NOC REVIEW

From Ross Nunamaker

Thought I’d attempt a look back at 2009 through the eyes of NOC. It’s a long post, so I hope you aren’t reading this on a phone!


Overall, there were 110,932 site visits and 160,454 page views of the 632 items posted. But, this was the year NOC went social. I began using new services to distribute NOC content beyond the site itself. So the actual number of people getting the content was much higher than the site numbers indicate.


Beginning in late spring, every post was distributed to the following:

•Twitter, which has 77 people following
•Posterous, which has 3 followers and 1,641 page views
•Facebook, where each is posted on my wall for my 330+ friends and to the fan page that has 100+ fans

So all in all, it seems that people enjoy getting the information and now they can read it in different places.


Also, Nazareth is fortunate to have a lot of blogs that provide local information. In late May I began to do a weekly round-up that includes: Andy’s Fan Page, Breakfast in the Valley, Center for the Arts, Clonehenge, House to Home, Lehigh Valley Ramblings, Lower Nazareth Citizen Forum, Maker Diaries, Steaming Cup of Joe, Tatamy Happenings, and Weird Nazareth. Best wishes to all my fellow bloggers for continued success in 2010!


So what happened this year through the eyes of NOC?


Four days stood out with the most visits:

•January 26: Three posts were made this day, including the most viewed individual post (see below) and one on crime in Nazareth.
•July 8: This traffic was driven by the Fireworks being cancelled for Nazareth Day (see item #2 below)
•October 20: Parents upset with how the new Intermediate School was operating lodge a series of complaints at the school board meeting
•November 4: Election updates(see item #6 below)!

These were the stories with the most page views on the site (this means someone didn’t read the article on the home page but actually clicked on the link to read the post or had the link emailed to them and clicked on it):


10. Nazareth Day Road Rally > Conducted each year in conjunction with Nazareth day, information on the event and sign up was the tenth most viewed page this year, which could be due in part to the fact that it includes an announcement that the fireworks were cancelled and more details would follow (see item 2 below).

9. Senate Bill to Cut Library Funding > I think everyone knows I’m a big advocate of the library, so seeing this link make the top 10 suggests to me that I’m not alone.

8. Fastnacht Day Coming Soon > Was a little surprised to see this make the list, but I guess NOC readers want to know where to get their genuine Fastnachts!

7. Death Ruled Homicide > Patrick O’Brien’s death was ruled a homicide making it the first murder since 1978 to take place in the borough

6. Local Election Results > Local government is where sites like NOC can serve the people the best because print and tv can’t possibly cover all the municipalities in depth. Will need to boost the meeting coverage, but this result is proof that people do want the information.

5. Teen Dies in Violent Lehigh County Crash > One of several tragedies that occurred this year. Nazareth student, Angelica Fox, died in a car crash in Lehigh County

4. NASBRA – What A Race > This has fast become one of the most fun, unique, local events. This year, the adult soap box racing association, even had Mario Andretti waving the checker flag for each heat. Glad to see it ranked as high as it did and maybe even more will take part next year. Pictures from the event helped it average nearly 4:00 minutes per visitor making it the longest average time at 3:54.

3. Hollywood Video Closing > A little bit of a surprise it made the list, but then again, most people were surprised to find the door locked with no previous notice.

2. Fireworks Canceled for Nazareth Day > I almost don’t even want to bring this issue up. It may not have had the most item page views, but it certainly was a powder keg. On July 8 over 1200 pageviews were recorded with most people reading from the homepage not the stand alone page for the article. There also wound up being several posts on this topic garnering over 70 comments on the site and many more on Facebook.

1. Economic Stimulus Email > I posted an email I received asking me to fill out lots of personal information to be eligible for Federal Stimulus funds. This was the most viewed post of the year, and not one comment. It was so obvious this was a fraud I didn’t look it up at the time, but did now and found FraudWatch International had an article on it the day after I posted (read it here).



Some other interesting items that didn’t make the top ten:


January opened with a boil water advisory mess thanks to Easton Suburban Water Authority’s new call system. Apparently the system wasn’t loaded with customers’ phone numbers, but instead a purchased list of numbers based on geography. As such, customers who were affected weren’t notified and those who weren’t customers and not affected were (read the post here).


On Earth Day, the Borough removed an old Beech Tree in the Circle that had some individuals very upset, first with the removal and second with the timing (read the post here).


In June an abduction in Nazareth led to a police chase and death of State Trooper Joshua Miller in Monroe County making state and national headlines (read the initial post here).


Also in June, an 18 year old went to Wal Mart, got caught stealing, fought store security, was arrested, and while in the Colonial Regional Police Dept. cell he pulled a fire alarm causing $5000 worth of water damage. This was followed by several other nearly unbelievable acts. One teen was charged with destroying his mother’s home by punching holes in the walls and tearing down parts of the ceiling, and another attempted to out run police, nearly hit Pizza Joe’s restaurant with his car, then tore through a corn field (read the post here) before being caught.


In July, it was hot, so John Dilli of Upper Nazareth went to 7-Eleven, stripped naked, yelled “let’s go coppers” and jumped on the hood of his car. He was tasered and arrested (read the post here) amazingly he was not charged with indecent exposure.


July saw Nazareth again in the national media when the Colbert Report on Comedy Central spoofed the Nazareth Library for revoking a Tatamy resident’s library card, because it was provided in error. He should have gone to Easton (read it here).


In August, police pull a car over and as they approach the driver throws marijuana through the window. After his arrest the driver mentions there is a fair amount of money in the car. Police eventually find $125,000 (read it here). In Bushkill, a 19 year old stole a car and led police on a chase that resulted in several charges and numerous traffic violations. Police ultimately tasered the individual after stopping his vehicle.


Twenty homes in Upper Nazareth were evacuated and the Bethlehem Bomb Squad was brought in when a resident found a WWII grenade while going through a deceased relatives possessions (read it here).


And to close the month out, ghostbusters visited the Newburg Inn and determined it was haunted (read it here).


Martin on Main was a huge success as hundreds of enthusiasts were joined by residents to celebrate guitar making and playing (read the post here).


The swine flu, particularly in the NASD, dominated September news.


In early November, a gang style beating took place at Nazareth High School when three girls planned an assault on another girl and carried it out as students stood by watched, photographed, and videotaped the event later posting it online (read it here).


December put Nazareth in the national spotlight again when the Huffington Post reported on the Wal Mart in LNT secretly recording in a unisex bathroom (read it here).


Openings and Closings (from posts I made, definitely not comprehensive):


The Ranchhouse remained vacant while Nazareth Hardware, General Supply, 84 Lumber, Blockbuster, Lilly’s Tacos, JAK-e Potatoe Co., Hollywood Video, and Powerhouse Gym, all closed and the Miss PA pageant decided to leave Nazareth for Western PA.


On the other hand, Chick Fil-A, Hobby Lobby, Harvest Grill, Hana Sushi, Goodfellas, Marissa’s Boutique, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Target, Toy Stop, Sports Authority (and all the other stores in the complex) opened this year as did the Nazareth Center for the Arts.


Thank You!


Thanks for continuing to read NOC, submitting suggestions, and keeping me informed of what is happening.


Time to go shovel snow! Happy New Year and best wishes for a prosperous and healthy 2010!

Ross Nunamaker