Tamaqua news
Band festival
The 20th annual Land of the Running Water Marching Band Adjudication, hosted by the Tamaqua Area Raider Marching Band, will be held Oct. 15 at the Tamaqua High School Sports Stadium. This year's event will feature participating marching bands hailing from the Annville-Cleona, Exeter Township, Mahanoy Area, Panther Valley, Pottsville Area, Southern Lehigh, Tri Valley and Wilson high schools.Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the competition begins at 7 p.m.BPW birthdayThe Tamaqua Business and professional Women's Club will celebrate its 69th birthday with an anniversary dinner on Oct. 4. The party will be held at the Tamaqua Station Restaurant, 18 N. Railroad St., beginning at 6:30 p.m.Reservations are required and may be made by calling 570-668-3268 or email to
jatowle@verizon.net.Deadline for reservations and menu choices is Sept. 29.Tamaqua seniorsThe Tamaqua Senior Citizens met Sept. 22 with 56 members in attendance. President Melody Weicker conducted the business session.The inspirational reading "A Fresh New Day" was offered by the chaplain. A moment of silence was held in honor of Eleanor Roberts.Gladys Arner was added to the sick list. Sylvia Houseman was welcomed back after a short absence.Officers for 2017 will be: Weicker, president; Nancy Gerber, vice president; Ruthann Feane, secretary; and Norma Lee Burke, treasurer.Guest speaker Kerry Lasky provided information on Medicare, services and benefits available to seniors. She was invited to return for the Oct. 20 meeting.A representative from the South Ward Fire Company will attend the Sept. 29 meeting to give a presentation on fire safety.The group is open to anyone 55 or older. Meetings are held at 1 p.m. Thursdays at the Tamaqua YMCA, 1201 E. Broad St.Bethany ECThe Rev. Kevin Roberts will officiate at the 8 and 10:30 a.m. worship services this Sunday in Bethany Evangelical Congregational Church. Sunday school classes meet at 9:15 a.m.Activities for next week include: Tuesday, prayer time at 8:30 a.m.; Wednesday, Tamaqua Youth Ministry meets at 6:30 p.m., TYM staff will meet at 8 p.m.Bethany is offering the community the opportunity to make an impact through a series of small Bible-based "Growth Groups."There will be a total of seven different groups, each meeting one day each week, beginning in October.For more information, or to register, visit
www.bethanyec.org and click on the "growth groups" tab.Calvary EvangelicalThe Rev. Phillip Sabas will officiate at the 10:25 a.m. worship service this World Wide Communion Sunday in Calvary Evangelical Methodist Church in the Lewistown Valley.Sunday school classes will be held at 9:15 a.m.Praise, worship and Bible study sessions are held at 6:30 p.m. Sundays.An hour of praise and prayer is held at 7 p.m. Wednesdays.The finance committee will meet at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 9 and the trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Oct. 10.Contact Kathy Kunkel at 570-668-1250 or
kkunkel@tnonline.com. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or