n Millersburg: The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art will host the 21st annual Nature and Arts Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 26 at MYO Park. There will also be programs throughout the day at the Ned Smith Center. Admission to activities at MYO Park is free with the exception of "The Butterfly House," which will have a $2 admission. Admission to the Ned Smith Center also is free on the day of the festival. This year's fest will feature more than 70 programs on owls, native plants, honeybees and butterflies as well as other nature and environmental topics. Many activities and programs will be aimed especially for children. Musical performances on the main stage will be by singer-songwriters Van Wagner and Pat McCaskey and old-time folksters Abby and Micah Dunn. There will also be a live raptor program by Red Creek Wildlife and Rehabilitation Center. During the event, vans will run between MYO Park and the Ned Smith Center, which will be open until 6 p.m. featuring "Reflections: The Art of Tom Duran Jr." in the Olewine Gallery and "Ned Smith: Nature through a Master's Hand" in the Ned Smith Gallery. Admission to the Center's galleries is free on festival day. There will also be numerous other displays, events and activities. For a complete listing of festival programming as well as directions to MYO Park and the Ned Smith Center, go online to www.nedsmithcenter.org.
n Shenandoah: 4K and kindergarten registrations in the Shenandoah Valley School District are slated for 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 8 and 9. People are asked to call 570-462-2796 to schedule an appointment. Three proofs of residency, the child's birth certificate and updated immunizations are required for registration. To enroll in 4K, children must be 4 years old by Aug. 25. For kindergarten, children must be 5 years old by Aug. 25.
n Shenandoah: Although the building is temporarily closed for public events due to a lack of access to the handicapped, owner Kent Steinmetz and the advisory board of the J.W. Cooper Community Center are determined to continue the effort to restore and return to general use the former high school building at White and Lloyd streets. Ongoing work now is focused on the gymnasium, which is accessible from Lehigh Street. Ramps for the handicapped can be added to a set of exterior double Lehigh Street doors, thus meeting requirements for the handicapped. A team of volunteers has been working to refurbish the gym, which is being repainted. Maintenance work is ongoing. The ultimate goal is to turn the building into a hub for business, recreation, arts and crafts, the performing arts, public performances and related community activities. People can follow the progress on the Cooper's Facebook page website at http://k54967.wix.com/cooper. The website also has a page titled "Giving" where people can make donations via PayPal if they wish. The Cooper effort has attained 501(c)3 status as a nonprofit charitable effort. Anyone interested in joining the advisory committee to help the Cooper board of directors in making decisions and forming ideas - or to become a volunteer to help with the work - should email Steinmetz at kent@steinmetsjewelers.com.
n Shenandoah: The Shenandoah Downtown Open Air Farm Market is in full swing from about 7:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Fridays through November. Regional farmers and growers set up shop along the east side of the first block of South Main Street and the south side of the first block of East Centre Street near the more than century-old Bolich & Burke building. They offer fruits, vegetables, various plants/flowers and other fare. The event, the oldest of its kind in the county, is sponsored by the Greater Shenandoah Area Chamber of Commerce. Chamber Treasurer Mark Bernardyn is the market committee chairman. Additional farmers/growers are welcome to participate.
n Tamaqua: The Tamaqua Anthracite Model Railroad Club meets from 6 to 8 p.m. weekly on Thursdays at its quarters on Nescopeck Street across from the Elks building. New members are welcome. For more information, call 570-467-2025.