, the spirital blog of Mathew John Kester. He just started up his Tumblr blog today, so there are only 2 posts currently.

"A Wretch Like Mathew"
http://awretchlikemathew.tumblr.com
On Twitter: @awretchlikemat

I am Mathew. I live in the mountains of N.E. Pennsylvania with my wife Kelly, my daughter Zuzu and my son Max. (COMPLETE BIO COMING SOON!)


One of the things we like to drive home about NEPA Blogs, is that there's literally a blog for any and every topic imaginable. As you can see by the wide variety of Tumblr blogs in this post, we certainly a vast variety of local bloggers that have something to interest everyone. Keep those blog submissions a-comin'.

Now about those midweek blues....just think, we are in the downward curve heading towards Friday. Feel better now?

~M

Cultured Carbon County

Success! When I decided to start drumming up press for NEPA Blogs, I did it with one idea in mind. That is, to increase traffic to our blog and find more bloggers from Northeastern PA. It is starting to finally pay off as we are noticing our traffic increasing dramatically. Harold has mentioned it in his most recent post on his career search blog here.

Today we received our first mailbag submission from someone who learned about us through watching Computer Wise on Blue Ridge Channel 13. I hope that we keep up the momentum with attracting new bloggers to our site. And hey, maybe even inspire folks to start a blog who were on the fence about it.

Anyway, without further ado...I present to you a submission from Ron Rabenold from Lehighton, PA:

Just saw you guys on TV-13...neat!...thanks for all your work...

Here is my blog...Let me know what else you'd like me to do; not sure how you would like me to link mine to yours...

http://culturedcarboncounty.blogspot.com/

Thanks...

ron Rabnenold

Ron, that's all you have to do...just send us your link and we will feature your blog!

Here's a bit of information about this blog taken from the quote at the top of Cultured Carbon County blog...

A cursory crash course on Carbon County, Pennsylvania and other stuff I like...namely, a poem or a good story. Be sure to browse the more than 90 posts in my archives or do a key word search in the search box above left. The 100th Post!

I will be adding Ron's blog to the sidebar. As always, if you have a blog you would like featured here, please shout at us at nepablogs@gmail.com.

~M

PA Live! Blog of the Week: NEPA Blogs

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! site: 

http://pahomepage.com/palive-details/?nxd_id=201146

The second blog that we'll be featuring as the PA Live! Blog of the Week is...NEPA Blogs!

I started NEPA Blogs back in 2006 as a way of trying to increase visits to my blog by creating a network of local and regional blogs all linked to each other. Since then it has grown into something much bigger than that, a site that links to hundreds of blogs throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania - and we're constantly adding more!

Along with leading local political blogger Gort of Gort42 and Michelle Hryvnak Davies, who is our resident expert on social media, technology, and social and media contacts, we actively seek out new blogs to add to our list of links and gladly link to sites that are submitted to us by email at nepablogs@gmail.com, through Twitter, or on our Facebook and Google+ pages.

The blogs on NEPA Blogs reflect the diversity of the region. We have links to blogs aimed at moms (NEPA Mom, About places to go...), shopping blogs (Bucktown Bargains), poetry blogs ( Michelle Coulter, Jenny Hill,  qazse), photography blogs (Frank's Place, Burnside Photographic, a portrait of scranton), fashion, beauty, and style blogs (A Girl's Gotta Spa!, Fashion Vandals, Darling Stewie, Jilly BeansTALK, Trend HUNGRY), blogs aimed at women ( Woman Tribune, Menstrual Poetry), political blogs (The LuLac Political Letter, Pittston Politics, Gort42, NEPArtisan, Pure Bunkum), blogs about Northeastern Pennsylvania (Susquehanna River Sentinel,  Electric City Renaissance), blogs about sports (Camp the Summit, Chirps from Center Ice, Highland Park Hockey, NEPA Miners Football), blogs about beer (mybeerbuzz.com, pszenica-piwo), and personal blogs that are about everything and anything (Another Monkey, mhryvnak.net, Circumlocution for Dummies, We are: clamco). There's a blog about RV life (Miles of RV Smiles), a blog about riding a motorscooter around the Wyoming Valley (Scootin' da Valley), and even a blog by a couple from Scranton that documents their travels around the world (Uncornered Market)! 

The live-updating sidebar on NEPA Blogs gives us the opportunity to see what everyone on our links list is talking about at the same time. Every once in a while, when an event takes place that affects people throughout the region simultaneously, we will do a post that links to all the different posts people have done on this subject - for example, the earthquake from a few weeks ago, the effects of Hurricane Irene (here and here), and, of course, the flooding that so many of us have recently experienced and its aftermath (here and here, with more to follow.) In times of emergency, we also do our part to act as a community resource with posts like Giving Help, which was widely accessed through Facebook and Twitter links in the days following the flood.

We're always looking for new blogs to add, and the good news is, new blogs are being created all the time! If you'd like to submit your blog to be linked on our site, just send the link to nepablogs@gmail.com. (We also change our header photo every Wednesday, so if you have an image you think would look nice at the top of NEPA Blogs, plaese send it in!)

You can find our site with the easy-to-remember shortcut nepablogs.org, follow us on Twitter, or find the NEPA Bloggers group on Facebook or NEPA Blogs on Google+.

BONUS! There is a get-together of bloggers from throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania this Friday, September 23 at Rooney's in Pittston, starting at 6:00. You can read all the details here. Maybe we'll see you there!

PA Live! video posted!

 

The video of our first NEPA Blogs "Blog of the Week" on PA Live! has been posted!

Blog of the Week: Susquehanna River Sentinel - PAHomePage.com

Be sure to tune in to WBRE's PA Live! tomorrow and every Tuesday to see the latest Blog of the Week!

Our10.org

Our10.org is not a blog, but it is a website set up to assist people affected by the recent flooding in Northeastern Pennsylvania. From their "About" page:

About Our10.org


Press Release: September 15, 2011


Our10.org was founded on September 16th, 2011 in response to heavy flooding damage caused by Hurricane Irene in North Eastern PA. It is our hope that both flood victims and those not affected by flooding will be able to better connect with each other to address the needs of victims in starting the process of rebuilding their lives.


Due to issues regarding storage of larger items, many relief efforts have a difficult time getting items such as couches, washers/dryers, and appliances to those affected. We hope that our website, coupled with the generousity of locals and needs of affected victims, will assist in helping those in need to turn their damaged houses back into homes.


Our10.org was founded by local Tunkhannock graphic designer and marketer Michael Cahill and Tunkhannock local and web developer Chris Mincarelli. Michael saw a need and a way to help affected individuals and families in his area rebuild and spoke with Chris, who wanted a way to help from where he currently resides in Maryland. As a result the two conceptualized and developed Our10.org and look forward to seeing it help this area rebuild, and hopefully be helpful in the future for other areas affected by disaster.


To contact Michael or Chris regarding Our10.org, please email them at info@Our10.org.

NEPA Blogs episode to rerun on ComputerWise TV!

If you're a BlueRidge Communications subscriber, you'll be able to see a replay of Michelle and Harold from NEPA Blogs on ComputerWise TV! Originally aired in June, this episode will run again starting September 21!

ComputerWiseTV.com - ComputerWise TV Show - Lehighton, PA

 

Nanticoke History Online

A recent addition to the blogosphere is Nanticoke History Online Blog Spot, a blog about Nanticoke History that happens to be online! Check it out!

 

Nanticoke History Online Blog Spot

 http://nanticokehistoryonline.blogspot.com/

Leslee Clapp

A fourth blog from Thursday night! This is from Leslee Clapp, head of a group of poets and writers who held a poetry reading at the Vintage Theater right after our Bloggers' Roundtable. In it Leslee shares what she has learned from the people, things, pigs, and horses in her life!

Leslee Clapp
http://leslee-clapp.blogspot.com/

Three from Thursday

As a consequence of Thursday's Bloggers' Roundtable at the Vintage Theater in Scranton, I've picked up three blogs to add to the NEPA Blogs sidebar! Here's hoping there will be more to follow!

First off, the Vintage Theater itself has a news blog on its website, letting you know about everything that's going on at the Vintage and beyond!

Scranton's Vintage Theater - News

http://www.scrantonsvintagetheater.com/news/

One of the events coming up (tomorrow!) which is mentioned on the website (but not on the blog per se) is playwright Kait Burrier doing dramatic readings from her plays. (Doors open at 5:00, readings begin at 6:00.) In looking for more information on Kait, I came across this interview on the blog "The Write Life," which turns out to be a blog about Wilkes University's Creative Writing MA/MFA program:

The Write Life
http://wilkeswritelife.wordpress.com/

A little more digging (because, hey, I'm like that, that's what I do) revealed that Kait herself has a blog!

Kaitlyn Burrier's Live Blog
http://kaitburrier.com/

...on which, confusingly, the introductory post (which I can't appear to link to directly without hand-copying the URL, grrrr) appears to only have gone up 16 hours ago.


(Or, you know, doing a screen grab of the URL as it appears on my bottom bar. Because I'm like that, too.)

 
So there you have it. Three blogs for the sidebar, all as a consequence of the Bloggers' Roundtable! We'll see where things go from here...

UPDATE:  Uggggh, bad news. Of the three, only the Vintage Theater blog appears to have an RSS feed that Blogger likes - and it's not capturing it yet! Kait's is a Tumblr blog, and Tumblr blogs are often problematic. The Wilkes blog appears to have valid RSS - you can see it here - but Blogger hangs up when I try to add it. Maybe Blogger is just tired. Maybe tomorrow. In any case, all three of these will also be added to the list of static links on the sidebar, too!

Wyoming Valley Flood Information Sheet

Michelle D., a Leadership Wilkes-Barre alum, received this message today:

Dear LWB Alumni and Friends:

Over this past week we have heard from many people who have been affected by the recent flooding as well as those who are eager to help with the clean-up efforts and are looking for information on how to become involved. In response to these inquiries, we have compiled the attached list of resources for both flood victims and community members looking to lend a hand.

Please note that the list is based on what we have seen or heard of through our media; it may not list every donation point or volunteer organization.

The Leadership Wilkes-Barre Team

Here (after the break) is the list, in PDF form. You will need to download it and/or open it on your own computer to access the links.

NEPA Bloggers' Roundtable follow-up

Last night I took part in the NEPA Bloggers' Roundtable presentation, held at the Vintage Theater in Scranton and sponsored by Pages & Places @ Anthology, The Vintage Theater, and Go Lackawanna. I was there at the invitation of Rich Howells from Go Lackawanna, who served as moderator and one of the bloggers on the panel (he has two blogs, Rich Howells and Muckmakers.) I was there representing both NEPA Blogs and my personal blog, Another Monkey. Also on the panel were Tom Borthwick, who blogs about politics at NEPArtisan and is one of the mysteriously few bloggers in Scranton, and Justin Vacula,  who blogs about atheism, religion, society, and related topics.

First off I would like to say: THERE WAS NO TABLE - round or otherwise! Well, there was a small one off to the side, with copies of Go Lackawanna and several other publications; I added a generous pile of NEPA Blogs blog cards to it, and these were mostly gone by the end of the night.


All you need to know, on a card.

 (There was also a counter in the back where wine, coffee, soda, and water were available.)

The Vintage Theater was a cozy place, with seating for about two dozen people and more seats scattered around. The four of us sat in chairs across the small stage and took turns discussing issues and giving insights relating to blogging in general and in Northeastern Pennsylvania in particular. We were videotaped from two angles, though it is entirely possible that I managed to ineptly foul up the recording on the camera that Michelle lent me for the evening; in that case, I may need to beg Rich for a copy of his video. Rich also did a digital audio recording of the event.

We spoke from a little after 7:00 to a little after 8:00, with a Q&A session running through about 8:40 - by which time the theater was filling up  with folks coming to take part in a meeting of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Poets & Writers that was to start at 9:00. After the blog presentation was over, I stuck around to hear the poets. It has been years - maybe decades - since I attended a poetry reading, and who was I to pass up an opportunity for an experience that was essentially dumped in my lap? Plus, poets sometimes have blogs - we have links to a few poetry bloggers already - so the possibility existed that maybe I could pick up a few more bloggers to be listed on NEPA Blogs.

How did the event go? In my estimation, quite well. The four of us shared experiences and information, and interacted well with each other. But I'd be more interested in knowing what members of the audience thought.

NEPA Blogs may be involved in upcoming Pages & Places events - we have yet to receive official notification. I'm looking forward to it, and I encourage you to go!

Two from Rich Howells

Thursday night I will be representing both my own personal blog (Another Monkey) and NEPA Blogs at a bloggers' roundtable event being held at the Vintage Theater in Scranton from 6:00 to 9:00. Also at the table will be bloggers Justin Vacula and Tom Borthwick, as well as blogger and moderator Rich Howells. When I learned who the other participants were I was less surprised at the fact that Justin and Tom are already listed on NEPA Blogs and more surprised that we don't have either of Rich Howells's blogs listed!

From the "About Rich" section of the main page on his personal blog, Rich Howells (http://richhowells.net/):

Rich is a 27-year-old writer, award-winning journalist, part-time blogger, and occasional misanthrope living in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He is a total nerd and co-founder of That Thin Line Productions, which produces entertainment for the web, such as this site and Muckmakers. Obviously, he also enjoys writing profiles in the third person. To learn more, visit the About page.

His Muckmakers blog (http://www.muckmakers.com/) has the subtitle "Highlighting the scandals you may have missed." From his lengthy and involved "About" page comes this bit that he says is "about as close to a mission statement as we’ll get:"

We hope to entertain as well as inform, injecting a healthy dose of cynicism, wit, sarcasm, and impropriety into our commentary in hopes of giving it to you straight while keeping you laughing, because if you can’t laugh at the world and its problems, you’re probably part of said problems.

Drop by both of Rich's blogs and have a look. He's been doing a lot of work behind the scenes on both of them, so don't be surprised if you see some changes soon. And if you have a chance, be sure to come out and see all of us at the Vintage Theater!

NEPA Blog Fest 2011 (Fall Edition)

Its that time of time of the year again. You can just smell autumn in the air, and the leaves are starting to fall ever-so slightly. That means one thing, and one thing only....TIME FOR NEPA BLOG FEST 2011 (Fall edition, of course). Do you like how I recycled the Spring logo image by cropping off the bottom? I'm a creative genius, what can I say....

Gort 42 posted the details on his blog yesterday and also created a Facebook event page.



Here's the 411 from Gort's Blog Post:

It was so much fun the last 3 times we are going to do it again.

The next blogger meetup will be Friday September 23rd at Rooney's Irish Pub 67 S. Main St. Pittston, PA 18704 starting at 6PM.

Our political bloggers from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties will be there along with our readers, commenter's and people who are just interested in local politics. We should also have many candidates and their supporters.

You don't have to blog about about politics to attend as we welcome everyone who blogs. If you're listed on NEPA Blogs this is the place to be.

The promotion of this event is a bit behind schedule because of the flooding that has impacted just about everybody involved but there should be a good turnout. I'll do my best to get the word out and expect my blog buddies to do the same.

There are 3 rules to the event.

1. No Speeches

2. You must wear clothes even it is warm.

3. Agree to disagree but don't be disagreeable.

There is no charge for admission.

I hope that you can show up and join us in some drinks and interesting conversation....Did I mention there was going to be drinks? I won't be able to partake in this years festivities due to my new shift, so have one or two for me :)

SPREAD THE WORD. ALL are welcome.
Yes, that includes you, Mr. (Mrs.?) Lurker.

~M

NEPA Blogger's Roundtable

A few weeks ago Harold (a.k.a "DB Echo") was invited to participate in a Bloggers forum by Rich Howells of Go Lackwanna! He graciously accepted the offer and is scheduled to appear in the roundtable tomorrow night. I invite you all to attend as it is free of charge. I would love to go and meet you all as well, but with my new night shift position, my schedule unfortunately does not allow it.



Here are the details:

Where: The Vintage Theater; Penn Avenue; Scranton PA
http://www.scrantonsvintagetheater.com/

When: Tomorrow, Thursday, September 15, 2011 from 6-9pm

Moderator: Rich Howells

Guest panelists:

Tom Borthwick, local teacher former candidate for Scranton School Board, and author of http://www.nepartisan.com/, one of the leading local political websites.

Justin Vacula, co-organizer for the NEPA Freethought Society, Examiner.com contributor, and the blogger behind http://www.justinvacula.com/, where he examines atheism, religion, and other philosophical topics.

Harold Jenkins (yay!), an autobiographical blogger from http://anothermonkey.blogspot.com/ as well as a contributor to NEPA Blogs (http://nepablogs.blogspot.com/), a clearinghouse providing links to blogs and other sites about NEPA or by people from NEPA.

The What:

Who is writing about the Scranton area's music scene, art scene, business community, politics, and philosophical beliefs -- and what are they saying? Coffee and complementary wine will be available starting at 6pm. It is FREE OF CHARGE (as previously mentioned) and open to the public. Rich Howells, will provide perspective on writing as a longtime blogger and as well as a journalist. While the two sides often battle for supremacy in modern media, Rich is of the opinion that both have their own place in delivering important information and opinions to the public. Rich Howells' blog can be found at http://richhowells.net/ (I already added it to the blogroll).

This event is sponsored by Pages & Places @ Anthology, The Vintage Theater, and Go Lackawanna.
I really hope that you can attend!
~M

PA Live! notes

NEPA Blogs made its debut on PA Live! today, featuring our first Blog of the Week. Big thanks to Dave Kuharchik, Monica Madeja, and the whole crew at WBRE for making this as easy as possible, and especially big thanks to Michelle D. for making this happen!

I'm trying to convince Dave and Monica to start a PA Live! blog where they can talk about the show's content each day, take readers behind the scenes, or give insights into the show - whatever they like! But in the meantime, let me fill you in on this episode - and add two bloggers to the NEPA Blogs list.

Today's episode - only the second episode of PA Live! ever - featured Jessie Holeva, a fashion blogger whose blog's motto is "Where style cravings fit a skinny budget." She's just back from the New York Fashion Show, and has a swag bag containing "the newest hair products, wrinkle cream, fake nails, a new drink, and even a shirt designed by Avril Lavigne" to give away! Her blog is called Trend HUNGRY (http://trendhungry.com/). Visit this post for information on the swag bag giveaway. Jessie will be presenting fashion information every Tuesday on PA Live!

Jessie's brother James Holeva was there as well, providing moral support. James is a comedian, former columnist for The Weekender, and a "Certified creeping specialist" according to his business card. He's also a blogger, and his blog, The Wingman Chronicles(http://wingmanchronicles.wordpress.com/) is... well, he describes it as "The uncouth adventures, uncensored exploits, tales of creepin', and advice of The Wingman James Holeva." It's certainly not a blog for the kiddies, and even some older folks may feel a bit creeped out. Read at your own risk, and consider yourself warned!

A delicious meal was prepared on the set by Master Chef Marcello of the Cafe Toscana restaurant (http://cafetoscanarestaurant.com/) - Capelli d’Angello Toscana: Angel Hair Pasta with Shiitake Mushrooms, Sun-dried Tomato & Arugula in a Garlic & Olive Oil Sauce. (The smell of garlic sauteing in olive oil almost brought the show to an abrupt end as everyone on the set nearly fell on Chef Marcello like a pack of ravenous zombies.) When I asked him after the show if he had a card, he said "No, but I have a pen." I took his pen, thanked him, dug in my pocket for a scrap of paper to write on, and asked him for Cafe Toscana's website - which he pointed out to me was printed on the side of the pen he had just given me! So my thanks to Master Chef Marcello of Cafe Toscana for the delicious meal and lovely pen!

What does next Tuesday's installment of PA Live! have in store? You'll just have to wait and see! In the meantime, be sure to tune in to WBRE every weekday between 4:00 and 5:00 for PA Live!

PA Live! Blog of the Week: The Susquehanna River Sentinel

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday.  PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! site:

http://pahomepage.com/palive-details/?nxd_id=200846

The first blog that we're going to feature as the PA Live! Blog of the Week is one that is suddenly very relevant to a lot of people in Northeastern and Central PA: the Susquehanna River Sentinel.

The Susquehanna River Sentinel is written by kayaker and clean-water enthusiast Don Williams. While Don doesn't currently live in NEPA, he was born and raised in the Wyoming Valley, still has family in the area, and stops by frequently to visit and to paddle along the Susquehanna. (He's logged a few more miles in a kayak than Governor Corbett!) He is passionate about the Susquehanna, and it shows in his blog. He writes about the health of the river, its history, and threats to its continued well-being. He doesn't pull his punches or shy away from controversy when it comes to topics like fracking and the threats it poses to the Susquehanna. And with a background in law and a degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences, he knows what he's talking about.

The Susquehanna River Sentinel looks at things that don't always make the news. Don's been keeping track of the methane bubbling from the Susquehanna - a consequence of fracking activity - since it started over 376 days ago. He helped clean up in Wilkes-Barre and Kingston after the flood of '72, so he knows the task that the people affected by the flood of 2011 are facing. It was through his efforts that the Susquehanna has been declared the most endangered river in America. And he features a list of links to other blogs about fracking, the Susquehanna, and NEPA in general.

The Susquehanna River Sentinel blog can be found at srs444.blogspot.com - "srs" for "Susquehanna River Sentinel," and "444" for the total length of the river in miles. If you're someone whose life is affected by the Susquehanna, or if you're someone who cares about the Susquehanna, go visit this fascinating blog by its most passionate defender: the Susquehanna River Sentinel.

For more interesting blogs by people living in Northeastern Pennsylvania, from Northeastern Pennsylvania, or blogs about Northeastern Pennsylvania, visit NEPA Blogs at nepablogs.org. If you're a blogger who'd like to be listed on NEPA Blogs, or if you know a blog you think we should be listing, drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com. And be sure to watch for the NEPA Blogs "Blog of the Week" every Tuesday between 4:00 and 5:00 on PA Live! on WBRE!

Right Wing Wiz Kid Change

Good afternoon everyone. I hope you are having an ok Monday despite the last two weeks of down right nasty weather in Northeast PA.

I received the following email from the Mailbox:

I am currently listed on NEPA Blogs as Right Wing Wiz Kid.

I recently shut that site down and started a new blog, Semper Fi Parents, which can be found at : http://semperfiparents.com/

I'd be grateful if you changed the listing, and if you send me the code I will put one of your buttons on my site.

Regards

Carl Andrews

I have updated the Blogroll accordingly. Be sure to check out Carl Andrews new adventure over at Semper Fi Parents!

~M