A walk along the Nor-Bath trail. Tennis at Louise Moore Park. A drive over a bridge on your way to work. A call to 911. The Route 33 Interchange exit coming to Tatamy. A district attorney's news conference about elder abuse. A call about an abused child. Ensuring that 10 gallons are really going into your gas tank. Gracedale. Mosquito control. Open Space.

Though barely noticed, these are some of the many services provided by Northampton County government. Twenty-two Northampton County residents now understand what is often called the forgotten government. They were honored Nov. 21 at the County Council meeting as the second graduating class of the Northampton County Citizens' Academy.

Executive John Stoffa, who called the academy a "terrific idea," credited Bethlehem resident Tom Miller for the program.

"This is the guy who started this problem," Stoffa joked. Miller graduated from Bethlehem's Citizens' Academy in 2009 and urged the county to start one, too.

This year's class went through 20 hours of lectures, listening to 37 speakers over the course of 10 weeks. Among them was County Council President John Cusick. He said that, for years, the only thing he knew about the county was that it provides the voting machines and gave him a marriage license.

"I vote and I'm still married, so I figured the county must still be working," he quipped.

Things got off year to a bad start this year. Solicitor Dan Spengler was showing a centuries old patent deed embossed with William Penn's seal when suddenly, the lights went out, shrouding the entire class in darkness.

Was it one of the courthouse ghosts rumored to walk the halls nightly? The ghost of a person hung at the courthouse during the 1880s?

"We started in the dark, but now we can see," quipped Moore Township's Matt Miles, regarded as the youngest graduate.

This class also included Bethlehem's Dr. Wandalyn Enix, who just retired from Montclair State. She told council that county government is full of "dedicated people," especially at the 911 Center. She mentioned that one 911 worker told her that he comes to work every day excited.

"The way he said it, you could feel it," she remarked. In addition to sharing some of the history she learned, Eniz expressed sympathy for the county as it deals with increasing cuts in human services grants from the state.

This year's graduating class also include Glenn Geissinger and Mat Benol, who were elected by the voters Nov. 5 to a four-year term as County Council members. It also included Joan Dean, a former president of the council.

But the most important student was Donna Terrio, who with her husband runs the courthouse cafeteria. She brought cake.