Aug 3, 2011

A Memory Loss

I believe Milton Carrero is the new health reporter for The Morning Call. I suppose new is a relevant term. He's been there for six months now, by current Morning Call standards that might make him an old timer. He's been doing some good health stories about people, he might also consider one about the lack of institutional memory at the paper. Yesterday, his story about a caring Emmaus hairstylist, Shirley Klotz, was touching. She made a special effort for a client who lost her hair from chemotherapy. What might not be known, is that this hairstylist was also news years ago, while operating a salon on 15th Street in Allentown. At that time, she intentionally put herself between a client and an armed robber who entered her shop, getting shot for her good deed. The shop was directly across the street from Roy Afflerbach's house, then mayor of Allentown. The trauma chased her and her customers out of Allentown, to Emmaus. It also changed the perception of the neighborhood, from being away from the problem zone, to being part of it. Mr. Carrero not only interviewed a caring person recently, but a genuine hero.

16 comments:

  1. I know MM you like to point out the downside of non-longtime residents of Allentown doing almost anything for the public good (lack of institutional memory) it does not apply in this case. This is a case of just lazy reporting. Any serious journalist or editor will not write or publish a piece about a person without checking the archives. Shame on this reporter for not doing his job fully.

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  2. gary, although i do not understand your first sentence, i must disagree with you about the reporter. although I think the news suffers from the high turn over of reporters at the paper, i didn't mean to fault him personally. the paper's archives may be much less than you can imagine. i know that they are literally selling off their photographs. (consequence of ownership by chicago tribune). it's also possible that ms. klotz requested that they not revisit her painful experience. as a former long time resident of that neighborhood, and as a blogger/historian, i decided to fill out the story.

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  3. MM as a regular reader of your great blog I have noticed a tendency to take shots at local leaders (e.g. Dr. Z and others) who are not life-long residents.

    As to Ms. Klotz, if she did not want revisit her painful memory, thank you for putting the news first!

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  4. Shirley's 15th Street shop was the highlight of a daily commuter ride. Always decorated in adorable lights and flowers that dotted the entrance and large windows.

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  5. keeping the Call honest==thanks Molovinsky

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  6. gary, again, i'm unclear as to your meaning. first of all, my shots are focused and aimed. i never faulted zahorchak for being new to the area, i questioned his expertise to evaluate business revitalization on hamilton street. as to ms. klotz; if she did prefer the incident from 2005 not be mentioned in the press, there is little chance the limited circulation of this blog will contradict her wishes.

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  7. You haven't taken shots at leaders who do not know the history of Allentown? You haven't taten shots at outsiders coming into the city? You don't make sly criticisms of bureaucrats not from the Valley?

    If so, I am astonished and I apologize.

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  8. Oh my, the poor Bureaucrats ...

    ... they are not "hostage-takers", they are never caught "holding guns" to anyone's head ...

    Let's have a pity party!

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  9. bureaucrats are people too---they work for a living, pay taxes and put up with Yahoos who are angry at their unsuccessful lives

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  10. Gary -

    I think MM takes shots at whoever deserves them. Not because the person might be from out-of-town, but because their policies are poorly thought out and detrimental to the City.

    The out-of-town issue is mentioned occasionally as a possible reason for the poorly thought out and detrimental policies, but the policies are what drives the criticism.

    I'm certain that if someone who was born in the City made some of the bone-headed moves our "out-of-towners" have, MM would rightly criticize them for not knowing better and giving them a lesson on how similar policies have failed here in the past.

    I would say that perhaps MM is being kind to some of our "out-of-town" leaders by mentioning that they aren't from the area. It is much nicer than the alternative theory that they might just be idiots.

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  11. Dear Anon 9:56,

    What about the Yahoos who are ANGRY over the reckless and irresponsible SPENDING that the Bureaucrats cannot seem to stop themselves from engaging in?

    Do the self-serving, arrogant Bureaucrats put up with THOSE Yahoos --- or only the "unsuccessful ones"?

    Sincerely,

    16.7 TRILLION U.S. DEBT

    P.S. --- Please define "unsuccessful" when you get the chance. Thank you.

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  12. I thought Bureaucrats, elected or otherwise, were supposed to SERVE the People, not PUT UP with them?

    What gives in America?

    ERNST THAELMANN

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  13. there are lots of angry yahoos speaking up

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  14. WTF - Is Ledebur turning into some new era cyberstalker?

    Your piece was great. I did not realize it was the same women and I am pleased to have found that out.

    Duh - people leave Allentown for specific reasons but let's not talk about that eh!?

    Just like all the people leaving ASD. Shh!, it really is not happening. Just your perception.

    Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah!

    Chumscrubber.

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  15. PATRICK: I know MM is an equal opportunity shot taker. He performs an important and necessary service in the valley. Nevertheless as a regular reader of his blog I have detected a bias against folks who came here from somewhere else.

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  16. Anon 6:17,

    So, are YOU one of the "angry Yahoos" being completely disrespected by the arrogant, obnoxious and completely self-serving Bureaucrats who like to call the very same people who pay their generous salary nasty names?

    Or, are you an Apologist?

    Please advise.

    E. THAELMANN

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