Christmas Tree Shortage Expected Again this Coming Season

Once again, there's a shortage of Christmas trees this year in certain parts of Pennsylvania. Officials anticipate this scarcity will persist due to the lingering effects of the Great Recession. It might be quite some time before the supply aligns with the demand.

To find and maintain your tree, the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association (PCTGA) offers some advice:

• Opt for a fresh tree by checking its color—aim for a vibrant green. The needles should bend without snapping and cling firmly to the branches. To test freshness, lightly tug a branch; if very few needles shed, it's likely fresh. Give the tree a gentle shake; while some older interior needles falling is natural, an excess of green ones isn't.

• Upon bringing the tree home, give it a fresh cut, removing no more than an inch of the trunk, and secure it in a sturdy water-holding stand. If the retailer has pre-drilled your tree for a pin stand, avoid cutting more than an inch; otherwise, the hole may not accommodate the stand properly.

• Keep the stand consistently filled with water to prevent drying out. Steer clear of small stands that hold minimal water; one accommodating a 4-inch trunk should manage at least a gallon of water post-setup.

• Position the tree away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, or televisions to preserve its freshness.

• Use indoor lights exclusively on the tree, ensuring cords and connections are in good condition. Avoid connecting more than three light sets per extension cord.

• Remember to unplug the lights before bedtime or when leaving home for safety reasons.

• Studies indicate that plain water is the best choice for the tree's stand. Some commercial additives or DIY mixtures might harm the tree's moisture retention and increase needle loss. Regularly filling stands with plain water can extend the tree's freshness for weeks.

Macungie Borough Council Approves 2024 Budget

Similar to Lower Macungie Township, borough officials opted to maintain existing tax rates for the upcoming year.

In contrast to Lower Macungie Township's foreseen rise in trash collection expenses, Macungie finds itself in the second year of a three-year contract with Whitetail Disposal. In 2022, residents witnessed a significant price surge from approximately $17 to over $40 per month due to a new contract signed in September, doubling the costs.

The borough's taxes encompass a 4.25-mill real estate tax based on property valuation, a $1 real estate transfer tax, a $10 annual per capita tax for all residents aged 18 and above, and a $52 local services tax. Sewer and water rates remain unchanged.

Flu Season is On the Rise in Several States

In seven U.S. states, flu cases are on the rise, coinciding with an early start to the flu season and the gathering of families nationwide for the holidays. However, flu remains at low levels in Pennsylvania.

Recent flu data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, posted on Friday, revealed significantly high flu activity in Louisiana last week. Additionally, states such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, and South Carolina reported high flu activity.

Furthermore, flu activity showed an upward trend in New York City, Arkansas, California, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

PPL to Pay $17 Million Fine Due to Billing Errors

According to a proposed joint settlement submitted to state regulators, PPL Electric Utilities is slated to pay a $1 million fine and absorb an additional $16 million in expenses linked to billing errors that affected numerous Lehigh Valley customers and other ratepayers starting late last year. In addition to these financial commitments, PPL has pledged not to pass on costs incurred from future rate increase proposals to its customers.

For this agreement to take effect, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission must vote on it. This resolution was reached between Allentown’s PPL and an investigative body within the agency. A spokesperson from the PUC stated that PPL has already reimbursed $1 million to an undisclosed number of customers who were impacted by the billing inaccuracies.

Tree Lighting Ceremonies In the Lehigh Valley

Slatington Tree Lighting Ceremony Dec. 1, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
509 Main St., Slatington
Hanover Township Tree Light Ceremony Dec. 1, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
3660 Jacksonville Rd., Bethlehem
Allentown Tree Lighting Celebration Dec. 2, 4-7 p.m.
20 N. 5th St., Allentown
Emmaus’ Christmas Dec. 2, 4 -7p.m.
Triangle Park, Main St., Emmaus
South Whitehall Township Tree Lighting Ceremony Dec. 2, 5:30 p.m.
Covered Bridge Park 2465 Wehr Mill Road
Forks Township Tree Lighting Dec. 3, 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
1606 Sullivan Trail, Easton
Whitehall Township Tree Lighting Dec. 6, 6:30 p.m.
3219 MacArthur Rd., Whitehall
North Whitehall Township Tree Lighting Dec. 10, 5-7 p.m.
3256 Levans Rd., Coplay

Emmaus Historical Society

The date of the Annual December Potluck Christmas Party special event has been changed from December 13th to December 20th. Please mark your calendars. The annual Christmas Potluck Party will begin at 5:30 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 501 Chestnut Street, Emmaus. Drinks and the main course will be provided by the Emmaus Historical Society. Please bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert to complement the main course.

Reprinted/shared with permission from the Emmaus Historical Society

WINERY COMEDY TOUR at SLEEPY CAT

Fri Dec 29 2023 07:00 pm to 08:30 pm
Sleepy Cat Urban Winery, West Allen Street, Allentown, PA

Monty Python and the Holy Grail 48½ Anniversary

Sun Dec 03 2023 04:30 pm to 06:00 pm
The Emmaus Theatre, 19 S. 4th Street, Emmaus

The Grinch (Free Screening w/ Canned Food Item)

Dec 2 at 3 PM
The Emmaus Theatre, 19 S. 4th Street, Emmaus

Former Phillies Pitcher, Willie Hernandez, Dies at 69

The baseball world is in mourning after the passing of the legendary closer Willie Hernandez, who died at the age of 69 on Monday.

Hernandez was celebrated as one of the premier relief pitchers of his era. His illustrious career in Major League Baseball spanned 13 years, from 1977 to 1989. Throughout this tenure, he earned the honor of being a three-time All-Star and played for esteemed teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Detroit Tigers.

Emmaus Spotlight Polls

Really?

Strange But True
"Häagen-Dazs" has no meaning in any language; it was meant to sound 'European.'
There is enough water in Lake Superior to cover North and South America in water 1 foot deep. It is the world's largest freshwater lake.
Barcode scanners scan the white bars, not the black ones.
A moose can dive underwater down to nearly 20 feet in search of food.
'Woman' and 'women' sound different because of how you pronounce the 'wo-' part, not the '-man/-men' part.
Pope Gregory XI believed that cats were associated with the devil, and ordered them to be exterminated from Europe. It’s believed that this caused the Bubonic Plague, as rats multiplied after this event.
Tiger shark embryos fight each other in their mother's womb; the survivor is born.
Madame Curie's notebooks are still radioactive. Researchers wishing to study them must sign a waiver in order to do so.

Humor

A string walks into a bar and the bartender goes, "Sorry, we don't serve strings here."

The string walks out all sad and defeated, then has a great idea. He ties himself in a bow, cuts off his ends to look all pretty, and struts back into the bar.

The bartender looks at him and goes, "Hey, aren't you that string I turned away before?" and the string goes, "Nope! I'm a frayed knot!"

 November 26