5 Things You Ought to Know This Week

Good Monday morning, Bethlehem!

Just a few days ago, it felt like March even though the calendar said April. Now it feels like June, muggy and warm. What in the name of Ed Hanna is going on here?

Speaking of June, kids, today is the last day of your spring break if you attend class in the Bethlehem Area School District. Tomorrow, begins the last push toward summer vacation.

1. Tuesday night, the Bethlehem Area School Board continues its work on the . We are at a 2.42 percent tax increase and 167 layoffs and counting. If one number goes down, the other is likely to go up. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at , not the home office on Sycamore Street where workshops are ordinarily held.

Also in the world of Bethlehem Area schools, the Spring Choral Concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the high school. The annual band concert is also scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday. Heaven help you if you’re a parent with a kid in both events.

2. The Bethlehem Township Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. tonight at the township building with what looks like a fairly light agenda. The township Zoning Hearing Board meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday, when it will be considering a variance from the Calvary Baptist Church, 5300 Green Pond Rd., for an electronic message sign to be built on the grounds outside the church.

3. Bethlehem City Council’s Human Resources and Environment Committee will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in Town Hall to discuss proposed legislation that would change city laws to offer more civil rights protections to gays, lesbians and trans-gendered people. It would also create a new Human Relations Commission for the city.

4. The construction around the Hill-to-Hill Bridge in the Southside will continue to cause traffic delays on the bridge going south and the streets around it with some new wrinkles this week thanks to some scheduled bridge inspections. There could be some lane restrictions on Brighton Street and River Street today and Tuesday; and on the North Side, on Lehigh Street and Spring Street, on Wednesday and Thursday, according to PennDOT.

Pothole patching as you continue south on Route 378 could also increase traffic congestion all week, especially Tuesday. Pothole patching is also planned along Route 412 in the city on Friday, with possible lane closures.

You may also experience some spotty traffic delays during the week along Route 22 and Route 33 for planned brush clearing.

5. In more pleasant news, ’s annual theatrical production will open at 7 p.m. Thursday with If the theater isn’t your thing, the IronPigs return home Tuesday night for eight straight home games at Coca Cola Park against the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Buffalo Bisons. Tuesday is Ryne Sandberg bobblehead night, Wednesday is Hispanic Heritage Night and Thursday night will feature a Bethlehem Steel cap giveaway.

Have a great week!