Take a look at the sports and academic extracurrulars and volunteering activities these Allentown School District students were committed to before they added another Thursday night. These 18 Allen and Dieruff students were approved Thursday to be their schools' representatives to the Allentown School Board and several of its committees.

“Your voices are very important,” Superintendent Karen Angello said. “we want to hear from you.”

School Board Representatives 

Allen: Kelly Carde. Her activities include: volleyball, swimming, soccer, William Allen Construction Co., environmental club, student government, Key club, Inklings, international club, Volunteers in Motion. Her favorite class is AP U.S. history II.
Allen alternative: Antonio Santiago. His activities include: marching band and concert band, Skills USA and Leaders of America at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute.

Dieruff: Gabriella Graham. Her activities include: National Honor Society where she is vice president, art club, and school representative in Penn State’s Emerging Leaders Program.
Dieruff alternative: Phil Nguyen. His activities include: Scholastic Scrimmage club, president of National Honors Society and Key club. He is also a competitive swimmer.

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Education Committee

Allen: Tamara Abbas. Her activities include: soccer, Science Olympiad, Media Memories and Odyssey of the Mind. her favorite class is AP physics.
Allen alternative: Nicholas Noda. His activities include: student government, Science Olympiad, soccer, and ski & snowboard club. His favorite class is AP physics.
Dieruff: Phil Nguyen.
Dieruff alternative: Gabriella Graham.

Finance Committee

Allen: Natalie Geise. Her activities include: cross-country, track, choir, student forum and Science Olympiad. Her favorite class is AP U.S. history.
Allen alternative: Dean Dunstan. His activities include: Volunteers in Motion.
Dieruff representative: Tatiana Cummings. Her activities include: Air Force Junior ROTC, track and basketball, cheerleading, DeSales University summer Dreams Program, volunteering at St. Luke’s Hospital and working a part-time job.

Athletic Committee

Allen: DJ Dotte
Dieruff: Steven Farr. His activities include football, wrestling and baseball.

Human Relations Commission

Allen: Chibuzo Anojulu. Her activities include choir and her favorite class is AP U.S. history.
Allen alternate: Cinthia Batista. Her activities include: Students Against Destructive Decisions and Latino Leadership club. Her favorite class is AP macroeconomics.
Allen alternate: Natalie Delacruz. Her activities include president of Latino Leadership Club, co-captain of the debate team and William Allen Construction Co. Her favorite class is AP government.
Dieruff: Yamari Portalatin. Her activies include: Key club, student council and Spanish Honor Society. She enjoys reading and writing, especially poetry.
Dieruff alternate: Sebastian Harris. His activities include: goalie of the soccer team, AP classes and recently named his school’s “most artistic male senior.” He enjoys writing and drawing and volunteering at the Salvation Army on Thanksgiving. His favorite class is anatomy & physiology.

Here’s to them.

The Downtown Bethlehem Association will be selling mums, pumpkins, corn stocks, hay bales, gourds and more at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 19 at the corner of Third and New streets.

The proceeds will be donated to the Bethlehem Area Public Library’s “Room to Grow” campaign. The library is raising money to expand the children’s space at the main library and to renovate the South Side branch.

The $10,000 study is behing funded by South Side Vision 2014, a 12-year-program to revitalize south Bethlehem. The streetscape study is just one of the $250,000 worth of projects being funded this year through M&T Bank, Just Born, Lehigh Valley Health Network and PPL.

Other projects include $50,000 toward a emergency house repair program, $90,000 toward the future skate park, $40,000 for entrepreneurialtraining and technical assistance,, $3,500 for Northampton Community College Fab Lab Entrepreneurship Club, $5,000 for Touchstone Theater “Summer Theater in the Parks,” $8,450 toward the Fowler Community Technology Center, $14,550 for the South Bethlehem Youth Center at Fowler Hall, $8,500 for the Southside Youth SAT prep class, $20,000 for the Soutside Youth Recreation coordinator.

Let them simmer a few more weeks. Bethlehem City Council has scheduled a Public Works meeting to air out concerns and suggestions on how it should beef up its street and sidewalk ordinance, Article 721. It's scheduled for 6 p.m Wednesday, Aug. 19, in Town Hall.

If you don't remember, the city is proposing to auction off five mobile food cart licenses for specific locations in the city. The city decided to strengthen its regulations on the vendors after a vendor opened shop at New and Fourth streets. Some merchants got upset, presenting the city with a petition to get the vendor -- an laid-off construction worker -- off that corner.

Padilla developed a loyal following -- who posted a facebook page with 2,400 plus friends -- and turned out at council meetings in support of him.

The city is hoping to get vendors, merchants and the public together Aug. 19 so they can hammer out the best solution to regulating the vendors.

This is Pharaoh, a 6-year-old quarter horse, with BeBethlehem police Officer Jon Buskirk.

Assuming his next vet visit is fine, Pharaoh is set to become the mounted unit's third horse, said Capt. John Sarnicky, pictured at left inside the barn.

Pharaoh came to the department after his owner read in the newspaper about the introduction of the mounted unit and thought he would make a perfect police horse.

Sarnicky said so far, the owner appears to be right. He said while quarter horses are typically known for their speed and agility, Pharaoh is also a quick learner, sweet and loves to have his muzzle scratched.

He said while Pharaoh is content to munch grass in the meadow, he's also a horse who likes to be kept busy and challenged.

"He's going to be great with the kids," Sarnicky said. "He's extremely friendly."

Pharaoh will likely soon join police mounts Hamlet and Raven, patrolling the streets of Bethlehem.

Superintendent Joseph Lewis withdrew Monday its recommendation to seek public sealed bids for the sale of the so-called Moncacy building, 815 Main St. Lewis said at the school board meeting that a legal and administrative review showed that the bid document, which the board was scheduled to vote on Monday, was not strong enough. He said his staff will revise the bid specifications and present it to the board at a meeting next month.

Potential proceeds from a sale would be used to help fill a cumulative budget hole of more than $7 million.

In recent years the tiny old four room brick building was used as the headquarters for the special education department and the site for alternative high school for students on the verge of dropping out. In the 1980s, the Monocacy building was used for storage and was rented to an independent day-care center.

What is it this time?

Who should represent Lower Saucon Township on the county’s new Gaming Revenue and Economic Redevelopment authority, which will decide how the county’s $2.8 million cut of the casino host fees will be spent.

The applicants are developer John Blair, a Republican and owner of Custom Homes Inc., and township council member Priscilla DeLeon, a Democrat.

Angle, a Republican, pushed for DeLeon while McHale, a Democrat, wanted Blair.

McHale didn’t let the irony go unnoticed at the personnel committee meeting Wednesday.

“I guess that goes to show that party isn’t really doesn’t factor into our decisions,” she said.

For the record, the personnell committee voted 3-1 to recommend DeLeon, whom the township council endorsed. That could change tonight when County Council votes on the appointments.

From powerpoint presentations to hand-made signs, residents have turned out in droves over the decades to find some dramatic and persuasive ways to get their points across on weighty and light issues alike.

But council had a historic first at it’s Tuesday meeting. It happened during the debate on whether council should urge the Bethlehem Area School District not to tear down Broughal Middle School to make way for athletic fields.

Nailah Vazquez, a 12-year-old student at Broughal Middle School, had gone up to the podium to tell council that students deserve fields as much the district’s three other middle schools.

Speaking into the microphone, she clearly identified herself in a strong voice and then took out her cell phone on which she stored some prepared remarks.

After she was done, Council President Robert Donchez noted the moment.
“I think this,” he said, “is a first for Bethlehem.”

Was he referring to Nailah’s cell phone notes?

Or the fact that she identified herself without the council president prompting her like he does for most first-time speakers?

Either way, it’s historic.

"Our waitress was really hot! Did you see how she kept smiling and talking to me? I should've asked her out."

"Dude, she was just trying to get you to spend more money!" his pal replied.

"No way. I'm telling you," the first man said. "I can tell when someone isn't being up front. Besides, I don't think they're allowed to try to get you to spend more money on the casino floor."

"The whole POINT of the casino is to get you to spend money! Of course they're allowed to!"