february 2020
Connecting with Dots
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Clockwise from top left: “Erica Day”, “Pal” and “First Flower” by Brian Delozier.
by Christine Lake Recent research suggests that art can have a variety of therapeutic effects on physical and emotional well-being. An exhibit being staged at The Gallery at St. John’s in Easton is a testament to that fact for one local artist. BRIAN’S DOTS, by artist Brian Delozier of Reading, runs through February 23 at The Gallery, located at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church at 330 Ferry Street. Delozier was an adventurous kid growing up in Eastern Pennsylvania, one who was very into all kinds of physical activity and found particular enjoyment in skiing. In February of 2002, at age 16, he suffered a bad fall during a ski jump that led to two broken bones in his neck, extensive damage to his spinal cord and paralysis. After some time and medical interventions including surgery and physical therapy, Delozier started
making what his doctors believed was excellent physical progress, including being able to walk again with the aid of crutches. As someone who was so accustomed to constant physical activity, however, this progress didn’t feel like enough and Delozier found himself at a very low point. “I decided I needed a drastic change in life,” he recalls. “I decided to go to Hawaii. It was beautiful and freeing, but before I went I thought that as soon as I got there I would find what I was looking for and everything was going to be great for me again. When I got there, I kind of felt the same.” Through those ups and downs in a different place, Delozier made some good friends, including one who was an artist and encouraged him to try making some art as a form of therapy. “Basically, out of frustration with him and to just get him to shut up about it, I finally tried,” he recalls. The friend used fine-tip markers as a medium, so Delozier continued on page 3
HOPE AND HEALING AS A COMMUNITY by Christine Lake Losing a loved one is never easy. Losing a loved one to suicide comes with unique challenges due to the perceived stigma around mental health, and a new support group is aiming to help suicide survivors work through their grief process. The Lehigh Valley Suicide Survivor Support Group will meet on the second and fourth Mondays of every month, with the first meeting on February 10 from 6:30-8:00 PM at Change on 3rd, 117 N. 3rd Street in Easton.
Artistic Endeavors
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 47,000 people died by suicide in 2017. In Pennsylvania, the rate of suicide is 15.03 per 100,000 deaths, and the rates in Northampton and Lehigh counties are both higher (15.1 in Lehigh County, and 16.2 in Northampton County). Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the state and the 2nd leading cause of death for 15-34 year olds. These are sobering numbers, and though a lot of information and resources are fairly easily found targeted to those who might be contemplating taking their own lives, finding a resource as a survivor of a loved one’s suicide is more difficult. “Well over 40 years ago, I had a parent who chose to die by suicide,” explains facilitator Kerry Monroe. “Back then just the subject of suicide was so taboo, with shame attached to the surviving family members, that we were cautioned to conceal our truth. We heal best when we heal together in a safe community, and that is why I’m starting this group.” A death by suicide is often sudden and unexpected, and the aftermath may sometimes require survivors to deal with police or handle the press. The stigma surrounding mental health factors heavily into people’s
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page 8
Gardening page 8 Kerry Monroe, facilitator of The Lehigh Valley Suicide Survivor Group. photo courtesy of Ms. Monroe
Febuary 2020
The Irregular
IRREGULAR THOUGHTS The Language of Love Flowers Happy New Year and welcome to our first issue of 2020! With Valentine’s Day coming up, I was curious of the history that lies behind giving of flowers on this celebratory day of love. If you’re a woman, the odds of receiving flowers on this day are pretty high. Floral arrangements have been high-ranking Valentine’s gifts for like an eternity, a tradition most of us don’t even question. According to Teleflora. com, Valentine’s Day represents the single busiest day of the year, and the average transaction is higher than the average sale for any other holiday. Cut flowers represent 79 percent of Valentine’s Day sales, 47 percent of those sales being roses, and 73 percent of those roses are, you guessed it, red. More than half the purchases are made by men, 62 percent. I scoured the web, but was unable to find a concise answer regarding the “why”. I did, however, come across interesting lore telling of how flowers were used to send cryptic messages. We know Valentine’s flowers carry a message of love, especially red roses, but long ago flowers had a language of their own. The use of flowers to convey messages most likely originated in 16th century Turkey, but Lady Mary Wortley Montagu is accredited with introducing the language of flowers to Britain—floriography. In 1716, she accompanied her husband to Turkey where he was stationed as ambassador. Her letters back to England contained references to the Turkish use of floral symbols. Apparently, it was Turkish custom to use flowers to send secret messages in the harem. Montagu’s efforts to promote floriography were not embraced until a century later during the reign of Queen Victoria. Books about flower symbolism began to be published almost overnight. The first dictionary of flower language appeared in 1819, Le Langage des Fleurs (still available today on Amazon). “There were 330 different types of emotions. Listed in alphabetical order, they ranged from messages of love, acceptance and refusal to more specific feelings or psychological states such as Render Me Justice, My Regrets Accompany You to the Grave and the catchy Better to Die than Lose One’s Innocence.” Upon receipt of a floral arrangement during this era, one would reach for the flower dictionary to decode the secret meaning; this practice was mostly restricted to the upper class. By the end of World War I, the fad of floriography had largely vanished. Love, passion, friendship, apologies . . . whatever message your flowers carry this Valentine’s Day, please, no pit stops to the grocery store. There are wonderful local florists who will be more than happy to assist you. See you in March! Spring is just around the corner, yay! Don’t forget to support your local community... BUY LOCAL!! Lydia E. Bruneo Publisher & Editor
UNUSUAL VICTORIAN FLOWER MEANINGS Carnations Pink means “sweet and lovely”, but red means “my heart breaks”, and yellow simply means “disdain”. Basil Stands for “hate”. Clover White clover flowers say, “think of me.” Geranium The oak leaf variety mean “true friendship”, and the pencil leaf variety mean “ingenuity”, but perhaps stay away from scarlet geraniums, they stand for “stupidity”. Lavender Deliciously fragrant, but the Victorians used them to express “mistrust”. Cabbage Cabbage flowers aren’t the most popular in bouquets but maybe they should be, they mean “profit”. Peony A wedding day favorite, the Victorians took them to mean “anger”. Yarrow The Victorians saw these pert clusters of small blooms as the “cure for a broken heart”.
The Irregular Lydia E. Bruneo Publisher & Editor Michelle L. Corby Creative Director Contributors: Carole J. Heffley Richard F. Hope Christine Lake EAM Dawn Ouellette Nixon James Jacob Pierri Pam Ruch Chris Vilardi Reach us at: PO Box 85 Easton, PA 18044 610-258-4330 bruneo1776@aol. com Founded by Carole J. Heffley and James R. Hicks, Jr. 1996
Remember, support your community. Buy local.
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2 The Irregular
Febuary 2020
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Connecting the Dots continued from page 1
picked one up and, due to his hand function, decided that the most comfortable way to use it was to make a dot. “And that felt pretty good,” he says. “So I made another, then another, and before too long I was really in a zone.” At first it was just a meditative-type exercise for him and the works were mostly patterns and small pictures, but eventually he had the idea that he could turn these dots into larger, fully formed works of art. The result of that, “First Flower”, is on display at The Gallery at St. John’s, along with 24 other works. “That was 12 years ago, and I haven’t stopped making dots since,” Delozier says. One piece can take anywhere from one to eight months to complete, depending on the size. Delozier usually outlines a piece in pencil first, but sometimes will just go right in with dots. The subject matter ranges from abstract designs to animals to scenery and even some portraits. The colors are bright and vibrant, and while sometimes the dots are very clearly dots, in other places the dots blend together to look like stripes or spirals and some pieces look textured, almost like embroidery. Over the past 6 years, Delozier estimates he has participated in about 60 exhibitions and festivals, including the Riverside Festival of the Arts in Easton a few years ago. “I first heard of Brian through two friends of St. John’s, Beverly Murbach-Erhardt and Marya Schwartzkopf, who are also artists,” explains Gallery director MariAn Olson. “They saw his work and recommended him, and we made arrangements for an exhibition once we had an opening in our schedule.” The Gallery at St. John’s is usually booked 1-2 years in advance, holding six shows a year which each last two months. Now in its 20th year, The Gallery opened in 2000 after Pastor Grace Olson (no relation to MariAn) came to St. John’s from New York City in 1998. She discovered that many artists were moving to the Easton area from NYC because it was more affordable but still in proximity, and she worked with Karl Stirner and parishioner John Hall to plan out the Gallery space. It is managed by the Fine Arts Committee of the church, and hosts a variety of shows and events—poetry readings, demonstrations, concerts, group art shows, themed exhibits, and solo shows like this one. Walking through the exhibition, it is easy to imagine the patience and time it takes to make these pieces, and also the meditative calm one could experience while “dotting”. Though some might think that such a dramatic, life-changing event so early in life would be difficult to get over, Delozier feels differently.
photo courtesy of the artist
Brian Delozier making dots. photo courtesy of the artist
“I feel very grateful for everything that has led to me discovering this artistic ability,” he remarks. “Someone might look at me as a person with a disability, but I actually feel that I’ve gained abilities. I just needed to find what worked for me.” Through the power of his artwork, and the reach that it gives him, he is hoping to be able to help others find their own passions in life. BRIAN’S DOTS is open to the public on Sundays from 12-3 PM, or weekdays by appointment, through Sunday February 23. The pieces on display are also offered for sale, with 80% of the proceeds going to the artist and 20% to The Gallery to cover administrative costs of printing and mailing materials related to the show. Prices for pieces range from $40-$300 for prints; one original is available for $800. The Gallery accepts cash or check payments only. St. John’s is located at 330 Ferry Street in Easton, and a parking lot is next to the church for visitors; enter through the parking lot door, cross the narthex and turn right. More information is available at www.stjohnseaston.org/ ministries/gallery or by calling 610-258-6119. BRIAN’S DOTS also has a website, www.briansdots.com, where you can view a gallery of work, purchase works and watch a documentary by Crayola that further tells Brian’s story.
Hope and Healing as a Community reactions to hearing that a person has lost a loved one to suicide, and many religions still specifically condemn taking one’s own life as a sin, further complicating even the act of a survivor reaching out for help and understanding. “The impact of suicide loss is an unrelenting and conflicting grief with all its unanswered questions, confusion and even reproach many survivors experience,” Monroe agrees. This group, which is offered at no cost, aims to be a safe space for survivors to share stories and support one another through their unique grieving process by adapting from a personal grief mindset to a place of collective mourning. “I value how difficult it is to gather what little strength one might be holding onto and come and be uncomfortable,” Monroe says. “I understand what it takes to drive/walk to this group and open that front door for the first time. It is daunting, and it requires courage.” That acknowledged, attendees should expect a welcoming, judgment-free environment that can offer them a space to get some equilibrium back as they work with Monroe and others “to untangle the massive emotions which surround a loved one’s suicide.” The group is open to anyone in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, whenever they can make it for as long as they feel they need it. “Come once, or several times,” Monroe says. “Attend for months if needed. The attendees will determine their need and I will facilitate as long as I am able.” Monroe has spent the last 15 years working as a grief recovery educator, chaplain, speaker for workshops and retreats, and facilitating support groups in Washington state. A move to Easton about a year and a half ago led to her bringing her experience to the Lehigh Valley. She is a member of the Northampton Suicide Task Force and has connected with events put on by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
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When thinking about starting this group, Monroe heard about Change on 3rd Street and the work they are doing for people in recovery. “Basically, I just walked in off the street and took a chance to share my vision with Brian Sabo, the program director,” she recalls. “He was gracious and excited to offer their space, as they are in the business of being supportive while people discover the best in themselves.” The mission of Change on 3rd Street is to offer a safe environment to those seeking recovery or who are part of the treatment continuum. The space hosts events and support groups regularly, so the facilities were already set-up for a group like this one. Volunteers and staff are also committed to the idea that it takes effort and a dedicated community to support recovery, so the fit seemed natural. “All loss, and the grief we feel from our losses, can give us a feeling of loneliness, exhaustion and a helpless sadness,” says Monroe. “Loss causes a sense of being ‘out of step’ with the world around us as it keeps moving forward and we often feel stuck.” The hope Monroe has for the Lehigh Valley Suicide Survivor Support Group is that those struggling with this particular loss will find a community to help them feel less alone. Lehigh Valley Suicide Survivor Support Group meetings will be held the second and fourth Mondays of every month beginning February 10 from 6:30-8:00 PM at Change on 3rd Street, 117 N. 3rd Street in Easton. For more information on the group, contact Kerry Monroe at monroejim@hotmail.com or 425-765-1302. To learn more about Change on 3rd Street, visit changeonthirdstreet. org or call 610-829-2770. For information on suicide prevention and resources, visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter site at afsp.org/chapter/afsp-eastern-pennsylvania or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at nami.org. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273TALK (8255) and the Crisis Text Line is 741741. Febuary 2020
The Irregular 3
WALKING TOUR
Eyerman Building (444-48 Northampton Street, Easton PA) by Richard F. Hope 3 ½ story brick with Mansard roof and three dormers, buttressed roof cornice, and upper story windows with lower external sills. The Eyerman Building recently includes:
• 444 Northampton St., Pie + Tart • 446 Northampton St., Kassis Merchandise • 448 Northampton St., entry to upstairs apts.
Despite the Mansard roof, Easton’s building survey identified the Eyerman Building (which it listed as two structures: one at 444-46, and the other at 448-48½ Northampton St.) as being in the “Italianate” architectural style, with a construction date of c.1830-50. By contrast, a Mansard roof is normally considered the hallmark of the “Second Empire” style, which was in vogue in the U.S. at a later time – between the late 1860s into the early 1870s. Based upon historical records detailed below, the survey’s assessment may be correct, and the Mansard roof added later. Visually, the Eyerman Building has some similar architecture to the Lawall–Bricker Building located next door (to the West) at No. 45052 Northampton St., with which it shares a common wall. The Eyerman Building sits essentially on the eastern half of original town Lot No. 211, as surveyed by William Parsons for the founding of Easton in 1752. According to the de Krafft map probably maintained by the Penn Family’s land agents in the late 18th century, this Lot was occupied by a house, built before 1779, occupied by Abraham “Beel” • [last name possibly incomplete or garbled by water damage]. The de Krafft map shows Lot No. 210 next door to be the “Smith Shop” of someone named Abraham [last name obliterated]. It is likely that the house and smithy were occupied by the same man named Abraham. Early Easton records generally show that Easton’s first smith (i.e. blacksmith) was a man named Abraham Berlin, one of Easton’s original “eleven pioneers” (actually, heads of 11 pioneer families) in 1752. The Penn clerk’s notation is likely a garbled reference to blacksmith Abraham Berlin. Berlin had been born in 1722 in Alsace (France, near the border with Germany), and immigrated to America in 1738 (at age 16) when his parents both died at sea aboard the ship “Charming Nancy”. As we have seen, Berlin survived this tragedy to become a founding settler in Easton in 1752. Although his initial residence place in Easton is unknown, Berlin lived and ran his shop for many years on what is now known as South 4th St. but he lost that property in 1786 when it was seized by the Sheriff for debt and sold to Berlin’s son, Jacob Berlin. Two years later (in 1788), tax records listed Abraham Berlin with real estate appraised at a measly £18 (as distinct from his son, Abraham Berlin Jr., whose property was appraised at £115, likely comprising his father’s former South 4th St. complex, since blacksmith Jacob Berlin was located in Williams Township). The tax records do not specify the location of any of these properties. From this evidence, though, it seems likely that after his financial troubles, Abraham Berlin left 4th St. and moved to this less prestigious location on Northampton St. (farther out from Centre Square and the ferries), probably in a rough log cabin (given the low appraisal value), in time for the Penn Clerks to have included him in their notes on the de Krafft map in about 1789.
tor of the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turnpike Co. (1803), the Easton Water Co. (1817), the Lehigh Chain Bridge (1811), and the Easton Delaware Bridge Co. Even in his 90s, he was remembered as being an “imposing figure”. His “Homestead” in Centre Square still stands, known as the “Tindall House” that is incorporated into Jacob Mayer’s building façade. One year prior to acquiring half of Lot No. 211, John Herster had acquired a portion of the adjacent Lot No. 212 (now the vacant lot at 440-42 Northampton St.), which he had purchased from Joseph Herster, his son. That adjacent property was, at that time, improved with the Herster Building, which had been operated as a store by Joseph Herster. In 1828, Joseph Herster had taken on his nephew, John Eyerman (1808-1883), as a clerk in the store. John Herster, in addition to being Eyerman’s grandfather, had also been Eyerman’s guardian and the administrator of his father’s estate before the young man had become an adult. To no one’s surprise (with this family background and connections!), young John Eyerman initially did well in commerce. In 1834, Eyerman took over management of his Uncle Joseph Herster’s store. John Eyerman & Co. was included in an 1837 list of Easton retailers of “Foreign Merchandise”. John Eyerman also became a public figure, being elected a Captain in a volunteer company of the Pennsylvania National Guard, and accordingly became widely known as Captain Eyerman. John Herster’s purchase of Joseph J. Mixsell’s adjacent half of Lot No. 211 in 1845 was apparently with the intention of building a new store property for his grandson to set up a more modern establishment. In 1846, Herster sold his grandson a half-interest in the new property for $1,250 – half the price that Herster had paid for the property in the prior year – and joined with his grandson to build the three-story brick building (Eyerman Building) on the property. Construction of the new three-story building indeed did begin in 1846, tending to confirm the Easton building survey’s evident suspicion that the building was originally built in the Italianate style then popular (although today it contains features of the later Second Empire style). On 11 June 1847, Captain Eyerman and his grandfather, John Herster, made a separate agreement concerning the maintenance of a common wall dividing the Herster Building and the Eyerman Building. This agreement included installing a second story connection between their two properties, while on the first floor a common alleyway was to run between the two buildings to provide access all the way back to Pine St. Eight days later, John Herster sold his grandson, Captain Eyerman, the outstanding half-interest in the Eyerman Building property, this time for a higher price of $3,243.50 (presumably reflecting construction costs). The new Eyerman Building was finished and occupied by Captain Eyerman in 1847. It was “a fine brick edifice . . . for dwelling and business purposes, the store room being, for size and convenience, greatly in advance of any other one in the place at the time”. The building “stimulated others to enlarge their places of business, and provide themselves with additional conveniences.”
• Until his financial troubles, Abraham Berlin had been a leading citizen in town. He had had built the windlass for the first well in town in 1752, and contributed four days of labor to the construction of the school house in 1755. During the Revolution, he took over Northampton County’s Committee of Observation (or Safety) in 1776, and was appointed a court justice in 1777. Abraham Berlin (Sr.) died in 1790. Lot No. 211 was formally sold by the Penn Family to Daniel Wagener in 1800. Judge Daniel Wagener (1766-1842) had come to Easton as a boy in 1777, and served as Associate Judge of the Northampton County Court for 39 years. Daniel Wagener built the Merchant Mill on Bushkill Creek in 1792. By the 1880s, the Wagener Family owned four of the mills on the Bushkill. In 1824, Daniel Wagener and his wife conveyed the Lot to their son, Dr. John O. Wagener. He was a “Doctor of Medicine”, who graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania and “practiced his profession with reputation and success.” “[A]s a physician [he] was a friend to all the poor and needy.” He then “in a measure, quit his profession and engaged in mercantile pursuits” in approximately 1827; the 1829 tax assessment shows that he had acquired a “Ropewalk” and was now listed as a merchant. He died in that same year (1829). The doctor’s will left this property back to his father, Daniel Wagener. In 1836, Judge Daniel Wagener split the Lot in two, and conveyed the “Easterly half” to his son-in-law, Joseph J. Mixsell, in consideration of his “natural Love and Affection” plus $1. • The other (western) half was conveyed to another son-in-law, John J. Burke. In 1845, Mixsell sold his half of the Lot for $2,500 to John Herster. Herster (1758-1856) was an early Easton industrialist who built two mills and two distilleries along Bushkill Creek. He was a Burgess of Easton, County Treasurer from 1795 until 1801, and an incorpora-
4 The Irregular
Febuary 2020
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Walking Tour
Eyerman Building (444-48 Northampton Street, Easton PA)
In 1844, Captain John Eyerman married Ann Black, the sister of Easton coppersmith Daniel Black. • Daniel Black became a successful and wealthy businessman in his own right as the owner of Black’s Emporium at the SW corner of Northampton and Sitgreaves Sts. He was also a prominent member of the Easton Guards military unit, and was later appointed trustee of Eyerman’s grandson. Unfortunately, soon after opening the Eyerman Building, Captain Eyerman’s health forced him to “relinquish the mercantile business”. He did continue to own the building and reside there. This disability only lasted for a year. In 1849, Captain Eyerman’s health returned, but he did not return to any store in Easton. Instead, he opened distilleries in Phillipsburg and Harmony, NJ. He retired from the Easton National Guards at some point between 1851 and 1856, but became involved in many business pursuits. For example, Captain Eyerman was one of the incorporators of the Warren Foundry and Machine Co. in 1856, and of the Lehigh Water Co. in 1860. He operated his distilleries until 1864, when ill-health again forced another temporary retirement. Two years after this second retirement (i.e. in 1866), Captain John Eyerman “purchased an interest in the Delaware Rolling-mill and Axle-factory”, and his son (Edward H. Eyerman, born 1845) became the bookkeeper. Edward Eyerman became a partner in the mill’s store the following year, and changed the name to Eyerman & Company. In 1969, Edward also began manufacturing “sad irons” (flat irons for ironing fabric). However, Edward Eyerman died of consumption in 1874, and his father sold his interest in the rolling mill business in the same year. By late 1873, a local Atlas showed Captain Eyerman to be located at both the Eyerman Building property, and at Joseph Herster’s old store in the Herster Building next door. • After John Herster died in 1856, at age 97, his will had given the Herster Building jointly to his son Joseph Herster and his grandson Captain Eyerman, in trust for John Herster’s granddaughter Margaret Eyerman (Captain Eyerman’s sister). Prior to the street renumbering of 1874, Captain Eyerman’s residence was numbered 166 Northampton St. When Easton’s 1874 renumbering scheme was inaugurated, Eyerman’s residence was assigned the address of 448 Northampton St. The “Second Empire” architectural style of the Eyerman Building suggests that the Eyerman Building was extensively remodeled after the Civil War, perhaps after having been built in an Italianate style earlier. A logical time for this remodeling might have been in about 1874, after Edward Eyerman’s death and Captain John Eyerman’s sale of the iron business that had maintained an office in the building. During his business career, Captain John Eyerman was also President of the Easton Delaware Bridge Co., and an incorporator of the North Penn Iron Co. However by 1880, Captain Eyerman had again retired from business, and considered himself a “Gentleman”. He continued to occupy his residence at 448 Northampton St. He died on 6 January 1883 without a will, leaving his estate to his grandson, also named John Eyerman (the younger, born 1867), subject to the “dower rights” of his widow, Anna, to a share in the property during her lifetime. She died on 28 October 1891 (thus ending her dower rights), which left sole ownership to the younger John Eyerman. This younger John Eyerman did not remain a resident of downtown Easton, but instead made his home at “Oakhurst”, a magnificent mansion on College Hill. Various tenants occupied the Eyerman Building. For example, at the beginning of the 20th century, No. 446 was apparently occupied (rented) by: • Frank H. Ricker (b.1857), a “heavy contractor” in the “sanitary engineer and scientific plumber and steamfitter” lines; and • The firm of B.D. Mayer and A.L. Freeman, merchant tailors. In 1915, the younger John Eyerman and his wife sold the Eyerman Building and two other properties to Charles L. Hemingway, a “Livery-Man” (clerk in a livery stable). • Hemingway had acted as an intermediary in 1884 regarding the property next door at 440-42 Northampton St., in the process of undoing a trust benefitting Margaret Eyerman and passing ownership of the property to the younger John Eyerman’s guardian. A few months after his purchase from Eyerman, Hemingway sold the two properties for $24,000 to Morris Lipschitz and Abraham Peter, who were operating as investing partners. The building continued as a source of rental income for the owners. In 1930, 444 Northampton St. was the Bess Bett Shoe Store, although No. 446 was vacant. There were eight tenanted apartments at No. 448. By 1937, No. 444 had become the Irene Shop, a millinery store, while No. 446 was the Main Beauty Shoppe, and No. 448 had become Howard’s Quality Clothes (for men). The Irene Shop remained at No. 444 in 1940, but No. 446 had changed again to the National Optical Stores Co., and No. 448 was the George Santos restaurant. Such turnover was apparently the way of life in the retail business, at least during the Great Depression years. In 1943, the Eyerman Building property was seized by the Sheriff for a $2,802 mortgage debt owed to the Easton National Bank, acting as trustee for the estates of Charles Hemmingway and his wife, Alice. (Charles Hemmingway had died in 1929, at age 86, and Alice had died in 1936, at age 89. The debt was almost certainly a purchase money loan that the Hemmingways had given when they sold the property.) Once foreclosed, the Bank (acting for the Hemmingway estates) held the property for seven years, finally selling it in 1950 to Harold Getz, a retail clothing merchant. Twenty years later, in 1970, Getz sold the property for $42,000 to Associated Broadcasters, Inc., then the operator of the WEST radio station in the Kunsman Building at 436-38 Northampton St. The WEST station owner had also acquired the intervening property at 440-42 Northampton St. In 1973, the various radio station properties were conveyed to WEST Realty Associates. Four years later (in 1977), the Eyerman Building was sold off separately to Hampton Hotel, Inc. for $27,500. That company also owns the Hotel Hampton building (also known as the Hampton Hotel) at 460-62 Northampton St., as well as the Sigman Building at 345-47 Ferry St., and Mack House at 349 Ferry St. The company is apparently owned by Joseph Kassis. [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.]
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Febuary 2020
The Irregular 5
CINEMA SISTERS Lehigh Valley filmmakers Katina Sossiadas and Koula Sossiadas celebrate Greek heritage with award winning film, Epiphany by Dawn Ouellette Nixon Sisters Koula Sossiadas and Katina Sossiadas drew on their Greek heritage when writing their first feature film, Epiphany, which is earning critical acclaim on the film festival circuit. The 2019 film explores the complicated relationship between a young girl and her father after the death of the aunt who raised her. The movie has won awards at multiple film festivals, including the Hoboken film festival, the International Christian Film Festival and the London Greek Film festival. It features a wealth of talented artists, among them, rising young talent Caitlin Carmichael, who starred in the Amazon Prime original Life Itself, Burt Young of Rocky fame, and George Georgiou who appeared in the HBO series Game of Thrones and the film, The Mummy. The Sossiadas sisters grew up in Bethlehem, and continue to be based in the Lehigh Valley. Drawing on the connections made through years working in the film industry, the two wrote, directed and filmed Epiphany themselves with the help of a crew of experienced industry professionals. “We thought, this is our story,” says Koula. “We know our vision. We need to do this together.” Filmed on location in the Greek-American community of Tarpon Springs, Florida, Epiphany is a love letter to their Greek-American heritage. “You grow up around this, go to the Greek church, the Greek weddings...” says Koula, “and then you wake up one day and realize, ‘That is who I am, that’s what sets me apart, my Greek identity. This is who we are. We want to share it with the world.’” The film also has a feminist bent, with Caitlin Carmichael’s charachter, Luka, participating in the annual Tarpon Springs Epiphany dive, which is traditionally an event for boys. Originally centered around a boy, the film’s main character was rewritten as a girl when Katina had a dream that the protagonist was a female. “I
Filmmakers Koula Sossiadas (left) and Katina Sossiadas (right) pose with Caitlin Carmichael who plays Luka in their film, Epiphany. photo courtesy of the Sossiadas sisters
woke up and thought, ‘Luka should be a girl!’,” Katina remarks. “And suddenly, the story came together just as it should.” The film is now available to purchase or rent on Amazon, and has become a popular movie among the faith-based community despite not being made with the intent of being a “Christian” film. “It kind of just fell into place,” says Katoula. “Religion is a part of the Greek-American life. You can’t separate the two.” Epiphany recently held a sold-out local red carpet premiere at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. Prior to the public screening, the sisters screened the film for their parents at the ArtsQuest theatre. “We knew our mom would love it and cry,” expresses Koula. “But our dad never cries or expresses emotion. We showed him the film and he got choked up. He couldn’t even speak. He’s telling all his relatives about it. The amount of proud our dad is, I would have done it just for that.” From ArtsQuest to London to Hollywood, the sisters are grateful and honored that audiences have overwhelmingly fallen for Epiphany and that the film has such strong positive word of mouth. Most of all, the two hope that the audience walks away from the movie still carrying some of the film with them.“If the audience is still thinking about [the characters] well after the film is over then we have done our job,” says Koula. “I love to get texts or messages from people after they have seen the film asking, ‘Well, what happened to all of them? Does everything work out?’” Epiphany has been the culmination of a lifelong dream for Katina and Koula. “When we were young filmmakers we didn’t realize at the time that our dream would not be fulfilled for a long time after,” explains Katina. “It was disheartening to have this idea and not be able to make it a reality. We kept on pushing and fighting and got it done. Our biggest piece of advice is to not give up.” Epiphany is available for purchase on DVD through the official Epiphany website, for digital purchase on Amazon, and will soon be available on Apple TV. For more information on local screenings and more, visit the Epiphany Facebook page @epiphanythemovie.
6 The Irregular
Febuary 2020
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IRREGULAR BOOKSELF HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Just think, a whole new year to discover new authors and new books! Happy New Year and Happy Reading. with Carole J. Heffley *****MY LIFE WITH A HUMAN: A MEMOIR BY KAFKA THE KAT by Joe R. Frinzi ©2019, 36 pages This “memoir” written purrfectly by Kafka, is really ghost written by Easton native, Joe Frinzi. This is a book any cat lover will treasure for it’s so true to life memories of caring for a precious pet cat. I remember Kafka as ne of the most beautiful kittens I’ve ever seen on his first day at The National office building where Jim and I worked at the IRREG. We came in one morning to find Kafka on his “master’s” desk as concierge of the building. Coming to work with Joe did not last long for Kafka but myriad photographs of the cat as he grew proliferated on Joe’s desk in lieu of the cat himself. In truth, as days went by, Kafka became more the master of Mr. Frinzi than the other way around. No other book about a cat has been written with more sensitivity than this one. In My Life with a Human, Joe writes about every facet of cat ownership (for sure from the cat’s point of view) that includes trimming toe nails to walks in a special cat stroller to the dreaded “hair balls”. Kafka has a sense of humor as the book continues from kitten love to the deep contented cat purrs of 8 years of companionship. It is apparent that the two, Joe and Kafka, are inseparable. The book is lavishly illustrated with dozens of photographs of the two, and adorable “icons” of chapter headings by Joe. The layout and design of My Life are both expertly done by Joe as well. This book gets FOUR PAWS UP for sure. *****FINDING CHIKA: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and the Making of a Family by Mitch Albom ©2019, 256 pages Who knew that Mitch Albom and his wife, Janine, are the managers of the Have Faith Haiti Orphanage? After trips to Haiti as a journalist following the devastating earthquake of several years ago, Mitch Albom made a commitment to take the orphanage of approximately 50 children under his wing. He and Janine also support several charities in their home city of Detroit but after seeing the devastation and need in Haiti, Mr. Albom felt that he needed to make a commitment to the small souls he found at Have Faith Haiti Orphanage. It was there that he first met Chika and her out-sized personality (at even three years old) when she was brought to the orphanage. In a short time, Chika developed symptoms of a disease that no doctor in Haiti could treat and the Alboms decided to bring her to the U.S. for treatment and the hopes of a cure. From the first page of the book, readers know that Chika will not survive the brain tumor that is ravaging her. This particular tumor has a zero survival rate yet the Alboms strive to find every possibility of a cure they can find from one end of the USA to the other. They leave no stone unturned in the search. As the book develops about Chika and the changes she brought to the childless Albom household, the story becomes more about Mitch Albom himself and his forever sorrow that he did not want children of his own. But he soon developed a love for Chika that constitutes true fatherhood. However, learning to be a father takes awhile and Mr. Albom tells of his journey with amazing honesty and grace. As in most Mitch Albom books, the tale takes a bend toward the mystical as Mr. Albom develops his story, as if Chika is with him, talking to him, in his office. Finding Chika needs two boxes of tissues (at least) to get through the story, both of Chika and Mitch Albom. Finding Chika is on the New York Times Best Sellers List, as well it should be. It is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time.
HEADS UP: EMPIRE OF THE SEA by Richard F. Hope A new novel is forthcoming soon from Richard F. Hope, Easton’s building by building historian. For Mr. Hope, this novel is a departure from his many noted works on Easton’s history; nonetheless, the book contains his signature style for meticulous research. The subject of Empire of the Sea is the ancient civilization of the Minoan Empire. Around the history of the Minoans, Mr. Hope has spun a tale of mystery, intrigue, romance and daring, all the while staying true to historical accounts of the place and time of the story. Our hero, a 20-year-old member of an aristocratic family of merchants, is taken by his uncle on a trading trip to Egypt and is involved in all the intrigue of the royal court as his uncle, an expert trader and buyer of goods, seeks trade privileges with Queen Hatshepsut. The amount of real history in this tale is astounding, but the story is also excellent as our young hero is taught the art of wheeling and dealing in the ancient world. The travels along the Mediterranean to the kingdoms that once were are spellbinding. All the history that Mr. Hope puts in this book nearly qualifies it as a history lesson but the story is the driving force to keep the reader’s interest. While this book is now in draft version, look for it soon.
***LIKE FALLING THROUGH A CLOUD: A Lyrical Memoir of Coping with Forgetfulness, Confusion and a Dreaded Diagnosis by Eugenia Zukerman ©2019, 192 pages This collection of poems has no great poetry but here it’s definitely the thought that counts. The poems lack the intensity you would think the subject merits plus the imagery is lacking in most of the work. The book hangs on the fact that the author is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Confronting this dreaded diagnosis, Ms. Zukerman decides to record her thoughts in poetic form. In the beginning there is confusion about what Ms. Zukerman, a noted flutist, is feeling. She realizes that her thinking is not what it should be so she enlists her daughter’s aid in seeking medical help to find out what is wrong. It is her daughter who gives her the strength to follow through with tests she does not want while her poems reflect her feelings of not wishing to know what is happening and fearing the worst. But I want more from the poetry. It’s lukewarm. When she tries to rhyme, she fails badly, so her free verse is her best effort to convey her journey. As poetry, this book is not very good, but as a journey into Alzheimer’s the poems are both touching and scary to all of us — Sometimes/ when I wake up/ it’s dark/ where am I?/ Sometimes I know/ and sometimes/ I have no idea/ so I let the night spirits wrap around/ and they whisper to me — After the diagnosis is made, she is understandably fearful and that is reflected in the book. Eventually she seems to make peace with the disease and ends with a poem that shows not only resignation but also inner determination and the lines Play on!/ Play on!/ Play on! harken back to her flute and her performances in concert. *****TWISTED TWENTY-SIX (A Stephanie Plum Mystery) by Janet Evanovich ©2019, 312 pages If you are a Janet Evanovich reader, you know that her Stephanie Plum mysteries are funny and well done “gentle” mysteries that are more about comedy than the who-done-it aspect of the story. I’ll tell you right now that you won’t like the ending, at least I didn’t, but I’ll leave it at that. Once again, Stephanie is going out for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bond business to track down a “no show”, those individuals who don’t show up at their court dates. This time it is a man whose name is strikingly similar to Santa Claus and Stephanie is on his trail to bring him in but first she has to find him in “the Burg” of Trenton, NJ. As in the other Stephanie Plum tales, her fiancé and family loom big in the story. It’s Stephanie’s wild wacky Grandma who is at risk of being “taken out” by old men mobsters, one of whom she just married and 45 minutes later is his widow. The rest of the octogenarian mobsters figure that Grandma has the keys to the fortune that her short-lived husband was in charge of for the club. Twisted Twenty-six is a merry romp with a Santa figure, his Mrs. Claus-type wife, and a man who pops into and out of Stephanie’s apartment, car and every place she goes. He’s handsome, charming, and utterly not real. It’s a laugh out loud, fun read as are all of these books by Ms. Evanovich, and it is currently on the New York Times Best Sellers List!
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Febuary 2020
The Irregular 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Allentown Art Museum 31 N. 5th Street, Allentown, PA 610-432-4333 Evolution of the Spiritual: Europe to America thru March 29, Color & Complexity: 30 Years at Durham Press thru May 3, and Flash! The Sensational Photography of Weegee the Famous thru May 17. Open Wed.-Sat. 11am-4pm (3rd Thur. till 8pm) & Sun. 12-4pm. allentownartmuseum.org
Connexions Gallery 213 Northampton Street Easton, PA 610-250-7627 Works by various artists on display throughout Feb. Open Mon. 125pm, Thur. 12-7pm, Fri. 12-8pm, Sat. 11am-8pm & Sun. 12-6pm. connexionsgallery.com The Eagle Nest Gallery Nazareth Area High School 501 E. Center Street, Nazareth, PA 610-759-1730 Burls & Bramble Animations Exhibit throughout Feb. Open Mon.-Fri. 8am-3pm & during cultural events. hs.nazarethasd.org/ en-gallery-home-page
Arts Community of Easton: The Susan Huxley Gallery at the Quadrant 20 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 484-894-6652 Avision Art Wave: artwork by Aaliyah Kee thru Feb. 29. Open Tues.-Sat. 8am-5pm & Sun. 8am4pm. eastonart.org ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks 101 Founders Way Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300 Last Look: Rob Tucher, Photographer thru March 15. Open Monday-Wednesday 3:30-9pm, Thursday 4-11pm, Friday 4pm12am, Saturday 11am-12am, and Sunday 12-9pm. artsquest.org/arts
Banana Factory 25 W. 3rd Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300 Lehigh Art Alliance Spring Show thru March 15. Open Mon.-Fri. 8am-9:30pm, Sat. & Sun. 8:30am5pm. bananafactory.org/events/ exhibitions Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center The Fine Art Galleries 522 W. Maple Street Allentown, PA 610-347-9988 getting off: drawings by Gerald Simcoe thru Feb. 21, Pride Guides and the Early Years of Lehigh Valley Pride Festivals thru Feb. 21, and We Can Do It! Feminist Stitching by Barbara Schulman Feb. 25-April 14. Open Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm & during programs/events. bradburysullivancenter.org/ galleries
DeSales University Act 1 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 610-282-3192 Tartuffe Feb. 19-March 1. desales.edu/act1
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 Communications Hall Northampton Community College 3835 Green Pond Road Bethlehem, PA 610-861-5300 Flora & Fauna: Works by Richard Begbie, James A. DePietro & Maryann Riker thru March 5. Open Mon.-Thur. 8am-9pm, Fri. & Sat. 8am-5pm. northampton.edu/events
Cedar Crest College Theatre Samuels Theatre at Tompkins College Center 100 College Drive Allentown, PA 610-606-4608 Into the Woods Feb. 20-24. cedarcrest.edu/academics/ performing_arts/events.shtm
Easton Hospital Gallery State Theatre Center for the Arts 5th & Northampton Streets Easton, PA 800-999-STATE SMOKE EATERS: The faces and lives of Palmer Municipal Fire Department by Peter Keady, Photographer thru Feb. 9., and 2019 FREDDY Awards
Retrospective Feb. 13-May 30. 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 Gallery at St. John’s 330 Ferry Street, Easton, PA 610-258-6119 BRIANS DOTS by Brian Delozier thru Feb.. 23. Open Sun. 12-3pm & by appt. stjohnseaston.org/ ministries/gallery Gallery On Fourth 401 Northampton Street Easton, PA 610-905-4627 Brush & Lens: The Female Perspective Feb. 8-April 5, reception Feb. 8, 6-9pm. Open Wed.-Thur. 12-7pm, Fri.Sat. 12-9pm & Sun. 12-5pm. galleryonfourth.org
The David E. Rodale and Rodale Family Galleries The Baum School of Art 510 Linden Street, Allentown, PA 610-433-0032 Adult Student Exhibition Feb. 3-20, reception & awards Feb. 6, 6-8pm. Open Mon.-Sat. 9am-9:30pm. baumschool.org
Northampton Community College Theatre 3835 Green Pond Road Bethlehem, PA 484-484-3412 Lombardi Feb. 13-15, and The Little Foxes Feb. 27-March 2. ncctix.org
Civic Theatre of Allentown 527 N. 19th Street Allentown, PA 610-432-8943 Music of the Night: A Broadway Cabaret Feb. 14, and The Humans Feb. 7-23. civictheatre.com
Buck Hall Lafayette College 219 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 610-330-3311 National Theatre Live: Small Island Feb. 2, Theatre Dept.: Heddatron Feb. 21-March 1, and National Theatre Live: All My Sons March 1. lafayette.universitytickets.com
Hunterdon Hills Playhouse 88 Route 173 West Hampton, NJ 800-447-7313 We’ve Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered Feb. 14-15, Dr. K’s Motown Revue Feb. 20-23, and Sherlock Holmes Returns March 10-April 30. hhplayhouse.com
Bucks County Playhouse 70 S. Main Street, New Hope, PA 215-862-2121 One-Man Star Wars Trilogy Feb. 11-15, and One-Man Stranger Things: A Parody Feb. 15-16. bcptheater.org 8 The Irregular
Moravian College Theatre Arena Theater/Haupert Union Building 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-861-1489 An Enemy of The People Feb. 13-16. moravian.edu/theatre/season Febuary 2020
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Lehigh University Art Galleries 420 E. Packer Avenue Bethlehem, PA 610-758-3615 The Teaching Museum: Selections from the Permanent Collection ongoing, Art, Architecture, and Design Faculty Exhibition thru May 22, The Motion of Light in Water thru May 22, British Abstraction: Three Views thru May 22, Brit Pop Snapshot thru May 22, and QUILIBRAR: Strength in Community thru Dec. 4. Open Tue. 11am-7pm & Wed.-Sat. 11am-5pm. luag.org
Ronald K. De Long Gallery Penn State Lehigh Valley 2809 Saucon Valley Road, Center Valley, PA 610-285-5261 WomenXWomen: Selections from the Petrucci Family foundation collection of African-American Art thru March 14. Open Mon.-Thur. 11am-5pm, Fri. 11am-3pm & Sat. 10am-2pm. lehighvalley.psu.edu/ronald-k-de-long-gallery
Grossman Gallery Lafayette College 243 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 610-330-5361 William Lamson: Badwater, 2018/2020 Feb. 6-April 11. Open Tuesday-Saturday 1-4:30pm & by appt. galleries.lafayette.edu
Hunterdon Art Museum 7 Lower Center Street Clinton, NJ 908-735-8415 Emily Squires Levine: Embracing Color/PolymerClay thru March 1, Explorations in Felt thru April 19, and Gloria Ortiz-Hernández and Lorraine Kisly: Art + Design. Open Tues.-Sun. 11am-5pm. hunterdonartmuseum.org
Muhlenberg College Theatre 2400 Chew Street Allentown, PA 484-664-3333 A Raisin in the Sun Feb. 2023. muhlenberg.edu/main/ academics/theatre-dance/ onstage/mainstage.html
Pines Dinner Theatre 448 N. 17th Street Allentown, PA 610-433-2333 Mission: Improbable, Super Spy Edition thru March 7. pinesdinnertheatre.com
MunOpCo Music Theatre Scottish Rite Cathedral 1533 Hamilton Street Allentown, PA 610-437-2441 Gypsy Feb. 29-March 8. munopco.org Pennsylvania Playhouse 390 Illick’s Mill Road Bethlehem, PA 610-865-6665 Biloxi Blues thru Feb. 16. paplayhouse.org Pennsylvania Youth Theatre (PYT) Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1400 Peter and the Starcatcher Feb. 14-16 at Charles A. Brown Historic Ice House in Bethlehem. 123pyt.org
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State Theatre Center for the Arts 453 Northampton Street Easton, PA 800-999-STATE Abba Mania Feb. 7, Rent Feb. 9, The Choir of Man Feb. 13, Ron White Feb. 15, No Apologies Comedy Tour Feb. 28, Oh What a Night of Doo-Wop Feb. 29, and The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston starring Belinda Davids March 5. statetheatre.org Touchstone Theatre 321 E. 4th Street Bethlehem, PA 610-867-1689 Jakopa’s Punch Bowl Feb. 8. touchstone.org
Martin Art Gallery Baker Center for the Arts Muhlenberg College 2400 Chew Street Allentown, PA 484-664-3467 Heide Fasnacht: Past Imperfect thru Feb. 8, and Life of the Mind: Burak Delier, Pilvi Takala, and Vesna Pavlović thru March 15. Open Tue.-Sat. 12-8pm. muhlenberg.edu/gallery ME-Art Studio 22 S. 3rd Street, 2nd floor Easton, PA 908-319-4864 Gallery and working studio of Beverly Murbach-Erhardt featuring watercolors, acrylics and art cards. Open Fri.-Sat. 11am-4pm. me-artstudio.com Museum of Ethnography 22 S. 3rd Street, 2nd floor Easton, PA 908-798-0805 Conflicted No Longer (8 minute film) thru Sept. 30. Open Tues. & Fri. 11am-4pm, Sat. 11am-2pm & by appt. maryaclarity.com
SmARTivities Showcase 60 Centre Square, Easton, PA 484-544-3954
Nurture Nature Center 518 Northampton Street Easton, PA 610-253-4432 Thom Cooney Crawford: The Inner Eye of Art, The Outer Spark thru March 21, Infamous Oculus: Works by Jackie Lima thru April 11, and Velvet Woods: Works by Claire McConaughy thru April 11. Open Wed. 12-4pm, Thur. 6-9pm, Sat. 12-4pm & by appt. nurturenaturecenter.org
Various artists and working studios on display. Open Wed.Fri.12-6pm, Sat. 10am-6pm & Sun. 12-5pm. smARTivities.net Williams Center Gallery Lafayette College 317 Hamilton Street Easton, PA 610-330-5361 Passing Bittersweet: A tribute to Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights thru Feb. 9, and Jim Sanborn: Looted? Feb. 15-April 12. Open Mon.-Fri. 11am-5pm, Thur. 11am8pm, Sat. & Sun. 12-5pm, and performance nights 7:30-9:30pm. galleries.lafayette.edu/category/ exhibitions
Payne Gallery Moravian College 346 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-861-1491 Robin Tewes - Inside out thru Feb. 22. Open Tue.-Sun. 12-4pm. moravian.edu/art/payne-galler Rotunda Gallery at City Hall 10 E. Church Street Bethlehem, PA 610-398-1451 Lehigh Art Alliance Members Exhibition thru Feb. 13, and Jeffrey Green: Colored Pencil Paintings thru Feb. 13, reception Feb. 23, 2-4pm. Open Mon.-Fri. 8:30am4:30pm. bfac-lv.org
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Stirner Modern Gallery 230 Ferry Street, Easton, PA 908-472-7574 From Croatia with Passion Feb. 1-March 20, reception Feb. 1, 6-9pm. StirnerModern.com
Williams Center for the Arts Lafayette College 317 Hamilton Street, Easton, PA 610-330-5009 Orpheus with Vadim Gluzman Feb. 1, Koresh Dance Company Feb. 12, Manual Cinema/No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks Feb. 22, and Takács Quartet Feb. 26. williamscenter.lafayette.edu Zoellner Arts Center Lehigh University 420 E. Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 610-758-2787 ext 0 Curtis Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven & Sibelius Feb. 1, LUVME: February Songs Part I Feb. 2, Hell’s Kitchen Funk Orchestra Feb. 8, Rennie Harris: Funkedified Feb. 15, LU Jazz Faculty: The Great American Songbook Feb.16, Dept. of Theatre: Blithe Spirit Feb. 21-29, LU Philharmonic: 11th Annual Concerto Marathon; Mendelssohn & Grieg Feb. 21-22, LUVME: February Songs Part II Feb. 29, and Easton Winds Quintet: Generations March 1. zoellner. cas2.lehigh.edu
Febuary 2020
Shawnee Playhouse River Road, Shawnee-OnDelaware, PA 570-421-5093 Death of a Salesman Feb. 1523. theshawneeplayhouse.com
The Irregular 9
ART MATTERS
Passing Bittersweet: A Tribute to Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights GROUP EXHIBIT AT THE WILLIAMS CENTER GALLERY by Chris Vilardi images courtesy of the artists Coco Chanel said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” — Her way of stressing the need for editing. A lesson this exhibit could have benefited from. The multi-disciplinary show has an abundance of visual gems, even if it does seem a bit crowded. Kate Teale’s evocative paintings of illuminated windows at night from below are masterfully crafted in pointillist stipples of paint, drawing the viewer in with a voyeuristic curiosity. Similarly curious inclinations are echoed in Scott Sherk’s audio-sculpture “Cellar”. Lean your head in close to the black void and you can vaguely make out the conversations of Sherk’s guests that he recorded from his cellar during a dinner party. The muted party chatter shares the spotlight with a droning water pump in an oddly compelling way. The mixed media, found object sculptures of Elaine Weitzman could not possibly be mistaken for subtle. They are in your face and over the top works that are itching to give you a slap as you come in for a closer look. They bristle with doll arms and legs like a warship and explode with kindergarten class colors.
Kate Teale, “Bay, Atlantic 2”, 2017.
Anthony Smith Jr’s homage to John Charles Robinson, Father of the Tuskegee Airmen, could have benefited by a more traditional hanging height. The frenetic expanse of imagery in Smith’s painting warrants a much deeper dive at a comfortable eye level.
The exhibit was guest curated by Easton artist Elizabeth Johnson and is made up of twenty-five artists, seven of which are Lafayette faculty members. A mix of painting, sculpture, photography and electronic media, she has “put very different works together on purpose” resulting in an impactful body of work. Elizabeth gave a talk on the exhibition that drew inspiration from Lafayette Alumni Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights. When asked why she had hung some pieces so high she responded that it was part of the “plan to reflect the imbalance of life” and reflects “the oppressive nature of the status quo”.
“Target Motion Analysis” by Berrisford Boothe is a multi-layered abstract jewel. The circular painting takes the viewer on an undulating trip by way of his adept use of color and contrast.
Passing Bittersweet: A Tribute to Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights runs thru February 9 at Williams Center Gallery, Lafayette College, 317 Hamilton Street, Easton PA. A closing reception will be held Sunday, February 9 from 3-5 PM.
The two slabs of wood leaning against the gallery wall could be easily dismissed as random but Pat Badt’s sculpture “Sprites” is anything but. The two slices of live edge wood have been covered with paper and replaced with wood grain painted on with oil paint. She has assigned separate genders to each slab and has arranged them in juxtaposition to each other with deliberate intent. What would one get if a machine and a human co-created artworks? I think they might look like Pedro Barbeito’s embossed, engraved, pigmented, relief prints. “Sampex” named for a NASA satellite launched in 1992 is composed of grids and pixilated images within ovals based on the data collected from the satellite. It has an implied logic that is equal to the beauty of the visual image. Anthony Smith, Jr, “Pilot (Or How Do You Stop A Flying Dreadnought) No. 8”, 2018.
Berrisford Boothe, “Target Motion Analysis”, 2018.
Elaine Weitzman, “Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall”, 2017. 10 The Irregular
Pat Badt, “Sprites”, 2012-2014. Febuary 2020
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GARDENING
Do You Know Your Buds? article and photos by Pam Ruch In winter it seems as though trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants are in a state of suspension. Tree leaves fall, and growth progresses slowly, allowing plants to withstand lower temperatures. Roots take up nutrients and store them. Above-ground tissues of herbaceous plants rupture and die. If we’re lucky, a blanket of snow keeps everything insulated until the daylight hours increase enough to stimulate growth again.
Most of these flowering plants are native to this region, and therefore they are reliable bloomers. Late spring frosts can be disastrous to fruit growers, and can turn saucer magnolia flowers brown overnight, but they rarely affect our native redbuds and dogwoods, which have had eons to become acclimated to the vagaries of our regional climate.
But look a little closer and you’ll see that the stage is set for spring well before dormancy sets in. Flower buds are fully formed and starting to plump up months before they show their colors. And, in fact, these buds can give us clues about what we are seeing on winter walks in the garden or woods.
In addition to brightening up our woods and gardens, these early blooming native trees and shrubs provide vital ecological services.
Here’s a winter flower bud matching quiz. Some are easy, others more obscure. See how many of these plant names you can match to the buds pictured below, and then challenge yourself to recognize them in the winter landscape: Forsythia, Witch Hazel, Florida Dogwood, Red Maple, Paw Paw, Rhododendron, Spicebush, Magnolia, Redbud (answers on page 12)
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Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is a typical component of wetland communities, and an adaptable landscape tree. It grows in swamps, dry soils, and anything in between. A long list of
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Here’s a look at what some of our blooming natives have to offer:
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Febuary 2020
The Irregular 11
Gardening
Do You Know Your Buds? butterflies and moths feed on the leaves, and the early spring blooms, though mostly wind pollinated, are visited by bees. A 1-foot diameter tree will produce nearly a million seeds, a food source for squirrels and chipmunks. Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), though common, is rarely noticed except in spring when its chartreuse blooms fill the forest understory. A favorite food source of the spicebush swallowtail and the promethea silkmoth, it also supports several other butterfly and moth species. Its high-fat fruits ripen in fall, perfect timing for migrating birds. Redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) flower along their trunks and branches, a rare phenomenon. The showy flowers are particularly attractive to long-tongued bees, such as bumblebees, blueberry bees, and other native species. Seeds remain on the branches throughout much of the winter, providing an important food source for songbirds. Florida dogwood (Cornus florida), one of our most beautiful spring bloomers, is the larval host for the Spring Azure butterfly. The spring flowers attract numerous pollinators including many small bees and flies, and the high-fat berries are popular with many bird species, including robins, cardinals, bluebirds, waxwings and more.
12 The Irregular
Paw Paw (Asiminia triloba) is a small understory tree frequently found in clusters in welldrained lowlands. Paw paw flowers are pollinated by flies and beetles rather than bees, and leaves are the sole source of food for zebra swallowtail butterfly larvae. The taste of the 3 to 5-inch fruits, which are actually large berries, has been described as a combination of mangoes and bananas with a hint of citrus. Naturally, it’s a favorite of raccoons, opossums, squirrels, birds and other wildlife. Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) leaves curl up tightly, looking almost like cigars when the temperatures drop, an adaptation that prevents moisture loss in leaf tissues. Although their seeds are low in wildlife value, the plants provide shelter for birds and other wildlife, and hold the soil on steep slopes. Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a tall, multi-stemmed shrub that sports its bright yellow flowers in fall, just as autumn leaves are dropping. Small gnats, flies and bees are its main pollinators, and it serves as a larval host plant for several butterflies. The low lateral branches are favored as nesting sites by a number of bird species. 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. Matching Quiz Answers: 1. Redbud, 2. Forsythia, 3. Magnolia, 4. Florida Dogwood, 5. Red Maple, 6. Witch Hazel, 7. Rhododendron, 8. Paw Paw, 9. Spicebush
Febuary 2020
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IRREGULAR EVENTS COMMUNITY: 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 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 Thur. 10am-4pm: Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room. NCC Educational Center, 25 S. 3rd St., Easton. Info: 484-544-0256, copsnkidseaston@gmail.com, copsnkidseaston.org Every Thur. 11am-7pm: Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room. Easton Community Center, 901 Washington St. (9th St. entrance), Easton. Info: 484-544-0256, copsnkidseaston@gmail.com, copsnkidseaston.org Every 1st & 3rd Sat. 10am-12pm: Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room. Easton Public Market (FreySmiles Kids’ Zone), 325 Northampton St., Easton. Info: 484-544-0256, copsnkidseaston@gmail.com, copsnkidseaston.org Every 2nd & 4th Sat. 10am-12pm: Easton Farmers’ Market Winter Market. Church St. lot behind Easton Public Market. Info: 610-330-9942, eastonfarmersmarket.com Feb. 2: 25th Annual Chili Cook-Off. 11am-5pm/$5 donation benefits Third Street Alliance for Women & Children. Pearly Baker’s Alehouse, 11 Centre Sq., Easton. Info: facebook.com/ events/819401808508165 Feb. 7: ArtsQuest’s First Friday Events. 6-9pm. Banana Factory, 25 W. 3rd St., Bethlehem. Info: bananafactory.org Feb. 11: Bach at Noon. 12:10-1pm. Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church St., Bethlehem. Info: 610-866-4382, bach.org/season Feb. 18: Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild’s Family Storytelling Series: Earthlings! Stories from our planet home w/ Karen Maurer. 2pm/$5.50, free/under 5. Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem. Info: Ingrid Bohn 215-541-1429, iubtheater@yahoo.com Feb. 20: Destination Arts: Third Thursday. 5-8pm. Multiple Art Venues in Downtown Allentown. Info: 610-751-4929, downtownallentown.com Feb. 28: Easton Out Loud: Mardi Gras. 5-9pm. Downtown Easton. Info: 610-250-6533, eastonoutloud.com Feb. 29: Greg Funfgeld Family Concert: Benjamin Britten – Noah’s Flood. 3-4pm/$18. Packer Memorial Church, 18 University Dr., Bethlehem. Info: 610-866-4382, bach.org/season
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 Feb. 8: Full Moon Towpath Trek 4-mile round-trip). 5-8pm/$5 donation benefits Friends of the Delaware Canal, reg. req. 1635 River Rd, New Hope, PA. Info: 215-862-2021, friends@fodc.org Feb. 22: Hike: Raptors of Winter #2 (7-mile round-trip). 10am-2pm/reg. req. Riegelsville Fish and Boat Access, 1440 Easton Rd., Riegelsville. Info: Katie Martens 610-982-0161, kmartens@pa.gov
Moravian Historical Society 214 E. Center Street, Nazareth, PA 610-759-5070, moravianhistory.org Ongoing Exhibit thru May 24: Individuality in a Common Place Feb. 8: Two Part Invention, Morning Star–Music in Moravian America. 3pm/$10, $5 w/ student ID
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 Feb. 13, 15: Science on a Sphere: Chocolate, tracing the journey of a global delight. Thur. 7pm, Sat. 1pm Feb. 18: Webinar: The Role of the American Society of Civil Engineers in Hazard Mitigation. 4-5:30pm. To register, email ksemmens@nurturenature.org Feb. 29: Film Series: Save our Land, Save Our Towns. 1pm/$10 donation. Feb. 20: Science on a Sphere Spotlight: Venus. 7pm
Sigal Museum (NCHGS) 342 Northampton St., Easton, PA 610-253-1222, sigalmuseum.org Ongoing Exhibit: Destination: Northampton County Thru May 31: Canine Illumination: Drawings and Paintings by Dirk Bach Feb. 5: Lunch & Learn: Historic Maps of Easton and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 12:30-1:30pm/$5 donation. Feb. 20: Historical Dinner Project – Third Thursdays at Bachmann Publick House, 2nd & Northampton Sts., Easton. 5:30pm/$45 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.
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Febuary 2020
Aries- An Aries in love can move mountains! Passionate and playful, loyal and supportive, but a scorned Aries lover is dangerous; there is the sad broken hearted phase, then the how stupid could I be phase, then my favorite phase, the I am angry and will avenge phase! That’s when things get interesting! And you’ve never seemed more appealing! Taurus- The Goddess of Love Venus adds a seductive allure and the spell of amore is easily cast! Draw your lover in with chocolates, sparkling wine and open arms, however breaking a Taurus’ heart leads to either grief counseling or small claims court! Cross this type and you’ll pay; you’ll pay through the wallet and through the nose. Passion cut too short can make a hot day turn very cold fast. Gemini- Cute and undeniable, spontaneous moments of physical intimacy mixed with bad timing make Gemini a fun lover. Playing hard to get works in the beginning or else who breaks whose heart here? Manipulation and schemes don’t work well, usually backfire and serve neither lover! Though this type holds on, they are inclined to lie and want you back later. Cancer- A lover must approach this type with a gentle persuasion, overcome tests of commitment and show a gentle hand. In return, the romantic world is your oyster! But unforgiving and easily hurt, one could find the curse this sight inflicts after a break-up to endure forever! Cheating is a no-no, its the top of the list of wrong doings; second on the list, lack of affection, a lover is bound to lose a Cancer from one or the other. Leo- When a Leo sets their mind on a lover hell hath no fury, trying to separate the obsessive qualities from the romantic ones is sometimes not easy. Revenge and obsession are a Leo’s favorite pass-time and they will stop at nothing to protect themselves and destroy the person they confided in and loved the most. It’s a love/hate fire that pushes this type to do their worst. It can net ferocious! Virgo- Marry once but until then love is an open field. Virgos can view love like car shopping, many tests drives, rentals and choice go into finding a suitable mate. Though when they choose, it’s quality over quantity, and for life! One never knows how the calm and stoic Virgo will strike after heartbreak. Most of the time predictable, break-ups are not! Watch your step, watch your reputation and mostly watch your bank account! They hit below the belt too. Libra- No other sign possesses the type of desire and sexual flame that Libra does! Usually with a line of suitors, choosing is like picking from a candy box, tasting each delicious morsel and chucking it back until biting their teeth in to their favorite, usually something rum soaked, but after the tears, after the sobbing in glasses of wine, the slobbering kicks in and this type will attempt to rectify a bad relationship even if they weren’t in the wrong. Strike three is the clincher, Libra is capable of ridicule and not above causing a scene at an ex’s work place! Scorpio- Love is power, and Scorpio likes to wield power! Normally going after what they can’t have and going to abstract lengths to seduce a lover like no other sign. No one can obliterate a crossed lover like this sign; they will resort to defamation of character, bribery and black magic! And for fun will come around to see how well their vengeance is working and tempt and tease the poor soul who hurt them! Sagittarius- Sexual prowess and longevity is the key here. Emotional love is sometimes secondary to how well a lover can physically keep up, if they can’t, well they just go away, sleep around and let their ex’s know how much better younger one night stands were in bed after bad break-ups. They will flaunt their freedom while inside very sad. So if you see a Sag on a sex spree, he may have just had a break-up! Capricorn- Getting through to the heart of this type requires much probing, but once in no mistake can be made; there are no second chances. Well none that don’t come without a high price! This type will never break up with a bad love no matter how bad, arrangements will be made to keep face and not come out on the bottom of the bad love coin. They will resort to threats and contracts, prenups and control exes through possessions. Aquarius- Fantasy, love, romance, magic. It’s all very real and slightly out of reach for Aquarius. A best friend is what is needed, someone to share the visionary dream and live out the fantasy of love together. This friendly type can become strongly embittered and after logically concocting a psychic and psychological play to deconstruct the one who hurt them, they will deliver a performance unprecedented to a Supreme Court case and will make sure everyone knows that the Aquarius has been wronged but has justification! Pisces- The sign that falls in love at first time award goes to Pisces! When smitten one can tell by the dreamy look in their eyes, gibberish coming out of their mouth and the glow coming from their delicate little hearts, but this type is the saddest in a break-up, dramatic threats of all kinds will come from their lips. Beware of when the attention is ignored, like a piranha they will attack and resources from naughty pics or proof of affairs an ex had will find themselves on social media creating a spectacle second to the of Aquarius!
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The Irregular 13
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.
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.
Feb. 3: Quilting Club. 6-8:45pm
Feb. 3: Historical Tour of the Library. 1111:30am
Feb. 5: Art workshop w/Maryann Riker: Love Letters. 6:30-8pm, reg. req. Feb. 12: Art workshop w/Maryann Riker: Popup Valentines. 6:30-8pm, reg. req. Feb. 24: Quilting Club. 6-8:45pm
Feb. 4: Historical Tour of the Library. 6-6:30pm Feb. 12: Nazareth Book Club: Destine of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard. 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.
Feb. 27: St. Luke’s University Health Network Presents... Hypertension: How Changing Your Lifestyle Can Help You Treat the Disease. 6:307:30pm, reg. req.
Every Thur.: Sew Others May Be Warm Knitting/Charity Group. 1-2:30pm
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 Thur.: Chapter #14, Soc. PA Archaeology Meeting: Bring your Indian artifacts for typing, age determination. 7pm. Info: Len Ziegler 908750-4110
Feb. 28: Daytime Book Club: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. 10:30am
2nd & 4th Sat.: Yarn Crafts Group. 2pm
2nd Thur.: The Writers Café. 7-9pm. Info: glvwg.vebmeister@gmail.com
Feb. 1: Arts Experience: Acrylic Painting. 1:30pm, reg. req.
2nd Sat.: Pocono Lehigh Writers meeting. 10am-2pm. Info: dpetersmayer@aol.com
Feb. 3: Laughter Yoga. 12 & 6:45pm
4th Sat.: Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group meeting. 10am-12pm. Info: glvwg. vebmeister@gmail.com
Feb. 5: From Slavery to Electoral Victory: A Look at Phillipsburg’s Black History from the 1700s to the 21st Century. 6:30pm
Feb. 19: Forever Young Adult Book Group: Piecing Me Together by Rnee Watson. 6-7pm
Feb. 10: From Slavery to Electoral Victory: A Look at Phillipsburg’s Black History from the 1700s to the 21st Century. 1:30pm
Feb. 25: Adult Book Group: The Dinner Party by Brenda Janowitz. 6-7:30pm
Feb. 10: PFPL Writers Group. 6pm
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 & 3rd Wed.: Any String Goes fiber craft group. 4-6pm
Feb. 11: Classic Book Club: The Narrows by Ann Petry. 7pm Feb. 19: Book Forum. 1:30pm Feb. 20: Film Screening: Harriet. 7pm Feb. 24: PFPL Writers Group. 6pm Feb. 26: Happy Bookers Discussion Group: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré. 7pm
3rd Thur.: Stick Figure Poetry Open Mic. Workshop 6-7pm, Open Mic 7-8pm Every Sat.: Knitting Club. 10am-12pm
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Febuary 2020
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Table Booth Bar THE BEAM YARD AT STEEL CLUB with Vincent and Mia Walking past the confused looking hostess we took two seats at the bar that had just become vacant. The atmosphere is upbeat and social. At seven o’clock on a Saturday night the dinner rush is at its frenzied peak. We eventually get menus and a couple of glasses of wine from the lengthy, reasonably priced wine list. Salads arrive promptly on undersized plates with little forks. The balsamic dressing was unusually thick but tasty. My Blackened Salmon with Sambuca braised fennel-citrus broth was black on top but lacked the Cajun seasoning that defines the term. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the orange fennel salad on top provided a much-needed textural contrast. The shrimp and sundried-tomato pasta special Mia ordered suffered from catastrophically over- cooked rigatoni pasta. Mushy pasta aside, the dish had some good points. The perfectly cooked shrimp were well seasoned and worked nicely with the other elements in the dish. “House made” New York Style cheesecake and Crème brûlée are two desserts I often use as a gauge to determine a restaurant’s competence. The cheesecake was not as dense as I expected, it had an ample graham cracker crust and a restrained sweetness, we both
enjoyed it. I tend to be a Crème brûlée purist so when the coffee Crème brûlée arrived I had my reservations. The use of a ball jar instead of the traditional ramekin as a serving vessel added to my skepticism. Chocolate covered coffee beans were a nice addition to the coffee pudding. Not exactly Crème brûlée in my book but it was a good dessert. Mia loved it. The Beam Yard is the restaurant within The Steel Club, a Country/Golf Club and a Dining Club (membership is not required to dine at the restaurant). Just off Rt. 78 in Hellertown, it’s easy to get to and has abundant parking. While not a flawless culinary experience, Beam House has an extensive, interesting menu and a beautiful bar/dining space. Exotic dishes like “Crispy Thai Pork” and “Country-fried Duck Steak” sharing the page with more homey choices like Meatloaf and Pot Roast have piqued interest enough of to entice us back for another go. 3.5 spoons out of 5 The Beam Yard at Steel Club is located at 700 Linden Avenue, Hellertown PA (610-838-7018). Open Tuesday thru Thursday 11-9, Friday & Saturday 11-10 and Sunday 11-8. Visit online at steel.club/amenities/dining.
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Febuary 2020
The Irregular 15
DITCH THE RAIN at COUNTY SEAT SPIRITS. County Seat Spirits serves bites, beers, filtered water, clean cocktails, and live music from Ditch the Rain. Duo Duane and Rich on guitars and vocals playing covers like they mean it. Steely Dan, R.E.M., Radiohead. Tenderly arranged and executed. Silk Mill. Sat. 2/29 7PM. eam
WEEK OF OPEN MICS IN EASTON PA:
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NEW: ONE CENTRE SQUARE. STARTS FEB. 11TH. 2ND/4TH WEEKS @7. DOWNTOWN. BACKLINE PROVIDED. ALL AGES. SUN: SITGREAVES’ COFFEEHOUSE. 2ND WEEK @6. DOWNTOWN. BACK OF TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 234 SPRING GARDEN ST. ALL GENRES & SKILL LEVELS ENCOURAGED. MON: PORTERS’ PUB JAZZ JAM SESSIONS. EVERY WEEK @8. WEST WARD. HOUSE TRIO GOODWIN, WASHER & PERLA; ALL INSTRUMENTALISTS & VOCALISTS WELCOME. TUES: COLONIAL PIZZA & SPAGHETTI HOUSE EVERY WEEK @8. DOWNTOWN, FULL BACK LINE, PIPPA ON THE BAR. WED: PORTERS’ PUB. 1ST/3RD WEEKS @9:30. WEST WARD. SCOTT HARRING TON HOSTS. ECLECTIC. BLACK & BLUE. EVERY WEEK @7. WEST WARD. WITH HELSIE DUSTER. HOUSE GUITAR PROVIDED. $5 COVER OR PURCHASE. THREE MUGS PUB. EVERY WEEK @7. WILSON BOROUGH. HOSTED BY LORENZO BUBBA. THUR: EASTON WINE PROJECT. LAST WEEK @7. WEST WARD/SILK MILL. HOSTED BY Z SOLO. EQUIPMENT PROVIDED; BRING YOUR INSTRUMENTS & TALENT. FRI: BÖSER GEIST BREWING CO. 1ST WEEK @7. WEST WARD/SILK MILL. SIGN-UPS BEGIN AT 6:30. CONNEXIONS. 2ND WEEK @7. DOWNTOWN. ALL AGES. TWO SONGS OR 10 MINUTES. NEARBY: SUN: GODFREY DANIELS. 1ST/3RD WEEK @7. BETHLEHEM. $8.50. MON:. REIGLESVILLE INN. EVERY WEEK @7. REIGLESVILLE. HOSTED BY WHITEY MCVICKERS.
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Febuary 2020
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