Coplay Public Library’s board meets 7 p.m. this evening, Dec. 10, in council chambers at the municipal building. The public is invited.

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On Dec. 13, Coplay Sports Inc. will hold its annual Christmas parade. A caravan will ride on every street throughout the borough. There will be clowns and elves in costume. The borough’s fire truck and police patrol car will lead the parade.

Santa, along with Mrs. Claus, will be on a sleigh as yuletide music will announce their arrival on your street.

The trek begins 10:30 a.m. on South Front Street, continuing to Second and Third streets and westward, then later in the day on streets in Echo Manor and Parkway West.

Parents may drop off a gift, which Santa will hand out, at Coplay Sports fieldhouse 6-8 p.m. Dec. 11 or 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 12. The gift should have your child’s name and address on it, wrapped and in a brown paper bag.

Santa also will have goodies for every child along the parade route.

In the event of bad weather, the alternate dates are Dec. 19 and 20.

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“Warmth for a Friend,” a project launched six years ago seeking donations of coats, sweaters, hats and scarfs, is now underway. The drive provides winter wear for the needy.

The items can be dropped off at the library, municipal building, post office, St. Peter’s Church, St. John’s Church, Milander’s Market and The Bacon Strip.

More than 400 families were helped by the program in 2014.

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What a difference in the amount vehicle traffic on the Coplay-Northampton Bridge in late afternoons. With the official opening of the new Hokendauqua-North Catasauqua Bridge last Thursday, now called Lt. Col. Thomas Lynch Memorial Bridge, there has been a considerable drop in vehicles going into Northampton on the bridge as commuters head home.

The backups often were on the entire length of the bridge; sometimes cars and SUVs were backed up for blocks on Chestnut and Second streets. The relief will be of short duration, however, since the Coplay-Northampton Bridge is next in line for demolition. A newly constructed bridge, a planned two-year project, is expected to begin sometime in 2016.