year at Musikfest.

BLUES BLOWOUT will celebrate it's eighth

anniversary July 19-21, at
• In recent years, Thatcher While Craig Thatcher Cementon Park. The fes-
has eased his touring enjoys playing the blues, tivities kick off Thursday
schedule. For now, he Joe Legath and his pals with an open jam spon-
limits his travel between love to listen. As die-hard sored by the Lehigh Valley
Southern New Jersey and fans of the late Stevie Ray Blues Network.
the Poconos. "I play local- Vaughan, Legath, Steve
ly four or five nights a Morehan, Gus Delucia and Featured artists for the
week and that's good Dave Morehan threw a remainder of the weekend
because I can still be near small party honoring the include Texas native Mike
my family." guitar legend several years Morgan, Sean Costello, Big
back. This year, the party, Joe and the Dynaflows,
SERIOUS With a wife of 21 years, a a.k.a. the Lehigh Valley and Anson Funderburgh &
STRUMMER son in college and teen- Jazz and Blues Festival, The Rockets.
age twins, Thatcher would
Craig Thatcher is living seem to have little reason
proof of the bromide: "Do to sing the blues. Howev-
what you enjoy for a liv- er, he emphasizes that the
ing and you'll be success- blues aren't necessarily
ful." A professional about the curves life can
musician, blues guitar throw you. "Everybody
specifically, since 1978, has something to say," he
the 44-year-old Coopers- says, "and the blues are
burg resident was an the best way for me to
artist-in-residence last express myself".

Control.
Tame your savage curiosity with
summer learning at Muhlenberg.

MUHLENBERG
SUMMER STUDY
• 4, 6, and 10 week courses
• Day or evening classes • Housing available

For details and complete listing of Muhlenberg

summer classes call 484-664-3300 or visit:
www.muhlenbers-.edu/m^t/summer

July/august 2001 - lehigh valley style . 33

 iMULES IN THE
MOONLIGHT
Once upon a time most of
the travel in America
occurred on four legs
instead of four wheels. The
Hugh Moore National Canal Departing at 6 pm, guests at Salad and c.;r_r.v ie is des-
Museum allows visitors to the largest operational canal along witt Ijy Night, so
take a trip back in history lock in Pennsylvania or New Roy Justic .- little less
with evening canal rides on Jersey will be treated to a "Time Trai 5 r:pcorn,
July 21, August 4 and 2-1/2 hour cruise on a canal leads pass bog -.-.ill be
August 18. boat towed by two mules. history via : 3:_ Frye.

Come In Before You Cook Out To See

Our Large Selection of Grills

OUTDOOR GAS BARBECUES

Built-in Units for L_R or Natural Gas
Heavy Duty Construction
Porcelain or Stainless Steel
Can also be put oo a cart

Grates and Grills, Inc.

105 S. Main St. Dublin. PA
(between Doylestown & Quafcertown on Rt. 313)
Mon. - Fri. 9-6 • SaL 9-5
Closed Sun. • 215-249-0182

32 . lehigh valley style - July/august 2001

 Lehigh University, they'll bring
world-class athletes, a top medical
staff, a playbook bigger than a
Russian novel, and plenty of uni-
forms, socks, and towels.
Professional athletes may do mar.v
things, but laundry isn't one of them.
That responsibility falls on the
capable shoulders of Lehigh's equip-
ment manager, Tyler Osier. With
nearly one hundred players in can::
temperatures reaching into the 9
and practices being held twice a
day, the laundry accumulates rapidly.
nsy, there's the overlap
een the end of the Eagles
ing camp and the beginning of
•high's football practice. Osier says
days start at 6 in the morning
end at about 8 in the evening.
A year Osier was a one-man
washing machine but this year
neH have help in the form of two
interns. He doesn't expect his
le to change much, though,
and that's fine with him. "It's not as
bad as it sounds," he says. "It's a lot
of fun being around the players."

Suds Star
When the Philadelphia Eagles travel
north in late-July to conduct their
training camp on the campus of
Osier, a Montana State graduate,
estimates that over the seven-wee
period the Eagles are in town hel
do about 40,000 pounds of laur.ir.-
And as if that's not enough to keep
Osier recalls going out to the
movies with star QB Donovan Mc-
Nabb. "The players are still kids,"
Osier says. "They just have really
nice toys."

LANTA/Metro...Making It Easy!
One Of The Many Reasons The Lehigh
Valley Is Prosperous And Growing.
• Serving the Valley's downtowns, shopping
centers, and suburban business parks
• Some 16.000 passengers daily
• Over 3-million passenger rides each year
• Seniors Ride Free (call for details)
• Handicap accessible buses

610-776-7433(RIDE)
www.lantabus.com

'Metro

30 . lehigh valley style - July/august 2001

 in the
SPORTSFEST
Valley sports fans shouldn't hold their
collective breaths for an Olympic bid
anytime soon, but that doesn't mean
sports of all sorts can't be celebrated
simultaneously. This is the raison
d'etre of the fifth annual Allentown
Valley Sports Fest.
On July 13, 14, and 15, athletes of all
shapes, sizes, and skill compete in
their various sports at locations all
over Allentown. The main venue is at
Cedar Beach, but Irving Park (cycling,
in-line skating), Jordan Park (tennis),
Alton Park (racquetball and rugby)
and Union Terrace (volleyball) will be
host to quite a few crowds as well.
For those who believe that the term
"athlete" can apply to those on four
legs as well as two, a dog agility
competition will be held at Cedar
Beach, with all dogs welcome to
compete.
For a complete list of events and how
to participate, call 610-703-2181 or
visit Sports Fest on the web at
www. sportsf est. org.
28 • lehigh valley style - July/august 2001
A-MAZING MAZE
"If you build it, they will come." This oft-repeated line from Field of
Dreams could very easily be applied to the incredible corn mazes creat-
ed by John Pergosky at his farm. Bear Rock Junction. Now, Pergosky
doesn't hear voices, but last year's maze, carved in the likeness of a
dragon protecting a castle, drew thousands from miles around. Many
were newcomers to corn mazes and corn according to Pergosky. "I was
surprised at the number of people who've never been in a cornfield.
"I remember running through cornfields when I was young and how
much fun that was." Those fond memories from his childhood inspired
Mm, his four children, Ms wife Ann. and brother
their own field of dreams.
After three days of slicing and dicing, the Pergoskys had carved a trail
over 3.5 miles long and complex enough to keep most any navigator
occupied for at least an hour.
For the Pergoskys, though, it was truly a labor of loute. Says John, "As
-A farmer I deal with 12 to 15 customers, When.the maze opens, then
we're dealing with the genera! public and that makes it fun. It was
really nice to see all the families together. We had people who would
finish the maze in the afternoon and come back at night with their kids
and go through the maze with a flashlight."
John won't aive away the secrets to his technique for making the maze,
meor'c. matoa ,/,;iji jje a pirate guarding his ship.
It sails at noon on Saturdays and Sundays and 3:30 pm from
Wednesday through Friday. Pergosky expects the pirate to be on

Greased Lightning
Perhaps the most uniquely American of inventions is the
automobile. Americans love their cars and love to show it.
To wit, not one, but two fetes at Macungie Memorial Park
in August.
On August 3, 4, and 5, the 38th annual Das Awkscht Fes-
cht honors cars in the Pontiac family. Over 1,000 cars will
fill the park and be complemented by music, games, a flea
market, and arts and crafts.
Das Awkscht Fescht appeals to auto connoisseurs with an
appreciation for antique, classic, and sports cars. The
Wheels of Time, running August 24th through the 26th,
attracts fans of custom cars. The highlight of the weekend
is when the cars parade through nearby Emmaus to the
delight of onlookers.
The fact that the cars are customized allows for a wide
variety of shapes and colors. Mike Sersen, former W.O.T.
secretary, once viewed the Wheels of Time from a hot
air balloon and compared the sight to a large bag of
jelly beans. He believes that much of the appeal lies in
the fact that each car is a confluence of nostalgia and
individual taste.
Talkin'Baseball...
Major League Baseball didn't do itself any favors when they
stopped allowing their games to be broadcast worldwide
for free via the Internet. Now, fans must pay $9.95 for the
privilege of listening to their favorite team on their PC.
Fortunately, the Lehigh Valley is in a prime location to pick
up a number of the live feeds from major league clubs
through an old-fashioned gizmo called the radio. And yes,
that does mean AM. Sometimes, a clear sky is required for
good reception, but it's worth the effort because the grand
old game is done justice by some of the wordsmiths coming
out of the AM side of the radio. Here is a listing of stations
accessible in the Valley,
660 New York Mets. Home of gravelly voiced Hall of Fame announc-
er Bob Murphy.
700 Cincinnati Reds. Joe Nuxhall, the youngest player ever to
appear in a major league game (16 in 1944), is a treasure. At
the end of each game you'll hear "The old lefthander is rounding
for third and heading home."
720 Chicago Cubs. It behooves all Cubs broadcasters to have a
sense of humor. These guys sure do.
750 Atlanta Braves. Yes, Atlanta. For Braves fans only, with not a
hint of objectivity. In their eyes, the Braves are good while their
opponents are the source for all evil on the planet.
770 New York Yankees. Easily the most obnoxious baseball
broadcasters on the radio. John Sterling and Michael Kay
like hearing each other talk just slightly less than they like hear-
ing themselves.
900 Toronto Blue Jays. Venerable Jays announcer Tom Cheek
is affable and accurate.
1000 Chicago White Sox. Duller than a plastic butter knife.
Guaranteed to inspire sleep.
1020 Pittsburgh Pirates. The first radio station in the country.
Lanny Fratfare is the long-time voice of the Bucs and
concludes each Pirate win, regardless of how narrow, with
the proclamation, "There was nooooooo doubt about it!"
1080 Boston Red Sox. The station is actually out of Hartford, but Jerry
Trupiano and Joe Castiglione do a superb job of describing the
"Curse of the Bambino" on a nightly basis.
1090 Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles may be in a rebuilding year, but
in Jim Hunter, Hall of Famer Chuck Thompson, and Fred Manfra,
they've got the best announcers around.
1210 Philadelphia Phillies. Last, but not least the Phightin' Phils and
the unmistakable Harry Kalas.
july/august 2001 - lehigh valley style . 27
life
±llL,
llL,-|TUl*e __
"\ 7"!U
\/ f
£*\ T \/
TUBERIFIC
For many in the Valley, summer
wouldn't be complete without
heading to the beach. Yet each
year, one important detail
seems to be forgotten about
the shore run. Truth is, it's not
a run. It's more like a slow
crawl. And there's just nothing
quite like sitting on the
Atlantic City Expressway with
the windows down, admiring
the scenery—and listening to
the dude in the next lane blar-
ing his Metallica CD.
Why put up with that, when
relief lies along the banks of
the Delaware River in Point
Pleasant?
River Country, owned and
26 . lehigh valley style - July/august 2001
By Shawn Drury
SPIN CYCLE
weiy day that a world champi-
onship event comes to the area. July
25th-29th the world's fastest junior
scend on the Lehigh
Vatey Velodrome in Trexlertown
For the first time in 23 years, the Velo-
l be the site for the Junior
Track Worid Championships. It will also
mark Hie first time the races will be held
in the United States since 1991 when
Colorado Springs was the host.
oordrnator of the competi-
tion, says the top 200 male and female
cyclists aged 17 to 18 win compete in 20
events for World Championship honors.
He expects contestants from at least 30
different countries.
It's a tremendous opportunity for those
unfamiliar with the sport to catch a
glimpse of the strategy, strength, and
operated by Tom McBrien can speed involved in cycling at a very high
satisfy the desire for the chill level of competition.
of the water or the warmth of
There will be afternoon and evening
the sun with any of their tub-
sessions from Wednesday to Saturday.
ing, canoeing, rafting, and
The culmination comes on Sunday the
kayaking excursions.
29th starting at I pm when the women's
McBrien's staff can send you
points champion and the men's match
down the river for two hours or
sprint titles will be decided.
two days, with the two day
outing combining canoeing
and camping. Whatever your
choice, McBrien says that it's a
"very social activity. We try to
create a family atmosphere."
He also adds, "the water tem-
perature averages 82 degrees.
It's cool enough to be refresh-
ing, but not too cold."
No sand in your face, no
crowded motel rooms. No
excuse not to go.