Tamaqua news for July 26, 2018

Zion Lutheran

Zion Lutheran Church will host a Christmas in July candlelight service at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The traditional service will be followed by a traditional Christmas dinner and time of fellowship.

The congregational picnic will be held on Aug. 25 at the West Penn Community Park. While food will be served from 3 to 5 p.m., everyone is welcome to come as early as 1 p.m. to enjoy the park setting. Sign-up sheets will be available beginning in early August.

West Penn seniors

The West Penn Lions and Lioness Clubs will hold the annual West Penn Senior Fun Day on Aug. 4. The fun-filled day will be held at the West Penn Community Park. Activities will begin at 11:30 a.m.

The event is free and open to all township residents age 62 and older.

The day will include free entertainment, free food, informational sessions, games and lots of fellowship.

Preregistration is required for food preparation purposes. To register, call Melissa at 570-818-7071 or Deb at 610-530-7569 no later than July 29.

The event will be held rain or shine.

St. Peter’s Union

The Rev. Kenneth Buckwalter will officiate at the 9 a.m. worship service this Sunday at St. Peter’s Union Church in Mantzville. Sunday school classes meet at 10:15 a.m.

Next week’s activities include: Tuesday, prayer group meets at 5 p.m., softball games at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. at West Penn Park.

St. John Lutheran

The Rev. Robert von Fritsch will officiate at the 9:15 a.m. Sunday service in St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Calvary Lewistown

All services for Calvary Evangelical United Methodist Church in the Lewistown Valley will be held at the Lewistown Valley Tabernacle.

The Rev. Susan Moore will officiate at the 10:25 a.m. service this Sunday. Sunday school classes meet at 9:15 a.m.

Also on Sunday, there will be an evening service at 6:30 p.m.

The next prayer meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Aug. 1

The annual Sunday school picnic will be held on Aug. 5.

Ride Your Wheels to Church will be held on Aug. 12.

Cressona Band

The Cressona Band will perform at the East End Playground at 7 p.m. on Aug. 1. The concert will be dedicated to the late Sheldon Shafer, a longtime member and band benefactor.

The playground is located on Mountain Avenue. The refreshment stand will be open.

Concertgoers are welcome to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets for either event.

Library news

The Tamaqua Public Library will be hosting two meet the author events in the coming weeks, as well as several other activities and fundraisers.

Anne Chaikowsky La Voie, author of “Lithuanians of Schuylkill County,” will be at the library from 6 p.m. to closing on Aug. 13. She will have signed copies available for purchase.

The book is part of the “Images of America” project, a collection of chronicles of small-town life across the United States. La Voie spent months researching the history and heritage of the Lithuanian contributions in Schuylkill County, from Shenandoah, to McAdoo, to Mahanoy City to Tamaqua.

Stanley “Porky” Szczecina of Summit Hill will be at the library from 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 15, to share his newest edition, “Porky’s Shorts,” a nonfiction collection of short stories focusing on his dreams and how they played out at times into reality.

Other library happenings are the annual book and bake sale from 9 a.m. to noon on Aug. 4; Deppen Pie sale on Aug. 29, order deadline is Aug. 16; and a vendor event, basket raffle and bake sale, noon to 4 p.m., Aug. 19, at Zion Lutheran Church.

Meet the Raiders

The Tamaqua Area School District will hold its annual fall “Meet the Raiders” Night at 7 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Tamaqua Sports Stadium.

All fall sports participants, cheerleaders and coaches will be recognized along with the Raider Marching Band, which will perform its field show. The event is free of charge and the public is welcome to attend.

In case of inclement weather, the event will not be rescheduled.

Contact Kathy Kunkel at 570-668-1250 or kkunkel@tnonline.com. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.