A request for the “Bethlehem Running Festival Trail Run Event” has been approved for Walking Purchase Park.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners voted 3-0, with two commissioners absent at the June 13 meeting, to approve the Oct. 18 trail race in Walking Purchase Park.

Commissioner Heather Lipkin made the motion, seconded by board of commissioners Vice President Rodney Conn, to bring the motion to a vote.

The trail race in the park is part of the Bethlehem Running Festival for 2024, Michael Ragozzino, race director, Bethlehem Running Festival, said in his June 13 presentation to commissioners.

Ragozzino said parking would be at ArtsQuest’s SteelStacks south side Bethlehem campus with shuttles to Dodson Street Park where the trail race would start.

“We have insurance and EMS is taken care of. It’s a well-organized event,” Ragozzino said.

“We are encouraging people to use Walking Purchase Park,” Lipkin said.

Walking Purchase Park is administered by Salisbury, Allentown and Lehigh County.

“I have directed this to Lehigh County and they said if we favor it, they are OK with it,” Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said.

“Can we make sure that the park is cleaned up before the race?” board of commissioners President Debra Brinton asked.

Salisbury Township Director, Public Works, Jim Levernier said Lehigh County juvenile probation has helped and could help again with a cleanup of the park.

Lipkin noted two township residents continue their volunteer efforts to regularly clean up the park.

Salisbury Township Police Chief Don Sabo said Eastern Salisbury Fire Department and township police department ATVs could be put into service for the event.

“I don’t anticipate any issues,” Sabo said of the event.

In a follow-up email to a reporter for The Press, Ragozzino stated:

“In 2023, the first year of the festival, we had over 3,500 people cross our finish lines and we raised over $25,000 for the American Cancer Society and various local charities. We’re hoping to add to those numbers in 2024.

“Designed by Bart Yasso, the former chief running officer at Runners World known as the ‘Mayor of Running,’ the 5K, 10K and half-marathon road courses offer a tour through the neighborhoods of Bethlehem.

“The trail race, starting on Friday Oct. 18 at 3:30 p.m. brings back that final piece of the puzzle from the old Runners World event, a 3.8-mile run through the woods that brings the combined mileage of all four races to 26.2, the distance of a full marathon,” Ragozzino stated in the email.

Registration for the trail race opens online, 7 a.m. June 21, at: www.runbethlehem.com.

In other business at the June 13 meeting, commissioners voted 3-0 to approve:

- Motion authorizing payment of $84,975.25 to Bracalente Construction for road equipment rental with operators’ contract work. Conn made the motion, seconded by Lipkin.

- Motion accepting a time extension to Dec. 1 for the land development plan at 1350 E. Susquehanna St. Lipkin made the motion, seconded by Conn.

- Motion accepting a time extension to Sept. 23 for the minor subdivision plan at 1507 Lehigh Ave. Conn made the motion, seconded by Lipkin.

In his report to commissioners, Sabo said the township police department has received a $29,000 grant over two years from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board for enforcement of underage drinking laws. An additional $7,000 grant will support the effort in Salisbury schools.

In his report to commissioners, Levernier said the parking lot at the municipal building would be repaved June 24 and 25.

Bonaskiewich said township offices will be closed to the public June 24 and 25.

In his report to commissioners, Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus said he is working on the timeline for the 2025 township budget. The first presentation on the budget is planned for the Sept. 26 commissioners’ meeting.

The Salisbury Township municipal building meeting schedule includes: 7 p.m. June 19: environmental advisory council; 7 p.m. June 26, planning commission and 7 p.m. June 27, board of commissioners.