Community Corner

5 Things to Know About This Week

If you missed the Oscars, there's plenty of drama coming here

Happy Monday, Bethlehem. If you stayed up to watch the end of the Oscars last night, go get a cup of coffee and come back. I’m sure you need it.

If you slept through the end of it, or just didn’t have four or six hours to kill watching a bunch of overdressed millionaires faking gratitude, here’s a list of the winners. Big night for “The King’s Speech.” I can’t believe David Fincher didn’t win.

If you can’t get enough of the performing arts, this is a great week for you. The Freddy Award plays begin in earnest around the Lehigh Valley, including a Bethlehem-based entry from the .

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If a musical score is what gets your attention, there will be a visit from the members of a legendary rock n' roll band, though they aren't exactly household names.

If you love drama, Bethlehem is huge in the District 11 high school basketball playoffs this week.

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But for sheer entertainment value, it’s hard to beat and the rest of Northampton County Council. They meet Thursday.

1. Expect some traffic delays along Freemansburg Avenue between Willow Park Road in Bethlehem Township and Butler Street in Wilson. Work crews will be sealing cracks all week. The construction at the south end of the Hill-to-Hill Bridge continues.

2. This week in government meetings, we have the Bethlehem Area School Board, the Bethlehem Township Planning Commission and the Northampton County Gaming Authority all meeting tonight. Bethlehem City Council meets Tuesday night when they will make a final decision on the future employment of suspended police officer , who is accused of impeding a police investigation of police brutality made against a fellow officer. That fellow officer, John Nye, was exonerated of brutality charges, but still fired by City Council in December.

3. NRBQ is coming to . OK, not exactly. But two former band members, brothers Joey and Johnny Spampinato, will play at Godfrey’s at 8 p.m. Tuesday. For those who do not know, NRBQ (that stands for the New Rhythm and Blues Quartet) was a legendary band that combined rock, jazz, pop and blues with a penchant for humor and spontaneity. Some of you may remember a guest appearance on The Simpsons and the song “Mayonnaise and Marmalade.”

4. Six, count them, six Bethlehem area high school basketball teams have gotten to the District 11 basketball semi-finals, which will be played Tuesday and Wednesday nights at sites scattered across the Lehigh Valley and beyond. 

On Tuesday night, Liberty girls play Northampton at 6 p.m. at Dieruff High School; Notre Dame girls play Pine Grove at 6 p.m. at Martz Hall in Pottsville; and Moravian boys play Marian High School at 7 p.m. in Tamaqua. On Wednesday night, play Pottsville at Parkland High School at 6 p.m. Up in Orwigsburg at Blue Mountain High School on Wednesday, there will be a doubleheader featuring Moravian girls against Marian and Notre Dame boys against Pine Grove starting at 6 p.m.

5. Continuing a big week at Moravian Academy, their young actors take the stage on Thursday night with their collective entry into this year’s Freddy Awards. The performance will be staged through Sunday.

Have a great week!


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