In Your Town

FROM THE MORNING CALL

LEHIGH COUNTY

ASBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 1533 Springhouse Road, South Whitehall Township, will host its fourth annual Awesome Chili Cook-off 5-8 p.m. March 3. Proceeds from the cook-off will benefit Athletes for Christ, a Lehigh Valley nondenominational outreach focused on reaching people for Christ through sports and physical activities. The event will feature more than 30 amateur and professional chefs vying for a People's Choice award (first, second and third pro and amateur) as well as one of several Golden Chili awards (10 categories including Most Potentially Percussive!). New this year is the award "I Climbed the Chili Mountain," for attendees who sample all the chilis. The event is open to the public, and admission is a free-will donation. For information, contact Laurie Wallace Theisen at 610-398-2577 or email, LTHEISEN@ASBURYLV.ORG, 610-398-2577

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

DELAWARE CANAL STATE PARK will offer a canal dog walk 2-4 p.m. today beginning at Wy-Hit-Tuk Park, Route 611, Williams Township. Dogs must be on leashes (6 feet long or less) and friendly toward people and other dogs. Online registration is requested at http://tinyurl.com/DCSPcal. For information, contact Sarah Berg at 610-982-0161 or sberg@pa.gov.

EASTON COPS 'N' COMMUNITY will hold a workshop to help the Easton Police Department strengthen its relationship with residents, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Monday at the Easton Boys and Girls Club, 508 Charles St. Registration will start at 5 p.m. To register, contact Guillermo Lopez at 484-450-6224; glopez@ncbi-cops.org.

BATH 275th ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE is seeking participants for the Miss Bath 2012 Pageant to be held during the week of the anniversary, Aug. 12-18. For information, contact Miss Bath Chairwoman Trudy Unangst at treefarm@entermail.net.

MORAVIAN HALL SQUARE, 175 W. North St., Nazareth, will host a performance by the Cherry Valley Folk Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The group presents a full range of acoustic folk – mining, railroad and more modern folk tunes. The free program is part of the Arts and Artists series. To register, call 610-746-1000 or see http://www.moravian.com.

BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY CENTER, 2900 Farmersville Road, will host a mother and son hoedown 6- 8 p.m. March 3. Mothers and their sons, ages 3-8, are invited to dress in their favorite country-western attire for an evening filled with food, dancing and door prizes. The cost per couple is $35 for non-members; $25 for members. Additional children are welcome at a cost of $10 each. For information, call 610-332-1900 or see http://www.btcenter.org.

LEPOCO will hold its annual dinner at 5 p.m. March 3 at Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem. The program, "The Moral Imperative of Activism," will follow dinner at 6:15 p.m. Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and current anti-war activist, will speak. The cost for dinner and program is $30; $10 for limited income and children. The cost for program only is $10; $5 limited income. For required dinner reservations, call LEPOCO at 610-691-8730 by Friday.

JACOBSBURG ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER, 835 Jacobsburg Road, Bushkill Township, will hold a birding trip to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 3. The free program will offer opportunities to view snow geese, tundra swans and other waterfowl. Other possible sightings include raptors such as the northern harrier, and songbirds such as the eastern meadowlark. Lunch and binoculars should be packed. To register, contact Rick Wiltraut at 610-746-2810 or rwiltraut@pa.gov.

BUCKS COUNTY

BUCKS BEAUTIFUL is seeking professional and nonprofessional florists to participate in the annual Bucks Beautiful Garden and Home Show to be held March 16-18 at Delaware Valley College. Professionals are invited to create floral wedding displays. The entry fee is $50 and the registration deadline is Feb. 28. Nonprofessionals are welcome to participate in the free competition that includes artistic and horticultural divisions. The registration deadline is March 1. For entry forms, call 215-348-3913, ext. 114, or email debbie@centralbuckschamber.com.

BUCKS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION and Friends of Churchville Nature Center, 501 Churchville Lane, will host a star party campfire program at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The cost is $5 for adults; $3 for children. Pre-registration is requested. A free bird walk will be held 7-9 a.m. March 3. Participants should bring binoculars and bird identification guide if possible. For information, call 215-357-4005 or see http://www.churchvillenaturecenter.org.

MONROE COUNTY

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MONROE COUNTY will host a public forum on various laws 9:30 a.m. to noon March 3 at Hughes Eastern Monroe Public Library, 1002 N. Ninth St., Stroudsburg. League members will address current laws during this free interactive session. Topics include: public meetings and the Sunshine Law, voting and election procedures, Right-to-Know Law and taxing. For information, call 570-656-1864.

MONROE COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER, 8050 Running Valley Road, Hamilton Township, will hold maple sugaring day 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 3. Participants will learn about the history of maple syrup and how it is made during a 90-minute tour of the sugarbush. The tour will conclude with a tasting of the syrup on pancakes. The cost is $5; $3 for ages 12 and under; and free for members of the education center. The program is held on Delaware State Forest's Meesing outdoor site on Creek Road, about five and a half miles north of Marshalls Creek. For information, call 570-629-3061.

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