Jul 29, 2016

The Audacity of Hope

Posting on national news is an address this blog seldom visits.  As regular readers know, I keep baker hours.  So, in the early morning I watch  YouTubes of the previous evening's convention speeches.  Obama maintained his status as great speech giver Wednesday, while Bill Clinton has lost some his oratory prowess earlier in the week.  I enjoyed the audience shots during Obama's speech, talk about preaching to the choir.

The only thing wrong with the Audacity of Hope is that it has no substance as a national policy.  Now, while it's positive as a personal philosophy of life in dealing with our daily personal challenges, it provides no strategy for our country's economy or defense.  While Obama  claimed that we are experiencing higher employment and other upward statistics,  I don't think that it translates to many lives.  He even said that people are coming to American to open factories.  We are hard pressed to keep our remaining factories open.  People are working longer for less.  He can certainly lead the choir in singing Kumbaya,  but will the country again rally around hope and promise?

ADDENDUM: HILLARY AND THE GLASS CEILING

 Hillary delivered the best speech of her life, but no less would have sufficed.  She is caught in the contradiction of praising the recovery under Obama, but simultaneously addressing the underemployment reality of America.  In talking about her plans for the first 100 days, she promised to put a chicken in every pot.

While accusing Trump of dividing us, she would pay for those chickens by squeezing Wall Street and the rich.  The fact that she felt it necessary to mention Trump so many times, indicates how close she believes this election will be.

She was most successful when addressing the subject of weapons.  She built a  case that she might have a better demeanor to be Commander In Chief than Trump.  Her approach to gun control was pragmatic; Honor the second amendment,  but refine the background checks.

Both she and Trump are actually running on the same issues,  national security and jobs.

Jul 28, 2016

The Artless Walk


When J.B. Reilly built his Strata Flats 1,  he named the walkway along side it,  the ArtsWalk.  You may recall that they arrested the hapless street singer serenading the diners at Shula's,  which folded anyway.  We now learn that despite objections from the art institutions,  the Allentown Parking Authority is going to give the surface lot to J.B. Reilly.  Without the convenience of this lot for pick up and drop off, the Community Music School will leave Symphony Hall.  Why doesn't Reilly just build his new apartment house somewhere else?  He owns the square block between 7th and 8th, Hamilton and Walnut Streets.  Parking Authority board member and city council member Daryl Hendricks thinks that this problem represents success. The Morning Call keeps referring to a booming downtown, with new stores. The town is neither booming, or are the couple new stores doing any business.  What's in play here is simple greed.  Greed by Reilly, and greed by the Parking Authority, a partner in the deal.

Here would be an opportunity for still Mayor Pawlowski to make a contribution to the city, that he refuses to leave.  He should speak out against this plan, and advocate for that surface lot to remain.

Allentown's Sad State of Affairs


If you told someone several years ago that $1Billion would be spent trying to revive a couple blocks on Hamilton Street,  they would be shocked upon visiting.  Take your best shot, even during the noon lunch break,  and it's just dead in the water. I suppose that on the weekend a few restaurants have some traffic, but there's absolutely no vibe.  I think back when Pawlowski hired the slogan company. City Without Limits.  I guess City With No Vibe wouldn't be positive enough, but that's what it is.

Except for the bank accounts of a few men, it certainly was a poor return on our state tax dollars.  However, you must understand that except for a few bloggers, and their readers,  nobody much cares.  Because of this apathy we have a state house that only changes from retirement, not elections.  Because of this apathy we have a one party city government. Because of this apathy, those of you who do care must read your news from the likes of me, rather than a real newspaper.

photograph of 7th and Hamilton, back in the day

Jul 27, 2016

The NIZ's Magic Hat


It's difficult for the straight laced, and the main stream media to acknowledge the sleigh of hand occurring in the NIZ.  Officially,  the residential units were not supposed to reap the developer the state tax flow, as in commercial and retail.  Reilly is now interested in building a third Strata Flats on the Parking Authority lot at 6th and Linden. The Parking Authority apparently will continue its practice of neglecting the public good, by allowing chosen developers to build on it's surface lots.  In this case, the lot served the art and music community.  While the first floor of the new building will contain retail,  how much of the project can utilize the NIZ financing is the question of this blog post.  Supposedly, corporations have rented apartments in Strata 1.  That is the explanation for the dark units in a building supposedly full.  One must wonder if the tenant is a corporation,  are state taxes from that tenant  to be used for Reilly's debt service?  We do know that the entire NIZ is neither monitored or scrutinized. * Between the ANIZDA in Allentown, and Pat Browne in Harrisburg,  there's nobody watching the henhouse.

Between the lines,  apparently the  commercial demand has waned; Its been a long time since Reilly managed to poach a commercial  tenant from somewhere else.  I suspect now that somehow the taxes from the residential tenants are being harvested. 

* Reilly told the Allentown Parking Authority that $1million in NIZ tax funds would be used annually for the project.  Apparently, Reilly now makes these decisions directly, instead of just telling the ANIZDA puppets what to say.

Jul 26, 2016

Allentown Parks Can Kill Your Dog


Poison Hemlock has invaded the riparian buffers along the creeks in Allentown Parks.  These buffers are to accommodate the Wildlands Conservancy,  which essentially dictates all park policy, except recreation, in both Allentown and South Whitehall.  I suppose now the Wildlands can add pet killer to their dam buster credentials.

Allentown has been trying to control the problem by high rough cutting in spots where they see the hemlock.  The real solution is to go back to the way the parks were designed, without riparian buffers.

Frankly, I haven't had much success in curtailing the Wildlands Conservancy's influence in these park decisions. So far,  we lost two small historic dams, and the iconic Wehr's Dam is soon to go. We lost the view and access to the creeks in the park system, around which the parks were designed, by Harry Trexler's landscape architect. I have succeeded in creating a public record of these losses, and I will continue to speak out against how our parks are being compromised.

Jul 25, 2016

South Whitehall's Offended Commissioner


After my presentation last week, one commissioner stated that he was offended by my statement that they were accommodating the Wildlands Conservancy.  He claimed that he didn't even know a member of the Conservancy.  I should have introduced him to his park director, who sits in front of him at every meeting, and gives a report.

The Wildlands Conservancy provided the main input in formulating South Whitehall's Master Park Plan in 2012.  Even then,  the finished plan recommended that Wehr's Dam be removed, not because it needed repairs, but because dams have become currently unfashionable with environmentalists.

The dam  was the most substantial  local dam of its era.  At that time of Harry Trexler and his cement company, monumental things were built from concrete, including Allentown's 8th Street Bridge.  When you visit the dam, the portion you see protruding out of the water is the narrowest part of the structure.  The dam is massive wedge over 6 feet wide at the bottom.  Then that massive wedge sits on a thick concrete platform,  14 feet wide. At the last state inspection, the report concluded that the dam was  overall in good condition.  They did find one minor short crack that they wanted patched.

Because the Wildlands Conservancy wanted to demolish the dam,  they paid for a study that recommended that the dam be totally rebuilt,  at a cost of $1.5 million dollars.  The minor crack could have been patched by township workers as in past inspections,  or even by a masonary contractor, at a very modest cost. The dam is considered by the state as low hazard.  That means that because of its location in a park,  it poses no risk to private property or people.  It's a  historic, scenic delight;  It doesn't matter how much water goes over or through the dam. However, the objective of their study was to make the cost so high, that demolition seemed the only feasible alternative.

In 2015,  the commissioners bowed to public pressure at that time, and voted not to allow the Wildlands to demolish the dam; I knew then that it was only a reprieve.  Rather than just patch the dam,  they waited for the public to simmer down, and then commissioned another study. The objective of that study was to make the price high enough to justify a referendum.  They now claim that a third of the dam must be rebuilt,  at  a cost of $600,000.  They know that a referendum will result in demolition,  but absolve them  politically of the decision.

In a responsible township, the park director would be defending the dam, which has been a destination for generations.  However,  the park director's father is a paid official of the Wildlands Conservancy.  That's why when the commissioner said that he was offended by my accusation,  I told him that I could care less.

Photo of Wehr's Dam, taken from under Wehr's Covered Bridge, by K Mary Hess

Jul 22, 2016

Rumble In The Suburban Jungle


My presentation to the South Whitehall Commissioners Wednesday Evening:

I'm here tonight to protest for the residents of South Whitehall Township. You're determined to allow the Wildlands Conservancy to destroy the heart and soul of our most important park. You're determined to allow them to degrade the beauty and history of the park for their own agenda.

The state determined in their last regularly scheduled inspection that the dam was "overall in good condition."  According to the Wildlands engineer, less than two years later, the dam needed to be virtually rebuilt, but they kindly offered to save you the money, and demolish the dam at their expense.

When I was here with the many other defenders of Wehr's Dam, i realized that your vote then to save the dam  was insincere. If you were sincere, you would have included the dam into the Historic Overlay Zone. You would have hired a contractor to make the few repairs actually required by the state. You would not have hired another engineer, to justify your upcoming referendum.

Your legacy is your commitment and respect for the residents of South Whitehall, not some organization like the Wildlands, with paid directors and staff. You know that over the decades thousands and thousands of people have visited the dam, and that the dam made the park a destination.

The referendum is disingenuous. You know that the dam could be repaired for a fraction of the cost contrived by your estimate. You also know that the voters are not inclined to vote themselves a tax hike. You're fullfilling the agenda of the Wildlands Conservancy, forsaking your own constituents, and one of the most beautiful spots in the township. It's really a disgrace.

According to The Morning Call, the commissioners were offended by my comments. I had expressed the same sentiments previously on this blog, and even in a letter to the editor.  I thought the adult thing to do was say it to their face. In a perfect world the voters would choose to keep the dam.  Would the commissioners then repair it for the real cost of  $25,000, or would they spend the $600,000, to spite the voters?  I knew that the commissioners were offended. They're not used to being called out when they play games. It's a shame that the residents of South Whitehall and beyond are going to lose a destination, so that the Wildlands can make 15% administrative fees, demolishing another beautiful place.

Report by WFMZ

photo by K Mary Hess

Jul 21, 2016

Trump's Lemonade Stand


Readers of this blog, who view it on a computer screen, know that I don't have an agenda with the national main stream candidates.  On the sidebar, I display the Libertarian banner.  Before I get into today's post, allow me to explain that I design this blog to be seen on a full screen.  Although, I appreciate the readership of those using mobile devices,  the attitude of this blog will not be fully understood.

Prior to this week,  most of the liberal pundits were claiming that Trump's meager organization was  going to catch up with him at the convention.  Too many party name-brands were going to be absent to make a positive image. Lo and behold,  once again Trump appears to have exceeded expectations.  His family did a great job representing him,  even with accusations of plagiarism.

Some Republicans have doubled down on Trump losing.  While most of those stayed away from the convention,  Ted Cruz decided to make his point while attending.  As somebody who has been registered as an independent most of this decade,  I can appreciate his tenacity;  however, Trump does seem very adept at making lemonade from the ingredients at hand.

Jul 20, 2016

Browne and Reilly Cheat Allentown Taxpayers


Yesterday, Matt Assad of the Morning Call revealed that local state senator Pat Browne essentially amended the state NIZ rules, in favor of his friend J.B. Reilly's current court case.  It always seemed as if the NIZ was designed as a personal business plan for Reilly.  However, Browne's latest revision makes no pretense of the relationship.   Pat Browne has now taken Reilly's tax appeal defense, and codified it into law. The new NIZ rules restrict assessment of properties to an income basis only,  ignoring construction cost. There is something extra judicial about this end run that should be challenged by the county.

The taxpayers of Allentown are in real ways subsidizing the Reilly Real Estate Empire. We are providing extra police downtown. We are paying $2 an hour to park. The old lady used to ask, Where's the beef?  We ask, Where's the taxes?


I have been on Morning Call reporter Matt Assad's case,  accusing him of writing articles promoting Reilly's real estate interests.  I must acknowledge that it is his article that has made this latest Browne/Reilly shenanigan public.

Jul 19, 2016

When Lehigh County Valued History


Back in the early 1970's, a former teacher in Allentown's West Park neighborhood borrowed my photograph of a grain mill, and championed its preservation to the Lehigh County Commissioners. Her efforts resulted in Haines Mill being preserved. It was a time when the county commissioners understood the concept of history and uniqueness. The county now preserves farmland, with the pollyanna notion that farmers will spout there, wear straw hats, and sell organic vegetables on the weekends. Although 22,000 acres have already been preserved, the county just authorized additional $millions to that end. A comment in the Morning Call said that it will insure that we have food in the future. Amazing how little people know about how food gets to the supermarket in 2016. While there is nothing unique about this farmland, and nothing really guaranteed about the preservation, it seems like progress to the environmentalists. Meanwhile, the commissioners and Historical Society turn a deaf ear to Wehr's Dam and other irreplaceable structures, being needlessly destroyed.

That former teacher just passed away at 98 years of age. I still take photographs and champion for places that will never be again, but the current board of commissioners does not have the sense of history and esthetics of their predecessors.

Jul 18, 2016

Allentown's Wild and Crazy NIZ


As if the most lucrative state subsidy program in history wasn't enough, Pat Browne threw a few more goodies in the bag for J.B. Reilly, in this most recent state budget. The hotel tax, instead of going to the Visitors Bureau and usual beneficiaries, will be retained by the NIZ, for the hotels within the zone. Browne's explanation was that such a thriving district needs more quality hotel rooms. I think what he means is that Reilly's Renaissance Hotel is so dead in the water, it needs its taxes back. The only public figure to question this nonsense was Tom Muller. Michael Schlossburg voted for it three times, his own and two ghost votes.  However, in his defense,  he like the rest of our midgets in Harrisburg, really didn't know what they were voting for, they seldom do.  The fact that Browne could stuff this into the budget, illustrates what we suffer as state government.

Elsewhere in this weekend's Morning Call, Manuel Gamiz wrote in regard to a new police officer,  (his)old neighborhood began to transform into the thriving downtown shopping, dining and entertainment district that it is today. Manuel must have interned under Matt NIZ Assad.  However,  Assad and Scott Kraus did do an excellent job on this hotel tax article.

Jul 15, 2016

Fighting Terrorism

In United States, one well read speech at a national convention can put you in the White House four years later. In Israel, the price of admission is much higher. Sabena Flight 571 was hijacked on May 8, 1972. When an elite team of Israeli commandoes burst into the plane, they were led by Ehud Barak. Barak would later become Prime Minister, and currently serves as Defense Minister. One of the commandoes was shot by friendly fire in the close quarter gunbattle. That former commando is in Washington today, to speak with the former speech reader. Although Binyamin Netanyaho would recover from his bullet wound, four years later, his brother was killed leading the raid to free the hostages at Entebbe.
We did not look for wars. They were forced upon us. But when we were attacked, we did not have the right to lose a single time. And when we won we returned to seeking peace. Today, I suggest to those who seek war not to make the same mistake again. Do not disrespect our ability ... we are prepared to physically defend our land and morally defend our heritage. Shimon Peres, May 9, 2011
photo of Israeli Commando Binyamin Netanyaho

reprinted from 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015

UPDATE: On July 4th, Israel noted the 40th anniversary of the Raid on Entebbe.  Although the enemies of Israel (and the Jews) continue to blame that tiny state for all the troubles in the Middle East, history and current events indicate otherwise.

ADDENDUM: The above post is reprinted from January of 2015. An article in today's local paper refers to the dangers of trucks in terrorist attacks. Israel knows who its enemies are. France is learning the hard way. Here in the United States, political correctness makes us soft targets.

Jul 14, 2016

Allentown Planning Puppies Make LIttle Barks


The Allentown Planning Puppies are adorable. Although, they approved Reilly's Tower of Condo Speculation,  they are concerned about Hamilton Street losing its historical character.  I have no idea what these puppies are talking about;  there hasn't been any historical consideration on Hamilton Street since the Pawlowski era began, and certainly there is no character.

Allentown's Preservation League also chimed in.  They don't mind historical buildings  being demolished for new development, but they don't think that buildings should be demolished for speculation, like the former Elks Club on South 8th Street.  Of course,  those enablers didn't protest at the time. Understand that the arena complex demolished 37 buildings, of which 34 were historic, and several were unique, one of a kind in Allentown.  Reilly just demolished another square block for his now, put on hold,  twin mega towers.

When the Hamilton Street treasure shown above, in the 700 block,  was demolished for the arena,  save for this blogger, there was no concern for its loss.  There wasn't a sound from any of the puppies mentioned here.

The current office condo project must still go in front of Allentown's zoning board, and Historical Architectural Review Board.  Oh, the suspense,  will the Reilly project get the final go ahead from the city?

Jul 13, 2016

Lehigh County Authority and A Few Drops In The Bucket

Since the LCA leased Allentown's water and sewage system, almost all of us are now their customer.  Long time readers of this blog know that I have often reported on the sewerage overflows in Lehigh Parkway.   The sewage main runs along the creek on its way to Klines Island, the sewage treatment plant. The LCA is under a long standing mandate from both the state and federal government to correct this problem.  Lehigh County Authority has long maintained that a large part of the problem is infiltration from the storm water systems.   System members, such as South Whitehall Township, have cracked down on illegal connections to the sewer system from roofs and basements.  Allow me to translate the previous statement.  Instead of enlarging the system's pipes to rectify the  problem,  South Whitehall has endangered every household in the township.  The majority of the houses have floor drains to protect the home against burst pipes and other leaks.  The township made every home owner close off this safeguard.  If a pipe or hot water heater leaks, welcome to a flooded basement, mildew and mold. Their thinking is a few drops here and there will add up,  and buy the township some time,  even at the peril of its homeowners.

Jul 12, 2016

The Depreciation Of Our Parks

John Mikowychok, the new park director, suggested that after the dam is demolished an interpretative sign could be placed there, with a photograph of the former dam. John, like his predecessor Greg Weitzel, likes interpretative signs. John and Greg have the same background, they both have graduate degrees in recreation from Penn State. Both were hired by our city manager from Philadelphia, and neither have a special feeling for the Allentown park system. Although there will be no measurable improvement to water quality, Lehigh Parkway will be depreciated in both beauty and ambience. While picture postcards used to show the beauty of the parks, now interpretative signs will show what we neglected and demolished.

photocredit:molovinsky

reprinted from September 2, 2013

ADDENDUM: Since I wrote the above post almost three years ago, we have yet another new park director, with the exact same background.  The dam was demolished,  the WPA wall collapsed, and has just been rebuilt.  The sewage still overflows from the manhole covers along the creek,  but all the parks have new entrance signs.

Jul 11, 2016

A Baby Boomer Allentown


molovinsky on allentown is meant to intersect local politics and history. I grew up during a very prosperous era in Allentown's history. The post war (WW2) factories couldn't produce enough goods, despite some having three shifts. Local government was small, concerned mostly with infrastructure and public safety.  There was little concern with affordable housing and other social programs. Then, as now, there were always poor people. Eleanor Roosevelt visited Allentown for the opening of Hanover Acres, the public housing above the east side of the Lehigh River. For many residents of that project and Cumberland Gardens, the public housing was a stepping stone, not a lifestyle.

Hamilton Street was a thriving shopping district.  No subsidies needed there.  Those successful merchants handled their own parking system, no Parking Authority needed.  There might have been some nepotism and cronyism in city hall, but no need for FBI investigations.  Information and news came from your television screen and newspapers, but without agendas and misdirection.

A reader asked me why I made commenting more difficult.  Question.......isn't one of the purposes of your blog to foster discussion of the matters you raise? Purposely seeking to curb comment responses and possibly readership, seems counterintuitive to me.  Topics are not chosen in regard to expanding readership, nor do I count comments as a gauge of success. This blog is not monetized, directly or indirectly. I address those topics which are either under-reported, or misrepresented by the local main stream media. Consequently, I want the comments to be as relevant and responsible as possible.

When Walter Cronkite gave the news in the early 1960's,  he signed out each program by saying, "And that's the way it is."       

Jul 8, 2016

Allentown's Solution Is Its Problem


When I ran as an independent for mayor in 2005,  my message was shunned by The Morning Call and the establishment.  I stated that Allentown had become a poverty magnet, and very soon that density of poverty would create urban problems not normally associated with cities this small.  Multiple social agencies were giving hardcore transients "move in" money.  Lo and behold eleven years later,  despite a $Billion dollars of development,  the city still thinks that the problem is a lack of affordable housing.

Allentown doesn't suffer from lack of affordable housing,  Allentown suffers from too much affordable housing, and too much political correctness.  Stand across from a city center corner market and watch three generations of people throw their empty snack bags on the sidewalk,  even though they are only 25 feet away from a trash can.  We don't need $2 an hour parking meters, we need $25 dollar littering fines.  We don't need a Parking Authority,  we need a Littering Authority.

The City and the NIZ board are going to do a study about affordable housing, hire a consultant and probably include some local neighborhood advocates.  The Morning Call will write some articles about it.  When they come up with a solution they should share it with Detroit, Camden, Los Angeles, and the other 100 poor urban centers.  Gotta love government studies.

ADDENDUM: If the above sounds harsh,  understand that as someone who grew up in the 1950's, Allentown was a wonderful place to throw away, and thrown away it was.   Although the town has changed radically,  that toothpaste is not  going back into the tube.  New pragmatic leadership is needed.  Nothing could be less relevant to overall Allentown than a few blocks on Hamilton Street.

Jul 7, 2016

Papa and Junior Fritzgerald Try To Milk Lehigh County


If you believe that Pawlowski was color blind when he hired Joel Fritzgerald as police chief, you might as well stop reading this post now. I believe that skin color helped propel Mr. Fritzgerald to the top of Pawlowski's search list. I was at the NAACP candidate's night in 2005, when Pawlowski pledged to make city hall more representative of the city's demographics.

The Fritzgerald family had no issues with such affirmative action when senior was hired. They had no issue with favoritism or nepotism when junior was hired as a guard at Lehigh County Prison.

Junior is now suing Lehigh County for racial profiling,  because Jim Martin charged him after he pointed a gun at two detectives.  I'm not bothering to rehash details of the case, or the subsequent acquittal here on this post.   I understand that some may find my perspective on this situation offensive;  However, this blog is not meant to comfort.  Junior is lucky that the detectives didn't shoot him.

Jul 6, 2016

The Perfect Political Storm



While national politics is not my normal wheelhouse,  the adversity of this particular election does fascinate me. I do not ever recall a more polarized electorate than in this cycle.  Supporters of  each candidate truly hate the opponent.  While Hillary has taken the long road to be her party's nominee,  Trump shot to the top because of an unusually crowded field.  Only on a stage with sixteen other candidates could someone succeed with one liners,  and not even memorable ones at that. Who could have imagined that Jeb Bush would disintegrate as he did, with a $150 million dollar campaign fund. Factor in Trump's background on television,  in this age of reality shows.

Readers of this blog may have noticed the Libertarian banner on the sidebar.  As a former independent candidate I often heard that another option was needed, but people didn't want to waste their vote. Independents are often viewed as spoilers.  In reality there can only ever be a third option when voters start pushing that alternative button.

My Democratic friends think that Hillary will win in a landslide. They talk about the math.  I think that they are underestimating the discontent festering in this country.  Regardless of the outcome in November, my concern remains with local decisions.



Jul 5, 2016

General Trexler's Bridge


The 8th Street Bridge is one of the marvels of Allentown.  It was built to facilitate the Liberty Trolley run, from 8th and Hamilton to Philadelphia.  I posted about it before, with its impressive statistics. At the time it was the largest concrete bridge in the world.  It involved two business interests of Harry Trexler,  both the transit company and the local cement industry.

Harrisburg and The Morning Call have been braying about the bridges scheduled for improvement and replacement in the area.  Although, I virtually stopped attending municipal meetings,  I still partake in field trips to the local construction sites.  I don't announce myself, and try to be quick and quiet on these unauthorized inspections.  I would prefer not to vanish like Jimmy Hoffa.  I want to inspect the bridge, not end up in the bridge.

On first glance the work on the bridge looks very impressive. The bridge walls have been replaced with new concrete walls, almost identical to the original, even including the lighting pillars. My question is that the roadbed has been raised about 18 inches, but is still supported by the same arches. Eighteen inches of additional concrete on the roadbed and sidewalk is an enormous additional weight load. Furthermore, I have learned that there was bonding issues between the older base and new concrete. Only the approaches, on both ends of the bridge, have been replaced.  This was done because they are the lowest part of the bridge, and the most feasible parts to replace.  However, they were replaced with pre-stressed concrete beams, and the new arches are only decorative panels.  The original approach bases were massive constructions, which probably would have stood another 1000 years.

Only now is the part of the project which I knew to be necessary beginning.  The massive bridge arches has been showing spalling damage over the last decades.  That is the process where old concrete lets loose from the steel re-bar used as the construction frame.

When the project is completed, I do not expect to be invited to the ribbon cutting.

Jul 4, 2016

Allentown, The Lehigh Valley's Humpty Dumpty


The Molovinsky entourage entered Easton about 4:45 Sunday evening. Although early for dinner,  there was already sizable activity in center square and the nearby restaurants.  The 64 thousand dollar question,  or more precisely, the $1billion dollar question,  is how can little Easton outperform Allentown when the latter has benefitted from the largest incentive program in state history?

I'm afraid I can't give Sal credit.  His bus terminal/parking deck is a bigger abomination than I predicted. Truth is because nothing else was done, Easton has retained its historical character, and the charm that conveys.  People want some ambience.  It can be authentic, such as historic Bethlehem,  or it can be completely fabricated, such as the Promenade in Saucon.  But Allentown has nothing, except new buildings, devoid of any character.  Before Reilly builds another thing, he should consider hiring an architectural consultant.

Jul 1, 2016

Growing Up Allentown


Life in Allentown during the 1950's was pretty easy, compared to now a days. Whether you were white or blue collar, there were plenty of jobs. Whether you lived in the West End or center city, all the neighborhoods were clean, well maintained and relatively crime free. The school system was the envy of the county, and people finagled to get their children enrolled in it. Allentown High School had championship teams in multiple sports, and the football stadium was one of the most lavish high school stadiums in the country. The park system was the subject of numerous picture postcards. Likewise, downtown was widely known, with Hess's being a destination. All the above characterists would stay in place throughout the 1960's, into the early 70's.

I bill this blog as the intersection of politics and history in Allentown, and the greater Lehigh Valley. Although, I will continue to speak out on current events of concern, I suspect that this page will turn more and more to history. Perhaps nostalgia is so appealing because the current reality is so disillusioning. 

Although, my archive of older Allentown pictures is extensive, I invited Ozzie and Harriet Nelson to illustrate this post.