Lehigh Valley Source

Lehigh Valley Poetry: At Last ~ By Keith Gery

At Last
By Keith Gery

After losing my last job
and crying my last tears,
I spent my last dime,
scuffed my last shoes,
tore my last sock,
ate my last meal,
broke my last promise,
lost my last friend,
lived my last dream,
and considered my last failure.
As I take the last steps,
smoking my last cigarette,
pondering my last scheme,
gazing at the last stars,
smiling my last smile,
drawing my last breath,
I embark on the last journey finding peace at last.

Lehigh Valley Literary: Southern Charm ~ By Keith Gery

Southern Charm
By Keith Gery

    The smell of a burnt muffin permeated the hip and trendy Jacksonville coffee house. I was sitting in a corner on a higher stool than the chairs at the tables scrolling through the job sites. There was nothing of interest and nothing I was qualified to do. I went to the state unemployment site, pulled up my information in English. They had cancelled my claim and I was entitled to nothing. So I started playing on the Internet hoping some suitable position might pop up later.
    A coven of elderly Southern belles swarmed to the table next to me. Their hair and fashion was all elegantly worn, probably like it had been when the Old South was in full swing. And the chatter from them was a cacophony of nasal twang and self-righteous hick. They were the granddaughters of the Confederacy, still flowering in the old age. They clung to the traditions passed down from generations, like gender-based social gatherings and dressing to go out and wearing oversized bonnets. And though they were all obviously longtime friends, they addressed each other as “Miss.”

“Oh, he had a colonoscopy on Friday,” the youngest one replied to another’s question.
“I’m thinking of changing doctors,” said a woman wearing a shawl.
“I wanted to play bridge on Friday,” the younger one said. “But Bobby said he couldn’t sit
comfortably because of the colonoscopy.”
“Does it hurt that much?” asked another with hair dyed tulip red to match her lipstick.
“It sure looks like rain,” said the shorter one of indeterminate age.
“We need rain,” said the younger one. “Bobby said he couldn’t sit because of the
colonoscopy.”
“Did you play any bridge then?” asked yet another woman.
“No, we didn’t even go,” said the younger one. “Bobby said he couldn’t sit because of the
colonoscopy.”
“I hear colonoscopies can cause lingering pain,” said the shawled woman. “I’m thinking of
changing doctors.”
“That’s a shame that you couldn’t play bridge,” said the shorter woman.
“I really wanted to play,” said the younger one. “But Bobby said he couldn’t sit because of
the colonoscopy.”
“I’m not even looking at a clock,” said the oldest one, “but I bet it’s 9:30 right now.”
All the women checked their watches and giggled.
“You’re very good,” said the redhead. “It’s 9:26.”
“I’ve lived so long that I don’t need a watch,” said the oldest one.

    It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn on friends who were not in attendance that
morning. And the meaningless sweet-tea conversations turned to cottonmouth-venom as they
ripped into an absent Judas.

The smell of the burnt muffin was long-gone. But the stench of stagnation had settled in for a long time.

Southern charm
by Keith Gery
The smell of a burnt muffin permeated the hip and trendy Jacksonville coffee house. I was
sitting in a corner on a higher stool than the chairs at the tables scrolling through the job sites.
There was nothing of interest and nothing I was qualified to do. I went to the state unemployment
site, pulled up my information in English. They had cancelled my claim and I was entitled
to nothing. So I started playing on the Internet hoping some suitable position might pop
up later.
A coven of elderly Southern belles swarmed to the table next to me. Their hair and fashion
was all elegantly worn, probably like it had been when the Old South was in full swing. And
the chatter from them was a cacophony of nasal twang and self-righteous hick.
They were the granddaughters of the Confederacy, still flowering in the old age. They
clung to the traditions passed down from generations, like gender-based social gatherings and
dressing to go out and wearing oversized bonnets. And though they were all obviously longtime
friends, they addressed each other as “Miss.”
“Oh, he had a colonoscopy on Friday,” the youngest one replied to another’s question.
“I’m thinking of changing doctors,” said a woman wearing a shawl.
“I wanted to play bridge on Friday,” the younger one said. “But Bobby said he couldn’t sit
comfortably because of the colonoscopy.”
“Does it hurt that much?” asked another with hair dyed tulip red to match her lipstick.
“It sure looks like rain,” said the shorter one of indeterminate age.
“We need rain,” said the younger one. “Bobby said he couldn’t sit because of the
colonoscopy.”
“Did you play any bridge then?” asked yet another woman.
“No, we didn’t even go,” said the younger one. “Bobby said he couldn’t sit because of the
colonoscopy.”
“I hear colonoscopies can cause lingering pain,” said the shawled woman. “I’m thinking of
changing doctors.”
“That’s a shame that you couldn’t play bridge,” said the shorter woman.
“I really wanted to play,” said the younger one. “But Bobby said he couldn’t sit because of
the colonoscopy.”
“I’m not even looking at a clock,” said the oldest one, “but I bet it’s 9:30 right now.”
All the women checked their watches and giggled.
“You’re very good,” said the redhead. “It’s 9:26.”
“I’ve lived so long that I don’t need a watch,” said the oldest one.It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn on friends who were not in attendance that morning. And the meaningless sweet-tea conversations turned to cottonmouth-venom as they ripped into an absent Judas.
The smell of the burnt muffin was long-gone. But the stench of stagnation had settled in for a long time.

 

Lehigh Valley Poetry: Popular War ~ By Keith Gery

Popular War
By Keith Gery

America's current war
is now described
in the media
as unpopular.
On TV newscasts
in my lifetime,
I've witnessed America's
military involvement in
everybody's business
from sea to shining sea.
Never considering warfare
in terms of popularity,
I wonder how
this is measured.
But I have found that
war always finds
greatest favor among those
with the least chance
of doing the fighting.

ARTSQUEST CENTER AT STEELSTACKS FIRST IN LEHIGH VALLEY TO BENEFIT FROM FEDERAL TAX CREDIT PROGRAM

Architectural rendering of the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, set to open in Bethlehem in May 2011.
Contributed photo.

BETHLEHEM, PA--ArtsQuest, the nonprofit organization that presents Musikfest, Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem, First Night® Bethlehem and the arts and education programs at the Banana Factory, has announced that it has completed its complex financing for the new ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.
The $26-million, 65,000-square-foot building, set to open in Bethlehem in May 2011, is the first project in the region to be financed under the New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC) created by Congress in 2000. The program’s goal is to encourage private investment in low-income census tracts, which will in turn lead to jobs for residents in these areas.

“We have many people to thank for pulling this amazing financing structure together. Local, regional and national development organizations and banks have demonstrated their confidence in the project through the numerous commitments that have been made to the ArtsQuest Center,” said ArtsQuest President Jeff Parks. “We could not have moved forward on this important community revitalization project without the help of New Markets Tax Credit financing.”

NMTC allocation authority is awarded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury annually to certified Community Development Entities (CDEs). The developer, in this case ArtsQuest, must put most of the project funding together. That funding is then combined with equity from a private investor and invested in a CDE. The CDE, in turn, must use substantially all of the qualified investment to provide investments in low-income communities. The credit provided to the investor totals 39 percent of the cost of the investment and is claimed over seven years.  

With closing on the NMTC project in December 2009, the ArtsQuest Center project netted $5 million to apply to the construction of the building and related costs. The ArtsQuest Center and ArtsQuest’s related programs on the SteelStacks campus will generate 168 construction jobs during construction this year and 100 full-time equivalent jobs when the center opens in 2011.

“The most complicated part of this project was that we needed to get allocations from three Community Development Entities. Usually CDEs will not exceed a $10 million allocation per project. We needed $26 million,” Parks said.

With the assistance of Darlene Smolik of Plymouth Soundings LLC, a consultant from Loudon, Tenn., three CDEs are participating in the ArtsQuest Center project. They are the Nonprofit Finance Fund, New York, an organization that provides lending and financial consulting services to nonprofits nationwide to improve their stability and capacity to serve their communities; Commonwealth Cornerstone Group of Harrisburg, an organization created by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency to support and enhance neighborhood and community revitalization efforts throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and USBCDE, a subsidiary of U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, Minn., an organization dedicated to community development in low-income areas throughout the United States. The investor for the ArtsQuest Center NMTC project is U.S. Bankcorp Community Development Corporation (USBCDC), a subsidiary of U.S. Bank.

“USBCDC is delighted to participate, as both an investor and CDE, in such a critical redevelopment in Bethlehem.  It is our hope and expectation that ArtsQuest will create significant job opportunities, provide beneficial cultural entertainment and be a catalyst for future development for the surrounding community,” said Jennifer Westerbeck, Assistant Vice President at USBCDC.

In order to close on the NMTC project, ArtsQuest had to finance certain commitments that will not mature until after construction commences. The organization will receive $7.625 million in Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funds as reimbursement for some of its construction costs. These funds had to be paid in advance to qualify for NMTC.

A participation loan was financed through Lafayette Ambassador Bank; KNBT, a Division of National Penn Bank; and Team Capital Bank. The loan will be repaid from the Pennsylvania funds as they are reimbursed during the construction of the project.  

“Lafayette Ambassador Bank and its participants are extremely proud to have been involved with the first New Markets Tax Credit project in the Lehigh Valley,” said Lafayette Ambassador Bank Vice President Mark Jobes. “While the complexity of this deal was high and involved numerous parties, the benefits of this structure kept us all motivated to overcome many obstacles.  We are now looking forward to the successful completion of the ArtsQuest Center and helping to deliver a great asset to our community.”

A portion of the funds needed to complete the project are being financed through a $4 million loan from the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Loan Pool. The loan is partially guaranteed through Pennsylvania’s First Industries Fund, which is designed to support tourism development projects and is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.  The lead bank on the project is TD Bank, with the following banks also participating in the pool: Wachovia Bank; KNBT, a Division of National Penn Bank; PNC Bank; Lafayette Ambassador Bank; M&T Bank; Sovereign Bank; Embassy Bank; First Star Bank; Merchants Bank of Bangor and NOVA Bank. Because the project is based in Bethlehem, Lehigh University is also a loan participant.

Stephen C. Kalamar III, Vice President of TD Bank, said, “This was an ideal use of loan pool funds to help revitalize an area that was so important in Bethlehem’s history. TD Bank is proud to be able to have taken a leadership role in this project.”

ArtsQuest has also entered into a permanent financing for its Banana Factory. A long-term, $3.5-million loan was secured through PNC Bank’s Community Development Office.

“As a supporter of ArtsQuest for many years, PNC is pleased to provide financing for this unique cultural endeavor that will transform the arts experience and positively impact the quality of life of Lehigh Valley residents,” said Peter J. Danchak, President of PNC Bank, Northeast PA.

“We deeply appreciate the confidence that all of these financial institutions have expressed in the ArtsQuest SteelStacks project and in the future of the Lehigh Valley,” Parks said. “Going from a status of no debt to developing this major cultural project for the region is both intimidating and exciting for ArtsQuest. As we reach out to the community for support this year, we believe there will be great response to the project. We will need the community’s support to complete this project.”

The ArtsQuest Center will include The Musikfest Café concert venue for year-round live music, a two-screen cinema for independent films, the “Pod Zone” media lounge, the Blast Furnace Room for receptions, exhibitions and intimate concerts and the Creativity Commons, a contemporary gathering space for the community. For more information on the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks, including a map of the SteelStacks campus, visit www.steelstacks.org.

CURT MOSEL NAMED NEW ARTSQUEST MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR

 Contributed photo.

Bethlehem, PA.--ArtsQuest is pleased to announce Curt Mosel as the organization’s new Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Mosel will begin at ArtsQuest on Feb. 1.

As Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Mosel will lead all marketing and public relations initiatives for ArtsQuest and its programs and events, including Musikfest, Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem and the Christmas City celebration, the Banana Factory community arts center and the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, which is scheduled to open in May 2011. His responsibilities will include overseeing all advertising and marketing campaigns, developing initiatives to strengthen ArtsQuest brands, serving as an official media spokesperson for the organization and handling all media buys.

A resident of Allentown, Mosel has extensive experience in marketing, media, ticket sales and event management. In his current position as Marketing Manager for The Morning Call, Mosel is responsible for developing initiatives to enhance advertising, circulation and brand awareness of the newspaper and its Metromix publication. Prior to becoming marketing manager in January 2009, he was a Regional Sales Manager at the paper since October 2007. He also served as Corporate Sales Manager for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx from June 2001-January 2004, and he was the Director of Tickets Sales for Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire from September 1999-June 2001.

“With the addition of the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks and our future expansion in music, visual arts and educational programming, Curt brings to ArtsQuest a dynamic background in media, sales and event marketing that complements our organization nicely,” said ArtsQuest President Jeff Parks. “He has a proven track record of developing successful marketing and sales initiatives, and we look forward to having his talents and expertise on our staff.”

ArtsQuest Vice President of Advancement Kassie Hilgert said that Mosel has developed an extensive network of local and national contacts that will greatly benefit ArtsQuest and the community as a whole.

“His diverse experience and background will figure prominently in helping us promote new programs, events and opportunities for the public, as well as for our media partners, ArtsQuest members and volunteers,” Hilgert said.

A graduate of the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, Mosel earned his bachelor’s degree in communications, with a minor in business administration. He began his professional career as a Ticket Sales Executive with the Minnesota Timberwolves in July 1994 and moved to the Lehigh Valley in 2006. Prior to joining The Morning Call in October 2007, he was Director of Sales and Marketing for the San Clemente, Calif.-based MOBILEMONEY from January 2004-October 2007.

“I’m extremely excited about this new opportunity with ArtsQuest,” Mosel said. “ArtsQuest was one of the first organizations I became familiar with when I moved to the Lehigh Valley, and events such as Musikfest and Christkindlmarkt are highly respected throughout the region and beyond.  I am looking forward to being part of this dynamic organization as it prepares to launch the ArtsQuest Center, which will be one of the most unique arts and cultural venues in the nation.”

An ‘A-ha’ Moment to Last a Lifetime, to Share

Troy Thrash
Photo contributed by Da Vinci Center

By KATHY RUFF
Special to Lehigh Valley Source

Allentown, Pa.--Troy A. Thrash, Da Vinci Center executive director and CEO, experienced his inner eureka at the tender age of 7.

“My parents got me a telescope,” recalls Thrash. “I went out back, looked up in the night sky, and suddenly realized the moon is more than just a flat disk. I could see craters and mountains.”

Thrash calls that observation his “a-ha moment.” It was a moment that changed his life forever.
 
Thrash’s fascination with science led to a bachelor’s degree in astronomy and astrophysics from Villanova University and a master’s degree in geology from Lehigh University. The Northampton Area High School honor student’s impressive resume includes such positions as executive director of the National Aerospace Development Center; co-founder, Transportation Education Foundation of Georgia; division director of space and telecommunications, Futron Corp.; and captain, Civil Air Patrol Advanced Technologies Team.

“I’ve learned a lot of what works and what doesn’t work [in the aerospace industry],” Thrash says. “What I love about [the Da Vinci Center] is that we can give kids that same ‘a-ha’ moment that could last a lifetime.

“My ultimate goal is to give every child in eastern Pennsylvania the opportunity to come to the Da Vinci Science Center,” Thrash continues. “One moment [students] are playing with the exhibits, and they suddenly understand that they can do math and science with their hands—that math and science is more than just what you learn in the textbooks.”

Thrash says he’s thrilled to return to work in the Lehigh Valley region.

“I never imagined the opportunity to come back because there isn’t a very good aerospace contingent,” he says.

Serendipity intervened last fall, when a meeting to promote a mission control-type program created by the Challenger Center for Space and Science Education led him to the Da Vinci Science Center as the prior CEO was leaving.

Through conversations with board members, Thrash says he realized the center’s vision dovetailed with his own—to build a next-generation technical workforce in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

“I just love getting excited about science, about technology, and helping [children] understand there’s a future in it and that there are rock stars outside of the music industry,” he says.

Whether one wants to touch a starfish or other sea creature in the ocean touch tank, unravel 23 feet of soft-sculpture “small intestine,” ride a turntable to discover how dancers move their arms to spin faster, or see what a voice looks like in sound waves, the Da Vinci Science Center offers more than 200 hands-on exhibits to teach a variety of scientific and mathematical concepts to both kids and adults.

“We want parents to understand that there is really a bright future for their children in scientific and technological careers,” he says. “We also want to share the inquiry method of teaching with local educators. It brings the textbook to life. It teaches kids to ask ‘why.’ ”

Over the past three months, Thrash says, center attendance has increased 25 percent from the same period last year.

“While we are going through some challenging times, when the economy does turn, we are feeling like we are going to be in an incredibly strong position,” he says. “We have more members than ever before.”

Da Vinci Science Center employs 20 full-time and 40 part-time employees, and boasts more than 100 volunteers.

“We don’t want to be the hallowed halls, where people walk in, read signs, play with a few things, and leave,” Thrash says. “Our volunteers are [the key] to our community.”

— Kathy Ruff is a freelance writer who lives in Coaldale, Schuylkill County.

 

About Da Vinci Science Center

Da Vinci Science Center is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes hands-on science learning through inquiry; highlights vibrant and important career opportunities in science available to every young person; and encourages all people to embrace curiosity, creativity, and imagination. The center achieves its mission through its dynamic exhibit floor; professional development programs for teachers; and outreach programs, including the Visiting Scientist Lab and After-School Science Lab (ASL) programs. Da Vinci Science Center stresses the inquiry method. Utilized by scientists and recognized as the most effective way to learn, the inquiry method encourages questioning, experimenting actively, observing, communicating results, and connecting all knowledge.

Da Vinci Science Center is at 3145 Hamilton Boulevard, Allentown, Pa., 18103. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Phone number is 484-664-1002. Web site is www.davinci-center.org.

Woodstock Comes to Bethlehem with WDIY

Eddy Rollin and Louise Devery of Easton were among
"hip" hippie prizewinners for Best Woodstock-Inspired
Attire. Rollin took first prize for Best Male Hippie. 
Devery shared the prize for Best Female Hippie with
Mary Raymond. Photo by Diana Morse

By DIANA MORSE
Of Lehigh Valley Source

Bethlehem, Pa.--No, the party favor didn't come in a sugar cube.

Instead, friends and fans of WDIY 88.1 FM enjoyed tossing colorful Frisbees embossed with the public radio station's uber-hip logo.

WDIY threw the Thursday, July 2 member party to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. The psychadelic evening included nearly 100 hipsters--some of whom had attended the real Woodstock--attired in togs that could only be described as "cool, man."

Bethlehem Brew Work's Steelgaarten Lounge played host to the event featuring live 60s-inspired music by Dina Hall, accompanied by guitarist Mike Fritz, and joined by guest drummer Mo Jerant. WDIY executive director Bill Dautremont-Smith was occasionally seen chiming in with a mean tambourine.

WDIY community public radio member Louise Suppan of Kreidersville arrived in her own vintage Woodstock-wear, though at age 14, Suppan admits she stayed home for the "summer of love."

Mike Regrut of Philipsburg, NJ and Darlene Renmer of Nazareth came to WDIY's event to prep for the Woodstock anniversary concert Aug. 15-16 in New York, and Lehigh Valley Source will check in with them when they return.

The event helped support WDIY community public radio, and was the finale following a July 1 60's music-themed on-air membership drive. Proceeds were near $5,000, including $340 from Brew Work's donated cask of Hippie Hop Explosion.

Mary Raymond and Louise Devery shared the prize for best female Woodstock-inspired attire, and Eddy Rollin, oboe-player for the Allentown Band, placed first as best male hippie. WDIY host Steve Aaronson and former board member Rosalie Viscomi were voted "best hippie couple."