Big Bike Race to Take Place in Downtown Allentown 9-11

You won't want to miss this.

Mark your calendar for Sept. 11th for the Univest Grand Prix. The team time trials taking place in Allentown for this important bike race is a big deal, and we would be smart to make arrangements to be there.

By the way, it's free.

The first of three days of bicycle racing is scheduled to kick off in Allentown, then head to communities south of here, Souderton and Doylestown.

When and where exactly is this happening?

In the Lehigh Valley, the race will be in Center City Allentown, basically over an extended lunch hour starting at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, September 11th.

So, we're inviting all of Allentown and the Lehigh Valley to find an place on the course to cheer on the cyclists. The killer hill on Jefferson Street (our cars don't even like climbing this hill), is sure to be a point of interest.

I've got it in my mind how the neighborhoods of NYC come out to support the people who run in the NYC Marathon.

“The Univest Grand Prix has traditionally served as a gateway to the highest levels of the professional racing world for young riders from around the world. When we see our ‘graduates’ performing in the Tour de France, from Tom Boonen (2nd as an amateur in 1999) to Will Frischkorn whose first-ever pro win was at the Univest, we remain certain the event is moving in the right direction,“ John Eustice, the race organizer said.

Here's the insider's strategy...

1) You're going to want to be here. If you don't either take a vacation day or schedule the middle part of the day as a personal day, you are likely to regret it.

2) If you are driving to Allentown, find parking downtown (the Guggenheim-like parking garage at 8th and Linden would be my pick), otherwise, take the LANTA bus, walk over, or BIKE to the race.

3) Find something to eat (call ahead to pick up take out from the Allentown Brew Works or another downtown restaurant).

4) Then, find a good location along the route. 9th and Hamilton will be the center of things.

5) Stand back, enjoy your lunch and watch the cyclists go by...and by...and by.

The course is shorter than the last bike race, so there will be less waiting and more action. The last time a big bike race came to Allentown, many admitted that they needed to learn more about the sport of cycling. Guess what? This time we have a little time to study up, learn who's who and what's what.

Background: the Allentown stage -- which will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. -- serves as the opening round of the three-day race weekend in eastern Pennsylvania. Teams will compete over two laps of a tough and technical 3.8 mile loop that takes them through Allentown’s Center City commercial district, its scenic residential neighborhoods and nationally renowned park system. The racers then must negotiate a short and steep uphill chicane before a final, 500-meter sprint to the line.

WFMZ Channel 69, Allentown, and Universal Sports will broadcast the Allentown and Souderton races live from start to finish and Comcast SportsNet will also provide regional post-event coverage.

But, you will want to say you were actually here! The Allentown races will feature a jumbo television at the finish line to allow spectators to follow the action throughout the course and you'll be sure not to miss anything.

For more information visit www.univestgrandprix.com.

Allentown Run Amuck: Zany Race To Take Place in Allentown

The next "Allentown Run Amuck" race takes place tomorrow at 10 a.m.  That's Sunday, August 16th. 

Just proving that people in Allentown still have a sense of humor, some local creative-types have created a race like none other.

Called "Allentown Run Amuck," runners are instructed to show up at the appointed time and place in the costume of their choosing to find out the destination of their run.  The general distance of the race is 3 miles.

There is no predetermined race course, hence the name.  This means that a working understanding of the street grid of Allentown is a distinct advantage, although last month runners helped each other and no one got lost.  This, even though one runner came all the way from England.

Last month during the inaugural "Allentown Run Amuck" race, one man ran in a speedo swimming suit.  Another showed up in a tutu.  Another painted his face.  You get the idea.

I will never forget the looks on the faces of the people of the first ward as these zany runners ran through the streets of their neighborhood.   

If you're game, meet tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. (Sunday) at PPL Plaza at 9th and Hamilton in costume, if possible.   There are prizes. 

Even if you're not a runner or someone who likes to run in funny getup, it will be worth the effort to roll out of bed and experience this uniquely Allentown event.  

Mark Your Calendars -- Great Allentown Fair Opens Sept. 1

Everyone has a favorite part of the Great Allentown Fair.  What's yours?

There's so much happening there, that I can only scratch the surface.  You have the name entertainment (this year it's Kelly Clarkson and Jeff Dunham to name a few), fancy chickens, cows with beautiful eyes and the clown who will guess your weight or age.  There are also apple pie and other cooking competitions.

My favorite, though, is the Midway at night, with smell of funnel cake, all of those carnival rides whirling and flashing,  and opportunities to have my guy test his pitching arm knocking down bowling pins to win me an oversized stuffed animal or something else I really don't need.

You'll want to mark your calendars to make sure you don't miss the incredible slice of Americana happening right here in Allentown the first week of September. 

Oh, and it's a Great Allentown Fair tradition that the first day, the fair is free!  That's good news!  For more information on things like how to get tickets or participate in one of the cooking contests:  www.allentownfairpa.org

FAIR ADMISSION

Persons 12 & over $6.00.
Under age 12 ALWAYS FREE.
Senior Citizens (65+ with ID) ONLY $4 after 2 PM on Wednesday, September 2.

Special admission promotions are:

Everyone FREE on Tuesday, September 1.
Everyone FREE Noon to 2 PM on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – September 2, 3, 4.

Advance Fair Admission Tickets only $4 when purchased at Fair box office before September 2. May be used for Fair admission when regular $6 admission is charged. Show tickets include Fair admission when purchased in advance of show dates.

FAIR HOURS

Tuesday, September 1 – 5 PM – 11 PM
Wednesday, September 2 through Sunday, September 6 – Noon – 11PM
Labor Day Monday, September 7 – Noon – 10 PM

Nana's Cafe Opens on Hamilton St.

If you are someone who works downtown, a student at the downtown campus of LCCC, or someone who passes through downtown Allentown on the way to somewhere else,  a local sandwich shop has just opened that is likely to make you very happy.

Nana's Cafe at 722 Hamilton Street just opened this week.  Nana, pictured here, works with her daughter to make you a meal that will please.  And, they are very friendly.

Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day but Sunday, they can help you start your day with coffee and an egg sandwich on the go or something more substantial (did someone say "pancakes?") for breakfast.  

For lunch today I ordered the humus pita with chopped greens, avocado, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers with hummus in a fresh pita.  It was great!  Really fresh and tasty.

I left with some perfectly prepared rice pudding to go for my husband (How do I know?  I had to taste it.)

You'll also find wraps, salads and sandwiches...with a smile.  Try it out.

New Planters at 5th and Hamilton

Do you have a pet peeve?

One of mine is empty planters or planters that grow weeds or have dead plants in them.  

The condition of the planters in front of the Federal Court House used to bother me.  Then, I made a few phone calls.

Today, a crew was out transforming a wasteland into an oasis, making this corner of our city a place of which we can be proud.

Do you like "before" and "after" pictures?

Here is documentation of the change.  You can clearly figure out which are the "before."

It's a little thing, but it's a big thing.

Gum Being Cleaned from Hamilton St. Sidewalk

I used to think of my mother as the "gum police."  

She insisted that if one MUST chew gum, that they should chew with their mouth closed and dispose of it discretely by spitting it into a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash. As a teenager, I thought she was such a joy killer.   

From the look of the splotches of gum on the sidewalks on either side of Hamilton St. in downtown Allentown, it appears that there are quite a few people who were never taught proper gum disposal etiquette. 

When I walk down Hamilton Street, I find myself wishing more people had a mother like mine.

Fortunately, Girls at Work has now begun the process of removing gum from the sidewalks.   In my book, clean sidewalks are cause for celebration. 

In general, where ever you walk in the City of Allentown, let's encourage appropriate gum disposal.

And, now when you see a cleaned stretch of sidewalk on Hamilton Street, let's follow one of Mom's famous sayings:  "Now that it's clean, let's keep it that way."