STUDENT REPORTER: The Northwestern Press is looking for a student reporter for Northwestern Lehigh High School. The reporter would be responsible for a news column once a month. This is a paid position. Interested young journalists should respond to gtaylor@tnonline.com.

CLARIFICATIONS: In our Dec. 25 Lehigh County Commissioners article, we noted current Allentown resident and former Lehigh County Commissioner, Joseph Maher expressed his concern Commissioner Chair Jon Irons “might have a conflict leading a committee, a subcommittee, that seems to be in conflict with Trump, who happens to be the President of the United States right now.” Irons is chair of the committee, not chair of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners.

Also in the Dec. 25 online coverage of the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association Children’s Luncheon, we pictured Liv and Ava meeting Santa. We noted Liv was a cancer warrior; she is not a cancer warrior as noted.

We apologize for the errors.

FAFSA WORKSHOP: The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is hosting several free webinars to assist college-bound students and their families in correctly completing and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. All students and contributors (such as parents and spouses) must establish their StudentAid.gov Account (FSA ID) at StudentAid.gov/fsa-id/create-account before attending a FAFSA completion workshop. Attendees should visit the PHEAA website before attending an event to determine who should create a StudentAid.gov Account. PHEAA Access Partners will present an overview of the 2026-27 FAFSA process to guide students and families through a step-by-step process of filing the FAFSA and PA State Grant applications. You can register for these webinars at pheaa.org/virtual.

Jan. 14 and March 11, both from 6–7 p.m. PHEAA Access Partners will provide one-on-one support with completing the 2026-27 FAFSA. This is especially helpful for families with unique circumstances. Sessions are approximately 30 minutes long. Registration is required for these events as space is limited. Jan. 22 and April 21, both from 5-7 p.m. You must register for these sessions. PHEAA also provides free FAFSA resources online and offers a free FAFSA tool kit to aid counselors and partners in assisting students and families with FAFSA completion.

WRITERS WORKSHOP: Registration for the 2026 Write Stuff Writers’ Conference, presented by the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group is open. One of the premier writing events in the area, the conference welcomes writers in all genres, at all levels of publication, from unpublished to several writing credits. The conference will be held on March 12-14 at Homewood Suites Center Valley, 3350 Center Parkway, Center Valley. Early Bird prices are available through Jan. 15. Conference registration deadline is March 1, or until the hotel’s maximum capacity has been reached. New York Times-bestselling author Kristin Bair is the keynote speaker and main presenter. Bair will be presenting two half-day workshops as well as a breakout session on Saturday.

Recorded sessions will be available for a limited time after the event for those who cannot attend the conference. Registered conferees under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, with separate registration. For a complete schedule, list of presenters, and rate schedule, visit glvwg.org.

HOAGIE FUNDRAISER: Weisenberg Volunteer Fire Department is accepting orders online until 5 p.m. Jan. 26 for its hoagie sale. Choose between Italian, with onions and peppers, or onion and no peppers or peppers and no onions or no onions or peppers; ham and American cheese; turkey; roast beef or tuna salad. Ingredients supplied by Thomson’s Meat Market, Walnutport. Hoagie pickup will take place 2:30-6 p.m. Feb. 2 at the fire station, 2500 Golden Key Road, Kutztown. They are also offering ice cream sandwiches from The Nesting Box Creamery available in traditional chocolate wafer with soft vanilla ice cream or chocolate chip cookie with soft vanilla ice cream. They come six to a pack.

They are also selling one pound of chocolate covered sourdough pretzels or one pound of milk chocolate nonpareils from Tara’s Treats and Goodies. To place an order, call 484-357-8827.

FOSTER CARE: The Salvation Army Eastern Pennsylvania Children’s Services announces the launch of a new Short-Term Foster Care Program that provides safe, loving homes for children who require temporary care. No prior experience is required, just a willingness to provide a nurturing and supportive environment for children in need for days or weeks. Contact Emily, 610-821-7706, emily.anthony@use.salvationarmy.org.

HAWK MOUNTAIN

APPALACHIAN WINTER ECOLOGY WORKSHOP: Taught by Dr. Dan Ardia, professor of biology at Franklin and Marshall College. This 3-day workshop will explore Hawk Mountain’s winter wildlife and how plants and other wildlife adapt to this critical life cycle period 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 17. There is a cost and registration is required to attend this program. For more information or to register go to hawkmountain.org.

LEHIGH GAP

BIRD COUNT: Join the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society in partnership with the Lehigh Gap Nature Center for their 12th annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 10, at Muhlenberg College, Allentown. CBC4Kids is a fun introduction to birding that teaches kids ages 6-12 and their families. Participants will learn how to use binoculars, identify common birds, collect scientific data and form teams and conduct a bird count in a nearby park. After an hour of birding, everyone will reconvene to tally up the data and share their discoveries. Participants are encouraged to stick around for a tour of the Muhlenberg College bird museum. To register, visit https://bit.ly/CBC4Kids.

WINTER SOWING: The Lazy Gardener’s Guide to Winter Sowing will be held 10 -11:30 a.m. Jan. 13, at the Osprey House. No need for heat mats, lights, or daily watering — winter sowing lets you garden the easy way! Learn how to turn everyday milk jugs into mini greenhouses that do all the work for you. This hands-on workshop is perfect for anyone who loves plants but prefers a low-stress approach. Come ready to get your hands dirty, and take home your own jug of soon-to-sprout seeds! Participants need to bring: one gallon or two half-gallon sized plastic milk jugs. A limited amount of extras will be available. Native perennial seeds and soil will be provided. There is a per person fee to attend. Register online via Zeffy at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-lazy-gardeners-guide-to-winter-sowing.

MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOP: Join staff at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for a Mixed Media Art Workshop with Board Certified Art Therapist Chris Zweifel 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 20. Participants will be making Artist Trading Cards! Artist Trading Cards are miniature works of art that measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches, the size of a standard baseball card. The ATC movement originated in 1997 by the Swiss artist M. Vanci Stirnemann. ATCs are traded, not sold for monetary gain, and are a great way to practice art techniques. Create, swap and collect at this very special event. Artists of all skill levels are welcome — even brand-new artists! All necessary materials will be provided by the facilitator, but participants are welcome to bring materials from home if they would like. There is a per person fee to attend. Register online via Zeffy at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/mixed-media-workshop-artist-trading-cards.

WINTER BIRD WALK: A Winter Bird Walk will take place 10-11:30 a.m. Jan. 21, at the Osprey House. Discover the many bird species that spend their winter at LGNC! Binoculars will be provided to those who do not have them. Although these walks will be geared toward beginner birders, people of all ages are welcome to attend. This event is free to LGNC members. There is a $5 per person fee for nonmembers. For questions, contact LGNC staff at mail@lgnc.org or call 610-760-8889. Register online via Zeffy at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/winter-bird-walk-2.

LEHIGH GAP AREA FEEDER WATCH: An annual tradition since 1998, the Lehigh Gap Area Feeder Watch is a community-supported effort to monitor winter bird populations in our region. Do you have at least one bird feeder in your yard and live within 15 miles of Lehigh Gap Nature Center? If so, we invite you to participate in this year’s count! As a volunteer Feeder Watcher, your objective is to observe your backyard bird feeder(s), record your bird sightings, and submit your data to Lehigh Gap Nature Center. In 2026, Feeder Watchers may count on either Feb. 13, 14, or 15 and share their sightings via online form, mail, or email by Feb. 27. To learn more information, go to https://lgnc.org/research/bird-counts/.

SENIORS GROUP: Lehigh Gap Nature Center, 8844 Paint Mill Road, Slatington, has formed a new group for nature-minded seniors. Each session will include coffee/tea, refreshments, and a time for socializing. This will be followed by a brief presentation about a topic of interest and an open forum discussion among the group members. The sessions will be held in the Great Hall at the Osprey House on the second Monday of each month from 9-10:30 a.m.

SPEAKER SERIES: Join LGNC staff on select Thursday evenings from 6-7 p.m. through March to learn about local history and ecology, conservation initiatives, and more. There is a suggested donation per person for nonmembers. For more information or to register, go to https://lgnc.org, email mail@lgnc.org or call 610-760-8889.

ECOLOGY CLUB: LGNC’s Ecology Club is back for the 2025-26 school year! Children ages 9 and older are invited to meet from 4:15-5:15 p.m. at the Osprey House on the first Wednesday of every month until June 3 for fun, hands-on nature adventures. Participation is free to all LGNC members and their families, and no registration is required. Email riley.davenport@lgnc.org if you have any questions.

BOOK CLUB: The Cabin Fever Book Club meets once a month from 10 a.m. to noon during the fall and winter months to discuss books on ecology, environmental history, and environmentalism. This year’s book list is “The Comfort of Crows” by Margaret Renkl for Jan. 15, “West with Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge for Feb. 19 and “Tip of the Iceberg” by Mark Adams for March 19. Books are available at the Palmerton and Slatington libraries, Lehigh Gap Nature Center, or on Amazon for purchase. For more information, email mail@lgnc.org.