No Rain Date

Welcome to Episode 49 of No Rain Date, your weekly local news podcast featuring interviews with guests from the Lehigh Valley. This week host Josh Popichak is joined by Kirsten Hess, owner of Let’s Play Books in Emmaus, which is co-sponsoring the first-ever Lehigh Valley Book Festival with the Bethlehem Area Public Library. Originally planned for 2020, the festival is happening virtually through May 1, 2021. In our interview–which begins at 25:50–Kirsten discusses her unlikely journey to becoming an independent bookseller in Pennsylvania and reflects on the challenges–as well as the rewards–of operating the bookstore without browsers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Don’t forget that No Rain Date is available for download on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Deezer, Tunein, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts and other apps, in addition to Saucon Source. Each episode features local news highlights, timely information and interviews with people who are making a difference in our community. To learn more about the podcast, suggest an interview subject or share feedback, please email

Welcome to Episode 48 of No Rain Date, your weekly local news podcast featuring interviews with guests from the Lehigh Valley. This week host Josh Popichak is joined by Jessie Shappell, Executive Director of ITNLehighValley, a nonprofit organization which provides affordable transportation services to seniors and visually impaired adults in Northampton and Lehigh counties. In addition to their standard services, ITNLehighValley has partnered with the Bethlehem Health Bureau and Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley on a program which delivers COVID vaccine doses to members of the community who can’t drive. Jessie also shares some details about an ITNLehighValley program that allows seniors to trade in their cars in exchange for rides.

Don’t forget that No Rain Date is available for download on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Deezer, Tunein, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts and other apps, in addition to Saucon Source. Each episode features local news highlights, timely information and interviews with people who are making a difference in our community. To learn more about the podcast, suggest an interview subject or share feedback, please email

Welcome to Episode 47 of No Rain Date, your weekly podcast featuring local news and interviews from the Saucon Valley and beyond. This week host Josh Popichak is joined by Bach Choir of Bethlehem Conductor & Artistic Director Greg Funfgeld, who has led the choir since 1983 and expanded its performance schedule as well as its level of community outreach. In its nearly 125-year history, the choir has never been challenged like it has over the past year, when constraints on singing due to the coronavirus pandemic meant public performance cancellations and the loss of choral camaraderie for its 90-plus members. COVID’s silver lining for the group–which has embraced technology in order to bring Johann Sebastian Bach’s music to life–has been finding hundreds of new fans around the world; lovers of baroque music who are now confirmed Bach Choir devotees.

Don’t forget that No Rain Date is available for download on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Deezer, Tunein, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts and other apps, in addition to Saucon Source. Each episode features local news highlights, timely information and interviews with people who are making a difference in our community. To learn more about the podcast, suggest an interview subject or share feedback, please email

Welcome to Episode 46 of No Rain Date, your weekly podcast featuring local news and interviews from the Saucon Valley and beyond. This week Saucon Source publisher and host Josh Popichak is joined by Lehigh County Humane Society CEO Hal Warner, who has an update on the important work the society has been doing, including rescuing and finding forever homes for hundreds of deserving dogs and cats each year. You can learn more about services the LCHS offers, make a donation and sign up for their newsletter at LehighCountyHumaneSociety.org.

Don’t forget that No Rain Date is available for download on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Deezer, Tunein, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts and other apps, in addition to Saucon Source. Each episode features local news highlights, timely information and interviews with people who are making a difference in our community. To learn more about the podcast, suggest an interview subject or share feedback, please email

Welcome to Episode 45 of No Rain Date, your weekly podcast featuring local news and interviews from the Saucon Valley and beyond. This week Saucon Source publisher and host Josh Popichak is joined by candidate for district judge for West Bethlehem and Fountain Hill Van A. Scott Sr. A retired law enforcement officer, educator and Bethlehem native, he shares his personal story of overcoming long odds in order to succeed in life in outlining his priorities for the judgeship, should he be elected to it. (Also running for the position is Lehigh County commissioner Amy Zanelli, who was a NRD guest in February.) Josh has a roundup of the week’s headlines, including the latest on the car accident that tragically claimed the lives of three members of the DeSales University community.

Don’t forget that No Rain Date is available for download on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Deezer, Tunein, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts and other apps, in addition to Saucon Source. Each episode features local news highlights, timely information and interviews with people who are making a difference in our community. To learn more about the podcast, suggest an interview subject or share feedback, please email

Thanks for listening!