The Bethlehem Co-Op Boondoggle: My Letter to Bethlehem City Hall

Jan. 19, 2026

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

I posted earlier today about the Bethlehem Boondoggle’s next meeting, see this link for that item.

Then I sent the following email to Bethlehem City Council, Mayor J. William Reynolds and a few others in City Hall. I don’t think it’s asking too much.

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Good morning Council, Controller Yasso, Mayor Reynolds and a select few others:

Please ask the Bethlehem Co-Op to attend a public meeting and answer questions. An earlier version of this council awarded them more than $100,000, and by supporting the Bethlehem Boondoggle helped them get $3 million in federal and state money.

You may have noticed they’re not open. They have set multiple opening dates, now they avowedly will not set an opening date until everything is just peachy.

The public involuntarily supported this ridiculous operation. The public deserves answers. 

Please just ask them to come in. If they refuse, so be it.

The situation is beyond ridiculous.

I’d like to thank the very few of you who have responded earlier. This is a constituent concern and while it may be embarrassing for some of you, it’s a public issue that merits attention and at least the courtesy of a response, even if it’s just to tell me, “Buzz off.”

Jeff Ward

Bethlehem

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I will note that Controller Yasso had the courtesy to call me about this earlier, and I’ve gotten a couple notes from City Council and an administration member over the past year. Otherwise, they have been too busy thinking about bigger things, or they just plain don’t like me.

The first is not a good excuse, but the second one, fair enough.

Anyway, I’ll see if anybody gets back to me. Even if just to say, “Buzz off!”