The Tamaqua Elementary School held a storytelling competition recently at the Tamaqua Art Gallery. The competition was held to engage children and students in the enjoyable pursuit of literature as well as nurturing the preservation of the oral tradition of storytelling. It also provided an opportunity for intergenerational, multi-cultural interaction through story. Competition organizer Janet Barrasso stated, "Virtually every great leader has been a great storyteller." She added, "Stories serve many purposes as well as tools for empowerment." Special appreciations were given to prize contributors M & S Hardware, and I Said Read Me bookstore, both of Tamaqua, and Eileen Meiser. Pictured are, from back left, reading teacher and competition organizer Janet Barrasso, school board members and judges Bob Betz, Wanda Zuber and Larry Wittig. Storytelling winners pictured from left are Jennifer Frederickson, 9, who read "The Giving Tree," McKayla Wall, 11, who read "The Gunniwolf," Caitlin Smith, 8, who read "Peter Pan," and Ilan Basrawi, 12.