Jennifer Pharr Davis slated to speak at the Appalachian Trail Museum

The Appalachian Trail Museum announced on July 1 that long-distance hiker, Jennifer Pharr Davis, will recount stories of hardship and joy from her 46-day record hike on the

Appalachian Trail, when she speaks at the Appalachian Trail Museum at 7 p.m. July 12.

Davis has hiked over 11,000 miles of long distance trails. She has trekked on six continents and currently holds endurance records on the Appalachian Trail, Long Trail and Bibbulmun Track. She is the first woman to be the overall record holder on the Appalachian Trail. Davis set this mark by hiking the 2,181-mile trail in 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes at an average of 46.9 miles per day.

In 2008, Davis was named “Blue Ridge Outdoors Person of the Year.” In 2011, Jennifer appeared in the Sunday edition of the New York Times; and on national television and radio shows such as CNN Headline News, the CBS Early Show, and NPR’s Talk of the Nation. She was also named a “National Geographic Adventurer of the Year” 2012 and voted Ultrarunning Magazine’s top female performance of 2011.

Davis has also authored four books, including three North Carolina guidebooks and her hiking memoir, “Becoming Odyssa.”  Prior to the presentation, Davis will lead a hike of approximately 4 miles, round trip, from the Appalachian Trail Museum to the Appalachian Trail’s halfway sign. The hike will begin at 4 p.m. For more information about this presentation or the Appalachian Trail Museum, please visit the Museum’s website. 

Public invited to participate in ‘Appalachian Bat Survey’

The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) announced June 6 that PGC biologists are seeking assistance from the public. Summer 2013 a regional monitoring effort to collect bat maternity colony data will occur. The monitoring is deemed highly important to measure bat mortalities caused by White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease that affects hibernating bats in Pennsylvania and other parts of the eastern United States.

More than a million cave bats have died from the fungus Geomyces destructans (Gd) that causes WNS over the past five years. The pervasive Gd strikes while bats are in communal hibernation, often clustered like sardines in a tin to conserve energy. Bats spend about sis months in hibernation and live off of a finite supply of energy. Gd irritates the deep-sleeping bats, forcing them out of their hibernation, which requires increased energy consumption from a reserve that barely sustains them through winter. Death often follows, regardless of whether the bat stays put or flies

Although WNS primarily kills bats in the winter, the complete impact of the disease cannot be measured using the winter estimates. The public is needed to help conduct a summer bat count to fully gauge the impact of WNS. While all are encouraged to participate, the PGC urges people who’ve previously participated in a bat count to do so again. For more information and an application to participate in this vital wildlife conservation effort, please visit “Appalachian Bat Count.”

A place for domestic violence victims

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911, (717) 632-0007, or the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline (800) 799-7233. Remember that you are not alone, you do not deserve to be abused, and you can get help.

Since 1981, the Safe Home Program of the YWCA of Hanover has been serving domestic violence victims of York and Adams Counties. The first thing that a victim can do is to call the confidential 24-hour hotline at (717) 632-0007. (Servicios en español)

Many people do not realize that they are being victimized. A few quick facts offered from the YWCA website are: Domestic violence victims may suffer from one or more of the following types of abuse, physical, emotional, sexual, financial, and social. Domestic violence may include threats, harassment, intimidation, unlawful restraint or stalking. Domestic violence may involve family members or couples (whether married, separated, divorced, or single). Domestic violence includes dating violence, even if the victim is no longer dating the perpetrator. Domestic violence victims are of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, classes, religions, and so on.

Safe Home gratefully accepts donations and donations are tax-deductible. Items needed include, baby supplies, cleaning supplies, deadbolt locks, door viewers, fuel/utility certificates, grocery/store/gas cards gift certificates, phone cards, non-perishable food, and of course financial contributions. To make a contribution, please call (717) 637-2125.

Snyder's of Hanover gets eco-friendly

On April 22nd of this year, Snyder’s of Hanover introduced new packaging for their Organic Pretzel Sticks, planning the launch just in time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. This announcement alone is hardly Earth shattering but the packing is assuredly something to brag about. The packaging is made from renewable raw material and is produced utilizing as little as half of the energy used to produce traditional petroleum-based packaging. This new packaging is created from 90% plant-based material. A product labeled renewable or bio-based means that it was produced using renewable resources like paper, corn or sugarcane.

Claude O’Connor, Vice President of Marketing at Snyder’s explained, “Snyder’s of Hanover has always been committed to creating products that are ‘better for you’ and now Snyder’s takes that one step further by introducing a renewable packaging solution that is ‘better for the Earth’ as well.”

The local snack maker’s efforts toward sustainability do not stop with renewable bags. Visiting the website, you will find an abundance of information about what this company is doing to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Part of Snyder’s efforts to reduce waste include, using low wattage high efficiency light bulbs, motion sensors in low traffic areas, meters on ovens to control gas usage, reducing the size and thickness of their cartons, and a streamlined delivery system to use less fuel. 

Staying positive during long-term unemployment

According to the BLS, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate for April 2010 stood at 10.0%. This again places Pennsylvania in the Federal Emergency Unemployment category. After months of unemployment it is natural to feel frustrated and overwhelmed. The important issue is not to remain in a position of negativity and although you may not have control over your employment situation, you do have power toward your emotional well-being. While job seeking is an obvious part of your daily routine, incorporating time for other interests is vital. How many times, while you were employed, did you say, “I wish that I had time for…?” View this period of unemployment as an opportunity.

Take time to volunteer. Agencies are in need of volunteers, it is rewarding for you and the recipient of service. Realizing that looking for a job can be a full-time job in itself, making an effort to volunteer somewhere with in our community is multipurpose. You’re helping our community but you’re also receiving the benefit of sharing your skills and keeping those skills sharp. In regard to benefiting your employment, employers do look at your volunteer work and the availability to network through volunteering is huge.

You now have the time to learn a new skill or brush up on your current ones. There are free online courses available such as GFC Learn Free, as well as, low or no cost courses available through HACC. Take the time to make face-to-face connections. You’ll probably find a section that lists all sorts of groups in our local newspaper. Quite a few of them are business oriented. Meetup.com lists every type of group that you can imagine and do not limit your networking solely to business-focused groups. If you have a hobby, join a group. You may just meet someone who can lead to your next job.