Program to focus on Pennsylvania German gravestones

Mar. 13—Pennsylvania German gravestones will be the featured topic during a free community lecture sponsored by Tulpehocken Settlement Historical Society tonight at 7:30.

There is no charge to attend, and parking is available to the rear of the society building at 116 N. Front St., Womelsdorf. This program is part of the society's participation in the 300th anniversary of the Tulpehocken Settlement.

Presenter Mike Emery of Reading is the museum educator at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum in Lancaster and has a special interest in tombstones and historical architecture.

He will discuss tombstones in the region from historical and architectural viewpoints. Several of his examples can be found in the church's cemetery.

Blood drive

Tri-County Chiropractic of Douglassville will be hosting a blood drive on March 29 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 990 E. Benjamin Franklin Highway, Douglassville. Donors can sign up by calling 610-385-1444 or going to donor.giveapint.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/86352. All donors need to bring a valid form of ID and be 18 or older.

Mediterranean herbs

The Pennsylvania Heartland Herb Society presents Debbie Hartman with "A New Twist on Mediterranean Herbs on Thursday at West Lawn United Methodist Church, 15 Woodside Ave. The Meeting will also be virtual. To request an invitation link to the online program, email in advance to paheartlandhsa@gmail.com.

Rebate information

State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz and members of her staff will be at the Wyomissing Public Library on Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. to help eligible area residents apply for the Pennsylvania Property Tax and Rent Rebate progams. The library is located at 9 Reading Blvd.

Both programs are open to Pennsylvanians who are 65 years of age or older, widows and widowers who are 50 and older, and residents who are 18 and older and have disabilities. To apply for a property tax rebate, homeowners must have an income of $35,000 a year or less, and renters' income must be $15,000 or less for the rent rebate program.

All applicants should bring identification and proof of income; renters should bring their lease and a statement of rent paid in 2022, and homeowners should bring proof of the property taxes they paid in 2022.

Cepeda-Freytiz represents the 129th Legislative District, which includes part of Reading as well as Wyomissing, West Reading, Sinking Spring and parts of Spring Township.

Registration is requested for this program. Email ann@wyopublib.org, call the library at 610-374-2385, or register at the front desk.

Tribute to settlers

Christ Lutheran Church in Stouchsburg will host the opening event for the celebration of the 300th anniversary of 15 German families coming to the Tulpehocken Territory. The event is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. at the church on 27 Longs Church Lane. Snow date is March 25

The program will feature music and a monologue of Anna Maria Kobel along with a display of turtles and paintings for contests to be held all year. Mini tour guides available for self-directed tours of communities in Tulpehocken Territory

Underground Railroad

The Wyomissing Public Library will hold a program on the Underground Railroad presented Saturday by Wynton Butler, Reading School District director of social services. The program is free and open to the public; the library is located at 9 Reading Blvd.

Butler has had a longtime interest in the history of the Underground Railroad, an interest he continued to develop as a social studies teacher. Butler will explore the history of the effort to help escaped slaves, how it worked and where the locations of the "stops" were in Berks. Singer Runette Gabriel will offer a portrayal of Harriet Tubman.

This program is presented in partnership with Berks InterCultural Alliance. Registration is requested and may be done by emailing ann@wyopublib.org, by calling 610-374-2385 or in person at the circulation desk.

Future of farming

The League of Women Voters of Berks County presents "Feeding Future Generations: Farming and Climate Change Tuesday at 8 p.m. on Berks Community Television. The program will air on BCTV and be available for streaming on www.bctv.org.

Guests include: state Rep. Dave Zimmerman; Alexis Campbell of the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education, York; Aaron DeLong of Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture; Kim Fies of the Berks County Department of Agriculture; and Kegan Hilaire, an agricultural consultant with the Rodale Institute, Maxatawny Township..

International cuisine

In honor of National Foreign Language Week, Tully's Dining Center at Penn State Berks will feature cuisine from different geographic areas. The program is open to students, faculty, staff and the local community. Meals are available for purchase a la carte at Tully's, located in the Perkins Student Center. On Thursday there will be a flamenco dance program from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in room 117 of the Perkins Student Center.

The week of special menus is being offered in partnership with the Penn State Berks language programs.

The following international menus and decorations will be featured: Monday, Middle Eastern; Tuesday, Asian; Wednesday, French; Thursday, Spanish; Friday, Irish.

For more information email DMC6004@psu.edu.

Line dancing

An Adult Country Line Dance program with Big Dave will be held Wednesday at the Fleetwood Grange, 2864 Moselem Springs Road. Lessons at 6:30 p.m. followed by dancing from 7 to 9:30. Admission $8; drinks and snacks available for sale. Proceeds benefit the Grange and Fleetwood Library. Wooden floor: no cleats on boots.

Benefit auction

The Friendship Heart Gallery & Studio has scheduled its 20th Annual Art Benefit Auction on March 23 at Grace Church, 501 W. Lincoln Ave., Lititz.

The event will showcase the unique creativity of Friendship Heart Artists. The event will consist of light hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, and a special program featuring the artists. A Paint Brush Pull will be featured. For $10 per numbered paintbrush (or $50 for a bundle of six), guests will be entered into a drawing for a prize pack valued at $400.

To register for a bidder number and to purchase tickets, visit FriendshipArt.net/Bid. Those unable to attend in person may still register to bid during the online silent auction.

Friendship Heart Studio is a day program that works with individuals with disability and autism.

Celebrating Indians

A spring celebration will be held Sunday from 2 p.m. until sunset at Historic Dreibelbis Farm near Virginville. The goal is to make the community aware of the historic culture of the Lenni Lenape Indians who lived in this area. The event is sponsored by Hawk Mountain Chapter 31, Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology.

The outdoor event will include history and storytelling, Indian flute music, crafts, education and demonstration activities along with displays of ancient artifacts.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome. Visitors are encouraged to bring chairs. Dreibelbis Farm is located at 356 Hard Hill Road in Richmond Township. Learn more by calling 484-955-9105.

Pruning pointers

The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Berks County will be offering a free 'Pruning Pointers' workshop on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Berks County Agricultural Center Auditorium, 1238 County Welfare Road, Bern Township. For more information, call 610-378-1327.

Food drive

With leadership from the Reading Hospital Magnet Champions Team, Reading Hospital employees have donated about 35,000 items to Helping Harvest as part of its 2023 Piece Per Person Food Challenge. The donations will help fill 5,000 weekender bags of food that Helping Harvest sends home with Reading School District children to ensure they have enough to eat over each weekend.

Donor recognition

The Reading Hospital Foundation recently hosted a donor recognition event with Tony Forino, founder and CEO of Forino Co., L.P., a grateful patient who donated to the Foundation for McGlinn Cancer Institute, or MCI. This donation will be used to purchase 10 treatment chairs for the MCI Infusion Center, provide support to the MCI Patient Assistance Fund and help offset the cost of a new digital histological scanner. The reception area in the MCI infusion area has been named after Forino.

STEM winners

Madison Seyler, a 11th-grader from Mohrsville, earned a top spot in Pennsylvania-based Reach Cyber Charter School's 2023 Winter STEM Challenge.

Reach Cyber Charter School serves K-12 students across Pennsylvania. In its STEM Challenge, students must use cardboard materials to create and submit projects. Seyler's cardboard rollercoaster won the Watch Me Move award.

Other local winners included Gavin Davis and Halie Davis of Kempton at the elementary level, and Sadie Davis of Kempton at the middle school level.

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