Welcome to the New Year!

 Many things are just starting to happen in 2011. A meeting will be held on Saturday January 15, 2011 of the "Friends of the Lazaretto" at 9:15 am in the Tinicum Township Library at 620 Seneca St. in Essington. This is the groups first meeting and they hope to get organized and have something done to preserve the old Lazaretto.  The Lazeratto is the old Quarantine Station at Wanamaker Ave. and the Delaware River. It was built in 1799.
   On  Friday, January 21, 2010 the Colonial Plantation in Ridley Creek State Park will be holding a Beef and Beer at the Jeffords Mansion in the Park. The event is to honor George Washington, but it is really a fundraiser to help the plantation and it's animals make it thru the winter. All non-profits have suffered in this economic climate and the Colonial Plantation is no exception. I'm on the Board there and your support would be greatly appreciated. The tickets are $25.00 and can be bought at the door or by contacting the Colonial Plantation at 610-566-1725 for more information. The beef will be supplied by the "Pig Out" of Thornbury Township and they have won several local awards for best BBQ. The beer is coming from a micro brewery in West Chester that has also won awards. Hope to see you there. There will also be a Cash Raffle drawing of $1000 dollars tickets can be purchased that night for $20 dollars and you need not be present to win.
   The Middletown Historical Society which just started last year is having " Middletown Mondays", a lecture series. I will be speaking next month, but this month on January 24, 2011, Nancy Webster will be speaking on " Middletown Mills". Nancy served on the Delco Planning Department for many years. The lecture begins at 7:30 pm at the Penn State Brandywine, Main Building room 101. The lectures are free and open to the public.
  On Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 7:30 I will be giving a talk at the Springfield Historical Society on Delaware County Covered Bridges. One covered bridge is still standing on Goshen Rd. in Newtown Township. In 1919, Delaware County Council made a commitment to get rid of the last covered bridges just as the state and national roadways were just starting to be created. I will be showing pictures of the old covered bridges and their locations today. Surprisingly, even now  foundation ruins can still be seen. The lecture will be held at the Springfield Township Municipal Building at 56 Powell Rd. The lecture is free and open to the public.