At its November 2023 Business Meeting, Nazareth Borough Council approved its 2024 Proposed Budget. The “Proposed” 2024 Budget contains a One Mill tax increase, the Borough's first tax increase in six years. The Budget is available for viewing at the Municipal Offices, 134 S. Main Street during business hours for ten (10) business days from November 13, 2023 through November 30, 2023. Sunday, December 3, 2023 will mark the annual seasonal closing of both the Borough's Yard Waste Recycling Center on Stoudt Boulevard and the Skate Park. Both of those facilities will reopen at the beginning of April 2024.

As the weather continues to turn cooler and the days become shorter, we are now well into the Fall 2023 season and with it comes the annual ritual of falling leaves. The Borough's Public Works Department has already been coming to your streets to pick up these leaves. The procedure for leaf removal is the same as it has been in previous years and Borough residents should continue to deposit their leaves for curbside pickup. Please note that piles containing grass clippings, yard waste, branches or any debris other than leaves "will not be picked up". Our removal equipment is designed to only pick up leaves and anything other than leaves will damage our equipment and could cause harm and even serious injury to our cleanup crew. Remember that Yard waste and clippings can be dropped off at the Borough's Yard Waste Center on G.W. Stoudt Boulevard until it closes for the season on or about December 1, 2023. There is no set schedule for leaf pickup but all parts of the Borough will be taken care of beginning with the eastern most sections of the Borough first. Crews will work their way west until everything is cleaned up. The procedure will repeat until all leaves have been collected and the speed at which this is done depends on weather conditions and the amount of leaves to be retrieved. The Borough Public Works Crew thanks you in advance for your cooperation in this yearly cleanup endeavor.

Nazareth Borough will be abuzz with activity as October 2023 unfolds. On Sunday, October 8th, at 1:00 pm, the Borough will dedicate its new Playground at Veterans Memorial Square, adjacent to Council Chambers. Funded entirely through a Borough grant in 2022, the playground features swings, a slide, teeter totter, picnic tables and benches on a raised plot along Church Street. With a host of invited guests and local government officials, it promises to be a historic and memorable event. Some light refreshments will follow the ceremony. Saturday, October 21st at 1:00 pm will see the renewal of one of the Borough's trademark events, the annual Halloween Parade which winds through our downtown. After the conclusion of the Parade, the Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce will again host its Fall Festival along Main Street from 2:00 pm ending at 6:00 pm. There will be plenty of food and drink and even some musical entertainment. It's another "don't miss event". Finally, on Tuesday evening October 31st Trick or Treat Night will take place in the Borough from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. That evening features lots of kids in lots of costumes and lots of candy for them to enjoy. Step on out and enjoy all of the wonderful things our Borough offers. There's always plenty to do in Nazareth!

Our Borough's Environmental Steering Committee will again host a "drive thru" recycling and shredding event, for Borough residents only, in our Park on Thursday, September 14, 2023 from 4:00 pm till 6:00 pm. Personal photo ID's showing a Borough address will be required for the drop-off of recycling materials and equipment and the same will be required for the "no charge" shredding of documents and papers. There will be a limit of ten file type boxes for shredding. There are fees "charged" for some items like tv's, appliances, copiers and stereos. A specific list of free recycling items plus the charges for those with fees, is posted in Nazareth Key ads in the September 6, 2023 and September 13, 2023 issues of the newspaper. Questions about anything regarding this event can be answered by calling the Borough Office at 610-759-0202.

The Nazareth Pool Summer of 2023 Season will end on Labor Day, September 4, 2023 at closing time. The Borough thanks all patrons who enjoyed our facility for summer fun and enjoyment and hopes for your return during the Summer of 2024. Look for the Memorial Day Weekend reopening of the Pool and watch for other announcements and Pool Pass sales on the Borough's RecDesk portal at nazarethboro.recdesk.com

Nazareth Borough will conduct a Public Meeting at 5:00 pm on Thursday, August 3, 2023, before the Borough's August Workshop Meeting to show preliminary plans and sketches of a proposed new Recycling Center on Gracedale Boulevard. A representative of the planning firm doing the engineering for the new center will be present to answer questions and show plot plans for the new facility which will be financed by a Pennsylvania DEP Grant. The proposed "drive-thru" center will replace the current Borough's Yard Waste Recycling Center on GW Stoudt Boulevard plus additionally collect other recyclables to include paper, cardboard, glass, metal and other approved materials. The Borough also announces Half Price Pool Passes for the month of August until seasonal closing on Labor Day 2023. Family passes will be $130 with the over four family member rate of $15 per, the Junior passes will be $75, Adult passes will be $85, Senior Citizen passes $50 and Employee passes $25.

Three of Nazareth's annual premier events will make for a busy and enjoyable mid July weekend. It all kicks off with the return of the Block Party in the downtown on Friday evening, July 15th for an evening of fun, food and music. The event began in 1990 when the Borough celebrated its 250th Anniversary and was a summer staple before a pause in 2016. It's back and hopefully, it will be bigger and better than ever. The next morning, Nazareth Day events fill the Park with crafters, games, food stands, music and plenty more. Pool admission that day is $1.00 for everyone but everything else is free.There are other merchant sponsored events in the downtown complete with the Farmer's Market which will move out of the Circle, further south while other vendors and events take place in the Circle. Sidewalk sales will be going on while all of this is happening down Main Street. The day's events culminate with the annual Fireman's Fireworks Show in the Park at approximately 9:00 pm. There's plenty to do in plenty of welcoming placed within the Borough on this special weekend. Come on out and enjoy!

The Nazareth Borough July Business Meeting has been rescheduled to Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at 6:00 pm at Council Chambers, 159 West Center Street. The meeting date change has been properly advertised in both the Home News and the Nazareth Key. The Borough has also scheduled a Special Public Meeting for Thursday evening, July 13, 2023 from 5:00 pm till approximately 7:00 pm to inform residents and others of proposed building alterations to Council Chambers. Changes include the addition of first floor ADA compliant bathrooms, a second ADA compliant entrance to a vestibule, a small first floor office and the addition of a second meeting room. Plans also call for outside seasonal bathrooms to service the baseball field and the park and playground at the location. An architect will be present to show drawings and renderings of the proposed changes along with schematic prints of the new layout. Council will be present as well to entertain questions and address any resident concerns.

With Summer now here and the Pool and all of our Parks open for swimming, tennis, basketball, picnics, skateboarding and very soon Pickleball, take advantage of all that our Borough has to offer. Our Dog Park on Black Rock Road gives your canine a chance to romp and play while you take in the unmatchable views of eastern Northampton County stretching all the way to the Delaware River. The West End Walking Trails offer casual walking and jogging for those who love that type of activity while playgrounds at Washington/Kokolus Park, Fairview Park, Kiwanis Park, Sauerzopf Park, our Borough Park and very soon at Veterans Memorial Square, offer plenty of fun for toddlers and youths and even adults looking to relax and enjoy some light activity. On Saturday, July 1st, Nazareth's trademark Kazoo Parade kicks off at 10:00 am before ending at Council Chambers. Viet Nam veteran and Councilman Charles Donello is this year's Grand Marshall for that event sponsored by the Nazareth Chamber of Commerce. Two weeks later, Nazareth Day makes its 47th appearance with lots of vendors, entertainers, crafters and events in the Park and along Main Street with $1.00 Pool Admission that day culminating with the 9:00 pm Fireworks Show in the Park sponsored by the Vigilance Hose Fire Company. July ends with the annual Martin on Main event along Main Street and in the Circle with guitar music, food and vendors and lots about Martin Guitars as part of the fun. that event begins at noon on Saturday, July 29th. there's always plenty to see and do in our Borough.

The month of May will begin with plenty of fanfare in the Borough as the Nazareth Farmer's Market will cut the ribbon for its start at 9:00 am on Saturday, May 6th in the Circle. Several new vendors will join the usual cast to make each Saturday morning extra special for shoppers and those who like to mix and mingle and be entertained in our downtown. One week later, on Saturday May 13th, there will be plenty of activity in our Park. Each year, the Rotary Club sponsors Park Cleanup Day on the second Saturday of May and that will happen again with an open invitation to anyone wishing to pitch in and help with some of the cleanup work...you only need to show up and join in when it all gets started at 9:00 am. two hours later on Saturday, May 13th at 11:00 am, in person Pool Pass sales will take place at the Small Pavilion in the Park. Pool staff will be there to issue passes and answer questions about events at the Pool in 2023. There are still some employment openings for summer work at the Pool so you can inquire about that as well. Two weeks later, on Saturday, May 27, 2023, the Pool opens at 12 noon, weather permitting, for its 2023 season. Join all the fun in the Borough of Nazareth...you're always welcome here!

The start of Spring always brings with it a winter cleanup of street debris and the remnants of another tough cold weather season. The Borough also restarts its regular weekly routine of street sweeping and reminds residents to keep their vehicles off of the streets on the designated days and times for that early morning cleanup to occur. Street sweeping is done in the early morning hours so as to not disrupt school bus pickups and work departures. Beginning at 5:30 am on Tuesdays, Borough Public Works will clean the streets on the east side of the Borough...east of Main Street... and the routine will be repeated each Friday morning starting at 5:30 am on the west side of the Borough....west of Main Street. Mayor Colondo has placed this information on a number of Borough social media pages and will also have a Nixle alert.

The Borough's Rec Desk pool and Park booking portal will officially open to accept the booking of Pool Parties on April 1, 2023. The portal has been open for the purchase of Pool Passes and pavilion rentals since February 14, 2023. Log on to https://nazarethboro.recdesk.com or Google our Rec Desk site and access it that way to book a party, rent a pavilion and now reserve a Pool Party date for your special event. Also, on April 1, 2023, the Borough's Skate Park will again open for the 2023 season for times of use when the Park is open. There is no residency requirement for either use of the Pool, Pool Parties, pavilion rentals or use of the Skate Park. For more information call the Borough Office at 610-759-0202.

You can help keep Nazareth a safe place to live and work! The Nazareth Borough Police Department, an accredited Police Agency, is hiring part-time officers with the possibility to work steady shifts of 32+ hours per week and starting pay of $32 per hour. If you or someone you know meet the following requirements, fill out the application HERE. You can submit the application via email or fax (610-759-9622).

Job Requirements:
• US citizenship
• High school diploma or equivalent
• At least 21 years old
• Possess a valid driver's license
• Able to pass a background check
• Successful competition of ACT 120 Academy
• Ability to become MPOETC certified

Nazareth Borough is a close-knit community of 7,000 residents in the Lehigh Valley, located in Eastern Pennsylvania, near Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton PA and Phillipsburg, NJ. Learn more on our website or Facebook.

Nazareth Borough Council approved the opening of the Yard Waste Center on G.W. Stoudt Boulevard with its first day of operation to be Tuesday, March 14, 2023. The Yard Waste Facility's hours of weekly operation will be noon to 6:00 pm...Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays...Saturdays 10:00 am till 6:00 pm and Sundays 10:00 am till 4:00 pm. The facility will be closed on Mondays and Fridays. The facility will remain open, weather permitting until the end of November when an exact closing date will be properly advertised. Drivers licenses will be checked and only Borough residents will be allowed to drop off yard waste. In other Recycling News, Council approved an Electronics Recycling and Shredding event for Thursday, September 14, 2023 from 4:00 -6:00 pm in the Borough Park. A price list of charges for electronics disposal will be published prior to the event and shredding services only are free for this event. This event will be open to all Borough residents and businesses with ID proof of standing as either a business owner or Borough resident.

Swimmers can now purchase Pool memberships (season passes) on the Nazareth Borough RecDesk portal plus pavilion and facility rentals can also be secured for summer use. The portal can be accessed at https://nazarethboro.recdesk.com/ and transactions can take place with use of a credit card to buy season passes and reserve any of the pavilions, the Park Gazebo or the picnic pavilions at Kiwanis Park or Essroc Fields. Reserving Pool Parties on the RecDesk portal will begin at a later date. For information on anything related to the Pool and our parks, call the Borough Office at 610-759-0202.

Nazareth Borough Council began its first meeting of 2023 with a Moment of Silence and several personal tributes to "late" Councilman Larry Stoudt who died on December 19, 2022. Stoudt had a long and storied career of Borough service as a 45 year Councilman, over five decades as a firefighter and more than 25 years as a Special Fire Police Officer. The Vigilance Hose Fire Chiefs were sworn in for the year as were five Special Fire Police Officers as the meeting continued. Council then named former Councilman and Second Ward resident Jeffrey Corpora to serve the one year that remained on the Stoudt vacancy. Borough Council then presented members and officers of the Nazareth Blue Eagle Marching Band with a Resolution to honor the Band for another undefeated and championship competition season, their third in the last five years. A second Council resolution was presented to retiring Band Director and Music Teacher, Rick Hilborn.

The Borough of Nazareth has sadly lost eleven term Councilman Larry Stoudt. Stoudt passed on Monday, December 19, 2022 following a short illness. Over the course of nearly 60 years in various Borough positions, Larry Stoudt served the residents of Nazareth as a six decade Firefighter, over 25 years as a Special Fire Policeman and more than 45 years as an elected Councilman. Stoudt also served eight years as a Director on the Nazareth Ambulance Board in addition to leading the Borough's Police Committee for 21 years. He was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and an officer of American Legion Post 415. Most importantly, Larry Stoudt was a man of unwavering conviction to all causes which would benefit the Borough of Nazareth and his unselfish volunteer spirit was a reflection of that conviction. Council has lost one of its pillars, the Borough has lost an outstanding citizen and a reliable helping hand.

The Nazareth Borough Police Department invites the community to take part in the Community Camera Program. This new voluntary safety initiative will allow residents and business owners to register the locations of their video surveillance systems with the Nazareth Borough Police Department to help deter and fight crime in the community.

Through this camera registration program, the Nazareth Borough Police Department will be able to identify locations of cameras that are near crime or crash scenes and contact residents and business owners for video surveillance footage.

There is absolutely no cost to register your security camera. Registration is completely voluntary, and you can cancel your registration at any time. At no time will the police department have access to your security system remotely.

Once registered, a member of the Nazareth Borough Police Department will contact you to verify your information. You will only be contacted by the police if there is an incident in the vicinity of your security cameras. In the event a crime occurs near your registered cameras, you may be contacted by police officers who will request a copy of the video and/or images captured by your cameras over a designated time period that could assist in the investigation. To register your camera please go to our Camera Registration Page.

Information provided to the Nazareth Borough Police Department regarding your camera system will be for official use only. Your personal information will remain confidential and not be distributed except as required by law or court order.

Questions about the program, registering your security cameras, or canceling your registration can be directed to Police Administrative Assistant Debra Dreisbach at ddreisbach@nazarethboroughpa.gov or by calling 610-759-9575 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Thank you for your participation, and assistance in helping the police department and our community.

Randy Miller - Chief of Police

At its November Business Meeting, Nazareth Borough Council unanimously approved a "proposed" 2023 Borough Operating Budget which does not contain a tax increase over the current 16 Mills. Included in the Budget are $250,000 for street repairs, $50,000 for MS4 Storm Water repairs, $180,000 for renovations to the current Firehouse, $147,000 to replace the basketball courts in the Park and the purchase of a new Public Works pickup truck. Council will decide on formal and final Budget approval at its December 5, 2022 Business Meeting.

Traditional events like the annual Tree Lighting and Christmas in Nazareth will bring plenty of late Fall excitement to our downtown and those both will follow the YMCA's Pumpkin Pie 5K Race on Thanksgiving morning, November 24th. Two days later, Council has approved "all day" Free Downtown Meter Parking on Small Business Saturday and has similarly agreed to Free Parking in the metered zone on Saturday, December 10, 2022 for Christmas in Nazareth. The Borough Christmas Tree will be formally unveiled and lit on Friday evening, December 9, 2022 at 7:00 pm. The Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce, a division of the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, is certain to provide another memorable season of Christmas events in our Borough.

With the arrival of winter weather and colder temperatures, the yard Waste Center on Stoudt Bouelvard and the Skate Park in our Borough Park will end their seasons on December 1, 2022. December 1, 2022 will be the final open day for both facilities, weather permitting. Watch for the announcements of early April re-openings in 2023.

Each October, Northampton County honors nominees for a select number of awards to include Employee of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Veteran of the Year. Nazareth Borough proudly nominated two most deserving individuals for the October 8th celebration event in Louise Moore Park. Erin Bowers of our Public Works Department received the Employee of the Year Award from County Executive Lamont McClure, a most deserving honor for a 17 year employee who takes tremendous pride in everything she does not only in our Borough Park but in everything she does throughout our town. The pristine look of our Circle and all of our parks is a testament to Erin's oversight with flowers, shrubs and all plantings as each year she selects what will be in each location, then carefully tends to the watering and fertilizing and trimming of each bush, shrub and flower that she has chosen. Erin's overall job performance makes her a worthy recipient of this prestigious award. Barbara Fischl was similarly honored for her incredible amount of Borough volunteer service. Barbara has been a hard working Library Board member and Chair of that Board for 16 years while also chairing the Borough's Planning and Civil Service Commissions. Both of those positions require lots of hard work and the willingness to devote countless hours of her personal time to help our Borough. At a time when many of the Borough's boards and commission posts go unfilled with no one willing to help, Barbara Fischl has and continues to admirably serve on three commissions and has done so for countless years and with great professionalism. Ms. Fischl recently submitted her Letter of Interest to serve yet another upcoming term on our Planning Commission so to say her award is most deserving is a bit of an understatement. Congratulations and a "Nazareth Thank you" to both Erin and Barbara. Council plans to honor both at a future meeting.

The Board of Directors of the Nazareth Ambulance Corps is pleased and proud to announce the appointment of new Executive Director of EMS, Robert Norder. Norder's appointment becomes official on October 1st as the Corps again ramps up its emergency operations following a period during the public health crises when the groundswell of regular emergency calls and transports and the needed personnel for those increased daily services, forced Nazareth Ambulance to rely on Bethlehem Township to answer a portion of its 9-1-1 emergency calls. Norder brings a wealth of EMS success to his new position having successfully led the Bethlehem Township Ambulance Corps through the recent Pandemic and overseen its growth with multi stations and the expanded network of areas it now services. Norder has directed the Nazareth Ambulance Corps since early April as its "unofficial" Operations Director and has brought new processes, technology and equipment to the Corps while expanding its staff recruiting and transport services. Fourteen new employees are being brought on board during the month of October with the hope for many more to follow as Norder has assured the Board that he is pursuing new opportunities for Nazareth's network expansion of new customers to include additional senior, assisted living and nursing centers as well as inter-hospital transports. The Nazareth Ambulance Board of Directors accepted Norder's recommendation to officially change its name to the Nazareth Regional Ambulance Corps and the Board's legal representative has filed for that name change going forward. The New Era of the Nazareth Regional Ambulance Corps begins now!

The Borough of Nazareth is seeking an interested person to serve as a part time Administrative Clerk. This is a paid "part time" position for 18 to a maximum of 30 hours of weekly employment during regular business weekday hours. A strong emphasis will be placed on computer skills and competency with QuickBooks is also a plus. Interested persons can pick up an application at the Borough Business Office, 134 S. Main Street (main floor), during business hours, 8:30 am till 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday or access the Nazareth Borough website....nazarethboroughpa.com.... and retrieve an application under Forms and Documents-Borough of Nazareth Employment Application . Deadline for applications is October 14, 2022 and all applications, upon completion, must be hand delivered.

Borough of Nazareth
Larry Stoudt
Finance Committee Chairman

There will be plenty to do in October in our Borough. A second Firemen's Carnival will take place in the Park from Thursday October 6, 2022 through Sunday, October 9, 2022. One week later, the Borough's Environmental Steering Committee will be sponsoring a "residents only" electronics recycling and shredding event in the Park that Saturday morning, October 15th from 10:00 am till noon. Watch for ads in the Key and check this website for further details. Later that day, Saturday, October 15, 2022 the annual Halloween Parade will take place at 1:00 pm on its traditional parade route and the Nazareth Chamber of Commerce Lehigh Valley Chamber branch will conduct its annual Fall Festival on South Main Street between Belvidere and Walnut Streets and in the Borough Parking lot at 128 S. Main Street. That event will start at 2:00 pm following the Halloween Parade and conclude at 6:00 pm. There will be food vendors and music at that event.

Northampton County Department of Public Works will hold a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event on October 1st at Northampton Community College 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem, PA from 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM, rain or shine. This event is intended for Northampton County residents only and online pre-registration is required.

Information from Northampton county can be found HERE.
Accepted Materials can be found HERE.

Nazareth Borough Council has scheduled Trick or Treat Night 2022 for Monday, October 31, 2022 from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Council did not issue any restrictions to the annual Halloween Eve event but asks that children and parents exercise caution during that evening's search for treats.

At its August 1, 2022 Business Meeting, Nazareth Borough Council selected and appointed Larry Stoudt to again represent the Borough's Second Ward. Stoudt, an eleven term former Councilman and sixty year volunteer fireman will assume the seat vacated by Jessica Teel whose resignation took effect on July 6, 2022. Stoudt was selected over Noah Nealon and James Jablonski who had similarly applied for appointment. His term expires on December 31, 2023.

The Borough of Nazareth is accepting applications for the position of Full Time Police Officer. This is a Civil Service position. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, be at least 21 years of age and possess a high school diploma or equivalent. As part of the Civil Service process, candidates are required to pass written, oral and polygraph examinations. Candidates must be physically capable of performing the essential functions and tasks of a police officer. Candidates will be subject to a comprehensive background investigation.

Prior to appointment, every applicant must possess a valid PA Driver's License, have successfully completed Act 120 Academy and be capable of MPOETC certification. Application packets can be obtained at the Nazareth Municipal Offices, 134 S. Main Street, Nazareth, PA 18064, Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm or downloaded from the Borough website - nazarethboroughpa.gov - access the Forms and Documents tab on the Home Page - lower left column. The Application deadline is Friday, August 26, 2022 at 4:00 pm. There is a non-refundable $35.00 application fee, payable in cash or money order.

Completed applications must be hand-delivered or mailed to the Nazareth Borough Municipal Offices and include payment of the $35.00 application fee. Completed applications "must" be in the Borough Office by the 4:00 pm deadline on Friday, August 26, 2022...no exceptions and each completed and delivered application will be initialed and time stamped upon reception. The Borough of Nazareth will not accept application packets hand-delivered or post marked after the application deadline or which do not include payment of the application fee. You cannot apply online and online applications will not be accepted.

Please visit our Civil Service page for more information.