Northwestern Press

The harvest is in but the work is not over, not for Joe Greff, a Staten Island native, and his wife, Vickie, owners of Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli.

Greff explained that Nouveau wines (bottled the same year as harvested) are “bottled very young with little barrel aging,” resulting in “light, fruity and semi-dry to dry red wines.”

By all accounts, the Lehigh Valley is Pennsylvania’s fastest growing wine region and no one knows that more than Greff.

He and his wife started the winery 31 years ago with five acres.

With memories of warmer days dancing in their heads, the high school band boosters celebrated individual members and the overall season on one of the coldest days of the new year.

Members of the band and their families recently attended the banquet at Olde Homestead Golf Club, New Tripoli.

After brunch, band director James Lykins acknowledged those who contributed to the band’s success.

He thanked the band boosters,

“It’s our vision to extend this down to the younger grades,” Lykins said.

Carol Fella, assistant band director, also expressed her thanks.

Santa may have left town but the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is a perfect time to enjoy family and friends surrounded by the nostalgic and symbolic items that mean so much.

No one knows that better than Gene and Marianne Allen of Kempton, who have been collecting Christmas memorabilia for decades.

“I have a couple of things from my grandmother and a few things from my parents,” he said. “The rest I collected.

“I still have one more box to put up,” he laughed, vowing to get to it even though it was Dec. 23, 2017.

When the Northwestern Lehigh Scholastic Scrimmage team competed at PBS on Channel 39, it was an unforgettable experience.

“We did pretty well this year, better than last year,” said senior Trevor Spaide, who appeared on the show along Patrick Maurer, Mason Sechler and Adriana Walp.

The team naturally felt some pressure.

“It was nerve-racking to be on TV, so I just tried to pretend that I wasn’t,” Spaide said.

“The team made it to round two,” adviser Beth Johnson said.

Northwestern faced Allentown Central Catholic.

As the fifth grade students marched into the high school’s STEAM lab, excited voices reflected their enthusiasm at the prospect of exploring scientific principals using science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics in an innovative way.

The event was conjured up by husband and wife team Jeremy and Tracy Smoyer.

Clarinets, mallets and soaring voices resounded in the middle school auditorium Dec. 13 at the high school’s annual winter concert, heralding the advent of the holidays foreshadowed by the recent snow and brisk temperatures.

The high school chorus, under the direction of Greg Snider, set the holiday tone, performing three pieces including “’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime,” which featured Morgan Moss on flute.

Moss also arranged a piece called “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” for a clarinet group called the Tenutos, lightening the mood.

When the Northwestern Lehigh fall drama debuts Nov. 30, audiences will notice some major differences from past performances.

Instead of seeing one play, they will view 20 skits performed all in one night under the title “Eat Your Heart Out.”

“I was really intrigued when I first found out we were doing this, ” said Aaron Green, vice president of the high school drama club.

“It’s not like a traditional show. It gets to showcase individual talent.”

Green said everyone gets time in the spotlight.

Long known for fall festivals and genealogy workshops, the Weisenberg Lowhill Township Historical Society is hosting a three-day art event Nov. 3, 4 and 5.

Featuring work by seven of its members, the event is aptly named “Work of Our Hands.”

Werleys Corner Hotel, Weisenberg Tiownship, will serve as a unique space where visitors can view paintings and pottery, fused glass and Frakturs, woven baskets and woodworking and cards and calligraphy surrounded by the society’s permanent collection of historical items and memorabilia.

It isn’t enough for longtime rivals to meet on the football field and fight for a win. Not when bragging rights are involved. And for these reasons and more, Northwestern traditionally displays its Tiger spirit just before meeting Northern Lehigh’s Bulldogs on the field.

Spirit Week, celebrated this year Oct. 16-20, is more than a single game. Classes are suspended Friday afternoon so the entire school can participate in a pep rally that celebrates athletes of every stripe, as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors bring their own “game.”

Anyone driving through New Tripoli Sept. 23 could see the Community Fire Company’s “Guns and Cash Bash” was wildly successful.

A packed parking lot teeming with cars, fire trucks, ambulances and folks gathered under a huge tent told the story.

“The whole reason this came about is because we want to redo our station and expand the square footage of [the current facility],” said Scott Koenig, special events committee chairman. “We do a lot smaller things [to raise money, but] we needed a way to meet the mortgage payments so we came up with Guns and Cash Bash.