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CAMPOREE FLAG CEREMONY
The Juniata Valley Council of Scouting America and Centre County Sheriff Bryan Sampsell will hold a flag-raising ceremony at Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village on Saturday, April 25, at 8:30 a.m., as part of Light to Unite -- Flags Across the Commonwealth, a statewide celebration marking America's 250th birthday.
The event will take place beside the historic Curtin Mansion at the former iron plantation, site of Pennsylvania's longest-operating charcoal-fired iron furnace and the home of ironmaster Roland Curtin, Sr., father of Civil War governor Andrew Gregg Curtin. Bryan family descendants, whose ties to Curtin date to the mid-1800s, will participate in raising the flags.
The ceremony is one stop in a 67-county flag relay that began in Philadelphia on Feb. 8 and will conclude in Pittsburgh on Flag Day, June 14. The flag-raising also opens the 2026 Juniata Valley Council Spring Camporee, which is closed to the public.
Howard Scout Troop 353 is hosting the annual Camporee this year.
Curtin Village will begin its summer tour season on June 14, with tours offered twice monthly through September. A special program, "Echoes of the Revolution on Eagle Iron Plantation," is scheduled for July 12 at 1 p.m.
For more info about Curtin Village, visit their website, curtinvillage.com, or email Roland Curtin Foundation President Sue Hannagan at curtinvillage@gmail.com.
For more info on Howard Scout Troop 353 or the Camporee, call Tom or Patti Long at 814-625-2182.
YARD SALES
If your town, community or housing development is having yard sales please let me know. Individual yard sales will not be listed, only specific towns or communities.
-- April 24-25 will be the Rote Community Yard Sales.
-- Howard Community Yard Sale dates are May 1-2.
-- Bargains and Blessings Community Closet will be open on Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Faith Chapel United Methodist Church, 551 Hunter Run Road, Howard. Gently used, good quality clothing, shoes and accessories for the entire family are available. Sizes range from infants to 3X and are priced at $5 per bag full. Bags will be provided.
-- Howard Fire Company's Annual Indoor Yard Sale will be on May 7-9. Sale hours will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The kitchen will be open on Thursday and Friday until 5 p.m.
Donations of clean and working items can be dropped off at the fire hall on Monday, May 4, and Tuesday, May 5, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Wednesday, May 6, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Please do not bring tires, car seats, tv's, computers or keyboards as donations. And please, no wet clothing items. Please make sure that your items are in working condition and if not, put them in your own trash can at home, rather than our yard sale crew having to put them in the dumpster.
-- Milesburg Community Yard Sales will be on May 15-16.
-- Bellefonte's Community Yard Sales will also be on May 15 and May 16.
-- Centre Hall Community Yard Sale dates are June 26-27.
MISSIONS TRIP
A crew from Wingate Faith Church will be joining forces with the Bellefonte Mission Team to travel to Marshall, N.C., to lend a hand to the victims of Hurricane Helene again this July. Financial support is needed to help cover traveling expenses for the volunteers.
If you weren't able to participate in the Dine-to-Donate event at the Texas Roadhouse in State College earlier this week, then you can still help by attending the Pasta Dinner tonight, April 24, at the church. From 4-6:30 p.m. you can enjoy a variety of pasta, meatballs and sauce, salad, rolls, dessert and drinks. The meal will cost $12 for adults, $6 for students and those under age six get to eat for free. This meal is offered by both sit down eating or by take-out.
Wingate Faith Church is located at 111 Runville Road, Bellefonte, which is directly behind the Sheetz store in Wingate. Call Janette at 814-883-0893 for info.
CEMETERY CLEAN-UP
Fairview Cemetery will be holding clean-up activities starting on May 1, so please visit the cemetery and take off the grave decorations of your loved ones that you want to keep. If you care to remove all the old and faded items that would be much appreciated by the clean-up volunteers.
Please do not remove the American flags that are placed on the graves of the veterans buried at the cemetery. Allowing the flags to stand will make it easier for the volunteers to put the new flags on for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.
Fairview Cemetery is located in Boggs Township at the intersection of Bullit Run Road and Fairview Road and just up the hill from Curtin Hollow Road. If you have any questions about cemetery clean-up at Fairview Cemetery, please call Pastor Dave Etters at 814-355-2815.
FCC DONATIONS
Friendship Community Center in Beech Creek needs the community's support in providing donations that will help to keep the expenses down at the center. Items that are needed are paper towels, toilet paper, toilet cleaning products, Dawn dish washing liquid, Fabuloso multi-purpose cleaning products and 32-gallon garbage bags. By donating these items it keeps the costs down so that the rental fees won't have to be raised. Gift cards to Walmart and Dollar General are also useful for when the center needs to buy certain items that are needed.
Items can be dropped off at the FCC on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings when the library is open from 3-7 p.m.
EGG HILL HOMECOMING
Friends of the Egg Hill Church in Spring Mills are hosting a Spring Homecoming Service on Sunday, April 26, at 2 p.m., at the church. Everyone is invited to attend. Pastor Randy Muthersbaugh from Brush Valley New Life Church will bring the message. Ardell Hosterman will provide the music. A free-will offering will be taken to help with the needed repairs.
There is limited parking, so carpooling is suggested.
If you cannot attend the homecoming service, but would like to send a donation to this 501(c)(3) organization to help, please send your donation check to Friends of Egg Hill Church, 221 Norman Avenue, Pleasant Gap, PA 16823. For more info call Beth Kennedy at 814-777-1333, send an email to jkenn19@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page for upcoming events.
Egg Hill Church will also be honoring America's 250th with a patriotic music celebration, a graveside memorial service honoring a Revolutionary War veteran buried in the church cemetery and having special guest speakers on July 18.
BINGO BENEFITS
KBR Bingo will be hosting a Bingo benefit on April 25 for TJ Butler. TJ has a form of leukemia and has already undergone a bone marrow transplant. He is not able to work so the benefit will help him with his living expenses.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door or in advance. You can follow TJ's recovery progress on the TJ Tough Facebook page.
KBR Bingo will also be hosting a benefit Bingo for Jeremy Seltzer on Sunday, April 26.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased early or at the door.
Jeremy was diagnosed with and is battling Burkitt's non-hodgkins lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer involving the lymph nodes and the stomach. He's undergoing chemo treatment to combat the cancer.
In addition to the Bingo, a basket raffle is also being held. Basket and gift card donations are being accepted and can be dropped off at the KBR Bingo hall for both TJ and Jeremy's benefits.
Call Deb at 570-660-2647 for drop off hours.
KBR Bingo and More is located on the third floor of the Piper Museum building in Lock Haven.
Elevator service is available.
Doors open at 11 a.m., with plenty of food served from the kitchen, and Bingo starts at 1 p.m.
JACK'S HOAGIES
Jack Miller will be making hoagies on May 7-9 at the Yarnell Community Center. The public is invited to place their orders before April 26, by calling Jack at 814-280-0524.
Prices this year will be $10 for regular, $12 for ham or turkey hoagies, $13 for roast beef and $15 for Canadian bacon or cheese steaks. The price includes your choice of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo and oil. You can also have wet, dry or banana peppers or your choice of American or Provolone cheese. You can sit down and eat at the community center or take home with you.
If you're interested in ordering hoagies, please call Jack as soon as possible.
You need to schedule a pick-up time so Jack and his helpers will be sure to have your order ready. Pick-up hours are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
LIONS NEWS
Howard Area Lions Food Bank distribution dates will be on May 4 and May 18. Distribution is handled from the former Beech Creek Elementary and runs from noon until 3 p.m. Bring a sturdy box (or boxes) with you. A large number of boxes are needed each month for the food distributions.
Milesburg Lions Club holds a weekly Bingo every Thursday night at the Milesburg Community Center. Doors open at 5 p.m. and Bingo starts at 6:45 p.m.
Howard Area Lions Bingo will be held on May 14 at the Beech Creek Fire Company social hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and Bingo starts at 6:30 p.m.
If Bingo players bring a bag(s) full of candy valued at $5 or more, they will get $5 off their Bingo packet price during the May 14 Bingo night. Please make sure the candy is individually wrapped pieces and no chocolate because it melts too easily.
The candy will be used by the Lions Club to throw to spectators at the Memorial Day parade in Beech Creek.
Howard Area Lions will have their Memorial Service on Friday, May 22, at the Foster Joseph Sayers Medal of Honor Memorial Monument at the breast of the dam. The Lions will be coordinating the program with the Centre County Veterans Affairs office this year. Both the Centre and Clinton County Veterans Affairs offices participate each year, but take turns in helping to formally organize the annual program.
During the memorial program the new bricks in the Walk of Honor at the monument are unveiled. Anyone can purchase an engraved brick with a veterans name on it for the walkway. I think the bricks are $65. If you're interested in purchasing a brick and having it engraved so it can be laid in the walkway for this year's memorial service, you can contact Lion Lloyd Rhoades for an application. Lion Lloyd's email is lar2psu@gmail.com or you can call him at 814-355-1776.
More info will follow on the memorial service as it draws closer.
FIRE NEWS
-- Centre Hall Fire Company's First Friday of the Month Bingo will be held on May 1. The bonus organization that the fire company will be helping to raise funds for will be the HOPE Fund of Penns Valley. This fund helps folks in the Penns Valley area who are in need, whether it be because of a serious illness, house fire or some other "crises" that is happening to them.
-- Centre Hall Fire Company's annual spring gun raffle will be held on May 16, 2026. Tickets are $10 and available from any fire company member or at the fire station during training nights or events.
-- Our local fire companies can use donations of bottled water anytime during the year, but with warmer temperatures coming, it's important that our emergency responders stay hydrated, especially if they are working at fire scenes for long periods of time. If you can provide a donation of bottled water (or Gatorade) to your local heroes, just drop by your local fire station when it's open. Your donation will certainly be appreciated!
UPCOMING EVENTS
-- The Penns Valley FFA and the Penns Valley Young Farmers will be hosting a Donkey Basketball game tonight, April 24. The PV Rams will take on the Little Lions from State College. Doors at the Penns Valley High School New Gym will open at 6 p.m. and the game starts at 7 p.m.
-- The Back Porch String Band will have their Country Jam on Sunday, April 26, from 2-6 p.m., at the Yearick Center/Howard fire hall. Country Jam is held the fourth Sunday afternoon of each month except in December.
The afternoon of music is free, and those attending should bring a snack to share with others there. A hat is passed for you to contribute a few dollars to thank the Howard Fire Company for allowing the folks to gather there for Country Jam each month.
If you play an instrument bring it along and join in the fun! For more info call Connie at 814-625-2724.
-- Howard Grange will have a food tent set up during the Howard Yard Sale on May 1 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Grange will offer breakfast sandwiches (until sold out), hamburgers, hot dogs, cheeseburger soup, drinks and baked goods. The location of the food tent will be announced closer to the yard sale.
-- Howard VFW Post # 8269 will have a Chicken BBQ on Saturday, May 2. The chicken should be ready at 11 a.m. You can get ½ chicken, macaroni salad, potato salad, baked beans and a roll for $15. Come early because it sells out fast!
-- Milesburg Food Bank is open on Tuesday, May 5, from 1-3 p.m. This food distribution is held the first Tuesday of each month at the Milesburg Presbyterian Church.
-- Food distribution will be on Thursday, May 7, from 4-6 p.m., at St. John's Lutheran Church, 216 McAllister St., Bellefonte. There aren't any income guidelines but a few questions are asked for those attending for the first time. For more info on these food distributions held the first Thursday of each month, call Leilani "Loni" at 814-548-7835.
-- Howard VFW's Spring Gun Drawing will be on Saturday, May 9, from noon to 5 p.m., at the club along Walnut Street in Howard. Tickets are $10 each and can be obtained by stopping at the VFW Club or by seeing a club member.
-- The Howard Scouts are hosting a Mother's Dinner on Saturday, May 9, at the Howard United Methodist Church. Take your mom out for dinner with the proceeds benefiting Scout Troop 353.
The menu for this special dinner honoring mothers will be stuffed chicken breast, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, cole slaw, applesauce, rolls with butter and strawberry shortcake! Reservations must be made by calling Patti at 814-625-2182. You can pick your eating hour from 3-4 p.m., 4:30-5 p.m. or 6-7 p.m. Take-out meals must also be reserved and must be picked up between 2-3 p.m. The meals will cost $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 5-12 and free for little ones.
Make your reservations early and get a $25 Weis gift card courtesy of Howard United Methodist Church!
-- Centre Ballroom is sponsoring a ballroom dance on Sunday, May 10, from 2-5 p.m., at Lambert Hall in Bellefonte. The dance will start with a swing dance lesson. The cost is $10/person and those attending should bring a snack to share. Call Rod at 717-543-8348 for more info.
-- Beech Creek Wesleyan Church will have the free Mobile Food Pantry at the church on Thursday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Anyone may come and receive food. This distribution is being administered by the New Love Center in Jersey Shore.
The food distribution will be held at the church, 217 Main St., Beech Creek.
-- Milesburg Museum is having a bronze sign made that lists the 15 Patriots from Milesburg as well as the 17 founding families of Milesburg to commemorate America250. An unveiling ceremony is being planned for June 28, at 4 p.m., at the Milesburg Post Office. There will be birthday cake, also!
Milesburg was settled in the 1760, before the Revolutionary War, and we proudly say that Milesburg had the most Patriots from Centre County!
More info will be coming closer to the Patriot unveiling and celebration date.
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Howard Happenings is written and compiled
by Tammy Coakley who can be reached by
email at tammysue0115@gmail.com or by
telephone at 814-625-2684.