North Catasauqua Borough Hall, 1066 Fourth St., will be closed Dec. 22, 25 and 26 and Jan. 1, 2024, because of the holidays.

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St. John Fisher Catholic Church, 1229 Third St., has announced the 2023 Christmas schedule.

Christmas Eve masses will take place 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Christmas Day mass is 9:30 a.m. A New Year’s Eve mass will be held 4 p.m., and New Year’s Day masses are set for 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

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Because Christmas falls on a Monday, which is a regular garbage and recycling collection day in the borough, garbage and recycling collection will be Dec. 26.

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Borough council will be holding its annual reorganization meeting 6:30 p.m. Jan. 2, 2024, in the basement level meeting room at borough hall, 1066 Fourth St.

Following the reorganization meeting, the monthly regular council meeting will take place starting 7 p.m.

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The next North Catasauqua Police Department Community Crime Watch meeting is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 5, 2024, in the basement level meeting room at borough hall.

Topics for discussion include crime statistic, public community events overview, community concerns and issues and school bus stopping law overview. If you have any questions, contact Officer Hazim or Corporal Santiago at 610-437-5252.

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Hokendauqua Trout Unlimited will have a free eight-week beginners fly tying course at Northampton Area Middle School, 1617 Laubach Ave.

The course begins Jan. 6, 2024, and will run 9 a.m.-noon. The course is held for eight consecutive weeks. All materials and tools will be provided at no cost.

For more information, call Dale Ott at 610-262-1600.

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Looking for a unique gift item or a good deal this Christmas, stop by Catasauqua Community Thrift Shop, 113 Bridge St.

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

The thrift shop is happy to accept donations of good, used, clean clothing, household items and toys during regular store hours. Proceeds from the shop are returned to the community through contributions that support youth and adult programs and services.

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Take some time this holiday season and visit North Catasauqua William J. Albert Memorial Park, 701 Grove St., to view the holiday light displays and lights. New light displays were added this year, along with a beautiful manger scene under the park pavilion.

A big thank you and job well done to the public works department for making the borough look festive this year.

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Santa visited more than 150 homes in North Catasauqua and Catasauqua boroughs, escorted by the North Catasauqua and Catasauqua fire departments, Dec. 17 as part of the annual North Catasauqua Fire Department Secret Santa and Catasauqua Fire Department Operation Santa holiday event.

Santa started his visits 10 a.m. and continued throughout the day until all the homes that signed up for a visit were seen. A big thank you to all the firefighters and Santa for providing this special event to residents.

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Catasauqua Community Food Bank, 527 Front St., is looking for donations, especially during the holidays.

Items especially needed include grape jelly, pasta, soup, cereal, granola bars, peanut butter and crackers.

If you have questions, call 610-264-8366.

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North Catasauqua Police Department is holding its annual winter coat drive.

As the weather turns colder, many in our community are in need of warm coats to stay safe and comfortable. The police department is collecting gently used and new coats of all sizes to donate to those in need.

Help the department make a difference and spread warmth this winter. Donations can be dropped off at the police department, 1066 Fourth St., during regular business hours.

The point of contact for this community outreach initiative is Hazim, who can be reached at nhazim@ncatapd.org or 610-437-5252.

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State Rep. Zach Mako, R-183rd, would like to make residents aware to watch out for deer. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania State Police are reminding motorists to stay alert and watch carefully for deer darting across and along roadways.

Figures compiled by State Farm show Pennsylvanians have a 1-in-59 chance of being involved in an animal-related crash, the third highest in the nation.

The following tips can help reduce the possibility of being involved in a crash with a deer:

• Slow down and use caution, particularly where deer crossing signs are posted, and increase following distance between vehicles.

• Make young drivers aware of increased deer movement.

• Be especially watchful during morning and evening hours when wildlife is most active.

• Exercise caution when one deer crosses a roadway. Since deer often travel in small herds, one deer will usually be followed by others.

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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 with your submission. I can be reached by email at ncatacentennial@aol.com.

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas! Have a great week!