Bethlehem Tp Arrangement With Bulldogs Goes Back to 1969

Like most municipalities, Bethlehem Township has organized sports programs for its children. These are provided by its Community Center, the Bethlehem Township Athletic Association (known as the Bulldogs) and the Freemansburg Bethlehem Township Athletic Association, (known as the Blue Barons). The Blue Barons have an excellent baseball program, which extend from Little League to Legion. That's the only sport offered by this group. The Bulldogs is much broader, encompassing a much wider variety of organized sports, from football to lacrosse. Commissioner Michael Hudak has for some time expressed resentment against the Bulldogs, referring to this group as "the special few" and as a "select group." He and Pat Breslin are two Commissioners who voted against a resolution that recognizes the Bulldogs during the Board's Monday night's meeting. He and other Commissioners are apparently unaware that the Bulldogs have been recognized by the Township since 1969.

A former member of the Recreation Board, who shall remain nameless, has provided me with the original 1969 agreement between the Township and the Bulldogs (read it here).  In that agreement, the Township recognized "the need and demand for organized athletic activity in Bethlehem Township." The Township agreed to subsidize Bulldogs efforts to provide for organized sports, in its sole discretion, and even agreed to pay expenses incurred to the extent that its finances would permit. The Bulldogs in turn agreed to make its athletic programs available to all Township residents and to maintain insurance.  So since 1969, the Township has recognized the Bulldogs as a "select group" that supplies a need and demand for organized sports within the Township.

Instead of slamming this group, with under-the breath remarks abut the influx of new Jersey residents, Commissioners like Hudak should be assisting the Bulldogs in assuring that coaches are properly screened and that some first aid training is provided for the inevitable injuries.

Obviously, the more that these kids play organized sports, the less likely it is that they will get involved in drugs and gangs.

You can have organized sports or organized crime.

Take your pick.