The Scoop

EDITOR JULIE IMEL DISHES THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pockets of greatness
There are so many pockets of greatness in northeastern Pennsylvania, and last week I was fortunate to revisit one of them — the Everhart Museum.
Located in Nay Aug Park, the museum is just a few blocks from my grandparents’ home in the hill section of Scranton. My brother and I spent many a Saturday afternoon wandering from room to room, “ooing” and “ahhing” at all the treasures inside. Even though we must have seen those glowing rocks a million times, we never passed up a chance to visit the rock room. That blue glimmer was so captivating and mesmerizing – no kid could resist. While I enjoyed my mini lessons in geology from these visits, I especially loved visiting the bird room. Last week, although I was there to preview the opening of the BEEyond and Directing Sunbeams: Beekeeping in Northeast Pennsylvania exhibits, I just had to find my favorite great horned owl before the lecture. After all this time, as I approached the glass case that seemed absolutely enormous to me as a child, I wondered if my wise old feathered friend would be staring back.
To my delight, he was. Thank goodness.
It’s funny how your perspective changes over the years. Although I’ve visited the museum many times as an adult, for some reason, I feel that I noticed more during this visit. I really honed in on all the pockets of greatness inside the Everhart that I loved as a child, especially the bird room. The giant glass cases that once seemed incomprehensively large to me, just seemed huge now. The snake in the meadow display (or was it the Pennsylvania marsh?) that once terrified my soul and shook me to my very core was now just another little reptile behind glass. As I laughed to myself about how my perspective had changed, I wondered if they still sold those gorgeous Russian nesting dolls in the gift shop …
By the end of the night, I was thinking about how lucky we are to have this place and the people who care for it; how lucky we are that they continue to inspire and educate us with art and science and natural history. As I closed that stately door that once was too heavy for me to manage on my own, my trip down memory lane was complete and my mind was filled with new and interesting information. And I wondered: what will I notice next time?
I can’t wait to find out.
The Everhart Museum is located at 1901 Mulberry St. For more information, visit everhart-museum.org or call 346-7186.

Book it!
Speaking of pockets of greatness, there are countless opportunities for you to enjoy the literary side of life in The 570 this month, including:
Saturday, May 12: New Visions Studio & Gallery, along with Brian Fanelli and Jason Lucarelli, host a Mother’s Day installment of the local Writers Showcase. The event will be held from 7 to 10 p.m., and features David Elliott, Tom Blomain, Gary Ryman, Bethany Gagas, Anne Henry and Pat Florio. There is no charge for admission, and complimentary wine will be on hand for those age 21 and older. Baked goods will also be available for purchase. For more information, visit NewVisionsStudio.com or call 878-3970.
Saturday, May 19: All-You-Can-Eat Pasta Dinner at the North Branch of the Osterhout Free Library, 28 Olive St., Wilkes-Barre. A fundraiser for the library in the Parsons section of the city, the event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. and includes a bake and book sale. You can dine or order take-out. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children age 8 and under. Tickets are available at all Osterhout Library locations. For more information, call 822-4660 or visit www.osterhout.info. That’s the scoop! Thanks for reading, and I’ll meet you here again next week.

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