april 2019 FREE
Take a Creative Walk in Phillipsburg, NJ by Christine Lake A new group is aiming to make the arts as accessible as possible for Phillipsburg, NJ and the surrounding community this Earth Day and every day. The Phillipsburg Area Arts Community (PAAC) will host an Art-Walk & Recycled Art Challenge on Saturday, April 20 from 10 AM to 2 PM at Union Station, 178 Main Street in Phillipsburg. PAAC was started as a way for community-minded individuals in Phillipsburg to create an artisans’ cooperative along with an arts-based community service operation. In 2018, a series of Facebook posts reached out to the Phillipsburg community to gauge interest in such a group, and based on responses Stephen Fitzgerald founded PAAC with a group Facebook page. A merry band of eight other volunteers make PAAC work. Sue Anna Williams is the group’s leader, networking with local businesses to put together monthly programs and facilitate experiences; other members include Amy Hoppe, Marcee Ramirez, Carmen Abrazado, Krystina Davies, Andrea Foley Braski, Marta Franco and John Nebiolo, who bring skills such as advertising know-how, graphic design,
Spring has sprung in downtown Phillipsburg, NJ. Members of Phillipsburg Area Arts Community (PAAC) gave an artistic touch to these storefront windows at 401 S. Main Street, home to LEE Services. photo courtesy of PAAC
neighborhood knowledge, connections, passion and enthusiasm to their respective positions within the group. “We all occupy very important and unique roles in our group,” Williams says with pride. “The success of every art experience we provide depends on all the people who make it happen, attend and participate in the activities offered, and share their experiences with others.” At a recent members meeting in February, Braski brought up an idea she had for an Earth Dayrelated event, focusing on Scout troops and schools to encourage participation, with the central theme of art work created with recycled or repurposed materials. All of the members agreed that it sounded really interesting, but needed some more work. “As Stephen likes to remind us, ideas are great but they aren’t anything unless we make them happen,” Williams recalls. She made up a flyer and started brainstorming ways to bring downtown business and interested community members together in a meaningful way. An art walk where the businesses became the featured artists during the event felt continued on page 3
Check out the 2nd Annual Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Flea Market at The Ice House in Bethlehem by Christine Lake Two champions of independent local music are bringing back a fan-favorite event for punks, underground artists, fans of outsider art and music collectors of all kinds. The 2nd Annual Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Flea Market, sponsored by Tape Swap Radio, will take place on Saturday, April 27 from 10 AM to 4 PM at The Ice House in Bethlehem. Proceeds from some of the sale will benefit the Bethlehem Area Public Library. Tape Swap Radio, founded in 2013 by Lehigh Valley residents Matt Molchany and Shamus McGroggan, began as a radio show and has only grown from there. McGroggan, who discovered the local music scene in earnest upon his return to the area after college, wanted to leverage his background in radio to bring more attention to the scene. “I had hosted shows on stations like WMUH in Allentown, WDIY in Bethlehem, and WXPN in Philadelphia, and I wanted to create a show dedicated to this DIY and independent scene I had just discovered,” he explains. “I wanted to use live, original music, and create an archive of this music for the Valley and the rest of the world.” The beginnings of a new venture can be difficult, however, and Tape Swap Radio suffered some early issues. The first live session nearly fell apart when the recording engineer and videographer backed out at the last minute; luckily, Molchany was a member of the featured band, and he offered to record the session himself in his own Bethlehem studio, Shards. “I came from a background of booking shows and recording bands as well as working with a show booking collective from 20092011,” Molchany remembers. “As I became busy recording, it became less of a focus, but I still had the itch to help grow our music scene. When Shamus approached me, I jumped Call 610-258-4330 to advertise
at the chance to help out.” That first session quickly grew into a collaborative partnership that put Tape Swap Radio where it is today. No longer just a radio show, it features a concert series, a zine, limited run CDs and tapes, and now, a punk rock flea market. Early in their partnership, both McGroggan and Molchany knew they wanted to be more than just a radio show. “We had seen places like the now-defunct Bethlehem venue Secret Art Space host workshops and craft fairs in addition to live music,” McGroggan says. “People involved in continued on page 3
Artistic Endeavours page 10
Gardening page 12 Attendees look through records at last year’s Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Flea Market. photo courtesy of Tape Swap Radio
April 2019
The Irregular
The Irregular Lydia E. Bruneo Publisher & Editor Michelle L. Corby Creative Director Contributors: Carole Heffley Richard F. Hope Christine Lake Dawn Ouellette Nixon Janene Otten James Jacob Pierri Pam Ruch Reach us at: PO Box 85 Easton, PA 18044 610-258-4330 bruneo1776@aol.com Founded by Carole J. Heffley and James R. Hicks, Jr. 1996
Remember, support your community. Buy local.
Art Events April 13-14, Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-3: Allentown Fiber Festival allentownfiberfestival.com April 20, 10-2: Phillipsburg Area Arts Community Earth Day Art-Walk & Recycled Art Challenge facebook.com/pburgarts April 27, 10-5: Warren County Arts, Sweets and Crafts Festival washingtonbid.org April 27-28, 10-5: Arts Community of Easton Arts Tour eastonart.org May 3-4: SouthSide Arts & Music Festival steelstacks.org/festivals/southside-arts-music-festival
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April 2019
May 4-5, 10-6: The Hunterdon Art Tour thehunterdonarttour.com
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Take a Creative Walk in Phillipsburg, NJ continued from page 1
like a perfect way to do it. “Our mission is to bring out the artist in every participant and the community at every event,” Williams explains. “This type of interactive art experience is a great example of what we can accomplish by networking and getting creative together with our community.” There was another, slightly more personal, angle to the Recycled Art Challenge idea for the group as well. “The concept of a recycled art challenge—taking discarded items and turning them into something new, beautiful, creative and inspiring is a metaphor for what we’re doing as an arts community in our town,” Williams says. “We started with just a few dedicated people with great ideas and we are taking the downtown, one business or window at a time, and waking up a little creativity and beauty in spaces that were otherwise not being used.” Interested participants have two options in April to just drop off their art work at 178 Union Station, or to take advantage of some open studio time to finish up a project: Thursday, April 18 from 2:30-6:00 PM and Friday, April 19 from 6:009:00 PM. Anyone can bring their own supplies, or use the PAAC stash. The challenge is open to all adults and school-aged children, and the only requirement is to find something discarded or unwanted and turn it into an original art piece. All types of art are welcomed, but pieces must be labeled with title, artist name, and materials used. On the day of the event itself, the doors to Union Station will open at 10 AM, and viewing of the recycled submissions will begin. Attendees will receive a map of participating downtown businesses, each with its own creation proudly displayed. There will be a “scavenger hunt” type challenge for attendees to go to each business and post a photo to the PAAC Facebook page, and all those who complete the challenge will be entered to win a prize. Many businesses will also be offering specials and incentives for stopping in to their location. Businesses include restaurants, convenience stores and thrift shops, offering a variety of experiences and a great way to try something new or revisit an old favorite. There will also be the option of open studio time for everyone to get into the creative spirit and make something to take with them. The group is still in need of prizes, art supplies, or donations of any other kind to make the event a success. Spaces for vendors or display tables are also still available. “We want anyone who lives in Phillipsburg to have a chance to show off their creations, so if you make something by hand and you want to show it off, please let us know and we will provide space for you,” Williams says. “Street musicians, dancers and performing artists are also welcome. Just let us know ahead of time that you’re coming and we will make sure you are promoted, thanked and have a safe space to perform.” Likeminded individuals are also welcome to contact the group Take a creative walk through downtown Phillipsburg, NJ April 20 from 10 AM to 2 PM to view art made from recyclable materials. about becoming a member. photo courtesy of PAAC The Art-Walk and Recycled Art Challenge will take place beginning at Union Station, 178 S. Main Street in Phillipsburg from 10 AM to 2 PM on Saturday, April 20. For more information on the event visit www.facebook.com/events/291446071524704. For further information on the Phillipsburg Area Arts Community, visit www.facebook.com/groups/1153289418143781 or search for “Phillipsburg Area Arts This creative sun now hangs in the windows of Community” on Facebook. Anyone interested in donating or becoming a member should email pburgaac@gmail.com. 401 S. Main Street in Phillipsburg, NJ. photo courtesy of PAAC
Check out the 2nd Annual Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Flea Market continued from page 1
this scene clearly wanted an outlet for creative endeavors in the area and the need wasn’t being met by existing organizations.” They recognized that people would travel to places like Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre or Trenton to go to punk rock flea markets and thought the Lehigh Valley would be a great place to host one too. Coincidentally, in 2018 they had begun working with the Bethlehem Area Public Library on some events called Library After Hours, and library executive director Josh Berk shared that they had received a donation of 20,000 CDs from someone who used to own a record store. “We came up with the idea for the library to host a CD sale to raise money to renovate the room we were throwing shows in, but also add vendors and bring the punk rock flea market to the Valley,” Molchany explains. The event was a bigger success than anyone expected, testing the capacity of the room chosen at the library to host the event. For this year, Molchany and McGroggan began DJ REVERBISCAR spinning records at last year’s Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Flea Market. looking for a larger venue. They already had a relationship photo courtesy of Tape Swap Radio with The Ice House in Bethlehem, so that was a natural fit. The larger space means double the number of vendors and more room for attendees to browse all that’s for sale. That includes 20,000+ CDs spanning genres from rock to blues to classical, vinyl records, cassettes, guitar pedals, drum machines, amps, other instruments, skateboard products, original artwork, vintage clothes, band merchandise, zines, books, toys, games and more. Food will be provided by Santoro’s Franks & Chili, who specialize in both beef and vegan franks plus sides, and I’m Hungry Truck & Depot with healthy snacks like granola, nut mixes, protein bars, cereal bars, candy and specialized baked goods. There will be coffee, water, and soda on hand as well. Potential attendees should plan to arrive early to browse the best selection. “We had a long line at the door for the 10 AM start time last year,” McGroggan recalls. “Record collectors and music fans don’t mess around!” The Flea Market will not be supplying bags, so attendees should bring their own (reusable highly encouraged!). Admission is free, and DJ REVERBISCAR from Bethlehem will be spinning records during the entire event. CDs will be $1 apiece and there will be crates for $25. And even if the idea of buying CDs seems archaic these days, all proceeds go back to the Bethlehem Area Public Library to continue renovations to the Cohen room. “They are turning that into a large performance and meeting space, but they have also recently installed a recording studio that will soon be open to the public, not to mention their work on a local music archive,” Molchany says. “They’re doing a lot of great work and this is an easy way to support them.” If nothing else, come to check out the location—a historic building right along the Lehigh River— and the feeling of the scene. “We want to hold a mirror up to the Lehigh Valley and reflect back all the best aspects of our home,” McGroggan says. “We want to let people know about all the great record collectors, music fans, bands and artists in our backyard.” The Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Flea Market will take place on Saturday, April 27 from 10 AM to 4 PM at The Ice House, 56 River Street, Bethlehem PA 18018. Admission is free, and there is free parking right by the venue, with additional parking further down River Street by the tennis courts. For more information visit www.tapeswapradio.com/ news/2019/3/13/2019-lehigh-valley-punk-rock-flea-market or www.facebook.com/events/333416457280439. Call 610-258-4330 to advertise
April 2019
The Irregular 3
WALKING TOUR
Odenwelder Building (404-06 Northampton Street in Easton, PA)
by Richard F. Hope 3-story, ornate building in “Beaux Arts” architectural style. This is the western half of original town Lot No. 216, as laid out by William Parsons when Easton was founded in 1752. An early history of this Lot is described in the separate WalkingEaston entry for the Northampton National Bank Building at 400 Northampton Street. The “Odenwelder Building” at 404-06 Northampton Street was named for Asher J. Odenwelder’s Drug Store. This pharmacy business was begun in 1824 by a Dr. Fickhardt; it later went through a series of other owners. Asher J. Odenwelder, Sr. acquired the business in 1871, then known as J.F. Thompson and Company. Odenwelder had been born in 1846, and graduated from the School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia. He became a well respected figure in Easton, holding (among other things) a Directorship of the Easton National Bank. In the early 1870s, Odenwelder’s Drug Store was located at 129 Northampton Street under the street numbering scheme then in effect, on the North side of the street East of 4th Street. That location has become 345 Northampton Street, under the modern numbering scheme. The relocation of Odenwelder’s Drug Store across Northampton Street was apparently facilitated by Asher Odenwelder’s wife, Louisa (or Louise) Groetzinger Odenwelder, the daughter of wealthy landowner Adolph Groetzinger Sr. Adolph Groetzinger (1815-1888) was a prominent miller and businessman in Easton. He had acquired all the land at the SW corner of Northampton and 4th Streets to Pine Alley, and extending up Northampton Street to include the three modern lots which today house the Northampton National Bank Building, the Odenwelder Building, and the Groetzinger Building. Louisa Odenwelder and her father apparently had a close relationship. In 1880, Adolph Groetzinger lived at 45-47 South 4th Street, while Louisa and her husband Asher Odenwelder lived next door at 49 South 4th Street. By the early 1880s, Asher Odenwelder moved his drug store across Northampton Street onto his father-in-law’s property at the corner with 4th Street (400 Northampton Street), where the Northampton National Bank Building is located today. Adolph Groetzinger died in 1888, leaving this land to his widow, Matilda, for life. After Matilda died on 13 Jan. 1905, daughter Louisa took over this property under her father’s will. In that year, Asher Odenwelder moved his drug store up from the corner to the building inherited by his wife – at that time, a small 2-1/2 story frame house. Mrs. Odenwelder and her husband Asher then replaced the old frame house with the current Odenwelder Building in approximately 1908. The Odenwelders’s son, Asher J. Odenwelder, Jr., graduated from Lafayette College and his father’s alma mater School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia. He went into the family business, and continued his father’s Drug Store and Easton National Bank directorship after his father’s death in 1926. Asher Jr. later became the Bank’s President, as well as the President of the Easton Water Works, and a trustee of Lafayette College. The younger Asher Odenwelder also became the Curator, later the President, of the Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society in 1933. His mother, Louisa Odenwelder, died in 1934, but ownership of the Odenwelder Building remained in the Odenwelder family until 1975, when it was sold to Lester and Jacqueline Kilbanks. In 1979, it was resold to brothers John and Jerry Caponigro. John opened Utopia, a wicker furniture and head shop, in the building. For a number of years, John also operated Utopia II at 315 Northampton Street, which carried only wicker furniture. John transferred ownership of 404-406 Northampton Street to his son Cory John Caponigro in 2010; Jerry Caponigro had died in 1993. John died in 2011; his son Cory presently owns and operates Utopia. The store no longer carries wicker furniture. The Odenwelder Building had also been occupied at one point by the May’s Men’s Store. [In the interests of space, the endnotes to this article have been omitted. The complete article (including endnotes) will be filed in the Marx Local History Room of the Easton Area Public Library, and in the Sigal Museum Library of the Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society. The author’s articles on this and other buildings in the Easton Historic District are also available for review or download from the www. eastonhistory.com website.]
photo by Lydia E. Bruneo
4 The Irregular
April 2019
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View topics and historical events through a Jewish lens at the JCC’s annual Jewish and Israeli film series by Dawn Ouellette Nixon For the past 24 years, the Jewish and Israeli film series has educated the public through the art of film. A production of the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley (JCC), the film series offers thoughtprovoking, entertaining, and educational film events that are presented at the JCC and throughout the Lehigh Valley, helping to make difficult themes such as the Holocaust more accessible to people. Stephanie Bennett, Membership and Fiscal Services Manager for the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, explains that the film series can be important viewing not just for the Jewish community but for the community at large. “The films sometimes raise important questions and open those topics up for discussion,” Bennett explains. “Many films highlight important historical events that might not be taught in schools. Another important aspect of the series is that it shows things through a Jewish lens by showing topics and historical events from a perspective that people might not otherwise be exposed to.” Additional value is provided to the films by having featured speakers and discussions at each presentation. This year, the film series received a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts through the Lehigh Valley Arts Council, enabling the JCC to show two films in their series along with two corresponding children and family focused films. Bennett is particularly thrilled to present the film Wrestling Jerusalem on April 4, that will feature writer and performer Aaron Davidman. “We are very excited to be able to have him joining us,” says Bennett. “This is a great opportunity for an intelligent discussion on the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and to gain knowledge on this very difficult subject.” Bennett reiterates that members of the local community who are not religious or who are of different faiths can enjoy the series as well. “While our films have either a Jewish or Israeli theme, they also provide other insight as well,” she remarks. “For example, we showed an Israeli film called My Hero Brother that highlighted disability awareness, and one of our upcoming films Heading Home: The Tale of Team
Israel would be a great film to watch as a baseball fan. We also show theatrical films that touch on multiple topics and genres, and I would consider them entertaining to a wide variety of people.” There are many people behind the scenes of the film series who work hard to ensure that it is a success. A film focus group meets every other week to screen and discuss possible films for the series. Bennett reminds our readers that 2020 is the 25th anniversary of the Jewish and Israeli film series. “So be sure to watch out for some special events next year,” states Bennett.
photo courtesy of the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley
For additional information, visit lvjcc.org/filmfestival.
Wrestling Jerusalem April 4, 7:00pm
Price: $12 JCC Members: $8 Muhlenberg Students: Free Location: Muhlenberg College The Event Space in Seegers Union, 2400 W. Chew St. Allentown, PA Special guest speaker: Aaron Davidman, Wrestling Jerusalem writer and actor Language: English
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The Testament April 14, 7:00pm
Price: $12 JCC/KI Members: $8 Location: Congregation Keneseth Israel 2227 Chew St. Allentown, PA Special guest speaker: Hartmut Heep, Associate Professor of German and Comparative Literature at Penn State Schuylkill Foreign Language Film with English Subtitles
Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel April 28, 7:00pm
Price: $12 JCC Members: $8 Civic Theatre Members: $7 Location: Civic Theatre, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown, PA Special guest speaker: Mike Ventola, Manager of Media Relations for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Foreign Language Film with English Subtitles
April 2019
An Act of Defiance
The Cousin
Price: $12 JCC/ArtsQuest/Brith Sholom Members: $8
Price: $12 JCC Members: $8
April 30, 7:00pm
Location: ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks 101 Founders Way Bethlehem, PA
May 30, 7:00pm
Location: JCC of the Lehigh Valley 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA Language: English
Special guest speaker: Rabbi Michael Singer Language: English with some subtitles
The Irregular 5
IRREGULAR BOOKSELF
with Carole J. Heffley, International Correspondent writing from “Like it’s another country”… North Carolina Spring has sprung. Dust off those winter cobwebs in your mind and get reading with these winning books that will stimulate your brain. In recognition of Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day, which this year begins at sundown on May 1 and ends the evening of May 2, the first two reviews are non-fiction first hand accounts of that dark time not so long ago... ****THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ by Heather Morris, HarperCollins ©2018, 288 pgs., paperback This book states on the front cover that it is a “novel” and on the title page that it is a work of fiction but throughout the book and reading the author’s prologue and the son of the main characters in the book who provides an epilogue, I began wondering and had to use the internet to decipher the story’s true origin. It is a true story I found out but is listed as a novel “since the characters are all dead and conversations cannot be verified”. As a true biography of Lale (Ludwig) Sokolov and his wife, Gita Furman Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a romance story unmatched in any book that I have read. It is a holocaust story which one reviewer exclaims: “As many interviews with Holocaust survivors as I did for the Shoah Foundation and as many devastating testimonies as I’ve heard, I could not stop reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz—an extraordinary story of love so fierce it sustained people enduring the unimaginable. Read it, share it, remember it.” (Jenna Blum, NY Times) Photographs of Lale and Gita included in the edition add a poignancy you cannot overlook. Lale confessed to writer Heather Morris, “I tattooed her number on her left hand, and she tattooed her number in my heart.” Lale Sokolov was forcibly transported to Auschwitz in April of 1942 when the Nazi regime demanded that all Jews in Slovakia send their oldest male child for the German work camps. If a family did not send its oldest child, the entire family would be exterminated. Lale, not the oldest, requests his family send him as his older brothers have the responsibilities of wives and children. After the harrowing trip in a cattle car shoved full of other forced laborers, the Nazis discover that Lale can speak many languages, including German and Russian, fluently. Thus, Lale becomes a bit more valuable to the Nazi commanders and is given a more protected job of being the camp tattooist for the thousands of people processed through the extermination machine of Auschwitz. The book is not as well written as one may wish but the story easily overcomes that fact. *****THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ by Antonio Iturbe, translation by Lilit Thwaites, Henry Holt and Co. ©2017, 432 pgs., hardcover Translated from the Spanish, The Librarian of Auschwitz, is based on the true story of Dita Kraus, a 14-year-old girl who, with her parents, was sent to Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi extermination camp, in 1943. While Dita and her mother, Liesl, do survive their imprisonment, Dita’s father does not, dying of disease during his
interment. Dita and her mother manage to stay together throughout their time in Auschwitz as well as their transfer to Bergen-Belsen near the end of the war. The story of Dita’s role as the “Librarian” is told. This book reminded me so much, as I was reading it, of The Diary of Anne Frank for its chilling matter-of-fact reporting of the life each author lived through under Nazi rule, even though Dita is in a concentration camp and Anne was hidden in the hiding place of a house. Yet, as Dita’s story unfolds, there is a surprise connection with Anne Frank as well as Anne’s sister. Dita has an unusual amount of personal responsibility for a teenager and is very careful to take care of her mother, in some incidents secretly substituting for her weak mother in concentration camp work details. It is tragic that her mother, although surviving the concentration camp through to the Allied liberation, dies of disease just a few days after liberation comes. Dita’s story continues on to life after the concentration camp. The telling of how this book came about is just as interesting as the story itself. There are short “after” biographies of a few of the people Dita meets in the camp such as the infamous Doctor Josef Mengele (“Dr. Death”), and Rudi Rosenberg who escaped the camp (one of only two to successfully do so). Mr. Rosenberg alerted Jewish leaders in Hungary as the atrocities being committed in the camps but his warnings fell on deaf ears tragically. He also was able to get to England and unsuccessfully warned British and Allied officials as to what was happening but they continued to believe Nazi propaganda that the camps were just for “resettlement” purposes. Fredy Hirsch, who was a vital part of Dita’s camp life, is a Jewish camp leader and head of the “showcase” Nazi “family life” part of the camp as well as head of the “school” and library where Dita hides the eight forbidden books. His life is mysteriously ended and is a mystery to this day as to what happened to make his death look like a suicide. It is a source of deep pain to Dita who regarded him as a true patriot. A short paragraph is also devoted to the post-camp life of Brigit Barnai, who marries and remains a life-long friend of Dita’s. They reunite each year that Dita returns to Prague from her new country of Israel. This is a book that the reader cannot put down once started and one that stays for a long, long time in memory. Dita Kraus is still living; she is 90 years old and lives in Israel. And on the lighter side . . . *****MISS JULIA SPEAKS HER MIND by Ann B. Ross, William Morrow Paperbacks ©2000, 273 pgs., paperback I did not want this book to end!! What a hoot! As I was reading, I could see the Marx Brothers making this into a comedy movie, as the dialogue is snappy and fast. Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind reads like a Keystone Kops episode. “Miss Julia” is a woman of a “certain age” whose husband of 44 years died about 4 months ago. She discovered Wesley Lloyd’s body slumped over the wheel of his “new Buick Park Avenue, steel gray with plush upholstery” right in the driveway late on Thursday night, his usual night to work after hours in the bank which he owned. Wesley Lloyd’s character comes through from Miss Julia’s many thoughts about him as the story unfolds, and the more we learn about him, the less we like him. Julia is astonished to learn that not only is she comfortably well off as a widow, she is downright wealthy. And she is more comfortable now than when he was alive, that is, until a visitor shows up on Miss Julia’s front porch. This is not the kind of visitor Miss Julia would invite to her front door. The woman is dressed with a too short skirt and too tight blouse wearing garish makeup. Indeed, not the kind of woman who would be attending Miss Julia’s weekly church women’s circle. Not at all. Besides, the woman has a sniveling 9 yr. old boy in tow. She introduces the thin pitiful boy as Wesley Lloyd, Jr. “We call him Junior for short,” she informs Miss Julia who is about to faint. Worse yet, the boy looks unmistakably exactly like Wesley Lloyd. It is quickly explained by the woman that she is on her way to Raleigh to get schooling to do nails since Wesley Lloyd left them nothing and she has to support the child. Land sakes!! Furthermore, she will be gone 6 weeks
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Irregular Bookself continued from page 6
for the training and has nowhere to leave Junior so he might as well be at his daddy’s house, she reckons!! Miss Julia is reeling and the woman runs off in a puff of smoke from the old car she is riding in and the boy is left standing on the porch before Miss Julia can reply. Well, Miss Julia surely does not want any town folk to see this boy who is the spitting image of Wesley Lloyd, so she takes him into the house. Junior’s tears are flowing all over his face, his coke-bottle glasses and his shirt. What to do? Besides this problem, there is the problem with the pastor of the church alleging that Wesley Lloyd talked to him about leaving the bulk of his estate to the church with a “small” fund the church would administer to take care of Miss Julia!! And the pastor intends to get his hands on the fortune one way or another! The book twists and turns, and bumps and grinds its way to an improbable ending that is as much fun getting to as anything I have read in years. Get it used online. ***THE CAT WHO SAW STARS by Lilian Jackson Braun, Berkley ©2000, 304 pgs., paperback Ms. Braun, a North Carolina author, has about a ‘zillion The Cat Who … mystery books to her name. I picked up this one “Free” at our local Library Friends Book Sale as my bag of books ($3 for all the books you can stuff into a plastic bag) was not full and the check out volunteer sort of admonished me for not filling my “sack”. So this book stood out on the fiction table and I grabbed it to fulfill my “quota”. If all the Braun Cat Who books are like this one, I need to read them all. The mystery is just enough to keep the reader’s interest and amuse. The Cat Who Saw Stars turns around Mr. Q, a congenial, popular and wealthy man who has used his money to benefit the many organizations, events, and charities of Pickax in Moose County (“400 miles north of everywhere”). To amuse himself, Mr. Q, actually Jim Quilleran, writes a weekly feature column in the Moose County Something. Jim lives with his two Siamese cats, Yum Yum and Koko, in his converted barn in Pickax or at his lake cabin about 30 miles away in Mooseville. You begin to get the idea that the whole story is tongue-in-cheek, but when a backpacker goes missing, it’s time for some real sleuthing on Mr. Q’s part. The cat Koko knows about things happening before they do. Mr. Q has learned to heed Koko’s proposed gift. Not surprisingly, it’s Koko who finds the missing backpacker, dead as a doornail. The plot deepens while calling in the question of aliens landing in and around Mooseville as has been rumored for decades. Run with this gentle mystery to discover what is happening in Pickax and Mooseville and join the happy, only slightly daft, citizens who live there. ***ENDERS GAME by Orson Scott Card, Tor Science Fiction ©1994, 352 pgs., paperback I hated this book but reaching out to new and different genre out of one’s comfort zone is what a book club is all about. The sole gentleman in our little group selected this book so it has been “grit my teeth” and give it a read. I’ve only rated this book based on its good writing and tremendous imagination. I disliked Enders Game on so many levels but primarily for its gross use of violence involving children. (My grandson remembers this book in the library in middle school, which amazes me, as it is so violent.) The setting is way in the future. All nations on earth have temporarily bonded together to repel invaders from outer space. Society has changed … a lot! We first meet “Ender” as a school child of about 6 years old. Children in the future are much more advanced than now, of course. Adults are rarely seen or heard from, there are no warm and fuzzy older relatives like parents for example, although Ender has a sister whom he adores. But his almost pathologically nasty mean brother, age 9, wants to kill Ender for unknown reasons; just raw nastiness and jealously, mostly. It seems that Ender is more outstanding in “games” than his older brother; therefore, Ender is more “prized” by school officials than the other kids. We first meet Ender as the “device” is taken out of his brain. We are not told the extent or meaning of this device but apparently all children are fitted with them and only the best get to have them for longer periods of time. The devices seem to allow children to “see” psychic experiences of sorts. Children are exclusively taught video games meant to kill the outer space invaders, the Buggers. The worst thing a person can be called is a “bugger”. We don’t know exactly who or what the would-be invaders are until the end of the book. Ender evades his older brother and grows up a bit to the age of 11 when he is deemed to be the most outstanding young space commander. “Commander!!” at the age of 11?? This book is sure to appeal to most any boy in the teen years. As with the Harry Potter series, Enders Game has widespread crossover appeal to adults as well. The lack of morals and the condoning of bullying plus the shadowy behind-thescenes adults we never meet and who are portrayed as not trustworthy and sinister are more reasons why I disliked this book so much. Besides, the ending left me uneasy. It was, however, of interest to read in a genre I would not have read … and probably won’t ever again.
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April 2019
The Irregular 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Alvin H. Butz Gallery ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300 Linda Dubin Garfield: Japan Series thru May 12. Open Monday-Wednesday 3:30-9pm, Thursday 4-11pm, Friday 4pm-12am, Saturday 11am-12am, and Sunday 12-9pm. artsquest.org/arts
Allentown Art Museum 31 N. 5th Street, Allentown, PA 610-432-4333 Carrie Mae Weems: Strategies of Engagement thru May 5, Fresh Perspective: Modernism in Photography, 1920–1950 thru May 12, Katagami: The Japanese Stencil thru July 28, and Stephen Antonakos: The Room Chapel thru September 15. Open Wednesday-Saturday 11am-4pm (3rd Thursdays till 8pm) & Sunday 12-4pm. allentownartmuseum.org Arts Community of Easton: The Susan Huxley Gallery at the Quadrant 20 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 484-894-6652 Works by Earl Stocker thru May 31, reception April 14, 2-4pm. Open Tuesday-Saturday 8am-5pm & Sunday 8am-4pm. Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center The Fine Art Galleries 522 W. Maple Street, Allentown, PA 610-347-9988 Magic Cat & C. U. Next Tuesday: Drawings by Cupid Ojala April 3-May 10, reception April 4, 6-8pm. Open Monday-Fridays 10am-6pm & during programs/ events. bradburysullivancenter.org/ galleries
Brick + Mortar Gallery Silk Mill Complex, Unit 101 1247 Simon Boulevard, Easton, PA colleen@brickandmortargallery.com Mixed Messages: Works by Paul Deery April 27-June1, reception April 27, 6-9pm. Open Friday & Saturday 12-6pm, Sunday 12-4pm & by appt. brickandmortargallery. com Charles Klabunde Gallery & Studio 73 N. 2nd Street, Easton, PA 610-252-1938 Original etchings, drawings and paintings by Charles Klabunde. Open Thursday-Saturday & 1st Sunday 12-5pm & by appt. CharlesKlabundeArtist.com Communications Hall Northampton Community College 3835 Green Pond Road Bethlehem, PA 610-861-5300 Annual Patrick J. Kraus Freshman Drawing Competition thru April 9, and Annual Fine Art Students Exhibit April 1830. Open Monday-Thursday 8am-10pm, Friday & Saturday 8am-5pm. northampton.edu/news/ events-calendar.htm
Bucks County Playhouse 70 S. Main Street, New Hope, PA 215-862-2121 NPR’S Ophira Eisenberg in Leaving a Mark April 6, Bucks County Comedy with Mike Cannon and Irwin Loring April 12-13, Middletown: The Ride of Your Life April 17-21, In The Mood: A 1940’s Musical Revue April 23-27, and Beatles for Sale: Lennon and McCartney Revisited May 3. bcptheater.org
Buck Hall Lafayette College 219 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 610-330-3311 National Theatre Live: King Lear April 7, Theater for Young Audiences: Miss Electricity April 27-28, Trifles May 2-3, and National Theatre Live: The Madness of George III May 5. williamscenter.lafayette.edu
8 The Irregular
Connexions Gallery 213 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 610-250-7627 BIOHAZARD/BEING WOMAN: Women Artists in Print thru April 7, and Botanica featuring Richard Begbie, Nancy Bossert, Will Hubscher, Marya, Tomi Petrella, Florence Rodale, Thomas Shillea & Terry Wolfson-Tighe April 12-May 12, reception April 20, 7-10pm. Open Monday 12-5pm, Thursday 12-7pm, Friday 12-8pm, Saturday 11am-8pm & Sunday 12-6pm. connexionsgallery.com
Banana Factory 25 W. 3rd Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300 9th Annual Hope & Healing Juried Art Show thru April 14, Hope in Hard Times: Prisoners’ Art for Social Justice thru April 21, and Linda Dubin Garfield: Just My Type thru May 27. Open Monday-Friday 8am-9:30pm, Saturday & Sunday 8:30am-5pm. bananafactory.org/events/exhibitions
The David E. Rodale and Rodale Family Galleries The Baum School of Art 510 Linden Street, Allentown, PA 610-433-0032 An Artistic Discovery: The 7th Congressional District High School Art Competition and National Exhibition April 11May 2, reception April 16, 10am. Open Monday-Thursday 9am9pm, Friday & Saturday 9am3pm. baumschool.org The Eagle Nest Gallery Nazareth Area High School E. Center Street, Nazareth, PA 610-759-1730 Maggie Sorber thru April 30. Open Monday-Friday 8am-3pm & during cultural events. hs.nazarethasd.org/ en-gallery-home-page Easton Hospital Gallery State Theatre Center for the Arts 5th & Northampton Streets, Easton, PA 800-999-STATE 2018 FREDDY Awards Photo Retrospective by Dave Dabour and Tom Kosa April 5-June 21. Open 90 minutes prior to most performances. statetheatre.org/gallery Easton Public Market 325 Northampton Street, Easton, PA info@eastonart.org Arts Community of Easton (ACE) Artists. Open Wednesday-Saturday 9am-7pm & Sunday 9am-5pm.
Gallery at St. John’s 330 Ferry Street, Easton, PA 610-258-6119 Arts Community of Easton: Artists Without Walls & Small Works Exhibit thru April 28, and ACE Studio Tour April 27-28, 12-4pm. Open Sunday 12-3pm & by appt. stjohnseaston.org/ministries/gallery Grossman Gallery Lafayette College 243 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 610-330-5361 Pedro Barbeito: Paintings, 1996-2018 thru April 13. Open TuesdayFriday 11am-5pm, Saturday 12-5pm & by appt. galleries.lafayette.edu IF Museum/Academy 107 N. 4th Street, Easton, PA 610-258-0777 Sasha Meret: Meta-Mythical Fusions thru April 28, and Works by Ian Schwartz and Larry Dell April 27-28. Open April 26, 5-9pm, April 27 & 28, 11am-5pm and by appt. facebook.com/IFMuseumAcademy
Cedar Crest College Theatre Samuels Theatre/Tompkins College Center 100 College Drive, Allentown, PA 610-606-4608 Spring Dances April 11-14. cedarcrest.edu/academics/ performing_arts/events.shtm
Muhlenberg College Theatre 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA 484-664-3333 Dance Emerge April 11-14, and Love & the Law: An Evening of Opera & Musical Theatre April 25-28. muhlenberg.edu/main/ academics/theatre-dance
Civic Theatre of Allentown 527 N. 19th Street, Allentown, PA 610-432-8943 The Lion King, JR April 4-7, and Fun Home May 3-19. civictheatre.com
Pennsylvania Playhouse 390 Illick’s Mill Road, Bethlehem, PA 610-865-6665 Steel Magnolias April 5-20. paplayhouse.org
Pennsylvania Youth Theatre PYT Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1400 Disney’s The Little Mermaid May 7-19 at Charles A. Brown Historic Ice House in Bethlehem. 123pyt.org Pines Dinner Theatre 448 N. 17th Street, Allentown, PA 610-433-2333 Second Chances: The Thrift Shop Musical April 5-May 12. pinesdinnertheatre.com
Country Gate Theatre 114 Greenwich Street, Belvidere, NJ 908-475-1104 Twelve Angry Jurors May 3-5. countrygate.org Hunterdon Hills Playhouse 88 Route 173 West, Hampton, NJ 800-447-7313 Take Me Away thru April 30, and Tapestry, The Carole King Songbook April 26-28. hhplayhouse.com Moravian College Theatre Arena Theater/Haupert Union Building 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-861-1489 Sakura: requiem for Hiroshima and Nagasaki April 6. moravian. edu/theatre
April 2019
DeSales University Act 1 LaBuda Center 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 610-282-3192 The Princess King thru April 16, Pippin April 24-May 5, and Spring Choral Concert April 2627. desales.edu/act1
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Nazareth Center for the Arts 30 Belvidere Street, Nazareth, PA 610-614-0404 Paint Box Art Club’s Annual Show April 7-23, reception April 7, 2-4pm. Open Thursday 6-8pm, Saturday 10am-12pm & by appt.
Hunterdon Art Museum 7 Lower Center Street, Clinton, NJ 908-735-8415 Member Highlight Exhibition- Maureen Chatfield: Emotions Through Color thru April 28, Ruth Marshall: Knitting the Endangered thru April 28, Kay Kenny: A Poetic Tribute to the Rural Night thru April 28, and Young Artists Showcase thru June 2. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11am-5pm. hunterdonartmuseum.org
Lehigh University Art Galleries 420 E. Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 610-758-3615 The Teaching Museum: Selections from the Permanent Museum Collection, Pedro Meyer: Truth from Fiction, The Future is Female: Prints by Women Artists, Robert Doisneau: Paris After War, Scale Shift: Large and Small Works, and Elisabeth Frink: Mountain Hawks & Other Creatures thru May 24. Open WednesdaySaturday 11am-5pm & Sunday 1-5pm. luag.org Martin Art Gallery Baker Center for the Arts Muhlenberg College 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA 484-664-3467 Liz Whitney Quisgard: Imaginary Architecture thru May 30. Open Tuesday-Saturday 12-8pm. muhlenberg.edu/main/ aboutus/gallery
ME-Art Studio 22 S. 3rd Street, 2nd floor, Easton, PA 908-319-4864 Gallery and working studio of Beverly Murbach-Erhardt featuring watercolors, acrylics and art cards. Open FridaySaturday 11am-4pm. meartstudio.com Museum of Ethnography 22 S. 3rd Street, 2nd floor, Easton, PA 908-798-0805 Tolerant No Longer (6-minute film) thru September 30. Open Tuesday & Friday 11am-4pm, Saturday 11am-2pm & by appt. maryaclarity.com National Museum of Industrial History 602 E. 2nd Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-694-6644 Don’t Touch that Dial! 100 Years of Radio thru November 3. Open Wednesday-Sunday 10am-5pm. nmih.org
Schmidtberger Fine Art Gallery 10 Bridge Street, Suite 7, Frenchtown, NJ 908-268-1700 Interior/Exterior: New Paintings by Emily Thompson and George Thompson April 6-28, reception April 6, 5-7pm. Open Friday-Sunday 125pm. sfagallery.com
Nurture Nature Center 518 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 610-253-4432 Let’s Explore: a 360 degree virtual reality film on climate change April 15-May 15, A Natural Selection: Plantlife in Print, and Alaskan Journey: Artists Respond to Climate Change April 17June 20, reception April 26, 6:30-9pm. Open Wednesday 12-4pm, Thursday 6-9pm, Saturday 12-4pm & by appt. nurturenaturecenter.org Payne Gallery Moravian College 346 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-861-1491 Ivan Sigal thru April 14, and Senior Thesis Exhibition April 18-May 11. Open TuesdaySunday 12-4pm. moravian.edu/ art/payne-gallery Ronald K. De Long Gallery Penn State Lehigh Valley 2809 Saucon Valley Road Center Valley, PA 610-285-5261 2019 Student Art Exhibit April 8-May 4, reception April 17, 121:30pm. Open Monday-Thursday 11am-5pm, Friday 11am-3pm & Saturday 10am-2pm. lehighvalley. psu.edu/ronald-k-de-long-gallery Rotunda Gallery at City Hall 10 E. Church Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-398-1451 Bethlehem Area School District Middle/High School Students Exhibition thru May 2. Open Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. bfac-lv.org
Sigal Museum Northampton Historical & Genealogical Society 342 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 610-253-1222 Sign Language: Protest, Passion, and Politics, Photographs of Ed Eckstein thru April 28, and The Cat’s Meow: Lehigh Valley in the Age of Art Deco & the Roaring Twenties thru July 29. Open WednesdaySaturday 10am-4pm (Fourth Fridays till 9pm) & Sunday 12-4pm. sigalmuseum.org SmARTivities Showcase 60 Centre Square, Easton, PA 484-544-3954 Various artists on display and working studios, and Resin-ating Fluid: Art by Featured Artist Janet Rockware thru April 30. Open TuesdaySaturday 10am-6pm & Sunday 12-5pm. smARTivities.net Williams Center Gallery Lafayette College 317 Hamilton Street, Easton, PA 610-330-5361 Čedomir Vasić: Mutable Images, Shifting Visions thru April 22, and Past | Present | Future | 2019: Selections from the Lafayette Art Collection April 26-June 4. Open Monday-Friday 11am-5pm (Thursday till 8pm), Saturday & Sunday 12-5pm, and performance nights 7:309:30pm. galleries.lafayette.edu/category/exhibitions
Touchstone Theatre 321 E. 4th Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-867-1689 Sakura April 11-14. touchstone. org Williams Center for the Arts Lafayette College 317 Hamilton Street, Easton, PA 610-330-5009 Dreamers’ Circus April 2, Moutin Factory Quintet April 20, Jazz Ensemble April 24, Jazz Combos I & II April 29, Contemporary Music Ensemble May 3, Concert Chorus May 4, and Chamber Orchestra May 5. williamscenter.lafayette.edu
Northampton Community College Theatre 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem, PA 610-861-5524 Hand to God April 11-14. nccsummertheatre.org
Shawnee Playhouse River Road, Shawnee-On-Delaware, PA 570-421-5093 Cinderella - A Dance Story April 26-28. theshawneeplayhouse. com Star of the Day Lehigh Valley, PA 484-809-9228 Godspell April 4-13 at East Swamp Church, Quakertown, PA. staroftheday.org
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BUY LOCAL.
State Theatre Center for the Arts 453 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 800-999-STATE One Night of Queen April 4, Blackberry Smoke April 5, Kinky Boots April 6, 22nd Annual Elvis Bash April 7, Chaz Palminteri: A Bronx Tale April 12, The Return of Kenny Vance & Friends April 13, Dancing with the Lehigh Valley Stars April 18, Wild World of Animals April 20, Celebrate Celine April 27, and Allentown Symphony Orchestra: To the Moon and Back! May 4. statetheatre.org
Zoellner Arts Center Lehigh University 420 E. Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 610-758-2787 x0 Dept. of Theatre: Spring Awakening April 4-13, LU Jazz Repertory Orchestra with Jazz Trombonist Conrad Herwig April 6, Michael Jorgensen, Violin: 20th-Century Music April 7, LU Philharmonic: Mozart’s Requiem April 1213, On-Stage Cabaret: Aubrey Logan April 26, and LU Jazz Orchestra, Ensemble, Funk Band & Combo April 27. zoellner.cas2.lehigh.edu
April 2019
The Irregular 9
ARTISTIC ENDEAVOURS
Brick + Mortar: Expanding the reach of art in the Lehigh Valley and beyond... by Dawn Ouellette Nixon In just a few short years, Brick + Mortar Gallery and Design Studio has established itself as an anchor of the Lehigh Valley art scene. Designer and gallery owner Chaz Hampton has recently hired on Colleen Gutwein O’Neal as Gallery Director. Together, Chaz and Colleen have a vision for Brick + Mortar that expands the reach of the gallery into the broader art world. Read on... Tell me a little bit about the history of Brick + Mortar. Chaz Hampton: Brick + Mortar started officially in about April of 2015, co-founded by Tom D’ Angelo and I. Tom had a pop up gallery in his garage called “Our Garage Space”, and I had been doing design work since I left the corporate thing. We were talking about combining the two, design and fine art. We are a gallery, but also a design studio. We were downtown in Centre Square for two years. We moved over here [to the Silk Mill location] last year at about this time. Tom left the business to pursue another career but he is still affiliated and assists on some design studio projects. We have just hired our first gallery director, Colleen Gutwein O’Neal. I’m really excited about Colleen coming in. What are some Brick + Mortar design projects that you have been particularly proud of? CH: We are about to do the next permanent exhibit at the Sigal museum, which is exciting. Early on we did a lot of the build outs for the Easton Public Market—Mister Lee’s booth, The Chocodiem booth, the mural and the table at the back of the kids zone. Most recently, for the Martin Guitar Museum, we took one of their vignettes and turned it into a performance stage. The idea is that visitors can come in and play like they are playing on the Martin stage. It also doubles as a production stage for when PBS is filming little concerts inside the museum. Why did you decide to leave the corporate world and go out on your own? CH: I only had so much time in that environment before I couldn’t take it anymore. It has less to do with that environment than how I’m wired. Day to day, I’m too adhd. I need to get my hands dirty and not sit at a desk. I loved certain aspects of that world. It’s a little foreign, that’s probably why I had to leave but it intrigues me to this day. I never went to college so I was never prepped to go into that idea of the corporate world providing stability. My idea of stability is depending on myself. Colleen, tell me a bit about your background.
Tell me more about your role as Gallery Director. CGO: I’m going to be scheduling exhibitions throughout the year. I will maintain the annual Print Riot show. This will be the third year for that. I’ll be bringing in new artists, working on additional programming with the exhibiting artists including workshops and lectures. We have already created a new website for the gallery. We are trying to take Brick + Mortar to the next level and open the door to an international audience. CH: From the Brick + Mortar perspective, Tom and I had a vision for this gallery. We wanted to incorporate local artists, as we were ourselves, but we also wanted to expand, not just Valley wide, but as far as we could. We had no interest in copying what anyone else was doing locally. We just wanted to expand the scope of what we were doing. Coming up on year four, it just seemed like here is someone that is really passionate about curation and has an extensive network, has a vision, a drive. It’s a plus for Brick + Mortar, for Easton and the artists she connects with. Where do you see Brick + Mortar in five years? What’s your vision for the gallery/studio? CH: For me, I hope we are doing things that I’m not even envisioning us doing yet and with people we do not yet know. On the studio side, I would like to help businesses grow and express themselves. On the gallery side, I will leave that to Colleen to discuss. 10 The Irregular
Brick + Mortar is pleased to announce Colleen Gutwein O’Neal, pictured above with designer and gallery owner Chaz Hampton, as it’s new Gallery Director. photo courtesy of Brick + Mortar
CGO: Emerging and mid-career artists are what we are focusing on, not just local, but national and international, as well as collaborating with other galleries and institutions supporting the arts. We would like to have a structure in place in a year or two where we can represent artists who are committed to our vision and we can commit to them. We want to encourage and foster relationships with collectors who believe in our mission as well as the artists we are working with. We also want to encourage people to come into the gallery and have an experience with the art—even if they do not regularly go to galleries or museums. Check our website, our calendar, our social media pages. We sell artwork; you can come and add to your collections. We are supporting not just our artists but our patrons. CH: Colleen can bring a certain level of art education about collecting. We are free and open to the public Friday, Saturday and Sunday, always by appointment and by chance. You can come in and look, you don’t have to buy. We want to dispel any kind of intimidation. Someone told me once that good business is all about relationships and ultimately, the gallery is experiencing a rebirth. Our existing relationships need to be nurtured and our new relationships developed. That takes time, if you do it right. The city of Easton and what’s going on here is such (Puzzle on page 15) an important part of the story. Luckily my Dad lived long enough to see us open on Centre Square. What has happened in the city is unbelievable. It’s an explosion. It’s not just marketing hype, it’s really true here. There are a lot of people with their eyes on Easton.
Crossword Answers
Brick + Mortar Gallery and Design Studio is located in Suite N101 of the Simon Silk Mill, 1247 Simon Boulevard in Easton, Pennsylvania. Hours are Friday & Saturday 12-6, Sunday 12-4 and by appointment. Visit their newly designed website at www. brickandmortargallery.com for additional information. You can also follow Brick + Mortar on Facebook and Instagram. April 2019
©2019 Satori Publishing
Colleen Gutwein O’Neal: About two years ago my husband and I bought a home in the West Ward. We came from the Montclair/ New York area. We both had our studios in Newark. I am really immersed in the Newark art scene, and still have a studio there. I’m a photographer, and spent the last 5 plus years working with artists on The Newark Artists Photo Documentary Project. We came to Easton to see an exhibition at Brick + Mortar’s old location by our friend Joe Strasser. It was a solo exhibition called 50 Years of Bad Behavior. I had never even been to Easton, I wasn’t familiar with it, but we started to look around at the real estate and we realized as two working artists we could afford to buy a house here. We saw that so much was going on here—we saw the Public Market, we got to meet with Tom and Chaz. We thought it would be a great idea to try and lay down roots. Tom and Chaz approached me to curate an exhibition here. That exhibition opens in October with Amanda Thackray and José Camacho. And that’s kind of how I got here.
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IRREGULAR BEATS
Tantalizing Tangos in Easton article and photo by Janene Otten
College Hill Presbyterian Church (CHPC) on College Hill in Easton, PA has a beloved music program in the community and one life-long parishioner, Anna E. Davis, bequeathed a portion of her estate to sustain its expenses. CHPC celebrates her generosity with an annual concert program. The choir prepared five anthems for March 17 as part of the worship service to honor Ms. Davis. A concert, Tangos in Easton, was presented later in the day by Two Part Invention, a flute and guitar duo ensemble based in the Lehigh Valley. Two Part Invention offered this incredible concert as a gift and all donations were given to ProJeCt of Easton which provides services to disadvantaged adults and children. As part of a chamber music ensemble called SATORI, Two Part Invention members Dr. Nora Suggs (flute) and John Arnold (guitar) are no strangers to acts of kindness through music. SATORI, says Ms. Suggs, ‟fosters growth in chamber music appreciation through performances, special projects, and educational programs. [It’s mission] includes a wide range of in-school educational programming and community outreach concert series at area senior residences, hospices and hospitals.” Attendees of the Sunday afternoon concert delighted in Nora Suggs’ expertise on the flute while John Arnold’s precise and poignant guitar playing dazzled and shined! Tangos are some of the most recognized dances on earth. Most anyone you talk to can tell you that the tango originated in South America. Its influence has crisscrossed the globe for three centuries. The origins of the familiar, provocative style are traced back to Uruguay and Argentina, specifically the River Plate Basin along the natural river border of the two nations and began sometime in the mid-19th century. But the popularity of the dance and music elements of tango were widely spread during the 1800s, rippling through Spain, Cuba and France with a strong influence from African communities that were present in these areas. Since then, the tango has gone from its modest origins in those countries to an explosive renaissance in the early 20th century that led to America’s embracing of the tango in the Golden Age of big band and dancehall music. Ms. Suggs and Mr. Arnold performed a masterfully constructed program that spotlighted the highlights in a broad spectrum of tango interpretations and arrangements. The South American interpretations were expressed in the opening piece, Chants et Danses D’Amerique du Sud, arranged by Chilean multi-instrumentalist and composer Sergio Arriagada. The duo played five of the twelve tangos that make up the entire piece. They stayed true to the nuances of Venezuelan, Peruvian, Ecuadorian, Chilean and Argentinian styles with ease. The versatility of both instrumentalists was astounding as the melodies drifted playfully through the chapel. The duo followed that with Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, the “Ária (Cantilena)” movement, composed by the prolific Heitor Villa-Lobos. This Ária is regarded as Villa-Lobos’ best-known work that freely adapted Baroque harmonic and contrapuntal procedures to Brazilian music. The composition is from a series of nine suites in which most of the movements in each suite have two titles: one ‟Bachian” and the other Brazilian. The audience was completely captivated. John’s technique, posture and virtuosity were so impressive on an instrument that is particularly difficult to master in the classical realm. Valses Vanezolanos by Antonio Lauro was the only piece on this program arranged by the duo for the flute and guitar. John described these Venezuelan waltzes as a juxtaposition between the common 3/4 and 3/8 ‟waltz” time signatures. The alluring flute, played so passionately by Nora, elevated the cohesion between the two meters. Frenchman Roland Dyens’ Tango en Skaï was playful and jaunty. Skaï is French slang for imitation leather and here refers to the gauchos (cowboys) of Argentina and southern Brazil, known for their leather outfits. As Nora explained, skaï can be a “take on” or pastiche of whatever it is part of: in this case, the tango. No concert of tango music would be complete without a gem by nuevo tango master Astor Piazzolla. Histoire du Tango is Piazzolla’s only work composed for flute and guitar. The piece conveys the history and evolution of the tango. The chosen selections find the tango at the cafés and bordellos, atmospheres that played an integral part in influencing the style. “Café 1930” inspired romantic and melancholic music that accompanied a 1930’s culture of listening to tango rather than dancing. The bawdy irreverence and spirited chatter that could be heard in bordellos in South America at the turn of the 20th century were evoked in “Bordel 1900”. Both movements got a plush treatment by two refined musicians with the ability to bring grace and liveliness to them. A vivid and plucky grouping of tangos by Celso Machado called Musique Populaires Bresiliennes fit nicely into the slot between Piazzolla’s ambitious chronology and the final piece. The four movements all felt jazzy and fresh. It was a palate cleanser for the ears to clear a path for the ‟poet of guitar”, José Luis Merlin’s Progresiones para Pauline. Ms. Suggs was, admittedly, emotional when telling the story of Merlin’s long friendship with Pauline Lasse, who worked in Eugene, Oregon for the Council on Human Rights in Latin America. When word of Pauline’s terminal illness reached Merlin, he was reluctant see her in decline but he decided to visit her. Upon his arrival at her home, his dear friend greeted him at the door with a warm, vital smile. He was relieved to be near her at this precious time and furthermore, energized to compose this requiem for her. Two Part Invention gave us a soaring, heartbreaking and heartwarming rendition. Their endurance and commitment to true artistry inspired a standing ovation. They happily obliged with an encore of the Piazzolla portmanteau that they have made a standard in their repertoire: the popular Libertango.
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Two Part Invention, Dr. Nora Suggs (flute) and John Arnold (guitar), perform Tangos in Easton at College Hill Presbyterian Church for Anna Davis Day.
There is an incredible pool of talent in the Lehigh Valley, both professional and amateur. It’s where you can hear a high-caliber tango program after a service of church choir music. It is diverse and it’s thriving! These musicians bring hope and joy into the lives of so many communities through their devotion to the healing energy of the music. We are blessed to have them as partners in the dance of life. If you would like to join them on the journey, find out more at www.satori-chambermusic.org, www. nohrakumusic.com and www.johnarnoldguitar.com. You will find upcoming performance dates and booking information. To learn more about ProJeCt of Easton, visit www.projecteaston.org or call 610-258-4361.
April 2019
The Irregular 11
GARDENING
Nature’s Survival Strategies article and photos by Pam Ruch The arrival of spring always seems so excruciatingly slow. Yet the signs are all there, even in the cruel end-of-winter month of March that teases us with balmy days and then slaps us with cold wet snow. Outside my window the little red pompoms of the silver maple, our earliest flowering native tree, bob in the wind. Some flowers are pistillate (female), others staminate (male). With some trees, such as pines, female flowers are strategically positioned well apart from the males, bettering the odds that they will capture pollen dust blown in from a different tree. Cross-pollination is a widespread survival strategy that creates a stronger gene pool than self-pollination. I can’t quite make out whether my silver maple flowers are segregated. They are plentiful but small and not all at the same stage of maturity, and, except on the very closest branches, I can’t tell the boys from the girls. Even a slightly staggered bloom time can be a lifesaving strategy for early flowering plants. If an ice storm should knock the first flowers from the branches of a silver maple, those that follow may keep the season from being a total loss, procreationally speaking. Another strategy is the design of the blooms, which, though mostly built for wind pollination, contain nectar and pollen—a treat for overwintering bees that are out and about on warm, late winter days. Yet another is the copious production of seeds, a truth to which anyone with a silver maple on their property can attest! Fortunately, not every seed sprouts. I often witness squirrels peeling open the samaras to get at their protein-filled contents. Birds, chipmunks, and other animals dine on the seeds besides, and the buds also can be a food for squirrels once the supplies they’ve stored are gone. Survival strategies are as numerous in nature as they are varied. I notice buds of another native early spring bloomer, the spicebush, plumping up by the day. Like the silver maple, this plant has distinct male and female flowers, but they occur on different shrubs. Except in early spring when the small blooms light up the still-bare deciduous forest with a blush of chartreuse—spicebush is sometimes called “the forsythia of the wilds”—you might not notice this shrub. Yet, walk in just about any moist woodland in Pennsylvania and you’ll be surrounded by it. Like any “dioecious” plant with distinct male and female individuals, it is insect pollinated, which assures that the species will have good genetic diversity. Lightly scrape the spicebush’s bark with your fingernail and sniff its spicy scent. The volatile organic compounds that create plant aromas play various roles, from attracting pollinators to sending warning signals to neighbors that the plant is under attack. And even as the spicebush’s oils help guarantee its continued existence, they also ensure the survival of its beautiful associate, the spicebush swallowtail. This butterfly has evolved to recognize specific compounds before laying eggs on the plant, thus making sure that the hungry larvae will have the food they need. The most fascinating survival strategies of all the plants that I’m drawn to in early spring are those of the skunk cabbage. Hunt for the strikingly beautiful spathes in wet swampy areas or on stream banks. And do it soon, as the mottled “hoods” the plants flaunt now will soon wilt and disappear, to be replaced by large cabbage-like leaves. Peek inside one of the spathes and you’ll see a fleshy flower head that has little resemblance to what you think a flower looks like. Within the protected space pollen is released, and a (skunky) smell of rotting meat draws insects that fly in and out, cross-pollinating the plants. Because spring warmth is not to be counted on, the skunk cabbage takes no chances with the weather. It creates its own warmth over the two-week period it blooms, a costly process in terms of energy, but one that rewards both the plant and its early season pollinators with increased odds of survival. When temps are freezing, the flower buds can warm up to 70 degrees F, enough to melt a pocket of snow around the plant.
Male and female silver maple flowers are mostly wind pollinated. Shown above and below
Though its big leaves disappear sometime in early summer, the skunk cabbage maintains a massive root system. And as if that is not enough to ensure its survival, it sets itself up for future success with a strategy that rivals that of aphids! (Stay tuned for more to come on that.)
Sweet April showers do spring May flowers. -Thomas Tusser
12 The Irregular
April 2019
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Gardening
Small bees and flies carry pollen from the showier flowers on male spicebush plants to nearby female plants.
Craig Holdrege of The Nature Institute writes: “I dissected a skunk cabbage, peeling away leaf after leaf from the base of the stalk. What I found astounded me . . . At the base of one of the middle leaves there was the bud of a spathe that will grow out in the following spring. It was about 2 cm long and already deep wine-red in color. A few leaves further inward another spathe bud was visible—smaller and still white. This spathe would emerge in the spring after next. Another, even smaller spathe follows after a few more leaves; it would emerge two and a half years later! When I cut the rootstock lengthwise, I could see several more tiny spathe buds (the size of the tip of a ball-point pen) at the base of the shoot. Spathes are being prepared years ahead.”
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Now if that’s not an effective survival strategy, I don’t know what is! Horticulturist and writer Pam Ruch, caretaker of the Nurture Nature Center Urban Recycle Garden, tends gardens in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, and speaks about gardening and nature topics.
The mottled pattern on skunk cabbage spathes blends in with the forest debris.
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April 2019
The Irregular 13
IRREGULAR EVENTS Community: Every 1st & 3rd Sat. 10am-12pm & Thur. 11am-7pm. Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room Story, Craft & 3 free books. Easton Community Center, 901 Washington St. (9th St. entrance), Easton. Info: 610-250-6562, copsnkidseaston@gmail.com, copsnkidseaston.org Every Tues. & Thur. 10am-3pm: Senior Connection, a free community senior program offering social and mental stimulation for older adults. Arndt’s Lutheran Church, 1851 Arndt Rd., Forks Twp. Info: 610-253-3732, Nancy Walters 610-253-0726, nancywalters@rcn.com Every Tues., Wed, Thur. 9am-1pm: Silver Connections: Fun for Seniors. Easton Area Community Center, 901 Washington St., Easton. Info: 610-253-8271, Saints1@ptd.net April 5-6: Spring Rummage Sale. Fri. 9am-3pm, Sat. 9am-12pm (bag sale). Christ United Methodist Church, 400 W. Berwick St., Easton. Info: 610-258-4762, eastonchristumc.com April 7: Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild’s Family Storytelling Series with Kathy Long: Let Your Imagination Soar. 2pm, $5.50. Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem. Info: 215-541-1429, lvstorytelling.org April 13: Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. 9am-12pm, adults/$7, 5-12 yrs./$5, 4 & under free. Christ United Methodist Church, 400 W. Berwick St., Easton. 610-258-4762. April 13: Spring Into Easton: Restaurants & Retailers pair up for the day. 12-4pm. Downtown Easton. Info: springintoeaston.com April 14: Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild’s Family Storytelling Series with Larry Sceurman: Folktales of Fun and Friendship. 2pm, $5.50. Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem. Info: 215-541-1429, lvstorytelling.org April 18: Destination Arts: Third Thursday. 5-8pm. Multiple Art Venues in Downtown Allentown. Info: 610-751-4929, downtownallentown.com April 26: Easton Out Loud: Fourth Fridays. 5-9pm. Downtown Easton. Info: 610-250-6533, eastonoutloud.com April 27-28: Basket raffle/Tricky tray. Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 8:30am-1pm (drawing at 2pm). Our Lady of Mercy Women’s Guild, 132 S. 5th St., Easton. Info: Jeanne Young 610-252-5242, jyoung1241@verizon.net April 27-28: Arts Community of Easton’s Easton Arts Tour. 11am-5pm. Downtown Easton; pick up maps in Centre Sq. Info: 908-798-0805, eastonart.org May 4: 39th Annual Historic Easton House Tour. 10am-4pm; $25/adv, $30/day of. Begins at Riverside Park, Larry Holmes Dr., Easton. Info: 610-330-9947, eastonhousetour.com
History: Sigal Museum (NCHGS) 342 Northampton St., Easton, PA 610-253-1222, sigalmuseum.org April 3: Lunch & Learn: Language of Flowers. 12:30-1:30pm April 17: B.Y.O.B. – Bring Your Own Baby Tour. 10am. April 26: History Trivia Night. 6-8pm, Bachmann Publick House, 2nd & Northampton Sts. April 27: Passport to History Day. 10am-4pm. April 27: Picture the Past: Historic Photographers and Photo Walkabout. 10am-4pm, Historic Easton Cemetery, 401 N. 7th St., Easton. April 27: Vietnam Veterans Experience. 1pm.
Nature: Nurture Nature Center, 518 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 610-253-4432, liesel@nurturenaturecenter.org, nurturenaturecenter.org Every Wed. & Sat. 12-4pm, Thur. 6-9pm: Science on a Sphere & SOS Explorer Touch Screen Kiosk. April 6: Nature Journaling Workshop. Karl Stirner Arts Trail; meet at the Blue Bridge accessed via Bushkill Dr., Easton. 10-11am. April 6: Nature Journaling Workshop. Hugh Moore Park, Hugh Moore Park Rd., Easton; meet at the main parking lot. 2-3pm. April 11: Science on a Sphere: Life on the Move, Animal Migrations around the World. 7pm. April 13: Nature Journaling Workshop. Scott Park, 130 Larry Holmes Dr., Easton; meet at the large tree overlooking the dam. 1-2pm. April 13: Science on a Sphere: Life on the Move, Animal Migrations around the World. 1pm. Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center 400 Belfast Road, Nazareth, PA 610-746-2801, jacobsburgsp@pa.gov, dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/JacobsburgEnvironmentalEducationCenter April 10: Hike for Health with a St. Luke’s University health professional. 5:30-7pm. April 13: National Volunteer Week. 10am-3pm, reg. req. April 19: Family Night: Earth Day. 6-7:30pm, reg. req. April 22: Earth Day 2019 at Jacobsburg. 10am-3pm. Delaware Canal State Park 11 Lodi Hill Rd., Upper Black Eddy, PA 610-982-5560, events.dcnr.pa.gov/delaware_canal_state_park April 7: Hike: Raptors of Spring. 10am-2pm, reg. req. Riegelsville Fish and Boat Access, 1440 Easton Rd., Riegelsville. Info: Katie Martens 610-982-0161, kmartens@pa.gov April 13: Raptor Egg Hunt: Younger Kids. Ages 3-6, 10-11am, ages 7-10, 12-1pm, reg. req. Giving Pond Recreation Area, 1125 River Rd. (PA-32), Upper Black Eddy. April 14: Wildflower Walk. 11am-12:30pm, reg. req. High Rocks County Park, 150 Tory Rd., Pipersville. Info: Katie Martens 610-982-0161, kmartens@pa.gov April 18: Full Moon Towpath Trek. 7-9:30pm, reg. req. Info: Gabie Lent 610-982-0166, glent@pa.gov April 27: Invasive Control Volunteer Work Day. 10am-12pm, reg. req. Giving Pond Recreation Area, 1125 River Rd. (PA-32), Upper Black Eddy. April 28: Beginner Birding & Bird Photography. 8-11am, reg. req. Giving Pond Recreation Area, 1125 River Rd. (PA-32), Upper Black Eddy. Info: Katie Martens 610-982-0161, kmartens@pa.gov Friends of the Delaware Canal 145 South Main Street, New Hope, PA Susan Taylor 215-862-2021, friends@fodc.org, fodc.org April 6: Canal Clean-Up Day. 9am-12pm. Full list of Bristol to Easton locations are on the website. April 6: Comedy on the Canal. 7pm, $60. New Hope Arts, 2A Stockton Ave., 2nd flr., New Hope. April 28: In Search of Bald Eagles and More Walk. 2pm. Meet at the Fish and Boat Commission parking lot, 1440 Easton Rd. (Rt. 611), Riegelsville PennState Extension Northampton County 14 Gracedale Avenue, Nazareth, 610-813-6613, NorthamptonExt@psu.edu, extension.psu.edu/northampton-county April 24: Workshops for the Gardener, Planting the Right Plant in the Right Place: The Nature of Native Plants. 6:308:30pm. Hanover Township Community Center, 3600 Jacksonville Rd., Bethlehem. Register at extension.psu.edu/ planting-the-right-plant-in-the-right-place Have an event taking place in the local area? Email it to us here at The Irregular, bruneo1776@aol.com. Events will be placed on the events calendar at the discretion of the publisher.
14 The Irregular
April 2019
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AT THE LIBRARIES AT THE LIBRARIES Pennsylvania: Allentown Public Library 1210 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 610-820-2400, allentownpl.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9am-9pm, Fri. 9am-6pm, Sat. 9am-5pm, Closed Sun. 1st & 3rd Wed. of the month: Socrates Café. 10:30am-12pm April 3: Family Activity Night: Earth Day. 6:30-7:30pm, reg. req. April 13: A Novel Affair Annual Spring Gala. 6-9pm, $75. April 15: Phillies History Uncut: The First 10 Decades. 6:30-8pm. April 8 & 22: Lehigh Valley Zoo Program. 6:30-7:30pm, reg. req. April 23 & 30: Art & Song: Family Night Story Time. 6:30-7pm, reg. req. April 26: DIY Program for Teens. 3:30-5pm. April 29: Mind Mapping: Untangle Your Thoughts & Isolate Your Ideas. 6:30-8pm May 2-4: Spring Book Sale. Bethlehem Area Public Library (Main Branch) 11 W. Church Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-867-3761, bapl.org Hours: Mon.-Wed. 9am-8pm, Thur.-Fri. 9am-6pm, Sat. 10am5pm, Closed Sun. April 5: Friday Morning Fiction Book Group: The Ninth Hour by Alice McDemott. 10-11:45am. April 6: Stories of Life on Muskrat Creek with Barbara Love. 1-2:45pm. April 11: A Public Discussion about Universal Basic Income. 4-5:30pm. April 13: Bygone Comedy Classics: A Kiss for Corliss (Almost a Bride). 2-4pm. April 16: Hilda Doolittle and the Natural World led by Christine Roysdon with panelists Louis Schaefer, Gary DeLeo and Marilyn Hazleton. 6:30-8pm. April 18: Valley Variety: A Benefit for BAPL presented by the Friends of the Library . 7-9pm, $60. April 20: Adult Chess Club. 1-3pm. April 23: Family Fun Night: a world of stories: International Reading Day. 6:30-7:30pm. April 24: History Uncut: The Philadelphia Phillies First Ten Decades. 6:30-7:45pm. April 26: Friday Morning Mystery Book Group: Newcomer by Keigo Higashino. 10-11:45am. April 30: Walt Whitman Birthday and “Song of Myself” ReadAloud. 5:30-8pm. Bethlehem Area Public Library (South Side Branch) 400 Webster Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-867-7852, bapl.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 11am-8pm, Sat. 12-4pm, Closed Fri. & Sun. April 6: Family Command Center: An Organizing Workshop. 1-2:30pm. April 15: A Poetry Reading & Writing Workshop with Matt Wolf. 6:30-7:30pm. April 18: Glass Painting for Grown-ups. 6-7:30pm. April 20: Introduction to Gardening with Pennsylvania Master Gardener, Lynn Dautrich. 1-2pm. April 30- May 4: Book Sale. Tue. & Wed. 11am-3pm, Thur. 5-8pm, Sat. 12-3pm.
Easton Area Public Library (Downtown Branch) 515 Church Street, Easton, PA 610-258-2917, eastonpl.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9am-9pm, Fri. 9am-6pm, Sat. 9am-5pm, Closed Sun. 1st & 3rd Mon. of the month: Quilting Club. 6-8pm April 9: An Evening with the Lehigh Valley Zoo. 6:30-8:30, reg. req. April 24: Non-fiction Book Group. 7pm. April 30: Forever Young Adult Book Group: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. 6:30-7:30pm. Easton Area Public Library (Palmer Branch) 1 Weller Place, Easton, PA 610-258-7492, eastonpl.org Hours: Mon. 9am-5pm. Tues.-Thur. 9am-7pm, Fri.-Sat. 9am5pm, Closed Sun. Every Thur.: Sew Others May Be Warm Knitting/Charity Group. 1-3pm Every Thur.: Chapter #14, Soc. PA Archaeology Meeting: Bring your Indian artifacts for typing, age determination. 7pm. Info: Len Ziegler 908-750-4110 2nd Thur. of the month: The Writers Café. 7-9pm, Info: glvwg. vebmeister@gmail.com April 17: Forever Young Adult Book Group: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. 6-7pm. April 23: Adult Book Group: A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult. 6-7:30pm Hellertown Area Library 409 Constitution Avenue, Hellertown, PA 610-838-8381, hellertownlibrary.org Hours: Mon. & Wed. 10am-8pm, Tues. & Thur. 10am-6pm, Sat. 9am4pm, Closed Sun. April 3: Mother Daughter Book Club: Land of the Forgotten Girls by Erin Kelly. 6:30-7:30pm. April 8: Monday Book Club: A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult. 1-2:00pm. April 10: Science Program with the Women is Science from DeSales University. 6:30-7:30pm. April 12: Family Movie Night. 7-9pm. April 24: Earth Day Family Night. 6:30-7:30pm. April 29: Adult Craft Night: Cherry Blossom Branches. 6:30-7:30pm.
April 9: Spring Cleaning Workshop with Kathleen, owner of Organize It! by Kathleen. 6:30-7:30pm April 10: Evening Book Club: The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict. 6:30pm April 10: Spring Story & Crafts. 6:30-7:15pm, reg. req. April 23: Local author visit: Captain Korry Franke discusses 3 Feet to the Left. 6:30-7:30pm. April 26: Daytime Book Club: Old in Art School by Nell Painter. 10:30am April 27: Teen Board Games. 12:30-3:30pm. Northampton Area Public Library 1615 Laubach Avenue, Northampton, PA 610-262-7537, northamptonapl.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9am-8pm, Sat. 9am-4pm, Closed Fri. & Sun. 2nd Tues. of the month: Crochet Club. 6-7pm April 7: Imbalance, Dizziness & Fall: Maintaining Youthful Balance as you Age. 10-11am. April 15: Spring Craft for Adults: Bunny Craft. 6-7pm. April 22: Memory Loss w/Ali Lance, MSW & William Wise, Board Certified Behavioral Health RN. 4-5pm. April 24: Book Discussion: The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau. 6:30-7:30pm.
New Jersey: Phillipsburg Free Public Library 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg, NJ 908-454-3712, pburglib.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9:30am-8pm, Fri.-Sat. 9:30am-5pm, Closed Sun. April 3: Fine Art: Watercolor Sketching. 6pm, reg. req. April 8: Laughter Yoga. 12pm & 7pm.. April 8: PFPL Writers Group. 6pm. April 9: Classic Book Club: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. 7pm. April 17: Book Forum. 1:30pm. April 17: Folk Art: Spring Craft. 6pm, reg. req. April 18: Film Screening: Hearts Beat Loud. 7pm. April 24: Happy Bookers Discussion Group: Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue. 7pm. May 2-4: Friends of PFPL Annual Book Sale.
Mary Meuser Memorial Library 1803 Northampton Street, Easton, PA (Wilson Borough) 610-258-3040, meuserlib.org Hours: Tues.-Thur. 9:45am-8pm, Fri. 9:45am-5pm, Sat. 9am-4pm, Closed Sun. & Mon. 1st Tues. of the month. Open Mic Nights. 6:30-8pm April 16: Meuser Bookclub: Educated by Tara Westover. 2-3pm. Memorial Library of Nazareth & Vicinity 295 E. Center Street, Nazareth, PA 610-759-4932, nazarethlibrary.org Hours: Mon. 10am-5pm, Tues.-Thur. 10am-8pm, Fri. 10am5pm, Sat. 9am-4pm, Closed Sun. April 6 & 13: AARP Tax Preparation. 9:30am-1:30pm
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April 2019
The Irregular 15
Passport to History Day: April 27, 2019 Lehigh Valley Passport to History is a partnership of historic sites and resources in and around Pennsylvania’s Lehigh and Northampton counties that connect you with historical activities, events, tours, and exhibitions throughout the Valley. From museums to research archives to little-known architectural gems off the beaten path, use the Lehigh Valley Passport to History website, lvhistory.org, to explore the rich heritage that is right around the corner. You and your family are invited to join area historical and cultural sites on Saturday, April 27 for Passport to History Day! The day is a celebration of local history, stories, and the community that bring Lehigh Valley history to life. The following historic sites offer special admission, tours, activities, and programs for explorers of all ages: Emmaus Historical Society 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM The Society will offer visitors a display of Emmaus historic buildings and sites along with refreshments and memorabilia from Emmaus celebrations and milestones. Forks Township Historical Society 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM Frace Log Cabin Tour - In the spring of 1766, Michael Frace, age 22, purchased Penn Patent Tract #185 from the sons of William Penn and soon built a log cabin there. In the 1980s the log cabin was moved to the Forks Township Park in an effort to save it from development. The Society will provide tours of the cabin along with a display of images of the township, including the one-room schoolhouses used until 1936. Note: Forks Township Municipal Park, 500 Zucksville Rd., Easton, PA. Parking is free at the Forks Community Center; enter from Zucksville Rd. Historic Easton Cemetery 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Picture the Past: Historic Photographers and Photograph Walkabout - Visit the chapel for a lecture on some of the notable photographers buried in Historic Easton Cemetery, learn more about the evolution of early photography, then go on a photo walkabout with photographers Ed Eckstein and Chris Karfakis. Note: Cemetery admission is free. Lecture and Walkabout cost is $10 per person. 2:00 PM Lecture, 3:00 PM Photo Walkabout Jacobsburg Historical Society 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM Visit the Pennsylvania Longrifle Museum and the magnificent 1832 J. Joseph Henry mansion, a fascinating house museum that was home to five generations of the Henry family. The family’s original summer kitchen and its carriage and sleigh barns will all be open with unique exhibits and displays. Also stop by the log cabin gunshop of Nicholas Hawk, one of the most talented makers of Pennsylvania longrifles of the 19th century.
National Canal Museum 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM Free admission to the National Canal Museum. Visit during this special celebration before their normal opening day of the season on June 1 and get a sneak peek at our new art exhibition Frank Wyso: Color and Form. This exhibition features a colorful array of Wyso’s work inspired by flowers. Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Free admission to the Sigal Museum (342 Northampton St., Easton). 11:00-2:00 PM: Bachmann Players Dress Rehearsal Sneak Peek - Visit the 1753 Bachmann Publick House (2nd & Northampton Sts., Easton) to catch a sneak peek dress rehearsal for the Bachmann Players’ upcoming colonial dinner theater show Easton, 1777: John Adams and His Thoughts on Government 1:00 PM: Vietnam Veterans Experience - The museum unveils a Vietnam uniform in the Sigal Museum permanent gallery. Then listen to a panel discussion with local Vietnam veterans who will recount their experiences and share memorabilia. Learn about a day in the life of a soldier during the conflict. Lower Saucon Historical Society 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM Join Lower Saucon at the Lutz-Franklin Schoolhouse for a day of educational, free activities for the whole family. Tour the one-room schoolhouse, a National Historic Landmark. Experts will demonstrate basic quilting techniques and live music will be provided. Children will enjoy learning how to stitch with sewing cards and how to write with a quill pen. 1758 Sun Inn 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Stop by and visit this historic Bethlehem landmark. Enjoy free admission and a chance to explore with self-guided tours of the first floor museum. There will be no access to the dining room or restrooms. Williams Township Historical Society 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM Passport to History at the Lost Village of Uhlersville - Docents will explain the role of this early industrial village along the Delaware River. Location: Route 611 South to intersection with Canal Rd. at Delaware Canal State Park.
Moravian Historical Society 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Free admission to the Whitefield House Museum Opening of their newest exhibition, Fiber and Fellowship: The Homespun History of Moravian Textiles 1:00 PM: Karen Huetter and Lyn Curtis will give a talk entitled, “Early American Threads” about getting dressed in early America. 2:00-4:00 PM: Hands-on activities for families including spinning demonstrations, weaving, and a “Selfie Salon” colonial dress-up area for kids.
The Irregular
April 2019
Call 610-258-4330 to advertise