Broke After Christmas? No Worries, January Has Loads of Freebies!

How to Download Free EBooks at Ridley Township Library

   Did you get an ebook reader for Christmas? Or have you had one for a while, and haven’t  used it yet because of the expense of buying books to read on it? Local residents can borrow ebooks from the Delaware County Library System for free! The DCLS download service works with most popular ebook readers, including the Kindle, Kobo and Nook, as well as theIPad, IPhone, and Android phones.
    Ridley Township Public Library will host a demonstration for readers to  learn how to download best sellers and other popular books. David Belanger, Director of the Delaware County Library System, will present the free program 12:30 pm  Sat. (January 26) in Garling Hall at the Ridley Township Public Library.
   Registration is required and may be done by calling 610-583-0593, stopping by the library, located at 100 E. MacDade Blvd, Folsom, or emailing reference@ridleylibrary.org. This program is an Information Literacy program of the PA Forward Initiative.

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Free Financial Aid Session At Community College

 Delaware County Community College’s will host its 16th Annual Financial Aid Information Night 6:30 to 9:30p.m., Thursday (Jan. 3).  The event is free and open to the public and will be held in the Academic Building at the College’s Marple Campus, 901 South Media Line Road.
   Prospective students and their families are invited to receive pertinent financial aid and financing information. Financial aid professionals and representatives from lending institutions will present.
   Contact the Admissions Office at 610-359-5050 with any questions.

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FREE LEGAL ADVICE OFFERED BY PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION JANUARY 16

 The Philadelphia Bar Association will offer free legal advice to residents of Philadelphia and the surrounding counties on Wednesday, January 16, between 5 and 8 p.m.  Members of the public can access the service by calling the Association’s LegalLine P.M. hotline at (215) 238-6333.
  Area residents seeking confidential legal advice will be able to speak for free with a volunteer attorney from the Philadelphia Bar Association.  Attorneys are available to offer information about any aspect of the law including family law, landlord-tenant, workers’ compensation and employment law, among other topics.
  LegalLine P.M. is a public service sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association, providing residents with free, quick and accurate legal advice during convenient evening hours.  LegalLine P.M. is offered on the third Wednesday of every month from 5 to 8 p.m.  The program has existed for nearly 20 years, allowing volunteer attorneys to help thousands of callers through direct service or by referring them to an appropriate source.
  In addition, during regular work hours, the Philadelphia Bar Association offers another program -- the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) -- which provides lawyer referrals to area residents.  Staff attorneys take calls from the general public and refer callers to attorneys in private practice for a 30-minute consultation, for which the attorney agrees to charge a drastically reduced fee of $30.
  If callers do not need an attorney or cannot afford one, they will be directed to a legal service organization, agency or other resource for assistance.  LRIS is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., by calling (215) 238-6333.
  Founded in 1802, the 13,000-member Philadelphia Bar Association is the oldest association of lawyers in the United States.

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Intermediate Unit Sponsors Workshop For Parents Of Special Needs Kids
     A free workshop to help parents to better navigate the often challenging roadmap of educating their children with disabilities will be held 7 to 9p.m., Wednesday (Jan. 16) at Ridley Community Center (next to Ridley High School), 801 Morton Ave., Folsom.
   “AD/HD and Executive Functioning Weaknesses: How to Help Your Child Navigate their World,” will be presented by Becky Millspaugh, DCIU Professional Development Specialist.
   Long lists of accommodations and/or specially designed instructions may not be the most practical way to help students with AD/HD navigate their world. This parent workshop will focus on defining executive functioning in parent-friendly terms with practical and targeted strategies to try both at home and when working with school teams to improve skill and accommodation planning for children.
   To register, go to www.dciu.org and select “Coursewhere” from the Quick Links. Use the search buttons to view DCIU offerings by category, by month, by location, or by interest. Those without computer access may register in person at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, 200 Yale Ave., Morton, weekdays between t8:30a.m. and 4:30p.m. For more information, call 610-938-9000, ext. 2263.
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Winter Is Here And So Are New Books For Book Clubs

 Many area book discussion groups are tired of trying to decide what to read next and then not finding enough copies. Area groups can check out the hundred-plus Book Club-in-a-Bag available from select libraries around the county.
   There are over 175 sets, each focusing on a popular title for book discussion groups. Each bag contains everything discussion groups need: discussion questions, an author biography and much more -- all in one easy to carry bag.
   New titles include Gold, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Time Keeper, The Light between Oceans and many more popular titles.
   The bags are available from the Delaware County Library System, the Haverford Township Free Library, the Rachel Kohl Community Library, the Marple  Library, and the Prospect Park Library. To reserve a bags for a book club contact the local librarian. For a complete list of titles check the DCLS web page, www.delcolibraries.org, and click the book club link.  The titles are also listed in the DCLS on-line catalog (search the subject Book Club Bag) or call Susan Purcell at 610-891-8622.
  The Delaware County Library System is the department of county government responsible for providing support services for 26 independent member public libraries.

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 The Residence at Glen Riddle, 263 Glen Riddle Road, will host a workshop on the Veterans Aid, Wednesday (Jan. 9). (Inclement weather date Jan.16.
   Visitors will learn about the eligibility requirements and the monthly allotments that are available through the Veterans Administration for those who live in senior assisted living communities.
   The workshop is free but registration is required. Call Linda at 610-358-9933 to register.
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‘A Pennyworth Christmas’ At Trinity Church

 The community is invited to ring out the Christmas season in style, with a concert of holiday music featuring Renaissance carols, medieval chants, and unusual Wassail songs, plus favorites from the 18th through the 20th centuries.
   The Good Pennyworths are known for their dramatic interpretations of early music, and the quartet tours regularly. Featuring voice, tenor and gothic harp, and baritone and Renaissance lutes, the group will perform 7p.m., Saturday (Jan. 5) in the sanctuary of Trinity Episcopal Church, 301 North Chester Road, Swarthmore.
   The concert is free and a donation will be taken at the door to help defray the musicians’ travel costs.

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Free Family Addiction Education Program Offered

Each month PRO-ACT (Pennsylvania Recovery Organization–Achieving Community Together) hosts a Family Addiction Education Program to help individuals and family recognize and address an addiction problem in a spouse, parent, child or other loved one.
  The next session runs Jan. 8, 15 and 22 in Media.
  Led by trained volunteers who have been in the same situation, the information and support programs are held for three consecutive Tuesday evenings, from 7 to 9p.m. at Holcomb Behavioral Health Services in Media.
  Sessions are free and confidential, using first names only. Pre-registration is required by calling 800-221-6333, weekdays 9 to 5, or visit www.proact.org and click the Family Addiction Education Program link.

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Video Retreat Slated At St. John’s 

  Rev. Ronald Rolheiser will help present a Video Retreat, a program which includes five sessions, showing every Thursday at 7p.m., beginning Jan. 10, at St. John Chrysostom Church.
    The program on Jan. 10 is “Creating Sabbath Space in Our Lives.” The remaining programs will be: “Obstacles to Sabbath” on Jan. 17; “Showing Up for the Wedding Feast” on Jan. 24;  Sabbath as Solitude and Reconciliation on Jan. 31; and “Sabbath: The Rest in God” on Feb. 7.
    The church is at 617 S. Providence Rd, Wallingford. For more information and to register, call Sister Antoinette at 610-872-7194.

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Local Artist Richard Wagner To In Spotlight At Martins Run
 Local artist Richard Wagner is no stranger to Martins Run. His wife, Lisa Learner, is the art teacher at the Media-based senior living community, where she has taught techniques and brush strokes to residents for the past five years.
   Now, it is her husband’s turn. He will be the next featured artist in Martins Run’s Spotlight Artist Series. Wagner will showcase his artwork from Jan. 8 through 31 in Martins Run’s gallery, and will open his exhibit with a meet and greet on 6:30p.m., Wednesday (Jan. 9).
   Wagner is a renowned award-winning artist along Philadelphia’s Main Line and has had a career in art spanning more than two decades. He is a graduate of Philadelphia College of Art with a BFA in painting and printmaking. Prior to that, he studied lithography and darkroom photography at Blackhawk Mountain School of Art in Colorado. He has worked in a variety of media.
   In addition to participating in more than thirty shows and art exhibits throughout Pennsylvania, Wagner has also worked with various organizations within the community. He was an Adjunct Instructor at Cabrini College, an art director for The Entertainment Group and Fantasy Productions, and an instructor at Main Line Art Center where he taught woodcarving. Wagner has been the recipient of several notable honors and scholarships, including a fellowship for a two-month residency at the Vermont Studio Colony and the Sellersville “Gallery in the Park” award for Outstanding Paintings.
   Martins Run invites the community to attend a Meet and Greet the Artist, at which time Wagner will speak about his artwork and the pieces he selected to be part of his showcase. Prior to his talk, complimentary light refreshments will be available.
   Martin’s run is on Gradyville Road in Edgmont.
   (For more information on Martins Run’s Featured Artist Series, contact Amy Blum, Program Coordinator at Martins Run, at 610-353-7660, ext. 254 or ablum@martins-run.org.)

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Secrets of Body Language Revealed at Lifetree Café 
Practical insights about the meaning of body language will be provided at Lifetree Café on Sunday January 6th at 6:00pm.
  The program, titled “Body Language:  What You Say Before You Say a Word,” features an exclusive filmed interview with nonverbal communication expert Jan Hargrave, author of “Actions Speak Louder Than Words” and “Let Me See Your Body Talk.”
  “Fifty-five percent of communication is nonverbal, 38 percent is from voice inflection, and only 7 percent of communication has to do with the words we say,” says Hargrave, who reports that a better understanding of body language provides a key advantage in sales, business, job interviews, and even romance.      Admission to the 60-minute event is free. Snacks and beverages are available. Lifetree Café is located at the Regency Café in Lansdowne.  29 N Lansdowne Ave.
  Lifetree Café is a place where people gather for conversation about life and faith in a casual coffeehouse-type setting. Questions about Lifetree may be directed to David Anderson at 610-622-6161 or stpaul@rcn.com

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Pay What You Wish Admission at the Museum for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
  Admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be Pay What You Wish on Monday, January 21, in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Throughout the day the Museum will host an Art and Service Workshop with a range of activities for all ages. This event is a unique and exciting way to give back to the greater Philadelphia community as part of a nationwide effort to honor Dr. King’s legacy through social action.
  Visitors will have the opportunity to work with Museum educators to create greeting cards for individuals and families dealing with life-threatening illnesses. The cards will be distributed with home-delivered meals provided by the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA). Museum goers will also be able to decorate confetti-filled eggs, or cascarones, in support of the Cascarones Por La Vida Fund. The Fund will auction the eggs and donate the proceeds to organizations that assist children living with HIV and AIDS. Also on the Day of Service, illustrator E. B. Lewis will read from Each Kindness, a children’s book written by Jacqueline Woodson promoting tolerance and understanding in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Lewis, who illustrated Each Kindness, will be available for a book signing following the reading.
  This event marks the fifth year the Museum has partnered with Global Citizen as a workshop site for the Day of Service.
Hours:
The Museum will be open on Monday, January 21, 2013, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Day of Service activities will run from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, with a book reading at 11:30 am.
Social Media:
Facebook: philamuseum; Twitter: philamuseum; Tumblr: philamuseum; YouTube: PhilaArtMuseum; Instagram: @philamuseum
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Library Sponsors Teen Mic Night At GR Mall
 Teen Open Mic Night will be hosted by the Middletown Free Library at Aurora Cafe in the Granite Run Mall 6 to 8p.m., the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
   Sign ups are at the library or at the cafe just before the open mic starts. The event is for teen poets, singers, songwriters, musicians, and storytellers.

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Six Decades Of Chester High Basketball Teams Honored        An exhibit honoring Chester High basketball teams of the past six decades is coming to the Museum of the History of Delaware County in February.
    Plans are being formulated by the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame to hold an exhibit honoring the teams, starting with the 1951/1960 team up to and including the 2001/2012  teams.
    A "Dream Team" will be selected from each ten-year span (with the last decade expanded to include the  2012 team).  
   A 20'' by 24'' photo montage will be designed to highlight the athletes chosen to represent Chester High basketball in their respective decade.
    The unveiling of the exhibit will be held during a Black History Month celebration at the Delaware County Historical Society Museum at Fourth Street and the Avenue of the States, Chester.
 For more information, contact Jim Vankoski, curator of The Mickey Vernon Sports History Museum, at 610-909-4919 or email vankoski21@comcast.net.

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Temple Sholom Celebrates Inter-faiths Jan. 27

 A concert of 20 Jewish Cantors singing in a Roman Basilica celebrates the progress in inter-faith relationships and the importance of understanding and tolerance.
   “To God's Ears,” a 42-minute documentary presenting a beautiful combination of music, performance, story and history will be shown 3p.m., Sunday (Jan. 27) at Temple Sholom, Broomall.
   The history of conflict between Catholics and Jews over thousands of years has eased in present times and the film examines Catholic-Jewish dialogue, telling a story of how far the two have come.
   Swarthmore resident Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro, of Temple Sholom in Broomall was a participant in the concert.
   The film will be followed by a question and answer session at 4p.m. with the film's director, Jeffrey Schneider, who will join the audience via Skype from California; and Kerith Spencer-Shapiro.
   Admission is free but donations will be accepted to support the film and the American Conference of Cantors.
   Temple Sholom in Broomall is at 55 N. Church Lane. For more information, call 610-356-5165.

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FREE Art Exhibit and Reception
Please join the students of Daffodil Arts at their Winter show on Friday, January 4, from 5 to 7 pm at Swarthmore Borough Hall, 121 Park Avenue, Swarthmore.
  Artists range in age from children to adults and featured works are in a variety of media with a focus on watercolor and oil. Student artists and teacher Rinal Parikh will greet guests and light refreshments will be served.
  The free exhibit will continue through January.