n Mahanoy City: Elks Lodge 695 will host its annual Citizen of the Year banquet this year honoring Kathleen (Whalen) Wufsus. The event will be held Saturday in the lodge, 135 E. Center St., beginning with cocktails at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m., and the program. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Martin P. Kern, pastor of St. Columbkill Roman Catholic Church, Boyertown, and a Mahanoy City native. Dancing will be from 8 to 11 p.m. with music by Sterling Entertainment. Tickets are $20 by advance sale only. The dress code is optional black tie, with coat and tie required for men. For tickets and or more information, call Ruth Jane Balliett at 570-773-0467. A resident of Park Place, Wufsus is daughter of the late Michael and Mary Kaier Whalen and was married to the late Francis J. Wufsus. She has two daughters, Sharon, wife of Kevin Leitzel, and Lori, wife of Shawn Sullivan, and has two grandchildren, Jacob and Kelly Sullivan. She attended St. Fidelis Parochial School in Mahanoy City and graduated from Mahanoy City High School in 1963. An Empire Beauty School graduate, she opened her beauty salon in Park Place in 1965 and continues to operate the business. She is a member of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Church, Mahanoy City, the parish choir and sodality. She enjoys playing guitar and singing at local events, nursing homes and other venues. She is president of the Mahanoy Township Authority Board of Directors, secretary of the Schuylkill County Cosmetology Association, member of the National and Pennsylvania Cosmetology associations, is a member of the "Look Good, Feel Better" team and presents classes to women who are being treated for cancer. She also is chairwoman of the Mahanoy Township 150 Club, a member of the Mahanoy Area Historical Society, ARDCO Board of Directors and the Elks lodge and auxiliary.
n Millersburg:The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, 178 Water Company Road, has announced it is continuing its collaborative relationship with Harrisburg-based film co-op Moviate through its new film and music series, featuring classic films set to live original scores. The series is sponsored by Carole DeSoto, according to Alexis Dow Campbell, the center's director of creative programming. The second installment of the series is set for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 with the screening of the classic 1927 silent film "The General" starring Buster Keaton. The Civil War adventure classic was made toward the end of the silent era, Dow Campbell said. "The General" will be presented with accompaniment from a live original score by The Reese Project, a folk fusion duo featuring the musical stylings of husband-and-wife Tom and Laurie Reese. Everyone is welcome. The cost is $8 for center members and $10 for nonmembers.
n Orwigsburg: Access Services will host career and services open houses from 1 to 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at three locations as follows: 340 S. Liberty St., Orwigsburg; 521 Schuylkill Ave., Tamaqua, and at People's Evangelical Church, 216 Wagner St., Lehighton. "Access Services offers rewarding careers where you will be appreciated and make a positive difference in the lives of people with special needs," according to a press release.
n Pottsville: Pottsville Area High School students Nicole Brackman and Zachary Sullivan guests of the Pottsville Rotary Club during a recent meeting. Due to testing at the school, Nativity BVM was unable to send students to the gathering and will double up at a future meeting, according to the Rotary Bulletin. Rotarian Pete Yasenchak gave the students and their guests a talk about Rotary. Guests at the meeting included Colleen Sullivan, Mary Alice Brackman and Jacque Wapinski.
n Pottsville: The Pottsville Free Public Library recently acknowledged the following memorial donations: For Theresa J. D'Attilio from Vincent Balitas; for Alice M. Joulwan from Loretta Joulwan Cairo; for Elizabeth McGovern from James and Mary Beth Fogarty; for Letitia Wetherill from David and Christine Ambrose.