Parkland Press

·Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem, is recruiting youths for the 2013 goLEAD Leadership Program July 15-19.

Applications are available at volunteerlv.org and must be submitted by June 23.

Contact Brielle at 610-807-0336 or youth@volunteerlv.org.

·Da Vinci Science Center, Allentown, needs exhibit floor volunteers.

Contact Jen Pors at 484-664-1002 or Jen@davincisciencecenter.org.

·Easton Area Community Center is looking for volunteers ages 16 and older to help with summer day camp June 14 to Aug. 16 for youths ages 5-15.

Parkland Community Library will be participating in summer reading this month.

This year's theme, "Dig Into Reading," is all about the wonders under our feet – root vegetables, buried treasure, dinosaur bones, evidence of ancient civilizations and, of course, the critters.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if every child participated in summer reading and, as a result, they raised literacy rates throughout the area?

When children read only 16.9 minutes a day, they are exposed to 1,168,000 words a year and test in the 70th percentile.

Thousands of people enjoy the hobby of farm watching.

Identifying and observing farms and farm activity provides endless joy and can make living in or visiting the countryside even more pleasurable.

Our temperate climate, relatively long growing season, good soils, and easy access to markets make Pennsylvania prime habitat for agriculture.

Also, farms are relatively abundant in Pennsylvania and commonly can be found by watchful observers in both rural and suburban parts of the commonwealth.

June

Hoist the balloons

for the month of June

Month that you are

those near and far

Attend celebrations

as countless as stars

Sailing through

Birthdays

Graduations

Weddings

Anniversaries

Reunions

From the first to the 30th

We attend each event

Purchase gifts galore

So there's ample delight

Such a splendid occasion is June

What a sight!

D.J. Hausman-Hill

Lititz

I grew up in the sleepy canal town of Freemansburg, on the outskirts of Bethlehem.

I have fond memories of my childhood.

Many of the children and teenagers knew each other and spent hours on end in the summer playing on the sidewalks, in the streets and in the surrounding small fields.

We spent summer days fishing down at the canal. We would gather together on one another's front porches throughout the day and into the evening, and talk about life and dream about the future.

Our parents knew each of us and they treated us like we were part of their family.

Earlier this month, Pennsylvania said goodbye to a governor who served nearly six decades ago, and who was a man who continues to instill in us valuable lessons of democracy.

Gov. George Michael Leader died May 9 at the age of 95 – more than five decades after serving at the helm of state government as the second youngest governor in Pennsylvania history.

Although he only served four years (1955-59), it was during a time in which commonwealth governors were only permitted to serve one, four-year term.

Usually, when I watch the evening news on television, the broadcasts about the day's events do not bother me.

However, news of a tragic event, either nationally or locally, upsets me.

Last week, when I watched a broadcast about a man bragging about brutally murdering British Soldier Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, on the streets of London, England, I became angry.

The man, covered in blood, waved around a meat cleaver and knife and bragged about murdering a soldier in broad daylight on a public street.

A few weeks ago, I ran into a retired couple I had not seen for at least two years.

Residents of Ohio, they try to visit the Lehigh Valley annually for the Bach music festival in Bethlehem.

The husband has roots here, so when he and his wife are in the area they tend relatives' graves and place flowering plants at each family member's tombstone.

As we chatted, they mentioned an eagerly-anticipated upcoming monthlong journey to Norway and Germany, homelands of their ancestors.

On average, farmers receive about 19 cents out of every consumer dollar spent on food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The rest of that dollar pays for processing, distribution, advertising and other costs.

The cost of energy and its impact on businesses, which process, ship and store our food has a significant impact on food prices.

In addition, labor costs affect every part of the food-value chain.

As labor costs increase, our food can become more expensive.

What can 50 cents buy you?

·Bethlehem Special Olympics is seeking volunteers to serve as coaches, assistant coaches, general volunteers and management team personnel. Programs that need volunteers are swimming, bowling, Leaders for Management Team and Fundraising Team.

Call 610-419-3285 or visit volunteers@bethlehemsopa.org.

·Boutique at Rink needs help during the sale through June 1. Minimum age to participate without parental support is 16.

Call 610-861-7555 or email boutiqueattherink@mail.com.