Catasauqua Community Thrift Shop, 113 Bridge St., will reopen Oct. 12 with all new clothing for fall and winter.

Regular thrift shop hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The shop accepts donations of good, used, clean clothing and household items during regular store hours.

Proceeds are returned to the community through contributions that support youth and adult programs and services.

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There will be a free shredding event, co-hosted by state Rep. Zach Mako, R-183rd, planned for 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 14 at the Robert “Bob” LaBold maintenance building, 550 W. Church St., Slatington.

Protect yourself from identity theft by bringing discarded documents containing sensitive personal information to the free, on-site shredding event. There is a limit of four bags or boxes per household, and businesses are not permitted to attend the event.

Staples, paper clips and manila folders are acceptable. X-rays and hanging folders are prohibited.

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The next North Catasauqua Borough Council meeting will be 7 p.m. Oct. 16 in the basement-level meeting room at borough hall, 1066 Fourth St.

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Catty Seniors Plus would like to remind members that if you are planning on coming to the Halloween luncheon and did not sign up yet, call Dorothy Vassa at 610-264-2853.

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Save the date! The annual North Catasauqua and Catasauqua Halloween parade will be held Oct. 18, tentatively starting 7 p.m.

The rain date for the parade is Oct. 25.

Trick or treat will be held 6-8 p.m. Oct. 28. Don’t forget to turn on your porch light to alert the trick-or-treaters to stop by your home for treats.

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St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 122 Union St., Catasauqua, will hold its seventh annual Oktoberfest Oct. 21 on the parish grounds.

There will be a cornhole tournament, starting 11 a.m. with registration. Preregister for the tournament with the parish office. Registration forms can be found on the church website at annunciationbvm.net or by emailing the parish office at kim.stmarys122@gmail.com.

There will be music, vendors and food including hot dogs, hamburgers, pierogies, fries, beer and soda until 3 p.m.

A special German Mass with a polka flair by Robbie Lawrence and the Steelworkers on accordion will be 4 p.m. in the church. Following the Mass, the parish center will be serving delicious homemade foods including pulled pork, schnitzel, spaetzle and more.

A biergarten will be located in the parking lot, with a fire pit, weather permitting.

Register early for the cornhole tournament, and receive a token for a free beverage. Players are required to play with bags provided.

The event is managed by the North Catasauqua Recreation Committee cornhole league.

For more information, call the parish office at 610-264-0332.

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If you would like to vote in the Nov. 7 municipal election, the deadline for registering to be able to vote is Oct. 23.

For more information or to register to vote, visit vote.pa.gov.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In support of this cause, the members of the North Catasauqua Police Department will be wearing a pink mourning band on their badges.

The department is selling pink Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon pins to raise funds in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The ribbon pins may be purchased all month at the North Catasauqua Borough Hall, 1066 Fourth St. All proceeds will go toward a local cancer group.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It represents about 30% of all new female cancers each year. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, second only to lung cancer.

To honor those who have fought breast cancer or who are fighting it now, the fountain at the Pennsylvania State Capitol’s East Wing has been dyed pink again this year.

The pink fountain is also a reminder to all women of the importance of mammograms and early detection. People with low to moderate income who are uninsured or underinsured and meet certain age requirements may qualify for testing through the Pennsylvania Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

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October is national Fire Prevention Month. The goal of Fire Prevention Month is to raise fire safety awareness and help protect homes and families.

In 1922, the National Fire Protection Association named the second week of October Fire Prevention Week in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.

The NFPA’s 2023 campaign for Fire Prevention Month is Cooking Safety Starts with You. Installing reliable protection and being proactive is important to help keep your loved ones safe from a fire or carbon monoxide emergency.

Almost three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms, according to NFPA. Unattended cooking is the No. 1 cause of home fires, and a fire department responds to a fire every 23 seconds in America.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said carbon monoxide is the No. 1 cause of accidental poisoning in the U.S.

It is important to have functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed throughout your home as the first line of defense. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors work around the clock to provide you with an early alert in the event of an emergency and help to give you time to safely escape.

Smoke and CO alarms should be installed on every level of the home, including the basement, as well as inside and outside each bedroom for whole home protection. Maintain alarms by testing them regularly, changing the batteries every six months and replacing alarms at least every 10 years.

Be prepared with fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers help stop small fires from causing more damage and should be kept easily accessible on every level of the home, especially in the kitchen and garage. Ensure you know how to operate a fire extinguisher before needing to use it.

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North Catasauqua Hometown Heroes banners are available to purchase and will be hung around small Town USA. The banners are available to honor or remember a relative or anyone who served in any branch of the military.

There is a cost. The banners will be 30 inches by 60 inches and are similar to the banners already installed around the perimeter of North Catasauqua William J. Albert Memorial Park.

A photo of the individual to be put on the banner will be needed with the name of the individual on the back of the photo. The banners are proposed to be installed and hung on Howertown Road and Grove, Main and Fourth streets in the borough.

Banner application forms are available at borough hall during regular business hours.

For more information, call borough hall at 610-264-1504, ext. 4.

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If you would like something to be included in the North Catasauqua column, submit it to me at least two weeks in advance, especially if a certain date is involved. I can be reached by email at ncatacentennial@aol.com.

Have a great week!