n Ashland: The annual St. Anne Novena at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, 11th and Walnut streets, will close with Mass in the chapel at 7 p.m. today followed by veneration of the relic of St. Anne. Thursday is the feast day of Sts. Joachim and Anne. St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus, is the patron saint of coal miners. The novena has been prayed in St. Joseph Church since 1930 and was started by the Rev. Francis P.K. Hoey, pastor, who had a lifelong devotion to St. Anne, whose intercession is credited with saving the life of Father Hoey's brother from a childhood illness. The Rev. John Bambrick, pastor, will conduct the novena. The public is welcome. The chapel is air conditioned and accessible to the handicapped.
n Barnesville: George Gress, naturalist, will present a program at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Locust Lake Amphitheater focusing on bog turtles. Gress is a fire specialist/land steward for the Nature Conservancy and manages the bog turtle program in Pennsylvania. Bog turtles are the smallest turtles in the state. They are listed as threatened and are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Gress is also an avid nature photographer and his photographs have been featured in various publications. In the case of inclement weather, the presentation will be held in the program shelter at Locust Lake located near the camp store.
n Hegins: The Schuylkill Wine Festival is scheduled for Sept. 2 at Hegins Park and the committee that oversees the festivities is touting discounted advance ticket sales. Tickets at the gate on the day of the festival will be $15 for wine tasters and $5 for non-drinking designated drivers. In preparation for the festival, tickets can be purchased for $12 until the end of August through the event's website at www.schuylkillwinefestival.com. People interested in purchasing tickets for groups of 10 or more can get an extra discount. Group tickets will be on sale for $10 until Aug. 15. The committee has been busy putting together the winery participants, vendors and entertainment. Co-organizers Mary Tobash and Yvonne Specht already getting ready for the festival's popular table-decorating contest. This year the theme for the table-decorating contest is "Shades of Autumn". The 2012 Schuylkill Wine Festival will feature entertainment by the Mudflaps and disc jockeys Dan Poletti and T.J. Fitzpatrick. A list of participating wineries, vendors and ticket prices are detailed on the website. An order form can be printed and mailed to reserve advanced ticket orders. The event also has a Facebook page which is kept updated with the latest event news.
n Nuremberg: The Black Creek Township Recreation Committee will hold a pool party from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Rock Glen Pool. The rain date is 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Disc jockey Gary Welsh will entertain and all food and drinks are free. The cost is $4 for children 6 and older. Youngsters under 6 will be admitted free. Those not wanting to swim may bring a lawn chair to enjoy the activities. For more information, call Lori Webster at 570-384-3674 or Kay Riotto at 570-384-4441. Season/daily pool passes do not count toward admission, according to the committee.
n Pine Grove: U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-17; state Rep. Neal Goodman, D-123 and former state Rep. Tim Seip, a candidate for the 29th Senatorial District, will hold a formal announcement and press event at the North End Fire Company, 18 N Tulpehocken St., at 1 p.m. Sunday.
n Pottsville: Leo James, Pottsville, a Vietnam veteran who was diagnosed with ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, said Ruby Tuesday's give-back program will feature the ALS Association July 31, Aug. 1 and 2. Attendees at the local eatery will have to present a flier for the ALS Association to get credit for their receipt. People can get a flier by going to Ruby Tuesday anytime from now up to and including the days of the event, or by contacting James at 570-622-1396 or emailing ljames1213@comcast.net. "It is only through your kindness and generosity that a cure can be found," James said in a statement. "Please consider attending."
