Maggie Flartry-Kaminski

Broker, CEO - Century 21 Select Group

The month of May is not normally considered a peak time to visit the Poconos.  All the better to take advantage of the wildflowers, hiking trails and panoramic views with out the crowds.   Mountain biking at Brady’s State Game Lands – 25,000 acres or down the Lehigh Gorge trail,  can expose you to River vistas and wildlife.  Reminds me of the time my husband John and I were back in Bradys.  Bikes are quiet,  so it was no surprise when we stopped just short of two young bucks frolicking in the meadow.   We watched them for 10 minutes without being spotted.   Or the time John kicked up a flock of turkeys and managed to cycle down the road in the midst of them – it was awesome. 

 For the sportsman, Spring Gobler is in full swing and ends on May 31^st.  May 7 is opening day for walleye and saugeye.   Trout season kicked off on April 16^th.   Get loads of info and places to fish at http://www.fish.state.pa.us/  

 May 7^th – Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes  8:00pm at the Sherman Theater on Main Street in Stroudsburg. Southside and his band, the Asbury Jukes, worked on growing their reputation as a dynamic live blues band through the late 60′s and early 70′s.   www.ShermanTheater.com

If you are into hiking, check out the PoconoOutdoorClub.org.  May 7 they will be hiking Devil’s Hole.  I was lucky enough to know the people that owned the acreage adjoining the State Game Lands and spent much of the Summer I turned 19 and 20  camping along this pristine Mountain Stream with native brook trout.   Nothing like a group of good friends, acoustic guitars and a crackling fire, not to mention the tale of Devil’s Hole best enjoyed at midnight around a campfire!   What I found most interesting in hiking the stream was following it to its source at the top of a mountain. 

If you are into nature and hiking, check out Monroe County Environmental Education Center’s Kettle Creek Wildlife Sanctuary near Bartonsville.  www.mcconservation.org

May 18 – A Spring Bog Walk through the blooming Tannersville Cranberry Bog will be led by a naturalist from the Monroe County Environmental Education Center from 1:00 to 3:30pm. The bog is special as it is a northern boreal bog, which is very unique for this part of the country. Protected by The Nature Conservancy, the Tannersville bog is a National Natural Landmark.

Ok – I know, this is a real estate blog!   I suppose I should speak to real estate in the Poconos.  Another reason to enjoy nature;  the real estate market has not bounded back yet – so take the time to enjoy your natural playground until sales pickup.    The winter was tough with all the snow and the cold temperatures.  Our Ski Rentals did well and the season went well into March.  But the resale market is struggling.  Thankfully our agents’ “per person production” is double our competitors.    And our core of Full Time, Professional Agents are loyal and hard working.  There is something to be said for a company where each office has a strong Team Spirit.

Two things that I attribute to our great company team spirit:

1.      A strong presence in 10 different markets of the Poconos.  When our sellers need to see their agent, they don’t have to travel 45 minutes – their agent is only 10 minutes away.  What makes a real estate office think they can have one centralized location to handle a geographic area as large as the Poconos?  What if my seller needs a notary, needs to meet with me to revise paperwork, wants to chat and get some advice or just needs to fax something or make a copy?   If the seller is in Blakeslee, do you think he wants to travel to Stroudsburg for this complimentary service, I don’t.   That’s not service – that’s disservice. 

2.  Seeing each other face-to-face.  I know some companies tout that you don’t ever have to come in the office.  That can work OK for the top agents that really roll at their own pace and don’t need a lot of interaction, support and learning.   But let’s face it, each office’s top agents are a select few.  What about the rest of the agent population, sharing and learning from each other.  The middle producers are the back-bone of any real estate company.  And the team grows stronger as they work together. Don’t get me wrong – we are a very progressive and technology oriented group and we supply all the tools to work from home – Forms online, Transaction Management with secured document storage allowing agents to access files from home,   free online training and webnars, fantastic 21online, web based resource center.   Combine that with the face-to-face interactions and you have a dynamic – unparalleled by any of our competitors.  It’s what we all need in a slow market.  I hear that some offices’ morale is really low.  The slow market can do that – but come into our office and find energy and enthusiasm with agents always looking to grow and find new ways to capture the business.

TIRED OF SHOVELING SNOW? MAKE SURE YOU DO IT RIGHT

DO SOME LIGHT EXERCISE TO LIMBER UP.

DRESS PROPERLY-LAYERS ARE BEST. DON’T FORGET HAT, GLOVES AND WARM BOOTS.

USE A GOOD SHOVEL THAT IS COMFORTABLE TO USE.

PUSH SNOW INSTEAD OF LIFTING. WAITING TOO LONG AFTER THE SNOW FALLS WILL HINDER YOUR PROGRESS. NEVER THROW THE SNOW OVER YOUR BACK AS THIS WILL CAUSE UNDO STRAIN. IF YOU CAN’T PUSH THE SNOW AND MUST LIFT USE YOUR LEGS TO ABSORB THE STRESS.

TAKE A BREAK AND DRINK SOME FLUIDS. IF YOU ARE SHORT OF BREATH, HAVE CHEST PAIN STOP IMMEDIATELY.

 MOST IMPORTANT-THINK OF HOW BEAUTIFULLY GREEN THE GRASS WILL BE WHEN SPRING ARRIVES-AND IT WILL!

Sunday, January 30, 2011!

Submitted By; Kim Stevens Owner/Broker

Mark your calendar for The 20th Annual Ice Tee Golf Tournament on January 30, 2011.  This unique event attracted over 220 golfers and an additional 200 spectators in 2010.  

Two 9 hole challenging courses will be created, complete with tree lined fairways, greens, water traps, obstacles, and roughs.  Golfers will receive a colored golf ball plus a scorecard and map illustrating the course layout, and each participant is restricted to playing with two clubs and one putter.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Time:  Tee times 9 AM to 2 PM

Ehrhardt’s Waterfront located on Route 507 in Tafton

Green Fee: $15 in advance or $20 day of -fees are a non-refundable event donation

Awards ceremony at 3 PM complete with prizes for Closest to Wally, Best Cart/Sled, Wackiest Hat and more, 50/50 and giveaways.

Please click below to download player registration forms.

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1101992521600-75/IceTeeCoverLetter(2).pdf

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1101992521600-76/IceTeeAPPLICATION%2B2011.pdf

Submitted By: Katie Daggett

Pinecrest Lake Golf and Country Club has plenty to offer in the Spring, Summer and Fall, golf, swimming, boating, fishing, tennis, outdoor heated Swimming pool with Slide. All this AND a secluded woodland setting.

 But what do you do when the temperature outside leaves no room to doubt that it’s winter? Well you can hop in the car and head to Camelback, Jack Frost or Big Boulder Ski Area’s – all just 15 to 25  minutes away. You can shop at the Crossings outlets or lunch in charming Downtown Stroudsburg or Jim Thorpe, once again just a short car ride away.

But what if you don’t want to get back into your car after your trip in from NJ, NY or Philly and points south? What can you do just outside your door? Better yet what can the kids do that will keep them occupied for more then 15 minutes AND will give them childhood memories to last a life time?

Well, I’ll tell you. There are some of the most beautiful and untouched cross country ski trails just outside your door at Pinecrest. Hidden and private, these trails offer sanctuary to all kind of local fauna. Pennsylvania White Tail Deer, Beaver, fox, winter birds as well as all other kind of small woodland creatures. If you don’t think that cross country skiing is your cup of tea grab a pair of skates or a warm blanket and a pic-nic lunch for you and the kids and head out to Beaver Brook Skating Pond.

If you have ever seen the movie “The Bishop’s Wife” (1947), and you should it’s a Christmas classic, then you will be able to imagine this most perfect of Capraesque places.

Two ponds connected by a spill way with a wooden board walk over it make up Beaver Brook’s skating area. The pond to the right is just the right shape and size for a game of pond hockey. Now the pond to the left is round and charming, with wooden steps to help you get from the woods to the ice. Both ponds are surrounded by pine tress big and small, but this pond, this pond to the left, well, it has the most perfect little island in the middle with three tall, thick pines to give it a bit of purpose and a pic-nic table to hold you when you want to take a break. And when it starts to get a little chilly all you have to do is lite a fire in the fire pit with the perfectly split and stacked dry wood straight from it’s shelter.

This is a special place that once only seemed to exist in books and films. So bring your skates, your family, your friends and don’t forget the smores and the hot coco too. You can have that perfect winter memory to share or to save for your very own. It’s all up to you.

Sales & Vacation rentals are available in Pinecrest Lake Golf & Country Club – visit www.c21poconopines.com or click on the link to the left for our Pocono Pines office.

 We finally got a decent amount of snow in the Pocono’s it brought back memories of growing up in the Pocono’s. However the snow that we got in my past was much more then we have seen in the last few years. I remember walking through snow that was up to my waste sometimes up to my neck it was awesome. We built many snow men some were extremely large. We didn’t have a day off from school because of the snow we sometimes had a week off from school. Roads would be closed. This was snow in the Pocono’s.

The last Pocono snow fall, I got together with my friend and the Broker of Century 21 Select Group in the Pocono’s Maggie and our three grandchildren and Dog Bear we played in the snow all day. We all had a great day sledding, building snowmen and just playing in the snow.

I enjoy the snow “but” I am now ready for the change of season it will be great to see the first sign of spring in the Pocono’s.

Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville is pleased to announce one of its newest attractions! CBK Turf is a great opportunity to put on your skis or snowboard, even before the snow has arrived. Designed for skiers and snowboarders who want to work on their terrain park skills, CBK Turf is made of a synthetic material called Powderpak. The Turf starts at a deck platform drop-in, and continues atop a layer of mulch as a soft base material, giving the surface a snow-like feel.

Currently installed is a 20’ flat down box, and a 12’ round bar. The system is interchangeable, giving Camelback the flexibility to install a variety of features, at any point in time. Don’t expect to be riding on anything that you’ve seen from last winter’s park! “We were really excited to open the turf this past summer, and now to carry it into the fall,” remarks Will Croasdale, Terrain Park Manager at Camelback Mountain Resort. Croasdale continues, “The Turf is a great way for skiers and riders to tune their skills before the mountain is even open.”

CBK Turf is open every Saturday from 11:00am to 4:00pm, until the beginning of the winter season. The fee is just $10.00 per day; Camelback Season Pass holders ride free! Visit www.cbkactionsports.com to learn more, and to download a parental release form for riders under 18. Winter Season Pass holders at Camelback receive perks including direct lift access, first trax, retail discounts, food discounts, and more!

Camelback Mountain Resort is located on Camelback Road via Route 715, off I-80 exit 299 in Tannersville. During the winter sports season, it features 33 trails and 13 lifts, including 2 high-speed detachable quads. Enjoy 100% snowmaking, 100% night skiing, 4 lodges, 2 rental shops, ski school, 2 terrain parks, and halfpipe. Dining and slopeside accommodations are available. Call (570) 629-1661, or visit www.skicamelback.com for more information and to purchase your 2009/2010 Camelback Mountain Resort Season Pass!

Today’s fog adds a little erieness to some of our areas planned halloween events! For more weekend events visit our Out & About page or www.thisweek.net

October 30 & 31 – Prepare to be amazed when Caesars Pocono Resorts present Hypnotist Denny Moreat Paradise Stream Resort in Mount Pocono on Friday and at Pocono Palace Resort in Marshalls Creek on Saturday. He’s mesmerizing. He’s hysterical. And he knows how to turn a stage hypnosis show into a comedic party! For nearly four decades, hypnotist Denny More has been stunning audiences with jaw-dropping feats of mind reading amazement. Audience members can’t help but become a part of this engaging show, which is loaded with comedy, adult magic, and E.S.P. Once More gets started, the laughter never ends! Watch as this accomplished entertainer engages his subjects in unique and amusingly bizarre scenarios that will leave you crying with laughter. The doors to the show open at 8:00 each night. Event-only tickets are available to the general public for $10 per person; dinner & show tickets are available at Paradise Stream for $52.67/person and at Pocono Palace for $87.50/person. Caesars Paradise Stream is nestled along Route 940 in Mount Pocono and Caesars Pocono Palace is comfortably situated on Route 209 in Marshalls Creek. Call 1-866-500-0458 for outside ticket reservations, or find out more at www.cpresorts.com/thisweek.

October 30 & 31 – Join a guide for intriguing tales of reported ghoulish encounters and chilling stories of historic properties along Broadway on a GhostWalk in Old Mauch Chunk (Jim Thorpe). Led by a costumed storyteller, the walks are all outside and last about an hour. Hosted by the Jim Thorpe Rotary Club, the Ghost Walks start in the lobby of the Inn at Jim Thorpe on 24 Broadway and cover a one mile round-trip to the Old Jail. Friday night’s walks start at 7:00pm and 8:30pm; Halloween Saturday night walks are at 7:00pm, 7:15pm, 8:30pm & 8:45pm. While not scary, the GhostWalk is not recommended for kids under 7 because they become distracted during some of the longer stories; attentive children are certainly welcome. Although walk-ins are always welcome, space is limited so call (570) 325-2346 to reserve your places. Tickets are $10 for adults, children 7-12 are $5. Visit the Jim Thorpe Rotary Club’s website at www.jimthorperotary.org or call them for all the haunting details.

October 31 – It’s just a step to the left…and you know the rest! Join the time warp this Halloween night when the Rocky Horror Picture Show Screening and Pre-Partyreturns to the historic Sherman Theater on Main Street in Stroudsburg! The Rocky Horror Picture Show is back at the Sherman for one night, and will be performed traditionally with film projection and live cast participation. This imaginative and racy rock & roll musical is one of the first and only real audience participation films. The doors open at 9:30pm and the movie starts at midnight. Pre-Party activities begin at 10:00pm and include live musical entertainment, costume contests, drink specials and prize giveaways. During the show be ready to get out your newspapers to shield from the rain, throw your toast during dinner, yell back answers to the catchy lines and much more! This comedy is full of traditions which can be picked up easily. Come with an open mind, a group of friends, and expect to have a blast! Costumes are encouraged, participation is appreciated and personality is required! Tickets are only $10 and include the pre-party and the show. For more information on the participation aspect of the show and a list of props which you may bring (rice, squirt gun, flashlight, cards, etc.), visit the website www.shermantheater.com. The Sherman Theater is located at 524 Main Street in Downtown Stroudsburg. For tickets or more information, call the Sherman at (570) 420-2808 or buy online at their website.

October 31 – A Halloween Paradewill make its way along the streets of Downtown Hawley at 6:00pm. For all the spooky details, call the Hawley-Lake Wallenpaupack Chamber of Commerce at (570) 226-3191 or find out more at www.hawleywallenpaupackcc.com.

October 31 – The “Best Halloween Party in the Area” happens tonight at the Pub in the Pines along Route 940 in Pocono Pines. Music by DJ Tony starts at 9:30pm, and there’s no cover charge for those in costume. Awards will be given for Best Costume in five categories. Over $1,000 in cash and prizes will be given out, including $100 cash to Best in Show. There’ll be drink specials, bar food, fun and surprises! To find out more, call Van Gilder’s Jubilee Restaurant/Pub in the Pines at (570) 646-2377 or log on to www.breakfastking.com.

I have found some things going in our area this evening that may have you risking a little rain just so you can enjoy some of the offbeat and unique offerings for nightime entertainment that is commonly found in the Pocono’s

Please note: if items appear with a link then those items were previously published by the links author.

Michael Jackson look-alikes invited to Mount Pocono midnight show at the Casino Theatre – Dress up as the King of Pop and get a free tub of Popcorn – Check out the link below for more info

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091023/NEWS/910239994

 Tonight at the Sherman Theatre Open Wings – Broken Strings Tour featuring acoustic performances by…

 Ed Kowalczyk ofLive, Art Alexakis of Everclear, Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer  – See the link below for more info

http://www.shermantheater.com/?itemcategory=26170&productId=27433&siteid=83&priorId=0&CFID=13848707&CFTOKEN=42376223

Vicki Doney Quartet at Deer Head tonight - Vicki Doney has sung on TV shows with Lucille Ball that featured Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Jimmy Stewart and Milton Berle. Her TV and movie credits include “Allie McBeal,” “The New Charlies Angels” and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.” The Deer Head Inn is at 5 Main St., Delaware Water Gap. For information, call 570) 424-2000 or visit www.deerheadinn.com. For more info follow the link

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091023/LOCALENT/910230310/-1/LOCALENT01

For more information on what’s going on in the Poconos this weekend see our Out & About Page!

Front Lawn today - Friday 10-16-09

Pocono Pines -  Well, we were gifted with about 5 inches of snow from Mother Nature yesterday/last night. It didn’t stick to the roads, but it did cover the trees, buildings and forest floor with a cottony thick blanket. The trees do look dangerously close to weighing down the power and phone lines but we seem to have gotten through our first snow just fine.  Now let’s all hope that the next storm coming through tonight and Saturday doesn’t take out the power.

Here is a link to the Pocono Record for more information on yesterday’s storm and the one on the way.

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091016/NEWS/910160360

I’ll have updates through out the weekend so keep checking back!

Our Office on Friday 10-16-09

“When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels”

-Anonymous

-Please see related post – First Fall Snow in Today in the Poconos’

The children are hoping for an early dismisal today or a delay tomorrow morning from school - a taste of winter fun that only kids can truly enjoy – Adults are getting out the snow shovels and making sure they have the plow service set up. All the time reminding themselves that they know better and should have done it before October 1st.   

Our Pocono Pines Office lawn11:00 am 10-15-09

Our Pocono Pines Office 11:05 am 10-15-09

 Though we look forward to winter fun, skiing, ice skating, sledding, snow tubing – we will miss the glorious colors of Fall and the not to distant past  Summer days on the lake, we do take pause to enjoy the first flakes that make everything white and clean and signal that it’s just a few months to Spring – a new beginning.

Editor’s Note: Just got an update – 9 -12 inches expected today/overnight – Will let you know what we get tomorrow! Check Back-