Group Forms To Raise Money For Easton Ambassadors Program In Downtown Area

English: Skyline of Easton, PA from Lafayette College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Easton Ambassadors are looking for a little help from their friends to generate needed money to sustain and expand the program.

The red-shirted Ambassadors clean Downtown streets, assist visitors with local tourism questions and provide police with an extra set of eyes to spot potential trouble.

But officials say reduced funding has limited their ability to perform their duties. Their patrol shrank in 2012 to cover primarily Centre Square and nearby Third and Northampton streets.

The group’s budget is about $230,000 this year but if it can raise its revenues by at least $50,000 to previous years’ totals, it may be able to expand its reach to Pine and Fifth streets, as it had done in the past, officials said.

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2014/08/group_forms_to_raise_money_for.html

#ARTS: Mobile Technology For Dummies

Lehigh Valley Arts Council’s Professional Development Series offers a technology seminar for arts professionals, “#Arts: Mobile Technology for Dummies,” on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Butz Corporate Center, Ninth and Hamilton streets, Allentown.

Hit the ground running! Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptop, tablet, and smartphone to this hands-on seminar. Presenters will demonstrate how mobile technology acts as a driver for events, products, art sales and website traffic. Arts entrepreneurs and arts administrators will learn how to:

• Enhance your marketing efforts through social media websites
• Set up and use an Instagram account
• Ensure your website is mobile device friendly
• Adopt e-commerce solutions such as Etsy, Big Cartel and Amazon Marketplace and Mobile Technology point-of-sale devices such as Square, Intuit and Paypal to boost your sales.

Featured presenters, Matt McKernan, President of Mosaic Interactive, an award–winning, interactive and traditional marketing agency, and Steven Leibensperger, graphic and exhibit designer for Crayola, fine artist, and musician will provide both the developer and artist perspective.

The member fee is $25; nonmembers pay $45. Light refreshments will be provided. 

Buy Tickets Today! www.LVArtsBoxOffice.org
For more information:  www.LVArtsCouncil.org/ArtsMobile.html

Lehigh Valley Arts Council Presents #ARTS: Mobile Technology For Dummies

Allentown, PA – Lehigh Valley Arts Council’s Professional Development Series offers a technology seminar for arts professionals, “#Arts: Mobile Technology for Dummies,” on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Butz Corporate Center, Ninth and Hamilton streets, Allentown.

This interactive session focuses on the adaptation and implementation of mobile technology to help tell the story of your brand, expand your marketing efforts, and grow your business.

Featured presenters, Matt McKernan, President of Mosaic Interactive, an award–winning, interactive and traditional marketing agency, and Steven Leibensperger, graphic and exhibit designer for Crayola, fine artist, and musician will provide both the developer and artist perspective. Arts entrepreneurs and arts administrators will learn how mobile technology can enhance their social media marketing, increase website traffic, and serve as a sales platform.

Hit the ground running: attendees are encouraged to bring their laptop, tablet, and smartphone to this hands-on seminar.

The member fee is $25; nonmembers pay $45. Tickets are available at www.LVArtsCouncil.org /www.LVArtsBoxOffice.org. Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information:
Call: 610-437-5915.
Email: operations@LVArtsCouncil.org 
Web: http://www.lvartscouncil.org/ArtsMobile.html

Location: Butz Corporate Center, 840 Hamilton Street (Suite 200 Conference Room), Allentown Pa. 18101
Date / Time: Wednesday, April 30, 2014, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Fee: The member fee is $25; nonmembers pay $45.
Attendance: Reservations are required. Tickets can be purchased online
Tickets:
http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1803990&cobrand=lvartsboxoffice
http://www.lvartscouncil.org/ArtsMobile.html

Bill Would Promote Products ‘Made In PA’

Map of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

HARRISBURG — Would you be more likely to buy a product if it were labeled “Made in Pennsylvania?”

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers has introduced a bill to create a “Made in PA” program, complete with a logo and website to encourage consumers to purchase products made close to home.

A similar program, to identify and promote Pennsylvania agricultural products, began in 2004, called the PA Preferred program.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2013/12/16/Bill-would-promote-products-Made-in-PA/stories/201312160060#ixzz2neriTSq7

Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre Announces Its 15th Summer Of Middle School Arts Camp

Logo of Muhlenberg College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Allentown, Pa  — This summer, Muhlenberg College‘s Camp Imagine program celebrates its 15th year of educating and enriching the lives of the Lehigh Valley’s middle school students.  Founded in 1999 the program provides young people in grades 6-8 with a month-long performing arts experience, which is free for students of the Allentown School District.

High school students can enroll in the Performing Arts Workshop.  Both programs provide invaluable experiences and opportunities to nurture passion for the performing arts and build real-life interpersonal and expressive skills.  The programs meet for three hours each week day, July 1-26.

“We all build confidence in each other,” said a former participant the Performing Arts Workshop.

Each program will culminate in a free showcase performance for family and friends at the conclusion of the four weeks.  Participants will be guided through creative arts experiences in the performing arts by talented teams of Muhlenberg College students and alumni.  These teaching artists are experienced, professionally trained and supervised.

“I think that the arts provide not only a tool for performance, but a tool for life,” says Renee Lorenzetti, related arts coordinator for the Allentown School District.  “It’s how we live and it’s who we are; and it’s what we need in our society.”

Camp Imagine students will explore their talents in acting, music, and dance in a safe and open environment, rotating through classes in drama, movement, and vocal expression.  They will also get to work with Muhlenberg alumni and students to create a dynamic ensemble environment with their peers.

The Workshop takes a multi-disciplinary approach to the study, creation, and performance of theatre. Students will work in a professional studio setting, learning not only acting, dance, and voice, but also advanced audition technique, ensemble collaboration, and character development.  Sessions are modeled after college classes, providing students with the opportunity to experience college-level performing arts instruction.  The workshop experience will conclude with an original ensemble performance.

Camp Imagine meets 9:30 to 12:30 a.m.  A lunch is provided for free to all participants, and free bus transportation is provided from all four Allentown School District middle schools.  For students not enrolled in the Allentown School District, tuition is $395; however, partial and full need-based scholarships are available. The Camp Imagine showcase is Saturday, July 27, at 10 a.m.

The Performing Arts Workshop meets 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.  Tuition for all students is $465; however, partial and full need-based scholarships are available.

Both programs meet July 1-26, except for July 4.  Students must register to participate.  Applications are available online atwww.muhlenberg.edu/camp, and by request at camp@muhlenberg.edu or 484-664-3693.

The programs are made possible by underwriting support from Enterprise Car Rentals, Crayola, The Foundation for Allentown City Schools, and others.

 

Easton Pays McDonald’s $300,000 To Vacate Two Rivers Landing

English: The official logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There will be no more Egg McMuffins, Golden Arches or Happy Meals in Centre Square.

Easton City Council agreed Wednesday night to pay McDonald’s $300,000 over three years to terminate the remainder of the burger chain’s lease at Two Rivers Landing.  The deal paved the way for a 10-year commitment from Crayola to lease the entire facility, putting the building back on tax rolls and effectively paying off the mortgage.

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. laid out the major terms of the two pacts, highlighting a $2.2 million boost in revenue over the next decade before the payments to McDonald’s.  Crayola, which will invest millions to revamp its Crayola Experience attraction, plans to generate much larger crowds, reconfigure its store and pump more money into the downtown, Panto said.

“The amount of dollars we are investing,” Panto said of the McDonald’s buyout, “will be returned many, many times.”

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/easton/mc-easton-two-rivers-landing-lease-resolved-20120822,0,5083955.story

Easton Opens New Visitors Center

 

Skyline of Easton, PA from Lafayette College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tourists heading to downtown Easton have a new place to get information and plan their Lehigh Valley experience.

The city’s new visitors center opened Friday in the lobby of the Sigal Museum on Northampton Street. The museum added brochures and pamphlets about Easton and Lehigh Valley attractions and staffers have been trained to assist visitors.

“People still want information face to face,” said Michael Sterschi, president of Discover Lehigh Valley at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Easton considers tourism, along with arts and entertainment, a critical component of revitalizing downtown, said Gretchen Longenbach, the city’s director of community and economic development.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/easton/mc-easton-visitors-center-sigal-museum-20120511,0,1914215.story

Easton-Based Crayola Launches New Exhibits

The sixteen Crayola "Metallic FX" special effect crayons (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Crayola Experience celebrated the opening of an 18,000 square-foot expansion with build-your-own space suits, a glow-in-the-dark doodle room, and a special green, odoriferous crayon called Alien Armpit.

Though their crayons might have been spiked with galactic body odor, dozens of kids rushed the new tables and activity areas in the Activity Studio, one of several new exhibits in the space Crayola moved into earlier this year as the National Canal Museum moved out.

Children grabbed glue sticks, tissue paper, a rainbow of crayons, fat markers, stencils, colored sand and brown paper bags – everything you need to make a spacesuit.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/easton/mc-crayola-experience-grand-opening-20120405,0,4160945.story

Crayola Moving Distribution To Majestic Bethlehem Center

Crayola will shift its distribution operations to the Majestic Bethlehem Center next year, becoming the first tenant for the undeveloped property on former Bethlehem Steel land.

The crayon maker will shutter its distribution centers in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Bethlehem Township and Fredericksburg, Lebanon County, next year and move into the 800,000-square-foot Majestic facility straddling Lower Saucon Township and Bethlehem, Crayola officials announced Wednesday.

The company plans to employ 60 to 80 workers at the distribution hub, including workers from existing facilities, Crayola spokesman Eric Zebley said.

Mike Perry, Crayola’s CEO and president, labeled the move in part a way to save money and boost efficiency.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-bethlehem-crayola-majestic-bethlehem-center-20120328,0,5754477.story