The time is ripe to return to the history of Bethlehem history.
Readers of one of the newspapers covering Bethlehem are by now aware that the apparent intent of the Historic Bethlehem Partnership is not to merge with, so much as to eat, the South Bethlehem Historical Society. And as soon as possible. This cannot easily be dismissed as a matter of my opinion; it is the opinion of a great many intelligent people, both those directly involved and those who are only observing from the sidelines.
But why? It is hard to know; HBP has tried for months to keep the matter under wraps, and that in itself raises questions. To put it simply, if their plans are honorable, why not hold a press conference and, with joy and pride, make them public?
Could the northside organization need money? Very likely. It has a couple of buildings down in the Monocacy Creek valley, and in the past few years flooding has become unusually frequent down there--perhaps not as frequent as it is going to be if global warming is indeed part of our present and our future.
All this flooding requires cleaning up; and this does cost money--enough, perhaps, to keep HBP officials awake nights. But how is gaining access to the South Bethlehem Historical Society's few tens of thousands of dollars going to change much? That amount of money, it seems, would be very little help against the ocean--or rather, creek--of HBP's needs. And there is the additional inconvenience that much of SBHS's money came to that organization as bequests, with which to do South Side history. That moral obligation remains, even if both HBP and the current (and singularly unqualified) SBHS board choose to violate it.
If HBP needs money, I have a better idea for them. Do what the great old South Side entrepreneurs did, and put in your own money, Ladies and Gentlemen. This is how Lehigh was built--and saved. This is how St. Luke's was built.
At least some HBP associates are known to be very wealthy. Why shouldn't they find a way to establish an endowment for the north side historical organization, to tide it over difficult times? It seems more sensible than trying to make "affiliates" (read: appetizers) of other historical organizations--and especially since it seems SBHS is the only good candidate for affiliation. Eat this, and the meal's over.
But in the last analysis, this is not about money. This is about power. This is about a small group saying that only the parts of history it favors are important. If it should be proved otherwise, as in this case it has been, the group that seeks to dominate will attempt to extend its reach. Now that it realizes that--contrary to its expectations--Southside Bethlehem history really is important, HBP is attempting to see to it that it, and only it, can work on the South Side.
I think HBP and the current members of the SBHS board will achieve the destruction of the South Side organization. Too bad, since for me that represents a considerable portion of my life's work; but I can live with the loss.
What HBP will never do is achieve control over South Bethlehem history.

(Check out Berengaria's other blog, In Search of Healing, at http://www.insearchofhealing.blogstream.com)