Participants in Ford City’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” Community Conversation last evening enjoyed music provided by the Pittsburgh Banjo Club, along with lemonade and cookies in the lobby of Ford City High School.

Many thanks to the esteemed panel (Mr. Homer Pendleton, Ryan Fletcher, Sandy Bradigan, Jane Englert, Rep. Jeff Pyle, and D.A. Scott Andreassi) for leading the audience through a fascinating discussion of the themes of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book. (As the Ford City Halloween parade marched by outside on 5th Avenue, I thought about Scout in her papier-mache ham costume!)

There are only two more opportunities to take part in The Big Read events:

• Monday evening, October 29th, join in a 6 pm discussion about the book vs. the movie led by Ryan Fletcher at the Kittanning Public Library.
• Tuesday evening, October 30th, hear author Charles Shields, who wrote the only biography of Harper Lee, “Mockingbird,” speak at the Kittanning High School Auditorium. The evening begins at 6 pm with the Armstrong Concert Band and punch & cookies.

This has been a fun and fascinating month. Many thanks to the score of volunteers who made all The Big Read events in Armstrong County a success. Special credit goes to Paula Rummel, Armstrong County Community Foundation AmeriCorps member, for all her hard work, and to Amanda Powell, director of the Kittanning Library. Great work!