January 2, 2019

COVER STORY

Camel celebrity visits city

The Bethlehem Police Mounted Patrol hosted a special guest appearance by the celebrity ‘snow camel’ Einstein Dec. 22, and an estimated 500 to 1,000 people attended to get a photo with the famed dromedary camel and visit the Quadrant Private Wealth stables that  mounted patrol horses Grey, Asa, Pharaoh and George call home.

As the song “Einstein the Snow Camel” played in the background throughout the afternoon, a continuous line of Einstein’s fans waited patiently to have photos snapped with the camel, who sprang to fame after being spotted along Pa Route 309 during a sudden November snowstorm, when his owners, Peaceable Kingdom Petting Zoo, took him out of his travel trailer for safety as they tried to navigate a hill in frozen traffic. Photo: Bethlehem’s Deputy Police Chief Scott Meixell and Friends of of the Bethlehem Mounted Police board president Diane Mack read several proclamations and citations for Einstein, who listens along with his owner, Charis Matey.

By Dana Grubb

 

YEAR IN REVIEW

Another year has passed, and The Bethlehem Press has been happy to share in our community’s trials and triumphs. Each week we bring you stories about our local government, places and events of interest, and people you probably know as friends and neighbors. Here are highlights of items we brought you in 2018. Photo: “We shouldn’t have to be doing this.” Liberty HS students paricipate in the nationwide March 14 walk-out protesting the lack of gun control measures taken after the Parkland, Fla., school shootings.

By Nate Jasztremski

 

PCFLV 2018 GALA

Hearts of Gold shine

Foundation of the Lehigh Valley (PCFLV) raised around $150,000 at the nonprofit’s Hearts of Gold Gala Nov. 10. Guests decked out in tuxedos and evening gowns enjoyed cocktails, dinner, dancing, and a live auction of children’s artwork conducted by auctioneer Jason Douglas Houser. The stylish fundraiser was held at the Centennial Catering and Conference Center in Center Valley. Photo: Mackenzie, Madison and Caitlin Cleffi; Alexa and Jillian Sayre; Lexie and Annie Cable; and Cooper Bennett gather to greet guests at the Hearts of Gold Gala.

By Ed Courrier

 

COMMUNITY

Christmas house tour an delight

This holiday season the Bethlehem Garden Club and it’s 25 dedicated members organized a cheerful Christmas House Tour throughout the City of Bethlehem. Six gorgeous homes were showcased during the December event. The tour started at the Kemerer Museum, where tickets could be purchased and guests got their first taste of Christmas. Eleven trees, each inspired by a different piece of art at the museum, were all decorated by the Bethlehem Garden Club. Trees featured themes such as Bethlehem Steel, circus, abstract art, Bethlehem Star, and paperweights. Photo: Homeowner Johanna Ruest has shown off her classy decorations on three different Christmas House Tours the past few years while living in Bethlehem.

By Alli Proczak

 

SPORTS

Liberty crowns 3 champions

An announcer had to call for Matt Maloney to make his way to the podium on Saturday evening. The Liberty senior didn’t suddenly forget he won his 120-pound weight class in the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic. He was just gathering some apparel to show off on the medal stand. Maloney was one of four Hurricanes to win individual titles as Liberty repeated as team champions of its annual holiday wrestling tournament. Liberty finished with 225 team points, followed by Northampton (211) and Nazareth (170.5), to round out the top three.

By Todd Kress

 

FOCUS-COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL

The right place

It’s the perfect location. Raub Middle School and Allen High School are within walking distance. Nearby is Allentown Public Library and the city’s West Park. It’s right across the street from the Scottish Rite Cathedral. And it’s hard to beat two acres of free parking. The new home of Community Music School of the Lehigh Valley (CMS) in a renovated historic mansion at 1544 Hamilton St. is everything CMS officials could have dreamed of.

By Kathy Lauer-Williams

 

OTHER STORIES

Bethlehem: Contentious zoning amendment okay’d

Bethlehem: HARB approves signage

Bethlehem Township: Treasurer advocates investiment strategy change

Opinion: Let’s give the cold shoulder to song’s critics

South Bethlehem: Christkindlemarkt sets records

School: ‘Keep yourself in their thoughts’

School: Beatitudes Christmas program theme

High school news reports – Liberty and Freedom

 

WEEKLY FEATURES

Around town community calendar

Area obituaries

Center for Animal Health and Welfare

Volunteers

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December 26, 2018

COVER STORY

Revised Banana Factory plans

ArtsQuest returned to the Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission Dec. 17 with reworked plans for their major transformation of the Banana Factory complex.  Incorporating input from board advice and public comments gathered at the September hearing, ArtsQuest CEO Kassie Hilgert and MKSD architect Todd Chambers presented a revised plan that preserves a historic building previously slated for demolition. Although the proposal was tabled, they were told that the $16-18 million project was heading in the right direction. Photo: Banana Factory Exterior perspective of the proposed ArtsQuest South Bethlehem Cultural Arts Center for 25 W. Third St. by MKSD Architects.

By Ed Courrier

 

COMMUNITY

People living on the edge

If you think it is cold outside this month, imagine how much colder you would be if you were homeless and living on the streets.   Thankfully, for the homeless in the Lehigh Valley there is a temporary shelter in Bethlehem that offers an escape from the cold, nutritious meals and a needed helping hand. Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering (BES) created the current winter shelter in 2017 by  consolidating a number of facilities operated at up to 14 different churches in the area.   In search of a single home, the BES Board of directors approached the Christ Church UCC on Market Street, and according to transitional executive director and shelter manager Bob Rapp Jr., the congregation voted unanimously to welcome the shelter. Photo: Volunteers bring in food and cook all breakfast and dinner meals in the shelter’s kitchen.  Most volunteers are from local churches.    Millie Fortin, Ruth Koenig and Courtney Deppen are from the First Baptist Church on Linden Street.

By Carole Gorney

 

PEOPLE

Remembering Mark Reccek

When Mark Reccek was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, he began his treatment in the oncology department at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, Bethlehem. The Marine was a fighter and wrote regularly for The Press newspapers. While he was undergoing treatment, he was being cared for by his sister, Donna Kukor, of Bath. During his stints in the hospital, Reccek continued to write columns on the experiences he had during his treatment. Reccek was impressed by the work of a therapy dog named Sirius, who was trained by Charlene Piskula, of Coplay. Sirius was adopted by Lehigh Valley Hospital for many of its patients and proved to be valuable “medicine” in the fight against this ravaging disease.

By Paul Cmil

 

LEHIGH

ROTC/Challenger  team finishes 2^nd

Students at Lehigh University have the opportunity to take part in Military Science classes (Army ROTC) as an elective, in addition to their general undergraduate coursework. ROTC cadets learn leadership qualities and team building through intensive physical training, which often takes place at 5 a.m. before other classes begin. Army personnel teach cadets self-discipline, critical thinking skills, as well as many other qualities that will help shape the students into well-rounded and courageous individuals. Photo: Lehigh ROTC members await instructions for their helicopter training lab Nov. 2 at the university’s Mountaintop Campus. The cadets often participate in intense training sessions and simulations.

By Leslie Regan

 

SPORTS

Holiday tournament time

With the holiday season in full swing this week, all three Bethlehem schools will take part in finding some joy on the hardwood with tournaments taking place this week. Freedom will keep things going at home on Dec. 27 and 28 with their second annual Christmas Shootout, featuring cross town rival Liberty, W.T. Woodson, and Dallas High School. The Patriots and Hurricanes square off on opening night and Freedom head coach Joe Stellato hopes it can be a successful showing for the tournament.

By Peter Car

 

FOCUS

13^th annual ABEs salute LV stage

The big news for the Lehigh Valley theater community in 2018, was, of course, Civic Theatre of Allentown’s successful $5.5-million “The Next Act” capital capaign to renovate and reopen its historic Nineteenth Street Theatre, namesake of Allentown’s West End Theatre District. The other 2018 story of note in ABEs-land, as in the 13th annual Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (ABEs) Lehigh Valley Press Focus awards for locally-produced theater, was the success of Northampton Community College’s Summer Theatre season, which consistently drew crowds to its shows on the Bethlehem Township main campus. NCC, which combines professional and local talent in its productions, produced five shows in two months, including three musicals.

By Paul Willistein

 

OTHER STORIES

Bethlehem: Rotary’s Taste & Tunes donates to BASD

Bethlehem: Coal for Christmas is a giftt after all

Entertainment: Holiday on the Southside

Hellertown: Borough taxes will rise next year

Lehigh County: Board approves appointment

Local: Bethlehem Twp. increases taxes; Hanover Twp. holds the line

Northampton County: Council okays 6 union contracts

Northampton DA: Former Lehigh stuident charged with pisoning

Northampton CC: Chorus presents ‘Candlelight Carol’

Opinion: Making state legislature smaller no easy task

Saucon Valley: District hires news assistant supt.

South Bethlehem: Ben Franklin invests $220,000 regionally

South Bethlehem: Sands employees support Sassy Massey

 

WEEKLY FEATURES

Around town community calendar

Police logs

Area obituaries

Center for Animal Health and Welfare

Volunteers

 

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December 19, 2018

COVER STORY

Holiday in the Park

While the weather was cold, the approximately 35 attendees brought a good deal of holiday warmth to the annual Southside tree lighting Dec. 7 at Tranquility Park. Among them were gentlemen dressed as the Three Kings. Anna Smith, director of the Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem, welcomed attendees, first in English and then in Spanish. CADC sponsored the event. Photo: Where Santa is, there are also kids. In this case the kids are from the Lynfield Community Center’s after-school program. Judging by the looks on their faces, some may be naughty, not nice. Santa will have to decide. He may consult with Anna Smith (rear) of the Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem.

By Dorothy and Dennis Glew

 

FOUNTAIN HILL

Lighting up the borough tree

The annual Christmas tree lighting at the Tinsley-Jeter Triangle in Fountain Hill took place Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. The Broughal MS band was there to perform some holiday music. Girl Scout troop 82048 was also there to help celebrate. The American Legion  Post 406 members gave out candy and oranges to all the children. The weather held off and there was a great turnout to see the lighting of the tree. All the ornaments on the tree were made by the students of Fountain Hill ES. Photo: Mr.and Mrs. Santa Claus get a brief break from public attention during the Fountain Hill tree lighting ceremony.

By Tracy Rice

 

COMMUNITY

‘I’ve seen a lot of close calls’

For many commuters, South Mountain consists of little more than steep and winding Wyandotte Street. But around it are the various blurs that make up its cliffside neighborhoods, rarely acknowledged by harried drivers, but deeply affected by traffic’s influence. On one small street in particular, residents are worried that an accident is inevitable; one involving a car and a child. Photo: Standing watch outside his home on Sassafrass Street every evening from 4-6 p.m., Jan David Sabin warns drivers to slow down.

By Nate jastrzemski

 

PEOPLE

Lemonade stand benefits K-9 unit

Nine-year-old Brooklyn Pronovich paid a visit to Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez’s office recently to drop off a check. Her ‘Brooklyn’s Lemonade Stand’ earned $1,205 in August, the proceeds dedicated to the city’s four dog K-9 Police Unit. Accompanied by dad Jeff, mom Kassie and younger sister Raelynn, Brooklyn, a fourth grade elementary student shyly chatted with Donchez before turning over the check. She told Donchez, a retired teacher, that she liked her school. Photo: Police Chief Mark DiLuzio and Mayor Bob Donchez admire a check for $1,205 that nine year old Brooklyn Pronovich delivered to the City of Bethlehem’s Police K-9 Unit Oct. 29. The Farmersville ES fourth grader attended with her mother Kassie, father Jeff and younger sister Raelynn.

By Dana Grubb

 

SPORTS

Reilly new Beachi soccer coach

Bethlehem Catholic hopes Mike Reilly can give their boys’ soccer program a needed kick-start, just like he did during his two-year tenure at Notre Dame.Reilly was officially hired to take over the program last week, coming from across town with the Crusaders, where he helped the program win back-to-back District 11 2A titles for the first time in school history.

By Peter Car

 

FOCUS

About the Belsnickel

The Belsnickel used to visit the homes of Pennsylvania Dutch children many years ago.In those days, the children were often told during the year, “Du besser bischt gudt der Belsnickel kumpt.” (Loosely — you’d better be good, the Belsnickel will come.) The last sighting of Belsnickel around here reported to us was by Ruth Rinker of Sciota. She grew up in the West End of Monroe County. Ruth tells us that Belsnickel visited her home only once, in 1926. She was around 6 years old then.

 

OTHER STORIES

Bethlehem: Friends since days at Moravian Prep

Bethlehem: Library’s year-end sale set record

Bethlehem: Pathways to Santa

Bethlehem ASD: Faccinetto retains presidency

Bethlehem ASD: Sodexo vows to continue Backack Pal program

Bethlehem Catholic HS: Scholastic achievers honored

Bethlehem HCC: Grace Mansion renovations approved

HanoverTopwnship: Peddling ordinance update

Hellertown: Hughes is new council member

Lehigh County: Russell named new prison warden

LV Charter Arts HS: Faculty celebrate Blue Ribbon

Moravian Academy: Student to climb mountain for smiles

South Bethlehem: Samuelson speaks to task force

High school news report: Bethleham AVTS

Student profiles: OILivia Chhugani, Freedom HS

Police logs: Phone scam; Pedestrian struck

 

WEEKLY FEATURES

Around town community calendar

Area obituaries

Center for Animal Health and Welfare

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December 12, 2018

C

OVER STORY

Putting the meaning back into Christmas season

The arrival of Bethlehem’s festive holiday season was officially heralded at the 53rd annual Advent Breakfast, sponsored by the Citizens Christmas City Committee (CCCC) and its Community Advent Breakfast subcommittee. More than 200 people attended the non-denominational event at Moravian Village. Besides the meal, there was seasonal music played by the Bethlehem Area Moravian Trombone Choir, along with caroling by Moravian College’s Sigma Alpha Lambda Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.  Photo: Laviece Tribble, Lorraine Kelper and Dorise Gross participate in the individual candle-lighting ceremony during the singing of “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Candles are a Moravian tradition, and single candles are displayed in the windows of many local homes at Christmastime.

By Carole Gorney

 

PEOPLE

Betty Bartron: 99 and still dancing

She was about to turn 99, and Jeff Bartron felt that it was time for a surprise celebration of the remarkable life of his grandmother, Betty Bartron. Betty is an enthusiastic gardener with a huge plot that she tends herself. She is an active member of the Bethlehem Garden Club.

She is also an accomplished knitter.  Photo: Not to be left out of the dancing, Betty gets out on the floor with a number of gentlemen, starting with her grandson, Mike Bartron, who helped organized the party.

By Dorothy and Dennis Glew

 

ENTERTAINMENT

Railroad museum still growing

For generations in many families, model railroading brought untold enjoyment during the Christmas season. Setting up a train platform under the Christmas tree with Lionel or HO scale trains, villages of homes and businesses, tunnels and bridges, lichen greenery and to-scale cars and trucks still brings families together. For those model railroading enthusiasts who can’t find the time or just aren’t inclined to build a model train layout, the Lehigh and Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum at 705 Linden St. in Bethlehem offers a wonderful alternative. Photo: Nearly 2,000 engines and rolling stock are running and displayed throughout the layout.

By Dana Grubb

 

HANUKKAH

Fesitval of Lights begins in Bethlehem

Local Jewish leaders and congregants gathered Dec. 4 in Bethlehem for the 10th annual Hanukkah Menorah lighting ceremony. Rabbi Yaakov Halperin and Rabbi Michael Singer joined Bethlehem Business Manager Eric Evans on the third day of Hanukkah for a lighting of the huge Menorah that has been temporarily erected on Payrow Plaza. Evans represented Mayor Robert Donchez. Photo: The group of Jewish and government leaders are elevated to reach the lights at the top of the menorah in a Bethlehem Fire Department truck, with an extending platform operated by Firefighter Josh Freedman.

By Douglas Graves

 

COMMUNITY

Congregations host Winterfest

While the rain poured down outside, the atmosphere inside was festive, as several hundred people gathered at Bethlehem’s Light of Christ Lutheran Church to celebrate the first Winterfest. Presented by the United Proclamation of the Gospel congregations of Light of Christ and St. Peter’s Lutheran, both of Bethlehem, to celebrate the beginning of Advent, the Dec. 1 festival featured carnival-style games, a living Nativity, free food, musical performances, carols and a reading of the Nativity story. Photo: Members young and old of both Light of Christ and St. Peter’s comprise three casts for the living Nativity.

 

DOWNTOWN BETHLEHEM

Behind the scenes at Christmas Village

The Christmas City Village Weihnachtsmarkt, located in the heart of downtown Bethlehem, is a hidden gem amid the rest of the excitement from the Main Street shops. When you walk past the Tavern at the Sun Inn you enter a little village of local vendors selling a variety of products that are festive for the holiday season. The village has a serene atmosphere, with plenty of space to walk around, engage with other shoppers and vendors, and shop at a slower pace. From assorted mustards, to honey, soaps, candles, lip balms, Christmas tree trinkets, and more there are intricate gift ideas for loved ones, coworkers and friends. Photo: Herb and Beverly Cruikshank, local merchants, say, “We’re from Mountaintop. We like to come down here to shop because it has different and unique stores and it’s so festive. It is the Christmas City, with one of a kind items that are local.”

By Chloe Goldstein

 

SPORTS

Winter previews: Boys basketball

By Peter Car

 

FOCUS

50 years of ‘Nutcracker’

Celebrating the 50th annual production of “The Nutcracker,” the longest-running “Nutcracker” in the Lehigh Valley, the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania Youth Ballet brings this glorious holiday ballet to Zoellner Arts Center, Bethlehem, 1 and 4 p.m. Dec 15 and and 2 p.m. Dec. 16. A 50th “Nutcracker Celebration” takes place after the Dec. 16 performance at Hotel Bethlehem. The honorary chair for the celebration is Dr. Joseph Roy, superintendent of Bethlehem Area School District.

By Camille Capriglione

 

OTHER STORIES

Bethlehem: 4-3 vote seen as failure to protect city’s integrity

Bethlehem: 100 years young at Luther Manor

Bethlehem: HARB approves window sign

Bethlehem: Library ornament aids debt reduction

Bethlehem Township: Residents face possible 9% tax hike

Bethlehem Township: KLristine Blake fills Tom Nolan’s seat

Northampton County: McClure budget has no tax increase

Lehigh County: Board approves tax rateincrease

Student profiles – Bianca Baab, LV Academy

High school news reports – Saucon Valley HS

 

WEEKLY FEATURES

Around town community calendar

Police logs

Area obituaries

Center for Animal Health and Welfare

Volunteers

 

MEET THE PRESS

The Bethlehem Press online

Where to buy the Bethlehem Press

To subscribe: New start

Send news to the Bethlehem Press

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