March Freebie Madness!

Widener to Host Stargazing Night for Teachers March 12

  CHESTER, Pa. — The Widener University Observatory invites area teachers through the secondary level to a special stargazing session using the observatory’s 16-inch computerized reflecting telescope. Open to the first 20 teachers who register, the session will take place Tuesday, March 12 from 7 to 8 p.m., weather permitting.
  Interested teachers can register by calling 610-499-4003 or e-mailing tasminkey@widener.edu. This free session is designed to give teachers an up-close look at the moon, planets and stars so that they can later share their experience with students. Widener astronomy professors and students will be on hand to guide participants on a tour of the night sky.
  The Widener University Observatory is located on the 5th floor of Kirkbride Hall on 17th and Walnut Streets in Chester, Pa.
  Widener University is a private, metropolitan university that connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal attention, leadership development, and experiential learning are key components of the Widener experience. A comprehensive doctorate-granting university, Widener is comprised of eight schools and colleges that offer liberal arts and sciences and professional and pre-professional curricula leading to associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. The university's campuses in Chester, Exton, and Harrisburg, Pa., and Wilmington, Del., serve approximately 6,500 students. Visit the university's website, www.widener.edu, for more information.

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Amanda Kemp and Michael Jamanis perform Phillis Wheatley’s poems and letters
   Dramatist Amanda Kemp, accompanied by violinist Michael T. Jamanis, will perform excerpts of Phillis Wheatley's work, showing how Wheatley made the case for freedom and equality both while she was a slave and after being freed. This FREE public performance is Monday, March 4, 7:30-9:00 pm in the Barn at Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Road in Wallingford. This presentation is a program of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
  Amanda Kemp is the founder of Theatre for Transformation, which blends academic research and theatre, and the author of several historical plays. She has taught literature and culture at Cornell University, Dickinson College, and Franklin & Marshall College, where she currently is a Visiting Scholar in the Africana Studies Department.  More about her work can be found at www.dramandakemp.com and www.theatrefortransformation.org.
  Violinist Michael T. Jamanis has received many awards, including the Lincoln Center, Victor Herbert, Metro-Media, and National Federation of Music Clubs Awards. A founding member of the acclaimed Newstead Trio, he has performed in major concert halls worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician. For more information about his work, visit http://michaeljamanis.com.
   Located on 23 acres in Wallingford, PA, Pendle Hill is a Quaker study, retreat, and conference center offering programs for people of all faiths.  At the heart of Pendle Hill is a residential study program which encourages a step back from daily life for reflection and discernment.  Pendle Hill also offers short-term retreats and workshops, publications, and a walk-in bookstore open to the public.

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FREE Smoke Detectors For Local Residents
  The Glenolden Fire Company participated with Channel 6 Save a Life and would like to announce to the residents of Glenolden Borough that smoke detectors are available.  Daylight Savings Time is Sunday, March 10, 2013… Glenolden Fire Company would like to remind everyone when you change your clocks …change your batteries in your smoke detectors.   Any resident of Glenolden who needs a smoke detector or a 9 volt battery, please call the Glenolden Fire House at 610-583-8380 or stop by on any Tuesday night 7 pm to 9 pm.  Remember Working Smoke Detectors Save Lives !

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Delaware County Families Invited to Community Y’s Healthy Kids Day
    On Saturday, April 13 and 27, the Community YMCA is celebrating YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day® with a free community event to get kids moving and learning, and families living healthier. Healthy Kids Day is the Y’s national initiative to improve the health and well-being of families and to help them get a jump on creating a healthier summer. 
  The Community YMCAs Healthy Kids Day will feature fun, active play and educational activities that will inspire kids to carry a spirit of excitement and exploration throughout their summer, including a fitness challenge, moon bounce, information stations, healthy snacks, face painting, swim sessions, arts & crafts, and much more. 
  YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day takes place on April 13 at Ridley High School from 9am-12pm and on April 27 from 1:30-4pm at the Lansdowne YMCA. For more information, visit www.cyedc.org.

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NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER HONORS WOMEN LEADERS AND PIONEERS WITH PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
   Women’s History Month celebration includes FREE admission on 3/24, courtesy of PwC
WHO:              Children and their families
wHAT:           Can honor the achievements, leadership, courage, and strength of women pioneers throughout American history with special programs and events at the National Constitution Center.
wHEN:           Friday, March 1 – Sunday, March 31, 2013                       
WHERE:         National Constitution Center
               525 Arch Street, Independence Mall
               Philadelphia, PA 19106
DETAILS:       The daily schedule of events includes:
Philadelphia Girl Power
Free with museum admission
Program times vary; check the visitor guide upon arrival
This 20-minute interactive show focuses on the remarkable women who have called Philadelphia home.  Visitors will learn the incredible stories of women such as Betsy Ross and singer and civil rights activist Marian Anderson.  Philadelphia Girl Power also celebrates “famous female firsts” in Philadelphia, the home of the first women’s medical college and the first Girl Scout cookie sale.
First Ladies Show
Free with museum admission
Program times vary; check the visitor guide upon arrival
Did you know that Sarah Polk helped write her husband’s speeches?  Or that Lady Bird Johnson was one of our nation’s first environmentalists?  During the First Ladies Show, visitors will discover the often unsung role of America’s First Ladies, and how these women had a tremendous impact, not only on their husband’s presidencies, but also on American history. 
Women in Prohibition Show
Free with museum admission
Program times vary; check the visitor guide upon arrival
In connection with the world-premiere exhibition, American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, the Center will turn the spotlight on famous women of the Prohibition era, including Carry Nation, Frances Willard, and Pauline Sabine.  The Center also will feature special programming that explores the role of women in both the ratification and repeal of Prohibition, as well as the changing role of women in society during the time period.
Order a Story Interactive
Free with museum admission
Program times vary; check the visitor guide upon arrival
Guests can “order a story” from the speakeasy bar located inside the American Spirits exhibition.  During this interactive program, created in partnership with Historic Philadelphia, Inc., museum staff members will share engaging stories from the time period with visitors, who can pick and choose the stories from a special menu.  Stories highlighting the role of women during Prohibition include “Singing the Blues: Empress Bessie Smith” and “The Powder Room.” 
Self-Guided Tour of The Story of We the People
Free with museum admission
This self-guided tour of the Center’s main exhibition, The Story of We the People, highlights defining moments in women’s history.  At the time when our Founders wrote the Constitution, women could not vote in a national election; today, women serve as governors, senators, Supreme Court justices, and presidential candidates.  Visitors will learn about the struggles women overcame to achieve these remarkable advances.
Highlights include:
 The judicial robe worn by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States.
 A collection of artifacts from Susan B. Anthony and the movement for women’s suffrage, including a letter penned by Anthony in 1867, advocating that the word “man” in the U.S. Constitution be replaced with “person”; and a “Votes for Women” plate, featuring a pattern which became a popular way to show support for the women’s suffrage movement.
 The “American National Tree,” which highlights people who have helped shape the Constitution over the last 200 years, such as Bella Abzug, a feminist member of the House of Representatives; Myra Bradwell, a feminist denied the right to practice law; Mary Goddard, printer of the Declaration of Independence; Katharine Graham, Washington Post publisher who authorized the publication of the Pentagon Papers; Candy Lighter, Founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving; and Patsy Mink, the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress.
Giant Board Game
Game times vary; check the visitor guide upon arrival
FREE with museum admission
At the Center’s giant board game in the Grand Hall Lobby, visitors can test their knowledge of women’s history, while competing to see who can make it to the finish first.  Participants serve as game pieces as they roll the giant dice, answer questions, and work their way across the board to the finish line.

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FREE DelCo Environmental Fair
    The fourth annual Delaware County Environmental Fair will be from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at Penn Wood High School, 100 Green Ave. in Lansdowne.
The fair’s mission is simple: to help you make your home greener and your life healthier. With free admission, presentations, demos and workshops for adults and teens, and activities for children, the Enviro Fair appeals to the whole family.
More than 50 exhibitors and information booths will be on hand to educate and inspire with the latest in energy-saving technologies, low-impact household products, healthy foods and activities that can positively change the way you live. And with on-site electronics recycling and document shredding, the Enviro Fair helps you get a head start on spring cleaning.
The Fair is presented by the Earth Care Council of Delaware County and AFewSteps.org. For a complete list of exhibitors and activities at the 2013 Enviro Fair, visit http://earthcarecouncil.org; e-mail questions to info@earthcarecouncil.org. 

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FREE Fun At Darby Library: Take Advantage!

A month of celebration at the Darby Free Library located at 1001 Main Street, Darby  Pa.
  Starting March 1 and 2 join us for some Sr. Seuss fun at 3:30 pm
  Saturday, March 16  Help us celebrate 270 years of library service with RSVP Clowns, a visit from the first librarian, create a scrapbooks of memories, cake,  and more surprises. Celebrations starts at 1  am.
  Every Wednesday, Preschool Story Time at 10:30 AM.    After School Fun at 3:30
   Every Thursday a different Dinosaur Movie at 4 pm.

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Friday Night Cooking Classes At Linvilla

  Linvilla Orchards in Middletown Twp. hosts FREE cooking classes. The next "Cooking with Judi" class will be held 6 pm Friday (March 1). 
It's fun and FREE!! Call 610-876-7116 to sign up.

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FREE Scott Arboretum Event Listing

Sunday, March 17, 4 p.m., at The Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College: The highlight of the Scott Spring Festival will be the presentation of the Scott Medal and award to John Gaston Fairey. He is the creator of Peckerwood Garden in Hempstead, Texas. Reception to follow. Admission is free and the public is welcome. For more info, call 610-328-8025.

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Old Nether Providence Featured In FREE Presentation
  The Nether Providence Historical Society will present a program of old images and postcard views of Nether Providence and Rose Valley and other close-by areas from Keith Lockhart’s extensive and famous collection. 
   Mr. Lockhart will show his pictures at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 10, at the Helen Kate Furness Library.  The event is free and the public is welcome.

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Tree Commission Hosts Free Lecture

Trees are a huge asset to residential landcapes and the communities where they are located. Yet, correctly planting and caring for the trees is a bit daunting for many homeowners. To take the mystery and worry out of tree care, the Marple Tree Commission and the Marple Public Library are offering area homeowners an opportunity to learn the basics by attending two free lectures 7:30 p.m., March 12 and March 19, at the Marple Township Building, 227 South Sproul Road in Marple (below the Marple Public Library).
The first lecture, “Avoiding Landscape Blunders,” by Howard Eyre, assistant professor of Ornamental Horticulture at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, will address critical issues such as “Planting Roots or Burying Trees?”, “To Mulch or Too Much Mulch?” and others in his humorous, highly informative presentation.
The second lecture, “Your Yard and Your Trees…Perfect Together!” by B.J. Hensil, horticulture instructor at Upper Darby High School and owner of a garden design and installation business, will explore the many issues to consider when choosing the right tree for your particular property. Among them will be “Suit the Site,” and “Wanted: Trees that Multitask.”
Members of the public will find this information very helpful for caring for their trees and  monitoring the work of landscape services they hire to assure that they are using correct procedures. Bring your questions and concerns and enjoy! For more information; treecommission@marpletwp.com.
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