The Reading Eagle

GEICO Skytypers to be part of World War II Weekend

The Reading Eagle

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Skywriting has come a long way since the Wicked Witch of the West wrote “Surrender Dorothy” with the smoke trailing from her flying broom.

Skywriting is a complex art, and this week one of the most precision-focused groups to spell out messages in the sky will come to Reading.The GEICO Skytypers, pilots who use exhaust and precision flying to “type” out giant messages, will make their first appearance at Reading Regional Airport during the 27th annual World War II Weekend hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.

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Wyomissing Center alumni gather for reunion

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Penn State Berks held a reunion Friday for students of the former Wyomissing Center of the Pennsylvania State University who graduated between 1960 and 1972.

About 60 were in attendance at the reunion on the Penn State Berks campus. Some came from around Berks County, while others traveled from as far as New Mexico and Florida.

The event, which featured remarks from David Delozier, director of development and alumni relations, and R. Keith Hillkirk, Penn State Berks chancellor, was dubbed the “Pioneer Reunion” in honor of the students and staff of the Wyomissing Center, who are known as pioneers because they were the first graduates of the campus.

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Boyertown artscape on display during Fourth Friday walk

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Businesses in downtown Boyertown hosted a group of diversely skilled local artists Friday during the town’s monthly Fourth Friday Art Walk.

Rachael Kehler, owner of the Peppermint Stick Candy Store, said the idea for the Art Walk began when someone approached her at last October’s Pickfest, Boyertown’s music and culture festival, expressing an interest in having musicians play in front of stores. At the time, Kehler, who started the Boyertown Main Street Merchants Group, already had a banjo player performing in front of her Philadelphia Avenue candy store and loved the idea.

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Boyertown’s State Theatre has swashbuckling movie opening

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When the State Theatre in Boyertown opened its doors Friday night for its first movie screening in more than two years, it welcomed a crowd of enthusiastic moviegoers of all ages, many of whom were dressed in pirate gear.

The 7 p.m. showing of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” was the first movie the theater has run on its new digital projector and sound system, which the State Theatre Preservation Society purchased with the help of donations and a grant from the Berks County Community Foundation.”It’s $100,000 well spent,” said Charles Haddad, president of the Boyertown State Preservation Society.

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UGI presents $28,000 to Berks organizations

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UGI Energy Services presented $28,000 in scholarships to organizations in Berks County on Thursday.

The scholarship contributions were divided among three check presentations throughout the day. The first, an $8,000 donation to the Penngift Foundation, took place at High Point Baptist Church in Geigertown. The second was a $15,000 gift to the Berks County Community Foundation in Reading, and the final check, worth $5,000, was presented to ACSI Children’s Community Foundation in Reading. All three organizations work to provide financial assistance for students to attend private schools.

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Un-reel restoration: Boyertown’s State Theatre to show its first digital film

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Since reopening in October, Boyertown’s historical State Theatre has hosted plays, concerts and other live entertainment.

On Friday the 105-year-old theater takes another major step toward revival: It will begin showing movies for the first time since it closed more than two years ago. The first movie will be “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” the fifth installment of the “Pirates” series.For generations of Boyertown-area residents who knew the State, at 61 N. Reading Ave., as a neighborhood movie house, the return of films marks a significant milestone in its comeback, which has involved extensive renovations and community support.

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Clinic pitches softball to Olivet Boys & Girls Clubs

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Local coaches and players held a softball clinic behind Lauer’s Park Elementary School.

About 10 girls attended the clinic on Tuesday; it was the first in the area to be put on by Olivet Boys & Girls Clubs.

Umpire and coach Todd Becker said the clinic was aimed at increasing community exposure to the City of Reading RBI Program and to softball in general.

RBI, an acronym for Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, is a national program created by Major League Baseball and designed specifically for inner city youth.

Becker said he expects the organization to continue growing in Reading.

RBI is the main softball program for students in many of Reading’s schools.

Reading RBI coordinator Carlos Belilla said he hopes the softball clinic will become an annual tradition, and several of the athletes participating in the clinic echoed this hope.

The clinic featured appearances from athletes at the high school, college and national levels, including Duane Weiler, a member of Team USA’s national fast-pitch team.

After helping participants practice their softball skills, the athletes signed autographs and posed for photos.

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