Morgantown/Honey Brook townlively.com
AUGUST 7, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Plans underway for Berks Book Bonanza BY FRANCINE FULTON
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Giving unused items a second chance to help others Local thrift stores in need of donations BY FRANCINE FULTON
recycling, meaning fewer items wind up in a landfill; decluttering, The benefits of donating which can create a calmer and clothing and other goods to local more organized environment thrift stores include promoting at home; and supporting local See Thrift stores pg 5
Sorting books in preparation for the sale are (from left) Ann Wenrich, Judy Ellsworth and Melody Kemp.
about 40 volunteers are on hand. Each volunteer is given a sheet of book sorting guidelines provided by Judy Ellsworth, a member of the Book Bonanza Executive Committee, who has been involved with the sale since 2015.
MCC
ven though the Berks Book Bonanza will not be held until September, volunteers are busy now collecting, inspecting and sorting books donated by the community. Volunteers are accepting books at the new site of the Book Bonanza, previously held at the Berkshire Mall, at the County of Berks South Campus location, 400 E. Wyomissing Ave., Mohnton. Items will be accepted on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon, on Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 9 a.m. to noon. Aug. 17 will be the last day donation day. As part of a drive-through format, those who have books, DVDs, CDs or games or vinyl records to donate will be greeted by volunteers who will take the items from their car, box them, load them onto carts and bring them indoors for sorting. During any given collection time,
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See Book Bonanza pg 4
Among the local thrift stores in need of donations is the Tel Hai Retirement Community Resale Shop, which is operated by volunteers, including (from left) Joy Pepperday, Peg Gavner, Judi Lownes and Elke Burke.
Humane Pennsylvania president and CEO celebrates 20 years BY FRANCINE FULTON
What started out as a part-time job at the Chester County SPCA (now the Brandywine Valley SPCA) has turned into a career in animal welfare for Karel Minor, president and CEO of Humane Pennsylvania (PA), who recently celebrated his 20th year with the organization. Minor, who was honored in July with a celebratory luncheon
and presented with a 20-year service pin, joined the Humane Society of Berks County in 2004. In 2014, he led the merger of the Humane Society of Berks County and the Humane League of Lancaster County to form Humane PA. Minor is a graduate of West Chester University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in earth and space science. During his 30-plus year career, Minor See Humane PA pg 2
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Volunteers, including (from left) John Hunt, Fred Douglass, Frank Gutekunste, Buster Smith and Pat Kemp, wheel boxes of donated books inside the building for sorting.
“You first check the condition of the book. We only want to keep books that somebody will buy,” Ellsworth explained, noting that the four main categories of books at the sale will be history, mystery/thriller, romance and general fiction. Books that are moldy or in bad condition are placed into boxes for recycling. “Even though we say we don’t take encyclopedias, Reader’s Digest condensed books or microwave cookbooks, you find them in there and we recycle them,” Ellsworth said. “We have a volunteer who pulls off the spirals so we can recycle the paper.” Also rejected are books that have highlighting or writing in them. “We (also) look for time sensitive. We don’t need political commentary that is more than five years old,” Ellsworth noted. “In the Health and Fitness (category), we don’t need (to read) about cancer treatments from 2000. We don’t need to read about
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