Stroll Around the Neighborhood: What does community mean to you?

The Brown and White took a stroll around the neighborhood and asked various community members about their definition of community. 

Lemi Rufe

Rufe is a Fountain Hill resident and server at Wonder Kitchen on East Fourth Street.  

Question: What is an issue on the South Side that is important to you? 

Lemi Rufe: Parking and this traffic light on the corner (of East Fourth Street and Webster Street.)

Q: What does community mean to you? 

LR: When we can come together. That is why we have restaurants. I think it’s good for the community and we can also give back to the community. 

Q: Do you belong to any communities? 

LR: I belong to the Holy Infancy Church on East Fourth Street.

Q: Do you think the idea of community is important on the South Side? 

LR: I would say yes. In Fountain Hill, it’s all about community. We try to give back to the community and bring it back.    

Josh Novak

Novak is the head of operations for Homebase Skateshop on West Fourth Street.

Question: What is an issue on the South Side that is important to you? 

Josh Novak: Cleanliness. 

Q: What does community mean to you? 

JN: Everybody interacting and helping each other out.

Q: What makes a place a community? 

JN: Providing places for people to get together and have those conversations and put themselves in positions where they’re around each other.

Q: Do you belong to any communities? 

JN: Luckily, yes. Mainly the skateboard community. There’s a huge skateboard community within the whole of the valley. The shop in particular is celebrating our 21st year of business. It’s a long, deep-rooted community that we’ve been building throughout the decades. 

Q: Do you think the idea of community is important on the South Side? 

JN: Absolutely. Especially with how big it is and how there’s the North Side and the South Side. Each individual neighborhood, I think, should have a community, and to have someone look after your area, and your neighborhood is very important.

Giavanna Heaton

Heaton is a server at Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub on East Fourth Street. 

Question: What is an issue on the South Side that is important to you? 

Giavanna Heaton: I think construction hinders a lot of businesses. When the bartenders work during the day, if there’s construction going on, there’s nowhere for people to park. I know they’re trying to improve it and make it look better, which I support. I wish they would do it at night — similar to how highways are repaired — and not during main business hours, because it does affect business. 

Q: What does community mean to you? 

GH: Coming together for a good cause, being supportive of the people around. When people come to visit Lehigh, I like to tell them a little bit about the area. I’ve lived here my entire life, so I like to point out the positive aspects of the area. I’m trying to support our community by talking it up to out-of-town people so that they want to send their kid to school here. 

Q: What makes a place a community?

GH: Being a group of supportive people. I’m proud to say I’ve lived here my whole life because I do think it’s a good community. Bethlehem has the whole historical aspect of it and Lehigh is such a good school with a great reputation. So I think it’s being proud of where you’re from and always trying to give back to your community. 

Q: Do you think the idea of community is important in South Bethlehem?

GH: I do. I think people look at Bethlehem like it’s the city, but to me, it’s a small town. You know everybody, you know everything that’s going on. If we got people together as a community, it would be more pronounced and more successful. When you have something like Bethlehem, it’s important to stay together to keep it the community that it is. 

Maria Batista 

Batista works at Casa de Campo on West Fourth Street.

Question: ¿Cual es una tema en el South Side que tiene importancia para usted? (What is an issue on the South Side that is important to you?)

Maria Batista: Las plantas, la naturaleza juega un papel muy importante en el South Side. (The plants, nature plays a very important role on the South Side.)

Q: ¿Qué significa para ti “la comunidad?” (What does community mean to you?)

MB: Es algo que ayuda a unir a grupos de personas. (It is something that helps unite groups of people.)

Q: ¿Por qué crees que las comunidades son importantes en el South Side? (Why do you think communities are important in the South Side?)

MB: Las comunidades reúnen a tantas personas, crean un ambiente de apoyo y les dan un lugar al que pertenecer. Las comunidades en el South Side ayudan a conectar a las personas entre sí a medida que se crean más y más comunidades. (Communities bring together so many people, create a supportive environment, and give them a place to belong. Communities in the South Side help connect people to each other as more and more communities are created.)