Home Care In Coplay, PA

COPLAY, Pa. — Here in this close-knit little town of 3,500 people, they are counting down the hours until the native son they call Sa Sa (pronounced: Say Say) is welcomed into the NFL on Thursday night — possibly by the nearby New York Football Giants.

At Samuel Owens Casual Family Dining across the street from where the Barkley family lives in a red brick row home on North Second Street, they have scheduled a draft party Thursday night.

“I got people calling up left and right for reservations,” owner William Loy said. “People are coming at 5 just to get a seat.”

Stacey Oswald, a waitress at Samuel Owens, has known Barkley since he was a tot growing up in an apartment on nearby Front Street.

“My son Joey was playing football with him in the snow and Joey’s kneecap popped out,” she said. “I’m a Cowboy fan, but I’ll take him with the Giants!”

To a man and to a woman, Saquon Barkley is too good to be true. Linda Schmall is a neighbor of the family.

“Very nice boy, and his brothers and sisters are very nice,” she said. “Polite, courteous. His parents are great. They’re very nice neighbors.”

Alicia Knauff is the assistant principal at Whitehall High School, where Barkley was as dynamic on the football field as he is humble off it. Her daughter Shadimon Navarro has been friends with him since middle school.

“The football booster club is sponsoring a draft party at a local restaurant in Allentown for Whitehall alums, for Whitehall students, people in the community,” she said. “I think people have been talking about him since this journey started, and it really kind of has exploded. Because I think people that only knew him on the surface that like once he started to get a little bit of fame that things would probably change — and that never happened.”

She knew her daughter would be in good hands with Barkley.

“I’m an assistant principal. I never like would let my daughter go to any parties. I was always like, ‘Wherever you do is a reflection of me,” Knauff said. “And I remember after senior prom, he’s like, ‘C’mon, just let her go with me out after prom. It will be fine, I promise you. I’m not gonna jeopardize my scholarship. Just let her go with me, Miss Knauff.’ ”

Stacey beams as she shows off the Twitter photo of Barkley holding his newborn daughter in his arms.

“He’s just that kind of kid like everyone knew,” Knauff said.

And liked.

“I can’t even think of a bad story to give you,” Knauff said. “The worst thing that they did is, I think, like run through the halls to get to lunch early or pretend like they were playing games in the halls like they were 10-year-olds, but they’re in high school.”

Linda McGill was Barkley’s guidance counselor.

“He’s beautiful inside and out,” she said, adding, “Be kind to him in any article! We love him.”

Whitehall football coach Brian Gilbert can imagine Barkley running wild inside MetLife Stadium.

“It’s gonna be a highlight film,” Gilbert said. “Hold your breath every time he gets the ball. Giant fans are gonna be in for a treat. It could be really electric there in that stadium, with Eli [Manning], Odell [Beckham Jr.] and the rest of the crew. I think it could be very special.”

Gilbert has no doubt Barkley can be the face of a franchise.

“Eli Manning will love having Saquon because Eli is a straight arrow, a great leader, and I think Saquon’s gonna be a great follower to that type of leadership,” Gilbert said.

And a leader in his own right, in his own way.

“If you ever pull up Saquon Barkley on social media, all you see is workout videos and I think that’s contagious,” Gilbert said. “I think other guys want to be around him to work out. I think having Saquon as a prospect might help Odell want to be there and act and do the right things. I think that’s the kind of impact Saquon has on people. People want to be around him.”

When Saquon Barkley was a child, his parents uprooted their family from the South Bronx to find a better life in Coplay, Pa.

The decision by Alibay Barkley and Tonya Johnson made young Saquon’s eventual rise to stardom as a Penn State running back possible, and one that the Giants rookie has long promised to reward.

Now with a lucrative first-year contract as Big Blue’s No. 2 overall pick, Barkley has showed that he’s a man of his word.

On Tuesday night, the 21-year-old shared a picture on his Instagram account of him standing in front of a stately house with a “sold” sign from an Allentown, Pa. realtor. And just like his cover photo on this week’s ESPN The Magazine Body Issue, Saquon is all smiles.

“Something I promised my parents, ever since I was a young kid,” he wrote. “Finally be able [sic] to achieve that goal is the most amazing feeling. Every kid out there that has a dream continue to keep your head down and work you butt off, great things will come along the way.”

Alibay and Tonya sought a better environment for their children outside of the Bronx, where Alibay had struggled with drug addiction and served a year in jail on Rikers Island for a gun charge. Johnson wanted to raise her kids in Pennsylvania, where her grandmother lived, which led Barkley to discover his passion for football.

“I wanted them to have this. To be able to do this,” Johnson told the Daily News in April when her son was introduced as a Giant. “When you go to the park and you’re able sit there and just constantly watch them all the time like — there was more grass out there. The air was better and Saquon had asthma when he was a child. Every time he went out there he didn’t need the pump. He didn’t need the machine. So it was just a better environment.”

Throughout his journey from young talent to Penn State legend and now NFL rookie, Barkley has proven to have never lost gratitude for his parents and their decision that helped shape him.

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Pennsylvania’s industrial history is well documented, and few regions had as much industrialization and variety of industries as the Lehigh Valley.

While the steel industry is most often connected to this part of eastern PA, thanks primarily to Bethlehem Steel, the region was also a hub of transportation, textiles, and even the cement industry.

In 1871, David Saylor was the first person to make Portland cement in the United States. David, along with two of his business associates from Allentown, created the Coplay Cement Company in 1866 to produce this necessary product for America’s growing cities and towns.

Based in the Lehigh County community of Coplay, the company created Portland cement using stone found along the nearby Lehigh River. At that time, this type of cement was primarily made from rock that already contained the two main ingredients: limestone and either clay or shale.

In 1892-1893, nine kilns were built near the river just north of Coplay. These kilns, which were originally inside a large building, replaced less efficient kilns run by the company. However, new technology soon caused these new kilns to become obsolete, and they were shut down in 1904.

Since 1975, they have been owned by the county and used as a tool for people to learn about the area’s industrial history.

Today, the kilns are a focal point of Saylor Park in Coplay.

In addition to the kilns, this 2.6-acre park features a pool and a playground. It is located along the 9-mile Ironton Rail Trail that runs through the region. A nice 5.5-mile loop encircles the town of Coplay and offers a nice walking or bike riding trail for locals and visitors.

Preservation work is ongoing at the Coplay Kilns, but visitors can walk up to near the base to see these massive 90-foot-tall kilns. It’s worth noting that a fence encircles the site, so you can get close to them, but you can’t walk around or through them at this time.

Nearby, there are signs that offer a lot of great history about the kilns and the historical importance of Portland Cement in the Lehigh Valley and throughout the United States.

If you love industrial history, the Coplay Cement Kilns are a great place to check out if you are traveling around the Lehigh Valley. While they might not be worth a long trip to see on their own, they are well worth combining together with a visit to the National Museum of Industrial History and the Hoover-Mason Trestle, both at the old Bethlehem Steel site in nearby Bethlehem, PA. You can also learn more about the area’s cement history on the nearby Hassen Nature Trail.

How to Get to the Coplay Kilns

The Coplay Kilns are located in Saylor Park just north of Coplay, Pennsylvania. They can be found at the following coordinates: 40.676741, -75.495958.

Parking is located about 100 feet away in the park’s large parking area. A flat trail leads to near the base of the kilns.

The park’s address is 245 N 2nd St, Coplay, PA 18037.

Looking for more great things to do in and around Allentown? Check out the America on Wheels Museum, the covered bridges of Lehigh County, and Dutch Springs.

[Click here for information on how to use the coordinates in this article to find your destination.]

Saquon Barkley has made it clear that his dancing days are over, on and off the field, so when he was asked Thursday if he is motivated to become one of the greatest running backs ever, he hit the hole with his shoulder pads squared.

“That’s the goal,” he said.

Barkley was standing inside a circle of writers and cameras in the Giants’ locker room, before he left with his 3-1 team on the long journey to London to play Aaron Rodgers and his 3-1 Packers. The NFL’s leading rusher admitted to being slightly more amped whenever the opposition includes a legacy talent.

Can the 25-year-old Barkley someday stand among the all-time titans at his position like the 38-year-old Rodgers stands among them at his?

“If I put in the right work and have the right mindset, do I believe I can achieve that?” Barkley said. “I really do.”

This wouldn’t surprise anyone who has known Barkley since he was a small-town high school legend in eastern Pennsylvania. Back home in Coplay, Pa., they recall young Saquon asking questions about where the best of his generation ranked against the old timers in their football-mad state. One friend would later remember Barkley saying he wouldn’t mind getting drafted No. 1 overall by Cleveland in 2018 and assuming a LeBron James-like burden of ending the Browns’ championship drought.

The running back loves history, and statistical comparisons, and GOAT conversations — a truth he confirmed to a few reporters while sitting near his stall, wearing a white Penn State shirt and alternatively cradling and bouncing a blue rubber ball meant to improve his ball security. Given that he wants to go down among the very best, Barkley eagerly engaged in a conversation about the greatest running backs to come before him.

“I’d say the best player of all time is Barry Sanders,” he said, before putting Walter Payton on the same level as Sanders, with a drop-off after those two.

Barkley said he hasn’t seen enough footage of Jim Brown for an honest evaluation. He talked up Emmitt Smith, Adrian Peterson (“a freak of nature”), Eric Dickerson, and LaDainian Tomlinson, among others. He grew up a Jets fan, so he remains loyal to Curtis Martin. Barkley said he’d love to include Bo Jackson on his all-time list because of his talent, “but the numbers don’t back it up.”

Numbers. Barkley is big on numbers. He knew that Smith had cleared 18,000 rushing yards in setting the NFL career record. He knew that Tomlinson had 28 rushing touchdowns in one season, but wasn’t among the backs to hit the 2,000-yard rushing mark. He knew that Sanders had hurdled the 2,000-yard mark in 1997 and retired the following year. He knew that San Francisco’s Roger Craig was the first to gain 1,000 yards running and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season, 1985. He knew that Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey were the others to accomplish the feat.

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“That’s why I’m going to be on TV,” Barkley said.

He’s got a whole lot of football to play between now and that move into the broadcasting booth. Before the knee and ankle injuries derailed him, Barkley nearly won the league’s rushing title as a rookie in 2018, when his 1,307 yards landed him 127 yards behind Ezekiel Elliott.

“I had more all-purpose yards,” Barkley added, and indeed his 2,028 that year beat Elliott’s total by 27.

In a modern pass-happy game that doesn’t provide running backs the carries they got back in the day, Barkley believes all-purpose yards have become the true standard for the men who play his position. Through four games he leads the NFL in all-purpose yards (570) and in rushing yards (463) while tied with Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon for the league lead in touches (99).

Asked during his formal interview session if he is concerned about the workload, Barkley responded, “I missed so many games the last couple of years. For me complaining about touches, or being worried about touches, that would be just stupid of me.”

Especially when he has so much ground to cover to catch the legends of his craft.

“You see that right there,” he said from his locker chair, pointing across the room at the Giants’ Ring of Honor names on the wall. “That’s cool to me.”

Barkley spoke with anger before the season started, warning the doubters that he was ready to explode. He is on his way to having an Aaron Judge kind of contract year, and someone close to the running back reiterated Thursday that Brian Daboll’s approach has been a difference-maker.

What do you think? Post a comment.

“You hear, ‘Happy wife, happy life,’ but this is, ‘Happy coach, happy life,’ ” that person told The Post. “Daboll believes in transformational coaching, not transactional coaching, and that’s really worked with Saquon.”

Everything has worked with Saquon so far, which is why he’s gained more rushing yards than 21 NFL teams. The Giants barely have any healthy wide receivers on this London trip, and Daniel Jones is a bit hobbled

So don’t be surprised if the fans enter Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday talking about Aaron Rodgers, and leave talking about Saquon Barkley.

COPLAY, Pa. - Lehigh Valley residents hoping to get some exercise, have fun and show off their pro-wrestling moves may have found an outlet in Coplay.

A man who only goes by "Chad DeKroeger — the Nickelback of Cats" walked into a warehouse between the borough cemetery and sports field complex. He wore a bright red, classic wrestling mask with cat ears, and holes for his eyes, nose and mouth. The rest of his outfit was sweatpants and an old T-shirt.

Inside the old building, heavy metal music blasted out of a stereo that looked like it was from the 1990s.

Listen to the audio story

Photo: Wrestler Kevin Rodger poses during a rest break. He said he loves wrestling and would like to go pro someday.

Other wrestlers climbed over the ropes of the square wrestling ring and did some guided stretches. They wore tall, laced up wrestling boots. Some had old World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. [WWE] T-shirts on with the sleeves ripped off.

DeKroeger taunted fellow wrestlers and acted like a pro wrestler would during WWE interviews on prime-time television.

"This is the real deal, there ain't no pretending," DeKroeger shouted. "You're talking to the excellent professional wrestling champion right here."

DeKroeger wore a trophy belt he had previously won from Excellence Professional Wrestling — a Pennsylvania wrestling league that took a hiatus during COVID-19, which is now starting back up. Some people at the Pro Wrestling Workout are involved in that league, which is a separate organization.

After a warmup, participants begin wrestling drills that ramp up in difficulty.

In the first exercise participants run from one corner of the ring to another, performing barrel rolls between corners. Then they jump up and slam themselves to the ground onto their backs. The group leader shared special instructions on how to fall safely — like landing on arched shoulders, instead of the lower back or head.

Whenever someone slams onto the surface of the ring, it made a loud banging sound. Some of the participants exaggerated this for entertainment effect.

Staying in character

Some wrestlers remain in character the entire time, which doesn't appear to phase the other participants.

"Sometimes, wrestlers who have been wrestling before, will come to our workout, and bring their personas with them," organizer Danny Rowe said with a laugh. "It's hard for them to turn off the off switch while they're here. But you know what? It's appreciated. We like when they come here. The class really likes it, and it really makes the pro wrestling workout an experience."

"Sometimes, wrestlers who have been wrestling before, will come to our workout, and bring their personas with them. It's hard for them to turn off the off switch while they're here."

Danny Rowe, Pro Wrestling Workout organizer

"DeKroeger," the man in the red cat mask, is French-Canadian, spent some time living in Toronto and has been wrestling for about a decade. But he shared few other details, besides taunts directed at his "enemies," and some complaints about previous COVID-19 restrictions.

He said he is friends with another wrestler who goes by "Butt Gunderson." It was unclear how much of this information was factual, and how much of it was his character's fictional backstory.

Inclusivity in the ring

Rowe said he wants everyone to feel comfortable at his workout.

"Wrestling has always been this kind of niche thing," Rowe explained. "I think a lot of people think they can't break into it. But what we'd like to bring here is just a sense of inclusivity. We want everyone to feel welcome here."

Rowe said he's been injured in his wrestling career but there have not been any injuries at his workouts.

During the Sunday workout, two wrestlers appeared to accidentally head-butt each other, with an audible, "Ow!" But they were up and back to action after Rowe made sure everybody was OK. He shared some tips on how to make sure it doesn't happen again.

The group is mostly men, but Jennifer Dowd was one of the women in attendance. She started her involvement as a photographer but then decided to learn the sport.

"I grew up watching wrestling, so don't find it too macho," she said with a chuckle.

Rowe said he had advice for anyone on the fence about trying the wrestling workout.

"This is for everyone. Don't be intimidated, don't be scared. We will work with you," he said. "It is a lot of fun, we have a blast here — and come out because your first class is free."

Rowe's Pro Wrestling Workout happens every Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. at 155 N 9th St. in Coplay.

More information is available on their Facebook page.