Stephen Schwartz - Wicked songs and lyrics Composer

Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theater lyricist and composer. In a career already spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and Wicked (2003). He has also contributed lyrics for a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998; music and lyrics) and Enchanted (2007). Along the way, Schwartz has won three Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards and garnered six Tony Award nominations.

Winnie Holzman - Wicked (The Musical) Writer

Winnie Holzman (born in 1954 in New York City) is an award-winning American dramatist, screenwriter and poet. She is best known as the creator of the television series My So-Called Life, which originally aired on ABC. Holzman earned an Emmy Award nomination for writing in 1995 for My So-Called Life. She also wrote for the TV series The Wonder Years, thirtysomething and Once and Again.

Holzman studied English and Creative Writing at Princeton University and graduated with a Masters in Musical Theatre Writing from New York University in 1984. Her teachers at NYU included Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Leonard Bernstein.

Holzman made her Broadway debut in 2003 when she wrote the book for the Stephen Schwartz musical Wicked, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. For Wicked, Holzman received a Tony Award nomination in 2004 for Best Book of a Musical.

Holzman has had a number of acting spots, primarily featured in cameo roles on her own TV shows and a recurring role as a therapist on Curb Your Enthusiasm. She also had a small role in the film Jerry Maguire.

She is married to actor Paul Dooley, with whom she has one daughter, Savannah (born 1985), who is also a writer, and with whom Winnie has collaborated on various short films.

Wicked - Broadway Musical in NYC

Wicked is a musical with songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The story is based on the best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, a parallel novel of L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz.

Wicked tells the story of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Galinda, the Good Witch of the North. Their friendship struggles through their opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, their reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's public fall from grace. The plot is set mostly before Dorothy's arrival from Kansas, and includes several references to well-known scenes and dialogue in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz as a backstory.

The musical debuted on Broadway on October 30, 2003. It is produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento. Its original stars were Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Galinda, and Joel Grey as the Wizard. Although the production received mixed reviews and was panned by The New York Times, it has proved to be a favorite among patrons. The Broadway production's success spawned productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, London's West End, Tokyo, Melbourne, and Stuttgart, along with two North American tours that have visited over 30 cities in Canada and the United States.

Wicked has broken box office records around the world, holding weekly-gross-takings records in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, and London, and the record for biggest opening in the West End (£100,000 in the first hour on sale). The West End production has played to more than 1.4 million people, and the North American tour has been seen by over two million patrons. The show was nominated for ten 2004 Tony Awards, winning those for Best Actress, Scenic Design and Costume Design. It also won six Drama Desk Awards.

Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, PA

For more than 90 years, the Game Preserve - located north of Allentown/Lehigh Valley, PA - has entertained and educated more than five million people inside and outside Pennsylvania. Founded by General Harry C. Trexler, a local industrialist, the Game Preserve played a significant role in saving the North American Bison from extinction.

As a ranch owner in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, General Trexler was concerned with the future safety and care of big game animals (i.e., elk and bison). He began to envision a private preserve where big game could roam freely and propagate undisturbed. Dr. William T. Hornaday, curator of the Bronx Zoo in New York City and head of the American Bison Society, advised General Trexler that both elk and bison could thrive in the Lehigh Valley region. The Trexler Game Preserve was founded in 1906.

General Trexler died in an automobile accident in 1933. The County of Lehigh took ownership of the 1,200-acre Game Preserve in 1935 upon the direction of Trexler's will. At that time there were 98 bison, 78 elk (wapiti) and 269 Virginia deer in the collection. The Preserve was only open on Sundays.

In April 1974, construction began to develop a 25-acre Children's Zoo. This redevelopment marked many changes at the Game Preserve. The most significant was the evolution from informal petting and feeding exhibits to more formalized exhibits. The animal collection expanded to exotic animals from Africa, Asia and Australia. The operating hours also expanded to a weekend spring/fall schedule and a seven-day summer schedule.

During the past eleven years, the Game Preserve experienced significant growth and attention. The Game Preserve embarked on an ambitious program that covered marketing and branding, education, staff development, community involvement and financial support. A Vision Plan was developed in 1995. It focused on a short-term framework for improving the value of a visitor's experience. The results have been tremendous with a 31 percent increase in admissions. The Game Preserve is also focusing on much needed physical improvements for animal exhibits, visitor services and infrastructure.

On November 1, 2004, the Lehigh Valley Zoological Society assumed management of the 29 acre zoo at the Game Preserve. All Programs, including education, that were formally run by the zoo and utilized all of the acreage at the Game Preserve, will continue and will be run by the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

On March 31, 2006, the Lehigh Valley Zoo achieved a long-standing goal by becoming accreditted by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. Accreditation places the Lehigh Valley Zoo in the top 10% of animal attractions in North Americ

Lehigh Valley Style Magazine

Approaching its eighth year of publication, Lehigh Valley Style is a monthly lifestyle magazine that seeks to enlighten, inform and entertain its readership with lively editorial content balanced by high-end visual impact.

Over its seven-year history, Style has become the magazine of distinction in the Lehigh Valley for profiling local and international personalities like Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, regional royalty such as Michael Andretti and leaders and intriguing entrepreneurs within our business and philanthropic communities.

Addressing the critical issues that face its regional readers, such as health matters, the concerns of our seniors, and the education of our children is also a publication goal.

Style is an idea-oriented publication that provides its readers with the best in home-related editorial with one-of-a kind home profiles and resources that help make a house a home.

Style has also set itself apart with exclusive content, like The Lehigh Valley Style Supper Club, its community forum to discuss issues of regional importance and interest, and LV Style Scene, a look at area happenings and organizations.

There is always something to go and do in the Lehigh Valley and Style addresses this with its Stepping Out calendar of events in every issue. The region also boasts some of the finest restaurants and the most talented chefs: Style is on the scene with regular profiles and reviews of local cuisine and the personalities behind the menus.

Lehigh Valley Style is published by long-time Lehigh Valley residents, Lisa and Paul Prass. It remains the only regional publication produced entirely in the Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh Valley Yoga

Lehigh Valley Yoga began as a small Ashtanga yoga studio founded by Erica McHugh as Alive and Kicking in April of 1998. She followed her instincts when she found Ashtanga and since then we have grown to include an expanded class schedule, new teachers, additional yoga styles and educational yoga products. So, whether you are a new student, or are an experienced yogi, you'll find we offer a range of class styles that will fit your schedule and your personality.

LVYoga has recently moved from the Silkwerks Building . We have lots of new classes for you to try and, as always, lots of Ashtanga classes. Our current instructors will be staying on and we have some new instructors joining our studio as well. See our summer schedule for more information.

LVYoga is committed to creating a community space for all of us to grow together.

Lehigh Valley Velodrome

The Valley Preferred Cycling Center - the most celebrated velodrome in modern American cycling history - can trace its beginnings to the dream of one inspired visionary and its legendary success to the inspired dreams of countless champions who began their trek to glory on its 333-meter track.

Known for the first 20 years of its existence as the Lehigh County Velodrome - or simply “T-town,” as it is affectionately referred to by the national and international racers who make their homes here each summer - the concrete crater in a corn field was the idea of publisher Bob Rodale. Rodale fell in love with track cycling while competing as an Olympic and Pan American games skeet shooter in the 1960s. The president of Rodale Press and later publisher of Bicycling and Mountain Bike magazines knew in his heart that the excitement and colorful action of this healthful sport could capture the interest of Americans.

Rodale was a visionary but he was also a practical businessman. He made sure his dream was built to last by consulting with numerous national and international cycling organizations, racers and knowledgeable contractors. Construction began in 1974 on a plot of land in Trexlertown, PA, owned by Bob Rodale and his wife, Ardath. As the work progressed and the track took shape, Rodale worked with community leaders to create programs such as the Air Products Developmental Cycling Program that would spark a local interest in bicycle racing. He also donated his land and the partially completed facility to Lehigh County in return for a pledge that the county would continue to support development of the track and its programs.

Rodale reached out to two of the most celebrated cyclists of the 1960s and 1970s - Jack Simes III and David Chauner - to bring his dream to life. Working with the late Artie Greenburg and announcer Brian Drebber, Simes and Chauner launched an immediate effort to attract top international cyclists and events, creating a foundation that has made the Valley Preferred Cycling Center the most active and successful velodrome in the United States.

The first race was held on October 12, 1975. There were no locker rooms for the athletes, no rest rooms, and no seats for the fans - there wasn’t even a railing at the top of the track. From those early days when Jerry “The Gentle Giant” Ash and Leigh “The Tree” Barczewski and his brother Les, along with cycling greats such as Gil “Gibby” Hatton and women riders such as Sheila Young and Connie Paraskevin reignited the sport of track racing in the United States, Rodale’s dream did catch the imagination of the American cycling public.

Simes and Chauner were followed by equally imaginative and talented leaders, from Leigh and Karen Barczewski to Pat McDonough and Erin Hartwell, and the concrete crater continues to produce world-class competitors and events.

Since the mid-1970s, the Valley Preferred Cycling Center has hosted World Cups, Olympic trials, the Junior World Championships (twice), national championships and countless major international competitions, creating stars and producing top international competitors, such as former Junior World Sprint Champion Sarah Uhl, who won her title in a dramatic finish in the last race of the event in front of a cheering hometown crowd.

Over the years T-town has endeared itself to the racers as much as the racers have endeared themselves to the crowds. Riders such as Uhl and the late Nicole Reinhart hold special places in track memory along with past luminaries Shaun Wallace of England and Paul “The Animal” Pearson of Allentown and heroes of today, such as World Championship Silver Medalist Ashley Kimmet of Allentown and multiple National Champion Bobby Lea of Mertztown.

There is no doubt the greatest of them all is Marty Nothstein, a local kid who grew up in the Air Products Developmental Cycling Program, the Bicycle Racing League that now bears his name, and the famous Friday night racing program that has attracted the Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, Britons, Chileans, Argentines, Italians, Danes, Germans, French and Russians over the past 30 years. Nothstein went on to win Olympic Gold, Olympic Silver, three World Championships and more than 30 U.S. National Championships during his 15-year career. He is now the Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Director of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, where he works with President and Chief Executive Officer Erin Hartwell - himself an Olympic Silver medalist - to continue the great programs and events that have made T-town an international destination for the world’s best track cyclists.

During the course of Nothstein’s career and in large part due to his international success, the Valley Preferred Cycling Center also gained powerful and influential allies that have helped it remain the premier velodrome in the United States. In 1995 the facilities were rebuilt to add new grandstands that hold 2,000 fans, new shower and locker facilities for the athletes, top-notch restroom facilities for the fans, and a world-class concession stand that offers value-priced food and beverages for the cycling enthusiasts who trek to the track several nights a week during the racing season.

Renamed the Lehigh Valley Velodrome when those renovations were completed, it hosted former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, who took a Friday night lap around the track in front of the fans during one of his annual cycling excursions around the commonwealth, and cycling legends such as Greg LeMond and Bobby Julich have been known to show up at the bi-annual bicycle swap meets that draw thousands of cyclists from all over the East Coast.

Though Bob Rodale’s life was tragically cut short in a 1990 automobile accident in Russia, his dream lives on through the support of his wife, Ardath, his family and Rodale Inc., along with the community support that has continued because of Bob Rodale’s early efforts to build a cycling facility that would become a prized icon of the Lehigh Valley.

The velodrome is now managed by a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation that continues to promote track cycling - just the way Bob wanted it. Thanks to the generous of Valley Preferred, a community partnership of doctors and hospitals, the newly renamed Valley Preferred Cycling Center continues to lead the nation in quality competition, championship racer development and community programs that offer the opportunity for racers and non-racers to enjoy the thrill of bicycle track racing in the nation’s most-loved and most-successful velodromes in modern American cycling.

Cheryl Bautista Burke - Drew Lachey's Dance Partner

Cheryl Bautista Burke (born May 3, 1984) is a two time Emmy nominated professional dancer. As the professional dancer partner, she won the competition in the second and third seasons of ABC's American version of Dancing with the Stars with celebrity dance partners Drew Lachey (February 2006) and Emmitt Smith (November 2006). She was the first professional dancer to win two Dancing with the Stars championships and in any competition. (Julianne Hough followed with two back-to-back championships in seasons 4 and 5).

Burke grew up in Atherton, California. She is of Filipino, Russian, and Irish descent. Her family dances recreationally and have a dance floor at home. At 4 years of age she began taking ballet lessons and performing locally. She then began ballroom dancing and decided to change her focus. She trained in both standard ballroom and Latin dances. She began competing at age 13. Cheryl has two sisters, Mandy and Nicole. Burke is a 2002 graduate of Menlo-Atherton High School.

Excerpts taken from this article are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. They use material from Wikipedia

Lisa Olivia - American Actress and Model

Lisa Olivia Munn was born in Oklahoma to mother Kim Munn and father Sam Munn. She is of Chinese descent on her mother's side and of Caucasian descent on her father's. When Munn was two, her mother re-married to a man in the Air Force. Although the family relocated many times, Munn was predominantly raised in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Japan, where the military assigned her stepfather. During this time, she had appeared in a number of local theater productions, and later became a model within the Japanese fashion industry.

Munn moved back to the United States, settling in Los Angeles, California to pursue an acting career. In 2004, she interned at Fox Sports Net and worked as a sideline reporter for college football and women's basketball. She has gone on to say that she disliked the experience, explaining "I was trying to be something I wasn't, and that made me really uncomfortable on live TV." Munn had also gained a small role in the straight to video horror film Scarecrow Gone Wild. She also stars in the music video Hello Tomorrow by the band Zebrahead.

In late 2005, Munn began her portrayal of Milly Acuna, a teen surfer, over two seasons of the TV drama Beyond the Break on The N network. She enjoys surfing and continues to practice the sport. She originally auditioned for the part of Kai, but the producers wanted a "local girl". She also appeared in the film The Road to Canyon Lake.

Excerpts taken from this article are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. They use material from Wikipedia

Adam G. Riess - Astrophysicist from John Hopkins University

Dr. Adam G. Riess is a Professor of Astronomy and Physics at the Johns Hopkins University and a Senior member of the Science Staff at the Space Telescope Science Institute, both in Baltimore, MD.

His research involves measurements of the cosmological framework with supernovae (exploding stars) and Cepheids (pulsating stars).

In 1998 Dr. Riess led a study for the High-z Team which provided the first direct and published evidence that the expansion of the Universe was accelerating and filled with Dark Energy (Riess et al. 1998, AJ, 116, 1009), a result which, together with the Supernova Cosmology Project's result, was called the Breakthrough Discovery of the Year by Science Magazine in 1998.

On the ten year anniversary of this discovery, Symmetry Magazine reprinted the key page from his lab notebook showing the first indication, here, that the expansion of the Universe was accelerating.

He followed this work with a number of studies to test the susceptibility of this measurement to contamination by unexpected types of dust or evolution. To this aim, Dr. Riess led the Hubble Higher-z Team beginning in 2002 to find 25 of the most distant supernovae known with the Hubble Space Telescope, all at redshift greater than 1. This work culminated in the first highly significant detection of the preceding, decelerating epoch of the Universe and helped to confirm the reality of acceleration by disfavoring alternative, astrophysically-motivated explanations for the faintness of supernovae (Riess et al. 2004, ApJ, 607, 655).

Sara Seager - Astrophysicist from MIT

Sara Seager is the Ellen Swallow Richards Associate Professor of Planetary Science and Associate Professor of Physics at MIT. Before joining MIT in 2007, she spent four years on the senior research staff at the Carnegie Institution of Washington preceded by three years at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ. Her PhD is from Harvard University and her BSc in math and physics from the University of Toronto. Professor Seager is the 2007 recipient of the American Astronomical Society’s Helen B. Warner Prize.

Professor Seager’s research focuses on theoretical models of atmospheres and interiors of all kinds of exoplanets. Her research has introduced many new ideas to the field of exoplanet characterization, including work that led to the first detection of an exoplanet atmosphere. She was part of a team that co-discovered the first detection of light emitted from an exoplanet and the first spectrum of an exoplanet.

Nicole King - Molecular and Cell Biologist from Berkeley

King has been a pioneer in identifying choanoflagellates as key organisms to answer questions about the origin of multicellularity. Prior to her work, it was unclear whether choanoflagellates or fungi were the closest outgroup to multicellular animals (also called "metazoans"). King's comparative genomics work in collaboration with Sean Carroll has also significantly advanced the understanding of the evolutionary "tree of life," and charts the evolutionary relationship of all organisms to each other. Additionally, work by King and colleagues shows that choanoflagellates possess several protein-coding genes that are highly related to protein-coding genes in animals at the base of the metazoan tree, such as sponges, cnidarians, and ctenophores.

More recent work by King demonstrates that molecules thought to underpin the transition to multicellarity actually existed in the single-celled choanoflagellates, long before the evolution of multicellular animals. For example, one of the most abundant and important cell adhesion molecules in the animal kingdom, cadherin, exists in choanoflagellates. In animals, cadherins are required to keep cells attached to their neighbors so it was a surprising to discover that cadherins predate the evolution of animals. In addition, King found the choanoflagellates possess genes that animal cells use to "talk" or signal to one another, such as Receptor tyrosine kinase. These findings represent a paradigm shift in the understanding about what events led to the origin of animals.

Amy Wagers - Stem Cell Biologist from Harvard

Amy Wagers received her Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis from Northwestern University in 1999, and completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Irving Weissman at Stanford University School of Medicine. Since May 2004, she has been a faculty member in the Section on Developmental and Stem Cell Biology at Joslin Diabetes Center and Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Wagers is a recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award in the Biomedical Science and the Smith Family New Investigator Award. Her current research is focused on defining the factors and mechanisms that regulate the migration, expansion, and regenerative potential of adult blood-forming and muscle-forming stem cells.

Katey Walter - Aquatic Ecologist

Walter was selected as a University of Alaska Presidential International Polar Year Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in March 2007.

Walter was lead author on a paper published in September 2006 in Nature titled “Methane Bubbling from Siberian Thaw Lakes as a Positive Feedback to Climate Warming”. She reported to the Royal Society in London in November, 2006 to present this work together with a first-order estimate of pan-arctic lake methane emissions for publication in the upcoming volume of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. Another chapter of her Ph.D. dissertation was published in Science in October 2007 on the role of thermokarst lakes as an atmospheric methane source during Holocene deglaciation.

On behalf of the Northeast Science Station in Cherskii, Walter works as project coordinator for Russian-U.S. collaborations for the International Polar Year as part of an effort to network arctic observatories in Alaska and Russia for long term monitoring of climate change in cold regions.

Walter is fluent in Russian language and has lived and worked in Russia since 1992.

Walter has M.S. in Ecology with a focus on biogeochemistry of invasive aquatic plants from the University of California, Davis and a Bachelors Degree in Biogeochemistry from Mount Holyoke College. She has conducted research projects in Russia, Germany, Central America and the United States.

Walter received her Ph.D. in Aquatic Biology in May 2006 from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. In December 2006 the United States Council of Graduate Schools presented her with the nation’s most prestigious honor for doctoral dissertations: First place in Science, Math and Engineering. This award is given every two years to recognize recent doctoral recipients who have already made significant contributions to their field.

Walter is a certified scientific diver; a mountaineer; skier; outdoor enthusiast and plays the cello.

Julie Wohlberg - Public Relations

Julie Wohlberg manages public relations efforts for Multiply, Inc. and has served as the Director of Communications for numerous Web 2.0 companies based in the US, Europe and South America.

Prior to her public relations career, Wohlberg worked as an entertainment writer, with syndicated film review and celebrity profile columns in alternative newsweeklies from around the US and abroad. At the end of her journalistic career, she worked as a film and music writer and critic for Tribune Media.

About Multiply Inc.

Based in Boca Raton, FL and with offices in New York City and San Francisco, Multiply gives people the ability to share personal content with a wider, more relevant audience by leveraging trusted relationships to communicate with friends-of-friends. This small-group approach to social networking ensures that more of the people you know and care about - and fewer strangers - see your personal content and interact with you. Multiply's feature-set appeals to a growing number of individuals who are not only concerned with privacy issues surrounding mainstream social networks, but who also value content created by their real-world friends and family. Named to AlwaysOn's 2008 OnMedia 100 list of top private digital entertainment and media companies, Multiply is privately-held with backing by VantagePoint Venture Partners, Point Judith Capital, Transcosmos, and private investors.

Ben Weinberger - CEO of Digitalsmiths

Ben Weinberger co-founded Digitalsmiths and innovative VideoSense system in 1998, and has grown the operation from a two-person college business into a market-leading technology company. Digitalsmiths entered the entertainment industry in 2001 when it introduced its proprietary technology platform, Media Access Pro™, a ground-breaking software platform allowing clients to search massive amounts of film and television content in a simple and methodical way. The technology underlying Media Access Pro™ has enabled Digitalsmiths to develop VideoSense™, an innovative system used to create contextual advertising opportunities related to broadband video. VideoSense has propelled Digitalsmiths to the cutting edge of online advertising and marketing technology. Weinberger graduated with honors from Southern Illinois University, and serves on the board of directors for the Honors Program at Southern Illinois University.

Wachovia Center - History, Seats, and Parking

In 1988, Ed Snider had a dream to build a new state-of-the-art facility for the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers, a place for everyone. That dream became a reality in the summer of 1996 when the doors were first opened at the CoreStates Center, now known as the Wachovia Center. In its short history, the Center has hosted some very memorable events. Here are a few highlights.

July 21-22, 2001
Madonna opened the United States portion of her Drowned Tour in Philadelphia on July 21. The “Material Girl” sold out both of her scheduled concerts at the First Union Center in 75 minutes.

August 17-22, 2001
The most anticipated event of the 2001 X-Games actually took place inside the First Union Center as Kenny Bartram won the first ever Moto X Big Air competition while AC/DC blasted throughout the arena, pumping up the crowd. The six-day event hosted 235,000 people.

February 9-10, 2002
Lower Merion product Kobe Bryant took home the MVP award for the NBA All-Star game as he outplayed 76ers guard Allen Iverson in helping the Western Conference outlast the East, 135-120. In the skills competition, Sacramento’s Peja Stojakovic won the 1 800 CALL ATT Shootout and Golden State’s Jason Richardson took home first place in the 2002 NBA.com Slam Dunk presented by RealOne.

February 13-24, 2002
The piano playing dynamic duo Billy Joel and Elton John sold out six shows at the First Union Center. The six shows, totaling in excess of 110,000 tickets, are the most performances in one city on the “Face to Face” Tour.

August 15-19, 2002
The ESPN X-games welcomed its 2 millionth fan when the games came to Philadelphia. The athletes showcased unprecedented tricks, introduced women’s exhibitions, and experienced a spectator fan base that exceeded the averages from 2001.

July 27, 2003
The Center changes its name to the Wachovia Center. That evening, the American Idols Live Tour performed as the first event in the Wachovia Center.

Seating Charts:

http://www.wachoviacenter.com/seating/seatingCharts.asp

Parking:

http://www.wachoviacenter.com/ParkingAndDirections/parkingMaps.asp

Hotel Bethlehem - Historic Hotel on Main Street

Welcome to the Historic Hotel Bethlehem in downtown Bethlehem PA in the heart of the Lehigh Valley, just minutes from Allentown and Easton, Pennsylvania, Lehigh University, Moravian College, and a 10 minute drive from the Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE). We are conveniently located in the heart of the historic district that surrounds our hotel in Bethlehem.

Embrace our beautifully decorated and newly renovated historic Bethlehem hotel. Come experience world-class service, charming guest accommodations, elegantly appointed lobby and common areas, beautiful yet efficient banquet and meeting facilities, and Award winning cuisine. We proudly continue the tradition of Bethlehem hospitality that began by the Moravians who first settled here in 1741. Come experience this hospitality at our Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

Restored to its original 1922 grandeur, Historic Hotel Bethlehem's floor-to-ceiling palladium windows provide dramatic views of the historic shopping district just outside our front doors. Seven large murals, painted by George Gray and hung in the Mural Ballroom since 1937, retell the history of Bethlehem. In particular, the story of how Count Zinzendorf and other early settlers met on Christmas Eve in 1741 in a crude cabin on the site now occupied by the hotel, and named the city of Bethlehem, emblazons an entire wall.

Art of Musik - Musikfest 2008 in Lehigh Valley

In 1984, nearly 182,000 people attended a small, grass-roots music festival in Bethlehem, Pa. featuring 118 performers and 295 performances on six stages. At the time, no one knew how large the event would grow or how long it would last.

Amazingly, more than two decades have passed since that first Musikfest. And from those humble beginnings, the event has blossomed into a 10-day musical spectacular that attracts more than one million people from throughout the country. The festival, which showcases nearly every musical style imaginable, features:

* More than 300 performers from across the country and around the globe.
* Musical programming at 14 different indoor and outdoor stages (10 of the stages are free).
* 10 great nights of headline entertainment.
* Mouth-watering foods, plenty of children's fun and activities and a spectacular closing-night fireworks display.

Pizza Como & PC Pub Restaurant Sports Bar

Bands such as Crystal Roxx, Go Go Gadget, UUU, Octane, Gracey's Trip, Emily's Toy Box, and others take stage at the 'Pizza Pub' and the area with some of the greatest music talent.

Pizza Como & PC Pub Restaurant Sports Bar is a snazzy club/bar located in Pennsburg, PA that highlights different bands from around the area and also provides top notch food and drinks.

Thomas M. Menino - Boston Massachusetts Mayor

Thomas M. Menino is serving his fourth term as Mayor of the City of Boston. The first Italian-American Mayor of Boston, he was elected to his first term on November 2, 1993, winning 64 percent of the vote and 18 of the city's 22 wards. Mayor Menino was re-elected to a second term without opposition in 1997 and won a third term in a landslide victory in November 2001. Most recently, Mayor Menino won a historic fourth election in November, 2005 with 68 percent of the vote. Prior to his election in 1993, he previously served four months as Acting Mayor and nine years as a District City Councilor from Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood.

A lifelong resident of Hyde Park, Mayor Menino is a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High School. In 1963, Mayor Menino earned an associate's degree in business management and advertising and sales from Chamberlayne Junior College. In 1988, he earned a degree in community planning from the University of Massachusetts. Mayor Menino and his wife, the former Angela Faletra, have two children, Susan and Thomas, Jr., and six grandchildren.

During his tenure as Mayor of Boston, Mayor Menino has worked hard to improve the quality of life for all of Boston's 589,000 residents. As President of the United States Conference of Mayors from 2002-2003, Mayor Menino championed homeland security and housing availability. He has been an advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation since 1989.

In the summer of 2004, Mayor Menino brought the Democratic National Convention to Boston. The convention put a national spotlight on Boston, showcasing all that Boston has to offer. Estimates put the economic contribution of the convention at more than $150 million dollars and its positive effects will be felt for years.

Mayor Menino's reputation for getting the job done has earned him a high approval rating among Boston residents. Among his main priorities, are: providing every child with a quality education; creating affordable housing; lowering the crime rate; revitalizing Boston's neighborhoods; and promoting a healthy lifestyle for all city residents.

John B. Callahan - Mayor of Bethlehem, PA

John Callahan was sworn in as the mayor of Bethlehem, the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, on January 5, 2004. He was elected mayor in November 2003 in a landslide victory not only taking over 60% of the votes but also sweeping every ward in the city. Mayor Callahan had a second landslide victory in the 2005 primary and ran unopposed in the general election. He was sworn into office for his first four-year term mandated by voters on January 3, 2006.

Mayor Callahan served on Bethlehem City Council from 1998-2004. When he was elected to City Council in 1998, he became the youngest Councilman in the history of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He chaired the Finance Committee and the Public Works Committee.

Mayor Callahan is a recent graduate of the Harvard University JFK School of Government Executive Program on Leadership in the 21st Century as well as the Transition and Leadership for New Elected Mayors Program. Mayor Callahan recently was invited back to the Kennedy School by the United States Conference of Mayors to speak about the transitioning form campaign to governing.

He serves on the Board of Directors for Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, and the Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, for which he is also the Chair of the Urban Scouting Program in Bethlehem. He serves as 2nd Vice President of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities as well as the Chair of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities Municipal Programs Committee and is a member of the National League of Cities Policy Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources. Mayor Callahan is Co-Chair of South Side Vision 2012 and also a member of the Pennsylvania Society and Bethlehem Rotary.

Mayor Callahan grew up on the West Side of Bethlehem and graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Biology from Moravian College. Before becoming Mayor of the City of Bethlehem Callahan was a Senior Institutional Healthcare Consultant for Pfizer, Inc., a “Fortune 20” company. The company had employed him for 13 years. He and his wife, Mafalda, have three children and reside in Northeast Bethlehem.

Douglas Wiltraut - Fine Artist

Douglas Wiltraut, one of America's foremost painters in egg tempera and dry brush watercolor graduated from Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA with a BFA in Painting in 1973. Currently the President of the National Society of Painters in Casein & Acrylic, Inc., he has been the recipient of the Butler Institute of American Art Award, the Today’s Art Medal, the Knickerbocker Artists Gold and Silver Medals of Honor and three times the recipient of the Ralph Fabri Medal. In 1999 he was awarded the Adirondacks Wilderness Award with the Rouse Gold Medallion followed by the Trails & Streams Medal in 2000, both in the Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors. He was the subject of a feature article on egg tempera painting in both American Artist and The Artist’s Magazine and his acrylic paintings were discussed in an article in Palette Talk. He conducted the Brandywine Workshop in egg tempera painting for American Artist magazine and his work was included in the American Artist Golden Anniversary Exhibition and the Berman Museum of Art Inaugural Exhibition. In 1998 he received the Arts Ovation Award from the City of Allentown.

Ann Elizabeth Schlegel - Banana Factory

“To paint, to create art, to lose myself in the moment.....that is what drives me, thrills me. To put down my brush and stand back and say, Yes!, it has been a good day”.

Ms. Schlegel is the recipient of the 2002 Arts Ovation Award for outstanding achievement in the visual arts with special recognition by the Pennsylvania State Senate and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Her Musikfest 20th Anniversary poster received the Gold Addy Award.

Ms. Schlegel has created the art for the MUSIKFEST 20TH ANNIVERSARY poster 2003, the MAYFAIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY poster 2006, THE WINE DINE CULINARY FESTIVAL posters for 2003 and 2005, the CigarsInternational CIGARFEST posters for 2005 and 2006, the ANDY WARHOL poster for the Allentown Art Museum ANDY WARHOL exhibit in 2006 and the HUDSON VALLEY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL posters for 2007 and 2008.

She has been a resident artist with the Banana Factory since May of 1999.

Schlegel is primarily an oil painter. Traveling to Paris to further her knowledge of 19th century art, she studied at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Des Beaux-Arts. She has painted in the south of France and Giverny, home of Claude Monet. In 2003, Schlegel exhibited in Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany. In 2005 she was invited to return to Germany for a second solo exhibition - The Red Violin and Other Compositions - in the Stadt Musik Schüle - the ‘City Music School’.

Ms. Schlegel was invited to be an exhibiting artist in Antibes, France in 2008. She exhibited the 'Music Series' in Galerie Bains Douches coinciding with the world famous Jazz a Juan - Jazz Festival in Antibes Juan-les-Pins. She was a guest of The City of Antibes located in the heart of the French Riviera for three weeks.

Ms. Schlegel has been invited back to Antibes to work and create paintings and live in the beautiful Villa Fontaine overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Ms. Schlegel has donated proceeds from her art to causes including St. Luke’s Hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital - Hospice, Sacred Heart Hospital, The Nineteenth St. Theatre, Allentown Symphony Hall, The United Friends School, Community Services for Children, The Baum School of Art, Public Television, KidsPeace, Breast Cancer research, AIDSnet, The Tsunami Relief effort, Dream Come True, Make a Wish Foundation, the charities that benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina including The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA

The Sands will have the largest hotel rooms in the Lehigh Valley. All the rooms are modeled after the new ultra-luxurious Palazzo Las Vegas. There are rich touches like wall-mounted flat screen TV’s and marble appointments in the bathrooms. There will be all the amenities you would expect including in-room dining, concierge, fitness center, and more.

Sands will have a dazzling array of activities. The centerpiece of the property is a visually and architecturally stunning casino with 3,000 slot machines and the latest in electronic games. Visitors will find more than 40 upscale stores at The Shoppes at the Sands. There are also exciting clubs for after-hours entertainment and a spa for pampering.

Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem will be a mix of old and new. It is being built on the site of the historic Bethlehem Steel, and will incorporate many of the remaining historical elements of the famed plant. For example, the massive ore crane will be part of the casino design and will serve as a reminder of the “old days” past when visitors drive under it as they approach the brick, steel, and glass porte cochere. Design elements such as exposed steel, back-lit perforated metal screens and a soaring, transparent glass monitor’s atrium will be featured within a number of existing buildings.

The Banana Factory - Historic Bethlehem, PA

The Banana Factory, Bethlehem's community art center and gallery, recognizes the importance of the visual arts and has dedicated itself to promoting and sharing them with everyone, regardless of age, race or economic background.

From gallery exhibitions by nationally-known artists to shows by local school children and summer employment programs for inner-city youth, the center is making the arts accessible to all.

The Banana Factory’s 63,000-square feet of space are occupied by two galleries, five large classrooms, over 20 artists’ studios and much more.

The anchor of the arts facility is the Fowler Arts and Education Center, named in honor of longtime Banana Factory supporters Marlene “Linny” and Beall Fowler of Bethlehem.

Established in 1998 “to kindle, support and celebrate the artistic, cultural and creative spirit of the Lehigh Valley,” the Banana Factory has been a cornerstone in the revitalization of South Bethlehem and has rapidly become one of the main visual arts attractions in the Lehigh Valley and Eastern Pennsylvania.

The Banana Factory today consists of several adjoining buildings that have housed an assortment of businesses over the last century – including a banana wholesale warehouse. The original building on the site was the Lehigh Valley Hotel, which was built in 1860 and stood on the site for a century.

The art center took its name from the fact that the site was owned in the 1960s by D. Theodoredis & Sons Inc., which processed, distributed and sold bananas throughout the northeastern United States. Large shipments of the fruit would arrive by rail and truck from South America and were brought here for storage and shipment.

At other times, the block between Second and Third streets, and Northampton and Plymouth streets, was home to a garment manufacturer, a moving company, auto parts store and an automobile dealership.

Cast in Bronze featured on Celebitrix.com

Imagine that you play a musical instrument so rare that no one knows it exists. Imagine further that this instrument weighs several tons, making it next to impossible to perform indoors. To complicate matters, imagine that you have combined this unknown, very large instrument with other musical instruments thereby creating a completely new sound and musical style never before experienced.

Cast in Bronze was created to bring the haunting beauty of the CARILLON to more listeners by demonstrating its versatility with other instruments. This objective has been accomplished through live performances with live musicians, recordings, and solo performances accompanied by musical tracks.

RIGO PERALTA

Painter and printmaker Rigo Peralta was born in the Dominican Republic and relocated to New York City in 1989. These dichotomous cultures have inspired his work, allowing him to blend in visual idioms highlighting the multicultural diversity that connects his Caribbean past and his urban present.

Now a resident of Allentown, Rigo studied painting at the Art Student League of New York and the National Academy of Fine Arts, Santiago, Dominican Republic. From 1988-89 he was a full-time art instructor in an elementary school in the Dominican Republic, and from 2002-03 he was the art director of the Casa de la Cultura Dominicana in New York.

In 2003, he was the first Dominican artist invited by the President of the United States to visit the White House.

During his career, Rigo has won numerous awards and had solo exhibitions in New York City. Recently, his work was featured at Monsoon Gallery in Bethlehem and the North Light Loft in Allentown.

Erin Jividen and her One Woman Show

Gifted with a voice pop critics have compared to liquid love, and which has attracted packed audiences at The Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall, The Knitting Factory and many other well-known pop/rock venues around New York and the country, this California native has had the opportunity to record in the most exclusive recording studios including: The Hit Factory, Sony Music Studios, The Power Station, and Avitar Studios. EJ has worked with numerous top producers including: Michael V. Blum (Madonna, Kelly Clarkson) Dan Wise (Joan Osborne) Joey P (Pink, Maya) Steve Alaimo (KC and the Sunshine Band) and most recently, this young talent has recorded seven songs with acclaimed hit producer, Tony BonGiovi.

For more information visit her Celebitrix Spotlight at:
http://www.celebitrix.com/directory/archives.php?sort=6&id=41

Steamroller Picnic

Steamroller Picnic has a long and rich history as a premier cover band in the north-east and mid-atlantic regions. 14 years and over 2000 performances later puts them among the top 3% of successful bands nationwide. Good times and good music is what it is all about. Join performances by Paul, Jeff, Judge, Peshi, and Al B by checking out their show listings.

The Dancing Flyers Guy

If you have watched the Flyers at an away game or on their own rink at Wachovia, than you have more than likely seen this dancing motif either showcased on the central hanging jumbotro (or right beside you if you happen to be located on the upper-most level). Watch out Juliart Dance Studios, because this half-time show stopper has the moves it takes to reach the top. His versions of the "lawnmower man" or "Hammer" moves are enough to make any ticket happy fanatic come back for more. While his name remains a mystery, this jiggling jumble of joy jumps joyfully, gyrating on the jumbotro jaded by Juliart.

Peter Cashmore Advances Collar Lofting Trend

Facilitating tech knowledge and dispersing blog enriched content to millions of people worldwide does not seem to by the only objective on Peters plate. We have caught up with the San Francisco based Web 2.0 strategist and noticed a slow collar transformation. On a sunny afternoon, while collaborating with fellow top blog witers Mark Rizzn Hopkins and Kristen Nicole, the collar seems to remain at a standstill: unreveiling, flapless, and unwrinkled from his well mannered suit. At night and during Mashable related events, it becomes unleashed, spreading a confident and proud ambience among friends and followers. Mashable can be regularly cited in the New York Times, Washington Post, BBC Radio, and more.

PROLIFIC MODELING - PATRICIA KARA

After kicking off her career as a prolific model in NYC, Patricia Kara moved on to explore new challenges and opportunities in Hollywood, CA. Her role in the popular seasonal show Deal or No Deal has been a life changing experience and hopes to continue working with a great set of people. Patricia is working hard on releasing her first swimsuit calendar for 2009 and taping red carpet interviews for the Fox Movie Channel.

While helping others with their careers, Patricia prides herself with inert passion. She mentions, "My personal goals revolve around being happy and doing something I am passionate about, while being able to make my life and my familys life better along the way."

Living in California with perfect weather allows Patricia to sport some high heels with some fairly trendy lines of clothes including dresses by Maria Biancanero. At night you might find her sipping a good Cabernet while taking those heels off and strutting some moves at a local dance club. Patricia enjoys diversity and consistently travels around the country to experience different cultures.

Level 3 Lounge and Melt - Promenade Shops

Among the many new shops at the Promenade Shops in Saucon Valley is MELT which is an uptown 7,000 square foot temple of sorts that hosts some of the finest Italian Foods. On the top floor you can relax at Level 3 Lounge and listen to some of the hottest mixes spun by local area dj's. Their stellar ambience is created by several fireplaces and great interior designing. 3rd Level is also home of occasional photo shoots and can be seen in magazines such as Valley Social Magazine and AC Magazine