n Palo Alto: Bagged yard waste is picked up by the borough on Thursdays. People may also call the borough hall at 570-622-8666 to arrange for pickups. Yard waste and household trash cannot be taken if mixed together, according to a borough press release. Borough officials also noted that building permits are required before any remodeling, construction or development is undertaken within any area of the borough. Permits can be obtained by calling the borough hall and leaving a message for the permit officer.
n Schuylkill Haven: Janice Johnston from Community Volunteers in Action and Lori's Angels have partnered to present a seminar on Starting the Discussion on Long Term Care for individuals in our county. The seminar will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Lori's Angels conference room, 25 W. Main St. There is no charge for this presentation. Refreshments will be provided. This seminar is for anyone who is retired, approaching retirement, has disabilities or chronic illnesses, has family members in these groups or knows people in these groups. Learn about the options in long term care and where you may be able to get funding to pay for those options.
n Shenandoah: People from any parish may request to have a candle lit in the Father Walter J. Ciszek Chapel, 231 N. Main St., adjacent to St. Casimir Roman Catholic Church. Each candle burns for two weeks and the cost is $13 per candle. The intention and by whom it is requested are printed in the bulletin, which is now the same for all greater Shenandoah area parishes. Prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and recitation of the Rosary at 3 p.m. on Fridays is an ongoing devotion in the chapel by the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters and Associates. Everyone is welcome to participate. Ciszek, a native of Shenandoah and a son of St. Casimir parish, is a candidate for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. He was imprisoned and detained in the former Soviet Union for nearly 24 years but continued to minister to people there despite possible harmful consequences to himself. The local research and paperwork for sainthood, done by the Father Ciszek Prayer League, have been completed and forwarded to the Vatican in Rome. The Baptismal font used for Ciszek's Baptism as an infant is still in use at his native church. When Ciszek was released from the former Soviet Union in 1963 in a "prisoner exchange," he returned home to celebrate a solemn Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Casimir church. He died Dec. 8, 1984 - the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - and is buried at the Jesuit Novitiate in Wernersville.
n Shenandoah: A townwide yard sale, sponsored by the Greater Shenandoah Area Chamber of Commerce, is set for Sept. 21 at the parking lot adjacent to the Shenandoah Senior Community Living Center, East Washington Street. Marie Poppoff, chamber president, and Jacqueline Webb made the announcement during a recent chamber meeting. The cost for a table at the sale is $5 and proceeds will go to the chamber's Christmas lighting fund. All residents of the greater Shenandoah area are invited to participate. For more information, contact Poppoff, Webb or any chamber director.
n Tamaqua: The first Logan Farr Memorial Diesel Truck Show will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Heisler's Dairy Bar in the Lewistown Valley and the public is invited to attend. The event is a fundraiser in memory of Logan Farr, who died after a three-year battle with cancer. Farr had spent nearly a year at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and the family was grateful for support received from the Penn State Four Diamonds Fund. The show is in support of the fund, which is fueled by the annual Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon - THON. The 2013 THON raised more than $12.3 million for the fund. The vehicle entrance fee for the show at Heisler's is $10. There will also be a 50/50 drawing and prizes. In addition to the fund, money raised will also support the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.