1- TOMORROW morning, April 21st at 10 a.m.,Your News-Bits
editor will present a 50-minute slide show titled
"Then and Now...The Early Days of Reading" --
in the first-floor theatre at GoggleWorks.

Access to the theatre is easy, and parking is free--right
behind the GoggleWorks at the northeast corner of 2nd and
Washington Sts., Reading.

This slide program is free and open to the general public,
thanks to the local Eastern PA Chapter of the American
Institute of Architects.

The slide collection, specially created in 1998 for Reading's
250th anniversary and presented only one time, shows landmarks
of early Reading--and what's on the site today.

Come....and bring friends.

2- BOOK BONANZA 2007 collection TOMORROW--
Sat., Apr. 21 -- 9 to noon

Nancy J. Poole emailed to inform us that county-wide
used book collection for Book Bonanza 2007 will be held
Saturday, April 21 outside the Reading Regional Airport,
from 9 am to noon.

Adult and children's hardback or paperback books in good
condition are needed. The Book Bonanza provides funds for
scholarships for women and the Berks Libraries' Summer
Reading Program for Kids.

Sponsoring organizations: Berks County Public Library
System, Friends of Berks County Libraries, and the Reading
Branch of the American Association of University Women.

For more information, call 610-779-7297.

3- The following was to have appeared in the Spring issue
of the "Historical Review of Berks County." Inadvertantly and
regrettably, it did not appear:

4- PASSING SCENES available for purchase

"I have Vol 3,4,6 and 7 to offer members and/or News-Bits
readers. They will be sold for $80 each, which INCLUDES
shipping.

Per usual, a portion of the receipts goes toward our annual
gift to the Society."

John Cellucci - jcboxlot@ptd.net

5- Getting ready for the PAGODA's upcoming Centenary Celebration

A News Release dated Friday, 4/20/07

Yesterday, as a part of the Greater Reading Region Cherry
Blossom Festival and Earth Day-Week, and as a local corporation
seeking to help beautify the environment around the historic
Pagoda atop Reading's scenic Mount Penn, WEEU Radio led a
hyacinth bulb-planting ceremony at the Pagoda.

WEEU Radio, (the last and only locally owned and operated
commercial radio station in Berks County), and the family-
owned Temple Greenhouse, provided more than 1,000 hyacinth
plants to be planted by volunteers who responded to WEEU
Radio's public invitation, (via the airwaves two days prior),
to participate in the project.

The following individuals heard the news on WEEU Radio and
came, rolled up their sleeves, picked up their shovels and
bulb diggers, and went to work from Noon to 3PM, planting
more than 1,000 hyacinths at the Pagoda:

Corrie Crupi
Reading City Councilwoman Marsha Goodman-Hinnershitz
Mary Moll
Marcie Miller
Reading Police Officer Brenda Marks
Roseanne Lucas
Jackie Moyer
Cindy Kauffman
Ginny Hand
Reading Mayor Tom McMahon
Carl Doaty, Jr.
Christian Leinbach
Richard Quinn
"Grey Beard"
The Stocklin Family--Andrew, age 4; Robbie, age 2 and mother Brenda
Linda Wrobel
Eddie Bates and his 17 month old daughter Tatianna Bates
"Fred" from the Pagoda

And many persons who wished to remain "anonymous"...
and the following WEEU Radio staff members:
Paul & Wanda Druzba
John Engle
Bob Walton
Kaz Wulkowicz
Mike Faust
Dave Kline

Next year is the 100th ANNIVERSARY of Reading's PAGODA and
the hyacinths should be in full bloom around this time next
year, as a part of the Pagoda birthday celebration--and
the Cherry Blossom Festival for 2008.

Please consider following WEEU's lead and take pride in
your community by planting something this weekend as a part
of the great rebirth of Spring, the Cherry Blossom Festival
and Earth Day.

6- A “grave event” coming Sat., May 5 at 6 p.m.

Aulenbach's Cemetery Assn. will be holding a fundraising
dinner on Saturday, May 5th, in the Crystal Room at Riveredge.
Doors open at 6 PM; dinner is served, beginning at 6:30.

Sandy Stief will be presenting a program highlighting some
of the famous, infamous, and unique individuals buried there.
She will also talk about some of the more unique headstones
that she's encountered.

Tickets are $25.00 each and can be purchased by calling
610-779-5320.

Advertisement space is available in our program; call Dorothy
at 610-779-5320 for more information.

We urge our local News-Bits readers to attend this event if
possible, as Aulenbach’s can use all the financial help it
can muster. Vandals savaged this historic site mercilessly a
number of times in recent years.

At present, the cemetery continues in operation, in large
measure, through the volunteer efforts of historians and
genealogists. State Representative Tom Caltagirone, a
once-upon-a-time history teacher, has worked to preserve
Aulenbach’s---as has County Commissioner Judith Schwank.

7- Event along the Tully to help preserve an 18th century landmark: