Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast

GET MORE AT LVWITHLOVE.COM Data centers, warehouses, property taxes and housing costs are all part of the conversation when Ron Beitler, an independent Lehigh County commissioner representing District 2, and Frank Pintabone, Easton’s vice mayor, join Off the Record with Lehigh Valley with Love. Hosts George Wacker and Jeff Warren, Northampton County Council vice president and host of The Philadelphia Sports Table podcast, ask what first drew the guests into local government and what keeps them involved. Warehouses and the decision to run A warehouse proposal on farmland in Lower Macungie Township brought Beitler into local politics. He had grown up in the community and wanted a voice in how it developed. He learned that agricultural zoning and permanent farmland preservation offered different protections, then went on to serve as a township commissioner before joining the county board. Pintabone was concerned about teacher layoffs, school finances and threatened cuts to music and sports in the Easton Area School District. After he complained on Facebook, somebody challenged him to run for school board. He took office thinking he could fix things quickly. “I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong.” He eventually became school board president. After leaving in 2017, concerns about Easton’s neighborhoods keeping pace with downtown helped persuade him to seek a seat on city council. From Democrat to Republican to independent Beitler once led his college Democrats chapter. He registered as a Republican after returning home and starting a small business, describing his views as fiscally conservative and more liberal on social issues. Now an independent, he is concerned about the expansion of executive power under presidents from both parties and the erosion of checks and balances. He says his approach to public service has remained consistent through those changes in affiliation. County property taxes and essential services Beitler has to weigh property taxes against the cost of county services, including jails, health and human services and public nursing homes. Both Lehigh and Northampton counties operate nursing homes, and he describes caring for their residents as a moral and ethical responsibility. The proposed 2027 county tax increases were still under review when the interview was recorded. Beitler said commissioners were scrutinizing new spending and looking for ways to limit an increase while keeping services funded. Housing and neighborhood life in Easton Pintabone wants to help residents who earn too much to qualify for assistance but struggle to afford market-rate rents. He calls them the “forgotten middle,” including teachers starting their careers, police officers and city employees. His workforce housing approach ties requirements to qualifying developments receiving public subsidies or tax incentives. He also wanted income calculations based on Easton itself so the program would reflect city residents’ earnings. A fourth-generation South Side resident, Pintabone has seen neighbors respond when families need help. After fires displaced residents, he requested gift card donations on social media. So many arrived that City Hall called asking him to collect them because there was no more room. Data centers and local rules Pintabone and Beitler support giving municipalities more time to study data center proposals, including water use, electricity demand and where facilities should be built. Beitler backed moratorium proposals from state Senators Jarrett Coleman and Katie Muth. He wants communities to be able to update their rules before applications move ahead under older requirements. Residents interested in public service can also contribute through parks boards, planning commissions and other local bodies. Beitler encourages people to use those opportunities to work on issues they care about and learn how local decisions get made. PRESENTED BY BANKO BEVERAGE CO. The 12-Foot-Tall Skeleton Crawl Is Back Explore the community-built map of Halloween displays across the Lehigh Valley and check out the limited-edition It Came From the Lehigh River shirts created with Bethlehem artist Thymes Zup. EXPLORE THE MAPSHOP THE SHIRTS Learn more about the 2026 Skeleton Crawl → ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Get More Lehigh Valley with Love SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER Thank You to Our Partners Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn with RE/MAX Real Estate WDIY 88.1 FM Banko Beverage Company QuoteAhead.com Email news releases and story ideas to [email protected]

GET MORE AT LVWITHLOVE.COM Small-business help and local holiday shopping come together in Bethlehem on November 4 at ToastiQueen’s Fueling Business Growth event and the Home for the Holidays Podcast Holiday Marketplace. Tiffany Sondergaard, CEO and principal consultant of –ts Brand Elevation, joins George Wacker on the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast to explain how the evening connects business owners with practical resources while giving shoppers a chance to support local, women-owned businesses. Legal, banking and payroll resources for small businesses Whether someone is building a side business or working to grow an established one, Tiffany discusses the questions that can come up along the way: opening a business account, understanding contracts, preparing for financing, managing payroll and finding the right professional support. The Small Business Resource Roundup will include brief expert overviews followed by roundtable conversations. Experts will rotate among guest tables, giving attendees a chance to ask specific questions in smaller groups. In the interview, Tiffany highlights: Deborah Carey of Community Bank, discussing business banking and available resources. Cheryl Cusati Duran of Auris, discussing payroll. Jose Collado of Rising Tide Community Loan Fund, discussing small-business funding resources. Brandon Kelly of A.I.M.E., which stands for Apprenticeship, Internship, Mentorship and Entrepreneurship. Danielle Adams-Wiltshire of QueenSuite, discussing professional development. Representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration, along with accounting and legal resources. Tiffany also mentions event partner Venture X Bethlehem and explains how interior designer Wandra Neal Cain of WCA Interiors will help attendees think about the first impression their virtual backgrounds make. A holiday marketplace for shopping local The Home for the Holidays Podcast Holiday Marketplace adds local shopping to the evening, featuring women-owned businesses and a chance to meet the people behind the products. Tiffany previews offerings including Bethlehem stars, fragrance products, chocolates and Caribbean food. In the interview, she also invites businesses interested in vending to contact her at [email protected]. Home for the Holidays: shop small and share big The marketplace connects with Home for the Holidays: ’Tis the Season to Shop Small and Share Big, the podcast Tiffany co-hosts with WDIY Executive Director Margaret McConnell. Tiffany explains how the show explores different gift themes, interviews local business owners and highlights other businesses that fit each category. Event information and tickets Event: Fueling Business Growth + Home for the Holidays Podcast Holiday Marketplace Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026 Time: 5–8 p.m. Location: Courtyard by Marriott Bethlehem, 2220 Emrick Boulevard, Bethlehem, PA 18020 General admission: $35 plus a ticket service fee Get tickets and event information PRESENTED BY BANKO BEVERAGE CO. The 12-Foot-Tall Skeleton Crawl Is Back Explore the community-built map of Halloween displays across the Lehigh Valley and check out the limited-edition It Came From the Lehigh River shirts created with Bethlehem artist Thymes Zup. EXPLORE THE MAPSHOP THE SHIRTS Learn more about the 2026 Skeleton Crawl → ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Get More Lehigh Valley with Love SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER Thank You to Our Partners Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn with RE/MAX Real Estate WDIY 88.1 FM Banko Beverage Company QuoteAhead.com Email news releases and story ideas to [email protected]

GET MORE AT LVWITHLOVE.COM We caught up with Lara Bly at Lara Bly Designs in South Bethlehem as she gets ready for her Fall/Winter 2026 Fashion Show at The Wilbur Mansion in Bethlehem on Friday, October 9. Lara takes us inside her boutique and working design studio, where much of what you see on the racks is actually made right there.   Lara Bly Fall/Winter 2026 Fashion Show: Friday, October 9, 2026, at The Wilbur Mansion in Bethlehem. Tickets and show information: LaraBly.com Learn more about Lara Bly Designs: LaraBly.com PRESENTED BY BANKO BEVERAGE CO. The 12-Foot-Tall Skeleton Crawl Is Back Explore the community-built map of Halloween displays across the Lehigh Valley and check out the limited-edition It Came From the Lehigh River shirts created with Bethlehem artist Thymes Zup. EXPLORE THE MAP SHOP THE SHIRTS Learn more about the 2026 Skeleton Crawl → ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT   Get More Lehigh Valley with Love SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER Thank You to Our Partners Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn with RE/MAX Real Estate WDIY 88.1 FM Banko Beverage Company QuoteAhead.com Email news releases and story ideas to [email protected]

GET MORE AT LVWITHLOVE.COM Cathleen O’Malley is bringing Milkdrunk, her original one-woman show about childbirth, breastfeeding, motherhood and everything messy that comes with it, to Touchstone Theatre in Bethlehem October 7-10. Cathleen joins George Wacker to talk about how her own experience giving birth became the starting point for Milkdrunk, and how documenting the strange, difficult and funny moments of early motherhood eventually turned into a theatrical show. She describes Milkdrunk as a brutal comedy about breastfeeding, but the conversation goes well beyond that. Cathleen talks about using humor to explore some very raw territory, the taboos and expectations surrounding birth and motherhood, and why audiences who may not initially think the show is for them have connected with it. The show premiered Off-Broadway at the United Solo Theatre Festival at Theater Row and has since been performed in Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Cathleen also talks about her history with Touchstone Theatre, what it means to return to Bethlehem with this show, and what she hopes audiences take away from Milkdrunk, including a little more curiosity about the caregivers in their own lives and the demands placed on them. Milkdrunk: October 7-10, 2026, at Touchstone Theatre, 321 East 4th Street, Bethlehem, PA. Performances are Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets: Adults $35; students and seniors $25. Thursday’s performance is Pay-What-You-Will. Get tickets and show information: Milkdrunk at Touchstone Theatre Learn more about Cathleen O’Malley: cathleenomalley.com PRESENTED BY BANKO BEVERAGE CO. The 12-Foot-Tall Skeleton Crawl Is Back Explore the community-built map of Halloween displays across the Lehigh Valley and check out the limited-edition It Came From the Lehigh River shirts created with Bethlehem artist Thymes Zup. EXPLORE THE MAP SHOP THE SHIRTS Learn more about the 2026 Skeleton Crawl → ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT   Get More Lehigh Valley with Love SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER Thank You to Our Partners Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn with RE/MAX Real Estate WDIY 88.1 FM Banko Beverage Company QuoteAhead.com Email news releases and story ideas to [email protected]

GET MORE AT LVWITHLOVE.COM Anja Keister is bringing burlesque back to Northampton. After D20 Burlesque’s Valentine’s show sold out the Roxy earlier this year, the hometown performer and producer returns with D20 Burlesque’s Spooky Spectacular on Sunday, October 4. Anja joins George Wacker again to talk about how that first Roxy show went and what surprised her about the crowd. People just old enough to attend showed up alongside older couples, longtime friends and guests in their eighties. She calls burlesque “an art form for the masses,” and seeing that range of people in her hometown made the return especially meaningful. The Halloween show builds on what audiences enjoyed in February: burlesque alongside dance, pole performances and flow arts. Chicago performer Red Rum headlines, with Anja hosting and performing. The lineup also includes Caresse Deville, Rosa Darling, Miss Shuggenah, Pixie Styx, Sarah “Chillidawg” DeRemer, Jade Retrograde and Taylor Sweet. Anja also talks about the handmade work behind burlesque, from costumes and choreography to producing a show. She and George discuss why horror and burlesque fit together so well: both know how to build anticipation and give an audience a memorable payoff. D20 Burlesque’s Spooky Spectacular: Sunday, October 4, 2026, at the Roxy Theater, 2004 Main St., Northampton, PA. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. This is an 18+ event, and IDs will be checked. Get tickets: D20 Burlesque’s Spooky Spectacular Catch up: Listen to our first conversation with Anja Keister. PRESENTED BY BANKO BEVERAGE CO. The 12-Foot-Tall Skeleton Crawl Is Back Explore the community-built map of Halloween displays across the Lehigh Valley and check out the limited-edition It Came From the Lehigh River shirts created with Bethlehem artist Thymes Zup. EXPLORE THE MAP SHOP THE SHIRTS Learn more about the 2026 Skeleton Crawl → ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT   Get More Lehigh Valley with Love SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER Thank You to Our Partners Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn with RE/MAX Real Estate WDIY 88.1 FM Banko Beverage Company QuoteAhead.com Email news releases and story ideas to [email protected]