Chair Janine Santoro announced some upcoming Halloween events at the Sept. 30 Mayor’s South Side Task Force hybrid meeting held in the NCC Fowler Center.

Among these are:

• City of Bethlehem Halloween Parade will be at West Broad and Main streets at 2 p.m. Oct. 26 with a rain date of Nov. 2.

• City Hall Trunk or Treat held Oct. 20 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. on Payrow Plaza.

• Pembroke Trunk or Treat is scheduled for Oct. 9 from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. at the Northeast Community Center.

Upcoming meetings include a Climate Action Plan Annual Meeting on Nov. 20 at 9 a.m. in city hall and virtually through Facebook Live, 40 in 10 Plan: Every Park in 10 Years has a virtual public meeting scheduled for Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. and a Budget Presentation on Oct. 30 at 7 a.m. at Foy Hall, Moravian University.

Santoro mentioned a request for proposal (RFP) for a South Side Community Center Operator now live with the City of Bethlehem seeking to enter into a partnership with a preferred community center operator as it begins final design and engineering of a future facility.

According to Santoro, there are still openings on authorities, boards and commissions as well as employment opportunities at city hall.

Bethlehem Community Police Officer William Rodriguez and Sergeant Paul Ramsden spoke about Bethlehem Police recruitment efforts.

Jeff Zettlemoyer from Housing Opportunities described the organization’s Closing Assistance Program that provides up to $10,000 in funding toward a qualifying individual homebuyer’s closing costs. He also suggested several sites within the city that could possibly be utilized for affordable homes, including small 1-bedroom “tiny” dwellings that older empty-nesters may be interested in.

Attending remotely, Celina Daddario from Northside Alive promoted the Pembroke Trunk or Treat, as well as the finalized Pembroke Choice Neighborhood Plan that will be shared at the event. She called attention to a free 8-week Community Housing Advocacy Training course being hosted at Broughal MS on Thursdays through Nov. 13. While childcare and dinner is provided, participants need to go to Community Action Development Bethlehem’s website to register.

Santoro added that Community Action Development Bethlehem also holds Southside Neighborhood Meetings at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. every second Wednesday of the month. The Southside Clean Ups are scheduled 10 a.m. - noon at McNamara Park on Oct. 11 and at Enix Park on Nov. 8.

Also online, Aliva Ali from the Bethlehem YWCA promoted the upcoming Courageous Love Luncheon scheduled for Oct. 17 at Ben Franklin TechVentures from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Adrienne McNeil from Lehigh University encouraged folks to check out Empty Bowls scheduled for Dec. 4 from 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. hosted at Broughal Middle School by Sodexto at Lehigh and Moravian universities.

Wendy Wright from Cay Galgon Life House spotlighted the organization’s mission to prepare pregnant women and mothers of infants for a life of self-reliance. An “Oh What Fun!” fundraising event is happening Nov. 11 at Lehigh Country Club from 6 - 9 p.m.

3Sixty Pharma Solutions CEO Dalfoni Banerjee highlighted her company’s internship program.

The Mayor’s South Side Task Force regularly meets on the last Tuesday of the month.