Apr 30, 2014

Bullying In The Allentown School District

Last month I posted about a young lady who was victimized by both bullies and the Allentown School System. When she complained to the school principal about the bullying, his solution was to throw her, in mid term, into the advanced honor's class. While this didn't protect her from her antagonists, she still had to walk to and from school, it did interrupt her scholastic accomplishment. She had been only one marking period away from making the Jr. National Honor Society, in regular classes. Her mother feels that her daughter should be allowed to retake the finals for that marking period, but the school administration refuses. I share the mother's pride in updating you about her next marking period. This remarkable girl, named Jalonda, tutored herself on the internet for the advanced math classes, and once again made honor roll, even in the advanced honor class. A college professor told me that the school district's decision is defective. Putting the girl into the advanced classes, instead of dealing with the bullying problem, was the school's decision, not the girls. She has since proven to be a true honors student, who deserves the opportunity to retake those exams, and restore her scholastic record.

The Express Times informs us that some bullies at William Allen picked on the wrong kid, the son of an Allentown School Director. I wish the best solution for the director's son, but also want the District to do right by Jalonda, even if her mother isn't a school director.

Apr 29, 2014

An Independent Comes Home

My voter registration has changed back and forth between Republican and independent for several decades. Although most of the candidates I have voted for have been Republicans, independent reflects my mindset. Periodically, I became frustrated at being disenfranchised in the primary elections, and then re-registered as a Republican. As previously noted on this blog, I have decided to run for the State House, against long time incumbent Julie Harhart. She is being opposed in the primary by Marc Grammes, and is also opposed in the general election by Democrat Terri Powell. Pennsylvania has become a mess. It is for that reason that current Governor Corbett faces a stiff challenge this fall. Our legislators are now scrambling to fix the electric deregulation mess that they had created. It should be no surprise that these new electric companies, in name only, which have no generation or transmission infrastructure, raised their rates. They are only gloried post office boxes, with fancy literature. The take away lesson from this electric fiasco is to leave the State Store liquor system in tact, rather than to need more regulations and bureaucrats, to deal with new problems created by another privatization.

Apr 28, 2014

To Whom Do The Park Features Belong

There are those of us who remember the greenhouse in Trexler Park, but that does not include the current mayor, the park director or his predecessor. Unfortunately, there's a tradition in Allentown of park directors making unilateral decisions, which effect generations to come. The Trexler greenhouse was understandably the pride of Mrs. Trexler. It was a lush tropical paradise, complete with a full grown banana tree. About 30 years ago, the park director decided that it should go, as part of a cost saving measure. A couple years later, the same director planted the wetland area by the intersection of Cedar Crest Blvd. and Cetronia Rd.. That planting cost $750,000. I recall the price, because Longwood Gardens built a new greenhouse for that same amount, and we had just lost our greenhouse and only had some new creek weeds to show instead; Even back then, I was an advocate for the traditional park system. Recently, visitors to Trexler Park have noticed that this Wetland area has been cut down, although very few know that they had also lost a beautiful greenhouse.

The current issue of the park magazine mentions that an engineer has been hired to plan some restoration on the stonework at Fountain Park. I take pride in knowing that my efforts and this blog are behind that long overdue attention to the WPA structures.

Apr 26, 2014

Allentown's Reality Show

On Friday afternoon there was a collision between political spin and reality in downtown Allentown. As  Governor Corbett and Mayor Pawlowski toasted The miracle that is Allentown, a police cruiser crashed right outside their gilded tent, while chasing a drug suspect. Pawlowski had said "I want to thank the state, this unique tool has created unprecedented investment in the City of Allentown." What he should have said is that he wanted to thank the taxpayers of surrounding communities, who are subsidizing Allentown's miracle. Although the state income tax rate may not increase, that money is being made up one way or another. If it's more tax on gasoline, or higher fees on renewing their driver's license, the state budget reaches out in many ways to make up for this unprecedented investment in Allentown. Allentown's State Representative wasted no time spinning the fiasco by restricting his comment to the Allentown police. Although the police acted heroically, the representative should have also thought about the residents in his district. While they were not invited to the banquet tent, every day they live with the drug violence. If I'm fortunate enough to be elected to represent the citizens of the 183rd District, I will not be attending such banquets of self praise, but will be out in the district, fighting for a better everyday quality of life.

photocredit:The Morning Call

Apr 25, 2014

The 183rd Legislative District

The new Pennsylvania Legislative Districts were postponed for a year, while modifications were made to the map. The final map going into effect for the upcoming election is never-the-less still convoluted. The 183rd District resembles a question mark. The primary change between the current and former map effect the southwest and northeast sectors. While the district loses the north Allentown neighborhood south of Rt.22, north of Tilghman Street and east of Cedar Crest Blvd., it gains the South Whitehall neighborhood west of the Cedar Crest, between Rt.22 and the municipal golf course. The northeastern sector extends closer to, but not including, the town of Bath. It is my intention to provide the residents of the 183rd District a new independent voice in Harrisburg, not mired in convoluted partisan politics.

Apr 24, 2014

Shortchanging The Neighbors

The arena machine was held up for several months two years ago, when the smaller municipalities balked at giving up their share of the earned income tax to further support Allentown's mega-project. Rather than endure the time delay of a court case on that attempt to overreach, Allentown backed off, and the neighbors still got their earned income tax share. But do the neighbors get their share of benefits from state taxes? That's a rhetorical question, because the answer has always been a clear no. When Allentown's NIZ is completely built out in several years, the small neighbors like Slatington and Northampton will be subsidizing a $billion dollars of development, but what do they get? Their current Harrisburg representatives will tell them that Allentown endures the problems of a the low income transient population, and then say something about rising tides and all ships. The residents of Slatington and Northampton know better. It's not the life of Mayberry there anymore. Although the tax dollar benefits seldom come their way, Allentown's problems of poverty and crime found their way up route 309. It will be my honor to advocate for their fair share.

photograph by K Mary Hess

Apr 23, 2014

Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?

On the entire square block of the arena complex, only two former buildings were spared, the Farr Building and The Dime Bank. The former Farr Shoe building, currently loft apartments, has been continuously occupied since being constructed. The Dime Bank has spend most of it's 90 years vacant. The bank closed in 1931, only six years after being built. It remained mostly vacant until the early 1990's, when the monumental 1st floor room was restored, and housed an antique market for a few years. Since then, ownership changed hands several times, but the building remained vacant. Because of a leaking facade, the arena owners decided to strip the brick off, down to it's steel structural skeleton. Lost was the iconic attic story, in classic art deco style. Also lost was the beautiful ornate ceiling in the monumental banking chamber.

As I begin the mission to provide residents of northern Lehigh and Northampton Counties with a new kind of representation in Harrisburg, this blog will continue to scrutinize the Allentown area. Please follow the campaign on my Facebook page,  Mr. Molovinsky Goes To Harrisburg.  If you live anywhere in the 183rd District, from now on,  I'll be looking out for you.

Apr 21, 2014

Mr. Molovinsky Goes To Harrisburg

Actually, the title should be Mr. Molovinsky wants to serve your interests in Harrisburg. Early this morning I decided to enter the race for the 183rd Legislative District, as an independent. The district, covering Northampton and Slatington, has been extended by the new redistricting map to include a section of South Whitehall. Although there is not one independent in the state house, and the incumbent has held the seat for 18 years, Pennsylvania is in dire need of remedy. We are victimized by ingrained partisan politics, always putting special interests ahead of that of the citizen. We keep adding new revenue streams; lottery, casino, fracking, but never providing the homeowner with the promised tax relief. I have established a facebook page, Mr. Molovinsky Goes To Harrisburg, which will be dedicated to the campaign.

The Sunday Drive



My family wasn't much for recreation.  My father worked six days a week, from early morning till early evening.  We did go for a long car ride on Sundays.  Back then gasoline was cheap, and having no destination wasn't thought of as wasteful.  Children were more content to sit in back seat and look out the window, now they want a video screen in the vehicle.



Even children's play then involved more imagination and interaction.  Howdy Doody was just a puppet on strings,who spend most of his time talking to an adult, Buffalo Bob, can you imagine?




 Sitting in that back seat in the mid fifties, I might well had



my "coonskin" hat with me.  Fess Parker was a genuine American hero.  It mattered little if he played both Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, both were king of the wild frontier.  The ride probably lasted for two hours and then we would go to a restaurant to eat dinner.  Compared to now, there were very few restaurants.



My mother would cook all the other meals that week, and we probably ate out more than most.  Supermarkets were the new rage in food shopping, but the butcher, baker and candle stick maker were still going strong.  If my father headed west or south, chances are we ended up at Shankweiler's Hotel, famous for chicken and waffles.   They were at the intersection of Old 22 and Route 100.  The building still exists and currently is a bank.  The family also owned another hotel on Route 309.  Both locations also operated adjoining Drive-In movies.



If my father headed north or east,  we would end up at Walp's, which was on the corner of Union Blvd. and Airport Road.  Walp's was a much more urban place.   While Shankweiler's was an old country inn,  Walp's was built as a modern restaurant.  I enjoyed those rides, they were a learning experience.


reprinted from February 2013

Apr 20, 2014

Gethsemane 1934


Maria Magdalene (Mary Magdalene) is the Russian Orthodox Church located on the Mount of Olives, in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
The church is dedicated to Miryam of Migdal, a follower of Jesus. Maria Magdalene was the first to see Christ after he was resurrected, and was a crucial and important disciple of Jesus, and seemingly his primary female associate, along with Mary of Bethany, whom some believe to have been the same woman.
The church was built in 1886 by Tzar Alexander III as a commemoration for his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, in the traditional tented roof Russian style, including seven onion shaped golden domes. Photograph dates from 1934

reprinted from March 2013

Apr 19, 2014

The Fighting Ramos Brothers

On Friday night I caught up with Steven Ramos at a local hotel. Steven was there to support his brother Robert, who was making his fourth showing as a professional fighter. It was a tough fight, with Robert and his opponent battling to a draw. Before the fighters had even exited the ring, the promoter hinted at a rematch. As tough as that fight was, Steven has a tougher one coming up this November. He will battle the winner of the Democratic primary, either Tatiana Tooley or Peter Schweyer, for the new 22nd State House seat. Steven Ramos is a Republican Hispanic running in a Democratic stronghold. If Steven loses, look for rematches down the road, the Ramos brothers are tough.

The Main Event, a photo by molovinsky

Apr 18, 2014

A History Lesson from Ukraine


The famous photograph above is called The Last Jew in Vinnitsa. It was taken in Ukraine in September of 1941, when the Nazis shot every Jew in that city within five days. The flyers ordering Jews to register, distributed in Donetsk the other day, harken back to the Holocaust. All together, over 750,000 Jewish men, women and children, were shot to death in Ukraine during the war. Out of a population of 4.3 million, Donetsk currently only has 17,000 Jews. The flyers were a provocation of unknown origin, as opposed to a real threat, but they did make world news.

In Jerusalem, The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary, a small order of Protestant nuns formed after the war in Germany, is closing it's retreat for Holocaust survivors. The order originally had come to Israel to work in hospitals as repentance for the Nazi crimes against the Jews.  Although the last of the  survivors is passing away, hatred is alive and well.

Apr 17, 2014

Jeopardizing Your House for Ocean Spray

Unknown to Lehigh County residents, one of the reasons Ocean Spray moved here was to avoid costly upgrades to their pre-sewer treatment plant. When you're in violation of New Jersey environmental standards, what do you do, you turn to Donny Cunningham. Here in Sap Valley, we invited Ocean Spray with incentives and called it progress. They, along with the other new bottling industries attracted by Cunningham and LCA, will now jeopardize your home. Rather than expand the sewer treatment plant, homeowners are being forced to block their plumbing safety net, their floor drains. Up to a decade ago, floor drains were mandated by code so that if a pipe broke, your home was protected against flooding. Although nothing has ever gone down my floor drain, I must now block it to comply with new regulations. The thinking is that a drop saved here, and a drop saved there from thousands and thousands of homes, can spare the LCA the expense of enlarging the sewer plant, or building an additional one, and still meet EPA standards. Hell, there's even enough capacity left to invite Ocean Spray. Now, if your hot water heater springs a leak, it's tough sh*t for you.

Apr 15, 2014

Sitting Down with Bennett

                                                                           photo by K Mary Hess 
Subscribers of this blog may recall that recently I profiled two people who hope to succeed Ed Pawlowski as mayor, Siobhan Sam Bennett and Charlie Thiel. Yesterday, I sat down with Bennett at The Benner Mansion, her bed and breakfast, and she elaborated on her thoughts about Allentown. Although she benefits from being the first and only bed and breakfast in Allentown, she knows that distinction signifies a stagnate tax base.  She recognizes the NIZ for the boost that it will provide, but she believes that it will not be a silver bullet by itself, and that many more small businesses need to be cultivated. She has no doubt that the perception of the school district and the city's future go arm in arm. While the perceptions of both are currently negative, she knows that there are many positive assets, which can be branded for success. She cites the many cultural institutions, such as Symphony Hall,  the art museum, the historical society and the Allentown Band, which are unique for a city this size. The school district's gifted and honor programs, along with it's rich music and art tradition, must be featured. The demographics must be viewed as an opportunity for preparing for the diversity in our changing country. Recognizing these assets, and branding them to middle class home buyers, is part of her formula for revitalizing Allentown.

Photography by K Mary Hess

When Kahane Came to Allentown

He told the Jews gathered in Allentown that their leaders were worms, that's how the controversial rabbi spoke. When Meir Kahane came to town in the summer of 1990, none of the Jewish institutions would give him space to speak. Before emigrating to Israel, he had formed the Jewish Defense League in NYC in 1968. He lectured that turning the other cheek was a Christian concept, and that the minimum take away from the Holocaust was that American Jews should own a gun, and know how to use it. His views in Israel about nationalism on the West Bank were much more controversial, and he was jailed there for incitement. As of yesterday, the authorities in Kansas City were not prepared to call the shootings there a hate crime. Kahane would have no doubts about that. His speech in Allentown was one of his last. He was assassinated later that year during a speech in NYC.

Apr 14, 2014

Passover Libel

German Nobel Literature Laureate and former SS officer Gunter Grass, has been banned from Israel, not that he wants to go there anyway. In a new poem published last week , he wrote "the nuclear power Israel is endangering an already fragile world peace." Israel and world Jewry no longer suffer this sort of distortion well. "The Germans will never forgive the Jews for Auschwitz." The sentence is attributed to Israeli psychoanalyst Zvi Rex. He believes that Germans are filled with pathological guilt and shame about the Holocaust, and turn Israel " into a punching bag to purge their guilt complexes. " Grass believes that Israel is a threat to Iran, and Germany could be a “supplier to a crime” in connection with it's decision to supply Israel with a sixth Super Dolphin-class submarine. Emmanuel Nahshon, deputy chief of mission for the Israeli Embassy in Germany, said, “what must be said is that it belongs to the European tradition to accuse the Jews of ritual murder before the Passover celebration.”

reprinted from April 2012

UPDATE: Yesterday's Kansas City attack against Jewish institutions show how much anti-semitism is alive and kicking in United States. While Israel's enemies are known and confronted by a strong national defense, American Jews will depend upon municipal police forces for protection. Although the municipalities will cooperate for the next several weeks, American Jewish liberal attitudes toward gun control will contribute to their vulnerability.

Apr 13, 2014

Pawlowski's CaddyShack

Spinning as hard as they could, neither Pawlowski or city spokesman Mike Moore could make the golf course restaurant debacle sound credible. Emily Opilo, The Morning Call reporter, clearly pointed out that Pawlowski's recent chosen tenant, the Noti family, had either paid late, or not at all. Pawlowski had chased out a good paying tenant, the Fegley Brewpub,  to supposedly  increase the annual rent by 10k. He will now ask 10k less than even the Fegley's were paying, for a third tenant in three years. Truth is, he has used that golf course restaurant as a political plum and football since taking office. In 2009, he gave a responsible tenant the boot to accommodate the Fegleys. Although they did a excellent job, in time they too lost favor with the mayor-for-life, and got the boot. Right now you can get a hot dog and a pretzel stick from a temporary vendor.

Apr 11, 2014

When 6th Street Was West Allentown

In 1903, the 600 block of 2nd Street housed one Russian Jewish family after another. They built a small synagogue there, which was kept open till about ten years ago. My grandfather, who then worked at a cigar factory, had just saved enough to bring his parents over from the old country. They lived in an old house at 617 N. 2nd. The current house at that location was built in 1920. By the time my father was born in 1917, the youngest of five children, they had moved to the suburbs just across the Jordan Creek.

My grandfather lived on the corner of Chew and Jordan Streets. He butchered in a barn behind the house. The house is still there, 301 Jordan, the barn is gone. He would deliver the meat with a horse and wagon. On the weekends, when the family wanted to visit friends, the horse insisted on doing the meat market route first. Only after he stopped in front of the last market on the route, would he permit my grandfather to direct him. excerpt from My grandfather's Horse, May 13, 2008

Allentown has just designated the neighborhood west of the Jordan to 7th Street, and between Linden and Tilghman Streets, as Jordan Heights. The area encompasses the Old Fairgrounds Historic District. Allentown's old fairground, in the years between 1852-1888, was in the vicinity of 6th and Liberty. It was an open space, as is the current fairground at 17th and Chew Streets. When my grandparents moved to Jordan Street it was a modern house, just built in 1895. Many of the Jewish families moved to the suburbs between Jordan and 7th. The Jewish Community Center was built on the corner of 6th and Chew, today known as Alliance Hall.
I wish the Jordan Heights initiative well. There's a lot of history in those 24 square blocks, and hopefully much future.

reprinted and retitled from 2010

The photograph above, from the early 1900's, shows the circus coming to town. It would arrive by train at a siding on Front Street, then proceed up Linden Street toward the fairgrounds.

Apr 10, 2014

Child Abuse in Allentown

Like the adults who run with the bulls once a year in Spain, every afternoon children run with cars across the 15th Street Bridge. When Governor Pawlowski dedicated the bridge with pomp last December, southsiders assumed that the contractor would proceed to finish the pedestrian walkways.It's four months later, and our children are still playing dodge car. Allentown's $billion dollar arena transformation started after the bridge construction began, and will apparently be completed before children can safely walk home. We all understand that the arena is Pawlowski's priority, but are we not a city which needs to do more than one project at a time? Where is the protest from Peter Schweyer, southside City Councilman, hoping to be State Representative. Where are the questions from The Morning Call, after writing one arena promotion after another. It isn't very pretty, what a town without proper priorities, can do.

photocredit:Chris Knight/The Morning Call

Apr 9, 2014

The Barbarians of Progress

Those empowered to bestow so called progress upon the dirty masses often lack historical and aesthetic appreciation, casting aside cultural treasures. This blog is proud to have documented the treasures of the former arena block, before the bulldozer arrived. Sometimes, because of curmudgeons such as myself, treasures find their way back home. The current cast iron water fountain in West Park is a reproduction of the original, after it was replaced by a modern monstrosity during a park improvement. Members of the Rose Garden Neighborhood Association inquired about the beautiful metal girl fountain, removed from the garden during an improvement. Through their diligence that fountain was relocated and returned. John Marquette is now on a quest to locate the Harry Bertoia sculpture that was removed from the airport,  when it was recently remodeled. Unfortunately, this city has lost numerous treasures over the decades, perhaps we need more curmudgeons.

Apr 8, 2014

The Litter of Allentown

On Monday mornings, from the amount of litter on 6th and 7th Street, you would think that there was a parade over the weekend. Back in the day, Allentown was known for it's cleanliness. Women in babushkas would compulsively hunt out any errant scrap of paper, and remove that offense to their pride. Allentown has changed. In 2006, the SWEEP program was put into place to milk center city property owners, fining them for tenants putting the wrong color container on the porch, at the wrong time. In 2011, the program burped $228,000.00 from the hapless owners. Now, with Allentown's Transformational arena coming, Allentown passed an ordinance quadrupling the littering fine from $25 to $100. "It's really difficult to see someone littering and actually catch them in the act," said Ann Saurman, director of recycling. "You see litter on the street, but you don't often see people littering." Actually, you can see them littering. Park near any center city market, and watch the wrappers drop like leaves off a tree in the fall.

photo:Denise Sanchez/The Morning Call

reprinted from June 2012

UPDATE:  Mayor Ed Pawlowski's 8th Annual Cleanup Day will occur this coming April 26th.  He once again asks that Allentown's conscientious volunteer to clean up after those who could care less.  Bless the eager beavers, but considering the progress in the last eight years, perhaps a better strategy is in order. The Parking Authority should give tickets for littering.  Although it's more confrontational to ticket a person,  than to sneak away after ticketing an empty car,  it would give the city a more positive result than we now achieve from that agency.

Apr 6, 2014

Allentown's Hapless Meter Users

It was a rough winter for Allentown meter users, who are mostly the urban poor, concentrated in center city. Although the Parking Authority charges to park, little amenities like removing the snow, are not part of the package. The city has turned into a one trick pony, with every thought only focused on the arena. As part of that obsession, residents will now be pugging the meters till 9:00p.m., pending approval by the Council of Rubberstamps. We are being told that the intention is to potty train the projected arena patrons into using the parking decks, leaving the metered spaces available for other businesses. The Fegley brothers, who are trying their best to get with the city's program, have a few doubts. Ce Ce Gerhart, who lives on metered Walnut Street, knows that she's being penalized. Actually, so are the Fegleys. The arena, which will be used less than half the nights of the year, is making free parking for restaurant patrons a thing of the past. Easton now charges a buck an hour for evening parking, remind me not to eat there.

Apr 4, 2014

Flash From Past


Occasionally, some of the older boys in Lehigh Parkway would get saddled with taking me along to a Saturday matinee in downtown Allentown. We would get the trolley, in later years a bus, from in front of the basement church on Jefferson Street. It would take that congregation many years to afford completing the church building there today. The trolley or bus would go across the 8th Street Bridge, which was built to accommodate the trolleys operated by Lehigh Valley Transit Company. Downtown then sported no less than five movie theaters at any one time. Particularly matinee friendly was the Midway, in the 600 Block of Hamilton. Three cartoons and episode or two of Flash Gordon entertained our entourage, which ranged in age from five to eleven years old. We younger kids, although delighted by the likes of Bugs Bunny, were confused how the Clay People would emerge from the walls in the caves on Mars to capture Captain Gordon, but our chaperones couldn't wait till the next week to learn Flash's fate. Next on the itinerary was usually a banana split at Woolworth's. Hamilton Street had three 5 and 10's, with a million things for boys to marvel at. The price of the sundae was a game of chance, with the customer picking a balloon. Inside the balloon was your price, anywhere from a penny to the full price of fifty cents. The store had a full selection of Allentown souvenirs. Pictures of West Park on a plate, the Center Square Monument on a glass, pennants to hang on your wall, and picture postcards of all the attractions. Hamilton Street was mobbed, and even the side streets were crowded with busy stores. Taking younger kids along was a responsibility for the older brothers, the streets and stores were crowded, but predators were limited to the Clay People on the silver screen.

reprinted from January 2013

Apr 3, 2014

Jewish Republicans, Two For One Special

As a group, it's hard for the Democrats to find one that they can count on more than the Jews. In 2008, Obama received 78% of their vote, and still received 75% of their support in 2012, after bashing Israel for four years. Last week, the Republican Jewish Coalition held their meeting in Las Vegas, at Sheldon Adelson's Venetian Hotel. They certainly didn't need such a large facility, Jewish Republicans could barely fill the small banquet room at a local Holiday Inn. Jews are less than 2% of the population. Allowing for independents, Republican Jews are less than 20% of that small number. Never the less, the press was climbing over each other to cover the event. Two of their favorite targets were in one room, Israel supporters and Republicans.

Apr 2, 2014

Big Brother Is Watching You

In 1949, when George Orwell published his sci fi classic 1984, the ideal of surveillance cameras were considered as oppressive as a society could get. Here in Allentown, in 2014, they are being touted as our guardian angels. The Morning Calls reports that City Center, the private development company owned by J.B. Reilly, will outfit all their new buildings with both cameras and private security personnel. These cameras will be supposedly monitored 24/7, providing the arena area with it's own de facto police force. Apparently, Allentown's reputation precedes it.