It’s officially spring. This week will usher in April, the month where we and the earth come out of the winter doldrums. Pack away your heavy coats and find reasons to be outside.
The Walk In Art Center invites you to its First Saturday Open House from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. Enjoy art and the train exhibit.
Schuylkill on the Move is offering a West Mahanoy Township Nature Trail at 1 p.m. April 10. “Porcupine Pat” will lead you on this new hike that includes checking into all the local cemeteries. Enjoy scenery, windmills and Schuylkill County spring. Meet at the Miners Memorial in Shenandoah for travel to the easy 3-mile trek. Call 570-622-4124 for details.
It’s your last chance to order seedlings from the 41st Annual Seedling Sale. Bundles of five or 10 healthy seedlings, 8 to 24 inches tall, sell for $8 or $9. Deadline to order is April 6. Pickup is at Sweet Arrow Lake on April 30. Seedling descriptions and order forms can be found at www.sweetarrowlakepark.com. Call 570-622-4124 for information.
Mark your calendars. The annual Block of Art will take place from April 22 through 24. Downtown Pottsville will come alive with painters, musician, poets and other artists for family fun events and exhibits.
Spring Storytime at the Tamaqua Public Library will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays for children ages 2 to 5 and their siblings. Learn about manners through stories, song and snack time. The program runs for 10 weeks.
The Friends of the Ringtown Area Library Annual Used Book Sale is slated for April 2 and 3 at the Schuylkill Mall, Frackville. Huge selection of books, DVDs, board games, magazines and more for incredible prices.
The Orwigsburg Historical Society will host an Afternoon Victorian Tea at Downtown Abbey at noon April 9 at the historic Yuengling mansion. Limited reservations. Purchase tickets for $35 by calling 570-617-7809.
There will be blood drives at the Tremont Health and Rehab Center on Tuesday, at Zion Lutheran Church in Frackville on April 4, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pottsville and Christ United Lutheran Church in Gordon on April 7, and at the Keystone Volunteer Fire Company in McAdoo on April 11. Each donation helps up to three people. Everyone who is in general good health who weighs at least 110 pounds is encouraged to give.
The Schuylkill County Historical Society presents “Women of the Civil War: Clara Barton founder of the American Red Cross” at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Join them for a full costume re-enactment of this historical figure. Free admission to society members, $5 admission to general public. RSVP at 570 622-7540 by Monday.
Community Volunteers in Action is the volunteer center for Schuylkill County. Use the preceding contact information for those specific opportunities and search other listings on our website at www.schuylkill.us/cvia. Find us on Facebook. Call us at 570-628-1426 or email to jjohnston@co.schuylkill.pa.us.
Art center volunteers
Time: Flexible, as needed and available.
Responsibility: Help them with specific events for a one-time basis or year round. Opportunities include event ticket taking, refreshment organization and setup, assistance with pottery and mosaic classes, scheduling of musical acts, painting theater sets, costuming and props organizing, posting advertising fliers, setup and cleanup for art classes, assistance with the art boutique, weekly building maintenance and more. Also needed are those with knowledge of lighting and sound systems, general carpentry, customer service skills, and those to organize and lead events, classes, or workshops. No experience or skilled labor is necessary to volunteer, volunteers will be trained and partnered with other experienced volunteers.
Skills: Fun, friendly, able to perform assigned tasks.
Location: Tamaqua Community Arts Center
Call: Leona, 570-668-1192