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FIVE "News-Bits" of Reading and Berks historical interest..... ============================================ 1- New history of Alvernia College now available at $8.95 2- More local history books : Kutztown, Rehrersburg, Laureldale 3- Some in Hereford Twp. hope to form an historical society 4- Andrew Zeock, former Mt. Penn Borough postmaster, died at 86 5- Some pre-owned books available from the Society’s gift shop.... ====================================== 1- New history of Alvernia College, hot off the press! "Threads: A Tapestry of Alvernia College" by Sister M. Pucelli (Staskiel); copyright 2002 by Alvernia College, 400 Saint Bernadine St., Reading, PA 19607. Six by nine inches; 92 pages; softbound; 24 photos; encyclopedia-quality paper; contains a table of contents, foreword, preface, etc., and a 14-entry bibliography. Cost: $ 8.95 Author Sister Pucelli joined Alvernia’s faculty in 1961. Her growth as an educator and administrator paralleled the grown and development of the college as it evolved from a school to train diocesan educators to a comprehensive institution offering a variety of undergraduate and graduate-level programs. The first 30 pages provide an overview of great religious leaders who played a role in the underpinnings of 75-year-old Sister M. Pacelli Staskiel’s Bernadine Franciscan Order. Thereafter, there’s a brief history of Sister Veronica (1843-1916) and three other Bernadine nuns who were sent from their homeland nearly 110 years ago to give educational service in the United States, an odyssey that took them to St. Joseph’s in Mt. Carmel-- to a convent atop Flying Hill, in 1898, that was once Ridgewood Mansion resort--to Mount Alvernia at Millmont, in 1907. The remainder of the volume, and its largest section, deals with the years since 1958 when Alvernia became a college. "Threads" is a well-written, comprehensive, and interesting history, which comes as no surprise given the fact Sister Pacelli has been at Alvernia almost from the beginning and is highly regarded as a language arts-communications specialist. Local history buffs, even those with no ties to Alvernia, might wish to get a copy of "Threads" as only 1,000 have been printed, and it IS an interesting read. The Historical Society’s library has the book available for inspection, which came as a donation from the college. ===================================== 2- Recently we remarked on the number of high-quality local histories that have been produced within the last 18 months. And more are on the way. The other day some particulars were received in regard to the KUTZTOWN pictorial history now being prepared. As Dr. Brendan D. Strausser has his hand in the project, we can be assured the resulting volume will be a treasure. While much has been accomplished, there are numerous loose ends that must be attended to. Among the particulars reported: A - The volume probably will have a hard cover. B - Nearly 300 photographs have been captioned. It’s likely that not all can be put into a single volume, but there’s a nice bank of illustrations from which to choose. C - It’s hoped that the finished book will be available for the Kutztown Historical Society’s 2003 Holiday Festival next November. D - It is estimated that 75 percent of the images to be included have never been published previously, and those that were will be presented in an improved and enlarged fashion. Details on the forthcoming volumes about REHRERSBURG and LAURELDALE are scant at this time--but preparations are moving along. As soon as more specifics are known, we will inform you. ================================= 3- An email was recently received that indicated that there is interest in forming an historical society in Hereford Township. Again, when more is known, we will inform you. ================================= 4- Andrew N. Zeock, former postmaster of Mount Penn, died Feb. 8th, at age 86, in the DeLand Hospital in DeLand, Florida. Formerly, he had lived in Shillington. Zeock joined the Reading Post Office in 1947. When the Mount Penn branch of the Reading P.O. opened in 1952, he was assigned to the staff. He served as head of the office from 1969 to retirement in 1971. [ As locals know, there was an independent Mount Penn Post Office prior to the Reading branch arrangement of 1952..... just as there were independent offices at Jacksonwald and Esterly (St. Lawrence), today all a part of 19606. ] Though born in Scranton, he was a graduate of Reading High, class of 1934. He was a life member of the Kiwanis. In addition to 2nd wife Eula and daughter Sandra Ford of Deltona, Fla., he is survived by sisters Helen Wiswesser of Shoemakersville and Margaret Zeock of Mount Penn. ===================================== 5- A month of two ago we listed a number of books found in the Society’s pre-owned book section of the gift shop, all of which were sold within two days of their being listed! At any given time, there are probably 250 pre-owned volumes available for purchase in the gift shop....Passing Scenes, Montgomery histories, Reading and Suburban city directories, church histories, genealogies, township histories, a variety of booklets and pamphlets, etc. Here are several that caught our eye the other day. As always, these are one-of-a-kind, so the first-come, first-served principle applies! We accept payment by credit card or personal checks. When two email for the same book, the first order received gets priority. Send email orders to the person who handles the books: gloria.meiser@verizon.net Phone: 610 - 375 - 4375 Fox: 610 - 375 - 4376 ------------------------- Reading City directories: (Prices include postage) 1937 -975 pages -lists names alphabetically and street guide- $ 45 1938 -300 pages -Reading st. guide lists house # and resident $40 1958 - 1190 pages - lists names and streets - $ 40 1966 - 900 pages - Reading (big volume) - $ 35 ------------------------ "Book of Bern," history of Bern Twp. 248 pages 6x9 $45 (This is one of the best township histories.) hardbound; good paper; photos never seen previously ------------------------ "Fleetwood Centennial" 1873 - 1973 8.5 by 11 255 pages (cover slightly dirty) softbound a good history $28 ------------------------ "Loyal Order of Moose," prepared for dedication of the Moose Home in Reading in 1911. 68 pages; softbound; cover is loose but insides are fine; high-quality paper $60 This is a major rarity and a singularly desirable volume. Moose president was Wellington Woods, a superior Rdg. photographer. There are illustrations here that can be found nowhere else....1911 movie theatres, great interiors views, street scenes, stores, public buildings. Finely screened illustrations so that detail can be studied. ============================= For the benefit of those among you living on the West Coast and Down South, be apprised that we now have a foot of newly fallen snow in the front yard---and there are no signs that "the white bounty" will be stopping anytime soon. This, of course, is on top of the four inches or so that existed prior to the a.m. renting of the heavens. ============== gmmix ======= end ==========

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