My Private Hellertown: Stories, Culture & Politics from the Saucon Valley

Everyone these days wants to talk about President Donald Trump's authoritarianism. Unless you're one of the Trump Cult members, you understand it's a valid concern. But what about authoritarianism and Trumpian behavior in local government, often thought of as the birthplace and last bastion of American democracy?Sadly, even at the local level, Trumpian extremism, chaos, abuses of power, and threats are taking root. What's happening in Pennsylvania's Lower Saucon Township is a case study in it.

This restored Episode 2 of My Private Hellertown from 2019 deals with animals real, unusual and mythological -- or real? -- in Saucon Valley, Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania. Have you seen the white deer of Hellertown? Have you spotted a Fisher Cat? That's the terrain this episode explores ...

Back to stories on this edition ... This episode features a detailed profile of my neighbor, Joe, who moved to a small town to seek a quieter life than what seemed to be on offer in his native former steel town Bethlehem, Pa., of the long-shuttered Bethlehem Steel fame (listen to Billy Joel's "Allentown" for history). Was Joe able to get away from the postindustrial clangor? Listen and find out ...Joe did not want his last name used in this story for the sake of privacy.

On the latest podcast, I'm joined by Democratic political consultant and Lower Saucon resident Jeff Kennedy for a conversation about the dicey subject of a borough-township merger. Is it time to get serious about what seems to some observers a long overdue move, or will the forces that prevented the last merger efforts prevail again? We'll dive deep and explore the possibilities.