Dunkin' Donuts, Subway Robbed at Gunpoint, Police Hunting for Suspects

Easton police are searching for the man pictured in surveillance camera
footage above in connection with an armed robbery
that took place at the Subway sandwich shop in the city's Downtown
district Tuesday night.
Photo courtesy of the Easton Police Department
Click the photo for a full size view

Two popular Easton food venues, one in the West Ward and the other in the center of the Downtown district, were robbed in what appear to be separate incidents Tuesday night, and police are actively searching for suspects.

Police say they received the first call for a hold up in progress at the Dunkin' Donuts located at 1300 Northampton St. just before 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Police say the robber, described as being a Hispanic man wearing a black hood, red scarf, black pants, and black boots, reportedly entered the store armed with a handgun partially wrapped in a plastic bag and robbed the clerk at gun point. He then fled the store on foot  with an undetermined amount of cash, reportedly heading south on 13th Street.

Upon arrival, police say they immediately began searching for the suspect, but he was not immediately found. Authorities also processed the scene of the crime and collected evidence.

About half an hour later, police were again called for a hold up in progress, this time at the Subway sandwich shop located at 16 North Third St., just before 7:30 p.m.

Police report they found that a black male, wearing a black knit hat, and a black jacket--possibly bearing a "North Face" label with white writing on the front--had robbed the clerk at gunpoint and then fled the store heading west on Church Street with an undetermined amount of cash.

Again, police immediately searched for the suspect but have not yet located him, though in processing the scene evidence was recovered, police said.

No one appears to have been injured in either robbery.

EPD Lt. Matt Gerould said the investigations into both robberies are ongoing.

"The investigation is very active and expected to continue into the night," Gerould said in a media release.
"When additional information is available, we will be sure to pass it on. If anyone (has) seen or knows anything that may help, please notify us immediately."

Anyone with information regarding either of these incidents is encouraged to call Easton police, 610-759-2200, or the EPD tipline, 610-250-6635. Callers may remain anonymous.

Updated on Wednesday, January 29 at 12:08 a.m. to correct the time of the second robbery.

City Leaf Collection Begins This Week

The City of Easton will begin leaf collection this week, beginning Monday, October 21, and continuing throughout the fall season.

There are three options for disposing of fallen leaves in the city:

• Leaves may be placed curbside for pickup according to the tentative schedule posted below. The public works department notes that this schedule may be altered due to unforeseen circumstances, including equipment malfunction, inclement weather, etc. The city will continue to collect leaves as far into the season as possible until its trucks must be changed over and prepared for snow removal.  Please note, the city’s machinery will be damaged by sticks, branches, grass clippings, and stones. Therefore, piles containing any of these materials will not be picked up.
• Leaf pick-up by appointment is available to all city residents. Leaves to be picked up by appointment must be collected in clear plastic bags. To arrange for pick-up, call 610-250-6680 or email publicworks@easton-pa.gov and leave an address where the leaves are to be picked-up by a city crew, with the goal of doing so within 72 hours of arrangements being made.
• Leaves may be dropped off at the city's recycling center at 500 Bushkill Drive on any Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Easton is also making clear plastic leaf bags available to city residents free of charge while supplies last. A limit of 5 bags per week per property may be picked up at the recycling center during the hours listed above or at City Hall, 1 South Third St., on the fourth floor from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This schedule is tentative and city crews may work in multiple wards on any given day, based on need, the Easton
Public Works Department noted.

More information can be obtained on the city's website at www.easton-pa.gov under the "Public Works" link or by calling the department directly at 610-250-6680.

Man Attempted to Lure Girls, Police Say

Easton Police are investigating after a man reportedly attempted to lure away two underage girls  Wednesday afternoon.

The two juvenile girls were reportedly approached in the 600 block of Northampton Street at about 4 p.m. by a thin, six-foot-tall white male with red hair and light facial hair who asked them to "go with him." The man was last seen wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and a black backpack.

The girls refused and the man fled the area, police said.

Police say they are treating the incident as a suspicious situation.

The Easton Police Department is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Detective Darren Snyder at 610-250-6637.

Scene in Easton: A Busy Saturday on Centre Square

By Christina Georgiou

Several events took place simultaneously on Saturday, making Easton's Centre Square a very busy place filled with locals and visitors to the city.

The Easton Farmers' Market extended its hours for its annual Chile Pepper Fest, and in addition to lots of spicy foods created just for the event and entertainment celebrating ethnic cultures that traditionally use the peppers in their cuisine, the market crowned Claire Hees of Apple Ridge Farm the new Hot Pepper Eating Champion.

Cooking contests during the fest also yielded winners:

Brigid and Finn Ostrowski took the prize for best mild salsa, Sally Morrell was recognized for making the best non-traditional salsa, and Tommy Seachrist made the best hot salsa.

In the hot sauce contest, amateur Kevin Geiser won in the "home cook" category, and chef Matt Roth took the prize in the professional one.

Members of Lafayette College fraternity Delta Upsilon
participate in Lafayette Day in Downtown Easton.

Several hundred students from Lafayette College enjoyed a day Downtown for Lafayette Day, as local businesses and organizations welcomed them back for the fall semester with food and freebies, designed to introduce the academic community to the rest of the city and hopefully entice them to shop and dine locally more often.

And, about 700 motorcycle enthusiasts participated in the Fallen Heroes Run, honoring police officers Brad Fox and Joe Wargo, both of who lost their lives in the line of duty.

After the ride, many of the riders converged at Drinky's Pub, who, along with Brassknuckle Automotive and Cycles in Palmer Township, organized and sponsored the event. Proceeds from the event went to the officers' families, who previously said they were donating the fund to two police-related charities.

Plan to Redraw Property Lines Approved by Easton Zoning Hearing Board

By Christina Georgiou

The Easton Redevelopment Authority has been
renovating a number of houses along the alley
in the 600 block of Pine Street, on the edge of the city's
West Ward neighborhood. They are then being sold
to new low- and middle-income owners who occupy them.

The lines of four small land parcels along the 600 block of Pine Street on the edge of Easton's West Ward can be redrawn to facilitate redevelopment of the residential properties and allow for off-street parking, the city's zoning hearing board agreed at its meeting Monday evening.

The Easton Redevelopment Authority (ERA) owns a number of properties on the south side of the block, including the four that were the subject of the applications for variances last evening, having acquired them with the intent of rahabilitating some of the existing residential structures and razing and rebuilding others. Many of the homes on the block were vacant and/or had been declared blighted by the city in the past few years.

While many other buildings in the immediate area are historic, none of the houses affected by the Redevelopment Authority's plan are significant and were built in the 1920s and 1930s, said attorney Daniel Cohen, who represented the ERA.

Existing residential houses at 676 and 678 Pine St. are set to be remodelled, he said. A garage and house at 680 Pine St. has been demolished and will become the site for parking for adjacent residences, he said.

682 and 684 Pine St., right, will be razed and new
residences will be built on the sites. 680 Pine St. seen
 left in this photo taken in late spring of this year, has already
been demolished, said Easton Redevelopment Authority
representatives. The city's zoning hearing board approved
a variance to redraw the property lines to allow for
off-street parking for each of the new houses that
will be built on the sites.

Two houses, at 682 and 684 Pine St., will be razed and new dwellings will be built in their place, said Michael Brett, community development coordinator for the ERA. Both buildings were in too poor a  condition to make remodelling them feasible, he added.

Both of the properties will be widened by several feet, and the new houses set to be built there will also be a bit larger than the existing structures, according to site plans presented to the zoning hearing board.

Brett, also a member of the city's zoning hearing board, recused himself from voting on the variance applications, representing the ERA in the applications instead.

The residential lots along the Pine Street alley are extremely narrow and deep, which makes providing off-street parking without being granted variances relieving them of side-yard setbacks impossible, Cohen said. Additionally, variances to allow parking in front of two of the residences are necessary, as Easton code ordinances call for parking to be on the side or behind dwellings.

Brett and Cohen also noted that Pine Street, which is only 14 feet wide and allows for two-way traffic, does not have on-street parking. If the renovated residences were to be denied variances allowing off-street parking, the nearest legal on-street parking would be a block away, on the already busy and overcrowded South Seventh Street.

Other residences along the 600 block of Pine Street, seen in
this photo taken in April of this year, have already been
renovated. 676 Pine St., right, which is now nearly complete,
was granted a variance for a lot line adjustment and
to add a driveway alongside the building.

Some other properties along the block have already been rehabbed by ERA and are now owner-occupied. Others are in progress, Brett said, noting that the exterior of 686 Pine St. has been completed, and he expects work to begin on the interior in another month or two.

Money used to buy the properties and for their subsequent reconstruction is recouped by their later sale, ERA Director Gretchen Longenbach has said previously. The homes are aimed at low- to middle-income buyers, and a requirement of their sale is that they be owner-occupied, not purchased as investment properties, she added.

"What we're doing here is salvaging houses so people can live in them and raise their kids in them," Cohen said of the project. "We think it's going to be very good."

Easton's Zoning Hearing Board gave the okay to allow a
total of three ground-floor apartments at 118-120 Northampton
Street Monday evening. The residences will be in the rear of
the buildings, and two commercial spaces will still
occupy the buildings' fronts, said representatives for
developer Post Road Management.

Also Monday evening, the board agreed to allow two additional first-floor residential apartments at 118-120 Northampton St., for a total of three residential units planned in the soon-to-be-redeveloped buildings at ground level.

The first ground-floor apartment was approved by the board in July.

Two commercial spaces will still occupy the front of the building, Cohen, representing developer Post Road Management, said, though they will obviously be smaller than original plans for the buildings indicated.

The two additional apartments will range in size between 800 and 900 square feet and be in the rear of the building, he added.

The variance is needed because city zoning ordinances call for non-residential uses of first floor spaces in the Downtown commercial district.

The buildings' accompanying parking lot, across the street at 129 Northampton St., is sufficiently large enough to accommodate the additional two apartments, Cohen testified.

Upgrading and beautifying the back view of the long-disused
buildings is part of the plan for the two long vacant buildings,
property developer Post Road Management said at its original
public presentation in December of last year.

Adding the two extra residential spaces became necessary when some anticipated grant funding failed to materialize. The extra units make the rehabilitation project in the long vacant and dilapidated buildings financially feasible, Cohen said.

The project is being facilitated through the city's redevelopment authority, which currently owns the properties. Grant funding has been secured to remove hazardous materials, such as asbestos and lead from the two buildings at 118-120 Northampton St., which will ultimately become one parcel, Longenbach, who was not present Monday evening, has said previously.

That abatement work is scheduled to begin in coming months, and when complete, the extensive rehabilitation needed to renovate the long-vacant structures will begin, project architect Jeff Martinson said earlier this year during a presentation of Post Road Management's plans for the property.

Scene in Easton: Crowds Flock to See Budweiser Clydesdales in Easton

By Christina Georgiou

The Budweiser Clydesdales set out on Larry Holmes Drive after making a delivery at Champs Corner. The hitch stopped at a number of bars and restaurants in Easton Friday afternoon, drawing huge crowds everywhere they went.

Assistant Supervisor Eric Soto stands with the Clydesdale
team in the parking lot outside Champ's Corner before setting
off to deliver beer to a number of bars and restaurants in
Easton.

The iconic Budweiser Clydesdale team was met by a crowd comprised of several thousand people in Easton on Friday in the streets of Easton as they made symbolic deliveries of cases of Budweiser beer to a number of bars and restaurants in the city.

Averaging about 2,000 pounds apiece, the six-foot show horses seemed to attract and charm everyone everywhere they went in the city.

Pasquale Cesci, owner of Antonio's Pizza,
accompanied by family members,
receives his beer.

The tour kicked off at Larry Holmes' Champs Corner, along Larry Holmes Drive, heading south along the river to South Third Street, where the hitch stopped to deliver beer to Antonio's Pizza.

Then it was off to Lafayette Bar, followed by deliveries to Pearly Bakers, Mother's, Rivals, and Drinky's on Centre Square.

The eight-horse team then proceeded east on Northampton Street to the free bridge, where it turned left and headed up river to Frank and Dot's Beverages, where another case of Budweiser was dropped off at the distributorship, fittingly with the Budweiser logo that graces the building overhead.

Crowds flock to see the Budweiser Clydesdales Friday
afternoon along Spring Garden Street.

Then it was off to Colonial Pizza on Spring Garden Street, and up the steep slope to College Hill, where the draft horses and carriage made several more deliveries to businesses there.

Along the way, members of the crowd were seen happily taking photos of the equines, as well as posing in front of them. Handlers tended the horses at each stop, wiping their mouths and keeping the well-trained team calm, as well as cleaning up after them as necessary.

Mayor Sal Panto rode upon the carriage too, waving to the crowd, along with dalmatian mascot Brewer, while supervisor Dave Thomas and assistant supervisor Eric Soto drove the hitch.

"They're so gorgeous," was heard from people in the crowd commenting on the massive horses' appearance more than once, along with, "They're really, really pretty."

Mitch and Don led the team of eight Clydesdales through
the streets of Downtown Easton Friday afternoon.

While the Budweiser Clydesdale teams tour around the country regularly, that seeing them in person is a special, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime event is clear.

"I haven't seen the Budweiser Clydesdales since I was 10 years old in Texas," remarked one woman who appeared to be well into middle age.

Though a team of eight of the horses pulls the delivery wagon, a total of 11 of the show animals travelled to the area for a week of events in the Lehigh Valley.

Each horse consumes about 50 pounds of hay and 10 pounds of oats per day, and drinks 30 gallons of water, Soto said.

Members of the equine team seen in Easton are all about 10 years old, he added.

The Budweiser Clydesdales, finished with Downtown deliveries, head west
on Spring Garden Street, set to hit College Hill next.

The Budweiser Clydesdales got their start in 1933 when August A. Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch III surprised their father, August A. Busch, Sr., with the gift of a six-horse Clydesdale hitch to commemorate the repeal of Prohibition, according to the Anheuser-Busch website. The hitch was increased to an eight-horse team shortly thereafter, and the dalmation mascot was added in 1950.

The Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at the Anheuser-Busch breweries in St. Louis, MO, Fort  Collins, CO, and Merrimack, NH, where the hitch seen in Easton is based.

A member of the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch
shows his personality by mugging for
the camera.

They also may be viewed at Grant’s Farm in St. Louis and at Warm Springs Ranch, the 300-plus acre Clydesdale breeding farm located near Boonville, Mo.

The Budweiser Clydesdales will again be doing deliveries to local bars and restaurants from 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday in Allentown. The hitch will be in the Lehigh Valley through Tuesday, September 17.

Crowds wait for the Clydesdale hitch to arrive on Centre
Square Friday afternoon.

Historic District Commission Approves College Arts Complex, with Provisions

By Christina Georgiou

A sketch of the most recent rendering of Lafayette College's planned
visual arts complex, next to the Williams Center for the Arts building, seen
shaded in gray on the left, on the corner of North Third and Snyder
streets at the base of College Hill.

Members of the Historic District Commission narrowly voted to approve plans for Lafayette College's new arts buildings on North Third Street Monday evening with the provision that the plans include specified changes to the design.

The board voted 4-3 in favor of the approval, with board chair Robert Jacobs and members Gary Ringhoff and Clay Mitman, who endorsed the plans as presented, dissenting.

The three said they favored approving Lafayette's plan as it was presented Monday evening, and were similarly defeated in a vote to allow them to go forward without modification.

The slim majority, William Dohe, Scott Voelker, Karen Johnson, and  chief city codes administrator Cindy Cawley, said both the public's reaction to the building as planned, along with concerns the design isn't in keeping with Easton's zoning ordinances prompted them to insist on changes.

At issue is the placement of the complex, which is set back from the property line edge, a canted wall that overhangs the pedestrian sidewalk on its west side along North Third Street, round support columns that HDC members said are not in keeping with the hard geometry of the rest of the design, and the overall scale of the black box theater building with the rest of the buildings on the street.

David Zaiser, partner of KSS Architects, explains features
of Lafayette College's new visual arts complex to Easton
Historic District Commission members Monday evening.

David Zaiser, partner with KSS Architects, said those aspects of the new arts complex are part of its ultra-modern design and changing them would undermine what the building is attempting to accomplish visually.

"It is an urban thing. It may not be an old urban thing, but it will be a new urban thing," he said.

But the four HDC members said it's not the modernity of the design that's the issue--it's that aspects of the design don't fit with the surrounding neighborhood.

"I still very much believe the appropriate solution is the build-to line on North Third and also Snyder (Street), and I don't think the building does that yet," Dohe said, adding that plan to set the building back from the streetscape has more of a suburban rather than urban feel.

Zaiser said the plan as presented is in keeping with the setback of the former Case's Tire building, which the college is set to demolish to make way for the new structures.

"It's not a good precedent," Dohe said. "I don't think Case's would be approved today in the historic district...It seems to me to be very clear that the zoning ordinance says build to the build-to line, and that's not happening here. I think you're going to need a zoning variance (to do that) anyway."

Some modifications requested by the HDC were made since last month, Zaiser said, noting that the choice of terra cotta tiles set to encase the building and brick on the lower support columns has been changed at the board's request to make the building more uniform in color, though the college still wants some variation to symbolically denote the building's use.

"It's a film media center," Zaiser said of the panels of colored terra cotta that will adorn 24 panels on its facade. "The idea is 24 frames per second. What we're showing here is the differences between the colors of the terra cotta. The integrated lettering plays off of the light as well."

While the commission accepted the facade changes, they still don't compensate for other issues with the design, said Voelker.

"You're trying to make it look closer to the property line," he said. "I think the round (support) column is out of its element, since everything else is squared."

Zaiser said the intent is to make the building look lighter, even like it's floating, to reduce the visual mass of the structure.

"I'm trying to make it look lifted up," he said.

"But that's how it should read," Dohe said, noting that the "floating" look will disconnect the structure from the sidewalk and pedestrians. "That's is exactly opposite of what the overlay district is about...These buildings should related to the context of the historic district (that way)...And these buildings don't do that at all."

Members also objected to the wall on the North Third Street side of the theatre building, which is depicted as slanting over the sidewalk.

But Mitman, Ringhoff, and Jacobs said they feel the matter has been discussed long enough.

"We've seen many, many renditions," Mitman said. "I'm fine with what I see."

Ringhoff said he likes the ultramodern look of the plans.

"This is definitely eye-popping to me," he said. "It's fine as far as I'm concerned. Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of sitting here and discussing it."

Johnson and Cawley said the building plans need to be discussed as long as there are still issues with the design.

"People aren't liking this, and I have a responsibility to the public at large," Johnson said. "The comment I'm hearing is, 'please don't let this happen.'"

She said members of the public have told her they feel its contemporary look clashes with the surrounding buildings and that it has too much "mass" and has a heavy feel. She added that the comments have come from a variety of people with differing backgrounds and of differing age groups.

Christine Ussler, who serves as a non-voting consultant to the HDC questioned the purpose of the canted wall.

"I'd like to know if that's aesthetic or a functional choice," she said, adding that she's happier with the building's appearance since the number of colors in the terra cotta facade were reduced.

"I think the surface treatment has come a long way, and it's a lot better than it was," she said.

Zaiser said the slanted wall serves both functional and aesthetic purposes.

"Tipping it out gave it the feeling of a marquee. It is a theatre," he said, adding that the design would otherwise be "too boxy". The tilt also leaves space inside the building for speakers, which are about 16 inches deep, he said.

Cawley suggested the speakers might be recessed in the building wall, instead of tilting the entire plane, since they aren't very large.

"I just don't like that cantilever," she said.

Dohe agreed.

"I do appreciate modern architecture and design, but I think it needs to be appropriate to its environment," he said.

"I've drawn this thing a million times, and it isn't going to work squared up," Zaiser said.

Ringhoff said that regardless of whether the wall is straight or canted, it will be impossible to please everyone.

"The public's still not going to like it," he said.

While the commission ultimately voted to approve the plans with the specified changes--making the west wall vertical, aligning the buildings with the build-to line, and changing the support pillars to a squared or trapezoidal shape--Jacobs encouraged Lafayette College representatives to submit the plan to city council for approval without the changes.

"I'd like to remind you we're only an advisory board, and you can still take it to the next step as is," he said.

It is unclear at this point whether the college intends to make the recommended changes or submit the plan to city council as is, as Lafayette College Vice President of Finance and Administration Mitchell Wein and Director of Facilities Mary Wilford-Hunt left immediately following the hearing without comment.

Five Arrested in Four Simultaneous Drug Raids

Five people were arrested early Friday morning after police raided three locations around the City of Easton and one on the edge of Wilson Borough, the Easton Police Department reports.

The Easton Police Vice and Special Response units and the Pennsylvania State Police Special Emergency Response Team, along with the PSP Clandestine Laboratory Team, executed four narcotics search warrants at approximately 6 a.m. at a first-floor apartment at 1332 Lehigh St., a second-floor apartment at 1521 Liberty St., at 55 South Fifth St. Apt. 5, and at 520 Monroe St., authorities said in a media release.

Methamphetamine labs were discovered at the Lehigh Street and Monroe Street homes, and the Clandestine Laboratory Team took lab materials into custody due to hazards related to storing the ingredients and equipment, the EPD said.

A stolen motercycle was also discoved at the Monroe Street location, and the Lehigh Valley Auto Theft Task Force is assisting in the investigated regarding the vehicle.

Police said three people were arrested at the Lehigh Street address:

• Gary Everitt, 42, who lives at the apartment
• Danielle Everitt, 36, who also lives at the apartment
• Steven Kaiser, 45, who is reported as homeless

All three will face charges relating to possession and the manufacture of methamphetamine, police said. Additionally, Gary Everitt is expected to face charges related to the stolen motorcycle and stolen motorcycle parts.

Two people were also arrested at the South Fifth Street apartment, where two handguns were found, police report.

Steven Brown, no age given, and Connie Roskilly, 48, were both taken into custody and will face charges via a summons for possession of drug paraphernalia. 

The South Fifth Street residence was targeted by EPD detectives in the hopes of gaining evidence and/or information related to the shooting at South Seventh and Ferry streets that occurred on Thursday, July 25, police said, adding that the investigation into the handguns found and the shooting are ongoing. 

The Easton Police Special Response Unit executed the search warrants at the Lehigh Street and Liberty Street addresses, while the  Pennsylvania State Police team executed the search warrants at the South Fifth and Monroe Street locations.

The Wilson Police Department assisted with the 1521 Liberty St. search. Police did not say if evidence of any illegal activities was found at that location.

No one was reported to have been arrested at 520 Monroe Street. The property houses a small warehouse building.

Scene in Easton: A Young Entrepreneur Takes Advantage of the Heat Wave



Sydnay Dennis, 10, sits by her lemonade stand outside her parents' hair salon, Sydlex Styles, on Ferry Street in Downtown Easton Thursday afternoon.

While most that could retreated indoors to cool, air conditioned spaces in Thursday's record temperatures, Sydnay Dennis, 10, saw the continuing heat wave as an opportunity to make some extra cash selling bottled water, lemonade, and face paint.

The West Ward tween said she plans on running the stand in front of her parents' salon throughout the summer while she's off from school. While relatively few people were seen walking around Easton's Downtown Thursday, by midafternoon she'd made about $15 from thirsty passersby, she said.

Sydnay's venture is good practice for what will undoubtedly be a bright future as an entrepreneur when she grows up.

"I want to run my own lemonade and ice cream shop," she said.

Local College Wrestling Champion to be Honored

Local two-time NCAA Wrestling Champion and Easton Area High School graduate Jordan Oliver will again be honored this weekend with a parade celebrating his achievements.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto announced today that the city will honor Oliver's achievements this Sunday at 1 p.m. with a parade that will begin on South Third Street, at the former Perkins parking lot, and proceed to Centre Square, where a number of local dignitaries will speak.

"Jordan's accomplishments on the wrestling mat are fantastic but his accomplishments off the mat even more deserving of recognition," Panto said in a media release.

In addition to winning the NCAA wresting title twice, Oliver also holds the record for the most matches in a season earning a fall at Oklahoma State University, from which he graduated this past spring.

The mayor's office says that others are still welcome to take part in Sunday's celebration. Any youth organization or individual that would like to participate in the parade or the event should call the Mayor's office at 610-250-6610.

This is the second time Oliver has been recognized by the City of Easton for his athletic achievements. In 2011, Panto declared April 9 as "Jordan Oliver Day" which was also celebrated with a parade and public ceremony.

“It's very rare that we do this, but it's important not just for Jordan, but for the children of Easton,” Panto said at the time.

City Parking Lot Goes Back to Meters After Box Fails to Please

By Christina Georgiou

The parking payment kiosk at Easton's South Third Street
municipal parking lot is covered and awaits removal after
drawing complaints from the public. Individual smart
meters have replaced the unpopular payment station system.

The city parking lot on the east side of South Third Street has gone back to using individual meters for each of its 22 parking spots after the new box to administer the whole lot failed to impress parkers.

The box, which accepted credit and debit cards, as well as cash, and produced a printed receipt that patrons were require to display as proof of payment on their cars, had been installed for a two-month trial period and will go back to the manufacturer, said City Administrator Glenn Steckman.

"We were getting mixed reviews," he said, adding that complaints included people not liking the inconvenience of having to walk back to their cars, opining the system was complicated and confusing, that the machine was difficult to read, and that the machine was slow to process card payments and generate the required receipt.

"From my personal standpoint, I think the boxes are more efficient for the city, but we listened to what our customers were saying," Steckman said.

He estimated the single payment station would have saved the city about $1,000 annually in operating costs over smart meters that accept card payments, which is what has replaced the unpopular box.

Removing the parking payment station won't cost the city more, as the money that would have been spent on its purchase was reallocated by city council to pay for the new smart meters in that location, and the box had been installed on a trial basis offer from the company that offers it.

"We leased it (on a trial basis) at a very, very low rate," Steckman said.

The city administrator added the city may try out the single payment station method again at other municipal lot locations in the future, but those will probably not be from the same company that produced the one being removed.

Where the system might be tried again is undetermined, though it's possible one could appear next year at the city's new 20-spot lot on North Fourth Street.

That lot, which has long term, 10-hour parking limit, is planned this year to have individual meters that only accept quarters. City officials have cited the costs of card-accepting smart meters as being a barrier to their immediate implemenation at the new lot.

Steckman said the solar-powered new smart meters, which also accept all denominations of silver coins, cost $495 apiece, versus the quarter-only meters, which cost $180 each.

The city's new lot may eventually get a more versatile payment system though, whether another payment station trial or card-accepting smart meters. It depends on the amount of revenue the new lot generates and if the city determines it to be cost-effective, the city administrator said, adding that since the location is new, it's too early to tell.

"We need to look at the whole year, not just a couple of months," he said.

The new smart meters were installed earlier this year, coincident with a rise rates for curbside metered parking from 50 cents to one dollar per hour.

The rate of parking in the city's parking deck has not changed, and the city is offering discounted evening rates in the deck as well in an effort to encourage locals and employees to park there more frequently during peak city visiting hours.

Easton Projects Manager Recognized by Lehigh Valley Business Magazine

Adrian Shanker, special projects manager at Wolper Information Services in Downtown Easton, was recently named by Lehigh Valley Business to its inaugural "40 Under 40" list. An independent panel of judges selected the honorees based on their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and community service, according to a press release issued by Wolper.

Shanker’s winning nomination highlighted his role at Wolper in social and traditionalmedia marketing, as well as his extensive community service commitments, most notably his volunteer role as President of Equality Pennsylvania and his service on the Young Alumni Council at Muhlenberg College, the release added.

"I am proud to employ some of the best talent the region has to offer and I am glad that some of them are giving back to the community by contributing their time and talents," said President and CEO of Wolper Information Services Susan Wolper.

The award was presented at a reception in Bethlehem earlier this week, on Tuesday, June 11. Honorees will also be highlighted in a supplement to Lehigh Valley Business on June 17.

Shanker has been with Wolper for two years and manages social media marketing, public relations and government relations for the firm. A passionate community volunteer, he serves as President of Equality Pennsylvania, the Board of Associates of Lehigh Valley Health Network and the Young Alumni Council of Muhlenberg College. In 2011, he was named a "Young Trailblazer of the Lehigh Valley" by Elucidator Magazine and "Person of the Year" by the Philadelphia Gay News.

Suspect Sought in Downtown Stabbing

A warrant for the arrest of Carl Willbright, 40, has been issued.
Photo contributed by the Easton Police Department

Easton Police have announced they are looking for Carl Wilbright Jr., 40, who is also known at "City", in relation to the stabbing of a 35-year-old woman in front of Larry Holmes' Champs Corner restaurant in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A warrant for Wilbright's arrest has been obtained, and he faces charges of aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravate assault, making terroristic threats, and simple assault, police said, adding that Wilbright, who is from New York, is suspected to be a Bloods gang member.

Authorities further reported that Wilbright is considered to be armed and dangerous, and is being associated with the gray Nissan Altima police were seeking more information about over the weekend.

Anyone who sees Willbright or has information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call 911.

New Hookah Lounge Gets Planning Commission Approval

By Christina Georgiou

Mellow co-owner Ken Janowictz

A proposed hookah lounge was given a nod of approval by the City of Easton's Planning Commission Thursday evening, though with some conditions on its operation.

Mellow, which plans to open on South Second Street, will offer a casual atmosphere in which customers will enjoy smoking water pipes, steam stones, and "vaping", or electronic cigarettes, testified co-owner Ken Janowictz. The establishment will also sell related tobacco and equipment, but won't offer traditional cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, he added.

"It's hippie-chic, for lack of a better description," Janowictz said. "(Customers will) be served much like a regular restaurant."

The lounge will also offer prepackaged snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, but doesn't plan to compete with existing restaurants in Easton's Downtown district, though it's technically considered one for zoning purposes by the city.

Janowitz said the specialty establishment will offer more than 20 different flavors of hookah tobacco served tableside in two rooms at his new location.

"It's a different kind of experience," he said. "I don't mean to compete with Easton's restaurants. We're more of a place to go afterwards."

While Janowictz had hoped to be open until 3 a.m. on weekends, commissioners worried about noise and residents on the block being disturbed, and imposed a condition on their approval that Mellow only be open until 2 a.m.

Janowictz said while he does plan to have live acoustic music on some nights, he assured the board that the new establishment won't be a nuisance, whatever hours the city allowed.

"I'm not a night club," he said. "The business name being Mellow is descriptive. We want people to relax."

While the city doesn't have a specific zoning category for a hookah lounge, the new establishment's location is within the Downtown commercial district. The fact that South Second Street lies within the 500-year flood plain is the reason it's opening was brought before the city's planning commission at all, said city Planning Director Becky Bradley, adding that all new businesses or construction would be subject to review.

Some planning commissioners seemed unfamiliar with smoking tobacco through a water pipe, and much of the board questioned the practice, particularly whether a shared hookah served tableside would be sanitary.

Janowictz assured the board that fresh disposable mouthpiece tips would be used for each customer, and that since the practice of using such tips was instituted about 20 years ago, there have been no instances of any communicable diseases associated with smoking hookahs.

"You strike me as a knowledgeable, intelligent guy who has thought this through," Planning Commission Chairman Charles Elliot told Janowictz. "The only thing that gives me pause is the potential for noise."

But planning commissioner Ron Shipman said that the establishment wouldn't be very different from others already in the neighborhood, and that noise shouldn't be a major consideration.

"I think he's bringing a legitimate business proposal, and I'm a conservative old guy who didn't even know what these things were before tonight," he said. "I think when you choose to live Downtown...you're not living in a cornfield...you're living in a busy environment."

The new hookah lounge, Easton's first, was approved unanimously by the planning commission, though with the following conditions:

• the establishment must close by 2 a.m.
• the consumption of alcohol is prohibited on the premises
• all patrons must present ID proving they are over 18 years of age
• music must not be audible beyond the property line

Mellow hopes to open in the next couple of months, Janowictz said, after passing the next city regulatory hurdle, which is gaining the approval of the Easton Zoning Hearing Board for the new business.

Woman Found Stabbed on Larry Holmes Drive

A 35-year-old woman was found stabbed early this morning outside of Champ's Corner, the restaurant owned by former heavyweight champion boxer Larry Holmes, Easton police report.

At approximately 2:10 a.m., Easton police were dispatched to 91 Larry Holmes Drive where they found the woman with multiple stab wounds, authorities said.

The victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment and her injuries do not appear to be life threatening, they added.  

Police said they don't believe the stabbing was a random act and are investigating, adding that that department is looking for information about a gray Nissan Altima that was seen in the area around the time of the crime to determine if it was involved.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 610-250-6656 or the Easton police tip line 610-250-6635. Callers may remain anonymous.

Crayola Draws Thousands to City on Opening Weekend, Mayor Says

By Christina Georgiou

Mayor Sal Panto said the Crayola Experience drew more than 6,000 people to Easton this past Memorial Day weekend, which are the first days it's been open since recently expanding and remodeling.

About 2,700 visited the hands-on museum on Saturday, 2,300 came on Sunday, and somewhere between 1,100 to 1,200 were there on Memorial Day, he said this Monday at a press conference at city hall.

"This translates into dollars for the city," Panto said, adding that revenue for the city's Pine Street parking garage was up 50 percent over the same weekend last year, though he didn't have an exact estimate of how much more money the city made at hand.

"There's been no increases in the parking rate (at the garage), so that's really good," he said.

The Crayola Experience reopened on May 24, after closing for a few months to complete renovations and a planned expansion.

Easton Remembers Fallen Soldiers on Memorial Day

By Christina Georgiou

Every Memorial Day for the last 114 years, those in Easton have commemorated those who served their country and sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom, and this year was no exception.

Proceeding from Sixth Street down Northampton Street to the Delaware River, parade participants, led by the Northampton County Marine Corps League, were met by an enthusiastic public along the way.

Along with local county, city, township, and borough officials, American Legion Post #611, Brown and Lynch American Legion Post 9, Disabled American Veterans, Amvets Post 17, Pennsylvania Army National Guard Battery D, and the Ancient Order of Hiberninans all took part.

Also part of the remembrance day event were local  Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, the Easton Hummingbirds Adventurer Club, El Camino Pathfinders Club, the Olivet Church Youth Group, the 4-H Club of Northampton County, the Corvette Club, the Easton Fire Department and Easton Police Mobile Unit, and Suburban Emergency Squad.

Music was provided by the Easton Area High School Marching Band.

Upon reaching the river, a contingent of the parade, including Mayor Sal Panto and Vice Mayor Ken Brown, along with State Representative Bob Freeman, met Phillipsburg New Jersey officials, including Phillipsburg Mayor Harry Wyant.

With a gun salute by firing squads from Bernadine May American Legion Post #457 and Brown and Lynch American Legion Post 9, a memorial wreath, along with flowers were cast into the river, to the echoing tune of "Taps", played by EAHS buglers Dominic Ruggiero and Christopher Pryer.

A memorial service, which included remarks by Captain Edward Smith of the US Naval Reserve, the national anthem and "Amazing Grace" sung by EAHS junior Megan Zsilavec, and a reading of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address by EAHS senior Nick DeNunzio, was punctuated by the placing of a wreath by local Blue Star Mothers and a reading of a roll call list of deceased local service members.

At the conclusion of the event, members of Cub Scout Pack #3 from College Hill released red, white, and blue doves, who promptly flew off to freedom into the sunny, blue sky.