Monroe County Historical Association

Local weather expert Ben Gelber will talk about the signs to look for this autumn in order to make an educated guess about the severity of the upcoming winter.

Gelber, an East Stroudsburg native, is an Emmy award-winning meteorologist and science and environmental reporter at NBC4-TV in Columbus, Ohio, but maintains an active interest in the Pocono weather.

Ben was already a practicing meteorologist in the third grade, giving daily morning classroom forecasts. He constructed a weather station during his high school years, collecting data for the Poconos with the help of his parents, who maintained records that are part of the NOAA Climatic Data Center archives.

He holds a bachelor of science degree from Penn State University, and a master’s in meteorology from Northern Illinois University. He was inducted in the East Stroudsburg High School Meritorious Hall of Fame in 2004.

Gelber is the author of “The Pennsylvania Weather Book,” which is available in the MCHA’s Gift Shop. He also wrote “A Weather History of Eastern Pennsylvania, the Poconos, Western New Jersey” and “Pocono Weather.”

He is an adjunct instructor of meteorology at Columbus State Community College, and a guest lecturer at The Ohio State University in climate science.

Gelber enjoys giving community weather talks and teaching seminars, judging science fairs, and moderating science panels on subjects ranging from air quality to climate change.

 The Pennsylvania Weather Book

Professor emeritus and Pocono Record columnist Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo presents a timely discussion on Christopher Columbus.

Popular history once made Columbus the intrepid hero who “discovered” America, but now he is sometimes pictured as a villain who started genocide against the First Americans.

The lecture will show how these interpretations of Columbus are based on cultural and political myths that distort the real facts behind this man’s role in history.

Born in Philadelphia, Stevens-Arroyo has had a distinguished career as a professor of religion at Brooklyn College.

Known for his advocacy of Hispanic culture among Latinos in the United States, in 1992, he was awarded the Citation of Honor by the National Columbus Day Committee.

Since moving to Monroe County in 2007, he has become an active member of many organizations, and serves as member of the board of MCHA.