Volunteers planted 200 trees in Derry Township on Wednesday in support of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Keystone 10 Million Tree Partnership.

The trees were planted at the Evangelical Free Church of Hershey located at 330 Hilltop Road. The Derry Township Municipal Authority organized the project as a first step in the process for Derry Township to reach its pollution reduction goals under its MS4 permit. The trees will filter and absorb runoff to reduce pollution from entering our waterways.

The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership is a collaborative effort of national, regional, state, and local agencies, conservation organizations, outdoors enthusiasts, businesses, and citizens committed to improving Pennsylvania's communities, economy, and ecology.

The Partnership aims to facilitate the planting of 10 million new trees in priority landscapes in Pennsylvania by the end of 2025.

A big thanks to the 20 volunteers that assisted with the planting despite the rain.

A unique work of art will be displayed on Cocoa Avenue near the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Conservation Area, across from Cocoaplex.

Jump Street, an organization dedicated to developing educational and economic opportunities with the arts for all age groups, is coordinating a "Butterfly Mural Trail," which will display twelve pieces of art around Dauphin County, leading to the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art.

The project will engage hundreds of students in multiple Dauphin County school districts to educate, develop, implement, and administer a public art project that promotes growth and tourism in their own community.

The first four murals will be painted in a 15-day artist-in-residency program at Halifax Area High School under the professional guidance of artist Kuen Kuen Spichiger.

Students enrolled in the Dauphin County Technical School marketing and graphics art program will design a map of the mural locations, and construction students will install the 4'x4' murals.

Visit Jump Street's website to learn more and for information on their Art of the States, ArtsFest of Greater Harrisburg, Derby Day, and Poetry Out Loud events.

The Friends of the Hershey Public Library are sponsoring free passes to the Hershey Story and the Hershey Gardens beginning May 1.

The passes, good for up to four in a group, can be checked out for one week with an adult library card. There is one pass for the Hershey Gardens and one for the Hershey Story and they cannot be renewed.

This is a wonderful and unexpected service provided to the community by the Friends and the Hershey Public Library.

Authors from a variety of genres will once again share their experiences and books at the library’s second Local Author Festival on Saturday, April 28, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 701 Cocoa Avenue.

The event is a tribute to the incredible authors that live right here in Hershey and surrounding areas. This is a great opportunity for authors to get exposure, network with other writers, discuss their experiences, and sell some books.

No registration is required. Please call the library at 717- 533-6555, ext. 3717, if you have questions.

Friends of the Hershey Public Library present Patricia Polacco in their next children's series program on S unday, April 29 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the library, located at 701 Cocoa Avenue.

Patricia Polacco has authored over 100 books and stories, as well as illustrated with stunning visual artistry. She has been enlightening children and adults alike for 30 years. Drawing upon her rich heritage of mixed cultures for her inspirations, Patricia Polacco shares her message of tolerance, acceptance, diversity, love, and respect to children of all ages, while entertaining them with her lively personal stories.

No registration is required. Please call 717-533-6555, ext. 3708, if you have questions.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will hold a drug take-back event on Saturday, April 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center campus, 90 Hope Drive.

Unwanted, unneeded, or expired medications may be dropped off for safe disposal. Needles and syringes will also be accepted.

The service is free and anonymous with no questions asked and provides a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Visit www.dea.gov for more information.

The first collection of the year will take place April 30 through May 4 on your regular trash collection day. An unlimited amount of wood and yard waste will be collected curbside and should be placed at the curb by 5:00 a.m.

Items must be in a container no bigger than 32 gallons or in a “Kraft” bag no heavier than 50 lbs. Branches and tree limbs must not exceed 3″ in diameter, must be cut to 4′ in length, bundled and secured by rope or twine and must not be heavier than 50 lbs.

Grass clippings are NOT to be collected under this program and are to be treated as solid waste. Call Waste Management at 1-800-634-4595 for additional information.

Yard Waste Collection Schedule and Guidelines

The Hershey Public Library's Chess Club will meet Saturday, April 28 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. at the Hershey Recreation Center, 605 Cocoa Avenue, this week.

All chess experience levels are welcome. No registration is required. Please call 717-533-6555, ext. 3708, if you have questions.

Visit the library on Sunday, April 29 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. for the Sharing Circle and Poetry Reading.

Participants will have the opportunity to share their stories in a supportive environment. Poet Laura Cini English will read from her new collection Graves Too Small to Be Red .

Registration is not required. Please 717- 533-6555, ext. 3717, if you have questions. The library is located at 701 Cocoa Avenue.

Join other kids in grades 6 and up on Wednesday, May 2 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Avenue, to play board games. Bring your own, or play with ours.

LEGO Club will be held at the Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Avenue, on Wednesday, May 2 from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m.



Children who enjoy building with LEGOs will love LEGO Club, where building encourages imagination and creativity, and children bring construction to life. LEGO Club is for children ages 6 and up. 

The Hershey Coralettes team will perform its annual synchronized swimming show on Sunday, May 6 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hershey Recreation Center, 605 Cocoa Avenue. This year's show, "The Coralettes’ Time Machine,” is exciting routines originally choreographed to music from the 1920s through today's popular songs. The team consists of girls ages eight to eighteen from Dauphin, Lebanon, and Lancaster counties.

Admission is by donation. Email [email protected] , or call the Hershey Recreation Center at 717-533-7138 for more information.  

The Hershey Indivisibles will host Josh Hooper, a certified member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, who trained with former Vice President Al Gore in Pittsburgh last fall. The program will be held on Wednesday, May 9 at the Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Avenue.

The doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the discussion will begin after a short business meeting that will begin at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Hooper is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium, an alliance of Pennsylvania colleges and universities working to achieve a more sustainable environment – both on campus and in the larger world. Come to hear the latest news about the climate threat and the good news about what is already starting to happen in response to climate change.

The Hershey Public Library does not sponsor or endorse this event nor any product or service offered.

Questions? Please send an email to i [email protected].

The Hershey Horticulture Society will hold its popular annual plant sale on Saturday, May 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Brownstone Lodge, 215 W. Governor Road, Hershey.

The sale is a wonderful opportunity for gardeners to purchase a large variety of plants that Society members share from their own gardens, referred to as "pass along" plants.

The novice gardener can get a head start in purchasing plants that thrive in the area and multiply to share with fellow gardeners. The sale will include flowers, herbs, and small trees and shrubs. In addition, there will be some favorite house plants for sale.

Members of the Society will be present to answer questions. The event will include a garden related flea market and bake sale.

The Hershey Horticulture Society is sponsoring a bus trip to Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum on Tuesday, May 15. The bus will leave at 8:30 a.m. from the Masonic Lodge, 215 W. Governor Road, Hershey, and return at approximately 4:30 p.m. The cost is $90.00 and includes a Victorian Tea lunch and a tour of Kreider Farms. Call 717-564-4053 to reserve your spot or for more information.

The history of Indiantown Gap National Cemetery and the eligibility requirements for interment in a national cemetery will be presented by Randy Plummer at the next Derry Seniors’ gathering set for Tuesday, May 15 at 10:30 a.m. at Derry Presbyterian Church, 248 East Derry Road, Hershey.

Mr. Plummer retired from the United States Air Force in February 2005 with 22 years of service. Two months later, he became a temporary caretaker for Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. He has served as Caretaker, Tool and Parts Attendant, Cemetery Representative, and Program Support Assistant, and is currently the Administrative Officer. He also teaches the cemetery representative class for the National Cemetery Administration at the National Training Center located in St Louis.

Following devotions and the program, lunch will be available for $3 per person. A pharmacist will also be on hand to answer questions regarding medications.

The Derry Seniors offer adults 55 and older an opportunity to gather, socialize, and learn about people and places within the community. The group is affiliated with Derry Presbyterian Church. Call the church office at 717-533-9667, or visit derrypres.org for more information.

The Hershey Horticulture Society and the Bowman Trust are sponsoring a House and Garden Tour, "Intown to the Hershey Hills," on Sunday, June 10 from noon to 4:00 p.m. The tour will include five homes and the Community Garden. The cost of the tour is $20 and includes lunch with a prepaid ticket.

Lunch will be served at the Brownstone Lodge, 215 W. Governor Road, Hershey, from 11:00 to 2:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the Lodge the day of the tour. Call 717-571-7353 for more information and to purchase tickets.