Nazareth library Holds annual Touch-A-Truck event, Page 10
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OCTOBER 9-15, 2025
Looking by Back Ed Pany
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60th Class Reunion
Northampton County Farms: Part 2 of 4
Photo by John C. Pittman Photography The Northampton High School Class of 1965 held their 60th reunion on Oct. 4 at Tri-Boro Sportsman’s Club. One hundred classmates attended and enjoyed reminiscing wonderful memories of the past.
Contributed photo In today’s column we are looking at the status of agriculture and farming in Northampton County. In our last column we looked back to agriculture using the 1914 Farm Directory of Northampton County and found there were 3,565 active farms in 1914. I called the farm preservation office in Northampton County to find what action has been taken to preserve farmland and open space. I am sure many of our citizens support county and local government efforts to preserve land for the future generations. Mr. Oberly and I checked the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The census listed 421 farms with 58,138 acres. Mr. Ryan Shaw, administrator of Northampton County Farmland Preservation, was very cooperative and forwarded a list of acreage preserved in the county. A total of 20,000 acres has been
preserved, representing 271 farms, because of Act 149 Preserved Farms in Northampton County. Currently, they are in the process of preserving additional farms and acreage. (The following stats do not include the additional acreage that was recently celebrated at Unangst Farm to bring the total of preserved acres to 20,000.) Allen Twp................ 973.53 acres Bethlehem Twp.......... 47.53 acres Bushkill Twp............ 506.21 acres East Allen Twp......... 957.74 acres Forks Twp................ 246.23 acres Lehigh Twp........... 1,062.23 acres Lower Mount Bethel Twp............ 4,312.63 acres Lower Nazareth........ 927.33 acres Lower Saucon Twp.... 93.57 acres Moore Twp........... 2,937.27 acres Plainfield Twp....... 3,405.34 acres Upper Mount Continued on page 2
Residents urge Northampton Borough Council to address Ongoing odor issues By KERI LINDENMUTH Residents of Coventry Court and the surrounding area appeared before Northampton Borough Council to ask for support as their neighborhood deals with odors they allege are coming from a nearby recycling business. “After 8 p.m., Cap Glass has decided that we don’t have the right to fresh air,” resident Michael Sharkazy said during the Oct. 2 meeting. According to the company’s website, Cap Glass, at 799 Smith Lane, uses “advanced technology to clean, sort, and crush glass from various sources, ensuring quality and precision.” The busi-
ness largely operates in the evenings. Sharkazy and his neighbors allege the company’s operations have resulted in “invasive” odors and air quality concerns that have disrupted their way of life for years. “There is rarely a day that goes by without these odors,” Sarah Alp of Coventry Court told council. “They invade our homes, parks and streets.” Residents described the odors as sour and compared them to garbage or human waste. As recently as Sept. 27, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency responded to
complaints of “strong rotten garbage odors” coming from the site. Residents like Alp and Sharkazy questioned the health risks Northampton residents may be facing. “[We] respect local businesses, but no business should comproContinued on page 9
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