August 9, 2017
‘A celebration ... of everything we are’
The opening ceremony for
the 34th year of Musikfest was kicked off with a simple question by ArtsQuest
President and CEO Kassie Hilgert Aug. 4 at Wells Fargo Festplatz: “Who wants to
get a festival started?” But before the 10-day festival could officially begin,
Hilgert thanked everyone who continues to make Musikfest possible each year,
including this year’s 1,800 volunteers, more than 150 corporate partners and
“every department at city hall.” Photo: The new Martin Guitar Co. stage
hosts folk singer Carly Moffa from Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 5 for her first
Musikfest performance. The 16th and newest stage at the Yuengling Festplatz
tent attracted a standing-room-only crowd. The free performance was the right
ticket for Musikfest visitors. Festival artists will perform more than 40
acoustic sets and open mic sessions will be available for concert attendees.
By Katya Hrichak and Tim Gilman
Summer camp takes a turn
It’s a plot line right out of a summertime horror film:
Kids playing in a park happily until the monster arrives. In this case, the
children were part of a summer camp experience hosted by the Bethlehem NAACP.
It was the organization‘s first time offering the camp for young people ages 5
– 18 at Saucon Park on Williams Street in Bethlehem. The monster itself didn’t
show up at the camp, but it left its droppings: the head of a dark-skinned baby
doll ripped from its body and impaled on a stick. Photo: Grace Spruiell leads
campers in a sing-a-long during an otherwise enjoyable camp experience for
local children.
By Nate Jastrzemski
‘Wanting to see neighborhood succeed’
The Bethlehem Area Public Library Southside
Branch partnered with New Bethany Ministries to offer a program titled “Fight
Hunger and Homelessness” at the library July 27. The program, part of the adult
summer series “Build a Better World,” focused explicitly on the impact hunger
and homelessness have on Bethlehem and the greater Lehigh Valley.
Kate Cohen, director of development and communications at New Bethany
Ministries, began the presentation by introducing both the organization and the
prominence of the selected issues within the community. She quizzed the
audience on what they knew of current statistics related to food deserts, food
insecurity, homelessness and the affordability of housing.
By Katya Hrichak
‘Give thanks for our time together’
Their senior year at the Liberty HS and Bethlehem Vo-Tech
schools was marked with noteworthy 20th century events. President Franklin
Roosevelt would die suddenly in April 1945, the furious final months of World
War II in Europe would conclude in May, and the final push to defeat Japan in
the Pacific was gaining momentum. Just a couple of months after they graduated,
the first atomic bombs were used in warfare. Their entire generation had grown
up through the Great Depression. In June, 40 surviving members of the class of
1945 and their guests gathered at the Palace Restaurant for a buffet luncheon to
mark 72 years since they graduated, noting there probably might not be
additional opportunities for reunions, as those who organized and attended are
mostly nonagenarians. Photo: Reunion committee chairperson Joseph Kricks
addresses his classmates and their guests at the reunion held at the Palace
Restaurant. Kricks, who attended with his wife, Kathryn, was class president.
His family owned the well-known Bethlehem business, Kricks’ Bakery.
By Dana Grubb
Dealing with cultural trauma
Racism,
and dealing with the trauma that it causes, was one of more than a dozen
related subjects discussed at the International Institute of Restorative
Practices’ 2017 Summer Symposium at the Hotel Bethlehem in July. A total of 78
people from around the world attended the three-day event titled, “A
Restorative Journey: Transforming Relational Harm.”
Photo: Presenter Kevin Jones works with traumatized
students in transition schools, as well as being a student and family services
school administrator. After providing restorative practices training to his
school, he says the climate there has improved tremendously, including dramatic
changes in student behavior and improved attendance.
By Carole Gorney
Football teams get on the field
Monday may have been a dreary day across the
region, but for football fans, it was a joyous occasion as the official first
day of camp opened for high school teams across the state. With the heat
acclimatization period kicking off, Monday’s weather provided reprieve from any
hot temperatures, as the overcast sky provided a cool and damp opening day,
setting the stage for a moderately warm week for players and coaches to get
their bearings on the new season.
By Peter Car
Eyes wide shut
Despite
what many are claiming, this year marks Jethro Tull’s 49th anniversary, not its
50th anniversary. “I come across that all the time. People just seem to want to
jump the gun,” says Ian Anderson, lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist,
and founding member of Jethro Tull. “But honestly, even if it was, this has
been just another tour. It’s been just another tour since the beginning. I’m
not an anniversary guy. It’s just not on my mind. I don’t think that way.”
Jethro Tull by Ian Anderson is touring the United States in 2017, playing some
of its biggest hits, including “Locomotive Breath,” “Living In The Past,”
“Bungle In The Jungle” and “Aqualung,” with a Musikfest concert at 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 13, Sands Steel Stage at PNC Plaza, SteelStacks, Bethlehem.
By Luke Muench
OTHER STORIES
Bethlehem: Council meeting done in minutes
Bethlehem: HCC tables ‘pencil-like structure’
Bethlehem: Wesley Church-‘We’ve Got Your Back Covered’
Northampton County: Bethlehem wants tax breaks for northern
neighborhood
WEEKLY FEATURES
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Center for Animal Health and Welfare
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