Baily’s Beads, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s award-winning literary magazine, will unveil its 2023 issue, which is online, at a reception on Jan. 25.

The celebration will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. It will feature an open mic for contributors or anyone in the community as well as refreshments.

The 2023 edition features stories, graphic narrative, creative nonfiction, poetry, photos and a three-dimensional art gallery in which visitors navigate to different areas of an imagined art museum. The 3D gallery can be seen on computers, mobile devices and in virtual reality on Meta Quest.

The new issue, edited by Aaron Suranofsky, a December 2022 writing graduate from Johnsonburg, and designed by Pat Tolerico, a December interdisciplinary arts graduate from Honesdale, has a theme of writing and identity and features a special section on nature and the environment.

“[Pitt-Bradford] is in a unique position to be home to students, faculty, and staff from all over the world while nestled in the remote woods of Pennsylvania,” Suranofsky writes in an introduction. “The campus is inextricably linked to the beautiful natural scenery it’s surrounded by, inspiring many of the creators on campus including me. For this reason, we incorporated the nature and environment feature.”

In addition to celebrating the new 2023 issue at the celebration, the staff of the 2022 edition will be recognized for receiving first place with special merits from the American Scholastic Press Association, which also named Baily’s Beads Most Outstanding College Magazine in its enrollment category, an award it shared with two other magazines nationally.

The 2022 edition was edited and designed by Kameo Chambers, an interdisciplinary arts major from Philadelphia. The cover art was created by Allison Larrabee, an interdisciplinary arts major from Hinsdale, N.Y.

Both the 2023 and the 2022 issues can be seen at 2023.bailysbeads.org. In addition to Suranofsky and Tolerico, the staff of the 2023 issue is Devin Moutrie, an interdisciplinary arts major from Miami, Fla., assistant editor; Shanté Forston, a psychology major from Philadelphia, editorial assistant; Stephanie Eaton, an interdisciplinary arts major from Bradford, assistant designer and art editor; Larrabee, Sara Micholas, an English and writing major from Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Natalie Mix, an interdisciplinary arts major from Bradford, promotion team; Chambers and Izynae Moore-Grimes, a writing major from Philadelphia, former editors/consultants; Ambria Richardson, an English major from Philadelphia; Gabriel Lyra, a writing major from Rio De Janeiro; Jordan Knight, an interdisciplinary major from Bradford; Kayla Challingsworth, an English education 7-12 major from Kersey; Peyton Cook, an English education 7-12 major from Scranton; and Reese Brown, former student, staff.

Advisors were Karen Bell, instructor of writing, and Dr. Nancy McCabe, professor of writing. Art advisor was Sunyoung Lee, assistant professor of art.

“Since I was on sabbatical last spring, Karen Bell took over as the primary advisor and, with some indispensable help from our art advisor, Sunyoung Lee, led a dedicated and creative staff to do some fresh and innovative work,” McCabe said. “We’re proud of receiving another award for the most outstanding student magazine in the country for the 2022 issue, and I’m confident that the 2023 issue is going to do well in judging next year thanks to the hard work of this staff.”

The magazine is currently accepting submissions for its 2024 issue. For more information, visit 2023.bailysbeads.org/submissions.

Montoursville, PA – Motorists are advised that both lanes of Route 147 are closed between Route 3006 (Herndon Bypass Road) in Jackson Township and Route 4033 (Boyles Run Road) in Lower Augusta Township, Northumberland County, due to a downed tree and power lines.

A detour is in place using Boyles Run Road, Route 4019 (Dornsife Mountain Road), Route 225 and Herndon Bypass Road. The road is expected to be closed for several hours.

Motorists should be alert, slow down, expect delays in travel and drive with caution.

Montoursville, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will be pre-treating major roads in advance of the winter weather forecasted. 

Beginning Sunday morning, January 22, anti-icing trucks may be seen along interstates and other high-volume roads across PennDOT District 3 which includes Bradford, Tioga, Sullivan, Lycoming, Union, Snyder, Northumberland, Columbia, and Montour counties.

Anti-icing involves wetting the highway with salt brine before a storm’s arrival. The solution lowers the freezing point of water and slows or prevents ice from forming a bond with the pavement during the early stages of a storm.

The salt brine is spread from sprayers attached to the brine tank on PennDOT trucks. The trucks have signs on the backs indicating their purpose. The public can track the location of PennDOT plow trucks on www.511PA.com.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners will meet Jan. 27 and 28 at the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.

The meeting on Friday, Jan. 27 begins at 1 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is for the board to hear reports from staff. Public comment will not be accepted at this meeting.

Public comment – limited to five minutes – will be accepted at the Saturday, Jan. 28 meeting on a first-to-register, first-to-speak basis. Registration begins when doors to the Harrisburg headquarters open at 7:45 a.m. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. PowerPoint presentations are not permitted during public comment periods.

Following the conclusion of public comment, the board will take up its regular agenda, then will discuss new business.

The agenda for the January meeting is available at the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.pa.gov. Under “About Us,” on the right side of the homepage, select “Events & Board Meetings,” then click the “Agenda” link.

The Game Commission’s headquarters is located at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit off Interstate 81 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

Those unable to attend the meeting can watch much of it from home.

The meeting is scheduled to be live-streamed Friday and again on Saturday, following the conclusion of public comments. The livestream can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel.

ServSafe is a certification program developed by the Restaurant Association Education Foundation. The course meets certification requirements for individuals who are responsible for the safe handling of food in restaurants, schools, elder care facilities, lodges, bed and breakfasts, community centers, and other food concessions (organizations or businesses that sell or prepare food on a regular basis). 

This course, taught by Rick Kralj, Penn State Educator, is scheduled for Mondays, March 6 and March 13, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Education Council’s Coudersport office. The cost is $185/person. The registration deadline is Monday, February 27^th. To register, call (877) 489-1398 or go to http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/serv-safe.

Misinformation

by

Pastor B.J. Knefley

Our world abounds with misinformation. I’m not sure how we’ve arrived at this place but we have. Perhaps it’s nothing new, but we find it in every venue. Personally, I don’t know what or who to trust anymore. Distortions, half-truths, deception and even out and out lies seem to be a normal part of life.

Whatever happened to simple objective information? Must it be slanted with ones own individual bias? Because I tend to read several different news sources I try to arrive at a conclusion based upon a preponderance of evidence, but even then I’m not totally sure of what to believe. Sometimes I wonder if we’re more interested in what will sell rather than what is true. Personal agenda is much alive in our world today, but I guess that even that isn’t new.

Misinformation is as old as Adam and Eve. If you’re familiar with that story you know that Satan tricked Eve with misinformation. He twisted what God had said to confuse and other wise trick Eve into disobeying God’s command. That’s all that we have to do, bend the truth just a little bit in order to get someone off course. In navigation a simple change of direction by one degree will cause one to miss their destination by miles. Yet misinformation and half-truths abound.

Do you suppose that some do it because they believe themselves to be right? Is it about power and control? Or is it possible that some believe what they are doing and saying? I certainly have met people who have told the lies so often that they end up believing them themselves. Even with tangible proof right in front of them, they continue to stand on falsehood. Personally I believe that the problem is found in the fallen nature of man. Simply put, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23). Since Adam and Eve, we have passed on a nature that is in every man and woman. Lying, cheating and dishonesty is at the heart of every person, you have to choose not to. You have to choose a path of honor and integrity. Think about it.