President Jane Borbe listed upcoming events on the calendar of the Palmerton Area Historical Society for the remainder of 2012. The list will be updated as events near.

On Sunday, Aug. 26, there will be a wine and cheese celebration and book signing. The wine will have Centennial labels.The public hearing for the historic district designation for Palmerton will be held March 23 at the Knights' Gallery in the Palmerton Area Library. Dale Freudenberger will lead the discussion. It is hoped that by Aug. 26 everything will be done. The Society had a $10,000 grant to prepare the application. New banners will be put up at the Society's cost.The Heritage Center is in transition. A photo display by local photographers will be exhibited March, April and May.June, July and August there will be a display for both the hospital auxiliary's 100th anniversary and for the Palmerton band's 100th anniversary.On April 22 there will be a 100th anniversary program at Holy Trinity with a special program that afternoon.The 1988 time capsule in the park will be removed when the veterans are ready to start digging for their Memorial. The capsule will be refilled and replaced.The Palmerton Festival will have bus tours on Saturday and Sunday with a possibility of Friday. There will be tours of the East Plant of the former New Jersey Zinc Company.On Sept. 25 there will be a program at the Blue Ridge Country Club with Dale Freudenberger as the keynote speaker. It will close out the centennial year.On Oct. 28 there will be a program of Victorian Funeral Customs at the Little White Church. There will be refreshments. Freudenberger will lead the program.On Nov. 11 the dedication of the Veterans' Memorial is scheduled.Dec. 2 is Caroling in the Park and the Little White Church ecumenical service.Dec. 8 is the Concourse Club house tours and Dec. 10 is the Society Christmas banquet at Blue Ridge Country Club with Kathy Long telling stories.In other business, drop off Palmerton Christmas memories at the Heritage Center for Mary Beth Beers. It is hoped the proofs of the postcard book will be ready by the end of the month.Sue Steigerwalt was elected to replace Helen "Tootsie" Steinmetz on the board of directors. Steinmetz resigned.The April meeting will be at Channel 13. Be there at 7 or in the parking lot to car pool by 6:30 p.m.Kathy Long was the speaker for the meeting. She is a well-known storyteller who insists that everyone is a storyteller.She began with an Irish story because it was so close to St. Patrick's Day.A man lived on a farm with his family. When his father could no longer be helpful farming he was sent to herd the sheep.His mother, who was blind, was sent to hang the wash. The farm went downhill and most meals were gruel.So the man said he'd go hunting. The only weapon he could find was a hatchet in the shed. His wife asked where he was going to hunt. He said he'd go on the landlord's property and she was worried he would be caught and hung.He climbed over the fence but did not find any animals. When he turned around to go home there was a beautiful deer. Picturing the venison, he crept up.The deer said, "Don't kill me. I'm a magical deer. I understand you need something so I'll give you one wish. It's a lot to think about so come back tomorrow."He met his father with the sheep and explained what had happened. His father told him to wish for gold because they could buy anything. His mother said it should be for her eyesight to be restored. He told his wife about the deer and she wanted the pitter-patter of little feet because they would come through the bad time."Gold, eyesight, baby, baby, eyesight, gold." He couldn't decide what he wanted but went out to meet the magical deer."Have you decided on one wish," it asked."I wish me mother could see our brand new baby being rocked in a cradle of gold," he told the deer.She had several other stories including one about how she learned that pen and ink was her form of art though as a child she really wanted to paint.