Gen. Washington To Be Feted At Newtown Book Lovers Party

NEWTOWN, PA — The Newtown Library Company will celebrate George Washington's birthday and honor John Godzieba for his portrayal of the Revolutionary War figure during its Book Lovers Cocktail Party on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Stocking Works in Newtown.

Godzieba is scheduled to arrive in full uniform at 7 p.m. for a special surprise celebration of Washington's 293rd birthday. He will be presented with the following tokens of appreciation for his 16 year portrayal of Washington at the Crossing Reenactment:

• A framed letter of appreciation for his service and dedication to the legacy of George Washington from Dr. Doug Bradburn, President and CEO of Mount Vernon.
• A silver sword letter opener from Mount Vernon, which was adapted from one of George Washington's own swords.
• Saint Andrews School's librarian Mrs. Kathleen Wikoff and two of her students will be delivering handmade birthday cards from the entire second grade.
• Birthday cake with a photo of John Godzieba in his uniform at Washington Crossing Park.

Godzieba has led a life of service. He is a retired Philadelphia police officer and a current police chief of the Langhorne Borough Police Department. He does this while serving as the President of the Friends of Washington Crossing Park. He has been in charge of all the ongoing programs and recent extensive restoration projects.

"Our guests are so excited to be able to get their photo next to John Godzieba after watching him at the historic crossing every year with their family," said Nancy Webster, a board member and director of historical outreach at the Newtown Library Company. She continues, "After listening to him talk about both the preservation work he has accomplished and his passion for teaching the next generation about this critical period in our history, I had to find gifts that were just as personal and meaningful to him."

Mrs. Wikoff also created a curriculum to teach her students about George Washington in advance of this event. "This is very exciting. I can't wait to meet him in person and I'm hoping he can autograph a few books for our library!" said Mrs. Wikoff.

Special guests include Sandy Oppenheimer, 99-year-old WW2 veteran and former editor of the Bucks County Courier Times who was chosen as the library's first honorary runner at the annual 5K race. Sandy will be surprised by a member of Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick's office with a citation and a flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol. Sandy's son Randy, a retired newspaper and magazine editor, has flown in from Ohio and will attend the event with his father.

The Newtown Library Company was founded in 1760 and is the oldest continually operating library in Bucks County. It is a nonprofit that relies on membership fees and donations for support.