These are the final entries from my dad's brief writing career, a diary which he started almost immediately after being released as a German POW. My father was a complicated man, and I considered him a cold bastard much of the time. These diaries, and some other letters he wrote to his own "mommy and daddy," opened my eyes in many ways.
I wish I had been a better son.
In addition to the personal impact, these diaries provide a brief glimpse into that greatest generation. Like my father, most WWII vets share very little about the sacrifices they made when the entire world needed them. Sadly, a thousand of them die daily, and with them the memory of a time when Americans were considered "prima."
5/23/45
My lazy senses responded sluggishly to the blare of a bugle that had commenced blowing about 5:30 this morning. Some character dramatically announced that it would be appreciated if everyone fell out. A true count was needed due to the fact that today had been chosen as 'the day' by the powers that be. I did not fall out. Soon after we drew rations and packed. At 11:30 we fell out, were issued cigarettes and were given cigars by the Russkies. Then, after waiting for the usual period, we marched to the exchange lot. As is usual in all these matters nothing went as scheduled. We waited in the exchange lot for almost three hours during which it rained most of the time. The trucks finally arrived and we loaded and were off.
Vonnegut, Dannine and I were lucky enough to get a civilian bus instead of a G.I. truck. Kruse, Jones, Coyle, Watson and Burns also piled into a civilian bus but unfortunately not the same one. After three hours rolled around we arrived in Halle. According to the authorities we will be here three days at the most waiting to be flown via C-47 to LeHavre, France.
I have just digested my first Army food in 6 months - '5 in one' rations consisting of ham and sweet spuds, cheese, crackers, pineapple, rice pudding cigarettes and chocolate. How amazed the limeys were when we told them that the above was for one meal and not one day! We got separated from Jones, Kruse, Coyle, Watson and Burns.
5/24/45
Awoke, washed and drew more '5 in 1' rations of the same unsurpassed American caliber. Before much of the day had passed we moved to a new area of camp. They are separating the English and Americans. I wish they had done that six months ago. Spent the rest of the day on my lazy back reading.
5/25/45
Routine day. I showered, deloused, read, ate and am about to turn in. Red Cross Clubmobile presented itself and I basked in about six doughnuts and a cup of real coffee. Prima.
Blogger Michael Molovinsky reports today that Jared Isaacman, who has been appointed and confirmed to lead NASA, is a NorCo resident. Although Wikipedia places him in nearby Washington Tp (NJ), he and his wife have owned a nice home in Lower Nazareth since 2015. Like so many others, he probably moved here to be close to me.
Like many Trump appointees, he's filthy rich. But unlike them, He occasionally contributed to Democrats. Unlike them, he has even pledged half his fortune to philanthropic causes like St. Jude's.
His Project Athena, while controversial in NASA itself, looks promising. I also agree with his view that a "mini Manhattan project" is needed to research and develop nuclear-electric propulsion. If developed, this could be a boon to our private economy as well.
This is the latest installment from my dad's short-lived diary, penned shortly after his release from a German POW camp. In these entries, my eighty pound and half-starved father worries about his brother, Art, who was then serving in the South Pacific.
Uncle Art was wounded shortly after my father's posts, but not seriously. He was shot in the ass. When I once questioned him about it many years later, he snarled, "I was in front of the front lines, going for extra ammunition."
That's about all he ever shared. He kept no diary. He drank a lot, too. 5/20/45
All of my equipment, loot, real and personal property was once again in moving order waiting to be donned on my aching back as soon as the order to move was given. I waited and waited, a practice at which I have become very adept, for hour upon hour but no such order came. As we were lined up for midday chow ten G.I. trucks pulled up as only G.I. trucks can and I thought that this day would at last see me back to our own lines. However, due to the absence of certain documents or some such reason we are again detained by the Russians. I'm becoming a firm believer in the Vonnegut statement that "getting out of Germany is like walking in sand." The rumor now seems to be that we will pull out tomorrow when the trucks return with the proper papers. More of Hq. Co. showed up today in the persons of Sgt. Shuve and Pfc Sabbatino. Both look OK except for the loss of weight common to all POW's. Neither could give me any info regarding the whereabouts of Sgt. Boyle, Heinbeck, or Edgeworth. I'd certainly enjoy seeing those boys again.
The war in the Pacific seems to be progressing favorably, although we are meeting stiff resistance on some of the islands. I have an uncomfortable feeling that I'll learn more of that phase of our international troubles through first-hand experience. I'd like to see that part of the world but it would be just my luck to accomplish the feat through the medium of being a POW of the Japs, and twice in a lifetime is too much. The Russian band serenaded us again tonight. I'm getting to really like Russian music. The Russians are very much like Americans in their outlook on life. I suppose that is what queers the English with them. A few of us went across the hall to where we had discovered a radio in the room of one of our comrades. We listened for a while and left being driven out by static and by the system the joker in charge was using to operate the darn thing. He's one of that particular species of mankind who thinks he's operating the blue network whenever he comes across a radio with more than two dials on it. We are now preparing for bed at the end of a rather uneventful day.
5/21/45
Lo and behold I am still in Riesa. No trucks appeared today or had been rumored. However, we did receive a visit from two chaplains - one Protestant and one Catholic. They both held services and I heard mass and received communion for the first time in five months. The chaplain who was from the 69th division claimed that we would be out of here in three or four days. He seemed pretty confident that we would be back in the states within a few weeks after we hit our own lines. My inbred scepticism [sic] prohibits me from placing too much stock in his optimistic statement. Time and time alone will tell. The chaplains also brought some V-mail along with them. I wrote to my parents and to Aunt Mae. The letters are supposed to be on their way, having been brought back to our own lines with the chaplain who left here seven o'clock this evening.
5/22/45
A very routine day. I slept through reveille and all the morning, arising only for breakfast. Most of the afternoon was spent by all of us chewing the rag in the room where we were assembled. I thought of home today. Nothing now seems more welcome than news of the family. I am worried especially about Art. I certainly hope he has been as lucky as I in regard to ducking bullets and artillery.
It is early evening now and all of us are in the room now writing, reading, playing cards and talking. Things will no doubt continue along the same line until bed time.Blogger's Note: First published 12/17/07.
This is the second in a series of entries from my father's recently-discovered dairy. He kept it about a week after his release from a German POW camp. This second post, like the first, is strictly present tense. Yet just three months before, my dad and writer Kurt Vonnegut had ringside seats, as POWs, to the American and RAF firebombing of Dresden - Florence of the Elbe.
POWs hid in meat lockers underneath a slaughterhouse during this incineration. One POW blurted out, "I wonder what the poor people are doing tonight." I can't help but think that was my dad. That was his humor.
In a public radio interview, Vonnegut speaks of a conversation he had with my father, some twenty years later.
"What did you learn?" Vonnegut asks.
"I will never believe my government again."
Churchill, who had advocated the firebombing, was knighted.
5/18/45
We moved over to the other compound today. That seems to be the chief benefit accruing to those who have been deloused. The rooms here are much cleaner and better equipped. We eat three times per day restaurant style and the shilly (chile?) is both good and thick - a happy set of circumstances not found readily in Germany. We spent most of the day getting our loot in order and this afternoon learned to our gratification that we were scheduled to move out. About an hour later a sergeant from the 1st Rangers division put in an appearance and announced that trucks were on their way to bring us either to Riesa or Leipzig where there are concentrations of former P.O.W.'s. I had no idea the sight of a G.I. would be so sensational. Needless to say, the limeys hogged him before any of his own countrymen had a chance to learn much from him concerning the good old U.S.A. Well, the trucks finally arrived and after the normal red tape we piled into them and took off. Approximately two hours later we found ourselves in Riesa. Temporary quarters were provided for us in some Jerry barracks. We are supposed to move in the morning to some other place in town where there are more G.I.'s. Our present barracks aren't at all bad except for the lack of anything soft upon which to lay our weary bones. There are some limeys here who have been waiting to get out for almost a month. It seems that Stalag W-B was liberated by the Russians on April 23. Blogger's Note: This was originally published on 12/12/07.
At their very first meeting in January, Northampton County Council will decide on a new President, VP, and Council Solicitor for 2026. I expect that just as County Council has changed, so will its leadership. Lori Vargo Heffner has presided over County Council for the past two years. She deserves credit as a fierce advocate of Council oversight. That has been missing in all levels of government for decades. But she also deserves criticism for micromanaging purely administrative functions and for a complete inability to establish some sort of rapport with the Executive. I know it takes two to tango (or in this case, not tango) but this poor relationship is contrary to the best interests of county government. Moreover, she has a frosty relationship (if any0 with incoming Exec Tara Zrinski . For that reason, I doubt that five members of County Council will want her leading them this year. That's just as well for her, too. She took a lot of heat for her stances opposed to Lamont McClure, and things got ugly for her at times. So who will be President, if not her?
The logical choice would be Ken Kraft, who would work with Zrinski and keep a tight leash on the craziness that might come with Nadeem Qayuum. But my guess is that he'll defer to Jeff Warren. Since it takes Warren three hours just to say "Good Morning!," that means meetings will go on much longer as Warren pontificates on everything. He's a terrible choice, but is running for State Rep., and apparently thinks that his campaign literature will look bettewr if he identifies himself as Council President,
Writer Kurt Vonnegut's letter home, written soon after his release from a POW camp, was published here yesterday*. Believe it or not, my dad was the real writer back then - he even kept a diary for an entire week.
Unlike Vonnegut, he sheds no light on what had actually happened to him as a POW. He provides no explanation about his weight going from 150 lbs. before the war to 80 lbs. as Adolph's guest. Mum's the word. He'd stay like that the rest of his life. Vonnegut's three-page letter tells me more about my dad's POW experience than he himself ever shared.
He just drank. A lot. Especially at Christmas time. That didn't kill him. Neither did the Germans. The cigarettes did.
But for one week, my father chronicled his post-release experiences in amazing detail. Just twenty-two at the time, he was a pretty good writer himself. Occasionally, he mentions Vonnegut, who was just a "minor being" at the time. For the next few days, I'll share my dad's thoughts with you, day by day.
5/17/45
Our mangy but well-fed crew left DiHille's at noon today. We proceeded over the Elbe to Russian headquarters in the city and after much confusion - due to our ignorance of the Russian language and vice versa - we were directed to the Hitler Caserne on Konigsbage Strasse. Here we find ourselves confronted with the perpetual situation of no one knowing anything about anything. However, we are being looked after like pet children by the Russians. We have been here only four hours at the most and have already been fed twice, showered, de-loused and billeted. As near as we can gather from speaking to the limeys and G.I.'s here, we are to stay put until our troops come seeking us. Except for the anxiety that we all have concerning our parents and families, we don't give a damn how long it takes them to root us out.
I heard my first radio program since I was captured. Dannine and I went across the compound and fell in with a few Tommies who have a wireless set in their flat. We heard an A.M.G. broadcast from Hamburg. That American music certainly sounded good. The Tommies surprised us before the evening was over with a meal of spuds, meat and beans. We rejoined our crew with a full stomach and a highly satisfied mien. I don't believe I'll ever get up out of bed again. Goot nacht.
*) Vonnegut's letter home will be published here on Christmas Eve,
As time marches on, we are slowly forgetting what military historian Charles B. MacDonald has called "the greatest battle ever fought by the United States Army." The soldiers who fought in it are dying at the rate of 1,000 per day, and with them their history.
Unlike the talkative baby boomers in my generation - with our cell phones, the Internet and blogs - the soldiers of that Greatest Generation are strangely quiet and modest. They managed to save the world from a real Axis of Evil in spite of being caught late and off guard, and then went to work to make our own lives easy.
Although our memory is dimming, Blue Coyote tells us that in some portions of Europe, Americans are still considered "prima." The people of Bastogne still remember.
In his diary, my father never discussed what had actually happened during his captivity as a POW. Below you will find the only instance in which he speaks about the war. It's a letter he sent to the War Department in 1947, responding to an inquiry about one of his fellow POWs who never came home.
In reply to your letter of the 14th inst., I beg to express my regrets that you were required to make two inquiries concerning the above-noted matter. The receipt of your first letter was never called to my attention or you would most certainly have received a more prompt response.
Pfc. Michael Palaia and myself were sent with a detachment of American soldier-prisoners from Stalag IV-B to Dresden, Germany. After Dresden was bombed (about Feb. 14th, 1945), it became necessary for our captors to remove us to a new section of the City which, although not quite, was practically in the suburbs. It required climbing a rather steep hill to reach this place, from the summit of which it was possible to see practically the whole city. At the base of the hill was a moderate-sized street car barn and also a building in which German prisoners were hospitalized. I mention all of this as it may be necessary for you to fix the location of this place, and it is the only way I have of describing it, never having known the name of the section. Dresden is divided by the Elbe River and the section to which I have reference was on the eastern side thereof.
Our work after the bombing consisted wholly of cleaning cellars of their casualties and streets of their refuse. Our food ration per day was very low and survival made it necessary to pilfer food from cellars in which it was found from time to time. Unfortunately, Pfc. Palaia was discovered while doing this and at the time of the discovery one jar of string beans was found on his person. His number (prisoner number) was taken by the guard. The very next day when we had lined up ready to march to work, Pfc. Palaia was taken from our ranks by the German in charge - his official title being to the best of my recollection "Feldwabel." When we returned from work that night we learned that he was on trial for his life. Naturally, German justice taking its usual course, he was found guilty and four days after his apprehension he was killed by a firing squad. Four of our fellow-prisoners had witnessed this shooting, identified his body, dug his grave and buried him.
The shooting took place at some German military installation which, from the witnesses' reports was from five to seven miles from the location of our barracks. It must have been in a general westerly direction therefrom as I recall their stating that on their way they had crossed the river Elbe. I am not positive in my recollection of this, but I believe they also stated that they had constructed a cross for his grave to which they attached his dog tag.
The Month of his death was march, I am certain, and March the l6th, I believe. One of the witnesses was a Frank Terterici from Boston, Mass. I have a record somewhere of at least one of the other witnesses and his address. I will forward this information yo you as soon as I am able to locate same.
I hope the above account will be of some aid to you. Please have no hesitation in making further inquiry if you deem it feasible.
Asking your pardon for not having replied sooner, I am
A biographer has asked me for information concerning the friendship between my father and author Kurt Vonnegut. My brother, a pack rat, produced a letter that Vonnegut wrote to his own family, not long after he and my dad were released from a POW camp at the end of WWII. In many ways, this three-page letter is his first draft of Slaughterhouse Five. Vonnegut sent my family a copy of that letter, apparently as a Christmas present, in 1996.
Bewildered that he has somehow survived, the young Vonnegut tells his folks, "I've too damned much to say, the rest will have to wait." Fortunately for us, he got around to it.
This letter is too important to sit in a dusty attic, so I'm sharing it with you. If you'd like to see a pdf copy, just click this link.
Dear people:
I'm told that you were probably never informed that I was anything other than "missing in action." Chances are that you also failed to receive any of the letters I wrote from Germany. That leaves me a lot of explaining to do - in precis: I've been a prisoner of war since December 19th, 1944, when our division was cut to ribbons by Hitler's last desperate thrust through Luxemburg and Belgium. Seven Fanatical Panzer Divisions hit us and cut us off from the rest of Hodges' First Army. The other American Divisions on our flanks managed to pull out We were obliged to stay and fight. Bayonets aren't much good against tanks: Our ammunition, food and medical supplies gave out and our casualties out-numbered those who could still fight - so we gave up. The 106th got a Presidential Citation and some British Decoration from Montgomery for it, I'm told, but I'll be damned if it was worth it. I was one of the few who weren't wounded. For that much thank God.
Well, the supermen marched us, without food, water or sleep to Limberg, a distance of about sixty miles, I think, where we were loaded and locked up, sixty men to each small, unventilated, un-heated box car. There were no sanitary accommodations - the floors were covered with fresh cow dung. There wasn't room for all of us to lie down. Half slept while the other half stood. We spent several days, including Christmas, on that Limberg siding. On Christmas eve the Royal Air Force bombed and strafed our unmarked train. They killed about one-hundred-and-fifty of us. We got a little water Christmas Day and moved slowly across Germany to a large P.O.W. Camp in Muhlburg, South of Berlin. We were released from the box cars on New Year's Day. The Germans herded us through scalding delousing showers. Many men died from shock in the showers after ten days of starvation, thirst and exposure. But I didn't.
Under the Geneva Convention, Officers and Non-commissioned Officers are not obliged to work when taken prisoner. I am, as you know, a Private. One-hundred-and-fifty such minor beings were shipped to a Dresden work camp on January 10th. I was their leader by virtue of the little German I spoke. It was our misfortune to have sadistic and fanatical guards. We were refused medical attention and clothing: We wore given long hours at extremely hard labor. Our food ration was two-hundred-and-fifty grams of black bread and one pint of unseasoned potato soup each day. After desperately trying to improve our situation for two months and having been met with bland smiles I told the guards just what I was going to do to them when the Russians came. They beat me up a little. I was fired as group leader. Beatings were very small time: - one boy starved to death and the SS Troops shot two for stealing food.
On about February 14th the Americans came over, followed by the R.A.F. their combined labors killed 250,000 people in twenty-four hours and destroyed all of Dresden - possibly the world's most beautiful city. But not me.
After that we were put to work carrying corpses from Air-Raid shelters; women, children, old men; dead from concussion, fire or suffocation. Civilians cursed us and threw rocks as we carried bodies to huge funeral pyres in the city.
When General Patton took Leipzig we were evacuated on foot to [...] the Checkoslovakian border. There we remained until the war ended. Our guards deserted us. On that happy day the Russians were intent on mopping up isolated outlaw resistance in our sector. Their planes (P-39's) strafed and bombed us, killing fourteen, but not me.
Eight of us stole a team and wagon. We traveled and looted our way-through Sudetenland and Saxony for eight days, living like kings. The Russians are crazy about Americans. The Russians picked us up in Dresden. We rode from there to the American lines at Halle in Lend-Lease Ford trucks. We've since been flown to Le Havre.
I'm writing from a Red Cross Club in the Le Havre P.O.W. Repatriation Camp. I'm being wonderfully well fed and entertained. The state-bound ships are jammed, naturally, so I'll have to be patient. I hope to be home in a month. Once home I'll be given twenty-one days recuperation at Atterbury, about $600 back pay and - get this - sixty (60) days furlough!
I've too damned much to say, the rest will have to wait. I can't receive mail here so don't write. May 29, 1945
At a hastily called "special" meeting of Northampton County Council last night, members voted 6-3 to override the veto of an ordinance that intrudes upon incoming Executive Tara Zrinski's ability to get things done, i.e. administer. It appears to be a last-minute effort to hamstring her by a lame duck Council. She is being punished for Lamont McClure's sins. In addition to being substantively flawed, the ordinance that was vetoed by outgoing Exec Lamont McClure was adopted in violation of both the Sunshine Act and Robert's Rules, as I explained in a post on Wednesday.
Voting to override were Council members Lori Vargo Heffner, Tom Giovanni, John Brown, John Goffredo, Jeff Corpora and Ron Heckman. Four of these members will be off County Council at the end of this month. Voting against the override were Council members Ken Kraft, Jeff Warren and Kelly Keegan.
Before the vote, McClure outlined the reasons for his veto, including his argument that the ordinance was adopted in violation of recent changes to the Sunshine Act. The ordinance in question had been tabled for four months. Under Robert's Rules an indefinitely table matter dies unless it is removed from the table at the next meeting. In fact, when this matter was first brought up, County Council Solicitor Chris Spadoni said it had to be readvertised but quickly shut up when Vargo Heffner complained it had already been advertised once.
Last night, Spadoni was no better. After McClure explained precisely why the ordinance was adopted in violation of the Sunshine Act, Spadoni's sole legal response was "I disagree."
Last night was Spadoni's last as Council's solicitor.
When a new Council convenes in January, I suspect the very first item of business will be the repeal of this substantively and procedurally flawed ordinance.
If County Council wants to administer the county, then they should seek a Home Rule Charter study and revert back to the Commissioner form of ogvernment. Then they can micromanage to their heart's content.
Here are a few fact checks from the evil New York Times, which is hated by most Trumpers and will likely be deported.
He claims more people are working now than ever before. But the most recent jobs report shows that the unemployment rate is at its highest level since the end of his first term. Oops.
He claims he has cut drug prices by 400, 500 and 600%. A 100% cut would mean you are paying zero.
He said gas prices are $1.99 in many states. AAA states no states have gas prices that low. The national average is $2.90.
He's now giving a "warrior dividend" of $1,776 to every soldier from tariff revenue. He's also promised all of us tariff dividends of $2,000. He's also promised me $20,000 for my health care and a $5,000 DOGE check. I 'll keep looking in my mailbox because he wouldn't lie to me, would he?
He claims manufacturing is coming back "at levels we haven/t seen," but the truth is that factory construction has fallen this year.
If his goal was to reassure the American people, he failed. What he did instead was prove Abraham Lincoln's adage that "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Trump is a confidence man who probably still is fooling some of the people all of the time, but he's no longer folling most of us.
As reported in The Hill, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R.-Pa.07) is one of four Republicans who have teamed up with Democrats to force a House vote on a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. Without them, premiums will soar an average of 114%.
Mackenzie explained his vote in a news release.
“My position has been clear throughout this process — we need both short-term relief to bring down prices and longer-term reforms to make healthcare in America more affordable for everyone. In order to achieve these goals, I have opted for the only remaining option in the House — a three-year extension of the enhanced credits, because this will keep the conversation alive.”
Mackenzie, as most of you know, represents the Lehigh Valley and part of Carbon County. He insists that "the Affordable Care Act remains broken," and that he supports bipartisan legislation (Commonground 2025) that would both extend subsidies while enacting measures designed to stop fraud.
It's nice to see a member of Congress who is willing to think independently and is evidence that the stranglehold that Trump has held on Republicans is loosening.
Politico has reported that Governor Josh Shapiro has endorsed former firefighter Robert Brooks in the crowded Dem Congressional primary race for Pa.-7. It makes sense that, as a potential Presidential contender, he'd want as many Democrats in the House as Pennsylvania can elect. But it makes little sense for him to inject himself into a Democratic primary that already has five candidates. His endorsement is far more likely to net him enemies than friends.
His selection of Brooks is particularly puzzling.
Not that long ago, Brooks was portraying himself as a Clint Eastwood who would make any Trumper proud. It's not every day that a Democratic congressional candidate posts a meme that also includes a skull with a Roman numeral III. This signifies the three percenters, a militia movement that advocates resistance to perceived government abuses.
Strange as it may seem, Brooks originally supported Congressional candidate Lamont McClure and even sent out text messages calling McClure a "strong Democrat with a proven track record of putting out fires and a long history of standing up to corruption."
Then there's the matter of him screwing his in-laws. In 2008, his in-laws transferred a residential property to him and his then wife and even fronted the cost of subdividing the property to the tune of $55,000. Brooks promised to pay the money back but never did. He was sued, and a $130,000 award was entered against him in 2020. In an effort to string things along, he appealed but lost in a unanimous Pennsylvania Superior Court ruling. In 2022, judgment was entered against him for $130,000.
That judgment remains open of record.
After screwing over his in-laws, he and his wife eventually parted ways, with a divorce being granted in 2018. He finally quitclaimed his interest in the property to his ex-wife in 2022, although he still may live there. Before that happened, two foreclosure actions were filed against him. And he was sued by two credit card companies. He currently owns no real estate.
He's a "man" who screwed over his own family and who dropped a candidate he said he supported. And although he pretended to be a Clint Eastwood type of guy, he's now pretending to be a Bernie Sanders type of guy.
Did Shapiro even vet this guy?
10:15 AM Update: According to Rich Wilkins, the Shapiro endorsement is all about the firefighters' union and their money. "[T]he IAFF is really damn good at politics. When the IAFF backs a candidate for President, that candidate usually wins the Democratic nomination, at a minimum. The Governor wants the IAFF to support him in future campaigns, such as for Governor in 2026 and for President in 2028, and let’s be honest, one is more critical right now than the other. It’s very clear this is why this endorsement is happening, and anyone saying otherwise is a liar."
Northampton County Council may have thought that it conducted its last meeting of the year on December 11, but it looks like it will be meeting again on Thursday night. A special meeting has been called for the express purpose of overriding McClure's veto of an ordinance adopted on December 4 that appears to have been adopted unlawfully.
When NorCo Council met on December 4, it had a packed agenda. This included a vote on budget amendments, the budget itself, the millage rate and several related resolutions. Though that should be more than enough business for one meeting, Council President Lori Vargo Heffner wanted to reconsider a proposed ordinance that was previously tabled by Council by a 9-0 vote on August 7, nearly four months before.
When this proposed ordinance was tabled, it was tabled indefinitely, not to a specific date. Under Robert's Rules, when an item is tabled indefinitely, it dies. If Vargo-Heffner wanted to consider it again, she would need to re-introduce as a new ordinance, and a public hearing would be needed.
This procedural rule prevents some Council members from blindsiding others, including the public, concerning a matter that everyone thought had been put to bed. It's a matter of basic fairness.
I suspect that Vargo-Heffner wanted to get this ordinance adopted now because the incoming County Council would hesitate before hamstringing incoming Executive Zrinski.
In addition to violating Robert's Rules. the resurrection of this dead ordinance also violates the Sunshine Act. Northampton County Council must publish an agenda for an upcoming meeting 24 hours in advance. This item was missing from the published agenda. It could be added, but Council is required at the onset of the meeting to vote and approve changing the agenda. That never happened.
In a veto message dated December 11, McClure points out yet another potential Sunshine Act violation. The ordinance requires that the Council President can appoint as many members as she wishes to a committee that evaluates bids. This is an invitation to back-room meetings instead of conducting business in a public spotlight.
McClure also called the ordinance, which injects County Council into procurement, an impermissible encroachment into the Executive's power to administer county government as set forth in Article IX of the Home Rule Charter. While I strongly support a tight rein on the executive branch, packing evaluation committees behind closed doors with part-time Council members will make county government more unwieldy and present more opportunities for mischief. This goes far beyond legislation and oversight and makes Council members mini-Executives.
Council member Ken Kraft argued that the now nontabled ordinance, which was "wordsmithed" to include far more Council involvement in the procurement process than in the original proposal, should be advertised before a vote is taken. He also said Council is "overreaching" and that Vargo Heffner is micro-managing. "You're getting in the way," he said. "You're tripping over nickels to save pennies."
Council member Kelly Keegan said she should have had 24 hours' notice and is right because that's what the Sunshine Act requires.
In the end, Count Council voted for the change in procurement with only Keegan voting No. I have problems with it substantively but am more troubled that it was adopted both in violation of the Sunshine Act and Robert's Rules.
When Charlie Kirk, a conservative influencer with some relatively extreme views was assassinated, it was a cause for celebration among many of those who detested his politics. Among them was NorCo Council member Kelly Keegan, who is also a school nurse. Many people on both sides of the political divide were outraged at her utter insensitivity to the murder of another human being and were right to be appalled. Rob Reiner was a hardcore liberal, even by Hollywood standards, but the producer of "The Princess Bride" refused to follow the lead of those who danced on Kirk's grave. He instead reacted with empathy and compassion. He told Piers Morgan that his reaction was one of "absolute horror. It's beyond belief what happened to him. That should never happen to anybody. I don't care what your political beliefs are. That's not acceptable."
Reiner himself, along with his wife, were murdered on Sunday. One of their sons, who suffered from substance abuse, has been arrested. Here's how President Donald Trump responded.
In Trump's twisted and narcissistic mind, the murder was apparently justified because Reiner was critical of him. Just as I consider Kelly Keegan an ugly person for her total lack of empathy, the same has to be said of Trump. But while Keegan is just one of none members of a county governing body, Trump is the supposed to be our President. I am ashamed of and disgusted by him.
Here's the latest from Allentown Communications Director Genesis Ortega concerning this past weekend's vandalism at "Lights in the Parkway."
Move It Monday will proceed tonight as planned, featuring a Hanukkah Night theme in partnership with the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Police will be present throughout the event to help ensure a safe and welcoming experience for all attendees.
At this time, there is no public criminal update related to the vandalism investigation. We continue to assess the full scope of damage. While the final valuation is still being tallied, the City is currently projecting a minimum loss of $100,000, which includes staffing costs, damaged and destroyed displays, and lost revenue.
Several signature displays have been confirmed as total losses and are not salvageable, including Old Man Winter, Penguin with the Top Hat, and Fishing Penguins, with a combined estimated value of $60,000.
Despite the damage, the City is grateful to share that Holiday Outdoor Decor reached out immediately after learning about the incident and visited the site this morning. In a remarkable show of support, the company has loaned 22 display pieces to help replace those that were damaged. City crews are actively removing vandalized displays, and thanks to this generosity, the attraction will be restored and ready to reopen to vehicle traffic tomorrow night, provided there are no additional setbacks.
Lights in the Parkway is a fundraiser benefiting local nonprofit organizations. Due to last night’s closure, the featured nonprofit, Allen High School, lost a day of donations. The City will still provide the organization’s stipend for the impacted day, and additional donations are encouraged.
Those interested in supporting the program and helping replace damaged displays can contribute through The Parknership at: https://givebutter.com/25lights. Donations will be used directly to replace destroyed light displays.
We also extend our sincere thanks to the sponsors who support Lights in the Parkway year after year, as well as the many community members who have expressed encouragement and support.
The City will continue to provide updates as the damage assessment and investigation progress.
Northampton County Council member Ron Heckman was at his last meeting as a member of the governing body on December 11. He was first elected to County Council in 1990 and served until 1998, when he was appointed by Executive Glenn Reibman as Human Services Director. He stayed in that job until January 2016. From there he went to work for Lehigh County but returned to NorCo Council in 2018. He twice served as Council President and three times as VP. He did not use his position in county government to further a political career in the state house or elsewhere. He was, in the best sense of the word, a servant to the public good. He could be remembered for many things. But if one thing stands out, he was an ardent advocate of the power of county council and its duty to provide oversight. This sometimes resulted in friction, but it stops the executive branch from growing too powerful. This unfortunately, has been a problem on all levels of government. Though I am critical of President Donald Trump, the road to autocracy began long before he was President.
We need more Ron Heckmans in government.
Plus, he has great hair.
Here's what he said on his way out the door.
It's been my honor.
It was an honor to have been elected to county council three times, and it's been a privilege to serve.
And also, as the Director of Human Services, I want to thank the voters of the County for putting their trust in me all these times.
And I would especially thank my family, especially my wife, Margaret, sitting there with the camera for the work they've done on my behalf.
I've often told her, She doesn't believe it, but it's true.
If it hadn't been for her, I doubt if I would ever get elected. She's been with me through my ups and downs, and I can't say enough about that.
I thank the people I served with, past and present, for your support and comradeship.
I've always considered myself a lifelong learner, and I continue to learn new things.
In 1989, when I was one of the 10 Democrats in our primary, imy biggest fear was that I'd come at last. I worked hard in that race. Somehow, I didn't come in last.
36 years later, between Northampton and Lehigh counties, I believe it's time to move on, get fresh blood, and I just want to say to all, thank you, and I wish everyone the best going forward.
Diane Figueroa is a U.S. citizen from Illinois who was on her way to work after dropping her 5 year-old son off at school. She stopped for a cup of coffee on the way but as she got closer to her destination, "I approached what seemed to be chaos." While driving she was sideswiped by a silver SUV with double-tinted windows. Before she knew what was happening, masked passengers jumped out of the SUV with guns drawn and proceeded to yank this young woman out of her car. (You can see that video below). After being rammed off the road and dragged from her car at gunpoint, she was thrown into a van without explanation or rights read. While in custody, she was denied medical care despite recent kidney surgeries, mocked when she begged for help, and left in degrading conditions. She emphasizes the racial profiling, abuse of authority, and trauma she endured, noting that she was never formally arrested or charged. Her assailants were ICE agents. I'd call them Nazis. I believe the more reasonable among you, including those of you who voted for President Donald Trump, would agree. Close the borders? Sure. Deport illegals who commit crimes? Yes. Yanking a defenseless American woman from her car after you sideswiped her? Nazi.
Below is the statement she gave at a Congressional hearing last week.
Thank you for giving me the space to speak today.
My name is Dayanne Figueroa. I am a proud first-generation Mexican American, a Criminal
Justice major, a single mother, and a future law student. What happened to me almost exactly
two months ago, on October 10, 2025, was not law enforcement. It was violence, blatant racial
profiling, and a shocking abuse of federal authority.
That morning, I kissed my son goodbye and watched him walk into school, never imagining that
it would be what felt like days, before I felt safe again. On my regular commute into Chicago, I
approached what looked like chaos - cars stopped in the middle of the street, people running,
yelling, and recording on their phones.
Moments later, my life changed forever.
A silver SUV with double-tinted windows suddenly swerved into my lane and struck my car. The
driver’s face was almost entirely concealed - hat, dark tinted glasses, a face mask. He made no
gesture. No signal. And he did nothing to identify himself.
Before I could even process what was happening, his passengers - other masked men -jumped
out with guns drawn and aimed directly at me. They ripped my door open. One of them
screamed in my face, demanding that I get out, yet never identified himself, never asked for my
ID, and never told me whether I was being detained or why. They never read me my rights.
Instead - I was violated - these tough guys violently dragged me from my car, yanked me by my
feet, ripped my phone from my hand.
Beaten, bleeding, and barefoot, I was thrown into a red van. I begged them to tell me who they
were and where they were taking me. No one answered. I was shoved onto the edge of a
third-row seat - no seatbelt, suffocating heat, no air conditioning. I was wedged between two
terrified Latino men who did not speak English. We were all handcuffed. Unsecured. Helpless.
I went into a full panic attack.
While I was shaking, crying, gasping for air, and banging my head against the window,
screaming for help - hoping someone from the outside could hear me - they raised their phones
and began photographing me openly. Two more masked men in full black tactical gear, carrying
professional cameras, had been circling me from the beginning - documenting my terror, where
those images ended up? Only God knows. I was not treated like a human being, and certainly not
like a U.S. citizen, but preyed upon - they were proud to have captured me.
I was first violated at the Broadview Immigration Detention Center and eventually while in FBI
custody in Lombard. Everything moved quickly and without explanation. I was fingerprinted,
photographed, swabbed for DNA, and fully processed and identified. All the while, my physical
condition was rapidly worsening. I repeatedly told them I was recovering from two recent kidney
surgeries. No one took it seriously - until I began to pee blood.
I begged for help. For a phone call, a lawyer, for water, and bandages. For anything to ease the
pain. Instead, I was laughed at and thrown into a filthy jail cell. The only toilet available for me
was under direct surveillance. With no privacy, no dignity, and unbearable pain, I had no choice
but to use it. When visible blood appeared, their soulless demeanor finally vanished - not out of
care, but because they did not want me to die in their custody.
While I was being kidnapped, my family and friends were desperately trying to find me.
Contacting members of our inner circles, elected officials, civil rights organizations, and legal
advocates. They didn’t know whether I had been killed, kidnapped, or trafficked.
Hours later, when I was finally allowed access to my phone again by the heroic paramedics, my
cut and trembling hands could barely type - but I managed to send a message at 2:07 p.m.: “in an
ambulance.” Within seconds, my boyfriend replied with something that stunned me - a photo of
the very Village of Lombard ambulance I was inside of. Their determination, their love, and their
refusal to stop searching are the only reasons I was not lost entirely, like the thousands of people - including children - who have been reported missing from the ICE locator system since these
domestic terrorizations began in our country, or worse, killed - like my neighbor and father of
two, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez of Franklin Park, Illinois…….A father of two minors…….my
neighbor….. died in the course of an ICE Operation….
What happened to me that day was not an arrest. It was an assault and the kidnapping of a U.S.
citizen.
I was never arrested.
Never charged.
Never given an explanation.
And never given an apology.
But the damage is done and continues.
I suffered severe bruising, nerve damage, a broken tooth, and aggravated injuries to my leg and
wrists. My surgically repaired kidney became swollen and inflamed. And emotionally, I
developed PTSD, panic attacks, and severe anxiety. I swear - I’ve been kidnapped in my
nightmares every single night since.
Weeks later, a disturbing pattern emerged - reports of nearly identical incidents. This time, a man
with schizophrenia was kidnapped and later released in a completely different town by the same
masked agents, using the same reckless tactics and the same red van they used to attack me.
It is important for me to say this clearly: the individuals who did this do not represent the
honorable men and women who serve in our military, our local police departments, or our federal
agencies with integrity and accountability. Those people protect us. What I encountered operated
in the shadows - masked, unnamed, and unaccountable.
Yet even in this darkness, I have witnessed the best of humanity - strangers reaching out from
across this country and beyond, reminding me that most Americans still believe in compassion,
fairness, and accountability.
I am pursuing justice - not just for myself, but for every person who has been or could be
unlawfully targeted. My message is simple: keep recording. Keep documenting. Keep
advocating. Transparency and accountability protect us all.
Despite everything, I am here.
I am standing.
I am speaking.
Because I refuse to let ICE rewrite my story.
I refuse to let fear silence me.
And I refuse to let my son grow up in a country where masked federal agents can assault women
in broad daylight without consequence.
This was not just an “incident.”
It was a violation of my physical being, my rights, my dignity, and my humanity.
And I will not rest until there is accountability, transparency, and change.
When I skimmed a notice from Allentown Communications Director Genesis Ortega on Sunday about the "Lights in the Parkway" being closed, I assumed it was due to the weekend's snowstorm. It's sad to see that the reason is because the displays have been vandalized. Here's the release:
December 14, 2025 – Lights in the Parkway is closed tonight following a significant act of vandalism that caused extensive damage to holiday light displays, including restrooms at Lehigh Parkway. The vandalism has resulted in port-a-potties being pushed into the river, bent light poles and posts, and crushed light bulbs.
We are actively assessing the full extent of the damage and determining the broader impact on the remainder of the Lights in the Parkway season. Preliminary assessments indicate that restoring the damaged displays will be difficult and costly during the current season.
As a result, we have not yet made a determination on whether Move It Monday, scheduled for tomorrow, will proceed. An update will be provided as soon as more information becomes available.
Residents and visitors who purchased tickets for tonight’s Lights in the Parkway event should contact the Parks Office for assistance with rebooking or refunds at (610) 437-7757 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.) or by email at events@allentownpa.gov.
The City has deployed its full complement of Parks crews, who are simultaneously addressing last night’s snowstorm, assisting Public Works crews, and responding to the vandalism while securing and evaluating the site.
City officials condemn all acts of vandalism, and stress that last night’s incident impacts not only a beloved holiday tradition, but also the staff, volunteers, and families who look forward to this event each year.
While we continue to evaluate repair options, please know that every effort will be made to keep the Lights in the Parkway tradition going with the resources currently available.
This incident is being investigated by the Allentown Police Department. Anyone with information can contact the department at (610) 437-7753. Tipsters are also encouraged to provide information related to the incident through the TIP411 application on www.allentownpa.gov/police.
The City of Allentown will release additional information once the damage assessment is complete and next steps are determined.
I question whether this could have occurred but for Saturday night's storm. Emergency responders and public works were no doubt prioritized city streets and local accidents and medical emergencies over the parkway, But given the time that it must have taken to commit these numerous acts of malicious mischief, I suspect that the numerous cameras deployed in Allentown might help solve this insult to family fun. I believe that unless this kind of behavior is addressed and the perpetrators are nabbed, it becomes an invitation for similar acts throughout the city.
NorCo Exec Lamont McClure is stepping down at the end of the year. At last night's meeting of County Council, he delivered a final report that details the county's financial position and employee compensation.
So what I wanted to do with my final report was frame for you where this administration ends financially, and we just did the budget, so we're not gonna relitigate that. We litigated it, and it concluded.
But I sort of, I do think I need to talk a little bit about what the financial picture, the county, is because there was a lot of talk about that vis a vis, the state's inability to timely pass the budget. So, we anticipate, and these aren't my estimates, these are Brandon Dunstain's [Budget Administrator] estimates.
When the books close in February, we will have 37 to $40 million in cash. So that was a concern that we would be out of cash. The new administration will be able to make payroll and tell the taxes roll in for the new year.
I wanted to also let counsel know and create the record that, as we walk out of here, Northampton County government will have $1.2 billion of borrowing capacity. Let me repeat that, Northampton County will be left by this administration and this council $1.2 billion of borrowing capacity. This comes despite the fact that we built a forensic center, and we've borrowed money to ameliorate a 50-year-old crumbling garage. So the $1.2 billion is more than adequate for future executives and councils to do whatever they need to do in terms of the public works of Northampton County. So I thought that was important to let everybody know.
And while we're talking about borrowing capacity, our bond rating, as I walk out this door, is double A1. Which is the second best bond rating you can have, and I believe, the finest bond rating of any municipality in the Lehigh Valley. So, not only will you be able to borrow $1.2 billion, if you have to, you can borrow it for less money because your bond rating is so solid.
We have also talked about pension, and OPEB [other post employment benefits]. So today, the pension fund sits at $566,642,484.Almost $600 million. There are people, not yet born, who will work for this county, that could be covered by this almost 600 million dollars. So it's very important for us to understand where we are today, and that is at almost 600 million. The OPEP Fund sits at $59,249,712. The total under management - I added it up - $625,892,196. That's what I am leaving as I walk out. The door.
One other thing that I want to talk about is the county's long-term indebtedness. 20 years ago, our long-term indebtedness was $128,743,766. By the time I took office in 2018, our long-term indebtedness was $110,881,061. We got it down, despite having borrowed, to build the state-of-the-art forensics center by 2024, we got it down to $69,861,859. It's gone up a little bit to $84,381,512, because we borrowed the money to fix the crumbling 50-year-old parking garage, but still below, when I took office and substantially below, where it was 20 years ago.
Now, this financial picture is sometimes connected to a fallacious argument, that fallacy, that this was done on the backs of our employees.And that is not, in fact, the case.
What do we know about employee compensation? One of the things we know about employee compensation is that the ever-increasing cost of healthcare diminishes whatever employees get in their raises, correct?
So for the last, and I'll provide, I'll provide your staff with this information so that you can all have it in front of you to digest and pass on to the new members of council, but for the last 8 years, our employees' healthcare costs to them have not risen. For eight years, our employees' healthcare costs, to them, have not risen. I don't know of another employer where that happened.If you find one, let me know. It is a unicorn.
Additionally, there's this notion that our employees - who are valuable to us - haven't received their fair compensation over these last eight years, and I'm including the eighth budget that just passed. And I want to just go over with you, as I promised, what the compounded totals of their raises have been over the last eight years. And we broke it down through each of the bargaining units.
So, to start with the nonunion career service, their compensation has risen 27.87% during my time as county executive, and during this council in the previous council's time governing.
The corrections officers, they have risen 27.78% plus 75 cents an hour in that first contract they got when we arrived.
AFSCME Gracedale, they have risen 27.27%. AFSCME residual unit, 26.61%. Their salaries have increased. And don't feel bad for AFSCME residual, because although it's 2% in 26, in 27 and 28, they get four and a half and four and a half. So they'll be tacking another 9% onto that.
Deputy sheriffs, they are 30.9%. Their compensation is raising over the last eight years.
The Detectives Association, Detectives, have gone up 36.2% over the last eight years.
The Human Services Workers, the folks at DHS, nice folks who come here, their compensation has risen 34.93%. And the steel workers, uh, at Gracedale, it's 33.53%.
So it is just not true that, you know, our excellent financial position is based on not having paid folks, especially in light of the fact that healthcare is not risen in the last eight years.
Easton City Council had a busy agenda at last night's meeting, which likely is its last of the year. It adopted a pro-immigrant resolution after numerous drafts and discussions. Most importantly, it adopted a budget for next year that keeps property taxes at the same millage rate. The meeting room was packed, not for those things, but because it was Taiba Sultana's last meeting as the south side's representative. A few of them had some things to say. Jeremy Joseph, band leader of the 50-strong Big Easy Easton Brass Band, excoriated Sultana. He was joined by Patty Hitzel, a south side activist. Sultana was extolled, too. Mark Rosenzweig praised her. And she also spent a good five minutes patting herself on the back as the meeting ended.
Here's what Joseph had to say:
My name is Jeremy Joseph. Before I begin, I want to share where I come from. My family has been part of Easton for more than a century. My grandmother, Emily Boulos Joseph, was descended from the earliest Lebanese settlers who arrived here in Easton in the early 1900s. Her husband, my grandfather, Jacob, Abraham Joseph, opened Jacob's Fruit and Produce in 1935. My story, my family story is Easton's story. Immigrants, who worked hard, built businesses, raised families, and believed truth and integrity were the only things should pass from one generation to the next. So when I stand here tonight, I don't just speak for myself.
I speak for the people who built this community, entrusted that Easton's leaders would deal honestly with its citizens. And that is why what happened at the Christmas parade matters. At the parade, a freezing event I pour my heart into every year, I was publicly accused in the press and online of threatening and harassing councilwoman Sultana. A police report was filed, and everyone who was there knows the truth. And so do the police, the press, and the public at this point.
Within a single day, East the Police Department confirmed the reality. No threat, no harassment, no crime, no charges. Their words not mine. Describe it as a disagreement over political stances.
So, yes, I became the latest person in this city to be publicly misrepresented by a council member on her way out the door, and I'll be honest, it stung. It was unfair.
So, yes, this is when I realized something. I'm not special. I'm not unique. I am one of many. Because over the last four years, a long list of people have been accused, targeted, and dragged into unnecessary conflict. The mayor, her fellow members of city council, the East, the Police Department, Representative Bob Freeman, city staff, and countless residents. And now even a community band leader.
So when it happened to me, I wasn't joining a scandal. I was joining the club. A club nobody has to be in. It was created because basic disagreement kept being turned into danger. Criticism, in the conspiracy, in public service, in the public conflict.
But here's the good news. This is the final month of that era. Your term ends in January, and when that gavel drops, Easton closes this chapter for good.
So let's be clear. We can't change the last four years, but we can certainly control the next four. And I think I'm done. We're done with conflict, division, drama, because this moment, right now, is the moment Easton gets to exhale.
For four years, this city has been pulled into arguments that had nothing to do with progress. For four years, we reacted to drama instead of building momentum. But tonight, we stop looking backward. A new chapter begins and we write it together. We have three new council members, Frank, Julie, and Susan, and they deserve a clean state slate. They deserve a council that works together. Not one constantly defending itself.
They deserve a chamber focused on solutions, not social media. And we, the community, deserve the same.
Easton is a special place.People here still show up for one another. And let's say this help out. Easton has never been defined by a one term council person. It has always been defined by the people that show up without ego or headlines. Our teachers, police officers, small business owners, volunteers, organizers, neighbors, artists, and musicians. That is Easton, that's the Easton Worth building. And no matter what anybody says or posts, come January, we will still be here.
So here's what I plan to do to move us forward.By turning frustration into action and doing what I've always done, build something for Easton. I am starting a drum line for kids in the West Ward, no title, no salary, no politics, just service. If you're a drummer and you want to join my mission, I have the drum sets for kids. Bring your own drum and help teach. Our open house is March 15th, 5 to 7 at the East Area Community Center. And every kid who attends gets a free pair of drumsticks.
I promise...
Councilwoman Sultana, at the West Ward Christmas Lightning last week, gave kids bar darts. Bar darts, weapons. I'm gonna' give the kids drumsticks.
So, I invite everyone in this city to do the same in your own way. Lead without holding office. Serve without seeking credit. Build without needing permission. If you love this city, the city will love you back. Let's all go build the city we deserve.
Thank you.
During his speech, Sultana interrupted Joseph several times. She did the same to Patty Hitzel when she complained about being blocked on both Sultana's personal and official page.
Mark Rosenzweig defended Sultana. "To attack like this, in a planned way, at this open meeting, a person who's been a public servant, serving the community of the Eastern, as best she can, and adhering to her values, and her ideals in this matter, is nothing but appalling, uh, misogyny. Oh, racism."
If you think Sultana's life in politics is over, think again. She's told several people that she plans to run for State Senator Lisa Boscola's seat when her term expires next year.
These are the final entries from my dad's brief writing career, a diary which he started almost immediately after being released as a German POW. My father was a complicated man, and I considered him a cold bastard much of the time. These diaries, and some other letters he wrote to his own "mommy and daddy," opened my eyes in many ways.
