n Ashland: Borough offices will be closed Friday. Trash pickup will remain the same, according to a borough press release.
n Frackville: Due to poor conditions at Frackville's Memorial Field, the Frackville Recreation Board rescheduled its Easter egg hunt to 2 p.m. Saturday. Registration will begin at 1:30 p.m. A board spokesperson said the date change was to ensure no one is injured in mud during the hunt.
n Mahanoy City: The Mahanoy Area Historical Society will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday featuring Maureen Costello as Clara Barton, known as "The Angel of the Battlefield" and founder of the American Red Cross. The presentation will be made at the Sen. James J. Rhoades Downtown Center, Main and Center streets. Admission is free and the public is welcome.
n Pottsville: The gallery opening for Schuylkill County Artists in High School is set for 1 to 5 p.m. April 7 at the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, 1440 Mahantongo St. For the event, 11 schools will submit student works including drawings, paintings, sculpture, pottery, photography, graphics and jewelry. Art educations will also exhibit, student musicians will perform and refreshments will be served, according to an event flier. The public is welcome. For more information, call the SCCA at 570-622-2788.
n Pottsville: The Schuylkill County Veterans Trip Organization will sponsor a bus trip to Mohegan Sun Casino from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 4. The cost is $25. The bus will depart from Arch Street and Progress Avenue, Pottsville. There will be a casino rebate of $25 and a $10 food voucher. For more information, call 570-622-2037.
n Schuylkill Haven: The annual Scott Shade Trout Rodeo is set for 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 6 and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 7 at Bubeck Park for children ages 4 to 15. There will be prizes for tagged and largest trout. There will be a $5 registration for children outside the Schuylkill Haven Area School District. For more information, call 570-385-1313.
n Schuylkill Haven: A Veterans Information Fair will be held at 6 p.m. April 2 in the Health & Wellness Building on Penn State Schuylkill campus. Participants, according to an event flier, will lean about college admissions, military benefits, financial aid, local and county services and counseling services. For more information, call 570-385-6194 or go online to www.sl.psu.edu/events.
n Tamaqua: The Salvation Army's Older and Bolder group is back in action with regular 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday meetings in the Salvation Army center, 105 W. Broad St. The sessions include a light luncheon. The group already has had an Irish/green theme, heard from Joe Krushinsky of the American Cancer Society, participated in a baby photo contest, games, trivia and distribution of homemade Easter candy.
n Tamaqua: Tracy L. Higley, author of nine novels, will present the keynote speech at the Write it Right writers' conference sponsored by the Black Diamond Writer's Network. The event is slated for April 20 at the Tamaqua Community Arts Center, 125 Pine St., and March 31 is the deadline to register. In a release, network spokeswoman Kathy Ruff said Higley will discuss with participants how to "find the truest voice in a noisy world." Other writing-related programs at this year's conference will be presented by industry professionals and will include "Secrets of Drama Tension: Creating a Page-Turner"; "The Last Word on Endings"; "10 Ways to Market Your Book in Person" and "Have Blog, Want Readers." Higley, according to Ruff, started her first novel when she was 8 years old and she has been hooked on writing ever since. Her novels include "Garden of Madness" and "Isle of Shadows." She is pursuing a graduate degree in ancient history and has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Italy researching her works. To see her travel journals, go to www.tracyhigley.com. For more information about the Black Diamond Writers' Network or the Write it Right conference, call Ruff at 570-645-3059 or email katrina at ptd.net.
n Valley View: The Tri-Valley Bucktree Archery Club will offer a Successful Bowhunting class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 6 at the club, Gun Club Road. Tickets are $20. The class is required to obtain an archery license in certain states, according to a club release. An online course at www.pgc.state.pa.us must be completed prior to registration. Follow the instructions at the "Hunter Education" link. A $20 fee is required to take the online test in order to qualify for the classroom instruction, according to the release. All other classroom material is free on the day of the class.