Morgantown/Honey Brook
DECEMBER 18, 2019
IN THIS ISSUE: “CHRISTMAS TREECYCLING” PROGRAM SLATED page 16
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXVII • NO 48
STORY TIME
Boone Area Library, 129 N. Mill St., Birdsboro, will present story time with Mr. Randy and Miss Becky on Mondays, Dec. 23 and 30, at 10 a.m. Holiday-themed programs will be featured. Story time is open to children ages 2 to 5, but people of all ages are welcome to attend. For more information, call 610-582-5666 or visit www.facebook.com/boonearealibrary. COVENTRY WOODS HIKE
The Berks Community Strollers will hike at Coventry Woods on Saturday, Dec. 21. The community is invited to participate. The group will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Boscov’s East in Exeter to carpool to the site. Attendees may instead meet at 10 a.m. at the trailhead. The GPS address is 2145 Coventryville Road, Pottstown. For more information or directions, contact Linda, the hike leader, at 610-913-0284 or at 610-451-9935 on the day of the event. WINTER SOLSTICE EVENT
The Berks County Parks and Recreation Department will present a Winter Solstice Celebration with King Winter on Saturday, Dec. 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bingaman Nature Center, located at 2843 Hill Road, Reading. Attendees will travel along a candlelit path to visit King Winter in the tall trees. There will also be an opportunity to craft a winter-inspired evergreen swag and enjoy a large bonfire and cocoa. Attendees should bring a flashlight. Admission is free; preregistration is required. To register, contact jbrooks@countyofberks.com or call 484-509-2667.
CrossNet Ministries
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will host a community meal on Monday, Dec. 23, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event will take place at the Youth Center, 110 W. Franklin St., New Holland.
Church Sets Live Nativity, Service pg 5
Holiday Lights To Run Through Dec. 29 pg 3
Turkey Bowl Has A Successful Run On Thanksgiving Morning By Francine Fulton
Nearly 400 participants turned out for the 28th annual Turkey Bowl held on Thanksgiving morning at Tel Hai Camp and Retreat in Honey Brook. This year’s runners and walkers had to brave blustery conditions. “Despite the wind, we had 389 participants this year,” said camp director Bruce Gregory. “Some runners commented how windy it was around the lake, but they otherwise enjoyed the race.” The Turkey Bowl, which included a 5K race, as well as a 1-mile fun run for children, attracted local residents and those from out of town who were visiting relatives in the area. “As is the case each year, we had many local runners as well as participants from all over the country from Florida to Maine and from New Jersey to Colorado, usually in visiting family nearby,” said Gregory. “We had great showing from Honey Brook and surrounding towns as well and many families that have made this a tradition.”
He noted that the youngest registered participant this year was age 3 and ran with her parents, and the oldest was 76. In the 10th year for the course, the top overall male winner was Noah Taylor from Mohnton, with a time of 17 minutes, 29 seconds. The top overall female winner was Samantha Bingaman from Ocean City, Md., with a time of 20:41. “We had 306 finishers in the 5K race,” Gregory noted. Noah, 16, is a junior at Twin Valley High School (TVHS), where he competes in cross-country and indoor track. It was his first appearance in the Tel Hai Turkey Bowl. His twin brother, Iain, also completed the 5K, finishing third overall. “I just wanted to have fun with it and see what happened,” Noah said. “I didn’t think about (winning) until halfway through when there was no one around me.” Noah received a large trophy as a reward for his win. Other competitors in the 5K were the Johnson See Turkey Bowl pg 5
Among those who received encouragement from the Tel Hai Turkey Bowl mascot as they took part in the Tel Hai Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving morning were (from left) Colbie Pyle, Alli Gregory, Gunner Pyle, Candace Pyle and Emme Gregory.
Young Skater Is A Success On Wheels Girl Scout Makes Improvements By Francine Fulton
Even though she is only 6 years old, Julia Bellocchio of Birdsboro is already an accomplished roller skater. She recently earned a gold medal in freestyle skating and a silver medal in compulsory figures in her age division during the USA Roller Sport Winter Invitational competition held at Fantasy Skating Center in Reading on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Julia began skating a little over a year ago by taking classes at Fantasy, including free Learn-to-Skate classes held on Saturdays. “She started skating at age 5 and has come a long way
in 15 months,” said Julia’s grandmother, Lita Bellocchio. “She is part of the Junior Skate Club and gets private lessons with a fantastic coach at Fantasy.” Julia recalled her first time on roller skates. “I walked for two seconds and then I fell. It wasn’t easy to get up,” said Julia, who also recently took up the sport of ice skating as well. “(Roller skating) is easier than ice skating,” she noted. Freestyle skating incorporates jumps, spins and footwork into a program set to music. In figures, skaters must follow circles that are drawn on to the floor. They are judged on the quality of their line tracing, their body position and other criteria. See Skater pg 13
Julia Bellocchio of Birdsboro recently earned a gold medal in freestyle skating and a silver medal in compulsory figures at the USA Roller Sport Winter Invitational competition held at Fantasy Skating Center in Reading.
At Honey Brook Library By Francine Fulton
Jamie Fox, 12, a member of Girl Scout Troop 1516 in the Twin Valley Service Unit, recently completed her Silver Award project by making improvements at the Honey Brook Community Library. The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. Although the Silver Award requires the Girl Scout to work on the project for a minimum of 50 hours, Jamie, a student at Twin Valley Middle School, spent nearly 75 hours and many months to complete the project. She was responsible for all aspects of the project, including writing a proposal, acquiring materials, completing the work and writing a follow-up report See Girl Scout pg 7
Girl Scout Jamie Fox recently completed her Silver Award project by making improvements at the Honey Brook Community Library. Jamie, along with her helpers, installed a display wall inside the library, made improvements in the library’s rear entryway and painted the library’s handicapped-access ramp.
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PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER DEC. 18, 2019
Postal Patron
MCC
COMMUNITY MEAL
Dinner Benefits OneRunTogether pg 2