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Three students from East Forest High School will represent Pennsylvania in Tennessee this summer. The students will be attending the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) 2012 Math-Science-Technology Summer Institute at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Students were recommended by their teachers, and completed a competitive application process to win the berths in this year’s program.
ARC is a regional economic development partnership between the federal government and thirteen state governments, charged with increasing job opportunities within the region. The Commission, divided into local multi-county government agencies, provides funding for projects throughout the Appalachian Region, in areas such as business development, education and job training, infrastructure, community development, and transportation.
The ARC Math-Science-Technology Summer Institute gives students who may not otherwise choose a career in math and/or science an opportunity to participate in real-world math, science, and technology experiments ad research. The students work together with scientists and researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, located outside Knoxville, Tennessee, on ongoing scientific research projects during the day. During the evenings and weekends, the students enjoy regional activities. Past participants have researched nanomolecules, built a supercomputer, determined the viscosity of different fluids, and mapped a streambed during the daylight hours, while visiting Dollywood, the Tennessee Aquarium, and University of Tennessee during recreational hours.
The program is divided into a one-week middle school project, and a two-week high school project. Representing Pennsylvania and Forest County in the middle school program will be Cheyenne Carbaugh and Veronica McLaughlin, both of Marienville. Leandra DeMarco was chosen as an alternate. In the High School program, Flora Madison earned the opportunity to represent our region and community. Cheyenne, Veronica, and Flora will receive free transportation to and from the program, lodging and meals while there, and enrichment activities during the week. In the High School program, Flora Madison earned the opportunity to represent our region and community.
Each student is very excited about the once-in-a-lifetime trip. “It is a science program – its actually for older kids, but they have a session for younger students – that has students participating in programs about science and robotics.”, said Miss McLaughlin, “They show you stuff you can do – real-world experiences – trying to get you interested in stuff and showing you what jobs you can get in science. “
“You work in groups on research projects, and you go to universities and museums and other bases for this program, like labs. I think they choose two students from each of 13 states.”, added Miss Carbaugh. “Its awesome, because I have never been to something like this before and its all the way in Tennessee. … I’m really to visiting the museums.”
“I really want to go,” stated Miss DeMarco, still unsure of her status as alternate, “It sounds interesting and fun! “
It’s going to be an awesome once in a lifetime experience, and it will help us get ready for our futures. We’re going to make new friends and learn how to work in groups with people we do not know.
Mrs. Hartle organized a Biggest Loser contest for faculty and staff at Forest Area School District. The contest started January 3 and ended on April 3 and was based on percentage of weigh loss. For 13 weeks the contestants spent time trying to become healthier by losing weight and getting into shape. On Tuesday of each week the contestants weighed in with their school nurse. During the 13 week contest, prizes were given to the biggest loser each week and for random drawings. Prizes included Subway gift cards, health and fitness books, pedometers, water bottles, and more. At the halfway point, a prize was given for the person who lost the most pounds to date. The winner of this prize was Mr. Vincent who received a round of golf donated by Hunter’s Station.
Mrs. Lisa Banner won the Biggest Loser contest by losing 20.3% of body weight. Mrs. Banner won a one night stay at the hotel of her choice valued at $150.00. Participants also competed as teams made up of 8 or 9 contestants. The winning team consisted of Mrs. Tammy Brooks, Mrs. Sheila Dubrawka, Mrs. Kathy Kaputa, Mrs. Debbie McLaughlin, Mrs. Donna Oliver, Mr. Josh Vincent, Mrs. Kristen Glass, and Mr. John Hinderliter. Their team lost a total of 134.7 pounds or 9.01%. Each team member won an Adidas gym bag filled with a water bottle, jump rope, pedometer, book, and towel.
As a District, 52 people participated in this contest and lost a total of 579.48 pounds! Everyone did a great job!
West Forest Elementary recognized Dr. Seusss birthday in a few different ways.
On Thursday, March 1st, the school cafeteria served green eggs and ham to the students for breakfast. Green eggs and ham is always a big hit with the West Forest students!
On Friday, March 2nd, students participated in a “buddy read”. Students paired up with another student to read for 30 minutes to kick-start the day. Not to be left out, pre-kindergarten had a special guest reader in their classroom on Friday morning. Mr. Smith, principal of West Forest School, read Green Eggs and Ham to the pre- k students. They enjoyed this immensely! Mr. Smith then visited the kindergarteners. The West Forest kindergarten students loved hearing Mr. Smith read Hop on Pop to them.
 As a special treat, any student in second through sixth grade who took an Accelerated Reader test was able to get “double points” for passing tests during the entire week! The week of Dr. Seuss’s birthday was enjoyed by all at West Forest!
David Yeany II is a 2002 graduate of East Forest High School. In 2006 he completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at Messiah College, Grantham, PA. David graduated from Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD with a M.S. in Applied Ecology & Conservation Biology in 2009. He currently works for the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy where he serves as a conservation planner and ornithologist.
The following article is being republished with permission from the Shippensburg News Chronicle:
Snowy owl spectacle delights ‘birders’ and others
By DALE HEBERLIG
Managing Editor
Published: Thursday, February 9, 2012 2:28 PM EST
An unusual sight has attracted heavier-than-normal traffic recently on narrow Mud Level Road in Southampton (Cumberland) Township.
Bird enthusiasts have staked out several farm fields from time to time since a snowy owl was spotted there Jan. 11.
Birders have not been the only ones lined up along the road peering through costly spotting scope or squinting to spot the North Country raptor through binoculars. The roadside has looked like a parking garage on some weekend days.
David Yeany, a conservation planning specialist for Pennsylvania’s Natural Heritage Program and a former Audubon Society ornithologist, was watching the owl from a vantage point nearly 1,000 feet away last week.
 He tried shooting digital photographs through his spotting telescope, but the results are just so-so.
“It’s not a high quality shot, but it reflects the type of photo one should have of this bird, given that it was nearly 300 meters from the road and should not be disturbed by photographers,” Yeany said.
The Shippensburg snowy owl – often referred to by locals as the generic “arctic owl” name – is breed in the northernmost reaches of the arctic tundra, Yeany says, and winter throughout Canada, the mid-western United States and less regularly into the eastern states.
Yeany says the snowy owl population in any given year is closely tied to tundra rodent populations, particularly lemmings – the owl’s most common food.
Lemming populations tend to crash and boom in four-year cycles, which in turn influences snowy owl reproductive rates. Often during winters when lemming populations crash, Snowy Owls will “irrupt” south of their typical winter range and show up in places like Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, or even further south. These owls are seeking new rodent food sources in habitats similar to their native tundra, which is analogous to many of the barren crop fields found in central Pennsylvania.
This year is something of an exception, Yeany says.
“We may be seeing a slightly different type of snowy owl ‘irruption’ this year,” he says. “ Lemming populations have actually boomed and snowy owls had an extremely productive breeding season, sometimes laying as many as a dozen eggs, rather then the more typical five.
This forces many young owls to search farther afield to find adequate food supplies to survive the winter. It is possible that the Mud Level Road snowy owl is a young individual that due to overwhelming intra-specific competition had to find abundant rodent prey further south than it would typically need to during the winter.”
Yeany says snowy owl irruptions are a delight to many nature lovers, especially birders, because the irruptions bring a large charismatic bird to backyards outside of the owl’s normal range.
He says the Mud Level Road owl is one of seven reported in Pennsylvania this winter.
Yeany says, snowy owls are the heaviest of 18 owl species found in North America, weighing in at about four pounds. Wingspan is over 4-feet at 52 inches, with females averaging slightly larger than males. The oldest wild snowy owl observed lived to 9.5 years old, but they have lived to as old as 28 in captivity.
The birds have few natural predators, Yeany says, with the biggest threats coming during the nesting season when canines like arctic foxes and corvids like common ravens and other raptors will attempt raids on the nest. Snowy owls are formidable and both sexes will attack potential predators. Often a major cause of mortality for birds during winter, especially when they irrupt south into more populated areas, is collision with structures and transmission lines.
To see the article on the Shippensburg News-Chronicle page, click here.
republished with permission from d9sports.com
EAST FOREST 48, JOHNSONBURG 35
Feb. 21, 2012 – District 9 Class A Girls’ First Round
By Chris Rossetti
MARIENVILLE – Home is where the heart is.
After losing its past two District 9 playoff games on the road at Johnsonburg, East Forest turned the tables on the Ramettes with a 48-35 win in Marienville Tuesday night in the opening round of the District 9 Class A girls’ basketball playoffs.
“It was huge to have the support of our fans,” East Forest head coach Kerry Wolbert said. “I think home court made a real big difference tonight.”
Eighth-seeded East Forest (16-7), which was playing its first home playoff game since rejoining District 9 in 2005, built a 10-point halftime lead before withstanding a second-half charge by ninth-seeded Johnsonburg (13-10) to pick up its first District 9 playoff win since beating Smethport in 2007.
“I thought our pressure (defense) all night was the difference,” Wolbert said. “The turnovers we forced were key.”
East Forest forced Johnsonburg into 26 giveaways and scored 10 points off those turnovers while also holding the Ramettes without a field goal in the final 4:12 of the game allowing the Lady Bears to end the game on a 10-0 run after Johnsonburg had closed within three, 38-35.
“In my opinion, the game came down to turnovers and missed opportunities,” Johnsonburg head coach Mike Zilkofski said. “We looked lost tonight.”
East Forest built a 29-19 halftime lead thanks in part to a 12-3 run in the second quarter when Johnsonburg’s Brittany Watts picked up her second foul and was forced to the bench. Lauren Oliver played a key role in the run scoring six of her game-high 17 points during the spurt.
“We knew coming in we had a size advantage with Oliver,” Wolbert said. “When (Watts) went out, they had no one to stop her.”
Oliver played a key role in the victory adding 15 rebounds and at least six blocked shot to her 17 points.
“It was one of her best games of the year,” Wolbert said. “She has been playing really well the last six or seven games. She was big for us tonight.”
Johnsonburg, though, didn’t go away without a fight starting the third quarter 6-0 run and held East Forest to 1 of 8 shooting from the field while forcing 10 Lady Bears turnovers in the quarter.
“We came out strong in the third,” Zilkofski said.
But despite the strong defense, Johnsonburg still trailed by six, 33-27, going to the fourth quarter and was down eight, 38-30, just over two minutes into the fourth quarter.
A three-pointer, however, by Danie Dwyer followed by a putback by Watts got the Ramettes within three, 38-35, with 4:12 left.
East Forest, though, answered with the game-ending 10-0 run that started with a Nicole Kahle 18-footer and ended with the Lady Bears going 6 of 8 from the line in the final 3:21. East Forest was 14 of 18 from the line in the game.
“We are usually a pretty good free-throw shooting team, especially down the stretch,” Wolbert said.
Erica Long, who entered the game averaging a District 9-leading 19.1 points per game, added 16 points and six rebounds for East Forest, while Nicole Kahle had eight points, seven rebounds and six assists.
“Nicole’s been doing that all year,” Wolbert said. “She plays a solid game.”
East Forest will take on top-seeded Keystone at 7 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals at Keystone. Keystone topped the Lady Bears 51-38 Jan. 18 at East Forest.
NOTES – Last year, Johnsonburg was the eighth seed and beat ninth-seeded East Forest 51-35 in the opening round. The Ramettes also beat East Forest in the opening round 59-29 in 2009 … East Forest shot 37.7 percent (17 of 45) from the floor, while Johnsonburg was 14 of 50 (28 percent). The Lady Bears outrebounded the Ramettes 38-31.
EAST FOREST 48, JOHNSONBURG 35
Score by Quarters
Johnsonburg 10 9 8 8 – 35
East Forest 13 16 4 15 – 48
Johnsonburg – 35
Chelsea Benson 4 1-2 9, Brittany Watts 4 3-6 11, Rhiannon Fowler 1 0-0 2, Kiana Myers 1 0-0 2, Danie Dwyer 3 0-0 9, Lydia Hefright 0 0-0 0, Kathryn Polaski 1 0-0 2, Kassa Kocjancic 0 0-2 0. Totals 14 4-10 35.
East Forest – 48
Morgan Simpson 2 3-4 7, Jenna Harriger 0 0-0 0, Nicole Kahle 3 2-2 8, Erica Long 7 2-4 16, Lauren Oliver 5 7-8 17, Karen Clow 0 0-0 0, Jenny McLaughlin 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 14-18 48.
Three-pointers – Johnsonburg 3 (Myers 3).
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