Allentown City without limits

Restaurants will be able to open their doors once again for indoor dining come today, Monday, January 4. The indoor capacity depends on whether or not the establishment has been self-certified. Social distancing, masking, and other mitigation measures must still be employed to protect workers and patrons. The self-certification is open to all restaurants, private social clubs and food service businesses that serve dine-in, sit down food in a regular, non-event capacity. Add...itionally, the Allentown Environmental Health staff continue to assist Allentown facilities with COVID safety measures and Safety Plan Reviews. Please contact Environmental Health Services at 610-437-7759 for assistance. Review the self-certification process and frequently asked questions process here: https://www.wfmz.com//article_72aee95e-4d2a-11eb-a8d3-7323 #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #ShopAllentown #SafeAllentown #OpenAllentown #ShopSafe #ShopSmart #SupportAllentownBusiness #SupportAllentown

There is a state-run COVID-19 testing clinic open this week only, Monday through Friday, 9am-6pm, at Coca-Cola Park that does not require a prescription. The location will be able to test up to 450 people per day and is intended to temporarily relieve some of the other testing locations. Read more from WFMZ below: https://www.wfmz.com//article_2d7432e8-4e17-11eb-9f68-6b73... #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #COVID19Testing #AllentownPA #LehighCounty

Allentown police vehicles will be equipped with AEDs thanks to a donation from the Gregory W. Moyer Defibrillator Fund from "Shawnee on Delaware the Poconos Pa" and St. Luke's University Health Network 23 AEDs are being donated to the department in honor of Greg Moyer, a 15-year-old Notre Dame East Stroudsburg varsity basketball player who died from cardiac arrest in the locker room on December 2, 2000. Rachel Moyer created the fund in her son’s memory and has been working ...to make Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs easily accessible across schools, public places, and police vehicles. APD Chief Glenn Granitz, Jr. says his department is ready to use this life-saving tool to assist Allentown’s residents and visitors. The City of Allentown has seen the tremendous benefits of our police officers using other life-saving measures such as Naloxone (Narcan) and tourniquets that have resulted in countless lives saved, Granitz said. Thanks to the passion of Rachel Moyer and the kindness of Saint Luke’s Health Network we are able to do even more in our community. Allentown police officers are trained in the operation of AEDs. #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #AllentownPolice #AllentownPA

High school students from low-income families in the Allentown School District will have the opportunity to take free college level courses, thanks to a partnership with the nonprofit National Education Equity Lab. You are on the national radar, and you move fast for your students, said Leslie Cornfeld, CEO and founder of the National Education Equity Lab adding that Allentown will serve as a model for school districts across Pennsylvania and the nation. Read more from WFMZ...: https://www.wfmz.com//article_6498a6a4-40d5-11eb-b535-a7bb #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #AllentownSchoolDistrict #AllentownPA

Have you planned your Lights in the Parkway visit for this holiday season? Be sure to come find Ginger in Candy Land and text in the special code!

The Allentown PA Parks and Recreation Department is embarking on a virtual programming series entitled Recreation at Home focusing on children of all ages and abilities and families. Throughout the month of November, recreation staff will begin sharing activity sheets, resources, and videos on a variety of recreational topics including physical and mental fitness, sports specific skills & drills, DIY recreation activities, literacy and much more. Recreation at Home content... can be viewed on social media pages and on the department website at www.allentownpa.gov/RecreationAtHome. Additionally, the department encourages community members to subscribe to the new YouTube Channel at Allentown PA Parks and Recreation to access Recreation at Home video content. According to Parks & Recreation Director Karen El-Chaar, the city and the parks and recreation department want to help children, parents and guardians gain greater access to recreational opportunities that can be done in the home, in the neighborhood and in one of the many park spaces we have in our city. For additional information and resources, residents and visitors may contact the Parks & Recreation office at 610-437-7757 and/or follow the department on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Allentown PA Parks and Recreation as well as subscribing to the new YouTube Channel, Allentown PA Parks and Recreation.

Happy New Years Eve, Allentown! We're looking back to celebrations over the years and our downtown fireworks. Until we can gather again as a community, have a safe and happy New Year! The Morning Call Downtown Allentown Business Alliance Jim Trocchio Photography #NewYearsEve #AllentownPA #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #DowntownAllentown #AllentownFireworks #DowntownFireworks #NYE2020

#ElectionDay2020 is quickly approaching! For those choosing in-person voting, the CDC has issued guidelines for safe voting. See below for more information and be sure to make a plan! #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #SafeVoting #CityOnTheRise

Volunteers are needed to help with the November 14 tree planting on Liberty Street! The West End Alliance received a grant for 20 trees and the City of Allentown is donating 20 more so we can bring back the tree canopy that once existed along the street. The pits will have been dug, but volunteers are needed to place the trees in the holes and cover the spot with supplied dirt and mulch. No experience required! Just a willingness to participate to enhance the look of the neighborhood. Bring gloves but all other tools will be supplied. Sign up using the link below and then meet at the FairGrounds Hotel , 448 N 17th Street at 8:30 a.m. on November 14. https://www.signupgenius.com//5080e44aaac22a4f58-volunteer

Thanks to all who tuned in tonight for the Virtual Tree Lighting Ceremony! Our tree is up and lit in the Arts Park for any who’d like to safely visit. Have a very safe and happy holiday season, Allentown! #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #HolidayTradition #visitallentown #AllentownTradition #StaySafe

TONIGHT AT 5PM - Tune in for the Virtual Tree Lighting Ceremony!

UPDATE Regarding the COVID-19 Vaccine from the Allentown Health Bureau, as of 12/31/2020: The Allentown Health Bureau is now utilizing for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for qualifying healthcare staff in Lehigh County. This will allow those qualifying persons to book their own appointments. In accordance with regulations established by the CDC, appointments for COVID vaccination can be scheduled for members of the following groups ONLY:... Licensed medical professionals & care staff including but not limited to: EMS professionals, dentists, podiatrists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, primary care physicians, etc. Home health agency staff including hospice, visiting nurses, physical therapy, occupational health, home health aides, etc. Please follow the link below to schedule your appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine. Once the forms are completed in Survey Monkey, you will be guided to PREPMOD to schedule your appointment. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCW_AHB2020 Upon scheduling your appointment, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow up to 24 hours to receive your confirmation email. The Survey Monkey link works best in Chrome. If you are having trouble with access via mobile, please use a desktop computer. East Side Youth Center at 1140 East Clair Street is the location for the vaccinations which must be scheduled by appointment. The Bureau is receiving a limited supply of the Moderna vaccine from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

QUEEN OF THE COURT GOES VIRTUAL! The Allentown PA Parks and Recreation and long-time coach Brittni Kholi are gearing up for the 11th Queen of the Court basketball program, but it will be a little different this fall; it will be virtual. Queen of the Court is a free basketball fundamentals program offered to girls in fifth through eighth grade that live and attend school in Allentown. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fall 2020 program is going virtual with prerecorded work...outs posted on social media outlets. Coach Kholi teaches life skills, confidence, teamwork, and empowering the girls through the game of basketball. This program introduces the sport to beginners and helps refine the efforts of more skilled players. The virtual program will feature prerecorded videos posted on Tuesdays and Thursdays later in the afternoon on the Queen of the Court and the Allentown Parks and Recreation Facebook pages. Girls are encouraged to access the videos with supervision by a parent/guardian after their schooling is done. The workouts can be done in the home, backyard, or a local park. Guest speakers may be featured throughout the virtual program. More information is available on the City of Allentown website: https://www.allentownpa.gov//Queen-of-the-Court-Goes-Virtu #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #QueenOfTheCourt #WomenEmpoweringWomen #YouthPrograms #CityOnTheRise

Allentown School District received a new grant last week, which will allocate $844,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and has used it to purchase 3,517 Wi-Fi hot spots for students. This grant will help that many more students access the internet and move closer to closing the digital divide in the #Allentown school district. These Wi-Fi hot spots are in addition to the other 1,000 that the school district purchased in the spring. Read ...more about this great opportunity for Allentown students at the link below! https://www.facebook.com/AllentownSchoolDistrict/posts/2788322951271074?__cft__[0]=AZW949fWQu9rXJ7wLF4wlM_P--6YCyy__m2TGb9yfSX_l76QU1uFUjgNUelG9BVIkGrqaQ1E4F1fw49p0RXnxvIQjSrF8kISOqOqHASQ0roXhKM4G6iknrZyKxC0ii3QjblDlVK82k_ifsklbWuzD3v0ZEtsT7q27oW79QCv1RufXNs_iKC1znZ9zrs0G8T0HgU&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #CommunityLearning #ClosingTheGap #EqualOpportunity

The City of Allentown has several available positions for employment including Finance Director, Senior Planner, and more! Visit our website to view the openings and required qualifications and check back frequently for updates! https://www.allentownpa.gov/Human-Resou/Employment-Openings #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #WorkHere #LiveHere #AllentownPA

NOW is the time to get your #flu vaccine! The Allentown Health Bureau and EMS are hosting a flu vaccine clinic today at the East Side Youth Center.

This week, Allentown Mayor Ray O’Connell delivered his proposed 2021 city budget to City Council this afternoon. The just under $119 million spending plan holds the property tax rate stable. O’Connell wrote, The blend of austerity measures, bond refunding, better than expected revenue recoveries and the hard work of City staff has reduced our outlook from a multi-million dollar budget deficit and an estimated cash deficit to a much more stable picture. At this stage, we hop...e to see a modest General Fund budget deficit. Furthermore, our current General Fund cash balance is slightly higher than at the same time in 2019, and our cashflow models point to an end of year general fund cash balance of between $7M and $9M. Read more details about the budget on the City of Allentown website: https://www.allentownpa.gov//Budget-Delivered-to-City-Coun

The Allentown School District recently celebrated #WalkToSchoolDay with #WalkGrabAndGo meals for students. Even with online learning, students and families can walk to any ASD school to pick up Grab & Go Meals! This incredibly important initiative is fighting hunger for thousands of kids across #Allentown. Check out the website for the latest list of dates/times near you: http://allentownsd.ss14.sharpschool.com//child_nut/VCMeals #WeAreAllentown #AllentownSchools #SomosAllentown #FightChildhoodHunger #CommunityComingTogether

The City of Allentown is thrilled to receive two funding awards from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The first will support the Section 108 financing program for the new Da Vinci Science Center being built in downtown Allentown. The second award comes from the Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program to continue the City's Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control program along with $700,000 in Healthy Homes supplemental funds. After a few remarks from Mayor Ray O'Con...nell, Thomas Williams (Operations Manager for the City of Allentown Community and Economic Development Department), Heidi Westerman (Community Housing Manager for the City of Allentown), Brian Montgomery (Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), and Lin Erickson (Executive Director and CEO for Da Vinci Science Center), the City of Allentown Community and Economic Development Department offered tours of some of the CDBG-funded housing rehabilitation projects throughout the downtown area and the Allentown Opportunity Zones. Additional details about these awards and projects are available at the link below: https://www.allentownpa.gov//HUD-Deputy-Secretary-Delivers #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #UrbanDevelopment #UrbanRehab #HUDGrant #EconomicDevelopment #CommunityDevelopment

Are you seeking training, resume, or job searching assistance? Did you know Allentown Employment and Training Center - AETC offers free services powered by PA CareerLink Lehigh Valley? Call 610-437-5627 x0 to schedule your appointment and start your journey! #JobTraining #JobSearch #AllentownEmployment #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #UnemployedToEmployed

Have you been to the new #WelcomeToAllentown #mural on South 8th Street yet?! Located between Walnut and Union Streets, this beauty commemorates this #NeighborhoodGateway welcoming everyone coming from the #SouthSide across the 8th Street Bridge. Check out this time lapse courtesy of our artist ART by MILA Sketch and be sure to stop by. This mural was organized and facilitated by the Allentown Arts Commission.The project was managed by Materials Conservation Co., LLC. #allent...own #welcometoallentown #weareallentown #allentownart #getdowntown Music by JAIN.

Yesterday afternoon, #Allentown celebrated receiving grant funding from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) of $500,000 to construct a critical 1.8-mile segment of the Jordan Creek Greenway Trail! The segment will connect Jordan Park with the Jordan Meadows Park. Upon completion, the entire 14-mile Jordan Creek Greenway trail will traverse through Allentown and the townships of Whitehall, South Whitehall and North Whitehall and connect many regio...nal parks, including Jordan Park, Jordan Creek Parkway, Covered Bridge Park and the Trexler Nature Preserve. DCNR has a goal of providing a trail within 10 minutes of every Pennsylvanian. We're thrilled for this new opportunity in the City! Read more about this at the link below! https://www.wfmz.com//article_6964bfca-0f24-11eb-9cd6-2bb2 #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #CityOfParks Allentown PA Parks and Recreation

Firefighters in #Allentown were honored on Monday for going above and beyond the call of duty! As part of Fire Prevention Month, the city's fire department held its annual memorial and awards service. Mayor Ray O’Connell told those in attendance, Without hesitation, you put on your gear and enter burning buildings to protect lives and property. Everyone else is running out! You are running in! We are fortunate to have tremendously well-trained, talented and dedicated firefi...ghters here in Allentown. Congratulations to those who were honored! Preview the full article on the City of Allentown website to read the full list of honorees, including those with services awards, unit citations, certificates of appreciation, and citizen recognition. We thank you all for your bravery and service! https://www.allentownpa.gov//Hammel-Named-Firefighter-of-t #WeAreAllentown #SomosAllentown #AllentownFirefighters #BraveryAndCourage #FirePreventionMonth Local 302 Allentown International Association of Firefighters

Mark your calendars! The Allentown Health Bureau and Allentown EMS will be offering free flu shots on Friday, October 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the East Side Youth Center at 1140 E. Clair Street. Individuals must be masked, are asked to wear short sleeved shirts and must be able to park and walk through the building and down several steps. They can speed the process by printing and completing the consent form posted on the city website www.allentownpa.gov. Look for the Get Your Flu Shot icon on the homepage.