By JULIA F. SWAN

The Upper Milford Historical Society will hold its annual picnic 6 p.m. July 27 at the Upper Milford Township building. Candace Perry, curator of the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center, will be the guest speaker, talking about “How the Pretzel Survived Prohibition.”

The society usually meets 7 p.m. the last Thursday of the month except for November and December.

St. Peter’s Union Church is holding its community picnic 4 to 9 p.m. July 15, at the church, 7863 St. Peters Road, Macungie. Music will be provided by The Majestics, starting 5 p.m. Bring chairs or blankets.

A full picnic menu will be offered, including turkey barbecue, hamburgers and hot dogs, ice cream, soup, baked goods and more. Parking is available for a donation of money for the church or a nonperishable food item for the Zionsville Food Pantry.

St. Peter’s will celebrate Christmas in July at its July 23 service. This special service will feature Christmas carols and a reading of the Nativity. Worshipers are asked to bring their favorite cookies to share at a special coffee hour in St. Peter’s Place following the service.

The ‘gifts’ this year will be twofold. Everyone is asked to bring a canned good to worship every Sunday in July, with the food collected to go to the Zionsville Food Pantry and a monetary gift is being requested for the purchase of colonies of honeybees through Heifer International.

Following is the July schedule for Milford Park Bible Camp. All programs and services are open to everyone and will take place rain or shine. All concerts start 7 p.m. A free will offering will be taken at all programs: July 8: gospel concert by Damaris Carbaugh, former soloist with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir; July 15: concert by Sunnyside Gospel Bluegrass of Denver, Pa.; July 22: Jeff and Sue Duffield of Nashville; July 29: gospel concert by Instruments of Praise of Allentown and Aug. 5: gospel concert by The Envoys of Charlotte, N.C. Milford Park is located on Routes 29 and 100 in Zionsville. For more information call 610-966-4240. View the entire summer schedule at www.milfordpark.org.

Just a reminder that Upper Milford Youth Association fall registrations are now open. Fall sports offered are soccer, micro-soccer, softball and baseball. Register today at www.umya.org.

Upper Milford Township is still looking for volunteers from the community, who have no affiliation with current emergency services in this area, to serve on the recently created Emergency Services Committee. This committee will meet approximately four times a year or as needed. Contact info@uppermilford.net if you would like further information.

Limeport Stadium, Inc. a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is seeking contributions/donations toward the “Lights for Limeport” stadium lights replacement project. The current lights have been in service since 1984 and were constructed with wooden poles and structures. It is hoped to bring the lighting system up to modern standards.

The new system will be constructed using metal poles and structures and will reduce energy consumption from improved efficiencies, while providing higher lighting candle power from technologically advanced bulbs.

The estimated cost of removing the original system and installing a new system is $275,000. Make contributions/donations payable to: Limeport Stadium, Inc. P.O. Box 6 Limeport, 18060.

The Western District Fire Company will serve an all-you-can-eat breakfast 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Aug. 6. There are senior, adult and children’s prices. For information on the breakfasts, call the fire company at 610-966-3541 or Carol Shade at 610-966-3902.

The Vera Cruz Community Association will meet 7:30 p.m. July 13 at the Citizens Fire Company Social Hall, 4093 Main Road West, Emmaus.

The Upper Milford Fire Company’s ladies auxiliary meets 7 p.m. Aug. 7. New members are always welcome.

Vera Cruz senior citizens meet 1 p.m. July 6 and 20 at the Vera Cruz Fire Company. All are welcome.

Lower Milford Township supervisors meet the first and third Thursday of the month, beginning 7:30 p.m. The first meeting, July 6, will be a workshop and the second meeting, July 20, is the regular business meeting. Action may be taken at both meetings.

Other Lower Milford meetings are as follows; unless otherwise noted, they will begin 7:30 p.m.: the planning commission meets the first Monday of the month; recreation and open space board, July 12; historical commission, July 11.

Upper Milford supervisors will meet 7 p.m. July 6 and 20.

The Upper Milford Recreation Commission meets 7:30 p.m. July 19. The Upper Milford open space committee meets 7:30 p.m. July 12, but only when there is action to be taken. Check with the township office to find out if they are meeting.

The Upper Milford Planning Commission meets 7:30 p.m. the Monday prior to the first Thursday of every month unless that is a holiday.

The Joint Environmental Advisory Council meets 7 p.m. July 26 in the Upper Milford Township building.

If you have news or information for this column, which runs the first Wednesday of every month, please call me at 610-838-8923 or email me at bruce.swan@rcn.com.