Friday, May 10, 2013
How and where not to drive your car, from the car manufacturers.
I don’t find car commercials particularly interesting. Sure, a handful of car ads have been entertaining, and they’re usually for Volkswagens (remember the ad with the guy trying to race to the church?), but the most part, the ads are trying to peddle mass-produced people haulers and grocery getters. They usually don’t focus on the car, or how it performs, rather they feature an announcer shouting words at the viewer, accompanied by lots of numbers on the screen. What I do find interesting, or just plain absurd, are the warnings slapped on the ads. In fine print at the bottom of the screen, the warnings tell me what not to do with a particular vehicle. Drag racing on city streets? Don’t do that. Pegging the speedometer to the right as you…
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Check out our list of best places for Mother's Day brunch or dinner in Saucon Valley and beyond, and tell us what YOUR favorite dining destination is in the comments.
Hotel Bethlehem was the winner of last year's Reader's Choice poll on the best place in the Saucon Valley area for Mother's Day brunch. Patch readers also named their picks for Mother's Day destinations across the Lehigh Valley: Looking for more options? Check out a list of Mother's Day brunch/dinner destinations from Discover Lehigh Valley. And tell us about your favorite place for Mother's Day dining in the comments!
40.619556
-75.382037
437 Main St, Bethlehem, PA
/articles/mother-s-day-brunch-whats-your-favorite-place
/locations/9363532
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Saucon Valley School District board members and staff are poised to review proposals from independent transportation companies. If it turns out the district can achieve savings by outsourcing its school bus operations, should it?
Whether you're a parent of a school-age child or a district taxpayer—or both—how much is having Saucon Valley school bus drivers employed by the school district worth to you? The district has maintained its own bus fleet and employed its own drivers for decades, but the school board is now preparing to review requests for proposals from independent operators. At the last school board meeting, several board members said that as fiscal watchdogs elected to represent taxpayers, they feel obligated to review the proposals in order to determine whether significant savings can be achieved by the district and its taxpayers. The district was scheduled to open any submitted requests for proposal from private companies on Friday. Some residents, …
40.570549
-75.327816
Saucon Valley School District
2097 Polk Valley Rd, Hellertown, PA
/articles/how-much-are-svsd-s-bus-drivers-worth-poll
875167
/locations/9349443
The Philadelphia Eagles made some big picks in the recent NFL Draft and pulled out a few surprises.
There's a lot to get excited about if you're a Philadelphia Eagles fans these days. For numerous years, the fan base has shaken its head after hearing the news about who the Philadelphia Eagles took in the NFL Draft. Does anyone remember Mike Mamula? How about Freddie Mitchell? At least he had great hands—well, Mitchell said he did. So when the Birds were gearing up for the recent NFL Draft, many fans were cringing over who their selections would be. We had visions of Andy Reid dancing in our heads. And even though owner Jeff Lurie absolved general manager Howie Roseman from blame for past drafts, we weren't really buying it. And then the Birds began selecting... Now offensive linemen aren't the sexy picks we all love, but they usually …
Friday, May 3, 2013
No one likes to be left out, and car companies are no different.
I was driving to work the other day and a silver car with LEDs and a gaping front end came up behind me pretty quickly, stopping next to me at a red light on Henry Avenue. Though the car could have been anything … with its LEDs, and gaping grill, I gave it a quick glance. According to its front caliper, it was an Audi R8. Being not your typical grocery-getter, it qualified for a quick thumbs-up … as is customary. The driver smiled and nodded in appreciation … as is customary. Five years ago, I would have thought that this car was either a manufacturer’s prototype, never meant for production … or a spaceship. The R8’s 12 LEDs look like single units from some distances and look like one strip of light from other distances. The look was …
Monday, April 29, 2013
Most people have a restaurant that is their favorite place at which to eat out. Whether it's delicious food, amazing service or a cozy atmosphere, tell us what makes your favorite Hellertown restaurant so special.
Hellertown Borough* Restaurants (click on a name to write a review) Sagra Bistro Braveheart Highland Pub & Restaurant Cafe Erica Bella's Ristorante Roma Pizza Mike's Kids Doggie Shop Matey's Crossroads Hotel New Star Vassi's Rocco's Antonio's Paprika's Warm Sugar/The Artisan's Kitchen Project DiMaio's Hellertown Diner McDonald's Ricardo's/The Original Tavern House Hellertown Deli & Pita House Dunkin Donuts *Lower Saucon Township restaurants are not included in this list, however, they will be highlighted in a future article.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
The Philadelphia Phillies usually get off to a bad start in April. And they are once again this year.
They say you can't win the season in April. But you could certainly lose it. And after the first month of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies are letting April showers drown them. They stand at 9-14 going into Friday night's game against the New York Mets. Five games under .500 and their worst start since 2006. Basically there's one word to sum up their performance so far this season: pathetic. The starting pitching has been inconsistent. The bullpen has gotten rocked. The offensive bats aren't just cold; they're pretty much icy. The defense stinks. The fundamentals are lacking. Pathetic. Case in point was Roy Halladay's performance Wednesday night. The pitcher has turned things around since a shaky start and question marks about his …
Friday, April 26, 2013
... and yours probably will too.
When I’m driving around town, either for work or just for the heck of it, I find that my car gets about 19 to 20 miles per gallon. The car is up to date on maintenance, its tires are usually filled up properly and I drive conservatively. Still … it goes through a gallon of dino-juice after about 20 miles. It’s not bad, as the car is nine years old, and I don’t complain about it. There have been a few instances — usually after leaving a late-night municipal meeting in which every commissioner/board member had to thank everyone from his mother to his tailor in closing comments — where I have had the opportunity to do some hypermiling around town. Hypermiling is paying close attention to driving habits to maximize fuel economy. It’s fun, …
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Pat Toomey seems to understand that he has to reach moderates and independents as Pennsylvania becomes increasingly blue.
- OPINION
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Thursday, April 25
By G. Terry Madonna and Michael Young No one yet has called him “Benedict Toomey” but make no mistake: many conservatives view his recent effort to broker a gun compromise as a stunning act of perfidy. These critics see compelling evidence that Toomey’s flirtation with compromise has damaged seriously his reelection chances while disappointing his conservative supporters that expect him to hew to ideological rigidity on guns as well as other issues. Already invidious comparisons are being made between Toomey and the late Senator Arlen Specter—long the reigning bogyman of conservatives. We hear that Toomey’s gun compromise reveals him as just “another” Specter, lacking core principles or consistent policies. In fact, already a Facebook page…
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Patch blogger says she's closing up shop after pain and disappointment of dating after age 50.
- OPINION
- On Patch
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Wednesday, April 24
Carrie
8:31 pm on Sunday, May 12, 2013
Not too many years ago, someone bought a, RV. While traveling, they put the vehicle on cruise control and went to the back to take a nap. When the vehicle crashed, they successfully sued the manufacturer for millions because there was no warning stating that you had to remain behind the wheel and steering. more ›