Grant Funding Could Expand Park and Garden Facilities at Easton Area Neighborhood Center

By Christina Georgiou

A bee pollinates a sunflower in an
Easton community garden.

Easton city council members unanimously resolved to apply for a $75,000 matching  grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Wednesday evening, which, if approved by the state agency, will pay for park improvements at the Easton Area Neighborhood Center and Urban Farm in the city's South Side neighborhood.

The city will provide the matching funds of up to $75,000, with $50,000 coming from the  city's Parks, Recreation, and Open Space fund and $25,000 from this years Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Parks line item in the city's general budget, Public Works Director David Hopkins indicated.

Preliminary plans for park improvements at the Philadelphia Road facility include installing new playground equipment, an outdoor classroom intended to be used for future gardening and nature education programs, pathways, and some fencing, he added.

"We believe that this is a great opportunity for such a project and that it would improve the viability and usefulness of the neighborhood center, as well as provide a platform for youth environmental education," Hopkins told city council members.

While the future education programs have not yet been developed and details still need to be worked out, Hopkins said they would likely involve various organizations and volunteers.

"We are working to develop potential partners, including the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership," he said.

The Urban Farm, along with several other community gardens in Easton and "LaFarm", Lafayette College's organic garden on Sullivan Trail in Forks Township, provided fresh produce last year for the Easton Veggie Van pilot program, which distributed more than 1,000 pounds of vegetables to residents in the city's West Ward. That program is expected to be continued and expanded upon in a joint effort by the  WWNP and the college's tech clinic this summer.

City Agencies Seek $650,000 in Grant Funding

By Christina Georgiou

Easton City Council members listen to presentations
on three grant applications totaling $650,000, that
will, if approved by the state, support various ongoing
revitalization efforts in the city.

Easton's city council backed three grant applications seeking a total of $650,000 in state funding to support various programs related to ongoing revitalization efforts at its meeting Wednesday evening.

The West Ward Neighborhood Partnership (WWNP) is seeking $50,000 from the state in support of its Elm Street program, which would go towards sidewalk and porch renovation grants for eligible homeowners in the neighborhood, along with the addition of more street trees and support for new signs for commercial endeavors in the district.

"We want to continue the funding even though it's less than previous amounts because we want to continue our programs," WWNP Director Esther Guzman told city council members.

Mayor Sal Panto said he very much supports the work the WWNP does and lamented that more state funding to support isn't available.

"We used to get $250,000," he said. "The state continues to balance its budget on the back of the local programs."

The Elm Street program, intended to support revitalization in older residential neighborhoods, was initiated by local state Representative Robert Freeman (D-136), Panto noted.

"Even at $50,000, we're going to take these baby steps," Panto said. "It's making a difference."

The Easton Redevelopment Authority (ERA) will seek a $300,000 Keystone Development Grant through the state's Department of Community and Economic Development to rehab four blighted properties--two in the city's South Side neighborhood, and two in the West Ward.

"Without these funds, these properties will just sit as they are and continue to deteriorate," said ERA community development specialist Michael Brett.

Panto said that in addition to eliminating the hazards blighted properties pose, rehabbing as many dilapidated properties as possible in the city is ultimately a strategy for keeping taxes lower.

"I also believe the more population we have as we grow out of the Urban Renewal era...will help us to control costs," he said, adding that he wants to ultimately see the city population top 30,000. "Sustainability comes in a lot of flavors, and rehabilitation of old homes is a part of that."

Another $300,000 in grant funding is being sought by the Greater Easton Development Partnership to support the Easton Farmers' Market's Public Market, to be housed in the former Weller Center at 325 Northampton St.

The money will be used for a revolving loan program that will support capital purchases of vendors' start up costs at the market, and matching fund requirements for the grant have already been satisfied by the city's grant of $1 million to parent organization Greater Easton Development Partnership (GEDP) last year to purchase the building, project manager Jared Mast told city council members.

"As these vendors repay the loans, the funds would be put in a revolving loan account...that would be available to new or existing businesses in Easton," Mast said.

He added that the advantage to both Public Market and other business owners in the city is that interest rates would be substantially less than bank rates for the loans.

ERA and GEDP Director Gretchen Longenbach said that the ERA "doesn't intend to recover any money" for the first two grant applications, the $300,000 for the Public Market loans, if approved by the state, would serve the city's business community well in the long run.

"We hope to help multiple businesses and entrepreneurs," she said.

She added that it was initially hoped the city might be eligible for even more funding than is being applied for in all three projects, but was advised by the state to "streamline and prioritize" when it came to the Keystone Grant applications.

Easton Community Gardens Win Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Award

By Christina Georgiou

Second from left, Sophia Feller, who manages the West Ward Neighborhood
Partnership's community garden program, celebrates with Barbara DeStafano,
Elinor Levy, Yvonne Tugya, Lynn Holden, Joanne Czeck, Scott Slingerland,
and Lexy Rodriguez Tuesday afternoon at Daddy's Place in Easton. The
group had planned to accept the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s
Community Greening Award yesterday in a ceremony at the
Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion in Harrisburg, but cancelled their trip
due to the snowy weather.

Easton's community gardens and urban farm, programs run by the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership (WWNP), have been very popular and were an integral part of the city's experimental "Veggie Van" program this summer. And now, the program has received recognition outside the City of Easton as well.

Beating out 89 other nominees, the program was awarded Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Community Greening Award yesterday in a ceremony at the Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion, presented Susan Corbett and horticultural society president Drew Becher.

But, while WWNP staff, along with about a dozen volunteers, partners, and friends had planned to attend the ceremony to receive the award personally, snowy weather on Tuesday made the group decide to forgo the trip.

So instead, a number of those involved with the city gardening effort gathered at Daddy's Place, next door to WWNP offices, to celebrate the recognition yesterday afternoon.

Despite missing out on the chance to accept the recognition personally, community garden manager Sophia Feller said the honor means a lot to her and all the others involved in the community garden plots.

"It is wonderful for WWNP to be recognized by PHS for all the hard work, sweat, and...tears put into the community garden program over the past five years," she said in an email. "This award is for all of us, because it took every single volunteer and partner working together for a greener and kinder community to make the gardens and the urban farm grow as well as they have."

The award-winning project started with four urban community garden projects in 2008 and 2009 and has expanded to 13 gardens, an urban farm, a small greenhouse, and two summer garden programs for kids.  Free garden classes are offered each spring as well.

WWNP community garden mascot Rosa the Rabbit was also
present for the celebration.

Urban gardening initiative partners include the Easton Area Community Center, The School of Natural Learning, Spring Garden Children’s Center, Penn State Master Gardeners, HUD Senior Housing, Easton Area Neighborhood Centers, The Kellyn Foundation, Lafayette College, and The City of Easton that collectively bring a wide range of garden programing and education to West Ward residents. The community gardens were made possible by a grant from the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation.

In recognition of the honor, Easton City Council is expected to present a congratulatory citation to WWNP this evening at its December 11 meeting.

The WWNP was created by the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley in 2005 to improve the quality of life for the densely populated West Ward.

Veggie Van Wraps Up First Season, Changes Likely for Next Year

By Christina Georgiou

Residents wait in line for fresh, locally grown
produce at the last Easton Veggie Van stop
of the season Monday evening in the city's West Ward.

 Easton's Veggie Van distributed its last load of locally grown produce for this year yesterday evening--approximately 300 pounds to about 50 city residents--and while the final results and the exact future of the program are yet to be determined, the volunteers who run it say their effort to get more fresh, healthy foods to West Ward residents was a definitely a success.

A total of more than 1,500 pounds of fresh vegetables and fruit were distributed this summer, coming from local gardens at Lafayette College, the Urban Farm in Easton's South Side, and from community gardens in the West Ward, including the one at South 10th and Pine streets, where six of the seven weekly summer Veggie Van stops took place.

The project was a collaboration between the annual Lafayette College multi-discipline technology clinic and the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership, and both groups said they will be crunching numbers, tallying answers given on surveys circulated among Veggie Van customers, and analyzing collected data, to determine how the program will best work next year.

While the produce was given away for free this year, with donations gratefully accepted, that will probably change in 2014, said more than one person involved in the program. Giving away the produce at first not only helped the group gauge public interest, but also get around city ordinances pertaining to vending and eliminate the need for paying for permitting when the success of the effort was still untested and uncertain.

"For us, as a sort of intellectual exercise, which is what the tech clinic is, there is a lot to work on for next year," said Lafayette College professor Larry Malinconico, who also serves at the tech clinic's advisor. "We learned things over the summer. There are day-to-day mundane things, like 'What do you need?' Bags, for one thing, though people were bringing their own."

What the best way to distribute the bounty was also something the tech clinic will be working on, he said, noting that while it was clear from the beginning the idea was popular, the first week, held during the city's Summer Nights program at Centennial Park, emphasized the need for a more controllable situation.

While moving the distribution point to the 10th Street community garden provided that and is fairly centrally located in the West Ward, next year the program may add a second weekly distribution spot, or possibly even use the "ice cream truck" model to get the fresh veggies to residents.

Allie Nagurney, Lafayette College tech clinic student coordinator,
distributes produce at the last Easton Veggie Van stop
of the summer Monday evening.

"We had to work hard to get people here," said Allie Nagurney, who serves as the project's student coordinator. "Whether people will 'get it' with someone driving around, I don't know."

Still, the program's popularity grew during the summer months, and the volunteers are happy with the outcome of their efforts.

"It was rewarding to see new people, that word got out," Malinconico said. "We learned a lot. It was successful in terms of the goal of making people aware of nutrition and fresh vegetables."

"It was very different that I expected it to be, but I learned a lot," Nagurney added.

The program has the potential too to eventually employ an entrepreneurial resident to run it, especially if those involved determine the "ice cream truck" model will work as a way to bring fresh produce to those in the West Ward, opined Sophia Feller, who coordinates several community gardens in the city and works as the WWNP's administrative secretary. Under this scenario, the produce would be sold to customers, though prices would be moderately set to ensure affordability, she added.

Tech Clinic students, along with those from the WWNP, involved in the project are set to meet later this week to discuss various aspects of Veggie Van experiment. Tech Clinic participants will also be brainstorming on the project's further evolution this fall, with a public presentation of their findings set for some time in December.

But whatever the Tech Clinic finds and whatever decisions are made for next year's Veggie Van, one thing is certain.

"The is a West Ward effort. The Tech Clinic helped facilitate this," Malinconico said. "But it has to be a neighborhood effort to be successful."

Annual Golf Tournament to Benefit City Neighborhood Groups

The 2nd Annual Greater Easton Open, a four-person, best-ball scramble format golf tournament, will be held on Friday, August 30 at the Riverview County Club, and tournament proceeds will benefit four Easton neighborhood improvement organizations--the College Hill Neighborhood Association, South Side Civic Association, the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership, and the Easton Main Street Initiative.

The event tees off at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start, and a barbecue luncheon begins at noon.
For an entry fee of $85 (or $100 after August 15), or $320 ($380 after August 15)  players receive greens fees, lunch, a GEO t-shirt, GEO collectible golf balls, and gifts and coupons from area merchants and restaurants. Longest drive and closest-to-the-pin prizes will be awarded, along with door prizes.

For non-golfers who would like to attend the luncheon, the fee is $20.

All fees are tax-deductible.

Beer will be served at the luncheon to those over 21, and a beverage cart will make the rounds during play.

The event is also still accepting sponsorships, which range from $30 to $1,000, and are crucial to the success of this fund raising event, said organizers from the College Hill Neighborhood Association.  Area businesses may also support the event by donating items to the player gift bags and/or making donations.

To register for the 2nd Greater Easton Open online or to attend the luncheon, click here.

For more information about sponsorships or to become a sponsor, click here.

For additional information about playing or sponsorships, e-mail geo@eastonchna.org.

Veggie Van Proves to Be a Hit with Local Residents

By Christina Georgiou

The Easton "Veggie Van" arrives Tuesday evening at Centennial Park
in the city's West Ward, with an estimated 300 pounds of fresh, locally
grown produce for distribution to enthusiastic residents.
Contributed photo by Larry Malinconico.

Loaded with an estimated 300 pounds of locally grown fresh produce, the new Easton Veggie Van was scheduled to be at the city's Summer Nights program for an hour and a half Tuesday evening. Stuffed to the gills, organizers wondered if they'd brought more food than they could distribute.

Instead, more than 90 percent of the vegetables were eagerly snatched up in about 15 minutes.

Less than an hour later, Veggie Van volunteers packed up, with only four zucchini and eight leaves of collard greens remaining.

The project, one of several to get more fresh, healthy food into the hands of Easton residents, is a collaboration between the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership and Lafayette College's Technology Clinic, which has been studying ways to make healthy food more accessible in the city neighborhood where many don't have cars and struggle to make ends meet.


Lynne Holden, with the West Ward
Neighborhood Partnership, assists
with bagging collard greens, while
right, Lafayette student Tech Clinic
coordinator Allie Nagurney, stands
ready with recipes to distribute.

 The Veggie Van--a small pickup truck, actually--came laden with 80 pounds of cucumbers, 100 pounds of zucchini, 40 pounds of summer squash, buckets of collard greens and swiss chard, beets, carrots, string beans, potatoes, rutabagas, cabbages and onions, along with some herbs like basil and parsley. All the produce was grown locally, coming from the Lafayette farm project, the Easton Urban Farm, the Crayola garden, and various other community gardens around the city.

The Tech Clinic has been working on coming up with solutions to much of the West Ward being a "food desert"--defined in this case as a mostly low-income neighborhood where many residents don't have a vehicle and live more than a mile from the closest full-service grocery store--for the past two years, said Lafayette College geology professor Larry Malinconico, who serves as the group's advisor.

Students in the clinic come from a variety of backgrounds and majors, and aim to come up with solutions to local issues using an interdisciplinary approach. This year, the group decided to focus on better ways to get fresh food to those who may have difficulty getting to a grocery store  or affording it a the city's twice weekly farmers' market.


Nearly completely cleaned out of food in less than an hour,
the Veggie Van crew is ready to pack up.

While the city has a number of community gardens, these weren't solving the problem of getting fresh food to residents either, he said.

"People weren't coming to the community gardens, and (the vegetables) were getting wasted," Malinconico said.

The Tech Clinic looked at what people in other communities were doing to solve their issues, and eventually decided to try "the ice cream truck" model--that is, bringing the food to the neighborhood, he said.

Lafayette sophomore Allie Nagurney, who serves as the project's student coordinator, said the approach seems to be a success so far.

"Once it was announced, everyone wanted some," she said, adding that the truck will be visiting various locations in the West Ward weekly for the next five or six weeks.


A Veggie Van enthusiast sets off for home.

 The method of distribution will probably be tweaked for the Veggie Van's appearance next week, she added. While this week was certainly a success, and about 40 people were recipients of the truck's bounty, some received more produce than others, and some vegetables ran out before others had the chance to get them.

But Nagurney had no complaints about the food going so quickly and said the project seems to be a success so far.

"We worked really hard to make this happen," she said, adding that she hopes the Veggie Van will become a permanent fixture in the neighborhood for years to come.

"We're hoping to make this a yearly thing," she said. "We want to make it sustainable."

For now, the vegetables are free, though donations to help offset costs are welcomed.

Running the Tech Clinic costs about $8,000 annually, Malinconico estimated, noting that it's the one program Lafayette doesn't fund, and that he and students must cover the costs of the projects the program undertakes themselves.

Along with the produce, the volunteers also handed out recipes for the individual vegetables on hand, which might eventually provide one source of offset revenue for the future.

"It would be fun to get a little cookbook together by the end of the summer too," Nagurney said.

Next week, the Veggie Van will be stopping at South 10th and Pine streets, the site of one community garden in the West Ward, beginning at 5:30 p.m.


The community garden at South 10th and Pine streets will
be the site of the next Veggie Van stop, next Monday,
beginning at 5:30 p.m.



Expected to be on the truck are zucchini, cucumbers, beets, summer squash, beans, carrots, lettuce and other greens, onion, garlic, and more, Nagurney said, adding that the program will continue weekly, on Mondays, for the next five or six weeks.

Next Monday's location was deliberately chosen to further help raise awareness and hopefully help residents begin to grow their own summer crops too, Malinconico said.

"We want people to know where the community gardens are," he said.

Beyond next Monday, July 22, future Veggie Van drop-off locations are yet to be determined. Bookmark this page and check back for more dates--we'll provide updates as soon as they're announced.

Books, Gardening Celebrated at EACC

By Christina Georgiou

Volunteer Althea Ruffin checks out books for kids on Saturday.

Air Products volunteers serve ice cream frozen with liquid 

nitrogen at the EACC on Saturday.

The Cops 'n Kids Reading Room celebrated its second anniversary with a birthday party Saturday, with free childrens books, food, and a community gathering on Saturday at the Easton Area Community Center.

About 90 people attended, enjoying the festivities, which also included a science demonstration by volunteers from Air Products, making ice cream with liquid nitrogen.

The West Ward Neighborhood Partnership also held a garden fair at EACC. On hand were master gardeners from the Penn State University extension, who were available to answer

gardening questions.

Residents were treated to free plants and seedlings, including herbs and vegetables, as well as the opportunity to purchase larger specimens for a reduced price, free recycling bins, and other community-related activities.

Reading Room to Hold Birthday Party, Free Gardening Event

The Cops 'n Kids Reading Room is turning two years old, and a birthday party has been planned to celebrate the milestone.

The public is invited to the event, which will happen on Saturday, June 8. Free food, free books and fun activities at the reading room will follow a parade that begins at 10:30 a.m. at Centennial Park, South 12th and Ferry streets, which will progress to the Cops 'n Kids Reading Room at the Easton Area Community Center.

A tae kwon do demonstration, storytime with Dr. Seuss, a "mad science demonstration, child safety protection finger printing, and other activities are planned from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There will also be a garden fair at the event, also from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where West Ward Neighborhood Partnership gardeners will be giving away tomato, pepper, eggplant and other vegetable plants.

Composting and worm bin demonstrations, along with an interactive display for kids and families, and a raffle to win a basketful of flowers will also be part of the gardening celebration. Master Gardeners will be present to help with gardening questions.

Pre-planted tomato and basil pots will also be for sale for $10, and rain barrels will be available for $45.

Free recycling barrels will be available West Ward residents too.

The Easton Area Community Center is located at 901 Washington St. Both the Cops 'n Kids Birthday Party and the gardening celebration will take place in the rear of the building, accessible from South Ninth Street.

For more information about the event or about the Cops 'n Kids Reading Room, which aims to connect children and the community through literacy, visit www.copsnkidseaston.org

Spring Plant Exchange Set for Saturday

The West Ward Neighborhood Partnership will hold its annual spring plant exchange this Saturday, May 4 from noon to 3 p.m. at 630 Northampton St.

Those who would like to participate should bring a plant, clearly marked, to exchange for another variety at the swap. Bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, and plants of all varieties are all welcome.

The WWNP Neighborhood Physical Quality and Natural Resources committees will also be offering rain barrels, tomato buckets, herbs, house plants, and flowering bedding plants for sale at the event.

A limited amount of shrubs will also be available for a suggested donation, an announcement about the event said.

For more information or questions about the event, call 610-515-0891.

Click here to download a pdf of the event poster.

West Ward Farm Share Program Promises Weekly Fresh Produce

Clear Spring Farm and the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership (WWNP) are collaborating through the "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" program to bring a low-cost farm share program to the City of Easton. The program will run from May 29 through September 25.

The program, in which participants pledge a weekly payment in exchange for a "share" of the farm's produce, will offer a variety of in-season fresh vegetables every week. The list is likely to include: lettuce, cabbage, onions, parsley, green beans, yellow beans, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, squash, sweet corn, beets, and broccoli over the course of the program.

Members do not choose their produce--the bounty will include a selection of what Clear Spring Farm has produced that week. Pick-up is every Wednesday between 6 and 7 p.m. at the First Moravian Church of Easton, 225 North Tenth St.

Both full and half-shares will be offered. A full share is designed to meet the weekly  needs of four people, and a half-share will feed two.

Members will generally receive about seven different vegetables each week, equivalent to one grocery bag of produce for a half share, and two grocery bags for a whole share.  Variety and quantity may vary.

Clear Spring Farm, located just north of the city on Richard Garr Road in Forks Township, is a "limited use" farm, which mean they avoid the use of chemicals where possible.

A full share costs $25 per week, and a half-share is $15 per week. Members must pay for their produce at the time of pick up. Payments must be made in cash, though SNAP will also be accepted for weekly payments.

Members are required to pay a two-week cash deposit to join--$50 for a full share or $30 for a  half share.  Deposits to become a farm share program member must be made in cash, and the deposit can be used to pay for the last two weeks of produce, or it may be returned at the end of the season. (SNAP will not be accepted for deposits.)

Shares that are not retrieved within the pickup time will be donated to a charity, food pantry, or the drop site host. The cost of the share will be deducted from the deposit. Those who miss two weeks will lose their place in the program. Those that cannot pick up their share on a given week may send someone else to do it for them, the announcement said.

A minimum of 10 shares need to be sold to offer the program in the city. Additionally, the program is limited to a maximum of 30 shares.

For more information or to sign up, contact the West Ward neighborhood Partnership at 610-515-0891 ext. 4200.

For more about Clear Spring Farm, visit their website at www.clearspringfarm.net

Annual Easton Citywide Cleanup Set for Saturday

The City of Easton is set to get a bit of spring cleaning this Saturday.

Volunteers will pick up trash, plant flowers and otherwise spruce up the city, with targeted areas in three out of the city's four neighborhood districts.

Downtown, the Easton Main Street Initiative will lead efforts on Centre Square, South Pine and Third streets, and along Larry Holmes Drive.

In the West Ward, litter patrol will be led by Weed and Seed's Laura Accetta and a gardening blitz at the South Tenth Street community garden will be led by Sophia Feller from the the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership.

Efforts in Vanderveer Park, Milton Street Park, and Pioneer Playground in Southside will led by Dean Young of the Boys and Girls Club of Easton and Melody Rogers of the Southside Civic Association.

The city's public works department will assist by retrieving bags of garbage picked up by the volunteers after the event.

It's not too late to get involved either. Those wishing to join existing efforts can contact any of the coordinators directly for more specific infomation, such as start times or Jamie Hartranft, Executive Assistant to the Mayor, at 610-250-6612.

Organizations or groups of individuals that would like to clean up an area not already on the list can arrange for Easton Public Works to pick up bags of trash and debris from their efforts too, by calling the department at 610-250-6680.

WWNP to Offer Free Gardening Classes

The West Ward Neighborhood Partnership is offering classes to teach people about gardening, with all you need to know to get started. And, if you are already a gardener, you will meet new friends and learn new things, the program promises.

The free classes will be held on Tuesday evenings in March, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Salvation Army, located at 1110 Northampton St.

Dinner is to be served during the classes, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with class running from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by a question and discussion period until 8 p.m.

People of all levels of experience are welcome, including children.

Class topics are as follows:

• Tuesday, March 5, "Planning and Design"- Planning where to put your garden is the first step to success, do youhave good sun exposure and access to water? This class will teach the basics of design and planning.
• Tuesday, March 12, "Seeds and Transplants" - Buying plants for your garden can be costly, learn how to start your own plants from seed and how to care for and transplant them successfully to your garden
• Tuesday, March 19, "Insects: the Good the Bad and the Ugly (IPM)" - Your plants are in and your garden is flourishing, but wait, what is that little yellow and black striped bug on the cucumbers? This class will tell you how to check for bug problems before they get out of hand and what to do about them.
• Tuesday, March 26 , "Organic Gardening"- Why organic? Learn how to create healthy soil and maintain a diverse environment to grow nutrient rich food for your family.

For more information, call Sophia Feller 610-515-0891.

Updated on Wednesday, March 6 at 2:35 a.m. to correct the address of the Salvation Army.

Upcoming Presentation to Focus on Sustainable Community Initiatives

A "Curbside Chat" by Strong Towns, has been announced for Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. The event will be held in Room 224 of Oechsle Hall at Lafayette College.

Hosted by the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership, in cooperation with Envision Lehigh Valley, the presentation by Strong Towns, a non-profit organization from Minnesota, will focus on ideas designed to strengthen communities.

Charles Marohn, of Strong Towns

The presentation will be given by Charles Marohn of Strong Towns, a professional engineer (PE) licensed in the State of Minnesota and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He is the author of "Thoughts on Building Strong Towns (Volume 1)", the primary author of the Strong Towns blog and the host of the Strong Towns podcast and See it Differently TV.

The event is free and open to the public. A social hour with refreshments will follow the presentation.

To attend, please RSVP to Dennis Lieb via email.

More information on Strong Towns is available online at www.strongtowns.org.

The presentation in Easton is one of 11 presentations in Pennsylvania by "Strong Towns" between Jan. 7
to 11 as part of their Pennsylvania tour.

For more about the "Curbside Chat", click here.

Easton City Council, Citizens Agree on Intent--But Not Wording--of Proposed Bill of Rights

By Christina Georgiou

In a nearly four-hour public discussion of a proposed Community Bill of Rights for the City of Easton, city council and citizens more or less agreed on the intent of the law, but not its scope or wording Monday evening.

Debate became heated at times, with no final agreement ultimately reached, though the matter is expected to be revisited Wednesday evening at the council's regular meeting, after citizens have had a chance to re-meet and discuss whether they would be willing to reword the proposed law or will attempt to submit it in its current form before voters for referendum.

If the matter were to be put before Easton voters, it's unclear whether the Community Bill of Rights might be voted on by citizen electors in November's election, or next year in May.

Having been submitted to the city for consideration, elected officials have 60 days to review the matter, but if the governing body takes the full allowed length of time and the citizens committee were to wait that long, the deadline for initiative and referendum issues to be placed on the fall ballot would be past.

If the resident group refuses to compromise on the wording of the bill and clarify its limits and scope, city council has made it clear it will likely vote it down.

In that case, the group's only alternative is to collect enough signatures by petition to have the initiative placed on the ballot for voters to decide its fate. But that would take time, and the bill must be on the ballot for referendum 60 days in advance of the election, a deadline that is fast approaching.

Introduced by Councilwoman Elinor Warner, the bill is the product of some Easton citizens attending Democracy School sponsored by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CEDLF), said Esther Guzman, director of the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership (WWNP).

While a number of other cities and communities in Pennsylvania have enacted similar legislation, most notably Pittsburgh, the majority have focused on fracking methods of extracting natural gas, but the proposed law in Easton is more encompassing, specifically stating that, “Corporations are not natural persons and corporate powers shall be subordinate to people’s rights. Corporations and other business entities which violate the rights secured by this Ordinance and by other laws shall not enjoy the constitutional protections afforded to 'persons'...”

Additional provisions state that the bill may in some cases supersede state and federal laws regarding corporate interests, with neighborhoods having the right to dictate their own affairs without interference from larger entities.

The expanded nature of the bill is due to the fact that Easton also has other considerations in addition to the issues that surround natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania, though this is more than a little unlikely to occur in the city, since it does not lie on the Marcellus shale rich in those natural resources, said Guzman. She said the open-ended nature of the bill's wording is more in response to specific concerns she sees, such as “slumlords,” especially in her home in the West Ward section of the city, which is also the focus of the WWNP's efforts.

But city officials said that the city's legal counsel has warned that some of the wording in the proposed Bill of Rights is too vague and could be in violation of state and federal mandates.

Additionally, others worried that the wording might override city council's authority, give people authority over their neighbors in ways the proposed legislation doesn't intend, and/or discourage wanted revitalization and economic development interests in the City.

Members of city council repeatedly said they agreed with the intent of the proposed ordinance, but worried that the specific language in the bill was overly vague and might overstep what is currently legal for them to legislate.

“I really do think it has some positives to it,” said Vice Mayor Ken Brown. “I just don't want to rush it.”

Brown added that he worried too about some provisions of the proposed law that he felt might usurp the powers of city government, saying that residents have opportunity at every turn for input, particularly when it comes to city finances at budget season but often don't exercise that right.

“Any more than that, we're giving away our positions as city officials,” Brown said.

The most critical comments came from Councilman Mike Fleck, who wanted at first to know why the bill wasn't being discussed at a regular city council meeting, as is usually the case, and said the proposed legislation would potentially cause many unintended problems for the city, likely doing more harm than good, despite its call for more citizen involvement.

“We don't live in a democracy. We live in a representational republic,” Fleck said. “A lot of things here, I agree with. But where they should come from, I'm not sure I agree with...You've got a big, big overreach here on what city council can do either by their home rule charter or the third-class city code.”

Fleck added the law as written would force even small, well-meaning corporations to sue the city to get things done if someone doesn't like them or their plans.

Warner said she felt the bill had a lot of positives and that the other council members might be perceiving a threat to their authority where none was intended.

“I think a lot of members of council are taking this like it takes away from council, when it's really about the state and federal government,” she said. “I think when you talk about corporations, if they want to pollute or do things that hurt people, then let them go to Bethlehem or Allentown.”

Stephen White, a West Ward resident and owner of Delaware River Books in the city's Downtown, as well as a committee member for the WWNP, said he doesn't feel the bill pits residents against city council authority.

“What I think it is doing is giving you additional leverage,” he told council members. “I would like to see (the power over what corporations can and cannot do) be more local.”

Mayor Sal Panto said while he supports most of the proposed legislation's aims, he is uncomfortable with the wording and its potential ramifications for the city, especially its relationship with the state. He particularly worried that if passed, it could jeopardize future grant opportunities and other state revenue sources for the city, such as liquid fuel reimbursements, which the city heavily relies on.

“If you want total local control, make the West Ward a historic district and make everyone go through a historic district commission before they can do anything,” Panto said. “I've been calling for more local autonomy, but there's a process to it, and I don't think this is it.”

“I'm suggesting another avenue...If the people of Easton don't like this, they don't have to accept it,” White said. “Corporations are not the enemy any more than government is the enemy...but it's not unreasonable to ask that...the people that have to live with these things have some say in it.”

Resident Dennis Lieb was more confrontational, saying of Fleck, “He's not my representative in the West Ward.”

Lieb said a recent city decision to change the zoning ordinances to allow some areas for billboards to be erected, though not in residential neighborhoods in response to a lawsuit from Adams Outdoor Advertising, along with PennDOT control of some local roadways and the state's allowance for timber harvesting are all examples of corporate or larger interests superseding local interests and laws.

“The truth is, the People don't govern anything any more,” Lieb said. “Isn't it time Easton takes a stand?...When government doesn't represent us? Should we change, or should we change the government?”

“I see this (law) as adding a lot of cost to the city if we want to defend this,” Panto said, adding that he feels the current wording would eliminate $800,000 worth of street surveillance cameras meant to assist police in catching drug dealers and violent criminals, as well as prevent mentally ill people from being treated when threatening to commit suicide.

“At least in this case, if we get sued for something the citizens want then that's something worth being sued for,” Lieb said, adding that he planned to have the bill notarized and sent by affidavit to the city on Tuesday morning.

“This defines who real people are, that's all it does,” Lieb continued. “A hundred and fifty years ago, people took oaths to uphold the runaway slave act. Was that the right thing to do? I think it was the wrong thing to do.”

Brown, who represents the city's Southside neighborhood, said he particularly wants to make sure all the citizens want the law before he makes a final decision about it.

“My question would be, we're not reaching the rest of the city,” he said. “That's where I'm troubled at. I want to make sure if I go with this law, that I'm representing the people that elected me. It should go by the people.”

Community director for the CEDLF Ben Price said that fracking laws enacted by the state are a good example of how corporations' rights are superseding those of local people in Pennsylvania, and the bill of rights is one response and defense to such actions.

“I really sympathize with local officials because you're really between a rock and a hard place,” Price said. “You faithfully swear to execute the obligations of your office...and that's to look out for the health, safety and welfare of your citizens...The problem is when you ask for legal advice, you're going to be told what state law is, that corporations are persons and that you must allow for every legalized use of land...Where there's a disconnect between you and the law department is that they're hired to protect the corporation of Easton, not the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Easton. That's not their job.”

“Once I don't follow the lawyers' opinion, I'm now personally liable,” Panto said. “Are you going to cover my legal expenses?”

“What we do offer is legal services, not funds,” Price said of the CEDLF's mission. “It doesn't cover costs, but it includes services. We're working for the citizens. If you want to talk about (our services), we can do that.”

Price said that similar Bills of Rights have been enacted in about 140 municipalities nationally, and only five have been challenged in court. Of those, he added, “We've never had a judgment against the wording.”

“I'm agreeing with what you're saying,” Panto said. “What I don't agree with is the vagueness.”

“It's a statement of a right. It's not a statement of policy,” Price said, adding that policy would come later, “fleshed out through engagement.”

“If fear is the deciding factor, nothing ever changes,” he added, also saying that the needed coalition to change state law or the constitution in Harrisburg could be started with the city, eventually joining forces with other like-minded municipalities.

“My problem is, is it a violation of my oath? I don't want to give up my house for the cause,” Panto said. “The fact that I can't use radar on our city streets to keep the speed down is ridiculous. They think I'm trying to use it to make money. I'm not going to use it to make money—I want to use it to save lives.”

West Ward resident and Neighbors of Easton blogger Noel Jones, who also serves on a WWNP committee, said she very much supports the bill's passage.

“We're asking for your help to empower you,” she said. “We're trying to help you protect the citizens of Easton.”

While she said she'd like to take more time for the bill to be more thoroughly discussed, Jones said the legislation needs to be passed quickly.

“It's true, no one is going to come to Easton to drill for natural gas,” Jones said. “But (they can drill injection wells), and if the state says they can do it, they will.”

Downtown resident Matt Munsey said a bad interpretation of the state constitution is allowing for corporations to gain more rights than real people have, and the bill would protect Easton from that.

“The way this happens is because we have accepted this interpretation,” Munsey said. “Maybe we need to stand up for these rights. We have a local system that mostly works.

“People know what goes on in their neighborhoods," he said. "The important point is, there's a process (in the proposed legislation) for neighborhood involvement, though that hasn't been defined yet.”

Munsey added that he feels if the city council doesn't vote on the matter, they shouldn't make negative comments about the proposal, or say the voters should decide the issue.

But Brown said the council has a duty to inform residents of their reasons for doing what they do.

“If there's a citizen's group going door to door for it, then there should be an opposing group educating them,” Fleck said. “Because they have a right to know what it's going to cost them.”

Only one resident spoke against the bill's passage.

“I am not against this. I'm against how it's written,” said College Hill resident John Freeman. “I don't like lawyers getting rich. And I don't like it when they do it on my dime.

“If you've fired up a barbecue grill, you've poisoned someone,” Freeman added, turning to the bill's provision to people's rights in regard to their bodies. “I think the board of Dow should be tried for murder, and if they go to India, they would...This as written is a bomb that will go off in our faces...I think Tom Corbett's a jerk. (But) this isn't the tool. This won't get us there.”

Panto agreed.

“If you were to change this tonight to fracking only, I'd enact it tonight. But when it's this broad, you're exposing the city,” he said.

Whether the proposed Community Bill of Rights will be reworded and resubmitted to city council is still up in the air.

Warner suggested that council members, either as a group or individually at the option of the citizens' committee, sit down  together and discuss what mutually agreeable changes to the proposed law might be made.

“We'll get together, and we'll get back to you,” said Jones.

80s-Themed Prom Aims to Assist 21st Century City Street Beautification

Maybe you had the time of your life at your high school prom. Maybe you didn't, and you'd like the chance to reinvent those memories.

Or, maybe you just like the music of the 80s and dancing.

But whatever reason you can come up with to attend this upcoming event, it's probably a good one.

Sponsored by the Elucidator, "Easton's like totally radical Eighties Prom" set for Friday, July 7 at Nurture Nature Center, 518 Northampton St., will benefit the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership's Street Beautification program.

The "prom" will feature live 70s and 80s soft rock hits by Soft Focus--Doug Hawk, Jon Braun, Nick Levinos and Matty Love, and DJ Marty McFly will spin records between sets.

Hors d'oeuvres and desserts will be provided by West Ward food purveyors Black & Blue, Ashley's and the Easton Baking Company. Also included will be Weyerbacher's brews, wine and all-you-can-drink punch.

A prom court, to be voted on at the event, as well as prom king and queen, is planned.

A silent art auction will also be held, with works donated by local artists.

Tickets for the event are $20 per person--come with a date, your friends or single. Big hair, shoulder pads and skinny ties are encouraged attire.

For more information, including where to buy tickets around the city, contact Dawn Nixon of the Elucidator via email.