Recently, Northampton County Judge Stephen Baratta sentenced a man to spend the rest of his life in jail for the murder and sexual abuse of his stepdaughter’s corpse. It’s a story that attracted a lot of attention. But there’s much more to county government than what you see at the courthouse.

Passports. Marriage licenses. A walk along the beautiful Nor Bath Trail. A 911 call. The bridges you take for granted on the way to work. The certain knowledge that when you pump 10 gallons of gas, that’s what you get. Gracedale. Mosquito control.

Twenty-two Northampton County residents, from Riegelsville to Northampton, now understand what is often called the forgotten government. They were honored at recent county council meeting as the fourth graduating class of the Northampton County Citizens’ Academy. They completed a 10-week program that included Public Works, Emergency Management, Court Administration, Human Services and Gracedale Nursing Home, Fiscal Affairs, Community and Economic Development, the Department of Corrections, District Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff’s Department and County Council.

“There wasn’t really enough time,” said Penn State student Laurie Giannetti.

Rick Sergi, a pastor in Bethlehem, added, “I was almost excited to pay my taxes.”

Noting that the county takes care of so many bridges, Sergei called the county a “bridge” that gets people from one side of life to another.

“You don’t go across every bridge, but you sure hope it’s there if you need one,” he said.