The greatest number of people to ever attend the annual banquet of the Palmerton Area Historical Society were at Bert's Steakhouse on Dec. 13. The 20th anniversary of the society was celebrated all year with this as the final event. Blake Campbell of Palmerton Area High School was acknowledged for taking the Good Citizen Award to the state level.

Locally in nine school districts it was sponsored by the Liberty Bell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. This was the first year Palmerton participated and it came out on top.Criteria for judging were dependability, service, patriotism and leadership, the national DAR requirements.Campbell played Christmas music on a keyboard. It quickly became a sing-along including "Stille Nacht" in German."It's nice to see so many of you want to sing," said Campbell, who plays at St. Matthew's Church in Weissport.Two members were attending who were founding members of the original Lehigh Gap Historical Society. The name was changed to the Palmerton Area Historical Society because the areas south of the Gap developed their own societies.Larry Yeakel was the first president of the Lehigh Gap Society and served in that position for many years.He said, "It's been a real adventure. I was working at the old train station and people would come in and share their memories. Someone told me about a control tower."Yeakel said he never knew there was one and found that it had been torn down."Didn't anyone try to stop it?" he asked.There was no historical society but it became the reason for the founding of the Lehigh Gap Historical Society.Kathy Long heard there was going to be a founding meeting. She and her husband came and asked what if coverage would include Mauch Chunk. She was told it would cover everything."Do you have paper?" asked Yeakel. "Do you have a pen?" She answered affirmatively to both questions and was told she was the new secretary.The food served by Bert's was liked by everyone, with comments about the good service. Conchita Garcia brought cookies to share at the banquet.The throw with historical scenes was displayed on a quilt rack. They are for sale at the Heritage Center. A painting donated by Paula Zelinska is being raffled with only 100 tickets to be sold. The picture is of the Inn of William Stoddart in Stemlersville.The latest addition to the Little White Church is a service flag. Donations were requested to case the flag, but two days after the notice was in the newsletter Allen Borger of Port Carbon offered to pay for the casing. People in a photograph with it are all identified.Dr. Stanley Peters, a physician from Doylestown, remembers when he came to Palmerton each summer. He was invited by Curt and Mary Beth Beers to attend the banquet. Peters said he comes for the hot bacon dressing.When he was young there was no lettuce and people ate the early shoots of the dandelion with a bacon dressing.He was born on Armistice Day and this year attended the service honoring veterans at his school. The songs of each of the military services were played.Sarah Palin was the speaker and said, "If you don't have morality or God, it's (the four freedoms of the first amendment) not worth anything."Other countries have been bombed but the United States never has. Men and women ask themselves, "If not me, then who would defend our country," Peters said.Door prizes of poinsettia centerpieces and extra bottles of wine and sparkling fruit drinks found homes to go to with society members. The first was presented to Yeakel for what he did 20 years ago before numbers were drawn for the remainder.