Whether you want to reach out and touch someone (via telephone) or drop an old friend a line, there are a few changes which take effect this week.

Effective Jan. 7, the new area code for much of Eastern Pennsylvania will govern telephone calls.

The 610 code actually took effect early this year, but residents in the new code had the option of using 610 or the old 215 area code.

Beginning next Saturday, only the 610 code can be used by customers in lower Carbon County (Lehighton, Bowmanstown, Palmerton), all of Lehigh and Northampton counties and parts of Monroe and Montgomery counties.