molovinsky on allentown

A Question of Priorities

2012-01-30T04:37:00.012-05:00

I was surveying and photographing demolished Hamilton Street yesterday. My thinking is that there is less asbestos floating around on the weekend. While I worried about the hypothetical, some Allentonians were devastated by the all too real; But first, The Family Dollar story. In the Allentown of my youth, the building held the McCrory Five and Dime. Considering that history, it wasn't inappropriate to end up a dollar store. The building's landlord just had a lucrative 14 months. Purchased for $325,154.00 in November of 2010, the City ponied up $1,100,000.00 in the beginning of this month. There has been a number of such home runs involving the arena, but not within such a short time frame. Meanwhile, Easton Express Times reporter Colin McEvory was checking out the homeowners displaced by last month's water main break and sinkhole on 10th Street. While the City was prepared to exhume graves in the adjoining cemetery, the homeowners have learned that Allentown will not assist them. We were going to treat the dead better than the living.
Through no fault of their own, they have been made homeless, and in some cases, penniless. While this City can spend $35million to acquire and demolish properties for the arena, we leave the sinkhole victims clinging to the edge of the precipice. Allentown is serviced by water pipes over 100 years old. It is City policy to never admit that a water leak caused a sinkhole. While I won't debate their legal strategy, it's apparent we could do much more for these victims; It's a matter of priorities.

photo: The Express Times

Township Managers Wake Up Shocked!

2012-01-28T17:37:00.006-05:00

Township managers are waking up from their nap, shocked! Whose Earned Income Tax did they think was going to be used to pay for this white elephant, the six people who work on Hamilton Street and live in Allentown? The managers have scheduled a meeting with Pat Browne in mid February. At that meeting, Browne will tell them that any left over revenue will come their way. The purpose of this post is to try and restore their dignity, and persuade them to cancel the meeting. Gentleman, there will be nothing left over for the next 30 years. Please understand that the arena will cost at least $160 million dollars. In addition to that, approved private developers, also have $100 million already approved. Pawlowski said recently, while you were napping, that his vision is for $600 million in development. The Earned Income Tax is to be first applied toward the debt service. You're financial managers, how much do you foresee being left over? Also written in the law that nobody read, is the ability to use property taxes, if necessary. This blog maintains that when would be more honest than if. Everyone, everywhere, will be paying for this, but none more than Allentown taxpayers.

Where's the Rent?

2012-01-27T05:50:00.010-05:00

Recently, this blog explained the heavy handed way that City Center Investment Corporation had acquired virtually all the buildings across from the arena site. Yesterday, The Morning Call reported the compelling story about how a luncheonette tenant on 7th Street was told to vacate, for being a couple days late with her rent. I was glad the newspaper picked up on the story, but like the rent check, they're a little late. In the article they refer to the displaced merchants of the arena site has having served low-income shoppers. Perhaps the reporters didn't notice, but the luncheonette clientele are not from the west end. It's not the fine dining favored by the Administration. The same reporter, before the eminent domain hearing, referred to the merchants as selling discount clothes and cheap electronics. While it's nice that they're injecting a little humanity into the plight now, the damage has been done. The same reality applies to recent revelations about the Earned Income Tax in the NIZ. As the picture below shows, we no longer have a center city; We have a square block of rubble with the surrounding properties all owned by virtually one person. Welcome to the Transformation.

the rent collector is boxer Abe Simon, training for his heavyweight fight with Joe Louis in 1942; the photographer asked him to look mean. the bottom photograph is by The Morning Call.

Hawking a Newspaper

2012-01-26T04:14:00.009-05:00

The full page promotion of The Morning Call by Tony Iannelli, on the back of Tuesday's front section of that newspaper, seemed inappropriate to me. The copy said it was important for Tony to get news from a credible source that he could trust. It identified Tony as President and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. Doesn't Tony realize that there are two cities in the Valley with a newspaper? If Iannelli is a spokesman for The Morning Call, can we count on honest reporting about his organization? This blog has previously wondered why the Chamber sponsored Vision Meetings for the merchants of Hamilton Street, while the Administration was starting to think about a bulldozer. The citizens of this city have been under-served by both the Chamber and the paper; where can we find a credible source we can trust?

Flash From Past

2012-01-25T04:56:00.002-05:00

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 April 11, 2011

Allentown's Vanishing History

2012-01-24T02:58:00.004-05:00

A reader sent me the above image last night. It looks down the hill from 7th and Hamilton, north, toward Linden Street. He has been attempting to locate the old Lafayette Radio store on 7th street, because of a pleasant memory from his childhood. By my day, the store had moved onto the southern side of the 700 block of Hamilton Street. History is quickly succumbing to the wreaking ball in Allentown. All the buildings shown above, on the left or west side of 7th Street, have been knocked down for the arena. Most of the buildings on the photo's right side are also gone. I suspect the few remaining ones will be gone soon, as they have been recently purchased in speculation of the Transformation Phrase 2, the Event Center. With the departure of Salomon Jewelry, Tucker Yarn remains Hamilton Street's last remaining business from the glory days. It's first store, on 7th Street, can be seen on the left side of the above photo.

The above image can be found in Doug Peters' Lehigh Valley Transit

Pat Browne's NIZ Shell Game

2012-01-23T04:53:00.008-05:00

Back in the fall, when it was discovered that J.B. Reilly was loaned $20 million under the same terms as the arena, and that taxes would be used for his debt service, and before the rules to apply were formulated and publicly announced, Pat Browne said "I'm not sure why anyone is confused. The law is very clear." Yes, this is the same Pat Browne whose campaign brochure touts reducing the size of government, and sponsored the Taxpayer Transparency Act. Scott Kraus and Matt Assad, of The Morning Call, have reported* that various professional fiscal managers in the surrounding townships, have been caught off-guard by the NIZ wrinkles. Bethlehem's business administrator said, "What? That's crazy....we're not getting money we already included in this year's budget." Upper Milford's manager said "Our bread and butter is that Earned Income Tax. Any amount we lose is significant to us." Pat Browne's reply to the beleaguered administrators: "I'm not sure why anyone is confused. The law is very clear." This blogger has maintained, contrary to the patter coming out of the mouths of Pawlowski and Browne, that every dollar going toward these NIZ projects will have to be made up by the taxpayers, somewhere, somehow. Pat Browne says, "There is naturally going to be some adjustment, But we're talking about rebuilding the urban core of Lehigh County. The benefits to everyone, including the suburban municipalities, are going to be well worth the adjustments we have to go through to get there."

Senator Browne, those benefits remain to be seen. For someone who sponsored The Taxpayer Transparency Act, you sure can move those shells around fast.

*Taxing question:Arena tab extends beyond Allentown/by Scott Kraus and Matt Assad/The Morning Call/January 22, 2012

Misguided Park Priorities

2012-01-22T03:22:00.005-05:00

The plan to turn one lane of both Linden and Turner Streets into bike paths, through center city, casts a spot light on current Park Department thinking. If ever there was an idea that was devoid of reality, and which ignores the welfare of the vast majority of citizens, that may well be it. In addition to affecting the two sides of Allen High School, Central Elementary School would also be adversely impacted. Those familiar with center city know that double parkers already have largely reduced traffic to one lane, never mind the pending Arena traffic. This bike plan is a component of the Trail Network Plan, which has dominated the park agenda for the last several years. It caters exclusively to the cycling enthusiasts, paving the existing paths and connecting the parks with more bike paths. This past fall a group of concerned citizens surveyed the iconic WPA stone Structures within our park system. The cyclists may be peddling too fast to notice the state of disrepair that has overcome these monuments. Last summer, a City Councilman agreed to vote for the Trail Network Plan, with the understanding that a set of stone steps on Jerome Street, at Irving Park, would be fixed. The Park Department then removed the steps; I suppose that's a fix of sorts. One of the stone pillars on the Union Terrace Amphitheater stage is being undermined by the stream. The grand stairwell at Fountain Park has numerous missing steps. While millions of dollars have been sought for the cycling plan, the stone structures are approaching the point of no return. While I wish the cyclists enjoyable use of the parks, the Park Director and Mayor must realize that the young and the old, and other passive users, are also entitled to enjoy the parks. They are entitled to sit a bench and enjoy the view . They are entitled to explore the stone structures with their grandchildren, safely, on maintained steps and walls. These structures defined our park system long before the current Administration. We have too many plans for new venues in this city, while our history is literally crumbling. We don't just need more new ribbons to cut, we also need to maintain those things which made us unique.

The above piece, under a different title, appeared January 21, 2012, on The Morning Call opinion page.

A Park Protester From The Past

2012-01-20T05:00:00.005-05:00

`Green' Curtain Blocks Sledding And The View
January 09, 1992|The Morning Call
To the Editor:
Hold your sleds girls and boys! Others, too, on the alert! With the planting of a dense cluster of 60 evergreen trees and the erection of a "No Sledding" sign, creating a veritable iron curtain, the park and watershed people have once again undertaken their repetitive effort of the past 45 years to eliminate a most popular sledding slope in Lehigh Parkway. The motive -- crass self-interest in defiance of public good. The effect -- an impassable barrier and concealment of a magnificent vista of "one of the finest valleys in Eastern Pennsylvania."
Children and adults from the 400 homes with longtime and easy access to the slope and others arriving in cars have enjoyed sledding here after school and into the night and throughout the day and night on weekends. Yet sledding is but one of the attractions of this enduring slope. In summer children and teachers from Lehigh Parkway Elementary School have enjoyed a walk down the slope and into the park for a break from book and blackboard. Birders, joggers, hikers and others on a leisurely stroll engrossed in their particular interest have found the slope irresistible.
For a host of others, this opening into the park after a long stretch of woods presents a charming vista and urge to descend. Interest is immediately evoked by the sight of a mid-19th century log house (now tenanted by a city employee whose privacy is further enhanced by the closure of the slope) and a historic wagon trail leading past the site of a lime kiln to tillable lands of earlier times.
The view takes in an expanse of meadowlands, now groomed, to the Little Lehigh River and up the western slope to Lehigh Parkway North. Indeed, a pleasant view to be esteemed and preserved for generations to come. It was distressing on New Year's Day to see a family and their guests intent upon a walk down the slope suddenly stop in amazement and shock as the closure became evident.
The cost in dollars through the years of the park peoples' fixation on destroying the Parkway slope must be staggering indeed without dwelling on other deliberate depletions. Typically, the placement of the 1991 "No Sledding" sign employed a team of four men with three vehicles -- a backhoe, a panel truck, and a super cab pickup truck, the latter furnishing radio music.
BERT A. LUCKENBACH
ALLENTOWN The Morning Call, January 9, 1992
reprinted from May 25, 2010

I grew up in the same neighborhood and spent my childhood winters sledding on the same hill. Mr. Luckenbach would also be saddened that the historic Wagon Trail is now also blocked off, near it's exit halfway on the hill. I suppose children, mittens and sledding is too passive a recreation for this Administration's taste.

Scrapping Allentown's History

2012-01-19T03:58:00.009-05:00

The following communication is from a center city homeowner, irate over a recent theft from his property.
The fleecing of our city.
Copper and brass hardware has been disappearing from homes all over the region for a few years now.Gutters, flashing, pipes and wiring are all subject to a new form of recycling.There is a cadre of crack heads and thieves daily casing our streets and alleyways looking for anything of value not tied down and watched. They drive around in old junk trucks and beat up vans searching back yards for booty.This behavior has ratcheted up over the last several months to stealing iron and steel goods.
I have had three cellar window sidewalk grates stolen in the past two months. These grates have been in place for at least the twenty five years I have lived here in Allentown.The grates weigh maybe fifteen pounds each - worth five dollars? BUT more like five hundred dollars to replace.The local salvage yards talk the talk about recovering materials stolen from many properties.
The truth is that these scrap yards are fences.They happily pay for stolen goods.I went to three scrap yards here in town looking for my property.All three yards were totally acquainted with the fact that a new bunch of criminals are stealing metal items and disposing of them for cash at their businesses.One asked for my name, but the other two just feigned concern while rolling their eyes. They all asked if I had reported the theft to the police. I did.The yard that asked for my name allowed me to look at the scrap steel they purchased that day, but the other yards refused to let me look for my property.
This should be a criminal offense called "receiving stolen property".The truth is that the thieves working our streets are not mining a legal claim.The yards buying the scrap crush and dispose of it daily - rendering any stolen property untraceable.
Materials located on any property, private or public, belong to some one.It is illegal to enter onto any property and take anything without asking, or without purchasing said materials.Anyone doing business, especially daily business, with these establishments should be showing proof of ownership for all the goods and materials they intend to sell.
The scrap yards accepting and buying metals are complicit with the robbers.

Over the years I photographed some of the scrap yards and know a few of the owners. They are, for the most part, fairly large businesses, with regular clients. I'm sure occasionally, all of them get snookered into buying something stolen, but I do not believe it's fair to characterize them as fences. I also have known some pickers, who are incredibly hard working, honest men. Recently, someone was arrested for stealing the copper downspouts from at least 73 houses in the west end. When someone steals something from your house it's very unpleasant. If it's an older house, with essentially irreplaceable features, it seems even more crass.

Behind The News, rental inspections

2012-01-18T04:42:00.009-05:00

Devon Lash of The Morning Call reports on the landlords suing Allentown over last year's 600% increase in the rental inspection fee. As a target and scapegoat, landlords have always been low hanging fruit. Here's some background not known to the public and press. When the Administration first approached City Council, I was told that it was their intention to raise the fee to thirty five dollars. Because Council did not blink or question that figure, the Mayor's office then realized that they had a ticket to ride. Without hesitation, Council agreed to more than double the initial figure, to $75.00 per each apartment unit annually. Rental units are on a five year inspection cycle, making the actual fee $375.00 per inspection. Of course, the public wouldn't care if the landlords were charged $750.00 a year, or even $7,500.00.* This stigmatization of landlords has allowed the Administration to even have a Landlord Hall of Shame on it's official website. Could you imagine a page dedicated to another class of property owners? Homeowners of Shame. Taxpayers of Shame. Citizens of Shame.

disclaimer: I'm a landlord, but not part of the lawsuit.

first comment on The Morning Call website about this article, but it won't be the last: where in the constitution does it say that a slum lord in Allentown cant be expected to pay more on his rental property? I guess when RCN raises their fees its unconstitutional, or when PPL raises fees for basic living needs its unconstitutional? 90% Of landlords are scum, drivin by greed, why else would you own 46 places, Greed American greed!

A Giant Among Midgets

2012-01-17T08:01:00.005-05:00

Here's a story you will not read about on any official City of Allentown website. It's a story of private gumption, instead of the usual public subsidy. It's the late 1990's, and I stop in and visit infamous Allentown landlord Joe Clark. He's sitting at a desk in the middle of a large empty storefront at 7th and Turner, surrounded by landlord supplies and building materials. The phone rings and it's Mayor William Heydt. Heydt just learned that Clark purchased the vacant Eastern Light Building on Hamilton Street, and wants to know Clark's intentions. Clark tells him he's going to build the best nightclub Allentown has ever seen. Heydt doesn't offer any help, but tells him that he'll be under close scrutiny. Clark does go on to build the club, without a nickel of help from Allentown. Years later, when the BrewWorks would open with unlimited city subsidy, a public parking lot on 8th Street was given exclusively to the BrewWorks. A few weeks ago Clark asked if he could rent the Parking Authority lot behind the nightclub; Request Denied. This week, based on ticket sales, Crocodile Rock was rated the 60th most successful nightclub in the world for 2011. The midgets at City Hall pay for consultants, when there's a genius half a block away.

Whine and Cheese

2012-01-16T04:26:00.011-05:00

Decades ago I could be found at an Allentown Art Museum opening. As the years passed and I became more cynical, I started referring to those events as Whine and Cheese. Now of course, I call those people yuppies, and have long since been removed from their mailing lists. In the last several months my regard for them, and the Old Allentown Preservation Association, has grown even lower. Both groups sat silently by, while the architectural and historical gems of Allentown were destroyed. Allentown only had a few significant facades. I captured the above image this summer. We need not speculate if the new arena will last 80 years, or if people in the year 3000 will consider it's architecture significant; It will be long gone.

destruction image from the Rebellious Evil Brothers Film

The Butchers of Allentown

2012-01-15T05:50:00.001-05:00

photograph by Bob Wilt
A&B (Abogast&Bastian), dominated the local meat packing industry for almost 100 years. At it's peak, they employed 700 people and could process 4,000 hogs a day. The huge plant was at the foot of Hamilton Street, at the Lehigh River. All that remains is their free standing office building, which has been incorporated into America on Wheels. Front and Hamilton was Allentown's meatpacking district. Within one block, two national Chicago meatpackers, Swift and Wilson, had distribution centers. Also in the area were several small independents, among them M. Feder and Allentown Meat Packing Company.

reprinted from January 17, 2011

The Longest 90 miles

2012-01-13T04:45:00.008-05:00

I think that one of the longest 90 miles stretches in United States has to be between New York City and Allentown. Although only two hours away, it's a different world. In Manhattan, a one bedroom apartment rents for $3200, in center city Allentown, $650. In Manhattan there are a million office workers earning in excess of $100,000. In Allentown, they couldn't fill the BrewPub. In Manhattan, it costs $750,000 to buy a small one bedroom condominium. With this frame of mind, many New York investors came to Allentown and purchased apartment buildings. They thought because they were paying less than the price of their Beamer, for each apartment, how could they lose? They gave the tenants self addressed envelopes and told them to send the rent. They learned how they could lose, and many of those buildings are now for sale or empty. This brings to mind an urban minded blogger writing about the Lehigh Valley. He wants all of us to move into center city and take public transportation. He wants the city government to insist on tall buildings and high density. He has the New York City frame of mind. Blogger Jon Geeting is heartened by the current NIZ development. As one developer candidly admitted, it's only possible with your tax dollars. Only when Allentown begins being developed with private money, as in New York City, will it be meaningful.

Ironpigpen Uncensored

2012-01-13T04:02:00.007-05:00

In addition to his site on World Soccer, Rolf Oeler also produces a blog on World Hockey. Here at molovinsky on allentown he has received penalties for unnecessary rough play, but at his own site, he's the referee. Here's his take on Pawlowski's Palace of Sport.

Alan Jennings:The epitome of Self-Righteousness

2012-01-12T12:30:00.012-05:00

Alan Jennings, like all the self-righteous, feels he's entitled to adapt truth for his purposes, which are greater than ours. Karen Beck Pooley wrote a letter to the editor, praising the zoning decision against Rite-Aid's suburban store design for 7th Street. She noted that although the Administration and The Community Action Committee supported Rite-Aid, the zoners rejected the request for a variance. Jennings has responded on his blog with a rather far fetched defense of his position, and a distortion of Ms. Pooley's points. Jennings chides Pooley for not appreciating the accomplishments of the 7th Street Main Street Program, operated by one his divisions. On the contrary, Pooley actually praised the program's success, and wants Rite-Aid to fit in with all the other facade accomplishments. Jenning's distortion of Pooley's position is only the beginning of his fabrication. He ties the approval of Rite-Aid not only to thousands of jobs, but the actual "Salvation" of Allentown. I seriously doubt if more than a couple dozen people will work at the arena. The arena project is totally separate from other projects in the NIZ, such as the J.B. Reilly office building. Jennings cannot tolerate anything short of praise. He and his organization has been immune from criticism because of political correctness. When you work professedly to reduce poverty and with other sacred cows, I suppose it's easy to become sanctimonious.

Allentown Planning Puppies

2012-01-12T05:25:00.005-05:00

The Allentown Planning Commission Puppies yelped and practiced growling, about being asked to approve the arena, after work had begun. But, like good paper trained puppies, they voted yes.* They received puppy treats for their yes vote, just like Allentown City Council. You would think that these appointed and elected officials, especially after having their authority usurped on the biggest project in Allentown's history, might symbolically register a protest no vote. Show me someone on a lot of boards and commissions, and I'll show you a yes man. That's why the directors and executives appoint them.

*The Morning Call/Jan.10/Devon Lash

Dr. Lee County

2012-01-11T03:45:00.004-05:00

With Lehigh County moving forward with a possible health agency, I hope they remember the Hippocratic oath to do no harm. As a baby boomer I have been concerned with reports of fluoride contributing to brittle bones. It's my understanding that fluoride only helps the teeth of young children, and can be effectively applied topically, and enhanced through toothpaste and mouth wash. The current director of the Allentown Health Bureau can foresee dental programs as a component of a regional department, perhaps that would be a more appropriate venue to provide fluoridation to children. Although my demographic might benefit from valium or viagra in the water supply, I think pure water should be the regional goal.

reprinted from Dec. 13, 2007

UPDATE: The Bi-County Health Bureau remains a concept, and the fluoride proponents still rule.

The Transformation of Allentown

2012-01-10T03:26:00.004-05:00

Transformational is Ed Pawlowski's word for the change taking place in Allentown. What's happening at the moment is demolition. There is an odor and dust in the air. One merchant told me he's fearful for his health walking around; Is the white soot asbestos? Thirty five, one hundred year old buildings, do that. I recall when the demolished rows of buildings were jewelers, shoe stores, opticians and tailors. None of the stores, even the ones on Hamilton Street, harked back to that era. The demolished stores apparently catered to a disposable clientele, whose votes matter more than their opinion. Those merchants, in vain, actually had gathered thousands of signatures pleading for their survival. The bulldozers, in one week, have established that Hamilton Street will never again aspire to be a shopping district. The only question now is will Allentown succeed as an entertainment and office venue? Will the taxpayers be able and willing to support a vision in which they had no input? The official answer will take years to determine. The true answer, even longer.

Allentown Becomes Reillytown

2012-01-09T03:30:00.012-05:00

molovinsky on allentown exclusive*
Just as William Penn gave this town to William Allen two hundred and fifty years ago, Pat Brown, Jennifer Mann and Ed Pawlowski have now given the town to J.B. Reilly. Actually, Reilly's getting a better deal than Allen, because the existing taxpayers will underwrite all his new acquisitions. This blogger has learned that with three exceptions, Reilly has purchased the square block across from the arena; that would be from 7th to 8th, and Hamilton to Walnut. The exceptions are the LCCC Portland Place building, and two adjoining store fronts. All other properties are either under an agreement of sale, or have one pending. One of the sellers claim that they were initially approached by a strawbuyer, who used language of eminent domain, similar to the tactics employed on the arena side. Although the offers appear fair to generous, several of the sellers supposedly felt they had little to no option. Although I initially thought that the threat of domain was an idle threat, perhaps it is possible. City Council really doesn't know what authority they gave the City and it's agents, when they signed that dotted line. One council member hoped it wouldn't result in just some rich white guys getting richer; Guess what? Just as the general public was not aware that the NIZ taxing mechanism could be used by approved private parties, few people understand that property taxes will be used if the earned income and sales tax fall short. In addition to the block outlined above, Reilly's City Center Investment Corp., funded by an initial $20million from the City Authority, and a yet disclosed second amount, is buying up both sides of Hamilton, from 5th to 10th Street. Additionally, he is purchasing the property north of Linden Street, to Turner Street. Several displaced former merchants who owned property on Hamilton, will now be tenants in Reilly buildings.

City Center Investment Corp. is a visionary real estate development and management company....We look forward to welcoming many tenants to live, work and play in what will be an inviting, accessible urban community.

Considering that Reilly hasn't been given the keys to the city, but rather the city itself, let us hope he succeeds.

*When The Morning Call reads this post, and produces their own longer version, with charts and maps, will they give this blog appropriate credit?

Allentown Soccer History

2012-01-07T16:41:00.005-05:00

Guest Post by Rolf Oeler

America has long been famously known as the Land of Opportunity for those born both here as well as abroad. And so, once upon a time in a blue collar, industrial city called Bethlehem, a local Hungarian immigrant businessman named WILLIE EHRLICH dared to pursue his own particular vision of American Exceptionalism. A feat many of his contemporary countrymen would have been inclined to believe impossible — to capture a championship in professional soccer using a good supply of homegrown players from right here in the Lehigh Valley.

The upstart PENNSYLVANIA STONERS — employing a trio of products from the local high schools of Freedom and Liberty in Bethlehem as well as Louis E. Dieruff in Allentown — spectacularly made Ehrlich’s dream a reality in just two years’ time when the club captured the American Soccer League title in 1980.
Professional soccer’s popularity in the United States had already peaked by the time the Pennsylvania Stoners contested their first league match and Ehrlich, who was named the A.S.L. Coach of the Year twice, would incur financial losses of almost a million dollars in only three short seasons. But the logo of ALPO, a local dog food manufacturer, delightfully decorated the team’s jerseys while a memorable bumper sticker — “Fifteen Games On One Tank Of Gas” — colorfully adorned the backs of many cars in the area to celebrate the shoe-string budget. And the team was triumphant on the pitch most of the time, as well; in short, it was a whole lot of fun while it lasted.
There can be no question that Ehrlich’s long-gone creation left a lasting legacy which exists to this very day in the Lehigh Valley by fostering an affinity and appreciation for The Beautiful Game to an entire generation of fans in the region — including a certain, unnamed 11-year-old kid who would later play his high school soccer in the very same stadium where the Pennsylvania Stoners used to perform and then, many moons on down the line, get his hands on a blog.
The memories are quite numerous and include a special, rain-soaked evening in April of 1980 on which a franchise record 8,300 people braved the elements at the since-remodeled as well as renamed Allentown School District Stadium (which had a capacity for 20,000 at that time) in the West End to witness the city’s own Polish cannon, ROMAN URBANCZUK, fire the game-winning goal in double overtime as the Pennsylvania Stoners dispatched the visiting Miami Americans 1-0 to open the A.S.L. title-winning campaign. The 21-year-old native of eastern Europe had been honored as a high school All-American at Dieruff on the East Side of town before signing his first pro contract to play the 1978/79 season with the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Urbanczuk, who also appeared with the Philadelphia Fever in the old M.I.S.L. during his playing days, would become the one and only player to play every season with the Pennsylvania Stoners during their four-year stay in the since-departed American Soccer League.
Urbanczuk went on later that season to score the only goal of the game at ASD Stadium when the eventual A.S.L. champion shutout the incoming Golden Gate Gales in early August, but that would be another Stoners Story for some other day …
Guest Post by Rolf Oeler

Lehigh County's Toilet

2012-01-06T05:40:00.008-05:00

Allentown park system, and especially Lehigh Parkway, is becoming Lehigh County's toilet. It's where the waste ends up, and occasionally overflows. The new water line to the suburbs is currently being laid through Cedar Park, shown above, but the waste comes back through Lehigh Parkway, right along the stream. Although the County has been under federal mandate to upgrade the waste system, we continue to sell more water. Yesterday's Morning Call article concentrated on the jobs that Ocean Spray will supposedly bring to the western edge of the Valley, but failed to mention why Ocean Spray is moving. They have decided to move, rather than update their factory to current New Jersey standards for pollution. Apparently, making cranberry juice involves a nasty discharge. Our elected leaders can never wait to cut a new ribbon, regardless of it's true cost.

News Behind The News

2012-01-05T03:59:00.009-05:00

This morning, molovinsky on allentown begins a new feature entitled, News Behind The News. Every morning, The Morning Call has my head moving side to side. First, as I retrieve my late arriving paper, then, as I read the articles which contain no knowledge about the subject's past. I believe that these shortcomings result from their two types of reporters; One is young with no institutional memory of Allentown. The other, older, has turned into a nine to fiver, who can't wait to get out of Dodge every afternoon. News Behind The News will provide few links to the paper's archives, those clicks are no longer free. When possible, a click will be provided to molovinsky on allentown archives. The feature will be in tabloid fashion, large photo, small copy.

Yesterday's Morning Call article, on the demolition starting, showed the storage facility on Linden Street. This building had an interesting past. Up till about 1990 it was Cata Garment, a successful textile factory and large inter-city employer. When the factory closed, the owner turned the building into condominium format, hoping to sell different sections as potential loft apartments. That plan never succeeded, and Atiyeh purchased the building for pennies on the dollar from his estate. City Council granted the building KOZ status in 2004, taking it off the tax rolls, but making it marketable for Atiyeh. Across the street, the parking lot is another interesting story. A couple years ago, Ed Pawlowski and The Parking Authority wanted to sell it to the then flavor of the week, Nic Zawarski. The only opposition to the sale was this blogger, molovinsky on allentown. Although the Authority approved the sale, Nic never followed through on his purchase option. The lot is now touted as part of the ample parking plan for the arena.

Arena's First Injury

2012-01-04T03:31:00.008-05:00

Although Allentown is more than a year away from it's first hockey game, we already have an injury. The Morning Call's Devon Lash reports that earned income tax revenue , despite a higher rate last year, has not met the projections for 2011. Starting this year, all new earned income tax from the NIZ zone, up to 130 acres, will be diverted to pay debt service for both the arena and certain kingmakers, Butz and Reilly. Now, factor in the lost tax from the former businesses in that square block, and we can see another increase just to stay even. The collection of the earned income tax is complicated. I suspect that with the changing rules between where one lives and works, the cost of record keeping and collection might approach the revenue produced. Small businesses are already overwhelmed by the paperwork. Many have taken to out source payroll, even for only a few employees. Let not a few taxpayer teeth or dollars get in the way of ribbon cuttings.

Breaking Some Eggs

2012-01-03T10:28:00.011-05:00

I'm afraid that once again some eggs got dropped in the 2011 recipe for molovinsky on allentown. Don't blame this chef if the politicians and newspaper don't always deal from the top of the deck, and I take notice. This blog realized early on that Zahorchak's Pathway to Success was anything but, and apparently responded appropriately, considering his departure before school ended. Along the way, The Morning Call helped itself to one of my reports, and defended the snatch. Those dropped eggs are a mess. Speaking of eggs, one of my favorite posts of the year was titled Boxing Eggs. In that post, I recall working in my father's market, and the ride there. Such posts allow me to introduce Allentown history, and share photographs of that by-gone era. I also promote 95 year old boxers, who fought in the 1930's. Occasionally. I get to combine history and current political mistakes, such as in Saving the Queen City. I also stretch the recipe to advocate, be it for the abused former merchants of Hamilton Street, or the neglected WPA park structures. The comment section of molovinsky on allentown is moderated. I reject repetitive and off topic submissions. Your readership, as always, is greatly appreciated.

King Levinsky

2012-01-03T04:06:00.004-05:00

In 1964, a young Cassius Clay trained in south Miami Beach for his first fight against Sonny Liston. At that time, this section of the city was home to mostly retired Jews on fixed income. The hotels, decades after their prime, became pension rooming houses. Decades later, these same buildings would be restored to their art deco splendor, creating today's South Beach. As Clay trained, a middle aged punch drunk necktie peddler told him, "After Liston punches your head, you'll be selling ties with me." The street peddler was a fixture in Miami Beach. He didn't ask, he told people they were going to buy a tie. The future champ probably didn't realize that the heckler was none other than King Levinsky, legend of the 1930's, and veteran of over 118 heavyweight fights. Levinsky was born Harris Krakow in Chicago, and worked at his parent's fish market on Maxwell Street, the Jewish section during the roaring twenties. Although he never got a title shot, and weighed only 185, he fought all the leading heavyweights of his time, including the 265lb. giant, Primo Carnera. Managed by his sister Lena, he was known never to turn down a fight, including those against Max Baer.
copy reprinted from Jan. 23, 2010
photo shows Levinsky with sister/manager Lena in 1932

Down The Rabbit Hole

2012-01-01T07:02:00.003-05:00

The unfortunate sinkhole on N. 10th Street has spawned the usual debate , which came first, the sinkhole or the water main break? We who have been around for a long time pretty much know that it's the water main break. In addition to holes, the breaks most likely caused some tragic gas explosions. This conclusion is based on the fact that there is almost always a water main break associated with the holes, and the rate of occurrences have been increasing as the pipes age. Even the famous Corporate Plaza implosion was probably caused by a water main break. Understand that for liability reasons, the City never admits that a water leak created a sinkhole. This post is not about that debate, but rather to question our priorities. It is acknowledged that the city has miles of pipe in excess of 100 years old. In spite of an infrastructure causing periodic tragedy, we are building a $158 million dollar arena, which is only phase 1 of more ambitious plans. Down the rabbit hole is an expression which means entering a state of confusion. By ignoring our infrastructure and the myriad of other quality of life issues, we are going down the hole.

Allentown Arena Pain

2011-12-30T03:44:00.013-05:00

Sometimes it's apparent from the start that something isn't a good plan, and the Arena is one of them. The lease terms, coaxed from the City by a Morning Call right to know order*, indicate that the Arena was oversold, to both the City Council and the taxpayers. This past fall, Mayor Pawlowski told Council that the venue would attract 1.5 million people and be open almost every night of the year. The cost was estimated to be $80-$100 million. The new figures, printed in The Morning Call, disclose a much different reality. The arena will cost $158 million, almost double the first projection. It will attract 400,000 people, less than a third promised. It will be open only 120 nights a year, almost guaranteeing failure. Considering that there are 40 home hockey games, that means the facility hopes to hold 80 other events a year, attracting about 200,000 people. The lease terms reveal that although the cream off the top will go the tenant, The Brooks Company, the taxpayers will finance this white elephant. Already the merchants on the south side of Hamilton Street have learned that when there's no people across the street, their business plummeted. Their predicament will only worsen. Arena supporters call this blog negativity. They place their bets on the NIZ producing spinoff enterprise. They suffer from institutional amnesia. Fifteen years ago Allentown had two new buildings at 7th and Hamilton, neither of which attracted tenants. One fell into a sinkhole, the other is now County owned. Since Allentown real estate taxes can be used to support any shortcoming in this public/private project, it's truly a yoke around the taxpayer's shoulders.
* court order and new figures by Scott Kraus
diagnosis of taxpayer pain by Dr. molovinsky

South Allentown's Sorrow

2011-12-29T05:05:00.004-05:00

When I was a little boy, and before the 15th Street Bridge was built, Schreibers Bridge was already over 100 years old. It was one of the few ways that South Allentown connected with the remainder of the city. Through neglect by the City, the burden once again falls on the old bridge. Ironically, Schreibers itself is scheduled for repairs and under weight restriction. Now, because of the north bound closure of the 15th St. Bridge, there is almost a constant line of cars waiting to drive over this historical structure, built in 1828. When the 15th St. Bridge is completely closed and being replaced, the burden on Schreibers will double. The metal 15th Street Bridge deteriorated for lack of simple painting. As residents noticed the top railings turn from green to pure rust, the same erosion was occurring on the structural beams below. Although the City finally painted the top railings and placed City Without Limits banners on the light-posts, the bridge was lost. As this and previous Administrations pursued a ribbon cutting Arena, our infrastructure and public safety was sacrificed. Soon, even our history will be gone.

Allentown 1950

2011-12-28T05:25:00.005-05:00

Sixty years ago downtown Allentown hummed. It was fueled by the vision of people who developed empires, not cookie cutter ideas from the National Magazines for Bureaucrats, like the arena. Shown here is the Transit Office and depot at the side of 8th and Hamilton. General Trexler had been a principle in the Trolley Company, which also built the 8th Street Bridge, to connect Allentown with points south, all the way to Philadelphia. In addition to being the terminal for the Philadelphia bound Liberty Bell, it also fed the merchants of Allentown with thousands of shoppers from its many Allentown routes. The shoppers now sit on the cold steel benches at the Lanta Detention Center on 7th Street, as the non-visionaries prepare to demolish the center of town, to build a monstrosity.

The light and shadows reveal that this is an early morning photo. In a few hours 8th and Hamilton (behind the trolley) would be clogged with shoppers

The Allentown Arena and Crime

2011-12-27T02:47:00.005-05:00

The recent spate of violence in Allentown begs the question, how will crime effect the success of the Arena project? The damaging factor is the perception of crime, which has it's own lingering consequences. The hockey games will succeed, but the spinoff business will never materialize. The fans will scurry back to their inconvenient parking places, and clog N. 8th street as they flee the city for the safety of Catasauqua. Although the BrewPub may pick up a few customers, Sangria and other high end places will wither. Anybody foolish enough to open an upscale shop will be hard pressed to honor their lease. Speaking of crime, when The Morning Call steals this topic, they will expand it into a 3,000 word article. Despite the photographs, charts and graphs they will add, plus a quote or two from college professors, the answer will remain the same. Although this post is meant as an opportunity for readers to address the crime question, I will host no comments on any specific crime. They are tragedies, which leave grieving families.

A Jewish Christmas Card

2011-12-26T05:25:00.002-05:00

Most Jews experience some conflict during the Christmas Season. This is essentially a Christian nation, and to totally ignore that reality could be perceived as rude. Although Abe Simon proudly wore the Star of David on his boxing trunks in NYC, he also sent out Christmas cards to his non-Jewish associates. Simon, in 1942, was the last Jew to fight for the Heavyweight Championship of the World.

reprinted from December, 2009

Santa and Lanta

2011-12-25T06:04:00.004-05:00

In 1962, you could visit Santa at the Fairview Bus Yard, off Lehigh Street in Allentown. During the holiday season he could also be seen riding on the various bus routes. molovinsky on allentown wishes you a joyous holiday.

Capernaum By The Sea

2011-12-24T17:01:00.002-05:00

Matthew 4:13: And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum,...

Capernaum, the city of Jesus, is on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The foundation of the Synagogue of Jesus, is beneath the ornate 4th century synagogue, partially restored by the Franciscans in the early 1900's.

Mark 1:21: he entered into the synagogue and taught

Nearby, the modern Church of St. Peter's House was built by the Franciscans in 1990. It's glass floor reveals the lower walls of the 5th century octagon church, which was built around the walls of St. Peter's House. Also there, shown in the photograph, is the Greek Orthodox Church of the Twelve Apostles. It was built in 1931, during the British Mandate period (1917-1948).

reprinted from November, 2010

Christmas Lights, Musikfest Food and Traitors

2011-12-23T04:04:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Bill White and The Morning Call for Bill having written on something different. The paper celebrated Bill's new topic, the first in fifteen years, by placing his column on the front page with a different color background. White said it was exhausting, and is looking forward to a prolonged vocation, during which time repeats of rehashed columns will appear. His new theme, Traitors, deals with local representatives who voted for the redistricting. Never mind the vote was 136 to 61, and their votes didn't matter anyway. Bill promises us that he will revisit this topic every election, and for us captured readers, that's a good thing; It will force him to know at least who is running for office.

The Morning Call Tag Team

2011-12-22T04:35:00.005-05:00

If Allentown City Hall was interested in saving the taxpayers money, they could lay off the City Spokesman. He can do no better job promoting the Arena and it's financing scheme, the NIZ, than The Morning Call reporters, Matt Assad and Scott Kraus. Assad and Kraus, separately and as a team, have been promoting the project since the first article. Today's edition, by Assad, working the ring alone, once again reads like a public relations release. Between the lines, we learn that J.B. Reilly will be asking the Arena Authority to increase his $20million dollar loan, so that he can build his office center sooner. As recently as yesterday, Pawlowski had said that it would be built along with the arena and open by 2013. Another reporter might wonder why he's back to the well already. Another reporter might mention that the fence has taken up half the existing parking spaces in the area. Instead, for balance, they once again use the line, Like chairs on the Titanic, referring to businesses just moving here from somewhere else in the valley. The tag team has used that line no less than six times already. Although even mild skepticism would question whether thousands of jobs will really materialize, center city is being torn down with no scrutiny from the press.

Hanukkah At 7th & Hamilton

2011-12-20T19:44:00.003-05:00

As the Allentown Fire Truck lifted Mayor Pawlowski and Rabbi Halperin up to light the oversized Hanukkah Menorah, the ritual was being repeated in 1,000 cities. Although Jews have always lit a small menorah in the privacy of their homes, community menorahs are the handiwork of a relatively small Jewish group. The Chabad Lubavitch Hasidic Dynasty started 250 years ago, in Russia and eastern Europe. Their last Rebbe*, Menachen M. Schneerson, transformed the sect into an outreach mission to Jews everywhere. The Rebbe, their 7th leader, passed away in 1994. Rabbi Halperin is one of 4,000 emissaries he sent throughout the world.
* A Rebbe is a rabbi and leader held in exalted esteem

Urban Safari

2011-12-20T03:26:00.004-05:00

Exclusive to molovinsky on allentown; this blogger has learned that along with the golf course concession, the Allentown BrewWorks has received the first franchise to conduct urban safari's in Allentown. The evening excursions will begin and end from the safety of the municipal golf course parking lot, in the deep west end. Although still in the planning stages, sites on the tour will include 9th and Chew, gunfire epicenter of the new Allentown, and a drive-by of Trinkles Cafe. Within the safety of the armored Hummer, guests will visit an actual forensic site, and watch police officers search for shell casings. The guides will tastefully point out probable ladies of the night and merchants of recreational pharmaceuticals. The tour will include stopping in front of the home of an urban pioneer, where actual members of OAPA will wave from behind their windows. With special permission from Lanta, the excursion will drive through the bus yard, showing real passengers waiting on cold steel benches, eating stale donuts. For a VIP tour, actually driven by Mayor Pawlowski himself, contact the special events coordinator at Allentown City Hall or the Allentown BrewWorks. Scott Kraus and Matt Assad of The Morning Call did not contribute to this story.

reprinted from December 28, 2008, updated with the names of the current MC reporters.

Iannelli's Chamber of Compromise

2011-12-19T01:47:00.005-05:00

Say whatever you want about the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, but it has nothing to do with businesses in the Three Cities. It is simply a cult of personality; Tony Iannelli, and an occasional social organization for suburban corporations. Perhaps nothing illustrates my point as much as the Vision Meetings held on Hamilton Mall a couple years ago. At the time this blog scoffed, and wrote that Pawlowski could care less about any vision the merchants had. Years ago, when the former director of the Parking Authority misled City Council that the merchants wanted the meter rates to double, Iannelli sent someone to verify the deception. Several years ago when the Hamilton merchants lamented the loss of bus stops, Iannelli couldn't be concerned. Now, as 34 businesses are discarded for the Transformation, Iannelli, sitting in his office in the Butz Building, cannot hear their screams. Pawlowski has just appointed Tony Co-Chair for Allentown's 250th Birthday Celebration; Complicity has it's reward.

The Historical Hypocrisy of Jennings

2011-12-18T04:35:00.010-05:00

From The Archives
Tomorrow as the merchants in the 700 block of Hamilton Street struggle for another day under the new handicap inflicted upon them, the movers and shakers of the Lehigh Valley will gather at the Brewpub to honor Alan Jennings and The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley. Air Products and Chemicals is sponsoring the luncheon, which will include testimonials on the wide spectrum of CACLV, including The Community Action Development Corp. of Allentown, 443 N 7th St., which endeavors to assist start-up business from low-income and minority populations. I invite Mr. Jennings and the Air Product executives to attend a meeting at 7:00pm thursday evening at Faith Baptist Church, 219 N. 12th St., to honor small business owners, from mostly an minority population, who want or need nothing more than a bus stop.
reproduced from Oct. 16, 2007

UPDATE Dec. 18, 2011. Mr. Jennings never attended the meetings I conducted at Faith Baptist on the Lanta issue, nor did The Morning Call cover the meetings. The bus stop removal has become a moot point, because recently, the merchants themselves were removed. Although Mr. Jennings has since received $millions in grants to aid small business owners, he never did defend the small merchants of Hamilton Street against Lanta or the Arena.

The Dinosaurs of Sumner Avenue

2011-12-16T03:09:00.004-05:00

Up to the early 1950's, Allentown was heated by coal, and much of it came from Sumner Avenue. Sumner was a unique street, because it was served by the West End Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The spur route ran along Sumner, until it crossed Tilghman at 17th Street, and then looped back East along Liberty Street, ending at 12th. Coal trucks would elevate up, and the coal would be pushed down chutes into the basement coal bins, usually under the front porches of the row houses. Several times a day coal would need to be shoveled into the boiler or furnace. By the early 1970's, although most of the coal yards were closed for over a decade, the machines of that industry still stood on Sumner Avenue. Eventually, they took a short trip to one of the scrap yards which are still on the avenue, but not before I photographed them.

photocredit: molovinsky

The Capitulation of Alan Jennings

2011-12-15T03:10:00.011-05:00

Believe it or not, I haven't always been the statesman I am today. Years ago, this post would have probably been titled The Hypocrisy of a Poverty Pimp. Anyway, putting aside my growing diplomacy, Rite Aid had a surprising ally at the zoning hearing Monday evening. According to The Morning Call's Devon Lash, Alan Jennings, executive director of The community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, spoke on behalf of Rite Aid's plan; "... (it) will transform a blighted building...bringing jobs downtown, especially with the clock ticking down to demolition for the arena.. There's too much at stake downtown."
Bear in mind this is the same Alan Jennings who turns people into small business owners. He doesn't teach them to fish, he buys them a fish market. He brags that those gifted by his start up business division have a 97% success rate. He even has a division office at 7th and Liberty. Although Jenning's supported Rite Aid (and the Arena) moving forward, this supposed advocate for small business was nowhere to be seen when the former Hamilton Street merchants pleaded to City Council. Where was Alan? Alan was placing his bets. He knows from where the butter on his bread cometh. It doesn't come from the small displaced merchants of Hamilton Street, but from grants distributed by Pawlowski and gifts from large corporations which back his vision for Allentown. So while 34 merchants, who never received a grant or startup from the likes of Jennings, were displaced, their and our tax dollars will be dispensed by Jennings, to make startup Successes, from those who don't have the gumption to do it on their own. How's my diplomacy coming?

The Morning Call Peeps

2011-12-14T03:07:00.006-05:00

Encouraged by the local page editor, Mike Miorelli, The Morning Call reporters continue to lift articles from the blogosphere, and not credit the blogger. The paper's website is featuring the video of the Dieruff High taser incident, as originally reported by Bernie O'Hare on Ramblings. Manny Gomiz says that the paper obtained the video. Actually, they got the story and video from O'Hare, who had obtained it through proper police surveillance channels. Bernie is not upset about the use of his intellectual property, but I'm offended. When material was lifted from my blog last year without proper attribution, Bill White defended the paper's practice. Last fall I inadvertently received an inter-office Morning Call email which described me as "disdainful", I suppose this post will not alter that perception.
UPDATE: NBC Philadelphia has picked up the story. Although they (erroneously) cite The Morning Call with the story, they credit the video to Lehigh Valley Ramblings (Bernie O'Hare)

Allentown's Transformation Myth

2011-12-13T03:47:00.007-05:00

Like the midget on Fantasy Island saying De Plane, De Plane, Pawlowski keeps saying The Plan, The Plan. He even calls The Plan transformational. It's time to inject some reality into this myth. Although a local developer has been buying buildings, he is doing so with a $20million loan from ACIDA, which he can repay using taxes from those buildings. So far, despite projections of thousands of jobs and hundreds of new apartments, one company with one hundred jobs will occupy a slightly remodeled building. As one knowledgeable about the apartment business, let us hope those new apartments never come to be. The City of
Reading, with the same shift in demographics in the last decade, has just been declared the Poorest City in America. This designation occurred despite the Sovereign Event Center, which failed to halt that city's deterioration. Here in Allentown, a local auctioneer is offering one of the new 3 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom townhouses at 8th and Walnut Street starting at $65,000. Just a few years ago those new townhouses, built with subsidies and KOZ, were hyped by Pawlowski to be transformational.

The plane arrives

No Ageism in Allentown

2011-12-12T00:51:00.004-05:00

If Allentown's new freshman City Councilman looks long in the tooth in this Morning Call file photo, you should know that the picture is from his previous campaign, in 1995. Frank Concannon will turn 89 this February. Although he didn't campaign for his victory last month, he has been chewing his food and moving his bowels mostly on his own. Either Allentown is completely free of ageism, or we no longer have a two party system. At least one new member will be appointed by Pawlowski in early 2012, as D'Amore assumes his Magistrate position. The taxpayers will save election costs and time by Pawlowski appointing his Council members.

Morning Call Filler Article

2011-12-11T03:39:00.003-05:00

The Morning Call has written some pretty good articles on the Arena, but not today. In today's article, by Matt Assad and Scott Kraus, they are like baby birds who ate regurgitated worms from mother Pawlowski. The article is the straight Transformation presentation put together by a professional public relations company, and repacked today as a news article. It includes the whole show; New offices, stores and apartments, changing Allentown into a successful Pleasantville. Back in 2005, Pawlowski was selling, what was a baby step compared to this, the Weed and Seed Program. I asked him if he really believed that Weed and Seed would change Allentown. He avoided the straight question, but said "At least it's a strategy." Pawlowski has graduated in the use of public funds. He is enabled by baby birds; In City Council and The Morning Call.

Lowdown on Butzville

2011-12-09T04:38:00.010-05:00

The Morning Call has a story on the Butz building expansion, and the financing to be used. Blogger Bernie O'Hare published an excellent commentary on the behind the scenes. Being an early morning edition, with an office under the streets of Allentown, I can fill in the missing pieces. Bernie muses on the financial cocktail of Butz using both a RACP grant and a NIZ loan. Funny he should say that, because the Sangria Restaurant, in Butz's building, has a cocktail called Your Money; I'll provide the ingredients later. Bernie also wonders how private developers will be able to compete with Butz and his subsidizes? Actually, Butz can't even compete with himself. All his existing tenants are taxpayer subsidized. The large space now occupied by Sangria stood vacate for years. Although the Building was subsidized by KOZ, Butz received a grant of nearly half a $million to outfit the space for Sangria, so that they could move in with no set up cost. The first contrived tenant was the Lehigh Valley Tourist Bureau. Come to 9th and Hamilton and see what? Park where? The second tenant was professional glad hand Tony Iannelli, and his Chamber of Horrors. In fairness to Butz, he did want to originally build from 9th Street to the alley, but the Alliance would not sell at that time.
UPDATE: IN FURTHER FAIRNESS TO BUTZ his existing office building replaced two boarded up buildings, that had little to no prospect for reuse. The existing building was a huge plus for Allentown, and one of the better results of the KOZ legislation. It appears to this blogger that the new Butz addition project is more NIZ loan worthy than the blanket loan given to Reilly.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Unfit for Habitation

2011-12-08T04:22:00.007-05:00

A well kept property with a few Christmas decorations doesn't fool Allentown Code Enforcement. Even the Santa flag couldn't keep the orange Unfit for Human Habitation Notice away. This property, although not on the Bill White Christmas Light Tour, caught the attention of our staff photographer.

all photographs on this blog will enlarge when clicked

USS Arizona

2011-12-07T04:07:00.006-05:00

Built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Commissioned in 1916

Modernized in 1929-31 at the Norfolk Navy Yard

Bombed and Sunk on December 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor, with the loss of over 1100 crewmen

The Greatest Generation

2011-12-07T02:10:00.000-05:00

Armed Forces in WW2 were dependent upon the construction speed and skills of the Navy Seabees to move their efforts forward. In December of 1942, the 35th U.S. Naval Construction Battalion embarked for the South Pacific. They would divide into two teams and build airstrips on Espiritu in the New Hebrides and on Banika in the Russell Islands.

After a rehabilitation leave in New Zealand, the battalion returned to Banika before being reassigned to Manus in the Admiralty Islands. They would arrive on Manus shortly after it's capture from the Japanese, and build ammunition dumps, warehouses and The Naval Headquarters. After 24 months in the South Pacific war zone, they would return to San Francisco on Thanksgiving 1944 for leave.

reprinted from May, 2010

Jerusalem

2011-12-06T03:10:00.001-05:00

In the city of awe-inspiring sites, the most imposing is The Dome of the Rock. The Dome covers the Rock from which Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven to receive a message from Allah. The Jews believe the rock is the Foundation Stone, from which the world was created. On it, Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Isaac and the Ark of the Covenant stood when the Temple occupied the Mount. The Mount and Temple was enlarged by Herod, during the lifetime of Jesus.

Jews pray at the retaining wall, The Western Wall, which survived the Temple's destruction by the Romans in 70 A.D. The bottom four rows of stones date from Herod, below current street level, there are 17 more layers.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is west of the Temple Mount. The first church was built on the site in the 4th century. Christians believe the church encompasses both the sites; where Jesus was crucified, and also buried and rose from the dead.
reprinted from April, 2010

The Misconception of Hamilton Street

2011-12-05T03:42:00.006-05:00

There's not many mid size cities that can boast having two national chain stores within one center city block, Allentown could. Not too many cities could say that one of those stores was one of the biggest producers in a chain of over 7000 stores, Allentown could. There's not many cities that are ignorant enough to tear down their most successful block, a virtual tax machine, Allentown is. This horrible mistake took a combination of political arrogance and public misconception. The arrogance is well known, so let me concentrate on the misconception. The perception was a few undesirable people, buying cheap things. The reality is Family Dollar sells the same merchandize in their suburban and rural stores. Rite Aid fills the same prescriptions and sells their standard merchandize. The new upscale stores, visioned for the arena front, will never produce the sales tax produced by Family Dollar and Rite Aid. The arena will never have that amount of employees, nor produce that much earned income.* The traffic congestion and lack of parking for arena events will destroy the new restaurants. Welcome to the white elephant, welcome to the ghost town.
Shown above and below is the early morning delivery to Family Dollar, every week of the year.
*sales tax and earned income currently going to city and state will now go to debt service for arena

Silence of the Lanta

2011-12-04T03:05:00.002-05:00

Hannibal Lecter has been offered parole on the condition he restrict his diet to Hamilton Street bus riders. Once a month he will be permitted an Asian merchant; on thanksgiving he may have a preselected blogger. Mr. Lector will be micro-chipped and given a new Hamilton Street loft apartment. He will be monitored by the new surveillance cameras. Mayor Pawlowski and Armand Greco will provide more details at a press conference early next week at the new Lanta Terminal.
reprinted from October 20, 2007
UPDATE: Hannibal wasn't eating those Asians fast enough, they were forced off Hamilton Street by eminent domain in 2011.

Stacking the Deck

2011-12-02T03:52:00.009-05:00

When Donny Cunningham appointed Ed Pawlowski to the Lehigh Valley Airport Authority, he stacked the deck against Queen City Airport. Pawlowski has advocated selling Queen City for development since before he was mayor. The fact that this city needs no more commercial or residential space is lost on him. South Mall, once home to three large department stores, now has one. The property has underperformed for decades. Needless to say, the last thing the school district needs is more housing and students. The distance between Queen City and Lehigh Valley Airport provides a safety margin between commercial planes and small aircraft. The Airport Authority is a case-study in poor decision making. They took land for runway expansion they never used, now owing the original owners ten times the price in penalty and interest. (LVIA is under court order to pay $26million) They expanded their departure terminal to a size they never needed. They constantly remodel the under used facility. They fired their director with no succession plans in place. Cunningham appointing Pawlowski, with a predetermined agenda, is the last person that board needed.
UPDATE: In an article today in The Morning Call, it states that the sale and development of Queen City could create "thousands of jobs." That is ridiculous.

NIZ, A Study in Favoritism

2011-12-01T08:53:00.004-05:00

Bernie O'Hare has an excellent post on the irony of Pennsylvania tightening it's belt and instituting a new give=away program at the same time. He writes;

According to State Senator Pat Browne, dwindling state revenues make these cuts necessary. "We have been in a trough, a serious trough," he laments to a reporter. What the good Senator fails to point out, however, is that he dug the hole about which he now so sadly complains. He helped draft legislation that gives major tax breaks to well-heeled entrepreneurs, so that those on the brink, can continue to suffer.
All in the name of hockey.
Back in 2009, Browne and State Rep. Jennifer Mann,..(wrote and had passed)- the "Neighborhood Improvement Zone." To be fair, that program is available for any local government with a population between 106,000 and 107,000 in the 2000 census. It's certainly nobody's fault that the only local government fitting this bill just happens to be Allentown.
Aside from the outright grant, what's really repulsive about this is that taxes that should go to the state, to pay for things like schoolbooks and Medical Assistance, will instead be funding a J.B. Reilly development, helping him get richer....

What is also repulsive about this program is the secretiveness and selectivity with which it was implemented. Although it was known that the Arena Authority would be able to use the taxing vehicle for it's debt service, it's availability to private parties was not publicly disclosed. I attended a private meeting with Allentown's Community Development Director, Sarah Hailstone, and the merchants. During the course of the meeting, and a subsequent one, it was never disclosed that private investors could utilize the tax advantages of the NIZ legislation. The merchants also had a meeting with Pat Browne, who also did not disclose the secret. In addition to the earned income tax, it also includes the 6% Pennsylvania sales tax. Had the merchants been aware of this tax incentive, it would have greatly enhanced their relocation options. The merchants and public only gained knowledge of this provision upon the announcement of J.B. Reilly's projects. At that point the Administration claimed that any application would have to be approved by them (AEDC) to see if it forwards the Vision for center-city. Whose vision? A new Authority is now being formed, and will be in charge of the Vision. All I see is favoritism.

Arena Dooms Old Allentown

2011-11-30T02:54:00.007-05:00

A resident of N. 8th Street expressed concern about traffic congestion at last night's arena meeting. She should be concerned, because the City has said that existing traffic patterns and existing parking can accommodate the arena. That's only true if the arena is going to be a failure, anything more successful will impact both traffic and parking. What that resident should really be concerned about is the Old Allentown Preservation Association; Once again those lapdogs ate their doggie biscuit, but this time it's poison. For decades those yuppies yearned for an adjoining quaint downtown, although they never sufficiently patronized such merchants that did remain. For years they supported City policies, and in return had a problem building occasionally removed at taxpayer expense. Welcome to the architectural wasteland coming your way. Welcome to a square block parking lot with a white elephant monstrosity sports palace. Welcome to the fruits of your complicity.

Lunch At Allen

2011-11-29T05:23:00.007-05:00

Up to the mid 60's, students at Allen High could leave the building for lunch. Scattered in alley's around the the school, garages had been converted into lunch shops and hangouts. The Hutch was in the alley between 17th and West Streets, in the unit block between Hamilton and Linden. Suzy's was behind the Nurse's Dormitory, between Chew and Turner. Another was across Linden from the Annex. They all had the same basic decor, a few pinball machines, a few tables and a small lunch counter. Most of the business was during lunch period, and before and after school. It's my understanding that occasionally a kid or two would skip school and hangout all day. Today these garages, turned into luncheonettes, have long ago reverted back to garages. Most of the current residents of West Park probably don't even know about this commercial history right behind their houses. I missed photo day at Allen for my yearbook, but if anybody has a picture of the gang from the Hutch, I'd appreciate a copy.
reprinted from February 2010
UPDATE: Back in 60's we had a few hoods*, but no gangs. Today the schools require staggered starting and dismissal time, plus security guards and city police, to establish basic safety. If that's not enough, we superimpose those discipline issues with a mandate to improve standardized test scores. Imagine allowing students in today's world to roam the neighborhood for lunch.
* not a neighborhood, but a Fonzi type non-conformist

Backup to the Future

2011-11-28T03:44:00.005-05:00

It's the year 2018 and Mayor Guridy has just received the long anticipated study from A&P Associates. Advice from Afflerbach and Pawlowski doesn't come cheap, $475,000, but as City Council President Michael Schlossberg said, "Sometimes it pays to invest in the best." Some of the recommendations to revive Hamilton Street are nothing less than brilliant. Bus transfer stops are to be placed back on Hamilton Street between 7th and 9th, creating foot traffic and enhancing a sense of security. Meter rates will be reduced, once again accepting quarters and other coins. The old Allentown Brew Pub, closed since the KOZ ended in 015, will be torn down to create a convenient pocket parking lot. A national search has begun for a new arena director, and Mayor Guridy promises that the real estate tax increase, necessary to finance the arena, will be temporary.

adapted from a previous post

Cannibal Valley

2011-11-27T04:56:00.008-05:00

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

The Fifth Estate

2011-11-25T04:25:00.011-05:00

Among the best wishes I received yesterday, was a poison note from Future Attendee. The note was so hostile, the editorial board at molovinsky on allentown decided not to publish it. I suspect he was embarrassed about his misinformation about Family Dollar. I have over-ruled the board, because there's a lesson to be found here. Excerpts from Future's homily;

..you have a low level of intelligence... Oh to add once again. I know the majority of city council members outside of the Dias(sp) as well the Mayor. They all laugh at you. you are a mosquito that is easily forgotten about.... So as for your WPA issue. You can keep complaining about a project that was done in the 30's. No one cares that gives a damn. Allentown is making a movement forward not looking back from something that FDR did. Get your proprieties(sp) straight...

There has been some speculation by readers of this blog as to Future's connection to the Administration. Let us hope that it is between much less and none. A few years ago, The Morning Call decided to forgo editorials. Opinions expressed there are now Op-Ed pieces written by readers. Reporter-wise, their staff has been reduced by both the industry wide transition from print to electronic, and their parent company's bankruptcy proceedings.* Having turned into a one party town, there is no opposition in the City Council Chamber. Opposition and critical analysis of taxpayer funded policy now rests in alternative media, what I call here the Fifth Estate. If molovinsky on allentown can contribute to this new estate, my time is well spent.

* Morning Call reporters Scott Kraus and Matt Assad have been doing an excellent job providing information about the arena project.

Holiday Policy

2011-11-24T04:19:00.005-05:00

molovinsky on allentown does not celebrate holidays. On Christmas I usually publish an antique card, but that stems from my appreciation of older graphics. I notice the controversy this year about stores opening earlier on Friday, and even on Thanksgiving itself. Americans chomp at the bit to shop. Perhaps we should replace Thanksgiving with Black Friday, and be over with it. Enough with molovinsky, and back to allentown. The City started eminent domain proceedings against Family Dollar. Suburban Allentonians had no idea how much business was done on the 700 block of Hamilton, and the mayor pitched the arena on that misconception. Family Dollar is going to the mat because that location is one of their most profitable in the country. I know from the Lanta controversy, (removing the bus stops from Hamilton Street) that national chain stores, such as Rite-Aid and Family Dollar, are reluctant to get involved in local politics. However, the inconsideration and methods used by the City in the Arena project, agitated them into action. A Rite-Aid attorney told City Council that they would not go gently into the night. I suspect that the taxpayers will never know what their ouster will really cost us, in many ways.

The Three Cities

2011-11-23T04:00:00.010-05:00

Uncle Sam has given the Lehigh Valley $3.4million dollars to study development. Our tax dollars will be spread out among the bureaucrats, and those in training, to insure that nothing tangible results from the money. Those in charge are experienced in the art of nebulous double talk. Holly Edinger, from the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. said "This spending from HUD will enable the Lehigh Valley to have an unprecedented community conversation about our future." Allentown will use our share to study the now closed factory, where both Obama and Romney had press conferences. Community Development Director Sara Hailstone said "What this will allow us to do is bring jobs back to the core where people can walk to work and walk home from work and we believe that is one of the most sustainable projects we can be involved with." Actually, Sarah, in a time long before you, workers did just that, using the WPA Fountain Park Steps. Using our share to repair those steps would actually produce a return on both the money and your words. Phil Mitman said "This is really about our taxpayer money coming back to the Lehigh Valley." I suppose Phil's right, at least the money is being wasted in the valley.

UPDATE: Alan Jennings and Renew LV are dancing in their underpants about the HUD grant. Most of grant will fund the salaries in various such organizations to conduct public input meetings and other abstractions.

This post is a commentary on a Morning Call article by Scott Kraus.

2nd and Hamilton

2011-11-22T02:57:00.008-05:00

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.

above photo taken by Ed Miller in 1953, and included in Pleasant Family Shopping. Gratitude to LVCI for the link

Israel Bashing

2011-11-21T02:31:00.010-05:00

As a life long reader of The Morning Call, over the decades I have seen many serial writers obsessing on their hatred of Israel. Before 1967, they had to question the legitimacy of Israel's creation in 1948. Since then, they now can claim that Israel is an repressive occupier. The current local mantle against Israel is carried by Vincent Stravino.
This retired physician is more articulate than his predecessors, but employs the same propaganda techniques. He always starts out mentioning that he has been there, but then laments if only they didn't participate in human right abuses, what a wonderful place it would be. He states his claim of abuse as a fact, always finding some study which confirms his contention. He always ends his letters mentioning his Jewish and Israeli friends who share his indignation.
On his next trip, the good doctor could visit an Israeli hospital, and see the Palestinian and Arab patients who benefit from the hope of Israel, but that's not his agenda.

The above letter letter was rejected by The Morning Call.

..... we're not going to be able to run this letter as written because it directly comments on Stravino....You can still challenge him by countering points he made in his letter....

I declined the invitation to bicker with Stravino issue by issue, other writers and myself have done that in the past. When I submitted the letter I was aware of the paper's long standing policy that replies must address the issues, not the writer. However, the point of my letter was that he has an agenda, and just plugs in different accusations. I do not believe that the doctor is in any way anti-Semitic, but has been indoctrinated from a point of view which fails to comprehend the entire situation in Israel.

Selling The Arena

2011-11-20T09:41:00.003-05:00

The Morning Call staff was treated to a special premiere* of the Hockey Arena Power-Point, before that presentation hits the public circuit. The publicly funded impact study, or should I say study for impact, states that the arena could generate $39million into downtown's economy. Although they hope to draw no more people than Sovereign Center, that facility claims only benefiting Reading's economy $8million. An expert on such municipal projects, Dennis Coates, said "It is basically a public relations document as opposed to an economic analysis."

*Although much of the critical analysis of the impact study occurs after the jump in the hard copy edition, it is a well done article by Scott Kraus.

Around the Corner

2011-11-18T03:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday's post about the zoning hearing for Rite-Aid, out on North 7th Street, showed a classic 1950 black and white photograph of Hamilton Street. Today, we go right around the corner, on South 7th Street. Being the oldest blogger in the valley, and being an aficionado of old photographs, you will be submitted to these excursions. Before we begin, a few notes about yesterday's image. Notice that there are many more shoppers on the north side of Hamilton, than the south. This phenomenon always existed. Were the better stores on the north side? Real estate prices and rents were always higher on the Hess's side. OK, lets go around the corner. The Suburban Line Bus is getting ready to head west, the county poor home being the last stop; Today it is known as Cedarbrook. The Lehigh Valley Transit Company had their main stop a block west, on S. 8th Street. The bus is parked in front of the YMCA, which housed a market at street level. If the photograph was extended on the right side, you would see the monument. Across Hamilton Street is Whelan Drug Store, that location currently occupied by a bank. The billboard above, then advertising local Neuweiler Beer, was a prime sign location. Behind the drug store stands the Dime Bank, which will remain as part of the new transformational Arena Complex. Glad you could join me, now get off the bus, and back into 2011.

Where Was Peter?

2011-11-17T00:34:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I received a plea from Peter Lewnes if I could join the effort to stop the Rite-Aid from using their box store plan on 7th Street. Below are excerpts from his letter.

I'm writing for your support against a corporate takeover of 7th and Allen Street at tomorrow night's zoning hearing board meeting. ...
7th Street Allentown's development is facing a serious setback tomorrow night. The Rite Aid Corporation is seeking to demolish 602-618 N 7th Street, an anchor building that admittedly requires a ton of renovation but historically housed Rite Aid and served them well as a facility.
The threat lies with what they propose to replace it with. The Seventh Street Development Committee has worked to protect center city from suburban sprawl and becoming an extension of 145 in Whitehall... SSDC continually advocated for restrictions on big-box, suburban-style development along the corridor - any type of development that would be detrimental to its street-oriented, pedestrian-friendly design.
What Rite Aid is proposing for the corner of 7th and Allen Street flies directly in the face of the results of this public, community-driven process. ... Approving such variances would set a dangerous precedent, making it that much easier for future developers to further decimate the heart of our neighborhood shopping district....
Peter Lewnes

Where was Peter when the city decided to tear down the historical 700 block of Hamilton Street, in the traditional shopping block, to build the Big Ice Box? Where was Peter when merchant after merchant lined up at City Council to plead for their livelihood and 20 years of their labor? The 7th Street Business District has actually prospered from the pending demolition of Hamilton Street. Several merchants have relocated there, including the dynamic New York Fashion.
Asking where Peter was is somewhat rhetorical. I realize that if Peter doesn't serve directly at the favor of the Mayor, his efforts on 7th Street are never the less codependent on City Hall. I wish him well this evening at the zoning hearing.

Bernie O'Hare also covers Lewnes's letter

The Cattle Drive

2011-11-16T01:32:00.006-05:00

A few years ago, Allentown decided it had too many low income people, and that they would curtail that demographic by condemning buildings. Hundreds and hundreds of buildings were tagged in center city, some for such minor violations as peeling paint. It's not uncommon to find up to four tagged buildings in one block. They tagged so many buildings, that rather than contain blight, they helped create it. They also confounded the inconsistency of their housing policy by easing the requirements to convert former commercial buildings into apartments. The end result is no less density, no less apartments, but more blight. They are now trying a herding technique. The poor are being driven off of Hamilton Street, relegated to the upper blocks of North 7th Street. The Administration hopes that Pawlowski Plaza and event center at 7th and Hamilton will attract those with a gold credit card in their wallet. They might need cattle prods to keep the riffraff away.

Visiting Easton

2011-11-15T05:03:00.002-05:00

Being one of the last warm days of the year, I thought we would visit Easton. I thought perhaps it would be more interesting to do the trip circa 1948. Lehigh Valley Transit had a trolley that went from 8th and Hamilton, through Bethlehem, to the circle in Easton. In the photo above, we're coming down Northampton Street, just entering the Circle. The Transit Company was using both trolleys and buses, until they discontinued trolleys completely, in 1953. At this time, Hamilton, Broad and Northampton Streets were the shopping malls of the era, and public transportation serviced the customers. The Transit Company, now Lanta, currently serves the Allentown population from a prison like facility at 6th and Linden Streets; It just needs a fence. Easton mayor Sal Panto is now also abandoning the merchants for a remote transportation/correction facility, which will entertain the inmates with the Al Bundy High School Dropout Museum. Hope you enjoyed the trip.

Public Arena Meetings

2011-11-14T02:18:00.005-05:00

In the words of Councilperson Jeanette Eichenwald, the upcoming public meetings about the arena project are "too little, too late." They will be workshop type meetings, where citizens can sit down with "the very people who are planning and building the arena." If the timing of the meetings, after all the decisions have been made, isn't insulting enough, you get to pay for them. They are being conducted by a public relations firm, hired by the city to blow smoke up ...... Not everyone sees this affront they way I do; Councilman Michael Donovan is "pleased the administration has hired someone to help it do a better job with public relation." Let me translate; Donovan hopes that after the meetings the public will find the project "transformational", as both he and the mayor do. I see at least two obstacles to Donovan's departing legacy; The first is that these meetings will be sparsely attended, except by city workers ordered to attend by their supervisors, after the administrations reads this. Secondly, apparently reporters Lash and Assad of The Morning Call, also found the cart ahead of the horse, in their article about the meetings. In the final disrespect inflicted upon the merchants and their customers of Hamilton Street, demolition and construction will begin during the traditional shopping season. Merry Christmas in downtown Allentown.

A Fitting Birthday Present

2011-11-13T05:53:00.009-05:00

In a recent puff piece in The Morning Call about Allentown's 250th birthday, Mayor Ed Pawlowski used the phrase, "City Without Limits," no less than three times. What does that slogan mean?
First, let me tell you that it is just a slogan, created by a paid image consultant. How ironic that the current leadership in Allentown, which was the sanctuary of the Liberty Bell and a bastion of industrial America, can only describe our city in paid-for, meaningless slogans. Truth be told, the current leadership has no institutional memory of Allentown. They didn't live here when Allentown was the All-American City. The proposed hockey arena is referred to as "transformational."
Allentown was transformational in creating the American dream. "Built like a Mack truck" was a meaningful slogan. It meant the people of Allentown had the work ethic and skill to produce the best. The Western Electric plant on Union Boulevard first produced transistors and then silicon chips as Lucent. A hundred factories required several train lines to haul raw material and finished products in and out of Allentown. Hess Brothers taught store owners all over the country how to merchandise their products.
Before somebody reminds me that there is no more strawberry pie at the Patio Restaurant in Hess's basement, let me get back to 2011. If we are to celebrate our 250th birthday, let us honor some historic icons that still exist. In the mid-1930s our park system benefited from magnificent stone structures built by the Works Progress Administration during Roosevelt's New Deal program. These icons of our nationally known park system are in need of major restoration, if they are to remain standing. Such a restoration would be a most fitting tribute to our upcoming birthday.
Michael Molovinsky

The above, titled as A Slogan Won't transform Allentown, was printed in The Morning Call on Saturday, November 12, 2011.

An American Hero

2011-11-11T02:46:00.001-05:00

This painting, by aviation artist Mark Postlethwaite, based on World War 2, illustrates an actual air battle; Focke Wulf Fw 190D-9 of 14/JG26 flown by Ofw. Werner Zech is intercepted by a P-51 Mustang of the 339th FG flown by Captain Francis R. Gerard, 18th March 1945. Frank Gerard was one of our flying aces, shooting down four enemy aircraft from his Mustang in one battle over Leipzig, Germany. The retired Major General passed away this week and will be buried tomorrow with full military honors.

reprinted from November 5, 2008

A Tailor from North Street

2011-11-11T02:43:00.000-05:00

The Allentown Housing and Development Corp. recently purchased a home at 421 North St. That block of North Street was destroyed by fire, and the agency has built a block of new houses on the street's south side; it will next develop the other side of the street. The deed transfer caught my attention because Morris Wolf lived in the house in 1903. Wolf signed up with the Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry on July 18, 1861, in Philadelphia, when he was 22 years old. He was a private in Company A, of the 3rd Cavalry. This unit was also known as the 60th Regiment and was later called Young's Kentucky Light Cavalry.It defended Washington, D.C., until March 1862, then participated in many of the war's most famous battles: Williamsburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg. Wolf had signed up for three years and was mustered out Aug. 24,1864.

Recently, to commemorate Memorial Day, the local veterans group placed more than 500 flags at Fairview Cemetery. If that wasn't enough of a good deed, the group also set upright more than 300 toppled grave markers. Visiting Fairview recently, I saw they had not overlooked the graves of either Mr. Wolf, or another veteran, Joseph Levine. I have concerned myself with Allentown's Fairview Cemetery for the last few years. I first became interested in the small Jewish section, called Mt. Sinai. This was the first organized Jewish cemetery in Allentown. Currently, all the synagogues have their own cemeteries, and Mt. Sinai has been mostly unused for many decades.

Mr. Wolf lies next to his wife, Julia, who died in 1907. Morris would live on for 30 more years, passing away in 1937, at age 98.
Mr. Levine, a World War II veteran, and his wife, Ethel, were the first and last people to be buried there after almost 25 years of inactivity. When Ethel died at age 93 in 2000, it was the first burial at Mt. Sinai since 1976. Joseph was 103 years old when he passed away in 2006.

The Housing and Development Corp. and North Street are now part of Allentown's new neighborhood initiative called Jordan Heights.Although soon there will be a new house at 421 North St., there is a history that will remain with the parcel. Once a tailor lived there who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg.

reprinted from July 4, 2010 and June 7, 2011

Mayo Can't Add

2011-11-10T01:48:00.015-05:00

I was disappointed when the new acting superintendent, Russ Mayo, said he planned on going forward with Zahorchak's Pathway to Success, but chalked it up to politeness for a departing associate. I assumed that Mayo would gradually undo his predecessor's damage. Yesterday's newsletter said that the current principal of Allen, Michael Rodriguez, was leaving for another district. I assumed that Keith Falko would now be returned; Does not 1 + 1 = 2? Have not the discipline problems at Allen been headlines in the newspaper? Was not Falko revered as a disciplinarian? In a previous post I wrote that Falko should be returned to Allen. Apparently, although boots on ground also had made the same suggestion, here's Mayo's answer

Keith Falko will continue to assist us at the district level with the ASD program of study, the Dual Enrollment effort, the high school graduation initiative grant, and with assisting the ASD middle and high school principals during this transition. “Keith’s experience in this district, his expertise, and general wisdom is invaluable to me personally,” commented Dr. Mayo. “I want his expertise influencing this district as a whole. I appreciate the interest many of the faculty and staff have in his returning to Allen as principal, but his influence district-wide is even more valuable to us.”

Fortunately, for the neighbors and parents of Allen, there is a new player in the game. On Tuesday, voters elected Scott Armstrong to the School Board. Like David Zimmerman, Scott lives in the Allen neighborhood and has first hand knowledge of conditions at the school. I believe that together they will provide some much needed tutoring to Mayo about how to restore civility to that neighborhood.
UPDATE: The above commentary was based on a news release issued yesterday by the Allentown School District. In today's Morning Call, reporter Steve Esack details the consequences of poor decisions by former Superintendent Zahorchak. In my opinion, nothing in the article suggests that we can expect much better from current acting superintendent Russ Mayo.
UPDATE 2: I've been informed that the school district has been audited personnel wise, in regard to the grant that removed the four principals from their original positions. Consequently, Falko cannot return to Allen. With Rodriguez's departure, the system now has lost 3 of the 4 principals that were doing a good job before Zahorchak chased that grant, without the School's Board's knowledge.

One Party Town

2011-11-09T03:42:00.013-05:00

Peter Schweyer attributed his victory to the voters overwhelmingly approving the vision being implemented by him and his fellow Democrats. He ignored the fact that the vast middle class voted with their feet, and moved out of Allentown in the last decade. Jeanette Eichenwald attributed her victory to spending no money on the campaign. Frank Concannon, 88 years old, confided that he did no campaigning at all and conceded It's a little strange. As I mentioned in a previous post, no Republican has won in Allentown since 2003. In 2005, Republican candidate for City Council Charlie Thiel, paid to have billboards put up throughout the city, to no avail. This cycle, Republican Eric Weiss knocked on hundreds of doors, and was aided by two mailings from the LVAR-PAC. We are a one party town. The new electronic voting machines make the one party pick easier than ever. With the old lever machines, a voter could see all the candidate names before them on the machine. Now. the new electronic machine asks if you would like to be a one party monkey, and apparently, the vast majority push yes.

The Mohican Markets

2011-11-08T04:24:00.003-05:00

Once, before the malls, there were three thriving cities in the Lehigh Valley, and some merchants would have a store in each of the downtowns. Some of the buildings still exist, and have been reused; the Allentown Farr (shoe) Building is now loft apartments. Two of three Mohican Market buildings, famous for baked goods, no longer exist. The Easton location, on S. 4th St., was victim to fire. The Allentown store now is the parking lot behind the new Butz office building. The Mohican Markets were last owned and operated by Bernard Molovinsky.

recipe for Mohican Chocolate Chip Brownies

Kingdom At Stevens

2011-11-07T04:06:00.005-05:00

On Saturday afternoon, Stevens Park, a large center city playground, teemed with festivity. As the parents and older kids swayed to the Latin beat from a live band, children at the other side were entertained with craft activities. In between, large stands provided free hot food. The event was sponsored by Kingdom Life Family Center, an outreach ministry based in Orefield. After leaving the park, I decided to visit some merchants who are relocating to 7th Street from Hamilton. On 7th, I encountered the Pastor of the Ministry, Tony Adamo. It is his hope to secure a storefront in that vicinity, and establish a full time presence in Allentown. That would be a blessing.

Secrets From The Shadow

2011-11-05T19:13:00.008-04:00

The headline in the paper said that infamous developer, Abe Atiyeh, might monkey wench Pawlowski's Palace of Sport with a lawsuit. It says that he has been a tenant in the building since 2004. That's not exactly true, he's been a tenant on the building* since then. Nobody has used the inside of the building for many years. Regardless of Atiyeh's weak case as a displaced tenant, his other points are right on target. The threat and passage of eminent domain was, as he claims, a misuse of that law. Also, as he claims, the building is not blighted. Matter of fact, this blog reported on a luncheon given by Pawlowski and Realtors several years ago to promote the building.While Pawlowski and crew were serving lunch in a winterized building with no running water, a coffee shop across the street, in the Monument building, was being cited for multiple code violations. I suppose the status of a building in Allentown depends on the Mayor's agenda.

*Atiyeh has a small sign advertising his nursing home in Whitehall painted on the side of the building. Atiyeh has a long term lease for that sign which has been conveyed to several owners. Because the sign will be covered up by the adjoining Arena, he seeks compensation.

Would Be Kingmaker

2011-11-04T04:38:00.010-04:00

There's a new factor in Lehigh Valley politics, and it's the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors. Valley voters have received no less than four slick mailings from the LVAR-PAC. Their mailing placing a Democrat with an organized slate of Republicans was the topic of a previous post. Their second mailing for this hybrid team now identifies the team as bipartisan. An Allentown City Council candidate has also benefited from two of their mailings.
Ryan Conrad, who has both an undergraduate and graduate degree in political science. became CEO of the Realtors Association this past September. Before becoming a Realtor, he worked for various elected officials in New York State. Ryan is vice president of the Township Commissioners in Lower Macungie. Look for more voting advice from your friendly neighborhood real estate professional.

Pawlowski's Palace of Sport

2011-11-03T01:43:00.009-04:00

Although the Arena/Concert Venue will not open for over a year, attendance is already down over 1 million people. Only several months ago, Mayor Pawlowski told City Council that the Center would attract 1.5 million people annually. Earlier, he used the figure of two million. Although his current figure of 500,000 is more realistic, there's still no lack of sugarplums. The Morning Call uses the term vision, hallucination would be more accurate. The best guess estimate for the 40 home hockey games would be 200,000, requiring an additional draw of 300,000 for concerts. Between the lines, his mention that real estate taxes may be necessary to finance the project, is the writing on the wall. Also translating political speak into english, there are no plans, whatsoever, for parking and traffic. His claim that the hockey fans will visit upscale restaurants and stores after the games is beyond wishful thinking.

Here is the Shadow Mayor's* take; The square block White Elephant will sit dormant most days and nights of the year, creating a ghost town feeling, sucking whatever life downtown had remaining. Stores and restaurants, induced by grants and incentives, will wither and drop away when the owners must start reaching into their own pockets. On the sixty or so nights a game or event takes place, the restaurants will do virtually no business, as the fans scurry back to their cars afterwards. Welcome to the bitterness of the sugarplum's reality.

*a self anointed title I bestowed upon myself

Picture of Dedication

2011-11-01T04:46:00.004-04:00

Lou Hershman in the past has served as Controller for a total of has 24 years. During his tenures, there were never any questions about where and how taxpayer money was spent. Who knows where to look, and what to look for, better than Lou Hershman. Lou's not a good public speaker, but as an accountant, he's great with numbers. It's hard to imagine a more dedicated man offering his services to the city. I think even if I was a straight Democrat lever puller, a real party man, I would vote for Hershman, just to keep the game honest. The controller makes no policy decisions, he only safeguards the budget. Of course, I suppose a town as prosperous as Allentown, need not concern itself with cash issues.

Gentrification Day in Allentown

2011-10-31T13:21:00.009-04:00

And let’s be quite honest, the intention of this project and the redevelopment of downtown is to remove the stores that bring lower incomes to downtown. Discount sneakers, $1 stores, urban clothes, cheap jewelers, cell phone repair, and barber shops are not (the) answer, they are the past and on 10/31 they will be gone! Now it is time that we take back our downtown and make it in what we want it to look like.....Gentrification is not a bad word Future Downtown Arena Attendee

Today was D day, or should I say G day, for the merchants displaced by the arena. Future Attendee, who has become the De Facto voice of the Administration on this blog, looks forward to the transformation. According to Future, he's in attendance at all Council Meetings, and may well be connected with the regime. I have been told, but have not confirmed, that this blog, along with O'Hare's Ramblings, have been blocked from city computers. I do not have an issue with the Administration's desire for a more upscale downtown, the problem was the method. Such change, if successful, would have been organic, with a level playing field. If gradual market forces would have made the merchant's property more valuable as real estate, than businesses, they would have been eager sellers. Such a transition would not have compromised the merchants rights, and not made the taxpayers potentially liable for the project's failure. This blog is proud to have been a voice for the merchants, and wishes them the best success in their new locations.

An Independent Lady

2011-10-30T13:13:00.003-04:00

Although Allentown City Council is currently composed of all Democrats, there is an independent voice. On the vote for approving Eminent Domain, the only dissenting vote came from Jeanette Eichenwald. Whenever a group is being disenfranchised, they have an ally in Eichenwald. Her passion for prejudice reduction is well known in the community, and always supercedes any party affiliation or loyalty. Eichenwald's campaign budget for this coming election is $0.00. She feels that it's inappropriate for financial support to be a factor in City Council Elections. The moral compass in the Council Chamber has always pointed to her seat on the dais.

New Slate Member

2011-10-28T04:31:00.010-04:00

Last week I received the oversized postcard with the Republican Slate for County Commissioners. These giant postcards have become the mailer of choice for politicians. Although there are four open seats, and four Republicans running, the Slate only contains three members; Scott Ott, Lisa Scheller and Vic Mazziotti. It seems that the fourth Republican, Brad Osborne, wasn't part of the cooperative effort stemming back to the primary. It's my understanding that the Slate was created to oust Dean Browning, for not toting the party line. Frankly, such political nuances don't interest me. I prefer to dwell on the issues, not the characters. As I approached my special archival container for political mailings, I noticed that the Slate now had a fourth member. Putting on my special glasses for political mailings, I saw that it was Geoff Brace. How could this be? The card was practically identical to last weeks, but the new, forth member is a Democrat? Turning the card over, the name linkage continues. Ott, Scheller, and Mazziotti, were now Ott, Scheller, Mazziotti and Brace. They've Got Plans...., They Will...., Vote For..., My first inquiry was to a long time Republican workhorse, who is currently disenchanted with the Republican Party leadership. I explained the card, and his initial reaction was perhaps the Slate was trying to tag team Osborne, as they had done against Browning. The address portion of the card does contain the sender's name, LVAR-PAC. That name didn't register with me or him. A call later in the evening, to Dean Browning, solved the mystery. LVAR is the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors. Browning believes that the association is supporting those four candidates because of their replies to a survey on county assessments and other real estate issues. I think most voters will find the card most confusing. If you didn't get one in the mail, click on both sides shown here, for a larger version.

Allentown Picks Winner, Then Announces Contest Rules

2011-10-27T03:49:00.009-04:00

In what could only happen in Allentown, the City announced the contest rules, after the winner was picked. The Morning Call dutifully reported on the murky guidelines the City will use to allow property owners use of NIZ tax funds for development. The rules come after developer J.B. Reilly had his plans approved, and even before anybody else knew such a tax incentive was available to private owners. If that wasn't enough favoritism, the City loaned Reilly $20million to do the project. As the kids now say, everything about the deal is sketchy. First of all, what I call the City is called ACIDA. This is handpicked Pawlowski Authority, used as handmaiden of convenience. The Morning Call article kindly refers to the guidelines as flexible, having wiggle room and not cast in stone. Missing from the article is that the CocaCola Park promoters complained that they never were given a chance to bid on arena management. The displaced merchants, despite two meetings with the City, were never informed that the NIZ could be used by private property owners, and the unions have already protested initial renovations by Reilly. Most glaringly missing from the article is no mention of these Bizarro sequence of events; The City will now allow public input after all the decisions were made. The City will now explain how to enter the contest, after the brass ring has been won. The article does mention that The Morning Call building is in the NIZ zone.

Saving The Queen City Airport

2011-10-26T04:31:00.005-04:00

When I grew up on Liberator Ave., I would walk up Catalina Ave. toward school, which was at the end of Coronado. The streets were named for the Vultee-Consolidated WW2 planes, and the neighborhood was next to the airport built as part of the war effort. Vultee Street was built to connect the hangers with the Mack 5C plant, which was given over to Vultee-Consolidated for plane part manufacturing. Today this small airport is known as Queen City, and is threatened by Mayor Ed Pawlowski.

1944 was the first full year of the operation for the company's Allentown, Pennsylvania factory. Consolidated Vultee handled over $100M in wartime contracts at their Allentown plant where they produced TBY-2 Sea Wolves, components parts for B-24 Liberator bombers and other essential armaments and products for the war effort.

Pawlowski covets this unique part of our history to expand the tax base. What he doesn't understand is that more housing or commercial space is not in Allentown's best long term interest. Unfortunately, long term interest is not a term understood by our current leadership. There is a whole development of started houses off S. 12th St. and Mack Blvd. which were never completed. There are filled in foundations on 8th Street, also never completed. More housing is the last thing both the real estate market and school system need. Likewise, the existing commercial sector has been struggling to maintain an acceptable occupancy rate. Queen City airport is an unique asset to Allentown. If LVIA does successfully expand, a separate airport for small planes is very desirable for safety. Considering Pawlowski's predetermined objective, I question whether he should have been appointed to the LVIA Board.

Dennis Pearson, long time community activist from the East Side Rittersville area, reports last night(Sept. 23, 2010) that a portion of the State Hospital grounds had been given to the Allentown Commercial and Industrial Development Corporation. Just last week, Dennis requested that the City inform him of any plans concerning that land. Although representatives of the Administration were present, nobody had the consideration to response to Pearson's statement. These open spaces in Allentown, both Queen City and the State Hospital, are too important to let Pawlowski and Cunningham squander them for a short term, politically expedient, tax fix.

Malcolm Gross, an associate of Pawlowski, was just appointed by the court to overseer the $16million dollar payment due to the Fuller family by the Lehigh Valley Airport. The Airport Authority should sell the Fuller land that it never used, and retain Queen City.

UPDATE: Since a version of this post first appeared in September of 2010, LVIA is under court order to raise $16 million, as noted above. The airport (LVIA) is currently without it's former Executive Director. The Morning Call reports an offer for $18 million for the Queen City. Although such a sale would be incredibly shortsighted, that's a prominent local eye and mental condition.

What Is It?

2011-10-25T04:28:00.004-04:00

What is it columns seem to be popular, and popularity is all I want for Christmas. The first person to identify what the object in the picture does, wins the contest. The winner gets his choice of a one month subscription to The Morning Call, or cleaning the Porta-John for a week at the Allentown Arena construction site. Contest entries must be submitted by 12:00pm, Oct. 26, 2011.

No Jews of Libya

2011-10-24T04:46:00.004-04:00

Despite having settled there hundreds of years before Christ, there are no Jews in Libya.

I left Libya more than 42 years ago when the mobs were roaming the streets. They were not chanting for democracy or yearning for freedom — they were looking for Jews.

Gina Waldman.

This community, that goes back 2,500 years, has obliterated their oldest minority...They drink anti-semitism with their mother's milk.

Gina Zanzur
After the creation of Israel in 1948, anti-Jewish riots and killings forced 30,000 Jews to flee. After the 1967 Israeli war, the remaining 6,000 were expelled, each allowed one suitcase and $20.
historic photo of the Jewish Quarter in Tripoli

reprinted from March 14, 2011

UPDATE: An envoy from the displaced Libyan Jewish community now living in Italy, was told that there would be no place for Jews in the new Libya.

Future Downtown Arena Attendee

2011-10-23T05:12:00.011-04:00

Regular readers of this blog are familiar with the commentator who identifies himself as Future Downtown Arena Attendee. He first appeared months ago, when I began posting about this misguided project and it's mistreatment of our long standing merchants. He is a staunch defender of the project, with no use for the current merchants or their clientele. Beyond being an apologists for the Administration, some readers have speculated that he actually works for the City or has another interest in the project. I generally appreciated his participation in the dialogue; It provided an insight into the arrogance by those who govern us. On my recent post, questioning which branch of our local government considered us dumber, Future made this comment.

Why do you think that you are entitled to public comment on this? The people elected the officials to speak on their behalf. The officials are speaking. If you don't like what they are saying do not vote for them in their reelection bids.

The blogger known as LVCI made an excellent reply. Below are excerpts from his comment.

Voting for a public official is nothing more then hiring someone to do a job on our behalf. We are the owners and city hall officials are our employees, we aren't theirs. Not one official running for office mentioned in their campaign they were going to seize over 30 private properties downtown, bulldoze an entire square block and risk advancing over $160 million of the taxpayers' dollars to do it. They didn't mention the new, sometimes expen$ive, pre-sale inspections before one sells their home. Nor was there any mention in their campaigns while they were running for office that they were going to put in miles of bike trails, a playground or install asphalt roadways in a park either. A lot of changes affect us for many years long after their time in office. The police & fire pensions are a fine example of that. According to your way of thinking why bother having public meetings after elections. Our civic responsibilities are completely done after we elect them, right? Citizens should only concern themselves every 4 years after the $'s are spent and the changes are already done that affect them. Is that the way you want it?
Come to think of it, that pretty much seems the way we're being dealt with already.

I suppose that Future Attendee and LVCI both have a point. As voters we don't seem to learn from our mistakes. Although a previous City Council lamented about the Police Pension they approved, many of the lamenters were re-elected. Currently, members are awaking to the lack of public and Council input concerning the Transformational arena. Will there be consequences come election day next month? Last night I drove past the Sangria Restaurant. Although I wish this business and all others well, I must report that they were virtually empty. This attempt at a restaurant row was subsidized by the Administration to the tune of half a $million of taxpayer dollars. If the new restaurants are struggling with easy available parking, how will they fare with congestion caused by the hockey fans? After two hotdogs and a beer, will the hockey fans patronize Sangria after the game? A failure of the arena and adjoining event center will put the taxpayers on the hook for over $200 million; Now that's a transformation! I hope that Future Downtown Arena Attendee at least actually attends.

A Step Daughter

2011-10-21T02:52:00.003-04:00

The young bride pictured is not my step daughter, but she is a daughter of the steps. In addition to choosing the steps at Fountain Park for her wedding pictures, she also helped to dig out and recover the steps at the Boat Landing, in Lehigh Parkway. Although it is wonderful that a young person appreciates the WPA structures, I wish that the Mayor, Park Director and Trexler Trust shared her love of Allentown history and values. Next week, the Park Department, funded by the Trexler Trust, moves forward with their Path Plan. The money they spend on new, unnecessary macadam paths could restore the irreplaceable WPA icons.

Who Thinks You're Dumber?

2011-10-20T05:45:00.007-04:00

According to The Morning Call, Allentown City Hall will now conduct a series of public meetings on the arena. Although all arrangements are a done deal, public comment will be sought. Although the Mayor preferred to first make the presentations to civic groups and other selected voter groups, City Council insisted that John Q get the presentations first; Council wants to credit themselves for insisting on this sequence, for the upcoming meaningless meetings. In truth, a more responsible City Council would have postponed the Administration's request for Eminent Domain, insisting on public input. They would have asserted themselves when it counted. Council members may pose now, in election season, as concerned about public opinion, but in addition to being too little, it's too late. One of them actually said, Better late than never.

Republican Halloween

2011-10-19T03:07:00.002-04:00

They say all politics is local. I thought about that last night as I covered a City Republican Halloween Party. While the Republicans fare well in Lehigh County, David Bausch was the last one to win a seat on Allentown City Council, and that was back in 2003. This year, among a good slate of candidates, that Party has put up Eric Weiss for City Council. Weiss spend a career at City Hall, working his way up to head of Code Enforcement and Building Standards. In a city where one of the biggest problems comes from inter-city apartments, his experience should make him a hot ticket.

Light Unto The Nations

2011-10-18T01:48:00.014-04:00

While Polish soccer fans taunt a visiting team from Tel Aviv, and a doctor from Bethlehem joins a flotilla to Free Gaza, Israel is releasing over 1000 of it's avowed enemies to free one soldier. The soldier was abducted in Israel in 2006, and dragged into Gaza, while his two comrades were killed. His abductors will also be released, along with dozens of others, who pride themselves on how many Jews they have killed. In that group is a bomber, who alone blew up 30 Jews. Israelis know that some of these terrorists will return to Israel, and kill more Jews. The Israeli soldier was 19 when captured. He has not been seen since 2009. While the Polish fans jeer, and the doctor rants, the light shines.

photo: Israel attempts to rescue besieged Jews in Jerusalem, 1948

Bring Back Falko

2011-10-17T04:45:00.007-04:00

Slow learning seems more apparent at the Administration office on Penn Street, than in any particular Allentown School. If I had to choose one blunder of Gerald Zahorchak's scramble of the Allentown School District, removing Keith Falko from Allen High would be it. Everybody agreed; teachers, students and parents, that Falko ran that ship as tight as it could be run. Zahorchak, always chasing grants and the newest concepts, shifted four principals, decimating discipline in the district. Falko was to end up at the 4th & Allen Over-Achiever Academy, which was wisely never instituted. His talent is now squandered down on Penn Street. The grant that Zahorchak chased, never paid off as large as anticipated anyway. Despite statistics being generated by a Director of Unnecessary Information, facts on the ground indicate that commotion is rampant at Allen.* Rumor is that although the new principal and his four assistants are nice guys, they don't command anywhere near the respect that Falko did. Hopefully, acting Superintendent Russ Mayo can see a winning play when it's staring him in the face.

*Steve Esack, The Morning Call, Parent Says Behavior At Allen High Out of Control, October 14, 2011

The Morning Call Delivery

2011-10-16T03:18:00.005-04:00

I've been a continuous Morning Call subscriber for 34 years, every day, seven days a week. I think that might well be some sort of record. Even other dinosaurs, occasionally, have let their subscriptions expire, to take advantage of some promotion. Not me, full ticket, paid by the year. The last couple of years, as their delivery system broke down, I have taken to pay semi annually. Quarterly will now be the prudent choice. I no longer attempt to complain about a missing paper. Waiting to speak to somebody in India is detrimental to my blood pressure. molovinsky on allentown opens early, but the paper keeps coming later; Even mcall doesn't refresh itself until about 5:45 a.m. I no longer get the paper in time for my morning coffee, the pot is long empty by the time it arrives. I suppose soon I'll have to get my news from the City Web Site.

The Morning Call Forgets The Meat

2011-10-14T02:08:00.007-04:00

Despite a large front page story on the Arena and Mr. Reilly's spinoff development, complete with charts and graphs, despite being written by two of it's reporters, where's the beef? Like the famous 1984 commercial, the articles are large buns with small hamburgers. The real story is that none of the merchants were ever told that they could use taxes to purchase a new building, after being displaced by the city. The use of sales tax, 6% of their gross sales, could have been used for debt service on a new Hamilton Street location. To my knowledge, none of the affected merchants, will have a new retail store on Hamilton Street, or will have any benefit from the NIZ. They had asked for a meeting with the city for help, which was attended by The Morning Call, and were never told that the NIZ lever could be used by private property owners. They asked for a meeting with Senator Brown, and were never told about options which could have helped them save their businesses. The explanation by Browne and the Administration that this information was available if they had asked the proper questions, is unacceptable. FACTS ON THE GROUND INDICATE THAT THE LAW WAS APPLIED IN A SELECTIVE FASHION, TO FASHIONABLE PEOPLE. If this post sounds repetitive, that's because it is. There's still no hamburger inside the bun, and still no explanation.

The Historical Record

2011-10-13T02:10:00.011-04:00

During the City Council Eminent Domain Hearing, Louie Belletieri came in about halfway during the meeting. I encouraged him to stay and say a few words. Louie stood up at the meeting's end and told City Council that they should pay the shopowners straight up. Although Louie wasn't involved with the issue before, during or after that meeting, his Godfather presentation resonated with the local newspaper reporter. In addition to quoting Louie for the coverage about eminent domain, the paper used it as the Quote Of The Week, in the weekend edition. Fortunately, for the historical record, a local documentary videophotographer was covering the meeting. Sydney "Imantrek" McKenzie captured the soul of the shareowners, the storeowners, whose lives were being bashed by the hockey puck.

In addition to making documentaries, Imantrek also produces music and Grounzero, an internet magazine. He is now lending his talent to the fight to preserve Allentown's WPA icons. Like many true artists before him, he remains an outsider to the newspaper and local art establishment.

Early Morning in Allentown

2011-10-12T03:43:00.002-04:00

Sixty years ago the Soldiers Monument stood over 7th and Hamilton, as it still does. While today businesses limit restroom use to patrons, at that time the city provided underground public comfort stations at the square, staffed by full time attendants. The stores attracted so many shoppers, the police needed a tower for crowd overview. While fifty stores lined each block, lawyers, doctors, accountants and tailors occupied the offices above. Times change. If we find that the Monument impedes traffic flow for the new arena, they can move it to a less inconvenient location.

Unhappy Campers

2011-10-11T15:47:00.027-04:00

As the countdown to the beginning of Mayor Pawlowski's transformation nears, I thought my camera and I would visit 7th and Hamilton. Uncle Sam and the Wall Street protesters are not the only unhappy campers by that corner.

Once again the rat has been inflated on a union picket line. Preliminary construction on a NIZ site doesn't bode well for the unions in Allentown's transformation.

Of course, the most victimized near that corner are the merchants. Although I'm privilege to their survival plans, it's not my place to reveal them at this time. I will say that they only have 20 days remaining to relocate, and yet still
attempt to make a living while doing so. Moving a few boxes makes me nervous, much less an entire inventory, from over twenty years on Hamilton Street. For a city supposedly improving itself, I certainly saw much pain today near 7th and Hamilton.