“When I
was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look
for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
~ Fred Rogers
~
1928-2003
I
captured this shot of the home of WLVT-TV PBS Channel 39, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
from the walkway on the Hoover-Mason Trestle in the early afternoon of a late
September day, just after summer segued into autumn but summer was still in the
air.
The
studios are housed in the PPL Public Media Center.
WLVT
first signed on the air September 7, 1965, before I was even born, as a member
of National Educational Television (NET) and eventually joined the Public
Broadcasting Service (PBS) at its inception in 1970. It is commonly known as
PBS39.
Oh,
the childhood memories I have of watching WLVT’s’s offerings such as Sesame
Street and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood – my favorite was always when the trolley
whisked us from the neighborhood to “The Land of Make Believe!” To a lesser
extent, I liked The Electric Company, Hodgepodge Lodge, The New Zoo Revue and
ZOOM.
The
Hoover-Mason Trestle at SteelStacks – part of Artsquest – in SouthSide
Bethlehem was an elevated rail line built to transport raw materials to the
blast furnace of the iconic Bethlehem Steel. It was named after the engineering
firm that designed and built it. The trestle was in use from 1907-1995.
Bethlehem
Steel was an American steel and shipbuilding company that began operations in
1904 and was America’s second-largest steel producer and largest shipbuilder.
The company’s roots trace to 1857 with the establishment of the Bethlehem Iron
Company. Bethlehem Steel ceased operations in 2003.
SteelStacks
is a 10-acre campus with indoor and outdoor
venues, hosting festivals, concerts and community events.
ArtsQuest is a nonprofit
organization providing access to art, culture and educational programs.
