40¢
70th Year, Issue No. 36 USPS 248-700
September 8-14, 2011 A General Circulation Newspaper Serving The Community Since 1942
SERVING BATH, CHAPMAN, NORTHAMPTON, NAZARETH BOROS; ALLEN, E. ALLEN, MOORE, LEHIGH, BUSHKILL, LOWER NAZARETH & UPPER NAZARETH TWPS.
Middle school welcome includes new class names
By ALICE WANAMAKER The Home News
Welcome back to school, and a brand new welcome for the 7th grade students at Northampton Area Middle School. As the first week back to class wrapped up across our area, the students at Northampton Area Middle School gathered for an assembly on Friday afternoon that has become a yearly tradition. The assembly, which brings together the students, faculty and staff and local cement company representatives, kicks off the beginning of the year for students and introduces them to their teams. "Teaming" is in its 12th year at the middle school and is designed to help students in becoming familiar with their teachers and fellow classmates as well as getting them ready for high school through working in groups.
The 2010-2011 school year was the first year with the new cement company team names. Students and their respective cement companies participated in events throughout the year including educational presentations, team trips to the cement plants and participation in the schools olympics as well as other programs. Each team was acknowledged by the cement company representative including those from Atlas, Essroc, Hercules, Keystone, Lafarge and Lehigh Cement. Students filled the gymnasium with team spirit as they learned about history, new innovations and the future of the cement companies in our area. Atlas cement representative Larry Oberly challenged his team to design team tshirts for their visit to the cement plant this year. Cindy
Fairbanks from Essroc talked about the environmental improvements that they are making with cement produc-
tion and products, and the Hercules team received a new banner from their sponsor cement company.
This year, students and teachers were happy to welcome two new teams to Continued on page 16
The Hercules Giants got their very own banner for this year’s olympic games from the Hercules Co.
Sister Cities tradition of friendship marked with ceremony
By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
The annual Sister Cities Celebration was held on Saturday afternoon and evening in Northampton, commemorating the friendship between the borough and the town of Stegersbach, Austria.
Main speaker at a ceremony in front of the monument along Laubach Ave. was historian Edward Pany, and State Representative Julie Harhart, Councilmen John Yurish and Joseph Leitgeb, Jr. had remarks. Two wreaths were laid at the monument in memory
and in honor of the late Anton Spitzer and Joseph Kroboth. Joe Weber provided button box accordion music and a choir sang traditional Austrian melodies for the ceremony. Msgr. John Campbell had the invocation and benediction. The celebration was started years ago by Pany’s father, Anthony, when he was Mayor of Northampton. Pany told the large crowd that it was a day to reflect, a day of pride, and a day of remembering the culture and heritage of its citizens. He traced the history of the people who came from Burgenland. “They left home by ship, not in a luxury liner, but in storage. The journey was rough,” Pany said, noting that as they entered New York harbor and saw the Statue of Liberty, they knew thy had
come to a land of opportunity and a better way of life. Pany cited an incident in which the immigrants all wore tags, and one of the tags was mis-read and a man went to Youngstown, Ohio. But determined as he was, he walked from there to Northampton, where he had a job. The people lived in boarding houses, worked 12-hour shifts, and some hoped to earn enough money to have a farm back in Austria. But most stayed here and formed a community, joining churches of many denominations. Their wages: 26-1/2 cents an hour. But they became good
Americans, went through the golden 20’s that turned to dust. They raised vegetables in the field owned by the Atlas Cement, that is now located the borough swimming pool, park and school. They went to war, but came back to establish new families, giving their sons and daughters opportunities. Pany told the audience, “When we look at our forefathers, they didn’t miss a day of work. They were brought up with a solid Austrian work ethic.” Leitgeb expressed thanks to all who made the program a success. He noted that Continued on page 15
AUSTRIAN SONGS were sung by a large choir directed by Bob Chous and accompanied by Joe Weber on the button box accordion. – Home News photos
ED PANY
MEMBERS of the Spitzer family and program chairman Joseph Leitgeb, Jr. laid a wreath at the Sister Cities monument to honor the memory of Joseph Spitzer.