Each month thousands of you visit Hellertown-Lower Saucon Patch in search of critical news and information about the Saucon Valley. And every day we publish timely, relevant stories about local government meetings, school events, traffic, hometown heroes, local businesses and so much more, including obituaries, letters to the editor, breaking news, police reports and calendars to help you plan your week. The problem is, if you only visit Hellertown Patch a few times a month you're probably missing out on much of the valuable information we provide--information that can help you lead a better …

The following recipe (which has been slightly modified) originally appeared in the January 1950 edition of Woman's Day magazine as part of an eight-recipe feature called "Men Like Puddings," by Glenna McGinnis and Charlotte Scripture. Each dessert's estimated cost was listed alongside the recipe, and the cost of making snowball pudding (for seven or eight people) at that time was calculated to be 83 cents. In addition to sour cherry sauce, other sauces recommended to be served with snowball pudding were cranberry-orange sauce and bittersweet chocolate sauce. Note: You will need a set of 6-…

Just about every family has some type of beloved holiday tradition, whether it's taking a walk after Christmas dinner, eating a special food, watching a favorite movie on Christmas Eve, or leaving out cookies and milk for Santa. In my family, for many years we had a rather unique Christmas morning tradition that I've never heard anyone else talk about. Back when we all gathered at my grandparents' home on Christmas Eve--to sleep over and share the excitement of Christmas morning together--we would "line up" after breakfast at the door to the basement steps (the Christmas tree was always set …

What's your preferred holiday greeting? How do you prefer that others greet you? Take our poll and tell us why you feel the way you do in the comments section!

Some people love the holidays so much that they keep fully decorated Christmas trees in their cars and wear embroidered reindeer sweaters to work. Others, however, would prefer life without the interruptions caused by rushed holiday shopping, party planning and the enforced "holiday cheer" superimposed by radio programmers all across the land. Citing popular demand, local FM radio station WLEV 100.7 has been pumping out festive Christmas songs around-the-clock since the middle of this month, and many retailers are relying on satellite radio stations for their non-stop carol-a-thons, which are…

It's hard to believe it's been one whole year since Hellertown-Lower Saucon Patch became a reality. But it has been exactly that long. (For a flashback, check out our "Welcome Video" from one year ago, which was filmed at Detwiller Plaza and several other Saucon Valley landmarks.) This website--which many people know simply as "the Patch"--went live on Nov. 17, 2010. At that time it was the second Patch to launch in the Lehigh Valley, just two days after Emmaus Patch was welcomed into the cyberworld. We've since been joined by Patches in Bethlehem, Easton, Nazareth, Palmer-Forks, South …

It's 2011 (almost 2012), and the days when media told their readership what and how to think about the news are coming to an end. That's because online--more than anywhere else--it's reader interaction that determines what we cover, how we cover it and where the dialogue ultimately goes. As the editor of Hellertown-Lower Saucon Patch, I believe it's crucial to get people talking about the issues that affect our Saucon Valley community, which is why I'm asking more questions and adding more polls to stories on the site (see below for a poll about Patch content). And while I often start …

Whether you're a kid or an adult, when planning your costume, Halloween is a perfect time to let your imagination run wild. Some costumes are inevitably inspired by hit TV shows and fads, while others are so unique that no one will ever guess what they are. Each year many of the "hot" ready-to-wear costumes are sold in party supply stores and seasonal Halloween outlets that open in vacant retail buildings, but the best and most economical Halloween costume choices can often be found at local thrift stores, where vintage clothing and accessories are sold. If you're a fan of dressing up, where …

When was the last time you used a payphone? If you really have to think about it, it probably was a while ago. I was recently talking to my mom about payphones--and their relevance, or lack thereof--in the context of remembering the Great Ice Storm of 1998, which paralyzed much of Maine and southeastern Canada in early January of that year. According to the Wikipedia article linked above, the storm "caused massive damage to trees and electrical infrastructure all over the area, leading to widespread long-term power outages. Millions were left in the dark for periods varying from days to weeks…

Hellertown-Lower Saucon Patch is looking for bloggers to write about various topics of local or general interest! Blogging is a fun way to connect with members of your community, share a passion and spread information. Are you concerned about issues affecting Saucon Valley residents? Do you have a hobby, pastime or sport you're devoted to? Are you a dedicated volunteer whose group is looking for new members? Do you have strong opinions about local government and/or schools? Do you have a great sense of humor? Then we want to hear from you. Blogging for Patch offers flexibility, meaning you …

What do you do when you're told to detour, but there's practically nowhere left to go? Saucon Valley and Bethlehem residents who rely on Route 412 to get to work, to school--and in emergencies to a doctor or hospital--may have asked themselves this question during two recent incidents that clogged 412 traffic north and south of the I-78 interchange on the border between the two municipalities. The first incident occurred July 21, when a car fire broke out at the Chevy 21 auto dealership at 1100 Hellertown Road (Route 412) in Bethlehem. No one was seriously injured, but 12 cars were destroyed …

As a kid, summertime birthdays were great. There were endless opportunities for outdoor activities and never the worry of having to attend school on my special day. I secretly pitied those kids who had to do homework or take tests on their birthdays, reveling in the knowledge that I would never have to. As an adult, I find it interesting that a summer birthday no longer has the cache that it once did. Sure, we can eat dinner outside in celebratory fashion, but I'd generally rather forget about the whole thing--and I would, if it would stop another birthday candle from appearing on the darn …

Whether you believe in the hotly-debated phenomenon of climate change or not, it's always been undeniable that here in Pennsylvania the seasons change. But in recent years, it seems like they change less and less. And when they do change, the transitions seem to be more abrupt. Maybe it was always my imagination, but years ago it seemed like the seasons were more equal in length. Winter and summer were always a bit longer than spring and fall, but April through June promised many nice, mild days, as did September through November. Today the spring and fall seasons seem to be compressed into "…

When you go through life with a name like "Popichak" attached to yourself, you will get a lot of reactions--I am often asked about my ethnicity--and you will inevitably become an honorary member of the "unusual name club." As a member of this club, when I meet people for the first time, some inevitably appear hesitant to pronounce my name, perhaps fearing that they'll butcher it. And that has happened more times than I can remember. A word of advice: pronounce the "ch" as you would if you're saying the word "chicken." Strangely, some people seem to find it amusing to pronounce this "ch" as a …

It's the yin to piping hot coffee's yang. It's the darker, colder side of the coffee moon. And if I could just drink one thing for the rest of my life, I think it would be my choice. Of course, I'm referring to that most frigid and caffeinated of libations: iced coffee. And thankfully, I live in a country where it's sold just about everywhere, especially in the summer months. I say thankfully, because there are countries on Earth where (gasp) iced coffee is not commonly available. Yes, it is true. The iced coffee cult has yet to fully encircle the globe, although considering the number of …

I recently had a conversation with Patch columnist and reporter Jenae Holtzhafer about something called "mint tea." Apparently a beloved beverage by many local residents, this "tea" is made by steeping mint leaves in hot water. And that's it, folks. There is no part of the recipe that involves the addition of tea leaves to the brew, although--call me crazy--I've always thought that something called "tea" should actually include "tea" in it, as opposed to just mint (an herb). The popularity of the so-called mint tea can perhaps be attributed, at least in part, to its purported homeopathic …

It's become a regular, rather depressing ritual for some of us. We check gas prices online to see where the cheapeast fuel is being sold locally, only to realize that saving a few cents by patronizing one station instead of another will hardly matter at the end of the day. In this era of near record level gas prices, and as the summer driving season rapidly approaches, I often find myself thinking about a seemingly mythical time and place where regular unleaded cost about the same as Poland Spring water. No, I'm not referring to "Never-Never-Land." The year was 1999 and the place was Maine, …

The midst of an epic economic recession is hardly the opportune time to find money to save a dilapidated building. But in Hellertown, the moment in time we call "now" may be the last opportunity to save The Movies, the historic Main Street cinema that opened as the Sauconia in September 1940. Closed to the public and for all intents and purposes vacant since 2001, this once-proud jewel of Hellertown is now deteriorating fast. A recent walk around the architecturally significant Streamline Moderne movie theater revealed crumbling brickwork, shattered windows and latent decay that could spell …

OK, I'll admit that I like snow. It's fun to anticipate its arrival, it's fun to watch it fall and accumulate on the ground, it's fun to take photos of it and in it, and snow has a way of brightening up what is otherwise a very bleak winter landscape in this part of the country. It is not fun to drive in it in a Honda Civic, but that's one of the reasons I work from home. My penchant for crystalline H20 falling from the sky is why this has been kind of a disappointing winter. I'm sure some of my fellow snow-lovers will agree. Yes, the total snowfall for the area is slightly above the year-to-…

I like a glass of wine now and again. I'm not a big drinker, but I do enjoy a drink when I go out, and if I'm having dinner with friends I am more likely to tipple than not. The problem is, if I need to purchase a bottle of wine I must make a separate trip to a state liquor store, where my options have been "conveniently" pre-selected for me by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). Ugh. I'm a busy guy, so it would be a lot more convenient for me to buy wine (or liquor or beer) in the supermarket where I buy my other essentials, and where people in many other states are free to …