Spring 2022 West End Living

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SPRING 2022

www.westendallentown.com

Volume 8, Number 1

WEST END LIVING

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Want Flowers? West End Has Florists!

DESIGNS BY MARIA ANASTASIA

Owner Mary Ann Hristofas has been crafting floral arrangements for 36 years – and says her personalized service is a key reason that many of her customers have been with her from the beginning. “When people call to discuss an order, they talk to me – not an answering service,” she said. “That’s especially important for expressions of sympathy. I can include certain flowers or colors if required, and suggest good alternatives if certain items aren’t available.” And she insists on quality. “I work with only reputable wholesalers,” she said, “because I will use only the freshest possible IN THIS ISSUE 1 Want Flowers? 4 Focus On The Arts 8 Q&A With APD Chief Roca 17 Banking News

ALL PHOTOS BY JANE GEIST PHOTOGRAPHY

In Victorian times, flowers (and other plants) were often used socially to send coded messages, expressing sentiments without words. Asters, for example, conveyed daintiness; daisies, loyal love; geraniums represented stupidity or folly; dark pink roses meant thankfulness; and dandelions depicted happiness. Heck, even dead leaves came into play – they stood for sadness (no surprise there!). Today, we still send floral messages, but rarely with such specific meanings. Instead, they artfully express sympathy, happiness, congratulations or general good wishes. And West End neighbors can do that very easily – there are actually full-service florists in or near the Theatre District. Here’s a quick look at them.

flowers. My name is on every arrangement, and I take a lot of pride in my work.” Don’t forget the shop’s many other offerings. “I can provide gift baskets, balloons, candy, silk arrangements, stuffed animals, dish gardens…I often tell my customers, ‘Don’t run to the mall! Come see me first!’” she said. Designs By Maria Anastasia 607 N 19th St. 610-770-3213 https://www. designsbymariaanastasia.com/ Current hours: Mon.: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thu.: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri.: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.: 9 a.m.-Noon Sun.: closed

18 Fit For Life 19 Ron’s Ramblings 20 Art Shows 21 Standing Tall in the West End 22 Leon Peters

RICH MAR FLORIST

Rich Mar is in its fourth-generation of family ownership, said vice president Jonathan Morrissey. The company began in 1955, in the basement of a Gordon St. townhouse; today, it operates three locations in Allentown and Bethlehem. You’ll find a great selection of arrangements for birthdays, anniversaries, get-well wishes, new babies, holidays and other milestones. But unlike other local florists, Rich Mar supplies flowers to sports programs up and down the East Coast. “We work with the Iron Pigs, the Phantoms, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Nashville Motor Speedway, Musikfest, Pocono Speedway, the U. S. Open and other large –scale events,” Morrissey said. “We also provided the floral arrangements for the Allentown kick-off of Elton John’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour in 2018. His management company was so impressed, we were hired to do the same for the Philadelphia show.” Rich Mar has also made the “top 100” list of FTD florists in the country (in a field of about 20,000). The COVID-19 restrictions actually had a positive impact on the florist business. “It changed people’s buying patterns,” Morrissey said. It was difficult continued on page 2

22 Joe Schaefer Remembered 22 Beverly Gruber 23 Representative Schlossberg 23 Why I Live Here 23 Where Is It? SPRING 2022

WEST END LIVING


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