This Week in Easton, November 11 to 14

Veterans Day means a lot of people get a three-day weekend...why not take a moment of that time to say thanks to a vet?

Monday, November 11

Today is Veterans Day.
Formerly known as Armistice Day, November 11 is the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918.
Federal, state, and most local government offices are closed. There is no mail delivery today, and post offices are closed, along with most schools.
LANTA Bus service will run on its regular schedule.

Free Car Wash for Veterans: Shammy Shine Car Washes will honor and recognize all retired and active members of the armed forces during regular business hours today. Click here for more details and locations in the Easton area.

City of Easton Veterans Day Service: 10:30 a.m. Upper Hackett Park, just off Hackett Avenue (make right on Mary Way), Palmer Township.

Maxim's Birthday Bash and Armistice Celebration: Begins at 4 p.m. Help the restaurant celebrate its first birthday. Music by Lelica Trio featuring Doug Hawk and BD Lenz playing from 7 to 10:30 p.m.  Drink specials, oysters galore, and Maxim's (the owner's son) birthday. Maxim's 22, 322 Northampton St. 610-252-2622 or www.maxims22.com

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.

Trivia Night: 8 p.m. Two Rivers Brewing Company, 542 Northampton St. 610-829-1131 or www.tworiversbrewing.com

Tuesday, November 12

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

Easton Historic District Commission meeting: 5:30 p.m. (Date changed to Tuesday due to Veterans Day.) City Hall, city council chambers, 6th floor, 1 South Third St.

Easton City Council committee meeting: 6 p.m. 2014 city budget proposal review session. City Hall, city council chambers, sixth floor, 1 South Third St.

Easton Area School Board Standing Committee meeting: 6 p.m. Education Center, board room, 1801 Bushkill Drive, Forks Township.

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

Williams Township Recreation Board meeting: 7 p.m. Williams Township Municipal Complex, Community Building, 655 Cider Press Road, Easton (Williams 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

Trivia Night: 7 to 10 p.m. Hosted by comedienne Liz Russo. Rivals, 5 Lehn's Court. 610-392-2932 or www.rivalseaston.com

Bingo: 7 to 10:30 p.m. Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church, corner of South Fourth and Ferry streets.
 
Koresh Dance Company: 8 p.m. Includes the sensuous and beguiling Koresh Bolero (to Ravel), an indisputable masterpiece in the company’s recent touring repertory, and Koresh’s most recent work, "Come Together", that features intimate compositions for small ensembles of dancers—duos, trios and quartets, as well as vibrant and kaleidoscopic tableaus for the splendid company, shown in full force. Tickets are $18. Lafayette College, Williams Center for the Arts, 317 Hamilton St. 610-330-5009 or williamscenter.lafayette.edu

Blues Jam with Maria Woodford: 8 to 11 p.m. Riegelsville Tavern, 1274 Easton Road, Riegelsville. 610-510-3030 or www.riegelsvilletavern.com

Wednesday, November 13

Easton City Council meeting: 6 p.m. City Hall, city council chambers, sixth floor, 1 South Third St.

Williams Township Board of Supervisors meeting: 7 p.m. Williams Township Municipal Complex, 655 Cider Press Road, Easton (Williams Township)

Free Texas Hold'em: 7 & 9 p.m. Registration is 15 minutes prior to each game. La Pazza, 1251 Ferry St. 610-515-0888 or www.lapazza.com

Tower Suite: 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

Brazilian Dreams: 8 p.m. Paquito D'Rivera and New York Voices. Composer's chat with Paquito D'Rivera, 7 p.m. Tickets are $22. Lafayette College, Williams Center for the Arts, 317 Hamilton St. 610-330-5009 or williamscenter.lafayette.edu

Hollywood 2: 8 p.m. Riegelsville Tavern, 1274 Easton Road, Riegelsville. 610-510-3030 or www.riegelsvilletavern.com

Waver Wednesday: 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. All new wave, dark wave, indie and electronica music with DJ Brad Scott Smith and DJ Mumbler. Two Rivers Brewing Company, 542 Northampton St. 610-829-1131 or www.tworiversbrewing.com

Thursday, November 14

Colonial Herb Gardening: 10:30 a.m. With Penn State Master Gardener Becky Short, who will portray a colonist, Mistress Rebecca, who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. Travel back to the early days to discover how herbs were used in everyday life. Easton Public Library South Side Branch, 401 West Berwick St., room 102. www.eastonpl.org or 610-258-3121

Children's Health Insurance Program sign-up event: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sign up for free or low-cost health insurance for your children. Question and answer session from 6 to 6:30 p.m., sign up from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Bring ID, Social Security numbers and birth dates for all applicants, proof of income, insurance information if your family has had insurance in the past six months, and car insurance info if applicable. Child care is available during the session. Paxinosa Elementary School, 1221 Northampton St. Call 484-546-6934 to preregister.
 
Forum - "The Lehigh Valley Local Food Economy": 6:30 to 9 p.m., doors open 6 p.m. Lynn Prior, director for Buy Fresh Buy Local of the Greater Lehigh Valley, will speak, and public input will be gathered to guide the creation of a Fresh Food Access Plan towards a healthier, more sustainable food environment in which fresh food is available to all Lehigh Valley residents, both now and in the future. A local foods reception will follow the forum. Free, but pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Nurture Nature Center, 518 Northampton St. Call Brooke Kohler at 610-253-4432 or email info@BuyLocalGreaterLehighValley.org to register. Click here for more details.

City of Easton Board of Health meeting: 6 p.m. City Hall, city council chambers, sixth floor, 1 South Third St.

Forks Township Supervisors 2014 budget work session: 6 p.m. Forks Township Municipal Complex, 1606 Sullivan Trail, Forks Township.

Forks Township Planning Commission: 7 p.m. Forks Township Municipal Complex, 1606 Sullivan Trail, Forks Township.
 
PBR Retro Thursday and Game Night: Available for your endless enjoyment and nostalgic lapses are a wide assortment games we all grew up playing, plus, Ring-the-Bull and Shut-the-Box. PBR cans are $1 from 4 p.m. to midnight. La Pazza Bar, 1251 Ferry St. 610-515-0888 or www.lapazza.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 www.blackandblueeaston.com

The Chris Cummings Standards Trio: 8 p.m. Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. 610-250-6561 or www.porterspubeaston.com

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

DJ Realion: 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!

Free Car Washes Offered to Vets, Military Personnel

Two Easton-area Shammy Shine locations will offer a free car wash to military veterans and current armed forces personnel next Monday, November 11.

The free washes are being given to honor and recognize those that have served or are currently serving in the military as part of "Grace for Vets". Car washes in all 50 states and three other countries, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand unite annually to offer the service.

"We’re excited that the program has expanded internationally, as it allows more military service to be honored," said Tom Halford, director of business development for Shammy Shine. "I’m proud to be a part of an industry that continually supports our military."

Shammy Shine in Easton is at 240 Bushkill Drive. The Shammy Shine car wash in Palmer is at 2920 William Penn Highway. Both locations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.



Several Shammy Shine locations in New Jersey will also offer the service too.

For a complete list of car washes across the country that are participating in Grace for Vets on Veterans Day, visit www.graceforvets.org

Easton Remembers Fallen Soldiers on Memorial Day

By Christina Georgiou

Every Memorial Day for the last 114 years, those in Easton have commemorated those who served their country and sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom, and this year was no exception.

Proceeding from Sixth Street down Northampton Street to the Delaware River, parade participants, led by the Northampton County Marine Corps League, were met by an enthusiastic public along the way.

Along with local county, city, township, and borough officials, American Legion Post #611, Brown and Lynch American Legion Post 9, Disabled American Veterans, Amvets Post 17, Pennsylvania Army National Guard Battery D, and the Ancient Order of Hiberninans all took part.

Also part of the remembrance day event were local  Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, the Easton Hummingbirds Adventurer Club, El Camino Pathfinders Club, the Olivet Church Youth Group, the 4-H Club of Northampton County, the Corvette Club, the Easton Fire Department and Easton Police Mobile Unit, and Suburban Emergency Squad.

Music was provided by the Easton Area High School Marching Band.

Upon reaching the river, a contingent of the parade, including Mayor Sal Panto and Vice Mayor Ken Brown, along with State Representative Bob Freeman, met Phillipsburg New Jersey officials, including Phillipsburg Mayor Harry Wyant.

With a gun salute by firing squads from Bernadine May American Legion Post #457 and Brown and Lynch American Legion Post 9, a memorial wreath, along with flowers were cast into the river, to the echoing tune of "Taps", played by EAHS buglers Dominic Ruggiero and Christopher Pryer.

A memorial service, which included remarks by Captain Edward Smith of the US Naval Reserve, the national anthem and "Amazing Grace" sung by EAHS junior Megan Zsilavec, and a reading of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address by EAHS senior Nick DeNunzio, was punctuated by the placing of a wreath by local Blue Star Mothers and a reading of a roll call list of deceased local service members.

At the conclusion of the event, members of Cub Scout Pack #3 from College Hill released red, white, and blue doves, who promptly flew off to freedom into the sunny, blue sky.

Easton observes Memorial Day

Easton's annual Memorial Day Parade went off without a hitch Monday, and after a rather soggy weekend, the weather cooperated beautifully. Crowds lined the streets, as the parade made its approach to the free bridge for a brief joint service in the middle with Phillipsburg NJ. From there it was back to the Centre Square for a rememberance of Easton's very own, led by Joe Cuvo, president of the Veterans Memorial Day Counil of the Easton Area, who acted as master of cermonies for the final event.

Were you there? Well, then, you may just find yourself here...



Children scramble for candy thrown by Suburban EMTs.


  

While some seem to regard Memorial Day weekend as little more than three days off from work, clearly, these folks know its real meaning and hold it dear to their hearts.



Members of the Easton Police Department, including Chief Carl Scalzo, left, look on as the crowd makes its way to Scott Park for a joint rememberance service with Phillipburg NJ.





 

City Controller Tony Bassil attended the event, along with...



Pennsylvania State Representative Bob Freeman, right, with Joe Cuvo, president of the Veterans Memorial Day Council of the Easton Area.

Easton City Councilman Roger Ruggles, with Mayor Sal Panto.



The Easton Area High School Rover Marching Band heads back to Centre Square.





Easton Area High School senior Jennifer Estevez sings the national anthem.
She also sang Amazing Grace later in the program.





Easton Area High School junior Nick DeNunzio reads the Gettysburg Address.




A local Boy Scout places flowers on the Soldiers' and Sailors' monument in Centre Square.





Four Easton Blue Star Mothers, whose sons are currently serving in the military, at the Memorial Day event on the Centre Square. They later placed the wreath before the rifle salute.



One of two buglers from the EAHS Rover Marching Band that played 'Taps and Echo' prior to the final benediction.

Though nearly 149 years old, these words written by Abraham Lincoln from the Gettysburg Address still seem relevant today:

It is for us, the living...to be dedicated here to the unfinished work, which they who fought...have thus far so nobly advanced, it is rather for us to be here dedication to the task remaining before us; that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve: that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the face of the Earth.