6 Toss Their Hat in Ring for City Controller

City Councilman David DiGiacinto is one of six who want to replace Meg Holland.

  Bethlehem City Councilman David DiGiacinto is one of six candidates who have applied to become the new city controller to at least temporarily replace Meg Holland, who ended her tenure to the elected post Tuesday. The other five candidates, whom City Council will consider for the post over the next 30 days, include two men who have recently been fixtures in the Town Hall gallery for City Council meetings, a former employee of Mayor John Callahan’s failed 2010 Congressional campaign and a name that will have a familiar ring to many longtime city residents. Robert Pfenning, a retired accountant, and William Scheirer, a retired economist, are the two Town Hall fixtures. Jason Toedter, who owns a master’s degree in public policy, worked for …

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5 Things to Know This Week

The working week gets off to an icy and wet start.

  Good morning Bethlehem.  Today is Tuesday, January 17, 2011. Welcome to the working week.

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Bethlehem City Council Reorganizes, Elects Evans as President

It took three rounds of voting, but in the end, Eric Evans was elected president of Bethlehem City Council for the next two years.

Bethlehem City Council reorganized Tuesday evening, with new member Michael Recchiuti sworn in, along with re-elected members Robert Donchez and J. William Reynolds and city treasurer Kaija Farber. In the only order of business on the new council's agenda, the governing board chose its president and vice president, to serve until the end of 2013. It took three rounds of voting, but in the end, Eric Evans was narrowly elected president of Bethlehem City Council for the next two years. Reynolds will serve as vice president. With no second required for nominations, three of the seven-member council were nominated: Reynolds by Councilwoman Karen Dolan, Evans by outgoing president Robert Donchez and David DiGiacinto by Jean Belinski. Dolan was …

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Christina Georgiou

11:03 am on Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Thanks, Dana, and apologies to all for the error. It's been taken out of the piece.   more ›

5 Things to Know This Week

Bundle up for the first great cold snap of the winter.

Good morning Bethlehem. Happy 2012. Welcome to the Year of the Apocolypse.

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City Will Charge for Police Funeral Escorts

It will now cost $150 to have police escort funeral processions through city streets.

City Council voted Wednesday night to end the city’s longstanding practice of providing free police escorts for all funerals in Bethlehem. From now on, families who want uniformed escorts for funeral traffic processions will have to pay $150 for the privilege. Legislation establishing a new fee and eliminating previous language that made cortege escorts mandatory in Bethlehem passed unanimously. A separate resolution setting the fee at $150 passed by a 6-1 vote, with Council President Robert Donchez dissenting. Donchez told colleagues that he thought the initial amount proposed was too high. He would have preferred to see it set at $75 or $100. Pat Connell, owner of Connell Funeral Home, also urged council to lower the fee amount or table …

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Bethlehem's 2012 Budget Plan at a Glance

Taxes stay flat, but water and sewer rates will go up. City Council expected to adopt budget at its last meeting of the year tonight.

City Council is expected to adopt the city’s 2012 budget plan at its last regular meeting of the year at 7 p.m. tonight in Town Hall. Here are the details of that budget plan at a glance:

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Council Backs Plan to Renovate Dewberry Firehouse

6 council members agree that 3/4-mill dedicated "public safety" tax should stay in place in 2012.

Bethlehem City Council informally backed Mayor John Callahan’s plan to redirect the proceeds from the 2011 ¾-mill tax increase toward renovation of the Dewberry Avenue firehouse in a conversion to an EMS station. Through an informal poll and discussion at Monday night’s budget hearing, council also supported the mayor’s plan to continue the dedicated tax in 2012 to pay for an overhaul of the city’s 911 emergency telephone system. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a public safety tax,” said Council President Robert Donchez. “As long as this is dedicated to public safety, I’m going to support it,” The council president said he was “disappointed” with the mayor’s decision to shut the firehouse – which was shuttered permanently last Wednesday – “…

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5 Things to Know Today

5 Things to Know Today

School board to interview candidates for vacancy; City Council continues budget talks.

Good morning Bethlehem. Today is Monday, December 12, 2011. Welcome to the working week.

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5 Things to Know Today

5 Things to Know Today

Township zoners to consider in-patient mental health clinic; City Council to consider its rules.

  Good morning Bethlehem. Today is Wednesday, November 30, 2011. It is 26 days from Christmas in the Christmas City.

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5 Things to Know Today

5 Things to Know Today

Christkindlmarkt opens. So does City Council's 2012 budget discussion.

  Good morning Bethlehem. Today is Thursday, November 17, 2011. It is also the 36th Great American Smokeout – as good a day as any to kick that nasty nicotine habit, if you have one.

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