SOS In The News

From The Morning Call -- November 7, 2003

Bucks couple put out SOS in effort to keep mill
Save Our Steel is effort to preserve historic Bethlehem Steel site.

By Kathryn Chafin of The Morning Call

Amey Senape and her husband, Mike Kramer, are not big-name politicians nor do they have a wealth of financial backing.

But Senape's father worked in Bethlehem Steel's No. 2 Machine Shop for more than 32 years, and Kramer's grandfather drove a bus full of Bucks County workers to and from the steel mill during World War II.

Like others whose family members had work ties to the Steel, Senape and Kramer, of Haycock Township, Bucks County, support the vision of turning the abandoned Steel land into the Smithsonian-affiliated National Museum of Industrial History. They hope their grassroots campaign, Save Our Steel, and its Web site, saveoursteel.org, will generate community support for the project.

''My dad is all for this,'' Senape said. ''He doesn't want to see his legacy go away.''

The proposed Bethlehem Works on 120 acres of former Steel land would include the museum, restaurants, shops and entertainment complexes, including an ice rink. Museum officials want their exhibits to be housed in No. 2 Machine Shop.

The Delaware Valley Real Estate Investment Fund in Philadelphia, which wants to buy the land proposed for Bethlehem Works, has not publicly committed to saving the old Steel buildings and blast furnaces.

However, there are some people, including Senape and Kramer, who are concerned that Delaware Valley Real Estate will demolish the steel mill and replace it with a strip mall or other retail space.

Steve Donches, president and chief executive director of the National Museum of Industrial History, said he has confidence that Delaware Valley will work toward restoring the museum site, but he also welcomed the couple's Web site.

''If you wanted to make one stop to see what's going on and who to get in touch with, this is comprehensive,'' he said.

Senape and Kramer hope their campaign will encourage the community to voice support for preserving the historic factory.

Save Our Steel encourages Bethlehem Works supporters to write a letter to the editor of a newspaper or to an elected government official. Not only are these names and addresses on the site, but there are also pre-written letters that people can simply download, sign and mail.

Senape and Kramer said that one of the most helpful things people can do now is to write Gov. Ed Rendell.

''Most people … don't even know how to look up a representative.'' Senape said. ''We'll make it very easy for them.''

In addition to the letter-writing campaign, Senape and Kramer hope to hold meetings to keep people informed, invite elected officials for tours of the mill and raise money from the public for the restoration of the buildings.

The Web site also explains why Senape and Kramer believe this plan can preserve the city's history and provide economic growth.

''It's not either/or,'' Kramer said. ''The historic preservation part could actually help economic development.''

He said an attraction like Bethlehem Works could bring the money of tourists to local workers, who would spend most of that money in this area, supporting the economy.

''I hate to see something that makes Bethlehem unique disappear,'' Kramer said. ''It's more than the history; it's also good for the area.''
Copyright © 2003, The Morning Call