Nov. 12, 2025
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
The Bethlehem Co-Op Boondoggle will hold a public meeting Nov. 17, perhaps to plead for more money, or make more excuses, or maybe, just maybe, say when it will open.
You’ll recall that the Boondoggle is in its 15th year of not operating, and has blown past its first proposed opening date by almost four years.
The meeting provides a chance to ask, “Is this a social group that raises money, or a legitimate attempt to open a store?”
So far, the answer to that is clear. It’s a public-spirited self-righteous mess.
Finally, even Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds and other elected officials who support whatever the Boondoggle really is are conceding that yes, maybe 15 years and $4 million is a lot of time and money for nothing.
Here’s the Boondoggle’s latest news blast:
**
As part of our commitment to transparency, all are welcome to attend our Monthly Board meeting. It will be offered on Monday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 PM at NCC’s Fowler Center, 511 E. Third St., Bethlehem in room 106.
As always, we’ll also offer this meeting as a hybrid (online link: bit.ly/3HyyiZA).
Each meeting offers an opportunity for non-board members to ask questions, raise concerns and make comments. If you can’t attend, please send those to us at info@bethlehemcoopmarket.com.
**
See this link for their website.
In short, the Boondoggle has never opened despite receiving more than $3 million in public funds, spending another million dollars or so, running up debt and persuading about 1,700 people to put up $300 to be a member of something.
There’s a catch, though, are they counting only fully paid members, or people on monthly payment plans, or people who started to join but let it go as the Boondoggle bumbled along?
At its last meeting, the Boondoggle said it needed another $389,000 to operate. Meanwhile, it’s paying rent and other costs for space at 250 E. Broad St.
This project has gone beyond implausible, and even beyond ridiculous.
Have you no sense of decency?” as the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy was asked.
It’s time for the federal, city or state government to look into where the money went. Public money.
Open the Boondoggle’s books, find out who benefited, and claw back whatever public money went to it. Maybe just pennies on the dollar are left, and possibly nothing, but at least try.
The Boondoggle’s board of directors, the people in charge of whatever this is, have no motivation to make hard decisions. Their easiest course is to continue asking for money and pretending.
One member even suggested at an earlier meeting that the Boondoggle should “target millionaires” to get more money to burn.
As I’ve noted before, you can’t make this stuff up.
Editor’s note: I may be away Monday but I might arrange for a recording of the meeting. I’ve spent enough time at pointless meetings anyway.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 