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Altoona woman has set foot on every continent in her 93 years

Delphine Shannon, 93, of Altoona counts herself among the less than 1% of the population who has traveled to the seven continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia. A Pittsburgh native who moved to Altoona as a child, Shannon’s travels have taken her across the world and started when she took a trip to Israel in 1979 with a church group. For the next 34 years, Delphine took a trip to far away places about every other year. Sometimes, she went with tour groups where she didn’t know any of the other participants. More often, she asked a ...

Houseplants that don’t require soil and can be displayed any which way

If you’re looking for a houseplant that’s as unique as it is low-maintenance, let me introduce you to air plants, members of the Tillandsia genus in the Bromeliad family. I first became acquainted with Tillandsia circa 2007, when I was invited to tour the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival ...

After lengthy renovations, the Edythe Hoye Bossert Gallery at the Annie Halenbake Ross Library has opened its new doors to reveal a beautiful new space for local artists. “The gallery is free to rent on a monthly basis if you’re just showing your work; if you sell your art there is a $50 or 10 percent of the art sold fee to the Library, whichever is higher,” a news release said. “This month, featured artists are Joe Bitner, Karen Elias and Peg Johnston.” “We welcome all artists to come down and display their pieces in any medium, including painting, photography, ...

Tour previews 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding recently led Pennsylvania media on a tour of exhibits, special guests, new events and food to be featured during the 2025 PA Farm Show. “The importance of the Pennsylvania Farm Show goes far beyond being the nation’s only mid-winter State Fair,” ...

James V Brown Library observes Braille Literacy Month

January is National Braille Literacy Month and the James V. Brown Library, 19 East Fourth Street, has resources for the visually impaired and to help teach inclusivity to all ages. National Braille Literacy Month highlights Louis Braille and how essential Braille is for those who are visually impaired. Here are some ways in which you can support Braille Literacy Month at the James V. Brown Library: • Explore the Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians (LAMP). LAMP makes materials available for PA residents with disabilities. You can access this at the library’s website, ...

What will our gardens look like in 2025? The thing about opinions is that everybody’s got one. The same can be said about predictions. One group with a pretty good track record is Katie Dubow’s Garden Media Group, a public-relations company serving plant breeders, nurseries and others in the green industry. Its annual Garden Trends Report forecasts how environmental, fashion, food, retail, media and other trends will trickle down into the gardening realm. In 2006, GMG foresaw the beginning of the native plants movement; in 2009, it predicted a surge in vertical gardening; and in ...