Stories From My Heart Tailor-Made, Page 4
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FEBRUARY 7-13, 2019
Bath Council votes to Keep polling place at St. John’s
By KERI LINDENMUTH During their monthly meeting on Monday, February 4, the Borough of Bath Council voted to keep the borough’s polling place at St. John’s Lutheran Church. The vote came after resident complaints following last year’s election. Mayor Fiorella Mirabito told council she received at least ten complaints on Election Day about accessibility to the polling place. While she acknowledges that the church is handicapped accessible and a “great space,” she reached out to Northampton County to see whether the new borough building could serve as an alternative polling place. The county inspected the borough building and gave it a passing grade; however, council gets the final say. Immediately, parking became council’s major concern. Councilwoman Michele Ehrgott said that the church has more parking, while Councilman Barry Fenstermaker voiced concerns about emergency vehicles trying to navigate through the polling traffic. Councilwoman Carol Bear-Heckman said it would be difficult for traffic to get back onto 512 without a signal. It was these concerns that prompted council to vote 5-2 in favor of keeping the polling place at St. John’s. Only Councilwoman Phyllis Andrews and Councilman Frank Hesch opposed. In other news, the borough also voted to return liquidated damage fines to JP Mascaro. Previously, the borough sought damages for four repeated incidents of missed pickups at the same
borough property. Under the borough’s contract with the trash hauler, they can seek up to $100 in liquidated damages per each occurrence. The total comes out of the borough’s bill. JP Mascaro customer service manager Mark Cesare was in attendance. He asked council to forgive the fines. “We have a good relationship with you guys,” he said. “We work with you guys as much as possible.” He cited donations of trash collection boxes during major borough events. Council acknowledged that the percentage of missed pickups is “minor.” When the numbers were calculated, they equaled less than .05 percent. “Overall, they are doing what they are supposed to be doing,” said Councilman Hesch. Council agreed and voted to wave the fees, but Borough Manager Brad Flynn warned JP Mascaro representatives that any incidents of trash and recycling being mixed together “have to stop.” Finally, the borough’s Public Safety Committee recommended against issuing a building key to representatives of the Bath Museum. “Once there are too many [keys] out there, it would create issues,” warned Councilman Tony Kovalovsky. He cited liability and insurance concerns. “We want to display our history,” agreed Council President Mark Saginario, “but we are up against other obstacles.” Saginario cited expensive technology and an open layout.
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50 cents
Looking by Back Ed Pany I heard a call
In this third column, I am speaking to the Rev. Jerry Mraz, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia and former pastor of Holy Trinity Slovak Church in Northampton. With the advent of World War II, Jerry recalls, “My father still worked in my uncle’s dry cleaning shop in New York City. A friend told him a machine shop where he was employed needed workers for the war effort, but my father said he had no machine shop experience. After work, he went to the machine shop, watched and learned, with his friend’s help, to operate a lathe. This he did on his own time. By patience and fortitude, he learned the trade and worked there during World War II.” After the war, he worked in the building trade, renovating buildings. Jerry attended and graduated from Seward Park High School and was now ready to pursue a career. What path would he follow? After graduating from Seward Park High School, he decided to pursue a degree in electrical engineering at New York University but left after one year. I asked Jerry, “When did you decide to enter the ministry?” Without hesitation, he said, “I heard a call to enter the ministry. My parents were active members of Holy Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church in the city. I was active in the youth group.” There he met Elizabeth Marecek, who became his wife. Jerry transferred to Wagner Lu-
theran College in Staten Island, enrolling in the Slovak Zion Synod program. His daily trip to Wagner was by train, ferry and a mile walk to campus. While there, he married Betty, in 1956. The day after the wedding, he boarded a train for Chicago and enrolled in Maywood Lutheran Theological Seminary. For the first year, they lived in one room in the married couple’s dormitory. After the birth of their daughter, Cathy Ann, they returned to New York to live with his parents. He was employed by an insurance company. With determination, Jerry continued his studies at Hamma Divinity School in Springfield, Ohio, graduating in 1960. His ministry started in 1960 at Holy Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh. I asked Jerry about his salary. With a gleam in his eye, he replied, “$4,000.” On a personal note, this writer started his teaching career at Northampton High School in 1958 for the same salary. We were both happy to work in our new professions. The Mraz family was now blessed with four children — Susan Elaine, John Adam, Karen Elizabeth and Cathy Ann. The Mraz family was experts in balancing the family budget. They could give some budgetary advice to the federal government. After six years in Pittsburgh, the family accepted a call at Firestone Lutheran Church in Akron,
The Mraz family - the Rev. Jerry, his wife, Elizabeth, and two of their children, Cathy and Karen - are pictured in this 1961 family photo. -Photos courtesy of the Rev. Jerry Mraz and Larry Oberly.
Ohio. In 1971, the cement borough called, and Jerry became pastor of Holy Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church. The Rev. Mraz served the church and community for over 40 years, retiring in 2010.
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