Easton Police Search South Side Residence

Easton police searched a residence at 139 Scott St. in the South Side neighborhood of the city today at about 3:15 p.m., the EPD reports.

The contents of the search warrant is currently sealed, and the investigation was undertaken by the Easton Police Criminal Investigations Division on behalf of the Brooklyn New York District Attorney’s office, police said in a media release.

Representatives from the DA’s Office were present when the warrant was served, and unspecified  evidence was seized from the property, local officials added.

Residents at the property refused to open the door, and police encountered two aggressive dogs after breaching the door, Easton Lieutenant Matt Gerould said.

It is unclear whether any suspects were taken into custody as a result of the search.

When reached by phone, a media spokesperson for the Brooklyn New York District Attorney’s office said he was unable to give out any further information about the event, other than that it was part of a larger ongoing investigation.

He also cited that the warrant is still sealed and said he had no further information about when more information about the case might be released.

Editor's note: We will update this story as more facts about the case are released.

Updated at 6:06 p.m. and again on Tuesday, April 30 at 12:27 a.m.

Spring Plant Exchange Set for Saturday

The West Ward Neighborhood Partnership will hold its annual spring plant exchange this Saturday, May 4 from noon to 3 p.m. at 630 Northampton St.

Those who would like to participate should bring a plant, clearly marked, to exchange for another variety at the swap. Bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, and plants of all varieties are all welcome.

The WWNP Neighborhood Physical Quality and Natural Resources committees will also be offering rain barrels, tomato buckets, herbs, house plants, and flowering bedding plants for sale at the event.

A limited amount of shrubs will also be available for a suggested donation, an announcement about the event said.

For more information or questions about the event, call 610-515-0891.

Click here to download a pdf of the event poster.

This Week in Easton, April 29 to May 2

This week brings April to an end...So break out your May pole and do a little dance. No? Okay, just enjoy a few of the things on our weekly list then.

Monday, April 29

Forks of the Delaware Shad Fishing Tournament and Festival: Continues all this week, runs through Friday, May 3. Scott Park, Larry Holmes Drive, just south of the free bridge.

Palmer Township Shade Tree Commission meeting: 6:30 p.m. In the Palmer Library meeting room, at the Municipal Complex, 1 Weller Place (off of Newburg Road), Palmer Township.

Tuesday, April 30

Bird Walk: 7:30 a.m. to noon. Join Preserve Manager and Natural Lands Trust Wildlife Coordinator Tim Burris to hunt for the chestnut-sided warbler, eastern bluebird, and other species that call Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary forests and meadows home. Wear sturdy walking shoes, and bring a water bottle. No preregistration is necessary. Free. Walks will meet in the parking lot. Walk will proceed in misty conditions but cancel in case of downpour or lightning. Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunnyside Road (from Rte.611, take Spring Hill Road, make a right onto Sunnyside, follow it to the end), Williams Township. Click here for more information or email timburris@natlands.org
Duplicate Bridge: 11:30 a.m. Temple Covenant of Peace, 1451 Northampton St.

Beyond Cakes Bakery Ribbon Cutting: 5 to 7 p.m. Includes free samples and givaways. 1700 Sullivan Trail, Forks Township.

Wednesday, May 1

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

Brian Dean Moore: 7 p.m. The Widow's Tavern, 200 Main St., Stockertown. 610-365-8890 or www.widowstavern.com

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

"On Aging": 8 p.m. Based on interviews with Lehigh Valley senior citizens, this original collaborative theater piece merges poetry, artwork, video, and music to tell their stories in a live performance. Tickets are $6. Lafayette College, Williams Center for the Arts, 317 Hamilton St. 610-330-5009 or williamscenter.lafayette.edu

Jam Session: 8 p.m. Rivals, 5 Lehn's Court (just off Centre Square). 610-392-2932 or www.rivalseaston.com

Open Mic with Scott Harrington: 9:30 p.m. Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. 610-250-6561 or www.porterspubeaston.com

Thursday, May 2

Williams Township Landfill Advisory Committee meeting: 8 a.m. Williams Township Municipal Complex, 655 Cider Press Road, Williams Township.

Northampton County Economic Development Committee Meeting: 5 p.m. County Council Meeting Room, third floor, Northampton County Courthouse, 669 Washington St.

Northampton County Council meeting: 6:30 p.m. County Council Meeting Room, third floor, Northampton County Courthouse, 669 Washington St.

Forks Township Board of Supervisors work session: 7 p.m. Forks Township Municipal Complex, 1606 Sullivan Trail, Forks Township.

"On Aging": 8 p.m. Based on interviews with Lehigh Valley senior citizens, this original collaborative theater piece merges poetry, artwork, video, and music to tell their stories in a live performance. Tickets are $6. Lafayette College, Williams Center for the Arts, 317 Hamilton St. 610-330-5009 or williamscenter.lafayette.edu

B.D. Lenz: 8 p.m. Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. 610-250-6561 or www.porterspubeaston.com

Bring (or wear) Your Own Vinyl night: 8 p.m. to midnight. With the Easton Record Exchange. Black & Blue, 683 Walnut St. 610-438-3604 or blackandblueeaston.com

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

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

Open Mic with Nick Levinos: 9:30 p.m. Pearly Bakers, 11 Centre Square. 610-253-9949 or www.pearlybakers.net

"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!

Scene in Easton: A West Ward Car Wash

Xavier Dunbar, 7, of Bethlehem, and Najee Peterson, 8, of Easton, do their part

by helping to advertise for the car wash.

Photos by Christina Georgiou

Members of Holy Temple of Easton on Ferry Street took advantage of the beautiful weather yesterday to offer a car wash to passersby and raise a little cash for their church







 

Church members wait for customers, left, and when one
arrives, it gets the full treatment.





Nurture Nature Launches Fundraising Campaign for Urban Garden Project

By Christina Georgiou


Rachel Hogan talks about Nurture Nature Center's plan for
an "Urban Recycle Garden" Friday evening.



It's been part of the Nurture Nature Center's (NNC) plan from the beginning to incorporate urban gardening and an educational program to go with it into their facility on Northampton Street, and now after five years of operation, it may finally happen.

The Center launched with a Kickstarter campaign party Friday evening, attended by nearly 100 people, to highlight its plan to create an "Urban Recycle Garden", which requires $8,000 to become a reality.

"We're really excited about this program," said Rachel Hogan, NNC's director. "We have a really beautiful vision of how we can use that area and demonstrate how people can grow their own food."


Works by Pat Delluva, Jody Matthews, Sydney McGinley,
Patti Tinsman-Schaffer, Kay Stauffer, and Todd Stone,
Nurture Nature Center's latest art exhibit, were on display
during the fundraising campaign launch. Additionally,
"Riverview" by Easton artist Isadore LaDuca, which
he donated to the center, was also on view.

 The initial phase of the garden will be at ground level just off of Pine Street behind the NNC building. The majority of the cost will go towards building a system to collect rainwater from the roof of the center, which will also be useful towards mitigating stormwater runoff. Other costs include building a trellis along the center's back wall to grow vegetables and vines, basic supplies such as soil, and to create handouts and other educational materials about the garden so visitors will be able to recreate some of the ideas.

"One of the things we're going to do is leverage it as an educational tool," Hogan said. "We want to demonstrate things people can do at their own homes."

The majority of the garden's containers will be recycled, and the emphasis will be on practical gardening, said NNC's Kate Brandes, who is a licensed professional geologist, certified floodplain manager, and a Penn State Master Gardener.

"I think the bottom line for me is this is a project for regular people. It's different from a community garden or a green roof," she said.

Kate Brandes looks out over the roof and area behind
Nurture Nature Center, which the organization hopes to
transform into a blooming garden this summer.

If the Kickstarter campaign exceeds the $8,000 goal, Nurture Nature plans to apply the money to continuing the green space, creating a rooftop garden just above the back wall of the building.

That part of the project has also been in the works from the beginning, Brandes said, but is more costly.

Needed are a structural certification from a licensed engineer stating the roof can hold the weight of the garden, as well as modifications to the fire escape balcony to make it safer for visitors. Additionally, the center would like to replace the heavy fire doors that lead to the fire escape with paned-glass ones so the garden will be visible from the  third floor "Science on a Sphere" room above.

Friday evening, a number of people were seen donating toward the project, some through the Kickstarter campaign, and others writing checks directly. By the end of the evening, $2,500 had been garnered for the project, in addition to NNC's Kickstarter campaign.

The online effort runs through Saturday, May 25 at 10 p.m. and had garnered $440 in pledges from 11 backers as of late Friday night. By mid-Saturday afternoon, the amount had grown to $765.

If Nurture Nature Center reaches it's goal, the garden project will be implemented immediately and yield its first crops this summer, Brandes said.

Additionally, the center is planning a campaign closing party for the backers on Thursday, May 30.

Brandes said she's very much looking forward to making the garden a reality.

"We've been waiting to do this for five years," she said.

To contribute to the Nurture Nature Center's Urban Recycle Garden or view more details about the planned project, click here to visit their page on Kickstarter.

For more about Nurture Nature Center and its mission, visit the organization's website.

Updated at 1:57 p.m.

Woman Charged with Littering After Bomb Scare

By Christina Georgiou

Members of the Northampton County Bomb Squad prepare
to investigate a suspicious bag that was tossed from a car
along Northampton Street late Tuesday morning. The
purse was later deemed harmless, but the incident shut down
surrounding roads for nearly two hours, and numerous
personnel from the Easton Police and the Easton Fire
department were involved in the event.

A New York woman will be charged with littering after she tossed a purse out onto Northampton Street near Seventh Street in Easton's West Ward late Tuesday morning, which resulted in a bomb scare that shut down roads in the immediate area for nearly two hours.

Yolanda Santana, 21, formerly of Easton and now residing New York City, had just purchased a new purse at Walmart and finished transferring the contents of her bag when she decided to discard her old black bag at the side of the road from the passenger seat of her friend's car, Lt. Sam Lobb said.

The presence of the bag, which contained two boxes inside, alarmed a witness, who called police thinking the parcel might be a bomb.

While Easton police didn't have a license plate number, the white Buick with a black top was captured by the city's surveillance cameras in the area, giving authorities a good description of the distinctive-looking vehicle.

Lobb said he spotted the car parked along Walnut Street Wednesday evening and tracked down the owner, who lives in Coopersburg. She has not been charged in the incident.

Santana spoke with police at the Easton police station later that evening and admitted tossing the bag, Lobb said.

"She didn't intend to cause harm," Lobb said. "She just didn't think and tossed the bag."

Santana will also be held responsible for expenses incurred by the mobilization the Northampton County Bomb Squad, the Easton Fire Department, and Easton police officers during the incident.

The littering charge carries a fine of $50 to 300.

An estimate of the costs of mobilizing the numerous emergency personnel to deal with the incident, including bomb squad personnel from Bethlehem, has not yet been tallied.

Easton Farmers Market Returns for 261st Season

The oldest continuous open air farmers' market in the U.S. will kick off its 261st year next Saturday, May 4 at 9 a.m. on Easton's Centre Square with seven new vendors and featuring a total of thirty-four farmers, food purveyors and crafters.

The market’s opening day ceremony will highlight Easton Farmers' Market (EFM) farming families and celebrate a  new generation of young, passionate farmers who are dedicated to being good stewards of the environment and to growing healthy, chemical-free food. "So God Made a Farmer," the  poem made famous by radio personality Paul Harvey, as well as speeches by Mayor Sal Panto and PA State Representative Robert Freeman, along with a ribbon cutting by a representative from St. Luke’s University Health Network, the EFM's new major sponsor, will all be part of the event.

The opening day festivities also include a tie-in with National Herb Day, which is also on May 4.  The Northern NJ Chapter of the American Herbalist Guild will be present,  selling herb plants and answering herb-related questions. Additionally, local herbalist David Harder will offer advice on growing herbs and using them in cooking and healing.

Chef Abe Lopez of Valenca restaurant will demonstrate how to cook a fresh seasonal dish incorporating spring produce and pasture-raised pork provided by EFM vendors, and registered dietician Debbie Cooper will discuss the nutritional benefits of the ingredients and offer healthy eating and cooking tips. 

The opening day event will also feature live music, free market bags for the first 61 customers and a drawing to win four tickets to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game for that evening.

The EFM will also be expanding this year, with the launch of its new evening market on Wednesday, June 5.

The new Wednesday market, sponsored by Easton's Weyerbacher Brewing Company and dubbed  "Weyerbacher Wednesdays", will run 4 to 8 p.m. every week through Sept. 25.

Twenty vendors will sell at the new Wednesday market,

"This new market was created to serve the downtown’s burgeoning residential and office population. Young professionals are seeking more access to fresh, locally-produced food,  and we’re excited to be able to offer it to them," said EFM Manager Megan McBride in a media release. "The market will provide a full-service shopping experience with seasonal produce, pasture-raised meat, raw milk, yogurt and cheese, artisan bread and baked goods and prepared foods for quick weeknight meals."

For more information about the Easton Farmers' Market and other related upcoming events, visit www.eastonfarmersmarket.com