Tuesday: An Ode to October

It is the season of falling leaves, pumpkins and apples. It is the season of chilly moonlit nights, scary ghost stories and Halloween. It is the season of the witch.

Maybe it is the crisp, cool air or the vibrant color of autumn foliage, but there is something special about the month that begins today. Maybe lots of things. Here are but a few examples:

• The Major League Baseball playoffs begin today. Game 7 of the World Series, if necessary, will be played on Halloween, the last day of the month.

• The NHL season gets under way today; the NBA season at the end of the month.

• Did you know that October is American cheese month, National Sausage Month, and fittingly, National Pizza Month?

• It is also National Arts & Humanities Month, National Stamp Collecting Month and National Squirrel Awareness Month.

Happy October. Here’s what else is happening in Bethlehem today:

• The falling leaves, among other things, signifies that the flu season is right around the corner. Get your flu shots in a clinic being offered by the Bethlehem Health Bureau at the Westgate Mall from 5 to 7 p.m. Shots are for city residents only and cost $10.

• The Freedom Boys Soccer Team will hold a fundraiser for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (This is also National Breast Cancer Awareness Month) at 4 p.m. The fundraiser will take place during the Patriots’ match against Allentown Central Catholic. The Freedom soccer field is located behind the baseball field. There will also be a raffle, snack stand, and cheerleaders at the game.

• Come to the Fiesta at the South Side Branch of the Bethlehem Area Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in a fun, relaxed atmosphere filled with stories, music, and activities. Open to children of all ages.

• City Council holds one of its regular twice-monthly meetings at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Town Hall. Among the agenda items is a planned discussion of a proposed Community Benefit District for South Bethlehem, which council had appeared last month to put on hold until 2014.