Lower Saucon Citizens Academy Spots Still Open

The Lower Saucon Township Citizens Academy, which will run for six weeks, is set to kick off on Thursday, March 7, 2013 starting at 7pm at Seidersville Hall, 3700 Old Philadelphia Pike.

The Lower Saucon Township Citizens Academy still has a few spaces available, organizers have announced. The academy is being conducted to educate and involve residents in the functions of township government. The Citizens Academy will run for six weeks, and will kick off on Thursday, March 7 at 7pm at Seidersville Hall at the Lower Saucon Township municipal complex, 3700 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bethlehem PA. For more information, visit the township website. Further reading:

• Photos (1)
• Documents (1)

Presidents Day: What's Open, Closed in Saucon Valley

If you know of an opening or closing we've missed, please post a comment.

Hellertown Borough offices - CLOSED* Lower Saucon Township offices - OPEN Saucon Valley School District - CLOSED United States Postal Service (USPS) - CLOSED. There is no mail delivery. Federal offices - CLOSED State offices - CLOSED Northampton County offices - CLOSED Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) stores - CLOSED Banks - Most will be CLOSED. Call your local branch for confirmation of hours. Retail stores - Most will be OPEN. *The regularly scheduled Hellertown Borough Council meeting will not be held on Presidents Day. Instead, it will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7pm.

• Photos (1)

Citizens' Academy to Offer Inside View of Local Government [Op-Ed]

The following op-ed is by David Willard, a member of Lower Saucon Township Council.

On Thursday, March 7, Lower Saucon Township will launch its first-ever Citizens’ Academy. What is a Citizens’ Academy? It’s an opportunity for Lower Saucon Township residents to learn more about how their township government actually works. Through a series of six weekly interactive one-hour workshops, attendees will meet members of the Township Council and staff. They’ll learn about Administration, Public Works, Finance/Budget, Land Development and Zoning, Police Services, Parks and Recreation, and more. They’ll also learn about the history of Lower Saucon Township--dating back to 1743--and how various departments and volunteer groups serve almost 11,000 residents. The Citizens’ Academy is intended to be highly educational...and fun. Our …

• Photos (1)

Lower Saucon Township to Host 'Citizens Academy'

Registration is now open for the Lower Saucon Township Citizens Academy, which is being held to educate and involve residents in the functions of township government.

Lower Saucon Township has announced that it will host having a six-week Citizens Academy, for which township residents are being encouraged to register. The academy, which was proposed last year by township councilman David Willard, is being conducted to educate and involve residents in the functions of township government. "The goal of the Citizens Academy is to foster a better relationship between township government and its constituents, while providing the foundation for greater citizen participation on the township’s boards, commissions and authorities," according to an online brochure posted on the township's website (also see attached file). Classes will be held Thursdays from 7 to 8pm in Seidersville Hall, 3700 Old Philadelphia …

• Photos (1)
• Documents (2)

Hellertown Borough is Now on Twitter

Hellertown Borough Councilman Tom Rieger announced Oct. 15 that the borough is now tweeting announcements and information via the popular social media platform. To follow the borough, look up @hellertownboro at Twitter.com.

In addition to its Facebook page, the Borough of Hellertown now has a Twitter account, borough councilman Tom Rieger announced Oct. 15. Like Facebook, Twitter is a popular social media platform that is increasingly being used by businesses, local government, and even police departments to share timely news and information with subscribers known as followers. Messages posted on Twitter, which are known as "tweets," are limited to 140 characters but can include links to additional information, as well as searchable words and phrases highlighted with the hashtag (#) symbol. The borough's first entry in the Twitter-verse was made on Oct. 13. As of Oct. 17 the borough had tweeted about topics such as the community curbside yard waste pickup …

• Photos (1)

An Independent View

New Jersey is Ahead of Pennsylvania in Consolidation

What local governments can learn from the Garden State.

Tom Corbett's budget proposal has nothing but bad news for local governments and school districts in it. The governor has proposed deep cuts in education and municipal aid that will force municipalities to either raise property taxes or make deeper cuts to core public services like schools, police and health.  But there is a way to reduce spending and improve value for taxpayers if officials can learn to (literally) think outside the box. Pennsylvania has too much government. The state has 2,562 municipalities, and 78 percent of them have fewer than 5,000 residents. Almost one third have fewer than 1,000 people, and each has its own bureaucracy, a set of elected officials and the power to tax and spend. Most have their own police …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)