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JANUARY 4-10, 2024
Bath Lions Club to sponsor Leader Dog puppy
Toffee By JOANNE MCFERREN At their year-end meeting on December 20, the Bath Lions Club voted to donate the proceeds from White Cane Days, held October 13, 14 and 21, to the Adopt-A-Puppy program. During White Cane Days, the Lions Club collected money from patrons at Ahart’s and Town & Country Restaurant in Bath, and will now use the funds to sponsor future Leader Dog, Toffee. Toffee is training for a remarkable job that will help a person who is blind or sight impaired. For the first year, volunteer puppy raisers devote a tremendous amount of time and energy laying the foundation for the puppy to
succeed. After a year, Toffee will return to Leader Dog Campus for an extensive four-month training period to develop her guide dog skills and become the Leader Dog she was born to be. Ultimately, she will be matched with a client and together they will train for 25 days to learn how to travel safely…together. When they return home, Toffee’s partner will have freedom, companionship and lifelong skills for safe and independent travel. The Bath Lions Club thanks friends and neighbors in the Bath community for their continued support and donations which permit the club to serve and give this gift which will keep on giving for many years to come.
Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center January Community programs Submitted by LAUREN FORSTER Snowshoes and hiking poles available When: Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Where: Jacobsburg Visitor Center, 400 Belfast Rd., Nazareth
Borrow snowshoe equipment to use on Jacobsburg’s trails this winter. Snowshoes are available for folks of any age or shoe size, including small children. Snowshoes will not be made available during times of insufficient snow cover; at least 6 inches of snow is required. To borrow equipContinued on page 4
50 cents
First babies of 2024 welcomed At Lehigh Valley hospitals
Falcone family, LVHN By HOME NEWS STAFF Lehigh Valley Health Network and St. Luke’s are pleased to announce the first babies born in the Lehigh Valley for 2024. Ashley and Josh Tillinghast welcomed their son Miles at 2:52 a.m. on January 1 at St. Luke's Anderson Campus in
Tillinghast family, St. Luke’s
Bethlehem Township. Miles was born 8 pounds, 8 ounces and 21 inches long. Liz and Mike Falcone of Bethlehem Township welcomed their son Jacob at 10:20 a.m. on January 1 at Lehigh Valley HospitalMuhlenberg. Jacob was born 8 pounds, 8 ounces and 20-and-a-
half inches long a day early after 12 hours of induced labor. He is the Falcones’ third son, joining brothers Joseph (4 years old) and Joshua (2 years old). All members of the Falcone family are excited to start the new year with their newest addition.
Bath Borough Council adopts 2024 budget with half mill Property tax increase By SAVANNAH BROWN The Bath Borough Council met for a special meeting on Monday, December 18 to vote on various agenda items. During the brief meeting, council unanimously approved a resolution to restate the borough’s public accounting firm for the 2023 audit at a cost of $14,790, which was already in the budget and is the same firm the borough used for the last four years. Council also unanimously authorized the borough manager to execute an agreement with Colliers Engineering and Design regarding a proposal dated Oct. 24,
2023, for the purpose of providing stormwater program statistical data and GIS impervious area determinations. In other news, council adopted an ordinance for the 2024 budget with Councilman Douglas Hamadyk being the only oppositional vote. The budget includes a half mill property tax rate increase, which is 3% or roughly $28 per year for the average assessed value of property. This brings the total millage to 17.45 mills, whereas the borough retains the debt servicing tax of 1.25 mills and the 0.5 fire tax rate.
Borough Manager Bradford T. Flynn expressed that real estate taxes provide the borough with 58% of the total general fund operating revenues, which is the largest revenue source and would generate approximately $971,104.72, however the borContinued on page 5
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