Chairwoman Janine Santoro couldn’t make it across the Fahy Bridge from Coty hall to the NCC Fowler Center due to a scary traffic jam, so the Mayor’s South Side Task Force Oct. 31 meeting was a Zoom only event.

Santoro announced 2023 Community Recovery Fund awardees were revealed at Northeast MS Oct. 23. Multiple nonprofits, community organizations and public schools received grants from the federal American Rescue Plan.

Updates on Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan will be livestreamed from city hall Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. at their annual meeting.

The Lehigh Conference of Churches’ Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week runs from Nov. 12-19, with activities listed at: lehighchurches.org/hhaweek/. Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley needs a variety of nonperishable items for their food pantry at 502 E. Fourth St.

“Voces de la Comunidad: Latino Reflections from Bethlehem” is scheduled for Nov. 29 at Bethlehem Area Public Library, 11 W. Church St. The event featuring participants from the “Voces de la Comunidad” oral history archive will share snapshots of the community’s accomplishments from 1969 to the present in Bethlehem at 6 p.m. Information and registration: bapl.org/

Santoro mentioned the Bethlehem Police Department is still seeking recruits and there are job openings at City Hall.

She also said there are open seats needing to be filled on several authorities, boards and commissions, including the Bethlehem Human Relations Commission.

Adrienne McNeil from Lehigh University announced a screening of “First Voice Generation” at Lehigh University’s Baker Hall, Zoellner Arts Center is happening Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. A question-and-answer session on filmmaker Cynthia Martinez’s indie project follows.

Toni Fernandez from Northampton Community College (NCC) described, “One Million Cups,” an event for around 50 entrepreneurs held on Saturdays from 9-10 a.m. It’s for people who have had their businesses for five years or less who get to interact with an audience and ask for advice. She also encouraged residents to become members of the Bethlehem Food Co-Op.

Ismael Arcelay from NCC said the satellite admissions office at the NCC Fowler Center will be open Tuesdays from 3-6 p.m. Creating an admissions advisory board that will inform the college on changing trends and ways to remain relevant to the community and prospective students is in the works. Arcelay mentioned he has been working with Doug Roysdon at the Ice House and the Latin Ice House Committee on throwing a mixer/outreach for Jan. 19, 2024 from 6-9 p.m.

Erin Zebertavage from South Side Arts District promoted several upcoming events. There will be a Lighting at 324 S. New St. on “Small Business Saturday” Nov. 25 at 5 p.m., as well as a “Naughty or Nice” Cookie and Cocktail Crawl Dec. 9 and Dec. 16 from 1-5 p.m. along Third and Fourth streets.

Emma Scheinmann from the National Museum of Industrial History mentioned the museum is hosting Holiday Tin Melting Workshops Nov. 19 and Dec. 17 with sessions at noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. She said the process mimics steel-making on a tabletop level. At $10 per person, participants get to take home their own holiday-themed ornament creation.