The grand opening of the John Updike House at 117 Philadelphia Ave. in Shillington is set for Oct. 2.
The John Updike Society bought the author’s childhood home in 2012 with the intention of turning it into a museum and the years have been spent restoring the home and turning it into a museum, organizers said.
The grand opening will follow a 1 p.m. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission dedication of a historical marker. All are welcome but seating will be limited outside the house.
All four of Updike’s children will attend the dedication.
A National Registry of Historic Places plaque will also be revealed.
Anyone in attendance will be among the first to tour the house, and for free. After that, the museum will charge $5 for visitors age 16 and older.
The Updike home, which was originally occupied by Howard Shilling, son of Shillington
namesake Samuel Shilling, was restored by R.J. Doerr, who had previously restored the home of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, organizers said.
Doerr based his restoration on Updike’s writings, the house’s architectural “footprints,” Updike
interviews, correspondences with Updike friends and family, and comparisons with local
period houses, organizers said.
The young Updike lived there from 1932 to 1945, after which the family moved to Plowville.
Updike died in 2009 at age 76 in Danvers, Mass.
FBI agent on 9/11
The Wyomissing Public Library will commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with a presentation by former FBI Special Agent Rodney Loose on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Retired FBI Special Agent Rodney S. Loose
Loose, who was stationed in New York at the time, will describe his experiences on 9/11 and the weeks at ground zero following the attacks.
The program is supplemented by a special exhibit in the library lobby from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, made possible by a grant to the Museum from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency, organizers said.
Loose is a Wilson High School graduate.
The program is free but registration is required at 610-374-2385, ann@wyopublib.org or by stopping by the library at 9 Reading Blvd.. Masks are optional, organizers said.
Drew Dudley in Berks
Penn State Berks is hosting speaker, author and educator Drew Dudley on Wednesday September 8 at 7 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.
All are welcome to the free event.
Dudley is a keynote speaker on the subject of leadership. His presentation titled “Everyday Leadership: The Lollipop Moment” has been viewed more than 5 million times and his TED talk has been voted one of the 15 most inspirational TED talks.
This event is sponsored by the Penn State Berks Arts and Lecture series. For more information, contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.
Brave Space classes
Immanuel United Church of Christ, 99 S. Waverly St., Shillington, is hold Brave Space: Conversations on Sept. 19 and 26, and Oct. 10 and 17 from 3 to 5 p.m.
The interactive sessions are designed to pause judgements, challenge assumptions, check emotions, and reflect on labels to build better relationships of all types, organizers said.
All are welcome to the program and attendees are encouraged to attend on the 19th and at least
one other session, but are welcome to attend just one.
Program registration, directions, and more information are available at www.immanuel-ucc.org.
The presenter will be Sharon Mast, a professional facilitator and coach, who will lead the
sessions with energy, humor and honesty through activities, storytelling and
community partners.
Immanuel also will offer Sept. 11 remembrance opportunities to the community on the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks. Immanuel’s Spiritual Life Team will lead free, guided labyrinth walks on its campus from 8:30 to 10:45 a.m.
The church’s carillon will toll three times each on Sept. 11 at 8:46, 9:03, 9:37, 9:59, 10:03 and 10:28 a.m.
No advanced registration is required to walk the labyrinth. Directions and more information:
www.immanuel-ucc.org.
Film screeing
“Orchestrating Change,” a documentary about the world’s only orchestra for musicians living with mental illness, will be screened Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. at the Miller Center for the Arts on the campus of the Reading Area Community College.
The screening is free.
The film combines a love story with maestro Ronald Braunstein and Caroline Whiddon along with real life experiences from musicians who are living with mental illness, organizers said.
Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run of Berks is taking registrations for the fall 2021 season.
Open to girls in Berks and Schuylkill counties, Girls on the Run Berks offers Girls on the Run for girls in third to fifth grade and Heart & Sole for girls in sixth to eighth grade.
The fall season starts the week of Sept. 20 and runs through Nov. 13, the date of the season-ending fall 5K celebration at Penn State Berks.
Girls on the Run of Berks currently has 13 teams open. For additional information, visit www.gotrberks.org.
Whiskey Experiment
The annual Whiskey Experiment is Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Abraham Lincoln Roosevelt Suite and Saloon at Fifth and Washington streets.
The events starts for those with VIP tickets at 6 p.m.
The tasting event of whiskey, beer and wine is a fundraiser for the Reading Science Center, 645 Penn St.
Tickets are $100 each with the VIP tickets costing $115. Designated driver tickets are $30.
Tickets include commemorative tasting glass, hors d’oeuvres and acoustic music by the Josh Taylor Duo.
For more information or for tickets: readingsciencecenter.org/whiskey2021 or facebook.com/ReadingScienceCenter.
The Reading Science Center provides educational, entertaining hands-on science, and technology experiences for students, families, and everyone in the Berks County community.
Fundraising tour
Take a self-guided tour of the countryside of Greenwich and Albany Townships on Oct. 2 and support Kutztown Community Library.
Tickets are $25 per car and are available at the library, 70 Bieber Alley, Kutztown.
Tickets will be available up to 2 p.m. on Oct. 2 as well as at the Albany Township Historical Society. For more information: 610-683-5820.
Hawk Mountain plant sale
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary will host its annual Fall Native Plant Sale on Saturday outside of the Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring almost 100 species of native trees, grasses, vines, shrubs and flowering plants.
View from South Lookout at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
The proceeds benefit Hawk Mountain’s conservation and education programs.
Native plants available for purchase include asters, goldenrods, milkweeds, coneflowers, brown-eyed Susans and more, organizers said.
Plant sale volunteers will help make the sale enjoyable, educational and as convenient as possible; they will carry purchases to buyers’ cars, store them until the end of the day’s visit, and offer great gardening tips for any home landscape, organizers said.
Additionally, garden volunteers will be present to help visitors with plant selection and care. The bookstore offers a year-round selection of native plant gardening books for those interested in learning more, organizers said.
To learn more about Hawk Mountain or other programs: 610-756-6961 or visit www.hawkmountain.org.
Bridge results
The results of Tuesday bridge at Good Shepherd:
A Level winners: North/South: first, Dorothy McCormick and Jana Estep; second, Lissy Stauffer and Heather Bittenbender; third, Nancy Machuscik and Gil Deleeuw
East/West: first, Jack Berry and Al Crump; second, Janice Repko and Carl Ziegler; third, Suzy and Travis Crump
B Level winners: Lise Gerhard and John Small
Library grant
Reading Public Library has received a $100,000 grant from the Cameron Schrier Foundation as part of a multi-year commitment totaling $200,000, the library said.
The grant will support the positions of children’s library manager and teen loft coordinator at the main library, ensuring the continuation of award-winning youth programming and community
outreach, the library said.
Details on virtual and in-person youth programming at the Reading Public Library branches can be found at http://readingpubliclibrary.org/calendar/.
Source: Berkshire mont
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