The Nov. 1 Hellertown Council meeting kicked off the new month with an eye on helping the less fortunate in the community as the weather grows colder.

Borough resident Maria Smith joined the meeting to request approval for two projects with charitable aspirations. Project Keep Hellertown Warm, an annual Water Street display with winter hats, gloves and other items adorning a fence along the Saucon Rail Trail, was easily approved, as borough Manager Cathy Hartranft confirmed its timeframe, which will run from November through March.

The other project of interest was the installation of ‘Blessing Boxes’ throughout the borough. Smith and several other volunteers have constructed and stocked six boxes with non-perishable foods and hygiene products in Hellertown and two and Lower Saucon which are used rather heavily, she said.

A local Boy Scout recently built two more boxes which she asked for authorization to place at Water St. Park - one near the basketball courts and the other near bicycle racks. One would be dedicated to food products and the other to hygienic items, and both would be located near low-income housing and an apartment building for senior citizens, she said.

President Thomas Rieger said, “I think they’ve been very successful” and pointed to an active Facebook group of volunteers who’ve charged themselves with the boxes’ upkeep, as the council also approved the boxes. Public Works Director Barry Yonney requested Smith wait until spring 2022 for installation, and they also spoke about potentially recruiting Boy and/or Girl Scouts to repaint some weather-worn, pre-existing ones.

In other business, Mayor David Heintzelman thanked the community for coming together to put together a “huge” 2021 Spirit Parade, and signaled that after receiving inquiries about its name year after year, the popular annual gathering would be changing its moniker, likely to the more-traditional Hellertown Halloween Parade.

He also thanked the community for robust attendance at the dedication of a fountain in the name of Joe Delfoe at Borough Authority Park after the parade. Delfoe, who served as grand marshal of the parade, was instrumental in the restoration of the fountain in 2013 and is currently vice-chairman of the Hellertown Borough Authority Board of Directors.

Police Chief Robert Shupp provided follow-up to the previous meeting’s questions from council member Andrew Hughes about the efficacy of several recently-installed crosswalk flashers along Main Street Shupp said only four citations have been issued related to the flashers thus far, so he went out on two different days and spoke with residents near the 7-11 store at Thomas Avenue.

While people are very happy with the flashers, he acknowledged the possibility of a misunderstanding among many drivers about expectations, particularly during heavy traffic hours. He said the department would be deploying more education and enforcement at the flashers in the future.