n Frackville: Swimming lessons will be offered at Frackville Memorial Pool from 10 a.m. to noon July 8-12 and July 15-19. Registration will be accepted from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 24 and July 1 at the Frackville Municipal & Community Center, 42 S. Center St. Children unable to stand in the pool's shallow end need to be accompanied by an adult.
n Orwigsburg: The 5K Run, Walk & Roll to benefit the Orwigsburg Veterans Memorial is set for 9 a.m. Sept. 7 at the memorial building, Washington and Grove streets, just off Route 443. Entry, if postmarked by Aug. 20, will be $25 general and $23 for active military personnel or veterans. The Fun Run will begin at 10 a.m. and the cost is $15 per entrant. After Aug. 20, add $5 for each category. Checks payable to Orwigsburg Memorial Restoration Run should be mailed to the Orwigsburg Memorial Taskforce, P.0. Box 157, Orwigsburg, PA 17961. More information is available online at www.run4memorial.com.
n Pottsville: The Pottsville Free Public Library recently acknowledged the following memorial donations: For Rose M. Tucci Garbetti from Vince and Karen Mistysyn, Kay Raring.
n Pottsville: Tony Moscato, commissioner of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, recently addressed the Pottsville Rotary Club. Doug Harbach, director of communications for the control board, assisted Moscato in the presentation. According to Moscato, there are four legal types of gambling in Pennsylvania: Lottery, small games of chance, horse racing. His presentation focused on casinos, with some overlap into horse racing. There are 11 casinos in Pennsylvania, with a 12th to open July 1, he said. The state has 14 licenses available, with the expectation that the remaining two will be granted later this year, one along the western border of the state and the other in Philadelphia. Casino gambling was first seriously discussed in Pennsylvania in 2002 and was legalized for slots in 2004, he said. Table games became legal in 2010. Tax revenue and job creation are the major reasons the state got into the casino business. Casinos generate $4 million in tax revenue every day, or more than $1.45 billion annually. Casinos have created more than 16,000 jobs in the state, each with an average salary of $42,000 plus benefits. Moscato and Harbach also provided statistics for Schuylkill County in their presentation. In the past 12 months, according to their information, local volunteer fire and ambulance companies have received more than $1.37 million from 121 grants funded by casinos, and local sewer and water projects have received more than $9.6 million from seven grants. Schuylkill County taxpayers received $6.9 million in property tax relief, which, for Pottsville, is about $138 per household. Concerning Rotary club business, officers said the club will mark its 100th anniversary in May 2015 and volunteers are needed to forma committee to plan the celebration and related events. Members interested should contact club President Bill Delvalle.
n Pottsville: The Pottsville Free Public Library recently acknowledged the following memorial donation: For Dorothy Murtha from the Pottsville Business and Professional Women's Club.
n Ringtown: The 23rd annual Ringtown Community Yard Sale will be held beginning at 8 a.m. July 20. All Ringtown Valley area residents are invited to participate, including residents of Union Township, Brandonville and the Pattersonville area. To participate, people are asked to register at the Ringtown Area Library, 132 W. Main St., to have their sale included on the yard sale map. The fee to participate is $5, which allows for regional advertising of the event. The deadline to register is July 18.
n Schuylkill Haven: The community's free fireworks display is set for July 13 at The Island Park. However, the cost for rides associated with the event will increase to $5 per person and $20 for families of five. During a recent meeting of the borough council, event organizers said some people took advantage of the cost for rides - $5 per family - by bringing large numbers of people. The increase was also needed to cover the expense of providing the rides.