Block Watch Remembers Gay Elwell

Easton Block Watch will set up scholarship in memory of late district judge.

The Easton Block Watch has set up a scholarship award in memory of Gay Elwell, the city district judge and an advocate for the block watch. The $500 award—announced at last week's block watch meeting—will go each year to a high school senior interested in a legal or criminal justice career. Elwell, who died last year, was a supporter of the block watch, working with it on a program called "court watch," in which block watch members would provide moral support to victims in criminal cases. The block watch says it will provide more details about the Annual Honorable Gay Elwell Memorial Scholarship Award at its June meeting.

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'Special Announcement' Coming From Block Watch

Easton's Block Watch will hold its quarterly meeting next week.

Worried About Crime? Easton Block Watch Wants You

The Easton Block Watch will hold its first meeting of 2013 Wednesday night.

"Prompted by neighbor complaints." Some variation on that phrase appeared quite often last year in news releases from Easton police announcing drug raids. Basically, police would get a call from someone who suspected drug dealing in his or her neighborhood, investigate, and make arrests. In fact, by September 2012, 20 of the 24 raids police had made came about after calls from neighbors. If you're a fan of keeping an eye on your neighborhood, you might want to consider the Easton Block Watch, which is holdings its first meeting of the year Wednesday night at the State Theatre. The meeting is due to get under way at 7 p.m., but sign-ins begin at 6:30 p.m. The agenda includes the swearing in of new officers, a remembrance of the late …

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Easton Has Seen 24 Drug Raids in 2012

So far this year, Easton police have done 24 high profile drug raids, Capt. Scott Casterline told the Easton Block Watch Thursday.

If you follow the local news, you've probably seen more-than-occasional coverage of drug raids around the city. There have been 24 of them so far this year, Easton Police Capt. Scott Casterline told members of the city block watch as it held its quarterly meeting Thursday night at the River of God Fellowship church.  And of those 24 raids, 20 were prompted by calls from neighbors, added Lt. John Remaley. (There were other, smaller raids, Casterline said. The 24 he mentioned were ones involving either the city's special response team or its counterparts from the state police.) Casterline said it sends a message to criminals: "You don't have to worry about the police first, you have to worry about the neighbors." He also acknowledged that …

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5 Things to Know Today, September 24

Easton City Council changes its meeting time/place, fundraiser for the Peace Candle, and more...

  1. Easton City Council meets tonight, rather than Wednesday, due to Yom Kippur. And the meeting will be held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church on the South Side, one of council's occasional visits to city neighborhoods. 2. Last month, we reported on new efforts to raise money to upgrade Easton's Peace Candle. Here's another one: DeLorezno's Italian Restaurant  -- 1210 Knox Ave. in Forks Township  -- will donate 10 percent of sales between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. this evening to help restore the candle.  3. Speaking of Forks Township, did you know Forks and Palmer have their own Patch? Check it out, and like them on Facebook. 4. Easton's Block Watch holds its quarterly meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. at the River of God Fellowship church at 813 Reynolds…

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National Night Out Returns Next Week

Annual anti-crime program National Night Out comes during a violent summer for Easton.

Each year, the residents of Easton join millions of people around the country to take part in the National Night Out. It's a nearly 30-year-old program that aims to fight crime by having people out and engaged in their neighborhoods, meeting with police and getting to know each other. "If you know who belongs, you're going to know who doesn't belong," said Scott Reiman of Easton's Block Watch. His group is one of the forces behind National Night Out (NNO) in the city. It returns to Easton next week with volunteers throwing block parties around the West Ward, South Side and College Hill Tuesday, Aug. 7. This year's NNO comes following a few months of high profile violent crimes in Easton, including three homicides. But Laura Accetta, who …

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Easton Block Watch Brings Back "Court Watch"

Program has Easton Block Watch members provide support for victims in court.

If you're the victim of a crime, chances are you'll have to testify in court at some point. The first time you'll do so could be in a district court, facing the person you're accusing of hurting you. It could be a scary experience. With that in mind, Easton's Block Watch is hoping to resurrect its "court watch" program, in which watch members sit in on hearings to provide comfort for victims of crimes.  "Sometimes they don't have a lot of support there, or a lot of family to be there with them," said Brian Otto, the Block Watch President. He says the block watch's presence in court also shows accused criminals "hat there are people out there who care and they're watching." For now, the group will be working with only one of Easton's three …

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From the Editor's Desk

5 Things to Know Today, Jan. 16

MLK services in Easton, zoners meet, and more...

Good morning everyone. As I write this, I'm coming to the end of a quiet, chilly weekend in Easton, in which I was on call for all of our Patch sites.  At any rate, here's five things to know today. 1. I'll be covering the Greater Shiloh Church's Martin Luther King Day event later today. Because of the holiday, government offices are closed around Easton. 2. And for that reason, the Easton Zoning Hearing Board, which normally meets on the third Monday of each month, has moved its meeting to Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at city hall 3. Easton's Block Watch holds its reorganization meeting Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the State Theatre's gallery. 4. Have you liked us on Facebook yet? I'd like to get to 500 before February. After that, I promise to…

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Easton Block Watch Will Reorganize Next Week

Block watch will gather at State Theatre, induct new members, hear from Easton police.

Worried about crime in your neighborhood? Joining Easton's Block Watch could be one way to help. The block watch will hold its reorganization meeting next Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the State Theatre's gallery. Members will hear from local law enforcement officials, including District Attorney John Morganelli and Easton police Chief Larry Palmer, who will introduce the watch to community police officers. For more information, e-mail e-mail eastonblockwatch@yahoo.com or call Scott Reiman at 610-438-3683.

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