Spring 2023 West End Living

SPRING 2023

www.westendallentown.com

Volume 9, Number 1

WEST END

PHOTO BY JANE GEIST PHOTOGRAPHY

LIVING

RON’S RAMBLINGS

Lake Muhlenberg and Environs Offer Plenty of Outdoor Opportunities

By Ron Epstein

As Spring begins and the warmer weather prevails, thoughts of outdoor activities such as swimming, fishing, boating and

other sports come to mind.

Here in Allentown’s West End, Lake Muhlenberg, in Cedar Creek Parkway, is a favorite destination for such activities as walking, bike riding and generally enjoying nature.

Lake Muhlenberg is an artificial lake dug in 1917 and open in July of that year, using the water from Cedar Creek. It immediately became a popular place for boating and swimming.

Later that year, however, when Cedar Beach Pool opened with such amenities as a sandy bottom and a pool house, it brought an end to swimming at Lake Muhlenberg.

Shortly afterward, black wild Mallard ducks began appearing IN THIS ISSUE 1 Lake Muhlenberg 3 LV Road Runners 3 Earth Daty Clean Up 4 Prevent Fraud 6 Why I Live Here

on the lake. Later General Harry Clay Trexler, who in 1911 had purchased the Greismer duck farm, donated a number of other ducks and geese for the lake.

Today, the lake is still home to a wide variety of ducks and other waterfowl.

During the depression in 1938, as part of a beautification project the lake was expanded in size to about 8 acres of water at a cost of $50,000.

Originally known as Cedar Creek Park boating lake, the name was changed in March of 1944, by the Allentown City Council, to Lake Muhlenberg, because of its proximity to Muhlenberg College.

In the center of the lake is Sparkle Island where animated light displays were a nightly St. Patrick’s Schedule 7 Pub Crawl 8 Coronation 9 10 Parade 11 Healthy News

event for several years, but were eventually discontinued. In 2013 a chimney swift tower was erected on the island by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. Insolation panels line the chimney to prevent it from getting too hot in the late Spring which can threaten the wildlife living there. That same year the lake was harvested for weed and algae.

The area surrounding Lake Muhlenberg, within Cedar Creek parkway, contains 2.3 miles of multi-use trails for walking and biking, and the creek is a wellstocked fishing spot.

Located between Hamilton Bld. and Linden St. (Parkway Blvd.) on Ott St., Cedar Creek Park is one (continued on page 2)

12 Fahy Commons 13 Syb’s West End Deli 14 Where Is It? 14 Thank You 15 Schlossberg Report 15 WOFF Save the Date SPRING 2023 WEST END LIVING

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RON’S RAMBLINGS

Lake Muhlenberg of the oldest parks in Allentown, founded on November 4, 1929, when the City of Allentown acquired 121 acres of land along Cedar Creek. In 1956, a 200-yearold stone building at Ott and Parkway Blvd., which had previously been the home of the Allentown Art Museum, until it moved to its present location at 5th and Court St., became the home of the Allentown City Parks Department. In 2006, the Parks Department moved to 3000 Parkway Blvd., and today the stone building is the home of “Friends of the Parks.”

Cedar Creek Park contains four lighted basketball courts, two beach and two hard ball Volley ball courts, and the 1,900 sq. ft.

Destination Playground, where the children will have plenty of room

to climb, slide and explore.

At the eastern end of the Parkway, locate east of Ott St. and south of Lake Muhlenberg is Cedar Beach Park. A lush grassy green park with willow trees, walking paths and the famous Cedar Beach Pool, probably the parks biggest attraction.

Cedar Beach Pool began as a hollowed-out pit with a sand floor.

It was purchased by the City of Allentown in 1932 and rented out until its bathhouse burned down. In 1952 the city built a new bathhouse and a modern concrete pool.

Other attractions include a large picnic pavilion for people to enjoy a lunch or dinner in beautiful surroundings.

The park also holds a range of special events and festivals throughout the summer months.

Home of the West End Wake-Up Wak a e-Up ak

PHOTO BY R. AYERS

(continued from page 1)

The Mayfair festival had been held there until it eventually moved to the Allentown Fairgrounds and later to Cedar Crest College.

All in all, it’s a family friendly park with activities for people of all ages.

Thank You to our West End Alliance Cornerstone Partners WEA Cornerstone Partners commit to a year-long investment in our neighborhood and WEA activities. We are grateful for their support.

For more information on becoming a Cornerstone Partner, contact Michael Drabenstott at (610) 417-0503.

WEST END LIVING

West End Alliance, Inc.

PO Box 173, Allentown, PA 18105 www.westendallentown.com PUBLICATION STAFF Editor — Robert Stevens Writer — Frederick Jerant Copy Editing —Sara Muir Designer — Publication Design, Inc. Photographers — Jane Geist — Hub Willson Editorial Consultant Michael Drabenstott

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The park is open seven days a week, year-round, from dawn until dusk.

For more information, you can call the Allentown City Parks Department at (610) 437-7757.

ADVERTISING Managing Director Ann Biernat-Rucker For advertising information, contact Ann at 610-703-8004 annbiernatrucker@gmail.com ••• West End Living is published quarterly by the West End Alliance, Inc. to promote the West End Theatre District.

••• EDITORIAL Editorial suggestions or comments?

Contact us at

westendlivingmagazine@gmail.com ••• Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or artwork. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from publisher.

Printed in U.S.A.

FUN ON THE RUN

West End Running Group Shares Early-Morning Training Sessions Every Wednesday, a dedicated group of 15-20 runners begins congregating at 5:15 a.m. on Liberty Street outside of the Muhlenberg College stadium. The temperatures might be in the teens or the 70s, it doesn’t matter: they are there to get faster, stronger and tougher.

Organized by the Lehigh Valley Road Runners (LVRR), a notfor-profit running group, the midweek early-morning workouts are open to all ability levels and speeds. Organizer Michael Drabenstott, a longtime West End resident, prescribes a different workout each week to keep the sessions fresh.

Most of the runners are training for races ranging from 5k (3.1 miles) to the marathon (26.2 miles) and wish to improve their times.

Their ages often span six decades, including several runners in their 60s and 70s.

Despite running being primarily an individual sport, the participants find camaraderie in the shared sacrifice that comes from a hard workout.

“I was surprised to learn there were people, like me, who joyfully rise before the sun (and their families) to run,” said Maraleen Shields. “We come from all over and are as different as we could be. We share a willingness to work hard and push our boundaries. We share a willingness to challenge ourselves and hold each other accountable. We are cheerleaders for one another. I am grateful for the group.”

Muhlenberg College generously welcomes the LVRR crew on the 400-meter track, which the group affectionately calls “The Oval Office.”

In addition to running on the track, the group warms up and cools down with slow runs along Liberty, Chew, Ott and 23rd streets. And on mornings when the track is locked or slick, or Muhlenberg teams are using the stadium, the group takes to the West End streets in headlamps and reflective gear, generally on

Muhlenberg College generously welcomes the LVRR crew on the 400-meter track, which the group affectionately calls “The Oval Office.”

Liberty and Allen streets east of 24th. “The numbered blocks are just shy of 400 meters apart,” said Drabenstott. “We’re able to mimic the track workout distances by running to specific numbered blocks.”

In the end, the weekly run brings together like-minded people who get more out of the workout than improved fitness.

“I am not a morning person, but I look forward to our weekly 5:15 am workout. The group is extremely supportive and encouraging,” said “Siew F. Shiraishi. “The workouts really challenge me. I start my day with a feeling of accomplishment.”

Newcomers are welcome.

Simply meet the group at the stadium gates near 24th and Liberty streets by 5:15 a.m. Or contact Drabenstott at michael@ drabenstott.com to learn more.

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NEWS TO BANK ON

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PHOTO COURTESY OF QNB

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Instances of fraud are on the rise affecting consumers and businesses throughout the United States and beyond. Don’t be fooled by phone fraud, email fraud, or SMS text message fraud!

Fraudsters have technology that allows them to “spoof” real phone numbers to imitate legitimate businesses or services, such as a bank or its fraud center. Fraudsters can send emails that look legitimate and make you feel like you are communicating with your bank or other legitimate business.

Protect yourself and remember that you must never give out personal private information to random, unsolicited callers, email, or text requests.

Most companies do not make unsolicited calls, emails, or texts asking for your private personal information. If you are asked for your private personal information in any unsolicited communication, there is reason to be suspicious.

When in doubt, disconnect the call or don’t reply, and contact your bank or the business directly.

Make sure that you have done the research by getting the accurate phone number or customer contact information for the bank or business.

At QNB Bank, we offer several 4 WEST END LIVING SPRING 2023

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Tools to protect QNB Debit Cards. Use powerful tools to give our customers full control of their QNB Debit Card, allowing them to turn their card off and on, set up real-time alerts, control when and where cards are used, and more.

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We all have a lot to worry about these days but taking a small amount of time to research and apply safe practices can help you avoid vulnerabilities. You don’t have to do much to become fraud prevention-savvy either, as having common sense and using the right tools is sometimes all you need.

At QNB Bank, protecting your security and privacy is our top priority. We hope this article provides some insight as to how you can protect yourself and encourages you to research what tools may be available to you.

Remember, don’t be scammed by giving out your personal information.

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WHY I LIVE HERE

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PHOTO BY ROB STEVENS

By Rob Stevens

Growing up, Mike Pish and his parents would visit his grandparents who lived in Allentown and later Whitehall.

Other than the Fairgrounds complex, he hadn’t discovered our charming West End. That changed last July when Pish moved here from New Jersey.

He bought one of the most elegant, recognizable and desirable homes in the 2700 block of Greenleaf Street: the sage-green, 1925 Dutch colonial, which was last year’s show house for the SOTA (Society of the Arts) show house fundraiser for the Allentown Art Museum.

Since then, Pish, an avid walker, has become enamored with our neighborhood: its tree-lined streets, diverse architecture, friendly neighbors and easy proximity to Muhlenberg and Cedar Crest colleges, bucolic parks, restaurants, the Farmer’s Market and more. He knows there is much more to see, too.

In his home search, he looked at only three houses before finding this elegant, two-story 3,400 square-foot dwelling with a vast three-sided porch and columns holding up the front porch roof.

His realtor, Jo Ann Sheesly, knew the home having been raised in the neighborhood.

“When I saw the house, I said, ‘I think I’ve found the one,’” recalls Pish, who lives alone and moved

here to be closer to his aging parents who built their retirement dream home in suburban Gettysburg.

Born in Darby, Pa., outside of Philadelphia, Pish spent most of his adult life up and down New Jersey, most recently in Bloomfield outside of New York City.

This self-described workaholic is a long-time freelance graphic designer, event planner and interactive presentation creator who works from home, and he’s setting up his office in an ideal space off the foyer.

He has spare bedrooms to accommodate his parents or friends when they come to visit.

The sprawling yard and gardens surrounding his house provide him a lush setting and a healthy dose of outdoor planting, pruning and watering work when he seeks a break from his computer.

Nearing the first anniversary of moving to the West End, Pish is certain he chose the right home and neighborhood. Though he admits he hasn’t discovered or experienced much of what is offered here, he’s happy with all he’s found in this gem in Allentown so far, which he’s keen on exploring in earnest this year, mostly on foot.

“I love the neighborhood,” he said. “I think it’s the best neighborhood in town.”

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HEALTHY NEWS

Salisbury High Grad,

Now St. Luke’s Med Student, Gains Empathy and Confidence While Volunteering

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“Tuesday evenings are the best part of my week,” says Temple/ St. Luke’s School of Medicine student Hannah Kahn.

That’s when Kahn, a 2015 graduate of Salisbury High School, volunteers for Laundry on Linden at the Family Wash Day laundromat in downtown Allentown, getting hands-on experience to complement the book learning, case studies, exams and other rigors that are part of her intensive physician training.

The Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill is the Lehigh Valley’s first and only fouryear medical school, where the region’s brightest young minds go to become doctors. By cultivating home-grown medical talent, such as Kahn, who has deep roots in the Lehigh Valley, St. Luke’s is helping the region to secure its health and well-being amid a worsening doctor shortage nationally.

At Laundry on Linden, which is supported by St. Luke’s Parish Nurses, Kahn volunteers along with other students to provide care to homeless people and others in need, providing chronic disease care and medications, connecting people with area health and social service agencies and distributing Narcan, the nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses.

“Doing something for someone else builds your empathy and confidence and puts your privilege into perspective,” says Kahn, the 25-year-old Bethlehem resident, who will be the first doctor in her family. A child of accountants, she plans to serve the Lehigh Valley community when she has completed her residency training after med school. This experience will likely inform and inspire her medical practice and personal path as much as the extensive, demanding clinical training that lies ahead. Developing the “soft skills” of interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence are critical to becoming a good doctor, and it’s a growing focus of the Temple/St. Luke’s medical school curriculum.

“Medicine is not just about bodily health but also mental health and

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addressing other factors that impact people’s access to care and overall wellbeing,” Kahn observes. She chose to attend Temple/St. Luke’s, after graduating from Penn State University, because of its reputation for training excellent physicians at a time of a worsening national shortage of caregivers. Many Temple/St. Luke’s grads choose to remain in the area following graduate medical training as the next generation of providers caring for patients from across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Tuesdays are an invaluable opportunity for her and her classmates to learn and work in a less formal setting, one that surely will offer life lessons she’ll remember and draw from forever.

Not long after Kahn had given a Narcan kit to a homeless man during a recent a laundry night, and explained to him how to use the spray, she learned the man had resuscitated an overdose victim with it in the parking lot behind the laundromat.

This experience will resonate with her long after she completes her years of training. It’s a weekly affirmation of why she’s going into medicine to care for the people in her community, just as her doctors, some now on the verge of retirement, kept her healthy starting before birth.

“One doctor told me to study hard, because I’ll be taking care of him some day,” Kahn says. “In a way, that’s exactly why I’m here.”

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IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Fahy Commons at dusk

PHOTOS BY ROB STEVENS

Fahy Commons Opens at Muhlenberg College

Muhlenberg College opened Fahy Commons late last year, a multipurpose building the College calls “one of the first 20 projects in the world to achieve Living Building Challenge CORE certification.”

CORE outlines 10-best practices a building must achieve to be considered green or sustainable by the International Living Future Institute.

Fahy is an “example of our deep commitment to sustainability,” according to the College.

The three-floor academic building on the southern tip of Muhlenberg’s campus overlooking Lake Muhlenberg and Cedar Beach Park, houses programs in Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Art, Office of Community Engagement, Institute of Public Opinion and Graduate Continuing Education. It also comprises outdoor classrooms and event space.

(above) First floor reception area just inside of the lobby. (below) Second floor socializing and study space for students and staff.

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IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Syb’s West End Deli— Serving Affordable Comfort Food for 40 Years Syb’s West End Deli, located at 2151 Liberty St., has been a popular eating destination for breakfast and lunch for the past 40 years. Syb’s is known for its good food at reasonable prices.

Kathy Diehl, the owner of Syb’s for the past 22 years, and her seven employees cater five days a week to their hungry customers many of whom are regulars.

Kathy does most of the cooking in their small kitchen in the back room.

Syb’s began as the Liberty St. Delicatessen back in the fifties or early sixties. Previously owned first by the Lang family and later

by the Gordons, it became Syb’s in February 1983. Kathy worked for the previous owner for about ten years before purchasing the business in 2001. She’s tried to keep the inside of the deli looking as much the same as it did under its former owners, including the original sink in the kitchen.

The name Syb’s is short for Sybaritic, meaning luxurious or referring to people who enjoy the finer things in life. Judging by the huge breakfast and lunchtime crowds, the name certainly seems to fit.

While primarily a Jewish restaurant serving bagels,

PHOTO BY JANE GEIST PHOTOGRAPHY

By Ron Epstein

whitefish and bologna and corn beef sandwiches among other items, they also have specials such as Mediterranean and Asian foods. Check out the daily menu.

Syb’s also provides outdoor seating in the summer for their

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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.

Send your entry by e-mail to michael@drabenstott.com or mail to: M. Drabenstott, 2346 W. Allen St., Allentown PA 18104

By April 7, 2023.

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

We and Your West End Neighbors Thank You

PHOTO BY JANE GEIST PHOTOGRAPHY

We would like to thank the many anonymous

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supporters over the last three years who have donated to our appeal. Your gifts contribute to all that we do to make the West End a great place to live, work and play. A special thank you to these donors for their recent contributions.

Damien C. Brown Ronald & Dorothy Yergy Tyler Stalletti Linda M. Davies Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Baehler

SCHLOSSBERG REPORT

SHARE Y UR STORIES

My Office is Moving

My office located at 2030 W Tilghman Street will be closing February 23, 2023 and relocating. Please look for post card announcements and keep an eye on my website, Facebook Page and Twitter feed for more information.

My staff and I will still be available through phone messages (610821-5577) and email (RepSchlossberg@pahouse.net) and will continue to assist with state government needs during the transition.

How my office can help: Property Tax/Rent Rebate forms PennDOT problems or questions Applying for PA Birth and Death Certificates Checking the PA Treasury for unclaimed property Phone: 610-821-5577 Email: RepSchlossberg@pahouse.net Online: www.pahouse.com/Schlossberg Facebook.com/RepSchlossberg Twitter: @RepSchlossberg Instagram: @RepMikeSchlossberg

The Patio Podcast is new collection of a ne memories, meant m for the here and now.

Save the date!

Saturday, September 16 for the West End World of Food Festival!

CUSTOMERS EMPLOYEES LOCALS VISITORS ENTHUSIASTS ALL AGES WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR MEMORIES!

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 16th to eat and drink, but you’ll stick around to mingle.

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

Submit a form on our COMMUNITY page www.HessPatioPodcast.com

PHOTOS BY JANE GEIST PHOTOGRAPHY

SOFTBALL, ANYONE?

Senior softball, that is!

Come join us every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at Patriots Park located at 1026 St. John Street, 18103 from mid-April through mid-October. If you (men and women) turn 62 this year, then dust off the glove and spikes for some recreation and camaraderie.

Call 610-780-9464 or just show up! http://www.patespark.com SPRING 2023 WEST END LIVING

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