Scene in Easton: Random Acts of Warm, Fuzzy Kindness

About 400 handmade scarves were given away to anyone who wanted
them by "Chase the Chill, the Original" along Northampton Street and
the surrounding area on Saturday.
Click on any photo for a full size view.

By Christina Georgiou

About a dozen volunteers, along with members of the Easton Fire Department, led by Easton textile artist Susan Huxley gave away about 400 hand knit and crochets winter scarves for the fourth year in a row in Easton on Saturday morning.

With a clothesline set up in front of the city's main fire station at the five-point intersection at the edges of the Downtown and West Ward neighborhood, "Chase the Chill, the Original" volunteers offered scarves to any and all who passed by and  desired them.

A Chase the Chill volunteer drapes a scarf
on a traffic signal pole for a passerby to
find and claim.

Some of the scarves were also draped on nearby trees, parking meters and other handy locations within a few blocks of the volunteers' gathering place for other passersby to find and claim. With tags that said,
"TAKE THIS SCARF...if you're cold or if you like it," recipients seemed pleasantly surprised by the gifts, and smiles and thanks were seen and heard along the 500 block of Northampton Street for about 45 minutes--the short  time it took for the hundreds of colorful, fluffy neck warmers to be happily snatched up and taken home.

The scarves were stitched by a dedicated group of volunteers over the past year, though one core member, Angela Boehm of Bethlehem, again created and donated a truly impressive number of them--166 in all.

Yarn for the undertaking is donated by the knitters themselves, as well as by community members--Huxley is always on the look-out for free wool that can be transformed by the group into next year's "scarf bombing," she said.

As recipients gathered at the clothesline strung between trees along the sidewalk, Huxley encouraged some of the recipients who seemed to be in more need to take a few scarves and distribute them as holiday gifts for loved ones too.

A happy recipient shows off her new scarf
Saturday at the Chase the Chill giveaway
event in Easton, as organizer Susan Huxley,
right, and a young volunteer tag more
scarves.

"My grand-daughter will love this one," said one senior, as she picked out a few.

Anyone who knits or crochets can get in on the action and donate to the annual  event, and Chase the Chill holds several public stitching gatherings a year as well, where volunteers can work on scarves to be donated.

Each donated scarf is photographed and documented by Huxley before being distributed, in and of itself a massive undertaking, considering the approximately  2,000 scarves that have passed through her hands.

The event has become so popular too that at least five other Chase the Chill groups have sprung up in the U.S. and Canada. The closest is in Emmaus.


"It's all about a random act of kindness," Huxley said, as one person marvelled at the amount of time and effort that went into the scarve giveaway.

To learn more about "Chase the Chill, the Original" or to get involved, visit the group's Facebook page.

Volunteers head off to drape scarves in the surrounding area
for lucky recipients to find and claim during the Chase the
Chill event on Saturday in Easton.

 

 

This Is the Weekend to Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries

In addition to the end of Daylight Savings Time this weekend, this is also a excellent time to change your smoke alarm batteries.

According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), on average, people have less than three minutes from the time the first smoke alarm sounds to escape a fire. Working smoke alarms provide early warning and critical extra seconds needed to escape. They cut the risk of dying in home structure fires in half.

In the U.S., almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with inoperable smoke alarms or no smoke alarms. Thirty-eight percent of the fatal fire injuries occurred in homes with no smoke alarms at all, while 24 percent occurred in homes in which at least one smoke alarm was present but failed to operate.

This past September, three people, including a four-year-old child, died and three others were injured in a fast-moving apartment fire that occurred in Easton's West Ward neighborhood. Fire officials said the home lacked smoke detectors.

Smoke alarm failures usually result from missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. Households with non-working smoke alarms now outnumber those with no smoke alarms.

Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year, testing those alarms, and reminding others to do so are some of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce the change of tragic death and injury.

Additionally, the IAFC recommends that smoke alarms in homes be replaced every ten years.

The Easton Fire Department provides smoke alarms free of charge to city residents that request them. Contact them at 610-250-6670 for more information.

Easton Main Street Unveils Downtown Gift Cards

By Christina Georgiou

Kim Kmetz, manager for the Easton Main Street Initiative,
right, announces the new Downtown Easton gift card
program at a press conference held at Pearly Baker's
Alehouse on Friday afternoon. She was joined by
EMSI assistant manager Amy Boccadoro and Easton
Hospital marketing vice president Stephen Wilson.

A gift card that can be used in 58 Downtown Easton shops and restaurants is now available, just in time for the holiday season, the Easton Main Street Initiative  announced at a press conference today.

Purchasable in any denomination between $5 and $500, the cards are a "one-size-fits-all kind of gift" perfect for nearly anyone, said Amy Boccadoro, EMSI's assistant manager.

The program is the first of its kind in the Lehigh Valley, and the gift cards work like a credit card, she added.

The Downtown Easton gift card can
be used in 58 shops and restaurants,
as well as to pay for curbside parking
at meters that accept card payments.

The cards can also be used to pay for parking at curbside meters that are equipped to handle credit and debit card payments, though they won't be usable at the city's parking deck.

The cards, which are not refillable, carry a $2 activation fee, paid at the time of their purchase.

For now, the cards are only available at the Easton Main Street office at 35 South Third St., and in the Sigal Museum gift shop, 342 Northampton St., open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

In addition to being a holiday gift item, at least one Downtown business plans on using the cards as an incentive to loyal customers.

Jonathan Davis, co-owner of Pearly Baker's Alehouse on Centre Square, praised the new card program.

"It's a real testament to see how far Downtown has come. We couldn't have dreamt of this...20 years ago," he said, adding that Pearly's will be using the new cards to reward its loyal customers. "For a while, we were giving away gift cards to other businesses. But now we're going to be giving away Downtown gift cards."

While Downtown merchants paid a fee to be part of the new program and will also pay processing fees similar to credit card processing fees, there were still costs associated with setting up the program, which were underwritten by Easton Hospital, said EMSI Manager Kim Kmetz.

The ad campaign for the holiday season promoting the Downtown Easton gift card
program uses the slogan, "Give thoughtlessly.  Simple. Local. Mindful."

"This very much was a collaborative effort between a variety of businesses and organizations," she said. "We could not have gotten this off the ground without the help of Easton Hospital."

While the cards can't be used for purchasing anything at the Wilson-based hospital, the healthcare organization  was still happy to make the program a reality, said vice president of marketing Stephen Wilson.

"It's exciting for us because we know that the health of a community is based on the strength of its businesses."

Between the upcoming holiday season, along with an ambitious campaign to market the cards via billboards, radio ads, and a button on the Downtown Easton smartphone app, Boccadoro said she expects that the cards will be snatched up quickly, though with 2,000 available, the supply should hold out at least until early next year.

"We feel it's going to be great for holiday gift-giving," she said.

For more information about the Downtown Easton gift card program and a list of participating businesses, click here.

Droves of Trick-or-Treaters Haunt the Streets of Easton

By Christina Georgiou

A small group of trick-or-treaters cross Ferry Street in Easton's
West Ward on Halloween night in search of sweets.

Last year, Superstorm Sandy nearly canceled Halloween entirely. The year before, a freak ice storm put a serious damper on the holiday.

So perhaps it's no wonder that Easton kids seemed more eager than usual this year to don their costumes and hit the streets at the first opportunity to go trick-or-treating and claim a generous share of candy.

Hordes of children and their parents were seen parading the sidewalks seconds after the official trick-or-treat time began at 6 p.m., often in groups of a dozen or two at a clip, with the traditional cry of "trick or treat!" on their lips as they stopped at the numerous houses where people with buckets of candy doled out treats. Polite choruses of "thank you!" followed in nearly every case.

Children collect candy from a house along Ferry Street
Thursday evening.
Click on any photo for a full size view.

In many cases, those buckets and bowls were emptied long before the designated trick-or-treat time--8 p.m.--had come even close to expiring.

Along the 900 block of Ferry Street, most were candy-less by 6:30 p.m. or shortly thereafter.

"We bought $50 worth of candy. I can't believe I'm out," said one father whose children were out trick-or-treating with his wife. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Maybe go in the house, turn off the lights and hide."

Two doors down, one woman mused that she might start giving out quarters as her supply of sweets dwindled.

A block up the street, the supply lasted a little longer, but not much.

The Easton Weed and Seed "Light the Night" event in
Centennial Park drew hundreds of trick-or-treaters
last night for Halloween.

"I've never seen this many trick-or-treaters," said one woman, as she handed out candy. "I don't think my supply is going to hold out."

But the costumed crowd seemed undaunted by the houses that ran out of candy before their arrival, and shrugging, they moved on in search of more sweets.

Hundreds of trick-or-treaters in the West Ward converged on Easton Weed and Seed's "Light the Night" event at Centennial Park, at South 12th and Ferry streets. The event's popularity and location may account too for why so many houses along the Ferry Street route were host to the inordinate number of trick-or-treaters.

Lit by strings of light bulbs, "Light the Night" attendees enjoyed hundreds of hot dogs provided by business owner Nick Alfero and hot chocolate and cookies served up by Rose of Sharon Church.

A Lafayette College sorority member hands out candy
at the Easton Weed and Seed "Light the Night" event
held at Centennial Park on Halloween Thursday evening.

Greek organizations from Lafayette College, along with Easton police and fire department members, handed out small mountains of candy to trick-or-treaters, joined by a number of local community groups, including the Easton Area Community Center, the Crime Victims Council, Legacy Ministries, and a number of individuals who donated their time--and more candy--to the event.

But even well-stocked, some at the event ran out of sweets.

"We spent $500 on candy," one Lafayette College sorority member was overheard saying a little after 7 p.m. "I can't believe it's all gone."

Another Lafayette group, undeterred, passed out Pop-Tarts in place of candy when their supply ran out.

Members of the Easton Police Department hand out
candy bars to trick-or-treaters during Easton Weed
and Seed's "Light the Night" event Thursday night
at Centennial Park.

But the crowds of costumed children didn't seem at all unhappy. All the sweets had, after all, been transferred into their well-stuffed trick-or-treat bags.

 

Zombies were very popular this year.

 

 

 

 

 

Weekend Guide, November 1 to 3

After all that candy, this is a good weekend to take it easy...And Easton is, of course, just the place for it. Don't forget, you get an extra hour to sleep in this weekend too!

Friday, November 1

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

Jeff Bellfy and Company, DJ Nicky K: Band at 7:30 p.m., DJ at 11 p.m..  Rivals Sports Bar & Nightclub, 5 Lehns Court. 610-923-7625 or www.rivalseaston.com

Night of 1,000 Divines: 8 p.m. to midnight. A tribute to the quintessential counterculture drag queen of the 20th century. "Stuff it, fluff it, fill it out..." A "Best in Show" prize will go to the best Divine costume. La Pazza Bar, 1251 Ferry St. 610-515-0888 or www.lapazza.com

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

Bobby Clark: 9 p.m. Colonial Pizza & Spaghetti House, 136-138 Spring Garden St. 610-252-3033 or www.colonialpizzapub.com 

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

DJ Mikey Z: 10 p.m. Riegelsville Tavern, 1274 Easton Road, Riegelsville. 610-510-3030 or www.riegelsvilletavern.com

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

Jim Stocker: 10 p.m. Dub's on Fifth, 402 South Fifth St., West Easton. 610-438-3827 or www.dubson5th.com

Saturday, November 2

Rummage Sale: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bag sale! Food and bake sale too. First United Church of Christ, 27 N. Third St. 610-258-3361

Easton Farmers' Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The oldest continuous open-air in the United States. Centre Square. www.eastonfarmersmarket.com

Fish Dinner: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Baked or fried. Adults $9 in advance, $10 at the door; children ages 6 to 12 years $4 in advance, $5 at the door; children 5 and under are free.  Wheelchair accessible. Christ United Methodist Church, 400 West Berwick St. Advance tickets may be purchased by calling 610-258-4762.

Lehigh Valley Wine Auction & Gala: 6 to 9 p.m. Join wine expert Maria Helm Sinsky for a wine tasting and pairings from local restaurants, plus silent and live auctions. Tickets are $80 per person. Benefits the Children's Home of Easton and the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society. Attire is smart casual. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets online.

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

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

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

Rocky and Friends: 9 p.m. Riegelsville Tavern, 1274 Easton Road, Riegelsville. 610-510-3030 or www.riegelsvilletavern.com
 
Jack Furlong Quartet: 9:30 p.m. The Lafayette Bar, 11 North 4th St. 610-252-0711 or www.lafayettebarjazz.com

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

Uncle Rocco: 10 p.m. Dub's on Fifth, 402 South Fifth St., West Easton. 610-438-3827 or www.dubson5th.com

DJ LAX: 11 p.m. Rivals Sports Bar & Nightclub, 5 Lehns Court. 610-923-7625 or www.rivalseaston.com

Sunday, November 3

Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 a.m. Don't forget to "fall back" and turn your clocks back one hour!

BC Combo: 5:30 p.m. Bella Luna, 3417 Sullivan Trail, Forks Township. 610-253-7458

Save the Date!

 Bacon Fest II will be the place to be next Saturday, November 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This Easton Farmers' Market event on Centre Square promises more bacon-y goodness and goodies than we could possibly describe in one little paragraph, so click here and here to find out all about it. Or visit www.pabaconfest.com



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.