june 2019 FREE
Celebrate Your Pride by Christine Lake June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in the United States, with celebrations happening across the country throughout the whole month. Though the Lehigh Valley has long had celebrations of Pride, this year will see a new festival taking place in Easton to commemorate the month. Pride on the Riverfront: A Welcoming LGBTQIA+ Experience will take place on Saturday, June 22 from 12 PM to 10 PM at Scott Park along Larry Holmes Drive in downtown Easton. This free event is being organized by Jackson Café: The Art of Music, an entertainment and event planning company specializing in shows, soirées, social mixers and event marketing. Founder and CEO Stacey Jackson, an Easton resident, has over fifteen years’ experience in party planning, catering, hosting, and bartending. “I’ve been in Easton a long time, and this type of event has just not been done here,” she says. “Of course, they have events like this in New York City, but there’s no train! Without a convenient way to get there, that’s not accessible for everyone.” Knowing that she had the expertise to create an event like this, and also knowing that Easton has grown into a vibrant community with its own social scene, she decided to see if there was an audience for a homegrown Pride event. “I made a Facebook post asking about a Pride celebration in Easton, and the response was absolutely incredible,” she explains. “So I knew I had to do this.” Pride Month began as a commemoration of the Stonewall Riots. In the early morning of Saturday, June 28, 1969, LGBTQIA+ persons rioted following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. The protests lasted for several days, and this became a landmark moment in the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement, leading to the first Gay Pride March in United States history on June 28, 1970. The marches spread throughout the country throughout the ‘70s, and in the 1980s these grassroots marches started becoming much more organized and cohesive. President Bill Clinton declared June “Gay & Lesbian Pride Month” in both 1999 and 2000, and President Barack Obama declared each June of his tenure LBGTQIA+ Pride Month. Pride is recognized during June worldwide, with parades, parties and events in cities around the globe. Easton’s first Pride on the Riverfront event will feature live music, dancers, a literature reading, a parade, food vendors, craft vendors, and more. “The idea is really just to see everyone having a good time, and smiles on people’s faces,” Jackson says. “This is an event for everyone, for us to see that we are all one heart, and we have to love one another and have pride in one another.” She admits that she’s had some people who were questioning why she was doing this event. “They say to me, ‘But you’re not gay!’, and I remind them that’s not the point,” she explains. “This is about breaking down stigma, and creating a safe space for people of all backgrounds to come, be themselves, and know that no continued on page 3
Summer in the City by Christine Lake The Greater Easton Development Partnership (GEDP), the nonprofit organization comprised of the Easton Main Street Initiative, Easton Ambassadors, Easton Farmers’ Market, Easton Public Market, and PA Bacon Fest, is extending its reach into the West Ward. The GEDP launched the West Ward Community Initiative (WWCI) in April, designed to complement the group’s current programming and to bring enhancements to the downtown-adjacent neighborhood. This initiative was made possible through a Neighborhood Assistance Tax Credit Program grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The award, $200,000 a year for six years, allows the WWCI to work on community revitalization efforts in the target area from 6th to 15th Streets, and from Butler to Jackson Streets. “It’s a huge neighborhood. We’re talking sixty square blocks,” says Amy Boccadoro, manager of the West Ward Community Initiative. “I’m excited to move into the West Ward, because I’ve seen what we’ve been able to do in downtown. The opportunity to expand that effort is just awesome.” An Easton native, she returned to her hometown in 2006 after college at Penn State and doing her early career work in the State College area. “I was downtown during that year’s Garlic Fest, which I think had about nine vendors,” she recalls. “I saw an Easton Main Street Initiative booth and I asked about volunteering.” After seven years of working with the Initiative as a volunteer, the Assistant Manager position opened up, and Boccadoro applied. “I love downtown, I love Easton,” she said. “It seemed like a great fit.” The WWCI will focus on six priorities that were identified during the West Ward Neighborhood Plan community engagement sessions in 2018: Arts, Culture and History; Call 610-258-4330 to advertise
Business and Services; Fostering Strong Neighborhoods; Improving Mobility Access; Open Space and Public Amenities; and Education and Equity. This first year, West Ward residents should expect to see a few activities that are focused on each of these areas. “Eventually, we’ll start digging into more in-depth programming, but the first year will see more surface-level type events,” Boccadoro explains. “This will give residents an idea of what we’re hoping to do as the program moves forward. We’re also looking for partners to help us do even more.” That could be small local businesses, larger corporations continued on page 3
Artistic Endeavors page 10
Gardening page 12
Children having a great time at the West Ward World Cup Event in Easton last summer. photo by Katja Kruppe
June 2019
The Irregular
IRREGULAR THOUGHTS
The Irregular
What to do?
Hello, June! Summer is around the corner. There is really nothing I have a desire to write about. I’m battling yet another period of thyroid disorder disaster. I recently had about eight months of feeling pretty good, then, bam, lab results showed the Graves’ disease was back. It’s very frustrating because it affects my brain function the most in addition to causing severe anxiety and feelings of frustration and no motivation. And don’t forget to add fatigue in there. It’s a wonder I’ve been able to keep printing the paper on a consistent basis, as I haven’t had more than eight consecutive months feeling normal since 2014. It’s tough because during these times, I feel very discouraged about the paper. Is print dead? Are local businesses really doing that poorly that they can barely afford to advertise? Is social networking enough to market yourself? Am I just doing things wrong? I feel lately like I’m wasting my time. Quite often people tell me how much they love the paper, and it is so rewarding to hear that, but it doesn’t pay the bills. The paper needs to bring in more revenue or I think it may be time to retire it. I have written before asking for suggestions, what people want to see
more or less of, but nothing came back. Would you still read The Irregular if it was only online? If we had a website, what would want to see on it? Would publishing quarterly be better? If anyone out there has any ideas and/or would be interested in taking it over, please, let’s talk. Phone and email are to the right on this page. Next up is the 2019 Easton Heritage Edition! Please reach out to us if you’d like to advertise in this timeless tradition. Don’t forget to support your local community... BUY LOCAL!! Lydia E. Bruneo Publisher & Editor
Lydia E. Bruneo Publisher & Editor Michelle L. Corby Creative Director Contributors: Carole J. 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.
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June 2019
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Celebrate Your Pride continued from page 1
one will judge them.” As with all Jackson Café events, the idea is to bridge the gap, to have a mix of all sorts of people coming together, finding common ground and having a good time. To that end, the day will feature a mix of different types of entertainment and activities. Although the event officially begins at the park at 12 PM, there will be a First Line, Mardi Gras-style parade led by the Big Easy Easton Brass Band from 10 AM. They will be all around the city, ending at Scott Park at 12 PM to kick off the official event. Mardi Gras beads have been purchased, and you don’t need to earn them! At the event, hosted by Kindoll Couture, there will be a performance by up-and-coming artist Espinét, DJ sets by all female DJs including DJ Mizzkai, DJ Lady Maverick, DJ Shonda, DJ Mourning Glory, and DJ Millie Vega featuring techno, R&B and everything in between. Sound will be provided by Jamm Studios, and WFNK Radio will be broadcasting the event live on their airwaves. “There really will be something for everyone over the course of the day,” Jackson says. In the spirit of “come as you are, and be who you want to be,” costumes are encouraged and there will be a cash prize to the best-dressed of the day. “We’re not trying to be New York City,” Jackson states, “but we want to be as big as a party in New York City. We want to do Pride Easton-Style.” Attendees should keep in mind that the event is all-weather; unless there are dangerous storms, the show will go on. “People really show up and show out for these events,” Jackson says. “Last year during our first House Music Festival, also at Scott Park, it was cloudy and I worried that I should have canceled. But when the rain started, people started partying even harder! They were there to have fun, and it showed. At the end, there was a rainbow, and it was just beautiful.” For more information about the Pride on the Riverfront event, visit the Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/758614064473110 or the Jackson Café Facebook group at www.facebook.com/ groups/1918477241781746. You may also email stacymccoy5145@gmail. com or call 214-243-5145.
Attendees are having a blast at Jackson Café’s Art of Music event last summer at Scott Park in Easton. photo by Alba Lombay
Summer in the City continued from page 1
with a local footprint, community volunteers, or any combination of those things. “Right now, I’m essentially a staff of one, with the assistance of the Community Gardens Coordinator,” Boccadoro says. “We have five committees that we’re just getting up and running, and we do need volunteers to help fill those out.” Committees meet about once per month, and you don’t need to be any kind of expert to volunteer. “If you’re interested in something and you want to spend your time doing it, that enthusiasm is enough,” she says. There are also opportunities for people to volunteer at one-off events, like community garden weeding or planting days, clean-up days around the neighborhood, or at special events as they occur. Early plans for the WWCI are to enhance lighting along certain West Ward corridors, launch a West Ward newsletter, work closely with the Community Gardens program on their locations in the West Ward, support the Easton Ambassadors clean and safe initiative in the area, and engage youth through programming and activities. That last element will be fulfilled through the relaunch of the Summer Parks Program. “There was a program called the Summer Parks Program that existed throughout Easton in the ‘80s and early ‘90s,” Boccadoro says. “Basically, counselors would show up at all the Easton parks and they would bring toys and plan activities for kids. During our focus groups on what people wanted to see from the WWCI, we constantly heard people say what a great program this was and how we should bring it back.” The new iteration of the program, run in conjunction with YMCA of Easton, Phillipsburg and Vicinity, will begin on June 17 and run through August 16, and occur Monday through Friday (except Wednesday July 4) from 10 AM to 2 PM with lunch served every day from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The locations for this summer’s program are Centennial Park at 12th and Ferry Streets and Vanderveer Park
Fun at the West Ward World Cup Event in Easton last summer. More events like this are in store with the West Ward Community Initiative. photo by Katja Kruppe
Seventeen planters were planted around the West Ward last month by some great volunteers and the Easton Ambassadors. photo courtesy of the West Ward Community Initiative
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June 2019
at 12th and Spring Garden Streets. This is a free program that is open to any resident of the city of Easton, not just those with a West Ward address. Though the program is best suited for children in grades K-5, children under five years old are welcome as long as they are accompanied by a parent. Children attending do not need to attend every day, or even for the entirety of the day. “People can feel free to come and go, and to come only on the days that they want or need to come,” explains Boccadoro. “There will be organized games, crafts, books and storytime, and just lots of organized, supervised play.” Although free, there is a registration form that’s required so that counselors and organizers know who to contact in case of emergency, what allergies kids may have or medication they may be on, and other general facts about the attendees to make sure the camp serves their needs. The camp is weather-permitting, so will not be held on days when weather is inclement. Messaging will go out via several channels, including a website for the program and the Facebook event page. For now the best way to get further information is through the Facebook event at www.facebook.com/ events/421400555357755. There will be much more to come from the West Ward Community Initiative as the year progresses, and everyone who cares about Easton is encouraged to attend as many events as possible. “Grassroots participation shows that there’s a real desire for programs of these types,” Boccadoro explains. “It’s what made the downtown revitalization so successful, and we want to expand that energy into the West Ward, too.” Anyone interested is encouraged to keep an eye on www.westwardeaston.org for updates, event calendars, and more. You may also email Boccadoro at amy@ eastonpartnership.org for more information.
The Irregular 3
WALKING TOUR
Lawall Hardware Store (454-56 Northampton Street in Easton, PA) by Richard F. Hope 4-story brick building with buttressed roof cornice and projecting window caps and sills in the Italianate style. Picture shows windows and recessed commercial entrances have been added at the street level. Easton’s building survey identified the building as being in the Italianate style, and (apparently based upon that classification) suggested it had been built c.1830-50. Located on the front-eastern part of original town Lot No. 210, as surveyed by William Parsons when Easton was established in 1752. According to the de Krafft map probably maintained by the Penn Family’s land agents in the late 18th century, this Lot was occupied by the “Smith Shop” of someone named Abraham [last name obliterated]. The same de Krafft map also shows Lot No. 211 next door with a house, built before 1779, was occupied by Abraham “Beel” [last name possibly incomplete or garbled by water damage], which is probably also this same Abraham who was the smith next door. Early Easton records generally show that Easton’s first smith (i.e., blacksmith) was a man named Abraham Berlin, one of Easton’s original “eleven pioneers” (actually, heads of 11 pioneer families) in 1752. The Penn clerk’s notation is likely a garbled reference to blacksmith Abraham Berlin. Berlin had been born in 1722 in Alsace (France, near the border with Germany), and immigrated to America in 1738 (at age 16) when his parents both died at sea aboard the ship “Charming Nancy”. As we have seen, Berlin survived this tragedy to become a founding settler in Easton in 1752. Although his initial residence place in Easton is unknown, Berlin lived and ran his shop for many years on what is now known as South 4th Street, but he lost that property in 1786 when it was seized by the Sheriff for debt and sold to Berlin’s son, Jacob Berlin. Two years later (in 1788), tax records listed Abraham Berlin with real estate appraised at a measly £ 18 (as distinct from his son, Abraham Berlin Jr., whose property was appraised at £ 115, likely comprising his father’s former South 4th Street complex, since blacksmith Jacob Berlin was located in Williams Township). The tax records do not specify the location of any of these properties. From this evidence, though, it seems likely that after his financial troubles, Abraham • Berlin left 4th Street and moved to this less prestigious location on Northampton Street (farther out from Centre Square and the ferries), probably in a rough log cabin (given the low appraisal value), in time for the Penn Clerks to have included him in their notes on the de Krafft map in about 1789. • Until his financial troubles, Abraham Berlin had been a leading citizen in town. He had had built the windlass for the first well in town in 1752, and contributed four days of labor to the construction of the school house in 1755. During the Revolution, he took over Northampton County’s Committee of Observation (or Safety) in 1776, and was appointed a court justice in 1777. Abraham Berlin (Sr.) died in 1790. Lot No. 210 is said to have been operated as the Golden Swan Hotel in the late 18th and early 19th centuries by the Opp Family. Later “reminiscences” that the Golden Swan had been in business by about 1775 may be inexact, but a contemporaneous record does appear to establish that the Golden Swan Inn was visited in 1794 by wealthy traveler Theophile Cazenova. This date works well, if the Berlin smithy property was converted to hotel use (presumably with attendant stables) shortly after Abraham Berlin’s death in 1790. The Opp Family concluded their tenure at the Golden Swan in 1813, and in in 1818 the Lot was, finally, formally purchased by innkeeper Thomas Sebring from the Penn Family to establish a clear legal title. In 1828, innkeeper Sebring split Lot No. 210. He sold three-quarters of it to saddler John Burt and his wife, including a “Brick Tenement” (i.e., the old hotel building). Sebring retained the remaining quarter of the lot, with 30 feet of Northampton Street frontage but only half the depth to Pine Alley, but required Burt to agree that his property would allow Sebring (and Sebring’s successors) a right of passage through the hotel property at the back, to access Pine Alley as needed. He probably built a building to serve as a retirement home for himself on this retained property, now that he no longer possessed the inn. This time period (c.1828) was too early for the later “Italianate” style, and so the building was more likely built with simpler “Greek Revival” features, which may be reflected in the relatively simple lines of the building in place today. In 1840, Sebring passed his retained quarter of the Lot, now with a “two Story Brick Tenement” on it, to his son, William. Ten years later (in 1850), William Sebring obtained $3,600 for this property and building from merchant William H. Lawall. Lawall had been the clerk in Joseph Burke’s general merchandise firm on what is now called North 4th Street, said to have been the “most extensive establishment” in Easton of its day. Lawall, “by his industry, faithfulness to his business duties, and strict economy during a period of ten years as clerk”, had accumulated sufficient capital to take over the Burke family store on 4th Street. Meanwhile Joseph Burke’s son, John J. Burke, had acquired residential property farther up North 4th Street, and had became a lumber merchant using a lumber yard established behind the Burke Family property. Accordingly, the Burke Family was well established on North 4th Street, rather than on Northampton Street. William Lawall’s thoughts went in a different direction. After running the general merchandise business on North 4th Street for a period of time, Lawall came to feel “that the business interests of the town were centering on Northampton Street”. Accordingly, he got John J. Burke to sell his Northampton Street property, after which Lawall “erected the building” there that became the new Lawall dry goods establishment (at what is now 450-52 Northampton Street). The “two Story Brick Tenement” that William Lawall purchased from Sebring in 1850 (at what is now 454-56 Northampton Street) stood next to Lawall’s established dry goods store. William Lawall did not, however, immediately incorporate his additional building into his existing dry goods store operation. Instead, in 1851 (the year after he purchased the additional building), William Lawall made the property available to his younger brother, Cyrus, who had been learning the drugstore trade as an employee of Peter Pomp. Cyrus Lawall now “erected” his own new drugstore building, as he stuck out on his own, independent of Peter Pomp, who the prior December had built his own new 4-story drugstore across the street. A local newspaper in 1851 praised Lawall (as well as Peter Pomp, for their building projects: “Mr. Lawall and Mr. Pomp in erecting their new buildings, have done more to improve Easton than many others who make larger claims on the public consideration.” Such a construction date is consistent with Cyrus Lawall’s use of an Italianate architectural style; however, the relatively plain facade of the building, and the modest projections of the window caps and sills, may indicate that the Italianate features were added to an essentially Greek Revival underlying structure. It seems likely that the additional two stories
4 The Irregular
were added at this time, thus giving rise to the “erected” terminology without necessarily implying that Lawall entirely replaced all of the underlying predecessor structure. In 1869, an agreement was concluded with the owner of the Swan Hotel next door, regarding the Lawall’s easement allowing them to pass over the Hotel’s land to get to Pine Alley. The Hotel had erected a fence with gates to control public access, and the agreement confirmed this arrangement, and arranged the details of maintenance and repair between the two property owners. Twenty years after Cyrus Lawall “erected” his building to fit his drugstore needs, he found the building to be too confining to his growing store. Accordingly, in 1871 Cyrus moved his drugstore across the street to 437 Northampton Street under the modern numbering scheme, ultimately building another particularly striking new commercial building there. • 454-56 Northampton Street has not been named for Cyrus Lawall or his drugstore, despite the authority about its construction, because of potential confusion with the much more striking drugstore built by Cyrus Lawall on the other side of Northampton Street. Accordingly, this one has simply been named the Lawall Hardware Store, to reflect what it became after Cyrus left. Meanwhile, William H. Lawall’s dry goods business had prospered. By 1870, his Northampton Street store sold hardware, seeds, and dry goods. William Lawall himself, in addition to his dry goods business, was also a director of the Easton National Bank, the Easton Gas Company, and Easton Cemetery; the President of the Northampton County Beneficial Society, and the Treasurer of the German Reformed Church. By 1873, the store had become the partnership of Lawall, Copp & Co. After Cyrus left the building next door to go across Northampton Street, William H. Lawall expanded his dry goods business into opening a hardware store in the former drug store building. At about the same time, he took his son, Edwin, into partnership. • The firm held three addresses immediately prior to the 1874 renumbering of Northampton Street: 168, 170 and 172 Northampton Street. No. 168 was the Lawall residence, leaving No. 170 for the main store building (now the Lawall-Bricker Building at 450-52 Northampton Street), and No. 172 for this expansion hardware store building. • The hardware store was assigned the new address of 456 Northampton Street when the modern street numbering scheme was adopted in 1874. Indeed, the 1873 City Directory listed only young Edwin – and not his father – as the only Lawall partner in the Lawall, Copp & Co. firm, suggesting that at that time William Lawall attempted to pull back from the business. However if so, young Edwin may not have proven as successful a business operator as his father. By 1884, Copp had apparently retired, and the elder Lawall had reasserted his prominent in the business by renaming it Wm. H. Lawall & Son. A banner entry in the City Directory established that 450 Northampton Street was the family residence, while “dry goods, groceries, seeds, feathers, and carpet chain” were available at 452 Northampton Street (i.e., the dry goods store), and hardware, cement, pumps, &c.” were available at 454-56 Northampton Street. William H. Lawall died in 1884, without a will. His estate “partitioned” his real property, to distribute pieces of it among his children. His son Edwin S. Lawall accepted his father’s stores as part of his inheritance at the value assigned by Orphan’s Court, but in 1891 he sold the main store property to Maria M. Serfass for $14,500. In approximately 1889, W. Stewart Weaver took over the remaining Lawall hardware store at 456 Northampton Street. He had previously been a clerk, starting in Jeremiah Anglemeyer’s hardware store at what is now 414 Northampton Street. • Meanwhile, beginning in 1894 and continuing into the early 20th century, Edwin S. Lawall operated an insurance agency from 454 Northampton Street, and later added a real estate capability to his operations. The Anglemeyer hardware store at 456 Northampton Street continued until approximately 1904, when he left to re-establish his store (with his son as a partner) at Anglemeyer’s old address of 414 Northampton Street. After Anglemeyer died in 1905, Stewart Weaver returned to take over Anglemeyer’s old store at 414 Northampton Street. At the same time (in 1905), Edwin Lawall (who still owned the underlying property) sold it for $16,500 to Levi Rosenbaum. • Meanwhile, beginning in 1894 and continuing into the early 20th century, Edwin S. Lawall operated an insurance agency from 454 Northampton Street, and later added a real estate capability to his operations. The Anglemeyer hardware store at 456 Northampton Street continued until approximately 1904, when he left to reestablish his store (with his son as a partner) at Anglemeyer’s old address of 414 Northampton Street. After Anglemeyer died in 1905, Stewart Weaver returned to take over Anglemeyer’s old store at 414 Northampton Street. At the same time (in 1905), Edwin Lawall (who still owned the underlying property) sold it for $16,500 to Levi Rosenbaum. • Levi Rosenbaum had begun a successful millinery business in 1869, and ultimately built the striking Rosenbaum Building at 407-09 Northampton Street, which he opened in 1887. Rosenthal’s principal commercial tenant by 1906 was J. Morris Kiefer, who took over the hardware store business in the building (but not ownership of the building itself), also selling “cutlery, seeds and paints.” In 1914, Kiefer was also acting as the secretary and treasurer of the Easton Argus newspaper, but after the Argus was bought out and merged into the Easton Express in 1917, Kiefer was able to focus on his hardware store. In 1918, Morris Kiefer bought the Hotel Stirling building next door (at 460 Northampton Street), and he then transferred his hardware store into the former Hotel. His place at 456 Northampton Street was taken, by 1923, by Abraham Milgram’s clothing store (initially shared with a partner). The E.S. Lawall & Co. insurance brokership also maintained its commercial address in the building at 454 Northampton Street, along with three residential apartments. Levi Rosenbaum retained ownership of the Lawall Hardware Store building until his death on 4 June 1933, after which its ownership was split up into six interests, one owned by his widow Sallie, and the others by their children. Sallie died on 21 October 1953, leaving a will that split up her interest further. • During the 1950s, commercial space at the 456 Northampton Street address was occupied by the Boston Shoe Store. In 1966, the various heirs – additionally complicated by yet further family developments – were rounded up and convinced to sell the property for $10,250 to Leo and Emma Vank. The Vanks had previously purchased the Hotel Stirling property next door. Leo Vank died on 16 October 1972. Two years later, his widow, Emma, sold both properties (i.e. all of Lot No. 210) to Hampton Hotel, Inc. for $36,000. That company, owned by Joseph Kassis, soon also purchased the Eyerman Building next door at 444-48 Northampton Street, as well as the Lawall-Bricker Building at 450-52 Northampton Street. In addition, on Ferry Street this firm owns the Sigman Building (345-47 Ferry Street) and Mack House (349 Ferry Street). [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.] June 2019
photo by Lydia E. Bruneo
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The Reel Queer Film Series offers LGBTQ themed films every month at the Bradbury-Sullivan Community Center in Allentown by Dawn Ouellette Nixon A good film has the power to shape a culture’s ideas and encourage positive change. A connection is made with the viewer as the film is experienced. Historically, the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community has been under-represented in films, reflecting their position in society as a marginalized minority. However, as the LGBTQ community grows proudly more open, this is beginning to change. When more LGBTQ stories are told in film, the LGBTQ community and society at large benefit. Acceptance grows. Laws change. For one night each month, the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown celebrates LGBTQ-oriented films and presents a free screening of an LGBTQ themed film as part of the center’s Reel Queer Film Series. The Reel Queer Film Series, begun in 2017, is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency that aims to broaden the availability of the arts throughout the commonwealth. The series celebrates the tradition of art-making by the LGBTQ community, according to Adrian Shanker, founder and executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center. Shanker explains that the films featured are mainly independent, art-house and documentary films. Recent screenings have included the films Naz & Maalik, a 2015 drama that centers on gay and black teens in New York City and Reaching for the Moon, a 2013 biographical drama that explores the love story of the American poet Elizabeth Bishop and the Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares. All Reel Queer Film Series screenings are free and open to the public. Shanker stresses that the films can be of interest to those who are not members of the LGBTQ community as well. “Come with an open mind and be interested in learning,” he says. Each film is followed by a 15 minute “Talk Back” by an invited guest, usually a local university professor, who discusses the theme of the movie with the audience. “It’s an interactive, engaging experience,” remarks Shanker. “This series provides an opportunity to celebrate the films of the LGBTQ community,” he adds, “and on top of that, to just see some great film making.” June’s featured film will be The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, a 2017 documentary on the mysterious death of the pioneering transgender activist. June 13 at 6:30 PM.
In addition to the film series, the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center serves the local LGBTQ community through many other arts and culture programs, leading-edge health programs, youth services, an annual pride festival and an informative training institute. For more information on the center and/or the Reel Queer Film Series, contact the Bradbury-Sullivan center at 610-347-9988 or visit online at www.bradburysullivancenter.org.
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June 2019
The Irregular 5
IRREGULAR BOOKSELF
with Carole J. Heffley, International Correspondent writing from “Like it’s another country”… North Carolina If it’s spring, can the heat of summer be far behind? NO, if you are living in North Carolina where we have seen long, long days already into the mid-90s. I ask: How long till winter? But in case you are heading for the shore and have vacation days to burn, here are a few really good books to take with. ****EDUCATED: A MEMOIR by Tara Westover, Random House ©2018, 352 pgs., hardcover This book has been on the NYT’s Best Seller list for months and book clubs all over the US have been snapping up copies. And for good reason: this novel is spell binding. Ms. Westover was raised by survivalist parents in a remote mountain region of Idaho. They are fundamental Mormons and way out on the fringe where dad is forever expecting the end of days, the end times, and the government to all come to his home at any moment to sweep them all away. He buries hundreds of gallons of gas on his property so they can survive when no one else will have fuel. Mom is busy canning jars upon jars by the hundreds for the same reasons when she is not out being an unlicensed midwife to the far-flung community of other survivalists. While dad preaches night after night to his captive audience and mom listens attentively in somewhat of a trance, these parents sure do have
6 The Irregular
strange ideas on the raising of their children. No public school education for the six children because the government is brainwashing school kids; furthermore, there is as little contact with the outside world as possible and this includes grandparents and other family members. Doctors and hospitals are suspect, too, of brainwashing the general public. The lack of medical care bears on chilling events throughout the book. The rant goes on and on. Dad sits and watches the clock tick down to midnight on December 31, 1999 when the world will stop as the millennium approaches, or so he believes. He sits there all night long until it is apparent that the world goes on spinning despite the change to Y2K. The family’s primary income (at various times) is the vast junkyard Dad keeps on his property. The kids are enlisted to work the junkyard on very dangerous equipment almost from the time they can walk. What could possibly go wrong in that scenario? Plenty! This is a story of how Tara and her siblings coped with their delusional parents told from her point of view. Educated is the ultimate reality show in book form and one that entertains while having its readers wondering if there are people like the Westovers all over the country. It’s a question worth thinking about. This book will entertain readers all through lazy vacation days. THE BARGAIN BOOK BIN *****NECTAR IN A SIEVE by Kamala Markandaya, Signet (reissue edition) ©2010, 224 pgs., paperback It’s not often that you can buy a week worth of entertainment for 25-cents. But before our trip to the shore, this is exactly what happened at our local library. I loved this story of India as it was changing from the old village ways to the new culture of industrialization and growth of cities. When this novel was first published (1954), it earned this high praise from The Saturday Evening Post: “Comparable in many ways to Cry, The Beloved Country…if anything, BETTER”. The book went on to sell over a million copies. In 2002, it was reprinted with a new forward. On Amazon.com where paperback copies are selling for as little as a dollar, an amazing number of reviewers said they read it a second time, first reading it as a teen or much younger person. Reviews were all kindly with words like “spellbinding”, “beautiful”, and advising that all women should read it. It earned a steady 4-star rating. The Associated Press stated that this novel “will wring your heart out” and that is the way I feel about this beautiful absorbing book that is so finely written that I felt I was taking a tour of India while reading it. Rukmani is 12 years old when we meet her. She is about to be married to a man who is a poor tenant farmer from another village. “A poor match” the townspeople had said but in Rukmani’s memory that is far from the case as she tells her story from her wedding day to her old age. What can people do without if they have love? This story struggles to answer that question and does so with grace and moments of joy taken from the misery of life in poor rural India. I was “CONSUMED” by this book and its brilliant imagery and unforgettable characters. If you are lucky enough to acquire a copy of Nectar In A Sieve, I guarantee you a summer read that you won’t soon forget.
June 2019
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Answers on page 9
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June 2019
The Irregular 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Banana Factory 25 W. 3rd Street Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300 Compendium Annual Juried Exhibition thru June 9, and You Belong Here: Maria Tina Beddia & Martha Rich thru June 9. Open Monday-Friday 8am-9:30pm, Saturday & Sunday 8:30am-5pm. bananafactory.org/ events/exhibitions Bethlehem House Gallery 459 Main Street Bethlehem, PA 610-419-6262 The Spring Show: Cody Abrachinsky, Ophir Agassi, Khalil Allaik, Marilyn J. Fox, Rhonda J. Snowaert & Kristen T. Woodward thru June 15. Open Monday-Thursday 11am-7pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-9pm & Sunday 12-7pm. bethlehemhousegallery.com
Allentown Art Museum 31 N. 5th Street, Allentown, PA 610-432-4333 Katagami: The Japanese Stencil thru July 28, Stephen Antonakos: The Room Chapel thru October 13, An Essential Presence: The Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African-American Art June 2-September 1, Deco After Dark: Evening Wear, 1920–1945 June 2-September 1, and Maker & Muse: Women and Early Twentieth Century Art Jewelry June 7-August 30. 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 Artwork by Peche Brown thru July 31. Open Tuesday-Saturday 8am-5pm & Sunday 8am-4pm. ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300 What is a Lemon? - Martha Rich Art Installation thru August 26, and ArtPop 2019 Winners Exhibition thru September 15. Open Monday-Wednesday 3:30-9pm, Thursday 4-11pm, Friday 4pm12am, Saturday 11am-12am, and Sunday 12-9pm. artsquest.org/arts
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center The Fine Art Galleries 522 W. Maple Street Allentown, PA 610-347-9988 The Long Road to LGBTQ+ Equality in PA thru July 1, and In Remembrance of Love: New and Recent Collages by Katy Molinaro thru July 1, reception June 6, 6-8pm. Open Monday-Fridays 10am-6pm & during programs/events. bradburysullivancenter.org/ galleries
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 Art as a Way of Learning
June 10-July 24, reception June 11, 6-7:30pm. Open Monday-Thursday 8am-10pm, Friday & Saturday 8am-5pm. northampton.edu/news/eventscalendar.htm 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 thru June 21. Open 90 minutes prior to most performances. statetheatre.org/gallery
The David E. Rodale and Rodale Family Galleries The Baum School of Art 510 Linden Street, Allentown, PA 610-433-0032 A Tribute to Polly Wood June 6-July 3, reception June 20, 6-8pm. Open Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday & Saturday 9am-3pm (closed Sat. as of June 11). baumschool.org
Brick + Mortar Gallery Silk Mill Complex, Unit 101 1247 Simon Boulevard Easton, PA colleen@ brickandmortargallery.com Print Riot June 7-8, and 5-UP June 22-July 27, reception June 22, 6-9pm. Open Friday & Saturday 12-6pm, Sunday 12-4pm & by appt. brickandmortargallery.com Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre 2400 Chew Street Allentown, PA 484-664-3333 Bring it On: The Musical June 13-30, Bohemia: A World Premiere All-Ages Circus Performance June 26Juny 27, and Anything Goes July 11-28. muhlenberg.edu/ summermusictheatre
Pennsylvania Playhouse 390 Illick’s Mill Road Bethlehem, PA 610-865-6665 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat thru June 16. paplayhouse.org Pines Dinner Theatre 448 N. 17th Street, Allentown, PA 610-433-2333 Rock Around the Clock thru July 7. pinesdinnertheatre.com
Civic Theatre of Allentown 527 N. 19th Street, Allentown, PA 610-432-8943 Constellations June 21-30. civictheatre.com
Bucks County Playhouse 70 S. Main Street, New Hope, PA 215-862-2121 Dial M For Murder thru June 15, and Mama Mia! June 28-August 3. bcptheater.org Country Gate Theatre 114 Greenwich Street, Belvidere, NJ 908-475-1104 Newsies July 13-21. countrygate.org Hunterdon Hills Playhouse 88 Route 173 West, Hampton, NJ 800-447-7313 Over the River and Through the Woods thru June 15, and Queens of Pure Country starring Josie Waverly June 18-21. hhplayhouse.com
8 The Irregular
Northampton Community College Summer Theatre Kopecek Hall 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem, PA 484-484-3412 In The Heights June 5-16, Falsettos June 19-30, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story July 3-14, The Perfect Dog July 10-August 3, and Jesus Christ Superstar July 24-August 4. ncctix.org June 2019
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Thursday 6-8pm, Saturday 10am12pm & by appt.
Sigal Museum Northampton Historical & Genealogical Society 342 Northampton Street Easton, PA 610-253-1222 The Cat’s Meow: Lehigh Valley in the Age of Art Deco & the Roaring Twenties thru July 29. Open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-4pm (Fourth Fridays till 9pm) & Sunday 12-4pm. sigalmuseum.org
Ronald K. De Long Gallery Penn State Lehigh Valley 2809 Saucon Valley Road Center Valley, PA 610-285-5261 2019 Bethlehem Palette Club All Member Exhibition thru July 27. Open MondayThursday 11am-5pm, Friday 11am-3pm & Saturday 10am2pm. lehighvalley.psu.edu/ ronald-k-de-long-gallery Rotunda Gallery at City Hall 10 E. Church Street Bethlehem, PA 610-398-1451 David Lee: Watercolors thru June 18, and 5TH Biennial Invitational Self-Portrait Exhibit June 23-August 8, reception June 23, 2-4pm. Open Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. bfac-lv.org
Connexions Gallery 213 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 610-250-7627 Doug Boehm: Green Things & Monster Kings thru June 30, artist talk June 23, 2pm. Open Monday 12-5pm, Thursday 12-7pm, Friday 12-8pm, Saturday 11am-8pm & Sunday 12-6pm. connexionsgallery.com 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.
Hunterdon Art Museum 7 Lower Center Street Clinton, NJ 908-735-8415 Transformed: Paper in Dimension thru September 1. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11am5pm. hunterdonartmuseum.org
Forks Area Art Society Cottage in the Woods 700 Zucksville Road Easton, PA 610-250-2260 2019 FAAS Member Juried Art Show thru June 16. Open Sunday 2-4pm & by appt. forksart.org
IF Museum/Academy 107 N. 4th Street, Easton, PA 610-258-0777 Sasha Meret: Meta-Mythical Fusions. Open Fourth Friday 5-9 and by appt. facebook.com/ IFMuseumAcademy
Gallery at St. John’s 330 Ferry Street, Easton, PA 610-258-6119 Radiate Happiness: Artists from VIA of Bethlehem thru June 30. Open Sunday 12-3pm & by appt. stjohnseaston.org/ ministries/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
Shawnee Playhouse River Road, Shawnee-On-Delaware, PA 570-421-5093 School House Rock Live! JR. June 1- 22, Flipping Broadway June 7-8, The Amish Project June 9-July 20, Guys and Dolls June 14July 7, Summer Cabaret I June 27, and Disney’s Aladdin JR. June 28-July 20. theshawneeplayhouse.com
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival DeSales University 2755 Station Avenue Center Valley, PA 610-282-9455 The Adventures of Robin Hood and Maid Marian thru August 3, Crazy For You June 12-30, and The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful June 20-July 14. pashakespeare.org
SmARTivities Showcase 60 Centre Square, Easton, PA 484-544-3954 Linda Scharck: Retro Collage June 8-30, reception June 8,46pm, and various artists and working studios on display. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm & Sunday 12-5pm. smARTivities.net
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
Nurture Nature Center 518 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 610-253-4432 A Natural Selection: Plant Life in Print, Alaskan Journey: Artists Respond to Climate Change, and Living Witnesses: Drawings by Rob Christopher thru June 20. Open Wednesday 12-4pm, Thursday 6-9pm, Saturday 12-4pm & by appt. nurturenaturecenter.org
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 Nazareth Center for the Arts 30 Belvidere Street Nazareth, PA 610-614-0404 Plein Air in Nazareth coordinated by Lehigh Art Alliance June 9-27, reception June 9, 2-4pm. Open Star of the Day 139 N. 4th Stree Emmaus, PA 484-809-9228 Freaky Friday: A New Musical June 21-23 at Salisbury High School, 500 E. Montgomery St., Allentown. staroftheday.org State Theatre Center for the Arts 453 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 800-999-STATE Boz Scaggs: Out Of The Blues Tour June 21, and Tiffany Jenkins: This Show Is Awkward AF June 22. statetheatre.org
Crossword Answers (Puzzle on page 7)
©2019 Satori Publishing
Touchstone Theatre 321 E. 4th Street Bethlehem, PA 610-867-1689 Fresh Voices June 7-8. touchstone.org Zoellner Arts Center Lehigh University 420 E. Packer Avenue Bethlehem, PA 610-758-2787 x0 Miss Autumn’s Dance Class Presents: Nemo the Ballet June 22-23. zoellner.cas2.lehigh.edu
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June 2019
The Irregular 9
ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS
Renowned illustrators bring their skills to Banana Factory Summer Camps by Dawn Ouellette Nixon Artists Cotty Kilbanks and Jonathan Herzog are both looking forward to working on a little something extra this summer. As featured guest artists for ArtsQuest Summer Kids’ Camps at the Banana Factory, Kilbanks, an animator at the top of her industry, and Herzog, a passionate comic book artist, will share their knowledge and skills with campers at the art center’s SouthSide Bethlehem campus. Kilbanks, who has years of experience working for such titans of the animation industry as Disney and Warner Bros., will lead camps for pre-teens and teens on graphic novels (July 8-12), storyboarding (July 22-26) and cartooning and anime drawing (August 19-23). Throughout her career, she has created for such wildly popular television shows as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rocco’s Modern Life and South Park. “I’ve loved to draw since I was very young,” she says. “I grew up on Disney movies and was fascinated and inspired by the tradition of animation.” After growing that love into a successful career, Kilbanks took pause and moved back to the Lehigh Valley to be closer to family. However, she continues to be immersed in animation, working on her own projects. “I enjoy working for myself and being free of the pressure of weekly deadlines,” she remarks. Kilbanks is thrilled to be teaching classes not just at the Banana Factory, but at her own art studio on Washington Street in Easton. “I have been blessed with talent and I love to share what I know,” she says. For Herzog, growing up engaged in the internet and watching cartoons on television imprinted in him a love for both illustration and animation. “I think artists like myself, from my generation, want to create an idealized version of the animation we loved as a child,” he comments. From comics to cartoon pilots, Herzog has contributed to numerous works as a freelance illustrator, cartoonist and story artist. He will lead Teen Cartoon Character Design camp (June 24-28), which teaches digital drawing skills on the iPad Pro and Procreate app. “I’m looking forward not just to helping the teens discover their own new ideas,” he says, “but to put a new spin on existing ideas.” Herzog credits his time as a teen counselor at a Jewish summer camp with introducing him to working with youth. Teaching young people has become something he truly enjoys and believes in. “The teen demographic will be a lot of fun to work with at the Banana Factory summer camp,” he says. “It’s great to be able to help foster something in them that can be a hobby that they enjoy for their whole life.” To learn more or register for Herzog or Kilbanks’ camps at the Banana Factory, visit bananafactory.org/classes/summer-camps. Ilustrations by Cotty Kilbanks. courtesy of the Banana Factory
10 The Irregular
June 2019
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IRREGULAR BEATS
Bakithi Kumalo’s Rewarding Life of Playing The Bass article and photo by Janene Otten The path on life’s journey is dotted with landmarks that shape our lives that may seem unremarkable at times. Sharing our gifts and talents yields remarkable rewards. Music has the power to do this. It is a bridge between cultures and a touchstone for those that embrace it. One remarkable story belongs to bassist Bakithi Kumalo. Bakithi and I talked about the turning points in his life that led him to the Lehigh Valley. Bakithi found solid footing on his journey when he was asked by prolific musician and storyteller Paul Simon to join him in recording his watershed solo album Graceland in the fall of 1985. That was the moment when, Bakithi says, the path he had been traveling led him to a destination that he had only previously imagined. Born May 10, 1956 in the Soweto township of Johannesburg, South Africa, Bakithi just celebrated his sixty-third birthday. Fifty-six years ago, he first played bass publicly with his uncle in South Africa. “From the house where I was born, my uncle played saxophone. My mother and my grandmother were church people and they were singing all the time. So, there was music. And the street people, every weekend, would dress up in colorful clothes. They hit the drums, voices all singing and I’m thinking ‘wow, this is cool’. Then there are other times when people, they run away because there are government problems. People are getting shot, then tear gas, rubber bullets and all kinds of stuff. For me I said, just stay safe every day. Find the instrument. I just loved the music. Music keeps calling me.” Bakithi’s calling to play music was not without some challenges. Growing up in apartheid South Africa was difficult but he continued to persevere. He knew that if he could stay with the bass it could be his way out. After being invited to play in studios as early as age 15, he embraced a wide range of musical traditions, from Zululand to Motown. Bakithi applied his African style of bass playing to some other styles. His break came when American songwriting icon Paul Simon had heard recordings of music from South Africa, liked them and wanted to work with the musicians. Bakithi didn’t know who Paul Simon was but when South African producer Hendrick Lebone sung a few lines from Simon’s song “Mother and Child Reunion”, he recognized it. Lebone told Bakithi that Simon was “...looking for a bass player and I think you’re the guy for the music.” Bakithi recalls, “This is an opportunity but what do I do with it? Because now I can’t speak the language. I’m not sure if this is real or not but at the same time I thought, you know what? There’s always a hope and if you do the right thing, you’re not nervous, you might end up somewhere. And I did that. I had to replace everybody’s bass part. Paul was like, ‘Man, we like your sound. You stay.’ And I took chances. Working for Paul taught me how to be disciplined, to not be too loud, to mix tone. Those things I learn as I go. Paul, he writes the lyrics.” As a musician Bakithi knows that “ . . . when you’re playing your part, it’s gonna go to people’s heart. Not just because it’s a good part but my bass playing will grip the heart. It was amazing to do that without really thinking too much. Without being educated to do that . . . It’s not about where you’re born,” remarks Bakithi, “it’s about where you’re going. I don’t care where I go. Wherever I end up, that’s where I’m
Award winning bassist Bakithi Kumalo.
gonna make my life because maybe that’s what I was sent to be here to do.” He is still going all over the world to play but has settled into his life in the Lehigh Valley. One of his daughters attends college here so they moved from New York. Bakhiti explains, “This is not a hectic place to be. I’ve never been as relaxed as I am here. It’s amazing and I feel really grateful to be here. I like the musicians I’ve met, the places to play like Sands Event Center and Musikfest. There are opportunities to play everywhere.” Discussing his family, specifically raising his two daughters, he recalls the influence of great leaders like his fellow South African and friend Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. He feels responsible to pass their message on to the next generation. “Musicians, we are telling the stories because we don’t have a voice like that, I can’t stand there like Nelson Mandela or Dr. King, the greatest to stand in front of the microphone and say yes, this is what’s going on. All the great leaders [are] doing that. I just play the bass. I believe I was given this to pass this message to my kids. I won trophies and gold. It’s not about me. It’s about the younger generation; to say look, I did this. You can do this and be better than me . . . Life is about understanding the song.” Bakithi Kumalo is available for speaking engagements and music mentorship. Learn more at www.bkumalobass.com.
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June 2019
The Irregular 11
GARDENING Tea Garden
article and photos by Pam Ruch It wasn’t my idea to grow a tea garden at Morven, the historic property in Princeton, New Jersey that I’ve been tending for nearly twenty years. But when my assistant suggested it, I went along. Why not, I thought. If it doesn’t work out we’ll take it out next year. So we did the necessary research and made planting the garden a project for our summer interns, a group of eight young men and women from Isles Youth Institute, a Trenton-based organization that helps out-of-school youths achieve life skills. When they completed it they felt an enormous satisfaction, and showed the maturing garden off to friends and visitors as it grew. That was three years ago. The garden has fostered some tasty experiments and several events and workshops. It has also inspired me to grow a container tea garden at the Nurture Nature Center in Easton. Flavor, Scent, Relaxation, and Other Benefits Look up the benefits of herbal teas, and you’ll discover that they can do just about everything, from boosting the immune system to stimulating brain function. While these claims may depend on the particular leaves, flowers, and roots you brew and how you brew them, I can attest to one benefit that is true across the board. A cup of tea will slow you down—something we all need in this frenzied world. Weekly tea times have brought our Thursday morning volunteer crew together into a cohesive, better functioning unit. I purchased a large electric kettle, and scavenged a couple of teapots—my favorite for this purpose has a built-in strainer in the form of holes inside the ceramic spout. Each week when we complete our gardening tasks I pinch some shoots from one or more plants, place them in the teapot, and pour boiling water over the fresh green leaves. If the weather is hot, we add ice. Hyssop has a mild anise flavor; lemon verbena is light and sweet but not sugary; lemon balm has a more complex lemon flavor. Mint is minty; chamomile is soft and soothing; holy basil is indescribable. We connect over the fresh flavors and the shared experience. We learn something of each other. This quiet way of engaging the senses enriches an already satisfying experience. Four Essential Plants for the Tea Garden All of the plants mentioned above are easy to grow. The choices I made for the Nurture Nature garden are among the easiest, and the most flavorful. My number one plant for a tea garden is holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), also known as tulsi, a plant that has been hailed for its medicinal properties since ancient
12 The Irregular
Cup of tea.
times. Hindus regard it as the earthly manifestation of the goddess Tulsi and revere every part of the plant. I grow it for its pleasing taste. It is easier to grow even than typical culinary basil. Simply scatter seeds in a spot that gets full sun once night temperatures are consistently above 50°F. The plants grow two to three feet tall, have furry graygreen leaves and produce spikes of small pink flowers that attract lots of pollinators.
Anise hyssop is a bold and beautiful garden plant, beloved by bees, and flavorful in teas.
June 2019
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Gardening Tea Garden
Holy basil self–sows prolifically; you can collect seed at the end of the season and share them, or scatter them elsewhere in the garden. Second on my list is another easy grower, anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). This too can be started from seed directly in the garden, or you can start it indoors in early April if you want earlier blooms. Its beautiful purple flower spikes can top three feet, so give it space. It often comes back a second year and, like holy basil, self-sows, though not to an annoying degree. If I have limited space and need to choose just one of the lemon flavored herbs— which include lemon thyme, lemon balm, lemon grass, lemon verbena, and lemon basil—I choose lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla). It grows as a shrub in South America; here, it dies at the first frost. It’s best to buy a small plant and grow it where it will get full sun and consistently good drainage. It you grow it in a large container (where it can reach three feet in height), you have the option of moving it indoors for the winter and enjoying lemon tea through the winter. And mint, of course, is a must for tea lovers. Beware of its running roots, however. To avoid the considerable time and trouble it takes to extract the rampant runners from the neighboring garden every year, plant it where its spread will be halted—by a sidewalk or driveway for example—or in a large pot. There are many kinds of mint, including spearmint, pineapple mint, and even chocolate mint. But I prefer good old-fashioned peppermint. A tea garden can contribute another layer of pleasure to the trove of delights that defines gardening. It prompts you to pause and appreciate. It allows you to offer an easy gift, a sharing moment, to others. The plants’ healing properties, whatever they might be, are an added bonus. Horticulturist and writer Pam Ruch, caretaker of the Nurture Nature Center Urban Recycle Garden, tends gardens in the Lehigh Valley and Princeton, NJ, and speaks about gardening and nature topics.
Add lemon verbena leaves to any tea for a sweet lemony flavor.
This very deep container keeps peppermint in bounds at the Nurture Nature Center garden in Easton. Call 610-258-4330 to advertise
June 2019
The Irregular 13
IRREGULAR EVENTS Community: Every Thur. 10am-2pm: Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room. NCC Educational Center, 25 S. 3rd St., Easton. Info: 610-332-6405, 610-253-8271, copsnkidseaston@gmail.com, copsnkidseaston.org Every Thurs. 2pm-5pm June 20-Aug. 15: Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room Oh the Places You’ll Go! Children’s story and craft linked to a different country each week + free books (story & craft 3-4pm). Easton Community Center, 901 Washington St. (9th St. entrance), Easton. Info: 610-332-6405, 610-253-8271, 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 June 9: For the Animals Block Party and Fundraiser. 11am-5pm. Walnut St. between Ferry & 7th Sts., Easton. Vegan food, vendors, DJ, live music, speakers, 50/50 drawing and raffle; pet/kid friendly. Info: lehighvalleyanimalsave@gmail. com, fortheanimalsblockpartyandfund.godaddysites.com June 10: Emergency Action Plan & Preparedness. 9-11am, reg. req. Nazareth Senior Center, 5 Wood St., Nazareth. Info: 610-759-8255 June 10-20: New Choices Program at NCC free career transition classes. Mon. Thur. 9:30am-12:30pm, reg. req. NCC’s Fowler Family Southside Center, 511 E. 3rd St., Bethlehem. Info: Jane Pennington 610-332-6560, jpennington@ northampton.edu June 11: Incident Prevention & Loss Recovery for Seniors. 10am-12pm, reg. req. Easton Community Center, 901 Washington St., Easton. Info: 610-253-8271 June 17: Rev. Dr. Greg Edwards on Christian White Supremacy. 7pm. Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley, 1404 Greenview Dr., Bethlehem. Info: 610-866-8223, facebook.com/mcclehigh June 18 & 27: Heartsaver First Aid & CPR Hands-Only. 10am-12pm, reg. req. Easton Community Center, 901 Washington St., Easton. Info: 610-253-8271 June 20: Destination Arts: Third Thursday. 5-8pm. Multiple Art Venues in Downtown Allentown. Info: 610-751-4929, downtownallentown.com June 24: Heartsaver First Aid & CPR Hands-Only. 9-11am, reg. req. Nazareth Senior Center, 5 Wood St., Nazareth. Info: 610-759-8255 June 27: Incident Prevention & Loss Recovery for Seniors. 9-11am, reg. req. Nazareth Senior Center, 5 Wood St., Nazareth. Info: 610-759-8255 June 28: Easton Out Loud Fourth Fridays: Back to the Beach. 5-9pm. Downtown Easton. Info: 610-250-6533, eastonoutloud.com
Live Music: Every Thur. 6-8pm: Tunes at Twilight (June 6: The Groove Merchants, June 13: The James Supra Band with Sarah Ayers, June 20: Scott Marshall & the Hillbilly Souls, June 27: GirlCrue). Sun Inn Courtyard, 564 Main St., Bethlehem. Info: 484-280-3024, getdowntownbethlehem.com Every Sun. 6-8pm: Meuser Park Summer Concert Series (June 2: Riverside Rhythm, June 9: Hackettstown Community Bank, June 16: Tower Suite and Friends, June 23: The Dave Neith Orchestra, June 30: Caribbean Steel Rhythms). 22nd & Northampton Sts., Wilson Borough. Info: 610-258-3040 June 14: Live at the Falls: We May Be Right: Billy Joel Tribute. 5:30-9pm. Scott Park, Larry Holmes Dr., Easton. Info: liveatthefalls.com June 15: Sing for America featuring the Gilbert Family. 6-8pm. 22nd & Northampton Sts., Wilson Borough. Info: 610-258-3040
History & Nature: Delaware Canal State Park 11 Lodi Hill Rd., Upper Black Eddy, PA 610-982-5560, events.dcnr.pa.gov/delaware_canal_state_park June 8: Pedal & Paddle. 10:30am-3pm, $20/reg. req. Prallsville Mills, 33 Risler St., Stockton, NJ. Info: 215-862-2924 June 16: Full Moon Paddle. 8-10pm, $10/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 June 20: Summer Solstice Cruise. 6:30-8:30pm. Keller’s Landing, 1469 River Rd., Upper Black Eddy. Info: 215-862-2021 Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center 400 Belfast Road, Nazareth, PA 610-746-2801, jacobsburgsp@pa.gov, dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/ JacobsburgEnvironmentalEducationCenter June 8: National Get Outdoors Day at Jacobsburg: Volunteer projects. 9am-12pm June 8: Wildflower Folklore. 9:30-11:30am June 8: Foraging for Wild Edibles. 1-3pm June 12: Weekly Weeders. 9-10am June 12: Hike for Health with a St. Luke’s University health professional. 5:30-7pm Moravian Historical Society 214 E. Center Street, Nazareth, PA 610-759-5070, moravianhistory.org Thru June 30: Fiber and Fellowship: The Homespun History of Moravian Textiles June 8: 41st Annual Arts & Crafts Festival. 9am-3pm June 8: Historic Nazareth Walking Tour. 4-5pm 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. June 21: Easton Star Party. 8:30-10:30pm. Scott Park, Larry Holmes Dr., Easton. June 28: Presentation and reception for The Tribes and Ecosystems of Colombia: a Microcosm of Our World with artist Vannessa Circe and scientist Daniel Henryk Rasolt. 6-9pm PennState Extension Northampton County 14 Gracedale Avenue, Nazareth, 610-813-6613, NorthamptonExt@psu.edu, extension.psu.edu/northampton-county June 22: Rain Barrel Workshop. 10-11am/$45. Wayne A. Grube Memorial Park, Pavillion 3 1200 Willowbrook Rd., Northampton. July 3: Landscape Pest Identification Walk. 12-3pm/$20. Lehigh County Agricultural Center, 4184 Dorney Park Rd., Allentown. Sigal Museum (NCHGS) 342 Northampton St., Easton, PA 610-253-1222, sigalmuseum.org June 1, 8, 15: Bachmann Players present Easton 1777, John Adams and his thoughts on Government. June 1 & 8, 6pm/$60, June 15, 2pm/$25. Bachmann Publick House, 169 Northampton St., Easton. June 5: Lunch & Learn: Juneteenth with scholar Charles Dickerson. 12:30-1:30pm/$5, $12 w/lunch June 9: Atlas Obscura: Learning from the Lenape Nations. 12-1:30 & 2-3:30pm/$25. Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania Cultural Center, 169 Northampton St., Easton. June 19: B.Y.O.B. - Bring Your Own Baby Tour. 10am, $15 (receive $10 Easton Public Market tokens) 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
June 2019
SUPOORT YOUR COMMUNITY. BUY LOCAL. Call 610-258-4330 to advertise
AT THE LIBRARIES Allentown Public Library 1210 Hamilton Street • Allentown 610-820-2400 • allentownpl.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9-9, Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5, Closed Sun. 1st & 3rd Wed.: Socrates Café. 10:30am-12pm June 3: (in)Sight Film Series. 6:30-8pm June 15: Block Party. 11am-3pm Bethlehem Area Public Library (Main Branch) 11 W. Church Street • Bethlehem 610-867-3761 • bapl.org Hours: Mon.-Wed. 9-8, Thur.-Fri. 9-6, Sat. 10-5, Closed Sun. Every Wed.: Gentle Yoga. 12-1:15pm. reg. req. June 7: Friday Morning Fiction Book Group: The Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver. 10-11:45am June 8: SummerQuest 2019 Kick-Off Event for all ages. 1-2pm June 8: Tales From the Iditarod with Walt and Janet Tremer. 2-4:30pm June 14: Teen Coffee and Coloring (grades 6-12). 2-3pm June 18: Family Fun Night: Sciencetellers “Aliens escape from earth”. 6:30-7:30pm June 21: Friday Morning Mystery Book Group: The Darkness by Ragnor Jonasson. 10-11:45am June 22: BAPL Presents: Film’s Best Friend - Cave of the Yellow Dog. 2-4pm June 25: Teen Fantasy Author Devon Taylor Appearance. 1-2pm June 25: Family Fun Night: One Man, One Dog-John Hadfield and his piano playing dog. 6:30-7:30pm June 29: Family DIY STEM. 11am-4pm June 29: Adult Chess Club. 1-3pm Bethlehem Area Public Library (South Side Branch) 400 Webster Street • Bethlehem 610-867-7852 • bapl.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 11-8, Sat. 12-4, Closed Fri. & Sun. June 6: Gardening Series: Composting. 6:30-7:30pm June 13: How Great Science Fiction Works: Utopian Dreams and Dystopian Nightmares. 6-7pm June 15: D.I.Y. Saturday Sessions: Galaxy Canvas Art. 1-2:20pm June 17: Tell Your Story with Microsoft Word: Lesson 1. 6-7:30pm June 20: Astrology, Myths and Personal Growth. 6-7:30pm June 24: Tell Your Story with Microsoft Word: Lesson 2. 6-7:30pm Easton Area Public Library (Downtown Branch) 515 Church Street • Easton 610-258-2917 • eastonpl.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9-9, Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5, Closed Sun. 1st & 3rd Mon.: Quilting Club. 6-8pm June 8: Summer Reading Kickoff with Grins & Grins. 10:30-11:15am June 15: Gypsy Fire: Pianists Matthew Harrison and Vlada Yaneva of Masterwork Conversations. 1pm June 26: Non-fiction Book Group. 7pm Easton Area Public Library (Palmer Branch) 1 Weller Place • Easton 610-258-7492 • eastonpl.org Hours: Mon. 9-5, Tues.-Thur. 9-7, Fri.-Sat. 9-5, 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.: The Writers Café. 7-9pm. Info: glvwg. vebmeister@gmail.com June 19: Forever Young Adult Book Group: Reader’s Choice. 6-7pm June 20: True Crime Library Book Group: Amanda Knox. 6-7pm June 25: Adult Book Group: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. 6-7:30pm Hellertown Area Library 409 Constitution Avenue • Hellertown 610-838-8381 • hellertownlibrary.org Hours: Mon. & Wed. 10-8, Tues. & Thur. 10-6, Sat. 9-4, Closed Sun. June 8: Mosaic Work Day. 10am-12pm June 10: Monday Book Club: Make your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven. 1-2pm June 10: Cosmic Coloring for Adults. 2-4pm June 12: Dad and Me Game Night. 6:30-7:30pm June 13: Teen/Tween Galaxy Jar Craft. 1-2pm June 24: Adult Craft Night: Make Galaxy Glasses. 6:307:30pm June 26: Father Daughter Book Club. 6:30-7:30pm June 27: Algae Pool Party Science Demonstration. 11:30am June 27: Outer Space Movie Afternoon: Ender’s Game. 1-2pm June 28: Camp Out/Camp In. 7pm-9am Mary Meuser Memorial Library 1803 Northampton Street • Wilson Borough 610-258-3040 • meuserlib.org Hours: Tues.-Thur. 9:45-8, Fri. 9:45-5, Sat. 9-4, Closed Sun. & Mon. 1st Tues. : Open Mic Nights. 6:30-8pm June 18: Meuser Book Club. 2-4pm Memorial Library of Nazareth & Vicinity 295 E. Center Street • Nazareth 610-759-4932 • nazarethlibrary.org Hours: Mon. 10-5, Tues.-Thur. 10-8, Fri. 10-5, Sat. 9-4, Closed Sun. June 4: Brainy Bibliophiles: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. 6:30-7:30pm June 6-8: Friends of the Library Book Sale. June 12: Stories and Crafts. 6:30-7:15pm, reg. req. June 19: Summer Reading Kickoff. 6:30-7:30pm June 25: Fly Me to the Moon with speaker Peter Kern. 6:307:30pm, reg. req. Northampton Area Public Library 1615 Laubach Avenue • Northampton 610-262-7537 • northamptonapl.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9-8, Sat. 9-4, Closed Fri. & Sun. 2nd Tues.: Crochet Club. 6-7pm June 12: When Your Kids Don’t Want Your Stuff with Jill Kearney of Senior Moves by Design. 1:30-2:30pm June 13 & 18: Medicare & Social Security Workshop with Oak Tree Advisors. 12-1pm June 17: Recipe Swap - International & Regional Foods. 6-7pm June 20: Zoo to You: LV Zoo comes to the library. 6-7pm June 26: Stranger Things Escape Room for Adults. 6-7pm June 26: Book Discussion: Humboldt’s Gift. 6:30-7:30pm
June 1-June 8: Used Book Sale. 9am-4pm June 18: Tea & Titles Book Discussion: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. 7pm Phillipsburg Free Public Library 200 Broubalow Way • Phillipsburg 908-454-3712 • pburglib.org Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9:30-8, Fri.-Sat. 9:30-5, Closed Sun. Every Fri.: Pinochle Club. 12:30pm June 4: Spring Nutrition Series: The Truth about Nutrition – Sugar and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners. 6:30pm June 5: How to Find Your Inner Peace. 6pm June 10: Laughter Yoga. 12 & 7pm June 10 & 24: PFPL Writers Group. 6pm June 11: Classic Book Club: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. 7pm June 18: Yarn Crafts Group. 5:30pm June 19: Book Forum. 1:30pm June 19: Arts Experience: Printmaking. 6pm June 20: Film Screening: Boy Erased. 7pm June 25: Adult Summer Reading Event: Discovering New Planets and the Search for Life in the Universe. 6:30pm June 26: Happy Bookers Discussion Group: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. 7pm Warren County Library (Southwest Branch) 404 Route 519 • Phillipsburg 908-689-7922 • warrenlib.org/southwest Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9-9, Fri. 9-6, Sat. 10-4, Closed Sun. June 6: Job Seeking Assistance Session. 1-2pm, reg. req. June 8: Creative Bird Photography with Nature Photographer Ray Hennessy. 1-2pm, reg. req. June 12 & 26: Creatively Concise Short Story Club. 7-8pm June 14: Friday STEAM: Leather Stamped Key Chains. 4:305:30pm, reg. req. June 15: Adult Craft: Americana Coasters. 11am-12:30pm June 15: Workshop for Job Seekers: How to Create a Compelling Cover Letter. 1-2:45pm, reg. req. June 18: The Page Turners Book Club: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. 1:30-3pm June 19: Evening Readers Book Club: Still Life by Louise Penny. 7-8:30pm June 20: Q&A Session for Job Seekers. 2-3pm, reg. req. June 22: Fix It Meet Up. 1-3pm, reg. req. June 24: Monday Night Movie: October Sky. 6-8pm, reg. req. June 26: Super Fun Bubble Time: Currier’s Magical Mania. 6:30-7:30pm, reg. req. June 27: Resume Review Session.11am-12pm, reg. req.
Riegelsville Public Library 615 Easton Road (Rt. 611) • Riegelsville 610-749-2357 • riegelsvillelibrary.info Hours: Tues. & Thur. 9-7, Wed. 10-4, Sat. 9-3 & Closed Sun. 3rd Sat.: Saturday Stitchers. 1-2:30pm
BUY LOCAL. Call 610-258-4330 to advertise
June 2019
The Irregular 15
Irregular Eats Daddy’s Place . . . Mommy’s Kitchen! by Carole J. Heffley Twelve years have gone by since Jim and I pulled up stakes, loaded the wagon and headed south to North Carolina. In the intervening time, dozens of restaurants have opened (and closed) in Easton but only one of those has earned continuous praise . . . Daddy’s Place at 650 Northampton Street in the old Northampton Plate Glass Building. No wonder when I visited Easton in May and teamed up once again with my old dining review partner in crime, Gene Palmiter, and asked where we should go for a fun review, he said DADDY’S PLACE without hesitation. Every person I know has sung the praises of Daddy’s Place and I was eager to see for myself what I had been missing. I was not disappointed. So, on a warm May evening, Gene and I drove into the attractive parking lot and I stared at the even more attractive restaurant that had replaced the old business I was accustomed to seeing. Bright and shiny, Daddy’s Place is an upscale sophisticated eatery with down scale prices on its menu. Here are the wonderful foods I had been craving. If there is something I have missed in North Carolina (besides all our wonderful friends of yore) it’s the lack of both good Middle Eastern and Italian foods. It just doesn’t exist south of the Mason-Dixon line it seems. I had to pause a moment to take in the gleaming cases that (reputedly) hold over a thousand brands of beer plus wines, etc. A stunning new bar is the focal point of the second room where happy diners had gathered. Gene and I opted for the barroom away from the crowd enjoying their dinners in the main dining room. This is a homey place. It is comfortable and it is friendly. Above all, Daddy’s Place is relaxing and Easton-down-home. But we had work to do. Looking over the menu for the most variety we could eat and report on, we selected Daddy’s Special Platter with trepidation. It seemed so BIG, but we were not really prepared for how BIG this platter is. This three-course dinner for two is easily enough for three, at least! Oh the joy!! The first plate consisted of my favorite hummus, baba ghannouj, labne, wonderful grapeleaves and falafel. I was in heaven as Gene promptly lapsed into photo-mode and captured all the lusciousness in pictures. Oh, and not to mention that the salad first served was big enough for a whole “HERD” of rabbits. I do not remember when I last saw salad plates so huge. (I am ashamed to say that I skipped right past the salad to concentrate on the
photos by Gene Palmiter
flavors I had been missing all these years from the dishes of hummus, etc. I was so happy!! For our second plate we decided to have half and half portions of fatoush and tabouli. Wonderful!!! But on to the third and final plate, the main event, the prime course of grilled beef, chicken, kafta and lamb (lovely succulent lamb, oh my!!!) and a big bowl of rice topped with almonds. I know someone who stops in to Daddy’s place frequently just for a take-out dish of the rice alone!! I would definitely be doing that too if I were still in Easton. This rice is unlike any I have ever had and if I could, I would fill a pool with it and swim in it!!! It is so good. The accompanying grilled vegetables were colorful, in abundance, and delicious in their own right. Have Gene and I lost it or what??? That was the question as we pondered dessert. Should we or shouldn’t we? By now the table was filled with empty serving dishes, our plates, drinks, etc. But we had to, we owed it to you, our readers to go the extra mile to order dessert even though our brains (and stomachs) were protesting after such a big and filling dinner. “Bring on the dessert menu,” we asked our lovely waitress Bettina. And she did. What to order with such a choice of delectable offerings? We settled, after much discussion, on the Ward A Sham which Bettina had described as baklava on steroids. She was right! I heartedly recommend you try this king of desserts. This is a luscious concoction of phyllo dough, crème, nuts and all things yummy. It will make you forget every dessert you have ever had! (Sigh! The memory of that dessert has stayed with me through the month back in NC and ALAS!, it is not to be found here.) Yeah, we still have it! When and if I get back to Easton again, Gene and I will once again ride into the sunset up Northampton Street, but, first, stop at Daddy’s Place before shouting Hi Yo Silver, Awaaaaay!!!
Daddy’s Place is open Sunday 1 to 8 P.M., Closed Monday, and Tuesday to Saturday 11 A.M. to 9 P.M. For their menu and prices visit daddysplaceeaston.com.
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The Irregular
June 2019
Call 610-258-4330 to advertise