may 2018
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Local contractor breathes new life into historic building in downtown Easton, PA An inside glimpse of the stunning renovation at 225 Ferry Street in historic downtown Easton, PA by Kirk Wagner Home Improvements. photo by Dawn Ouellette Nixon
by Dawn Ouellette Nixon Kirk Wagner loves his hometown and he loves his work. A lifelong Easton resident and long time contractor who specializes in historic restoration, he always knew he wanted to be in business for himself. “Ever since I was a young kid I knew,” says Wagner. “I was always involved in construction and I have a love for old buildings. I cut my teeth on old buildings and it is a good feeling to save them.” So when Wagner was given the opportunity to restore one of Easton’s favorite buildings in the heart of downtown, he was eager to get started. 225 Ferry Street, a 171 year old structure that was originally a church, then became King’s Cleaners, and eventually a space for photo shoots, was bought by founder and CEO of California based Access Network, Hagai Feiner. “I saw the building and fell in love with it,” says Feiner, who will use the building as an East Coast base to host team members and clients of his networking solutions company.
Feiner’s voice swells with admiration when he describes the restoration of the building by Kirk Wagner. “Kirk did it right,” says Feiner. “I was looking for someone with the right core beliefs about the project and he had them. The building is an expression of his art and we get to enjoy it.” Wagner wanted to keep the historical integrity of the building intact for Feiner. “We kept the exposed beams and exposed walls,” says Wagner, “we worked with the industrial feel. We exposed floor joists. We used materials that blended with the old feel of the building-rough cut, old trims, hexagon subway tile. There were a lot of things hand crafted on the spot too.” It was vital to Wagner to employ a team of locals for this project. “It’s important to me to use people from Easton,” he says. “Credit is due to everyone who worked on this project.” The project took Wagner and his team 8 months from start to finish. Now he can look back with continued on page 3
SUMMER IN THE CINEMA by Christine Lake A new film series aims to get residents of all of Easton’s neighborhoods together and talking in new ways. Easton Summer Cinema will take place on Tuesdays from May 22 through July 24 at 7 PM in Landis Cinema of Buck Hall on Lafayette College’s extended campus. The films span a variety of genres and time periods but all relate to a local interest. Presented by The Village on College Hill and Film and Media Studies at Lafayette College, with sponsorship by Lafayette College Office of the President and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Lehigh Valley Engaged Humanities Consortium, the entire series boasts free admission with free parking. Art of all forms allows people to open up, with film as a great example—it’s a passive-seeming art form that allows the audience to absorb what is presented as a lived experience for the course of the movie. Carol Inman, an Easton transplant who has been here for two and half years, felt a real sense of community after attending Lafayette College’s Tuesday Faculty Favorites film series. “I’ve always loved film, but I particularly loved the community building that came out of the conversations associated with this series,” Inman explains. “I wanted to extend that feeling beyond the College Hill neighborhood and really engage with the full community.” Together with her friend Peter Coyne, a film buff with an encyclopedic memory of the art form, Inman came up with the idea of a summer cinema series that would build on the already-established audience and pattern of the Lafayette series with a focus on topics of regional significance. In seeking sponsors for her event, Inman turned to an organization near and dear to her heart. The Village on College Hill is a non-profit dedicated to allowing residents of College Hill in Easton who are 50+ to live vibrant lives while aging in place. The group plans many social events for their members, including a drum circle, Tai Chi, trips to concerts, and a walking club. “A lot of our members, including Carol, attended the College’s Tuesday Film Series,” says Village president Mary Liz Colley. “It became a conversation that continued into other events we had as well and really added to a sense of community which is what we’re all about.” She reminisces about the short-lived Cinema Paradiso, which was downtown on 3rd Street in the early 2000s and specialized in art house films. “Not everyone wants to go to the multiplex and have that type of cinema experience,” Colley explains. “These smaller, more intimate films have been lacking here in Easton and we are excited to be a part of bringing the experience back.” In the spirit of community building, the films will bring some attention to topics of regional continued on page 3
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Artistic Endeavors page 10
Gardening page 12
Easton, PA residents Carol Inman and Peter Coyne pose at the Easton Public Market. Together they helped launch Easton Summer Cinema, a free film/ discussion series at Lafayette College’s Buck Hall which begins May 22. photo by Lydia E. Bruneo
May 2018
The Irregular
EASTON’S WEST WARD GETS SOME COLOR!
Czech Street artist Josef Dian has painted a mural at the warehouse/ studio space at 1129 Spring Garden Street, across from Cottingham Stadium. The space is owned by Shalom Neuman, owner/director of the International Fusionism (IF) Museum in downtown Easton at 107 N. 4th Street. Shalom has renovated the West Ward warehouse into art studio space. There are 7 semi-private studio spaces available for rent. For more information, contact Ian at 610-258-0777.
The Irregular Lydia E. Bruneo Publisher & Editor
Michelle L. Corby Creative Director
Contributors: Carole J. Heffley Richard F. Hope Christine Lake Heath Mensher Dawn Ouellette Nixon Gene Palmiter Pam Ruch
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Reach us at: PO Box 85 Easton, PA 18044 610-258-4330 bruneo1776@aol.com
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May 2018
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Local contractor breathes new life into historic building in downtown Easton, PA continued from page 1
pride at a job well done. “When you work on an older building you almost have to have a magic wand,” he says. “You have to know what you have to finesse and which materials to use. I love the work we did. I love this building. I am so proud of it. Every project gives you a sense of pride but we really knocked it out of the park with this one. It is very rewarding work what we do. I’m very lucky.” The preservation and adaptive reuse of buildings like 225 Ferry Street define Easton’s heart. Today the building stands as a shining example of the historic beauty of Easton and the work of the people who believe in the city.
Another interior shot of Kirk Wagner’s work at 225 Ferry Street in downtown Easton, PA. photo courtesy of Kirk Wagner
Kirk Wagner poses proudly by his work at 225 Ferry Street in downtown Easton, PA. photo by Dawn Ouellette Nixon
Summer in the Cinema continued from page 1
significance including flooding, rural landscapes at risk, concepts about “the other”, town-gown dynamics and income, ethnic and gender inequities. “Films are stories we tell ourselves about our culture,” says Inman. “They are self-reflexive and can act as a catharsis. My hope is that we can use these film discussions to start some inclusive discussions about where we are right now, as a community.” The focus will be on civil conversations. “The arts are a great catalyst for that,” says Inman, “because they place a point in context that is outside of ourselves. It creates a safe space for us to have difficult conversations without having to prove who is right or wrong.” The series kicks off with Whale Rider, a film that explores the tensions and bonds between generations, with discussion moderated by Colley, Coyne and Inman. The line-up includes two classics of American film in Grapes of Wrath on June 5 with discussion moderated by Andy Smith, chair of Film and Media Studies at Lafayette, and To Kill a Mockingbird on July 10 presented by series co-host Inman. There are also some unusual entries. On the Beach a film that imagines the aftermath of nuclear war made in 1959 starring Gregory Peck will be shown on June 19 and moderated by Susie Ravitz, Founder of Lehigh-Pocono Committee of Concern (LEPOCO). Medium Cool¸ written and directed by Haskell Wexler in cinéma vérité style focuses on the demonstrations by students in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention; it will be shown on July 17 and moder-
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ated by Maxx Foxx of WDIY and WMUH. The series is rounded out by Trouble the Water presented by the Nurture Nature Center on May 29, Atlantic City moderated by Coyne on June 12, The Visitor on June 26, Breaking Away July 3, and His Girl Friday with a talkback with local journalists on July 24. Although the series is currently only slated for this year, Inman would love to do more. “We’ve got lots of ideas for future series—one about living by a river, another about the impact art has on the community, yet another just about food,” she says. “But we can’t go on grants forever.” The series needs donations and volunteers that would immediately be put to good use. “We could use monetary donations, of course, to help with advertising, but we’re most interested in people who can help us get the word out in the West Ward and Southside communities,” Inman stresses. “These films and discussions have resonance well beyond just Downtown and College Hill.” Films will be shown on Tuesdays at 7 pm from May 22 to July 24 in Landis Cinema at Buck Hall, 248 N. 3rd Street in Easton. Parking is available across the street in the Snyder Street Lot or behind the building (circle around the car wash and enter from Snyder Street) in the 2nd Street Parking Lot. For the full film schedule with descriptions, check The Village on College Hill’s website at villageoncollegehill.org.
May 2018
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WALKING TOUR
Bricker Apartment Building (120 Northampton Street, Easton, PA) by Richard F. Hope 4-story brick, with a single white stone façade and bow window. The modern property has a frontage of 22 feet 8 ½ inches on Northampton Street (and is 120 feet deep to an alley in the rear). It has been identified as the eastern part of original town Lot No. 15, as surveyed for the founding of Easton by William Parsons in 1752. Lot No. 15 was occupied in the 18th century by a “Stone Kitchen” built by L. Shouse. It was formally sold by the Penn Family to Jacob Abel in 1803, for a price of £47 and 18 shillings “in Specie”. As originally constituted, the Lot had a frontage of over 70 feet on Northampton Street, its side running down the alley that in modern times has become known as Green Street. The purchaser, “Squire” Jacob Abel, had emigrated from Germany before the American Revolution. In America, he found work on the Durham boats on the Delaware River that transported goods to Philadelphia. During the Revolution, he helped collect Durham boats for George Washington’s escape across the Delaware River from the victorious British in 1776. One source claimed that he had personally ferried General Washington across the River, but this is likely to be exaggerated since it is not repeated in later family histories. After the War, Jacob Abel took over the Durham boat transport business established in Easton during the War, when Washington’s Army had made it a supply center. Abel also ran the mail on horseback to Philadelphia. In addition, by 1787 he owned the ferry over the Delaware River (then located at the foot of Ferry Street), and the associated hotel at the “Point” (the place where the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers meet). In 1817, Squire Abel subdivided Lot No. 15. He sold a portion of it located at the corner with what became Green Street to James J. Kennedy, but retained the remainder of the Lot until his death. [Kennedy’s parcel is today part of the parking lot to the right of the building.] There are conflicting stories as to when a hotel was established on the portion of this property that was sold to Kennedy. However, it is clear that Kennedy sold his land to John Stewart and Jacob Howell in 1822. In the following year, Stewart and Howell also acquired from Jacob Abel’s estate the remaining portion of Lot No. 15 that had been retained by the “Squire”. On the same day as their purchase from Jacob Abel’s Estate (and probably to help fund their purchase), Howell and Stewart sold the eastern portion of their new property to Frederick Wagner for $800. The portion purchased by Frederick Wagner at that time was substantially the property that later became 120 Northampton Street, which has the same property measurements. Later records show that Frederick Wagner erected a “Brick Building” on that property, with a gabled roof. Historian William J. Heller relates that at the SE corner of Northampton Street with what is now called Green Street, “a large frame hotel was erected by Frederick Wagner, Sr.” in the “period during the agitation for the Delaware Bridge” (i.e. the 1790s). “But Wagner, who was a land speculator, soon tired of his hotel business and disposing of his holding to John Green, erected a stone building on the site of the present Sherer Bros. building [i.e. at 108 Northampton Street], where he resided until the end of his days. Green about 1799, named his hotel the ‘National’ and by that name it remained until the present owner, Robert Gerver, purchased it, about one hundred years later, and changed the name to ‘Gerver House’”. Some of the details of historian Heller’s tale about the hotel are not confirmed by official records. As one example, the deed record does not show Frederick Wagner owning any “Brick Building” on the property that later became the Sherer Building. Instead, the property at 120 Northampton Street may have been Wagner’s retirement house. Frederick Wagner died in 1862, at age 72. His estate then sold his Northampton Street property in 1864 to Windelin (also spelled Wendelin) Unser for $3,000. Unser apparently rented out commercial space in the building. In 1873, 14 Northampton Street was the address of carpenter Charles Dawes, and the hats and caps merchant Nanos Youndt. With the inauguration of the modern street numbering scheme in 1874, the residence of Charles Dawes became 122 Northampton Street, while the hats and caps store of N. Youndt became 124 Northampton Street. [120 Northampton Street was not assigned.] Because the modern Kurlansik Building (next door to what was Frederick Wagner’s property) has the address of 118 Northampton Street, it would appear that Dawes and Youndt occupied Frederick Wagner’s property in the mid-1870s. Owner Wendelin Unser held the property until 1881 when, he sold it to Horace and Joseph Magee for $5,100. The Magee Bros. wholesale grocers, as well as a retail grocery under the name of Magee & White, occupied the commercial space in the building in 1885. The Magees held it until 1903, when they sold it (described as a “House and lot”) for only $1200 to Robert Gerver. Robert Gerver was the operator of the National Hotel next door. Gerver improved the hotel’s operations enough for it to “be classed as a modern hotel”, whereupon he changed its name to the “Gerver House”. Within a year of purchasing the property at 120 Northampton Street (next door to his hotel), Gerver placed it in his wife’s name. A photograph of the block in 1905 appears to show a plain, 3-1/2 story structure with a distinctive, tall dormer window at this location–the same building that appears in a 1911 photograph, where it appears as a plain, 3-1/2 story structure with a distinctive, tall dormer window in 1911, standing next to the Gerver House. By 1909, Arthur G. Able (and his first wife, Minnette) moved into the building at 120 Northampton Street. Dr. Able was a dentist from Frenchtown, who had a few years earlier established an Easton office and residence on the other side of Northampton Street. Building owner Christina Gerver died in 1910, and willed 120 Northampton Street to her daughter, Carrie Heller. By that time, Ms. Heller was acting as the manager of her father’s Gerver House hotel, while her sister, Mary Reichard, was the bookkeeper. Robert Gerver died in 1913, after which the Williams Brothers (Walter, Leslie and Lesler) took over the hotel’s operation and renamed it the “Hotel Easton”. In 1914, Ms. Heller also sold 120 Northampton Street to merchant and investor William R. Bricker. A picture dated to approximately 1915 shows a handsome 4-story building with an elaborate middle oriel window on the top two floors, and a flat roof with a decorative cornice – that is, substantially the same façade as today, and significant differences from the one that appeared in 1905 and 1911. The remodeling was presumably done by owner William Bricker. Accordingly, this entry has named the building the Bricker Apartment Building. William Bricker had been born in Russia in 1883, and immigrated to America at about age 10 (in 1893). He opened his own store at age 16 in 1900, initially at South 3rd and Lehigh Streets where he remained for some thirty years. In the early 1920s, Dr. Able moved his residence from Bricker’s building, into the hotel next door. In 1922, Dr. Able was one of two men carried out of the hotel by firemen on ladders, when the hotel caught on fire. Walter Williams, one of the three brothers who then owned the hotel, took Dr. Able in for the night in his home on North 2nd Street. In 1927, the Williams Brothers moved to take over operations of the new “Historic Hotel Easton” opened on the North side of Green Street. Dr. Able went with them to the new hotel. Abel’s dentistry practice remained in the building at 120 Northampton Street until his death in 1949. Meanwhile, Bricker became involved in a real estate business beginning in the late 1920s. [That apparently resulted in the “Bricker Building” inscription on the floor of the entryway at 230 Northampton Street]. However, the Great Depression of the 1930s terminated this aspect of his career. In 1932, Bricker and his wife, Yetta, transferred the property at 120 Northampton Street, along with a number of others, to the Easton Development Company. That company’s Secretary was Yetta Bricker herself. However, about two months later it transferred the properties to the Northampton Realty Company, which in 1934 sold 120 Northampton Street to the Easton National Bank. In approximately 1937 until the mid-1940s, the Singer Sewing Machine Co. had a store in the building, in addition to Arthur Able’s dentist office. Apparently as a result of the Singer store there, the building was referred to as the “former Singer building” in a 2008 newspaper column. However, the Singer Sewing Machine Co. was replaced in the building by Sherwin-Williams Co. paints in the later 1940s. At the same time, the Easton National Bank was able to sell the property (including a house) to Harry and Reva Ralph in 1945. Harry Ralph was a furniture merchant whose partnership owned the Sherer Building at the bottom of Northampton Street. Two years later, the property was put solely in Reva’s name. After Harry Ralph died on 22 October 1974,
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120 Northampton Street in Easton, PA prior to redevelopment. photo by Richard F. Hope
his widow sold the property in 1983 for $20,612 to Edward and Micki Eick. The Eicks had been able to move their business manufacturing plastic chocolate molds from the Stewartsville, NJ area into the Sherer Building in Easton (108 Northampton Street) in July 1983, and to take up residence in that building. They also opened a retail chocolate shop at 120 Northampton Street. They had hopes that their $1.2 million business would triple in size. The Eick’s business apparently did not go as planned. Both businesses were no longer listed in the 1984 City Directory. In September of that year (about 16 months after the purchase), Chocolate Cornucopia Craft Supplies Inc. sold the Sherer Building parcels to the Northampton County Industrial Development Authority. They were able to resell the property at 120 Northampton Street for $36,500 (a tidy increase in sale price!) to two couples: Patrick and Carmen Mangan, and Ramon and Gumerainda Lopez. These couples resold the property four years later (in 1988) for $165,000, to “64 Market Street Limited”. The building became the home of the Blue Moon Body Art tattoo studio, but was partially empty in 1998 and completely vacant from 2000. The building was resold in 2000 for $95,000 to Cirangir Ugucu, who initially intended to use the ground floor for the cigarette distributorship, but did not want to spend the money that would have been needed to rehabilitate the apartments on the upper floors. Easton’s Mayor notified Ugucu “almost immediately the city might take the building through eminent domain.” A letter from the Mayor dated 30 May 2000 (the day before Ugucu’s purchase deed’s date) apparently indicated that the City might wish “to build a parking deck”, and consequently “any work or renovations” were to be undertaken at Ugucu’s risk. Ugucu stopped his plans and waited for the city to buy the property, but the parking deck plans fell through. In 2005, Ugucu made plans to establish a mosque in his building, but that project “fell apart”. In the same year, the Easton Redevelopment Authority purchased the Kurlansik Building next door at 118 Northampton Street, which shares a common wall with the Bricker Apartment Building (complicating the process of separate renovations). Unfortunately, two subsequent redevelopment efforts under City control failed, including plans to convert buildings into retail space and residential apartments as the “Twin Rivers Commons”. By 2009, the stalemate resulted in an unappealing picture. Ugucu’s Bricker Apartment Building was described as having “a leaky roof, exposed wiring dangling above the front door and broken windows patched with plywood”, while the City’s Kulansik Building was seen as “in about the same shape”, with a small tree growing out of the roof. The City decided, as what it
May 2018
continued on page 5
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Walking Tour continued from page 4
120 Northampton Street in Easton, PA has been redeveloped.The building was combined with 118 Northampton Street and offers gorgeous apartments as well as first floor retail space. photo by Lydia E. Bruneo
claimed was a “last-ditch effort”, to make Easton’s first use of the eminent domain process to condemn a commercial building not for government use, but ultimately to make it available to a private developer. The City insisted it would prefer that Ugucu or another private owner would fix up the building, but Ugucu responded that the process was effectively a ploy to force him to sell at a cheaper price. The City’s plan took advantage of the then very recent (2005) U.S. Supreme Court case of Kelo v. City of New London. This case had just affirmed the Constitutionality of governments seizing private property by eminent domain to give to a private person, where the “public use” was a redevelopment plan that the government finds would yield higher taxes and benefit the community. In 2012, the government seizure was completed by the Redevelopment Authority of Easton, Pennsylvania, “for the purpose of eliminating blight and redeveloping a blighted area”. A bond was posted to give “just compensation” to the owner and the holder of a $45,000 mortgage. In December 2012, the Easton City Council was informed of the City’s plans to apply for $500,000 in state government funding to combine the two properties at 120 and 118 Northampton Street “for rehabilitation”, to re-establish retail space on the ground floors and build 12 small residential apartments (or fewer, larger ones) on the upper floors. In January of 2013 Easton’s Redevelopment Authority received a state grant of $356,250, which was used for “environmental remediation (removal of lead and asbestos) at 118-120 Northampton Street.” In mid-2013, the developer (Borko Milosev’s “Post Road Management” firm) obtained Zoning Board approval to combine these buildings. “In May of 2014, the Redevelopment Authority was awarded an Anchor Building Grant” of $500,000, which will be loaned to the developer “once his bank financing is in place, and repayment of this loan will be used as a revolving loan fund for other rehabilitation projects.” The environmental remediation work under the earlier grant money was completed in August 2014. By February 2015, the City’s Redevelopment Authority had met with the developer and expected that final plans would shortly allow transfer of the property. Documents in the City’s file indicate that an additional two apartments (total of 14) may now be planned. The City planners believed that uniting the property with 118 Northampton Street (Kurlansik Building), as well as with a parking lot across the street (in the former Hoff German Pharmacy Parking Lot), had been instrumental in allowing development plans to proceed. In March 2018, a news account indicated that Milosev had completed the rehabilitation of both buildings, at a cost of nearly 2 million dollars. The “first few” apartments had been rented, and there were negotiations concerning the commercial spaces.
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[In the interests of space, this article has been condensed and the endnotes have been omitted. The complete article (including endnotes) will be filed in the Marx Local History Room of the Easton Area Public Library, and in the Sigal Museum Library of the Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society. The author’s articles on this and other buildings in the Easton Historic District are also available for review or download at www.eastonhistory.com.]
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May 2018
The Irregular
5
IRREGULAR BOOKSELF with Carole J. Heffley
***WHITE HOUSES by Amy Bloom, Random House Audio ©2018, CD read by Tonya Cornelisse (also available in hardcover or paperback books) Oh, I so wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, my library had only the CD version and not the printed book. Perhaps this was the story’s undoing for me. As far as I am concerned, the actress Tonya Cornelisse read the unabridged version in a most irritatingly strident and raspy voice. Maybe this was the way Lorena Hickock actually spoke since the story is told from her perspective. As for reviews touting this as a great love story between journalist Lorena and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, it is not. In my opinion, this is the story of two women of their time, one, Lorena, totally infatuated with the other, Eleanor. Their story was a hushed secret during their lives just as President Franklin Roosevelt’s several affairs and his disability due to polio were secrets too. The public face of the President and Eleanor was that they were the Jackie and John Kennedy of their years. In the novel, which writer Amy Bloom states is a complete work of fiction, lies the kernel of truths gleaned from letters written between Eleanor and Lorena during their many years of “friendship”. Reading between the lines as it were on the CDs, one may surmise that Eleanor was gay from her young years at all-girls schools in Europe. She had a childhood devoid of love and affection but in biographical sketches exclaims how she loved vacations with the headmistress of the school—just the two of them, during long summers. As wealthy and refined as Eleanor’s childhood was, Lorena’s was the complete opposite, devoid of the “milk of human kindness” and abysmally poor. One of the most interesting spots in the story is the few weeks Lorena spent as an employee of a circus and living with the sideshow “freaks” as the people referred to themselves. In that setting she found a semblance of acceptance and kindness. Somehow Lorena found her way to college with her gift for being able to write about things she saw and heard. Post college she worked as a newspaper reporter and was eventually assigned to follow the new NY gubernatorial candidate’s wife, Eleanor. What follows in short order is the affair that consumes Lorena for the rest of her life with Eleanor. The book is entirely the story of Lorena Hickock (Hick for short) with Eleanor being a somewhat shadowy figure in the background and foreground both at the same time (as is FDR). A picture of a kind of emotionally detached Eleanor emerges, much to Lorena’s passionate longing for an all-consuming affair. Eleanor is just not up to the emotional giving that Lorena seeks. The book earns 3 1/2 stars on Amazon with several readers saying they were bored by the book as much as they wanted to like it. I feel their pain at what I expected in the story and what I got. ****AUTENTICO: Cooking Italian, the Authentic Way by Rolando Beramendi with foreword by Ina Garten, St. Martin’s Griffen ©2017, 384 pgs., hardcover I know, I know, your grandmother taught you all you need to know about Italian food preparation. But, believe me, you just need to glance through this wonderfully appetizing book to learn a few new tricks. I found this book to be more Northern Italian cooking than the favorite Southern Italian foods that I love. Nevertheless, this library find, right on the new book shelf, caught my eye and Ann-Marie and I have been combing through it with Ann-Marie marking out a dozen recipes to copy. Mr. Beramendi writes in a conversational style. How I would love to take a tour of Italy with him to visit all the places he writes about in this delicious book. I was hungry each time I finished a few pages of his wit and style in writing about the foods he loves. The cooking tips are priceless, the photography is mouth-watering and the recipes are not so involved that we home cooks cannot follow them simply. Each recipe is prefaced with a personal note from the master such as in “Acqua cotta alla Maremmana” (Cooked Water with vegetables, day-old bread and poached eggs). While this may not seem the most “worthy” recipe to read, it is one of the most interesting. I have heard of bagna cauda before but never saw a recipe for it. Mr. Beramendi prefaces the recipe with a paragraph that recalls the supposed origins of the dish. His take on this old recipe includes whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, red onions, celery, and “Old Hen Broth”, which is recited later in the book. Cubes of day old bread and 4 large poached eggs round out the dish. He even includes a useful tip on 6
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May 2018
making the perfect poached eggs. The dish is said to be “a simple yet aromatic mix” which I can just imagine. I would think this dish is a very old staple meal because of its simplicity. On another note, several years ago, Ann-Marie found an Italian restaurant in Winston-Salem that serves Olive Oil Cake, a recipe for which I have included below. She raved about its flavor so when I saw the recipe in “Autentico” I had to copy it. I will be making it for her birthday May 4. Praise for this book includes “the depth of his (Mr. Beramendi) knowledge…is surpassed only by his passion, humility, sense of humor and care for both the artisans who make the food and the people who consume it” and “Beramendi brings the bounty of Italy to our tables with recipes that celebrate the vibrant ingredients and fresh flavors of (Italy).” “Autentico is bellissimo!” BRAVO!! EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL CAKE: 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp. baking powder, ¾ tsp. baking soda, pinch fine sea salt, 3 large eggs, 1 ¼ cups honey, 1 ¼ cups robust unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, 1 ¼ cups whole milk, zest of 3 oranges, Confectioners’ sugar (optional), 1 orange thinly sliced into rounds. *Preheat oven to 325 degrees F *Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper and sides of the pan *In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and honey until combined and frothy. Add the olive oil, milk and orange zest and whisk well to combine. Switch to a spatula and fold the dry mix into the wet, stirring just until combined. *Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Run a butter knife around the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a serving platter. Cut into 3x3 inch squares with a knife, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve with orange slices, if desired. *****BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate, Ballantine Books ©2017, 352 pgs., hardcover Get out the tissue box; you are going to need it! Avery Stafford is a present day 30-yr. old attorney with a prestigious family background. Her father is the state senator; however, the prologue in Before We Were Yours is set in 1939 by a nameless narrator. The story continues with the voice of Rill Foss. She is the main character, but who is she? The story does not tell the reader who Rill is and what her story has to do with Avery . . . until the very end. And who is May Crandall, an elderly woman with dementia (so we are told) in a nursing home and what does she have to do with Avery’s Grandma Judy? We won’t know until nearly the last chapter yet her story runs through the novel in tandem with Avery’s, but unconnected with the aforementioned Rill. Grandma Judy is incidental to the novel until the end. The intertwining mystery of the characters is charming and, I wager, will keep the most clever reader guessing. It is a delicious mystery. Additionally, a very nice romance fits into the story like a warm glove in the winter. Many book clubs, including ones in Easton, have already featured this book. When I asked for it at my library, it was out on loan. I was told that throughout the state of NC there were 110 other people also in line for copies of the book. This is a 5-star story/book for sure. Enjoy every page in this one!
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IRREGULAR BEATS
Tell Me Why I Do Like Mondays by Janene Otten The weekend is over. You worked another full day and the next weekend seems so far away. Don’t despair! Settle into your favorite cozy spot, grab your computer and listen up! One of the area’s finest music makers, Mike Roi starts each week off with the live event Music Mondays with Mike (MMM), broadcast from his home. He invites musicians from the Lehigh Valley to his listening living room. Mike is very well known in the Lehigh Valley and elsewhere, producing and performing with his band Roi and the Secret People, bringing audiences fresh sounds with The Bastard Sons present:, and teaching at Easton’s School of Rock. For the last year with the help of his wife Tara, Mike has broadcast MMM live on Facebook. His guest on MMM # 42 was Not For Coltrane (Michael Duck). Not For Coltrane is another Lehigh Valley musician who passionately writes and performs music as frequently as his time allows. I first heard this dad of two at an open mic night in Easton three years ago. His songs have punch and purpose. He was excited to talk about an upcoming benefit performance at Bethlehem’s premiere
listening room Godfrey Daniels called Come Together for “No Place For Hate”, an Anti-Defamation League initiative that trains students, family members and educators to combat bias and bullying as a means to stop the escalation of hate on the rise in schools. He jumps at the chance to collaborate with other musicians like Dave Fry, founder of Godfrey Daniels. “One of my favorite performing experiences was with Dave Fry. He and I did an appearance at the farmers’ market in Bethlehem and he was in the middle of a song and I was just sort of watching him do his thing. He’s like ‘Hey! I want to do a solo. Here are the chords.’ And I, like, grabbed it. It was like playing catch. He just lobbed it at me and I caught it. I was able to certainly just jump in and do the rhythm guitar. He went and did a solo and then I tossed it back to him. He picked up the rest of the song from there. It was really cool to be able to do that.” Not For Coltrane even played some songs of musicians that will be performing at the upcoming benefit. Mike Roi has done his share of lobbing and catching throughout his career. His roots are firmly planted in the Lehigh Valley and
he gained his strength and fortitude through a journey that took his mothership from Florida to Philly to NYC, finally landing in PA. His songwriting is a pastiche of many different styles. “I worked on a craft that I didn’t understand was a craft. I worked on my own thing for so many years that I started understanding. I could start listening to other bands and start hearing songwriting formulas. I started instantly understanding songwriting. I don’t care what band or what genre of music. I started seeing the similarities between everything; between a song that was a hit, a song that was prog rock… how they were doing it. When we played original music, we actually made money. We played a lot.” That experience gave Mike his unique perspective on living life as a music maker. It gave him the tools he needed to lead his band. It gave him the knowledge to teach a songwriting workshop at School of Rock and to feature songwriting here on MMM. Join the Facebook group Music Mondays with Mike and log on every Monday at 9pm for an intimate gathering of local musicians.
An image still from a recent live recording of Music Mondays with Mike on Facebook. Pictured from left to right are Not For Coltrane (Michael Duck) with Mike Roi.
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May 2018
The Irregular
7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Allentown Art Museum 31 N. 5th Street, Allentown, PA 610-432-4333
Indian Sculptures: Avatars of the Hindu Gods thru June 2, Katagami: The Japanese Stencil thru July 28, Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present May 6-July 29, Who Wore Sports May 6-September 2, and Stephen Antonakos: The Room Chapel May 6-May 5, 2019. Open Wednesday-Saturday 11am-4pm (3rd Thursdays 11am-8pm) & Sunday 12-4pm. allentownartmuseum.org
Communications Hall Northampton Community College 3835 Green Pond Road Bethlehem, PA 610-861-5300
Fine Arts Student Exhibition thru May 7, and Art as a Way of Learning June 11-July 27. Open Monday-Thursday 8am-9pm & Friday-Saturday 8am-5pm. northampton.edu/news/ncc-eventscalendar.htm
The David E. Rodale and Rodale Family Galleries The Baum School of Art 510 Linden Street, Allentown, PA 610-433-0032
An Artistic Discovery: The 15th Congressional District High School Art Competition & Exhibition thru May 7. Open Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday & Saturday 9am-3pm. baumschool.org
Easton Hospital Gallery State Theatre Center for the Arts 5th & Northampton Streets, Easton, PA 800-999-STATE
2017 FREDDY© Awards Photo Retrospective thru June 22. Open 90 minutes prior to most performances. statetheatre.org/gallery
Connexions Gallery 213 Northampton Street Easton, PA 610-250-7627
Jan Crooker: Color is the New Black thru May 13. Open Monday 12-5pm, Thursday 12-7pm, Friday 12-8pm, Saturday 11am-8pm & Sunday 12-6pm. facebook.com/ ConnexionsGallery
Easton Public Market 325 Northampton Street, Easton, PA info@eastonart.org
Arts Community of Easton (ACE) featuring works by Kristen Barnes, Jack Frank, Howard McGinn, Lovette Montalvo, Danny Moyer, Maryann Riker & Courtney Torres thru June 15. Open Wednesday-Saturday 9am-7pm & Sunday 9am-5pm.
Grossman Gallery Ahlum Gallery 106 N. 4th Street, Easton, PA 610-923-7101
Small Works Show thru May 31. Open Friday & Saturday from 12-6pm(Fourth Fridays 12-9pm) & by appt. ahlumgallery.com
Arts Community of Easton: The Susan Huxley Gallery at the Quadrant 20 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 484-894-6652
Paintings by Kim Bartholomew thru May 31. Open Tuesday-Saturday 8am5pm & Sunday 8am-4pm..
Banana Factory 25 W. 3rd Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300
Compendium: (Land)scapes thru May 6, Dan Mugrauer: Blood Moon thru June 3, and Contemporary Renaissance Women May 11-June 16. Open Monday-Friday 8am-9:30pm, Saturday & Sunday 8:30am-5pm. bananafactory.org/events/exhibitions
Brick + Mortar Gallery Silk Mill Complex, Unit 101 1247 Simon Boulevard, Easton, PA info@brickandmortargallery.com
The Octopus Meditations: Paintings by Ed Kerns thru May 12, and Peter Ydeen May 19-June 2, reception May 19, 6-9pm. Open Friday 1-6pm, Saturday 12-6pm & by appt. brickandmortargallery.com
Gallery at St. John’s 330 Ferry Street, Easton, PA 610-258-6119
Charles Klabunde Gallery & Studio 73 N. 2nd Street, Easton, PA 610-252-1938
Original etchings, drawings and paintings by Charles Klabunde. Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday & 1st Sunday 12-5pm & by appt. CharlesKlabundeArtist.com
Spirits in Matter 2: Artworks by Don Wilson & Mary J. Budkoski May 6-June 24, reception May 6, 12-3pm. Open Sunday 12-3pm (closed May 27) & by appt. stjohnseaston.org/ministries/gallery
Hunterdon Hills Playhouse 88 Route 173 West, Hampton, NJ 800-447-7313
Steel Magnolias thru May 24, Tapestry: the Carole King Songbook May 4-6, and The House Is Rockin’: The Mahoney Brothers June 5-14. hhplayhouse.com
Northampton Community College Theatre 3835 Green Pond Road Bethlehem, PA 610-861-5493
The Everly Brothers Experience May 4, Well-Strung: The Singing String Quartet May 5, and An Act of God May 18-June 16. bcptheater.org
Ten-Minute Play Festival May 4-5, Easton Summer Cinema: Whale Rider May 22, and Easton Summer Cinema: Trouble the Water May 29. lafayette.universitytickets.com
Country Gate Theatre 114 Greenwich Street Belvidere, NJ 908-475-1104
Harvey May 4-6. countrygate.org
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The Irregular
Late Nite Catechism May 4, The Piano Guys May 5, Freddy Awards Preview Night May 23, 2018 Freddy Awards May 24. statetheatre.org
Touchstone Theatre 321 E. 4th Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-867-1689
13th Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival & Gala May 12, and Fresh Voices June 1-2. touchstone.org
Lehigh Valley Youth Chorus Spring Concert May 6. northampton.edu/ news/ncc-events-calendar.htm
Bucks County Playhouse 70 S. Main Street, New Hope, PA 215-862-2121
Buck Hall Lafayette College 219 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 610-330-3311
State Theatre Center for the Arts 453 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 800-999-STATE
Crowded Kitchen Players Allentown, PA 610-395-7176
A Softening of her Eyes June 9-18 at the IceHouse in Bethlehem. ckplayers. com
DeSales University Act 1 LaBuda Center 2755 Station Avenue Center Valley, PA 610-282-3192
Into the Woods Into the Woods thru May 6. desales.edu/act1
Pennsylvania Playhouse Illick’s Mill Road Bethlehem, PA 610-865-6665
The Obituary I’m Dying To Write May 3-6, and The Fox on the Fairway June 1-17. paplayhouse.org
Pennsylvania Youth Theatre (PYT) Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1400
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast May 11-20 at Charles A. Brown Historic Ice House in Bethlehem. 123pyt.org
Star of the Day McCoole’s Arts & Events Place 10 S. Main Street Quakertown, PA 484-809-9228 Children of Eden staroftheday.org
May 2018
May
Civic Theatre of Allentown 527 N. 19th Street, Allentown, PA 610-432-8943
Tuesdays With Morrie May 4-20 at Cedar Crest College Alumnae Hall Auditorium. civictheatre.com
4-20.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Nazareth Center for the Arts 30 Belvidere Street Nazareth, PA 610-614-0404
Lehigh University Art Galleries 420 E. Packer Avenue Bethlehem, PA 610-758-3615
“The 5 X 5 Show”: 5 Artists-5 Media (Richard Begbie: Photography, James A. DePietro: Oil/Acrylic, Barbara Kozero: Mosaic, Jacqueline Meyerson: Pastel & Maryann J. River: Collage/Assemblage) May 6-June 28, reception May 6, 2-4pm. Open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 122pm & by appt.
Karyn Olivier thru May 25, Photographs Are Ideas thru May 25, and …Of the Americas thru May 27. Open Wednesday-Saturday 11am-5pm, Thursday 11am-8pm & Sunday 1-5pm. luag.org
Nurture Nature Center 518 Northampton Street Easton, PA 610-253-4432 Lafayette College 243 N. 3rd Street, Easton, PA 610-330-5361
Art Honors Exhibition thru May 18. Open Tuesday-Friday 11am5pm, Saturday 12-5pm & by appt. galleries.lafayette.edu/grossmangallery
IF Museum/Academy 107 N. 4th Street Easton, PA 610-258-0777
“Philippe ze Oakville”: Artist Phil Rostek’s Fusion Assemblages May 6-28, reception May 6, 5-8pm. Open Fourth Fridays 5-9pm & by appt. facebook.com/ IFMuseumAcademy
Lauren Kindle Studio and Gallery 7B N. Bank Street Easton, PA 267-247-6364 Works by Lauren Kindle. Open by appt. laurenkindle.com
Liberty Bell Museum Gallery 622 Hamilton Street Allentown, PA 610-435-4232
“tSuaihmnis” Painting and Sculpture by David “ELY” Molloy thru May13. Open Monday-Saturday 12-4pm (3rd Thursdays 12-8pm) & 2nd Sunday of the month 12-4pm. libertybellmuseum.org
Martin Art Gallery Baker Center for the Arts Muhlenberg College 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA 484-664-3467 The Particular Past thru May 20, and Muhlenberg Senior Thesis Exhibition: Sarah Geisler, Greer Hardy, Shana Joseph & Erin Pachter May 2-18. Open TuesdaySaturday 12-8pm. muhlenberg.edu/ main/aboutus/gallery
Ronald K. De Long Gallery Penn State Lehigh Valley 2809 Saucon Valley Road, Center Valley, PA 610-285-5261
2018 Student Art Exhibition thru May 9, and Bethlehem Palette Club May 21-July 21. Open Monday-Thursday 11am-5pm, Friday 11am-3pm & Saturday 10am-2pm. lehighvalley.psu.edu/ronald-k-de-long-gallery
Sigal Museum 342 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 610-253-1222
The Cat’s Meow: Lehigh Valley in the Age of Art Deco & the 1920s thru July 29, and Arts Community of Easton Spring Show thru June 24. Open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-4pm (Fourth Fridays 10am-9pm) & Sunday 124pm. sigalmuseum.org
Tomi J. Petrella, Art, Etc. 9 N. 2nd Street, Easton, PA 908-303-0519
ex.ist.ence: oil paintings by Patricia A. Griffin, Seams: A Paper Quilt Series by Kate Brandes, and Beyond Borders: Works by students of Nitschmann Middle School thru May 11. Open Wednesday 12-4pm, Thursday 6-9pm, Saturday 12-4pm & by appt. nurturenaturecenter.org
Paintings, portraits, murals, and design. Open Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am-1pm or by appt. tomiartetc.com
Williams Center Gallery Lafayette College 317 Hamilton Street, Easton, PA 610-330-5361
Past | Present | Future | 2018: Selections from the Lafayette Art Collection thru June 3. Open Tuesday-Friday 11am-5pm, Thursday 11am-8pm, Saturday & Sunday 12-5pm, and performance nights 7:30-9:30pm. galleries.lafayette.edu/ category/exhibitions
ME-Art Studio 22 S. 3rd Street, 2nd floor, Easton, PA 908-319-4864
Gallery and working studio of Beverly Murbach-Erhardt featuring watercolors, acrylics and art cards. Open Thursday-Saturday 11am-4pm. me-artstudio.com
Museum of Ethnography 22 S. 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Easton, PA 908-798-0805
Complacent No Longer (show + 8-minute film) thru September 30. Open Tuesday & Friday 11am-4pm, Saturday 11am-2pm & by appt. maryaclarity.com
Pines Dinner Theatre 448 N. 17th Street, Allentown, PA 610-433-2333
A Second Helping: The Church Basement Ladies Sequel thru May 13, and Yankee Doodle Dandy May 25-July 1. pinesdinnertheatre.com
Rotunda Gallery at City Hall 10 E. Church Street Bethlehem, PA rotundashows@bfac-lv.org
BFAC Curated Exhibition: Putting It Together thru May 31. Open Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. bfac-lv.org/events/ rotunda-gallery-shows
Shawnee Playhouse River Road Shawnee-On-Delaware, PA 570-421-5093 Who’s in Bed With the Butler? May 11- June 3, and 2018 Cabarets May 29-December 20. theshawneeplayhouse.com
Williams Center for the Arts Lafayette College, High Street Easton, PA 610-330-5009
Jazz Ensemble May 2, Concert Band May 5, and The Marquis Consort May 6. lafayette.universitytickets.com
Zoellner Arts Center Lehigh University 420 E. Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 610-758-2787 ext 0
LU Choral Arts: Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem May 4-5, and LU Wind Ensemble: Bernstein at 100 May 6. zoellner.cas2.lehigh.edu
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May 2018
The Irregular
9
Artistic Endeavors
Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts article and photos by Dawn Ouellette Nixon The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts sits in the heart of the arts and cultural district of Southside Bethlehem. Students come and go from the bustling building, carrying instruments and portfolios, chatting excitedly about their latest projects. Charter Arts, as it is affectionately known by students, puts on over 90 performances each year. The students can major in one of 7 artistic studies there: dance, theatre, literary arts, figure skating, visual arts, and vocal or orchestral music. Students come from all over the Valley and as far away as Lancaster and Philadelphia to attend the remarkable high school. I sat down with Diane LaBelle, Executive Director and CEO of Charter Arts, and 3 Char ter Arts students to hear straight from those in the know, what it is that makes Charter Arts so special.
talk to and connect with, you aren’t just lost in a sea of students.
Why do you think an arts’ high school option is important for students in the Lehigh Valley?
What is most rewarding?
There are students in the traditional school setting that learn differently. Our students think differently. They look differently. This school recognizes each of them for the individual that they are. We take a lot of time and effort to find out how each student learns best and what they might need. That’s an opportunity that is not always available in a traditional public school. These kids are driven by their passion for art. They live, eat and breathe this stuff. By incorporating the arts into their school day across the board-into math, science, social studies...they learn better. And our scores show that. What about a student who is struggling in traditional school, whose grades aren’t so great, what are there chances of getting accepted here? Their chances are really good. Our admissions process is a blind audition. We don’t know what their grades are or what school they came from. The top 25 in each of the majors come into the freshman class. We find that the kids who haven’t necessarily succeeded in their traditional school are the ones that thrive here. At this school, they are motivated and their passion drives them. It’s not true that you will have had to have had extensive arts training since you were 3 to come here. Some of our hip hop kids don’t have traditional training. Or we have kids who love anime but do not have traditional arts training. Part of succeeding is just wanting to be here. It is fairly competitive, what percentage of students who audition get accepted? We had 514 students audition this year for 179 openings. The majors that are competitive to get into fluctuates. This year visual art and dance were most competitive. In the past it has been theatre. We just started the literary arts program. We are in our third year with that. And we just started a production design major. Next year we will be at full capacity at 660 students in 8 different majors. What is the most rewarding part of your position? Most challenging? The most challenging? Raising the money. The most rewarding? Seeing the kids. I can be having the worst day and go into vocal class and hear the kids sing or hear the monologues in theatre class and everything turns around. Michael Scuotto, junior, literary arts major Why did you choose Charter Arts over traditional high school? I was homeschooled through 8th grade. I probably would have stayed homeschooled if it weren’t for Charter Arts. Here you can always find a teacher to
What do you find most challenging? Time management. The course load is actually very heavy. Finding the time is something you learn. You learn to utilize study halls and bus rides. I’ve gotten very good at using my time wisely and still doing extracurriculars and maintaining a social life.
Positive feedback, getting to talk with your teachers. Having a good back and forth. I walk out of every conference with my teachers inspired to keep doing better. What will you miss most? I will miss the teachers, the staff. If I’m sick, I’m sad, actually sad that I’m missing a day of school. What is your favorite part of the school year? The month of May. Everything is happening. It’s exciting to see everyone’s major projects come to fruition. In the best way possible, everything is chaotic and everyone is trying out new ideas. It’s a really rewarding experience Alex Koehl, junior, theatre major Why attend Charter Arts over traditional high school? I came from another charter school and I knew that I wasn’t ready to transition to a large high school. Both my parents were involved in the arts when they were younger and it was important to them that I was well educated in the arts but also in math and the sciences. What is the most challenging aspect of attending school here? We live so far apart from our friends that it is hard to connect outside of school. I live in Bethlehem, but I have friends that live in Stroudsburg and Lancaster. I think though that that almost brings us closer during the school day.
Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts students Michael Scuotto, a literary arts major in his junior year, and Alex Koehl, a theatre major in her junior year.
want to be an actor and I’ve learned so much about the stage and all different types of theatre and directing during my time here. What’s most challenging about attending school here? The workload. We have a lot of assignments. A lot of written work. What is most rewarding? When you work hard, when you do that assignment that is long but you get that overwhelming wash of pride when it is done. You look back and think, “Wow, I did that.” I never expected I would write a 20 page paper and when it was done I got an A. What will you miss most? I’ll miss my teachers and classmates and the way Charter Arts is not competitive. It’s very much a family here. It’s going to be hard to separate from that family.
Most rewarding? Just getting to explore yourself in your art. I’ve grown as a person. My confidence has grown. I’ve learned to speak eloquently. Here you learn about who you are. What will you miss most upon graduation? My teachers. You get to build a relationship with your teachers. They find the way that you learn and they adapt to that. Our education is guided by the way that we learn. I’m definitely going to miss that. What is your favorite part of the year? This year I was part of a show and I was the understudy for one of the leads. It was a small show and we all bonded tightly. It was a really cool experience to work really hard on something for two months and to see it grow. It’s kind of best friends for life after that. Cory Jenkins, junior, theatre major Why did you choose to attend Charter Arts?
Cory Jenkins, a theatre major in his junior year at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, poses with Diane LaBelle, the school’s Executive Director.
10 The Irregular
I had trouble with bullying in middle school. I wasn’t in a good place. I took a test and it said I thrived in the arts and I auditioned and got in. I May 2018
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with Heath Mensher, M.Ed.
For Reels: They See The Story Buried in The Story “Yes, it’s a documentary, but it still has to be entertaining.” Jen Suwak and Steve Abruzzese have been consistently making films in the Lehigh Valley at a high, professional level, and that is not at all easy. As I tell my students all the time, getting one job in film is easy. Every job after that is increasingly harder. To make seven short films, each Film Festival-worthy, is no small feat—The Voice of Lafayette. Stage 7. Roaming Dingo. SouthSide. Frieda and Eddie. Pulling Teeth. Letting Go. They are drawn to their subjects - really, they are drawn to all subjects - with an obsessive passion that is evident by their IMBD listing. They share daily lists of what interests them, always searching for what’s next. They are driven, not by money, but by the need to find the story. And often, the story is buried within the story they thought they were shooting. For example, they were hired by the SouthSide Film Festival in 2016 to film a fundraiser. But as they were shooting, they realized something more was going on, a more fascinating story within the story they were hired for. This became SouthSide, a documentary shining a light on Bethlehem’s past and present, and the influence of the arts in a once-broken city. Jen and Steve are fascinated by simple things, because they can see beneath what we see. They become enamored with a story, and then they research. They explore. They follow kindness, and they obsess over communication. They cover their whiteboard with ideas, and go deeper. They chase the passage of time, and scrutinize longevity. They identify themes, and question themselves. “What do we care about? Will other people care about this?” When I ask them how important it is to be entertaining, Jen says, “There’s no reason to make it if no one’s going to watch it. We always know we need a hook. We know it has to be relatable.” Even sitting at a table in the rear of The SteelStacks, they work the conversation together. “It has to have a story,” Steve says. “The thing we change most often is the opening. The opening will change so many times. I say to myself, ‘Ok. I wouldn’t keep watching this.’ And we go back and tweak. We do that on Netflix all the time - we turn on something and we’re bored in the first few minutes.” “What annoys me,” Jen says, “is the idea that a documentary is a separate animal. No. It’s a film. It must first and foremost be engaging. That’s our number one.” What becomes most obvious in speaking with them is the practical know-how they possess. These are two people who know their work - know film - and understand what it takes because they are that rare animal in the film-world that walk the walk. They have a busy summer ahead. Along with their films showing at both the Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Film Festival and The SouthSide Film Festival, Jen is the Director of a Summer Filmmaking Institute in Kutztown, described as “an opportunity for Pennsylvania high school filmmakers to screen their creative work on the Kutztown University campus.” Jen calls the program “a great opportunity for individuals to learn filmmaking and the tricky filmmaking process.” Perhaps their most important accomplishment is modeling competence for Valley filmmakers. Wanting to make a film and making a film are two very different things. Whether hired for a project or working on their upcoming Feature Film, for Jen and Steve, the Story emerges.
To learn more, visit roamingdingoproductions.com. You can also follow Jen and Steve on Facebook, facebook.com/roamingdingoproductions, for upcoming screenings of their films. The Voice of Lafayette will be playing during Bethlehem’s SouthSide Film Festival June 12-16 (facebook.com/SouthSideFilmFest). Heath Mensher is a current instructor of film and screenwriting in the Lehigh Valley. He has a Masters Degree in Secondary Education from Kutztown, two young children, and an excellent wife.
Filmmakers Jen Suwak and Steve Abruzzese on set of their documentary SouthSide. photo courtesy of Jen Suwak and Steve Abruzzese
Cinema should make you forget you are sitting in a theater. Roman Polanski
©2018 Satori Publishing
Crossword Answers (Puzzle on page 14)
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May 2018
The Irregular 11
GARDENING
Annual Flowers that Sow Themselves article and photos by Pam Ruch Gardening often feels like a dance. You balance control and chance, predictability and wildness; play the satisfaction of fulfilled expectations against the pleasure of unanticipated delights. There’s no doubt that personality dictates your gardening style to some degree, but who doesn’t love a happy surprise? It is my habit, at the end of the growing season, to sow surprises. I grab dried out seedheads from certain plants and toss them around: some flowering tobacco here, some bells of Ireland there, and—why not—some lettuce in the bare spots. I can hardly go wrong with this freewheeling approach, as the plants I so casually sow are mostly annuals. Often (ok, almost always) I forget that I have done this. Come spring, when I spot familiar seedlings popping up here and there, I am delighted! If there are too many, I pull and compost the excess. This practice of “helping” self-sowing plants do their thing serves another function—besides providing me with springtime fun, that is. Moving populations of annual flowers to fresh soil tends to keep them vigorous. Sunflowers that drop their seeds and spring up in the same place for more than two consecutive years tend to get scrawnier by
Larvae of syrphid flies are voracious aphid eaters. Plant Sweet Alyssum to attract them.
the year, but move them around the garden and they thrive. The scientific term for this weakening is “autotoxicity,” or self-poisoning, and it happens in many species. So, not only am I spreading beauty about when I move seeds from place to place and garden to garden, but I like to think I’m doing my plants a favor as well. Of course, in order to have this particular type of garden entertainment, one must first get self-sowing annuals into your garden. There are several ways to do this:
Attractive Love-in-a-Mist pods dry well for winter arrangements.
12 The Irregular
Here is a list of my ten favorite self-sowers: 1. Woodland tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris) seeds are like dust, but the plants grow quickly and their fragrant white blooms reach heights of 6 feet or more by late summer. Give them space. And the following year, be patient. The self-sown seedlings do not appear until late May. 2. Larkspur (Consolida ajacis), planted from seed in spring, will not fulfill your hopes and dreams immediately. However, when the plants sow themselves and create a vision in purple the second year, it will all be worth it. 3. Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis), likewise, may not be star performers at first. It is especially im portant to move these plants around the garden to keep them vigorous. The quirky stalks lined with green bells are fun in arrangements. 4. Brazilian verbena (Verbena bonariensis) is the classic example of a “see-through plant,” with leggy stalks topped by tufts of purple and lots of butterflies. Even though plants grow to four feet tall or more, you can place them in the middle of the garden to great effect. They can be enthusiastic self-sowers, so be prepared to weed out the majority of the second-year seedlings. 5. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is always welcome in my garden. Low in stature, fragrant, and a magnet for tiny syrphid flies, it flowers all summer and into the fall. Some of the newer varieties on the market, such as Snow Princess™, are sterile, which makes them great garden performers but rules out
May 2018
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GARDENING
continued from page 12
Larkspur and Rose Campion: perfect together.
any self-sowing. I’ve found the Stream series (Lavender Stream, Silver Stream, and others) to be both summer-tough, and good self-sowers. 6. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are known for popping up where you least expect them … or under the bird feeder. Many newer varieties are bred to be pollenless, or male-sterile. Avoid these if you want them to sow themselves. 7. Rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) is, technically, a short-lived perennial. You’ll get good performance from seedlings that emerge in spring. The eye-popping magenta flowers and fuzzy white foliage stand out in the early summer garden, especially in contrast to purple larkspur. 8. Yellow Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) plants are sturdy, and remain standing through a summer storm, unlike some other types of cosmos. They shine in the late summer garden, popping out from between the foliage of spent perennials. 9. Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena) is as lovely as its name, and very easy to grow. The 15 to 18inch plants bear delicate blue or white flowers, followed by interesting seedpods. You’ll find gazillions of spring seedlings, most of which you’ll want to remove. 10. Dill (Anethum graveolens) is considered a cooking herb, but its regal chartreuse flowers are beautiful in the early to mid summer garden, and they provide food for swallowtail butterflies and nectar for myriad beneficial wasps. (Psst … note to guerilla gardeners: these are all great choices for seed bombs!) Horticulturist and writer Pam Ruch, caretaker of the Nurture Nature Center Urban Recycle Garden, tends gardens in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, and presents gardening and nature journaling programs throughout the region. She explores the intricacies of nature on her website, ArtofNatureJournaling.com.
Beautiful Dill flowers attract many species of beneficial wasps.
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May 2018
The Irregular 13
IRREGULAR EVENTS ONGOING: Book & Puppet Co. Free Events: Story Hour Tues.-Sat. 10:3011:30am; Jazz Concert with Andy Laties 1st Thurs. 7-8pm; Writers Group 3rd Thur. 7-9pm; Writers Read Open Mic 1st Fri.; Comics Jam 4th Sat. 4-6pm; Fractured Fables Puppet Show every Sat. & Sun. 1-2pm; Meet a Storybook Character every Sat. & Sun. 2pm; and Stitch n’ B!tch 1st & 2nd Sun. 5-8pm. 466 Northampton St., Easton, PA. Info: 484-541-5379, bookandpuppet.com Chapter #14, Soc. PA Archaeology Meeting: Bring your Indian artifacts for typing, age determination. Every Thur. 7pm. Easton Area Public Library Palmer Branch, 1 Weller Place, Easton, PA. Info: Len Ziegler 908-750-4110 Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room Story. Every Thurs.11am-7pm and 1st & 3rd Sat. 10am-12pm (May 5: Local Children’s author, Tara Zrinski, shares her delightful book All Ducks Are Birds, But Not All Birds Are Ducks; May 19: Reading of The Bicycle Man by Allen Say, and a guest BMX rider will show bike tricks; bring your bike to learn some tricks, too!). Easton Community Center, 901 Washington St. (9th St. entrance), Easton, PA. Info: 610-2506562, copsnkidseaston.org Easton Farmers’ Market. Every Sat. 9am-1pm thru Dec. (May 5: Opening Day). Centre Sq., Easton, PA. Info: 610-330-9942, eastonfarmersmarket. com Open Mic Nights. 1st Tues. of the month 6:30-7:30pm. Mary Meuser Memorial Library. 1803 Northampton St., Wilson Borough, PA. Info: 610258-3040 Quilting Club. 1st & 3rd Mon. of the month 6-8pm. Easton Area Public Library, 515 Church St., Easton, PA. Info: 610-258-2917
Science on a Sphere & SOS Explorer Touch Screen Kiosk at Nurture Nature Center. Every Wed. & Sat. 12-4pm, Thur. 6-9pm (May 17, 7pm & May 19, 1pm: Science on a Sphere: World Wide Weather, Living in Balance; May 26, 1pm: Sphere Spotlight: Mars InSight Launch). 518 Northampton St., Easton, PA. Info: 610-253-4432, Liesel@nurturenaturecenter.org
MAY 4: Easton Area Community Center’s Casablanca Casino Night. 6-11:30pm /$125. Northampton Country Club. Info: 610-253-8271, eastonareacc.org
The 5 Wishes - Living Wills and Advance Directive. 1pm, reg. req. Phillipsburg Free Public Library, 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg, NJ. Info: 908-454-3712
MAY 14: Laughter Yoga. 12pm. Phillipsburg Free Public Library, 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg, NJ. Info: 908-4543712
MAY 4-5: Rummage Sale. Fri. 5-8pm, Sat. 9am12pm (bag day). Palmer Moravian Church, 2901 John St., Palmer Twp., PA. Info: 610-252-8080
Senior Connection, a free community senior program offering social and mental stimulation for older adults. Every Tues. & Thur. 10am-3pm. Arndt’s Lutheran Church, 1851 Arndt Rd., Forks Twp., PA, Info: 610-2533732, Nancy Walters 610-253-0726, nancywalters@rcn.com
Friends of PFPL Annual Book Sale. 10am-4pm. Phillipsburg Free Public Library, 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg, NJ. Info: 908-454-3712
Nazareth Book Club: The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. 6:30pm. Memorial Library of Nazareth and Vicinity, 295 E. Center St., Nazareth, PA. Info: Amy 484-7678049
MAY 15: 2012 National GeographicAdventurer Jennifer Pharr Davis discusses her new book The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience. 7pm. Easton Area Public Library, 515 Church St., Easton, PA. Info: 610-2582917 x310
Sew Others May Be Warm Knitting/ Charity Group. Every Thur. 1-3pm. Easton Area Public Library Palmer Branch, 1 Weller Pl., Easton, PA. Info: 610-258-7492 Silver Connections: Fun for Seniors. Every Tues., Wed., & Thur. 9am-1pm. Easton Area Community Center, 901 Washington St., Easton, PA. Info: 610253-8271, Saints1@ptd.net The Writers Café. 2nd Thur. of the month 7-9pm. Easton Area Public Library Palmer Branch, 1 Weller Pl., Easton, PA. Info: glvwg.vebmeister@ gmail.com Tunes at Twilight (May 3: January Noon, May 10: Soul Folk, May 17: ALIAS, May 24: Groove Merchants, May 31: George Hrab). 6-8pm. Sun Inn Courtyard, 564 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. Info: 484-2803024, getdowntownbethlehem.com MAY 3: Book Talk: The Green Amendment, Securing Our Right to a Healthy Environment by Maya K. van Rossum. 7pm. 518 Northampton St., Easton, PA. Info: 610-253-4432, Liesel@nurturenaturecenter.org
MAY 5: 38th Annual Historic Easton House Tour. 10am-4pm; $25/adv, $30/day of. Begins at Riverside Park, Larry Holmes Dr., Easton, PA. Info: 610330-9947, eastonhousetour.com MAY 5 & 19: Meuser Library Knitting Club. 10-11am. Mary Meuser Memorial Library. 1803 Northampton St., Wilson Borough, PA. Info: 610-2583040 MAY 8: Tuesday Trails. 5:30-7pm. Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, 400 Belfast Rd., Nazareth, PA. Info: 610746-2801, jacobsburgsp@pa.gov The Friends of the Delaware Canal hosts: Towpaths and Tales, an Aerial Photographic History of the Canals Along the Delaware River. 7:30pm. Riegelsville Borough Hall, 1st flr. mtg. rm. 615 Easton Rd. (Rt. 611 S), Riegelsville, PA. Info: 215-862-2021, friends@fodc.org, www.fodc.org MAY 9: Bird Walk and Talk on the Karl Stirner Arts Trail (KSAT) with Dr. David Brandes and Dr. Mike Butler of Lafayette College. 8-9:30am/ sponsored by Nurture Nature Center. Meet at the 13th St. entrance to the KSAT, Easton, PA. Info: 610-2534432, Liesel@nurturenaturecenter.org
Public Gratitude & Perpetual Warfare: a lecture by Lehigh University doctorate student Evan Reibsome. 6:30-7:30pm, reg. recommended. Bethlehem Area Public Library, 11 W. Church St., Bethlehem, PA. Info: 610-867-3761, bapl.org Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild’s Story Circle: The Merry Month of May. 7:30-9:30pm. Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem, PA. Info: 215541-1429, lvstorytelling.org MAY 10 & 24: PFPLWriters Group. 7pm. Phillipsburg Free Public Library, 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg, NJ. Info: 908-454-3712 MAY 11 & 25: Pinochle Club. 12:30pm. Phillipsburg Free Public Library, 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg, NJ. Info: 908-4543712 MAY 12: WWII Veterans Talk. 1pm; free w/ adm. or $5. Sigal Museum NCHGS, 342 Northampton St., Easton, PA. Info: 610-253-1222 MAY 13: National Canal Museum Mother’s Day Cruise. 11am-12pm/$25. 2750 Hugh Moore Park Rd., Easton, PA. Info: Loretta Susen 610-923-3548 x221, canals.org
MAY 16: Book Sale. 12-8pm. Bethlehem Area Public Library, 11 W. Church St., Bethlehem, PA. Info: 610-867-3761, bapl.org Book Forum. 1:30pm Phillipsburg Free Public Library, 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg; NJ. Info: 908-4543712 Everyday Art. 7pm, reg. req. Phillipsburg Free Public Library, 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg NJ. Info: 908-454-3712 A Community Tonglen Experiential Workshop. 6:30-7:30, reg. recommended. Bethlehem Area Public Library, 11 W. Church St., Bethlehem, PA. Info: 610867-3761, bapl.org MAY 17: Destination Arts: Third Thursday. 5-8pm. Multiple Art Venues in Downtown Allentown, PA. Info: elizabethr@lehighvalleychamber.org, downtownallentown.com Film Discussion Group: The Post. 7pm. Phillipsburg Free Public Library, 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg, NJ. Info: 908-454-3712 MAY 19: Fork’s Area Art Society’s 5th Annual Art in Park. 11am-4pm. Forks Township Community Center Amphitheater, 500 Zucksville Rd.,
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14 The Irregular
May 2018
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Easton, PA. Info: forksartsociety@gmail. com, forksareaartsociety.yolasite.com Easton Star Party with Nurture Nature Center (astronomy experts and telescopes will be available). 8:30-10pm, reg. req. Scott Park, Larry Holmes Dr., Easton, PA. Info: 610-2534432, Liesel@nurturenaturecenter.org MAY 22: Palmer Adult Book Group: The Woman in Cabin Ten by Ruth Ware. 6-7:30pm. Easton Area Public Library Palmer Branch, 1 Weller Pl., Easton, PA. Info: 610-258-7492 MAY 23: Happy Bookers Discussion Group: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. 7pm. Phillipsburg Free Public Library, 200 Broubalow Way, Phillipsburg, NJ. Info: 908-454-3712 MAY 25: Easton Out Loud: Fourth Fridays. 5-9pm. Downtown Easton, PA. Info: 610-250-6533, jo@eastonpartnership. org, eastonoutloud.com MAY 26: Lenape Sacred Sites with Edward Henning. 1pm; free w/adm. or $5. Sigal Museum NCHGS, 342 Northampton St., Easton, PA. Info: 610-253-1222
610-982-0161, kmartens@pa.gov, eventsreg.dcnr.pa.gov/register/ create/1246666 MAY 30: Non-fiction Book Group: Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden. 7pm. Easton Area Public Library, 515 Church St., Easton, PA. Info: 610-2582917 x393 MAY 31-JUNE 5: Spring Book Sale. Thur. 10am-7pm, Fri.11am-5pm, Sat. 10am-3pm (half price day) & Mon. 2-7pm (Bag Day). Easton Area Public Library, 515 Church St., Easton, PA. Info: 610-2582917 x393, maryannh@eastonpl.org JUNE 1-3: St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church’s Festa Italiana. Fri. 7-10pm, Sat. 6-9:30pm & Sun. 5-8pm. Holy Cross Park, Morgan Hill & Cedarville Rds., Williams Twp., PA. Info: 610253-7188, stanthonyeaston.com JUNE 2: Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor’s Founder’s Day 30th Anniversary Celebration. 11:30am-10pm. National Canal
Museum, 2750 Hugh Moore Park Rd., Easton, PA. Info: 610-9233548, info@delawareandlehigh.org, delawareandlehigh.org JUNE 2 & 16: Dinner Theatre: Easton 1774: Edge of Revolution. 6pm/$60 benefits Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society. Bachmann Publick House, 169 Northampton St., Easton, PA. Info: 610-253-1222
Have an event taking place in the area? Email it to us here at The Irregular, bruneo1776@aol.com. Events will be placed on the events calendar at the discretion of the publisher.
MAY 27: Williams Township Memorial Observance. 6pm.Williams Twp. Municipal Building, 655 Cider Press Rd., Williams Twp., PA. Info: Linda Heindel, 610-253-8951, LHH2@ lehigh.edu MAY 28: Full Moon Paddle. 8-10pm/$10, reg. req. Giving Pond Recreation Area, 1125 River Rd. (PA-32), Upper Black Eddy, PA. Info: Katie Martens
Libra- It takes a village to raise a child, build a dream and to throw a party. Socializing is an Olympic sport that comes natural, don’t deny it. The call of the outdoors and nature can be strong, heed it and reconnect by walking bare foot and add more greens or veggie juices to daily routines. Scorpio- Keen perspective reveals the true colors in a plan or another person, what you choose to do with that bit of savvy depends on your mood. You can use it to your advantage and get what you want or keep it to yourself and revel in self-satisfaction. Return calls immediately this month, putting that off can cause missed opportunities.
Aries- Compartmentalization is the answer! However it’s not always conducive to the interactions of everyone else in your life. Temptations are high to give up but don’t. Arranging, organizing and execution is a skill possessed by few, you’re one of those people. So buck up and do what you do best. Take charge! Taurus- While the Sun is in Taurus right now make sure to give yourself some extra pampering. Self love and appreciation is important and sometimes relying on others to provide doesn’t work. It’s a good time to change up diet too, trade in heavy foods for something lighter and saltier. Keep hydrated and electrolytes up! Gemini- Mind your business and you’ll be just fine, do the contrary and learn the hard lesson of solving another’s problem you didn’t create. Try new foods right now, experiment with taste, what you put on the inside certainly shows on the outside. Cancer- Beginning of the month get some extra rest because by mid month unseen activity will have you stirred. Choices are important because who or what you commit to now has lasting affects. If the past comes calling be prepared for how to confront it. Leo- Those who depend on you need a gentle nudge to find their own confidence. The stars this month align in a way that require you to pay attention to personal signs and to resist being distracted. Refrain from the urge to splurge on unnecessary expensive purchases now, you’ll get a better deal later. Virgo- Gossip is trouble causing, either spreading it or listening to it. Finding out the truth is the goal. The truth sets you free, it absolves and steers you in the right direction. Health concerns shouldn’t be ignored because routine comes first. Priority is the mission.
Call 610-258-4330 to advertise
May 2018
Sagittarius- When you feel good everyone does! Share the good fortune and watch how karma repays you for that generosity. Overtime or standing in for fellow coworkers gains you some luck to use for a rainy day. Pay attention to what you drink, and when you eat. Don’t get dehydrated and don’t eat all in one sitting, small snacks through the day are best. Capricorn- When gravity gets heavy under your feet take a break, sit down and breathe. Quiet times and moments to contemplate nature or life around you can provide all the answers you’re seeking from books, therapy or online. Over analyzing just creates more confusion, choose a simple solution and you’ll be good to go. Aquarius- Everyone likes you! Now what? Your rebel spirit may get restless with no struggle to wrestle with, you’ll need to channel that energy into more constructive ways. Meditate, let the sun shine over you, feel momentarily satisfied. Old friends collide with new ones, proceed with care. Pisces- Who inspires you? Who brings out the best in you? Where do you feel the most comfortable being you? Review these things, reconnect with and immerse yourself body, mind and soul into all of which contributes in making you YOU! Remember, there’s risk in opening up, there’s vulnerability, protect yourself too.
The Irregular 15
Irregular Eats with Gene Palmiter The Quadrant Book Mart and Coffee House opens at 8am and serves breakfast and lunch. A basic breakfast of eggs, potatoes, and multi-grain toast costs $4.95. Extravagant breakfasts like the Ultimate Belgian Waffle in the picture is topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream will run $6.95. A personal favorite of mine is the Quadrant Benedict. The family’s recipe for creamy sausage gravy from Missouri is ladled over a buttermilk biscuit topped with a country sausage patty and two eggs over easy that’ll run you $9. There’s also a variety of omelets. Lunch offers an array of sandwiches as well as the Greek Salad or Power Salad. Self-serve coffee is available all day. Throughout the building you will find over sixty thousand books with paperbacks on the second floor for just a buck. Also, be sure to check out the local artwork on display on the second floor in the Art Community of Easton’s Susan Huxley Gallery.
The Quadrant Book Mart & Coffee House is located at 20 N. 3rd Street in Easton PA (610-252-1188). They are open Tuesday thru Saturday 8am to 5pm & Sunday 8am to 4pm; lunch is served till 3pm Tuesday thru Saturday, until 2pm Sundays. A full breakfast menu is served until 2pm Tuesday thru Sunday. Follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/QuadrantBookMartCoffeeHouse.
SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY. BUY LOCAL.
The Irregular
May 2018
Call 610-258-4330 to advertise