COALPORT – Thanks to the AARP Senior Community Service Employment Program, the Coalport Area Coal Museum has been open since late February.
At its April 24 meeting, the Coalport Museum Commission was introduced to David Singer, SCSEP representative, who is now working at the museum every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Curator Richard W. Snyder II remarked how well Singer is picking up the necessary skills to run the museum by offering assistance to patrons via personal tours, using the reference room for research, as well as assisting with inventory and digitizing records.
In addition, Singer has recently designed a Facebook page, Coalport Area Coal Museum, to reflect what’s in the museum for visitors to see as well as encouraging use of the museum’s Web site, www.coalportmuseum.org.
A “Genealogy Guide to the Coalport Coal Museum” leaflet was created by Snyder initially to assist Singer’s acclimation to the considerable collection of local family history in the museum’s reference room. Copies are available for all patrons to utilize while using the reference room for free.
With the passing of commission officer Paul Winslow, it was necessary to hold elections to name Rita Hahn as the new official museum secretary (to fill the opening), and she also retains the vice president position.
The board also voted in Lynda Helsel as both assistant secretary and vice president, should the need occur do to an absence at a meeting.
In other news, the board:
- recently purchased a new refrigerator for use by organizations in the community building.
- met with Josiah Jones of Visit Clearfield County in January, who informed the group about the county’s “marketing grant” to encourage visitors to the Coalport Coal Museum from all over the state.
- learned that Snyder has donated the book “Dirty Mines: Coal Mining in Pennsylvania” in memory of the late Guy Troxell (father of museum genealogist, Trina Troxell Corson).
- is encouraged that the Glendale Area Public Library is now open, enabling the museum to increase hours to Mondays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as Sundays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
The next meeting of the Coalport Museum Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Community Building in Coalport. All interested individuals are encouraged to attend.
