The CURRENT
GO • SEE • DO JIM THORPE
The Jim Thorpe Current
www.JimThorpeCurrent.com
Serving Carbon County and Beyond
Downtown Lehighton Summer Fun for Everyone
July 2022 • 1
jimthorpecurrent.com I JULY 2022
Guide to Lehigh Gorge State Park
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ummer fun for the entire family is just a hop, skip and jump away in downtown Lehighton. The main street (1st Street in Lehighton) and surrounding area is home to some great restaurants, specialty shops, entertainment, breweries and distilleries all open on weekends and weekdays to serve the local community and visitors. Are you looking for kid friendly fun? Lehighton is home to Jokers are Wild Game Café, Jenny’s Sweets and More, Blended Bakery, Mahoning Valley Drive-In, Mahoning Valley Cinema, two Bowling Alleys and so much more! Support Lehighton businesses by shopping with an independent retailer, eating at a local restaurant, supporting local artists and exploring Downtown Lehighton. Where you spend your money matters. Whether you’ve lived here for years, or you’re a firsttime visitor, summer is a great time to discover something new about the lovely downtown. Local business owners and volunteers from the Lehighton Downtown Partnership Continued on page 11
by Emily Whalen Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau
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oasting over 6,000 acres of natural beauty and a rich history, Lehigh Gorge State Park is an ideal destination for summer outdoor adventure, located just a two-hour drive from major cities like Philadelphia and New York. From waterfalls to whitewater rafting, from trails to trout fishing, we’ve got your bucket list of the best things to see and do in and around Lehigh Gorge State Park. Stretching between Luzerne and Carbon counties in Pennsylvania, the steep-walled gorge that is the primary feature of the park rises above the Lehigh River as it winds
The Grand Finale: Dan Hugos, Founder of Mauch Chunk Opera House Shows, Retires by Kay Kessler Special to The Current
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t started as a wistful late-night idea nearly 20 years ago while sitting on a front porch stoop. Today, the revitalized Mauch Chunk Opera House has grown into one of the region’s top music venues and one of Jim Thorpe’s biggest attractions, drawing hundreds of fans into town every weekend. But for Dan Hugos, the founder of JTAMS with business partner Vincent DeGiosio, the company that produces shows at the opera house, it’s the final curtain. After 19 years, he sold his shares of the company to DeGiosio, and has retired. “I’ve recently been diagnosed with a neurological disease, so maintaining my health has been the number one priority for me. It’s been bittersweet, for sure,” he said. And what a great run it’s been. But how did it all start? Hugos continued, “I discovered Jim Thorpe in 1998 on a weekend trip and bought a house on Race Street.
In 2002, I bought a house on opera house square. I was a database programmer during the week in New York, but was coming here on the weekends to ride my bike and do my photography. I opened a photography gallery, Dakota Ridge, in the bottom floor of the house, with big windows overlooking the opera house.” “I spent hours staring at the neglected opera house with its leaky roof and peeling paint. I watched PVC downspouts dumping water back onto the sides of the building when it rained. It was just sad. There wasn’t much happening there, except the occasional play. Back then, Jim Thorpe’s downtown night life scene was pretty quiet.” Late at night, after one of his gallery exhibition receptions, Dan and his neighbor, Vince, whom he hired to play music during the event, sat on the front house steps and pondered why the building was so neglected. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could bring regular music back into the opera house?” they wondered. An idea was hatched. They quickly organized a Continued on page 4
from the Francis. E. Walter Dam on the northern end to the town of Jim Thorpe on the southern end. Parking and access areas are available at Glen Onoko, Rockport and White Haven. 26 miles of the 165-mile Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor are located within Lehigh Gorge State Park, providing a smooth and scenic gravel path for hiking and biking . From the park’s past to its present, keep reading to learn everything visitors need to know about Lehigh Gorge State Park. 1. History of Lehigh Gorge State Park Over millions of years, the Lehigh River carved out the Gorge, cutting its way through the rocks of Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Region and the Pocono Plateau. The landscape has been shaped by the industrial Continued on page 5