THE VIEW FROM HERE..............Item 1.

KILNS TODAY AFTER 4 WERE
RESTORED AND CAPPED

MURAL IN BORO COUNCIL CHAMBER
(INSERT) ED PANY, CURATOR
ATLAS CEMENT MUSEUM

OLD PICTURE OF COPLAY KILNS 

8/4/10  According to an article in the Allentown
Morning Call on Friday July 23, 2010, funding
for the preservation of the Coplay Saylor
Cement Kilns is not part of this year's 5 year
capital projects plan of Lehigh County.  The kilns
are located in the Boro of Coplay, adjacent to
the Ironton Rail/Trail and North of the Coplay
Parkway and Pool.  The Kilns are all that remain
of an industry that was the heart and soul of
Coplay.  Generation after Generation had
been employed there. Efforts have been made
from time to time to preserve the kilns, which
are believed to be the only existing Schloffer
Kilns  in the world.  There has been this type
of kilns in Germany, but it is believed they are 
no longer in existence.  Some 27, or so, years
ago, Dr. Mahlon H. Hellerich, the Archivisit
of the Lehigh County Historical Society opened
a Museum at the Kilns.  Dr. Hellerich then
sought assistance in advertising the Museum.
Fortunately, two community citizens, Stanley
Reinhard, Jr. and Al (the Reporter) Recker
came forward and initiated what is now known
as "Coplay Community Days." This is tradition-
ally held on the last weekend in August, which this
year is  Saturday the 28th and Sunday 29th. 
Unfortunately, although Community Days are
still in vogue, it is sad to say that the Museum
is now part of past history.  About 10 years ago,
after some news of possible demolition, a comm-
ittee was formed by the same Al Recker which
included Mrs. Helen Schnecker, Treasurur 
(now deceased), Al Ombrello, Sec'y. Other
members included Lou Jany, Joe Bundra,
Robert Toth, Ed Pany and Sherwood Balliet.
The committee was successful in raising some
funds and along with added assistance of Lehigh
County, 4 Kilns were restored and capped.
(see picture above).  The remaining 5 of 9 Kilns
have not been worked on and are deteriorating
with each passing day.  Let us go back to the
Coplay BoroWorkshop  on Mon. Sept.13, 2004.
Mr. Richard Klotz, Director of Administration
of Lehigh County at that time, made a present-
ation to Council, that Lehigh County was con-
sidering the demolition of the 5 Kilns which had
not been restored.  Lehigh County wanted the 
Boro of Coplay to take ownership and mainten-
ance of the approximately 2 1/2 acre area where
the Kilns are located, but the County would
retain ownership of said Kilns.  No action was
taken by Coplay Council, except for a request 
for time to have a discussion on possible 
solutions before the County took any action to
demolish.  At that workshop meeting, a woman 
from Bethlehem, Annie Prince, stated that she
had been involved in Historical Site Preserv-
ation efforts in the past and that a worldwide
campaign, including the Cement Industry, could
be initiated to raise funding for the restoration
of the Kilns.  The following night,  Tuesday
Sept. 14th, at Council's regular meeting,
Mr. Ed Pany, a retired educator of Northampton
and the Curator of the Atlas Cement Museum
in Northampton, gave a deeply thought provok-
ing presentation on history of Coplay Cement Co.
and the many people employed there over the
years.  Ed did this without any script or prompts.
It was straight from the heart and personal
knowledge.  We were fortunate enough to acquire
a recording of his dissertation and it was included,
verbatim, on a CD, "A Pictorial and Text CD of
Coplay".  This CD was produced by a Committee
of Nine who also were active members of the
Coplay Neighborhood Crime Watch.  To continue
the story a little further, a meeting was scheduled
by concerned individuals and it took place the follow-
ing week on Thursday Sept. 23, 2004, in Council
Chambers.  The meeting resulted in the formation
of the Coplay Saylor Cement Preservation Society.
The Society is still in existence today, but we are
sorry to say that those funding promises never
materialized.  The folks of Coplay are still
optimistic of some realistic solution to the Kilns
preservation.  In the newspaper article mentioned
above,  Mr. Ed Pany referred to the Kilns as-
"THE PYRAMIDS OF THE CEMENT INDUSTRY" 

I will close for now echoing Mr. Pany's
final words to Coplay Borough Council, as he
pointed to the Kiln's Mural on the wall behind
them. 
"YOU DON'T HAVE A MUSEUM!!!
THAT'S YOUR MUSEUM!!!
THAT'S YOUR ROOTS!!!
THAT'S YOUR HERITAGE!!!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

My closing words - God Bless.