Today, there’s a parking lot. And a church, a former bus station, an empty grass square… There’s nothing remarkable about the corner of Third and Mulberry. You’ve driven through this intersection and barely registered the space. Which is okay. Attention is precious and you’ve got other things to think about. Maybe you were consciously ignoring…
Dateline: Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a.k.a. “Billtown.” Writer April Line has embarked on a mission to raise the profile of literature with Billtown Blue Lit. I recently caught up with April to talk about her progress with getting a reading series off the ground—and her dream of starting a writers’ retreat, scholarship fund, and online literary journal under the…
The theatrical performance of “Max & Ruby: Bunny Party” came to Williamsport. I freelance for Showcase on the Arts and Nightlife, and in covering the show I got to interview Rosemary Wells. I was beside myself. I hoped maybe some success juju would eke through the phone. I was eager to look inside the mind…
State Rep. Rick Mirabito (D-Lycoming) is urging municipalities and nonprofit organizations planning to rehabilitate existing park and recreation facilities, develop trail projects, and close gaps in statewide greenways to apply for state grants. “Applications are now available for Community Conservation Partnerships Program grants, otherwise known as C2P2 grants,” Mirabito said. “In addition, the state Department…
You grew up, moved out, and started a family of your own. You visit when you can and keep in touch by talking on the phone and emailing pictures of grandchildren, and possibly great-grandchildren, on a regular basis. As your parents and grandparents grow older, though, they may require more help than they used to…
The Executive Director of AIDS Resource in Williamsport, Kirsten Burkhart, is a national HIV Hero! Kirsten won the honor in a nationwide contest to identify the heroes who help victims fight HIV in their communities every day. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges including Grammy Award-winning singer Dionne Warwick, actor Wilson Cruz, movie…
The YWCA of Northcentral PA has had a long history within the Williamsport community of providing unique services to the area. Founded in 1893, the YWCA began as a community-minded organization and has continued to adapt to the needs of Lycoming County for over 100 years. Today the organization has grown and developed into three…
The last two months have been full of changes for Williamsport Community Radio. The station is now back on the air after recovering from a lightning strike and surviving a hurricane and a tropical storm. We’ve now installed a battery backup system and continue to move toward building a professional studio where we can broadcast…
I’ll admit that in the three years I’ve invested in getting Williamsport a new public concrete skatepark, I’ve had my doubts that it would ever really be possible. Don’t get me wrong. The support has always been there. The dream has always been there. Mayor Campana initiated the idea after realizing that hundreds of our…
GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES FEMA/PEMA/County of Lycoming Disaster Recovery Center This location brings together federal and state flood assistance for individuals and businesses affected by the September flooding. Open 7 days a week from 10am until 7pm. Directions: 740 Fairfield Rd, Montoursville. Take Interstate 180 or Lycoming Mall Drive to Fairfield Rd. Follow signs for parking.…
The Newberry Community Partnership (NCP) will be sponsoring a Flea Market in Newberry Park on Saturday,September 17th 8 am to 2 pm [Rain Date: the following Saturday, Sept. 24th—same time & place.] Sellers can bring their own tables or sell from their trunk, van or truck. A limited number of tables are available for rent.…
There is a new player in the revitalization of Williamsport’s downtown—the Grey Art Gallery, located at 140 West Fourth Street next to the venerable Plankenhorn Stationery shop. The gallery is the brainchild of owners Casey Gleghorn and John Yogodzinski, who believe that downtown is ready for a true contemporary art gallery. “There isn’t another for…
Downtown WilliamsportWednesday, Aug. 17Festivities start at 4 pm, parade steps off at 6 pm 7th Annual Grand Slam Parade on Millionaires’ Row and in downtown sections of Williamsport. This parade is our community’s way of welcoming the world to Williamsport as we host the 2011 Little League World Series. It is “Americana” at its best,…
Pajama Factory Studio #48 Saturday, Aug. 13 Children’s morning workshop, ages 6-13: 9-11:30 am ($20, materials included) Adult evening workshop: 6-9:30 pm ($30, materials included) Gustav Klimt was an Austrian painter (born in 1862, died in 1918) and the founder of the school of painting known as the Vienna Sezession. Klimt’s early work was rather…
Saturday, Sept. 17 at 5 pm This event celebrates local talent from our great city and surrounding areas and provides entertainment for the whole family. Expect to see the best of our community’s singers, dancers, gymnasts, and instrumentalists.Print PDF
The Gallery at Pennsylvania College of Technology Aug. 26–Sept. 28 Meet the Artist Reception: Tuesday, Aug. 30, 4:30 – 6:30 pm, gallery talk begins at 5:30 pm This exhibition of recent paintings, drawings, and three-dimensional constructions is intended to engage the viewer, thereby creating a conscious and notable viewing experience. The work accomplishes this in…
In October of 2010, my husband David DeFebo and I left our home in Williamsport to embark on a 13-month national peace walk. We were inspired by the calling to walk our talk, reaching out to what Martin Luther King, Jr., called “the beloved community.” The idea for the 13 Moon Walk 4 Peace was…
Summer is not my favorite. It is sticky, and finding things to do so my kid won’t be utterly bored and sedentary feels like running a marathon must. But summer fare is tops. Some days, we cook three meals on the grill. And the most delightful thing about summer is the local produce. My partner…
WXPI Williamsport Community, 88.5 on the FM dial, now has varied programming that includes music and talk, local and national shows. The schedule below should be good for the next couple of months, but the station is constantly evolving as the all-volunteer staff reach out to the community for suggestions and preferences. Local interview shows…
22ND ANNUAL BILLTOWN BLUES FESTIVAL Sunday, June 12 Gates open 11 am, showtime Noon to 10pm Lycoming County Fairgrounds, Hughesville www.billtownblues.org The Porkroll Project, George Kilby Jr., The Laurie Morvan Band, Big James and the Chicago Playboys, Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Explosion featuring special guests Phil Wiggins, Jerry Portnoy, Steve Guyger, Charlie Baty, plus the…
Linden, May 19—Rain. Wind. Mud. None of it was enough to stop Jay Stabley, owner of South Side Services, from climbing the skinny tower surrounded by farm fields to install a radio antenna. No one on the ground seemed to mind the muck. History was being made, with the installation of transmission equipment for central…
In 1864 after seeing photos of the majestic sequoia trees in California, President Abraham Lincoln saved them from the lumberjack’s axe by signing the Yosemite Land Grant. He was moved by the incredible images of the massive trees published by photographer Carleton Watkins. Images have an immediate and visceral effect on our emotions. Images are…
When I recently asked a group of local youth if they thought of oral sex as sexual intercourse, the resounding response was “NO;” oral sex is not the same thing as vaginal or anal sex. When I asked why, they explained that “you can’t get pregnant from a blow job.” When I asked the same…