Peeps' 60th Birthday Celebrated at Chamber Dinner

The Peep, which has held a unique place in the American candy landscape and been an integral part of Easter celebrations for 60 years, will be celebrated Wednesday night as the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce holds its 96th annual dinner.

Just Born, the Stefko Boulevard candy maker, will receive a "Milestone" award from the chamber for the Peep's longevity.

The dinner will be held 5 p.m. Wednesday at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks—the home of one of the other honorees—ArtsQuest, which also gets a “Milestone” award as the 30th anniversary of Musikfest is feted.

Former Mayor Gordon Mowrer, tireless anti-poverty advocate Alan Jennings and longtime city economic development professional Tony Hanna will also be celebrated for their individual contributions to the city and its quality of life.

Mowrer and Christine Ussler of architectural firm Artefact will both receive the “Downtown Visionary Award.”

Ussler, who has long been a consultant to the city's Historic and Architectural Review Board, is being celebrated because of “all of her work on the facades of the downtown,” said a chamber news release.

“Most of the downtown buildings (north and south sides) that look remarkable are because of Christine.”

Mowrer also receives the “Downtown Visionary Award,” because of his advocacy of maintaining the north side downtown’s historic character during his term as mayor from 1974 to 1978, halting a plan to demolish buildings in the interest of urban renewal.

Jennings, executive director of the Community Action of the Lehigh Valley, is slated to receive the Priscilla Payne Hurd Award for his decades of work in advocating for and educating the Lehigh Valley’s economically disadvantaged.

Hanna will receive the Frank L. Marcon Award for overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development projects in the city over the past 16 years as both the director of the city’s Department of Community and Economic Development and now as the executive director of the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority.

Downtown spa American Hairlines will also get a “Milestone” award. It celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.