Culver reads to children at St. Cyril's Preschool and Kindergarten

Mar. 2—DANVILLE — Pennsylvania State Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver, R-27, Sunbury, spent part of her second full day in office reading a book to some of her youngest constituents — 25 preschoolers and kindergartners at St. Cyril's.

Montour Commissioner Trevor Finn and Thom Beiter, owner of Beiter's Department Store, also read to the enthusiastic students, who huddled in a half-circle around the readers.

"We like to invite community leaders to read to the kids every once in a while. We were lucky today to have Sen. Culver with us," said Teacher Betsy Finn.

It's good for the kids to meet people in the community, Finn added.

Culver, Trevor Finn and Beiter were there on National Read Across America Day, a holiday organized by the National Education Association to encourage children and teens to read. Though the initiative is a yearlong effort, celebrations ramp up for National Reading Month in March and National Read Across America Day on March 2 — which is also the birthdate of iconic children's author Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Geisel died in 1991.

Culver read Green Eggs and Ham, to the delight of the youngsters, some of whom were wearing striped hats like those worn by Seuss' character, The Cat in the Hat.

Since her swearing in, Culver said, "things have been hectic. The 27th Senatorial District is huge, and right now we are laying out the plans to hopefully get to every municipality, school districts, fire companies. Anything that is integral to the community. We are trying to see how we can help."

The day she was sworn in, she already had a meeting in Monroe Township. It was business as usual," she said. "We just have to get things back to normal."

Culver has not yet decided where she will have her offices. "I'll take a moment to reflect," she said. For the time being she might occupy former Sen. John Gordner's old offices, but at the end of the week, Culver said she hopes to decide on locations.