Moving Forward

If you're looking for things to do this weekend, please check out the November program page for ideas.

All Trails of History sites will be closed on Thanksgiving, and many will be closed the following day. Please check the list of Trails of History sites that will be open on Black Friday before you head out.

Today, Nov. 18, is the Lancaster County Community Foundation's Extraordinary Give, a 24-hour online giving marathon (runs until 11:59 pm). The three Trails of History sites in Lancaster County are participating, so you can get your year-end giving started early - Ephrata Cloister, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, and the Railroad Museum of PA. For those of you in other parts of the state, it's not too soon to start thinking about a gift in support of your favorite site!

Garden at Eckley Miners' Village 2014 (AKFox photo)

Patrick McDonnell, acting secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), and State Sen. John Yudichak (D-Plymouth Twp) were at Eckley Miners' Village earlier this month to announce a project to extend the Greater Hazleton Rails-to-Trails to the village, reclaim a 62-acre abandoned mine site, and clean up Hazle Creek and Black Creek for fishing and recreation. Noting the project's economic, environmental, and cultural benefits, McDonnell said, “We’re literally creating a path here between recreation and cultural tours and opportunities the village represents. It is really critical to understand where it is we came from. Investing in these kinds of projects is investing in our communities, our culture, and our history. It demonstrates how environmental benefits and economic goals can be combined.” (Read more about the project in The Citizens' Voice article.)

While I was preparing a tweet about the Joseph Priestley House for #LoveTheatreDay (Nov. 16), my Google Alerts showed me an article about the naming of a new building at Birmingham (UK) City University for our own Dr. Priestley. The building was officially dedicated by the 9th Marquess of Landsdowne, whose home - Bowood House - was the site of Dr. Priestley's experiments with oxygen (he was a tutor in the household of the 1st Marquess). In naming the building for Joseph Priestley, Lord Landsdowne explained that this “will ensure that his legacy, linked with Birmingham City University, continues.” On this side of the Atlantic, Dr. Priestley's legacy continues as well. His American home and laboratory are part of the PA Trails of History, open to the public through a partnership between PHMC and the Friends of Joseph Priestley House. This January, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble will premiere a new play by Anthony Clarvoe, Gunpowder Joe: Joseph Priestley, Pennsylvania, and the American Experiment (that's what I was tweeting about).

Great Hall table, Pennsbury Manor (from Facebook)

And although it's not even Thanksgiving yet, I'm sharing a sneak peek photo from Pennsbury Manor for their annual Holly Nights event, scheduled for Dec. 1 and 2 (online tickets available until noon on Nov. 30 - purchase by Nov. 25 and receive a discount). Just because.