Photo submitted to Times Observer Thanks to the help of the Youngsville Volunteer Fire Department, the Easter Bunny was able to safely “hip-pity hop” his way up and down the streets in the YVFD truck to spread some much needed holiday cheer and to wish a happy Easter to all the kids throughout the Borough. To maintain social-distancing practices, residents were asked to come to the front door and wave to the Easter Bunny when they heard the sirens.

Borough updates

Utility payments may be mailed to the office (40 Railroad Street) or placed in the drop-box. The Youngsville Borough office is still open by phone, email and through the dropbox to the right of our front doors in an effort to protect staff and limit human contact as instructed by the CDC and the PA Department of Health, on-site building access.

The borough will still be available to bring you the services you are used to.

Spring clean-up: A spring clean-up date is being planned, but no date has been finalized yet. As new information becomes available, it will be shared on the Youngsville Borough Facebook page.

You may reach the Borough at (814) 563-4604, Kim Hall — Ext. 4, Jolean Ishman — Ext. 3, Mark Theuret — Ext. 1, Lisa Hagberg — Ext. 2.

Public library updates

To remain in alignment with Governor Tom Wolfe’s stay-at-home mandate, all public libraries are required to remain closed until informed otherwise by the state.

However, Youngsville Public Library continues to provide reliable information and links on our website regarding COVID-19.

At YoungsvileLibrary.org (reference tab/general reference), you will find direct links to the PA Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, Warren General Hospital, local government information (city of Warren, Warren County), and more. There are also links to resources that have been temporarily made freely available by their publishers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Love Your Library raffle update: In lieu of the mandated closings, Youngsville Public Library will postpone drawing winners for its annual “Love Your Library” raffle extravaganza until after allowed to reopen its doors and once certain that all outstanding tickets have been collected. The hope is to be able to draw for winners and to distribute the gift cards, cash, and lottery tickets by mid-May. However, this will depend on what decisions the state will make regarding all public libraries.

Return policy extended: Youngsville Library will continue to relax its borrowing policy to coincide with the mandated closures. For Youngsville Library, all late fees will be suspended and due dates extended during the period it is presently ordered to close. Patrons do not need to call the library for renewals at this time and may continue to enjoy the items that they have already borrowed, without penalty. The drop-box is still open for the return of any library materials 24/7.

Free e-resources for all: If you do not have access to a mobile phone or do not wish to sign up for a temporary “digital library card” through OverDrive services, it is still possible to access many digital resources through the YoungsvilleLibrary.org website. Under “Resources/General resources” tab you will find quick links to free resources such as pbskids.org, KhanAcemdy, duolingo, and many other school resources for parents and kids as well as general entertainment resources.

Virtual church services

Youngsville Free Methodist Church’s virtual church services time will now be on Sunday at 9 a.m. (not 9:30 a.m.). This new virtual time is for both regular virtual service and the virtual children’s ministry service. Once the Youngsville Free Methodist Church is allowed to meet again in person, it will continue to offer a 9 a.m. service as well as offering an additional on-site service time (179 Davis Street). Go to YBFree.org to learn how to connect to the live, virtual Worship Services on Sunday mornings via Facebook and YouTube. You can also view past video sermons. Under the Programming Updates tab, you can also quick link to additional Sunday services options, children’s church lessons, youth ministry information, and much more.

The EUM Church and First United Methodist Church (18 Second Street and 225 East Main, respectively) invite the public to participate in their virtualPraise online worship service on Sundays at 10 a.m. Go to www.youngsvilleumcharge.org and click on the link to see their service broadcasts. It is also possible to view past virtualPraise sermons through their Facebook page which can be accessed through www.youngsvilleumcharge.org, worship tab.

YHS Scholarship Golf Tournament cancelled; scholarships still awarded

What would have been the 27th consecutive year for the Youngsville High School Alumni Scholarship Golf Tournament has been canceled due to the on-going situation with the Covid-19 virus. The golf scramble is the only money raising project for the Scholarship Committee. It has proven to be a great monetary boon for the group and a wonderful outing for the golfers of the community. Youngsville alumni, neighbors, friends and families have come to enjoy the camaraderie, the beautiful Warren County spring and, of course, the golf competition.

The annual golf tournament, chaired by YHS graduate Tim Sandberg, was started in 1994. Sandberg and the 12 YHS Alumni Scholarship Fund trustees collect entry fees for the scramble and secure community donations to raise an impressive amount every year. The proceeds from the tournament plus memorial donations and class reunion gifts throughout the year, make the scholarship awards possible.

Since its inception in 1985, the YHS Alumni Scholarship Fund has awarded over $184,000 to 188 graduating seniors from Youngsville High School. The first award given in 1986 was for $750. Because of the support of the community, former students, friends and families the awards have increased steadily. At the Youngsville High School June 2019 graduation ceremony, 14 students were each awarded a $1333 scholarship. The award is sent directly to the school, college or university after the completion of a successful first semester of studies.

The Scholarship Committee will still honor its commitment to the 2020 Senior Class of Youngsville High School. In January of this year, every senior at YHS should have received an application and letter from the Alumni Scholarship Committee promising to award a minimum of $1,000 to each qualifying student who applied for a scholarship. All applications need to be completed by May 1, 2020, and mailed to YHS Alumni Scholarship Committee, PO Box 73, Youngsville, Pa 16371.

Application information can be found on the WCSD website or call Sue Perrin at (814) 563-7903.