n Mahanoy City: The Mahanoy Township High School Alumni will meet at 1 p.m. Sept. 10, at the Good American Hose Company, Mahanoy and Eighth streets. Plans will be formulated for a 2014 multi-class reunion. All class representatives are urged to attend.
n Pottsville: The national day of giving, Make A Difference Day 2013, an opportunity "to help improve the quality of life in Schuylkill County," is set for Oct. 26. According to a Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Member Memo, people and organizations will be able to "help a child, a senior citizen, a family or our furry friends in their battle against hunger" or combat domestic violence, illiteracy, illness and "other negative influences in our communities." For project suggestions or registration forms, contact: Janice Johnston, call 570-628-1426 or email jjohnston@co.schuylkill.pa.us; Carol Bowen, 570-622-3103 or email cbowen@co.schuylkill.pa.us; Theresa Yurkonis, 570-622-1995 or email tyurkonis@schuylkillcommuntyaction.com. Local partners of Make A Difference Day include the Schuylkill County commissioners, Community Volunteers in Action, RSVP of Schuylkill County and Schuylkill Community Action.
n Ringtown: The Friends of the Ringtown Library support group will hold its annual seafood dinner on Oct. 18 at the Ringtown Valley Fire & Rescue hall. Tickets are available now through Oct. 10 at the library, 132 W. Main St., and from members of the Friends group as well as library board members. The menu will include chicken fingers, baked haddock, deviled crab, breaded shrimp, breaded haddock, scallops or a combination platter plus baked potato or french fries, stewed tomatoes, cole slaw and dessert. Children's meals are $6.75 and adult meals are $9.50 each. The cost for a combination platters is $10.50. Proceeds will benefit the library.
n Tamaqua: The Lewistown Valley Garden Club recently held its annual picnic at Leiby's Grove. Participants enjoyed a pot luck dinner and games led by Linda Leiby. President June Leiby conducted a short business session. Club members participated in the Schuylkill County Fair, with several winning ribbons with the theme, "A Week at the Fair." Entries were in the Artistic Arrangements section of the Floral Exhibits Division. The categories were farm animals, using fresh flowers, greens, hay and a farm animal as a feature; tractors, using fresh flowers and greens in the colors of John Deere, Farmall or Allis Chalmers, with a tractor accessory; cooking contest, using three or more fresh flowers and greens with a kitchen utensil as an accessory; royalty, using three or more fresh flowers and greens with a crown accessory; and wreath, using dried flowers and fruit on a grapevine wreath. Winners included specialty awards for Evelyn Adams, best of show and first place for her entry in the royalty category; and Judy Kellner, harvest ribbon (judges choice). Category winners were: farm animals, Judy Kellner, first; Evelyn Adams, second, and Linda Leiby, third place; tractors, Judy Kellner, first place and Evelyn Adams, third; cooking contest, June Leiby, second place; royalty, Evelyn Adams, first and Judy Kellner, second; wreath, Evelyn Adams, first place and Judy Kellner, third place.
n Tremont: The Schuylkill County Conservancy Forest Committee will sponsor a conference on the American chestnut tree from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the borough community center. The registration fee is $5. To register, call Wayne G. Lehman, Schuylkill Conservation District, at 570-622-4009, ext. 120. Sara Fitzsimmons of the American Chestnut Foundation will be the presenter. She is the North Central coordinator with Penn State University. The fee will include the presentation and a roundtrip bus excursion to a chestnut tree plantation on nearby mining ground. For more information, contact Jerry Bowman via email at jxb25@psu.edu or by calling 570-385-1750.