web1_TTL021716knights.pizza_.jpg

The Knights of Columbus of Assumpta Council serving pizza

The Latest: Defense says attack on pregnant woman unplanned

<p>DALTON &#8212; If you&#8217;re hoping to meet some friendly huskies this weekend, without heading all the way north to Alaska&#8217;s Iditarod, don&#8217;t worry. The Howlin&#8217; Huskies sled dogs from Perkasie will be on hand at Winterfest 2016, set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 20 at Lackawanna State Park on Route 407.</p><p>The tail-wagging team also would have been a star attraction at a &#8220;Winter Along the River&#8221; event that had been planned for Feb. 21 at Nesbitt Park in Wilkes-Barre, but some extremely soggy ground near the Susquehanna River has led organizer John Maday to postpone that event.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re at the whim of nature,&#8221; Maday admitted on Wednesday, after inspecting Nesbitt Park. He said he hoped to announce a rescheduled date for &#8220;Winter Along the River&#8221; soon,</p><p>Meanwhile, about 10 miles north of Scranton, Lackawanna State Park will celebrate Winterfest 2016 with ice-safety demonstrations, a chance to ride fat-tire bikes, and the making of such winter-time crafts as pinecone birdfeeders.</p><p>Yet here too, environmental education specialist Angela Lambert said, many activities are weather dependent.</p><p>&#8220;We have to check conditions&#8221; of the ice on the 198-acre Lake Lackawanna to see if it&#8217;s thick enough to support ice skating and an ice-fishing lesson, she said.</p><p>&#8220;But we&#8217;ll definitely have the ice-safety demonstration, food, crafts and fat-tire bicycles,&#8221; she said.</p><p>People will be able to take a ride on the bikes with extra-wide tires and they&#8217;ll be able to examine snow shoes and cross-country skis. If there was a snow pack of several inches of the white stuff, interested folks would be able to try out the snows shoes and skis, but with a high temperature of 50 forecast for Feb. 20, that appears unlikely.</p><p>Sill, while colder temperatures and a background of snow would add to the atmosphere of Winterfest, you can have fun without snow. And even the huskies can get a workout, perhaps pulling a wheeled cart.</p><p>As their owner, Doug Heitz, has explained, they do like to &#8220;pull, pull, pull.&#8221;</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_winteralongriver03-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">You can see the Howlin&#8217; Huskies from Perkasie on Feb. 20 during Lackwanna State Park&#8217;s Winterfest 2016. Here, they are shown pulling a sled through the snow at Nesbitt Park in Wilkes-Barre during a previous &#8216;Winter Along the River&#8217; event. This year&#8217;s &#8216;Winter Along the River,&#8217; originally set for Feb. 21, has been postponed. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_winteralongriver03-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>You can see the Howlin&#8217; Huskies from Perkasie on Feb. 20 during Lackwanna State Park&#8217;s Winterfest 2016. Here, they are shown pulling a sled through the snow at Nesbitt Park in Wilkes-Barre during a previous &#8216;Winter Along the River&#8217; event. This year&#8217;s &#8216;Winter Along the River,&#8217; originally set for Feb. 21, has been postponed. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader File Photos </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_winteralongriver04-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rosalyn Partington, 11, of Wilkes-Barre, right, follows her brother Richard, 7, as the two siblings learn to cross country ski during a previous &#8216;Winter Along the River&#8217; event. Even if there isn&#8217;t enough snow to ski, you can at least examine cross-country skis and snow-shoes during Winterfest 2-16 at Lackawanna State Park. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_winteralongriver04-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Rosalyn Partington, 11, of Wilkes-Barre, right, follows her brother Richard, 7, as the two siblings learn to cross country ski during a previous &#8216;Winter Along the River&#8217; event. Even if there isn&#8217;t enough snow to ski, you can at least examine cross-country skis and snow-shoes during Winterfest 2-16 at Lackawanna State Park. </caption1><photoCredit1>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader File Photos </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_winteralongriver02-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Lee Curry of Around Town Bicycles in Wilkes-Barre, right, and Chuck Estock of Wilkes-Barre Township take fat bikes for a spin in Nesbitt Park in Wilkes-Barre during a previous winter event. This year, bikes from Sickler&#8217;s Bike Shop will make an appearance at Winterfest 2016 at Lackawanna State Park. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_winteralongriver02-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Lee Curry of Around Town Bicycles in Wilkes-Barre, right, and Chuck Estock of Wilkes-Barre Township take fat bikes for a spin in Nesbitt Park in Wilkes-Barre during a previous winter event. This year, bikes from Sickler&#8217;s Bike Shop will make an appearance at Winterfest 2016 at Lackawanna State Park. </caption2><photoCredit2>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader File Photos </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p><strong>By Mary Therese Biebel</strong></p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Lackawanna Winterfest</strong></p><p><strong>When: </strong>11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 20</p><p><strong>Where:</strong> Lackawanna State Park, Route 407, Dalton</p><p><strong>Admission:</strong> Free</p><p><strong>Info:</strong> 570-945-7110</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Howlin’ Huskies to be highlight of Winterfest 2016 at Lackawanna State Park; meanwhile Winter Along the River in Wilkes-Barre is postponed