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The Home News Your Local News
JANUARY 10-16, 2019
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Row home heavily Damaged by fire on New Year’s Day by BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
Three Bath firefighters were injured on Tuesday morning,
January 1, 2019, New Year’s Day, when a fire broke out in a row home at 616 E. Main Street, Bath. The three were first taken by ambulance to St. Luke’s Hospital in Fountain Hill, suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. One was
released, but two were then transferred to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township. They all have been released and are now home. Fire Chief Charles F. Tully identified them as Rob Fallstich, Steven Mannino, and Ryan Forsythe. Their injuries were not life threatening. Continued on page 2
Looking by Back Ed Pany Slovak Heritage
A few months ago, I wrote a series on Austrian immigrants who came to America for opportunity and a new life in a new country. Another large migration from the old Austria-Hungarian empire were people of Slovak origin. Many settled in Northampton, Cementon, Egypt, Coplay and Catasauqua. My mother, a Slovak, also made the long journey to the United States and settled in Northampton. She was
very proud of her heritage. I wonder how many of their descendants can converse in their native tongue? Their heritage and determination helped organize a number of local churches — in Northampton, both the Assumption Virgin Mary and Holy Trinity Slovak Evangelical churches; in Catasauqua, St. Andrew’s Slovak Catholic Church, now named St. John Fisher; and in Egypt, Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church.
The Rev. Jerry Mraz and his parents are pictured in this photograph, dated 1939. -Photos courtesy of the Rev. Jerry Mraz and Larry Oberly
St. Andrew’s was the first to be formed, in 1902. As a result, my mother walked to St. Andrew’s to worship on Sundays. The other churches were formed at a later date. One of my friends, Rev. Jerry Mraz, was the longtime pastor of Holy Trinity Slo-
vak Church in Northampton. Born in Czechoslovakia, he is an authority on Slovak culture. So I sharpened my No. 2 Farber pencil and interviewed him. Guess my questioning sounded like an Continued on page 7
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