WEL Spring 2024 Issue

WEST END LIVINGn n

ROAD TO THE STARS

Popular Summer Civic Theatre Camp Adds New Opportunities

In the decades since its inception in 1956, the Civic Theatre School (CTS), which allows young actors to learn the art of performance, has had moments of significant growth and change.

One was the addition of the summer CTS session, now called Civic Theatre Camp, more than 20 years ago. CTS began with only fall and winter sessions, threemonth-long experiences with weekly classes that culminate in a public performance. (This year’s winter session students will put on “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” April 4-7.) Some big names have participated in those sessions:

Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Amanda Seyfried, Tony nominee James Cusati-Moyer and “Pete’s

Dragon” and “The Goldfinch” star Oakes Fegley, to name a few.

“I was an incredibly shy kid. Civic Theatre School is where I found my voice,” said Christine Taylor, an actor known for her roles in “The Brady Bunch Movie,” “Zoolander” and “The Wedding Singer,” among other films and television shows. “Civic Theatre School taught me how to break out of my shell and gain confidence through the joy of performing. Since then, it has been a lifelong passion of mine. I truly do owe it all to Civic. Magical transformations do happen there.”

Civic Theatre Camp condenses the same curriculum into a two-week intensive, said CTS administrator JoAnn Basist: “Our focus for our grades 1 and 2

always is basic theater vocabulary, creative play and learning to be brave,” said Basist, a 1973 CTS graduate who has worked with CTS for 30 years. “Each of the grade levels builds on what the younger grades are doing.”

The half-day morning sessions are available to all students, grades 1 through 12. Older students (grades 3 to 8) can opt to add a specialty class in the afternoon. Different specialties are offered each year; past options have included comic improv, stage combat and puppetry. High school students can add an hour of vocal training to their morning session.

Civic Theatre Camp runs July 1526 and registration opens April 1. This summer marks another milestone, with an exciting new

option on offer for students in grades 7 through 12: an Act Out Loud session that begins a week before Civic Theatre Camp (on July 8) and extends the experience afterward (through August 7). During the week of July 8, students will participate in a workshop to prepare to audition for a performance of “Mean Girls Jr.” that will be held August 6 and 7. They will also take part in a 24-hour play festival (July 12-13) spearheaded by the Civic’s new associate artistic director Rae Labadie.

“The actors will have the opportunity to break into teams and then write, direct and perform a play that they write all within 24 hours,” said the Civic’s managing

(continued on page 2)

PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

AMANDA SEYFRIED JAMES CUSATI-MOYER

CHRISTINE TAYLOR

CIVIC THEATRE

artistic director William Sanders. “This little festival will introduce students to playwriting as well as giving them the opportunity to perform and direct.”

After Civic Theatre Camp ends, Act Out Loud students will begin rehearsals for “Mean Girls Jr.” The show will allow approximately 30 to 40 students to participate in acting and production roles. It, along with the 24-hour play festival performances, will be open to the public.

These productions are optional enhancements to the triedand-true Civic Theatre Camp curriculum, which has always ended in a showcase that’s presented to parents: “What they’re seeing is not meant to be a finished product. It’s a window into what their child has been doing for the last nine days,” Basist said. “We pride ourselves in being process-oriented and not

just product-oriented.” And while the Civic’s youth education programs have produced some well-known actors, alumni have gone on to find success in a variety of fields: “The skills and experience that kids pick up in these classes and in our productions are skills that follow them throughout their lives,” said Sanders. “A theater program like ours builds self-confidence and has been instrumental in helping so many young people out of their shells. It’s gratifying to see that happen over the years.” n

Making the West End More Vibrant

West End World of Food Festival, plan neighborhood

and tree plantings and brainstorm

that

help enhance the neighborhood. If you’d like to get involved with the Alliance as a board member or other volunteer, please contact westendtheatredistrict@gmail.com.

The West End Alliance is a nonprofit organization on a mission to make the West End Theatre District a more vibrant place to live, visit and do business. Its board of directors meets every other month to organize the

clean-ups

ideas

will

Front (from left) Paul Kita, Michael Drabenstott, Margo Hobbs

Back (from left) Alex Ward, Holly Edinger, Liz Martin, Paul Krempasky

Looking Towards Spring

At Muhlenberg College

n Things Were Never Normal

Leah Phillips

to demonstrate their mastery of the subject and to reflect on accumulated content and experiences while looking ahead at new paths for the future.

Exhibition:

April 29–May 10, 2024

Opening reception: May 1, 2024 from 5–7 p.m. in the CA lobby

individualized portraits that express human comedy and tragedy. The heads also express an inexorable connection between the object and maker where discarded things become conduits of meaning, connecting life and death, inanimate with animate, inhuman with what is humanly possible. Ronald Mario Gonzalez is a contemporary sculptor and installation artist whose work has been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions; he is professor in the art department at Binghamton University.

Exhibition:

January 15–April 12, 2024

work is informed by living with chronic illness.

Exhibition:

January 15–August 9, 2024

At the Civic Theatre

Live Theatre: On the Historic 19th Street Mainstage:

n Ain’t Misbehavin’ The “Fats” Waller Musical Show February 23-March 10, 2024

This exhibition highlights “third spaces”: components of an area’s infrastructure, communal spaces outside of home and work such as taverns, church picnics, diners, restaurants and movie theaters — sites where we might gather, if we could agree. Many of these venues have been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic or by extreme weather events, both of which have become politicized. The photographs are mostly empty of people, yet pushed-back chairs or half-finished meals on tables show that life did occur here. Pictured are scenes where things once happened, never happened or might still happen. Yet let us not be buried in collective amnesia: Things were never “normal.”

Exhibition:

March 4–April 12, 2024

Opening reception: March 6, 2024 from 5–7 p.m. in the CA lobby

Leah Phillips, Allentown, Pennsylvania, 2020, archival pigment print

n Art Department

Senior Thesis Show

Join us for a celebration of the 2024 Department of Art graduates.The Senior Thesis Show is a culminating undergraduate experience (CUE) for art majors that provides the students with an opportunity

n Artist Talk: Amber Cowan

Amber Cowan’s sculptural glass work is based around the use of recycled, upcycled and secondlife American pressed glass. She uses the process of flameworking, hot-sculpting and glassblowing to create large-scale sculptures that overwhelm the viewer with ornate abstraction and viral accrual. With an instinctive nature towards horror vacui, her pieces reference memory, domesticity and the loss of an industry through the re-use of common items from the aesthetic dustbin of American design. The primary material used for her work is glass cullet sourced from scrap yards supplied by now defunct pressed glass factories as well as flea markets, antique stores and donations of broken antiques from households across the country.

April 10, 2024 from 5–6 p.m.

Baker Center for the Arts, Martin Art Gallery

n Humanly Possible

Ronald Gonzalez

Ronald Gonzalez’s work is characterized by a desire to innovate through investigations of the complexities of objects and emotion. His work is based on personal and forgotten histories of degraded found objects that are an inherently vulnerable extension of our humanness. The series of heads are presented as anonymous yet

Ronald Gonzalez, Head, 2022, found objects, detritus, steel

n Body Shadows

Michael Van Huffel

In 2008, Michael Van Huffel was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis, a debilitating yet poorly-understood neuromuscular disease. What followed were eight years of isolation and many experimental treatments. Among other issues, he struggled with feeling distorted, as if his body was betraying him. What was once a healthy, active lifestyle for the artist had become a constant flow of pain and sickness. Van Huffel’s therapist suggested photography as a means of self-examination, allowing Van Huffel the opportunity to contend with and accept how his body was changing. The artist began photographing his shadow as a metaphor for the bodily distortion he was experiencing but as he continued the process, he also found himself more willing to look at and accept the body he was living in. Michael Van Huffel is an award-winning photographer, animator and musician. After attending Berklee College of Music, his creative career began when working for the musician Prince as an in-house graphic artist at Paisley Park, and later as art director. He went on to work in Hollywood as a creative director, also designing motion art for movie titles and trailers. He is now an artist whose ongoing creative

n Pippin May 3-19, 2024

In The Theatre514 Black Box:

n Peter and the Starcatcher March 15- 24, 2024

n Five Lesbians Eating A Quiche June 14-23, 2024

Civic Theatre School Production in the Historic 19th Street Theatre:

n Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. April 4-7, 2024

Cinema:

Hollywood Classics Series continues on the Historic 19th Street big screen Tuesday

Nights:

n When Harry Met Sally February 27, 2024, 7 p.m.

n Brooklyn March 19, 2024, 7 p.m.

n Jesus Christ Super Star April 9, 2024, 7 p.m.

n Singing In The Rain May 14, 2024, 7 p.m.

n All About Eve June 11, 2024, 7 p.m.

Special Events:

n Second Annual Allentown Film Festival April 6 – 14, 2024

n 12th Annual Tonys and Tapas June 8, 2024

Civictheatre.com 610-432-8943 n

FOCUS ON THE ARTS

(continued from page 3)

At the Jewish Community Center Film

n Jewish Film Nights

Discussion Dates:

3/5, 4/2, 4/30, 6/4, 7/30, 8/27

Virtual via Zoom, Free

hungry Cat. Along the way, Ugly meets a whole flock of unique characters and finds out being different is not a bad thing to be.

Contact: Heather Lavin

hlavin@lvjcc.org 610-435-3571

n Stagemakers Theater Camp: Broadway Showstoppers

6/24 - 6/28

Grades 1-6

Non-Members: $415

Save the date!

The group meets every few weeks to discuss a Jewish interest film. Watch the films at your convenience and then join us for the discussion. Everyone is invited. We choose films that are readily available to stream online. Themes are varied: Drama, History, Comedy, Documentary, Contemporary. To join the discussions, visit lvjcc. org/film. Contact: Heather Lavin hlavin@lvjcc.org 610-435-3571

Performing Arts

n Private Music & Voice Lessons

Monday-Friday 3-6 p.m.

At the JCC of the Lehigh Valley 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA

Lessons are 30 mins by appointment

Price per Lesson: $45

JCC Members: $35

12 Lesson Package: $540

JCC Members: $420

Ages: 5 and up

Saturday, September 21 for the West End World of Food Festival!

In September Allentown’s Theatre District comes together for the West End World of Food Festival, a celebration of Allentown’s diverse cultural community, filled with great food, varieties of beer and wine, musical acts, and activities for the kids.

This is a block party. Good live music, noon to 10 p.m. all for free. You might come down to 19th and Liberty streets on September 21st to eat and drink, but you’ll stick around to mingle.

Interested in being a vendor? Applications are available at www.westendallentown.com/WOFF n

Whether instructor Jeff Bowers is teaching voice, guitar, piano, or beginner drums, his approach to music instruction does not stick to a rigid curriculum that uses a one-size-fits-all approach. Vocal students will learn proper technique through personalized instruction, fundamental singing exercises and expansion of vocal music repertoire. Contact Alaina Schaeffer at 610-435-3571 or aschaeffer@lvjcc.org for availability before registering. Visit lvjcc.org/ musiclessons for more information.

n Stagemakers Youth Theater Presents “Honk Jr.â€

Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 21, 12 p.m. & 4 p.m.

At the JCC of the Lehigh Valley 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA

Get tickets at lvjcc.org/Stagemakers

Ugly looks quite a bit different from his darling duckling brothers and sisters. The other animals on the farm are quick to notice and point this out, despite his mother’s protective flapping. Feeling rather foul about himself, the little fowl finds himself on an adventure of self-discovery, all the while unknowingly outwitting a very

JCC Members: $385

Early bird registration ends 3/13

Final day to make changes to registration 5/1

Campers will perform songs from Tony Award-winning musicals. Campers will become a ‘triple threat’ as they sing, dance, and act with us through showstoppers such as Hairspray, Lion King, Wicked, and more! To register or for more information, visit lvjcc.org/camp.

Contact: Rachel Doyle

rdoyle@lvjcc.org 610-435-3571

Visual Arts

n Anime & Manga Adventure Club

Wednesdays 5-6pm | 3/6 - 4/3 (5 weeks)

At the JCC of the Lehigh Valley 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA

Grades: 3-6

Non-Members: $80

JCC Members: $65

Early bird registration ends 3/13

Final day to make changes to registration 5/1

Welcome to the Anime and Manga Adventure Club, an exciting and educational afterschool program designed specifically for 3rd-6th graders who have a passion for art, reading, and all things anime and manga! This club offers a unique opportunity for young enthusiasts to explore the fascinating world of Japanese animation and comics in a safe and inclusive environment. To register, visit lvjcc.org/afterschool.

Contact: Alaina Schaeffer aschaeffer@lvjcc.org 610-435-3571

More Visual Arts

Information, Visit lvjcc.org

n Messy Art

Mondays 5-6 p.m 3/4 - 4/1 (5 weeks)

n Crafty Campers

6/24 - 6/28

Grades 1-6

n Totally Tie Dye Camp

7/1 - 7/5 No camp 7/4

Grades 1-4

n Play With Pottery Camp

7/1 - 7/5 No camp 7/4

Grades 1-5

The West End is Just Right for Edward Quinter

BY ROB STEVENS

You might meet Edward Quinter strolling around his neighborhood near his home in the 2400 block of Highland Street. He could be picking up litter, chatting with his neighbors, spotting a woodpecker or warbler or merely enjoying a sunset in the livable West End.

If he knows you were one of his German or PA German language students at Allen or Parkland high schools, or Kutztown University, prepare to be greeted with “Wie bischt du?” (How are you?).

Quinter lives in a comfortable, two-story colonial that stands on a pleasant, wooded lot, which gives him privacy and shade. He bought the home in 2000 with his late wife, after moving from Liberty Street across from the cemetery. He’s a loyal West Ender and has no plans to ever leave his cherished environs.

And why should he?

“It’s a beautiful area, with great neighbors and attractive, varied architecture,” Quinter explains. He’s lived in Switzerland and Germany, and knows the charm and conveniences of urban and suburban settings

“And just one street over from here is Tremont Street, one of the prettiest streets in the West End, I think.”

Though retired for years from

teaching, Quinter is never far from a book or dictionary. He keeps busy as a translator, researcher and historian of German and Pennsylvania Dutch languages and cultures.

He gets his exercise on his walks or at Oakmont Tennis Club, where he’s a member and can be found on the courts for hours from March through late October.

“It’s a gem of a setting right here in the West End with the nicest people,” he notes. “We have the only red clay courts in the Lehigh Valley within a short walk.”

A lover of music, Quinter has been singing bass with the Valley-based Camerata Singers since 1989. He’s excited for their upcoming program of sacred choral music on April 27 at First Presbyterian Church at Cedar Crest Blvd and Tilghman Street. (See below for details.) He seeks out concerts, classes and art exhibits at Muhlenberg College, movies at the Civic Theatre and a thirstquenching, Belgian-style triple ale and pizza at The Tavern on Liberty.

“I don’t really have to leave the area if I don’t want to,” he says. “Food stores, pharmacies, healthcare and parks are nearby and plentiful.”

“The West End is just right for me.”

PHOTO BY ROB STEVENS

Edward Quinter, German and PA Dutch scholar, holds a reproduced sign for The Tavern at the Crossroads (written in PA Dutch) in the backroom of his Highland St. home.

Camerata Singers Lehigh Valley Program April 27, featuring guest organist Mark LaubachFor more information, see pacameratasingers.org.

A New Dentist in Town: Smiles 4 Keeps

Last August, the regional dentistry provider Smiles 4 Keeps opened its newest location at 1814 Tilghman St. It chose the location partly because of the vibrant West End neighborhood surrounding it, said Smiles 4 Keeps’ vice president for marketing Emmy Ansinelli. Smiles 4 Keeps began connecting with neighboring businesses right from its ribbon-cutting, which Wally’s Deli catered.

“All of our neighbors have been very receptive to us moving in. So many different people and organizations have reached out to us and have offered to help us get the word out,” Ansinelli said. “We are so glad and honored to be part of this community.”

At first, the practice offered only pediatric dentistry services and orthodontics for kids and adults. Earlier this year, it began seeing adult dentistry patients. Services include routine cleanings, basic treatments (like fillings and crowns), orthodontics, extractions and some oral surgery procedures. Staff speak multiple languages (including English, Spanish and Portuguese) and the office takes all major insurance plans (including most Medicaid plans).

“We usually have same-day or next-day availabilities and we use the latest technologies

in our practice,” Ansinelli said. “We also have very friendly and caring faces that take care of our patients.”

Smiles 4 Keeps has partnered with local schools and preschools to teach oral hygiene to kids right in the classroom. It hopes to continue expanding its outreach, within the West End and beyond.

“We want to become Allentown and the surrounding community’s go-to choice for dentistry,” Ansinelli said. “We look forward to seeing everyone in the office soon, even if you want to just stop by and say hi.” n

PHOTOS BY BILL BASTA

Meet the Small Businesses of 1908 W. Allen St.

Each issue, we will introduce you to some tenants of this West End office space.

yourPM.mobi LLC Project Management

In 2018, after more than 20 years as owner and president of a construction company, Stephen Rohrbach, who’s a Certified Professional Constructor, sold his business. Running a company full time had become overwhelming, but Rohrbach was able to preserve what he liked best about the work — the satisfaction of improving people’s lives — by becoming a project management consultant. In that capacity, he’s worked

Stephen Rohrbach

on a gateway project for Hershey park, a renovation for Integrated Behavioral Health in Bethlehem and the construction of a storage facility in Lititz. “Through my experience, I have confidently added capacity to organizations that reduces the stress of my clients so they sleep a little better,” said Rohrbach. Rohrbach, who’s been a West End resident since 2003, also uses his project management skills to assist the West End Alliance, managing the West End World of Food Festival as well as the annual neighborhood tree plantings. To learn more about Rohrbach’s work, visit yourPM. mobi. n

PHOTOS BY ROB STEVENS

Dumpster Dudez of the Lehigh Valley

When Jeff and Michelle Kelly’s basement in their Reading-area home flooded a few years ago, they called the Berks County Dumpster Dudez franchise to help. “I thought the service was great. The dumpster didn’t look like an eyesore in the driveway. They did what they said they were going to do, no problems or issues,” Jeff said. He noticed that the dumpster said “franchises available.” A few years later, in August 2022, he and two friends (Chad Harman and Eric Sotzin) opened one in the Lehigh Valley, which they were familiar with through relatives and friends who live in the area. Their franchise was the fourth in the nation; there are now 19. The

Allen Street office space, which Dumpster Dudez has occupied since the end of last summer, serves primarily as a place to take local meetings and direct mail. Michelle fields calls and manages logistics for the business while Jeff, who’s also an independent financial advisor, works in the field. Rounding out their small but mighty team is driver Eddie Standhardt. To learn about Dumpster Dudez’ services, visit dumpsterdudez.com or call 484529-4330. n

Q&A With Santo Napoli, the Only West End Resident on City Council

Santo Napoli, who moved to the West End in 2015, has been a small business owner in downtown Allentown for more than 25 years. He operated a few stores downtown before opening assembly88, a clothing retailer set to celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. In January 2023, he was appointed to fill a vacant seat on City Council, and he won election to a full term last fall. Napoli, the only West End resident on the seven-person council, was chosen to serve as its vice president in January. “West End Living” asked Napoli for his perspective on the role.

Why were you interested in being part of City Council?

I saw a void on Council where they didn’t have anyone who had my skill set. As a small business

owner, I bring a very good business acumen. I listen to my customers and employees — that’s how I get better as a business — so I’m good at listening. I use a lot of common sense. And I’m really good with networking. Those attributes really translate to being a city councilperson: working well with others, listening to constituents, being good with their tax money. It felt like they could use someone like me.

How does your perspective as a West End resident shape your view of the city?

I knocked on doors in every neighborhood: east side, south side, Center City, the wards. I ended up knocking on 1,542 doors. I really needed to understand challenges and dynamics of the entire city. If I come at [the role]

as a West Ender, it’s not good for anyone. Whatever we do has to benefit our city, not just the West End. I think I did a nice job of making sure residents were heard in every neighborhood, and I use that feedback to help make the best decisions for our city.

What are your goals as Council vice president?

I like to think that my job is setting the tone. I always joke that City Council meetings, to me, are like business meetings. We need to treat them as such and take the emotion out of it. Ninety percent of what we’re doing, we could take the emotion out of it and the politics. I’m not a politician. I’m a business guy. I get what goes on in Washington, and that’s just a whole other animal, but locally, we’re just running a

city — plowing streets, picking up trash. We want to address affordable housing and investing wisely in our police and fire departments with new facilities. We can do it professionally, and we can do it by injecting the least amount of politics possible and just making the right decisions for our residents and 870 city employees. I think I can bring that as vice president because of my background. n

PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTO NAPOLI

Think About Borrowing

Interest rates play a significant role in our economy and our daily lives, especially when it comes to borrowing. Below are a few useful tips to think about when borrowing!

Develop a Borrowing Strategy

The wise use of credit can be essential to your personal and business financial strategies. Here are a few tips to consider:

n Use common sense. Do not spend or borrow what you can’t repay.

n Prioritize your borrowing based on long-term value. For example, buying a house, investing in your business, or purchasing an item of long-term value differs from borrowing for more frivolous things.

n Do not use credit cards to fund long-term borrowing

n Reserve some borrowing capacity for emergencies. If you become overleveraged with debt, it may be difficult to borrow funds when needed most.

n Consider all the terms Borrowing can be confusing. Speak to a financial partner

you can trust and understand the terms before applying and closing on a credit application.

Be Mindful of Interest Rates

Iterest rates remain higher than their historically low levels. Here is a tip to provide relief from the highest borrowing rates:

n Refinancing high-interest credit card balances into lower-rate term loans or a line of credit. If you carry over balances and pay interest on those balances each month, consider business or personal lending options that offer lower rates. While rates have increased overall, loans and lines of credit, particularly those secured by real estate or assets, offer lower rates below the current 18% to 22% that many credit card companies charge.

Review Your Options

Work with a lending partner to evaluate your borrowing options. QNB Bank is here to help. To get started, call us at 215-538-LOAN (5626). n Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

ART

In the Allentown community, we have been delivering babies since 1945. We are proud to continue to deliver the next generation of babies at our newly renovated, state-of-the-art, Women & Babies Pavilion at St. Luke’s Allentown Campus.

• Spacious private patient rooms with spa-like amenities

• Welcoming interior design with décor inspired by nature

• Personalized care team focused on your inpatient experience

• Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with private bays designed to allow mothers to remain close to their baby during their stay

The West End’s First Cemetery— Final Resting Place of Five Allentown Mayors

By Ron Epstein

Allentown’s Union and West End Cemetery, the West End’s original cemetery, has a rich history. Located between 10th and 12th streets, and from Chew to North St. on the east side, and from Chew to Liberty on the west, it was the town’s first cemetery.

When Allentown was founded in 1762, the town proprietor, William Allen, chose the northwest corner of 10th and Linden Sts. as the site for the town cemetery, with the first internment occurring in 1765.

Over the next nine decades, all the cemetery lots had been purchased, and the need arose for a new and much larger cemetery.

Tenth Street was Allentown’s West End at the time, and it was customary for a cemetery to be located on a town›s outskirts.

In April 1854, farmland extending from 10th to Poplar and from Chew to North was purchased from farmers Jacob Miller and Jacob Hagenbach for $200 by a group of businessmen who incorporated it into the Union Cemetery.

Plots were purchased over the next 20 years, until by the mid 1870’s the need arose for either an extension to the Union Cemetery or the purchase of land for a new one.

The land between North St. and Liberty St., from 10th to Poplar where homes now stand, was vacant at the time, but it is unknown why the cemetery did not purchase those lots for burial. Perhaps the cost of the land was too high, or perhaps the lots were not for sale. In any event, the cemetery could not advance in that direction.

Meanwhile, by the early to mid1860’s, Allentown’s western border had advanced to 12th St., and in 1870 was extended to 17th St., although, with the exception of a few farms, few people lived west of 12th St. at the time.

In 1876, a new cemetery was laid out immediately west of the Union Cemetery, by another group of businessmen. Appropriately named the West End Cemetery, it extended from Poplar St. to 12th,

and from Chew to Liberty.

On May 4, 1895, the two cemeteries merged to become the Union and West End Cemetery, run by a Board of Trustees, made up of local business leaders and other individuals.

The combined cemetery is 858,482 square feet, with 43,560 square feet per acre, for a total of 19.7 acres. There are 2,226 lots with 10 graves per lot, for a maximum of 22,260 graves.

The lots were all purchased by the 1920’s, but some were not put to use until decades later. Today the cemetery records contain the names of 15,702 internments, with 6,558 graves not yet in use.

Six-hundred-fifty-four Civil War veterans, who either died in battle or passed away years later from natural causes, are buried there. Among them is Ignatz Gresser, regarded as the greatest local hero of the war. He received the congressional medal of honor for saving the life of fellow soldier Willam H. Souden, who later became our Congressman.

The grave of another Civil War veteran named John Ritter is located near the 12th St. side of the cemetery. His war experiences caused him to drink excessively. He became a street person affectionally called “Schnupty,”

who often found himself on the wrong end of a practical joke. Being a war veteran however, he was buried with full military honors at his funeral in 1892. There are also some symbolic graves with a stone but no internment. One such grave is that of a soldier who was a prisoner of war at the infamous Andersonville Prison in Georgia, run by a sadistic Confederate Army Captain named Henry Wirtz, who was hanged after the war. Prisoners were often starved to death. This soldier died there, but the exact location of his

remains is unknown.

Along with Civil War graves, a handful of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veterans are interred there as well. The War of 1812 soldiers were not originally from Allentown, but settled here after the war. Allentonians enlisted to fight in 1812, but with enough volunteers elsewhere, their services were not needed.

The cemetery is also the final resting place for Allentown’s first five Mayors: Samuel McHose, Tilghman H. Good, Theodore Conrad Yeager, Herman Schuon, and Edward B. Young, as well as the city’s eighth Mayor, Edwin S. Shimer.

The Board of Trustees operated the cemetery until 1981, when the perpetual-care funds were depleted, and perpetual-care was terminated. By 1997 all funds had been depleted and the cemetery’s trustees resigned. Neither Allentown nor Lehigh County would assume responsibility, because it is a private cemetery.

The grounds began to deteriorate and the entire area became an eyesore and a haven for vandals and drug dealers.

To make matters worse, an outof-control trash truck destroyed the black iron fence along the Liberty St. side of the cemetery. It

(continued on page 18)

ALL PHOTOS BY BILL BASTA

Union & West End Cemetery

Union & West End Cemetery

Union & West End Cemetery

Cheers to Tavern on Liberty’s Eclectic Beer Selection

Step into the Tavern on Liberty and you’ll find a diversity of customers, from freshly of-age Muhlenberg College students to old-timers who’ve been drinking the same style of beer since the Kennedy administration. Such a wide range of customers necessitates a wide range of options: “The drafts are always rotating. The styles are always varying,” said Traci Welnoski, who has been ordering cans and bottles for the Tavern since she started working there 11 years ago and who took over the draft orders last year. “We always have something for everyone.”

The Tavern has 26 taps; four always offer domestics (Miller Lite, Yuengling, Guinness and Stella) and the rest are reserved for craft beers. Welnoski, who estimates that 75% of the beer drinkers who come in ask for craft beer, orders between 16 and 19 craft kegs weekly from a distributor in Philadelphia. Because of the high volume of craft beer the Tavern moves, the distributor is able to offer kegs from in-demand, highly regarded breweries (such as Vermont’s Hill Farmstead) whose beers are difficult if not impossible to find elsewhere in the Valley.

Welnoski also works closely with Maine Beer Company, whose Lunch IPA or Peeper pale ale is always on draft. Consequently, the Tavern also receives Maine’s rare Dinner double IPA when it’s released about every three months. A favorite brewery of Welnoski’s (and the Tavern’s customers) is New York’s Equilibrium. You’ll always find local brewers like Brü Daddy’s and Sherman Street on draft, partly because those brewers are also customers.

Many patrons don’t know Welnoski serves as the Tavern’s beer curator, and she won’t tell them unless they ask who does the ordering. Still, she delights in watching people’s excited reactions to the beer list she’s assembled. She personally favors IPAs and stouts and has trained her own palate on the job, to the point where she can try an IPA and identify the variety of hops it’s brewed with. This training helps her as she writes the beer list, which Tavern regulars know for its balance of descriptiveness and humor.

“I try to make [the descriptions] so they’re interesting and grab your attention or silly to make you smile,” Welnoski said. “Beer’s not supposed to be so serious.” n

ASD Student

Muhlenberg Elementary

Izaaury Diaz, On behalf of Mrs. Utsch, 5th grade class.

When I think of the ideal student in my class I think of Izaaury Diaz. She is the wealth and the future of our nation. She has hope and pride in our school community and is involved in school activities. She has an active role in student counsel. She has been awarded rising owl and student of the month this school year. She is intelligent and hardworking and has the utmost respect for her teachers and peers. She is a very friendly girl who has the most contagious sense of humor. She is an absolute pleasure to have in class and I am so glad I have the chance to be her teacher.

Trexler Middle School

Recognizes Tyler Martin

Tyler is an 8th grade student who is highly regarded by both the students and the staff at Trexler. Tyler was the captain of the Trexler basketball team this past year, and was named city MVP after leading the team to the city championship. He was also named the February Trexler You Are The Light recipient, as voted on by the Trexler community.

William Allen High School

Layla Sweatte

Layla is a 12th grader at William Allen High School who moved to Allentown seven years ago from New Jersey. She has three sisters, two who already graduated from William Allen, and a younger sister also at WAHS.

Layla is currently the leading scorer for the 2024 EPC Girls’ Basketball season and made First Team.

Her favorite thing about school is being in her classes and interacting with her teachers and friends. She credits school with keeping her on the right track and supporting her if she starts to slip up.

Layla enjoys going to the PPL Center for games and events.

Her favorite places are the Udder Bar and Choco B. n

(continued from page 16)

First Cemetery

was replaced by a white picket chain link fence. Fortunately, in 1999, local residents organized a volunteer Board of Directors, and created the Union and West End Cemetery Association. The volunteers cleaned up the grounds, restoring the cemetery’s pleasant look.

& West End Cemetery

Union and West End escaped disaster by a narrow margin when on New Years Eve in 2011, a sinkhole developed on 10th St. and continued into New Years Day 2012 destroying three homes on the east side of 10th St. just north of North St. On the west side, where the cemetery is located, four graves dropped three feet into the ground. Since filling the lots with dirt would cover the tombstones, the decision was made to leave them as they are.

The cemetery’s current Board of Directors consists of:

Barbera Miller - President

William MacHose - Vice President and Treasurer

Loretta Gunn - Secretary

Timothy Ruch - Director

Gerald Haas - Director

& West End Cemetery

Bob Engler - Associate Director

Janet Hagenauer - Associate Director

Donald Hagenauer - Associate Director

Nicolette Clark - Associate Director

Robert Doerr - Associate Director

William MacHose is a direct descendant of Allentown’s first Mayor although the spelling changed over the years.

Are any West Enders buried in the Union and West End Cemetery? Perhaps. If you feel you have an ancestor or any relative there feel free to contact Board President Barbera Miller at (610) 435-4729. She will attempt to locate the grave through the cemetery database and records. n

ALL PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLENTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT

Union

Union

ALL PHOTOS BY BILL BASTA

Expanded Property Tax & Rent Rebate Program Open

For the first time in decades, PA’s Property Tax & Rent Rebate Program is changing to make more seniors and people with disabilities eligible. That’s because in 2023, Governor Shapiro signed our legislation into law to increase the income limits and rebates available this year.

The deadline to file Pennsylvania’s Property Tax & Rent Rebate Program is June 30, 2024. Rebates are filed based on income earned and property taxes & rent paid in 2023.

Applicants must be 65 or older, widow/widower age 50 or older, or a person with permanent disability as determined by the Social Security Administration as

Where Is It?

Do you recognize this image? Identify its location in the West End Theatre District and you could win a $25 gift certificate from a restaurant in the neighborhood.

of 12-31-2023. There is an income limit of $45,000 or less and calculated using income from 2023. Only HALF of Social Security counts toward the income limit. Interest, dividends, capital gains, wages and all other income is counted dollar-for-dollar. See the chart for rebates available by income.

Rebates can be filed online at MyPath.Pa.Gov. My office also helps prepare and file these rebates and would be happy to do so for you. Give my office a call (610821-5577) to request copies of paper forms and instruction booklets or set up an appointment to get your rebate filed. n

Send your entry by e-mail to michael@drabenstott.com or mail to:

M. Drabenstott, 2346 W. Allen St., Allentown PA 18104

By April 5, 2024.

One winner will be randomly selected from all the correct entries.

PHOTO BY JANE GEIST PHOTOGRAPHY

WINTER 2023 WINNER!

Stadium Gate, Muhlenberg College

Congratulations to Erin Trautmann Picture was of the northeast entrance to Muhlenberg’s football stadium, which was blown down in an August 2023 storm. Kudos to our winner for remembering this neighborhood landmark despite its destruction.

My

5100 W Tilghman Street, Suite 200 Allentown, PA 18104 Phone: 610-821-5577

n Email:

n

n Facebook.com/RepSchlossberg

n Twitter.com/RepSchlossberg

PHOTO BY BILL BASTA

FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE LIST OF PERFORMERS, FOOD VENDORS, AND ARTISTS VISIT

All copy is styled

This is how much text isn’t fitting And that’s with no photos in the

layout

n Messy Art

Mondays 5-6 p.m

3/4 - 4/1 (5 weeks)

At the JCC of the Lehigh Valley

702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA

Grades: K-5

Non-Members: $80

JCC Members: $65

Early bird registration ends 3/13

Final day to make changes to registration 5/1

Get your hands dirty with Messy Art! Your child will learn new skills using materials like paper mache, slime, and kinetic sand. Our teaching artist, Miss Kaitlin, encourages all her students to embrace the mess and engage with the materials as they explore what art means to them. All materials provided. To register, visit lvjcc. org/afterschool. Contact: Alaina Schaeffer (aschaeffer@lvjcc.org 610-435-3571)

n Crafty Campers

6/24 - 6/28

Grades 1-6

Non-Members: $415

JCC Members: $385

Early bird registration ends 3/13

Final day to make changes to registration 5/1

Use your creativity and expression at our arts and crafts camp! Campers will practice a wide range of artistic mediums to unleash their inner artists. Our experienced instructor will guide and inspire campers encouraging them to experiment, have fun, and bring their imaginations to life through beautiful works of art. To register or for more information, visit lvjcc.org/camp. Contact: Rachel Doyle rdoyle@lvjcc.org 610-435-3571

n Totally Tie Dye Camp

7/1 - 7/5 No camp 7/4

Grades 1-4

Non-Members: $415

JCC Members: $385

Early bird registration ends 3/13

Final day to make changes to registration 5/1

Welcome to Tie Dye camp where creativity and color collide in the most vibrant way! Campers will immerse themselves in the art of tie dye, experimenting with different techniques like spiral, crumple, and bullseye. From transforming plain white t-shirts into funky masterpieces, to fun and crazy socks, this camp is a kaleidoscope of fun, imagination, and unique designs. To register or for more information, visit lvjcc. org/camp. Contact: Rachel Doyle rdoyle@lvjcc.org 610-435-3571

n

Play With Pottery Camp

7/1 - 7/5 No camp 7/4

Grades 1-5

Non-Members: $415

JCC Members: $385

Early bird registration ends 3/13

Final day to make changes to registration 5/1

Experience the joy of getting your hands dirty and creating beautiful pottery at our fun summer camp for pottery-making enthusiasts. Learn different pottery techniques such as wheel throwing, hand building, and glazing from our experienced instructor who will guide you every step of the way. Unleash your creativity and bring your unique artistic vision to life through the mesmerizing art of pottery. To register or for more information, visit lvjcc.org/camp. Contact: Rachel Doyle rdoyle@ lvjcc.org 610-435-3571