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Small Town, Big Heart
It is always an honor to celebrate our local fire and ambulance community. On Saturday, March 1, Lauren and I had the pleasure of attending the Blossburg Volunteer Fire Department and Blossburg Ambulance Association’s Annual Appreciation Banquet. Blossburg may be a small town, but it is evident its residents possess a large and generous spirit. We celebrated over 260 years of volunteer service from many incredible men and women who dedicate themselves to service of the community.
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| Photo courtesy of High on the Mountain Photography |
The highlight of the evening was celebrating 75 years of service for the Blossburg Ambulance Association, which began in 1949, thanks to the leadership of its founders: Hack Wilson, Hape Kuster, Lew Auld and Harold Frank. The service has evolved from a basic hearse-style Cadillac to its current state-of-the-art ambulances, which are nearly as well-equipped as a hospital emergency room. Many EMTs have served with the Blossburg Ambulance Department. Currently there are 15 EMTs and three CPR/first aid drivers. This volunteer service covers Blossburg Borough and the townships of Bloss, Hamilton (Morris Run), Covington, Putnam and Ward, and with the assistance of Liberty Volunteer Fire Department, Liberty Borough, Liberty Township and Jackson Township. It was truly an honor to celebrate 75 years of service for these real-life heroes.
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Accepting the 75-year citation for the Blossburg Ambulance Association is
Ambulance Chief Lakota Cummings and Ambulance President Jason Pequignot. |
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| Tioga County Commissioner Shane Nickerson, Myra Kreger, Terry Kreger and me |
It was awesome celebrating Terry and Myra Kreger for their 50 years of dedicated service to Tioga County. They both started with the Liberty Fire Department in 1974 then joined the Blossburg Fire and Ambulance Company. Myra held many roles, including ambulance chief and EMT instructor for 19 years, and currently serves as a trustee on the Ambulance Board. Terry has also held several key roles, including assistant chief for over 10 years and EMT instructor, and currently serves as a trustee on the Fire Board.
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| Tioga County Commissioner Shane Nickerson, Fire Chief Andrew O’Conners and me |
Chief Andrew O’Conners began his career in emergency services as a member of the Liberty Fire Department in 1990, receiving a promotion to captain in 1995. Three years later, he joined the Morris Fire Department, becoming captain in 2004. Returning to the Liberty Fire Department in 2006, Chief O’Conners served as assistant chief for two years and then as chief for five years. In 2015, he joined the Blossburg Fire and Ambulance Company, serving as chief for the next four years. In addition, Chief O’Conners served as the Tioga County deputy fire coordinator from 2016-21 before becoming and currently serving as the fire coordinator.
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| Tioga County Commissioner Shane Nickerson, Jeff Benson and me |
Jeff Benson and Megan Lawson (not pictured) have dedicated themselves to the Blossburg Fire Department since 1999. Jeff has served as fire police, including time as fire police captain and lieutenant. Megan has served as an EMT, as well as many valuable positions within the ambulance association and auxiliary. Their commitment and sacrifice to protect the community members, day and night, alongside many other volunteers, is commendable. It was my privilege to recognize Jeff and Megan for 25 years of service to the community.
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Protecting our Children from Human Trafficking in a Digital World
I am looking forward to co-hosting with Rep. Tina Pickett a special event for parents, grandparents and other concerned citizens to dispel common misconceptions regarding human trafficking in rural Pennsylvania and to learn how to protect children from human trafficking in a digital world.
Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the nation, and children are frequently being victimized right in their own homes, often via the internet. When most people hear about human trafficking, they think about abduction, smuggling or confinement, but that is not the most common scenario we see here in the Commonwealth. More and more human trafficking victims are kids who are going to school, participating in extracurricular activities and having dinner with their families while also being groomed and exploited online.
Wyoming County District Attorney Joe Peters and Korrin Moon, president and founder of Lantern Rescue, will share their expertise and advice at each seminar. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday will join us at the Wellsboro session.
RSVPs are requested but not required. They may be made online at www.RepOwlett.com or www.RepPickett.com or by calling my Wellsboro office at 570-724-1390 or Rep. Pickett’s Towanda office at 570-265-3124.
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21st Annual Maple Weekend
Looking for something sweet to do this weekend? Check out the annual Maple Weekend this Saturday and Sunday, March 15-16, at more than a dozen different maple producers in Potter and Tioga counties.
You’ll find a variety of opportunities at each location to learn more about the process of collecting sap and making maple syrup and other products, as well as the chance to sample or purchase a wide range of products, including syrup and maple candy, and more unique maple products such as salad dressing, barbecue sauce, jellies, homemade cookies, maple milkshakes and cotton candy. Click here for details about this educational – and very tasty! – event.
Click here to view full brochure.
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It is Not Too Late to Receive Tax Help
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, provided by the United Way of Bradford County, is still accepting appointments for this year's tax season. The service is being offered at nine locations across the county, including at my office in Troy.
The VITA program provides free tax help to individuals and families with a household income of $72,000 or less, veterans, people with disabilities, individuals over the age of 50, Native Americans, or individuals who speak limited English. Please note that you only need to meet one of the requirements to qualify.
Appointments are required and may be made by calling 570-602-3132 (or toll-free at 1-866-839-0442) or clicking here.
In addition to my office at 121 Canton St. in Troy, assistance is also available at the following locations:
• Sayre: The Enterprise Center and Rep. Tina Pickett's office.
• Towanda: Area Agency on Aging and Lackawanna College.
• Canton: Canton Chamber of Commerce.
• Wyalusing: Wyalusing Public Library.
Additionally, there are two convenient drop-off sites in Towanda at the YMCA and United Way of Bradford County's headquarters.
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Be Aware of Tax Season Scams
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is again warning taxpayers about tax season scams. They’ve identified the “dirty dozen” most common scams for individuals, businesses and tax professionals.
They include phishing scams via email or text, bad social media tax advice, fake IRS individual online account help, fake charities, false fuel tax credit claims, credits for sick leave and family leave that are no longer available, bogus self-employment tax credits and ghost tax return preparers, among others.
Click here to learn more about these scams and how to protect yourself. And remember, the IRS will never contact you using social media or text message. The first contact from the IRS usually comes in the mail. Taxpayers who are unsure whether they owe money to the IRS can view their tax account information at IRS.gov.
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Our Community in Action
Raise the Region starts Wednesday, March 12, at 6pm. This is a unique 30-hour online giving campaign that gives community members an opportunity to support our local nonprofits by helping them raise as much as possible.
If you would like to learn more about this program and the participating nonprofits, click here.
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PA Tourism Office Releases 2025 Travel Guide
Suffering with the winter doldrums? Check out the 2025 Pennsylvania Travel Guide and get started on your spring and summer travel plans!
The free guide highlights must-see attractions, kid-focused fun, exciting events and many more great vacation ideas.
Sign up to receive a free hard copy of the guide or click here to view it online. Happy travels!
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