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JULY 2-8, 2026
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Rob Buchert: Dunlap Broadside Reproduction, 2026
Lehigh Township to welcome new Police officers, begin road repairs By LAURA KLOTZ The Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors dedicated a large part of their June 23 meeting to the drafted ordinance concerning data centers and the question of whether to permit e-bikes in township parks. They opened the meeting by hearing from Nicole Gallio, who represented the Lehigh Valley Resort and Spa project. As had been predicted at a previous meeting, they applied for an extension on plan recording until August 26, 2027. Gallio explained that the next step for the project will be digging for tanks at the wastewater treatment plant site. They are ready to start moving materials to
the resort site; however, they still need to finalize the plan before it can be submitted for recording, as some details are “still being buttoned up.” The details in question are mostly concerning interior changes such as fittings. Supervisors granted the requested extension. Township Solicitor David M. Backenstoe provided the board with printed copies of the data center ordinance that he had drafted, assisted by Township Engineer Michael Muffley and Zoning Officer Roxann Colfer. He reviewed some procedural and formatting specifics in order to better explain them. The technology for data cen-
ters is updating so rapidly that it is virtually impossible for a final ordinance to be drafted, he said, but the one which has been put together for Lehigh Township is as complete as it can be. It includes a section defining terms, such as what a data center is, establishes a number of requirements, such as how large a center can be, how close it can be placed to other buildings such as residences and schools, the need for a sound study to confirm that the noise will not be disruptive to residents and other requirements concerning power, water and sewage needs. Anyone building a Continued on page 3
Utah artist Rob Buchert holds his hand-printed recreation of the 1776 Declaration of Independence in his studio, where he made the paper and printed every copy by hand. The papermaking vat is visible behind him. June 11, 2026. Photo by Aaron Cornia/BYU Photo. © BYU PHOTO 2026. All Rights Reserved. photo@byu.edu (801)422-7322.
Northampton Area Public Library Launches “Senior Hours” to support Submitted by ROB BUCHERT call: the history interpreter then portraying George Washington Community after center closure The document: at Mount Vernon was having On the night of July 4, 1776, Philadelphia printer John Dunlap set the Declaration of Independence in type and printed an estimated 200 copies. These broadsides, large single-page printed sheets, were the document that spread the news of independence across the colonies. Twenty-six copies are known to survive. The auction record was set in 2000 at Sotheby’s: $8.14 million. Why this reproduction is different: In February 2026, Rob Buchert received an unlikely phone
trouble sourcing paper made in the 18th-century style. The inquiry that followed led Buchert to the Dunlap Broadside, and to the question of whether anyone had ever reproduced it, not as a facsimile of the artifact’s current appearance, but as a complete recapitulation of the original creation process. The answer was no. Most Americans picture the Declaration of Independence as the calligraphed parchment with the famous signatures, the Continued on page 8
Submitted by VERONICA LAROCHE In response to the permanent closure of the Northampton Senior Center, the Northampton Area Public Library is stepping in to provide a welcoming space for older adults who may be feeling the loss of a longtime community hub. Beginning Monday, July 6, the library will introduce dedicated “Senior Hours” from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Monday through Thursday, offering a familiar place for connection, conversation and comfort. The initiative comes at a
critical time for local seniors. The Northampton Senior Center, which has served as a daily gathering place for decades, is scheduled to close on June 30 due to funding reductions impacting the county’s senior services network. Many seniors relied on the center not only for meals, but for companionship and routine—describing it as a “second home” and even “family.” Library leaders say the new morning hours are designed to help fill that gap, even in a modest way. “We understand how important connection and routine are,
especially right now,” said Library Director Veronica Laroche. “Our goal is to offer a space where seniors can continue to gather with familiar faces in a relaxed, welcoming environment.” During Senior Hours, the focus will be simple and intentional: Continued on page 14
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