5 Things You Ought to Know This Week

Good Monday morning, Bethlehem.

Are you all familiar with the phrase, “It will probably get worse before it gets better?” This will be a good week to keep that phrase in mind, especially while you are stuck in traffic around the Lehigh Valley.

1. South Bethlehem, your traffic trauma gets worse and goes nocturnal tonight as the Route 378 Second Street ramp construction project launches into a new phase that includes overnight construction work and lane restrictions along Wyandotte Street at Third Street. Beginning at 7 p.m. tonight and going until 6 a.m. and continuing all week, PennDOT warns that there will be delays traveling through the construction zones. The lane restrictions may also apply to Third Street.

Construction will also mean new challenges for pedestrians through the area: “Wyandotte Street north pedestrian traffic will need to cross Wyandotte Street at West Fourth Street. Wyandotte Street south pedestrian traffic will need to cross Wyandotte Street at West Third Street,” a department news release says.

2. The Bethlehem Area School Board meets in committee sessions for Finance and Facilities tonight at 6 p.m. on . The Finance Committee agenda includes a presentation from the on its 2011-12 budget.

Perhaps even more interestingly, it also includes a presentation on budget. The college budget has already been approved by the school board. We’re guessing that this may have something to do with Gov. Tom Corbett’s cuts to higher education funding. Does this mean the college wants a higher contribution from stakeholder school districts, more tuition from students or both? We’ll know more tonight.

In Facilities Committee, there is an agenda item labeled “ Air Conditioning Concern.” Given the state of the 60-year-old heating system, which the board just decided, in a split decision, we’re guessing this may not be good news.

3. The Bethlehem Township Commissioners also meet tonight at 7 p.m. at the . They will be considering a resolution to authorize the sale to American Bank of 1.1 acres of township-owned land along Freemansburg Avenue at the intersection of Hope Road.

4. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs open their 2011 season at 7 p.m. Thursday at Coca Cola Park in Allentown against their rivals to the north, the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees. First, the Pigs host an exhibition game against sister Phillies’ farm team, the Reading Phillies, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

That night will be the Coca Cola Park debut of several new menu items, most notably, something they are calling the “Three Little Pigs” sandwich. That will be four slices of bacon, thick ham and four ounces of pulled pork, topped with barbecue sauce and served on a Kaiser roll.

“Three Little Pigs,” get it? We’re calling it heart attack on a bun. But I might try it anyway because bacon makes everything taste better.

5. City Council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in Town Hall. No agenda available as of this writing. One thing we do know is that Mayor John Callahan will not be attending as he is spending the week in Israel. Who knew?

Hizzoner is the honorary chairman of the Israeli Mayors’ Institute on City Renewal. He will be speaking to fellow mayors about renewal projects in Bethlehem, of course emphasizing the redevelopment of the Bethlehem Steel site.

During his weeklong stay, Callahan will be making a visit to our namesake city, the original Bethlehem in Palestine, and meeting with its mayor, Dr. Victor Batarseh.

This is Callahan’s second official trip to Israel since he has been mayor. He went in 2006 as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors delegation to the Jerusalem Conference of Mayors.

Mazel Tov! Have a great week!