Oct 31, 2013

County Executive Endorses Scott Ott

Democratic County Executive Matt Croslis Endorses Scott Ott for Executive ALLENTOWN, PA – Today, Democratic County Executive Matt Croslis endorsed Scott Ott for Lehigh County Executive. This major cross-party endorsement affirms Scott Ott's results-oriented approach to governance. “My goal as County Executive was to be transparent and collaborative in an effort to put people before politics,” said Executive Matt Croslis. “This approach has been successful in large part because of the working relationship I have developed with Scott Ott. I believe Scott will bring a fresh perspective to Lehigh County and that he will work tirelessly to find new and innovative ways to provide the necessary services of County government in the most cost effective manner. It is my hope that my endorsement will promote bipartisanship and continue to put the interests of the County residents before politics.” "I'm honored to have the support of Matt Croslis," Ott said. “During his time as county executive, we haven't always agreed, but I could always count on Matt to tell the truth, which made it easy to work together with him to find solutions for the taxpayers we represent. I'll continue to work to make local government more sustainable, accountable, focused and effective."

UPDATE: The Morning Call reports endorsement

The New Jobs Of Allentown

J.B. Reilly said this week that the downtown development is bringing 3,000 jobs to Allentown's $600 million NIZ. Between the National Penn Bank, and his other prospective tenants, that figure seems high. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, and considering everything else he's gotten, we can easily throw that in, each job will cost the state taxpayers $200,000.00. Now, this is nay-sayer math, but then again, this is a blog. Talking of nay-saying, last night over 200 unemployed  packed into a center city church, hoping for some benefit from the NIZ. I think a church was an appropriate venue, because that will take a lot of prayer. As I had written in a previous blog post, the new jobs, except for the peanut vendors at the arena, will be white collar, college degree required. This brings us to the photograph shown above. As they demolish the former Gallery Building in the 900 block of Hamilton Street, we see that the steel beams were fabricated at the former Lehigh Structural Steel. At one time, the buildings on Hamilton Street were built by entrepreneurs, to accommodate our prosperity.  Now they are funded by taxpayers, hoping to steal another town's employees.

Oct 30, 2013

Bernie's Spin Cycle

Many of my readers also read Bernie O'Hare's Ramblings. Yesterday, I was asked if Bernie was on the Democratic payroll, and I replied that he was not; You couldn't pay someone to carry water that enthusiastically. However, Bernie was good at mixing a little fact, some out of context quotes, and old fashion prejudice, to create his recent narrative against Ott. In Bernie's World, the Republican Chairman and his commissioner wife dispense silver shekels to certain candidates, to produce Judas's, who he also refers to as lapdogs. According to Bernie, this chairman is an evil manipulator, who doesn't allow Republican candidates to run in Allentown proper, to control voter turnout for the county. Bernie even has the local conservative talk radio host not believing the Republican candidate. Yes, the party chairman is wealthy, they often are. It takes a person who is pretty financially comfortable to devote so many hours to something which has no salary. No one ran as a Republican candidate in Allentown because it has become a fool's errand, with the Democratic registration advantage and straight lever pulling. The radio host always uses a devil's advocate approach to interviews. He supports the candidate that Bernie portrays he doesn't believe. Don't believe everything you read on the blogs, unless of course, you're at this site.

UPDATE: This post was edited to clarify that any ethic insensitivity by O'Hare was an  isolated incident.

Oct 29, 2013

The Truth In Lehigh County

The Executive race in Lehigh County seems to be the hottest item on the November 5th ticket. It seems that it's being waged mostly by mail, with large colors flyers arriving in your mailbox every few days. Tom Muller has both the upper hand in quantity sent, and the lower hand in negative advertising. He has portrayed his opponent as just an unqualified school bus driver and camp counselor. Although Ott and his fellow Commissioners approved all 15 bridge replacements except one, for historical preservation reasons, Muller and the two Democratic Commissioner candidates raced to bridge, and complained that Ott jeopardized public safety. Here in the blogosphere, Bernie O'Hare has been handling Muller's campaign. Shown above is the Truth Machine that O'Hare insists that Ott submit to. Although Bernie cannot guarantee that the human body can survive the current that the machine uses, he now calls Ott a liar for not submitting to the test. It's a tough year to be a candidate.

Oct 28, 2013

Lehigh County Business As Usual

I've never been to the Lehigh Country Club, it has always been the bastion of the local blue bloods. My blogging associate from Nazareth is in his final sprint to bloody the waters against Scott Ott. Although I don't have his affinity for promoting candidates, fairness requires some balance in the blogosphere. Tom Muller's fundraiser was held at the country club. His campaign contributor list is a who's who of Business As Usual in the valley. The big contractors/developers are all there; Butz, Boyle, Marcon, and Perucci. The law/accounting firms are there; McCarthy, Sorrentino and Portnoff. In this world, overlooking the golf course, donations are either $2,500 or $5,000. The voters next week will have a choice between accountability to the taxpayer, or business as usual.

Oct 26, 2013

Less Than a Thankless Job

Scott Armstrong has become the teacher's target on the Allentown School Board. He's conservative, vocal, articulate, and not afraid to write letters to the editor, or bloggers, for that matter. The budget game every year between the State and the school district was particularly harsh this year. Although the district always ends up with more than initially budgeted, it necessitates teacher layoffs and bad feelings, before some portion of the teachers are reinstated. Added to the mix this year was a schism between board members with teacher backgrounds, and the conservative members. There's even a Facebook page to vilify Armstrong and David Zimmerman. Further adding to the disharmony, that Facebook page was taken over by a couple who were targeting Armstrong on their infamous long enemy list, before he even considered running for the school board.
I was accosted today in a public venue by an acquaintance who happens to be a teacher. I have known this person for years and said hello as he is neighbor who lives around the corner from my home. While trying to remember his name he said it with the words “why do you hate teachers." I asked him to repeat and he complied. Surprised, I said I have many friends who are teachers and dislike none of them, however I do have a problem with the teachers union as its primary mission is that of a labor union. The conversation went south from there and he wouldn't leave me alone as I tried to purchase meat from a stand at the market. I had to explain to them why he was angry at me. I was on the school board and he was a teacher, I had been vocal about the damage defined payment pensions are doing to public schools. They gave him no sympathy. His attempted explanation that was met with only frowns. Seeing this, he retreated. I told the merchants that this happens to me all too often because I dare to speak for the taxpayers at school board meetings. While I completed my transaction he stood off at a distance, as I walked by him on my way to the exit, he said, “Scott, no one in the neighborhood likes you." This is a public school teacher.                                                                                                                                                             ScottArmstrong

I find the teacher's attitude toward Armstrong disturbing.  This first person account by Armstrong is not an isolated incident.  I have read similar sentiments by teachers who should know better.  Putting aside the Facebook page by the cyber/stalkers/Bullies,  some  rank and file teachers have indulged in the personal attacks.  The school board represents the public and taxpayers, who have not demeaned the members who are teachers.  Why should the teachers not extend the same tolerance toward the  conservative members?

Oct 24, 2013

Personnel Change Complicates Prediction

Last month, with assistance from my in house psychic, I claimed that Ted Kohuth would be Allentown's next police chief. Recently, it came to my attention that the psychic was also working for another local blogger, in violation of company policy. She has been suspended, pending a full investigation, and temporarily replaced by a well respected telepathist from the old world. Dr. Caligari tells me that Mayor Pawlowski has now been thinking about Joel Fitgerald, the police chief from Texas, with deep roots in Philadelphia. The blog regrets any inconvenience this change has caused the betting establishment in Las Vegas.

Allentown's NAACP Candidate's Night

Last time I was at a NAACP candidate's night, I was a candidate.  Unlike Michael Donovan,  I really was the independent third man on the ticket, not the relabeled second Democrat.  The evening was rather explosive, because the organization's president, Dan Bosket, asked me to prove that I wasn't a racist.  I had said earlier in the campaign that Allentown was becoming a poverty magnet.  That phrase has now become main stream,  even Alan Jennings uses it.  At the time, in 2005,  it was outspoken and controversial.  Ed Pawlowski was there, running for his first term as mayor, against previous Republican mayor Bill Heydt, and this outspoken independent.  Heydt lost and hasn't been heard of since,  but I've never stopped advocating for the Allentown that I believe in.  Pawlowski spent the night pandering. He looked around the room and said that if he was elected, there was a man who would be working at city hall,  there was a woman that he would hire.  I said that I would hire no black people,  nor would I hire any brown or white people.  Afflerbach, the current mayor in 2005, had just given the store away to the police union, and I thought an austerity program was in order. Pawlowski would get elected, and ignore the problem until this year,  then sell off the water we drink.

Flash ahead eight years, and the NAACP had a  candidate's night this week.  Although I didn't attend, I did sit down with Michael Donovan yesterday morning.  Dan Bosket is still the organization's president. Dan works for Alan Jennings in Allentown's growth industry, poverty.  In addition to Pawlowski and Donovan,  unopposed county commissioner David Jones and Julio Guridy were there.  Despite the campaign signs all over Allentown, the four City Council candidates are unopposed. Things don't change much in Allentown, and I'm still an outspoken independent.

Oct 23, 2013

The Morning Pawlowski

Although I subscribe to The Morning Call, yesterday they delivered The Morning Pawlowski. Had Pawlowski's campaign manager published the paper, it could not have been more favorable. Playing on the brand name of the hotel, the headline stated that a Renaissance was coming to Allentown. The subtitle was a Pawlowski quote about epic transformation. Anybody looking for balance or reason in the article would come up empty handed. Marriott hypes their Renaissance chain of hotels for guests interested in discovery. What there is to discover near 7th and Linden Streets is beyond me. Will their guests be visiting the 7/11 store of convenient shooting on the corner?

photocredit:Michael Kubel/The Morning Call/October21,2013

Oct 22, 2013

Political Science 101

Local professors of political science have been collecting Tom Muller's campaign flyers. They will be used as source material for future courses about negative campaigns. Each successive 8 1/2 X 11 flyer is more negative than it's predecessor. Campaign manager Mike Fleck told the National Enquire, A man's gotta do, what he's gotta do to win. Muller's business experience has been sanitized. Scott Ott's experiences have been marginalized. Ott's comments as a commissioner have been taken out of context. Muller's campaign is being assisted logistically and financially by the Democratic State Committee. Muller keeps telling everybody that his heart isn't into politics, apparently, neither is his conscience.

Oct 19, 2013

Wildlands Conservancy Dictates Park Policy

In the picture above, a representative from the Wildlands Conservancy supervises the placement of the broken dam rubble around the bridge piers. Although this placement radically defiled the aesthetics of the classic bridge, no one from the park department or city was  assigned to overseer the project. This spring the new park director will receive an award from the Wildlands for his cooperation in conservation, and the Conservancy will announce the new projects for the park.

Oct 18, 2013

The Lost Beauty Of Lehigh Parkway

                                                                         photography by Tami Quigley

This beautiful photograph was taken by Tami Quigley last fall. This classic view of the stone piers, rising out of the Little Lehigh, has been inspiring photographers and artists for over 70 years. I have picture postcards of the same view. The stone piers are now surrounded by the concrete rubble of the former dam. Although the rapids still provide some sound and view, the portion of beauty and magic has been reduced in half. The new park director may have set a record in park degradation. Although only here for a matter of weeks, before even having seen the whole park, he agreed and recommended that the Robin Hood Dam be demolished. Piling it's rubble by the stone piers is salt in the wound of our lost beauty.

photograph by Tami Quigley


Oct 17, 2013

The Sad Case Of Our Park's Future

When I appeared in front of Allentown City Council to defend the Robin Hood Dam, I told them something they apparently cannot absorb, the truth. Although the Wildlands Conservancy had a very professional powerpoint presentation, and expert witnesses, facts at the bridge today tell a different story. Wildlands testified that they would be leaving both ends of the existing dam, and only removing the middle. The entire dam has been removed, from end to end. Wildlands told City Council that the dam was built after the bridge, along with the water monitoring station. That news to the USGS, who put their station next to the existing dam. Wildlands dismissed my claim that the change in water velocity could endanger the WPA bridge. In truth, the consulting engineer doesn't know how deep the bridge piers are, and directed the excavator to place the broken dam pieces around the upstream ends of the stone bridge piers, to protect them from the increased water flow. I have a copy of a drawing of the bridge before it was built, Allentown took great pride in it's beauty. I have picture postcards of the bridge, with the stone piers rising out of the creek, as designed. The pile of broken concrete depreciates that beauty, as do the tall weeds growing along the creeks edge. We have a mayor and a new park director from out of town, with no feeling or affinity for our beautiful park system. We are at the mercy of the Wildlands Conservancy and their grant agenda, with a gullible City Council.

Pawlowski's Halloween Tricks

As we approach Halloween, Allentown City Government amuses itself by playing tricks on it's citizens. The mayor played a good one on me, by not mentioning that the dam was being demolished, as we both were commenting on the arena. The city is getting ready to play a much bigger trick, on all it's citizens. Allentonians of memory, of which there are very few who still bother fighting for this town, remember both the incinerator and sewage plant as problems. While the trash incinerator spewed soot over a large portion of the city, the sewage plant emitted unpleasant orders. In a bizarre Halloween type nightmare, Allentown will soon be mixing it's sewage with it's trash, and burning it to produce electricity. It's an experimental process, because only Allentown decided to permit this hideous plant to be built. Citizens of good intent tried to stop this bad dream at City Council, with no success. In desperation, they produced a ballot referendum, only to have it rejected in court, at both the local and state levels. Only because Allentown has a large minority population, and therefore qualifies as an Environmental Justice Area, the state will now hold a hearing on the topic, never mind that the objectors are all white middle class. The meeting is on October 30th. I don't know if the state officials will be wearing Halloween costumes, but I do know that the meeting is just another trick.

Oct 16, 2013

Ed Pawlowski's Secret

Ed Pawlowski and I belong to the same Facebook group, at which we both visit and comment. On Friday I posted a petition to the site, which requested that Mayor Pawlowski reconsider, and save the Robin Hood Dam. The Petition was pinned to the top of the Page, making it impossible to miss. Both the site administrator and myself posted numerous appeals since then, asking people to sign the petition. Mayor Pawlowski has commented several times, on another topic, since the petition was posted. Unbeknown to me, Pawlowski sent the bulldozer Monday morning to tear down the dam. The dam is gone. It would have been courteous for the mayor to inform the group that the effort to save the dam was futile. Rather, he remained silence on that topic, while commenting about the arena, for his own agenda. I can't tell you the horror that the Parkway was today. Robin Hood Parking lot held the large concrete pieces from the former dam, while a large excavator broke them into smaller pieces, for waiting dump trucks. Elsewhere in the park, large bucket trucks parked on the sensitive ravine slope, to string the Christmas display lights. He may call it restoring nature to our city, I call it degrading our beautiful park. The removal is in violation of the state guidelines against dam removals starting in October. Of course a state that encouraged fracking would hardly care. I saw several consequences to the stream that have already been caused by  the dam removal.  Future posts will document those unfortunate side effects. It's a sad week for Lehigh Parkway.

A Temporary Reprieve For The Dam

Although Wildlands Conservancy managed to tear down the dam by the Fish Hatchery, the demolition season ended October 1, providing the dam at Robin Hood in Lehigh Parkway a temporary stay of demolition. Much like the governor Ed Pawlowski hopes to be, only he has the power now to save the dam. This dam has provided generations of park goers with both the sound and beauty which make this section of the park a magic place. I have started a petition to Save The Dam. Your signature would be greatly appreciated, and please consider sharing it with your friends. Thank You.

SIGN HERE

Oct 15, 2013

The Vilification of Julian Stolz

For someone so young, Julian has been through the wringer in the last two days. Although he has announced his resignation from the East Penn School Board this afternoon, the storm will continue through the week. I had no intention to write about this, but an off topic comment about Scott Armstrong, on an Allentown nostalgia website, brings me to this post. Although the public complains about school taxes, it can't abide conservative school board members. Although teachers conduct workshops about tolerance and bullying, they want to lynch any school board member who dares question any of their motives. As for Julian, he's a 25 year old man dating a 20 year old woman. Because of his conservative views, his activities from five years ago have now been misconstrued as current events. Likewise, Scott Armstrong has been misrepresented in his dealings with fellow board members, teachers and students. When you write that check out for school taxes, don't blame Stolz and Armstrong.

A Cookie For Old Allentown

About once a year, Mayor Pawlowski gives the boys and girls of the Old Allentown Preservation Association a cookie. Last year, he gave them new historic street signs. Unfortunately, they didn't have much structural integrity, and within 3 hours every one of them was bent. This year we're dressing up the corner where the Association has it's office. Brick crosswalks will be added to 10th and Turner, and the the stoplight and other utility poles will be painted a more historic color. The boys and girls have been good. There hasn't been one peep from them about the demolition of the historic mercantile district, and the construction of the Great White Elephant. More important, they're behaving about the traffic cluster that the arena will bring their way, when all the patrons exit at the same time. I see more cookies in their future.

Oct 14, 2013

Tom Muller, Business As Usual

I really wanted to stay out of this election; Trying to keep the barbarians from destroying our history is enough work for me. The first brochure from Tom Muller was a slick 4 page production, touting his business acumen. But it was the second flyer that annoyed the editorial staff here at molovinsky on allentown. In it Muller again portrays himself as the business guru, while Scott Ott is pictured as an uninformed school bus driver. In reality, Tom Muller has been the County's administrator for years, sanctioning an overspending administration. In reality, his motto should be Business As Usual. Meanwhile, covering the taxpayer's back, Scott Ott has been actually looking for spending cuts. Looking for savings is not without consequences. You're accused of wanting to starve old ladies. You're accused of being against the criminal justice system. You're accused of being homophobic. If you refuse to spend $228,000.00 per apartment on renovation, you're accused of being against the mentally ill. Lehigh County cannot afford Muller's business as usual experience.

Oct 13, 2013

South Whitehall's Speed Trap

I don't write too often about South Whitehall, actually, this is the first time. I don't consider it a place, just a bedroom community. There's no downtown, there's no old town, there's no nothing, except excessive regulations. They have at least one cop who parks on the concrete island on Tilghman Street, by Cedar Crest Blvd.. He's trying to catch traffic violators, of one sort or another. Often he turns around and chases a car down Tilghman, catching them just before they hit Allentown, in one half block. It always reminds me about the speed trap in Coopersburg, when I was growing up. Does South Whitehall need the money that bad? Lately, I have been particularly annoyed about Smokey up there on that concrete island. Seems as if there has been a wave of burglaries in the township, not reported to the public. The police chief says that it's the media's responsibility to inquire about such statistics. South Whitehall has no problem communicating about every new regulation, think they could warn the public, and get Smokey off the island and patrolling the neighborhoods, looking for the bandit.

UPDATE: I've been informed that identifying expired auto registrations and inspections is the primary objective of officers monitoring Tilghman Street. There is a high correlation between these types of violations and lack of auto insurance. Furthermore,  South Whitehall is one of the few local police departments enrolled with CrimeMapping.Com, which provides the public easy access to crime reports.

Oct 11, 2013

The Fifth Estate-Blogging

Occasionally I post a comment on The Morning Call website. Invariably, Future Downtown Arena Attendee comes on to say that I live beyond the city borders and only received so many hundreds of votes in my independent bid for mayor. Last time he attributed my criticism of the mayor's initiative on sour grapes, for having lost the election. Of course there could be no other rational reason to oppose all those enlightened plans coming from city hall. In this town, with one party only on city council, and no scrutiny from the local press, this blog is often the epicenter of opposition. Certainly my associate from Nazareth, Bernie O'Hare, adds a larger voice on some issues. The noise Bernie and I make is eventually heard by our newspaper friends. Although you will seldom see mention of our blogs, they eventually adopt the issues.

reprinted from August 3, 2012

UPDATE: There is a new movie about Julian Assange and Wikileaks called The Fifth Estate. I first used the term on this blog on November 25, 2011.

Oct 10, 2013

Saving The Bridge

Allentown and Lehigh County aren't much for history. Last year Allentown celebrated it's 250th anniversary by having someone rewrite the lyrics to the Billy Joel song. The County actually commissioned a whole music program for their 200th, also last year. Believing our history should be more than a tune and a speech, I've been using this blog to advocate for the preservation of our historic structures. During the County Commissioner committee meeting last night, the project manager said that if the bridge is repaired instead of replaced, it might last two months, or it might last six months. Considering that the bridge has endured everything that has come it's way for 189 years, that statement clearly demonstrated that he was never a fair broker for options concerning the bridge. Recently, the Commissioners expressed support for preserving the King George Inn, but noted that they had no say in it's fate. Last night, I pointed out the durability of the bridge, and reminded the Commissioners that they do have the say concerning the bridge's fate. By a 7 to 2 vote, the Commissioners decided that the historic Reading Road Bridge should continue to provide passage over the Cedar Creek, by Union Terrace.

Oct 9, 2013

Mayor Pawlowski, Remove These Signs

Last night a very eager Democrat installed signs on city owned property, in violation of city policy. The signs were placed on the triangle at 28th and Tilghman Streets, on which sits the monument to our Spanish American War Soldiers. The same four signs were placed on all three sides of the island. Ironically, two of the signs are for City Council candidates, who have no opponents in next month's election.

Cannibal Valley


During the summer of 1952, Lehigh Valley Transit rode and pulled it's trolley stock over to Bethlehem Steel, to be chopped up and fed to the blast furnaces. The furnaces themselves ceased operation in 1995, and are now a visual backdrop for young artists, most of whom never saw those flames that lit up that skyline. Allentown will now salvage some architectural items documented on this blog, and begin tearing down it's shopping district, which was serviced by those trolleys. As young toothless athletes from Canada, entertain people from Catasauqua, on the ice maintained by a Philadelphia company, Allentown begins another chapter in it's history of cannibalism.

photo from August 1952, showing last run on St. John Street to Bethlehem Steel

reprinted from November 2011

Oct 8, 2013

Barbarians At The Bridge


Although both Cunningham and Pawlowski hosted celebrations of our regional birthdays this year, neither cares about our history, nor do their minions. Glenn Solt, Lehigh County's project manager, and supposedly aspiring County Executive, seems contemptuous of our history. He repeatedly claimed that the 188 year old Reading Road Bridge is neither historic or unique. He states that there were 14 such bridges in the county when he began his watch. Unfortunately, for our history, this is the only one that this blog has concerned itself with. When the effort to preserve the bridge began, Cunningham said that if the community wanted to keep the bridge, the plans could be modified; But, by this past Wednesday, Solt was putting on a full court press for a new bridge. Perhaps, he sees the aggressive bridge replacement program as an accomplishment for a future political campaign. Downstream, Schreibers Bridge is now being jeopardized by Pawlowski. Because Allentown allowed the beams on the 15th Street Bridge to rust away from lack of paint, the northbound traffic now uses Schreibers, another stone arch bridge, also 188 years old. Car and trucks now line up for a block to cross the historic bridge. Three weeks ago, I personally informed Pawlowski that an outside stone on the northwest approach had come off, and others were being stressed. When the 15th Street Bridge is closed this summer for replacement, the traffic flow on Schreibers will be overbearing. History is more than blowing out a candle at Agriculture Hall, or hosting a dinner at the Holiday Inn.

The old postcard shows Schreibers Mill from the east. Although the mill has been gone since the beginning of the 20th Century, the bridge in background is still serving Allentown.

reprinted from March 11, 2012

UPDATE: Since this post  appeared in March of 2012, there has been some changes on the political scene;  Don Cunningham resigned his position as County Executive, and Scott Ott and Tom Muller are running to fill that position for the new term starting in January 2014.  Although the Commissioners did grant the bridge a reprieve from demolition last winter, the bridge's future is once again in jeopardy. State guidelines have changed, and bridges with 3 Ton limits are now slated for closure and/or demolition.  Muller and assorted Democratic candidates for Commissioner are using the bridge as a campaign issue, saying that it should have already been replaced.  Missing from their self serving opportunism is any awareness of the historical significance of the bridge.  Because the bridge is not on an official historical register, Glenn Solt actually stated that the bridge is not historically significant.  On the original route between Easton and Reading, it's one of the most historically significant bridges in Pennsylvania, and an icon of Lehigh County.  Meanwhile, downstream, it's sister Schreibers Bridge also faces the 3 Ton State mandate.  Schreibers has been carrying truck after truck this past  two years, including fire trucks, as it provides the detour for the new 15th Street Bridge under construction. It's approach walls have been repeatedly smashed by tractor trailers trying to turn off the bridge onto Martin Luther King Drive.  Both bridges need to be preserved.  The historical significant of these bridges to our community should not fall victim to  blind general state mandates or local politics.

Oct 7, 2013

The Future Politics of Allentown's Current Poverty

Allentown's large urban core is mired in poverty and survival. This urban poor environment, mostly hispanic, currently has little inclination toward the luxury of politics; This is why we have a Pawlowski for mayor, instead of a Diaz. The arena project is not on their minds, nor will it effect their lives in any way. Allentown's current middle class, remaining in the outer neighborhoods, have divorced themselves mentally from Allentown's new reality. They have a nice house, with taxes relatively less than urban areas east of Pennsylvania. Their children are grown, and many have moved away, at least to the outlining boroughs. Although they read the local paper and shake their heads about the problems in center city, their streets and quality of life remain quiet, clean and acceptable. Allentown has the problems of much larger urban areas, a consequence of it's strategic location. I believe that conditions in Allentown will slowly improve, not because of any arena or other white elephant, but because a hispanic middle class is evolving. As the Latino population enters it's second generation, a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other ethnic institutions will steer their demographic into a middle class. In the future, Allentown may well be the leading hispanic city in the northeast.

Oct 5, 2013

De Test Scores, De Test Scores

The Morning Call has an article about recent standardized school test scores. Although the article said the scores were not that important, it's a long feature story, complete with charts. Kids in the Parkland averaged 30 points higher than Allentown, at all grade levels. I would hope that the Allentown School Administration does not overreact to these results. Previous Superintendent, Gerald Zahorchak, turned the system upside down, and inside out chasing better test scores, apparently for not much result. Allentown is dominated by a very poor, transient urban core, where English is often the second language. We previously stripped the arts, gym, library and other essentials for well rounded students who enjoy school. Our teachers and curriculum are as good as any suburban school. Eventually, the student body will become less transient and more stable, performing better on these tests. In the meantime, lets not keep turning the schools inside out.

Oct 4, 2013

Trick or Trick

When I was a kid growing up in Little Lehigh Manor, Halloween was a real treat. The child centered neighborhood yielded each kid shopping bag after shopping bag of candy at the end of each October. Occasionally, there was a house owner, usually childless, who made the kids perform for their treat. Last night the four candidate had to perform for the public, as part of their application for police chief. Pawlowski made them come to Allentown, sit down together and explain to the peanut gallery why they're the best man for the job. Considering that the public has no vote in their selection, the performance was seemingly for Pawlowski's benefit. Mayor and candidate for everything will make his choice by month's end, just in time for Halloween.

photocredit:Colin McEvoy/The Express Times

Oct 3, 2013

Save Our History

I have just started an online petition to save the historic Reading Road Bridge. The petition asks Lisa Scheller, Chairwoman of The Lehigh County Commissioners, to authorize repair, not replacement, of the historic stone arch bridge.  I ask readers of this blog to kindly consider signing. Thank you. Please use this link to access the petition.

Allentown's Pesky Citizens

When you're a transformational leader attempting to share your vision with the rest of the state, it's annoying to deal with those little minds concerned with pettiness, such as the air they breathe and the water they drink. Fortunately for Ed Pawlowski, he has Acting Mayor Fran Dougherty and Mayor In Waiting Julio Guridy to handle those peons. As they line up at the podium at city council, one by one the Guridy-Dougherty tag team disposes of the little pests. The air and water midgets will have to take their case to the Supreme Court, which will hear it in 2021. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the Ungrateful Bastards Of the West End.
I live at 22nd and Allen. 2 cars totaled, finished basement had to be gutted, boxes of personal treasures thrown out, hot water heater damage, 10,000 in repairs, so far. Sewer drain backed up 2 days later, direct result of the storm drains pushing it up, another 2,000 to jack hammer the floor and replace pipes. Next door neighbor's hot water heater is gas and after sitting in in 3 ft of water, almost blew. We were evacuated by the fire department, clean up is overwhelming, stress is unbelievable, but ..............I am an ungrateful bastard! Mary Shimshea
The city will complete it's survey of the storm sewer problem by 2019, and in the meantime keep two rowboats at the West End Firehouse.  Those who line up at that podium should be content with the opportunity to express themselves.  The notion that a city moving forward at this rate of speed can slow down to correct neighborhood problems is selfish.

Oct 2, 2013

Retail Meats, Wholesale Prices

In a previous post about my father's meat market, Allentown Meat Packing, I give a brief history of the business. There were not many retail businesses on lower Union Street, before the Hamilton Street Bridge. The Orange Car was there because of a railroad siding, which could provide fresh fruit from Florida during the winter. Allentown Meat Packing had previously been a slaughterhouse and wholesale meat packer. A former cooler facing Union Street was converted into a store room. The ceiling still had the rails where sides of beef once hung. Although supermarkets were beginning to affect the butcher shops, the independents survived till the mid 1960's. He would place a small ad every week in The Morning Call. His customers came from all over the city, often having to wait 15 minutes as long freight trains crossed Union Street. In addition to meat, he sold some canned goods, lined up on shelves behind the meat cases. The hours were long and the work was hard. Today's supermarkets have once again installed butcher meat cases, in addition to the open self service displays. Those cases are there to make you think that you're in a butcher shop.

Oct 1, 2013

2nd and Hamilton


Up to the mid 1960's,  before Allentown started tinkering with urban redevelopment, lower Hamilton Street still teemed with businesses. The City had grown from the river west,  and lower Hamilton Street was a vibrant area.  Two train stations and several rail lines crossed the busy thoroughfare.  Front, Ridge and Second were major streets in the first half of the twentieth century.  My grandparents settled on the 600 block of 2nd Street in 1895, along with other Jewish immigrants from Russia and Lithuania.  As a boy, I worked at my father's meat market on Union Street.  I would have lunch at a diner, just out of view in the photo above.  The diner was across from the A&P,  set back from the people shown on the corner.  A&P featured bags of ground to order 8 O'Clock coffee, the Starbucks of it's day.
please click on photo
photocredit:Ed Miller, 1953
reprinted from September 2012