Charity Walk Teams Awarded 'Golden' Honors

Members of the First Presbyterian Church of Easton
that participated in the Highmark Walk were honored with a
"Golden Soul"award from ProJeCt of Easton
as the faith group to raise the most money for the agency
in the walk.
Contributed photos

 Two Easton area teams that walked in last year's Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community were honored with "Golden Sole" awards this week by ProJeCt of Easton for raising the most funds on behalf of the city service agency.

Members of the Palmer Kiwanis Highmark Walk team,
Ken Marino, Santa Wright, Debra Ashton-Chase and
Mike Hahn, earned the Golden Sole Award from ProJeCt
of Easton as the agency’s top fundraising business team in the walk.

The "Golden Soul" award went to First Presbyterian Church of Easton, as the faith group that raised the most funds, and Palmer Kiwanis were given the "Golden Sole" award as the top business fundraising group.

The two honored teams were some of the more than 70 walkers who earned more than $9,000 for ProJeCt of Easton during the charity walk last June. Participants registered for teams supporting ProJeCt, vying for top awards in fundraising dollars earned.

"Congratulations to our winners, and thanks to all who participated and supported ProJeCt’s efforts," said ProJeCt of Easton Executive Director Janice Komisor in an announcement of the awards. "We are very close to our goals of 100 walkers and $10,000 raised, and we would love to have a youth group participate next year to help us meet those objectives."

The 2014 Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community is set to take place on Saturday, May 31 at the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem, with registration opening Monday, February 3.  Participants may register online and select the non-profit they wish to support. To register or learn more about the event, visit www.walkforahealthycommunity.org

Updates about the Bethlehem walk are also available on the group's Facebook page.

Collections to Benefit Fire Victims' Families

By Christina Georgiou

Cash donations are being collected by Joy Lozier's co-workers at two Easton
Dunkin' Donuts locations--on Centre Square and also at the Philadelphia
Road location in the city's South Side neighborhood. Money collected
will go towards offsetting funeral and other expenses.

The deaths of Joy Lozier, 24, her young son Makai Peters, 4, and Lozier's cousin James Strickland in a fast-moving apartment fire early Monday morning in the Easton's West Ward have left many city residents shaking their heads at the senselessness of the tragedy, but others' first instinct is to help in whatever way they can.

Lozier's co-workers at Dunkin' Donuts on Centre Square are taking donations that will benefit her surviving son, thought to be under 2 years old, and also help family members deal with expenses related to the tragedy.

Dunkin' Donuts on Phildelphia Road in South Side Easton is similarly collecting funds, and the head manager of the Centre Square location has also reportedly donated $1,000 to the cause, a Downtown store employee said on Tuesday.

He's also contacting Dunkin' Donuts corporate headquarters to see if the company might sponsor a more formal campaign to benefit Lozier's surviving son, she said.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized or announced, but the three are likely to be laid to rest some time later this week, said Ashton Funeral Home director Debra Jo Ashton-Chase.

Ashton Funeral Home is donating its services, but there will still be bills to pay related to the funerals, Ashton-Chase said, including covering cemetery costs.

And, in addition to the pain of losing their loved ones, family members will be supporting the other three fire survivors.

"They're still going to have bills to pay," Ashton-Chase said.

While a formal account has not yet been set up for community members that wish to contribute to offset expenses and to benefit Lozier's surviving baby son, that is likely to happen soon, she said.

Money donated to such a fund will likely be earmarked to go toward the young boy's education, Ashton-Chase added.

In the meantime, those that wish to make a memorial contribution can do so in care of Ashton Funeral Home, she said.

Ashton Funeral Home can be reached at 610-253-4678.

Annual Regatta to Benefit Safe Harbor

More than 1,000 toy boats are expected to race down the Bushkill Creek on Saturday, September 28 in an annual regatta race event that will benefit Easton's Safe Harbor.

The fundraising event will also include pony rides, a K9 demonstration, a tricky tray, and other fun activities from noon to 2 p.m. at Penns Pump Park in Palmer Township. Boats can be purchased for $5 apiece, and prizes will be awarded to those whose boats place in the race. The park is located just off Northwood Avenue and Bushkill Drive in Palmer Township.

Money raised at the regatta will go to the homeless shelter's day program, which needs to replace the $54,000 in funding formerly provided by the county. The day program provides a hot and nutritious breakfast and lunch to 80 to 100 participants daily, as well as case management, referrals to local agencies, and other programs and activities.

Safe Harbor is also seeking other donations of both funds and goods to support its efforts--linens, house wares, toiletries, paper goods, and clothing, are always needed, and the organization has a wish list posted on its website that specifies what it needs most at any given moment.

For more information about the event on Saturday or how to donate, call 610-258-5540 or visit www.safeharboreaston.com

Simply Savory to Benefit ProJeCt While Offering a Taste of Fine Area Restaurants

If you need a solid excuse to go out and have a good time on a Monday evening, supporting a worthy local cause is probably one of the best.

ProJeCt of Easton’s signature fundraising event, Simply Savory, will be held Monday, October 7 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Hampton Inn in on Route 248 in Lower Nazareth, and reservations are now being taken for the delicious evening.

Enjoy an evening with friends savoring fabulous food, wine and beer of the Lehigh Valley's finest palate-pleasers, including: Baker Street Bakeshop, Beyond Cakes, Blue Grillhouse, Constantino’s, Cozze Cakes, deLorenzo’s, Divine Dining, Elizabeth Mulrine Culinary Events, Franklin Hill Vineyards, Green Harvest Food Emporium, Leaf Restaurant & Cigar Bar, Marblehead Chowder House, Marianna’s Pizza Café, Maxim’s 22, Miguel’s, Northstar Catering, Pearly Baker’s Alehouse, Sette Luna, Thyme Restaurant & Bar, Two Rivers Brewing Company, Valenca, Vintage, Vintner’s Circle and Weyerbacher Brewery.

"We are so pleased with this year’s line-up of culinary specialists for Simply Savory and know it will be an event to remember," said ProJeCt Executive Director Janice Komisor. “This is an important event in that the funds raised go toward our mission to help people help themselves."

Live musical entertainment will be provided during the evening by the Easton High School Flute Quartet, and a silent auction and a raffle are also planned.

The raffle features four prizes including a greens fees for four and cart from Riverview Country Club, a wine and cheese tasting for up to 12 people from Vintner’s Circle, a pearl and gold necklace from Beverly Palm Jewelers.

ProJeCt is a community benefit human service agency founded by local clergy and community leaders in the wake of the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination and in response to the rising tide of poverty and social unrest of 1968. Its purpose was to advocate for action and to provide service to an under- served poor population in Easton.

Today the agency provides assistance to more than 5,000 people a year, both in Easton and the surrounding communities in Northampton County.

Services include an emergency assistance and food program, case management support services that assist people in developing life skills and moving to self-sufficiency, and educational programs that include adult basic literacy, English as a second language, GED preparation, family literacy and supplemental education programs for school age children.

Reservations to Simply Savory are $75 and can be purchased in advance at www.projecteaston.org or at ProJeCt's offices at 320 Ferry St. Tickets may also be purchased at the door the night of the event.

All proceeds from the Simply Savory benefit ProJeCt of Easton.

Easton-area Rummage Sales, Fall 2013

Not just for those who need to pinch their pennies, rummage sales are an extremely enjoyable way to find unusual treasures as well as everyday items for a song and also help support a number of local community programs, from Little League to food pantries to literacy initiatives, all of which many Easton area religious organizations help support through their various fundraising efforts, which include these sales.

And, if you care about the environment, know too that rummage sales help keep perfectly good but unwanted and unneeded items out of the landfill, too.

In other words, rummage sales are a win for everyone.

But being in the know is the key to finding the best sales. Run by volunteers, there is no central place rummage sales are advertised--much like the events themselves, announcements are a bit haphazard, and finding them is often a matter of luck.

This is why The Easton Eccentric publishes two rummage sale lists annually--one each spring, and the other in the fall. And, we're pretty sure both rummage aficionados and newbies alike appreciate the effort, as past lists are some of our most trafficked posts over time.

So, be sure to bookmark this page and check back regularly! We'll be adding more sales and updating this as more sales are announced!

Happy saling!

Friday, September 13 and Saturday, September 14
Rummage Sale: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Kitchen also open both days. First Moravian Church, North 10th and Bushkill streets. 610-258-6317

Saturday, September 14
Parking Lot Sale: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Plus food, refreshments, and bake sale. Faith Community Assembly of God, 3000 Freemansburg Ave., Palmer Township. 610-258-0858

Saturday, September 21
Rummage Sale: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Breakfast, lunch, and baked goods will also be available. Arndt's Lutheran Church, 1851 Arndt Road, Palmer Township. 610-253-3732

Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28
Rummage Sale: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday. Saturday is bag day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Olivet United Presbyterian Church, 1151 Northampton St. 610-258-7990

Saturday, September 28
Crop Walk Rummage and Bake Sale: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. St. Thomas United Church of Christ, 902 E. Macada Road, Bethlehem. 610-868-9167

Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5
Rummage Sale: Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m, with bag day on Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon. Clothing, household items, jewelry, more. Bake sale and lunch available as well on Friday only. Christ United Methodist Church, Berwick Street and Seitz Avenue. 610-258-4762

Saturday, October 5
Deacons' Rummage Sale: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. All day bag sale. Blood drive from 9 a.m. to noon too. Proceeds benefit local charities. College Hill Presbyterian Church, 501 Brodhead St. 610-253-4792

Saturday, October 5
Annual Fall Rummage and Bake Sale: 8 to 1 p.m. Features hundreds of bargains in children's and adult clothing, housewares, toys, books, and furniture, plus a tempting array of food items, including fresh baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, homemade soup, and hot dogs. Proceeds benefit church's programs. Schoeneck Moravian Church, 316 North Broad Street Ext., Nazareth. 610-759-0376

Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12
Huge Rummage Sale: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Men's, women's and children's clothing, toys, baby items, jewelry, purses, shoes, games, household goods, electronics, holiday decorations, linens. Kitchen offers food/baked goods. Bag sale starts 11 a.m. on Saturday. Palmer Moravian Church Fellowship Hall, 2901 John St., Palmer Township.

Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12
Fall Rummage and Bake Sale: 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Bag sale is 10:30 to noon on Saturday. Nazareth Moravian Church, 4 South Main St., Nazareth. 610-759-3163

Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12
Annual Rummage Sale: Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the bag sale beginning at 11 a.m. Forks UCC, 4500 Sullivan Trail, Stockertown. 610-759-5676

Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2
Rummage Sale: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Food and bake sale too. First United Church of Christ, 27 N. Third St. 610-258-3361

Is your organization having a sale in or around the Easton area? Email us the details to be added to this list! (It's free!)

Last updated on October 1 at 9:20 p.m.

This Week in Easton, August 5 to 8

One thing you can always say about Easton...There's absolutely no excuse to be bored around here!

Monday, August 5

"Real Heroes in the K9 Working World": 10 a.m. Presented by Marita K. Sar. Meet real K9 teams, face painting, hero paw-toe-graphs, and more. Easton Area Public Library, Palmer Branch, 1 Weller Place, Palmer Township. 610-258-7492

Easton Veggie Van Stop: 5:30 p.m. Volunteers will distribute in-season vegetables and produce grown at local community gardens. Free, donations appreciated. South 10th and Pine streets, near the community garden. Click here for more information.

Palmer Township Board of Supervisors meeting: 7 p.m. In the Palmer Library meeting room, at the Municipal Complex, 1 Weller Place (off of Newburg Road), Palmer Township.

Tuesday, August 6

Duplicate Bridge: 11:30 a.m. Temple Covenant of Peace, 1451 Northampton St.

Bingo: Doors open at 5:30 p.m., bingo starts at 7 p.m. Refreshments available. Williams Township Fire Company, 2500 Morgan Hill Road, Williams Township. www.wtfireco.com

Palmer Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting: 7:30 p.m. In the Palmer Library meeting room, at the Municipal Complex, 1 Weller Place (off of Newburg Road), Palmer Township.

Line Dancing: 7 to 9:30 p.m. Beginner lessons 7:15 p.m. Open dancing follows. $5 per person. Tatamy Fire Company, 164 Bushkill St., Tatamy. 610-759-2786 or www.purecountrydancers.com

Wednesday, August 7

Nature Journaling for Kids: 1 to 2:30 p.m. Kids learn about different types of nature journaling and create and bind their own journal. $7 per child. The Nurture Nature Center, 518 Northampton St.  610-253-4432 or www.nurturenaturecenter.com

Taste of Easton Walking Tour & Happy Hour – "How Food Revitalizes a City": 4 to 7 p.m. This tour and tasting event will showcase the breadth, depth and variety of food-driven initiatives that have re-launched Easton as an arts, culture and tourist destination. The tour will highlight:  Easton Farmers’ Market – grower-only food and festival driver, and in its 261st year, the United States’ oldest continually operating outdoor Farmer’s Market; Pomeroy’s Lofts –in the heart of Downtown; and Two Rivers Brewing Company – Easton’s first micro-brewery restaurant, and critical gateway business between Downtown and adjoining residential district.  After the tour, enjoy happy hour at Two Rivers Brewing Company. Organized by ULI Philadelphia. For complete event details, visit ph.ly/TasteOfEaston

Weyerbacher Wednesday: 4 to 9 p.m. The Easton Farmers' Market's new weekday evening market. Twenty producer-only vendors offer fresh locally grown produce, herb, flowers, raw milk, cheese and yogurt, pasture-raised meat and eggs, artisan breads and baked goods, prepared foods, and vegan specialties. www.eastonfarmersmarket.org or click here for more information.

Easton Planning Commission meeting: 6:30 p.m. City Hall, city council chambers, 6th floor, 1 South Third St.

Texas Hold'em: 7 & 9 p.m. Free. La Pazza, 1251 Ferry St. 610-515-0888 or www.lapazza.com

 Fahad & Kelly: 7 p.m. The Widow's Tavern, 200 Main St., Stockertown. 610-365-8890 or www.widowstavern.com


 Todd Wolfe: 7 p.m. Vintage Restaurant at The Club at Morgan Hill, 100 Clubhouse Drive. 610-923-8480 or www.vintagerestaurantandbar.com

Traditional Irish open jam session: 7:30 p.m. Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. 610-250-6561 or www.porterspubeaston.com

Jam Session: 8 p.m. Hosted by Lou Franco. Rivals, 5 Lehn's Court. 610-392-2932 or www.rivalseaston.com

Thursday, August 8

Fundraiser Happy Hour: 4 to 7 p.m. Ten percent of all sales will go to the Easton Firefighters Coats for Kids campaign, sponsored by IAFF Local 713. Plus, tours of the Easton fire station across the street from 5:30 to 7 p.m., 50/50 raffles, and t-shirts for sale. Two Rivers Brewing Company, 542 Northampton St. 610-829-1131 or www.tworiversbrewing.com For more about the Coats for Kids campaign or to donate directly, visit is.gd/EastonCoats

Chicken Dialogues - "A community forum about backyard chickens": 6 to 8 p.m. The forum will inclued a special presentation and ensuing discussion about raising backyard chickens in urban areas. The discussion was precipitated by a residents' request for Easton City Council to amend city ordinances to allow the keeping of up to six chickens, but not roosters, by residents within city limits. Nurture Nature Center, 518 Northampton St. 610-253-4432 or www.nurturenaturecenter.org  or click here for more details.

Forks Township Planning Commission meeting: 7 p.m. Forks Township Municipal Complex, 1606 Sullivan Trail, Forks Township.

Karaoke with Off the Grid Entertainment: 8 p.m. Rivals, 5 Lehn's Court. 610-392-2932 or www.rivalseaston.com

Karaoke: 8 p.m. Riegelsville Tavern, 1274 Easton Road, Riegelsville. 610-510-3030 or www.riegelsvilletavern.com

 Movies in the Park - "Despicable Me": 8:30 p.m. Free, weather permitting. Bring blankets and chairs. Sponsored by the Easton Mayor's Office of Special Events. Easton Boys & Girls Club. Click here for the full schedule of Easton Movies in the Park.

Heidi Ott: 9:30 p.m. Pearly Bakers, 11 Centre Square. 610-253-9949 or www.pearlybakers.net

Dan DeChellis: 10 p.m. Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. 610-250-6561 or www.porterspubeaston.com

"This Week in Easton" lists what's happening during the weekdays, from special events to who's playing to government meetings, all in one handy place. Not just in the City of Easton, but for the entire greater Easton area...Published every Monday morning!

Is there a community or entertainment event you'd like to see here? Are you organizing something you'd like to have posted? Did we miss something? Email us!

Firefighters Aim to Keep Local Schoolchildren Warm This Winter

By Christina Georgiou

Winter may still seem like a long way off, but city firefighters are looking ahead and working to help keep as many local schoolchildren warm when the weather turns cold.

The "Easton Firefighters Coats for Kids" campaign hopes to provide brand new, American-made winter coats to students that participate in the free/reduced lunch programs at Paxinosa, Cheston, and March elementary schools in the city.

"We're trying to show the kids that they're worth something new," said campaign organizer and Easton firefighter James Corcoran. "We'd like to give them a self-esteem boost as well as make sure they're warm this winter."

The effort will also help recipients' families too, allowing the children's parents to allocate the money to other necessary expenses, he said.

The three schools were chosen out of the total of six Easton Area School District elementary schools because of the high number of students at each whose families are low-income, Corcoran said.

At Paxinosa Elementary School, 73 percent of the students are eligible for the free/reduced lunch program, while at Cheston and March, the numbers are 67 and 41 percent respectively. According to online statistics, 22 percent of all children in Easton live in poverty.

The firefighters' union, IAFF Local 713, which is sponsoring the campaign, has donated $1,000 to the cause, which will pay for the first 31 of the coats.

And, some local businesses are already helping out, Corcoran said.

Most notably, Two Rivers Brewing Company, which is directly across the street from the Downtown Easton fire station, will be holding a special happy hour event from 4 to 7 p.m. every Thursday in August, and 10 percent of all receipts at that time will be donated to the cause.

Click on this image for a full size view.

Fire station tours held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., along with a 50/50 raffle, may also draw more people to the five Thursday evening events too, organizers hope.

Other local businesses have been giving items to the charity drive's organizers that will be raffled between now and Oct. 16, the deadline for donations, Corcoran said. Again, all the money raised through the fundraisers will go directly towards the purchase of as many winter coats as possible.

"But, so far, it's been pretty slow," he said of the rate of donations, adding that while the firefighters hope to be able to provide a new coat to every kid in need, it may be that they will have to select specific classes at the three selected schools instead, and bypass providing coats to others.

Corcoran said he ultimately doesn't know how many children will be recipients of the drive, especially since it's the first year the union has held this sort of charity drive, and is being run through the national "Operation Warm" program.

"The original idea was to give every kid on the free- and reduced-lunch program a free coat, but we have to work with what we get," he said.

Corcoran is hopeful that once word of the coat drive gets out and the heat of summer begins to wane, more individuals will donate to the cause.

Donors aren't required pay for an entire coat, he said--any amount is welcome and will go directly towards buying the cold-weather garments.

Donations will be accepted through October 16, which will allow for the two-week turnaround the order from the manufacturer requires. The coats will then be distributed directly to the selected students in early November, hopefully in time for the arrival of cold weather.

Children will be allowed to choose the color of their coat, and each will have the recipient's name stitched inside too--a touch that lets the kids know the coat was made for them. Teachers will help fill out the order forms and measure students to ensure a good fit, Corcoran said.

"The cost is $32 per coat. However many donations we get, we'll work with that," Corcoran said.

To keep people up to date and provide more information about upcoming fundraising events that will contribute to "Easton Firefighters Coats for Kids", organizers have set up a Facebook page.

To contribute directly to the new coat drive online or learn more about the national "Firefighters Coats for Kids Foundation, visit the IAFF Local 713's web page on "Operation Warm" here.