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NEW HOPE: Town plans tribute for its ‘first couple’

By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
   NEW HOPE — June and Earl Bierman are “the first couple of New Hope,” a title Mrs. Bierman admits with a small laugh is “really a bit weird.”
   The idea for the title materialized as plans got under way for a special tribute to the couple next weekend during the annual Winter Festival.
   Mrs. Bierman, 84, was raised in England. She has a lovely British accent, a bit faint after many years in the United States. It shines through from time to time in certain phrases, “right-o” being one of them. She became a legal secretary, working for the American Embassy in London.
   Mr. Bierman, 83, was born in Pottsville, Pa., a “coal cracker,” as his wife describes him, from the state’s mining region. Educated in the city, he grew up a Philly boy, joined the U.S. Army and served in the 1st Division, 26th Infantry Division.
   The two, so different and from different worlds, met in Germany at the Nuremberg war crimes trial that followed World War II. When she left the American Embassy in London to work at the trial, she was assigned to Frances Biddle, the senior American judge serving on the military tribunal that tried Nazi leaders. Mr. Bierman was an Army guard working at the trial.
   They’ve been married for 62 years. “One of us needs a medal,” Mrs. Bierman joked.
   They have a son and two daughters, raising them first in the Lakeside section of Levittown, Pa., while Mr. Bierman was serving in Korea in the early 1950s. He later operated a furniture business in Wrightstown, Pa.
   They’ve lived in New Hope for 28 years. According to the people who have worked alongside them, they have given much to the town.
   As thanks, the couple will be feted with a special, limited-seating tribute, sponsored by the borough’s Park and Recreation Board.
   ”To be honored like this, it’s very special,” Mrs. Bierman said.
   The board will honor the Biermans’ dedication to New Hope on Jan. 29, from 6:30-10:30 p.m., at Occasions. The evening includes a cocktail hour with open bar, a sit-down dinner and full cabaret musical performances by Tom Bateman on piano and Mary Szczesniak on vocals. Seating is limited to 200.
   The Biermans are founders of the Winter Festival. He is the Park and Recreation Board chairman, and his wife serves as secretary. Mrs. Bierman helped found the Doylestown chapter of Soroptimist International.
   The two are “sort of easing out now” from all their activities, Mrs. Bierman said. “We’re both pretty ancient. We’re coasting along now.”
   According to the board, “Earl and June have led the way in beautifying their community with the installation and maintenance of pocket parks around town where all can find relaxation and enjoyment. Their work on the borough’s Revitalization Committee has brought numerous projects to New Hope that have significantly advanced its place as the number one tourist attraction in Bucks County.”
   The board added, “Whether it’s the Rotary Club of Lambertville and New Hope or the spectacular Lambertville-New Hope Winter Festival, which they have helped to lead for many years, their energy has been remarkable. They were charter members of the New Hope Partners in Progress volunteer network, and they are reliable participants in official borough meetings.
   ”They almost single-handedly resurrected the New Hope Visitors Center through a campaign to renovate and upgrade one of the town’s oldest buildings. Today, visitors from all around the country and the world enjoy the new welcome center that helps make their visit to New Hope and Bucks County, Pa., a more enjoyable experience.”
   For tickets to the tribute, visit www.winterfestival.net or call Beth Hasher at 215-862-5067.
   Funds raised by the Winter Festival go to Parks and Recreation departments in Lambertville, New Hope and Solebury as well as the local food bank, Fisherman’s Mark. The festival also benefits social services, schools, fire, police and rescue organizations.