Everyone these days wants to talk about President Donald Trump's authoritarianism. Unless you're one of the Trump Cult members, you understand it's a valid concern. But what about authoritarianism and Trumpian behavior in local government, often thought of as the birthplace and last bastion of American democracy?Sadly, even at the local level, Trumpian extremism, chaos, abuses of power, and threats are taking root. What's happening in Pennsylvania's Lower Saucon Township is a case study in it.

My Private Hellertown: Stories, Culture & Politics from the Saucon Valley

Power, Corruption and Lies: Lower Saucon Township Council's New Authoritarianism

This restored Episode 2 of My Private Hellertown from 2019 deals with animals real, unusual and mythological -- or real? -- in Saucon Valley, Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania. Have you seen the white deer of Hellertown? Have you spotted a Fisher Cat? That's the terrain this episode explores ...

Episode 2 (Restored): White deer, the Jersey Devil, Cryptozoology, and Cool Animals of Saucon Valley

Back to stories on this edition ... This episode features a detailed profile of my neighbor, Joe, who moved to a small town to seek a quieter life than what seemed to be on offer in his native former steel town Bethlehem, Pa., of the long-shuttered Bethlehem Steel fame (listen to Billy Joel's "Allentown" for history). Was Joe able to get away from the postindustrial clangor? Listen and find out ...Joe did not want his last name used in this story for the sake of privacy.

Episode 5: The Quiet Man

On the latest podcast, I'm joined by Democratic political consultant and Lower Saucon resident Jeff Kennedy for a conversation about the dicey subject of a borough-township merger. Is it time to get serious about what seems to some observers a long overdue move, or will the forces that prevented the last merger efforts prevail again? We'll dive deep and explore the possibilities.

EPISODE 4: SPECIAL POLITICAL EDITION: "The M Word"

This special episode centers around an interview with a well-connected Hellertown native and Gulf War veteran Kurt Selzer, who talks about Hellertown's veterans and some of the issues that matter to them and other veterans.

EPISODE 3: Veterans Day Special: Interview with a Combat Mechanic

Stories and sightings of strange animals -- some real, some not so real, perhaps -- abound in and around Hellertown. "From the Pennsylvania Thunderbird to White Deer" explores my own recent animal sightings and those seen by people with even more fertile imaginations.

EPISODE 2: From the Pennsylvania Thunderbird to White Deer: Cryptids and Fantastical Creatures In and Around Saucon Valley

 My Private Hellertown is a podcast about politics and culture in the Saucon Valley, Pennsylvania. In this first episode of My Private Hellertown, I'll do a post-mortem of the Nov. 5 General Election, talk about how the election played out in Hellertown and discuss a new Anti-Bullying grassroots group in Saucon Valley.Correction: It's not "2009," as stated, lol. It's 2019, I recently discovered. Sorry! - BB

EPISODE 1: My Private Hellertown Debut

A podcast on life, culture, and politics in the Saucon Valley in Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on fresh storytelling, unique profiles and delving into issues challenging, quirky and off the beaten path.

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My Private Hellertown: Stories, Culture & Politics from the ...

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