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JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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Mattie’s Strudel Haus brings Sweet tradition to Bath
Looking by Back Ed Pany Spanish Flu of 1918, Part 2 of 5
By KERI LINDENMUTH After much anticipation, Mattie’s Strudel Haus officially opened its doors on W. Main Street in Bath. The shop’s handstretched strudel has long been a favorite of those who have tasted the homemade recipes at local farmers’ markets and festivals like Spuds & Suds. Now, everyone can take a piece of sweet or savory strudel home to enjoy yearround. Kelly Vlasics, Mattie’s Strudel Haus founder, has worked tirelessly to bring her traditional strudel to a new generation. It was Vlasics’s grandmother, Mattie, who started the family tradi-
tion of strudel making over 50 ing alongside my grandmother years ago. Mattie taught Vlasics’s and mother. As I gained more mother and then Vlasics herself strength, I said to myself, ‘I'm how to hand stretch the dough going to make strudel one day.’” And make strudel she did. She until it was paper-thin. Now, Vlasics is sharing her family’s de- started the business in her baselicious art with a growing group ment, cooking, stretching dough as thinly as her grandmother of dedicated fans. Vlasics says she always enjoyed taught her, and mixing together baking but spent many years dozens of strudel recipes. “I finally felt the fulfillment I working in the corporate world until she finally decided to make needed to use my customer skills, marketing skills, and lifelong her dream a reality. “[After] the loss of interest [in] cooking skills sharing the strudel the everyday hustle and bustle... heritage to customers both young I was depressed and needed a and old,” she adds. After years of selling the strudel change,” she says. “I was brought up cooking and baking in the kitchen and always loved work- Continued on page 3
Northampton Council questions Whether pool should open in 2021 By KERI LINDENMUTH During the Northampton Borough Council meeting on January 21, borough manager LeRoy Brobst told council members that they should start looking ahead to the summer. Although 2021 has only just begun, Brobst said other municipalities are already making decisions as to whether or not they should open their public swimming pools. After talking to fellow managers, Brobst said it is “about a 5050 split” between those who will
open their pools and those who will keep them closed for another year as a precaution against COVID-19. While he did not expect a decision during the meeting, Brobst told supervisors to start thinking “early.” Preparing the pool to open can take a month or more. “The swimming pool should be open and there should be no question,” said Councilwoman Judy Kutzler. “I don’t understand why we shut it down [in 2020]. There are chemicals we
use to clean the pool,” she added. Councilman Anthony Lopsonzski, Sr. agreed. He said opening the pool could “ease some of the stress” parents and children are feeling. There was no word from council on when an official vote will be taken. In other news, council took public comments on a proposed ordinance that would designate portions of Station Alley and Continued on page 2
First Northampton High School, later the Central Building. Photo courtesy of Larry Oberly. By LARRY OBERLY dealers and breweries were asked and ED PANY to not sell or deliver drinks within In this column we are looking the limits of the borough. Public back at the Spanish Flu of 1918 Schools were to remain open, but in Northampton. the necessity to close them could As the September outbreak in arise at any moment and was left Philadelphia pushed the spotlight to the local health board after of the pandemic to Pennsylvania, inspection of cases. Our schools the Pennsylvania Department of did not currently have any cases Health had an Acting Commis- and therefore could remain open. sioner, Dr. Benjamin Franklin Teachers and the school superinRoyer. On Oct. 3, 1918, he is- tendent were to report each and sued an order that closed all sa- every case to the Secretary of the loons, theaters, movie houses, Health Board. The Parochial and places of amusement. All Schools were without medical public meetings and other gath- inspection. They had a choice of erings were banned, as were pub- closing or submitting to a medilic funerals, parades, and visits to cal inspection, if they so choose, the sick. The closure of schools they could remain open. and churches was left to local Only a few cases were reportauthorities, while churches were ed to the Health Board. Physiasked to limit attendance at all cians were ordered to promptly functions. report to the board so that efIn Northampton, the Local fective measures might be made Health Board lost no time in to stamp out the virus and prepromulgating the following; all vent its spread. Those affected by hotels, clubs, dance halls, mov- Continued on page 2 ing picture houses, and soda fountains were closed and pub80th Year, Issue No. 4 lic indoor meetings prohibited. Churches, Sunday Schools and www.homenewspa.com fraternal organizations were closed as of their next meeting until the Health Board released them. Beginning the following week, all local wholesale liquor
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