Weekend Guide, April 26 to 28

It's a great weekend to do some gardening and/or spring cleaning, and there's opportunity to do both. Then, why not treat yourself and have a good time out on the town too...

Friday, April 26

Earth Night event: 6 to 9 p.m. The event will feature two new art exhibits and the launch of Nurture Nature Center's fundraising campaign to support their "Urban Recycle Garden", which "will demonstrate beautiful, creative and low-cost ways people can grow food and manage stormwater." Nurture Nature Center, 518 Northampton St. www.nurturenaturecenter.com RSVPs from those attending are appreciated--email here.

Line Dancing: 7 to 10:30 p.m. Lessons at 7:15 p.m. $5 per person for members, $6 for non-members. Tatamy Fire Company, 164 Bushkill St., Tatamy. 610-759-2786 or www.purecountrydancers.com

Notorious Grooves, DJ Massimo: Band at 7:30 p.m., DJ at 10:30 p.m.  Rivals Sports Bar & Nightclub, 5 Lehns Court. 610-923-7625 or www.rivalseaston.com

Orpheus Concert: 8 p.m.  Hugo Wolf's Italian Serenade and Arnold Schoenberg's "Transfigured Night." With Gabriel Kahane, piano and vocals. Tickets are $33. Lafayette College, Williams Center for the Arts, 317 Hamilton St. 610-330-5009 or williamscenter.lafayette.edu

Steve McDaniel: 8 p.m. The Riegelsville Inn, 12 Delaware Road, Riegelsville. 610-749-0100 or www.riegelsvilleinn.com

Pour Man’s Band: 9 p.m. Colonial Pizza & Spaghetti House, 136-138 Spring Garden St. 610-252-3033 or www.colonialpizzapub.com

Patrick Poladian: 9 p.m. Two Rivers Brewing Company, 542 Northampton St. 610-829-1131 or www.tworiversbrewing.com

John Kimock Project: 10 p.m. With special guests. Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. 610-250-6561 or www.porterspubeaston.com

DJ Realion: 10 p.m. Pearly Baker's Alehouse, 11 Centre Square. 610-253-9949 or www.pearlybakers.net

Saturday, April 27

Easton City-wide Clean Up: Volunteers will pick up trash, plant flowers, along with other efforts to spruce up their chosen neighborhood location. At various locations in the , West Ward, Downtown and Southside. Click here for more information.

Forks of the Delaware Shad Fishing Tournament and Festival: Begins today and runs daily through May 3. Scott Park, Larry Holmes Drive (just south of the free bridge). www.shadtournament.com

Annual City of Easton Surplus Auction: Item inspection at 8 a.m., auction begins at 10 a.m. A number of unusual and unique items will be offered at this event. Easton Public Works complex, 500 Bushkill St. Click here for more information. CANCELLED (presumably a new date will be announced in the near future)

Easton City Hall open: 8:30 to noon. The city finance department will be open for  for payments of property taxes, utility bills, per capita taxes, and other tax payments. A representative of Portnoff Law offices will be there to answer questions on payment plans or filings by Portnoff on the city's behalf. 1 South Third St.

Easton Farmers' Market Winter Mart: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is the last weekend of the indoor market--the outdoor market on Centre Square resumes next Saturday, May 4. Fresh, local organic produce, all-natural pastured meat, farm-fresh eggs, artisan cheese and bread, baked goods, prepared foods, more. Nurture Nature Center, 518 Northampton St. 610-253-4432 or www.eastonfarmersmarket.com

Championship CFA Cat Show & Feline Agility: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watch cats run their paces in feline agility, and meet special guest Hope, the calico exotic shorthair star of the  Toyota commercial.  Visit with exhibitors, see the cats up close and “purrsonal." Local exhibitors and shelters will also be present. Charles Chrin Community Center, 4100 Green Pond Road, Palmer Township.

Prescription Drug Drop Off: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Part of the DEA's national Take Back Initiative. Old and unused prescription drugs can be dropped off in an effort to keep narcotics off the streets. Giant Food Store, Town Center Shopping Center, Town Center Boulevard, Forks Township.

Decorated Egg Art Show & Sale: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $4 per person, free for kids 12 and under. Forks Township Community Center, 500 Zucksville Road, Forks Township. 610-252-4324 or www.eggsoriginal.com

YMCA Healthy Kids Day: Noon to 4 p.m. Easton Library story time, Easton Block Watch fingerprinting, Zumba, karate. gymnastics, rookie rugby, basketball, soccer, yoga, kid's obstacle boot camp, tennis, face painting and crafts, Easton Fire Department demonstrations, and more. Family YMCA, 1225 W. Lafayette St. www.familyymca.org

Jazz Day Celebration: 6:30 p.m. The Easton Area High School Jazz Band and Spatial Edition, a classic jazz quartet, will be featured. Free. Riverside Park Amphitheatre, Larry Holmes Drive, just north of the free bridge. Click here for more information.

Groovy 60's Dance party with The Large Flowerheads: 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10 in  advance, $15, at the door. Strausser Community Center, 2400 Liberty St. 610-442-3230 or www.largeflowerheads.com

Since the Fire, OLVO, Trailer Park Sex: 7 p.m. Plus two more bands...Mother's Bar & Grille, 3 Lehn's Court (just off of Centre Square). 610-253-1012

UFC 159: 7:30 p.m. Rivals Sports Bar & Nightclub, 5 Lehns Court. 610-923-7625 or www.rivalseaston.com

Frank Giasullo: 8 p.m. The Riegelsville Inn, 12 Delaware Road, Riegelsville. 610-749-0100 or www.riegelsvilleinn.com

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

Doug Hawk, BD Lenz, Kevin Soffera: 9 p.m. Two Rivers Brewing Company, 542 Northampton St. 610-829-1131 or www.tworiversbrewing.com

Truth n Soul: 9 p.m. The Widow's Tavern, 200 Main St., Stockertown. 610-365-8890 or www.widowstavern.com

John Kimock Project: 10 p.m. With special guests. Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. 610-250-6561 or www.porterspubeaston.com

Modern Romantz: 10 p.m. Pearly Baker's Alehouse, 11 Centre Square. 610-253-9949 or www.pearlybakers.net

Sunday, April 28

Championship CFA Cat Show & Feline Agility: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watch cats run their paces in feline agility, and meet special guest Hope, the calico exotic shorthair star of the  Toyota commercial.  Visit with exhibitors, see the cats up close and “purrsonal." Local exhibitors and shelters will also be present. Charles Chrin Community Center, 4100 Green Pond Road, Palmer Township.

Children's Fraktur Art Workshop: 10 a.m. to noon. Free, for children 8 to 12. Reservations required. The Sigal Museum, 342 Northampton St. 610-253-1222 or www.sigalmusuem.org

Decorated Egg Art Show & Sale: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $4 per person, free for kids 12 and under. Forks Township Community Center, 500 Zucksville Road, Forks Township. 610-252-4324 or www.eggsoriginal.com

Bingo and Vendor Shopping: Noon to 5 p.m. Benefits the RSD Foundation. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Palmer Township Fire Hall, 950 South 27th St., Palmer Township.

Longaberger Basket Bingo: Doors open at 1 p.m., bingo begins at 2 p.m. Admission is $20. St. John's United Church of Christ, 651 Easton Road, Riegelsville. 610-749-2567

Open Mic Hosted by Jim Stocker: 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Riegelsville Tavern, 1274 Easton Road, Riegelsville. 610-510-3030 or www.riegelsvilletavern.com

Save the Date!

The annual  Historic Easton House Tour, a self-guided tour of seven historic properties, three public spaces and an artisan session on restoration and preservation,  is set for Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance tickets for $20 are available online at www.eastonmainstreet.org and at a number of locations in the city. Tickets may also be purchased the day of the tour at Riverside Park for $25.

Easton's most comprehensive guide to what's happening over the weekend, in the city and beyond, is published every Friday.

Are you planning an event? Did we miss something? Let us know! Email us.

Sponsoring the Weekend Guide is an excellent way to advertise your local business. Plus, you get a permanent link to your website, also a great way to drive more traffic to your door. It's affordable too. Email us for details.

Last updated on Saturday, April 27, at 1:37 p.m.

West Ward Farm Share Program Promises Weekly Fresh Produce

Clear Spring Farm and the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership (WWNP) are collaborating through the "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" program to bring a low-cost farm share program to the City of Easton. The program will run from May 29 through September 25.

The program, in which participants pledge a weekly payment in exchange for a "share" of the farm's produce, will offer a variety of in-season fresh vegetables every week. The list is likely to include: lettuce, cabbage, onions, parsley, green beans, yellow beans, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, squash, sweet corn, beets, and broccoli over the course of the program.

Members do not choose their produce--the bounty will include a selection of what Clear Spring Farm has produced that week. Pick-up is every Wednesday between 6 and 7 p.m. at the First Moravian Church of Easton, 225 North Tenth St.

Both full and half-shares will be offered. A full share is designed to meet the weekly  needs of four people, and a half-share will feed two.

Members will generally receive about seven different vegetables each week, equivalent to one grocery bag of produce for a half share, and two grocery bags for a whole share.  Variety and quantity may vary.

Clear Spring Farm, located just north of the city on Richard Garr Road in Forks Township, is a "limited use" farm, which mean they avoid the use of chemicals where possible.

A full share costs $25 per week, and a half-share is $15 per week. Members must pay for their produce at the time of pick up. Payments must be made in cash, though SNAP will also be accepted for weekly payments.

Members are required to pay a two-week cash deposit to join--$50 for a full share or $30 for a  half share.  Deposits to become a farm share program member must be made in cash, and the deposit can be used to pay for the last two weeks of produce, or it may be returned at the end of the season. (SNAP will not be accepted for deposits.)

Shares that are not retrieved within the pickup time will be donated to a charity, food pantry, or the drop site host. The cost of the share will be deducted from the deposit. Those who miss two weeks will lose their place in the program. Those that cannot pick up their share on a given week may send someone else to do it for them, the announcement said.

A minimum of 10 shares need to be sold to offer the program in the city. Additionally, the program is limited to a maximum of 30 shares.

For more information or to sign up, contact the West Ward neighborhood Partnership at 610-515-0891 ext. 4200.

For more about Clear Spring Farm, visit their website at www.clearspringfarm.net

Forks of the Delaware Shad Fishing Tournament Begins on Saturday

Shad fishing is an annual Easton tradition, and this year is no exception.

Today is last day to register for the 31st annual Forks of the Delaware Shad Fishing Tournament and Festival, which officially begins at 12:01 a.m. this Saturday, April 27. The event runs until Friday, May 3.

With a grand prize of $1,000, daily prizes of $75, $50 and $25, and other prizes as well,  anglers have ample incentive to sign up and participate. Their chances of winning have increased too, since in recent years participation in the annual event has declined.

Registration is $30, and those wanting to get in on the action can sign up in person at Scott Park, on Larry Holmes Drive just south of the free bridge, from noon to 6 p.m. today.

Online registration is also available--visit www.shadtournament.com

For more information, call 610-597-SHAD or email picthefisherwoman@rcn.com

Annual Easton Citywide Cleanup Set for Saturday

The City of Easton is set to get a bit of spring cleaning this Saturday.

Volunteers will pick up trash, plant flowers and otherwise spruce up the city, with targeted areas in three out of the city's four neighborhood districts.

Downtown, the Easton Main Street Initiative will lead efforts on Centre Square, South Pine and Third streets, and along Larry Holmes Drive.

In the West Ward, litter patrol will be led by Weed and Seed's Laura Accetta and a gardening blitz at the South Tenth Street community garden will be led by Sophia Feller from the the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership.

Efforts in Vanderveer Park, Milton Street Park, and Pioneer Playground in Southside will led by Dean Young of the Boys and Girls Club of Easton and Melody Rogers of the Southside Civic Association.

The city's public works department will assist by retrieving bags of garbage picked up by the volunteers after the event.

It's not too late to get involved either. Those wishing to join existing efforts can contact any of the coordinators directly for more specific infomation, such as start times or Jamie Hartranft, Executive Assistant to the Mayor, at 610-250-6612.

Organizations or groups of individuals that would like to clean up an area not already on the list can arrange for Easton Public Works to pick up bags of trash and debris from their efforts too, by calling the department at 610-250-6680.

Nature of Easton: Common Merganser Couple Spotted Along Bushkill Creek



A pair of common mergansers sighted on the Bushkill Creek just off of Pearl Street in the City of Easton Tuesday afternoon.

 Ducks, particularly mallards, are seen every day along Easton's numerous waterways, but this pair sighted along the Bushkill Creek off of Pearl Street yesterday is likely a bit less common in the immediate area than their name suggests.

The "common merganser" is a large tree-dwelling duck that makes usually its nests in tree cavities, though it also will sometimes will choose a cliff crevice, chimney, old building, or a nest box in which to make its home. They also occasionally occupy abandoned hawk nests.

The attractive birds, which feature a serrated bill, generally dine on fish, along with mphibians, crustaceans, mollusks and other invertebrates, which they catch by diving  underwater. They prefer crystal clear waters, both fresh and salt water, presumably because it's easier to see their prey.

While native to North America, common mergansers are also found in Europe, where they are called goosanders.

The ducks pair off in late winter, and pairings may last for one season or for a number of years. They mate seasonally, with eggs being laid in May and June. Females typically lay 9 to 12 eggs.

It's uncertain whether the pair pictured is breeding locally or just passing through, as the birds do migrate. Their expected breeding area is listed as being north of Easton, with the southernmost section lying in Monroe County.

Still, the area of the Bushkill where they were sighted fits just about all the criteria for their preferred habitat, so the possibility of seeing the handsome couple with children in coming weeks seems likely, if they decide to stick around.

If they do, their ducklings will likely be seen over the summer in the same area. The young birds will accompany their mother to the feeding site within a week or so of being hatched and will be able to swim and feed on their own nearly immediately, though at first they will take their food from the water's surface instead of diving.

A little more than a week later, after mastering those skills, they will learn to dive as well.

Their mother will abandon them before they learn to fly, about a month or two after their birth. At that point, they may join other young common mergansers and form their own group, before they mature enough to reproduce themselves, usually at about two years of age.

The common merganser often lives about 13 years or more in the wild and has few natural predators. It ranges in size from about 21 to 28 inches long, and has a wingspan of about 33 to 34 inches.

After hatching, young birds follow their mothers to feeding sites. Young can swim and feed easily as soon as they leave the nest, although for the first few days most food is taken from the surface of the water. Within about 8 days, the young are skilled divers. Mothers abandon their young before they learn to fly, usually 30 to 50 days after hatching. Young mergansers join other young after being abandoned; mixed broods of more than 40 young have been observed.

Information for this article was gathered from the following web resources:

http://pa.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/common-merganser

http://www.carnegiemnh.org/assets/science/pnr/atlas/accounts/84-5_COME.pdf

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Mergus_merganser/

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_merganser/lifehistory

Karl Stirner Arts Trail Celebrates Grace Gate

By Christina Georgiou

Sculptor Willie Cole talks about the inspiration for "Grace Gate" at the
work's dedication ceremony Tuesday afternoon. The design
is a stylized representation of his face, with his hands clasped
in a gesture of gratitude in front of it.


The Karl Stirner Arts Trail celebrated its newest art addition Tuesday afternoon, officially dedicating "Grace Gate", created by renowned sculptor Willie Cole. The event was attended by about 25 officials, members of the public, and art students.

The iron gate sits near the northern midpoint of the trail, which runs along the Bushkill Creek in the West Ward and Downtown neighborhoods of Easton, and marks an access point to the path from Easton Cemetery. To enter the Stirner Trail, one must traverse the tunnel that runs under Route 22, and step through Grace Gate, which will stay closed most of the time, as it's designed to keep motor vehicles out, but allow pedestrians to pass through.

The proximity to the cemetery influenced Grace Gate's design, Cole said.

"I thought about the tunnel and the entrance between life and death," he told the assembled crowd. "I enjoyed the fact too that the gate was not to stop people, but to stop cars."

The gate's design is in keeping with its name, the artist said.

"I was coming to the realization of the importance of giving thanks," Cole said, explaining that the work is a stylized representation of his face, with his hands clasped in a gesture of gratitude in front of it.

The eyes on the gate are open, because "I wanted to keep the play of light moving," he added.

"I would have loved to have created a gate on the other side too, to create a dialogue between the two. Maybe I'll raise the money and donate it to the city," Cole said.

The artist said in the short time he's been visiting Easton, he's come to appreciate both the architecture and atmosphere that is conducive to the arts community.

"I almost feel like I need to move to Easton now," Cole said.


Jim Toia, chair for the Bushkill
 Creek Corridor Council of
the Arts, talks about
"Grace Gate" at the
dedication on Tuesday.

 Cole, who is best known for his transformations of ordinary domestic objects, has been exhibited at a long list of major museums and other public venues across the country, including the Musuem of Modern Art in New York City. A New Jersey native, he lives in Minehill, NJ, near the Delaware Water Gap.

Jim Toia, chair for the Bushkill Creek Corridor Council of the Arts and an art teacher at Lafayette College, praised the work.

"The fact that you can step right through this gate, which sort of defies what a gate is about, is really great," he said. "When Willie came up with the idea for the gate, I looked at the drawing, and I thought, 'Wow, this is really minimal.' But after more talking, it became deeper and deeper. He was right, and what we have behind us is a testament to that."


Sculptor Willie Cole, right, chats with Karl Stirner.

 Toia also said more art is set to be added to the arts trail this summer, including a work by Easton artist Karl Stirner, for whom the nature path is named.

Mayor Sal Panto also praised the work and said he's excited to see the trail area populated with "good art" instead of graffiti.

Athena Barat, sings
"Amazing Grace".

"I don't know what good art is, but we know what bad art is," he said.

Adding an artistic note to the formality of the Grace Gate dedication, in a musical sense, the celebration was punctuated by two acapella  songs by Cole's friend Athena Barat, including the aptly chosen, "Amazing Grace."



Grace Gate, as seen from Easton Cemetery.



Discarded Bag Causes Bomb Scare on Northampton Street

By Christina Georgiou


Easton police and the Northampton County Bomb Squad  investigate a handbag
dropped on the sidewalk along Northampton Street at Seventh Street
that was suspected to contain a bomb. Roads in the immediate area were
closed for nearly two hours, before it was determined the package was not
dangerous.



A bag dropped from a car along Northampton Street at Seventh Street late this morning caused a bomb scare that led to roads in the immediate area being closed for nearly two hours, as officials investigated the parcel.

Easton Police Sgt. Robert Weber said a bystander flagged down a Northampton County sheriff's car shortly after 11:30 a.m. after finding an abandoned black bag on the sidewalk on the sidewalk near the armory building and suspecting it might be a bomb.

A review of city surveillance camera footage showed a white four-door Buick had pulled up near the side of the road at the stop light and a passenger dropping the bag, before the car pulled away, he said.

Police, who arrived on the scene at 11:35 a.m., immediately shut down the road from Sixth to Ninth streets along Northampton Street, and from Church to Ferry streets along Seventh Street.

"Obviously we couldn't approach the bag because it was suspicious," Weber said.

The Northampton County Bomb Squad was called to the scene to determine the contents of the parcel.

The black bag, an imitation leather handbag, turned out to have a box inside, with another box inside that, along with a few incidental items, Weber said.

Roads were reopened to traffic at approximately 1:25 p.m.

Residents in the immediate area were not evacuated, though only residents of the affected blocks were allowed access during the investigation, which lasted nearly two hours.

"I really couldn't speculate why they threw the bag out of the car," he said, adding that there was nothing of value in the bag.

Weber said police don't have the license plate number of the vehicle, and the other contents of the bag have turned up no real leads toward identifying its possible owner.

"Everything else in the bag is turning up dead ends. It's old information," Weber said. "It turned out to be nothing, thank goodness."