Spring has definitely arrived in central Pennsylvania! Last weekend we made a trip to Allentown to see a dance performance and along the way east from Hughesville I made a list of the proofs of spring:

Easter Egg hunts

Men in tee-shirts working on a car in a driveway

Fishermen mid-stream in Muncy Creek

Folks dining outdoors at the Ricketts Glen Hotel

Hikers crossing the road at the state park

Motorcycles, convertibles, and classic cars on the highways

The dreaded construction zone barrels

While we still aren’t free of the threat of frost, it has been great to open the windows (which, of course, means that we notice that they need to be washed), hang laundry outside to dry, and admire all the blooms that seem to be bursting out of the ground. I’m also happy to report that my goldfish all survived the winter in my miniscule backyard pond and are glad to be able to show themselves.

HHS graduate and local resident Brian Budman was involved in a terrible auto accident in February and is still undergoing treatment for his injuries. A spaghetti dinner will be held in May at the Hughesville Fire Hall to help raise funds and show support for Brian and his family. Advance tickets are available at Freezers Auto Parts, or by contacting organizers at the following numbers: (570)567-4493, (570)244-7125, or (570)971-2100. Get your tickets soon and reserve the date.

Christians worldwide are observing Holy Week and the celebration of Easter. While there are many ways in which people prepare for and spend this special holiday, most choose to attend one or more church services. There is a long list of opportunities for your worship experience and I encourage everyone to partake in as many as possible. Many local congregations will begin with Maundy Thursday and the East Lycoming Ministerium will hold its annual Good Friday service from noon to 3 p.m. at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. There are sunrise services planned for Easter Day at several locations, so check with the church of your choice for details about time and location.

April 22 is the 44th annual observance of Earth Day. While there are dozens of ways that people observe conservation issues, I believe that it is important that we each minimize our own contribution to pollution and impact on the natural environment. Our area is great for folks to engage in things like tree-planting, home gardening, and wildlife conservation and management, and I think Hughesville has been ?green? much longer than there has been an ?environmental movement?.

Hughesville Events:

Friday, April 18, noon to 3 p.m. Good Friday Service sponsored by East Lycoming Ministerium, hosted by Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 120 S. Main St., Hughesville

Monday, April 21, 7 p.m. East Lycoming Historical Society meeting featuring the presentation ?Saturday Nights in Hughesville? by local historian Robert Webster, held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 120 S. Main St., Hughesville

Saturday, April 26, 2 ? 4 p.m. ELHS Victorian Tea in the Fireside room at the Friends Church on S. Third St. in Hughesville. Hats and gloves are optional. Reservations to attend may be made with Suzanne Conley at 570-935-0344 or Sharon Hughes at 570-584-2244. Lobby area will open at 1:30 to meet friends, check table assignments, view Fetter prints, and consider silent auction items. The speaker will be Bea Taran talking about her button collection.

Sat. Apr. 26 Community Volunteer Care Day at Lime Bluff Park from 8 to 1. Activities will include light mulching, painting and general cleanup work.

Sat. April 26, 10-2, Rotary Club Electronics Recycling (E-cycle) event in the HHS parking lot. Items containing any type of refrigerant will NOT be accepted (Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, etc.