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First Posted: 1/17/2014

After seeing Jeff Mitchell’s presentation “Hiking Through the Natural Beauty of Pennsylvania” last winter I was inspired to hike the Falls Trail at Rickett’s Glen State Park this past summer. What a wonderful afternoon I had.

To see the 21 cascading waterfalls along the trail was breathtaking. The falls there range in height from 11 feet to 94 feet and made me once again appreciate the stunning beauty that is right in our backyard. If you would like to view some of the amazing natural areas and parks in Northeastern Pennsylvania, please join us on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. at the Dietrich Theater for Jeff Mitchell’s updated PowerPoint presentation, “Hiking Through the Natural Beauty of Pennsylvania.” Admission is free.

Through pictures, audience members will be able to explore hiking trails, waterways, expansive vistas and isolated wild areas, known only to a few people, in the comfort of the theater. Jeff is the District Attorney of Wyoming County, an author on hiking matters, and board member of the Keystone Trail Association. He has penned Hiking the Endless Mountains, Backpacking Pennsylvania, Hiking the Allegheny Forest and Paddling Pennsylvania. His book Hiking the Endless Mountains will be available for sale at the presentation. All proceeds will support the Dietrich Theater. For more information or to reserve free tickets, call the Dietrich at 570-996-1500. Walk-ins are welcome.

Looking to February, we invite you to join us for our 10th year for Wyoming County Reads. Our book selections include The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. Free book discussions will be held at the Tunkhannock Public Library on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. starting on Feb. 5 and running through March 12. Discussion facilitators include Bill Chapla, Suzanne Fisher Staples and Dr. Len Gougeon. It will be fascinating to compare these two great works of fiction that were written over 150 years apart and are set in very different parts of the world. We will also be presenting additional discussions at the Nicholson Methodist Church on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. and at the Mehoopany Area Library on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. We hope to see you there.

We are also teaming up with WVIA in February to bring you a special music presentation on Leonard Bernstein: American Idol, American Idealist. On Sunday, Feb. 9, Karl Middleman, of the Philadelphia Classical Symphony, will give a conductor’s perspective on what made Leonard Bernstein great. He will also explore Bernstein’s engagement with social issues and talks about Bernstein’s time in Philadelphia at the Curtis Institute of Music. Middleman will bring Bernstein’s story to life through recordings, as well as piano demonstrations. This event will be held at WVIA’s Media Center in Pittston and will be recorded for later broadcast. Admission is free. The theater will provide free bus transportation from the Dietrich and the bus will depart at 1:30 p.m. The concert will begin at 3 p.m. For reservations or more information about this event, please call us at 570-996-1500. This program has been sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, WVIA and the Dietrich Theater.

As you can see, the Dietrich is so much more than the movies!