Come to Bethlehem

http://bhda.org/sidewalk-sale-tips-tricks/

Christmas in Bethlehem!

Christmas Time in my fair city!



Photo by Discover Lehigh Valley

Come Visit Bethlehem; My Fair City

All things Winter/Christmas/Holidays are off and running here in The Christmas City.
 

No holiday visit to Bethlehem would be complete without visiting Christkindlmarkt .  Now in its 21st season this massive yet cozy craft, art, food and entertainment festival is a must do for any visitor to my fair city. There are over 125 vendors, an amazing Santa Claus and lots of tasty food and free music. The event runs Thursdays-Sundays now through the end of the year. If you have some young ones in your life treat them to breakfast with Santa.


When you've had your fill of Christkindlmarkt wander out to Third Street - hang a right and explore all the unique shops and restaurants in one of Bethlehem's two downtown's.

Then head north, cross the Lehigh River and explore Bethlehem's historic center city downtown where the shops, restaurants and museums on and around Main Street are waiting for you.  This year there will be 35 huts on Main Street and around the historic Sun Inn that will offer interesting crafts, food and art.  The Huts are open Friday-Sunday through the holidays but the shops are open everyday.  Don't forget to head up Broad Street you don't want to miss those places.

The historic residential area just East of of Main Street is an amazing neighborhood to walk around and after the sun goes down it is magical this time of year. If you're too tired to walk around, hitch a ride on of the horse and carriage rides around the hood.


The good folks at Artsquest and The Downtown Bethlehem Association are offering a free shuttle between Christkindlmarkt and Main Street


There is never a bad time to visit Bethlehem you will always find something going on but Winter and the Christmas holidays is a magical time to visit out town.

Let me know when you're coming - I'll let you buy me a drink or something.

http://www.christmascity.org/

http://www.downtownbethlehemassociation.com/

http://www.historicbethlehem.org/

http://www.artsquest.org/

http://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/

Callahan Endorsed by E-T - My Own Endorsement Coming Soon

I am not convinced that newspaper endorsement have an effect on the outcome of an election or that people take it into consideration when voting but getting an editorial board endorsement is better than not getting one.

The newspaper of record for Northampton County The Express - Times / LehighValleyLive has endorsed my friend and excellent Mayor John Callahan for Northampton County Executive.

I will be blogging this week about who I am voting for and why and we all know that my endorsement is the kiss of death so important to the masses that I am sure you will all be waiting on pins and needles for my inspired pronouncements.

Since I have been accused of thinking I am better than most people, I am compelled by my own sense of over blown grandeur & self importance to tell you all how to vote.

Computer Trouble Shooters!

My laptop is a little under the weather.

But, the amazing folks at Computer Trouble Shooters, Bethlehem PA were kind enough to give me a loner as they go about the business of removing the virus.

I have gotten to know owner Scott Gingold through various Chamber, networking and charity events and he is a great guy.  This is the first time I have had to use Scott's services and I am impressed.

He caught a tweet of mine that I was a little depressed not having my lap top and now my car had to get towed to the dealership - within 20 minutes he is dropping of this loner to get me through.

Now that is customer service!

So if you have tech problems big or small contact my friends at http://ctbethlehem.com/.

The Future of Bethlehem Concerns 80 Year old Couple

At this years Bethlehem's Memorial Day parade and remembrance ceremony City Councilman Bob Donchez the winner of the Democratic Primary for Mayor was a no show.  I don't know of any politician who misses a Memorial Day event but Bob Donchez did.

Just this past Monday I attended Bethlehem's Labor Day parade, twice.  It is so small that I was able to walk a few blocks and catch it again. Bethlehem Mayor & County Executive candidate John Callahan was there front and center, most of the City Council members and Democratic candidates for City and County Council were marching along side the party's biggest ally, organized labor.  Even a Superior Court Judge, a Palmer Township supervisor, and someone who ran for City Council in Allentown were there. 

But, I did not see Democratic nominee for Mayor Bob Donchez in the parade.  I sent a text message to someone who was walking with the elected officials to confirm that I did not see Mr. Donchez and it was confirmed; he was not there.  

I do not know why Bob Donchez chose not to attend these two events.  I can't read his mind nor can I look into his heart to figure out why the next Mayor of Bethlehem would choose not to honor this nation's war dead nor why would the Democratic nominee for Mayor of Bethlehem choose not to support the Steelworker's union during their annual parade.

Were the parade routes too long?  Did he have some other pressing family issue to attend to?  Did he forget that these holidays were significant to large sections of the public?  Does he think because he has a clear path to the Office of Mayor he did not have be among the people?  Was he so embarrassed by his primary campaign that he could not face the public without the protection of the rules of decorum of a council meeting?

Or, does he just not care?

I have no idea really.

Is this what we have to look forward to for the next four years?   An absent Mayor.

My 80 year old parents can't believe this vibrant and exciting city is about to turnover it's leadership from John Callahan to Bob Donchez.  Even they are worried about the city not moving forward.

I wish the voters of Bethlehem had somewhere else to turn 

On The Bus Headed to Bethlehem

The New York Times ran a photo essay about the Chinese and Korean folks who ride the bus to Bethlehem's Sands casino .  The casino and the city have had to make major adjustments because the shear volume of day trip visitors from New York's Chinese and Korean communities.

It has been interesting to watch.

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An Independent Files for Mayor of Bethlehem

We now have a race for Bethlehem Mayor this fall, at least on paper.  It is tough to get elected if you are not a Democrat but it is not impossible.  Four years a Republican was elected Controller.

Former Moravian Academy teacher Bruce Sigmon has filed petitions to run as an Independent for Mayor.  Running as an Independent may actually make more sense than running as a Republican in the city of Bethlehem.

Mr. Sigmon seems to be off to a languid start.  He said he will not really begin active campaigning until sometime in August.  I have no idea what his positions are but I am willing to listen, given my disappointment in the Democratic Nominee.

But, first and foremost I care about moving this city forward and I will vote for the candidate who meets or comes close to my expectation of the type of leadership I want for my city.

I am open and ready to listen to both Mr. Sigmon & Mr. Donchez and if both disappoint me I will write in myself.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2013/07/bethlehem_independent_files_fo.html

I Have A Friend

I have a friend but that word does not do him justice but it will do for our purposes.

He is considerably younger than me but he is wise beyond his years.

I provoke him, I challenge him and I make him think about things in a different light and sometimes I'll say something so outrageous that he is not sure how to respond because he does not want to offend the old guy.

He is painfully polite, he is one of the most decent people I will ever know.

He cares deeply about his community and he is loyal, protective and supportive of his friends.

Words I could use to describe him are
Decent
Honest
Funny
Ironic
Sarcastic
Quick
Funny
Compassionate
Loyal

My friend, who is straight attended the Pro Marriage Equality rally in Bethlehem last night because it was important to him to show support for justice, equality and me and my guy.

He is one of the best people I will ever know and I am glad that I do know him.  The weird thing is we first met on Twitter and I thought he was jerk...Until I met him in person.

Eating Bethlehem

Where are you eating next week?

Come to my fair city and check out one or more of our amazing restaurants.  If you need to stay over check out the Hotel Bethlehem or many other nearby places to stay after play

For more information about Restaurant week go here

http://www.downtownbethlehemassociation.com/calendar/winter-restaurant-wee


For more about THE Hotel Bethlehem go here
.http://hotelbethlehem.com/

For more about what is happening in general go here
http://www.downtownbethlehemassociation.com/about-the-dba

John Callahan, Hope, Willie Reynolds and Me.

I waited a week to review this past local primary because I wanted to be sure I calmly thought things through.  Something I did not always do during the heat of the campaign. 

Part 1

This was the most I allowed myself to be engaged in a campaign since State Rep. Bob Freeman's Campaign for the State Senate in 1994.  I dabbled, I commented, I worked the polling places or did some election day GOTV but I had not jumped in feet first since then.

So, why did I do it this year?
John Callahan
Hope.
And, somehow Willie Reynolds took over.

John Callahan:
If John Callahan would stop running for office I would stop wanting to ensure he was elected.  I can't resist wanting to help the single best politician I have met in years and more importantly one who lives up to his potential and tries with everything he has to make the lives of the people who entrusted him with public office better.

Hope
I have discussed this before - Election day gives me hope and even when the results do not go the way I wanted I never give up in my belief in this great republic.

Willie Reynolds
I was willing to sit back - work for the sure bet (John Callahan) and vote for Willie because he was not the establishment, good ole boy network chosen one.  At first I ended spending more time and thought and effort on Willie's campaign because of the disgusting campaign against him but the more I got to know Councilman Reynolds the more I came to believe he had the vision, the vigor, the stomach and the energy to keep my city moving forward.  I still do.

Councilman Reynolds and a couple of other young guys who wanted to make their communities better lost and I have to say that I am bitterly disappointed.  The voters missed an opportunity to elevate the conversation about the issues facing our area.  Alfonso Todd in Allentown and Frank Hesch in Northampton County were the type of candidates who should run for office and the type of young people who we need to serve in public office.

But, I still believe in a place called hope... As far as Bethlehem is concerned  I believe that there is so much momentum that things will keep moving forward and opportunities for growth will keep happening.

To be continued
Part 2; I love politics but campaigns bring out the best and worst in me.

But, Not Bob Donchez

There is a long tradition in American politics that has candidates end their campaigns on a high note they make their final pitch to the voters by talking about their vision for the future.  It's called their closing argument.

These closing arguments are usually the only positive moments of the campaign. Campaign operatives hope the final weekend of positive messaging will erase the stain of months of negative campaigning thus improving their chances on the following Tuesday.

But, not Bethlehem Mayoral Candidate Bob Donchez. He has decided to keep his loathsome campaign going and sinking it even deeper into the muck with yet two more misleading mailers.

Early polling must have shown Mr. Donchez some pretty shocking numbers and he knew the only way he could win was to destroy Willie Reynolds, he must have figured out that he could not win by being the Councilman Bob Donchez we have all come to know over the last 16 years.

What does that tell you about the last 16 years?

Part Two: Gay Jokes are funny!

Some don't get the point of my last post or think that I was in some way offended personally or had my feelings hurt let me clear some things up. (Note: Responses were not made as comments here but to me personally via other forums)

I do not offend easily and my feeling don't get hurt on a regular basis.  I am old enough and overcame my childhood of being bullied to develop a pretty thick skin.

I can find humor in just about anything - read my twitter feed - very little is sacred.

 This isn't about me it is about the impact of mocking Gay people, it is about causing hurt and damage to a portion of our community.

John Kennedy spoke about "A rising tide lifts all boats".  Gay slurs; especially those told by non gay people under the pretext of humor do just the opposite of the rising tide; they diminishes the entire community.

Making a fudge packer joke doesn't make you witty, clever or terribly funny; it makes you a bigot and a bully.

Double standard alert:  I can make a fudge packer joke - I'm allowed to because well I am or have ... err um - well never mind that. I'm gay so I can.  But, I choose not too.

It has been reported that 71.3% of LGBT students hear a gay slur on a regular if not daily basis. Words are important, words have an impact and words can lift us up or words can bring us down.

Calling something GAY that you think is stupid or lame is very hurtful to the esteem of those people still coming to terms with their true self and it empowers those people who seek to hurt and suppress those very same people.

I think I have beaten this should be dead horse enough.

There is another reason I was provoked to come out of my self imposed blog silence.

Jobs!  yes Jobs.

An entrepreneur, a small business person, a person who has offered up his/her energy, ideas and personal fortune to open a business that will create jobs is being mocked and his/her personal commitment to our community and to our economy is being diminished by the mocking and the slurs.

The person opening this establishment is going to hire electricians, carpenters, plumbers, craft people and general laborers before the business opens.  He/she is going to hire servers cooks, bar staff, cleaning crew, marketing people and of course security people.  His/her efforts should be encouraged and embraced and not mocked.  (The comment on the my previous post defending the blog post I referenced conveniently neglects to mention the writers demeaning suggestions for the name of the new establishment.)

The last time I was at the Stonewall (the most prominent of local gay bars) there were at least 2 uniformed police officers stationed outside the club, they were there to protect the patrons from the very same people who think using gay slurs is acceptable or those people who are emboldened by the people think nothing of using gay slurs.  The  salary for these police is paid for by the owners of the bar.  Money that could have been spent on other things inside the business.  Money diverted from improvements or enhancements, but the owners needed to protect the entrance of the building.   As we left and once we crossed the street we were on our own and as we turned the corner to the parking lot we were sounded by young people all calling us names and asking us disgusting questions.  They used many of the same slurs used in the blog post I mentioned last time and by the comments to that blog.

The owner of this new establishment is going to have to cut costs elsewhere in order to afford enhanced live security and a security system that will have to cover a wider range of issues than if he/she was opening a seafood house.

A new business in this economy should be welcomed it should not be mocked and called hateful and hurtful names.  Words matter.

Can Musikfest Win?

What would happen if Musikfest announced a line up like this?

On the Sands Main Stage

Friday – Madonna kicks off her world tour – opening act is Nikki Minaj

Saturday – Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

Sunday – Mumford and Sons

Monday – Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & Patty Labelle

Tuesday – Pink and Kelly Clarkson

Wednesday – Rhianna & Drake

Thursday – Prince with The Roots

Friday – Rolling Stones with Bele Fleck opening

Saturday – Springsteen

Sunday – U2

Vesper Concert Series

Friday – Audra McDonald

Saturday – Josh Groban

Sunday – Yo Yo Ma

Monday – Casey Stratton

Tuesday – Joshua Bell

Wednesday – Kate Bush

Thursday – Jessye Norman & Kathleen Battle

Friday – Sutton & Hunter Foster

Saturday – Bette Midler

Sunday – Renee Fleming

Musikfest could announce a line up like this and people would still complain.

It's My Life - Looking at Lights

I don’t always notice things.

I am not very observant about stuff. People I notice things not so much.

For example:

When we were kids my parents would always take us for rides around the area to look at Christmas lights. We would start with a tour of the Easton area and then head up William Penn Highway to see the lights of Bethlehem with the highlight being the Star of Bethlehem. In those days The Star was only lit during the Christmas season, so it was a little more special. Sometimes we would stop in to tour the Moravian Putz.

These evenings would be very stressful for your humble blogger I would invariably not see what everyone else saw. The entire car load would see Santa on the roof of some house in Bethlehem Twp, I could not locate it. My Mother would notice a house decorated in all blue lights and I would not see it. My sister would notice a lights that would flash in a pattern I would be unable to find them.

These trips would be frustrating and often involved tears, mine. We could be driving right under The Star of Bethlehem and I would not see it until someone else in the car would grab my head and point it in the direction of The Star; even then there was only a 40/60 chance of me actually seeing it.

After years of frustration, humiliation and silent sobbing in the back of the car I came up with a solution. Lie. I would pretend to see what everyone else saw even if I was looking out the back window and they were looking front and to the left. “Did you see that Elf flying across the front of the blue house?” “Yep, it cool mom.” “Look at how tacky those bushes look.” “They look like Helen Keller decorated them?” It went on like that throughout the evening even if I was looking at something completely different from the rest of the family. But it made the trip around the Lehigh Valley looking at the lights just that more pleasant for all the parties involved.

Needless to say I have no desire to drive through the “Lights in the Parkway” in Allentown.

Lunch With Elected Officials

I had lunch with Charlie Dent on Monday.

Well, actually I had lunch a table away from the good Congressman. The reason we were in the same room was the annual Tri-Chamber legislative lunch. Every year members of the three independent Chambers of Commerce gather for lunch and conversation with the area's State Legislatures, County Executive and the Member of Congress.

It’s a mixed crowd of local movers, shakers, small business owners, corporate representatives, lawyers, labor leaders, non-profit organizers and community activists. Each office holder was given about 10-15 minutes to discuss what he/she has been working on. Each speaker was introduced in very glowing terms by a chamber member. I suspect these introductions were written by the biggest ass kissing staff person. I thought I was in the company of the one true savior each time one of these politicians was introduced.

First up was Congressman Charlie Dent. He expressed his disappointment at the failure the Super Committee and hoped that progress could be made and basically blamed all of our fiscal woes on Medicare and the Affordable Health Care Act. He then went off after regulations and their job crushing effects and he all but accused the EPA and the NLRB of having a vendetta against American business interests. These were themes he repeated ad nauseum throughout the question and answer period. He certainly was well prepared, very confident in his rightness and completely on point with the message he wanted to give. He also seemed kind surly, grumpy and lacking humor. When Don Cunningham made a few pithy quips he just stood there and glowered.

To end the afternoon event host Frank De Rosa asked about why things don’t work anymore and if anyone had any ideas as to why our politics is so completely broken. Congressman Dent was about to blame the Democrats, he mentioned that it was tough to get things done when only one side comes to the table with ideas. He then paused as he if he realized that there may be some Democrats in the room; in fact there were the President of the local Labor Council was sitting front and center. He returned to his main talking points of anti-regulation, anti-health care reform and curtailing entitlement programs. He never addressed Mr. De Rosa question.

As they opened the floor to questions a young aide to Congressman Dent who I have gotten to know recently and is none too pleased with some of my comments about her boss looked at me with horror about what I would ask her boss. I assured the eager aide that I am always proper and polite at these types of events. I may not like Congressman Dent’s votes but I have too much respect for his office, the unbelievable pressures he must find himself under and how hard I know he does work.

Sen. Boscola was represented by her very capable District Chief Kurt Derr. Kurt apologized for Lisa not being there and discussed some of the things she and the Senate were focused on. He did a fine job and it is never easy to represent someone else in these types of forums. The attendees wanted to hear from the Senator herself.

Rep. Joe Brennan spoke about regionalism and the expected changes that will come with redistricting. He had a previous engagement so he left early but assured attendees the Rep. Julie Harhart would do a fine job in answering any questions.

The best of the afternoon was Rep. Marcia Hahn. She was organized, focused and informative about the issues she is working on. She mentioned one by one each of the committees she was on and what the most important issue that each committee was dealing with. She discussed all sides of the issues. She was very informative, detailed and we had a better understanding of what Rep. Hahn is spending her time on.

Unfortunately for Rep. Harhart she had to follow Ms. Hahn. She rambled through some of the things going on in Harrisburg it appeared she was not really prepared for her remarks and just leaped from topic to topic.

The one thing that did impress me was that all the State folks mentioned the importance of the Lehigh Valley delegation putting politics aside and working together to represent the needs of the valley and bring home the bacon for the area.

Next up was Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham. He explained the role of counties in our lives and he also brought a more global view based on his variety of governmental experiences. He understands all the various levels of government and how they are all interrelated. He was a Mayor, Cabinet Officer and now County Executive. He was also very funny, self effacing and brutally honest. At one point after hearing all the Republicans talk about not raising taxes he called them on their dishonesty by pointing out that we can’t have police, fireman, bridges, prisons, street light etc without taxes; everyone wants these things and much more but no one seems willing to pay for them. Congressman Dent was clearly put out by Mr. Cunningham’s comments; he crossed his arms and gave his best Mr. Burns on the Simpson’s look.

The final speaker was Northampton County Executive John Stoffa who was his usual low key self. He discussed the Gracedale issues, accepted the will of the people and hinted that he was not sad Ron Angle was leaving County Council. He did say how much respect he has for Mr. Angle’s commitment to the county and how hard he worked as a Councilman. His report mirrored Cunningham’s about the role of counties. He also mentioned that the county has gained 40,000 new residents in the last 10 years which is a huge amount of growth for a largely rural county.

Both Executives discussed the need for regionalism and predicted that in the not too distant future the roles of the small town / township governments would begin to fade; they won’t be able to support the services required. The Executive’s predicted county police, fire and EMT departments.

It was a good afternoon I learned some things and even though I find my views drifting further and further away from Charlie Dent’s I was very impressed with his knowledge, ability to communicate his views and his confidence.

Why Occupy?

When Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has had enough of the Occupy Movement clearly this little adventure has run its course. Philadelphia’s very fine Mayor embraced this movement from the very beginning and did everything he could to accommodate the protesters. But, enough is enough.

When the Occupy movement first began I was inspired and excited by it. Finally the left was slapping back it had learned a lesson from the Tea Bagger movement. (Note: I will continue to use Tea Bagger instead of Tea Party as long as these people continue to question the citizenship of the President and continue to use subtle and sometimes not too subtle racist references about the first family. They stop and I will stop.) There was a disorganized charm to the early days of the Occupy Movement that has been typical of left leaning protests; the white guys shirtless with 6 packs and dreadlocks, the endless drumming, the women in long skirts and peasant blouses, the older Episcopalians, the African American kids with really great natural hair.

When they first hit the streets in New York I wanted to drive in with cases of water and granola bars to show my support. CBS Sunday Morning did a piece on it that was so inspiring that I was convinced these folks were going to change the world. One of the young people interviewed by CBS was my guy’s nephew; he was acting as the logistics coordinator for the movement; if Craig was involved it had to be good.

I had begun to turn against the Occupy Movement when it began to spread across the country; the argument was against Wall Street not Oakland, Atlanta, Philadelphia or Bethlehem. Why were these folks protesting Wall Street when they should have been protesting the United States Congress? It is Congress that allowed Wall Street to run amok.

Then they started moving in; building little villages. The villages needed police protection and the villages needed cleaning. The villages were costing the cities money. The cities took the largest hit during the Bush inspired depression and are fighting their way out of it and yet here they were bearing the brunt of the cost of the protests against the Bush inspired policies. The money the cities were spending to protect and clean up after the Occupiers was money that should have been spent on cleaning streets, protecting neighborhoods and G-D help the Mayor if he/she has to tell the citizens that the local pool can’t open next summer because money had to be spent to flush away the filth left behind by the Occupiers.

After enjoying the tree lighting ceremony (protest signs and all) we walked downtown and I pointed out the Occupy Bethlehem Tents to my guy and he said “so they are squatters?” He’s right; they are encamped on city land without proper permitting, without proper sanitation and they expect my tax dollars to protect them. How does living in a tent and letting the citizens of Bethlehem pay for your protection and cleaning up after you send a message to Wall Street or to Congress? Walking past these tents encamped in our beautiful Japanese peace garden I looked at my guy and said “What are they doing here?” Maybe I’m just a bitter old cynic but I have yet to understand how pitching a tent in a public space will bring about the economic changes we need.

I Will See You On Monday!

Live United: Greater Lehigh Valley United Way

United Way of the Greater L

Allentown Explosion Family Fund Benefit

Monday, April 11

7-9PM

Starfish Brasserie

51 West Broad St, Bethlehem, 18018

Professional musicians, singers and dancers from throughout the Lehigh Valley will entertain.

Guest Bartenders: Donald Flad Jr & a couple of other guys

$15 Donation includes tasty hors D’ oeuvres

A Tricky Tray will be held

Bins to collect non-perishable food items for Second Harvest

Easton

I am not sure the exact year or the exact bar but sometime in the mid 80’s I was having a few beers at a bar on the South Side of Bethlehem with a neighbor and there were a few hearty Lehigh Students braving an evening in this bar dominated by townies. Being the sociable type I engaged the students in some conversation and banter. One of the students asked where I grew up and I said Easton. “Whoa, that’s a pretty rough place, how tough was it growing up there?” I asked the guy where he grew up and he responded “The Bronx”.

This child grew up in The Bronx, New York City and he was impressed and intimidated by my youth spent in Easton, Pa. What a strange world and what a horrid reputation the City that made me the man I am today had. Such a shame.

I have lived in Bethlehem for the last 28 years and I could not be more proud of my fair city. Bethlehem is a city that keeps moving forward while still respecting all the history brought us to this point. But, a large chunk of my heart will always belong to Easton and one of the joys of my life is watching the re-birth of this really great little city. I may have moved out of Easton but Easton will never leave me. I still get my shirts custom made to account for the Easton chip on my shoulder.

The leaders of Easton have tried everything and followed every urban trend. They destroyed entire neighborhoods in the name of urban renewal. A concept I never quite understood. You have to tear down a community in order to renew it. It makes no sense and thankfully it is now a discredited policy.

They built projects to provide low income housing. It turned out they became dumping grounds for the disenfranchised. Putting all the poverty into one section of town does not really build a community it just separates us.

They sold homes in depressed areas for $1 but forgot to require the new owners live in the homes. Absentee landlords are not as engaged in the well being of a community as are resident home owners. Easton now uses an imaginative program where the city takes over blighted homes and refurbishes them. The city will then sell the homes for the cost of the rehabilitation, the new owners are not only required to live in the home they are required to keep it a single home.

Little Easton, is only 4.5 square miles in size but it is Dallas size in chutzpah and the will to succeed; it never gives up.

When US News & World Report called it a “Seedy Little Industrial Town” it embraced its blue collar down home World Champion Larry Holmes. When its beautiful downtown was full of empty store fronts it embraced the Main Street program, which has been recognized as the finest Main Street program in the Commonwealth. When its population was declining it embraced its diversity, it welcomed the New Yorkers, the gays and the artists.

Easton is on the verge of becoming a college town, Lafayette College is an active stakeholder in the future of Easton. While Lehigh University takes baby steps into the community but seems hesitant about it, Muhlenberg continues to shutter itself away and Moravian stays in the warm embrace of history. The City of Easton called on the Lafayette to become the Leopards of Easton not just the Lafayette Leopards in Easton and in the process the college on the hill has become the hometown school. My Dad and I attend most home football and basketball games and there are often more townies in attendance than students or staff. When I was a teenager and perfecting the fine art of sneaking into Lafayette games this was not the case.

It appears that every few years there is a 100 year flood. So what does Easton do? Host flood watching parties during the flood and then digs in and cleans up.

My old friend Sal Panto is clearly the right Mayor for these times; he is serious and focused on setting Easton up for its future. He is also one hell of cheerleader. You should see him at the basketball games; you would never know he is a Lehigh Alumnus. Easton also has a significant booster in its State Rep. Bob Freeman or as Mayor Panto “Easton’s ATM Machine”. Bob’s seniority and influence is a significant asset in ensuring the city receives it fair share of program funding.

Easton has always been the little city that could and today, Easton is the little city that can.

Help Your Small Business / Look After Your Health

Two Events to Consider Attending

What:

The Small Business Administration Town Hall Event;

Why:

Regulation & Compliance: What is impacting your business?

Are regulations negatively affecting your business?

Are they keeping you from growing and expanding?

If so please come to this FREE event!

Learn about the SBA's Office of Advocacy and talk about what's affecting your business.

When:

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

9:00 AM

Where:

Hampton Inn Easton - Route 248 just East of Route 33

Go here for details: http://bit.ly/e4O4Ns

This event is free and open to everyone not just Chamber Members.

Event Sponsors:

Whitehall Chamber of Commerce, Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce, Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce, Hampton Inn & Sam's Club.

What:

Health & Wellness Expo

Why:

Learn about health & well being services offered by local businesses

Some of the free services offered:

Blood pressure, Glucose & Cholesterol Screenings

Oral Cancer Screenings

Body Fat Analysis

Aroma readings

Spinal Screenings

Hand Salt Scrub

Chair Massage

& many more

When:

March 29, 2011- 3:00 - 7:00 PM

Where:

Nazareth Moravian Church - 4 South Main Street, Nazareth, PA

Go here for details; http://bit.ly/gNCNTh or call 610-365-8996

Event Sponsor: The Nazareth Area Chamber Natural Health & Wellness Committee