Fill your March calendar with these programs in the Poconos | Kulick

Well this month went by fast! One extra day (Feb. 29, Happy Birthday to those who get to celebrate once every four years!) in the month and it still seem it is flying by! The last of the three-day holidays for winter behind us, along with hopefully the snow and cold weather. Off to “mud season”!

As we leave February, there is an event that has started and runs through March 26: “Rectory, Set, Cook!” A fun fundraising event that features pastors of churches in the Diocese of Scranton to raise money for the anti-homeless and anti-hunger endeavors of Catholic Social Services throughout the Diocese. It’s a fun look at pastors cooking a favorite meal in hopes of getting donations that turn into votes. There are 35 collared cooks with 30+ recipes competing to be top pastor chef. To view these exciting (and humorous) videos simply follow the Diocese of Scranton on Facebook. Pick up some cooking tricks, laugh out loud and then even vote for your favorite.

Here are some events throughout March to fill in your social calendar: Monday March 4, the Pocono Center for the Arts is presenting a Cabaret at the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are $25 per person available at www.poconocenterforthearts.org. Broadway entertainment brought (almost) to your front door!

On Thursday, March 7, Friends of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area will be presenting a program at Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort (Shawnee-on-Delaware) beginning at 6:30 p.m., Tocks Island: Dammed If You Do, presented by local author David Pierce. Members and 18 and under are free; for non-members, a $5 per person donation suggested. All are welcome to learn more about this local historical time.

On March 21, the Friends of Stroud Region Open Space and Recreation Commission is raising funds to establish an endowment, aiming to provide sustaining funds to support the operation of the regional park and trail system. The Stroud Greenway Soiree will be held at Lawnhaven at Stroudsmoor Country Inn beginning at 6 p.m. There will be an hors d’oeuvre reception and silent auction. Tickets are $100 per person and cocktail attire is requested. To make a reservation visit www.stroudrec.org or call 570-426-1512.

Learning is a never-ending process they say, so there are some events and programs that provide information that can be helpful. The Brodhead Watershed Association has identified an Advocacy Alert for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) public hearing being held on Monday, March 4, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. regarding the distribution center threatening the High Quality Pocono Creek and Exceptional Value wetlands in Monroe County. To register, email Colleen Connolly, DEP Community Relations Coordinator at coconnolly@pa.gov. DEP will accept requests to testify up to the day of the hearing. If you would like more information about the proposed plans, contact the Monroe County Conservation District Office at 570-629-3060.

For the younger set, AmeriCorps Seniors/Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Monroe County is once again offering their program “Spectacular” teaching Spanish to preschoolers ages 3-5 on Wednesday 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., beginning on March 20 at the Eastern Monroe Public Library in Stroudsburg. The cost is $10 per student and registration and fees are due by March 13. For more information or to register call Neal or Erica at 570-420-3747 or email rsvp@monroecountypa.gov.

Finally, two programs are being offered by the Pocono Mountains United Way that may be helpful to some. The first is the Landlord-Tenant Eviction Mediation program, which is a free service for Monroe County landlords and tenants. Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process that brings both sides together to resolve conflicts. The mediator does not make a decision, but rather helps both sides to come to an agreement. For more information or reach a trained mediator, call 570-261-8023.

The second program is currently underway and is planned for the near future. That is the Prepared Renters Education Program (PREP). The FREE program will teach the essential skills for renting, budgeting, communicating with the landlord and understanding a lease and tenant rights in PA. For more information about registration and upcoming class dates, email Heather@PoconoUnitedWay.org or call 570-243-6687. All great stuff to spring into Spring!

Debbie Kulick is an EMT who writes a weekly news column for the Pocono Record.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: March opportunities for fun, learning in the Poconos | Kulick