Bethlehem Press

Congressman Charlie Dent, German Ambassador Peter Ammon and the ambassador's wife, Marliese, spent Nov. 19 in eastern Pennsylvania visiting a number of communities and attending a business roundtable discussion.

Their whirlwind day trip ended with a visit to and walking tour through Historic Bethlehem and was punctuated with a presentation by the Bach Choir.

Ambre Studio hosted a 164th birthday for A. W. Leh, an architect whose work dominated Bethlehem at the turn of the twentieth century. The architect is near and dear to owner Evelyn Beckman, as her studio is situated in the old Siegfried Drugstore at 310 West Broad St. The drugstore was designed and built by Leh in 1888.

Leh was actively involved in the erection of this fine building. Today you can view the original tile, stained glass and custom woodworking at the studio, features typical of the Leh finesse.

The moment of silence was broken only by the quiet sobs. Tears shed for the life of a child taken by cancer. Taken somewhere over the rainbow.

Yet the atmosphere at Bethlehem Municipal Park was that of optimism and hope during the 2012 Lehigh Valley CureSearch Walk for childhood cancer. Six hundred walkers signed up for the second annual event.

Young cancer patients, their families and friends filled the park to honor and celebrate children whose lives have been affected by childhood cancer. The event raised funds for lifesaving research.

Two young men from Bangor, ages 7 and 10, were a little late getting ready for school one fine morning this September. As their mom reminded them to brush their teeth, the boys decided on a short cut. Instead of the toothbrush, they grabbed a bottle of breath mint, and took a few drops each. Problem solved, right?

Wrong. Their problem was just beginning. It was one that would send both of these boys to the hospital. It would involve police and Children and Youth Services. Their parents would themselves have to undergo drug screening for five weeks.

Saucon Valley School District Superintendent Sandra Fellin announced during the board's Nov. 13 meeting she is abandoning a plan that would have changed the graduation requirements for Saucon Valley HS students.

"Reverend Jackson will bring a new vision to our church," said Felicite Gibson, a trustee for St. Paul Baptist Church in Bethlehem. She was at the installation service that introduced the Rev. James I. Jackson Jr. to his new congregation Oct. 14.

The brick church on East Goepp Street overflowed with guests, visiting pastors and members, all attending the afternoon service to welcome Rev. Jackson and his family to what Gibson described as a "multi-cultural." congregation

In our Nov. 21 edition, we incorrectly stated that the 40-foot city Christmas tree in Payrow Plaza was donated by Paul and Joyce Gillette, who planted the evergreen 40 years ago at their East Allen Township home. Mrs. Gillette's name is Sande.

Some people do use Kriskindlmarkt referring to their holiday market. Bethlehem does not. It's Christkindlmarkt here.

Bethlehem Area School Board voted Nov. 19 to extend the LERTA tax incentive and wave off a local man interested in renovating Nitschmann MS.

Approval of the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance program, discussed at length during recent meetings, was reinstituted for five years in a 7-1 vote. The program is designed to attract business to the area by allowing companies to incrementally pay up to the full tax on their property over a 10-year span.

Despite some last-minute changes addressing concerns expressed by numerous neighbors, Bethlehem zoners have denied a proposed 28-bed drug and alcohol residential rehab center at 2110 Center St., located a stone's throw from Bethlehem Catholic High School. They did so following a Nov. 27 hearing in which developer Abe Atiyeh testified that this center would be dedicated to the treatment of girls between ages 12 and 17. It was originally proposed as an adult facility.

Atiyeh had hoped that a facility for teenage girls would be more acceptable.