Feb 28, 2011

To the Jews

Under the regimes of Bin Ali and Muburak, the remnants of those historic Jewish Communities experienced relative security. The synagogues of Tunis and Cairo were a tourist attraction. The synagogues were protected and restored. The protection and respect given to those edifices helped symbolize the stability of the government to the international community. On February 13th, Tunis experienced a Death to the Jews Rally, in front of the Great Synagogue, whose interior is pictured above. In 1947 Tunisia had a Jewish population of 120,000. The two thousand remaining Jews are divided between Tunis and the Island of Djerba. The congregation at Djerba's El Ghriba synagogue, shown below, has been meeting for 2000 years. It's Torah Scroll is the oldest in the world. Certainly the people of Tunisia and Egypt have the right of self determination. Hopefully their Jewish citizens will have the right to safety.

Feb 27, 2011

Open Mike


Long time readers of this blog know that previously my Open Mike sessions were illustrated by a radio microphone. This lone blog publishes no political press releases, bashes no political opponents, and promotes no politician's agenda. Nothing is off topic today.

Feb 25, 2011

The Lesson Plan


The School Administration Building last night far exceeded the lawful occupancy in number of people permitted. One gifted student after another explained why they wanted to stay at either Allen or Dieruff High. They explained how important all the extracurricular activities are to their motivation to be a well rounded person. One parent after another explained how well pleased they were by their children's accomplishments in the current curriculum. Teacher after teacher explained how important Social Studies are to a diverse student population. Reason would assume that our school leaders would take such informed testimony to heart; I doubt it. I believe that this Superintendent and these Directors think they know best. I've seen this type of arrogance many times. Let's hope I'm wrong.

UPDATE: Although the Board will allow citizens the allusion of input through committee's, they approved Zahorchak's plan by 8 to 1. Morning Call reporter Steve Esack accepts the notion that the Board will reevaluate the whole plan, but must forward approval now for reasons of State compliance. I believe that they are only placating the ignorant masses, and will proceed as Zahorchak recommends. Although Bob Smith is quoted in the paper questioning the plan, the dissenting vote was cast by David Zimmerman.

UPDATE#2: Last evening the School Board declined to expand Roberto Clemente Charter School to include elementary grades. It was a close vote, 5 to 4. Clemente does a good job with their current 6th to 12th grade program. I currently do not have a position on the expansion proposal, but I do know that last evening only one speaker out of 45 concerned that important decision. Perhaps that issue should have been deferred to a less controversial meeting.

UPDATE#3: Morning Call article by Steve Esack on Clemente Vote

Feb 24, 2011

Click on Photo


Among some of the more interesting things I find on this photograph is that Cedar Beach is still a swimming hole, the pool has yet to be built. The 15th Street Bridge has yet to be built. The former quarry just south of Union Terrace is quite prominent, and the train spur going through the area is visible. The racetrack at the fairgrounds is very identifiable, as is the half circle driveway at Muhlenberg College. This aerial photograph is from 1939. Click on photo to enlarge.

Feb 23, 2011

Northampton County Pathos

In a rambling, incoherent statement yesterday, Northampton County Executive John Stoffa announced that he would appeal the recent decision by Judge Baratta, which allowed the Gracedale issue as a ballot question. Stoffa rambled on about the Constitution, Home Rule Charters, and not permitting 23 thousand executives. There may be nothing more important in our Constitution than the people's right to redress an issue through petition. Although Stoffa had previously indicated to the Save Gracedale Group that he would honor a successful petition, the turn around, although disappointing, is not surprising. The interplay between council president for life Ron Angle (doesn't know that he's no longer president), Stoffa and their consigliere, Bernie O'Hare, is becoming more transparent. O'Hare continues the second appeal against the signatures, while Stoffa now mumbles about defending representative democracy. The rush to shed a 100 year old county institution without public input is unconscionable.
John Stoffa is no longer acting like a community leader and responsible executive; he is making threats like a dockside bully. Mr. Stoffa has lost all credibility in the Gracedale discussion and has disgraced himself with his latest statements.
He calls the referendum and the signatures obtained on the petitions--an initiative which he himself encouraged upon the Coalition of Alzheimer's Families to pursue--an attempt by the voters to proclaim themselves "23,000 county executives." Mr. Stoffa insults both the voters and the democratic process. The petitioners are exercising their rights by asking that every citizen weigh in, yes or no, about one of the most important issues facing Northampton County. Mr. Stoffa claims that the power to decide is his alone, and that the voters shall have no say in the matter.
Mr. Stoffa has been unable with his allies to achieve this sale as he wants, swiftly, in isolation and without due diligence. Now he wants the voters to believe they have not the right to question or challenge him and his wishes. But Northampton county is not yet a dictatorship. Mr. Stoffa brings shame not on the rest of us, but on himself. Donald Dal Maso,comment at The Express Times

Feb 22, 2011

A Jewish Sport


Jewish fighters dominated boxing between the World Wars. In around 1930, a third of all fighters were Jewish, by far the largest ethnic group. Some fighters even purported to be Jewish when they were not, such as the Baer brothers. Jews ruled the light and welterweight divisions, with long time champions Benny Leonard and Barney Ross. Ten world championships were fought with both men in the ring being Jewish. Boxing has long been an economic ladder for immigrant and minority groups.
photo of Jewish heavyweights King Levinsky and Art Lasky, 1934

Feb 21, 2011

White Charter School

Is school superintendent Zahorchak's new magnet school for academically gifted at 4th and Allen Streets a defacto charter school for whites? The more I read about Zahorchak's plans, the less impressed I am. Although the school planners acknowledge that the hispanic population suffers from a high mobility rate, they then ignore that reality with sweeping changes based on a stable population. When you remove the bad apples to the new detention center in the old Jackson School, then the gifted to the 4th and Allen, what do you call the remainder at Allen and Dieruff, the mediocre? Who will be the academic role models for the mediocre? I'm beginning to believe that we have a mediocre school board who doesn't have the gumption to rein in an obvious poor hire.

UPDATE: Comments from The Morning Call indicate that people are not happy with the Zahorchak plan
I agree with you 100%!! My daughter is also one of the students that would be moved to the new Collegiate High and she doesn't want to leave Dieruff either. Her friends are there. See what people like Dr. Z forget is that school is also about social things too. Now I know people are going to be all over me for that because "school is about learning" however, it is also about social issues too. My daughter helps out other students at Dieruff with tutoring. She has friends in her honors/gifted classes and friends who struggle in many classes. You see, it doesn't matter to her where they are academically, they are friends. She tells me she will drop every honors/gifted class she has and stay at Dieruff. Well isn't that great for us, her parents. Moving the students around is not going to solve the problems in ASD. Again it is the parents. How to fix that I have no idea but pulling kids away from their friends is not going to work. My daughter will graduate as a Dieruff Husky...just as both her parents did.

Feb 18, 2011

Block Grants for Infrastructure


About this time of year the directors of the various social agencies crowd into Allentown Council Chamber for their annual CDBG handout. This ritual has been occurring for about 15 years. The blogosphere is full of Alan Jennings sobbing about the proposed cutback. The Federal Government allows the Block Grant to be used for infrastructure if enough of the population falls within their definition of poverty; unfortunately, we have qualified for many years. Putting aside my well know views on the poverty magnet, we have short changed the city's infrastructure. Although the condition of the gas lines has received much recent attention, the water lines are equally old and leaking. The leaking water washes away the ground supporting the aging gas lines, creating a double threat. In the last ten years we could have directed $100 million dollars of Block Grants toward our infrastructure, with tangible results. The results with the poverty situation are much less clear.

Feb 17, 2011

Depot at Overlook Park


Old timers have noticed that the contractor's building on Hanover Avenue transformed into a community center for Overlook Park. But only the oldest, or train buffs, realized that the building was the freight depot and office for the Lehigh & New England Railroad. Lehigh & New England was formed in 1895, primarily as a coal carrier. The line ran from Allentown to Maybrook, New York.

In 1904 it was acquired by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. The line ceased operation in 1961. Among it's infrastructure were impressive bridges across both the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers, both of which were dismantled. Ironic that a remnant of our industrial era is being utilized by the successor of a public housing project.

Feb 16, 2011

Can Brenda Save Ron?


Although Bernie promised us more on the Baratta decision, instead Brenda appears, and makes Bernie's points. Meanwhile, The Morning Call reports that Ron Angle accepted $3000 from the private prison company while trying to rush the deal through Northampton Council. Unable to reach his ghost speech writer, Angle tells the reporter that all they bought was disinfluence. Bernie branded Pawlowski as a pay to player for contributions much less than that. Can Brenda now help Ron? Bernie portrays Brenda as a young Asian woman. I have chosen Brenda Starr. Both the illustrations and original story lines were produced by a woman, Dale Messick, beginning in 1940.

Feb 14, 2011

Trying the Judge






Angle & O'Hare LLC* have been trying Judge Baratta since last Wednesday's decision affirming the validity of the petition. O'Hare's propaganda machine, Lehigh Valley Ramblings, has been burning the midnight oil with one shot after another. According to O'Hare, during the hearing Baratta wisecracked, snarked and barbed. He has called the judge intemperate and his reasoning intellectually dishonest. O'Hare's motives puzzle me. Is he trying to pressure the judge in the court of public opinion? The second decision, concerning the ballot question's legality in regard to the Home Rule Charter, is expected Tuesday. Meanwhile O'Hare discards truth for effectiveness. For instance, he claims he received a picture of Hermann Goering. He omits the fact that the sender is unrelated to the Gracedale controversy, and that O'Hare did a search and published liens filed against the man.

* Angle and O'Hare LLC is a phrase coined by Ron Angle

Feb 13, 2011

Quite a Week


It's been quite a week. First a tiff with O'Hare escalated into my being banned in Boston. He now deletes my comments and has removed this blog from his sidebar blog link list. Then my blog was highjacked by the obsessive one. I will refrain from using his name, because I don't want to suffer his "prove it" routine. I find his harassment of the local blogosphere and people in it, criminal. I'm forced at this time to suspend commenting, and will most likely have to again begin moderation. I thank you for the visit, and please stop by again.

UPDATE: I have resumed accepting comments, regretfully with moderation. Thanks for your understanding.

Feb 11, 2011

Tutoring the Superintendent


A couple days ago I received the latest letter from the new school superintendent, Gerald Zahorchak. He explains that we are in financial difficulty because the system spent $155 million on upgrades, and will be getting $27 million less in federal and state aid this year. So here are his suggestions, and my replies.
*Attract regional, national or foreign industrial investment in energy and environment, the health care sciences and heavy industry to retrofit such empty spaces as the old Western Electric Building, GE plant, The Mack plants, old sewing mills and the Neuweiler Brewery to name a few.
These buildings have been vacant for decades, monuments to our industrial past. There are not enough green businesses to fill one of these giants, much less hundreds, in city after city, in the Northeast.Since Billy Joe's song, we have spent millions on Industrial Development Agencies to no avail. Even the business Obama visited last year has closed. 
*Sell the Queen City Airport to a Fortune 1000 company, such as an innovative technical concern looking for a northeast location...
Usually companies like this are lured with huge tax abatements for many years, and would have little need for such a large parcel. You could stop approving the Enterprise Zones which have yet to provide one dollar to the school system
*Gentrify Hamilton Street... like Manayunk.....
Manayunk borders a city of 3 million and is surrounded by affluent residential areas. Hamilton Street is surrounded by poverty.
*Attract Bill Strickland types and retrain the poor and outcast.
I wish I could retrain the School Board when it comes to hiring superintendents. Here's an idea; sit back and learn something about this community before making suggestions. Allentown's newly approved zoning ordinance makes it easier to convert vacant commercial buildings into apartments. You should have opposed that measure. Send a representative to zoning meetings to oppose every such conversion. Stop taking State of the Union speeches by Obama and Pawlowski as a plan. Cancel phase 2 of the school improvement plan. Prepare for more housing, more students, and less revenue.

Feb 9, 2011

Allentown State of Union

Mayor Pawlowski recently stated that Allentown is stronger than ever. I lived there when mom-and-pop shops were on just about every block and Hess's department store thrived. And I would completely disagree with his assessment. Perhaps if Mr. Pawlowski was a native of this area, he would retract his bold statement. I remember when Allentown was very prosperous. The property owners took pride in their homes and the city was clean. It was safe to walk the streets at night; I remember walking to Hess's at night to walk my mother home from work. I was a young child then and never feared the town.

Now most of the good jobs are gone except municipal, fire, police, teachers and prison guards — all paid by our taxes. I was one of the working taxpayers who made the mass exodus out of town to have peace of mind. The parking authority made me think twice about ever venturing back to patronize the remaining businesses. It is very sad to see what Allentown has become, and I don't see any hope for its recovery. I suppose you can keep raising taxes and charging fees for services. I am glad I left.

Ronald A. Nechetsky

Northampton
letter in The Morning Call, February 9, 2011

Feb 8, 2011

Lehigh Valley Railroad Piers


In this era of class warfare, while we worry that the rich are only paying 35% income tax, instead of 39%, let us be grateful that once upon a time we had the Robber Barons. In this era when we have to give a grant for some woman to open a small cookie shop on Hamilton Street, let us be grateful that men built railroads with private money. Let us be grateful that incredible feats of private enterprise built piers, bridges and trestles. Trains allowed us to move vast amounts of raw and finished materials across America. This network allowed us to protect ourselves during two World Wars, and provided the prosperity upon which we now rest.

The Lehigh Valley Railroad tracks extended from their piers in New Jersey to the shores of Lake Erie. The Mile Long Pier in Jersey City was the scene of German sabotage in 1916. A train full of munitions, awaiting shipment to Europe, was blown up on July 30th of that year. In 1914, the railroad built the longest ore pier in the world, in Bayonne. The ore would come from Chile, through the new Panama Canal, for shipment to Bethlehem.

Feb 7, 2011

Attorney O'Hare


In his propaganda piece today, O'Hare writes;One of the points I wanted to make clear is that, although both Ron and I were suing together, I was not representing him. We each represented ourselves. Angle got some chuckles when he told Judge Baratta, "Nobody can represent me." Typical Bernie, a small distracting attempt at humor. But why does Bernie want to make it clear that he was not representing Angle? It would be illegal for Bernie to represent anybody other than himself. That is a niche that licensed attorneys have reserved for themselves.
I believe sometime in the recent past Angle referred to O'Hare as his lawyer. Bernie did the research preparing the case. The remainder of Bernie's post, or should I call it a legal brief, contains his usual smears against the Gracedale Group; Mob, liars, fraudulent, .......

Feb 6, 2011

Tel Aviv, the Bauhaus Period






Urban planner Patrick Geddes had a unique opportunity in 1925, design a city which would actually be built. After the Balfour Declaration in 1917, which supported the concept of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, the pace of Zionist immigration picked up. In the early 1930's, threats from the Nazi Party accelerated immigration to the British controlled Palestine. The British Mandate extended from the defeat of the Ottomans in 1917, to the Israeli Independence in 1948.
Among those fleeing Germany were students of Bauhaus movement in architecture, the unity of form and function, expressed in ways that were modern, simple and sparse. The reinforced low-rise concrete buildings curved around traffic circles and corners.





Between 1930 and 1939 both the migration and construction continued at a steady pace. The population had reached 200,000.
There was a unity in the planning and architecture seen no where else. Like any modern growing city, the the buildings have changed. Smaller, older buildings have been replaced with modern skyscrapers. Tel Aviv still remains the largest collection of Bauhaus buildings in the world.
Bauhaus architecture was concerned with the social aspects of design and with the creation of a new form of social housing for workers. This may be just another one of the reasons it was embraced in the newly evolving city of Tel Aviv, at a time when socialist ideas were so prevalent. This style of architecture came about (in part) because of new engineering developments that allowed the walls to be built around steel or iron frames. This meant that walls no longer had to support the structure, but only enveloped it – from the outside. Called The White City, because of the white painted buildings, it is now a World Heritage Site.

Background and Coverage of the Tel Aviv Soccer Derby

Feb 5, 2011

Debbie Friedman Tribute


Since her debut album, “Sing Unto God,” almost 40 years ago, Debbie Friedman’s songs have helped define American Jewish music. Originally known mostly in the Reform movement, Friedman’s prolific song-writing career transcended denominational boundaries. Her untimely passing, just a month short of her 60th birthday, stunned fans and friends alike.

Feb 4, 2011

Line In The Sand

It appears that Mubarak will step aside within days, and his newly installed Vice President, Omar Suleiman, will be "transition" President. Hopefully this will satisfy the Egyptian street. Suleiman was formally in charge of Egyptian Intelligence, and is a well known commodity in Washington. The Muslim Brotherhood have declined to say that they would honor the treaty with Israel, or even recognize Israel's right to exist.

Feb 3, 2011

A Real Bloodbath

I found The Morning Call headline interesting, Bloodbath in Cairo. Although the 5 deaths between the opposing groups of demonstrators is indeed tragic, nobody was truly innocent. Any protester in such circumstances realizes that there is always an element of danger. The protesters were there by free choice. Elsewhere in Egypt, two families of Coptic Christians were massacred in their own house; 11 people, including children. That was a bloodbath.

Defending Tel Aviv, 1948

A couple years ago ElBaradei stated that Egypt must stop demonizing the Brotherhood. A couple days ago the Brotherhood said that they would support ElBardadei as President. A ElBaradei/Brotherhood government could be in the cards for Egypt. Egypt processes the largest F16 squadron in the Arab world. Such a change in Egypt would certainly pose a danger to Israel.

The first time Israel faced the Egyptian Airforce was in May of 1948, after being declared an independent country for only one day. Children helped fill sandbags to defend

Israel's modern city of Tel Aviv


Israel's army consisted of former fighters from the Irgun and Haganah, two para-military groups formed during the British Mandate period.


Egyptian Spitfire shot down on Tel Aviv beach, 1948

Feb 2, 2011

Subverting Democracy in Northampton County


This post can be read at The Lehigh Valley Political Blog

The Face of Hypocrisy


When I used this photograph last week, Bernie accused me of causing people to insult him. He now informs readers that he has lost all respect for me. Actually, he said the same thing last week when he banned me from commenting on his blog. Often when he gets annoyed at a comment of mine, it's not the first one critical of him, but the only one signed by name. Bernie has now removed me from his blogroll. He claims I'm jealous because of all the meetings he attends. He's not just upset about being accused of commenting anonymously, but more so that I point out his hypocrisy and intellectual dishonesty.

Feb 1, 2011

Ron Angle as Bully


Bernie O'Hare likes to romanticize Ron Angle as a bulldog, in reality, he's a bully. Yesterday, the Northampton Election Committee accepted the Save Gracedale initiative as a ballot question. They verified that enough signatures were obtained, and that the question does conform with the Charter. The issue now goes to the County Council, which was preparing to accept a bid to sell the nursing home. At yesterday's meeting, Angle said that the matter will be determined in court. Bernie O'Hare has a post which echos the court threat, and claims that the Commission is in the bag for the union. Bill White has a blog on his new theme, how cute O'Hare and Angle are together as justice fighters. I congratulate the Save Gracedale Group, and wish them continued success against the bullies.

UPDATE: After the meeting Ron Angle said: "Bernie and I will fight them in the air, we'll fight them in the sea and we'll fight them on land." Apparently, Bernie has now convinced Angle that he is a Northampton County Winston Churchill. I think that would take more than a bulldog and a cigar.

UPDATE: Bernie has a new post called Molovinsky's False Accusations, where he's offended because I assigned comment #1 to him. He has used those expressions numerous times with me; that I wasn't present at a meeting, or my criticism of something is retaliation for some egg on my face. It's most ironic that Bernie considers his integrity sacred, while he routinely uses terms like goon, faker, corrupt, and pay to play to describe others.