Steve Novak

The Express-Times • 2nd February 2025

Farewell, old friend

After 169 years, The Easton Express-Times finally ended its print edition. For the last run, I was back as a freelancer to eulogize my old paper. This was personal. This was where I spent countless nights getting the final headlines to print; where I covered presidents and pandemics, elections and festivals, storms and stories; where I met my wife. The result — over a century and a half of local news in 4,000 words — became the centerpiece of the special section, a final sendoff as a record of local history became history itself.

Lehighvalleylive.com • 27th November 2023

Night at the Roxy

The story of superstar Billy Joel’s first headlining gig could have happened anywhere, but it happened here — in a small theater in a small town, thanks to a small radio station with an unusual format. The various threads that came together 50 years ago are explored in this long-form story assembled through several lengthy interviews. I handled this project from the top down: writing, photography and digital layout.

lehighvalleylive • 5th November 2023

Cooper’s hawk who? New names for American birds will affect 23 seen in Lehigh Valley

When it was announced that all North American bird species directly named for people would be renamed, I quickly sought out local experts to explain what this would mean for birders in our region, and get their (varying) opinions. This was a quick turnaround on a somewhat wonky — but impassioned — topic.

lehighvalleylive • 13th October 2023

Friday the 13th: Reveling in weirdness in N.J. town where original movie was filmed

A Friday the 13th adventure in Blairstown, New Jersey, where the original “Friday the 13th” was filmed. Hockey-masked, machete-wielding men roam as horror fans renew wedding vows in what has practically become a holiday for this small town. You just have to be there, so I went.

lehighvalleylive • 4th September 2023

Bethlehem reclaiming relic of its greatest Civil War hero, by collector and coincidence

To find out how a Civil War relic was returning home after many decades, I had to track down one of the collectors involved for an interview. The result is a fascinating glimpse into history and the people who pursue it.

lehighvalleylive • 3rd August 2023

Musikfest 40 for 40: Stories from four decades of the Lehigh Valley’s biggest event

This ambitious project — 40 separate stories — required copious research through generations of archival methods, cataloging relevant headlines, story selection, writing and graphic design, planning and scheduling. The results are compiled here in the introductory post. My personal favorite is the protector of the Chicken Lady.

Lehighvalleylive.com • 30th April 2023

The end of Steel

On the 20th anniversary of Bethlehem Steel's sale, four interviewees tell their tales of individual realization that the industrial titan was doomed.

lehighvalleylive • 29th January 2023

Good sh*t! Bees are making dark, smoky honey out of spotted lanternfly excrement.

Huh. Spotted lanternflies, while invasive and dangerous to trees and agriculture, can still serve a purpose. (And I love this headline.)

Lehighvalleylive.com • 16th January 2023

Lehigh Valley Then

My ongoing almanac-style series for lehighvalleylive.com recalls local historical headlines from 10, 20, 25, 50 and 100 years ago. Researched the old-fashioned way (with microfilm in the library), featured articles typically focus on famous people or events — the things that make readers go, "Oh yeah, I remember that!"

Lehighvalleylive.com • 25th September 2022

Billy Joel’s ‘Allentown’ at 40: Tough times and hard feelings from folks still livin’ here

Billy Joel has been singing about Allentown (about Bethlehem, really) for 40 years. But how do the people living here then and now feel about that? Interviews with union steelworkers, historians, mayors and local economic cheerleaders come together in this in-their-own-words style recounting of a song that captured a snapshot of hard times, for better and for worse.

lehighvalleylive • 29th April 2022

Delaware Water Gap park proposal opposed amid questions on boundaries, hunting and history

The Delaware Water Gap is a majestic sight. But would the national recreation area be as stunning with another name? A push to redesignate it into a full-fledged national park meets strong opposition — and dredges up a painful history. Both sides seem as far apart as the gap itself in this complicated fight.

lehighvalleylive • 19th October 2021

Moving the Appalachian Trail: How volunteers finished a local job long in the making | PHOTOS

It takes a lot to move the Appalachian Trail. I spent one recent Saturday on a walk in the woods with these trailblazing volunteers, documenting with words and photos their mission to reroute the AT.

lehighvalleylive • 16th September 2021

Lehigh Valley billionaire launches into orbit on historic all-civilian SpaceX mission

My passions for astronomy and local history collide when a local billionaire embarks on a historic spaceflight. The story includes commentary from another local astronaut.

Lehighvalleylive.com • 6th August 2021

Musikfest 2021 preview night a sign of a normal ‘Fest in abnormal times

Another attempt to add voice to my writing, this time describing the desire for Musikfest fun during still-uncertain times.

Lehighvalleylive.com • 17th June 2021

Juneteenth is a national holiday. We must choose what that means, Lehigh Valley organizers say.

A new holiday is a cause for celebration. But what should that look like? A unique opportunity to look at the meaning of Juneteenth as it becomes a national holiday.

Lehighvalleylive.com • 17th December 2020

1st COVID-19 vaccines given in Lehigh Valley: ‘Light at the end of the dark, long tunnel’

As coronavirus cases surged to their peak in late 2020, a historic moment: Witnessing the first vaccinations in the Lehigh Valley.

Lehighvalleylive.com • 4th April 2020

My friend is recovering from COVID-19. His family’s message: ‘Take it seriously.’

This one was personal. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, someone I knew personally became the local hospital's first person to come off a ventilator — and live. In this historic moment, I took it upon myself to tell one family's story.

Lehighvalleylive.com • 24th January 2020

Inside the somber last days of the Phillipsburg Mall

Experimenting with voice in writing. The story of a mall's drawn-out death was always well-read. I found a different way to tell it.

Lehighvalleylive.com • 16th September 2019

Want to know how climate change affects your area? Ask a winemaker.

To cover the local impacts of climate change, I sought out some of the people who already feel it most accutely: winemakers. Going to farms and soliciting industry experts, I sought to explain a complicated topic in a more relatable way. This was done in conjunction with Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of news outlets.

Lehighvalleylive.com • 25th June 2018

You've never seen the Appalachian Trail like this: Photos from the sky above

I grabbed my camera and hopped on a single-engine environmental survey flight along the Appalachian Trail. Probably the single most fun assignment I've ever had.