To the Editor: Attached you will find some lovely photos from the Sand Island Park. As it was the last mild day for a while we decided to take a family walk by the canal and allow our daughter to have some fun. Unfortunately almost everything was off limits due to the incredible amount of bird poop that covered almost every piece of equipment. I understand that during winter such amenities will not get the same level of upkeep as during the summer. But the park is nonetheless kept open, and as such it should be maintained for those that want to use it. If the city does not expect, or want …

  Citizens of Bethlehem, and those who love the city and want to preserve it: Developer Abe Atiyeh has proposed building a series of drug rehab centers, juvenile detention centers, and prison work release facilities all within the confines of Bethlehem which taken together, have the potential to make him rich at the expense of the integrity of our neighborhoods, our safety, our property values, and our community.   Atiyeh's vision for the city of Bethlehem is to use Bethlehem as his host town for his privately owned drug rehab, mental illness, and prison-related centers for treating social …

We now know the “final and best offers” to purchase Gracedale range from $32.5 to $37.5 million dollars.  However, many bidders and most county residents still don’t even know the details of the proposed sale.  Unfortunately, council and the administration have rushed ahead of a real debate and in spite of serious and vocalized public opposition. Importantly, these hurriedly assembled offers made by four out of state bidders do not mean the county will actually see $32.5 to $37.5 million in profit. The sale will create several immediate expenses and obligations that will reduce that amount, …

Dear Editors, Over 23,300 Northampton County residents signed a petition recently in opposition to selling the county nursing home, Gracedale. This petition would have allowed a referendum question to be placed on the ballot this May allowing county voters to decide the fate of Gracedale. Now, county officials have put up roadblocks, barriers and hurdles to silence their voices by not allowing the ballot question to appear. This is wrong. The collection of over 23,300 signatures was a monumental success not just for those advocates of Gracedale, but for democracy as a whole. Those of us in …