Recently I learned that David Freeman gave a talk suggesting that the South Side of Bethlehem was a highly Moravian place.
I guess that is all a matter of interpretation. It is true that at one time the Moravians owned the land over here, which they had divided into farms. It also is true that until Lehigh University "redeveloped" the small neighborhood which lay just to the north of it (I believe this happened in the 1960s), there was a Moravian Church on the South Side--this church was part of the neighborhood that was flattened to make way for some exceedingly ugly university buildings.
Nevertheless, back before the mid-nineteenth century, the Moravian community sold its South Side holdings, to be used for the development of heavy industry. It did this, knowing that the result would be a succession of non-Moravians, who would work in the new industrial plants and deal firsthand, and in their own bodies, with the pollution and other dangers caused by the new industries.
This does not mean that the newcomers, with their many religions and languages and countries of origin, were ever to be considered an integral part of Bethlehem. No indeed. Despite the array of ethnic backgrounds evidenced by the names of the city's mayors and council members down through the years, it has been as if city government has been a veneer laid atop real life. John Strohmeyer, former editor of the Globe-Times of Bethlehem (and a Pulitzer Prize winner), noticed in his book, "Crisis In Bethlehem," how much of government actually went on behind the scenes, at the behest of Bethlehem Steel. There were other organizations endued with the power to make it clear who really was part of Bethlehem and who was not-- for instance, the public schools. And, I would argue, in later years, such other secondary cultural constructs as the historic organizations of the north side. I remember that, when I first came here in the early 1970s and was briefly a volunteer at Historic Bethlehem Inc., I once asked at the HBI office, "Why aren't we doing anything on the South Side?"
"Because," came the incredible reply, "nothing historic ever happened there."
Indeed?
Getting back, however, to David Freeman and his speech. No indeed, Mr. Freeman; the South Side is not especially Moravian, and has not been for well over a century. The Moravians sold it, and then different things happened, some of which they could have predicted and other, perhaps, that were less foreseeable.
I plan to continue with other aspects of this story.

If anyone tried to visit my developing health blog on Blogspot and had technical difficulties, I'd appreciate your letting me know.

What is with the thousands of decent, well-meaning Americans who annually get themselves elected to school boards, and the decent, well-meaning administrators who are supposed to assist them (Mark that--ASSIST them!) in running America's public schools? In the Bethlehem Area School District the financing of the schools seems to be out of control, and the tolerance of the citizenry for more taxes is reaching a limit. The Bethlehem Press quoted a resident as saying, "There seems to be a reluctance to even look at holding the line on taxes."
Another citizen was quoted as saying, "I'd like to see some real cuts. If that can't happen I'm asking the school board and (School Superintendent Dr. Joseph) Lewis to step down."
Both these comments were made at a recent school board meeting at which the board agreed to $654,000 in cuts from the proposed 2006-2007 budget of $158 million. This will move the proposed tax millage increase from 1.61 mills to 1.16 mills. It evidently was not enough for at least some of the people who are asked to foot the bills.
Irascibility over budgets is, of course, not limited to residents of the Bethlehem Area School District. It seems that just about everywhere you look, citizens' sense of grievance over expenses for public schools runs into rock-hard determination on the part of boards and administrations to do things their way, hang the expense.
It has been said that the administration and governance of the public schools is one of the most thankless jobs in America; and this is easy to believe. It is in the hands of board members who are doing their civic duty, usually for no pay; and of administrators who often seem to be well-trained in everything except relationships with the people they are supposed to serve. As a result, they can come across as lordly and insensitive.
Both administrators and board members are bound by so many regulations, federal, state, and local, that they can hardly turn around. These days, too, they are caught up in philosphical controversies that were unknown just a few years ago.
So--or this is the theory--they tend to be hard-nosed with the citizenry whenever they can. Budget time would be a logical time.
I can't answer for the theory; but I DO know that, this year at least, the Bethlehem Area School Board could make one move which might make a tax increase unnecessary. It is this: Abandon plans to demolish the historic, historically valuable old Broughal Middle School and replace it with a piece of architectural mediocrity. Refurbish the current Broughal School, at an immense saving, and you will have a safe, serviceable, and beautiful structure at a fraction of the cost of the proposed "educational factory."
The School Board should give serious thought to doing this. It should also remember that it may be legally bound to report the planned destruction of a historic school to the State Department of Education. This step has very likely been overlooked.

You may wish to have a look at Bernie O'Hare's witty and interesting blog Lehigh Valley Ramblings, at hhtp://www.lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com
Also at my just-started Health Quest blog, http://www.health-quest.blogspot.com
Please let me know if you have technical problems with this new blog.

Since I have been exercised enough about the situation created by erstwhile candidate Tony Rybak to post a few off-schedule entries, I decided to post off-schedule again and let any out-of-towners know the results. As this is written, Joe Brennan appears to have won. I confessed to a fellow blogger that I will sort of miss Tony--he kept the adrenaline running. But never mind; I am sure to find new interests.
Again, you may want to check out another regional blog I like; it's a great one. It is Bernie O'Hare's Lehigh Valley Ramblings, and it is at http://www.lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com.
I, also, am adding a blog, and it will appear Fridays. It is about restoring, maximizing, and (hopefully) keeping one's health. Whether you want to know how to maximize your chance of surviving a hospital stay or how to use herbs and other alternative treatments safely, come by--and feel free to add your own opinions. You can already get an idea of it at http://www.heath-quest.blogspot.com. It will appear Fridays, as a rule.
I expect to post again here at the Bethlehem Blog Times on Sunday. I hope it's back to the usual schedule.

Those of us who received Tony Rybak's latest character assassination attempt against Joe Brennan, his most prominent opponent in the 133rd Legislative District race, will have to have our mailboxes fumigated. The stench is overwhelming. The record is ever more distorted.
The truth is, while Joe Brennan is a man who made a mistake that made the papers (JUST one such mistake, as far as I know), Brennan also has done more for the residents of the 133rd, and obviously has more human stature, than Tony Rybak can ever dream of.
Last Sunday, on my regular day, I hypothesized that Jose Rosado, a very presentable choice, might well wind up as the winner because of Rybak's earlier descent into the political latrine. A fellow blogger points out that the result might be an unheard-of Republican win of the 133rd seat, because Rybak's political consultant is a firm noted for helping Republican candidates. So, Rybak may be paying his money, unknown to himself, to strengthen the position of the Republican candidate in the district.
One thing is for sure: We have had more than enough of the kind of politics Rybak and his consultants represent. I know how I am going to vote; I would not dream of telling YOU who to vote for. But I strongly urge you NOT to vote for Anthony Rybak. Let's show that we value fair play in politics, whatever our differences may be.

Apologies To Dennis Pearson (NOT O'Leary), candidate for the legislative seat in the 133rd district, whose name I conspicuously failed to get right in my regular fulmination yesterday. Very sorry about that, especially since I hate it when people get MY name wrong.

Again a reminder. Don't forget to check out Bernie O'Hare's blog "Lehigh Valley Ramblings," not to mention all his links--you'll have a view of the Valley that the conventional media will never give you. It's at: http://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com