Easton's Transit Future?

By Dennis Lieb
I attended the City Council working meeting on Tuesday night and listened to Planning Director Becky Bradley's evaluation of the recently released Lehigh Valley Rail Study. It was quite heartening to hear what she had to say since I had prepared public comments on my own reactions to the study and had not anticipated how closely the city's position and mine would mesh. I was going to link a short article on the meeting from the Express Times here but their pathetic website's navigation is so crappy it's impossible to find a two-day old local story...so instead I'll paraphrase what happened...

Last week's RenewLV hosted presentation in Bethlehem was so stilted towards buses by the consultant's report and so devoid of enthusiasm for rail, except by those experts from other parts of the country who have already seen it work in person, that it amounted to a waste of the public time. Ms. Bradley reiterated these points, presented our own demographics showing current ridership of 2000 to 3100 in contrast to the consultant's projected figures of 800 riders and brought a series of related development topics to the table that were virtually ignored by the report. The E-T story also mentioned the report's bias towards buses when we were paying them for a rail study and the comment by the consultant that we could save money on rail by bypassing Easton completely...good luck with that. The mayor basically said that we have tried being a team player by cooperating with the two counties, LVEDC and the other Lehigh Valley cities. The mayor was being respectful but I have no political qualms in saying say that we have few friends in PennDOT, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Director or the private bus companies. If this is the way its going to be then we will do what's best for Easton first.

There seems to be a trend developing over the past few months that I attribute to a lack of seriousness about our future transportation options at all levels of Pennsylvania government. A link to an article in

El censo, puerta a puerta / The Census, Door to Door

Posted by: Tere

En Abril 23 las estadísticas de participación por correo del censo 2010, según el web sitio del censo fueron…
· Pennsylvania, 75%
· Northampton Co, 79%
· City of Easton, 68%
· West Ward, algunas partes 59% y otras 69%

El censo 2010, empezando Mayo 1, estará en la segunda fase de colección de información. Los empleados ahora van puerta a puerta a buscar la información necesaria. El lema del esta fase es “Abre su puerta al empleado del censo.” La siguiente información sobre el censo fue obtenido por el web sitio.

Quien es el empleado del censo?
El empleado del censo es alguien de la comunidad, contratado a recolectar la información de los residentes. La mayoría de estos residentes no devolvieron sus cuestionarios.
· El departamento del censo provee al empleado una libreta con las direcciones de residencias que no

TUESDAY, 6PM: Straight Talk on the Lehigh Valley Rail Study at City Hall

By Dennis R. Lieb

(The above photo is the central rail station of Brugges, Belgium. I used it extensively while there to travel to Iper, Ghent, Brussels and Paris. It is a five minute bike ride or ten minute walk from central Brugges. )

I attended last week's RenewLV rail forum at the Hotel Bethlehem with about 200 other people. I won't get into particulars for lack of time, but had these general reactions:

I came away from it even more convinced that this needs to happen and the sooner the better.

It is obvious that with Paul Marin's departure for Spain, there is no dynamic voice leading this initiative at the current time.

The mood in the room was one of political predisposition to, if not kill the plan, then at least de-emphasize it's legitimacy.

The above opinion emanates from a general feeling garnered from the study language that nobody wants to step on PennDOT's or the private bus carrier's toes.

Bruce Davis; the Rt 22 Coalition's mouthpiece and ever-present voice of LV highway expansion, never gets tired of spouting his mantra of doom and gloom surrounding rail's future here. It is time they took

It's My Grandmomma's Fault!!

This past Thursday I attended a seminar I was drawn to called "Cancer Myths and Fallacies". Being the obsessive, compulsive, bi-polar, ADD, woman I am, after seeing my best friend successfully fight Hodgkin's disease, my aunt successfully fight breast cancer, my mom die from lung cancer, my father in law die from lung cancer and my mother in-law currently fight for her life with breast cancer (all within 6 years) I have been trying to read up all I can on how to live a healthy life.

Meet State Rep. Bob Freeman Re: PSERS Reform and the EASD Tax Hike

Meet State Rep. Bob Freeman this Wednesday to discuss what can 
be done about pension reform to alleviate the property tax 

burden on Easton residents

Posted by: Noel Jones


This Wednesday, April 28th at 7pm, just as Senator Mensch did before, our own State Representative Bob Freeman has offered to meet with residents concerned about the Easton Area School District tax hike to discuss what can be done at the State level with regard to pension reform to alleviate the burden on taxpayers. The meeting will again be held upstairs at TranquiliTea House on 4th and Spring Garden, where residents can choose from an inspiring menu of teas while talking together as a community to find solutions to this dilemma. Special thanks the the Mitchell family for agreeing to host again, and to Bob Freeman for making room in his busy schedule to meet with us!


I highly recommend reading the previous post on this issue to refresh on the details. I hope to see you there--remember, Rep. Freeman is running for re-election next month, so what better way to get to know where the candidate stands than to meet him in person?


See you Wednesday! Please post a comment here if you're planning to attend, so that I can give our host an estimate as to attendance--thanks!

WHO IS EASTON? Free Speech and Free Pizza: May 1st, Center Square

WHO IS EASTON? 

Our historic circle downtown will be a hotbed of expression 

again on Saturday, May 1st after the Farmers Market.

Posted by: Noel Jones


This should be interesting: Lafayette College, the Governor Wolf Athenaeum and Neighbors of Easton are sponsoring a free speech open mic event called WHO IS EASTON? and inviting all citizens of Easton to get up during this open mic and express themselves. It can be speech, poetry or song, and it is open to everyone on any and all topics. That's right--everyone and anything: environmentalists, new urbanists, poets, songsters, all languages, all political parties, all faiths, students, seniors, old-timers, newcomers, middle-aged Gen X-ers, homeowners, renters, children, Little League dads, soccer moms, teachers, taxpayers, bloggers, blog widows, underemployed, over-employed, the angsty cynics and the overjoyed--you name it--it's all welcome to be expressed at this event. 


Come out and have a free slice of pizza and hear what citizens of your city have to say!


Who is Easton? What conglomeration of voices will we hear? The voices that come out and speak, that's who. And believe you me, this will be publicized, so if you want the world out there to know that

Skate in Easton- Battle in the Bronx?

Posted by Gavin J Vincent



http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1271995570269440.xml&coll=3

A recent article that expresses some of the (pretty impressive) ideas that are coming out of the Skate Park meetings: (More later!)


Easton skaters club heading to Battle for the Bronx
Friday, April 23, 2010
By RUDY MILLER
The Express-Times
EASTON Local skaters will go to a New York City skating haven for tips on how to build a successful skate park.

Local teens and adult skate enthusiasts are invited to join the Easton Skaters Stay off the Streets Club for the trip May 8 to the Battle for the Bronx in the Bronx Park East Skate Park, officials said Thursday.

The skating competition is scheduled 1 to 6 p.m. Participants can talk, learn and skate in the contest.

"There are also some experts there who have been building parks and raising

Musings From My Neighborhood...

Wednesday was the first day of the new street sweeping program in my neighborhood. The south side of the street is done on Wednesday and the north side is done on Fridays. Two teachers received warnings on Wednesday for not moving their cars. It didn't seem to make a difference because they still park there everyday. Today, Friday, there was one car that received a warning. It was a neighbor parked directly in front of the sign. Can't understand how he missed the sign.

Teacher parking continues to be a problem. There is a huge lot for them to park in and many spaces unused everyday, yet they are disrespectful of the neighbors and park on the street. Along with the continued deterioration of the property surrounding Cottingham Stadium, the school district and employees show little concern for the neighborhood. I am waiting to see if the city will press them on the code violations such as the sidewalks that pose a danger to anyone who walks on them. I can only hope.

A Confluence of Public Events: School Board Edition 4/21/10

Posted by: Gavin J. Vincent


Last evening's EAHS School board meeting was many things; emotionally charged, theatrical, compelling...one feature I felt was lacking from the scores upon scores of students, parents and teachers that arrived in droves at the sauna like high school auditorium to protest (sadly needed) budget cuts was objectivity.



I arrived, and barely found a seat the large, dimly lit room was so full of people. Gone was the general dryness and procedural aspects of the previous meetings. High school students murmured and shuffled about with the sort of energy reminiscent of the pep rallies of yore, justifiably anxious parents, teachers

The Bottom Line

Posted by: Julie Zando-Dennis

I am a strong proponent of “buy local,” but because of the poor service I have received by many local businesses, lately I think twice before selecting an Easton business. Unfortunately, I have heard many others complain that service in Easton isn’t up to snuff.

By way of example – last year I sought and hired an Easton accountant. The initial meeting went well enough, and I handed over all my paperwork about two months before the deadline. Then . . . silence. I placed a couple of emails to make sure that the accountant received certain supplemental documents. No response. Phoned several times and left messages. Again, no response. At one point, the telephone company advised that the number was inoperable. I started to stress. More emails. Began to seriously worry about what I would do, given that I had handed off all the original documents and did not make copies. Finally, one day before the deadline, I received in the mail an envelope with my prepared return. With a bill. While I was grateful that the return had been prepared, I wasn’t happy about the stress caused by the accountant’s lack of communication. I promptly paid the bill, but the check wasn’t cashed for over four months. Every time I reconciled my bank statement, I had to account for this annoying, un-cashed check. Concerned at one point that my check hadn’t been delivered, I emailed to inquire whether it had been received. I received no response.

The pièce de résistance . . . the mother of all examples of bad service . . .

Easton Boys &Girls Club Skate Park Meeting @ 4:30 today

Just wanted to pass along this information for you informed citizens out there:

A Skate Park Initiative meeting is scheudled for 4:30 @ the Boys and Girls Club Teen Center, contact information as follows:


Boys & Girls Club of Easton
Easton Teen Center
1101 Northampton StreetEaston, PA 18042
gabriel5@rcn.com484-239-2075
___________
I plan on attending and will share my hastily scrawled notes when I get a chance to post them. Hope to see you there!

Gavin J. Vincent

A Cleaner Neighborhood in Many Ways

Posted by: Noel Jones


Three things are happening to make the West Ward a cleaner place to be:

• 10th Street Escarpment to be cleaned and fenced: See Michael Duck's Valley 610 blog post here. He is looking for comments from WW residents, so please post one and thank him for covering our neighborhood! the City has scheduled a press conference for Thursday, April 22 at 3:00 pm at the site of the 10^th Street illegal dumping area if you'd like to attend.
• The new street sweeping program has begun! Click here to see the interactive map that Michael created for us, to see the new cleaning routes.
• Below is a note from Sophia Feller at the WWNP regarding this year's clean-up day:

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!! CLEAN-UP DAY IN THE WEST WARD IS SATURDAY, APRIL 24 FROM 9 TO NOON. MEET AT THE PARKING LOT ON WOOD AVE AND NORTH 9^THSTREET (821 WOOD) AT 8:45 AM TO COLLECT SUPPLIES AND JOIN UP WITH A CREW.

WE WILL BE RECYCLING USED TIRES DURING CLEAN UP, CREWS CAN PUT TIRES ON THE SIDEWALK IN PILES DURING CLEANUP OR THEY CAN BE TAKEN TO THE EMPTY LOT ON S 10^TH AND PINE BETWEEN 9 AND 11 A.M.

NEXT WEEK ONLY (TUES, APRIL 27 AND THURS, APRIL 29) USED TIRES CAN BE PUT OUT WITH THE TRASH.

FREE RECYCING BARRELS WILL BE AVIALABLE FOR WEST WARD RESIDENTS TO PICK-UP AT CENTENIAL PARK (CORNER OF S 12^TH AND FERRY) BETWEEN 9 AND NOON.

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK - PLEASE ADD YOUR HANDS TO THE CLEANUP EFFORT.

For more information call the West Ward office at 610- 515 -0891

Sophia Feller
Administrative Secretary,

West Ward Neighborhood Partnership
610.515.0891  :: Fax 610.515.0895 :: sfeller@caclv.org

Welfare Dollars at Work

Posted by: Tere

Welfare has a negative connotation in the minds of many. Welfare recipients are often mistakenly thought of as “lazy” people who take advantage of the system and don’t want to work. Although there are always some who take advantage of and abuse the system, the vast majority of recipients are people who just need help.
Welfare is a broad term which not only covers Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF and General Assistance, both of which are Cash Assistance programs, but also includes SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, new name for Food Stamps), Medicaid, and Child Care Assistance. There are millions of people through out the state of PA who receive one type of benefit or another and they are working people, the elderly, children, pregnant women, and disabled people. Due to the state of the economy, more people are seeking help.
Unfortunately not everyone who needs assistance will qualify, but the Department of Public Welfare is providing Assistance to millions

EASD Answers Residents' Call for Deep Cuts

Posted by: Noel Jones


The school board continues to move forward on the painful task of delivering on deep budget cuts requested by resident tax payers who were originally faced with an 11.85% tax increase in the preliminary budget this year. With the proposed cuts, the proposed tax increase has been brought below the state cap of 3.6%, but still proposes a 2.35% property tax increase in a bad economy. Residents commended the board on this fiscally responsible move to eliminate wasteful spending, and urged even more, so that we do not have to increase taxes or dip into the district's savings account to make ends meet. 


Because I was performing in a dress rehearsal Thursday night, I was unable to attend the school board workshop, which turned out to be the most eventful so far.  I am told that approximately 100 residents and teachers showed up, and 646 people have watched the meeting so far on line. Below you can read articles by both Colin McEvoy of the Express Times and Chris Baxter of The Morning Call on the $8.7 million in cuts proposed, including 70 teaching positions. The articles list the cuts, but what is just as important to note (and what is outlined in resident comments) is what is not listed:

• No wage freeze for administrators was presented as part of the cuts, despite repeated requests from residents. A few administrative positions will be cut, but no administrators have offered to take a pay cut, in symbolic side-by-side sacrifice with taxpayers. An across-the-board wage freeze would save over $5 million in taxpayer money.
• Teachers have also refused to re-open their contract and give up their average 10% raise this year, which also amounts to over $5 million.
• No retirement incentive for teachers was proposed, to retired teachers with seniority

Micro-Strategy for Drug Houses

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

-Nelson Mandela

My neighborhood is in trouble. Over the last several months neighbors between the 500 & 700 blocks of Ferry Street have been exasperated by (3) drug houses, (2) open air drug markets, prostitution, a dramatic increase (also city-wide) of gang emergence and traffic and a house dominated by several gang members. Throw in a few foreclosures and the slew of issues we’ve had to face due to poor planning between the city and county surrounding the Juvenile Justice Center’s expansion and simply daily operations and a seriously neglected pocket park and you have a deadly cocktail for receding into blight and disorganization.

For some folks that have lived here much longer than I have I’m sure it is accepted simply as the ebb and flow of the city’s social paradigm—one that never seems to be able to get out of its own historic patterns of inner city dislocation. For others it’s time to talk about obtaining gun-carry permits and seriously consider moving.

 Many cities, including Easton, all too often fall into the trap of believing that unless large scale plans along with equivalent funding are written and awarded, it is not possible to tackle persistent issues like these. While EPD has already stepped up to the plate to work hard with residents to solve some of these problems it is simply not enough. It is also an unrealistic expectation of anyone to think they can.

What are You Willing to Do?

By Dennis R. Lieb


There are two events in the coming days that will give West Ward residents an opportunity to shape their own futures. Info for the previously mentioned Lehigh Valley Rail Forum, sponsored by Renew LV can be accessed here. I had problems getting this link to work so if it fails go right to their website at www.renewlv.org and its the first item under Recent Updates on the right column.

As most people realize, we will not be part of whatever the future economy looks like unless we can move around the region in something other than cars. I won't belabor the point...it should be self-evident by now. Having the legitimate opportunity to help form the vision for our future - whether it be transportation or anything else - requires us to be in much more control of local and regional decision making. This is why it makes the other event I'm promoting so important - even more than the rail forum.

The other event is something I've been talking about with a dozen or so people in the West Ward: participation in something called Democracy School. If you read my West Word article on A Citizens Bill of Rights and are curious

Lafapoolza, Trolley Rides, Pocket Parks, Gardens... this Saturday, 11-3 ... oh my!

Time to break out the overalls and sunglasses!

Free trolley rides to all the Pocket Parks!
Register at Easton Area Community Center at 901 Washington St.

to get your stamp book for the pocket parks!

Lots of fun activities at the S. 10th St. (corner of Pine) Community Garden.
Call 610.515.0891 for more information.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The student leadership program at Northampton Community College has collaborated with Lafayette College for their Lafapoolza National Day of Service. Activities will begin at Easton’s Community Center located at 901 Washington Street. Free trolley rides with the Lafayette Leopard will be available to the 10th and Pine Street Community Garden, the South 5th and Ferry Community Garden and the following pocket parks, N 7th Street Park, Dutchtown Park, Raspberry Street Park, Jackson Street Park, Bushkill Street Park, Centennial Park and Vandeveer Park.

The mission of the Festival is to assist Easton’s West Ward Neighborhood Partnership in celebrating parks and gardens in Easton. Student volunteers will be teaching children how to plant gardens and educating them about the importance of being “green” in today’s world. There will be a fun atmosphere for children, food, crafts and activities and much, much more! Prizes to be awarded to everyone able to reach each park!

Sustainable Urban Networks of the Lehigh Valley is conducting a community garden tool drive. There will be a barrel at the community garden at South 10th and Pine to collect new or used garden tools for the community gardens.

5th Street Community Garden Update

Photo from 5th St. Community Garden
Last Fall's late lettuce hiding under a blanket of snow...
not long ago.
Let-tuce be thankful that's behind us.

Spring has mightily sprung(!) and looking forward to our 2nd year at the garden. This time last year, with the help of many dedicated volunteers, we were able to construct the beautiful fence and flower/vegetable boxes. This year we will be whitewashing the fence, refining our garden planning and maintenance, and get to know more of our neighbors.

The garden has the ability to provide us with many benefits! In addition to providing beautiful flowers, fresh herbs and vegetables, a community garden provides:

• A gathering place to get to know neighbors and discuss issues that concern our neighborhood and community.
• A place where children can discover gardening, especially children who may not have the opportunity to do so otherwise.
• A place to enjoy.. read a book, draw, paint.
• Bring your laptop? Haven't checked but there might be a signal.
• Currently, we need to move a pile of mulch and a pile of woodchips. So, forget the gym membership and come to the garden.

Dates/Times to keep in mind for the 5th St. Community Garden

First offical day at the garden is this Saturday 4/10, 11-1. Please join us if you can. After this Saturday official gardening times are: Saturdays: 11-1 (ish), Tuesdays 5-7 (ish). Of course the garden is alway open and is subject to the same hours as our city parks. Enjoy the garden when you can.

Saturday, April 17th, 10-2. We will begin whitewashing the garden fence with the help of students and volunteers. Please come out and join us if you can.

On Saturday, April 17th, the West Ward will be participating in Lafayette's Lafapolooza Day. Landis Center students are planning an event in each of the seven pocket parks. These mini fairs will be part of a larger event that will take place at the S. 10th St. Community Garden (10th and Pine), the Easton Area Community Center and the S. 5th St. Community Garden (5th and Ferry). We may have a trolley available to enable participants to visit all the parks and gardens. A stamp book with a page for each park will be given to participants to complete.

It would be great if we could have a 'pot luck' gathering at the garden once a month on Tuesday evenings. What do you think?

Art Opening at Mercantile Home: April 10th 4-7pm

Featuring new creations from the Mercantile Studio  and the artwork of: MATT ADRIAN· CHRISTINA EMPEDOCLES· JESSICA MARQUEZ KELLY NEIDIG· NATALIE TYLER

OUTSIDE | IN , on exhibit from April 10th through May 30th, is a playful collection exploring the artificial dichotomy between nature and the man-made interior -- between "outside" and "inside" spaces -- and the human desire to connect with, be inspired by, and bring "inside" elements of nature. Saturday, April 10th, 4-7pm

Mercantile Home

526 Northampton Street

Easton, Pennsylvania 18042

The Vagina Monologues: April 16-18 Get Your Tickets Now

Posted by: Noel Jones


For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Eve Ensler's notorious script, The Vagina Monologues, this is a show you will blow your mind, make you laugh and cry, and see women in a whole different way--even if you are one. Every year Eve Ensler releases her script to be performed all over the country on select dates in the months of February - April, and all proceeds must be donated to a charity that fights the abuse of women in our society and around the globe. I will be performing in this show along with 10 other women from the area at TranquiliTea house, on 4th & Spring Garden on April 16th-18th and we will be donating our proceeds to the Third Street Alliance.


To learn more about what Eve Ensler's movement is all about, visit her V-Day site to learn about the script, her newest book, and the causes in the U.S. and around the world that performances of this play support to end violence against women.


If you would like to buy tickets in advance to opening night on April 16th, I have just 8 tickets left, and they are $5 each, as opposed to $7 at the door. If you would like to attend on a different night, please call TranquiliTea House at (610) 250-0250 to purchase in advance.


I hope to see you at the show!

WDIY Focuses on Passenger Rail: Thursday, April 8th, 6pm on FM 88.5

Tune in to 88.5 FM on Thursday night at 6pm to hear the latest 

on the possibility of passenger rail in the Lehigh Valley

Posted by: Noel Jones


Will we ever get passenger rail back in Easton? This is not a new concept coming from "newcomers," but an old concept and a reality that was stripped out of this city decades ago. Not only did Easton used to have passenger rail to New Jersey and New York, but the West Ward alone had seven trolleys that ran through this neighborhood at one time--all stripped out to prioritize cars and roads instead of trains and rails. 


I was talking to an engineering professor from Lafayette the other day that was explaining how we are near the "rolling over point" in the oil industry, in other words, we are approaching the point where it will cost more per gallon to pull oil from the earth than will be received in energy value by the end user.  When this happens, the price of oil and gas will skyrocket, crippling family budgets will oil heating bills and the price of gas for commuting to work. We must think ahead and demand that our elected officials at local, state and congressional levels prioritize the construction of passenger rail throughout the corridor from Philly and Harrisburg, through the Lehigh Valley to New York, and even down to D.C. It is not about high-speed rail, as explained before in Dennis Lieb's earlier post, but simply passenger rail of 80-100 mph without the interruption and prioritizing of freight trains. There is federal funding for this development, that could be creating hundreds of jobs in our area, but too many politicians close to the auto and oil industries continue to get in the way our receiving that funding. They want to keep repairing and expanding highways, keeping us dependent on cars and oil, instead of developing passenger rail.


On Thursday night, State Rep. Bob Freeman and RenewLV Co-Chair, Deanna Zosky, will be guests on WDIY to discuss the future of passenger rail in the Lehigh Valley and the obstacles we must overcome to make it a reality in time.  It is going to be very important to the revitalization of our area that in the primary election next month, we vote only for those who assertively advocate for passenger rail. I will be highlighting some of those candidates as we approach the election...for now, let's learn and share the info we come across.


If you listen to the radio program tomorrow night, please post your impressions here!

Shad News!

Posted by: Noel Jones


David is excited about fishing season this year, and now local fishing enthusiasts have even more to be excited about--it looks like Easton may become home to a new shad hatchery! I grew up fishing, but haven't done any in a while. Even so, I am excited about this development, because I have been saying for a long time that Easton needs to start redefining itself as a destination by emphasizing the assets we have that no one else has for miles around--the convergence of two major rivers, and one of the finest cold water limestone creeks in the nation.  I am an artist, love the arts, and am all in favor of recent efforts to establish Easton as a a destination for arts and culture, but while that requires some ground-up development, anything associated with our rivers, i.e., fishing, boating, kayaking, etc. is a no-brainer because we already have the natural assets to back it up and we should be developing industry around them and marketing them for all their worth. In my humble opinion.


You can read Colin McEvoy's Express Times article on the hatchery here, and for info on the upcoming shad tournament, click here.

The Envelope Please...

...and the winner is (drumroll)...wait for it...

...wait three months for it...

Posted by: Noel Jones


After three months of a very mysterious process, the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership has a leader again. Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV) has hired Esther Guzman, former CEO the Dover, NJ Spanish-American Federal Credit Union to manage the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership. The position was formerly held by Gary Bertsch, who retired January 18th to move to Florida. Why this hiring process has taken so long, especially when I had heard Esther was the original choice of the hiring committee back in January, is anybody's guess, as I have also heard that for some reason CACLV decided to add Mayor Panto and Bob Freeman to the process in a new round of interviews, and then

Visions for an Old Silk Mill

Posted by: Tere

Today I read in the Morning Call the article on the plans the City of Easton has to get developers in to start revamping the Silk Mill into residential and commercial properties and places for art and tourism. I am glad to hear this. Living close to the Mill I drive by it almost every day and it has always fascinated me. The size of it alone is impressive. But I do hope that part of the planning will go into repair and expansion of 13th Street. As it is now the traffic on 13th is very heavy through out the day, and I can't imagine how it would be if you added more traffic for residents, businesses and tourists attractions. That whole section of 13th from Route 22 to Bushkill Dr is heavily traveled and deserves attention, especially because it is one of the main entrances into Easton. Plans for the Street may be included in the proposals for the property or in some other plan the City has, but as of yet I have not heard anything about this mentioned. Ultimately there will be no point in developing anything if no one can access it easily. See the link below to access this article.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a5_3silk.7230039apr06,0,5437102.story

CACLV Purchases West Ward Foreclosure for Green Rehab Project

1207 Bushkill Street

Posted by: Noel Jones


As reported by Ed Sieger in the Express Times, Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV) has finally purchased its first West Ward foreclosure for the green rehab project reported in The West Word in January (available in pdf form under the Downloadable Documents link on the right of this home page), a program which is funded with federal stimulus money through President Obama's Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The address chosen was a half-twin on 1207 Bushkill Street, pictured above.


David and I went over to take a look, and while any rehabs in the neighborhood are good news, I must say, I'm a bit disappointed. Not only does this house not look bad at all from the outside (as you can see) but it is situated on an almost idyllic block in our neighborhood that, according to Ed's article, is still mostly owner-occupied, and sports clean, quiet streets and nicely trimmed hedges. The house itself has a lovely big wooden deck in the back, and a fish pond.  A picture of this block is currently at the top right of this home page.


I had understood the aim of this project to be rehabbing foreclosed homes on blocks that are troubled by blight and the parking density of multiple single-

A Confluence of Public Events (Part II)

As promised, I've cleared a few hours out of my ultimately lovely afternoon (I hope everyone is enjoying theirs as well) to update regarding recent community meetings I've attended. And yes, there are notes!



the School Board Meeting:

I'd arrived a few minutes shy of the school board beginning its proceedings, and sat with other friends and neighbors directly in the front. There were a few comments made from various members of the board about the microphones, they seemed unaccustomed to their use and noted "never having to use them before [today]" They seemed to imply the public interest in the issues on the docket was both notable and out of the ordinary, and seemed to be slightly off put by

Latest on Street Sweeping: April 12th

Coming soon to a street near you!

Posted by: Noel Jones


You may have noticed the new posts for parking signs going in on your blocks lately--these are in preparation for the new street sweeping program in the West Ward, which is now due to start April 12th. There will be a full 30 days of resident "education" where people will be issued a warning, instead of a ticket, if they forget to move their car during the hours that the street sweeper comes by.  Although there is

Knowing your Neighbors?

Lefemme

Noel brought up a good point a few weeks ago that I would like to focus on and that is the idea of knowing your neighbors. Long ago in a time far away, I heard of stories about neighbors sticking up for each other and how the children of the neighborhood had respect for their elders of that neighborhood...Helping them with their groceries, saying yes ma'am or yes sir. Being DEATHLY afraid of getting in trouble around any neighbor due to fear of being "popped" by that neighbor and again by your mom when you got home.

Bike Rodeo This Monday--Bring the Kids!

The bike rodeo will be on Monday, April 5th 2-4pm in

St. Anthony's church parking lot on S.9th and Washington

Posted by:  Noel Jones


This will be a great opportunity for  parents to see to it that their kids are up to speed on bicycle safety rules and how to take care of their bikes--best of all, they'll be having so much fun, they won't even realize that they're learning rules! Easton police officers will be on hand to guide the kids, and there will be obstacle courses and other fun activities for all.


And besides? What better way to catch up with the other adults in the neighborhood than a fenced-in park with structured activities for the rascals?


Here is a message on the event from Sophia Feller at the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership:


"...The bike rodeo will have an obstacle course for participants to ride and there will be bicycle mechanics available to check out bikes and do minor repairs. There will be a pump station to check air pressure and add air to tires if needed.  If you have a child that would like to attend but does not own a helmet or a bike, there will be extra available for their use...This should be a fun and educational event for families, just one caution, if it is hot and sunny there is no shade in the parking lot, so bring a hat, sunscreen, and water."


Below is a Valley 610 blog article by Michael Duck on the rodeo:


Bring out your bikes in Easton


The forecast for Monday is sunny and 78 degrees, so mark your calendars!

A Confluence of Public Events.

Posted by Gavin Vincent

Its been a busy couple of weeks around the neighborhood. This particular blogger has been to two meetings about the prospect of the oft discussed skate park, and one school board meeting about a rather steep tax increase. The results so far? A mild headache, lots of notes, and more questions than answers.

-Regarding the Meetings at the Boys and Girls Club's Teen Center, I've been blown away by the engaged and energized response of neighborhood youth to the idea of the skate park. These are kids commited to the long term realization of civic action and its something both encouraging and to be encouraged. The turnout for the meeting last week was quite impressive. Kids of a great many backgrounds lined the sidewalk on Northampton St and watched older boys from a "Skate Church" (I'm still musing over that) pull tricks off a ramp with a mixture of admaration and envy as I arrived. This being my first meeting, I wasn't sure what the overall objectives were to be, but I could see there were indeed a lot of kids in the neighborhood who skated- and figured there were a lot more who likely did not go through the effort to attend. A tall young man popped his skateboard high in the air off the ramp, landed inelegantly and found his skateboard careening quickly into the street without him. Quick to make it a teaching moment, he added calmly "See why we don't like to practice on busy streets, kids?" The gathered group nodded and agreed.

The meeting itself began with a large (at least larger than I'd anticipated) group of interested adults present as well. Boys and Girls Club Director Dean Young marshalled the interest and goodwill here