9/11 service

The annual Tamaqua Area 9/11 Remembrance Service will be held Sept. 11 at the Hometown Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on SR54 in Hometown. The event will begin at 2 p.m. Richard Hadesty will again serve as master of ceremonies and guest speakers include many local dignitaries and military veterans.This year marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America. The service will be sponsored by the South Ward Playground Association, as it has every year.The public is welcome to attend.Zion LewistownThe Rev. Sunny Stock will officiate at the 10:45 a.m. worship service this Sunday in Zion Church in the Lewistown Valley. A children's service and communion will be included. Sunday school classes will be held at 9:30 a.m.Zion's Valley Christian Pre-School opens on Sept. 6.Class of 2015Parents of the Tamaqua Class of 2015 will meet at 7 p.m., Sept. 7, in the Tamaqua Senior High School Cafeteria.Fall clean upSchuylkill County residents will have the opportunity to dispose of old tires, appliances, bulk items and electronics during the annual fall clean up campaign, scheduled for Sept. 19 and Sept. 26.The bi-annual SKIP Clean Up is scheduled for Sept. 17. The Tamaqua Beautification Association, Owl Creek Recreation Association, South Ward Neighborhood Committees and the Tamaqua Area School District will be participating. Interested volunteers are welcome to join the groups as the clean up the downtown, Owl Creek and South Ward sections of the borough. Additional areas could be targeted if there are enough volunteers.Residents and business owners may lend a hand by cleaning their respective sidewalks and properties that day.Garbage bags, safety vests, gloves and complimentary beverages will be provided. Trash bags must then be placed beside a state highway for collection purposes. Trash may also be disposed of in a dumpster located at the rear of the Tamaqua Municipal Building, 320 E. Broad St.For more information, contact TBA President Kevin Steigerwalt at (570) 668-1252 or 668-3444.Crazy loveBethany Evangelical Congregational Church is offering the community the opportunity to make an impact through a series of small, Bible based "Growth Groups." In all there will be a total of 10 different groups, each meeting one night each week from October through December. Some of the sessions require a small fee for materials.The "Crazy Love" session will be a book study group, learning from a book written by Francis Chan, who shares his own life struggles and sacrifices and the impact God's love has on life.This group will meet Mondays, at 6:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 3. Sessions will be held in the conference room at Bethany, 223 E. Broad St.For more information, or to register, visit

www.bethanyec.org and click on the "growth groups" tab.