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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Dangerous Soccer Kids Exposed

Coach Corlette ties shoe of hardened criminal.
A group of Bethlehem Township residents have told Commissioners twice, on October 3 and again on April 3, that a 6.59-acre pocket park at the end of the Anthony Drive cul-de-sac, should be reserved for them ... and only them.

In October, they objected to Lehigh Valley Magic, a girls' soccer team, that conducted games and tournaments every weekend, leading to lots of noise and traffic congestion.

Now, the FC Falcons's 10U boys use the park for practices, and just two nights a week. No games. Some residents complained anyway. Amazingly, they claim parks don't belong in residential communities, decrease property values and lead to increases in crime.

But Kim Kanopka, a Township resident whose 10 year-old son Kenan plays for the Falcons, thinks these complaints are "a little ridiculous. To find there's animosity in our own Township is a little disappointing,:" she said as she watched her son practice on April 4.

Adam Kostenbader demonstrates his skills.
According to team manager John Kostenbader, the team consists of ten boys, all from the Township. In fact, two come from the exclusive Bethlehem Estates development, where the park is located.

"I'm not sure how these little boys are going to cause a lot of crime," he said, as Coach Ivor Corlette tied one of the boys' shoes. Kostenbader and Corlette both stated they use the field for practices only, and that their home games are played in Allentown.

"We tried to do everything right," Kostenbader stated, noting there was even a petition supporting the practices, signed by about thirty residents of Bethlehem Estates. He added that the boys are under constant adult supervision.

The boys loved the attention. As a WFMZ-TV camera van sat in the cul-de-sac, nine year-olds Adam Kostenbader and Omar Silva put on their best moves.

Does this boy look like a burglar?
"We're going to be on TV!" they assured each other.

In the distance, a lawnmower could be heard. It was louder than these boys, just as Parks and Recreation Chairman Barry Roth told Commissioners on April 2..

A travelling team, the Falcons have won five of the six tournaments in which they've played this year.

But they lost on April Fool's Day. Coach Corlette blamed the weather.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

The lady lives there, owns a home and pas taxes. she goes to a meeting and you trash her. Yet you claim other people are POS.
You really are a serious POS!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Exactly where do I trash this lady? What I am doing is getting the side of the soccer team that was criticized. Your complaint is not motivated by any desire for journalistic integrity, but is instead based on malice for me personally. Take a pill, Mezzacappa.

Anonymous said...

Is that spanish?

Bernie O'Hare said...

I wish.

Anonymous said...

The Township should turn this area into a campground for illegal aliens who work in the area!!

They could call the area Obamaville
as a tribute.

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable that anyone would complain that this is some sort of problem. Move on people, nothing more to see here.

Anonymous said...

While I'm with the kids here, you should be careful about your captions. The last photo asks us to judge the book by its cover. I did this with the original photos of Trayvon Martin and mad a big mistake. Unlike his angelic photo, he was a pot smoking bus driver beater with multiple school suspensions. He looked like a youth soccor player.

Mark Baker said...

This so called lady has a real problem - and she is it.

You've got a group of kids playing, exercising and learning how to be a team. Sounds like apple pie and Mom to me.

She has made a fool of herself and wins the 2012 WICKED WITCH of BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP AWARD - perhaps permanently.

Anonymous said...

Those ridiculous neighbors should go over to the park and cheer for these kids. Would they rather have them sitting at home watching TV and eating Doritos? Let me guess, the park complainers moved here from New Jersey?

zoid said...

Good follow up and article Bernie, wait til they come to town next time!

Anonymous said...

The real criminals who belong in jail are the people who make those poor kids play on that bumpy pitch which seriously needs a proper lawn mower as well as a visit from the old Roller machine!

DER FUSSBALLTRAINER

nitlionktl said...

Tuesday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 PM?! Man, if you can't stand hearing four hours of ball kicking and childrens' laughter (and the napping complaining man probably doesn't hear too much of that anyway), why don't you just have dinner at Blue two nights a week until it's over. Then you can both avoid your self-made trama and rub elbows with others of your ilk. Win-win!

Anonymous said...

Soccer should be banned from the park - and everywhere else - because it's a dumb game. Kicking each other in the shins to a nil-nil tie is no past time for kids. These kids should be playing ice hockey now that their parents taxes are paying for it in Allentown.

Sincerely,

Rip Yurcaroff
(First Black Russian NHL Player)

Anonymous said...

Comrade Yurcaroff,

Psst.

It's "pastime" ... as in :

"The National Pastime"
www.pbs.org/kenburns/baseball/pastime

It's okay. English is not my first language, either.

VIKTOR TIKHONOV