october 2019 FREE
The Easton Book Festival logo was designed by Nere Kapiteni.
Book It to the Next Great Easton Festival by Christine Lake Easton has become very well known for its festivals. There are the food festivals: Strawberry Festival, Tomato Fest, Chile Pepper Fest, Easton VegFest, the Clam Jam, Garlic Fest and PA Bacon Fest. Easton’s arts and cultural festivals include the Riverside Festival of the Arts, Hispanic Cultural Festival, Lebanese Heritage Days, and of course Heritage Day. But some local authors, business owners, and book lovers are counting on the fact that Easton is nowhere near festival-ed out, and will host the first annual Easton Book Festival throughout the city October 25 through October 27.
The idea for an Easton book festival has been bouncing around the city for quite some time. “When I came to Easton in 2017, I thought that this just looked like a place that should have a book festival,” says Andy Laties, co-owner of Book & Puppet Company. “I mentioned it to State Representative Robert Freeman and he’d been saying the same thing for about 15 years. So the thought had been there.” That year, there were a series of meetings about a book festival that included Laties and Book & Puppet co-owner Rebecca Migdal, plus representatives from the Greater Easton Development Partnership, the Sigal continued on page 2
DOWNTOWN EASTON’S BEST KEPT SECRET by Christine Lake If you ask almost anyone, resident or not, about what to do in Downtown Easton, you’ll hear a lot of answers that focus on Northampton Street and specifically Centre Square aka “The Circle”. But venture just a block toward the Free Bridge and you’ll stumble across one of the city’s hidden treasures. The business owners of 2nd Street have planned some special events for the month of October to entice you to visit and see all that they have to offer. The businesses on 2nd Street are an interesting mix. There is the AusetGypsy Metaphysical Emporium at 15 S. 2nd Street. Owner James Jacob Pierri began his early career as a Fortune Teller, and he and his shop have evolved to include tarot, astrology, palmistry, meditation and spell candles, hand crafted top hats and more ways to experience a Bohemian metaphysical lifestyle. continued on page 3
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Artistic Endeavors page 10
Gardening page 13 AusetGypsy Metaphysical Emporium at 15 S. 2nd Street in downtown Easton. photos courtesy of James Pierri
October 2019
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Book It to the Next Great Easton Festival continued from page 1
Lydia E. Bruneo Publisher & Editor
Museum and others, but it was determined that there just wasn’t the infrastructure in place to bring the festival into being. “All of these current festivals, they sort of live where they started,” Laties explains. “Bacon Fest is run by the GEDP, Garlic Fest is with the Quadrant Book Mart & Coffee House, Riverside Festival of the Arts is put on by Arts Community of Easton, and it goes on. So the organizations felt that they couldn’t take on a new endeavor.” So Laties and Migdal eventually gathered a group of like-minded individuals and took the next step, creating a non-profit group called the Easton Book Festival. An organizational meeting was held in April 2019 with about 30 participants, and planning for Easton’s first literary-focused festival began in earnest. That planning has paid off in the form of a wide-ranging and fully loaded three days. There are about 175 authors from around the country participating in the festival, and many are local authors (within about an hour of the Lehigh Valley). There will be a specific Children’s Book Festival portion, featuring about 50 authors in 5 venues over the course of the weekend, but every event is open to anyone. “It’s more about your personal preference regarding the subject matter,” remarks Veda King Blanchard, committee member and director of the Authors Banquet. “Some of the events may be geared more toward kids, or more toward adults, but if you’re interested in the session, you should certainly plan to attend.” These sessions feature some things you’d expect and some you won’t. There will be author readings, of course, and panel discussions ranging from “Responsible Journalism in the Age of Fake News” to “Immigrants and Refugees- The American Experience” to “Poets and Prophets-Merging Art and Religion.” One notable panel features members of the World War 3 Illustrated collective, the longest running social justice comic in the nation, and will focus on “Confronting Domestic Violence through Comics”. There will also be sessions hosted by the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group that are more focused on the act of writing, publishing and promotion for authors or aspiring authors of all genres. These “Tech Talks”, with over 20 planned over the course of the weekend, focus on the nuts and bolts of writing, like building suspense, pacing, plot and structure, but also on starting a critique group or website basics. Saturday and Sunday will feature a vendor fair that is purely self-published authors. “That’s really something we’re proud to be able to highlight in this festival,” states Laties. “It grew out of the folks who indicated their interest in participating. The number of selfpublished authors in that group was striking.” More outside-of-the-book type events include a ‘40s-style radio play called Twisted Tales of Poe that will be performed at Lafayette’s Buck Hall on Friday night at midnight (and repeated twice more over the weekend), puppet shows, and Big Nazo Creature Creations which allows participants to create their own wearable creatures. Big Nazo participants will have a chance to wear their creation and join the Easton-Phillipsburg Halloween parade on Sunday. There will also
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Michelle L. Corby Creative Director
Children’s author Rebecca Riding at a book signing for Mermaids Fast Asleep. photo courtesy of Easton Book Festival
be a musical performance by Yolanda Wisher, Poet Laureate of Philadelphia 2016, and her band. One signature event is the Authors Banquet scheduled for Sunday, October 26 from 6-10 PM. Created as a fun-filled expression of gratitude to the authors participating, the event will feature an open bar, appetizers, a coursed meal, music from DJ Mumbler, a jazz lounge with the American Monarch Theatre Company, raffles and prizes. Most importantly there will be the opportunity for attendees to mix, mingle and informally chat with the authors. Tickets for this dinner are $250 and are extremely limited. The banquet is one of the only events with a cost. Every other session is free to attend, but that certainly doesn’t mean that the festival itself is without expenses. “We are funding the authors’ travel to come in for the festival,” Laties says. “We are also an on-going non-profit, with discussions in the works for several other events we’d like to do in the spring,” adds Tammy McKillip, marketing & communications chair. Donations to the Easton Book Festival will be accepted up until the beginning of the festival and beyond, to help fund future events including next year’s festival. Volunteers are also still needed for the weekend. Volunteers get a free t-shirt (and I have it on good authority that it’s a super cool design!) and high school students can use the time as volunteer credit. Attendees should keep in mind that this is primarily an indoor festival encompassing several venues, so check the website to see what events are happening at which locations. To donate, volunteer, or see a current list of events, visit eastonbookfestival.com. To reserve tickets for the Authors Banquet or to support an author’s attendance, go to Eventbrite.com and search for Easton Book Festival. Social media is a great place to keep up with announcements. Follow them on Facebook: @eastonbookfestival, Twitter: @easton_book, and Instgram: @eastonbookfestivalnews.
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.
Groundbreaking publishers/authors Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson will present “We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices” in several public schools Oct. 25, then appear at Easton Book Festival on Oct. 26 from 1 to 2 PM at Trinity Episcopal Church Social Hall. photo courtesy of Easton Book Festival
2 The Irregular
October 2019
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Downtown Easton’s Best Kept Secret continued from page 1
Easton House of Jerky, at 13 S. 2nd Street, offers the highest quality jerky in a mind-boggling array of varieties: beef, venison, kangaroo, pork, turkey, even alligator and more can all be found on their menu. Christine’s Bath & Gift Boutique at 24 N. 2nd Street features handcrafted soaps, body scrubs and other body products, plus natural soy wax candles, and unique jewelry, fashion and home accessories. For the Girls is a bra and lingerie boutique specializing in custom bra fitting, located at 11 N. 2nd Street. The storefront at 9 N. 2nd Street is home to Unwine with Art, which features art classes and arts & crafts plus homemade wine. Greene Marketplace, on the corner of 2nd and Northampton Streets, is a restaurant and boutique retail space that serves healthy and locally sourced foods in the front, and new and reclaimed home furnishings plus soaps, body products and candles in the back. Rounding out the locations on the South block of 2nd are Lift Easton, a yoga studio; Delaware River Books; RAVEN Color + Hair Design Studio; Catamount Tattoo Studio; and Aura Ceramics. And on the North end you will also find the Bachmann Publick House that is home to the Lenape Cultural Center on the lower level at the corner of Northampton and 2nd, Bloomie’s Flower Shop, Ingridable Design, Charles Klabunde Gallery & Studio, Greenmouth Juice Bar + Café, Touch of Thai, and soon to be opening, new jewelry place. Though the range of businesses on 2nd Street is very eclectic and seems to have little in common, the owners have found connections through a shared spirit of work ethic, drive and ambition. “Because we’re outside of the circle and so out of a lot of locals’ and visitors’ normal routes, we business owners had to bond together,” explains Pierri “We affectionately call ourselves the Isle of Misfit Toys! We have such a unique amalgam of experiences, and none of our stores could be considered mundane. Everyone truly is a pro at what they do, and so easy going, too.”
October, of course, is the month of Halloween and therefore puts many in the mood for spooky events. The AusetGypsy Metaphysical Emporium is happy to oblige on this point. “Oh, October is the most magical time of the year!” says Pierri. “Autumn is in full swing, leaves are colorful, and pumpkins sit on doorsteps. Then there’s that Halloween Magic that seems to permeate the air.” For those familiar with the Emporium, that’s likely not a surprise to hear. To help get everyone into the spirit, the first event is the Easton Pumpkin Party, a jack o’lantern carving festival on Sunday, October 13 from 12-3 PM in Centre Square. In addition to pumpkin carving, there will be fortune telling by Pierri, snacks from Easton House of Jerky, face painting, fall-inspired eats including Weyerbacher and their Imperial Pumpkin Ale, and more. Carved pumpkins will be placed around the fountain and will be lit through October 18. Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 (cash only) day of the event. Advanced tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite. com (search for Easton Pumpkin Party). Keeping the spirit going, 2nd Street and businesses on Northampton from 2nd Street to the Free Bridge will hold a Jack O’Lantern Blaze during the Easton Out Loud event on Friday, October 25 from 5-9 PM. AusetGypsy will host guest Hexen Witches, a colorful trio who will wander the street in full costume for photo ops and hand out treats (or tricks, as the occasion demands). There will also be a Ghost Busting 101 presentation by Rev. Bea of the Lehigh Valley’s Paranormal Spirit Finders group. The Jack O’Lantern Blaze is free to attend but please register if you plan to attend so the event can be planned accordingly. For more information and to register, visit: www.facebook.com/events/385594422124943. To round out the weekend, there will be a Hekate Dumm Supper on October 27. “This is a Black Hat Society soirée, and by ‘black hat’ I mean ‘pointed witch hats’ of course!” says Pierri. A dumm supper is a dinner prepared and offered to departed spirits and wandering ghosts, and the event will feature snacks, libations and tea along with a ceremony dedicated to Hekate, the ancient goddess of spirits and witches. There is a $5 or more donation required to RSVP. Donations and more information about this event can be found on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/events/432749460688222. If Halloween isn’t your thing, you can still experience plenty of magic on 2nd Street. “The magic of this area is a mix of history, romantic architecture, the charm of the trees lining the street, but most of all every business owner who contributes their unique, sincere, ambitious flair,” says Pierri. “It’s the type of experience one would find in New Hope, Greenwich Village, Salem or other major tourism spots, but right here in Easton. Stumbling upon surprises and discovering something fresh is just fun and exciting.”
Left to right, Greene Marketplace at the corner of Northampton & S. 2nd Streets, Christine’s Bath & Gift Boutique at 24 N. 2nd Street, and Easton House of Jerky at 13 S. 2nd Street.
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WALKING TOUR
Green Tree Parking Lot (418-26 Northampton Street, Easton, PA with small shed)
This appears to be original town Lot No. 214, as laid out by William Parsons in connection with the founding of Easton in 1752. The Lot was formerly the site of The Green Tree Inn, opened in approximately 1775 by John Schuck (also spelled Shook and Shuk). He obtained formal title to Lot No. 214 from the Penn Family in 1789, for £ 25 “in specie” [i.e. gold or silver coin]. He had been a Revolutionary War soldier, who became known as Easton’s oldest tavern keeper. He died on 10 December 1829 of dropsy, after having been blind “for a considerable time before his death”. Long before then, however – in fact in 1795 – Shuck sold the Lot to Adam Heckman, an innkeeper from Moore Township, for £ 1,200. This amount was not specified to be paid “in specie”, and therefore payment in paper money was allowed, probably accounting for much of the otherwise apparently increased price. • The profligate printing of paper money to finance the Revolutionary War had notoriously made federal currency “not worth a continental”, and some of the states were even worse. In a famous state case in 1786, the Rhode Island Supreme Court refused to enforce its state’s statute requiring the acceptance of state paper money as “legal tender” equivalent to payment “in specie” – a decision widely credited as being a precedent for the “unconstitutionality” doctrine later crafted by the federal courts. Adam Heckman was the proprietor of the Green Tree Inn in 1817. He died in 1818, without a will. His oldest son, John Heckman, petitioned Orphan’s Court to value and “partition” his father’s property to divide among the various siblings. The hotel property was designated Portion No. 1 (among seven portions), consisting of Lot No. 214 with a stone building on it. After the heirs refused to accept it at the value assigned by Orphan’s Court, this property was sold at public auction for $8,000 to Conrad Kreider, who was apparently one of Adam Heckman’s in-laws. By 1823, however, Kreider had to assign his assets to trustees for sale to raise funds to pay his own creditors. In this sale, William Shouse was able to purchase the property for $6,600 in 1825. William Shouse (also spelled Shaus), a chairmaker or “Coach maker” by trade, began operating the Green Tree Inn because he was “fond of horses”. He also began operating stage lines in 1824 in competition with William “Chippy” White. On the Philadelphia line, in particular, Shouse and White competed against each other primarily based on speed. “The opposing parties were well matched, both being determined, persevering and excited. Such races they had! Such time as they made! Up hill and down they went at break-neck speed, each driver doing his best to reach Easton first. I venture to say that our good old town had no such daily excitement before or since.” Ultimately, Shouse’s partner bought out White’s stage line, thus ending the competition. William Shouse’s newspaper advertisement carried on 2 December 1828 declares that “his former house” was “too small for the accommodation of his customers”, and so he rebuilt it into a building 3½ stories high, six window bays wide (with four dormers in the attic half-story), “making it the largest Hotel in the place.” The Hotel boasted “27 bed chambers, many of them single bedded rooms”, as well as “several private parlors [and] two spacious dining rooms”. In 1835, Shouse’s inn entertained Governor Ritner and “several other” state dignitaries. Perhaps because horse-lover William Shouse’s primary trade was not actually inn keeping, it was probably during this time that John Opp became the operator of the Green Tree Inn. While operating the Inn, Opp is said to have also operated two stagecoach lines. His New York stage line fed guests to the Green Tree, while his Philadelphia line fed guests to the Golden Lamb Tavern on what is now South 3rd Street. He “finally retired to private life with a handsome competence.” • Easton’s Opp Family was heavily involved in Easton’s early inns: Valentine Opp having operated a colonial inn with Col. Peter Kachlein on Northampton Street in the Lot next door to this one, and Jacob Opp having kept the Revolutionary War inn across the street at the NE corner of Northampton and what is now 4th Street, a predecessor to the present Hotel Lafayette. William’s younger brother, Samuel Shouse, was also involved in the operation of the Inn. Samuel married Mary Opp, the daughter of innkeeper John Opp, who by now had retired from business to become a wealthy landowner. Opp disapproved of his daughter’s match, because young Samuel had little money, but was unable to stop the marriage, after which the young couple lost touch with her father. Over the years, young Samuel Shouse’s prospects improved. Probably before 1841, Samuel Shouse took over his brother William’s inn operation. In 1841, William Shouse formally sold the inn property to his brother Samuel, including the same three-story building that William had built, known by that time as both the Green Tree and as the Western Hotel. Samuel Shouse changed the name of the Inn to the Franklin House. By 1844, Shouse had finished off the top half-story, so that the hotel stood four stories high. Under the management of Samuel Shouse and his “devoted and capable wife” Mary, the hotel achieved a statewide reputation “as an unusually fine hostelry with boundless hospitality”. This afforded Samuel Shouse a solid standing in Easton, which then considered him to be a wealthy man of note in the community. At some point, Samuel and his wife decided to make an unannounced visit to old John Opp, then living in retirement in Montoursville. Registration of the notable Samuel Shouse at the hotel in Montoursville cause a local stir of interest, after which the couple sent a formal engraved visiting card to her father’s residence. This evidence of Samuel Shouse’s new station in life made an impression on the old man, and reconciliation with old John Opp was thus achieved.
year, but there was a three-way contest for Pennsylvania Governor between Republican, Democrat, and Prohibition candidates. It is not known at this point which of these made the Franklin House his headquarters, but it seems likely (from the prominence of the display) that one of them did. In 1906, the Franklin House’s proprietor was Charles Arner. During much of the 1890s and into the very early 20th century until 1903, Arner had been the proprietor of the Central House Hotel [successor of the colonial Red Lion Inn and forerunner of the Hotel Lafayette at the NE corner of Northampton and North 4th Streets]. • During his time, Arner’s Central House was regarded by polite society as “third class”, but it came to be revered as “Waldorfian grandeur” by “the average citizen and farm folk”. His hotel advertised that although it was “not as pretentious nor as high-priced as some of its competitors”, it was the “most comfortable, most central, most homelike and most enjoyable”, presided over by “that prince of good fellows, Mr. Charles Arner”. The Central House boasted that it was “always full and every room taken before evening has turned to night.” Evidently, the Franklin House sought to acquire some of Arner’s good fellowship from its competitor! Property owner Charles Groetzinger retired from his mill business in 1907. In that year, his mother and brother William having died, he petitioned Orphan’s Court for permission to sell the old hotel building, with the proceeds to be divided up with his brother’s next of kin. This permission was granted – at which point Charles himself offered the best bid to purchase the hotel, for $67,000. Charles died ten years later (in 1917), leaving the property to his widow, Catherine. In 1918, the Franklin House, by then managed since 1912 by Joseph M. Hitzel, advertised itself as a meeting place with “up to date” service at reasonable rates, with a “Baseball ticker working” in a connected grill room, and a bar “stocked with the finest of all good liquors”. However, a legal ill wind was blowing for hostelries across the American nation by that time. With the impending imposition of national Prohibition (to begin on New Year’s Day 1920), the Franklin House closed its doors in 1919, after more than 140 years in operation. Catherine Groetzinger sold it for $100,000 at the end of 1920 to Henry Shonberger. Shonberger, an Austrian immigrant who had previously been a hotel proprietor in West Berwick, Columbia County, Pa., had two years earlier been selling groceries and fruits in Easton at 30 and 32 South 4th Street, with his residence upstairs. Upon making his property purchase in 1920, he established his office in the former Franklin House building. Thereafter, the building was used by a variety of tenants. In approximately 1927, Louis Ginnopoulos established a lunch parlor in the building at the 426 Northampton Street entrance, which was called “My Place Lunch” by 1930. • Giannoulos had immigrated from Greece in 1907, and his wife Eleanor from a German-speaking portion of Austria-Hungary in the same year. • My Place Lunch would continue in operation at this location, under various proprietors, until 1961.
In 1860, the Franklin House was run by Peter Bellis, with the street address of 154 Northampton Street. With Edward Lawall as proprietor, the hotel was still listed at 154 Northampton Street in the mid-1860s and early ‘70s, under the street numbering scheme then in effect. • In 1872 Horace Greeley made a “wonderful speech” from the Franklin House balcony to “many thousands in the street below”, while running (unsuccessfully) for President. Meanwhile, owner Samuel Shouse sold off his investment to a pair of investors in 1869. Four years later (in 1873), they sold it to Adolph Groetzinger Sr. and his lawyer, A.S. Knecht, for $33,000. Four months later, Knecht conveyed his half interest to Groetzinger for $3,933.26 – a strange amount probably representing Knecht’s fees in connection with the transaction. Groetzinger (1815-1888) had immigrated to America from Hanover (Germany) in 1837. Although he was trained as a baker, in Easton he became the operator of a flour mill on the South (right) bank of Bushkill Creek opposite Goose Island. This was the second mill in Easton up the Bushkill from the Delaware River. It stood on a mill race at the bend of the creek lying North of Mount Jefferson and West of 4th Street, opposite the island in the creek. In 1874, when Northampton Street was renumbered, Adolph Groetzinger’s newly-purchased Franklin House was assigned the following street address numbers:
• • • •
photo from Easton Remembered by Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., Ph.D
No. 420 (Reading Room) No. 422 (Ladies’ Entrance) No. 424 (General Entrance) No. 426 (Store)
In 1881, the Franklin House was listed alternately at 422 or 426 Northampton Street. Adolph Groetzinger retired in approximately 1879 and died in 1888, leaving the mill operation in the hands of his son Charles (1847-1917). Adolph Groetzinger’s will left a life interest in this property to his wife, and upon her death to his two sons Charles and William for life, and then to their heirs. By this time, the Franklin House claimed to be the “oldest continuous hotel” in Easton. It was, by night, “the quintessence of the Gay 90s”, as “a rendezvous of the ‘in crowd’”. Among other attractions, hotel guests often attended shows at the Abel Opera House nearby. The hotel’s head clerk, Horace “Hacker” Harrison, who had written plays when in college, had a sense of humor that made an impression on the theatrical people who passed through Easton in his day. Harrison had a special relationship with actor David Warfield, who consequently looked forward to his performances in Easton. Other notable actors of the day, including Lillian Russell, Sarah Bernhardt, Maude Adams, May Robson, and “the Drews and the Barrymores”, were entertained by Easton’s “bon vivant and Shakespearean scholar” Dr. Benjamin Rush Field, who specifically organized his City Guards at the Franklin House for the Spanish American War (although they were never used for active service in that conflict). Another Franklin House regular was George Givens, a “showman and a card player who always had several thousand dollars in his pockets.” As an elderly man known to carry that kind of cash, he was held up after a card game one night. “Givens was quick on the draw and killed the mugger.” A photograph of the Franklin House (used for a 20th century advertisement) shows it draped in bunting and a large American flag, with a banner “98 Headquarters” on the balcony. There was no U.S. Presidential election in that
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October 2019
Property owner Henry Shonberger may have had visions of reopening the Franklin House one day, despite Prohibition, but it was not to be. His property was seized by the Sheriff in 1927, and sold for $63,750 to Walter Vincent. Vincent evidently held it as a rental property investment. For example, tenants in 1930 – in addition to My Place Lunch – included The Mayfair (women’s gowns), jeweler Abraham G. Potts, United Clothes and Furnishing Stores, and the Mary-Jane Shoe Store. By 1942, The Quality Shop continued in the building (along with My Place Lunch), accompanied by the Empress Dress Shop, Chic Millinery, a Mary Jane Shoe Store, and H.B. Sigal & Sons women’s wear store. In 1944, My Place Lunch and Chic Millinery remained, while the shoe store had changed brand name (to Thom McAn) and the Quality Shop had become the Empress Dress Shop. The big difference was the absence of H.B. Sigal & Son, with no replacement listed. In 1944, Walter Vincent transferred the property “formerly known as the Franklin House” to his firm, the Wilmer & Vincent Amusement Company. This firm most notably operated a theater circuit in the area with Vincent’s partner, Sidney Wilmer: their theaters in Easton included the State Theatre, the Able Opera House, and the Orpheum. The Wilmer & Vincent firm did not hold the Franklin House property for long; a little over a year later, it was sold – with deed restrictions – to a pair of investors: John Avrutis and Bernard Reswick. The restrictions prohibited the new owners from using the property
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Walking Tour
Green Tree Parking Lot (418-26 Northampton Street, Easton, PA with small shed) continued from page 5 to show motion pictures, vaudeville or theater shows until 1 January 1985, so long as Wilmer & Vincent continued in show business at the State Theater or the Embassy (i.e. the Able Opera House). • In 1955, My Place Lunch and H.B. Sigal & Sons (women’s wear) continued to occupy space in the building, accompanied by Fanny Farmer candies, the Cecile Shop women’s wear store, Hart’s Millinery, and Paul Jewelry Co. • By 1960, Michael Struck appears to have replaced Mr. Paul as the jeweler at this location, while Hart’s Millinery had gone, leaving a vacancy at the 424 Northampton Street address. Avrutis and (after Bernard Reswick’s death in 1963) Reswick’s wife continued to hold the property from their purchase in 1945 until 1963, when the property was taken over by an insurance company. • After My Place Lunch folded in 1963, its location at 426 Northampton Street was left vacant for several years. • By 1965, Fanny Farmer candies had left the building, while Carlson’s Specialty Shoppe (women’s clothes) and Carella Inc. (surgical appliances) had been added as tenants. Thus, the long-time and name tenants were mostly gone. In 1971, the Franklin House property was purchased by Jack and Frances Malkin, who established Malkin’s Appliances in the building, at the 422 Northampton Street entrance. Nino’s Pizzeria was also a tenant, at No. 426 – My Place Lunch’s former address. In 1979, the building was purchased by Andrew and Vermelle Rodriques. By 1980, the addresses at 422 and 426 Northampton Street were vacant, although Vermelle’s Boutique was added as a tenant at the 418 Northampton Street entrance, along with a Professional Hearing Aid Dispensary at No. 420. In 1981, Rodney’s Restaurant occupied the 426 Northampton Street address (My Place Lunch’s former address).
lot to offer”. He provided financing to have them torn down to establish “an excellent parking lot.” His Larry Holmes Enterprises then purchased the former Franklin House Property for $48,000, after which time the City Directory showed the Franklin House addresses on Northampton Street as the Larry Holmes Parking Lot. The Larry Holmes operation held its parking lot property until 1996, when it was sold for $125,000 to the Pomfret Club for use as parking accessible to the rear entrance of the Club’s headquarters in the John O. Wagner Mansion across Pine Street (street address 33 South 4th Street). The Pomfret Club is the oldest private club in the Lehigh Valley, first organized (under other names and at other locations) in 1885. [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.]
In 1981, the building attracted the attention of Larry Holmes (born 1949), who was then the boxing Heavyweight Champion of the World (from 1978–1985). He would remain undefeated in the ring for a total of 13 years, for a lifetime professional record of 69 wins and 6 losses, and an amateur record of 19 wins and 3 losses. Holmes had established his “Round One” club across the street at 413 Northampton Street, and its success led Holmes to conclude that “[t]here just weren’t enough parking spots along Northampton to accommodate customers.” Holmes later recalled that the owner of the “couple of buildings” [actually, multiple entrances to the former Franklin House] on the South side of Northampton Street opposite the Round One club came to him for financing because “the bank was about to foreclose on him”. Holmes regarded these “buildings” as “old, creaking structures that hadn’t a whole
The parking lot where the buildings that occupied 418-26 Northampton Street once stood.
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October 2019
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LAFAYETTE’S FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES SPEAKER SERIES: DISSECTING THE WORLD OF FILM by Dawn Ouellette Nixon In this era of streaming media, we have access to an endless selection of films on demand. For a cinephile, the ability to see virtually any movie at any time is a heady feeling. So many films to lose oneself in, from classic to thriller to arthouse. But what if we want to dig a little deeper? What if we desire to go beyond simple movie watching and down into the rabbit hole? There are plots to analyze, subplots to discuss, film scores to rank, and the director’s motives to debate... The Film and Media Studies (FAMS) Speaker Series at Easton’s Lafayette College was made specifically for the cinephile who wants to look further. Running all year long and in the start of its third year, this series brings film and media studies scholars to campus each month to share knowledge and the love of film, giving both students and the broader Easton community the opportunity to exchange ideas. Katherine Groo, Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies at Lafayette, coordinates the FAMS Speaker Series. “We choose scholars and practitioners whose work we want to learn more about,” she remarks, “or if we think it might be of particular interest to others. We have invited experimental filmmakers, experts in histories of sound, early film scholars, the list goes on…” Films are not normally shown in conjunction with the series, though speakers always illustrate their talks with images and clips. A question and answer period follows each presentation. “It’s the most important part of the presentations,” says Groo. Previous speakers have included Professor Samantha Sheppard of Cornell University who discussed the role of the cinematic black athlete, and Professor Racquell Gates of the College of Staten Island, who examined racial representation in film and black popular culture.
Homay King is Professor of History of Art and the Eugenia Chase Guild Chair in the Humanities at Bryn Mawr College. https://www.brynmawr.edu/people/homay-king
The next scheduled speaker for the fall of 2019 will be Professor Homay King. King is the Eugenia Chase Guild Chair and Professor in the Department of History of Art and Film Studies at Bryn Mawr College. She is the author of several well received books on art and film.
A portrait of Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Repeating Arms company. Prof. Homay King, History of Art and Film Studies, Bryn Mawr College, will be presenting “Sarah Winchester and the Origins of Silicon Valley” at Lafayette College’s FAMS Speaker Series November 7 at Landis Cinema, Buck Hall. image courtesy of Lafayette College
King’s talk will examine Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Repeating Arms company, and her role in the origins of Silicon Valley. The talk is free (no tickets are required) and will take place Thursday, November 7 at 4:10 to 6 P.M. in Landis Cinema, Buck Hall at 219 N. 3rd Street. For more information on Film and Media Studies at Lafayette, visit fams.lafayette.edu or email Professor Katherine Groo at grook@lafayette.edu.
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October 2019
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IRREGULAR BOOKSELF
with Carole J. Heffley, International Correspondent writing from “Like it’s another country”… North Carolina other-worldly kind of voice in telling her story and it is both confusing and irritating. Maybe she was trying for a new-age feel but I am not feeling it and feeling that maybe I should but just can’t. As this book was the choice for July by my book club, I could hardly wait to hear the comments from the other members. The woman who advocated for this book waxed poetic about it; two others joined me in my dislike of it. Maybe the story’s biggest fault is that it tries to be poetic and falls on its face in the attempt.
LOCAL AUTHOR PENS NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK
Author Cathy Bednar reads her new book to children at Third Street Alliance for Women & Children in downtown Easton. photo couresy of Third Street Alliance
*****MYRA CARTER AND THE SPIDER WHO GREW TOO BIG by Cathy Bednar ©2019, 34 pages Here’s a colorful book that will be loved by the children in your family. Easton resident Cathy Bednar has been reading her book to children at storytimes throughout the area with rapt attention by the kiddies. I loved this gentle tale about a little girl (Myra Carter) who decides to keep a pet spider whom she names “Harry”. She feeds Harry lavishly which apparently causes the normally small creature to outgrow her room, then her house, then . . . The surprise is where the spider ends up in this charming tale. Design and layout of this book is by Joe R. Frinzi, with additional artwork by Travis Hill. While Cathy has received great attention from the children in her storytimes, I feel that this tale is most appropriate for the child 3 to 6 years of age. I can hardly wait to give it to my “great nephew” who turns 3 in November! I know he will love it and immediately want to keep a spider too! The large format size of the book plus large type make it easy for little hands to handle and possibly “read along” for older kids in this age group. This softcover children’s book has all the earmarks of becoming an enduring children’s classic! Hint to Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, etc.: Christmas is coming and “Too Big” will make a super little gift. Find it on Amazon at $14.95 to purchase a copy.
Ms. Bednar will be doing a reading and book signing at Barnes & Noble in Easton on October 26 from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. *****GATES OF FIRE by Steven Pressfield ©1998, 400 pages The book is subtitled An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae. A little history lesson: most of us were taught in high school (at least I was) that this battle fought in 480 B.C. between the huge Persian army headed by King Xerxes and the 300 Spartans led by King Leonides. The 300 Spartans gave their lives on what they knew would be a suicide mission to delay the Persian advance through Greece. The mission of “The 300” stopped the Persians long enough to allow Greek forces to mobilize and later defeat the invaders. This battle arguably saved western civilization, otherwise, we might all be speaking Persian today! Mr. Pressfield did his homework on this work of historical fiction. He quotes liberally from Herodotus in “The Mysteries”, Plato, and other ancient historians. The real-life Spartan hero Dienekes, who is quoted by Herodotus, lives once more in this novel along with Polynikes, Alexandros and myriad others. The book is bloody, gruesome and gory, matching, I think, what warfare must have been like back then. Yet throughout this book a strong story is told. So strong is this tale that I felt as if I knew these ancient warriors. Doubtless, stories of them gave rise to the knights of the Middle Ages. Their tales of valor are still inspirational today. The culture of the Spartans remains awesome. Many training techniques for war are revealed during the story and seen put in use in actual battles during the storyline which I think are first-hand accounts described by the historians of the time.
THE RABBIS, DONALD TRUMP, AND THE TOP-SECRET PLAN TO BUILD THE THIRD TEMPLE: Unveiling the Incendiary Scheme by Religious Authorities, Government Agents and Jewish Rabbis to Invoke Messiah by Dr Thomas Horn ©2019, 250 pages This is either the scariest Sci-Fi book ever written or the scariest prophecy book ever written. (Somewhere along the lines of the Book of Revelation in the Bible.) Let me take the first assumption that this Sci-Fi book will scare the socks off most readers. The fact that the book’s title includes Donald Trump is only an attention getter rest assured. That President Trump is behind the scenes in a scheme to build the Third Temple could possibly be true as could the involvement, as the book reveals, of the Free Masons in the USA, Israel, and around the world. It would seem that a plan of this magnitude would have come to light in newspapers globally if it were true. But to understand this book, the reader must have a working knowledge of Biblical history insomuch as there could be a “Third” Temple. Moreover, the book claims that by building the proposed Third Temple, the End of Days would be invoked as is kind of stated in the Bible. First though, the Muslims must be removed from the Temple Mount where the Second Temple Stood until it was destroyed by Rome in the first century A.D. (or C.E., if you prefer). And all the Muslim shrines up there would be plowed under to make room for said Temple. It is scary stuff as readers realize that a world war would be necessary to do the Temple Mount removal as discussed in this book. Furthermore, the book states that Israel has already entered into secret alliances with Saudi Arabia to take over all the important Jewish Holy sites in the country. This is strange stuff and better suited to a book such as those that lead to the Tom Hanks movie series on secret Catholic groups like the Illuminati. I just cannot buy into the premise presented here, but what if . . . ??
****SEE YOU IN THE PIAZZA by Frances Mayes ©2019, 448 pages Another familiar name . . . Frances Mayes is the author of the widely acclaimed (and later movie), Under the Tuscan Sun. DO NOT BOOK THAT TRIP TO ITALY until you read this book. Both travel guide to the lesser known places in Italy and recipe book of authentic Italian meals, See You in the Piazza features recipes such as “Viello Scottato con Pomodoro Verde in Olio Extravrgine d’Oliva ed Erbette Aromatiche (steak with olives, herbed green tomatoes and pickled red onions) and Orata all’Acqua Pazza (sea bream in “crazy water”). The “Orata” is described as a common cooking medium in Italy containing fish broth, cherry tomatoes, garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper, sea bream fillets, and toasted bread. The Vitello was done both with filet mignon and veal chops, either was good according to Ms. Mayes. The recipe uses kalamata olives, ribsteaks, olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper, green tomatoes, garlic and chopped herbs of your choice (oregano, parsley, basil, etc.) plus pickled red onions with the recipe for the red onions included. Frances and her husband take a leisurely trip throughout Italy and stop at so many interesting small towns that are not on any travel guide, but should be. The section on the island of Sardegna is especially interesting as my cousin Stephanie’s maiden name is the same. You won’t find hoards of tourists in most of the places visited by the Mayes and their descriptions of old cathedrals, landmarks and ancient historic sites unfold before your eyes. Don’t leave home (for Italy) without this book. Meanwhile look over the mouth-watering authentic Italian recipes contained within its pages. I wish Frances and Ed would do the same kind of travel advice for Sicily alone. THE POISONWOOD BIBLE by Barbara Kingsolver ©1998, 545 pages It’s 1959 and Baptist preacher Nathan Price has taken his wife and four daughters to the African Congo as he spreads the word of God among the heathen native people there. The story is told in alternating chapters by the four girls as they grow up in an alien world with their strange stern father. You just know it is not going to go well for the kids and their mother. And it doesn’t. The story follows the family into the girls’ adulthood. I did not like this book in 1998 when it was first published and soared to the New York Times Best Seller list and I liked it even less now. The author uses a strange
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October 2019
The Irregular 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Allentown Art Museum 31 N. 5th Street, Allentown, PA 610-432-4333 Collecting across Cultures: Japanese Textiles in the West (Rotation 1) thru Dec. 1, Designing Hollywood: Golden Age Costumes from the Gene London Cinema Collection thru Dec. 22, and Danny Lyon: Prison thru Jan. 5. Open Wed.-Sat. 11am-4pm (3rd Thur. till 8pm) & Sun. 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 Aaliyah Kee thru Oct. 31. Open Tues.-Sat. 8am-5pm & Sun. 8am-4pm. eastonart.org Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center The Fine Art Galleries 522 W. Maple Street, Allentown, PA 610-347-9988 Rising Above: Works of Art by Lehigh Valley Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence thru Oct. 30, Pride = Power: recent work by Gabriel Martinez Nov. 2-Dec. 30, brunch/reception Nov. 2, 10am12pm. Open Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm & during programs/events. bradburysullivancenter.org/galleries
Brick + Mortar Gallery Silk Mill Complex, Unit 101 1247 Simon Boulevard Easton, PA colleen@ brickandmortargallery.com Vast Expanses: Works by Mariejon de Jong-Buijs and Katrina Bello thru Oct. 6, and Ideogrammatic: works of Jose Camacho and Amanda Thackray Oct. 19-Dec. 1, reception Oct. 19, 6-9. Open Fri. & Sat. 126pm, Sun. 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 Thur.-Sat. & 1st Sun. 12-5pm & by appt. CharlesKlabundeArtist.com
The David E. Rodale and Rodale Family Galleries The Baum School of Art 510 Linden Street Allentown, PA 610-433-0032 Kacper Abolik: Year of the Dog thru Oct. 18, and Windows to the Past: Lehigh County Oct. 24-Nov. 21. Open Mon.-Thur. 9am-9:30pm, Fri. & Sat. 9am3pm. baumschool.org The Eagle Nest Gallery Nazareth Area High School 501 E. Center Street Nazareth, PA 610-759-1730 Katie Dawe Exhibit thru Oct. 31, reception Oct. 11, 6-8pm, artist talk Oct. 18, 1:45pm. Open Mon.-Fri. 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 Arts Community of Easton (ACE) Group Show thru Nov. 9. 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 Wed.-Sat. 9am-7pm & Sun. 9am-5pm. eastonart.org
Communications Hall Northampton Community College 3835 Green Pond Road Bethlehem, PA 610-861-5300 Parallel Lines - An Exhibition of Paintings by Jan Crooker and William Hudders thru Oct. 25, and In-Vision Photography Month featuring James Taylor and Dave Meyers Nov. 1-Dec. 14, reception Nov. 15, 6-8pm. Open Mon.-Thur. 8am-9pm, Fri. & Sat. 8am-5pm. northampton. edu/news/events-calendar.htm Connexions Gallery 213 Northampton Street Easton, PA 610-250-7627 Frank Wengen: Transformed Perceptions of the Ordinary Oct. 12, 7-10pm. Open Mon. 12-5pm, Thur. 12-7pm, Fri. 128pm, Sat. 11am-8pm & Sun. 12-6pm. connexionsgallery.com
Banana Factory 25 W. 3rd Street Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300 Resident Artist Annual Exhibition thru Oct. 20, A Collaboration of Creativity: David C. Driskell Master Artist & Curlee R. Holton Master Printmaker thru Oct. 27, Celestial Bodies thru Oct. 27, InVision Juried Competition Oct. 26-Jan. 5, and InVision College Competition Nov. 1-Jan. 7. Open Mon.-Fri. 8am9:30pm, Sat. & Sun. 8:30am-5pm. bananafactory.org/ events/exhibitions
Cash Oct. 18-20, and Our 2019 Holiday Musical! Nov. 4-Dec. 21. hhplayhouse.com Buck Hall Lafayette College 219 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 610-330-3311 Theatre Dept.: Vanity Fair Oct. 2-6, One Man, Two Guvnors/National Theatre Live Oct. 6, Theatre Dept.: Twisted Tales of Poe Oct. 25-27, Film and Media Studies (FAMS) Speaker Series: Sarah Winchester and the Origins of Silicon Valley w/Prof. Homay King Nov. 7, and All About Eve/National Theatre Live Nov. 10. calendar.lafayette.edu
American Monarch Theatre Company Easton, PA 484-548-8864 The Immigrant Nov. 16-17 at the Sigal Museum, 342 Northampton St., Easton. americanmonarchtheatre.org Bucks County Playhouse 70 S. Main Street, New Hope, PA 215-862-2121 The Rocky Horror Show Oct. 11-27, and Once Nov. 3-30. bcptheater.org Cedar Crest College Theatre Samuels Theatre at Tompkins College Center 100 College Drive, Allentown, PA 610-606-4608 Reckless Oct. 31-Nov. 3, and DanceWorks Nov. 21-24. cedarcrest. edu/academics/performing_arts/events.shtm Civic Theatre of Allentown 527 N. 19th Street Allentown, PA 610-432-8943 Sunset Boulevard October 11-27. civictheatre.com 8 The Irregular
Country Gate Theatre 114 Greenwich Street Belvidere, NJ 908-475-1104 Sweeney Todd thru Oct. 6. countrygate.org DeSales University Act 1 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 610-282-3192 The Glass Menagerie thru Oct. 6, Working, the Musical Oct. 10-20, and Emerging Choreographers Concert Nov. 1-3. desales.edu/act1 Hunterdon Hills Playhouse 88 Route 173 West Hampton, NJ 800-447-7313 Barefoot in the Park thru Oct. 16, Presley, Perkins, Lewis and October 2019
Moravian College Theatre Arena Theater/ Haupert Union Building 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-861-1489 Beyond Utopia Oct. 10-11, and DOG SEES GOD: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead Nov. 14-17. moravian.edu/theatre MunOpCo Music Theatre Scottish Rite Cathedral 1533 Hamilton Street Allentown, PA 610-437-2441 Mama Mia! Oct. 12-20. munopco.org
Muhlenberg College Theatre 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA 484-664-3333 Into the Woods Oct. 25-Nov. 3, and Moving Stories 2019 Nov. 7-9. muhlenberg.edu/academics/ theatre-dance/thetheatreprogram/ performancesphotos/ currentdepartmentalseason
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Nov. 23, reception & artist talk Oct. 28, 4:15pm. Open Tues.-Fri. 11am-4:30pm, Sat. 11am-4pm & by appt. galleries. lafayette.edu
Nazareth Center for the Arts 30 Belvidere Street, Nazareth, PA 610-614-0404 Spirits of Place: Lehigh Valley Landscapes by Joseph Skrapits Oct. 5-26, reception Oct. 13, 2-4pm. Open Thur. 6-8pm, Sat. 10am-12pm & by appt. nazaretharts.org Forks Area Art Society Cottage in the Woods 700 Zucksville Road Easton, PA 610-250-2260 Food Themed Exhibit thru Oct. 6-20. Open Sunday 2-4pm & by appt. forksart.org Gallery at St. John’s 330 Ferry Street, Easton, PA 610-258-6119 Pop Art, Author to Unique Artistry and the life of Christian R. Schaare thru Oct. 27. Chair caning demo w/Roland Barrall Oct. 13, 1pm. Open Sun. 12-3pm & by appt. stjohnseaston.org/ ministries/gallery
Gallery On Fourth 401 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 610-905-4627 Dan Welden: Aesop’s Fables thru Oct. 6, Glenn Harren: Solo Show of Paintings Oct. 19-Dec. 1. Open Thur.-Fri. 5-8pm, Sat. 11am-6pm & Sun. 12-5pm. galleryonfourth.org Grossman Gallery Lafayette College 243 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 610-330-5831 Kim Thomas Malm and Michael Kondel: Common Ground thru Oct. 12, and Kim Altomar: New Work Oct. 23-
Hunterdon Art Museum 7 Lower Center Street, Clinton, NJ 908-735-8415 Cliff Lee: Porcelain Master, Holly Lee: A Jeweler’s Journey, Works by Mia Brownell and Martin Kruck, and 2019 Members Exhibition thru Jan. 5. Open Tues.-Sun. 11am-5pm. hunterdonartmuseum.org
Collection thru Dec. 8, and Crochet Coral Reef: By Margaret and Christine Wertheim and the Institute For Figuring thru Dec. 8. Open Tue. 11am-7pm & Wed.-Sat. 11am5pm. luag.org 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 Fri.-Sat. 11am-4pm. me-artstudio.com
IF Museum/Academy 107 N. 4th Street, Easton, PA 610-258-0777 Omne Trium Perfectum (Everything in Threes is Perfect): The Unbearables read as part of Easton Book Festival; Book Launch Party for A Foreigner in Hades by Phil Rostek; and Art by Phil Rostek, Sasha Meret and JongWang Lee Oct. 26, 5-8pm. Open by appt. artfusionism.org
Nurture Nature Center 518 Northampton Street Easton, PA 610-253-4432 Drawn to Earth: Works by Judith Brandon thru Nov. 20. and Thom Cooney Crawford: The Inner Eye of Art, The Outer Spark Oct. 11-Jan. 5, reception Oct. 11, 6:30-9pm. Open Wed. 12-4pm, Thur. 6-9pm, Sat. 12-4pm & by appt. nurturenaturecenter.org
Lehigh University Art Galleries 420 E. Packer Avenue Bethlehem, PA 610-758-3615 The Teaching Museum: Selections from the Permanent
Payne Gallery Moravian College 346 Main Street Bethlehem, PA 610-861-1491 Wole Lagunja: Contemporary African Meets Traditional thru Museum of Ethnography 22 S. 3rd Street, 2nd floor, Easton, PA 908-798-0805 Conflicted No Longer (8 minute film) Oct. 19-Sept. 30, reception Oct.19, 5-9pm. Open Tues. & Fri. 11am-4pm, Sat. 11am-2pm & by appt. maryaclarity.com
Nov. 14, Jim Witter: Fire & Rain Nov. 15, Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood Nov. 16, Boz Scaggs Nov. 19, CAT Country 96 Jingle Jam Nov. 20, The Midtown Men Nov. 21, and Craig Thatcher Band: The Music of Tom Petty Nov. 22. statetheatre.org
Pennsylvania Playhouse 390 Illick’s Mill Road Bethlehem, PA 610-865-6665 And Then There Were None thru Oct. 13. paplayhouse.org
Northampton Community College Theatre 3835 Green Pond Road Bethlehem, PA 484-484-3412 Amadeus Oct. 17-20, and Waiting For Godot Nov. 21-25. ncctix.org Pines Dinner Theatre 448 N. 17th Street, Allentown, PA 610-433-2333 Clue The Musical thru Oct. 27, and Pines Country Christmas Nov. 8-Dec. 29. pinesdinnertheatre.com Shawnee Playhouse River Road, Shawnee-OnDelaware, PA 570-421-5093 Born Yesterday Oct. 4-20, Broadway Fright Fest Oct. 13, Call 610-258-4330 to advertise
Miracle on 34th Street Nov. 8-Dec. 22, and A Christmas Wizard of Oz Nov. 15-Dec. 21. theshawneeplayhouse.com State Theatre Center for the Arts 453 Northampton Street Easton, PA 800-999-STATE Stage On Stage: Dave Goddess Group with Cunningham & Associates Oct. 4, Stage On Stage: Amanda Danziger Oct. 6, The Four Italian Tenors Oct. 11, Oh What A Night of Rock-N-Roll Oct. 19, Josh Gates Live Oct. 23, Harrison Greenbaum: What Just Happened? A Comedy & Magic Show Oct. 26, Kreeps With Kids Nov. 8, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Musical
Touchstone Theatre 321 E. 4th Street Bethlehem, PA 610-867-1689 Festival Unbound Oct. 4-13. touchstone.org
Oct. 19, and Light from the End of the Earth Oct. 31-Jan. 11. Open Tue.-Sun. 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 Chris Bonner: Fire Wood Fired thru Oct. 12, and #MeToo Project: Martha Posner and Amy Arbus Oct. 28-Dec. 14, reception Nov. 14, 5-7pm. Open Mon.-Thur. 11am-5pm, Fri. 11am-3pm & Sat. 10am-2pm. lehighvalley.psu.edu/ronald-kde-long-gallery Rotunda Gallery at City Hall 10 E. Church Street Bethlehem, PA 610-398-1451 BFAC Curated Abstract Exhibition: The Shape of Things to Come thru Nov. 5, and Charles Stonewall: Photography Nov. 10-Dec. 19, reception Nov. 10, 2-4pm. Open Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-4:30pm. bfac-lv.org SmARTivities Showcase 60 Centre Square, Easton, PA 484-544-3954 Various artists and working studios on display. Open Tues.Sat. 10am-6pm & Sun. 12-5pm. smARTivities.net Williams Center Gallery Lafayette College 317 Hamilton Street Easton, PA 610-330-5361 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: Japanese Prints from the Taubman Museum of Art’s Permanent Collection thru Dec. 15, writing workshops Oct. 6 & 20, 1-3pm. Open Mon.-Fri. 11am-5pm, Thur. 11am-8pm, Sat. & Sun. 12-5pm, and performance nights 7:30-9:30pm. galleries. lafayette.edu/category/ exhibitions
Zoellner Arts Center Lehigh University 420 E. Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 610-758-2787 ext 0 Dept. of Theatre: Smart People thru Oct. 5, Pink Martini: Featuring Lead Singer China Forbes & Special Guest Meow Meow Oct. 5, Mystery Science Theater 3000 LIVE: The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour Oct. 10, The Ultimate Queen Celebration Starring Marc Martel Oct. 12, PA Philharmonic: Swinging Through the Ages Oct. 13, Scrap Arts Music: Children of Metropolis Oct. 18, Violin Recital: The Professor and Protégé Oct. 19, LU Choral Arts: Fauré Requiem & Britten: Rejoice in the Lamb Oct. 25-26, LU Jazz Rep Orchestra: Featuring the Legendary Eddie Palmieri Nov. 2, Once Nov. 3, LU Jazz Orchestra, Ensemble, Funk Band & Combos Nov. 15, Dept. of Theatre: The Broken Machine Nov. 15-22, Up Close & On-Stage: Deanna Witkowski Trio Nov. 16 and LU Wind Ensemble: Tea and Crumpets: Music of the British Isles Nov. 17. zoellner.cas2. lehigh.edu
Williams Center for the Arts Lafayette College 317 Hamilton Street, Easton, PA 610-330-5009 Sphinx Virtuosi Oct. 18, Randall Kohl, guitar/The Music of Octaviano Yáñez Oct. 21, Ballet Hispánico Oct. 25, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Nov. 3, Wendy Whelan + Maya Beiser + Lucinda Childs + David Lang / the day Nov. 6, Jazz Ensemble Nov. 13, Jazz Combo I Nov. 18, Nobuntu Nov. 19, and Chamber Orchestra Nov. 22. williamscenter. lafayette.edu October 2019
The Irregular 9
ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS
Curlee Raven Holten: Master Printmaker opens studio in Williams Township by Dawn Ouellette Nixon Curlee Raven Holton is a master printmaker and founding director of Lafayette College’s Experimental Printmaking Institute. Holten, who retired from his position as a professor of Art at Lafayette in 2017, is now devoting his time to producing prints for artists of national renown in his studio, Raven Fine Art Editions. Located in a repurposed one-room schoolhouse on a serene spot of land on Morgan Hill, Raven Fine Art Editions has produced limited print editions by some of America’s most important artists including Faith Ringgold, Sam Gilliam, Richard Anuszkiewicz, Grace Hartigan, Kay WalkingStick and others. Holten himself has had his work exhibited in prestigious national and international venues including Egypt’s 7th International Biennale, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. On a recent late September afternoon, The Irregular spoke with Holton in order to learn more about his illustrious career and what makes him tick. What was it like for him, we wondered, coming up as an African American artist in an oft-segregated artworld? Why did he choose printmaking as a medium? And is Easton the right place for an artist? Shelley Brown, President and CEO of the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Easton, on stage at the FREDDY© Awards. photo courtesy of the State Theatre
Holton had much to say about all of these topics and more. Read on. . . The Irregular: Did you always consider yourself an artist? Growing up, my brother could always draw well. I admired him. That was part of what inspired me to draw. My teachers also saw an artistic ability in me and reinforced it. But I didn’t really make a choice to be an artist until I came home from Vietnam in 1973. I went on to community college to study business. There, I took a sculpture class with the well known sculptor Edward Parker and really enjoyed it. I began to think that art was something I could pursue. But I had a family and a full time job working as a supervisor for the Ford Motor Company. It took me ten years of night school to get my B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art. I was 30 years old. I then received a full scholarship to Kent State and got my M.F.A in printmaking. The Irregular: Why printmaking? What drew you to the medium? Well, I was not a printmaker. I was doing a lot of drawing. That’s what I liked to do. I met an advocate who was working to raise awareness to end Apartheid in South Africa. They suggested I make a print to help the cause and I made my first lithograph. I enjoyed the physical labor of it. And it’s a democratic form of art that people can afford. Some prints will grow to be worth $5,000 or $10,000 but initially prints are very accessible. The Irregular: Are young art students today still as drawn to printmaking? No, they are not. It’s laborious, physical work and young people today find digital media to be a faster and easier way to express themselves. There are young printmakers who are very well known in the art industry, but it’s much less than it once was. Printmaking is a rewarding process if you do it right. It takes time and facility. You have to be patient and disciplined. The Irregular: You received an honorary doctorate in Art and Philosophy from the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA). Tell us how that felt. I was a little nervous. I wasn’t sure I had earned something like this yet. I was talking to my daughter about it and she said, “Dad, you deserve this.”
Curlee Holten with Danny Simmons. On front cover, Curlee Holten with David Driskell. photos courtesy of Raven Fine Art Editions
Art is personal. It’s about how I feel about being alive. It’s part of a desire to be more self reflective. To receive the doctorate for my work was a true honor. The Irregular: As an African American coming up in the art community in the ‘70s and ‘80s, were there times that you felt you were discriminated against because of your race? Yes, many times. And when I was growing up, I was watching “Leave it to Beaver” and “Father Knows Best” on television. That was not my reality. The only time I saw an African American on a television show was Buckwheat on “The Little Rascals”. I didn’t see positive portrayals of African American’s on television. I didn’t see African Americans portrayed as artists, I didn’t know any African American artists. How could I see myself as an artist? Most of the time I was the only student of color in art classes. There was usually just one professor of color at the universities I attended. And this was in Cleveland, Ohio, where half of the population was African American. Only in the last couple of years are you seeing African American artists at auction. The Irregular: Easton has been lauded as a growing artist community for decades. Do you think this reputation is well deserved? It is. There are a multitude of artists here who have relocated from Philadelphia and New York. I’ve recently been making a real effort to connect with artists in the Valley. It’s a wonderful place for artists here. It’s fantastic to connect with so many artists. We share a common ground. At a time when individual expression is challenged, the artist is ever more important. The opportunity to nurture that all important creativity is abundant here. Works by Holten are currently on view at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem. “A Collaboration of Creativity: David C. Driskell Master Artist & Curlee R. Holten Master Printmaker” is on display in the Banko Gallery through October 27. For more information on Raven Fine Art Editions, visit www.ravenfinearteditions.com.
Sam Cooke. courtesy of Raven Fine Art Editions
10 The Irregular
October 2019
Speaking Loud and Saying Nothing, 2014 courtesy of Raven Fine Art Editions
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IRREGULAR BEATS
Festival UnBound’s Future Vision by Janene Otten
This October, Bethlehem’s Touchstone Theatre presents the community driven Festival UnBound. It’s a “ten-day arts festival of original and re-imagined works, created by Bethlehem community members, local professional artists and international guest artists.” The festival offers a very full schedule of free and ticketed events. The opening ceremony, a procession down the South Bethlehem Greenway, begins Friday, October 4 at 5:30 P.M. This outdoor free event combines the pivotal elements of live music, pageantry, drama, and civic pride while provoking the audience, together with the performers, to envision the future of the community. In 1995, after an almost 140-year history building our country, Bethlehem Steel finally shut down steel making in Bethlehem. It was a traumatic event and Touchstone Theatre, to help the community work its way through it, created and assembled several works of art and cultural projects leading up the to The Steel Festival: The Art of an Industry in 1999. It was a multi-arts festival celebrating Bethlehem’s heritage of steel making. It included the Cornerstone Theatre, musician Ysaye Barnwell of Sweet Honey in the Rock, storyteller Jay O’Callahan and singer-songwriter Bob Franke. This community celebration, which received national media attention, included the performance of Steelbound, the groundbreaking theatrical work featuring Bethlehem steelworkers in the original Bethlehem Iron Works Foundry. Since that event, the community has faced different challenges. Without the steel they are compelled to confront their obscured identity. The festival initiates significant dialogue about the challenges ahead and the values that will hold the community together as they face the task of shaping the future. Holding the music community together for over 40 years is Godfrey Daniels, the subject of Irregular Beats’ Holiday 2018 issue. The “Godfrey’s Experience” has played a key role in the area’s ever-changing musical landscape, presenting the finest folk music and performing arts, encouraging aspiring regional talent and further developing the fabric of our local musical arts community. In that spirit, and in the spirit of Festival UnBound, folk music icon Anne Hills has collaborated with Godfrey Daniels to present Poets, Troubadours and Troublemakers; three enriching evenings of live, original music at three different locations in the Lehigh Valley. Anne’s reputation as a spectacular collaborator lives in perfect harmony with her astonishing, award-winning career as a songwriter, interpreter and solo performer. She is the embodiment of a purposeful musical life. Anne’s involvement in Festival UnBound this year is also an anniversary of sorts. While the late ‘90s were a tragic time for the Bethlehem Steel community, Anne had a particularly strong year in 1998. She released her ninth album Bittersweet Street that highlighted her own provocative compositions. Her performances were included on two highly praised compilations: Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger and What’s That I Hear?: The Songs of Phil Ochs. Other powerhouse performers included on these compilations are Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, The Roches, Ani DiFranco and The Indigo Girls. Incredible! In January of that same year, the Arts section of The New York Times featured Voices of Winter, the now classic album of live tracks from Anne’s annual year-end program with the great Priscilla Herdman and Cindy Mangsen. And yet, Anne remains humble, giving back to the village she has called home since 1987. Anne told The Irregular about what inspired her to head up Poets, Troubadours and Troublemakers for Festival UnBound. “Since I moved to Bethlehem 32 years ago, I have found love and support from our artistic community. Godfrey Daniels, Mock Turtle Marionette and Touchstone Theatre, Lehigh Valley Arts Council, Sing Out! Magazine, Moravian and DeSales [University], as well as many enthusiastic individuals, have given me opportunities to collaborate and grow. Festival Unbound’s Poets, Troubadours and Troublemakers offered me another great chance to create, collaborate and celebrate this vibrant community.” Shaping the future starts here. Changing the landscape of community driven creativity starts now. Building strong foundations starts together. Festival UnBound is a celebration of the 21st century today. Poets, Troubadours and Troublemakers Wednesday, October 9 from 7 to 8:30 P.M. at The Sigal Museum | 342 Northampton Street, Easton, PA Thursday, October 10 from 7 to 8:30 P.M. at The Lyric Room, Miller Symphony Hall | 23 N. Sixth Street, Allentown, PA Friday, October 11 from 8 to 9:30 P.M. at Godfrey Daniels | 7 E. Fourth Street, Bethlehem, PA *Panel discussion follows performance Price is $15. A limited amount of Pay What You Will tickets are available for purchase; please call 610-867-1689 to order. For more info, visit: www.festivalunbound.com/poets-troubadours-and-troublemakers, www.annehills.com, www.godfreydaniels.org.
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! FACEBOOK.COM/ THEIRREGULARNEWSPAPER Musician Anne Hills (center) collaborated with Godfrey Daniels to present Festival UnBound’s Poets, Troubadours and Troublemakers. photo courtesy of Festival UnBound
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October 2019
The Irregular 11
GARDENING
Fall Garden Chores (that you may not have thought of ) article and photos by Pam Ruch “Garden Cleanup”, as you may have heard, has gone out of fashion. It’s better for the ecosystem to leave duff on the ground and dead stalks standing. Some native bees spend the winter in hollow stems, and butterflies may overwinter in the leaf litter, either as chrysalises or adults. Predatory insects also need protected places to spend the winter, either as eggs, pupae, or adults. While all this is very true, and you can indeed skip much of the tidying that leads to a spic and span—and largely lifeless—garden, there are some chores that it behooves the busy gardener to make time for. Prevent Next Year’s Seedlings In my garden, this means cutting off every last seedhead from my ‘Blue Chiffon’ Rose of Sharon. There are sterile Rose of Sharon varieties such as ‘Aphrodite’ and ‘Diana’ that do not set seed. ‘Blue Chiffon’, apparently, is not one of them. Given the choice of spending the entire summer weeding out seedlings or a Zen-like hour cutting off the seeds, I choose the latter. And the bonus: the attractive seedheads can be used as wreath adornments. You may have other plants with similar proclivities. Garlic chives and lemon balm are two rampant seeders that you’ll want to deadhead before the seeds reach maturity. Both are lovely and useful herbs, but they are also living proof that you can indeed have far too much of a good thing.
‘Sheffield Pink’ hardy mums are a fall feast for pollinators.
Prevent spring weeds like hairy bittercress by pulling them in fall.
Cut off Rose of Sharon seedheads in fall to prevent next year’s seedlings from taking root.
Collect seeds of dill, zinnias, nicotiana, and other flowers for next year’s garden.
12 The Irregular
October 2019
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Gardening Plan For Next Year’s Seedlings The flip side of preventing unwanted seedlings is giving seeds a chance to germinate where you want them. The process for this can be as simple as cutting stalks of dill, nicotiana, celosia, native columbine or other desirable flowers that like to self-sow, and dropping them where you’d like to see them growing next year. Alternately, you can collect seed in those envelopes companies keep sending you even though you’ve been paying your bills online for years. Just don’t forget to label the envelopes with the flower name and the date. Stockpile Some Straw If you don’t have a bale of half-rotting straw to use in your garden, you’re missing out! The key is to get it in early fall and let it sit long enough that any seeds contained in the bales either germinate and then perish, or rot. Only then is it safe to use as mulch, or as a moisture-preserving topper in container plantings. While woodchips do a great job of preventing weeds and then breaking down into an organic soil amendment, they are a real chore to put down. Breaking off lightweight chunks of straw and tucking them around your plants is a breeze. Instead of a once-and-done project, straw can be applied as needed throughout the season. Mow Over Your Leaves This is a hard sell with most lawn maintenance companies, so if you hire out your mowing you may have to sit your landscaper(s) down for a heart-to-heart, or do the last mow yourself. Chopped-up leaves = compost, and compost = soil health. No, your lawn will not have that perfect leafless appearance between leaf-fall and snowfall, but you will be in the vanguard! Setting an example for a new and better aesthetic! Don’t Neglect the Final Weeding We all lose our enthusiasm as the garden season wanes. Weeds, on the other hand, get ever more rambunctious. Annual weeds such as groundsel, cress, and wood sorrel can go from flower to seed in the blink of an eye, and at the end of summer they are particularly fecund, as their days are numbered. And have you heard of “winter annual weeds?” The classic example is hairy bittercress, which starts as a rosette in fall, then in spring bursts into happy growth and shoots its seeds every which way. Literally. You can hear them pop. If you know what’s good for you, and next year’s garden, this is no time to let up!
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Last Words There’s still time to plant winter rye. Sow it where heat-loving veggies such as tomatoes and peppers will be situated next summer. And October is the time to plant your garlic! Horticulturist and writer Pam Ruch, caretaker of the Nurture Nature Center Urban Recycle Garden, tends gardens in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, and presents gardening and nature journaling programs throughout the region.
Find a place to stash straw over the winter. Use it to mulch your garden in spring.
For the sake of your soil, mow, don’t rake.
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October 2019
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IRREGULAR EVENTS Community: Every Thur. 10am-4pm: Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room. NCC Educational Center, 25 S. 3rd St., Easton. Info: 610-332-6405, 610253-8271, copsnkidseaston@gmail.com, copsnkidseaston.org 1st & 3rd Sat. 10am-12pm & Every Thur. 11am-7pm: Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room. 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 Every Sat. thru Dec. 9am-1pm: Easton Farmers’ Market. (Oct. 5: Garlic Fest, Oct. 19: Apple Jam, Nov. 1: PA Bacon Fest). 9am-1pm. Centre Sq., Easton. Info: 610-330-9942, eastonfarmersmarket.com Thru Nov. 11: The Maze. Wed.-Sun. 11am-6pm, $8/adults, $5/ ages 4-12, Free/Veterans&Military and ages 3 & under. The Farm in Harmony, 231 Brainards Rd., Harmony, NJ. Info: 908-386-2925, thefarminharmony.com Oct. 4: ArtsQuest’s First Friday Events. 6-9pm. Banana Factory, 25 W. 3rd St., Bethlehem. Info: bananafactory.org Oct. 4-5: Fall Rummage Sale. Fri. 9am-3pm, Sat. 9am-12pm (bag day). Christ United Methodist Church, 400 W. Berwick St., Easton. Info: 610-258-4762, eastonchristumc.com Oct. 5-6: Easton Garlic Fest. 10am-6pm. Downtown Easton. Info: eastongarlicfest.com Oct. 12: Lehigh Valley VegStock. 11am-5pm. Llantrisant Retreat and Wellness Center, 336 Bushkill St., Tatamy, PA. Info: lvvegstcok@ kellyn.org, lvvegstock.org Oct. 13: Easton Pumpkin Party Jack O’Lantern Carving Festival. 12-3pm, $5/adv., $7/day of. Centre Square, Easton. Info: search Easton Pumpkin Party at Eventbrite.com Oct. 15: The Financial Benefits of Resource Conservation. 7:3011:45am. Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Rd., College Center, Rm. 220, Bethlehem. Info: northampton.edu/ conservation, safety@northampton.edu Oct. 16: Annual Domestic Violence Vigil. 6:30-7:30pm (doors open at 6). Third Street Alliance, 41 N. 3rd St., Easton. Info: turningpointlv. org Oct. 17: Destination Arts: Third Thursday. 5-8pm. Multiple Art Venues in Downtown Allentown. Info: 610-751-4929, downtownallentown.com Oct. 17-19: Rummage, Soup and Cookie Sale. Thur. 9am-6pm, Fri. 9am-5pm, Sat. 9am-12pm ($6 bag day). St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 305 Delaware Rd., Riegelsville. Info: 610-749-083 Oct. 19: Lehigh Valley BooFest. 10am-4pm. Palmer Park Mall, 2455 Park Ave., Easton. Info: boofest@lvbg.org, BooFest.org Oct. 19: 25th Annual Tour of Historic Pohatcong Township, NJ. 10am-5pm, $20. Info: 908-387-1493, pohatconghistory.com Oct. 19: Nazareth Halloween Parade. 1pm. Belvidere & Liberty Sts. to Main St. to circle, down Center St., ends at high school. Info: vigilancehose.com/content/Halloween Oct. 20: Easton Food Truck Festival. 12-6pm. Larry Holmes Dr., Easton. Info: glvmfa@gmail.com, facebook.com/ events/709560662843265
Oct: 27: Easton/Philipsburg Halloween Parade. 3-5pm. Begins at McKeen St., Phillipsburg & ends in Centre Sq., Easton. Info: Lauren Spence 610-349-9776, LaurenS@lehighvalleychamber.org Nov. 2-3: PA Bacon Fest. 10am-6pm. Downtown Easton. Info: pabaconfest.com
Live Music Every Fri.: Free Range Music in the Acoustic Kitchen (Oct. 4: Paul Wilkinson, Oct. 11: School of Rock, Oct. 25: Jeff Crosson, Nov. 1: Steve Brosky, Nov. 8: Tim Harakal, Nov. 15: Ben Tyler). 6-8pm. Easton Public Market, 325 Northampton St., Easton. Info: 610-330-9942 Oct. 8 & Nov. 12: Bach at Noon. 12-1pm (doors open at 11:30am). Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church St., Bethlehem. Info: 610866-4382 x110 or 115, bach.org Oct. 26: Bach Choir’s 2019 Gala Concert: Coronation of King George II. 3-5pm/$40, $30, $9. St. John’s Lutheran Church, 37 S. 5th St., Allentown. Info: 610-866-4382 x110 or 115, bach.org
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 Oct. 5: Paddling the Canal. 10am-12pm & 1-3pm, $10/reg. req. Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area, PA-611 & Canal Rd., Williams Twp. Info: Katie Martens 610-982-0161, kmartens@pa.gov Oct. 11: Almost Full Moon Towpath Trek. 6-8:30pm/reg. req. Delaware Canal State Park Office, 11 Lodi Hill Rd., Upper Black Eddy, PA. Info: Katie Martens 610-982-0161, kmartens@pa.gov Oct. 27: Gallows Run & Lynn Island Cleanup. 10am-2pm/reg. req. Parking lot by former American Grill Restaurant, PA-611, Kintnersville, PA Moravian Historical Society 214 E. Center Street, Nazareth, PA 610-759-5070, moravianhistory.org Thru Nov. 10: Exhibition: Hall Boys: Student Life at Nazareth Hall Oct. 5: MHS Annual Meeting, Lecture, and Reception. 2pm. Lititz Moravian Congregation, 8 Church Sq., Lititz, PA Oct. 18, 19, 25, 26: Spooky Walking Tour. 7pm Nov. 9: Historic Nazareth Walking Tour. 4-5pm, $8 National Canal Museum 2750 Hugh Moore Park Road, Easton, PA 610-923-3548, canals.org Thru Dec. 29: Current Exhibit: What the Rivers Saw: Mapping 200 Years of the D&L Corridor’s Living Landscape Oct. 5- 27: Museum and/or boat ride. Sat. & Sun. 11:30am-4:30pm Oct. 6: Book Signing: Geography, Geology & Genius by Martha Capwell Fox. 4pm, adm. price or $5 Oct.18, 19, 25, 26: Haunted Hugh Moore Park. 5:30-9pm, $18 (adult), $12 (3-15 yrs.)/reg. req. Oct. 27: From Water to Iron: A Walking Tour of Hugh Moore Park’s Industrial Past. 1pm, adm. price or $5 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 Thru Nov. 20: Drawn to Earth: Art Work by Judith Brandon Oct. 4: Easton Star Party. 8:30-10pm at Scott Park, Larry Holmes Dr., Easton Oct. 10, 12 & Nov. 7, 9: Science on a Sphere: Keeping an Eye on Hurricanes. Thur. 7-8pm, Sat. 1-2pm Oct. 11: Reception for Thom Cooney Crawford: The Inner Eye of Art, The Outer Spark. 6:30-9pm Oct. 15: 2019 Lehigh Valley Watershed Conference. 7:30am-4pm at STEPS Building, Lehigh University, 1 W. Packer Ave., Bethlehem Oct. 28: New Moon Gong Bath and Meditation. 6:30-8:30pm
Nov. 2: Scout Merit Badge Workshop: Weather. 2-4pm Nov. 15: Scout Merit Badge Workshop: Astronomy. 7-9pm PennState Extension Northampton County 14 Gracedale Avenue, Nazareth 610-813-6613, NorthamptonExt@psu. edu extension.psu.edu/ northampton-county Oct. 5-6: Northampton County Open Gate Farm Tours. 1-5pm. Various times/locations Oct. 29: Spotted Lanternfly Permit Training. 9-11am. Lehigh PSU Co. Ext. Office, 4148 Dorney Park Rd., Allentown. To register: 717-787-5674, SLFPermit@ pa.gov Nov. 20: Spotted Lanternfly Permit Training. 9-11am. Gracedale Nursing Home, 2 Gracedale Ave., Nazareth. To register: 717-787-5674, SLFPermit@pa.gov Sigal Museum (NCHGS) 342 Northampton St., Easton, PA 610-253-1222, sigalmuseum. org Thru Oct. 10: A Plethora of Petticoats. Thur. 11am-2pm or by appt., adm. price or $5. 1833 Mixsell-Illick House, 4th & Ferry Sts., Easton Oct. 5: Lehigh Valley Wine Auction. 6-9pm, $75 (VIP Reception, 5-6pm, $150) Oct. 9: Festival UnBound: Poets, Troubadours and Troublemakers. 7-8:30pm, $15 Oct. 12: Waiting to Be Heard: Recreating the Forgotten Voices of the Women of the American Revolution w/historian & author Susan Holloway Scott. 2pm, adm. price or $5 Oct. 15: B.Y.O.B. – Bring Your Own Baby Colonial Tour. 10am, $15 (includes $10 in EPM tokens) Oct. 19: Firefighting in Bethlehem 1741-1917 - Talk and Book Signing. 1pm, adm. price or $5 Oct. 12, 19, 25, 26: Haunted Historic Walking Tours. Fri. 6-7pm, Sat. 7-8pm, $10 Nov. 9: Destination: Northampton County Community Opening. 10am4pm Have an event taking place in the Easton 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. Or consider placing a display ad with us; email or call 610-258-4330 for rates.
Oct. 20: Welsh Music in America Program w/Jim Moyer. 3pm. Williams Township Historical Society, St. John’s Church of Morgan Hill, 2720 Morgan Hill Rd., Easton. Info: 610-253-8951 Oct. 25: Easton Out Loud: Halloween. 5-9pm. Downtown Easton. Info: 610-250-6533, eastonoutloud.com Oct. 25: Jack O’Lantern Blaze. 5-9pm. 2nd St. and neighboring businesses. Info: facebook.com/events/390013395278468 Oct. 25-27: Easton Book Festival. Various times and locations throughout Easton. Info: eastonbookfestival.com
14 The Irregular
October 2019
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Aries- ‘Tis the witching season and the stars align in a very bone chilling way for Aries! All Hallows’ Eve brings to the surface magical powers hidden deep down that come out to protect you from what ever goes go bump in the night both professionally & personally. Be sure to drive a stake through whatever vampire drains the life out of those corners of your life and stay up until dawn to survive. Halloween costumes suggestions are Gladiators, tribal warrior or sexy General. Taurus- Active spirits may push and prompt you into many temptations of the flesh, know when to pull back so that whatever gets your ghost doesn’t consume you and turn you into a monster! Put energy to good use transforming apples and pumpkins along with other seasonal delights into festive goodies for friends at Halloween soirées all month long leaving them under your spell. Perfect Halloween costume ideas are dead famous chefs, glamorous 1920’s flappers and Historical Kings & Queens! Gemini- Trick or a Treat? The cosmos will certainly have it’s way with you this month and teach you lessons you will never forget; a supernatural experience of the strongest kind! The horror continues when Mercury plays out a real life Jeykel & Hyde! Remember the magical creed that you cast comes back in threes and during the three weeks ahead the nightmare may be repeating itself! Fun costume ideas are Mercury himself, find a friend or lover to go as Thing 1& Thing 2 or retro it and go as Justice League Wonder Twins. Cancer- Cast a witches’ spell and cast it well! Spin your wheel of magic and remove the parts most tragic! Work with the power of the moon all month long like the natural witch you are even if the moon turns feelings stern and hard. Matters at work prevail by the Full Moon and draw out the hidden beast in lovers which become victim to insatiable lust! As the moon weakens, expect an extra burst of energy; it’ll be what’s needed to gear up for Halloween parties and seasonal madness! Before this month is up you may have gained a restitution for being a real witch, however good or bad is totally up to you. Halloween costume ideas are a traditional Witch with pointy hat, a dapper Steam Punk couple or a midsummer night’s fairy. Leo- Ghost hunter extraordinaire, you aren’t afraid of no ghosts! Nor should you fear facing any legal matters like signing contracts in blood or hand shake deals with the devil this month! Block any evil curses towards you or loved ones ! Mid-month the way is lit like Jack o’Lanterns preparing the path for happy trick or treaters! One last wish comes true before the magic recedes so light a green candle with your desire carved on it between the 25th & 31st. Halloween ideas are Cleopatra & Marc Anthony, Sun God/ess or lion or cat. Virgo- Non-believers beware! Not even you are exempt from the unseen powers floating through the chilly nights of October! The first week of the month will throw your rational mind in a spin. Expect visions of psychic messages and symbolic dreams, the past coming to haunt you including old ex’s coming back from the dead! Your only defense that might work, magic. It’s time to believe in the unseen and explore a spiritual side of your self that only comes out once a year. Go see a fortuneteller or two, pay for spells to be cast in your name and who knows, you might just get what you wish for. Great Halloween costume ideas are the ever-classic French maid, Napoleon & Josephine or shock them all and be a Can-Can girl. Libra- Love spells and potions of passion mixed with obsession and desire are potent ingredients cast in your cauldron! Intoxicating lovers to come to you like love sick zombies can have its pros but the cons become how to release them from Your spell once you’ve had your fill! Mid-month however things go your way quite smoothly when using mind control over others to get what you want especially in accepting abstract ideas you believe in! All in all this proves to be a very magical month; just remember that the magic wears off at sunrise on Halloween and remember to bury all that should be left for dead for fear it may come back to haunt you later! Halloween costumes should be glamorous and colorful, romantic and unforgettable. Scorpio- Cast or break hexes? The choice is yours. This is a particularly powerful time of year and thought forms can become manifest. Remember though to protect yourself with old-fashioned remedies of garlic and holy water or newer methods like shutting off your phone. Either way the webs weaved right now can chain you up or become a ladder to freedom. Are you the alluring vampire or seduced victim? If it’s hard to tell then it’s time for some spiritual inventory. Carry black crystals on your body to repel other witches’ hexes. What Halloween costume you don this year will be the Spirit that lives through you the rest of the year ahead, choose wisely! Sagittarius- Half man-half animal instinct takes over during this eerie season leading to Halloween. Like a werewolf you’ll never exactly know when your inner animal will want to come out. When it does it’ll be important to know how to tame it, especially at work! Be careful not to lose a project, client or job over an animalistic possession. Find a gypsy that can reverse your streak of misfortune and all can be recovered by the 25th! Take to the country or lure friends to hayrides and hiking to see the leaves change color, reconnecting with nature is a sure fire grounding technique. As for Halloween costumes choose Pan, centaurs, famous athletes or Elvira!
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Capricorn- Don’t be just another pumpkin in the patch, stand out and come to life! Someone somewhere has a voodoo doll with your name on it and is causing all sorts of limitations, frustrations and painful situations in your life. Let’s take that curse off of you, shall we? First step is to meditate on who is doing this to you, confront them and take away their power, surround yourself with white salt and white light and be bigger than the magic holding you back for so long. Once we know who or what is controlling us by magic, the spell is broken and we can be set free! You’ll have until sunrise on Halloween night; act fast as time is of the essence! Halloween dress up suggestions, Mr. & Mrs. Frankenstein, a pimp & well dressed lady of the night or Political Couple. Aquarius- Always running up stream against the typical zombie flow aren’t you? Slow down, sip a nice cup of pumpkin spice, gaze at the Autumn colors sprouting in the tree’s leaves and leave the human world behind. You are the magician of the Tarot deck, use the skills of imagination given you to magically transform your disappointments and heart breaks into new dreams and inspirations! Have you been playing the role of Dr. Frank N. Furter in your own personal Rocky Horror picture show for too long? Skeletons come out of your closet, ghosts that’ve haunted you too long disappear; stop being a mad scientist and go from being The Magician to The Lover card in the Tarot. You’ll be leaving the mundane mortal life behind to live in a dream soon. Let Halloween be everyday whatever costumes you wear combine, fantasy, sci-fi, steam punk and maybe a scarecrow.
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Pisces- Foretell the future soothsayer, look past the veils of mundane existence. What do you see? Like a Pythian Sybil the stars will take hold of you, spirits will possess you and speaking intangible languages will confound you. In between these moments however take time to pick pumpkins at a patch, mix up and share spiked apple ciders with friends and co-workers and enjoy the season as it goes. Keep dream journals near by and record anything related to symbols and hidden meaning. By Halloween night this metaphysical malady comes to a head. But who’s head?! Read classics like Legend of Sleepy Hallow or The Tell Tale Heart and bring some classic frights into our modern day macabre of Halloween. Costume mustsmermaid & merman, sailor, Endora from Bewitched or Carrie.
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October 2019
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AT THE LIBRARIES 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. Oct. 7: Quilting Club. 6pm Oct. 12: Quilting Club. 9am Oct. 12: American Sign Language w/Allison Didden. 11-11:45am Oct. 15: Romance Book Club: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. 6:30-7:30pm Oct. 21: Greeting Card Making Class w/Alicia Vincelette. 6:30pm, $8 Oct. 29: Non-fiction Book Group: The Library Book by Susan Orlean. 7-8pm Oct. 30: Scary Stories for Adults w/Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild’s Larry Sceurman & Robin Reichert. 6:30pm 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 4th Sat.: Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group meeting. 10am12pm. Info: glvwg.vebmeister@gmail.com Oct. 16: Forever Young Adult Book Group: Return to Fear Street: YOU MAY NOW KILL THE BRIDE by R.L. Stine. 6-7pm Oct. 17: True Crime Library Book Group: The Golden State Killer (EAR/ONS), Joseph D’Angelo and the 30-year hunt to find him. 6-7pm Oct. 19: Meet Cathy Bednar, author of the children’s book, Myra Carter & the Spider Who Grew Too Big & craft. 11am, reg. req. Oct. 22: Adult Book Group: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. 6-7:30pm
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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 Every Thur. Oct. 10-Nov. 14: Thursday evening knitting classes. 6-8pm Oct. 15: Meuser Book Club: Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. 2-4pm Oct. 18: Halloween Storytelling w/ Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild’s Ingrid Bohn & Robin Reichert. 6:30-8pm Nov. 2: Bus Trip to the Colebrookdale Fall Foliage Train Ride. 9:30am-4pm, $75. Departs from Meuser Park Tennis Courts lot, Northampton St., Wilson Borough. 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. (Closed Oct. 7 & 19) Oct. 5: Touch a Truck! 10am-2pm, $5. Bushkill Township Recreation Fields, 1114 Bushkill Center Rd., Nazareth Oct. 9: Nazareth Book Club: Russian Roulette by Giles Milton. 6:30pm Oct. 14: Historical Tour of the Library. 11-11:30am Oct. 15: Historical Tour of the Library. 6-6:30pm Oct. 16: Fall Family Craft Night. 6:30-7:15pm, reg. req. Oct. 18: The Reel Book Club: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. 10:30-11:30am Oct. 21: Community Round Table Discussion: Safety. 6-7:30pm Oct. 22: Children’s Painting Class (grades 3-5). 6-7:30, reg. req. Oct. 23: Adult Painting Class. 6-7:30, reg. req. Oct. 24: Haunted Storytelling for Adults w/Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild’s Larry Sceurman & Judy England McCarthy. 6:30-7:30pm, reg. req. Oct. 25: Daytime Book Club: The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck. 10:30-11:30am 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 Oct. 1: Yarn Crafts Group. 5:30pm Oct. 7: Laughter Yoga. 12 & 7pm Oct. 9: Arts Experience: Haunted Centerpieces. 6pm, reg. req. Oct. 15: Yarn Crafts Group. 5:30pm Oct. 16: Book Forum. 1:30pm Oct. 17: Film Screening: What They Had. 7pm Oct. 22: Ghost Hunting. 6:30pm Oct. 22: Classic Book Club: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. 7pm Oct. 23: Happy Bookers Discussion Group: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 7pm Oct. 28: PFPL Writers Group. 6pm The Irregular
October 2019
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