[Dixielandjazz] Muhlenberg Gigs

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Jun 23, 2010, at 10:26 PM, dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com  
wrote:

> Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au>
>
>
> W1AB at aol.com asked:
>>   Has anyone ever played a gig in  Muhlenberg, Pennsylvania?
>
> Dear Al,
> Our mate Steve Barbone has.
> If I interpreted his 23rd June email correctly.
> Although, he only mentioned Laurendale and Reading.
> A quick Google seems to indicate Muhlenberg has the same zip code.
> Kind regards,

Dear Bill & Al.

I've done gigs at 2 Muhlenbergs in Pennsylvania. Township and College.

Reading is a city. Laureldale is a town. Muhlenberg is a township. Our  
gig, Thursday night, is at Muhlenberg High School, located in  
Laureldale, one of the small towns located within the limits of  
Muhlenberg Township. The post office that controls the mail for  
Laureldale and Muhlenberg township, is Reading, which controls zip  
codes from 19601 to 19612, + 19640.

Yes, we have played several gigs over the past few years in Muhlenberg  
Township,  They are produced by the township Parks & Recreation  
Department. We've played in Temple PA and Laureldale PA which are  
small towns within that township. At the High School and the Middle  
School which are a part of the Muhlenberg School District.

Postal Districts usually include several towns, and townships. For  
example, my snail mail comes to Oxford PA, 19363, even though I do not  
live in the Borough (town) of Oxford. I live in Lower Oxford Township,  
a rural township near Oxford, not enough residents to have its own  
post office, Several other rural townships nearby are also a part of  
the Oxford Postal District. Before the advent of zip codes, delivery  
to these townships was identified by RD 1, RD 2, etc. which stood for  
Rural Delivery Routes.

Many townships in Southeast PA and New Jersey have Parks & Recreation  
Departments which provide free, or low cost summer concerts for their  
residents. Part of my marketing program is to contact those within 60  
miles of my house if they have more than 15,000 residents. Have gotten  
hundreds of gigs this way over the past 15 years. Muhlenberg has about  
16,000 residents. The West Goshen Gig this Sunday is another township  
gig. It is in the West Chester PA postal district.

About 52 years ago I did a gig at Muhlenberg College which is located  
in Allentown PA, about 35 miles from Muhlenberg Township, and named  
after Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg who was the father of the Lutheran  
Church in the American Colonies, having come to Philadelphia from  
Germany as a missionary in the 1740s.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband