The Board of Commissioners and staff are holding the eighth annual Troop Support Program to collect donated items to send to township residents in the armed services who will not be home for the holidays.

To register a loved one in the holiday program, call 610-966-6924 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations of non-perishable food, toiletry items, batteries, magazines and phone cards will be accepted at the community center 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 to noon Saturday through Nov. 10.

A list of acceptable donations is available at the community center. Over the last seven years, 649 boxes of donated items were sent to 87 soldiers.

The township is also collecting old cell phones to be recycled in exchange for prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas. The community center is an official drop-off point for "Cell Phones for Soldiers" until Oct. 31.

Curbside collection of yard waste will continue through Oct. 18. Containers/bundles should be placed separately at the curb on the regular collection day. Grass clippings are not included. A maximum of four bundles or containers per household will be collected. For more information, see www.lowermac.org.

Trick or Treating in Lower Macungie Township will be held 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31.

Some Homeowner's Associations may have set alternate dates for their neighborhoods.

Concordia Lutheran Church will hold its second annual Holiday Bazaar 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 26.

The Macungie Minstrelaires will present "Country Jamboree" at Lower Macungie Middle School. Show times are 8 p.m. Oct. 25, 26 and Nov. 1 and 2. Matinees are at 2 p.m. Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. Part of this year's proceeds will benefit the Keystone Wounded Warriors.

For tickets and information, order online at www.macungie-minstrelaires.org; email minstrel@ptd.net; or call 610-770-6845.

Curbside leaf collection will begin Oct. 21 and continue through Nov. 29, weather permitting.

The Lower Macungie Firefighters' Ladies Auxiliary will hold its annual craft fair 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 2 at 958 Brookside Road. There will be craft tables, a homemade lunch, Chinese auction and bake sale. For information, call 484-239-3945.

The Macungie and Lower Macungie Township Historical Societies will sponsor "Pennsylvania Esoterica: Folk Medicine in the Dutch Country," a lecture by Patrick Donmoyer 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Macungie Institute. Donmoyer is the site manager at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University and author of folk-life articles and books. He will discuss the historical and cultural roots of traditional customs, rituals and folkways among the Pennsylvania Dutch.

The Lower Macungie and Macungie Historical Societies and VFW Post 9264 will sponsor a Veterans Day program 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Lower Macungie Township Community Center. Refreshments will be served.

The fourth annual craft/vendor fair will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 23 at the community center.

The Lower Macungie Senior Citizens Club meets noon Nov. 5 and 19 at the community center. After a business meeting, members play bingo or card games. On Nov. 19, the games are followed by special entertainment.

There will be a breakfast with everyone's favorite mouse couple 9 to 10:30 a.m. Nov. 2 at the community center. Ticket price will include breakfast, photo opportunities, and a prize. Registration is limited to 100 people.

Pickleball will be coming soon to Rodale Park. Pickleball is a racquet sport that combines badminton, tennis and table tennis with a perforated plastic ball.

The Lower Macungie Township Community Center offers a number of activities including Walkercise, yoga, pilates, and Zumba. Upcoming classes include art classes, Couch to 5K, self-defense, interior design, home staging, and karate lessons for ages 13 and older. Fall children's programs include Kindermusik, painting and holiday art classes. Note: some classes are held at the Wescosville Recreation Center and the Hills at Lockridge Community Center.

There will be a program on winter wildlife presented by the Wildlands Conservancy 10 a.m. Nov. 16 at the community center.

For more information or to register, visit the community center 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or call 610-966-6924.

Family Open Gym time is 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays for ages infant through 10 years with a parent. Proof of residency is required.

Yard waste site hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. The site is closed Tuesday and Thursday. Be prepared to show your photo I.D. as proof of residency.

Throughout the months of October and November, Lower Macungie Library will feature the paintings of Kathy LaRose. She is a retired art teacher. She will be displaying a selection of oil and mixed media plein air paintings of local scenes.

The Lower Macungie Library Book Club will meet 10:30 a.m. Nov. 6 to discuss "Angela's Ashes" Frank McCourt.

In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Pennsylvania Library Association has launched an initiative PA Forward | Pennsylvania Libraries to raise awareness and promote early detection. The library plays an important role in providing health information and access to medical research and data. Free access is available to sites such as the Mayo Clinic, Susan G. Komen Foundation and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Pennsylvania residents can also access Consumer Health through POWER Library. For more information, visit www.paforward.org.

The library is seeking proposals from accounting firms to provide auditing services to the library. Proposals must be submitted by Nov. 15.

There will be a Bedtime Booktime for children ages two to eight years 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4. Come in your pajamas to hear some bedtime stories.

Lower Macungie Library has been awarded a $2,500 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor to present a 12-week program of films, lectures and live music called, "America's Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway."

ArtsQuest has partnered with Lower Macungie Library to facilitate the events. There will be a film on bluegrass and country 1 p.m. Oct. 27 followed by a performance by Boulevard Express 2 p.m. at ArtsQuest's Connect Zone in Bethlehem. Dick Boak of Martin Guitar and Craig Thatcher of the Craig Thatcher Band will present a lecture and performance 12 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Artquest Banko cinema. All events are free and open to the public.

Free digital magazines are now available through Zinio at the library.

Adult computer classes including Microsoft Word, Excel, Intro to the Web and social networking are offered monthly. The schedule is available at the library.

Class size is limited and registration is required for the above events.

For more information on these classes or storytimes, call the library at 610-966-6864 or go to library website www.lowermaclib.org.

The Friends of the Lower Macungie Library will meet 10 a.m. Nov. 9 in the library.

The next book sale will be held in the library 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 22 and 23 with a bag sale 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 23. Member preview night will be 5 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21. Proceeds will benefit the library.

The last day for book donations will be Oct. 11. Sorting of books will be 8 to 10 a.m. the week of Oct. 22. Help is welcome.

Lower Macungie Township will accept volunteer applications until Dec. 2 for the following: audit advisory committee, building code board of appeals, environmental advisory council, planning commission, public safety commission, vacancy board and the zoning hearing board.

A statement of interest form can be found at www.lowermac.com. Any questions can be directed to Township Secretary Renea Flexer at 610-966-4343, ext. 113.

Since he was about three years old, Benjamin has put up a very loud and vocal protest against any shirt with buttons or a collar. We dread the battle of getting a nice shirt on Ben for church; I always look forward to turtleneck season. Add tucking the shirt in and wearing a belt for the perfect storm of meltdown.

Fast forward to fall 2013. Ben has joined Cub Scouts and we have purchased the requisite uniform: a shirt with a collar and buttons, tucked in, with a belt. When it was time to dress for his first meeting, he ran upstairs to change and came down minutes later for help with his collar and belt. Imagine our shock! I guess it just takes the right motivation because nothing has changed on Sunday morning!

The next township column will be published Nov. 20; copy deadline is Nov. 14.