Thursday, November 08, 2007
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Jim Thorpe receives funding for a new band shell
The sound of a check being cut was music to the ears of Jim Thorpe officials Monday as they accepted a $75,000 state grant to build a new band shell and bathrooms at Memorial Park on the borough's east side.
The new buildings will replace ones that council voted in January to demolish to make way for new offices.
The band shell and bathrooms will be at Memorial Park at 10th and Fern streets, on what is now an empty lot near Jim Thorpe Area High School. They will be close to where the original band shell stood.
''It's a very important community project here in Jim Thorpe,'' he said. ''It's a park that is utilized very heavily, not just by people from Jim Thorpe, but from all over the county.''
The band shell and bathrooms will be a stone's throw from Memorial Park Hall, where the administrative offices were housed for decades until moving, along with the Police Department, to a rental building on North street several years ago.
The Police Department had been housed on the other side of town in the old YMCA building on Broadway.
A new office building is needed because the owner of the North Street building wants the site vacated to use it for other purposes.
Whether to build or rent elsewhere is still undecided. The proposal to build new offices died in early summer when council failed to approve a $430,000 financing package for the project.
Construction on the band shell and bathrooms is expected to be completed by midsummer, Councilman Justin Yaich said.
Councilman Jeremy Melber said engineers figure the band shell and bathrooms can be built for about $75,000.
"The bandstand was always a landmark in Memorial Park," he said. "It was always the site of the musical entertainment for the Fourth of July celebration, and it also housed the only public restrooms the park had."
However, the band shell had "become so deteriorated that all we could do was tear it down," he said.
Yaich said bringing the band shell up to current government safety standards would cost at least as much as building a new one.
"When you are spending state money or any tax dollars, you have to bring everything into state compliance with the building code," he said. "The amount of money we would have spent renovating that band shell and making it [Americans with Disabilities Act]-accessible, along with all the other building codes, would have amounted to what we would spend on a new facility. Now you're going to have something brand-new that's going to last 80 years or longer."
Melber said council wants to restore the park to its former glory.
"This is one of the last great parks in Jim Thorpe," he said. "A lot of people bring their kids here to play, and we want to have a bathroom facility for them."
He also said council was planning to spend $20,000 in grant money on new rides for the park.
"We're really trying to build the park back up to what it used to be," he said.
Memorial Hall is a large social venue the borough rents for wedding receptions, bingo and festivals. The borough's annual Stay at Home Festival on Fourth of July weekend is held there.
The downstairs of the building contains a skating rink popular with area youths.
Allentown poised to invest in parks
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity, along with NET's Sports Chair Cory Crawford, to sit down and discuss Allentown's valuable park system with parks Director Greg Weitzel. Thanks to a guy named Trexler, Allentown has more park space per capita than any other city in the country.
Greg, who has been in his position less than a year, has big plans for Allentown. He unveiled a working plan for a total revamp of Cedar Park. And let me tell you with a sculpture walk, a skate park, a cafe, and a new pavilion for weddings and other special events - it was cool. This is a long term plan which we probably won't see complete for another 3-4 years, however there are some more immediate things in the works. In many of the entrances to Allentown, you may have noticed new "Welcome to Allentown" flags. The city intends to build upon this with greenscaping at entryways into the city and more "Welcome to Allentown" signage.
I have experienced first hand what a little clean up, signage, street lamps and greenscaping can do. I attended college in York, Pennsylvania which has many similarities to Allentown. Recently on a jaunt through the city I saw some major improvements including brickwork, flower boxes and plentiful, quaint lighting. It made a world of difference in my perception of that area. Greg is a big supporter of greenscaping, and I hope to see similar improvements in Allentown.
Finally, Allentown has been working for along time to connect all its parks together with one giant bike path. It seems that progress is being made, albeit slowly. They are working closely with Rodale and the Wildlands Conservancy to connect even more land. I made a suggestion that would go hand-in-hand with this master plan - rental bikes.
In my trip down to Louisville in September to the Young Professionals Summit, I learned about a unique bike rental system they have there. There are bike stations throughout the city where you swipe your credit card and money is taken off you card which releases the bike. When you return the bike to any of the stations you swipe your card again and get your money back. Similar systems are in place in Paris and Munich, but it really hasn't caught on here in the states. I think a similar system would be a great thing to implement here in Allentown, and would perhaps help with some traffic concerns as well.
Your president,
Vanessa Williams
Greg, who has been in his position less than a year, has big plans for Allentown. He unveiled a working plan for a total revamp of Cedar Park. And let me tell you with a sculpture walk, a skate park, a cafe, and a new pavilion for weddings and other special events - it was cool. This is a long term plan which we probably won't see complete for another 3-4 years, however there are some more immediate things in the works. In many of the entrances to Allentown, you may have noticed new "Welcome to Allentown" flags. The city intends to build upon this with greenscaping at entryways into the city and more "Welcome to Allentown" signage.
I have experienced first hand what a little clean up, signage, street lamps and greenscaping can do. I attended college in York, Pennsylvania which has many similarities to Allentown. Recently on a jaunt through the city I saw some major improvements including brickwork, flower boxes and plentiful, quaint lighting. It made a world of difference in my perception of that area. Greg is a big supporter of greenscaping, and I hope to see similar improvements in Allentown.
Finally, Allentown has been working for along time to connect all its parks together with one giant bike path. It seems that progress is being made, albeit slowly. They are working closely with Rodale and the Wildlands Conservancy to connect even more land. I made a suggestion that would go hand-in-hand with this master plan - rental bikes.
In my trip down to Louisville in September to the Young Professionals Summit, I learned about a unique bike rental system they have there. There are bike stations throughout the city where you swipe your credit card and money is taken off you card which releases the bike. When you return the bike to any of the stations you swipe your card again and get your money back. Similar systems are in place in Paris and Munich, but it really hasn't caught on here in the states. I think a similar system would be a great thing to implement here in Allentown, and would perhaps help with some traffic concerns as well.
Your president,
Vanessa Williams
Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Nouveau Weekend
From the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Association:
It is a great time to celebrate! The 2007 harvest is now complete. This should be one of the finest vintages in years. The warm, dry summer and fall have added many unique and special components to this year’s crop. These components are complemented by the mineral-rich soil of the Lehigh Valley.
Nouveau Weekend, Nov. 17 and 18, will be your first opportunity to sample some of the unique components of this year’s vintage. The nine wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will each share their individual specialties as listed below:
• Nouveau Weekend at Vynecrest – Enjoy caramelized onion herb focaccia bread with our 2007 Gamay Beaujolais Nouveau wine.
• Big Creek Vineyard and Winery will pair Pasta Ossabaw (pasta with Gorgonzola sauce) with the 2007 Marechal Foch Nouveau.
• Franklin Hill will serve pierogies with assorted toppings, dips and cheese paired with our Nouvelle wine.
• Pinnacle Ridge Winery has done a twist on the Nouveau tradition this year by producing a white wine called “NuVo.” From Sémillon grapes, the winery has created an easy-drinking table wine reminiscent of Austrian pub wine. This unfiltered, semidry white is a hearty companion on a rainy, raw day with the rib-sticking goodness of a thick soup. Paired with the 2007 NuVo at the event will be a rich, golden corn chowder.
• Galen Glen will feature a classic French-style Nouveau produced from 2007 gamay and sweet potato scallops with caramelized onions. The onions are an especially good match to the fruitiness of the Nouveau; just add a turkey, and Thanksgiving is on the table!
• Amore will debut two new releases: Raspberry Romance and 2006 Chambourcin Reserve. Also, a tasting of this year’s Niagara will be available. Assorted bread, cheese and “almost-famous” homemade dipping oil will be offered.
• Celebrate Nouveau Weekend at Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery. Wine and food pairings don’t always need to be fancy dishes. Join us as we sample mini pulled pork sandwiches with Turtle Rock Red, a local favorite! Learn how to make an everyday dinner more enjoyable!
• Blue Mountain will offer an assortment of artisan bread and cheese provided by F. Crivellaro Italian Cheese & Bakery paired with our newly released 2007 Nouveau Beaujolais. Enjoy our Mountain Spice mulled just right and paired with an autumn pumpkin loaf.
Nouveau Weekend is also a great time to start planning your Christmas gift giving. Remember to order your custom labels early. Also, it is a great opportunity to stock your wine racks for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.
It is a great time to celebrate! The 2007 harvest is now complete. This should be one of the finest vintages in years. The warm, dry summer and fall have added many unique and special components to this year’s crop. These components are complemented by the mineral-rich soil of the Lehigh Valley.
Nouveau Weekend, Nov. 17 and 18, will be your first opportunity to sample some of the unique components of this year’s vintage. The nine wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will each share their individual specialties as listed below:
• Nouveau Weekend at Vynecrest – Enjoy caramelized onion herb focaccia bread with our 2007 Gamay Beaujolais Nouveau wine.
• Big Creek Vineyard and Winery will pair Pasta Ossabaw (pasta with Gorgonzola sauce) with the 2007 Marechal Foch Nouveau.
• Franklin Hill will serve pierogies with assorted toppings, dips and cheese paired with our Nouvelle wine.
• Pinnacle Ridge Winery has done a twist on the Nouveau tradition this year by producing a white wine called “NuVo.” From Sémillon grapes, the winery has created an easy-drinking table wine reminiscent of Austrian pub wine. This unfiltered, semidry white is a hearty companion on a rainy, raw day with the rib-sticking goodness of a thick soup. Paired with the 2007 NuVo at the event will be a rich, golden corn chowder.
• Galen Glen will feature a classic French-style Nouveau produced from 2007 gamay and sweet potato scallops with caramelized onions. The onions are an especially good match to the fruitiness of the Nouveau; just add a turkey, and Thanksgiving is on the table!
• Amore will debut two new releases: Raspberry Romance and 2006 Chambourcin Reserve. Also, a tasting of this year’s Niagara will be available. Assorted bread, cheese and “almost-famous” homemade dipping oil will be offered.
• Celebrate Nouveau Weekend at Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery. Wine and food pairings don’t always need to be fancy dishes. Join us as we sample mini pulled pork sandwiches with Turtle Rock Red, a local favorite! Learn how to make an everyday dinner more enjoyable!
• Blue Mountain will offer an assortment of artisan bread and cheese provided by F. Crivellaro Italian Cheese & Bakery paired with our newly released 2007 Nouveau Beaujolais. Enjoy our Mountain Spice mulled just right and paired with an autumn pumpkin loaf.
Nouveau Weekend is also a great time to start planning your Christmas gift giving. Remember to order your custom labels early. Also, it is a great opportunity to stock your wine racks for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.
VOTE TODAY!!
Today is local election day. Polls are open until 8 p.m. Please don't forget to vote!! Info on yp candidates.
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